New Tampa Neighborhood News, Volume 25, Issue 1, Jan. 2, 2017

Volume 25 Issue 1

Inside:

Did YOU Win $200 In FREE Dining???

January 2, 2017

See Pages 41-45!

Now The Only Neighborhood News Publications Serving Hillsborough & Pasco Counties!

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

For the complete list of the neighborhoods that receive this publication by direct mail in New Tampa (zip code 33647), see page 54!

Here’s 5 Things We’re Excited About For 2017 In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel

By John C. Cotey Bye bye, 2016.

Hello, 2017.

For many, there are no sweeter words.

We’ll let the historians debate about how bad 2016 really was, but they have plenty of material to study.

Those historians might want to start with an election season that was meaner and nastier than any other. Ever. Considering the New Tampa area seemed firmly in Hillary Clinton’s camp, based on voting results, President Donald Trump will only add to the misery for some in the years to come.

Our country also faced an Ebola outbreak and a Zika outbreak, neither of which seems so bad in a world seemingly bent on destroying itself with hateful attacks leaving scores dead in Brussels, Paris and Instanbul, as well as in Charleston and Orlando…and the list just keeps getting longer with each passing day.

We had a significant hurricane scare (thank you, Matthew) and while the storm season spared New Tampa, thousands in other places in Matthew’s wake weren’t nearly as fortunate.

Muhammad Ali, David Bowie and Prince all died during 2016. Now, we really know what it sounds like when doves cry.

So bye bye, 2016.

Hello, 2017.

We could use some cheering up, so here’s five things we’re looking forward to as the calendar turns, because, really, things have to get better, don’t they?

1. Florida Hospital Center Ice (FHCI) — Of all the things to look forward in the New Tampa-Wesley Chapel area in 2017, the

Also Inside This Issue: News, Business & Sports Updates Luis Viera Wins District 7 Runoff For City Council Seat; Wawa Now Open On S.R. 56; Crystal Lagoon Finally Breaks Ground; New Tampa Man Drives To Bring Attention To Facial Pain; Diverging Diamond Work To Start Early; Hunter’s Green Duo Second At Nationals & Lots Of Local Business Features!

Pages 3-36

Neighborhood Magazine

Local High School Grad Hits It Big With Street Fighter; Our Dining Survey Results Are In & We Have Winners; Peabody’s Is A Tampa Palms Staple; Cantina Laredo Offers Tasty Lunches & New Dishes; Plus, More Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes!

Pages 37-56

$20-million FHCI (see ad on pg. 47), located along Cypress Ridge Blvd. on the northeast corner of the I-75/S.R. 56 interchange, has to be near the top of the list.

If you haven’t noticed, Tampa Bay has become something of a hockey town, thanks to the success of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning.

With so many northern transplants in the area, FCHI is sure to be a hit.

The five-rink complex will host corporate events, non-ice events like street and roller hockey, and with just a little configuring, even volleyball and basketball.

But even though the rink will feature the Top Shelf Sports Lounge, the bread and butter of FCHI will be served cold. The 150,500-sq.-

ft. facility will have free skating, figure skating, high school hockey, adult hockey leagues, and everything in between. Gordie Zimmermann, who runs the place, has even teased curling leagues for locals. Raise your hand if you’ve watched curling during the Winter Olympics and said, ‘You know, I’d sure like to try that.’

Now you can.

Sometime in January, you’ll even be able to watch your first hockey game at the new FHCI when Wiregrass Ranch High plays. Spectrum Sports also will televise a live high school hockey game from FHCI sometime soon, too. Expect the Lightning to have some sort of a presence in the new joint, starting with clinics for kids.

And, Skate For Hope, which will benefit

cancer research and feature many of the world’s top figure skaters, is scheduled for June 17.

If you can make it to only one show a year, let Shen Yun be your show of choice. And, New Tampa residents have two weekends when you can check out this awesome dance spectacle fairly close to home — on January 27-28, at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, and February 7-8, at the Lakeland Center.

Since its inception, this classical Chinese dance company has taken off You can check out the beautiful Shen Yun traditional Chinese dance with, literally, flying colors. show in St. Petersburg and Lakeland between now and Feb. 8.

The pageantry of dance based in upstate New York. It was estaband music is a stunning display of Chinese civilization—with danc- lished by a group of talented ethnic Chinese ers spinning and leaping through the air in artists who came together with a shared vibrilliant handmade costumes that take your sion—to revive genuine traditional Chinese dance, music and culture and share it with breath away.

Shen Yun Performing Arts had humble the world. When it started touring in 2006, beginnings as a small nonprofit organization Shen Yun was an instant success.

Shen Yun has toured more than 100 cities worldwide, performing in front of millions across North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. One of its trademarks is that each new season the company creates a brand-new production, which remains secret until the day the curtain finally rises.

2. The Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel — Speaking of FCHI, that brings us to the second thing we are looking forward to in 2017— the Taste of New Tampa, which returns Saturday, March 18, after a four-year hiatus.

You might remember the last Taste, back in 2003, which was foiled by terrible weather.

Well, this year, that won’t be a problem, as FHCI is hosting virtually all of the event inside.

So, no rain, no sweating, no sunburn, just cool sub-70-degree weather as you walk around sampling tastes from as many as 50 local restaurants.

See “2017” on page 4.

A Must-See: The Shen Yun Chinese Dance Show’s 2017 Florida Tour

More Than Entertainment!

But, sheer popularity is not the only reason why you should experience Shen Yun. Perhaps because of its profound mission, watching Shen Yun gives you the feeling of partaking in something historic, in the resurrection of a long lost world – the world of ancient China, the Middle Kingdom that can no longer be seen even in China today. It is

See “Shen Yun” on page 54.

Thanking Our 2016 Advertiser Of The Year — Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel!

An editorial by Gary Nager Considering that my birthday is in January, I always find the New Year to be a time of reflection, even more so for me than it is about resolutions for the year to come.

We have an awful lot to be thankful for here at the Neighborhood News. We continue to thrive in a market saturated with other publications, we helped launch WCNT-tv and we have provided our 100,000+ readers in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel with more news and information about their communities than any other single media source. I’m not making that up — virtually every day, someone seeks me out to tell me that and thank me for what we do.

It’s been a while since I gave one business our “Advertiser of the Year” award, but there’s no doubt in my mind that one local business has not only spent the most money with us in 2016, it also is at the epicenter of life in our area — Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC). FHWC’s marketing director Tracy Clouser has not only purchased ads in both editions of the Neighborhood News for the hospital, she also stepped up to be the Studio Sponsor for at least the first 16 episodes of WCNT-tv. That sponsorship has allowed my partner — Craig Miller of Full Throttle Intermedia (see ad on page 34 of this issue) — and I to create 13 episodes of that show to date and not have to worry about losing our shirts while trying to reach a new audience with something so fresh and innovative.

But, FHWC is about so much more than just advertising. The hospital’s presence and visibility on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., a little more than a mile north of the Hillsborough-Pasco county line, has been a major reason why the Porter family has been so

New Tampa Neighborhood News Address: 29157 Chapel Park Dr., Suite B Wesley Chapel, FL 33543

Phone: (813) 910-2575 Advertising E-mail: Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Editorial E-mail: EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Publisher & Editor Gary Nager Advertising Sales & Office Manager Mary Dorey Billing Manager Stephanie Smith Assistant Editor / Photographer John C. Cotey Staff Writer Celeste McLaughlin Correspondents Anu Varma Panchal • Brad Stager • Andy Warrener Graphic Designers Blake Beatty • Georgia Carmichael WCNT-tv Sales & Production Assistant Gavin Olsen 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 25, Issue 3, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Tuesday, January 3, 2017.

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.

© 2016, 2017 JM2 Communications, Inc. Neighborhood News

successful in developing the Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI).

Yes, we’re also happy that the Shops at Wiregrass mall (which opened a couple of years before the hospital), Pasco Hernando State College’s Porter Campus, North Tampa Behavioral Health, Raymond James Financial and The Beach Assisted Living — and some of the most beautiful, new neighborhoods in Wesley Chapel (Estancia and The Ridge at Wiregrass Ranch, etc.) — have all found their way to the Porter Family Trust’s 5,000+ acres, but I honestly believe that FHWC is literally the heartbeat of our area.

The hospital’s CEO Denyse Bales-Chubb also has been visible and approachable and FHWC itself is as technologically advanced as any hospital in the country. Perhaps best of all, the upwards (by three floors; marked in red in photo above) expansion of FHWC already has getting ready to open and will be completed soon, probably before the end of January. I will admit that I did not know much about the Seventh Day Adventists before this jewel of a hospital opened on BBD, but I appreciate and even admire the kind of investment they have made in both of our distribution areas.

Don’t forget that in addition to FHWC, the Adventist Health Care System also took over what used to be called University Community Hospital on BBD and Fletcher Ave. The renamed Florida Hospital Tampa (FHT) also has been a prominent advertiser in these pages (predominantly in these New Tampa issues), so it’s hard for me to not sing the praises of both local hospitals, especially knowing how many improvements have been made at FHT — and are still to come in the future.

year as the Board Chair of our exclusive WCNTtv webcast partner, the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce) to produce a complete news segment about the hospital’s expansion, but it will finally appear in WCNT-tv’s Episode 14, which will debut on Friday, January 6, a few days after this issue arrives in your mailbox. We’re excited to take you on an exclusive guided video tour of everything FHWC is adding to make life in our area even better.

We also will include a text-and-photo update about the hospital in our next issue of

New Tampa Neighborhood News, so please look for that and enjoy the rest of this first issue for 2017. If you somehow skipped page 1, assistant editor John Cotey has done his usual superlative job of telling you the five things we’re most excited about for our area for 2017.

In addition to a number of other great news stories by John (pgs. 5-17), this issue also has a five-page spread (pages 41-45) announcing the winners of the 2016 Reader Dining Survey & Contest, which also includes the names of the three readers whose names were drawn at random from more than 500 entries to win gift cards worth $200, $100 and $50.

There’s also great business features (pgs.

20-31) and full-length dining features about Peabody’s in Tampa Palms (pg. 46) and Cantina Laredo in the Shops at Wiregrass (pg. 48).

Have a happy & healthy New Year!

And, A WCNT-tv Feature Report!

Craig and I have been waiting for the goahead from Tracy (who also just completed her

Table of Contents Local News Updates.....................3-15

Crystal Lagoon Finally Breaks Ground.....................5 Viera Takes Narrow Win Over Davison In Runoff.....6 Wawa Now Open On S.R. 56...................................8 Local Man Drives To Help Those With Facial Pain...10 I-75/S.R. 56 ‘Diverging Diamond’ Moved Up......12 ‘Connected City’ Woos Pasco Commissioners........14 WCCC Honors Excellence In Business....................15 New Tampa Community Calendar..............................18

Local Business Updates..............20-32

Primrose Schools Educate & Build Character......20 Thrivent Takes A Biblical Approach To Finances......22 Cabinet & Stone International..............................24 Palms Pharmacy — Great Prices & A Personal Touch...26 Generations OB/GYN Adds New Doctor...............28 Samantha Taylor Fitness Expands To New Tampa...30

Local Sports Updates.................32-33

Father & Son Team Chasing National Tennis Title...32 HGCC Sending 4 Teams To Tennis Sectionals........33

Neighborhood Magazine

Video Games Lead Local Grad To Big Payday....37 Results Of Our Food Survey Are In!............41-45 Celebrate New Year’s Eve with Local Fave Peabody’s.46 Cantina Laredo Expands Its Menu..........................48 ‘Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes’.........50 New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Classifieds.........52 @NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 1 • January 2, 2017 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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‘Five Things’

Continued from Page 1

The star of the Taste is always the food, but we don’t want to put any pressure on our happy editor Gary Nager, who has been personally involved in almost every Taste to date.

But, since he is again responsible for bringing in the best restaurants this year, COME ON MAN! AFTER 2016 THE WHOLE AREA IS RELYING ON A VARIED SELECTION OF DELICIOUS SAMPLES FROM THE BEST RESTAURANTS AROUND OR 2017 WILL BE RUINED! Okay, so maybe there’s a little pressure.

3. New Restaurants — Speaking of food, we love playing Follow the New Restaurants here in the office. In this regard, 2016 was pretty good to us, with Ginza, Cheddar’s, Culver’s, Chick-Fil-A, B.J.’s Brewhouse, Longhorn Steakhouse and Vuelo all opening their doors.

And, while you may never have eaten at a Ford’s Garage or a Pollo Tropical, both are expected to open in 2017 right across from the Tampa Premium Outlets (TPO). Our office will be among the first ones inside.

4. Costco — And, while we’re on the subject of TPO, if you look just a little west of it, the Costco looks ready to open.

We repeat: Costco looks ready to open!

The mega wholesaler already has a cult following, but the nearest one to New Tampa is in Brandon. The expected February opening in Wesley Chapel will attract many of us, not just for the 200 or so jobs, which pay around an average of $20 an hour, with nice benefits, but also for the food. The Costco warehouse is filled with goodies, and as any veteran member knows, sample time around lunchtime is the cheapest date around.

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5. Crystal Lagoons — Speaking of cheap dates, a trip to the beach can’t be beat, but why make that drive if there’s a crystal-clear, hyper-clean lagoon outlined by sandy beaches in your own back yard? Yes, after a delay, the first-ever Crystal Lagoon to be built in the U.S., is actually happening. For more about the lagoon, see the story on the facing page.

We also look forward to seeing how New Tampa’s Luis Viera does as a Tampa City Council member (see pg. 6), to the expansion of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (see page 3), the possible start of construction of the Diverging Diamond Interchange at S.R. 56 (see pg. 12), and the construction of Raymond James Financial, and more!

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 1 • January 2, 2017 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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@NTWCNews

First Crystal Lagoon Breaks Ground In Wesley Chapel; #2 To Begin Later

By John C. Cotey

You get a lagoon...and you get a lagoon...and you get a lagoon!

While a good many Wesley Chapel and New Tampa-area residents have been eagerly awaiting the prospects of a state-of-the-art Crystal Lagoon being built in our area, a second lagoon also is in the works as Metro Development Group moves to raise the bar on amenities for new housing developments.

Though it was first reported back in 2014, Metro finally is digging the hole on the former Epperson Ranch that will become the much-anticipated, first Crystal Lagoon in the state of Florida. Next year, construction on a second lagoon, located at Mirada on the old Cannon Ranch, will begin as well.

Construction of the 7.5-acre lagoon at Epperson Ranch, located north of the Bridgewater community on Curley Rd. north of S.R. 54., is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

Crystal Lagoons was founded in 2007

by Chilean biochemist-turned real estate developer Fernando Fischmann, who created a system based on pulses and ultra sonic filtration that can take virtually any kind of water and purify and maintain it at a low cost. Crystal Lagoons is the only company in the world with the technology, which is patented in 160 countries, and claims it currently has more than 300 projects in development in 60 countries.

According to Crystal Lagoons, its system is more efficient than a swimming pool, will use 100 times less chemicals and

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is 50 times more energy efficient, while consuming only 2% of the energy needed by conventional filtration systems.

The lagoon uses 30 times less water than a typical 18-hole golf course, and its clear, blue water will be surrounded by a white, sandy beach.

The Crystal Lagoon at Epperson Ranch will be 4,200 linear feet in circumference (which is almost 1 mile around), according to Metro Development Group president Greg Singleton.

The average depth will be eight feet, with some spots as deep as 10-12 feet. The water is so clear, Singleton adds, it doesn’t refract as much light, so the deeper spots will give it more of a deep blue color.

The lagoon will hold about 14-15 million gallons of water.

