New Tampa Neighborhood News April Edition

Inside:

Volume 21 Issue 9

Our Exclusive 2013 Summer Camp Guide!

April 27, 2013

See pages 28-33!

The Direct-Mail News Magazines Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Since 1993!

THIS INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY NEWS MAGAZINE IS DIRECTLY MAILED TO: NEW TAMPA: Arbor Greene • Cory Lake Isles • Cross Creek • Easton Park • Grand Hampton • Heritage Isles • Hunter’s Green • Hunter’s Key • K-Bar Ranch • Lake Forest • Live Oak Preserve • Pebble Creek • Richmond Place • Tampa Palms • The Hammocks • West Meadows WESLEY CHAPEL: Aberdeen • Belle Chase • Brookside • Chapel Pines • Country Walk • Lexington Oaks • Meadow Pointe • New River • Northwood • Pinewalk • Pine Ridge • Saddlebrook • Saddleridge Estates • Saddlewood • Seven Oaks • The Lakes at Northwood • The Villages of Wesley Chapel • Wesley Pointe • Westbrook Estates • Williamsburg

Despite Threatening Weather, Taste Of New Tampa Rocks Tampa Palms!

TM

By Gary Nager With better weather, the 2013 Taste of New TampaTM at Primrose Park (behind the Primrose School of Tampa Palms) could, should and probably would have been one of the best-attended Tastes in the event’s 20year history. The New Tampa Chamber of Commerce’s signature one-day event had great food, a nice crowd estimated at about 2,000 people (including restaurants, sponsors and other vendors, entertainers and volunteers), incredible entertainment and the kind of vibe you only get when you know people are having a good time at an event you helped make successful.

The hard part is imagining how much better it could’ve been had the weather cooperated! The skies were so threatening and the winds were swirling all day, so much so that even the Chamber president Regina Ramalheira and her Board were keeping a close eye on a possible rainout and at least three restaurants who had agreed to participate simply didn’t show up because they thought

(Above left) Despite grey skies all day, the 20th annual Taste of New Tampa attracted a crowd of 2,000 people to Primrose Park in Tampa Palms on Mar. 24. Among those in attendance was Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn (above, right). (Below) ‘Scoops’ and a friend from Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, the Best Dessert winner, gave the event two large thumbs (fingers?) up! Photos of Mayor Buckhorn & Bruster’s by Margaux Melendez of Living Stone Photography

for certain it would’ve been cancelled.

So, for those who braved the elements and helped the Chamber raise just a little bit of money for St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church (which is located in the same Tampa Palms Professional Center near Freedom High and Liberty Middle School and whose volunteers agreed to take on the after-event

cleanup detail) and the Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Foundation, I and the Chamber Board thank you.

For more pics, a wrapup of the winners of the first “Battle of the Bands” and dining award winners, see page 20.

Hero, following a more-than-two-minute video showcasing his selfless service to the New Tampa community.

Afterward, Guy was presented with a $50,000 grant from the Lightning, which he says will be distributed among the nonprofit organizations to which he volunteers his time. Among them are Young Life New Tampa (a non-denominational, faith-based youth social program); Young Life Capernaum (a once-a-month special needs youth group); the O.A.S.I.S. (Outreach Assisting Students In Schools) Network, a program that provides gently-used clothes and hy-

giene products for less fortunate students in Hillsborough County schools; Special Connections (a special needs ministry for all ages at St. James United Methodist Church in Tampa Palms); and Voices for Children Guardian ad Litem, a program that appoints volunteers to look after foster children and make sure that their needs are being met in their New Tampa resident and Lightning Community different living situations.

Hero Allen Guy (center), with Teddy Purcell (left) “I just try to make a dif- and owner Jeff Vinik of the Tampa Bay Lightning. ference out there with the dif“Allen was perfect for the award,” ferent groups I volunteer for,” Guy says.

“These programs are the ones that I chose Holcomb explains. “He’s a full-time stayto split the Lightning money among. The at-home dad, but he also is a full-time volTampa Bay Lightning Foundation really is unteer. Most men are not stay-at-home an incredible organization. I am so honored See “Hero” on page 18. to have received (the money). I usually like to fly under the radar.”

Guy was nominated to be a Lightning Community Hero by Young Life New Tampa director Alissa Holcomb.

For more “Taste 2013” pics, see page 21.

New Tampa Resident Allen Guy Recognized As Tampa Bay Lightning Community Hero

NEIGHBORHOOD MAGAZINE!

DTCC Bringing 250+ New Jobs To Area, Crime On The Rise In New Tampa, Softball Teams Both Fall In District Finals, Lots Of Local Business Features & More!!

‘Broadway Comes To Tampa’ Returns, Freedom Grad Premieres Film At Tribeca Fest, Full Circle Pizza Has Great Family Dining & More Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes!

Pages 1-42

Pages 43-60

ECRWSS

NEWS, BUSINESS, SPORTS & EDUCATION UPDATES

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

Also Inside This Issue!

Dated Material Please Rush!

Through selflessness and volunteerism, one person does have the ability to have an effect on and, in some cases, even change the lives of others. For his countless hours of time and service, New Tampa resident Allen Guy has been recognized as a Tampa Bay Lightning Community Hero.

During an April 2 Lightning home game at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in downtown Tampa, Guy, 50, a Hunter’s Green resident, was recognized during the first period as a Lightning Community

Postal Customer

By Matt Wiley

Editorial — Speech Contest Another Reason To Promote Rotary I already had planned to write this editorial about the recent Speech Contest at the Rotary Club of which I’m a member (the New Tampa Noon Rotary, which meets every Wednesday for lunch at Hunter’s Green Country Club, or HGCC), but since then, our country has survived another terrorist act of war perpetrated by two young people who were both naturalized American citizens in another major U.S. city.

As the father of two young men I’m very proud to call my sons, I felt it was even more important to commend and compliment the three young people who participated in our Club-level speech contest. The trio made every member of our club proud to have them represent us and yours truly even prouder to be one of the three judges for the event.

Little things like speech contests and other academic achievements are often overlooked, even by community news magazines, but I felt that at a time like this, when our faith in some seemingly wonderful young people has been shaken by a horrific act, it was even more important to honor these three teens — Wharton High sophomore Ali Giardezi, Freedom High senior Oriana Caffo and our winner, Wharton sophomore Kennedy McCann. All three spoke clearly and concisely on this year’s chosen subject — which, coincidentally (and a little stunningly), was already selected to be “Peace Through Rotary.”

Everyone in our club agreed that all three of these obviously very motivated, intelligent young people, all of whom sounded like the young adults they are

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Publisher & Editor Gary Nager General Manager Nikki Bennett Assistant Editor / Photographer Matt Wiley Correspondents Camille Gillies • Bonnie Mason • Kathleen Schiop Marketing Director Ashley Knoblach Senior Graphic Designer Porsha Lemos Advertising Sales Rep Taylor Gardner Nothing that appears in New Tampa Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by New Tampa Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion.

The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisements for Volume 21, Issue 11, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Monday, May 13, 2013. New Tampa Neighborhood News will consider previously non-published outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates. New Tampa Neighborhood News will not return unsolicited editorial materials.

New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit &/or reject any advertising. New Tampa Neighborhood News is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the actual cost of the advertising space itself, nor for the validity of any claims made by its advertisers. © 2013 JM2 Communications, Inc.

An editorial by Gary Nager while presenting their largely memorized speeches of 5-7 minutes, would do a great job of representing our club at the next level of the contest, known as the “Area” level. Five other clubs (including the two other New Tampa Rotary Clubs, New Tampa’s original “Breakfast” Club, which meets Friday mornings at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club, and the New Tampa Evening Rotary, which meets every Wednesday evening at HGCC) also sent only their top finishers to the Sheraton East Hotel on Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd. in the Sabal Park area on April 23 to compete for even larger cash prizes and I also was planning to be on-hand for that contest, which was held a few days after we went to press with this issue.

Note-The prizes at the Club level were $100 for 1st, $50 for 2nd and $25 for 3rd. The “Area” level prizes are $250 for 1st, $150 for 2nd and $75 for 3rd, while the winners at the District 6890 Finals (which will be held at Rotary’s Camp Florida in Brandon on Saturday, May 11, during the District 6890 Assembly) receive $1,000 for 1st, $500 for 2nd and $250 for 3rd. But, for both club members and contest participants alike, competing for cash may be nice, but the experience we all get listening to a group of intelligent, passionate youngsters we believe will achieve all of their goals will last a lot longer and mean a lot more than the money ever could.

So, Kennedy, who plans to attend Princeton and perhaps Harvard Law and has political aspirations, moved on to the Area level, but the voting was very close and we all agreed that any of the three would’ve been hard-pressed to be beaten moving on. And again, with the events at the finish line of the Boston Marathon

being linked to two brothers of 19 and 26, I felt it was even more important to honor three young people I am certain will continue to make us all proud, no matter what colleges they go to or what fields they go into after school.

Our country has survived another terrible man-made tragedy, but all we, as adults, can do is be there for our kids, give them the best opportunities we can and believe that they will always make us The Rotary Speech Contest contestants from the New proud of them, and of this stillTampa Noon Rotary Club were (l. to r.) Ali Giardezi, wonderful country we all call home. Club-level winner Kennedy McCann & Oriana Caffo.

Table of Contents

LOCAL NEWS, BUSINESS, EDUCATION & SPORTS UPDATES..............................Pages 1-44

DTCC Bringing More Than 250 New Jobs To New Tampa.............4 Lianne Kowiak Delivers Anti-Hazing Message To UT Fraternity........6 Crime On The Rise In New Tampa.......................................................8 Walmart Serial Shoplifters Caught In The Act.....................................10

New Tampa News Briefs..................................12-13

Flatwoods Trail Closed For Construction Tavares Murder Suspect Arrested In Tampa Palms Man Exposes Himself At Wiregrass Spring Fair Traffic Signal Now Active In West Meadows Attempted Murder Suspects At Large PHCC Porter Campus Back On Track, Provost Announced......... 14 New Tampa Community Calendar................................16

Local Business Updates.................................20-36

New Tampa Chamber Of Commerce Newsletter..............20 Marimark Mortgage Will Help Find The Loan For You..........22 New Identities Will Give You A Glamorous New Look...........24 Insight Family Eye Care Helps New Tampa See Clearly...........26 Lawn Enforcement Property Management & Water Works....28 First Impressions Offers Three Great Summer Camps!............30 Our Exclusive 2013 Summer Camp Guide!......................32 You Do The Dishes Fetes 15 Years & Summer Art Pgm....... 34 Kids R Kids Academy Of Meadow Pointe................................36

Local Sports & Education Updates...............38-39

Freedom, Wharton Softball Fall In District Title Games..........38 Freedom, Wharton Listed On ‘Challenging’ HS List!.............39

Neighborhood Magazine

‘Broadway Comes To Tampa’ Returns....................................43 Freedom Grad Premieres Film At Tribeca................................44 Relay For Life Of New Tampa Is Fast Approaching.................48 Angry Chair Brewing: Craft Beer With Local Roots................50 Full Circle Pizza: A Great Place For Family Dining..................52 ‘Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes’...............................56

NEW TAMPA COLOR CLASSIFIEDS....................58 For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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DTCC To Bring 250 High-Paying Jobs To Highwoods Preserve Office Park

By Matt Wiley More than 200 new jobs have been earmarked for the New Tampa area, as the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) plans to invest millions into expanding its Tampa campus.

In a press release dated April 15, DTCC, a global financial services company, announced that it will be investing nearly $5 million into its New Tampa campus — located off Highwoods Preserve Pkwy., adjacent to I-75, on the Highwoods Preserve Corporate Campus — bringing with it 255 new, high-wage jobs to the firm’s only location in Florida.

“The decision to expand our operations in Tampa signals our continuing commitment to this community and represents a new chapter in DTCC history,” said DTCC President and CEO Michael Bodson in the release. “The City of Tampa, Hillsborough County and the State of Florida have been great partners of ours since 2004, and we look forward to strengthening these relationships for years to come.”

The jobs that DTCC will be creating are said to be double the average annual salary of $46,000 in the New Tampa area.

DTCC currently employs more than 500 people at its New Tampa campus, which has grown from 300 employees since the branch was opened in 2004 as a “redun-

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dant services center” to its main hub on Wall Street in New York City. Occupations include positions in clearance, settlement, asset servicing, operations and technology. The multi-million-dollar expansion will allow DTCC to improve its facility, including technlogy and resources to provide secure transactions for its clients.

“DTCC’s decision to expand in Tampa means more well-paying jobs, of course,” said City of Tampa mayor Bob Buckhorn. “Just as important is that since they arrived some nine years ago, DTCC has been positively impacting our community in many other ways as well, by seeking out our retired military for many of these positions, working with our local universities and supporting disadvantaged schools and organizations in Tampa.”

DTCC had considered taking its expansion into other states, but decided to expand its current facility, based on such factors as recruitment potential and quality of living for the employees.

The Highwoods Preserve Corporate Campus, which was built in the 1990s, houses several large companies in the office park that was all but abandoned until DTCC moved in back in 2004. All of the buildings previously housed the offices of Intermedia Communications, which was bought out by WorldCom, a phone and Internet company, before filing for bank-

ruptcy in 2002. Now, in addition to DTCC, the campus also houses T-Mobile, MetLife and Syniverse Technologies, Inc. According to DTTC’s website, the company, through its 10 subsidiaries — including the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) and the Depository Trust Company (DTC) — provides clearing, settlement and information services for equities, corporate and municipal bonds, government- and mortgage-backed securities, money market instruments and over-the-counter derivatives. In 2010, the company settled nearly DTCC soon will bring more $1.6 quadrillion in securities transactions.

250 high-paying jobs to its than For additional information, including poHighwoods Preserve Pkwy cam tential jobs available at DTCC, please visit pus in New Tampa.

DTCC.com/Careers.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Kowiak Delivers Anti-Hazing Address To Members Of UT Fraternity

By Matt Wiley More than four years after her son Harrison’s hazing death, New Tampa resident Lianne Kowiak’s voice does not waver, as she tells her family’s story to a University of Tampa (UT) fraternity. Although heart wrenching and tragic, Kowiak’s speech delivers a short, but powerful message: “If you see something, say something.”

During a UT Sigma Alpha Epsilon (Sig Ep) member education program at UT on April 8 (inside the Reeves Theater on UT’s downtown Tampa campus), Kowiak spoke to a crowd of 90 people — most of whom were members of Sig Ep and other UT fraternities or sororities — of Harrison’s life and experiences leading up to the accident that took his life while attending Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, VA. “First and foremost, I wish I were able to be here under different circumstances,” Kowiak said shortly after taking the podium. “I never in my life thought that I would be going around talking about hazing. But, it’s very important to spread the word (about it). Whether it’s one of you, five of you or 50 of you, if you can spread the word to your friends, colleagues, coworkers and family, I would be so very grateful.”

Seated in the front row of the theater were 15 people close to the Kowiak family, 10 of whom were among Harrison’s closest friends who graduated with him from New Tampa’s Paul R. Wharton High in 2007.

