New Tampa Neighborhood News, Volume 24, Issue 11, May 20, 2016

Volume 24 Issue 11

Inside:

Have You Tried Ginza Or Zaytoun Yet?

May 20, 2016

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

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

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

New Tampa Resident & Lightning Trainer Enjoying Another Cup Run

By John C. Cotey Tom Mulligan has the training and experience to help cure a lot of things.

But, when it comes to Tampa Bay Lightning fever — which is running rampant in the area these days — the team’s head trainer and Arbor Greene resident can only suggest one solution: Watch more Lightning hockey.

“This is great,’’ Tom says. “I’m not playing, but the next best thing is to be a part of it and help contribute, and I love just watching the excitement of people in the area. Last year, the run we had was fantastic. To do it again would be great.”

Tom, his wife Kellie and children Tyler, 13, Zachary, 10, and Abby, 8, have been fixtures in New Tampa since 2002, when they moved into an apartment at Richmond Place before finding their first of two homes in Arbor Greene.

Kellie is an occupational therapist at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, and the Mulligan kids all currently attend or have attended Richard F. Pride Elementary and Louis Benito Middle schools.

“For my kids, they get to go to the rink and talk with the players, and Tyler even got to help at rookie camp,’’ Kellie says. “He was Tampa Bay Lightning head trainer and longtime Arbor Greene resident Tom Mulligan tends to literally filling bags of ice, but still, he was Bolts center Brian Boyle during a game. Photo: Scott Audette/Tampa Bay Lightning there.”

The Mulligans are among the holdo- crop of players tends to settle elsewhere. But, able to do what I do without our friends and vers from a time when roughly 75 percent of Tom said the Mulligans love the area and the our community, even if it’s just friends helpthe Tampa Bay Lightning team lived in New schools too much to follow suit. There may ing meet my kids at the bus if I’m running Tampa. Although retired former stars (and not be any hockey wives for Kellie to lean on, late from work,” says Kellie.

The Arbor Greene community might be local media personalities) like 2004 Stanley but they say there is a bustling community in Tom’s biggest fans. While many would most Cup-winning captain Dave Andreychuk and Arbor Greene that rallies together.

“Tom travels so much that I wouldn’t be likely gather for Lightning playoff games Chris Dingman still live here, the current

Also Inside This Issue: News, Business & Sports Updates Wesley Chapel Won’t Get Borders After All, Local Woman Organizing Pilgrimage, Local Football Teams Wrap Up Spring Practice, Big Plans Ahead for Wiregrass Ranch, With Our Exclusive Maps Of What’s Coming & Lots of Local Business Features!

Pages 3-40

Neighborhood Magazine

Special Mother’s Day For Meadow Pointe Woman, Wounded Warriors Compete At YMCA, Special Needs Adults Enjoy Their Prom & More Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes!

Pages 41-54

anyway, a good many do so knowing their neighbor is a part of this year’s championshipcontending team.

“One of the cool things from last year my wife and I talked about was a few families in the neighborhood getting together and renting a 15-foot blow up projection TV,’’ Tom says. “Everyone was so into it and excited. My wife sent me a few pictures when they did it and I shared them with the team.

That was pretty cool.”

At our press time, the Lightning had advanced all the way to the NHL’s Eastern Conference finals, where a best-of-7 series against the Pittsburgh Penguins is all that stands between the team and a second straight appearance in the Stanley Cup finals.

Tom, a Quinnipiac College (now University) in Hamden, CT, graduate with a B.S. in Physical Therapy and a minor in Biology, has played a big role in helping the team get here, helping all of those injured Lightning players get healthy and ready. Heck, even the most fervent Bolts fan might make the case that Tom holds the key to the team’s Stanley Cup chances, considering the questions the New Bedford, MA, native has been asked this postseason.

“Is Steven Stamkos going to make it back from a blood clot in time?”

“Is Anton Stralman ready to return from his broken leg?”

“How are the ‘upper body’ injuries that have been keeping JT Brown and Erik Condra sidelined coming along? Oh, and by the way, just between us….what exactly are those upper body injuries?”

See “Lightning” on page 12.

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

Fresh off another successful Adult Spelling Bee, the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel (WC) Noon is proud to invite everyone in the New Tampa, 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 New Tampa 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 duck for $5 to a flock of 25 ducks for $100. The ducks are numbered on the bottom and loaded into a body of water to “race.” If your duck finishes in a high enough position in the Derby, you win a great prize — and all to support the selected charities supported by the club, including its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation — the “Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon Fund.”

“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.”

The Grand Prize for the first place-winning duck is $2,500 in cash! Other prizes include 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), restaurant gift certificates and more.

This year’s Duck Derby Big Bird Sponsor ($4,500) is Fun Services of Land O’Lakes (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 pg. 19 for details.

Photo: Cartersville, GA, Duck Derby

Our Coverage To Expand With WCNT-TV; Freedom Fest Cancelled!

An editorial by Gary Nager So, considering that my Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida (in Gainesville) College of Journalism & Communications was in Broadcast News — not print journalism — I guess you could say that it’s taken me long enough to finally start working on what I’ve dreamed of doing since I earned that diploma more than 30 years ago.

One of my top goals back then, and even when I first moved back to Florida in 1993, was to one day own and create original programming for my own TV station.

But, in the “good old days” of even cable TV’s infancy, in order to own a TV station/network, you had to have at least about a million dollars to be able to purchase your Federal Communications Commission (FCC) license, the equipment and personnel you need to keep it on the air.

Today, anyone can shoot better footage with their mobile phones than was even possible with top-level equipment in the 80s or even the 90s. And, if you have the ability to write and produce any type of programming — from news and public affairs to sitcoms and drama series — the internet provides a way for you to find an audience — even if you’re not on the cable or satellite TV lineups of BrightHouse or DirecTV. Whether you have your own website, a Youtube channel or both, if enough people see it, like it and return to see what else you can do, you can build an audience and even make a living doing something most people in my generation could only dream of doing.

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

Phone: (813) 910-2575 Advertising E-mail: Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Editorial E-mail: EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Publisher & Editor Gary Nager Advertising Sales & Office Manager Mary Dorey Billing Manager Jillian Reilly Assistant Editor / Photographer John C. Cotey Staff Writer Celeste McLaughlin Correspondents Anu Varma Panchal • Andy Warrener Editorial & Sales Assistant Christen Caporali Graphic Designers Blake Beatty • Georgia Carmichael Nothing that appears in New Tampa Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by New Tampa Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion.

The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisements for Volume 24, Issue 13, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Monday, June 6, 2016.

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

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

© 2016 JM2 Communications, Inc. Neighborhood News

I had my own advertising agency from the mid-1980s until 1995-96, and I did produce a few TV commercials and wrote “treatments” of a few TV pilot ideas, but despite personal auditions for/interviews with the likes of ESPN, NBC-TV, HBO and the Disney Channel before moving here in 1993, I set aside my dreams of creating programming to focus on a certain local news publication.

Two years ago, I wrote and co-anchored a video segment previewing the last Taste of New Tampa, but our website (NTNeighborhoodNews.com) was really in its infancy and I wasn’t happy with the production itself.

The end result: very few people saw it, even though I know the idea of web-based video news focused specifically on New Tampa and Wesley Chapel was certainly valid, especially if I had the right people working with me.

And, after being part of one local commercial production last year, which was directed and produced by Craig Miller, the owner of Full Throttle Intermedia (FTIntermedia.com, a local multimedia advertising agency and video production company), I knew who I really wanted to work with on my project...if I could afford him.

Well, at about the same time as my Taste project, Craig, who also is an Ambassador for the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) and a Board member of the New Tampa Rotary Club, also had spoken with WCCC CEO (she was just the “executive director” at the time) about doing a webcast for the Chamber. But, both admit they “got busy” and set the idea aside.

Then, about four months ago, Craig approached Hope about reviving the idea and she told him I had already come to her with my own concept and that we should probably all work together on it — especially if Craig was the production guy involved.

Although I’ve teased it in a couple of previous issues, the end result of those discussions is just about ready to rock and roll. I was hoping to be able to announce in this issue who our “Studio Sponsor” will be, but nothing was finalized at our press time.

Even so, Craig and I are partnering with the WCCC to present “WCNT-tv” — the fun and informative web-based video magazine show (see 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 have its own Youtube channel.

And, it is launching soon — we hope to begin recording episodes next month.

WCNT-tv will be promoted in full-page ads in every issue of my two publications, on the WCCC’s website and, hopefully, on the websites of every Wesley Chapel Chamber member business.

When it launches, WCNT-tv will be a bi-weekly news magazine show that will include a 1.5-2-minute local news segment, a 60-90-second WCCC “Featured Business of the Week” and a 60-90-second “Neighborhood Dining News” segment that will take me (and, I believe, 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 too-few local, non-chain fine dining options.

Best of all, based on some of the incred-

ible numbers our website has done recently (as reported in previous issues on this page) — without any video coverage — and the feedback we’ve gotten so far, we’re all confident that WCNT-tv will become a truly local phenomenon.

For WCNT-tv sponsorship information, or to have us play the pilot episode for you, call our office at 910-2575.

WC Rotary Cancels Freedom Fest

Just before we went to press, the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel announced that this year’s fifth annual Freedom Fest — which had been scheduled for Saturday, July 2, at The Grove shopping plaza in Wesley Chapel — had to be cancelled. So, unless someone else can pull something together quickly, there will be no local 4th of July fireworks display in our distribution areas. Visit NTNeighborhoodNews.com for more details.

Table of Contents

Local News Updates....................3-19

Local MPOs Take Up Kinnan-Mansfield Debate .......4 Pasco Passes On Making Wesley Chapel Borders.....6 New Tampa & Wesley Chapel News Briefs..........8 Wiregrass Ranch Growing (with map)...............10-11 Arbor Greene Woman Planning A Pilgrimage.....16-17 New Tampa Community Calendar...........................18 Author Fair Scheduled For The Shops at Wiregrass...19

Local Business Updates.............20-27

Panda Hugs Offers Summer Camp, VPK & More...20 Amer. Wood Flooring For Every Flooring Need.....22 SPOTLIGHT ON: NutriMost.............................23 Brandon Legal Group Prides Itself On Experience...24 SPOTLIGHT ON: The Gift Box Boutique...........26 SPOTLIGHT ON: Creative Permanent Makeup...27

Local Sports & Education........30-39 Freedom Class Valedictorian: Maya Patel...........30 Wharton Class Valedictorian: Jared Bell.................31 Family Of Christ Student Wins $2,000 Award......32 Freedom, Wharton Conclude Spring Football......34 Sports Briefs: Hargreaves Signs; Tennis Winners.....35 YMCA Synchronized Swimmers Headed to NY.......38

Neighborhood Magazine

Mother’s Day Is Always Special For This Mom......41 Wounded Warriors Compete At YMCA.................42 Ginza Endless Sushi & Hibachi..........................44 Zaytoun Mediterranean Grill..................................46 ‘Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes’........50 New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Classifieds........52 @NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.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

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 infrastructure 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.”

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@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

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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.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

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

stabbed several times by another student on May 5, suffering non-life-threatening injuries.

