Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News, Volume 24, Issue 10, May 6, 2016

Volume 24 Issue 10

Inside: A Map Of What’s Coming To Wiregrass Ranch!

May 6, 2016

See pages 8-9!

Named The 2014 ‘Small Business Of The Year’ By The Wesley Chapel Chamber Of Commerce!

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For the complete list of neighborhoods that receive this publication by direct mail in Wesley Chapel (zip codes 33543, 33544 & 33545), see page 46!

Wesley Chapel Chamber Gets An Update On The Plans For Wiregrass

By John C. Cotey West Palm Beach-based commercial developer John Dowd (photo, bottom right) played a pivotal role in the development of the Wesley Chapel area near S.R. 56 when, with the stalwart help of JCPenney as the lead anchor, he helped spearheed the birth of The Shops at Wiregrass mall.

Dowd admitted that it wasn’t easy.

Right before the mall finished, the economy started to slow. Had it been six months later, Dowd doesn’t think the mall would have ever been built. “We had tenants come to us who had literally just signed leases and wanted out,’’ he said. “Everybody was so afraid of what was going to happen to the world.”

But, thankfully, the world did survive.

And, so did the mall.

Dowd is back in the area, and is again teaming up with local landowner/developer JD Porter (below) to help give the Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI) another economic shot in the arm.

At the Wesley Chapel Economic Development meeting at Mulligans (inside New

Also Inside This Issue:

News, Business & Sports Updates

County To Look For Different Connections To New Tampa, No Defined Borders For Wesley Chapel, 54/56 Task Force Makes Recommendations; Our Exclusive Summer Camp Guide & Local Business Features!

Pages 3-36

Neighborhood Magazine Happy Mother’s Day Multiplied, Ginza Offers Fresh, All-You-Can Eat Sushi & More, New River Elementary Students In Bucs’ Cooking Contest, Plus More Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes!

Pages 37-48

Members of the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce Board, including Past President Jeff Novotny (holding plaque) were honored to present the plaque that will adorn the boardroom at the WCCC office in The Grove named for the late Don Porter to Don’s son JD & daughter Quinn (center), during the Chamber’s Economic Development briefing at which JD & commercial developer John Dowd (far right) spoke about Wiregrass Ranch.

Tampa’s Pebble Creek Golf Club) on April 28, Dowd and Porter regaled a crowd of more than 100 local business leaders with tales from the past, but mostly of a future they see as bright and bustling.

The Wiregrass mall, which Dowd said didn’t have the start everyone had hoped when it opened in 2008, is now enjoying the kind of success that was expected. That is triggering further development in the area, as the Porter family carefully and judiciously parcels out its land to businesses and developers who fit into their long-range plans.

Dowd said he was attracted to working with the Porter family because of the family’s

deliberate style. Unlike many landowners, JD Porter said he is no rush to sell to the highest bidder and turn an instant profit. Instead, the Wiregrass Ranch DRI continues to only greenlight projects the Porter feel add value to the entire area.

And Yes...Another Map!

Here’s some of those plans Porter and Dowd shared at the Economic Development meeting (these and other updates on and near S.R. 56 appear on the map on pg. 8): 1. On S.R. 54, just down the road from Walmart, the first project between Dowd and See “Wiregrass Update” on page 8.

More of “What’s New’” appears on pgs. 24-25.

WC Noon Rotary To Host First ‘Duck Derby’ On May 21!

Fresh off another successful Adult Spelling Bee (see page 16), the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel (WC) Noon is proud to invite everyone in the Wesley Chapel and Central Pasco areas to its first-ever “Duck Derby,” which will be held Saturday, May 21, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., “lakeside” at Hungry Harry’s Bar-B-Que, which is located minutes from Wesley Chapel at 3116 Land O’Lakes Blvd. (aka U.S. Hwy. 41), Land O’Lakes.

WC Noon Rotary Club Duck Derby organizers John Jay (the DJ) and Vicki Hamilton of Smart Health Inc. say the Duck Derby is a fun, family-friendly event where attendees “purchase” anywhere from one to a flock of 100 ducks, who are numbered on the bottom and loaded into a body of water to “race.” If your duck wins a race, you win a great prize.

“It’s such a fun day for everyone, no matter what age you are,” says John. “We

have live musical entertainment lined up, a fun Kids Zone (with inflatables, games, face painting and more), great Hungry Harry’s food for sale and some really great prizes.”

Among those prizes are an all-day fishing trip for 5 with a charter boat captain (a $600+ value); a weekend (2-night) stay at Saddlebrook Resort Tampa ($500); a free weekend rental of a Ford Mustang convertible donated by Parks Ford of Wesley Chapel; a $250 certificate for auto repairs from TWA Firestone; a handmade fishing rod by WC Rotarian Jimmy Mason ($300) and more.

This year’s Duck Derby Big Bird Sponsor ($4,500) is Fun Services of Land O’Lakes, owned by WC Rotarian Jodi Sullivan (FuntasticEvents.com). The Donald Duck Sponsor ($1,000) is Sam’s Club of Wesley Chapel and the Rubber Ducky Sponsor ($250) is Cash 4 Gold of Wesley Chapel (Kash4Gold.com). See you there! — GN

Photo: Cartersville, GA Duck Derby

Our Biggest Post Ever & Other Exciting News An editorial by Gary Nager Until Apr. 7, the single “biggest” post we ever had on our “Neighborhood News” Facebook page was viewed about 28,000 times, with about 4,000 click-throughs to our website to read the actual story.

But, Apr. 7 was the day we posted the map on page 12 of this issue, which shows what’s both officially coming and rumored to be coming to the area around the Tampa Premium Outlets mall off S.R. 56.

The map was on page 1 of this publication the following day, but it already had created a record stir (for us, of course) when it received 63,000+ views on our Facebook page — more than doubling our previous best — and an even more staggering 51,000+ click-throughs to our NTNeighborhoodNews.com website! That’s more than 12 times the number of people who had clicked through to our site in any single day!

The second map — of the area near our office on S.R. 54 near I-75 and Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Wesley Chapel — was no slouch, either, although it “only” garnered 18,200+ page views and a few thousand clickthroughs to our site.

And, even when we ran another Facebook post with the same S.R. 56 map — albeit with some updated information — on Apr. 21 (the day before our New Tampa issue hit mailboxes in zip code 33647), we still had more than 17,000 views on Facebook and another 4,000 click-throughs to our website.

Considering that we are directly mailed every four weeks to 47,000 total households — 26,300 in New Tampa and 20,700 in Wesley Chapel — I estimate our total readership to be somewhere between 100,000-120,000 people. Either way, those 60,000+ people

Wesley Chapel 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 Jillian Reilly Assistant Editor / Photographer John C. Cotey Editorial & Office Assistants Celeste McLaughlin • Christen Caporali Correspondents Anu Varma Panchal • Andy Warrener Graphic Designers Georgia Carmichael • Blake Beatty Nothing that appears in Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion.

The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisements for Volume 24, Issue 12, of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News is Monday, May 23, 2016.

Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News will consider previously non-published outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News will not return unsolicited editorial materials.

Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit &/or reject any advertising. Wesley Chapel 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 JM2 Communications, Inc. Neighborhood News

extremely high winds (20-30 knots) and seas (3-4-ft. waves).

I did return to the Dunedin Causeway the next day, when the winds were down to 10-15 knots and the waves down to 2-3 ft., but I never quite finished the 4-mile race, at least not without swimming the kayak about a half-mile to shore after a wave knocked me out of it. It’s a long, crazy story (to which my fellow WC Rotarians can attest), but I am still planning to do another race soon...just not without the proper kayak. Most of the 100+ competitors the day I didn’t finish were in sleek, 14-18-ft. composite racing kayaks that look like Olympic sculls. I was in a borrowed, 9-ft. plastic kayak I now realize I was probably lucky to be physically able to swim to shore.

Lucky? Oh yeah. After all, no one else at the race did a marine biathlon that day, right?

who read that one Facebook post represent around half of our estimated direct-mail readership, which bodes well for a new project I’m working on...

So, What’s WCNT-tv?...

WCNT-tv is the fun and informative web-based “TV” magazine show (se page 47 of this issue), written and co-hosted by yours truly, which will be all about Wesley Chapel (WC) and New Tampa (NT). And, it is launching soon — we hope by next month.

I can’t tell you much more about this short (5 minutes, including ads), bi-weekly news magazine show just yet, other than it’s a joint venture between yours truly and Full Throttle Intermedia (FTIntermedia.com), in association with the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC; see pg. 42).

But, WCNT-tv will include a local news segment, a WCCC “Featured Business of the Week” and a “Neighborhood Dining News” segment that will take me (and thousands of my closest friends) inside a different restaurant from all over the Tampa Bay area, since we all know that those of us who live and work in and around New Tampa and Wesley Chapel have very few local, non-chain fine dining options. For more info, see pg. 47.

My First Kayak Race?...Sort Of

The photo above was probably the happiest I was the weekend of Apr. 9-10, as the organizers of the 13th annual Sharkbite Challenge off Honeymoon Island in Dunedin called off the “official” race on Apr. 9 due to

Table of Contents

Local News Updates....................3-21

Kinnan-Mansfield To Be Part Of A Broader Study......4 County Decides Borders Are Not The Answer..........6 Wiregrass Ranch Growing; Check Out Our Map...8-9 54/56 Vision Task Force Completes Phase I.......10 Pond Rescue Brings Together Good Samaritans..12-13 PHSC Panel Prepares Students For Employment.....14 Defending Champs Fall Short Of A Three-Peat........16 Wesley Chapel Community Calendar......................18

Local Business Updates.............22-34

Don’s Dogs Can Help Your Canine Stay In Line.......22 Bliss Facial Spa Offers A Bevy Of Great Services......24 American Wood Flooring For Every Flooring Need...26 SPOTLIGHT ON: New Tampa’s Barewood Furniture...27 Centra Care Provides Great Care When You Need It...28 SPOTLIGHT ON: NutriMost Of Wesley Chapel!...29

Neighborhood Magazine

Mother’s Day Takes On New Meaning For Family...35 North Tampa Art League Features Local Artists...38 Ginza Combines Quantity With Quality................40 ‘Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes’........42 WESLEY CHAPEL CLASSIFIEDS...........44 New River Students Cook For The Bucs........46 @NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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Kinnan-Mansfield Connection Now In The Hands Of Two Local MPOs

By John C. Cotey A few months of negotiations and talks may have sparked hope for a resolution regarding Mansfield Blvd., which stops in Pasco County just a 100 feet short of connecting to Kinnan St. (which continues into New Tampa), but the City of Tampa has moved the talks onto the plate of its Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), opening up a broader study, according to Pasco officials.

“The city of Tampa has kicked it over to the (Tampa-Hillsborough) MPO,’’ says James Edwards, Pasco’s transportation planning manager. “Hillsborough thought it was more of a local issue, and one that needed to be looked at on a wider scale.”

City of Tampa District 7 City Council member Lisa Montelione made the request, but she said it has nothing to do with “kicking” anything anywhere. She said this was the best option “to keep the ball rolling,” considering the MPO handles transportation planning for all of Hillsborough County. In addition, Montelione said, Tampa did not budget for any action on Kinnan-Mansfield, but the MPO has the funding to pursue a connection, if that’s what is decided.

“We want Kinnan-Mansfield settled,’’ Montelione said.

Instead of one connection between Pasco and Hillsborough, the MPOs from both counties will now meet to take a look at a handful of other connections as well, Edwards said, potentially opening up other

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passages between today, considering Wesley Chapel and the new developNew Tampa. ment of homes, The two MPOs schools and busiare hashing out a nesses in the area. timeline and could “This could meet sometime this be a good thing,” summer to begin Moore said. “There studying possibilicould be other conties. nections that arise “Everybody from this, especially realizes addiwhen off S.R. 56 Discussions of a Mansfield Blvd.-Kinnan St. tional connecwhen that gets exconnection have entered a new phase since the talks tended. There might tions are likely in between Pasco commissioner Mike Moore (left) and be connections we the future,’’ said Edwards. It’s just Tampa City Council member Lisa Montelione. The haven’t even talked Hillsborough & Pasco MPOs will study multiple about yet.” when and where.”

Kinnan St. was connections between Wesley Chapel & New Tampa.

Edwards paved north to the acknowledges that Pasco County line in 2007 by developers, Kinnan-Mansfield looks like the easiest but never completed. Barricades mark the and cheapest connection to make. “It’s in end of Mansfield Blvd. and block the road your face,’’ he says. “It’s a stone’s throw heading south, while steel poles with red connection. The infrastucture is already diamond-shaped signs on them prevent there at the county line, it’s just a matter any traffic further north on Kinnan St. of building enough asphalt. It’s the one that could obviously be done sooner than Last publicly discussed in 2012, the others.” talks were revived in January of this when Montelione said Pasco desired mulMontelione and Pasco County District 2 commissioner Mike Moore, whose district tiple connections during their meeting in includes Wesley Chapel, met hoping to find March, including one at Kinnan-Mansfield and one on Beardsley, both of which are a resolution. written into the city’s developer’s agreeOn March 9, they met again with lawyers, city administrators and engineers ment with M/I Homes, which is building in K-Bar Ranch. But, Pasco also wanted from both sides and decided to have the another connection on land the City of engineers examine the old plans from 2007-12 to determine if any are applicable Tampa does not control, she said.

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Edwards says new studies between the two MPOs will examine at least four multiple connection points east of BBD, including, he says, Kinnan-Mansfield, a Meadow Pointe Dr. connection, and a Morris Bridge Rd. connection (possibly Beardsley Dr.), all of which would connect to the K-Bar Ranch area.

The dynamics of the travel between the two counties have to be considered, Edwards said. One example he cited: while most of the traffic heading south from Pasco County is made up of people heading to and from jobs in Tampa (in the morning and late afternoons), more of the traffic north from New Tampa is to visit malls, other shopping and restaurants, which peak more at night and on weekends.

“After we kind of look at the technical issues of traffic, we can begin to think about ways to mitigate north and south of the county line,’’ Edwards says.

There are other safety concerns to consider as well, and population expectations to be factored into any road construction.

Like the previous study proposed by Moore and Montelione, the two MPOs will eventually present a plan and solicit “significant public engagement” before finalizing it.

“We will be upfront about it,’’ Edwards says. “There are different groups of people that think (Kinnan-Mansfield) should happen or not. But it’s probably not going to be one connection (that emerges), but multiple connections.”

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Pasco County Tells Wesley Chapel & Lutz/LOL Groups: ‘Borders Schmorders’

By John C. Cotey

After weeks of research by the Wesley Chapel and Central Pasco Chambers of Commerce to help Pasco County staffers determine the borders of Wesley Chapel and Lutz/Land O’Lakes — which included bringing in local historians and combing through old newspaper archives — both organizations found out recently it was a wasted effort.

Bottom line? Barring a successful effort to incorporate either area, there will be no defined borders for Wesley Chapel or Lutz/Land O’Lakes.

In fact, new Pasco Planning & Development administrator Kristen Hughes said defined borders were never going to happen, because that is not the job of the county.

But, that was news to the WCCC and CPCC, as the leaders of both Chambers were left scratching their heads.

