Volume 22 Issue 21
Inside:
Last Chance To Win A Clearwater Beach Stay!
October 11, 2014
See Neighborhood Magazine!
The Direct-Mail News Magazines Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Since 1993! THIS INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY NEWS MAGAZINE IS DIRECTLY MAILED TO: NEW TAMPA: Arbor Greene • Cory Lake Isles • Cross Creek • Easton Park • Grand Hampton • Heritage Isles • Hunter’s Green • Hunter’s Key • K-Bar Ranch Lake Forest • Live Oak Preserve • Pebble Creek • Richmond Place • Tampa Palms • The Hammocks • West Meadows WESLEY CHAPEL: Aberdeen • Belle Chase • Bridgewater • Brookside • Chapel Pines • Country Walk • Lexington Oaks • Meadow Pointe • New River • Northwood • Pinewalk • Pine Ridge Saddlebrook • Saddleridge Estates • Saddlewood • Seven Oaks • The Lakes at Northwood • The Villages of Wesley Chapel • Watergrass • Wesley Pointe • Westbrook Estates • Williamsburg
Neighborhood News Named WCCC’s Small Business Of The Year!
Wesley Chapel Chamber Also ‘Celebrates Excellence’ By Honoring Parks Ford, PHSC’s Dr. Stan Giannet, Kelly Mothershead & ACS!
By Gary Nager I am thrilled to announce that the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News has won its first-ever award — and we still don’t even know who nominated us for it. On September 18, at Saddlebrook Resort & Spa Tampa, the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News took home one of five coveted awards given out during the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC)’s “Celebrating Excellence in Business” awards banquet, sponsored by Parks Ford of Wesley Chapel. “I guess we’ve never won one of these before because we’ve never nominated ourselves and no one ever nominated us before,” I told the packed house of about 200 Chamber members and guests after being named the Chamber’s 2014 “Small Business of the Year.” “We’ve been too busy the last 20 years trying to make a living while providing as much news and information as possible about our areas to the people of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel.” I also was proud my mom Marilyn was in attendance. Ours was the third award presented by Bay News 9 anchor Al Reuchel that evening, as first, the American Cancer Society (ACS), represented by my fellow Wesley Chapel Noon Rotary Club members Robyn Liska and Jannah McDonald, took home the “Civic Association of the Year” honors.
If you plan to participate in the ACS “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” walk at the Shops at Wiregrass mall on Sat., Oct. 25, you’ll understand why Jannah, Robyn and ACS are so deserving. Also super-worthy is current Wesley Chapel Rotary (which meets Wednesdays at noon at Ciao! Italian Bistro in the Wiregrass mall) president, WCCC Ambassador and owner of A Focus on Fitness studio Kelly Mothershead, who, not surprisingly, took home this year’s WCCC “Volunteer of the Year” honors. There are a lot of very committed people in the Wesley Chapel Noon Rotary, but I can’t imagine that any business owner has ever donated more of his or her free time to help people in need than Kelly has this past year. ‘Nuff said. After our “Small Business award,” Reuchel next named the “Large Business of the Year” winner, which was the event’s sponsor, Parks Ford. Next, Dr. Stanley Giannet, the dynamic Provost of the new Pasco Hernando State College-Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch was named both this year’s “Business Leader of the Year” and next year’s “Honorary Mayor of Wesley Chapel,” which means that this year’s “Mayor,” Cathy Bickham, will be the last person “elected” by fundraising vote, according to outgoing WCCC president Jeff Novotny, who also is the
Chair of American Civil Engineers. Novotny also won an award and gave away a few special recognitions before turning over the (Clockwise from top left): Ron Parks of the Parks Auto Group (left) & PHSCgavel to new WCCC Porter Campus Provost Dr. Stanley Giannet both took home awards at this year’s Board president, Mi- WCCC Awards Banquet on Sept. 18. New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborcah Richeson, D.C., hood News editor & publisher Gary Nager thanked the Chamber for our Small of Cypress Creek Business of the Year award and introduced our entire staff. Bay News 9 anchor Al Reuchel was the evening’s Master of Ceremonies. For more photos, see page 49! Chiropractic. Congrats to event chair Jennifer Cofini of Parks Ford and her committee for a job well-done. For a complete list of the 2014 winners & finalists, visit WCNeighborhoodNews.com or WesleyChapelChamber.com.
Florida House District 63 Seat Is Up For Grabs Again In Nov. 4 Election By Matt Wiley Longtime New Tampa resident Shawn Harrison (R-New Tampa) wants his seat back in Tallahassee and is on the ballot for State Representative for District 63, which includes the New Tampa area. Harrison squares off against a familiar foe, incumbent Dist. 63 Rep. Mark Danish (D-New Tampa), who unseated Harrison in November 2012. A former Tampa City Councilman
who also has spent time serving as the chair of both the Tampa Palms Community Development District and the Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Harrison also is the founder of Shawn Harrison Associates, a Tampa law firm. However, he says he’s ready to continue helping to write legislation, rather than just practicing law. “I feel like I still have something to offer my community from up in Tallahassee,” Harrison says. “My ‘rookie’ term, I
Local News, Business & Education Updates
Neighborhood Magazine
Also Inside This Issue!
Dist. 2 County Commission Race Heats Up, Plans Proposed For Hunter’s Green Land, BBD Widening Contract Awarded, Plus Lots Of Local Business Features & More!
Peabody’s Billiards & Games Is New Tampa’s Spot For Food & Sports, Enter Our Dining Survey & Contest, Plus Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes!
Pages 1-46
Pages 47-64
was able to get 10 bills passed, as well as a (Florida) constitutional amendment.” The amendment that Harrison originally filed and helped pass (CS/HJR 93) provides a property tax exemption for the surviving spouses of members of the U.S. military and first responders (police and firefighters) killed in the line of duty. Harrison thinks the biggest issue right now for New Tampa is jobs. “We’ve got to work on job creation,” he explains. “We’ve got graduating high school seniors going off to college and graduating University of South Florida students worried about jobs and the economy. There’s a lot of angst out there among our young people who wonder what kind of career they’ll be able to have (locally and even statewide).” Harrison explains that he’d like to take another look at one of the bills (HB 297) he worked on during his first term. His “School to Work” bills was proposed to provide tax incentives for businesses
(Left) Current Dist. 63 Rep. Mark Danish will defend his seat against former Rep. Shawn Harrison on Nov. 4 to represent New Tampa. that create apprenticeship opportunities for post-secondary education students. The students would get college credit for their work in the apprenticeship and the business would receive a tax break for bringing in the college students. See “District 63” on page 4.