According to the Hillsborough ing almost $4,000 from the Florida Democratic Party), bringing her total to County’s Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), at approximately 2 p.m., two students $65,618 ($57,000 on hand). got into a verbal confrontation which Reedy only raised $1,110.48, and soon escalated into a physical fight. has less than $16,000 cash on hand.

Angel DelMonte, a 15-year-old student, Two District 7 Candidates armed himself with a steak knife he had on his person — it was approximately Make It Official eight inches in total length with a 4-inch Cory Lake Isles resident Dr. Cyril serrated blade — and he stabbed the Spiro and Tampa Palms resident Gene 14-year-old victim multiple times.

Siudut have now officially filed to run for DelMonte then hid the knife in the Montelione’s District 7 City Council seat, nearby boys bathroom trash can, but it which represents Tampa Palms and New Tampa, as well as Terrace Park, Forest Hills was recovered at the scene.

The victim was transported from and the USF area. the school on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) The two had previously told the Neighborhood News they were interested in Blvd. to Tampa General Hospital on Davis Islands. running but were waiting for Montelione DelMonte was arrested and charged to resign. Technically, the seat isn’t open with aggravated battery with a deadly and wouldn’t be available until 2019, the weapon, tampering with evidence date for which the two candidates were filed to run. But, if Montelione’s seat opens and possession of a weapon on school grounds. His name was released by sooner (like, if she resigns next month, as expected), they are still considered filed for HCSO, despite his age, because of the nature of the crime. whenever the seat will be contested.

The tech-savvy Spiro also has launched Another Break-In At Grey his campaign website at CyrilSpiro.com.

Wolf Armory In WC The site, which will be updated soon to Three hooded and gloved suspects reflect his official filing, features a campaign knocked a hole in the wall at Grey Wolf video, his stands on civil liberties, fiscal Armory off S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel and responsibility and responsive government, made off with more than 30 weapons on and a way for his future constituents to May 1, according to the Pasco County reach him with any questions.

Sheriff’s Office (PCSO).

Student Stabbed At Wharton PCSO says that between 2:53 a.m.

A Paul R. Wharton High student was and 2:57 am, the suspects entered through

New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Harrison, Montelione Post Solid April Numbers

Republican Shawn Harrison had a big month of raising campaign funds in April, pulling in more than $21,000 as he prepares to defend his Florida House District 63 seat.

Harrison, the former Tampa City Council member who was elected to the Florida House, in 2010 and 2014 (losing the seat in 2012 to Democrat Mark Danish), will be challenged this November by the winner of the Democratic primary between Lisa Montelione (see pg. 4) and Mike Reedy.

Harrison’s April fund-raising total was $21,270 (includShawn Harrison ing $3,000 from the Republican Party of Florida), bringing the total he has raised to $134,805. Having spent $30,705, that gives Harrison more than $100,000 cash on hand.

Montelione received more than twice as many donations as Harrison did (88-42) but slightly less money.

Currently serving in the District 7 seat on the Tampa City Council, Montelione is expected to resign her seat in the next month as she focuses on Reedy.

She raised $19,490 in April (includ-

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News Briefs

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

the east side of the gun shop, located at 32733 Eiland Blvd., after smashing the exterior lighting and taking advantage of the fact that hedges obscure that side of the building.

The suspects made off with 30 hand guns, two long guns and one sniper rifle, leaving in an unknown direction. Other more expensive guns were left untouched.

The business has an alarm, but it was never activated, and the suspects crawled around to avoid surveillance cameras and motion detectors, PCSO said.

This is the second time in the past two months that Grey Wolf Armory has been broken into. According to a post on the business’ Facebook page from March 14, someone broke in and damaged a halfdozen guns while smashing a glass display unit, but was only able to make off with a single hand gun, thanks to the PCSO’s quick response.

“If I was a conspiracy theorist, I would wonder if someone had it in for us,” a post read on the Facebook page of Grey Wolf Armory.

Anyone with info is asked to call investigators at (800) 706-2488.

@NTWCNews

Developers Update The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber Proposed, Approved or Under Construction Existing Development Map is not to scale & has been modified

by Neighborhood News to make it easier to read.

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.

dge Blvd

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 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 Shops at 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 special-

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.

ss R i

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And Yes...

Another Map!

Map Key

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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 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 longrange 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.

Bruce B Downs Blvd

By John C. Cotey West Palm Beach-based commercial developer John Dowd (photo, below) 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 spearhead the birth of The Shops at Wiregrass mall.

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.

ty 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.

Meanwhile, the mall itself is adding two new buildings — one that will be home to Irish 31 and the other will be home to Visionworks, although both new buildings also will house other businesses.

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

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Wells Fargo

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

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About The Plans For Wiregrass 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

Coming Soon!

Wiregrass Mall Expansion Grocery

Residential

Cinema

Retail

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.

5. Porter said they will be closing on 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 North Tampa Behavorial Health, which also is expanding and will add 48 rooms by the end of the year.

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 four-story structures, with rooftop pools and verandas. “Something typical of Hyde Park and South Tampa,’’ he said. “But not typical Pasco County.”

The condos, which site plans show will include 394 multi-family dwellings in 15 sepNeighborhood News

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.

arate 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 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 fullfledged 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 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 tomorrow, but 10-50 years down the road,’’ he said.

Look for more updates on this area at NTNeighborhoodNews.com. @NTWCNews

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11

‘Lightning’

Continued from pg. 1 The return of each of the aforementioned players would certainly bolster Tampa Bay’s championship hopes, and Tom, the longtime Lightning trainer, would love to see it happen.

But, he’s not saying.

“You get the questions, but the people that we are close to and friends that we have in the area and in the neighborhood, they understand that I can’t talk much about that,’’ Tom says. “You hear the questions. I wish I could give them the answers.”

This year’s Lightning team has already surpassed the expectations that were tempered when the injuries piled up near the end of the regular season. Tom and his staff are working hard to get the Lightning’s key players back on the ice.

“I mean, a lot of the credit goes to the whole training staff and it’s led by Tom and they are the best around,’’ says Stralman, a defenseman who broke his left leg on March 25 before finally returning for the Pittsburgh series. “It’s a long season and they keep our bodies in the best condition they can be. This time of the year, everyone is hurting but the training staff keeps us close to 100 percent.

We all owe a lot to the trainers here.”

Tom, a former varsity defenseman in high school back in New Bedford, landed the job as the Lightning’s trainer by chance. In the summer of 2002, when Tom was the head trainer of the Providence Bruins (Boston’s American Hockey League affiliate), he happened to call an old friend who told him that the Lightning trainer at the time was taking a job with the Florida Panthers.

12

Tom decided to apply and ended up getting the Lightning job.

A Dream Come True

It didn’t take long for him to experience the goal of anybody working in hockey — being part of Tampa Bay’s Stanley Cup-winning celebration in 2004.

“That was my second year with the team when we won the Cup, and everything just happened so fast,’’ Tom said. “Hopefully you think you’ll get another chance, then 12 years go by and you start to wonder if it will ever happen again.”

In the grand tradition of the Stanley Cup, each member of the organization gets to spend a day with the most famous trophy in sports. Tom took the Cup over to his parents’ house in New Bedford for a small celebration. A picture with Tyler, who was then 16 months old, actually sitting in the Cup made the cover of the local newspaper.

“I wasn’t necessarily the coolest (kid on the block), but the Cup was,’’ Tom says.

Since the Lightning’s only Cup win, Tom has traveled to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Helsinki, Finland, as a trainer for the USA’s World Championship teams in 2008 and 2012, and was a trainer on the USA team which lost in the Bronze medal game (to Finland) at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

However, he’d love another Cup so his kids could enjoy it, even though it extends his time away from his family.

“With playoffs, it can be so unpredictable that it’s hard,’’ Kellie said. “And for Tom, even on off days, he’s going in for treatments.

The cool thing is, it’s so exciting to be part of the playoffs. As a family, we get to share in that and the kids are part of it. It makes all the sacrifices worth it.”

Tom Mulligan (center, top) poses with his wife Kellie and his kids (from left) Tyler, 13, Zachary, 10 and Abby, 8. Photo: Courtesy of the Mulligan family.

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14

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Arbor

Greene

Woman

Seeks

To

Spread

By John C. Cotey

Mary Seaman is a believer.

When she was in the throes of a disastrous divorce in the mid-1980s, she says a brief interaction with Pope John Paul II helped pull her through it.

So when she read the 2014 book Six Months to Live: Three Guys on the Ultimate Quest for a Miracle, about Artie Boyle’s pilgrimage to Medjugorje, Herzegovina, and how it cured him of cancer, it didn’t defy Mary’s logic. It actually made perfect sense to her.

Seaman, an Arbor Greene resident the past 14 years, was so moved by Artie Boyle’s book that she is organizing her own pilgrimage to Medjugorje in August. The 15-day trip, which costs $4,490 and is scheduled for Oct. 9-24, also will include time in Italy at other holy sites.

“It’s been pulling at me,’’ Seaman says. “I think the stars are aligned.”

Boyle, who is the father of Tampa Bay Lightning (see pg. 1) center Brian Boyle, helped connect Seaman with the right people for her trip.

Seaman, 65, said she needs to sign up 40 people for the trip, and is roughly halfway there. Father Ed Lamp of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church on Cross Creek Blvd., where Seaman is a member, is accompanying the group on the trip as the spiritual advisor. Sea-

16

Mary Seaman says reading this book, Six Months To Live, by the father of Lightning center Brian Boyle.has inspired her to oraganize her own pilgrimage to Medjugorje, Herzegovina.

man met Father Ed at Tampa’s James A. Haley Veteran’s Hospital, where she was once a nurse and he was a chaplain.

She also is a member of the Monsignor Kevin S. Mullen Columbiettes at St. Mark’s, a group which does charity work through the church.

Seaman herself doesn’t have cancer.

In fact, she says, her life is pretty good.

She says, however, that she is always ea-

ger to grow spiritually, and wants others to experience the same joy she has.

“I’m so awe-inspired by the opportunity to go and lead a group and bring other people to that holy place, Seaman says. “I think it’s just exciting and profound.”

Medjugorje is in eastern Europe, in the Herzegovina region of Bosnia & Herzegovina, near the border of Croatia.

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Spiritual

Joy

In June of 1981, six local children claimed they had seen an apparition, or vision, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and ever since, the town of roughly 2,500 residents has become a popular spot for Catholic pilgrimages, with millions of believers estimated to have visited.

Of the six children from 1981, Seaman says, three no longer receive apparitions as adults. One of those that still does, Ivan Dragicevic, will be accompanying Seaman’s group on the pilgrimage.

Although the apparitions and their authenticity are a point of contention among Catholics and other scholars, for many it’s matter of faith.

Artie Boyle was suffering from stage 4 metastatic renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer) and was not expected to survive.

He was diagnosed in 1999 and had his kidney removed, but eight months later, doctors found three tumors in his right lung. He was given a 5-percent chance of survival.

Boyle had all but surrendered to the disease when his neighbor and best friend Rob Griffin, a former youth league coach of Brian Boyle’s, and his brother-in-law Kevin Gill, bought him a ticket to Medjugorje for Labor Day weekend in 2000.

Boyle, who was 44, admits in his book to not being an overly spiritual person at the time, but he writes that

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something happened to him on Cross Mountain as he and his friends prayed and confessed their sins together.