“Each group had an opportunity to present their side and their information,’’ said WCCC CEO Hope Allen, after getting the bad news. “We were all under the impression there would be a resolution and the county would be the deciding factor and we would live with whatever the county decided. Toward the end, the county said that wasn’t going to be the case.”

Pasco County planner Matt Armstrong met with both sides in February and said in March he was still collecting data and that, “Ultimately, we will be bringing a report to the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) with a recommendation on what we think the boundaries (should) be.”

But, between then and our press time, Pasco County attorneys stepped in and said defining borders to settle the dispute was not the job of the county.

The border decision, which had been expected for more than a month to be voted on by the BCC at their April 26 meeting, never made it onto the agenda.

“Yeah, I was surprised,’’ said Allen.

“It would have been nice to know that.

We spent lot of time on this. We were following the lead of the county.”

Calls to Armstrong were returned

6

by Hughes, who said, “We are not going to define a border.’’

Hughes also was critical of local reporting on this issue, claiming that of all things he has read, half were wrong.

He also claimed defined borders were never on the table, even though the WCCC and CPCC were working specifically on that issue. “But, that was our impression,’’ Allen says.

The debate over what area defined Wesley Chapel and what area defined Lutz-Land O’Lakes was sparked in January by a request Are the two intersections shown above in Wesley Chapel or Lutz/Land O’Lakes? Pasco County: ‘We won’t define a border.’ to the BCC from the CPCC to rename the “Our objectives are, one, we really southern end of Wesley Chapel Blvd. as are about getting people to hold hands it crossed southbound over S.R. 56, to be more representative of the Lutz-Land and work together to achieve a common goal,’’ Hughes says. “And second, helpO’Lakes area.

That debate over renaming the road ing communities find their hearts. Where was tabled until the BCC could research is their center, what is their identity, and how do you want to build that out?” the issue. Board members decided that Pasco County currently only has defining the borders between the two six incorporated areas — the cities of unincorporated Census Designated Zephyrhills, Dade City, San Antonio, Places (CDPs) — Lutz/Land O’Lakes Port Richey and New Port Richey, and and Wesley Chapel — needed to be settled first, setting off the fact-finding missions by all involved.

Representatives of Lutz/Land O’Lakes believe their border extends west to I-75. The Wesley Chapel side thinks its western border extends to Wesley Chapel Blvd. So, the area between S.R. 54/Wesley Chapel Blvd. and I-75, which currently have Lutz (33559) and Land O’Lakes (34639) addresses, has been at the heart of the dispute.

Both areas are unincorporated, meaning neither is governed by a local municipal corporation, but rather, in this case, by the county. Hughes cited poet Robert Frost in saying, “Good fences make good neighbors,” saying the solution lies in resolving the differences between the two Chambers.

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the incorporated town of Saint Leo. The rest of the county is comprised of unincorporated CDPs like Wesley Chapel, Land O’Lakes/Lutz, Trinity and Hudson, to name a few. Armstrong said that 450,000 of the 490,000 people living in Pasco today reside in those currently unincorporated areas, with only 40,000 residing in the municipalities.

Hughes said he has heard there is a group looking into incorporating Wesley Chapel, in which case a discussion and vote on the requested borders would be taken. But, there hasn’t been any official action that he knows of...yet.

“It is my understanding (that there are people looking into it),’’ Allen said.

“I don’t know if there’s a collective group, per se, but it is being discussed in different conversations. But, our Chamber has not taken a position on it.”

Some of the same concerns remain, but the entire debate seems to be back where it started — Wesley Chapel Blvd.

“We were opposed to the renaming of the southern portion of Wesley Chapel Blvd., and we are still opposed to that renaming,’’ Allen said.

Allen said the WCCC has reached out to the CPCC and asked that the leadership from both organizations sit down and look for resolutions to some of the issues between them.

Which, Hughes would say, beats drawing borders any day.

@NTWCNews

‘Wiregrass Update’ Cont. from pg. 1

5. Porter said they will be closing on

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Existing Development Map is not to scale & has been modified

by Neighborhood News to make it easier to read.

6. As part of trying to force vertical integration into the development plan, Porter said that in 30-45 days construction also should begin on a condo project, called Altis at Wiregrass, which will be located directly north of Wiregrass Commons at 56.

“If I would’ve said condos in Pasco County 3-4 years ago, you probably would have told me to get the hell out of here,’’ Porter said. “Well, it happened.”

Porter hinted at fourstory structures, with rooftop pools and verandas. “Something typical of Hyde Park and South Tampa,’’ he said. “But not typical Pasco County.”

The condos, which according to site plans will include 394 multi-family dwellings in 15 separate buildings, are part of Porter’s plan to build new and different projects in the area. “If you wanna play in the sandbox, you have to step it up,’’ he said. “We are very fortunate to be in the right area. If people want to be here, bring something new to the table.”

And Still More To Come!

Porter promised other major announcements concerning major retailers still to come.

But for now, he is pleased with the area’s progress, citing the proximity of an expanding hospital, a state college with room to grow into a full-fledged university and more retail in the area. He also expects an increase in new homes as well, and once the residential areas mature a mixed-use town center can be developed.

Porter also said his family is rethinking

Florida Hosptial Center Ice, which will be the largest skating facility in FL, will feature One Olympic-size rink, three NHL-sized rinks and one kid-sized rink and Hockey leagues and skating programs. Expected opening date: Oct. 2016.

I-75

Florida Medical Clinic is opening an 85,000-sq.-ft. complex just south of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

Expected opening date July 2016.

A new place to get your early morning gourmet coffee and tea fix, Buttermilk Provisions is opening in the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel complex on BBD Blvd. The 1,400 sq. ft. space, owned by Dana Morris, hoped to open on Motherʼs Day, permits permitting.

One of four businesses to relocate here on April 1, the Seven Oaks Pet Depot is a 3,000-sq-ft. store featuring premium pet supplies, on-site grooming & boarding. The other three businesses located in the plaza are the new Seven Oaks Pet Hospital, Hammerfist Krav Maga and CrossFit, all of which moved a half-mile west on SR 56.

Bruce B Downs Blvd

Proposed, Approved or Under Construction

Blvd

4. Even further east on S.R. 56, the long-awaited Raymond James Financial campus is close to officially announcing its arrival.

No, seriously.

Porter joked that he was sick and tired of talking about the long-rumored project, which some had begun to doubt. But doubt no more.

“We got good news (April 27) and I truly believe within the next 2-3 weeks we’ll have a permit,’’ Porter said. “Having that permit triggers the closing. Having that closing means the other two or three office users, which we are we are talking to right now -anywhere from 600,000 square feet to another 1.2-million-sq.-ft., Fortune 50 companies -- they close, and I would suspect we’re going to see movement within the next 4-6 months after that.”

Porter said Raymond James will add between 4,000-6,000 jobs, and that you can double that total to 8,000-12,000 jobs with the other unnamed businesses set to follow.

That will also begin to create some of the day traffic that Dowd says is necessary if the area is going to attract more quality restaurants, as well.

Map Key

dge

3. Porter also said a hotel would be finalizing a deal within 30 days, and that is expected to also immediately east of the Wiregrass Commons at 56 project. He did not say which hotel, but we have heard rumors it will be a Marriott Fairfield Inn.

an assisted living facility, “in the next 45-60 days”.

Porter didn’t disclose any other information, but the facility will be called Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch Assisted Living & Memory Care, which is owned by the Prevarian Companies.

The facility will be multiple stories when completed next to North Tampa Behavorial Health, which also is expanding and will be adding 48 rooms by the end of the year.

i ess R Cypr

Porter will be a 12,600-sq.-ft. strip center, with two nicely designed buildings. Two restaurants are already signed up, with two more close to coming aboard as well. The project will feature a typical mix, including a cell phone store, nail and hair salons, restaurants and “good neighborhood use” businesses.

“We already have more interested tenants than we have space for,’’ Dowd said.

2. On S.R. 56, east of the Wiregrass Mall expansion (which will include restaurants, a movie theater and a grocery store), Porter and Dowd are doing is having site work done at another shopping center, to be called Wiregrass Commons at 56, which will include a “green” or specialty grocery store.

Nothing has been signed yet, Dowd said, and “we’re not doing any of the small stuff until we get an anchor signed up. Once that happens, that will be a 50,000-60,000-sq.-ft. project in total and a nice addition to the area.

Holiday Inn Express will be opening at 2775 Cypress Ridge Blvd. in March 2017. The hotel is owned by Globel Hotel Group and Gillym Investments and will feature 80 rooms. Expected opening date: Early 2017.

56

CVS The mega-popular Wawa stations have been popping up everywhere lately, and now itʼs Wesley Chapelʼs turn as one is headed to S.R. 56 west of Bruce B. Downs Blvd. The 6,000 sq. ft. building will include 16 fuel pumps.

its commitment of donating 120-acres to the county to build a park in the area. A tennis center fell through more than a decade ago, as did a proposed baseball complex on the site last year. In November the county announced it would be seeking partners in a public-private relationship to build an indoor facility on land that also would include outdoor fields.

But Porter, frustrated with the county’s inability to move forward on donated land, says he may take back some of it back by the end of the year and build the park privately, as part of his long-range plan to provide the area with “synergy”.

“We are looking to create something we can be proud of out here not just tommorow, but 10-50 years down the road,’’ he said.

Look for more updates on this area at WCNeighborhoodNews.com.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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Wells Fargo

d Chancey R Wiregrass Ranch Blvd

The long-awaited financial investment company is close to finally having its permitting, and could bring 4,000-6,000 new jobs to the area, while attracting other major businesses.

The Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch Assisted Living & Memory Care facility is expected to close on its new property by July.

County Park Meadow Poin te Blvd

Mansfield B

lvd

56

Wiregrass Mall Expansion Grocery

Residential

Cinema

Retail

Wiregrass Commons at SR 56 Grocery & Retail

Residential

The Altis at Wiregrass South The 12,600-sq.-ft. plaza Tampa-style condos will will be anchored by a include 394 multi-family ʻgreenʼ grocery store. units in 15 buildings.

Neighborhood News

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

9

With Phase I Complete, ‘Vision 54/56’ Task Force Hoping To Move Forward

By John C. Cotey Public transportation accommodation, utilizing overpasses to cut down on intersection congestion, express lanes and even the potential of toll roads and rail are all included in concepts that could greatly improve the traffic on S.R.s 54 and 56, as Phase I of the “Vision 54/56” study is all but complete and headed to the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).

“Hopefully, they will tell us to move forward to Phase II,’’ says Pasco transportation engineer Ali Atefi.

In Phase II, the MPO would be looking at five alternative intersection improvements — a no-build alternative will not be forwarded — that could have an eventual effect on Wesley Chapel, specifically at S.R. 54 and Wesley Chapel Blvd. and at S.R. 56 and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.

If the MPO approves, Phase II will see the Vision 54/56 Taskforce look at further modifications while fleshing out more details and also studying other alternatives.

Phase II also will involve broader public involvement, including online surveys.

Other aspects of improving the 54/56 corridor, such as meeting federal requirements for environmental standards and the effects on local businesses and properties, as well as funding, will be tackled during a later phase.

“We’re not getting into funding yet, that’s for a different time,’’ Atefi says. “At this point, the objective is to figure out what people want 54 to look like.”

Atefi stresses that the existing six lanes of S.R. 54/56 will stay the way they are and will always be free of charge, although some alternatives could involve additional toll roads or express lanes.

“There could be exclusives lanes for busses or there can be a rail at this point, we don’t know,’’ Atefi says. “In all cases, we are keeping the existing six lanes. We will keep it the way it is, free of charge. Anything we add will be an addition to what people already have.”

Studying The Studies

As part of the MPO’s “Mobility 2040” Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), the Vision 54/56 study has been conducted using two task forces: one to study the corridor east of U.S. 41 to Bruce B. Downs (which includes the Wesley Chapel area),

10

and another to study the area from U.S. 41 west to U.S. 19.

Prior to the study, Atefi said Pasco’s population is expected to grow to 905,000 by 2040 (from the current population of 490,000), and 135,000 of those new residents are expected to move into the S.R. 54/56 corridor.

“That’s 35-percent of the county’s growth,” Atefi says. “Imagine if development moves faster.”

Each Task Force was comprised of nine individuals from local Chambers of Commerce and civic groups. The task force that represented Wesley Chapel included Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) CEO Hope Allen, Sandy Graves of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce (CPCC), Steve White of the Pasco Alliance of Community Associations (PACA), the Pasco Economic Development Council (EDC)’s Brent Nye (who is also a member of the Wesley Chapel Noon Rotary Club), project developer Joe Cimino, MPO Citizen Advisory Committee members Christie Zimmer and Rob Sercu, as well as citizens-at-large Debby Catanzaro and former Wesley Chapel Noon Rotary president Kelly Mothershead.

“It was an honor to serve on this task force,’’ Allen said recently. “We are literally paving the way to our future...One major sticking point for me was to ensure whatever alternatives we presented, fit well with the overall master plan for our region.”

At their March 31 meeting, the East Task Force concluded its survey results, with Alternative H — which calls for maintaining six general purpose lanes and an At Grade (ground level) exclusive land for BRT or rail transportation – receiving the highest marks.

“This was the only truly At Grade alternative where there is no elevated structure involved,’’ says Atefi.

Alternative J, which called little or no action on the corridor, just maintaining the six lanes already in existence and maintaining local bus routes, scored second-highest.

Alternative F, modeled after much of

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the work on U.S. 19 in Pinellas County (Clearwater in particular) in which an overpass would feature six east-west lanes, but be subject to either a toll lane or express lane with high-occupancy rules, was the third choice of the task force Alternative B did not score in the top 3, but might be the most ambitious of the alternatives. It features six lanes of traffic going in both east and west directions, with one additional express lane which busses could also utilize. Because is it elevated, Alternative B also includes a facility/tower for pedestrians to reach the overpass so they can ride public transportation.

Like Alternative F, Alternative B’s express lanes would need to be enforced to make it effective.

“You cannot have an express lane everybody uses, so you have to (enforce) special things, like all express lanes have to be high-occupancy vehicles (2-3 passengers) or, say you have to pay a toll,’’ Atefi says.

“It has to be a special thing so you keep the integrity of express lanes intact.”

The task forces met over the course of seven months at Rasmussen College (off S.R. 54) in Land O’Lakes. Atefi says that many on the east task force have expressed interest in continuing forward in Phase II. “On a scale of 1-10, I would rate it as a 10,’’ Atefi says of the task force’s work so far. “We educated them, they learned and they accomplished what we wanted them to accomplish. I can’t complain.”

For more information, please visit Vision54-56.com.

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New Tampa Woman Reunites With Her Rescuers One Week Later

By John C. Cotey The moment may be over, they say, but it is never forgotten.

Rarely does a day go by that four strangers — Sam Harris, Maurice Rolle, Lisa Missana and Shane Mitchell — don’t think about that one Thursday morning, around 7:45 a.m. on March 31, when they came together at the intersection of New Tampa Blvd. and Meadow Pine Dr. in West Meadows.

Each played a pivotal role. In just a few minutes time, they managed to cobble together the smarts, verve and guts to act selflessly and swiftly, to enter dark waters, to pull someone from a gray Ford Mustang that had sunk to the bottom of a retention pond. On May 4, they will be honored by the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners.

