Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News, Volume 29, Issue 24, November 23, 2021

WESLEY CHAPEL

NEWS

STILL BOOMING! The Wesley Chapel area is home to five of Tampa Bay’s 20 most popular communities, including Epperson (photo). See the story on pg. 6!

Volume 29 Issue 24 November 23, 2021

WCH Volleyballers Fall Just Short of State!

See pg. 32

Bar With A View!

Wesley Chapel’s first rooftop bar highlights its newest hotel, which opens next month.

See pgs. 8-9!

A body scan to detect cancer & heart disease? Yes, please! See pgs. 18-19!

We Have Lots Of Local Event Recaps & Previews!

See pgs. 10, 12, 34, 38, 40 & 46!

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Here’s Hoping For A More Normal Holiday Shopping Season

By GARY NAGER rise by $1 per hour per year, to per hour, by 2026), it’s apparEditorial $15 ently not enough, especially since

Although I always try to support our local business community, I’ve never really been a big fan of the holiday shopping season. And, I generally shake my head when I see and hear of so many people who are willing to wait on line outside a store for hours on Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday in order to save a few dollars on a big-ticket item.

But, if you’re the type of person who doesn’t think your time is worth more than that, I’ve always said “more power to you.”

What I will say is that this year, I’m genuinely hoping that all of our local momand-pop businesses — including our advertisers, of course — will be able to rebound from last year’s Covid-induced coma.

And, since this is our pre-Thanksgiving issue for Wesley Chapel, I promise to do my part to help as many small businesses as possible this holiday season. I also would like to help as many charitable organizations as possible, because I know that Covid also was brutal to nonprofits, especially those whose mission is to help people in need.

So, feel free to email me at ads@ ntneighborhoodnews.com or post on our “Neighborhood News” page on Facebook with information about your locally owned small business or a nonprofit organization that you support anytime between now and when our December 21 Wesley Chapel issue goes to press on December 9 and I’ll share that information with our online audience.

Considering that we have more than 12,000 followers of our Neighborhood News page on Facebook, I hope it’ll help.

About Supply Chain Issues & Employee Shortages

I also will admit that I don’t really understand why Covid also has caused the worldwide supply chain problem, but I do know that it’s real and that the issue doesn’t bode well for the holiday shopping season.

What I do have a better first-hand understanding about are the ongoing employee shortages that also are making things more difficult for local businesses.

In addition to having difficulty finding one part-time office and sales assistant, despite months of looking, I also have had a number of restaurant owners tell me that they couldn’t afford for me to do a Dining Feature story about their place because they’re short-staffed and couldn’t handle the expected huge influx all at once of new patrons when the story would break. This is literally a problem I had never heard of before in my nearly 28 years in this business.

And, as someone who dines out as often as possible for both business and pleasure, this obvious shortage of employees — despite more employers paying (or offering to pay) their people more money — has greatly affected me personally.

It seems that every local restaurant is hiring and many across the country are facing, according to a recent New York Times article, “a potentially catastrophic inability to hire,” because of Covid fears, too-generous government benefits (that make it too easy for people to not work) and other factors.

Even though Florida’s minimum wage has been raised to $10 per hour (and will Neighborhood News

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the increase for tipped workers is currently only from a minimum of $6.98 per hour plus tips now and will increase to $11.98 per hour plus tips in 2026.

The bottom line appears to be that despite my best hopes, wishes and prayers, despite the minimum wage increases and still-declining Covid hospitalizations, the 2021 holiday shopping season still may not be everything yours truly and so many other small business owners are hoping it will be.

In Memory Of Dale Bohannon

Even though I only personally met him a few times, I have known local Realtor Dale Bohannon’s parents, Doug and Annette Bohannon, for more than 20 years and I was appreciative that Dale’s sister Laura let me know about Dale’s sudden passing from a massive heart attack at the too-young age of 56.

Dale is a lifelong Tampa native who is survived by his wife Melody and three children, ages 12-22, and was taken from them too soon.

The Bohannon Family mourns the passing of Dale (2nd from left).

Rest in Peace, Dale.

Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News 28949 State Road 54 Wesley Chapel, FL 33543 Phone: (813) 910-2575

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Publisher & Editor /Ad Sales Gary Nager Managing Editor / Photographer John C. Cotey Correspondents Celeste McLaughlin Isabella Douglas Lead Video Producer/Multimedia Specialist Charmaine George Graphic Designers Georgia Carmichael Valerie Wegener Billing Assistant Jannah Nager Nothing that appears in Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the publisher’s opinion.

The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisement reservations for Volume 29, Issue 26, of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News is Friday, December 10, 2021.

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

Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit &/or reject any advertising. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the actual cost of the advertising space itself, nor for the validity of any claims made by its advertisers. © 2021 JM2 Communications, Inc. For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 29, Issue 24 • November 23, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

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New Bell Times For Wesley Chapel Schools Start Jan. 4

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN Correspondent

When Wesley Chapel students return to school after the winter holiday break, every single school will have new start and end times, with some changing by as much as 90 minutes (see chart on next page).

A shortage of drivers countywide has been causing buses to run late every day throughout the Pasco County School District, so the School Board approved a plan that moves schools into four “tiers” — instead of the current three — to allow existing bus drivers to run an additional route each day.

When the change was proposed, Pasco County Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning explained in a video to parents, “The result of this acute shortage is that many of our students are late arriving to school in the morning, which results in loss of instructional time, and they are late arriving at home in the afternoon and early evening, which puts a strain on families.”

Students at Wiregrass Elementary will see the biggest change in Wesley Chapel, with school times moving 90 minutes earlier. The students currently attend from 9:40 a.m. to 3:50 p.m., but the new schedule has them starting at 8:10 a.m. and ending at 2:20 p.m.

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Because of a countywide bus driver shortage, Pasco County school start times will change in January. Some schools will see changes of only 15 minutes (Cypress Creek High), while others will change by up to 90 minutes (Wiregrass Elementary). (Photo: Charmaine George)

Another big change in Wesley Chapel is that a couple of schools that already start late will start even later. New River and Quail Hollow elementary schools, which currently go from 9:40 a.m. to 3:50 p.m., won’t start school until 30 minutes later, both beginning their day at 10:10 a.m. and ending at 4:20 p.m.

The other six elementary and three

middle schools in Wesley Chapel are all changing by 20 or 30 minutes; some starting earlier and others later.

Wiregrass Ranch High students will likely appreciate the extra sleep they will get by their school start time moving 46 minutes later, to 8:10 a.m. instead of their current 7:24 a.m. And, while the other Wesley Chapel high schools are only mov-

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ing by 15 minutes, those students are now expected to be in their classes, ready to learn, at 7:10 a.m.

A 2017 proposal in Hillsborough County to have high schools start similarly early was widely opposed by parents who cited the American Association of Pediatrics’ recommendation that middle and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later to give students more time for adequate sleep, but that change ultimately was not approved by the School Board.

The changes in Pasco County were approved unanimously at the School Board meeting on November 2, and go into effect on January 4.

While the new schedule should allow school buses to run on time and get more kids in the classroom for instructional time, Browning acknowledged that it puts a strain on families to shift their schedules around and find new solutions for childcare during the times they are not in school.

“I don’t like it,” Browning said at the School Board meeting. “I don’t like anything about it. But, I equally dislike having kids miss instructional time before the great teachers we have in this District.”

The new start times will remain in effect for the remainder of the 2021-22 school year and will be reevaluated for the 2022-23 school year.

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Metro Development Communities Lead The Way In New Home Sales

By JOHN C. COTEY

john@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Metro Development Group, which brought the country’s first Crystal Lagoon amenity to Wesley Chapel and will soon unveil a second one at the Mirada development (technically located in San Antonio, but just north of Wesley Chapel), continues to experience growth in the area.

In fact, according to housing market analysts Zonda.com, the Wesley Chapel area has five of the Top 20 fastest-growing new home communities in the Tampa Bay area, and three of them — Epperson, Mirada and Union Park — are Metro properties.

Epperson is the fastest-growing, according to Zonda, which was formerly Metrostudy, with 705 new home starts and 493 closings from September 2020 to September 2021.

Epperson also ranked No. 21 in Zonda’s national rankings for new home starts in that same timeframe.

The other Metro Development properties located in Wesley Chapel that made the Top 20 include: • Mirada, ranked No. 8 on the Tampa Bay-area list, had 333 new

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home starts and 308 closings. The community includes Medley, an active adult community, and plans for a 15-acre Metro Lagoon, which will be the largest Crystal Lagoon amenity in the nation.

• Union Park, ranked No. 14, had 258 new home starts and 206 closings in the community, which is now almost completely built out.

Metro also is developing the No. 11 community (Southshore Bay in south Hillsborough, which is also getting a Crystal Lagoon as its primary amenity) and No. 15 (Cypress Creek in Ruskin) community on the list.

