New Tampa Issue 05-13

As long as we’re talking about eventsyou shouldn’t miss on this page, you mightstill want to try to grab tickets for the 16thannual “Night of 5000” gala, hosted by theGeneral Federation of Women’s Clubs(GFWC) New Tampa Junior Woman’sClub (NTJWC), which will be held thesame evening as the cover date of this issue— Saturday, March 2.

The gala, which will begin at 7 p.m.,always features great food, fun and well-dressed New Tampa residents and this yearshould be no exception, as the Night of5000 will be held at the beautiful USF Em-bassy Suites Hotel in front of the Universityof South Florida’s Tampa Campus entranceon E. Fowler Ave.

This year’s theme will be “All That

Jazz,” and the event will again feature won-derful live and silent auction items, casino-style gaming, live entertainment and dancemusic provided by Gigante Productions.

The Night of 5000 is the NTJWC’sbiggest fund raiser each year and it raised$35,000 last year to benefit the FisherHouse at the James A. Haley Veterans Hos-pital on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. This year’sprimary beneficiary will be the Tampa Po-lice Department’s “R.I.C.H. (Resources InCommunity Hope) House, a safe place toplay and learn and supervised after-schoolhangout for youths in the Sulphur Springsneighborhood of North Tampa.

Tickets to the “Night of 5000” cost$85 per person. For more info, visitGFWCNewTampaJuniors.org. ECRWSS

Postal CustomerDated MaterialPlease Rush!

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDTAMPA FL

PERMIT 2801

NEIGHBORHOOD MAGAZINE!

Local 5Ks Push Physical & Emotional Limits,Get Irish On St. Patty’s At Mulligans & P.J.

Dolan’s, Toast Is More Than Just A Wine Bar,Lots Of Nibbles & Biz Bytes & Much More!

Pages 43-60

Also Inside This Issue!NEWS, BUSINESS, SPORTS &

EDUCATION UPDATES Capri Isle To Finish Cory Lake Isles, TECOProposes Residential Rate Increase, Wharton

Boys March Toward State Title, Lots Of LocalBusiness Features & More!

Pages 1-42

Volume 21Issue 5

March 2, 2013

The Direct-Mail News Magazines Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Since 1993!

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 • 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 • Wesley Pointe • Westbrook Estates • Williamsburg

THIS INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY NEWS MAGAZINE IS DIRECTLY MAILED TO:

Inside:Do You Have Plans

For St. Patrick’s Day?See Neighborhood

Magazine!

Do Not Miss The 20th Annual ‘Taste of New TampaTM!’Sunday, March 24, Noon-6 p.m., in Primrose Park, Tampa Palms

New Tampa Juniors To Host 16th Annual ‘Night of 5000’ March 2!

Retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. GeneralMartin Steele (left) was a featured

speaker at last year’s New Tampa Jun-ior Woman’s Club ‘Night of 5000’ gala.

This year, however, I convinced theChamber Board to reduce the cost to at-tend to just $5 per person in advance and$10 per person the day of the event (chil-dren 12 and under still get in for free) andto allow participating restaurants to chargefrom $1-$3 per “taste” (the restaurantswill set their own prices).

And, so far, that strategy seems tohave helped encourage more first-timerestaurants to participate in the Taste.

One of the featured newcomers

among the 20+ restaurants that alreadyhave committed to participating will beDomani Bistro & Lounge, located onN. Florida Ave. in Old Seminole Hights.

Co-owner and executive chef AlexKnezevic says that with many of NewTampa’s favorite upscale eateries (Ciccio’s,Selmon’s, etc.) closing, he hopes the Tastewill be a way for him to get New Tamparesidents to drive 15 or 20 minutes to tryDomani Bistro.

By Gary Nager

As this issue arrives in your mailbox,the 20th annual Taste of New TampaTM isonly about three weeks away. The NewTampa Chamber of Commerce will hostthe 2013 Taste on Sunday, March 24,noon-6 p.m., in Primrose Park, acrossfrom Freedom High and Liberty MiddleSchool off Commerce Park Blvd. inTampa Palms.

Not only is this year’s Taste a mile-stone event that promises to be thebiggest and best ever, it also will be thefirst major public event that will allow res-idents of Richmond Place, West Mead-ows, Hunter’s Green and all of the othercommunities located north of I-75 to ac-cess the event without having to get onBruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., as the newGateway Bridge (which was set to openjust before you received this issue, seepage 6) will provide virtual door-to-dooraccess for Taste attendees.

And, what a Taste it promises to be!

In the years that I was either the chairmanof the Taste or the president of the organ-ization that put it on, we averaged about35 restaurants and beverage providerseach year, with a high of nearly 45. Lastyear, only 15 restaurants participated, inpart because the event got moved at thelast minute from the Shops at Wiregrassmall to Paul R. Wharton High, but alsobecause the economy had made it a lotless cost-effective for local mom-and-poprestaurants. See “Taste” on page 30.

Sell Your Home for More Money in Less Time. Call Us Today

Sale

Pending

Cross Creek Arbor Greene West Meadows

Saddlebrook Arbor Greene Tampa Palms

Lexington Oaks Tampa Palms Seven Oaks

New Tampa Pool Home

Grand Hampton

West Meadows

NEW LISTING

SOLD SOLDIn 2 Days SOLD

In 7 Days

NEW LISTING

SOLDIn 5 Days

NEW LISTINGSOLD

In 7 Days

SOLDSOLD

COMING SOON

In 5 DaysIn 5 Days

oYYolelSnd HaraG

offoHome our nmptond Ha

oney Me Moror reekss CroC

TiLess n ioney reener GrboA

Us lCalme. Tireene West Mea

yodaTToUs wsdoWest Mea

ingLex

ksan Otoing

lmsPampaaTa

ksaen OSev

West Meado

wsWest Meado

mpa PoNew Ta

mel Hoompa Po

okddlebroSa

reener GrboA

reene mpaTa

lms Pampa

What seems like twolifetimes ago, I graduatedfrom the University of

Florida College of Journalism & Communi-cations with a B.S. degree in Broadcastingwith a news emphasis.

A little more than 30 years later, I haveheld the same job in the print journalismbusiness for 19 years (as of last month) and,although I love what I do, I’ve alwayswanted to get back to my first love — writ-ing for film and TV.

My problem is that I’ve never been a“techie,” but, since I’m now living in an agewhere people create videos that go “viral”with their iPads and even their cell phones, Iassumed that it must be easier than ever tocreate videos that people will want to watch.

Not so much. The fact is that there isno personal electronic device that can createvideos that look as truly professional as whatyou see on “real” TV, whether broadcast orcable. And, there really is no substitution forexperience when it comes to shooting andediting quality video.

So, even though we’ve alreadyachieved some local success with some ofthe short videos we’ve shot, I figured outpretty quickly that I really need an experi-enced studio with quality equipment to dothe kind of broadcast programming I’vewanted to do since I was in my 20s.

Enter Milorian Studios, located offS.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel in the BrooksideProfessional Park, and president/ownerCarlos Flores-Gordon.

Carlos, who has worked for more thantwo decades in the music, film and TV pro-duction business, is a long-time New Tampa

& Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News readerwho says he has wanted to work with me forsome time, but especially since we postedour first video efforts on our website:NTNeighborhood News.com.

And, after touring his beautiful, four-year-old building, which features music andvideo production studios and editing equip-ment the likes of which I’ve never seen be-fore (it’s been more than ten years since Ieven toured a TV or radio station studio)and seeing the type of high-quality workCarlos and his amazing crew create at Milo-rian — for about a third of what it wouldcost in Miami or New York — he and I satdown and talked about working on a fewprojects together.

“As a long-time fan of yours and theNeighborhood News,” Carlos told me whenwe met, “I definitely feel a synergy withwhat you’re trying to do in the New Tampaand Wesley Chapel markets. Let’s work onsomething together.”

Since I felt the same kind of kinshipwith Carlos and the impressive studio hequietly has created right in my own backyard, I suggested that I would like to startwith a professional video shot on site duringthe upcoming Taste of New TampaTM onSunday, March 24 (see pages 1 and 22-23for details) — especially when Carlos saidthat he and his crew can provide any type ofservice needed to create such videos exceptfor the actual writing, which of course, justhappens to be our specialty at the Neighbor-hood News.

Carlos offered to first shoot a Tastepreview video (which we hope will beginbeing shown on our website by Friday,March 15), create a short live feed from theTaste (which will air live on our website asthe event is unfolding) and then compile a2-3 minute video to wrap up the event. Ourgoal after those productions is to then offer

Milorian Studios To Provide Our Video Production ServicesLook For Our First ‘Taste of New Tampa’ Preview Video By March 15, Plus Our Live Taste Coverage & More!

An editorial by Gary Nager

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

CorrespondentsCamille Gillies • Bonnie Mason • Kathleen Schiop

Marketing DirectorAshley Knoblach

Senior Graphic DesignerPorsha Lamos

Advertising Sales RepTaylor Gardner

Nothing that appears in New Tampa NeighborhoodNews may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, withoutpermission. Opinions expressed by New Tampa NeighborhoodNews writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’sopinion.

The deadline for outside editorial submissions andadvertisements for Volume 21, Issue 5, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Monday, February18, 2013. New Tampa Neighborhood News will consider pre-viously non-published outside editorial submissions if they aredouble spaced, typed and less than 500 words. New TampaNeighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject alloutside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regard-ing publication dates. New Tampa Neighborhood News will notreturn unsolicited editorial materials.

New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right toedit &/or reject any advertising. New Tampa NeighborhoodNews is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the ac-tual cost of the advertising space itself, nor for the validity ofany claims made by its advertisers.

© 2013 JM2 Communications, Inc.

Table of ContentsLOCAL NEWS, BUSINESS, EDUCATION &SPORTS UPDATES....................Pages 1-42Capri Isle To Finish The Buildout Of Cory Lake Isles.........................4The Good, The Bad, The Widening Of Bruce B. Downs....................6Camden Live Oaks Sells, Becomes Amberly Place................................8TECO Plans Residential Rate Increase................................................10

New Tampa News Briefs.....................................12Tampa Palms Blvd. Resurfacing CompleteFire Destroys Two Apartments In Richmond PlaceLin Faces Life Sentence In Beating Death Of Wife

Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute: Making Alzheimer’s A Memory......... 14Bidding Closes For Proposals For ‘Fields At Wiregrass’................... 16New Tampa Community Calendar......................20-21Local Business Updates...........................22-31New Tampa Chamber Newsletter.............................22Royalty Lawn & Landscaping: Yards Fit For A King.............. 24Maria Cherrez-VanGalder: An Honest Real Estate Agent........26Anchor Title Helps Protect Your Real Estate Investments.......28Medi-Weight Loss Clinics Can Help You Shed Those Pounds.........32Lee Nails & Spa Is More Than Just Manicures & Pedicures ...34

Local Education Updates................................38New Tampa Elementary Schools Receive Swiftmud Grants

Local Sports Updates...................................40-41New Tampa Athletes Commit On National Signing Day......40Wharton Hoops Still Marching Towards A State Title.............41

Neighborhood MagazineRecapping Two New Tampa-Area 5K Races.....................43, 45Get Irish On St. Patty’s Day At Mulligans & P.J. Dolans.........46Have A Bite With Your Vino At Toast!...................................50Champions Dine At Winners Grill...........................................52‘Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes’...............................56

NEW TAMPA COLOR CLASSIFIEDS....................58

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 5 • March 2, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com 3

a package of services no one else can matchfor your business — a package which will in-clude a similar 2-3 minute video about yourbusiness as well as a 30-second commercialyou can air on any cable or broadcast TV sta-tion, as well as on both our website andyours, and a package of ads in the NewTampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News.In other words we want to create a multi-media image for your business.

For more information, call generalmanager Nikki Bennett at our office at910-2575. You also should check outMilorian.com to see the kind of workCarlos & Co. have already done. I’ll be

stunned if you’re not impressed.

Oakley’s Grille Raising $ For CCCI was supposed to mention in this

issue’s Nibbles & Bytes column on pg. 56(but I ran out of room) that Oakley’s Grille(17631 BBD Blvd.) is working withTampa’s Children’s Cancer Center to raise atleast $1,000 to help that very worthy cause.

Oakley’s will donate $1 for every deli-cious cheeseburger sold from now throughJune to the Children’s Cancer Center, so Ihope you will visit & enjoy one soon!

For more info, see the ad on pg. 52,call 523-5075 or visit OakleysGrille.com.

4 For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 5 • March 2, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

By Matt Wiley

Construction will soon begin onmodel homes in a section of Cory LakeIsles that has lain vacant for years.

The last parcel of land in Cory LakeIsles, the 27 acres known as Phase 7, willbe developed by Kolter Land Partners(KLP), part of the Palm Beach County-based Kolter Group, and will be known asCapri Isle.

However, unlike the many lavishcommunities inside Cory Lake Isles, manyof which feature large homes on enor-mous lots, Capri Isle will feature 115 sin-gle-family homes, ranging from1,700-2,900-sq.-ft., on lots that wereoriginally planned for townhomes. TheCapri Isle parcel has been sitting vacantsince 2006.

“(Capri Isle) will be a great additionto the community,” says KLP presidentJim Harvey. “This is the last group of lotsin Cory Lake Isles. The local housing mar-ket seems like it has turned over. We ex-pect a lot of interest.”

Harvey says that the homes will notnecessarily be that much smaller than oth-ers in Cory Lake—although many homesin the community are more than 4,000 sq.ft.—but that they definitely will be closer

together. He explains that the lots that thehomes will be built on are a combinationof two townhome lots, which measure justmore than 50 feet wide and about 80 feetdeep.

Homes in Capri Isle will be con-structed by Ryan Homes, which recentlyhas moved into the Tampa market afterbuilding homes in Orlando and PinellasCounty. These single-family homes will beeither three or four bedrooms and will av-erage in the mid-$200,000s, with modelconstruction in April or May and sales be-ginning as early as this summer.

“Cory Lake Isles is a beautiful com-munity that is well-established,” Harveysays. “New Tampa continues to attractnew home demand. We believe that this isa high-demand price point (for this area).”

Harvey says that in addition to CapriIsle, Kolter also will see to the construc-tion of a new resort-style pool for all ofCory Lake Isles, featuring paver decks anda luxurious bathhouse, as well as a water-slide.

Cory Lake CDD vice-chair Vicki Cas-tro says that community response to theannouncement of Capri Isle has beenmostly positive, although, she says, “therealways is going to be a vocal minority.”

The positive response partly is due to

the promise of a community pool,but also because Kolter is helpingsettle the community’s debt that ithas been struggling with for sev-eral years.

Several years ago, AvatarHomes purchased the remainingempty lots in Cory Lake Islesfrom original developer andfounder Gene Thomason. How-ever, despite the planned town-home development, Avatarwalked away from Cory Lake Islesand left the community with thebill for the bonds it could nolonger pay. The community hasbeen struggling financially eversince.

Harvey explains that Kolterpurchased the undeveloped Phase 7 prop-erty through a tax deed, due to unpaid as-sessments and defaulted bonds left fromAvatar.

“The CDD had a lot of debt associ-ated with it,” Harvey says. “We boughtthe (Capri Isle) property and restructuredthe debt.”

Castro says that Kolter brought a cre-ative financial plan to the table to getCory Lake Isles out of debt and that onebond even will be paid off a year ahead of

schedule.As part of the deal, which was final-

ized in November, a traffic light also willbe put up at the Cross Creek Blvd. en-trance to Cory Lake, something that wassupposed to be done when the Cory LakeProfessional Center was originally con-structed.

“The Kolter deal was a win-win foreveryone,” Castro says.

For more information about CapriLake at Cory Lake Isles and RyanHomes, call (855) 374-4954.

Capri Isle Will Put The Finishing Touches On Cory Lake Isles

Signs recently were posted outside of both en-trances to Cory Lake Isles, advertising the newsingle-family-home development that will com-

plete the buildout of the community.


By Gary Nager & Matt Wiley

We feel your pain, New Tampa, asyou’re somehow still sitting in traffic onBruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., eventhough it appears that the widening ofthe portion of BBD from Palm SpringsBlvd. in Tampa Palms to Pebble CreekDr. is complete. And, it is...well, sort of,anyway.

Yes, we know that all four lanes ineach direction have been paved andstriped, so why are there still lines of or-ange barrels blocking you from accessingthose lanes?

The best answer we can offer is thatthe explanation is complicated. First ofall, Hillsborough County Public Worksspokesperson Steve Valdez says thatthere are still “punch list items” — in-cluding center median work and land-scaping on both sides of the widenedarea — that are being addressed.

As we’ve been reporting in virtuallyevery issue, the computerized traffic sig-nal synchronization has been an ongoingunresolved issue, but Valdez says the sig-nals are now synchronized.

Uh-Oh!Uh-Oh!Valdez assures us that once the

punch list items are addressed, whichshould be completed sometime thismonth, the lanes will open.

What those of us in the media havesomehow missed up until this point,however, is that you may have noticedthat the not-yet-open four lanes in eachdirection still reduce down to just twolanes in each direction under I-75, which(as we’ve reported before) also is beingwidened, with new bridges over BBDcurrently under construction.