Where Metro Development Group is going to get that water created some consternation locally, when it was expected they would pump it in from the local aquifer.

@NTWCNews

Local residents worried that tapping into the aquifer would create sinkholes.

Instead, Metro plans on purchasing water from Pasco County Utilities to fill the lagoon, although the developer does still reserve the right to find another source.

Another cause for the delay in construction was the uniqueness of the project, which created permitting issues for Pasco County and made finding the right people to build it painstaking.

“Being that this is the first Crystal Lagoon in the U.S., it is a unique construction project and we wanted to make sure we found the right partners and contractors for the job, which took more time than we expected,’’ Singleton says. “Also, being the first lagoon in the U.S. to be designed and permitted, we were methodical in our approach to get it right. We also needed to give our approving agencies time to work through their process, as this was also new for them.”

Epperson Ranch, which is part of Metro’s “Connected City” project currently weaving it’s way towards approval from the Pasco Board of County Commissioners, is already preparing to begin selling homes with the flashy amenity as a big draw. The first lot closing was expected to happen by the end of 2016, and model homes will start to be framed by the end of January.

The other Crystal Lagoon in Wesley Chapel also will be in the Connected City, Singleton says, in the Mirada community, which is just south of S.R. 52, a little further up Curley Rd. “The two Lagoons in Connected City have been planned for at least two years and provide another compelling reason for people to live, work, and play in Connected City,’’ Singleton says.

Development of the Mirada community is expected to begin in the spring of 2017, and Metro is looking to break ground on that second Crystal Lagoon by the end of 2017.

Metro, which also developed the Union Park community in Wesley Chapel, plans to build four Crystal Lagoons in Florida.

Along with the two in Wesley Chapel, the developer intends to break ground on a lagoon in the SouthShore Bay community in South Hillsborough in spring of 2017, and will build another in a Fort Myers community called Brightwater.

For more information about the Crystal Lagoons, visit Crystal-Lagoons. com. To see what else Metro Development Group has going on, check out MetroPlaces.com.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 1 • January 2, 2017 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Viera Now Sitting In Montelione’s Council Seat After Winning Runoff Over Davison

By John C. Cotey It was an innocent, legitimate question by co-moderator and Neighborhood News publisher Gary Nager, but the response at the first candidate debate at the New Tampa Regional Library on Nov. 29 ended up striking a match in the Tampa City Council District 7 runoff election between Luis Viera and Jim Davison.

Did Davison’s response — that he wasn’t in favor of New Tampa de-annexing from the City of Tampa and incorporating as Hillsborough County’s fourth incorporated city, but didn’t think it should be taken off the table — play a key role in Viera’s slim 65-vote runoff election victory on Dec. 6?

It depends on who you ask.

“I think that late-breaking voters probably paid more attention to the issues, and that was certainly one of the issues they paid attention to,’’ Viera said. “Obviously the issue of secession got into the news, and therefore got more attention, and got the mayor involved. It caused people to have a second look at the race, or maybe even a first look at the race. I think it had an effect.”

Viera compared it that night to “birtherism,” and then riled Davison, a Trump supporter, a night later at the second runoff debate by suggesting Davison wanted to build a wall around New Tampa and have South Tampa pay for it.

Davison’s stance on secession poked Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, who called the idea patently ridiculous, and then took the unusual step of endorsing Viera despite not having endorsed a candidate prior to those runoff debates.

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The Tampa Bay Times then wrote an editorial criticizing Davison.

Davison says the Times editorial was equivalent to an in-kind contribution to Viera’s campaign, claiming the newspaper was in the bag for the Hunter’s Green lawyer from the start. The Times did endorse Viera.

“It was a fake news story,’’ Davison says. “I was misrepresented, and the news and bloggers just kind of ran with it.”

Davison said he never New Tampa resident Luis Viera (far right) was sworn in as a memclaimed to be in favor of secession. He only said the ber of the Tampa City Council by Judge Greg Holder on December 8. idea shouldn’t be completely district on Nov. 8; but only 5,117 of 53,968 discarded. eligible voters (9.5 percent) bothered to vote But, Davison also dismisses talk that in the runoff. it cost him the election. He says Viera won In the New Tampa precincts that voted because he had the backing of the city’s at Tampa Palms, Compton Park, the New Democratic Party machine and was running Tampa Family YMCA, the New Tampa Rein a Democratic district. Although it was gional Library, Cypress Pointe Community a non-partisan race, he says Buckhorn and Church and St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic others made calls on Viera’s behalf.

Church, 3,501 votes were cast from a pool “The fact that we lost by that small a of 32,032 registered voters, or 11 percent. margin running against the Democratic maDavison captured the majority of those chine is a testament to the kind of campaign we ran,’’ Davison said. “And we won the New votes — by a 1,817-1,684 margin — and also won the neighborhood battle by picking Tampa area (of the district) by 118 votes.” up 365 votes in Precinct 361 (which is mostOverall, though, it was Viera receiving ly Hunter’s Green), while Viera had 271.

2,588 votes to 2,523 for Davison.

But, Viera won a large majority of the Viera managed to reverse the Nov. 8 19 precincts in District 7. general election results, where Davison had “Obviously it was a very stressful, 31 percent of the votes to 22 for Viera. very close election,’’ Viera said. “We were Nearly 30,000 votes were cast in the

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 1 • January 2, 2017 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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happy that things went the way they did. We worked hard for every single vote.”

As a result, Viera is now sitting in the District 7 seat vacated by Lisa Montelione, who resigned this summer to run unsuccessfully against incumbent Shawn Harrison for his State House District 63 seat. He was sworn in on Dec. 8 by Judge Greg Holder.

He said he spent the first few weeks studying up on City Council procedure and learning the ropes, and hopes to start pushing some of his ideas soon.

Viera said he hopes to help create a North Tampa Veterans Council, as well as a New Tampa Special Needs Council for advocates of both issues. He thinks the property crime rates in Forest Hills needs to be addressed, says he plans on working diligently with Mark Sharpe of the Tampa Innovation Alliance to help redevelop the USF area, and is reviewing code enforcement. He mentioned the trucks and trailers parked outside the old Sweetbay Supermarket and (at times) the Muvico Theater on Bruce B. Downs.

He said he will continue to work on transportation issues, particularly those in New Tampa, and plans to advocate to find the funds to pay for the expansion of the New Tampa Recreation Center.

“I have a lot of things I want to get done before (the next City Council election in March of 2019),” Viera said. “And I want to hit the ground running.”

As for Davison, you haven’t heard the last of the long-time New Tampa activist. He hinted that he would probably run again in 2019, and says he will continue fighting for what he thinks is right for New Tampa while holding Viera accountable.

@NTWCNews

Wawa Opens On S.R. 56 In Wesley Chapel — To The Delight Of Many!

By John C. Cotey As pieces of the building were put together on S.R. 56 just east of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., the anticipation built.

The gas pumps went in, the convenience store took shape. The signs were put up, and turned on.

When it will open? How will it open?

Answer: Quietly.

Just like that, on Nov. 28, Wesley Chapel’s first-ever Wawa was open.

No pomp. No circumstance. Just cheap gas, free coffee and deals on the chain’s famous tasty sandwiches.

“Man, I just went to the bank this morning, and the teller asked me if I knew Wawa was open today,’’ said Juan De La Torres, a retired first responder who lives in Seven Oaks. “I was like, ‘What?’” I had just driven by, I didn’t even notice. So, I rushed right over here.”

For many like De La Torres, the opening of the Wesley Chapel Wawa was a surprise, albeit a pleasant one. While certainly one of those places with a cultish following like Chick-Fil-A and Costco, this Wawa location eschewed the normal fan-friendly grand opening and chose instead to let local residents be surprised.

“I’m just glad they are finally open,’’ said De La Torres, who snagged himself a free blue Wawa tee-shirt, and then stuck around for the opening ceremonies and a few free samples of things like a ham sub sandwich, peppermint iced coffee and cinnamon oatmeal. “I feel like I’ve been waiting forever.”

Wawa was open for business at 8 a.m., but at 10 a.m., area manager Rich Morton and Wally Goose, the Wawa mascot, welcomed a quickly growing crowd to Wesley Chapel’s

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newest gas station/convenience store hot spot.

Two firefighters from Pasco Fire Station 13 in Meadow Pointe, Frank Torres and Bobby LaBella, took on some of the store’s staffers in a sandwich-making contest — when they weren’t throwing handfuls of shredded lettuce at each other and into the crowd. Torres and LaBella won the contest, earning a big trophy and a couple of $1,000 checks from Wawa to benefit the Firefighters Charities of Pasco.

Everyone posed for pictures. Then, they cut a ribbon. That made it official.

For Morton, it was a big moment. Though he manages a number of Wawas from northern Hillsborough County throughout all of Pasco and Hernando counties, he says the idea of a new store right across the street from where he lives was exciting.

“Very cool,” Morton said. “I’ve been waiting since I first moved down here four-anda-half years ago. We bought a home right in (Seven Oaks) right away, and I’ve been waiting for a store close to home.”

Morton notes that he had nothing to do with the site selection, but he jokes that he hasn’t been shy about making suggestions as he’s been driving around Wesley Chapel. “The real estate guys are real frustrated with me, because I’m like, ‘Look at this site, look at this site, look at this site,’’’ he said, chuckling.

Despite a difficult entrance off BBD, Morton thinks the current Wawa location is perfect, catching a lot of the eastbound traffic between the Tampa Premium Outlets and the Shops at Wiregrass malls, just minutes from the Hillsborough/Pasco county line. He says this won’t be the last Wawa we see here locally.

“We’re definitely opening here again,’’ he said.

Wawa has officially opened on S.R. 56 across from Sam’s Club. More local Wawas could be on the way.

A Little History...

Formerly a dairy company, Wawa opened its first food market in Folsom, PA, in 1964. It has expanded to many areas in the mid-Atlantic region, but didn’t come to Florida until one opened in Orlando in 2012. The Wesley Chapel location is the 102nd Wawa store to open in the state since then and one of 650 or so now open across the U.S. Wawa has succeeded by taking the convenience store concept to another level with competitively-priced gas, fresh drinks and expertly-prepared sandwiches and other quality food items that can be ordered right off an instore computer touch screen.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 1 • January 2, 2017 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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“Ninety percent of the time, I just come for the food,’’ said De La Torres.

Wawa’s employees start at $10 per hour, above the minimum wage, and because of the friendly benefits, often stick around for years, if not decades, which has helped the company develop. “You don’t see a lot of companies doing health benefits for part-time employees,’’ Morton said. Taking care of his employees, he adds, trickles down to the customer service, which is often lauded in surveys.

Wawa is located at 27866 S.R. 56, across from Sam’s Club, just west of BBD. For more information, visit Wawa.com, or call (302) 758-6873.

@NTWCNews

Tampa Palms Resident Visits 37 States in 53 Days For Facial Pain Research

By Celeste McLaughlin On October 10, Tampa Palms resident Frank Skoviera had an idea. As a two-year volunteer communications director for the Facial Pain Research Foundation (located in Gainesville, FL), he had heard from thousands of people across the country suffering from a condition called trigeminal neuralgia, a debilitating pain that is caused by irritation of the trigeminal nerve, which carries sensation from the face to the brain. People struggling with trigeminal neuralgia can experience severe pain while chewing, speaking, or brushing their teeth.

Frank’s idea was to visit as many people as possible across the country to hear their stories in person, while also educating people about the condition and raising financial support for the foundation.

Ten days later, on October 20, Frank and his dog, Max, set off on their journey in Frank’s SUV, which he had wrapped with marketing messages to support the cause.

Over the next 53 days, Frank and Max trekked across the country, meeting with people, driving through a total of 37 states on a journey of 12,400 miles.

Frank’s role with the Facial Pain Research Foundation is not only one of service. He is a passionate advocate for people who suffer from trigeminal neuralgia because he also is a patient.

Frank’s Pain

“I’ve had chronic pain for the past 15 years,” Frank says. “At first, I spent months going to different types of doctors and dentists and an array of professionals, while the pain was getting worse, more frequent and spreading.”

Meanwhile, he was also trying to balance

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his career as a project manager at IBM with taking care of his family, and says the only word he can think of to describe that first year was “hellacious.”

Frank says the medical community has categorized this disease as a “suicide disease” and as, “the worst pain known to mankind.” It is often misdiagnosed and mistreated by professionals in both the medical and dental fields, who often mistake trigeminal neuralgia as a toothache. Frank says many patients have had root canals and teeth pulled, only to find the pain had worsened afterwards.

“I know how difficult it is and how it affects patients and their families,” Frank says. “I know how lonely it can be.”

He explains he is often in too much pain to even speak to his wife. At the end of the day, when she comes home from work, his pain is often at its peak. It can be frustrating for him and many families like his.

“There isn’t an area of your life that goes untouched,” Frank says. “Everything that you formerly knew as normal is now changed. It’s truly horrific.”

Supporting The Foundation

Frank took a medical leave from his career at IBM, then subsequently retired. About two years ago, he began volunteering as the communications director of the Facial Pain Research Foundation, which is funding research across the country to find a cure for trigeminal neuralgia.

Trigeminal neuralgia is rare, estimated to affect just over 100,000 people in the U.S. It is caused by a blood vessel pressing on the trigeminal nerve as it exits the brain stem, which wears away the protective coating around the nerve.

This can happen as a result of injury or a variety of factors.

On his nationwide trip, Frank met with some of the researchers who are working on the five projects currently being funded by the foundation, which include work being done at the University of Florida in Gainesville; Duke University in Durham, NC; Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ; and at the University of California at San Francisco.

“We’re making great progress,” says Frank.

“The scientific team and consortium of researchers we have working on this is staggering. They are world-renowned pain research specialists, and they are hugely committed to finding a cure.”

Frank says his trip was Frank Skoviera and his dog Max drove more than 12,000 miles in 53 days completely self-funded and together to raise awareness of — and more than $13,000 — to benefit the that, in addition to raising Facial Pain Research Foundation in Gainesville. awareness, he also set a goal of raising $10,000 for the Facial Pain Re- thank you letters to our trustees — everyone search Foundation. He reports that he expects is a volunteer. So, 98.2% of the money we to exceed that amount by at least 30 percent, raise goes to research. We only pay for stamps once all of the pledges have been received and and for our post office box in Gainesville.”

The money that was raised on this trip will the final tally is made.

“Every dollar that we raise comes from go directly to supporting the research. Frank the private community,” Frank says. “All of says the foundation fully expects the research to our staff — from the people who write the lead to a cure for trigeminal neuralgia by 2020.

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The hope of a cure is one of the things that inspired Frank to get out and talk to people across the nation, especially those who are suffering from this disease. “I know how much pain you’re in,” he says he told them. “Hang in there. Research is in play and we hope to have something to help you (soon).”

53 Days of Driving?

When Frank returned home on December 11, he had held 75 meetings spread out over 37 states. In addition to meeting trigeminal neuralgia researchers and patients, Frank’s son Aaron was instrumental in setting up meetings with statewide golf associations, where he could share his message of awareness with staff members, who then passed information on to their hundreds of thousands of members through newsletter articles.

In the short 10 days he planned his trip, Frank had his car wrapped with bright teal decals inviting people to learn more about his “Drive Away the Pain” campaign. Frank says his car caught the attention of passers-by in major cities, such as Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and even New York City, where he says thousands of people noticed his car at the corner of 5th Avenue and 15th Street, with many stopping to see the car’s messages.

As Frank traveled, he invited the people he met with to write a message on a four-inch circular teal decal that he then applied to the car, in a sense carrying that person with him the rest of the journey.

