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Volume 20 Issue 6

Inside: Saddlebrook Resort Adds MedSpa Services!

March 10, 2012

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Outlet Mall On The Horizon For Cypress Creek Town Center?

By Matt Wiley After nearly five full years of legal battles, development may finally soon be in the works for the Cypress Creek Town Center Development of Regional Impact (DRI) after a recent meeting between outlet mall developer Simon Property Group and the Richard E. Jacobs Group, the company that has been trying to develop the environmentally sensitive property at the intersection of I-75 and S.R.s 54 & 56.

Pasco County administrator John Gallagher says that Simon has expressed interest in developing an outlet mall at the Cypress Creek Town that would be similar to the company’s Prime Outlets at Ellenton.

“They (Simon) wanted to know what they had to do on the county-side to start submitting plans after they get their permits,” he says.

Gallagher also says that it was a very positive meeting and that all Simon needs to do is obtain a building permit from the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers before the developer can submit its preliminary plans.

Simon Property Group has neither confirmed nor denied any interest in the property and says that, if anything is announced regarding the property, it will be through a press release.

Lawsuits from a coalition of environmental groups led by the Sierra Club of Tampa Bay have delayed the project with legal setbacks since 2007, shortly after the Army Corps issued the Jacobs Group a permit to begin developing the 500+ acre parcel, which has development rights both north and south of S.R. 56.

The Corps revoked the permit after muddy water was discovered pouring into Cypress Creek, a tributary that feeds into the Hillsborough River and supplies drinking water to Hillsborough and surrounding counties, but the Sierra Club’s lawsuit still moved forward.

The headend of Cypress Creek, which is located on the property, also is a known fish rookery. The Sierra Club sued the Army Corps for violating the

Clean Water Act in 2007 and the Jacobs Group paid substantial fines in a settlement.

A November 2011 ruling in Federal Appeals Court reversed a previous decision that all but revoked the mall permit and, according to court documents, ordered the Corps to make a determination on how the projThe Cypress Creek Town Center development may be ect would affect wildlife getting an outlet mall similar to the one in Ellenton. habitat fragmentation, specifically for the eastern is through that corridor where they indigo snake. plan to build that mall,” she says. “All “The big issue besides watching of the other land has been sold.” the water is the wildlife corridor,” says Layne says that she doesn’t think Sierra Club of Tampa Bay spokesperson there are yet any imminent plans to Denise Layne. develop the outlet mall and that the Layne says that if the area were Sierra Club is still in litigation in Washdeveloped, the animals would have to ington D.C., but she is not opposed to cross roadways when moving between working with new developers. protected areas, particularly wetlands, at “Anytime a new body gets the mercy of local traffic. involved, I’m very helpful,” she “The only place for wildlife to go explains. “There’s always hope.”

Taste Of New Tampa® To Be Held At Wharton High On March 11!

NEIGHBORHOOD MAGAZINE!

An Acid Bomb At WCH, Redistricting Maps Reach Supreme Court, Lots Of Local Business News & Much More!

Our Return To Saddlebrook Resort & Spa, Local St. Patrick’s Day Events, A Unique Approach To Fitness For Women & More!

Pages 1-32

Pages 33-40

See “Taste” on page 5.

Although Café Olé is under new ownership, it will still be at the Taste of New Tampa® on March 11.

ECRWSS

NEWS, BUSINESS, SPORTS & EDUCATION UPDATES

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID TAMPA FL PERMIT 2801

Also Inside This Issue!

the location of the 19th annual Taste from Wiregrass to Wharton.

New Tampa Chamber president Rachel Haviland says that the mall asked to see a final list of the participating businesses in this year’s Taste and wanted to have the right to keep certain businesses from participating in the event, due to exclusivity agreements between the mall and some of its businesses.

“We just couldn’t tell any of our business exhibitors that they couldn’t participate, so we had to move it,” Haviland says.

At our press time, there were still openings for more interested sponsors, business exhibitors and restaurants, although you’re receiving this

Dated Material Please Rush!

Although it will still be held on Sunday, March 11, 1 p.m.-4 p.m., the location of the 2012 Taste of New Tampa® has been changed a little more than a month before the event.

The Board of Directors of the New Tampa Chamber of Commerce

voted on February 8 to move the Taste from the Shoppes at Wiregrass mall to Paul R. Wharton High on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in New Tampa, the same location where it was held last year.

Logistical reasons forced the members of the Chamber Board to take action when they voted to change

Postal Customer

By Matt Wiley & Gary Nager

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 6 • March 10, 2012 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 6 • March 10, 2012 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com

The Cypress Creek Town Center Comes Full Circle & More!

An editorial by Gary Nager Those of you who haven’t been living in our area very long may not realize just how long we’ve been waiting for actual vertical construction to begin in the Cypress Creek Town Center (CCTC) development of Regional Impact (DRI).

It’s actually been at least ten years since we first heard that this sizable DRI, which is located just west of I-75 (both north and south of S.R. 56, where S.R. 56 meets S.R. 54), was planned to include some sort of shopping mall. The initial announcement we got about the CCTC property was that it would be an upscale “outdoor” center, similar to the Shops at Wiregrass mall that has now been built in the Wiregrass Ranch DRI, just a mile or so east of CCTC. But, because the CCTC property is so environmentally sensitive (see story on page 1), a coalition of environmental groups, led by the Sierra Club of Tampa Bay, has been keeping close tabs on the plans for CCTC, which is home to the headend of Cypress Creek, an important tributary of the Hillsborough River, which is a primary source of drinking water for Hillsborough County and surrounding areas.

Although the entire CCTC area isn’t comprised of wetlands, much of the land is extremely low-lying and there also is a goodly amount of upland animal habitat in the area that still isn’t automatically afforded the same protecWesley Chapel Neighborhood News 15345 Amberly Dr., Tampa, FL 33647 Phone: (813) 910-2575 Fax: 910-2483 Website: WCNeighborhoodNews.com Adv. E-mail: Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Editorial E-mail: NTNNEdit@yahoo.com

Publisher & Editor Gary Nager Staff Writers John McGurl • Matt Wiley

Correspondents Camille Gillies • Sheryl Young

Advertising Customer Service Manager Nikki Bennett Marketing Director Ashley Knoblach Advertising Sales & Graphic Design AnnMarie Beck

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Porsha Lemos

Nothing that appears in Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion.

The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisements for Volume 20, Issue 8, of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News is Monday, March 26, 2012.

Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News will consider previously non-published outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words.

Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates.

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tions wetlands have in Florida today.

So, the Sierra Club, National Audubon Society and other local environmental groups have been trying to ensure that the development of the CCTC will not despoil this environmentally rich piece of real estate. Their efforts have caused such extreme delays to that development that the developers of both the Wiregrass Ranch mall and The Grove shopping center (one exit north on I-75, off S.R. 54 and Oakley Blvd.) were able to get their large commercial projects not only approved but built, while the CCTC developer, the Richard E. Jacobs Group, remains mired in legal red tape.

The fact that the other two large projects in Wesley Chapel were developed first caused the Jacobs Group to change its plan for the proposed mall in CCTC to something closer to the mix of “big-box” stores that now exists in The Grove than anything approaching an actual “mall.”

And, because of the ongoing legal wrangling at CCTC, many stores that previously had been announced for that development reportedly had/chose to pull out of their agreements to place stores in the area. At our press time, we had not been told whether or not Kohl’s Department Store or other planned CCTC tenants were still planning to be built in the development.

Hopefully, we will be able to provide more updates soon.

to S.R. 52 (one exit and five miles north of S.R. 54 off I-75) in the San Antonio (FL) area than to either S.R. 54 or 56.

However, the recent announcement that the same company that developed the Prime Outlets at Ellenton is now close to being able to build its newest outlet mall in CCTC (again, see page 1) is hopefully good news for this still-embattled, but surely strategically located parcel of land.

Like J.D. Porter, the spokesperson for the Porter Family Trust which sold the property for both the Shops at Wiregrass and the under-construction Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel and the Wiregrass campus of Pasco-Hernando Community College (and is still planning to sell the rest of the 5,000-acre cattle ranch to home builders), I would still love to see if the Tampa Bay Rays baseball club would consider the CCTC area as a location for moving the team from its current base of operations in downtown St. Petersburg.

Although it’s a solid 45 or 50minute drive from Tropicana Field (where the Rays currently play), there’s no doubt that the local road network — with I-75, I-275, S.R. 56 and S.R. 54 all recently expanded (or currently being expanded) around the CCTC is a

vast upgrade from St. Pete and will allow fans both north and south of Wesley Chapel easier access to see Rays games in the future. And of course, we’ll keep you posted.

Don’t Miss The Taste!

This issue arrived in your mailbox only a day or two before the 19th annual Taste of New Tampa®, which has been moved from the Shops at Wiregrass back to Paul R. Wharton High in New Tampa, just a mile or so south of the county line (see page 1), on Sunday, March 11, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.

Don’t miss it, Wesley Chapel!

A New Outlet For Great Shopping?

In years past, we also heard that a large, outlet-style mall, similar to the one located off I-75 in nearby Ellenton, was likely to be built someplace closer

Table of Contents LOCAL NEWS, BUSINESS, & EDUCATION UPDATES........................................................Pages 1-26 Redistricting Maps Under Review By Florida Supreme Ct.....4 Taste Of New Tampa® Update (cont. from page 1)..............5 Wesley Chapel News Briefs ...........................................8-9 ‘Works’ Bomb Found At Wesley Chapel High Signal Will Flash Until Walmart Opens Dougherty Gang Pleads Guilty Wesley Chapel Community Calendar.......................12-13

Local Business Updates..................................16-25 Max Muscle Can Help You Get In Shape..............................16 JAB&P- Your Dedicated Team Of Legal Eagles...................20 Wesley Chapel Business Briefs..........................................23 GasTek Keeps Pools Warm In Winter....................................24 Swiss Spirit Massage Adds New Nutrition Service.................26 Wesley Chapel Education & Sports Updates..........30-31 Pasco Students Get Week For Thanksgiving........................30 Pasco Principal Of The Year’s School Gets ‘A’ Grade.........30 WCH & WRH End Basketball Seasons..............................31

Neighborhood Magazine

Saddlebrook Resort & Spa Adds MedSpa Services.........33-34 Neighborhood Nibbles....................................................35 Rock “n” Body Pole Dancing Puts New Spin On Fitness....36 WESLEY CHAPEL COLOR CLASSIFIEDS........38

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 6 • March 10, 2012 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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Redistricting Maps Being Reviewed By Florida Supreme Court

By Matt Wiley New Florida redistricting maps are currently being reviewed by the Florida Supreme Court, after already having been approved by the Florida House of Representatives, Florida Senate and by Governor Rick Scott. If approved by the Court, the maps are poised to reshape the state legislative districts for both Wesley Chapel and New Tampa.

“The district numbers have changed dramatically,” says current Florida House District 61 Rep. Will Weatherford (R - Wesley Chapel), who chaired the House’s redistricting committee. “Pasco County has become three separate districts.”

Rep. Weatherford says that, despite the lawsuit brought on by the Florida Democratic Party contesting the maps, the districts have been drawn as compactly as possible, without any political favoritism or breaking up any racial minority districts.