He came back convinced he had been cured. He was scheduled to have his right lung removed four days after his return to the U.S., but new CAT scans, and numerous doctors, revealed that the cancer had all but disappeared.

The story made headlines, and Boyle appeared on a host of talk shows while writing his book. On the back cover blurb, his urologist, Dr. Francis McGovern, wrote: “With the severity and progression of Artie’s disease, metastatic renal cell carcinoma, it is difficult for medical science to explain why he is alive today. But, every time I see him, I am sure there is a God.” Boyle has been back 14 times since.

He says he has seen “extreme atheists” converted on the spot as well as hardliners who hate God and don’t worship Mary. He said the feeling of peace there is “palpable, and you don’t get that everywhere else. I’m sorry, you just don’t.”

The Power Of Faith

While Boyle’s story evokes skepticism in many, it called to Seaman. She was given Boyle’s book by her sisterin-law while visiting in Boston, and it turned out that Boyle was from Hingham, just outside of Boston, where Seaman once lived.

That compelled Seaman to call Boyle, hoping to speak with him. She

Neighborhood News

Mary Seaman (on the right with white sweater and red collar) meets Pope John Paul II during a 1985 visit to Rome that she says helped change her life. (Photo: Courtesy of Mary Seaman)

left a message, and was surprised when he did finally return her phone call about two months later. She has recently talked with Boyle again, this time about possibly speaking in New Tampa about his experiences.

Seaman’s desire to embark on a pilgrimage may seem frivolous to some, but she has a strong faith and some of her desire is derived from personal experiences.

In 1985, she and her husband had purchased tickets through her church

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to visit Rome to see Pope John Paul II speak during Lent. But, when her marriage fell apart abruptly, she told the priest at her church she had to give up her seat; that he should give it to someone who couldn’t afford to go.

Seaman reverted to making rosary beads, something she did in her spare time. She decided, after some reflection, that she wanted to go on the trip after all, but was told her seat had already been taken. Desperate, she offered to pay her own way and follow the group

on her own. She received permission, but before she bought the ticket, another person backed out.

In Rome, she was among the thousands jockeying for position to see the Pontiff.

“As we were standing there, someone came up to me and tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘If you want to see the Pope, get to the rail,” Seaman said. “I didn’t know what that meant.

But then, the doors opened, and I saw the rail.”

Seaman got to the rail. And sure enough, after the Pope finished speaking, he exited right past where Seaman was standing. She handed him a set of her rosary beads, and he put his hands on her head and blessed her.

“I can’t tell you how powerful that was,’’ Seaman said. “It was as if Jesus wrapped his arms around me. I was so high. I had experienced the birth of my children, I ran the Boston Marathon, but when John Paul touched me, it was like heaven opened up.”

That feeling is what Seaman hopes others can experience at Medjugorje, where some have claimed to have witnessed rosary beads changing colors and the sun appearing to pulsate like a heart.

“I’m so excited,’’ Seaman said. “I just can’t tell you how excited I am.”

For more information about the pilgrimage, please contact Mary at (707) 799-5163, or email her at nursingsuccess@icloud.com.

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17

MAY 2016

Saturday - May 21 - 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.

Saturday - May 21 - 11 AM - 3 PM

at 388-6299 or visit NewTampaRotary.org.

JUNE 2016

Thursday - June 2 - 11:30 AM

Edward Jones Financial Seminar - William Morales of Edward Jones is hosting a financial seminar at Cantina Laredo at the Shops at Wiregrass. The seminar will help design a lasting retirement strategy to build an income and budget for retirement expenses, and identify risks. Lunch will be served. RSVP by May 31 to william.morales@edwardjones.com or call 991-7034.

First Annual Duck Derby - Hosted by the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel (Noon), Friday - June 3 - 11:30 AM the Duck Derby features rubber duck races & family fun to benefit local & interna- Women-n-Charge - Join the vibrant ladies of Women-n-Charge on the first Friday of every month from 11:30am-1:15pm at Pebble Creek Golf Club (10550 tional causes supported by the WC Rotary. For more info, see pg. 1 or the ad Regents Park Dr.). Includes lunch, a feature speaker, and time to network. We on pg. 19, visit WCrotary.org/duck-derby/ or call John Jay at 298-3232. share our talents, build relationships, and share our resources with other women Saturday - May 21 - 5:00 - 8:30 PM in business. The cost is $15 for members and $18 for all guests. Please register Senior Dance - Hillsborough County Aging Services Department hosts a safariat www.women-n-charge.com. For more information, please contact Judy at themed event for active adults at least 50 years old at the Lutz Senior Center 813-600-9848 or admin@women-n-charge.com.

(112 N.W. 1st Ave.) Feel free to dress according to the safari theme. Music Saturday - June 4 - 10:30 AM refreshments, and door przes. To RSVP, call 264-3804.

Ice Cream Social - The Tampa YMCA Synchro Team is hosting an ice cream Sunday - May 22 - 10 AM social at the New Tampa Family YMCA to raise money to travel to the Junior Zen Meditation Group - Looking for a new way to relax? Check out the Olympics in East Meadow, NY. Entry is Free. Attendees can enjoy ice cream, FREE Zen Meditation Group that meets Sundays at 10 a.m. People of all pizza, drinks and enter a raffle to win prizes. The swimmers will also show off faiths are welcome. For info, visit www.mindfulnessangha.com or contheir latest routines and custom-made suits. For more info call the New Tampa tact Parker at 813-382-2216 or mindfulnessmeditation@verizon.net.

Family YMCA at 866-9622.

Sunday - May 22 - 2 PM

Sunday - June 5 - 1 PM

Tuesday - May 24 - 9:30 AM

Monday - June 13 - 6:30 PM

Composing A Heart & Other Immigrant Stories - Performance at Congregation Beth Am, 2030 W. Fletcher Ave, Tampa. Ticket price - $18/adults, $10/children & students. Program is a multimedia presentation of spoken word, solo clarinet and/or piano, slideshow of images, audio recordings, and moving narratives. Performances are stories of immigrants and their tales and experiences of emigration from places such as Poland and Argentina. Call 813-968-8511 for tickets.

English As A Second Language (ESL) - The ESL group meets Tuesdays at Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church (19911 BBD Blvd.), 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Classes are taught by a native English speaker. The cost is $40 each semester for the workbook & class materials. For more info, call Heather at 753-8567.

Wednesday - May 25 - 7:15 AM

Piano Recital - A piano recital series will be held on June 5th at 1:00, 3:30 and 6:00 p.m. at the New Tampa Piano and Pedagogy Academy, 10701 Cross Creek Blvd, Tampa, 33647. Piano performances by students of various levels of proficiency, elementary through advanced, will be showcased. This event is free of charge and open to the public. For info visit www.NewTampaPPA.com or call 994-2452.

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

If your organization is sponsoring an event that is open to the general public — whether it’s BNI Millionaire Makers - The BNI Millionaire Makers chapter meets Weds. at free to attend or not — please submit your info (with photos in any digital format) at least Heritage Isles Country Club (10630 Plantation Bay Dr.), 7:15 a.m. The $13 3-4 weeks in advance to: EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com. It will appear in these to attend includes a hot breakfast. Call Lisa Jordan at 621-6015 for info. pages & be eligible to be mentioned on our social media for free.

Wednesday - May 25 - 7:30 AM

Business Networking International (BNI) - BNI, a group of business pros dedicated to helping their member businesses grow through qualified referrals, meets every Wed., 7:30 a.m., at the Cory Lake Isles Beach Club clubhouse (18630 Plantation Bay Dr.). Call Lee Hoffman at 545-2656.

Wednesday - May 25 - Noon

New Tampa Noon Rotary Club - The New Tampa Noon Rotary Club meets every Wed. for lunch, noon, at Café Olé (10020 Cross Creek Blvd., in the Cross Creek Center plaza). Guests are always welcome.

Thursday - May 26 - 7:30 AM

Christian Business Connections (CBC) - The Christian Business Connections (CBC) networking group meets every Thur. at 7:30 a.m. at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church (5338 Primrose Lake Cir., off Commerce Park Blvd. in Tampa Palms). For more info, email Shawn@TPACorp.com.

Friday - May 27 - 7:15 AM

New Tampa Rotary Club - The original New Tampa Rotary Club meets every Friday for breakfast at 7 a.m. at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club (TPGCC, 5811 Tampa Palms Blvd.). For additional information, contact Kim Payne 18

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Book Fair Features Local Authors

By Christen Caporali

Looking for a good book? Barnes & Noble’s annual local author book signing event on Saturday, May 21, 2 p.m.- 4 p.m., has you covered.

With the most diverse group of local authors the bookstore (located at the Shops at Wiregrass mall) has had to date, you’re sure to find something to satisfy your craving for the written word.

Book lovers are invited to meet and chat with the authors, as well as get their copies of each author’s books signed.

“It’s a great way to get multiple authors in the store,” says Wiregrass Barnes & Noble assistant manager Lisa Kuehner, who is coordinating the event. “A lot of these authors are self-published, so it’s a good way for them to promote and sell their books.”

This year, there are 27 authors scheduled to attend, more than Barnes & Noble has had in the past.

“We’re expecting a bigger turn-out this year, too,” says Kuehner.

The authors have been reaching out to their own audiences, and the store also has been using social media networks like Instagram and Facebook to get the word out. about this year’s event.

Some authors are returning veterans, like Kimberly Karalius (photo, below), who is the author of Love Fortunes and Other Dis-

Kimberly Karalius is a Wharton High graduate who recently completed a national book tour for her first book, Love Fortunes and Other Disasters.

Neighborhood News

asters and its sequel, Love Charms and Other Catastrophies.

Kimberly graduated from Paul R. Wharton High in New Tampa and holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Creative Writing from the University of South Florida in Tampa. She recently completed a national book tour for her first book, published in 2015, and did her first book signing at the Barnes & Noble local author book signing.

Jamie Elizabeth Tingen (below), the author of Butterfly Messages, a love story about people reconnecting with former sweethearts, and Betrayal of the Butterfly, a mystery about the bonds between a mother and her child, will also be at the fair.

R e t i r e d Jamie Elizabeth Tingen educator Madonna Jervis-Wise, who has made a number of recent appearances in these pages and is in a the midst of a book tour after publishing her most recent, Images of America: Wesley Chapel, will be attending as well.

Jervis-Wise also is the author of several other books, including Images of America: Zephryhills, Images of America: Dade City, Tapestry-Zephryhills, and Wildcat Creek Kids.

Other Wesley Chapel and New Tampa authors who will be featured at the bookstore’s event include Jenice Armstead, Barbara Post-Askin, Sarina Babb, John Chaplick, Jonathan Chateau, Sharron K. Cosby, Marilyn De La Cruz, Jeanette Lynn Dundas, Ben Gold, Jwan Israil, C. Johnson, Jason Leclerc, Debbie Lum, Josh McMorrow-Hernandez, Stephen Morrill, Susan Noe Harmon, Lorelie Dionne Orat, Lucille Rose D’Armi-Riggio, Elizabeth L. Rivera, Ria Prestia (Maria Rooney), Dee Segarra, Evelyn Johnson-Taylor, Vincent Vinas, and Paul Wartenburg.

The Barnes & Noble bookstore at The Shops at Wiregrass Mall, located at 28152 Paseo Dr. in Wesley Chapel, is hosting its annual local author event & signing on Tuesday, May 21, 2 p.m.4 p.m. For additional information, visit TheShopsatWiregrass.com.