Frank says he spent all day driving, often with two or three meetings throughout the day, then ended at a hotel room, where he mapped where he was going next, and arranging meetings with the people in those locations who had requested he visit them.

“The skills I had cultivated in my career as

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(an IBM) project manager were very useful in organizing this trip,” he says.

Frank says he was in pain throughout the trip, but that he’s, “too hard headed” to let that stop him. “I take a small amount of medication, which helps a bit,” he says. “I use massage therapy, breathing exercises, tai chi, soft music, anything that relaxes the central nervous system. I also use distraction therapy. I’m fortunate that my mind is busy and I stay busy with the foundation.”

He adds, “Reaching out to others with the condition is helpful, too, because it takes some of the focus off myself.”

To learn more about the Facial Pain Research Foundation, visit FacingFacialPain.org. To see pictures of Frank’s journey or learn more about his nationwide campaign, look for “Drive Away the Pain” on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

@NTWCNews

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11

‘Diverging Diamond’ Exchange For S.R. 56 At I-75 Moved Up To 2018 Start

By John C. Cotey

Relief is coming to the congested, frustrating and oftentimes maddening S.R. 56 interchange of I-75 sooner than expected, as the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announced it was moving up its plans to build a diverging diamond interchange (DDI).

That project, one exit north of New Tampa, is now slated to begin in fiscal year 2018, which actually begins July 1 of 2017.

“That is great news,” says Mike Moore, the new Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) chair who represents District 2, which includes most of Wesley Chapel. “I thought the diverging diamond was a great idea from the start, and the other commissioners did too. I’m glad we can start it sooner.”

Moore and District 38 State Rep. Danny Burgess (R-San Antonio) played key roles in getting the project, which will cost around $18.5-million, fast-tracked. FDOT officials presented their new proposal to the Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization Dec. 8 at the Dade City Courthouse.

Construction of the DDI was originally scheduled to begin in 2024, but last November was moved up to 2020. The additional shortening of the timeframe will be good news to many travelers, especially around the holiday season, who have seen the lines of traffic to get off or on I-75 or through the interchange at S.R. 56 increasing.

DDIs, according to the website DivergingDiamond.com, are designed to create fewer conflict points when traveling through them, have better sight distance at turns,

12

Above is a rendering of a Diverging Diamond Interchange, like the one planned for the S.R. 56 exit off I-75, which has been moved up to a Fiscal Year 2018 start date. Source: FDOT. shorter pedestrian crossings and wrong-way be the state’s second DDI interchange. ramps that are extremely difficult to access.

The I-75/S.R. 56 junction continues to Despite looking like a confusing, dia- be one to avoid if at all possible for those in mond-shaped jumble of roads in pictures, the the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area, and diverging diamond is said to cause virtually no the 2.3-mile-long northbound exit routinely driver confusion. A Springfield, MO, study experiences back-ups of a mile or longer, showed a 60-percent reduction in collisions sometimes even reaching the I-275 apex at in a five-month period compared to a tradi- the Pasco County line. The opening of the tional exchange, and the website claims that in Tampa Premium Outlets on S.R. 56 west of a five-year span of a DDI in Versailles, France, I-75 last year hasn’t helped. only 11 crashes have been reported.

The S.R. 56/75 interchange was opened Florida is building its first DDI at the over a decade ago, and in 2011 a new ramp University Pkwy. exit (No. 213) off I-75 in was constructed to ease congestion, to the deSarasota. The Wesley Chapel location would light of many in the community.

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Roughly 100,000 drivers (combined heading east or west) pass through the I75/S.R. 56 interchange, according to FDOT. Steve Domonkos, the specialty leasing manager for the Shops at Wiregrass mall and a member of a Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) transportation task force, is happy to see the DDI construction moved up. But, Domonkos worries that even by 2018, with the rapid rate of development happening in both Wesley Chapel and Lutz, it still may be too late.

The sooner the better, he says, “but sooner than sooner would have been even better. It’s great to hear they are finally moving it up because traffic is already horrendous,’’ Domonkos says. “It’s a shame that the state and county didn’t get together before the Outlets opened, though. That intersection is already maxed.”

Moore, who drives through the intersection almost daily, says he has heard the same complaints from his constituents. But he thinks they will be happy to see progress considering the project was initially slated to begin in 2024.

“This shows what can happen when everyone works together to get something done,’’ he says.

Public hearings on the DDI project were scheduled around the region on Dec. 14, which was after we went to press with this issue. The Florida DOT will accept written comments until Tuesday, December 27, through D7wpph.com, by U.S. Mail (Attn: Ed McKinney, Florida Department of Transportation, 11201 N. McKinley Dr., MS 7-500, Tampa, FL 33612) or by email to D7wpph@dot.state.fl.us.

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‘Connected City’ Makes A Pitch For Impact Fee Credits At Pasco Workshop

By John C. Cotey

The so-called “Connected City” project, approved last month by the Pasco County Development Review Committee (DRC), which was comprised of four county administrators and representatives from the Pasco School District’s Economic Development Council (EDC), is now looking towards getting the same support from Pasco’s Board of County Commissioners (BCC), which will have the ultimate say.

At the first of two scheduled BCC workshops, on Dec. 6, at the Dade City Courthouse, attorney Joel Tew, who is representing the Metro Development Group, and Ernie Monaco, the county’s assistant planning and development administrator, took turns explaining the benefits of the Connected City in an effort to persuade the commissioners to eventually vote for it.

“Let’s capture the opportunity at hand,’’ Monaco pleaded.

That opportunity is to build a Connected City, essentially a new city in eastern Pasco County, only 10 miles or so north of New Tampa, even though it won’t have city limits. The project is part of a 10-year pilot program created by a new statute (SB 1216).

Adopted in 2015, it allows for an expedited planning and approval process for creating city-connected corridors. For the length of the pilot program, there will be no state oversight, although there will be two-year reviews.

The Connected City — a 7,800-acre area running north from Overpass Rd. in Wesley Chapel to S.R. 52 in San Antonio, and west from I-75 to Curley Rd. — is touted by developers and planners as being the first-ever gigabit community built from the ground up.

A first-of-its-kind high-tech community, developers say the Connected City will promote major job creation, alternative transportation along integrated roadways, two first-in-thecountry, man-made crystal lagoons and a detailed 50-year plan.

Metro has taken the lead in the project.

“The county has zero risk,’’ Tew said.

“The risk of failure is truly on the private partner.” Metro owns 35 percent of the property within the Connected City area and has been the primary developer in the process. It is looking to build communities at Epperson Ranch South, EpcoRanch North, Ashley Groves and Mirada (formerly Cannon Ranch).

One of the sticking points in the process revolves around Metro receiving transportation mobility fee credits from the county for building the primary roads in exchange for setting aside 72 acres of site-ready employ-

14

ment centers with necessary infrastructure in place and government permits in hand.

Tew argued that Metro deserves the credits. While many areas of the country that have tried similar projects have had to rely on a big company coming in, like Google, to foot the bill, or money from a local governmental entity, Metro has assumed all of the financial responsibility for the project so far.

“We decided to put our money where our mouth is,’’ Tew said. “The hope is that one day we can use ‘paper’ credits, and not have to wallpaper the office with them.”

Tew said that the Villages of Pasadena Hills, the county’s largest development landwise (22,000 acres) which is located immediately west of the Connected City site, received similar credits for building roads and had to do a lot less.

“We don’t get credit for the roadways if we don’t do about 6-8 more things that are very specific, very onerous,’’ Tew said, citing the requirement that Metro provide 7.2 million sq.-ft. of employment-use property, meaning commercial/residential uses.

Tew estimates there could be another $318-million investment in infrastructure improvements by Metro, including roadways to accommodate the employment uses.

“It’s simple math,’’ he said. “For the county (giving) $92-million worth of credits, the county is getting (almost a) 4-to-1 return on infrastructure provided, when compared with the credits given.”

“With all respect,” Tew added, “we are going to get credit for building those additional roads that you are requiring us to build for these employment uses. The deal has to make economic sense.”

The additional credits, however, could leave Pasco with a $43-million shortfall for its other road projects.

That concerned new BCC chairman MIke Moore, since three of the road projects suggested for potential postponement are in his district.

“There are going to be impacts of giving credits,’’ Monaco said. “That’s the reality here.” But, he added, another reality is the thousands of jobs that the Connected City will attract to the area, as well as the millions of additional tax dollars from new residents.

A University of Florida Bureau of Business & Economic Research study says Pasco County could have 250,000 new residents by 2040.

Monaco says that the Connected City’s liberal home occupation development code, surcharges being imposed to fund start-ups and having service-ready business sites ready will attract companies to the area.

Tew said he already has met with various school officials about building new schools in the Connected City, including a high school with a special high-tech program. He said in order to attract the best businesses, the area needs the best schools for workers to send their kids to, “Or else we’re dead in the water.”

Pat Gassaway of Heidt Design said that if you include the fivemile radius around the Connected City, the development plans could consist of 12 new schools — six elementary, three combined K-8 schools and three additional high schools. He said a surcharge of $579 per unit would be imposed to fund that part of the project.

There are two more hearings scheduled for Tuesday, January 17 & Tuesday, January 24. The official vote is expected to take place sometime in March of 2017.

Monaco said that if the Connected City fails, land reserved to produce a state-of-the-art community that provides jobs and additional lustre to the county — and The Connected City, located at the north end of Wesley Chapel, the growing Wesley Chapel area — still has a few hurdles to jump through before it brings thouwill instead become just another sands of new homes and businesses to the area in purple. series of typical developments. ment code (in the Connected City plan) other “We want a premier county,’’ Monaco said. “This is what has motivated us counties will copy, I am sure of it. This has never been done before.” to work really hard on this deal.”

For more information about the Con“We have an amazing comprehensive plan,’’ Monaco added. “There are measure- nected City, visit PascoCountyFL.net/inments every two years. There is land develop- dex.aspx?NID=2319.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 1 • January 2, 2017 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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WCCC Honors WCNT-tv & Wesley Chapel Nissan’s Troy Stevenson!

I love a good surprise as much as the next guy, but I was absolutely stunned by the turn of events when I attended the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) annual meeting, which was held Dec. 6 at Pasco Hernando State College (PHSC)’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, and which was the program for the Chamber’s monthly business breakfast.

Outgoing Board chair Tracy Clouser of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel thanked this year’s deserving “Volunteer of the Year” and Ambassador Troy Stevenson of Wesley Chapel Nissan, who not only actively participates in every Chamber and Wesley Chapel Rotary Club (see page 12) event, but also supports the community with his awesome Acme Outdoor Movies truck.

But then, between the introduction of the Chamber’s ambassadors (below) and new Board chair Jennifer Cofini of the Parks Auto Group and her Board of Directors (bottom right) for the 2017 Fiscal Year, Clouser made an announcement I truly was not expecting — that WCNT-tv (see editorial on pg. 3), the five-month-old partnership between yours truly and outgoing WCCC Ambassador/new Board member Craig Miller of Full Throttle Intermedia, had won the 2016 Chairman’s Award.

Clouser, the marketing director at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC), has spent quite a bit of money on behalf of

our in-the-process-of-beingexpanded, state-of-the-art hospital in these pages, and she bought into the project created by myself, Craig and WCCC president and CEO Hope Allen by agreeing for FHWC to be the Studio Sponsor of WCNT-tv for the first 16 episodes of the show, 12 of which have already aired since our launch on June 23.

In other words, I should be giving Tracy and Hope an award, not the other way around. The cheers from the crowd of more than 100 people when the surprise announcement was made was proof positive that we’re doing something right with the show, but neither Craig nor I had any idea or we would’ve prepared speeches, instead of the dumfounded looks and silly muttering we mustered.

For more info about the WCCC, visit WesleyChapelChamber.com or call 994-8534. — GN

Photos cabove and left ourtesy of OurTownFLA.com

(Clockwise, l.-r.) WCCC CEO Hope Allen with Troy Stevenson and WCNT-tv co-creators Craig Miller and Gary Nager. (Above) New Board president Jennifer Cofini and her Board were sworn in by the Chamber’s Small Business of the Year winner at November’s awards banquet, attorney Kevin Astl of Brandon Legal Group.

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JANUARY 2017

Baychapel Food Pantry - Free food for needy families. Open every Saturday from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. behind Christian Brothers Automotive at 20300 Trout Creek Dr. (off BBD). For more info, visit BayChapel.com/foodpantry.

New Tampa Triathalon Club - The New Tampa Triathalon Club is open to runners, swimmers, cyclists & triathletes across the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. The club hosts group bike rides/runs leaving from Flatwoods Wilderness Park (13330 Morris Bridge Rd.; not from the BBD entrance) every Tues., Thur. & Sat., 7:30 a.m. For more info, join the Facebook group or e-mail NewTampaTriClub@gmail.com.

New Tampa Lacrosse Golf Tournament - See story, right.

Tuesday - January 3 - 7:30 AM

Wednesday - January 4 - 7:15 AM

BNI Millionaire Makers - The BNI Millionaire Makers chapter meets Weds. at Heritiage Isles Country Club (10630 Plantation Bay Dr.), at 7:15am. $13 to attend includes hot breakfast. Call Lisa Jordan at 621-6015 for info.

Wednesday - January 4 - 7:30 AM

Business Networking International (BNI) - BNI, a group of business pros dedicated to helping their member businesses grow through qualified referrals, meets every Wed., 7:30 a.m., at the Cory Lake Isles Beach Club clubhouse (10441 Cory Lake Dr.). Call Bill Sullivan at 994-1143.

Wednesday - January 4 - 11:30 AM

Saturday - January 7 - 9:30 AM Monday - January 9 - 6 PM

New Tampa Democrats - Democratic Club for New Tampa residents. Meet at the New Tampa Library (10001 Cross Creek Blvd.) on Monday, Jan. 9, from 6 to 8 p.m. Contact Laura Blank for more info at 624-8857 or laurabme@gmail.com.

Monday - January 9 - 6:30 PM

Wesley Chapel Speaks - The Wesley Chapel Toast Masters meets every Monday at 6:30pm at Wesley Chapel Nissan (28519 State Rd 54) to teach the community public speaking and leadership skills. Arrive at 6pm for networking opportunities.

For more info, call Martin at 693-0969.

Monday - January 9 - 6:30 PM

GFWC New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club - The GFWC New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club meets the second Monday of every month at the New Tampa YMCA at 16221 Compton Dr. For info, visit GFWCNewTampaJuniors.org.

Keep It Local - This new seat-specific networking group emphasizes small, Tuesday - January 10 - 9:30 AM local businesses. Meets meets every Wed. at Dash of Salt ‘N Pepper, 10353 English As A Second Language (ESL) - The ESL group meets Tuesdays at Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church (19911 BBD Blvd. in Pebble Creek), 9:30 a.m.Cross Creek Blvd. For more info, call Marino Cecchi at 513-9001.

11:30 a.m. Classes are taught by a native English speaker. The cost is $40 each Wednesday - January 4 - 11:45 AM semester for the workbook & class materials. For info, call Holly at 360-2077.

Partners In Network (PIN) - Partners In Network is a group of professionals, one Thursday - January 12 - Sunday - January 22 specializing in each area of business, who form a connection for the joint effort Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival - See story, next page. of networking to share business referrals and attain business prosperity. Meets every Wednesday for lunch at Stonewood Grill, 11:30am. For info, call GeorSaturday - January 14 - 10 AM - Noon gianna Strickland (477-7306) or Ken Fernandez (334-6000) or email gstrickFriendship Singers Practice - Volunteers who perform in local nursing homes, land@strategicmarketingarts.com. senior centers & assisted living facilities invite anyone who enjoys singing to join Wednesday - January 4 - Noon them for two practices and two concerts a month, including this practice at the New Tampa Noon Rotary Club - The New Tampa Noon Rotary Club meets Pasco Senior Services Center at 6801 Wisteria Loop Rd. in Land O’Lakes. For every Wed. for lunch, noon, at Mulligan’s Irish Pub at Pebble Creek Country info, contact Joyce Ruby at 442-7879 or joyceruby99@yahoo.com.

