Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News, Volume 26, Issue 16, July 27, 2018

Volume 26

WESLEY CHAPEL

Inside:

NEWS

The Crystal Lagoons® Amenity Is Now Open!

See Page 6!

Issue 16 July 27, 2018

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Pizza Party In Wesley Chapel!

Wesley Chapel Already Has Plenty Of Great Pizza Places. So, Why Are So ManyNew Ones Still Popping Up?

By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

Pizza may not be the world’s most-perfect food — although some who feel otherwise might fight you over that statement — but it probably is the most popular.

So, as Wesley Chapel grows, and more and more families move in, so do more businesses that sell pizza.

There’s locally-owned traditional pizzerias like 900 Degrees Woodfired, La Prima, Best New York, New York, Bosco’s and Amici Pizza, that sell more traditional NY-style pizzas, to name a few. Mellow Mushroom and Noble Crust (which have both opened in the last year) sell more eclectic pizzas.

And, the mega-chains like Domino’s, Little Caesars, Papa John’s and Pizza Hut deal in mostly speedy, high-volume delivery.

“I would say there’s a lot more pizza available in Wesley Chapel than normal on average in other cities (of its size),” says Steve Falabella, the owner of the popular 900 Degrees Woodfired Pizza, which has been at the Shops at Wiregrass mall since 2011. “I think the growth in Wesley Chapel was so fast, the rise of families happened so fast, that there was a rush to capture that.

And, one of the most common type of restaurants that go up in new neighborhoods sell pizza.”

Soon, you will be able to add a quickly expanding niche in pizza making to the list of local options: “Fast-Casual.”

On each side of S.R. 56, near the Tampa Premium Outlets, the two fastest growing fast-casual restaurants in the country will be planting their flags in Wesley Chapel, as MOD Pizza and Blaze Pizza are both entering the market.

The Allure Of New...

On a typical muggy Wednesday afternoon, sitting at an aluminium table shaded by an umbrella, Mike Lightsey is finishing off a slice of pepperoni pizza from 900 Degrees Woodfired. He is passing through on business, and says he eats a lot pizza. He thinks Falabella makes the best around.

Lightsey says he has tried Blaze, once in Atlanta, and enjoyed that as well. He has never heard of MOD, but is familiar with the trendy fast-casual model, having also eaten at Pieology in Seminole.

“It’s a good change of pace, and definitely something that seems to be taking off,” he says. “I’m surprised Wesley Chapel or even Tampa doesn’t have one yet.”

MOD Pizza, which will be located just west of the Starbucks on the south side of S.R. 56 in front of Costco, is scheduled to open in early-to-midSeptember. Blaze Pizza will be located on the other (north) side of 56, but has just started construction. Both specialize in smaller, personal pizzas, where customers choose the toppings and don’t have to wait long for them to cook.

At MOD Pizza, there are more than 30 non-GMO toppings to choose from when constructing your own 11-inch pizza. MOD has its own dough See “Pizza” on pg. 8

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‘God Said It Was Time For A New Direction’—Hans Geissler

An editorial by Gary Nager mission statement expands on an old saying: “Give a man a fish, he eats for a day.

I have only met Hans Teach a man to raise fish and grow vegetables Geissler of Morningstar Fishand the whole community eats for a lifetime.” ermen a few times since I was In about a quarter of a century, Mornfirst introduced to him at a ingstar has helped people in the U.S., Canada, Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Mexico, and more than 20 other countries (see story on page 33) meetacross the globe grow vegetables and raise ing back when the club met at the old Ciao! fish using aquaponics, a form of biomimicry.

Italian Bistro in the Shops at Wiregrass. But, In places where people so often go hungry like most people when they first encounter him, because they don’t have the natural resources I felt from Day One like we were old friends. or knowledge of how to grow their own Current Wesley Chapel Rotary Club vegetables by raising their own fish — and by member Dane Parilo first met Hans back in the using only 1-3 percent of the water used in early 2000s, when both men helped charter the traditional agriculture, all with no soil. The Rotary Club of San Antonio (FL). Not only roots of the plants are actually fed by the waste have Dane and Hans been close friends ever generated by the fish, usually tilapia. since then (Dane even got the Wesley Chapel Hans, who has created Morningstar’s Rotary to make donations to Morningstar), headquarters on Old Saint Joe Rd. in Dade Dane has helped his friend expand MorningCity, where he has multiple fish tanks served by star Fishermen, the incredible faith-based 501 a system of pipes pumping water, has primar(c) (3) nonprofit organization Hans started in ily brought the science of aquaponics to these 1993, several years before both he and Dane poor nations — from Haiti to multiple counjoined the San Antonio Rotary. tries in need in Africa, Asia, Europe and Central Morningstar is amazing because its and South America — by setting up the same self-contained ecosystems large enough to raise fish and fresh vegetables to feed entire communities in need. Today, however, he says he has a different focus, one created by a recent natural disaster at his modest Dade City headquarters.

On July 6, a bolt of lightning struck Morningstar’s power tool shed, where virtually all of the books and records of the nonprofit also were destroyed. A large lawn mower basically blew up and a 23-foot boat next to the burnt building very nearly caught fire, too.

While most people would be devastated by such a loss, especially since Hans had no (L.-r.) David Hodge, Dane Parilo & Hans. insurance whatsoever for the building, the Morningstar founder took a different view: “God said it was time for a change, for a Wesley Chapel new direction,” Hans told me as we examined Neighborhood News the building’s charred remains. “Unfortunately, Address: many of the systems we set up in these other 29157 Chapel Park Dr., Suite B countries to help poor people would end up Wesley Chapel, FL 33543 being taken over by bad people because they Phone: (813) 910-2575 could get away with it, often using legal loopAdvertising E-mail: holes to do so.”

Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Because of that, Hans says, Morningstar Editorial E-mail: will now focus on helping the poor and hungry EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com right here in the U.S. “And, instead of building Publisher & Editor the systems for them and leaving them there, Gary Nager we provide seminars and animated videos Advertising Sales & Office Assistant showing communities and even individual Jannah McDonald people how to create the systems themselves Assistant Editor / Photographer and how to fund the start-up costs to buy the John C. Cotey needed pipes, fish and vegetables.”

Correspondents Celeste McLaughlin • Brad Stager • Andy Warrener WCNT-tv Senior Video Producer Gavin Olsen WCNT-tv Video Production Assistant Giuliano Ferrara Graphic Designers Georgia Carmichael • Stephanie Vokes Flischel Nothing that appears in Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion.

The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisements for Volume 26, Issue 18, of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News is Monday, August 13, 2018.

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

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

© 2018 JM2 Communications, Inc. Neighborhood News

Since the fire, Hans is even more determined to “Help Others Help Themselves” here in the U.S. He can even show anyone how to create a small, working aquaponic system at their own home.

But, to do so, he needs more help than

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Table of Contents

Local News Updates.....................3-13

PCSO Deputies Still Looking For Murder Suspects...4 Crystal Lagoons® Amenity To Open Next Month...6 Business Briefs: BMW’s Coming To Wiregrass!.......9 Homes Approved For K-Bar Despite Road Issues....10 New Tampa Father Mourned............................12-13 Wesley Chapel Community Calendar.........................14

Local Business Updates..............16-25

ever. And, I told Hans I wanted to help, even though I don’t have a great track record of raising money for worthy causes.

To find out how you can help, visit MorningstarFishermen.org or call (352) 523-2722 and please tell Hans I sent you.

Dr. Lisa LaPresti

Cabana Spas Can Help You Relax & Refresh!........16 Tendercare Pediatrics Expands, Improves Services......18 SPOTLIGHT ON: The Beach House At Wiregrass.......9 New Owners Offer Same Budget Blinds Style...........20 PROtential Sports Expands To The Ridge!...............22

Local School & Sports Updates..26-30 Wiregrass Ranch, Weightman See Grades Jump......26 Local Student Finds His Way With Music...............28

Neighborhood Magazine

Wesley Chapel Rotary Celebrates A Great Year.......33 Bahama Breeze Blows Open Its Doors....................36 ‘Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes’.........38 New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Classifieds..........40 @NTWCNews

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 16 • July 27, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

3

Pasco Sheriff ’s Office Still Investigating Execution-Style Shooting In Estancia

By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com An execution-style murder in Wesley Chapel’s Estancia at Wiregrass Ranch community remains unsolved, and investigators are hoping a little help from the public can help bring two murderers to justice.

“We have had a lot of tips, but nothing substantial,” said Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) public information officer Melanie Snow, who added that she was hopeful an increased effort on social media in the past week could yield additional information.

On June 27, around lunchtime, deputies say a car entered the Treviso subdivision in Wiregrass Ranch (on Chancey Rd. east of Bruce B. Downs Blvd.) and drove up to a yellow home at 28401 Marsciano Lane that was still under construction.

They hopped out of what was a 2017 or 2018 black Ford Fusion Hybrid (according to a surveillance video that recorded the car driving away) and walked towards the garage.

Three workers were sitting in the garage, taking a break from a tiling project at the house, which they had been working on since 7 a.m. or so. The suspects only seemed interested in one of them, however — 46-year-old Heans Gianni Alvarez, the owner of Imagination Tiles in Tampa.

Brushing past the two other men sitting there, one of the suspects walked up to Alvarez, tapped him on the leg, pointed the gun at him and shot him.

The suspect then pointed the gun at the other men, but did not pull the trig-

ger, as they scattered. The two suspects returned to their car and sped off.

At a news conference later that day, Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco called it a “targeted execution.”

The two murder suspects were described by witnesses as light-skinned black men with short braided hair, and were both roughly 5’-3” to 5’-8” in height.

Alvarez was wearing jewelry when law enforcement arrived, and there were no signs of any other crime.

“It looks like they were going after Mr. Alvarez,” Sheriff Nocco said. “They bypassed other people. And, there was no sign of a robbery that took place.”

Nocco says they are still investigating any possible motive, but it does appear the two suspects knew Alvarez.

Anyone with any information is urged to call the Pasco Sheriff’s Office Crime Tips Line at 1-800-706-2488.

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Beaches, crystal clear water and cabanas are some of the highlighted features of the soon-to-open Crystal Lagoons® amenity in the Epperson community off Curley Rd. (Photos: Gavin Olsen)

Crystal Lagoons® Amenity In Epperson Now Shooting For An August Opening

By JOHN COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

Metro Development Group says its widely-anticipated, first-of-its-kind in the U.S. Crystal Lagoons® amenity should finally be available to residents of the Epperson community in August, although work will continue through the summer.

The general public will have to wait a little bit longer, but will be allowed in for reduced rates once the gates open.

According to Eric Wahlbeck, the 200 or so residents already living in Epperson will get first dibs to enjoy an amenity that features crystal clear water, sandy man-made beaches, recreational aquatic activities and pool-side bars and cabanas, but has been

maligned this summer because of an issue with permitting that stalled construction and made some residents unhappy.

“For the first two weeks following the opening date, admission will be exclusively for Epperson Resident Members, and a limited number of resident guests,” Wahlbeck said. “After the initial two-week period, the lagoon will open to the public by making a limited number of tickets available to non-residents for a shortterm discounted rate of $10 per person.”

