new tampa neighborhood news, february 1, 2014

Nearly three years after the blast that left him paralyzed from the waist down while serving our country overseas, a Tampa U.S. Army veteran and his wife have moved into a new home in Cory Lake Isles that was built specifically for them by Homes For Our Troops.

On February 27, 2011, Army Staff Sgt. Alex Dillman (originally from Town N’Country) was on patrol during his sec-ond deployment to Ghazni, Afghanistan, when the vehicle he and his platoon were traveling in struck an IED (improvised ex-plosive device). Dillman’s spine was frac-tured in three places, causing him to lose most of the use of his legs, in addition to multiple other injuries.

However, thanks to the nonprofit organization Homes For Our Troops, Dillman — a Purple Heart recipient — and his wife Holly, both 28, now have a home that caters to Alex’s special needs, right here in New Tampa’s Cory Lake Isles commu-nity, with multiple features that allow him to get around the house with ease and still be able to perform daily tasks that would be much more difficult in a normal home. The couple received the keys in a ceremony on December 5 of last year.

Alex explains that during the two years he was recovering n both the Walter Reed Army Medi-cal Center in Washington, DC, and James A. Haley Veterans (VA) Hospital, located south of Fletch-er Ave. on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. Holly heard about Homes For Our Troops while staying at the Fisher House, the residence where the families of the injured vets being treated at Tampa’s VA can stay for free.

“Holly was in the kitchen (at the Fisher House) and one of the spouses approached her about (Homes For Our Troops),” Alex explains. “We still weren’t sure what we were going to do when I got our of the hospital. So, one night she looked into it, and I met the criteria.”

Homes For Our Troops offers a “New Home Program” to veterans who are retired or are in the process of medical retirement from military service and have been injured in combat sometime since September 11. The organization raises money, collects ma-terials and arranges labor to build homes. In this case, the organization worked with Aziz Construction and several accessibility

equipment providers, including Mowen, Harmar and 101 Mobility. Alex says that the level of his injuries also was a factor.

Holly says that the application process was very thorough and took several weeks.

“I think maybe a month later, in No-vember 2012, they called us,” Alex says. “They invited us up to Boston for a confer-ence about building a home.”

Holly says that getting invited to a conference is a pretty good indication that

a home is going to be built for you. The or-ganization even provides a financial planner to help set families up for success with items they must pay for once they accept the keys to the home, including paying home insur-ance and property taxes. Since Alex was still receiving treatment, Holly attended and was able to pick out a floor plan. She also requested a lot in Cory Lake Isles after

blackout in the northeastern U.S., which was determined to have been caused in-part by unmanaged vegetation near trans-mission lines.

To comply with this regulation change, both TECO Power and Duke Energy have been trimming and removing trees and vegetation that either currently are coming into contact with, or have the possibility of coming into contact with, these Federally-protected transmission lines. In addition to having the potential to bring down lines, trees in close enough proximity have the potential to cause “flashovers,” which oc-cur when power lines touch one another and can cause the lines to short-circuit.

“The transmission line in the Tampa Palms community is a critical part of the Florida transmission grid,” says Sterling Ivey, spokesman for Duke Energy. “Main-taining this line is vital to providing reliable

Volume 22 Issue 03

February 01, 2014

The Direct - Mail News Magazines Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Since 1993!THIS INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY NEWS MAGAZINE IS DIRECTLY MAILED TO:

NEW TAMPA: Arbor Greene • Cory Lake Isles • Cross Creek • Easton Park • Grand Hampton • Heritage Isles • Hunter’s Green • Hunter’s Key • K-Bar Ranch Lake Forest • Live Oak Preserve • Pebble Creek • Richmond Place • Tampa Palms • The Hammocks • West Meadows

WESLEY CHAPEL: Aberdeen • Belle Chase • Bridgewater • Brookside • Chapel Pines • Country Walk • Lexington Oaks • Meadow Pointe • New River • Northwood • Pinewalk • Pine Ridge Saddlebrook • Saddleridge Estates • Saddlewood • Seven Oaks • The Lakes at Northwood • The Villages of Wesley Chapel • Watergrass • Wesley Pointe • Westbrook Estates • Williamsburg

Tampa Palms residents may notice more light coming through the trees along Yardley Way, as well as a much better view of the high voltage power transmission lines that stretch through the community on a vacant strip of property, as a Federal regulation now is requiring power com-panies to trim or remove trees and foliage that could interfere with those lines during a storm.

An April 2013 change to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)’s regulation entitled “18 CFR Part 40” strengthens a requirement for power com-panies to manage vegetation around high-voltage transmission lines, such as the lines that currently traverse Tampa Palms. By using a “zero tolerance” policy for vegeta-tion management, the FERC reports that this will better safeguard the possibility of a major power outage, such as the 2003

Homes For Our Troops Sets Up Injured Vet In Cory Lake Isles

Change In Federal Regulation Forces Removal Of Trees In Tampa PalmsBy Matt Wiley

News, Business, Sports & Education Updates

St. Mark’s Breaks Ground On New Church, The Latest On The BBD Widening & The

Shooting Death At The Grove Theater, Plus Lots Of Local Business Features & More!

Pages 1-42

Neighborhood Magazine

Full Circle Pizza Brings Chi-Town Home, Sushi Raw Spices Up Shoppes Of Amberly, Lake Jovita Is Not Just For Members, Plus More Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes!

Pages 43-64

Also Inside This Issue!

Inside:An Exclusive Look At

Lake Jovita CC!See Neighborhood Magazine!

Tree stumps, like the one pictured above, are all that remain of many trees that used to provide

shade over a walking path near Yardley Way in !e Enclave community of Tampa Palms.

(Left) U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Alex Dillman on patrol in Ghazni, Afghanistan. (Right) Alex & Holly Dillman have been in their new home in Cory Lake Isles,

built for them by Homes For Our Troops, since December.

By Matt Wiley

See ‘Our Troops’ on page 14

See ‘Trees’ on page 14

2 Neighborhood News @NTWCNewsFor Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 22, Issue 03 • February 01, 2014 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News @NTWCNews 3 For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 22, Issue 03 • February 01, 2014 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Florida was actually in broadcasting and my goal has always been to provide TV and radio (and now, web) programming for local resi-dents and new advertising opportunities for our clients and Carlos has everything we need to bring those ideas to fruition.

In our next issue (and online), we’ll be inviting everyone who receives either of our publications to a Grand Opening Karaoke Party and Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony, which will be held in early March in our new offices on the second floor of the same building in the Brookside Professional Park where Milo-rian Studios now only has the first floor.

Nikki and I and everyone at the New Tampa Neighborhood News can’t wait to tell and show you more of our plans.

On February 25, 2014, I will celebrate my 20th anniversary as the

owner, publisher and editor of this publica-tion and I am proud to say that 2013 was my best year ever, in terms of both revenue and the positive response we’ve always re-ceived from our advertisers and readers.

Even so, my outstanding general manager Nikki Bennett (who is in her fifth year with me and largely responsible for getting us to this lofty point in our history) and I are doing anything but resting on our laurels. In fact, we’ve hired local consultant and long-time Hunter’s Green resident Jerry Hurley of Business Sense Solutions — who has helped many local businesses the last several years and has insisted that many of those clients advertise with us if they want to do business in New Tampa and/or Wesley Chapel — to help us formulate and set into motion the best possible plan for us to rein-vest in and grow our business so we can have another 20 years of success, despite what is still, supposedly, a sluggish local economy.

I’ll be updating you in this space about those plans for our local “business branding” company as they’re being finalized, but I can assure you that everything we do will con-tinue to be of the same quality (in words, pictures and community service) you’ve grown to expect from us, as well as show why we’re different than any other media company based in and serving New Tampa or Wesley Chapel. And, unlike many other successful smaller publishing companies (of which there seems to be fewer and fewer each year; I did say “successful”) across this

great country of ours, the expansion of our services and opportunities to promote your business will not include new publications distributed in markets other than our two primary existing distribution areas.

I hope you’re at least intrigued, because all of us are truly excited about what’s ahead for not only the rest of 2014, but for many years to come.

For example, although I’ve loved being in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms the last dozen years or more, there’s no doubt that our office space was never laid out the way I wanted and even though it was always plenty big to suit our needs, the way the space was laid out was never what I would call very effective.

To that end, Nikki and I were ec-static when a very unique local office space became available and, even though the space is located on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel, it’s actually an easier location to get in and out of and will actually allow us to better serve both New Tampa and Wesley Chapel.

You may remember that a little before last year’s Taste of New Tampa, I mentioned in this space that we had started doing some multi-media productions with Carlos Flores-Gordon’s Milorian Studios, a beautiful film, audio and website production studio located in the Brookside Professional Park, the first office plaza located just east of the traffic light and entrance to Saddlebrook Resort Tampa on S.R. 54 (a little more than a mile or so east of both Bruce B. Downs {BBD} Blvd. and I-75).

From a purely geographic standpoint — with both S.R. 54 and BBD in Wesley Chapel having recently been expanded and improved and with I-75 in that area being widened now — it suddenly has gotten a lot easier for us to get to anywhere from Zephy-rhills to Land O’Lakes to our east and west, respectively, to all of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, in just a few short minutes.

But, as Carlos said when we first started working on a few preliminary projects together about a year ago, there is a lot of “synergy” between our two companies. My Bachelor’s degree from the University of

Table of ContentsLocal News Updates...................................4-15Texting Leads To Movie !eater Shooting Death........................................4St. Mark’s Breaks Ground On New Church...................................6DTCC Donates Holiday Gifts To Mort Elementry.........................8New Tampa News Briefs..............................................................10 Temporary Traffic Separators Installed On BBD Motorcyclist Killed On County Line Rd. City Of Tampa Launches Mobile App Gas Skimmers Installed On New Tampa Gas Pumps Ex NFL Player Arrested For Running Gambling OperationPHCC Porter Campus Becomes Pasco Hernando State College...12New Tampa Community Calendar...............................................16

Local Business Updates...................18-32Totalscape Solutions Will Transform Your Yard............................18Re/Max Will Help You Find Your Dream Home.........................22Shuayb Dental Opens In Tampa Palms........................................26Rebecca Does Hair — New Styles For The New Year..................30Pura Cycling Introduces Personal Training & More.....................32

Local Sports & Education Updates........34Together 2.0 & Honest Abe 5Ks Offer Active Opportunites........34HGE’s Reagan Lawrence Gets Teacher Of The Year Nod.............38

Neighborhood MagazineFull Circle Pizza Brings Some ‘Windy City’ Flavor Home...............43Suncoast Arts Fest Gets Crafty..............................................46Crowd Gathers For Local Man’s ‘Shark Tank’ Segment............50Susho Raw Brings Sushi Back To Amberly Dr.............................54Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club: Great Golf & So Much More!.....58‘Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes’.....................................60

NEW TAMPA COLOR CLASSIFIEDS...............................62

New Tampa Neighborhood News15345 Amberly Dr., Tampa, FL 33647Phone: (813) 910-2575 Fax: 910-2483

Advertising E-mail: [email protected]

Editorial E-mail: [email protected]

Publisher & Editor Gary Nager

General ManagerNikki Bennett

Assistant Editor / PhotographerMatt Wiley

CorrespondentsBonnie Mason • Lauren Saslow

Senior Graphic DesignerPorsha Lemos

Sales & Marketing AssistantAntwon Gildon

Nothing that appears in New Tampa Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, with-out permission. Opinions expressed by Wesley Chapel Neigh-borhood News writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion.

The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisements for Volume 22, Issue 5, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Monday, February 17, 2014.

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

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

© 2014 JM2 Communications, Inc.

By Gary Nager

We’re Moving Our Office To Wesley Chapel To Celebrate 20 Years!

Ben Kreloff of Clearwater-based ProCorp Re-alty helps Gary Nager & Nikki Bennett say goodbye to the old New Tampa & Wesley Chapel

Neighborhood News office in Tampa Palms.


Still Shaking Our Heads In The Aftermath Of The Wesley Chapel Movie Theater Shooting

By Matt Wiley

A 33-year-old widow and her 22-month-old daughter continue to recover from the sudden and seemingly inexplicable death of a Wesley Chapel man, following a shooting at the Cobb Theatres Grove 16 movie theater (also in Wesley Chapel) over the use of a cell phone during the previews before a weekday matinee.

“Right now I’m still just trying to recover from the shock,” Nichole Oulson said in a press conference in Tampa on Jan. 22, her first public ap-pearance since her husband Chad, 43, was shot on January 13 just before the 1:20 p.m. showing of “Lone Survivor” inside Theater 10 of the Grove 16 complex. “My main focus is and always will be on my daughter Alexis. It’s just unimaginable.”

According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), an alterca-tion broke out between the Oulsons and another couple because Chad was texting the couple’s babysitter, who was watching Alexis.

“Me and my husband didn’t get a date night very often, much less a whole day to spend together, so I was just so excited and looking forward to spending the day with the love of my life at a place of entertainment,” Nichole said in the conference. “In the blink of an eye, my whole world just got shattered into a million pieces. Now I’m left trying to pick them all up and put them back together. It’s so hard and unbearable.”

PCSO reports that the argument appeared to be escalating when the suspect, retired Tampa Police (TPD) Capt. Curtis Reeves, Jr., 71, shot at the Oulsons, who were seated a row in front of him, with a .380 handgun.

The arrest report explains that Reeves asked Chad Oulson to stop texting and at one point even left the theater to report the cell phone use to theater management. When he returned, an argument ensued and, according to witnesses, Chad report-edly threw a bag of popcorn at Reeves and his wife, at which point Reeves removed the gun from his pocket and shot Oulson. Nichole reportedly tried to shield Chad from the shot, but the bullet traveled through her hand and into her husband.

Reeves said in an interview follow-ing his arrest that he shot at Oulson because he was in fear of being at-tacked after Chad stood up and threw what Reeves called an unknown object — which turned out to be a bag of popcorn — at his face.

The bullet hit Chad in the chest and he later died from his wound at a local hospital. During the 9-1-1 tapes that were released on January 24, an off-duty nurse can be heard on the phone with a member of the Pasco

County Board of County Commission-ers (BOCC) Communications Depart-ment, which handles emergency calls for the county, trying to keep the man alive while on the line. About 25 peo-ple were in the theater at the time of the shooting. Among those were two off-duty nurses (one of whom dialed 9-1-1) who worked to keep Oulson alive until help arrived.

