New Tampa Neighborhood News, Volume 26, Issue 17, Aug. 10, 2018

Volume 26 Issue 17 August 10, 2018

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FIXING LOCAL TRAFFIC

By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

To appreciate what local drivers endure every day and to find ways to fix our traffic problems, traffic engineer Jerry Wentzel had a computerequipped car make more than 180 runs driving the speed limit through the Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. corridor in New Tampa collecting data.

And, perhaps, a few choice words by those frustrated that the car was driving the speed limit.

“If you did see the car, I hope you’re not the people that were giving us obscene gestures,” Wentzel joked. “A lot of drivers in your community don’t think 45 is the right speed limit.”

But, by the end of his presentation to roughly 50 people at Compton Park in Tampa Palms on July 25, the only gesture Wentzel — the Southeast Regional manager for DKS, a transportation planning and engineering firm that recently completed a traffic light study in New Tampa — received was a thumbs up.

Wentzel and Vik Bhide, the chief traffic management engineer for the City of Tampa, told an audience of New Tampa residents, as well as a handful of political hopefuls that not only are changes in the traffic light cycles speeding things

up, plans for three additional turn-only signals will continue to ease congestion.

“You should be able to recognize there has already been an improvement,” said Wentzel.

The traffic light study was hatched to address a number of concerns, primarily helping move traffic through side streets like Cross Creek Blvd., Amberly Dr. and Tampa Palms Blvd. onto and off of BBD and facilitating a steady traffic flow during peak hours that would make the roads safer, not just for cars but for cyclists and pedestrians as well.

The lights are also now timed to favor busier traffic at certain times. For example, in the morning, the lights will favor southbound traffic, and in the evening, they will favor northbound traffic.

“In the past….BBD was one giant green (light),” Bhide said. “You were running fourand-a-half-minute cycles. If you were on Bruce B. Downs and got the first green light, you were great. If you were on a side street, you were waiting for a very long time. Our goal was to reduce the delay for everyone.”

Three corridors were studied for improvements in the weekday a.m., midday and p.m. hours, Vik Bhide, the chief traffic management engineer for the City of as well as Saturday morning and evening hours.

Tampa, was among those telling New Tampa residents at the July 25 The Saturday results were applied to Sunday, which New Tampa Council meeting at Compton Park in Tampa Palms how was not specifically studied.

See “Traffic” on page 4.

News: Business: News: Sports: News,New Business & INSIDE Efforts To Bruce Rename New(BBD) Tampa Tampa Dance Theatre Preps Surprise!

B.The Downs Former Wharton High Football Also Inside INSIDE Regional Stalled?

For Big Fall & for Winter Blvd.

Is Our Library Area’s Worst Road Players Declare NFLShows DraftEducation Updates Page3-17 10 This Issue:Pages

Pages 24-25 34-37 Pages 3-32

revamped traffic signal timing has improved traffic in our area.

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New Tampa’s Rotary Clubs Both Have Plenty Of Reasons To Celebrate!

An editorial by Gary Nager

For those who still have never heard of Rotary International (RI) or have no understanding about what local Rotary Clubs do, I want to make sure that everyone understands that RI is the largest service organization in the world, with thousands of individual Rotary Clubs and more than a million members in virtually every country on the planet trying to live up to RI’s motto of “Service Above Self,’ whether that service is local, regional, national or international.

Here in New Tampa, we have two outstanding Rotary Clubs that have many years of experience serving not only the New Tampa community, but also helping others with service projects throughout the Tampa Bay area and around the world.

The original New Tampa Rotary Club, which still meets for breakfast every Friday at 7 a.m. at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club, is our area’s oldest and largest Rotary, with more than 23 years and 70+ members. In June, the club held its annual breakfast, where about $46,000 was donated to about two dozen nonprofit charities, as 2018-19 club president Craig Miller handed out checks to everyone from

New Tampa Neighborhood News

Address: 29157 Chapel Park Dr., Suite B Wesley Chapel, FL 33543 Phone: (813) 910-2575 Advertising E-mail: Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Editorial E-mail: EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Publisher & Editor /Ad Sales Gary Nager Advertising Sales & Office Assistant Jannah McDonald Assistant Editor / Photographer John C. Cotey Correspondents Celeste McLaughlin • Brad Stager • Andy Warrener WCNT-tv Video Producers/Editors Gavin Olsen • Giuliano Ferrara Graphic Designers Georgia Carmichael • Stephanie Vokes Flischel Office Assistants “Wild Bill” Peterseim • Brad Stager

Nothing that appears in New Tampa Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by New Tampa Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion.

The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisements for Volume 26, Issue 19, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Friday, August 24, 2018.

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

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the Pasco Sheriff’s K9 program to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of South Florida and from Rotary’s Camp Florida in Brandon to New Tampa’s other Rotary Club (of New Tampa Noon), whose foundation received (for the first time) a portion of the proceeds from the 2018 Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, which was hosted by the “Breakfast” Rotary for the second year in a row.

Outgoing New Tampa Rotary president Karen Frashier had much to be proud of during her tenure, and Miller (the co-founder, with me, of WCNT-tv, Wesley Chapel & New Tampa Television), has some big footsteps in which to follow. Craig also has been the driving force behind the morning club’s chapter of “Rotary Means Business Tampa Bay,” which is a true networking group connecting Rotarians (and their guests) from across the Bay area.

In addition to the Taste, which doubled the amount of money made from the 2017 event, the morning Rotary’s other largest fund raiser is the annual Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot 5K run, which attracted more than 1,700 runners on Thanksgiving morning to the Shops at Wiregrass mall. The club also has several of its own international service projects.

The Rotary Club that I belong to, the New Tampa Noon Rotary, which meets Wednesdays for lunch at Mulligans Irish Pub in the Pebble Creek Golf Club, is a much smaller group of about 20 local business people who somehow also manage to boast some pretty major accomplishments.

In addition to helping out with this year’s Taste, outgoing president Belvai (aka Vinnie) Kudva also was in charge when the club put on its successful Cycling for Vets bike ride in Flatwoods Park, as well as service projects not only here in New Tampa, but also in Nepal, Kenya, India and Honduras. I was one of a handful of recipients of “Rising Star” awards from Vinnie at our club’s banquet last month.

Our new president Gary Lefebvre will be at the helm for the Noon Rotary’s most ambitious event to date — the first-ever New Tampa Brew Fest (see ad on pg. 17), at the Venetian Events Center on Cross Creek Blvd., on Saturday, November 10, 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Admission to the event will include dozens of craft, micro and traditional brews, and there will be a variety of food trucks on hand as well.

For tickets & more info, visit Eventbrite.com/47193304444.

On June 22, the Rotary Club of New Tampa donated $46,000 to two dozen local nonprofit groups.

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Table of Contents

Local News Updates.....................3-16

Effort To Rename New Tampa’s Library Rebuffed...6 City Shows Off New Rec Center Expansion Plans......8 Primary Elections Scheduled For Aug. 28...............10 Crystal Lagoons® Amenity Ready To Open...........12 New Tampa Players To Honor Founder................13 Ruby Tuesday The Latest Area Restaurant To Close....14 New Tampa Community Calendar.............................16

Local Business Updates..............20-29

New Owners Offer Same Budget Blinds Style..........20 Pelican Water Provides Safer, Cleaner Service.........22 SPOTLIGHT ON: The Beach House At Wiregrass.......23 New Tampa Dance Theatre Plans Busy Winter.............24 PROtential Sports Offers After-School Leagues....26

Local School Updates.................30-34 5 New Things As Kids Head Back To School.....30 Catalyst Club Brings STEM To Middle Schoolers...32 Eagle Scout Project Creates Sign At Freedom..........34

Neighborhood Magazine

Pizza Is Everywhere You Look In Wesley Chapel....37 Bahama Breeze Opens To Big Crowds................40 Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes.........42 New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Classifieds..........44 @NTWCNews

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‘Traffic’

Continued from Page 1 “In some cases, the signals were really way off,” said Wentzel. “The timings were changed dramatically.”

The four-mile stretch from I-75 to E. Bearss Ave., which has nine traffic signals, saw the largest improvements.

According to the study, by recalibrating the cycles of the signals from an average of 222 seconds (3:42) to 146 seconds (2:26), the average delay was reduced from 139 seconds (2:19) to 73 seconds, or 1:13.

The BBD widening project allowed weekday PM cycle lengths to be reduced from 254 seconds (4:14) to 130 (2:10).

“Because it’s now four lanes, it allowed us to reduce the cycle length and give more time to the side streets and cut the delay for coming off the side streets,” Wentzel said.

The changes also helped increase the average travel speed along BBD from 31.6 miles per hour to 37.6 mph, suggesting a smoother flow of traffic. The biggest increases were seen in the weekday midday hours (31.5 to 39 mph) and Saturday p.m. hours (32 to 43).

“That’s pretty dramatic,” Wentzel said.

“People in that corridor should feel the changes, should be driving better, stopping less and spending a lot less time in traffic.”

Requiring minor tweaks in the cycle lengths was the corridor along Cross Creek Blvd. between BBD and Morris Bridge Rd. Improvements there helped reduce the average delay for drivers by 37 percent. Delays getting off the side streets were not as much of an issue, so the improvements focused on the east-west movement along Cross Creek Blvd.

4

“From one end to the other was 134 seconds (2:14), now down to 85 seconds (1:25),” Wentzel said. “That’s a pretty big reduction and something the average person should feel. We felt those were good results, very positive results.”

The third corridor studied, BBD from Cross Creek Blvd. to I-75, was the trickiest, Wentzel said.

While the signals clearly favored BBD traffic, it did not recognize that 40 percent of the traffic in the corridor was coming off Cross Creek Blvd. The result has been significantly longer cycle times for traffic turning south onto BBD from Cross Creek.

