01-10 ntnn 1-48 web

ride. When she ran to aneighbor’s house, Sor-tor allegedly followedin his vehicle andparked outside theneighbor’s house for afew minutes. He thenleft, but the girl wasable to get a partiallicense plate number,which she gave to police.

Then, on December 8, Sortorallegedly approached two separatewomen who were jogging in the WestMeadows subdivision. He approachedthe first, a 24-year-old kindergartenteacher, after she jogged past his parkedcar. He allegedly reached out and triedto grab her, but she managed to avoidhim and ran away. Sortor chased her fora short distance in his vehicle, police say,

but she got away. Five minutes later, police say Sortor

drove up to another jogger, a 49-year-old female, exited his vehicle and askedher if she could help him find theHome Depot store. When she refused,he grabbed her by her arm, but she alsomanaged to pull away and Sortor fledafter another resident who was walkinghis dogs approached them.

Police flooded the area and an offi-cer saw Sortor driving through themovie theater parking lot. He and acouple of other police units were ableto block Sortor’s vehicle and he was

Here in New Tampa, the impactsfrom the economic crisis generallyseemed to be less severe than they werein other parts of the country. Althoughit isn’t much consolation for those whodid lose their jobs and/or their homes,on the surface, daily life here seemed togo on pretty much as usual. Skimmingback over the newspapers that we pub-

lished this past year, many of the topstories are issues that we have coveredbefore, and will continue to cover asthey continue to affect the lives of resi-dents here in our own little corner ofthe world. Here, then, is a review ofsome of the biggest local stories of2009, with some updates.

Bruce B. Downs WideningFinally Gets Under Way

Can you say, “It’s about time?”After years of blood-pressure-raisingtraffic jams and delays, New Tampa res-idents who have been complainingabout the need to widen Bruce B.Downs (BBD) Blvd. may remember2009 as the year that the long-awaitedproject finally got under way.

However, although the brightorange cones and barrels have alreadybeen scattered up and down the boule-vard for more than six months, allactual construction of the first of three

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 18, Issue 1 • January 2, 2010 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com 1

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January 2, 2010

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A Preview Of The Suncoast Arts Festival And Other January Entertainment, Our

Editor Reveals His 2009 DiningFavorites & More!

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By Michael Smith

Looking back at 2009, I think thatmost people will agree with me when Isay, “Thank God that’s over.”

After an auspicious beginning thatwas marked by optimism for the futurewhen we as a country inaugurated ourfirst African-American President, BarackObama, the news just seemed to getworse and worse, and all anyone coulddo was hang on and hope for the best.

Most of the bad news was on theeconomic front, as the year saw recordsbroken for stock market losses, homeforeclosures and unemployment levels,but the other issues that were in thenational headlines for most of the year,including the ongoing debate overhealth care reform and the wars in Iraqand Afghanistan, seemed to overshad-ow the hope that Obama’s inaugura-tion originally inspired.

By year’s end, however, there weresome signs that the economic down-

turn had ended, or had at least begunto slow, legislators were makingprogress on the health care issue, andPresident Obama outlined his plans forending the conflict in Afghanistan.

And, since the start of another newyear always helps to restore everyone’sspirit and resolve, here’s hoping for abetter 2010.

A Look Back At The Top New Tampa News Stories Of 2009

By Michael Smith

Tampa Police have arrested a manwho they say attempted to kidnap atleast three different local women ontwo different days.

According to a Tampa PoliceDepartment (TPD) report, ChristopherA. Sortor, 25, of 4411 Shady TerraceLane in Tampa, was arrested in the

parking lot of the Muvico Starlight 20movie theater in Highwoods Preserve(New Tampa) at around 5:45 p.m. onDecember 8. Police say that two daysearlier, on December 6, Sortor hadallegedly approached a 17-year-oldfemale who was walking to a friend’shouse on Linebaugh Ave. in Carroll-wood, pulling up alongside her in hisvehicle and asking her if she needed a

Attempted Kidnapper Busted After Approaching Three Women

Christopher A. Sortor

Get used to seeing signs like this, as the widening of Bruce B. Downs Blvd.gets under way this month and is expected to continue until Spring 2013.

See “Top Stories” on page 6.

2 For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 18, Issue 1 • January 2, 2010 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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An editorial by Gary NagerDecember 16, 2009

Dear Gary:Tonight, it became painstakingly

clear to me that people have lost theirheart. Around 5:55 p.m. this evening,my three children and I were rushingthrough the crowds at the Shops atWiregrass Mall to make it on time to aholiday performance in which many ofour friends were participating.

As my youngest forged ahead ingreat anticipation, my other two weretrailing closely behind. It was then thatI heard the screams. The kind ofscreams that makes a mother stop deadin her tracks. I scanned the glitterylandscape and there, amongst the holi-day lights, the festive trees, the groupsof friends and families and shoppersladen with gifts, there he was. A youngboy,, about three. He was running fran-tically up and down the cobblestones,screaming for his mommy. He ran pastthe Pottery Barn, further away from theholiday lights ceremony.

I was frozen in time, just trying tofix my eyes on anyone who might bechasing after him, looking for him,noticing him in any way—NOTHING.No one noticed as he ran back up thecobblestone. He ran in a circle, scream-ing at the top of his lungs. No onenoticed. He ran towards Cantina Lare-do, screaming, crying, clutching hiscandy cane. No one noticed. I snappedto attention and hollered for my chil-dren. My son yelled to my third grader

and they all came running. I watched inhorror as the boy ran behind a cardown the side of the restaurant and outof my sight. I started running, childrenon my heels, and the boy was there! Hewas racing towards the crosswalk, thestreet, the dark parking lot, and theunknown, still screaming. I yelled tothe boy as I closed in on him. Helooked back, stopped for a second, andthen turned to run into the street.

My 4th grader sprinted to him andgrabbed his tiny hands and said veryfirmly, STOP. He froze. I put my handon his back; I assured him everythingwould be ok. I bent down until oureyes met and I told him, “I am amommy, these are my 3 children. I amalso a teacher. I want to help you. Areyou looking for your mommy or yourdaddy?” He nodded. I asked him hisname, “Nick,” he said.

“Nick, I want to help you, I knowwhere we can find help. Will you comewith us? It’s O.K. and we will find yourparents.” Clutching the tiny candycane, little terrified Nick came with us.

We headed up towards the largetree in the center of the mall, there wasthe tree, and the stage where the snowywhite bedazzled dancers were about toperform. We had the Guest Servicesbuilding in sight! A vendor stopped us.She wanted to point us in the rightdirection. She had seen the whole thingand was eager to know the boy wouldbe O.K. One person, one in hundreds,was actually willing to help us out. Shemust have been frantic knowing shecouldn’t leave her kiosk and that thisboy was out there all alone. We thankedher and quickly pressed on.

Just as we came upon the tree,there, out of a sea of performance

Have We Lost Sight Of The Meaning Of The Holiday Season?

New Tampa Neighborhood News15345 Amberly Dr., Tampa, FL 33647Phone: (813) 910-2575 Fax: 910-2483Advertising E-mail: [email protected]

Editorial E-mail: [email protected] & Editor

Gary NagerManaging EditorMichael SmithCorrespondents

Kate Kramer • Melissa O’BrienAdvertising Customer Service Manager

David ZachariaArt Director Billing ManagerTony Sica Ashley Knoblach

Office & Marketing AssistantsJacob Glenn • Karen Glenn

Nothing that appears in New Tampa Neighbor-hood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or inpart, without permission. Opinions expressed by NewTampa Neighborhood News writers are their own and donot reflect the publisher’s opinion.

The deadline for outside editorial submis-sions and advertisements for Volume 18, Issue 3, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Monday, January 4 , 2010.

New Tampa Neighborhood News will considerpreviously non-published outside editorial submissionsif they are double spaced, typed and less than 500words. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves theright to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submis-sions and makes no guarantees regarding publicationdates. New Tampa Neighborhood News will not returnunsolicited editorial materials.

New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the rightto edit &/or reject any advertising. New Tampa Neigh-borhood News is not responsible for errors in advertisingbeyond the actual cost of the advertising space itself, notfor the validity of any claims made by its advertisers. ©2009 JM2 Communications, Inc.

Table of ContentsLOCAL NEWS, BUSINESS & SPORTS UPDATES...............................................Pages 1-28

New Tampa News Briefs (cont. from page 1)..4Shoplifters Arrested After Fighting With Store EmployeesPorter Family Donates Land To PHCC Top Stories Of ‘09 (cont. from page 1)...............6-7, 40New Tampa Community Calendar..................10-11

New Tampa Business News.....................14-21Local Consultant Can Boost Your Business...........14-15Fernandez Law Offers Financial Representation...18-19Get Fit In The New Year With Euro Pilates..........20-21

New Tampa Education News........................22Family Of Christ Students Learn A Hands-On Lesson

In Recycling

New Tampa Sports Updates..........................26 Local Gymnasts Score Top Finishes At State Meet

Neighborhood MagazineSuncoast Arts Fest Returns To Wesley Chapel.........29, 45January Entertainment Calendar..............................32-33Registered Yoga Teacher Karen Cionci.......................37Gary’s Favorite ‘09 New Tampa Restaurants........42

NEW TAMPA COLOR CLASSFIEDS..............46

onlookers, through all of the holidaylight show and music, there was Nick’sdad. Scared beyond belief. I could tell itwas him, he had the look of pain andfear on his face and when he saw mewith his son, he grabbed my arm andthanked me for finding him. Heembraced his boy and little Nick, hav-ing held in his fear and panic, finallybegan to cry.

“It was only for a second,” said hisdad. “We only turned away for a sec-ond! We’ve been searching all aroundthe tree for him. Where was he?”

“Down near the road at the side

parking lot,” I replied. That poor fatherprobably envisioned it in his mind, hiseyes full of tears and his face full ofrelief. He thanked me again and tookNick off into the crowd.

As I sat there on the cold, hardbench waiting for the performance tobegin, I couldn’t help but wonder“What if? What if I hadn’t cometonight?” In fact, too many projectsand homework almost kept us homealtogether. What would have happened?Would anyone have noticed poor little(tiny, in fact) lost Nick? Would anyone

See “Meaning” on page 31.


arrested without further incident. Hewas charged with three counts ofattempted kidnapping and at our presstime, was being held without bond.

After his arrest, Sortor told policethat he was just trying to make friends,and likes “hooking up with women.”Detectives, however, say that Sortor hasa history of approaching women andmay have attempted to kidnap othersbefore. They ask that anyone who hasseen Sortor or his vehicle, a red,four-door 2009 Honda Fit, or hadany interaction with him, call thedepartment at 276-3200.

Two Shoplifters ArrestedAfter Fighting Employees

A pair of Wesley Chapel men werearrested after police say they scuffledwith employees at a local store afterthey were allegedly caught shoplifting.

According to a release issued bythe Tampa Police Department, JustinA. Espinoza, 19, of 28818 MidnightStar Loop, and Eric C. Lewis, also 19,of 28629 Dawns Break Pt. were arrest-ed on December 10 at the Wal-MartSuperCenter located at 19910 Bruce B.Downs Blvd.

Police say the two men firstentered the store just after noon, and

Espinoza allegedlystole a pair of scissors.Then, the two menwent to the store’spharmacy department,where Espinozaallegedly shopliftedtwo packages of a maleehancement productand Lewis stole one package of thesame product.

As they attemptedto leave the store with-out paying for themerchandise, however,the two were accostedby store loss preven-tion agent Jason Poole.According to thereport, Lewis surren-dered, but Espinoza began fightingwith Poole and pulled the scissors outof his pocket and tried to stab Poole.

That’s when another store employ-ee, Cezari Domagala, saw what wasgoing on and came to Poole’s aid, andthe two were able to disarm Espinozaand place him under arrest. Afterward,Espinoza was charged with armed rob-bery, while Lewis was charged withpetit theft (shoplifting) and also withone count of dealing in stolen propertyand defrauding a pawnbroker from pre-vious warrants. At our press time,

“News Briefs”Continued from page 1

Justin A. Espinoza

Eric C. Lewis

Espinoza was being held at the OrientRoad jail on $15,000 bond while Lewishad a bond of $25,250.