Kowiak began by describing her son and his relationship with his family and community before leaving for LenoirRhyne with a golf scholarship. Several other members of the school’s golf team also were members of Theta Chi, the same fraternity that Harrison decided to join.

“He said, ‘Mom, I just want to have that full college-life experience,’” Kowiak recalled, the first time Harrison mentioned wanting to join the fraternity. “He just wanted to get out there and make the

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best of (college) and take advantage of all of the different activities.”

In November of 2008, the Kowiaks received a call late one night from a member of the fraternity that an accident had occurred involving Harrison and that he was in the hospital. Details of the accident continued to transform from an injury sustained while playing football on campus to finally being from a “team-building,” or hazing, exercise in an empty field 20 miles away from the school.

“This event, I will share with you,” Kowiak said. “It was called ‘bull-dogging.’

I’m going to tell you the story, but not to scare you. But, I need to share it with you, so that if you see (something like) it happening, you can stop it.”

Harrison and another pledge were instructed to run from one end of the field to the other in the dark. While doing so, members of the fraternity, dressed completely in black, would tackle them while they ran. When Harrison was tackled, he suffered a severe head injury and slipped into a coma. His family never had a chance to speak with him again.

“I ask each and every one of you, if you see something that doesn’t look right or just doesn’t feel good in your gut, speak up and do something about it,” Kowiak said to the crowd. “Do the ‘Mom Test.’ Would your mom approve? If there’s a live camera videotaping, is this something that you’d want to see on the evening news?”

Following her speech, Kowiak stressed that she doesn’t think that fraternities and sororities should be shut down, but that exercises similar to the one that took her son’s life should not be something that students must go through to be part of any group.

Hazing has made headlines again recently at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando. UCF stopped all Greek Life initiation activities in February following reports of hazing within multiple fraternities.

Although not technically hazing, Kowiak also mentioned Rutgers Univer-

sity in Newark, NJ, in her speech, a school which has come under fire after recent videos of former head basketball coach Mike Rice verbally and physically abusing players during practice surfaced. Rice was fired and several other Rutgers officials, including athletic director Tim Pernetti, have resigned in the wake of the scandal.

Kowiak was asked to share her story by Trevor Hyssong, president of the UT interfraternity council New Tampa resident Lianne Kowiak addressed the and vice president of memSigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at the Univeristy of ber development of UT’s Tampa on April 8 about the dangers of hazing.

Sig Ep chapter. Hyssong and several other Sig Ep to grow. If that means that by using memmembers met Kowiak in Atlanta during ber education programs, not using hazing the Southeastern Interfraternity Conferand making the right decisions, then that’s ence, which was held in February, where what we need to do.” she gave a risk-management speech.

Kowiak recognized Hyssong follow“We found out that she lived in ing her speech.

Tampa and thought, ‘How cool would it “You approached me with your be if we could bring her to UT and share friends from your fraternity at that conferher story with the rest of the campus?,’” ence,” she said. “You and your friends are he said. “My initiatives and goals are set in making a difference. I applaud you.” us having a powerful Greek life here (at For additional information about UT), somewhere we can all grow, where hazin, visit HazingPrevention.org or all fraternities and sororities can continue Stop-Hazing.org.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Home Burglaries Rising In Tampa Palms & Other New Tampa Neighborhoods

By Matt Wiley Residents of New Tampa and Tampa Palms should be on guard, as a rash of burglaries has been sweeping through the area over the past several months.

According to the Tampa Police Department (TPD), more than 10 burglaries have been reported in various New Tampa communities since last November, including Hunter’s Green, the Heritage Pines apartment complex, as well as the Stonington and Asbury neighborhoods in Tampa Palms. In some of the cases, multiple burglaries have even occurred on the same street.

The string of burglaries, which date back to November 17, share a common pattern, leading TPD investigators to believe that they are related, although no suspects have yet been identified. However, a TPD spokesperson says that the department does have a few persons of interest, but no arrests had yet been made at our press time.

A TPD release says that the burglars tend to strike in neighborhoods during the day and into the early evening hours by either prying or breaking sliding glass doors or rear windows. TPD says that many of the burglaries have occurred in neighborhoods that border, or are in close proximity to, conservation areas, which

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can provide cover and allow interested burglars access to the rear of homes without being seen from the street.

A TPD spokesperson says that in most cases, jewelry and laptops have been the items that are most commonly taken.

In one instance, two firearms also were stolen.

Due to the increase in crime, a TPD spokesperson says that the department has increased patrols in the area and also has organized a task force that is working on potential leads.

The rise in crime in the area has not gone unnoticed. Mayor Bob Buckhorn even mentioned working to prevent crime in New Tampa during his March 26 “State of the City” address at the historic Kress building on Franklin St. in downtown Tampa.

Although he mentioned that crime in the City is down 60 percent overall, there still is more to be done to prevent crime and violence in Tampa communities, but it will take cooperation between those communities to make it happen. If not, he says, crime moves through the City in a chain reaction.

“As East Tampa and West Tampa go, so goes New Tampa,” he said.

In the meantime, TPD encourages all residents to lock and secure all windows and sliding glass doors, and also to be on

the lookout for suspicious activity. In their “Home Burglary Key Elements” report, TPD states that most burglars enter through areas that most people think of as secure and that standard doors and locks are not built to withstand the forceful impact caused by someone trying to break into a residence.

TPD recommends looking into buying reinforcing “auxiliary locks,” many of which are available at hardware stores, such as Lowe’s or Home Depot. TPD also states that privacy fences and shrubbery around windows offer cover for burglars and recommends that every other panel in a privacy fence be taken out and keeping shrubbery at two feet in height or below.

TPD also recommends “audible and monitored” security systems that make loud sounds when triggered and also automatically contact the police department, as well as keeping alarms active at all times, as a burglary can take place in the time it takes to run to the store.

When it comes to protecting vehicles, make sure that all valuables are either removed from the vehicle, out of sight or locked away.

Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the identification and arrest of the suspect(s) in these cases.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Anyone with any information regarding the identity and whereabouts of the suspect(s) responsible and who wants to be eligible for a cash reward is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-(800) 873-TIPS (8477), report anonymously online at CrimeStoppersTB.com, text “CSTB plus your tip” to 274637 (CRIMES) or send a mobile tip using the new TipSubmit mobile application, which is a free download for iPhones, iPads and Android devices. If something doesn’t look right in your neighborhood, call TPD at 231-6130.

Spree Ends For Walmart Shoplifters

By Matt Wiley A crime spree dating back to January has come to an end for two Zephyrhills residents who reportedly stole thousands of dollars worth of electronics from the Walmart Supercenter on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in New Tampa.

According to the Tampa Police Department (TPD), back in early January, Joshua J. Martin, 32, and Maxlyn Beynart, 23,began their two-month crime spree when they stole an Apple iPad from the New Tampa Walmart, located at 19910 BBD, and escaped in a red, 1993 Ford Mustang. The criminals, crime and getaway were all caught on camera.

TPD reports that the duo struck twice more in February, when they stole a big-screen television and two smart phones, respectively, with assistance from a demagnetizing device, which kept the store’s alarms from going off. These crimes also were caught on camera.

Due to the rise in shoplifting at the New Tampa Walmart location, TPD has been taking several steps to curb crime at the popular store, including posting “No Shoplifting” signs, doing TPD squad roll-calls in the Walmart parking lot before shifts and also collecting TPD endof-shift paperwork from officers in the same parking lot.

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Maxlyn Beynart & Joshua Martin According to the report, on March 25, a TPD squad was doing its roll call at the New Tampa Walmart when the officers received a call from inside that the store’s staff was chasing two shoplifters who had just stolen two smartphones.

While members of the TPD squad took positions at the exits, the red Mustang was located and secured in the parking lot and Martin and Beynart were arrested inside the store. The suspects only confessed to stealing the two smartphones that day, but also admitted to having stolen many items from several Walmart locations.

On March 26, Martin was charged with four counts of third-degree grand theft and three counts of possession or use of a shoplifting device, as well as resisting arrest. He currently is being held in the Hillsborough County jail on a $14,500 bond. Beynart was charged with two counts of third-degree grand theft and also is in jail on a $4,000 bond.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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N EW T AMPA Flatwoods Trail Closed For Construction

Hikers and bikers have to find alternative destinations for the next month, as the Flatwoods Park paved trail will be closed for repairs.

According to a press release from the Southwest Florida Water Management District (aka “Swiftmud”), as of April 22, the Flatwoods Park paved trail has been closed for construction while Swiftmud reshapes a levee on the north-south portion next to the trail, from the Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. entrance, where the trail turns east.

Swiftmud must repair the paved trail to meet standards set by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the release says. If the trail is not repaired, it could result in a loss of funding for the District in an emergency. The trail should only be closed for about a month.

The release says that although the paved trail will be closed, the shell maintenance road will stay open and a Swiftmud staff member will be on-site to provide information to visitors.

For more information, please call 1-(800) 423-1476, ext. 4222.

Tavares Fugitive Arrested In Tampa Palms

A fugitive wanted for murder in cen-

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News Briefs tral Florida has been arrested in Tampa Palms.

According to the Tampa Police Department (TPD), on April 8, Richard Jennings, 20, was arrested in Tampa Palms in connection with the July 1, 2012, shooting of three people in Tavares, FL, one of which died from the gunshot wound. Since the shooting, Jennings Richard Jennings has been a fugitive wanted for first-degree murder.

The TPD report says that, in cooperation with the U.S. Marshals Office’s Fugitive Task Force, information was obtained that Jennings was hiding in the Tampa area at a relative’s home, more specifically, in the Tampa Palms area.

TPD set up surveillance at the home, located near the intersection of Tampa Palms Blvd. and Compton Dr. The name of the community was not specified in the report.

On April 8, Jennings was spotted exiting the home and getting into a vehicle.

Authorities blocked the vehicle from leaving and took Jennings into custody.

Jennings is being held at the Hillsborough County Jail without bail on one

count each of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a weapon, carrying a concealed firearm, possession of cannabis, cocaine and drug paraphernalia, as well as being a minor in possession of a firearm.

Man Exposes Himself At Wiregrass Spring Fair

An exhibitionist has been arrested after exposing himself to several teenage girls at the Shops at Wiregrass Mall during the opening night of the annual Spring Fair.

According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), on April 5, Stephen Racik, 55, of Jenkintown, PA, pulled up in a pickup truck in front of three teenaged girls who were walking through the parking lot of the Shops at Wiregrass to the Fair, which was being held in the Wiregrass parking lot adjacent to Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.

The report says that Racik stopped his vehicle, arched his back, exposed himself, Stephen Racik shook his penis toward the girls and drove away, but was later located in the parking lot. He was arrested

by PCSO and charged with three counts of lewd and lascivious behavior, but was released on a $30,000 bond.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

This arrest comes just weeks after two men, Jarvis Boatwright, 26, of Port Richey, and Marcus Harris, 30, of Holiday, were arrested in Port Richey for numerous incidents of exhibitionism and exposing themselves in public places, including the Gulf View Square Mall, a Pasco County public library and even on a Pasco County Public Transportation (PCPT) bus.

Traffic Signal Now Active In West Meadows

Drivers traveling through West Meadows from Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. should be cautious when approaching the New Tampa Gateway Bridge, as a traffic signal at the main entrance to The Landings community, located at New Tampa Blvd. and Wood Sage Dr., is now active.

As part of the $12.8-million New Tampa Gateway Bridge project, the traffic signal was installed as a traffic calming measure to help ensure the safety of pedestrians in the area, many of whom are students traveling to and from Clark Elementary, Liberty Middle School and Freedom High, from the increase in traffic since the bridge opened, connecting Tampa Palms with West Meadows.

The signal, which remained in flashing mode when it was installed in late March, is now an active signal. Another signal was installed at the student and teacher parking lot entrance to Freedom

Once inside the apartment, the HCSO report says, one of the suspects pointed a black handgun at the victim —whose name (and gender) had not been released at our press time — and demanded the victim’s property, before ordering the victim to lie on the ground. Then, using a large knife, the suspect cut a fiveinch laceration into the vicThe traffic signal at Wood Sage Dr. and New Tampa Blvd. in tim’s throat.

West Meadows is now active.

After removing all valuHigh, also to aid in traffic calming. That ables from the victim, the two suspects signal has been active since the bridge began to stomp on the victim’s head. opened to traffic on February 27.

The victim attempted to block the attack, but was stabbed in the chest. The victim Attempted Murder Suspects was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital At Large and treated for non-life-threatening inA description has been released by juries. the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office HCSO says that the suspects fled on (HCSO), which needs the public’s help foot, heading west from the apartment identifying two attempted murder suscomplex. When last spotted, one of the pects for a crime that took place just suspects was wearing a black hooded south of the New Tampa area. sweatshirt, dark jeans, a baseball cap and According to HCSO, on March 27, sunglasses and carrying a black backpack. two black male suspects, both about 6 The other suspect was wearing dark feet tall with medium builds and between jeans, a white shirt, a black vest and sunthe ages of 18-24, forced their way into glasses. an apartment at the 40-Fifty Lofts stuAnyone with any information is dent apartment complex, located off N. urged to call HCSO at 247-8200, or, 46th St. at 3950 Rocky Cir., between to be eligible for a cash reward, call Bruce. B Downs (BBD) Blvd. and E. Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-8477 Fletcher Ave. or visit CrimeStoppersTB.com.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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New PHCC Porter Campus Provost Named; Campus To Open In Jan.

By Bonnie Mason Local residents soon will have a college to call their own. Pasco-Hernando Community College (PHCC) is nearing completion of its fifth full-service campus — the PHCC Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, located on Mansfield Blvd. at S.R. 56, adjacent to Wiregrass Ranch High, about a mile north of the Pasco County line. Although heavy rains saturated the site and led to delays in construction, the work that began in late 2011 is now moving forward smoothly and the multi-story urban-design campus is on schedule to open for classes by Jan. 2014.

A design committee comprised of PHCC administrators, faculty, staff and students provided guidance to Florida Architects, Inc., and Skanska USA Building, Inc., the project designer and construction manager, respectively. The result is an overall design unlike any of the other PHCC campuses. The Porter Campus — named for the Porter family, which donated the 60 acres of land on which the campus is being built, and is the developer of the Wiregrass Ranch community — is being built with the future student in mind. It features a four– story classroom building linked by a plaza to a separate two-story library building and an also-separate administration building, all of which are being built above a three-story parking garage.

“We’re building this way because the

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Porters, when they donated the land, indicated that they really wanted this campus to have that ‘urban feel’ because of the businesses that are going to be coming in (to the area) and the type of structures that we anticipate being around us,” Ken Burdzinski, PHCC’s vice president of administration and finance said at the March 28 meeting of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) Economic Development Committee at American Consulting Engineers off S.R. 56.

Recently announced as filling the shoes as provost at the new Porter Campus will be Stanley Giannet, Ph.D., who currently holds the same position at PHCC’s north campus in Brooksville. He is set to take up his new position at the beginning of July.