The newly redrawn maps move all of Wesley Chapel from District 61 into House District 38, which would be comprised entirely of Pasco County residents.

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He says that his district had grown from 60,000 to a population of 250,000. Because of this massive growth, Weatherford’s district is now strictly within Pasco County and includes all of Wesley Chapel, as well as Zephyrhills and Dade City. It would no longer contain the small portion of New Tampa that previously was in District 61.

The portion of New Tampa that Weatherford was representing has moved into the newly drawn House District 63, along with the rest of New Tampa, old Carrollwood and the USF area. If approved, the only part of the old District 60 (which currently is comprised of both New Tampa and Temple Terrace) that won’t be included in District 63 is Temple Terrace.

“I hate to not be able to represent New Tampa, but my district was severely overpopulated,” Weatherford says. “It had to shrink. It makes more sense for it to be more compact.”

Current Florida House District 60 Rep. Shawn Harrison (R - New Tampa) says that he likes the new district lines, although he hates to lose 5,000 Temple Terrace voters from his new district.

“They (the district lines) are good geographically,” Harrison says. “All of New Tampa is now in my district. That’s my home, but I still have an office and a lot of friends in Temple Terrace.”

Florida’s 120 legislative district boundaries are redrawn every ten years, based on the most recent population census.

Under new redistrict- Current State House District 61 Rep. (and Wesley Chapel resident) Will Weatherford (left) chaired ing rules meant to prevent gerrymandering (or redraw- the Florida House of representattives’ redistricting committee. Source: MyFloridaHouse.gov. ing a district to benefit an official currently in office or late the recently added anti-gerrymanthat official’s political party), Weather- dering regulations and that they beneford says the districts have been drawn fit the Republican-incumbent-conwithout acknowledging incumbentstrolled Florida House of officials currently in office-or their Representatives and Senate. political parties.

Weatherford says that he isn’t surprised by the lawsuit.

Still Not A Done Deal “There are always lawsuits during Almost immediately after being redistricting,” he says, adding, howevpassed by a vote of 31-7 in the Florida er, that these maps are fair.

Senate, the Florida Democratic Party The Supreme Court has until filed a lawsuit challenging the constiMarch 9 to decide whether to approve tutionality of the newly redrawn disthe maps, but that decision wouldn’t trict maps, claiming that the maps vio- be made until after we went to press.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 6 • March 10, 2012 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com

“Taste” Continued from page 1 issue only a day or two before the event. Some of the eateries that already have confirmed their participation this year include: Café Olé, Baker’s Gallery, La Cubanita Café, Marco’s Pizza, Mulligan’s Irish Pub, Stacy’s Gluten-Free Goodies, Tijuana Flats, P.J. Dolan’s Irish Pub & Grille, North Pole Ices, Papa John’s Pizza, Betty’s Cakes, Bruster’s Ice Cream and Ph.D’serts & Cakes.

“We always have a late run of North Pole Ices on Cross Creek Blvd. restaurants and business exhibitors will again participate in the Taste. the last few weeks before the Taste,” Hunter Financial Advisors and, of says Haviland. “We expect to have course, the New Tampa & Wesley around 25 restaurants and beverage Chapel Neighborhood News. providers again this year.”

Paul R. Wharton High is Among this year’s Taste sponsors located at 20150 BBD. For more are Gunter & Gunter Insurance, YCN information, please call 294-2464 Publishing, MidFlorida Federal Credit or visit TasteofNewTampa.info.

Union, Tampa Bay Times, Sickle-

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W ESLEY C HAPEL

News Briefs all the time,” Doll says. “But, this is the first time I’ve heard of this happening at a school.”

Authorities say that when the assistant principal discovered the smoke billowing out of the trashcan, 911 was called and WCH issued a “modified lockdown,” requiring faculty and students to stay in their classrooms.

Romagnoli explains that this is different than a “full lockdown,” which occurs when there is an intruder or a “definite threat” at or to the school. In a “full lockdown,” students and faculty are ordered to remain quiet and stay in their rooms with the lights off and the doors locked.

According to the Center for Disease Control, an acid bomb, or “Works” bomb in this case, is a container filled with toilet-bowl cleaner and other household items. When the substances react with one another, a gas is created and fills the container until it escapes, which is the smoke that the school administrator saw.

‘Works’ Bomb Works Way Into WCH Trashcan

An arrest has been made in connection with the acid bomb that was discovered emitting smoke in a trashcan at Wesley Chapel High (WCH) on February 21.

According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), a 15-year-old sophomore constructed a “Works” acid bomb out of Works toilet bowl cleaner and placed it in a trashcan shortly after classes started at 7:30 a.m.

Pasco County Schools spokesperson Summer Romagnoli says that the bomb did not explode and that no one was injured, although the school’s assistant principal felt nauseous after inhaling some of the fumes coming out of the trashcan. The lockdown at WCH was lifted around 10 a.m. and classes resumed normal operations.

“A number of students were questioned,” says PCSO spokesman Kevin Doll, “some of whom said that the alleged ‘bomber’ had been talking about doing it for a long time.” Doll adds that the student responsible is facing a felony charge of making and discharging an explosive as well as disturbing school activity, a misdemeanor.

“Kids make these (types of bombs)

Signal Will Still Flash Until Walmar t Opens As Wesley Chapel Blvd. (S.R. 54) traffic passes by underneath, the traffic light above only flashes yellow, holding

The flashing traffic signal at the corner of S.R. 54 & Pointe Pleasant/Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. will not be fully operational until a new Walmart opens at the intersection. no authority to force drivers to hit the brakes and stop.

This has been the life of the stoplight at the intersection of Wesley Chapel Blvd. (S.R. /C.R. 54) and Pointe Pleasant Blvd./Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. since last December.

The traffic signal was installed in preparation for the opening of Wesley Chapel’s newest Walmart, the third in Pasco County, and will feature only blinking light until construction of the new commercial development at the northern end of the Wiregrass Ranch development is nearly completed.

“The light is fully operational and ready for a full cycle of red, yellow and green,” says Pasco County’s chief project manager Robert Shepherd.

Even though most new traffic signals flash for only 2-4 weeks to alert

drivers that the light will soon be fully operational, Shepherd says that the light, which is in front of Wesley Chapel Nissan and Precision Kia, will continue to flash until there is enough traffic to justify the light being put on a full cycle.

The signal was installed during the week of December 15th and will serve patrons of the Walmart and an adjacent strip center, as well as the future residents of Wiregrass Ranch, the massive Development of Regional Impact (DRI) located between S.R.s 54 and 56, east of Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

A traffic signal at Cypress Ridge Blvd. and S.R. 56, that also had been previously flashing, was put on its normal cycle on February 7.

Dougherty Gang Pleads Guilty Dougherty brothers Dylan and

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Ryan have pleaded guilty to multiple felony charges in a Colorado court on Thursday, February 16.

According to the Associated Press (AP), during their appearance in Huerfano County Court in Walsenburg, Co., on February 16 Ryan, 22, pleaded guilty to five counts of felony menacing, while eldest brother Dylan, 26, pleaded guilty to first-degree assault.

Ryan faces 20 years in prison and Dylan could face up to 32 years, the longest possible sentence of the three Dougherty siblings. Sister Lee Grace, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted first-degree assault and two counts of felony menacing on February 9 and faces up to 28 years in prison, with a

minimum sentence of nine years.

After nearly six months in jail, the trio will be sentenced together on April 30. The three Dougherty siblings were arrested in Colorado after a cross-country crime spree that began in August, just east of Wesley Chapel.

Dylan was recently transferred, from the Huerfano County Jail that all three had been held at, to the Pueblo County Jail, about 45 miles north, after deputies discovered a makeshift knife, escape plans and a letter to both the F.B.I. and his sister about his planned escape. The AP reports that charges of conspiracy to escape and possession of contraband have been dropped in Dylan’s plea deal. — Matt Wiley

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W ESLEY C HAPEL

Community Calendar

Taste Of New Tampa®

Sunday, March 11, 1 p.m.-4 p.m - The 19th annual Taste of New Tampa® has been moved from The Shops at Wiregrass and will now be held at Paul R. Wharton High, 20150 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.

See page 1 for details.

Experienced Networking Professionals (ENP)

Monday, March 12, 7:30 a.m.

— This networking group meets Monday mornings at 7:30 a.m. for breakfast and at 8:00 a.m. for networking at Quail Hollow Golf & Country Club (6225 Old Pasco Rd. For more information, call Cindy at 505-3065.

Free Networking Int’l

(BNI), a group of business professionals who work to support each other through qualified business referrals, meets Tuesdays at Song & Dance Studio (27221 Foamflower Blvd., off Old Pasco Rd.).

For more information, contact JD Lane at 391-5018 or by e-mail at Jdlane@benchmarkbusiness.com.

East Pasco Networking

Tuesday, March 13, 9 a.m. — The East Pasco Networking Group meets every Tuesday, 9 a.m., at Beef O’Brady's (1660 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in the Shops at New Tampa of Wesley Chapel plaza). Contact Frankie Ammons at 479-7997 or by e-mail at Frankie@studioglory.com.

Monday, March 12, 8 a.m. — Free Networking International (FNI), a group of area business owners, meets each Monday for networking and discussion at the Lexington Oaks Golf Club clubhouse (26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd., off S.R. 54).

For more information, call Stacy Dalton at 469-5499.

Wesley Chapel Rotar y Club

Business Networking Int’l

Wednesday, March 14, 6:30 p.m. — The Wesley Chapel Civil Air Patrol squadron meets every Wednes-

Tuesday, March 13, 7:30 a.m.

— Business Networking International

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Wednesday, March 14, 12:15 p.m. — The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel meets every Wednesday at Pagelli’s at the Shops at Wiregrass (2001 Piazza Ave.).

For more information, call 8628989 or 391-3895.

WC Civil Air Patrol

day at Tampa North Aero Park (4241 Birdsong Blvd., off S.R. 54).

Visit WesleyChapelCAP.com or call Cheryl Spence at 973-7270.

tion at jmorrow@idsyes.com or call 961-3087. For more information about the school, or to schedule a personal tour, visit IDSyes.com.

CBC Networking Group

Networking For Success

Thursday, March 15, 7:30 a.m.

— The Christian Business Connections (CBC) Networking Group meets every Thursday at Organic Life Coffeehouse (1900 Oak Grove Blvd., off S.R. 54, Lutz). The group is open to all business leaders and professionals in New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and surrounding communities.

CBC members’ core philosophy puts God first and bases business decisions on Christian values,.

For more information, call Jeff Hanneken at 600-9200.

IDS-CC Open House

Thursday, March 15, 8 a.m. Independent Day School-Corbett Campus, an independent school for Pre-K3 through eighth grade, will host an Admissions Open House. The event will begin with an overview of the school conducted by Headmaster Dr. Joyce Burick Swarzman. It will include a tour of the beautiful, cypress tree-covered campus. A light breakfast will be served. The school is located at 12015 Orange Grove Dr. in Tampa.

Contact admissions director Dr. Jennifer Morrow to place a reserva-

Thursday, March 15, 8:30 a.m.10 a.m. — The Networking For Your Success group meets every Thursday at Song & Dance Studio (27221 Foamflower Blvd., off S.R. 54).