The part we misunderstood is thatbecause the areas under I-75 and theportions of BBD that access the inter-state in both directions are actually part

of the I-75 widening project, and arebeing paid for and constructed by theFlorida Department of Transportation(FDOT), even when the rest of the cur-rent phase of BBD widening is com-pleted later this month, traffic in bothdirections will still have to funnel downto two lanes in each direction from justpast the old Lee Roy Selmon’s locationon the north side to in front of the 7-Eleven on the south side until the I-75widening in that area also has beencompleted — which isn’t expected tobe completed until the end of 2013!

This means that once the barrelsare removed from the county’s portionof BBD, a major bottleneck will still bein place for another eight or ninemonths, as drivers who have been zip-ping along until they reach I-75 have tomerge down to two lanes as they try topass the interstate in either directionhave probably noticed. - GN

Open Sesame, GatewayOpen Sesame, GatewayBridgeBridge

Speaking of bridges, the NewTampa Gateway Bridge should now beopen to traffic, allowing New Tampa res-idents access to other parts of the com-munity without always having to get onBBD. The $12.8-million bridge spans0.7 miles and connects New TampaBlvd. in West Meadows to CommercePark Blvd. in Tampa Palms, at the en-trance to both Liberty Middle and Free-dom High schools.

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn waspresent at a ribbon-cutting ceremony onFebruary 27 that took place at the inter-section of Meadow Pine Dr. and NewTampa Blvd., on the West Meadows sideof the bridge.

“Combined with the widening alongBBD, (the bridge) will give the residentsof New Tampa the traffic relief they de-serve,” Mayor Buckhorn said in a press re-lease. “Over the long term, the bridge

The Good, The Bad, The Widening Of BBD In New Tampa

(Above) Once drivers along the newly widened BBD Blvd. reach the area around I-75, theywill still have to merge down to two lanes from four until the end of 2013. (Below) The NewTampa Gateway Bridge, which will provide access from New Tampa Blvd. in West Meadows

to Commerce Park Blvd. in Tampa Palms, was expected to open to traffic on February 27.

and the convenience it provides to the sur-rounding neighborhoods will improve thequality of life for area residents.”

In addition to relieving congestionalong BBD, especially near the I-75 in-terchange, the bridge also will provideeasier and quicker access for emergency

vehicles. The overpass includes a five-foot sidewalk on the south side of thetwo-lane roadway, and an eight-footmulti-use trail on the north side. Bridgeconstruction began in May 2011 and,originally, wasn’t expected to be com-pleted until July of this year. - MW


grades,” Croushorn explains. “There’ll besome major tree-trimming to get branchesaway from the buildings. We’ll also bepressure washing the buildings and re-painting the shutters and doors.”

She says that Providence will be man-aging to exceed its residents’ expectations.Location is what attracted Providence tothe Live Oaks property.

“It doesn’t get much better thanTampa Palms,” she explains. “The build-ings are well-constructed and have goodfloor plans.” The complex also bordersthe beautiful nature preserve that is part of

Lettuce Lake Regional Park.Croushorn says that Providence is

working with the Tampa Palms Commu-nity Development District (CDD) tochange the name engraved in granite onthe Tampa Palms sign that fronts Bruce B.Downs (BBD) Blvd. at the Amberly Dr.intersection and that the company will bepaying more than $6,000 to have thatsign changed.

For more information about Am-berly Place, please visit ProvMan.comand click on the “Properties” tab, orcall 971-5100.

By Matt Wiley

Signs of change are on display alongAmberly Dr. in Tampa Palms. Morespecifically, these signs showcase the newname for the large apartment complexoriginally called Live Oaks Plantation, andwhich has most recently been known asCamden Live Oaks, but now is called Am-berly Place.

According to the HillsboroughCounty Property Appraiser’s Office,Camden Live Oaks was sold in Jan-uary to 5100 Live Oaks Blvd, LLC(also known as APH PropertyHoldings, LLC), for $63.4 million.APH is a part of Prospect CapitalCorporation, a New York City-based business development and in-vestment company.

In a press release dated Jan. 18,Prospect announced its entry intothe real estate marketplace withthree investment properties, one ofwhich is Amberly Place.

Chicago-based ProvidenceManagement Co., LLC, which nowis managing the 55-building, 770-unit complex, also has a stake in theownership of the rental community.Providence currently also owns andmanages Portofino Apartment

Homes, located on New Tampa Blvd. inWest Meadows. Providence took overmanagement of the 60-acre Camdenproperty the same day as the press release,notifying residents via email, as well aswith a letter posted on each door.

With new management comeschange, which Providence vice presidentof property management Lisa Croushornsays will give a facelift to the community.

“We’re going to be doing some up-

Camden Live Oaks In Tampa Palms Sold, Now Amberly Place

New Amberly Place banners have replaced theCamden Live Oaks signs that used to greetdrivers on Amberly Dr. in Tampa Palms.


bulbs, particularly bulbs that are “EnergyStar”-qualified.

These bulbs meet energy-efficiencystandards set by the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency, specifically compactfluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The Departmentof Energy website also says that old incan-descent light bulbs waste more than 90percent of their energy in heat alone be-cause they are based on old technology.

For more information about howto better conserve power, please visitEnergy.gov.

By Matt Wiley

New Tampa residents should starttaking steps now to conserve more power,if they want to be prepared for the ratehike that TECO (the Tampa ElectricCompany) is planning to propose. In apress release dated February 4, TECO an-nounced to the Florida Public ServiceCommission (PSC) that it plans to requesta rate hike of about 10 percent, whichwould add around $11 per month to theaverage residential power bill beginning asearly as January 2014, if the hike is ap-proved.

TECO officials say they will submitthe proposal to PSC in April, after whichPSC hearings and a vote will be conductedbefore the end of the year.

The reason for the rate hike? TheTECO release says that due to increasedcosts and sluggish growth, the company isseeking to raise more than $135 million,which would add about 35 cents per dayto the service cost of the average customerwho uses 1,000-kilowatt hours per month.TECO serves more than 675,000 cus-tomers in west-central Florida.

“There is never a good time to raiserates, and we empathize with our cus-tomers who are also feeling the effects of a

difficult economy,” TECO president Gor-don Gillette said in the release. “We haveworked diligently to keep costs low, but(our) costs continue to outpace growth.”

Gordon noted that the relative priceof electricity has gone down in recentyears, when compared with the rising costof other household commodities. The re-lease states that TECO customers’ billshave dropped more than $12 per monthin the past four years and that the utilitycompany has not requested a rate hikesince 2008.

“We are proud to offer our customersa great value — and rates that will remainamong the lowest of Florida’s utilities,”Gillette said.

The TECO announcement comesjust weeks after Pebble Creek’s privatewater provider, Pluris, announced a pro-posed steep rate hike for the New Tampacommunity, which will face a hearing be-fore the Hillsborough County Board ofCounty Commissioners for approval.

According to the U.S. Department ofEnergy, some common ways to conserveenergy include unplugging appliances thatare not being used, especially cell phonechargers, making sure ceiling fans areturned off when no one is in the roomand investing in energy-efficient light

TECO Proposes Residential Electric Rate Increase


News BriefsNEW TAMPA

Tampa Palms Blvd.Tampa Palms Blvd.Resurfacing CompletedResurfacing Completed

Although the widening of Bruce B.Downs (BBD) Blvd. in the same area isstill ongoing (see page 6), after more thantwo months of construction, drivers andbicyclists now can share the road in thenorthern portion of Tampa Palms.

Since December 12, City of Tampacrews have been working to resurface sec-tions of Tampa Palms Blvd. and Com-merce Park Blvd. The resurfacing of theseroads made access to the Shoppes at ThePointe, Olive Garden, Red Lobster andStonewood Grill & Tavern, as well as sev-eral apartment communities in the area,even more difficult than it was before. Theroadways, which wind their way throughthe Tampa Palms Areas 4 and 8 and serveas gateways to the subdivisions within,have been re-striped and resurfaced, withadded bike lanes.

The $1.2-million resurfacing projectwas completed on February 15 and im-proved about two miles of roadway in twosections — Tampa Palms Blvd. fromEbensburg Dr. (at the entrance to theWellington community), all the way toBBD. The second section resurfaced andre-striped Commerce Park Blvd. fromTampa Palms Blvd. to Primrose Lake Cir-

cle, which is where this year’s Taste ofNew TampaTM will be held on Sunday,March 24 (see pg. 1).

Fire Displaces Households InFire Displaces Households InMarquis ApartmentsMarquis Apartments

A structural fire in Richmond Placehas left two households without homes.

According to Tampa Fire Rescue(TFR), just before 1 p.m. on February 11,crews responded to a call of a vehicle onfire in a garage at 18002 Richmond Place

Dr. inside the Marquis apartment commu-nity of Richmond Place. The fire was up-graded to a two-alarm fire, but wascontained in just two apartment units andwas extinguished quickly . No victimswere found inside the apartments at thetime of the fire and no injuries were re-ported.

Following an investigation, TFR re-ports that a malfunctioning electrical ap-pliance in the garage caused the fire.

Currently, the displaced tenants ofthe two apartments, a married couplefrom one and a male and female room-mate and their dog from the other, areworking with the American Red Crossand the apartment complex to find newapartments for the displaced residents.

No further information was availableat our press time.

Lin Faces Life Sentence ForLin Faces Life Sentence ForBeating Death Of WifeBeating Death Of Wife

Nearly two years after beating hiswife to death, Chunping Lin has beenconvicted of second-degree murder andwill face a life sentence in March.

According to published reports, onJanuary 31, a Hillsborough County juryfound Chunping Lin guilty for the May20, 2011, beating of his wife and then-New Tampa restaurant owner, Lixin Tian.Lin, who is now 46, beat Tian, who was43, in front of their son, who was 10 years

old at the time. Reports say

that the six-mem-ber jury deliber-ated for morethan 21 hours, lis-tening to 9-1-1recordings of thestruggle thatturned violentafter an argumentabout “missing money,” before decidingon the guilty verdict.

Lin was arrested five days after thebeating at a neighbor’s residence in theLake Forest subdivision on Bruce B.Downs (BBD) Blvd. and was chargedwith attempted murder and battery, aswell as child abuse for a laceration to hisson’s hand that was sustained during thestruggle.

Tian was the owner of the Joy ofTokyo restaurant in the Oak Ramble Plazaon BBD, less than a mile from Lake For-est, in the space that now is occupied byTakara Sushi & Sake Lounge. Tian fellinto a coma due to multiple skull fracturesand brain trauma. She was removed fromlife support on July 15, three days afterbeing moved from St. Joseph’s Hospitalto Melach Hospice House. Lin’s chargeswere changed from attempted murder tomurder shortly thereafter.No further infowas available at our press time. — MW

Chunping Lin

A structural fire damaged these buildingsin the Marquis Apartment complex in

Richmond Place.



By Matt Wiley

“With age comes wisdom,” the say-ing goes, but as more and more of theelderly are diagnosed with Alzheimer’sdisease, the opposite occurs. In his 2013State of the Union speech, U.S. PresidentBarack Obama addressed the issue ofAlzheimer’s research. Some of that re-search is going on right in New Tampa’sback yard on the University of SouthFlorida (USF) Tampa campus at the USFHealth Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute onFletcher Ave.

“Today, our scientists are mappingthe human brain to unlock the answers toAlzheimer’s,” the President says. “They’redeveloping drugs to regenerate damagedorgans.”

However, at the Byrd Institute, thefocus is not so much on regenerating, buton preventing. Dr. Dave Morgan, CEOand director of basic neuroscience researchat the Byrd Center agrees with the Presi-dent, but has a different approach.

“I genuinely believe that what wehave learned in the last 20 years about thisdisease has given us the necessary knowl-edge and tools that we need to do some-thing meaningful,” Morgan explains.“One of the biggest breakthroughs reallywas recognizing that the amyloid protein

is building up for years before the diseaseeven starts.”

Dr. Morgan says that now, knowingthat protein is prevalent in all Alzheimer’spatients, he believes that by 2020,Alzheimer’s will be able to be prevented.The reason? Understanding how the dis-ease works and identifying those at risk forseveral years and, in some cases, evendecades before symptoms begin to show.

Understanding Amyloid & TauIt all comes back to the Amyloid that

Morgan mentioned before. Amyloid is aprotein produced by the human body. It’ssupposed to be there and is produced bythe body at the same, constant ratethroughout the human lifespan. However,as the body ages, the rate at which the ex-cess amyloid protein is removed slowsdown. That excess protein builds up asplaque in the brain. Amyloid plaquebuildup itself does affect memory, but itdoesn’t destroy neurons (cells) inside ofthe brain. But, Tau does.

Tau is another protein found in thehuman body, specifically, inside of theneurons in the brain, where it helps trans-port nutrients. Amyloid plaque outside ofthe neurons initiates “Tau tangles” insidethose neurons, which causes a loss of brainsynapses (connections between neurons),

leading to the death of those neu-rons. Amyloid and Tau proteins aresimilar to cholesterol, in that thebody needs them, but only in thecorrect amounts.

Morgan explains that theAmyloid buildup can occur as earlyas 20 years before symptoms ofAlzheimer’s begin to show, andthat’s when most current treatmentfor Alzheimer’s will be most effec-tive. He says that the most impor-tant instrument in the future ofAlzheimer’s research is the PET(Positron Emission Tomography)scanner, which the Byrd Institutehas on-site.

This $1.5-million piece ofequipment, purchased through anoutside donation, looks very similarto an MRI machine, but measuresbrain activity in two types of scans.One type of scan measures sugarlevels in the brain. When looking ata computer screen of the PET scan of apatient, the doctor looks for color — darkspots indicate inactivity.

The second type of scan works with anew radioactive drug recently approvedfor trials by the FDA (U.S. Food & DrugAdministration). This drug, when intro-duced to the body intravenously, travels

through the body, sticks to Amyloid pro-teins and glows during a PET scan, allow-ing the doctor to track how much of it isbuilt up inside the brain, as well as allow-ing the patient to begin necessary preven-tive medication long before it’s too late.

Standing six stories tall, the more-than-14,000-sq.-ft., $3.5-million Byrd In-stitute currently serves more than 5,000

USF Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute: Helping To Make Alzheimer’s A Memory

The USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, located on E.Fletcher Ave. Photo: USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute


patients and offers memory screenings,patient evaluation and assessment, neu-roimaging, medication and psychologicaltreatments, family counseling and re-search and clinical trials to develop newtreatments. There are twelve research labsspanning two floors of the building,where more than 80 scientists, as well asgraduate students, post-doctoral fellows,technicians and others work towards end-ing this degenerative disease.

Dr. Morgan describes the Byrd Insti-tute as a “translational research center,” inwhich there are both scientists doing re-search and physicians treating patients, al-lowing for frequent interaction betweenthe scientists and doctors.

“Ideas can quickly move from the

labs into testing,” Dr. Morgan explains.“The model is working. USF is planningto add a similar cardiovascular building.”

Also included inside the state-of-the-art facility is a “Memory C.A.R.E.” (Clin-ical Assessment, Research and Education)unit, located on the second floor, wherefamilies can bring their loved one whomay be showing symptoms ofAlzheimer’s.

In the unit is a “functional assess-ment center” (complete with a workingapartment to determine if patients are ca-pable of safely completing tasks aroundthe house), as well as a driving simulatorand balance machine, which can deter-mine a patient’s risk of falling at home.

According to the Byrd Institute,more than 5.4 million people in the U.S.are suffering from Alzheimer’s, the sixthleading cause of death. In Florida, oneout of every 40 people suffers from thedisease, one out of every eight of those is65+ and half of those are older than 85.Even though the State of Florida spends$1 billion annually in Medicaid costs, itprovides no annual funding to the ByrdInstitute. But, Dr. Morgan is optimistic.

“My prediction is preventingAlzheimer’s by 2020,” he says. “The poolballs are set up. They’re just waiting forthe shot to put them all in a pocket.”

For more information about theUSF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Insti-tute, please visit Health.USF.Byrd.

Byrd Institute CEO Dr. Dave Morgan Photo: USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute


design proposals include Clearwater-basedDeuel & Associates, who reconstructedCarpenter field in Clearwater, thePhiladelphia Phillies’ Spring Traininghome; St. Petersburg-based George F.Young, Inc., which, among numerousother services, specializes in designingparks and athletic facilities; Tampa-basedLong & Associates, which designedStrawberry Crest High School in nearby

Plant City; Valrico-based Cribo PhilbertWeaver Group; Jacksonville-based ELM,which constructed the Boston Red SoxSpring Training Camp in Ft. Myers, aswell as the Jacksonville Zoo botanical gar-dens; Tampa-based King Engineering As-sociates, Inc., which helped design theoriginal master plan for the WiregrassRanch DRI; and Orlando Based Bell-wood-Herbert and Company, Inc., whichdesigned the Jackie Robinson Ballpark inDaytona Beach.

Stromer says that a committee madeup of senior County staff, at least oneCounty Commissioner and a representa-tive from the Parks and Recreation de-partment will review the design proposals,but he added that the roster of possiblecommittee members is still undecided.

“The design proposals will be com-pletely qualification-based,” Stromer ex-plains. “We want a company with lots ofexperience building something like this.”

However, he says, cost will definitelybe an issue for the operation and mainte-nance proposals.

For operations and maintenance,Stromer says that proposals must includean analysis of the company itself, as well asa summary of the company’s concept forrunning the complex, proof that there is a

A conceptual design of what the Fields at Wire-grass could look like given to those who placed bids

for design and management of the facility. Graphic provided by Pasco County.