Poole suffered minor abrasions, thereport states, but no other injuries werereported.

Porter Family DonatesLand For PHCC Campus

Late last month, members of theBoard of Directors of Pasco-HernandoCommunity College (PHCC) approveda tentative agreement between the col-lege and the Porter family, owners ofthe Wiregrass Ranch property in WesleyChapel, to accept 60 acres of land for anew college campus within the 5,000-acre development.

The property is near the campus ofWiregrass Ranch High, at the south-west corner of S.R. 56 and MansfieldBlvd. A representative for the familysaid that the Porter family membershave to sign off on the agreement, andthe deal is expected to be finalized byJanuary. A PHCC spokesman says,however, that it could take up to threeyears for construction to begin, as col-lege officials are still trying to decideupon a design for the campus.

The land for the college campuswas part of the agreement when PascoCounty officials approved developmentof the Wiregrass Ranch property in2007. The development also will

include a new hospital, a town center,and up to 12,000-plus homes, as wellas the already-completed Shops atWiregrass mall. At present, however,the Porter family is still looking foranother builder to take the place of pre-vious lead builder Pulte Homes, whichpulled out of the project in early 2008after suffering extensive losses in thereal estate crash.

PHCC already has campuses inNew Port Richey, Spring Hill, DadeCity and Brooksville and also offerssome classes at Wiregrass Ranch High.

For more information, visitPHCC.edu.


phases of the widening project (akasegments B & C), encompassing thesection between Palm Springs Dr. inTampa Palms and Pebble Creek Dr., isscheduled to start this month.

According to Steve Valdez, aspokesman for the Hillsborough Coun-ty Public Works Department, construc-tion should begin on January 18. Theproject is a 1,000-day job, which meansthat work on that segment of the road-way should be completed by the springof 2013. During that time, the four-lane divided roadway will be widened toeight lanes, with landscaped medians, a5-foot-wide sidewalk on the west side, a10-foot-wide multi-use path on the eastside and bays for buses to pull over onboth sides of BBD, all at a cost of a lit-tle more than $40 million.

Valdez says that the work willrequire some delays and lane changesonce construction begins. Althoughwhere and when those shifts and delayswill be taking place is not yet known,the county has scheduled a public meet-ing for Wednesday, January 6, 6:30p.m., at the cafeteria at Wharton HighSchool (20120 BBD) to discuss thatand other details of the project. At themeeting, both county staffers andmembers of the county’s consulting

firm will be on hand to answer anyquestions that residents may have.

For more information prior tothe meeting, call 272-5275.

Valdez does note, however, thatthe terms of the county’s contractrequire the contractor to keep trafficmoving while the work is ongoing.

“The biggest challenge we’ll haveon this project will be to maintain trafficflow at the same time as we’re doingmajor construction,” Valdez says. “But,at no time will the road be completelyshut down.”

Meanwhile, in response to com-plaints and concerns voiced by someresidents of Tampa Palms, the membersof the Hillsborough Board of CountyCommissioners (BOCC) voted Decem-ber 2 to switch up the previouslyannounced schedule for the rest of thewidening project. Previously, the north-ernmost segment of the roadway (orsegment D), between Pebble Creek Dr.and County Line Rd., was to be com-pleted after the middle segments. How-ever, Tampa Palms residents and com-munity officials said that if thesouthernmost segment (segment A),between Palm Springs Dr. and BearssAve., was left for last, the resulting bot-tleneck where the new eight-lane road-way converged back into four laneswould make traffic even worse inTampa Palms.

So, the BOCC voted to prioritize

the southern section ahead of thenorthern section, and also to transferabout $30 million of the funds that hadbeen earmarked for the middle seg-ments ino the budget for the southernsegment, which had been unfunded.

Valdez says the money transfer wasmade possible because the county hadestimated the cost of the middle seg-ments at around $100 million, butwhen bids were received, they weremuch lower than expected, and the bidthat the county accepted in Novemberwas for only $40.3 million. That stillleaves a shortfall on the southern seg-ment, however, which is estimated atmore than $100 million, which meansthat there is still no timetable for whenthat part of the project may get started.

“We can’t schedule constructionuntil we have all of the funding inplace,” Valdez says. “But, the beginningof segment A is not contingent uponthe other segments being completed. Itjust depends on when the moneybecomes available.”

County staffers also examined thepossibility of widening the southern andnorthern segments to six lanes each forthe time being, to save money and getthe project built sooner, but they deter-mined that the savings would not besignificant, and that the project shouldmove ahead as planned, at eight lanes.

In other transportation news, in2009 officials with the city of Tampa

also announced, to the dismay of someresidents of West Meadows and TampaPalms, that they plan to move forwardwith the planned bridge over I-75 thatwill link the two communities.

Although it has always been con-sidered to be an independent project,the bridge was included in the bid pro-posal for the East-West Connector Rd.,and once it became clear that the citydid not plan to move forward with thatproject, residents assumed that thebridge would not be built, either. How-ever, city officials said that they are actu-ally obligated to build the bridge, sinceit was included in the negotiations forseveral of the development agreementsthat the city entered into with develop-ers, who were required to give moneyor other considerations towards itsconstruction.

After hearing from residents whoattended Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio’sTown Hall meeting in Tampa Palms inApril and who said that the bridgewould cause traffic to increase to dan-gerous levels in their communities,however, city officials agreed to coordi-nate the construction of the bridge withthe BBD widening to discourage driversfrom using the bridge to bypass thework on BBD. So far, however, theyhave not yet announced a starting datefor the project.

City officials also held a publicmeeting in November to discuss the

“Top Stories”Continued from page 1


widening of the final segment of CrossCreek Blvd. They told attendees thatthe project is moving forward, albeitslowly, thanks to new requirementsmandated by federal highway adminis-trators. The new timetable for construc-tion to begin on that project is some-time in 2012.

Skateboarders RejoiceSkateboarders RejoiceLocal skateboarders of all ages

rejoiced in April, when City of Tampaofficials cut the ribbon on the new skatepark facility at the New Tampa RecCenter in Tampa Palms.

Mayor Pam Iorio herself cut theribbon on the 15,000-sq.-ft. facility,which was promptly flooded with

boarders trying out their trickson the smooth asphalt surface.The opening was the fruitionof a dream for New Tampamom Aimee Lucas, who hadstarted the effort to build thefacility almost a decade earlier,and who inspired city leadersto incorporate suggestionsfrom skaters into the finaldesign of the skate park.

Library ExpansionCloser? Well, Sort Of

The New Tampa Region-al Library was at the center ofa tempest in a teapot early in‘09, after county library offi-cials first rejected a name

change for the facility and then voted tomove the expansion of the library to thetop of the county’s priority list.

The name change issue actuallycame up in late 2008, after the NewTampa Community Council (now theNew Tampa Chamber of Commerce)began lobbying to have the namechanged to honor community activistCarol Poland.

Others disagreed with that propos-al, however, and launched a counterof-fensive to have the library renamed forthe late Jeri Zelinski, who was active inraising money for the facility’s originalconstruction. In the end, however, themembers of the Hillsborough County

Library Board voted to leave the nameas it was.

They were beset upon by moreNew Tampa residents in March, how-ever, when members of the Friends ofthe New Tampa Library group beganpushing to have a proposed expansionof the popular facility moved up on thecounty’s priority projects list. They weresomewhat successful as, after a spiriteddebate, the members of the LibraryBoard voted to keep the least expensiveof the three planned expansion projects,a 5,000-sq.-ft. addition, at the top ofthe list. The bad news, however, is thatthere will likely be no money availablefor the expansion to take place this year,although county officials say that theproject, which is expected to costbetween $500,000-$1.2 million, shouldreceive funding at some point in thenext five years.

Public Safety ConcernsPublic Safety ConcernsNew Tampa residents continue to

enjoy the lowest overall crime rate inthe city, but many lives in this area wereaffected by criminal acts over the past12 months. The most grievous waswhen Tampa Police Department Cpl.Mike Roberts, a Wesley Chapel resi-dent, was shot and killed by a mentallyunstable homeless man in August.Thousands of people attended memori-al services for the fallen officer, who wasa member at New Tampa’s St. Mark

the Evangelist Catholic Church, andMayor Iorio called Roberts’ death “aterrible tragedy.”

In an unrelated case, TPD alsolaunched a citywide search in Octoberto find the suspect who broke into ahome in Arbor Greene and stolenumerous items, using a pillowcasetaken from a sleeping child’s bed tocarry out some of the loot. The suspecteventually was captured, along with hisaccomplices, after a tipster saw imagesof the thieves using the family’s stolencredit cards and alerted police as totheir names and whereabouts.

Some New Tampa residents willenjoy increased fire protection, too,since the Tampa City Council inNovember approved a $1.42 millionbid for the construction of a new firestation, to be designated No. 22, nearthe intersection of Cross Creek Blvd.and Morris Bridge Rd.

Officials with the Tampa Fire Res-cue (TFR) department say constructionof the 8,660-sq.-ft. station should befinished within the year, and when it iscompleted, it will help the departmentreduce response times to new and exist-ing neighborhoods and subdivisions onthe eastern end of Cross Creek Blvd.and to the north on Morris Bridge Rd.

TFR also purchased property in

New Tampa’s skateboarders saw a gnarly placeof their own open in 2009.

See “Top Stories on page 40.


Community CalendarNEW TAMPA

Household Items NeededA couple of months ago, we told

you about Starting Right, Now, a newNew Tampa-based program that assistshomeless families and students withfinding new homes, jobs and otherresources. Now, program founder VickiSokolik says that need has been sogreat, the organization desperatelyneeds all kinds of household items, suchas linens, towels, pots and pans, utensils,etc. Monetary donations are also verywelcome.

For more info about how youcan help, visit StartingRightNow.org.

New Tampa Noon RotaryWednesday, January 6 – The New

Tampa Noon Rotary Club meets everyWednesday at noon at Circles NewTampa Bistro (19651 Bruce B. DownsBlvd. in the Pebble Creek Collectionshopping plaza).

New Tampa Kiwanis ClubWednesday, January 6 – The

Kiwanis Club of New Tampa meetsevery Wednesday at 11:45 am at theTampa Palms Golf and Country Club(5811 Tampa Palms Blvd).

For more info, please send an

email to [email protected] visit NewTampaKiwanis.org.

New Tampa P.A.R.Wednesday, January 6 – New

Tampa Professionals Achieving Results(P.A.R.) is a professional networkinggroup that meets every Wednesday atHunter’s Green Country Club, 5:30p.m., for networking and nine holes ofgolf. There is a one-time $35 member-ship fee, and weekly greens and cart feesare $20.

For more information, contactChuck Lewandoski at 269-7100 orby e-mail at [email protected].

Business Networking Int’lWednesday, January 6 – Business

Networking International (BNI), agroup of business professionals who arededicated to helping their businessesgrow through qualified referrals, meetsevery Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. at Her-itage Isles Clubhouse (18630 PlantationBay Dr.).

For more information, call JalIrani at 451-8229.

Civil Air PatrolWednesday, January 6 – A new

Civil Air Patrol squadron now meetsevery Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m., atTampa North Aero Park (4241 Bird-song Blvd., Wesley Chapel). Civil AirPatrol (CAP) is the volunteer civilianauxiliary arm of the U.S. Air Force, andmembership is open to youths ages 12-18 and their parents. Adult membersperform search-and-rescue, disasterrelief and other emergency services,while teen members, or cadets, learnthrough leadership and character-build-ing activities, including flight training.

For more information, visit wesl-eychapelcap.com or call CherylSpence at 973-7270.

NE Tampa Women In Business

Thursday, January 7 – The NorthEast Tampa Women in Business(NETWIB) group will hold its firstmeeting for the New Year at 6 p.m. atHunter’s Green County Club (18101Longwater Run Dr.).

The group’s guest speaker will beCathleen E. O’Dowd, a partner in thereal estate group of Shumaker, Loop &Kendrick, whose principal areas of prac-tice are real estate, land use, local gov-ernment, and state regulatory compli-ance. Her topic will be “What are yourchoices in the present housing/ mort-gage dilemma?” Guests are welcome,

but registration is requested. To register, or for more infor-

mation, call president Kay Dunn at841-5932 or visit www.netwib.org.