Once that term, which is likely to be determined by demand, expires, tickets for the public to enjoy the lagoon will cost $25 per person per day.

Pricing was an issue for some residents and potential residents, some of whom chose to get out of their contracts.

Meanwhile, current residents — many of whom remain stalwart supporters of Metro — were told they would enjoy discount prices to use lagoon amenities like kayak and paddleboard rentals, but the discounts will be phased out over three years and could end up costing larger families thousands of dollars a year to be able to access all of the lagoon’s features.

Metro also had to suspend construction when it was discovered in May that 19 buildings at the lagoon had been built without proper permits.

“We have secured all relevant permits necessary to complete work and are currently testing and adjusting the mechanical systems,” Wahlbeck says.

The lagoon, beaches, the giant inflat-

able waterslide (the same slide as at the Tradewinds Resort on St. Pete Beach) and bar areas are all expected to open as part of the first phase. Wahlbeck says the lagoon will be “fully open, pending any unforeseen issues,” following the late summer 2018 opening. Other features will open as soon as they are completed in later phases.

Wahlbeck says in addition to the roughly 200 residents currently living in Epperson, another 150 future residents are currently under contract.

“Yes, people remain excited about the Lagoon and the Epperson community is tracking to become one of the fastest-selling communities in the Tampa Bay area — something that in part we attribute to the ‘Lagoon Effect,’” he said.

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‘Pizza’

Continued from Page 1

recipe, and the tomato sauce is made in-house daily. No matter how many you choose, the price doesn’t change. The pizzas take only three minutes to cook and can be ordered online for pick-up or enjoyed inside the store.

“We were and are the first super fastcasual chain in the United States,” says Brick Kerge, VP of Operations for Food for Thought Restaurant Group, which owns the local MOD franchise.

Employees are part of the “MOD Squad,” and an emphasis is placed on training a friendly staff that makes the all-around experience and environment something patrons will want to try again.

“This is not just another pizza place,” says Kerge.

Founded in Seattle in 2008, MOD is likely not a familiar name to locals. But nationally, it is the country’s No. 1 fastest growing chain, according to Nation’s Restaurant News’ list of the Top 10 Fastest-Growing Chains, thanks to 80-percent sales growth in 2016.

When it opens here in September, it will be MOD Pizza’s first entry into the Tampa Bay market, although there currently are four other locations in Florida, with five more — including the Wesley Chapel location — scheduled to open soon.

While MOD is the fastest-growing chain, Blaze Pizza is the second-fastestgrowing and has been massively successful since being launched in 2011 by the founders of Wetzel’s Pretzels.

It has quickly grown to include more than 250 locations in 40 states, and should be open sometime early next year in Cypress

Whether you prefer New York (and wood-fired Neapolitan)-style pizza available at 900º Woodfired Pizza in the Shops at Wiregrass, or you’re dying to try individual, three-minute pizzas at Blaze Pizza, which is coming soon to the north side of S.R. 56 near the Tampa Premium Outlets, Wesley Chapel has you covered.

Creek Town Center North.

Driving a lot of the buzz around Blaze Pizza, which also features three-minute pizzas boasting freshly made dough and artisanal toppings, is NBA superstar Lebron James’ involvement as an investor.

Like MOD, Blaze also offers a fast-casual experience where customers select their crust style and then move down the line while adding toppings, at the end of which the pizza is quickly cooked.

These newest entries to the Wesley Chapel “piescape” are hip, trendy and fill a desire for custom-built pizzas with a wide variety of toppings that are not always avail-

able at traditional pizza spots. They will be stiff competition for each other, but familyowned pizzerias, and even smaller chains like Westshore and pizza places that deliver, still offer a distinctly different flavor and will likely continue to be popular here.

But Wait, There’s More!

MOD and Blaze aren’t the only local newcomers. In the last few months alone, Amici’s has reopened to rave reviews after moving locations on Wesley Chapel Blvd. in Lutz, and Jake’s Pizza has opened its second location, on County Line Rd. in Meadow Pointe, featuring our area’s first thin-crust St. Louis-style pizza.

And, Pomodoro Pizza could be open on S.R. 56, in the same plaza as Wolf’s Den, by the time this issue reaches your mailbox, and will offer New Jersey-style pizza. And, never one to rest on his laurels, Falabella has created a local sensation, especially on Facebook, with his recent addition of no-crust “keto diet” pizzas.

“Which pizza is the best is all subjective,” Falabella says. “I can find 10 people to tell you they like Domino’s the best. I can find 10 who would tell you Pizza Mania is the best.

And I can find 10 to tell you that we are the best. There’s no such thing as the best pizza. “(In Wesley Chapel), Everyone can find something they like.”

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 16 • July 27, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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Business Notes: Build-A-Bear’s UnBearable Promotion, BMW’s Plans & More Food On 56

At 2 p.m. on July 12, more than four hours after it was cancelled, lines to take advantage of Build-A-Bear Workshop’s “Pay Your Age” promotion still stretched around the building. (Photo: John C. Cotey)

By JOHN C. COTEY Hyatt Place Hotel & Convention Center.

The strip center is expected to be home john@ntneighborhoodnews.com to a number of coming projects that have been previously reported, like Golf Galaxy, The longest lines in the history of the Total Wine & More and Blaze Pizza.

Shops at Wiregrass ended with sadness for One highly-anticipated sports-themed many on July 12, as customers had to be restaurant has already begun the permitting turned away when the popular toy company process, but it won’t be headed to the new was forced to abandon its “Pay Your Age” center, as once-rumored. Instead, Walk-On’s promotion in mid-stream.

Bistreaux & Bar will begin construction The promotion sounded great on paper. soon a little bit further to the west, near the For one day only, customers could purchase a corner of S.R. 56 and Wesley Chapel Blvd. stuffed animal for the price of their age. For a toy that can run from $15 and (much) higher, (S.R. 54), and just west of where Wesley Chapel’s first major green grocery chain, it sounded too good to be true.

Earth Fare Health & Wellness SupermarAnd for many, it was. ket, is now going vertical.

All across the country, and at the Walk-On’s, a franchise with more than Wiregrass location, the promotion had to be a dozen locations across Louisiana and Texas cut short, due to overwhelming demand. At and an aggressive plan to expand into 11 Wiregrass, a line of more than 1,000 people other states this year, will be located in the stretched around the back of Build-A-Bear, same center with Chipotle Mexican Grill, around JCPenney and down past Moe’s SW and a 3,000-sq.-ft. Sleep Number store will Grill when the promotion was canceled at also be on that parcel.

10:30 a.m.

Walk-On’s will be one of the few “pure” Those who were already there were alsports bars in the area. Its founders, Brandon lowed to stay, but no one else was allowed to Landry and Jack Warner, met in 1997 at Louiget in line. siana State University in Baton Rouge, where Even by 2 p.m., the line still went all both were walk-ons (hence the name) for the the way behind Build-A-Bear. It was a sunny Tiger basketball team. and blistering hot day, so the mall was nice According to the Walk-On’s website, in enough to bring out a container of green2000, Landry and Warner sketched out their and-white umbrellas to help customers shield vision for a floor plan on a napkin from 35,000 themselves from the elements. feet above the earth, as they flew home from a Build-A-Bear has announced that those road game at the University of Tennessee. who join its free “Count Your Candles” They opened their first location in 2003 program can still pay their age for a “Birthday and, in 2012, Walk On’s was named the No. Treat Bear,” which is usually $14, during their 1 Sports Bar in America. Two years later, New birthday month only.

Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees joined VROOOM: BMW is hoping to open a the business as a co-owner. showroom at S.R. 56 and Mansfield Blvd., afWalk-On’s menu is a little different than ter filing plans with Pasco County and having many sports bars, highlighted by some unique a pre-application meeting in July.

Cajun dishes, like po’boy sandwiches, gumbo, The BMW showroom would be 32,758 crawfish, fried Lousiana Alligator and Cajundilsquare feet, and bring another luxury auto las (a tortilla stuffed with chicken, andouille, dealership to Wesley Chapel. boudin sausage, caramelized onions and cheese).

In the last year alone, Wesley Chapel has All of it served by waitresses dressed as seen Lexus and Audi luxury brands added to a cheerleaders and televisions blaring the calls three-year-old Mercedes-Benz dealership. from your favorite sporting events.

The plans filed with the county do not HOME DECORATING: While the identify the dealership’s owner. new AtHome store behind Costco on the PUT ME IN COACH: Permitting has south side of S.R. 56 also has gone vertical, been filed with Pasco County planning for a Home Goods has filed permitting requests 15,664-sq.-ft. shell building that is expected with Pasco County for a 20,006-sq.-ft. to be a commercial strip center on the north store to be located next to the Earth Fare side of S.R. 56, in front of the soon-to-open and Chipotle.

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Tampa City Council Approves Rezoning For 700 Homes In K-Bar Ranch

By JOHN COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

After two readings and one continuance, the Tampa City Council has approved a rezoning that will pave the way for developer M/I homes to build 698 new homes in New Tampa’s K-Bar Ranch community.

The growth of the soon-to-be burgeoning Development of Regional Impact (DRI), located north of Cross Creek Blvd. in the northeasternmost part of New Tampa, has been a point of some public debate, due to the lack of infrastructure, namely roads, in the area.

But, only District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, who represents all of the neighborhoods within Tampa’s city limits in New Tampa — including K-Bar Ranch — was the only vote against the rezoning approved by the council (by a 6-1 vote on June 28) to allow the new homes to be built in K-Bar. As it is with any zoning matters, Viera is not allowed to comment on the case for 30 days following the vote.

More homes means more cars, and currently, the only way in and out of K-Bar Ranch is Kinnan St., which runs north and south, or Basset Creek Dr., a two-lane road that runs past Pride Elementary before connecting to Kinnan.

Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa are still pursuing connections north into Pasco County at three different points to help relieve congestion, and K-Bar Ranch Pkwy., an east-west road which is connected to Kinnan St., is still under construction and will provide a path out via Morris Bridge Rd., but not until late 2019 at the earliest.

There was very little discussion amongst the City Council members before the vote, and no one from the public spoke.

Craig Margelowsky, the president of the Heron Preserve neighborhood in K-Bar Ranch and an opponent of adding more homes in his community without more roads, attended the May meeting but was unable to attend on June 28. He says he was disappointed with the decision, but not surprised.

Margelowsky says that he is concerned that by passing the rezoning request, the City of Tampa gave away any leverage it might have had in securing connections with Pasco County. If the rezoning was conditional upon new roads, government officials, as well M/I Homes, would be more pressed to find quicker solutions.

“This took away all the expediency,” Margelowsky says.

However, the City Council had little

More homes have been approved for K-Bar Ranch, which is now completely rezoned and headed towards nearly 2,000 total homes and condos/townhomes in the next few years. (Photo: John C. Cotey) choice but to okay the rezoning, says Melanie Calloway, the senior transportation planning engineer for Tampa, in order to guarantee the connection of K-Bar Ranch Pkwy.