That has slowed the average speed in that corridor by 1 percent and increased the average delay by 10 percent, numbers that Wentzel called insignificant.

“If you look at the study results, it didn’t really benefit BBD traffic, because the intention was to help Cross Creek,” he said.

While the study may produce small

numbers measured in seconds and minutes, when you multiply that one car by days and then times per month, you get a bigger, brighter picture (see graphic above).

“The cumulative savings to the community are significant, and to the environment are significant” Bhide said.

Bhide also said the light signal changes also will benefit bicyclists and pedestrians, who tend to take risks crossing when they are stuck at long cycles favoring BBD. Combined with the significant amount of time saved by motorists, as well as the environmental benefits, Bhide said this light study was a success.

“We don’t always see these kind of dramatic results from signal changes,” he said.

“This just happened to be a pretty good story for us to tell.”

Right-Turn Signals To Be Added!

In addition to the recently completed traffic light changes, right-turn signals will

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be installed at northbound BBD and Cross Creek Blvd., as well as eastbound Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. and BBD (where p.m. traffic from the business campuses behind the AMC Highwoods movie theater complex can stretch on and on) over the next 80-90 days.

Both lanes are choke points during peak traffic hours in the evening, and the BBD/Cross Creek Blvd. location in particular has drawn the ire of many local residents.

“We’ve done what we can with signal timing, but the right turns could be going at the same time the lefts are going if we had a signal for it,” Wentzel said.

As for a third left turn lane off Cross Creek Blvd., Wentzel and Bhide both said that’s just a matter of time, and money.

While Bhide works for the city, that intersection is a county asset that the city maintains, per an interlocal agreement.

“We have talked to the county about putting that as a project in their capital improvement plan, and tentatively, they are reviewing that and will try to get it funded in the next few years,” Bhide said.

The traffic signal study was hosted by the New Tampa Council (NTC). Along with District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, who founded the NTC, the crowd also included a handful of political candidates running for seats, either in the upcoming “mid-term” elections in August and November, or in March 2019, that will represent New Tampa — Angela Birdsong (running for Hillsborough County Commissioner District 2), Joseph Caetano and Joe Citro (Tampa City Council Dist. 1) and Fentrice Driskell, who is running against incumbent Shawn Harrison for the Florida House of Representatives Dist. 63 seat.

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Barbara Bush Library? Not On Our Watch, Say New Tampa Library ‘Friends’

By JOHN COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com Despite preliminary efforts by Hillsborough County commissioners to rename a county library after former U.S. First Lady Barbara Bush — including a recommendation

by Victor Crist that the New Tampa Regional Library be the one renamed — a study suggests there is no overwhelming appetite to do so.

At the request by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), the Hillsborough County Library Board gathered public feedback from area residents who live near three county libraries — Bloomingdale, Mango/Seffner and New Tampa Regional — and discovered that a majority of respondents in all three areas preferred that their local libraries should continue to reflect their own communities.

As a result, the Library Board, “based on the feedback collected so far and lack of community support for the proposal,” unanimously voted on July 26 to defer a decision indefinitely, pending more community input, or additional direction from the BOCC. “We were all smiles, and very relieved,” said Joan Zacharias, the current president of the New Tampa Regional Library chapter of the Friends of the Library, a 501(c)(3) notfor-profit corporation that supports public libraries in Hillsborough County. “The Library Board listened to the community; now we hope the county commissioners do the same and it goes away quietly and maybe we can revisit this when a literacy hero emerges from (our area).”

The BOCC is expected to revisit the issue at their meeting on Wednesday, August 15.

District 5 commissioner Ken Hagan, a former New Tampa resident currently running for New Tampa’s District 2 seat (see story on pg. 10), made the recommendation to find a library to rename after Barbara Bush at the May 2 BOCC meeting.

Said Iravani, an 18-year New Tampa resident and past president of the New Tampa chapter of the Friends of the Library, said Hagan’s recommendation came out of nowhere, and questioned the choice.

“He might as well have picked Moe, Larry or Curly,” Iravani said. “The library is one of the signatures of our community. What does Barbara Bush have to do with that?”

Ten of the county’s 28 libraries are named after people, but all had strong ties to the local library that bears their name and the community, or made an impact locally.

Hagan cited the former First Lady’s crusade to end illiteracy, her 1984 children’s book

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The Friends of the New Tampa Regional Library, including (l.-r.) Sujatha Palanivel, Said Iravani, Joan Zacharias and Lisa Coyle, want to keep the library named for our area, rather than rename it for former U.S. First Lady Barbara Bush.

C. Fred’s Story that raised money for literacy and her creation of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, which Hagan said, “has supported and underwritten programs across America, in all 50 states.”

Hagan also said that over 29 years, the foundation has provided more than $110 million to family literacy programs.

District 7 county commissioner Sandy Murman suggested a statue in front of a library, and Crist, who currently represents New Tampa as the District 2 commissioner, volunteered the New Tampa Regional Library as the one to be renamed.

Comm. Crist noted that he, Murman and Hagan — all Republicans — served during the time when Republican Jeb Bush was Florida’s governor.

“There is a library that was built during that period of time that I feel would be a good candidate for consideration and that is the New Tampa Library,” Crist said.

The motion carried by a 7-0 vote.

The current board, as well as the past presidents, of the Friends of the New Tampa Regional Library expressed their unanimous opposition in a letter to the BOCC. “For those of us trying to make this community of chain stores and cul-de-sacs our home, the New Tampa library anchors us,” the letter said. “Our children play and learn there, associations and community groups meet there, and learners of all ages come to connect with new people, ideas and resources. The New Tampa Regional Library

uniquely brings us together from up, down and across the ever-expanding boulevard… we ask that you consider the “New” in New Tampa as cause to let the community settle in a bit before recasting one of the few places that grounds us, our library.”

In New Tampa, 34 of 65 respondents, or 52 percent — mostly from local homeowner associations, community meetings and an online survey — said they were opposed to renaming their library.

While a few of the responses were partisan, most of those against it praised Bush and her work with literacy but questioned her connection to New Tampa.

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“I would much prefer seeing the honor go to someone who ensures literacy support in our community,” one respondent replied. “Let us recognize our local advocates that work tirelessly instead of jumping on the bandwagon of the nation. I guarantee her (Mrs. Bush’s) hometown, as well as major cities where she lived and directly impacted the community, will address her contributions.”

“I voted for Bush but think this is stupid,” another wrote. “If you rename the library, at least do it for a local New Tampa community leader.”

“I admired Barbara Bush, but I think that the New Tampa Regional Library should remain just that. Replacing geographical names with names of persons, especially those with no relationship to the area, makes little sense.”

While only a slim majority voiced opposition to renaming the New Tampa Library, those in the Bloomingdale and Mango/Seffner areas were much more vociferous in opposition to having their libraries renamed.

In Seffner/Mango, 75 percent of respondents (39 of 52) were opposed to renaming their library after Barbara Bush, while in Bloomingdale, 73.5 percent (50 of 68) were opposed to the idea.

Despite the opposition, the BOCC could still decide to rename the New Tampa Regional Library. But, Zacharias hopes they don’t, although she says she is open to naming a meeting room or even the new children’s reading space after the former First Lady.

“This is not really about her,” Zacharias said. “It’s about New Tampa. People like having their library named after their community and their neighborhood.”

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New Tampa’s Recreation Center Gets A Closer Look From City, Local Residents

By BRAD STAGER

The process of turning budgeted dollars into the long-anticipated expansion of the New Tampa Recreation Center (NTRC) is finally under way.

That’s the news that City of Tampa Parks & Recreation officials and expansion project managers brought to about a dozen people assembled at the Rec Center’s multipurpose room for an update about the facility’s expansion on July 11.

The NTRC expansion has been on the wish lists of New Tampa (and other city) residents pretty much since the 19,634-sq.-ft. center, located at 17302 Commerce Park Blvd. opened in 2008. The Rec Center’s dance and gymnastics programs instantly became family favorites, resulting in thousands of kids in the community languishing on waiting lists instead of growing their talents.

Current expansion plans call for spending $1.9 million to create approximately 7,200 sq. ft. of space, a one-story addition to the current structure that staff members say will give them more flexibility in scheduling and organizing activities that should help ease the crowding.

“This is a really great thing that I think reflects the best values of our community,” says District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, who also says the expansion illustrates what can happen, “if people organize and make their voices heard before City Hall.”

Viera, who represents all of the city neighborhoods in New Tampa at City Council, recognized the New Tampa Council (NTC), which he created shortly after taking office in 2016, for doing much to mobilize residents and NTRC patrons in lobbying for the inclusion of the expansion in the city’s Fiscal 2018 budget.

Among the voices heard by the City Council over the near-decade-long campaign to expand NTRC was New Tampa resident and lawyer Tracy Falkowitz. While acknowledging the council’s tough job of funding diverse neighborhood needs, Falkowitz also worked hard to ensure the NTRC expansion remained in the budget, despite the city’s financial struggles. In 2016, the expansion of the Rec Center was in the original budget before the money to pay for it was diverted to fixing the Cuscaden Pool in Ybor City.

“We have plenty of pools in our community,” Falkowitz said. “What we need are developmental programs for kids.”

What eventually goes inside the Rec Center’s new spaces and what activities are offered will ultimately depend on decisions by the Parks & Recreation staff, which is listening to what people in the community have to say and passing suggestions on to project managers.

Much of the expansion’s focus is on 8

managing the flow of users — especially the youngest ones — through the center. Part of achieving that will be a dedicated preschool gym area of 1,591 sq. ft. Building access and inside traffic will be directed so the area is somewhat removed from other active areas of the center, for the safety of the younger kids and the viewing comfort of their parents.