Club. Guests are always welcome. For more info, call Valerie at 317-8886.

Friday - January 6 - 7 AM

Rotary Club of New Tampa - The original New Tampa Rotary Club meets every Friday for breakfast at 7 a.m. at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club (TPGCC, 5811 Tampa Palms Blvd.). For additional information, contact Kim Payne at 388-6299 or visit NewTampa Rotary.org.

Saturday - January 7 - 9:30 AM

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Visit NTNeighborhoodNews.com to add your upcoming events that are open to the public to our online calendar. Once approved, they appear in the “Events” section on our home page. With enough advanced notice (at least 3-4 weeks), events that happen in our readership areas may also appear in print, as space allows.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 1 • January 2, 2017 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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4th Annual New Tampa Lacrosse Golf Outing Scheduled For Sat., Jan. 7!

The New Tampa Lacrosse Club (NTLC) has a new logo and updated color scheme and new uniforms for the upcoming season.

On Saturday, January 7, at Heritage Isles Golf Club on Cross Creek Blvd., NTLC will host its fourth annual fund-raising golf tournament to help defray the costs of lacrosse for its playing members, including pre-high-school club players and those who compete for the Freedom and Wharton High club programs.

“The tournament raises money to support the players and pay for fields,’’ says New Tampa Noon Rotary Club president Val Casey, one of the golf outing’s organizers. “Our

families have to pay to rent fields and for all fees for the sport, like uniforms, equipment, referees, etc. So, this tournament helps to defray those costs for the families.”

Registration for the tourney begins at 9:30 a.m., with a shotgun start at 10 a.m.

The cost is $95 per player, or $380 for a foursome, which includes golf and cart fees, lunch and a prize bag.

The NTLC is a non-profit 501(c)(3), so all donations are tax deductible.

Sponsorship opportunities, ranging all the way up to $1,500, are still available.

For info, visit NewTampaLAX.com or email NTLAGolf@newtampachil.com.

Dazz Band & David Sanborn Among Top Acts At Music Fest!

The 17th annual Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival (TBBHF) will be held January 12-22. The Festival’s Music Fest will be held the weekend after the MLK holiday — January 21-22 — and will host a variety of family-friendly, arts, culture, and musical events while continuing the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The electrifying two-day Music Fest will take place along the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa’s Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park (600 N. Ashley Dr.) and will feature Grammy Award winning group The Dazz Band, with hit songs “Let It Whip,” “Swoop” and “Joystick.” Also appearing are Neo Soul artist Anthony David and Jazz Super Legend David Sanborn, who has had countless hits over the past four decades.

For more information about the festival, visit TampaBlackHeritage.org.

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19

Primrose Schools Provide Early Education & Character Development

By Brad Stager Two Wesley Chapel families’ shared belief in the value of early childhood education has led them to dedicate their professional lives to operating their own schools in New Tampa and Carrollwood.

Penny and Matt McCallister operate the Primrose School on Cross Creek Blvd., about two miles east of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., while Sandy and Shi Deng operate both the Primrose School of Tampa Palms, located across from Liberty Middle School, as well as the Primrose School about 20 minutes from New Tampa on Bearss Ave. in Carrollwood.

Their schools are franchises of the Marietta, GA-based Primrose Schools chain of educational child care centers. There are age-specific options ranging from full-time care and instruction for infants (from six weeks old) and toddlers, to after-school programs for elementary students ages 5 to 12, as well as pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) and kindergarten classes.

Primrose uses a uniform, researchbased proprietary curriculum across all of its schools that the company has trademarked as Balanced Learning®. According to Primrose’s marketing materials, this curriculum, “balances purposeful play with nurturing guidance to encourage curiosity, creativity, confidence and compassion.”

Penny McCallister, who is an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP), with a Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) degree in (specializing in pediatrics) from the University of Florida in Gainesville, says the goal is to prepare

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(Left) Shi and Sandy Deng with their son; (Right) Penny and Matt McCallister with their three children. The Dengs own and operate the Primrose Schools of Tampa Palms and Carrollwood and the McCallisters own and operate the Primrose School of Cross Creek. (Photo: Primrose Schools) Primrose students to deal with life outside of the classroom as well as within it.

“We don’t focus only on academics here,’’ McCallister says. “We focus on character development.”

That includes teaching children basic manners, such as saying “please” and “thank you,” as well as involving them in the schools’ community projects, such as food drives for Metropolitan Ministries and the food pantry at Bay Chapel Church in

New Tampa.

To Sandy Deng, there’s an important lesson about generosity to be learned through the projects.

“We want to teach the children about giving back without expecting anything in return,” she says.

In addition to providing an orientation for their students’ moral compasses, Primrose Schools equip them with life skills, such as resolving conflicts in a positive way,

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says Dominique Rock, who is the school director for the Carrollwood campus, but who also speaks as the mother of three Primrose students.

“I see a huge difference when I see my children with other children,” she says. “I want them to be academically competent, but I also want them to be good people.”

To which Matt McCallister adds, “Who children become is just as important as what they learn.”

Preparing students for academic success is based on age-appropriate instruction that combines applying educational research with a teacher’s ability to harness a child’s natural curiosity. It’s an approach that Matt expresses confidence in for its ability to educate pre-school minds.

“I think we have the best academic program there is,” says Matt, who has a Master in Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando.

Primrose teachers and staff are trained and certified in accordance with the positions they hold, such as that all of the preschool teachers have a Child Development Associate (CDA) certification (which can be awarded as an associate’s degree or as a stand-alone certificate) and maintaining qualifications required by the Florida Department of Children & Families (DCF).

All staff members are certified to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and Primrose provides additional professional instruction that it develops to promote quality and maintain consistency throughout its campuses.

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Academic instruction is woven into all aspects of the school routine, including playful breaks from classroom learning.

“We don’t just let them go out on the playground,” says Penny. “They do a teacher-guided activity as well as have free time.”

Hannah Moody is the early preschool lead teacher at the Cross Creek campus.

She says she ensures the joy of learning is ever-present. “You have to make sure the kids have fun,” says Moody. “If we’re teaching colors and numbers and the kids aren’t interested, you have to take that extra step to make it awesome.”

She says that adding awesomeness to a lesson might mean interjecting mermaids and dinosaurs into a math lesson, or employing the ultimate teaching tool: “Boxes are the greatest thing ever,” says Moody, who’s known to transform cardboard into just about anything, from castles to horses.

Providing peace of mind to parents whose children attend Primrose schools is another way the Dengs and McCallisters fulfill their obligations as caretakers and educators of other people’s children. The campuses are secure, with building access limited and staff members keeping a watchful eye on the premises, promptly asking visitors about their purpose for being there.

“Safety is first,” says Shi Deng, who also has an MBA from UCF. Parents are informed about their kids’ activities with daily progress reports, including photographs and video clips depicting what happened that day.

According to Sandy Deng, operating Primrose schools creates substantial bonds between the students and the staff.

“It’s like a family and we love watching them grow,” says Sandy, who

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has an M.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from UCF. She adds that one of the most rewarding aspects of running Primrose Schools awaits her at the beginning of each day.

“Every morning I get to see the children’s big, beautiful smiles,” Sandy says.

One principle that Shi Deng says is crucial to the successful operation of his schools is to fulfill his responsibilities to the employees who care for the children.

“It has to be a virtuous cycle,” says Shi. “If I treat my employees well, the employees will take care of the children.”

Shi, who is a licensed real estate Broker with Ambassador Realty Group, adds that one way Primrose School of Cross Creek teacher Nadine Box he is able to create stability for his works with a preschool student. staff is to help them purchase a we thought, ‘Wow, how amazing would home by acting as their buyer’s agent and contributing his commission to the closing it be if we could get into this business and help shape the younger generation and costs. help them build a strong foundation for the Buying In All The Way future?,’’’ says Sandy.

As Primrose School franchisees, the The Dengs’ son now participates in Dengs and McCallisters both own their the Explorer after-school program, while own businesses, but their commitment to the McCallisters’ youngest child attends the kind of education they offer also is per- their preschool program and their two oldsonal, with both families’ children enrolled er, elementary school-age children attended in Primrose schools. the summer camp and occasionally attend Soon after the Dengs enrolled their the after-school Explorers program, as well. son as an infant at a Primrose school in The enthusiasm that the McCallisters Orlando when they were living there, they and Dengs have for Primrose Schools is became enthusiastic about what the franshared by parents like Dana Terrigino of chise had to offer.

Easton Park in New Tampa, who has one “When our son started school there, child in the infant program and two chil-

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dren participating in the after-school program at Primrose School of Cross Creek.

“Everybody who’s there has such a caring and open and friendly personality,” says Terrigino. “You can see the different aspects of their curriculum and I was just so impressed with the way that they handle the education of the children. You really feel like it’s a school.”

For more info about Primrose School of Cross Creek (10301 Cross Creek Blvd.), visit PrimroseCrossCreek. com or call 994-6800. For the Primrose School of Tampa Palms (5307 Primrose Lake Cir.), visit PrimroseTampaPalms. com or call 975-4000. To reach the Primrose School of Carrollwood (1770 W. Bearss Ave.), call 398-8607 or visit PrimroseCarrollwood.com. Also, see the ad on pg. 27.

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21

Thrivent Financial Promises Christian Values While Helping People Prosper

By Brad Stager Personal financial management and investing are often primarily thought of as a way to enhance the financial interests of the individual. But, investors who put their money and faith in the hands of the associates of Thrivent Financial can grow their community’s assets as well as their own.

Working out of the Tampa Bay office of Thrivent, located in Forest Hills, less than 30 minutes south of most of New Tampa, financial associates Pam Hansen and Michael Joeckel help investors connect their faith and finances.

Hansen and Joeckel possess a combined 50 years of financial planning experience and are registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Their areas of expertise include retirement income planning, estate strategies, life insurance and long-term care insurance.

“The reason some folks might be familiar with us is because we have our roots in the Lutheran faith,” says Joeckel.

Thrivent began in 1902, when it was chartered as a fraternal benefit society called Aid Association for Lutherans (AAL).

The aim in those pre-Social Security days was to provide mutual security to counter the financial risks individuals faced. AAL combined with a similar organization, the Lutheran Brotherhood (LB), in 2001 to form Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

In 2013, the company expanded its membership base to include all Christians.

Today, there are about 2.5 million member-owners of Thrivent Financial and it is ranked number 318 on the Fortune 500

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such as banks, credit unions and brokerage houses.

“We’re not selling Christianity, but we offer services based on Christian principles,” he says.

Thrivent is classified by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a not-forprofit fraternal benefits society, giving it a tax-exempt status.

Prospective clients qualify as members by affirming they are Christian, as part of the application process.

According to The Thrivent Financial Tampa Bay office team: includes (l.-r.) Tanya Joeckel, there is no inquiry or judgment L. Boutot, Michael Joeckel, Pam Hansen and Jerry Hansen. as to an applicant’s specific Christian list for 2016. As of 2015, Thrivent reportaffiliation or beliefs in meeting the IRS’ ed having more than $109 billion in assets fraternal standard. “There is no litmus test,” under management/advisement. says Joeckel, who moved to Tampa Palms Joeckel, who is a designated Fraterfrom Connecticut last year. nal Insurance Counselor (FIC), which is In cases of mixed-religion families, conferred by the Fraternal Field Managers non-Christian family members can be sponAssociation (FFMA), has passed FINRA exams for Uniform Securities Agent, Invest- sored and benefits are payable to them just as with other financial service companies, ment Company/Variable Products Limited Representative, and General Securities Rep- according to Joeckel. “At the end of the day, resentative. He says Thrivent is not a church we’re a fraternal financial services company,” and is first and foremost a financial services he says. “We’re trying to be the best Chrisorganization, much like other institutions tian company we can be.”

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As representatives of a Christian financial services organization, Joeckel says Thrivent associates follow Biblical principles such as living within your means and using debt wisely when working with clients to help them manage their finances, protect their assets, create financial security and plan a financial legacy.

Joeckel considers his relationship with his clients to be a process of leading them to “greener pastures.” He says some clients may begin their relationship with Thrivent just surviving or struggling financially but through financial planning and management they often can achieve financial security and even surplus, allowing them to “live generously” and give back to their communities and provide a legacy to their beneficiaries.

“We are equipped in this office to handle people in all strata of life,” says Joeckel. “We’ll take your $100,000 account, but we’ll also take your $1,000 account. We pride ourselves on being a valuable resource to our clients.”

Thrivent’s door also is open to people who are unsure about the financial road map they may already be using to guide them on their fiscal journey, says Hansen, who has earned the following industry designations through continuing education courses at the American College of Financial Services in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania: Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), and Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP). She also has earned her FIC designation from FFMA and passed FINRA exams for Uniform Securities Agent, Investment Company/Variable

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Products Limited Representative, and General Securities Representative.

“Second opinions are free,” she says.

“If you’re working with someone we can provide a second opinion and do an analysis of where you’re at.”

Establishing a professional relationship with Thrivent begins with a lengthy, introductory conversation with a financial associate who, according to Joeckel, will ask plenty of questions, such as, “If you had to, could you live the next five years on what you have so far?”

Asking questions and examining financial facts — ranging from pay stubs to budget sheets — will reveal how effectively people are progressing toward their goals.

“We help you determine whether your actions will help you reach your intentions.”

Joeckel says.

Taking time to understand a client’s situation is important, and Joeckel says he is committed to doing that, as an initial consultation will typically last two hours.

“We’re not product people, we’re process people,” he says, “so we’ll meet again and again.” Joeckel refers to this approach as “relationship-based” financial counseling and planning.

Sometimes the meeting topics will be about things a lot of people don’t like to discuss, but eventually will. Hansen says it is better to do so sooner, rather than later.

“Everybody wants to grow money, but we’ll also talk about what happens when you die,” she says. “We’re not averse to having those tough conversations (with you).”

Philanthropic Options, Too!

Connecting faith and finances through philanthropy is another feature of Thrivent,

Neighborhood News

as its tax-exempt status allows it to direct money normally paid as taxes to the government to be distributed to charitable causes and to fund projects benefiting local communities.

According to the Thrivent website, more than $325 million has been distributed to churches and nonprofits nationwide since 2010, including more than $3 million to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. Members participating in the Thrivent Choice Dollars program also can recommend directing funds to eligible nonprofit organizations they wish to support, giving them a say in where the company’s local money goes.

Thrivent members also can apply for $250 grants to fund projects they initiate within their local communities. And, Thrivent Builds is a partnership between Thrivent and Habitat for Humanity that undertakes projects to build and repair homes.

Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) rules prohibit testimonials on behalf of financial advisors, but ratings by industry organizations such as A.M. Best, a an insurance industry rating agency, are permitted.

Thrivent is rated A++ “Superior” by A.M. Best as of June 2016 and Thrivent’s credit rating as determined by Fitch Ratings Inc., is AA+ (“Very strong”) as of May 2016.

Ratings reflect the overall financial integrity and claims-paying ability of Thrivent and do not apply to the investment performance of investment products.

