New Tampa Neighborhood News, Volume 26, Issue 11, May 18, 2018

Volume 26 Issue 11 May 18, 2018

Inside:

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NO WAY

OUT!

Residents Of K-Bar Ranch Would Like To See More Roads Built Before Allowing More Homes

BY JOHN C. COTEY

S

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

TOP!

That’s the message from Tampa’s City Council, which is tapping the brakes – something quite familiar to New Tampa residents trying to get around our already congested roads — on allowing any more new homes to be built in K-Bar Ranch, at least until there is a way for the people that buy those homes to leave the community in their automobiles.

Ideally, the city says, connector roads into Pasco County would help reduce some of the transportation issues facing New Tampa.

At the City Council’s May 3 meeting in downtown Tampa, District 7’s Luis Viera led the charge have the Council postpone a decision to allow 698 more homes to be built in K-Bar Ranch, located in the northeast corner of New Tampa between Kinnan St. and Morris Bridge Rd. A final vote is scheduled for Thursday, June 28.

Pasco will have concluded a Wesley Chapel Roadway Connection study by then.

That study, commissioned more than a year ago, is looking at three connections between Tampa and Wesley Chapel — at Kinnan St.-Mansfield Blvd., at K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. and Meadow Pointe Blvd., and at a twoway connection where Wyndfields Blvd. would connect to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. as well as to Morris Bridge Rd. Until they are agreed to, Viera says new homes will just exacerbate a major problem in the area, where residents currently only have one road (Kinnan St.) out of K-Bar Ranch.

Any connections are dependent upon the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County finding a solution to a decade-long standoff with Pasco County, which has been resistant to the idea of connecting Kinnan St. to Mansfield Blvd. Negotiations have been, at times, very

(Above) K-Bar Ranch resident Craig Margelowsky has been fighting against more development in his community until residents have more options to leave.

“We can’t get out,” he says.

(Right) This sign at the corner of Kinnan St. and Brookron Dr. alerts drivers that there is no way out when heading north from that intersection in Cross Creek.

See “K-Bar Delay” on pg. 4.

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The Continuing Saga Of Our Own Wild Bill; Plus, A Kayaking Editor Update An editorial by Gary Nager

Less than four months ago, in our January 26 issue, I told you a little bit about the story of my friend, local karaoke legend Wild Bill Peterseim. The article gave a lot of information about a 70-something man who not only does a pretty good Elvis impersonation while doing pushups during the musical interludes of his (and other people’s) karaoke songs at O’Brien’s Irish Pub in the Wesley Chapel Village Market, but also of his long business career and of him saving a man’s life at the Lexington Oaks clubhouse pool.

Lexington Oaks is the community where Bill lived with Linda, his beloved wife of 46 years, who passed away last year from an extremely rare form of melanoma, and where the couple lived in the aftermath of Bill falling victim to a trusted business associate’s Ponzi scheme. Believe me, the above is the Reader’s Digest version of the story.

Since then, Bill has had the home in Lexington Oaks taken away from him by the bank in the aftermath of the Ponzi scheme (another really long, hard-to-explain story) and it was possible he would have to move to Winter Haven to live with one of his two daughters and her family.

Shortly after my article came out, Derrell Newell, another O’Brien’s karaoke regular who actually is a professional Elvis impersonator, informed Wild Bill that he was planning to perform a benefit concert at O’Brien’s to (at the time) try to keep Bill in his home.

That benefit was held in February and, more than 60 songs later — including about a dozen duets by Bill and Derrell — a total of $700 was raised, all of which was donated to help Wild Bill pay some bills.

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 Marketing/Advertising Representative Tom Damico Advertising Sales & Office Assistant Jannah McDonald Assistant Editor / Photographer John C. Cotey Staff Writer Celeste McLaughlin Correspondents Brad Stager • Andy Warrener WCNT-tv Video Producers/Editors Gavin Olsen • Giuliano Ferrara Graphic Designers Georgia Carmichael • Stephanie Vokes Flischel Office Assistant & Mentor “Wild Bill” Peterseim

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 26, Issue 13, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Monday, June 4, 2018.

New Tampa Neighborhood News will consider previously nonpublished 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.

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This Guy...Is Still Kayaking?

So, if you haven’t watched the recent episode of WCNT-tv, where Susanna Martinez and I tell you how I did in the Sharkbite Challenge & Paddlefest off Honeymoon Island on April 14, I hope you’ll access our Neighborhood News Facebook page and watch it.

Here’s why: Two years ago, when I first entered this four-mile (more on that below) race, I did so in a kayak I borrowed from a friend and it just so happened that the Gulf of Wild Bill Peterseim & Derrell Newell Mexico was extremely angry following a big About $160 of that total came from Bill’s storm that day. It was so bad that the organnew friend, local photographer and DJ Chuck izers rescheduled the Saturday races for Sunday, where the winds were still 25-30 knots and Amstone, who read about the benefit in the the seas were 3-5 feet. I ended up flipping the Neighborhood News and contacted me to get involved in the fund raiser, even though he had kayak and swimming it to shore.

This time around, I went to check out only met Wild Bill once or twice before (Bill Honeymoon Island a few days before the Chaldoes have that effect on people). lenge, and it was like deja vu. Even though I now Chuck brought his photo booth to the benefit and raised his money by asking people for donations for Bill when they took pictures in the booth during the show.

I give major props to both the charismatic Costco employee who prefers to be called “Elvis D” and to Chuck for stepping up big time for a friend.

Around the same time, Wild Bill’s financial picture became a little bit brighter when yours truly hired him as an office assistant.

Even though I knew that Bill was overqualified for the job I hired him to do — organize my shambles of an office and the storage area next to our conference room — I also knew that this vibrant guy who is back to doing pushups on stage after a little bit of a health scare of his own would sink his teeth into it and do a spectacular job. And, he has exceeded my expectations. My only regret is not taking before-andafter pictures because no one who has spent any time at our “palatial” office would believe how organized the place is now.

So, the saga of Wild Bill continues. Come meet Bill, Derrell my fiancé Jannah and all of the other karaoke regulars at O’Brien’s on almost any Wednesday night. Gary Carmichael of Heart & Soul Karaoke is back and he has the greatest song list in creation, so whether you end up singing or not, I know you’ll feel like another member of our karaoke family.

If you’re looking to hire a Vegas-quality Elvis impersonator for your next event, Wild Bill and I both urge you to contact Derrell at (617) 909-0168. And, for all of your DJ/photography needs, call or text Chuck at (727) 215-4487.

have my own 18-footlong surfski single kayak (I call it the “Neighborhood News/WCNT-tv Banana Boat”), the winds were whipping up to about 25 knots and I just couldn’t stay in the boat.

Oh...and I recorded it all on a GoPro-style camera and showed a smidgen of it during the WCNT video. Pretty funny stuff.

Undaunted, I still returned to Honeymoon on the 14th and, with only 10-15 mph winds and much calmer seas, I finished the 3.5mile (they did shorten the course because of the wind) Open Division race 61st of 92 finishers, in 58:14. It may not be the feel-good story of the year, but it did make me feel pretty good about myself, despite the fact that others in my age group beat me by more than 20 minutes.

Table of Contents

Local News Updates.....................3-18

Dueling Petitions Fueling Connection Debate........5 New Tampa Council Debates Issues..................6-7 Main Event Entertainment Coming To S.R. 56?.........8 Porter Lays Out Promising Wiregrass Future......10-11 Wharton Hires Familiar Face For Principal.............12 Rotary Clubs Beautify Fire Stn. 20 For Earth Day.....14 New Tampa’s ‘Small, But Mighty’ Rotary Club.......15 New Tampa Community Calendar...............................18

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

Visiting Angels Bring Care To Your Home.............22 SPOTLIGHT ON: Cypress Pointe Church.........23 Marimark Mortgage Can Handle Your Financing! ...24 Excel Music Can Turn Your Family Into A Band.....26 SPOTLIGHT ON: Berkshire Hathaway................27 Sylvan Learning Center Of Wesley Chapel............28 SPOTLIGHT ON: Creative Permanent Makeup......29

Local School Updates...............32-36 Congrats To Freedom’s Top Students.....................32-33

Locals Pick Up End-Of-Year Awards & More........36

Neighborhood Magazine

Michael Phelps Helps Open The Lagoon........39 Chuy’s Opens To Crowds Of Adoring Fans...........42 Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes.........46 New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Classifieds..........48 @NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 11 • May 18, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

3

‘K-Bar Delay’

Continued from Page 1 contentious. “The way I see this is, we have a constant crisis in the New Tampa area and it’s not just the things we’ve heard today (about traffic),” Viera said at the May 3 meeting.

“This is really a crisis of governments not really working together.”

Viera was the only council member who opposed the plan to build more homes in KBar Ranch when the first reading of the plan was held in April. But, between then and May 3, he gained an ally in District 2 councilman Charlie Miranda.

“Although I supported this the first reading, I was hoping between the first and second reading Pasco would come out of its coma,” Miranda said. “Evidently, it has not.”

Miranda lamented the speed of development in the current economic environment, without the sufficient infrastructure to support it. Those two things, he said, need to go hand in hand.

“It’s a problem for the whole area, the whole city, they whole county, the whole state, the whole country,” Miranda said.

“When you do not invest in infrastructure, something is going to give….we can’t continue to have prosperity with no parking or transportation.”

The decision to delay any further development in K-Bar Ranch was greeted with a clap of the hands by Craig Margelowsky (photo on pg. 1), the president of Heron Preserve in K-Bar Ranch.

“Nobody wants it,” he says of more development. “Not without the roads.”

K-Bar Ranch already has 700 homes built, with another 500 already approved and coming. If M/I Homes, the developer, is successful in gaining approval for another 700, more than 2,000 homes will complete K-Bar and add thousands of cars to New Tampa’s already congested roads.

A member of the New Tampa Council, Margelowsky has long been a proponent of making the connection between Kinnan St. and Mansfield Blvd., as well as pushing for speedier construction of K-Bar Ranch Pkwy., which will run from Kinnan St. east to Morris Bridge Rd. Because morning traffic only has one road (Kinnan) out of K-Bar Ranch, it backs up to the point of taking residents 10-15 minutes just to get out of their neighborhoods.

An accident last month near Pride Elementary blocked traffic for 45 minutes. And last summer, Margelowsky said there were

traffic jams during Hurricane Irma evacuations.

“There’s a choke point there,” he says.

“There was nothing anyone could do.”

Margelowsky says he warned the city and developers last year that the roads in and around K-Bar Ranch cannot support any new homes.

He told the Tampa City Council, “We can’t get out” and asked that before issuing any more certificates of occupancy (COs), that K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. should first Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera listens to M/I Homes attorney Donna Feldman during the May 3 meeting. Approval of new homes in K-Bar Ranch have to be completed was postpone until June 28. out to Kinnan St. But, COs were issued in March of 2017, but the parkway wasn’t But, What About...

Feldman pointed out that the two councompleted to Kinnan until two months ago. ties were able to work together on a Sunlake “We have 1,200 homes, and we still don’t have Blvd. extension from Land O’Lakes in Pasco two exits out,” Margelowsky says. “We have County into Hillsborough a few years ago, but Kinnan. What are we supposed to do?” can’t solve their current quandary.

Connecting Kinnan St. and Mansfield “That was done cooperatively,” FeldBlvd. has been argued as one solution, but man said. “Okay, Pasco, so what’s wrong with the City of Tampa is now demanding that all these? That’s the question.” three connections be made.

Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken If not, no more homes in K-Bar Ranch.

Hagan, who says he has worked on connecting “We need to connect them all,” said Kinnan-Mansfield for a decade, said that years Melanie Calloway, the senior transportation ago, Pasco County commissioners agreed to planning engineer for Tampa. She said the make the Kinnan-Manfield connection. city is stipulating that if Meadow Pointe Blvd.

He said at the time, he had stats showing is connected to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy — as they that large numbers of Pasco County residents believe Pasco desires, — “then Kinnan gets were flocking to New Tampa to use the recdone at the same time.” reation center, library and parks.

If Pasco does not agree, then the WyndHowever, as Pasco County Dist. 2 fields Blvd. extension connections to K-Bar commissioner Mike Moore (see story, right) Ranch Pkwy. and Morris Bridge Rd. — conhas noted, the tide has turned. Because of nections that Pasco officials want to see built the massive growth along the northern end — will not be considered. of Mansfield Blvd., in Wiregrass Ranch and “We hope that it gets done,” Calloway along S.R. 56, he doesn’t think Meadow said. “We can’t make another municipalPointe’s residents desire or need the conity connect to our roadways. But, we try nection to be made anymore. our best to let them know we are open. All And despite the City of Tampa’s connections. Not just pick and choose. It is claims, he says it is Tampa that has declined important for traffic distribution.” to work with Pasco in the past, perhaps No one on the Tampa side seems overly missing its chance. optimistic that all of the connections can be Even at a time when metropolitan planagreed to, but all fingers at the May 3 meeting ning organizations and transportation boards pointed to Pasco County for being at fault. in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties Attorney Donna Feldman, who is seem to be urging regional cooperation and representing M/I Homes, the developer, said connectivity, the gap between Kinnan St. and the City of Tampa has gone out of its way to Mansfield Blvd. continues to be more of a cavget the connections made, but Pasco “is really ernous valley than the 30-foot patch of grass, dirt and trash that remains there. standing in the way.”

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Public To Be Briefed On Road Study May 29

The results of the long-awaited Wesley Chapel Roadway Connections study, commissioned by Pasco County more than a year ago, was expected to be published online on May 15, after we went to press with this issue, at PascoCountyFL.net/1529/Wesley-ChapelRoadway-Connection-Study. A full presentation of the findings will be held on Tuesday, May 29 at the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch of Pasco-Hernando State College.