New Tampa Evening Rotary Club

Thursday, January 7 – The NewTampa Evening Rotary Club meetsevery Thursday, 6:15 p.m., at Hunter’sGreen Country Club (18101 Longwa-ter Run Dr.).

For more information, call Sher-ri Ferguson at 892-9782.

New Tampa Rotary ClubFriday, January 8 – The New

Tampa Rotary Club meets every Friday,7 a.m., at Tampa Palms Golf & Coun-try Club (TPG&CC, 5811 TampaPalms Blvd.). On January 8, the club’sguest speaker will be Bob Helms, CEOof Pegasus TransTech.

For more information, visitwww.newtamparotary.org or contactKaren Frashier at 375-2663.

Networking WorkshopMonday, January 11 – The New

Tampa Chamber of Commerce willhost a workshop entitled “Real LifeSocial Networking That Really Works,”noon-1 p.m., at Pebble Creek GolfClub (10550 Regents Park Dr.). A net-working session begins at 11:30 a.m.


Reservations are requested. For reservations or more info,

call 239-2464 or send an e-mail [email protected] Gardener Workshop

Tuesday, January 12 – The Hills-borough County Extension Service willhold a free workshop entitled “FloridaFriendly Yards,” 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.,at the New Tampa Regional Library(10001 Cross Creek Blvd.). The work-shop, hosted by Master Gardener LesleyFleming, will offer tips on creating andmaintaining attractive landscapes whileprotecting the natural environment.

For more info, call 273-3652.

Computer WorkshopsThursday, January 14 – Every

Thursday, the New Tampa RegionalLibrary (10001 Cross Creek Blvd.)offers computer workshops for adults.Topics include: mouse skills, internetsearch engines and working with menus,toolbars and graphic objects inMicrosoft Office. Registration isrequired in person, no earlier than onehour before the start of the workshop.

Call 273-3652 for more info.Temple Ohev Shalom Sisterhood

Friday, January 15 – The Sister-hood of Temple Ohev Shalom will holdtheir January dinner meeting at 7 p.m.at Stonewood Grill & Tavern (17050

Palm Pointe Dr. in Tampa Palms) toplan activities for the upcoming year.Also, on Thursday, January 28, thegroup will hold a Bunco night formembers and all women in the commu-nity, beginning at 7 p.m. at TempleOhev Shalom (6460 Tampa PalmsBlvd.). The event will include refresh-ments, a 50/50 raffle and door prizes,and a $5 donation is requested.

For more info, call 632-9900.

New Tampa Job Networking Group

Wednesday, January 20 – TheNew Tampa Job Networking Groupmeets on the third Wednesday of everymonth at St. Andrew PresbyterianChurch (5338 Primrose Lake Circle).

For more information, call 907-3057 or visit SaintAndy.com.

WHS vs. FHS Neighborhood Challenge

Friday, January 22 – Come sup-port your favorite team when the Free-dom High Patriots boys take on theWharton High Wildcats in the annualNeighborhood News Neighborhood Bas-ketball Challenge. The game tips off at8 p.m. at Freedom (17410 CommercePark Blvd. in Tampa Palms) and we’llbe on-hand to give away some greatdining and other prizes.

For more info, call Freedom at558-1185 or Wharton at 631-4710.

ATTENTION: In order to make sure that our Community Calendaris current, we are asking all club and group representatives to pleaseupdate their meeting and contact info for the New Year. To do so, pleasesend an e-mail to [email protected]. You may also submit info by faxat 910-2483 or by regular mail to: New Tampa Neighborhood News,15345 Amberly Dr., Tampa FL 33647, Attn: Community Calendar. Call910-2575 if you have any questions. Thank you. — MS


Jerry Hurley Of Business Sense Solutions Wants To Help You, Too!By Gary Nager

When I first met Gerald P.(“Jerry”) Hurley of Business SenseSolutions a few short months ago, I hadno idea who he was or what he did fora living. But, as one of the first few resi-dents to move into Hunter’s Greenalmost 20 years ago, he said he alreadyfelt like he knew me because he hasbeen a faithful reader of this publicationfrom Day One.

Even more important to me thanthe fact he’s been a loyal NeighborhoodNews reader, however, is that, as a con-sultant hired by many companies doingbusiness in the New Tampa/WesleyChapel area (and others), Hurley hasmade advertising in our publications afocal point of his clients’ strategies togrow their respective businesses.

“If I have a client who owns a bak-ery, they already know how to bake acake or a cookie,” Hurley says. “But,what I can teach them is how to runthe bakery; how to make it more prof-itable, even in a down economy.”

He adds, “I tell them if you wantto succeed in a business that serves NewTampa or Wesley Chapel, you HAVE toadvertise in the Neighborhood News,because it’s the only local publicationthat most people who live and work in

this community actually read.”Over the course of the past year or

so, Hurley has had a very diverse rangeof his clients who do business in andaround (and some even outside of) ourdistribution areas buying up ads in ourglossy, all-direct-mail news magazine.

Two of those clients — Nicki Fer-nandez Asmer of Fernandez FloridaLaw in South Tampa (see page 18) andMaria Ivanova of the Euro Pilates stu-dio in Live Oak (see page 20) —alsoare featured in business profiles in thisissue — and that’s no accident.

In addition to Euro Pilates andFernandez Law, Hurley has had hisclients Top Notch Pest Control, CPAsCoulter, Aviles & Jackson, AAP Fitness,Jessica Dana Studios, Behavioral Con-sulting of Tampa Bay, E&R QualityPainting and Swiss Spirit Massage alsobuying space in our publications — andhe says with good reason.

“The ads themselves work becauseI know people read and discuss thepaper all the time,” says Hurley. “But,the important thing for my clients arethe business profiles. There’s no doubtin my mind that having your businessprofiled in the New Tampa and WesleyChapel Neighborhood News is the singlebest way to get your business’ messageacross to the most possible consumers

in this area, bar none. I tell them, fromthe moment they begin advertising, toask for a profile to be written and thento be patient because there are a lot ofbusinesses advertising in the paper whowant stories written.”

MorMore Than A Consultante Than A ConsultantHurley certainly has had an

impressive resume of his own. Aftertwo years in the Army during the Viet-nam War era (although his unit neverfought in Vietnam), Hurley graduatedwith a B.S. in Business Administra-tion/Industrial Management fromNortheastern University in Boston andimmediately got involved in the high-tech explosion of the 1970s, as a busi-ness planner.

Then, 30 years ago, Raytheon, oneof the world’s largest defense technolo-gy contractors, moved him toBrooksville to open a new facility as“director of production and inventorycontrol.” He was promoted to seniorVP of operations for a $2 billion divi-sion of Raytheon in Dallas, where hewas responsible for overseeing and run-ning a 3,000-person workforce build-ing tomahawk missiles, rockets for thespace shuttle and other technologies.

Even so, he admits he was never atech guy himself, despite the fact he

had security clearance and met withtwo U.S. presidents in his capacity.

At age 40, he came back toTampa, where he was involved in aleveraged buyout of a factory and tookthe company public, after which hebecame something of a hired gun torun and grow companies in our area. Itwas around that time that he first start-ed Business Sense Solutions, althoughhe says he didn’t do it full-time untilabout five years ago, after he became apartner in a rent-to-own business andfigured out how to successfully addcomputer rentals to the company’s mix.

“We created a ‘help desk’ that wasavailable 24-7, the first of its kind in therent-to-own industry and the businessreally took off.”

Business consultant Gerald P.(“Jerry”) Hurley of Business Sense

Solutions wants to be your CEO, too.


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Why YWhy You Should Hirou Should Hire Hime HimHurley says that the reason so

many local businesses have recentlyturned to him is because his clientsknow right away that he is “not aboutgiving advice, but about results. I holdmy clients accountable and act as theircompany’s CEO. You pay me, but youreport to me. If you hire me, I’m ‘allin’ with you in your business and I’mavailable any time you need to talk.”

He says that, especially in thiseconomy, having short- and long-termbusiness action plans are key. Althoughmost people who open their own busi-ness never seem to have a true businessplan, if you hire Business Sense Solu-tions, it will be a must.

“Too many business owners thinkthat asking for help with your businessis a sign of weakness, but too many ofthem are in business denial,” he says.“They may offer a great product orservice, but if they don’t have a properplan for making that business work,they won’t achieve their goals.”

He says it’s particularly importantfor start-up businesses to have a planand he will conduct a business feasibili-ty study that could ultimately deter-mine if the risk is worth taking.

“The first thing I get start-up busi-ness owners to do is to ask themselvesis, ‘Is this business viable?,’ and try tofigure out whether or not it is,” he says.“Only when my client is satisfied do I

consider my job to be truly done.”Maria Ivanova of Euro Pilates,

who enjoyed a great 2009 despite thefact she’s in a business some peoplethink of as a luxury, says, “Jerry istough, but he’s the best. He doesn’t letyou get away with just hoping every-thing will work out. He examines everyaspect of your business and figures outthe best possible course of action.”

Somewhere during the first chat Ihad with him, Hurley already had fig-ured out a number of things we coulddo here to improve the NeighborhoodNews. So, even though I never formallyhired him, I have to admit that it wasobvious he had a firm grasp on whatmy short-term action plan should beand how to implement it. I told him Iowed him this write-up just for helpingme make some key changes to ourbusiness—and they’re already working.

Hurley, who has been married tohis wife Julie for eight years, also want-ed to give a shout out to his son, Doc-tor of Chiropractic Jason P. Hurley.Jason also brings fellowship credentialsin Medical Acupuncture to the estab-lished practice of Bain Family Chiro-practic on Cross Creek Blvd.

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By Melissa O’Brien

Imagine you are a married motherof two, living a picture-perfect, subur-ban middle class lifestyle. Then, oneday, you arrive home to see packedboxes in your living room. Your hus-band of 16 years then announces thathe is leaving you and that there areseveral months of unpaid bills. Just 13days later, you are served with a fore-closure notice.

This was the earth-shattering newsthat Pinellas County resident GraceMurphy received last year.

“I was devastated,” says Murphy.“I didn’t know how I was going toexplain to my children that we mighthave to live in a homeless shelter. I wasearning $9.50 an hour as a teacher’sassistant and I had no idea we wereeven behind on the mortgage.”

Fortunately, Murphy says, sheheard about attorney Niurka (Nicki)Fernandez Asmer from a friend.

“Nicki knew right away that I hada deep sense of urgency,” Murphy says.“She changed a previously scheduledmeeting to meet with me on the sameday I called her. She gave me hope thatI could postpone the foreclosure longenough to buy me some time to figure

things out. She consistently had mybest interests at heart.”

Asmer is the owner of FernandezFlorida Law, a firm that specializes inforeclosure defense, loan modifications,bankruptcy, real estate and consumerrights.

“People need to know that thereare options out there,” says Asmer,who has offices in both Tampa andClearwater. “Knowledge is power. Mygoal is to help people as they navigatethrough the complexities of the legalprocedures of the State and Federalcourts systems.”

Asmer says that people who are infinancial distress often do not under-stand that they do have rights.

“I’m an advocate for consumers,”she says. “In today’s economy, thereare good people — hard working, edu-cated people — who have saved forretirement but have now lost their jobsand are tying to pay all their bills.Eventually, what can happen is thatthey end up wiping out their entireretirement fund and fall behind ontheir mortgage. What they need toknow is that, if you file for bankruptcy,your retirement funds are protected.People should see me to make surethey know what they legally can do to

get caught up. Itis not somethingto be ashamed ofbecause a lot ofpeople are in thesame boat.”

Often times,Asmer says, peo-ple facing finan-cial difficultiesdon’t know howto ask lenders theright questions orto apply for loanmodifications thecorrect way. “Banks don’t want to ownyour house,” she says. “They are in thebusiness of making and collectingmoney. If you just call a bank and ver-bally ask for a modification or if youdon’t fill out the forms correctly, youmost likely will not get it.”

Asmer adds that, for many peoplefacing financial challenges, timing iseverything. “If we can simnply andlegally buy people time, eventually thiseconomy will get better and peoplewill find themselves new jobs or in abetter position financially,” she says.“You do NOT have to lose your homein the process.”