For more info about Thrivent Financial, you can visit Connect.Thrivent.com/ tampa-bay-office, call 443-5088 or see the ad on page 30. Thrivent’s Tampa Bay office is located at 1202 W. Linebaugh Ave., Suite C, in West Tampa.

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23

Cabinet & Stone International Specializes In Unique Home Decor Items

By Brad Stager New Tampa and Wesley Chapel homeowners considering a new look for the new year can find plenty of design options for their kitchen and bath areas at Cabinet & Stone International on N. 56th St., just south of the Hillsborough River and across the street from King High in Tampa, just south of Temple Terrace.

With 3,000 square feet of showroom space displaying cabinets, sinks and fixtures, along with a warehouse ten times as large that is filled with merchandise that’s ready to be delivered and installed, customers benefit from Cabinet & Stone’s variety and convenience.

“We provide a one-stop shop, from measuring, to design and installation and give a really quick turnaround time,” says long-time New Tampa resident Hui Yu, who runs the business with her brother, Ron. “We can do a kitchen within a week.”

Services provided begin with helping a customer develop a home-improvement vision, either online at CabinetnStoneIntl. com or at the N. 56th St. showroom, which is less than 30 minutes from most points in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel.

Hands-on involvement includes a personal consultation between a customer and a design professional, measuring the kitchen or bath and installing the purchased products. Tying all of the pieces of a remodeling project together, from a design perspective, is one of the things Hui says she enjoys about the business.

“If a customer is open to what we can do, we tell them about up-to-date trends

Hui Yu is the president of Cabinet & Stone International, which sells and installs kitchen and bathroom cabinets, granite and marble countertops and vanities on N. 56th St. and can give suggestions, like what paint color will go best with the cabinets they choose,” she says.

Ron agrees that there’s a lot of satisfaction in working with customers.

“I like to help the customer design the kitchen and pick out the cabinets and granite and work with them from start to finish,” he says.

Visitors to the showroom can view

first-hand all of the cabinets, countertops, sinks and related hardware. There are display kitchens in the main customer service area and bathroom vanities available for viewing in an adjoining showroom.

Marble countertops are available in colors and styles ranging from Baltic Brown to Blue Barracuda. If customers want to explore more options, Cabinet & Stone design consultants can refer them to one of

their local vendors to pick out a slab with just the right veining and finish to be incorporated into a functional masterpiece.

All cabinets at Cabinet & Stone are made of wood, not particle board. The fronts are all solid wood, such as oak, maple or birch, with plywood boxes. Choices range from American Classic model cabinets made of solid oak with a honey-colored stain, to the modern lines and accents of the Manhattan Espresso cabinet, constructed of maple wood and stained to a richly dark hue. Other color stains on the menu include cherry, toffee, mocha, café and several shades of white, such as French vanilla and creme de blanc.

The finishing touches to any cabinet makeover are the knobs and handles and there’s a complete selection of Jeffrey Alexander brand hardware from which to select.

By working directly with a manufacturer in China, Hui and Ron are able to maintain a high level of quality in their merchandise and keep their warehouse stocked with competitively priced inventory that they import.

“Our customers are paying less to get more,” says Hui.

A Little History…

Since initially opening its doors in a smaller storefront on nearby Hillsborough Ave. in 2004, Cabinet & Stone International has expanded considerably, drawing customers from across the state to its current showroom, as well as nationwide to its website.

“At the time that we opened this, we

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didn’t think it would get this big,” says Hui, who attributes much of the company’s growth to its current level of about 500 orders a month, and to satisfied customers like Carlos Curnow telling other people about their experience.

“I went to Home Depot and Lowe’s, but they (Cabinet & Stone) had the best price and I was able to pick it up quicker,” says Curnow, who bought two bath vanities for his home.

In addition to individual retail consumers, Hui and Ron also serve commercial customers, like real estate agents who need to refurbish a house before it goes on the market, developers building new homes and out-of-state decorating businesses that want to sell Cabinet & Stone’s line of products.

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Marketing the company’s goods and services goes beyond word of mouth. Hui says advertising in the Neighborhood News serves her company well because she knows her ads, which frequently include special offers, are reaching people who are potential customers.

“We know that it goes to every single household,” she says.

As for promoting the company on digital platforms, visitors to Cabinet & Stone’s website can view cabinets, countertops, vanities and sinks in photographs illustrating the products from detailed close-ups to depictions of finished installations. Hui credits the website with extending her company’s reach far beyond the local market.

The Cabinet & Stone International Facebook page provides flexibility to highlight new products and recent projects, including before-and-after photographs that show how much a kitchen or bathroom’s appearance and functionality can be improved when you add the right cabinets and fixtures.

For “DIY” enthusiasts who want to install their Cabinet & Stone purchases themselves, the company’s YouTube channel — Cabinet & Stone INTL — has videos

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(Left & above) Cabinet & Stone International provides one-stop shopping for upgrading kitchens and bathrooms at the company’s Temple Terrace showroom on N. 56th St.

showing how to assemble everything from a spice rack to a three-drawer base cabinet.

Whether customers visit in person or online, whether their projects are big or small, Hui and Ron and their awesome staff offer the same commitment to fulfilling every customer’s needs.

“We want to be able to provide for whoever needs our unique line of cabinets with good service, quality products and competitive pricing,” Hui says.

To learn more about how Cabinet & Stone International can help with your kitchen and bath remodeling needs, call 887-5658, visit the showroom at 6606 N. 56th St. in Temple Terrace or go online to CabinetnStoneIntl.com, or check out the ad on page 51.

Jeffrey Alexander hardware can put the finishing touches on your new kitchen or bathroom cabinets from Cabinet & Stone International.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 1 • January 2, 2017 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

25

Palms Pharmacy — Customer Service & Yes, Prices That Beat The National Chains!

By Gary Nager

Until I interviewed her for this story, I had never met Shahida Choudhry, Pharm.D., the primary pharmacist at the new Palms Pharmacy, which has been open for a few months in The Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms (between Ciccio Cali and Stonewood Grill & Tavern).

But, meeting this genuinely sweet, high-energy fellow New Yawka (she’s originally from Brooklyn) at her place of business for the first time felt more like reconnecting with an old friend than it did a story interview.

The New Tampa resident says that she and her family relocated to Florida a few years after she graduated with her Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree from Long Island University in Brooklyn.

“And, what I saw was that the big chain pharmacies dominated the market here, even though their prices aren’t really that great and they can’t offer the level of service that a small, neighborhood pharmacy like ours can,” Shahida says. “Unlike those big chains, we are community-based and focus on each of our patients’ specific needs and requirements. We want to partner with you to help assist you in providing the best care and attention you deserve.”

The Palms Pharmacy, which also includes pharmacy technician Naivis Valdes, helps you feel at home with its warm, earthy decor and truly competitive pricing that those big chains should be able to match on your over-thecounter (OTC) medications and prescriptions, but they choose not to do so.

So, how does a small, neighborhood

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less than half of the generic cost at the chain.

The next item I selected was the Mucinex 1200 mg (of guaifenesin), which was on sale at the chain store for $13.99 (reduced from the $17.29 regular price) for 14 tablets.

The same item’s regular price at the Palms Pharmacy was just $13.09, a 90-cent savings over the chain store’s sale price.

All of the items I selected cost less at Palms Pharmacy than they did at the chain and Shahida says she has no plans to add foodstuffs, greeting cards and other items that you don’t need to buy at a “drug store.”

“The only items we’re adding are those OTC medications and natural probiotic-type products that our customers request,” she says. As an example, I told her that although Doctor of Pharmacy Shahida Choudhry (left) and pharmacy technician Naivis Valdes promise great the store had a nice selection of prices and customer service at the Palms Pharmacy in the Shoppes at The Pointe in Tampa Palms. liquid tears, I didn’t see the brands of contact lens rewetting drops I like pharmacy compete on price? Shahida says regularly and compared the store’s prices to that she has found a great wholesaler who those at one of the national chains located just and she said she would be happy to add them.

“We’ve purposely left some space on our makes sure that her prices beat or are at least up the street. As it turns out, not only was the shelves for customer requests,” Shahida says. on a par with what you can find at the large pricing better at Palms Pharmacy, I believe “We want you to know that this truly is your superstores, without the long lines and colthat it would be worth paying the same or a neighborhood pharmacy.” orful clientele you’ll find at those impersonal little more in order to get the caring, persondepartment store-type locations. alized service with a smile that every customer More Than Just OTC Meds And, although the Palms Pharmacy is at Palms Pharmacy receives.

In addition to OTC medications and still adding new items all the time — espeI started with 100 caplets of Extra health care items, the Palms Pharmacy also cially those that their customers demand — Strength Tylenol. The local chain’s price was has a very competitively priced selection of Shahida delivers on her price promise, at least $9.99 for Tylenol and $7.99 for the chain’s not just vitamins, but also probiotics and based on my experience so far. own generic equivalent. The Tylenol was a other nutritional supplements (top photo on I selected four over-the-counter items little more expensive at the Palms Pharmacy, available at Palms Pharmacy that I buy fairly but the generic equivalent cost only $3.59, or next page), many of which are free of gluten

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and other allergens, for adults and children.

There’s also flavored medications available for children and pets and yes, the Palms Pharmacy also compounds medications in the store.

Speaking of those healthy options, if I were you, I’d ask Shahida and Naivis for a sample of the all-natural ZumBar soaps (right), which claim that if they were, “Any more natural, you’d be naked.”

And, if you’re into aromatherapy, the Palms Pharmacy carries the complete Now Essential Oils line. You’ll also find infertility supplements and diabetic supplies. Palms Pharmacy also offers local delivery of your medications and other purchases and accepts major insurance plans. Shahida even promises easy prescription transfers for those who would prefer to relax and enjoy a free cup of coffee if there is a wait, rather than wait in line with the masses.

For info about the Palms Pharmacy

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(17008 Palm Pointe Dr), which is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., call 2529063, visit ThePalmsPharmacy.com or see the ad on page 14 of this issue. The store is a member business of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce and held a WCCC ribbon cutting a few months ago.

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27

Dr. Delaura Patel Joins Generations OB/GYN’s Wesley Chapel Office

By Celeste McLaughlin Delaura Patel, M.D., may be the newest doctor at the obstetrics and gynecology practice of Generations OB/GYN, a division of Women’s Care Florida, but she says she’s already been present for the birth of 600 babies, including many she has personally delivered since joining the practice in September.

She now sees patients at all three Generations OB/GYN locations, including Wesley Chapel (at the Cypress Ridge Professional Center located off S.R. 56), Carrollwood and on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. south of New Tampa, near the University of South Florida (USF).

Dr. Patel is a Tampa Bay-area native who went to medical school at USF, completing a seven-year combined B.S./M.D. (Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine) degree program, graduating in 2012. She then completed an OB/GYN residency at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, working at hospitals in New Orleans, where she completed the program this past summer.

Generations OB/GYN is one of many Women’s Care Florida offices that are located throughout the Tampa Bay area and the state of Florida. Generations OB/GYN traces its roots to 1995, when Richard Dillon, M.D., and Brian McNulty, M.D., joined together after about 10 years of each doctor practicing on his own, in an office near their current BBD location. Soon after, Dr. Vicar Qureshi, M.D., joined the office. Over the years, more doctors have joined the growing practice to better serve patients, including Kristen Segall, M.D., Gem Ashby M.D., and Tiffany Patrick, M.D. With Dr. Patel, that brings the total

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tions,” she explains, “so you can see whatever doctor you want at whatever location is most convenient for you.”

All of the practice’s doctors are Board-certified by the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology, except Dr. Patel, who is Board-eligible, meaning she has passed the written portion of the certification but must practice for several years before receiving her certification. Dr. Patel also is a Junior Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology (ACOG), while the other doctors are all ACOG Fellows.

Services Available

The doctors of Generations OB/GYN are (l.-r., front row) Dr. Gem Ashby, Dr. Richard Dillon, Dr. Brian McNulty & Dr. Delaura Patel; and (back row, l.-r.) Dr. Kristen Segall, Dr. Tiffany Patrick and Dr. Vicar Qureshi. number of doctors in the practice to seven. at the hospital, so your appointment is not “It’s great because we rotate so that going to be rescheduled because a baby is there are always two doctors at each of our being born,” she says. “It also means that the three offices, plus one doctor at the hospital doctor at the hospital is not trying to rush for any pregnant moms who are in labor,” back to the office to do a pap smear.” says Dr. Patel. She says this is unique because This arrangement isn’t new. Dr. Patel many doctors don’t arrive at the hospital until says Generations OB/GYN has always done it a patient is ready to deliver her baby, but that that way, but that when she joined the practiming can be unpredictable. tice, it allowed the other offices to be more “With us, the doctor who is working fully staffed on more days of the week. in the office doesn’t also have to see patients “All seven doctors go to all three loca-

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Dr. Patel says that most women visit Generations OB/GYN for well-woman exams, contraception, STD testing, urinary issues, menstrual issues and pelvic pain.

The doctors serve these women, plus provide extensive gynecological and obstetric services, including infertility evaluations, counseling and treatment; prenatal and preconception care and services, in-office three-dimensional (3D) and 4D ultrasounds, plus all aspects of labor and delivery; as well as general women’s health care, such as cancer testing and screening, sterilization, hormone therapy and more.

Many surgical procedures are available, including tubal sterilization, a permanent birth control method that does not require incisions or a local anesthetic. The practice also offers an alternative to the traditional hysterectomy called an endometrial ablation, which helps to treat painful menstrual cycles and requires no incisions, along with less than 48 hours of recovery time for most women.

Other minimally invasive alternatives to

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hysterectomy also are available, which Dr. Patel says are called hysteroscopic myomectomy, and laparoscopic and robotic surgeries.

“These are really fantastic options,” says Dr. Patel. “The techniques have really expanded in recent years. While it’s still a major surgery on the inside, on the outside there’s really not much evidence of it. Women have less pain and less need for pain management, and much faster recovery, making for a much better experience than with a traditional hysterectomy.”

Generations OB/GYN also offers a weight-loss program and aesthetic services, such as Botox.

“Our weight-loss clinic was established as an adjunct to our other services,” explains Dr. Patel. “We refer patients from all of our offices to the Wesley Chapel office, where we have the weight-loss program.”

Dr. Patel says obesity and smoking are the biggest health issues in this country. As doctors who already have relationships with women who say they want to lose weight and are struggling to do so, they decided to bring a program into the Wesley Chapel office to be able to meet the needs of those women without having to refer them to outside sources.

“Patients can choose to use medications or do the program without appetite suppressants,” says Dr. Patel, who explains that the program also includes counseling on healthy diet and exercise.

Dr. Patel’s Perspective

Dr. Patel says she first became interested in the OB/GYN field in high school, when she had the opportunity to shadow several physicians in the operating room. She got to see several procedures, including a hysterectomy, and said it was so different than her

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concept of what “work” would be.

“This isn’t work,” she remembers thinking. “This is helping people.”

She says it’s important to her to help women who are facing health issues, including problems like fibroids and abnormal bleeding.

“Your period should not take over your life,” she says. “It is truly satisfying to be able to help someone who has been having problems that interfere with their ability to work and enjoy life.”

Dr. Patel adds that she feels that all the doctors at Generations OB/GYN practice in a similar way. “We build relationships with each of our patients as an individual,” she says. “For complex situations, we lean on each other and work together to decide what’s best for the individual patient.”

She says this is essential because, “When you’re talking about pregnancy, there are a lot of things that can happen that aren’t by the book,” says Dr. Patel. “I believe our approach leads to better outcomes for moms and babies.”

