New Tampa Neighborhood News, Volume 32, Issue 7, April 2, 2024

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The New Tampa PAC’s Truly Grand Unveiling!

Free Concert On Apr. 5 Will Introduce The Community To The PAC’s New Steinway “Model D” Piano In Grand Fashion!

By Gary Nager

Photos by Charmaine George

When general manager Keith Arsenault took the job running the Hillsborough County-owned New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) last year, he told members of the county’s staff that, “If this is really going to be a ‘real’ Performing Arts Center, then we need a real performing arts piano.”

The PAC opened a little more than a year ago, but now, Arsenault finally has a truly grand piano that he believes will help fulfill the PAC’s destiny as a real performing arts center — a brand new Steinway & Sons “Model D” concert grand piano, also known as the flagship of this worldrenowned and historic American brand.

Only the Neighborhood News was on hand when the spectacular new piano was delivered and re-assembled on the NTPAC stage on March 21 — “And on this stage it will remain,” Arsenault said. “This will be the centerpiece of this facility!”

And, Arsenault and his staff are proud to introduce the magnificent new instrument to the local community, as the PAC will host a fantastic “Concert Grand” event on Friday, April 5.

See “Concert Grand” on pg. 4!

CONGRATS, KENT!

New

Our friend Kent Ross celebrates 40 years of owning RP&G Printing.

See page 3

THE PASSING OF TOM DEMPSEY

The Saddlebrook Resort founder owner helped put Wesley Chapel on the map.

See page 6

IS WHOLE FOODS COMING?

The plan to put a store on BBD in Wesley Chapel was withdrawn, but is it still coming?

See page 12

WHAT’S NEW, ROCK & BREWS?

A lot, especially (but not only) for lunch! We sampled many of the new menu items!

See page 40

Tampa Performing Arts Center general manager Keith Arsenault was part of a group flown to New York by Steinway & Sons to select the new Steinway “Model D” concert grand piano for the New Tampa Performing Arts Center. Keith was the first to play the amazing new piano at the PAC on Mar. 21 and the Neighborhood News was the exclusive local news medium that was on hand when the beautiful new piano was delivered.

Thirty Years? That’s Nice, But How About 40 Years? — RP&G Printing!

An Editorial by GARY NAGER

As you can see from the story on page 16 of this issue, the party Jannah and I hosted to celebrate my 30 years of owning the Neighborhood News was very special for us and, it would seem, for a lot of the 150 or so people who attended it.

Among those in attendance at our event were our friends Kent and Cindy Ross, the owners of RP&G Printing & Business Systems, Inc.

And, while Kent and Cindy both seemed to enjoy themselves and said super-sweet things to us about my 30 years of Neighborhood News, the fact is that my accomplishment pales in comparison to the fact that Kent has owned RP&G now for 40 years and Cindy joined him in 1995, or almost 30 years ago.

Like yours truly, Kent — a long-time member and former president of the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel — and Cindy, one of the most visible (at virtually every event) ambassadors for the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC), have deep roots in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel communities and also have been able to evolve their printing business over the decades.

Their celebration of Kent and RP&G’s 40 years on Mar. 21 also was a way to introduce their many friends and business associates to the company’s new location on Pet Ln., off Wesley Chapel Blvd. in Lutz, and featured beautiful food (including some very upscale baconwrapped, cheese-filled dates crafted by RP&G graphic designer Stephanie Flischel), an impressive hula hoop display — did I mention the hula hoop was on fire? — by production specialist Brianna Peterson and a dancing 7+-foot-tall robot adorned with the RP&G logo and a similar number of attendees as at our event.

When you consider that the only other business that has been open continuously in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel since 1984, when Kent first opened RP&G, is Saddlebrook Resort (see pg. 6), you can understand why RP&G’s longevity is such a major accomplishment.

And, don’t forget that Saddelbrook was sold by founder and owner Tom Dempsey last year, so unless I’m forgetting someone, I don’t believe any business has been serving either of our distribution areas for longer than our friend Kent.

Here are some facts Kent supplied in a press release about RP&G’s 40th birthday:

“We started by supplying continuous forms and checks for the burgeoning computer revolution in the 1980s. along with business cards and stationery,” he says. ”Full color printing then was so expensive only big companies could afford it, but now, we specialize in full-color marketing materials to help small businesses shine that are affordable for any size company.”

“This dedication has established a foundation of loyalty, still servicing clients that have been with the company since its inception — a testament to their unwavering commitment to client relations and customer service.”

Cindy added, “RP&G stands for more than just service; it signifies a promise to deliver great value and make our clients look their best.”

Significant achievements in RP&G’s 40-year history include:

• Winning the Small Business of the Year award from the NTBC in 2017

• Runner-up for Small Business of the Year, Pasco Economic Development Council, in 2016

• Receiving the Superior Performance in Print Shop Management award by CPrint International three times in the past five years.

Kent reminisces with humor about the company’s early days: “People often ask me what RP&G stands for. At the start, I looked so young — many assumed I was a kid trying to run a business. By rebranding to RP&G instead of “Ross Printing and Graphics,” and changing my title from President to Sales Representative, I saw our sales take off as people then trusted that I had ‘adult supervision.’”

In addition to keeping up with modern printing production technology, RP&G attributes much of its success to its dedicated staff.

“Machines will only get you so far,”

Kent says. “At the end of the day, it’s the people in your organization that will make

or break you and we have been blessed with talented team players that really look after our clients!”

These four decades also showcase a family’s legacy in the printing business.

Kent’s grandmother was the founder of the Pasco Shopper and had a print shop in the 1950s. His father joined that business in the early ‘60s.

Congrats, Kent & Cindy! We love you! And clearly, we’re not the only ones!

For more info about RP&G, call (813) 949-5700 or visit RPandG.com.

(L.-r.) Stephanie Flischel, Scott Teel, Brianna Peterson & Cindy & Kent Ross (and their tall friend) of RP&G Printing.

‘Concert Grand’

Continued from pg. 1

“When you’re making a substantial acquisition like this, you don’t just pick something out on eBay,” Keith said.

So, Steinway & Sons graciously flew Keith, Steinway Tampa Bay (which has showroom locations in Clearwater and Tampa) vice president Jonathan Hunt and two “much better pianists” with them to the piano maker’s headquarters in Queens, NY.

“We got a three-hour tour of the factory to see the amazing process of building these pianos,” Keith said. “And then, we were faced with a room with five of them — ostensibly identical Model D grand pianos — but each one with its own voice and personality.”

They went up and down the line playing each piano and comparing them.

“And then, finally,” Keith said, “someone sat down at the fifth one in the row and played a big fat chord and we all just kind of went, ‘Oooh, that’s the one.’ Not too long after that, the Steinway folks came out and put a ‘Selected’ tag on the piano, so that nobody else would get it.”

He joked, “I knew I didn’t have to, but I even wrote down the serial number to make sure we got our piano.”

Jonathan, who says he usually makes the trip to Queens “about three or four times a year,” said, “Steinway does a predelivery inspection, they disassemble and wrap the legs, wheels and foot pedals and pack it into a big box and deliver it to our factory. That takes about two weeks. We then have our own pre-delivery inspection and prep process. We put it back together, allow it to acclimate to the Florida weather, test the sound, and then disassemble and wrap and box it up again to get it ready for delivery.”

Keith noted, “The whole process from Queens to final destination took a little less than the month we were told to expect it to take. And, throughout the process, we got blow-by-blow updates like, ‘The piano has left the factory,’ and so forth. It was basically like tracking it online as it made its trip. This was the first time I’ve had my hands directly involved in this process. It was very special.”

A Truly Grand Concert Event!

Keith said, “The Concert Grand

event on April 5 is our way of introducing this fine instrument to our audiences. We have six magnificent pianists coming to play that evening, ranging from classical to jazz to piano ‘four hands,’ where two of these musicians play the piano at the same time. It’s going to be a wonderful, free event, but reservations are required.”

That night, the NTPAC lobby will open at 7 p.m., there will be a cash bar, hors d’oeuvres courtesy of Steinway of Tampa Bay, “and we’ll have an amazing concert (starting at 8 p.m.) and a chance to meet and greet with the artists afterwards in the lobby,” Keith said.

“Jonathan and I will be making casual remarks at the top of the show,” he added, “but we will not be among those playing the piano at that event. The star of this show is the piano...certainly not us.”

As to how he feels about the selection his group made, Keith said, “I couldn’t be happier. As Jonathan said, ‘This piano is a rocket ship’ and, given the acoustical nature of this room, and the fact that we will likely be using this piano as much for legitimate jazz events as for classical, it’s just the perfect piano for this space. And, the pianists who are going to be part of that program are all going to be thrilled to be playing it.”

Jonathan added, “I also just love this facility (NTPAC). It’s so good to see Hillsborough County investing in the arts. As much as the Concert Grand event is about this piano, we just want people to know that the New Tampa Performing Arts Center is here and is a great asset to this community.”

‘Concert Grand’ Performances On Apr. 5

“Valse Impromptu in A-flat Major” by Franz Liszt - played by Grigorios Zamparas

“I Love You, Porgy” by George Gershwin; “Half a World Away” by Simon Lasky & “Soul Cowboy” by Pat Metheny - played by Simon Lasky

“Etude Opus 25, Nr. 1, ‘Aeolian Harp’” by Frederic Chopin - played by Jane West

“Hungarian Dances for Piano FourHands No. 2 & No. 8” by Johannes Brahms; “Slavonic Dance Opus 72, Nr. 2 in E minor” by Antonín Dvorak & “Waltz ‘Snowstorm,’” by Georgy Sviridov - played by Jane West & Grigorios Zamparas

“Who Am I?,” by Pablo Arencibia, “Invi-

tation” by Bronislaw Kape & “Freedom Jazz Dance” by Eddie Harris-played by Pablo Arencibia “Fantasia in F Minor D.940” by Franz Schubert - played by Ghadeer Abaido & Svetozar Ivanov

Editor’s note — It was absolutely mesmerizing to see the Model D being taken out of its special box, with each of its legs and the beautiful, easy-rolling brass wheels separately wrapped, and then rolled on a dolly to, and then laid out on, the NTPAC stage. And then, to see Jonathan and his two assistants meticulously re-attach the legs and foot pedals to the 8’, 11-3/4” long behemoth and then turning the nearly 1,100-lb. piano upright and then wiping it down to allow the high-gloss, ultra-black

(Above) NTPAC GM Keith Arsenault (left) and Steinway Tampa Bay VP Jonathan Hunt talk about the process that brought the new Steinway Model D to the PAC, including the room at the Steinway showroom in Queens, NY (below) with five identical pianos from which it was chosen. (Next page) Jonathan and his helpers turn the piano upright and then carefully wipe it down. (All photos by Charmaine George, except the showroom picture, which was provided by the New Tampa Performing Arts Center)

Celebrating The Amazing Life Of Saddlebrook Resort Founder Tom Dempsey

By Gary Nager

Even though I knew he had been in home hospice care for several months, the news that Saddlebrook Resort founder and former owner Thomas L. (Tom) Dempsey — known affectionately to his family and friends as “T.D.” — had passed away last month was definitely still a shock to my system.

Mr. Dempsey, who literally put the previously unknown area known as Wesley Chapel on the map, when the Pittway Corp. purchased and began building Saddlebrook way back in 1979, was always so kind to me and said such sweet, complimentary things to me about my efforts with the Neighborhood News. The fact that he ran the huge Penton Publishing empire (a subsidiary of Pittway) in his native Cleveland, OH, for so many years gave his words to me so much more meaning. Even though we only met maybe 10-12 times in all of the years I have owned the Neighborhood News, I still looked upon him as something of a mentor — especially the few times he told me he felt I had gotten something wrong.

The ironic thing to me is that my first home in the Wesley Chapel area, which I moved my family into in 1993 (after leaving Westchester County, NY) was a condominium I rented in the community around Saddlebrook. My kids loved swimming in the resort’s Superpool and members of my family stayed at Saddlebrook when they visited us.

beloved Dempsey’s Steak House, Saddlebrook’s crown jewel, and when the original Europeanstyle spa opened. The

followed closely the saga of the resort’s sale, which T.D. definitely resisted for several years.

I also became friends with not only Mr. Dempsey’s granddaughter Alexis, but also his former general manager at the resort, Pat Ciaccio, and long-time employee

Erik Ravenna, both of whom partnered with T.D. in Johnny C’s Italian Eatery on Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa (see ad page 41).