That will be the first step towards finding a solution for the long-simmering debate about whether or not to connect Kinnan St. in KBar Ranch to Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe.

The study also looked at connecting Meadow Pointe Blvd. and Wyndfields Blvd. with K-Bar Ranch Pkwy.

“I’m just happy to get to the point of near-completion,” said Pasco County District 2 commissioner Mike Moore (photo), who represents Meadow Pointe.

“Obviously this is a concern for Tampa and Hillsborough residents, as well as Meadow Pointe residents,” Moore says.

We’re waiting for the results just like everybody else.”

The study looked at how much traffic is expected on the aforementioned roads if any connections are made, as well as any improvements that would need to be made to the roads as a result.

Moore warned that the study is only showing its results, and they should not be confused with a recommendation.

According to the schedule on the county’s website, a public comment period, with some online polling, will be held through the middle of June, followed by presentation of the study to Pasco County’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)’s Board.

A final study report is scheduled for sometime in June and July, followed by a citizen survey.

Although any connection will have an impact on New Tampa, this is a Pasco County study and only their residents will have any say in the final decision.

In September, the MPO will make its recommendations to make to the Pasco Board of County Commissioners, who will have the final word.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 11 • May 18, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Dueling Petitions Getting More Residents Involved In Kinnan-Mansfield Debate

By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com Meadow Pointe II resident Chris Dillinger has been anxiously awaiting the results of a Wesley Chapel Roadway Connections study, which is expected to issue a recommendation for one (or more) of three connection points between Pasco and Hillsborough County on the county line separating them.

The one connection Dillinger fears the most is the one everyone is talking about — from Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe to Kinnan St. in New Tampa’s K-Bar Ranch Dillinger thinks he has a good basis for that fear, and he wants to know who else agrees with him. To that end, he has started an online petition at Change.org in an effort, however unscientific as online polls can be, to find out.

“I really wanted to wait for the Roadways Connections study to come out (it is scheduled to be published online May 15), so I could include their data, but they say that’s not coming now until May,” he says. “Basically, we’re running out of time.”

As of May 11, 361 people had signed it, many sharing the same concerns that have been debated for the past few years — dangers of increased traffic in school zones, the frustration of more cars on already clogged Meadow Pointe roads and fears that Mansfield’s two lanes are just not equipped to handle more than it already does.

For Dillinger, a 39-year-old high school counselor at Sunlake High in Land O’Lakes, it’s also a personal matter. He has two young children who spend their days on Mansfield Blvd. — one attends daycare, the other attends

Neighborhood News

Wiregrass Elementary.

He would rather see a connection made three miles east of Mansfield at Meadow Pointe Dr., a road that doesn’t have any schools on it. Mansfield Blvd. runs by Dr. John Long Middle School, Wiregrass Elementary and Wiregrass Ranch High.

However, there is currently no road in K-Bar Ranch to even connect to Meadow Pointe Blvd.

Meadow Pointe II resident Chris Dillinger is trying to stop a connection at “I just want to Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe & Kinnan St. from ever being made. raise awareness of this comic relief, there is actually a third online issue,” he says. petition concerning Kinnan-Mansfield, which On the other side of traffic barriers that has 28 signatures of people who oppose those stand between the connection is another Change.org petition, one which is in favor of who oppose the connection. (“There is a the connection. group petitioning to stop the road from being That petition, started by New Tampa completed between Kinnan and Mansfield,” realtor Gary Vermani two months ago, had the petition says. “They are stupid. Stupidity 500 signatures after the first few days, and now should be stopped, not roads.”) is closing in on 800.

But, it’s no joke to Dillinger, who says Like Dillinger, Vermani has his reasons the proposed expansion of K-Bar Ranch, for wanting the connection made — to create which sits along the Pasco-Hillsborough another pathway for emergency service vehiborder right off Kinnan St., should be enough cles or in case of evacuations, to provide easier of a reason for all Meadow Pointe residents to access to local businesses and to help reduce oppose any connection. commute times as well as traffic on both Cross The Tampa City Council held a secCreek Blvd. and Bruce B. Downs Blvd. ond hearing May 3 on a proposal to build (Not to be outdone, and maybe for 700 more homes in K-Bar Ranch, and de-

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cided to postpone any decision until June 28 (see page 1) in the hopes that Pasco County can be persuaded to make three connections — one at Meadow Pointe Blvd. and K-Bar Branch Pkwy., one at Wyndfields Blvd. and K-Bar Ranch Pkwy., and a third one at Kinnan-Mansfield.

Dillinger has no problem with the first two connections, which he says would be made into less populated areas along the county line.

However, with three schools, a popular mall on S.R. 56, and plans for things like the Raymond James Financial Complex, a movie theater, sports complex, green grocer and other businesses and restaurants, Dillinger sees a Kinnan-Mansfield connection as disastrous.

“That’s a lot of cars driving through our neighborhood,” he says. “It has to stop.”

While online petitions are unlikely to sway any politician’s opinions — they will likely rely more on public meetings and more official government-run surveys to gauge the public mood — Dillinger has had success with them in the past.

Earlier this year, his online petition to stop the county from considering allowing a 7-Eleven to be built on Mansfield Blvd. and County Line Rd. — right in front of his son’s daycare — attracted more than 1,100 signatures. He also got the support of Pasco County District 2 Commissioner Mike Moore.

The county’s Development Review Committee elected to postpone a decision until a later, and as yet, unscheduled date.

He says he is hoping for similar success this time around.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 11 • May 18, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

5

New Tampa Weighs In On Traffic, Parks & More At New Tampa Council Meeting

By JOHN COTEY celeste@ntneighborhoodnews.com To District 7 Tampa City councilman Luis Viera, there is nothing like the sight of a filled room for one of his town halls and New Tampa Council meetings.

This time, on May 2, it was the Jeri Zelinski Community Room at the New Tampa Regional Library, which was filled with local residents with questions about water, fire and emergency service, traffic and future developments.

But mostly, traffic.

Hillsborough’s countywide District 5 Commissioner Ken Hagan — who is running for the District 2 seat that represents the portions of New Tampa not within the City of Tampa limits — was the guest at the May 2 New Tampa Council meeting. Viera actually had to recuse himself and leave the room halfway through the meeting when the discussion turned to an issue — the connection of Kinnan St. to Mansfield Blvd. (see stories on pages 1 & 4-5) about which he had a hearing the next day.

What did you miss?

Here’s some of the more interesting tidbits from the hour-long meeting:

Parks, Parks & More Parks

Comm. Hagan was asked about building a cricket field in the area, which turned into a conversation about the progress of a park on 50-plus acres of land in K-Bar Ranch.

Hagan said the park will be paid for by the county — which has already

set aside $5 million for the project, he added — but will be maintained and run by the City of Tampa in a rare city-county collaboration.

He says the park has the blessing of Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, and the two parties are working on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), a non-binding agreement that lays out the terms, details and each party’s responsibilities as they pertain to the park.

As for the what amenities the park Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan (left) addressed roughly 75 local residents on May 2 at a New Tampa would offer, Hagan Council meeting at the New Tampa Regional Library on Cross Creek Blvd. is unsure. He said, however, that sports November in the New Tampa NeighborCenter, he said that planned jewel will be fields will not be one of them. At one hood News. opening in 2020. point, an athletic complex was envisioned, Hagan said he is hoping for a creative “It will be a centerpiece for the combut according to the commissioner, “the project. He also said that he expects there munity,’’ Hagan said. city felt that was too intense.” will be some commercial development on The Zombie Road Returns?

Another park, this one a public-prithe corner of Cross Creek Blvd. and MorPlans to build a 3-mile East-West Road vate venture, is planned for the Branchton ris Bridge Rd., with the developer funding (E-W Rd.) connecting New Tampa Blvd.

Park area, south and west of the interseca lot of the potential amenities, like a and I-275 died in 2008, but it never fails tion of Cross Creek Blvd. and Morris splash pad, dog park or zip line. to draw some conversation at Viera’s New Bridge Rd. Hagan also said that he is excited Tampa Council and town hall meetings.

The county bought 10 acres of land about the The Village at Hunter’s Lake That’s probably because some lofor $1.17 million to complete its holdproject across the street from Hunter’s cal residents remain convinced it would ings in the Branchton Park area and open Green, saying it will break ground in actually help solve some of New Tampa’s the way for development, as reported last October. As for the New Tampa Cultural

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 11 • May 18, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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current traffic woes. As originally proposed, the E-W Rd. would direct traffic through West Meadows and connect from where the Gateway Bridge ends at Commerce Park Blvd. in Tampa Palms to a new interchange on I-275. The roadway was expected to help decrease the delays at the I-75/S.R. 56, I-75/BBD, and I-275/ Bearss Ave. interchanges.

As Hagan recalled, most of New Tampa was in favor of the road, but residents of West Meadows and Tampa Palms Areas 4 & 8, where the road was proposed to go through, banded together as a formidable opposition group.

There were other problems with the proposed road as well, from environmental concerns to whether or not to make it a toll road.

“I would still support taking a look at it and making another run at it,” said Hagan, whose parents lived in West Meadows at the time, but still supported the E-W Rd. “I can certainly see how that would relieve a significant amount of congestion.”

At the other end of the same road, Hagan also was asked if there are any plans to extend Cross Creek Blvd. to U.S. 301, but he said there are not.

“When you look at our unfunded list of projects, priority-wise that would be pretty far down the list,” he said.

The same goes for widening Morris Bridge Rd., north of Cross Creek Blvd.

Although it is a constrained road and currently prohibited from being widened due to environmental concerns, with the extension of S.R. 56 and the continued development in K-Bar Ranch in that area, the two-lane, well-worn Morris Bridge Rd. has “future problem” written all over it.

Neighborhood News

Surprisingly, no one complained about the intersection of Cross Creek Blvd. and BBD, which continues to be a major nuisance for commuters in peak hours, although the City of Tampa is currently studying it.

A BBD Pedestrian Bridge?

The idea of a pedestrian bridge, or a foot bridge, crossing over BBD from Live Oak Preserve (or even the Pebble Creek area) was presented again by Sigrun Ragnarsdottir and, is it just us, or does it make more and more sense every time it is brought up?

Think of it — a bridge for students to be able to walk, ride a bike or otherwise cross over an extremely congested road to get safely to Wharton High. It would be safer than relying on traffic lights — and the common sense of drivers probably holding their cell phones in one hand — to cross BBD, and surely more parents would let their kids walk or bike to school, reducing the number of cars piling up on BBD for drop-off and pick up.

Yes, a pedestrian bridge recently collapsed in Miami, and the cost of construction probably kills any chance of making this happen. But, when you look at the other high schools in Hillsborough County, there are aren’t any others – even Chamberlain (Busch Blvd.), Plant (Dale Mabry), Sickles (Gunn Highway) — where the majority of its local students have to cross a busier and more dangerous road than BBD to get to and from school.

police substation in the area, according to a few local residents.

Viera said that, at the moment, however, a police substation is a “want... whether or not it’s a need is a point of distinction.” He added, however, that the idea of a police substation is on his radar.

“It’s something that, as we see more growth in this area , we are going to want to take a look at because right now, we’ve pretty much got police hanging out at 7-11, and that’s not the most amenable plan,” he said.

Hagan said a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) substation is being put at a new park in Carrollwood he is championing, and then it hit him — maybe it’s something that could be done at the proposed K-Bar Ranch park. “I hadn’t thought of that before,’’ he said.

The Elephant In The Room

You kind of got the feeling from the start that people were just killing time waiting for someone to bring up the whole Kinnan-Mansfield thing, and of course, it came up.

Short recap: Nothing has changed.

Hagan wants it connected, and said it was a travesty that the issue has dragged on this long. It appeared everyone in the room pretty much agreed.

Someone in attendance joked about sneaking in there and connecting them overnight, another said they could just borrow the equipment being used to widen BBD, and another suggested a boycott of Wiregrass Ranch businesses.

Judging by our stories on pages 1 and 4, however, it is a situation that hopefully is entering its endgame this summer.

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7

Huge Entertainment Center Could Be Next For New Tampa/Wesley Chapel

Main Event Entertainment recently met with Pasco County about bringing a fun center to S.R. 56.

By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com Those who think Wesley Chapel has too many shops and restaurants and not enough things to do, here’s some good news: Main Event, which according to its website, boasts state-of-the-art bowling, multi-level laser tag, gravity ropes adventure courses, billiards, video games and other entertainment, is considering opening a location in the Cypress Creek Town Center.

According to plans proposed at a preapplication meeting with county planning officials, Main Event Entertainment is inquiring about putting a 50,000-sq.-ft. fun center on the land between I-75 and the Tampa Premium Outlets, tucked behind three existing parcels that border the south side of S.R. 56 The Main Event center would also include 332 parking spaces.

Representatives from planning and design consultants Kimley-Horn met with Pasco County April 24.

Main Event, founded in Plano, TX, currently has 39 centers in the U.S., varying in size from 45,000-75,000 square feet, and its “Eat. Bowl. Play.” model combines dining options with sports and gaming entertainment geared towards families and adults. It competes in the same entertainment market as the popular Dave & Buster’s (which has plans to reach 200 locations in the U.S. and Canada), Top Golf and even Florida Hospital Center Ice, which opened last year in Wesley

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Chapel and offers food and drink to go with dozens of various hockey and ice sports leagues and lessons.

Dave & Buster’s and Top Golf are located in Brandon. Dave & Busters opened in 2017, and Top Golf opened in 2014.

Main Event Entertainment, which serves more than 20-million guests annually, according to the company, also will offer full-service catering with private rooms that will appeal to large group events.

A Wesley Chapel Main Event would be the third location in Florida, joining centers in Orlando (on International Dr.) and Jacksonville. It is expected to bring roughly 150 full- and part-time jobs to the area.