Dr. Patel also says that working at Generations OB/GYN is, “like a dream come true. Here, we grow with the field. We follow all of the latest guidelines to ensure that we’re doing what’s best, according to evidence-based medicine. So, we are willing to change and say to our patients, ‘We used to do this, but now we do this.’”

For more information, see the ad on page 39. You also can visit GenerationsOBG.com, or call the office of your choice. The practice has locations at 26823 Tanic Dr. in Wesley Chapel (929-7377); 13601 BBD, a mile south of Tampa Palms (972-9300); and at 3321 W. Bearss Ave. in Carrollwood (269-2528).

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Samantha Taylor Helps Women Look Their Best, Even Indepravation Their 60s! diets. They’re

By Celeste McLaughlin As women age, personal trainer Samantha Taylor says they gain weight and lose muscle if they don’t do something to stop it.

While many women in their 60s think they have to accept their bodies’ decline because they’re getting older, Samantha says that’s just not true.

“Sixty is truly the new 40,” she says.

“We’re teaching women a way to eat that they love. It’s not a diet, not a pill, not shots; just understanding how to eat, how to work out their muscles for tone, and develop a healthy lifestyle they can keep for life.”

All this happens at Samantha Taylor Fitness, located across the street from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) in the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. Samantha’s first location is nearby in Land O’Lakes, off of S.R. 54 on Knight Rd., and she just opened her third location, in Carrollwood, on Dec. 15.

At all three locations, Samantha offers her Pure Health Personal Training and Fit Body Boot Camp programs. Both include fitness training and nutritional counseling for women only, helping them to “age backwards,” as Samantha says.

Both programs start with a completely free, no-obligation consultation called a “Body Transformation Analysis” to determine goals and plan a fitness program.

The most customized, personal and private option available is Pure Health Personal Training. This can be done in one-on-one, semi-private, or small group sessions. In addition to personal training sessions, each cli-

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shocked they can eat the way I show them, they love the food, and they lose weight.”

She says many of her clients see more than just weight loss – they’re getting healthier as well. “They are preventing diseases such as heart disease and diabetes,” she says. “Some women no longer have to take cholesterol or blood pressure medication, and no longer suffer from muscle pains and aches.”

Cathy’s Story

One of those women is Cathy Moreland, who joined Pure Health Personal Training more than a year ago. She says the small group personal training has completely transSamantha Taylor (third from left in front row) focuses on helping women lose — and keep off — those formed her life.

“I had done every diet unwanted pounds with her Pure Health Personal Training & Fit Body Boot Camp programs. under the sun,” says Cathy. ent also meets with an assigned results coach years ago and launched her own business 17 “I was taking blood pressure monthly, to be sure they’re progressing. years ago. During that time, she estimates medication, cholesterol medication, and was Clients who choose Samantha’s Fit that she has trained 5,000 local women. seeing a chiropractor on a regular basis for my Body Boot Camp attend regular or beginner Samantha uses her experience as a personal hips, back, and knees. I was worried about Fit Body Boot Camp sessions, which vary in trainer, seeing what works and what doesn’t heart problems because I’m 64 and both my cardiovascular intensity levels. Several classes with her many clients, and her years of parents had bypass surgery in their 70s.” are offered every day, and women choose intensely studying the human body to coach She says that on other programs, she three or more times each week to attend. women in fitness and healthy eating. would often hit her goal weight, then gain “We are getting women in amazing “Most of the people who come to us it all back. With Samantha, she says the shape,” Samantha says. She is a Certified have done all the diets,” says Samantha. focus is on education, plus both eating and Personal Trainer who began her career 24 “The shakes, pills, protein diets and calorie getting physically fit.

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“Actually, I lost a pound,” she says. “We walked so much, and I was never sore, sick, or tired.” She explains she was with a group of 43 people, and she would watch other people eat, then complain of being stuffed and bloated. Many also complained of sore feet or back pain.

“I wanted to tell them, ‘I know why you feel like you feel, and I know why I feel like I feel,’” adding that she enjoyed all the foods she knew she could eat, such as filling up in the morning on the hotel breakfast buffet of eggs, bacon, cheese, and fruit, and taking a piece of fruit from the buffet for a Samantha Taylor (left) and Cathy Moreland, who has lost 40 snack later on. pounds and six inches in 15 months.

“I wasn’t hungry, I just didn’t overeat,” “I didn’t realize that I’d learn so much she says. “I didn’t crave pasta and bread. It about my physical, internal health,” Cathy sounds unbelievable, but it was amazing.” says, or that she would be able to stop taking the medications she was on. “Now I know how to eat, and I enjoy it. I’ve done it for The Six-Week Challenge 15 months, and I’m not worried about ever Samantha offers six-week “Body Transputting the weight back on again.” formation Challenges,” where she gives away Cathy has lost 40 pounds, as well as thousands of dollars in prizes, including a six inches around her waist. And, Cathy just Grand Prize cruise for two. Her last six-week passed the ultimate test — a three-week challenge recently wrapped up, with particivacation in Italy, the land of bread, pasta, and pants losing a combined 1,000 pounds. wine. So, how much weight did she gain on The next challenge will begin on Januher vacation? ary 23. To register, or for more information,

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go to 6weekBTC.com. Just like in previous challenges, the woman who loses the most weight will win a cruise.

Expanding Into New Tampa

Samantha says her business continues to grow and expand, and she’s excited about her future plans in New Tampa. She recently bought 13 acres of property on County Line Rd. near Grand Hampton and is planning to build a 9,000-square-foot building.

“We will offer personal training and boot camp, plus have a kitchen with a fulltime chef,” Samantha says. “We’ll offer cooking classes and healthy prepared meals, along with a spa for massage and maybe facials.”

She anticipates opening the new location in early 2018.

Samantha says something else new that she’s been doing recently is a segment on

“Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend,” which airs on WFTS-TV, the local ABC affiliate. She brings guests on the show, sometimes clients, and shares what she calls, “ridiculous, delicious recipes.”

For recipes and to view segments of the show, including Cathy’s story in her own words from when she was Samantha’s guest on “Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend,” visit SamanthaTaylorFitness.com.

On her website, you can also get more information about her programs and her upcoming seminar, “5 Simple Keys to Get Results in 2017,” which will be held on Saturday, January 7, 12:30 p.m.

The Wesley Chapel Samantha Taylor Fitness studio is located is at 2653 BBD Blvd., Suite 205 (second floor). For more info, see her website, the ad on page 38 or call 377-3739.

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Hunter’s Green Father-Son Duo Still Chasing Tennis Gold

By John C. Cotey

Hunter’s Green resident and local dentist Jim Bowles won a Big 8 doubles championship while playing for the University of Oklahoma (in Norman) in 1972, but 45 years later, he says it is his latest tennis quest that gives him the most pleasure.

One of Hunter’s Green Country Club’s best players, Bowles, 64, recently teamed up with his 28-yearold son Clint to finish second at the USTA National Father-Son clay court championships at The Landings Racquet Club in Sarasota.

For Jim and Clint, it was another tantalizingly close finish in their fifth attempt to win a Golden Ball together.

In 2012, their first year playing in national championship tournaments together, the duo finished second and won a Silver Ball. That was followed by consecutive consolation round wins and a Bronze Ball in 2015 after a third-place finish.

On Nov. 20, Jim and Clint made the final again before falling to Jerry and Brett Morse-Karzen of Wilmette, IL by a 6-4, 7-6 score. Jim says he and Clint didn’t convert on a couple of crucial break points in the second set, dooming their upset bid.

“Clint said, ‘Dad, we’re going to win one one of these days,’” Jim said, chuckling. “I said, ‘Well, let’s hurry up. The sun is setting.’”

It won’t be easy. The Morse-Karzens are the all-time leaders in USTA National Father-Son championships, have beaten the Bowles duo all four times they have met, and their win was their fourth straight national title on clay.

Oh, and there’s this: Jerry Morse-Karzen is 6 feet, 5 inches tall, and his son Brett is 6’10”.

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Clint Bowles (left) and his father Jim pose with runnerup Silver Ball trophies from last month’s USTA National Clay Court Championships in Sarasota.

Meanwhile, both Jim and Clint are around 5’9”.

“We call them the twin towers,’’ Jim said of the Morse-Karzen duo. “The son can just stand at the

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end and stretch out his arms and cover the whole court. It’s tough when you’re giving away that much height.”

But, the Bowles duo will keep on trying. It’s in the family’s blood — Jim’s wife Joy is also an accomplished tennis player, and younger son Spencer was a baseball standout at Wiregrass Ranch High before playing at Saint Leo University near Dade City.

Jim grew up in Shawnee, OK, playing football, baseball and basketball. A knee injury in junior high put him on the sidelines for awhile, and one of his substitute teachers talked him into giving tennis a try.

“He was like the pied piper of tennis,’’ Jim recalled. “He was the type of guy who stayed after you.

If you didn’t show up for a while, he would call and ask you where you’ve been and tell you he had a kid there he thought could beat you.”

Jim says he never looked back after taking up tennis. While earning a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Oklahoma, he also played on the Sooners’ tennis team, where his serve-and-volley style helped win a Big 8 (now Big 12) championship in doubles.

When Clint was born, Jim started him on tennis almost immediately. However, because they were living in Wyoming at the time, the tennis competition was subpar, and Clint gravitated to his other favorite sport, hockey.

It wasn’t until the Bowles family moved to Hunter’s Green 21 years ago that Clint’s tennis talent fully emerged.

After spending some time at the Saddlebrook Tennis Academy, Clint ended up training under renowned coach Nick Saviano, a former Stanford University All-American who has coached Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) stars Sloane Stephens and Eugenie

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Bouchard and other top players.

Within four months of training with Saviano, Clint, a lefty with what Jim proudly calls “world-class baseline strokes,” captured his first Gold Ball, winning the national clay court title in the 14-year-old division in 2003.

In 2005, Clint was 16 years old when he captured his second Gold Ball, winning the 18s on the hard courts.

In 2007, he won another national clay court title in the 18s before attending Florida State University in Tallahassee.

As a Seminole, Clint was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference team twice while finishing third on FSU’s alltime singles wins list with 92.

With Jim — who also earned his D.D.S. degree from the University of Oklahoma Dental School — working as a dentist at Family, Implant & Cosmetic Dentistry in The Walk at Highwoods Preserve, and Clint teaching at Saviano High Performance Tennis in Fort Lauderdale, tennis time together is sparse.

The times they get to play together at nationals, Jim says, are special.

“It’s a chance to spend some quality time with him and re-connect,’’ Jim says. “We have a great time. We laugh on the court...we’ll look at each other funny if one of us hits a weird shot. I really enjoy it.”

Jim pauses for a second, and then smiles, adding, “Then again, when you win something, it’s even more fun.”

“We really, really look forward to

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it every year,’’ Clint says. “We get to play in a super national tournament against the best in our age group, it’s really close to home and it’s my birthday week. That makes it a great trip.”

Having won three Silver Balls together, Jim says that Clint is working hard at getting him his first gold one.

“Quite honestly, in the middle years (at the USTA Nationals where the tandem won the consolation bracket and finished third) Clint wasn’t really playing that much and wasn’t all that fired up to play,’’ Jim says. “But this year, he was highly motivated. He practiced, he’d call me and ask, “Hey dad, how are you doing? You practicing? How’s your serve?’”

Jim admits that his best chance to win a Gold Ball probably was the first year he and Clint competed together.

They lost 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. They also finished second that year at the hard court finals in California.

After this year’s narrow loss in the final, Clint texted his dad and promised he’d get him a championship.

“The father-son doubles, it just creates a special bond between the father and son,’’ Clint says. “It’s really fun to go out and play with him. It makes it that much more enjoyable to play for him, try to win it (with) him.”

He adds, “I promised him we’re going to win at least one Gold Ball.

Now I have to live up to that promise and follow through on it.”

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HGCC Tennis Talents To Play At States

Joy Allee hits a forehand during the combo tennis season. The 6.5 combo team Allee plays on, along with three men’s combo teams from Hunter’s Green Country Club, will help break in the brand new $70-million USTA National Campus in Lake Nona next week.

When the sparkling new U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) national campus in Lake Nona (part of Orlando) is unveiled next week, much of the Hunter’s Green Country Club (HGCC) tennis community will have the best view of the beautiful $70-million facility — right from the service lines of some of the campus’ 120 courts.

HGCC produced four league championship teams that will compete for a State championship the next two weekends.

The USTA, which was headquartered in Miami Shores for many years before moving to Daytona Beach in 2002, will host sectionals for the first time at the new state-of-the-art complex.

The weekend of Jan. 6-8, the club’s men’s and women’s 6.5 teams — which combines 3.0- and 3.5-rated players — as well as the men’s 8.5 team (combining 4.0- and 4.5-rated players), will compete in Lake Nona.

For the 6.5 men, it is their third straight trip to Sectionals.

The following weekend, HGCC’s 7.5 men (combining 3.5- and 4.0-rated players) will travel to Lake Nona seeking a championship banner.

“I think the last time we sent four teams to one championship was 2002,’’ said head tennis pro Allegra Campos. “It

is a pretty incredible accomplishment.”

A number of HGCC men will be playing for at least two of the three mens’ teams competing the next two weekends: Erik Hajek and John Slatniske play for both the 6.5 and 7.5 teams, while Greg Morrissey, Rudy Paul, Chris Baker, Mike Bitting and Richard Helme all played for the 7.5 and 8.5 teams.

The three men’s teams combined for a 19-3 record during the regular season in the best-of-3 doubles format against other clubs in Tampa Bay, including West Meadows, Tampa Palms and Arbor Greene.

Helme (7-0), Hajek (5-0), Ron Reiter (5-0), Jim Dicesaro (4-0) and James Hann (3-0) were among those posting perfect records.

The 6.5 women, who advanced to the semifinals last year, return after going 6-0 during the regular season. The ladies only lost three lines all season, and six different players — Cherie Smith, Marisol Casablanca, Trina Hoyrod, Marisa Martin, Julie Sakre and Nini Torres — finished with team-best 3-0 record.

Casablanca, Hoyrod, Martin and Torres also played on the women’s over50 combo team that went 3-1 at sectionals in early December, just a tiebreaker away from the championship match. — John C. Cotey

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Dang! Local High School Alum & Pro Gamer Is The Street Fighter V Champ!

By John C. Cotey

Du Dang says he wasn’t the most popular or well-known kid when he lived in Wesley Chapel and went to Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH). But right now, he might just be the most famous graduate of WRH’s 2014 class.

The 20-year-old professional video gamer, who now lives in Tampa and is better known by his gamer tag “NuckleDu,” has won the 2016 Street Fighter V Capcom Cup championship.

In the world of professional video gaming, that’s a big deal. Dang flew out to Anaheim, CA, for the big tournament, and came home $230,000 richer after winning every best-of-5 match by either a 3-1 or 3-0 score.

His purse was the largest in the history of fighting games, and his winning performance on Dec. 3 was televised live by ESPN 2.

Not bad for a kid who just five years ago was a reluctant player getting beat on a routine basis by his uncle. Today, he’s one of the top eSports players in the world.

“I was never really a gamer,’’ Dang said.

“I hated the concept of fighting games. It was just up-down-left-right. But, I was playing my uncle and he kept beating me, so I started practicing and finally beat him.”

The son of Vietnamese parents, it was expected that Dang would study hard in school and become a doctor or an engineer, he says. His older brother and sister are both nursing students.

“I just wanted to keep getting good and kept playing,’’ Dang says. “It’s hard to convince your mom at age 17 to let you fly to a tournament.”

So hard, in fact, that Dang didn’t tell her he was flying to a tournament in Chicago.