“I don’t know about your religious beliefs or what you believe in,’’ says Sam, “but there was something happening that day.” ++++++ Maurice was driving his 7-year-old daughter to school, over the Gateway Bridge just past Freedom High, when the gray Mustang heading in the same direction just in front of him swerved to the left and into a white brick retainer wall.

The driver of the car, Marla Zick, 26, had suffered a seizure and was no longer in control of her vehicle.

“I saw her lose control right at the top of the bridge,’’ Maurice says. “She was swerving, and when she didn’t swerve back to correct herself, I knew she was in trouble.”

The car rolled down the bridge, “scraping and grinding” against the wall the whole way, Maurice said.

“I knew it was going wrong,’’ he added.

“I was just screaming, ‘No, no, no, no.’”

Sam, a New Tampa Realtor who lives in Heritage Isles, was driving west on New Tampa Blvd., a road he says he had rarely driven on before. But, that morning, he had to pick up a cake at the Publix in the New Tampa Center for a wedding party at his wife’s office at USAA, and decided to take the back way to the insurance office over the bridge.

There was nothing between his car and the one careening down the bridge towards him in the same lane.

He pulled over. The wall finally turned the Mustang loose, and it turned left. It just missed a cement light post, and a tree, before rolling between two bushes and into the retention pond at the corner of Meadow Pine Dr. Maurice pulled over, told his daughter not to move, and tossed all of his belongings out of his pocket. Sam did the same.

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(L.-r.) Sam Harris, Lisa Missana, Marla Zick, Shane Mitchell and Maurice Rolle got together at Stonewood Grill & Tavern a week after the quartet of rescuers pulled Marla out of her car as it sank in a retention pond just east of the Gateway Bridge in West Meadows.

After dropping his daughter off, Maurice had planned on heading into work at the 30/30 Barber Shop & Salon he owns on Busch Blvd. But, his plans changed.

“Dammit, I gotta get wet, I gotta get freaking wet,’’ he said to himself.

After a few steps into the pond, Sam decided they needed something to pull the car out with. It was 7:55 a.m. He picked up his cell phone, called 911 and ran back to his vehicle for a rope. +++++++ Shane was taking his 7-year-old son to school, and as he drove slowly down Meadow Pine Dr. they noticed the car coming through the bushes and rolling gently into the water, where it appeared to float and drift.

A 32-year-old carpenter, Shane pulled his Nissan over and hopped out. He saw Maurice near the water. While Sam was retrieving a rope from the trunk of his car, Shane had a wincher — a motor-driven or hand-powered drum around which rope or a chain is wrapped and used to move heavy loads — on the front of his.

“I just thought we would pull the car out,’’ Shane said. “I didn’t think anyone would be going underwater.”

Maurice grabbed the hook at the end of the wincher chain and walked into the water.

He was roughly 20 yards from the car, but the water was getting deeper with every step. Af-

ter a few steps it was up to chest, and Maurice couldn’t see the car well enough to have an idea where he would be attaching the hook. ++++++ Lisa was just a few minutes behind Shane on Meadow Pine Dr., on her way to drop her 14-year-old son A.J. at Family of Christ School in Tampa Palms, when she saw the car in the pond.

At first, she grabbed her phone and started taking pictures. “Oh gosh,’’ she says

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she told her son, “that person better get out of that car. Then, I realized Shane and Maurice were yelling at somebody in the car.”

Maurice had returned to shore, and he, Sam and Shane were coming up with another plan. But, there wasn’t time — the car began to sink.

“I could see her face, I was screaming to her that someone was coming,’’ Sam recalls.

“All of the sudden, the car went to the bottom of the pond.”

“Never in a million years did I think that pond would have drank that car like that,” Maurice says.

The nose of the Mustang went first, thrusting the back end into the air, where it then slowly disappeared from sight. “Three bubbles came up, and it was gone,’’ Lisa says.

“It was total chaos.’’ Maurice says. “The electricity at the point was crazy. Everybody was just in shock. Lisa was saying something, people were screaming, stuff just went by so quick...I looked over at Shane, and he was going into the water.”

Lisa was not far behind. She ran around the pond on the other side, slipped off her flip flops and in her jeans and a black Chicago Blackhawks shirt, jumped into the pond.

For a brief minute before she jumped in, all she could think about was all the photos her friends had sent her by text over the years of the two alligators that lived in the pond.

Once in the water, Lisa swam to the car and tried to get her bearings. She placed her feet on the roof of the car to determine where she was.

The rest, she says, is kind of a blur. She

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remembers focusing on the driver’s side of the car. Luckily, Marla had been driving with her window down. “I always drive with my window down,’’ she later told Lisa. “Drives my mom crazy.”

This time, it saved her life. +++++ Shane and Lisa took a few turns unsuccessfully trying to get Marla’s seat belt unclasped. Four, maybe five times each. Neither can remember exactly.

Had Shane not been getting over a cold, he says he may have been able to save Marla in one trip. He had dived for lobster and been spearfishing, free-diving 20 feet and staying under with no problem. On this day, however, maybe from the combination of his cold and adrenaline, he couldn’t seem to get a deep enough breath.

The water was green and murky, Shane says. And the car was not visible. “Shapes and shadows,’’ he says. “I was just feeling around for door handles and everything.”

Lisa came up from the water and screamed to the onlookers to find a knife or scissors, to cut the seat belt. She doesn’t remember who brought her scissors, she just remembers sticking them in her back pocket.

But before she could make another trip below, Shane emerged from the water and told her he had freed Marla from the seat belt. It was time to go pull her out.

“Let’s do this,’’ Shane said.

Together, they sank back into the water, but when they reached for Marla, she wasn’t there. Unhindered by the seat belt, she had floated to the roof of the car and towards the passenger side. Once they figured out what had happened, “Shane grabbed her by the

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waist, I grabbed something, and we pulled her out through the window,’’ Lisa says.

Shane and Lisa may not remember how many times they dove under, but they knew why — “I saw somebody dying,’’ Shane says.

In real time, the rescue lasted no more than two minutes, Sam says, maybe even only 90 seconds.

But, “It felt like an eternity,’’ Shane says. “I remember when I stopped to catch my breath, I was just thinking, ‘Oh my God, if I don’t get her out she is going to die. I can’t stop.’ It felt like such a long time, and I dove so many times.”

Maurice was in shock, waiting for Shane and Lisa to emerge with a body. He was ready to jump back in if he was needed, but he worried that his failed attempt to hook the wincher to the car was Marla’s best shot.

“The deal was, I was like, ‘God, please

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don’t let this girl die,’” Maurice says, “because I couldn’t get to her.’’

When they got her to the surface, Lisa and Shane turned Marla on her back. “She looked dead,’’ he says. “She was purple and blue and pale.”

Marla was frothing at the mouth, but was still alive. Tampa Police Department (TPD officers helped pull them to shore, and medics tended to Marla before taking her to Florida Hospital Tampa.

“We have the best police department in the nation,’’ Sam says, a sentiment shared by the others, thanks to TPD’s quick response.

Lisa and Shane slumped to the ground.

“I remember my thighs hurt so bad,’’ Lisa says.

“Absolutely spent and exhausted,’’ Shane says.

Lisa and Shane had the same thought as they looked out to the pond, to where the car had settled. Was there anybody else in there? Was a child strapped into a seat in the back? Had they done enough?

Lisa waited until the car was pulled out, to see with her own eyes. She was overwhelmed with relief when police told her the Mustang was empty.

Afterwards, Lisa would shower until there was no more hot water, drive up to school and give her son a big hug. +++++ A week later, the entire group — Marla, Shane, Lisa, Maurice and Sam — met for the first time since the incident, for dinner at Stonewood Grill & Tavern, located a mile or two from the scene of the accident.

It was a therapy session, of sorts. Lisa brought booklets for each person, with all the pictures she could find taken at the pond.

Together, they pieced the story back together. The rush of adrenaline and the power of impulse and instinct had left many holes for all four of the rescuers.

“Dinner definitely helped everybody,’’ Sam says.

Marla did not remember anything. She told them that one minute she was driving to get a cup of coffee at the Dunkin’ Donuts on Highwoods Preserve Pkwy., and the next minute, she woke up in a hospital.

For Maurice, dinner was closure. He had been troubled since that morning, and meeting Marla and talking with his fellow good samaritans helped clear his mind and his conscience.

“Thinking that somebody could have possibly died and you didn’t get to them that first go around,’’ he says. “That’s tough.”

The attention he received afterwards had overwhelmed Shane, an otherwise private person. But, in the darkened, comfortable confines of Stonewood, he found some peace reliving the moment. It also helped him piece together the story.

“It’s a lot to come to terms with,’’ Maurice admits.

Lisa, who still gets recognized in public, and even thanked by strangers, learns something new every day about the event. She says she is haunted by what could have been.

Re-telling her story, she cries at certain parts.

“There’s a lot of ‘what-ifs,’” she says.

“What if we didn’t get her out? What if she died? What if something went terribly wrong and my husband was planning a funeral and my kids didn’t have a mother? There’s just so many things.”

Lisa spent many of her summers growing up in Chicago working as a lifeguard, but never imagined she would use those skills years later. “It’s just all surreal,’’ she says.

“This is something that is going to stay with me for a lifetime.”

Maurice, Shane and Lisa still drive by the pond daily, taking their kids to school, going to the grocery store, heading to and from work. In the past, Lisa might look over and see if any alligators were sunning themselves, but otherwise, no one paid it much attention.

Now it’s hard not to look and stare... and remember.

Something special happened that day.

“A spear fisherman, a former lifeguard, a barber and a real estate agent, all coming together, (each) with a role and a purpose,’’ Sam says.

“It turned out wonderful.”

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PHSC Conference Teaches Students What Businesses Are Looking To Find

By John C. Cotey

If students planning to graduate from Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) want to find their way to success, then immersing themselves in the community, developing leadership skills and gaining experience while in school might be the most important ways to move forward.

What businesses are looking for was the main theme on April 5 at the “Defeating the Odds…Achieving The Dream” panel discussion held at the PHSC Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.

The event, which focused on leadership development and community engagement, was part of a series of events leading up to this month’s inauguration of Timothy L. Beard, Ph.D., as PHSC’s fourth president.

The panel featured local business leaders, such as Shops at Wiregrass mall general manager Greg Lenners, Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) CEO Hope Allen, and Tracy Clouser, the director of marketing for Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC).

The panel, moderated by new PHSCPorter Campus Provost Bonnie Clark, Ph.D., also included educators Carin Hetzler-Nettles, the principal at Wesley Chapel High, and assistant humanities professor Dennis Feltwell, Ph.D., as well as current PHSC student Denise Saviolis.

Dr. Beard was the keynote speaker, and he talked about PHSC’s vision of student success and innovative teaching, which he says go hand in hand if the school is to achieve its mission of, “Imagine, Believe and Achieve.”

“We want students who are globally astute and are able to think outside the box,’’ Dr. Beard said.

Those students will be the ones most desirable to future employers, the panel agreed. By increasing college completion rates, joining forces with K-12 educators to make sure students are college-ready and collaborating with private institutions in the hopes of developing strong advocates in the community, Beard hopes to have students more prepared for their futures.

The discussion centered around PHSC itself and its plans to always meet the needs of employer expectations, and what those employers are looking for, espe-

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cially in any management-level hire.

“We look a lot at culture,’’ Clouser said, when it comes to hiring well-rounded employees. “There are a lot of studies that show that highly-engaged employees deliver better results. In healthcare, that means better outcomes for our patients.”

Others on the panel suggested developing passion, a capacity to connect to others, as well as resilience, while debating whether such things can be taught.

“Grit and perseverance, which in my mind can get you through anything,’’ said Hetzler-Nettles. “I think it can be taught to both adults and children.”

Those in hiring positions, though, are not only looking for engaging personalities and leadership, they most often require experience. By engaging the community and developing relationships in the private sector, PHSC leaders hope to help create those bridge opportunities for students.

“We are really trying to connect those students from Day One with employers,’’ Dr. Beard said.

Those who have completed internships, mentorship programs and worked full- or part-time with companies in their field of study will have a leg up on the competition, the panelists agreed.

“A key is getting students out to experiences,’’ Hetzler-Nettles said, which she said will result in referrals and references.

“It’s all about making connections. We all need cheerleaders and champions.”

Those new to the workforce also need to “manage expectations,’’ Allen said, adding that sometimes, that high-paying job isn’t there right away. But, it should not dissuade employees from working their way through a company. “It’s okay to start at the bottom.”

The panel also discussed how social media can both assist and be a detriment to students and graduates looking to enter the workforce. On the one hand, Facebook, Twitter, et al., can sharpen a person’s “brand,” but executed poorly, can depreciate it as well.

“It’s a double-edged sword,’’ Lenners said. “(Social media) can be your friend and/or your enemy.”

Clouser also noted that social media is an extension of one’s brand, but if that consists of photos of prospective employees, “wearing low-cut clothing or drinking

(Above, l.-r.) Wesley Chapel Chamber CEO Hope Allen, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel marketing director Tracy Clouser, The Shops at Wiregrass mall general manager Greg Lenners and new Pasco Hernando State College-Porter Campus Provost Dr. Bonnie Clark were among the panelists during a PHSC conference on April 5 which addressed what businesses in the area are looking for in a good employee. The program was part of the pre-inauguration festivities for when Dr. Timothy Beard (below) is officially inaugurated as PHSC’s fourth president on May 6.

and smoking at a party,” it can sink many employment opportunities. “We will look (at social media),’’ Clouser said.

Dr. Feltwell offered some of the best, and simplest advice — stressing caution.

“Make sure it (your social media) says what you want it to say,’’ he said.

Dr. Beard’s inauguration ceremony will be held on Friday, May 6 (the same afternoon this publication is reaching your mailbox) at the PHSC West Campus in New Port Richey.

For additional information about Pasco Hernando State College, visit PHSC.edu.

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KnowledgePoints Tutoring Team Prevents A Spelling Bee ‘Three-Peat!’

After two years in a row of winning the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon’s Adult Spelling Bee, yours truly reverted to his usual choking-in-spelling-bees ways, as the Neighborhood News Horrific Spellers finished in a tie for about 10th (of 23 teams) on Apr. 8, when “Kount Drakyoula” himself (see photo far right) of one of the 20+ words we spelled correctly) misspelled the word “onomatopoeia” (I spelled it “onamotopoeia”... I guess I missed it by “that much”).

Sadly, I believe our team was the only one to spell all 20 words correctly during the first two rounds of this year’s Bee (held again at the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club in San Antonio) — thanks again to another couple of great assists on medical words from my teammate and event co-chair Karina Azank, M.D. Congratulations to this year’s Spelling Bee Champions — the team from the KnowledgePoints Tutoring Center in Land O’Lakes and to the second-place team from Pasco Hernando State College.

It was another great event to benefit the Pasco Education Foundation & the Rotary Club of WC Noon Fund (the club’s nonprofit foundation). — GN; Photos by OurTownFla.com

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(Clockwise from top left) The winning team at the 2016 WC Noon Rotary Adult Spelling Bee, from KnowledgePoints Tutoring Center. The evening’s Emcee Dr. Stanley Giannet; The non-three-peating Neighborhood News “Horrific Spellers;” the evening’s judges were (l.-r.) Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning a& Teachers of the Year Donald Blake & Beth Hess.