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19

Your Children Will Love Panda Hugs Child Care Learning Center!

By Celeste McLaughlin

Panda Hugs Child Care Learning Center — located on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. just south of Tampa Palms — has been family owned and serving the children of New Tampa since 1997,

by Sue Anne Allbaugh, who serves as the center’s educational director, and Sue Ann’s daughter and son-in-law, Andrea and Tom Driscoll.

Panda Hugs offers full-time childcare for infants (ages six weeks and older) to age five, VPK (Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten), plus after-school programs and summer camp for elementary-aged students (registration is now open for camps from June 13-August 9).

At Panda Hugs, the classrooms are large and roomy, and filled with toys for fun and learning. And, there are big windows from the halls looking into the classrooms, so parents can easily watch what’s happening. Panda Hugs has an open-door policy, where parents and caregivers are encouraged to stop in anytime to see what their kids are learning, and the learning center’s owners say they welcome the inevitable comments, questions, and even complaints that arise.

They point to the longevity of many of the school’s teachers as an example of what makes Panda Hugs special. Of the school’s 20 employees, six have worked there for more than 15 years, including the school’s director, Elsa Espinosa.

Before joining Panda Hugs 16 years

20

Panda Hugs Child Care Learning Center director Elsa Espinosa is confident your children ages six weeks to five years old will love the pre-school’s “Rainbow World.” ago, Elsa was the director of a preschool open classrooms, the facility has a “music in Miami that was part of a large corpoand movement” room for all kids older ration — unlike Panda Hugs, which is than age one. Teachers lead their students independent, and not part of a chain. through activities such as singing and “Here, it feels more like home,” Elsa dancing, walking on the balance beam or says. “There, it was of a lot of paperwork. playing with hula hoops.

Here, our focus is more on working with Kids also get to visit “Rainbow kids, parents and teachers.”

World,” a fun, colorful room designed to A Unique Learning Environment look like a small town. There are “shops” At Panda Hugs, kids don’t stay in one and a “theatre” where kids play dress up and put on puppet shows. Plus, they can classroom all day. In addition to the large,

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climb up to the “second story” and peek out of windows, then slide down a big slide into a ball pit.

Panda Hugs offers a truly unique learning environment, where the kids love to play. They also spend time each day on the school’s outdoor playground.

“The most important thing we emphasize is that children learn through playing,” says Elsa. “We provide an introduction to language, writing, math, the alphabet, phonics and reading,” Elsa notes that the young students learn in small groups through centers.

“We make it fun,” she says, “because the interaction with what they’re learning is the most important part.”

The school’s curriculum is a “blend” of programs created by Kaplan Early Learning Company and a curriculum created and developed personally by Sue Ann, who oversees how the curriculum is implemented in each classroom.

Sue Anne says that she spent 35 years teaching kindergarten, first and second grade in New Jersey, New York, Texas and Ohio. She holds a Master’s degree in Education from Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, NY, and a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH.

Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Panda Hugs also is a provider for Florida’s free voluntary pre-kindergarten program, known as VPK. This year, more

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than 50 kids are getting ready to celebrate graduating from the school’s VPK and move into kindergarten.

At Panda Hugs, VPK is offered five days a week (9 a.m.–noon), or three days a week (Monday, Wednesday, & Friday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.). There is no cost to parents for the part-time VPK program, and parents have the option to choose extended care so their children can attend Panda Hugs full-time.

Elsa says in VPK, teachers are focused on preparing kids for kindergarten. Plus, Pand Hugs offers some extras parents might not expect.

“We teach sign language and also implement Spanish into the curriculum,” says Elsa. It’s a natural fit, she explains, since each classroom has one teacher who is Latin American. This diversity is reflected in the school’s students, too. “Our kids are very multicultural,” she says. “We are close to USF and have kids who are Asian, Arabic and Latin.”

When Jada McAlpin was looking for a VPK program for her daughter, a trusted friend who is an elementary school teacher recommended Panda Hugs. “I love that it’s a smaller, cozy facility,” Jada says. “From day one, it’s seemed like a family.”

She also appreciates the safety and security measures in place, like the fact that kids can’t open the front door (you have to be a certain height or the door doesn’t open) and she says she’s never seen a child standing alone in the hall.

“My daughter is doing so great, I

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can’t believe it,” Jada says, explaining that Shannae hasn’t just memorized her numbers and letters, but truly understands what she’s learning.

She also appreciates the teachers’ confidence to handle whatever comes up.

“There were some days where Shannae was crying and didn’t want to go to school, but the teachers just told me to go on and they would handle it,” Jada says. “As moms, we worry so much, but then I pick her up at the end of the day and she says she’s had the best day! I am in love with Panda Hugs!”

After-School Care

Panda Hugs also offers after-school care for elementary school kids, offering transportation from five local elementary schools: Chiles, Clark, Hunter’s Green, Pride and Tampa Palms.

Kids in kindergarten through fifth grade are picked up at their respective schools at the end of the day and arrive at Panda Hugs around 3 p.m. Their afternoons include homework, arts & crafts, snack, and time outside on the playground.

summer break from school. This summer, activities will center around the theme, “ROCK-it!” From learning about rocks to rockets, and even rock music, summer camp will be all about rocks.

The price of summer camp includes all field trips – three or four each week – to favorite places such as MOSI, Gator Fred’s Party Center on Ehrlich Rd, the movies, Hillsborough River State Park, and more. There are also activities that fit the theme offered on the school’s premises, such as a scheduled hip-hop class.

Panda Hugs Child Care Learning Center is located at 15051 BBD Blvd.

It is open Mon.–Fri., 6:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m. For more information, visit PandaHugs.com or call 977-8195.

GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTERS

Summer Camp

For any parent looking for fun, full-time care for their children over the summer – Panda Hugs offers a unique summer camp program.

Kids who have completed kindergarten through fifth grade can participate in fun and engaging programs while on

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Meeting Your Exterior Needs From One Generation to the Next

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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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. (minutes from New Tampa), 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 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.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-

Neighborhood News

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 butterscotch 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...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 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Attorney Kevin Astl Leads Brandon Legal Group’s Local Office

By Anu Varma Panchal

His shingle outside his office may state that his area of expertise is family law, but Kevin D. Astl is a man who wears many hats.

He’s the compassionate listener who hears it all and gently nudges a box of tissues across the table; he’s the gimlet-eyed analyst who parses statutes to find the perfect legal weapons to argue your case; he’s the family man whose 9-year-old’s artwork adorns his office walls; and he’s the rock-and-roller who goes home and takes the stress of his day out on a drum set. Most important is that Astl is an attorney you can trust to fight for your child, your family and your livelihood.

Astl is the managing attorney at the Brandon Legal Group’s New Tampa/ Wesley Chapel office, located in the Central Bank building on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (just east of the corner of BBD and County Line Rd.). He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Political Science in 1996 from the University of South Florida, and in 1999, received his Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University in Macon, GA. At the local office of his firm (one of the three Brandon Legal Group offices in the Tampa Bay area), Astl handles all aspects of family law cases, but also has extensive experience in more than 35 aspects of law, including criminal, business

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Kevin Astl, the managing attorney at the Brandon Legal Group’s New Tampa/Wesley Chapel office in the Central Bank building on BBD Blvd., is a man who wears many hats. and corporate law, music and entertainment law, as well as personal injury and medical malpractice cases.

Astl says that Brandon Legal Group is a, “full-service law firm. We have 7 onstaff attorneys, each very experienced in their own right.”

He adds that, in other words, “If I can’t help you with your legal needs (myself), there almost always is another lawyer in the firm who is able to help.”

Not Your Typical Lawyer

Astl says he was a musician before he

was a lawyer and he still enjoys creative writing, songwriting and playing. “Playing drums keeps me sane,” he says.

In addition to belonging to legal organizations like the Florida Bar Association (since 1999), Florida Bar Family Law Section, Florida Bar Criminal Law Section, Florida Bar Association Entertainment and Sports Law Section and American Inns of Court Tampa Family Law Inn, Astl’s affiliations also include the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Florida Motion Picture and Television Association, and the Florida

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

“People can represent themselves, but the law is an extremely technical and complex endeavor,” Astl says.

What Astl offers clients that they cannot get on their own is not just nearly two decades of experience, but also a familiarity with case histories and with the vagaries of the various local court systems, courthouses, clerks and judges in the many surrounding counties.

Astl’s disarming friendliness and wry sense of humor help him connect with clients, but it also help him preserve his peace of mind in a field that can often be fraught with tension. He has to regularly fight client stereotypes about the billing habits of lawyers; and not a week goes by that a client doesn’t want to check Astl’s advice against something out of TV’s “Law & Order” or Google. “There’s more disinformation out there about what we do than information,” he sighs.

As someone who considered studying sociology or psychology before deciding on political science and, ultimately, the law, Astl enjoys not just the hustle and bustle of the courthouse, but also the more subtle sizing up of witnesses and personality assessments he has to conduct, often within moments.

Amy Mackler says she hired Astl to represent her during her divorce five years ago, and it’s a decision she says she’s thankful she made.

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“He doesn’t come across as your typical attorney,” says Mackler, who now lives in St Petersburg but was a New Tampa resident for 22 years. “Regardless of if your case is finished, he continues to maintain a relationship. He’d call and check up, follow up and make sure everything was good in my life.”

Mackler appreciates that Astl is efficient at what he does, but also that he’s open and honest.

“If he doesn’t feel like he should take your case, he’s not going to take your case just to make money,” she says.

Not only did she hire him again a couple of years later for another matter, she’s referred him to many friends.

Astl is heading the firm’s northward expansion. His goals are to maintain a presence at the current Central Bank location, but also to expand to include another attorney and a paralegal by the end of the year. At the rate Astl is going — he’s signed up eight clients in just the past two weeks — that looks like an attainable goal. Although he’ll continue to do family law, he’s also interested in growing his representation of small businesses. As a 17-year New Tampa and Wesley Chapel resident, not only does he frequent local small businesses, he’s also watched numerous companies rise and fall, and would like to be able to help them succeed.

Having practiced on his own and in a large corporate environment for years, Astl loves his present setup.

“I like being part of a boutique firm,” says Astl. “It’s like I work with my

Neighborhood News

friends. The way Brandon Legal Group is set up with the satellite offices, you just have to practice law,” explaining that the head office manages paperwork and finances so that he can do his job. “I can represent my clients...focus on them.”

Astl also says he appreciates the fact that the attorneys at Brandon Legal Group are encouraged to maintain a manageable workload — he has about 50 cases on hand at any given time — rather than take on every potential client. A manageable caseload means a reasonable separation between home and work, says Astl, which helps create the objectivity that he needs to be able to approach the case with clarity.

“A work-life balance is very important,” he says, especially when dealing with family law cases that can sometimes be brutal (except for adoptions; he says adopting parents are his favorite type of family law clients to represent).

Astl works toward that balance through family and creative endeavors.

He tries to spend as much time as he can with his two sons: the 22-year-old veteran who served in Iraq and now attends the University of South Florida, and the 9-year-old who often spends afternoons in dad’s office.

The office of attorney Kevin D. Astl of Brandon Legal Group is located at 20701 BBD Suite 202, Tampa.