A “Good Samaritan,” identified as Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Cpl. Alan Hamilton, was able to detain Reeves until authorities arrived.

Witnesses told deputies that no punches were thrown and Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said at a news conference the next day that none of the witnesses believed that Reeves would be able to use a “Stand Your Ground” defense in the case.

Published reports state that anoth-er couple also had a verbal altercation with Reeves about texting in a movie theater during a December 28 show-ing of “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” at the same theater complex.

“It could have been us,” Jamira Dixon said in a press conference with her husband Michael. Dixon said that after Reeves snapped at her and her husband, he also said something to someone else in the theater.

TPD reports that Reeves retired from the force in 1993 and was instru-mental in establishing the department’s first Tactical Response Team. His son, Matthew Reeves, currently is a TPD officer. Published reports also state that at one point, Reeves also was the head of security at Busch Gardens Tampa.

At our press time, Reeves was being held without bail at the Land O’Lakes Detention Center for second-degree murder.

Cobb Theatres released the fol-lowing statement, ““We are deeply saddened by the events that occurred on (Jan. 13), and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. The safety, security and com-fort of our guests and team members are always our top priorities, and we are truly heartbroken by this incident.”

Chad Oulson (center) was shot and killed inside the Cobb Theatres Grove 16 in Wesley

Chapel on Jan. 13 during an argument about texting during the previews before a movie.


It’s hard to imagine that in 1997

the first mass for St. Mark the Evangelist

Catholic Church was conducted in the

auditorium of Paul R. Wharton High,

before moving into its current home on

Cross Creek Blvd. in 2000. However,

the bustling house of worship which has

always had the largest membership of any

church in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel

has received approval to begin construc-

tion on what will be the largest church in

the New Tampa area.

According to a January 7 press

release, Father David DeJulio has an-

nounced that St. Mark had received

approval from Bishop Robert Lynch of the

Diocese of St. Petersburg to begin to build

the new $10.1-million, 34,200-sq.-ft.

church that will be located adjacent to the

existing building on the church’s 28-acre

Cross Creek Blvd. campus.

The current 29,600-sq.-ft. Family

Life Center, which has served as St. Mark’s

temporary worship space since its con-

struction in 2000, is to be converted into

what a brochure about the planned expan-

sion says will be called the “New Tampa

Center.” The hope is that the new com-

munity center will serve as a local venue

for local theater productions, concerts and

wedding receptions, with seating for 800

theater-style seats, as well as seating for

500 at banquets. In addition, the building

will house the church’s offices, meeting

rooms and a kitchen and catering facility.

“There is no place now in the New

Tampa area that can support this capacity,”

says St. Mark’s director of development

Cyndi Letzeisen. “Fr. David’s vision is

for our parish (or church) to be a hub of

activity that serves the entire New Tampa

community.”

Currently, the church serves more

than 3,500 families in the surround-

ing communities, whose donations and

pledges are funding the construction of

the new worship space. So far, more than

$4.5-million has been raised since the

fund-raising campaign began more than

three years ago.

“The momentum is strong, but so is

the challenge (to raise the money),” says

Fr. DeJulio.

The Bishop required that St. Mark

raise about 50-percent of the funds needed

to build the new church before breaking

ground on the building could be ap-

proved.

“When we were finally granted

permission, it felt like a boulder had been

lifted off our shoulders,” Fr. DeJulio says.

“We’ve been so cramped and limited on

space for the past several years. Now,

we’ll be able to expand and offer more to

the New Tampa community at the New

Tampa Center.

St. Mark Catholic Church Breaks Ground On New SanctuaryBy Matt Wiley

Fr. DeJulio says that although the

church has been around for more than

17 years, he has seen an explosion in the

amount of churchgoers, recently, which he

attribute to the new construction in both

New Tampa and Wesley Chapel.

“This approval is exactly what we

needed,” Fr. DeJulio says. “If the amount

of people who showed up for church this

past Christmas came to church each Sun-

day, we’d never have room.”

For more information (including service and mass schedules) about the expansion at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church, located at 9724 Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa, please visit StMarkTampa.org. Or call 907-7746.

An artist’s rendering of the planned expansion of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church on Cross Creek Blvd. St. Mark officials announced that the Diocese of St. Petersburg an-nounced its approval for the new sanctuary on Jan. 7. The existing St. Mark Family Life

Center building is located to the right and behind the planned sanctuary building.


The holidays are a time for selfless-ness and giving, and that’s just what the New Tampa branch of the finan-cial services giant Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) did for a local school in need in December.

On Dec. 18, for the ninth consec-utive year, representatives from DTCC (located off Highwoods Preserve Pkwy., north of I-75) made a stop at Mort Elementary, located just south-west of New Tampa on E. Bearss Ave., to make a generous donation of gifts to the school’s students, many of whom come from less fortunate families in the

surrounding “USF Area” community.“We adopted Mort Elementary

nine years ago and the students’ smil-ing faces still bring us joy every time we drop off supplies or toys from our latest drive,” said Eric Miller, managing director and head of DTCC Tampa. “Now and into the future, DTCC is committed to giving back and helping our community prosper.”

In total, DTCC donated more than 200 gifts to the school, in hopes that no child of the nearly 850 in attendance would go through the holidays without something to unwrap. Gifts included a variety of toys for boys and girls in every age group from pre-

kindergarten all the way up to fifth grade. DTCC also donates school supplies to Mort at the beginning of the year.

“DTCC has been committed to supporting Mort through volunteerism and much-needed holiday and back-to-

By Matt WileyDTCC Donates More Than 200 Holiday Gifts To Mort Elementary

school supply donations,” Miller said. “After all, these students will someday become part of the workforce from which we draw, and it’s the right thing to do. The Tampa community has supported DTCC and we feel strongly about giving back to a network that has bolstered DTCC’s success story here.”

Mort Elementary social worker Melissa Enzor said that watching each student walk out of the building on the last day before Christmas vacation each holding a gift was overwhelming.

“It’s a wonderful thing to see the students each walk out with a gift that last day,” she explained. “You really

could see and feel their excitement.”This was the first year that each

child was sent home with a gift, Enzor said. In previous years, donated toys would be put into a “toy room,” from which Mort parents would choose a gift for their child.

Enzor explained that Mort has a very low socio-economic status and that most students walk home with their parents or family members.

For more info about Mort Elementary (1806 E. Bearss Ave.), including donation opportunities, please call 975-7373 or visit Mort.SDHC.k12.fl.us.

(L-R) Michael Tom of DTCC, Mort Elementary principal Woodland Johnson, DTCC Tampa managing director Eric Miller, Nancy Thurber of DTCC, Mort social worker Melissa Enzor & DTCC VP Steven Strnad


of identity theft, criminals have figured out ways to steal important account info as quickly as the card is swiped. Unfortunately, this type of crime has recently been reported in New Tampa.

According to the Tampa Police Department (TPD), detectives are on the hunt for a suspected credit card “skimming” thief, or a person who steals credit card information through the card scanner. TPD reports that be-tween December 17-19, control panels on gas pumps were compromised at the New Tampa Hess and Shell gas stations, both located just north of I-75 off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. The suspect attached an in-line “skimming” device to collect critical credit card data.

TPD says that the driver of a white, flatbed pickup truck (pictured) has made purchases using information sto-len from the compromised gas pumps.

TPD offers these tips for using a credit card at gas pumps, and even ATMs, to help keep your information safe: inspect the card reader and the surrounding area, make sure other gas pump card readers look the same as the one you are using, trust your instincts and don’t use the pump if it seems suspicious, use a credit card instead of a debit card or pay inside.

Most important is to make sure to keep an eye on your bank accounts and report any fraudulent activity as soon as possible.

Anyone with any information about the vehicle or driver is urged

to call Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 873-TIPS (8477).

Ex-Player Charged With Running Gambling Op

A New Tampa man who played in the NFL has been released on bond, after being charged with running an illegal gambling operation in Tampa.

According to the Tampa Police Depart-ment (TPD), Donald Reche Caldwell, 34,

of Cory Lake Isles, was arrested on January 5 in Tampa, along with seven others, during the execution of a search warrant at 1746 Main St.

TPD reports that, upon entering the address, Caldwell, Bobby Eugene Richardson and Kenlun Dawson (both of Tampa) were charged with run-ning an illegal gambling house and bookmaking. TPD charged five other suspects with crimes, including illegal gambling, possession of a controlled substance and violation of probation.

TPD also seized cash, two hand-guns and one gram of MDMA (the active ingredient in Ecstasy).

Caldwell, a former Florida Gator who also played for six seasons in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots and Washington Redskins, was released from jail on a $4,000 bond. — MW

NEW TAMPA News BriefsTraffic Separators Installed On BBD

As the widening of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., between Doña Michelle Dr. and Tampa Palms/Palm Springs Blvd. picks up steam, temporary traffic separators have been installed along the busy roadway.

According to Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) spokesman John McShaffrey, the traffic separators are a temporary precaution that Prince Contracting has installed to funnel traf-fic closer to the median so that the new lanes can be built outside the existing lanes. Once the new pavement has been poured, McShaffrey says, the separa-tors will be removed. Upon comple-tion, which is expected to be completed around July of this year, BBD finally will be four lanes in each direction with a 30-foot grass median.

Motorcyclist Killed On County Line Rd.

A motorcyclist has died, following a collision that ejected him from his bike on County Line Rd. in Wesley Chapel.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), Samuel Leslie Hemphill, 54, of Wesley Chapel, was driving his 2005 Yamaha motorcycle westbound on County Line Rd. around 6 a.m. on January 22. At the same time, Alejandro Acevedo Rodriguez, 34, also of Wesley Chapel, was driving his 2006 Volvo S40 southbound on Nashville Dr. to exit the Belle Chase community, located off County Line Rd.

The FHP report says that Rodri-guez came to a complete stop at the intersection and proceeded to make a left turn to travel east on County Line Rd., entering directly into the path of Hemphill on his bike. Hemphill was ejected as his bike struck the front left side of Rodriguez’s Volvo. He died of his injuries at the scene.

Charges were pending at our press time and it was not yet known if alcohol was a factor. No additional information is available.

City Of Tampa Launches Mobile App

Tired of the dangerous pothole on your street? Want to know the waste collection schedule for a specific holi-day? If these are common questions you wish could be answered in the palm of your hand, you’re in luck, as the City of Tampa has released a FREE mobile ap-plication that streamlines the process of getting vital city information to citizens, without a phone call or the need for a desktop computer.

Available for both Apple’s iOS op-erating system for iPhone and iPads and for Android phones and tablet comput-ers, the City of Tampa mobile app takes all of the pertinent information on its website and puts it into the pockets of its citizens.

“Technology plays a critical role in

the economic future of our City,” said Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn in a Jan. 8 press release. “That’s why I am commit-ted to modernizing our infrastructure, bringing free Wi-Fi to our urban parks, and making the City more user friendly through apps like this. The app puts city services and City Hall at the fingertips of residents.”

Whether it’s keeping up with Mayor Buckhorn’s latest tweets or getting his email address, the app provides a simple way to deliver information to the public.

The application’s main menu offers a variety of services for those who utilize it. Among the options are tabs for the latest city news, jobs posted by the city, important phone numbers, including the numbers (but not email addresses) for the Tampa City Council, non-emer-gency Tampa Police (TPD), city services (general info and customer service), code enforcement and power outages, as well as emergency information for hur-ricanes, public works, stormwater, trees, waste water or sewer repairs and Tampa Water Department emergencies.

In addition, the app offers quick access to service requests (such as that pesky pothole) and meeting agendas for Tampa City Council meetings.

Look for the City of Tampa app in the Apple Store and Google Play store for Android devices. Still on the fence? See a video demonstration at TampaGov.net/MobileApp.

‘Skimmers’ Found On New Tampa Gas Pumps

Every time a credit card is scanned, its information is read. In today’s age

Donald Reche Caldwell

A screen shot of the City of Tampa’s new mobile application for iOS and Android devies.


PHCC Porter Campus Officially Renamed Pasco Hernando State College!If you happened to go looking for the

newest campus of Pasco Hernando Commu-nity College (PHCC) in the Wiregrass Ranch area, you may have found that the school which opened to students for the first time on Jan. 13 already had a new name — Pasco Hernan-do State College (PHSC)’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. High-energy Provost Stanley Giannet, Ph.D., and his staff, as well as numer-ous visiting dignitaries, unveiled the new name for the brand-spankin’-new college campus lo-cated off S.R. 56 at Mansfield Blvd. on Jan. 22.

The name change for the beautiful, new 60-acre, four-year State College was approved by a vote at the Jan. 21 Board of Trustees meet-ing to finally approve the name change for all five PHSC campuses.

All I can tell you is that the Wiregrass Ranch campus is beautiful, functional, state-of-the-art in terms of technology and, as Dr. Giannet says, it will be, “part of the community. We may have changed our name to Pasco Hernando State College, but our commitment to the local community won’t change.”

At our press time, PHCC-Porter had opened the Spring 2014 semester with more than 1,500 students enrolled, and a full complement of 50 faculty and staff members. The new campus is now home to the first-ever four-year degrees — Bachelors of Science in Nursing and Applied Sciences — offered by the new State College. From its biology lab equipped with technologically advanced models of the hu-man heart, lungs, brain and more, and nursing “classrooms” designed to look like hospitals, complete with “working” simulated human patients (“sims”), Dr. Giannet promises that the new college will prepare students for rewarding ca-reers in many science- and business-related fields.

For more info, visit PHCC.edu.

(Clockwise from top le!) On Jan. 22, the new sign proclaiming that the new college in Wesley Chapel is now called Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC)’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch was unveiled. Part of the beautiful “Piazza” where students can gather at the new PHSC campus. One of

the school’s many state-of-the-art computer labs. Provost Dr. Stanley Giannet loves showing o" the technology in the Porter Campus’ nursing class-room, designed to simulate a real hospital setting. For more of assistant editor Matt Wiley’s awesome pics of the new campus, visit NTNeighborhoodNews.com.

By Gary Nager


electric service to both Duke and TECO customers in Pinellas and Hillsborough.”