Crazy costumes & lots of fun highlight every Rotary Spelling Bee!

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MAY 2016

Friday - May 6 - 7:15 AM

Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Sunrise - The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Sunrise meets Fridays at 7:15 a.m. at Quail Hollow Country Club (6225 Old Pasco Rd.). For info, call Lynne Morgan at 695-6466.

Saturday - May 7 - 7:30 AM

New Tampa Tri Club - The New Tampa Tri 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.

Monday - May 9 - 7:45 AM

Professional Business Connections (PBC) - PBC meets Mondays at 7:45 a.m. at The Happy Hangar Cafe (at Tampa North Aero Park, 4241 Birdsong Blvd., off S.R. 54, Lutz). For more info, call Chris Thurow at 546-6860.

Monday - May 9 - 8 AM

Experienced Networking Professionals (ENP) - ENP meets Monday mornings at 8 a.m. for breakfast and networking at Quail Hollow Country Club (6225 Old Pasco Rd.). For information, call Brad Benson at 973-1814.

Wednesday - May 11 - Noon

Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel - The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel (Noon) meets Wednesdays at noon at its new location: Quail Hollow Country Club (6225 Old Pasco Rd.). For more information, call 862-8989 or 391-3895.

Thursday - May 12 - 8 AM

Networking For Your Success - The Networking For Your Success group meets Thursdays, 8 a.m., at the Lexington Oaks Golf Club clubhouse (26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd.). All are welcome. Call 994-9944.

Thursday - May 12 - 11:30 AM

Thursday - May 12 - 7:00 PM

Celebrate Recovery Bridgeway Church - Thursday nights at 7 p.m. at Bridgeway Church (30660 Wells Rd.). The purpose of Celebrate Recovery is to bring freedom from dysfunctional, compulsive, and addictive behaviors through biblically-based principles that lead to God’s healing power. Dinner available and free childcare. More info: 907-1313.

Friday - May 13 - 2 PM

NAMI Connection: Mental Health Support Group - NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) of Pasco support group for adults in Pasco County living with mental illness and in recovery. The group meets the 2nd & 4th Friday of each month, 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. at Atonement Lutheran Church (29617 S.R. 54). For info, visit NAMIPasco.com.

Saturday - May 14 - 8 AM-2 PM

Northwood Community Yard Sale - Located off of County Line Rd. near Bruce B. Downs, Northwood of Pasco is have a community-wide yard sale. For more information, visit NorthwoodofPasco.com.

Tuesday - May 17 - 6 PM

RGA Network Business Networking Happy Hour - RGA Networking Group holds networking Happy Hours the third Tues. every month at Pinchers Crab Shack at the Shops at Wiregrass mall. Bring a friend, a door prize & plenty of business cards. $5 admission includes appetizers. There also are drink specials offered. For more info, visit RGANetwork.net.

Tuesday - May 17 - 7 PM

NAMI Friends and Family: Mental Health Support Group - NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) of Pasco support group for friends and family of those with mental illness. The group meets the 1st & 3rd Tuesday of each month from 7-8:30 p.m. at Atonement Lutheran Church (29617 S.R. 54). Visit NAMIPasco.com.

Wednesday - May 18 - 7:30 AM

Wesley Chapel Breakfast Club - The WC Breakfast Club brings business people together to network and present their business to the group. The club meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7:30 a.m. at Quail Hollow Country Club (6225 Old Pasco Rd.). For more info, call Bill at 992-3370.

RGA Network Weekly Meeting - The RGA Networking Group meets weekly for networking at GrillSmith at the Shops at Wiregrass mall, allowing business ownSaturday - May 21 - 11 AM - 3 PM ers to meet and get to know each other. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; lunch is First Annual Duck Derby - Hosted by the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel (Noon), from noon-1 p.m. For more info, visit RGANetwork.net. the Duck Derby features rubber duck races & family fun to benefit local & international causes supported by the WC Rotary. For more info, see pg. 1, the ad on Thursday - May 12 - 6:30 PM pg. 19, visit WCrotary.org/duck-derby/ or call John Jay at 298-3232.

Wesley Chapel Republican Club - Wesley Chapel Republican Club meets the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm. at Hyundai of Wesley Chapel, 27000 Tuesday - May 24 - 6 PM Wesley Chapel Lions Club - The Wesley Chapel Lions Club meets every 4th Wesley Chapel Blvd. This month, the speaker is Tami Donnally, Vice-Chair of the Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Hyundai of Wesley Chapel. For more information about Palm Beach County REC and a delegate to the Republican National Convention.

New members and guests are welcome to join the program and enjoy networking, volunteering, community efforts, meetings, helping the vision impaired and more, visit the club on Facebook or at WesleyChapelLionsClub.com. coffee, and dessert. Contact Peter Cracchiolo with questions: 813-360-9813.

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If You Have A Dog Who Needs Training, Check Out Don’s Dogs!

By John C. Cotey

Don Grady says he was a whiz in the kitchen back in the 1990s and early 2000s. In Washington, D.C., he studied the culinary arts and worked as a chef, and after moving to Florida in 2004, he worked at several restaurants in Tampa.

He had yet to discover his true calling, however, even though his wife Valerie already had a pretty good idea of what it was destined to be.

Unbeknownst to her husband, she saw that a local pet store was looking for dog trainers. Don may have been hesitant about a career change, but his wife had seen him train their dog as well as some of their friends’ dogs, and decided to apply for him.

The rest, as they say, is history.

“They called, she took the phone call and said, ‘Yeah, he’d love to meet with you guys,’’’ Don recalled. Two interviews later, he was offer and accepted the job.

Today, he owns Don’s Dogs, a come-to-your-home dog training business, at least until he can find a place to call his own in Wesley Chapel or New Tampa. Don currently has about 20 clients, which is just about the maximum he can fit into a busy schedule turning unruly or shy dogs into well-adjusted and well-mannered pets.

“I was a classic chef, and I thought that was the greatest job in the world,’’

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If you want to be able to be confident that your dog will be able to behave in any social situation, you need to call Don Grady (photo on next page) of Don’s Dogs. He can even make your rambunctious puppy or skittish rescue dog behave like a champion.

Don says. “My wife for years told me I should be a dog trainer, but I told her she was crazy because I had no formal experience like I did in culinary.”

But, as it turns out, Valerie wasn’t crazy. She was just prescient.

For years, Don had been asked by friends for tips on dog training, because his dog, Zoe, a Border Collie mix who is now 16, was so well-behaved. After four years of honing his skills at a pet store, Don felt he was ready to branch out and start his own business.

He said he was successful working

in a shop, and has parlayed that — with the help of word of mouth, social media and advertising — into a busy career.

He says he would like to one day open his own dog training school so he can do puppy socialization classes and teach agility skills, to name a few. Until then, however, he is staying mobile.

How It Works

Don will usually make an appointment with a new client at their home, to interact with the dog in its own environment for its first session and see how the

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dog’s owner reacts as well. Every dog is different, Don says, and they often require different training methods.

Puppies are the easiest to work with, with adult dogs a little harder to train.

The level of training depends upon what the client is looking for — most just want a dog that behaves well at home — but 20-30 percent, Don says, desire further training so their dog can become a therapy pet, able to spread joy while visiting schools and hospitals.

“Don’s great,’’ says client Heather Moran of Meadow Pointe. “We learned from the first session he did with us. I learned and Bo (her seven-month old golden retriever) learned. Don has a great connection with the dog, and he has a good way of teaching me, too.”

When it comes to turning dogs into perfect pets by teaching them to walk nicely, come when called, drop things they shouldn’t have in their mouths and greet people without jumping on them, Don says his success rate is sky-high.

Depending upon what his clients are looking for, Don crafts a specific course for each dog. “I tell people it’s like college courses,’’ he said. “There’s undergrad, Masters and Doctorate.”

Simple obedience can take six hours of training, spread over 4-6 weeks, with the owner having plenty of homework in between lessons. The skills Don tries to teach each dog are sitting on com-

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mand, leaving items alone (“Don’t look at that,” he will tell a dog), giving the owner its full attention and not jumping up on people when it meets them.

For more advanced training, he says, another six lessons are sometimes required. Don is a regular at the Lowe’s in Land O’Lakes, as well as at the Tampa Premium Outlets mall, where he will take dogs to practice what they learned in the first course.

Neighborhood News

Sometimes, it’s a morning trip when the locations are usually less crowded. As the lessons get tougher, lunchtime trips on weekends, when both places are at their busiest, are scheduled.

“He doesn’t just train in the house, he takes you out into real-world situations,’’ says Moran, who hopes Bo will take the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test when he turns 1 and go on to become a therapy dog. “I just like knowing I can take him anywhere in any situation and he’ll be able to handle it and I’ll be able to handle him.”

By the time Don is done giving a dog its second course, they are usually ready for the 10-step American Kennel Club (AKC) CGC test — the gold standard for dog behavior. Don is an AKC-approved CGC Evaluator, and can administer the CGC, AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and AKC Community Canine programs.

Don often takes his own dogs — Zoe and Abby, a 4-year-old Pitbull mix therapy dog — to retirement centers to interact with residents as part of his Canines For Christ program. Abby also helps out with his training, by helping soothe the fears and aggression other dogs may be feeling.

Another client, Kathy Lahr, a mom to a 2-year-old Standard Poodle, says, “Tonga is the best dog I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a few, and couldn’t have done it without Don.” She says that when Tonga was 10 months old, he was “petrified of everything,” the result of

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growing up on 45 acres and not being around many people or cars.

“She was so shy, she wouldn’t even look up at you,’’ Lahr says. But Don changed all that. In fact, Tonga is now a regular visitor at hospitals, schools and age-assisted facilities.

Don trains 4-5 dogs a day, five days a week. He leaves one weekday open and one weekend day open for emergencies and schedule changes. He has built dozens of relationships over the years with his business, which is why he calls it Don’s Dogs. Even after training is complete, he says he always feels connected to his furry students. He will organize dog walks with some of his graduates just to touch base, or get a

group of his former pupils together for a “Yappy Hour” on some restaurant patio somewhere.

Today, the classically trained chef can’t imagine doing anything else for a living. Sure, Don can still whip up an elegant dinner in his kitchen, but only after doing what he loves most during the day.

“No matter if I had a good day or a bad day, I still played with puppies,’’ Don said. “People should be jealous. It’s the best job in the world.’’

For more information, visit DonsDogsTraining.com, visit his Facebook page, or email donsdogs@ yahoo.com. Don can also be reached at 784-2698, or see the ad on pg. 39.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

23

Bliss Facial Spa — New Location, Same Great Services & Owner

By Celeste McLaughlin

Since moving to its new location just off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in the Redfern Professional Park in Seven Oaks nearly a year ago (in August 2015), clients at Bliss Facial Spa are getting the same great facials and skin care options they’ve come to expect. But now, they’re also enjoying expanded services, more space and more privacy.

The new location is just three miles north of the previous location, which was in front of the Super Target at County Line Rd. While owner Vicky Lysenko admits the new place can sometimes be difficult to find, “until you find it the first time,” she says, “what we gave up in exposure we gained in space, quiet, privacy and additional services.”

That’s because the new space is much larger (more than 3,000 square feet versus just 1,400 in the former location). Each of the eight treatment rooms is spacious and has its own door, plus there’s enough space for the facility’s licensed skin care specialists — also called estheticians — to move bulky equipment from one room to the next.

“That’s one thing that sets us apart,” explains Vicky. “We don’t just use our hands.” She explains that every room is prepped with all of the tools and equipment needed for most facials, but a few machines are highly specialized and move from one room to another as needed.

“People love our new location,” says

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At Bliss Facial Spa, which moved about three miles north of its former location in front of the SuperTarget on BBD, you can get everything from eyelash extensions (above) to licensed massage therapy and a variety of facial services.

Vicky. “They like the space, the atmoscouples’ treatment room, which has two phere, the decorations, the music...they beds for people who want to experience like everything about it.” facials or a massage together.

In addition, Bliss Facial Spa has a The new Bliss features a calm, peaceful hair-styling suite, which has a separate waiting room with a beverage station, but Vicky says clients don’t spend much time in entrance and is an independent business there. “We’re very punctual. I don’t like to under the same roof, where Renee Donkeep anyone waiting.” alson runs Hair Haven.

The eight treatment rooms are for facials and other services provided at Facials Bliss, including massages by licensed mas“All of our treatments are customsage therapists (LMTs), teeth whitening, ized based on what your skin needs,” exeyelash extensions by a specialist, waxing plains Vicky. “We’re not a one-size-fits-all services and more. One of the rooms is a solution.” There are options to fit varying

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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budgets and time constraints, from the 30-minute express facial to the 60-minute elite facial.

“For some women, coming to the spa is about relaxation and ‘me’ time,” Vicky says, “but for us it’s about results.

We want our clients to get something of value for their money.”

Every facial appointment begins with a good cleansing, then the esthetician uses a magnifying light to closely examine the skin to see if it’s dry or oily, showing signs of aging or hyperpigmentation.

Then, she works with the client to choose the tools and products that will give the client his or her desired results.

“You’re not just going to get someone rubbing your face for an hour so you feel relaxed,” Vicky says. “Instead, you’ll see a real difference in your skin here.”

Some of the equipment used for facials includes a medical grade LED light wave machine, which Vicky says is good for anti-aging and acne. They also have a “totally different light technology,” according to Vicky, that is called a Radiency machine. It uses a treatment called microphototherapy, which is not a laser, but pulses like one, to rejuvenate the skin.

The spa has three microdermabrasion machines, and handheld equipment such as Nuface, Clairsonic and TimeMaster, which also help to lift and tighten skin on the face.

“A tool that we love that no one else uses is a high-frequency machine,” says

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Joette Sequeira says she has been visiting Bliss Facial Spa since it opened and switched from the signature facial to the HydraFacial a few years ago.

“I recommend it to everyone,” Joette says, adding that she’s now in her 50s and has dry skin, which needs extra care. “The HydraFacial is a little more expensive, but it’s worth it.”

Joette says Bliss Facial Spa also is a nice place to decompress and pamper yourself. “They’re awesome,” she says.

“It’s a nice atmosphere, it’s affordable, and all the girls are very professional.”

She recently started bringing her daughter, age 14, for the spa’s teen facial.

“I trust them completely,” Joette says.

Owner Vicky Lysenko of Bliss Facial Spa Vicky. “It’s not widely used in the industry, but we see awesome results. The high frequency ‘zaps zits’ and kills bacteria on the skin. It uses a glass tube that flows red or violet and makes noise whenever it nears an imperfection on the skin.”

HydraFacial

Bliss Facial Spa is one of just a few locations in the Tampa area that offers HydraFacial, and the only one in Wesley Chapel. It provides a deep exfoliation, along with microdermabrasion and chemical peel. It uses disposable tips —called vortex tips — that remove skin cells and impurities and infuse the skin with a rich serum that includes antioxidants, peptides, hyaluronic acid, and nutrients to benefit the skin.

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“It’s an easy way to save money if you’re serious about your skin care and want results,” Vicky says.

And, if you miss your monthly facial, you can use the amount you were charged toward your next service or products. “I save up my points and go every other month,” says Joette. “It makes the HydraFacial more affordable.”