By Matt Wiley

Seven proposals have been submittedby companies hoping to construct and op-erate the planned “Fields At Wiregrass”project, which received the go-ahead fromPasco County last November.

The proposal-bidding period openedon January 15 for the sports complexproject, which will be built with $14 mil-lion in county tourism funds on morethan 200 acres of land inside the Wire-grass Ranch DRI (Development of Re-gional Impact) that has been donated bythe Porter family. Companies interested inboth designing the complex and maintain-ing and operating it had until February 15to submit their proposals.

Pasco purchasing director ScottStromer says that the county receivedseven proposals for the design of the com-plex and two proposals for management,one of which is from a group of compa-nies that includes Wiregrass Sports, thecompany the Porter’s formed to originallyrun the complex last year.

“We’re still in the preliminarystages,” Stromer explains. “We’re juststarting to go through the proposals. Wehave to run the numbers and make surethat requirements are met.”

Two separate listings appeared on thecounty’s solicitation website, one for thedesign of the park, and one for its ongo-ing management, operation and mainte-nance.

Stromer said that with both listingsout at the same time, it would be easierfor the designer and operator to commu-nicate with each other, as well as with thecounty, to put together a plan that worksfor the Fields.

“This will make the process run moresmoothly,” Stromer said. “It’s much easierhaving (the designer and operator) work-ing together.”

Among the County’s requirementsfor the submitted proposals, included inthe design must be eight, 300-ft.-fencedand fully-lighted baseball fields, each withelectronic scoreboards, Major LeagueBaseball-style dugouts and bleachers, one“championship stadium,” multi-purposeturf fields to accommodate soccer andlacrosse, walking/biking trails, a play-ground area, a 400-car parking lot, plusseveral other requirements. The designeralso would be responsible for the infra-structure design for the entire complexand a recommendation of whether to usereal grass for the fields or AstroTurf.

The seven companies that submitted

Proposal Bidding Closes For Design, Management Of Fields At Wiregrass


market for the proposed concept, identifi-cation of the company’s advantage againstcompetition in the region, as well as amarketing, operations and finance plan.Most important is that the company mustprovide at least ten percent of the cost toconstruct the complex and will have tonegotiate a revenue-sharing agreementwith the county, if chosen.

The operations and maintenanceproposals came from Tampa-based BlueMarble Strategic, LLEU, and a groupproposal including Wiregrass Sports,LLEU, Turf Solutions Group, LLEU,and The Diamond Nation, LLEU.

“The operations side is more of a

business review of the company makingthe proposal,” Stromer explains. “It’spretty intensive. We’ll send the informa-tion off to an economist to run the num-bers on the offers that we get.”

Since the February 15 proposal-bid-ding closing date, all proposals are sealedfor 30 days, after which they becomepublic record. The County now willspend 60-90 days going through bothtypes of proposals, although Stromer saysthat the process may be expedited.

If the company cannot find partnersto design and operate the facility within24 months, it will instead become a Pascodistrict park.




(18630 Plantation Bay Dr., off MorrisBridge Rd.).

For more information, call JalIrani at 451-8229.

New Tampa Noon RotaryNew Tampa Noon RotaryWednesday, March 6, noon - The

New Tampa Noon Rotary Club meetsevery Wed. for lunch at Hunter’s GreenCountry Club (18101 Longwater RunDr.). Guests are always welcome.

New Tampa Eve. Rotary New Tampa Eve. Rotary Wednesday, March 6, 6:15 p.m. -

The New Tampa Evening Rotary Clubmeets every Wednesday at Hunter’sGreen Country Club. New members arealways welcome.

For info, call Liz DeAmbrose at956-6487 or email [email protected].

Tampa ToastmastersTampa ToastmastersWednesday, March 6, 7 p.m. -

Great speeches & great topics. Comehone your public speaking skills. TampaToastmasters meets every Wednesday atPebble Creek Golf Club (10550 RegentsPark Dr.) New guests always welcome.

For more info, call 428-6356.

Free ESL ClassesFree ESL ClassesThursday, March 7, 10:30 a.m. - A

FREE English as a Second Language(ESL) class is meeting at Tampa Bay Pres-byterian Church (19911 BBD) on Thurs-day mornings. There is no charge to

attend. The classes also discuss Americanculture and English idioms and slang.Come practice your conversational Eng-lish and make new friends in a fun and re-laxed environment!

For more information, call thechurch office at 973-2484.

Food Addicts In Recovery Food Addicts In Recovery Thursday, March 7, 7 p.m. - Are

you having trouble controlling the wayyou eat? Are you underweight or over-weight or obsessed with weight or diet-ing? You are not alone. Food Addicts inRecovery Anonymous (FA) is a supportgroup without any dues, fees or weigh-insand is based on the 12 steps of AlcoholicsAnonymous. It’s a fellowship of individu-als who, through shared experiences andmutual support, are recovering from thedisease of food addiction. FA meets atFlorida Hospital Tampa (on BBD) in theCamelot A room.

For more info, visit FoodAddicts.org or call Roz at 355-4197.

CBC NetworkingCBC NetworkingThursday, March 7, 7:45 p.m. -

Come together with like-minded profes-sionals at the Christian Business Connec-tions (CBC) Networking group, whichmeets every Thursday at St. Andrew Pres-byterian Church (located at 5338 Prim-rose Lake Cir., near the New TampaCommunity Park in Tampa Palms).

Community CalendarNEW TAMPA

MOMS Club Of New TampaMOMS Club Of New TampaThe MOMS (Moms Offering Moms

Support) Club of New Tampa is currentlyopen to new members in the New Tampaarea. The MOMS Club offers a variety ofdaytime activities of mothers and theirchildren, opportunities for Mom’s NightOut and many more benefits.

For more information, or to jointhe club, email MOMsClubNewTampa_ [email protected].

‘WeWork’ At LifePoint‘WeWork’ At LifePointMonday, March 4, 7 p.m. - “We-

Work,” which meets Mondays at Life-Point Church (8702 Hunter’s Lake Dr.,off Bruce B. Downs Blvd., or BBD, infront of Hunter’s Green), is designed tohelp you search for jobs, improve inter-view skills, write a resume, negotiate a joboffer, improve your attitude, develop net-working skills or discover your gifts.

For more info, call 907-9818, orvisit LifePoint.tv/WeWork.

New Tampa Tri ClubNew Tampa Tri ClubTuesday, March 5, 7:30 a.m. - A

new local club has formed for the fitness-minded. Membership is open to runners,swimmers, cyclists and triathletes acrossthe New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. All

members receive club benefits, including atraining schedule, group support, seminarsand socials. The club hosts group bikerides/runs at the 13330 Morris BridgeRd. entrance to Flatwoods WildernessPark every Tuesday, Thursday and Satur-day at 7:30 a.m., and a group run fromKona Multisport (previously, the “Iron-man Store,” in the same plaza as Sweetbay& LA Fitness at BBD/County Line Rd.),at 6:30 p.m. on Mondays.

For more information, join theFacebook group or e-mail [email protected].

BNI Millionaire MakersBNI Millionaire MakersWednesday, March 6, 7:15 a.m. -

The BNI Millionaire Makers chaptermeets every Wednesday at Pebble CreekGolf Club (10550 Regents Park Dr., offBBD Blvd.). The $13 meeting fee includesa hot breakfast. Contact Lisa Jordan at621-6015 for more details.

Business Networking Int’l Business Networking Int’l Wednesday, March 6, 7:30 a.m. -

BNI, a group of business professionalsdedicated to helping their respective busi-nesses grow through qualified referrals,meets every Wednesday morning at theCory Lake Isles Beach Club clubhouse


Call Annete Faurote at 407-9225for more info.

Knights Of ColumbusKnights Of ColumbusLenten Fish FryLenten Fish Fry

Friday, March 8, 5 p.m. - EveryFriday for the Christian month of Lent,excluding Good Friday (March 29),the Knights of Columbus will be host-ing a “fish fry” at St. Mark the Evan-gelist Catholic Church (9724 CrossCreek Blvd.). Dinners cost start at $8for adults and $5 for children and in-clude fries, coleslaw and hushpuppies.Clam chowder also will be available atan additional charge. All are welcometo attend. For info, call 907-7746.

Zen Meditation GroupZen Meditation GroupSunday, March 10, 10 a.m. -

Enjoy meditation? Looking for a newway to relax? Check out the FREE ZenMeditation Group that meets Sundays inthe Arbor Greene Community Center(18000 Arbor Greene Dr., off CrossCreek Blvd.) Aerobics Room. All faithsare welcome. You only need an interestin meditation and a more peaceful andrelaxed mind and life.

For more information, call Je-remy at 528-6285.Northeast Tampa Women InNortheast Tampa Women InBusiness MeetingBusiness Meeting

Thursday, March 14, 6 p.m. - TheNortheast Tampa Women in Business

group meets the second Thursday of eachmonth at Hunter’s Green Country Club(18101 Longwater Run Dr.). Thismonth’s speaker is Michelle Phillips, au-thor of “The Beauty Blueprint.”

For more information, visitNETWIB.org or call 843-2354.

New Tampa Rotary ClubNew Tampa Rotary ClubFriday, March 15, 7 a.m. - The

New Tampa Rotary club meets at theTampa Palms Golf & Country Club(5811 Tampa Palms Blvd.). Mort Ele-mentary principal Woodland Johnson willbe the guest speaker. For more info, callEric Longphee at 202-1105.

Tampa Bay Rebels TryoutsTampa Bay Rebels TryoutsSaturday, March 23, 11 a.m. - The

Tampa Bay Rebels are gearing up to de-fend their 2012 Florida Basketball Associ-ation title during the upcoming FBAseason and will be holding tryouts atFreedom High in Tampa Palms (17410Commerce Park Blvd.). The cost to tryout is $20 and interested players must beat least 18 years old. For more informa-tion, visit TampaBayRebels.com.

FER’s Spring Cleaning &FER’s Spring Cleaning &Recycling DayRecycling Day

Saturday, March 23, 9 a.m. -Florida Executive Realty (FER, 15802Amberly Dr. in Tampa Palms) is hostingits first “Spring Cleaning & RecyclingDay,” where the public can come shred

documents, donate to Goodwill, giveaway old cell phones to the Crisis Centerof Tampa Bay. The first 100 to attend re-ceive a free gift. The event will includefood, drinks and a gift card raffle.

For more info, call 972-3430.

Tampa Palms Women’s ClubTampa Palms Women’s ClubYard & Bake SaleYard & Bake Sale

Saturday, March 23, 9 a.m. - Thepublic is welcome to attend the TampaPalms Women’s Club Yard & Bake Sale atCompton Park in Tampa Palms. Proceedsgo toward the group’s scholarship fund.

For more info, or to rent a booth,call Elvea Kelly at 615-9500.

MADD Workshop AtMADD Workshop At

Wharton HighWharton HighWednesday, April 10, 6:30 p.m. -

Wharton High (20150 BBD Blvd.) will behosting a Mothers Against Drunk Driving(MADD) “Power of Parents” workship inthe school’s auditorium to educate parentsabout different ways to talk to their kidsabout the dangers of drugs.

For more info, please call Mrs.Sharon Hall at 935-2676.

Community Calendar items are printedfree of charge. Submit your information

& photos (in any digital format) to:

[email protected], Attn: Matt Wiley.


Regina Ramalheira, RE/MAX – First In Real Estate

Sign-A-RamaWe Love LogosStandard Pacific Homes

Thanks To All Of OurThanks To All Of OurCurrent Taste Volunteers:Current Taste Volunteers:

Saint Andrew Presbyterian ChurchLiberty Middle SchoolFreedom High SchoolBoy Scout Troop 142

We still need a team of 20 more vol-unteers to arrive at the event at 7:30 a.m.and stay until noon to direct the vendorsto their booths and then to parking. CallRegina at 245-8893 to offer to help.

And this year, a portion of our netproceeds will benefit the Florida HospitalFoundation! See the story on page 1 forthe complete list of participating Tasterestaurants, as of our press time.

Other Upcoming Events Other Upcoming Events After the Taste, the Chamber is plan-

ning some fun evening events and we wel-come your ideas. One thought we have is a

“Progressive Plaza,” where in 2 hours, at-tendees can visit 3 businesses located in thesame plaza for drinks, appetizers anddesserts. Let us know if you’re interested.

Tuesday, March 12, 11:30 a.m., atHunter’s Green Country Club - OurGuest Speakers are from the team at the up-coming New Tampa “Relay for Life!” Weare looking for a $50 sponsor for this event,which will give you 10 minutes to featureyour business, sell merchandise and pass outinfo to all attendees. We also welcomeChamber members to have a drawing oroffer giveaways at our luncheons.

Tuesday, April 9, 11:30 a.m., atHunter’s Green Country Club - Ourguest speaker will be Councilman MikeSuarez – City of Tampa District 1 At Large.We are looking for a $50 sponsor for thisevent, too.

For all questions and registrationsfor any event please call our executive as-sistant Jayne Baker at 293-2464 or2012-13 President Regina Ramalheira at245-8893. You may also inquire on lineon our exciting revamped NewTam-paChamber.org website.

2012-13 Board of DirectorsPresident-Regina Ramalheira

New TampaChamber of Commerce, Inc.

15310 Amberly Dr., Suite 250 Tampa, FL 33647

Information: (813) 293-2464 Fax: (813) 388-4408

Website: NewTampaChamber.Org

Board Members:VP-Neil Heird

Treas-Karen HiltonSecy-John Lore

Non-Officers:Dr. Rachel Haviland

Mark LangeDr. Earl Meyer

We Are Proud To Present The 20th Taste Of New TampaTM & Other Events!The 20th annual “Taste of New Tam-

paTM” will be held Sunday, March 24,noon-6 p.m., in Primrose Park, located be-hind the Primrose School of Tampa Palms(5307 Primrose Lake Cir., off CommercePark Blvd.).

Current New Tampa Chamber mem-bers may obtain a booth at the discountedfee of $200, while non-members have to pay$275, which includes the cost of a one-yearbasic Chamber membership. Restaurantmembers aparticipate for FREE and will re-ceive ½ of each $1 Taste tickets they collectback to offset their food and other costs.Presale admission for attendees has been re-duced to just $5, . but that admission goesup to $10 at the gate. Kids ages 12 andunder are admitted free. Food and drinktickets cost $1 and each vendor will decidewhat their tastes will cost.

We are still seeking sponsors, from oneavailable title sponsorship of $10,000 (whichguarantees the sponsor the primary positionon all marketing on everything we print; forexample, the goody bags and wristbands), tojust $500, which allows you to display anadvertising vehicle at the event.

You also have the opportunity to spon-sor the “Battle of the Bands.” Battle spon-sors will be able to place their bannersalongside a very impressive, professionalstage. The cost is $3,000 for one side of thestage or $5,000 to sponsor both sides of thestage.

All interested Taste business spon-sors and exhibitors are urged to call

Regina Ramalheira at 245-8893.

Entertainment LineupEntertainment LineupThis will be the first time the Taste will

feature a “Battle of the Bands” competition,with four local bands competing for a cashprize of $500. Here is the Battle lineup:

12-12:45 — Toxic Luv1-1:45 — Skinny & Chubbies2-2:45 — Nervous Energy3- 3:45 — SerotonicFollowing the Battle, Tampa Mayor

Bob Buckhorn will speak at 4:30 p.m. TheChamber also has booked the Big BrotherBand to be the headline act for the 20th an-nual Taste. Google Big Brother, which has ahuge Tampa Bay following. Our ClosingCeremony will be held at 6 p.m, when the$500 cash prize will be awarded to the “Bat-tle of the Bands” winner.

Thanks To All Of OurThanks To All Of OurCurrent Taste Sponsors:Current Taste Sponsors:$2,500-$4,999Primrose School of Tampa PalmsFlorida Hospital Tampa & Wesley

Chapel (also providing bottled water) The Law Offices of Matthew J.

Jowanna, P.A.BB&T BankNew Tampa Neighborhood NewsTampa Bay Times

$1,500Mini Cooper of Wesley Chapel

$500New Tampa Family YMCA

‘Working To Improve The Quality Of Life In New Tampa!’ Executive Assistant:Jayne Baker


By Matt Wiley

Royalty is a word used for one ofroyal blood or royal status. With RoyaltyLawn & Landscape, you won’t be the onlyone treated like royalty; your lawn andlandscaping will make your home look likeit’s suited for a king or queen.

Royalty Lawn & Landscape’s name isself-explanatory — it’s a full-service lawn-care and landscaping company catering tothe New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas,as well as parts of Lutz and Zephyrhills.Royalty owner and Wesley Chapel residentBrian Cholnik takes pride in not only hiscare and maintenance of your property —whether residential or commercial — butalso his customer service.

“We care about our customers be-cause we know how much they care abouttheir own properties,” says Royalty ownerand Wesley Chapel resident Brian Cholnik.“We do high-end work for a medium-price. There are companies in the area thatare cheaper than us, but they usually dovery minimal work for that price.”

For Cholnik and Royalty, mainte-nance is the main priority. If Royalty sets aschedule with a customer to take care oftheir landscaping on a specific day each

week, weather-permitting, Brian promisesthey’ll always be there.