Programs For Success

In addition to traditional general education classes that prepare students for career and university transfer opportunities once they earn their Associate (A.A or A.S.) degree, the Porter Campus reportedly will dedicate two floors solely to health care programs, which will offer the latest interactive teaching and simulation technology available.

Beginning in August of 2014, PHCC also will launch its first two Bachelor degree programs in science and nursing (BSN) and applied science (BAS), with majors in management and supervision, which should ap-

Progress can be seen on the construction of the new Pasco-Hernando Community College Porter Campus, which currently is scheduled to open for classes in January 2014. Photo: Matt Wiley

peal to students looking to get into business professions. PHCC currently is awaiting approval from the state legislature to change its name, for which it already is collecting input from the community on its website at PHCC.edu.

PHCC’s business and workforce training career programs also are said to be an important feature at the new campus. Both health and business programs will train students for lucrative technology and medical careers which have high job growth expectation. Although program development has begun, the final determination of programs that will be available at the Porter Campus

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require approval by PHCC’s District Board of Trustees and its accrediting agency, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Partnering For Programs

It is customary for PHCC to develop strong community partnerships with area hospitals and businesses near all of its campuses, and the Porter Campus is no different. Although details regarding the development of academic programs with university partners, local businesses and other community partners are not yet available, relationships are being developed and

led by Dr. Randy Stovall, provost of the PHCC East Campus in Dade City, and the vice president of the WCCC’s Board of Directors. PHCC already has participated in some programs with the WCCC, including a recent Chamber-sponsored health and wellness fair.

More partnerships and events are expected as the opening of the Porter Campus nears.

PHCC’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch is projected to open with 1,500 fulland part-time students, similar to the enrollment at the opening of PHCC’s Spring Hill campus in 2010. And, with the I-75/S.R. 54/S.R. 56 corridor featuring one of the fastest-growing populations in Florida, sig-

nificant growth is expected during the first few years that the new campus is open. Since the community college’s inception in 1972, the four existing PHCC campuses have awarded more than 32,000 degrees and certificates.

PHCC currently offers traditional classroom and online courses at its four campuses: the North Campus in Brooksville, East Campus in Dade City, Spring Hill Campus and the West Campus in New Port Richey. The Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch is expected to open in January 2014.

For more information about PascoHernando Community College, visit PHCC.edu, or call 1-(877) TRY-PHCC (879-7422).

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N EW T AMPA

Community Calendar

MOMS Club Of New Tampa

The MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) Club of New Tampa is currently open to new members in the New Tampa area. The MOMS Club offers a variety of daytime activities of mothers and their children, opportunities for Mom’s Night Out and many more benefits.

For more information, or to join the club, email MOMsClubNewTampa _ southeast@yahoo.com.

Community Acupuncture

Monday, April 29, 6:30 p.m. - A Monday night community acupuncture and discussion group is forming at Ion Media Spa (8903 Regents Park Dr., Suite 130). Topics include needle-free acupuncture, facial rejuvenation, stop smoking and customized weight-loss programs.

For more info, call 960-8833 or visit IonMediSpa.com.

‘WeWork’ At LifePoint

Monday, April 29, 7 p.m. - “WeWork,” which meets Mondays at LifePoint Church (8702 Hunter’s Lake Dr., off Bruce B. Downs Blvd., or BBD, in front of Hunter’s Green), is designed to help you search for jobs, improve interview skills, write a resume, negotiate a job offer, improve your attitude, develop networking skills or discover your gifts.

For more info, call 907-9818, or visit LifePoint.tv/WeWork.

New Tampa Tri Club

Tuesday, April 30, 7:30 a.m. - A new local club has formed for the fitnessminded. Membership is open to runners, swimmers, cyclists and triathletes across the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. All members receive club benefits, including a training schedule, group support, seminars and socials. The club hosts group bike rides/runs at the 13330 Morris Bridge Rd. entrance to Flatwoods Wilderness Park every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 7:30 a.m., and a group run from Kona Multisport (previously, the “Ironman Store,” in the same plaza as Sweetbay & LA Fitness at BBD/County Line Rd.), at 6:30 p.m. on Mondays.

For more information, join the Facebook group or e-mail NewTampa TriClub@gmail.com.

BNI Millionaire Makers

Wednesday, May 1, 7:15 a.m. - The BNI Millionaire Makers chapter meets every Wednesday at Pebble Creek Golf Club (10550 Regents Park Dr., off BBD Blvd.). The $13 meeting fee includes a hot breakfast. Contact Lisa Jordan at 6216015 for more details.

Business Networking Int’l

Wednesday, May 1, 7:30 a.m. BNI, a group of business professionals dedicated to helping their respective businesses grow through qualified referrals, meets every Wednesday morning at the

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Cory Lake Isles Beach Club clubhouse (18630 Plantation Bay Dr., off Morris Bridge Rd.).

For more information, call Ed Gleason at 299-4475.

New Tampa Noon Rotary

Wednesday, May 1, noon - The New Tampa Noon Rotary Club meets every Wed. for lunch at Hunter’s Green Country Club (18101 Longwater Run Dr.). Guests are always welcome.

New Tampa Eve. Rotary

Wednesday, May 1, 6:15 p.m. - The New Tampa Evening Rotary Club meets every Wednesday at Hunter’s Green Country Club. New members are always welcome.

For info, call Liz DeAmbrose at 956-6487 or email homenet@gte.net.

Tampa Toastmasters

Wednesday, May 1, 7 p.m. - Great speeches & great topics. Come hone your public speaking skills. Tampa Toastmasters meets every Wednesday at Pebble Creek Golf Club (10550 Regents Park Dr.) New guests always welcome.

For more info, call 428-6356.

Free ESL Classes

Thursday, May 2, 10:30 a.m. - A FREE English as a Second Language (ESL) class is meeting at Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church (19911 BBD) on Thursday mornings. There is no charge to attend. The classes also discuss American culture and English idioms and slang.

Come practice your conversational English and make new friends in a fun and relaxed environment! For more information, call the church office at 973-2484.

CBC Networking

Thursday, May 2, 7:45 p.m. - Come together with like-minded professionals at the Christian Business Connections (CBC) Networking group, which meets every Thursday at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church (located at 5338 Primrose Lake Cir., near the New Tampa Community Park in Tampa Palms). Call Annete Faurote at 407-9225 for more info.

New Tampa Rotary Club

Friday, May 3, 7 a.m. - The New Tampa Rotary club meets at the Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club (5811 Tampa Palms Blvd.). For more info, call Eric Longphee at 202-1105.

New Tampa Dog Pack

Saturday, May 4, 9 a.m. - Have a dog? Enjoy scenic nature walks? Join the New Tampa Dog Pack on Saturday mornings at Flatwoods Park (18205 BBD). There is the option for a two- or four-mile walk with watering stations along the way.

For more info, please visit MeetUp.com/New-Tampa-Dog-Pack.

Zen Meditation Group

Sunday, May 5, 10 a.m. - Enjoy meditation? Looking for a new way to relax? Check out the FREE Zen Meditation Group that meets Sundays in the Arbor Greene Community Center (18000 Arbor Greene Dr., off Cross Creek Blvd.) Aerobics Room. All faiths

Free Real Estate Webinars

Thursday, May 2, 7 p.m. - Local real estate broker associate Lance Mohr will be hosting FREE 30-40 minute real estate webinars on Thursdays and Saturdays, covering topics such as home pricing, conditioning, marketing and understanding real estate stats.

To register and tune in, please visit TBSellerWebinar.com or call Lance at 317-4009.

Food Addicts In Recovery

Thursday, May 2, 7 p.m. - Are you having trouble controlling the way you eat? Are you underweight or overweight or obsessed with weight or dieting? You are not alone. Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) is a support group without any dues, fees or weigh-ins and is based on the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s a fellowship of individuals who, through shared experiences and mutual support, are recovering from the disease of food addiction. FA meets at Florida Hospital Tampa (on BBD) in the Camelot A room.For more info, visit FoodAddicts. org or call Roz at 355-4197.

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are welcome. You only need an interest in meditation and a more peaceful and relaxed mind and life.

For more information, call Jeremy at 528-6285.

Northeast Tampa Women In Business Meeting

Thursday, May 9, 6 p.m. - The Northeast Tampa Women in Business group meets the second Thursday of each month at Hunter’s Green Country Club (18101 Longwater Run Dr.).

For more information, visit NETWIB.org or call 843-2354.

TPWC Awards Luncheon

Thursday, June 6, 11 a.m. - The Tampa Palms Womens Club will once again host its annual awards luncheon at Compton Park (16101 Compton Dr.).

Members will be bringing dishes. Local charities, school principals and a scholarship recipient all will be receiving checks raised by the club.

For more info, email TampaPalmsWC@Yahoo.com

Community Calendar items in the New Tampa Neighborhood News are printed free of charge.

Submit info & photos (in any digital format) to: EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com, Attn: Matt Wiley

“Allen Guy”

Continued from page 1 dads, and if they were, they’d probably be out on the golf course or doing other things.

Allen gives up his time so willingly and so joyfully. He definitely is a hero in my eyes and in our ministry.”

Another individual must nominate Lightning Community Heroes; they cannot nominate themselves. The Lightning organization determines eligibility for the award based on several criteria, including the degree to which the person has been a catalyst for a cause that meets basic human needs or enriches the lives of others; the degree to which the person has exhibited dedication and selflessness; the degree to which that person has made a special and significant impact on individuals, families or the community at large; the degree to which the person has gone “above and beyond” to serve and inspire others and the degree to which the nominator is able to convey the overall significance and impact of the person’s work.

Guy says that although receiving the award was overwhelming, letting his organizations know about the money that they would be receiving has been much more rewarding.

“The organizations were so appreciative,” he says. “It felt really good to me to be able to say, ‘Hey, you guys are doing great things out there. Here’s some money to enhance what you’re doing.’ Times are tough. People can only donate so much.”

Representatives from each of his organiza-

18

tions were able to attend the game and receive their checks from Guy. The Community Hero program began during the 2011-12 NHL season.

Lightning owner Jeff Vinik and his wife Penny set aside $10 million to donate among “deserving, grass roots community heroes” throughout the Tampa Bay community over the next five years. At every regular season home game, the Lightning Foundation gives a $50,000 check to a Hero to distribute to charities that the hero sees fit. During the 2011-12 season, $2,050,000 was distributed to community causes. Guy was the 34th Community Hero this season.

Guy, his wife, Kimberly, and their two kids moved to New Tampa eight years ago from Cary, NC, where he worked full time for the State of North Carolina in the mental health department. After moving to Tampa, due to the demanding nature of his wife’s job with St. Joseph’s Hospital, Guy decided that he would be the go-to person for his kids, who were then entering the third and sixth grades, respectively.

“It wasn’t in my plans not to work,” he explains. “It just kind of worked out that way. I love my free time, but I wasn’t just going to lounge by the pool or play golf. I decided that I would be become a volunteer. I slowly got involved and now I’m pretty maxed out.”

For more information about Tampa Bay Lightning Community Heroes, please visit Lightning.NHL.com and click on the “Community” tab.

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New Tampa Chamber of Commerce, Inc. 15310 Amberly Dr., Suite 250 Tampa, FL 33647 Information: (813) 293-2464 Fax: (813) 388-4408

Website: NewTampaChamber.Org

2012-13 Board of Directors President-Regina Ramalheira

Board Members:

VP-Neil Heird Treas-Karen Hilton Secy-John Lore

ʻ‘W orking To Im prove The Q uality O fLife In N ew Tam pa!ʼ’

Non-Officers: Dr. Rachel Haviland Mark Lange Dr. Earl Meyer

Executive Assistant: Jayne Baker

A Look Back At A Successful 20th Annual Taste Of New Tampa !

TM

The 20th annual “Taste of New TampaTM” was a huge success! I want to say special thanks to the Primrose School of Tampa Palms for hosting New Tampa’s signature event. Primrose owners Rick and Jana Radtke truly went out of their way to accommodate the New Tampa Chamber of Commerce. They not only let us use their beautiful Primrose Park, they also created a fabulous kids area, supplied volunteers, presold tons of admission tickets, let us use their truck for set up and break down and so much more! The weather wasn’t perfect, but the event itself was awesome.

We also want to thank all of our sponsors again (see the logos on page 21), including Whole Foods Market in Northdale, which was left off last issue’s list, as were our media sponsors, the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News and the Tampa Bay Times.

We also thank Steven Hernandez of Tampa Bay Sound & Production, who did an awesome job of emceeing the event. The stage, bands and everything he provided were all perfect. Congratulation to the awesome, funky band Nervous Energy for winning the $500 cash prize in this year’s four-band Battle of the Bands.”

Please call Steve for all your production needs at (850) 361-5255.

We also appreciate the Mayor of Tampa, Bob Buckhorn, for his incredible remarks about our wonderful city and the new and improved roads in New Tampa.

The restaurants also did a super job.

The food and desserts were delicious!

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Thanks, Taste 2013 Restaurants: Café Ole Whole Foods Takara Sake & Sushi Lounge Domani Bistro Lounge PDQ of Wesley Chapel Full Circle Pizza & Grill Bruster’s Real Ice Cream CherryBerry Yogurt Betty Cakes of Dade City Frogury World of Beer Toast Fine Wines & Café Tijuana Flats PJ Dolan’s Irish Pub & Grille Little Greek Restaurant

Thanks also to our outstanding panel of judges for this year’s “Best in Show” dining contest at the Taste: Chefs Peter Gambacorta and Pina Frieni of Private Chef of Tampa and Gary and Joyce Gunter- the Chamber’s great friends and Pina A. Frieni (see pic on page 21). And, the winners were:

Best In Show

Takara Sushi & Sake Lounge

Best Appetizer

First Place – Takara Sushi,

Torched Salmon Roll Second Place – Domani Bistro Lounge, Rolled Grapes Third Place – Whole Foods Market, Pineapple Mango

Best Entrée

First Place – Domani Bistro, Duck Confit Second Place – Café Olé, Paella Third Place – PDQ, Chicken Tenders

Best Dessert

First Place – Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, Blueberry Cheesecake Second Place – Betty Cakes, Raspberry Cream Muffin Third Place – CherryBerry Yogurt Bar, Sea Salt Vanilla Caramel Congratulations to all of the winners!

I also really want to really thank my team: Executive Assistant Jayne Baker; VP Neil Heird; Secretary John Lore; Treasurer Karen Hilton; and Board members Earl

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Meyer, Mark Lange and Rachel Haviland, as well as Gary Nager, the publisher & editor of the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News, for his publicity of the 20th Annual “Taste of New Tampa” and his hard work and dedication to recruiting restaurants for this year’s event!

Mark Your Calendars!

I encourage all businesses to attend our monthly luncheons on the second Tuesday of each month, currently held at 11:30 a.m., at Hunter’s Green Country Club. We want to encourage a businessto-business discount for all members.

Call me with your offer and I will provide emails and flyers to promote your offering. That is what a Chamber of Commerce is all about!