For additional information, call John Anglada at 298-3232 or visit NetworkingforYourSuccess.com.

WC Wind Ensemble

Thursday, March 15, 7 p.m. — The Wesley Chapel Wind Ensemble, a community group of brass and woodwind players, meets every Thursday at Crossroads Community United Methodist Church (26211 County Line Rd.). New members are encouraged to join.

For additional information, call Glenn at 746-4821 or e-mail him at Trombonegww@juno.com.

WC Sunrise Rotar y Club

Friday, March 16, 7:15 a.m. — The Wesley Chapel Sunrise Rotary Club meets every Friday at Quail Hollow Country Club (6225 Old Pasco Rd.) *Note-The Club no longer meets at Lexington Oaks Golf Club.

For additional information, call Lynne Wilson at 695-6466.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 6 • March 10, 2012 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com

Sand Pine Elementar y PTA Barbecue

Friday, March 16, 6:30 p.m. The Sand Pine Elementary PTA will be hosting its very first family barbecue in the Sand Pine cafeteria. Come on out in your country/barbecue attire and enjoy a delicious dinner from Dickey’s Barbecue on Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

The event also will feature dessert, a DJ, line dancing, a balloon artist and lots of games. Tickets cost $5 each and MUST be purchased ahead of time.

Ticket sales will be held before school the week prior to the event.

For additional information, contact Chrystal Mueller at Chrystal1@tampabay.rr.com.

Countr y Walk Community Garage Sale

Saturday, March 17, 7 a.m. The Country Walk community on S.R. 54 is having its spring garage sale on St. Patrick’s Day. There will be hundreds of homes participating, so this is not a sale to be missed. Country Walk is located at 30400 Country Pointe Blvd., off S.R. 54, east of Curley Rd. in Wesley Chapel.

For more information, call Gregg Gruhl at 991-6102.

MOMS Club Of WC

Monday, March 19, 10 a.m. — The Moms Offering Moms Support (MOMS) Club of Wesley Chapel, a non-profit social group for stay-athome mothers, meets the third Monday of each month at the Lexington Oaks Golf Club clubhouse (26304 Lexington Oaks Blvd., off S.R. 54) for activities, field trips and more.

For more information, e-mail Heather at WCMoms@yahoo.com.

Wesley Chapel Toastmasters

Monday, March 19, 6:15 p.m.

— The “Wesley Chapel Speaks” Toastmasters Club meets on the first and third Monday of every month, at Hyundai of Wesley Chapel (26944 Wesley Chapel Blvd.). Club meetings are open to all interested parties.

For more information, call 4065931 or visit Toastmasters84.org.

2012 Mid-Florida MS Walk

Charity Golf Tour ney To Benefit The Klingebiel Family Apr. 21 Saturday, April 21, 1 p.m. - The Aaron Klingebiel Charity Golf Tournament is being held at the newly renovated Quail Hollow Golf & Country club, to benefit the Klingebiel family. Just a few months after a tragic car accident in February of 2011 in which Jennifer Klingebiel suffered a shattered pelvis (along with a number of other injuries), and daughter Courtney Klingebiel sustained a shattered left arm and broken left leg, Jennifer’s son Aaron was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He began six weeks of radiation treatments on February 29. Proceeds from the golf tournament will help to pay for the family’s medical-related expenses.

For more information, contact Hollie Topash at 780-2511 or Bill Austin at 417-1170. Quail Hollow Golf & Country Club is located at 6225 Old Pasco Rd., less than a mile from S.R. 54, in Wesley Chapel. — John McGurl

Saturday, March 24, 5:30 p.m. 9:30 p.m. — Join the National MS Society, Mid-Florida Chapter, for its annual MS Walk at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo (off Sligh Ave.). The 1- & 2mile walks will be fully accessible and fun for the whole family. Walk as an individual, join or create a team. Registration starts at 5:30 p.m. and the walk starts at 6:30 p.m. Cost is a $20 donation/participant. Proceeds support research to create a world free of MS. For more information, contact Cody at 889-8363.

ideas and tips on both “Leading People While Managing Process,” and “Communicating Through Questioning.”

For more info, contact Loran Tripp at 948-6355.

Corpus Christi Catholic School Golf Tour nament

Palm Cove Chili Cook-Of f For Cancer

Sunday, March 25, noon - Corpus Christi Catholic School’s Parent Teacher Club will be hosting its annual golf tournament and family picnic at Saddlebrook Resort. The tournament is open to the public and will be a fourperson scramble format. Registration begins at noon and will be followed by a shotgun start at 1 p.m. The cost is $125 per player for golf and $15 per person for the picnic. The Corpus Christi Catholic School is located at 9715 N. 56th St., Temple Terrace. Saddlebrook Resort is located at 5700 Saddlebrook Way, off S.R. 54.

For more info about the event or for sponsorships, contact Chris Jeffords at 508-4572 or email CJeffords1981@aol.com.

Women Of Wesley Chapel

Friday, April 6, 7:30 a.m. — WOW, the Women of Wesley Chapel networking group, meets the first Friday of every month at the Branch of Christ Building, Cypress View Square (27223 S.R. 56, next to Boardwalk Frozen Custard). This month’s speaker is Debbie Lundberg, certified life coach, certified leadership coach and a member of the National Speakers Association speaking on her trademarked expression “Reversing the Slobification of America.”™ She will be sharing

Saturday, March 24, noon-3 p.m. - Ashton Woods Homes presents the inaugural Palm Cove Chili CookOff at the Ashton Woods model home in the Palm Cove community off S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel to benefit the American Cancer Society. Contestants will have a 6-foot table to decorate and promote their business. The winner for the Best Chili will walks away with a $200 cash prize!

For more info, contact Paul Bartell at 390-3800.

Women N Charge Meeting

Friday, April 6, 11:30 a.m. - The meeting will feature guest speaker April Saland, speaking about the “Top 10 Insurance Myths” at the Pebble Creek Golf and Country Club.

For more info, contact Loran Tripp at 948-6355.

WC Republican Club

Thursday, April 12, 7 p.m. — The Wesley Chapel Republican Club meets the second Thursday of each month at Hyundai of Wesley Chapel (27000 Wesley Chapel Blvd./S.R. 54).

Visitors are always welcome to attend.

Call Mike Moore at 777-6171 or email WCRepublican@att.net..

‘Celebration Of The Ar ts’

Saturday-Sunday, April 14- 15, 11 a.m. - The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce that the fifth annual Wesley Chapel “Celebration of the Arts” will be held at the Shops at Wiregrass mall.

Vendors will line the streets at the mall with their incredible works of fine art and crafts, that will again include artists who specialize in acrylics, oils and watercolor, metal sculpture, ceramics and glass, lithographs, photography, jewelry and wood sculpture.

For more information, contact Loran Tripp at 948-6355.

Lex Oaks Women’s Club

Saturday, April 21, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. - The Lexington Oaks Women’s Club is seeking vendors and sellers to participate in their annual fund-raising event, in conjunction with the community’s yard sale, located at 26304 Lexington Oaks Blvd., off S.R. 54. Vendor spaces are available for $15.

For applications and information, call Sue at 907-9063.

WC Relay For Life

Friday, April 27, 6 p.m. - Wesley Chapel’s American Cancer Society Relay for Life will begin with Opening ceremonies at 6 p.m., followed by a “Survivor/Caregiver Lap.” Registered cancer survivors will be treated to a 1950s & ‘60s-themed “American Bandstand Birthday Bash,” with dinner, dessert, gifts, a T-shirt, lots of fun and entertainment. More info next issue!

To register a team, volunteer or for more info, email Shanon Weiss at wcsurvivorchair@yahoo.com.

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Maximum Results From Wesley Chapel’s Max Muscle!

By Matt Wiley They may be distant memories by now, but if your New Year’s resolutions consisted of losing weight, getting healthy and even packing on some muscle — like four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler — consider visiting Wesley Chapel’s Max Muscle on S.R. 54 (next to Sweetbay Supermarket), your nutritional one-stop shop.

Cutler, a multiple world-champion-winning body builder, will be making an in-store appearance at the Wesley Chapel Max Muscle and signing autographs for local fans on Saturday, March 24, 11 a.m. Needless to say, store owner Fernando Salas is excited.

“Usually an appearance by [Cutler] draws a big crowd,” he says. “People will be lined up out the door.”

Salas says that part of the proceeds from any sales made that day will be donated to help a local child with spinal atrophy.

Max Muscle, which also has a location on N. Dale Mabry Hwy. in Carrollwood, is not your typical nutritional supplement store, ready to shove giant tubs of putrid protein powder in your face with a guarantee that you will see the results you’re striving toward.

Instead, Salas and his two employees provide in-store nutrition consultations to find out exactly what it is that each customer is trying to accomplish with their fitness/nutrition regimen, and then, using that information, make recommendations from Max Muscle’s exclusive line of supplements that fit into that customer’s personalized plan.

“More than anything, we provide the education necessary for the person to accomplish what they are trying to do,” says Salas. “Whether it is a mom trying to get healthier after she’s had a couple of kids or a person with high blood pressure problems, we tackle pretty much everything (from a nutritional supplement standpoint) with what we sell in the store.”

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He said that consultations can last as little as 10 minutes to as long as two hours; it all depends upon how much time the customer has and what they are trying to accomplish.

“The education that we provide can be from very simple to very indepth,” Salas says. “It all depends on what the person is trying to get, or the amount of time they have. I won’t put into somebody’s hand something that the person does not need. That’s something we don’t do. We pretty much tell you exactly what you need for what you’re telling us you want to do.”

Not only does Salas provide his customers with nutritional supplements to help accomplish their goals, it also provides other tools to assist in the process.

“We build meal plans for people,” he explains. “We help people identify what kinds of foods they should be eating and are able to put that in print due to the fact that we hold a nutrition certification. That’s another thing that sets us apart.”

Salas says that he has customers fill out a form detailing the types of foods that they like to eat and then, using that information, he is able to fashion a meal plan that includes those foods.

“They’re not going to eat something if they don’t like it,” he says. “I have to work around what they like to eat. You have to make the simplest thing for people to follow.”

He says that customers return every two to three weeks so he can measure their body fat percentage to see if the plan is working. If not, he may tweak it a little bit to better suit that specific person.

Max Muscle employees obtain their nutrition certifications from the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association (NESTA), which offers certificates in a number of different nutrition programs including fitness, sports and even nutrition for kids. After taking a class at their own pace, Max Muscle

Wesley Chapel Max Muscle owner Fernando Salas has everything you need to lose weight and/or get in shape. The store is located next to Sweetbay on S.R. 54. employees must pass a nutrition exam to receive their “nutrition specialist” certificate.

Salas also has a Bachelor’s degree in nutrition, physical education and sports science from Manuel Sajardo University, the institute for strength, conditioning and nutrition in his native Cuba. He also boasts 14 years of experience in sports and fitness education at a number of Hillsborough County schools, including Chiaramonte, Mendenhall and Lockhart Elementary schools. He says that he went as far as

he thought he could in that career and wanted to do something in which he could “call the shots.”