For more information or to make an appointment for a consultation, call 933-7200, or email kevin.astl@brandonlegalgroup.com or visit BrandonLegalGroup.com.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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SPOTLIGHT ON......The Gift Box Boutique!

“We are ready for the summer season,” says Jennifer Colón, who owns The Gift Box Boutique with her husband, Rick.

This one-of-a-kind, fun store is located in The Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms, between Ciccio’s Cali and Stonewood Grill & Tavern. The Gift Box Boutique has offered an impressive array of gifts, home décor items, women’s clothing and jewelry, since it opened nearly two years ago – in the summer of 2014.

“I just returned from New York,” says Jennifer, who visits that city and Atlanta several times a year to attend gift and apparel shows, so she stays on top of the most current trends. “I was able to purchase some unique, trendy clothing and accessories for the shop,” she says.

Jennifer says some of The Gift Box Boutique’s newest best sellers are Corkcicle canteens and tumblers, and Lokai bracelets.

“We also have newly expanded baby and stationery departments.”

And, if you’re looking for a perfect gift that’s unique to Tampa, Jennifer says the store always has some of Tampa’s favorites in stock, such as Toffee to Go, Columbia Restaurant gift items and Seventh Avenue Apothecary candles.

The Gift Box Boutique also carries a collection of specialty gifts for everything from weddings to new babies. Try The Gift Box Boutique for something unexpected, personalized, or customized. (Many items can be personalized with embroidery.)

You’ll find gifts to fit everyone’s taste, from the coffee lover to the wine lover, to the friend who loves great accessories or

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eclectic items for their home.

“Our goal is to provide unique gifts and great customer service,” says Jennifer.

“We want to be known for that.”

The Gift Box Boutique is located at 17032 Palm Pointe Dr. It is open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and noon -4 p.m. on Sunday. Looking for a specific item or brand? Call the store at 284-5986 or email TheGiftBoxTampa@ yahoo.com. You can “like” The Gift Box Boutique on Facebook.com, and be sure to see The Gift Box Boutique’s ad on page 42 of this issue. — CC

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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SPOTLIGHT ON...Serenity Salon & Spa Suites!

Pam Edmonson recently moved her Creative Permanent Makeup into Wesley Chapel to be more convenient for residents of both New Tampa & Wesley Chapel.

After years working out of a salon in Zephyrhills, Pam relocated to the Serenity Salon & Spa Suites on S.R. 54, in the Brookfield Professional Park near Eiland Blvd., where she and a partner operate their businesses and have space available for others.

“Serenity Salon & Spa Suites has a peaceful environment and good energy,” says Pam. “I love having my own space here.”

Currently, there are four hair stations (two are available for rent by professional stylists) and individual rooms for massages, facials, office space, or other small businesses.

“We want to empower people to build their own business in a great environment,” Pam says. “It’s about having a nice, comfortable place to work and to provide an affordable place for others to do so, too.”

Pam says she helps women achieve a beautiful, maintenance-free look through permanent makeup. She uses a technique known as “microblading” – using a tiny blade to “draw” each individual hair, in order to create natural-looking eyebrows. Pam also offers permanent makeup for eyelids and lips, along with skin care services such as light therapy and microneedling to build collagen or help women regrow thinning hair.

Neighborhood News

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Pam has been a licensed cosmetologist in Florida since 2009. She studied permanent makeup at the Boca Ta-2 School for Permanent Makeup in Williston, FL, and began providing permanent makeup services in 2011.

Creative Permanent Makeup is located at the Serenity Salon & Spa Suites (33913 S.R. 54, Suite 101) in Wesley Chapel. Pam is available for procedures and free consultations by appointment.

For more information, visit CreativePermanentMakeupByPam.com, call 997-6302, or see the ad on page 41 of this issue. — CC

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Freedom Valedictorian Maya Patel Parlays Excellence Into Bright Future

By John C. Cotey Maya Patel, a senior at Freedom High in Tampa Palms, has already graduated.

From college.

When she graduates again, as Freedom’s Class of 2016 valedictorian on Wednesday, June 8, 9 a.m., at the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall, it will just be the icing on the cake.

Maya is one of many exceptional students in the New Tampa area, but the Tampa Palms resident makes a strong case for being at the top of that list.

She is graduating with an 8.6 weighted grade-point-average, believed to be the highest ever at Freedom.

And, she already has an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree with highest honors in Business Management from Hillsborough Community College. She also was president of five clubs at Freedom.

She even started a nonprofit organization with her best friend, Milan Shah (see below), dedicated to donating used books across the globe.

While she will attend the University of Tampa in the fall, declining opportunities to attend, among others, the prestigious University of Cambridge — the secondoldest university in the English-speaking world — and Kings College of London, England.

And, get this – Maya says she still found time to have some fun in high school. “Of course, of course,’’ she says, laughing. “High school is not just about

30

level of rigor was pretty academics; it’s also about competitive.” fun. I have done Indian Her initial goal, laid dance (called Bhangra) out with intricate planning, since I was five, and I did was to graduate with her typical high school things A.A. degree from HCC, like movies and the mall. I which she did on May 6. always made time for fun.”

Then, she added Class ValAnd sleep, she says. edictorian to her to-do list.

Maya says that despite her Her sophomore and many responsibilities, she junior years were the toughalways got 7-8 hours of est, she says, as the classes sleep a night, even after and assignments could pile she added a part-time job up at times, causing a few at Taco Bell to her already brief moments of self-doubt. busy schedule.

“I felt at those times She says it’s pretty that I needed to keep going simple, really — use a calendar, make lists and on,’’ Maya said. “Such a Maya Patel just follow them. big thing like valedictorian Cheryl Bernales, doesn’t come easily. So, I Maya’s Latin teacher and World Language would get a snack and a drink, and get Department head at Freedom, as well as back at it.” an American Government honors teacher, Maya had no idea who else was close thinks the secret might be more about to valedictorian status. When she found math than lists. out her closest competitor was good friend “I don’t know how she does it, but Junie Kim, who had gone to school with she does seem to have found a few extra Maya at both Chiles Elementary and Libhours in a day,’’ Bernales says. erty Middle School, she was thrilled.

“Had it been anyone else, I would have The only child of V.C. and Nila Patel, pharmacists with the Suncoast Community also been happy for them, but it was even sweeter that it was a friend,” Maya says.

Health Center in Palm River, Maya says Maya credits her parents for being she never set out to be the class valedicto“pillars of support” in her academic quests. rian. She did, however, want to be in the She says they never pressured her, and only top 10 percent. encouraged her to reach the goals that she But, once she started taking dual had set for herself. enrollment and AP classes, “I realized my

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Those goals now include becoming the first dentist in her family. At the University of Tampa, which she chose in part because of its “positive vibe” and proximity to her Tampa Palms home, she will study biochemistry and work towards a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, while trying to get into a top dental school.

She also will continue to help run MSMPC (her registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit), which stands for Milan Shah Maya Patel Collaboration, in the fall of 2014.

The two fell in love with reading at a young age, and over a discussion about what to do with their old books, hatched a plan to donate them, as well as others they would collect.

The MSMPC has donated more than 4,000 books in less than two years to places ranging from local community centers to Zambia, India, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. The organization also has partnered with Books For Africa to donate more than 2,000 books.

Maya admits it all sounds like a lot for an 18-year-old to juggle. But, she loves it.

“I don’t understand where she gets all this time,’’ Bernales says, “but she’s always positive, always high energy and never comes to school like it’s a burden or a task.

She goes all out and does her absolute best job on everything, and does it with a smile on her face.”

If you want to contribute books to Maya’s nonprofit, please visit MSMPC. weebly.com.

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Wharton’s Jared Bell Makes Class Valedictorian A Family Tradition

By John C. Cotey Jared Bell, the Class of 2016 valedictorian at Paul R. Wharton High has advice for those striving to finish at or near the top of their class.

Relax.

Have fun.

“Not too much fun,’’ he says. “But, don’t get too caught up in all the technical stuff and GPAs. It is important, but you should try to enjoy your time in high school, too.”

Sage advice from a guy who was following in the footsteps of his brother, 2014 class valedictorian Earl, and the son of two Wharton teachers — math teacher Dave and English reading teacher Diana Bell.

Pressure?

What pressure?

Jared, who will attend the University of Florida next year, finished high school with a 7.49 weighted grade point average.

“I didn’t really decide to be (class valedictorian), but after my freshman year I was first and my dad just said, ‘let’s try to stay in first,’” Jared says. “And we did.”

Having parents as teachers helped, although Bell says there really wasn’t any added pressure. But, he says the right frame of mind was instilled in him early on.

“We started at a young age with their education,” Dave says.

That included math games played in the car on long trips, no volume and closed captioning subtitles when they watched their favorite television shows, and plenty of

Neighborhood News

reading time with their mother.

“They get their smarts from their momma,’’ Dad says.

Obviously, Jared not only had his parents as examples, he also had his big brother. Following in Earl’s footsteps certainly put a little charge into the process.

“I would say I put more pressure on myself than he did,’’ Jared says.

“But my brother definitely helped me a lot.”

Earl was able to help Jared avoid some Jared Bell of the “prep pitfalls,” while also steering him clear of classes and teachers he didn’t think his brother would like.

Dave says both boys were, “typical teenage boys. They didn’t want to do homework. We pushed them a little bit. We stayed on them.”

Jared modestly declines to run down the list of all of his high school accomplishments, but says he was “active” in school. He joined several clubs, and was president of Mu Alpha Theta, a mathematics honor society.

He wrestled for three years, and says he worked with 15-20 clients as a private tutor to make a little spending money. He

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recently completed his final credits and will graduate with an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree in Business from HCC this summer.

For fun, he says, he enjoys exercise and working out, hanging out with friends, and playing ultimate frisbee.

Jared only makes being class valedictorian sound easy. He does describe it as “very, very tough,” and said the biggest key, and struggle, is time management.

A typical high school day his sophomore and junior year would generally start at 6 a.m., with school until 3 p.m., then wrestling practice until 6, and home by 7, where he would do homework for a few hours before going to sleep.

“Then, repeat,’’ he says.

Jared is undecided about what he will study at Florida. He is attending the university in Gainesville on a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship, and will serve four years in the Army following his graduation. He said he will probably focus on the sciences for a major.

And, he and Earl will live together in Gainesville.

“Both boys worked very hard,” Dave says. “We are proud of both of them. Super proud.”

And, while two class valedictorians from one family is impressive, consider that the Bells may not be finished.

Earl and Jared’s sister Victoria is wrapping up her freshman year at Wharton.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Family

Of

Christ

By Christen Caporali

Bree Cleveland, a seventh grade student at Family of Christ Christian School in Tampa Palms, has been named the First Place scholarship winner in the “Why I Want to Go to College” writing contest. She was one of 1,133 entries from across the country, and won $2,000 in scholarship money to go toward any college or university in the U.S. The “Why I Want to Go to College” essay-writing contest is sponsored by the Nebraska State Treasurer’s Office and the Omaha Storm Chasers baseball team, which is the AAA affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. The contest is open to 7th and 8th graders across the U.S., and judged by the students and faculty in the College of Education at the University of Nebraska in Omaha, as well as by Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg.