On line registrations for events are important to provide the best Chamber experiences! For more info and a complete list of upcoming New Tampa Chamber of Commerce events, visit NewTampaChamber.org.

“Taste 2013”

Thanks Again, 2013 Taste Of New Tampa Sponsors!

Continued from pg. 1 Just to recap the 2013 Taste, the food was spectacular, despite the number of restaurants. Takara Sushi, this year’s Best in Show winner, served amazing sushi, Domini Bistro, the Best Entereth winner, featured an awesome duck confix, Whole Foods, my probable Best in Show winner (if I had a vote, loll), served multiple healthy enters and appetizers, including large shrimp cevine,

BB&T Bank of New Tampa

(Above) Congrats to Nervous Energy, the $500 First Prize winner in the first-ever Taste “Battle of the Bands!”

Primrose Schools of Tampa Palms & Cross Creek

The Law Office of Matthew J. Jowanna

Regina Ramalheira Re/Max Realty

(Clockwise from top left) Mayor Buckhorn & Chamber Board members John Lore & Regina Ramalheira. Little Greek Restaurant will be opening soon in the New Tampa Center. Domani Bistro on N. Florida Ave. & the 2013 Taste of New Tampa judges.

couscous and more, PDQ had not only New Tampa Pebble Creek its great tenders, Sign-A-Rama of New Tampa Family YMCA Golf Club but also its variety of sauces, World of Beer & Toast served incredible wine & beer, respectively, and all of the dessert places, from Best Dessert winner Brustle Ice Cream to Betty Cakes to all three yogurt shops (one of which, CherryBerry, served its decadent Paradise chocolates) were outstanding.

The entertainment rocked, too. The stage itself, from Tampa Bay Sound & Production, was awesome and all four “Battle” bands did a great job. I had to agree that the fun & funky Nervous Energy (Band #3) deserved its $500 first prize. I missed the headliner, “Big Brother,” but I heard great things. All in all, a fantastic Taste kept from being even better by the weather.

To see more, check out our exclusive Taste video recap at NTNeighborhoodNews. com, produced by Milorian Studios in Wesley Chapel (Milorian.com). — GN

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Marimark Mortgage Will Help Find The Loan That Fits Your Needs Best

By Camille Gillies Since buying a house ranks high on most people’s list of major purchases — probably the largest purchase most of us will make in our lifetime — it pays to be selective when it comes to choosing a mortgage broker. After all, it wasn’t long ago that a conglomeration of disreputable mortgage brokers were caught up in the fray of the housing crisis, assisting homebuyers in obtaining loans that were beyond the homebuyers’ financial reality. As the waves of home foreclosures continue, we all know how that sad scenario is playing out.

It is mortgage professionals such as Tampa Palms mortgage broker Mary Catchur who can help prevent homebuyers from putting themselves in such risky financial circumstances. Catchur, who owns Marimark Mortgage in the Tampa Palms Professional Center, is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who spent 13 years as an auditor for KPMG (Klynveld, Peat, Marwick & Goerdeler), an international public accounting firm. She applies her well-honed financial analysis skills to assist loan applicants, reviewing each client’s financial status and advising them about loans that make sense for their individual situations.

Catchur says that when she started in the mortgage business, her coworkers

22

were surprised at the effectiveness of her straightforward, financially focused approach. “When I first started, one of the brokers I worked with advised me to handle my calls a different way — until he saw how the pile (of new business) on my desk was growing larger than his,” Catchur recalls. “He said, ‘Mary, it must be working for you. Just keep doing what you’re doing.’ I think people appreciate the fact that I’m not trying to push products at them.”

Accountants are held to high ethical standards and trained to look at numbers objectively, which is why Catchur speaks plainly to her clients and cautions them if a particular loan doesn’t seem right or if refinancing an existing loan is not the best strategy. She will tell you if you are on the right track with your home loan with a free consultation.

Get What You Pay For

“If you’re tempted by a loan with ‘no closing costs,’ you may be overlooking the fact that you’ll be paying a higher interest rate because there aren’t any (closing costs),” Mary says. “I also always ask how long a person refinancing plans to stay in their home, because if you plan to be there only a short time, refinancing may not make sense.”

She says that the refinancing end of her business has been busy of late, with

homeowners taking advantage of the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP), which the federal government recently extended to December 31, 2013. Although Catchur gladly handles refinances, she says that when she entered the mortgage business, she was struck by the number of brokerage companies that preferred to focus on refinances rather than purchases.

“That’s because the purchase business requires you to be accountable to deadlines and other parties that have an Mary Catchur outside of her office, conveniently lointerest in the transaction, cated in the Tampa Palms Professional Plaza. such as the real estate agent,’’ sensitive to deadlines and recognize the she explains. “I realized that this was an needs of buyers and sellers to close on area that — with my operational experitime. Most of our loans close in 30 days ence in the real estate industry and my or less.” communication skills — I could easily Catchur also stresses that she is easy demonstrate my expertise.” to reach, accessible on weekends and Catchur adds that her company is evenings to do prequalifications. A prewell respected in the real estate commuqualification letter, which indicates a nity. “Realtors know they can depend on buyer’s financial capabilities, is immedimy company to quickly determine ately provided to the agent to submit with whether their clients are qualified,” she purchase offers. says. “They don’t want to waste a day “Mary is very efficient,” says Judy showing property to unqualified buyers, Curry, a Realtor with RE/MAX Premier and we can do a credit check on their Group in Wesley Chapel. Curry says that clients within a few minutes. We also are

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she regularly refers clients to Marimark Mortgage, and notes that approximately 95 percent of her clients choose Mary as their mortgage broker. “With Mary, you aren’t just a file number and you won’t experience the closing delays that often come with choosing a big lender. On the day of closing, Mary does whatever’s necessary — like driving across town for additional paperwork — to get it done.”

Curry also says that Catchur is able to choose from many lenders, which makes the buyer’s application process much easier than going from lender to lender.

“None of my clients have been unhappy with her,” Curry says. “Mary explains everything in language that they can understand, and she always makes them feel at ease. I’m very passionate about using her.”

New Tampa Connections

When Catchur opened Marimark Mortgage seven years ago, she was no stranger to the real estate industry. After her tenure with KPMG, she was the chief financial officer for an internet-based real estate company, in which she established a mortgage division. The company, based in Clearwater, expanded to 28 states and was sold at the peak of the housing market. Following the sale, Catchur decided to open her own business, which she named after her husband, Mark, and herself, and located close to the family’s

home in Tampa Palms.

Mark is an attorney and the couple has a daughter and two sons. Their daughter, 19, attends the University of Florida (UF) and the boys, 17 and 11, go to Jesuit High and Tampa Preparatory School (Tampa Prep), respectively. Mary currently serves as treasurer for the New Tampa Tigers Pop Warner football program, a position she has held for the past two years.

“My kids have played football in New Tampa for years and I enjoy being involved in the program,” she says.

Catchur, a Pennsylvania native who grew up helping out at her family’s electrical business, has called Tampa home since 1979. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Accounting and French from the University of South Florida (USF) and currently maintains her mortgage broker’s license in Florida, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

“With today’s technology, you don’t need to be located in the same area to do business,” Catchur explains, adding that she serves many clients outside Florida.

A couple of positive things to come out of the housing crisis, Catchur explains, are that many unscrupulous brokers were weeded out, and it’s now harder for “just anyone” to get into the mortgage business. “All brokers were required to be retested and relicensed, and we had to undergo background checks and checks of our own credit histories,”

she says. “There’s now a lot more oversight in the process.”

As the real estate market improves, Catchur wants homebuyers to know that banks are still lending and that financing is still available.

“It’s not impossible to get financing,” she explains, noting that a few zerodown-payment options exist with some USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) and VA (Veterans Administration) loans.

“It’s always best to shop around and remember that your bank is not your only choice for a mortgage.”

To discuss your home loan options with Mary Catchur, call 910-8020, visit MarimarkMortgage.com or email MCatchur@MarimarkMortgage.com.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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New Identities, Named One Of Top Salons In The U.S., Gets Its Own Makeover!

By Matt Wiley It’s easy to do a double take when walking into the New Identities Hair Studio in the Shoppes of Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms. It may even require a quick look out the storefront window to make sure that you are still in Florida, as the Tampa Palms location has taken on the appearance of a premier New York City salon following a recent facelift. However, the services that New Identities provides will continue to keep New Tampa residents feeling like runway models.

The hair studio, a Redken Elite salon (meaning it carries Redken hair products, exclusively), which normally has been on the other end of makeovers for the past 13 years, was in need of a makeover, itself, so Tampa Palms residents and New Identities co-owners Mark and Kelly Rockquemore traveled to the Big Apple to see how the big studios decorate.

“We modeled it after the salons we visited in New York and other places,” explains Marc. “We didn’t just put together a décor that appealed to us. We wanted to bring a full, well-rounded experience to our guests, many of whom have been with us since we first opened.”

With two locations, including one in Tampa’s South Shore district, a wide range of hair services, perms, relaxers, world-class hair color, hair design and cre-

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ative color techniques, New Identities works to enhance every guest’s overall image. Although the salons have a strong industry reputation with top stylists, Marc says that New Identities has seven different price points that can fit any budget and that the price for different stylists is based on the demand for their time.

In addition to a new look for New Identities, the hair studio also was the recipient of the Salon Today magazine 200 Award for both “Recruitment and Training” and “Philanthropy” for the third consecutive year.

“Salon Today magazine is the top beauty industry publication,” says Marc.

“Each year, they put together a list of the top 200 salons in the U.S., based on growth, business practices, recruiting and pretty much everything that has to do with how the business works. And, this is our third straight year on the list. It’s pretty cool.”

The award for philanthropy came in part thanks to New Identities’ participation in the 2013 Tampa Bay “Cut For A Cure,” a charity event held on April 3, in which local celebrities, including Tampa Bay Lightning players and prominent business owners from around the Tampa Bay area, shaved their heads to raise money to benefit the Pediatric Cancer Foundation. So far, this year’s event has raised nearly $340,000. Several New

Identities stylists helped with the shaving.

Only The Best Hair Stylists

New Identities also earned the Salon Today award for its recruitment and training, which, according to Marc, has produced some of the top stylists in the Tampa Bay area. The New Tampa location currently has 21 stylists, three of whom The new look of the Tampa Palms New Identities Hair Studio. are in training.

“We look for people character and technical ability. Character who are just coming out of hair school is the most important factor in our hiring (such as the nearby Paul Mitchell school decision. It’s not just personality. I also on N. Nebraska Ave.),” Marc explains. look at honesty, integrity, communication Stylists must go through a six-month skills and professionalism. Our guests de“Associate Training Program,” which ed- serve the absolute best.” ucates them on everything from front Many of New Identities stylists go desk procedures to cutting techniques on to become national “platform artists,” and tools. who have achieved enough success and Marc says that becoming a New education that they go on to educate Identities stylist is no easy feat, as some other stylists across the country. In many days, he receives more than 300 resumes cases, platform artists are on stage in from hopeful future employees. front of thousands of people, giving “When it comes to stylists, we genstyling classes. erally grow our own,” he says. “The peoSeveral of the New Identities stylists, ple that we bring in are the top ten such as Hannah Nichols, are salon educapercent of the top ten percent coming tors. Nichols has been with New Identiout of hair school. It’s based on their ties for about six year and attended

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own leisure, but we have a special day where all the rookie cheerleaders come in,” Marc says.

“This year, we had 24 new girls. Part of the arrangement as a Bucs cheerleader is that you have to maintain your appearance throughout the year, since the cheerNew Tampa Neighborhood News senior graphic designer Porsha leaders are required to Lemos shows off her new ‘Ombre do’ after a recent session with stylist do lots of photo shoots Hannah Nichols at the New Identities Hair Studio in Tampa Palms. and public appearances.

Sometimes a cheercosmetology school while she was still in leader’s look is very dramatic and very inhigh school. volved.

It’s a marketing thing.”

“I already had my (cosmetology) liThis exclusive contract with the Bucs cense when I graduated,” she says. is one of the reasons that Marc says that Nichols recently showed off some of he knows that the two New Identities lothe newest techniques that Redken salons cations are the best hair studios around. are currently offering when she gave Por“It’s neat anytime that you can say sha Lemos, our senior graphic designer, a that there’s something exclusive that you whole new “Ombre” look, transforming do with your business, especially because her hair from a basic blonde to a naturalthere are more than 1,000 salons in the looking, dark-to-light fade. tri-county area,” he explains. “And, the Saying ‘Cheers’ To The Bucs Tampa Bay Bucs are the Bay area’s premier pro sports franchise.”

It should come as no surprise that Looking for a new look? Come on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleaders in to New Identities Hair Studio’s have been working exclusively with New Identities for the past decade. On April 6, Tampa Palms location at 15307 AmNew Identities celebrated its 10th year of berly Dr. in the Shoppes of Amberly Plaza. Styling is available for both men hosting a “makeover day’ for each year’s and women. For more info, including team of new Bucs cheerleaders at the the South Shore location, visit New Tampa Palms location.

“The returning girls come in at their IdentitiesSalon.com or call 979-0760.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Insight Family Eyecare — Premier Family Eye Care On S.R. 56!

By Kathleen Schiop Vision is one of only five human senses and for those of us who have it, we can’t imagine life without it. For that reason, we should keep our eyes healthy with regular exams and maintenance. Insight Family Eyecare is here to do just that.

With two locations, one in the Trinity area of New Port Richey (called Trinity Eyecare Optical), and the other located much closer to New Tampa on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel, Insight Family Eyecare is a full-service optometry practice, specializing in comprehensive eye exams, diagnosing and treating eye diseases and fitting glasses and contact lenses (both hard and soft), with a focus on pediatric eye care.

Founded in November 2009 by Dr. James Robinson, O.D., and his wife and partner, Dr. Leslie Church, O.D., Insight Family Eyecare has been serving the Wesley Chapel area for nearly four years at the same location. Insight also has added Dr. Alfred Lappano, O.D., to the staff at both locations and most recently, well-known local ophthalmologist and pediatric eye specialist Thomas Pusateri, M.D., has begun seeing patients three Wednesdays each month at the Wesley Chapel office.

Dr. Robinson and Dr. Church met in optometry school at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, where they both earned their O.D. (Doctor of Optometry) degrees. They graduated together in 2000 and both also are Board- certified in Optometry in Florida. They live in the Wesley Chapel/Land O’Lakes area and have two children in public schools in Pasco County.

Note-Although he is back in the area following his most recent 15-month deployment in Texas, Dr. Robinson, a U.S. Army Major, will not be seeing patients for a little while longer.

“He is still active for another six months,” says Dr. Church. “So, he won’t be seeing patients at our offices until then.”

Dr. Robinson had been treating soldiers returning to Texas from overseas.

Dr. Albert Lappano, O.D. also is a Florida-licensed Board-certified Optometric Physician. Dr. Lappano received his

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Doctor of Optometry degree from Pennsylvania College of Optometry of Salus University in Elkins Park, PA, in 1981. He has more than 28 years of experience providing comprehensive eye care to patients in the Tampa Bay area. Dr. Lappano is married, lives in Lutz and has three grown children. He says he especially enjoys helping sports enthusiasts improve their visual skills at their chosen athletic activities.