A friend introduced Salas to Max Muscle in 2005 and he says as soon as he met the people behind the scenes — such as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Joe Wells — he was hooked. Max Muscle has been around since 1990 and, according to the website, now has more than 100 franchise stores, with a projected 750 more expected to open in the next five years.

“I loved the concept,” he says. “I

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love what we do at the store everydaythe educational aspect of the whole business-the line of supplements, their purity, the way they're manufacturedthat's what made me jump at the opportunity,” he says.

Salas bought the rights to a Max Muscle in 2005 and opened the doors in his current location in the Towne Center of Wesley Chapel plaza in 2009.

Since then he has been using the store to educate people about fitness, as well as to give back to the community.

“We provide a lot of free nutrition classes that we teach in the schools,” Salas explains. “We are heavily involved in the education aspect of this industry, so we do a lot of education for the school district.”

He also has appeared at local gyms for special events where he provides free samples of supplements and products for the gym’s members and visitors.

Newton Shines In ‘Max For mation’ Contest

Another way that Max Muscle is involved in the community is through a nationwide body transformation contest called Max Formation. Max Muscle’s corporate entity sponsors and hosts the annual contest, the national winner of which is awarded $25,000. Thousands of people across the U.S. enter each year to see who can accomplish the

greatest transformation, based upon weight loss, body mass index (BMI) and body measurements. Among those who competed in 2011, Wesley Chapel resident Darlene Newton made the national top 25 at the age of 47.

“I joined the website in February of 2011,” Newton says. “I blogged every day on the site and added about 25 people that I’ve never met face to face. But, we’ve been very supportive of each other.”

Upon entering, contestants construct their own profile page at MyMaxMuscle.com. They submit a picture of themselves holding a newspaper (to show the date), their beginning weight, BMI and body measurements.

Fellow contestants add each other as friends and lend each other support as they each go through the same challenges and changes in losing weight and/or getting into better physical shape. Participants “weigh in” and add a new image once a month to document their “transformation.”

Newton, now 48, remembers her first time walking into Max Muscle.

“I was quite intimidated,” she says.

“I took a Max Muscle magazine that Fernando had put on people’s cars in the parking lot with his business card. I read it cover-to-cover and did some research online. I carried it around for weeks before I was comfortable walking in there. I couldn’t have been more

Darlene Newton’s “before” pic (center, obviously) gives no hint of the physique she has developed, thanks in part to nutritional counseling from Max Muscle’s Fernando Salas. wrong (about being intimidated).” year’s national winner will be a regular She says that her first visit with patron of his Wesley Chapel store. He Salas lasted more than two hours, most- says that he has at least eight people ly due to his welcoming nature and that have signed up on the website for outstanding customer service. the 2012 contest.

“He made a seemingly difficult He encourages Wesley Chapel resprocess very easy,” she says. “He is such idents who are interested to stop by the a great source of info. Every time I go store for a free nutrition consultation. in, I end up staying 30-45 minutes.”

“We provide the in-store experiDuring her preparation for the ence and quality in our supplement contest, Newton visited Max Muscle line,” he says. “We have what pretty weekly. He would test her body fat and much no one else in the country has, give her nutrition recommendations. In which is a quality ingredient guarantee. addition, Salas also got Newton But, the thing that separates us is the acquainted with her personal trainer, education that we provide. One thing International Federation of Body we don’t do is sell people out.”

For more information, visit the Builders (IFBB) pro Mark Antonek.

Wesley Chapel Max Muscle store at Newton and Antonek were mar27245 Wesley Chapel Blvd. (S.R. ried this past Valentine’s Day. 54) or call 973-9074.

Salas says that he hopes that this

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Johnson, Auvil, Brock & Pratico—A Team Of Dedicated Legal Eagles

By Sheryl Young Have you ever walked into a law office and felt very much at home? It may seem like an unbelievable concept, but at Johnson, Auvil, Brock and Pratico (JAB&P), walking through the door is like sinking into a plush, overstuffed chair. Anyone in need of legal assistance would immediately be put at ease — not only by the friendliness of the entire staff, but also by the comfortable setting of the old-fashioned, standalone building in Dade City.

The law group of JAB&P offers a wide avariety of legal services in this headquarters, on Meridian Ave. near 7th St., not far from S.R. 52 — and only 20 minutes or less from most of Wesley Chapel.

Consisting of four partners and three associate attorneys, the law firm handles every situation in civil law and commercial litigation, with each of the lawyers specializing in different areas.

This includes foreclosures and avoiding foreclosure, personal injury, estate planning and probate, real estate, employment and discrimination, construction and land use and banking, business, and corporate law.

Leonard Johnson, who brings 30 years of legal experience to the table, started the firm in this same building in

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1992 with his original partner, the late Jerry Schrader. Schrader was the brother of current Pasco County commissioner Ted Schrader.

“Jerry and I were both lawyers in 1991, when we realized we shared similar ideas on how to accomplish our jobs,” Johnson says. “We wanted to merge our practices and took the third floor of the building. The next year, we invited Jonathan Auvil to join us. We had attended law school together.”

Auvil is the third generation in his family to do legal work in Dade City.

Today, Johnson and Auvil partner with P. Hutchison “Hutch” Brock, II — a former mayor of Dade City (2004-08) — and Steve Pratico. Pratico, a football player in college (at both Rutgers and Bucknell), stays connected to the sport by being a Board and Selection Committee member for the annual Outback Bowl (in Tampa). The four partners are joined by associates Sheada Madani, Cady H. Walden and Carolyn A. Conrad Meadows.

What Sets JAB&P Apar t?

“It is our strength in having someone to handle or specialize in each of these areas of law,” Pratico explains.

“For example, my own specialty is commercial litigation — like foreclosure lawsuits and contract disputes.”

The partners at Johnson, Auvil, Brock & Pratico (JAB&P) in nearby Dade City include (l. to r.) Steve Pratico, Leonard Johnson & Hutch Brock. (Not pictured: Jonathan Auvil) JAB&P has a multitude of repeat firm’s umbrella, there is a total of 25 and regular clients. All seven attorneys employees at JAB&P, all of whom are are very involved in the community, so involved in different community events; Pratico says word of mouth brings the partners also sponsor many charitathem many of their cases. ble occasions each year.

“We don't do family law — like For example, one or more of them divorce or custody disputes — or crimi- is involved in the Cinderella Ball, a nal cases,” he says, ‘but we have a short nonprofit organization for education; list of other attorneys whose work is Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Tampa well known to us, to whom we refer Bay; Ducks Unlimited, a wetlands people with those types of needs. Likepreservation group; and Dade City wise, our relationships in the communi- Main Street, an organization dedicated ty have built to such a point that when to the historic preservation of the city. someone needs help in the kind of pro- So, the firm supports a wide range of cedures we do, it’s not unusual for a interests and causes. new client to walk in and say they were The attorneys and their wives also sent by someone we know.” are active with their children’s schools, With paralegals, assistants and the which helps them make still more Meridian Title Company under the friends in the area.

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“What sets us apart from other law firms is our commitment to the community,” says Brock. “I guess you could say we've grown our business ‘organically’ — literally 90 to 95 percent of our new cases are people who know the people we’ve helped before.”

He says this philosophy comes from his training. “I was taught that the other side will always be able to see whether you know your client well.

And, we are thankful to our repeat clients who have helped us build our reputation and our resources.”

JAB&P extends their work not only to neighborhoods close to Dade City, like Wesley Chapel and New Tampa, but throughout and beyond the five counties surrounding the Tampa Bay area. The firm represents clients all around the state of Florida, from Miami to Pensacola.

“Our commercial clients have interests all over the state,” Pratico explains. “But, most of our work for

individuals comes more locally.”

Since foreclosure is still very much a concern today, Pratico says he does his best to help people in those tough situations. “I will help them if they want to avoid foreclosure, like working on mortgage modifications,” he says.

“But, I can also help if they feel the best thing is to leave the house without the debt following them.”

Brock specializes in personal injury law along with Walden (who came on board two years ago). “I am proud to say Hutch is my mentor in all things lawyering,” Walden says. “Everyone in the firm is really close, and we like to celebrate each other’s achievements, especially when we win a case for client.

There’s no rivalries here.”

The cozy building that houses Johnson, Auvil, Brock and Pratico, P.A., is located at 37837 Meridian Ave. in Dade City, Suite 100. Call JAB&P at (352) 567-2500, or visit at JABPLaw.com.

Johnson and the partners at JAB&P are proud to have associates (l. to r.) Carolyn A. Conrad Meadows, Sheada Madani and Cady H.Walden on their team of legal pros.

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Wesley Chapel In this issue’s Business Briefs, we have information about some of the new commercial construction in our area, a newly revamped store, a local company’s participation in a great event and my most recent visit to one of my favorite local spas.

New Buildings & Plazas Going Up All Over Town

After speaking with local commercial real estate Broker Ed Dickinson of Walter Dickinson, Inc., we have a number of updates about some of the construction and plans for new buildings and office/retail plazas in and around Wesley Chapel.

You may have noticed the recent vertical construction on S.R. 54, next to the existing Goodyear Tire & Auto repair shop. Although he wasn’t the Broker on that property (he does, however, have the listing on an adjacent parcel; see below), Dickinson says the building under construction is a new Advanced Auto Parts store. He adds that Advanced is actually being built on the center of three parcels with frontage on S.R. 54, all of which are between 1.3-1.6 acres. He says the furthest west of those three parcels will be home to a new Tire Choice. The 2.5-acre parcel

Business Briefs Dickinson is handling, however, has no frontage on BBD and is located directly behind the Advanced Auto Parts store.

He says that the lot he is working with has entitlements for up to 20,000 sq. ft. and also is zoned for auto service, although he adds that it, “is suitable for other commercial uses, too.”

Just east of I-75, Dickinson says a new Racetrack gas station will be constructed just south of the Burger King at the corner of S.R. 54 and C.R. 581 (aka Bruce B. Downs Blvd., or BBD).

Long-time residents of the area will remember that there was a Racetrack that was torn down between the GoldMax (formerly USA Gold Buyers) and the Wendy’s on S.R. 54, between BBD and I-75. He also notes that the existing Discount Auto Parts just east of BBD on 54 will move to the plaza being constructed next to the future Walmart store being built south of S.R. 54 and east of BBD, at the new Wiregrass Ranch Blvd.

Less than a mile south of the Hillsborough/Pasco County line on BBD, Dickinson says a new Auto Zone & Christian Brothers Auto Repair will be constructed in the Trout Creek area, just south of the new Burger King.

For more information about

these and other local commercial properties/parcels for sale/rent, call Walter Dickinson, Inc., at 879-3522.

Sophia’s Jewelr y Celebrates Its Grand Opening

You may remember Charles Tuozzo’s name because he previously owned Charles Jewelers (which is still in business in Tampa Palms) and Sophia’s Boutique, which was named for one of his two daughters.

Well, while Sophia’s was a unique clothing-and-more store for our area, Charles always wanted to get back into the jewelry biz and has now re-opened Sophia’s, in the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center plaza, as Sophia’s Jewelr y & Design.