When he returned with prize money to help pay the bills, she changed her mind.

Dang has lived in tough places in Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi and Jackson-

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ville, FL, and he grew up poor. That is changing now, and he wants to be careful with his newfound wealth.

“The win took away a lot of problems,’’ he says.

He also says that he wanted to invest his Capcom Cup winnings, but not before splurging on an SUV, which would help him get his dogs around town.

Onyx (a mastiff), Tieu Bach (a chihuahua) and Tofu (a pit bull) are Dang’s escape from the world of eSports. “They are family,’’ he says.

He has to be away from them more than he likes, due to the travel required to stay at the top of his game.

Playing mainly the Mike and Guile characters in Street Fighter V, Dang has no plans for letting up in what is left of the year.

He has delivered a diagonal jump heavy kick to 2016, winning almost everything in sight during his breakout year.

After winning roughly $11,500 in prize money from 2012-15, according to esportsearnings.com, Dang has now pocketed more than a quarter of a million dollars in 2016 alone, thanks largely, but not only, to his big Capcom Cup haul.

He was the first American to win a big tournament like that in more than two years, he says. The tournament featured players from Japan, China, Singapore, France, Brazil, the United Kingdom and the U.S., as well as other countries.

That win was his third straight in a big

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tournament this Wiregrass Ranch high grad Du Dang (left) is overcome with emotion (above) year, and eighth overall, including after winning the Capcom Cup in Anaheim, CA, earlier this month. The a Canada Cup championships were televised on ESPN 2. win in October Liquid, which is sponsored by a number of that netted him another $6,900. All told, he companies, and was recently bought out by has won 13 championships. the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. Dang has It’s definitely not as easy as he has been met all of the Warriors players, and Golden making it look, he says.

State has been joined by other NBA teams, “There are definitely a lot of obstacles,’’ like the Orlando Magic and Washington WizDang says. “I missed my niece’s first steps. I ards, in investing in video gaming teams in an have missed a lot of birthdays. You have to effort to reach younger audiences. be willing to make sacrifices, and you have to “It’s pretty amazing how it has have a strong head. I thought about quitting grown,’’ Dang says. “It’s very overwhelmmany times.” ing to play video games for a living. It’s The eSports genre – which is comprised pretty awesome.” of quickly growing competitive gaming Dang hopes to grow along with the leagues and tournaments – is entering the eSports industry. He continues to hone his mainstream at a dizzying pace. In 2016, craft on the Street Fighter platform (played eSports are expected to become a $500-milon the Sony PlayStation 4), and is looking to lion business, and tournaments and chamcontinue his winning ways into 2017. pionships are now being broadcast live on “I didn’t know until last year when I channels like ESPN. Your kids are as likely started winning everything that this is what I to watch their favorite players compete on would be doing,’’ Dang says. “That’s when I Twitch.tv as you were to watch your favorite started seeing real money. And this year, it’s baseball players growing up.

Dang plays for a team called Team just blown up.”

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#1

In New Tampa

Stonewood & GrillSmith Take Top Honors In Our 2016 Dining Survey Scratch Kitchen, BJ’s Restaurant & 900° Woodfired Pizza, Hungry Greek & Burger 21 Also Grab Crowns; Three Wesley Chapel Residents Take Home This Year’s Free Dining Prizes! Brewhouse and Longhorn Steakhouse

There’s no doubt that New Tampa and Wesley Chapel both have a lot of restaurants, even though both areas continue to be dominated by national, regional and even local chains.

In our 2016 Reader Dining Survey & Contest, the top three restaurants — according to more than 500 readers who submitted surveys — in both of our distribution areas were all part of small local or regional chains and in New Tampa, seven of the top ten also are links in (albeit small) chains. The interesting thing to me was that the larger national and

2.

regional chains, which could only receive Write-In votes on our Dining Survey again this year, got fewer votes and points than ever before.

In fact, this is the first time ever that Bonefish Grill, Outback Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse all failed to make the top 25 in Wesley Chapel, even though they’ve all always been among the most crowded restaurants in town. And likewise, neither Olive Garden nor Red Lobster got nearly as many write-in votes as they had in our previous contests.

It should be noted that Cheddars

3.

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all opened too late in the process (our voting was from September til November) to receive many votes at all.

Stonewood Grill & Tavern made it back to the top spot as our readers “Favorite Restaurant in New Tampa.”

Last year’s winner, Burger 21, dropped to #3 with our readers and last year’s #5 — Ciccio Cali — moved up three spots to #2. In fact, for the third straight year, the same ten restaurants in New Tampa received the most points from our readers as last year, although once again, the orders of those ten restaurants has changed.

Meanwhile, in Wesley Chapel, Grill-

Smith and The Hungry Greek took home the top two spots for the second year in a row, while Pizza Mania (#4), La Prima Pizza (#5), Dempsey’s Steak House (#9) and Wolf’s Den (#10) all moved into (or back into) our readers’ top-10. On these pages are the full top25s in both New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, in order of points received, and the next 25 (in alphabetical order) in both areas. I will tell you more about many of these restaurants next issue, when I show you my 2016 Dining Favorites.

At the end of this five-page recap of our readers’ favorite restaurants in our distribution areas, we’ll also reveal this year’s three dining prize winners. — GN

4.

5.

®

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New Tampa’s #6-25 6. Kobe Japanese Steakhouse 7. Mr. Dunderbak’s 8. Oakley’s Grille 9. Koizi Endless Hibachi & Sushi 10. Vallarta’s TP 11. Café Ole 12. Cappy’s Pizza 13. Thai Ruby 14. Little Greek 15. Las Palmas Spanish Café 16. Mulligan’s Irish Pub 17. Sukhothai 18. Full Circle Pizza 19. Sushi Café 20. Woodfired Pizza (Bearss Ave.) 21. Lanna Thai 22. Taste of NY Pizza 23. Casa Ramos 24. Peabody’s Billiards & Games 25. Saffron Indian Cuisine

Your Favorite Restaurants In Wesley Chapel #s 1-25 1. GrillSmith (photo) 2. The Hungry Greek 3. Vallarta’s WC 4. PizzaMania 5. La Prima Pizza 6. PrimeBar 7. Burger Monger 8. Bonsai Sushi 9. Dempsey’s Steak House 10. Wolf’s Den 11. Pinchers Crab Shack 12. Yamato Japanese Steakhouse 13. PDQ 14. 900 Woodfired Pizza 15. CineBistro 16. Asian Buffet 17. Little Italy’s Family Restaurant 18. Amici Pizza 19. Buttermilk Provisions 20. Best NY Pizza

New Tampa’s #26-50

Wesley Chapel’s #26-50

Cantina Capri Pizza Chick-fil-A China City China Wok Cross Creek Deli Fong’s Sushi Fushia Asian Bistro Ginza Edndless Hibachi & Sushi Glory Days Grill Hawkeye’s NYS Pizza Ho King Hoosier’s Grille (Heritage Isles CC) Hunter’s Green Country Club Minerva Indian Restaurant Orchid Thai Petra Mediterranean Express Pita’s Republic PJ Dolan’s Irish Pub Ruby Tuesday Season’s Fresh Café Sushi Avenue Tabla Indian Cuisine Tarek’s Café Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club

Arroy Thai Bagelicious & More Bonefish Grill Bosco’s Italian To Go Cantina Laredo Cheddars Scratch Kitchen Chick n’ Peas Grill China Taste China Wok Cody’s Original Roadhouse Dempsey’s Too Lounge First Watch Gonna China Happy Cow Ho Wok Hot Wok 88 Kwan Ming Bistro Lexington Oaks GC O’Brien’s Irish Pub Outback Steak House OTB Café Quail Hollow CC Red Robin Shang Hai Chinese Texas Roadhouse

21. Capital Tacos 22. Hibachi Express 23. NY NY Pizza 24. Latin Twist Café 25. (tie) Don Pan Intl. Bakery & 365 Caffe Italiano Note- Our apologies to Capital Tacos, which finished 21st as our highest-finishing Write-In, because it never appeared on the Wesley Chapel “ballot.” It will finish significantly hgher on my ballot next issue, even though I’m ultimately responsible for not recognizing that Capital Tacos was left off our list...for all six issues. So sorry. — GN

(In Alphabetical Order) (In Alphabetical Order)

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Your Favorite Chinese Restaurants In NT & WC

1. Liang’s Bistro (photo) 2. Asian Buffet 3. China Wok (County Line Rd.) 4. Kwan Ming Bistro 5. Gonna China 6. China Wok (WC Village Market) 7. Ho Wok 8. China City 9. China Taste 10. Fushia Asian Bistro

Your Favorite Thai/Indian Restaurants In NT & WC 1. Sukhothai (photo) 2. Thai Ruby 3. Saffron Indian Cuisine 4. Lanna Thai 5. Top Thai 6. Arroy Thai 7. Tabla Indian Cuisine 8. Minerva Indian Restaurant

Your Favorite Japanese/Sushi Restaurants In NT & WC 1. Kobe Japanese Steakhouse (photo) 2. Yamato Japanese Steakhouse 3. Bonsai Sushi 4. Koizi Endless Hibachi & Sushi 5. Sushi Café 6. Hibachi Express 7. Sukhothai 8. Asian Buffet 9. Ginza Endless Sushi 10. Fong’s Sushi (formerly Sushi Raw) Note-Takara Sushi finished 4th before it went out of business.

Your Favorite Pizza Places In NT & WC

1. 900º Woodfired Pizza & Pasta (Wiregrass; photo) 2. La Prima Pizza 3. Cappy’s Pizza 4. NY NY Pizza 5. Pizza Mania 6. Amici Pizza 7. Woodfired Pizza (Bearss Ave.) 8. Best NY Pizza 9. Full Circle Pizza 10. (tie) Ciccio Cali & Taste of NY

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Your Favorite Burger Places In NT & WC 1. Burger 21 2. Burger Monger 3. Oakley’s Grille (photo) 4. GrillSmith 5. Mulligan’s Irish Piub 6. Wolf’s Den 7. Five Guys Burger & Fries 8. Red Robin 9. Peabody’s Billiards & Games 10. (tie) Dempsey’s Too Lounge & Lexington Oaks Golf Club

Your Favorite Mediterranean/ Greek Restaurants In NT & WC

1. The Hungry Greek (photo) 2. Acropolis Greek Taverna 3. Little Greek 4. Chick & Peas Grill 5. Pita’s Republic 6. Petra Mediterranean Express

Your Favorite Mexican/Latin Restaurants In NT & WC 1. Vallarta’s WC (photo) 2. Café Ole 3. Latin Twist Café 4. Las Palmas Café 5. Vallarta’s TP 6. Casa Ramos 7. Don Pan Intl. Bakery 8. Cantina Laredo 9. Capital Tacos 10. Cantina (CC Blvd.) *-Señor T’s was 9th before it went out of business.

Your Favorite Bars/Taverns In NT & WC 1. The Brass Tap 2. PrimeBar 3. Mulligan’s Irish Pub 4. Stonewood Grill & Tavern 5. Peabody’s Billiards & Games 6. GrillSmith 7. Ciccio Cali 8. CineBistro 9. Acropolis Greek Taverna 10. Dempsey’s Steakhouse

*-Zaytoun Mediterranean Grill finished 4th before it went out of business

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Your Favorite Lunch Places In NT & WC

1. Ciccio Cali (photo) 2. First Watch 3. Oakley’s Grille 4. The Hungry Greek 5. Panera Bread 6. La Prima Pizza 7. Jersey Mike’s Subs 8. Wolf’s Den 9. PDQ 10. (tie) Mulligan’s Irish Pub & Capital Tacos

Your Favorite Chain Restaurants In NT & WC 1. Bonefish Grill 2. GrillSmith 3. Chick-fil-A 4. PDQ 5. Chili’s Grill & Bar 6. The Olive Garden 7. TGI Friday’s 8. Outback Steakhouse 9. Texas Roadhouse 10. First Watch

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Your Favorite Bakeries In NT & WC 1. Publix Supermarkets 2. Don Pan International Bakery 3. 7 Layers Bakery 4. Panera Breead 5. Buttermilk Provisions 6. Stonemill Artisan 7. Dunkin Donuts 8. Le Macaron French Pastries 9. Walmart

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Your Favorite Your Favorite For Ice Cream/Dessert Best Service In NT & WC In NT & WC 1. Happy Cow Frozen Yogurt 2. Bruster’s Real Ice Cream 3. Dairy Queen 4. Twistee Treat 5. Cold Stone Creamery 6. 365 Caffe Italiano 7. La Berry Frozen Yogurt Café 8. Culver’s 9. Le Macaron French Pastries 10. 7 Layers Bakery

1. Stonewood Grill & tavern 2. Ciccio Cali 3. Bonefish Grill 4. Oakley’s Grille 5. Kobe Japanese Steakhouse 6. Beef O’Brady’s 7. Dempsey’s Steakhouse 8. TGI Friday’s 9. Texas Roadhouse 10. (tie) Hungry Greek & GrillSmith

Wesley Chapel Residents Sweep 2016 Free Dining Prizes Congratulations go out to this year’s Dining Survey contest winners — all of whom happen to live in Wesley Chapel. The winners were selected by a random number generator from among the more than 500 properly-filled out entries. The 2016 winners are Roberto Davila of Lexington Oaks , who will receive a $200 gift card to the restaurant of his choice in the Tampa Bay area; Angela Haraf of Quail Woods, who wins a $100 gift card to the restaurant of her choice; and Melissa Spear of Meadow Pointe, who snags a $50 gift card to any restaurant she chooses.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to fill out an entry form. Look for my restaurant favorites in our next issue and for some of these listings to appear on future episodes of WCNT-tv. ­— GN

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Enjoy UFC, New Year’s Eve, The NFL & More At Peabody’s Billiards & Games!

Great Burgers & Fries!

Peabody’s Famous Wings!

By Gary Nager; Some photos by UberEats

D

ON’T THINK for even one second that just because I moved our Neighborhood News office to Wesley Chapel three years ago that I have ever forgotten about my former neighbor in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms — Peabody’s Billiards & Games.

Peabody’s is one of the few things I miss about the old office. New Tampa’s entertainment complex tradition since 1998 (which has been non-smoking inside for several years now; there are tables outside for smokers) is still owned by Bryan Peabody and is one of the best and most underrated restaurants in our distribution areas (see pgs. 41-45).

First of all, I know you can get wings and burgers at pretty much any sports bar, but how many of them also serve true, NY-style pizza, by the whole pie and the slice? And, you can even get toppings on half a pizza (like in the photo on this page) at Peabody’s, so your cheese slice fans and pepperoni, sausage,

46

etc., fans can both get what they crave.

But, while we’re talking burgers and wings, Peabody’s burgers (and sandwiches) are served with your choice of three kinds of fries — curly, crinkle- and my favorite, the skin-on, straight house-cut. Order ‘em extra crispy, like I do, and I promise you won’t be disappointed. Peabody’s super-popular housecut fries are usually tossed in Kosher salt and parmesan cheese, but they’re a little messy that way for my taste, so I order them plain.

The burgers themselves are thick and juicy and I see a lot of the younger patrons going with the breakfast burger, which is topped with cheese, applewood-smoked bacon and a fried egg. It’s yummy that way, but I usually just get the Peabody’s classic, although there’s also cowboy (BBQ sauce and bacon) and black bean vegetarian options.

Even though I’m not the biggest wing lover, I’ve always thought that Peabody’s has the biggest, crispiest naked (unbreaded) wings in town. I order them extra crispy (of course), with a sauce (like the Daytona, sweet chili or hot garlic, among so many others) on the side

Delicious NY-Style Pizza!