Duane Wright, of the firm FleischmanGarcia, is the project architect who says the unique needs of toddlers means, “I have to re-think the room a little,” to accommodate their particular physical needs, such as smallersize fixtures. It’s a consideration that Wright says reflects a core aspect of his approach to a project. “Ensuring health and safety is a key part of an architect’s job,” he says.

An area that will not be re-imagined is the outdoor playground (known as the “tot lot”) that is adjacent to the Rec Center’s east facade, which will be where the expansion of the existing building will occur.

“All of that stays, and the new architecture fits into that,” says City of Tampa landscape architect Chris Thompson, who is charged with tying together the project’s exterior elements.

The center’s popular shaded outdoor space also will get an upgrade, with exterior access to a restroom that will be part of the expanded building.

Giving the Rec Center flexibility to provide training and skill development in areas it doesn’t have dedicated facilities for (such as it does with its gymnastics and dance programs) will be a 1,953-sq.-ft. “training box” with an extended ceiling (to 18 feet high).

The space will have oversized industrial doors to provide separate access for equipment, such as batting cages, rock-climbing walls or just about anything that can fit inside and will serve the center’s mission of promoting good health. Current plans also call for a 2,038-sq.ft. multipurpose room that can be divided, similar to the current multipurpose room.

Project and center officials say the Rec Center’s current entrance will be used during construction and that the impact on parking and activities should be minimal. The timeline they give for the project is that construction documents and permits are currently being prepared, with work expected to begin in early 2019 and be completed by August of that year.

After major letdowns in 2012 (when plans for a $1.5-million, 14,000 sq.-ft. addition didn’t make it into the budget) and 2016, that is good news for aspiring gymnasts and dancers in New Tampa.

“We’re going to be able to do something good here for the community and that’s the goal,” says City of Tampa Parks & Recreation Director Paul Dial.

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Commissioners Hagan & Crist Trying To Swap Seats In November

By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com Two county commissioners with longtime ties to New Tampa — former resident Ken Hagan and current Tampa Palms resident Victor Crist — will be hoping to win their Primary Elections on Tuesday, August 28, in their efforts to effectively swap seats in the general election on Nov. 6.

Both have been term-limited out of their current positions.

Comm. Hagan, who is currently the District 5 commissioner, a countywide seat, is running in District 2, which represents all of New Tampa, as well as Lutz, Temple Terrace and Thonotosassa. Hagan held the Dist. 2 seat from 2002-10.

Comm. Crist, currently the Dist. 2 commissioner, is running for Hagan’s Dist. 5 seat.

Hagan, 50, has been one of the highestprofile commissioners in recent months, due to his role as the county’s lead negotiator in luring the Rays to Tampa to play in a proposed $892-million stadium in Ybor City.

For his primary race against first-time office seeker Chris Paradies, Hagan had raised a staggering $484,374 at our press time. Paradies, a Keystone resident who has been critical of Hagan’s position as a political lifer who attempts to avoid term limits by jumping seats in order to stay in office, had raised $27,523.

Hagan, who has often been viewed as a pro-development commissioner, has been active in seeking New Tampa’s support in his current campaign. He has co-hosted two local town hall meetings with Dist. 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera and has been active in trying to get new parks built or expanded in K-Bar Ranch

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(L. to r.) Current Hillsborough County commissioners Ken Hagan and Victor Crist & Ray Chiaramonte are all running for different seats on the Board of County Commissioners. development at the Hunter’s Lake project across and Branchton Park off Morris Bridge Rd. Hagan also proposed adding $250,000 to from Hunter’s Green.

Comm. Crist had raised $121,300 at the county budget last year to speed up a potential connection of Kinnan St. to Mansfield Blvd. our press time, while Capo, a 47-yer-old cybersecurity consultant, was at $6,768. in Meadow Pointe.

Crist’s profile, connections and list of In June, FloridaPolitics.com named accomplishments in government dwarf Capo’s, Hagan the ninth most powerful politician in and he is favored to win the primary. In Nov. 6, Tampa Bay. the winner will face Joe Kotvas, who is not affiliDemocrat Angela Birdsong, like Hagan, a ated with any party, and whoever emerges from Carrollwood resident, has raised $21,674, and the Democratic primary between Mariella Smith she awaits the winner of Hagan vs. Paradies. and Elvis Piggott.

Birdsong has recently picked up her efforts in Smith, a fourth-generation Tampa native New Tampa, as she seeks to expand her profile. currently living in Ruskin, is a 64-year-old small Crist, 61, is running against Angel S. business owner and has been a longtime citizen Urbina Capo in countywide Dist. 5. advocate and community leader who could preA longtime local fixture, Crist has been sent a formidable challenge to Crist should she a strong proponent of a New Tampa Cultural defeat Piggott, a 30-year-old church pastor who Center, which is expected to finally come to had been out-raised $73,978 to $20,315. fruition — by 2020. He championed, as did A crowded field is seeking the District 7 Hagan when he served in Dist. 2, the idea of a New Tampa “town center,” which is now under seat, which also is countywide.

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Four Democrats – Ray Chiaramonte (photo, near left), Mark Nash, Kimberly Overman and Sky White — are running. All have either governmental or activist experience.

Nash has held the edge in fund-raising, pulling in $82,768, but Chiaramonte wasn’t far behind at $74,876, followed by Overman ($54,410) and White ($9,718.22).

Chiaramonte, who stopped in at the Neighborhood News office to talk county politics with editor Gary Nager, has been the executive director of the county’s Planning Commission, Metropolitan Planning Organization and most recently, the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA, from which he elected not to renew his contract last year). He says that as a lifelong Hillsborough resident and regional transportation specialist, he is the candidate in the best position to help focus on the transportation issues throughout our area. Look for more of Gary’s interview with Chiaramonte in these pages if he wins the primary.

Republican Aakash Patel, however, has raised more than all of them combined. With a $381,594 war chest (that tops half a million dollars when you include money raised by his political committee, Elevate Tampa), Patel also has some big-time endorsements from Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, State House Speaker Richard Corcoran, former Speaker Will Weatherford and Congressman Gus Bilirakis.

His opponent on August 28, attorney Todd Marks, had raised $138,866.

School Board primary elections also will be held, though not for New Tampa’s District 3 seat, currently held by Cindy Stuart. However, a countywide seat in District 6 (to replace April Griffin) is up for grabs, and a field of six candidates will contend for the spot on Primary Day.

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For the respect we still deserve and the resolve to get things done!

Two years ago Luis Viera made the bold promise to listen closer, work harder, and serve people with respect and resolve. And then it happened. Results! By forming neighborhood councils, Luis led residents to speak with a unified voice to City Hall. Now District 7 enjoys a fairer share of services, respect and recognition from the city. That’s the way leadership is supposed to work. It empowers people to be heard, consensus to be reached, and action to be taken. More than a campaign slogan, it’s the same promise Luis makes today as he asks you to reelect him in March, 2019.

“I am honored to serve the people of our district and ask that you allow me to ensure your voice continues to be heard at City Hall.”

– Tampa City Council Member Luis Viera

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Mobilized residents to ensure the city budgeted for the expansion of the New Tampa Recreation Center.

Successfully pushed for a sensory friendly park in the New Tampa area for families impacted by autism.

Pressed for Tampa Fire Rescue Station No. 23 to be built on County Line Road.

CITY ELECTION March 5, 2019

Luis Viera is endorsed by Tampa’s Firefighters and First Responders.

PO Box 48376, Tampa, FL 33646 \ (813) 358-8978 \ Luis@VieraForTampa.com

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Neighborhood News

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 17 • August 10, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

11

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. in Wesley Chapel.(Photos: Gavin Olsen)

Crystal Lagoons® Amenity In Epperson Hoping To Finally Open This Month

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 later this month, 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 do 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 that 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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New Tampa Players To Honor Founder

By JOHN COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

The New Tampa Players (NTP) community theatre troupe will honor its late founder Doug Wall at their Aug. 11 showing of “Annie” at the University Area Cultural Development Center (UACDC) on N. 22nd St., just south of Bearss Ave. Wall, who passed away last year at the age of 55 after a nine-month battle with pancreatic cancer, will be posthumously awarded the first-ever Doug Wall Award, or “Wally,” which will be given each year to the outstanding actors, directors and volunteers in the NTP. The first-year award is similar to the Nancy Awards, the Carrollwood Players Theatre version of Broadway’s Tony Awards handed out every year, in honor of co-founder Nancy Stearns.

Wall’s family will be at the “Annie” production to accept the award, which will be the only one handed out this year.

“We’ve been looking to start our own awards for a while now,” says Nora Paine, the current president of the NTP. Paine said it was ideal to create the award and honor Wall with it during “Annie,” because he played Daddy Warbucks in the NTP production in 2004, and directed the 2011 production of the Broadway classic.

“Doug always talked about multigenerational summer shows with adults and kids working together, and that is ‘Annie,’” Paine said. “That was always his big emphasis.”

Wall was well-known in New Tampa for

Alex Wall (left), with his father, New Tampa Players founder Doug Wall. his efforts to bring a New Tampa Cultural Center to the area. After more than a decade of trying, the project was finally approved in 2016 and is expected to open across Bruce B. Downs Blvd. from Hunter’s Green by 2020 and be the home of the NTP. “Annie,” which opened on Aug. 3, will wrap up the 2017-18 season for the NTP this weekend, with showings tonight at 8 p.m., Saturday, August 11, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday, August 12, at 2 p.m.

Ticket prices are $25 for adults, $23 for students and seniors, $21 for children and $20 for groups of 10 or more.

For tickets and more info, vist NewTampaPlayers.org.

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13

Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday!