Ivey explains that Duke Energy has obtained easements and agreements with local communities and property owners that allow it to build and maintain its power lines, which includes managing vegetation, including trees that may pose a threat to the reliability of the electric system (on or outside the easement).

Of the 300-ft.-wide strip of land that houses the transmission lines, Duke con-trols 100 ft. from the edge of the property lines to the north and east. Ivey says that trees within 50 ft. of the Duke transmission line have been, or are in the process of be-ing, trimmed or removed.

Meanwhile, TECO controls the other 200 ft. of land on the south and west side of the power lines. None of the land is owned or controlled in any way by the Tampa Palms Community Development District (CDD) or Tampa Palms Homeowners As-sociation (HOA).

TECO’s Cherie Jacobs explains that the power company is largely done with their vegetation management, but will continue to be in the area for two to three more weeks to finish some additional work.

“We try to find the balance between aesthetics and safety,” Jacobs says. “We know people in these communities love their trees, and that’s why the balance is so important.”

Jacobs explains that trees within 50-100 ft. of TECO lines may be removed, but that the distance varies de-pending upon the height and voltage of the lines. Because of this, some trees could be trimmed instead of having to be removed. Jacobs says that TECO faces significant fines if a tree causes an outage anywhere along the transmission lines.

Although the Tampa Palms CDD can’t control the trimming or removal of trees along the transmission lines, CDD spokeswoman Maggie Wilson says that something will be planted in their place, adding that the most significant tree re-movals are taking place along Yardley Way and Fairchild Dr.

“We’re going to mitigate the situation the best we can,” Wilson says. “We’re just waiting for (Duke and TECO) to finish.”

doing a web search, but didn’t hear any-thing back. A few weeks later, the couple re-ceived an email with a few location options, and Cory Lake Isles was one of them.

Ground was broken on the home in January 2013. It was completed by Decem-ber. Many of the materials used in building the home were donated. Companies such as Whirlpool and Koehler donated much of the home’s kitchen and bathroom applianc-es. Artist Lynn Hays told the couple to pick out any prints they wanted. 101 Mobility even donated an outdoor wheelchair eleva-tor to help Alex get off the sidewalk behind the home, where the couple is working on building a pool.

At first glance, the home looks almost no different from any other typical Florida residence, with a great room design and three bedrooms. However, the difference is in the details. Kitchen cabinets open to reveal shelves that Alex can pull down, with-out having to worry about knocking any-thing over. The stovetop is built lower (as are the countertops) and features burner controls at the front of the range. All of the hallways are a little wider for easier wheel-chair access and several doors, including the front and garage, have push-button-control access.

In the master bathroom, the shower can completely be controlled from a touch panel and the TV is mounted on the wall with a rotating mount. The closet even dou-

bles as a concrete safe room, in case of an emergency situation, such as a hurricane.

Out front, a flag pole sits adjacent to a sidewalk. At it’s base, a plaque has been set into the stone to honor and remember Sgt. Kristopher James Gould, who lost his life in the same blast that injured Alex.

Although the couple finally is moved in, they say that it still doesn’t seem real.

“We still haven’t come to terms with the fact that we’re actually in this home,” Alex says. “While I was in the hospital, we got the blueprints and would look at them every day. When the recovery got tough, we would look at them and just think about how good it would be to move in.”

Holly adds that the first dinner they en-joyed together in their new home, they both just looked around the room in disbelief.

For more information about Homes For Our Troops, a 501(c)(3) organiza-tion, please visit HFOTUSA.com.

‘Our Troops’Continued From Page 1

‘Trees’Continued From Page 1

Many of the trees along the Tampa Palms power lines are being trimmed or removed.


February 2014MOMS Club Of New Tampa - The MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) Club of New Tampa is currently open to new members in the New Tampa area. The MOMS Club offers a variety of daytime activities for mothers and their children, opportunities for Moms’ Nights Out and many more benefits. For more information, or to join the club, email [email protected], February 2Zen Meditation Group - Enjoy meditation? Looking for a new way to relax? Check out the FREE Zen Meditation Group that meets Sundays at 10 a.m. in the Arbor Greene Community Center (18000 Arbor Greene Dr., off Cross Creek Blvd.) Aerobics Room. People of all faiths are welcome. You only need an interest in meditation and a more peaceful and relaxed mind and life. For more info, call Jeremy at 528-6285.Monday, February 3Community Acupuncture - A Monday night community acupuncture and discussion group is meeting at Ion Medi-Spa (8903 Regents Park Dr., Suite 130), 6:30 p.m. Top-ics include needle-free acupuncture, facial rejuvenation and stop smoking and custom-ized weight-loss programs. For more info, call 960-8833 or visit IonMediSpa.com.

Tuesday, February 4New Tampa Tri Club - The New Tampa Tri Club is open to runners, swimmers, cyclists and triathletes across the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. The club hosts group bike rides/runs at Flatwoods Wilderness Park (13330 Morris Bridge Rd.) every Tues., Thur. and Sat. at 7:30 a.m. For more info, join the Facebook group or e-mail [email protected] - This video-seminar-support group is for anyone who is grieving the death of a loved one. The cost is $20 for a workbook and 13 sessions, begin any week to find healing and hope. The group meets Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at Lake Magdalene Method-ist Church (2902 W. Fletcher Ave., Room 310). For registration and more informa-tion, call 963-1555.NAMI Support Group Meetings - The Pasco County Chapter of NAMI (National Alli-ance on Mental Illness) offers a support group for friends & family of those with mental illness the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at North Tampa Behavio-ral Health (29910 S.R. 56). For more info, call (727) 992-9653.

Wednesday, February 5 BNI Millionaire Makers - The BNI Millionaire Makers chapter meets every Wednes-day at Pebble Creek Golf Club at 7:15 a.m. (10550 Regents Park Dr., off BBD Blvd.). The $13 meeting fee includes a hot breakfast. Contact Lisa Jordan at 621-6015 for more details.Business Networking International (BNI) - BNI, a group of business professionals dedicated to helping their respective businesses grow through qualified referrals, meets every Wednesday morning at 7:30 a.m. at the Cory Lake Isles Beach Club clubhouse (18630 Plantation Bay Dr., off Morris Bridge Rd.). For more info, call Ed Gleason at 299-4475. New Tampa Noon Rotary Club- The New Tampa Noon Rotary Club meets every Wednesday for lunch at noon at Hunter’s Green Country Club (18101 Longwater Run Dr.). Guests are always welcome.New Tampa Evening Rotary Club - The New Tampa Evening Rotary Club meets every Wednesday at 6:15 p.m. at Hunter’s Green Country Club. New members are always welcome. For more information, call Liz DeAmbrose at 956-6487 or email [email protected]. Tampa Toastmasters - Great speeches & great topics. Come hone your public speak-ing skills. Tampa Toastmasters meets every Wednesday 7 p.m. at Pebble Creek Golf Club (10550 Regents Park Dr.) New guests are always welcome. For more information, call 428-6356.

Thursday, February 6CBC Networking - Come together with like-minded professionals at the Christian Business Connections (CBC) Networking group, which meets every Thursday at 7:30 a.m. at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church (located at 5338 Primrose Lake Cir., off Com-merce Park Blvd. in Tampa Palms) for a “meet & greet,” followed by a meeting of the group. For more information, please send an email to [email protected].

English As A Second Language (ESL)- This group meets Thursdays at Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church (19911 BBD Blvd.), 9 a.m.-11:45 a.m. Classes are taught by a na-tive English speaker using several ESL and Bible study resources. The cost is $20 each quarter, for the workbook & class materials. For registration and more information, call Heather at 753-8567.

Northeast Tampa Women In Business Meeting - The Northeast Tampa Women in Business group meets the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. at Hunter’s Green Country Club (18101 Longwater Run Dr.). Visit NETWIB.org or call 843-2354.

Food Addicts In Recovery Anonymous (FA) - Are you having trouble controlling the way you eat? Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous is a support group without any dues, fees or weigh-ins and is based on the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. FA meets at Florida Hospital Tampa at (on BBD) in the Camelot A room at 7 p.m. For additional information, visit FoodAddicts.org or call Roz at 355-4197.

Friday, February 7New Tampa Rotary Club - The original New Tampa Rotary Club meets for breakfast at 7 a.m. at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club (TPGCC, 5811 Tampa Palms Blvd.). The guest speaker will be Dr. Drew Gold, speaking about St. Leo University’s Polling Institute. For more information, call Eric Longphee at 202-1105.

Saturday, February 8New Tampa Dog Pack - Do you have a dog? Enjoy scenic nature walks? Join the New Tampa Dog Pack on Saturday mornings at 8:30 a.m at Flatwoods Wilderness Park (at the 18205 BBD entrance) and on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. at Compton Park (16101 Compton Dr., Tampa Palms). For more info, please visit MeetUp.com/New-Tampa-Dog-Pack.

‘We Work’ At Lifepoint Church - “We Work,” meets at Lifepoint Church (8702 Hunter’s Lake Dr.) at 8:45 a.m. and is designed to help you search for jobs, improve interview skills, write a resume, negotiate a job offer, improve your attitude, develop networking skills and discover your gifts. For info, visit LifepointChurch.tv/WeWork or call 907-9818 ext. 14.

Saturday, February 8Tampa Bay Rebels Tryouts- The Tampa Bay Rebels basketball team will be holding tryouts for the upcoming FBA season at the Police Athletic League (1924 W. Diana St., Tampa, 33604) from 2-4 p.m. For info, visit Tampa Bay Rebels.com.

Monday, February 11Daddy Daughter Dinner Race - Show your special little girl (age 2-16) how much she means to you this Valentine’s Day by taking her to this elegant event that you willboth remember forever, which includes a catered dinner, framed take-home photo, mu-sic by Finest Deejays and games and contests. Tickets are only $36/ couple ($15 more for each additional daughter). Register now online at SavannaChurch.com.

Thursday, February 13Northeast Tampa Women In Business Meeting - The Northeast Tampa Women in Business group meets the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. at Hunter’s Green Country Club (18101 Longwater Run Dr.). Visit NETWIB.org or call 843-2354.

Friday, February 28-Sunday, March 2 & March 7-9The New Tampa Players Present ‘The Miracle Worker” - New Tampa’s own community theatre troupe, the New Tampa Players, is proud to present “The Mira-cle Worker” at CrossPointe Church of the Nazarene (919 Debuel Rd. in Lutz). The performances are at 8 p.m. each Fri.-Sat., with Sunday matinee performances at 2 p.m. Tickts cost $12-$15. For more info, visit NewTampaPlayers.org.

Monday, March 3‘Slice for Life’ Golf Tournament - The second annual “Slice for Life” golf tourna-ment, presented by the Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) Foundation, will be held at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club (5811 Tampa Palms Blvd.). Sponsor-ship opportunities are still available. The cost to play is $500 for a foursome or $15 for a single golfer. For additional information, please visit FloridaHospital.com/ Wesley-Chapel/Foundation.


Totalscape Solutions Will Revolutionize Your Lawn & Landscaping!Are you jealous of your neighbor’s

pristine lawn? Or, maybe you want your home’s landscaping to look just as profes-sional and luxurious as the entrance to your community? Well, just recently, Totalscape Solutions, a local commercial landscaping company, began offering its expert services to residential homeowners in the New Tampa area.

Totalscape owner Mark Gonzales has been designing and maintaining landscapes for commercial properties, businesses, multi-family dwellings, condo associations and homeowners associations in Tampa and its surrounding communities for 12 years. Gonzales says he decided to expand his ser-vices to include residences just this past year.

“I was convinced that homeowners would benefit from our one-stop quality service,” Gonzales says. “Our goal is to make every property impeccable and of the highest quality on a consistent basis.”

Totalscape provides comprehensive landscape maintenance services year-round to meet each client’s needs at an affordable cost. The company’s landscape maintenance programs include general lawn mowing, trimming, edging, pruning, hedge trim-ming, tree (including palm tree) trimming and lawn treatment with fertilizer and pesticides.

“We also offer customized landscape designs,” says Gonzales. “Totalscape works with you to create a landscape design that will consider irrigation and sun exposure to

accentuate your home’s exterior.” Tampa homeowner and Totalscape

customer Lori Swisher says, “I honestly can say Totalscape Solutions is the best lawn company that I have used in the New Tampa area! They have such great customer service and always are on top of everything. It’s nice to have a point of contact for questions, and if anything extra needs to be completed, they are right there! The quick-ness and reliability are fantastic. They are all about customer satisfaction!”

Gonzales attributes his company’s growing success to his dedication to customer service and work ethic and to his thirteen highly trained, experienced employees. A supervisor accompanies each work crew to ensure that your property is getting what it needs.

“I don’t just sell a landscaping ser-vice,” Gonzales explains. “Our people all provide quality work at a fair price.”

The end result of Totalscape’s work can be seen in the landscaping of the com-munities they service, such as The Sanctuary on Livingston Ave. and Covington Estates and Magnolia Trace in Cross Creek — and it speaks for itself.

“A company is only as good as the people who work for it,” says Gonzales, who adds that he and his team have a motto, “Always do what you say you’re going to do.”

Gonzales himself is impressively honest. “We strive for perfection, want-ing to produce and maintain impeccable

Totalscape Solutions owner Mark Gonzales (left) discusses what needs to be done to keep the land-scaping inside The Sanctuary community off Livingston Ave. in Lutz looking lush with crew member Norman Morris. A Totalscape supervisor travels with each crew to guarantee the highest

level of service for residential customers, too.

By Bonnie Mason

landscapes, but, we all make mistakes,” he admits. “I can’t tell a client that we’re perfect. But, what I do tell any client is that if we make a mistake, we will do whatever it takes to make it right.”

Totalscape Solutions is more than a lawn maintenance service; Gonzales and his employees will preserve the beauty of your property by laying and refreshing existing mulch to help retain moisture in the soil and protect your plants from Florida’s many insects. In addition to Totalscape’s compre-hensive lawn care and weed control services, Gonzales and his staff also are experts on Florida’s landscaping needs, including be-

ing knowledgeable about the native plants, shrubs and trees that are best for the climate and terrain.

Irrigation & Lighting Maintenance & Repairs, Too!