Sophia’s is where you’ll find “expensive taste at affordable prices,” with some amazing values in gold, silver, precious gems and many original designs. You can even see a great selection of Lafonn Everlasting Desire diamond engagement rings and beautiful wedding bands starting at just $100.

And, when you mention the ad in this issue, you’ll receive 20-percent-off ANY item in Sophia’s. Go check it out and please tell Charles we sent you!

For more info, visit Sophia’s Jewelr y & Design (19020 Br uce B. Downs Blvd.) or call 971-6900.

Benco Dental Helps ‘Give Kids A Smile’

Benco Dental Company and long-time New Tampa resident Fran Griesser have helped make the “Give Kids a Smile” event, sponsored by the Hillsborough County Dental Society and Suncoast Community Healthcare Centers (whose corporate offices are in Ruskin), a little brighter.

“Give Kids a Smile” was held at the Ruskin location of Suncoast on February 3. More than 60 kids were treated that day, with services covering everything from x-rays, exams, hygiene procedures, and operative work. Several local dentists donated their time to provide the treatments, valued at $64,000!

Benco Dental’s local reps —

New Tampa resident and Benco Dental Company rep Fran Griesser (far right) at the “Give Kids a Smile” event.

Griesser, Joe Dixon and Florida Manager Durrand Ashford, donated more than $1,000 in dental supplies for the event. And, Dr. Natalie Carr of Carr Pediatric Dentistry was one of the participating dentists who donated the most time. Great job!

For more information about Benco Dental Co., call Fran Griesser at (610) 283-8086 or Joe Dixon at (941) 628-6889.

Spa Moritz — A LastMinute Gift Life-Saver!

What do you do when you suddenly realize you’ve forgotten to get a gift for someone special’s birthday...or, let’s say...for Valentine’s Day? If you’re like me, you’ll call the beautiful, elegant Spa Moritz, located on Commerce Park Blvd. in Tampa Palms, across from Freedom High.

Until about 1 p.m. on Valentine’s Day, I didn’t think I had plans, but then, when I suddenly did, I called Dyan and Dennis Piller and asked if I could still schedule a couple’s massage.

And, it just so happened that the spa had just extended its hours on Tuesdays until 8 p.m., so there was an opening at 7. We enjoyed a complimentary chocolate-strawberry martini, the best relaxation massage I’ve ever had and took a tour of the truly European-style salon and MedSpa before heading off to Jalapeno Mexican Grille in the Oak Ramble Plaza on BBD south of Tampa Palms for a delicious dinner. Thanks!

For more info, including great spa package prices, call Spa Moritz at 971-4772 or visit SpaMoritz.com.

For Jalapeno, call 977-0800. — GN

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GasTek Pool & Gas Services Can Keep Your Pool Warm In Winter

By Matt Wiley During what we Floridians like to call our version of “winter,” it’s hard to take the plunge into a cold pool, no matter how sunny it may be outside. Luckily for New Tampa residents, GasTek Pool & Gas Services is here to transform chilly pools into oversized hot tubs.

Newly opened in January 2011

by New Tampa resident Paul Schaller, GasTek Pool & Gas specializes exclusively in propane and natural gas pool heater repairs, sales and installations.

Schaller saw a need to be filled in the New Tampa area when he moved here 11 years ago.

“When I moved here, there weren’t that many gas companies in the area,” Schaller says. “Since moving here, there has been an increase in gas pool heaters. There are more than I initially thought.”

Noticing the increase in gas heaters and the lack of service and installation companies, Schaller decided to make a move.

“I was out of work and looking for something to do,” Schaller says.

“I had previous construction experi-

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ence and a relative doing the same kind of work. I saw a possible niche.”

Schaller’s first step was to obtain a gas installation license from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).

This required him to attend a oneday class and take a three-hour exam in order to be licensed to service, install, repair and sell liquefied petroleum gas equipment, appliances and piping.

This license is one of the things that sets GasTek apart from other gas heater and pool companies in the area.

“A lot of other gas heater and pool companies will come and hook up a new heater through the pool’s PVC plumbing pipes,” Schaller says.

“Then, they’ll contract out all of the other work. But, here at GasTek, I’m licensed to do it all.”

He says that many pool companies tend to take advantage of customers once they are on site, attempting to sell them products or services they may not need.

“If they don't need it, they don’t get it,” Schaller says of his clients. “I don’t try to oversell anything to my

Paul Schaller of GasTek Pool & Gas Services can install and repair a gas pool heating system in your home, too. customers.”

The most common problem Schaller says that he sees in gas pool heaters is a lack of service. He notes that heaters do get old and rot out, a problem that he is more than happy to help solve.

Schaller says that the average price for a gas pool heater runs between $2,000 and $3,000 for a

total replacement, including installation and removal of the old unit, which, as GasTek’s lone employee, he does himself. He says that on average, he can have a gas heater replaced and installed in less than two hours.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, gas pool heaters run on gas or propane and are great for heating pools quickly. Gas heaters

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work by circulating pool water through a filter and then a heater, where the gas is burned. The heated water is then transferred back into the pool, and the cycle continues.

Schaller says that from what he has seen in the area, about 75-percent of pool owners use gas pool heaters, while about 25-percent use electric heaters or heat pumps. He says that some people use both — a heat pump for their pool and a gas heater for their spa.

He says that gas heaters are especially good for use in spas because they can heat the water at an average of a degree or two per minute, whereas a heat pump could take up to a day or two.

In addition to installing and servicing gas pool heaters, GasTek also features pool-cleaning services to ensure that pools stay clear, as well as warm. Schaller offers monthly cleaning packages ranging from $45-$80.

GasTek normally services the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas, but Schaller says that stretching his boundaries is no problem. He says that he will happily service all of Hillsborough County as far south as Sun City Center, and all of Pasco County as far north as the Pasco/Hernando County line.

As far as the future is concerned, Schaller says he plans to keep on servicing his current regular customers while continuing to advertise and trying to expand his business.

“I’m just going to keep on doing what I’m doing,” he says. “I plan on picking up more parts for different brands so that I can keep my customers happy and serve them in a timely fashion without having to wait for parts I have to order.”

GasTek Pool & Gas Services can be reached at 335-7491. For additional information, visit GasTekServices.com.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 6 • March 10, 2012 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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Swiss Spirit Massage Adds Metabolic Balance® Nutrition Services

By Gary Nager One of our favorite local licensed massage therapy centers — Swiss Spirit Massage in the Cory Lake Isles Professional Center on Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa — has recently expanded its unique mix of available services.

Owner Marlen Caduff, LMT (Licensed Massage Therapist), who was a registered nurse in her native Switzerland, says she has long been interested in nurtitional counseling and it’s not hard to believe that the slim (but strong) Swiss Spirit owner knows what she’s talking about when it comes to eating right.

Even so, Marlen isn’t a registered dietitian, so she decided to do some research to find a way to combine the feel-good effects of licensed massage with teaching her clients how to have a healthier diet and live a healthier life.

What she found was an outstanding book by a German doctor named Wolf Funfack, M.D., entitled Metabolic Balance®, Your Personalized Nutrition Roadmap. In the book, Dr. Funfack, an internal medicine physician who specializes in nutrition-related medicine, debunks many myths regarding diets with a unique, holistic approach that already is changing the lives of

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many of Marlen’s massage therapy clients. I have met or spoken with three of those clients and although none of them has lost more than 25 pounds to date (they all just happened to not be extremely overweight when they started the program), all three say they will never go back to the way they ate before.

“A lot of my massage clients were complaining about aches and pains and health issues, many of which were obviously related to their diets and lifestyles,” Marlen says in her sweet Swiss accent. “Metabolic Balance® is definitely a different way to approach making a lifestyle change you can live with for the rest of your life.”

Unlike many of today’s weightloss programs, which tell you to eat five or six times (or more) each day, Metabolic Balance® tells you to eat just three meals — with no snacks — every day, with at least 4-5 hours between meals. It is definitely a lowcarb diet, so carb “addicts” may be skeptical about their ability to stay on the program long-term. But, a Swiss Spirit client named Elaine, who is a native Italian New Yorker who says she previously craved pasta and bread, has lost 15 lbs. on the Metabolic Balance® program and says her carb cravings are

no longer an issue for her.

“The first couple of weeks were a little tough for me,” she admits. “But, I have never had this much energy while on a ‘diet’ and my cravings for carbs are definitely gone.”

Marlen says it’s important for clients to follow the Metabolic Balance® program exactly the first 2-4 weeks, so their bodies can adapt to the dietary changes and their “engines” can begin burning away their excess fat.

“There’s no doubt that the program works,” adds Connie, a client who has lost 23 lbs. on Metabolic Balance®. “I knew when I started, but once the weight loss started kicking in, it was easy. I can honestly say I’ve never been hungry on this program!”

And, Marlen notes, once the program is working, clients can start adding back their favorite carbs and other more fattening foods, although she says the best way to do so is to

Already well-known in the area for a variety of licensed massage therapies (including hot stone massages, above) Swiss Spirit Massage owner Marlen Caduff (left) has now added a unique weight loss program to her list of services. have one or two “cheat days” a week, where you eat basically whatever you like but go back on the program to the letter on your non-cheat days.

“But, even on the days you cheat, it’s important to have a bite of protein before you have a bite of carbs. For example, if you put smoked salmon on a bagel, have a bite of the salmon first, to get your engine started breaking down the protein.” She adds that it’s important that you have only one protein and one carbohydrate food at each meal. “For example, you shouldn’t have smoked salmon and cream cheese on your bagel,” she says. “Even on your cheat days, you need to learn the

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right way to combine the foods that you eat. The program teaches you the right ways and we provide the counseling and support you need to make it work for you.”

Her enthusiasm and sincerity Swiss Spirit Masare part of what sage client Connie has made Marlen a has lost 23 lbs. on successful massage the Metabolic Baltherapist. Her ance® program. clients know she cares about them and they know she knows what she’s talking about.

“I have been a massage client of Marlen’s since she first opened,” says Elaine. “I know she wouldn’t offer a weight loss program she hasn’t investigated and tried herself, so I felt very comfortable giving this a chance. And, best of all, it works!”

Massage Ser vices Of course, Swiss Spirit Massage is still first and foremost a licensed massage therapy studio and Marlen and her small team of professional LMTs — which includes Melissa Strautman and Dhonnie Labang (more on them below) — can provide everything from

traditional Swiss/European massage to specialties such as traditional Thai massage, hot stone therapies and even lymphatic drainage massage. Each LMT at Swiss Spirit brings his or her own specialized training to the studio.

For example, Labang, who has nearly five years of professional massage experience, also is studying to become a physical therapy assistant.

He specializes in pre- and post-sports massages, combining traditional Swedish techniques with deep tissue and lymphatic drainage therapies.

Strautman, the newest member of the Swiss Spirit team, has more than a dozen years of experience as an LMT and believes that all clients should receive consistent quality within their custom designed massage treatments.

She specializes in Swedish Relaxation and Therapeutic Massage, Medical/ Sports Massage, 4-Handed Massage, Amma (Korean/TCM) Therapy™, Metamorphic Hot Stone Therapy, PreNatal Massage, Restorative Spa Treatments, Lypossage™ and Lomi Lomi.