“Homebuyer interest in our Metro Places communities continues to be extremely strong, thanks to the convenient locations, the quality of our builder team, and the extensive and unique amenities we offer,” said Vaike O’Grady, VP of Marketing & Com-

munications for Metro Development Group. “Our communities are simply a great value for homebuyers.”

Two other Wesley Chapel communities also were on the list, with Wiregrass Ranch at No. 5, with 433 home

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starts, but ranking No. 4 on closings with 360.

Watergrass was No. 6, with 388 home starts and 304 closings.

Pasco County continues to be hot, with New Port Richey’s Starkey Ranch and Land O’Lakes’ Bexley communities also ranking in the top 10.

With south Hillsborough county going through its own growth spurt, don’t expect to see any slowdowns in the near future.

“Demand in the suburban areas of Pasco and Hillsborough counties is coming from homebuyers moving to Florida from other areas of the country, from renters deciding to buy, and from people who simply want a new home,” said Tony Polito, Zonda’s regional director for Tampa and Central Florida. “We see this strong demand continuing into 2022.”

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Mainsail’s Residence Inn To Open At Sports Campus Dec. 16!

By JOHN C. COTEY

john@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

The view from the Skybox, the rooftop bar — our area’s first — at the Residence Inn by Marriott Tampa Wesley Chapel, which is being built on the same site as the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County, offers a serene take.

Overlooking the 98,000-sq.-ft. Advent Health Sports Arena typically filled with the sounds of squeaking shoes and bouncing balls, as well as the Sports Campus’ two outdoor soccer fields, the Skybox is quiet and peaceful on this late October day.

Which is kind of the idea.

“It’s perfect for parents who want to take a break while their kids are playing,” says Taryn Sousa, sales executive for the Marriott-branded Residence Inn. And, that’s just one of many conveniences the new hotel will offer to families whose children have youth sports tournaments at the area. The hotel — which opens officially on Dec. 16 — quite literally is being built to accommodate the families in town for what can be long and grinding weekends of tournaments, primarily for those competing at the Sports Campus but also for those in town for events at Advent Health Center Ice and the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center in nearby Zephyrhills.

Richard Blalock, the CEO of RADDSports, which runs the Sports Campus in a public-private partnership with Pasco County, says the new hotel is “the wave of the future” and a test model for other similar athletic facilities.

Instead of parents having to drop their kids off at tournaments and then sit around and wait for an hour or 90 minutes before the game starts, they can retreat to their rooms or enjoy a meal and/or an adult beverage at the Skybox.

“There’s a lot of just sitting around (at youth sports tournaments),” Blalock says.

“This will provide convenience.”

There are 128 rooms in the Residence Inn, and all of them are suites, with full kitchens and separate living room areas.

Sousa says the Residence Inn Tampa

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(Above) The view from the Skybox, the rooftop bar at the soon-to-be-completed Residence Inn by Marriott Tampa Wesley Chapel.

(Below) Renderings of two of the living rooms in the hotel’s luxurious suites.

(Next page) How the Skybox looks today (top) and how it will look when completed (center). (Bottom) The Residence Inn’s beautiful lobby area.

Wesley Chapel is the first in the country to have queen-queen bedded rooms, and each living area offers a pullout couch, “an excellent feature for the families of the sports groups competing next door.”

Developed and operated by Mainsail Lodging & Development LLC, the Tampabased hospitality company that also operates the Epicurean Hotel in South Tampa and the revamped Fenway Hotel in Dunedin (among others), Mainsail’s Wesley Chapel hotel will feature 89 studio suites with one king bed and a separate living area, and 19 studio suites with two queen beds.

In addition, the hotel will have eight one-bedroom king, four one-bedroom, twoqueen-bed suites and four two-bedroom suites as well.

“We know there is a history here with the Porter family (which donated the land for the Sports Campus and the hotel),” Sousa says. “And, when this was agreed upon, they really wanted to ensure that this was a sports-focused property that was really there to accommodate any youth sports programs that would be able to utilize the hotel.”

Knowing how families typically travel for sports tournaments, the rooms were set up to be more accommodating.

“All of the rooms have pullout sofas, which is really important to note,” Sousa says. “Our kingbedded rooms can sleep up to four people, and the queen-queen rooms can sleep up to 6. We definitely had the sports groups in mind, with families traveling here from out of town.”

Skybox will be open seven days a week — and no, you don’t have to be staying at the hotel to enjoy the food, drinks or the view — and will seat up to 142 people. It will offer sandwiches, salads and appetizers, as well as a full bar. It may serve more as a lounge than as an actual restaurant, due to the smallish size of the bar and the kitchen being located a few floors below, but there will be plenty of seating for those looking to wash down a light bite with a drink after work.

And, for more relaxation, there is a heated pool and a sizable deck located at the front of the hotel. The Residence Inn also offers guests a complimen-

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tary hot breakfast, grab-and-go food and drinks (including beer and wine), free wi-fi, a small meeting room (for 20-30 people), free grocery delivery and a nice-sized fitness

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center. There’s even bicycle rentals and custom running/ biking routes using the Under Armour MapMyFitness® app.

The rooftop bar, as well as the location of the Residence Inn Tampa Wesley Chapel and its relationship with the arena — it literally is only about a Steph Curry three-pointer away — make it not only the area’s newest hotel, but also one if its most unique.

And, Sousa says, the word is already out. Even though there’s still lots of work to do to complete the hotel over the next three weeks or so, she says there already are rooms booked for the 2022 travel sports season.

“There’s a ton of excitement about it, and lots of buzz,” Sousa says. ”We’re

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getting lots of phone calls. We (will) sleep, eat and bleed sports here. That will be the bread and butter of this hotel.”

For more information about the Residence Inn by Marriott Tampa Wesley Chapel, visit ResidenceInnWiregrass. com or call (813) 214-9098.

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Fall Festival Makes A Successful Move To The Outlet Mall

The North Tampa Bay Chamber made a bold move by switching the venue for the 17th annual Wesley Chapel Fall Festival from The Grove to the Tampa Premium Outlets — and, despite some parking issues during the two-day event that was held Halloween weekend (Oct. 30-31), the event was definitely another big hit, attracting some pretty big crowds (below) both days.

Instead of the usual fairway-style rides, this year’s Fall Festival, presented

by Florida Penguin Productions for the first time, featured another installment of the World’s Largest Food Truck

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Rally, with dozens of unique food trucks (see page 46 for pictures of a few of them) offering everything from hot dogs to churros and from mac & cheese to crepes.

And yes, the event still featured the always-popular Lil’ Miss & Lil’ Mister Pumpkin Pageant (photos, right).

Some folks were confused (including yours truly) because The Grove still did host a Fall Festival with amusement park-style rides and more food trucks, but I give the busy NTBC two thumbs up for this year’s Fall Festival. — Gary Nager; photos by Charmaine George

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RADDSports Charity Hosts Golf Tournament On Dec. 6!

Former NFL players Brandon Ghee (left) and Chris Pressley are among the former pro and college athletes on the Board of Directors of the new RADDSports Charity, which will be hosting its first-ever fund-raising golf tournament at Lexington Oaks Golf Club on Dec. 6.

We’ve been telling you about RADDSports, the private company that has been responsible for the management and all of the programs at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County, since long before the 98,000-sq.-ft. AdventHealth Sports Arena opened to the public at the Sports Campus in August of 2020.

But, one of the things the management at RADDSports had noticed since it opened is that there are a lot of outstanding athletes throughout the Tampa Bay area who can’t afford to pay for the basketball, volleyball, soccer, cheerleading and lacrosse programs offered at the Sports Campus, and that just didn’t sit well with president and CEO Richard Blalock and his management team.

In order to rectify that situation, Blalock and his director of marketing Jannah Nager, who had years of prior experience in similar positions for nonprofit organizations like the American Cancer Society and the Pasco Education Foundation, decided to start their own nonprofit charity in order to provide scholarships for kids of all ages and ability levels who couldn’t afford to participate in the programs at the Sports Campus.

“RADDSports Charity wants to change the culture of youth sports by promoting equal access to quality sports and fitness programs, regardless of their ability to pay,” says Blalock, who also serves as the new Charity’s Chairman of the Board. “We decided we needed to start our charity to provide these kids who couldn’t afford our programs with scholarships to participate in their choice of sports at the Wiregrass Sports Campus of Pasco County. Our goal is to promote the total overall well-being and development of each child through education, discipline, physical fitness and teaching proper technique of each sport, and we don’t want cost to be an issue.”

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How You Can Help

In order to kick off the fund-raising arm of the new RADDSports Charity, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Nager decided to organize a charity golf tournament, which will be held on Monday, December 6, at the recently upgraded Lexington Oaks Golf Club.