No matter how beautiful and healthy your lawn may be, Gonzales says, if you don’t have a proper and functioning ir-rigation system in place, your lawn will not flourish and could suffer damage. A properly functioning irrigation system is important to maintain a healthy landscape, explains Gonzales. And, though Totals-cape does not install irrigation or lighting


systems, Gonzales and his crew do perform maintenance and repairs. Currently, Florida is in its dry season, which Gonzales says is a good time to have your system checked. The Totalscape crew will check every sprinkler head and pipe to make sure that they are functioning properly and will make all the necessary repairs and replacements. Totalscape can even work to redesign your irrigation system, should you have drainage concerns in relation to your landscaping.

“We moved into a beautiful home that had a neglected landscape, irrigation and lighting system,” says Rob Chapman, of Lutz. “After interviewing a number of com-panies, we chose Totalscape Solutions and we are glad we did. They are responsive, knowledgeable and do what they say when they say they will do it. They have taken the neglected landscape and made it a place we are proud to call our home. They have proven time and time again that they were a great choice for our home’s exterior needs!”

Prior to founding Totalscape Solutions, Gonzales gained his business experience and customer service expertise from working in corporate sales. At one point, he says he even sold salon products such as Paul Mitchell and Redken. He moved to Florida from Atlanta 22 years ago.

“I was ready to leave the corporate scene,” Gonzales explains. “I wanted to own my own business — to create a busi-ness in which I could provide a high-quality service to my customers and employ a win-ning team.”

Gonzales is proud that Totalscape has had very little staff turnover, which is unu-sual in the landscaping business.

“We have some employees who have been with us for ten years,” he says, which could be because of some of the extra benefits that come with the job, including company fishing trips, which is Gonzales’ passion, and even paintball adventures. Gonzales lives in Land O’Lakes with his wife of 20 years and their three children, ages 1, 3 and 14.

If you want a winning team to care for your exterior home landscape, Total-scape Solutions can give you everything you need and will make you proud. Be sure to ask about the 10-percent rebate program for homeowners associations and their residents! For a free estimate, call Mark Gonzales at 348-0960 or visit Totalscapes.com.


online is now the most effective form of adver-tising, “some people still like to be able to see the ads in print, especially in a quality publication like the Neighborhood News. It really works for us.”

Amani recently learned that she had earned a 2013 Re/Max Platinum Club award (see page 53), which honors the top produc-ing agents (in terms of sales volume) in all of Re/Max’s hundreds of offices across the U.S. and in 85 other coun-tries. This year, Warden earned the Platinum Club honors by being in the top four percent of the thousands of Re/Max agents worldwide.

“You can only work with Re/Max if you’re experienced,” Kay said. “There’s not as much training or hand-holding with Re/Max as there is at other real estate companies, so you have to know what you’re doing...and obvi-ously, we all do.”

“And we especially know this market,” added Eleanor of the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. “Even if you look at statistics for New Tampa’s zip code (33647), you have to know the differences between the home values

in different communities and how the economy has affected those values (from month to month, year to year and com-munity to community).”

For example, Eleanor said that an-other agent who perhaps didn’t under-stand the different sub-markets in New Tampa might not have been able to help one of her recent clients with securing a new appraisal of their home.

“Their house was in a gated com-munity, but the appraisal pulled num-bers from communities that weren’t gated,” Eleanor said. “I was able to recognize that from the appraisal.”

The fabulous foursome’s most recent ad in this publication (again, see page 53) offers impressive statistics

Re/Max First In Real Estate Realtors Are New Tampa Resale Experts!I’ve been living and publishing the

community news magazines in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area the last 20 years, but even so, I’m no expert when it comes to the local real estate market.

Fortunately, there are four local Realtors who have been keeping up with what’s happening with home sales and values in our area for more than 50 years combined. So, whether you’re buying or selling a home, my friends Amani War-den, Linda Thrasher-Donalson, Eleanor Oliver and Kay Lehmer of Re/Max First In Real Estate (located between the new Ciccio’s Cali and Koizi Endless Hibachi Grill in the Shoppes at The Pointe in Tampa Palms plaza) can help you navi-gate and understand the intricacies of the housing market in our local distribu-tion areas — all while making sure you either find the home of your dreams or get the best price possible in current market conditions when you choose to list your home for sale.

Although I recently met both Amani (the driving marketing force for this quartet of local real estate dynamos) and Linda for the first time, I’ve known Eleanor and especially Kay for nearly as long as I’ve been living and work-ing in the New Tampa area — and I’m actually celebrating my 20th year in this market and this job as of this month (see page 3). I first met Kay — who was

working in the financial department for the custom builder (Kennedy Homes) which built the home I used to own in Hunter’s Green back in 1995.

Kay, Eleanor and Amani are all long-time Hunter’s Green residents who have been Realtors in the New Tampa area, all working at the same office together, for more than a dozen years. Linda, a long-time Tampa Palms resi-dent, also worked at the original First In Real Estate office in the old Hunter’s Green Model & Visitor Center, and the group (which has never officially formed as a “team”) moved together when First was located (for two years) on the second floor of the current MidFlorida Credit Union building on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.

Now, the quartet is together at yet another new location, at Re/Max First in Real Estate in the Shoppes at The Pointe. Re/Max actually purchased First in Real Estate in 2008.

“It doesn’t really matter where we’re located or who the Broker of the office is,” Amani said during my recent hour-long meeting/local real estate rap session with these four dynamic women. “We’re all independent contractors. We really only ‘team up’ to market ourselves together and we’ve had great results ad-vertising together, especially in the New Tampa Neighborhood News.”

Linda added that although most real estate agents today believe that

(L.-r.) Kay Lehmer, Linda Thrasher-Donalson, Eleanor Oliver and Amani Warden, who are based at Re/Max First in Real Estate in The Shoppes at The Pointe in Tampa Palms,

market themselves together in this and other local media.

By Gary Nager


about total 2013 home sales in most of the major New Tampa and Wesley Chapel communities. The stats include the number of homes sold (all of the areas of Meadow Pointe combined to lead the way with 224; Tampa Palms led in New Tampa with 185); the number of short sales and foreclosures in each market (an area-leading 82 in Meadow Pointe; followed by 29 of 110 total sales in Seven Oaks, 28 of 161 in Live Oak and 28 of 86 in Cross Creek); the average price range and average price per square foot (from $125 per sq. ft. in Tampa Palms to $86 per sq. ft. in Herit-age Isles) of the homes sold in each community; and the average number of days on the market of each home sold (from a low of only 45 days on the market in Cross Creek to 125 days in Bassett Creek at K-Bar Ranch).

“New Tampa never really had as many distressed homes as some areas,” Kay said. “And again, without breaking everything down by community, new construction sales vs. resales, etc., it’s hard to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s really happening in this market.”

The group also stays up on new home sales in our area, from the new-est areas of Meadow Pointe and K-Bar Ranch to new communities like Union Park in Wesley Chapel.

The RE Investor FactorAmani said that another recent

trend in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel markets was, “a little bit of an

uptick in home values when real estate investors (people who were buying homes they didn’t intend to live in) jumped back into the market about a year ago. Builders started building new homes again, which created a lot more inventory, but the available buyers started drying up when the investors began pulling out of the market.”

But, all four agree that the climate is better today for the local markets, thanks to banks again lending money and the slow growth of the local economy. “A lot of the people who have been renting, instead of buying, homes were short sellers three or four years ago,” Linda said. “Now, those folks are getting ready to buy houses again.”

And, they all also agree that inven-tories of available homes are still low, the builders are back in full swing and that prices started ticking back upward again last summer. “We all felt this area has been recovering all along,” Amani said. “We never believed we would hit rock bottom and now, it feels like we’ve weathered the worst of this storm.”

She adds that while Re/Max doesn’t offer relocation services, “We do have a great worldwide referral network, so we can still find you an agent wher-ever you plan to move.”

To buy or sell your next home, call Amani (731-7673), Linda (310-5120), Kay (416-3099) or Eleanor (416-0618) or visit Re/Max First In Real Estate (17010 Palm Pointe Dr.) and please tell them we sent you!


According to the practice’s website, bone grafting is done to help restore bones to their previous form following tooth loss, gum disease or trauma. So, after Dr. Shuayb removes a wisdom tooth, bone grafting may be needed to help the jawbone heal cor-rectly.

In the case of dental implants, a synthetic structure that mimics the look of an actual tooth is “implanted” into a patient’s jawbone. A CT-scan is especially is important for implants because not every patient is a can-didate. Dr. Shuayb says that dental

implants require proper bone density and a good immune system, as the patient’s body has to be able to accept the implant.

Once an implant has been mount-ed and the jawbone has had time to grow around the base, a follow-up pro-cedure will insert the synthetic tooth into its space. This procedure requires surgery using an anaesthetic, but still can be done right in the comfort of the Shuayb Dental office.

In addition to these services, Sh-uayb Dental also offers some ortho-dontic work, in the form of Invisalign

Shuayb Dental Now Open In Oak Ramble Plaza South Of Tampa PalmsAlready a household name in

Hernando County, Shuayb Dental has opened an office right here in the New Tampa area and owners Omar Shuayb, DMD, and Mujib Shuayb, DMD, have spared no expense to give you a smile that you’ll be proud to display.

Located just south of Tampa Palms in the Oak Ramble shopping plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., Shuayb Dental utilizes the latest in technol-ogy to cater to your dental needs. Whether it’s a routine cleaning or even a cosmetic procedure, the New Tampa office’s primary dentist Dr. Omar Shuayb, the primary dentist at the New Tampa office, and his friendly staff will have you sporting a shiny, new smile in no time.

Graduates of both the University of South Florida in Tampa in 2001, brothers Omar and Mujib Shuayb both attended Boston University’s Goldman School of Dental Medicine, where they each received their Doctorate of Dental Medicine degrees in 2005.

“This is our third practice,” says Dr. Omar. “We have two other practices in Hernando County and they’re very busy. Mujib is still working the other offices, while I get this one established.”

The Shuaybs opened their first

practice in Brooksville in 2005, fol-lowed by Spring Hill in 2009. The 2,800-sq.-ft. Tampa Palms-area office opened in November 2013 and fea-tures eight exam rooms, each with flat-screen TVs for patients to enjoy during their cleaning or any of the many other dental services that the practice offers.

Shuayb Dental really has it all covered at the new office. From peri-odontal gum treatment/cleaning — a slightly more intense form of a typical dental cleaning that can clean all the way up to a tooth’s root — to root canal therapy, Shuayb Dental is a one-stop shop for brightening your smile.

“We do oral surgery right here in the office,” Dr. Shuayb says. “We do almost any extraction, even wis-dom teeth, in this office. Many other practices will send patients to an oral surgeon for that type of procedure.”

To aid in oral surgery, Dr. Shuayb says he purchased a high-tech oral CAT-scan machine for the office.

“The CAT-scan helps me to see if various cosmetic surgery proce-dures are an option for a patient,” he explains. “It’s cool because not too many practices have one. By conduct-ing a CT (computed tomography) scan using the machine, I’m able to see if a patient’s jaw bone is level enough to put in a dental implant, or to see if the patient might need bone grafting.”

By Matt Wiley

The staff of Shuayb Dental’s New Tampa office in the Oak Ramble Plaza on Bruce B. Downs Blvd.: (l. - r.) Dr. Omar Shuayb, DMD, dental asst. Annie Gorman, den-

tal asst. Kimberly Lanphar and office manager Maria Gilio.


aligners, which are similar to braces and perfect for patients who are seeking to perfect their smile. Unlike normal braces, Invisalign aligners are clear and not easily noticeable in your smile, allowing you to feel less self-conscious about your teeth.

To straighten out your smile, Dr. Omar will have Invisalign aligners custom-made for your teeth that are to be worn for two weeks at a time. Ac-cording to the Shuayb Dental website, a typical treatment lasts 9-15 months and includes visits to the office about every six weeks until your teeth have reached their final positions.

If you’re one of the many Ameri-

cans who are self-conscious about the color of their teeth, whitening services also are offered at Shuayb Dental. Although Dr. Shuayb acknowledges that many whitening toothpastes can help alleviate staining of the enamel caused by food, coffee and tobacco, he says that many of these also contain chemicals that can eat away at the outer coating of your teeth.

The brothers say that they are excited about their new office in New Tampa and that it seemed natural, and smart, to open an office in the new location.

“We graduated from USF and al-ready were familiar with the area,” says Dr. Omar. “I went ahead and did some demographic research when we were considering another office and thought that this would be an ideal location.”

Shuayb Dental patient Donna Palmer is extremely pleased with her experience at the practice.

“(Shuayb Dental’s) entire staff is fantastic,” Palmer says. “They are friendly, courteous, helpful and, most of all, extremely knowledgeable. Dr. Shuayb is very thoughtful, courteous and keeps me well informed about what he is doing.”

Shuayb Dental is located at 14945 BBD Blvd. and is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. For more information, please call 632-9200 or visit ShuaybSmiles.com.

Dr. Shuayb injects patient Gloria Browning with an anaesthetic prior to a procedure.


Superstars like Lady Gaga, Nikki Minaj, Christina Aguilera, Madonna, Pink and Cher have all been nearly as well known for their outrageous hairstyles as they have for their singing careers. But, how can the average modern lady switch up her look without doing permanent damage to her hair or making a long-term commitment to a new hairstyle?

Many celebrities use hair extensions with natural color and/or fantasy colors (such as bright pinks, purples, blues and reds), to achieve desired looks. However, one local salon offers not only mainte-nance haircuts and styles for men, women and children, but also extensions, fantasy colors, highlights, lowlights, perms, “up-dos” for special events (weddings, proms, etc.), Keratin treatments, facial waxing and even special effects make-up designs.

Rebecca Weeks, a Tampa native who now lives and works in Wesley Chapel, opened Rebecca Does Hair (located in the Summergate Professional Center behind Sam’s Club in the W#esley Chapel com-munity of Seven Oaks) in September 2013 as an independent business inside the Lady Grace Beauty Spa. As a 2010 graduate of Paul Mitchell The School Tampa, she holds a Cosmetology and Business License through the State of Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Board of Cosmetology.