A subsidiary of Ardent Leisure, Main Event Entertainment is the fastest growing bowling-anchored entertainment business in the U.S., according to the Ardent Leisure website.

For more info, visit MainEvent.com.

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JD Porter

Wesley Chapel’s Favorite Developer Captivates Another Huge Crowd At The April 26 North Tampa Bay Chamber Economic Development Briefing At Hunter’s Green Country Club

E (Above) JD Porter of Locust Branch, LLC, who is developing his family’s Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel (see map, below), was the featured speaker at the Apr. 26 Economic Development Briefing for the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce.

By JOHN C. COTEY

CONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

briefings, which are hosted by the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) monthly and designed to introduce local business leaders to incoming developers, new business owners or regional leaders, range from being buzzworthy affairs to merely informational.

Unless JD Porter is speaking.

Then, the Chamber briefings become more like a local version of an Apple Event where, in this case, a standing room-only crowd at Hunter’s Green Country Club gathered to hear what great coming attraction — New restaurant? New corporation? New housing development? — the Wiregrass Ranch developer would be announcing.

Porter didn’t deliver anything major, however, like an Apple “one last thing” flourish.

There was, however, notable news he shared on April 26 about the coming developments in the 5,100-acre Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI), which is being developed by the Porter family’s Locust Branch, LLC, and extends from S.R. 56 north to S.R. 54, and west to east from Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. to Meadow Pointe Blvd.

The best news — things are good in Wiregrass Ranch. Really good. According to Porter, developers are lined up trying to get in, and home prices are rising. The average sales price of a home located in the Wiregrass Ranch DRI is a staggering $485,000, which he says is 2.3 times the average home price in Pasco County.

According to Metrostudy, which specializes in housing and construction data, Wiregrass Ranch is the No. 1 community in the Tampa Bay area for home closings in the first quarter of 2018, and is No. 3 for starts.

And much more is on the way... *JOBS: Porter was proud to proclaim that Wiregrass Ranch has created 2,500 new jobs over the last two years.

“We have created more jobs than homes,” Porter said. “I know there’s not another community in Pasco, and you would be hard pressed to find one

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in Hillsborough, that can say that.”

And, he added, those job numbers don’t even include the 5,000 or so that Raymond James Financial is said to be bringing to the area when it finally opens, or current construction jobs. Porter’s job news earned him the loudest ovation of his presentation. *RAYMOND JAMES: Speaking of Raymond James, which was announced in 2011 and has become a long, painstaking effort for Porter, ground will be broken sometime this year. Porter couldn’t say exactly when dirt will begin moving on the 65acre property at S.R. 56 and Mansfield Blvd., but the huge Raymond James campus is finally close to taking off.

That area east of the Shops at Wiregrass also already includes the new Altis at Wiregrass Ranch apartments, which are already leasing and will be built out by the end of the year, a Morningstar Storage facility (finishing this fall) and a Fairfield Inn hotel, set to open later this summer. A daycare center is currently in permitting.

Also coming and already under contract is a major new restaurant, which Porter did not name, although he did admit that it was likely a major chain that he said would be breaking ground this summer.

“We’re expecting to close on that here real quick,’’ he said.

Also in the Wiregrass Ranch DRI and expected to finally break ground this summer is the long-awaited indoor sports facility and park, and a Marriott hotel on the same property, which was donated by the Porter family. The project is a public-private partnership venture between developers and the county, which Porter says Pasco County will see more of down the road “because they work.”

BIGGER THAN RAY-JAY?: If you think Raymond James is big, Porter says Wiregrass Ranch is “in the running” for something even bigger.

Declining to name names, Porter said Wiregrass Ranch is on the shortlist of places two Fortune 200 companies are considering as a new location.

One would occupy a 600,000-sq.-ft. space; the other would occupy more than 1.2-million sq. ft. of space.

Both businesses, he added, are higher on the Fortune 500 list than Raymond James. Porter says he is hopeful.

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“It would be nice to have another big one like that,’’ he says, adding that he also is hoping find the right balance between big and small, and is encouraging smaller, localized businesses to make their homes in Wiregrass Ranch.

While grabbing some of the bigger corporations to put on large campuses, he also plans to build office space vertically, in buildings 4-7 stories high, in the hopes of creating Pasco County’s only skyline.

Porter said Class A office space — which generally is located in good and easy-to-access buildings that are professionally managed with high-end tenants — is in the works, as well as a 150,000-sq.-ft. medical office, which would be three times the size of the Farina Orthodontic Specialists “cube” building on BBD in Wiregrass, just south of FHWC. *TOWN CENTER?: One of the most exciting subjects discussed by Porter was the potential for a town center area in Wiregrass Ranch, which he foresees as being something of Wesley Chapel’s downtown and muchneeded in the area.

It will be located on Meadow Pointe Blvd. — which is being expanded all the way to S.R. 54 ahead of schedule — and about a 10-minute walk from the Shops at Wiregrass, which is the primary gathering place in Wesley Chapel right now.

“I think the town center will become that place,” he says.

He foresees a lot more retail in the area, as well as homes and apartments. However, in order for local businesses to succeed, he said that there must be people in the area, and that the plan the past two years with all the home development has been to build that density. *MORE MULTI-FAMILY: Porter also said that he has 18-20 letters of intent sitting on his desk from multi-family developers who want to come in and build Class A apartments or condominiums/townhomes, but he is proceeding slowly and cautiously. with them.

“We are definitely in the right area at the right time,” Porter said. “I want to make sure that the businesses that are here will stay here and live here, when they see what (the potential downtown area) is all about.”

When Porter was asked by local Realtor (and NTBC Board member) Karen TillmanGosselin (who introduced Porter on behalf of the Chamber at the event) about creating a town center like the one in the Westchase area, which is responsible for nearby homes getting multiple contract offers on them, Porter pointed out that Westchase’s town center is on only about 16 acres of land.

The Wiregrass Ranch town center is envisioned to be built on 120 acres.

“I think we’ll start seeing come growth,

More than 100 people packed the room at Hunter’s Green Country Club to hear Porter’s latest update about the continuing development of his family’s 5,100-acre cattle ranch. some development, in the next 24 months,” Porter said. “If we get some ground broken and land a couple of users, it will accelerate that quickly and things will happen real fast.” *IT’S ALL ABOUT CONNECTIVITY: Porter said that unlike the surrounding areas, Wiregrass Ranch will have the kind of transportation network of which residents can be proud.

S.R. 56 west of Bruce B. Downs Blvd. is already four lanes in each direction, and the expansion east to U.S. Hwy. 301 in Zephyrhills will be a game-changer, Porter said, making the area even more attractive to home builders and businesses.

He noted that the development of Wiregrass Ranch has always carefully considered the roads, and built them for the future, not the present. “If you don’t,” he says, “you’ll never catch up.”

Porter also said that there are 3-4 miles of rapid bus transit or light rail planned in Wiregrass, although he thinks rapid bus transit will happen first and that light rail “may never happen here.”

And, because a new Park & Ride bus station near Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel has been successful since opening, the potential is there to build a vertical parking garage to accommodate more bus riders.

“We are definitely setting things up the right way from the start,” he said. “What we’re doing right now is how everybody should have been doing it.”

During his question & answer session following his briefing, Porter said that he is

not in favor of the BBD bypass, which would connect BBD to Meadow Pointe Blvd. a halfmile or more south of where businesses like Sun Trust Bank and Sonny’s BBQ are located, because it will hurt those existing businesses on BBD located north of the bypass. He called it a “waste of money” and “one of the dumbest ideas” he has heard.

He did not weigh in on the muchdiscussed Kinnan-Mansfield connection in Meadow Pointe (see story on page 10), but said he was in favor of connectivity in general.

“I think the more connected we are, the better for everyone.”

*SOMETHING FOR EVERY-

ONE?: Porter also said a 55-plus adult community planned near Estancia will have 850-900 units, as Wiregrass Ranch becomes a player in the quickly growing adult community market.

“We have a younger demographic, people making more money and they want their parents to be close by,” Porter said. “So, we’re going to fill that gap, we’re going to knock it out of the park. I think its going to benefit everybody.”

Although people get the most excited about big box stores and brand name chain restaurants, Porter said he hopes Wiregrass Ranch finds a balance with local businesses and mom-and-pop restaurants.

When it comes to more and better schools, Porter seemed to throw up his hands at the way Pasco County has gone about funding new school construction.

“I think you’ll see a lot more charter schools, I think you will see good charter schools,” Porter says. “You’ll see some private schools opening up, too.”

Two charter schools are scheduled to open in Wesley Chapel over the next two years, including Union Park Charter Academy in August.

And, at the end of the day, Porter hopes Wiregrass Ranch becomes the model for future developers. From making sure the roads were in place to handle future traffic, to bringing in big and communitybased businesses first such as the Shops at Wiregrass and Florida Hospital, as well as Pasco-Hernando State College, to carefully easing into the housing developments, he thinks Wiregrass Ranch has been done right.

Judging by the response of his latest presentation in front of local business leaders, many agree.

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11

Wharton Turns To A Familiar Face By Hiring New Principal Mike Rowan

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

A change in leadership at New Tampa’s Wharton High is bringing in a familiar face back to the school.

Mike Rowan (photo), who currently is the principal at King High on N. 56th St., will take over as principal at Wharton on July 1.

While he’ll have some headaches to deal with , as he tries to repair Wharton’s reputation in the community, one thing will be much easier for him — the commute.

Rowan lives in Pebble Creek, just across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from the school.

His daughter, Delaney, graduates from Wharton this spring.

Not only is Rowan a community member

and parent, he also is a former teacher and administrator at Wharton. He was a social studies teacher and soccer coach when the school opened in 1997.

Then, in 2006, he was named assistant principal for administration (APA) at Wharton.

He served in that capacity for five years before being named the principal at King.

“I’m excited,” says Rowan, who acknowledges he will be facing some challenges at the school, including a negative perception about Wharton. However, he says, “there are a lot of community members — parents, kids and faculty — who want to get rid of that perception. The biggest asset that Wharton has going for it is that all of the people involved – parents, kids, teachers and the com-

TURNING 65?

munity — want (the school) to be successful.”

He says he is looking forward to using his experiences as a Wharton parent, community member, teacher and administrator to make sure, “we are all on the same page, going in the same direction.”

Rowan replaces current Wharton principal Brad Woods, who has been in that role since 2008. Woods announced his resignation to school families on April 12, effective at the end of the current school year. He will move to a position in the human resources department at Hillsborough County Public Schools, as the manager of services and support.

The appointments were made official at the Hillsborough Public Schools School Board meeting on May 1.

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North Tampa Bay Chamber First To Get Behind Effort To Keep Rays

By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com For years, Major League Baseball (MLB)’s Tampa Bay Rays have drawn sparse crowds.

Many in the Bay area have questioned the local support for the team and the Rays as an organization have apparently concluded that the team can not survive in its current St. Petersburg home at Tropicana Field.

The non-profit group Tampa Bay Rays 2020 (TBR2020), however, is working quickly to show the Rays that things will be different if the team moves to Tampa, by organizing community and business support for the Rays’ possible future move to Ybor City.

TBR2020 has enlisted the help of the North Tampa Bay (formerly Wesley Chapel) Chamber (NTBC; see pg. 46), which was the first Chamber of Commerce to pledge its support.

“It was very strategic on their part,” says NTBC CEO Hope Allen. “They sought us out, they came to us, they knew we were a vital key to the whole corridor. A chamber like ours that represents Pasco County can help them.”

Having the NTBC sign on was just the beginning for TBR2020.

“Just in the last couple of weeks here, we’ve had four chambers sign on formally to support this initiative,” said Mike Griffin, senior managing director at Savills Studley Occupier Services and the immediate past chair of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. “The exciting thing about that was the first one that got behind us was the North Tampa/Wesley Chapel group. The excitement we’re seeing outside of downtown and outside of the city is really, really important. It’s good getting folks that normally aren’t at the table for major regional issues.”

Founded by Chuck Sykes, CEO of Sykes Enterprises, and Ron Christaldi, a partner at the law firm of Shumaker, Loop and Kendrick, the TBR2020 group held a standing room-only press conference last month at the Tampa Baseball Museum in historic Ybor City to announce its plans. Also last month, Jason Woody, the President/CEO of the Lions Eye Institute for Transplant & Research, Inc, and a member of the Advisory Board of Tampa Bay Rays 2020, was the featured speaker at the NTBC’s April 3 Business Breakfast.

The goal of TBR2020 is to help keep the Rays in the Bay area, by raising awareness and rounding up local community and businesses willing to pledge their support to the team’s proposed move to Ybor City, where the selected

Former Rays manager Lou Piniella is on the Tampa Bay Rays 2020 team.

14-acre stadium site is expected to breathe new life into that area, as well as into what is becoming a lifeless baseball franchise.

TBR2020 also announced the Rays 100, a select group of businesses and corporations willing to pledge financial support in the form of corporate boxes and sponsorships.

“This has opened up a dialogue,” Griffin said. “The biggest questions we hear now are what’s next and how can we help. The ultimate goal is to have a very diverse and vast coalition of supporters that ultimately leads to a conversation about sponsorships and tickets. It’s tough to get there, though, if we don’t know and haven’t identified our supporters.”

Rumors have swirled for years about the Rays possibly moving to a city that might offer more support. Allen is one of those who thinks that such a move would be devastating to the Tampa Bay area.

“My opinion is we need to fight hard to keep them here in the region,” Allen said.

“Major league sports franchises have a huge economic impact on a region. Very significant.

You don’t want to lose that.”

One issue that TBR2020 won’t be addressing, just yet anyway, is the thorniest – how to pay for a new stadium. The price of a new stadium could range anywhere from $600-800 million, though it is hard to zero in on a figure without a design. The Rays owners have pledged $150 million to the project.

