New Tampa Neighborhood News Issue 11-12

close for the evening,even though most hadtheir water servicerestored within a fewhours.

Around 2 p.m. thatday, a water transmissionmain ruptured just southof the intersection ofBBD and Tampa PalmsBlvd. spilling water ontothe northbound lanes ofthe road and disrupting traffic. Watergushed out of the ground along theeast side of BBD for hours, rushing itsway south next to the roadway, pool-ing just south of Amberly Dr.

The Tampa Police Departmenteventually closed down the segment ofBBD between Amberly Dr. andTampa Palms Blvd., diverting north-bound traffic through Tampa Palms.

Workers from the Tampa WaterDepartment (TWD) responded quick-ly and worked into the night torestore service to the affected area,

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 11 • May 19, 2012 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com 1

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May 19, 2012

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Inside:Recapping The 2012

Night Of 5000!In Neighborhood Magazine!

Looking Back At A Hot Time At The Ninth Annual Rotary PigFest!

Water Main Rupture Leaves New Tampa Residents WaterlessBy Matt Wiley

Instead of the water from a rup-tured transmission main that left NewTampa residents waterless the after-noon of May 4 and had one north-bound lane of the road closed untilMay 8, traffic is flowing freely againon the northbound side of Bruce B.Downs (BBD) Blvd. between AmberlyDr. and Tampa Palms Blvd.

It was to be a big Friday night forlocal restaurants in the New Tampaarea, as many recently graduated col-lege students planned to celebratetheir commencement from the Uni-versity of South Florida (USF) overdinner with family and friends. But,those restaurant owners’ hopes of aline out their doors that nightdrowned when the water was shut off,forcing many of those restaurants to

See “Water” on page 7.

Northbound Bruce B. Downs Blvd. between Amberly Dr.& Tampa Palms Blvd. was more like a lake on May 4.

NEIGHBORHOOD MAGAZINE!

A Look Back At The ‘Night Of 5000,’ AReview Of Sushi Café, A Preview Of The You

Do The Dishes Summer Camp, OurExclusive Summer Camp Guide & More!

Pages 45-56

Also Inside This Issue!NEWS, BUSINESS, SPORTS &

EDUCATION UPDATES Temporary Bridge Opens Over BBD, Car

Thieves Caught & Tampa Palms TreesCome Down; Plus, Laser Affair Hair

Removal & Lots Of Local Business News!

Pages 1-44

By Gary Nager

From its humble beginnings with acrowd of fewer than 500 people whenit first began nine years ago, the annualRotary PigFest has blossomed into oneof the premier events in our area yearafter year.

The 2012 PigFest, held on a “muycaliente” Cinco de Mayo at St. Markthe Evangelist Catholic Church onCross Creek Blvd., nearly doubled theprevious record PigFest attendance of900, as more than 1,500 tickets weresold, thanks to the efforts of event co-chairs Peter Gambacorta and RobertGarofano of the New Tampa (break-fast) Rotary Club, as well as tremen-dous support from five other localRotary Clubs — New Tampa Noon,New Tampa Evening, Wesley Chapel,Temple Terrace and Tampa North.

Although we don’t know preciselyhow much money, in terms of net pro-ceeds, was raised through ticket and

“PigBuck” (used topurchase items dur-ing the event) salesto benefit the select-ed charities of eachRotary club, Gam-bacorta said, “Wedefinitely took astep up this year.”

(Clockwise from above left): Rotary PigFest event co-chair PeterGambacorta announces the winners of the pig-roasting contest; the

event’s “guest of honor”; the food line was long, but great volun-teers kept it moving smoothly; political candidates like State Rep.Shawn Harrison (right) were prominent “vendors” during the

event; the Freedom High jazz band was the final “act” of the day.

See “PigFest” on page 52.

2 For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 11 • May 19, 2012 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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in 18 daysP e n d i n g

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i n 3 d a y s

I was 15 when theU.S. government stoppeddrafting 18-year-olds intothe military and, as a

young person who loved the music ofBob Dylan, Neil Young and other“protest” song writers, I was happy notto be forced into military service after Igraduated from high school.

As someone who hasn’t picked upany type of gun since riflery in summercamp (and with my Mr. Magoo-likevision, I was a terrible shot), I havealways appreciated the fact that,throughout our history, there have been,and still are, brave young men (and now,of course, women, too) who willinglychoose to enlist in our Armed Forces.Several of both of my sons’ friends(including Wharton High grad BrandonAllen, who just signed up this spring)have chosen this path and I not onlyrespect and admire all of them, I actuallythank each of them for their service.

I know I am not unique in terms ofhow I feel about not only those whoserve in any branch of the U.S. military,but also anyone who becomes a policeofficer or fire fighter. These are the peo-ple who run towards the battlefields anddisasters more than 90 percent of uschoose to run or stay away from. Forthat reason alone, I believe they are notonly praiseworthy, I also believe it is ourresponsibility to take care of each andevery one of them.

To that end, I have to again com-mend my dear friend Valerie Casey forher unflinching, neverending quest to

raise money for the Tampa FisherHouse, the residence located on thegrounds of the James A. Haley VeteransAdministration (VA) Hospital that, forfree, houses the families of the soldiersbeing treated at the VA — our nation’sleading brain and spine trauma center.

In addition to running her owngolf tournament to benefit the FisherHouse, Valerie, a long-time member ofthe GFWC (General Federation ofWomen’s Clubs) New Tampa JuniorWoman’s Club (NTJWC), didn’t needto do too much convincing to get presi-dent April Simons and the Board of theNTJWC to select the House as the 2012beneficiary of the 15th annual “Night of5000” gala on April 21.

Valerie and her co-chair, IsabelleJensen, and their sizable committee ofNTJWC members, put on a spectacularevening (see page 45) and raised around$10,000 net, but walking aroundHunter’s Green Country Club thatevening and talking to not only ourwounded warriors but also some of thedoctors who care for them, I realizedhow important our VA Hospital and ourFisher House truly are.

I have previously written storiesabout U.S. Army Sgt. Joel Tavera, whowould surely be dead today if not for theefforts of New Tampa resident Dr.Steven Scott, the chief of physical rehabmedicine at the Haley VA, and the otheramazing surgeons and doctors at our VAhospital. Well, not only was Joel on handfor the “Night,” several other woundedheroes and their families also attendedthe event as honored guests — includingPurple Heart recipients Romy Camargo,an Army Ranger, and Marine Lt. Col.Ben (Ty) Edwards, who was featured onthe cover of The Patriot magazine (theFisher House program’s national maga-

zine) with Dr. Scott in May 2011.“We’ve gotten so much better at

putting these soldiers back together,”said Dr. Scott, who wants to write abook about his experiences at the HaleyVA since the first Gulf War, “but unfor-tunately, our enemies continue to getbetter at blowing them up, too. Sadly,this will never be an easy process for us,our wounded or their families.”

I also got to chat with Trinity resi-dent and Ret. U.S. Army Capt. GregAmira, who was treated at our FisherHouse after being blown up in 2007 byan IED that killed his friend and com-mander in Iraq. The perhaps even moreamazing thing is that Greg, a New YorkCity native, already was on full disabilityfrom his civilian job (he was working forMorgan Stanley on the 73rd floor ofWorld Trade Center Tower #2 on9/11). But somehow, he was stilldeployed by the Army Special Opera-tions Center and completed more than150 combat patrols before the explo-sion. Today, he is the founder, chairmanand president of the Wounded Vets Assn(WoundedVets. org).

Perhaps the most amazing thing Isaw first-hand that evening was theincredible fighting spirit that still liveswithin these soldiers and their amazingfamilies. I thank God for each of them,for the VA Hospital and for the FisherHouse. What a “Night” it truly was!


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

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

[email protected] & Editor

Gary NagerStaff Writers

John McGurl • Matt WileyCorrespondents

Camille Gillies • Sheryl Young

Advertising Customer Service ManagerNikki Bennett

Marketing DirectorAshley Knoblach

Advertising Sales & Graphic DesignAnnMarie Beck • Porsha Lemos

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 20, Issue 13, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Monday, June4, 2012.

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. © 2012 JM2 Communications, Inc.

Table of ContentsLOCAL NEWS, BUSINESS, EDUCATION& SPORTS UPDATES....................Pages 1-44Search Still On For Missing Wesley Chapel Woman...............6Car Thieves Caught.................................................................6Water Main Rupture Can’t Roll Up Red Carpet...................7New Tampa News Briefs...................................10Counterfeit Cash Scammers & Bump Key Burglaries

Temporary I-75 Bridge & New Lanes On BBD Open.......11New Fire Station Opens........................................................14Tampa Palms Trees Come Down........................................16Meadow Pointe To K-Bar Still Up In The Air.....................18Our Exclusive Tour Of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel......20New Tampa Community Calendar......22-23Local Business Updates............................26-39New Tampa Chamber Newsletter.......................26Laser Affair Makes Unwanted Hair Disappear..........30New Tampa Eye Institute Helps You See Clearly......34Decorating Den Brings Interiors To You.................38

Education & Sports Updates...................40-43Culinary Scholarships From Wharton High...............40Starting Right, Now Helps End Homelessness..........42

Neighborhood MagazineNight Of 5000: A Look Back...............................45Our Exclusive Summer Camp Guide....................46You Do The Dishes Summer Art Fest........................48Sonny’s BBQ Celebrates 14 Years In Wesley Chapel...48Sushi Café Japanese Restaurant................................50PigFest (continued from page 1)..............................52An Amateur’s View Of A Pro Golf Tourney...............53

NEW TAMPA COLOR CLASSIFIEDS..............54

Editorial - The Many Faces & Lessons Of The Night Of 5000 An editorial by Gary Nager Correction From Last Issue

In our last issue, I made an error I feltI needed to correct and it may be an indi-cation that I’m getting older.

I was a French minor in college, soeven though I’ve always spelled the Mexi-can holiday “Cinco de Mayo”correctly thepast 18 years, I subconsciously changed itto “Cinqo” (“cinq” is five in French) sev-eral times in our last issue and didn’t catchit, as our Apple Spellcheck only told me“No similar words found” for “Cinqo” (itdoes the same for “Cinco,” by the way). Iapologize for any inconvenience the unin-tentional error may have caused any and allof our Spanish-speaking readers. — GN


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By Matt Wiley

A five-year-old girl is safe, a man isdead and a woman is still missing atour press time after a SWAT standoffMay 6 in Wesley Chapel.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office(PCSO) is searching for LindaLosacano, a woman who has beenmissing since April 14 and who,according to PCSO, could be the vic-tim of foul play.

PCSO spokesman Doug Tobinsays new evidence has been discoveredat the missing woman’s residence,27154 Raven Brook Rd. in the QuailHollow community of Wesley Chapel,that could indicate that foul play had ahand in her disappearance.

“Right now, our primary concernis finding Linda, to find out where sheis and to find out the full circum-stances of the events that occurredwith her boyfriend, Timothy DeanArnold,” says PCSO Sgt. James Sessa.

According to a PCSO report,deputies were following up a search forLosacano on May 6 at the request ofher sister Connie, who says Linda hasnot been heard from since April 14.

PCSO’s SWAT team respondedafter deputies heard shots fired insidethe home around 7:19 p.m. while theysearched for Losacano’s daughter. That

five-year-old girl,Kaylie, was foundand removed safelyfrom the home andis now in the cus-tody of Losacano’ssister.

The SWATteam entered the

home a little after 9 p.m. The reportsays that the team found Arnold, 49,deceased, with what is currently beingdescribed as a “self-inflicted gunshotwound.”

“We need the public’s help,”Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said duringa news conference on May 8. “Anyonewho has any information, please, let usknow. There’s a five-year-old girl outthere who wants her mother and we’retrying to find her right now.”

Losacano’s status has changedfrom a missing person to an endan-gered missing adult, PCSO says.

Anyone with any informationabout her whereabouts is urged tocall Sgt. Sessa at (727) 844-7711 or(727) 844-7781.

Car Thieves Caught Off BBDTrying to make off with someone

else’s ride can get you a free ride to jail,as three car thieves in Tampa Palms canattest, following a recent arrest.

Pasco Sheriff Seek Info On Missing Woman After SWAT Standoff

Linda Losacano

According to theTampa Police Department(TPD), in the early hoursof May 1, Anthony P.Daniel, Preston DontayWilliams and Donald Dar-nell Bowser, all 24 yearsold, were seen breakinginto a silver Dodge sedanin the parking lot of theLandmark At GraysonLanding (formerlyCypress Run at Tampa Palms) apart-ment complex off Bruce B. Downs(BBD) Blvd., south of Amberly Dr.

Following an anonymous tip, TPDofficers responded and pursued thevehicle northbound on BBD in TampaPalms. After increasing speed, the sus-pects in the stolen vehicle veered intothe southbound lanes of BBD andturned west onto Palm Springs Blvd.,abandoning the still-rolling vehicle

before taking off on foot.A perimeter was set up and, with

extra support, including TPD Air Sup-port and a K9 unit, all three suspectswere eventually apprehended around 4a.m. and charged with grand theft auto,auto burglary, possession of burglarytools and resisting arrest without vio-lence. Daniel and Bowser were bothheld on $8,500 bonds and Williams ona $13,500 bond. All three were releasedMay 2 on surety bonds.

(L. to r.) Anthony P. Daniel, Donald D. Bowser & Pre-ston D. Williams were arrested May 1, after leading

police on a chase on Bruce B. Downs Blvd.


which stretched from Fowler Ave.north to New Tampa. Most residentshad service by Friday night and every-one had water flowing by Saturdayafternoon, but a Boil Water Notice wasput into effect that lasted until themorning of May 7.

According to TWD, a new watermain had been installed next to the onethat ruptured in anticipation of theBBD-widening project and undergoingtesting. It was only two weeks awayfrom being put into use.

Among the restaurants affected,Ciccio’s Lodge managing partnerRobert Garofano says he turned awaymany large graduation parties thatnight. “We lost our entire night,” hesays. The biggest beneficiaries of theclosures were reportedly the restaurantsat the Shops at Wiregrass mall in WesleyChapel, which were apparently packedall night.

Water Main Rupture Can’tWater Main Rupture Can’tRoll Up The Red CarpetRoll Up The Red Carpet

Faucets may have run dry in NewTampa on May 4 following the watermain rupture along Bruce B. Downs(BBD) Blvd., but that couldn’t stop thethird annual “Red Carpet Affair” at St.James United Methodist Church inTampa Palms.