Weeks has been trained to cut all hair types (wavy, curly, extra curly and straight) and textures (fine, medium, coarse). She also has completed a two-day, 16-hour course to become a certified stylist for Cinderella Hair Extensions®, qualifying her to apply hair extensions and educate clients about how to maintain those exten-sions. Weeks also attends continuing edu-cation courses regularly, including Organic Color Training and the Paul Mitchell Advanced Cutting Class with artistic direc-tor Lenny King.

Her previous salon experience includes Cuts & More, Inc. (Wesley Chapel), and SmartStyle Family Hair Salon inside the New Tampa Walmart

Supercenter. Because Rebecca Does Hair is only a few months old and is still build-ing a client base, Weeks currently services all of her clients without the assistance of subcontractors, offering a truly individual-ized experience.

While Weeks originally went through nursing school and later completed certi-fication in Digital Publishing and Design through the Erwin Technical Center in Tampa in 2001, she says that she was continually playing with hair during her free time. Her mother Sarah King sug-gested that she take her passion to the next level and become certified in the field. Now, Rebecca uses her digital design background to run her business’ website, where clients can view a list of services, prices, detailed directions to the salon and a photo gallery of her previous work, including before-and-after photos.

Because the business is simply a one-seat salon inside of an upscale spa, Weeks is able to offer a uniquely client-based experience in a comfortable environment with appointment availability during hours when most salons are closed.

She explains, “I want my clients to feel comfortable in their surroundings.” The salon has wood laminate flooring, a cutting chair in front of a three-way mirror and vanity, a hair-wash sink, one chair for a waiting client (or a client’s friend or family member), and Paul Mitchell home hair care products for purchase.

Amenities include a well-decorated and clean restroom, free Wi-Fi access and client-controlled music selections. Because the salon was created for only a single client on an appointment-only basis, individuals may feel less rushed.

Sarah Hughes — a Licensed nurse practitioner, pharmaceutical sales repre-sentative and New Tampa resident — has been one of Weeks’ regular customers for four years, setting appointments every three weeks.

“I like the way she does my color and cut, and the hours and location are convenient,” Hughes explains.

In addition, when Weeks recently gave Hughes a Keratin treatment, Hughes

says she received compliments from her work partner, who indicated that her hair, “looked natural and smooth.” Hughes also purchased Cin-derella Hair Ex-tensions® from Rebecca Does Hair because her natural hair is so fine; she says the finished product made her hair appear more full-bodied and thicker.

Weeks adds that she is able to, “work around my clients’ schedules and will sometimes schedule a midnight appointment for a nurse just getting off work, then return to the salon at 6 a.m. the following morning to meet another client before their flight out of town.”

Jeremey Terry, a Temple Terrace resi-dent and owner of Jeremy’s Hair Studio (the other independent hair stylist located in the Lady Grace Beauty Spa), has been a loyal client of Rebecca Does Hair for four

months. Terry insists, “As a hair stylist myself, it’s hard to get someone to cut my hair the way I like it. I’m particular about how it’s cut — it’s very fine — and you need to be precise.”

Terry and Weeks enjoy working in the same building and consult with each other regularly, especially for hair color tones for clients. They will oftentimes combine both of their opinions on a hair treatment op-tion and agree that the results have always been positive.

Rebecca Does Hair Can Make You Look & Feel Like A Superstar, Too!

Rebecca Weeks, of Rebecca Does Hair, gives Wesley Chapel resident Shannon Hargis a “cut-n-style” at her salon inside the Lady Grace Beauty Spa in Wesley

Chapel. Hargis has been one of Weeks’ customers for more than two years.

By Lauren Saslow


Standard & Unique ServicesRebecca Does Hair offers a competi-

tive rate for standard wash, cut, blow-dry and style services for new clients, starting at $25 for women, $15 for men and only $13 for children under 13 years old, while teachers receive 20-percent-off any service year-round. Weeks also offers up-dos for special events either on- or off-site, as well as various color treatment options. She is skilled with the trendy Ombré color tech-nique, in which the locks are two-toned, usually (but not always) brunette on top with blonde tips.

The salon uses Redken professional hair products and hair color, in addition to Organic Colour Systems hair dye and Or-ganic Keratin that has a non-formaldehyde formula. The Cinderella Hair Extensions®

offer 100-percent Remy Hair, meaning the entirely human hair pieces have cuti-cles all facing in the same direction, which prevents tangles and matting problems. Remy hair blends seamlessly with the cli-ent’s own natural hair to create an appear-ance of natural, healthy looking hair.

The process of applying Cinderella Hair begins with a free initial consultation. The client discusses the desired look with Weeks and selects from one or more of the 76 color options, with lengths ranging from 8-24 inches. Hair texture options include fine, medium and coarse while hair types includes straight, body wave or Euro wavy. Weeks then orders the client’s selection, which generally takes less than a week to ship. During the second appoint-ment, Weeks applies low levels of heat to

soften and contour the Organic Classic Bond around the hair shaft. She says that the extensions, with proper care, can last 4-6 months and can be applied to all hair types.

When the client is ready to remove the extensions, Weeks can apply a “bond remover” to each bond in order to soften it. Applying gentle pressure allows the bond to slide off the client’s hair along with the extensions. Weeks says that any residual bond may be removed with a gen-tle shampoo without damaging the client’s natural hair.

Several other services are offered at Rebecca Does Hair, including facial wax-ing of the eyebrows, upper lip and chin, as well as special effects make-up applica-tions. While Weeks learned some make-up techniques through her cosmetology training, she says she has perfected her art over time.

“Halloween is a busy day,” Weeks ex-plains. “I’m usually booked beginning in the morning for everything from vampire bites to dead pirates (which also might come in handy for the annual Gasparilla Pirate Festival on Saturday, January 25, in downtown Tampa) with prosthetic bones exposed on the face.” Weeks says that she even replicated a design of the character Pinhead from the horror flick “Hellraiser.”

Community InvolvementRebecca Does Hair is scheduled to

donate time and services to the American Cancer Society (ACS) Relay for Life of Wesley Chapel/Wiregrass at Watergrass Elementary School in May 2014, a popular overnight fund-raising event to benefit ACS.

Weeks will be on-site at the Relay for Life event, where she will cut the hair of willing participants according to the Locks of Love (LoL) donation guide-lines. Long-locked volunteers can donate eight inches of hair or more to LoL, which is a public non-profit organization providing hairpieces to financially disad-vantaged children in the United States and Canada who suffer from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. Cancer constitutes the second highest percentage of LOL recipients (the largest number of recipients being children suf-fering from the auto-immune disorder, alopecia).

For more info, call 943-4023 or email [email protected] to make an appointment. Rebecca Does Hair is located inside the Lady Grace Beauty Spa, at 27551 Cashford Cir., Unit 101, off S.R. 56, in Wesley Chapel. Everyone also is invited to ‘Like’ her page, Rebecca Does Hair, at Facebook.com.

No matter the occasion, Rebecca Weeks of Rebecca Does Hair in Wesley Chapel will have you turning heads with your eimpressive new hair style.


Pura Cycling Studio Introduces Personal Training, Yoga & More!Let’s be honest, it’s been a little

cold outside recently, so cold that get-ting outdoors, hopping on a bike and riding several miles might sound pretty intimidating. However, it’s never cold at Pura Cycling Studio in the Shoppes at New Tampa in Wesley Chapel, where sweating out calories and getting “the good burn” are the goal each day and key for reaching the “Pura Vida” (“pure life”) mindset.

Following a trip to Costa Rica, Pura Cycling co-owner Stephanie Farquhar wanted to bring the “pura vida” mind-set back to Wesley Chapel and decided to do so by opening a cycling studio with Alfio Carroccetto.

“Exercise should be fun and not a chore, so we wanted to create that for our members,” Farquhar explains. “Our studio is all about escaping from the daily grind and taking the time to take care of yourself with a strong cardio and strength training routine centered around proper nutrition.”

Pura has done this during the last year+ by offering indoor cycling (just don’t call it “spinning”), but Stephanie and Alfio have recently added yoga and group fitness classes, as well as semi-private personal training to offer a more complete fitness opportunity.

So, whether you’ve never stepped on a bike or have made it a major part

of your life over the years, Pura Cy-cling has something that everyone can enjoy, without feeling overwhelmed or intimidated. And, it all starts with a consultation.

“We get to know your specific goals and motivations so we can find the program or programs that suit you best, then design your program to fit those specific goals,” Carroccetto says. “We then take initial metrics like body fat percentage, body mass index (BMI), inches measurements and your weight, as well as a few before pictures, so that we have a starting point. Then, we meet every month to reassess your progress, see where your successes have been and if we need to make changes.”

During that month, clients are en-couraged to take part in Pura’s myriad of classes. For beginners, Farquhar rec-ommends any of the studio’s 45-minute cycling classes.

“Any of our 45-minute cycling classes is great for beginners; however you control the intensity of the class and the instructors always give different cycling options throughout the class,” she says.

Customize Your Ride!For example, Pura offers a “Morn-

ing Burn” class to get the workday started. It lasts 45 minutes and has a mix of interval training and strength work on the bike. Pura also offers a

Alfio Carroccetto & Stephanie Farquhar of Pura Cycling Studio (located in the Shoppes at New Tampa plaza on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., just south of S.R. 56) invite you to join them for great indoor cycling, yoga and personal training classes to help you get in the best shape of your life.

By Matt Wiley

“Strong Roots” class that also lasts 45 minutes, but is a strength ride to push your legs and body to your own limits. Remember, no matter what class you take, you control your own intensity!

If you have more time and are looking for a longer workout, consider an “Escape” class. For one hour, riders of all experience levels put the “pedal to the metal” in a mix of terrain types (uphill, downhill, straightaways, etc.), for the ultimate burn!

“Pura Vida” rides are offered in both 45- and 60-minute increments

and focus on endurance and strength training with pulse-pounding music and long climbs and straightaways.

Pura’s 30-minute “Elite Core” class also is a great option for right after a cycle session. Instead of relaxing and meditating with some yoga stretches, this class has you stretching resistance bands to help you tone up.

“Our most popular classes are the ‘Pura Vida’ rides combined with ‘Elite Core’ afterward,” Carroccetto explains. “Riders get a full-body workout with 45 minutes of mixed terrain on the bike,


followed by 30 minutes of core exercises off the bike. Participants can expect to burn anywhere from 400-700 calories with the cycling alone and up to 300 more calories when you add the Elite Core class!”

Any of Pura’s cycling classes can leave you winded and tight, which is why Stephanie and Alfio have added a yoga class to the mix to help you relax and unwind, immediately following the cycling session. Classes last 45 minutes and focus on poses that can be found naturally in cycling, while focusing on the muscles that just got used the most.

Personal Training, Too!One of the newest additions to

Pura Cycling’s repertoire is a semi-pri-vate personal training class.

“These sessions have a maximum of five participants per 50-minute class where we focus on functional fitness training, which is perfect for building muscle and shedding fat fast!,” Farquhar explains. “We call it our ‘FitPro’ ac-celerator program, in which we com-bine your cardio exercise (cycling) and strength training (semiprivate sessions) with flexibility (yoga) and proper nu-tritional counseling (which can include guided public shopping trips, monthly assessments and progress monitoring). Classes are offered daily.

Each class is taught by one of Pura’s team of eight instructors, almost

(Left) Pura Cycling indoor cycling instructor Claire Forrester leads a “Pura Vida 45 Ride” class. (Right) Stephanie leads a personal training class.

all of whom are Madd-Dogg spinning (although Pura prefers to call it “indoor cycling”)-certified: LuAnne Borak, Audrey Biggs, Julie Hinson, Claire For-rester, Christi Slaven, Erica Lembo and the newest addition to the Pura team, Tasha Bomar.

Accomplishments don’t go unno-ticed at Pura. If customers take part in the “Kapok Loyalty Club,” which tracks the number of rides each member takes, he or she can earn free Pura products, such as Dri-fit shirts and gift bags.

“We track all of our members’ rides and when they hit milestones like 25, 50, 100 and 200 rides, they get free Pura ‘schwag’ and, of course, bragging rights for being on our leader board at

the studio,” Farquhar explains. “Our top rider, Domenica L, will hit 200 rides by the end of January — our first 200 milestone! We have more than nine other riders with more than 100 rides.”

Pura customer Clara knows the benefits of getting active at the studio.

“I had the wonderful opportunity of having a one-on-one spin class with (Faraquhar),” Clara explains. “The ride was fantastic! The entire staff at Pura Cycling is so warm and friendly. It’s a marvelous environment for anyone to get in shape.

Feel like changing your lifestyle for the New Year? Visit PuraCycling.com and sign up for a class or call the studio at 501-2124.


Together 2.0 Fun Run & Honest Abe 5K Can Help You Keep That Resolution!If getting those in your household

to be more active was on your list of New Years resolutions, an upcoming event in New Tampa could be just the ticket.

Presented by the Tampa Bay Sports Commission (TBSC), the in-augural Together 2.0 Family Fun Run will take place on Saturday, February 15, and provide two course options for participants, spanning either one or two miles through Tampa Palms. A portion of the proceeds from the event will go to benefit the New Tampa Family YMCA, which also is located in Tampa Palms on Compton Dr.

“TBSC felt there was a void in fitness/endurance events that incor-porated families as a whole,” says TBSC spokesman Mike Lambert. “We wanted to brand the event as some-thing your entire family can partici-pate in together, regardless of fitness level or age. The theme here is to get out, be active, and have a great time participating together. We hope the event ignites healthy family practices back home.”

The course will begin and end at Primrose School of Tampa Palms and

follow Commerce Park Blvd. out in front of Liberty Middle and Freedom High School, before doubling back to Primrose, where the “Fit Family Fin-ish Party” awaits and will feature live music, vendors, interactive games and food from local restaurants. Lambert explains that the list of restaurants still is being finalized, but should be an-nounced in the near future.

Awards will be given to the top three teams in both race categories.

Teams taking part in the race are

By Matt Wiley to be composed of at least two par-ticipants, one 14 years old or younger and one member above the age of 18. If registered before Friday, January 31, the cost to run is $20/1-mile, $25/2-mile, but will rise to $30/2-mile and $25/1-mile from Saturday, February 1-13. Registration on race day costs $35 for both races.

For more information, please contact Mike Lambert at [email protected] Chapel Rotary’s ‘Honest Abe 5K’ Feb. 15!

