Volume 24 Issue 2
Inside: Our Editor Reveals His Favorite Local Eateries!
January 15, 2016
See Neighborhood Magazine!
Named The 2014 ‘Small Business Of The Year’ By The Wesley Chapel Chamber Of Commerce! The Direct-Mail News Magazines Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Since 1993! For the complete list of neighborhoods that receive this Wesley Chapel issue by direct U.S. mail, see page 46!
Tournament Of Champions Organizers Hope To Keep Lacrosse Event Here By John C. Cotey
The fields were lined with parents, some standing, some sitting in lawn chairs, many of them amazed that they were wearing shorts in December. Players raced back and forth, chasing each other, moving a small rubber ball forward with sticks with webbing attached. The weather was, thankfully, beautiful after a couple of previous years when the tourney was marred by clouds and rain. “The best weather ever,” said veterans of the event. “It was perfect,’’ said Pasco County tourism director Ed Caum, declaring the 10th annual Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions lacrosse tournament a success. “We had great feedback from the players and their parents.” The tournament, which was held Dec. 29-31 at the Wesley Chapel District Park on Boyette Rd. and Wesley Chapel High on nearby Wells Rd., welcomed 73 teams from 16 different states competing in five different youth divisions, including four teams from Pasco County comprised primarily of Wesley Chapel players. This year’s National Champions hailed from New York (the 11-under Arctic Blast), Pennsylvania (13u Rising Sons), Maryland (FCS Lacrossers, Rising Stars) and Ontario (Grand River in the 15u and Everest Academy in the Elite). Now that the five-year contract between Pasco and Colorado-based National Development Program (NDP) Lacrosse has ended, Caum and other Pasco officials are back at work trying to ensure the tournament stays
Also Inside This Issue: News, Business & Sports Updates Wesley Chapel Boy Survives Snake Bite, A Kind Gesture Makes A Family’s Day, Green Grocers Headed Our Way, ‘Little Dynamo’ Helping K-9 Cops ‘Vest Up’ & Lots Of Local Business Features!
Pages 3-30
Neighborhood Magazine ‘Coach Lolo’ Is Ready To Whip You Into Shape, Stage Left Expands Menu With Tasty Choices, Gary Picks His Local 2015 Favorites, Plus Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes!
Pages 31-48
The Pasco Lions 13u team, with several players from Wesley Chapel, had the best finish of any of the local lacrosse teams at the 2015 Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions, which was held at Wesley Chapel High & the District Park the weekend of December 29-31. in town. The Office of Tourist Development, president of business operations. “That’s Tampa for the weekend this year. But, Caum said the Shops at Wiregrass Pasco County Parks & Recreation and the something that we’d ideally (like to anmall, the Tampa Premium Outlets and the Wesley Chapel Athletic Association (WCAA) nounce) within the next month.” Caum estimates that the tourney is Grove of Wesley Chapel give our area “the are close to a new deal with NDP, which runs the tournament that started in 2006 with 25 worth about $3 million annually to the Tam- trifecta” of shopping, where much of the teams competing at Gettysburg College in pa Bay area, although only a third of that money providing the economic boost to PasGettysburg, PA, before seeking the warmer impact is felt in Pasco, the host county, due co from the event has been spent every year. mostly to a dearth of hotel rooms here. Pasco County spent $100,000 to help winter-time climate of Wesley Chapel. He said 60 percent of the hotel rooms cover costs for the event this year, but Caum “I would say we are fairly close to a new agreement to keep us there for the next cou- are generated in Hillsborough County, in- is seeking more community support to offset See “Lacrosse” on page 46. ple of years,’’ says Josh Gross, NDP’s vice cluding filling all of the hotels in nearby New
Suncoast Arts & Kumquat Festivals On Tap This Month There also By Celeste McLaughlin will be an art
On Saturday-Sunday, January 1617, the “main drag” through the Shops at Wiregrass – Paseo Drive – will again be filled with all kinds of art for the 11th annual Suncoast Arts Festival (SAF). Created and produced by Fine Arts of the Suncoast, the Festival typically attracts about 100,000 people (photo from last year, right) over the two days of the event. About 125 fine artists and craftsmen will have their art on display, including sculpture, jewelry, painting, drawing and even sidewalk chalk art. “Artists travel here from all over the country,” says Jennifer Douglas, who owns Jennifer Lee Events, which is managing this year’s festival. “They’re coming to participate in our juried competition, which will award $10,000 in prizes.” Kids can participate in the free handson art garden, with activities and take-home crafts throughout the weekend, and can complete a scavenger hunt to earn prizes.
“makerspace,” a creative place for older kids. According to Douglas, the makerspace environment helps kids, “understand the symbiotic relationship between art and technology, and shows them how art translates into many areas of our lives.” This year’s “Chalk Walk” will be the first to feature only professional street artists. In the past, the Chalk Walk has been an amateur competition, but this year, it’s a commissioned exhibit, sponsored by Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts. Other highlights of this year’s SAF
include a glass-etching experience and an emerging artists exhibit, where artwork by Pasco County high school students will be on display. See “Art & Kumquats” on page 17.