You can now add Ruby Tuesday to the list of New Tampa restaurants that have closed in recent years, as it joins Casa Ramos and Las Palmas this year alone. (Photo: John C. Cotey)

By JOHN C. COTEY Gregg appliance and electronics store john@ntneighborhoodnews.com located in the Market Square plaza on Commerce Palms Dr. in Tampa Palms closed last Longtime New Tampa fixture Ruby year, and last month, the Staples store in Tuesday abruptly closed its doors in late July, the same plaza shut down. which was a surprise to many local residents.

NOT BEAR-Y GOOD: The longest The restaurant, which boasted “Simple Fresh American Dining” and had arguably the lines in the history of the Shops at Wiregrass ended with sadness for many on July 12, as best (only?) salad bar around, was located on customers had to be turned away when the the corner of Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. and popular Build-A-Bear Workshop store was Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in front of the popular forced to abandon its “Pay Your Age” promoAMC Highwoods 20 movie theater. tion in mid-stream.

While it didn’t lack for passing traffic, it The promotion sounded great on paper. apparently was lacking in paying customers, For one day only, customers could purchase a joining more than 100 Ruby Tuesdays across stuffed animal for the price of their age. For a the country that have been shuttered over the toy that can run from $15 and (much) higher, last year. it sounded too good to be true.

According to RestaurantBusiness And for many, it was.

Online.com, Ruby Tuesday has closed 400 All across the country, including the locations in the past decade.

Wiregrass location, the promotion had to be Based in Maryville, TN, the dining chain cut short, due to overwhelming demand. was purchased by NRD Capital last year, and At Wiregrass, a line of more than 1,000 named Ray Blanchette as CEO in January in people stretched around the back of Buildan effort to turn the company around.

A-Bear, around JC Penney and down past Visitors on July 22 were greeted by a Moe’s SW Grill when the promotion was printed sheet of paper taped to the inside of canceled at 10:30 a.m. Those who were the front door, saying “This Location Has already there were allowed to stay, but no one Closed,” and directing people to the Ruby else was allowed to get in line.

Tuesday in Valrico.

Even by 2 p.m., the line still went all The manager at the Valrico restaurant the way behind Build-A-Bear. It was a sunny confirmed that the New Tampa location was and blistering hot day, so the mall was nice closed for good, but declined to answer any enough to bring out a container of greenother questions. Messages left at Ruby Tuesand-white umbrellas to help customers shield day’s corporate offices were not returned. themselves from the elements.

Ruby Tuesday joins a growing list of Build-A-Bear has announced that those shuttered restaurants in New Tampa in the who join its free “Count Your Candles” past two years. program can still pay their age for a “Birthday This year alone, Tampa Palms Mexican Treat Bear,” which is usually $14, during their restaurant Casa Ramos and Pebble Creek’s birthday month only.

Las Palmas Spanish Café (see pg. 43) have closed their doors, joining others like Dairy VROOOM: BMW is hoping to open a Queen and Vuelo’s Mexican Grill on BBD, as showroom at S.R. 56 and Mansfield Blvd. in well as Beef O’Brady’s on Cross Creek Blvd.

Wesley Chapel, after filing plans with Pasco The Dairy Queen location has a new ten- County and having a pre-application meeting ant that has yet to open, but is expected to be in July. The BMW showroom would be 32,758 a Jamaican restaurant, and the old Vuelo’s site square feet, and would bring yet another (which was formerly a Romano’s Macaroni luxury auto dealership to Wesley Chapel.

Grill) may have a new restaurant group interIn the last year alone, Wesley Chapel has ested in bringing something new to the area, seen Lexus and Audi luxury brands added to but the others remain vacant. a three-year-old Mercedes-Benz dealership.

And, speaking of places that have The plans filed with the county do not closed recently in New Tampa, the H.H. identify the dealership’s owner.

14

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 17 • August 10, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

15

AUGUST 2018 Friday, August 10

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

Saturday, August 11

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

Tuesday, August 14

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

Wednesday, August 15

English As A Second Language (ESL) - The ESL group meets Wednesdays at Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church (19911 BBD Blvd. in Pebble Creek), 9:30 a.m.11:30 a.m. Classes are taught by native English speakers. The cost is $40 each semester for the workbook & class materials. For info, call Holly at (813) 360-2077.

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

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

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

Thursday, August 16

North Tampa Veterans meeting - All armed forces veterans are invited to weekly lighthearted Dutch-treat breakfast at Steak ‘n Shake just off BBD Blvd. (17509 North Palms Village Place) every Thursday at 7:30 am. Get acquainted and tell your tales, new and old. Bring your spouse and your brag sheet.

Friday, August 24

Casino Night - The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon will cost “Casino Night” at Wesley Chapel Nissan (28519 SR 54), 7 p.m.-10 p.m.. The donation to attend is $20 per person, which includes $20 in gaming chips, heavy hors d’oeuvres, live music, live and silent auctions, raffle prizes and more, all to benefit Clerks for a Cure (to help in the fight against breast cancer), the Rotary Club’s Wesley Chapel High School scholarship program and the Pasco Sheriff’s K9 Program. There also will be a cash beer & wine bar provided by Time for Wine. For tickets & info, visit WCRotary.com.

Monday, August 27

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

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Independent-Minded. PRINCIPLED LEADERSHIP.

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Tax cuts for working families and local small businesses

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The New Owners Of Budget Blinds Still Promise Affordable Luxury!

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

20

a three-peat.” Adriane, who comes from a background in retail, also says that she most recently 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.

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

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 17 • August 10, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

“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 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.

@NTWCNews

“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, or for any reason — the product will be replaced.

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

Mat also says he wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Budget Blinds. Why? “Because of the service that you get, and the products 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.”

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 in Wesley Chapel, the couple called Budget Blinds to schedule a design consultation at 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

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 in Wesley Chapel), 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. 32.

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21

Pelican Water Systems Brings Its Mobile Showroom To Your Front Door

By ANDY WARRENER

Do you have an aging water filtration system in your home that isn’t quite cutting it anymore?

Are you concerned about chlorinated water and contaminants that slip through your tap water’s purification process? Do you spend too much of your hard-earned money on bottled water?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, Pelican Water Systems would like to come to your home to give you a free consultation and water test, and set you up with a no-waste, no-salt, customized water filtration system that will meet your family’s needs.

“We want to educate people (about) what’s happening with their water,” Pelican Water Systems CEO Iain Whyte says.

“Ours is a new way of approaching water treatment systems.”

Typically, buying a water filtration system is a multi-step process. Businesses will have a storefront where their products are on display. They’ll come to your home and test your water and then you’ll visit their store, sift through available products and eventually get a quote. This is after they come back to your home and conduct an inspection.

That process can be cumbersome, but Pelican Water Systems has a different approach. The company is designed to be a one-stop shop.

“We keep our best-selling products in our vans,” Whyte says. “Two-thirds of the van is showroom, the other third is inventory. We also test for up to nine major contaminants on site.”

Pelican Water Systems technicians use mobile units like this one to bring the company’s water filtration products showroom right to your door in New Tampa.

Pelican Water Systems does not have a storefront, at least not in Tampa. The company’s Florida headquarters is located in Deland (northeast of Orlando).

Instead, Pelican offers what Whyte calls Mobile Retail Centers. These $45,000 mobile showrooms provide everything a technician/salesman needs in order to take care of everything on the checklist, from the initial water test to scheduling the installation of the system.

The company was formed in 2007 and broke into the Florida market in Ocala and Orlando in 2016, moved into Jacksonville and The Villages in 2017, and opened up in the Tampa Bay market a few months ago.

Whyte says that sales to customers in Tampa, despite not having a location here, served as a catalyst to entering the market.

“We’ve been selling products online to Tampa customers since 2007,” Whyte says.

“Now, we want to promote in-home service in the area.”

Whether you use well water or municipal water, Pelican Water Systems has a filtration solution for you.

The most common issues with well water are iron and sulphur. Iron leaves those rusty stains in your bathtub and sulphur is responsible for that unappetizing egg smell.

If you have well water, it’s likely that you have a septic tank. Septic tanks can let harmful bacteria like E. Coli and fecal coliform into your well water.

Pelican Water Systems can test for these bacteria in your well water, which is sent to its lab in Deland. Typically, the turnaround for results is 36 hours. Whyte recommends that

you install a UV (ultraviolet) system if bacteria is detected in your well water. The UV system typically kills 99.9% of all waterborne microorganisms.

With municipal water, particularly with the City of Tampa, chloramines and/or chlorine are used to purify the water. While it’s theoretically safe to drink, most people dislike the chlorine smell and the way the chlorine dries your skin when bathing or showering.

“I’ve had problems with my skin ever since I started living in my house, so I decided to try as much as possible to improve my skin,” says one of the company’s online reviews. “I then got a shower filter from Pelican, and I’ve had a nice experience with them.

Now the water comes out nice and I’ve noticed that my skin is smoother.”

If you’re on municipal water and sewer, you’re paying for the water you consume, as well as the water that gets disposed. That’s another reason why Pelican Water Systems sells salt-free systems — homeowners don’t consume water through the filtration process.

There are no discharges. The system doesn’t even need electricity.

“You get good, quality water from every faucet in your home,” Whyte says.

The headline product that Pelican Water Systems is promoting is the Smart Combo, a water softener and filter combination system.

It combines a certified carbon filter with a certified salt-free softener.

The carbon filter, which is tested and certified by the International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), in accordance with National Standards Strategy (NSS) standards, reportedly reduces chlo-

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Water filtration systems like this one can make your water cleaner and easier on your skin.

rine levels by 96.7 percent. The salt-free water softener is certified by the German Technical & Scientific Association for Gas & Water. Pelican Water Systems uses the German standards because there currently are none in the U.S. for that type of technology. The salt-free softeners are reported to reduce scale that can clog pipes and appliances by 99.6 percent.

If budget is an issue, Pelican Water Systems can even finance the system you choose.