Both Pat and Erik also called T.D. a “mentor” and said that although his passing was tremendously sad, as Pat told me, “at least he is finally at peace, and with his beloved Ellie (Eleanor, his wife of 60 years, who passed away in 2017).”

Meanwhile, JD Porter, the Wiregrass Ranch developer whose family trust provided the land for Saddlebrook, said, “Mr. Dempsey

on certain items with Tom but, at the end of the day, he was a man with fortitude who fought the good fight and was essential in helping to shape not only Wesley Chapel but the entire region through not only his vision but his actions. He will be sorely missed.”

Although we missed the actual memorial service for him, Jannah and I attended T.D.’s Celebration of Life, held (of course) at Saddlebrook, where at least 300 people were in attendance, sharing stories of the man who made the resort the amazing golf, tennis, convention and vacation hub it became under his guidance.

And of course, we also were there to send our condolences to his entire family, especially our friend Alexis, who told me that the first version of this story that I put on the cover of our March 19 Wesley Chapel issue (and posted on our “Neighborhood News” Facebook page) was “perfect,” which I told her I appreciated so much because these words her grandfather told me were ringing in my ears as I wrote it:

“Just remember, Gary, once the words are in print, you can’t get them back, so always choose them carefully.”

Thanks, T.D. May your soul rest in peace.

Saddlebrook Resort founder and former owner Tom Dempsey, with his beloved wife Ellie (left) and (l.-r.) his granddaughter Alexis, great granddaughter Darla Eleanor Doyle and Alexis’ husband James Doyle. (Photos courtesy of the Dempsey family)

K-Bar Ranch Residents Get Updates From Viera At Latest Town Hall Meeting

By Gary Nager

District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera (far right in photo on this page) says that, as the only still-growing community in New Tampa, he would prefer to hold his Town Hall meetings in K-Bar Ranch at least twice a year. But, even though his last Town Hall in K-Bar was a year and a week before, Viera did return again to the Amenity Center in K-Bar on Mar. 20 to provide updates to the residents of the community.

And, while about 50 K-Bar residents showed up at the meeting to voice their concerns and, in some cases, complaints about speeding, traffic and other issues in their community, Viera not only took the time to address those and other concerns — plus some of his own — he also brought director Marilyn Heldt and manager Miray Holmes from the city’s new Customer Experience Department to show the residents the best (and fastest) way to get their concerns to the right people.

One thing Viera brought up during his opening remarks was about his idea to place a “mobile” emergency vehicle in K-Bar.

“Among the major issues that I see out here are public safety and especially, fire safety,” Viera said. “There’s not a lot of calls in K-Bar — only maybe 100-150 a year, thank God, but when there are calls, we want to make sure that we can get to them on time. The challenge isn’t the number of calls out here, it’s the time it takes for us to get here. So, one of the things I’ve been trying

to get out here is some sort of a dedicated ‘modular’ station actually in K-Bar Ranch, but Tampa Fire Rescue (TFR) chief Barbara Tripp is not on board with that right now.”

He added, “But, one thing that is going to happen is that there will be a dedicated rescue vehicle for K-Bar Ranch at Station No. 22 on Cross Creek Blvd. near Morris Bridge Rd., so that’s going to help. The challenge with it is that this dedicated unit will still have to go all the way to KinnanMansfield to get into K-Bar Ranch and that is going to take time. And, one call that

takes 12 minutes and someone loses their life or suffers a catastrophic injury is too many.”

He also noted that the other thing he’s working on with not only the city, but also Hillsborough County and TFR, is a possible cut-through on Morris Bridge Rd. that would take that fire truck or EMS vehicle from Station No. 22 up Morris Bridge and into K-Bar on K-Bar Ranch Pkwy.

“That would first have to be approved as a re-zoning by Tampa City Council, which could take anywhere from a year to a year-and-a-half,” he said.”As a long-time

private sector guy before being elected to City Council, that’s one of the things that’s hard to deal with — how long things take when the government gets involved. It’s just something you have to deal with, though.”

He also provided an update on the long-planned K-Bar Ranch park. “It’s one of the things we did get into the proposed (fiscal year 2024) budget,” Viera said. “We’ve already gotten the New Tampa Rec Center expanded and added the All-Abilities autism park (both in Tampa Palms), so the third thing I want to get working on is the K-Bar

Ranch park. It’s something that’s in the CIT (Community Investment Tax), which means it’s in the plans for the budget, which at least gets the ball rolling.”

Viera also said, “K-Bar Ranch is kind of the center of development in zip code 33647. The good news is that there isn’t much more new development coming to New Tampa. The bad news is...we’re full.”

Improving Customer Experience

Before turning the meeting over to questions from the residents, Viera introduced Holmes (left in photo on this page) and Heldt (right) to provide the residents with an update on the new Customer Experience department, what it does and how it can help the residents get their concerns in

front of the right people in city government, and follow the progress of those concerns as they go through the governmental process.

Heldt, who said she had been working for the city for about seven years in the technology department before being named the director of Customer Experience “about a year ago,” said, “I’m more of the interpreter between the technology team and our other departments. That is my background, but improving customer experience is my passion.”

She also explained that when the city came up with this initiative, one of the big parts was strengthening resident services.

“To improve the customer experience, the first thing we needed to do was to replace the software, which was 20+ years old,”

See “Town Hall” on pg. 10

Continued from pg. 9

Heldt said. “It didn’t even have a mobile component...it was awful.”

Heldt also said that although her department and the software being used are still new, “We started out trying to think of what the citizens of Tampa wanted and how we can provide that for them. We want to be the city with the best possible customer experience. Some retail companies are good at customer experience, but government...not so much.”

She added that her department is coming out with a “robust training program this fall for all of our employees. Next, we want to figure out where the ‘pain points’ are for citizens — what’s taking too long. So, when you put in a service request to have someone come out to fix a pothole, we’ll offer an initial survey to ask you how your experience was putting in the request. Then, when the request closes out, we’ll survey you again to see how the process was for you getting that issue resolved.”

Heldt also noted that in order for her department to get the data they need to see how the city is responding to its customers, “Citizens have to use the system. Then, when we have enough data, we can start making those improvements.”

Holmes then handed out cards with a QR code so those in attendance at the meeting could access the new system to get registered and see how it works. Holmes said that the new system went live in November, “and since that time, we have had more

than 12,000 new ‘Tampa Connect’ system requests, of which almost 1,000 are from 33647, where the number one request for service had to do with water. That makes sense, because when you move into your home, you have to connect to our water.”

Holmes then asked if any of the residents in attendance had used the new Tampa Connect system and one resident named Nick (in yellow in photo) said he called to complain multiple times about speeding on Bassett Creek Dr. near Pride Elementary, but had not yet received a response. “The principal of Pride also called about it, but it doesn’t seem like anything has been done.”

To that, Holmes responded that her department can talk to the city’s mobility department to ask them why there hadn’t been a response. “But someone should have gotten back to you.”

Holmes also said that, for example, when you have a pothole on your street, “take a picture of it and upload it to the Tampa Connect system. The system will locate it and then ask you a few questions and once you upload your contact information, someone will respond about that pothole. Once you’ve uploaded your information, you’re given a case number and then, you’re able to track that request through until it is resolved.”

Other Issues

Viera then noted that although he’s OK with sending taxpayer dollars to help people in need, he was the only “No” vote when City Council voted to give $25 million in taxpayer funds to the Straz Center for the Performing

Arts and $10 million to the Tampa Museum of Art, “not because I don’t value the arts but because our roads are falling apart and that money would be better spent improving our neighborhoods.”

Nick, who said his father was a Tampa Police (TPD) Officer for more than 20 years, also asked about why the 911 call system still doesn’t automatically connect to someone who can dispatch help, apparently because of all the new homes in both New Tampa and Wesley Chapel and the cross-jurisdictions of Tampa, Hillsborough and Pasco. He also noted that although Meadow Pointe residents successfully fought connecting Kinnan St. to Mansfield Blvd., now that Meadow Pointe Blvd. is connecting to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy., “We have a lot of people coming from Pasco and there’s a lot more speeding on our roads.”

sett Creek Dr. at Kinnan to slow folks down, because stop signs don’t slow folks down.” That resident thanked Viera, “You’re a good listener. Thanks to you, we have gotten stop signs, we’ve gotten lines on our roads and speed limits reduced the last two years.”

Viera said he is trying to arrange a meeting with Dist. 2 Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman to discuss those jurisdictional line issues, not only in K-Bar but also along County Line Rd.

One resident who didn’t give their name also complained that although Tampa Police officers are out with their radar guns during the day to give K-Bar residents speeding tickets, “they’re not out here at night when there are people drag racing on our streets.”

Another resident who didn’t give her name asked that when Viera meets with Comm. Weightman if they could again discuss opening Kinnan-Mansfield and the possibility of putting a roundabout at the location. “We also need a roundabout at Bas-

Another idea Viera had to help cut down on speeding, thanks to a new law passed in Tallahassee, is to install speed cameras in school zones. He said, “I’m against speed cameras in general, but not in school zones, during school hours. I proposed passing that ordinance to City Council.”

After taking questions for almost an hour, Viera said he was going to try to get set up a call with himself, five of the people at the Town Hall meeting and Vik Bhide from the city’s Mobility Dept., to discuss all of the road issues in K-Bar. He also plans to come back to K-Bar in June to meet with Tampa Palms resident and Hillsborough School Board member Jessica Vaughn to discuss the traffic situation around Pride.

Is The Announced Whole Foods Still Coming To Wesley Chapel?

By Joel Provenzano

When plans for a development with a Whole Foods grocery store (at Bruce B Downs Blvd. and Aronwood Blvd., in front of Meadow Pointe) and Lifetime Fitness in Wesley Chapel were “leaked” on the Pasco County Development & Growth Updates Facebook page, residents flooded multiple Facebook groups with comments, where half were rejoicing about the possible arrival of Whole Foods finally coming and the other half were still really hoping for a Trader Joe’s instead.

Many were just grateful it was not another car wash, a self-storage facility, or more apartments. Some had concerns about added traffic and others about how the County Commissioners could allow another undeveloped lot to be built on. Others remembered this land already had a long history, but few could remember exactly what that was.

Unfortunately, the plans for a local Whole Foods store are now up in the air again. Just a few days after the planned store was made public, the chain’s meeting with Pasco County to present its concept plan was canceled by the applicant and a spokesperson for the company that submitted the original development plan recently told the Neighborhood News there’s no update on Whole Foods.

However, many local residents drive by the long-vacant parcel everyday and notice a long-standing relic and consequence of the Great Recession, an abandoned and unkept parking lot (of a never completed Outback

Steakhouse development that was reportedly going to include a Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant and others) that’s been overgrown by tall weeds, grass, and trees, covered with trash and litter.

Even as an overgrown parking lot, the parcel next to Pasco Fire Rescue Station No. 26 has still served the community in its own way. For a couple of years, the lot was used as a temporary place where Christmas trees were sold and many new drivers have been out there practicing how to drive or learning how ride a motorcycle.

A Little History

Pasco County originally had a different idea for the use of the land. When Meadow Pointe 1 and Aronwood Blvd (back then called Meadow Pointe Blvd.) were first approved in the early 1990s, this land was zoned for commercial development, so there was a place to build the stores needed to support this large new community. At that time, BBD/C.R. 581 was called the “Road to Nowhere” and there was very little commercial development along the corridor.

Since then, any number of large- and medium-sized grocery stores have popped up in Wesley Chapel and New Tampa, including Walmart, Sam’s Club, Target, Publix, WinnDixie, Nutrition Smart, Aldi, Sprouts and most recently, Lotte Plaza Market. However, the residents of our area have long desired for even more healthy and diverse options. For a while, Earth Fare helped satisfy this need, until all

their locations in Tampa Bay abruptly closed a few years back, although there is a Sprouts Farmers market on BBD in New Tampa.

Two other Tampa Bay area grocery favorites — Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods still have yet to make it into the growing Wesley Chapel area. Trader Joe’s, one of the highestrated specialty grocers in Florida, currently has stores in many populated areas around the state (even in Gainesville) but the closest one in Tampa is nearly 30 miles away.

One reason customers like Whole Foods

(which was acquired by Amazon in 2017) is because Amazon Prime members receive special deals and deep discounts at the store, along with other perks like easy and free Amazon pickups and returns in-store, where they’ll actually pack your return for you.