“If the weather is going to be bad inthe afternoon, we’re there as early we canto make sure we keep our schedule withour customers,” he explains. “Worst case,we’ll be there early the following day. Weservice about 375-400 customers on aweekly basis, but we’re always looking fornew customers to add to the family.”

In fact, that is the request that Chol-nik says that he gets from people most.Not specific requests for their landscaping(although Cholnik always sees to thesespecial requests personally), but whetheror not Royalty is accepting new clients.

“A lot of neighbors get a little jealousof our customers,” he says. “They’ll callme to say that they want better landscap-ing, too.”

Royalty provides a wide range oflandscaping and lawn-care options, fromthe company’s basic residential service(which includes weekly mowing, trim-ming, edging and cleanup), to Royalty’spremium residential package that, in addi-tion to the services provided in the basicpackage, also includes planter and flowerbed maintenance, shrub and bush mainte-nance, and, of course, clean up. Royalty

also offers re-mulchingand irrigation repairs.

Royalty takes careof everything frombasic lawn care to fullblown landscaping,which, Cholnik says,represents 90-percentof his customers. Ifyou’re consideringsome new landscapingfor your home, withRoyalty, the process issimple.

“Basically, cus-tomers call us, we setup a free consultationand give them someideas,” Cholnik ex-plains. “The way Florida’s climate is, it’swarm and can support tropical plants, butwe still have cold spells. I try to recom-mend fewer of the tropical plants andmore plants that can survive if it does getcold.”

Cholnik says that he and his landscap-ing team then will draw up pictures for thecustomer and figure out costs, dependingupon the customer’s budget at that time.

“We can go from there,” he says.

“We can do projects a third at a time. Itmay take three months, but we’re flexible.We accept credit, where most companiesonly want cash in hand.”

While Royalty offers many lawn andlandscaping services, there are certain serv-ices that the company does not offer.

“I’m very clear with customers aboutthe services that we can and cannot pro-vide,” Cholnik says. “If there’s somethingthat we can’t do, I make recommenda-

Royalty Lawn & Landscaping Will Treat Your Lawn Like Royalty!

Brian Cholnik, the owner of Royalty Lawn & Landscap-ing, will help you design landscaping fit for a king.


tions and point them in the right direc-tion, especially with fertilization and pestcontrol.”

Since fertilization and pest-controlcompanies typically serve customers on aless-frequent basis, Cholnik says that heand his crew keep an eye out for issues as-sociated with those services, even thoughRoyalty may not offer them.

“If we see a problem pop up, we’ll letthose companies know ahead of time be-

fore it gets worse,” Cholnik says. “We tryto educate our customers about properfertilization, which we don’t provide, butthere are some companies that we highlyrecommend.”

In addition to offering a place for cur-rent and potential customers to learnHillsborough and Pasco County wateringschedules and the ability to price out land-scaping projects, Royalty’s website also of-fers an entire list of companies that

Cholnik recommends to his clients forservices that Royalty doesn’t directly pro-vide. And, Brian says, in a struggling econ-omy, small businesses “piggy-backing” offof one another is something that is essen-tial for survival.

“Larger companies gave us a chancein the beginning, so we try to do thesame,” he explains. “We try to make goodrelationships with other companies in theindustry. We’re not here to undercut any-one. We just recently moved into WesleyChapel Nursery (located off S.R. 54, justeast of the bend at Curley Rd.) for storage.Having them so close, it allows us to domore. We both benefit.”

Kelby Reed, a manager at WesleyChapel Nursery, agrees. The nurserydeems itself a “one-stop shop” for land-scaping supplies, but also sometimes needa place to refer customers.

“Brian’s been buying supplies from usfor quite some time,” he says. “It’s greathaving Royalty on-site because we some-times have customers that come in lookingfor services we don’t offer, so we have ahand-in-hand relationship. We definitelyhelp each other out.”

The Origin Of RoyaltyThe Origin Of RoyaltyCholnik, 32, says that Royalty began

as a hobby in 2007, and a way to makemoney on the side while he was working at

an architectural firm. Now, he has a crewnumbering nearly a dozen.

“I realized that I enjoy being out-doors and from there, (Royalty) became itsown monster,” Cholnik says, jokingly. “Ican’t complain. I’m making a living andmaking people happy about their landscap-ing. My customers are proud of theirhomes and want to protect what theyhave. It can be tough to keep up withhomeowner association requirements inthe communities in this area. But, that’swhere we come in.”

Royalty client James Morrow can’tcomplain, either.

“I’ve been using landscaping businessfor 28 years, since I moved to Florida,”says Morrow, who lives in Seven Oaks withhis wife Vena and golden retriever Deuce.“I’ve changed companies many times be-cause of reliability, or lack of follow-up.But, Brian’s very professional, whether byemail or by phone, and his prices are verycompetitive. If you want something specialdone, he’ll get it done for you. About thetime I’m thinking something in the yardneeds attention, I look outside and (Roy-alty) is already here working on it.”

For additional information aboutRoyalty Lawn & Landscaping, pleasevisit RoyaltyLawns.com or call 469-9013 and please tell Brian the Neigh-borhood News sent you!

This is an example of the what your yard can look like if you hire Brian Cholnik’sRoyalty Lawn & Landscaping crew.

with re-spect —alwaysconsider-ing theway shewouldwant tobe treatedin any situation.

Client Elizabeth Welliver(with Maria in photo above)says, “While selling my home inHunter’s Green, Maria put forthgreat effort in advertising andalso hosted several open houses.She does her work with passionand is obviously willing to do allshe can to help her clients. Mariaapplies the concept of ethics inher work as a realtor.”

Maria says that a high per-centage of her clients are repeatcustomers who come back to herwhenever they are ready to buy or sell ahome for the second or even third time.Her clients know that they can rely on therelationship they built from their first en-counter.

“I don't measure my success by sales,but by the relationships I build along theway,” she says.

Maria was just 14 years old when her

parents moved her and her five siblingsfrom Ecuador to New York City. Thatexperience of being in a new place andwanting to find “your place” has madeher into the compassionate agent herclients experience every day. Maria hastwo adult children — Rob, who lives inNew York City, and Dianne, who lives inCalifornia. Maria and her husband Markhave been married for 21 years.


By Bonnie Mason

Are you thinking of buying your firsthome? Or, perhaps you’re a homeownerwho wants to sell? Real estate consultantMaria Cherrez-VanGalder, with CharlesRutenberg Realty, has the skills, knowl-edge, passion and honesty to help youthrough the often daunting home buyingor selling process.

Finding the right realtor is a process.Maria says, “The most important thingwhen choosing a real estate professional isto find someone you can trust. Don’t beafraid to interview several agents beforechoosing one you feel comfortable willrepresent your interests."

“Your realtor should know the mar-ket you are buying or selling in, have ac-cess to the latest industry tools and provenrelationship skills necessary to close thedeal,” she says. Maria’s past clients will at-test that you can depend upon her historyof success and integrity in a business notalways known for its great integrity. She isan experienced negotiator with expertknowledge of the New Tampa community— where she both lives and works — giv-ing her an edge on obtaining the best re-sults for her clients.

Maria learned the hard way — shelost her down payment funds on the firsthome she wanted to buy, due, for the

most part, to the strict credit requirementsin place in the early 1990s. Later, shelearned there was no reason to lose herdown payment and vowed to becomemore educated about the home buyingprocess. It is with this determination thatMaria helps first-time home buyersthrough the entire process — from build-ing credit to closing on a new home.

“It was a hard lesson to learn, but Ifeel it’s part of what makes me work evenharder for my clients,” she says.

Maria received her real estate trainingwith Mark It Realty Group with BrokerMark Weiss in 1998 and in 2002 beganher career with Charles Rutenberg Realty,which is based in Clearwater, althoughMaria works out of her home in the NewTampa area and helps both buyers andsellers in her community. She also servesWesley Chapel, Land O' Lakes and theCarrollwood area where she first beganher real estate career.

With more than 4,000 agents inFlorida, Illinois and New York, Maria cancount on the support she receives fromCharles Rutenberg Realty — believingcompletely in the company’s mission andtradition of excellence.

In The People BusinessIn The People BusinessMaria understands that every client is

unique and she treats every one of them

Maria Cherrez-VanGalder - Honestly Helping Local Home Buyers & Sellers

• Cleanings(Ages 4 and up)

• Crowns, Bridgesand Implant Crowns

• Veneers• Zoom & Take

Home Whitening• Root Canals &

Extractions

FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY20441 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

(across the street from Wharton H.S.,in front of Live Oak)

Dr. Neeraja Jasthi, DMD

WELCOME TOFAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY

Dr. Neeraja Jasthi

866-9913“Let Our Family Be Here For Yours”

New Tampa resiident and real estate consultant MariaCherrez-VanGalder of Charles Rutenberg Realty prom-ises her clients — whether they are buying or selling their

homes — honesty, ethics and hard work.

First-Time Buyer AdviceFirst-Time Buyer AdviceMaria’s main advice to any home-

buyer, especially first-time home buyers, isto buy only what you can afford.

“Anytime a client can’t comfortablyafford the mortgage on a home, I advisethem to be patient and wait,” says Maria.“Many potential home buyers need to re-assess their budgets to learn where theymay have to make cuts. And, clients mayeven come to the realization that theyneed to save more money before takingthe plunge into home-ownership.”

Many first-time buyers are right nowfinding it more difficult to obtain mort-gage financing, due to the increase in re-strictions brought on by the most recentnationwide financial crisis. Maria recom-mends taking whatever steps you can tofix your credit. “Although it may takesome time to fix your credit,” she says,“you’ll still have time to buy at a low in-terest rate.” Maria provides her clientswith a variety of options for getting helpto fix their credit. Preparing A Home for SalePreparing A Home for Sale

Maria suggests sellers be as objectiveas possible when pricing their homes. Shesays you can be competitive by obtainingat least three free market analyses fromdifferent real estate agents to allow a fairassessment of the value of your home andthe current market. And then, price yoursto sell. Another recommendation fromMaria to sellers is to de-clutter each room

and closet in their homes. A home on themarket should be clean and clutter-free.If necessary, rent an off-site storage unitfor excess furniture and other items.

What about current homeownerswho are “upside down” in their homes?Maria suggests staying in your currenthome until the market changes. She says,“The local market is becoming a seller’smarket — home prices are slowly increas-ing across the Tampa Bay area. However,there are investors out there who are pay-ing cash for homes and winning biddingwars with cash payments. This is good forsellers because they are selling at their ask-ing price and sometimes higher.”

Perhaps the most important thingMaria says to remember about the currentmarket is that many listed homes in ourarea are going under contract in 30 daysor less and there are still many short saleslocally, as well as REOs (real estate ownedby banks).

And, while she says that the currentmarket includes a high percentage of re-peat home buyers, new home builders inthe area also are ramping up to benefitfrom an expected increase in first-timebuyers. For example, Lennar Homes isbuilding at Easton Park and MeritageHomes at Bassett Creek — both in K-BarRanch — and both also are offering a va-riety of incentives, to make it easier formost home buyers to purchase. “I see abright future,” Maria says. “The curtain is


rising to reveal a whole new picture.”

Part Of The CommunityPart Of The CommunityMaria is extremely active in the New

Tampa and Tampa Bay communities andsays she is passionate about helping others.

For example, she is a Board memberof the National Association of HispanicReal Estate Professionals® (NAHREP)’Tampa Bay chapter. NAHREP membersact as advocates to help Hispanic familiesachieve the American Dream of becominghomeowners.

Maria also is a member of the NorthEast Tampa Women in Business(NETWIB) and the Hispanic ProfessionalWomen's Association (HPWA) groups,

where she helped in fund-raising effortsfor migrant children and families. And, lastOctober, Maria raised money for theAmerican Cancer Society and participatedin “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer”event in downtown Tampa.

If you are in the market for a real es-tate consultant, Maria Cherrez-VanGalderis the advocate for you.

New Tampa resident Maria Cher-rez-VanGalder, is a short sale-certified,full-time real estate consultant forCharles Rutenberg Realty in the NewTampa/Wesley Chapel area. For moreinformation or to schedule an appoint-ment, please call 679-9595, or visitMariaFloridaRealtor.com.


By Camille Gillies

With the Tampa real estate marketstarting to bounce back and more peopleconsidering buying or selling a home, nowmay be a good time to brush up on yourknowledge of the title business.

If you’ve ever purchased property,chances are pretty good you’ve boughttitle insurance. That’s because mostlenders require buyers to purchase title in-surance as security for any real estate in-vestment. But, do you really know whattitle insurance covers, or what a title com-pany does?

One expert on the subject is An-thony Fowkes, owner of Anchor TitleServices, LLC, which is headquartered inthe Cory Lake Isles Professional Centeron Cross Creek Blvd. A licensed titleagent who started Anchor Title eight yearsago, Tony says the title industry is not wellunderstood.

“Most people probably don’t under-stand what we do,” Tony explains. “Basi-cally, we are a non-interested third partybetween the bank, the buyer and theseller. We specialize in researching, deliver-ing and recording closing documents,preparing settlement costs and closingstatements, disbursing settlement funds

and providing title insurance.”Unlike homeowners or flood insur-

ance policies that show up in your mailboxfor renewal every year, title insurance foryour home is a one-time premium, andrather than protect against hazards such ashurricanes and fires that may befall yourhome in the future, title insurance pro-tects against loss from hazards that poten-tially already exist.

When purchasing a home, you are ac-tually purchasing the title to the property,and that title may be limited by rights andclaims asserted by others. Problems canarise when deeds, wills and trusts containimproper wording or incorrect names;outstanding mortgages and judgmentsexist, or the seller didn’t pay his taxes andthere’s a lien against the property; or thereare easements that must allow construc-tion of a road or a utility line; pendinglegal action against the property could af-fect the purchaser; or incorrect notary ac-knowledgments are discovered.

How do you know whether any ofthese issues are associated with your realestate purchase? The title company does asearch of public land records and whentitle problems are uncovered by thesearch, they try to resolve them.

Unfortunately, hidden hazards may

emerge after closing: a forged signatureon the deed prevents the buyer from tak-ing ownership; an unknown heir of a pre-vious owner claims ownership of theproperty; instruments were executedunder an expired or a fabricated power ofattorney; or mistakes were made in thepublic records.

These hazards can be as costly to ahomeowner as any natural disaster —which is where title insurance comes intoplay. The title insurer pays for defendingan attack on the title and will either“clear” or perfect the title or pay validclaims – all included in that one-time

charge you pay at closing.

A Standard Of ExcellenceA Standard Of ExcellenceAnchor Title had no claims last year

and was recognized by its underwriter,Stewart Title Insurance, with Stewart’s2012 Foundation of Excellence Awardand its 2012 Pacesetter Award for An-chor’s high volume of business.

“We conduct business all overFlorida,” Tony says. “Because we havemany locations, we can make closings veryconvenient for our customers. If you’rerefinancing your current residence, we willeven come to your home. We also work

Anchor Title Protects You & Your Important Real Estate Investments

(L. to r.) Anchor Title’s post-closing manager Nahybi Amaya, agency manager Arlette Soler andowner/agent Anthony Fowkes can be found in the Cory Lake Professional Center.


with an attorney on short sales, if ourclients need that type of expertise.”

Tony adds, “Many of the area’s toplenders and Realtors use our services. An-chor also handles numerous for-sale-by-owner transactions. Our relationships withpeople are very important to us. We striveto be accessible to our clients, giving outour cell phone numbers and always havingsomeone available to answer and returnphone calls. It also helps that our staff ismultilingual.”

One of the big things that Tony saysseparates Anchor from its competition isthat, “We’re more modern. We’ve stream-lined our technology to speed up theprocess so we have the ability to quicklyaccess anything we need for our clients.”

Among the lenders on Anchor’sclient list is Meriam Ibrahim, a seniormortgage banker with Chase Bank inTampa. A top producer with eight years ofexperience, Ibrahim says the service shehas received from Anchor Title has been“phenomenal” and that the title com-pany’s people are the main reason.

“I give them a file and they run withit,”Meriam raves. “They offer amazingcustomer service. It’s the individualsthemselves who set the company apartfrom other title companies. I’ve used themfor several years and find them far superiorto the national title companies I’ve used.”

In the real estate community, ChristyIanuzi, a Realtor with Prudential TropicalRealty in Tampa, says the team at AnchorTitle is personable and professional.

“They care when there’s a problemand try to figure out a way to make thingswork,” Christy says. “They make sure thejob gets done and when you need a clos-ing to happen, they find a way to do it.We use them as much as possible.”

A Look At The MarketA Look At The MarketWorking closely with the real estate

and mortgage industries, Tony has keeninsight into the Tampa Bay area real estatemarket – and the signs of life he says he iswitnessing may pleasantly surprise you.

He says that Tampa’s inventory, orthe amount of time it takes to sell all ofthe properties currently on the market, is“drastically low,” which is driving homeprices higher. In fact, he says inventoryoverall in the Tampa Bay area, includingNew Tampa and Wesley Chapel, is at just3.4 months, down from its high of 18.9months of inventory.

“The deals are not really out therenow,” he remarks, noting that recentlyhe’s seen some homes get five offers thefirst day they are on the market — andsome sellers even receive above-list-priceand cash offers.

“Hedge funds are investing in the

Tampa market and are buying homes withfull-price cash offers. The hedge funds,first-time homebuyers and internationalinvestors are the ones driving the (TampaBay-area) market.”