“Right now, we are all about building engagement, awareness and excitement,” Griffin said. “If we couldn’t fill the Rays 100, if we couldn’t get the local organizations to endorse, it would be a totally different conversation with the county and the team. The reality is, we’ve been able to demonstrate it is the complete opposite.”

Those willing to participate can sign the online petition at TampaBayRays2020. com. Or, for more info, see the ad on pg. 3.

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13

New Tampa’s Rotary Clubs Join Forces To Beautify Fire Station No. 20!

By ANDY WARRENER Tampa Fire Department Station No. 20 in Tampa Palms needing a little sprucing up and it just so happened that a platoon of community-minded residents was looking to do some sprucing.

On Earth Day (April 20), the two came together with single goal in mind — to help beautify the first fire station built in New Tampa.

“Our Rotary International President Ian Riseley wanted to plant 1.2-million trees all over the world to call attention to environmental issues,” Rotary Club of New Tampa (which meets Friday mornings at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club) president Karen Frashier said. “There are 1.2-million Rotarians worldwide and Earth Day was the deadline. We added 18 to that total today.”

It was a collaborative effort. Rotary Club of New Tampa Noon (which meets Wednesdays for lunch at Pebble Creek Golf Club) president Belvai “Vinnie” Kudva came up with the idea after District 7 Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera approached him during a recent Rotary Club meeting. “(Luis) Viera came to our club to talk about this project, doing something for Station 20,” Kudva said. “(Neighborhood News publisher) Gary Nager guided us, but we all wanted to both do something good for the community and also celebrate Earth Day.” The original idea to improve Fire Station 20 by the Rotarians was to paint

14

like that. We found a project for the Rotarians that would beautify the station and when they suggested crepe myrtles, it was a natural fit.”

New Tampa’s two Rotary Clubs joined forces to help plant 18 crepe myrtle Kudva contrees at Fire Station No. 20 on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Tampa Palms. tracted with Cypress it. Built in 1988, the station is in need of Creek Landscape a fresh coat of paint. That undertaking Supply in Tampa to purchase and deliver proved too cumbersome for the strict rules the different color crepe myrtle trees. regarding which entities are allowed to To his surprise, when the crew showed make improvements to the physical buildup on Sunday to plant them, the holes had ing at a City of Tampa fire station. already been dug, with the trees already “Like everything else in New Tampa, placed in them. All the crew had to do was there are deed restrictions for improvewater them and fill in the topsoil. ments like painting,” Fire Station 20 Rotarians, along with Capt. SuCaptain Stephen Suarez said. “There are arez, Viera and his son Luis, set to work also complications about which contractors straightening the trees, filling the holes the City can allow to make improvements and building berms around the base of

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the trees to trap water so that it does not run off. It was a worthy project that more than a dozen volunteers took part in.

“We decided it was a good thing to do to serve the community, especially with it being Earth Day,” Noon Rotary Club member Scott Hileman said. “We want to show an example that we are all one community and we help each other out.”

Hileman brought along his children Ella (16), Drew (14) and David (11) and they all grabbed shovels so that the project was completed less than 30 minutes into the planting.

“It’s our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the men and women who work here,” Viera said. “They help us, they leave their families to help ours. It’s just a small way to show them we appreciate the work that they do.”

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Annual Bike Ride Helps ‘Small, But Mighty’ Noon Rotary Club Raise $3,000!

“Small, but Mighty.” I’m almost positive my friend and former Rotary Club of New Tampa Noon president Valerie Casey first coined that phrase about the Rotary Club to which both Val and I belong.

Our club, which meets every Wednesday at noon for lunch at Mulligans Irish Pub at the Pebble Creek Golf Club, has never had as many as 30 members and currently has around 20, but somehow, thanks to the often-tremendous efforts by our small “family” of club members, we’re still able to accomplish a lot.

Although we also have partnered with other Rotary Clubs — including the New Tampa “Breakfast” Rotary (which meets at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club for breakfast on Fridays at 7 a.m.; see story on the facing page) — the fund raisers and projects our club is able to put on with just a little effort have been pretty incredible.

Case in Point: Our annual “Cycling for Vets” Bike Ride through Flatwoods Park, which has raised thousands for U.S. Military veterans organizations and our local first responders (police, fire and emergency folks).

This year, with a committee of three — local dentists Dr. Steven Dau and Dr. Greg Stepanski and commercial real estate agent Scott Hileman — doing most of the leg work and just a few other club volunteers, this year’s ride on April 13 (I missed it for another kind of ride; see page 3) attracted a record (for us) number of 80 registered riders (some of those definitely found out about the ride from the Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel less than a month earlier). The 2018 ride raised $3,000, with portions of that amount to benefit the Fisher House residence for families who have family members who are active duty and military veterans being treated at the Tampa Veterans Administration Hospital on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and for Support the Troops, a Wesley Chapelbased nonprofit that mails out hundreds of “care packages” every week to active military stationed overseas.

Dr. Dau, who basically celebrated the birth of his first child with his wife Monika a couple of months before he started planning this event, was quick to share the credit on May 9, when our club donated $1,000 of those proceeds to Fisher House Tampa director Paula Welenc (above left, with Dr. Dau, right, and Noon Rotary president Belvai “Vinnie” Kudva).

Neighborhood News

Our committee did a great job,” said Dr. Dau. “As always, it was a true team effort.”

The club also thanks the event’s sponsors — Dau Orthodontics-Dr. Steven Dau; Children’s DentistryDr. Greg Stepanski; Gentle Care Dentistry-Dr. Tom Frankfurth; AllState Insurance-Gary Lefebvre; State Farm Insurance-Joyce Coleman; Suncoast, Tax & Accounting-Angie Garrett; Kiran Indian Grocery, AAA-Novelette Johnson; Stifel Financial-Mike Wallace; Goal Commercial-Scott Hileman; The Bantner Firm-Adam Bantner; Minerva Indian Restaurant, Thai Lanna & Sushi, Little Greek New Tampa, Peabody’s Billiards & Games, Tabla Indian Restaurant ,The Gift Box Boutique, Oliver’s Cycle Sports, Neighborhood News & WCNT-tv.

New Tampa Brewfest?

Fresh off that outstanding bike ride, the New Tampa Noon Rotary Club will host its first-ever “New Tampa Brewfest” on Saturday, November 10, 4 p.m.-8 p.m. (the time may be subject to change) at the Venetian Events Center at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church on Cross Creek Blvd.

The Brewfest will be another great event featuring craft beers, a variety of food trucks and entertainment. Look for details in these pages and future episodes of WCNT-tv. — GN

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MAY 2018 Saturday, May 19

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

Court, to register for the Job Fair and receive a map of participating stores.

Wednesday, June 6

Wiregrass Ranchers Kids Club - Free entertainment for kids, featuring Mr. Tommy, the first Wednesday of every month at The Shops at Wiregrass, from 10-11 a.m. More info at TheShopsAtWiregrass.com/events.

Tuesday, May 22

Are you moving? Need help liiing?

Wednesday, May 23

Reliable and strong teams of 2 or more

Keep It Local - This seat-specific networking group emphasizes small, local businesses every Tues., 11:30 a.m., at GrillSmith at The Shops at Wiregrass. For info, call Marino Cecchi at (813) 513-9001.

Wine & Painting Night - The Legacy at Highwoods Preserve invites you to enjoy a FREE class from 5:30 p.m.- 7:30 p.m., of painting wine glasses while sipping your favorite taste. Limited seating, please RSVP by May 21 & call (813) 605-7734.

Night of Beauty Passport Event - Learn about the latest and greatest in anti-aging procedures and skincare products at Qvita Health & Wellness (2734 Windguard Cir.), 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. For more info, call 813-501-4130.

Friday, May 25

Rotary Club of New Tampa - The New Tampa Rotary Club meets every Friday for breakfast at 7 a.m. at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club. For more info, including the speaker schedule, contact David Lanigan at (813) 760-6548 or dave@davidlanigan. com, visit NewTampa Rotary.org or see the story on pg. 14.

ON DEMAND HELPING HANDS For more informaaon call

SERVING

THE SUNCOAST

(727) 947-2696 Visit NTNeighborhoodNews.com to add your upcoming events that are open to the public to our online calendar.

Once approved, they appear in the “Events” section on our home page & may also appear in our print editions.

Sunday, May 27

Meditation Group - All faiths and all levels of meditation experience are welcome at this free meeting at Sanctuary Wellness Center, 8903 Regents Park Dr., Suite 120, 10 a.m-11 a.m. For more info, search “The Sanctuary Wellness Center in New Tampa” on Facebook or “New Tampa Intuitive Development Center” on Meetup.

Tuesday, May 29 New Tampa Democratic Club - Now meeting at a new time! The New Tampa Democrats meet at the New Tampa Regional Library (10001 Cross Creek Blvd.) from 7-8:30 p.m. Guest speakers are featured at every meeting. For info, email newtampademocraticclub@gmail.com or call (813) 563-0845.

Wednesday, May 30

English As A Second Language (ESL) - The ESL group meets Wednesdays at Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church (19911 BBD Blvd. in Pebble Creek), 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Classes are taught by native English speakers. The cost is $40 each semester for the workbook & class materials. For info, call Holly at (813) 360-2077.

BNI Millionaire Makers - The BNI Millionaire Makers chapter meets Weds. at Heritage Isles Country Club (10630 Plantation Bay Dr.), at 7:15 am. The cost is $13 to attend, which includes a hot breakfast. Call Lisa Jordan at (813) 621-6015 for info.

Business Networking International (BNI) - BNI meets every Wed., 7:30 a.m., at Mulligans inside Pebble Creek Golf Club (10550 Regents Park Dr.). Call Rob Montgomery at (813) 679-6446.

Rotary Club Of New Tampa Noon - The New Tampa Noon Rotary Club meets Wednesdays at noon at Mulligan’s Irish Pub (in the Pebble Creek Golf Club). Guests are always welcome. For more info, search “New Tampa Noon Rotary” on Facebook or see the stories on pgs. 14-15.

Thursday, May 31 North Tampa Veterans Meeting - All armed forces veterans are invited to weekly

lighthearted Dutch-treat breakfast at Steak ‘n Shake just off BBD Blvd. (17509 North Palms Village Place) every Thursday at 7:30 am. Get acquainted and your tell tales, new and old. Bring your spouse and your brag sheet.

JUNE 2018

Tuesday, June 5 Shops at Wiregrass Job Fair- The Shops at Wiregrass presents a mall-wide Job Fair for our area’s eager retail job seekers. Participants may visit select stores from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Please check-in at Guest Services, located in Center 18

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Housework To Health Care: Visiting Angels Cares For Adults In Their Homes

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

Christal Becton opened the local office of Visiting Angels to serve New Tampa and other parts of Hillsborough County in 2004.

As the local franchise owner and director, she says she feels blessed to be in the business of helping senior citizens and their families.

Visiting Angels provides home care services as an alternative to moving into a nursing home, retirement center or assisted living facility, allowing seniors and others in need to maintain the independence of their daily routines in the comfort of their own homes. It is a nationally branded company, headquartered in Pennsylvania, with 500 locations across the U.S. “When my 84-year-old aunt, who lived in Columbia, SC, needed assistance, I had to hire a caregiver for her because I was unable to keep traveling back and forth to care for her,” Christal explains. “I believe that’s what started me on the road to in-home care. After my husband retired from the military, and I was ready to get out of my job in corporate America, I began looking into franchises.

That’s when I found Visiting Angels.”

Christal opened the Visiting Angels office on N. 56th St. (south of Fowler Ave.) in Temple Terrace, minutes from most of New Tampa.

She has a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, and a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix campus in Albuquerque,

The Visiting Angels office on N. 56th St. in Temple Terrace includes (l.-r.)Wendy Blackman,Christal Becton, Yesenia Diaz and Kim Fair. This Visiting Angels location serves the needs of residents in New Tampa who need in-home health care.

NM. She also has a wealth of previous nursShe says every aspect of running Visiting from helping someone temporarily recover Angels is rewarding. “The challenges are ing home experience, having served as Chief from an illness or surgery to providing ongoing companionship to a senior who just needs learning experiences and never a burden. We of Recreation Therapy at a nursing home in a friend.

Albuquerque. really have very few issues.”

“We also go grocery shopping and run While the local Visiting Angels has Available Services errands, prepare meals, assist with personal grown over the past 12 years, Christal says “Most of our clients are seniors who care and do light housekeeping,” Christal that what hasn’t changed is her passion for need some extra help,” Christal explains. “We adds. She says some clients require help with helping people and for matching clients with caregivers to give them the help they need in also can help anyone over 18 who needs assis- bathing or shaving, some just need a hand tance. Younger people sometimes need help, getting up in the morning and starting their their homes. day, while others may need their clothes laun“I enjoy working with seniors in need,” too, due to their own physical challenges or health issues.” dered and linens changed. says Christal. “So, this is the perfect profesAvailable services include everything sion for me.”

Christal also says that one difficulty

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 11 • May 18, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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common for many seniors, especially those who don’t drive or have a relative nearby, is arranging transportation to and from their doctors’ appointments. Visiting Angels’ staff will transport their clients and will always remain on site throughout their clients’ visits.

“We provide the vehicle,” Christal says, adding that the service is a relief to relatives who find it difficult to take time off from work to drive their loved ones to their medical appointments.

Visiting Angels accommodates its clients’ schedules, whether they need a few hours of assistance a week or even 24-hourper-day, 7-day-per-week care. Day or night, weekends or holidays, temporary or longterm, Visiting Angels can help.

Certified Care Providers

The local Visiting Angels has about 50 Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) and Home Health Assistants (HHAs) on staff.

Christal says that her company generally serves 40-60 clients in New Tampa, Temple Terrace and other surrounding areas.

She adds that she runs a comprehensive background screening on all caregivers.