Calloway cited House Bill 7207, or the Community Planning Act, passed in 2011 and signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott, which handcuffed local governments from imposing what was once state-required concurrency for transportation, parks and schools. The bill allows developers to build without making improvements on over-capacity or failing roadways, which aren’t considered when performing traffic analyses.

Calloway has admitted that the City of Tampa can’t legally require M/I Homes to make the connections, but are encouraging them to work with Pasco County, and M/I Homes officials are continuing to do so.

“I think there is more interest in making those connections than there has been,” said K-Bar Ranch attorney Donna Feldman. “I think, in time, they will occur.”

Feldman also said that at the Wesley Chapel Roadways presentation on May 29, it was shown that the majority of those on the Pasco side wanted connections.

However, that “majority” was only true for two of three potential connections — at Meadow Pointe Blvd. & K-Bar Ranch Pkwy., and Wyndfields Blvd. at K-Bar Ranch Pkwy.

No indication has been given that there is enough support for the most convenient, controversial and contentious connection — between Kinnan St. and Mansfield Blvd.

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in Meadow Pointe. Pasco County District 2 commissioner Mike Moore, who represents the area, is on record as being adamantly opposed to it. He has suggested the Pasco Board of Commissioners (BOC) may not even vote on the connections until next year.

While Moore favors only two of the three connections, the City of Tampa feels that all three connections need to be made.

But, Margelowsky isn’t convinced the Tampa City Council will hold firm on that stance. “Without requiring roads (before passing the rezoning), now Pasco County can sit on this for five years,” he said. “I know that the Wyndfields and Meadow Pointe

Blvd. connections will get done, but I don’t see anybody going and actually fighting for Kinnan-Mansfield.”

Connections or no connections, Feldman said the rezoning needed to be approved. The 2,280 acres of K-Bar Ranch was annexed into Tampa in 2002 to “grow the wealth, size and import of the City of Tampa,” Feldman said, “and the City of Tampa has done that.”

She said the land-use entitlements allow for far more density than what was allowed in a 2015 rezoning of the area.

The current rezoning is for a northwest portion of land adjacent to Kinnan St., and a northeast portion of K-Bar Ranch adjacent to Morris Bridge Rd. The rest, Feldman says, already has been rezoned.

Feldman told the City Council members that M/I Homes has done its part. The financial impact of building K-Bar Ranch Pkwy is $18.8-million, and she said that M/I Homes also donated 60 acres of K-Bar Ranch land to the city for a park, which also was more than what was required in K-Bar’s development plan.

“This project, as a whole, has been mitigated over and above what is necessary to accommodate this rezoning, which really started with the annexation of this project in the early 2000s,” Feldman said as she asked the City Council for approval.

K-Bar already has roughly 500 homes and townhomes already built, with another 700 or so approved in 2015 — despite similar protests from residents then about a lack infrastructure and roads — that currently are under construction. The new rezoning will add nearly 700 more homes to the community, bringing the total to nearly 1,900.

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Prayers For Pedro & The Aguerreberry Family

I

By GARY NAGER

MAGINE, IF YOU CAN, your husband or wife taking the kids for their usual bike ride together and waiting for them to come home. Everyone knows bicycles can be dangerous, but even those times that you get that feeling in the pit of your stomach because it’s taking a little longer than usual for them to return, it pretty much always turns out OK. Doesn’t it?

Then, imagine what the family of West Meadows resident Pedro Aguerreberry, 42, is going through today, only about a month since Pedro took his sons Lucas, 8, and Bennett, 3, out for a bike ride, never to be seen alive again by his wife Meghan or those young boys.

But, this wasn’t just another tragic accident that, in an instant, changed forever the lives of the Aguerreberry family and everyone who worked with the always-smiling Pedro at Citigroup and their friends and neighbors in New Tampa.

Instead, it was an intentional act by a sadly mentally deranged young man who posted on Instagram the day before he made that quick U-turn in his car on New Tampa Blvd. (the main road that runs through West Meadows) to run down Pedro and his young sons (and then drove off) that no one should blame him for what he was about to do. Instead, Morse said, “blame the devil.”

Yes, Morse, the former Freedom High student who was Baker Acted by the Tampa Police Department (TPD) on June 12, just two

12

weeks earlier, only to be released — against the protests of his own mother — on June 19, a week after being held and evaluated, was obviously dealing with a serious mental illness. But, this isn’t about whether or not the man charged with the first-degree, premeditated murder of Pedro should be declared not guilty by reason of insanity or not. It’s about what happens after a happily married, devoted husband and father is intentionally taken from the arms of his loving family by someone he had never met.

Trying To Make Sense Of It

Even though I had never met Pedro or Meghan, I was one of more than 200 people who filled St. James United Methodist

Church on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. on June 27 for his funeral. The next day, I also came out to take pictures of the 100 or so who got together to put on a memorial bike ride and run in his honor.

At the memorial service on Friday, I was stunned that the start of the service was delayed by an hour, as I was one of only maybe 30 people who were actually sitting in the seats. The other (approximately) 175 or so people in attendance made a circle around the outside of the seating area and every last one of them hugged Meghan and the boys (Lucas was able to get himself into a seat, but Bennett, who was more severely injured in the crash, was still in a wheelchair) and offered

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them all prayers and other words of love and encouragement.

I had never seen this done at a funeral before but I definitely felt this amazing energy flowing between every one of those wellwishers and the entire Aguerreberry family.

As if he hadn’t already been through enough that week, poor Bennett simply couldn’t handle the receiving line. After the first 20 minutes or so, he said, “Mommy, please stop letting go of me,” as Meghan tried desperately to continue holding his hand while hugging every one of the attendees with her other arm.

Still 20 minutes later, Bennett pleaded with her again, “Mommy, please stop hugging them.” I can’t imagine that anyone who left St. James did so with his or her heart still intact after hearing this sweet child’s plaintive cries.

After that, it was difficult to focus on the beautiful, sweet words of remembrance from Brett, Oscar and Laura, Pedro’s friends and coworkers at Citigroup who spoke. Everyone who did speak mentioned Pedro’s smile.

“Pedro was always happy and always had the greatest smile on his face,” Brett said. “He was always saying, ‘Hey, Brett, isn’t this just the greatest day?’”

It’s still so hard to believe that someone like that could be taken away from the people who love him by such a senseless, heinous act.

Even so, I personally wanted to thank Loyless Funeral Homes for providing such a beautiful video memorial for Pedro, both online and during the service. The photo on this page of Pedro and his family was saved from that video.

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It certainly isn’t difficult to understand why so many people have felt compelled to try to help the Aguerreberry family. In addition to the memorial bike ride, a GoFundMe page has already raised tens of thousands of dollars to help them and The Fat Rabbit Pub in Tampa Palms and 900º Woodfired Pizza in the Shops at Wiregrass (owner Steve Falabella lives in West Meadows) were among those holding fund-raising events (Fat Rabbit’s was on July 8) to help.

As for the bike ride, cyclists young and old started at the BBD entrance to Flatwoods Park, turned right onto BBD and left onto New Tampa Blvd., pausing to honor Pedro at the makeshift shrine (photo above right) set up by his fellow West Meadows residents near where he was struck and killed by

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Morse’s car, a little west of Wood Sage Dr. Brett was among the handful of runners who said a little prayer (photo above left) for Pedro before taking off to run the park’s paved loop together.

The 30-year-old Morse was formally charged with premeditated first-degree murder on July 6.

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13

JULY 2018 Friday, July 27

RGA Network Weekly Meeting - The RGA Networking Group meets weekly for networking at GrillSmith at the Shops at Wiregrass mall. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; lunch is noon-1 p.m. For more info, visit RGANetwork.net.

Celebrate Recovery - Meeting Thursdays at 7 p.m. at Bridgeway Church (30660 Wells Rd.), the purpose of Celebrate Recovery is to bring freedom from dysfunctional, compulsive & addictive behaviors through biblically-based principles. Dinner & free childcare available. Call (813) 907-1313.

The Freedom Center present HopeFest -at Wesley Chapel Elementary (30243 Wells Rd.), 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Get Education-Ready with health information, school supplies & new backpacks at this FREE event with bounce houses and carnival games. Register at FreedomisHere.org, or call (813) 414-1664.

Tuesday, August 14 NTVA Happy Hour at 81 Bay Brewing - The North Tampa Veterans Association & East Pasco Networking Group - Meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month the Huntington Disease Foundation are collecting money and raising awareness for at 7:30 a.m. at IHOP, 13100 US 301, Dade City. For info, contact Nils Lenz, 813Veterans. Join 81 Bay Brewing and local Veterans for a 50/50 Raffle, live music, a 782-9491 or nilslenz@gmail.com. commemorative brew, and more, at 4465 W. Gandy Blvd, Tampa, 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Visit NorthTampaVeteransAssociation.org or 81BayBrewCo.com for more info.

Monday, August 20 East Pasco Democratic Club - Meets 3rd Monday of each month at Omari’s Monday, July 30 Grill, Scotland Yards Golf Club, 9424 U.S. 301, Dade City, from 6:30-8 p.m. For Professional Business Connections (PBC) - PBC meets Mondays at 7:45 more info, visit www.eastpascodems.com. a.m. at The Happy Hangar Cafe (at Tampa North Aero Park, 4241 Birdsong Blvd., off S.R. 54, Lutz). For info, call Matt Archbold at (813) 782-1777.

Friday, August 24 Wesley Chapel Speaks - The Wesley Chapel Toastmasters meet every Monday Casino Night - Wesley Chapel Nissan (28519 FL-54), 7 p.m.-10 p.m, will at 6 p.m. for networking, 6:30 pm for public speaking, at Wesley Chapel Nissan host Casino Night hosted by the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club (see story on pg. 33) will feature live music, a live auction, free food, casino gaming and (28519 State Rd 54). For more info, call Martin at (813) 693-0969. more to benefit a charity selected by the Rotary Club

AUGUST 2018 Wednesday, August 1

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, August 28

Wesley Chapel Lions Club - The Wesley Chapel Lions meet every 4th Tues., 6:30 p.m., at the Lexington Oaks Community Center (26304 Lex. Oaks Blvd.). For info about volunteering, community efforts, meetings, helping the vision impaired & more, visit WesleyChapelLionsClub.com or the club’s page on Facebook.

Friday, August 3

Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Sunrise - The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Sunrise meets the 1st & 3rd Fridays of each month, 7:15 a.m., at Happy Hangar Cafe, 4241 Birdsong Blvd. For info, call Kathy Schenck at (813) 956-4436.

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Tuesday, August 7

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

Wednesday, August 8

Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel - The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel (Noon) now meets Wednesdays at noon at Lexington Oaks Golf Club (26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd.). First-time guests attend free. For info, (813) 862-8989 or (813) 391-3895.

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Thursday, August 9

BNI Networking Meeting - Business professionals are invited to attend this networking organization’s meetings on Thursdays, 7:30 a.m., at Savannah Church (3758 Maryweather Lane, off BBD Blvd., behind Dunkin’ Donuts). For more info, call Kyle Flischel at (813) 815-0250.