The chain is now quickly expanding to more areas throughout the Bay area. At the end of February, St. Petersburg’s first Whole Foods opened to a line around the store, and last year, the “green” grocer entered into discussions for a future store in the Trinity area.

Unfortunately, the site plan shown above, for the long-vacant parcel of land at the intersection of Aronwood Blvd. and Bruce B. Downs Blvd (photo on next page, by Joel Provenzano), which was released online, was withdrawn by the applicant just a few days later.

Here is a brief history of the land (above) in Meadow Pointe where Whole Foods & Lifetime Fitness were proposed to be built:

2008 — Construction plans were submitted to Pasco County and then approved, which showed an Outback Steakhouse, Cheeseburger in Paradise and other restaurants up front, with a large retail plaza in the back under a future phase. The parking lot for the Outback was constructed but then construction of the restaurant was halted due to the recession.

2013 — The parcels were platted to officially become part of Meadow Pointe, Tract 2, long after Meadow Pointe began developing.

2019 — A Concept Plan submitted to Pasco

county that showed a 30,000-sq.-ft. grocery store, multiple fast food restaurants with drive through lanes, plus retail and apartments in the back under a future Phase 2.

2021 — Rezoning plans were submitted to Pasco County that showed keeping the original Outback Steakhouse parcel in the front (from 2008) as-is, but changed the plans in the back to remove the retail plaza and replace it with apartments.

2024 — Preapp meeting with Pasco County was requested that showed Whole Foods and Lifetime Fitness as standalone anchor tenants, replacing all previous plans. However, a few days later, that preapp meeting was canceled at the request of the applicant.

JD Porter At Chamber Luncheon: Calls Out Pasco For Non-Compliance Of Sports Campus Agreement, Updates ‘Legacy Wiregrass Ranch’ & More

By Gary Nager

Photos by Charmaine George

“Pasco County is in default of our agreement regarding the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus,” said Wiregrass Ranch developer JD Porter at the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC)’s new office in the Signature Workspace at the Shops at Wiregrass on Mar. 12. “They are out of time; they are well past the deadline we gave them to get into compliance.”

Although Porter and his Locust Branch, LLC, development manager Scott Sheridan talked about all aspects of what is already in place at — and what is still to come to — the Porter family’s 5,100-acre cattle ranch (which stretches from S.R. 54 to south of S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel), at the Chamber luncheon, the blockbuster news coming out of that meeting, attended by about 70 people, was Porter’s promise to “take back the (160-acre Sports Campus) property and sue the county for its non-compliance of the terms of our agreement,” referring to the “Flycatcher” agreement between Wiregrass Ranch and Pasco County, which was created when the land was donated to the county to build the Sports Campus.

“The county was never supposed to manage that property,” despite the fact that Pasco voted to self-manage the Sports Campus beginning on June 1, 2023, after also voting unanimously to find RADDSports — the previous management company of the Sports Campus — in default of its agreement in Oct. 2022. The Board of County Commissioners (BOC) also voted unanimously to spend $6 million of taxpayer funds to buy out RADDSports from that agreement as of June 1, and manage the facility – without ever proving that RADD was in default of its managerial contract.

One of the problems, according to Porter, was that Pasco was already supposed to provide five additional outdoor fields, a trail system, concession stands and

additional parking on the property (in addition to the two outdoor soccer fields and 98,000-sq.-ft. arena originally constructed when Phase 1 of the Sports Campus opened in 2020). Not only were those additional fields never built, the county never even put them out to bid until late 2023, when Pasco said it would cost $15.2 million to build them. “But,” Porter asked, “how much less would it have cost if the fields had gone to bid five years earlier, before Covid, as the county had promised?”

Sheridan also noted that, “We want to make sure that this continues to be an

asset to the community...a touristdevelopment-focused asset — that is its first and primary mission. That is what our agreement with the county says it should be, and not necessarily a county park. The purpose is for it to be a tourist development asset to get people dining in our restaurants, shopping at our retail (stores) and staying in our hotel rooms...adding tax base to our local economy.”

“Scott has a much more upbeat outlook on that asset than I do,” Porter said. “They should already have that (Phase 2) done and they are failing in their agreement with us. The county is four or five years behind on delivering the fields and it’s required that they use an outside operator to manage that asset. We have put them on notice that they have crossed the line on this one and they’ve crossed it badly. Government has no business trying to run stuff like that. Hopefully, they get it back to where it needs to be because if not, we’re going to solve this ourselves and how (we do that) doesn’t matter to me. They made a promise and we’re not going to play games, which is what they’ve been doing. So, we can do it nicely or, if they want, we can go to war.”

When asked about the lack of enough

(L.-r.) North Tampa Bay Chamber president Hope Kennedy, with JD Porter and Scott Sheridan of Wiregrass Ranch unveil the plans for the community at an NTBC luncheon on Mar. 12. (Photo by Charmaine George)

parking at the Sports Campus by Becky Hayes, the general manager of the Residence Inn hotel adjacent to the Sports Campus, Porter said, “I’m not a math genius, but I know that they could have built a helluva lot of parking spots for the money they used to buy out a group (RADD) that they signed an agreement with. They spent more than $5 million (of taxpayer funds) on that, instead of using that money to fix a problem.”

Following the Mar. 12 luncheon, District 2 (which includes the Sports Campus and much of Wesley Chapel) Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman spoke with the Neighborhood News and said that Porter was “absolutely correct in his assessment of the situation with the Sports Campus and he has every right to take back the property because Pasco is not in compliance with that Flycatcher agreement.”

Commissioner Weightman also recently provided the Neighborhood News with numbers that compare how the county’s Parks & Recreation Dept. has done managing the facility since taking over from RADD — and the numbers don’t show the county is doing any better than RADD did — but Porter said that the BOC should never have voted to take over the management of the Sports Campus, regardless of its reasons, and is only now getting ready to send out a Request for Quotes/Proposals from new operators to take over its management.

“So, write the county commissioners because it’s not necessarily them, it’s the staff in that (County Commission) office that keeps making excuses every damn day,” Porter said. “Let’s make it uncomfortable for them until they do something.”

“Downtown” Wesley Chapel — aka “Legacy Wiregrass Ranch”

Porter and Sheridan also gave updates on the previously announced (and getting ready to go vertical) 300-bed Orlando Health hospital, the 50-bed PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital (north of the Amberlin Apartments; see story on pg. 18), the other planned medical buildings across Bruce B. Downs Blvd. from the BayCare hospital, the 100,00-sq.-ft. Florida Cancer Specialists medical building (on the south side of S.R. 56, next to North Tampa Behavioral Health) and the highly anticipated “downtown Wesley Chapel that we call Legacy Wiregrass Ranch,” Porter said. “This group is the first to see the update on this, although we’ve been working on it for years.”

He added, “It’s not a Town Center. I am so tired of it being referred to as a

Town Center. There are 28 Town Centers (in Wesley Chapel), and I don’t know what those are but this is an actual downtown. Everybody uses those same key words (Town Center) and it’s absolutely incredible because it’s usually a Publix and maybe a Rita’s Italian Ice or something like that and it does nothing. That’s what we call ‘commercial.’ But, this is something that’s legit — and it has taken a long time — but this is going to happen.”

He added, “Day One, we will have 150,000 sq. ft. (of office), 100,000 sq. ft. of retail and that’s by design. And we’re investing in it ourselves — we’re building 100,000 sq. ft. across the street. Nobody begins with 350,000 sq. ft. in the county and we have that before it even starts building. We don’t want to pull the trigger too early because if you do, we set somebody up for failure.”

Sheridan also noted, “Ours will be a true downtown urban development, with a 1,500-space elevated parking structure and five-story-tall rental apartments with truly local businesses, including a food hall, on the bottom floor, plus a large green space area (50+ acres) for outdoor entertaining. So, this is definitely urban in nature — four- or five-story apartments, a four- or five-story hotel, all just north of Orlando Health. This will be Phase One, about 25 acres, of a true downtown Wesley Chapel — Legacy Wiregrass Ranch.”

Porter added, “There has to be residential (in the downtown mix). These are mid-rise apartment buildings, about 900 units. I don’t understand why the county is against rental units. Lifestyles have changed, so we need rental units, which may be five or six years out, not only here but throughout the Ranch. But, if I can get them to do five or six stories here, I can get them to do seven or eight stories someplace else (in Wiregrass Ranch).”

Sheridan added that although the downtown area is likely at least two years away from beginning construction, “We are beginning to seek proposals now and there is some infrastructure already happening. But, by the time Orlando Health opens in late 2025, early 2026, the first phase of this will be on the heels of that.”

Green Space, Ray-Jay & Schools

Porter also noted that although all of Wiregrass Ranch has a development plan, there will still be plenty of green space throughout the community.

“Nobody cares more about this land and the wildlife on it than I do. That’s why we’ve taken such a careful approach to this

development. People call me a control freak, and maybe I am, but we’ve turned down a lot of different things and we’re building a lot of this ourselves because I want this to be successful.”

“We’ve probably turned down ten gas stations in Wiregrass Ranch,” Sheridan added. “We finally allowed one to open (the 7-11 on Mansfield Blvd.) about a year ago and just agreed to a second one. “We have lost deals — to great users — because we don’t want to give up control to somebody else.”

Porter also noted, “One of my concerns is that everybody loves Wawa, but what happens if Wawa leaves? In our case, whoever takes that over would have to go through me again to make it a Kangaroo or something else.”

Porter and Sheridan did also mention Raymond James Financial. To paraphrase, they said that because of Covid, no big

companies are doing giant office campuses right now. Sheridan said, “Raymond James is still in the pictures and has spent more than $1 million on site work, but the company doesn’t have a timeline or definitive plan as to what they will do with the site.”

And, although Wiregrass Ranch also has two additional public elementary school sites, (schools which currently aren’t funded for construction by the Pasco School District) Sheridan and Porter also said that a new Primrose School pre-school could begin construction soon on Chancey Rd. near the Estancia neighborhood.

And finally, Sheridan said that Wiregrass Ranch currently provides, “about $1.4 billion in tax base to Pasco County (or about 17% of the county’s gross domestic product, or GDP). At build-out, conservatively, we’ll probably be about $6.5 billion in tax base. That generates huge revenue for the county.”

(Above) The site plan for “Legacy at Wiregrass Ranch,” the development’s coming-soon downtown area (slide provided by Wiregrass Ranch). (Right) The crowd at the Mar. 12 luncheon. (Photo by Charmaine George)

Celebrating My 30 Years Of Neighborhood News!

By Gary Nager

Photos by Charmaine George

The event may be over, but some amazing memories remain. I’m talking about the party the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News hosted at the spectacular New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) on Leap Day (Feb. 29) to celebrate my 30 years of owning and being the editor of my publications.

The evening featured 150 total attendees, plus “A Taste of the Neighborhood News” — food from 11 local restaurants, including Stonewood Grill & Tavern, The Grill at Morris Bridge (see ad on pg. 39), TrebleMakers Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant, Falabella Family Bistro, Azteca D’Oro Mexican Restaurant (pg. 43), Las Palmas Latin Grill, Blush Wine Room, Johnny C’s Italian Eatery (pg. 41), Rock & Brews (pgs. 40-41 & 45), Lima Peruvian Cuisine (pg. 45) and Zio’s NY Bagel & Deli.

In addition, local karaoke jockey Tabitha Pollard of Luna Tunes provided the perfect musical background, but of course, yours truly had to sing a few songs, including a duet of Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days” with Tampa City Council member Luis Viera. Other singers included former Your CBD Store of Wesley Chapel owner Lisa Feigel, Wesley Chapel Rotary Club member Gilbert Bennett, O’Brien’s Wesley Chapel regular Karl Vinson (he of the 300-lb. weight loss we reported a few issues back) and a few others who braved the mic.

Among the evening’s highlights for me were video tributes sent by some folks who couldn’t attend — including New Tampa Cultural Center founder Graeme Woodbrook, State Rep. Fentrice Driskell, New Tampa Players producing artistic director Nora Paine (see story on pg. 20) and PROtential Sports co-owner Nyree Bland.

But, perhaps the top highlights for yours truly, because they were so unexpected, were a Proclamation from North Tampa Bay Chamber president Hope Kennedy (bottom right) and a Commendation from Viera and his fellow City Council members.

I also was thrilled that not only did my son Jared, his wife Mary Luz and my year-old grandson Liam make the trip (photo, right), but that Visit Tampa Bay president (and longtime New Tampa resident) Santiago Corrada and his wife Shana (below) and Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman and his wife Jessica also were on hand to wish me well.