The “Red Carpet Affair” is aprom-like dance and sit-down pastadinner for those in the area living withdisabilities, put on by St. James’ SpecialConnections Program, or special needsministry. Guests enter by walking downthe “red carpet,” similar to a Holly-wood event and get a chance to be the“stars of the evening.”

“This was the first year that wewere going to do a full, sit-down pastadinner for everyone,” says Sally DePal-ma, leader of the special needs ministryat St. James. “More than 80 peoplewere expected to show up.”

DePalma says the guest list waslong, with many coming from as faraway as Odessa, Safety Harbor andTown N’ Country. Some local celebri-ties also were set to be at the event todance with the “stars of the red carpet,”including Miss Florida 2011 KristinaJanolo, Miss St. Petersburg Chloe Lupoand Miss Southeast Florida BriannaBirmingham.

But then, the water main ruptured,leaving all of New Tampa without waterservice mere hours before the event wasscheduled to begin. It looked as if theevent would have to be canceled, but itwas going to take more than dry pipesto roll up the red carpet.

With only a few hours beforeguests would begin to arrive, the volun-teers working the event scrambled to

“Water”Continued from page 1

come up with asolution. Threeseparate teams ofvolunteers rushedto B.J.’s Wholesaleon BBD and pur-chased more than100 gallons ofdrinking water,because withoutwater, there wouldbe no pasta or bev-erages.

Eric Mudge, avolunteer whoworks for ClarkConstruction, wasable to coordinatehaving four Port-o-Potties delivered tothe church around4 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, a feat initself, to substitute for the loss ofplumbing. Clark Construction evenpicked up the bill.

And, the event ended up going offwithout a hitch. At one point, therewere more than 100 people at thedance. Guests and their parents dancedthe night away while other businessesand restaurants closed their doors.

“For this event to have happened,we believe there were some big fingersinvolved,” says DePalma.”

She explains that the event is just

as much for the guests’ families as it isfor the guests themselves.

“It’s not just another dance,” shesays. “There is so much emotioninvolved. It’s great for these families tosee their kids, who might live extremelyisolated lives, out having fun with otherpeople, especially in this atmosphere.”

St. James United MethodistChurch’s special needs ministryfocuses on “enriching the spiritual,social and emotional needs of chil-dren and adults with disabilities.”For more info, please call SallyDePalma at 971-4790, ext. 234.

Seth, one of the guests of the “Red Carpet Affair” at St. JamesChurch on May 4, poses with beauty queens (l. to r.) Kristina

Janolo, Brianna Birmingham & Chloe Lupo.


News BriefsNEW TAMPA

Cash Scammers Still AtCash Scammers Still AtLarge In Tampa PalmsLarge In Tampa Palms

New Tampa residents should bewary of a counterfeit cash scam that hasoccurred in the area.

According to the Tampa PoliceDepartment (TPD), an elderly womanwas scammed out of $5,425 by twounknown female suspects in the parkinglot of either the Lowe’s or CVS Phar-macy on Commerce Palms Blvd.

TPD says that the suspects showedthe woman a wallet that they had“found” full of counterfeit bills. Claim-ing to have worked at a nearby storewhere there was a counterfeit“machine,” the suspects convinced thevictim that the manager of that storewould exchange counterfeit bills forreal cash at the store’s bank, but neededreal cash to replace the amount goingto the bank.

The victim agreed and took thesuspects in her car to her residence andgave them the same amount of realmoney before taking the suspects to thestore where the so-called “exchange”would take place. She was instructed topark next to a large van, blocking herview of the front of the store and wait-ed for the suspects to return.

One of the suspects came up tothe victim’s window and instructed herto go to the rear of the store to receive

her money from the store’s manager,which she did, only to discover that thewhole thing was a scam.

The victim reported the scam andTPD is investigating. The public isurged to be on the lookout for twoAfrican-American females, one betweenthe ages of 30-49, the other betweenthe ages of 50-64, driving a gold-brown Toyota or Chevy midsize vehiclewith unknown tags.

Anyone with any informationshould call TPD at 931-6500.

Bump Key BurglariesBump Key BurglariesThieves in New Tampa have

adopted a “bump and run” strategy topull off a recent string of burglaries inour area.

Unfortunately, the community hasseen a rise in “bump key” burglaries,and April was a busy month for thesethieves who use a special to key to enterprivate residences.

According to the Tampa PoliceDepartment (TPD), nine New Tamparesidences — eight apartment units inthree separate complexes and one pri-vate residence — fell victim to “bumpkey” burglaries throughout April. Thesecomplexes include Camden Live Oaksin Tampa Palms, the Enclave Apart-ments in Richmond Place and the Gar-dens and Addison Park apartments,

both located on Cross Creek Blvd. Bump keys are special keys that can

be purchased online or at homeimprovement stores, such as HomeDepot or Lowe’s. They are sold asalternatives to having to drill throughan entire lock should someone be com-pletely locked out of their home oroffice. Sets of bump keys can be boughtfairly cheaply. One website lists a set of11 bump keys for less than $30.

These keys are inserted into thelock and manipulate the pins. By tap-ping or “bumping” the key while it isinserted, it will release the lock.

“Bump keys work, but you have tobe skilled to use them,” says a local

locksmith from Tampa Bay Lock & Keywho wished to remain unnamed. “Youhave to be able to turn the key at theperfect time.”

The locksmith said that the onlyreal countermeasure for bump keys is tobuy a “bump-proof” lock, which can beexpensive.

“The average person trying to usea bump key would probably make justas much noise breaking a window toget in,” the locksmith says.

TPD recommends that those con-cerned contact a locksmith. Those withalarm systems are encouraged to usethem. No other leads or informationwas available at our press time. — MW


By Matt Wiley

Drivers on and above Bruce B.Downs (BBD) Blvd. have been experi-encing some new traffic patterns. In thepast few weeks, both the temporarynorthbound I-75 bridge over BBD andthe recently finished northbound laneson BBD north of the interstate haveopened to traffic.

The temporary bridge, which willbe in place for about two years duringthe reconstruction of the interstatebridges that carry traffic over BBD,opened to northbound drivers on May7. Southbound I-75 traffic is now mov-ing over the old northbound bridge, asconstruction will soon be starting onthe now-vacant southbound bridge.

Heading north on BBD has neverfelt so good. For tires, at least.

Recently finished northboundlanes of BBD have opened north of I-75 in New Tampa, all the way to theentrance of Hunter’s Green, and localbusinesses and residents of the Hunter’sGreen community are beginning to feelthe impact.

Keith Oakley, the owner of Oak-ley’s Grille on BBD next to DairyQueen, says that business is beginningto pick back up.

“It’s better,” he says. “Not to the

extent it will be in the future, when it’sall done, but we’re definitely more visi-ble now (than we were). And, we’re alot more accessible.”

For the past several months, theBBD widening project has divertedboth directions of traffic to the south-bound lanes, making businesses on theeast side of BBD much less visible andmore difficult to access during the roadconstruction.

“Before, it was like people hadtunnel vision with all of the construc-tion,” Oakley explains. “You had towatch where you were going. Youcouldn’t really look around to see whatbusinesses were there.”

The local business market isn’t theonly thing expected to bounce backafter the completion of the BBDwidening project.

“Once it’s reopened, the housingmarket should change considerably,”says New Tampa Realty owner TomBosso, whose office in the formerHunter’s Green Model & Visitor Cen-ter also has been made much moreaccessible since the northbound lanesreopened. He says the widening projecthas directly affected the local real estatemarket.

“I see it every day when I’m driv-ing around clients,” he explains. “I can

see it in their faces. They’re lookingaround at all of the construction think-ing, ‘I have to drive through this everyday?’ They’re preoccupied thinkingabout the construction.”

The $107-million, three-phasewidening project will eventually turnBBD into an eight-lane highway fromthe Pasco County line all the way southto Bearss Ave. Phase 1 constructionalong BBD from Pebble Creek Dr. toPalm Springs Blvd. in Tampa Palms hasbeen causing problems for New Tampa

residents since January 2010. Hillsborough County Public Works

spokesman Steve Valdez says that thestretch from Pebble Creek Blvd. to I-75should be completed by the end of theyear. The stretch south of I-75 to BearssAve. should be completed by late spring2013. Valdez says that the project’sthird phase, which is set to widen BBDfrom Pebble Creek Dr. north to thePasco County line, is still unfunded, sono schedule has yet been set for itscompletion.

Temp Bridge & Northbound Lanes Open On Bruce B. Downs

The temporary I-75 bridge over Bruce B. Downs is now being used for north-bound traffic on the interstate.


New Tampa Fire Rescue Station Now Open On Cross Creek Blvd.By Matt Wiley

Where there’s smoke, there may befire. And, if that fire occurs in easternNew Tampa, there is now a thirdTampa Fire Rescue (TFR) station readyto respond to it.

New Tampa’s third TFR station,No. 22, opened its brand new garagedoors to its fire engines on April 19during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Prior to the new station, residentsof eastern New Tampa often had towait more than six minutes for emer-gency service, since the closest station,TFR Station No. 21, was more thanthree miles from Morris Bridge Rd.,near the intersection of Cross Creekand Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvds.

“Now you have a station that canrespond more quickly,” says TFRspokesman Capt. Lonnie Benniefield.“Response times have been cut downto about three minutes.”

Benniefield says that the new8,600-square-foot station, located at10871 Cross Creek Blvd., is now theprimary station serving the New Tampacommunities and businesses east ofKinnan St. near Morris Bridge Rd.,including Arbor Greene, Cory LakeIsles and Heritage Isles, as well as theK-Bar Ranch/Easton Park area.

However, the station is not limitedto only those communities. Benniefieldexplains that if a call comes in to TFRStation No. 21 and that station’s fireengine is already out on a call, unitsfrom the new station can respond.

“It gives the citizens of that areamore confidence knowing that station isthere to protect them,” he says.

In addition to serving New Tamparesidents in a timelier manner, the $1.6-million station also came at no cost tocity taxpayers. It was paid for entirelywith federal stimulus money from the2009 American Recovery & Reinvest-ment Act. More than 5,000 stationsacross the country applied for the grant.Station No. 22 was one of only 100stations that were awarded the grant. Inaddition, the salaries of the twelve fire-fighters staffing the new station are paidfor by a grant from the 2008 Staffingfor Adequate Fire and EmergencyResponse, or SAFER.

The land that the station is builton was originally bought by the City ofTampa in 2007 for $750,000. StationNo. 22 also is the City of Tampa’s first“green station.” Benniefield explainsthat the station is surrounded by “Flori-da-friendly” foliage, and features ametal roof, solar-powered water heatersand “earth-friendly” insulation.

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn (center) and New Tampa’s District 7 City Councilmember Lisa Montelione were among those who cut the ribbon at the new Tampa Fire

Rescue Station #22 on Cross Creek Blvd. mear Morris Bridge Rd. on April 19.


Trees In Tampa Palms Fall During The Widening Of I-75By Matt Wiley

Sam Shaheen could sometimes for-get that I-75 was right behind his homeon Yardley Way in Tampa Palms. Thatis, until all the trees behind his housewere chopped down, leaving the homewith a front row view of the noisy inter-state. Now, however, a large, cement“sound wall” has been erected to “fix”the problem.

“They told us about four years agothat a wall would go up,” says Shaheen.“I guess I thought they would have leftthe trees up and built the wall behindthem. It was a very nice view. I wasshocked.”

Several homes along Yardley Wayand Hammet Rd. in The Enclave onceenjoyed pleasant views of a small pondbordered by trees on the far side,shielding the residences from the not-so-pleasant view of I-75.

Seeing the interstate out the backwindow would be bad enough, but ithas become especially worse thanks tothe current construction project towiden the interstate to three lanes inboth directions. And now, residents liv-ing on the east end of the street get tostare at a large cement wall.

Chris Welcomer and his family justmoved onto Yardley Way about three

weeks ago, before the wall was built. “They put it up fast,” he says. “We

saw the posts for it when we were mov-ing in. They told us when we wereclosing on the house that it wouldn'tbe up until the fall.”

Welcomer says that there has beena small difference in the amount ofnoise since the wall was put up, butnothing too substantial.

Spokesman for the Florida Depart-ment of Transportation (FDOT) JohnMcShaffrey explains that the wall willonly be in place at certain sectionsalong the interstate.

“Only one section qualified (for awall),” he says, “and that is on the westside of I-75 in front of The Enclave.”

McShaffrey says that, throughnoise studies, FDOT examines the costof each wall and looks at how manyhomes will ultimately be affected byinterstate noise to determine which sec-tions qualify for a wall.

He also says that noise studies haveshown that trees don’t really factor intonoise buffering.

FDOT is exempt from any localordinances concerning the replanting oftrees along the interstate corridor. Hesays they are considered “clear zones”and that, with the widening of theinterstate, there has to be room for

storm drainage to beinstalled. In addition,trees have to be plant-ed a certain distanceaway from the inter-state as a precautionfor any vehicles thatveer off the roadway.

“(FDOT) is notreplacing any trees atthis point,” he says.However, City of Tampa Parks &Recreation director Greg Bayor saysthat there will be Southern Red Cedarsplanted in between the gaps in the

sound wall to help eliminate the inter-state from view. But, for those livingwith the wall view, as of this point, notrees are planned to be planted in frontof the noise wall.

The is the new view of I-75 that has some Tampa Palms res-idents upset about trees cut down along Yardley Way.


sities likely to be built in the area to getan idea of the actual impact the trafficwill have. The study also will addressmany of the dead-end roads in the east-ernmost portions of Wesley Chapel toMorris Bridge Rd. It will also re-exam-ine Mansfield and Kinnan.

“There are no immediate plans toconnect (Mansfield Blvd. and KinnanSt.),” says Debra Bolduc of the PascoCounty Engineering Services Adminis-tration. “There is nothing in the capitalplan for it.”

The Mansfield Blvd./Kinnan St.connection project was never complet-ed and has been on hold since 2007,leaving Kinnan St. a dead-end stretchof road used for little more than illegaltrash dumping.

The developer of Live Oak Pre-serve in New Tampa spent $2.2 millionto build the nearly 2,000-foot stretchof Kinnan St., extending it north to thecounty line, in hopes that the two roadswould one day connect. The roads areseparated by about 60 feet of brush andfree-standing cement drainage pipes,

barricades warning drivers of a closedroad.

The connection has been met withopposition from the Meadow Pointe IICommunity Development District(CDD) Board of Supervisors, as well asresidents living in the communitiesalong Mansfield Blvd.