Interested in getting active for the

New Year, but live in Wesley Chapel? Come on out to the fourth annual Honest Abe 5K road race, presented by Saint Leo University and the Wes-ley Chapel Rotary Club!

The race will begin at 8 a.m. at American Consulting Engineers, located off S.R. 56 on Cypress Ridge Blvd. in Wesley Chapel, next to the Hampton Inn & Suites hotel. Break-fast following the race will be pro-vided by A Dash of Salt & Pepper, located on Cross Creek Blvd.

To pre-register, please visit Ac-tive.com and search “Honest Abe.”

‘Honest Abe’ Lincoln (Wesley Chapel Rotary member Ben Alexander) plans to make a re-turn appearance to the fourth annual Honest Abe 5K road race on Feb. 15 in Wesley Chapel.


graduates of the Clinton School of Public Service.

Lawrence explains that Noble Impact also launched at HGE in the summer of 2013 as a four-day “institute,” during which time 80 students were introduced to en-trepreneurial skills and challenged both as individu-als and as teams to confront differ-ent school-related issues in hopes that they could come up with ideas for solutions. At the end of the program, the student teams pitched their solutions to fellow classmates, teachers and the parents in attendance.

“We took the high school pro-gram and rewrote it for elementary students,” Lawrence says. “It started as a summer program, but I plan to pitch it to the District and, hopefully, it can be implemented on a middle

and high school level, too.”In addition to teaching fifth grade

at HGE, Lawrence also is the jun-ior varsity volleyball coach at nearby Wharton High, with her fifth grade teaching partner and varsity volleyball coach Eric Barber.

For more info about Reagan Lawrence, please visit her website inside HuntersGreen.mysdhc.org.

Best of luck, Reagan, from the New Tampa Neighborhood News!

HGE’s Reagan Lawrence A Finalist For Hillsborough Teacher Of The Year!The finalists have been released

for the Hillsborough Education Foun-dation (HEF)’s annual “Teacher of the Year” award and Hunter’s Green Elementary (HGE)’s own Reagan Lawrence is among the finalists.

Currently in her sixth year of teaching at HGE, Lawrence — a Live Oak Preserve resident — will find out if she is the county’s “Teacher of the Year” during the annual Excellence In Education awards ceremony on Thursday, February 20, at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Tampa. If selected, Law-rence will go on to be considered for Florida’s Teacher of the Year.

“I’m so shocked (to have been chosen as a finalist),” Lawrence says. “There are so many good teachers in the (Hillsborough County School) District.”

Originally from Pasadena, MA, Lawrence moved to Florida after graduating from Stevenson University (formerly known as Villa Julie Col-lege) in Baltimore with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She started out teaching second grade at Phillp Shore Elementary Magnet School of the Arts in Ybor City, before

beginning her teaching career at HE, also teaching second grade.

Lawrence, who also recently re-ceived her Master’s degree in Educa-tional Leadership from Nova South-eastern University’s Tampa campus, taught second grade for one more year at HGE, before teaching fourth grade for one year and currently is in her third year of teaching fifth grade.

“I try to go above and beyond in the classroom,” Lawrence explains. “I really care about all of my students and try to create an environment in which I can connect with them.”

To do so, Lawrence says one learning strategy she utilizes is her “Song of the Week,” always a clean “Top 40” song. Lawrence says she teaches her students the lyrics and then connects the lyrics with figurative language or poetry, in hopes that the words will help spark their memories about the concept later.

Lawrence also is one of the co-founders of the Noble Impact pro-gram at HGE, which is based on the same leadership and public service program for high school students and is endorsed by former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Noble Impact was started in Little Rock, AK, in July 2013 by

Hillsborough County Teacher of the Year finalist and Hunter’s Green Elementary fifth grade teacher Reagan Lawrence walks with her

students dressed as a character from the popular movie (and book series) “The Hunger Games.”

By Matt Wiley


sweet Italian sausage on one sandwich.We also agreed that the Chicago-

style hot dogs, served with sweet pickle relish, tomatoes and cucumbers on a seeded, soft bun were also deli-cious. And, even though I prefer my hot dogs New York deli-style, with brown mustard and hot sauerkraut, Full Circle’s Kosher-style beef dogs are definitely worth having.

I’ve never been a big fan of strom-bolis or calzones (usually too much bread and not enough “stuff” inside), but I have to say that Full Circle’s stromboli — which comes with pep-peroni, ham and mozzarella and a side of that zesty tomato sauce — is among my favorites in the area. Ron didn’t balk when we added his unbeatable sweet Ital-ian sausage and even bacon to the usual.

Full Circle. which also has been recently remodeled, also has great shareable salads, a few delicious pasta dishes, from spa-ghetti and meatballs to fettucci-ne Alfredo with grilled chicken, eggplant parmigiana, delicious veggie pizzas, a great lunch menu and Peroni and Yuengling beers on draft and more.

Full Circle Pizza & Grill (19651 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.) is open every

day for lunch and dinner. Call 994-3700, visit FullCirclePizza-Grill.com or see the ad on page 54 for a great 20-percent-off coupon!

I’ve been telling you about my friend Ron Chase and his Full Circle Pizza & Grill since even before the place opened in the Pebble Creek Collection in New Tampa (just a mile or so south of County Line Rd.) in June 2012.

We did our first full-length feature about Full Circle in July of that year and Ron says the relationship between our publications and his restaurant has been outstanding for him.

“We’ve always had people from Chicago who would try us just because we said we were Chicago style,” Ron says. “But, without the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News, we’d never have the number of intensely loyal followers we have today.”

In fact, Ron says that even the small “Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes” items we run whenever he gets a new menu item get more response from the public than ads in any other publication.

“And, the feature stories always bring in more than all of our other marketing combined,” Ron says. “I knew this is when the snowbirds would all be here, so I asked Gary if my story could run in this Wesley Chapel issue and the

Feb. 1 New Tampa issue. And, because I’ve been advertising consistently, I was able to get the story when I wanted and needed it most.”

Of course, Ron has built that follow-ing with great food, including plenty of authentic Windy City-style choices.

“I do both thin-crust and deep-dish Chicago-style pizza,” Ron says, noting that the deep-dish pies are only avail-able Sun.-Thur. “Plus, we also have Chicago-style Vienna beef hot dogs and Chicago-style Italian beef sandwiches.”

Although Ron understands that I’m still going to prefer New York-style pizza to either Chicago style when I publish my list of local favorite restaurants (see page 32), he is proud that his loyal fans, many of whom are originally from the Chicago area or the Midwest — and even those who had no prior pizza “af-filiation”— swear by his heavy layer of heartier tomato sauce and thick layers of amazing sausage and pepperoni lurking under that sauce, whether you choose to enjoy them in his thin or deep dish pizza.

In fact,I’ve often seen former Chica-goan and local hotel owner David Larson and his father Dick in Full Circle, enjoy-ing Ron’s pizza.

“It’s the best in the area,” David has told me more than once.

Assistant editor Matt Wiley and I were both blown away by the Chicago Italian beef sandwich, which Ron says traditionally comes without cheese or toppings other than the delicious au jus “sauce” that soaks the bottom of an otherwise crusty, authentic Chicago-style roll. We ordered ours with melted mozzarella and the flavor and tenderness of the beef and the juicy bread were all absolutely outstanding. You can even combine Chicago beef and Ron’s yummy

Full Circle Pizza & Grill — A True Taste Of Chicago & Much More! By Gary Nager

Among our editor’s favorites at Full Circle Pizza & Grill in Pebble Creek are (clockwise from top left) the deep-dish Chicago-style pizza & the Chi-cago-style hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches. (Below) The thin-crust Chicago-style pizza at

Full Circle has lots of loyal New Tampa fans.

Another favorite at Full Circle is the deli-cious stromboli. Try it with a big salad.


Arts & Business Showcase along Piazza Ave., from 4 p.m.-9 p.m.

The Chamber’s Business Showcase was probably the most affected by the weather, as the sun went down early in the afternoon, which kept most of the Arts Fest visitors from finding their way to Piazza Ave. from Paseo Dr.

I also really enjoyed watching the sidewalk chalk artists who recre-ated their spectacular artworks on the sidewalk in front of Dillard’s in the mall from small photographic prints of their creations. I was told that there were prizes awarded for these chalk artists, as well as for the artists and artisans along

Paseo Dr., but I was unable to attend on Sunday when those prizes were appar-ently awarded.

I also missed the presentation of grants to local arts teachers, which was held on Saturday night and was emceed by Marvelous Marvin from WJQB-FM 106.3. The event’s presenting spon-sor was Wesley Chapel Nissan, which displayed a variety of beautiful vehicles along Paseo Dr.

A Very Special ArtistPerhaps my favorite artist at the

festival was New Tampa resident Sara May, who is afflicted with a severe case

Brrr! Recapping The Suncoast Art Fest & WC Chamber Business ExpoThere’s no doubt that the ninth

annual Suncoast Arts Festival, held the weekend of January 18-19 along Paseo Dr., the main drag at the Shops at Wire-grass mall, is one event that neither the artistic exhibitors nor the thousands of attendees will ever forget.

The temperature over the course of the weekend never really inched much above 50 degrees — a delightful temp for a fall day in the northeastern U.S., but darn near frigid to most Floridians.

The quaint Paseo Dr. was again visited by an estimated crowd of more than 100,000 people over the course of the two days of the Fest and all pro-

ceeds from the event will benefit “Art for Kids,” a grant fund created by the festival’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit parent organization, Fine Arts of the Suncoast, Inc., to supplement arts education fund-ing in public, private and charter schools in Pasco County.

The event featured more than 135 fine artists and craftsmen along Paseo Dr. Also on hand were sidewalk chalk artists, sponsored by Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture and the Arts (TBBCA.org), a “Random Acts for Art” Entertainment Stage, all weekend, spon-sored by Team Farrell and a Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce

(Left) Much of the art at this year’s Suncoast Arts Festival at the Shops at Wiregrass mall the “frigid” weekend of January 18-19 was spectacularly colorful. (Right) Among the exhibitors at the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce Arts & Business Showcase were

the bundled-up ladies from Tampa Bay Insurance Center, which also is located in Wesley Chapel.

By Gary Nager

Among our favorite crafts at this year’s festival were the “Humi-dorable” cigar box purses and

jewelry boxes by Susan Jordan.


of Multiple Sclerosis. I was admiring Sara’s work when I realized that she had created all of her beautiful, colorful and extremely intricate works of art using only her mouth! Sara, who only has the use of two fingers on one hand, was being inter-viewed by a local TV station when I visited her booth and I plan to buy one of her creations from her website (MSMouthPaintings.com). For more info about the 2014 Suncoast Arts Fest, visit SuncoastArtsFest.com.

(Above, l.-r.) The sidewalk chart art displays were among our editor’s favorites at the 2014 Suncoast Arts Fest. There also were unique crafts like the smoking Mystery Stone all along the route of the Arts Fest. Despite the cold weather, the festival had plenty of visitors. (Below right) “Copenhagen in Winter” was one of our editor’s favorite works of art created by

“mouth artist” and New Tampa resident Sara May (at left in bottom right photo), who is afflicted with multiple sclerosis.


More Than 200 Attend Local Man’s ‘Shark Tank’ Watch Party!

Although none of the five multi-millionaire/billionaire “sharks” ended up investing in his company during his Jan. 17 appearance on the hit ABC-TV show “Shark Tank,” local entrepreneur Ben Alexander says he is more excited than ever about his balloon entertain-ment company, Balloon Distractions.

Alexander, who was joined by more than 200 friends, business associates and Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel mem-bers at a “Shark Tank” watch party at PrimeBar in the Shops at Wiregrass mall as his episode of the hit reality series was being aired. Although he was lauded by the “sharks” for his unique idea and his energy during his appearance on the show, Alexander said he wasn’t too disappointed that his request for as $250,000 investment (in exchange for a 1/3 ownership stake in Balloon Distractions) was turned down by all five sharks — Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban; real estate mogul Bar-bara Corcoran; “Queen of QVC” Lori Greiner; technology innovator Robert Herjavec; fashion and branding expert Daymond John; and venture capitalist Kevin O’Leary.

“The most important thing about being on ‘Shark Tank’ isn’t necessarily whether or not the sharks invest in your idea,” Alexander said. “The key is that your website has to be ready for half

a million hits the day of the show and thousands more after it airs. You never know who’s watching who might say, ‘I think that’s a great idea.’ Then, you have an investor/partner who really believes in what you’re trying to do, not just a ‘shark’ to give you money but not help you beyond the investment.”

Although he started his appearance on the show with an exciting balloon drop and presented unique balloon gifts to each of the sharks, a couple of them noted that Alexander’s business model for Balloon Distractions was somewhat flawed and Cuban even had to tell Alex-ander to “Shut up” because his energy wouldn’t allow the billionaire NBA owner to finish a sentence.

Although I wasn’t able to be on-hand for the watch party at PrimeBar (I

was at the Billy Joel concert), Ben said that he was overwhelmed by the show of support from those who did attend.

For more information, visit BalloonDistractions.com. To watch Ben’s “Shark Tank” episode, visit ABC.go.com/shows/shark-tank.

(Above left) Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel member Ben Alexander’s appearance on “Shark Tank” included an impressive balloon drop to promote his company, Balloon Distractions. (Above right) Alexander and his wife Rachel (front), with Lauren & Pasco County Commission candidate Mike Moore.

By Gary Nager Photos by Eric Johnson

(Above left) Alexander shows off some of his balloon-twisting magic. (Right) Among the Wesley Chapel Rotarians who attended the watch party at

PrimeBar were American Cancer Society reps Robyn Liska (with hat) and Jannah McDonald.


Sushi Raw — For Everyone Who’s Been Missing Sushi Tsu In Tampa Palms!

Although we have still had plenty of great Japanese restaurants to enjoy in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, I know I wasn’t alone in missing Sushi Tsu, which had been located, for more than a decade, in the same Shoppes of Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms, where our office had been located (until a few days ago) before it closed last year.

So, you can imagine how excited I was when I heard that the new Su-shi Raw, which also has been located in the Shoppes at Amberly for about two months, was owned by Sushi Tsu’s former top sushi chef, Fong Cheng, and that former Sushi Tsu owner Jay Choe and several other former employees from Sushi Tsu were helping Fong get his new restaurant off to a flying start.