“This event is our first of hopefully many fund raisers for the RADDSports Charity,” Nager says. “It should allow us to fund our first round of scholarships, and we’re still looking for not only golfers to play in the tournament, but also businesses who want to help young athletes in need by supporting this and other upcoming events.”

Blalock, Nager, and their fellow original RADDSports management team members Anthony Homer and Arika DeLazzer all serve on the new RADDSports Charity’s Board of Directors. Other members of the Board include former NFL defensive back Brandon Ghee, who is the director of operations for Yo Murphy Performance, the sports training company that operates at the Sports Campus, Realtor and former NFL fullback Chris Pressley (who played a few games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), and former Florida State University tight end Carver Donaldson.

“We’re excited to kick off our fundraising for RADDSports Charity at Lexington Oaks,” Nager says. “We thank owner Anass El-Omari, who gave us a price for golfers that ensures we will be able to raise money for our charity with this event.”

To play in the first RADDSports Charity Golf Tournament, or to help sponsor it, visit RADDSportsCharity. org, email development director Lauren Cione at Lauren@RADDSports. com, call (727) 271-4873 or see the ad on this page. Sponsorships start at as little as $250 and your company’s logo/ graphics will be displayed at the event.

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Gadgets Emergency Room Can Get Your Devices Working Again!

By JOHN C. COTEY

john@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Breaking the screen on your cell phone or typing away as your computer continues to get slower and slower is a pretty good sign that you’re going to be out some cash pretty soon.

But, more terrifying than the hit to your wallet might be the idea of trying to survive without either device for a few days or longer.

At the recently-rebranded Gadgets Emergency Room in the Shoppes at New Tampa on the corner of S.R. 56 and Bruce B. Downs Blvd., you may not have to worry about either.

Not only does Gadgets Emergency Room, formerly known as Gadgets Repair, promise to fix your phone or computer device in short order — a broken phone screen can almost be done before you’re back from getting a haircut next door at Fantastic Sams — and not break the bank in the process.

“We offer a very fast turnaround,” says owner Jamie Hess. “That’s our claim to fame. Our turnaround is 24 hours. We get it on the bench within one day. Most screen repairs are same-day. Cell phones are like 45 minutes, and most tablets take only two hours.”

While the shop offers more than just screen repairs — despite the improve-

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Alex (left) and Carlos of Gadgets Emergency Room in the Shoppes at New Tampa plaza on BBD Blvd. at S.R. 56, can repair your broken computers, mobile phones and more. ments that have made them more shatwho also owns Treble Makers Dueling terproof as well as better cases — people Piano Bar & Restaurant in The Grove, keep bringing them in. and his brother Joe bought it after Jamie “Like crazy,” Hess says. “People’s moved here in 2018 from Buffalo, NY, phones get wet and their screens get where the brothers owned Computer broken. They get water in an ear piece, so Emergency Room. that stops working, or the camera stops After three-and-a-half years, the Hess working...so we repair all of that.” brothers’ business is evolving, starting The Wesley Chapel tech repair shop with the name change, new logo and new has been around for 10 years, but Hess, color scheme.

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Not only have they also leased a converted shipping container in the new KRATE development at The Grove for their second location, they also will be opening a location in the new Publix plaza on S.R. 52, near the new Mirada development.

While those new locations are being designed and built and are expected to open by spring 2022, the Hesses are remodeling the original location, which is managed by Joe Hess, Jr., and creating a larger working area and showroom.

Why a showroom? To show off the selection of approximately 40 new drones -- and new and used computers, phone cases and other accessories -- you can buy at Gadgets Emergency Room.

The drones, Hess says, will be lower to mid-range when it comes to price, and he expects them to continue to be popular purchases. Gadgets Emergency Room also plans to offer drone flying classes, which could help prevent the kinds of crashes that would require you to come to the store for a repair.

Everything You Need

And, while still there for your gadget repair needs, the new Gadgets Emergency Room also is offering a larger variety of tech services.

Not only does the shop fix phone screens, tablets, computers and laptops, as well Xbox and PlayStation game consoles,

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it also offers printer repairs, home computer repairs, networking security support and business computer and server repairs. If you need help with website hosting, software support or installations and data transfers, Gadgets Emergency Room also has you covered.

“We do everything in the IT world,” Hess says.

Home computer and personal device repairs make Gadgets Emergency Room store manager Joe Hess, Jr. up the majority of the business at Gadgets Emergency Room, but Hess evolve, so does their business. But, one thing that will never change is the need expects, within two years, that business to keep whatever the latest thing is fixed, computer work will make up more than half running and productive. of the customer requests — and the online “The world we live in right now, reviews have been extremely positive. people can’t live without their devices,” “This place is wonderful,” says Brent Hess says. “People are still working Byrd’s 5-star Google review. “They fixed remotely, kids used computers in school, three of my iPad devices...The employees they are a part of everyday life. And, when were friendly, competent and speedy.” they go down, people aren’t going to just At the original location, Alex specialthrow them away and go buy another izes in fixing cell phones, as she has for $800 computer when, for less than maybe 10 years, Carlos specializes in computers, $100, they can bring it to our shop and including Apple devices and the rest of get it running great. I definitely don’t see staff has a variety of skills and specialties, that as a need that will ever go away.” including Joe Hess, Jr., who is a computGadgets Emergency Room is er specialist who handles on-site business located at 1750 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. and remote support issues, and open Mon.-Fri., 10:30 a.m.-6:30 “The least that anyone in the buildp.m.; and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sat. For ing has done this full-time is six years,” more information, call (813) 406Jamie says. “They are all top notch.”

4412, visit GadgetsEmergencyRoom.

Hess says he and his brother try to stay on top of tech trends, because as they com or see the ad on pg. 37.

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Wesley Chapel Residents Facebook Page Gives Locals Another Option Wesley Chapel already had two very active community Facebook pages— the Wesley Chapel Community page, which has roughly 29,200 members, and the Wesley Chapel Network, which has more than 24,000.

But, local businessman Jamie Hess believed there was room for more. In March, Hess started the Wesley Chapel Residents Facebook page, which has more than 3,000 members and continues to grow.

“The way business is going in Wesley Chapel, it can handle more than two pages,” says Hess, who owns the popular Treble Makers Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant, as well as the Gadgets Emergency Rooms (see story on previous page).

Hess says his Facebook page is a “community site that is friendly to businesses,” allowing them to promote themselves via posts at no cost and with fewer restrictions, as long as that business — or its owner — is located in Wesley Chapel. “This is just a very straightforward site,” he says.

Hess also has posted or commented often on the Wesley Chapel Community and Wesley Chapel Network pages, and is complimentary of both.

“They are informative and do a very good job,” he says, adding that the biggest differences between the sites are when businesses can post, the personalities of the moderators and how much control they choose to exercise.

The Wesley Chapel Community and Wesley Chapel Network pages allow advertising your own personal business for free on Fridays from 5 p.m. to midnight. The other days, businesses on Wesley Chapel Network can pay for posts to advertise themselves.

In between, almost anything can be posted on both pages, with members looking for school recommendations, complaining about traffic, alerting other members to news around Wesley Chapel and the best place to pick up an authentic New York pizza, to name just a few of the thousands of different kinds of posts.

Meanwhile, the Wesley Chapel Residents page also allows businesses to post once a week, but it can be any day and time they choose, which gives them the flexibility of choosing what works best for their businesses.

But, Hess says the Residents page also isn’t just for businesses. Like the other Wesley Chapel Facebook pages, it’s a place where locals can chime in about local news, sports and, of course, recommendations for someone to landscape their yard or help finding a missing pet.

“Yes, it’s another venue for businesses, so now they have three places they can advertise,” Hess says.”But the page is for them and the community. It’s not my page, it’s not for my friends. It’s for everyone.”

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Life Guard Imaging Can Detect Life-Threatening Illnesses Early

By JOHN C. COTEY

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Beating cancer or heart disease can be an uphill battle.

However, Frankie Maldonado says he can help give you a fighting chance.

The solution, he says — don’t wait until the hill is too large to climb.

At Life Guard Imaging, where Maldonado is the director of operations, patients can get out in front of deadly cancers and other diseases by having a body scan that can identify potential problems with your heart, as well as identify early stages of many different cancers that may be lurking.

The upscale facility, located on Rocky Point Dr. in Tampa, specializes in preventive screening in order to find heart disease or cancer early enough that patients and their physicians can take steps to correct it. Otherwise, most find out the hard and sudden way — with a heart attack that can be deadly or with symptoms that may not present themselves until late-stage cancer.

“United States healthcare is set up to be reactionary,” says Maldonado, who opened Life Guard Imaging in August. “We are taught from the time we are (little) to tell me when you have a

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It may look like a tunnel for an MRI, but you slide through the Philips Brilliance CT Scanner, which scans from your shoulders to your base of your torso. (Photos by Charmaine George.)

symptom, and we’ll treat the symptom.