Christal says she is very selective about who she chooses to help her clients. Many of her Visiting Angels are graduates of medical academies that specialize in home care and/ or have worked at assisted living facilities or in other health care environments. Christal says her caregivers choose to specialize in home care because they enjoy the personal interaction with only one or two clients.

“One of my CNAs has been with the same client since 2004,” she says. “In hiring, I make sure my staff has a passion for doing what they do, and that they have a strong employment history of caring for seniors.”

Assessing Your Needs

Christal also interacts with each new family who calls Visiting Angels, offering them a free, in-home assessment.

“I personally do each new client assessment myself,” she says. “I like to make a connection with the family. I get to see how they live and learn about their background, which makes it easier to connect them with the right caregiver.”

During the in-home assessment, she says she reviews each client’s needs and asks about the types of services desired, noting the patient’s daily routine, meals, proximity to doctors’ offices and number of regularly scheduled appointments. She then prepares a care plan and selects the caregivers who are best suited to meet those needs.

After personally meeting all of the available caregivers, you get to choose the candidate you prefer.

“One of the things that sets Visiting Angels apart from other home care services is that our clients get to choose their caregivers,” Christal explains. “People don’t just show up and say, ‘I’m here to take care of you.’ Our clients actually meet the caregivers beforehand, so they already feel comfortable with the person who will be caring for them.”

These caregivers become an important part of each patient’s routine, and often, families let Christal know the significance of the care their loved one received during their time of need.

“Thank you for the wonderful care you provided,” said a grateful family in a letter to Visiting Angels. “You were more than a caregiver to us, you quickly became a friend… [Mom] so appreciated your presence and friendship, as we all did… It was always a relief to us to know that when we needed you, we had no worries at all about Mom being taken good care of.”

Christal says that technology also allows her to keep in close contact with the families of her clients — whether they are out of town or busy working, a quick text or email keeps Christal, the caregiver and the family all on the same page regarding each patient’s care.

Technology also allows Visiting Angels to provide information to the community, even those who aren’t clients.

Christal sends out a newsletter and also provides information on the company’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/VisitingAngelsTampaFL, informing people about dementia, caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s, fall prevention and other issues that affect seniors.

“The greatest change I’ve seen as a business is our ability to communicate with the community and use technology effectively to reach out to the community and be a resource,” she says.

Visiting Angels is located at 9812 N. 56th St. in Temple Terrace. For a special offer just for readers who mention the Neighborhood News, see the ad on pg. 44 of this issue and call Christal at (813) 929-7067.

SPOTLIGHT ON.......Cypress Pointe Church!!

As Cypress Point Community Church has grown — from a few families worshipping and studying the Bible together in homes in Wesley Chapel and New Tampa to a congregation of more than 700 members — meeting the diverse needs of those who consider the nondenominational Christian church their spiritual home has become a complex matter.

Over its nearly two decades of existence, Cypress Point has dealt with the physical growth in number of worshippers by moving to larger spaces — from those family living rooms to a real estate sales and visitor center, to worshipping for six years at the Muvico Starlight 20 (now AMC) movie theater on Highwoods Preserve Pkwy.

Today, congregants gather in the church’s own 30,000-sq.-ft. multipurpose building on 30 acres on Morris Bridge Rd., just north of Cross Creek Blvd.

Last year, Cypress Point added a 10,000-sq.-ft. building to house its youth center, with a gym, basketball court, classrooms and snack bar.

As it grows physically, the church has also grown spiritually, as it strives to meet the wide variety of needs and expectations its worshippers have, according to Lead Pastor Dean Reule, who co-founded Cypress Point Community Church in 1998 with his wife Hettie, who also is the church’s Children’s Pastor.

“The church is like a Walmart Supercenter,” says Pastor Dean, who earned his Ph.D. degree in Religious Studies from Florida State University in Tallahassee.

“Whatever the need, there is always a

Biblically-based solution.”

Those range from a wide variety of ministries, activities and services available through Cypress Point Community Church. There are programs for toddlers and teenagers, ministries that support the military and firefighters, and a wealth of support for fathers, mothers and married couples, such as the Love Walk ministry.

“It’s a big family that takes care of each other,” says New Tampa resident and Cypress Point worshipper Neal Hamlett.

Cypress Point Community Church is located at 15820 Morris Bridge Rd. Sunday services are at 9:30 and 11 a.m. and the Dwelling Place (DP) has main services for young people in grades 7-12 on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., with the doors to the rec center opening at 6 p.m. For more information, visit CPCConline.com online, call (813) 986-9100 or see the full-page Cypress Pointe Community Church ad on pg.

19 of this issue.

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23

Need Home Financing? Check With The Experts At Marimark Mortgage

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

Getting a mortgage for a new home – or refinancing your current one — can seem daunting and overwhelming, especially if you’re dialing toll-free numbers at big banks and aren’t quite sure what you’re getting yourself into.

Fortunately, there’s an option where you have the same access to financial products, but can work with experts who are right here in New Tampa. At Marimark Mortgage, which has been located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center off Commerce Park Blvd. since it opened in 2006, the staff will help you through the process every step of the way.

“We all have the same products and very similar rates,” says Marimark Mortgage owner Mary Catchur. “What differentiates me and my business is our level of service and our commitment to educating the homebuyer.”

Mary is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who spent 13 years as an auditor for KPMG (Klynveld, Peat, Marwick & Goerdeler), one of the “Big Four” U.S. public accounting firms which was founded in The Netherlands. Then, she was the chief financial officer for an internet-based real estate company, in which she established a mortgage division.

Her current clients benefit from this broad financial background, as Mary applies her skills and experience to assist loan applicants, reviewing each client’s financial status and advising them about loans that make sense for their individual situations.

Mary says that many of her clients come

24

to her after previously being disappointed with other mortgage companies. With special circumstances such as being self-employed, or retired and living off of assets, other companies may not know how to structure a loan.

“They don’t have the financial background to understand,” she says. “I understand financial issues, such as ways to give [retired clients] an income stream based on their assets, but someone who doesn’t have a financial background wouldn’t know how to navigate that process.”

Marimark offers a complete line of financing options, such as con- Mary Catchur of Marimark Mortgage takes the worry out of having to get a mortgage. ventional loans, Federal Housing Administration rently maintains her mortgage broker’s license (FHA) loans and loans through the Veterans in Florida, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Administration (VA) and U.S. Department of “With today’s technology, you don’t need to be located in the same area to do Agriculture (USDA). business,” Mary explains, adding that she Mary is a Pennsylvania native who serves many clients outside of Florida, many grew up helping out at her family’s electrical business, but she has called Tampa home since of whom find her on the internet.

“It’s always best to shop around and 1979. She earned her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) remember that your bank is not your only degrees in Accounting and French from the choice for a mortgage.”

University of South Florida (USF) and cur-

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 11 • May 18, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Unparalleled Customer Service

There are other reasons why Mary’s clients say she stands out among other companies in the business, and Mary encourages anyone interested in looking for financing for their home to Google “Marimark Mortgage.”

She says you’ll get a good picture of what it’s like to work with Marimark from the company’s reviews.

One common theme is that her customer service is top notch.

Karla Folstad is a local Realtor with Easy Street Realty who regularly refers clients to Marimark. “Mary is one of my go-to lenders, she says. “She is an unbelievable service provider and has worked miracles for a couple of my clients when another lender has dropped the ball.”

For example, she says that recently, a large bank told her clients there was no way to close a deal in 25 days, but Karla referred them to Marimark, and Mary said she could get it done. “That bank said, ‘If someone told you they can get this deal closed sooner than us, they’re a liar,’” Karla recalls.

As it turned out, the loan was rushed and approved so quickly, Karla says her clients could have closed five days sooner than they needed to.

“She’s so professional and so on top of things, and I enjoy working with her a lot,” says Karla of Mary. “I know when I send clients to her they’re going to close.”

Sally Rosfeld moved to New Tampa last year and she says she was, “amazed at the amount of personal service. Usually, getting a mortgage is really stressful, but this is the eas-

@NTWCNews

iest time we’ve ever had getting a mortgage.

There was no stress. Mary paid attention to every deal and took all the pressure off of us.”

She adds, “It was like working with a friend. I would recommend her to anyone.”

“My approach is straightforward and educational,” Mary says. “When I got into the business, I saw a real need to educate people so they know why the product they’re getting is better for them.”

Mary says she shouldn’t be the one choosing a product for a client, but it’s important for her clients to be fully educated about their loan product. For example, maybe you’ve been offered a low rate, but do you know what fees you have to pay to get that rate?

“Maybe the most important thing to you is getting the lowest possible payment, or maybe it’s paying the least amount of money over the life of the loan, but we need to talk

about your entire scenario and what your goals and needs are,” she explains.

Mary also is proud that Marimark offers a streamlined, efficient process, with great communication. She uses technology to her clients’ and her company’s advantage, such as, for example, automatic notifications every step of the process.

“It sounds so simple, but we communicate with people,” Mary says. “We communicate with all parties — of course the buyer and the title company, but also the seller’s Realtor and the buyer’s Realtor and the appraisal management company. When the processor moves on the file, like if she clicks that she ordered the appraisal, the notice goes to everybody.”

Marimark Mortgage is located at 5327 Primrose Lake Cir. For more information, visit MarimarkMortgage.com, call (813) 910-8020, or see the ad on page 46.

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SPOTLIGHT ON............Heartwood Preserve!!

Laura Starkey grew up running through the old Florida woods that made up her family’s expansive cattle ranch, much of which is now the 18,000-acre Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Preserve in the Trinity area of New Port Richey, just a short drive west of Wesley Chapel on S.R. 54.

Now, her passion is conserving the land she loves, and connecting people to it.

To that end, she has created Heartwood Preserve Conservation Cemetery, the first conservation cemetery in the Tampa Bay region. Heartwood Preserve opened in 2016, set on 41 acres of the original Starkey Ranch bordering the wilderness preserve, and Laura is the cemetery’s founder and executive director.

One of just a few conservation cemeteries in the entire state of Florida, Heartwood Preserve provides environmentally-friendly options for people looking for a more natural burial.

“The word ‘conservation’ in our name means that not only are we are providing a natural burial option for those who don’t want all the fancy bells and whistles of a modern burial with an expensive casket and vault, but we’re also really contributing to the permanent conservation of this ecosystem,” Laura explains. “We are both literally and figuratively becoming part of this land.”

Laura and Heartwood Preserve manager Diana Sayegh explain that, first and foremost, the cemetery is about conserving the precious longleaf pine flatwoods and cypress dome wetlands ecosystems of the preserve.

“We invite people to come and take a walk here...hike and get some fresh air,” Diana says.

When someone purchases a space at Heartwood Preserve, a portion of that fee goes to permanently protecting that ecosystem.

She says that what started out as an intellectual idea for her has morphed all the way into a spiritual experience.

“A conservation cemetery is a practical tool to help pay for protecting the land, but on a community and spiritual level, it’s an opportunity for the community to be connected to the land in a really deep way” Diana says proudly.

Heartwood Preserve Conservation Cemetery is located at 4100 Starkey Blvd. Visitors are always welcome when the gates are open, Mon.-Sat., 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., and 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m. on Sun. For more information, call (727) 376-5111, visit HeartwoodPreserve.com, or see the ad on page 10 of this issue.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 11 • May 18, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

25

Excel Music Helps New Tampa Students Hone Their Musical Skills

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

Since 2006, Excel Music in the Cory Lake Isles Professional Center on Cross Creek Blvd. has been teaching students of all ages to sing and play a wide variety of instruments with some of the area’s top teachers. As your kids getting out of school for the summer, it may be the perfect time to bring them to Excel Music to try new musical endeavors.

John and Sheri Thrasher are the husbandand-wife team who own the school.

“We’ve helped thousands of students of all ages reach their musical goals while enjoying the journey,” says John. “We like to say Excel is both the place you start and the place you stay.”

Excel Music has 20 teachers on staff and all are either university trained (many with Master of Music degrees) or they have at least 10 years of study and performing experience.

The faculty teaches voice and nearly every traditional musical instrument, including piano, guitar, drums, violin and so many more.

“There’s a lot of excellent science out there that shows the benefit of a broad education that includes arts and music,” John says, adding that Excel provides a variety of opportunities for people of all ages to experience and connect with music.

Beyond Just Lessons

Excel Music offers the New Tampa Choir, a singing group for kids ages 5-12, and no experience is necessary to participate. It’s currently on hiatus for the summer, but will start back in September.

“It’s a learning experience, and it’s fun,” John says.

“We want to give students a venue to sing songs they know, and some they don’t. In addition to traditional choir music, we do Broadway songs, Disney songs and more. We are always looking for more opportunities for this group to perform.”

Excel’s choir is for those who aren’t interested in solo performance, although the choir will offer opportunities for small group instruction.

John explains, Owners John & Sheri Thrasher of Excel Music, located in the Cory Lake Isles “This is not a huge Professional Center on Cross Creek Blvd. choir where no one even knows each “We make sure to group students by age, skill other’s name.” He adds that the choir will pro- level and instrumentation.” vide a way for New Tampa kids to meet new Excel Music offers a preschool music class people and get involved in the music school. for ages 18 months to four years, enjoyed by The school also will start up its Excel both kids and parents. The class lasts 45 minRock Band again this fall, but students can utes, once a week, for 10-12 weeks. apply to participate at any time.

“It’s a great way to engage with both “We’ve done a rock band a couple of the parent and the child,” John explains. “The times over the years, and its success depends smiles on the faces of the parents are often as upon the right mix of students,” John explains. big as the ones on their children.”

John adds that the classes help parents learn ways to engage musically with their preschoolers at home. “This is a participatory class in which we teach parents how to bring music into their kids’ lives,” he says, “especially if they’re not musicians.”