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15

Cabana Spas Offers A Plethora Of Services To Help Leave Your Worries Behind

BY BRAD STAGER When chaos and stress are running up the score in the game of life, Cabana Spas offers a place where you can call a personal “time out”.

Originally opened two years ago in Wesley Chapel’s Seven Oaks Plaza on S.R. 56, Cabana Spas has expanded to two other locations: one in the Carrollwood/Lutz area, and the other in the downtown Tampa Channel District.

Cabana Spas promotes itself as a place to, “Relax, Refresh & Renew.”

“Every one of our services fulfills at least one of those categories,” says Glen Harrod, who co-owns Cabana Spas with his wife, Jill.

Services available at Cabana Spas include hydro-massage, oxygen therapy, facial LED therapy, an infrared sauna large enough for multiple people, teeth whitening and more.

The rejuvenation begins as soon as you step through the door as you leave behind the hustle and bustle of today’s busy world and the responsibilities and pressures that go with it.

MacKenzie Carr, area manager of Cabana Spas’ parent company — which is called “Glill,” a combination of Glen and Jill’s names — says the growing business has a “New Age” atmosphere that looks to transport you from business to pleasure.

“The energy of the store is relaxing,” Carr says. “You’re not really walking into a business; (it’s more like) you’re walking into our home.”

Cabana Spas’ concierge service can also be called “hospitable pampering.”

“We want to make sure our clients are taken care of and we give them the royal treatment” says Carr, who explains that first-time customers begin their Cabana Spa experience

The Oxygen Bar (above left) at Cabana Spas on S.R. 56 has a number of different flavors to offer, while the Hydration Station (right) mists the body with steam, which can include ingredients such as an aloe-based moisturizer. (Photos: Gavin Olsen) with a conversation about what they want to achieve. “We’re going to sit down with a client and have a consultation with them and ask, ‘Do you want to relax, do you want to refresh, or do you want to renew?,’” she says.

A Unique Variety Of Services

Options are selected from Cabana Spa’s menu of services and treatments, based upon each clients’ desired outcomes, such as relieving muscle tension, improving skin conditions and even weight loss.

“We’re big on making our customers feel good about themselves internally and externally,” says Carr. “We have a lot of services that take care of the skin and (also have services) that make you feel good on the inside.”

Services are provided in a self-directed manner, meaning clients generally apply treat-

ments — including teeth whitening and facial masks — themselves after receiving instructions from a Cabana Spas team member, who will also make sure you have all of the information you need before you try any of the relaxing and refreshing therapies.

Here are a few popular services offered by Cabana Spas: Hydro Massage: There are many different ways to deliver a hydro massage, which has long been considered a natural remedy for a number of maladies.

At Cabana Spas, this choice offers a deep-tissue stimulation delivered via a table with a mattress-like top that transmits energy from pulsating jets of water to a client’s body.

FitBomb: The Fit Bomb Infrared Sauna can be a solo excursion, or 2-3 people can relax or even enjoy a workout together.

Getting the benefits of a dry sauna has typically meant enduring not only heat, but the tedium of inactivity during a sweat session.

That is not the case with the FitBomb.

It is cozy in size, but is configured so customers can use their session to do some resistance training with built-in D-ring fixtures, or merely just to relax by watching videos on a monitor inside the FitBomb.

Facial LED Therapy: While Cabana Spas doesn’t offer indoor tanning (although that is available nearby, at Glen and Jill’s South Beach Tanning Company location on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in the Super Target-anchored Northwood Plaza), it does harness the reputed cosmetic power of light in the forms of facial LED therapy.

Using the intense illumination from different colored lights as treatment, Wesley

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d

Clients take part in a group workout in the FitBomb infrared sauna at Cabana Spas.

Chapel store manager Olivia Fleshman says each of the seven different colors of LED light used have specific benefits.

“Blue light is going to kill bacteria, so it’s really good for acne-prone skin,’’ she says. “Red light is going to help with scarring and fine lines or wrinkles and the green light is really good for oily or sensitive skin and blackheads. The yellow light has a relaxing effect and it’s really good for soothing a sunburnt face.”

Hydration Station: Another popular service with Cabana Spas’ clients, the hydration station, is an open-ended capsule that mists the body with steam, which can include ingredients such as an aloe-based moisturizer.

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“It’s like a steam bath from the neck down and is really good for hydrating the skin,” says Fleshman.

Oxygen Bar: A session at Cabana Spas can be breathtaking, so for clients who want to top off their lungs with some flavored oxygen, the members-only Cabana Room features an Oxygen Bar. Customers partake of the life-giving gas through disposable “nose-hose” masks, that allow you to drink beverages such as coffee or water, and have conversations.

Carr says the atmosphere often becomes festive and has generated the idea of a Cabana Bash, whereby customers can rent out the facility to have a private oxygen party for a few hours.

The Oxygen Bar is popular with clients who gather in the Cabana Room to inhale the fragrances and often bond over the experience, perhaps comparing the merits of berry over mint and otherwise getting acquainted.

Oxygen bars are a popular feature at “high-end Las Vegas casinos,” Carr says.

surprises. I now continuously invite my dear friends and family to experience this phenomenon of alternative health and beauty.”

Cabana Spas’ services are available as individual sessions or as part of a monthly membership.

Jill says the goal is to offer flexible access to meet the lifestyle needs of as many people as possible, whether they have 30 minutes or three hours available to indulge themselves.

“We’re affordable to your budget and also convenient because some people just want to run in on their lunch hour for one service or enjoy the oxygen bar,” she says.

And, no appointments are ever needed.

The Harrods are true lifestyle entrepreneurs, as they also operate three South Beach Tanning Company franchises (including the aforementioned one in Wesley Chapel) and a LaVida Massage franchise in Carrollwood.

While they take pride in serving the unique needs of the clients at all of their businesses, Cabana Spas occupies a special place in the Harrods’ entrepreneurial hearts.

“With Cabana Spas, there’s nobody else doing this,” says Glen. “It’s building a brand based upon personal services at a great value.

Our memberships cost less than you would typically spend on one service at a resort-style spa.

Cabana Spas is truly our own unique brand.”

The Wesley Chapel Cabana Spas is located at 27607 SR 56. It is open Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m., 9 a.m.-7 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, call (813) 991-4433, visit CabanaSpas.com or see page 27 of this issue. You also can get timely updates about special offers and events by searching “Cabana Spas-Wesley Chapel” on Facebook.

Satisfied Customers

The Harrods often partner with other Wesley Chapel businesses to promote their shopping center oasis, and that’s how Astrid Jean-Paul discovered it.

Astrid is a busy executive who runs the J&M Consulting Firm in New Tampa. She says she earned a free visit at a local networking event, got hooked and is now a loyal customer of Cabana Spas.

“I made an appointment not knowing what to expect, thinking deep tissue massage, hot rocks, etc.,” says Jean-Paul. “But, I entered another world of innovation, technology, deep muscle detoxification, and so many more

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17

Tendercare Pediatrics Keeps Adding Convenience And Comfort For Children

BY ANDY WARRENER Lalitha Raguthu, M.D., is in the business of making young people feel better, and she says her job makes her feel better, too.

The owner of Tendercare Pediatrics (in the Summergate Professional Park behind Sam’s Club off S.R. 56) says she is proud of the relationships she has built in a short time at the practice she bought two years ago. She posts smiling pictures of children on her Instagram page, and takes great pleasure in providing a wealth of services in a convenient manner.

“I am really happy when I am able to connect with a young kid’s outlook on health,” Dr. Raguthu says. “And, since we have been here, we have been very warmly received. It has been very nice.”

Dr. Raguthu and her husband, Durga Chintakayala, M.D., or “Dr. Chinta” for short, own the practice together. The pair also own Blossom Pediatric Care on E. Martin Luther King Blvd. in Tampa, where Dr. Chinta has been in solo practice for the last five years, with Dr. Raguthu occasionally covering for him.

Now, she is the primary doctor at Tendercare, and he covers for her at the Wesley Chapel location as needed. “One of us is always here,” Dr. Chinta says.

Dr. Chinta and Dr. Raguthu have been married for 24 years and have two children.

Their son, Sahas, is 17, and their daughter Sveta, is 14.

Both doctors have long and varied resumes. The couple moved to New Tampa in 2013, when Dr. Chinta accepted a position in the spinal cord unit at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa. At the same time,

At Tendercare Pediatrics, owner Lalitha Raguthu, M.D., above, takes pride if being accessible to parents and children, while offering a multitude of services that include physicals, allergy testing, urgent care, weekend appointments and even ear piercing. they opened Blossom Pediatric Care, and Dr. Urgent Care at Montefiore Medical Center in Raguthu began working at Night Owl PediatThe Bronx, NY. rics on Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa.

She had previously earned her MBBS Prior to that, the couple lived in New degree (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of York City, where Dr. Raguthu spent three years Surgery; equivalent to the M.D. degree in working in the emergency room at the Luther- the U.S.) from the Mahadevappa Rampure an Medical Center in Brooklyn and one year in Medical College in Gulbarga, India. She did

her residency at Brookdale University Hospital & Medical Center in Brooklyn and served a one-year fellowship in Neurology at New York University in Manhattan, NY. During their time in New York, Dr. Chinta worked at the VA New York Harbor Health Care System and also worked as an emergency room physician and urgent care doctor at Montefiore Medical Center in The Bronx.

Dr. Raguthu has worked to transform the Wesley Chapel office into a comfortable space that can fill a variety of patient needs.

It begins with accessibility. Dr. Raguthu, who also is trained in urgent care, has expanded her services to include any urgent care needs — like emergency issues such as acute asthma or lacerations — and she accepts walk-ins and same-day appointments, and even Saturday appointments, which she says the parents love.

The rare instances when she is not available to talk on the phone, she says she will always return calls the same day.

“I love that we can get ahold of her anytime we need her,” Christina Bettin says. “It is very convenient to have walk-in or same-day appointments. I really appreciate that there is a nursing room. We highly recommend Tendercare Pediatrics.”

Traditional & Holistic Medicine Although she is a highly trained M.D., Dr. Raguthu says she does take a holistic approach to medicine, and that she is empathetic to parents who have concerns, for example, about vaccines. She says she tries to accommodate and work with them when other pediatricians won’t.

“Dr. Raguthu is the pediatrician

Debbie Demboski Sara McKenzie 813.982.2820

debbied@decoratingden.com

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n

s

you want to have for your child,” writes Tasnouva Habib. “She is very respectful of how I want my child to be treated and does not (prescribe) medication unless absolutely required. I extremely appreciate the holistic approach she has towards care, which shows me that she cares about the well being of my child in the long run and not just a quick fix.

I wish I found her sooner.”

Tendercare Pediatrics also offers school and sports physicals, and Dr. Raguthu can administer allergy testing as well.

“A lot of pediatricians don’t do allergy testing in their own office,” Dr. Raguthu says.

“You will have to wait and schedule something at a specialist’s office. This makes it more convenient.”

She is proud to show off the new play area she created in the waiting room, so little ones don’t get antsy if they have to wait a few minutes to see the doctor. She also is thrilled with the great response she gets from parents when they visit her new room for nursing mothers.