Meanwhile, Marlen has a deep commitment to continuing education to meet her clients’ therapeutic/relaxation needs. She recently journeyed to Thailand to add new modalities to her massage repertoire and became certified in Traditional Thai Massage (levels

1-3) as well as certified in Chi Nei Tsang (abdominal massage).

Marlen has worked diligently to create a young and vibrant massage therapy office. Swiss Spirit Massage features a caring, professional staff and embraces and uses the best of traditional Swiss/European massage and bodywork methods, as well as the most recently incorporated modalities .

And, best of all, Swiss Spirit Massage offers a variety of packages to help keep your costs down, although massages with Marlen herself do cost a little more. But, take it from someone who has enjoyed more than one massage with her — she’s worth it!

Swiss Spirit Massage is open ever y day except Sunday, although you have to have an appointment, whether for any type of licensed massage therapy or the Metabolic Balance® program. It is located at 10323-B Cross Creek Blvd., next to AAP Fitness, less than 2 miles south of the Pasco line. If you mention the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News and sign up for the Metabolic Balance® program by Saturday, March 31, you’ll receive 10-percent-of f the cost of your personalized weight loss/nutrition program. For more information, call 325-1296 or visit Swiss-SpiritMassage.com.

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W ESLEY C HAPEL

Education Updates

Pasco Principal Of The Year’s School Gets ‘A’ Grade Wesley Chapel High (WCH) is celebrating 2012 with the first-ever “A” grade from the Florida Department of Education (FDoE) in its history. And, at the reins at WCH is principal Carin Nettles, named Pasco County Principal of the Year for 2011. WCH has come a long way under Nettles’ leadership — rising from a “D” grade to a phenomenal “A” grade in just two years, which is not an easy task, as the bar gets raised every year.

Schools are graded by the FDoE on a number of criteria split into to two parts. First, the FCAT test results of the sophomore class are graded. Then, the number of Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment students are combined with both the at-risk graduation rate and actual graduation rate. The two parts are then combined to get a school’s overall grade. Wesley Chapel scored 1,087 points to earn its first-ever “A” this year.

“We’re very excited, and very proud,” says Nettles. The students at Wesley Chapel High also are very proud of their accomplishments, especially the juniors and seniors who have worked the last two years to bring their school to the top. “This proves that hard work pays off,” says Nettles.

Schools that get an “A” or “B” grade from the state are rewarded for the accomplishments of their staff and students. Getting an “A” earned Wesley Chapel $70 per student, totaling $89,000 for the school’s nearly 1,300 students. Nettles knows that having the extra funds is one thing; deciding how to use them is another. The faculty must vote on how the money is spent, and it must be spent by the end of the year. This year, the faculty at Wesley Chapel High has chosen to divide up the funds in faculty bonuses.

Nettles was officially named Pasco’s Principal of the Year for 2011

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by the Pasco Education Foundation (PEF) on January 28; the award is voted on by peers and colleagues. She admits that she could not have won the award by herself, giving credit to the entire staff for making WCH the “A” school it is today. — John McGurl

Pasco Students To Get A Week Off For Thanksgiving Public school students in not only Wesley Chapel but all of Pasco County will now get a full week off from school to help clear out the fridge to make room for those 2012 Thanksgiving leftovers. The Pasco County School Board on February 21 finalized and approved the 2012-13 academic calendar, including the county’s week-long (November 19-23) Thanksgiving holiday.

The new academic calendar gives students and Pasco School employees off the Monday and Tuesday (Nov. 1920) before Thanksgiving, days that are usually spent in the classroom. However, Pasco County School Board chair Joanne Hurley says that students shouldn’t get used to the idea.

“It’s a one-time-only deal,” says Hurley. “The week off is only possible due to the way Veteran’s Day falls.”

Hurley says that there are actually two “caveats” that allowed the weeklong holiday, the first being that Veteran’s Day (November 11) usually falls on a weekday, but since it falls on a Sunday this year, a week off for Thanksgiving break is acceptable.

“This year provided a unique opportunity,” says School Board vice chair Cynthia Armstrong. “Since there was no need to have a day off on Veteran’s Day, we thought it would be acceptable to instead have two extra days off for Thanksgiving.”

The second caveat, Hurley says, was the subject of the possibility of hurricane make-up days. The Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving will be treated as hurricane make-up days,

Wesley Chapel High principal Carin Nettles (2nd from left) credits her entire faculty and staff, including assistant principals (l. to r., with Wesley the Wildcat) Marcy Maxwell, Timothy Light, Dee Dee Castro and Shelley Carrino) for Nettles’ being named Pasco’s Principal of the Year for 2011. meaning that if no hurricanes prevent students from attending school, they have those days off. These hurricane make-up days usually appear on the calendar in the spring semester.

Students will still have first semester exams before Christmas break, Hurley says, and that the approved calendar still complies with the Florida Department of Education (FDoE)’s requirements for days and hours of instruction.

According to FDoE, under the normal academic calendar, students in kindergarten through 12th grade are scheduled for 180 days of school. The hours of instruction for each grade level, however, have different requirements. Students in grades K-3 are required to attend not less than 720 instructional hours and students in grades 4-12 are required to attend no less than 900 hours.

Pasco County’s superintendent of Schools Heather Fiorentino had proposed a different calendar, but the

School Board overruled it unanimously.

Hurley says that Fiorentino’s calendar proposal required students to attend class on the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week because she thought that it would be “better instructionally.”

Armstrong says, however, that the week off will benefit not only the students, but also will help support and reward Pasco teachers who have been asked to take on extra duties in recent years but, due to budget cuts, haven’t been given pay raises.

“They've been asked to do more with less,” Armstrong says. “This was something we could give them that wouldn’t impact student instruction or fiscal responsibilities.”

“We wanted to do something to improve staff morale and give them something that we thought they would want,” says Hurley. “We wanted to let them know that we (understand) that it has been hard lately.” — Matt Wiley

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Wesley Chapel & Wiregrass Ranch End Basketball Seasons

By John McGurl

Wesley Chapel High Basketball Recap With a regular season record of 13-1 in Class 5A, District 8, the Wesley Chapel High (WCH) Wildcats sat at the top of their district entering the District tournament. But, the season ended a little earlier than expected for for coach Doug Greseth’s ‘Cats, who finished the 2011-12 campaign with an overall record of 24-5, after losing to Hudson High (68-61) in the District championship game and to Nature Coast Tech, 68-53, in the first round of the Region 5A-2 tournament.

Junior forward Erik Thomas led the Wildcats in scoring this year, averaging 19.1 points per game. Thomas also led the ‘Cats in rebounds and steals, averaging a district? county? best 14.1 rebounds, to go with 3.0 steals per game. Senior forward Sasha Mentor also had a solid season, averaging 9.2, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.

Meanwhile, the WCH Lady Wildcats’ disappointing 2011-12 season came to a close when the Lady 'Cats lost their opening round game in the District 5A-8 tourney, 49-32, against

Ridgewood High. Coach Shawn Brown’s team finished the season with a 4-19 overall record, including 4-8 in District 5A-8.

Junior point guard Tiffany Echevarria was the top scorer for the Lady ‘Cats, with an average of 14.5 points per game.

Wiregrass Ranch High Basketball Recap The Wiregrass Ranch Bulls boys basketball team ended the 2011-12 campaign with a 17-11 overall record.

Coach Jeremy Calzone’s Bulls went 6-2 in District 7A-9 during the regular season, but their season ended after the Bulls followed up a loss in the District 7A-9 tournament finals (to Chamberlain High, 80-65) with a loss in the Region 7A-3 quarterfinals (to St. Petersburg High, 77-50).

Leading his team in scoring, rebounds, and steals this season was junior forward Rico Kearney. Kearney averaged an astounding 25.1 points per game, along with 14.2 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game. Kearney’s scoring and rebounding averages were among the best not only in the District and county, but the state as well, even though he stands only 6’-2” tall. His

rebounding total (398) and average were both ranked in the top three in all of Florida.

Junior guard Chris Parra was an outstanding complement to Kearney, averaging a solid 17.2 points per game, 3.7 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.6 assists per game.

On the girls’ side of the ball, the WRH Lady Bulls racked up an impressive overall record of 20-8, and a district record of 5-3, landing them the number two spot in their league. But, coach John Gant’s squad ended the season in the second game at the District 7A-9 tournament, when they were beaten by Freedom High in Tampa Palms, 54-46. That disappointing loss followed a 68-18 thrashing of Anclote High in the opening round of the District tourney.

McCaf frey Is An All-Star Bull WRH’s Kelley McCaffrey has been selected to play in the Florida Athletics Coaches Association All-Star game in Daytona Beach on Friday, March 16. The senior guard averaged an outstanding 19.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 4.4 steals per game.

Gant says he is very pleased with Mac-

Wiregrass Ranch High senior guard Kelly McCaffrey (#20) has been selected to play in the Florida Athletics Coaches Association All-Star game.

Caffrey’s accomplishments.

“It is a well-deserved honor,” says Gant, “Kelly has worked really hard through her four-year career here.”

Another one of the Lady Bulls’ top scorers and players was impressive freshman forward Amanda Melosky, who chipped in with an average of 10.7 points, 7.1 boards and 3.8 steals per game.

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My Return To Saddlebrook Resort & (Now) MedSpa!

By Gary Nager Considering that I and my family lived in the beautiful community surrounding Saddlebrook Resort & Spa Tampa when we first moved to Florida (from outside of New York City) in 1993, anytime I get to come back to Saddlebrook, it’s like “old home week” for yours truly.

Saddlebrook, to me, is still this magnificent jewel that somehow, not everyone who lives in New Tampa or even Wesley Chapel — where the resort sits shrouded in greenery off S.R. 54 just east of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. — even knows that there is a world-class golf and tennis resort with five-star dining and a truly Europeanstyle spa in their backyards that is available and open to them, 365 days a year, even if they never actually stay there.

But, in my humble opinion, everyone should know it and heck yes, you should stay over for a night or an amazing weekend...with kids or without. If you’re looking for family fun, Saddlebrook has you covered. But, if you’re looking for a romantic night or weekend getaway for just the two of you, the only way to improve Saddlebrook would be to relocate it directly on the Gulf of Mexico. Owner Tom Dempsey’s place exudes class, which is one reason why it has won awards as a meeting and convention destination.

Although you can see a list of all of the resort’s amenities on its website (Saddlebrook.com), here’s a few high-

lights for your stay at Saddlebrook: two Arnold Palmer-designed championship golf courses, 45 tennis courts featuring all four Grand Slam surfaces (and world-class instruction is available in both sports), a wonderful S’Kids Club, large fitness center, the amazing Superpool and the two features that keep me coming back for more — Dempsey’s Steak House and the amazing Spa at Saddlebrook. Let’s talk about the spa first, because there’s some big news there from spa director Wendy Rose.

Welcome, Dr. Chamberlin!

Rose is proud to announce that Dr. Erin Chamberlin, M.D., has joined the staff at the Spa at Saddlebrook, which means that in addition to the latest and greatest massage therapies, hair styles and skin and facial treatments, you can now also treat yourself to everything from laser hair removal to full photo facelifts (see photos, right) and even varicose vein removal — all of which are at very reasonable prices for the type of service you receive.