Also in attendance were at least two dozen of our advertisers and a handful of faithful readers, who received invitations because they entered an informal contest we posted in our issues about the party.

I want to thank them all, plus my wife Jannah, photographer Charmaine George and NTPAC GM Keith Arsenault and his staff for making the evening one of the highlights of not only my career, but my entire life!

On this page are just a few highlights from the “Leaping Into the Next 30 Years of Neighborhood News” party held at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center on Feb. 29!

(Above, l.-r.) Luis Viera, Gary Nager & Santiago & Shana Corrada.

A ‘Taste Of The Neighborhood News,” Too!

Unfortunately, we don’t have room in this space to show the food from all eleven of the restaurants who provided “A Taste of the Neighborhood News” for our 30-year anniversary party, but above are (top) Stonewood Grill & Tavern and (center) Las Palmas Latin Grill. Visit our “Neighborhood News” Facebook page and NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net to see all of the delicious food served at the event!

Business Briefs — PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital Coming To Wiregrass

By Joel Provenzano

Back in December, Wiregrass Ranch submitted plans for an a new east-west access road through parcel M3 (see map, bottom right), which was intended to help provide access to a planned new PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital and future outparcels. This road will connect with Bruce B Downs (BBD) Blvd., at the directional median opening that aligns with Stockton Dr. on the other side of BBD.

In the future ultimate build-out, it’s intended that this road might be punched through the wetland and connected directly as an extension to the existing Bella Corsa Blvd. in Estancia at Wiregrass. This extension will serve two functions —

1) to give residents direct vehicular and pedestrian access to the large commercial developments and reduce traffic on the main roads, and 2) to give residents an alternative way to access BBD.

The proposed PAM Health Rehab Hospital will be located immediately north of the Amberlin Apartments site (on the other side of the natural wetland pond) and, even though the plans don’t currently show it, it will be required to be cross connected to Amberlin and the small commercial retail outparcel to the south (the M3 Outparcel B site) with a small road, which will allow this rehab

•Divorce

•Custody

•Visitation

•Modifications

•Paternity

hospital (and all of the future Wiregrass commercial) to have access to the signal at Eagleston Blvd. upon ultimate buildout.

Plans for the small retail outparcel to the south show this future cross connection which also would include sidewalk access. This retail development (Outparcel B) will be a small multi-tenant plaza whose future tenants are currently unknown but could

be a mix of retail and a small restaurant.

In addition, construction plans for the Ace Medical Plaza (M3 Outparcel C) were just submitted to Pasco in February. This site is located immediately in front of Amberlin and will be a two-story, 15,000-sq.ft. building occupying Outparcel C of the Wiregrass development, at the southeast corner of BBD and Eagleston Blvd.

(Above) The site plan for the PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital in Wiregrass Ranch. (Top right) The location map for the PAM Rehab Hospital. (Bottom right) The plans for the Parcel M3 access road and future commercial. (All of these graphics were submitted to Pasco County)

NTBC Celebrates ‘Ribbon Cutting Day’ In Style!

Congratulations to the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce (NTBC), which celebrated the most ribbon-cutting events on a single day in its history on Mar. 20, when the NTBC itself cut a ribbon at its new office at the Signature Workspace at the Shops at Wiregrass. Among the six other businesses hosting ribbon cuttings that same day were the Signature Workspace itself, plus The Copeland Team, Wesley Chapel Fingerprinting Services, Cornelius Demps for Circuit Judge, Gulf Coast Accounting & Tax and the Injury Law Office of Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer.

In addition to all those ribbons being cut, the event also featured amazing free food provided by Vesh Catering, Azteca D’Oro, Chuck Lager America’s Tavern, Crazy Sushi, Grillsmith, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Pinchers Crab Shack and The Living Room. If you missed it, you missed something special!

For more info about the NTBC, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com. — GN

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Among the seven businesses cutting ribbons with the NTBC on Mar. 20 were the Chamber itself (above) and Signature Workspace (below), where all of the businesses were located. Among the restaurants serving amazing free food was Crazy Sushi (bottom). (All photos by Charmaine George)

Theatre Beat — The Players’ First Year At NTPAC

By Nora Paine New Tampa Players

Since the New Tampa Performing Arts Center opened a year ago, the New Tampa Players (NTP) theatre troupe has been on the move.

If you saw all the New Tampa Players’ shows so far this year, you’ve visited an enchanted castle in France, the hallways of Rydell High, the walls of Duloc, and cities across the USA on tour with the Dreams. (Did you spot all those shows? That was “Beauty and the Beast,” “Grease,” “Shrek,” and “Dreamgirls” — what an amazing year!)

But wait, there’s still more:

City of Tampa Awards NTP $75K For Penguin Project & Ampersand Theatre Programs

Last month, the Tampa City Council approved a grant for $75,000 to enrich NTP’s Penguin Project and Ampersand Theatre programs.

Penguin Project is a national theatre program for children and young adults with special needs. NTP started its chapter in 2018, making it the first such program in Florida. Each year, the Players produce a Penguin Project musical with 40-45 artists with special needs.

In 2023, NTP spun off Ampersand Theatre, a new theatre troupe concept for

& Congrats, Kyle & Co.!

adults with disabilities. The program began with a summer intensive serving 25 artists, and it continues this month with a special Penguin Project/Ampersand Theatre collaboration on “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Rehearsals have been in progress for months, and the performances will be held the weekend of April 19-21. All of the artists and mentors (almost 100 performers altogether!) invite

you to join them for a night of joy.

Tickets for “Joseph” are available at NewTampaPlayers.org.

NTP Wins 2nd Place at Social Venture Partners Of Tampa Bay “Fast Pitch” Competition

The Ampersand artists won 2nd place in the 2024 Social Ventures Partners of Tampa Bay “Fast Pitch” Competition and

will receive $10,000 for NTP’s Ampersand programming. The troupe competed against six other nonprofits in the Tampa Bay area, including WellFed Community, EmpowHERment, Girls Rock, the Florida Dream Center, NAMI Pinellas and Water Smart Tots Foundation.

The Fast Pitch Competition program provides funding and strategic consulting to innovative nonprofits addressing critical issues in the Tampa Bay region.

Auditions For “Singin’ In The Rain”

NTP is hosting auditions for our summer musical: “Singin’ in the Rain.” The performances this summer will be at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center as usual, but if you come out for the auditions on April 27, April 29, April 30, and May 1, make sure you head for NTP’s blackbox theater and rehearsal space at University Mall —Uptown Stage. All New Tampa Players performers are local community members.

Visit NewTampaPlayers.org or see the ad below for more information!

Recapping Kyle Fisher’s “Ember”

Fraud investigator by day and actor by night, New Tampa resident Kyle Fisher (who played Kenickie in NTP’s “Grease” and Lord Farquaad in NTP’s “Shrek: The Musical”) set out to answer the question “What is the cost of a wish?” His journey finding the answer to that question made

The New Tampa Players received $10,000 from Social Venture Partners of Tampa Bay at the “Fast Pitch” competition for NTP’s Ampersand programming for special needs adults. (Photos on these pages provided by the New Tampa Players)

its world premiere at Uptown Stage last month in “Ember: A New Musical.”

The embers of Ember (no, I could not resist that pun!) began many years ago. Fisher can’t name a specific date he started working on the show apart from his habit of writing down any inspiration or line of music or dialog that comes to him. The first song to form was “Wish,” with the tagline “What do you wish for?” This song became the foundation for the rest of the musical, as it came together over nights of pizza and workshopping with choreographer Makayla Raines and actor Dylan Fidler, both of whom also have performed in multiple NTP shows.

Ember is a spellbinding musical that explores the boundaries between dreams and damnation. In a world where the mundane meets the magical, farm boy ‘Guy’ yearns for adventure. When the enigmatic demon ‘Sequins’ offers to fulfill his deepest desires in exchange for his soul, Guy plunges headfirst into a Faustian bargain. The tale is a captivating journey of redemption and unexpected alliances. Can a demon, driven by ambition, rediscover forgotten compassion and love? Will Guy, armed with newfound powers and a heart full of hope, conquer the challenges laid before him? In “Ember,” the stakes are high, the magic is potent, and the battle for the soul takes center stage.

Through the workshopping and production process, Fisher’s characters grow and evolve. The character that underwent the most transformation was Sammy, played by Ashleigh Dudek.

“Between the first draft of the script and first performance of the show,” Fisher said, “Sammy gained a solo, a new feature, and a huge amount of screentime, and I’m so glad the character ended up where it did. Ashleigh is a super talented actor and vocalist and it would’ve been devastating to me to have her in any less.”

What is next for Kyle Fisher and the cast of “Ember?” They are on all on a much-

deserved, much-needed break. Fisher explained, “When I finally get back into it, the first thing (to work on) are edits. Although the show got a lot of praise, I think I can deliver an even better experience, and I’ve got a small army of people who are willing to help. From there, I think there are still one or two songs that deserve a spot in the show cooking up in my head, but we’ll see how it all shakes out

with cutting the show down. I’d hate to spring a new song onto the cast before any potential cast album.”

For behind the scenes footage and the latest news on “Ember” and Kyle, follow them on social media: Tiktok.com/ discover/ember-musical, Facebook. com/people/Ember-A-New-Musical/61551728386782/ or Instagram. com/embermusical/

Creator, writer, composer & actor Kyle Fisher (fourth from far left in the back row) and his talented cast and crew on “Ember: A New Musical” celebrated two outstanding performances at the New Tampa Players’ blackbox theater, the Uptown Stage at University Mall, last month..

Upcoming Events — Jazz & Classical Concerts, Indian Dance Performance & More

Thursday, April 4, 8 p.m. — The Tampa Jazz Club’s USF New Tampa Jazz Series presents a Jack Wilkins CD Release Concert.

An All-Star cast will join USF Professor of Jazz Studies (and Grammy Award nominee) Jack Wilkins (photo) on the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.) stage, as he releases his most recent CD and will be joined by an All-Star cast, including Danny Gottlieb, Steve Allee and James Suggs. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $20 for Tampa Jazz Club members, $10 for students and $5 for USF students. For tickets and more information, visit TampaJazzClub.com or see the ad on pg. 24.

Friday, April 5, 7 p.m. -9 p.m.

— The New Tampa Performing Arts Center Presents “The Concert Grand.”

Admission is free, but seats must be reserved in advance.

See the story on pages 1 & 4-5 of this issue for more information.

Saturday, April 13, 5 p.m.-8 p.m.

— Hope Services presents “Dance Your Dream,” a free prom dance to celebrate people ages 14+ living with disabilities. Hope Services, an organization that provides life skills and vocational training for people living with disabilities throughout west-central Florida, is hosting its 3rd annual “Dance Your Dream” free prom event. The event is free, but registration is required to attend. For more info and to register, please visit HopeGetsJobs.com/dance/#registration or call (813) 907-3731.

Monday, April 22, 7 p.m. — New Tampa Democratic Club Monthly Meeting. The April meeting of the New Tampa Democratic Club will feature State Rep. Fentrice Driskell and Hillsborough County Commission candidates Sean Shaw and Mark Nash. For more information, see the ad on this page.

Saturday, April 27, 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. — Heritage Isles Golf & Country Club Semi-Annual Community Garage Sale. Looking for some hidden treasures?

The Heritage Isles Golf & Country Club and the surrounding community are hosting their semi-annual Community Garage Sale. For more info, see the ad below.

Saturday, April 27, 6 p.m. — The Academy of Odissi Dance 25th Anniversary Gala. The Academy of Odissi Dance (AOD; photo above right) is an Indian Dance Academy located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center in New Tampa. AOD is celebrating its 25th anniversary in the Tampa Bay area with an amazing Anniversary Gala and performance, which will be held at the Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic Community Center

(2620 Washington Rd, Valrico 33594).

Gopa Rautray founded AOD in 1999, and, with her daughter Ambika, has been working hard to propagate Indian culture through a variety of dance forms. The Academy’s students have performed on a variety of stages, locally and nationally. They perform different Indian styles such as Odissi (Indian Classical), Bhangra, Bollywood, Garba, and Raas, blending, enriching, and sharing their art with a variety of audiences.

For Gala tickets (which include dinner) & more information, call Gopa at (813) 992-5234 or Ambika at (813) 992-5235 or see the ad below.