That’s bad enough when it’s a cold, the flu or a virus. But, when it’s heart disease or cancer? That’s deadly.”

At Life Guard Imaging, one of only five facilities in the country that offer this kind of detection, you are checked from your shoulders to the base of your pelvis. A registered CT Technologist slides you through a low-radiation, high-resolution CT scanner, creating

3D images of your internal organs, which are then examined by a team of Board-certified Doctors of Radiology who can help aid in detecting deadly diseases before it’s too late.

The scans can help detect hundreds of issues, but among the most prominent are lung cancer (which kills more men and women than any other cancer), liver disease (which accounts for 2 million deaths per year) and abnormalities

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in your chest, abdomen or pelvis. The scans also can serve as a virtual colonoscopy that Life Guard Imaging says is more thorough (and less invasive) than a traditional colonoscopy, although most doctors still recommend traditional colonoscopies, even with the scan.

Author’s note: I received a scan — super easy by the way, it only takes five minutes — and while happy it detected no cancer, it did confirm other issues I’ll need to take care of as well as providing a coronary calcium score (almost identical to the one I received from my cardiologist).

Maldonado says your first scan serves as your base, and yearly scans can reveal any dangerous changes (although you’re welcome to come in for just one scan if you choose).

“One scan is invaluable,” he says, “but multiple scans are the ones capturing things (as they change).”

Why does a yearly scan make sense?

Maldonado says it is an effective way to detect new diseases.

“It’s just like having a mammogram scan every year,” he says. “The singlemost diagnosed cancer in America is breast cancer. Yet, and people don’t know this, the single-most survived cancer in American is breast cancer. That’s not a coincidence because of early de-

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The team at Life Guard Imaging includes Frankie Maldonado and his wife Amy (both far left).

tection scans, before symptoms appear, before any lump gets massive. It’s about catching it early.”

Maldonado has spent most of his career in the travel industry, but when a friend introduced him to a job opening at a facility in Atlanta that used the same body scanning technology, he was eager to make the jump.

A Personal Connection

For Maldonado, it was personal.

His father, Dr. Benjamin J. Maldonado, Jr., was a prominent surgeon in Maryland. In January 1998, he felt there was something wrong in his stomach. He was scanned, but the technology then had gaps in the scans. In one of those gaps, on the backside tail of his pancreas, cancer had settled in.

“They missed it,” Maldonado says, and 10 months later his father was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Just six weeks and a few days after that, he passed away.

“It devastated me,” Maldonado says. “He was my hero.”

Dr. Maldonado’s portrait hangs in the lobby of Life Guard Imaging, a daily reminder to his son that early detection can save lives, as well a world of sadness for those left behind.

While Frankie Maldonado has no medical training himself — he graduated from the University of Maryland in College Park with a degree in television broadcasting — the chance to help save lives and honor his dad’s memory made taking the job at the independent imaging facility in Atlanta in 2017 an easy choice.

“It was the biggest no-brainer of my life, he says. “I said, ‘I want to be a part of this.’ What we were doing in Atlanta literally had to do with how my father lost his life.”

In fact, Maldonado says that, in 2018, one of the patients scanned at the facility was discovered to have earlystage pancreatic cancer, the same cancer that killed his father, but she was able to be saved. In Atlanta, he says he saw thousands of lives that were saved, and he decided to start Life Guard Imaging Neighborhood News

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and bring it to Tampa. He plans to open 1-3 new facilities in Florida and around the country every single year.

“I thought that more people need to know about this,” he says. He is spreading the word through advertising, an appearance on the BloomTV show on WFLA, and we met him at Life Guard’s booth at a health fair at the Tampa Premium Outlets.

Since Life Guard Imaging opened in August, more than 330 scans have been conducted. Maldonado’s favorite story is about the man who came in with his wife and mother-in-law, who were worried about heart disease in their family. They wanted scans; he did not. But, Maldonado talked him into getting one.

While the ladies scored a perfect zero on their coronary calcium scan, which measures how much calcified plaque may be in your heart’s arteries, the gentleman’s number was 900, and anything over 300 is considered high.

The next day, he saw a cardiologist, and discovered that three of his four main arteries had 90-percent blockage. Two weeks ago, he had triple bypass surgery.

“He told us we saved his life,” Maldonado says.

While health insurance doesn’t cover the cost of a scan — which are pricey if you receive just one but are much cheaper if you choose to receive them yearly — Maldonado hopes to get that changed. He has collected enough data that shows how many lives have been potentially saved and is ready to fight in the hopes that he can change the health narrative and mindset from reactionary to preventive.

“Healthcare is probably never going to switch over but we are going to try,” he says. “This works. It’s an awesome thing, and I’m proud of it.”

Life Guard Imaging is located at 3001 N. Rocky Point Dr., Suite 185.

For more info, visit LifeGuardIMaging.com or call (813) 524-1010. If you mention this story or the ad on pg.

31 of this issue, you will receive a free heart scan and coronary calcium score.

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19

Max’s Natural Pet Market & Salon Is Now Open In New Tampa, Too

By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN Correspondent For the past two years, Wesley Chapel-area pet parents have been finding and falling in love with Max’s Natural Pet Market & Salon, which opened in 2019 on S.R. 54, about a mile east of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., near the entrance to Saddlebrook Resort.

Now, the store’s second location has opened, bringing premium nutrition and impeccable grooming in a cage-free facility to New Tampa, just south of County Line Rd. Located in the shopping plaza on the southeast corner of Bruce B. Downs Blvd. and County Line Rd. with WinnDixie and LA Fitness, the new store is owned and operated by Gregg and Gabriel Clavijo-Hopper, who are business partners of Paul Spalvieri’s. Spalvieri opened the original Max’s location and will continue to operate that store.

Max’s Pet Market & Salon is named after Paul’s four-year-old bichon frisé.

Paul and his wife, Martina, live in Watergrass in Wesley Chapel and are pet parents to both Max and Missy, a Havanese, as well as three human kids.

Gregg and Gabriel are Paul’s neighbors. They became interested in

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The team at the new Max’s Natural Pet Market & Salon (l.-r., Devin, Gregg & Gabriel Clavijo-Hopper) just south of County Line Rd. in New Tampa. (Photos by Charmaine George)

opening their own Max’s location when they heard he was looking to expand the concept beyond Wesley Chapel.

As Paul was looking forward to opening new locations, Gabriel said, “Why don’t you let us buy into it?”

Being a healthcare worker during the Covid-19 pandemic took its toll on Gregg, and he decided he wanted out of the industry. Gregg worked in healthcare for 30 years, and Gabriel has worked at the Moffitt Cancer Center for about 20 years. They both love animals

and knew they weren’t ready to retire.

Gregg says it went from a dream to a decision in December 2020, when he left his job to actively pursue opening a location of Max’s.

They are pet parents to a giant schnauzer named Regalo, a Pyrenees/ border collie mix named Albee, and a Chinese crested named Taylor. They also have two human sons, Tony and Devin. Devin works at the store alongside Gregg and Gabriel.

“Our dogs have had skin and coat

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and stomach issues,” says Gregg, “and Paul told us about what he was doing — feeding dogs the right kinds of foods — and moving our dogs to that, we immediately saw great changes.”

For example, their dog Taylor had diarrhea every day, along with problems with his skin. They followed Paul’s advice and changed Taylor’s nutrition, with the high-quality, all-natural and organic food options from Max’s.

“He’s a completely different Taylor,” Gregg says. “Now he has a beautiful coat, no upset stomach, and no ripping of the skin.”

He and Gabriel have been training with Paul to learn about pet nutrition, and also taking many online seminars and reading books about how to help pet owners choose the food and treats that will help their pets eat healthier and avoid skin and digestive issues.

When You Love Your Animals

Gregg and Gabriel say their venture into the pet market and salon business is all about their love of animals.

“Pets are a great part of our families,” Gregg says, “and with the right nutrition and care, they can live long, healthy lives. There’s nothing better than having an animal companion.”

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They believe that opening Max’s Pet Market & Salon is bringing something brand new to the community.

“The one thing that we’ve been missing in New Tampa is a boutique healthcare store for pets and a cage-free, relaxed environment for grooming,” says Gregg, “Plus, the store is bringing 15-20 new jobs to the area.” At out press time, the new store was still looking to fill some of those positions.

That includes not only retail staff, but also a team of groomers with technical expertise to give breed-specific cuts, with certifications such as National Certified Along with a large amount of food & treat options (left), your best buddy also can received cageMaster Groomer, as certified by free, expert grooming at Max’s Natural Pet Market & Salon. the National Dog Groomers As“People don’t really like to deal the dog can’t smell the food, so they recsociation of America. with senior dogs,” she said, “but at ommended ways to get it to smell, like And, the cage-free environment means dogs will never be locked up. Ap- Max’s, they took such good care of him, how long to microwave it for.”

Meanwhile, Shannon says her other pointments run strictly on time to avoid especially while he was ill.”