The school’s students have the opportunity to take part in recitals twice a year, but John says these performances are always optional and low-pressure. “Recitals are part of what we do,” John says. “But, we aren’t a performance-driven studio.”

Adult Training, Too

While many of Excel Music’s students are kids, the opportunity to learn to sing or play an instrument is certainly not limited.

“A lot of adults come in for lessons, too,” says John. “We get retired people who say they’ve wanted to play their whole lives, and now they’re finally going to do it.” He says one of his favorite stories was about teaching an 86-year-old man how to play the trumpet.

Pete Laches is quite a bit younger than that, but he also is one of the school’s adult students. Pete says he has been taking guitar lessons at Excel since his daughters were in middle school. One is now in college and one just graduated from college.

“They started taking lessons right after we moved here, so they were in third or fourth grade,” he explains. “Rachel played the cello and piano, and Elizabeth played viola and guitar.”

He says that while his daughters no longer play their instruments, the investment he made in their lessons was well worth it.

“It’s a well-run place,” Pete says. “The

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instructors are good, and it seems to be a pretty stable staff. I like that they can teach every instrument, so your kid never feels stuck if they try something and hate it.”

Pete adds that, as an Arbor Greene resident, the location can’t be beat. It’s “right around the corner” — a huge convenience when his girls were taking lessons, and now for him. “I’m trapped in an office 40 hours a week, so playing guitar is an outlet for me,” Pete says. “It was a bucket list item and it’s a mental challenge, using a part of my brain that I usually don’t.”

About The Owners

John explains that he and Sheri originally opened Excel Music with the dream of providing the opportunity for young people to be trained for the kinds of careers and lives they once experienced themselves.

“We both had long careers in music, and were professional musicians who were able to make a living performing,” John says, adding that he was the drummer for country singer Mickey Gilley for many years, giving him the opportunity to perform on TV, at the White House and for people all over the world.

In the 1990s, John and Sheri had success together with a band of their own in Japan called Tz, where he says they sold tens of thousands of CDs. They also found themselves immersed in a culture that revered teachers, which led them to start thinking about passing on the knowledge and experience they had gained to the next generation.

“We met tremendous people, saw great places, and made a living,” John says. “We started thinking, ‘What if some of the kids who

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come through our school can experience what we’ve experienced?’”

They landed in New Tampa, where they had relatives, and have been building their school ever since. With nine years now under their belts, some of John and Sheri’s long-term students are now growing up and moving on.

“We’re seeing many students who have come through our school go on to college, and some are majoring in music,” John says. “This dream we had is starting to come true.”

John explains, however, that he and Sheri recognize that the vast majority of their students will not go on to have professional music careers.

“Our teachers are good enough for that type of student, but most of our students will go on to have another career such as a doctor or lawyer or something else,” he explains.

“We hope that when they go to a concert or experience music, they will appreciate it on a different level, because they truly understand the challenge of playing music, and the dedication and skill of the performers presenting the music to them.”

For the past four years, Excel Music has been a business partner at Hunter’s Green, Clark, and Pride elementary schools. Students who attend those schools can enroll at Excel Music with no registration fee, which is a value of up to $45.

Excel Music is located at 10353 Cross Creek Blvd., Suite I. It is open MondayThursday, 2 p.m.-9 p.m., 2 p.m.-7 p.m. on Friday, and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday. It is closed on Sunday. See the ad on page 28 or call (813) 991-1177 for more info or to schedule lessons.

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If you’re tired of drawing on your eyebrows, just to worry you might sweat them off later in our Florida heat, Pam Edmonson says she has a solution for you.

It’s called microblading, and Pam has been providing this popular eyebrow service since she was first trained in the technique in 2014. She uses a small blade and ink to create each individual hair. Her steady hands help draw on an eyebrow which she then microblades, with each stroke adding a more natural look to the eyebrow.

As a State of Florida-licensed permanent makeup artist, Pam has owned and operated Creative Permanent Makeup By Pam since 2011. Last year, she and a business partner opened Serenity Salon & Spa Suites, located off S.R. 54 in the Brookfield Professional Park in Wesley Chapel, about a half-mile west of Morris Bridge Rd. The suites are available to be rented by other small businesses, such as hair stylists, massage therapists, and licensed aestheticians.

“As one of the owners of Serenity Salon & Spa Suites, I love the way that we enable other women to be able to do their own job and be successful at it,” Pam says.

“We have an amazing group of women working here!”

After many years of running a business in the manufactured housing industry, in 2009, Pam says she wanted to do something different, so — at age 46 — she became the “oldest student in hair school,” she says.

But today, Pam says she no longer does hair. Instead, she says she is devoted

full-time to permanent makeup.

“I love detail,” Pam says. “As a detail person, eyebrows are what first drew me into the permanent makeup field.”

The cost of Pam’s permanent makeup services starts at $400. She also offers permanent eyeliner, and is now offering permanent lip color, too. She says she took an advanced lip class in December and is currently offering specials on lips and liner.

She also has recently completed a class in tattoo removal.

Of all of her services, however, Pam says she still gets the most satisfaction out of doing a client’s eyebrows.

Creative Permanent Makeup by Pam is located at Serenity Salon & Spa Suites, at 33913 S.R. 54, Suite 101. For a free consultation and more info, see the ad on page 39, visit CreativePermanentMakeupbyPam.com, or call (813) 997-6302.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 11 • May 18, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

27

Sylvan Learning Center Brings Decades Of Tutoring Success To Wesley Chapel! own family. Lara Riordan is now the new director. Lara has been the director of the Temple Terrace center since 2005. She started with Sylvan as an instructor in New York in 2000.

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

Dr. Judy Johnson brought Sylvan Learning to the Tampa Bay area more than three decades ago, when she opened her first Sylvan Learning Center in Carrollwood in 1985.

Her students from 30 years ago now bring their children — or those who brought their kids now bring grandchildren — telling Dr. Johnson they remember how much it helped them, and how much they enjoyed their time at the center.

Over the years, the success of the program has led to expansion locally, and Dr. Johnson opened her fifth Bay-area center last October. Her newest location is here in Wesley Chapel, in the Summergate Professional Center in Seven Oaks, off of S.R. 56, behind Sam’s Club.

Dr. Johnson’s Bay-area locations, which also include Carrollwood, Westchase, Temple Terrace and Zephyrhills, are among the more than 750 Sylvan Learning Centers worldwide.

Dr. Johnson is a lifelong educator who holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Special Education from the University of South Florida in Tampa, which she received in 1995. Previously, she completed a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Counseling from Ball State University in Muncie, IN, in 1977 and a Master of Education (M.E.) degree in Biology from the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1971.

Since the Wesley Chapel center

A Proven Model

The Sylvan model means students have a maximum ratio of three students to one teacher, so they’re never in large groups where they can be overlooked. Students come to Sylvan to get ahead, for extra practice, for test preparation or whatever they need.

“We’re not tutors At the Sylvan Learning Center in Wesley Chapel, (l.-r.) assistant director Kristi Chatham, director Lara Riordan, director of education fixing one skill for one Caitlyn Hussey and owner Dr. Judy Johnson tailor lessons, taught by test,” explains Lara. We are a solution for all (of your certified teachers, to each student’s individual academic needs. child’s) academic needs.” opened last fall, Kristi Chatham has served “We’re not just for as its director. She has been with Sylvan remediation,” adds Dr. Johnson, “We work for three years, and previously was at the with accelerated kids – kids who want to go Zephyrhills location. Prior to that, she to Harvard.” worked as an instructor at a Sylvan LearnSylvan Learning Centers are staffed ing Center in Alabama. by certified teachers who receive additional “I like it because I know it works,” training in the Sylvan program. They then Kristi says. “I’ve seen it.” teach students lessons, which are cusAs of May 1, Kristi took a step back tom-designed for each individual student. to be the assistant director of the center, The Wesley Chapel location currently has allowing her to spend more time with her about 10 teachers on staff, including the

director, assistant director and director of education Caitlyn Hussey.

“I still teach,” Dr. Johnson says. “It’s a good way to see what’s going on and meet with families.”

Sylvan’s program starts with a diagnostic assessment, then the teacher creates a “prescription” for the student, to ensure lessons are properly tailored to each individual’s needs.

“All of us have a knowledge base,” explains Dr. Johnson. “When we go to school, we have to sit through things we already know.” Sylvan is different, she adds.

“We find out what a child knows. We figure out where they’re strong and weak.”

Then, she explains the child is taught “on the edges of where they need to be,” so the lesson is neither boring nor too hard.

“The programs are as individualized as they need to be,” explains Caitlin. “My challenge is to ensure that each program is sufficiently challenging to meet each student’s needs.”

As an endorsement of Sylvan Learning Center, Dr. Johnson shares that recently, an investor traveled from China to the U.S. to evaluate all of the different learning center companies, doing an extensive investigation before making his investment in education in China. The result of his research? “He bought 200 Sylvan Learning Center franchises,” Dr. Johnson says.

At the Wesley Chapel Sylvan location, Nicole Buzard has been bringing her son, Carter, to Sylvan twice a week

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for the past few months and says, “It’s been all positives so far.”

Carter is a gifted student who is at the top of his class, so Nicole says his teacher recommended advanced skills.

“I tried working with him at home,” she says, “but I didn’t feel structured enough.” She says once Carter mastered one skill, she didn’t immediately know the next skill he should work on.

“I was looking for enrichment and it led me to Sylvan,” says Nicole. “He enjoys the extra math work. He’s excited, and I never have to force it.”

Nicole says her son’s enthusiasm for attending Sylvan is rubbing off on her 10-year-old daughter, Ava, too.

“She’s not one who would want to do extra schoolwork, so I didn’t really explore it as an option for her,” Nicole explains.

“But, she has seen how excited my son is, and now she wants to go.”

Nicole says the office staff is easy to work with and flexible to meet her

Neighborhood News

needs and schedule. She says the Wesley Chapel Sylvan Learning Center is a quality program.

“They know what they’re doing and — even with my son already being good at math –— I’ve seen improvements.”

While many people believe these learning center programs are expensive, the Sylvan staff says they are happy to work with families to make it affordable.

“We offer different programs at different price points, with budget-friendly programs,” explains Dr. Johnson “It’s a really good option for an extracurricular activity,” she adds. “Kids enjoy intellectual stimulation and learning things they don’t usually learn in a typical education setting.”

Sylvan Learning Center will offer STEM camps this summer, including robotics, engineering, coding, LEGO, writing, MATH and ACT/SAT prep. Most camps run Monday through Thursday in the morning or afternoon.

The Sylvan Learning Center at Seven Oaks is located at 27724 Cashford Cir., #102. Business hours for the center are Mon.–Thurs., 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m., Fri. by appointment only and Saturday, 9 a.m.–noon. Teaching hours vary based on the day and will be different in the summer. For details, call (800) EDU-CATE, visit Educate.com, or see the ad on page 27.

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SPOTLIGHT ON.....Berkshire Hathaway!!

A drive through New Tampa and Wesley Chapel pretty much tells the story about how popular our communities are as places to live and raise a family.

A crowded commute is one clue, but a look around reveals a lot of new housing construction adding to the existing high-quality home inventory and brand new shopping centers on prime commercial properties.

There’s a lot going on real estate-wise and at the center of much it are the professionals at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group’s New Tampa Market office, which has relocated to beautiful new offices on S.R. 56, next to Buffalo Wild Wings.

Berkshire Hathaway’s New Tampa office is run by president and managing Broker Otis Bass, Jr., who joined the company in 2014 after a stint at Charles Rutenberg Realty. Bass says his team is ready to handle just about any kind of transaction that serves a client’s real estate needs.

“We are a full-service office,” Bass says. “So we’re doing residential, luxury, commercial, and we even do property management.”

Bass notes that he loves the new digs, which he says, “are actually a little smaller than our old office on Bruce B. Downs, but it’s such a better, more open use of the space.

It’s open enough that we can even host our

corporate training programs here.”

He adds, “We help our clients get what they need in real estate, be it insurance, or a mortgage, or anything along those line. We have so many people within our circle we can give to them, so they can shop those services and decide which one is the best fit for them.”

Although located in Wesley Chapel, Bass says that the office has a wide footprint that extends through eastern Pasco and northern Hillsborough counties.

The Berkshire Hathaway New Tampa Market office has a staff of more than 80 sales professionals to serve your needs.

Check out Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group New Tampa Market office, located at 26771 S.R. 56, visit online to browse listings at BHHSFloridaProperties.com, see the ad on pg. 41 of this issue or call (813) 907-8200.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 11 • May 18, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Congratulations To Freedom High’s Class of 2018 Valedictorian & Salutatorian 2018 Freedom Top 10 1. Catherine Weng 2. Alejandro Michel 3. Annie Cao 4. Lauren Doebelle 5. Jamie Hsiao 6. Ania Murillo 7. Andrew Wise 8. Camilo Bravo 9. Ryan Ogburn 10. Cole Crawford

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

Catherine Weng says she’s never been interviewed before.

She has, however, conducted plenty of interviews, as the editor of Freedom’s school newspaper, Revolution.

That’s far from her only role, however.

The Class of 2018 Freedom High valedictorian is the definition of well-rounded.

She loves to dance and has studied at the Jansen Dance Project in Tampa Palms since middle school. She’s president of Freedom’s math honor society, Mu Alpha Theta, and has participated in competitions for that club since she was a freshman. She’s also the president of a club she created at Freedom for students who want to learn American Sign Language. Catherine also says she loves to bake, especially cookies and birthday cakes.

Oh, and she has a part time job as a tutor.

Catherine has finished her high school career with an impressive GPA of 8.9. She boosted her GPA well above a “perfect” 4.0 with a combination of honors, Advanced Placement (AP) and dual enrollment (DE) classes, which varied from computer programming classes to astronomy, to American Sign Language, which she really enjoys and isn’t offered at Freedom.