The close proximity of these com-munities to Dr. John Long MiddleSchool and Wiregrass Ranch Highalready make traffic a problem for thecommunities and, they say, opening theconnection to Hillsborough Countythrough Kinnan St. would only makethose problems worse.

In an April 2011 letter to thePasco County Board of Commission-ers, the Meadow Pointe II CCD Boardoffered their opinion of an alternativeconnection point for the two roads,stating that the “obvious resolution…would be to be to connect Kinnan St.to Meadow Pointe Blvd.,” a road builtfor higher traffic volume which con-nects north to both S.R. 54 and 56from the Hillsborough line. — MW

On the Pasco County side of theroadblocks, lively communities of peo-ple go about their lives, never having toworry about traffic from the southmoving through their area. The lonelyroad once thought to be an appealingportal to Wesley Chapel sits barren andunused, a thin strip of undevelopedland hugging its shoulders.

A standoff between Hillsboroughand Pasco counties is the only thingbesides a few barricades and a smallstrip of land preventing improved trafficflow through the connection of Mans-field Blvd. in Meadow Pointe to Kin-nan St. in K-Bar Ranch and Live OakPreserve. The connection would offercommuters an alternative north-southroute between New Tampa and WesleyChapel to the nightmarish Bruce B.Downs (BBD) Blvd.

“I think Kinnan and Mansfieldneed to be connected,” says JimEdwards, manager of the Pasco CountyMetropolitan Planning Organization.“But there is no set schedule or specifictimeline.”

Since the completion of the widen-ing of S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel in Jan-uary, the Mansfield/Kinnan issue,which had been put on hold until thatproject’s completion, has re-emerged.

Edwards says that Pasco is lookingat other alternatives and has expressed

interest in doing so in the past, such asconnecting Meadow Pointe Blvd., aroad about 1.6 miles to the east ofMansfield, to a “reliever” road throughK-Bar Ranch, the property south of thecounty line in Hillsborough Countythat Kinnan St. borders to the east.

Some of the K-Bar Ranch neigh-borhoods have maps of roads that havenot yet been paved that connect Hills-borough and Pasco counties, butEdwards says that these are still merely“conceptualized” at this time and thatthere is no official timeline for con-structing these connections.

Edwards also mentioned a four-sixmonth “needs study” that will soon beconducted in Wesley Chapel by Tin-dale-Oliver & Associates, a Tampa-based engineering consulting firm, todetermine what is needed to expandand fill the roadway grid system to theeast of Meadow Pointe Blvd. all theway to Morris Bridge Rd.

“There is a lot of concern aboutroad connections and what is adequatein terms of roadways and growth inthat area,” says Edwards. “It is a ‘build-out land use scenario.’”

He explains that the study willreconfirm and revisit potential connec-tions and traffic volume between thetwo counties. He adds that the studylooks at the maximum population den-

Meadow Pointe-To-K-Bar Connector Still Not Happening

This unique cinder block “barricade” still blocks potential drivers from heading southinto New Tampa from the southern end of Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe.


By Matt Wiley

Although the walls are still bareand many rooms sit unfinished or, atleast unfurnished, the under-construc-tion Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel(FHWC) is already an impressive sight,with its three-story glass atrium liningthe front wall, reflecting the work beingdone on the outside to those passing byon Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. Thehospital will be an extraordinary addi-tion to the community and drive thelocal economy when it opens topatients in early October.

Accompanying the hospital will bea three-story, $10-million medical officebuilding that will house a unique Well-ness Center, with one floor solely dedi-cated to physicians’ offices. Alter+Care,a Chicago-based company that is devel-oping the Wellness Center project,broke ground on the 100,000-sq.-ft.building under clear skies on April 25to a crowd of Wesley Chapel Chamberof Commerce members and FloridaHospital executives.

The new hospital, which is aheadof schedule for completion — executivedirector Connie Bladon of the FHWCFoundation says construction should befinished in July, with a community openhouse planned for September and agrand opening expected in early Octo-ber — served as the backdrop for theWellness Center ceremony.

Getting The Grand TourBesides inspectors, not many

members of the general public have yetbeen able to see what’s inside the nearlycompleted 80-bed, $150-million,200,000-square-foot hospital beingdeveloped by contracting company

Robins & Morton at 2600 BBD,just north of the Shops at Wire-grass mall.

The New Tampa NeighborhoodNews was invited by Wesley ChapelChamber of Commerce membersCathy Bickham and Mary AdeleCluck, who were joined by Ronand Charlotte Dykes (the ownersof the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit fran-chise located across BBD from thehospital) to join an exclusive tourby assistant vice president of con-struction and support services forFlorida Hospital’s Tampa Bay Divi-sion and 2012 Honorary Mayorof Wesley Chapel John Negley onApril 17.

Donning hard hats and safetyglasses, the group, myself included,cruised the more than 52-acre propertyby golf cart, getting a feel for what willbecome the first-ever hospital in theWesley Chapel area this October.

Until FHWC opens, most of theclosest hospitals to Wesley Chapel areFHWC’s sister hospitals — FloridaHospital Tampa (formerly UniversityCommunity Hospital) in the Universityarea of North Tampa, FH Carrollwoodand FH Zephyrhills.

“It’ll save travel time,” says Bick-ham. “It’s a great location. WesleyChapel residents won’t have to go outof town.”

Cluck, too, was excited about theupcoming opening of the hospital.“Having this technologically-advancedhospital is a sign of how much the localcommunity has grown and will contin-ue to grow,” she says. “It’s somethingthat this area has needed for a long timeand is a welcome addition.”

As we approached themain building after a tour ofthe surrounding grounds,Negley gave us some back-ground on the project. “Westarted the design in 2008,” hesays. “It was designed specifi-cally to fit the Wesley Chapelarea. The design is timeless.”

Negley first gave us a tourof the central energy plant out-side the medical center. It ishere that the entire hospital ispowered and also where it getsits water. “The Pasco Countywater treatment plant can’thandle all of the water (need-ed) for the hospital,” Negleysays. “So, we put in a system totreat our own water.”

Since the water that regu-larly comes through the pipes istoo “hard” to drink before itreaches the treatment plant, thehospital has its own water treat-ment center. Similar to areverse osmosis (R/O) system,

Our Exclusive First Peek Inside Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel!

The site plan on the left shows the buildings and 80-bed hospital in Phase 1 of the con-struction of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel. The plan on the right shows the hospital’s

planned future expansion. Bruce B. Downs Blvd. is to the left (west) of the site.

water is purified and “softened” on siteand pumped into the hospital as “bottlequality.”

Also in the energy plant was anentire room full of electrical breakers,each valued at more than $15,000. Atypical house has one breaker on thewall. In case of emergency, such as apower outage caused by a hurricane,the hospital has enough back-up gener-ators to keep it powered for 72 hours,supported by a 25,000-gallon dieselfuel tank to keep everything runninguntil the power is restored.

On the way to the back entrance,we passed by the “healing/tranquilitygardens,” a beautiful courtyard area inthe rear of the hospital where patients’loved ones may “relax or reflect.” Neg-ley says there are more than 1,400 treesand 60,000 plants on the property, fedby more than 110,000 linear feet ofirrigation hose.

“I especially liked the tranquilitygardens,” says Cluck. “It’s not some-thing that you see in most hospitals.”

As we entered through the rearloading dock, it was apparent wheremost of the work was being done. Thehallways were bustling with activity, asworkers installed equipment andinspectors passed by with clipboards.Emergency alarms that were being test-

ed echoed overhead. We ascended the stairs to the third

floor to begin the tour, as the elevatorswere not yet in service. Quite theopposite of the first floor, much of thethird floor looked nearly complete andalmost ready to care for patients.

Windows stretched from the floorto the ceiling in many of the 80 patientbedrooms (photo, below) of the newhospital, each of which are located onthe 2nd or 3rd floor to provide patientswith privacy.

Each room also features five elec-trical systems and a 42” flat-screen TVmonitor that will allow patients towatch TV, and even interact with lovedones via email or Facebook. The moni-tors also will be full of information onwhatever it is that has brought thepatient to the hospital because, Negleysays, “when patients are betterinformed, it helps the healing process.”

Bladon says that, in fact, patientswill not be able to be discharged fromthe hospital without first watching cer-tain videos about their conditions.

In addition, patients’ charts, pre-scribed medication from the hospital’sin-house pharmacy and the patients’wristbands will all be bar-coded. Beforetaking the medication, all three will bescanned to make sure that there are no

Taking our staff writer Matt Wiley on ourfirst tour inside Florida Hospital Wesley

Chapel were (l. to r.) Wesley Chapel ChamberBoard members Mary Adele Cluck and Cathy

Bickham and FHWC’s John Negley.

discrepancies (such as patient allergiesor other medications in use thatshouldn’t be mixed together) and thateverything matches up for the patient,otherwise the scanner will alert the doc-tor or nurse.

Expectant mothers will be able toenjoy a relaxing Whirlpool bathtub ineach of the maternity rooms, and thereis a separate maternity emergency suitefor patients who end up requiringemergency Caesarian sections, with adedicated elevator for that purpose.

As we made our way down thehallway, Negley pointed out a fewthings that bothered him about tradi-tional hospitals.

“Some pet peeves of mine,” hesays, “are the lights in hallways. They’realways in the center of the ceiling, andif you’re on a stretcher, they’re alwaysshining right in your eyes.” To resolvethe problem, the lights in the halls ofthe new hospital are convenientlyplaced on the sides of the ceiling.

Other improvements include thefire sprinklers; these usually hang downfrom the ceiling and are prone to spiderwebs and other pollution in an environ-ment that needs to be as clean as possi-ble. To fix this, the sprinklers them-selves are recessed into the ceiling andpop down when activated.

To assist patients, the halls arelined with recessed handrails. To assistnurses, the curved walls, rather thantraditional straight-line walls (in theindividual hallways) all meet up directlywith a nurse’s station, so the nurses cansee everything happening and everyone

in the hallway at once. Also, instead of stocking nursing

supplies from inside a patient’s room,disturbing the patients if they’re resting,supplies are stocked through two-waycupboards that are accessible from boththe hallway and the patient’s room.

Hurricane Protection, Too!Hurricane Protection, Too!As we made our way to the bot-

tom floor, home to the 17-room emer-gency and triage center, Negley pointedout that despite the massive three-storywindow lining the front wall of the hos-pital, standing behind it is actually thesafest place to be during a hurricane ora severe-storm. The windows are “hur-ricane-proof” and, he says, “are able towithstand the force of a 2”x4” piece ofwood smashing into the window hori-zontally at 120 miles per hour.”

In addition to the C-section suite,the FHWC’s state-of-the-art emergencyroom, which includes 16 separate emer-gency “suites,” is located on the hospi-tal’s first floor and houses four 850-sq.-ft. surgery suites, or operating rooms.The emergency room also features itsown X-ray room and four pediatricemergency rooms.

Inside the pediatric patient emer-gency rooms, animated scenes ormovies will entertain kids, played on thewalls by projectors and ambient light-ing, helping to distract them from thepain or discomfort they may be feeling.When the child enters the room, theypick out a scene from a wall-pad switch,similar to where a light switch wouldbe. Once chosen, the scene, accompa-

nied by sound effects,is played out in frontof the child on thewall, and the lightschange color tomatch the scene.

Keeping kidsentertained also was afactor when the wait-ing room wasdesigned. It will fea-ture an interactivewall for children toplay with, as well as a

large, 900-gallon fish tank, with fishdonated by the Florida Aquarium,located in the Channelside District ofdowntown Tampa. The fish tank willsplit the waiting room in half, one sidefor adults, one side for kids. Instead of aloudspeaker, like most waiting rooms,patients waiting to be seen will be givena buzzer, similar to what waitingpatrons receive at a restaurant.

“I really liked the waiting room,”says Bickham. “I think the focus onkeeping kids occupied is really impor-tant. It will really help keep their mindsoff why they are in the hospital.”

Workout For WellnessWorkout For WellnessAnother aspect of the hospital that

will make it even more beneficial to thecommunity is the separate medicaloffice building and Wellness Center tobe located adjacent to the hospital,(which held its groundbreaking onApril 25), for both patients and mem-bers of the community.

The Wellness Center will be uniquein that it will have “crossover medicalcomponents,” meaning that physicianswill work in the building and be able toprescribe exercise routines to hospitalpatients and outpatients to help themget healthy.

With a membership, local residentsalso will be able to enjoy the 50,000-sq.-ft. Wellness Center and its two pools(one for swimminglaps, the other forphysical therapy), 1/8-mile indoor run-ning/walking track,workout area, café, kidszone, physical rehabservices and otheramenities that make upthe first two floors ofthe building.

One half of thesecond floor and theentire third floor willserve as medical officesfor physicians of all dif-ferent specialties. Theiroffices can serve as asatellite location, or as

their primary office. Space is still avail-able. The medical office building andWellness Center are expected to becompleted and open by January 2013.

FHWC, although not yet complet-ed, is looking towards the future, withplans and room to expand into a 288-bed facility (see pics on previous page).

Scheduled to open in early Octo-ber, much work is still being done tocomplete the hospital, but judging bythe progress already made, residents ofthe surrounding communities can lookforward to a first-class facility to helpkeep the Wesley Chapel and northernNew Tampa areas healthy. We will keepyou posted on all of the news comingout of FHWC, including anyannouncements of homes about to bebuilt in the Wiregrass Ranch area.

According to the hospital’s web-site, FHWC is part of the AdventistHealth System, a not-for-profit health-care organization that emphasizesChrist at the center of care. Today,Adventist supports 43 hospitals nation-wide, with FHWC to be the system’s20th hospital in Florida.

For additional information,please visit FHWesleyChapel.com.This story also is available onNTNeighborhoodNews.com, withadditional pictures. We will providemore FHWC updates in the future.


No, this isn’t a video theatre room in someone’s home.It’s one of the 80 beautiful patient rooms at FHWC!

Wesley Chapel Chamber members and FHWC execu-tives break ground on the 100,000-sq.-ft. Wellness Cen-

ter at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

every Wednesday for lunch at Hunter’sGreen Country Club (18101 Longwa-ter Run Dr., inside Hunter’s Green).

New Tampa Eve. Rotary New Tampa Eve. Rotary Wednesday, May 23, 6:15 p.m. -

The New Tampa Evening Rotary Clubmeets every Wednesday evening atHunter’s Green Country Club. Newmembers are always welcome.

For more information, call LizDeAmbrose at 956-6487 or email:[email protected].