While she says her groomer went two Pomeranians were not having troua pet feeling stressed and anxious in a above and beyond — even coming in on ble eating at all, so all of a sudden they cage while waiting to be picked up. her day off to give Leroy a bath in his needed to go on a diet, and the staff at Shannon Waite, who lives in Estanlast days — Shannon says others in the Max’s helped her find the right nutricia, has been taking her Pomeranians to store did, too. tion for them, as well. the original Max’s for grooming since it As Leroy got more sick and refused to “At that time, I had one senior dog, opened in 2019. eat, Shannon says she was at Max’s a lot. basically a toddler and a teenager, so At the time, she had a senior Po“They helped me find food that they were all at these crazy stages, and meranian named Leroy. As he got older would help him gain weight and told me they are high-maintenance dogs,” Shanand couldn’t hear or see, he got jumpy, non explains. and Shannon says it became hard to find how to get him to eat it,” she said. For example, “they explained that sometimes She says that the prices at Max’s ala groomer who would take him.

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ways seem to be the same or even lower than other places she could buy the same items, including online sources.

“I love Max’s,” she says. “I recommend it to everybody. They take very good care of people’s pets, and that is hard to find these days.”

The New Tampa store is offering Grand Opening specials throughout the month of November. Some of these specials may be noted on Max’s Facebook, Instagram and TikTok pages.

“When we first opened the store, it was all about Max, but our focus has changed,” says Paul. “Now, it’s all about your pet. (Both locations) offer the highest quality advice, products and grooming that you can get in the New Tampa or Wesley Chapel area. We have your dog or cat’s best interest at heart, and they are the number one reason why we open our doors every day.”

Max’s Natural Pet Market & Salon has two locations in the Wesley Chapel and New Tampa areas.

Both stores are open every day from 8 a.m.–7 p.m. The original Max’s is located at 28838 S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel and can be reached at (813) 649-3939. The new New Tampa store is located at 6431 E. County Line Rd., and can be reached at (813) 591-5368. For more information, visit MaxsPetMarket.com or see the ad on page 27 of this issue.

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21

Lyons Den Sports Performance For Next-Level Training!

By JOHN C. COTEY

making it to the pros.

In 2017, he returned to his hockey roots as the director of sports performance at AdventHealth Center Ice. At Center Ice, Connor also worked with USA Hockey for two years, and served as the strength and conditioning coach for the women’s national team that won the gold medal in the 2018 Winter Olympics and various other medals during his time there.

In March of 2020, he decided to open his own training business, which Covid-19 delayed until this past August.

“I sat on it for a while,” Connor says. “It was a scary time.”

Now open, Connor says 90 percent of what his gym does will be focused on middle and high school athletes.

john@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

When Connor Lyons realized that his dream of playing professional hockey had reached an end, he decided to do the next best thing: He wanted to help others try to realize their own dreams.

After nearly a decade of helping train athletes young and old for a number of different businesses, Connor recently opened his own training facility, called Lyons Den Sports Performance, on S.R. 56, a few doors down from Capital Tacos.

Connor’s latest venture will focus on something he wishes had been around when he was a young athlete — a specialized training facility for middle and high school athletes.

“These didn’t even really exist when I was playing in high school,” says Connor, a 2003 Wharton High graduate and the star of the school’s ice hockey club team. “My goal is to give kids the opportunity I didn’t have growing up.”

In today’s world of sports, and with college scholarships at a premium, top-level high school athletes are always looking for that edge — looking to get faster, stronger and better.

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Connor Lyons is a former high school hockey standout and long-time personal trainer who opened his Lyons Den Sports Performance on S.R. 56. to help other young athletes improve enough to reach the next level. (Photos: Charmaine George)

Lyons Den offers personal and group training that can help with things not typically taught by youth, middle or high school coaches. In a traditional high school setting, there isn’t time to take most athletes aside and show them how to run faster, jump higher or hit harder; but that’s what

the Lyons Den is here to provide.

Towards that end, the Lyons Den will host a speed and conditioning camp Monday-Wednesday, November 2224, 9 a.m.-10 a.m. and 2 p.m.-3 p.m. all three days for interested athletes.

“I want to give kids the opportunity to get to the next level,” Connor says. “Sometimes they are just lacking the physical side of things. You can have skills, but if you are not strong enough, resilient enough, powerful enough or fast enough, you won’t get there.”

While undersized when he played high school hockey, Connor turned himself into a physical player good enough to play one season as a thirdline center at Division III Nichols College in Dudley, MA. But, once he realized that hockey wasn’t going to be a career for him, Connor transferred to the University of South Florida and played for the Bulls’ hockey club program while earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training from the USF College of Medicine’s Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine.

While he attended USF, graduating in 2011, he worked as a strength trainer with the school’s football team, and has since worked at the former Athletes Compound at Saddlebrook Resort, where he later became the associate director of sports performance, at the Athletic Edge in Lakewood Ranch and at the Applied Sports Performance Institute in South Tampa, where he was director of combine prep.

At each stop, Connor says he was able to work with dozens of Major League Baseball and NFL hopefuls looking to impress at their combines or their pro days. Many, he says, ended up

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Training To Prevent Injuries

Connor says that much of the training at Lyons Den revolves around injury prevention for athletes. He says there has been a positive correlation in soft tissue injuries and the rise of specialized athletic training facilities.

And, he says, he believes that gaining strength and learning things like landing or changing directions correctly, helps prevent injuries. In other words, teaching athletes things like proper positioning allows them to give and take force in a way that helps decrease the likelihood of being injured.

Using the proper techniques, he says, when it comes to things like squatting, and properly rotating your hips and teaching the body to decelerate when running (or skating) also helps prevent the kinds of injuries that have become so common.

“Our No. 1 goal with our clientele is injury prevention, and everything else is a byproduct of that,” Connor says. “If I can get you stronger, you’re going to be more resilient on the field. If I can get you faster to help you get in better position, you’re (less likely to) be getting injured on the field and losing time.”

The Lyons Den offers group training for high school teens four nights a week during its Peak Performance training, and three nights a week for middle schoolers.

Connor also organizes speed camps and flight “schools,” where athletes can shave seconds from their times and add inches to their vertical jumps.

He also hopes to offer his knowledge to local coaches by hosting clinics showing them how advanced athletic training can be incorporated into practices and offseason workouts.

One of Connor’s students is Nate Hargest, a Tampa hockey prospect.

Nate was recommended to Connor

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Connor makes sure his young athletes learn the proper techniques for stretching, weight lifting and more at his Lyons Den Sports Performance.

tic physician Tim Bain, D.C., and has been training with Dr. Bain for six years.

Now 16, Nate gives much of the credit for his success to Connor, who he says helped transform him into a stronger hockey player.

“It’s been incredible in regards to what I’ve been able to do on the ice,” says Nate. “I was definitely not one of the better kids when I started, but over time I’ve become one of them. I’m one of the strongest and fastest players. I don’t weigh that much, I’m not as big, but I’m winning battles and playing as well as the other guys.”

Nate was drafted earlier this year both by the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League, and the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontar-

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io Hockey League, two leagues that serve as a minor league system to prepare players for college.

“The results on and off the ice make me want to keep coming back and training harder,” Nate says.

The Lyons Den is located in the Cypress View Square plaza at 27217 S.R. 56. For more information about how to join or register for training, call (813) 361-2966, visit theldsp.com or see the ad on page 30.

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23

Blue Heron Adds Area’s Only Skilled Nursing For Seniors & More

By GARY NAGER When we first introduced you to TLC Management’s Blue Heron Senior Living & Memory Care in Wesley Chapel earlier this year, the 159,000-sq.ft. assisted living facility’s short-term rehabilitation services and skilled nursing area weren’t quite ready to open.

However, considering that no other assisted living residence in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel offers these patient care services on-site, we decided it was time to provide an update, now that they are available.

About Blue Heron’s Residences

Since it opened to its first resident in May of 2021, Blue Heron has continued to promote itself as Wesley Chapel’s premier senior living community. Blue Heron’s health and rehabilitation blends the comforts of a luxury hotel with advanced therapies and facilities in a unique “Return to Home” program.

All 106 of Blue Heron’s short stay rehab accommodations are private suites and the assisted living side has 107 beautiful studio, 1- and 2-bedroom suites.

Of those 107 assisted living residences, 22 are Memory Care rooms, all of which are separated from the rest of the community (for the safety of all residents and staff), and the Memory Care side currently is offering a lifetime rate lock.

Another amenity Blue Heron can offer is outpatient therapy, meaning you do not have to live at the facility to benefit from its rehabilitation/physical therapy services. But, Blue Heron residents can receive physical, occupational and speech therapies prescribed by their doctors right on the premises.

Because skilled nursing is so labor-intensive, 85 of Blue Heron’s 130 employees are dedicated to the skilled nursing side and 45 employees are dedicated to assisted living and/or memory care.