Vicky emphasizes the importance of taking care of your skin in between visits to get the best results. To help clients with their at-home skin care regimens, Bliss Facial Spa offers many products to meet every client’s needs — from skin care to nail care to sunless tanners and even makeup.

“Before I opened this spa, I was not a ‘spa person,’” Vicky admits. “But, I’ve

learned over the years how important it is to take care of your skin and I’ve seen the effectiveness of what we do, especially because the face is the first thing we see when we meet people.”

Gift cards for products and services are always available. Bliss is running a Mother’s Day special through Saturday, May 7: Purchase a $50 gift card and get $10 free, or purchase a $100 gift card and get $20 free.

Bliss Facial Spa is located at 3750 Maryweather Lane in Wesley Chapel.

It is open Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Sat. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. For appointments and more information, call the spa at 428-5991, visit BlissFacialSpa. com, or see the ad on page 38.

Memberships

To save money on her facials, Joette has a membership to Bliss Facial Spa. Vicky says the spa currently has about 250 members. When someone signs up as a member, the payment for their facials is autodrafted from their bank account monthly. Then, the client comes in whenever they want during the month for his or her facial. Members always save at least $20 on the cost of the facial, plus additional facials are an extra $10 off.

Members also receive rewards points they can use for upgrades or products.

There are monthly perks, too. (For example, in April, the perk was a free brow wax.) And, members receive a special gift at Christmas and on their birthdays. Bliss members can cancel anytime with just 30-days notice.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

25

American Wood Flooring Keeps Up With All Of The Latest Trends selling and installing floors in the Tampa Bay area for 23 years,” when Pat and Marcia opened the original store on U.S. 19 in New Port Richey.

That location moved to the corner of Mitchell Blvd. and Little Rd. in 2005 in the Trinity area. The Wesley Chapel/New Tampa location has been open for almost a decade and both stores offer a wide variety of flooring options to add extra appeal to any home.

By Gary Nager

Although we really only know each other through doing business with each other, I consider Andy Dunning of American Wood Flooring, located in the SuperTarget-anchored Northwood Shopping Center (next to Marshall’s) on Bruce B Downs (BBD) Blvd., to be a good friend. Andy is easy to work with, pays his bills and, best of all, he always gets great results from advertising in both our New Tampa and Wesley Chapel issues (he does alternate markets sometimes) and, especially, whenever we run another article about his business.

“The first article you did about me when we first opened here in Wesley Chapel (almost ten years ago) generated something like $70,000 in orders,” Andy has told not only me, but his customers, too. “And, every story has generated thousands of dollars in new orders.” He adds, “If you’re in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel and want to improve the look of your home, we have everything you need to help you keep up with all of the latest trends in flooring, whether you’re looking for real hardwood, laminate, porcelain tile or carpeting.”

And, why shouldn’t he get results?

Andy runs the Wesley Chapel store as part of a family business with two locations and nearly a quarter-century of experience. He and his father (Pat) and stepmom (Marcia) have prices that Andy promises are always competitive with the

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So, What About Those Latest Trends?

“The most popular items people come in looking for are still the wood-look ceramic tile, which combines the rich, beautiful look of real wood and the durability of tile, and handscraped, or ‘distressed’ finish hardwood flooring,” Andy says.

He notes that he sells a lot of the Barista Collection by Shaw wood-look tile and the handAndy Dunning, who operates the Wesley Chapel American scraped “American Scrape” wood Wood Flooring store he owns with his family, has everything flooring by Armstrong.

He also says that woodyou need to make your home more beautiful, whether you look tile has the advantage of want to sell it or make it more livable for your family. being water resistant (“which so-called “super stores” and he and his can be important in flood situfamily stand behind everything they sell. ations”) and that the pre-scratched wood Andy says, “This is still an independ- also is a great floor in homes with kids, ent, family-owned company that has been since any “accidents” that may happen

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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just add more “character” to the “already dinged up” look of the flooring.

Two of the hot trends in laminate flooring are the Tarkett vinyl planks, which Andy says are quieter than most laminate floors (“There’s no hollow sound”), and the Alloc laminate floors, which have a locking mechanism built into the laminate and Alloc is therefore one of the few laminate companies to offer a lifetime limited warranty on topical moisture.

“If a flower pot full of water was to spill on it, no problem,” Andy says. American Wood Flooring also carries the popular Freedom collection laminate by Shaw.

“We’re proud that so many of the products we carry, like Shaw, are ‘Made in America,’ rather than in China or Germany,” Andy says. “Yes, our exotic hardwoods are from Brazil and we do carry some German and Chinese products, but a lot of people are really looking for that ‘Made in America’ label these days.”

Another hot imported commodity at the store is the Italian porcelain by Happy Floors, which comes in 12” x 24” rectangles, instead of the traditional squares, which normally only go up to 20” x 20” — with many smaller sizes available, but usually no bigger.

You Deserve Great Service AND Great Prices!

All of the prices per square foot Andy will quote you at American Wood Flooring include delivery, installation, moving all of your furniture around for you, re-

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If you want laminate flooring without that hollow sound, try Tarkett vinyl planks at American Wood Flooring. moval of your old carpeting, tile or flooring (with no charge for disposing of it) and, “all of our installers are in-house and have been certified to install Armstrong, Bruce and the other major manufacturers’ flooring,” Andy says. “We also give you a free cleaning kit and free felt pads to keep your furniture from scratching the floor. A lot of places charge extra for many of those same services, so our prices are even better than they seem.”

Oh, and there’s never sales tax charged on the floors (because the gov-

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ernment doesn’t collect sales tax for major home improvements), as long as you have American Wood Flooring install it.

“We also warranty all of the floors we install for as long as you own your home,” Andy says. “Unlike the major home store retailers, the warranty is with us. At Lowe’s or Home Depot, the warranty is from the installer, not the store.”

That can lead to unexpected problems. Those warranties can be important, especially with laminate floors, which (unlike hardwood floors) are not glued to your concrete slab.

And if that isn’t enough, Andy says that, in addition to his already-competitive prices, there are always bargains to be had at American Wood Flooring, because, “We’re always being offered specials by the different manufacturers.” .And yes, American Wood Flooring does carry and install both carpet and tile, as well as wood and laminate floors.

American Wood Flooring’s Wesley Chapel showroom is located at 1285 BBD Blvd. The store is open MondaySaturday, 9 a.m.­­-6 p.m., and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information, visit AmericanWoodFlooringFL.com, call 991-7999 or see the ad on page 6 of this issue, which has coupons for special offers on Gunstock buttercotch natural and Bruce hardwoods, Tarkett laminate and Bealieu carpeting. And, don’t forget to ask about the special financing available — 12 months with 0% interest (with approved credit).

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SPOTLIGHT ON...Barewood Furniture!

Longtime New Tampa resident Joe Grace and his artist wife Robin (see story on page 36) aren’t getting out of the furniture business, Joe’s just trying to consolidate his efforts at one location, instead of his current two locations.

Unfortunately for those of us who love the look and smell of real hardwood furniture, the location of Barewood Furniture that the Graces are closing is the one that is not only closer to where they live, it also was our area’s first independent furniture store.

It has been a popular fixture on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in the Pebble Creek area of New Tampa for about 13 years.

But, that means that right now, there are some really great deals available off Barewood’s already fair prices, as the store is hosting a “Moving Liquidation Sale” from now through sometime later this month.

How long the deals — which currently are at 20-50-percent-off everything in the store —last depends upon how fast the store’s inventory moves.

“But, we’ll definitely be out of the building by the end of May,” Joe says, as the New Tampa Barewood location is being leased out to Napa Auto Parts.

“They will be a tenant for life,” Joe says. “They don’t have 3,800 locations nationwide for nothing.”

Joe adds that he has now spent nearly 30 years in the furniture business — he and Robin opened their first store (a Bed & Brass mattress store) in Tampa in 1987.

The first Barewood opened in 1992 or ‘93 in South Tampa and the Graces’ Barewood empire reached six stores at its peak. Once the New Tampa store closes, the only remaining Barewood location will be at 27360 U.S. Hwy. 19 N. in the Countryside area of Clearwater.

In the meantime, go and check out all of the cool all-wood beds, cabinets, shelving units, tables, chairs, kids’ furniture, accessories , some of Robin’s art and more, all 20-50-percent-off, while the supply lasts.

The New Tampa Barewood Furniture is located at 8904 Regents Park Dr., just off BBD. The store is open daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., until 5 p.m. on Fri. & Sat. and noon-5 p.m. on Sun. For more info, call 907-2031, visit BarewoodOutlet. com or see the ad on 37. — GN

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

27

Centra Care Of Wesley Chapel — Quality Care When You Need It

By Anu Varma Panchal

Much like Vitamin C and an apple a day, an hour in Dr. Nkem Uzo’s office — with her warm smile, sympathetic demeanor and brisk efficiency — might just be your prescription for good health.

Dr. Uzo is the physician at the new Centra Care of Wesley Chapel, which has served New Tampa and Wesley Chapel patients since opening at the corner of Bruce B Downs (BBD) Blvd. and County Line Rd. (in front of the SuperTarget) in January of this year.

Centra Care is the urgent care wing of Florida Hospitals (owned by the Adventist Health System and operating 22 Florida campuses, including Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel and Florida Hospital Tampa on Fletcher Ave.) and, after creating a firm foothold in Central Florida, has begun building a presence in Tampa Bay. The clinic in Wesley Chapel follows others in Brandon, Carrollwood and South Tampa, and Dr. Uzo says that’s just the beginning of Centra Care’s expansion on the west coast.

Urgent care clinics, “bridge the gap between patients who don’t need to see their primary care doctor, but don’t need to be in the ER either,” explains Dr. Uzo. If you have a fever and a cough, for example, and suspect you have the flu but either can’t get an appointment with your primary care doctor office or if

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it’s after normal office hours, then an urgent care center is the perfect place to go.

And for Dr. Uzo, Centra Care is the perfect place to work, mostly because of the corporate philosophy which gels perfectly with her personal philosophy, which aligns with the Adventist mission: to extend the healing mission of Christ.

“There’s always the passion and drive to put patients first,” says Dr. Uzo. “The patient is number one, and we take care of them, body and soul.”

Dr. Uzo was born in Nigeria, and grew up in Lagos, where she Dr. Nkem Uzo is the primary physician at Centra Care of Wesley developed a fascinaChapel, the new urgent care office located infront of the Super tion with medicine at Target on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., just north of County Line Rd. an early age. She says University Medical School in Ile-Ife, she used to hang out in Nigeria. She completed her residency in her family physician’s office and observed him with patients. And, although Internal Medicine at the State University of New York (Nassau University Medical her siblings pursued academic doctoral degrees, Dr. Uzo received her Doctorate Center) in Stony Brook, Long Island.

During her residency, Dr. Uzo of Medicine from the Obafemi Awolowo

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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served on the Residency Review Committee; she also was the recipient of an American College of Physicians (ACP) research award. She is Board-certified in Internal Medicine, and also has certifications in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Life Support and Basic Life Support. She also is on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners.

After her residency, Dr. Uzo worked extensively in emergency medicine, both at Stony Brook and later at Cooper Green Mercy Hospital in Birmingham, AL. She moved to the Tampa Bay area about ten years ago, and worked for the Pasco Regional Medical Center in Dade City and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa before signing on with Florida Hospital and Centra Care in 2013. She worked for the Centra Care clinic in Carrollwood before the opening of the Wesley Chapel office.

Emergency medicine turned out to be a wonderful fit for Dr. Uzo. “I relish the fact that when a patient is really sick, we are able to provide immediate care and [let the] patient feel better. We are able to stabilize critically ill patients.

You never know what kind of patient is going to walk through the door. And, the next best thing to emergency care is urgent care. When a patient leaves here, they’re going to leave feeling fulfilled and so much better.”

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Treating Whatever Ails You

Conditions for which you can be seen and treated at a Centra Care facility include (but are not limited to) common infections, such as sore throat, bronchitis, ear ache, flu and sinus infections; stomach and digestive conditions such as food poisoning, gout and acid reflux; orthopaedic concerns such as contusions, sprains and broken bones; asthma and allergies; and skin conditions such as poison ivy, shingles, eczema and burns.

Dr. Uzo also can see patients for elevated blood pressure, lacerations that require stitches, sports physicals, onsite lab work, EKGs and immunizations. The office also provides onsite X-rays.

She also can test patients for the flu and strep throat, conduct urinalyses, get the results immediately and treat patients right away based on the results. Some immunizations and school physicals also can also be done at this office.

As well as Dr. Uzo and a nurse, the center is staffed by an X-ray technician and front office manager and is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m., and from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekends. Dr. Uzo says she sees many patients first thing in the morning, especially parents who have a kid who is under the weather and want to see whether he or she can/should go to school or not. Many adults also come in after 5 p.m.

Dr. Uzo says that another advantage of Centra Care is that it is connected to a large network — Florida Hospital.

Neighborhood News

Through this relationship, doctors are able to easily refer patients to specialists or to the emergency room if necessary, where the patients will be received by doctors who can smoothly pull up their records and be prepared. Conversely, Dr. Uzo says she takes care to maintain her relationships with primary care physicians and never seeks to replace them. In fact, she often refers patients who do not have primary care physicians, and gets referrals from them in return.

Because work is her passion, much of Dr. Uzo’s spare time is spent with health and hospital-related activities. She is a member of the American Medical Women’s Association and the Florida Medical Association, and serves on Centra Care’s Medical Executive Committee.

Through these associations, she says she often participates in community health events. Her hobbies include running, attending musical concerts and theatre and dining out. She’s also an active volunteer at Grace Family Church.

“I like to give back,” says Dr. Uzo. “It aligns with my beliefs.”

And medicine, for her, is the ultimate way to give back.

“It’s not an easy ride,” she says.

“You have to have the drive and the passion. That helps people make a difference.”

Centra Care of Wesley Chapel is located at 1127 BBD Blvd. Call 9732889 for more information, see the ad on pg. 36 or visit CentraCare.org.

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SPOTLIGHT ON...NutriMost Of Wesley Chapel!

Mitze Richeson (photo, right) believes that weight loss is not synonymous with counting calories and living in the gym.

She’s the health coach and director of the chiropractic physician-supervised weight loss program at NutriMost of Wesley Chapel. In fact, the NutriMost program doesn’t require exercise at all.

NutriMost is a unique weight loss program that utilizes state-of-the-art technology to create a customized plan for each patient without using prescription “diet” pills. The program shares its location with Cypress Creek Chiropractic in the Cypress Ridge Professional Park off of S.R. 56, which is the office of Mitze’s husband, Micah Richeson, D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractic).

NutriMost uses a computerized scanner (photo below) to obtain “biofeedback” from each client. The procedure evaluates the different frequencies in your body, creating a personalized “road map” of the organs, hormones, neurotransmitters and foods that most affect your weight — and the specific

NutriMost supplements that can help optimize your weight loss, based on that biofeedback.

From there, clients come in once a week for weigh-ins, check ups and to learn about optional training and exercises that can keep the body in fat-burning mode.

According to Mitze, who received her certification as a Chiropractic Physicians Assistant in 2013 from the Cleveland Chiropractic College in Cleveland, OH, weight gain or fat storage is usually linked to other health issues. By cleansing the body of certain foods that are, in particular, harmful to you, and by using customized natural, homeopathic supplements, and teaching you how to eat and live healthier, Mitze says, “weight loss becomes an automatic result.”