Dr. Thomas Pusateri, M.D., a native of Chicago, has been one of the Tampa Bay area’s best-known oph- Insight Family Eyecare is located in the same plaza as Wolf’s Den Restaurant on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel, where the big children’s playroom is a big draw for the office’s pediatric eye patients. thalmologists since he was honored with the Dean's In addition to Kosto, who manages we got there I thought this could really go award as the USF School of Medicine's both offices, the doctors are joined by their bad fast... but they were AMAZING! The Outstanding 1984 Graduate. He received five capable and knowledgeable staff memdoctors and the rest of the staff were sooo advanced medical training at Northwestern bers — Venisha, the lead optician, Jessica, great with him. The office was really the University in Chicago, IL, and at USF. A nicest I have ever been in. They had a great who also is an optician, and technicians Jomember of the American Academy of hanna and Gary. children’s play area and my son felt so at Ophthalmology, Dr. Pusateri is a compre“The staff is super friendly and you ease he even wanted to take his shoes off, hensive ophthalmologist treating patients can tell they like working there,” says palol! The doctor definitely knew what he of all ages, although he has special interests tient Harry D., of Tampa. “They have was talking about and I am so thankful in pediatric eye care and complex glaucoma good knowledge (of the products and that I chose this office. Oh, and my son management, including SLT laser treatservices they provide) and walk you had a blast... Now I know, of all places, ment. through the entire process. I first came in that he had fun at the eye doctor?! This is “We are thrilled to offer our patients with a nasty little eye infection and theysaw the only eye doctor my family will ever go another outstanding option in eyecare with me right away and don't think I didn't apto again.”

Dr. Pusateri seeing patients in our Wesley Chapel office,” says Insight office manager David Kosto. “We have always had what we call a ‘subspecialty’ in pediatric eyecare, so Dr. Pusateri’s pediatric eye expertise allows us to provide even better service for our patients of all ages.”

Kosto adds, “Children’s eyes are especially important to keep healthy while they are young and we really have a great set up for kids here. One of our unique features is a large play area for children that they really enjoy. I think that’s one of the things that sets us apart from the rest because very few eye care facilities have this feature.”

In fact, one Wesley Chapel resident wrote (in a Yelp.com review), “Amazing!!!

I just walked in the door from taking my three year old to his first eye exam. Before

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Insight Family Eyecare’s optometrists (L. to r.) Dr. Leslie Church, Dr. James Robinson and Dr. Thomas Lappano have added the ophthalmological services of Dr. Thomas Pusateri, M.D., three Wednesdays each month at the Wesley Chapel location.

Chapel Elementary, Denham Oaks Elepreciate it. I left feeling more like an old mentary in Lutz and Lake Myrtle Elemenfriend than just another customer.” tary in Land O’ Lakes.

In addition to a great play area for Insight also donates frames for local children, and warm, personalized attention charities and auctions, and sunglasses for to your eyesight needs, Insight Family raffle prizes at car shows, including one Eyecare offers specials for pediatric check coming up to benefit the Susan G. Komen ups, package pricing on children’s eyeglass Breast Cancer foundation on Saturday, frames and lenses to fit any individual May 4, in Palm Harbor. budget, as well as designer frames to suit Insight Family Eyecare, P.A., is loany fashionista, including Oakley, Michael cated at 27607 S.R. 56, Suite #101, in Kors, Prada, Tory Burch, Nike and RayBan, just to name a few. The office also fits Wesley Chapel, in the same plaza as Wolf’s Den restaurant. The office is and prescribes all type of hard, soft and open Monday, Wednesday & Friday, 9 multi-focal contact lenses. a.m.-6 p.m., 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Tuesday “And, we pretty much accept every and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday. For apvision insurance plan under the sun,” pointments and more information, call beams Kosto.

Bringing eye health to the community 406-4993 or visit InsightFamilyEyecare.com. For Trinity Eyecare Optical is a priority concern for the staff at Insight Family Eyecare, so the offices participate in (10751 Maple Creek Dr., Suite #104, volunteering eye exam services for elemen- New Port Richey), call (727) 375-8442 or visit Trinity-Eyecare.com. tary school eye screenings at Wesley

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Lawn Enforcement & Water Works Will Make Your Neighbors Jealous

By Bonnie Mason Would you like your yard to be the one in your neighborhood that everyone wishes they had? The combination of Lawn Enforcement Property Management, LLC, and Water Works Irrigation & Pressure Washing can help.

Floridians know all too well that maintaining your lawn and landscape in the Sunshine State can be a challenge that requires constant care and attention. But, the residents of New Tampa and the surrounding communities can rest easy with Lawn Enforcement Property Management, LLC, a lawn care and landscaping service that provides everything from basic maintenance packages to complete landscaping management.

Chris Locascio started Lawn Enforcement in 2001. His business grew with the area’s population and now, he has more than 500 lawn maintenance clients each week. Lawn Enforcement primarily serves residential clients, with only about 10 percent of the business being commercial customers. Chris says his day starts early, with daily operations, paperwork and scheduling all occurring before he has his crews ready to go and out the door to their first clients of the day by 8:30 a.m. Lawn Enforcement is run with two trucks/crews of four workers, in addition to both Chris and business partner

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Justin Birmingham, who manages the landscape and landscape curbing service (which involves the installation of small concrete curbs around flowerbeds and gardens) side of the business.

Lawn Enforcement offers two lawn maintenance packages for its residential clients. The Silver Service is for clients who want that manicured look, but don't have the time (or desire) to care for their lawns themselves. This package includes a professional cut, with recycled clippings, laser edging, line trimming around the entire property and air blowing the cuttings from driveways, sidewalks and even window sills. But, for those who want it all, the Platinum package includes all of the services provided in the Silver package, plus hedge and palm tree trimming, as well as the weeding and spraying of flower beds. Silver maintenance packages start at $65-$75 per month.

“Sure, you can find companies out there for $40-$50 per month, but many of them are seasonal and won't stay with you,” Chris says. “But, we’re lawn experts who are consistent and reliable — we’re in this for the long haul!"

Lawn Enforcement has been providing service for residential homeowner Harold Ziegler for more than two years.

“Chris and his crew perform quality work,” Harold says. “My lawn has never looked so good. I highly recommend

Lawn Enforcement & Water Works can turn your unkempt, sunburnt yard (left) into the neighborhood’s best-kept landscaping (right).

Lawn Enforcement to anyone who is looking for a dependable, reliable lawn service providing quality workmanship.”

Chris says that Lawn Enforcement’s crews pay attention to detail and are highly knowledgeable in all areas of lawn and landscape maintenance. “We cut at the proper 4-1/2 to 5 inches, which is necessary in the hot Florida climate,” Chris says. “Cuts lower than this can cause burn out of the root system, leaving a deteriorated and unsightly lawn.”

Landscapes To Enhance Your Property & Community

Chris says his once-basic lawn maintenance service quickly grew into a fullservice provider when he began his partnership with Justin, about two years

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

after starting Lawn Enforcement.

“Justin brought the landscaping expertise that many of my clients were looking for,” says Chris. The new partnership expanded the Lawn Enforcement services to include landscaping design and installation, custom curbing and stamped concrete, tree trimming and outdoor lighting.

Lawn Enforcement understands that fertilizer and pest control also are important aspects of maintaining a healthy lawn and landscape, and although the company does not offer these services, Chris says he searched for the best fertilizer and pest control businesses available to his clients.

He even weeded out the businesses he felt would not provide the level of quality service his clients were accustomed to and always wanted to be able to confi-

dently recommend providers he was certain would meet his clients’ needs.

He says that most of Lawn Enforcement’s clients have found the service by word of mouth.

“About ten percent of our clients are original clients — since the beginning,” he explains. So, it’s not surprising that Lawn Enforcement is a two-time consecutive Angie’s List (AngiesList.com) Super Service Award winner.

Lawn Enforcement client Bruce Creech says, “I have recommended Lawn Enforcement to several neighbors and friends. Each and every person who has retained Chris and company has echoed back to me about the same level of quality Lawn Enforcement and Water Works owner service. When we sold our previous Chris Locascio pressure washes a dirty roof. home, the buyers complimented us on coverage,” says Chris. “You can cut the the landscaping and maintenance, and it was without any reservation that I recom- yard at the right height and fertilize it all mended to the new owners that they con- you want, but your lawn won’t survive without proper watering,” Chris says. So, sider retaining Lawn Enforcement.” even if you choose to maintain your lawn yourself, you may still want to consider an Water Works Irrigation & irrigation system maintenance package Pressure Washing from Water Works.

With already more than 10 years in Chris recommends that irrigation the lawn and landscaping business, Chris systems should be checked once per saw a community need for a reliable irrimonth. Since most of these systems run at gation company that could provide the night, you may not know a problem exists high quality standard that Lawn Enforceuntil the damage is done. Water Works ment clients have come to know and can set you up with an inspection package trust. So, in June 2012, Chris started a to check your irrigation system. If you second company to fill the gap. Water need repairs, a Water Works associate will Works Irrigation & Pressure Washing is call and discuss the costs. Broken sprinkler filling that void.

“A lush yard requires good irrigation heads are a common repair; however, any

part of the irrigation system can become a problem.

“We’ve seen timer clocks fried by lightning or electrical surges, worn-out valves that won’t run or won’t shut off, old heads that bubble water from the base and even underground pipes that leak and are saturating the ground,” says Chris.

“We can handle all of these problems.”

Maintaining your irrigation system can actually save you money. Water is used more efficiently if the coverage is correct, as old, worn-out sprinkler heads can act more like an open garden hose than an irrigation system, dumping hundreds of gallons of water into the street.

In addition to installing and maintaining irrigation systems, Water Works

offers pressure washing for birdcages and lanais to get rid of mold and mildew.

Driveways and sidewalks are a popular service, especially in communities with homeowners associations, which includes virtually all of New Tampa, where residents are required to maintain their properties to certain aesthetics.

Whether it’s lawn maintenance, landscaping, landscape orders, stamped concrete, irrigation installation or repair, or pressure washing, Lawn Enforcement and Water Works are at your service. Call Chris Locascio at 3556065 or Justin Birmingham at 3556066, or you can submit your request online at LawnEnforcement.biz or at WaterWorksTampa.com.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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First Impressions Impress Summer Camps Teach Etiquette, Modeling & TV Skills

By Gary Nager When you see WFLA-TV (News Channel 8) news anchor Gayle Guyardo reading the morning news, I’m sure you’ll agree that she always looks glamorous, so it might be hard for you to believe that she was once, “so shy no one who knew me as a little girl can believe I do what I do today.”

Well, maybe one person believed Gayle could become a star — her mom and former TV personalty herself Joann Torretta. Joann, the director of First Impressions Tampa, an etiquette, poise, manners, model placement and on-camera training school which is hosting three camps this summer, ironically hosted a fashion & beauty show on the same TV station Gayle’s on now more than 30 years ago.

Joann says she knew that unlike Gayle's brother Paul (today a top marketing executive with DirecTV), who was very outgoing and personable as a child who took very well to their mom’s seemingly endless lessons on etiquette, poise and public speaking, Gayle would be much more of a “project.” Even though it may be hard to believe Gayle was ever anything less than beautiful and confident, mother and daughter agree that Joann’s firm hand and unquestionably professional instruction played a major role in making Gayle the polished TV personality she is today.

And, although they can’t guarantee your child will go on to become a popular

local TV personality, Gayle, Joann and Gayle’s friend and First Impressions employee Mary Ann Cucuzza all agree that the type of training Joann and her fellow First Impressions instructors can provide at any of the company’s three separate “Impress” camps this summer — all being hosted (for the time being) at the Northdale Recreation Center (only a 15-20-minute drive from most of New Tampa) — can be invaluable, no matter what your child(ren) plan(s) to do in the future.

“Most parents today want their young children to be well-behaved,” says Cucuzza, a friend of Guyardo’s and former top business development executive for Sony Digital Music who gave up her full-time job to become a full-time mom when her own mother passed away from cancer. “Joann has been so successful for more than three decades at training youngsters proper poise, etiquette and broadcast skills at her own First Impressions schools (on Davis Islands and in Brandon), that I knew that I wanted to open a First Impressions School in or near the Westchase area where I live. These camps are the first step for us to see if there’s a demand for it up here.”

She adds that Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation director Rick Valdez, “was very open to the idea and found us the Northdale location, which is easy to get to from New Tampa, Lutz, Wesley Chapel and Land O’Lakes.”

Here are the three First Impressions

Joann Torretta (standing above), the director of First Impressions Schools & the Impress Summer Camps to be held at the Northdale Recreation Center, can teach your children ages 5-8 proper table manners & poise & modeling skills for ages 9-12. camps your children can attend this summer: “I have Manners & Etiquette - For ages 5-8, been surthis series of three one-week camps will help prised,” says children develop social skills, such as poise & Gayle, “that kids who are smart and polished posture, dining etiquette, conversational enough to win the state (Department of EdDos & Don’ts, telephone etiquette and ucation) “Battle of the Books” competition more. It will alternate with the Poise, Fashstill don’t know how to make eye contact or ion & Modeling Camp (see below) every converse with adults. If these camps can help other week in the mornings from the last one shy, awkward kid like I was learn how to week in June through July. overcome that, it’s well worth it.”

Poise, Fashion & Modeling - For Broadcast Camp - For middle and ages 9-12, these unique one-week camps (in high school-aged youths, learn how to be July and early August) teaches wardrobe col- “camera-ready,” with proper on-air performors, skin care & makeup, fashion modeling ance, voice projection, body language and skills and of course, poise, personality and more. This camp will run in the afternoons proper etiquette as well. all six weeks from the week of June 24

through the week of August 5.

It’s important to note that although Gayle, as part of her community outreach for WFLA, will be helping out with every aspect of the Broadcast Camp, she will not be involved with the other two camps and, she says, “make no mistake, mom (Joann) will be overseeing and running all three camps all summer long. I’m just helping out.”

“I’ve trained more than 70,000 students the importance of proper poise WFLA-TV New Channel 8 news anchor Gayle Guyardo will help and manners, body lanher mother teach the six weeks of Impress Broadcast Camp for guage and other non-verbal middle and high school-aged kids this summer. communication, eye contact and how to carry on a pressive as her daughter’s. She graduated proper conversation,” Joann says. “Even the from prestigious Northwestern University in Broadcast Camp still has poise and presenta- Chicago, IL, with a B.S. degree in Speech tion skills at its core.” and Theater before moving to Tampa and Speaking of broadcast skills, Gayle says starting he first First Impressions School. her success story is a product of both the Since then, she has been named a “Leader skills she learned from her mom and hard in Fashion Education” by New York work. She worked her way up the ranks City’s Fashion Institute of Technology from an unpaid TV station intern in Montand also has been named “Outstanding gomery, AL, while the Tampa native was still Career Woman of Tampa Bay.” attending Auburn University (in Auburn, In other words, your kids are in AL). She eventually was promoted to news good hands at Impress Summer Camps! anchor at that station before getting hired at For more information about the an independent station in Sarasota and then First Impressions Impress Summer coming to WFLA more than a decade ago.