Applicants were tasked with writing a 750-word essay about their educational goals and dreams for the future, and had the opportunity to win up to $2,000 in scholarship money toward the Nebraska Educational Savings Trust (NEST), a state-sponsored college savings program.

Three winners were chosen from each of Nebraska’s three U.S. Congressional districts; the other three winners, including Bree, were all from outside of Nebraska.

Bree learned about the contest from her language arts teacher, who has her students enter it every year, telling them

Student

that, “they never know, they might actually win!”

Bree’s educational goals and dreams for the future involve special needs children. She has been a volunteer at St. James United Methodist Church in Tampa Palms since she was 8 years old, and has had the opportunity to work closely with special needs children during a program called FriendZone, which was the inspiration for her essay.

She wrote, “Most people look down on those with special needs as if they can’t do anything, or that they were a mistake, but I see them as a gift that is full of potential and love. That’s why I want to be a sign language teacher. If I can help special needs kids express their full potential, then I believe the world could see them the way I do!”

In addition to working with special needs children, Bree also has dreams of becoming a professional dancer. She has been taking dance classes at the Jansen Dance Project in Tampa Palms since she was 4 years old, and plans to potentially attend Howard W. Blake High in Tampa for its performing arts program. She says her ultimate goal is to dance for the New York City Ballet.

“Dance is a way for me to take my emotions or whatever may be bothering me and leave it at the door,” she wrote.

“Once I step in the dance studio, I feel like I can be an all new me.”

As a victim of bullying herself, Bree

Wins

$2,000

Writing

Family of Christ seventh-grader Bree Cleveland won $2,000 in scholarship money with her “Why I Want To Go To College” essay, beating out more than 1,100 other entries.

has been able to take the negative emotions she felt when she was bullied and throw them into her dancing, turning them into something positive. Because of this drive, she has been able to excel in her dance classes.

“College is about growing and perfecting what I love so that one day I can share it with the world,” she wrote in her

$2,000 scholarship-winning essay.

With Bree’s heart and positive spirit, she is sure to have a bright future ahead of her.

For more information about the Why I Want to Go to College scholarship, please visit: treasurer.nebraska. gov/csp/scholarships/essay/college/2016/contest-announcement.

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33

Visiting The Spring Football Practices For Wharton & Freedom Considering Wharton’s passing game Story & photo by John C. Cotey Both high school football teams in New Tampa suffered disappointing seasons last year, but to very different degrees.

Freedom High, coming off its first winning season since 2009, failed to build on a 6-4 record in 2014 and slumped to 3-7 last season.

Meanwhile, Paul R. Wharton High, which was coming off a disappointing 2014, failed to make the playoffs despite posting an 8-2 record in 2015, because both losses were in district play.

After a few months of offseason workouts in the weight room and some 7-on-7 ball, both squads kicked off spring football on April 25, and wrapped it up May 18 with a jamboree at King High on N. 56th St. Wharton played Hillsborough for two quarters, and Freedom played the second half against the host Lions. For results, visit NTNeighborhoodNews.com.

Heading into the summer, both teams will continue to work on some pressing questions.

QB, OR NOT QB?

Wharton and Freedom both entered the spring with gaping holes under center for the first time in years.

This is the first year Wharton head coach David Mitchell entered the spring with no idea who his starting quarterback would be since Chase Litton was in the eighth grade in 2010. The record-setting Litton was a senior in 2013, and senior transfer Adam McAfee took over for a season before another senior, Bryce Martin,

34

will be a bright shade of green, look for the Wildcats to lean on their rushing game, where King ran for 399 yards and five touchdowns last season, running behind senior and 1,000-yard rusher Miles Williams.

King is 5-10 and about 220 pounds, a bottom-heavy load who can both run around and through opponents. Mitchell thinks King can be special. The month of May could provide a big clue to whether or not he’s correct.

WHERE’S THE BEEF? It was a crowded battle to see who would emerge as the No. 1 quarterback at Wharton. threw for 1,319 yards and 10 touchdowns last fall.

But whose turn is it now?

“We don’t know,’’ said Mitchell.

Junior varsity starter Darin Green would be the logical choice, but the sophomore-to-be also is a standout basketball player and will bypass football to focus on his hoops game.

Considering Martin was the only player to throw a varsity pass last season, that leaves a big, big hole in the Wharton lineup. At Wharton’s practices last week, five possible QBs took turns throwing passes.

Freedom narrowed its choices down to two: rangy 6-foot-3 rising junior Amar McCrae, and rising junior Deshard Hughes, who is built like a linebacker, where he will also play.

So for those counting at home, the two New Tampa football teams combined return one player who threw a varsity pass — which

was intercepted — last season, and that was Robert Mungin, a Freedom defensive back.

Yikes.

You won’t find many football coaches heading into spring who won’t tell you that finding capable offensive and defensive linemen is a primary concern, and the New Tampa schools are no exception.

“We need to find out who’s who up

IS SHANNON THE NEW KING?

Wharton grad Vernon Hargreaves (see pg. 36) became the school’s highest-ever NFL draft pick when he went to the hometown Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 11th pick in the first round.

Litton, who tore it up last year at Marshall, could be next. And, former Wildcats WR Auden Tate should start this season for Florida State and has future NFL wideout written all over him.

Who’s next from Wharton?

This spring could give us a glimpse Wharton RB Shannon King could follow in the footsteps of as rising junior RB Shannon King past Wildcats who developed into college standouts. He’ll steps into a primetime role. likely be called on to carry the load for Wharton this fall.

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yards (second on the team) and two TDs. Burnett also will play DB and return kicks. “He’s going to be everything,’’ said Graham, chuckling. “He’s going to be a game changer.’’

IS FLOYD GRAHAM THE ANSWER?

Freedom’s Trent Burnett front,’’ Mitchell says.

Wharton is graduating big boy blockers like Zach Humphreys (6-4, 275), Daniel Martel (6-4, 270) and Andrew Williams (62, 270), but the Wildcats do appear to have some beefy replacements.

At Freedom, the Patriots also suffered significant losses on the offensive line. “We are very, very thin on the offensive and defensive lines,’’ said new coach Floyd Graham. “We need to get some kids well.”

READY FOR A BREAKTHROUGH?

Graham did not hesitate when pointing out his spring MVP: rising senior Trent Burnett, a 5-7, 185-pound jack-of-all-trades.

Burnett will start at running back for the Patriots. He has very good hands and should be a weapon in the passing game.

Last year, Burnett only had 18 carries for 64 yards, but added nine catches for 146

Surprise! Freedom has a new head coach. Graham is now the eighth coach in 14 seasons of Freedom football. He replaces Todd Donohoe, who lasted longer and won more games than any other coach in the school’s history (four seasons, 15 wins).

Graham, ironically, first applied for the Freedom job in 2002, the first year the school was open, but didn’t get it. He went on to start the program at Newsome High (in Lithia) in 2003, and at Steinbrenner High in 2009, having success at both schools and compiling a 21-29 record, including 7-3 his last year with the Warriors.

He is excited about taking over an established program.

“The last time I coached (in Hillsborough County), I didn’t have any seniors,’’ Graham said. “This is a different kind of animal. Something is already there. I just have to polish it.”

Graham has installed a spread offense at Freedom, hoping to take advantage of an athletic squad. He will also line his defense up in a 4-2-5.

The no-nonsense new coach had 40 kids out practicing when we checked out Freedom last week, after starting the spring with 58.“We knew we were going to have to clean house a little bit and we did,’’ Graham said. “But I’m happy with what we got.”

New Freedom coach Floyd Graham started the football programs at Newsome High in Lithia & at Steinbrenner High in Citrus Park, coaching the Warriors to a 7-3 record his last season there.

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35

Notebook: Hargreaves Signs & More Former Paul R. Wharton High football star Vernon Hargreaves III is officially a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, after signing a four-year, $14.2-million contract with the NFL team May 6.

Hargreaves was the 11th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He was rated as one of the top three defensive backs coming out of college.

Before Hargreaves became a professional, he earned All-State and All-America honors at Wharton as one of the top recruits in the country. He is also arguably the best high school football player in New Tampa’s 20-year history.

Other Wildcat graduates that spent time, albeit briefly, in the NFL were linebacker Larry Edwards (signed as an undrafted free agent by the Buffalo Bills in 2007) and linebacker Josh Jones, who played in some preseason games for Jacksonville in 2012.

Hargreaves III attended the University of Florida, where he earned all-Southeastern Conference honors every year.

TWICE AS NICE: Hunter’s Green Country Club will have two teams competing in the state mixed doubles championships this weekend at the Florida Tennis Center in Daytona Beach.

The club will send a 7.0 team, which plays a 3.0-rated player with a 4.0, or two 3.5s together. Team members include John Slatniske, Sharon Patterson, Janene Culumber, Chris Ricketts, Nini Torres, Marisa Martin, Tom Layton, Laura Baker, Phuong

Santiago Romero is the captain of the 9.0 Hunter’s Green Country Club team playing in the state championships this weekend.

Cotey and Julie Sakre.

The 9.0 team, which plays combinations of 4.0/5.0 or 4.5/4.5, is also attending. Captain Santiago Romero heads up a team that includes Paola Hermann, Bill Zeedyk, Jim and Joy Bowles, Marcy Rooks, Rudy Paul, Brent Hatten, Tampa Palms head pro Tom Judson and Hunter’s Green pro Allegra Campos.

The winners in each division advance to the national championships.

LOCAL TITLES: Arbor Greene’s Geri Burke and Beth Hart won the 3.5 women’s doubles championship at the 29th Annual Morning Star School Tennis Classic, and Tampa Palms’ Cherie Smith and Hunter’s Green’s Erik Hajek also captured doubles championships.

Smith and Hajek did not drop a set all weekend. — JCC

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Synchronized Swimmers To Compete Against The Country’s Best

By John C. Cotey

Kids and adults stream in and out of the New Tampa Family YMCA in Tampa Palms, some headed for the basketball and volleyball courts, others to the activity rooms and exercise equipment.

At the pool, kids learn to swim, while other more advanced swimmers churn out lap after lap under the direction of the YMCA swim team coaches.

It’s about what you might expect at any YMCA. But, tucked away beyond that in the far end of the same 50-meter pool, there’s something you might not expect.

Amongst the din of splashing swimmers, one of the New Tampa Y’s more successful programs toils in relative peace, a group of tightly-coiffed, nose-clipped swimmers, young and old, dancing beneath the water and working together in perfect synchronization.

The Tampa YMCA Synchro (TYS) team, based at the New Tampa YMCA since starting in 2004 and one of the few programs in the central part of Florida — but a regular on the state and region competition circuit — is coming of age.

“The key to a successful team is when swimmers get a taste of improvement and get a taste of excellence and the winning,’’ said 26-year-old Camille Albrecht, who started as an assistant

38

Some team members of the New Tampa YMCA Synchronized Swim Team pose underwater for a photo after a recent practice. The team will perform June 4 at 10:30 a.m. to raise money for 14 of its swimmers to attend the Junior Olympics next month in New York.

coach in 2009 and has been head coach of the TYS program since 2013. “A lot of our younger girls saw some of the success the older girls were having, and they want those same things and they’re working harder because they already

know what success looks like.”

Success is measured by competitors like 19-year-old Wesley Chapel resident Saloni Mehrah, who participated at the U.S. Nationals in Mesa, AZ, along with 13-year-old Benito Middle School stu-

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dent Julianna Silva.