“Assisted living residents at Blue Heron can move to the skilled nursing area as needed and return to assisted liv-

24

ing when their need for nursing or rehab services ends,” says Lilly Gonzalez (photo, right), who took over as Blue Heron’s community relations director a couple of months ago, after previously Blue Heron Commuserving in a similar position nity Relations Director Lilly Gonzalez for The Legacy at Highwoods Preserve. “And likewise, if you come in Blue Heron Senior Living & Memory Care, located off BBD Blvd. in Seven Oaks, has as a short-term rehab patient, you can nurses on staff (above) and every skilled nursing patient room (below) is a private room. move on after completing your rehab (All photos by Charmaine George) to become an assisted living or memory care resident.”

“We really have a great team here,” says Blue Heron executive director Kim Lehigh. “Our skilled nursing staff has done a great job of making our patients feel at home as they heal.”

Speaking of employees, in addition to Gonzalez, new Blue Heron employees include director of residential services for assisted living Gillian Walker and dining and nutrition services’ Lindsey Caddock.

And, Sarah Dymond, who served as the community relations director before Gonzalez, has been promoted to regional director of marketing for assisted living, although I did see Sarah on-site dents for breakfast, lunch and dinner. classes, from Fitness 101 to chair yoga, during a recent visit.

On the other hand, a number of and the recently completed Cinema new amenities have opened since our first Room on the second floor offers rousing Other New Amenities story about Blue Heron ran. Just outside games of chair volleyball.

The Covid-19 pandemic thankfully There are two new art areas, too, hasn’t affected Blue Heron too adversely. the main dining area, a new gazebo and with the one located downstairs also All visitors and staff are required to wear covered seating area are open, and they serving as something of a gallery of face masks and visitors are screened when look out onto the recently completed putting green, bocce ball and horseshoes resident- and staff-created masterpieces they enter the facility. The staff is tested (see top right photo on next page) and for Covid every week, per the guidelines courts (see photo on next page).

Inside, the fitness center also has a larger art studio offering classes on the related to Pasco County’s positivity rate. been completed since our last Blue second floor.

The only amenity that currently isn’t Heron story and offers the opportunity Blue Heron also offers movies in open at Blue Heron is the grab-and-go the Cinema Room, grooming in the hair snack and beverage “Bistro” area, although for assisted living residents to work out on their own, or they can join a variety of and nail studio (photos on next page) the main dining room is still open to resi-

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and gourmet dining. It’s also important to note that Blue Heron Senior Living & Memory Care is a true rental community with no buy-in required and no longterm financial commitment Blue Heron will host a free Caregiver Support Group hosted by Eileen Poiley, the director of education at the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute on Wednesday, December 15, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. For reservations to the event, or for more information about Blue Heron Senior Living (5085 Eagleston Blvd.), call (813) 733-4754, visit SeniorLivingatBlueHeron.com or see the ad on pg. 30.

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25

Want New Floors Quickly? Visit American Wood Flooring!

By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN Correspondent

While families are waiting months for new furniture, contractors seem to be too busy to take on jobs, and Christmas gifts may be languishing in shipping containers still on the ocean, you don’t have to wait if you want new floors.

Andy Dunning, the owner and CEO of American Wood Flooring, located in the SuperTarget-anchored Northwoods Plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., north of County Line Rd., says his crews are typically installing new floors for clients in about a week.

“From order to install is about seven to 10 days out,” Dunning says, although he admits that some materials are on back-order, and some clients could have back-ordered materials delayed for several months.

That’s not normal, though, and for those who are waiting, it’s not on the installers. Dunning says American Wood Flooring has 12 crews that are kept busy working six days a week with all the families who are remodeling their homes or upgrading builder

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Andy Dunning, the owner & CEO of American Wood Flooring in the SuperTargetanchored Northwoods Plaza on BBD just north of County Line Rd., can get your new, quality flooring installed in a jiffy. (Photo: Charmaine George) flooring, especially at this time. as soon as the sale of the house closes.

It’s typical for a crew to install 500 to “We do a lot of new construction,” Dunning says. “Customers are buying new 600 square feet of flooring per day. houses with cheap carpet and then come Dunning says that if you have a to us. We do the floors before they move mortgage, the builder has to install a floor in, because builder prices are ridiculous.” covering to close. If his company pulls out The process normally doesn’t delay brand new carpet, he will donate it to the Salvation Army or Habitat For Humanity move-in day very long. An American Wood Flooring crew starts immediately to be used for another purpose.

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For any buyers who pay cash for their home, the builder can leave the subfloor and skip the installation and removal process altogether.

But, it’s not just new construction keeping the crews occupied. Dunning says the store has been busier than ever with remodels, especially over the last 18 months, because of the way people’s lifestyles have changed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“A lot of people are working from home or are stuck at home looking at their flooring and want to get something new in there,” he says.

Dunning says that recently, the most popular choice for flooring has been luxury vinyl plank, sometimes referred to as LVP. “The trends continue toward that vinyl plank because of its durability, the fact that it is waterproof, dent-proof, and super scratch-resistant,” Dunning says.

That’s because vinyl plank floors may look like wood, but they aren’t.

They are made from a PVC-type material with a tight lock-and-fold system to keep moisture out, even from the attached padding underneath that is made from an anti-microbial melamine material.

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The current LVP flooring options are also dent-proof, which is an upgrade from when the vinyl planks first arrived on the scene and were made from a wood composite material.

“They’re always coming out with newer, more innovative ways to keep the product getting better and better,” Dunning says.

While the vinyl planks are his best sellers, American Wood Flooring also installs a wide variety of wood floors, as well as carpet, tile and laminate.

You can choose the flooring that matches your taste, lifestyle and budget, and the experts at American Wood Flooring can direct you to the materials that will work best for you.

Dunning says that projects can be for just one room, up to every room in the entire home.

Dunning says there are many options, but he sees trends that are typical among many of his clients. “Usually we’re doing a hard surface, such as vinyl, wood or tile throughout the main areas, and carpet in bedrooms,” he explains.

A Wesley Chapel Fixture

The Wesley Chapel location of American Wood Flooring has been located in the Northwoods Plaza for more than a dozen years.

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American Wood Flooring offers a wide variety of laminate, hardwood, tile and other flooring from many different companies. (Photo: Charmaine George)

The company also has another location in New Port Richey. That location opened first, by Dunning’s dad and stepmom, before he opened the Wesley Chapel location in 2008.

Between the two locations, American Wood Flooring crews travel far and wide to meet their customers’ needs. In fact, Dunning says they often follow families when they move out of the area.

“We did a home in Meadow

Pointe in 2016 and they’re moving to Apollo Beach, so now we’re doing the house in Apollo Beach,” Dunning says. “We’ve (installed floors) as far north as Ocala, as far south as Fort Myers, and as far east as Orlando.”

Wesley Chapel resident Patrick Murphy has used American Wood Flooring for several projects in his home, in a rental property, and says is now looking at redoing the floors in his office.

“In our old house, Andy did tile and laminate floor, then we moved to our new house in 2018 and he’s done almost our whole house,” says Murphy.

“Now we’re shopping for new tile. It’s always a good experience. The pricing is competitive, the installers are good, and we like to support a local company before going to a big box store.”

American Wood Flooring offers free in-home estimates, and financing through Synchronicity Bank is available that allows many customers to pay no interest for 12 months.

The company also offers a nontransferrable lifetime warranty on every installation.

“A lot of companies won’t offer a lifetime warranty on the install, but we do,” says Dunning. “Sometimes the transition pieces will pop up or boards get loose, and we’ll fix that for as long as you own the house, as long as it’s an installation problem.”

American Wood Flooring’s Wesley Chapel showroom is located at 1285 BBD Blvd. and is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday; and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information, visit FlooringforFlorida.com, call (813) 991-7999 or see the ad on pg. 29 of this issue.

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27

Dr. Teena Hughes Pediatrics Adds Dr. Roger Hughes & Celebrates 20 Years!

By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN Correspondent For two decades now, Teena Hughes, M.D., has treated children at her private practice in the University Medical Park at E. Fletcher Ave. and N. 46th St., about five minutes south of Tampa Palms.

As her practice celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2021, Dr. Hughes is excited to welcome her son, Roger Hughes, III, D.O., to Teena Hughes, M.D., P.A., Pediatrics.

For now, the name remains unchanged, but both doctors agree the partnership reflects exciting growth.

Caregivers bring their children for routine care and well checks, including free prenatal consultations for momsto-be. School and sports physicals are offered, as are vaccines. The providers also treat illnesses and injuries in children, and the doctors also are on staff at AdventHealth Tampa.

Dr. Teena Hughes is a Board-certified pediatrician who earned her M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) degree from the University of South Florida (now known as the Morsani) College of Medicine, followed by a three-year residency at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg.