New Tampa Democratic Club

Monthly Meeting (4th Monday of the month)

Monday, April 22nd, 7 p.m.

at New Tampa Regional Library | 10001 Cross Creek Blvd.

Guests: State House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell (HD 67) & Hillsborough County Commission candidates Sean Shaw & Mark Nash newtampademocrats.com

https://www.facebook.com/NewTampaDemocrats

SATURDAY, APRIL 27

7:30AM - 1PM

Please be safe and courteous while driving in our neighborhood.

(Above) Grammy-nominated saxophonist Jack Wilkins will perform with an all-star cast at a CD release event on Apr. 4. (Right) The Academy of Odissi Dance will host & perform at its 25th Anniversary Gala on Apr. 27.

Rehearsals For ‘If I Cry’ Just Part Of The Tampa City Dance Center Story

By Gary Nager

It’s been a while since we last checked in with Paula Nuñez, the founder and artistic director of what previously had been known as America’s Ballet School (located since 2002 in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms). But, not only has Paula now merged with the Tampa City Ballet, she has changed the name of her ballet school, which is still at that location, to Tampa City Ballet School (TCBS).

In addition, in January of this year, she opened a new studio adjacent to the ballet school called the Tampa City Dance Center (TCDC), in order to offer both children and adults the opportunity to explore a variety of dance disciplines. Although TCBS still focuses on classical ballet variations, pointe, repertoire and contemporary ballet, and has its own outstanding faculty, TCDC offers classes (and private lessons) in Acrobatic Dance (or “Acro”), Contemporary, Flamenco, Hip-Hop, Salsa, Tango and even “Mommy & Me” (for kids ages 1-4, with their parent or grandparent).

“It is exciting to offer a dynamic dance program designed to provide a platform to explore creativity and discover new ways to move,” Paula says. “Dance is a fantastic way to release stress, gain confidence and help with concentration and balance. This program fosters a supportive and fun environment for all ages. It definitely creates a community.”

Paula notes that at the Tampa City Dance Center, her long-time friend and TCDC executive director Claudia Correa and her staff, “offer a captivating selection of classes to suit all ages and interests. Paula says that Claudia was not a dancer herself, but adds, “She shares my passion for the arts.”

Each of the dance disciplines at TCDC are taught by different professional faculty members. The pointe/ballet instructor is Vashti Walters. The contemporary and jazz dance and choreography lessons are led by Shelby Russ, who earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree from the University of South Florida (USF). Aynsleigh Morehouse, another USF BFA graduate, teaches stretching, tap, contemporary, pointe and the “Mommy & Me” classes. John Delgado teaches salsa and contemporary dance.

More About Paula Nuñez

Paula, who has many years of professional experience as a dancer and choreographer, is on the dance faculty at USF. She is a former principal company member of the International Ballet of Caracas (Venezuela), Ballet Nuevo Mundo and the Cleveland Ballet, San Jose. In 1992, she co-founded the well-known “Fundación Ballet de las Americas” now in residence at the Teresa Carreno Cultural Performing Arts Center in Caracas.

In 2008, she established a nonprofit organization with the goal to provide scholarships to talented youths and to foster discipline in others who desire to dance. Some of these students are currently national and international dancers, educators and choreographers.

Paula also launched a community engagement program (in 2012) called “On Your Feet,” which has offered scholarships and high-quality dance education in collaboration with well-known organizations such as the University Area Community Development Corp. and their researchbased prevention and diversion program for youths ages 5-18.

Then, in 2018, she created Tampa City Ballet, a nonprofit professional contemporary dance company with an innovative repertoire that focuses on, and is invested in, connecting communities. TCB serves the community by providing high-quality arts education, to facilitate research and to create a space for dancers seeking professional experience. It also encourages interdisciplinary collaborations, while also offering unique, immersive and engaging experiences.

Since 2022, Paula also has been part of the collective art space at the Historic Ybor City Kress Building in the new Gas Worx District. Paula says her mission is to create a collaborative model that integrates intergenerational and intercultural productions, demonstrating the alchemy that occurs between disciplines, creators and performers.

She has made a significant impact on the cultural landscape of Tampa Bay. Paula has received numerous awards for her teaching, choreography and contributions to the arts in our area. She also has been nominated for the City of Tampa’s prestigious Hispanic Heritage Award.

“If I Cry” — May 4-5

Although many recent TCB performances have been and will continue to be held at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (see stories on pgs. 1, 4-5 and 20), the ballet company recently used TCDC as a rehearsal space for its upcoming performances of “If I Cry,” which is described as “A surreal dance journey through the mind of renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo,” based on the artist’s personal diaries. Neighborhood News photographer Charmaine George attended that rehearsal, where she took the pictures on these pages.

The performances of “If I Cry” (see poster on next page) will be held May 4-5, at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Tampa. Tickets are available through the Straz Center Box Office. Call (813) 229-7827 or visit StrazCenter.org for tickets and more information

For more information about the Tampa City Dance Center or Tampa City Ballet School (both located at 15367 Amberly Dr.), call (813) 558-0800, visit TCDanceCenter.com or TampaCityBallet. org or see the ad on pg. 29.

Photos by Charmaine George

(Above) Members of the Tampa City Ballet (TCB) company rehearse for their upcoming performances of “If I Cry” (promotional poster on next page, far right), which will be performed at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Tampa May 4-5. The rehearsal was held at the Tampa City Dance Center in the Shoppes at Amberly in Tampa Palms. (Next page, top left, l.-r.) Jayron Perez (who choreographed some of the ballet pieces in “If I Cry”), TCB founder & artistic director Paula Nunez and musician & composer Nick Ewing.

Does NOT authorize any outside company or agency to reprint any portion of the copyrighted materials in ANY of our print issues or our proprietary online content. Any unauthorized copying, whether to create a plaque, for use online, in printed copies or any other use without our express written permission will be considered to be a violation of both our copyright and the 30 years of good will we have worked very hard to achieve.

If an outside company asks if you want a plaque made of your story, and their name isn’t Jannah or Gary Nager, please tell them “No.”

To order a plaque of your Business Feature or any other story, call (813) 910-2575 or email Jannah or Gary at ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com.

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Your CBD Store Of New Tampa Keeps Adding New Products!

Located in the Pebble Creek Collection on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., Your CBD Store of New Tampa has calming blue-grey walls, greenery throughout the store, comfortable seating and an expansive, open layout. With informational displays and posters, exceptional customer support, and product knowledge, the husbandand-wife team of David Calcador and Debra Curler make you feel immediately at home.

David & Debra opened their Your CBD Store franchise location in November 2019 and it has thrived through the pandemic, thanks to the dedication of these two New Tampa residents. “When customers come in, we ask them what they know about CBD,” Debra says. “Some are well-educated and we walk the others through the store and introduce and educate them about our product line. We find out what their problems are health-wise. Are they in pain? Are they having problems sleeping? Do they need energy? We need to know what is happening in their bodies to help direct them to the proper products.”

Your CBD Store is a holistic boutique providing USDA organic and carcinogen-free oral and topical SunMed CBD products for customers and their pets. At Debra and David’s store, CBD comes in both flavored and flavorless tinctures, oils, pills, gummies, weight-loss products, as well as a skincare line, bath bombs, lotions, massage oils, pain creams and products for dogs and cats.

Unlike marijuana, Your CBD Store offers broad-spectrum CBD products that have zero THC, as well as full-spectrum products with the 0.3 legal limit of THC that contain all cannabinoids (CBD and THC), terpenes, or flavonoids.

With anti-inflammatory and other health

effects, flavonoids are plant compounds that give plants their colors and flavors. Flavonoids work with cannabinoids and terpenes, which are naturally occurring compounds in cannabis that shape aroma, taste, colors and therapeutic benefits, to produce the “entourage effect” enhancing their impact. “CBD needs to have terpenes and flavonoids,” David says. “They bond to receptors in your body. Without those, you won’t have the full benefit of CBD.”

have QR codes on everything we sell; you can bring up each product’s lab report. We have referring doctors who send patients to us because they know the quality is there.”

What’s New?

Debra and David says that love educating their customers and clear up misinformation about CBD. Their CBD products won’t get you high, aren’t illegal, won’t make you impaired and you don’t need a Medical Cannabis card to purchase them.

Instead, their products help with anxiety, sleep issues, chronic pain and more.

“Our products are all-natural, organic, and non-addictive, Debra says. “You can buy CBD anywhere — a smoke shop or gas station, even on Amazon — but you don’t want to do that because anything you are putting on your body or in your body, you want to make sure it is good quality. You risk getting a synthetic, damaging product that can harm your health.

David adds, “We’re third-party tested. We

Debra and David are enthusiastic about their store’s newest products, some of which have been enhanced with more CBD, like their SunMed topical cream, which is now available in 4,000-milligram strength, while others are brand new.

“Our topical cream is amazing for isolated pain,” Debra says. “I had a knee replacement years ago, and I had not been able to walk long distances. The product came out in December, and my husband and I were going Christmas shopping, and I could walk the entire mall. It’s been selling off the shelves left and right. We’ve always had 1,000- and 2,000-milligram strengths since we opened, but the 4,000 milligrams is amazing.”

Debra also recommends Neuro, a water-soluble CBD, for pain management. While the store’s original daily oil tincture takes time to work, based on your metabolism and weight, the as-needed, water-soluble Neuro CBD effects are felt more quickly. “You take the dropper of Neuro and put it in a Dixie cup size of water and

drink it,” she says. “It goes into your body within 10 minutes, comes in 900- and 1,800-milligram strengths, and is also in a gummy form. People love it. I have a lady who comes in weekly and buys two jars. It helps with aches and pains throughout the body.”

Your CBD Store of New Tampa also sells both “Above” (with Delta 8 THC) and “Beyond” (with Delta 9 THC) by SunMed, both of which are all-natural (non-synthetic).

As some prescriptions can conflict with CBD, Debra and David suggest that if you are taking medications, you should speak with your physician before starting any CBD regimen.

For pet parents, beyond their regular CBD pet treats, chews and tinctures for health and anxiety, Debra recommends another new product — Broad Spectrum Allergy Aid CBD Pet Chews, which have only been in the store for about a month, to help with “hot spots” and seasonal skin allergies.

Debra and David are proud of their store’s Google reviews, which average a 4.9 stars out of 5, based on 170 reviews.

“If you look at our reviews,” Debra says, “you’ll see people love the products and that they’re changing lives.”

Your CBD Store of New Tampa (19651 BBD Blvd. Suite B-1) is open Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and 1 p.m.– 5 p.m. on Sun. Ages 55 or older can save 20% off their purchases. The store also has a bonus system whereby customers accrue points for discounts and free products. Free local delivery/free shipping are available for orders of $100+. For more info, call (813) 994-0599 or visit GetSunMed.com.

Award-Winning Palms Pharmacy Adds Wellness Now! Telehealth & More

By Deborah Bostock-Kelley & Gary Nager

When Shahida Choudhry, Pharm.D., founded her Palms Pharmacy in 2016 in The Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms, she already had a decade of Publix pharmacy experience under her belt and knew exactly what she did and didn’t want her independent pharmacy to be.

What Dr. Choudhry didn’t want was to just fill prescriptions; her goal was to bring back the welcoming vibe of the old-school neighborhood pharmacy. At Palms Pharmacy, it’s not just about getting your meds — it’s about being part of a community where the employ ees know your name and the prescriptions you need because you’re a familiar face, not just another line item. Since Palms Pharmacy first opened eight years ago, Dr. Choudhry’s team has grown to 16 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

“My vision was to give back to the com munity and help our patients,” Dr. Choudhry explains. “We’re focused on your overall wellness and helping you get off medications that you might be able to replace with natural supplements.” She adds, however, that she will never tell you to stop taking a medication your doctor has prescribed for you. Instead, she will make suggestions to bring back to your doctor if she thinks that there is a better way to achieve the same goal. “This is a passion project of mine that’s evolved over the years.”

A proud alumnus of Long Island University (LIU) in Brooklyn, NY, Dr. mouthwashes, etc., while outsourcing items like semaglutide for weight loss to trusted, highquality sterile pharmacies.

‘Palms Pharmacy’

Continued from pg. 26

Independent, But Not Alone

Dr. Choudhry is proud of her relationships with other independent pharmacy owners, not just here in the Tampa Bay area, but across the country, as a brand ambassador for independent Health Mart pharmacies.