He adds that financing is getting a lit-tle easier because confidence in the markethas strengthened, adding, “There aretighter (financing) guidelines (now), butthey are loosening.”

Tony gains perspective on the indus-try at home as well, as his wife Lindsey is aRealtor with Prudential Realty. The couplelives in Cory Lake Isles with their daugh-ters, ages 5 and 2.

Tony moved to Tampa in 2003 after

graduating from West Virginia Universityin Morgantown with a Bachelor’s degreein criminology and anthropology. Heworked in sales and eventually decided topursue a career in the title industry andopen his own business. He says he isproud of his knowledgeable staff at An-chor Title, which includes agency managerArlette Soler, who has 13 years of title ex-perience, and post-closing managerNahybi Amaya.

Anchor Title’s main office is lo-cated at 10347 Cross Creek Blvd, SuiteB, in the Cory Lake Professional Cen-ter. For more info, call 907-7333 orvisit AnchorTitleServices.net.

Stonewood Grill & Tavern in TampaPalms, Burger 21 on BBD in the newTrout Creek area, CherryBerry Yogurtin Highwoods Preserve Acropolis GreekTaverna and Jersey Mike’s Subs in theOak Ramble Plaza and even, I hope, LeeRoy Selmon’s, which is now planning toopen on S.R. 56. Feel free to stop in toany of these eateries and tell them youwant to see them participate in this year’sTaste. Maybe you can turn their “maybes”into “Yeses!”

Among the returning Taste restau-rants this year are Café Olé on CrossCreek Blvd., Bruster’s Real Ice Creamon BBD, The Baker’s Gallery in thePebble Creek Collection and Peabody’sin the Shoppes of Amberly.

I’m also still waiting to hear backfrom Tijuana Flats, Olive Garden, RedLobster, Romano’s Macaroni Grill,Sushi Tsu, Chili’s, Boston Market,Burger Monger, the new Petra’s Ex-press Middle Eastern Cuisine (see page56), Marco’s Pizza, La Cubanita Café,Taste of Boston, Kobe Japanese Steak-house and several others.

In other words, I fully expect to have35-40 restaurants and beverage providersparticipating in this year’s Taste.

Sponsors, Entertainment &Sponsors, Entertainment &Our First Live Taste Video! Our First Live Taste Video!

I would be remiss if I didn’t mentionhow important the sponsors and business

exhibitors are to the success of the Taste.Without these participating businesses,who spend from $275 to $10,000 to helpoffset the cost of the event, this likelywouldn’t be the 20th anniversary of thisgreat event. See pages 22-23 for the cur-rent list of this year’s sponsors.

I also hope, if you’re still inter-ested in sponsoring or having a busi-ness exhibitor booth at this year’s taste,that you will call the Chamber’s execu-tive assistant Jayne Baker at 293-2464or visit TasteofNewTampa.info to getsigned up today!

Every sponsor of this year’s Taste willbe interviewed on camera in our first-everTaste of New Tampa video! See page 3for more details about the video andour planned live video feed!

“For me, it was a no-brainer to partic-ipate,” Alex says. I hope other restaurantsoutside of New Tampa will realize what agreat way this event is to introduce theirrestaurant to a large group of people whomay never have heard of them before. Ihope the Taste will get New Tampa talk-ing about Domani Bistro!”

More First Time ParticipantsMore First Time ParticipantsOf course, not all of this year’s first-

time participating eateries are outside ofthe immediate area. Among those thathave committed already — and there areat least 20 others who have said they areinterested, but simply hadn’t finalizedtheir participation at our press time — isthe new Takara Sushi & Sake Lounge inthe Oak Ramble Plaza on BBD just southof Tampa. Owners Eugenia and chefHunter Yu are excited to offer samples oftheir sushi and other Japanese dishes, aswell as, perhaps, some from Hunter’shome country of Korea.

Also serving samples at the Taste forthe first time will be co-owner HectorGonzalez of Toast Fine Wine Bar &Café, which also is located in Oak RamblePlaza and which recently unveiled an excit-ing new menu (see page 50). Hector sayshe will offer wine, coffee, Daily Bread bak-

ery items and some of his bistro-inspirednew menu items.

Also in the Taste for the first time arePJ Dolan’s Irish Pub & Grille (see page46) on E. Bearss Ave., PDQ Fresh Ten-ders on S.R. 56, World of Beer in TampaPalms, Oakley’s Grille on BBD in NorthPalms Village, the not-yet-open (at ourpress time) Little Greek Restaurant inthe New Tampa Center, Winners Grillon S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel (see page52), Full Circle Pizza & Grill in the Peb-ble Creek Collection and You Say WhenYogurt in Highwoods Preserve.

I also have received very positive“maybes” from a number of other restau-rants that have never participated beforethat had not yet confirmed their participa-tion at our press time, including


“Taste”Continued from page 1

Unique menu items, like this not-fried, av-ocado-wrapped lump crab cake, are thetypes of cuisine you can expect to samplefrom Domani Bistro at the 2013 Taste.

You can again expect to enjoy deliciouscupcakes from The Baker’s Gallery at the

2013 Taste of New Tampa.


Medi-Weightloss Clinics®, with a lo-cation convenient to New Tampa on S.R.54 in Lutz, offers expert medical help forlosing weight without surgery or fad diets.Whether you’re trying to lose 10 poundsto fit into your favorite bikini or 100pounds to save your life, weight loss isn’teasy.

Kelli Maw, MD, the medical directorat the Lutz location, noticed that many ofher patients were looking for a programthat would help them lose weight and, formany, the traditional, run-of-the-mill localweight loss options didn’t seem to beenough. That’s why Dr. Maw says she de-cided to join Medi-Weightloss Clinics®.

Dr. Maw, MD has more than 20years of experience in family medicine,public health, and epidemiology. Sheholds a Master’s degree in public health,and is a graduate of Columbia University

in New York City, NY, and the Institute ofMedicine in Yangon, Myanmar.

Dr. Maw is a member of the Ameri-can Society of Bariatric Physicians. Afternine years as the medical executive direc-tor for the Hernando County Health De-partment, she sees her position withMedi-Weightloss Clinics® as a naturalprogression of her preventive care advo-cacy, especially in the prevention ofchronic diseases related to obesity.

“There are no magic bullets in medi-cine to prevent chronic diseases, but main-taining a healthy weight and lifestyle is asclose as it gets,” Dr. Maw says. “One ofthe greatest things about Medi-WeightlossClinics® is that we coach people to em-brace a healthy lifestyle that puts themback in charge of their health and theirweight.”

With summer just around the corner,now is a great time to get into shape.With 85 locations in 21 states, including25 locations throughout Florida, Medi-Weightloss Clinics® is the nation’s pre-mier physician-supervised weight lossprogram. Since 2006, the Lutz locationhas been offering local residents a way tolose weight and keep it off, without hav-ing to resort to fad diets or invasive sur-gery.

“At Medi-Weightloss Clinics®,” Dr.Maw says, “we have physicians and nutri-

tionists on staff, and, in addition to thephysical aspects of weight loss, we stressnutrition and education. We are commit-ted to seeing patients keep the weight off.We focus on education and a healthylifestyle, which includes exercise and learn-ing appropriate portion sizes.”

All Medi-Weightloss Clinics® physi-cians are members of the Society ofBariatric Physicians and have expert expe-rience helping patients with significantweight problems, especially those whohave weight issues and other associatedmedical conditions such as diabetes andhypertension.On average, patients lose 7pounds the first week and 2-3 poundseach week thereafter for the first month.Since opening, the Lutz location hashelped its patients drop more than 30,000pounds combined.

The program begins with a 90-minute initial consultation, where the pa-tient receives a comprehensive exam thatincludes a review of his or her medical his-tory, a physical, EKG, blood work, a bodyfat analysis and weight and BMI measure-ments. Dr. Maw will discuss the patient’sgoals with them and make diet and exer-cise recommendations as well as providevitamin supplements and an appetite sup-pressant, if applicable. During weekly fol-low-up visits, which last 15-20 minutes,patients receive supplemental injections, a

weight analy-sis and weightloss support.

Medi-WeightlossClinics® pa-tients also re-ceive access tothe SignaturePatient Web-site, whichfeatures delicious, healthy recipes andhundreds of exercises. Patients also cantrack their weight loss success and logtheir fitness activities on the website.

Dr. Maw also keeps patients’ primarycare physicians informed about theirprogress, allowing healthcare providers toalign their care, such as lowering bloodpressure or cholesterol medicationdosages when warranted, which is an ad-vantage of the physician-supervised Mediprogram.

And, Medi-Weightloss Clinics®aren’t just about losing weight, but help-ing patients embrace a healthy lifestyle,improve self-esteem and prevent chronicdiseases. “We will coach and support youso that you can take charge of your weightand health and feel your best again,” saysDr. Maw.

She adds, “We often don’t experiencediscomfort when we are gradually gaining

Medi-Weight Loss — Your Non-Surgical Medical Weight Loss Option!

Kelli Maw, MD


weight because in our society food is asso-ciated with celebrations, holidays, familygatherings, and other happy occasions.”However, the reverse can be true whentrying to lose weight. But, with the sup-port and guidance of the professionalLutz staff, the process of losing weightdoesn’t have to be a lonely one. LetMedi-Weightloss Clinics® help you makethis summer the best bikini season yet!

The Lutz/Wesley Chapel Medi-Weightloss Clinic is located at 24420S.R. 54, about a mile or so west ofwhere S.R. 54 meets S.R. 56. For moreinformation, call 909-1700 or visitMediWeightLossClinics.com/ Loca-tions/Lutz.


Lee Nails & Spa — A Hidden Gem Worth Finding In Wesley Chapel!By Kathleen Schiop

Everyone loves to be pampered andI’m no exception. So, when I was invitedto indulge in a spa pedicure at Lee Nails& Spa (located in the small professionalcenter opposite TJ Maxx in The GroveShopping Center off Oakley Blvd.) inWesley Chapel, I jumped at the chance.

Owner Tony Truong, who has 16years of experience in the nail business,opened the spa 4-1/2 years ago and sayshe has enjoyed loyal patronage ever since.Since the plaza itself is (and always has

been) mostly deserted, I wondered howhe has managed to not only stay in busi-ness, but also thrive. But, my questionswere answered when I actually came tothe spa.

As Tony says, “We believe we willcontinue to be successful because wetrust our experience and how we treatour valued customers.”

He adds that he picked the location,because it is a very convenient plaza withplenty of parking. “It’s easy for our cus-tomers to get in and out quickly, and thisarea looks very nice, too.”

Elegance & Friendliness

The first impression upon enteringthe spotlessly clean Lee Nails is one ofelegance. A color scheme of soothingpeaches, light browns and yellowsgreets the eye, and relaxing music isplaying. With ten pedicure stations, thespa is able to accommodate largegroups, but what first caught my eyewas the cute child-sized station, whichcaters specifically to the little princess orprince in your family.

The spa offers a full range of serv-ices at affordable prices, ranging from acomplete menu of manicures and pedi-cures to waxing and facial services, aswell as a variety of eyelash treatments

and even permanent makeup. My pedicure began when I was

seated in a massage chair and my feet wereplaced in warm, swirling water. I turned tothe customer next to me, and asked herhow long she had been coming to thisspa. April, a regular client who travels allthe way from New Port Richey, said shehad been to five other spas closerto herarea before finding Lee Nails, and has

been a loyal customer ever since. “I love the cleanliness and the nail art

work they do,” she said. “It’s unique andwell worth the drive here.”

Of course, one of the primary con-cerns of any customer coming to a nail spais hygiene. So, when my licensed nail tech-nician Mya (one of seven at the spa)began, I first questioned her about theprocedures Lee Nails uses to avoid con-tamination of their tools. She explainedthat all of the spa’s nail tools are soaked ina powerful antiseptic, placed in a sterilizer,then sealed in a bag. The bags are onlyopened when the nail technician beginswork on the client’s pedicure.

After trimming and buffing my feet,Mya began a massage on my lower legs,using a mask which felt cool and tinglyand had a wonderful aroma of eucalyptus.She let the mask dry, then followed it witha cooling gel. My feet and lower legs feltfantastic. But then, she rubbed my legswith an orange scented sea salt and en-cased my feet with warm, melted paraffinwax, wrapped in plastic.

After the pink wax hardened, shepeeled it off, leaving my feet feeling in-credibly smooth. Utter bliss. The massagewas incredibly relaxing, and Mya spentmore time on the massage than I’ve expe-rienced at other spas. I thought to myself

Your child can get a pedicure at the sametime you do — in his or her own cool pedi-cure chair — at the elegant Lee Nails &

Spa in The Grove in Wesley Chapel.

Lee Nails & Spa uses only the most hygieni-cally safe methods and equipment to ensure

you’ll enjoy being pampered.


that Lee Nails would be the ideal place tocome after one of my 5K road races as Idissolved into a little, contented puddle.

I also asked Lee Nails’ manager andLicensed Aesthetician Cindy about someof the spa’s other product and services.She showed me the menu of spa services,featuring Galvanic Spa, NuSkin and Age-loc products, to name a few. She addedthat the spa uses nothing but the highestquality products to give the customer the

best treatments possible. The wide rangeof facials surprised me. The Mini FacialTreatment, the Full Facial, and the SuperFacial consist of varying degrees of firm-ing, hydrating and brightening tech-niques, and there is also is an Acne Facialtreatment available. I am tempted tocome back for one of these treatments inthe very near future.

Another service I asked Cindy aboutwere eyelash treatments, since Lee Nailsoffers more of these treatments than Ihave ever heard of before. In addition toeyelash tinting, the spa offers eyelash

Cindy, the spa manager & LicensedAesthetician at Lee Nails, reviews thespa’s menu of available services with

the author of this feature.Owner Tony Truong of Lee Nails &Spa has 16 years of experience in the

nail care business.

perming for those blessed with long eye-lashes (I wish!) and eyelash extensions,(which is more up my alley), giving you achoice of either Push-up or Flare lashesdone in 20 minutes, or individual exten-sions which take approximately 90-120minutes to apply. Tony says he recom-mends the Flare lashes because the finallook is fuller and the method uses less timeand is more economical. And, once ap-plied, Cindy also recommended stoppinginto the spa for eyelash maintenance aboutevery two to three weeks to keep thatbeautiful, diva look.

While Mya finished polishing my toeswith a beautiful burgundy OPI polish, acouple came in for his & hers pedicures. I

asked Mya if this was a normal occurrence,since nail spas often tend to be “no man’sland,” but she said they see a mixed clien-tele of both male and female, as well asfamilies enjoying the spa services together.After my experience at Lee Nails, I cancertainly understand why.

Lee Nails & Spa is located at 6013Wesley Grove Blvd., Suite 104. It isopen Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-7:30p.m., and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday.For appointments (which are not re-quired) and more info, stop in or call907-8100. Also, ask how you can get15-percent-off all services of $20 ormore offer just by mentioning thisstory when you visit Lee Nails & Spa.



By Matt Wiley

Fresh water is the most precious re-source on the planet, and students at sev-eral New Tampa schools soon will focuson the importance of its conservation,thanks to grants from the SouthwestFlorida Water Management District (aka“Swiftmud”).

The grants are part of Swiftmud’s“Splash!” school grant program, whichprovides teachers with up to $3,000 toeducate their students about local water-sheds, conservation, quality and watersupply. Swiftmud’s Splash! program hashelped teach students about Florida’swater system since 1997.

“The schools were chosen through alottery system,” says Melissa Gulvin, edu-cation coordinator for Swiftmud. “Thisyear, we received 56 applications fromschools in Hillsborough County.”

In New Tampa, students in JaneKemp’s fourth- and fifth-grade gifted classat Lawton Chiles Elementary, Jennell Gra-ham’s fifth-grade math and science classesat Pride Elementary and Michele Paschal’sthird-fifth-grade self-contained autismclass at Tampa Palms Elementary areamong the students at 94 different publicschools in Swiftmud’s 16-county regionthat will take part in water-resources pro-

grams available through the grants, 34 ofwhich are Hillsborough County schools.

To be eligible to receive a grant,teachers had to fill out an extensive appli-cation that addressed the number of stu-dents involved, their grade level, anestimate of the budget needed for theteacher’s program, a list of the itemswould need to be purchased, a descriptionof the activities in which students wouldtake part in and out of the classroom, amessage and a goal, or what the studentswould take away from the activities.

The program also has to relate toSTEM (Science, Technology, Engineeringand Mathematics) and address one of theSunshine State Standards—a level ofknowledge a student must be able todemonstrate by the end of their currentgrade level.

While schools can be awarded up to$3,000, Gulvin explains that the amountawarded is entirely need-based.

Kemp’s class at Chiles was awarded$1,699. Her fourth- and fifth-grade giftedstudents will be learning about the watercycle, water pollution and aquifer recharg-ing during a field trip to Sweetwater Or-ganic Farm in Town N’ Country, as wellas maintain a water-conserving garden atthe school, while monitoring water use inthe garden.

“Gettingthe grant isawesome forthe kids,”Kemp says. “Itgives (thekids) an op-portunity todo some realhands-on ac-tivities to learnabout waterconservation.”

She saysthat once thepeat and soilarrive, her students will begin work ongrowing tomatoes, lettuce, peppers onionsand herbs, while using water conservationtechniques.