She says she got her first B this year in AP Spanish, where the challenge of being the only non-native speaker has made it hard to understand the wide variety of accents and vocabulary among those in her class. But, she says she doesn’t regret the hard class, “I really like linguistics,” she says. “I speak English and Chinese at home.”

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Freedom High valedictorian Catherine Weng is headed to the University of Florida.

Catherine is part of a large, blended family, and she says she’s especially close to her older sister Diana, who has earned both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Florida in Gainesville. Diana is still a student at UF, now working toward her Ph.D. in Accounting.

Knowing Catherine’s love of baking, Diana tried to sweeten the deal to get her sister to choose her school.

“She promised me a stand mixer if I came to UF,” Catherine laughs.

Despite exploring options as far away as New York and Seattle, Catherine ultimately

decided to join her sister at Florida.

She is a Bright Futures scholarship recipient, National Merit Scholarship finalist and a recipient of the Benacquisto Scholarship, which provides incentives for high- achieving students to go to a state university in Florida.

“I have such a good opportunity at UF,” she says. “I’m proud to say I’m a Gator.”

Given Catherine’s love for such a broad range of activities, it shouldn’t be surprising that she hasn’t quite nailed down what she’ll major in at UF. She’ll be in UF’s Honor College, and says she’ll most likely be a business major.

As Catherine leaves high school, she

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 11 • May 18, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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says she will take with her a philosophy to try to absorb the best things from the people around her.

“I’ve made a lot of amazing friends,” she says. “They have different skilIs and virtues and amazing things about them. I don’t know if I just got lucky to be at Freedom or if people are amazing everywhere.”

She’s about to find out about the people in Gainesville, at least.

“I’m happy to go to a ridiculously big school,” she says. “I’ll never run out of people to meet or things to do.”

Salutatorian Alejandro Michel

Freedom’s Salutatorian is Alejandro Michel, who’s GPA of 8.8 was 0.1 grade points below Catherine’s. Alejandro also is a well-rounded student, who has excelled in both academics and athletics.

On Saturday, May 4, Alejandro gradu-

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ated from Hillsborough Community College in the morning, after earning enough credits through dual enrollment classes — while a student at Freedom — to receive his Associate of Arts (AA) degree.

After the ceremony, he traveled to Jacksonville for the Florida Class 4A High School Track & Field State Championships, qualifying this year for the first time. He is primarily a cross country runner, but found success running track this spring, as he moved on from excellent finishes at the District and Regional meets to run in the State meet, too.

Before attending Freedom, both Alejandro and Catherine attended Liberty Middle School and before that, both attended Chiles Elementary, also in Tampa Palms, since kindergarten..

They have something else in common, too. As Alejandro heads off to Florida State University in Tallahassee, he is choosing to go to school with his brother, Max, who graduated from Middleton High and HCC this spring, as well.

“We plan to have our own apartment together, close enough to ride a bike to campus,” Alejandro says. “I’ve been riding my bike to school since Chiles and I want to keep doing that.”

Alejandro says he has two main loves — running and math. At FSU, he plans to major in statistics and minor in computer science. He is on an accelerated track, so that he will finish both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in just three years.

He says for his junior and senior year, he’s taken three math classes every semester, including AP Statistics, AP Calculus A/B and B/C, Calculus II and III and others. This year, he needed one more class at Freedom to keep his full-time status, so he chose Honors

Freedom Salutatorian Alejandro Michel Trigonometry. “The teacher knows the level of math I have and lets me teach the class sometimes,” he says.

Alejandro intends to become an actuary — a mathematician who specializes in risk and probability. “Really, I would have loved to be a math teacher or professor,” he says, “but there’s a work/life balance you can get with being an actuary, working only 40 hours a week.”

He thinks that will leave him with enough time and financial stability to also pursue a career as a professional runner, with the flexibility to continue to train and run.

He says that on his journey so far, he’s learned about pursuing his passion and how that leads to success.

“Do you just want to be successful, or do you really enjoy waking up every day and getting out there and having a runner’s high?,” he asks. “You have to love the process, not just the idea of being successful.”

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35

Clark Teacher Named Hillsborough’s Reading Teacher Of The Year

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN The Hillsborough County Literacy Association (HCLA) has named Christy Gupta its Reading Teacher of the Year for all Hillsborough County schools.

Gupta is a fifth grade teacher at Clark Elementary in West Meadows, teaching English Language Arts (ELA). She was nominated for the award by the school’s principal, Paulette English, and assistant principal, Nicole Libby.

English says that Gupta is an engaging and dynamic teacher who supports many students outside of her classroom with school-wide programs, such as online Twitter book studies with other teachers.

In class, English says Gupta is creative and motivating, such as when she recently turned her classroom into an operating room to teach her students about “text features” using a “surgery” theme.

“We see that in the early grades a lot,” says English, “but we don’t always see teachers as engaging and making learning fun at the fifth grade level.”

New Tampa Schools Take Home PTA Prizes

Congratulations to the local schools, staff, parents and students who have received awards from the Hillsborough County Council Parent Teacher Association (PTA) for outstanding programs and efforts at their schools during the 2017-18 school year. Of 42 awards given throughout the county in elementary, middle, and high school divisions, 10 were taken home

(Above left) Freedom High teacher Christy Gupta’s innovative approach to teaching earned her top honors; (Above right) Representatives from Benito Middle School were among those who received awards from the Hillsborough County Council Parent Teacher Association (PTA) for outstanding programs.

by New Tampa schools, including: Wharton High, Rachel Hineline Elementary Schools: • PTSA President of the Year: Free• Education: Hunter’s Green Elemen- dom High, Jeanine Ernst • Volunteer of the Year: Wharton tary, SMART Super Heroes Middle Schools: High, Michele Echols • Advocacy: Benito Middle School, Junior Blue Crew Freedom Student Wins • Family Involvement: Benito Mid‘All In For CF’ Scholarship dle School, School Beautification Freedom High senior Kira Taylor is one of • Health & Safety: Benito Middle 80 people nationwide to be awarded an “All In School, Red Ribbon Week • Local Unit Instructional: Liberty For CF” college scholarship for the upcoming academic year.

Middle School, Brendan Paul The $5,000 scholarship was awarded by • Local Unit Non-Instructional: BeVertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. nito Middle School, Sharon Hineline Kira Taylor (Photo credit: Vertex) Kira is a gifted musician and community • Principal of the Year: Liberty Midactivist,” said a Vertex representative. “She also College this fall and is working toward an Asdle School, James Ammirati sociate of Arts degree. She then hopes to pursue happens to be living with cystic fibrosis.”

High Schools: Kira will attend Hillsborough Community a career in special education.

• Outstanding High School Senior:

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Somehow, Michael Phelps Was Not The Highlight Of The Lagoon Grand Opening!

When you’re a former (average) high school swimmer who spent a lot of time training with much faster swimmers — none of whom were named Michael Phelps — it’s hard to imagine how much someone like me would look up to the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time.

Coincidentally, I’m also one of the people who couldn’t understand how a 7.5-acre Crystal Lagoons amenity in the U.S. — with no houses abutting it — could possibly work in the “middle-of-nowhere” portion of northern Wesley Chapel, off Curley Rd. Well, as pumped as I was to be one of the media members who got to ask Phelps, the Global Ambassador for Crystal Lagoons® US Corp about how it felt to be in Wesley Chapel for this historic event on Apr. 28 — the opening of the first Crystal Lagoons® amenity in the U.S. — once I saw the brilliant turquoise water of the coolest (and largest) swimming pool ever, the kayaks and paddleboards lined up along the “banks” of the lagoon, and (conservatively) more than 1,000 people, some of whom were making use of the beautiful, swim-up bar area (even though people weren’t supposed to be swimming in the water at all that day), well, let’s just say that suddenly my hero worship of Mr. Phelps was replaced by me thinking about buying a home in Epperson. This affordable, residential home community is being developed by the Metro Development Group’s Metro Places, where all of the houses will be within walking distance or 3-5-minute drive from a feature that will soon no longer be the only Crystal Lagoons® amenity in the U.S. Metro is developing nine such Crystal Lagoons® amenities in Florida alone, including one in Wimauma and one just north of Epperson, in Metro’s Mirada development.

Suddenly, I could picture why Metro has gone all in on these gigantic, self-sustaining pools, which reportedly use less water than a golf course. And, best of all, the answer is YES — once the lagoon in Epperson’s filtration system is fully functional — which should be sometime this summer — you and your family will be able to spend the day there for only $25 per person. There will be a website for purchasing passes online, but at our press time, that website was not yet up and running, but we’ll keep you posted! — GN

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Cynthia Filippi 813-784-1634 A Custom Built Serene Retreat sitting on 1.6 Acres Gated Westwood Estates, NO CDD- low HOA $600 yr, 3,817 SF, built 2013, 4BR/3.5BA, Office & Bonus Rm. A Fabulous Home Filled with Distinctive Design Features Horses Welcome in this Equestrian Community. Just 10 minutes to Shopping, Restaurants & I-75 Offered at $459,000

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Chuy’s Tex-Mex Is The Latest Chain Restaurant To Open On S.R. 56 While I agree that Chuy’s Tex-Mex, which opened on April 24 on the north side of S.R. 56 (across from the Tampa Premium Outlets) is a coollooking, fun place, following my first three visits to the Tex-Mex favorite of many of our readers (who previously had to go as far as Orlando to enjoy it), I’m still searching for my favorite dish at Chuy’s.

The bar area is a little smallish, but bright and cheery and some of the space is taken up by a 1950s-era, chips-&-salsa-loaded car that Elvis himself might have driven. And, speaking of Elvis, he is big at Chuy’s, where his birthday in January is celebrated every year with an Elvis impersonator (see page 3 for the local impersonator who should probably get the gig at our Chuy’s location). There is even an Elvis shrine at the front of the store and both an Elvis combo plate (that our own sometime-Elvis impersonator, Wild Bill Peterseim, said was excellent) and Elvis fried chicken (with corn flake bread crumbs) on the menu.

Although I thought the loaded nachos and chicken flautas that came as part of the appetizer combo platter were excellent, I’ve now given the chicken and steak combo fajitas (photo below left) two tries and both times, the steak and the chicken were both somewhat overcooked, although several people I spoke with after the VIP pre-opening event on April 23 said the fajitas they had at Chuy’s were excellent. I do also think the creamy jalapeño sauce (which you have to request with your chips) is better than the tomato salsa. We’ve also given decent marks to the ground beef chile relleños and the steak burrito, and with me living about a mile from Chuy’s, I’m sure I’ll find other items to sample from the menu. The place is packed every day for lunch and dinner, so grab a seat at the bar...maybe Jannah and I will see you there.

Chuy’s Tex-Mex is located at 25750 Sierra Center Blvd. For more info, call (813) 948-2211 or visit Chuys.com and please tell them I sent you! — GN

Margaritas, Chips & Salsa

42

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Nibbles & Business Bytes The Latest & Greatest News In Dining, Shopping & Business In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel!

Congrats To The North Tampa Bay Chamber Of Commerce!

O.K., so it’s not called the Wesley Chapel Chamber anymore and the new office is located in Lutz, but May 10 was still a pretty big day for the recently renamed North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, its CEO Hope Allen and her staff, Board of Directors and Ambassadors.

They and hundreds of other Chamber members and guests were all on hand when Allen cut the ribbon at the Grand Opening of the Chamber’s new office at 1868 Highland Oaks Blvd., Suite A-1.

“This is such an amazing day for us,” Allen said, holding back tears. “Thank you for your continued support as we continue to support the businesses in our three-county area.”

46

And, although it was as hot inside the Chamber’s new office — which also rents out suites to a number of tenants (who also had ribbon cuttings following the Chamber’s own scissors ceremony) — as it was outside, where the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club band “Strictly Business” played, there was great food provided by Chamber members like Culver’s and Chick-fil-A of Wesley Chapel, as well as The Private Chef of Tampa, A Dash of Salt & Pepper and beer and wine from A Time for Wine. Also attending were dignitaries like State Rep. Danny Burgess, Pasco County commissioners Mike Moore and Jack Mariano and Pasco’s comptroller and clerk of courts Dr. Paula O’Neil, all of whom were genuinely excited to be there.

For Chamber membership & other information, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com or call (813) 994-8534.

Cost Plus World Market Is Open!

Karina and Dane (see top photo on next page) are long-time members of the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel and she promises to provide traditional, affordable, concierge-style primary care medicine at her new practice.

To introduce her direct primary care practice (the first in our area) to the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel community, Dr. Azank Parilo is hosting a series of free Open House/ Question & Answer events at the new office.

Although we didn’t yet have the date of the next Q&A event, check these pages for more info. It’s a great opportunity to meet Karina and her friendly staff and find out why direct primary care may be the right choice for you and your family in today’s crazy health insurance environment.

For more info about the Open House events or how the practice works, stop in at the office at 2615 Windguard Cir., Suite 101, call (813) 536-0050 or visit KAPMedicalGroup.com and please tell Dr. Karina the New Tampa Neighborhood News sent you!

KAP Medical Group Celebrates Its Grand Opening

Ty & Hildi Visit TPO

Although most of the action in Wesley Chapel is centered around S.R. 56, I had no idea how much excitement there would be about the Grand Opening of Cost Plus World Market (5831 Wesley Grove Blvd.) in The Grove shopping center off S.R. 54.

The store, which features furniture, décor and gift items, packaged/dry foods and wines, had already been open a few days when World Market hosted a North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting on April 5, which was attended by hundreds of deal-seeking locals.

I’ll admit that I went there with no intention to purchase anything but came home with a half-case of assorted wines, two types of coffee (the World Market Italian Roast? Amazing!), World Market’s own truly delicious vodka spaghetti sauce and assorted unique chocolates. I even ended up joining the store’s savings club. So much for not buying anything, right? For more information, visit WorldMarket.com or call (813) 371-2433.