For more info or to schedule an appointment, call 241-7098.

Or, visit 813thin.com, Facebook.com/NutriMostofWesleyChapel or NutriMost.com, see the ad on pg. 27 of this issue or stop in at Cypress Creek Chiro at 2304 Crestover Ln. — Christen Caporali

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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Welcome to the largest Summer Camp Guide we have ever had! On these (record) three pages are 20 different summer camps and other programs your kids can (and should) get signed up for today!

Congratulations and thanks go out to editorial assistant and staff writer Celeste McLaughlin for her stick-to-itiveness that helped make sure that all of the advertisers on these pages got their information to graphic artist Blake Beatty in time to be completed for this issue. — GN

Multi-camp

Adventures

Leadership

Panda Hugs

TeenMax Leadership Camps

Ages 6-12

Ages 12-16

This year will be our 20th year of summer camps.

Each summer is themed by the adventures chosen.

2016 will be “Let’s Rock-et.” Rocks to rock music to rocket ships will be explored this year. In addition, bowling, skating, parks, movies, sports and arts and crafts will be enjoyed by all. Camp hours, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. 3 day or 5 day programs. Stop in to visit us today: 15051 Bruce B. Downs. Camp starts June 13th.

Prepare your teen for the academic, emotional, and social demands of adolescence at TeenMax Leadership Camps this summer. Your teen will learn about and define their values, develop their own mission statement, and create their own vision board. They will understand their role in relationships, learn how to take personal responsibility and to build trust, learn to set goals and to prioritize their schedules. Self-defense and stress reduction are also a part of our curriculum. Call us now at 813-563-2267.

813-977-8195

813-563-CAMP (2267)

pandahugs.com

Multi-camp

Summer at the Lakes Ages 3-14

Summer at the Lakes offers more than 60 half and full day camps, including academics, arts, sports, and enrichment. Located on our beautiful lakeside campus in Land O’Lakes, we are convenient to Lutz, New Tampa, Wesley Chapel, and Trinity. A complete brochure and registration are available online.

813-948-7600

summeratthelakes.camp

teenmaxcamps.com

Multi-camp

CAMP IDS ~ Summer 2016!

PreK3- high school

New Tampa Family YMCA Rising 1st-10th grade

Bollywood dance. Lego movie making. Gourmet cooking. New languages. Video game design. Corbett Prep’s CAMP IDS is packed with options from sports to arts to academics that will create a memorable summer for your kids! For nearly two decades, CAMP IDS has provided over 60 full- and half- day camps that appeal to a variety of interests. Corbett Prep’s cypress covered campus is the perfect backdrop for outdoor activities. CAMP IDS ~ Where Everyone Has a Great Time!

The New Tampa Family YMCA is your home for a wide variety of FUN, EXCITING summer camp options! From camps focused on swimming and sports to specialty camps like Bricks 4 Kids and Gymnastics, you can spend your whole summer with us!

STARTING THIS YEAR: We offer bus transportation to and from YMCA’s AMAZING Camp Cristina! This outdoor adventure camp provides a fun, unique experience for kids of all ages!

Extended care included with all full day camps.

813-961-3087

813-866-9622

www.corbettprep.com

tampaymca.org

Sports

Sports

PROtential Sports Camp Ages 5-15

Our action-packed, full-day Summer Camps rotate between multiple sporting activities including swimming which is offered daily. Your child is given the opportunity to participate in many engaging and fun-filled field trips including, but not limited to, laser tag, roller skating, bowling, water skiing, horse back riding, and much more! We also offer a children’s favorite, a trip to Busch Gardens theme park which always promises a full day of excitement and entertainment for ages 5 to 15 years old.

Sports

Baseball & Softball Camp Ages 5-14 Full Day and Half Day Camps!

BASEBALL CAMP - Coach Pryor is a leader in player development and instruction in surrounding areas. Currently at Bishop Mclaughlin HS(72-22) 2014 & 2015 District Champions, 2015 Regional Champions and 2015 State Championship final four appearance.

SOFTBALL CAMP- Prepare for All-Stars, Fall Rec League, Travel Ball or High School Team.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL CAMP - Train with high school coaches for some summer fun in the sand. Set the foundation for improved performance.

813-843-9460

HGCC Summer Camps

Entering 2nd - 8th Grade

Ages 5-15

wharton.mysdhc.org

813-315-6485

usfsoccercamps.com

Adventures Sports

Wharton Basketball Camp

813-631-4710 x230

USF Soccer Camps is operated by the USF Soccer Coaching Staff & players. Camps are offered for boys and girls ages 4-18 and include beginner 1/2 day camps, full day outdoor & indoor futsal camps, residential training camps, and college soccer identification camps. Camps run from June-July on select weeks at the USF Tampa Campus and Fishhawk Ranch/Lithia, FL. Signup by April 15th and SAVE with our Early Bird Rates! Use promo code nnews2016 for an additional $10 off.

Rockstar-Baseball.com

Sports

2016 marks the 19th year for this outstanding co-ed basketball camp! Three weekly camp sessions are offered.

Beginner to advanced players are welcome. Coach Tommy Tonelli and his staff of coaches provide well organized and enthusiastic basketball instruction. The camp emphasizes fundamentals, team play, and sportsmanship. Campers compete in daily 3 on 3 and 5 on 5 team play. Daily shooting competitions include free throw shooting, “hot spot”, and Mikan lay-up. All campers receive a Wharton Wildcats Basketball t-shirt.

Ages 4-18

813-992-1030

protentialsports.com

Sports

USF Soccer Camp

Hunter’s Green Country Club is proud to offer Activities, Tennis and Golf camps all summer long. Come try our new Activities & Golf combo camp or Tennis & Golf combo camp. Enrich your child’s summer with sports, games, competitions, field trips and more. Opening this summer will be a water slide and splash pad at the pool and new kids field with a 6 hole miniature golf course as part of our club reinvention.

813-973-4220

huntersgreencc.com

Benito Rec Center Martial Arts Ages 5-14

Join Martial Arts at Benito Rec Center located next to Benito Middle School to learn Authentic Okinawan Karate-Do. Location:10065 Cross Creek Blvd,Tampa 33647 Coed classes offered from June13th-Aug 11th at $220 for two months including uniform.

Classes Monday-Thursday starting at 6 pm 813-377-4691

tampakaratedo.com

Music and Piano

Special Needs

Dance

MUSIC AND PIANO

New Leaps Academy

NEW TAMPA DANCE THEATRE!!

All Ages

Ages 5-14

3-Adult

A holistic approach to music study while learning how to play the piano. Instructors hold masters and doctorate degrees. State of the art facilities with grand pianos and a piano laboratory.

Camp activities include: warm ups, improvisations, compositions, piano pieces, music theory, singing, ear training, inner rhythm development, music appreciation, yoga stretches and games.Come and experience what piano and music learning is all about! Other programs for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, children ages 6-17 and adults also available.

6 weeks: June 13th – July 29th 2016 (may purchase 1-6 weeks).

Summer Program is Monday – Friday (8am – 2pm). The program for kids with special needs consists of: academics, enrichment, music, dance, and art.

Space is limited so please sign up by April 29th (deposit will be due at registration). We also provide after school care from 2pm – 6pm on a weekly basis only.

Register: 813-973-7938 or email: Tcoffey@newleaps.org Located at 27724 Cashford Circle, Suite 101, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544

New Tampa Dance Theatre offers exciting half-day and full-day programs including a break for lunch with 1, 2, or 3 week options held Mon-Fri, June 13th-July 1st, beginner-advanced levels. Students explore the creative world of dance in Classical Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Tap, Hip-hop, Tumbling, Arts & Crafts, and Costume Design.

Each week culminates with a performance celebration including costumes, pizza, and cookies! Campers will be immersed in the FUNdamentals of dance technique within a safe and nurturing environment.

813-994-2452

813-973-7938

www.NewTampaPPA.com

Math & English

www.newleaps.org

VBS, Art, Comp

Lego STEM

Enrichment Math & English

Grace Episcopal New Tampa

1st grade to 12th grade

Ages 3-18

If you want to start the school year off right by learning ahead of pace, this is the right place.

Whether you need to bring up your grades, improve them, maintain them, or prepare for the SAT and ACT we have tutors for every need. Our students always achieve good scores on standardized tests and school assessments through hard work and personalized guidance.

Grace Episcopal Church New Tampa Register at www.gracenewtampa.org VBS: June 20-24 from 9am to 12pm (deadline to register is May 31st) Art Camp: June 20-24 from 12:00-5:15pm (deadline to register is May 31st) Computer Camp: August 1-5 for ages 8 to 18

813-971-6500

LEGO Bricks & STEM Camp Ages 5-12

Our Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math Camps are a fun and high-energy experience! There are plenty of popular themes to choose from such as Jr. Robotics, Minecraft®, Emmet’s World, Movie Making, Galaxy Far Away (Star Wars® theme) and so much more!

We will use our proprietary models using batteries and motors. There will be plenty of building, challenges, art and creative building! Drinks and snacks are included.

Full, half and one day options are available.

813-841-2120

813-971-8484

infiniteedgelearningcenter.com

gracenewtampa.org

bricks4kidz.com/433

Musical Theatre

Dance

STEM

813-994-NTDT(6838)

newtampadancetheatre.com

USF STEM for Scholars

Collective Soles Classes

Dreamhouse Theatre Camps!

Rising 9th-12th graders

Students ages 2.5 - Adult

Ages 9-16

This four-week program seeks to expand student academic horizons, challenge them to become critical thinkers, prepare them for exciting careers in STEM fields, and inspire them to be creative problem-solvers.

Classes and Labs in Microbiology, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Advanced 3D Visualization, Cartography and Mapping, and Mathematics.

M-F, 9:00am-4:00pm, July 6-29, USF Tampa 813-941-4068

www.usfstem.com

The Collective Soles Arts Group (CSAG) offers the very best fine arts training in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area!

Located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center, CSAG offers Dance and Musical Theatre Classes, Camps and Workshops for students ages 2.5 and older, June - August.

The CSAG “12 Days of Dance Festival”, featuring Collective Soles Dance Company and Guest Artists, takes place July 25-August 6, 2016 for preprofessional dancers ages 11-20.

Come and Celebrate the Arts with Us! 813-979-2222

CollectiveSoles.org

Dreamhouse Theatre is excited to offer two Musical Theatre Summer Camp Sessions in 2016! Session One is Disney’s Aladdin, Jr. meeting June 13-25. We will work with the Campers Mon - Fri for two weeks 12pm - 5pm.

Performances on June 24 at 7pm & June 25 at 11am.

Session Two is Annie, Jr. meeting July 25 - August 6, Mon - Fri, 12pm - 5pm. Performances on August 5 at 7pm & August 6 at 11am.

813-997-7146

dreamhousetheatre.com

I PASSION T T EXCE LLENCE A G M R W I O T R Y K

Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel The Shoppes of New Tampa, 1830 Bruce B. Downs, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544 www.bhhsfloridaproperties.com (813) 907-8200

SHOW CASE PROPERTY OF THE MONTH

MEADOW POINTE

NEW TAMPA - LIVE OAK PRESERVE

LIVE OAK PRESERVE NEIGHBORHOOD

High demand villa in gated Longleaf community of Robert Marvin & Meadow Pointe. 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths, and 2 car Debbie Marvin 813-892-3917 garage. Located on fabulous larger corner lot with extended screened lanai, fencing and lush landscaping. RPM/Real Pro Move Team Offered at $154,900.

DMarvin@BHHSFloridaProperties.com DebbieSellsTampa.com

Gated community, 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 3,509 sf, study, kitchen features breakfast island, granite counters, family room with sliders to the screened lanai with views of the pond and conservation, 2nd floor bonus room, 3 car garage. Priced $339,900

John Morel 813-712-0260

CFilippi@BHHSFloridaProperties.com CynthiaSellsTampaHomes.com

LAND O’ LAKES

rpreusch@BBHSFloridaProperties.com

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT & RENTALS Tenants- are you looking for a condo, townhouse or house to rent?

Call Sonia at (813) 690-5427 Owners- do you own a property that needs to be rented out and managed by the best management team in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel?

Contact Terry Now!

Your Full Real Estate Solution Providers

Residential - Commercial - Property Management Title Morgage Insurance - Home Warranty Auction

Terry Hill Terence M Hill PA (813) 956-2383

thill@bhhsfloridaproperties.com www.RentAhomeWithUs.com

Beautiful 2,709 sq ft. split floorplan.

4/3/3 on Pond Conservation site Move in Ready! $335,000.00

Angela Mora Hablo español también!

813-482-1452

AMora@BHHSFloridaProperties.com AngelaMoraRealEstate.com

NEW RIVER LAKES

Marki Hawes Lovely 3 bedroom 2 & 1/2 bath home in New River Lakes. 352-999-0656 Renee Chichester Kitchen has a large island, eating area and is open to the 602-615-7066 family room. Separate living/dining room. A dream Master RPM/Real Pro Suite, with sitting area opens to a private bath and huge Move Team closet. Loft makes a great office or game room. $250,000 Call Marki @352-999-0656.

www.rchichester.bhhsfloridaproperties.com rchichester@bhhsfloridaproperties.com

TOOLBOX SISTERS Looking for someone to be on your side of the real estate deal? Your search is over because you found the Toolbox Sisters! We are committed to our buyers and sellers by taking each step of the process together. We listen to our buyers and sellers and communicate with them through email, texts, phone calls, and face to face. We like to build relationships with our clients so we can provide the best services. Thinking about buying new construction homes...call us and we can help.

Contact the Toolbox Sisters because we have Amanda Vaughn the tools to get the job done!

813-756-8688 Allison Vaughn 813-563-7915 ToolboxSisters@gmail.com ToolboxSisters.com

RPM/Real Pro Move Team

rchichester@bhhsfloridaproperties.com NEIGHBORHOOD UNION PARK

Comfortable, Cozy and Appealing : 2 Story Ryland Built Home! Built in 2014, this “Frost II” Floor Plan Boasts 2,284 SF, 4 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths, Office/Den and 2 Car Garage.

Extended Screened Lanai

NEW TAMPA - LIVE OAK PRESERVE

4 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, Den, Custom Home on Ronnie Preusch 4.55 acres, gated & fenced. Main House has 3845 813-361-9595 sqft, 4Bd, 3.1B, 3+ CG, Office, Pool/Spa,/ Loaded RPM/Real Pro with Upgrades. Septerate In-Law Suite/office 100 Move Team sgft 1Bd, 1B, Carport. Great property for Horses or even other outbuildings. Offered at: $845,000

Renee Chichester 602-615-7066

www.rchichester.bhhsfloridaproperties.com

jmorel@BHHSFloridaProperties.com jmorel.bhhsfloridaproperties.com

LAKE JOVITA - DADE CITY NEIGHBORHOOD

Elegant & Stunning Arthur Rutenberg Executive Home Cynthia Filippi Exclusive Gated Lake Jovita Golf/Country Club 813-784-1634 Community¾ Acre Lot on the 17th Fairway Pool/Spa Home 4 BR, 3 BA & Side Entry 3 Car w/Brick Paver Driveway Plantation Shutters, Fireplace, Screened Lanai w/Retractable Awnings No CDD and Low HOA offered at $499,900

20030 Date Palm 4 Bed, 2.5 Bath, Loft, 2 Car Garage Just like new, Move in ready on a gorgeous site overlooking pond / conservation.$289,900

www.mhawes.bhhsfloridaproperties.com

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT && RENTALS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT RENTALS Regardless of whether you want to buy, sell or rent, we can help! Have a home you would like to lease? Our certified property management services are second to none.