Tampa ToastmastersTampa ToastmastersWednesday, May 23, 7 p.m. -

Great speeches & great topics. Comehone your public speaking skills. TampaToastmasters meets every Wednesdayevening at Pebble Creek Golf Club,located at 10550 Regents Park Dr., offBruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. Newguests are always welcome.

For more info, call 428-6356.

MS Fund Raiser @MS Fund Raiser @GrillSmith WiregrassGrillSmith Wiregrass

Thursday, May 24, 6:30 p.m. -The Bishop family’s fund raiser to ben-efit the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Societywill be held at GrillSmith in the Shopsat Wiregrass mall.

For more information, pleaseemail [email protected].

CBC NetworkingCBC NetworkingThursday, May 24, 8 p.m. -

Come together with like-minded pro-fessionals at the Christian BusinessConnections (CBC) Networkinggroup, which meets every Thursday atHeritage Church at 1854 Oak GroveBlvd. in Lutz (off S.R. 54, behindOrganic Life Coffeehouse).

Call 300-7511 for more info.Parkinson’s Support GroupParkinson’s Support Group

Wednesday, June 6, 1 p.m. -Come join an educational, emotional


Community CalendarNEW TAMPA

Ladies ‘Foodie’ Club OfLadies ‘Foodie’ Club OfNew Tampa/Wesley ChapelNew Tampa/Wesley Chapel

A new club for women in the NewTampa/Wesley Chapel area who enjoysocializing, trying out new restaurantsand cooking ideas, sharing recipes andother food-related activities is lookingfor additional members.

For more information, send anemail to [email protected].

MOMS Club New TampaMOMS Club New TampaThe MOMS (Moms Offering

Moms Support) Club of New Tampa iscurrently open to new members in theNew Tampa area. The MOMS Cluboffers a variety of daytime activities ofmothers and their children, opportuni-ties for Mom’s Night Out and manymore benefits.

For more info, or to join theclub, Email [email protected].

Wesley Chapel WindWesley Chapel WindEnsembleEnsemble

Sunday, May 20, 3 p.m. - The2012 Wesley Chapel Wind Ensemblewill be holding a charity concert toraise money for the Fine Arts of theSuncoast in their mission to save “artsfor kids” programs in Pasco CountySchools. In addition to the concert,

the event will also feature student art-work, refreshments and a raffle. Tick-ets are only $5. The Center for theArts at Wesley Chapel is located at30651 Wells Road.

For more information, visitWesleyChapelWindEnsemble.com orcall 929-6929.

BNI Millionaire MakersBNI Millionaire MakersWednesday, May 23, 7:15 a.m. -

The BNI Millionaire Makers chaptermeets every Wednesday morning atPebble Creek Golf Club (10550Regents Park Dr.). The $13 meeting feeincludes a hot breakfast.

Contact Lisa Jordan at 621-6015 for details.

Business Networking Int’l Business Networking Int’l Wednesday, May 23, 7:30 a.m.-

BNI, a group of business professionalsdedicated to helping their respectivebusinesses grow through qualified refer-rals, meets every Wednesday morning atthe Cory Lake Isles Beach Club club-house (18630 Plantation Bay Dr., offCross Creek Blvd.).

For more information, call JalIrani at 451-8229.

New Tampa Noon RotaryNew Tampa Noon RotaryWednesday, May 23, noon - The

New Tampa Noon Rotary Club meets

New Tampa Relay For Life Returns To Wharton May 18! New Tampa Relay For Life Returns To Wharton May 18! For anyone who has ever lost a loved one to cancer, and for those who have

survived their respective battles with the disease, few events are as uplifting as anAmerican Cancer Society (ACS) Relay for Life. New Tampa has had a wonderfuland very successful annual Relay event for years and this year will be no exception.

The 2012 New Tampa Relay will be held around the running track at PaulR. Wharton High on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. beginning Friday, May 18, 6 p.m.,and continuing through the night until noon the following day. Cancer survivorsand their families and caregivers walk the first lap and each of the 48 teams has tohave at least one team member walking throughout the event. At our press time,the 582 New Tampa Relay participants had already raised nearly $70,000!

To help or get involved, visit RelayforLife.org and search “33647.”


email at [email protected].

Teen Battle Of The BandsTeen Battle Of The BandsIt’s never too early to get your

band pre-qualified to be part of theTeenage Battle Of The Bands heldannually mid-October during theHillsborough County Fair. Hillsbor-ough County's Parks, Recreation &Conservation Department is lookingfor bands to participate in a competi-tion that provides free studio time tothe top two winners. Band membersmust be between 13-20 years of age,only one band member can be 20. Theentry fee is $50 dollars and only a lim-ited number of bands are accepted.Those wishing to compete must pre-qualify by providing a link to an onlinevideo of the band.

For more information, contactJoe Soletti at 744-5871.

and social support group for those liv-ing with Parkinson’s disease as well asfamily, friends and caregivers.

This group is co-facilitated byFaye Kern (coordinator of the Ameri-can Parkinson’s Disease Assn.) andShirley Berkery (John Knox VillageHome Health). Meetings are held thefirst Wednesday of each month in thePrivate Dining Room (located in thetower) of St. Joseph’s John Knox Vil-lage at 4100 E. Fletcher Ave.

For more information, callCyndi Letzeisen 632-2331.

Tampa Palms Women'sTampa Palms Women'sClub Spring PotluckClub Spring Potluck

Thursday, June 7, 11 a.m. - TheTampa Palms Women's Club will beholding its spring potluck where it willgive out its scholarships and charityawards at Compton Park in TampaPalms. This will be the last Women'sClub meeting before the summerbreak. The event is free to attend andthose that do attend are encouraged tobring a dish as it is a potluck even.

For more info, please call GinnieWelch at 977-9291.

Cats At IDSCats At IDSThursday, June 7, 7 p.m. - Inde-

pendent Day School's Corbett Cam-pus (IDS-CC) in Carrollwood presentsits production of the musical CATS,performed by musical theatre studentsin the IDS-CC Community School of

the Arts program. The play will beperformed by two different productioncasts: the youth cast will be comprisedof students from pre-k through 8thgrade performing June 7th and 8th at7 p.m. and on June 9th and 10th at11 a.m. The second production willfeature high school students who willbe performing on June 9th and 10that 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets will be onsale for $10 at the door.

For more info, please call TomMcColley at 961-3087, ext. 335.

Northeast Tampa WomenNortheast Tampa WomenIn Business MeetingIn Business Meeting

Thursday, June 14, 6 p.m.- TheNortheast Tampa Women in Businessmeets the second Thursday of eachmonth at Hunter’s Green CountryClub (18101 Longwater Run Dr.).Come out for some great relationshipbuilding with women in business fromaround the area.

For more info, visitNETWIB.org or call 364-2174.

Day Party NetworkingDay Party NetworkingSaturday, June 16, 2 p.m. - A

new professional networking group willbe meeting every third Saturday at AJAWiregrass in the Shops at Wiregrassmall to network and socialize in a day-party atmosphere.

For additional information,please contact Jameka Taylor at(901) 210-2018, or send her an

Our Community Calendar is afree service provided for local

events of interest.

If your company, group ororganization has an event

you’d like to see promoted inthese pages, send your infor-mation and pics to Attn: Matt

Wiley at [email protected].


2011-12 NTCC Board of DirectorsPresident-Rachel Haviland

New TampaChamber of Commerce, Inc.

15310 Amberly Dr., Suite 250Tampa, FL 33647

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

Website:NewTampaChamber.Org

OfficersVP-Regina Ramalheira

Secretary -Chuck Ward

Treasurer-Karen Hilton

Non-OfficersEarl Meyer

Joyce Gunter

Neil Heird

Board Members:

Celebrating Marco’s Pizza-Our 2012 ‘Best Of Taste’ Winner & More!Congratulations go out to Marco’s

Pizza, which celebrated being theproud winners of the 2012 Taste ofNew Tampa “Best of Taste” by hostinga celebration lunch on April 16.

Chamber members and guestswere presented with a delicious buffetof pizza, CheezyBread and buttery Cin-naSquares and the brand new “NewYorker” pizza with oversized slices!Congratulations go to Scott Deckerand his staff for creating the Chamber’sfavorite pizza in New Tampa. The Tasteof New Tampa judges awarded theprize to Marco’s Pizza for its yummyWhite Cheesy Pizza. The judges indi-cated that Marco’s did a great job ofdelivering both flavor consistency, aswell as piping hot pizza, despite thewindy conditions at the Taste. Pleasevisit Marco’s at 20305 Bruce B. DownsBlvd. in Live Oak to try this tasty treat!We will be celebrating the other Best ofTaste winners during upcoming Cham-ber events, so stay tuned to our websitefor more information.

The Board of the New TampaChamber of Commerce would like tocongratulate board member Lee Hoff-man of Aflac on his recent promotionand thank him for his contribution toChamber. We wish Lee every success inhis new position. You will be missed!We would also like to welcome Karen

Hilton of Synovus Bank (SynovusBank-FL.com) to the Chamber Board as ournew Treasurer.

Congratulations also go to Boardmembers Regina Ramalheira ofRE/MAX First in Real Estate andChuck Ward of Florida Mobile Fusionon their new offices at 17010 PalmPointe Dr., in The Shoppes at ThePointe plaza in Tampa Palms TheChamber ribbon cutting for thoseoffices on April 26 was packed withfriends, family and Chamber membersto celebrate the Grand Opening of thenew offices.

Board positions and Ambassadorcommittee memberships are still avail-able, as well as the part-time ExecutiveAssistant position. Please submit yourrequest to [email protected] for more information or an applica-tion form. It is through the support ofsuch volunteers who dedicate their timeto the organization that we are able tocontinue to strengthen the Chamber,and to develop new and innovativeprojects to serve our members and theNew Tampa community.

Chamber Welcomes New &Chamber Welcomes New &Renewing MembersRenewing Members

The New Tampa Chamber isproud to welcome the following newChamber members:

•Bill Wright of Mattress Firm(17631 Bruce B Downs Blvd.);

•My Tampa Bay Pediatrics; •Wesley Chapel Nursery & Land-

scape Supply Co.; •Docupro, LLC; •1320 Engineering; •HomeBanc, N.A.; •Hillsborough County Small Busi-

ness Information Center; •Jayne Baker, Certified Natural

Health Professional; •Carol Ford of Liberty Mutual

Insurance; •Seven Oaks Pet Hospital; •The Tutoring Center; •New Tampa Eye Institute•New Tampa Weight Watchers.

We also thank Dr. Greg Stepanskiof Children’s Dentistry on Cross CreekBlvd. for renewing his membership andcontinuing to support the Chamber.

Please view our updated Member-ship Directory on our website at New-TampaChamber.org. Remember youcan register as a new member or renewyour membership online through youraccount! The economy and all the con-struction on BBD have taken a real tollon your local business owners, so whenyou need a product or service, pleaseconsult our Membership Directory fora local member you can support!

Join our Facebook page to receive

regular updates on chamber news andupcoming events. Visit Facebook.com/NewTampaChamber and clickon the “Like” button to join us!

Monthly Chamber Events:Monthly Chamber Events:• NEW!! NTCC Work It! The

second Tuesday of each month, 8 a.m.-9a.m., at the New Tampa Chamber offices(15310 Amberly Dr., Ste 250, TampaPalms). FREE for Chamber members.Each “Work It” seminar offers tips andtricks for business building. See ways youcan use the New Tampa Chamber mem-ber portal to build your personalizedreferral network and other great businesstips! Register online now.

• Lunch: The second Monday ofeach month, noon, at Pebble Creek GolfClub (10550 Regents Park Dr.). The costis $15 for Chamber members/$20 fornon-members.

• Networking on the 9s: Thefourth Wednesday of each month, 3 p.m.,also at Pebble Creek Golf Club. The costis just a $15 greens fee.

• After Hours Networking: Heldthe last Thursday of each month, 5:30p.m.-7 p.m. Location varies. Free formembers and prospective members.

• Other events: including PowerLunches & Networking Breakfasts, Rib-bon Cuttings and Grand Openings arelisted on our website.

Please register for all events onlineat NewTampaChamber.org.

‘Working To Improve The Quality Of Life In New Tampa!’

safe procedure formost people ages14 and older. Shenot only uses thelaser on herselfbut also on herteenage daughter.

“It is a non-ionizing laser, andunlike an x-ray,does not changethe structure ofyour molecules,”Mary Bethexplains. “It issimply the radia-tion of light and isFDA-approved foryour skin.”

Skin type plays a major role in theeffectiveness of the treatment. Todetermine skin type, Mary Beth con-sults with each client before any treat-ment is scheduled. If you have a darkerskin type that would be more effective-ly treated with another laser, she willtell you.

“For safety and the best results, itis imperative to be treated with the cor-rect laser for your skin type and haircolor,” she says. “Some facilities put a‘private label’ on their laser, but thereare lots of inferior products out there.

You should insist on knowing the man-ufacturer and wavelength (of the laser),and run as fast as you can if the techni-cian doesn’t know!”

Since most laser treatments requireapproximately six visits, clients of LaserAffair appreciate having the same tech-nician perform each treatment. Privacyis respected and, because of a sharedoffice/reception arrangement with twoother businesses, a client’s reason forvisiting the salon is not apparent tocurious passersby

Laser hair removal is not cheap,but if you take into account the cost of


Say Goodbye To Unwanted Hair At Laser Affair In Tampa Palms By Camille Gillies

Summertime means bathing suits,shorts, sleeveless shirts – and lots ofshaving! The stubble, the irritation, therazor bumps…ugh! Perhaps you havetried waxing and found it painful or,well, just a pain. What’s a girl – or a guywith a hairy body – to do?

If you ask Mary Beth Lambert,certified medical electrologist (CME)and owner of Laser Affair in the Somer-set Professional Park in Tampa Palms,laser hair removal is the answer. Andshe will tell you the benefits of it withunabashed enthusiasm because thisDade City native and long-time TampaPalms resident loves her job.

“I like the satisfaction people getfrom it (laser hair removal),” MaryBeth relates. “People try it, and thenext thing you know, they are bringingin a friend or a cousin.”

You might be surprised to learnthat many wives are sending their hus-bands to her salon too.

“About 35 percent of my cus-tomers are men,” she says. “Men orwomen…people are just more confi-dent when they are well-groomed.”

Mary Beth says that laser hairremoval is second only to Botox as themost popular nonsurgical cosmetic pro-

cedure. Many people assume that wax-ing takes second place, but she says thatassumption is incorrect.