Success also is sending swimmers to compete for a spot on the U.S. National Team, which Silva, 12-year-old New Tampa resident Katie Wieckowski and 10-year-old Jennah Hafsi, who are both homeschooled, did in Coral Springs, FL, this spring.

Success also is sending almost half your team — which qualified with top-3 finishes at Regionals — to the Junior Olympics next month, to compete against roughly 1,000 other synchronized swimmers.

Mehra and Meghan Wieckowski will compete in the 18-19 age group, and Abby Eckhardt, Kyra Okin and Zoe Keegan have qualified in the 16-17s.

Silva, Camila Acuna, Maria PinillaBaquero and Ariana Alonso are in the 13-15 age group, while Katie Wieckowski, Jennah Hafsi, Jennifer Lynfatt, Lilly Weber and Teghan Theile are all competing in the 12-under division.

The 14 swimmers heading to the Junior Olympics, held June 24-July 2 at the Nassau County Aquatic Center at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, NY, is the most the program has ever sent, better than the previous best of 10 swimmers last year.

Ice Cream Fund Raiser

In order to travel to the prestigious event, the TYS is hosting a New York-

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themed Ice Cream Social on Saturday, June 4. 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., at the New Tampa YMCA. The swimmers will show off their latest routines and custom-made $150 suits, and even the dads and brothers will get into the act as the “SyncBros” perform a routine.

The show is free to attend and the TYS and the parents will be selling ice cream, root beer floats, pizza, salad and drinks. There also will be baskets filled with prizes, and tickets to enter the drawing are just $2 each or $5 for three.

Albrecht has helped grow her team by holding two summer camps each year, to teach the finer points of her sport to younger kids. Her hope is to

make synchronized swimming, which until the turn of the century was known as “water ballet,” a primary sport.

A former synchronized swimmer herself for the Tampa Bay Synch Rays, Albrecht says she started competing when she was 7.

“My mom wanted me to have a sport, and I loved to dance and I loved swimming,’’ she says. “I had already broken both my arms, so we thought that would be safe.”

Abby Eckhardt, 15, who has been on the New Tampa team for five years, started her athletic career as a gymnast, competing for three years until a neck injury sidelined her. She found her ath-

letic outlet in the pool.

“It fell right into place for her,’’ said her mother, Amy. “It’s the perfect sport.”

“I think its challenging and I like all the friendships you make with all the girls,’’ said Abby. “We’re like a giant family.”

Many swimmers on the team come to the sport after trying swimming, gymnastics, ballet and/or dancing. In fact, synchronized swimming has always been described as a hybrid of those sports.

The daughter of former Tampa Bay Buc offensive tackle Steve Young (not be confused with the former Bucs and San Francisco 49ers quarterback of the same name), Albrecht says her girls are hard workers. While most people’s first question is always, “How do they hold their breath so long?,” Albrecht says the swimmers are as fit and strong a group as you will find.

“People don’t know how much work we do outside the pool,” she said.

“The basic skillset we look for is flexibility, and then it’s strength. We do a lot of cross training, a lot of land work. You have to be strong.”

Albrecht says it takes years to perfect synchronized swimming. Mastering

the solo aspect of the sport is challenging enough, but then to be able to synchronize your routine with others takes years of practice.

To get her swimmers ready, Albrecht has former SynchRay swimmers Amanda Olson and Brittany McCauley on her staff. And Lily Hu, a USF student, joined the staff after moving here from China, where she competed internationally in the sport.

For more information about the synchronized swimming program at the New Tampa Family YMCA (16221 Compton Dr. in Tampa Palms), visit TampaYMCA.org/locations/new-tampa, or call 866-9622.

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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

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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 Aliah, 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 Aliah was made offiblocks and obstacles and twisting paths cial. 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 Aliah.

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

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perience,’’ 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 Aliah.

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 Aliah 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 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

41

Wounded Warriors Project Shows Competitive Side At The YMCA

By Christen Caporali The New Tampa Family YMCA in Tampa Palms is well known for its impact on the community. On April 29, it expanded this impact to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.

The Wounded Warrior Project provides free programs and services focused on the physical, mental, and long-term financial well being of injured veterans, their families and caregivers.

As of April 1, 2016, this 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization has served 87,264 veterans as well as 17,872 family members.

The New Tampa Y hosted 40 warriors from all over the southeastern U.S. — as far away as North Carolina — for the project.

The warriors participated in games like “Capture the Flag,” rock climbing, basketball and baseball, and completed a water fitness & therapy class conducted by a YMCA personal trainer.

The warriors and their families also took classes regarding healthy eating habits and diabetes prevention.

New Tampa YMCA executive director Tony Kimbrough, who also ran the Wounded Warrior Project event, says that the goal is to make this an annual event for the Warriors.

“We are definitely looking to expand this program in the future,” Kimbrough says.

For more information about the Wounded Warrior Project, volunteer information, or to make a donation, please

42

visit WoundedWarriorProject.org. For more information about the New Tampa Family YMCA (16221 Compton Dr.), please visit TampaYMCA.org/locations/ new-tampa.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

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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

44

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 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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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

LADIES NIGHTS Monday & Thursday Only

3

$

MARGARITAS 12oz Lime Only

Not valid with any other coupons or specials.

1

$

TACOS

Tuesday & Wednesday

Monday - Thursday Only

4 SPEEDY LUNCH $5 SPEEDY DINNER

$

Taco, Enchiladas & Choice of Rice or Beans.

Dine in only. Tampa Palms location only.

Not valid with any other coupons or specials.

ALL DAY

Not valid with any other coupons or specials.

Dine in only. Tampa Palms location only.

Valid Tues. & Wed. only.

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.

47 for some great coupon offers.

@NTWCNews

5

$

VIP DISCOUNT CARD Receive $5 OFF w/any check over $25

Not valid with any other coupons or specials.

Dine in only. Tampa Palms location only.

Valid Sunday - Thursday only.

ALSO OPEN IN WESLEY CHAPEL!

5335 Village Market

(BBD @ SR 54)

907-5161

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Zaytoun Mediterranean Grill For Authentic Middle Eastern Cuisine!

Fattoush Salad & Pitas

Lamb Chops

By Gary Nager

NEXT MONTH,

Zaytoun Mediterranean Grill, located near the intersection of Cross Creek Blvd. and Morris Bridge Rd., will celebrate one year in business. It’s been a good year for owner Bilal Saleh and his wife Abida, who created the recipes used at New Tampa’s most authentic Mediterranean restaurant.

Even so, Bilal admits, “Some people still don’t know we’re even here. I know if they do find us, they’ll keep coming back.”

It’s hard to argue with Bilal’s logic, as Zaytoun (which literally means “olive tree” in Arabic) already has a loyal following of people who enjoy authentic dishes of Syria, Lebanon and Greece prepared with the best and freshest ingredients, and with so many people eating healthier these days, “We have so many vegetarian and gluten-free choices here we know you’ll keep coming back.”

In fact, Bilal and Abida, who also runs two other local businesses (Florida Aesthetics and the Neuro Center), agree that although Zaytoun has attracted many of the Muslim people who live in New Tampa (the mosque the Salehs belong to is 1/3 of a mile north of Zaytoun on Morris Bridge Rd.), “most of

46

our customers are not from the Middle East.

They just like good food.”

A Few Of The Favorites...

Of course, I always try to tell you about my favorite dishes at any of the restaurants I review, and I have quite a few at Zaytoun.

My favorite starters are the fattoush salad — which features romaine, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, mint, sumac and extra virgin olive oil, topped with toasted pita chips — and the traditional Greek salad. You can add chicken, shrimp beef or kufta kabobs to any salad for $2.99-$3.99 and the salads themselves are only $4.99-$8.99.

I will say that Zaytoun’s homemade hummus might just be the best I’ve tasted, although I’m not usually the biggest fan.

I’m also not usually the biggest fan of grape leaves, falafel, tabbouleh or baba ghanouj, but many of my Zaytoun-loving friends rave about all of them. There’s also two appetizer platters on the menu, one which combines salad, falafel, grape leaves, hummus, baba ghanouj, muhammara and tabbouleh (for $12.99) and the Zaytoun Sampler Platter ($16.99), which has yogurt salad, tabbouleh, grape leaves, hummus, fried kebbeh, muhammara and baba ghanouj. There’s also two homemade soups on the menu — lentil

soup and freekeh, which is an aromatic soup made with tender chicken, smoked green wheat and spices.

Zaytoun’s grilled entrées are definitely my favorites, especially the perfectly seasoned grilled lamb chops — which are soaked in lemon, garlic and extra virgin olive oil marinade and served with veggies and rice — and the Zaytoun mixed grill, which features grilled kufta (spiced ground beef and lamb) and tender beef and chicken shish kabobs.

I also enjoy the chicken shawarma platter (the kabobs and shawarma are all available as sandwiches, too, rolled in fresh, warm pitas straight from the oven and served with Zaytoun’s special garlic sauce).

And, although I can’t eat the shrimp kabobs on the menu because of my shellfish allergy, Bilal says he has many customers asking for them — and for more seafood.

“We do have a wild-caught salmon special sometimes, when we get salmon we like,” says Bilal. “But, we’re very picky.”

Speaking of picky, Abida promises that although she isn’t at Zaytoun every day, she does go into the kitchen and sample different dishes every time she does come in, “just to make sure the quality is what we and our customers expect,” she says.

In addition to the puffy pitas, Zaytoun’s

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

Fresh-Baked Spinach Pies

hand-crafted brick oven also creates some wonderful entrée pies. My favorite is the spinach pie, although I did also enjoy the sfeeha, or ground beef pie. I’ve yet to sample the feta cheese or zaatar (thyme) pies, but they look and smell wonderful as they go by at Zaytoun, and you can get a single piece of each baked pie in Zaytoun’s Pie Sampler for only $9.99.

Before we get to the decadent desserts, let me not forget to mention that Zaytoun also is known for its fresh mint lemonade — it’s like a mojito without the alcohol, since no alcohol is served at the restaurant.

I also really love Zaytoun’s hot tea and Nespresso-brand espresso drinks, especially the cappuccinos and lattes.

But, I really hope you’ll plan to save room for dessert at Zaytoun. The signature dessert is called knafeh, which is shredded dough which bakes up extra crisp, filled with a thick (and not overly sweet), homemade cream filling, sprinkled with chopped pistachios and drizzled with orange blossom syrup. Whatever you think it sounds like, to me, the knafeh is decadent, like the crispiest hash browns you ever had, but for dessert, stuffed with a cannoli-style cream. Awesome.

Please note that the knafeh takes 25-30 minutes to bake, so the servers all suggest

@NTWCNews

Homemade Hummus

Zaytoun Mixed Grill

Grape Leaves

ordering it when you order your meal, so it will be perfect when you’re ready for it.

I also rave about Zaytoun’s homemade baklava and the sticky, smooth cheese roll with cream also is very tasty.

So, stop in at Zaytoun and try a few of these great menu items. You may just end up letting them cater your next party or event.