Graham’s math and science classes atPride were awarded $2,800 toward a fieldtrip to Tampa Bay Watch in Tierra Verdein southern Pinellas County, to learnabout estuary habitats. The students alsowill learn how weather patterns are af-fected by the water cycle, as well as the im-portance of rainwater as a water sourcewhile they keep track of local rainfall.

“It feels great to be able to provide agood, quality field trip for the kids,” Gra-ham says. “(The grant) really helps be-

cause Tampa Bay Watch is out of Hillsbor-ough County, so we can’t use schoolbuses. We have to rent charter buses. Thegrant covers that cost.”

Graham’s class visited Tampa BayWatch on February 19, where they meas-ured water quality in the Tampa Bay estu-ary, took samples and, using powerfulstereoscopes, were able to see planktonand other living things in the water, beforedissecting some squid.

“(The kids) really enjoyed it,” Gra-ham explains. “The trip relates to ourbenchmark, what we’re teaching in theclassroom at the time. Plus, they’re out-side in nature.”

Paschal’s class at Tampa Palms Ele-

New Tampa Elementary Schools Win Swiftmud Splash! Grants

Students in Michele Paschal’s class at Tampa Palms Elementary work in theschool’s garden, growing vegetables they later will harvest, thanks in part to a“Splash! Grant” provided by the SW Florida Water Management District.


mentary received a grant for $2,984,which will help fund an experiment inwhich her autistic students collect rainwater in barrels to supply water for theschool’s garden. The students will sharewhat they learn on the school’s morningnews TV program and create a newsletterfor the community.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for mystudents,” says Paschal of her thirdthrough fifth grade self-contained autismstudents. “It’s an opportunity for (my stu-dents) to have outdoor sensory experi-ences, which is really important for them.”

Paschal explains that the majority ofher students are non-verbal, but are ex-cited about the vegetables that they are

growing in the school’s garden and aretrying to communicate the changes in thecolors of different vegetables to the otherstudents.

“The outdoor activities are reallyhelpful for developing their communica-tion and social skills,” Paschal explains.

She says that the class also is harvest-ing the vegetables they are growing andcooking with them in the classroom oncea week, serving up dishes such as home-made salsa, pizza sauce and more.

“My room smells good,” she says.For more information about Swift-

mud’s Splash! program, please visitSWFWMD.State.FL.US and click onthe “Education” tab.

By Matt Wiley & Gary NagerPhotos by Matt Wiley

If choosing the right college can be atough decision for any high school stu-dent, choosing the right college that hasoffered you a full scholarship to partici-pate in a sport at that school must bemind-boggling.

Nonetheless, on February 6, betterknown as “National Signing Day,” severalNew Tampa student athletes made theirchoices and put their names on the paper.

Students at Freedom and WhartonHigh, as well as at the private Carroll-wood Day School (CDS) south and westof our area signed letters of intent to takepart in everything from track & field tofootball, at schools from as far away asGeorgetown University in Washington,DC, to as close as the Tampa campus ofthe University of South Florida.

Perhaps the biggest local signing waswhen Wharton’s Vernon Hargreaves III— one of the top five football recruits inthe U.S., according to ESPN, Rivals.comand most recruiting websites — signedhis letter of intent to become a Universityof Florida Gator in Gainesville. The 5-11,190-lb. Hargreaves, who runs a 4.45 40-yard dash, is one of the top cornerbackscoming out of high school this year.

Also signing from Wharton werethree soccer players — Ashni Deschenes(17 goals, 4 assists), who will play at Stet-son University in DeLand; LeahChisolm-Allison (10 goals, 9 assists), whowill play for Eckerd College in St. Peters-burg; and Maria Areiza, who signed withMississippi Valley State in Itta Bena. MS.

Woodard & Five OtherWoodard & Five OtherFreedom Athletes Sign, TooFreedom Athletes Sign, Too

Family and friends packed the Free-dom High cafeteria to watch their fellowstudents don the hats of the colleges theywill attend.

“I’m really excited, not just for me,but for everyone signing today across the

country,” said Freedom senior FaithWoodard, who signed to play basketballat Georgetown, a prestigious Ivy League-caliber school in our nation’s capital witha rich basketball tradition. “I was sohappy when I got the call from them.They offered me a full scholarship.”

With her 6’-2” size, 22-pts.- and 9-rebounds-per-game averages for the Statesemifinalist Patriots (see next page), it’sno surprise Woodard is getting a chanceto play in the always-tough Big East.

Freedom football safety Nate God-win was just as happy about staying closeto home at USF as Woodard was aboutheading to DC. “I’m excited to knowI’m going...to play for Coach Taggart(USF’s new football coach). We’ve got agreat recruiting class.”

Also signing from Freedom on Na-tional Signing Day were football playersIsaac Tanner, who will play at WesternKentucky Univ. in Bowling Green; CodyCoffin, who signed with Webber Interna-tional Univ. in Babson Park, FL; andRichard Bisaccia (the son of formerTampa Bay Bucs asst. head coach & spe-cial teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia),who will play at Middle Tennessee StateUniv. in Murfreesboro. State high jumpchamp Sandra Akachukwu will join Tan-ner at Western Ky. on a track scholarship.

A few miles to the southeast, Car-rollwood Day School’s student bodygathered in the auditorium to watchHillsborough County’s all-time rushingleader Robert Davis and QB/DB VidalWoodruff sign to play at the Universityof Memphis and Bethel College inNorth Newton, KS, respectively.

Davis, finished his career at CDSwith 5,576 rushing yards. He also setthe county’s single-season rushing yardsrecord with an incredible 2,221 yards thispast season. The 5’-8”, 170-lb. RB runs a4.58 40 and plays bigger than his size in-

dicates. Woodruff, 6’-3” and weighs 210lbs., threw for 1,649 yards and 25 TDs.

Congratulations and good luck to allof these National Signing Day athletes!


Several New Tampa Student Athletes Celebrate National Signing Day

(Top left) Wharton High’s Vernon Hargreaves III (2nd from left) was among four NationalSigning Day signees at the school; Among Freedom High’s six signees (above, center) were (topright) Isaac Tanner and Faith Woodard. Carrollwood Day School’s signees (lower right) wereHillsborough County’s all-time and single-season rushing leader Robert Davis (standing) and

QB Vidal Woodruff. (All photos by Matt Wiley, except Wharton, which was used by permission)

By Matt Wiley & Gary Nager

The Wharton Wildcats are well ontheir way. After clinching the Class 8A-District 7 title on February 6 and domi-nating two rounds (see below) of theClass 8A Regional playoffs, Wharton stillhad a chance to wake home long-timecoach Tommy Tonelli’s first-ever Statetitle. Another win, at home, on Feb. 23against Orlando University High (17-11) would advance head coach TommyTonelli’s Wildcats to the State Semifinalsfor the first time in school history.

Getting to the Regional Finalshasn’t necessarily been a walk in the parkfor Wharton. The District title game pit-ted the 22-4 Wildcats against the AlonsoRavens (15-12), who actually at the half34-30. However, the Wildcats had noplans of losing the title match at homeand bounced back, outscoring theRavens 18-13 in the third and 23-14 inthe fourth for a 71-61 victory and a tripto the regional playoffs. Senior C.J.McGill scored 22, while fellow senior SirPatrick Reynolds led the Wildcats inscoring with 23 points.

After a tough District champi-onship, the February 14 Regional Quar-terfinal match against North Port(14-14) was seemingly a walk in the parkfor the Wharton boys, who led 40-22 atthe half and continued to dominate theBobcats throughout the third and fourthquarters to a 76-39 win. This time,McGill led the team with 24 points, fol-lowed by Reynolds with 13 and seniorChase Litton with 12, sending the Wild-cats south to Riverview High (Sarasota).

Riding the breezy victory againstNorth Port, the February 19 RegionalSemifinal against Riverview (21-8) was awhole other ball game. The game wastied 21-21 at the half, but the ‘Cats wenton a 9-0 run to start the second half andkept building on that margin most of the

last two quarters, en route to a 55-41victory. Reynolds, who scored 17 points,and fellow senior Jaken Grier, with 16,were the top scorers for the ‘Cats.McGill chipped in with 12.

Coach Tonelli says the key to theRiverview win was holding the Rams’best player, 6’-8” forward Nick Havenerto just 8 points and 7 rebounds. “C.J.and the whole team did a great job de-fensively, making sure he (Havener) did-n’t get easy shots.”

He adds, “Riverview eventuallystarted taking more chances, rushingtheir shots and fouling us. Our kidsnever let up. I’m really proud of them.That was a very good team.”

Freedom Girls Fall To BuchholzLike Tonelli has with the Wharton

boys, Freedom High girls basketballcoach Laurie Pacholke has had a remark-ably successful run in her four years lead-ing the high school located in TampaPalms, posting an 81-27 record, includ-ing 25-4 this year, when her Patriots

took home both their District and Re-gional titles.

But, Pacholke told me several weeksago that her goal this season was a StateClass 7A title and she thought this year— when she inherited three senior trans-fer players, including star Faith Woodard,

who will play her basketball next year ona full scholarship to Georgetown Univer-sity in Washington, DC, after averagingmore than 22 points and 9 rebounds pergame for the Pats.

Unfortunately, Freedom fell a cou-ple of wins short of that goal when theywere beaten 79-73 by Gainesville Buch-holz High (26-4) in a showdown thatwasn’t as close as that score indicateduntil the last 12 minutes of the game.Buchholz led by 19 (58-39) with twominutes left in the third quarter, butthat’s when Woodard and sophomoreTaylor Emery brought the Pats back to72-67 on a 29-14 run with just morethan a minute left.

Pacholke and her Pats never got anycloser than that, as the Bobcats made 6of 8 free throws down the stretch to holdoff the late rally and advance to the Class7A title game against Davie Nova thenight we went to press with this issue.

Woodard finished with 26 pointsand 15 rebounds, while Emery scored 13of her 21 points in the fourth quarterand also added eight boards againstBuchholz. Pacholke says Emery will beone of the keys to another strong Free-dom squad next year. Congrats, Pats!


Wharton Boys In Regional Final; Freedom Girls Ousted In State Semis

Sir Patrick Reynolds (above) and C.J.McGill (right) have Wharton High soar-ing towards the first-ever State title forcoach Tommy Tonelli. Photos by Matt Wiley.


Runners Pushing Their Limits & An Olympic Visitor Highlight Local 5KsNTJWC’s ‘I Will Inspire’ 5KNTJWC’s ‘I Will Inspire’ 5K

By Matt Wiley

Crossing the finish line at the end ofa race brings with it a sense of accom-plishment. Crossing the finish line at theend of a race in a wheelchair, just a fewmonths after a life-altering accidentbrings with it an entirely different feeling:one of hope.

On February 16, more than 550people participated in the second annualGFWC (General Foundation ofWomen’s Clubs)’s New Tampa JuniorWoman’s Club “I Will Inspire” 5K andone-mile Family Fun Run, sponsored bythe Florida Orthopaedic Institute.Among the hundreds of participants run-ning along Telecom Pkwy. (off nearby E.Fletcher Ave.) was Brandon residentRobert Peck, who recently lost his rightleg in a motorcycle accident.

Peck, 57, took part in the FamilyFun Run portion of the race, only he didit in a wheelchair.

“I had a personal reason to do (theone-mile fun run),” Peck explained. “I’mnot going to let my handicap set me backin any way. I thought I’d get out thereand prove to myself that I can do it andstay positive.”

While riding his motorcycle inVenice last November, Peck was hit by acar after a driver ran a stop sign. Due tohis extensive injuries, he had to be trans-ported by helicopter to Tampa General.It was there that he met his orthopaedic

surgeon, Dr. H. Claude Sagi of theFlorida Orthopaedic Institute, which alsois located on Fletcher Ave.

“I was lucky enough that (Dr. Sagi)was on duty at the hospital that day,”Peck said. “He’s been really inspirationalfor me.” And, speaking of inspiration,Dr. Sagi crossed the finish line — rightnext to Peck.

“I figured if Mr. Peck could get outof bed that early in the morning, it wasthe least I could do,” joked Dr. Sagi.“These are the kinds of things that makeyou feel good about being a doctor. It’sdifficult when people suffer these sorts of

injuries. You have to do whatyou can to encourage themand show support becauseit’s easy to get into a cyclewhere you bring yourselfdown. We try to get peoplelike Mr. Peck back on theirfeet and happy again.”

Peck says that he plansto do the race again nextyear, only this time he will becrossing the finish line ontwo feet.

Net proceeds from the IWILL Inspire 5k went tobenefit the I Will Founda-tion, a non-profit organiza-tion established to helppeople, with the will to workhard, overcome adversity andchallenges caused by life alter-ing illness or traumatic injury. The Foun-dation’s primary goal is to providemotivational and inspirational supportthrough hands on training, coaching, andfinancial support when necessary.

“This year was very successful,” saidMandy Manno of the GFWC NewTampa Junior Woman’s Club. “We had alot of inspirational participants who werewilling to share their stories.”

Manno says that the total amountraised has not yet been calculated, butthat the club already is looking forwardto 2014.

For additional information aboutthe I Will Inspire 5K, please visitIWillInspire.com. For the New Tampa

Junior Woman’s Club, visit GFWC-NewTampaJuniors.org.

‘Wishes For Wharton’ 5K‘Wishes For Wharton’ 5KBy Gary Nager

Speaking of inspiration, what’s moreinspiring than having one of the world’sfastest men — a former Olympic goldmedalist — as the official starter of a local5K race?

The same day as the “I Will Inspire”5K, Justin Gatlin, the 2004 Olympicchampion in the 100 meters — andbronze medalist in 2012 — appeared atthe “Wishes for Wharton” 5K & 1-Mile

Robert Peck (left) was joined by his sur-geon, Dr. H. Claude Sagi, at the “I WillInspire” 5K hosted by the GFWC New

Tampa Junior Woman’s Club on Feb. 16.

Former Olympic 100m champ Justin Gatlin awaitsthe start of the “Wishes for Wharton” 5K run, also held

on Feb. 16.

See “5K Races” on page 45.

Fun Run, an annual event held on Whar-ton’s campus on Bruce B. Downs (BBD)Blvd.) where he promoted his affiliationwith Track Nation, whose mission is to“bring the world of track & field to-gether under one common goal that in-spires us all to become one voice.”

Net proceeds from this year’s racewill again be given to “Wishes for Whar-ton,” which provides the school’s teach-ers with grants to spend on variousclassroom materials and resources. Whar-ton principal Brad Woods estimates thatthis year’s nearly 150 runners and therace’s sponsors helped the event raise“between $4,000-$5,000 this year.”

Congratulations go out to Whartontrack & cross country runners McKennaGraves — who was the overall race win-ner in a time of 17:50, 28 seconds betterthan his personal best — and women’swinner Mariah Henderson (20:31).

Graves said after that he, “really likedmeeting Justin Gatlin and what he saidabout ‘going for it’ in whatever we do.”

Gatlin, who turned 31 less than aweek before the Wharton race, says he ishoping to get a chance to compete for hissecond 100m gold at the 2016 Olympicsin Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After running9.79 — the fastest 100 time ever by any-

one over age 30 at the 2012 Games inLondon — and finishing an eyelash be-hind Jamaican teammates Usain Bolt(9.63) and Yohan Blake (9.69).

Gatlin said that he plans to run inthe world championships in Russia laterthis year, with an eye towards Rio 2016.“That’s probably my last real chance towin another Olympic medal,” he said.“That’ll be my last hurrah.”


“5K Races”Continued from page 43

Wharton cross country & track runnerMcKenna Graves took first place in the

“Wishes for Wharton” 5K.

St. Patrick’s Weekend ExtendedTo Fri. At PJ Dolan’s!

Mean-while, a fewmiles southof Mulli-gans, PJDolan’sIrish Pub &Grill, lo-cated on E.Bearss Ave.,just west ofBBD, willbegin cele-brating St.

Patty’s Day on Friday, March 15, andthe festivities will continue all day Satur-day and Sunday.

The fun begins at 3 p.m. Friday,with green beer, corned beef & cabbage,Shepherd’s pie, fish & chips, bangers &mash and Guinness brats. There also willbe karaoke on Friday night, 8 p.m.-12:30 p.m., when you can sing every-thing from “When Irish Eyes AreSmiling” to your favorite U2 song withno cover charge to celebrate this green-est of holidays.

Then, a full Irish breakfast will beserved Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. On Sat-

urday night, Funkin’8 will play live, be-ginning at 8 p.m., and there will be a $5cover charge beginning at 8 p.m.

On Sunday, breakfast will be served8 a.m.-noon and the celebration will re-sume at 3 p.m., with a $5 cover, unlessyou bring in the ad on page 52 of thisissue, which will allow you free admis-sion for you and a guest. There will begreat free door prizes throughout thenight and a great time is virtually guar-anteed for all.

PJ Dolan’s Irish Pub & Grille islocated at 2836 E. Bearss Ave., in thePalms Connection plaza. For more in-formation, visit PJDolans.com or call374-2338.

Get Me Home Safely!Get Me Home Safely!Of course, local law enforcement

will be out in force all weekend, so if youcan’t drink responsibly or designate adriver over the St. Patrick’s Day week-end, I suggest calling either of the carservices that advertises in this publicationto get you home safely.