Camps for 2013, call 926-9196 or And, Joann’s background is just as imvisit FirstImpressionsTampa.com.

You Do The Dishes Celebrates 15 Years & Another Summer Of Art!

By Gary Nager When you’ve been doing the same job in the same area for nearly two decades, it can be easy to forget how hard other people also have worked to stay in business in the same area.

A case in point is You Do the Dishes (YDTD), the New Tampa area’s only Paint Your Own Pottery Studio, located in the same Shoppes of Amberly plaza (off Amberly Dr. in Tampa Palms) where our office has been located for more than ten years. Even so, I somehow didn’t remember that owner Cindy Kozlowski has been helping parents in the New Tampa area keep their kids occupied with something other than video games now for 15 years!

“This place is like an extension of my house,” says Cindy. “My own children are grown, but I love plants, children and animals and I get to have them all in my ‘house’ here.”

Marketing director and art educator Herb Pinder, who has been running YDTD’s Summer Art Workshops (see info below) for nearly a decade, originally came to YDTD as a customer who enjoyed painting the unique variety of pottery items available at YDTD, has been Cindy’s trusted friend and co-worker ever since and he agrees that a big reason for YDTD’s success where so many others have tried and failed in this area, is the

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“family feel” of the place.

“Coming here to paint is like going to a family reunion every week,” says Herb. “You can’t fake the kind of sincerity and caring about her customers that Cindy’s always had here.”

Cindy says one thing that amazes her is when young people now in college and older come back to YDTD to visit — some of whom end up working at the fun studio and coffee, tea and more shop.

“One of our employees, Emma, started coming here to paint with her mom when she was 8 years old,” says Cindy.” “Now, she teaches art here and also is an accomplished artist herself.”

Emma painted the beautiful portrait that hangs in the studio of Cindy’s long-time pet and YDTD celebrity, Elly Kozlowski, who passed away at 17 years old. Emma even has her own “Mary Emma Sims Pet Portraiture” business (call 774-1587). A part-time employee, Wharton High grad and Sickles High english teacher Jenny Buccino had a recent bridal shower thrown for her by Cindy at the studio.

Specials & More

You Do the Dishes is always getting in a variety of new pieces to paint and offers different specials every day. Monday is “Ladies Night Out,” when you can paint from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. for just $8 (cost of items painted not included). Then, there’s

You Do the Dishes Paint-Your-Own-Pottery Studio & Coffee Shop in Tampa Palms owner Cindy Kozlowski (3rd from left, seated) hosted a recent bridal shower for employee Jenny Buccino (2nd from left, standing) and all of her co-workers at the studio.

“Flat Rate Tuesday,” offering five hours of fun from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. for just $10; “Senior Day” is all day Wednesday, when those ages 55+ pay just a $6 flat rate to paint all day; Thursday is “College Night,” when students with college I.D. paint for just $8 from 7 p.m.-10 p.m.; “Freaky Fridays” are for kids 13 and under, who paint (with their parents) for $4 per hour after 5 p.m.; Saturday is “Friends Night,” when you can bring a friend in after 5 p.m. and you both get to paint for half price; and on “Super Sun-

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

days,” all painters receive a flat rate of $8 to paint from 7 p.m.-10 p.m.

And of course, YDTD is a perfect locale for birthday parties, Scout troops, school field trips, office parties, bridal and baby showers and of course, summer fun, as well as delicious coffee, tea, smoothies and other beverages, plus fresh cookies and even Bruster’s Real Ice Cream.

Summer Paint Workshops

If your child age 7-13 loves art, YDTD has a great summer camp program

Don’t let your kids miss this summer’s fun and educational Summer Art Workshops at You Do the Dishes, hosted by art educator Herb Pinder (far left, standing).

that has been a huge hit at the studio for the past eight years. The Summer Art Workshops feature expert instruction in a wide variety of artistic media, including color theory, abstract art, pastels, acrylic painting, watercolors, drawing and yes, pottery painting, too.

“The workshops do fill up,” says Herb. “Every year, we’ve had to turn away some applicants.” In other words, don’t wait too long before signing up your child(ren). There will be six weekly workshops again this year and the $220

weekly cost to attend includes expert instruction and all art materials, although the campers are expected to bring their own lunches.

“Seeing and hearing people talk about art is one thing,” says Herb. “But, actually getting the hands-on experience, instruction and exposure to the techniques is another thing entirely.”

You Do The Dishes is located at 15357 Amberly Dr. in Tampa Palms.

For more info, call 975-1700 or visit YouDoTheDishes.com.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Kids R Kids Learning Academy Of Meadow Pointe Is Fun, Safe Learning

By Bonnie Mason It’s never easy to have someone else — anyone other than you — take care of your children. But, when parents have to work to earn a living, they can be confident that their children are in good hands at the Kids R Kids Learning Academy of Meadow Pointe (KRK of Meadow Pointe), located minutes from New Tampa on Mansfield Blvd. at the corner of County Line Rd., inside the Meadow Pointe community.

Aritha Thomas, the independent owner of the KRK of Meadow Pointe franchise, says that what differentiates the 161 KRK academies in 14 states (including 13 centers in Florida) — and her center in particular — from other child learning centers are the accreditations and affiliations they hold.

“We exceed DCF (Florida Department of Children and Families) and State Department of Education standards and expectations and are accredited by SACS/CASI (the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement) through the AdvancED accreditation commission and APPLE (Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment). We also have achieved the Gold Quality Seal from DCF. In fact, we have never been cited during an inspection and are most often in the 95-100 percent range,” says Aritha.

KRK of Meadow Pointe both teaches

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and cares for 250 children ages six weeks to 12 years old, with about 30 teachers and staff. The free-standing center is approximately 17,000 sq. ft., with 10 classroom suites, a cafeteria, a media/library room, a large activity gym for before- and after-school students, and four large play areas separated for different age groups.

And, for outdoor play, there are three ageappropriate play areas and a full-size basketball court.

Aritha opened KRK about seven years ago. Prior to entering the ownership side of education, she taught engineering and physics to college students. Aritha explains that education runs in the family, starting with her grandfather, and her family still owns several schools in southern India.

She lives in Tampa with her husband of 21 years, local businessman John Verghese.

The couple has two children, a son, 17, and a 14-year-old daughter.

Curricula For All Ages

KRK of Meadow Pointe is not so much a babysitting or daycare service as it is an educational facility that provides a developmentally appropriate curriculum for each age group it serves. The love, caring and nurturing by the staff is an extra bonus, a bonus that has been the norm at all KRK centers since the first center opened in 1985. Every child enrolled, even infants, receives hands-on, interactive instruction.

“Infants as young as six weeks old are

involved with stimulating play designed to help each child reach developmental milestones — all while having fun,” says Aritha. Infants also learn sign language to develop early ways to communicate to their parents if (Left) Owner Aritha Thomas (left) and director Amy Rath of Kids R Kids of they are tired Meadow Pointe Learning Academy, located on Mansfield Blvd. (Right) A or hungry.

KRK of Meadow Pointe student utilizes the center’s learning technology.

Meanwhile, preschoolers (ages 2-5) learn confi- says she is proud of the low turnover at her academy. She says, “Our staff is exdence through celebrating successes ceptional and committed to the children reached in their daily routines. The Rea and to the curriculum taught at the acadfamily, in a written testimonial, states, emy. Many of our teachers have been here “The teachers (at KRK of Meadow for many years.” She adds that when a Pointe) are top-notch and they truly care teacher does leave KRK of Meadow about my children... I feel that my children are getting a good education because Pointe, it is typically because they are starting a family, or relocating due to the they constantly come home talking about purchase of a new home or new employwhat they did that day or singing new ment for a spouse. songs or with art they created.” KRK of Meadow Pointe also offers a state-sponSchool-Aged Learning, Too sored, free Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten KRK children between the ages of 5 (VPK) program (see below for info).

12 years are presented with activities diMost of the instructors at KRK hold rected to challenge the mind while having a Bachelor’s degree or higher and Aritha fun, explains Amy Rath, the director of

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KRK of Meadow Pointe. Amy earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Florida State University in Tallahassee before becoming a teacher of the 4th and 5th grade. She moved to Tampa so that she and her husband could live closer to family. Amy worked as a VPK teacher at a local child care center and school before landing at KRK and held the position of curriculum coordinator at the academy prior to taking on the role of center director.

“The KRK school-age curriculum is a 42-week program that allows the children to work independently and in small groups. Individual progress is monitored and the staff encourages every child.”

The technology at KRK is impressive.

School-age and pre-school students have access to computers and learn with the latest interactive teaching tools available.

“Our children are always anxious to work with the ‘interactive white board’ located in the computer media center,” Amy says. “A favorite interactive learning program among the children is ABC Mouse.”

Safe & Secure

Parents should never have to worry about their children’s safety and security and KRK of Meadow Pointe definitely is a secure facility. Every teacher is background screened, locally and through the FBI. The center also has a top-notch security system that starts with a security-coded key pad and buzz-in only entrance and continues throughout the entire facility.

Parents check their children in each morning by logging into a computer with secure, password-protected software. And, each evening, the children are released the same way.

Individual classrooms at KRK also are secured. Cameras monitor each room, allowing any parent to observe their children whenever they wish. The Wills family has had at least one of their children enrolled at KRK of Meadow Pointe for the last almost seven years. “As working parents, we appreciate the safe, clean, educational and friendly environment provided by Kids R Kids,” says the family’s written testimonial. “It is great we are able to drop off the children in the morning and know they are in very competent hands with extremely professional and caring teachers and staff."

Parents interested in enrolling their child in the Voluntary Prekindergarten program (VPK) at Kids R Kids of Meadow Pointe can attend the academy’s upcoming Open House on Thursday, April 18, 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. This is a great time to meet staff, see the classrooms, and learn about how the KRK curriculum prepares your child for kindergarten. There will even be a bounce house and refreshments for all to enjoy!

Kids R Kids Learning Academy of Meadow Pointe (1540 Mansfield Blvd.) is open Mon.-Fri., 6 a.m.-6:30 p.m. To enroll your child(ren) or learn more , visit KidsRKidsMeadowPointe. com or call 994-4525.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Freedom, Wharton Girls Fall In Respective District Championships 7-1 records in the District during the regular season.

Because they ended up as the DisDespite having an outstanding regutrict tourney runner-up, the Pats would lar season record of 17-2, the hopes of a bring their 18-3 overall record into the District title have ended for the girls of Region 7A playoffs, where they were set the Freedom Patriots softball team. But, to play Countryside (24-3) on April 23. even though the Freedom girls lost in The playoffs had an optimistic start the finals of the Class 7A-District 9 playoffs, losing 4-2 to the top-seeded Cham- for the Patriots, following a close 2-1 District semifinal victory on April 17 berlain Chiefs in the District title game, against the Steinbrenner Warriors. The which was played at Freedom on April 18. Freedom and Chamberlain both had game remained scoreless until the fifth, Maxpreps.com reports, following a Warriors run, but RBIs from Patriots junior Rachel Carlson (.433 batting average, 21 RBIs & 25 runs scored) and freshman Maddy Hall (.394, 25 runs scored, team-best 9 stolen bases) put the Pats ahead with a 2-1 lead that would seal the team’s victory, advancing them to the Despite some solid offensive plays, including junior Rachel Carl- District Champison’s stolen base (above), the Freedom Patriots fell to the Chamber- onship against lain Chiefs in the District 7A-9 Championship on April 18.

Chamberlain.

By Matt Wiley

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The Chiefs wasted no time against the Patriots, scoring in the top of the first inning and setting the tone for the remainder of the game. The Patriots were playing catchup and wouldn’t cross the plate until the bottom of the sixth inning, when they were already trailing by 4 runs. Seniors Katlin Hall (.452, team-best 6 2Bs, 22 RBIs, plus a 6-3 pitching record with a sparkling 1.09 ERA) and Caitlin Harper (.274, 2 HRs) batted in Maddy Hall and Carlson for a run each, but it wasn’t enough to catch up with the Chiefs.

Other top players for Freedom include senior Caroline Whiteside (.344, 21 RBIs & 6 SBs) and sophomore Grace Street (team-best .460 BA & 29 hits, plus a perfect 9-0 on the mound, a 1.02 ERA and 37 Ks in 54.2 IP).

Wharton Falls To Durant

After rallying past Bloomingdale to advance to the Class 8A-District 7 Championship, the Wharton Lady Wildcats (128) lost 5-0 to Durant in a title game postponed a day due to heavy rains.

Durant (19-8) came out swinging, scoring an early run and never backing down at home on April 18, scoring 3 more in the third before the weather struck. Durant tacked on 1 more run when the game continued the next day to

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defeat the Wildcats for the third time this season and sink Wharton’s chance at a District title. The rally never came.

That wasn’t the case, however, during the District semifinal against the Bloomingdale Bulls (17-7) on April 17.

Like Durant, the Bulls led early with 2 runs in the first inning. Wharton fought back with a run in the second, but couldn’t get any offense going until the sixth inning, scoring 2 runs to take the lead and drop the Bulls. Solid pitching by sophomore Mak Dooley (11-7 on the year, with a 2.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 129 IP, plus a .379 BA and a team-best 7 2Bs & 12 RBIs) kept the Bulls at bay, as she chalked up 8 strikeouts in 7 innings. Juniors Nicole Stannard (team-leading .447 BA) and Nicole Keesee (.328, 10 RBIs) had 2 hits and an RBI apiece.

Other top hitters for the ‘Cats this year include soph Erica Matich (.356, with a team-leading 3 HRs, plus 9 RBIs), junior Nicole Dixon (.333, 10 RBIs) and soph Meagan Bell (.298, with 9 RBIs & a team-leading 15 runs scored).

Wildcats head coach Ashlee Cappucci also could not be reached for comment before we went to press.

The statistics we cite also are from Maxpreps.com, so we can’t vouch for them being 100-percent accurate. Editor Gary Nager contributed to this feature.

We’ll update this story on-line.

Freedom & Wharton Make List Of ‘Most Challenging’ U.S. High Schools Congratulations to both Freedom and Wharton High Schools for making The Washington Post’s annual list of America’s Most Challenging High Schools!

According to the Post’s list, Freedom came in at 579, followed closely by Wharton at 592 of the more than 22,000 traditional, public high schools in the 50 U.S. states.

The rankings are based on the number of Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and

Advanced International Certificate (AIC) tests that are given at a high school each year, divided by the number of seniors who graduate, called the “Challenge Index.” The higher the number, the higher the school’s rank.

An index score of 1.000 means that as many students who graduated from a school also took an advanced test that year, whether it was an AP, IB or AIC test. Freedom finished with an index score of 2.640 and Wharton with an index score of 2.617. — MW

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Broadway Comes To Tampa Brings Back Favorites For 14th Show

By Matt Wiley Saddlebrook Resort & Spa in Wesley Chapel is a ritzy joint, but on Saturday, May 11, it will have all the glitz and glamour of New York City’s “Great Whie Way,” as the stars of the Broadway stage come back to town for one night only.