Asmer, who is bilingual in Span-

ish, was born in Tampa to Cuban-American parents and raised in Ft.Lauderdale. She attended the Universi-ty of Central Florida in Orlando andthen simultaneously finished her lawdegree and her Master’s degree inBusiness Administration from NovaSoutheastern University in Ft. Laud-erdale. She moved to New York Cityin 2000, where she was the director oflegal affairs for Media Serv Corp.

“My office was very close to‘ground-zero’ and many of our clientswere in the area surrounding theWorld Trade Center towers,” she says.“After 9-11, our business closed itsdoors and I moved back to Florida.”

In South Florida, she began hercareer as a civil litigator, focusing oninsurance defense, personal injury, con-struction law and commercial litiga-tion. Returning to the Tampa Bay areain 2006, she made South Tampa herhome with her husband, Mark Asmer.

As a result of the economic down-turn, Asmer began practicing bank-ruptcy law in federal court to help herclients save their homes from foreclo-sure and get rid of debt. She openedFernandez Florida Law in 2007 anddedicated her practice to helping con-sumers and small business owners.

Facing Foreclosure Or Creditor Issues? Call Fernandez Florida Law!

Attorney Niurka(Nicki) FernandezAsmer of Fernan-dez Florida Law.


For Grace Murphy, Asmer’sexpertise allowed her to stay in herhome while she was working towardher degree in nursing.

“After our first meeting, Nickiasked for the summary judgment[against me] to be postponed,” Mur-phy says. “She continued to be on thecase, contacted banks for me, set upmeetings with them and basically tookcare of everything. It ended up thatthe mortgage company had actuallylost my original loan documents (infor-mation that Asmer uncovered) and thecase was thrown out. I know they mayfind the documents, but I at least havetime now to get my life in order, havea plan and not be pushed into a home-less shelter.”

Asmer notes that, although attor-neys are not allowed to do anythingillegal to stall the legal process, Mur-phy’s case is an example of what hap-pens when you do your homework andidentify and implement the rights of ahomeownerr, in order to lead to a bet-ter outcome.

“By exercising her legal rights as ahomeowner, we created a situation thatis better for her,” says Asmer. “Sheknows that she cannot afford thehouse she is in but she now has time towork out her situation without beingforced to make decisions.”

For Wallace Sasser, who lives inHudson, working with Asmer madethe process of going through bank-ruptcy easier. “I spoke to other attor-neys first and got the impression that Iwas somehow working for them,” saysSasser. “But, Nicki actually listened tome and was genuinely concerned. I felttotally comfortable with her and sheanswered all of my questions. I wouldrecommend her to everyone I knowbecause of the genuine concern sheshowed for me.”

Asmer says the best complimentshe can receive is when someonewhose situaton has made them veryhigh-strung arrives at her office andshe is able to make them feel better bythe time they leave.

“I really do care about my clientsand I do everything I can to educatethem and work out the best possiblescenario for their situation,” she says.

Fernandez Florida Law offersfree consultations and can work outpayment plans to suit each client’sneeds. The firm’s offices are locatedat 4805 S. Himes Ave., Tampa, andin the Hodusa Towers, NationalProperties Trust, Inc., at 28870U.S. Highway 19 N, Suite 300, inClearwater. For additional informa-tion call, (813) 412-5605 or visitFernandezLaw.com.


Euro Pilates Owner—Think ‘Healthier’ Instead Of Just ‘Thinner’

Euro Pilates owner Maria Ivanova has helped Vivian lose weight and get inthe best shape of her life following back surgery.

By Gary Nager

Statistics show that most peoplein this country make “losing weight”one of their primary New Year’s reso-lutions. The same statistics also saythat most people quickly give up onthose resolutions.

Well, Maria Ivanova, the ownerof the Euro Pilates studio on Bruce B.Downs (BBD) Blvd. in front of LiveOak Preserve, says that this year,instead of pledging to lose weight, abetter resolution might be to simplytry to get healthier — and Ivanova,the Moscow, Russia, native and for-mer rhythmic gymnast, says her studiocan help you not only lose weight,but also help you get rid of pain andlive a healthier life.

Despite the sagging economy andthe fact that some people might thinkthat regularly visiting a Pilates studiois a “luxury” they can’t afford, manyof Ivanova’s clients say that they can’timagine NOT having ongoing indi-vidual and/or group training sessionsat Euro Pilates in their lives.

“It’s very gratifying to be able tohelp people in such a unique way,”Ivanova says. “The greatest compli-

ment someone can give me is that mystaff and I have been able to helpthem look and feel better.”

I had the opportunity to sit in ontraining sessions and chat with two ofIvanova’s clients recently, includingVivian, who says that she was trainingwith Ivanova for 2-1/2 years beforeEuro Pilates opened.

“I was in a lot of pain after backsurgery,” says Vivian. “But, not onlyhas Maria helped me with my pain,I’ve gone from a size 6/8 down to asize 0/2. I really can’t imagine evergiving this up.”

Ivanova says that when peoplefocus on living healthier and make thedecision to start training at EuroPilates, they are so much more in tunewith their bodies that they generallystart eating less...and healthier.

Her client named Kathleen, whoserved 23 years in the U.S. militaryherself and whose husband Chris isstill in the Army, says that she sufferedmajor back problems after parachuteand rappelling training.

“I weighed more than 200pounds when I first started with Mariaback in May of this year,” Kathleensays. “But, not only have I lost 47

pounds since then, I actually startedeating healthier after just one sessionhere. I still have some weight to lose,but I feel better than I have in years.”

Maria says that Pilates helps herclients because it is so different fromany other training or weight-loss pro-gram. She says Pilates training allows

her clients to get in better touch withtheir bodies and to understand whenthey are out of alignment or undertremendous stress.

As I mentioned in a previous arti-cle, I did two training sessions at EuroPilates myself and the most amazingthing was how Maria instantly recog-

nized where I was feeling pain or pres-sure and why. There’s no doubt thatthe training is hard work. It’s alsoobvious, from watching and chattingwith her clients, that those who cantrain at Euro Pilates on an ongoingbasis all rave about it.

“As career military people, myhusband and I aren’t rich,” says Kath-leen. “But, both the group and indi-vidual training sessions at Euro Pilateshave done so much for me that weagreed I need to keep going as oftenas I can. Chris says it’s a great work-out for him, too, but he’s going lessso I can afford to go more.”

Maria says more and more menalso are finding out that Pilates ismore than just for women.

“It’s a great workout for every-one and we tailor the training to fityour needs,” she says. “It’s perfect foractive seniors who realize they need todo something to keep their minds andbodies as strong as possible. It’s greatfor relieving neck and back pain, sciat-ica, rehabilitating from auto accidentsand even arthritis.”

And now, in addition to Pilatesclasses and private training sessions,Euro Pilates also is offering bellydancing classes and even on-sitelicensed therapeutic massage therapy.

“It’s really about total wellness,”says Ivanova. “My clients work hard,but they always feel better when theyleave here. I hope you’ll make us yourNew Year’s resolution this year.”

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Ivanova is always happy to demonstratethe proper way to do each exercise.


Family Of Christ Students Never ‘Tire’ Of LearningWhat would you do if you found

200 used tires that were disposed of onyour property?

Well, the students and staff atFamily of Christ (FOC) ChristianSchool in Tampa Palms experiencedsuch a dilemma on November 17, aftera volunteer who was cutting grass onthe school property at 16190 Bruce B.Downs Blvd. found tires scatteredalong the northwest side of the school’sNature Trail.

According to school employeeJean McDermott, someone had appar-ently driven onto the school property inthe middle of the night and simplydumped the tires onto the ground.

Normally, tires are sent to an incin-erator or a landfill for disposal, and,since it would be fairly expensive to takethe more environmentally-friendlyroute of taking them to a recycling cen-ter, a decision had to be made as tohow FOC would dispose of the tires.

Chris Britt, a parent, church mem-ber and husband of the school’s Span-ish teacher, pondered what he could doto help.

“Our family enjoys using theNature Trail and I was frustrated thatsomeone could just dump the tires and

leave,” Britt says. “I thought we need-ed to dispose of them in a proper way,and at the same time, maybe we couldmake this experience a positive one forthe middle school students.”

So, Britt contacted FOC middleschool science teacher Melissa Gem-barowski with a creative way in which

his company — Cemex, Inc. — couldrecycle the tires, while educating thestudents at same time. Britt also is atechnical service manager for theCement Division of Cemex, so he wasable to arrange a field trip to the com-pany’s plant in Brooksville for the sixthand seventh graders.

Prior to leaving, the students andtheir teachers loaded the tires into atrailer and took them along. At theCemex plant, the students learned howtires can be used as a supplemental fuelthat provides energy for the cementmill. They also learned how cement ismade and got to tour the company’slab and control room.

“I am so proud to see our studentsturn a difficult situation into a positiveoutcome,” FOC principal JenniferSnow says.

This is not the first time Family ofChrist Christian School has madelemonade out of lemons. Over the last10 years, FOC has prided itself forturning challenges into positive learningexperiences for the community, its fam-ilies and its students. As the school cele-brates its 10th anniversary, enrollmenthas grown to 150 elementary and mid-dle school students in grades K-8 and225 preschool students in the ChildDevelopment Center.

Registration for the next schoolyear will begin February 4. If youare interested in learning more aboutFOC, visit FamilyfoChristTampa.com or call principal Jennifer Snowat 558-9343, ext. 18.

Middle school students at Family of Christ Christian School in TampaPalms recently got a lesson in recycling after someone dumped 200 tires on

the school property in Tampa Palms.


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By Michael Smith

We want to congratulate all of theyoung gymnasts from our area whocompeted in the 2009 AAU StateChampionship Meet, which was heldat St. Leo University on December12-13.

More than 60 local athletes, mostof whom train at either the NewTampa Recreation Center in TampaPalms or the Wayne Papy RecreationCenter in Seminole Heights, took partin the championship meet, and manywon individual honors in addition toplacing among the top three in teamcompetition.

All three local teams, includingthe Level 3 Large Team, the Level 4Super Large Team and the Level 5Large Team, won second place in theirrespective divisions.

Meanwhile, Liabella Bernie wasthe top local individual competitor,taking first All Around and first in thefloor exercise in her Level 3 division,along with a second-place finish onthe uneven bars, third place in the bal-ance beam and fourth in the vault.

The Tampa Gymnastics andDance team also had a number ofother top finishers in their divisions,

including Sophia Barcomb, Level 3,first place uneven bars; DelaneyBrooks, Level 3, first place (tie) bal-ance beam; Sidney Cabana, Level 4,first place vault; Olivia Chew, Level 5,first place floor exercise; SavannahCollier, Level 4, first place unevenbars; Zoe Consagra, Level 3, firstplace All Around; Julia Consuegra,Level 5, first place All Around; EmilyEast, Level 4, first place (tie) vault;Holly Elfering, Level 4, first placebalance beam; Ellis Erickson, Level4, first place uneven bars, floor exer-cise and All Around; Cassidy George,


Dozens Of Local Gymnasts Earn Medals At AAU State Meet

Hannah Cooper and Isabel Tomsichare just two of the local gymnastswho competed and won medals at

the 2009 AAU State Meet.

Level 5, first place uneven bars; EllaHileman, Level 3, first place vault;Melendi Keegan, Level 5, first placeuneven bars; Isabela Kolenovic, Level4, first place All Around; CameronMcLeod, Level 4, first place balancebeam; Kristen McLeod, Level 3, firstplace floor exercise; Julia Morley,Level 5, first place uneven bars; LizziePappas, Level 3, first place balancebeam; Brianna Taylor, Level 4, firstplace uneven bars; Isabel Tomsich,Level 5, first place All Around; AveryWarner, Level 3, first place vault,

floor exercise and All Around; andHayden Wooldridge, Level 3, firstplace uneven bars.

(All results furnished byMyMeetScores.com. For a completebreakdown of team and individualresults, visit the website). There is awaiting list for the programs at theNew Tampa Recreation Center, butfor more information, or for informa-tion on how to add your child’s nameto the list, visit TampaGov.net andclick on the link for the Parks andRecreation Department.