Neighborhood News

Knafeh Signature Dessert

For more information about Zaytoun Mediterranean Grill (10970 Cross Creek Blvd., behind Dunkin’ Donuts), call 3452515, visit Zaytoun-Grill.com, or see the ad on page 51 for some great coupon values. Zaytoun is open Mon.-Thur., 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m., 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. on Fri. & Sat. and noon-9 p.m. on Sun.

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

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

Spa Moritz Closes

Anyone looking for a truly upscale, European spa experience in New Tampa is probably looking again, as Spa Moritz (photo, right) — the European-style spa located in the OrthoTechnology building on Commerce Park Dr. in Tampa Palms (across from Freedom High) has closed its door again, apparently for good this time around.

Spa Moritz, which built a loyal following despite changing owners more than once, closed just a few weeks after announcing that physician-directed cosmetic procedures were to be added to the existing massages, facials, hair styling and nail services for which the spa was known. In fact, owners Martin and Patricia Anello hosted a party at the spa for about 50 existing and potential clients to meet with the doctor who was going to provide the expanded services.

At our press time, no further information was known about why Spa Moritz closed so abruptly and the Anellos did not respond to multiple messages after the closing of the spa.

OrthoTechnology also has exited the 20,000-sq.-ft. building and a spokesperson for the leasing company trying to fill both spaces says there has been a lot of interest in the building, although nothing was ready to be announced at our press time.

50

Barewood Furniture Also Set To Close Its Doors

We’re also sad to report that Barewood Furniture — located off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Pebble Creek — was holding a Moving Liquidation Sale for the New Tampa location’s inventory (photo, above center) before owners (and long-time New Tampa residents) Joe and Robin Grace consolidate what’s left here into their still-open store in the Countryside area of Clearwater.

The Graces promised that everything in the store was already 25-50-percent off and that the New Tampa location should be closed by the first week in June. Joe says a Napa Auto Parts store is getting ready to move into the building.

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

The New Tampa Barewood Furniture is located at 8904 Regents Park Dr., just off BBD. Until it closes, the store will be 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 or visit BarewoodOutlet.com.

Sushi Ko Turning Indian

Since bad things always seem to come in threes, those of us who like to enjoy Chinese and Japanese cuisine under one roof now have one less choice, as Sushi Ko Japanese & Chinese Restaurant, located next to WingZone in the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center plaza on BBD, has closed.

A sign posted on the front door at Sushi Ko, giving the restaurant’s existing phone number (978-8586), said that an unnamed Indian restaurant was coming soon to the space, although calls to that number went

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

unanswered before we went to press.

We’ll keep you posted.

WCCC Ribbon-Cutting Recaps...

Chevy of Wesley Chapel (Apr. 26) Congratulations go out to Scott Fink, 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 of more than 300 people, were treated to great food, provided by Peter Gambacorta of The Private Chef of

@NTWCNews

Edward Jones (May 11) Tampa, and some really nice giveaways.

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!

Sweet Party (May 4)

Need some party supplies for your graduation celebration? Look no further than Sweet Party, located in the Trout Creek Commons shopping center just south of County Line Rd., behind the Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube and Christian Brothers Auto on BBD. The new store, owned by Maher & Leslie Alagel and Randy & Donna Haller, opened at the end of April and hosted its Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 4. While the rain that day may have forced the ceremony to move indoors, attendees were still treated to champagne, cake and other refreshments catered by Burger 21, also located in the Trout Creek Shopping Center.

According to Donna Haller, “Sweet Party includes a great selection of party supplies, balloons and candy.”

The store also provides other services,

Neighborhood News

including custom balloon arrangements (including balloon arches, columns, bouquets and more), helium rentals, and balloon deliveries with a minimum order.

For more information, call 9944900, visit SweetPartyTampa.com, or stop in at 20310 Trout Creek Dr. — CC

Fitlife Foods & Thompson Brand Images (May 5)

pher and entertainer for almost 20 years. He used to have an office on Cross Creek Blvd., but his new “office” is in a stunning location and the photo studio also will be used for Kim’s yoga lessons.

For more info about fitlife foods, call 365-3255. For Thompson Brand Images, call 994-2000.

And, just before we went to press with this issue, financial advisor David Graff celebrated the opening of his new Edward Jones office (at 15291 Amberly Dr.) in the Somerset Prof. Park in Tampa Palms with a WCCC ribbon cutting on May 11. Graff offered great food (by A Dash of Salt & Pepper catering), a color guard ceremony and thanks to his family and community.

For info, call 971-3432. — GN

Although they were held at separate locations, the WCCC cut two ribbons on May 5 — the first at fitlife foods, located (somewhat surprisingly) in the same plaza (at 1821 BBD Blvd., #111) as NutriS’mart, followed about an hour later, by the event at Thompson Brand Images, literally at the home (in the refurbished garage) of owners Bob and Kim Thompson (at 1710 Newberger Rd.) in Lutz.

I enjoyed the fitlife foods event, where I purchased a couple of pre-packaged meals with healthy ingredients (the one I liked best was the Hong Kong chicken with brown rice), as well as some healthy (or at least, healthier) snacks, like tasty brownies, chocolate chip cookies and real fruit bars.

I’ve known Bob Thompson as a talented, personable, professional photogra-

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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New Tampa & Wesley Chapel HELP WANTED NOW HIRING Servers wanted. Call 813-907-1688 for more information. 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. Candidates must be flexible & have reliable transportation. Apply in person at any location (visit website), apply online at UtopiaHomeCare.com, or call for immediate interview: 813-634-9680. Bring all supporting documentation, CPR, training certificates, reference contact information. Must pass background check.

HOME CLEANERS NEEDED Earn $252 weekly part time up to $400+ weekly full time. Work your schedule, your area. Car & phone required. Call 813-985-1150.

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 50lbs. Call VIP Pest Control at 813-234-8888 for details.

SPANISH-SPEAKING MEDICAL BILLER wanted for New Tampa med. equip. company. Gathers billing info; checks if complete. Bills insurance carriers. Resolves disputed claims, discrepancies. Data entry skills, Microsoft Office proficiency, time mgmt, organization, professionalism, cust. svc & attn. to detail. Send resume: 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.

ROUTE SALES, MEDICAL Fills customer orders by driving to customer accounts within FL; unloading & shelving product, inventory verification. Increase sales volume by providing cust. service and suggestive selling techniques. Overnight travel 2 nights/month. Send resume to: richard.jones@solarusmedical.com.

MEDICAL RECEPTIONIST with computer experience in intergy (greenway) practice management system.

Knowledge of insurances. Busy phones. M-F 9-6, 35 hours. Also, L.P.N. or M.A. for allergist office. Please fax resume to 813-558-9421 HIRING PERSONAL TRAINER Private Women’s Studio with Boot Camp & Personal Training in Wesley Chapel & Land O’ Lakes owned by Samantha Taylor.

Please no phone calls or walk ins.To apply part time: www.lolfitbodybootcamp.com/hire-pt

52

Classifieds

HELP WANTED 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).

MISCELLANEOUS BRIDGE PLAYERS WANTED. Intermediate level.

Rubber bridge. Not a formal social group; primarily we get together to play bridge. Weekday-only schedule and playing frequency relate to individual availability. Hosted at member homes, no frills. 1-2 tables, about 3 hours. Start at 1:15 pm. Call Harry at (813) 907-2541 or Dolores at (813) 929-3070.

FITNESS & WELL BEING

HERBALIFE is looking for motivated people who would like to improve their overall health, lose weight, tone, and get in shape! If you’re interested in improving your health I’m available to help you reach your goals. Coaching, meal plans, and support provided!

Contact Coach Erika at erikabarr83@gmail.com or 813.956.0765.

HOME IMPROVEMENT DALE’S HOME MAINTENANCE Pressure washing, screen repairs, garage cleaning and organizing, shelving, re-grout tile and caulking, and more. 813-727-2582.

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 813215-1177.

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.

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

COMPUTER/BUSINESS SERVICES

CLEANING 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. Remote assistance available. References available. Call (813) 957-8342 for a free estimate.

B CLEANING SERVICES: Over fourteen 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

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!

D-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE We have our own supplies and more than 300 clients in New Tampa! For more info, Call 758-9710.

ANNA’S HOUSEKEEPING A BBB-Accredited Business Servicing Florida since 1991. $68 introductory special, Mon-Wed. Cleaning, Laundry, You Name It! Make your list, put us to work! We have private housekeeper rates with agency backup coverage! Licensed and all housekeepers are background checked. Call (813) 985-1150.

POOL SERVICES TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE New Tampa owned & operated. Great Pricing with outstanding customer service! LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED. See why we are New Tampa’s 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. Pool refinishing from $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 or visit AllStarPoolServicesofTampaBay.com. See our display ad.

LAWN & LANDSCAPING

_

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.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

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.

PET SERVICES CAT SITTING Tampa Cat Lady Professional CatSitting 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 call 813-994-9449 or submit a service inquiry at TampaCatLady.com.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Special Needs Adults Walk The Red Carpet At St. James’ Annual ‘Prom’ On a Saturday night last month, they got ready like anyone else would for their prom. Tuxedos were buttoned, hair was styled, nails were painted. For some in attendance, it wasn’t their first prom – but it was just as special.

St James United Methodist Church hosted its seventh annual “Red Carpet Affair” under balloons, lights and the sounds of laughter. Nearly 280 special needs adults, ranging from age 16 to 52, attended the Red Carpet Affair with their caregivers for a night of fun, food and dancing. For some, it was also a night of hope.

“Many of us graduate high school and move on to new social structures,” said Carlene Barbeau, who started volunteering with the Red Carpet Affair in 2012 because of the joy it gave her brother Matt. “But, in the special needs community, graduating high school often leads to a lack of a social world.”

Carlene says St. James hosts the Red Carpet Affair to remind our friends that they are special, beautiful in their own unique ways, and can still have a whole lot of fun in life. “Plus, the volunteers have a blast, too,” she says.

Since January, a team of ten volunteers met multiple times to make the plans to make the Red Carpet Affair a night to remember. Their goal: to make their special needs friends feel like the

Posing for prom pictures are (l-r) Eric Thompson, Lindsay Danner, MacKanzie Conour and Tristan Snapp. Chrissy Hoerner (right) walks down the red carpet on prom night.

celebrities they know them to be.

That evening, a “Diva Room” gave women a place to have their hair styled by professional stylists, and makeup done by makeup artists. They were offered shrimp and chocolate-covered strawberries while they were given a manicure. The church’s sanctuary was transformed with light walls, balloon sculptures and floral arrangements. Live Fusion Entertainment blasted some of the most popular songs on the radio and lights spun and flashed.

As the guests arrived, they were

greeted by cheers as each walked into the event on the red carpet. Two professional photographers captured smiles in portraits the guests took home as souvenirs of their evening. But, that was all only part of the magic.

Liz McCafferty, director of communications at St. James, says, “The true beauty of the night was in the spirit of community.”

She explains that a community of 120 volunteers, ages 12 to 91, gathered together to cut carrots, dance, hug and create a community for those who are

sometimes forgotten. “That community is rooted in love,” Liz says. “Love for our differences and love that we all enjoy a great conga line. And a great conga line it was!”

If you would like to be part of next year’s Red Carpet Affair, or are interested in events tailored for those with special needs, please contact Sally DePalma at specialconnections@stjamestampa.org.

—Submitted to the Neighborhood News by St. James UMC

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 11 • May 20, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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