“A lot of mothers are breastfeeding, and that’s very important,” says Dr. Raguthu.

“We want to give them privacy and encourage breastfeeding, so we created a nursing room just for them.”

Dr. Raguthu is always thinking of more ways to accommodate her patients, even when they ask something as simple as where they should get their child’s ears pierced. It’s a question a lot of parents ask, and the answer is usually the mall.

“One of the mothers asked me, and I said I don’t know…but let me go ahead and start doing it,” Dr. Raguthu says of ear piercing.

Now, she offers the service in her office.

Where better to take a child for a procedure that requires a needle, some blood, a little pain

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and that can be momentarily traumatic for a younger child? And yes, she says she uses a numbing medication to make the procedure as painless as it can be.

Tendercare Pediatrics has grown since Dr. Raguthu took over, and continues to do so. She is accepting new patients, and accepts many insurance plans, including Medicaid and Staywell, which provides managed care services to Medicaid-eligible beneficiaries. “(Dr. Raguthu) is one of the greatest (pediatricians) I’ve been to,” says Illeana, another satisfied parent who brings her children to Tendercare Pediatrics. “She shows so much compassion when she’s checking our babies.

We love her and her office as well. I’m so happy we found her.”

While Tendercare Pediatrics accepts patients from birth to age 21, it may also be expanding those services with Dr. Chinta as a family doctor.

“We are looking into accepting adult patients, too,” Dr. Raguthu says.

Dr. Raguthu also says that she believes that her own personal journey has helped her to be a more empathetic practitioner. She has battled back from a stroke, and has suffered through heartbreak.

“I love kids,” she says. “My husband and I were in medical school when we lost our infant baby, who was three months old. That’s where my interest in pediatrics really started.

I can feel the pain of every mother who calls with a concern. I never brush them off.”

Tendercare Pediatrics is located at 27432 Cashford Cir., Suite 102, in the Summergate Professional Park. The office is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information about the practice, call (813) 973-9900, visit MyTendercare.com or see the ad on page 42 of this issue.

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SPOTLIGHT ON...Beach House At Wiregrass Ranch!

New Tampa and Wesley Chapel families who want to live near their aging loved ones who require more health and daily living support than can be provided at home have a new option now that Beach House Assisted Living & Memory Care at Wiregrass Ranch has opened.

The new 93,000-sq.-ft. facility includes 100 residential units, with 67 of them available for seniors looking for assisted living accommodations and 33 suites dedicated to residents who need memory care, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia patients.

“We make sure the needs of the residents are met in every aspect,” says Beach House executive director Linda Mena, ‘from the clinical to the dining experience to life enrichment; really addressing the needs of each resident as a whole.”

Housing options for assisted living residents range from alcove-style units (basically a studio apartment with a partitioned-off area) ranging from 450-480 sq. ft., to two-bedroom/two-bath floor plans ranging from 782–796 sq. ft.

As the first full-service assisted living and memory care facility located in Wesley Chapel, the Beach House offers a number of levels of accommodations and services to its residents.

Amenities include outstanding group and private dining options, arts and crafts, a movie theater, wellness programs, grooming/haircuts and fireplaces.

Memory care programs to support memory function, including discussion groups centered on reminiscing about the past, are a big part of the Beach House program, as is discussing current events and studying foreign languages and cultures.

The Wesley Chapel location joins two existing Beach House facilities in Jacksonville and Naples, FL. Day-to-day operations at the Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch are managed by employees of Life Care Services, a Los Angeles, CA-based company serving the needs of more than 33,000 senior citizens at facilities throughout the U.S. The Beach House is a private pay operation, which means the facility does not accept insurance plan coverage, and Medicaid payments are not accepted. While it does not accept payments directly from the insurance companies, if residents or their families have long-term care insurance, the Beach House will, as a courtesy, send the insurance company billing information so the families can be reimbursed by the insurance company.

If you’re looking for assisted living for yourself or a loved one, arrange a tour at the new Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch (30070 S.R. 56). For more info, call (813) 508-6677, see the ad on pg. 24 or visit BeachHouseWiregrass.com.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 16 • July 27, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

19

The New Owners Of Budget Blinds Still Promise Affordable Luxury! a three-peat.” Adriane, who comes from a background in retail, also says that she most recently she worked for Vans as a district manager. Her experience meshes well with Mike’s. “(We) have a good partnership because he knows the product and I know human resources and operations from the corporate end,” she says.

Adriane adds that she also is excited that her new job keeps her local, so she no longer has to travel out of the area.

Mike and Adriane live in Lexington Oaks in Wesley Chapel with their daughter, Harper, who will be 5 in August.

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

Mike and Adriane Wonderlin are the new owners of Budget Blinds of North Tampa, Land O’Lakes and Brandon.

After working for Budget Blinds for almost a decade, Mike and his wife purchased the three Tampa-area franchises from the previous owner.

The Budget Blinds showroom that serves New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and surrounding areas is located on W. Fletcher Ave. near I-275, two exits south of Wesley Chapel’s S.R. 56 exit. The Wonderlins have a second showroom in Riverview, serving the Brandon area.

Mike moved to Florida to work for Budget Blinds about 10 years ago. At the time, he had already been in the window treatment industry for eight years and was looking to get out of the cold winters in Illinois. While he was interested in purchasing a franchise, the economy was bad. Instead, he took a job as a design consultant in warm, sunny Tampa.

“I thought I would do it for a year or two and learn the business, so I could hit the ground running,” says Mike. “But, the business kept growing and they treated me well.”

“They” are Jim and Elaine Trotter, who owned the franchises at the time.

Mike was the second employee the Trotters hired. As the business grew and more design consultants were needed, Mike remained a top design consultant and also trained new hires.

“Now we have 27 employees and I’ve trained most of them,” Mike says.

The first employee hired by the Trotters

A Variety That Won’t Break The Bank!

Mike Wonderlin has been an employee of Budget Blinds for 10 years. When the previous local franchise owners retired, Mike and his wife, Adriane, jumped at the chance to take over the successful franchise they already knew so well and the showrooms in Brandon and on W. Fletcher Ave. in Tampa. was administrative assistant Derenda Burdette, CA, Budget Blinds today has more than 1,100 franchises in the U.S. and Canada and has who is still with the business. “She is a huge served Tampa Bay-area residents for more than asset to our team,” Adriane says.

And this year, when the Trotters became 20 years. The Trotters moved the showroom to its current location about 6 years ago, from grandparents and retired, they approached an original location in Land O’Lakes.

Mike about buying the business.

Mike has learned the business inside and “They’ve mentored me to prepare me for ownership,” he says. “By selling their franchis- out, and is thrilled to be the new owner. “It’s es to us, they’ve kept it in the family.” a well-run franchise,” he says.

In fact, Adriane adds, “The Trotters won A Little Budget Blinds History Budget Blinds’ Franchise of the Year in 2016 Founded in 1992 in Orange County, and 2017, and we are on track this year for

“The most important thing is that we have a style and service for every budget,” Adriane says.

While customers are always welcome to visit either Budget Blinds showroom, Mike says that many clients never set foot in the door. A design consultant will come to your home with many samples for a complimentary design consultation to help you choose the perfect products for your needs.

Budget Blinds offers a complete line of window coverings. Blinds come in vinyl, wood, fabric, faux wood and aluminum. Shutter options range from modern wood styles, plantation shutters for the inside and outside, composite shutters for bathrooms that prevent warping, and many more.

If you prefer shades, you can choose from roller, pleated, Roman, cellular, woven wood, bamboo, sheer, solar and graphic, not to mention a variety of panels, valances and drapes.

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“Our niche in the market is somewhere between a big box store and calling a decorator,” explains Adriane. “Our design consultants don’t just go out and give a quote; they actually help design.”

Mike says a big advantage of using Budget Blinds instead of one of those big box stores is that the buying power of Budget Blinds within the industry allows the company to negotiate better warranties on the same products.

“You can buy the same exact line at Home Depot, but you won’t get the same warranty,” he explains, noting that many of Budget Blinds’ warranties are both lifetime and “no questions asked” — meaning that whether the dog eats it, the kids damage it — for any reason, the product will be replaced.

Mike and Adriane say their number one focus is customer service.

Mat and Karie Jones are happy to attest to the level of customer service provided by Budget Blinds. When it was time to update their home in Lexington Oaks, the couple called Budget Blinds to schedule a design consultant to come out to their home. While they thought they would be shopping for vertical blinds, Mat says, “The salesman was very knowledgeable and showed us options we didn’t even know existed.”

They ended up purchasing a cellular shade, a popular and versatile option.

“We have younger kids and a dog, and they couldn’t mess it up, so it seemed like a no-brainer,” says Mat. The Jones’ positive experience led to

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them purchasing a vertical panel to provide shade to their pool area, too. “We’re very happy,” he adds.

Mat says he wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Budget Blinds. Why? “Because of the service that you get, and the product they offer, before, during and after the installation,” he says. “They’re very customer-service focused, and not just there to make the sale and get out.”

Smart Products For Your Home

The Wonderlins say many of their customers are looking for “smart” products these days, and that Budget Blinds is a leader in this area, which is a huge trend in the market.

“Especially in neighborhoods such as Estancia and The Ridge (both in Wiregrass Ranch), where they have nice conservation views, people don’t want to have to go behind the couch to pull the cord on their window treatments,” Mike says.

Budget Blinds offers many products that are automated, set on timers and interact with

your smart phone or even Alexa.

So, you can be awakened in the morning by natural sunlight as your blackout shades gradually rise, or change the ambiance of your whole home after the sun has set, all at the press of a button.

In 2016, Budget Blinds began offering a “Smart Homes

by Budget Blinds” partnership with the smart home company Lutron. The Tampa-area franchise was one of just 15 franchises to pioneer the concept, introducing smart shades, lighting and thermostat controls for its customers.

Lutron is a company based in Coopersburg, PA, that specializes in lighting technologies, with more than 2,700 patents, including innovations in window shade technology that integrates daylight and electric light.

Budget Blinds also offers solutions for commercial clients, ranging from schools to hotels to small businesses, and these window coverings also cut down on energy costs by helping to blunt Florida’s heat and glare.

Budget Blinds of Greater Tampa is located at 1208 W. Fletcher Ave. The showroom hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday. To schedule a complimentary inhome consultation, call (813) 968-5050.

For more info, visit BudgetBlinds.com/ NorthTampa or see the ad on pg. 10.

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21

PROtential Sports Can Help Unlock Your Child’s Potential On & Off The Field

By BRAD STAGER

Tony and Nyree Bland know what it takes to achieve success at the highest levels of athletic competition, and they have been sharing that knowledge with young people in communities throughout New Tampa and Wesley Chapel for more than a dozen years.

“It’s about being the best you can be and having integrity,” says Nyree.

That’s the foundation of the New Tampa couple’s youth sports training company, PROtential Sports, where the stated mission is “Teaching Life Through Sports.”

Achieving high standards of performance through hard work and fair play is what the Blands credit for their own personal and professional successes, on and off the fields of play.