Fong became something of a local superstar at Sushi Tsu, even though he hardly spoke English (he speaks and un-derstands it a lot better now), from the moment he first started working for Jay. Many local residents would ask for him by name and he never let them down.

“He (Fong) can handle the sushi side of the business,” says Jay, who today is a sous chef at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in the West Shore area of Tampa, as well as a culinary educator. “I’m helping him

learn the business side of the business.” Also helping Fong by picking up some shifts at the new Sushi Raw are former Sushi Tsu chefs Nick, Tony and Roger.

So, no matter who prepares your food at Sushi Raw, you can rest assured that the fish will be fresh, all of the dishes will be delicious and the sauces will be unique.

Fong, who lives in Wesley Chapel with his wife and two young sons, says he had quite a run on the crispy lob-ster appetizer we featured in last issue’s Neighborhood Nibbles & Buisness Bytes column, so I’m sure that he’ll also sell a lot of my other favorite items pictured on these pages, including a unique calamri appetizer which includes sweet red pep-pers and a slightly spicy finish.

I’m showing quite a bit of sushi on these pages because Sushi Raw has some of the best you’ll find anywhere in the Tampa Bay area. Among the new favorites I hadn’t sampled before I visited Fong’s place, including the spicy summer roll (with tuna, fresh greens and avocado wrapped in rice paper, instead of seaweed in a spicy chile sauce), the spicy tuna To-kyo Roll, which adds tempura crunch for taste and texture, the spicy ahi tuna poki and the fresh snapper sushi seared with the skin on for extra texture and taste.

And, speaking of extra taste, I always order my Sushi Raw sushi with Fong’s

Among the delicious items in this incredible sushi platter at Sushi Raw in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms. Among the favorites displayed in this platter are several different fresh ahi tuna choices, fresh red snapper, escolar (white tuna), grilled eel, veggie tempura and more.

By Gary NagerPhotos by Matt Wiley

incredible spicy tataki sauce, which deserves to be used on a lot more than just his perfect tuna tataki. I love dipping everything from hibachi steak to fresh veggies in the sauce, so be sure to ask Fong for a sample the net time you visit Sushi Raw.

More Than Just SushiAlthough I’ve only sampled a few

of the entrées from Sushi Raw’s simple menu, I can already recommend Fong’s fried pork katsu, chicken or steak teri-yaki, great tempura and my new favorite, the yakisoba, which is a nicely spiced steak dish with fresh broccoli and other veggies and lo mein-style noodles.

And, although Sushi Raw is only a

couple of months old, it already is receiv-ing a lot of great reviews on Yelp.com.

For example, Lisa C. of Tampa posted this rave:

“Saw this place open up and went in to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised to see the old sushi chef from Sushi Tsu behind the counter! Great sushi plus some of the dinner selections that they had available at the old restaurant. Would definitely recommend this place if you live in the New Tampa area and are looking for some yummy sushi!”

Sushi Raw currently doesn’t yet have its beer and wine license, but Fong and Jay promise that it is coming soon. In the meantime, you can bring your own adult beverages and enjoy them without having to pay and uncorking fee until the beer and wine license has been finalized.

Need more good news? If you check out Sushi Raw’s ad on page

If you like calamari, you have to try the sweet pepper-infused calamari ast Sushi Raw.


61 of this isue, you’ll find a coupon for $5 off any order of $25 or more, whether you dine in or take out. The restaurant is open Monday-Friday for lunch (11-2:30) and for dinner seven days a week (Sunday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-10 p.m., and 5 p.m.-11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Sushi Raw is located at 15311 Amberly Dr., next to LA (formerly Lifestyle Family) Fitness. For reser-vations and more information, call 977-3838. And, please tell Fong, Jay and the rest of the crew that the New Tampa Neighborhood News sent you.

(Clockwise from top left) The sushi artist Fong at work, the delicious yakisoba, Tokyo roll and fresh summer roll, all among our editor’s favorites at the new Sushi Raw. (Below) Fong is being

helped with his restaurant’s opening by former Sushi Tsu owner Jay Choe.


Lake Jovita G&CC Combines Country Club Elegance With AffordabilityThe New Tampa and Wesley

Chapel areas are home to many upscale golf & country clubs, most of which are located inside large planned suburban communities. While each club offers a unique combination of amenities and scenic landscapes, none directly in our distribution areas can offer the naturally high elevation changes and quiet atmosphere quite like those at the semi-private, 36-hole Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club (LJG&CC) in nearby Dade City, just a few miles northeast of Wesley Chapel.

But, in this case, semi-private isn’t just another word for “public,” although LJG&CC is available for over-night stays that include full membership privileges. Few country clubs/golf re-sorts in our area can match Lake Jovita for elegance, quality golf, cuisine and especially, picturesque vistas. Even local professional athletes, such as members of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team and Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team, have been known to frequent this Golf Digest 4.5-star-ranked courses.

The Lake Jovita Golf Course originally opened in 1926, but closed less than 10 years later, due the Great Depression. Dennis and Sun Lee of Sunden Tampa, LLC, opened the original LJG&CC, along with the South Course, in 1998. Their son Stephen also is part owner and serves as the club’s current general manager. The Lees also own Diamond Hill Golf Club in Dover, FL; Hemet Golf Club in Hemet, CA; and Trails of Frisco Golf Club and Tour 18, both in Dallas, TX.

Now rated as one of GolfWeek’s “Top 25 Best Courses You Can Play in Florida (2013),” Lake Jovita’s South Course — a U.S. Open qualifying site — offers rolling hills, giant oak trees and serene freshwater lakeside views less than 20 minutes from most areas of Wesley Chapel and only 30-35 minutes from most of New Tampa.

Designed by former PGA & cur-rent PGA Champions Tour pro Tom Lehman and award-winning golf course architect Kurt Sandness, the 220-acre modern course takes full advantage of

Dade City’s naturally occurring hilly land-scape and the namesake 160-acre Lake Jovita. In fact, the course offers conditions more com-parable with those you would expect to see in Georgia or North Caro-lina, yet it still caters to players of varying skill levels. The Par-5 11th hole even features the largest tee-to-green drop (94 ft.) of any course in the state.

Located adjacent to Saint Leo University (SLU) — LJG&CC is home to the SLU men’s and women’s golf teams and the campus can be viewed from some areas along the course and the SLU cathedral bells occasionally can be heard — while highway noise and other distractions are scarcely audible from any area on the course. The North Course, also designed by Sandness and completed in 2005, spans 263 acres and maintains an open landscape with a more contemporary feel and longer lay-out than the South Course. The North Course has hosted several Florida State Golf Association championships.

Amenities Galore!In addition to golf, the country

club offers members a variety of physi-cal, social and dining amenities. The 32,000-sq.-ft. clubhouse, designed with a combination of Mediterranean and Key West architectural styles, overlooks the 9th and 18th holes and houses a fit-ness center, full pro shop, a grill room, a Grand Dining Room (as well as private dining areas and a veranda for outdoor seating), business offices, locker rooms, Men’s Card Room and Women’s Bridge Club Room. Outside, there are four Har-Tru clay tennis courts, a six-lane Junior Olympic (25m) swimming pool with beach entry, and outdoor poolside grill (open during summer months).

The 2,000-sq.-ft. fitness center includes free weights, as well as Cybex cardio and circuit machines. Fitness director Debbie Milton is available for personal training sessions, fitness as-

By Lauren Saslow & Gary Nager

sessments, nutritional analysis and body composition analysis. Milton, who is certified through the Aerobics & Fitness Association of America (AAFA), has a background in Jazzercise instruc-tion, personal training, weight manage-ment counseling, and coaching body-building teams. She previously owned and operated Crescent Fitness Center, Inc. in Dade City. The club’s group exercise calendar offers members a Monday-Friday schedule of Boot Camp and Power Yoga with Kim Risch (who is certified through the National Exercise Trainers Association), spinning (indoor cycling) taught by Jency Emo (who holds a YMCA Training Certification) and Body Fit classes taught by Milton. A private massage room also is available for appointments with Lake Jovita’s Licensed Massage Therapist.

The fully stocked golf pro shop is staffed with professionals led by head professional [and Class “A” member of the Professional Golf Association (PGA)], Leo Cadden, who can help members book a tee time, reserve rental equipment, assist with repairs or shopping for clothing and equipment and give private golf lessons. Cadden’s previously was the head golf professional at Silverthorn Country Club in Brooks-ville. Because no detail is ever over-looked at Lake Jovita, a variety of local cigars also are on sale in the Pro Shop. In the hallway outside the shop is a large bulletin board for men, women or couples to reserve tee times and signup for golf events.

The tennis center offers well-

maintained Har-Tru courts (which is actually crushed stone, more durable and consistent than its European clay court counterparts), with a variety of programs for men and women, whether singles or doubles, with lighting for evening play. During the summer, the pool is used for swim lessons and water aerobics taught by Suzanne Hollis, who is a certified pool/spa operator and CPR instructor, although the pool itself is open year-round to members for swimming laps or relaxation.Outstanding Cuisine, Too

Executive chef and food and bever-age manager Brian Boismier (formerly the executive chef at Heritage Isles Golf & Country Club in New Tampa) leads his culinary staff of ten to create a unique dining experience for Lake Jovita’s members and their guests.

The Grand Dining Room offers two-story French Palladian windows for members to enjoy the spectacular views of the hardwood trees and pond, central fountain and surrounding golf course holes. It even is open to the public dur-ing select days and times, but business casual dress is required and reservations are suggested for large parties.

And, although assistant editor Matt Wiley and I only got to enjoy a couple of menu items in the Grand Dining Room, both the tender bourbon ribeye steak and an equally tasty fresh Gulf grouper with a savory saffron sauce, which I ordered on the side, were definitely delicious. Even the crisp house salad, grilled veggies and decadent tux-

(Above) The scenic 11th hole of the Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club South Course features a 94-foot tee-to-

green drop, the largest of any golf hole in Florida. (Right) The South Course’s majestic 9th hole offers one of the many on-course views of the club itself.

Photos for this story by Matt Wiley


programs for men and women, whether

pool is used for swim lessons and water

and CPR instructor, although the pool itself is open year-round to members for

Executive chef and food and bever-age manager Brian Boismier (formerly

Golf & Country Club in New Tampa)

two-story French Palladian windows for members to enjoy the spectacular views of the hardwood trees and pond, central

holes. It even is open to the public dur-

casual dress is required and reservations

And, although assistant editor Matt Wiley and I only got to enjoy a couple

Room, both the tender bourbon ribeye

definitely delicious. Even the crisp house -

edo cheesecake we tried for dessert were all fresh and taste-tempting, too.

The more casual Grille Room offers a laid-back atmosphere for lunch and dinner, with flat screen TVs and bar. Both the Grille Room and the Grand Dining Room offer private rooms by reservation. The Country Club itself also can be reserved for very large spe-cial events, such as weddings, business meetings and golf tournaments.

Guests opting to stay on-site overnight at LJG&CC can enjoy full membership privileges while rooming in one of the 15 available Club Villas, each offering a spacious 1,700 sq. ft. of living space. The 3-bedroom/2-bath villas are fully furnished, with well-equipped kitchens, leisure rooms, and screened lanais, plus each unit overlooks the 17th and 18th holes. Rentals are available for up to four-guest-occupancy for nightly, weekly or even monthly stays.

These “Stay and Play” packages

allow guests full membership privileges, including 18 holes of golf with golf cart, advance tee times and un-limited use of the practice facility, as well as all club facilities and dining. Rates for a nightly, single occupancy start at $160 during the months of January, May-Sep-tember and December. Peak rates (oc-curring February-April and October and November) for nightly, single occupancy start at $250. “Stay & Play” is an excel-lent option for out-of-towners, New Tampa residents looking for a weekend getaway within driving distance, or for guests of larger events such as weddings or tournaments.Member & CommunitySpecial Events

LJG&CC hosts numerous social and charitable events throughout the year. The most recent events include the 7th annual Lake Jovita 5K Rein-deer Run/Walk (held last December), which raised funds for the East Pasco

Habitat for Humanity. Other recent LJG&CC-sponsored events have ben-efited the Lewis Abraham Lacoochee Boys and Girls Club and the children of LJG&CC’s groundskeepers, housekeep-ing staff and service staff.

The club’s New Year’s Eve Gala allowed members to ring in 2014 with dancing and dining, featuring entertain-ment by former “American Idol” con-testant Jonathan Cortez, Chef Brian’s fabulous plated dinner and a midnight champagne toast. The Winter Fitness Challenge, following the busy holiday season, offered members a ten-week challenge beginning mid-January to focus on losing body fat and increasing muscle strength. A weekly healthy-eat-ing class was offered as a supplement to the challenge for an additional fee. The 2014 Member-Member Golf Tourna-ment for Men and Women is scheduled for the weekend of February 15–16, which includes prizes, food and an awards dinner.

LG&CC’s tournament and membership sales coordinator Dolores White-Sutton is avail-able to assist prospective mem-bers with their selection from one of six packages, including Full Family Gold Membership, Tennis Membership, Fitness Membership, Family Social Membership or Single Social Membership. As a Rolex All-American Junior Golf Associa-tion (AJGC) athlete (2003-05) and professional golfer on the

Symetra Tour (2010-13), White-Sutton has first-hand experience in the world of golf and the knowledge she needs to help interested individuals or families identify the membership package that best suits their respective needs.

LJG&CC Woman’s Club President, Kim DeLisle, who also is a Lake Jovita resident and 10-year member of the club, says she enjoys the social oppor-tunities the club has to offer and that she looks forward to the weekly Happy Hour on Fridays because of the live entertainment and the crowds that the event attracts.

“If you want to stay home, then stay home,” she says, “but there’s always something social going on at Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club.”

Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club is located at 12900 Lake Jovita Blvd. in Dade City. For more infor-mation call (352) 588-2233 or visit LakeJovitaGolfCC.com.

(Above) French Palladium windows in Lake Jovita’s Grand Dining Room provide more impressive views, while the club’s outstanding cuisine (right) includes a grilled Bourbon

ribeye (left) and fresh grilled Gulf grouper with saffron sauce.