Don’t take unnecessary risks. In-stead, call my buddies Ace Jenkins atAce in the Hole Car Service (810-5446) or Jay at Glow Wheels (966-1530) and tell them the New TampaNeighborhood News sent you!

Do You Have Plans For St. Patrick’s Weekend? Here’s Some Suggestions!


By Gary Nager

I may not be Irish, but I do havegreen eyes, so I’m excited about two up-coming local events for St. Patrick’s Dayweekend. Yes, the day for the “Wearin’o’ the Green” is actually Sunday, March17, but in this space I’ll tell you abouttwo local events that aren’t waiting untilSunday to begin the festivities.

I’ll also tell you about two local carservices who can get you home safely.

All-Weekend Bash At MulligansIrish Pub At Pebble Creek GC

St. Patty’s Day will be a family-friendly two-day celebration for the Irishand “wanna-be Irish” when St. Patrick’sDays arrive at Mulligans Irish Pub, lo-

cated at the Pebble Creek Golf Club(PCGC), on Saturday, March 16 &Sunday, March 17. Green beer will beflowing and there will be lots of greatIrish eats, including corned beef & cab-bage, Shepherd’s pie, fish & chips andmore, plus $5 Guinness pints, prizes, andlive bands.

On Saturday, PCGC will host a St.Patty’s Golf Tournament, followed bylive music in the evening. Then, there’llbe more contemporary and Irish bands(including a bagpipe player), plus anIrish buffet at Mulligans’ all-day SundaySt. Pat’s Bash, which will begin at noonand will stay hopping late.

More than 1,000 people attendedlast year’s Bash, which will spread fromthe pub and banquet room to the out-door veranda and oak-shaded courtyardoverlooking the Pebble Creek GolfCourse, so this year’s 7th Annual BASHis sure to be a blast! There is no cover onSaturday and just a $5 cover on Sunday,although kids under 12 will be admittedfree and there will be free parking, too.

Mulligans Irish Pub is located at10550 Regents Park Drive, one blockoff Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., op-posite the Wal-Mart Supercenter. Formore info, call 973-3870, x225.



By Gary NagerPhotos by Matt Wiley

When local favorites like Ciccio’sLodge and Lee Roy Selmon’s exited theNew Tampa area over the last few months,Toast Wine & Café (located in the OakRamble Plaza on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., justsouth of Tampa Palms) co-owner and wineexpert Hector Gonzalez already had the ideafor transforming Toast from “just” a winebar that also served some interesting flat-breads, salads and cheese platters, into moreof a sit-down restaurant.

Well, to that end, the interior of Toasthas undergone quite a few changes — Hec-tor and his partners have greatly expandedthe kitchen, changed the former cigar smok-ing room into the new walk-in humidor(which means no more smoking inside theplace), reduced the number of bottles ofwine and added a new coffee area, as well asa few more tables and chairs.

But, the biggest change atToast is the new menu. There’s alittle something for just abouteverybody on it and quite a fewnew items warrant rave reviews.

Hector, who has his “Level1” wine sommelier certification,has more wine knowledge thanjust about anyone I know. Whilehe’s had no formal culinary train-ing, he has been doing food pair-ing meals at Toast with a lot ofgreat Bay-area restaurants andcaterers since Toast opened 4+years ago and, like so many ofyou, he’s also a big fan of cook-ing shows on the Food Network.He’s been working on this newmenu for at least two years.

My favorite new items on the menu arethe jumbo lump crabcakes, which are loadedwith lump crab and topped with a semi-spicyperi peri pepper aioli and served with mixed

greens. Assis-tant editor/photographerMatt Wileyraved about thejumbo tigershrimp cocktailBordeaux andwe both en-joyed the beeftenderloin trio,which is three

Toast Wine & Café Is So Much More Than Just A Wine Bar!


You can’t go wrong with Toast’s “Top Shelf”Cuban sandwich (above) or jumbo shrimp

cocktail Bordeaux (right).

Co-owner Hector Gonzalez of Toast Wine & Cafe in the Oak Ramble Plaza (on BBD south of Tampa Palms)invites you to try his excellent new menu items, including some of the best lump crabcakes you’ll find anywhere.

amazingly tender filet mignons, one of eachtopped with goat cheese and sun driedtomatoes, Maytag blue cheese and anAdobo beer glaze.

If you’re looking for sandwiches, Toastnow has artisan slider sandwiches, whereyou can choose 1-3 sliders from porkcushon (belly), chicken burger, filet mignonand roast chicken and you can add yourchoice of an incredible potato gratin or wildmushroom risotto. Three sliders and a sideis a nice “small plate” meal for two. There’salso a variety of panini sandwiches andeveryone at the office enjoyed The Veggie,which combines spinach, buffalo mozzarella,roasted red peppers and oregano.

But, my favorite sandwich so far is a bitof a surprise to me, because I’ve never really

been Cuban sandwich guy, but Hector’snew “top shelf” pressed Cuban, with Genoasalami, cappacola, pork cushon, pickles and aspicy Coney Island mustard is just outra-geously good.

And yes, Toast still offers its winetapas, from a mini Caprese salad to antipastopairings, cheese and fruit and more, as wellas a chicken and cheese quesadilla and thealready-popular flatbreads, of which my fa-vorite is the not-so-traditional pizza version,with tomato sauce, mozzarella, black olivesand roasted chicken.

Great Coffee, Too!Great Coffee, Too!Also new at Toast is truly delicious cof-

fee, including everything from freshlybrewed or French press coffee, which Hec-


(Clockwise from top left) The pork cushon and roasted chicken sliders, Toast’s wonderful French press coffee and Daily Breadjams, peanut butter and other toppings, selection of fine wines and the tasty beef tenderloin trio are all good reasons to visit!

tor says he creates from a variety of gourmetbeans from a private roaster, to awesomeSegafredo Zanetti Italian espresso and caffélattés. “We saw a need for a great coffee andbreakfast place in the area,” Hector says, “sowe now open at 6:30 a.m. for breakfast.”And, with the coupon on page 54, your nextlatté is on the house!

Don’t expect omelets or egg dishes (atleast not yet), but Toast does have popularlow-fat Greek yogurt and oatmeal, whichcan be served with raisins, almonds, fruit,cinnamon, granola or brown sugar. There’salso Cuban cheese toast (my next item tosample) and a variety of sticky, tasty breakfastbuns topped with everything from marsh-mallow fluff to peanut butter, strawberryjam, chocolate “gravy” and pumpkin butterand with names like the “Fig Capone,”

“PB&J All the Way” and “Gimme S’Moresfrom Orlando-based Daily Bread Bakers.

And, oh yeah, Toast still has a great se-lection of fine cigars, an even better selectionof fine wines (try a glass of the Urban Mal-bec-Tempranillo blend) and even a variety ofcraft beers to which the aforementionedMatt Wiley gives two thumbs up.

And, speaking of beer, if you’re lookingfor a little something different to do on St.Patrick’s Day (Sunday, March 17, 2 p.m.-5 p.m.), Toast will have corned beef & cab-bage, Irish cheese trays and those Top-ShelfCubans and great craft beers and every“Leprechaun” in attendance will receive an“I Got Lucky at Toast” T-shirt.

Toast Wine & Café is located at14921 BBD Blvd. For info, call 632-3105 or visit ToastWineandCafe.com.


ing food for Pepin and the catering com-pany that I knew I could provide muchhigher quality food at Winners and stillsell it at a very fair price,” he says. “I toldKasia to get creative and we both thinkthe new Winners menu will appeal to amuch larger number of people, but with-out turning off or scaring away the loca-tion’s existing customer base.”

Starting Fresh!Starting Fresh!The new menu, which was just un-

veiled to Winners’ customers three weeksago, still has many of the same appetizers— including fried mozzarella sticks,“dirty” chicken fingers, quesadillas, Buf-falo shrimp and, of course, big, plumpchicken wings — but Gerry and Kasia

have added some new items too deliciousto ignore.

Although I’m allergic to mussels(sigh), I have to say that the zesty garlicsauce that Winners’ new wine mussels ap-petizer is literally swimming in — whichcombines white wine, shallots, Pernodliqueur, fresh basil and diced tomatoes —

By Gary NagerPhotos by Matt Wiley

For those of you who are long-timeNew Tampa residents, you probably re-member the old Winners Sports Grill lo-cations in Wesley Chapel and in the samespace as Ciccio’s Lodge in the City Plazaat Tampa Palms shopping center. Youmay even have tried the Winners in theWesley Chapel Village Market, on S.R.54 near the intersection of Bruce B.Downs (BBD) Blvd., since the TampaPalms location closed.

But, if it’s been a while since you vis-ited the Wesley Chapel Winners — evenif it’s only been a couple of months —you owe it to yourself to try it again.

About 17 years ago, owner GerryMalynowsky actually opened all of theoriginal Winners restaurants — in TampaPalms, Oldsmar and this same WesleyChapel location — but sold them all topursue other endeavors, including, mostrecently, as the executive chef at the T.Pepin Hospitality Center on N. 50th St.in Tampa, and executive chef for Puff n’Stuff Catering, where he was provided5,000 meals each day of last year’s Re-publican National Convention.

During his three-year tenure atPepin, Gerry, a classically trained chefhimself who received his formal trainingat the Culinary Institute in Montreal,Canada, hired fellow chef Kasia Lavigne.who also has had years of outstandingprofessional experience after earning herprestigious Cordon Bleu culinary degreefrom the California Culinary Academy inSan Francisco. The two eventually begandating and when Gerry had to repossessthe Wesley Chapel Winners in Novem-ber, he brought Kasia in to not only cookthe food — so he could focus on mar-keting and running the business — healso had her redesign Winners’ “boring”(Gerry’s words) sports bar menu.

“I have so much experience purchas-

Winners Grill — Finally, A ‘Sports Grill’ With Great Food!

Of course you’d expect to find great Buffalo and honey garlic wings (far left) at Winners Sports Grill in the Wesley Chapel Village Market(S.R. 54 at Bruce B. Downs Blvd.), but how about zesty wine mussels (center), crispy conch fritters loaded with fresh conch meat (right) or

our editor’s new favorite herb-crusted baked half-chicken with homemade chicken gravy (below).


is as good or better than what you canget at most Italian restaurants. I also re-cently gobbled down an order of the newconch fritters, which are loaded withfresh conch, and assistant editor/photog-rapher Matt Wiley raved about Winners’new peel-&-eat shrimp. My favorite newdish is the savory herb-crusted half bakedchicken, served with your choice of sides.

Also new to start are a made-fresh-daily hummus appetizer, which combinesgarbanzo beans, fresh lemon zest, cumin,garlic, olive oils, Kalamata olives andgrilled flatbread for dipping, as well as

parmesan garlic breadsticks served with ahomemade marinara dipping sauce.

Fresh Fish? Really?Fresh Fish? Really?Because both Gerry and Kasia love

their fresh fish, they have added not onlya fresh catch of the day prepared grilled,blackened or fried, as well as deliciousgrouper tacos, made with blackened fresh

black Gulf grouper and served on softflour tortillas with a savory Baja slaw,spicy chipotle mayo and fresh lime. If youdoubt that the fish could possibly befresh, Gerry will be happy to tote out oneof the beautiful 7-9-lb. black grouperfilets he brings in fresh every week toprove you wrong.

Other items we’ve sampled are the“Just like Grandma’s” shepherd’s pie(layered with creamy corn mashed pota-toes, cheddar cheese and gravy), the awe-some Cowboy burger (topped withAmerican cheddar cheese, bacon, onionrings and BBQ sauce), Lou’s BuffaloBirdie sandwich, the new wine musselpasta, new chicken Marsala, herb-crustedbaked chicken (my new favorite dish),homemade soups, fresh salads, fajitas and

even a new grilled flank steak toppedwith a homemade chimichurri salsa.

In other words, if you love greatfood at a fair price (only the catch of theday can cost more than $12.99), Gerryand Kasia have your taste buds covered.

And of course, Winners is still agreat place to watch a Lightning, Rays orBucs game, grab a quick lunch andHappy Hour is actually served all day,with 2-for-1 well cocktails, domesticdrafts and house wines. Large party plat-ters also are available for takeout.

So, to satisfy your craving forgreat food and great service at alwaysfair prices, visit Winners Sports Grill(5429 Village Market), call 973-7474or visit WinnersSportsGrill.com. And,please tell Gerry I sent you!

If you want truly fresh (and delicious!) grouper tacos (left), Gerry says you have tostart with truly fresh black Gulf grouper (right).

(Left) Chef Kasia Lavigne and owner GerryMalynowsky invite you to sample Winners’ de-licious Cowboy burger (above) and “just like

Grandma’s” shepherd’s pie (below).



By Gary Nager

Veggies & Stuff ProduceVeggies & Stuff ProduceStand Opens On BBDStand Opens On BBD

If you want great deals on the freshestproduce, we suggest a visit to our friend Jef-frey McCullers’ new Veggies & More Pro-duce Stand, located at 14529 Bruce B.Downs (BBD) Blvd., less than a mile southof Tampa Palms, next to the new CompassSelf Storage facility. With hundreds of freshfruits and vegetables — locally grown,whenever possible — from avocados tobeautiful tomatoes, Veggies & Stuff also sellsfresh, homemade sweet breads, raw honey,live herbs and flowers and guarantees yoursatisfaction.

And, with the flyer on page 55 of thisissue, you’ll receive 10% off your first pur-chase. See the ad for restrictions.

Veggies & Stuff is open every day at10 a.m. and stays open until 7 p.m.,Monday-Friday, and until 7 p.m. Satur-day-Sunday.

Christian Brothers AutoChristian Brothers AutoOpens In Trout Creek AreaOpens In Trout Creek Area

For those of us who have been ripped

off by unscrupulous auto repair shops (Iknow I have!), I suggest visiting the newChristian Brothers Automotive, located at20303 Trout Creek Dr., with frontage onBBD (near Burger 21 & Auto Zone).

Christian Brothers is a growing fran-chise with locations in 11 states, includingthree in the Tampa Bay area. Local ownerMarty La Barbera, whose previous careerwas in criminal justice, says cars have alwaysbeen his hobby, but now, he has three mas-ter mechanics working for him during his“retirement.”

“What attracted me to the ChristianBrothers brand is that my mission is alwaysto contribute to my community and myfaith is part of that. I wanted to be part of acompany that promises quality care, honestyand integrity.” Marty also promises thatyou’ll be stunned by not only the beautifulwaiting area, but also the immaculate condi-tion of the garage.

Christian Brothers Automotive’sNew Tampa location is open Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m., and 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

The Latest & Greatest News About Dining, Shopping, Retail & More In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel!on Saturday. Check out the great deals inthe ad on page 25 of this issue, or call991-7007 or visit CBAC.com for info.

Petra Express Opens InPetra Express Opens InHighwoods AreaHighwoods Area

In our last issue, we told you that theGreek Villa Restaurant, located off BBDbehind FedEx Office, next to the newTaste of New York Pizza in the High-woods Preserve area, had been sold onlytwo weeks after it opened.

Well, a delicious new restaurant hasnow opened in that space and we hopeyou’ll visit the new Petra Express MiddleEastern Cuisine because not only does itserve great lamb gyro sandwiches, but alsowonderful beef shawarma sliced from a ro-tating spit (photo below), plus hummus,grape leaves, falafels, lentil soup, beef,chicken and lamb kebabs and more.

Petra Express (17503 PreserveWalk Ln.) opens every day at 11 a.m. forlunch and dinner. For more information,visit Petra-Cuisine.com or call 984-9800.

WingHouse Coming ToWingHouse Coming ToFormer Buffalo’s SW Café!Former Buffalo’s SW Café!

It’s been vacant a few years already, but

the former Buffalo’s Southwest Café, lo-cated on S.R. 54 near the intersection of OldPasco Rd. will soon become the newestKer’s WingHouse.

Crawford Ker’s newest Wing Housemay help make the northern part of WesleyChapel a little more of a destination for busi-ness people and local residents, but it alsohas pretty good food.

Yes, the always-hot Wing House girlswill still be the biggest attraction, but thenaked (unbreaded) wings and other better-than-Hooters fare and staying open for all ofthe live, pay-per-view UFC and boxingmatches also will help make Ker’s WingHouse as big a hit locally as it has been in it’scurrent 20 locations throughout Floridasince Ker opened the original restaurant inLargo in 1994. Converting the long-vacantBuffalo’s building will take “a few months,”according to a WingHouse spokesperson.

Bottom line? You definitely can expectto have a new place to hang for the 2013-14NFL and college football seasons. Need wesay more? I didn’t think so.

For additional information, visitWingHouse.com.

Lee Roy Selmon’s To OpenLee Roy Selmon’s To OpenOn S.R. 56?!?On S.R. 56?!?

Although there’s not yet a signposted at the site, we’ve been told by aspokesperson for MVP Holdings Tampa,the parent company of Lee Roy Sel-mon’s, PDQ and Carmel Café, thatthose of us who have missed Selmon’ssince the New Tampa location on BruceB. Downs Blvd. closed late last year won’thave to wait too much longer.

The new Selmon’s reportedly is set toopen — as early as April somehow — on a


Owner Marty La Barbera (far right)and his master mechanics at the new

Christian Brothers Automotive on BBD.

currently vacant piece of land just offS.R. 56, between the existing TexasRoadhouse and Ashley Furnitureand in front of Shapes Total Fitness,which will give it visibility from both I-75 and S.R. 56, as well as a central lo-cation between the Shops atWiregrass mall and The Grove shop-ping center. We’ll keep you posted.

Check Out Eyeglass World!Check Out Eyeglass World!If you haven’t yet visited Eyeglass

World, located next to Verizon Wireless onS.R. 54 (Wesley Chapel Blvd.), just west ofI-75, you need to get in there soon!

Basic eye exams at Eyeglass World arethe least expensive in the area, at only $39!Contact lens exams start at $99 and includea prescription for glasses. Glasses are buyone, get a second pair (aka “BOGO”) everyday, starting at two pairs starting at as littleas $78! Some restrictions apply and ofcourse, your cost may be higher, based onthe frames and lenses you choose.

Eyeglass World features a huge selec-tion of 3,000 frames to choose from and awide variety of lenses to suit any prescrip-tion. Among the best-known brands avail-able are Polo by Ralph Lauren, Ray Ban,DKNY, Coach, D&G, Vera Bradley, AnneKlein and many more.

Stop in to Eyeglass World (27835S.R. 54) or call 907-9122 for more infoand please tell store manager Elisa Shahwe sent you!

The New Tampa YMCA’sThe New Tampa YMCA’s

First Master TrainerFirst Master TrainerThe New Tampa Family YMCA, lo-

cated on Compton Dr. in Tampa Palms,continues to focus its efforts on strengthen-ing the community and making an impacton healthy lifestyles. The New Tampa Y hastaken this to heart by encouraging their Per-sonal Training team to elevate their educa-tion to levels unmatched by the surroundinglocal gyms, and that’s just what one of ourlocal trainers has done.

Here in New Tampa,we have the first trainer inthe Tampa Metro YMCAAssociation be promotedto Master Trainer status-— Shandra Valenzuela(photo). Along with beinga Master Trainer, Shandraleads the New Tampa Y’s LiveStrong (seebelow) and Diabetes Prevention programsto help ensure all of our members receivethe best possible experience and results.

For more info, including about thenext LiveStrong Spinathon on Apr. 20,call 866-9622 or visit TampaYMCA.org.

The white stakes to the left mark off where the new LeeRoy Selmon’s restaurant will be built off S.R. 56.



C O M P U T E R S E R V I C E S

P E T C E N T E R

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

F I T N E S S & W E L L B E I N G

DRY WALL SPECIALIST - Not a handyman. Af-fordable Quality Work repairing water damage, ceil-ings and walls, retexturing, popcorn removal, roomadditions, cracks, holes, plaster and stucco repair. 26Years Experience. Wesley Chapel resident. State Cer-tified. Call Ron for free estimate (813) 784-5999

NEED HOME MAINTENANCE –Almost any job,large or small, ext/int, fencing , screening, sm. concrete,sprinklers, painting, repairs, int. doors, locks, sheet rock,windows, paint, caulk, grout, trim, shelving, garages or-ganized. Installations, removals, pressure washing, woodrestoration & more. Call Dale’s Home Maintenance @973-0194 or 727-2582.

GREG’S PAPERHANGING – For all of your wall-papering needs. Licensed & insured, clean, quick & rea-sonable. Call 973-2767 for free estimate.

RAYMOND PAINTING – Interior & Exterior pres-sure washing, paper hanging, plaster, stucco, tiles, clean& seal pavers, roofing leaks, etc. Licensed & Bonded.References available. Free Estimates. Your Neigh-borhoond Arbor Greene Resident. We work 7 days. Call994-5124.

DAVID BRIDGES PRESSURE CLEANING -Complete exterior cleaning of your home or businesswith a professional and personal touch. - Pool decks andscreen enclosures - All fencing/ driveways and walk-ways/roofs - Gutter and downspouts. Find your happi-ness in a fresh, bright clean home. Your neighbors willlove you for it! All work guaranteed. Licensed and in-sured. (813) 215-1177

WEST COAST FLOORING INC - Hardwood,Laminate, and Carpet; Over 25 years experience in salesand installations; Repairs: Large and small jobs; We evendo exterior pavers; Free estimates - Call Doug at (813)215-4817

HANDYMAN SERVICES - Handyman Services,Disposal and fan installations. Painting, dry wall repair,calking, tile and wooden floor installations, gutter clean-ing, and much more. Great prices! Call 813.907.6994.

H E L P W A N T E D

PHYSICAL THERAPIST – An established NewTampa outpatient clinic is hiring a part-time PT to pro-vide customized, one-on-one care. Fax resume to(813) 994-3080

HELP WANTED - Medical Billing Personnel, part-time, flexible hours, Local PT Clinic. Fax resume to(813) 994-3080.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE -Join our mission to create greater awareness for ourclients. By using cutting edge promotional marketingmethods, we bring the products to the local market.We strive to create strong presence in our communityfor the products and services we represent, we go aboveand beyond for a level of success that far exceeds ourcompetition. Contact Us Today (813) 501-4915.29140 Chapel Park Dr. Wesley Chapel www.centurionconcepts.co

HELP WANTED - Licensed insurance agentneeded for Wesley Chapel P&C Agency. One yearof agency experience preferred. Must have 4-40 orabove license. Part-time and full-time openings avail-able. Good customer relationship and organizationalskills required. Competitive salary with bonus struc-ture. If interested, please forward your resume [email protected]

NEW TAMPA & WESLEY CHAPEL Classifıeds

M I S C E L L A N E O U S

SPRINGER STORAGE: RV & Boat Storage PortRichey, FL Starting at $35.00 mo. Pay first two months,3rd month free. 24 hour access & 24 hour monitoring.Call to reserve your spot. (813) 833-1191.

CAR SERVICES – Don’t Have a Ride? Don’t Want toLeave Your Car? Shouldn’t Drive? We Drive You and YourCar Home! Night Clubs, Corporate Events, SportingEvents, Concerts, Appointments, Airport or Stranded...Call Jay at (813) 966-1530.

FOR SALE - Solid wood Drexel Heritage, Italian Tradi-tional style, Dining Room Set: Dining room table w/ leaf86 in. long, 42 in wide, 6 chairs w/ burgundy and goldaccent cushions, and matching lighted china cabinet. Forpricing or more information please call (813) 690-1062.

TAMPA CAT LADY- Professional Cat-Sitting Serv-ice. Cats are happiest in their own home, surroundedby familiar sights, sounds, & smells. When you are away,we feed, cuddle, & play with your kitties & clean & dis-pose of litter. Insured, bonded, & Red-Cross certifiedin pet first aid/CPR. Call 994-9449 or visitwww.TampaCatLady.com.

JUST ASK JULIE PET SITTING - Cat sitting andmidday doggie walks * Serving you since 2002 *Bonded, Licensed and insured * Pet First Aid CertifiedInstructor * Certified Dob Obedience Trainer/In-structor * Ask about my kitty express visits * [email protected] or 813-892-9543

NEW TAMPA PET SITTING SERVICES -Under New Ownership! Please call Larisa at (813)546-3887. Thank-you for your business over ALLthese years! Please call Marina at (813) 416-5301for references!

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

D-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE - We have ourown supplies & more than 300 clients in New Tampa!For more information, Call 758-9710.

M.Y. CLEANING SERVICE -Offering Residen-tial cleaning. We offer complete bath & kitchencleaning, as well as dusting and polishing furniture.We provide our own supplies. Free estimates! Yoursatisfaction is our priority! With 5 years of experience,we guarantee meticulous cleaning! Call Mila: (813) 516-3554.

CLEANING, LAUNDRY, YOU NAME IT!-$68.00 introductory special, Mon-Wed. Make yourlist, put us to work! Anna's Housekeeping - A BBBAccredited Business Servicing Florida since 1991.We have private housekeeper rates with agencyBackup coverage! Licensed and all housekeepers arebackground checked. Call 813.985.1150.

SHINING CLEANING SERVICES - We willalways do quality work. Specializing in move in,move out and deep cleaning. We Do detai ls work.Let us do the work for you. You can always counton us to be reliable and honest. (813) 822-8998www.shiningcleaningservice.com Cal for a FreeEstimate.

EDUCATION / BABYSITTING

PROFESSIONAL TENNIS LESSONS - Recentlyrelocated USPTA/PTR teaching professional available forprivate/group/team tennis lessons. Former Head TennisProfessional at the #2 and #3 Tennis Resorts in theU.S. Past coach of former #1 singles player at the Uni-versity of Florida. Call Steve Brady at (843) 422-3993or email [email protected]

CC ACADEMIC INTERVENTION & ENRICH-MENT SERVICES - Ind ividualized and data driventutoring services provided by certified and highly trainedreading teachers. Serving grades K-12. Specializing inFCAT and SAT/ACT Prep Call or email to inquire aboutour services and our specials! [email protected]/CandCtutoring 813-728-0202 OR 813-679-5262

PIANO LESSONS - 25+ years experience. Reasonablerates. Teaching children, teens and adults. Two locations.Call 813-994-7857

PROFESSIONAL TECH SUPPORT – in yourhome or small business. A+ certified computer techwith 20 years of exp. Maintenance & repairs, up-grades & tutoring. More affordable than the largechains! Friendly, personalized svc. Technical jargonexplained in plain English. References available uponrequest. Call 957-8342 for free estimate.

DO YOU HATE YOUR COMPUTER?!? - WECAN HELP YOU! Troubleshooting, installation,networking & virus removal. WE COME TO YOU!Servicing residential and businesses, with over 25years experience. Contact Jeffrey Blank at (813)973-4507 today! www.WSICA.COM; [email protected]

L A W N C A R E

JASMINE’S LANDSCAPING - Complete lawn main-tenance, Tree, palm and hedge trimming, Planting,mulching, stones, Sod replacement, Pressure washing, Gut-ter cleaning and more. Cited by your HOA for violations?Need to comply for: Pressure washing, Trimming,Mulching, Sod replacement, Sprinkler repair or Mailboxrepair or replacements?Ask about our HOA SPECIAL!FREE ESTIMATE! (813) 420-4465

LAWN CARE - We Specialize in Residential Lawn &Landscape Maintenance! Landscaping, Mulching, Clean-ups, Palm/Tree Trimming & Sprinkler Repair also avail-able. Owner Operated over 17 years. Call us today forReliable Service for everything that grows @ your property (813) 973-3825 or visit: ntlcpropertymaintenance.com

TAI CHI CLASSES - open to the public at the ClubTampa Palms. Benefits: Strength, Flexibility, Balance,Focus and reduced stress. New Beginner 6 week coursesstarting every few months. Adults Course: Thursdayevening’s 7-8 pm. Seniors Course: Tuesday afternoons12-1 pm. Space is limited! Also personal instruction inTai Chi, Kempo Karate, Boot Camp Fitness trainingand more. With more than 30 years of training andteaching experience. Please contact me for more de-tails or go to: chuan-fa.org. Peter #787-7560 or E-mail [email protected]

LICENSED MOBILE MASSAGE THERAPISTAvailable seven days a week, 9am -9pm. $55 for 1 hour!Types of massage available: Swedish, Deep Tissue,Aroma Therapy, Hot Stone, Corporate Seated, Preg-nancy, Sports & Injury Rehab. References available.www.barkdollmassagetherapy.com CALL (727) 372-6389 Lic #MA47546.

GROUP THERAPY CLASSES – 4 groups starting:1) Adult Stress Management, 2) Children’s Social Skills,3) Parenting Skills, and 4) Mind-Body Wellbeing. Cost:$20-$30 per week. Conducted by licensed therapistswith over 10 years of experience. Limited Space, CallToday. We also provide individual therapy for children,adolescents, and adults. Call Dr. Brad Palermo, Li-censed Psychologist – (813) 666-5885. Website:www.Tampa-Therapy.com

SHAKLEE - has been making people healthier forover 50 years. When you pick Shaklee, you will knowthree things to be true. It is always safe. It always works.And it is always green. Shaklee’s products include: “Nat-ural”nutritional supplements including Sports Nutri-tion, Weight loss products, Beauty and skin careproducts, Environmentally-friendly household cleaningproducts. Call George: 813-501-2856,[email protected], www.gbspyros.myshaklee.com/us/en/

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

TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE - New Tampaowned & operated. Great Pricing with outstanding cus-tomer service! LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED.See why we are New Tampa’s #1 Choice!! New cus-tomer’s ONE MONTH FREE! Call Chris Today @(813) 857-5400 or visit TranquilityPoolService.com

AQUATEC POOL SERVICE - keeping pools clear& swim safe since 1994. WE DO POOLS RIGHT!Commercial & Residential. CPO #33-303052 Licensed& Insured. Service guarantee. Call (813) 312-5694TODAY and get 1 MONTH OF QUALITYSERVICE FOR FREE. www.aquatecpool.com

F U N & G A M E S

BRIDGE PLAYERS WANTED - Daytime.Weekdays. Once, twice, or more per month forthree hour sessions in selected homes of membersin New Tampa or Wesley Chapel. Actual scheduledepends on availability of players. One-two tablesmaximum. Party bridge, not Duplicate. Intermedi-ate level. Enjoyable, warm, casual people. Free. Nofrills. For details call Harry at 813-907-2541 or Jane at 813-355-3665.

LOOKING TO PLACE A LISTING?

Call The Neighborhood News

813-910-2575

R E A L E S T A T E

FIND YOUR DREAM HOME FROMYOUR CELL PHONE! - Wish you could seehome details while you are driving around lookingat homes? NOW YOU CAN! With Team Bohan-non's Mobile MLS Search application, you cansearch for any home in the area on your cell phone.Check out price, beds/baths, details, maps, evenphotos – all from the convenience of your cellphone. SEARCH PROPERTIES WHENEVERAND WHEREVER YOU WANT! GET IT NOW- Text: MLS4YOU to: 87778 Compliments ofDoug, Annette and Dale Bohannon ColdwellBanker (813) 979-4963

REALTOR - Let me Find your Dream Home foryou,... I WILL DO THE WORK! - You will getmy full attention to your Real Estate needs. Callme directly at 813-679-9595 or email me: [email protected]. MARIA CHERREZ -VAN-GALDER, Realtor, Ceritfied Short Sale Expert;Charles Rutenberg Realty, Inc.

4 Bed + Den | 3 Bath | 3 Car Garage 2,738 SF | Built 2004 | Conservation

Offered for $385,000

5 Bed + Den + Loft | 4 Bath 3 Car Garage | 4,266 SF | Built 1996


Tampa Palms West MeadowsArbor Greene

3 Bed + Den | 2 Bath | 3 Car Garage 2,053 SF | Built 2004 | Conservation


SALE PENDING IN ONE DAY!

Richmond Place

Hunters Green

4 Bed | 2.5 Bath | 2 Car Garage 2,386 SF | Built 1997 | Private Conservation


4 Bed + Den | 2.5 Bath | 3 Car Garage 2,913 SF | Built 1995 | Large Conservation


Stonington

Ashington Reserve

4 Bed + Den + Bonus Room | 4 Bath | 3 Car Garage 3,692 SF | Built 1990 | Over Sized Conservation


4 Bed + Den | 3 Bath | 2 Car Garage 2,720 SF | Built 2000 | Pond


SALE PENDING IN ONE DAY!

COMING SOON

SALE PENDING

Richmond Place

Stonington

2,386 SF

een

ed for $225,000ferOf Private Conservation| Built 1997 |2,386 SF

2 Car Garage| 2.5 Bath |4 Bed

Hunters Gr

Private Conservation4 Bed + Den + Bonus Room

Ashington Reserve

ed for $495,000ferOf Over Sized Conservation| Built 1990 |3,692 SF

4 Bath |4 Bed + Den + Bonus Room

Ashington Reserve

ed for $495,000 Over Sized Conservation

3 Car Garage| 4 Bath

2,913 SF

4 Bed + Den

ge Conservation Lar| Built 1995 |2,913 SF 3 Car Garage| 2.5 Bath |4 Bed + Den

ge Conservation3 Car Garage

| Built 2000 |2,720 SF

2 Car Garage| 3 Bath |4 Bed + Den

OOMOMIMININGNGOOSS

CCCOCO

Pond

2 Car Garage

OOOONON

Arbor Gr

SASALALELE PEPENEN

2,913 SF

eeneArbor Gr

NDNDIDININGNG ININ ONONENE DAYY!Y!DAAAYAY

ed for $369,000ferOfffge Conservation Lar| Built 1995 |2,913 SF

ampa PalmsTTa

ge Conservation

SASALALELE PEPENENDNDIDININGNG

est MeadowsW

ed for $319,000ferOf| Built 2000 |2,720 SF

SASALALELE PEPENENDNDIDININGNG

est Meadows

ed for $319,000Pond

G ININ ONONENE DAYY!Y!DAAAYAY

ferOf Built 2004 |2,738 SF

4 Bed + Den

ed for $385,000fer Conservation| Built 2004 3 Car Garage| 3 Bath |4 Bed + Den

ed for $550,000ferOf Built 1996|4,266 SF | 3 Car Garage

4 Bath|5 Bed + Den + Loft

Built 1996 4 Bath

ed for $239,900ferOf Built 2004 |2,053 SF

2 Bath |3 Bed + Den

ed for $239,900Conservation| Built 2004 3 Car Garage| 2 Bath

Documents

New Tampa Issue 05-13