“Laser hair removal is preferable towaxing because it is permanent — youdon’t have to grow your hair out beforethe treatment and it doesn’t leave yourskin irritated,” Mary Beth explains.“Waxing can leave your skin raw and ifit isn’t done properly, can even take offa layer of skin.”

She says laser hair removal is rela-tively painless, feeling similar to thesnap of a small rubber band on yourskin, and results in a 70-98 percent per-manent hair reduction if the procedureis done by a skilled technician using theappropriate laser. Proper equipment is akey factor in determining effectivenessand safety.

“I use a laser that is the gold stan-dard in the industry for treating peoplewith light to medium skin types,” shesays. Called the Alexandrite by Candela,it is an FDA-approved laser that pre-cisely targets the melanin in the hairshaft, inflicting “injury” to the cells lin-ing the hair follicle and inhibiting futuregrowth.

“It is the most effective hairremoval laser in the industry,” she says.

Mary Beth obtains a full healthhistory of every patient and says it’s a

Certified medical electrologist Mary Beth Lambert of LaserAffair in Tampa Palms, with patient Jessica Gaskins


shaving over a lifetime – with razors,blades, creams and gels – or the costsassociated with repetitive waxing, youcan make a pretty strong case for thepurchase. Mary Beth says her goal isnot to get a client into the facility asmany times as possible, but to achieveoptimal results with a minimal numberof treatments.

Some treatments require more vis-its than others. At Laser Affair, you canpurchase treatments individually or bythe package. The price is determined bythe area being treated. A man’s back,for instance, will cost more than awoman’s upper lip.

Any area of the body may be treat-ed, except for the orbital rim of the eye.Popular areas for women are the face,underarms, bikini area/Brazilian, andlegs. Popular areas for men include ears,neck, back, chest and “manzilian”(Think: male version of the Brazilian).

When someone is aiming a laser atyour most sensitive body parts, youwant that person to be highly qualifiedfor the job. Only a medical doctor(M.D. or D.O.), nurse practitioner(ARNP), physician’s assistant (P.A.) orCME may legally perform laser hairremoval in Florida. Mary Beth hasseven years of experience as a CME andlaser technician. She graduated from theEsthetic Laser Institute in Orlando andis licensed by the Florida Department ofHealth and Florida Board of Medicine

as a CME. She also is licensed as a certi-fied clinical electrologist (CCE).

A medical electrologist must oper-ate under the direct supervision of amedical doctor. Laser Affair’s medicaldirector is well-known local Board-cer-tified plastic surgeon Gerard Mosiello.M.D. Dr. Mosiello, whose TampaPalms Plastic Surgery practice is locatedin the suite next to Mary Beth’s salon,monitors all charts at Laser Affair.

“If I have a question or concern, Idon’t hesitate to consult him,” MaryBeth says. “He reviews all my charts.”

Among Mary Beth’s many satisfiedpatients is hair designer Gwen Stewart,who is halfway through her series of sixtreatments. “Mary Beth makes you feelvery comfortable,” Gwen comments.“She talks you through the process andguides you.”

Gwen, who has waxed her unwant-ed hair in the past, says laser hairremoval is not as painful. “It feels like alittle twitch and then goes away,” shesays. “I have been very happy with theexperience.” She says her treatmentstake less than 30 minutes apiece.

If you would like to find outmore about laser hair removal, visitLaser Affair’s informative website atLaserAffair.com or call Mary Bethfor a free consultation at 944-2445.The private salon is located at 15241Amberly Dr. on the west side ofBruce B. Downs Blvd.


By Camille GilliesNever underestimate the impor-

tance of getting your annual eye exam. For example, did you know that

damage to your eyes can occur longbefore a diagnosis of a disease like dia-betes? In the early stages of diabetes,swelling and bleeding may occur in theeye, and an ophthalmologist can detectthe problem, treat it with laser therapyand save the patient from severe visionloss down the road. With more than 7million cases of undiagnosed diabetes inthe U.S., chances are you or someoneyou know would benefit from a com-prehensive eye examination by a quality,caring ophthalmologist.

Ophthalmologist Gretta Fridman,M.D., shared this information whileconducting a tour of her brand-newoffice at New Tampa Eye Institute,located in Summergate ProfessionalPark, behind Sam’s Club, off S.R. 56,in Wesley Chapel. With the smell offresh paint still lingering in the air, Dr.Fridman (pronounced “Freed-man”)explained that although ophthalmolo-gists perform surgery and treat seriouseye conditions, general eye exams arepart of the practice, too. Unlike anoptometrist, however, an ophthalmolo-gist is a medical doctor with either anM.D. or D.O. degree who has special

training and skills to diagnose and treatall diseases and disorders of the eye.

Dr. Fridman received much of heradvanced training in Tampa while com-pleting her residency and fellowship atthe University of South Florida’s Mor-sani College of Medicine. She attendedmedical school at the State Universityof New York Downstate, Brooklyn, andreceived an undergraduate degree fromBarnard College, New York City.

Ophthalmological SpecialtiesWell-versed in all aspects of oph-

thalmology, Dr. Fridman specializes intreating diseases of the eye, including:

• Cataracts, or the clouding of theeye’s lens, which can lead to blurryvision, and surgery is the only way toremove them. Symptoms include apainless blurring of vision, light sensitiv-ity, poor night vision, double vision inone eye, needing brighter light to readand fading or yellowing of colors. Themost common cause of cataracts is age,but other contributing factors includefamily history medical problems (suchas diabetes), eye injury, medications(especially steroids), radiation, long-term, unprotected exposure to sunlightand previous eye surgery.

• Glaucoma is a disease of theoptic nerve and a leading cause ofblindness. It can damage nerve fibers

and increase pressure inside the eye.Since symptoms are not noticeable untilthe damage has already occurred, pre-venting blindness from glaucoma isanother reason to keep up with youreye exams. Glaucoma is often con-trolled with eye drops, but Dr. Frid-man, who has a subspecialty in glauco-ma, says she will perform surgery whenthe condition cannot be controlledthrough other means. Risk factors forglaucoma include age, elevated eyepressure, a family history of glaucoma,being of African or Spanish ancestryand past eye injuries.

“You think of glaucoma as affect-ing seniors, but it affects a youngerpopulation, too,” Dr. Fridman explains.“Certain types of it can run in families.”

• Ocular Surface Disorders stemfrom tear duct and eyelid abnormalities.These include blepharitis (an inflamma-tion or infection of the eyelid) and con-ditions such as dry eye. Dry eye may betreated with punctal plugs (devicesinserted into the tear duct to blockdrainage), prescription drugs or surgery.

A Caring, Friendly ApproachDr. Fridman says she chose oph-

thalmology as her field of expertisebecause it’s a mixture of surgical andmedical specialties. “And, you see thesame patients year after year,” she adds.

“Because repeat visits are necessary, youreally do get to know your patients.”

In fact, thanks to her residency atUSF, she has gotten to know manypatients at the James A. Haley VeteransAdministration (VA) Hospital on BruceB. Downs Blvd. in North Tampa. Shealso practiced at the Orlando VA Med-ical Center, but the 90-mile commutebecame too much travel, so she is con-cluding her work in Orlando, but con-tinuing on staff part-time at the TampaVA hospital. “I enjoy the patient popu-lation there,” she says.

Dr. Fridman runs her practice witha personal approach. “We will spend as

New Tampa Eye Institute Offers Quality, Caring Ophthalmology!

Ophthalmologist Gretta Fridman, MD,and her husband, Michael Alperovich,

of the New Tampa Eye Institute, locatedbehind Sam’s Club in Wesley Chapel.


much time as needed with eachpatient,” she says. “This is a patient-centered practice, where I really try toaddress the individual problems andconcerns of every patient.”

Flex Hours, High-Tech OfficeThe office accepts most medical

insurance plans and offers flexiblehours. To accommodate busy sched-ules, New Tampa Eye Institute is openThursday nights and every other Satur-day, with same-day appointments avail-able for emergencies.

The facility is equipped for lasersurgery, and if surgery in an operatingroom is necessary, Dr. Fridman per-forms such procedures at the NewTampa Surgery Center, located nearbyon Cypress Ridge Blvd.

Dr. Fridman says her husband,Michael Alperovich, has been instru-mental in constructing and opening thenew office, which is totally paperless.

“We have the latest medicalrecords technology and state-of-the-artdiagnostic equipment,” he says, indicat-ing that one of the exam rooms wasdesigned specifically for wheelchairaccessibility.

The couple moved to New Tampain 2007 and is excited about thegrowth potential of this new venture.According to Dr. Fridman, ophthalmol-ogists are scarce in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area.

“At one time, the closest ophthal-mologist (to Wesley Chapel) was inZephyrhills,” she says, adding that sheeventually plans to expand the NewTampa Eye Institute to include othersubspecialties, including oculoplastics,which involves plastic surgery of theeye. She also is enthused about theaddition of Florida Hospital WesleyChapel, where she hopes to have oper-ating room privileges.

“We love New Tampa and WesleyChapel and want to raise our kids hereas well as work here,” she explains. Thecouple lives in Hunter’s Green and hastwo daughters, ages 3 and 6.

For more information, call theNew Tampa Eye Institute (27348Cashford Circle, off S.R. 56 andAncient Oaks Blvd.) at 994-7000 inSeven Oaks. The office’s website,NewTampaEyes.com, is currentlyunder construction, but should beonline soon.


by Sheryl Young

Decorating Den is an interior dec-orating franchise known for its “travel-ing offices.” The company’s interiordesigners bring their decorating storesto the customer. Local franchise ownerDebbie Demboski is no different. Herlovely van is packed full of all the color-ful samples needed to pick out a newlook for anything from single a roomto your entire house.

Debbie also is Decorating Den’sregional director for New Tampa, Wes-ley Chapel and surrounding TampaBay-area neighborhoods. As a designer,her shop-at-home service has savedclients countless hours of shopping forthe perfect items to beautify their livingspaces. As a director, she also searchesout new designing talent and helps toaward new franchises. Perhaps the bestthing you can say about Debbie is thatyou can tell she loves what she does.

“I wanted to get into fashiondesign when I was younger,” says Deb-bie. “I worked in retail, and ended updoing design details for a large compa-ny. Some friends started a DecoratingDen franchise and encouraged me todo the same, but I resisted stepping outinto my own business.”

After Debbie had her daughter,

she wasn't working and those samefriends asked her to help them part-time. She was convinced to take thenext step after seeing how relaxed therapport with their customers was, out-side of a corporate office environment.

That was 23 years ago. Debbie hasbuilt her Decorating Den franchise inthe New Tampa area through network-ing and by advertising in media like theNew Tampa Neighborhood News. Then,she started helping others with thefranchises they were awarded.

Although Debbie has worked withsome of her clients throughout thesemany years, she took a break to assistthe franchise owners in her regionaldirector role, before returning todesigning.

“About two years ago, I reactivat-ed my own love for interior decoratingand helping people with their homes,”Debbie says. “I live in Seven Oaks andstarted participating in communityevents, like the Taste of New Tampa. Idrive my van around everywhere, andso many people I know asked me tostart helping them with their decorat-ing again.”

In addition to single-family hous-es, Debbie has helped design retire-ment homes and businesses. She evenhelped a 100-year-old lady in Dade

City reinvent her entire mobile home.“This lady was so precious and

lively,” Debbie says. “She wanted me todo everything from top to bottom,including a trailer she had bought forguests. Then, I ended up doing herdaughter's house.”

Free Consultations, Too Free Consultations, Too With new customers, Debbie

always does a free initial consultation. “The consultation can last up to

two hours,” she says. “I’ll take a touraround the area they want to work on,

talk with them about their tastes andbudget plans, and then discern whatsamples I need to bring in from the vanto show them.”

Debbie unselfishly advises her cus-tomers about services that might be lessexpensive without going through amiddleman. She recommends paint col-ors, trends, materials and types of sur-faces in order to help the client pulltheir rooms together. She works with alarge number of suppliers to find whatsuits the project, and will inform hercustomers about vendors that aren’t

Shop At Home When You Redecorate With Decorating Den

Debbie Demboski, our local Decorating Den franchisee and regional direc-tor, has been helping New Tampa residents redecorate their homes for nearly

a quarter of a century.


well known to the public. “No job is too small,” she says. “I

will help someone with small things likejust choosing window coverings orchanging a room through new toucheslike pillows and pictures. In fact, 70percent of my new clients come frompeople who simply need ideas for win-dow designs.”

She notes that doing small tasksand one-room projects usually helps herform new relationships that can eventu-ally allow her to do bigger decoratingassignments for the same customers.Just ask her client, Jane Mrus.

“I had just moved to the NewTampa area,” Jane recalls. “I wasn’tfamiliar with the neighborhoods anddidn’t know anyone. I just wanted toredo my kitchen cabinets and carpeting.But there was so much to consider, Irealized I was spinning my wheels andwanted help.”

Jane found Debbie’s website andwas thrilled to locate a decorator whowas so close to her new home.

“Debbie came over, got a feel forour tastes and price points, and reallylistened,” Jane says. “She personallytook me places to select things, andhelped me decide just about everything.Through our interaction, Debbie evengot my husband excited and involvedand we eventually just began doing thewhole house. Plus, Debbie follows upafter every step.”

Helping Others Start ADecorating Den Franchise!

Ever see those Decorating Dentrucks and wonder would it be like tohave a rolling interior design business?Debbie can help you realize that vision.

“This is a great opportunity forpeople who love design,” Debbie says.“Our economy is a roller coaster, butcarrying the entire business in a van likethis helps avoid the overhead of a store-front and other complications.”

This allows the company’s decora-tors to give customers great prices.

“While owning their own fran-chise, they still have the power of a bigcompany behind them,” she says.“We’re each in business for ourselves,but not by ourselves.”

Today, Decorating Den has about500 business owners/decorators whohave tremendous purchasing power toset the best prices with merchandisers.Created in 1969, the concept behindthis traveling interior design businesswas to “Make the world more beautifulone room at a time.”

“We have an intense ten-daydesigner training program,” Debbiesays. “This includes product knowl-edge, appointment steps, how to helpwith budgeting and conduct a housetour, and of course, the principles andelements of design.”

Then, directors like Demboski givelocal training to those who end up in

their districts. “This includes ongoingtraining in industry changes and trends,supplier meetings, sharing experienceswith other designers, and hands-onprojects for which even newcomers canwin awards.”

She notes that some DecoratingDen designs have even ended up asaward-winning photos in magazines likeTraditional Homes.