And, believe me, if you sit down (as I did) with Dr. Chamberlin — a beautiful, 30-something-year-old physician with porcelain skin whose specialty as an anesthesiologist is taking care of premature babies who often weight three pounds or less — you’re going to end up at least wanting to try some of Saddlebrook’s new MedSpa services.

“I’ve been told I’m a little OCD,”

(Top) Not every room at Saddlebrook Resort & Spa has a golf course view, but the rooms are all beautiful and comfortable. Dr. Erin Chamberlin (above) provides LuxIR Fractional Photo Facelifts (see Magazine header above) and other MedSpa services. admits Dr. Chamberlin. “But, whether I’m caring for your one-pound infant or holding a laser light to your face, you just might want me to be a little bit obsessive about all of the details.

“Caring for preemies is very stressful,” she adds. “But, providing laser services at Saddlebrook is both fun and See “Saddlebrook” on page 34.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 6 • March 10, 2012 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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“Saddlebrook” Continued from page 33 very rewarding for me. I love helping people look and feel better.”

All I can say is that the Spa at Saddlebrook is an awesome, even if you just want to enjoy a nice couples massage or try a new hair style. But, Dr. Chamberlin is offering great deals to kick off her doctor-provided services.

Her March special is a complimentary 25-minute Diamond Tome Microdermabrasion with the purchase of a 50-minute facial. She also is offering introductory 50-percent-off prices on her laser treatments. Call the Spa at 907-4419 for details.

Bring On The Food!

No visit to Saddlebrook is com-

After you’ve experienced the unique salad bar items at Dempsey’s, you’ll be hardpressed to really enjoy any other.

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Our editor says you still can’t beat the bone-in prime Cowboy ribeye steak or the apple crisp desert at Dempsey’s Steak House. plete without enjoying at least one gourmet meal at Dempsey’s Steak House, one of my top three favorite restaurants in the Tampa Bay area.

Although not inexpensive, you can’t beat the ambiance, the truly unique salad bar, overstuffed (with crab) crab cakes or the perfectly aged, prime beef. I’m usually a New York strip guy, but I can’t seem to pass up Dempsey’s bone-in Cowboy ribeye or the sides for two (or four), including the steakhouse hash brown potatoes and huge asparagus order. And, both the too-big apple crisp and spot-on chocolate soufflé desserts should be enjoyed with a Dempsey’s Coffee.

Stay at Saddlebrook on a Saturday and you’ll also get to enjoy a free wine tasting and “Dive In” movies by the Superpool. In other words, book your stay today and tell them we sent you!

For reser vations and informa-

tion, call 973-1111 or visit Saddlebrook.com!

Saddlebrook is located at 5700 Saddlebrook Way, of f S.R. 54.

A free wine tasting on Saturdays is just part of the fun for adults at Saddlebrook.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 6 • March 10, 2012 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood Nibbles — Our Area’s Best St. Patrick’s Day Parties & More!

By Gary Nager When I lived in New York City in the 1980s & ‘90s, you literally had to go to a Mexican restaurant on St. Patrick’s Day because (unless you arrived before noon) you simply couldn’t even get inside any of the city’s Irish bars that day when you wanted to wear your green that day.

But, while Tampa has plenty of packed festivals and events — from Gasparilla to Guavaween, it seems that there are very few big St. Patrick’s Day parties in the Tampa Bay area and, until recently, almost none here in our area.

This year, however, there are at least three great places to go in our area if you want to wear your “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” T-shirts and stay close to home.

We hope you’ll visit these outstanding St. Patty’s Day events to be held on Saturday, March 17 — and please enjoy them responsibly!

This Nibbles feature also includes some non-St. Patty’s Day ideas for you.

Mulligans Irish Pub

The longest-running St. Patrick’s Day bash in our area is probably the party now being held for the fifth year at Mulligans Irish Pub inside the Pebble Creek Golf Club (PCGC), which is located across BBD from New Tampa’s WalMart Supercenter, about a mile south of the Pasco County line.

Mulligans, which will be open 11 a.m.-1 a.m. and will have two live bands playing 4 p.m. until close, also will feature green beer, great drink specials and an Irish buffet featuring corned beef & cabbage, Shepherd’s pie and bangers & mash at what its management also calls “New Tampa’s Best St. Patty’s Party.”

Promising that the event will be family friendly and featuring, for the first time, Mulligans’ beautiful new outdoor veranda and recently revamped ballroom, you can rest assured that lads, lassies and even the “wee bairns” will enjoy St. Patty’s at Mulligans! And,

with the ad in this issue, you’ll get $2 off the cover charge per person!

Mulligans Irish Pub is located at 10550 Regents Park Dr. N.. For more information, visit PebbleCreekClub.com or call 973-3870, x225.

P.J. Dolan’s Irish Pub

If you’ve lived in our area for any period of time, you probably remember both Remington’s Steakhouse and Cody’s Roadhouse as places that previously occupied the anchor tenant location in the Palms Connection Plaza on E. Bearss Ave., just west of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.

Well, that location is now P.J. Dolan’s Irish Pub & Grille, which is hosting what its management calls “The Biggest & Best St. Patrick’s Day Celebration in New Tampa.”

The event, which begins when the doors open at 9 a.m., in true St. Patrick’s Day fashion, will be held inside the restaurant and out on its covered patio, and will continue until the “wee” hours of the morning (3 a.m.).

There will be four bands playing, great food and drink specials and fun door prizes given away all day.

P.J. Dolan’s already has many of your Irish and English food favorites on its unique menu — including corned beef & cabbage, Shepherd’s pie and fish & chips — but will also offer green beer, bangers & mash and even Guinness brats (bratwursts) for this most Irish of days. And, best of all, you can get free admission (the regular price is $10 per person) to the party if you mention the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News when you check in!

P.J. Dolan’s Irish Pub & Grille is located at 2836 E. Bearss Ave. For more info, call 374-2338 or visit PJDolans.com.

ture live music, great food and drink specials and fun for everyone.

Ciccio’s Lodge is located at 16023 Tampa Palms Blvd. W. For more information, call 975-1222 or visit CicciosLodge.com.

And, please don’t forget to drink responsibly on St. Patty’s Day and every day! If you know you’re going out to party that day, we hope you’ll call our friends at Tampa Bay Limousine (474-1111) or WC Cab & Car Service (598-2430) and please tell them we sent you!

Skinny’s To Host A Special Event March 24!

Of course, there will be life after St. Patrick’s Day in Wesley Chapel and one event, in particular, should be very lively, indeed, on Saturday, March 24, at Skinny’s Sports Bar in the Pinebrook at The Grove plaza on S.R. 54., just west of I-75.

For more information about this unique (for our area) event, stop in at Skinny’s (27419-A S.R. 54), call 994-4646 or see the full-page ad on page 39 of this issue!

Sushi Café Opens On BBD! Although both Wesley Chapel and New Tampa already have any number of places for great sushi, there is a deli-

The awesome soft shell crab roll at the new Sushi Café on BBD is among our editor’s new favorites. cious newcomer located just a couple of miles south of the Pasco County line you should definitely check out – the new Sushi Café, which is located on BBD, next to Panera Bread, in The Walk at Highwoods Preserve plaza.

Sushi Café features awesome sushi and great New York-style Japanese cuisine in an intimate, elegant setting. We can already recommend several sushi rolls (the Monster, eel-and-octopus and soft shell crab rolls are among our favorites to date), as well as the hibachistyle fresh fish (izumidi) with equally fresh veggies and Japanese fried rice.

Sushi Café (18015 Highwoods Preser ve Pkwy.) is open ever y day for lunch and dinner. For more info, see the ads in this issue, call 977-7800 or visit SushiCafeTampa.com.

Ciccio’s Lodge

Unfortunately, we still didn’t yet have the details about the St. Patrick’s Day party at Ciccio’s Lodge in the City Plaza at Tampa Palms shopping center, although we do know it will fea-

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 6 • March 10, 2012 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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Rock “n” Body Pole Studio — A New Spin On Fitness & Empowerment

By Heidi Fallis Stone Until recently, pole dancing had always been perceived as a private, hush-hush form of personal, seductive, physical expression generally taking place behind closed doors and performed mainly for an audience of reveling onlookers in smoky clubs. Well, truth be told, one form of pole dancing is helping to change that antiquated one-sided perception of this unique art form all across the country. There is one incredibly special place that the women of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel should seriously consider visiting not only for fun, but for fitness as well, all the while putting aside those old and biased notions.

At Rock “n” Body Pole Studio on W. Kennedy Blvd, between N. Hubert Ave. and N. Manhattan Ave., there's a definitive air of confidence, empowerment, inner and outer beauty and lots of fun going on every day. The studio, owned and operated by April Soldano, is tastefully decorated in colors of soothing pink, with walls trimmed in black, flowing curtains dividing the entrance and a long wall of floor-toceiling mirrors, perfectly dimmed lighting and, of course, all adorned with 10 well-situated personal poles used in one

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of the hottest personal wellness movements for women today.

Soldano says, “Many women come here to find that sense of themselves in the presence of other encouraging, supportive women and friends. It’s like a safe-house for feeling positive about ‘us’ again, with the bonus of hidden fitness and getting back to being sexy.”

There are classes for women at all levels available for the taking, and special occasions, birthdays, and bachelorette parties can be celebrated at the studio as well.

A few years ago, after viewing a pole dancing segment on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” April, a former real estate professional, decided to look into opening up a dance studio when the local economy began to dip.

“I was immediately excited about the concept of pole dancing, and when I looked into it, there wasn’t a group or place to be found in the Tampa vicinity.” April recalls. She researched extensively, and located a company that promoted home parties for pole dancing, and eventually became the operator of that franchise for Tampa Bay. “I began showing other women how to pole dance at home parties and the most amazing thing happened,” she says. “I just had the best time — it lit-

erally became the highlight of my week — to get together with a group of women and connect through the power of pole dancing. There’s definitely a novel level of empowerment when gathering with like-minded people having a blast, while learning something new and fun.”

Over time, with hard work, savings and supportive family encouragement, the home parties evolved into a fulltime business, and Rock “n” Body Pole Studio opened in August of 2009.

April has always been active in physical training, whether it was professional cheerleading and dancing for the Tampa Bay Storm Arena Football team, or weight training, aerobics and spinning. April says her passion for fitness and wellness is as much a part of her life as are her two young children.

In addition to her experience as a professional team dancer, April combines her obvious passion for her art and her clientele with outstanding professional training. She is trained and professionally certified through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), and the American Academy of Exercise (ACE), as a personal fitness trainer and pole-dancing instructor.

Additionally, all of the instructors at Rock “n” Body are certified fitness

Owner April Soldano (left) and instructor Kimberly James invite you to check out the Rock “n” Body Pole Studio on W. Kennedy Blvd. training professionals, so clients can be assured that they will be taught safely, as well as skillfully.