Congrats also go out to my friends Karina Azank Parilo, M.D., and her husband Dane Parilo, on the Apr. 25 Grand Opening of KAP Medical Group, located in the Windfair Professional Park behind the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel plaza, directly across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 11 • May 18, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

If you were a fan of the old “Trading Spaces” home improvement TV show on TLC (formerly The Learning Channel), you probably already realize that the show has made a triumphant return, after a 10-year hiatus.

On April 7, the day the new edition of the show debuted on TLC, “Trading Spaces” co-hosts/designers Ty Pennington and Hildi

@NTWCNews

Want a fresh new look for spring? Call your local, neighborhood experts!

Santo Tomas (photo, right) appeared for several hours at the Tampa Premium Outlets, to the delight of hundreds of fans who got to get “up close & personal” with Ty and Hildi. A great get for TPO, to be sure.

For more information, search “Trading Spaces” on Facebook.

Congrats, Mate...I Mean Mike!

Congratulations go out to my friends Mike and Sue Prenderville for the Grand Opening and two-Chamber ribbon cutting on Apr. 26 of the new location of Song Printing & Design, now located at 38514 5th Ave., in beautiful downtown Zephyrhills.

Both the Greater Zephyrhills and North Tampa Bay Chambers of Commerce cut ribbons that day, which was attended by more than 100 people, some of whom checked out the Zephyrhills Brewing Co. next door.

For more information, call (813) 7152212 or visit SongPrinting.com.

Here & There, This & That...

• I was sad to hear that the Ellen’s

Hallmark store in the City Plaza at Tampa Palms shopping center was closing by May 31.

A spokesperson for the store says that Publix, the plaza’s landlord, had raised the rent too high for the 20-year-old store to continue. As of May 11, everything in the Tampa Palms location was 60-percent-off.

• I’m sure you already know (from reading page 42 of this issue) that Chuy’s Tex-Mex had opened on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel.

What you may not know is that a much smaller new Mexican restaurant — Don Julio’s — is now open in the Palms Connection plaza at 2808 E. Bearss Ave., just west of BBD. Check it out & let me know what you think. For info, call (813) 898-2860 or visit DonJuliosMexican.com.— GN

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47

New Tampa & Wesley Chapel HOME IMPROVEMENT

Classifieds

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WESLEYCHAPELPRESSUREWASHING.COM Soft pressure exterior house cleaning, screen enclosures, pool decks, driveways, sidewalks, fences, roofs, paver sealing and deck staining. We clean everything. No job too big or small. Experience the difference when you hire a pressure cleaning professional. Licensed and insured. Owner operated. Call for a free estimate or visit our website.

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

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Your neighbors will love you for it! All work guaranteed. Licensed and insured. Call 813-215-1177.

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

RAYMOND PAINTING. Exterior & Interior Services.

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

Interior: Painting, plastering, ceiling & wall repairs & tiles. Licensed & Bonded. References avail. Free estimates. Your Neighborhood Arbor Greene Resident! We work 7 days. Call 813-994-5124.

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: 813-7845999.

MILLENNIUM HOME REPAIR.Professional Handyman. Cabinet Installation, dry wall repair, tile installation & repair, some plumbing, laminate flooring, light fixtures, interior painting, appliance installation, pressure washing, paneling, window repair, awning installation, carpentry, garbage disposal, fence repair, crown molding, window blinds, seal baths & showers, TV mounting & more. Call 813-400-1408 or email TYCOONUNION@YAHOO.COM. TJS PRESSURE WASHING LLC. DRIVEWAYS, HOUSES, FENCES, LANAIS & SCREENED ENCLOSURES. Most residential 2-car driveways or vinyl fences starting at $60. House wasjing prices startat $100 for a 1-story home & $150 for a 2-story home. Looking for an Instant Quote? Just text me a pic of the job you need done. CALL OR TEXT TJ AT (727) 808-7775.

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.

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.

CNAs/HHAs NEEDED: Established Senior Homecare Service is seeking CNA’s and Home Health Aids to work with our company. Contact (813) 9851200 for more information.

LAWN & LANDSCAPING

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

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

HOMETEAM LAWNCARE LLC High-quality professional Services: Weekly or bi-weekly year-round full-service lawn care starting at $90/month: Mow, edge, trim, blow, mulch-bed maintenance, hedge and low-tree trim. Additional Services: Sod, Mulch, & Rock Placement; Hedge Trimming, & Tree Trimming; Landscape Installation; Fall/Spring Clean-Up. Family Owned & Operated, Licensed & Insured, Background Checked, Call or Text (813) 817-9554.

COMPUTER/BUSINESS SERVICES

POOL SERVICES

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

TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE. New Tampa owned & operated. Great Pricing with outstanding customer service! LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED. See why we are New Tampa and Wesley Chapel’s #1 Choice!! Call Chris today @ (813) 8575400 or visit TranquilityPoolService.com. New customers get ONE MONTH FREE!

DO YOU HATE YOUR COMPUTER?!? WE CAN HELP YOU! Troubleshooting, installation, networking & virus removal. WE COME TO YOU! Residences & businesses, more than 25 years exp.

Contact Jeffrey Blank at (813) 973-4507, visit WSICA.COM or email Wsica@wsica.com

AllStarPoolsofTampaBay.com Highest quality salt and ozone generators, pumps, motors, filters.

Marcite, quartz and pebble finishes. Pool cleanups and acid washes, paver and river rock sealing.

Paver decks and driveways. Mention this ad for $69 pool service. Call or text 813-244-7077. Visit AllStarPoolsofTampaBay.com

CLEANING SERVICES B CLEANING SERVICES: Over 16 years experience! Commercial & residential; Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly; New house & post construction clean-up; Window cleaning; Move-in or move-out cleanings; Pressure washing; FREE estimates; References available. Call today: 813-531-0154 or e-mail: bcleanings@hotmail.com D-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE We have our own supplies and more than 400 clients in New Tampa!

For more info, Call 758-9710.

G&E Cleaning Services: Over 15 years experience. Commercial & residential: Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. New house & post-construction clean-up, move-in or move-out cleanings, pressure washing and window cleaning. Free estimates.

References available. Call 813-325-6446 or email Pinheiro.FG@hotmail.com

NEIGHBORHOOD POOLS Wesley Chapel owned and operated since 1999. Weekly service. No long term contracts. Mention ad for one month free service. Call 813-907-7322 for details or text Joe at 813-758-7608.

SPACE AVAILABLE SERENITY SALON & SPA SUITES Wesley Chapel. Booth rental for Stylist available. Can be either full time or part time. Give us a call!: 813-3125247 or 813-997-6302.

If you’d like to become part of the creative team at the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News and/or WCNT-tv, please submit a resume and one (1) writing sample of less than 600 words to GaryN44@yahoo.com.

Are You Getting The Most Bang For Your Advertising Bucks?

More than 125,000 people receive our publications in their mailboxes in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel every month & the Neighborhood News is what your neighbors actually READ!

To order your classified or display ad, call Tom Damico at (813) 910-2575!

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 11 • May 18, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 11 • May 18, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

49

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 11 • May 18, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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BROKERS WELCOME Broker must accompany client during client’s initial visit to this community. Both the client and Broker must execute the Developer’s Registration Form on the initial visit. Broker must also execute the Developer’s Broker Participation Agreement.Prices subject to change. Please see a Sales Associate for details. The Ridge at Wiregrass is being developed and sold by Pasco County Associates II, LLLP. ©2018 9600-012 5-7-18

Portfolio of Fine Homes Phone: (813) 931-6700 • KristyD@Realtor.com • RealEstateNewTampa.com

6534 Stonington Dr.

JUST LISTED

17760 Oak Bridge St.

6314 MacLaurin Dr.

17503 Edinburgh Dr.

JUST LISTED

4 Bed +Office | 3 Bath | 3,552 SF | 3 Car Garage | Custom Remodel Throughout, Travertine Flooring | Pond Views, Pool/Spa Offered for $615,000

4 Bed | 2.5 Bath | 2,410 SF | 2 Car Garage | Granite Counters, Spacious Rooms | Fenced, Solar Heated Pool Offered for $269,000

Golf Course Homesite | 5 Bed +Office +Loft | 4 Full, 2 Half Baths | 5,099 SF 3 Car Garage | Custom Upgrades Throughout | Pool/Spa Offered for $875,000

4 Bed | 4 Bath | 3,478 SF | 3 Car Garage | Remodeled Kitchen & Baths, Mahogany Wood Floors | Pool/Spa, Travertine Lanai Offered for $469,000

9138 Highland Ridge Way

15329 Sherwood Forest Dr.

10218 Waterside Oaks Dr.

17206 Emerald Chase Dr.

4 Bed +Office | 4 Bath | 3,680 SF | 3 Car Garage | Crown Molding, Oversized Tile, Large Master Suite | Pond Views, Pool/Spa Offered For $500,000

3 Bed + Loft | 2.5 Bath | 2,298 SF | 2 Car Garage | Remodeled Throughout, Newer Tile Roof and AC | Maintenance Free, Private Heated Pool/Spa Offered for $374,900

5 Bed | 3 Bath | 3,134 SF | 3 Car Garage | Remodeled Kitchen and Baths, Granite, Stainless Steel Appliances | Pond View, Pool/Spa Offered for $449,000

5 Bed +Office +Bonus Rm | 3 Bath | 3,452 SF | 3 Car Garage | Granite, Stainless Steel Appliances, Oversized Tile | Pond Views, Pool/Spa Offered for $599,000

8772 Ashworth Dr.

5306 Squire Dr.

18957 Wood Sage Dr.

6539 Stonington Dr.

SALE SALE PENDING PENDING

SALE PENDING

SALE PENDING

4 Bed +Office | 3 Bath | 2,695 SF | 2 Car Garage | Remodeled Kitchen, Wood Flooring | Pool, Fenced Yard Offered for $349,900

3 Bed +Den +Hobby Rm | 2.5 Bath | 3,080 SF | 3 Car Garage | Large Office with Built-in Cabinetry | Large Screened Lanai Offered for $425,000

4 Bed | 2 Bath | 1,822 SF | 2 Car Garage | Great Room Open Floor Plan, Architectural Details Throughout | Fenced, Large Screened Lanai Offered for $235,000

4 Bed +Office +Sitting Rm | 4 Bath | 3,574 SF | 3 Car Garage | Remodeled Kitchen, Newer AC and Pool Heater, New Paint | Conservation, Pool/Spa Offered for $529,000

9338 Deer Creek Dr.

9707 Cypress Pond Ave.

4920 Londonderry Dr.

17221 Broadoak Dr.

SALE PENDING

SALE PENDING

SALE PENDING

SALE PENDING

6 Bed | 4.5 Bath | 3,381 SF | 2 Car Garage | New Roof, Completely Remodeled, Granite, Wood Flooring | Golf Course Views, Pool Course Frontage | Offered for $5​2 9​,000

4 Bed | 2.5 Bath | 2,205 SF | 2 Car Garage | New Roof and Water Heater, Remodeled Throughout | Conservation View, Poo Offered for $289,900

4 Bed +Office | 3 Bath | 3,092 SF | 3 Car Garage | Completely Remodeled, Newer Roof, Custom Cabinetry | Heated Pool/Spa Offered for $525,000

4 Bed +Den | 3.5 Bath | 4,020 SF | 3 Car Garage | Upgraded Throughout, Tile roof, Custom Cabinetry | Conservation, Pool/Spa Offered for $739,999

17201 Emerald Chase Dr.

16119 Colchester Palms Dr.

10231 Garden Alcove Dr.

6316 Chauncy St.

SOLD IN 2 WEEKS

SOLD IN 2 WEEKS

SOLD IN 4 DAYS

SALE PENDING

SALE PENDING

SALE PENDING

4 Bed +Office +Bonus Rm | 4.5 Bath | 4,353 SF | 3 Car Garage | New Paint, Upgraded Throughout, Hardwood Floors | Conservation, Pool/Spa Offered for $685,000

5 Bed +Loft | 3 Bath | 3,559 SF | 3 Car Garage | Upgraded Throughout, Wood Floors, Granite | Conservation, Large Lanai Offered for $385,000

4 Bed +Office +Bonus Rm | 2.5 Bath | 3,270 SF | 3 Car Garage | New AC, Remodeled Throughout | Screened Lanai Offered for $389,000

4 Bed | 2.5 Bath | 2,109 SF | 3 Car Garage | Remodeled Kitchen and Baths, Designer Tile Backsplash | Fenced, Pool/Spa Offered for $300,000

18126 Courtney Breeze Dr.

8125 Hampton Lake Dr.

7212 Wareham Dr.

9303 Wellington Park Cir.

SOLD IN 4 DAYS

SOLD IN 2 WEEKS

SOLD IN 1 WEEK

SOLD IN 2 WEEKS

SALE PENDING

SALE PENDING 4 Bed | 3 Bath | 2,892 SF | 3 Car Garage | Remodeled Kitchen and Baths, New Windows, Plantation Shutters | Pond Views, Pool Offered for $450,000

SALE PENDING 4 Bed +Bonus Rm | 3 Bath | 2,554 SF | 2 Car Garage | Modern Finishes With Architectural Details, Wood Floors | Pond Views, Screened Lanai Offered for $325,000

SALE PENDING 4 Bed | 2.5 Bath | 2,752 SF | 2 Car Garage | Remodeled Kitchen and Master Bath | Granite, Maple Cabinetry | Conservation, Pool/Spa Offered for $389,000

SALE PENDING 4 Bed | 3 Bath | 2,710 SF | 3 Car Garage | New Tile Roof and AC, Remodeled Master Bath, Wood Floors, Granite | Fenced, Pool Offered for $385,000