New Tampa Neighborhood News Issue 15-12

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Volume 20 Issue 15

Inside: Our 2012 Election Coverage Begins! See page 16!

July 14, 2012

The Direct-Mail News Magazines Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Since 1993! THIS INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY NEWS MAGAZINE IS DIRECTLY MAILED TO: NEW TAMPA: Arbor Greene • Cory Lake Isles • Cross Creek • Easton Park • Grand Hampton • Heritage Isles • Hunter’s Green • Hunter’s Key • K-Bar Ranch • Lake Forest • Live Oak Preserve • Pebble Creek • Richmond Place • Tampa Palms • The Hammocks • West Meadows WESLEY CHAPEL: Aberdeen • Belle Chase • Brookside • Chapel Pines • Country Walk • Lexington Oaks • Meadow Pointe • New River • Northwood • Pinewalk • Pine Ridge • Saddlebrook • Saddleridge Estates • Saddlewood • Seven Oaks • The Lakes at Northwood • The Villages of Wesley Chapel • Wesley Pointe • Westbrook Estates • Williamsburg

Debby Spawns Tornado, Twists Up Grand Hampton Community Weather Service Credits NTNeighborhoodNews.com For Providing First Link To Tornado Information By Matt Wiley Parts of New Tampa are still recovering from the effects of Tropical Storm Debby, which sat on top of the Tampa Bay area for days, bringing with it a barrage of wind, rain, tornadoes and flooding. From June 24-27, New Tampa residents tried to go about their everyday lives as Debby swirled overhead, as the storm stalled just offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Meteorologists showed projected paths stretching across the Gulf Coast from central Florida to Texas, and were never really sure what the system would do. While experts scratched their heads, Debby dumped more than 15 inches of rain on the Bay area, with 13.5 inches reported in New Tampa.

Along with the rain, Debby’s winds also caused severe power outages. A representative from the Tampa Electric Company (TECO) reported that more than 20,000 customers were without power during the storm’s peak. Besides flooding, the most dangerous part of a tropical storm is the possibility of tornadoes, eleven of which were reported after Debby all across Tampa Bay, including one that touched down in New Tampa. “I actually found out about it from someone sending me a link to your NTNeighborhoodNews.com article,” says National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist Dan Noah. “That’s how we go back after a storm to find out exactly how many (tornadoes) may have touched down — we work with the local news media.”

Tornado In Grand Hampton

Mangled fencing and the remnants of the community clubhouse’s tennis shed decorated the tennis courts behind the clubhouse of the Grand Hampton community along County Line Rd. in New Tampa after a tornado touched down during Tropical Storm Debby. The National Weather Service has confirmed that this damage to the community tennis courts in Grand Several residents of the Grand HampHampton was caused by an apparent tornado. ton community yellow caution tape and adorned with reported numerous instances of damage “Keep Out” signs when we visited a from the now-confirmed tornado that day later, hardly resembled a place to touched down, or at least hovered play tennis. The fence posts were stickabove, the area during a tornado warning out at sharp angles or were bent in ing between 4 p.m.-5 p.m. on June 24. half and reaching for the ground. The community clubhouse’s tennis See “Tornado” on page 38. courts, which were still surrounded by

The ‘Freedom Festival’ Was New Tampa’s Place To Be On The 3rd!

NEIGHBORHOOD MAGAZINE!

New Tampa An ‘Innovation Destination?,’ Local Resident Wins Bodybuilding Title & Lots Of Local Business News!

Dade City Gets Wild, Full Circle Pizza & Grill Will Leave Your Mouth Watering, Our ‘Nibbles & Biz Bytes’ Column & More!

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Pages 41-48

ECRWSS

NEWS, BUSINESS, SPORTS & EDUCATION UPDATES

Postal Customer

Also Inside This Issue!

rate hot dog- and watermelon-eating contests, a bicycle decorating contest and the folks who paid for it all — a number of wonderful sponsors and business exhibitors who braved the sweltering heat in order to get their names out in front of thousands of attendees. It was difficult to estimate the size of the crowd, because there were also many people on hand who were just visiting the mall, but any- The bicycle decorating contest at the Freedom Festival was a sea of red, white & blue. one who ended up at the Shops certainly had to enjoy the adorable kids “Freedom Festival” the place to see decked out in their red, white and and be seen on the 3rd of July. blue splendor, as well as the multiple See more “Festival” pics on page 17. live bands who performed throughout the event, the inflatable playgrounds, bungee jumping and so much more. Congratulations to the Wesley Chapel Rotary, the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, the Shops at Wiregrass and everyone who made the PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID TAMPA FL PERMIT 2801

When a friend of mine asked me, “How come New Tampa doesn’t have its own fireworks display for the 4th of July?,” I responded that New Tampa needs to embrace and get more involved in the annual “Freedom Festival,” presented by the (noon) Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel. The Festival was held this year at the Shops at

Wiregrass mall on July 3, so local residents could celebrate closer to home and still head out to the beach for the 4th itself. And, despite temperatures nearing 100º F that roasted attendees for more than five hours, the Freedom Festival was definitely a tremendous success which included many titles being awarded, including the “Little Miss & Little Mr. Firecracker,” sepa-

Dated Material Please Rush!

By Gary Nager

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 15 • July 14, 2012 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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