Most of the classes at Rock “n” Body are comprised of approximately 6-7 women and teach technique and safety, as well as form and movement. A compulsory 30-minute “Intro to Pole”

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 6 • March 10, 2012 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com

class provides women with the necessary foundation and skills to become a” Rock N Body Pole Diva,” while teaching basic signature moves to get started feeling both comfortable and sexy with the pole, both of which, April says, are important aspects to learn. Additional classes incorporate learning level-based movement, strength and cardio conditioning, as well as the slinky, sexy moves, spins, climbs and inverts associated with pole dancing.

And, April promises pole dancing is a great way to work out. It’s a true aerobic exercise, and can help you build lung capacity and stamina. It also is great for strengthening muscles and increasing flexibility and, of course, it can be sensual, athletic, or both.

Thanks to segments on “Oprah,” and other national TV shows, pole dancing has finally gained a better reputation as a legitimate workout routine that can be practiced by anyone, regardless of shape or size.

“There is no age limit either,” April says. “Pole dancing is about feeling sexy in your own skin. You can feel good about yourself at any age! All of our classes have a mix of women from their early 20s to their late 50s.”

April loves the fact that pole dancing enables women to free themselves of their bonds. As her website states, pole dancing does the following: It helps woman gain self-confidence by

Pole dancing is a fun & sensual form of aerobic exercise! the sheer ability to learn how to move differently. It also helps to build a leaner, sexier body. And then, there is the added factor of just having fun trying something new.

How do her clients feel about their pole experience? Says one, “I had such a great time; I’m going to tell all of my friends. I can’t wait to do this again.”

For another, it was more than just fun. “I have seen changes in my body after just a few weeks and with no change in diet. I can’t wait to start the eating plan to make the results even more noticeable.”

The eating plan the happy client was referring to is Rock “n” Body Pole Studio’s 5-week nutrition program,

called “Nutritionally Fit N’ Sexy,” that is combined with the strengthbuilding, calorieburning and confidence-building pole fitness beginners’ techniques that can propel them into the world of sustainable healthy and happy living.

Broadening the scope of health, wellness, fitness and fun at Rock “n” Body is the addition of “Aerial yoga,” a combination class of traditional yoga with the physical training of an aerialist.

So, if you’re looking for a fantastic place to have a blast, whether personally, or in a group, call up Rock “n”

Body Pole Studios and book an appointment today!

Rock “n” Body Pole Studio is located at 4333 W Kennedy Blvd, Tampa. For more information about class schedules and hours, and how to book events such as birthday, bachelorette, girls’-night-out parties and more, please call the studio at 280-2931 or visit PoleDancingTampa.com. You also can find “Rock N Body Pole Parties” on Facebook.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 6 • March 10, 2012 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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W A N T E D

Join OrthoTechnology’s Winning Team!

Ortho Technology, a worldwide distributor of orthodontic products located in New Tampa, is seeking talented energetic candidates for the following positions: INSIDE SALES: Experienced Telesales reps wanted to manage and grow established territories. Successful Inside Sales exp in a quota-based environment req’d. Competitive base + commission. Qualified candidates should submit resume citing proven sales track record to careers@orthotechnology.com Visit our website at www.orthotechnology.com for additional information and other job opportunities.

We provide a great work environment and excellent benefits package.

PHYSICAL THERAPIST OR PTA – An established New Tampa outpatient clinic is hiring a PT or PTA to provide customized, oneon-one care during afternoon and early evening hours for diverse patient population.

Fax resume to (813) 994-3080 MEDICAL BILLING - Experience Only need apply. Responsibilities include contacting insurance carriers to get maximum payment on accounts. Must be detail oriented and possess strong verbal and written communication skills. Fax Resume to 813-910-0071 HELP WANTED - Medical Billing Personnel, part-time, flexible hours, Local PT Clinic.

Fax resume to 813-994-3080.

NOW HIRING - Manager, Receptionist, Hairstylist, Skin Care Aesthetician, & Nail Technician. Applicant must be experienced.

Call: 813-786-8510

FITNESS &WELLBEING TAI CHI CLASSES - Open to the public at the Club Tampa Palms. Benefits: Strength, Flexibility, Balance, Focus and reduced stress. New Beginner 6 week courses starting every few month's adults Thur. evenings 7-8 pm and seniors Wed. 2:30-3:30 space is limited. Also personal instruction in Tai Chi, Kempo Karate, Boot Camp Fitness training and more. With more than 31 years of training and teaching experience. Please contact me for more details or go to: chuan-fa.org. Peter #787-7560 or E-mail chuan-fa@tampabay.rr.com LICENSED MOBILE MASSAGE THERAPIST – 9am -9pm, Mon, Tues & Wed. $55 for 1 hour! Types of massage available: Swedish, Deep Tissue, Aroma Therapy, Hot Stone, Corporate Seated, Pregnancy, Sports & Injury Rehab. References available. www.barkdollmassagetherapy.com CALL (727) 372-6389 Lic # MA47546.

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KJ POOL SERVICE – Enjoy Your Pool, While We Maintain It. Servicing pools for over 6 years. First Month Free, Plus Free Evaluation & Quote. Owner & Operator. LICENSE, BONDED & INSURED. Office:(813)909-9466 Cell:(813)748-9817 kjpoolservice@yahoo.com.

Visit our website @ kjpoolonline.com TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE - New Tampa owned & operated. Great Pricing with outstanding customer service! Licensed, Bonded & Insured. See why we are New Tampa’s # 1 Choice!! New customer’s One Month Free! Call Chris Today @ (813) 8575400 or visit TranquilityPoolService.com

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HOME

IMPROVEMENT

DRY WALL SPECIALIST - Not a handyman. Affordable Quality Work repairing water damage, ceilings and walls, retexturing, popcorn removal, room additions, cracks, holes, plaster and stucco repair. 26 Years Experience.

Wesley Chapel resident. State Certified.

Call Ron for free estimate (813) 784-5999 NEED HOME MAINTENANCE – Almost any job, large or small, ext/int, fencing , screening, sm. concrete, sprinklers, painting, repairs, int. doors, locks, sheet rock, windows, paint, caulk, grout, trim, shelving, garages organized. Installations, removals, pressure washing, wood restoration & more. Call Dale’s Home Maintenance @ 973-0194 or 727-2582.

GREG’S PAPERHANGING – For all of your wallpapering needs. Licensed & insured, clean, quick & reasonable. Call 973-2767 for free estimate.

FLORIDA FLOOR SYSTEMS INC. – Columbia Laminate from $2.49SF Columbia Wood from $4.99SF Mohawk/Shaw Carpet from $1.99SF. Material, Labor, Installed.

Call David (813) 943-4772 FloridaFloorSystems.com, Free Estimates.

CLEANING SERVICES D-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE - We have our own supplies & more than 200 clients in New Tampa! For more information, Call 758-9710.

M.Y. CLEANING SERVICE - Offering Residential cleaning. We offer complete bath & kitchen cleaning, as well as dusting and polishing furniture. We provide our own supplies.

Free estimates! Your satisfaction is our priority!

With 5 years of experience, we guarantee meticulous cleaning! Call Mila: (813) 516-3554.

CRYSTAL CLEAN SERVICES, LLC Professional, Reliable, Affordable Competitive Rates! Weekly, Bi-weekly, Monthly As-Needed, Deep Cleans, Move-Out/In Gift Certificates Available! Providing The Greater Tampa Bay Area The BEST Service In The Industry Since 2001! Fully Licensed & Insured. ASK ABOUT SPECIALS! 813-263-6242

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SPRINKLER REPAIR – FL Waterworks: We’ve been in the sprinkler repair business for over 5 years! All of our work is 100% guaranteed and we offer written warranties on all of our work! Call us today for fast friendly service! We want to earn your business, and be your local Tampa Bay Sprinkler Repair Contractor for Life! Call Now (813) 239-7345 or visit FlWaterWorksIrrigation.com.

COMPUTER SERVICES

RAYMOND PAINTING – Interior & Exterior pressure washing, paper hanging, plaster, stucco, tiles, clean & seal pavers, roofing leaks, etc.

Licensed & Bonded. References available. Free Estimates. Your Neighborhoond Arbor Greene Resident. We work 7 days. Call 994-5124.

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

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CAR SERVICES – Don’t Have a Ride?

Don’t Want to Leave Your Car? Shouldn’t Drive? We Drive You and Your Car Home!

Night Clubs, Corporate Events, Sporting Events, Concerts, Appointments, Airport or Stranded... Call Jay at (813) 966-1530.

SPRINGER STORAGE: RV & Boat Storage Port Richey, FL Starting at $35.00 mo. Pay first two months, 3rd month free. 24 hour access & 24 hour monitoring. Call to reserve your spot. 813-833-1191.

UPHOLSTERY - All types - sofas, chairs, stools, pillows, select window treatments, cars, boats, etc. For information and pricing call Glen or Sheryl 813-245-9719.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNNG TICKETS FOR SALE!! - Section 116-- row T--seats 1 & 2---Just looking for ticket price no other fees or best offer... FABULOUS SEATS!! Tampa vs Carolina Hurricanes Sat March 10th 7PM $97.75 each---Tampa vs St. Louis Blues Sat March 17th 7PM $87.75 each---Tampa vsN Y Islanders Sat March 24th 7PM $92.72 each CONTACT JUDI BECK 813-380-3866

E S T A T E

REAL ESTATE - Investment homes & first time home buyers; Several listings pennies on the $$$ - The Serralles Group.

Call Eddie @ 813.307.0007 FIND YOUR DREAM HOME FROM YOUR CELL PHONE! - Wish you could see home details while you are driving around looking at homes? NOW YOU CAN! With Team Bohannon's Mobile MLS Search application, you can search for any home in the area on your cell phone. Check out price, beds/baths, details, maps, even photos – all from the convenience of your cell phone.

SEARCH PROPERTIES WHENEVER AND WHEREVER YOU WANT! GET IT NOW - Text: MLS4YOU to: 87778 Compliments of Doug, Annette and Dale Bohannon Coldwell Banker 813-979-4963

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WINDOW WASHING Most windows. $6.00 incl: Inside,outside & sills.

Make Your Whole House Shine!

10+yrs. experience. Convenient appointments.

A Point of View Window Washing Wesley Chapel. 813-973-1451

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TAMPA CAT LADY- Professional Cat-Sitting Service. You say goodbye – we say hello.

Cats are happiest in their own home, surrounded by familiar sights, sounds, & smells.

When you are away, we feed, cuddle, & play with your kitties & clean & dispose of litter.

We help deter crime by bringing newspaper/mail & rotating lights/blinds, giving your home that lived-in look. Insured, bonded, & Red-Cross certified in pet first aid/CPR. Call 994-9449 or visit us at www.TampaCatLady.com.

DAVID BRIDGES PRESSURE CLEANING - Complete exterior cleaning of your home or business with a professional and personal touch. - Pool decks and screen enclosures - All fencing/ driveways and walkways/roofs - Gutter and downspouts. Find your happiness in a fresh, bright clean home. Your neighbors will love you for it! All work guaranteed. Licensed and insured. 813-215-1177

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TURN YOUR CLUTTER INTO CASH Garage & estate sales, inventory liquidation,& appraisal services. We'll sell it for you online!

We evaluate & appraise your products, you get top dollar. Call Mary: 813-428-5793.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 06 • March 10, 2012 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 06 • March 10, 2012 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 06 • March 10, 2012 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com