Contact Rick or Sue Wedig for all your real estate needs. A true one stop shop.

Our mission: Exceeding your expectations by providing outstanding customer service! Call us direct at 813-712-8498. swedig@bhhsfloridaproperties.com rwedig@bhhsfloridaproperties.com

Rick Wedig 813-712-8421 Sue Wedig 813-712-8498

The Holcomb Family Celebrates A Very Special Mother’s Day

By John C. Cotey Alissa Holcomb sat in church on Mother’s Day in 2011, when Pastor James Dodzweit asked for all the mothers in attendance to stand and be acknowledged.

That morning, Alissa had suffered her third miscarriage.

She stayed in her seat.

Her story, and journey, started right there.

That summer, Alissa and her husband John had all but given up on having children. Married in 2004, they started trying to make a family in 2006. Alissa had already been through two miscarriages, but the third one, on that Mother’s Day in 2011, was the cruelest of them all.

“Lord, what do you have in store?,’’ she prayed.

They agreed to stop trying for a baby.

The pressure, and heartbreaking failures, had become too much.

So, they turned to adoption, which Alissa says they had always planned to do, in addition to having their own babies anyway.

Alissa had her heart set on adopting a baby, but twice, when they thought they were close, a pair of matches fell through.

They came to a halting revelation: “Maybe we’re not going to be parents,” she recalls.

But, Alissa continued to attend adoption classes. She learned that older sets of biological siblings were the hardest kids to find homes for, and also the most plentiful in the adoption system. So, while she desired a baby, she came home one night from class and told John she might be open to adopting somewhat older siblings.

She didn’t share this with anyone. And yet, strangely, the adoption agency, which knew she was only looking for a baby, called soon after her conversation with John to ask

Neighborhood News

if she would be interested in a five-year-old African-American boy and his four-year-old sister.

In October 2011, she met Isaac and Aliyah, and on Dec. 3, the children moved into their home. She had her kids. She was a mother.

A week later, Alissa found out she was pregnant.

*** With a Dollar Store pregnancy test in the bathroom of a Cracker Barrel, Alissa confirmed the suspicion she had an hour earlier by the sickness she says she felt after catching a whiff of a soiled diaper.

Her previous pregnancy tests had taken longer to reveal a thin double line. This one was instant and “darker than dark.”

She was dumbfounded. She went to the doctor for a quick blood test to confirm, and then met her husband at Walmart, where he was shopping. She surJohn and Alissa Holcomb with their children (l.-r.) Isaac, prised him with a baby ChristAnnlee, Jacob and Aliyah. mas stocking.

When he looked inside, he Wesley Chapel area director for Young saw the pregnancy test.

Life, a national, non-denominational “It was crazy, just crazy,’’ she said. “I Christian ministry dedicated to introducmean, that’s not a plan. That’s not how this ing teenagers to Jesus and helping them is supposed to happen. But, because of our grow in their faith. faith, we felt this was totally God, they way She doesn’t share the same birthing he had orchestrated the whole thing.” story most moms do. There are no straight On March 7, 2012, the Holcombs’ lines from moment to moment, just roadadoption of Isaac and Aliyah was made ofblocks and obstacles and twisting paths ficial. She spent her first-ever Mother’s Day headed seemingly nowhere, until they all pregnant with Jacob, eating breakfast in bed, headed somewhere. compliments of Isaac and Aliyah.

“The moment I laid eyes on Isaac and Aliyah, and other adoptive parents *** can speak to this too, it was like a unique Alissa works as the New Tampa and

@NTWCNews

birthing experience,’’ Alissa says. “We were overcome by emotion. We knew. These are our kids.”

Jacob, who was born in July of 2012, made Alissa a mom again. And, after giving up on having a fourth child, the Holcombs found out — surprise — in 2015 that she was pregnant with Annlee, who is now 9 months old.

“It’s been a crazy journey,’’ Alissa said, “and I’m really grateful. As hard as it’s been, I’m really grateful for the (now four) children I have.”

Alissa works hard at making her family work. Despite her biological attachments to two of her children, she has worked hard at ensuring that she has that same feeling of attachment with Isaac and Aliyah.

They come from hard places. They have questions. The Holcombs attend family counseling to help seek those answers out.

“Being parents is the hardest thing we’ve ever done,’’ Alissa says. “But, we are committed to the overall health of the family. It’s a work in progress.” *** For Alissa, Mother’s Day brings on a wave of emotions. It it is a reminder of pain and suffering, but mostly of hope and salvation. She thinks there were reasons for everything, from the miscarriages to failed adoptions to her change of heart that brought Isaac and Aliyah into her heart, to her first and second successful pregnancies.

Since that lowest point in 2011 when Mother’s Day was only a reminder of failure, it now brings her joy.

Just a year after that, when Pastor James asked all the mothers to stand, she jumped to her feet, smiling, with one thought: “Oh my gosh,’’ she thought, “I’m here, and I’m a mom.”

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

35

New Tampa Artists On Display At ‘Possibilities Of Perception’

By Celeste McLaughlin

Artists in Wesley Chapel who want to spend time with other artists –encouraging each other and learning from each other – often join the North Tampa Arts League (NTAL).

Although the NTAL meets in Tampa Palms, geographically, it includes Wesley Chapel and other areas in southern Pasco County, plus all of North Tampa, from New Tampa in the east to Carrollwood in the west.

Tampa Palms resident and artist John Henne was the founder of the group, which was formed when the Hillsborough County Arts Council Advisory Committee wanted to create an arts league in the New Tampa area in 2005. The group has maintained at least 50 members, including Henne, every year since then.

Henne is one of 29 artists whose work will be displayed at the group’s annual membership show, entitled “The Possibilities of Perception,” which runs throughout the month of May at the Carrollwood Cultural Center. Fellow New Tampa residents and artists who have already committed to the show include photographer Steve Sparks and painters Dorothy Banker, Sherry Carter and Robin Grace.

Carter is one of the group’s newest members, having just joined in March, although she has lived in West Meadows for 11 years. The five pieces she will display at the show are all landscapes, painted in oil. “It makes me happy to paint,” she

36

says, “I want to move people emotionally with my stories.” She calls painting her “second career” after retiring from the medical field.

“I’ve been painting for a long time,” she says, but she’s now “stepping out” in this career by joining NTAL, entering her work in this show, and launching her website at TheJoyfulCanvas.

The art of New Tampa residents Robin Grace (above) & John com.

Henne (right) will be on display at the NTAL’s “Possibilities of Grace has Perception” exhibit at the Carrollwood Cultural Center in May. lived in New Tampa since graduating from University of it’s inspirational to have in your South Florida in 1981, where she received home.” She describes herself as a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in painting a colorful artist and says she like to, “take and drawing. She and her husband, Joe, awesome photos and paint more color own Barewood Furniture, a business they’ve into them.” For example, one piece she’s built with four locations throughout the entering in the show was inspired by the Tampa Bay area, including one off of Bruce Rainbow River, a place she likes to visit in B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Pebble Creek Dunellon, FL. Another depicts eagles. “Eathat they opened in 2003. (The New Tampa gles are gorgeous,” she says. “My painting location is currently closing. See the story is a representation of their poise and how on page ##.) Robin says she displays her art beautiful they are.” in the Clearwater store, and it can also be The opening reception will be held on found online ArtByRGrace.com.

Friday, May 6, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. At that time, “Art is so therapeutic,” she says, “and all of the exhibit’s participating artists will

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

be on hand to explain their art and answer any questions guests have about their works on display. Prizes will be announced that evening for the “Best in Show” award, along with winners in each of five categories: Sculpture, Photography, Mixed Media, Painting and Drawing/Pastel.

The art will remain on display throughout the month of May at the Carrollwood Cultural Center, located at 4537 Lowell Rd. in Tampa. For more information about the North Tampa Arts League, visit NorthTampa-Arts.com.

@NTWCNews

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

37

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

39

Ginza Endless Sushi & Hibachi — Great Food & An Even Better Value!

Chicken & Veggie Tempura

Get All-You-Can-Eat Entrées At Ginza!

By Gary Nager

ALTHOUGH MANY

more people these days enjoy sushi than they did when I first started loving it in New York City in the 1980s, the biggest complaint I hear about most sushi places is that they’re just too expensive to enjoy too often.

Well, the new Ginza Endless Sushi & Hibachi restaurant, located between LA Fitness and Winn-Dixie in the plaza just south of County Line Rd. and west of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in New Tampa, is bringing great value, as well as delicious sushi and other Japanese and Asian fare to our area (it’s located a few hundred feet south of Wesley Chapel), especially for lunch.

Ginza’s all-you-can-eat $12.95 lunch special (for ages 15 & older) really is as good as it gets if you’re looking for value, and the sushi is always freshly made to order and delicious — whether you get the all-you-caneat special (which costs $24.95 per adult for

40

dinner) or order off of Ginza’s extensive a la carte menu.

Here’s How It Works...

Whether you get the all-you-can-eat special for lunch or dinner, you have a selection of more than 200 items and yes, you can get as much as you want of almost every item. The Zheng family, which owns Ginza, reserves the right to limit certain items, and can even charge you for unfinished sushi.

Although I also enjoy the clear and hot & spicy soups, my favorite appetizers on the all-you-can-eat menu include the truly delicious pan-fried dumplings, the Japanese-style green salad with ginger dressing, the supercrispy pork egg rolls and vegetable spring rolls and my surprise favorite, the chicken and vegetable tempura. The tempura green beans are better than any fried green bean appetizer you’ll find at the average chain sports bar.

I really love a lot of the available allyou-can-eat entrées, too. The hibachi steak (served with fried rice and creamy “yummyyummy” sauce; front left in top left pic)) is

very tasty, if sometimes a little bit tough (and it’s not prepared tableside), and I also like the spicy chicken chow fun (back left) entrée, too, although the nicely spicy Mongolian beef (which is not available with the $12.95 lunch) and Mongolian chicken (front right) entrées are surely my favorites.

The portions shown in the pictures on this page — which also includes a hibachi shrimp entrée that other folks in my office tell me is pretty good (since I’m allergic to shrimp myself) — are all the actual portion sizes, whether you have the all-you-can-eat lunch or dinner. The Mongolian chicken and beef both have lots of fresh broccoli, snow pea pods, carrots and other veggies, all in a zesty sauce that brings both heat and a little crunch to your mouth, and are served with a pretty good fried rice. Yum. And yes, while you can have all you care to eat of all of the aforementioned items, you also enjoy nigiri-style sushi (over rice) or sashimi (slices of fish without rice), and the rare tuna (which is one of the items Ginza limits on the all-you-can-eat specials) and

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

Dumplings, Salad & Egg Rolls

snapper are definitely my favorites.

I also did really enjoy the spicy white tuna (escolar) hand roll, the regular and “golden” California rolls, the rainbow (tuna, snapper, salmon and avocado-wrapped California roll) and the spider (soft shell crab) rolls. There are plenty of other favorites on the all-you-can-eat list, but some items — like a really tasty seared tuna tataki with wasabi cream and the grilled octopus with hot peppers, to name a couple (both are pictured on the next page), have to be purchased a la carte. And, I have noticed that most of Ginza’s a la carte sushi rolls sell for $1-$2 less than you’ll find at most other Japanese places.

No Liquor License? No Prob!

Although Ginza doesn’t currently have its liquor license, the Zheng family — which also owns the Ginza in Sarasota but was not involved in the Land O’Lakes Ginza which closed — invites you to bring you own alcoholic beverages until it does, and New Tampa Ginza general manager Andrew Zheng says he believes that should happen this month.

@NTWCNews

Tuna Tataki

Grilled Octopus

Sushi Rolls

Spicy White Tuna Hand Roll

Ginza also has great kids’ favorites on its all-you-can-eat menu, which costs just $6.95 for kids ages 4-10 and $8.95 for kids 11-14 for lunch, and $8.95 for ages 4-10 and $12.95 for ages 11-14 for dinner.

Ginza’s décor is casual and modern, with separate bar (with a nice flatscreen TV) and sushi bar areas and the place is quickly

Neighborhood News

becoming one of my favorites in the area.

For more info about Ginza Endless Sushi & Hibachi (6417 E. County Line Rd.), which is open Mon.-Thur., 11 a.m.10 p.m.; 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. on Fri. & Sat. & noon-9:30 p.m. on Sun., call 907-1688, visit GinzaFlorida.com or see the ad on pg.

46 for some great coupon offers.

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

41

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

Recapping Ribbon Cuttings At ...Chevy of Wesley Chapel, Apr. 26

Congratulations go out to Scott Fink (right), the president and CEO of several auto dealerships, including the Hyundai, Mazda & Chevrolet of Wesley Chapel dealerships along Wesley Chapel Blvd. (S.R. 54), across from Lexington Oaks.

Fink and his team at the beautiful, new Chevy dealership (which has been in the same location for more than two years but only recently opened the 22,000-sq.-ft.

Chevy building) celebrated with a Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) Ribbon Cutting event on Apr. 26.

A huge crowd, estimated at more than 300 people, which included everyone from Chamber members to elected and other Pasco County officials to Fink’s many vendors and employees at his many dealerships (which includes the nation’s top-selling Hyundai dealership in New Port Richey).

There also was plenty of great food, provided by Peter Gambacorta of The Private Chef of Tampa, and some really nice prize giveaways. I told Mr. Fink that the Neighborhood News and WCNT-tv (see pgs.

3 & 47) would be perfect places to promote his dealerships — “Where Volume Makes the

42

Difference,” as Fink always says in his everpresent local TV ads.

For more info, visit Chevy of Wesley Chapel (26922 Wesley Chapel Blvd.), call 428-7171 or visit YourChevyGiant. com...and please tell them we sent you!

...Palms Pharmacy, Apr. 15!

The new Palms Pharmacy, located in The Shoppes at The Pointe Plaza in Tampa Palms, also hosted a Grand Opening Celebration & WCCC Ribbon Cutting on Apr. 15 (see photo above right).

“We are truly grateful to be join-

ing the community of Tampa Palms and New Tampa,” said pharmacy director and Meadow Pointe resident Shahida Choudry.

“Our staff looks forward to serving the community and residents for years to come at this new location.”

Palms Pharmacy is a full-service pharmacy open six days a week. Convenience and service are paramount. The store is a traditional retail pharmacy, including local delivery, custom medication packaging, medication reviews, specialized vitamins and probiotics, refill reminders via text and

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 •Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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email, patient counseling and drug adherence, friendly staff with prompt service and Spanish translation.

For more info, call 252-9063, visit ThePalmsPharmacy.com or stop in at 17008 Palm Pointe Dr.

...Signarama, Apr. 14!

If you missed the Apr. 14 Grand Opening & multi-Chamber ribbon-cutting celebration held at the new unified location for Signarama of New Tampa/Wesley Chapel/ Lutz (at 1917 Passero Ave., just off S.R. 54 in Lutz), I just have to say that it

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Tampa Premium Outlets Welcomes New Retailers

was both one of the best — and best attended — Grand Opening events this reporter has ever seen...and I’ve seen a few!