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Visual Artists Visual Artists The booths of 120

extraordinary fine artistsand craftsmen that havebeen juried into the showwill line the outdoor mallvenue to show off theirtalents. This year, chalkartists also will showcasetheir work on the side-walks of The Shops atWiregrass. Natalie andGreg Danelski of NewPort Richey, visited SAFlast year and Natalie says,“My husband and I were thrilled withthe fine arts show at the Shops at Wire-grass. There was a neverending varietyof exquisite art, such as jewelry, wallhangings, and metal art, just to name afew. We actually purchased a wonderfulwrought iron wall hanging of a womanin a yoga pose — and she’s absolutelygorgeous. In addition, the location wasperfect, a nice long leisurely stroll rightup the middle of the shops, with lots ofparking and lots of restaurants to stopby for lunch or coffee or just an icecream. [It was] a totally wonderful wayto spend a day. It’s so great to knowthat right here in our own backyard, wehave the opportunity to avail ourselvesof such quality arts and we don’t haveto go to Dunedin or Tarpon or Tampaif we don’t want to. We’re alreadylooking forward to the next one.”

Music, Entertainment & FoodWMNF-FM (88.5) Community

Public Radio will broadcast live bothdays of the 2010 SAF, featuring well-known regional music groups perform-ing Blues, Jazz, Rock, Polka, and Reg-gae. Additionally, select youth enter-tainers are chosen to perform duringthe weekend festival such as SpotlightKids. WJQB-FM (106.3) also hasjoined the event to promote the artsacross Pasco County.

The Shops at Wiregrass’ eaterieswill cater to your food desires duringthe SAF with the “Taste of Wiregrass.”Last year’s eateries and beverage estab-lishments included the delicious Grill-Smith, Moe’s Southwest Grill, TheBrass Tap and 365 Caffe’ Italiano. Kids & Emerging Artist Area

The Interactive Arts Area pro-motes visual art for children by expos-ing them to hands-on art activities.

Sand art is an example of one of

Shops At Wiregrass To Host The 2010 Suncoast Arts Fest Jan. 23-24!By Dara Tucker

The Suncoast Arts Fest, which willagain be presented by Wesley ChapelHyundai/Mazda a The Shop at Wire-grass, keeps getting better with eachpassing year. On December 10, 2005,the first annual Longleaf Fine Arts Fes-tival on the Village Green in the Trinityarea of New Port Richey was held. Atthat time, 23 fine artists from acrossAmerica were juried into the show, and30 of Pasco’s talented artists wereselected to represent the variety of fineartists and fine craftsmen locally.

In 2008, the art show moved tothe corner of SR 54 and Starkey Blvd.,and the name was changed to the Sun-coast Arts Fest (SAF). In 2009, SAFwas moved to The Shops at Wiregrass,where more than 70,000 visitorsenjoyed visual and performing art onMay 2-3. With 120 juried visual artistsand craftsman, musical entertainment,the “Taste of Wiregrass,” a kids interac-tive art area, emerging youth artists ondisplay, and chalk artists, the 2010event — to be held January 23-24,again at The Shops at Wiregrass, prom-ises to be even better.

Art With A CauseArt With A CausePam Marron, the co-chair of SAF,

explains that although providing a qual-ity fine arts show to increase the aware-ness of the arts in Pasco County is thedriving force of Fine Arts of the Sun-coast, Inc. (of which the Suncoast ArtsFest is a production), the ultimate

desire is to pass the benefits and appre-ciation of all arts on to local youth. Asa Florida not-for-profit 501(c)(3)organization, with the mission to pro-mote cultural awareness in PascoCounty, proceeds from The SuncoastArts Fest will go to Art for Kids inPasco County, which helps supplementfunding for arts education in Pascoschools. To ensure the funds go wherethey are most needed, art teachers serveon the funding advisory committee.

“Each year, funds raised [from theFestival] go toward helping theadvancement of services for visual andperforming art needs of kids in PascoCounty schools, both public and pri-vate,” Marron says. “Every year at theevent, a special container is in clearsight where visitors are welcome todrop off new art supplies. These artsupplies are provided to Pasco Countyschools, both public and private. The2008 Suncoast Arts Fest raised fundsthat were used to send 50 11th and12th graders to the Ringling College ofArt and Design for Portfolio Day,where 53 national arts colleges reviewworks of aspiring art students in a vari-ety of creative fields.”

She adds, “The 2009 funds arebeing used to promote elementary art,where there have been cuts due to lackof funding in Pasco County. In 2010,our goal is to raise monies for scholar-ships and a website is being built thatwill serve as a streamlined resource foryouth striving to pursue a career in thearts fields.” See “Arts Fest” on page 45.

The 2009 Suncoast Arts Fest at the Shops at Wire-grass attracted more than 70,000 attended. The2010 Fest will be held Jan. 23-24 at The Shops.

in the crowded mall have seen past their“to-do list,” their “evening agenda” tonotice this small boy bearing the samename as our beloved St. Nick, runningand screaming in terror up and downthe cobblestones in desperate search ofhis parents?

As I sit here now, at my diningroom table, Christmas tree in view, mysixth grader doing his math homework,my fourth grader working on her proj-ect board with her dad and my thirdgrader singing at the top of her lungs inthe shower, I sit here wondering howlittle Nick is. I sit here wondering,(make that FUMING mad!) that noone at the mall took notice of what washappening right there in front of them!No one paid any attention to the hor-rific event unfolding right next to them.The family loading packages in theirSUV didn’t even stop when Nick ranby them.

Are the holidays so busy for us thatwe forget about humanity? Have welost our spirit for doing the right thing?Does no one think itstrange a smallchild was on his own? Or maybe, as myhusband says, “People just don’t wantto get involved.”

Well, one night, many years ago, afamily was turned away multiple times

before a kind and caring innkeeperdecided to get involved and let Maryand Joseph stay in his stable, the stablewhere the Baby Jesus was born and laidin a manger. I know that our Saviorwould want us to look out for eachother, our fellow man (and man-child).He would want us to have the spirit ofthe season mean fellowship and good-ness, not shopping madness and hum-bugging hullabaloos.

So, this holiday season, in thewords of my fourth grader, “STOP!”Stop everything you’re doing and justtake in the sights and the sounds andask yourself if all is calm and all isbright? If you can answer yes, then youare truly blessed. If your answer is no,then please find that which mattersmost to you in this world and grabonto it tightly and give thanks. I maynot know Nick’s family, but I am surethat is what they are doing tonight.

KarenDiBrango New Tampa resident

Editor’s note — Obviously,Karen’s tale moved me enough that Idecided to make it the subject of thisissue’s editorial. I thought it was appro-priate at this time of year...as one yearhas ended and another has just begunas this issue reaches your mailboxes.

My younger son Jake is 17 now,but he was in his “terrible twos” fromabout a year old until about age 5. Jake


“Meaning”Continued from page 3

was always a sweet young’n who lovedto hug everyone he ever smiled at, buthe was truly a handful. We were alwaysworried about losing him whenever wewent anywhere because he was 1) verydetermined about doing what he want-ed to do and 2) really, really quick.

Theme parks were particularlytough on us as a family when Jake wastoo small to ride the “big boy” rides,because being told “no,” especially by aride operator who refused to smile athim, was always an invitation for him totake off running. On one such occa-sion, we picked him up and walked intoa store at Busch Gardens when Jakedecided to play a little trick and hideunderneath the racks of souvenir T-

shirts as we shopped. It was then thatwe first experienced those same franticmoments as Nick’s parents.

The difference was that within aminute or two of us screaming hisname, people started pitching in to helpfind him. A little 7- or 8-year-old girlfinally looked under the T-shirt rackand said “there he is,” after which Jakepopped his head out and said “Boo!”Itwas just his way of making fun out of a“boring” time, but it was the scariestfew minutes of my life to that point.

So, as Karen said, let’s try toremember how short our time on thisearth is and that, no matter what reli-gion you practice, we all still need tofind the time to help those in need.


January Entertainment Features Amazing Animals & MoreBy Michael Smith

If you’re like me, you’ve hadenough of Christmas carols and holi-day-themed entertainment to lastthrough next November, when, ofcourse, it will all start all over again.

But, to help get rid of those post-holiday blahs and usher in the NewYear in style, there are quite a fewinteresting entertainment options com-ing to the Bay area this month, includ-ing the newest edition of the RinglingBros. and Barnum & Bailey circus,“Funundrum,” and more. Enjoy.

An Evening With Lucille Ball

Tuesday, January 5-Sunday, Jan-uary 17 – Fans of “I Love Lucy” willnot want to miss their opportunity toget up close and personal with the starof the series, through her critically-acclaimed one-woman stage show,“Lucille Ball: Thank You For Asking.”

Directed by Ball’s daughter LucieArnaz and starring Suzanne LaRusch,who also helped to write the script, theshow gives behind-the-scenes insightsinto the life of the star, her 30-year TVcareer, and her often tempestuous mar-

riage to Cuban band-leader Desi Arnaz. Thereare also special “talkbacksessions” with Arnaz afterthe performances on Jan-uary 14, 15 and 16.

“Lucille Ball: ThankYou for Asking” will bepresented at the TampaBay Performing ArtsCenter (1010 N.MacInnes Pl., downtownTampa). Regularly pricedtickets start at $36.50.

For more informa-tion, including a com-plete schedule of showtimes andticket prices, call 229-7827 or visitTBPAC.org.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum& Bailey’s ‘Funundrum’

Wednesday, January 6-Sunday,January 10 – The latest edition of theRingling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’sfamous circus is “Funundrum,” an all-new spectacular that has wowed audi-ences across the country. Billed by itsproducers as an event 200 years in themaking, the show features all of theanimal acts, trapeze and high-wire

artists, clowns and other performersthat families have come to know andlove for generations, along with somenew amazing and death-defying actsthat are sure to get your heart pound-ing. For example, there’s the TorresFamily motorcycle troupe, who willshock you with their wild stunts insidethe 16-foot-high “ Spherical Miracle,”and the Masters of Musculature, whotest the limits of the human body withtheir mind-blowing displays of contor-tion and distortion.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum &Bailey’s “Funundrum” will be present-ed at the St. Pete Times Forum (401

Channelside Dr. in downtownTampa). General admission tickets cost$15-$55, and there are also special“Circus Celebrity” packages availablefor $85 that allow audience membersto get in on the show. For showtimesand other information, call theForum ticket office at 301-2500 orvisit SPTimesForum.com.

Trombone ShortySaturday, January 9 – If you

never thought of the trombone as any-thing other than an instrument foundin your typical high school or collegemarching band, then you need tocheck out the amazing work of NewOrleans native Troy “Trombone”Shorty. Steeped in the rich musicalheritage of his hometown, Shorty hadhis own band by the age of 6 and laterattended the prestigious New OrleansCenter for the Performing Arts.

Now, at the ripe old age of 23,Shorty is recognized as a virtuoso onboth the trombone and the trumpetwho has performed with stars likeNorah Jones, Harry Connick, Jr.,Diana Krall and others.

Trombone Shorty, along withspecial guest Elliott Cohn’s Cosmic

You can always expect to see lots of great animalacts when the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bai-

ley Circus comes to town.


Sweat Society, will perform at 8 p.m. atSkipper’s Smokehouse (910 SkipperRd., at the intersection of Skipper Rd.and N. Florida Ave. in Tampa). Ticketscost $17 in advance and $20 the dayof the show and are available at Skip-per’s or online at www.wmnf.org.

Visit SkippersSmokehouse.comor call 971-0666 for more info.

Bob NewhartSunday, January 10 – Account-

ants aren’t generally known as the fun-niest of individuals, but Bob Newhartis certainly the exception to the rule.After starting out as an CPA in hisnative Chicago, the man with “TheButton-Down Mind” has become oneof the country’s favorite comedic per-formers, with award-winning televisionshows, multi-platinum albums, four-teen feature films and one book to hiscredit. Newhart says that his first loveis still stand-up comedy, however, andto that end he is now in the midst of amulti-city tour that will bring him toClearwater’s Ruth Eckerd Hall (1111N. McMullen-Booth Rd.) at 2 p.m.

Tickets for Bob Newhart in con-cert cost $25.50-$70 and are availableat the Ruth Eckerd Hall ticket office,through Ticketmaster (287-8844) andonline at RuthEckerdHall.com.

For additional information, call

(727) 791-7400.

The Florida Orchestra Gets The ‘Led’ Out!