Ciccio’s Cali Cuts A RibbonIf you were one of the many New

Tampa residents who breathed an audible sigh of relief when the new Ciccio’s Cali opened in the Shoppes at The Pointe plaza (in the same area as Olive Garden, Red Lobster & Stonewood), you’re certainly not alone.

Yes, Ciccio’s is back, as is manager Robert Garofano, and even though a few of my old favorite dishes from when it was next to Publix in Tampa Palms are gone and it’s now beer and wine only, there’s no doubt that the health-conscious new lunch and dinner menu and the outrageously delicious new weekend breakfast/brunch offerings make Ciccio’s a must-try-again.

I was thrilled to sample that breakfast for the first time on January 18, when Garofano, his employees and District 7 City Council member Lisa Montelione cut

a ribbon with the New Tampa Chamber of Commerce at the newest Ciccio’s Cali location (although another is opening soon in Brandon).

The place was packed throughout the ribbon-cutting event, which also featured face painting for the kids in attendance.

Look for a full review of the new Ciccio’s (17004 Palm Pointe Dr.) in an future issue, visit CiccioCali.com, call 975-1222 or see the ad on page 42 for more info, including about Ciccio Cali’s “$2 Tuesdays.” We’ll also update you on Councilwoman Montelione’s Jan. 14 appearance at the New Tampa Chamber luncheon in our next issue.

Tampa General Family Care Center Opens In City Plaza

The new Tampa General Medi-cal Group (TGMG) Family Care Center has opened in the City Plaza at Tampa Palms shopping plaza. Hoplyn

The Latest & Greatest News About Dining, Shopping, Retail & More In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel!Beaton, M.D. and Scott S.E. Merritt, M.D., now are providing medical care to patients of all ages — from infants to seniors — including immunizations, treatment of illnesses and chronic dis-ease management.

Dr. Beaton is Board-certified in Family Medicine and received her M.D. degree from Rush Medical College in Chicago before completing a family medicine residency at the University of Buffalo. Prior to joining TGMG, Dr. Beaton was a physician at the Florida Hospital Flagler outpatient clinic.

Dr. Merritt is Board-eligible in internal medicine and pediatrics. He graduated from Saba University of Medicine in Saba, Dutch Caribbean, and completed his medical residency at Albany Medical Center in Albany, NY. He previously was a physician at the TGMG Family Care Center Healthpark.

The Tampa Palms office is the sev-

enth Family Care Center to open since 2012, with more locations planned, said Sharon Ford, TGMG’s director of ambulatory services.

The New Tampa office, located at 16011 Tampa Palms Blvd. W., is open weekdays, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. For appointments and more info, call 844-8100 or visit TGMG.org.La Fuente Mexican Restaurant Adds Cuban Cuisine

La Fuente Real Mexican Restau-rant, located at 10032 Cross Creek Blvd. (at Kinnan St.) in the Cross Creek Center plaza, is still serving delicious authentic Mexican food, but recently also has added tasty Cuban cuisine, thanks to the addition

(Left, l.-r.) Charlotte, Madeliene and Ursula were in disguise at the Grand Opening and New Tampa Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting (right) at the new Ciccio’s Cali in the Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms. Ciccio’s Robert Garofano (far left) and his

staff were joined for Saturday brunch by Chamber members and Tampa City Council member Lisa Montelione (with scissors) on January 18.

By Gary Nager & Matt Wiley

Check out José’s new Cuban specialties for breakfast, lunch or dinner at La Fuente

Mexican Restaurant on Cross Creek Blvd.


of José, (photo bottom left), formerly of La Cubanita Café on BBD, who brings his own twist on many popular Cuban favorites for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The impressive new breakfast menu includes items like Cuban toast, café con leché, egg wraps and sandwiches, huevos ranche-ros, pancakes and even French toast. The delicious Cuban lunch items — shredded mojo pork, ropa vieja, masitas, black (and red) beans and rice, a variety of soups and more — are all nicely displayed in the traditional Cuban cafeteria style.

But, José and La Fuente owner Roger Rubio also promise that La Fuente still has its full, traditional real Mexican menu, from fajitas to chimichangas, enchiladas and more, plus Mexican and Latin American beers on draft and in bottles, homemade sangria, as well as frozen margaritas and other popular wine-based cocktails, plus nice flat-screen TVs. Customized catering for all occasions also is available.

For more info (reservations are not required), call La Fuente at 907-0592, visit MexicanFoodTampa.net or see the ad on page 59, which has some great money-saving coupons.

Oops! A Correction & Some New Exclusive Clientele Info

In our January 1, 2014, issue, we told you about our friends at Exclusive Clientele Salon, located in the same Cross Creek Center plaza (at 10026 Cross Creek Blvd.) in the same Cross Creek Center plaza as La Fuente, but we made a minor boo-boo we wanted to correct — and that created an opportunity for us to update you on a new stylist at Exclusive Clientele.

First, for our gaffe. I misunderstood something owner Christy Johnson told me about her husband, Thomas Johnson. Christy did call him, “The Michael Jordan of Taxes,” but because of whatever it was I misunderstood, I wrote that he actually also did Michael Jordan’s taxes, although Christy assures me her hubby never actually did prepare MJ’s taxes.

Christy also asked me to let you know that her ultra-talented crew of Master Stylists — Nica Kennedy and Tiffany Ivy

— has a happy new addition. A New York State Licensed Cosmetologist with 25 years of experience in the cosmetology field, including having owned and managed her own salon and three years as a cosmetology teacher, Sally Lingg moved from New York to New Tampa last year with her husband and daughter and wants to work close to where she lives. Specializing in color and highlights. Sally is equally comfortable with any member of your family — women, men, children and says she is looking forward to building her New Tampa client base. “I’m happy to be joining Christy in her “we are family attitude,” Sally says.

For appointments with Sally, Christy, Nica or Tiffany at Exclusive Clientele Salon, call 994-2393, visit ExclusiveClienteleSalon.com or, to get $10 off any hair service at the salon, see the ad on page 56.

Try Pebble Creek Golf Club For Your Wedding Or Special Event!

The Banquet & Events Center at Pebble Creek Golf Club (PCGC, 10550 Regents Park Dr.) is available for wedding receptions & ceremonies, rehearsal din-ners, quince an eras, corporate meetings, reunions, anniversaries, birthday parties, bar mitzvahs and other events. The good news is that membership in the semi-private club is no longer required to utilize PCGC’s spacious and elegant banquet hall.

More than 100 wedding events have been held at Pebble Creek during the past few years alone! And, PCGC’s banquet room offers seating for 200, with sweep-

ing golf course views, a scenic courtyard with grandfather oaks, a new Veranda, billiards room and Mulligan’s Irish Pub, all choreographed for the most memorable events in our area.

A seasoned staff caters to your event’s taste and style, from simple cocktail parties to lavish catered wedding receptions and corp[orate outings.

PCGC events director Kathy Warren has more than 20 years of experience and she is available for tours and information at 973-3870, x232, or email her at [email protected]. For great offers like $100 off any room rental at PCGC, or great coupon savings at Mulligan’s, see the ads on pages 22 & 26 of this issue.

Pepe Returns To Biagio’s!In case you didn’t realize it, Biagio’s

II Pizza & Pasta, located at 10359 Cross Creek Blvd. in the only part of the Cory Lake Isles Professional Center that actu-ally faces Cross Creek Blvd., is under new ownership.

Mo, who purchased Biagio’s several months ago, is proud to announce that Pepe, the popular long-time pizza maker who helped make Biagio’s so popular with local residents, has returned.

That means if it’s been a while since you’ve sampled Biagio’s “Gourmet Food at Pizzeria Prices,” you owe it to yourself to

give it another try. Everything we’ve sam-pled at Biagio’s the past couple of weeks has definitely been yummy, including the excellent, custom-made-for-us Margherita-style pizza pictured above, as well as the tasty chicken parmigiana pizza, which is always among the several different varieties available by the slice anytime you visit. I also recently chowed down on a tender and delicious half veal parmigiana sub and I can tell you that Pepe and Biagio’s are do-ing something right.

For more information about Bia-gio’s II, visit BiagiosTampa.com, call 973-4343 or check out the ad on page 4 of this issue for great coupon savings, including just $7 for a medium cheese pizza (toppings extra) for this year’s Big Game, which is just a day or two away as you’re reading this issue.

The team at Exclusive Clientele Salon on Cross Creek Blvd. now includes (l.-r.) Nica Kennedy, Sally Lingg,

Tiffany Ivy and owner Christy Johnson.

You can design your own specialty pizza at Biagio’s II on Cross Creek Blvd., like this Margherita-style pizza we

custom-designed during a recent visit.


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C A R S E R V I C E SCAR SERVICES – Don’t Have a Ride? Don’t Want to Leave Your Car? Shouldn’t Drive? We Drive You and Your Car Home! Night Clubs, Corporate Events, Sporting Events, Concerts, Appointments, Airport or Stranded. Call Jay at (813) 966-1530

E D U C A T I O N / B A B YS I T T I N GL.I.F.E Academy for Learning, LLC- A licensed in-home daycare located in New River Township. The daycare is managed by Nora Dudley, who is an ex-perienced elementary Florida certified teacher and is also First Aid/CPR licensed. She is a loving mother of two and is passionate about helping children. Call to-day to enroll your child and mention this ad to waive your registration fee! Tutoring sessions for grades K-3 are also available upon appointment. Contact Nora Dudley at (813) 395-8487 or for more in-formation visit www.lifeacademyforlearning.com

P O O L S E R V I C E STRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE - New Tampa owned & operated. Gareat Pricing with out-standing customer service! LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED. See why we are New Tampa and Wesley Chapel’s #1 Choice!! New customer’s ONE MONTH FREE! Call Chris Today @ (813) 857-5400 or visit www. TranquilityPoolService.comAQUATEC POOL SERVICE - keeping pool s clear & swim safe since 1994. WE DO POOLS RIGHT! Commercial & Residential. CPO #33-303052 Licensed & Insured. Ser-vice guarantee. Call (813) 312-5694 TODAY and get 1 MONTH OF QUALITY SER-VICE FOR FREE. www.aquatecpool.com

S P O R T S & A C T I V I T I E S BASEBALL TRAINING - Ages 6-18, for private, group, team or league instructional development. Get started...FREE PLAYER EVALUATION! New travelball academy starting soon, register online with your interest and train at our new 5 acre baseball ranch.www.rockstar-baseball.com or email [email protected]. Current Varsity Pitching and Hitting Coach at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic HS & Former Wiregrass Ranch HS Varsity Coach ( 2013 state semi-finalist).Former British National Coach, College player, youth coach and 8u travel ball man-ager. You practice... WE TRAIN! 813 992 1030

F I T N E S S & W E L L B E I N GTAI CHI CLASSES - Benefits: Strength, Flex-ibility, Balance, Focus and reduced stress! New Be-ginner 6 week courses starting every few months. Adults Course: Thursday evening’s 7-8 pm. Seniors Course: Tuesday afternoons 12-1 pm. Space is lim-ited! Also private instruction in Tai Chi Chuan, Kempo, Chin-Na. Also Boot Camp Fitness train-ing and more. With more than 35 years of train-ing and teaching experience. Please contact me for more details or go to: chuan-fa.org Pe-ter #787-7560 or E-mail [email protected] MOBILE MASSAGE THERA-PIST Available seven days a week, 9am -9pm. $55 for 1 hour! Types of massage available: Swedish, Deep Tissue, Aroma Therapy, Hot Stone, Corpo-rate Seated, Pregnancy, Sports & Injury Rehab. References available.www.barkdollmassagetherapy.com CALL (727) 372-6389 Lic #MA47546.

INDIVIDUAL & COUPLES COUNSELING - Over 90 years of personable & experienced ther-apy & testing services. Better Business Bureau Accredited. With 6 clinicians, we’ll find the best therapist for you. Call (813) 418-7188 or [email protected] www.Tampa-Therapy.com

M U S I C L E S S O N SMUSIC LESSONS - Private, Classical Music Les-sons- Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello, Guitar and Voice. Traditional, European training with engaging, mod-ern approach. Auditioning for Winter Term now. Wendelken Studio of Musical Arts at Grace Epis-copal Church. Recitals, Festivals, Competitions and Royal Conservatory of Music Credit opportunities, or simply study for the love of it. For further infor-mation about our internationally-recognized music school and to schedule an interview, please call Mary Wendelken, Director, at (813) 978-1771 and visit our website at www.TampaPiano.com

L A W N C A R EJASMINE’S LANDSCAPING - Complete lawn maintenance, Tree, palm and hedge trimming, Planting, mulching, stones, Sod replacement, Pres-sure washing, Gutter cleaning and more. Cited by your HOA for violations? Need to comply for: Pressure washing, Trimming, Mulching, Sod replacement, Sprinkler repair or Mailbox repair or replacements? Ask about our HOA SPE-CIAL! FREE ESTIMATE! (813) 420-4465

C L E A N I N G S E R V I C E SSQUEAKY CLEAN HOME SERVICES - is a residential cleaning company offering weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly services. We also special-ize in move-in/move-out cleanup. All supplies and equipment provided. We are an Owner Operator company with over 20 years experience. “If it Needs to be Clean, We’re your Team! Call us for your free in home estimate today! 813-625-6045D-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE - We have our own supplies & more than 300 clients in New Tampa! For more information, Call 758-9710.

P E R S O N A L STIRED OF INTERNET DATING? - Tampa Bay’s ONLY certified Life Coach and Matchmaker! Call Tampa Bay Match-Makers today to schedule your compli-mentary consultation! (813) 907-0410 w w w. Ta m p a B a y M a t c h M a k e r s . c o m

M I S C E L L A N E O U SUNABLE TO DRIVE, NO TIME, TO-DO LIST NOT GETTING DONE??? CALL: SMILESALWAYS @ 813-263-4244 for: Er-rands - Transportation - Doctor Appointments - Grocery Shopping Assistance - House Sitting - Girl Friday/Office Support and Concierge Ser-vices - Event Planning. Hourly, Daily & Long Term Rates. Tampa Palms Area. Friendly Trust-worhly, Responsible, Resourceful, Reliable.

new tampa neighborhood news, february 1, 2014

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