Based on credit score and the length of the loan, monthly payments can be as little as $60/month, and Pelican Water Systems does not hide these prices. The company is a fullservice retailer and the prices of all of their systems are available on the Pelican website.

Installation costs can vary based on

Neighborhood News

where a customer wants the system installed.

If the system needs to be further away from the source, your installation can cost more than it might if the system is going in directly adjacent to the water source. It takes between 3-5 days from the time you order for a technician to come out and install your system.

If you prefer the do-it-yourself route, Pelican offers a wealth of tools available for you to install the system yourself. There are even YouTube videos and tutorials that can be accessed through the website, and tech support is available through the Deland office six days a week (closed on Sunday), from 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

Pelican Water Systems also prides itself on giving back to the community. The company has partnered with organizations like the American Cancer Society, Our Home Transitional, the International Bird Rescue and Operation First Response. Pelican also sponsors Sustainability Scholarships every year to students who are U.S. residents and are enrolled full-time in an accredited university. Students are asked to submit a 30-60 second video demonstrating how they conserve water and write a 250-word essay highlighting what water conservation means to them.

There are two contests every year that award first, second and third-place scholarships.

The next deadline to apply is Mon., Oct. 15.

Pelican Water Systems’ Mobile Retail Centers can be at your home for a free consultation within three days of making an appointment. Appointments are set Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and can even be made on Saturdays. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (8440 237-9949, visit PelicanWater. com or see the ad on page 11 of this issue.

@NTWCNews

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. 28 or visit BeachHouseWiregrass.com.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 17 • August 10, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

23

New Tampa Dance Theatre — Still Producing Great Students & Performances

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

It may be housed in a quiet building on a busy suburban street, but the New Tampa Dance Theatre (NTDT) offers dancers a world-class, professional experience that is unmatched in the Tampa Bay area, whether you or your child like to dance for fun or dream of a career on stage one day.

Located on Cross Creek Blvd. (across from Heritage Isles) in New Tampa, the 7,500-square-foot NTDT is the largest professional dance training facility in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. Owner and artistic director Dyane Elkins IronWing is in her 24th season of creating dance memories and futures for her New Tampa- and Wesley Chapel-area students, many of whom have gone on to study dance in college and/or dance professionally.

“As always, I’m so proud of our students,” says Elkins IronWing. “Our dancers become excellent college students, with their impressive time-management skills, perseverance and creative thinking.”

Elkins IronWing herself says she started dancing at age 5, later trained in New York City, and performed with the Ballet Metropolitan in Columbus, Ohio.

She moved to Tampa in 1995 to be near family and friends and immediately opened NTDT in the Pebble Creek Collection on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. In 2002, she purchased the property on Cross Creek Blvd., designed her spacious new studio herself, and moved the school to the new building in January 2006.

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Classical ballet, modern, jazz, tap, and even hip-hop classes are offered at the New Tampa Dance Theatre, where future dance pros and recreational dancers all receive outstanding training. quickly they can drive to our school.”

With the bigger location, Elkins IronWing was off and running, offering smaller All Ages & Experience Levels class sizes and larger, more varied schedules.

Elkins IronWing caters to both the recShe says she also has a larger pool of reational dance lover as well as the devoted students today, with the ongoing explosive pre-professional, and every level in between. growth in Wesley Chapel.

NTDT’s leveled curriculum offers “Our name might say New Tampa; however, our location is much closer to Wes- multiple art forms for students to explore.

Through personalized attention and profesley Chapel than one might assume,” says Elkins IronWing. “We are extremely convenient sional expertise, the NTDT faculty provides a positive educational experience based on the to all of the current growth (there). Wesley studio’s core principles of respect, responsiChapel families are shocked to discover just how close we are and excited because of how bility and teamwork.

Teen/Adult classes include four eightweek sessions (from Sept.-May) of classical ballet, tap and Zumba.

Children ages 3-4 can participate in the Early Childhood Program, ages 5-8 can take part in the Children’s Program, and ages 9-18 can participate in NTDT’s Youth Program.

In addition to classical ballet, the studio offers full programs in creative movement, modern, jazz, tap and hip-hop.

Each program has its own directors and specific syllabuses guiding students in a structured manner through their studies.

Dyane’s husband, Troy IronWing, is NTDT’s director of tap, while she will instruct ballet, jazz and creative movement classes this season. Both have continued to tour internationally, now for 14 years, with the Rhythm Extreme performance troupe.

In addition, NTDT ballet director Cristy Garcia Tanner started her dance training at age 3 in her native Puerto Rico, and at age 13, she was invited to join the Ballet Concierto Company in San Juan, PR. Modern dance director Carla Armstrong, who joined the NTDT faculty in 2005, graduated from the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Dance.

Jazz director Kristine Morgan has been dancing professionally since age 19, and she earned her BFA degree in Dance from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA, and also currently is the director of entertainment at Busch Gardens.

Hip-hop Director Dreama Davidson, who also has been with the school since

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2005, has 19 years of professional performances and choreography to her credit, including participating in the “Katonga” show at Busch Gardens.

The facilities at NTDT are as top notch as the instructors, and include maple flooring for the tap classes, 20-25-ft.-tall mirrored walls, student locker rooms and a large studio space that can accommodate up to 200 people. Sprung floors provide shock absorption to protect the dancers’ joints, and an on-site physical therapist ensures the health of the dancers. NTDT also features a café offering light meals, snacks, coffee and other drinks.

The Training You Need

NTDT has developed a reputation for creating strong, professional dancers with alumni who have moved on to highly respected companies, Broadway productions and the Walt Disney Company.

Because NTDT students learn to be proficient in multiple art forms, these students have an edge in the competitive world of dance and many of them have been accepted into prestigious summer intensive programs, including the School of American Ballet and American Ballet Theater in New York City, The Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago and the Boston Ballet.

However, Elkins IronWing also is diligent about providing the same quality of instruction to the roughly 60 percent of the students who are enrolled in NTDT’s popular recreational programs, who have no professional dance ambitions.

“If a student doesn’t choose to pursue a career in dance after high school, they can still reach a level of artistry to be accepted into many college dance programs,” says

Elkins IronWing. “Believing in yourself, respecting the process of working toward a goal, and having a well-rounded dance education give our students the tools and confidence to continue discovering new passions throughout their lifetimes.”

Great Productions, Too!

All students get to perform in the “Spring Production” and — through the studio’s nonprofit partner, the Dance Theatre of Tampa (DTT) — in the winter production of “The Nutcracker,” as well as the “Summer Concert Series,” held in June at USF. DTT provides more than 300 free tickets to NTDT’s corporate sponsors, local community supporters, alumni members and students. A small costume rental fee for productions is the only cost over the tuition that parents have to pay at any time — there is never a requirement to buy advertising or pay performance fees.

New Tampa residents Dan and Lisa Sirois relocated here from Port St. Lucie in 2016 and enrolled their daughter at NTDT. “With Cassidy dancing since she was 3, choosing the correct school was important,” Lisa says. “Right away, we knew we made the right decision. We appreciate the fact that Dyane faithfully believes in running the school with a policy that all students are treated fairly, with no favoritism. Absolutely no bullying is allowed. And, above all, Dyane strives to help guide each student to become respectful, decent human beings as well as great dancers.”

Transferring at 11 years old, Lisa says Cassidy was originally placed in the Youth Program Level 3 and has made true, long-lasting friendships at NTDT.

“Her dance technique and confidence have improved tremendously because of all the extremely caring and knowledgeable dance teachers,” Lisa says. “She loves NTDT!” Every holiday season, Dyane says local residents look forward to the community’s largest and longest-running interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet, “The Nutcracker,” now in its 19th season. This year, it will be held Friday-Sunday, December 14-16, at USF Tampa’s College of the Arts Theater 1.

You can catch free sneak peeks of NTDT’s “The Nutcracker” at the Shops at Wiregrass mall on Saturday, November 24,

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NTDT’s much-awaited Sugar Plum Fairy Tea fund raiser is now in its 14th season and will be held Sunday, December 2, at USF’s Gibbons Alumni Center. This popular event features a light lunch, desserts (including a chocolate fountain), giveaways, a sneak preview of “The Nutcracker,” and an opportunity to dance with Clara (the lead role of the young girl who receives the beloved Nutcracker as a Christmas gift) and her “party friends.”

Each year, a portion of the proceeds from the Tea is donated to the Ronald McDonald House Charities in South Tampa.

Tickets for both the Tea and “The Nutcracker” go on sale on Monday, October 1.

“It’s all about the children at NTDT, always has been and always will be,” Dyane says. “We are a company that enables children to succeed. The key is setting high expectations all while having fun and building self-confidence. With the amazing season ahead of us, we would like to thank all of our trusting and loyal families over the years and the organizations that continually support our vision. Without their recognition and time, NTDT wouldn’t be the magical place it has become!”

The New Tampa Dance Theatre offers year-round free trial classes for prospective dancers of all ages. To tour the facility or to rent it for a meeting, party or function, visit NTDT at 10701 Cross Creek Blvd. For more information and to check out the exciting lineup of fall classes, visit NewTampaDanceTheatre.com or call (813) 994-NTDT (6838). Also, see the ad on page 34 of this issue.

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25

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 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 Buccaneers quarterback Brad Johnson (who was also a teammate of Tony’s at Minnesota) and former Bucs running back Michael Pittman.

That experience brought home Tony’s own football beginning, as a 14-year-old playing in a youth football league and then catching passes at Pinellas Park High. His focused dedication to athletic achievement became part of his overall lifestyle, including academics, and he earned a scholarship to Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, where he majored in political science.

PROtential district manager Julie Garretson is another lifelong athlete who aspired to a career in physical education and now oversees many of the day-to-day operations of PROtential Sports. Since the youth activities are community-oriented, that means developing relationships with the activity and lifestyle

PROtential sports summer campers work on agility drills at Grand Hampton, one of five sites that host after-school instructional sports programs for students ages 5-12 in New Tampa. (Photo: Gavin Olsen) directors in local communities like The Ridge like at Heritage Isles, where PROtential is in at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel and its 16th year of operations.