(that I honestly only use sparingly because the wings honestly don’t need it).

Peabody’s also has great appetizers like a really popular spinach and artichoke dip, Spanish nachos (with homemade chili), loaded potato skins and brew-battered onion rings. The house, Caesar and blackened chicken salads are all great and I really like the agave balsamic and raspberry vinaigrette (and Caesar) dressings.

The place also is famous for its wraps and sandwiches. Editorial assistant Celeste McLaughlin and I both really enjoyed the new ribeye Philly cheesesteak sandwich and graphic designer Blake Beatty (a long-time Peabody’s fan himself) loves the New Tampa Cuban. There’s also great grilled cheese, grilled or blackened chicken sandwiches, an authentic cold Italian sub and Buffalo and West Coast turkey wraps, all of which have gotten high marks in our office.

And So Entertaining, Too!

If you’re like most everyone who lives in the Tampa Bay area, you’re probably aware that the NFL playoffs are about to

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begin and I assure that there is no better place to watch every NFL Sunday Ticket game — or UFC fights, like the Ronda Rousey-Amanda Nunes UFC 207 fight, which will be held on Friday, December 30, the day you should have received this issue in your mailbox.

Don’t love the fights? Check out New Year’s Eve at Peabody’s! For just a $10 cover charge, you’ll enjoy great food and beverage specials and a champagne toast at midnight. Peabody’s also is taking large (for 4-5 people) and small (for 2-3) table reservations for New Year’s. The large tables cost $50 and include a full bottle of champagne, while the small tables cost $30 and include a split bottle of champagne.

For those who aren’t driving for the New Year, Peabody’s is offering a $100 Gold Package that includes all you care to drink from 9 p.m.-3 a.m. That price includes all top-shelf liquors (except Johnny Walker Blue), your cover charge and a plate of finger food. Or, get the Silver Package for just $50 per person, which includes all call brands of liquor, domestic draft beers

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Blackened Chicken Salad

New Tampa Cuban

Philly Cheesesteak

West Coast Turkey Wrap

and shot specials you care to drink and it also includes your cover charge. If you’d rather pay-as-you-go, Peabody’s also is offering $2.25 shot specials, plus Bacardi, Smirnoff and Captain Morgan drinks for just $5, as well as $7 Crown Royal, Ketel One & Ciroc cocktails.

And of course, Peabody’s has beautiful pool tables, dart boards and other games, plus great food and beverage specials every day, from $1 Taco Tuesdays to $1.25 pizza slices on Wednesday and many others, in-

cluding great lunch specials for $10 or less.

And, Peabody’s Palms Lounge has great DJ dance music every Wed.-Sat. night.

And, Peabody’s food can now be delivered by Uber Eats! In other words, you just can’t beat it!

Peabody’s Billiards & Games (15333 Amberly Dr. ) is open every day, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. For more info, see the ad on page 49 of this issue, call 972-1725 or visit PeabodysTampa.com. And, don’t forget to tell them that the Neighborhood News sent you!

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 1 • January 2, 2017 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

47

Cantina Laredo Adds New Menu Items, Offers Offsite Catering & More!

New Cascabel Pepper Bone-In Ribeye Steak

By Gary Nager

W

HEN I talk to most people about Cantina Laredo, the upscale Mexican restaurant located next to the new Union 72 BBQ (see ad on facing page) in the Shops at Wiregrass mall, the first thing many of them tell me is that “it’s too expensive.”

OK, so this Texas-based chain, which now has 37 locations in 18 states, is a little pricy. If you’re looking for two-for-one fajitas for $9.99, you’re in the wrong place.

But, that doesn’t mean Cantina Laredo doesn’t have very good food or good value for your money. It just means that if you’re looking for a Mexican place that’s a little more elegant, with better-quality food and a gorgeous bar area featuring a nice variety of everything from agave tequilas to red, white and sparkling wine and from premium vodkas and whiskeys to Mexican and domestic beers with great Happy Hour specials (see below), I recommend a visit to Cantina Laredo,

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whether during your next shopping trip to the mall or for a drink and a bite after work.

And, Wesley Chapel general manager Chris Cintino and his outstanding staff promise to make every trip to the Cantina well worth the cost.

Before I get into the new menu items, I just have to say that normally, I’m not a big fan of guacamole. Superfood or not, avocados are virtually tasteless to me, but when you add just the right amount of diced tomatoes and onions, jalapeños and a generous amount of fresh-squeezed lime juice — and the whole concoction is prepared tableside for you, I think this gluten-free delight is well worth the $10.29 pricetag, especially with Cantina Laredo’s endless free chips and salsa. There’s also a new Queso y Guacamole Combinacion, which includes chili con queso (queso cheese dip with chili peppers) and the guacamole, but I haven’t sampled it yet.

So, What Else Is New?

Our office enjoyed a recent trip to the Cantina and we did sample some of the great, new items on the menu.

Guacamole Made Tableside

There’s new chicken tinga, chicken fajita, ground sirloin and other new burritos and billing manager Stephanie Smith said her ground sirloin burrito was delicious and filling.

Staff writer Celeste McLaughlin also had high praise for the new Monterey chicken enchilada topped with poblano pepper sour cream sauce and poblano drizzle in a soft taco filled with fajita chicken and topped with lettuce, tomato and cheddar cheese. I enjoyed the new Arroz con Pollo (chicken with rice) soup.

But, my surprising favorite new item at Cantina Laredo is the new cascabel peppermarinated, 16-oz. bone-in ribeye steak, which was just so tender after 21 days of aging and perfectly done to my medium rare liking. The steak was served with sliced red potatoes covered with cheese (I wish they were crispy, but they were very tasty) and grilled asparagus.

The cascabel pepper isn’t overly spicy, but it adds a unique flavor that I’m betting

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most will love but I know some won’t.

If you love sizzling fajitas, I’ve always enjoyed Cantina Laredo’s skirt steak and chicken fajitas, but someone else will have to let me know if they like the new shrimp or portobello mushroom fajitas. I’m allergic to the former and not partial to the latter. Other new tapas items include the chicken tinga Flautitas (flautas) with poblano pepper sauce, tamales and camaron (shrimp) and chorizo (sausage) empanadas.

Other favorites on the menu include the

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New Burritos

Chicken Chipotle Lunch Special fresh Fish of the Day special (like an awesome pan-seared sea bass in a jalapeño beurre blanc sauce), the chicken chipotle lunch special and the grilled steak tacos. I also love the chewy Mexican brownie sundae shown above.

Catering, Brunch & More!

Cintino says that Cantina Laredo has a complete off-site catering menu and can also cater a private party on-site for up to 30 people in a private room or 75 people in the main part of the restaurant.

Cantina Laredo also recently added Sunday brunch from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. With

Neighborhood News

Sea Bass w/Jalapeño Beurre Blanc

Mexican Brownie items like the crab cakes benedict shown at the bottom of the previous page to chorizos con huevo (sausage with eggs), all Sunday brunch items come with one complimentary mimosa, Bloody Mary or soft drink. Happy Hour specials (served at the bar only) are available Mon.-Fri., 4 p.m.-7 p.m. & 9 p.m.-close, plus 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sat., with domestic beers for just $2, imports for $3, well drinks/house wines for $4 and Casa Ritas cost just $5.

For more information, stop in at 2000 Piazza Ave., call 907-3068 or visit Cantina Laredo.com.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 1 • January 2, 2017 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

49

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

Vuelo Mexican Grill In The Spotlight On WCNT-tv!

Owner Tom Reynolds says he knows that people had their doubts about the new Vuelo Mexican Grill even before it opened. After all, Reynolds also opened — and abruptly closed — Señor T’s in the same former location that previously had seen the closing of Romano’s Macaroni Grill.

But, Reynolds was undaunted. He did his market research and brought in what he calls a “celebrity chef”consultant — former James Beard Award semifinalist (for Best Chef in the Western U.S.) Mark Estee (at right in photo above), who created a totally new menu of hand-crafted Mexican cuisine in a scratch kitchen with a new salsa bar with more than a dozen salsas and items like fresh

50

cilantro and jalapeños, so you can add even more flavor to not only the free chips but to all of the savory menu items at Vuelo.

Estee, who was interviewed on WCNT-tv for Episode 13 (available now on YouTube/WCNTtv), says he is proud of what the new staff has accomplished already at Vuelo. “If you tried the other place and said you’d never come back, I hope you’ll reconsider,” Estee said. “We have great food, plus amazing Happy Hour and drink specials, a large selection of tequilas and more.”

For more information about Vuelo (17641 BBD; see ad on page 43), visit VueloMexicanGrill.com or call 972-4800.

WCCC Still Cutting Ribbons!

In the month of December alone, when most everyone is wrapped up in wrapping up presents, the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) has continued to cut ribbons and host other free events to benefit its more than 500 members.

For example, the most recent ribbon cutting we attended was at the new Happy Feet Plus store in the outparcel plaza in front of the SuperTarget on BBD at County Line Rd. on Dec. 14. Happy Feet co-founders Jacob Wurtz and Jane Strong were on hand for the opening of this 10th Florida location for the company-owned chain.

Happy Feet is already one of my favorite places to shop. I have big (size 13-1/2, which usually means size 14), flat feet and have rarely found orthotic inserts or (especially) sandals that allow me to walk pain-free. So, I bought myself and my feet two holiday presents (sandals and new orthotics) at Happy Feet Plus and I couldn’t be...happier.

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For more information about Happy Feet Plus (1059 BBD), visit HappyFeet. com or call 618-5070.

Other recent WCCC events include the Monthly Coffee Social at Buttermilk Provisions on BBD on Dec. 20; the Coldwell Banker/F.I. Grey & Son Residential Inc. ribbon cutting on Dec. 15, the Monthly Mixer at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club on Dec. 8 and the Pet City (in Land O’Lakes) ribbon cutting on Dec. 7 (photo on next page).

I also want to give a big shout-out to WCCC Volunteer of the Year Troy Stevenson and owner (and WCCC Business Leader of the Year) Jay Rosario of Wesley Chapel Nissan for buying out three performances of the new “Star Wars: Rogue One” movie at the Muvico Starlight 20 Movie Theater on BBD. In order to receive up to four tickets to one of the three performances, all you had to do was donate non-perishable food or unwrapped toys. What a great idea!

The WCCC has plenty of great events coming up this month, too. For more info, call 994-8534 or visit WesleyChapelChamber.com for the full events calendar.

Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen Getting Closer

Although yours truly isn’t a big fan, the

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Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen being built on S.R. 54, on previously vacant land located directly adjacent to O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Grill in the Wesley Chapel Village Market, does have a building rising out of the ground and should be completed by sometime early this year. The 44-year-old, New Orleans,

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LA-based fried chicken chain now has more than 2,000 locations not only nationwide but around the world.

And, with its location right off the S.R. 54 exit of I-75, Popeye’s is likely to enjoy success here in Wesley Chapel, too. We’ll keep you posted as the opening gets closer.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 1 • January 2, 2017 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

51

New Tampa & Wesley Chapel HOME IMPROVEMENT DAVID BRIDGES PRESSURE CLEANING Complete exterior cleaning of your home or business with a professional & personal touch. - Pool decks and screen enclosures - All fencing/ driveways and walkways/roofs - Gutter and downspouts.

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Exterior: Painting, pressure washing, clean & seal pavers, stucco, roofing, leaks & wood rot repair.

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When you are away, we feed, cuddle and play with your kitties and clean and dispose of litter. Insured, bonded and Red-Cross certified in pet first aid/CPR. You may visit TampaCatLady.com and submit a service inquiry or call 813-994-9449.

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SPACE AVAILABLE SERENITY SALON & SPA SUITES Wesley Chapel. 1 suite available for rent. Call for details: 813-312-5247 or 813-997-6302. Great location!

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JASMINE’S LANDSCAPING. Complete lawn maintenance, Tree, palm and hedge trimming, Planting, mulching, stones, Sod replacement, Pressure washing, Gutter cleaning and more. Cited by your HOA for violations? Need to comply for: Pressure washing, Trimming, Mulching, Sod replacement, Sprinkler repair or Mailbox repair or replacements?

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We also offer landscaping, pruning & sod replacement. Free estimates. Licensed and Insured. We are an Owner/Operator Company built on service and trust. References available. For more info, call (813) 458-4778.

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_

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SUNSHINE CLEANERS Top Quality...Great Prices

$5 Off Any Size Comforter $2.79 Press Only* $3.49 Drycleaning & Press* $1.59 Men’s Business Shirts * Some garments incur additional charge.

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53

‘Shun Yen’

Continued from page 1 a world where divine beings and humans interact, a magical world of myth and legend.

It is a world that speaks a universal language.

The performance includes bilingual MCs who provide brief preludes to each story.

Many audience reviews speak of leaving the theater with indescribable happiness, inspiration and even a newfound sense of peace.

The performance “touched the deepest part of my soul,” wrote Maria Banks from Los Angeles in one review posted on Shen Yun’s guestbook. “Shortly after returning home, my tears broke through again and again. It feels as though my heart’s been washed clean. Gratefully yours.” And, it is a world that speaks a universal language. The performance includes bilingual MCs who provide brief preludes to each story. But more importantly, classical Chinese dance and music speak directly to the heart, resonating with the audience on many levels.

back is about loyalty. The legend of splitting the mountain is about filial piety, and the tale of Wu Song battling the tiger is about courageously helping others.”

Not Made in China

Five Millennia on Stage

Shen Yun is completely independent of the regime of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing. In fact, even though the company annually performs to sold-out theaters around the world, it actually is not allowed to perform in China.

Over the last six decades, China has experienced one communist campaign after another aimed at destroying traditional culture. Mao Zedong (Tse-tung)’s Cultural Revolution of the ’60s and ’70s, in particular, sought to completely eradicate this ancient heritage. Young Red Guards were mobilized to smash sacred statues, burn books, and defeat the Four Olds, which included the system of virtues that guided Chinese morality for thousands of years.

“Actually, in China today, you can no longer see performances of genuine traditional Chinese culture,” says principal dancer and choreographer Yungchia Chen.

Chen grew up in China, but later moved to Taiwan, where he won numerous awards throughout his dancing career, and finally found his calling with Shen Yun. “China has many talented dancers, but the choreographers aren’t allowed to choreograph any traditional pieces for them to perform. Shen Yun is different.”

“Shen Yun is making every effort to bring back the most authentic, most beautiful part of Chinese culture—through dance,” he says. “For example, the story of a mother tattooing four words on her son’s

54

“There are countless stories in the 5,000 years of Chinese civilization,” Chen says. “The challenge is to find stories you can depict on stage. In a play, actors can speak, but in dance you have just a few minutes to tell a story...with clarity, and in a moving way.”

Year after year, Chen and his colleagues succeed in doing just that. Shen Yun’s performances have become a staple for many celebrities and veteran theatergoers alike. The company’s success also has attracted a constant stream of new talent.

Shen Yun is home to an impressive number of artists from around the world.

And, these artists take Shen Yun’s mission to heart. This can be seen in their energy and joyful enthusiasm on stage, as well as their seamless cooperation, the type that can only arise from a common sense of greater purpose.

“When dancing, sometimes there is an instant when you feel like our hearts are all together, united,” says Shen Yun choreographer Michelle Ren. “That moment is really sacred,” she says. “And in it, you can see pure beauty.”

Shen Yun will be performing at St. Petersburg’s Mahaffey Theater January 27-28; at The Lakeland Center February 7-8; and at the Venice Performing Arts Center Feb. 10-12. For tickets and information, visit ShenYun.com/FL.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 1 • January 2, 2017 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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