Although Debbie has a design andbusiness degree from West VirginiaUniversity, the designers don't needprevious formal training because of theintense training they get when theybecome a Decorating Den franchisee.“And it makes a great second career,”Debbie adds. “I helped one lady start a

franchise who had been a bank owner.”When not busy helping her clients,

Debbie believes in giving back to hercommunity. She raises money for hercompany's support of the Susan G.Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, par-ticipates in Local Habitat for Humanityevents, and provides design seminarsfree of charge to local groups andorganizations.

To have Deborah Demboskibring Decorating Den to you, call817-2264 or e-mail [email protected]. Her website isLocal.DecoratingDen.com/deb-bied/, where you can downloaded abrochure by clicking the “I Come toYou” link.

Debbie Demboski Of Decorating Den’s Current Design Trends

-Dark walls to showcase artwork. -Gray is the new beige, and browns are popular.-The trendiest vibrant color right now is called “Tangerine Tango.”-Use lots of textures.-Precious metals add glamour to a space.-Animal prints, especially zebra, are very popular right now.-Bring the outdoors in with living plants.

Color Tips:-Infants and children respond well to red.-Blue and green are calmers, while pink can make you feel pampered.“There's really no right way or wrong way to decorate,” Debbie concludes. “If adecorator tells you to throw away everything, get rid of the decorator! Classic con-temporary and traditional never go out of style, with just a few small touch-ups.”


By John McGurl

High temperatures, high stress,and a fast-paced work environment arewhat culinary students at New Tampa’sPaul R. Wharton High are looking for.But, before they can start a job in thecooking or hospitality industry, theymust get the proper education — andthanks to the efforts of Chef MaxcelHardy, some Wharton culinary studentsare getting a good start.

Schools like the Culinary Instituteof America (CIA), Johnson & Wales(J&W), and the Art Institute are someof the better-known places for talentedyoung chefs to go and hone their skillsbefore becoming the next EmerilLagasse. Hardy, a former pupil inWharton’s first culinary program, is giv-ing back to his high school in the formof five $1,000 scholarships.

The recipients this year are TonyKekoa, 18, who is planning to attendJ&W’s Miami campus; Kaylee Melen-dez, 19, who plans on attending theHospitality & Culinary Arts Manage-ment program at Hillsborough Com-munity College; Khaleel Mohamed, 17,who will be headed to the HospitalityManagement program at the Universityof Central Florida; and Caitlin Christ-mas, 17 and Benjamin Pomales, 18,who are headed to CIA’s renowned

Hyde Park, NY, campus this fall. “I just love cooking,” says Poma-

les, adding that he originally thoughtabout computer engineering. He isexcited to be attending CIA withChristmas, his classmate and fellowscholarship winner. Both plan to studyculinary, with a little baking.

“I’d rather learn more about actualcooking with a some baking, than beable to bake and not be able to cook,”says Christmas.

Hardy graduated in 2002, andsince then, has become a renownedchef. The 28-year-old has establishedhimself among high-profile clients insports, entertainment and politics.Hardy, who was part of Wharton’sinaugural culinary class, has written acookbook entitled Recipes For Life, andalso has developed a clothing line,“Chef Max Designs.” Through hisfoundation, One Chef Can 86 Hunger,he has set up a scholarship program tohelp Wharton students further theireducation in the culinary arts. Appli-cants for the scholarships wrote essaysexplaining why they wanted to pursue acareer in the culinary arts, and wherethey hoped to be in 10 years.

Initially Hardy was going to giveout one $2,000 scholarship, but was soimpressed with the essays he received,he decided to award all five.

Former Student Provides Culinary Scholarships For Wharton Seniors

These five Wharton High culinary students each received a $1,000 college scholar-ship from Wharton alum & chef Maxcel Hardy:(l. to r.) Tony Kekoa, Caitlin

Christmas, Benjamin Pomales, Kaylee Melendez & Khaleel Mohamed.


By Matt Wiley

The years spent getting an educa-tion in the public school system can besome of the most challenging for kidstoday. The pressure of trying to fit in,get good grades and make the most ofthose adolescent years in the classroomreally takes a toll on many young peo-ple. But, try to imagine all those samechallenges without a supportive familyor a place to call home.

Skye Schmelzer can imagine it. Justa few years ago, she was couch surfingby night, taking International Baccalau-reate (IB) classes at King High andworking at Moe’s Southwest Grill,barely making rent for her and hermother.

Today, she’s finishing up her soph-omore year at the University of Floridain Gainesville studying Chinese. In fact,she recently returned from a trip toChina to learn Mandarin. None of theopportunities she has had would havebeen possible without the help of theTampa Palms-based nonprofit groupcalled Starting Right, Now.

Helping to end homelessness onechild at a time since 2008, StartingRight, Now (SRN) earned the title“2011 Non Profit of the Year” fromWEDU-TV (Channel 3), west-central

Florida’s primary PBS station, duringthe annual WEDU “Be More…”awards in February, beating out otherwell known nonprofits such as theGlazer Children’s Museum and TheSpring of Tampa Bay.

“We were very shocked,” says SRNfounder Vicki Sokolik. “We’re so youngand new that I thought for sure thatwouldn’t happen. It was amazing.”

According to WEDU’s website,the award was issued by an independentjudging committee to the group thatbest fulfilled the “Four Commitmentsto the Community,” including serviceto the organization’s constituency, levelof community impact, financial viabilityand embodiment of overall communitygoodwill.

“It was really cool that the impactwe were having on these students waspowerful enough for someone to say,‘Okay, you really are making a differ-ence,’” Sokolik explains.

In addition to the recognition,SRN also received a $1,000 WEDUCommunity Investment Grant that itwill use to help students in the programparticipate in extracurricular activities atschool, such as buying cleats for socceror football or paying travel costs.

SRN’s mission since its creation bySokolik and her husband, Joel, in 2008

Local Nonprofit Ends Homelessness Starting Right, Now!

is to help stop the “generational cycle”of homelessness in which many home-less students and families find them-selves stuck.

There are two sides to SRN’s pro-gram. The first helps homeless familiesget on their feet by providing depositsto get into an apartment, findingemployment for parents and makingsure their children go on to accomplishtheir highest level of education possible.SRN pays the security deposit and firstmonth’s rent for families, giving them18 months to pay it back, using moneyfrom the job that the program helpedthe recipient get.

The bigger side to SRN, Sokoliksays, is the side devoted to helping thefederally termed “unaccompaniedyouth,” or, kids who are in high school,but not living with a parent orguardian, and are homeless. Sokolikmentioned one case in which a studentwas sleeping in the woods near his highschool in a sleeping bag every night,but still going to school every day.

Schmelzer also fit into this group.While attending King, located off

of Sligh Ave. on N. 56th St., and takingIB classes, Schmelzer was living on-and-off with her mother.

“I was living with my mother and

Starting Right, Now, started by Tampa Palms residents Vicki & Joel Sokolik (2nd &3rd from left), received $1,000 as WEDU-TV’s 2011 “Non Profit of the Year.”

“They’re always there to supportme,” she says of SRN. “It’s not a hand-out. I have to work for it, obviously. Iknow that if I ever stop working, they’llstop supporting me, but that’ll neverhappen because I’m so driven. Theyhave faith in me. They see the progress(I’ve made).”

Things weren’t always like this forSchmelzer. Even after SRN began help-ing her, life wasn’t easy. She still workeduntil 11 each school night before goinghome to do IB homework until 2 or 3in the morning, only getting a fewhours of sleep before having to be up intime to catch the bus at 6:30.

“That was really difficult, but atleast I was in a better place,” she remi-nisces. “I was coming home to inde-pendence, instead of negativity.”

She sometimes would miss the busand have to call people she barely knewfrom school to try to get a ride, whichshe called an “awkward experience.”

“Most of the kids I went to schoolwith were very privileged,” she says.“They had supportive families and wereupper-middle class. Everybody has theirproblems; problems are relative, butnone of those kids were at risk of beinghomeless, so they didn’t understand,and I got made fun of a lot for it. Itwas really hard to go through that andnot have one person my age that waswilling to help me.”

Luckily, SRN was, and still is, therefor Schmelzer. Students in the programare given an adult mentor whom theyare required to talk to every day whilein the program.

Schmelzer still speaks with hermentor at least once a week, eventhough she is no longer with the pro-gram as a high school student. Mentorstake the students on an “experience”once a week that can be something likegoing to the circus, or something assimple as eating at a restaurant.

Sokolik says that the program alsorequires students to attend school everyday, take leadership classes, work 20hours per week and go to therapy. “It’sintense,” she says. “But it works.”

The program started when former

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio heard thatSokolik and her husband were helpingone homeless family per year get backon their feet and help the children ofthose families reach their highest levelof education possible. They had beendoing so since 2001.

“We had been doing that for aboutfive or six years not even thinking thatthere would one day be a nonprofitattached to this,” she says.

Iorio asked if Sokolik would dowhat she was doing citywide if a Boardof Directors was organized for it. Fiveyears later, the Sokoliks are still doing it,but on a much grander scale. The SRNBoard is a who’s-who of big namesfrom around the Tampa Bay area,including its chairman Matt Silverman,the president of the Tampa Bay Rays,current Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn,as well as other prominent businessleaders.

Vicki and Joel have been living inTampa Palms for more than 17 yearsand decided that this was the area forSRN to call home, as well. Their workhas changed the lives of more than 100families and students since 2001.

“It’s black and white with us,” sheexplains. “There’s no gray area. We takethese students, help them meet theireducation potential and we propel themto whatever that may be. At the end ofthe day, they end up getting educatedand actually stop the cycle of homeless-ness. We completely change the direc-tion of their lives.”

For more information aboutStarting Right, Now, visit StartingRightNow.org, or call 760-5472.


we were very poor,” she explains. “Wewere in a very small apartment with alot of animals. It was a very uncomfort-able situation.”

Schmelzer also was working nightsat Moe’s Southwest Grill at the Shopsat Wiregrass Mall, while her mother wasworking at Taco Bell. Together, thetwo could barely make rent. Schmelzersays that her mother often asked her formoney. She slept on friends’ coucheseven when she technically did have ahome because, she says, she didn’t feellike she had one.

“I thought I was going to flunkout of IB,” she says. “I didn’t go toschool for about a week and called in todrop out. The IB director begged meto stay. He said he had been in contactwith someone recently, and that Iwould be a perfect candidate for thatperson’s program. I had no idea whathe was talking about.”

That person was Vicki Sokolik.

A Whole New LifeA Whole New LifeA few days later, Schmelzer had an

interview with SRN and its Board ofDirectors. Sokolik was one of the inter-viewers.

“I was accepted almost immediate-ly,” she says. “I mean, the Board had todecide, but they basically looked at eachother at the end of the interview andsaid, ‘Yeah, you’re a member startingright now.’”

Sokolik says that the programreaches out to students who are, likeSchmelzer, referred to it by the Hills-borough County School District. Shesays it is generally a school social workerthat first recognizes that a student is liv-ing on his or her own.

“(The program) is by referral onlyand we take a limited number of stu-dents each year, usually around 30,”Sokolik says. “Our program is not easy.You have to want to change your life.”

She explains that when consideringstudents for the program, SRN looks atschool attendance, test scores, life histo-ry and puts the applicant through aninterview process. During the twointerviews with the Board, members get

a chance to ”get a feel” for the student.At the end of the interview, the studentis asked what their three wishes wouldbe. Sokolik says that if the studentanswers with basic needs, “you knowthey’re the ones you’ll be able to help.”

Schmelzer began the program dur-ing the beginning of her senior year atKing. SRN set her up with an apart-ment off of 56th St. and got her a jobat Smoothie King off of Fowler Ave.,much closer to her school and newhome than the Moe’s at Wiregrass.

“They paid most of my rent,” sheexplains. “I only had to pay about $90per month. It allowed me to save somemoney for college.”

And college is what SRN is allabout. “We are graduating 15 seniorsthis year,” Sokolik says. “All of them aregoing on to higher education on freerides.”

The rides aren’t completely free.SRN helps students fill out financial aidforms and apply for scholarships toassist in getting them as much financialhelp as possible. Sokolik says that SRNworks with the colleges to get the restof the necessary funding.

Schmelzer was one of the first togo through the program and on to col-lege. She applied to three schools (USF,UF and the University of North Caroli-na-Charlotte). She chose UF, where sheis currently studying Mandarin Chinese.Through UF’s Study Abroad program,and with the help of SRN, Schmelzerwas able to travel to China during thesummer of 2011.

“I basically said I wanted to learnMandarin Chinese and I’m going to goto China,” she explains. “UF is reallygood about study abroad programs andmaking sure that any student whowants to, will. I learned a year’s worthof Chinese over the summer. I got tostay in Chengdu in the SichuanProvince and it was phenomenal. Ihonestly wouldn’t have been able to doit without SRN.”

Schmelzer says that she had toapply for a grant and a loan from SRNfor the trip, both of which she qualifiedfor and received.

• Same Day Appointments

We’ve moved to a larger office just next door!

4444 E. Fletcher Ave., Suite C

813-903-0060

Solo Practice!Practicing 17 years in TampaGraduate of UF & USFResidency All Children’s Hospital

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

Board Certified

Most MedicalInsurance Plans

Accepted!

The Starting Right, Now program helpedSkye Schmelzer (right) visit China.


By Gary Nager

It may not have raised quite asmuch money as its organizers may havehoped, but there’s little doubt that noone who attended the GFWC (GeneralFederation of Women’s Clubs) NewTampa Junior Woman’s Club’s 15thannual “Night of 5000” on April 21 atHunter’s Green Country Club(HGCC) will ever be able to look atone of our nation’s “wounded war-riors” and be able to not thank themfor the sacrifices they have made for allof us and for this great country of ours.

In a glamorous evening filled withgreat food, beverages, fun, casino gam-ing, silent and live auctions and evendisco dancing, the stars of the “Night”were still the brave U.S. service menand women who have been cared for atthe James A. Haley Veterans Adminis-

tration (VA) Hospital onBruce B. Downs Blvd.,south of Fletcher Ave.

Event co-chairsValerie Casey and IsabelleJensen and many othermembers of the NewTampa Juniors puttogether a spectacularnight to benefit the Tampa FisherHouse, where the families and signifi-cant others of these wounded warriorsare housed — for free — while theirloved ones receive treatment at theHaley VA Hospital, the nation’s leadingtrauma center (see page 3).