Speaking of independent pharmacies, Palms Pharmacy has been nominated for the 2024 Health Mart Pharmacy of the Year. There are more than 5,000 independent and locally owned neighborhood pharmacies allied together under the Health Mart banner. In order to win the award — which will be announced at the McKesson ideaShare convention in New Orleans, LA, in June, a Health Mart pharmacy has to be judged to have best-in-class clinical practices, be an outstanding Health Mart brand ambassador, be a community leader and independent pharmacy advocate and exhibit excellent financial performance.

The Health Mart franchise is owned by Health Mart Systems, Inc., which is part of McKesson Corporation.

Additionally, Dr. Choudhry was named number six among the 50 Most Influential Leaders in Pharmacy by the Pharmacy Podcast Network, as voted on by her peers.

“It’s a North American recognition,” she says. “It’s my third year in a row of being in the top 10. It’s an honor, and I think it’s pretty crazy that my peers have voted for me.”

Dr. Choudhry, who also is often a presenter or featured speaker at many pharmacy conventions, was recently in Washington, D.C., fighting for pharmacy benefit reform, to help

pharmacists become recognized as health care providers and help get new Medicare reform laws passed. “We’re just trying to make some kind of positive changes,” she says.

Wellness Now! Telehealth Care

In an expansion of her commitment to her patients, Palms Pharmacy is now partnering with Wellness Now! to provide telehealth care appointments to help patients with a variety of needs. However, Dr. Choudhry says Wellness Now! is starting by offering patients interested in weight-loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide) or Mounjaro and Zepbound (tirzepatide) that their primary care physicians won’t prescribe (usually due to insurance restrictions), to be able to have telehealth appointments with licensed nurse practitioners who are able to prescribe these medications. Then, Palms Pharmacy is happy to fill those prescriptions for you.

Dr. Choudhry says that when the coupons for affordable Wegovy and Mounjaro were pulled two years ago, many patients were left unable to afford their prescriptions. She decided to find other ways to get these meds.

“We’re giving patients another option and it’s very important that the prescriptions are affordable. We found options for them starting at $100 per month. Wellness Now! is a great option for patients.”

The licensed nurse practitioners evaluate each patient’s medical history and future goals to determine the best course of treatment for their personalized health care plans. If deemed appropriate, patients will receive a prescription to help facilitate weight loss — compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide options.

Also coming soon to Wellness Now! are

Men’s Health appointments, with the intention of increasing testosterone naturally.

“This is a different approach than just throwing testosterone at patients,” Dr. Choudhry says. “We have to find the root cause of why the testosterone is dropping. We’re also going to offer erectile dysfunction (ED) compounded medications that are more natural, not just the blue pill.”

In addition, Wellness Now! also will offer dermatological telehealth appointments and Dr. Choudhry says she will soon be making an exciting announcement about them.

Locally-Sourced Retail & Outstanding Reviews

In addition to over-the-counter medications and a huge selection of natural supplements that she is happy to describe for Palms Pharmacy customers, Dr. Choudhry also handcurates a selection of unique gift items. These include whimsical cotton candy and marshmallow candies and other sweets and snacks, as well as locally-made soaps, candles and natural local honey. She regularly attends natural product expos to source new products and collaborates with local independent creators. And, her prices are always competitive with, if not less expensive than, what you’ll find in a large chain store.

“People think a small, independent pharmacy is more expensive, but it’s really not,” she says. “We really want to be competitive. We’re like a hidden gem.”

Her customers and patients agree. In one of more than 400 5-star Google reviews, customer Kimber B. highlights some unique findings in her Google review:

“Excellent service. The pharmacist is very knowledgeable and helpful. The staff is polite and attentive. The retail items are great quality and yes, I’m a sucker for the cotton candy.”

Another customer, Deborah B., expresses her appreciation for the exceptional service she has received in her 5-star review: “They are efficient, friendly, and so helpful. Our pediatrician recommended them to us, and we drive across town because of the quality customer service and efficiency of this pharmacy.”

Anniversary Celebration April 19

On Friday, April 19, 3 p.m.-5 p.m., Palms Pharmacy is throwing an eighth anniversary bash with a food truck providing free food. Attendees can snag tons of freebies and great giveaways.

“I just love what I do,” gushes Dr. Choudhry. “Do you have days when you don’t want to go to work? That’s not me. I absolutely love my job!”

When not at the pharmacy, this dynamic Wesley Chapel resident, her husband Irfan, her son Eisa and her daughter Sarina love to travel.

Palms Pharmacy (17008 Palm Pointe Dr.) is open Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Call (813)252-9063 or text the secure text-only line: (727) 513-3210. For more information, see the Wellness Now! ad on pg. 35 or visit ThePalmsPharmacy.com.

Trust The Welter Law Office For Your Estate Planning Needs

By Deborah Bostock-Kelley Neighborhood News Correspondent

A native Floridian and a lawyer in private practice for 22 years, Denise A. Wel ter, Esq., is celebrating going out on her own and the first anniversary of her Welter Law Office in the Cypress Glen Professional Park, just north of S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel. Denise and her trusted paralegal Tara Ellis deliver top-tier legal services in estate planning, wills, trusts, probate and advanced healthcare directives.

“Tara is a great paralegal,” Denise says. “She is the point person that makes it all happen for me. She came with me when we launched a year ago and all of my clients love her.”

With 17 years as a legal secretary herself, Denise discovered her passion by chance after being let go by her employer of a decade, a turning point she describes as the “best worst thing that ever happened to me.” At the time, she was a busy mom of two young boys married to a firefighter.

She explains, “I only had a two-year degree then, and I had to decide if I would be satisfied with being a legal secretary for the rest of my life. Did I want to get a paralegal certification? I talked to my husband, and we decided I was going to go for it and go back to law school in my 30s. I buckled down and finished the rest of my Bachelor’s and law degrees in five and a half years.”

Denise obtained both her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree, majoring in Legal Studies, and her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Nova Southeastern University, which is based in Ft. Lauderdale.

A member of the Florida Bar since

2002, Denise passed the examination on her first try. After assisting in another firm’s real estate department, she found her calling in estate planning and probate.

“I found my niche, and I’ve been doing it ever since,” she says.

Emphasizing the importance of wills and trusts, Denise highlights the role of these important legal documents in providing directions to the courts regarding asset distribution.

“I think that anyone at any age with any assets should, at minimum, have a will,” she says. “It tells the judge, ‘Here’s what I want to happen to my stuff when I die. Here’s who’s going to control everything for me, and here’s who’s getting it.’”

When someone passes away with assets solely in their name and without a desig-

nated beneficiary, their estate has to go through the court probate process before their assets reach their heirs. To bypass probate, Denise advises on the benefits of trust planning, which transfers assets into a trust, creating a separate legal entity that holds and manages them, ensuring a smooth transition to the deceased’s beneficiaries.

“With a trust, because you technically don’t own the asset at your death — the trust owns it — nothing has to

go through the probate process,” she explains. “Most people do trusts to avoid probate and to protect their assets for their minor children.”

She also notes that when you have a trust, assets can be withheld for families with minor children, so they don’t receive everything at age 18. A trustee can pay their expenses and the distributions can occur later in their life. Leaving assets in a trust also protects those assets from creditors in a future bankruptcy, divorce, etc.

She says that trusts also are critical for families when naming guardians.

“If you (the parents) die, who do you want to raise your kids?,” she asks. “Do you want to pick them, or do you want a judge to pick them?” She asks.

She adds that trust planning serves as a preventive measure against court involvement and the necessity for guardianship in situations involving dementia or other illnesses that render individuals incapable of handling financial decisions.

“It avoids all of the potential pitfalls and still allows the elder to be taken care of by their own finances,” she explains. “Whenever we prepare a plan, typically the individual is the first trustee, but then it says if I cannot serve, whether incapacitated or I died, I appoint this person to be my

‘Welter Law’

Continued from pg. 30

successor trustee. I recommend having at least two (trustees).”

Denise provides a comprehensive binder to each of her trust clients, encouraging them to document family values, funeral preferences and account passwords, including those for cryptocurrency. She also stresses the significance of having a living will, which outlines preferences in situations of incapacity or terminal conditions.

“Two physicians — your primary and another physician — have determined that your death is imminent,” she says. “If all those things align, you don’t want to be prolonged heroically — including forced hydration and nutrition. You want to be able to pass without being kept alive with feeding tubes and IVs.”

Highlighting an often-overlooked scenario, Denise also suggests that parents of 18-year-olds heading to college should consider having healthcare surrogate designations, living wills, and powers of attorney to navigate potential HIPAA law challenges.

As an example, she shares a chilling, overlooked scenario: when an adult child is hospitalized, their parents are legally unable to get information from the hospital.

“We just went through Covid,” she says. “Your child could have been hospital-

portant skills she needs in this field are the ability to listen to what her clients’ want and expect and then putting together what they need for their family dynamic. For convenience, she offers both in-person meetings as well as online appointments throughout Florida for probate and estate planning.

“Clients can also email or call the office,” she says. “My clients have open access to be able to contact us in any way that’s convenient for them.”

Positive reviews, like Emilio H.’s on Google, commend the service provided by the Welter Law Office:

“My wife and I had an exceptional experience. Denise and Tara’s customer service was outstanding, showing a genuine compassion that is truly reassuring with such a sensitive topic. They paid meticulous attention to every detail with preparing our estate planning documents and provided fast, efficient service.”

Denise has much more than the mandatory three-year Florida Bar course requirements. She actively engages in continuous learning — attending seminars, reading, staying informed through Listservs (a Listserv is a way to communicate with a group of people over email. You subscribe to a topic and it’s almost like a newsletter of information) and connecting with fellow attorneys. Each year, she also orders

Florida Elder Law Attorneys, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, The Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar, Lawyers of Distinction, and Lead Council Verified.

Denise also sends digital follow-ups annually to inform her clients of any law changes and encourages them to review their estate plans every five years or during important life changes.

“The best part of our firm is helping families through sometimes very difficult situations and conversations,” she says. “Nobody likes to talk about death, but we provide peace of mind to clients, knowing their families or children are protected if something happens to them. On the probate side, we help families through sometimes

tragic losses when they’re grieving, and it’s really hard to think clearly. We can help them navigate probate’s waters and simplify that for them.”

When not at her law office, Denise says she can be found at the beach with Bob, her high school sweetheart and husband of 40 years, visiting her sons Chris and Eric, playing with her three grand-daughters, Abbey, Amelia and Lillian (who she calls “my heart”), global and domestic traveling, or participating in a marriage communications weekend with United Marriage Encounters.

For more info about the Welter Law Office (2405 Creel Lane, Suite 102), call (850) 462-7509, visit WelterLawOffice.com or see the ad on pg. 11.

Taylor Gardner Gutters Can Help You Save Your Home’s Foundation!

By Celeste McLaughlin Neighborhood News Correspondent

Taylor Gardner grew up around gutters, learning his dad Ed’s business.

One thing he’s learned is that adding gutters is about the least expensive thing homeowners can do to protect the value of their homes, ensuring that Florida’s famous summer downpours don’t destroy their foun dations or any aesthetic upgrades.

“Protecting the foundation of your home is the main purpose of gutters,” Taylor says, “but they also protect your paint and will help your grass and sod last longer. Gut ters protect anything on the outside of your house to help it stay in great shape for as long as possible.”

Without gutters, Taylor says, water is much more likely to settle at the base of your home’s foundation. With that saturation, the water can cause erosion to the side of your home, leading to cracks in the stucco and window ledges, and form unsightly trenches. Water under the home also can cause wood floors in the home to pucker or pop.

That’s why Taylor Gardner Gutters on Land O’Lakes Blvd. installs and repairs gutters, soffits and fascias, and offers gutter cleaning, which keeps the gutters working properly and in good repair.

It’s now been about four years since Taylor Gardner took over Ed’s company, which was then known as Gardner Gutters.

Taylor came on board to help his dad af-

ter serving in the Marine Corps for nine years, including a tour of duty in Iraq. He had used his experience and his Business Administration (B.A.) degree from Liberty University (in Lynchburg, VA) to start a different career, but came home when his dad needed him.

The company quickly became Taylor’s responsibility when Ed passed away following a long battle against cancer in 2020. Taylor’s older brother, Brandon, who had decades of

help. Unfortunately, Brandon was then also diagnosed with cancer and passed away only eight months later.

So now, Taylor continues the legacies of both his dad and his older brother, and he does it surrounded by a team that would make them both proud.