Heritage Isles, and stopping by when the chil“Anytime you have a chance to grow dren are on-site to check on things. with a new development, it’s a blessing,” Nyree says.

PROtential also offers the added conveSo Many Locations! nience of transportation, which is extremely According to Garretson, PROtential helpful for families where both parents work, Sports’ after-school instructional sports programs for students ages 5-12 years old are especially during the school year. Children located at Club Tampa Palms, Arbor Greene, can be transported from school back to their Heritage Isles, Grand Hampton and Cory 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,

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.”

Besides getting a chance to learn about and play a variety of sports, like baseball, flag 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 also be-

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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.”

NFL Flag Football, Too!

PROtential Sports campers stretch before breaking off into teams for flag football. (Photo: Gavin Olsen)

ing able to pass on athletic and life skills. “(Our instructors) should be teachers,” Julie 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. Brooks 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,” Brooks says. “We teach them what we learned in our lives through sports, like the importance of teamwork and communication.”

Neighborhood News

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

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Now that the summer programs have ended, PROtential Sports has begun shifting gears as it fields inquiries about its after-school instructional sports programs.

After-school sports programs cost $68 per week (or $295 a month) per child.

If you pay online, use coupon code AS1819 to drop the price to $58/$255.

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 a

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

“That’s Tony’s baby,” Nyree jokes.

The New Stuff

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. 35 of this issue for more information.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 17 • August 10, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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29

5 Things That Have Changed As New Tampa Students Head Back To School improved as opportunities are recognized, with some improvements being provided by the district and some coming out of school budgets.

“We have always tried to secure our campus in every way, shape and form, from every angle,” says Benito principal John Sanders. He and other local principals say they continue to do that on an ongoing basis.

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

With students throughout Hillsborough County now back to school for the 2018-19 school year the same day this issue is scheduled to arrive in your mailbox, there are many changes that make this school year different from last. Here are five things that are new since your students were on campus last spring:

2. Bell Times

1. School Security

In the aftermath of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High shooting on Valentine’s Day of this year, a new state law requires armed security on every public school campus.

While the law has changed, it won’t appear much different from what’s already been in place on most New Tampa public school campuses.

Freedom and Wharton high schools, Benito and Liberty middle schools and Turner/Bartels K-8 school will continue to have a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) deputy or Tampa Police Department (TPD) officer on campus.

At our area’s six elementary schools, one TPD officer or HCSO deputy will be assigned to each school. Previously, one officer served multiple campuses.

While it is planned to have an armed school security officer at every elementary school, employed by Hillsborough County Public Schools, the school district says it will take time to hire and train the necessary personnel, so elementary school campuses

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies went through intensive “active shooter” training this summer in preparation for the new school year. (HCSO Twitter)

will have law enforcement officers from the local agencies to “fill that temporary gap and ensure the safety of our schools,” according to a statement provided by the Hillsborough School District.

What may be different, though, is the fear felt by parents as they send their kids back to school.

Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) International is a national professional organization for educators that has surveyed attitudes toward public education every year since 1969. This year’s poll finds that one in

three parents fear for their child’s physical safety at school. PDK describes that as, “a sharp increase from 2013, when just 12 percent said they were fearful.”

Wendy Arroyo, whose two children attend Wharton and Benito, says she believes the school campuses are safe but, in the back of her mind, “There’s always a little bit of fear that something might happen today,” she says. “Unfortunately, that’s the reality that we live in now.”

Local principals say their campuses are continually monitored for safety and

Every school in New Tampa has a new schedule this year. Elementary schools start at 7:40 a.m. and finish at 1:55 p.m., middle schools start at 9:25 a.m. and finish at 4:20 p.m., and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. and finish at 3:25 p.m.

The biggest change is at Turner/Bartels K-8 School, which starts at 7:40 a.m. and finishes at 2:35 p.m. this year.

Last year, Turner/Bartels’ school hours were 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“It’s a huge change for our families,” says principal Cindy Land. “It’s bittersweet.

Parents are excited because their younger kids will be able to participate in after-school activities, but older kids are used to the later (start and end) times.”

Parents of students at all schools are making changes in their routines to accommodate the new schedules. Elementary and middle schools have before- and after-school care, called HOST (Hillsborough Out of School Time) to help working parents who need to drop off or pick up their children outside of their school’s hours.

“Drop off doesn’t happen until 9 a.m. now,” explains Benito principal Sanders.

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“HOST starts at 7 a.m., but if you’re not in HOST, you can’t walk in or be dropped off until 9 a.m.”

3. Newly Assigned Schools

A major boundary shift has happened, with students living in several New Tampa neighborhoods heading to different schools this fall. Students living in Cory Lake Isles and Arbor Greene who previously attended Pride Elementary have been reassigned to Hunter’s Green Elementary (HGE).

School records show that, as of the end of July, 250 students are now enrolled at HGE who were previously at Pride. Many students who were reassigned from Pride were given the opportunity to stay there using the school district’s “school choice” applications. The number of students who chose to do that will not be available until after school starts.

“People are very excited,” says HGE principal Gaye Holt. “It’s been a very positive transition.”

Meanwhile, residents of the Morgan Creek apartments neat I-75, who were previously assigned to HGE, have been reassigned to Clark, which is a couple of miles closer to Morgan Creek residents.

Residents of K-Bar Ranch and Addison Park apartments in Cross Creek have been moved from Heritage to Pride.

More than 550 students who were bused to Clark and HGE from the area surrounding the University of South Florida now attend schools in their own neighborhoods, which created space at both HGE and Clark to accept students from Pride and make room for the expected growth in K-Bar Ranch.

4. Fewer Buses, More Cars?

Neighborhood News

Expect to see a few less school buses on the roads in New Tampa for the 201819 school year, as many students have been reassigned to schools closer to their homes.

Hillsborough County Schools doesn’t provide buses to students who live less than two miles from their assigned school.

Hunter’s Green has prepared for the change – with just four school buses on campus this year, compared to 10 last year – by doing some construction to accommodate the expected increase in car traffic and those students who will be walking and biking.

Drop-off and pick-up car line traffic will now enter HGE via Cross Creek Blvd. A new roadway circle that accommodates cars twodeep was constructed to aid in the lineup of traffic, especially for the afternoon pick-up line.

Designed to minimize traffic impacts along Cross Creek Blvd., Principal Gaye Holt says the new path is expected to accommodate 110 vehicles in the car line at once.

5. Wharton’s “New” Principal

A new principal who is a familiar face to many locals has taken the helm at Wharton High, which suffered some negative publicity last year about student safety at the school.

Mike Rowan was the principal at King High on N. 56th St. until he officially became the principal at Wharton on July 1.

Rowan is a resident of Pebble Creek and a parent of a student who graduated from Wharton this past spring. When the school first opened in 1997, becoming New Tampa’s first high school, Rowan was a social studies teacher and soccer coach. In 2006, he was named assistant principal for administration (APA) at Wharton. He served in that capacity for five years before being named the principal at King.

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31

Catalyst Club Members Bring Joy Of STEM To New Tampa Middle Schoolers

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

While many students recognize the importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) concepts and some join robotics or science clubs, it is likely that there are some kids who haven’t been exposed to STEM in a way that is fun and engaging.

Aaryan Sharma, a 16-year-old International Baccalaureate (IB) student at King High on N. 56th St. in Tampa wants to change that.

“We want to reach out to kids who are not already interested in STEM,” the Arbor Green resident explains.

Last year, Aaryan started the “Catalyst Club” at King with a goal to teach STEM to middle school students.

Middle schoolers, says Aaryan, are the perfect age — not too young to comprehend the subjects, and not too old that it is too late for them to become interested.

“Middle school kids are mature enough to grasp advanced concepts,” explains Aaryan.

“High school students might be apathetic,” especially if they’ve already determined their path, and aren’t really open to being introduced to a new passion.”

So, Aaryan and fellow club members and officers worked last year to get the Catalyst Club up and running. This summer, their efforts took off.

Catalyst Club members reached middle school students, mostly through the HOST (Hillsborough Out of School Time) program, which provides care for students after school and during the summer.

Using presentations, hands-on activities and friendly competitions, Catalyst Club members teach STEM concepts to middle school students at Turner/Bartels K-8 school.

They visited Liberty Middle School once a week, and Turner/Bartels K-8 School twice a week this summer.

Each visit included a new lesson, first taught via a PowerPoint presentation, which was then followed up with a hands-on activity.

Jon Karthaka, the club’s director of information and content, explains a recent lesson last month.

“We’re teaching about non-Newtonian fluids, using oobleck,” he says. Oobleck is a mixture of cornstarch and water that has properties unlike a typical liquid. “We put

oobleck in a Ziploc bag, then put an egg in.

The kids can drop it and throw it, and the egg won’t break.”

He explains that the hands-on activities piqued the students’ curiosity and gave them the opportunity to learn in a fun way.

“We always have a demonstration and try to have competitions,” Jon explains.

“They love it.”

He says the competition aspect of the club captures the middle school students’ attention. For example, at one lesson, club members gave the students popsicle sticks

and tape to make a boat and see which one could hold the most quarters without sinking.

This helped teach engineering, buoyancy and other principles.

“If we just teach the theory behind it, kids might be confused,” says Aaryan. “Having hands on activities, it clicks. The concept makes more sense.”

Along with Aaryan, Ansh Bhatt is the club’s vice president, and Nusheen Immen, who lives in Tampa Palms, is the club’s director of outreach and communications.

All are 16 years old and juniors in King High’s IB program.