Nyree was ranked as the number-one junior tennis player in North Carolina before a knee injury curtailed her professional tennis aspirations. Tony was a wide receiver for the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings for four years, including the team’s historic 16-victory season in 1998, when he played behind current NFL Hall of Famers Cris Carter and Randy Moss.

Passing on the insights and lessons from their own sports and life experiences is the goal of every after-school instructional sports program and summer camp the Blands offer.

“We’re trying to teach them how to be good people, as well as being good athletes,” says Nyree.

Their venture into the business side of athletics came about in 2003, when Tony participated in a youth football camp with then-Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buc-

PROtential sports summer campers escape the rain by playing touch football on the indoor basketball courts at the Ridge at Wiregrass last week. (Photo: Gavin Olsen) caneers quarterback Brad Johnson (who was oversees many of the day-to-day operations of also a teammate of Tony’s at Minnesota) and PROtential Sports. Since the youth activities former Bucs running back Michael Pittman. are community-oriented, that means developing relationships with the activity and lifestyle That experience brought home Tony’s directors in local communities like The Ridge own football beginning, as a 14-year-old at Wiregrass Ranch and Seven Oaks, and playing in a youth football league and then stopping by when the children are on-site to catching passes at Pinellas Park High. His check on things. focused dedication to athletic achievement became part of his overall lifestyle, including So Many Locations! academics, and he earned a scholarship to According to Garretson, PROtential Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, where Sports’ after-school instructional sports he majored in political science. programs for students ages 5-12 years old are PROtential district manager Julie Garretson is another lifelong athlete who aspired located at Club Tampa Palms, Arbor Greene, Heritage Isles, Grand Hampton and Cory to a career in physical education and now

Lake Isles in New Tampa. While previously only available to residents, the Cory Lake Isles location is now open to everyone.

In Wesley Chapel, PROtential has been running summer camps and after-school instructional sports programs at Seven Oaks and Meadow Pointe IV, and this summer has added The Ridge.

“We are so happy to be in The Ridge,” Nyree says, adding that the summer programs have been a big hit in the bustling new community. “It’s just a beautiful subdivision, the amenities are great, the staff is amazing and the residents coming to PROtential have been wonderful.”

Being able to operate in the new communities popping up in Wesley Chapel is a treat for Nyree and Tony. Developments like The Ridge grow into long-time relationships, like at Heritage Isles, where PROtential is in its 16th year of operations.

“Anytime you have a chance to grow with a new development, it’s a blessing,” Nyree says.

PROtential also offers the added convenience of transportation, which is extremely helpful for families where both parents work, especially during the school year. Children can be transported from school back to their communities in many cases, and are provided with exercise and positive team-building skills that they can’t find at home playing Fortnite.

“We pick up from all the local schools,” says Garretson. “We do two to three sports rotations a day and try to hit each major sport twice a week.”

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and play a variety of sports, like baseball, football, golf, tennis and soccer, kids participating in a PROtential Sports after-school instructional sports program also learn the principles of teamwork and sportsmanship.

“We want the kids to always put their best foot forward,” Garretson says, adding that instilling a solid work ethic and sense of compassion in young people — whatever their athletic goals may be — will serve them well in the future. And, she says that’s important for the children to understand.

Nyree adds that while PROtential places a strong emphasis on athletic development, it balances that with an equal dose of character building. When former PROtential participants who went onto become college athletes come back to help the younger generation at their summer camps, Nyree knows that incorporating lessons about integrity, responsibility and compassion at PROtential have paid off.

“We want to make great athletes and great people,” she says. “We are devout Christians, and this is our mission in life.”

There are about 20 coaches working directly with children at PROtential. Experience in sports is a requirement, but according to Garretson, they need more to meet PROtential’s standards by being able to pass on athletic and life skills. “(Our instructors) should be teachers,” she says. “They are 50-percent life coaches and 50-percent sports coaches.”

One of PROtential’s coaches is Brooks Lovely, who says he has been playing sports since he was 3-years-old. Lovely was an offensive lineman at Maryville College in Maryville, TN, and he also was a football coach at Robinson High in Tampa before signing up with PROtential.

“We try to make a positive impact on their lives every day,” says Lovely. “We teach them what we learned in our lives through sports, like the importance of teamwork and communication.”

He adds that part of the job sometimes involves helping kids in the after-school instructional sports programs with their homework and instilling a positive attitude about getting good grades. “(We tell the kids that they need to learn to like school,” he says.

Coach Devonn Polk, a graduate of Wharton High in New Tampa who played tight end for the Wildcats, can easily relate to the kids he’s responsible for at PROtential Sports. To him, you’re never too young to learn a sense of responsibility and he says PROtential Sports offers a way to do just that.

“We teach them not just how to play sports, but how to be good leaders,” the Heritage Isles resident says.

The lessons that New Tampa resident Sandra Ferris says her son Alexavier has learned through PROtential Sports makes the program a winner in her view.

“It’s gratifying to watch my son learn a variety of sporting techniques while gaining lifelong leadership and sportsmanship skills,” Ferris says. “I firmly believe that Alexavier will learn to exemplify PROtential Sports’ motto by developing an appreciation for teamwork, perseverance and consistency throughout his adolescence into adulthood.”

a second-place finish in a national tournament held in Lakewood Ranch.

“That’s Tony’s baby,” Nyree jokes.

The New Stuff

NFL Flag Football, Too!

As the summer winds down, PROtential Sports begins shifting gears as it fields inquiries about its after-school instructional sports programs. After-school sports programs usually cost $75 per week per child, but PROtential is currently offering an early bird special of $58 a week through Aug. 10.

It’s also the time of year when interest in football is renewed. For kids who want to compete in organized, limited-contact flag football in a professionally-run league, PROtential Sports offers NFL Flag Football in both the fall and the spring.

The NFL Flag Football program operates under a license granted by the National Football League. It’s a 6-on-6 game, which is known for exciting low-contact playmaking on the gridiron.

Currently in its second year, PROtential’s NFL Travel Flag Football League — which offers more of a competitive experience — also continues to be a success, including

PROtential Sports is adding a golf academy at Heritage Isles Golf Club each day from 4 p.m.-6 p.m., and Tony also is starting new middle school leagues this fall.

Geared towards athletes who may not be ready to get playing time on teams with seventh and eighth graders, PROtential also will begin offering leagues in a handful of sports to be determined, like tennis, basketball, soccer and others.

Teams, which will play and practice each day from 4 p.m.-6 p.m., will represent their communities. So, a team from The Ridge might travel to Grand Hampton for a soccer match, or Meadow Pointe IV might take on Cory Lake Isles in a tennis contest.

Because many sixth graders can’t compete against bigger and more experienced schoolmates, they can often lose an entire season of playing while they wait their turns.

The Blands aren’t looking to compete against middle school sports teams at area schools, but are hoping to help sixth graders in particular lay the foundation for future athletic success at school.

“We want to get kids ready,” Nyree says.

“And, of course, not just for sports.”

More information about PROtential Sports’ NFL Flag Football, after-school instructional sports programs, sports leagues and camps is available at PROtentialSports.com or by calling (813)-8439460. Also, see the ad on pg. 30 of this issue for more information.

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25

Wesley Chapel Schools Earn Top Marks In Latest School Grades Report

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

School grades for the 2017-18 school year were released by the Florida Department of Education on June 27, and Wesley Chapel’s schools continue to perform well, including a pair of schools that improved over last year.

Of the area’s 14 schools, only Weightman Middle and Wiregrass Ranch High scored better than they did last year, when both earned Bs. This year, however, they are both A schools.

“We are very excited to have earned an A rating this year,” says Robyn White, principal of Wiregrass Ranch High. “It is due to the hard work of the teachers, students, parents, and community. We really focused on our areas of weakness and worked toward students achieving mastery of the standards. While an A rating is great, we still have work to do and will continue to move forward in the 2018-19 school year.”

Of the nine elementary schools in Wesley Chapel, four received A ratings, four received a B, and just one — New River Elementary — received a C. Both of Wesley Chapel’s middle schools earned As, while its combined middle/high school, Cypress Creek, received a B. Wiregrass Ranch High received an A, while Wesley Chapel High received an B. (See chart) Most of the schools stayed the same from the previous school year, with only two schools dropping a grade. New River Elementary dropped from a B to a C, and Wesley Chapel earned its first B since 2010, after seven years in a row as an A school.

School letter grades are based on the

26

School Name

LA Achievement Math Achievement Science Achievement 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 60

63

62

B

65

66

65

B

B

B

A

B

A

A

B

63

66

59

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

58

60

59

C

B

B

B

C

C

B

B

57

69

68

A

A

C

65

74

84

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

72

72

73

A

A

B

A

A

A

A

A

63

66

59

A

B

B

B

B

B

A

A

74

79

77

A

A

B

A

A

A

A

A

66

62

42

B

B

C

B

C

C

B

A

69

74

70

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

57

55

72

B

B

C

B

B

B

B

A

70

66

66

B

B

68

58

79

A

B

B

A

A

A

A

A

compilation of individual scores on statewide tests, called Florida Standards Assessments (FSA), at each grade level. The letter grades are a snapshot of a wide variety of factors, with nuances that aren’t always apparent from the single letter assigned to each school.

“The Wesley Chapel schools traditionally are high performing, and the 2017-18 school grades continue to reflect their students’ success on state exams,” says Linda Cobbe, the public information officer for Pasco County Schools. “While a school’s state-assigned grade does not tell the whole story about its overall quality, we know that the combination

of dedicated teachers, engaged students, and supportive parents in these schools is reflected in those outstanding grades.”

Cypress Creek Middle High, which opened for its inaugural school year last fall, received a B in its first year..

“We are incredibly pleased with our grade, and I am so proud of our faculty, staff and students,” says principal Carin Hetzler-Nettles. “As a staff, we are truly thrilled to get a great look at our data as a school as compared to other schools.”

Because Cypress Creek did not have seniors, the school’s graduation rate and col-

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lege and career acceleration points were not factored into its grade for 2017-18. They will be factored in the upcoming school year and next year’s grade.

“Overall, our students made us proud,” said Pasco County Schools superintendent Kurt Browning in a media release. “Can we do better? Yes we can, and I expect to see continuous improvement every year, in every school, and at every grade level.”

The complete DOE report is online at FLDOE.org/accountability/accountability-reporting/school-grades/.

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27

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

On a recent Sunday afternoon, the sweet sounds of a young man playing a beautiful baby grand piano fill the air in the lobby of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC).

Behind the keyboard sits Tyler Sinckler, a 15-year-old student who will enter Wesley Chapel High this fall as a freshman.

His mom, Crystal Jenkins, and stepdad, Acie Jenkins, watch as Tyler plays, bursting with pride and marveling at how far their son has come.

Before middle school, Tyler says he was only interested in video games. His parents say he was struggling academically.

Then one day — he and his mom agree that it was out of boredom — he sat down at the piano his older brother, Chad, used to play before he left for college at Florida State University in Tallahassee.

Tyler started plunking the keys and listening to the notes, and managed to figure out the melody of the music from one of his favorite video games. He kept at it, and played more video game melodies.

He says he taught himself to play the theme from Super Smash Bros.

