Westchase - Vol. 2, Issue 4, April 2013

By Marcy Sanford

Until recently people sufferingfrom tinnitus had no real cure. Theywere told they had to learn to live withthe severe ringing in their ears or maskit with cumbersome headphones. Butrecent advances in audiology technol-ogy are providing relief from the everpresent ringing that tinnitus sufferers’endure. Alvarez Audiology, located at6615 Gunn Highway, is one of the

few clinicsin Tampathat offersthis new in-novativeand effec-tive soundtherapy.

Dr. Indira Alvarez, the doctor andowner at Alvarez Audiology, is a BoardCertified Audiologist with a clinicalspecialty in tinnitus, and is excited

about the recovery she has seen in herpatients. She says, “Lots of peoplethink that tinnitus is not treatable; thatit is something they have to learn to

The Business & Dining Magazine Directly Mailed To 16,000 Homes In Westchase & Surrounding AreasThis Independent Community News, Business & Dining Guide Is Directly Mailed Once Each Month To:

Arlington Park • Aston Villas • Bay Arbor • Berkeley Square • Calf Path Estates • Enclave At Citrus Park • Fawn RidgeForest Lakes • Hampton Lakes • Highland Park • Lake Chase • Mandolin • The Eagles • Tree Tops • Twin Branch Acres

Waterchase • West Hampton • Westchase • Westchester • Westwood Lakes • Windsor Place

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

ECRWSSPostal Customer

Dated MaterialPlease Rush!

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDTAMPA FL

PERMIT 1185

Community Calendar...................3

Community News Briefs.....4-5

Fresh Planet Café...............8-9

Screens R’ Us................10-11

Dr. Norman....................14-15

The Learning Experience......16-17

Brain Balance.................28-29

Vol. 2, Issue 4, April 2013

Neighborhood NewsNeighborhood News ®

W E S T C H A S E A R E A

& Lifestyles

See “Alvarez Audiology” on page 26.

By Lenay Ruhl

With a beautifully cut yard and ahouse tucked away behind perfectlyarranged foliage, Michael Schomers’personal lawn care experience as ahomeowner inspired him to start hisown business over 20 years ago.

Since 1991, Michael has built hislawn service up to what it is today – ararity in the lawn service industry –and for the past 20 years has formed asolid reputation based upon excellentcustomer relations, quality service andreliability – which is why he has beensuccessful for as long as he has.Schomers Lawn Service covers theareas of Westchase, Waterchase, FawnRidge, Countryway, Eagles, WestwoodLakes, Sheffield, Newcastle and Man-dolin Estates, and cares for over 140

homes with twocrews that spe-cialize in residen-tial care. Inaddition to com-plete lawn care,Schomers LawnService also of-fers more exten-sive services suchas maintenance,mulch, cleanups,tree trimming and removal, and land-scape installation and sod.

"Schomers Lawn Service has beenproviding complete lawn service to usfor over 12 years,” write Ralph andNancy Zengen of Westchase. “Wehave been completely satisfied. We

See “Schomers Lawn” on page 18.

Improve The Quality Of Your LifeWith Alvarez Audiology

Schomers Lawn Service –When Reliability Counts

By Katie Thomas

Centrally located in Westchase,right off Sheldon Road, DelatorreDentistry is working towards provid-ing clients with personalized and gen-tle professional care. The Delatorreteam has a commitment to serve andguide patients with top oral care foroptimal health and wellness. ProvidingWestchase with general, family andcosmetic services; Delatorre Dentistrymakes your smile their top priority.

Alina de la Torre, DMD, ownsDelatorre Dentistry, previously knownas Bertoch Dental. Dr. de la Torrejoined the practice in 2007 andbought the practice in 2010 from Dr.Daniel Bertoch. Dr. de la Torre is a

born andraised Tampanative; sheearned herB.S. from theUniversity ofMiami andthen went onto earn herDoctorate inDental Medi-cine at theUniversity ofFlorida in2005. Whilein dental school at UF, Dr. de la Torrewas a member of the American Stu-dent Dental Association and President

See “Delatorre Dental” on page 22.

Delatorre Dentistry –Westchase Dentist,World Class Smiles

Alina de la Torre,DMD

Michael Schomer

2 APRIL 2013 Westchase Area Neighborhood NewsFor Ad Info Call (813) 928-6124 or Visit NeighborhoodNewsFL.com

Community Calendar

APRIL 2013 3Westchase Area Neighborhood News For Ad Info Call (813) 928-6124 or Visit NeighborhoodNewsFL.com

Neighborhood News& Lifestyles

Directly mailed once a month to 16,000households in zip codes 33626 & 34677

220 Safford Ave. S. Tarpon Springs, FL 34689

Phone: (813) 928-6124; Fax: (727) 942-2432Advertising E-mail:

[email protected] E-mail:

[email protected]© 2013 Westchase Neighborhood News is published by ADS 2 Publications, Inc.