They’re doing the typical things other high school students do, too, but are making time in their schedules to teach younger kids STEM concepts.

“We’re busy studying for SATs, too, but this is a way for us to give back,” says Aaryan.

“That’s our core motivation.”

Not only do they want to volunteer and help those around them, they also are hoping to plant seeds that will lead to more students pursuing STEM careers.

They call it their “macro goal” — not just to impact some students here in New Tampa and surrounding areas, but to “bolster innovation and scientific progress in society,” Aaryan says.

“We hope to ignite a spark to create a beautiful chain reaction,” Nusheen adds.

Working with the HOST program has been a great match so far, and that is expected to continue, now that the students have returned to school. The lessons from the Catalyst Club members don’t conflict with the school day, where teachers might

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(Left to right) Jon Karthaka, Ansh Bhatt, Aaryan Sharma and Nusheen Immen lead the Catalyst Club at King High, where they are all juniors in the school’s IB program.

not have time to incorporate them.

Catalyst Club members also can attend their full day of school and go to HOST to teach after their school day ends.

“Another thing we love is it gives us opportunities to reach all kinds of students,” says Aaryan, not just students who are already gathered together because they’ve joined a STEM-related club. Catalyst Club officers say they hope to expand their lessons to more schools — and students – via the HOST program or other means.

They also emphasize that they’re not limited to just schools. So far, in addition to schools, they have also presented to Girl Scouts and are open to working with other organizations.

They hope more high school students

will start their own Catalyst Club chapters at their schools, too, to increase their impact.

Aaryan says the middle school students he met this summer asked them to come back, and look forward to their visits.

“It’s so good to see the kids and develop a relationship with them,” he says.

Catalyst Club officers emphasize that they do all the work and don’t charge for their services. When they work with a school or organization, they agree on dates and times, then club members plan everything.

To learn more about the Catalyst Club, to request a presentation for a middle school group, or for high school students to find out more about starting their own chapter of the club, visit CatalystClub.TK.

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Austin Channels Builds New Sign For Freedom High As Eagle Project

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

To achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank for scouts with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), Austin Channels had to lead a project that would help his community.

As a student at Freedom High in Tampa Palms, who will start his senior year this fall, Austin wanted to do something to impact his school for good.

“In previous years, there was a football sign that was up with the football schedule,” Austin explains. “Every year, they had to make a new sign and print it just for the new football schedule.”

So Austin — with the help of his mom, Kim — came up with the idea for an interchangeable sign that could make announcements for all the sports and other important school-related info.

Austin got approval from the school and led a team of fellow scouts and family members to conceptualize, design, build and implement the sign, plus add lighting and landscaping. He had to do his own fund raising to purchase materials, and says he met his goal of about $800 by selling T-shirts.

He worked to pick the perfect spot for the sign, where it could be seen by cars both entering and leaving the school.

Now, Austin’s sign will be maintained by the school, with student assistants changing the words on it as needed.

A final phase of the project will be to add clear plexiglass and a lock, so that no one can switch the letters around without the school’s authorization.

34

Austin is glad to be able to use his Eagle project as a platform to do something significant at his high school.

“It was cool to give back,” Austin says. “After being there for years with everyone teaching you, it’s good to give back to the school a little bit.”

Austin’s Eagle project is the culmination of his many years in Scouts, starting with Cub Scouts, when he was in third grade at Tampa Palms Elementary.

To achieve the Eagle rank, he’ll need to complete a Board of Review, which he expects to do soon. Once he earns the Eagle rank, his family will host a celebration this fall.

“It’s not as easy as other people made it look,” says Austin, who explains he’s seen many Austin Channels (left), a Boy Scout with Troop 180, built this sign for Freedom High in Tampa Palms as his older scouts complete their Eagle project. Austin (with Freedom principal Kevin Stephenson) will graduate from the school next May. Eagle projects, “because you’re leading everyone, you’re not just taught him to appreciate money,” says Steve. rience, and he looks forward to finishing out doing the project.”

“He bought his own car with his own money, the year with his troop before he completes Austin is a member of Troop 180, after saving for several years. Not many teenthe program when he graduates high school. which meets at Compton Park in Tampa “It’s like mountain climbing,” Austin agers do that.”

Palms. He says the best thing about his says, “You climb one, but then there’s anothSteve says his son has spent a lot of Boy Scout experience has been some of the er one a little bit taller that you can climb.” his time this summer doing yard work for incredible trips he’s had the opportunity His dad, Steve, who is a teacher at Freeelderly neighbors, including one he drives to take, such as a 50-mile backpacking trip dom, says Austin’s scouting experience has to various appointments and whenever she through the mountains of Wyoming, includ- taught him skills and helped him to be more needs a ride somewhere. ing Yellowstone Park.

“It’s been a delight to follow his self-reliant than many kids his age.

He says his journey to earn the Eagle journey,” says Steve, “and yes, I’m really “Austin has little side businesses repairrank is just another part of his Scouting expe- ing cell phones and doing car repairs that has proud of him.”

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MOD, Blaze Ready To Enter Crowded Wesley Chapel Pizza Market

By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

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

So, as Wesley Chapel and New Tampa continue to grow, and more and more families move in, so do more businesses that sell pizza.

There’s locally-owned traditional pizzerias like Cappy’s, Precinct Pizza, 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. Places like Woodfired Pizza on Bearss Ave., Mellow Mushroom and Noble Crust (the last two 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 cheaper, high-volume deliveries.

“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 are pizza places.”

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

Before

After

are both entering the local 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 says 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 New 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-mid-September. 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 recipe, and the tomato sauce is made in-house daily. No matter how many toppings 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

See “Pizza” on page 38.

Pam Edmonson www.CreativePermanentMakeupbyPam.com 33913 State Road 54, Suite 101, Wesley Chapel FL

‘Pizza’

Continued from Page 37

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.

More Blaze-ing Fast Growth!

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 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.

Whether you prefer the New York (or 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.

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 local “piescape” are hip, trendy and fill a desire for custom-built pizzas with a wide variety of toppings that are not always available at traditional pizza spots. They will be stiff competition for each other, but family-owned 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

zza i P t f a Cr nesday Wed

Southern W eekend

Brunch

Tues.-Fri.

| 38

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.

“Everyone can find something they like.”

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39

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 also-now-open Hyatt Place hotel (see Nibbles & Bytes column on pages 42-43) 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 (try sitting at the bar) 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 (just enough spice!), the true fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs. the beef empanadas, the jerk chicken wings, the coconut shrimp and the Jamaican-style braised short rib & oxtail.

To date, I can vouch for two different sauces on your “Market Catch” fresh fish, which has been redfish on all three 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 (below). 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 Before

After

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 New Tampa Neighborhood News!

NTNeighborhoodNews.com @NTWCNews

NeighborhoodNews

Pam Edmonson www.CreativePermanentMakeupbyPam.com 33913 State Road 54, Suite 101, Wesley Chapel FL

40

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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 also 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

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

just opened, “My phone’s been ringing off the hook for weeks, especially with people bookGet Ready For The Hyatt Place! ing rooms for tournaments at the hockey rink “We know there’s not enough hotel (Florida Hospital Center Ice, located just east rooms in Wesley Chapel right now,” says of I-75 on S.R. 56, while the Hyatt Place is just Karen Martin, the director of sales for the new west of the interstate).

132-room Hyatt Place hotel (top photo on Although Martin says the new Hyatt Place next page) on the north side of S.R. 56, next doesn’t have full Hyatt resort amenities, it does to Bahama Breeze (see story on pg. 40), have a Gallery restaurant and bar, a separate which had its “soft” opening on July 31. “But, breakfast area, an outdoor swimming pool, nice it’s about to get a lot more fun out here.” fitness and business centers and meeting spaces Martin says that although the six-story hotel with built-in audio/visual features.

The adjacent Sierra Conference Center has a really nice ballroom that Martin says can seat about 350 people with tables in a banquet setup and can be subdivided into three smaller ballrooms, which can each seat at least 250 people each in a theatre-style seating set-up. Martin says she also 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 be open.”

She adds that the hotel hopes to host an upcoming “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.

• I can’t even tell you how excited my taste buds are now that Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel favorite Nothing Bundt Cakes has opened across from Noble Crust (see ad on page 38) in the Shops at Wiregrass mall. Whether you love red

(727) 376-5111 • www.heartwoodpreserve.com

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 17 • August 10, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

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Here & There, This & That...

4100 Starkey Blvd Trinity, FL 34655

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velvet or dark chocolate cake with extra creamy white icing, or the decadent white chocolate raspberry bundt cake, Nothing Bundt Cakes will have you salivating for more.

Check out a free sample when you visit and please tell the staff that you read all about them in the New Tampa Neighborhood News!

• 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, the Latin/Cuban favorite located behind Kobe Steakhouse in the Pebble Creek Collection on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (a mile south of County Line Rd.), had closed.

Garcia had been talking to me for several months about how hard it had been for the businesses in the plaza to stay afloat, with the Bruce B. Downs widening construction still ongoing in front of the plaza, but he was still hoping to work things out less than two weeks before he announced the closing on Facebook.

Will Garcia reopen in another location?

We’ll keep you posted!

• Meanwhile, congratulations go out to

22 Years!

...........

PHYSICAL THERAPY & PERSONAL TRAINING Office: 813-907-7879

my friends Travis and Fiona Monday, the owners of Fit 4 Life Personal Training & Physical Therapy Studio (17419 Bridge Hill Ct. in Tampa Palms), who celebrated the studio’s 22nd year in business with another great Martini Party, catered by the nearby Stonewood Grill & Tavern, on July 20.

The ad on this page (right) shows a smattering of photos from the event, again attended by dozens of loyal Fit 4 Life clients and guests.

For appointments and more info, see the ad or call (813) 907-7879. — GN

You’ve often said, “Someday I’ll get around to preplanning my memorial service.”