Saturday, January 16 – After thesuccess of The Florida Orchestra’ssymphonic salute to the music of PinkFloyd this past season, conductor andarranger Brent Havens, along withguest vocalist Randy Jackson, will pres-ent their take on “The Music of LedZeppelin,” beginning at 8 p.m. atRuth Eckerd Hall (1111 McMullen-Booth Rd. in Clearwater).

Tickets for The Florida Orches-tra’s tribute to “The Music of LedZeppelin” cost $57-$97 and are avail-able through the Ruth Eckerd Hallticket office, Ticketmaster outletsRuthEckerdHall.com.

For more information, call(727) 791-7400.

The ‘World Famous’ Lipizzaner Stallions

Sunday, January 17 – Since1970, audiences around the globehave been astounded by the beautyand grace of the “World Famous” Lip-izzaner Stallions and their incredibleperformances.

Now, the 40th anniversary editionof the show, which comes to the St.Pete Times Forum (401 Channelside

Dr., in downtown Tampa) for a specialone-day-only engagement, features all-new music, choreography and routinesthat are sure to delight all ages.

The show also includes a new seg-ment focusing on the history of thisnoble breed of horses, which wereoriginally bred for battle but laterbecame the mounts for kings andother members of the aristocracy, andwhose intricate maneuvers are nowrevered as a uniquely entertainingequestrian art form.

The “World Famous” LipizzanerStallions show will be presented at 2p.m. and 6 p.m. Tickets cost $22.50-$29.50 and are available through theSt. Pete Times Forum ticket office, allarea Ticketmaster outlets (287-8844)and online at SPTimesForum.com.

Call 301-2500 for additionalinformation.

Professional Bull RidersTampa Invitational

Saturday-Sunday, January 30-31 – Think you’re tough? Well, haveyou ever thought about strappingyourself onto a ton of angry beef onthe hoof and trying to hang on foreight seconds? That’s what the top 40professional bull riders in the worldwill be doing when they take part inthe 2010 Built Ford Tough Series

Tour, competing for trophies, brag-ging rights and the $1 million topprize. And, in addition to all the bull-riding action, the show is also jam-packed with lots of other exciting fun,including thrills and spills, pyrotech-nics and rock and roll music. Don’tmiss it.

The Pro Bull Riders Tampa Invi-tational will take place beginning at 8p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sun-day at the St. Pete Times Forum (401Channelside Dr.). Tickets cost $10-$100 and are available through theForum ticket office, Ticketmaster(287-8844) and online at SPTimesFo-rum.com. Call 301-2500 for addi-tional information.

Meanwhile, it’ll be man vs. wild bull whenthe Professional Bull Riders Tampa Invi-tational visits the St. Pete Times Forum.


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You can start withimproving your overall pos-ture by standing tall, pullingyour belly in, activating theglutes, and planting your feetfirmly balancing on all fourcorners of the feet (which wecall “mountain pose” inyoga). Yes, you can burncalories, lose weight and toneyour body by doing yoga! Ifyou practice and let go,whether for 5 minutes or 50,you will experience some-thing amazing. You are infor quite a surprise. I won-der if Jane Fonda still hasthose lovely leg warmers?

“When you listen to your bodywhen it whispers, you don’t have tohear it scream.” — UNKNOWN

Karen Cionci is a Registered YogaTeacher (RYT) with Yoga Alliance whohas been teaching yoga in Tampa forover more than eight years. She hasbeen in the fitness industry for morethan 25 years but yoga is her passion.She has taught at Tree Frog Yoga andmost recently, Stillpoint Yoga Studio.

Today, Karen is an individual part-ner with YogaFit. YogaFit Training Sys-tems Worldwide, based in California, isthe largest yoga school in the country.

YogaFit is fitness-style yoga whichfocuses on anatomy and alignment. It issafe yoga for everybody and every body.

Karen currently teaches a groupYogaFit class on Thursday mornings atSports and Field and starting in Janu-ary, a Yoga Basics class on Wednesdaymornings at Club Tampa Palms. Shealso offers personal yoga training andyoga therapy at a reasonable price.

Fulfill your New Year’s resolution:Buy one personal yoga training sessionand get one FREE! Buy one YogaBasics Class at Club Tampa Palms andget the second class FREE!

Contact Karen for a free consu-lation or more info at 390-0270.

By Karen Cionci, RYT

Do you remember the days ofexercising with a Jane Fonda videotapein the early 1980s, perhaps wearing legwarmers and a head band while “work-ing out?” I do, I’ll admit it. We’d hearphrases like “Feeling the burn,” “Nopain, no gain,” and “Keep going, youcan do more, but as time went on,those phrases became part of ourthought patterns.

Enter the ’90s, when people want-ed something gentler, with less pound-ing and pushing. The body-and- mindconnection was becoming important.Yoga (and Pilates) started to becomemore mainstream, but the thought pat-terns remained the same.

I have been practicing and teach-ing yoga for mor than 10 years. It hasdone amazing things for my body andmy mind. My belief in body/mind fit-ness is in “the art of slowing down.”In other words, if you can “Let go ofJane,” you can let go of pain. Youdon’t have to overdo it to be healthyand fit. Working out doesn’t have tobe boot camp or torture, unless, ofcourse, you’re into that sort of thing.

When you let go of Jane, some-thing happens physically, neurologicallyand psychologically. Breathe, feel and

listen to your body in this moment. When you slow down, you can

reduce your blood pressure and creategreater internal awareness. You may beable to go further with greater easewhen you relax and breathe. Don’tpush or force a movement or pose, usea pain-free range of motion. That’s whypracticing yoga in this way can be bothsafe and effective.

Yoga is being used today as medi-cine for healing and overall health. Itcan be very therapeutic, as it augmentsrecovery for a variety of ailments,including back pain and tension, andcan even help battle depression. It ele-vates energy levels and keeps the bodyand mind young. Yoga helps strengthenyour body’s “core” center (whichincludes the glutes , back muscles andabdominals). For your lower back to behealthy, you need a strong core center.

Practicing yoga also may used as aspinal health management system. Ithelps the spine becomes more balancedfrom the neck to the tailbone. Whenwe practice different poses or move-ments, the spine can move in flexion,extension, rotation and inversion. Ahealthy spine can increase our longevity.I call it my “fountain of youth!” Whenpeople ask me why I look so young, myanswer is always “yoga.”

Local Yoga Teaches Says, ‘Let Jane Fonda Go!’

Registered Yoga Teacher Karen Cionci can helpget you in shape and in proper alignment, too.


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2009 for another new station just westof BBD on County Line Rd., butdepartment officials say that there is nomoney in the budget to build that sta-tion anytime soon.

Current & Former Current & Former Wildcats In The NewsWildcats In The News

Although the Wharton High varsi-ty football team didn’t have a great sea-son in 2009, two of the Wildcats’ cur-rent players made headlines for exploitsboth on and away from the gridironand a former player was at the center ofa controversy with USF coach JimLeavitt.

First, there was Xavier Fisher, a 17-year-old junior wideout and defensiveback who was seriously injured duringthe Wildcats’ September 25 gameagainst Armwood High. Fisher suffereda pair of fractures in his neck and wastold by his doctors that not only was hisseason over, but also possibly his foot-ball career.

Since Fisher was a likely Divison 1prospect prior to being injured, Whar-ton and other high school football pro-grams from around the county chippedin to start a scholarship fund for himand Wharton’s student governmentalso pitched in to help. If you would

like to con-tribute to Fish-er’s collegefund, call Whar-ton at 631-4710.

Then therewas 16-year-oldDrake Williams, astandout on boththe WHS footballand basketball teams who was broughtback to life after a near-miraculousintervention by paramedics and Whar-ton basketball coach Tommy Tonelli.

Williams was participating in ateam practice on November 14 whenhe suddenly collapsed. Tonelli beganadministering CPR to the boy, who wasunconscious and not breathing, andordered another student to call 911.That student went outside to get betterreception on his cell phone, and whenhe did, he came upon three TFR para-medics and firefighters who just hap-pened to be at the high school deliver-ing equipment for the annual BadgeBowl charity football game betweenfiremen and police, which was to beplayed at the school that evening.

The paramedics were able to reviveWilliams, and doctors later discoveredthat the teen has a rare disorder thatcauses his heart to beat erratically understress. He had to have a defibrillatorimplanted into his heart, and although

“Top Stories”Continued from page 7

his long-term prognosis is good, he willnot ever be able to compete in contactsports again.

And finally, former Whartonstandout running back Joel Millermade national headlines when a storyreported on December 3 onNCAAFootball.FanHouse.com by for-mer Tampa Tribune reporter BrettMcMurhphy said that Miller had beengrabbed by the throat and hit orpunched in the face two times byLeavitt at halftime of USF’s Nov. 21win over Louisville at Raymond JamesStadium. A few days later, despite thefact David Mitchell, Miller’s formercoach at Wharton, the player’s fatherPaul (a former police officer) and five

unnamed USF players corroboratedthe story, the sophomore walk-on atUSF himself said he was neither hitnor grabbed by the throat by hiscoach. Leavitt was reportedly upsetwith Miller, one of the leading rushersin Hillsborough County his senioryear at Wharton, for a penalty theplayer committed on special teams.

Although Miller said the incidentnever happened, USF athletic directorDoug Woolard says the school is con-ducting its own investigation into it.

We know these weren’t the only sto-ries making news in our area in ‘09, butthey were some of the high- and low-lights in a difficult year. Here’s to a bet-ter 2010!


Joel Miller


My Dining Favorites Look Very Different From Yours...AgainBy Gary Nager

Even though (as I mentioned lastissue) we completely changed the for-mat of this year’s Dining Survey andContest, the difference between wherethe average Neighborhood News reader— at least those who submit surveys —hasn’t changed much.

The good news, for Circles NewTampa Bistro in Pebble Creek, is that itstill occupies the top spot among yourfavorites and mine in New Tampa. Onthe other hand, while your top-25 list,in both New Tampa and WesleyChapel, and mine do include many ofthe same names, the orders are vastlydifferent and you put some places Ioutright refuse to visit so high on yourlist it makes me wonder if you’ve evereven tried the places on mine.

For example, can you honestlybelieve you can get better fish at RedLobster than you can at Ciccio’s/TheLodge, better lasagne, chicken or egg-plant parmigiana at Olive Garden orMacaroni Grill than you can at Polo’sor Circles? I’m not saying you can’thave a good meal at any of those places,but when you talk consistent food qual-ity and value for your money, I don’tthink there’s even a comparison. Ohwell, “To each his/her own.”

At any rate, I couldn’t stop at justa top 10, so here’s a rundown of my 25favorite restaurants in New Tampa (anda little write-up of each) and the list ofmy 25 favorites in Wesley Chapel. And,please realize that whether a place isfirst or 25th on this list, these are allplaces I frequent as often as possiblebecause I truly think they’re better thanthe other national/regional chainrestaurants in our area that didn’t makethis roster.

My Favorites In New Tampa

1. Circles New Tampa Bistro —The revamped Ciccio’s/The Lodge menuhas closed an already tiny gap, but Donnaand Chef Louie Sinudom still have themost eclectic variety, including my favoritesesame-crusted tuna (above), hot & spicymahi-mahi, Hunan chicken, grilled lambchops, eggplant and chicken parm in ourarea and the variety I get to sample everyWednesday for lunch at my New TampaNoon Rotary meetings keeps it #1 in my

book...and yours, too. 997733--77770033..

2. Ciccio’s/The Lodge — OK, soI’m equally addicted to the menu addi-tions from The Lodge, another SouthTampa favorite operated by Robert Garo-fano and his partners at New Tampa’spower lunch locale. The sesame-crustedtuna rivals Circles and I craveCiccio’s/The Lodge’s new “AmericanSushi,” especially the cooked grouperTampa Roll and the “Big Philly” (cheeses-teak) Roll. And of course, Ciccio’s/TheLodge still has the best wrap sandwiches,stir fry bowls and the pasta dishes andcrisp brick-oven pizzas rock, too. If youlike the turkey burgers at Ruby Tuesday,try Ciccio’s version. 997755--11222222..