Shortly thereafter, Crystal signed her son up for piano lessons.

One thing led to another, and Tyler began playing percussion in the middle school band at John Long Middle School. He went to a camp to learn how to play electric guitar and bass.

Now, he composes original pieces for the piano. He competed in the talent show at his school — one when he was in the seventh grade at John Long, and another as an eighth grader at Weightman, after his home was rezoned from one school boundary area to the other. In both shows, he played an original composition and, in both shows, he took home second-place awards.

He says he discovered something new about himself.

“I liked being in front of an audience,” Tyler says. “I created my own songs and it went well. It was fun.”

Crystal says she’s impressed with Tyler’s innate skill. While both of her boys have a talent for music, she’s not a musician.

“I’m not sure where they get it from,” she laughs.

Tyler says becoming a musician has taught him many things.

“I’ve learned patience,” he says. “When I mess up in practice, I slow down and take my time.”

He also says he’s overcome being nervous and become more self-confident when he’s not playing an instrument.

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He uses what he’s learned to encourage others to try new things, too, like when his friends wanted to enter the talent show competition, but didn’t because they were too nervous. “The more you do it, the less nervous you are,” he tried to convince them.

Crystal says Tyler’s love for music has led to improvements at school, and he is doing better in reading, writing and math.

“I think it’s because of his improved focus,” she says.

While Tyler had previously struggled with academics, he’s going into honors classes in high school.

That self-confidence he mentioned? It is now his shoulder to lean on as he takes on more difficult classes.

“I think I’m up for it,” he says.

When marching band starts this fall, he’ll play percussion. Tyler says he’s earned the role of “first vibraphone,” which means he’ll play the solos and leads, while other vibraphone players play rhythm.

Donald Scott, the band director at Weightman, says Tyler is a dedicated, hard working and perseverant student.

“He has a real deep love for music,” Donald says.

Tyler has developed skills in a variety of band formats. He excelled in the marching band (which performed at parades and middle school football games), concert band and even a little jazz band in middle school.

“He plays all the percussion and does it well,” says Donald. “He was one of my leaders.”

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Donald says Tyler often showed the younger students how to play their parts. “He’s like a little percussion prodigy back there,” Donald says. “He knows his stuff.”

While he’s been a standout as a middle school percussionist, Tyler says that his real love is playing the piano.

He’s played in a nursing home, and even played an original composition at his mom and stepdad’s wedding.

Acie explains that Tyler has been looking for more opportunities to both perform and to give back to the community. So, Acie approached Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel requesting that his stepson volunteer his time and talents by playing the grand piano in the hospital’s lobby.

The family is hopeful that Tyler will be able to continue to volunteer in that way.

When asked if he still plays video games, Tyler says, “Not that much. I sold my video game consoles to make time for music.”

In the future, Donald says he can see Tyler continuing to pursue music with a passion.

“I can see him being a steady performer, doing all the percussion parts, and he would Acie and Crystal Jenkins are proud of their son Tyler Sindefinitely be a great piano player,” Donald says. “If he wants to, ckler, who has improved his grades through his dedication to he could become a music teacher. learning and playing music. He recently got to perform on the I really do see that in him.” grand piano in the lobby at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

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Save the Date!

July 31, 2018 • 5:30pm - 7pm Life Coach & Speaker -Laura White Are you stressed, trying to juggle life: working, family and taking care of parents - having the pressure of making decisions for your parents/loved ones. Join us with guest speaker and Life Coach - Laura White (BCACLC, CHNP, BTCL) as she provides us with some practical encouraging advice that will help us live a balanced more fulfilled life!

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Light refreshments will be served.

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29

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 16 • July 27, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 16 • July 27, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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Wesley Chapel Rotarians Celebrate Another Great Year With A Special Sendoff!

Belated congratulations to my friend, and now past president of the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel, for an outstanding year at the helm of our area’s largest Rotary Club, which meets Wednesdays at noon at the Lexington Oaks Golf Club clubhouse.

Kent passed his president’s gavel over to new president David Gainer on June 15, at the club’s annual awards banquet and installation of new officers. Ross presided over the club’s many service projects, which included not only another successful Duck Fest, but also the start of a new tradition, the Hats & Horses Kentucky Derby party, during his tenure.

At the banquet, Ross gave away many service awards (including one to my fiancée Jannah McDonald) and welcomed inspirational guest speaker Tiffany Ervin, the self-proclaimed “Rotary Greek.” His very deserving Rotarian of the Year was future stand-up comedy star Jodie Sullivan.

At Kent’s final meeting as the club’s president on June 27, everyone in attendance honored him by wearing his signature vest and a mask of his likeness. Great stuff! — GN

(Clockwise from above left): So many Kents, so many vests. “Rotary Geek” and inspirational awards banquet keynote speaker Tiffany Ervin. Newly inducted Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel president David Gainer. Among those honored with service awards from Kent included (l.-r.) Carla Armstrong, David Alvarez (who took most of the pictures on this page), Heather Delgado, Jannah McDonald, Chris Casella, Cheryl Ohls and Charane Groeller.

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33913 State Road 54, Suite 101, Wesley Chapel FL Neighborhood News

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 16 • July 27, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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Marki Hawes 352-999-0656 Come check out this wonderful 3/2 home in Palm Cove. The freshly painted interior provides a split bedroom, open floor plan. Huge master suite with bath featuring a large soaking tub with separate shower and dual sinks. You will love the walk in closet! Additional bedrooms off the foyer share an updated bath. The eat in kitchen is separated from the living/great room by a serving bar. Brand new range and microwave. Extended two car garage. Palm Cove is a great community with low monthly fees and NO CDD. mhawes@bhhsflpg.com

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Bahama Breeze Island Grille Opens With Caribbean Fare & Flair On S.R. 56!

By GARY NAGER

OK, you long-time readers know I don’t get too excited about too many of our seemingly neverending supply of new chain restaurants opening here in Wesley Chapel.

But, this one’s different. I genuinely love the new Bahama Breeze Island Grille, which opened on July 16 on the north side of S.R. 56, between the soon-to-open Hyatt Place hotel (see Nibbles & Bytes column on pages 38-39) and Chuy’s Tex-Mex. And, it’s not just because general manager Jeannie LaFever is so awesome. It’s always great to meet nice, energetic people who obviously love what they do, but we’re talking about a restaurant here. No matter how nice the management, wait staff and bartenders may be, if the food isn’t great, at least one local publisher would not be a frequent customer.

Known for its Caribbean fare and flair, Bahama Breeze is a chain eatery that delivers on its promise of great island-inspired food and drinks in a tropical setting with live music every night (and all day Saturday and Sunday). And, even though I’ve heard a few locals complain about the early crowds and that the restaurant isn’t located on a body of water and faces a busy roadway (blah blah blah), I’m just glad the food is up to snuff.

“And, even though we’ve been slammed, everything’s been running pretty smoothly so far,” Jeannie says. “People are just really excited we’re here!”

Jeannie’s favorite dishes include the most popular jerk chicken pasta, the true

fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs. the beef empanadas, the jerk chicken wings, the coconut shrimp and the braised short rib & oxtail.

To date, I can vouch for two different sauces on your “Market Catch” fresh fish, which has been redfish on both visits for me. On mine and Jannah’s first visit, we thoroughly enjoyed the almond-crusted redfish topped with lemon butter sauce (great mashed potatoes and green beans as the sides), as well as the mango glazed redfish with grilled pineapple salsa shown above right.

On our most recent visit, Jannah went a little less adventurous, with her tasty Cobb salad, but I really loved the chimichurri sauce on the skirt steak churrasco. Skirt steak isn’t as tender as, say, a filet, and Bahama Breeze’s only other steak is an 8-oz. top sirloin (which I may just try on my next visit), but wow, with that sauce and the outstanding yellow rice and black beans served as sides, this is my current favorite dish at “the Breeze.”

Jeannie also wants to make sure that

locals dive headlong into Bahama Breeze’s exotic tropic drink menu.

“Our Bahamarita is the bomb,” Jeannie says. “But you can’t go wrong with a mango jalapeño mojito, a Goombay Smash or a pineapplecoconut martini, either.”

Bahama Breeze Island Grille (25830 Sierra Center Blvd.) is open every day for lunch & dinner.

For more information, call (813) 949-0779 or visit BahamaBreeze. com. And please, make sure Jeannie and her outstanding staff know you read about them in the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News!

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 16 • July 27, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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Neighborhood News

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Neighborhood News

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37

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

Kate Spade Opens In TPO!

“We are now at 100-percent occupancy,” Tampa Premium Outlets (TPO) general manager Stacey Nance told me at the July 20 ribbon cutting event for the new Kate Spade store (photo) in TPO. “How many malls can say that?”

In addition to Kate Spade (see below), Nance says the remaining three slots at the outlet mall are all now taken — True Religion Designer Jeans & Clothing, Salt Life and the Man Cave Store, which has been a hit at other Simon malls with billiards tables, Harley Davidson gear, Mr. Beer and more.

But, there’s no doubt that a lot of people — dozens were on hand during or shortly after the store’s ribbon cutting to check out the deals — are excited about the high-end handbags, wallets, clothing and accessories at Kate Spade, the store chain that the late designer Kate Brosnahan and her husband Andy Spade (the brother of actor/comedian David Spade) created as Kate Spade New York in 1993, combining her first name and his surname. The couple had sold all of their interest in the brand to Nieman Marcus by 2006, which then sold it to Liz Claiborne that same year.

Of course, Kate was found dead in her apartment on June 5 of this year, by her own hand, leaving a note for her daughter Frances.

“We signed this lease in December,” Nance, an admitted fan of the brand, said. “And

38

An Invisalign-certified dentist, Dr. Maitry is a member of the Omega Kappa Upsilon dental honor society who prides herself on providing gentle dental care to all of her patients.

For appointments at Pebble Creek Family Dentistry, or for more info, call (813) 4064947 or visit PebbleCreekFamilyDentistry. com. Or, see the ad on the next page.

Get Ready For The Hyatt Place!

we’re really excited that Kate Spade is open.”

Pebble Creek Family Dentistry Adds New Dentist

Congratulations to Dr. Maitry Patel, D.M.D., the new dentist recently added to help Dr. Vijay Patel, D.D.S. (no relation), serve his growing patient roster at Pebble Creek Family Dentistry (19007 Bruce B. Downs. Blvd.).

“Dr. Maitry (photo) shares my practice philosophy and will allow us to expand

our patient hours to Mon.-Thur., 8 a.m.-6 p.m.,” says Dr. Vijay Patel.

Dr. Maitry Patel earned her initial dental degree in India, where she practiced in a governmental facility providing dentistry to an underserved community. She began working in the U.S. as a licensed dental hygienist while earning her Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) degree, with honors, from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia, PA.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 16 • July 27, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

“We know there’s not enough hotel rooms in Wesley Chapel right now,” says Karen Martin, the director of sales for the new 132-room Hyatt Place hotel on the north side of S.R. 56, next to Bahama Breeze (see story on pg. 36), which has scheduled its “soft opening” for Tuesday, July 31, with a full opening a couple of weeks later. “But, it’s about to get a lot more fun out here.”