Last time we checked, there was no someday on the calendar.

CALL ME, Dottie Nesler, Advance Planning Specialist, to start planning today.

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Land O’ Lakes, FL 34639

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(813) 991-7500 @NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 17 • August 10, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

43

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

813-433-6015.

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

Find your happiness in a fresh, bright clean home.

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

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

RAYMOND PAINTING. Exterior & Interior Services.

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

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

DRY WALL SPECIALIST. Not a handyman. Affordable Quality Work repairing water damage, ceilings and walls, retexturing, popcorn removal, room additions, cracks, holes, plaster and stucco repair. 26 Years Experience. Wesley Chapel resident. State Certified. Call Ron for free estimate: 813-7845999.

MILLENNIUM HOME REPAIR.Professional Handyman. Cabinet Installation, dry wall repair, tile installation & repair, some plumbing, laminate flooring, light fixtures, interior painting, appliance installation, pressure washing, paneling, window repair, awning installation, carpentry, garbage disposal, fence repair, crown molding, window blinds, seal baths & showers, TV mounting & more. Call 813-400-1408 or email TYCOONUNION@YAHOO.COM. Tjs Pressure Washing LLC. Driveways, Houses, Fences, Lanais 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

Classifieds

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

For more info, Call 758-9710.

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

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

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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.

LAWN & LANDSCAPING

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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) 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.

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.

WOULDN’T YOUR CLASSFIED AD LOOK GREAT HERE? CALL (813) 910-2575 TO ORDER YOURS TODAY!

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! 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.

Are You Getting The Most Bang For Your Advertising Bucks?

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

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.

Remote assistance available. References available.

Call (813) 957-8342 for a free estimate.

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

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

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

FREELANCE OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS & WCNT-tv! Whether you want to write business stories for the Neighborhood News or you want to involved in the production of 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 CNAs/HHAs NEEDED: Established Senior Homecare Service is seeking CNA’s and Home Health Aids to work with our company. Contact 813-9851200 for more information.

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www.dultracleaningservice.com | 813.973.7513 • 813.758.9710

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 17 • August 10, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 17 • August 10, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 17 • August 10, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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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

Portfolio of Fine Homes 15916 Wyndover Rd.

16102 Dowling Ct.

JUST LISTED

JUST LISTED

4812 Londonderry Dr.

5030 Wesley Dr.

JUST LISTED

4 Bed | 3 Bed | 3,286 SF | 2 Car Garage | Newer AC, Roof Replaced 2001, Beveled Glass Double Door Entry, Side Load Garage, Open Beam Ceiling Finish, Stainless Steel Appliances | Pool/Spa Package, Outdoor Kitchen | Over Sized Conservation Lot Offered for $389,000

3 Bed | 2 Bath | 1,651 SF | 2 Car Garage | New AC, Newer Samsung Range, Vaulted Ceilings, Island Workstation, Tile and Laminate Wood Flooring, Master Suite Features A Soaking Tub and Separate Shower, Walk In Closet | Large Screened Lanai, Cul-de-sac, Over Sized Corner Lot | Offered for $255,000

4 Bed | 3 Bath | 2,795 SF | 3 Car Garage | Newer AC, Remodeled Kitchen and Baths, Resurfaced Garage Floor, Stainless Steel Appliances, Granite Counters, Glass Tile Back Splash, 14 Foot Ceilings | Travertine Pool Deck, Saltwater Pool/Spa, New Pool Pump | Conservation Lot Offered for $485,000

4 Bed +Den + Bonus Rm | 3.5 Bath | 3,659 SF | 3 Car Garage | New Interior Paint, Granite, Stainless Steel Appliances, Wood Flooring, Crown Molding | Outdoor Kitchen, Heated Pool/Spa Over Sized Conservation Lot | Gated Community Offered for $599,000

17820 Green Willow Dr.

8118 Hampton Glen Dr.

6621 Stonington Dr.

20242 Ravens End Dr.

4 Bed +Den | 3 Bath | 2,488 SF | 2 Car Garage | Remodeled Throughout, New Interior Paint, Granite, Travertine, Wood Flooring Stainless Steel Appliances | Screened Lanai, Salt Water Pool Over Sized Lot Offered for $348,500

5 Bed +Bonus Rm | 4.5 Bath | 3,775 SF | 3 Car Courtyard Entry Garage New Paint, Granite, Wood Floors, Stainless Steel Appliances, Crown Molding, Art Niche | Pavered Pool Deck, Heated Pool/Spa | Over Sized Conservation Lot Offered for $525,000

NEW ROOF AUGUST 2018 | 4 Bed+Office +Sitting Rm | 3.5 Bath | 3,081 SF | 3 Car Garage | Remodeled Throughout, New Exterior Paint, New Exterior Lighting, Maple Cabinetry, Granite Counters, Copper Back Splash, Refinished Wood Flooring | Pool/Spa Package | Stunning Water Views Offered for $484,900

5 Bed +Bonus Rm | 3 Bath | 3,524 SF | 3 Car Garage | Built 2007 | New Roof, New AC, New Stucco and Exterior Paint, Master Suite Features French Doors With Balcony | Over Sized Lot Is Fully Fenced, Mature Landscaping | Offered by Jessica Leacock 813-618-8132 Offered for $354,900

17503 Edinburgh Dr.

18131 Longwater Run Dr.

5008 Ashington Landing Dr.

9210 Meadow Lane Ct.

SALE PENDING 4 Bed +Bonus Rm | 3.5 Bath | 3,558 SF | 3 Car Garage | Built 2003 | Granite Maple Cabinetry, Stainless Steel Appliances, Crown Molding, Transom Windows | Screened Lanai, Pool | Conservation Offered for $439,000

SALE PENDING

4 Bed | 4 Bath | 3,478 SF | 3 Car Garage | Remodeled Kitchen and Baths, Maple Cabinetry, Granite, High-End Stainless Steel Appliances, Mahogany Wood Floors, New Carpet, Crown Molding, Custom UpLighting | Pool/ Heated Spa Package, New Travertine Lanai Offered for $450,000

5 Bed +Office +Bonus +Exercise Rm | 6.5 Bath | 6,700 SF | 6 Car Garage | Built 2001 | Custom Upgrades Throughout, Crown Molding, Wood Flooring, Plantation Shutters, Designer Paint, Maple Cabinetry, Custom Tile Back Splash | Pavered Lanai, Heated Pool/Spa Over Sized Conservation Lot | Offered for $1,099,000

6416 Renwick Cir.

7829 Tuscany Woods Dr.

16313 Heathrow Dr.

SOLD IN 1 DAY

SOLD IN 4 DAYS

SOLD IN 2 WEEKS

5 Bed | 3.5 Bath | 3,192 SF | 3 Car Garage | Updated Throughout, New Kitchen Cabinets, Granite, New Appliances, Crown Molding, New Interior | Resurfaced Porch and Pool Deck, Pool/Spa | 24 Hour Manned Gated Community, Large Rear Yard Offered for $425,000

8772 Ashworth Dr.

SALE PENDING

SALE PENDING

SOLD

SOLD

4 Bed +Office | 3 Bath | 2,695 SF | 2 Car Garage | Remodeled Kitchen, Granite, Custom Glass Tile Back Splash, Stainless Steel Appliances, Recipe Desk, Wood Flooring, Transom Windows | Screened Lanai, Pool, Fenced Yard | Offered for $339,900

4 Bed +Den | 3 Bath | 2,996 SF | 3 Car Side Load Garage| New Engineered Wood Floors, Remodeled Kitchen And Secondary Bathrooms, Upgraded Tile Roof, Travertine Pool Deck, New Marcite In Pool, New Coping, Heated Spa, Large Lot On Pond | Gated Village of Kensignton Offered for $545,000

3 Bed +Office | 2 Bath | Tile Flooring, Granite Counters, Maple Cabinetry, Arched Walk Ways, Over Sized Windows | Maintenance Free Gated Village Offered for $250,000

4 Bed +Office +Bonus Rm | 3 Bath | 3,625 SF | 3 Car Garage | Granite, Maple Cabinetry, Luxury Vinyl Wood Flooring, Plantation Shutters, Crown Molding, Designer Window Treatments | Flagstone Deck, Heated Pool/Spa | Gated Village|Conservation Lot Offered for $619,000

9138 Highland Ridge Way

17201 Emerald Chase Dr.

6539 Stonington Dr.

17221 Broadoak Dr.

SOLD

SOLD 4 Bed +Office | 4 Bath | 3,680 SF | 3 Car Garage | Raised Panel Cabinetry, Tray Ceilings, Crown Molding, Oversized Tile, Transom Windows, Recipe Desk, Over Sized Master Suite | Pool, Spa, Screened Lanai | Pond Views Front and Back | Offered For $500,000

4 Bed +Office +Bonus Rm | 4.5 Bath | 4,353 SF | 3 Car Garage | Built 2004 New Interior Paint, Upgraded Throughout, Custom Drapes, Maple Cabinets, Granite, Stainless Steel Appliance Package, Crown Molding, Hardwood Floors | Pool/Spa, Pavered Deck, Outdoor Kitchen | Cul-de-sac, Over Sized Conservation Lot | Offered for $685,000

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

SOLD 4 Bed +Den | 3.5 Bath | 4,020 SF | 3 Car Garage | Built 2008 | Upgraded Throughout, Tile Roof, Wood Flooring, Tray Ceiling, Crown Molding, French Doors, Stainless Steel Appliances, Cherry Cabinetry, Custom Tile Back Splash, Plantation Shutters | Pavered Extended Lanai, Pool/Spa, Over Sized Two Sided Conservation Lot | Offered for $739,999

Phone: (813) 931-6700 • KristyD@Realtor.com • RealEstateNewTampa.com