L-R: This year’s 14th annual Broadway Comes To Tampa stars Neil Berg, Kate Shindle, Capathia Jenkins, Danny Zolli, Rob For the 14th year, the New Tampa Evan, Greg Wall and Carter Calvert will bring their talents to Saddlebrook Resort on Saturday, May 11 at 6 p.m.

Players (NTP), Inc., presents the “Broadscheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at Saddlesaxophone skills to the stage, which he vorites, Wall says he also has brought a way Comes to Tampa” (BCTT) dinner also has lent to numerous film scores. Also brook Resort & Spa in Wesley Chapel. new face to the event. Kate Shindle, who gala, which literally brings the stars of Tickets cost $175, or $1,750 for a returning to BCTT is Carter Calvert, best starred in the Straz Center’s creation of Broadway’s most famous stage productable of ten and are available by calling known her role in the Tony-nominated “Wonderland” (as in Alice in Wonderland) tions to Saddlebrook Resort, located off 386-6687 or online at Broadway“It Ain’t Nothing But The Blues.” in 2010. Shindle also has appeared in the S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel, to perform ComesToTampa.com. For tickets and Although Saddlebrook certainly is a Broadway productions of “Legally their hits for a small crowd in an intimate, questions, including sponsorship oppremier venue for such an event, NTP has Blonde,” “Cabaret” and “Jekyll & Hyde.” dinner atmosphere. portunities, please contact Doug Wall been working for the past several years to In addition, she also has appeared in TV’s “This being our 14th year (doing “Gossip Girl” and in the Academy Award- secure a permanent home for its stage pro- at DNW122@AOL.com.

BCTT), I’ve decided to bring back some ductions and special events, which the thenominated 2005 film, “Capote.” of our most requested performers,” says ater troupe has been planning on This year’s BCTT also will feature NTP president Doug Wall. “All of the constructing on the land located across Capathia Jenkins, who has appeared on stars are different from last year.”

Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from the Broadway in “Martin Short: Fame BeReturning to the BCTT stage after a entrance to Hunter’s Green. “Red tape” comes Me” and “The Civil War,” as well year’s hiatus is Neil Berg, Wall’s cousin and funding issues each have both played as on TV in “30 Rock” and “The Sopraand renowned Broadway and Off-Broadtheir part in preventing the construction nos;” Danny Zolli of “Jesus Christ Superway composer, who in years past has proof the theater thus far, but Wall says that star” fame, who most recently was named vided narration and the musical NTP is still working toward a home of lead singer of “The World Rock Symaccompaniment for the event. He missed their own. BCTT is the main fund raiser phony Orchestra;” Rob Evan of the platlast year’s event to accept the prestigious for the project each year. inum-selling band the Trans-Siberian Ellis Island Congressional Humanitarian To help raise funds, the event also will Orchestra, who also has appeared on award, a worthy excuse. Berg is the comfeature a silent auction and a raffle, with Broadway in the original cast of “Jekyll & poser of the off-Broadway musical “The the Grand Prize winner receiving an all exHyde,” performing in the lead role in Prince and the Pauper,” as well as the penses-paid trip to New York City to see front of more than 1,000 audiences.

Broadway-bound adaptation of the classic two Broadway shows.

BCTT veteran Greg Wall, Doug’s buddy movie “Grumpy Old Men.” “Broadway Comes to Tampa” is In addition to bringing back some fa- brother, will once again be bringing his

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Freedom Grad Brings Enters Tribeca Film Fest With ‘The Exit Room’

By Matt Wiley Film festivals. Red carpets, celebrities and champagne come to mind. Or, maybe that’s the Oscars. But, for one Freedom High graduate, the Tribeca Film Festival could be a stepping stone to the latter, as he premieres his short film, “The Exit Room,” during the New York City festival to help get his name out there and bring exposure to his work.

Todd Wiseman, Jr., 25, graduated in 2005 from Freedom, where he worked on the school’s morning news. Now, he works on the sixth floor of a building in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, the building that his production company, Hayden 5 Media, LLC, calls home.

On April 20, Wiseman was expected to premiere his ten-minute film, a look at the punishment of a captured journalist awaiting execution during a futuristic American revolution, to a theater of festival attendees.

“I had been to (the) Tribeca (festival) before as a guest, and it was a really exciting experience,” Wiseman explains. “(The festival) is really cool because it brings together international filmmakers and local filmmakers. Tribeca has a ‘narrative’ category, so we entered ‘The Exit Room,’ and it got selected, which is a huge honor.”

Wiseman says that the short, which stars Christopher Abbott (HBO’s “Girls” series), already had generated some pre-

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festival “buzz” and that he already has received offers for distribution and representation, which are usually the goals when an independent filmmaler takes a film to a festival.

Based on a short story by Ambrose Bierce—Wiseman won’t give up the name of the story for the sake of the film’s ending—the young filmmaker says he got the idea for his adaptation of the story from reading and seeing a film version of it as a kid.

“It was an old, old black and white film and it’s always stuck with me,” he explains. “I decided to set (my version) in the future.”

The film was shot over four days, but took about a year to produce, develeop, find financing, and secure both talent and locations.

“It’s a labor of love,” he says. “You usually don’t make money on films like this. It serves more as a ‘calling card.’”

In the meantime, Wiseman and his Hayden 5 business partner Milos Silber— who also is the cinematographer on the film—continued to work on commercial production, producing advertisements for companies such as Marshalls stores and Dunlop tennis balls, as well as working on other projects for T.V. Named after their New York University (NYU) dorm, in which they were roommates, Wiseman and Silber filmed their way through school, including creat-

Left: ‘The Exit Room,’ a short film written and directed by Freedom grad Todd Wiseman, Jr. (blue shirt) premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 20.

ing ads and music videos, which led them to start their production company together after graduation in 2009.

“It started out of our apartment and has transformed into quite a little enterprise,” Wiseman explains. “Filmmaking has always been our passion. It’s grown into two companies.”

Wiseman and Silber’s Manhattan office also serves as home to Man With A Cam, a freelance video-production staffing company, which puts potential clients that need a video project completed in contact with videographers across the country. If a client in New York needs to shoot something in California, Man With A Cam can put the client in contact with a professional in that area.

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Although it sounds like he lives in a different, high-speed world in NYC, Wiseman says he hasn’t forgotten where he learned the basics.

“I learned framing and filmmaking at Freedom,” he says. “That literally was the deciding factor in what I wanted to do with my life. Getting into NYU and the rest stemmed from my experience at Freedom. I love to represent Tampa in any way, shape or form. I’m planning on writing my next feature film for Tampa.”

For more information about Hayden 5 and Man With A Cam, please visit Hayden5Media.com and ManWithACam.org. To see “The Exit Room,” please visit TribecaFilm.com before April 28!

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New Tampa ‘Relay For Life’ May 18!

Three years ago, Trish Walton was asked by a friend on the American Cancer Society (ACS) “Relay for Life” of New Tampa committee to start a Relay team. So, she asked her friend, Ellen King, a resident of West Meadows, to help. They knew it was for a great cause, so they “winged it” that first year. This year, Ellen is the team captain of “Fun Friends Footin’ it for a Cure,” which consists of 28 members, all from New Tampa neighborhoods (including Tampa Palms, Hunter’s Green and even Meadow Pointe in Wesley Chapel).

Last year, the “Fun Friends” team raised $6,156 for the New Tampa Relay. So far this year, the team already has raised more than $2,200 and still had about a month, at our press time, to top last year’s fund-raising total. The team started working early (Halloween 2012) for this year’s Relay, which will be held beginning Friday, May 17, 6 p.m., around the running track at Freedom High in Tampa Palms.

The Friends already have held a block party with games, pizza and a costume contest, dinner parties, wine & cheese parties, garage sales, basket raffles and more, all to benefit the New Tampa Relay.

The “Friends” like to involve kids, to teach them the importance of giving. For example, Brianna Benito obtained permission from her school to have a “Purple Color Day” where the students could pay $1 to wear purple instead of their school uni-

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form. Brianna has raised $82 so far.

Ellen and her son Timothy, Adriana Benito and her daughter Brianna, Allison Kaczmarek and other members of the team were waving signs and attracting customers to CherryBerry of New Tampa (photo) on March 27. General manager Kathy Montoya offered to donate a portion of the day’s proceeds to the Friends’ Relay efforts.

Over the last three years, the Friends have raised more than $13,000. This year, the goal is to raise $7,500!

“All of us have had someone close who has had cancer or know people who lost their battles,” Ellen says. “Some are mothers, close friends and survivors themselves.”

The Friends are just one of 47 teams and 539 participants already signed up and already have raised more than $32,000 for the ACS Relay For Life of New Tampa. For more info, contact ACS community representative Michelle Rossi at 319-591, ext. 5917. Or visit RelayforLife.org and type in zip code 33647.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Angry Chair Brewing: Craft Beer With Some Wesley Chapel Roots

By Matt Wiley The Tampa Bay area is becoming a hotbed for cold, craft beer, with new breweries popping up across the area seemingly every few months. One of the newest breweries has its roots right here in Wesley Chapel. Say hello to Angry Chair Brewing, which has its first location in Tampa’s Seminole Heights neighborhood.

For the past two years, Angry Chair Brewing has been homeless, a side-project of Tampa’s Cigar City Brewing and The Brass Tap (at the Shops at Wiregrass mall) employee Ryan Dowdle, 34, a Meadow Pointe resident, fellow Cigar City employee and pilot-brewer Ben Romano, 32, and business partner Shane Mozur, 38, also of Meadow Pointe.

A Sarasota native, Dowdle, 34, migrated north to the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 1997 for college, where he says he was blown away by the large amount of “weird beer” on tap.

“That’s where I was first introduced to craft beer,” he says. “Going from a macro, domesticated beer state to a state that supports craft beer intrigued me.”

By “macro, domesticated beer,” Dowdle refers to the major “American” breweries, such as Miller-Coors and Anheuser-Busch, which now is owned by Belgium-based InBev. Exposure to small, craft breweries sparked Dowdle’s interest in the creativity that can go into the brewing

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process, which, at that time, wasn’t as easy to find on the shelves in Florida.

After graduating in 2001, he returned to Florida, specifically Wesley Chapel. Once a week, together with a few friends — including Joey Redner, owner of Cigar City Brewing, located off of Spruce St. near Tampa International Airport — Dowdle would sample craft beers from across the U.S. that they acquired by trading with fellow craft brew enthusiasts online. Paired with working as the general manager at The Brass Tap in Wiregrass for several years, Dowdle was sold.

“Now, craft beer is a passion of mine,” he explains. “I believe in it. Craft beer is not a trend. It’s the future. Craft beer is American brewing. I want to be a part of it and support it as much as I can.”

And that’s the plan with Angry Chair, which derives its name from Dowdle and Mozur’s stint working jobs in the corporate finance world.

“An ‘angry chair’ is what we refer to as your chair at work, or wherever makes you angry,” Dowdle says. “It’s your unhappy place. Angry Chair Brewing is a celebration of being away from that place.”

Celebration is a fitting word for the beers that Angry Chair already has brewed out of Cigar City, one of which was a German “chocolate cake milk stout,” brewed with chocolate, vanilla beans and coconut and aged on more vanilla beans, coconut and rum-soaked oak chips. Another brew

has been named Bananas Foster, after the classic New Orleans-style dessert.

“We’re forward-thinking with our beers,” Dowdle explains. “We’re not going into it thinking we’re going to make just a few core beers. We’re going to brew beer that we want to drink, and what we think other people might like. They may develop into our core beers, but it’ll depend on demand. As far as styles, the sky is the limit.

We’re not scared to brew anything.”

Craft beer consumers can expect to see a wide range of styles, including a rye beer, India pale ales, porters, stouts and Berliner-Weisses, or sour beers with blueberry or raspberry flavors.

Although the Angry Chair owners just announced their brewery’s location at 6401 N. Florida Ave. in an old clock-repair shop, Dowdle and company have been busy getting the word out, even taking part in the second annual Tampa Bay Beer Week, which ran from March 2-10, with craft beer events all over the Tampa Bay area. Angry Chair took over the taps at the Cigar City tasting room on March 7, with 32 gallons of six different brews.

“It truly was a madhouse,” Dowdle says. “Our six beers were completely gone in an hour and a half. The show of support was amazing.”

If all goes according to plan, Angry Chair beer will be on tap at its own brewery in August, just a few miles south of our distribution areas, in the evenrable and

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Wesley Chapel resident Ryan Dowdle (left) and Ben Romano of Angry Chair Brewing.

ever-improving Old Seminole Heights neighborhood.

“Logistically, it made more sense to find a location in Seminole Heights,” Dowdle explains. “It’s right smack in the middle of Tampa. There’s a lot of synergy in the neighborhood. We did a lot of looking around. When we first went into the building, we found a lot of turn-of-the century beer artifacts, like old Pabst Blue Ribbon posters. It seemed like a good fit.”

Until then, the Angry Chair owners are working on getting licensing for their own brewery approved, but their beers still can be found periodically at the Cigar City Tasting Room (3924 W. Spruce St).

For more information, check out Angry Chair Brewing at Facebook.com/AngryChairBrewing.

Full Circle Pizza & Grill — Your Place For Fun, Tasty Family Dining!

By Gary Nager It won’t be open a full year for a couple of months yet, but whether you’re originally from Chicago or not, I hope you’ll check out owner Ron Chase’s Full Circle Pizza & Grill, located less than two miles south of County Line Rd. on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., in the Pebble Creek Collection.

In the less than ten months he’s been open at our press time, Chase already has expanded his menu quite a bit, including adding true Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, as well as more salads and sandwiches, based on requests from his already-veryloyal throng of regular customers who helped vote Full Circle as our readers’ 2012 favorite pizza place in New Tampa/Wesley

Our editor loves the Full Circle iceberg wedge salad.

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At Full Circle Pizza & Grill in New Tampa’s Pebble Creek Collection, you can have deep-dish Chicago pizza (left) Mon.-Thur. or a thin-crust pizza meal with garlic knots, a large salad, zeppoles and Peroni or Yuengling beer on draft any day!

Chapel and second favorite restaurant in New Tampa.

Although non-Chicagoans like yours truly may think that deep-dish is the only “true” Chicago pizza, Chase, a long-time former resident of the Windy City, says his thin-crust pizza is actually what more Chicago natives enjoy.

“Most of our requests for deep-dish pizza were coming from people who weren’t from Chicago,” he says. “But, because so many other people asked for it, I decided to go ahead and add it.” And, while the deep-dish pizza currently is only

available Monday-Thursday at Full Circle (Chase says it takes too long to bake them during his always-busy weekend dinner hours), they already are very popular — as well as very filling and very yummy. I especially appreciate the thick layer of sausage and equally thick tomato sauce on top, as well as the quality cheese and still-crisp crust of the new deep-dish sausage and tomato pie.