“Although we don’t yet have finalnumbers (at least at our press time),”Casey said afterward, “we believe weraised at least $10,000 net, which weare proud to donate to the FisherHouse. Isabelle and I want to thank

The 2012 ‘Night Of 5000’ Raises $10,000+ For The Fisher House!

and give credit to all of our 2012‘Night’ chairs for their efforts to makethis happen for our heroes.”

HGCC provided delicious pasta,hand-carved turkey and slider sandwichstations, plus amazing cupcakes and acappuccino station, and one entireroom was set aside for craps, rouletteand blackjack. There was even a photobooth where many attendees got todon funny hats, glasses, masks andother props to pose for their pics.

The live auction items included

everything from a “Bring Stonewood(Chef Danny Lee) Home” dinner foreight people to a family reunion pack-age at Walt DisneyWorld.

Retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt.General Martin Steele, Fisher Housemanager Paula Welenc and 2011-12NTJWC president April Simons wereamong the evening’s featured speakers.

For info about the NTJWC,visit GFWCNewTampaJuniors.org.For the Tampa Fisher House, call910-3000 or visit FisherHouse.org.

(Clockwise from top left): Ret. U.S. Marine Lt. Gen. Martin Steele; “Night of 5000” co-chairs Valerie Casey (left) and Isabelle Jensen (right), with Tampa Fisher House manag-er Paula Welenc; the craps table was hot all night; injured U.S. Army Sgt. Joel Tavera (in uniform) and his father José (far right) pose with NTJWC members.


Academy At The LakesAcademy At The LakesThe Academy at the Lakes school in

nearby Land O’Lakes invites all children inthe Tampa Bay community ages 3-14 (Pre-K to rising 9th graders) to join us for asummer of adventure, sports, creativity, andfriendships. The “Summer at the Lakes”Day Camp will be open for 8 one-week ses-sions from June 11-August 3.

For more information, check outour online brochure at Academyatthe-Lakes.org/campus-life/summer-camp,visit the school at 2220 Collier Pkwy. orcall 948-7600.

America’s Ballet School America’s Ballet School America’s Ballet School (ABS) in the

Shoppes of Amberly plaza in Tampa Palmsis offering its Summer Intensive ballet pro-gram (July 9-August 10) for ballet stu-dents who want to develop discipline, confi-dence, self-esteem and enthusiasm. Theprogram is taught by professional instructorsand registration is open now.

For more info about the award-win-ning America’s Ballet School, call 558-0800 or visit AmericasBallet.com.Camp IDSCamp IDS

Independent Day School-CorbettCampus (IDS-CC) hosts one of the largestsummer camps in the Tampa Bay area forages 3-18, Camp IDS.

Divided into seven weekly sessionsfrom June 11 to July 27, Camp IDS 2012offers more than 70 different full-day andhalf-day camps in a broad array of fields:academics, communications and technology,performing arts, visual arts, recreation,sports, and travel. Free morning extendedcare is provided from 7:15 am - 8 am. Bustransportation and after-camp care from 3pm - 6 pm are also available for an addition-al fee. Lead camp counselors are highlytrained teachers.

For more info about Camp IDS, call961-3087 or visit IDSYes.com/ camp-ids(where you can download the campbrochure and registration form).Camp SealCamp Seal

Camp Seal is a full-day local camp forchildren ages 4-12 offering a variety ofactivities. Camp Seal offers weekly themes,swim lessons or stroke development, recre-ational swimming, arts and crafts, archeryand sports. The cost of camp is $175 perweek and families can enroll weekly. Pay-ment plans are available.

For additional information, call229-7946 or visit the camp, which isheld one block north of the Seal Swim

School (off N. Dale Mabry Hwy.) in theChrist Cumberland Presbyterian Churchat 19501 Holly Lane in nearby Lutz orvisit CampSeal. net/contact.html.

Carrollwood Day SchoolCarrollwood Day SchoolCarrollwood Day School (CDS)

2012 Summer Camps & EnrichmentPrograms are for campers entering 1stgrade through 12th grade. Each camp ses-sion is one-week long, beginning the weekof June 11 and running through August 3.CDS offers an array of camps, from sportsto art to robotics, so there is sure to besomething perfect for your child! All campscost between $100-$250 per week.

Sign up today at Carrollwood-DaySchool.org. The camp informationand forms can be found under Quick-links or Community. If you have anyquestions, please contact Camp DirectorDonna Holyman at [email protected] or call 920-2288. Family Of Christ CampsFamily Of Christ Camps

The Family of Christ ChristianSchool & Child Development CenterSummer Camp in nearby Tampa Palms willhave weekly themes that include outsidegames & athletics, computers, arts & crafts,cooking projects and age-appropriate fieldtrips. We have certified teachers on hand,offer full- & part-time programs and offermulti-child discounts. Separate groups for:Kindergarten, 1st-3rd grades, and 4th-8thgrades. We also offer summer VPK & 3 &4-year-old Summer PreK.

For more info, visit 16190 Bruce B.

Downs Blvd. or call 558-9343, ext. 10.For a downloadable brochure, visit Fami-lyOfChristTampa.com/summer camp. Hunter’s Green CC Hunter’s Green CC

The summer camp programs atHunter’s Green Country Club (HGCC)in New Tampa starts Monday, June 11. Forages 5-12 & ages 12-15, the Kids ChoiceActivities include themed tracks, such ascooking, archery (new), cheerleading, Fris-bee golf (new), flag football, lacrosse (new),volleyball, origami (new), nature, soccer,dance & basketball. Additional daily activi-ties include daily swimming, music groupgames, movies, arts & crafts & much more.Afternoon snack included! Weekly field tripswill be added fun for all! (Additional feeswill be applied for field trips.)

Visit Hunter’s Green Country Clubat 18050 Longwater Run Dr. For infoabout our Counselor-in-Training Pro-gram for campers ages 12-15 or thecamps, call 973-4220 or visit ClubCorp.com/Clubs/Hunter-s-Green-Country-Club/Amenities/2012 summercamp.

Hunter’s Green CC Hunter’s Green CC Tennis CampTennis Camp

Give your child the sport of a lifetimeat the Hunter’s Green CC Summer TennisCamp! From 9 a.m.-2 p.m., your child willenjoy tennis and fitness instruction fromcertified USPTA instructors with more than25 years of combined teaching experience.

Play on-court games, contests andtournaments. Morning instruction is haltedfor a cool swim and lunch break. Then it is

Presenting Our Exclusive 2012 Summer Camp & Program Guide!

Your little ballerina will be ready to grace thestage, too, after America’s Ballet School in

Tampa Palms’ Summer Intensive!


back on to the courts for more tennis fun.Cost: Ages 7 & up: prices from

$190.00 weekly. Ages 4 – 6: half day pro-gram 9am - 12:30 prices from $100.00weekly. See you at the courts!!! Weekly Ses-sions start June 11th through August 6th.

Call 973-4220 for more informa-tion. Before and after care available!

Infinite Edge Learning Ctr Infinite Edge Learning Ctr Infinite Edge Learning Center is

offering its summer camp June 18-August17. The price is $125 per week. The hoursare 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Extended hours areavailable for an additional charge. There is aminimum of a two- week commitmentrequired. Focused studies are predominantlyconcentrated on Math, English and Science.

Infinite Edge Learning Center islocated at 17419 Bridge Hill Ct., in theTampa Palms Professional Center. Formore info, call 971-6500 or visit InfiniteEdgeLearningCenter.com.

New Tampa Dance TheatreNew Tampa Dance TheatreThe New Tampa Dance Theatre

(NTDT) on Cross Creek Blvd. is offeringits popular and exciting Summer Programfor the beginner through advanced student,ages 3-adult, June 11-29 (Mon.–Fri.) with1-, 2- and 3-week options available.

There are multiple programs fromwhich to choose: half & full-day campsexploring the creative world of dance, inten-sives designed for the serious student, anddaily afternoon or evening classes for allages. Each program allows students to par-ticipate in a variety of classes, as NTDT isequally proficient in multiple artforms (clas-sical ballet, modern, tap, jazz, hip-hop andcreative movement).

For more info, visit NTDT at10701 Cross Creek Blvd. or NewTampaDanceTheatre.com. Or, call Dyane ElkinsIronWing at 994-NTDT(6838).

New Tampa Piano LessonsNew Tampa Piano LessonsLearn how to play piano this summer

at New Tampa Piano Lessons. Nowaccepting students ages 6 and older toreceive a combination of small group classesand private lessons. Classes start June 20.

Dr. Judith Jain holds a Doctoratedegree in piano performance and pianopedagogy, had an extensive career as a classi-cal musician and a post-graduate fellowshipfrom the prestigious New School for MusicStudy (which specializes in the training ofpiano pedagogues based on the teachingphilosophy of Frances Clark), plus morethan 10 years of teaching experience.

Come join Dr. Jain in her New Tampastudio for this unique camp. Adult andother less intensive programs also available.

Visit NewTampaPianoLessons.comor call (513) 885-4825 for more info.

Pebble Creek Jr. Golf CampsPebble Creek’s Junior Golf Camps

are getting ready to begin their first sessionfor kids ages 7-15 on Monday, June 11.

If your child wants to learn basic golffundamentals including driving, iron play,chipping, putting, etiquette and rules, thiscamp is a fun way to lean. Sessions runMonday-Thursday and cost $139/camper.

For more information, please callStacy Keisler at 973-3870, ext. 224.

PROtential SportsPROtential SportsOur summer camp program is

designed to give your child, ages 5-15,

structure, fun and physical activities duringthe summer months. Fun, weekly field tripsto places like Busch Gardens, MOSI,movies, and more.

The sports curriculum is set up so yourchild will learn a multiple number of sportsdaily. The daily schedule provides fivesports per day along with a rest time andlunch. Your child will also be with a smallgroup, thus receiving lots of individualattention from our hand pick coaching staff.All of our coaches are former professional orcollegiate athletes, and are qualified toinspire your child to become an all aroundbetter child. Visit the Seven Oaks location at2300 Guard St. PROtential also has campsin nearby New Tampa in the Grand Hamp-ton and Heritage Isles communities.

Register ASAP, as the price fluctu-ates with distance from start date ofcamp. Call 843-9460 or visit PROtentialSports.com/summercamp.html.

USF Pre-College CampUSF Pre-College CampTake advantage of an outstanding on-

campus pre-college summer experience atthe University of South Florida’s Tampacampus. USF offers twelve programs forhigh school students in contemporary stud-ies, including engineering, architecture,global sustainability, marine science, art anddesign, music, film studies, American Sign-Language, S.T.E.M. and more!

Students can pursue academic inter-ests, discover career options, earn collegecredit and explore university life. Programsrange from single day to three weeks andoffer residential, commuter and even onlineaccess. Don’t miss this exciting opportunityto jump-start your college experience and

pursue your interests! Visit USF. edu/precollege or call 1-

(888) 873-4968 or visit the school at4202 E. Fowler Ave.

Wildcats Basketball CampWildcats Basketball CampHead coach Tommy Tonelli and his

staff at New Tampa’s Paul R. WhartonHigh will be hosting their 15th annualWildcats Basketball Camp for boys andgirls entering 2nd-8th grade (ages 8-14).

The camp will be held in three weeklysessions June 18-21, June 25-28, & July9-12, noon-5 p.m. each day. The campwill emphasize fundamentals, team playand sportsmanship. All levels of players arewelcome. Campers will compete in groupsaccording to several factors, including age,grade, size and ability. All campers will par-ticipate in daily 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 teamplay. Each participant will receive a campT-shirt and certificate.

For more info, contact TommyTonelli at 631-4710, x230 or [email protected]. fl.us.

You Do The DishesYou Do The DishesIf your child loves art, then this sum-

mer camp is for you! You Do The Dishes inthe Shoppes at Amberly plaza in TampaPalms is now offering Art Fest 2012 forchildren ages 7-13.

Workshops will be held Monday-Fri-day, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. during the followingweeks: June 11-15, 18-22, 25-29; July 9-13, 16-20, 23-27, July 30-Aug 3; Aug 6-10.

See the story on page 48 or call975-1700 or visit the studio at 15357Amberly Dr. or YouDotheDishes.com formore information.

By Gary Nager

Do you have a budding youngartist living in your house? Has he orshe ever been to You Do the Dishes(YDTD) Paint-Your-Own Pottery Stu-dio & Coffee Bar in Tampa Palms?

If not, now is the time to go andcheck out not only the studio, butowner Cindy Kozlowski & her hus-band Herb Pinder’s great Summer ArtFest program. Although kids whoattend the camp still get an opportuni-ty to paint their own pottery, too, theArt Fest program is so much morethan that. The one-week sessions(which begin MMoonnddaayy,, JJuunnee 1111,, andare run 10 a.m.-4 p.m. every weekday)for ages 7-13 include printmaking,drawing, watercolors, acrylics, collages,pottery making and origami.

Herb, who first met Cindy shortlyafter she opened the studio in 1998,first came into YDTD to paint somepottery. An artist/educator whoreceived his formal art training fromthe Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Artsin Philadelphia and from USF, Herbhas led the summer art program forkids at YDTD the last eight years.

“Every year, we have a theme forthe Art Fest program,” says Herb.“This year’s theme is folk art. We willshow the kids a variety of differenttypes of folk art and have them createprojects in those themes. We get atremendous response to the programyear after year.” Last year, he adds, thekids had fun creating fish statues in thestyle of renowned artist Frank Gehry.

He admits that more girls thanboys participate in the Art Fest annual-ly, “But, there are always boys partici-pating, too. I try to give them seriousart training but always rememberingthat they are children, so of course, ithas to be fun for them. We get a lot ofrepeat students, plus siblings of paststudents who have participated.”

For only $210 per session, whichincludes all materials used and createdby each student, your child can have

supervised fun — and get an art edu-cation — in YDTD’s safe, nurturingenvironment. Please note that all ArtFest students have to bring their ownlunch and snacks each day.

And So Much MorAnd So Much More!e!In addition to the annual Art Fest

summer camp, YDTD also offersopportunities for kids under age 15(although kids under age 7 must beaccompanied by an adult) to join thestudio’s Summer Paint Club. For only$100, your child receives unlimitedMonday-Friday studio time, paints andfiring costs for the entire summer((JJuunnee 88--AAuugguusstt 2211)),, between 11a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays. Paint Club stu-dents are separated from the Art Festkids and the cost of the bisque(unpainted pottery), food and drinks isin addition to the $100 cost of theprogram. Students can bring their ownlunch and snacks, as well.

And yes, adults can still paint dur-ing the summer months, too. CallYDTD (see info below) for details.