Owners Beatriz and Rob Hiller and their amazing staff received an outpouring of love from about 200 people, including many elected officials and Chamber and Rotary friends from New Tampa, Wesley Chapel, Central Pasco, Zephyrhills, Dade City and Carrollwood (to name a few).

Those who attended also received an outpouring of free, delicious food from six different providers — including local favorites like Little Italy’s and Latin Twist Café and new favorites like the gourmet tapas and Basque fusion cuisine from Kaixo Tapas Gourmet (photo above, right) catering — as well as a pouring of delicious wine samples from our friends at Time for Wine.

There also were dozens of free prize drawings with DJ John Jay of Finest Deejays (JohnJaytheDJ.com) hosting, and lots of warm wishes for Signarama’s new, combined sales and maufacturing office in Lutz, as the Hillers closed their location on BBD in Wesley Chapel (next to NutriSmart).

“We started with us and two employees,” Beatriz told the energetic crowd.

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“Today, we are at 26 employees and still growing, so thanks to our amazing staff and all of our wonderful friends, clients and Chamber and Rotary members.”

For more info, stop in to take a tour of the new Signarama/EmbroidMe, call 994-0101 or visit Signarama.com/flnew-tampa-wesley-chapel.

Other Upcoming Events

be on Friday, May 27, 4 p.m., at Pinchers Crab Shack in the Shops at Wiregrass mall.

For the complete WCCC calendar, membership & other info, call 994-8534, visit WesleyChapelChamber.com or stop in at 6013 Wesley Grove Blvd., Ste. 105.

Check Out Serenity Spa & Salon Suites!

Pam Edmonson, the owner of Creative Permanent Makeup by Pam, says, “We WCCC Ambassador Craig Miller of are so excited about our new and beautiful Full Throttle Intermedia (who is also my place of business — Serenity Salon & Spa partner in WCNT-tv) will host a “Speed Leads” Networking event at Wesley Chapel Suites (33913 S.R. 54, Suite 101, in Wesley Chapel). Our clients are loving it and the Toyota (5300 Eagleston Blvd.) on Friday, feedback from everyone has been amazing!”

May 13, 9:30 a.m. For info, call Full As the name indicates, Serenity Salon Throttle Intermedia at 971-8486. & Spa Suites offers a serene & peaceful The WCCC also will host free ribbonenvironment with a professional salon area cutting events at Fast Track Urgent Care (5504 Gateway Blvd.) on Wednesday, May offering the most up-to-date styles and 18, 4 p.m., and at First in Property Man- colors with highly educated stylists. We also feature beautiful, individual suites offering agement (6013 Wesley Grove Blvd., Suite many different services, including facials, 102, on Tuesday, May 24, also at 4 p.m. permanent makeup, massage, waxing, microChamber Ambassador Troy Stevenson and Wesley Chapel Nissan (28519 S.R. 54) will needling, scalp therapy, gels & pedicures and host a local “Meet the Candidates” event on much more.

For more info, call 731-3350, email Thursday, May 26, 5 p.m. And, the Chamserenitysuites@icloud.com or see pg. 18. ber’s next “Final Friday” Happy Hour will

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Simon, a global leader in retail real estate, is pleased to announce that GNC Value Nutrition, Journeys & Oakley Vault have recently opened their doors at Tampa Premium Outlets (TPO).

“Since the groundbreaking of (TPO), Simon has remained dedicated to offering our customers the best names in outlet and value shopping,” said Sarah Rasheid, director of marketing and business development at TPO. “These new retailers are a continuation of this promise.”

Tampa Premium Outlets is a 441,000sq.-ft. outlet center that houses more than 110 retailers delivering great brands at great prices. For more info, visit PremiumOutlets.com/tampa.

Think ‘A Special Rose’ For Mother’s Day!

Our good friend Rose O’Berry at A Special Rose Florist is located in the middle of the BBD “Segment A” widening just south of Tampa Palms (at 14546 BBD, next to what has been a Shell gas station but is now being converted to a Chevron).

“The construction on BBD and now the gas station has cut down on our walk-in traffic a lot,” says Rose, who always has an awesome selection of fresh-cut flowers, plus plants, gift baskets and other great gifts.

“I just want to make sure everyone knows that we are still open during all of this construction and ready to serve all of your last-minute Mother’s Day, prom, graduation, wedding and other floral and gift needs.”

For info, call 979-9453 or visit ASpecialRoseFlorist.com. — GN

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 •WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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New Tampa & Wesley Chapel HELP WANTED NOW HIRING Servers wanted. Call 813-907-1688 for more info. Or apply in person at Ginza Endless Asian Cuisine & Sushi Bar, 6417 E. County Line Rd. #104.

UTOPIA HOME CARE, INC. is hiring qualified, experienced RNs/LPNs, HHAs/CNAs to work in all areas. All hours available. Candidates must be flexible and have reliable transportation and true availability to work.

Apply in person at any location (visit website) or apply online at www.utopiahomecare.com for locations.

Call for immediate interview 813-634-9680. When applying, bring all supporting documentation, CPR, Training Certificates, Reference Contact info. Must pass background check.

AWARD WINNING REAL ESTATE TEAM with an overflow of serious prospects. Seeking professional full-time real estate agents who want to expand their horizons, make more money and have a fulfilling life.

Great training available. Keller Williams Tampa Properties. Contact Annette Bohannon - 813-431-2840.

TERMITE TECHNICIAN NEEDED Must have at least one year of experience, a clean driving record, no criminal record and be able to lift 50 lbs. Call VIP Pest Control at 813-234-8888 for details.

MEDICAL BILLER Spanish-speaking Medical Biller wanted for New Tampa medical equipment company.

Gathers billing info by reviewing patient records. Bills insurance carrier by inputting billing info to database; initiating electronic transmissions. Resolves disputed claims by gathering, verifying & providing additional info; following up on claims. Resolves discrepancies by examining & evaluating data; selecting corrective steps. Skills/Qualifications: data entry, Microsoft Office proficiency, time management, organization, professionalism, customer service & attention to detail. Send resume to Richard.Jones@solarusmedical.com.

PHYSICAL THERAPIST (PT) An established New Tampa outpatient clinic is hiring a part-time PT to provide custom, one-on-one care. Fax resume to (813) 994-3080.

PIZZAMAKERS & LINE/PREP COOKS WANTED (exp’d. preferred) at New Tampa’s favorite authentic Chicago-style pizza place. Bring Resume during business hours to Full Circle Chicago Pizza at 19651 BBD Blvd. (in the Pebble Creek Collection).

ROUTE SALES, MEDICAL Fills orders by driving to customer accounts within FL; unloading and shelving product, inventory verification, order retrieval. Increase sales volume by providing customer service and suggestive selling techniques. Fills order by verifying inventory; loading vehicle. Overnight travel requirement 2 nights/month. Retrieves damaged/defective products from customer locations; follows operating instructions; schedules maintenance and repairs. Send resumes to: richard.jones@solarusmedical.com.

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Classifieds

SPACE AVAILABLE NEW TAMPA OFFICE SPACE IN EXCELLENT LOCATION. Around $20 per square foot cheaper than other offices in prime commercial/residential area. Three spacious offices available Easy access. Call Bob at 813-449-1755 for lease information.

Serenity Salon & Spa Suites Wesley Chapel. 1 suite available for rent. Call for details: 813-3125247 or 813-997-6302. Great location!

HOME IMPROVEMENT DALE’S HOME MAINTENANCE Pressure washing, screen repairs, garage cleaning and organizing, shelving, re-grout tile and caulking, and more. 813-7272582.

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

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

RAYMOND PAINTING Exterior & Interior Services.

Exterior: Painting, pressure washing, clean & seal pavers, stucco, roofing, leaks & wood rot repair. Interior: Painting, plastering, ceiling & wall repairs & tiles.

Licensed & Bonded. References avail. Free estimates.

Your Neighborhood Arbor Greene Resident! We work 7 days. Call 994-5124.

WEST COAST FLOORING, INC. Carpet and Laminate Flooring. Quality repairs on all floors. Commercial Flooring Install. Licensed and Insured. Free Estimate, Call (813) 215-4817.

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

Call Ron for free estimate: 813-784-5999.

ERRANDS & PERSONAL SERVICES GET A RIDE Don’t Have a Ride? Don’t Want to Leave Your Car? Shouldn’t Drive? We Drive You & Your Car Home! Night Clubs, Corporate Events, Sporting Events, Concerts, Appointments, Airport or stranded. Call Jay at (813) 966-1530.

POOL SERVICES

PET SERVICES

TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE New Tampa owned & operated. Great Pricing with outstanding customer service! LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED. See why we are New Tampa and Wesley Chapel’s #1 Choice!!

Call Chris Today @ (813) 857-5400 or visit TranquilityPoolService.com. New customers get ONE MONTH FREE! ALL-STAR POOL SERVICE & REPAIR Expert repairs and installations of pumps, motors, filters, timers, salt and ozone generators. Marcite for $2,400. Tile repair and acid washes, paver and river rock sealing, pressure washing and deck repair, paver and eurocote decks. Mention this ad and receive 1 FREE MONTH Pool Service. Call or text 813-244-7077. See our display ad. www.allstarpoolsoftampabay.com

LAWN & LANDSCAPING

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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? Ask about our HOA SPECIAL & FREE ESTIMATE! For more info, call (813) 420-4465.

AMERICAN PRIDE LAWN CARE SERVICE, LLC Our services include weekly lawn maintenance with mulching decks on all mowers, precision edging, string trimming, hedge, shrub, palm, and tree trimming. We also offer landscaping, pruning, and 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.

HOMETEAM LAWNCARE LLC High-Quality Professional Services: Weekly or Bi-Weekly Year-Round FullSvc LawnCare starting at $75/month: mow, edge, trim, blow, mulch-bed maintenance, hedge and low-tree trim. Additional Services: Sod, Mulch, & Rock Placement; Hedge Trimming, & Tree Trimming; Landscape Installation; Fall/Spring Clean-Up. Family Owned & Operated, Licensed & Insured, Background Checked, Call or Text (813) 817-9554.

COMPUTER/BUSINESS SERVICES PROFESSIONAL TECH SUPPORT — in your home or small business. A+, Certified computer tech with 20 years of exp. Maintenance & repairs, upgrades & tutoring. More affordable than the large chains! Friendly, personalized svc. Technical jargon explained in plain English. Remote assistance available. References available upon request. Call (813) 957-8342 for a free estimate.

DO YOU HATE YOUR COMPUTER?!? WE CAN HELP YOU! Troubleshooting, installation, networking & virus removal. WE COME TO YOU! Servicing residences & businesses, w/ more than 25 years of exp. Contact Jeffrey Blank at (813) 973-4507, visit WSICA.COM or send an email to Wsica@wsica.com today!

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 •Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

CAT SITTING Tampa Cat Lady Professional Cat-Sitting Service. Cats are happiest in their own home, surrounded by familiar sights, sounds, & smells. When you are away, we feed, cuddle, & play with your kitties & clean & dispose of litter.

Insured, bonded, & Red-Cross certified in pet first aid/CPR. You can submit a service inquiry at TampaCatLady.com or call 813-994-9449.

CLEANING SERVICES B CLEANING SERVICES: Over 14 years experience!

Commercial & residential; Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly; New house & post construction clean-up; Window cleaning; Move-in or move-out cleanings; Pressure washing; FREE estimates; References available.

Call today: 813-531-0154 or e-mail: bcleanings@ hotmail.com D-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE We have our own supplies and more than 300 clients in New Tampa! For more info, Call 758-9710.

POWER HOUSE CLEANING SERVICES Offering Residential cleaning for weekly, bi-weekly, monthly & occasional. Services available: one time, deep cleaning, move in and/ move outs, Real Estate, Holiday and Event cleaning. Owner Operator with Personal Care!

Personal Touch! Licensed and Insured. For scheduling or a free in home estimate Call: (813) 356-8287 or e-mail phcservices1@gmail.com. Try Power House Cleaning Services - you will be powerfully pleased!

SQUEAKY CLEAN HOME SERVICES is a residential cleaning company offering weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly services. We also specialize in move-in/moveout cleanup. All supplies and equipment provided. We are an Owner Operator company with over 20 years experience. “If it Needs to be Clean, We’re your Team!

Call us for your free in home estimate today! 813625-6045.

ICARE HOUSE CLEANING: Free estimates, we use our own supplies, excellent references, cleaning New Tampa and Wesley Chapel for 15 years, affordable & reliable, satisfaction guaranteed!!! Family operated, affordable & reliable, local business, call today for your free, no obligation quote, (813) 531-1917.

MISCELLANEOUS SEWING MACHINE REPAIR Expert sewing machine repair and parts. 25+years experience. In home/business service or we have a weekly pickup at Quilters Quarters in Zephyrhills and Quilts on Plum Lane in Dade City. We service all makes and models including electronic,embroidery and sergers. FREE ESTIMATES Southern Sewing Center (813) 994-4300.

Call (813) 910-2575 to order your Classified or Display Ad today!

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 •WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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Students Go For The Win In Cooking Challenge at One Buc Place

By Celeste McLaughlin A team of students from New River Elementary was chosen as a finalist to compete in the Dairy Council of Florida’s third annual Gridiron Cooking Challenge.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the event, which is part of Fuel Up to Play 60, an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by the National Dairy Council and the National Football League to help encourage today’s youth across the U.S. to lead healthier lives.

New River Elementary is a recipient of a Fuel Up to Play 60 grant and has New River Elementary students and members of participated in the event for the past three the school’s nutrition team (l.-r. in photo, right) years, since the competition’s inception.

Cameron Keehn, Payton Furman, Payton Leidy The school’s team won the first year it com- & Charyn Maldonado will make their recipe, peted, and this year’s team members want cheesy chicken and bacon quesadillas with Greek to put their school back on top. yogurt veggie dip, for the Dairy Council of FlorNew River fourth grade students Cameron Keehn, Payton Furman, Payton ida’s third annual Gridiron Cooking Challenge.

Leidy and Charyn Maldonado will make team, which goes on the school’s morning their recipe — cheesy chicken and bacon show to give tips on healthy eating and sets quesadilla with Greek yogurt veggie dip, for up a table at school events to hand out free the event’s judges. samples of nutritious snacks and smoothies.

“The kids got together to create this There are nine kids on the nutrition team, recipe,” says Kathy Gillooly, one of the so Gillooly explains that they drew names team’s coaches, along with Holly Mitchell out of a hat to choose which four students and Ryan Ketterer (all three are physical would be able to participate in the cooking education teachers at New River). “They challenge. wanted it to be fun and creative, and kid“It’s pretty exciting,” Gillooly says of friendly.” She says the students made their the competition. “They go all out to make it quesadillas in the shape of footballs, and that a big deal for the kids.” they were surprised at how much they liked The competition will be held at One the veggie dip, which includes spinach, pepBuc Place on Saturday, May 14. For more pers and onions. information about the Gridiron Cooking Gillooly explains that the students are Challenge, please visit FloridaMilk.com/ part of New River Elementary’s nutrition FuelUpToPlay60.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 10 • May 6, 2016 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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