Martin says that although the six-story hotel isn’t open yet, “My phone’s been ringing off the hook, especially with people booking rooms for tournaments at the hockey rink (Florida Hospital Center Ice, located just east of I-75, while the Hyatt Place is just east of the interstate).

Although Martin says the new Hyatt Place doesn’t have full Hyatt resort amenities, it does

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have a Gallery restaurant and bar (photo on next page, courtesy of Hope Allen), a separate breakfast area, an outdoor swimming pool, nice fitness and business centers and meeting spaces with built-in audio/visual features. The adjacent Sierra Conference Center has a really nice ballroom that Martin says can seat at least 350 people with tables in a banquet setup and can be subdivided into three smaller ballrooms, which can each seat at least 250 people in a theatre-style set-up.

Martin also says she loves the conference center’s adjacent break-out and outdoor seating areas.

“But, to really get a feel for whether or not we should be hosting your event,” she says, “you should come out and take a tour.

We’re all really excited to get open.” She adds that the hotel hopes to host the August “Final Friday” networking event for the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce and is planning “a big Grand Opening event sometime in November.”

The Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel is located at 26000 Sierra Center Blvd. For more information, call (813) 803-5600 or visit HyattPlace.com.

We’ll have updates about the Hilton Garden Inn & Residence Inn hotels coming soon to S.R. 56 in our next issue.

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(813) 406-4947 Friday hours are available

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Dental Exam & X-rays*

39

$

Here & There, This & That...

I was hoping to be able to announce that Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel favorite Nothing Bundt Cakes had opened across from Noble Crust (see ad below) in the Shops at Wiregrass mall, but it surely should be open by the end of the month, if not by the time this issue reaches you.

I also was sad to hear, despite owner Ramses Garcia’s best efforts to negotiate a new lease with his landlord, that Las Palmas Spanish Café, located behind Kobe Steakhouse in the Pebble Creek Collection on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in New Tampa (a mile south of County Line Rd., had closed. — GN

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| For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 16 • July 27, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

39

New Tampa & Wesley Chapel

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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.

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RAYMOND PAINTING. Exterior & Interior Services.

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Icare House Cleaning, Free estimates, affordable and reliable, serving Wesley Chapel and Tampa for over 17 years, local business! Call today for a free, no obligation quote, 813-531-1917 Let us take good care of your house while you spend quality time doing what you love! We use our own supplies.

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.

DONT HAVE TIME TO CLEAN? Give yourself the time you deserve by calling Allstar Purpose Cleaning for Prompt and Reliable service. Servicing residential, and commercial with years of experience, excellent references, license, and insured.

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 and Screened Enclosures. Most residential 2 car driveways or vinyl fences starting at $60. House washing prices start at $100 for a 1 story home and $150 for a 2 story home. Looking for an instant quote? Just text me a picture of the job you need done. Call Tj at 727-808-7775

COMPUTER/BUSINESS 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.

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

HELP WANTED

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.

FREELANCE/PART-TIME OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS & WCNT-tv! Whether you want to be a Sales Assistant, write freelance business stories for the Neighborhood News or you want to help produce the only Facebook and Youtube-based Webcast for New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, please forward your resume & one short writing clip to Ads@ WCNT-tv.com. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE! Plastic Surgery Practice in Wesley Chapel/New Tampa is seeking a motivated, friendly medical assistant to work full time in both front office and back office capacities. Candidate must be professional, reliable and familiar with computer software. Please send your resume and a cover letter with your qualifications for the position to tampaps@gmail.com.

For free estimate call Yve at 813-390-6040

POOL SERVICES TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE. New Tampa owned & operated. Great Pricing with outstanding customer service! LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED. See why we are New Tampa and Wesley Chapel’s #1 Choice!! Call or Text Chris today @ 813-857-5400 or visit TranquilityPoolService. com. New customers get ONE MONTH FREE! 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 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.

LAWN & LANDSCAPING

Jasmine Landscaping, Inc. Complete lawn maintenance: Tree, palm & hedge trimming, planting, mulching, stones, sod replacement. Gutter cleaning, leaf removal & more. Cited by your HOA? Ask about our HOA Compliance Special, our Fall/Spring Special & FREE ESTIMATE! Licensed & insured.

Accepting new residential & commercial accounts.

We accept Visa, MC, PayPal, Zelle, AmExp. Call or text 813-420-4465. Now hiring full-time workers.

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.

Squeaky Clean Home Services LLC. - is a residential cleaning company offering weekly, biweekly, and monthly services. We also specialize in Move-in / Move-out cleanings. All supplies and equipment provided. We are an Owner Operator company with over 20 years experience that is Licensed, bonded and insured. Call us for your Free in home estimate today! 813-625-6045 www. squeakycleanhomeservices.com

Are You Getting The Most Bang For Your Advertising Bucks?

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.

To order your Classified or Display Ad, call (813) 910-2575 Today!

MAINTENANCE SERVICES “An Umbrella Over Your House” • Handy Man • Light Commercial • Grout/Ceramic Cleaning

email: eduardotampa@yahoo.com

• • • •

Pressure Washing House Cleaning Carpet Cleaning Window Cleaning

www.dultracleaningservice.com | 813.973.7513 • 813.758.9710 40

_

A.T.B. Landscaping & Lawn Service. Licensed and insured serving the Tampa Bay area over 20 years. Family owned and operated. Quality work at affordable prices. We provide services in pressure washing and sprinkler repair. Landscaping and property maintenance including: sodding, trimming trees and hedges, and clean ups. Other services are available. CALL 813-907-LAWN (5296)

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 16 • July 27, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

TOPASH PAINTING, L.L.C. FREE ESTIMATES

Doing business in Pasco and Hillsborough County area since 1978

23 Years Experience • Interior/Exterior HUNDREDS OF HAPPY CUSTOMERS

Call K.T. Topash

(owner/painter)

813.780.2511 Topashpainting@Gmail.com

We Don’t Cut Corners, We Dust Them

“Residential and Commercial’’

Family Owned Business with 20Years of Experience We are your all-purpose cleaner with: • High Quality Services • Competitive Rates • Great References • Always the Same Crew

(813) 381-1430

Protect your children and pets with Tampa Bay’s only organic monthly fertizilation and pest control • Courteous, friendly customer service • Monthly service from $40 per month • State licensed spray technicians • Organic/natural fertilizers • On-time service • Amazing results • No contracts • Special discounts on irrigation repairs and inspections Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Organic Safe Lawns COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL

813.393.9665

WWW.ORGANICSAFELAWNS.COM

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 16 • July 27, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

41

10 units Botox FREE with purchase of Filler

Buy 1 Get 1 50% OFF Chemical Peels SUPPLIES ARE LIMITED RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY

SUPPLIES ARE LIMITED RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY

2441 Oak Myrtle Lane | Suite 101 | Wesley Chapel | www.360DermatologyTampa.com | 813-406-4835 | Follow us on

TENDERCARE PEDIATRICS 27432 Cashford Cir, Ste 102 Wesley Chapel, Florida 33543 (DBA for Sveta medical)

If you have a Wesley Chapel address . . .

“Dr. Raguthu and her staff are wonderful with our daughter, and it is very convenient to have walk-in or same day appointments.” – Facebook Review

30122 S.R. 54, Wesley Chapel, FL 33543 Hours: Monday - Thur, 11AM–10PM Friday & Sat, 11AM–11PM

A Full Service Law Firm BRANDON LEGAL GROUP

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must be present at time of purchase. Expires 08/31/18

Pizza

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Wesley Chapel, Sun City Center, Lakeland & Tampa Available by Appointment

42

We are Bosco's Italian to go, where we serve fresh Italian food with a friendly smile! We use locally sourced produce & our cheese is hand-grated daily!

Pasta

Salads

Wings

www.BoscosItalianFL.com | 813-907-2440

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 16 • July 27, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Estancia’s Premier Amenities Create an Exclusive Resort Lifestyle Four-time Master-Planned Community of the Year Winner Estancia’s rich amenities and upscale homes from WCI, the premier luxury homebuilder in Florida, prompted the Tampa Bay Builders Association to select the collection of villages in Wesley Chapel as the Master-Planned Community of the Year four years in a row.

Estancia’s homebuyers enjoy the exclusive resort lifestyle, thanks to WCI’s distinctive amenities.

The community’s centerpiece, the impressive Club at Estancia, provides an exclusive retreat for homeowners and their families.

Iconic Florida palm trees frame the club’s resortstyle pool, where a European-inspired fountain and pergola add classic touches. One part of the aquatic playground features a zero-entry, heated section, and a one-of-a-kind tower slide. Another section offers marked lap lanes. Also, for exercise-minded members of the community, the clubhouse provides a top-of-the-line fitness center.

Walking trails wind through the community, encircling ponds and connecting elegant homes to even more amenities, such as Har-tru tennis and basketball courts, a playground, and neighborhood parks.

Homes at Estancia bear WCI’s signature commitment to elegant, sophisticated and innovative designs.

A variety of new homes are available now, each with generous square footages and open-concept floorplans.

Six unique villages provide exceptional new-home designs ranging from 1,623 to 5,359 square feet.

The available homes are priced from the upper

$200,000s to the upper $700,000s. Six gorgeously decorated models are now open to tour.

Each village features a variety of home offerings.

Santeri Villas, ideal for active adults and those seeking a carefree, low-maintenance lifestyle, showcase luxury villas priced from the low $300,000s.

The villages of Ravello and Treviso offer square footages options from 2,617 to more than 4,400.

Prices start from mid $400,000s.

Savona offers four floorplan designs that are available to build. Those range from 1,623 to 2,379 square feet, with prices from the upper $200,000s.

At Matera, square footages range from 2,915 to 5,359, with available homes priced from the mid $600,000s.

The Cortona village offers homebuyers a choice of nine plans. Square footages range from 1,866 to 3,644. Prices for available homes are priced from the mid $300,000s.

Throughout the villages, compelling exteriors reminiscent of Spanish, Italianate, and European Cottage architecture draw you into spacious and open-concept floorplans. Some Estancia homes offer as many as five bedrooms and five baths.

Estancia’s elegance is matched only by the community’s superb location. Just eight miles from I-75, Estancia is tucked in sumptuous serenity surrounded by the finest in shopping, dining, recreation, entertainment, and leisure in Pasco County and beyond.

The Exclusive Club at Estancia features a 7,000 sq.ft. clubhouse, aquatic center, state-of-the-art fitness center and much more.

The Shops at Wiregrass, featuring marquee retailers, is just three miles away. On your way to Tampa Premium Outlets, just a few minutes further from Estancia, stop by Florida Hospital Center Ice to take a spin on the rink only six miles from the community.

Lexington Oaks Golf Club and The Links of Lake Bernadette are among two top-class courses nearby.

Gulf beaches are less than 30 miles from Estancia.

From unparalleled luxury to unsurpassed convenience, Estancia offers more than WCI’s elegant homes, the community welcomes homebuyers to an enviable lifestyle.

For more information about Estancia, contact: wcitampabay.com or 877-202-4749