“When I started, my dad had 35 years of experience and my brother had more than 20,” says Taylor. “I had some, but not what they did. It’s been hard to lose both of them, but things here have been amazing because I’ve got really great employees.”

That starts, he says, with Mike Caisco, the company’s field operations manager, who has 40 years of experience in the business and personally inspects every job Taylor Gardner Gutters does once it’s complete.

“Our installers are great, and we have several who have been with the company more than 15 years,” Taylor explains. “They know exactly what they’re doing.”

Then, Mike comes to inspect to be sure everything is done the way it’s supposed to be, which means the installers are held accountable to ensure that there’s never any corners cut on any job.

That’s important to Taylor because his

stallations. He says this is something that sets Taylor Gardner Gutters apart from others.

The company’s policy is that any customer who experiences a warranty issue will have the problem inspected within 24 hours and fixed as soon as possible — no matter how many years it’s been since the gutters were originally installed.

“I’m confident you’re not going to have a problem,” Taylor says, “but in the event you do, we’re going to show up and take care of it.”

In addition to the installers and field team, he mentions the fantastic office staff — Allison and Kammie — and great salespeople — Mike and Kenny, who are involved in the community and incredibly knowledgeable.

Over the last few years, with Taylor running the business, it’s grown to five gutter trucks and four soffit trucks. In addition to helping homeowners, Taylor Gardner Gutters also installs, repairs and cleans gutters for business owners with commercial buildings. The company also works with several homebuilders to install gutters on newly built homes, including many new GL Homes neighborhoods in Wesley Chapel, including The Ridge, Winding Ridge and Valencia Ridge, and David

(Above left) Taylor Gardner is proud that his Taylor Gardner Gutters on Land O’Lakes Blvd. is carrying on the legacy of outstanding instal lation and repairs of gutters, soffits and fascias started by his father Ed and his brother Brandon, both of whom lost battles with cancer. Taylor and his outstanding crew guarantee quality workmanship on installations and repairs

time Florida homeowner who is familiar with the problems summer storms can wreak on a home’s foundation.

“Taylor personally came out and gave us an estimate,” Jim explains. “I asked him all of my questions and found him to be very knowledgeable, professional and courteous. The price was right, so we were very happy with that.”

Jim says he hired Taylor Gardner Gutters right away and couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.

He says the installation crew was focused and meticulous, explaining that they re-measured the whole house before they started, even though Taylor already had measured it as part of the estimate.

like Jim happy.

“There are so many days I just wish I could pick up the phone and tell my dad and my brother about what’s happened (with the company),” Taylor says.

But, since he can’t do that, he’ll continue to run the family business in a way that would make them both proud, and to leave a legacy for his own son — five-year-old Jacob — like his dad did for him.

Taylor Gardner Gutters is located at 6202 Land O’Lakes Blvd. (U.S. Hwy. 41) in Land O’Lakes. Its hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, see the ad on page 37, visit TaylorGardnerGutters.com or call (813)515-0844.

Compass Claim Solutions — The Public Adjuster Who Advocates For You!

By Celeste McLaughlin Neighborhood News Correspondent

Wesley Chapel resident Shawn Thomp son says that, in general, most people don’t know that people like him even exist.

Shawn is a licensed public adjuster and the owner of Compass Claim Solutions.

As a public adjuster, he says his job is to advocate for home and business owners who have suffered a loss that is covered by the insurance company.

When disaster strikes — whether it’s a fire, water damage, or even a storm or other natural disaster — most people pick up the phone and call the insurance company directly. On the other end of the line is some one who represents what’s in that insurance company’s best interest, not theirs.

Since the insurance company wants to settle the claim for as little as possible, it makes sense that a homeowner or business owner would want to have someone looking out for their best interest, too.

That’s why Shawn recommends you pick up the phone and call him first.

“Hopefully, this is the first and only time you’re ever going to suffer a loss like this,” Shawn explains. “But, I’ve been through this process thousands of times with my clients.”

Shawn has been a licensed public adjuster since 2015. He started the process of becoming licensed in 2012, by passing a course and working as an apprentice for a year. Prior to that, he spent 10 years in management at

CVS pharmacies after his graduation from St. Leo University near Dade City in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Business Management.

At that time, he says he was ready to make a change to leave CVS, and he had already learned a lot about his brother-in-law’s job as a licensed public adjuster in southeast Florida. Shawn found out that being a public adjuster was something he would be good at and would enjoy. He ended up working for his brother-in-law for several years before starting his own business in 2022.

In his extensive experience, he says he’s never once looked at a valuation and told the insured party that their insurance company paid them everything they deserved.

“There’s always something left on the table,” he says. “But, is it $500, $5,000 or even $50,000?”

That’s what Compass Claim Solutions can figure out for you so you can be confident you’re not missing out.

Shawn says the best time to call him is as soon as you have to make a claim. In that bestcase scenario, he can ensure the entire process

is managed properly from start to finish.

But many times, the way people find out about his services is after the insurance company has considered their claim to be closed and they haven’t received the funds they need to make all of the necessary repairs. He says that’s when they go to the internet to search, “What can I do?”

Even at that point, Shawn says he is able to step in and make sure the insurance company pays what the homeowner or business owner is entitled to, based on their policy.

He says just recently he met with a

Originally, they had only been paid $11,800, but Shawn was able to get the homeowner an additional $128,000.

In another case, Shawn says one of his happiest customers was a woman whose insurance company valued her roof damage claim at $1,012. After her $1,000 deductible, the check she received was for $12. Shawn was able to get her $13,000, which paid for an entire new roof.

“Stories like that are the norm in my business,” he says. “My normal recovery if someone calls me supplementally is somewhere between five and 20 times what the insurance company originally paid.”

He explains that public adjusters in Florida are paid on contingency, meaning they get paid based on what they recover for clients as a percentage of the settlement. While that charge is capped at 20 percent of the payments to the insured, Shawn emphasized that it’s a negotiable fee.

In fact, he says, if someone finds out about him from the Neighborhood News, he’s happy to provide a discount. He also offers discounts to those who are referred to him by their family and friends.

His fee is negotiated at the time he is first called out for a completely free, no-obligation consultation. He provides his expert opinion on what he feels the claim is worth, and then the homeowner or business owner can decide whether or not to hire him.

Compass Claim Solutions client Peggy D’Alessandro experienced flooding from water leaks in both her home and a rental property she owns. Both times, she called Shawn to help her through the process.

“He was able to identify things that I didn’t know would be a problem,” she says, “like the potential for mold. He was able to look at it from a structural standpoint and tell me that, realistically, if I want this to be back to its original condition, I have to be concerned about drywall, molding, paint, and a lot of other things besides the floors.”

She says she was worried about whether or not the insurance company would pay all that she needed to make her home whole, so it was a relief to work with a professional who could relate to the insurance company

Peggy adds that making a claim also is a very time-consuming process. As a busy person, she says knowing Shawn was communicating with the insurance company, filling out the paperwork and handling the negotiation took all the anxiety out of the situation.

“Most people who go through something like that have never been through it before,” she says, “plus they’re dealing with the anxiety of their home being in disarray and not knowing when or how they will get paid and if it that payment will cover all of the damage. I would absolutely recommend anyone who has a disaster in their home to work with Shawn. It’s the best decision I could have made.”

Shawn adds, “No matter how long I work for people, whether it’s two weeks or two years, if I don’t put money in their pocket, I don’t get paid.”

Shawn and his wife Lindsay have lived in Wesley Chapel since 2010. They have two children, Kasey and Luke, and a dog named Wrigley.

While he’s local to our area, Shawn is licensed for the entire state of Florida and handles claims as far away as the panhandle. When a storm hits, he often travels to where the damage is so that he can most effectively help the people who need him the most.

For the past year, Shawn’s brother, Travis, has been working as an apprentice under him. Travis recently became fully licensed and is now able to handle clients on his own.

Now that Travis is fully licensed, Shawn is bringing on a new apprentice, Frank Markim.

Shawn says that if you hire his company, you won’t see any contractors or have any part of the process outsourced. If he starts your claim, he’ll see it through to the end.

“We have a standard of how we do business and it’s important for us to handle claims from start to finish,” Shawn says. “There’s too much to lose to skip any steps. If you miss one picture, you could miss tens of thousands of dollars.”

Contact Shawn at Compass Claim Solutions by calling or texting his cell phone at (352) 502-5928. For more information, see the ad on pg. 41 or visit CompassClaimSolutions.com.

Don Julio’s Mexican Restaurant — Bringing Mexico To Tampa!

By GARY NAGER

Photos by Charmaine George

When Don Julio’s Mexican Restaurant opened in the Palms Connection plaza on E. Bearss Ave. (a little west of Bruce B. Downs Blvd.) six years ago, Jannah and I ate there a few times, but of course, without a full-liquor bar, it was never going to be a top choice for us, even though the Mexican cuisine served there was always tasty — and definitely authentic.

So, when Julio and Ximena Rodriguez opened the second Don Julio’s location — with a full, premium liquor bar — in the City Plaza at Tampa Palms plaza in 2022, we started visiting a little more, but because of all of the other Mexican restaurants closer to where we lived, we never really visited as often as we had some other local Mexican eateries.

But, when Julio began advertising in these pages a couple of months ago and told me he wanted us to come sample as much of the menu as possible for this story, we realized that we truly had been missing out on a somewhat hidden — but award-winning (more on that below) — gem in the New Tampa area.

First, A Little History

According to DonJuliosMexican.com, “Don Julio’s Authentic Mexican Restaurant started as a dream for the Rodriguez-Nambo Family. Julio’s grandparents — the original Don Julio & Esther Rodriguez — migrated to the Tampa Bay area from Mexico in the early 1970s. Esther (or Doña Esther, Julio calls her his “Abuelita”) always had a passion for cooking Mexican food” and she began using those talents in the late 1980s and early ‘90s — by selling her delicious Mexican cuisine from her garage in West Tampa — to put all three of her children through college, as her husband passed away when they were very young.

“Many of (her customers) recommended she open a Mexican restaurant, as her authentic flavors were unmatched by any existing restaurant in the Tampa Bay area,” the website continues. “Don Julio’s opened their doors (in the Palms Connection in) 2018, making the family’s dream come true of sharing Doña Esther’s authentic Mexican flavors with the entire Tampa Bay area and to keep alive her recipes for generations to come. The name was chosen in honor of the late Don Julio, who would be proud to see how his family has come together to make a legacy.”

starter I couldn’t sample, the Coctel de Camarones (shrimp cocktail with Grandma’s homemade proprietary tomato sauce and spices). Julio said, “It’s actually a blend of three different sauces.” But, Charmaine and I agreed that our favorites were the new birria beef tacos, wrapped in handmade soft corn tortillas and served with a delicate dipping broth made from the birria drippings. So delicate and delicious!

We all also enjoyed the Taquitos Dorados Don Julio, which Julio says also are called “flautas.” They are rolled and deep-fried and available with your choice of meats — from chorizo to shrimp or fish, carne asada steak or even just veggie (we had the chicken). The taquitos are topped with lettuce, onions and the lightest sour cream sauce ever.

(Top left) Whether you prefer chicken or steak fajitas, try them at either Don Julio’s Mexican restaurant loca tions in the New Tampa area. (Top right) The Coctel de Camarones (shrimp cocktail) is made with three kinds of tomato sauce. (Above left) The new birria tacos are among our editor’s favorites at Don Julio’s. (Above right)

The peach margarita is just one of many available flavors. (Below) The Queso Fundido is another tasty starter. (Bottom) Whether you call them taquitos or flautas, you should try them at Don Julio’s!

Julio adds, “Don Julio’s is truly a family affair. In addition to Ximena and me, we have several cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews working in both of our locations and we pride ourselves on outstanding service, as well as delicious food.”

And, Speaking Of Food...

When Jannah, photographer Charmaine George and I visited the beautiful Tampa Palms location of Don Julio’s shortly before this issue went to press, we wanted Julio and Ximena to pick “a couple” of their favorite dishes, to go along with a couple we chose.

OK, sure. Instead of a “couple of” dishes, we were treated to a feast of epic proportions. We started with the house-made chips and perfect salsa, “with very small chunks of tomato and lots of cilantro,” Julio said.