3. Sushi Tsu — Owner/chef JayChoe still delivers on his promise of thefreshest sushi and the best hibachi steakand seafood in town. My son Jake can’tget enough of the hibachi scallops and ifyou’ve never had the hibachi sesame chick-en, try it in a combo on your next visit.Sushi Tsu also has a premium, full-liquorbar, but I’m still partial to my Asahi SuperDry beer & and the green tea. 991100--99440044..

4. Fushia Asian Bistro — Locatedin the same plaza as Sushi Tsu, ownersSharon and Charlie Wang are on the cut-ting edge of Chinese and Asian cuisine.You can’t get real New York-style Chinesefood like Fushia’s Yang Jian pork or beefwith Chinese broccoli anywhere else. And,

for those looking for healthier options,Fushia now has a variety of meat-free dish-es made with soybean substitutes for beef,chicken, pork, fish, shrimp and even tofu(which already is soy-based), so I can noworder my favorite Young Chow fried riceWITH the shrimp (substitute, since I’mallergic to real shrimp. 990033--66770055..

5. Sukhothai — With the winningcombination of sushi that rivals Sushi Tsu’s(including my favorite seared tilapia tataki)AND great teriyaki steak, crispy roast duckwith ginger or tamarind sauce, combina-tion fried rice and awesome spring rolls,plus the great beers of Thailand (Singhaand Chang), I have to visit Sukhothai fre-quently to get my fix. 661155--22334455..

6. Liang’s Bistro Asian Cuisine —I start with the best egg rolls and home-made sweet & spicy plum sauce in townand my second favorite BBQ spare ribsand usually do either the sizzling steak orpork with garlic sauce and my absolutefavorite sautéed green beans (I get emspicy without the optional ground pork) atLiang’s, which also offers top-quality Thai,Korean and other Asian dishes, all in agreat-looking restaurant with a nice selec-tion of beer and wine. 997788--11222255..

7. Sushi Ko — The addition ofexcellent Chinese cuisine to the alreadygreat sushi and Japanese fare has madeowner Tim Chan’s Sushi Ko a fixtureamong my favorites that includes the bestBBQ spare ribs in our area, great egg rolls


and pan fried dumplings, the best teppa-nyaki-style steak, chicken and pork dishesnot actually cooked on a hibachi table andthe biggest selection of Asian beers andhot and cold sakes in the area. 997788--88558866..

8. Acropolis — You can’t beat theportion sizes or the quality of the food foryour money. And the atmosphere is sec-ond to none, with late night belly dancing,plate-breaking, napkin-throwing and anultra-premium bar filled with folks enjoy-ing great hummus, grilled lamb chops,steak (above), chicken and pork shishkabobs and pan-fried grouper. 997711--11778877..

9. Thai Ruby — The Thai cuisine,especially the crispy duck, combo fried riceand spring rolls, are every bit as good asSukhothai’s. Only the lack of sushi keeps iteven this far down on my list. 555588--00557700..

10. Polo’s Italian Grill — Fresh offa recent menu upgrade, owner/chef PaulProscia has recaptured the magic at theformer Baci location. With great Italianfavorites like lasagne, chicken/veal parmi-giana and Paul’s incredible baked pennerustica, plus great fresh fish and seafood,make Polo’s a must-try. 661155--00008877..

11. Café Olé — Owner Frank Aliagaand GM Aldo Mosquera have transformed

a former breakfast/lunch place into a“True Taste of Spain,” with tasty tapas likefresh clams in garlic and butter (and breadfor dipping) and entrées like perfectauthentic paella and sliced steak NY stripsteak. Café Olé also has live entertainmentand an ultra-premium bar. 990077--55224422..

12. Stonewood Grill & Tavern —Your second favorite restaurant in NewTampa doesn’t make it quite as high onmy list because of a somewhat limitedmenu, but there’s no doubt that thesesame tuna and bruschetta appetizers,great steaks, fresh fish and one of ourarea’s top bar crowds definitely keepStonewood on my list, too. 997788--00338888..

13. Wood Fired Pizza & Wine Bar— Although the limited menu keeps it alittle further down on my listing than itmight otherwise be, owner Peter Taylor’shome-made 850-degree (F) pizza ovenand the highest-quality pizza ingredientsyou’ll find anywhere, plus an excellentbeer and wine selection. 334411--22990000..

14. Las Palmas — The formula atTodd and Bonnie Rudge’s Spanish caféhas been the same since it first opened —great Latin/Cuban cuisine (including myfavorite mojo pork and merluza a laRusse), combined with outstanding pricesand service. 990077--11333333..

15. Lee Roy Selmon’s — Althoughthe steaks, BBQ ribs and Caesar salad areas good as you’ll find anywhere, for me,the menu at Selmon’s is too limited to bea regular lunch or dinner option. The baris a great place to hang and watch football

games, however. 997777--EEAATTSS ((33228877))..

16. Louis Pappas Market Café —The sandwiches and Greek salads rock andtry any grouper entrée with the killersautéed green beans. The market cafésopened by the children of Tarpon Springs’original Louie Pappas are always great forlunch and I also love the fresh bakedgoods and coffee. 991100--99000000..

17. Avocado Latin Café & Bakery— Owner Kathiana Rodriguez is fromVenezuela and she offers specialties fromher native land (like great arepas sandwich-es), as well as great mojo pork, ropa viejaand pressed Cuban sandwiches. The bakedgoods are uniquely decadent and go greatwith a hot café con leché. 663311--99770033..

18. Coffee Beanery Café — Thesandwiches are sizable (especially thebacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich)and the baked goods leave Starbucks inthe dust at my favorite coffee shop in NewTampa. 997777--77440000..

19. Toast Fine Wine & Cigar Bar— What started out as a fine wine andcigar store on Fowler Ave. is now anentertainment destination in the OakRamble Plaza and a great afternoon/evening café with artisan flatbread sand-wiches and pizzas, as well as great “decon-structed” salads, cheese and fruit plattersand more. 663322--33110055..

20. Urban Culinary Cuisine —This unassuming little place on CrossCreek Blvd. serves traditional southerncuisine with a distinctive urban flair for

dine-in or takeout. Serving great sirloinsteaks, grilled, fried or jerk chicken, greatburgers, low-cak make-your-entrees withhomestyle sides, fresh veggies and eventslike smooth jazz on weekends and chefJohn Saxton’s lecture series. 999944--33880000..

21. Caruso’s Pizza & Latin Café— In my opinion, the best of the trueNew York-style pizza places on CrossCreek Blvd. Caruso’s recently added aPuerto Rican/Latin menu I’m lookingforward to sampling with different fea-tured dishes every day. 998866--88440000..

22. Peabody’s — The menu isn’textensive, but Peabody’s still servesauthentic New York-style pizza, tastyburgers and some of the best chickenwings you’ll find anywhere. And, ofcourse, there’s also pool tables, videogames, darts, late-night dancing and hotbartenders and servers. 997722--11772255..

23. Mr. Dunderbak’s Biergarten —Although I do enjoy the great selection ofbeers and the huge selection of sandwichesand schnitzel entrées and other Germanpub fare are dead-on, Mr. Dunderbak’swould finish higher on my roster if it hada bigger wine list, a full liquor bar and bet-ter service. 997777--44110044..

24. Kennedy’s Bar & Grill — Thegreat BBQ ribs and chicken and grilledribeye steaks remain, but Kennedy’s (locat-ed in Heritage Isles Country Club, butdefinitely open to the public) has addedmore lunch and dinner items and also hasweekend entertainment. 440066--44994411..

See “Gary’s Favorites” on page 44.

25. Bruster’s Real Ice Cream —Still my favorite of the ice cream chains, to me, Bruster’s is like Baskin & Robbins (inthat there is a large selection of ice creamflavors) taken to an ultra-premium level.Try the ice cream pies. YUM! 990077--77445588..

HHoonnoorraabbllee MMeennttiioonn ((aallpphhaabbeettiiccaall))::• Anmol Indian & Pakistani Cuisine• Biagio’s Pizza & Pasta• Boston Market• Cold Stone Creamery• Hawkeyes NYS Pizza• Jersey Mike’s Subs• Joy-O-Wok• Maggie’s Tea Room• Olive Garden• Panera Bread• Ploy Thai• Romano’s Café• Saffron Indian Cuisine• Season’s Market & Café• Shane’s Rib Shack• Steak n’ Shake• YogoMisu

My Favorites In Wesley ChapelEEddiittoorr’’ss nnoottee — These Wesley Chapel

write-ups (especially for #s 16-25) will beexpanded in our Wesley Chapel edition and onour website, NNTTNNeeiigghhbboorrhhooooddNNeewwss..ccoomm..

1. Dempsey’s Steak House at Sad-dlebrook Resort — Still one of my toptwo or three favorite steakhouses in theentire Tampa Bay area, Dempsey’s bone-in

cowboy ribeye steak (photo) is the onlything that can keep me from my usual NYstrip. The tableside Caesar salad and saladtable are both great options and the liveMaine lobster, seared sesame tuna, gulfgrouper and Chilean sea bass makeDempsey’s the one great “big night out”in Wesley Chapel. 997733--11111111..

2. Bonefish Grill — The bestsesame tuna appetizer, the amazing freshfish and better-than-outback steaks, plusthe ultra-premium bar make Bonefish myfavorite Outback concept. 990077--88220022..

3. GrillSmith — Great steaks, freshseafood, unique limited-time chef-createdentrées that and a superior atmospheremake GrillSmith this year’s top newcomerin Wesley Chapel. 990077--11990000..

4. Cantina Laredo — More thanjust an upscale Mexican restaurant, Canti-na makes your guacamole tableside andhas everything from the best fajitas in ourarea to fresh fish, Certified Angus steaksand an ultra-premium bar. 990077--33006688..

5. La Prima Pizza — My buddyWillie Lopez still makes the pizza we bothremember from our days living in New


“Gary’s Favorites”Continued from page 43

York. The square Sicilian-style pizza is amust-try. 997733--44332288..

6. The Tropics Restaurant &Lounge at Saddlebrook Resort — Therestaurant closes for dinner periodically,but the delicious menu remains at therevamped lounge, where fresh fish andDempsey’s filet are joined by flat iron porksteak, margherita flatbread pizzas andgreat entertainment. 997733--11111111..

7. Santo’s Pizza & Pasta — Anoth-er outstanding newcomer which is stillopen while it’s being expanded. The pizzais another true taste of New York and themake-your-own pasta is a must try, espe-cially if you have it my way — penne withfresh spinach and broccoli, garlic and oil.Serving beer and wine, too. 999944--77777788..

8. Cosi Café — I’m flat-out addictedto the coffee and decadent desserts, as wellas the salads and flatbread pizzas (above)and sandwiches. 997733--88225555..

9. Remington’s Steakhouse — Thebest value for your money anywhere, fea-turing thick NY strip steaks, ribs, chicken,live entertainment and of course, freepeanuts. 997733--11220088..

10. Outback Steak House — Con-sistent-quality steaks, shrimp on the barbieand other seafood keeps Outback on mylist year after year. 997733--77771177..

11. The Hungry Greek — The bestGreek salads and authentic gyros and sou-vlaki sandwiches in the area. There’s alsolots of other authentic Greek specialties,including delicious baked goods andGreek beers and wines. 334455--88552266..

12. Texas Roadhouse — The you-pick-your own steaks are usually great, butsometimes inconsistent; however, the baris always lively and the service is pretty reli-able at the Roadhouse. 990077--88118888..

13. Yamato Japanese Steakhouse— The hibachi steak and seafood areexcellent and the price is right at thisShops at Wiregrass favorite. 990077--88770011..

14. PizzaMania — Although thepizza is still more Philly-sty;e than NY-style to me, the Italian specialties arealways outstanding. 990077--00000055..

15. Prime Bar — So new I’ve onlyeaten there a couple of times so far, butthis great-looking ale bar offers premiumliquor, great appetizers, steaks, freshseafood and more. 775511--00337744..16. Sonny’s BBQ

17. Woody’s Pizza

18. Los Vallartas

19. Beef O’Brady’s

20. Amici Pizza

21. Bagelicious

22. Winner’s Grill

23. China Taste

24. Cafe 365

25. Barnie’s Coffee


the activities available for the first 200children to create. And, select 10th-12th graders from Pasco Countyschools will have their art displayed inthe Emerging Artist Area.