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Dr. Teena Hughes (red shirt), Dr. Roger Hughes, III, and the staff at Teena Hughes, M.D., P.A. Pediatrics on E. Fletcher Ave. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Teena Hughes) She then spent seven years practicing in Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree a health care group before launching her from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton, FL, in 2017. own private practice.

“Initially I went to medical school Dr. Roger Hughes, III, joined thinking I would see adults, but in the the practice last July after completthird year you do rotations and I did ing a three-year pediatric residency pediatrics here in Tampa,” he says. “I through the University of Florida at loved it, so from there, it just kind of Sacred Heart hospital in Pensacola, FL. Prior to that, he earned a Bachelor worked out.”

While Dr. Teena doesn’t expect it of Science in microbiology from the to happen anytime soon, the long-term University of Florida in Gainesville plan is for Dr. Roger to eventually run in 2013. He then earned a Doctor of

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the practice when the time comes for her to retire.

“The patients are excited and thrilled to meet him,” she says. “They’ve all heard about him over the years, and it’s nice to have someone to learn the ropes and get to know all the patients.”

In addition to helping with hospital rounds at AdventHealth Tampa and sharing the after-hours phone calls, Dr. Roger brings an influx of fresh ideas to the practice.

“It’s nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of and ask questions to,” says Dr. Teena.

She also says that some patients prefer to see a man, so she’s glad that he is now available to those patients.

Because she’s been in practice for more than two decades, Dr. Teena now sees the children of people who were her patients when they were kids.

“You have to be flattered,” she says, “It’s nice to see everybody grow up.”

In addition to the two doctors, patients also may see the practice’s two advanced nurse practitioners — Kelsy Overton, APRN, and Ashleigh Mader, APRN. As a private practice, Dr. Teena says she and the other practitioners in her office offer more individualized service and have a better rapport with

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their patients than what you might find at some of the big pediatric groups.

For example, when her patients call after hours, she knows exactly who she’s talking to. That’s different than the big groups, where doctors have to see patients from several different offices.

Dr. Teena Hughes Pediatrics offers benefits typically associated with a larger practice, such as extended hours. In fact, the office open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, but the plan is to expand those weekday hours to 8 p.m.

“We want to be more available for working parents,” she says, “and prevent emergency room visits.”

Jennifer Statz is a mom of three kids who moved to Westchase, but wouldn’t even consider finding a new pediatrician.

“I love them so much that I happily drive 30 minutes,” she says.

“They’ve seen my kids grow up, and they’re almost like friends to me.”

While her kids have been cared for

by Dr. Teena since her oldest child was born, they have seen Dr. Roger, too.

“I feel equally comfortable with them both,” she says. “I love seeing Dr. [Teena] Hughes, but it’s great to have both of them there. She’s got the experience and he’s full of all this new knowledge.”

Jennifer says that all of the practitioners at the office — and the staff members, too — are warm and genuine, and make her feel at ease, especially when her kids are anxious about vaccines or seeing the doctor in general.

“I always feel like they listen to my concerns, address them appropriately, and do whatever it takes to help me understand why they’re recommending a particular medicine or whatever it might be,” she explains. “I always leave there with everything I need.”

Covid Testing & Vaccines

While the office never closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Hughes says there were many fewer patients over the past year, who would usually be seen for

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school physicals, sports physicals, and to be treated for illnesses they may have picked up at school.

“It’s now ramping back up,” she says, while the office continues to follow all protocols and guidelines recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) & Prevention.

The office also offers Covid-19 testing, which does take a couple of days to get results from the lab. And, thanks to the new CDC guidelines, the Pfizer Covid vaccine is now available at the office for anyone ages 5 and older and the Moderna vaccine is available to anyone ages 18 and older.

“You do not have to be a patient to come in for the vaccine,” Dr. Teena says.

The practice also has ramped up its partnerships with manufacturers and companies looking to improve their products, offering research trials to patients, if they want to participate.

For example, a current study gives new parents six months of free infant formula plus incentives to participate.

“Formula companies are always doing research to improve,” Dr. Teena says.

“It’s great for a new mom who needs formula. These are tried-and-true companies, so it’s not experimental.”

She says the current projects have created an entire research department at her practice, which now includes five people. Active projects include vaccine trials for meningitis and pneumococcal pneumonia. Dr. Teena says rapid Covid testing should begin soon, and she’s also hoping to start Covid vaccine trials for children.

“It’s completely voluntary and if people don’t feel comfortable, they don’t have to participate,” she says. “We participate because it helps medicine to be new and innovative and helps patients.”

Teena Hughes, M.D., P.A., Pediatrics is located at 4444 E. Fletcher Ave. at N. 46th St. in Tampa. For appointments and more information, call (813) 903-0060, visit TeenaHughesPediatrics.com or see the ad on page 32.

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Wildcats Just Miss State Volleyball Finals

The Wesley Chapel High volleyball team won its first District title since 2004, won two Regional playoff games for the first time in program history and played in its first-ever Region championship, but fell short of a State finals appearance when the ‘Cats dropped a heartbreaking 25-27, 25-17, 25-23, 25-20 decision to Ocala Vanguard on Nov. 6 in the 5A-Region 2 title game.

But Wesley Chapel, which finished with a 19-6 record and made the playoffs for the second straight year under coach Brittany Collison, will be expecting to better their historic season next year, as they will return the

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core of the team and the leader in every statistical category.

Junior hitter Chloe Danielson, who set a school record with 375 kills, including 20 in the Region championship match, and is a contender for Pasco County Player of the Year honors, is the biggest piece of the puzzle.

But, the Wildcats also should return junior setter Jenna Ly (631 assists and 46 aces, both team highs), sophomore libero Brooke Ashkenase (school record 367 digs) and sophomore hitters Grace Korta and Lizzy Ekechi (pictured to the right), who each had more than 100 kills. You’ll get ‘em next year, girls! — JCC

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SPOTLIGHT ON: The Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot!

After a year of going virtual-only, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot is not only back for its ninth year, but this year’s 5K run will be held at a new site — the Tampa Premium Outlets.

As usual, the Wobble will be held Thanksgiving morning, which this year is Thursday, November 25. The event will start at 7 a.m. and there will be a 5K run that will be followed by a 1K fun run (at 8:15 a.m.).

The cost to run in either event is $35.

For the first eight years of the race, which was started by former FITniche owner Rich Wills, runners trotted 3.1 miles around the Shops at Wiregrass.

But, Wills moved his FITniche store to the new Village at Hunter’s Lake in New Tampa, and as a result, was required to move the location of the race as well.

Although Wills says he tried to maintain the relationships with the previous sponsors of the race, he has had to make some changes to keep it going.

Otherwise, this year’s Wiregrass Wobble will remain the same as it’s been in previous years.

“We’re going to create a high-energy, fun way to start Thanksgiving day, just as we have for almost 10 years,” says Wills, who recently sold his FITniche location in Hunter’s Lake to Fleet Feet,

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which still sells running shoes, clothes and gear.

Wills remains associated with Fleet Feet as a consultant, and will continue to run the Wiregrass Wobble, which was New Tampa and Wesley Chapel’s first Thanksgiving 5K run when he started it in 2012 as a “fun run.”

Wills credits former store manager Brian Brink with getting the race going.

Brink came to Wills in 2012 and told him a number of customers wanted to run Thanksgiving morning, but didn’t want to have to drive all the way to Clearwater for the Tampa Bay Turkey Trot, the Bay area’s largest annual holiday run that began in 1979.

Brink offered to bring some bagels and coffee, and roughly 200 runners showed up on that first Thanksgiving morning.

Following that success, Wills and Brink went all in on the holiday run concept for 2013, hosting the first official Wiregrass Wobble and drawing around 1,400 participants.

The race now hosts about 2,000 runners each year. “We’ve been running strong ever since,” Wills says.

To register for the 2021 Wiregrass Wobble, see the ad (top right), or visit RunSignup.com and search for “Wiregrass Wobble.” — JCC

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Have You Seen All The Restaurants Coming To The KRATE?

By Gary Nager

We’ve been doing all we can to tell you what’s been happening at the KRATE Container Park at The Grove since Provisions Coffee & Kitchen opened more than two months ago.

Well, the full opening of KRATE will likely be delayed at least into the beginning of 2022, as the place really is still mainly a construction site, but most of the signs on the restaurants coming to this unique locale are now up and a lot of them are interesting, if not downright exciting.

We’ve mentioned previously that ShakeA-Salad would likely be the next to open and a Nov. 8 date that was mentioned on the salad-and-wrap eatery’s Facebook page came and went, but it still well could be next.