Then, came the starters (called “Antojitos” or “Cravings” on the menu) and beverages. Jannah loved the Queso Fundido (melted Oaxaca cheese with Mexican chorizo sausage served with handmade chips). And, even though it isn’t made tableside, the house-made fresh guacamole was

As for the beverages...wow! While all I had a was a Pacifico draft (available with a spicy tahine-salted rim), Jannah loved both the traditional and peach margaritas. Charmaine enjoyed the Cantarito, which is tequila, orange, lemon and lime juices served in a “jarrito de barro,” or clay cup, to help keep it cold and that same tahine-salted rim. Speaking of tequilas, the Tampa Palms Don Julio’s serves many upscale brands, as well as a variety of mezcals, plus other premium liquors and a large variety of Mexican and domestic beers on tap and in bottles.

The menu includes a variety of other craft cocktails, as well as flights of house margaritas in a number of flavors, Yave Tequilas and cervezas.

Moving On To The Entrées...

The feasting did not stop with the starters. We sampled both tender steak and perfectly seasoned chicken fajitas, both served on sizzling plates with crisp, sautéed onions, red and green peppers, with creamy refried beans and Mexican rice.

We also were served a tasty trio of enchiladas — one shredded chicken, one with ground beef and the third with Mexican cheese, although any combination is allowed.

“Our enchilada sauce is unlike any other you’ll find in this area,” Julio said. “My Abuelita’s recipe definitely lives on here!”

We also were treated to another of Julio’s

favorites (and now, mine) — the pork carnitas, which are first slowcooked and then deep-fried until they are crispy outside, but moist and tender inside. The enchiladas and carnitas also are served with the Mexican rice and refried beans.

Despite everything we got to try, the huge menu at Don Julio’s also has pollo ranchero (sautéed chicken cooked with tomatoes, onions and Serrano peppers), breaded Milanesa chicken or steak, carne asada or bistec ranchero steak, a Mexican bowl called Tazon and a variety of shrimp dishes I can’t sample.

The only thing we didn’t save room for was dessert, but we will be back to try the fried churros with caramel, chocolate or lechera (sweetened, condensed milk) dip. There also are other favorites like a traditional Mexican flan, fried ice cream, fried choco banana with vanilla ice cream, “Sopapillas” pastries dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar and more.

Julio says Don Julio’s also is the only place you can have Mexican brunch every day — from traditional Huevos Ranche ros to a burrito breakfast, Chilaquiles (corn tortilla pieces) & Eggs and Tacos Huevos (eggs) & Chorizo.

Don Julio’s is proud to have won “Best Mexican Restaurant” and “Best Taco” in

Let Don Julio’s Entertain You!

The Tampa Palms location of Don Julio’s also offers “Cinco Musical Bingo” every Thursday, 7 p.m.-9 p.m., as well as strolling mariachi

music, specials and more. Look for additional information about the Cinco de Mayo parties at both locations in the ad in our next issue.

Don Julio’s Authentic Mexican Restau rant (16023 Tampa Palms Blvd. & 2808 E. Bearss Ave.) are both open Sun.-Thur., 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. on Fri. & Sat. For Tampa Palms, call (813) 644-7899. For Bearss Ave., call (813) 898-2860. For reservations and more info about either location, visit DonJuliosMexican.com, visit them on Facebook or Instagram, or see the ad on pg. 41 of this issue.

Rock & Brews Introduces Its New Lunch Menu & Brings Back Live Music!

By GARY NAGER

Photos by Charmaine George

Like many of you, when Rock & Brews opened to big crowds of people on S.R. 56 in front of the Tampa Premium Outlets in Oct. 2020 — as things began re-opening after the Covid-19 pandemic hit — I was excited to have not only a new restaurant that wasn’t part of a giant chain but also a new live music venue.

Well, more than three years later, the 23-unit (seven of which are owned by local franchisee Scott Paul) mini-chain that started in California in 2012 — inspired, co-founded and owned in part by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of the ‘70s rock group KISS — continues to add new menu items, especially for lunch, and has brought back live music on Friday nights.

General manager Kareem Nelson says that the new “VIP Early Access” lunch menu (which is available from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. every day), which was just rolled out two weeks before this issue went to press, has already been well-received by his customers — and for good reason.

Among those new lunch items are the “Islands in the Sun” shrimp tacos (bottom left photo), which of course, I can’t eat, but Jannah and photographer Charmaine George agreed that they were only slightly spicy and delicious), with a sriracha-based sauce and mango salsa; personal-sized margherita (bottom right) and pepperoni pizzas; a BBQ trio special (1/3 rack of signature baby back ribs with a unique mus tard BBQ sauce, grilled BBQ wings & smoked pulled pork); and my favorite — the birria beef dip sandwich (top left photo), which is slowcooked birria beef served on an artisan ciabatta roll with mayo, Chihuahua cheese, thin-sliced yellow onions and flash-fried jalapeños, with a side of birria consommé dipping sauce. The birria is spot-on tender and the consommé has a hearty flavor all its own.

Other new $12 lunch menu items include a huge, shareable tray of BBQ pork nachos with mixed cheeses, pico de gallo, primo queso, lime crema, fresh jalapeños and chopped cilantro, “Buffalo Springfield” chicken tacos, roasted cream chicken and mojo pulled pork bowls, “Sweet Heat” fried chicken and cedar plank salmon served with a sweet & smoky BBQ sauce, rockin’ rice and fresh broccoli.

Kareem says the best-selling lunch menu items, however, are the blackened shrimp Strawberry Fields salad, with baby greens, strawberries, avocadoes, cucumbers, red onions, candied walnuts, feta cheese and lemon pepper vinaigrette — and the new smash burger. “But, everything we make is from scratch,” he says. “Our customers really seem to appreciate that.”

For dessert, there’s a new S’mores Dip, which is enough for at least 3-4 people. Kareem says they melt milk chocolate chips and toast a large amount of marshmallows and top it with chocolate syrup and powdered sugar, with a generous supply of softer-than-usual graham crackers to dip. It’s so decadent that it’s hard to stop at just one or two graham crackers each (we didn’t), but it was hard to walk out of there after we all wolfed it all down.

For those who have the ability to day drink, there also are some new drink specials on the VIP Early Access menu, including a very tasty Bourbon Street amaretto sour, with Benchmark single barrel bourbon, Amaretto DiSaronno, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and aquafaba. There’s also a smoked Rock ‘N Roll Old Fashioned made with Buffalo Trace bour bon, simple syrup, Angostura bitters, Amarena Toschi Italian black cherries and orange peel.

And, speaking of bourbon, Kareem says that with all of the customer requests for more

Rock & Brews Wesley Chapel general manager Kareem Nelson welcomes everyone to the rockthemed, KISS-inspired restaurant on S.R. 56, in front of the Tampa Premium Outlets. The Return Of Live Music

bourbons at the Wesley Chapel/Lutz location, he has added a huge variety of both popular and rare brands, from Woodford Reserve and Knob Creek to American Legend Hell House by Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bespoken...and many more. You gin lovers have new options — the Pink 75 made with Beefeater gin, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, grapefruit juice, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and prosecco (Jannah got it made with Tito’s vodka instead and loved it), and the Bee’s G’s Knees (upper right photos), which is made with Beefeater, blackberries, blueberries, basil, wild berry purée, honey sim

Although Jannah and I have also always enjoyed the rock videos at Rock & Brews, we apparently weren’t the only ones excited for the return of live bands on Friday nights to the restaurant.

“Our bands know that this isn’t a concert hall,” Kareem says. “They’re mainly background noise. We want you to still be able to have a conversation at your table when they’re playing.” Check the Rock & Brews Facebook page to see what bands are playing on upcoming

where all the videos playing will be of a certain artist’s music, “and we’ll have special drink and food menus to go with the music. We’ve already had very successful Tom Petty and KISS ‘concerts’ here. Our next one is a Queen ‘concert’ on Saturday, April 6. For special events like these, we make the entire restaurant feel more like a concert hall, so people who never got to see Freddie Mercury can almost feel like they’re experiencing him live.”

Rock & Brews (26000 S.R. 56 W., Lutz) is open Mon.-Thur., 11 a.m.-11 p.m., 11 a.m.-midnight on Fri. & Sat. & 10 a.m.10:30 p.m. on Sun. For info, call (813) 8007625, visit RockandBrews.com, or see the ad 45 for some great lunch special deals.

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Introducing Nawabi Hyderabad House & Rain Bistro!

The New Tampa area already has a much larger number of Asian restaurants of all kinds — Chinese, Indian, Thai, Japanese, Korean and even Nepalese — than Wesley Chapel does, but it seems we should make room for at least two more, as Rain Bistro just opened in the former location of Mei’s Pizza (and a couple of others before Mei’s) on E. Bearss Ave., just west of Livingston Ave., and Nawabi Hyderabad House & Biryani Place just replaced another Indian eatery — Raaga — in the Shoppes at Amberly in Tampa Palms.

Right As Rain!

Rain Bistro, owned by my new friend Will, is actually pretty delicious. Although it is something of an Asian fusion place, Will is Chinese and he says his signature

even though he also has great almost-Thai-style spring rolls and Japanesestyle fried gyoza dumplings filled with chicken (both in bottom left photo), as well as a large variety of ramen and other noodle and rice dishes, plus a number of different boba tea drinks. Considering it only opened the day we went to press with this issue, all I can say is the food is great and the place, even though it still doesn’t look impressive from the outside, is much

without the upscale prices. Great job, Will!

For more info about Rain Bistro (2592 E. Bearss Ave.), which is open every day for lunch & dinner, call (813)977-1688.

Nawabi — More Than

Just A New Name!

Although I was never a big fan of Raaga, the most recent Indian restaurant in the same location is the new Nawabi Hyderabad House & Biryani Place at 15345

Amberly Dr. and I definitely enjoyed my first visit.

I didn’t find out why

the restaurant is called Nawabi, but Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. Of course, the bottom line is, did I like the food on my first visit to this much nicer new sit-down restaurant? And, the answer is unequivocally “yes!”

Although I didn’t venture very far (if at all) out of my comfort zone, I gobbled down the garlic naan bread and wok-tossed hakka noodles with chicken at Nawabi. The thinnerthan-lo-mein noodles had a delicate flavor, with a hint of black pepper and just a bit of a kick, even without the much spicier Schezwan (their spelling) sauce, which I was told to order on the side — and I was glad I did. I really only needed a dab on each bite to savor.

For info about Nawabi (also open for lunch & dinner every day), call (813) 4430198 or visit NawabiHHTampa.com. — GN

• The New Bedford (w/hot chicken, onions, scallions & peri peri sauce)

•The Route 3 (w/mushrooms, peppers & caramelized onions)

•The Route 24 (w/pancetta, green olives & jalapeños)

•The Route 140 (w/linguiça, banana peppers & onions)

•Or, Build Your Own!

Persis Grill — Wesley Chapel’s First Indian Eatery Is A Delicious One!

As much as I love doing the dining reviews for my publications, I’m sure you long-time readers are aware that Indian food has always been something of a hit-or-miss proposition for my taste.

So, when I heard that Persis Indian Grill was moving into the space previously occupied by Omnivorous (adjacent to Double Branch Brewing) in The Grove, I didn’t know what to expect.

Well, rest assured that the first authentic Indian restaurant to open in Wesley Chapel (outside of the clubhouse at Anand Vihar in Meadow Pointe) is an upscale (yet still casual and affordable) restaurant which offers a huge menu of favorites from what seems to be every region of the Indian subcontinent.

The owner, who goes by Harry, admits that he has never owned a restaurant before but I have to say that his recipes, handed down from not only his own family, but also the family recipes of his chef and many of his employees, are as good as any Indian cuisine I’ve sampled, which includes at least a half-dozen places located in New Tampa.

I basically always try the menu items that I’m more likely

to enjoy on my first visit, which in the case of Persis, was just a couple of weeks ago, less than two weeks after the new restaurant first opened.

And, I’m happy to report that the butter naan bread at Persis (not pictured) has a delicious grilled flavor and just the right amount of butter. Harry suggested that I try the garlic naan on my next visit, “because it adds a dif ferent flavor when you eat it along with our other food.”

I also had to try two of my other usual favorites — the Tandoori lamb chops (top photo) and the Indo Chinese style chicken fried rice (bottom photo), both of which were outstanding.

The sizzling lamb chops were tender and not over-seasoned and the fried rice had delicious chunks of chicken, as well as tasty veggies, egg and spices. I planned to bring most of both items home, but I brought home a lot less fried rice than I planned because I couldn’t stop taking additional bites.

Harry says he has applied for a beer and wine license but alcohol is not currently being served at Persis. Even so, great job, Harry & crew!

Persis Indian Grill (5956

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