Check out Full Circle’s complete slate of specialty and white pizzas, as well as tasty calzones and strombolis, too, and I’m quite certain you won’t be disappointed.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Chase says that his goal is to be your family’s favorite place to go for a reasonably priced meal. For about $30, your family can share a large thin-crust pizza, an order of delicious garlic knots, one of Chase’s popular large salad ( including everything from Caesar to antipasto to my favorite, the Full Circle wedge, which comes with both a creamy garlic parmesan dressing and a tasty balsamic glaze) and an order of Italian donut holes (zeppoles) for dessert.

If you’re looking for something other than (or in addition to) pizza, I’m partial to Full Circle’s jumbo chicken wings and

Other Full Circle favorites include the Chicago-style hot dog (above) Philly cheesesteak (top right) and chicken fettuccine Alfredo (right). mozzarella sticks, as well as the Philly cheesesteak sandwich. Chase also has a variety of Chicago sandwich favorites — everything from delicious Chicago-style Italian beef, Italian sausage and beef combo, a Chicago-style Vienna beef hot dog, grilled, fried, blackened or Buffalo-style chicken sandwich, as well as chicken, eggplant and meatball parmesan subs and hamburgers with your choice of toppings (including a pizza burger with grilled mushrooms and onions, marinara and mozzarella).

Chase also takes a lot of pride in his spaghetti and homemade meatballs and he also offers jumbo cheese raviolis and my favorite Full Circle pasta — the fettuccine Alfredo with grilled (or blackened) chicken.

There’s also full chicken and eggplant parmesan dinners, each served with a side of pasta and two garlic knots.

And, Full Circle’s casual atmosphere also offers several flat-screen TVs, beer on draft (I love the Peroni and Yuengling

drafts) and domestic, import and premium beer in bottles, as well as equally reasonable prices on a variety of red and white wines.

In addition to the zeppoles, there’s also creamy NY-style cheesecake available for dessert.

Full Circle Pizza & Grill (19651 BBD Blvd.) is open every day for lunch and dinner. Call 994-3700 or visit FullCirclePizzaandGrill.com.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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The Latest & Greatest News About Dining, Shopping, Retail & More In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel!

World Of Beer To Leave; Ciccio’s To Replace It?

Although former Tampa Palms Ciccio’s Lodge managing partner Robert Garofano couldn’t confirm anything about his restaurant reopening in the same space, we do know for certain that the World of Beer (WoB) in the Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms is closing — and could already be closed as early as the day you receive this issue in your mailboxes.

The WoB anchor space in this difficult plaza with limited parking and tiny parking spaces (which originally was expected to be an Old Chicago restaurant) has been through a few different incarnations since the plaza opened five or so years ago, but WoB definitely seemed to be the most successful endeavor in that location, especially considering how successful some of the other WoB locations are (including the two nearest to us now Garofano says that the Ciccio’s management group, which also owns multiple successful restaurants in South Tampa (including Water sushi restaurant, Daily Eats, The Lodge, The Lime and Ciccio’s), has been looking at the WoB space, but at our press time, no announcement was imminent.

We hope you’ll check our website, NTNeighborhoodNews.com, for updates about Ciccio’s, a possible new location for Sushi Tsu Japanese restaurant and other same-day dining news. If we get any finalized, announce-able dining info before our next issue hits your mailboxes, we will make it our “News Item of the Day” on our website, so stay tuned!

Coffee Beanery Also Closing?

Although, at our press time, no formal

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announcement had been made, despite our efforts to reach the owners, we have been told by a reliable source that the Coffee Beanery Café in the same Shoppes at The Pointe plaza also was getting ready to close.

We also know that the Beanery hasn’t replaced its broken espresso machine for several months (not a good sign for a coffee shop) and I personally was on hand at the Beanery more than once (because I’m a fan) when the space was being shown by Realtors to possible new tenants during regular business hours, which isn’t good for business if a place plans to stay open. But, we’ll keep you posted.

BB&T Cuts A Ribbon At Former Krispy Kreme Locale

Although a few of us miss having a Krispy Kreme Donuts shop at the corner of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and Doña Michelle Dr., just north of I-75, there’s no doubt that the new BB&T (Branch Banking & Trust Co.) Bank that recently opened in the space previously occupied by Krispy Kreme, is already proving to be a great community partner.

New Tampa BB&T Financial Center leader Frances Belisle and her team were on hand for the new branch’s Grand Opening and New Tampa Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting on April 16. A few dozen people got to enjoy a delicious breakfast from the nearby New Tampa Panera Bread and find out more about BB&T Corp.

(NYSE: BBT), which is one of the largest financial services holding companies in the U.S. with $178.5 billion in assets and market capitalization of $21.6 billion, as of June 30, 2012. Based in Winston-Salem, NC, the company operates approximately

New Tampa Financial Center leader Frances Belisle (with scissors) cuts the ribbon, with members of the New Tampa Chamber of Commerce, at the new BB&T Bank branch on Doña Michelle Dr. at Bruce B. Downs Blvd. on Apr. 16.

1,800 financial centers in 12 states and Washington, DC, and offers a full range of consumer and commercial banking, securities brokerage, asset management, mortgage and insurance products and services.

A Fortune 500 company, BB&T is consistently recognized for outstanding client satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Greenwich Associates and others.

The New Tampa BB&T is located at 17502 Doña Michelle Dr. For more info, call 1-(800) BANK BBT (2265228) or visit BBT.com.

AliBaba Hookah Lounge To Open In Cross Creek Center For those of you already “hooked” on the whole hookah water pipe flavored tobacco craze and those who have heard

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

about it but never tried it, the AliBaba Hookah Lounge (10038 Cross Creek Blvd., in the Cross Creek Center plaza), which is set to open by around May 1 in the Cross Creek Center plaza, is the place for you. AliBaba will have about a dozen tables, lots of hookah pipes and flavored (all legal) tobaccos, plus a variety of coffee and other beverages, sandwiches, desserts and more (but no beer, wine or alcohol).

For more info, call 991-1216.

Café Olé’s Busy May!

As if being one of the last true sitdown, non-chain fine dining restaurants in New Tampa isn’t enough, if you’ve never been to Café Olé (10020 Cross Creek Blvd., also in the Cross Creek Center), or it’s been a while you’ve been, you owe it to yourself to visit this outstanding “Taste of

Co-owners Alfio Carroccetto & Stephanie Farquhar (both in green, with scissors) were joined by 40 guests and Wesley Chapel Chamber members at the recent Chamber ribbon cutting at Pura Indoor Cycling in the Shoppes at New Tampa plaza on BBD Blvd. Photo by Matt Wiley the Mediterranean” restaurant this month.

It starts on Cinco de Mayo (Sunday, May 5), when Café Olé is will offer special menu items and $2 Corona bottles. The May festivities continue on Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 12), when Café Olé will feature your choice of eight tapas (appetizers) and eight entrées (see the ad on pg. 53 for the full menu) to enjoy with your mom, your wife or other significant other. And finally, on Saturday, May 18, Café Olé will offer the latest installment of its popular flamenco show, with a great dinner deal with your choice of three tapas, three entrées and three desserts.

For reservations and more information about these great events, plus open hours and more, call 907-5242 or visit CafeOleTampa.com.

Happy Cow Grand Opening!

A little north of the Pasco County line, at 1646 BBD, next to the Bonefish Grill in the Shoppes at New Tampa plaza, Happy Cow Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet & Gelato will celebrate its Grand Opening on Friday, May 10, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Co-owner/GM and Wesley Chapel resident Ray Perez says

there will be plenty of free yogurt, sorbet and soft-serve gelato samples given away (while supplies last) that day, as well as prizes (restrictions apply) and even balloon animals. And, the first 100 customers that day will receive a 20-percent discount. The store, which is expected to open a few days before the Grand Opening, also will offer 60 toppings and sauces, as well as fresh-baked cookies and brownies.

For additional information, visit Facebook.com/Happy Cow Frozen Yogurt or call 531-5421.

Pura Cycling Cuts A Ribbon The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) continues to get involved in the Wesley Chapel business community and this time of year is always busy for Chamber ribbon cuttings and events.

The most recent ribbon-cutting ceremony we attended was on April 2 for Pura Indoor Cycling Studio (1822 BBD, in the Shoppes at New Tampa plaza, near Publix) which opened last December, but as many businesses do, waited several months before celebrating. For more info, call 501-2124 or visit PuraCycling.com.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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NEW TAMPA & WESLEY CHAPEL H E L P

W A N T E D H O M E

PHYSICAL THERAPIST – An established New Tampa outpatient clinic is hiring a part-time PT to provide customized, one-on-one care. Fax resume to (813) 994-3080 HELP WANTED - Medical Billing Personnel, parttime, flexible hours, Local PT Clinic. Fax resume to (813) 994-3080.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE Join our mission to create greater awareness for our clients. By using cutting edge promotional marketing methods, we bring the products to the local market.

We strive to create strong presence in our community for the products and services we represent, we go above and beyond for a level of success that far exceeds our competition. Contact Us Today (813) 501-4915.

29140 Chapel Park Dr. Wesley Chapel www.centurionconcepts.co HELP WANTED - Licensed insurance agent needed for Wesley Chapel P&C Agency. One year of agency experience preferred. Must have 4-40 or above license. Part-time and full-time openings available. Good customer relationship and organizational skills required. Competitive salary with bonus structure.

If interested, please forward your resume to info@insurancenewtampa.com HELP WANTED - Medical Assistant needed for Pediatic office in Wesley Chapel starting immediately.

Pediatric experience preferred. Fax # (813)973-4438 Email: rdubey5@yahoo.com

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PROFESSIONAL TENNIS LESSONS - Recently relocated USPTA/PTR teaching professional available for private/group/team tennis lessons. Former Head Tennis Professional at the #2 and #3 Tennis Resorts in the U.S. Past coach of former #1 singles player at the University of Florida. Call Steve Brady at (843) 422-3993 or email sbrady@hargray.com PIANO LESSONS/TUTORING- Children, teens, and adults. I am a highly qualified/certified Florida educator specializing in piano, music theory, language arts, reading, writing, geography, elementary math, beginning Spanish, and FCAT/test preparation. Contact Mrs. Daley at 813-468-1424 for rates & scheduling.

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INTERIOR/EXTERIOR PAINTING - Pool and patio concrete staining. Power washing: Awnings, screen enclosures, driveways, sidewalks, fencing, gutters and down spouts, homes and condos. 27 years experience. U.S. Painting and Power Washing, LLC. 813.388.9937.

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.

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.

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 WEST COAST FLOORING INC - Hardwood, Laminate, and Carpet; Over 25 years experience in sales and installations; Repairs: Large and small jobs; We even do exterior pavers; Free estimates - Call Doug at (813) 215-4817 HANDYMAN SERVICES - Handyman Services, Disposal and fan installations. Painting, dry wall repair, calking, tile and wooden floor installations, gutter cleaning, and much more. Great prices! Call 813.907.6994.

S E R V I C E S R E A L

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) 857-5400 or visit TranquilityPoolService.com

AQUATEC POOL SERVICE - keeping pools clear & swim safe since 1994. WE DO POOLS RIGHT! Commercial & Residential. CPO #33-303052 Licensed & Insured. Service guarantee. Call (813) 312-5694 TODAY and get 1 MONTH OF QUALITY SERVICE FOR FREE. www.aquatecpool.com

COMPUTER SERVICES PROFESSIONAL TECH SUPPORT – in your home or small business. A+ certified computer tech with 20 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.

DO YOU HATE YOUR COMPUTER?!? - WE CAN HELP YOU! Troubleshooting, installation, networking & virus removal. WE COME TO YOU! Servicing residential & businesses, w/ over 25 years experience. Contact Jeffrey Blank (813) 973-4507 today! www.WSICA.COM; Wsica@wsica.com

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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

FITNESS &WELLBEING L 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 months. Adults Course: Thursday evening’s 7-8 pm. Seniors Course: Tuesday afternoons 12-1 pm. Space is limited! Also personal instruction in Tai Chi, Kempo Karate, Boot Camp Fitness training and more. With more than 30 years of training and teaching experience. Please contact me for more details or go to: chuan-fa.org.

Peter #787-7560 or E-mail peter@chuan-fa.org LICENSED MOBILE MASSAGE THERAPIST Available seven days a week, 9am -9pm. $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.

GROUP THERAPY CLASSES – 4 groups starting: 1) Adult Stress Management, 2) Children’s Social Skills, 3) Parenting Skills, and 4) Mind-Body Wellbeing. Cost: $20-$30 per week. Conducted by licensed therapists with over 10 years of experience.

Limited Space, Call Today. We also provide individual therapy for children, adolescents, and adults.

Call Dr. Brad Palermo, Licensed Psychologist – (813)-666-5885. www.Tampa-Therapy.com

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TAMPA CAT LADY- Professional Cat-Sitting Service. 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. Insured, bonded, & RedCross certified in pet first aid/CPR. Call 994-9449 or visit www.TampaCatLady.com.

JUST ASK JULIE PET SITTING - Cat sitting and midday doggie walks * Serving you since 2002 * Bonded, Licensed and insured * Pet First Aid Certified Instructor * Certified Dob Obedience Trainer/Instructor * Ask about my kitty express visits * julie@justaskjulie.com or 813-892-9543 NEW TAMPA PET SITTING SERVICES Under New Ownership! Please call Larisa at (813) 546-3887. Thank-you for your business over ALL these years! Please call Marina at (813) 416-5301 for references!

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BRIDGE PLAYERS WANTED - Daytime.

Weekdays. Once, twice, or more per month for three hour sessions in selected homes of members in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel. Actual schedule depends on availability of players. Onetwo tables maximum. Party bridge, not Duplicate. Intermediate level. Enjoyable, warm, casual people. Free. No frills. For details call Harry at 813-907-2541 or Jane at 813-355-3665.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 9 • April 27, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Call The Neighborhood News

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To Place Your Listing Today

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Tampa T ampa a Palms

6 Bed + Of Office/Den fice/Den + Theater/Game Room 4.5 Bath | 4 Car Garage | 6,566 SF | Built 2012 1.5 Acr Acre e Lake Estate | Of Offered fered for $1,695,000

4 Bed + Den + Bonus Rm | 3 Bath 3 Car Garage | Over 3,300 SF Conservation | Pool/Spa

Hunters Green Green

4 Bed + Den | 3 Bath | 2 Car Garage 2,585 SF | Built 1991 | Pool/Spa Offered Offered for $300,000

West West Meadows

Hunters Green Green

T Tampa ampa a Palms

Stonington

Green Hunters Green

Seven Oaks

Tuscany T u uscany

Ashington

Meadow Point

Cross Cross Cr Creek eek

Asbury

Cory Lake

V illa Rosa Villa

The Gr Groves oves

Ashington Res.

Hunters Gr Green een

Richmond Place

Hawks Landing

Huntington

Greene Arbor Gr eene

Lancaster

W West est Meadows

Cross Cross Creek Creek

Pebble Cr Creek eek

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