Suncoast Arts Fest Weekend!In addition to the fine arts show at

The shops at Wiregrass, other organiza-tions such as Leepa-Rattner Museum ofArt in Tarpon Springs, the Pasco ArtsCouncil, the Pasco-Hernando Commu-nity College (PHCC) Alric PottbergGallery at the school’s Port Richey cam-pus, Pioneer Florida Museum, Progress

Energy Art Gallery in downtown NewPort Richey and the West Pasco ArtsGuild, are partner organizations thatwill offer a variety of additional artsoptions; making much of Pasco Countyan arts destination for the weekend ofJanuary 23-24!

For more information about The2010 Suncoast Arts Fest at TheShops at Wiregrass January 23-24,visit SuncoastArtsFest.com. Sponsors,artists, youth entertainers and volun-teers can still apply by e-mailinginfo@suncoastartsfest. com or calling247-6182 or 534-3445. Freelancewriter Dara Tucker is a Pasco CountyVisual Arts teacher who serves on theSAF advisory committee.

“Arts Fest”Continued from page 29


P E T S I T T I N G

Animals’ Best Friend says, “Pets Deserve GoodLove & Care, Even Times When You’re NotThere!” In-your-home pet-sitting svcs, includingdog walks, multiple & overnight visits, administer-ing meds, plus love & attention. Licensed, bonded& insured. Call 765-5515 for a free consulta-tion. Or, visit www.animalsbestfriend.net.

New Tampa Pet Sitting Service. Lots of love &care for your pets. Great experience & references.Recommended by Angie’s List. Licensed, Insured& Red Cross Certified. Call Marina @ 416-5301.

S E R V I C E S A V A I L A B L ETHE GAS DOCTOR. 24-HOUR EMER-GENCY SERVICE. Residential * Commercial *Industrial. * New Construction & Remodels * Nat-ural & LP Gas Piping Systems. Gas Appliance Instal-lation, Service & Repair. Providing connections for:Gas Lights, Ranges, Dryers, Fireplaces, Furnaces,Generators, Grills, Space Heaters, Water Heaters,Pool Heaters, Firepits & Tankless Water Heaters.TECO Rebates on Natural Gas Appliances. 516-2927 or thegasdoctor.com. License # MG 24668

Clean-outs—abandoned homes, garage cleaning.Pressure washing; odd jobs—painting, tile work,etc. Contact Sure Window Cleaning 926-9943.

Trash removal. Trash clean-up, garage clean-outs.Will haul furniture, appliances, yard debris, lowest ratesguaranteed; starting at $40. Call 285-4674.

SKFinancial is a full service CPA firm located inSeven Oaks. Contact us for free QuickBookstraining. Tel 813-322-3936 orwww.skfinancial.com.

F O R R E N T Town Home for rent in Meadow Pointe, gated 1car garage, 3br, 2.5 bath—Maint. Free.$1150/mo. Please call 541-3158.

O F F I C E S P A C E 2 office + Reception and Cabinet Area. Location:33647 zip in Commerce Park Professional Center.

Estimated Cost $900/1000 per Month 3yr/1yr.10X15 =150 11x11 =121 14x16 =224...EstimateSq ft: 550 Sq Ft. Also Include 1 closet and UnisexBathroom. Available Jan 1 2010. Address: 5307Technology Dr Tampa, Fl. 33647. Contact: BobLamb 813.340.3000.

M U S I C L E S S O N S FREE GUITAR WITH LESSONS! Don'tworry about spending money on an instrument ifyou or your child doesn’t stick with it. Get a newguitar free when you sign up for 3 months of les-sons. Offer good while supplies last. For moreinformation visit Bigel Music, 20435 Bruce BDowns Blvd, Tampa, FL 813-907-6363.

C H I L D C A R E Home day care in a loving home. 10 years experi-ence. We encourage social development activities,games, play times & more. Infant & up. CPR & firstaid. Reg. R23PA0154. Call Hilda @ 388-9148.

B U Y I N G G O L D NEED EXTRA MONEY…We can turn yourunwanted, old or broken gold jewelry into CASH!Take advantage of high gold prices which may notlast long. Don’t sell to the fly by night companies.Take it to Tampa Palms Hometown Jeweler. Jewel-er on staff w/ 35 yrs. exp. Charles Jewelers, 972-4653 (next to Stein Mart on Bruce B. Downs).

T A I C H I L E S S O N S

These are the Color Classifieds YourNeighbors R E A D! Call Dave @910-2575 to order your ad today!

CLASSIFIED RATES1 issue...........................$252 issues..........................$506 issues........................$120

H E L P W A N T E D

P/T Massage therapist. Please send résumé to POBox 47254 Tampa, FL 33647 or fax to 994-3080.

P/T Medical Asst. for doctor’s office in NewTampa. With experience. Good salary & benefits.Fax resume to 632-7114 or call 632-7111.

HR Manager Tampa, FL based Dental OfficePlan, direct & coordinate HR activities to maximizethe strategic use of human resources & related per-sonnel policies & regulatory compliance. Apply induplicate. BK PARASHER DDS. P. A 11017,N. Dale Mabry, St # A, Tampa, FL 33618.

Home Health Worker. New Tampa-Wesley Chapel-Zephyrhills. Reliable People W/Experience. Neededfor Various Hours. Call Mary M-F 9am to 4pmonly. 813.788.1717. Lic HHA 299992388

RN’s in Pasco for HHA - PT/Per Diem, Medicare- Assessment Experience a Plus - Call: 727.259.2337

C O M P U T E R S E R V I C E SProfessional Tech Support in your home orsmall business. A+ certified computer tech with 15years of exp. Maintenance & repairs, upgrades &tutoring. More affordable than the large chains!Friendly, personalized svc. Technical jargonexplained in plain English. References availableupon request. Call 957-8342 for free estimate.

New Tampa Computer Services. Courteousservice in your home or small business. 20 years ofexperience. Microsoft, A+, HP, Dell, Toshiba Cer-tified.Upgrades,Virus/Spyware/Malwareremoval, networking, updates, wireless, printing,backups, tutoring and performance improve-ments. We don’t just fix what is broken, we opti-mize your PC on every visit !. Call 813-997-6344 for an estimate.

H O M E I M P R O V E M E N T

Need home maintenance? Almost any job, large orsmall, ext/int, fencing, screening, sm. concrete,sprinklers, painting, repairs, int. doors, locks, sheetrock, windows, paint, caulk, grout, trim, shelving,garages organized. Installations, removals, pressurewashing, wood restoration & more. Call Dale’sHome Maintenance @ 973-0194 or 727-2582.

Quality Handyman, specializing in HomeImprovements, repairs & installations of all typesfrom A to Z, including telephone & computercabling. 18 years of exp. No job too small. [email protected] or call 451-6541for questions or Free Estimates.

Greg’s Paperhanging. For all of your wallpaperingneeds. Licensed & insured, clean, quick & reason-able. Call 973-2767 for free estimate.

Dan Turner Decorating Wallcovering Installa-tion. The most important thing about the wallcov-ering you select is...the installer. Don’t sacrifice thebeauty of wallcovering, turn to the experts. Calltoday for a free consultation. Licensed & insured.Call 928-2160.

C L E A N I N G S E R V I C E S

D-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE. We haveour own supplies & more than 200 clients in NewTampa! For more information, call 758-9710.

Isn’t life busy enough? Save time. We can help.Your satisfaction is our first priority. Guaranteed, af -ford able, reliable, quality domestic svcs. Free esti-mate: Chelsea Maid Com pany @ 994-6662.

A+ Cleaning Service. FSU grad, honest &dependable. Moving very successful business toTampa Palms area to be near first grandchild. MyTallahassee clients included FSU coaches & pro-fessors. For FREE estimate & references callRandi at (cell) 850-509-6615. Yes, I doGators, too!

L A N D S C A P I N G

L A W N M A I N T E N A N C E

NTLC Property Maintenance. Residential &Commercial lawn maintenance for New Tampa &Wesley Chapel. Sprinkler repair, tree trimming,mulching, landscaping & clean-ups also available.Licensed & Insured. Call Bill @ 973-3825.

P O O L S E R V I C E S

NEW TAMPA & WESLEY CHAPEL ClassifıedsJoin OrthoTechnology’s Winning Team!Ortho Technology, an international ortho-dontic supply distributor located in NewTampa, is seeking talented energetic candi-dates for the following full-time positions: Distribution Associate: High energy indi-vidual needed to receive, restock, pull &pack customer orders. Fast paced environ-ment. Basic math & computer skills, abilityto stand/walk for entire shift & lift up to 50pounds required.QC Inspector: Entry level position respon-sible for accuracy of outgoing orders. 1-2 yrsexp w/QC responsibilities. Ability tostand/walk for entire shift, close vision, basiccolor differentiation and basic math req’d.Small parts/med device experience a plus.We provide a great work environment, excellentbenefits package and growth potential. Submitresumes to [email protected].

HERE I COME! I specialize in all types of clean-ing: houses, apartments, townhouses, garages, etc.Best prices in the Bay area. References available.Call for a free estimate. Call 735-7979.

Sparkling Clean! Commercial, residential &rentals. Professional service @ affordable prices!Please call 1-630-561-3173

Custom Painting! *Artist* “20 yrs. Exp.” Faux,Murals & designer finishes at bargin prices. Call630-561-3173.

Lawn Maintenance *Commercial*Residential*Rentals*HOA Cleanups*Investment Properties*Complete Lawn Care at Prices you can AFFORD!Service that you can depend on Ken 334-3460.

WINDOW WASHING most windows $6.00incl. inside, outside & sills. “Make Your WholeHouse Shine” 10+ yrs. experience. Convenientappointments. A POINT OF VIEW WINDOWWASHING. Wesley Chapel. 813-973-1451.

Tranquility Pool Service. New Tampa Owned& Operated! Great pricing w/outstanding cus-tomer service. Relax & enjoy while we keepyour pool in pristine swimming condition!Licensed, Bonded & Insured. Call Christoday for a free quote @ 857-5400 or visit usat www.tranquilitypoolservice.com to seewhy we are New Tampa’s #1 choice! Mentionthis ad & receive one month FREE!

Aquatec Pool Service has been keeping poolsclear & swim safe since 1994. We offer qualityWEEKLY full service at an affordable price & fol-low strict National Swimming Pool Foundation(NSPF) standards. Licensed & insured. Call 780-8616 or visit our website www.aquatecpool.comto see why you should choose us! Mention this adand get one month FREE!

Enjoy your time & let A.T.B. Landscaping &Lawn Service do the work for you. We providelandscaping, lawn maintenance, clean-ups, tree &hedge trimming, sodding, sprinkler repair & fertil-ization. Other services also available. 907-LAWN

RAYMOND PAINTING. Interior & exterior,pressure washing, paper hanging, plaster, stucco, tiles,concrete, clean & seal pavers. Licensed & Bonded.References available. Free estimates. YOURNEIGHBORHOOD ARBOR GREENE RES-IDENT. We Work 7 Days. Call 994-5124.

Tai Chi Classes open to the public at Club TampaPalms. Strength, flexibility, balance, awareness &focus are some of the benefits of Tai Chi. Classesgeared for all ages & skill levels. The instructor hasover 28 years of Martial Arts training & teaching.Wednesdays 8-9 pm and Tuesdays 2:30-3:30 pm.$10/per class. Call Peter @ 787-7560.

Everyday Gardener’s Club. Full-serviceproperty maintenance available for residential& commercial. One-stop shopping withlicensed, insured professionals. Specializing inlandscape design with conceptional drawings& renderings available. Let your imagination& our professionals come together to createdreams that will last a lifetime. Call 933-1120or visit www.EverydayGardnersClub.com

Tampa Cat Lady Professional Cat-SittingService. You say goodbye - we say hello. Catsare happiest when in their own home, sur-rounded by familiar sights, sounds & smells.When you are away, we feed, cuddle & playwith your kitties & clean & dispose of litter. Wehelp deter crime by bringing newspaper/mail& rotating lights/blinds, giving your home thatlived-in look. Licensed, bonded & Red-Crosscertified in pet first aid/CPR. Call 994-9449or visit www.TampaCatLady.com.

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