YDTD also is an outstanding cof-fee bar serving delicious Joffrey’s cof-fee (and coffee drinks), Tazo hot teasand Arizona iced teas, as well as OtisSpunkmeyer cookies and other bakedgoods, from brownies and muffins toan ever-changing variety of cakes.

And, Cindy and Herb are proudto announce that YDTD has addedseveral flavors of Bruster’s Real IceCream, available in cones and cups.And, considering our office is rightnext to YDTD, it’s hard for me to notstop in every day to get a scoop ofMoose Tracks or Cookies & Cream.

And of course, YDTD is still agreat place for parties and events andeven offers programs through TheSoap Factory (in another part ofTampa Palms) where you can designand take home your own bars of soap.

For more info, call You Do TheDishes (15357 Amberly Dr.,Shoppes of Amberly plaza) at 975-1700 or visit YouDoTheDishes.com.


You Do The Dishes Can Provide Your Kids With An Artistic Summer

(Clockwise from top left): Each year, students in the You Do The Dishes SummerArt Fest program get to put their own “thumb prints” on each assigned art

theme. Last year, the students created fish sculptures in the style of artist FrankGehry; You Do The Dishes owners Cindy Kozlowski and Herb Pinder.


sweet and sizzlin’ sweet — as well as thedry rub, and of course, Sonny’s alsooffers the fresh and delicious “Gardenof Eatin’” for those dining in, as well aschicken Caesar and “big” salads both togo and to dine in-house. And, you can’tbeat Sonny’s delicious corn on the cob,BBQ baked beans, French fries, home-made corn or garlic bread and othersides, like fresh veggies, plus homemadesweet tea.

Need A Cold One?Need A Cold One?Back in 2010, the Hoffs were

among the first Sonny’s owners to addthe chain’s new “lunch counters,”where you can sit in comfort and watchbig, flat-screen TVs while enjoying anice cold beer, a glass of wine and premi-um liquor selections. There are evenfour varieties of great new chickenwings to enjoy and great all-day HappyHour specials — just don’t call thelunch counter a “sports bar.”

“We separated the lunch counterfrom the dining room, so families canstill be comfortable,” says Kristina. “Youcan get alcoholic beverages in the din-ing room, too, but adults who want toenjoy their food and drinks away fromchildren really seem to enjoy the sepa-rate lunch counter.”

Jim and Kristina hope that nowthat the widening of both S.R. 54 and

BBD has been completed, more of theirregular customers — like the Neighbor-hood News staff — will start returningmore...regularly.

“It’s been a long haul with theroad,” says Jim. “We opened the lunchcounter just as the construction reallygot rolling. Even some of our regularsdidn’t know we had it because they justcouldn’t handle the traffic to get here.”

In the ad on pg. 32, you’ll find agreat deal on Sonny’s Special Feast forFour. And, Sonny’s is a great place tobring the family for Mother’s Day.

Sonny’s BBQ is located at 5324BBD. For more information, call994-8989 or visit SonnysBBQ.com.

By Gary Nager

While there are some very goodplaces in our area that some members ofour staff at the New Tampa Neighbor-hood News are lukewarm about, there isno doubt in this reporter’s mind thatSonny’s BBQ, the 45-year-oldGainesville, FL-based “real pit” barbe-cue chain, isn’t one of them.

In fact, there wasn’t one person inthe office who wasn’t excited when Isaid I was doing a story on the WesleyChapel Sonny’s, which just happens tohave been and continues to be ownedby my friends and former neighbors inHunter’s Green — Jim and Kristina

Hoff (photo, right) — since the loca-tion in front of the Publix-anchoredHollybrook Plaza on Bruce B. Downs(BBD) Blvd. (just south of S.R. 54) firstopened 14 years ago.

Everyone in the office rushed tocheck out the menu online to pick theirfavorites. Office manager Nikki Bennettgot her half chicken lunch plate, salesand advertising assistant AnnMarie Beckgot to enjoy her pulled pork lunch(graphic artist Porsha Lemos was beam-ing about her pulled pork sandwich),staff writers Matt Wiley and JohnMcGurl both slathered plenty of sauceon their pulled beef brisket sandwichesand yours truly had tastes of my two

favorites — the rib sampler comboand the High Springs chicken (Ilove Sonny’s sizzlin’ sweet andother BBQ sauces, but I order thechicken without the sauce) toppedwith cheese and mushrooms.

I got the rib sampler in orderto enjoy my Sonny’s favorite — themeaty, tender signature baby backribs — but also to sample, for thefirst time, the new classic dry-rubribs, which I really enjoyed dippinginto the sweet BBQ sauce to offsetthe spiciness of the dry rub.

Speaking of sauces, you cantake home all four kinds of Sonny’sbottled BBQ sauces — mild, smoky,

Sonny’s BBQ Celebrates 14 Years In Wesley Chapel!

Among the favorite dishes our staff enjoys atSonny’s BBQ are (clockwise from far left) the

pulled pork lunch platter, pulled beef brisket sand-wich, rib sampler combo, chicken & ribs combo

and the High Springs chicken.

aren’t the “dinner& a show” teppa-nyaki tables you’llfind at a Japanesesteakhouse, SushiCafé does have ahibachi grill in itskitchen. And thehibachi dishes areamong not onlyour favorites, but ofthe months-oldrestaurant’s already growing list of regu-lar customers. These small plates areavailable anytime, but before 3 p.m.daily, you can add soup, salad andsautéed veggies for just a dollar or twomore. Even the orders of Japanese friedrice, with your choice of veggies, chick-en, steak, shrimp or the house specialcombo are nicely priced ($7.25-$11).

The large plate hibachi meals($11.95 for veggies only to $31.95 for ashrimp, scallop and lobster combo) offereverything from tofu to filet mignonand are well worth the price. Myfavorite so far is the teriyaki white fish(izumidai, $16.95)), which featuresthick, lightly floured fish in a deliciouslydifferent savory sauce. I also love thebreaded and deep-fried chicken katsumain course.

Sushi Café also features decadentdesserts, like fried tempura cheesecake

andthenew Mochi(pronounced“Moo-chee”)Japanese icecream, as wellas great Japan-ese (Asahi,Kirin, etc.) andother domesticand imported beers, hot sake and a vari-ety of the very popular cold sakes. So,please tell the staff that the New TampaNeighborhood News sent you!

Sushi Café (18015 HighwoodsPreserve Pkwy.) is open every day (at11 a.m.) for lunch and dinner (until10 p.m./11 p.m. on Fri. & Sat. Forreservations (not required) & moreinformation, call 977-7800 or visitSushiCafeTampa.com.


Sushi Café Is More Than Just ‘Another’ Japanese Restaurant!By Gary Nager

Long-time readers surely recognizeat least two things about my diningreviews — #1) I prefer mom-and-poprestaurants to any sort of chain eateryand #2) perhaps my biggest complaintis about having too many of certaintypes of restaurants and not enough ofsome others. For example, although wehave quite a few very good-to-greatpizza places, we don’t really have evenone non-chair Italian restaurant any-where in New Tampa.

But, what we do have is quite afew outstanding Asian restaurants,many of which serve delicious sushi.

So, why am I (and my entire staff)so excited about the new Sushi Café,located next to Panera Bread on BruceB. Downs (BBD) Blvd., in The Walk atHighwoods Preserve plaza?

First of all, general manager KevinNoin, who has run both successfulJapanese and non-Asian restaurants inOrlando and Miami, found a “perfect”location for an elegant, but very afford-able, traditional Japanese restaurant andsushi bar in our area. His Sushi Caféfeatures truly wonderful sushi andJapanese fare at prices well below thosefound at the Japanese steakhouses inNew Tampa or Wesley Chapel.

Our office staff already has enjoyeda wide variety of the Café’s uniquesushi rolls, with great names like Mon-ster, Pacific Fusion, Fantastic SpicyTuna and Rock n’ Roll, and no one atthe Neighborhood News who has sam-pled any of these rolls (I have loved allbut those that contain shrimp, becauseI’m sadly allergic to it) has had any-thing but rave reviews for them.

And, Sushi Cafe’s seared tuna tata-ki and red snapper sashimi both ratehigh among my list of local favorites.

I was told that among the Cafe’sappetizers, the favorites are probablythe gyoza (meat & veggie-filleddumplings), edamame (soybeans) andcrab rangoon (which offers its own“special sauce”), but my favorite todate is the chicken & vegetable tempu-ra, which also is available as an entrée.

Speaking of main courses, SushiCafé offers some unique choices aswell. In the tradition of Spanish tapasand other “small plate” eateries, youcan get delicious hibachi-grilled steak,chicken, shrimp, scallops or kingsalmon with your choice of Japanesefried or white rice, for just $6.50-$8!And the steak is served in tender, rec-tangular chunks to your desired tem-perature with a light, teriyaki-basedsauce. While the tables themselves

Among our favorite starters atSushi Cafe on BBD are (clock-

wise from above) the tunatataki, unique sushi rolls andthe chicken & veggie tempura.


Whether you want a full-sized entrée, like the delicious hibachi white fish (izumidai,left) with veggies, Japanese fried rice and a ginger salad (salad not shown) or a “small

plate” of hibachi steak and fried rice, you can’t go wrong at Sushi Café.


Gambacorta, Garofano and com-pany had good reason to be proud.

Despite temperatures that swel-tered near 90º, the nine pig-roastingteams put on a great show (includinggiving out hundreds of free samples),Lee Roy Selmon’s provided deliciousBBQ pork & “fixins” for the attendees,Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn enjoyedjudging the pie-eating contest, theentertainment (including the first-everPigFest bungee jumping booth) wasoutstanding and business vendors soldeverything from market-fresh veggies tosolar heating solutions and legal servic-es. One lucky winner went home withmore than $1,000 in the day’s 50/50drawing and the classic & custom carshow featured everything from a$200,000+ McLaren MP4-12C sportscar to the “People’s Choice” award-winning classic VW bug.

Last year’s pig-roast-winning team,the Meat Monkeys of St. James

Church, did notrepeat, as multiple-time former winnerGary Callicoat ofCally’s Sticky BonesBBQ & the “Sir PigsA Lot” team took thisyear’s top honors,which. for the firsttime, was judgedaccording to FloridaBBQ Assn. rules.

But, the big win-ners were still theattendees, the sixRotary clubs and theirpreferred charities.

To get involvedin next year’sPigFest, visitRotaryPigFest.com!

“PigFest”Continued from page 1

(Clokwise from top left) We didn’t get the names of all the winners,but these were the leaders of the top three pig-roasting teams; bungee

jumping for joy!; the lucky 50/50 winner took home more than$1,000. This classic VW bug won the “People’s Choice” car show prize!


By Matt Wiley

Standing in the middle of the 18thgreen at the TPC of Tampa Bay innearby Lutz after the conclusion of the23rd annual Encompass Insurance Pro-Am of Tampa Bay golf tournament onApril 15, I listened as the crowd roared,breathing it all in.

Of course, it wasn’t meant for me.I wasn’t being awarded a giant check ora trophy. In fact, a professional wouldprobably have written me a check tonot be on his team, had I participated.

Nope, instead of me, the checksand trophies went to Michael Allen forwinning the professional portion of thetournament, his second ChampionsTour victory, and to Joe Theismann,

the former quarterback for the Wash-ington Redskins during their SuperBowl XVII victory in 1983, who wonthe pro-am portion of the tournament.

But, the feeling was still surreal,people clapping all around me as if Ihad just birdied my way to victory.

Moments before, the trophies forthe winners had been parachuted ontothe fairway of the 18th hole by U.S. AirForce Para Commandos as the waitingcrowd looked to the sky. Fittingly, VanHalen’s “Jump” blared through thespeakers as the Commandos glidedthrough the air.

None of this would have been pos-sible without tournament director AmyHawk, the Arbor Greene resident whohas been in charge of the Pro-Am for

the past nine years.“This year was

a huge success,”Amy says. “Evenwith the new titlesponsor. We had arecord Sundaycrowd and perfectweather.”

The tourna-ment had beencalled the OutbackPro-Am from 2004-

11, but switched titlesponsors to EncompassInsurance for the 2012tournament. Over thepast 25 years, theevent has raised morethan $9 million forvarious charities.

Theismann wasnot the only celebrityin attendance, playingamongst the profes-sional and amateurgolfers of the Profes-sional Golf Association(PGA) Champion’sTour, a series of tour-naments for profes-sional golfers over theage of 50. The prosplayed in twosomeswith an amateur throughout the three-day contest, some of whom werecelebrities, such as Tampa Bay Light-ning founder and Honorary Chairmanof the tournament Phil Esposito —who teed off on Saturday with a hockeystick to the delight of Lightning mascotThunderbug, to commemorate Light-ning Day — as well as retired TampaBay Buccaneers linebacker DerrickBrooks, Bucs cornerback Rondé Barber,University of Louisvillemen’s basketball coachRick Pitino, former“Dateline” NBC-TVanchor Stone Phillips,television actor JohnO’Hurley and formerTampa Bay Devil Raysfirst baseman FredMcGriff.

Previous celebri-ties who have played inthis popular pro-aminclude the likes ofactors Bill Murray,Michael J. Fox, MarkWahlberg and NFLHall of Famer Jerry

Rice. Murray, one of my all-timefavorite actors, was probably who I washoping to see most, even going so faras to practice clever ways of introducingmyself using a catchphrase from “Cad-dyshack,” one of his biggest hit movies,where Murray played a pot-smokinggreenskeeper.

Even without seeing Murray, it wasdefinitely still a great day on the linksfor an amateur “Cinderella story” likeyours truly!

Encompass Pro-Am: An Amateur’s Perspective On A Day Of Pro Golf!

New Tampa resident Amy Hawk (far left), with EncompassPro-Am winners Michael Allen (in white) & Joe Theismann.

Tampa Bay Lightning founder Phil Esposito (farright) was one of the celebrity players at this year’s

Encompass Pro-Am.

The trophies presented to the tournament’s winners (photo,left) were brought onto the 18th green by parachutists..

54 For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 9 • April 21, 2012 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

YOUR NEIGHBORS READ OUR CLASSIFIEDS!To get your listing, call Nikki

at the NeighborhoodNews !813-910-2575!

NEW TAMPA & WESLEY CHAPEL ClassifıedsH E L P W A N T E D

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 9 • April 21, 2012 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com 55

56 For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 9 • April 21, 2012 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

New Tampa Neighborhood News Issue 11-12

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Transcript of New Tampa Neighborhood News Issue 11-12