Many of the KRATEs coming soon are already known locally, including Cafe 365 (also at the Shops at Wiregrass) and La Creacion Express Puerto Rican bakery (also on Hillsborough Ave. in Tampa), and food trucks like The Bacon Boss, Mojo Grill Latin Fusion, TJ’s Famous Hot Dogs and Tacos el Patron. Also coming to KRATE are Åto Sushi Burritos & Poke Bowls, Palani’s Hawai’i Noodles, Tasty Ramen, The Fry Room, Urban Sweets, Yummy Tablas, El Prince Mediterranean, Blush Wine Bar and Boba Macs Tea & Eat. Yes, there are non-food places coming, too, including Center Ed education, Reset Natural Remedies, We Rock Rocks, SmartStart Market Space, Budget Blinds, The Rebellious Hippie and All Good Things gifts.

We plan to provide a complete map of everything coming to Phase 1 of the KRATE in a future issue. — GN

Among the many repurposed shipping containers coming (hopefully soon) to the KRATE Container Park at The Grove are (l.r. & top to bottom): Shake-A-Salad, The Fry Room, The Bacon Boss, TJ’s Hot Dogs, Åto Sushi Burritos & Poké Bowls, Palani’s Hawai’i Noodles & Boba Macs Tea & Eat. (Photos by Gary Nager)

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The Market Elaine — Delicious Fun For Everyone Returns Dec. 3!

Although I still don’t know why it’s called The Market Elaine, what I do know is that this ongoing monthly event for local small businesses to display and sell their wares brings a great variety of unique food and craft providers to The Grove on the first (usually) Friday of each month that you should definitely check out.

Previous Market Elaine events were held at different locations in The Grove, but on Nov. 12 (rescheduled from a too-rainy Nov. 5), the food & craft event was held right along the main drag of The Village at The Grove and I have to say I came away impressed with the quality of the vendors and their offerings.

With mine and Jannah’s granddaughter Rosie’s birthday party two days later, I wanted to bring something unique and delicious and I found more options than I even anticipated.

I ended up buying a huge, triple-decker brownie (perfect for a birthday candle) and authentic French macarons from Brittney Kosses’ Whipped N’ Baked, sampled multiple fresh fudge varieties from Kamieo’s Cocoa & Candy, and also purchased Jannah’s favorite vanilla chai tea from Dylan Chadwell’s Regalitea and premium raspberry balsamic vinegar after tasting multiple different samples of Melina Balsamic Vinegar & Oil. With live music, great crafts and plenty of great places to eat before and after the event, you should definitely check out the next Market Elaine on Friday, December 3, at The Grove. — GN

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The Living Room Is Coming To The Mall!

Check Out The New Chick’n Fun!

Miller’s Ale House To Open Dec. 13!

Even though it’s yet another chain coming to the Wesley Chapel area, I’ll admit that Miller’s Ale House, which has 63 of its nearly 100 locations in Florida, is one of the better sports bar-style chains. The Miller’s Ale House set to open at 25264 S.R. 54 at the Wesley Chapel Blvd. Extension (across from Zaxby’s) is hiring now (isn’t everyone?) in anticipation of a planned Dec. 13 opening date. Considering that Jannah and I basically live across the street from it, keep checking these pages and our Facebook page for the latest news. — GN

In what has become one of our most popular Facebook posts this year, I announced on Nov. 2 that The Living Room Restaurant & Lounge is coming to The Shops At Wiregrass.

Since Shops at Wiregrass GM Greg Lenners told us that the popular mom-and-pop restaurant on Main St. in Dunedin, will take over the long-empty space in The Shops previously occupied by Ciao! (and Pagelli’s before that) the post has reached more than 35,000 people, been liked nearly 600 times, with more than 125 comments (almost all of them overwhelmingly positive) and been shared more than 100 times!

Jannah and I have eaten there a few times and not only is the food great, The Living Room on Main also has a beautiful outdoor patio dining area (top right pic; it’s much larger than the outdoor dining area currently at the former Ciao!) and also offers live music inside.

Unfortunately, I still haven’t heard when The Living Room will open at The Shops, but it most likely won’t happen until early 2022. However, with menu items like flash fried duck dumplings, a smoked salmon flatbread, lamb and hereford beef tenderloin meatballs, molasses braised pork osso buco (top left photo) and brown butter diver scallops (lower left) that aren’t cheap but also not overpriced for the quality, I believe most locals will find that The Living Room will be worth waiting for and a great, unique addition to Wesley Chapel’s mostly chain restaurants. Keep checking in with us on these pages and on our Facebook page for additional updates. — GN

Its name may make it seem like it’s just another fried chicken place, but the new Chick’n Fun, which should already be open in the former Hardee’s location at 27320 Wesley Chapel Blvd. as you’re receiving this issue, is so much more than that, based on its menu.

Yes, Chick’n Fun does offer a variety of wings, chicken sandwiches, strips (top photo) and even gizzards, but it also features lots of seafood, from fried or grilled shrimp, tilapia and basa, to crab legs (photo), mussels, oysters, scallops, calamari, clam and catfish strips and even conch. There also are fresh bowls (with black beans, yellow rice, onions, peppers and mushrooms and your choice of protein), pastas, salads, burgers, gyro sandwiches and more.

For more information, stop in or visit ChicknFun.com or call (813) 501-4899 and please tell them I sent you! — GN

The Liquor Shoppe Opens In New Tampa!

Congratulations to my new friends Dev Swaly and his wife Shejal Parmar, who just opened The Liquor Shoppe in one of the three spaces at 10020 Cross Creek Blvd. in the Cross Creek Center Plaza (at Kinnan St.) in New Tampa that previously was occupied by Café Olé restaurant, next to Thai Lanna restaurant (photos, right).

It’s located just a few minutes south of most Wesley Chapel residents.

I’ve already made a couple of purchases at The Liquor Shoppe, including a limited edition “Be The Thunder” Tampa Bay Light-

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ning promotional bottle of New Amsterdam Vodka. “Our supply is definitely limited,” Dev says. “So come get them now!”

The Liquor Shoppe will continue to add to its already impressive selection of imported and domestic beer, wine and spirits at very fair prices (including some cool holiday gift packs), and hosted its first of hoefully many tasting events to introduce the store to the local community on Nov. 19.

For more info, see the ad below, stop in or call (813) 388-2164 and please tell Dev and Shejal I sent you. — GN

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Wesley Chapel Volkswagen Finally Cuts A Ribbon!

Congratulations to owners Scott Fink and David Frazier and their staff, who finally got to celebrate the Grand Opening and North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon cutting (see photo) of Volkswagen of Wesley Chapel, even though the dealership has been open at 26500 Silver Maple Pkwy. for more than a year.

Hundreds attended the ribbon-cutting event on Oct. 26, including State Rep. Amber Mariano.

Fink and Frazier also own the Hyundai, Mazda and Chevrolet dealerships in Wesley Chapel, plus Hyundai of New Port Richey.

For more information about Volkswa-

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gen of Wesley Chapel, call (813) 812-8495 or visit VWofWCcom. — GN

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TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE. New Tampa owned & operated. Great Pricing w/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! AQUATEC POOL SERVICE has been keeping pools clear & swim-safe since 1994. WE DO POOLS RIGHT! Commercial & Residential. CPO #33-303052 Licensed & Insured. Service guarantee. Call 813-312-5694 TODAY and get ONE MONTH OF QUALITY SERVICE FREE. www.aquatecpool.com.

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

TJ’s PRESSURE WASHING LLC. Houses, Fences, Driveways, Lanais & Screened Enclosures. Most resdt’l 2-car driveways & vinyl fences start at $75. House washing starts at $150 /1-story home, $199/2-story home. Need an instant quote? Text me a picture of the job you need done. Call Tj at 727-808-7775.

TREE SERVICE

FITZPATRICK’s TREE SERVICE. 25-yrs of Prof.

Service. Licensed & Insured. Free Estimates. Tree Trimming & Tree Removal. Stump Grinding. DeadWood Removal. Affordable Rates. 24-Hour Emergency Storm Service. Free Mulch. Call 813-495-9541 or

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 29, Issue 24 • November 23, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 29, Issue 24 • November 23, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

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‘Fall Festival’ Continued from page 10 If you didn’t get to attend the Wesley Chapel Fall Festival Oct. 30-31, you missed out on the return of the World’s Largest Food Truck Rally, which, while it didn’t break the record for the most-ever food trucks in one location, the pics on this page are just a small sample of the more than 80 different food trucks that did find their way to the parking lot of the Tampa Premium Outlets on Halloween weekend.

Whether you were hoping to find Filipino Food, Hot Diggity Dogs, Alston’s Grilled Chicken, Kickin Caribbean cuisine or desserts from the Ice Cream Hearse, snow cones, frozen drinks or fried bananas, they were all on hand at the Wesley Chapel Fall Festival! — Gary Nager; all photos by Charmaine George

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 29, Issue 24 • November 23, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 29, Issue 24 • November 23, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 29, Issue 24 • November 23, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews