05-10 NTNN 1-52 web

That’s why, Gordon said, in thesecond phase of their study, the mem-bers of the TTF proposed the trans-portation sales tax as the best way toboth pay for the projects that arealready needed, as well as for new proj-ects to improve mobility in the future.

He added that in order for it topass, the new tax needs to be approvedby a simple 50-percent+1 majority ofvoters, and if it does pass, the first pri-ority will be to make “significant”improvements to the existing Hillsbor-ough Area Regional Transit (HART)bus service. That means more bus

routes, additional trips on existingroutes (including more service in theevenings and on weekends) and newtypes of service, such as rapid transitservice and "flex" service.

HART planning manager SteveFeigenbaum explained that “flex serv-ice” uses smaller vans, operating withinspecific areas so that people who need aride can call and be picked up at theirhomes, then taken either to the nearesttransfer center or to their ultimate des-tination, if it’s within the flex area.

officials, on the other hand, have saidthat they are required to build thebridge because it is part of the overallplanned road network for the area, andbecause they have already collectedmoney from developers who wererequired to pay impact fees that areapplied towards the construction of thatroad network.

Now, however, the project is onhold, at least for the time being, andmay even be quashed altogether, thanksto a challenge of the wetlands mitiga-tion agreement between the Hillsbor-ough Environmental Protection Com-mission (EPC) and the City of Tampa,allowing the destruction of a little morethan two acres of wetlands in order tobuild the bridge.

The challenge was filed in April

2009, on behalf of West Meadows resi-dent Evelyn Romano and Tampa Palmsresident Andrea Braboy, with fellowTampa Palms resident Warren Dixonacting as their attorney in the hearingsthat followed. Dixon says that theagreement, which calls for the city to setaside property offsite to mitigate for thewetlands that are going to be destroyed,should not have been issued for a num-ber of reasons, including the fact thatthe EPC, in his opinion, did not followits own rules, as outlined in both Hills-borough County ordinances and in the

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 18, Issue 5 • February 27, 2010 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com 1

Volume 18Issue 5

February 27, 2010

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

NEW TAMPA: Arbor Greene • Cory Lake Isles • Cross Creek • Grand Hampton • Heritage Isles • Hunter’s Green • Hunter’s Key • K-Bar Ranch • Lake Forest • Live Oak Preserve • Pebble Creek • Richmond Place • Tampa Palms • 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 • Lakes at Northwood • The Villages of Wesley Chapel • Wesley Pointe • Westbrook Estates • Williamsburg

THIS INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER IS DIRECTLY MAILED TO:

LOCAL NEWS, BUSINESS,SPORTS & EDUCATION

We Talk With A Local Toyota Dealership,Visit With State House District 61

Candidate Elena McCullough & Offer AHigh School Winter Sports Wrap-Up!

See pages 3-32!

NEIGHBORHOOD MAGAZINE!

A Preview Of The 2010 Night Of 5000 Gala, Visits To St. Joseph’s John Knox

Village & Soho Sushi, Our 2010 FantasyBaseball Contest & Much More!

See pages 33-52!

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See “Lawsuit” on page 4.

By Michael Smith

Would you be willing to pay anextra penny per dollar every time youshop in order to spend less time idlingin traffic here in New Tampa and else-where around the county?

That’s what Hillsborough Countytransportation officials were hoping tolearn when they came to FreedomHigh on February 18 for a public infor-mation workshop on a proposed one-percent sales tax increase that may beput to county voters on a referendumballot this fall. About two dozen arearesidents turned out for the meeting,about as many as the county expertswho came to answer their questions.

If it passes, the tax is expected togenerate approximately $178 millionper year over its proposed life of 30years (although that, like many otherspecifics regarding the proposal, has notyet been determined; as this issue wentto press, the members of the Hillsbor-ough County Board of County Com-missioners [BOCC] were still deliberat-ing over the exact language of thereferendum). Seventy-five percent of

that revenue would be used for trans-portation projects, including improvedbus service and light rail, while theother 25 percent would be used fornon-transit projects, from roadwayimprovements to construction of morebike lanes and pedestrian walkways.

Bob Gordon, director of the coun-ty’s Public Works Department, said thatboth the tax referendum and the laun-dry list of proposed projects that areneeded countywide were culled fromrecommendations made by the county’sTransportation Task Force (TTF),which was created by the BOCC in2006 to study ways to improve trans-portation in the county. Gordon saidthat the 23-member TTF, made up ofelected officials, business and industryleaders and citizens, originally recom-mended more than $500 million inshort- and long-term projects, whichwere to be paid for by revenue from theCommunity Investment Tax (CIT) andgas taxes. However, Gordon said thatthe list of proposed projects had to bepared back after both property tax andsales tax revenues declined dramaticallyover the past couple of years.

Workshop Provides Information About Proposed Sales Tax

By Michael Smith

In the last issue of the New TampaNeighborhood News, we told you aboutthe results of a traffic study commis-sioned by the City of Tampa as part ofits plan to move forward with the con-struction of a bridge over I-75 thatwould connect New Tampa Blvd. in

West Meadows to Commerce ParkBlvd. in Tampa Palms.

The bridge has long been a con-troversial project, opposed by many res-idents of both communities, mostly onthe grounds that it would bring highvolumes of traffic into their neighbor-hoods, posing a threat to pedestrians,bikers and residents in general. City

Lawsuit Challenges The City’s New Tampa Boulevard Bridge ProjectSee “Referendum” on page 6.

Hillsborough County Public Works Department director Bob Gordon discuss-es the list of transportation improvements that could be made if voters

approve of a proposed one-cent sales tax hike.

2 For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 18, Issue 5 • February 27, 2010 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Even though ourtrack record as fund rais-ers isn’t great, that’s never

stopped me from trying to help thosewho try to help those in need. In fact,my “new” pic above isn’t new at all. It’sfrom a karaoke night we hosted lastyear to help a New Tampa resident andMarine Reservist raise money to helpdisabled vets learn how to kayak.

Its been several weeks since themajor earthquake and aftershocks dev-astated much of Port-au-Prince, Haiti,but the real aftershocks are still shakingup the lives of everyone who remains inthat already impoverished country. Tothat end, although many of us of anymeans at all probably already gave someamount of money to Haitian relief,there are still folks in and around NewTampa still trying to do their part.

Deacon Blues To Play A 2ndBenefit Concert At St. Andy

Earlier this month, the DeaconBlues Band (yes, the group that usedto have me as a member) staged a suc-cessful concert at The Palms Loungeat Peabody’s that was attended bymore than 100 people and raisedmore than $1,000 for Haiti.

Well, the Deacon Blues are at itagain, putting on a special benefit con-cert at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church(5338 Primrose Lake Circle, off Com-merce Park Blvd., Tampa Palms) onFriday, March 12. The concert is opento adults 21 and older only, and snacksand non-alcoholic beverages will be

provided. Tickets cost $15 per person,but are limited to 100 tickets on a first-come, first-served basis.

Deacon Bluesers Dr. Tracy San-son and her husband, Dr. KellyO’Keefe, are both emergency roomdoctors who plan to use the moneyraised from both shows to purchasemedical supplies and make sure theyget into the proper hands in Haiti.

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

Photographer Trading Studio Time For Crutches

The tragedy in Haiti really hitclose to home for Lutz photographerJessica Dana, whose husband andother family members are from there.

While Dana says that none of herfamily members were injured in the‘quake, she still wants to contribute tothe relief efforts, so she is now offer-ing free studio time to anyone whodonates a pair of crutches.

Dana says that she knows a doc-tor who recently visited Haiti and hetold her that there is a great need forcrutches, because so many peoplewere injured and had to have limbsamputated after being crushed byfalling buildings and other debris.

“Haiti is already such a sufferingcountry, and this just makes it tentimes worse,” Dana says.

Dana says she has worked out anarrangement with a local medical sup-ply company, My Supply Depot, locat-ed at 16122 N. Florida Ave. in Lutz,which has agreed to sell pairs of

crutches for $35 to anyone who wantsto participate in Dana’s “Crutches forClicks” campaign. She will then tradea 45-minute mini photo session (regu-larly valued at $75) to people whobring those crutches to her studio. Inaddition, she also has pledged todonate 10 percent of her total salesduring the campaign to the Haitianrelief effort.

“I just thought this was a goodway for me to contribute, and also away for people who wanted to dosomething to get something in returnfor it,” Dana says.


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

Adv. E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

Publisher & Editor Gary Nager

Managing EditorMichael SmithCorrespondentMelissa O’Brien

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Nothing that appears in New Tampa Neighbor-hood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or inpart, without permission. Opinions expressed by NewTampa Neighborhood News writers are their own anddo not reflect the publisher’s opinion.

The deadline for outside editorial submis-sions and advertisements for Volume 18, Issue 7, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Friday, March 5, 2010.

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

New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves theright to edit &/or reject any advertising. New TampaNeighborhood News is not responsible for errors inadvertising beyond the actual cost of the advertisingspace itself, not for the validity of any claims made by itsadvertisers. © 2010 JM2 Communications, Inc.

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Table of ContentsLOCAL NEWS, BUSINESS & SPORTS UPDATES...............................................Pages 1-31

Bridge Lawsuit (cont. from page 1)............................4Referendum Workshop (cont. from page 1)................6Local Dealership Responds To Toyota Recalls.............8Meet Dist. 61 Candidate Elena McCullough............10

New Tampa Community Calendar..................12-13

New Tampa Business News.....................14-24Coulter, Aviles & Jackson..........................................14New Tampa Chamber Of Commerce News..........16Dr. Lou Cerillo, DDS & Skin Solutions.....................18Fl. Hospital Zephyrhills Orthopaedic Inst. Opens......20Good News About Roth IRAs..................................22Insight Family Eyecare..............................................24

New Tampa Education News........................28Freedom High Invites Parents Into The Classroom Donations Needed At Local Schools

New Tampa Sports Updates...................30-31 Winter High School Sports Wrap-Up

Neighborhood MagazineJunior Woman’s Club’s Night Of 5000.............33, 41John Knox Village Offers Long-Term Care.........36-37Makeovers Help Women Overcome Abuse.................42Soho Sushi Comes To New Tampa..............................46EEnntteerr OOuurr 22001100 FFaannttaassyy BBaasseebbaallll CCoonntteesstt......................4488

NEW TAMPA COLOR CLASSFIEDS..............50

CorrectionsIn our last issue of the New Tampa

Neighborhood News, we said that Oliver’sCycle Sports, formerly located in the CityPlaza at Tampa Palms, had closed. In fact,although the store did move from CityPlaza some time ago, it is still open at18407-A Highwoods Preserve Pkwy., inThe Walk at Highwoods Preserve plaza.

And, in our story about the newPanda Buffet restaurant in Tampa Palms,we incorrectly said the cost for dinner was$10.99 per person on Sat. and Sun. only,when that actually should have said theprice was $10.99 on Fri. through Sun.

Sorry for the errors.- MS & GN

A Couple Of Fund-Raising Notes & A Shout Out To The 2 JakesAn editorial by Gary Nager

See “Haiti & Jakes” on page 47.

Pedestrian Killed By A CarOn Cross Creek Blvd.

A resident of the Arbor Greenesubdivision died February 2 afterbeing struck by a car near the inter-section of Cross Creek Blvd. andArbor Greene Dr.

According to a report issued bythe Hillsborough County Sheriff’sOffice (HCSO), it isn’t clear whether33-year-old Thomas Lamina, who

lived at 10232 Devonshire Lake Dr.,was crossing the street or walking inthe roadway when he was hit by awestbound 2000 Mazda driven byErnest Holcomb, 50, of New Tampashortly after 7:30 p.m.

Lamina died at the scene as aresult of his injuries, but an HCSOspokesperson said that the agency didnot expect any charges to be filed inthe case.

Florida statute which created the EPC. He points out that the statute calls

for the EPC to “insure the purity of allwaters and soils consistent with publichealth and public enjoyment thereof,the propagation and protection ofwildlife…atmospheric purity and free-dom of the air from contaminants…andfreedom from excessive and unneces-sary noise which unreasonably interfereswith the comfortable enjoyment of lifeor property…”

Dixon says the EPC has not ful-filled its duties, since by entering intothe mitigation agreement, it is allowingthe wetlands to be destroyed, ratherthan protecting them, and fosteringnoise and air pollution in the two com-munities by way of the increased trafficthat the bridge would bring.

“From an activity on a land (suchas building a bridge), there can beeffects that are negative and negativelyaffect public health and safety,” Dixonsays. “It is our contention that the traf-fic that is going to be generated fromthis bridge is one such effect.”

Dixon says that the rules govern-ing the EPC also call for the agency toconsider the public interest, includinghealth, safety and welfare, when it isexamining the impacts of a project,

whether or not there is a mitigationagreement in place.

That, however, is when the inter-pretation of the statutes and the EPCregulations comes into play. Lawyers forthe EPC and the city contend that themere fact that there is a mitigation planin place allows them to move forwardwith the project. They also say that theother issues raised within the residents’challenge, such as the amount of trafficthat will be generated within the twoneighborhoods, the safety hazard thattraffic represents, and the need for thebridge to meet concurrency require-ments, for traffic calming and more effi-cient travel between the two communi-ties, are outside the scope of the EPC’sreview when it comes to mitigation ofwetlands. Neither attorneys for the citynor the EPC would comment on thecase, but in several instances, the hear-ing officer who is assigned to the case(who also is appointed by the EPC,seems to agree, since he has refused toallow much of the documentation col-lected by Dixon and his fellow plain-tiffs, and testimony by one of their keywitnesses, Braboy herself, to be enteredinto evidence.

He also has sided with the city andthe EPC on another contention madeby Dixon, which is that since notices ofthe appeals hearings were not posted ina timely manner, the mitigation agree-ment, which has an expiration date of


“Lawsuit”Continued from page 1

Thursday, March 4, should be allowedto expire, which would mean that thecity would have to start the approvalprocess all over again. As it stands,however, the officer has granted anextension of the agreement until a finalorder is issued in the appeal.

According to an EPC spokesper-son, once the hearing officer has regis-tered an opinion, the attorneys for eachside then have 10 days to file excep-tions to that opinion, after which thematter goes to the EPC board (which ismade up of the seven members of theHillsborough Board of County Com-missioners), which will then render afinal verdict on the case. It is at thatfinal hearing that members of the pub-lic can register their comments on thecase, as well. The EPC Board meetsmonthly, and agendas for their upcom-ing meetings are posted on the agencywebsite, EPCHC.org, so that any

member of the public who would liketo attend and comment on the issuecan find out when this case will be onthe agenda.


the next six years alone. “Transporta-tion would decline very rapidly over thenext few years,” he predicted.

After the workshop, there was aslight edge for approval of the taxamong the attendees we polled.

Tampa Palms residents Bob VanSickler and Charles Hight both indicat-ed that they favored the tax, althoughwith some reservations.

“Right now, the transportation sit-uation in Tampa is totally unsatisfactory,and conditions will only make it morecritical,” Van Sickler said. “I think weneed to get started, and it’s good tohear them say this area is a priority.”

Hight agreed, although he saidthat if the county moved forward withplans to widen Bruce B. Downs Blvd.to eight lanes in Tampa Palms, thatcould lead him to change his mind.

On the other hand, Arbor Greeneresident Wesley Marlor said that he isdefinitely opposed to the tax.

“It’s not worth it, and it’s not fairto the taxpayers,” he said. “It looks likethey’re just trying to jump on thebandwagon to get some of the federalstimulus money, and if it does pass andthey start all these things they're talkingabout, they're going to have to have alot more money to keep it going.”

The division among voters isreflected in the BOCC, where the com-missioners are still divided about thenew tax as well. District 2 commissioner

Ken Hagan, who is not only the countyrepresentative for the New Tampa areabut also the chairman of the TTF,describes himself as a “fiscal conserva-tive” who has historically opposed newtaxes, but says the voters should havethe option to make the final decision.

Hagan was one of five commis-sioners who voted to draft a referen-dum, along with Mark Sharpe, RoseFerlita, Kevin White and Kevin Beckner,while commissioners Jim Norman andAl Higginbothan voted against doingso, but Hagan says that the final lan-guage of the referendum will ultimatelyhelp him decide whether to approve itor not.

“As long as I have no problemswith the language of the ordinance, Iwill support placing it on the ballot,”Hagan says. “Then, it's up to the votersto decide if they want to improve thecounty's transportation system. But,when you're talking about somethingof this magnitude, then I believe thepeople ought to have a choice.”

The BOCC is scheduled to votewhether or not to place the referen-dum on the ballot on Wednesday,March 17. Meanwhile, completedetails about the TTF recommenda-tions are on the county's website, atHillsboroughCounty.org/transtask-force, where you can also registeryour opinion about the proposals.

“The main purpose of flex serviceis as a feeder to connect you to theoverall system, which makes it evenmore convenient,” Feigenbaum said.

Feigenbaum said that HART willbegin offering flex service in Brandonand in the Sun City Center area startingin April, but the company also is look-ing at bringing the service to NewTampa, since this area currently is onlyserved by morning and evening expressbus routes.

Rail On The Horizon?Rail On The Horizon?New Tampa also may be one of

the first areas to be serviced by rapidbus service and light rail, according toHART’s director of strategic planningand program development Mary Shava-lier. She says that the TTF recommen-dations call for those services to beimplemented initially between down-town Tampa and the Westshore areaand between USF and downtown, butHART has received additional fundingto study expanding the service beyondUSF to I-75 in New Tampa.

The question remains, however, ifcounty citizens will be willing to pay forthose and the other projects recom-mended by the TTF (which alsoinclude the widening of Bruce B.Downs Blvd. and Cross Creek Blvd.

among its priorities). During a ques-tion-and-answer session at the work-shop, most people seemed to agree thattransportation improvements are need-ed, but they also had many questions —about how the tax money would beused, how the projects would be priori-tized and whether it was necessary toimplement a new tax in the first place.

One woman said that she hadheard that the tax would cost the aver-age family 46 cents per day.

“Why should we have to pay thatwhen we have no interest in using masstransit?” she asked.

Gordon explained that even peoplewho don't plan to use the new masstransit options would see benefits any-way, primarily because of the number ofcars that would be taken off the road bypeople who utilize the new services.

“Also, studies have shown that thevalue of economic development associ-ated with having better mass transitservices far exceeds the cost of imple-menting it,” Gordon said.

Gordon also said that if the taxwere approved, the money it generatedcould not be used for any other pur-pose than transportation improvements.

“It can't be used for parks, fire sta-tions or anything else,” he said.

And, if the tax is not approved,Gordon said that the county would beshort about $25 million for projectsthat have already been planned for over

“Referendum”Continued from page 1


Wesley Chapel Toyota Working Overtime On Recall RepairsBy Michael Smith

For years, Toyota has been amongthe top-selling, highest-rated brands ofvehicles in the U.S., but now, as newsof potential dangerous safety hazardson a number of different models con-tinue to surface, the local Toyota deal-ership has its hands full with calls fromworried customers.

“Our phones have been on fire,”says Danny Geist, who is the servicemanager for Wesley Chapel Toyota at5300 Eagleston Blvd., adjacent to theintersection of S.R. 54 and I-75.

The headaches for the Japaneseautomaker started last November, whensome Toyota owners began reportingcases where the gas pedals in certainmodels were getting caught under thevehicles’ floor mats, causing them toaccelerate out of control.

“Part of the problem was thatwhen the gas pedal was trapped underthe floor mat, by pressing down on thebrake pedal, (drivers) were also stillpressing down on the gas,” Geist says.

That issue prompted a massiverecall by Toyota that included morethan 4 million of the company’s mostpopular models, including: the 2007-2010 model year Camry, 2005-10Avalon, 2004-09 Prius, 2005-10 Taco-

ma and the 2007-10 Tundra pick-uptrucks. At the time, Toyota officialsadvised drivers to remove the floor matsfrom the affected models andannounced plans to fix the problem byinstalling new, shorter gas pedals lesslikely to be trapped under the mats.

In January, however, the automak-er announced a second recall of vehicleswhose gas pedals were prone to stickingpart way down, which resulted in anumber of reports of accidents causedby “runaway” vehicles. That recallaffected another 2.3 million cars andtrucks, including approximately 1.7million that were already under recallfor the floor mat issue. The list ofaffected vehicles provided by Toyotaincludes: certain 2007-10 Camrys, cer-tain 2010 Highlanders, certain 2009-10Rav4 models, certain 2009-10 Corollas,2009-10 Matrixes, 2005-10 Avalons,2007-10 Tundras and 2008-10Sequoias.

Geist says that the problem hasbeen traced back to pedals that weremade by two specific manufacturers,according to the Toyota factory repre-sentatives who visited the dealership lastweek. He also noted that letters havebeen mailed out to the owners of thevehicles that include those pedals.

Geist suggests that if you own one

of the suspectedmodels, you caneither wait toreceive a letter inthe mail, or youcan call or visitthe dealership,and they cancheck your car’sVIN number tosee if your vehicleis on the recalllist. If it is, he saysthat the dealershipdoes have theparts to make therepairs in stock,and it only takesabout 30 minutesto correct the problem, depending, ofcourse, upon demand.

But, Geist says that Wesley ChapelToyota has one of the largest servicedepartments around, with 44 servicebays and two dozen mechanics, andthey have been staying open for extend-ed hours to handle recall repairs forboth customers and for the vehicles thatthey have on the lot.

In the meantime, if you own aToyota and experience any problemswith sudden acceleration before youcan have it serviced, safety experts

advise that you should put the car inneutral and steer to the side of theroad, then shut the vehicle off and haveit towed to the dealership.

For more information about therecall, visit Toyota.com. The servicedepartment at Wesley Chapel Toyotais regularly open Monday-Friday, 7a.m.-7 p.m., and 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.on Saturdays, but Geist says thatduring the recall period, they will beopen until 11 p.m. six days a week,and also on Sundays, if necessary.For more info, call 407-5799 or visitWesleyChapelToyota.com.

The expansive service department at Wesley Chapel Toyotahas been extra busy tin light of the recent recalls.


Elena McCullough To Challenge Weatherford For Dist. 61 Seat By Gary Nager

The first time I met Wesley Chapelresident Elena McCullough, she wasneither a community activist nor a can-didate for a seat on the State legislature.She was a fairly typical youth footballmom who drove her son Carlos to andfrom (and actually watched) his prac-tices with the New Tampa Wildcats. Iwas providing a similar chauffeur serv-ice for my son Jared, who became closewith Carlos while both were runningbacks for the then-fledgling Wildcatsprogram.

Flash forward about a decade. Theactivist who created the Wesley ChapelCommunity for Change organizationto try to garner support for the electionof U.S. President Barack Obama inRepublican-dominated Pasco Countykept hearing that she could and perhapsshould be doing even more to help thepeople in her own community.

Although she says some of herclosest friends think she’s “just maybe alittle crazy” for not just living her com-fortable life with her husband Ray andtheir children Carlos and Corina, Elenasays she was just “so inspired” byObama’s triumph that she decided tochallenge Republican incumbent andfellow Wesley Chapel resident Will

Weatherford for the District 61 seat inthe Florida House of Representatives.

It doesn’t appear that eitherMcCullough nor Weatherford will facea primary election opponent in Sep-tember, so unless something changesbetween now and then, the two will viefor Weatherford’s seat, which includesall of Wesley Chapel as well as most of“Northeast” New Tampa (Live OakPreserve, Pebble Creek, Cross Creek,Hunter’s Green, etc.) in November’s“midterm” elections.

Weatherford, himself a formerLand O’Lakes High football star andthe brother of former Florida Statequarterback Drew Weatherford, defi-nitely has the better-known name in thearea. He also is a personable rising staramong Florida’s Republicans whoalready has $200,000+ in his campaigncoffers and who is in line, if he wins inNovember, to possibly become Speakerof the Florida House in 2012.

But, none of that matters toMcCullough, who was born in theDominican Republic at age 16, butdidn’t learn to read and write Englishfluently until two years later. Shebecame a U.S. Citizen at 18 and rightaway joined the U.S. Coast Guard,where she spent 24 years total, the lastten as an officer.

“The thing I likedabout the Coast Guard,”she says, “was that youadvanced and succeededbased on your effort andmerit. It didn’t matterthat I was a woman ororiginally from anothercountry. All that matteredwas that I strived to bemy very best and my[commanding officers]took notice of me.”

She says she believesthat the State Legislaturehas “continually movedin the wrong direction”and vows to make peopleher top priority. “My Number Onefocus will be on trying to bring jobsback to our community,” she says. “Ihave no ties to any special interestgroups because the people of my Dis-trict and this state in general are myspecial interest.”

She adds that, “Education is thekey to success,” she says. “If we proper-ly educate our children, we CAN movemountains.”

She says she understands that she’snot running for an education position,but she promises to work hard tosecure more resources for our schools

and help improve graduation rates. She also says she hopes to work to

repeal the recent increases in taxes onmiddle class families that have been“disguised as fees,” including hunting,fishing and driver’s licenses and vehicleregistration fees, something Weather-ford voted for because, she says, “Itseems to me he always votes with hisparty leadership, whereas I will alwaysvote with my heart and my head.”

For more information aboutElena McCullough, call 516-6619or visit ElenaMcCullough.com. Wehope to interview Will Weatherfordin a future issue before the election.

Alison Berke Morano (left), the president of the PascoDemocratic Executive Committee, came to the partyofficially announcing the candidacy of Wesley Chapel

resident Elena McCullough for the Dist. 61 StateHouse seat currently occupied by Will Weatherford.


Community CalendarNEW TAMPA

‘Play It Again, Sam’Sunday, February 28 & March

5-7 – The New Tampa Players Com-munity Theatre group will kick off its2010 Broadway season with the WoodyAllen comedy classic, “Play It Again,Sam.” The play will be presented at theUniversity Area Community Center(14013 N. 22 St.), with showtimes at 2p.m. on Feb. 28 and March 7 and 8p.m. on March 5-6. Tickets cost $14for adults and $12 for children and $10per person for groups of 10 or more.

For more information, or toreserve seats, call 386-6687 or visitNewTampaPlayers.org.

Family Purim CelebrationSunday, February 28 – Chabad

at County Line will host a FamilyPurim Celebration, 4 p.m.-6 p.m., atthe Holiday Inn Express & Suites(8310 Galbraith Rd., off HighwoodsPreserve Pkwy.). The celebration willinclude a light buffet-style Purim feast,a reading of the scroll of Esther accom-panied by a slide show, a variety showand games and other activities for kids.There is no charge to attend, and mem-bers of the public are invited. For moreinformation, call 642-3244 or [email protected].

New Tampa Noon RotaryWednesday, March 3 – The New

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

New Tampa Kiwanis ClubWednesday, March 3 – The Kiwa-

nis Club of New Tampa meets everyWednesday at 11:45 am at the TampaPalms Golf and Country Club (5811Tampa Palms Blvd).

For more information, pleaseemail [email protected] orvisit NewTampaKiwanis.org.

Business Networking Int’lWednesday, March 3 – Business

Networking International (BNI), agroup of business professionals dedicat-ed to helping their businesses growthrough qualified referrals, meets everyWednesday, 7:30 a.m., at Heritage IslesClubhouse (18630 Plantation Bay Dr.,off Cross Creek Blvd.).

For more information, call JalIrani at 451-8229.

Civil Air PatrolWednesday, March 3 – A new

Civil Air Patrol squadron now meets

every Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m., atTampa North Aero Park (4241 Bird-song Blvd.).

Membership in the Civil Air Patrol(CAP), the volunteer civilian auxiliaryarm of the U.S. Air Force, is open toyouths ages 12-18 and their parents.Adult members perform search-and-res-cue, disaster relief and other emergencyservices, while teen members, or cadets,learn through leadership and character-building activities, including flight train-ing and more.

For more information, visit Wes-leyChapelCAP.com or call CherylSpence at 973-7270.

New Tampa Evening RotaryThursday, March 4– The New

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

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

Computer WorkshopsThursday, March 4 – Every

Thursday, the New Tampa RegionalLibrary (10001 Cross Creek Blvd.)offers computer workshops for adults,beginning at 12:15 p.m.

In March, the workshops will focuson a variety of software programs,including Publisher, Powerpoint andExcel. Registration is required in per-

son, no earlier than one hour before thebeginning of the workshop.

Call 273-3652 for more infor-mation, or, for a complete list ofactivities offered at the library, visitHCPLC.org.

New Tampa Rotary ClubFriday, March 5 – The New

Tampa Rotary Club meets every Friday,7 a.m., at Tampa Palms Golf & Coun-try Club (TPG&CC, 5811 TampaPalms Blvd.). On March 5, the group’sguest speaker will be club memberMunya Chiura, who will discuss topicsrelated to Zimbabwe and its president,Robert Mugabe. All club members andtheir guests are invited to attend.

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

Knights Of Columbus FishFry At St. Mark

Friday, March 5 – Once again,the Knights of Columbus Council12956 is hosting its weekly fish fry din-ners, 5 p.m.-8 p.m. every Friday duringLent (except for Good Friday, April 2)at St. Mark the Evangelist CatholicChurch (9724 Cross Creek Blvd.).

The cost for a combo fish/shrimpdinner is $9 for adults and $7 for chil-dren, or you can get fish or shrimp ormacaroni and cheese for $7 for adultsand $5 for children (all dinners include


Compton Park Dr. in Tampa Palms).As always, the sale will feature plenty ofdelicious homemade baked goods, aswell as all kinds of yard sale items. Allproceeds will benefit the charities thatthe club supports. The event is open tothe public, and there also is still someroom available for those who wouldlike to participate.

For more information, visitTampaPalmsWomensClub.com.

All 3 Local Rotary Clubs ToTeam Up For 2010 Pig Roast

Sunday, March 21 — NewTampa’s noon, evening and breakfastRotary Clubs (which meet Wednes-days at noon at Circles New Tampa

Bistro, Thursday evenings at Hunter’sGreen Country Club and Fridaymornings at Tampa Palms Golf &Country Club, respectively) will allteam up for the first time to presentthe New Tampa Rotary Pig Roast atSt. Mark the Evangelist CatholicChurch on Cross Creek Blvd.

You can expect even more teamsroasting delicious pigs (with all of thetrimmings, with lots of cash prizes(totalling $5,000), free beer, wine andsoft drinks, live music and as always, afun family atmosphere.

To sponsor or volunteer at thisyear’s Pig Roast, or for tickets,which cost $25 each, visit any ofour area’s three Rotary Clubs.

fries, cole slaw, hush puppies and icedtea or coffee). Clam chowder and sodasalso will be available at a small addition-al charge.

For more information, call theSt. Mark church office at 907-7746.

Women-N-ChargeFriday, March 5 – Women-N-

Charge, a group that offers educationand support for business women, meetson the first Friday of every month at11:30 a.m. at Pebble Creek Golf Club(10550 Regents Park Dr.).

For more information, visitWomen-n-Charge.com or call SueDavis at 435-5128.

Dan McMillion Jazz ConcertThursday, March 11 – The Cen-

ter for the Arts at Wesley Chapel(30651 Wells Rd., on the campus ofWesley Chapel High) will present a spe-cial one-night-only concert featuringGrammy-nominated recording artistDan McMillion and his Jazz Orchestra.The concert begins at 8 p.m., andadmission costs $10 per person.

For more information, or toreserve your tickets, call 794-8772.Red Hat Society

Thursday, March 11 – A newchapter of the Red Hat Society forladies over 50 meets the second Thurs-day of the month at different locations.

For more information, send an

e-mail to [email protected].

The Deacon Blues To RaiseMore Green For Haiti

Friday, March 12 – St. AndrewPresbyterian Church (5338 PrimroseLake Circle) will host a special benefitconcert featuring the Deacon BluesBand, fresh off a recent smash perform-ance at Peabody’s Grill & Bar (see page3), and all proceeds will again aid earth-quake recovery efforts in Haiti. Theconcert is open to adults 21 and olderonly, and snacks and non-alcoholic bev-erages will be provided. Tickets cost$15 per person, but are limited to 100tickets on a first-come, first-served basis.

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

Operation Medicine CabinetFriday, March 12 – The City of

Temple Terrace and Home InsteadSenior Care are offering you a chanceto properly dispose of your old orunused prescription medications duringthe Temple Terrace Senior Expo, whichwill be held from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at theTemple Terrace Recreational Center(6610 Whiteway Dr.).

Call 684-1972 for more info.

Community Yard/Bake SaleSaturday, March 27 – The Tampa

Palms Women’s Club will host its annu-al Community Yard & Bake Sale, 9a.m.-1 p.m., at Compton Park (16101


Maximize Your Financial Potential With Coulter, Aviles & JacksonBy Michael Smith

Spring is just around the corner,and as the old saying goes, “In spring, aman’s fancy turns to thoughtsof…money.”

Well, that may not be the exactwords of the old saying, but spring, andtax time, is now nearly upon us, andespecially now, in these days of financialuncertainty, everyone wants to be surethat they are doing all they can to pro-tect themselves and their family and/orbusiness assets. And, one of the bestways to do that is by getting soundadvice and assistance from experiencedfinancial professionals, like those at theaccounting firm of Coulter, Aviles &Jackson (in the Arbor Ridge Profession-al Park (at the southwest corner ofBruce B. Downs Blvd. and BearssAve.), which offers tax planning andpreparation services for both individualsand small or large businesses. But, theyalso can do much more than that.

“We’re not just a tax shop,” saysJon Aviles, CPA. “We also offer anytype of accounting, as well as financialplanning and a variety of other specialtyfinancial services. Basically, we’re a one-stop shop.”

Aviles, a 20-year Tampa residentand University of South Florida gradu-ate, says he first started doing account-

ing as a teenager, working inhis father’s commercialcleaning business in hisnative Puerto Rico. Aftercoming to the U.S. andearning his CPA degree atUSF, he worked for a num-ber of small and large com-panies before deciding tobranch out on his own in2006. Then, in 2009, hemerged his firm with that ofEric Coulter and DavidJackson, who had beenworking together (alongwith a third partner) since2004. Now, Aviles and Coulter lead thefirm’s Tampa office while Jackson is sta-tioned at the firm’s other office in GateCity, VA.

“We merged two very good com-panies to make one better company,”Aviles says.

And, while Coulter, Aviles & Jack-son may not be as big as some of theaccounting firms that advertise theirservices on TV, Aviles says that is defi-nitely not a bad thing.

“At those big companies, smallbusinesses may feel like just a number,”he says. “However, we are able to offerthe same level of service and skills asthose very large accounting firms, butwith the attention to detail that the

small business owner needs on a day-to-day basis.”

Business accounting servicesoffered by Coulter, Aviles & Jacksoninclude: audit and assurance services,bookkeeping and payroll services andlitigation support, as well as consultingand advisory services in the areas ofbusiness planning, mergers and acquisi-tions, budgeting, business feasibility andoperations assessments. The firm has abroad spectrum of experience workingwith businesses and professionals in avariety of industries, both here in theU.S. and Canada, as well as in SouthAmerica and Europe, and that experi-ence gives Coulter, Aviles & Jacksonthe expertise to help your business, too.

“Our job is to sit at the right handof the business owner, to help themunderstand their financial situation andto provide guidance with the thingsthat are working, as well as what’s notworking for them,” Aviles says.

That basic philosophy also is thefoundation of the financial planningservices provided by Coulter, Aviles &Jackson, which include money manage-ment, tax reduction strategies, estateand retirement planning and more, alldesigned to help their clients achievetheir financial objectives, whatever thoseobjectives may be.

“We evaluate a client’s situation, sowe can tell them, ‘Here’s what youhave, and here’s what you can do toimprove it,” says Coulter, who is notonly a CPA, but also a CharteredFinancial Consultant and CertifiedFinancial Planner. “We put knowledgeinto the numbers and help peopleunderstand them so they can makeinformed financial decisions.”

Coulter, Aviles & Jackson islocated at 14452 Bruce B. DownsBlvd., in the Arbor Ridge Profes-sional Park. Regular hours are Mon-day-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., withextended hours available by appoint-ment. For more information, call514-1729 or visit CAJCPA.com.

CPAs Eric Coulter, left, and Jon Aviles head upthe firm’s Tampa office, while their partner, DavidJackson, works out of an office in Gate City, VA.


2008-09 NTCC Board of DirectorsPresident-Scott D. Estes

New TampaChamber of Commerce, Inc.

15310 Amberly Dr., Suite 250Tampa, FL 33647

Information: (813) 293-2464 Fax: (813) 973-8259

Website:NewTampaChamber.Org

Temple Ohev Shalomof New Tampa

6460 Tampa Palms Blvd. Tampa, Fl. 33647

813-632-9900

Somerset Professional Park - 15283 Amberly Dr., Tampa, FL 33647

James R. Kist, CPA, P.A.Accounting & Tax Services

Commerce Park Professional Center5301 Technology DriveTampa, FL 33647

Office: (813) 972-3033Fax: (813) 972-9033

James R. KistCertified Public Accountant

Rachel Haviland, VP

Matt Palmer, Treas.

Kristen Kipp-Palinsky, Secy.

Connie Bladon

Seema Jain

Regina Ramalheira

Lesley Zajac

Mailing Address:P.O. Box 46155

Tampa, Fl. 33647

Administrative Assistant: Karen Frashier

14201 Professional Plaza • 14201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd

(North Thirtieth Street) • Tampa, Florida 33613

Todd J. Wiener, DMD, PAGeneral Dentistry

Telephone (813) 977-6962

RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

BAY AREA REAL ESTATE & RENTALS

Serving New Tampa Since 1993

Mary Ann DiorioEmail: [email protected]

To View My Services and Available Rentals,please visit:

www.maryannrents.com

813-417-2164

Board Members:

Check Out NewTampaChamber.Org For The Latest Chamber Info!I don’t know about you, but I’m

ready for spring — or at least somewarmer weather. As I write this, therecent low temperatures have been inthe 30s. Spring is when everythingturns green and begins growing again.But, at least the New Tampa Chamberof Commerce is growing as we kickoff our membership drive at the endof this month.

By the time you read this article,our Chamber website, NewTampaChamber.org should be up and run-ning. It will improve as time goes onand more content is added. Check outthe website to keep up all of ourupcoming events.

Our website will feature eventreminders, such as our last Thursdayof the month happy hour Connec-tions event at Stonewood Grill andTavern, right here in Tampa Palms,5:30 p.m.-7 p.m..

Or, maybe you are into golf. Ifso, then you will not want to miss outon our “Networking on the 9s” atPebble Creek Country Club. Checkour website for details.

The Taste of New Tampa ™ &Business & Health Expo will be herebefore you know it. The date is Sun-

day, April 18. You will find details onour new website, including sponsor-ship opportunities and pricing as wellas vendor and artist booth pricing. Weare only offering one Premier Spon-sorship level of $10,000. Don’t missout on this opportunity to add yourcompany’s name to this trademarkedNew Tampa event. Sponsoring theTaste of New Tampa is a surefire wayto get your company out in front ofthe entire community. Send inquiresto [email protected].

During our breakfast and lunchmeeting for March and April, you willnot want to miss out on your oppor-tunity to meet the candidates runningfor Tampa City Council and StateLegislature seats. You’ll get to heartheir platforms and why they want tobe your candidate of choice. Hope tosee you there.

Sadly, Jerry Miller and MattUrbanovsky have decided to stepdown from their Board of Directorspositions. They have given a lot ofthemselves to our community and theNew Tampa Chamber and they willbe missed. Our loss could possibly beyour gain. If you want to become adirector, get involved now.

You Can Get Involved With The New Tampa Chamber Of Commerce At These Monthly Events!

Chamber Luncheons - The 2nd Monday of each monthat Pebble Creek Golf Club. Registration opens at 11:30; lunch is served at noon.

Chamber Breakfasts - The 3rd Tuesday of each month at Tampa Palms Golf &Country Club. Registration at 7:30 a.m., breakfast is served at noon.

Networking Happy Hours - The last Thursday of the monthat Stonewood Grill & Tavern, Tampa Palms at 5:30 p.m.

Please call the NTCC Hotline at 293-2464 for exact start times.


Skin Solutions & General Dentist Lou Cerillo — A Natural Combo!face, too. We’ve had a tremendousresponse from our patients andhave already made so many ofthem look and feel better aboutthemselves.”

Cerillo explains that Stricklandpreviously was an “expanded func-tions” dental assistant when shefirst came to the office, but hadpreviously worked in the cosmeticsindustry – with top names such asLancome, Clinique and Mary Kay— for more than a decade.

“Lori told me she missed thecosmetic side of the business, so shedecided to become an aesthetician,” hesays. “Skin Solutions has been the per-fect addition to our office.”

Skin Solutions offers new clients acomplimentary skin analysis and consul-tation. In addition, if you purchase askin care system, you’ll receive a freeHydra Facial (until March 31).

“We offer Obagi’s complete med-ical skin care line,” Lori says. “And, myclients also can confer with Lou aboutinjectable dermal fillers when facials andcreams aren’t enough. And, we evenrefer quite a few patients to plastic sur-geons when their needs are more thanLou or I can handle. No matter whatyou need to look and feel younger, wecan take care of you!”

Speaking of Obagi, Lori says thecompany doesn’t let most dentists selltheir world-renowned skin care prod-ucts, “but we became a member ofObagi’s prestigious ‘Diamond Club’ inonly eight months! We even got tomeet and chat with Dr. (Zein) Obagihimself at a recent conference (seephoto).”

Cerillo says that although most ofthe patients originally interested in der-mal fillers and other cosmetic treat-ments were women, he recently hasseen a number of male patients, too.

“Everyone wants to look youngerthese days,” he says. “A lot of men seethe results we’ve been able to providefor their wives or girlfriends and havesaid, ‘Do that for me, too.’ It’s definite-

By Gary Nager

I have known local general dentistLou Cerillo, DDS, for about as long asI’ve had this publication. In fact, Louwas one of the first dentists of any spe-cialty to be based in New Tampa whenhe opened his original office in the CityPlaza at Tampa Palms shopping centerin 1993 and was already one of ouroriginal advertisers when I purchasedNeighborhood News in early 1994. Dr.Lou, as I like to call him, has more thantwo decades of experience, as well asyears of training, in every aspect of gen-eral dentistry, including “drilling andfilling” (including tooth-colored fill-ings), permanent bridges, implant den-tistry, porcelain crowns and veneers,tooth whitening and even periodontal(gum) therapy.

“The office has evolved over theyears,” he says. “When we first openedhere, we saw mostly young families, soeven though I’m not a pediatric dentist,I did see a lot of parents and their kids.Then, as New Tampa’s population con-tinued to age, we saw mainly adultpatients and let the local pediatric den-tists handle the younger patients.Today, we’re still mainly an adult office,but we have seen a lot of new youngfamilies moving into the area again.”

Dr. Lou, who earned both hisBachelor’s degree and his Doctor ofDental Surgery degree from CreightonUniversity in Nebraska, has been a den-tist since 1986, but you’d never knowit. Lou looks a lot younger than his age,but he promises he keeps his youthfullook by using sunscreen and wearingsunglasses every day and has had no“work” done and had never used anyinjectable fillers on his face.

However, if he really wanted tohelp improve on what Mother Naturehas given him, Lou now has licensedaesthetician Lori Strickland’s Skin Solu-tions right in his office in the SomersetProfessional Park at the corner ofAmberly Dr. and Bruce B. Downs Blvd.And, although he, of course, wouldlikely never give himself Botox or otherinjectable treatments, over the course ofthe last couple of years, Lou hasreceived many hours of training fromthe most prestigious injectable dermalfiller facial treatment companies and hasalready performed thousands of thesetreatments to help his patients look andfeel younger.

“Dentists have been injectingpatients’ mouths for decades,” he says.“So, it seemed to me to be a naturaladdition to our business to begin pro-viding injections in other parts of the

(L. to r.) Dr. Lou Cerillo, Dr. Zein Obagiand Lori Strickland.


ly a bit of a trend we’re seeing.”

The Best Staff, Too!Cerillo says that, in addition to

Strickland, his entire staff has the expe-rience and training to make your visit tothe office as comfortable as possible.

“This is still a dental office,” hesays, “and I think my staff is the bestand most experienced you’ll find.

“My dental assistant Margaret has17 years of experience. Mary, myhygienist, was my first dental assistantback in 1990 and she’s been with me asmy hygienist the last two years. And,Adele at the front desk has worked forboth a dermatologist and a plastic sur-geon in the past.”

New Office In San Antonio!“We’ve always had patients coming

from the Dade City/San Antonio (FL)area all the way here to Tampa Palms(the current office in Somerset openedin 2003),” Dr. Lou adds. “So, it wasanother natural addition for us to openan office in that area.”

Towards that end, Cerillo openedon S.R. 52, just west of Curley Rd.,bringing in another dentist, Dr. LeslieHernandez, DMD (Doctor of MedicalDentistry), as an associate. Dr. Hernan-dez earned her Bachelor’s degree fromthe University of South Florida and herDMD degree from the University of

Florida in Gainesville “Dr. Hernandezhad 15 years of experience in Lutzbefore she joined us,” he says. “She’sbeen a great addition.”

The San Antonio office is openMonday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., andCerillo sees patients at that office onWednesdays.

A Personal TestimonialAlthough Dr. Lou has never actu-

ally been my dentist, I have not onlyknown him as an advertiser, but also asone of my younger son Jake’s recre-ational and competitive soccer coachesmore than a decade ago. He was a fix-ture, as both a boys and girls competi-tive coach and/or Board member, ofthe old New Tampa Soccer Association(NTSA) and is still the vice president offield operations for the new FusionFootball Club, which merged with theold Black Watch club and took overoperations of the rec and competitiveprograms for the NTSA.

The general dentistry office ofDr. Lou Cerillo and Skin Solutionsof Tampa Palms is located at 15277Amberly Dr., in the Somerset Profes-sional Park. Dr. Cerillo’s office hoursare Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-4 p.m.Call 971-1688 or visit DrCerillo.com. Skin Solutions is open Tues-day-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. CallLori Strickland at 846-9999.


Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Responds To Your Orthopaedic NeedsBy Melissa O’Brien

As Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills,Dade City and other bedroom com-munities in eastern Pasco County con-tinue to grow, so does the need toexpand the scope and availability ofquality health care services for thoseareas, as well as in the northern partsof New Tampa. Florida HospitalZephyrhills (FHZ) has answered thisneed and continues to do so, with theopening last October of the FHZOrthopaedic and Spine Institute(OSI). This new, state-of-the-art officespecializes in orthopaedic and spinecare, pain management and podiatryfor adults and children.

“We opened this new facility inorder to respond to the needs of thecommunity,” says Alicia Geib, FHZ’sassistant vice president overseeing prac-tice operations. “We have an olderpopulation in our community, but ourcommunity also is growing. As thecommunity grows, we are able toaccommodate a wider spectrum ofpeople of all different ages.”

The OSI is located in a separatebuilding about a quarter-mile awayfrom FHZ’s 28-acre campus on GallBlvd. This Christian-based, not-for-

profit hospital is a member of theAdventist Health System, which owns38 hospitals in ten states and is thelargest not-for-profit, Protestanthealthcare system in the U.S. Estab-lished in 1985, FHZ (formerly EastPasco Medical Center) has experiencedmore than 35 additions or renovations,growing to its present-day capacity of154 beds in a 407,000-sq.-ft., full-service healthcare facility.

The OSI can care for patients witha range of orthopaedic, spine, painmanagement and podiatric conditions.At approximately 5,000 sq. ft., thefacility is a one-stop-shop, staffed by ateam of highly-trained physicians,nurses, therapists and radiology tech-nologists. Services at the new facilityinclude general orthopaedic surgery,

hip and knee replacements, sportsmedicine, arthritis treatment, spinefractures and kyphoplasty (a proceduredesigned to treat the pain caused byspinal fractures sometimes associatedwith osteoporosis). In addition, theOSI also offers foot and ankle care,podiatry, hand care, pain management,physical and occupational rehabilita-tion and imaging services.

“What is important is that we areeasily accessible in the community,”says Geib. “You don’t have to traveloutside of the area or drive into thecity (of Tampa) to get highly qualifiedcare. It is that way with all of the serv-ices at our hospital. We also specializein cardiac care, radiology, andwomen’s services and emergencypatients [experience] little to no wait

time. If you live in Wes-ley Chapel – or any-where in eastern PascoCounty, you have accessto high-quality care lit-erally right in your backyard.”

The physician teamat the OSI is led bymedical directorSamuel Agnew, M.D.,a Board-certifiedorthopaedic surgeon.

Dr. Randolph Knight, M.D., is an OSIorthopaedic surgeon with more than25 years of experience practicing ineastern Pasco County. Paul Murphy,M.D., also is a Board-certifiedorthopaedic surgeon and MazenAbboud, D.M.P. (Doctor of PodiatricMedicine), is Board-certified in Podi-atric Medicine; while Joseph Condon,M.D., is Board-certified in Physicaland Rehabilitation Medicine and PainManagement.

Geib says the OSI physicians canperform fracture care, evaluations, takeX-rays and offer pain management inthe office as well as more complexorthopaedic services and surgeries atthe hospital. In addition, the OSIoffers a high-tech radiology depart-

The Orthopaedic & Spine Institute of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills combines the experienceand talents of (l. to r.) medical director Dr. Samuel Agnew, Dr. Mazen Abboud, Dr. Joseph

Condon, Dr. Randolph Knight and Dr. Paul Murphy.


ment where films can be viewedinstantly by a radiologist on-site.

“We also are fortunate to be ableto offer the kyphoplasty procedurebecause there are not many practicesthat specialize in it.” Eventually, theoffice plans to expand its imagingdepartment with ultrasound and anMRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)machine.

For Dr. Knight, working at OSImeans being a part of a great team.

“When I was in solo practice here,I was busier than I wanted to be,” saysDr. Knight, who grew up in St. Peters-burg and has practiced in Florida – andZephyrhills – for most of his career.“For many years, I was the onlyorthopaedic physician in town. As thearea grew and the hospital was built, itmade sense to create the Institute. Bybeing together we can cross-cover eachother and make sure we are taking careof everyone who needs to be takencare of in the community.”

Dr. Knight is a generalorthopaedist who says, “About a thirdof my practice is replacing hips andknees. Zephyrhills is a large retirementcommunity. In fact, we have the largestnumber of adult tricycle injuries in theU.S.”

For patient Donna St. Cyr, thenew facility hasn’t changed the qualityof care she has been receiving for the

past 11 years, it just changes the loca-tion. “Dr. Knight has performed all ofmy orthopaedic surgeries,” says St.Cyr. “I broke my wrist at LakelandMall and before that I had a kneeproblem that he helped me with. Hehas taken good care of me. He is avery caring person and he takes thetime to listen to you. I have told manypeople about him.”

The Orthopaedic and SpineInstitute, an outpatient office ofFlorida Hospital Zephyrhills, islocated at 6748 Gall Blvd., about 8miles east of Wesley Chapel. Theoffice is open Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5p.m. For more info, call 782-1200.


Roth IRA Conversions—2010’s Gift To High-Income IndividualsBy Charles J. Lewandowski CFP

Since 1997, highincome wage earnerswere denied access to avery valuable financialplanning tool granted bythe U.S. Congress andrecognized by the Internal RevenueService — the Roth IRA. However,beginning in the year 2010, access tothe Roth has been opened to wageearners who were previously deniedaccess to this type of retirementaccount. Are you taking advantage ofthis opportunity? Now is the time toconsult with your tax advisor to see if aRoth IRA might make sense for you.

The Roth IRA allows taxpayerswith earned (not passive) income to setaside after-tax dollars for retirement.Although no tax deduction is receivedin the year of the contribution, contri-butions and earnings may grow tax-free. Additionally, if the account is heldfor 5 years, distributions taken after age59 also are free from taxation. TheRoth IRA also has the benefit of notbeing subject to Required MinimumDistribution (RMD) rules at age 70and has flexible withdrawal options notavailable with traditional IRAs.

Taxpayers also have the ability to

convert a Traditional IRA to a RothIRA. The process involves re-classifyinga traditional IRA as a Roth IRA andpaying taxes at ordinary income rateson any gains in the account for the yearthat the conversion occurred. Through2009, however, there was an AdjustedGross Income limit of $100,000 thatprevented high wage earners fromundertaking a Roth Conversions. But,in 2010, the rules are now changed.

In 2005, Congress enacted the TaxIncrease Prevention and ReconciliationAct, which modified the income limita-tions associated with Roth conversions.As a result of the 2005 Act, the adjust-ed gross income limitation for Rothconversions is dropped in 2010. Also,tax liabilities incurred as a result of theconversion may be spread over twoyears. So, if you and your tax advisordetermine that the conversion nowmakes financial sense for you, how is itaccomplished?

Typically, there are two conversionscenarios that may apply to a high wageearner. Let’s explore each of these.

Ms. Pimona, a sole proprietor, hasno traditional IRA assets. Her husbandhas a 401k retirement account whichwas established by his employer. Ms.Pimona can open a “non-deductible”IRA for herself and her spouse in the

tax years of 2009 and 2010. If they areboth over 50 years old, a total of$24,000 may be set aside in theseaccounts. After January 1 of this year,they can convert the non-deductibleIRAs to Roth IRAs and spread any taxliability over two years.

Dr. Newsome has a rollover IRAthat he funded with a 403(b) accountfrom his previous employer’s retirementplan. He can contribute to non-deductible IRAs for himself and hisspouse and convert them. He can alsoconvert some or all of his TraditionalIRA. However, his tax liability is gov-erned by the “pro-rata” rule, whichbases the tax liability on the balances ofboth the Traditional and Non-deductible IRAs. The liability can bespread over two years. Once again, your

tax advisor should be consulted todetermine the extent of this liability.

There are several other factors thatshould be considered before undertak-ing the Roth IRA conversion. But, withthe proper guidance from your tax andfinancial advisors, you will gain a veryflexible tool in your financial planningtool box.

New Tampa resident Charles J.Lewandowski specializes in Retire-ment Planning for Small BusinessProfessionals. His website is CJL-CFP.com. Lewandowski is with WestCoast Financial Group, Inc., which islocated at 16241 N. Florida Ave.,Lutz. Call 269-7100 for an appoint-ment or more info.

The Supervising Office for WestCoast Financial Group is located at218 Glenside Avenue, Wyncote PA19095. Call (800) 242-1421. Finan-cial Representative offering AdvisoryServices and Securities through Lin-coln Investment Planning, Inc., Reg-istered Investment Advisor, MemberFINRA/SIPC.

Lincoln Investment Planning,Inc., and West Coast FinancialGroup, Inc., are independentlyowned and each is responsible for itsown business.

As of 2010, high wage earners nowhave the right to save on their taxes

with a Roth IRA.


Let The Insight Family Handle Your Family’s Eyecare NeedsBy Michael Smith

Let’s face it, there are a lot ofplaces you can go nowadays thatpromise to have your new eyeglassesready in an hour or less, but do youreally want to trust your vision to justanyone?

If not, then you need to makeyour next eye appointment at InsightFamily Eyecare, at 27607 S.R. 56,Suite 101, in the Seven Oaks retailplaza in Wesley Chapel, where Dr.James Robinson, O.D., and Dr. LeslieChurch, O.D., offer a full line of pro-fessional services that those one-hourplaces just can’t match.

The husband-and-wife team (he’sa midwesterner from a small town inKansas and she’s a south Floridanative) met while studying at NovaSoutheastern University in Davie, FL,where they both earned their Doctorof Optometry degrees, and have beenpracticing eyecare in the north Tampaarea for 10 years. They both continueto work in private offices, but decidedto open Insight Family Eyecare threemonths ago after noticing that manyof their patients were coming from theNew Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas.

“There’s just been [next to] noth-ing up here for the longest time,”Church says.

Now, in addition to carrying awide selection of glasses, sunglassesand contact lenses for children andadults from designer labels like Coach,Prada, Versace and Nike, as well asother high-quality yet affordable lines,Robinson and Church also offer com-plete diagnostic exams, specialized test-ing and fittings to make sure that yourfamily’s vision is the best that it can be.

“From the minute you walk in thedoor, the entire experience here isunique,” Robinson says. “We like tothink we’re more thorough in ourexams, we can do extra testing, if nec-essary, we offer better quality productsand are more precise with fittings andadjustments than most other places.”

“We think it’s like buying a Kiaversus a BMW,” Church adds. “It maycost a little more, but the quality isincomparable, and you definitely getyour money’s worth.”

Being as theirs is a family-orientedpractice, Drs. Church and Robinsonalso emphasize the importance of eye-care for children. That’s why theirpractice includes machines and testing

methods especially designed forpatients as young as six months of age,which you won’t find at most of thechain outlets or in-store optical cen-ters. In fact, Robinson and Churchrecommend routine eye testing forchildren beginning at six months, thenagain at two years of age, and thenagain when they are ready to startschool, just to be sure there are noproblems with their vision.

“It’s just like any medical condi-tion,” he says. “The earlier (problems)are detected, the better the outcome islikely to be.”

“There are a surprising number ofchildren who are labeled as learningdisabled, when they actually have avision problem,” Church adds.

Insight also offers specialized test-ing for wheelchair-bound and disabledpatients, as well as those who areunable to communicate verbally. Theoffice can accept a large number ofinsurance plans and can file insuranceclaims directly for most patients, eventhough, as Church says, many peoplearen’t even aware that their medicalinsurance includes eyecare coverage.

“A lot of people will go to Wal-Mart or other places like that and pay

out of pocket when they could haveused their vision benefits,” she says.

Regular store hours at InsightFamily Eyecare are Monday,Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m.-6p.m., 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Tuesdaysand 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays.Appointments are recommended,but walk-ins are accepted. Thewebsite is currently under construc-tion, but for more information, call406-4993 or visit the Insight Fami-ly Eyecare page on Facebook.com.

The husband-and-wife team of Dr.James Robinson and Dr. LeslieChurch offer quality eyecare for

every member of your family.


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By Michael Smith

About 100 local parents got aglimpse at what it’s like to be a highschool student nowadays, when theyattended a special “Take Your FamilyTo School” event at Freedom High inTampa Palms on February 18.

The event, called “Experience theDifference,” was the brainchild of Free-dom PTSA president Donna Moffatt,who submitted the idea for parents toattend a mock school day in theNational PTA’s annual contest, whichpromotes family involvement in educa-tion. Her idea was one of only 32 outof more than 400 that were submittednationwide to be selected for recogni-tion by the National PTA.

As part of the honor, the FreedomPTSA received a check for $1,897,symbolizing the year that the NationalPTA was founded, which was presentedto Moffatt by National PTA secretaryTeresa Williams and Steven Smitten,divisional vice president of the AXAEquitable Life Insurance Co., whichsponsors the award.

During their “school day,” the par-ents were given schedules and had toattend four classes: geometry, languagearts, world history and Spanish, and

they were given the same amount oftime as Freedom students are given toget from class to class. They also had topay attention, too, because all of theclasses were headed up by real teachersand assistant principals from the school,and they quizzed the parents on whatthey had learned.

“The one thing we heard most ofthem say was, ‘It’s sure not like it usedto be,’” Moffatt said.

That was certainly the experiencefor Julie Cortese, who graduated from

FHS PTSA Shows Parents What It’s Like To Be A Student Today

Freedom High PTSA presidentDonna Moffatt, right, receives a

check for $1,897 from AXA Equi-table division vice president StevenSmitten and National PTA secre-

atary Teresa Williams.

high school in 1975 and whose soncurrently is a junior at Freedom

“It made me feel like it was thefirst day of school all over again,” shesaid. “It was humbling. I never realizedthey learned at such a fast rate.”

Cortese also said, however, thatshe wasn’t completely surprised by how

difficult some of the classes were,because she says that some of thehomework that her son brings home iseven baffling to her husband, whoworks as a research physician.

“I think the caliber of what they’relearning these days is a lot more diffi-cult than what I did.”

Education UpdatesNEW TAMPA

Donations NeededThe PTA at Harold H. Clark Ele-

mentary School is looking for dona-tions for its annual Spring Fest, whichwill be held on Friday, March 26.

All proceeds from the event godirectly for PTA programs at theschool, and although it is not open tothe public, donations of goods or serv-ices for the popular basket raffle areappreciated. If you or your businesswould like to make a donation, callSuzanne Sloss at 972-0552.

In addition, the students at Free-dom High are collecting new and gen-tly used books of all genres as part ofthe “I Feel The Need To Read” litera-cy project. Books that are appropriatefor second-graders will be presented tothem during the “I Feel the Need to

Read” Festival at Freedom on Friday,March 19, and those that aren’t willbe sold during a second-hand booksale (as a fund raiser) on Friday,March 2, during the the School Dis-trict’s Community and Family Aware-ness Night, which also will be held atFreedom. For more information,call the school office at 558-1185.

And finally, students in the Free-dom High Parenting Skills and ChildDevelopment program need baby car-riers and carseats. The school recentlyreceived seven new “Real Care BabySimulators,” which the students carefor as if they were real babies, in orderto better understand the responsibilitiesassociated with being a parent.

To help, please send an emailto: [email protected].


It’s Been A Busy Month For Our Local High School TeamsBy Michael Smith

The months of January and Feb-ruary are an exciting time to be a highschool athlete, because that’s when thedistrict, regional and state competitionsfor all of the winter sports — boys andgirls basketball, boys and girls soccer,and wrestling and cheerleading — areheld, and all the hard work that you’veput in over the course of the seasonbegins to really pay off.

It’s even more exciting if you’redoing as well as some of the student-athletes from the schools in our area,because the deeper you go into intothe postseason, the higher the stakesare and so, too, the greater therewards.

Topping the list is the Paul R.Wharton High boys basketball team,which, as this issue was going to press,was in the midst of a 25-game winningstreak, including an exciting 45-31 vic-tory over Brandon in the Class 6A,District 8 championship game on Feb-ruary 13 and a 68-50 win over SarasotaRiverview in the Quarterfinal round ofthe Regional playoffs. The two victoriesbrought the Wildcats’ season record toan astonishing 27-1 on the season, with

the team’s only loss coming in the thirdweek of the season against Sickles, andthey were scheduled to take on St. PeteHigh in the regional semis on February23.

“We’re not counting the wins,”Wharton head coach Tommy Tonellisaid after taking the District champi-onship. “We just take them one at a

time and whatever it adds up to, that’sfine. I’m just happy for the players.”

Tonelli, you’ll remember, cameback to Wharton this season afterspending two years as director of bas-ketball operations at the University ofSouth Florida, his alma mater. Prior tohis departure for the college ranks,Tonelli led the Wharton program to a

record of 213-73 over 10 years, whichincluded three District titles and sixRegional playoff appearances. It lookslike this year, the ‘Cats may be ready tomake it all the way to the State champi-onship for the first time.

The Wharton girls, meanwhile,also enjoyed a pretty successful season,making it all the way to the RegionalQuarterfinals before losing to a toughSarasota team, 40-28, on February 11.The ‘Cats finished the season with arecord of 21-5.

The Freedom High girls varsityteam also did well under new headcoach Laurie Pacholke, going 17-4before losing to Hillsborough High,63-39, in the Class 5A, District 9 semi-finals. It was a tough year, however, forTravis Priddy, the first-year coach of theFreedom boys basketball team, whichentered the season with high hopes andexpectations but finished with a disap-pointing record of 7-8.

The Wildcats hoopsters weren’tthe only team to celebrate a Districtchampionship this season, however, asthe Freedom girls soccer team accom-plished the same feat with a 5-0 shutoutof Hillsborough High on January 22.The Lady Patriots then went on to

The Wharton High boys basketball team celebrates a near-perfect seasonand a Class 6A, District 8 championship.


defeat Manatee by the same margin inthe regional quarterfinals, but they fellto a tough Venice team, 4-1, in thesemifinal round on February 2.

The Lady Patriots finished the sea-son at 13-4-4, and a large part of theirsuccess was the play of senior midfielderand team captain Olivia Bloemke, whoaccepted a scholarship offer to play atRollins College next year.

“Players like Olivia are why wecoach,” said Freedom head coach ChrisHinkle, who will be leaving the schoolafter this year to pursue other interests.“She has a great work ethic, never com-plains, and is a great team leader on thefield. I think she’ll fit in well at Rollins,which is a great Division 2 school.”

Meanwhile, after making it to theClass 5A state finals a year ago, the

Freedom boys soccerteam saw a disappoint-ing season end in theDistrict semifinals,where they lost 5-0 toGaither. The WhartonHigh boys also made itto the District semis,where they lost toBloomingdale by a mar-gin of 2-1. The Whar-ton girls also lost in theDistrict semifinals, 6-0to Bloomingdale.

In wrestling, both Freedomand Wharton sent multiple com-petitors to the regional tournamentat Brandon High on February 12-13. A week earlier, the Wildcats fin-ished second to Brandon in the 3A,District 6 championships, whileFreedom finished eighth in theteam standings. At Districts, Free-dom senior Chandler Nipperbecame the first wrestler in schoolhistory to earn 100 career victories.At the Regional meet, Whartonwrestlers and seniors Basim Saedand Keon Jordan qualified for theState tourney which was under wayas this issue went to press.

After helping to lead the Freedom girls soc-cer team (top) to a district championship,

FHS senior Olivia Bloemke accepted ascholarship offer from Rollins Colllege.

Above, Freedom High’s ChandlerNipper (in red) became the first Patswrestler to reach 100 career victories.Below: Wharton’s Keon Jordan (in

blue) was one of two Wildcats toadvance to the State finals.


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activities. One hundred percent of thisdonation will go to the cost of puttingon the camp. Most of these kids don’thave the money to go to places likeBusch Gardens or Disney World, andwe give them an opportunity to have agreat time and a chance to talk to oth-ers who are experiencing the samethings they are.”

For the members of the NTJWC,sponsoring Camp Hopetake is in keep-ing with their mission.

“We wanted to help a charity thatwas located in our ‘backyard’ and, as asmaller charity, the impact of our dona-tion will go a long way,” says NTJWCpresident Heather Keen. “We have an

affinity for children and we tend to leantoward those types of charities in termsof who we support.”

The Night of 5000 has become aNew Tampa signature annual event –where thousands of charity dollars areraised and one lucky guest wins a$5,000 cash prize. Keen says this year’sevent is planned to be better than everwith an Ybor-inspired dinner-stationmenu, added entertainment by NewTampa’s Troy Jansen (owner of theJansen Dance Project and the “Collec-tive Soles Arts Group”) and a cigar bar.

As in past years, the Night willinclude a cocktail hour, cash bar and

By Melissa O’Brien

The Greater Federation ofWomen’s Clubs’ New Tampa JuniorWoman’s Club (NTJWC) has namedCamp Hopetake, a camp for childrenwho have suffered from severe burns,this year’s primary beneficiary of theclub’s upcoming Night of 5000 charitygala. The 13th annual black-tie-option-al event — the signature fund raiser forthe NTJWC — will take place on Sat-urday, March 20, at The Ritz Ybor inYbor City.

Being a kid can be hard enough,but imagine if you are a child who hassuffered from severe burns. For manychildren, undergoing the medical pro-cedures as a result of burns is very trau-matic, but coping afterwards with thesocial and emotional scars associatedwith these kinds of injuries can beequally as overwhelming. That is whythe Tampa Firefighters Local 754union, in conjunction with TampaGeneral Hospital’s Burn Unit, sponsorsCamp Hopetake.

According to Tampa Fire Depart-ment Capt. Jace Kohan, the secretary-treasurer of the union, the camp is aplace where kids of all ages who havebeen seriously burned but are nowrecovered can kick back and have fun.

“Camp Hopetake was startedtwenty years ago by our firefightersunion,” says Kohan. “It is a one-week

camp for kids ages 5-17 whoare all going through thesame experience. It gives thema chance to talk to each otherand it’s very therapeutic forthem.”

Located in Ellenton,Camp Hopetake, which ispronounced “ho-pee-tock-ee”(from the Florida Seminoleword for children), the kids’week includes a wide varietyof activities, including swim-ming, fishing, crafts, games,movies, horseback riding anda trip to a Florida amusementpark. They also see demon-strations by skydivers, TampaFire Rescue search dogs, mar-tial arts experts and others.

The camp provides a safe and sup-portive environment for the kids toshare their feelings and interact withone another in a non-threateningatmosphere. They spend the week withother seriously burned children in air-conditioned quarters and are under fullmedical supervision by nurses from theburn unit at Tampa General Hospitaland Tampa Fire-Rescue Paramedics.

“We are ecstatic that the NewTampa Junior Woman’s Club has cho-sen our charity as their beneficiary,”says Kohan. “Right now, when dona-tions are down, we are extremely excit-ed at what this will do to help fund our

NTJWC Night Of 5000 Will Benefit Camp For Burned Children

This year’s Night of 5000, to be held Saturday, March 20, at The Ritz in Ybor City,will again sponsored and hosted by the New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club, will benefit

the young burn vistims from Camp Hopetake in Ellenton.

See “Night of 5000” on page 41.


Think About Long-Term Care At St. Joseph’s John Knox Village!

By Melissa O’Brien

For many people, retirement plan-ning means saving in a 401K or someother kind of monetary fund, eliminat-ing debt and eventually enjoying thefruits of your lifelong labors. Rarely,when we are healthy, do we ever think,of what would happen if we were to getsick or become infirmed in our “goldenyears.” Nor do we think about the carethat we would then require and its cost.Many people simply assume thatMedicare will cover their medical needsas they age, but what most people donot know is that Medicare doesn’tcover assisted living or long-term “per-manent” nursing care.

With assisted living rates starting,at most communities, at around $3,000per month and long-term nursing carestarting at more than $72,000 per year– and with no reimbursement fromMedicare – seniors and their familiesoften need to foot the entire bill them-selves. In some cases, people are com-pletely unprepared financially shouldthey or a family member need this typeof comprehensive care.

“There are options,” says CarolineNorth, who is director of marketing forSt. Joseph’s John Knox Village, anupscale continuous care retirementcommunity located on E. Fletcher Ave,across from the USF Tampa campus.

“One option would be to purchaselong-term care insurance and anotherwould be for seniors to move into acontinuing care retirement community(CCRC) such as University Village orSt. Joseph’s John Knox Village,” Northsays. “But, it’s important to note thatseniors need to move into theseCCRCs before they need any compre-hensive care, because they must qualifyboth medically and financially. Oncethey are accepted, however, they receivediscounts on any long-term care theymight need in the future.”

North says that each CCRC com-munity features different benefits, dis-counts and savings, so seniors and theirfamilies should do some comparativeshopping before they decide where togo. Some facilities are for-profit, andsome, like St. Joseph’s John Knox,operate as not-for-profit facilities.

Most communities use an entrance

fee to keep monthly fees lower. There-fore, those residents who choose amonthly rental option rather than pay-ing an entrance or endowment fee willpay a higher monthly rent. The upfrontfees do, however, help provide thefunds for many of the amenities and therange of services a person will need asthey age in place.

North also says there are substan-tial income tax benefits to living in aCCRC because the IRS allows a por-tion of the entrance fee and portions ofthe monthly fees to be taken as incometax deductions for medical expenses.Some facilities, like St. Joseph’s JohnKnox Village, even offer a “Life CareGuarantee,” which ensures that a resi-dent will never lose their home, even ifthey no longer have the ability to pay.

“With the built-in protection, itcan really make a big difference for a lotof seniors and their families,” saysNorth. “We will never ask a resident tomove out. The whole idea is that it’slike having a long-term care policy. Youbuy it before you need the services andif you do need the assisted living ornursing care services, you have alreadyplanned for it and you’re prepared.”

Living at John Knox is like livingin a small town community. Residents

enjoy a fitness center, several pools,Sunday brunches, Wii sports teams,painting classes, happy hours, Biblestudies and more. Residents can opt fortwo-bedroom or one-bedroom apart-ments, ranging in size from 700-1,500-sq. ft., all with full kitchens. There is afull dining room if residents do notwant to cook and/or want to eat withfriends. Buses are available for thosewho do not like to drive, but residentscan remain as independent as they areable to be in a very enjoyable commu-nity atmosphere.

North says that St. Joseph’s JohnKnox Village, which is part of BaycareHealth System, is the first CCRC tohave won the Governor’s Seal.

St. Joseph’s John Knox Village Offers ResidentsOptions When It Comes To Continuous Care

Residents at St. Joseph’s John KnoxVillage receive ongoing medical care.


“It is the first in the state of Floridagranted that distinction.” says North.“Only two nursing homes in the statehave received it. We also have five-staraccreditation from the Commission onAccreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities(CARF) – a distinction that few facilitiesin the state share.”

Resident TestimonialsResident TestimonialsResident Werner “Mac” McIver

and his wife Jean say that St. Joseph’sJohn Knox Village has been a wonder-ful place to call home and offers thecouple great piece of mind.

“It is the best decision we evermade,” says Mac, who is 76. “Welooked around and liked the fact thatJohn Knox was not-for-profit. I have anin-law at a for-profit facility and they arealways getting ‘nickeled and dimed’ foreverything. Here, because the facility isnot-for-profit, they can only keep a cer-tain amount of money to keep their taxadvantage. They use their funds tomaintain the place very well. They justre-carpeted everything and painted theceilings and hallways in every building.”

He adds, “We have 24-hour secu-rity and the food is outstanding. Thereare activities directors who constantlyhave interesting things going on here.”

Mark Hoenemeyer, who works forBayLinen, Inc., a division of BaycareHealth Systems, says he did a lot of

research to find where the best place forhis mother would be.

“My decision was not just basedupon what is owned where,” says Mark.“John Knox seemed to have a greatenvironment. They offered a great con-tinuum of care. If she needs assisted liv-ing someday, it is very comprehensive inthat respect. I also like the motivation innot-for-profit facilities. It seems morehumanist to me. The excess of revenuegoes back into to John Knox which is afactor in the quality of its operation.”

Other factors Hoenemeyer says helooked at were the clean grounds andthe dining room meals.

“Everything was kept up and thefood looked and tasted good,” he says.“They had comprehensive meals. Theyalso had good access for patients to St.Joseph’s buses so residents can go outand get off campus for activities. Iwould say the best analogy for mymother, who is 82, is that this was likestarting school all over again. [Whenshe first moved in], a member of theJohn Knox Village marketing teambrought her down to meet other people— to find compatibility with others —and while it was an adjustment for her[at first], she loves it now.”

Hoenemeyer says that continuingcare is something that everyone withaging parents, or who is aging them-

selves, needs to think about. “It is something you have to save

for and need to be aware of,” he says.“It is one of those questions that needto be asked early on: ‘What are yougoing to do when you hit that age?’ Ifyour parents or you are not of that ageyet, you still need to start thinkingabout it because if you’re lucky, some-day you’re going to get there.”

For more information aboutlong term care, visit Medicare.gov/longtermcare, and Living-Options.org. For information about St.Joseph’s John Knox Village, visitStJosephsJohnKnox.com or call(800) 272-5669.

Did You Know?• This year, about nine million

men and women over the age of 65will need long-term care

• A study by the U.S. Depart-ment of Health and Human Servic-es says that people who reach age65 will likely have a 40 percentchance of entering a nursing home

• About 10 percent of the peo-ple who enter a nursing home willstay there five years or more


SEVEN OAKSFAMILY AND COSMETIC DENTISTRY

Welcoming new patients of all ages

Dr. Lee Daniels

Seven Oaks Professional Park(Next to Sam!s Club)

2112 Ashley Oaks Circle

(813) 907-7313

Over 14 yearsexperience

• Access to Discount Dental Plans• Most insurance plans accepted/In-network• Nitrous Oxide Available• Tooth Colored Fillings• Crowns, Bridges, & Veneers• Whitening, Zoom! 2 & Take Home Kits• Implant Dentistry• Extractions, Root Canal Treatment• Digital X-Rays

live and silent auctions. Two of the liveauction items include a trip to the Cali-fornia wine country and a “Stock YourBar” liquor selection. Two of the silentauction items include tickets to a NewYork Yankees home game in New YorkCity with waiter service and a deep seafishing excursion.

The evening also will includemusic provided by Synchronicity and aDJ playing tunes throughout the night.Guests may also enjoy the Fotos-R-Funphoto booth for unique photos and aCafe Ala Carte espresso cart providingan assortment of gourmet coffee bever-ages. The night will culminate with the$5,000 drawing, which will be spon-sored this year by Dr. Thomas Frank-furth’s Gentle Care Dentistry.

In addition to Gentle Care Den-tistry as the event’s Gold Sponsor, theSilver Sponsors are the Law Offices of

Pratico and Smith, and Silver MediaPartner Tampa Bay Parenting maga-zine, and Bronze Sponsors include Dr.and Mrs. John Small, Firefighters Local#754, Mason Title, Salon Athena,RE/MAX Premier Group, TampaGeneral Hospital, Land & Sea Market,Independent Living Pediatrics, Thomp-son Studios, Iberia Bank Mortgage,Southeast Diabetics and Orthotics,Sypris Electronics and Rodriguez &Menendez Cigar Factory.

For the first time this year, ticketsare available for purchase online atNTJWC.org. Tickets cost $100 perperson and include dinner, live enter-tainment, complimentary valet parkingand one entry into the Grand Prizedrawing. A limited number of VIP tick-ets also are available for $175 per per-son, which includes a plated dinner andan open bar from 8 p.m. to midnight.

The GFWC New Tampa JuniorWoman’s Club is a 501 (C)(3) organi-zation that currently has 90 members.NTJWC is one of the largest GFWC


“Night of 5000”Continued from page 33

clubs in the state of Florida, and theclub has won numerous club and indi-vidual state awards over the years. Lastyear, the group donated more than$27,000 to a variety of local charities, aswell as 10,000 volunteer hours in morethan 50 projects.

Sponsorship opportunities andtickets for the Night of 5000 – to beheld at The Ritz Ybor, 1503 East 7thAve., Tampa – were still available at ourpress time.

For more information, or toattend, sponsor or donate, visitntjwc.org or contact [email protected]. For more infor-mation about Camp Hopetake, visitTampaFirefighters.com.

Camp Hopetake lets kids who have suf-fered severe burns have a week of fun.


Valentine’s Day Makeovers Help Women Overcome AbuseBy Michael Smith

This past Valentine's Day, whenmany women were receiving gifts offlowers, candy, or jewelry from theirloved ones, some others received aneven greater gift — that of improvedself-esteem and a new outlook on life— courtesy of free beauty makeoversfrom the owners and stylists of the NewIdentities salons.

According to Kelly Rockquemore,who owns and operates the two NewIdentities locations (in Tampa Palmsand Apollo Beach) with her husbandMark, this year more than two dozenwomen benefitted from what hasbecome an annual tradition for theRockquemores and their employees.The women who visited the TampaPalms salon were residents of TheSpring shelter for battered and abusedwomen and their children, while thosewho came to New Identities’ SouthShore location were from Alpha House,which is a program for pregnant teens.

This is the fifth year that the Rock-quemores have been providingmakeovers for troubled women, andKelly says that the idea came from adesire to give something back to thecommunity.

“We were thinking about what we

could do with our talents,” she says,“and we realized that all women feelbetter when they get their hair done, sowe started looking at local charities,because we really wanted to do some-thing to benefit our own community.Someone we knew had been involvedwith The Spring, so we thought itwould be a wonderful way to help raisetheir clients' self esteem, to give them aday of beauty to help them feel a littlebit better. And they do. It really liftstheir spirits and gives them a new hope— they say things like, ‘I’m feeling bet-ter about myself, and I can go out thereand tackle whatever I need to tackle toget my life back on track.’”

The boost in self esteem and self-empowerment can be critically impor-

tant, Kelly says, because the womenwho come to programs like The Springand Alpha House typically face a varietyof challenges, such as overcomingabuse, dealing with the pressures of anunplanned pregnancy, or often, havingto start a whole new life on their own.

In order to help them meet thosechallenges, not only do all of the NewIdentities stylists willingly donate theirtime on the day of the makeovers, theyalso collect money and other necessities,such as clothing, toiletries and babysupplies, throughout the year. At TheSpring, women often arrive at the shel-ter with little more than the clothing ontheir backs.

According to Miralee Berrios, whois the shelter & program services man-ager at The Spring, the shelter workswith a many as 200 women, and twicethat many children, in a typical month,all of whom are victims of abuse, be itphysical, sexual, verbal or mental. Thewomen usually stay at the shelter for sixweeks, and longer in some cases, whileThe Spring employees try to help themwith whatever needs they may have,such as housing, education, employ-ment and more.

Berrios adds that when womenarrive at the shelter, their self-esteem isoften very low, and that low self-esteem

is often one of the contributing factorsthat lead up to abuse, so anything thathelps to raise the spirits of these womenis invaluable.

“This is a way for them to getrefreshed, and to start over, and to real-ize that the world hasn’t ended,”Berrios says. “It also helps them to lookat themselves in the mirror and seethemselves as a different woman, notjust as a victim. It really is a blessing.”

New Identities Salon is locatedat 15307 Amberly Dr., in theShoppes of Amberly, Tampa Palms.Call 979-0760 or visit NewIdenti-tiesSalon.com.

New Identities stylist Katie Abbottgives a Valentine’s Day makeover toone of the residents of The Spring.


• Same Day Appointments

4444 E. Fletcher Ave., Suite B813-903-0060

Solo Practice!Practicing 14 years in TampaGraduate of UF & USFResidency All Children’s Hospital

Teena Hughes, M.D., P.A.Pediatrics

Board Certified

Most MedicalInsurance Plans

Accepted!

list of appetizers, likeasparamaki, which isgrilled steak with a teriyakiglaze wrapped aroundasparagus spears, geso(lightly fried calamari withponzu sauce), gyoza (pan-fried beef and veggiedumplings) and more.

Soho Sushi hasHappy Hour every day, 5p.m.-7 p.m., with appe-tizers for just $5-$7 andtwo-for-one on housewine, beer and sake.

Call Soho Sushi(2826 E. Bearss Ave.)at 97-SUSHI (977-8744) or visit Soho-SushiNorth.com.


Soho Sushi—A Delicious Addition To New Tampa’s Dining SceneBy Gary Nager

By the time my friend BrianLeaghty of OrthoTechnology first toldme that the newest location of SohoSushi was getting ready to open in thePalms Connection plaza (next toCody’s Roadhouse), I already had spo-ken with owner Jeff Hall about how hissushi and contemporary Japanese cui-sine restaurant would be different thanany other in our area.

Hall, who literally grew up in thesushi business, worked for his mother atYoko’s Japanese Restaurant on S.Macdill Ave. in South Tampa for tenyears (from age 17 or 18) before open-ing his first Soho Sushi on S. HowardAve. in South Tampa five years ago.Two years ago, Jeff moved that locationto Kennedy Blvd., where it is still opentoday, and he has brought the sameconcept — great sushi and Japanesecuisine in an upscale (with a real winelist, as well hot and cold sakes and thosegreat Japanese beers, including Kirin ontap), contemporary setting.

Jeff, who often works the sushi barat the New Tampa location, says he’sstill refining the menu and promises tosomeday add my favorite white meatfish sushi to his already great selection.My favorites so far have been the yel-lowatil and tuna sashimi and the tuna

tataki, although I’ve also enjoyed theTampa Roll (with fried white fish andonions) and the Spider Roll (with softshell crab, avocado, scallions and roe).

I also love the boxed lunch com-bos at Soho Sushi, where you can get anice portion of chicken teriyaki orchicken katsu, salmon or beef teriyakiand even tofu choices with deliciousveggie tempura, a great house salad(with a slightly peanutty ginger dress-ing) and white rice. The dinner portionof the lightly fried katsu, with its thick,sweet-and-sour katsu sauce, has beenmy favorite entrée so far, and Jeff saysthe katsu is “Delicious in its simplicity.”I’d have to agree. There also is a greatvariety of sushi/sashimi combo mealson both the lunch and dinner menus.

I’ve yet to sample Soho Sushi’sJapanese-style fried rice, with beef,shrimp, chicken, veggies or combos,but it’s definitely on my not-too-shortroster of items to try on my next visit.

I also have to check out the great

The chicken katsu is one of our edi-tor’s favorite dishes at Soho Sushi.

The chicken teriyaki boxed lunchcomes with a great house salad, veg-

gie tempura and white rice.

Although the tuna sashimi at Soho Sushiis pretty great, too, our editor’s current

favorite is the yellowtail sashimi.

Owner Jeff Hall has brought a modern décor and deli-cious Japanese cuisine to New Tampa with his new loca-tion in the Palms Connection plaza on E. Bearss Ave.

• 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”

The “Clicks for Crutches” cam-paign ends Wednesday, March 31.

For more info, or to schedule aphoto session, call 949-8652 or visitJessicaDanaStudios.com.

Congrats, Jakes!Congrats, Jakes!I also wouldn’t be much of a

father if I didn’t congratulate my sonJake, now completing his senior year atWharton High, for making it onto“Team Florida” for the upcomingPittsburgh (previously Chicago) IceHockey Showcase. Jake and his team-

mate from Wharton, fellow senior JakeKools, were two of only seven playersfrom the Tampa Bay area to make itonto the 20-man squad. They werechosen from about 35 coach-selectedplayers statewide who tried out for theteam, which travels to Pittsburgh for aweek in April to be scouted by college,junior and professional coaches.

The two Jakes and the rest of thehigh-flying Wharton High ice hockeyteam have upcoming rink (at the IceSports Forum in Brandon) and Statechampionship tournaments in Marchto get them ready for the PittsburghShowcase. Great job, guys, and go‘Cats! We’ll keep you posted.


“Haiti & Jakes”Continued from page 3


Enter Our Fantasy Baseball Contest!It’s been a while, but...it’s

baaaaaack! After a year or two hiatus,we are proud to bring back the Neigh-borhood News Fantasy Baseball Contestand we are looking for stat-crazedbaseball fans to fill a 20-team league!

My cousin from New York andsales rep/office manager DavidZacharia has been kicking my butt reg-ularly in his own fantasy football, base-ball and basketball leagues and Davesays it’s long overdue for us to offerYOU the chance to win some greatprizes in our season-long 2010 FantasyBaseball contest!

Thanks to Cousin D, who willserve as our commissioner (and as thenew man to beat in the league to winprizes; more on that below!), this will

be the first time our league will offerweekly head-to-head matchups, insteadof “Rotisserie-style” cumulative statsthroughout the 2010 Major LeagueBaseball season.

Everyone who beats Dave head-to-head any week of the season will wina gift certificate worth at least $20 andanyone who beats him in the playoffs— or finishes ahead of him in the finalstandings — will win a prize worth atleast $40. If anyone other than Dave,yours truly or art director Tony Sicawins the whole thing, he or she wins a$100 gift certificate to the restaurant oftheir choice in the Tampa Bay area!

Enter by fax, mail or e-mail, butbe one of the first 17 people to enterand you could be a big winner! — GN

Your Name ____________________________________________________________

Your Address (with zip code) _______________________________________________

Your Community (Lexington Oaks, Pebble Creek, etc.) ___________________________

Your Daytime Phone Number ___________________________________________

Your Valid E-Mail Address ______________________________________________

Be one of the first 17 people to Mail, Fax or E-Mail your entry to:Neighborhood News 2010 Fantasy Baseball Contest

15345 Amberly Dr., Tampa, FL 33647Fax: 910-2483 • E-mail: [email protected]

(Please provide ALL requested information on e-mailed entries!)


P E T S I T T I N GAnimals’ Best Friend says, “Pets Deserve GoodLove & Care, Even Times When You’re NotThere!” In-your-home pet-sitting svcs, includingdog walks, multiple & overnight visits, administer-ing meds, plus love & attention. Licensed, bonded& insured. Call 765-5515 for a free consulta-tion. Or, visit www.animalsbestfriend.net.

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

B A B Y S I T T I N GNanny/Babysitter is looking for fulltime positionstarting August 2010. Many years experience.Excellent references. I also do some evenings &weekends. Please call 813-973-1216.

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

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

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

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

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

R E A L E S T A T E

O F F I C E S P A C E 2 office + Reception and Cabinet Area. Loca-tion: 33647 zip in Commerce Park ProfessionalCenter. Estimated Cost $900/1000 per Month3yr/1yr. 10X15 =150 11x11 =121 14x16=224...Estimate Sq ft: 550 Sq Ft. Also Include 1closet and Unisex Bathroom. Available Jan 12010. Address: 5307 Technology Dr Tampa, Fl.33647. Contact: Bob Lamb 813.340.3000.

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

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

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

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

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

H E L P W A N T E D

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

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

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

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

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

Medical Asst. for Pulmonary/Sleep Medicine privatepractice. Responsibilities include triage, asst doctorduring office visits, obtain patient test results, chartpreparation, telephone call backs, file management andmedication refills. Assist front office to inc answerphones & schedule appts. Fax resume to 975-4301.

House Keeper wanted 5- 6 Hrs. per week, laundryand ironing. Call 813-632-2710.

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

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

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

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

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

Dan Turner Decorating Wallcovering Installation.The most important thing about the wallcovering youselect is...the installer. Don’t sacrifice the beauty ofwallcovering, turn to the experts. Call today for a freeconsultation. Licensed & insured. Call 928-2160.

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

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

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

A+ Cleaning Service. FSU grad, honest &dependable. Moving very successful business toTampa Palms area to be near first grandchild. MyTallahassee clients included FSU coaches & profes-sors. For FREE estimate & references call Randiat (cell) 850-509-6615. Yes, I do Gators, too!

L A N D S C A P I N G

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aquatec Pool Service **Special offer! New cus-tomers get 1 Month FREE!** We offer QUALI-TY weekly full service at an affordable price & fol-low strict National Swimming Pool Foundation(NSPF) standards. Licensed & insured. Call today780-8616 or visit our website www.aquate-cpool.com to see why you should choose us!

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

Tai Chi Classes open to the public at ClubTampa Palms. Benefits: Strength, Flexibility,Balance, Focus. On going classes Tues. 2:30-3:30 pm, Wed. 8-9 pm. Cost-$10/class. Alsopersonal instruction in Tai Chi, Kempo, Fit-ness training and more. With more then 28years of teaching and training exp. Call Petertoday to find out more #787-7560.

OWN A CATTLE FARM IN COSTARICA for just $600,000. One hour fromSan Jose City. Ten acres with 2 homes, onefor owner w/cable TV and phone, and onefor foreman. 30 heads of Brahman Cattle, 3pure breed "paso fino" horses with new sta-bles. For information and pictures contactGerardo Acosta at [email protected] or ph.813-504-3240.

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

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

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

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