Nothing that appears in Westchase NeighborhoodNews may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, with-out permission. Opinions expressed by Westchase Neighbor-hood News writers are their own and do not reflect thepublisher’s opinion.

The management of Westchase Neighborhood Newsis always happy to accept outside editorial submissionsto the paper. Please call for outside editorial submissionand advertisement deadlines.

Westchase Neighborhood News will consider previ-ously non-published outside editorial submissions if theyare double spaced, typed and less than 500 words.Westchase Neighborhood News reserves the right to editand/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makesno guarantees regarding publication dates. Westchase Neigh-borhood News will not return unsolicited editorial materials.

Westchase Neighborhood News reserves the right toedit and/or reject any advertising. Westchase NeighborhoodNews is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond theactual cost of the advertising space itself, not for the validityof any claims made by its advertisers.

Westchase Neighborhood News & Lifestyles is pub-lished by ADS 2 Publications, Inc.

PublisherTim SelbyGeneral ManagerMatt Selby Advertising SalesHannah DalegowskiJim O’ReillyKen BurkeAccounting ManagerDoreen SelbyBilling AssistantTina O’ReillyMarketing & DevelopmentAshley Knoblach

EditorAlexis SelbyCorrespondentsKim ThomasJulie KanehlKatie ThomasMarcy SanfordLenay RuhlDara TuckerErin AldrichArt DirectorTony SicaGraphic ArtistDat X. Do

The 2013 Relay For Lifeof Westchase

The journey to end cancer startswith a single step. The American Can-cer Society invites you to take thatstep with them by joining the globalRelay For Life movement. When youwalk to end cancer at a Relay event,it's your opportunity to not onlyhonor cancer survivors and rememberloved ones lost, but also to raiseawareness about what we can do tostay well from cancer and raise moneyto help fuel the world's largest walk toend cancer.

The Westchase Relay For Life willbe held on May 10 at 6:00 p.m. atDavidsen Middle School, located at10501 Montague St. in Westchase,and will run through the night.

Tampa Bay Sentinels PublicSafety Charity FootballGames

The Tampa Bay Sentinels are anon-profit unpaid Public Safety Foot-ball Team formed from members ofLaw Enforcement, Corrections, Pro-bation/Parole Officers, Firefighters,

Paramedics, EMTs, and members ofthe U.S. Armed Forces. They play fullcontact football against other publicsafety teams from around the countryin order to raise money for local chari-ties. All of the proceeds go to theMacDonald Training Center.

Come support this tri-county(Pasco, Pinellas, and Hillsborough)Public Safety football team!

2013 Game Schedule**Home: April 6, 1 PM vs Or-

lando GuardiansAway: April 20 vs Orlando

Guardians **Otis Andrews Complex 2602

E Cherry St. Plant city, Fla. 33563**For more information please call (727)741-0142 or visit online at TampaBay-Sentinels.org.


Community News Briefs Cheer Express Athletes Shakeoff the Competition atCheersport in Atlanta

Cheersport, one of the largest AllStar cheerleading competitions in theworld, was held on February 16 & 17in Atlanta at the Georgia Dome.Cheer Express from Oldsmar brought6 teams to compete for NationalChampionship honors against nearly1,000 teams that had the same dream.

Junior Red, Junior White andSenior White all took National cham-pionship, first place honors. Senior Sil-ver was awarded a bid to thecheerleading WORLDS competitionat Disney World for the 7th straightyear. Senior Elite Pink took 2nd place,and Senior Red finished 6th.

Winning a national championshipat Cheersport is very difficult. Win-ning three is almost impossible. TheCheer Express Junior Red, level 2,beat 116 teams to have the highestscore in the division, and won a fullypaid bid to the Summit competition inOrlando where only the best teams inthe US are invited to compete. JuniorWhite and Senior White also received

bids to the SUMMIT. Congratula-tions to all of the Cheer Express ath-letes for this outstandingaccomplishment!

Cheer Express athletes come fromall around the area from as far as Sara-sota and Lakeland, as well as locally in-cluding all of the areas thatNeighborhood News & Lifestyles de-livers to: East Lake, Lutz, Odessa,Land O’ Lakes, Trinity, Westchase andCarrollwood.

Cheer Express All Stars is locatedin Oldsmar and has 14 teams thatcompete throughout the state ofFlorida and nationally. In their 9 years,Cheer Express has won over 170 Stateand National titles. They can bereached at 813-925-1978 or visit theirwebsite www.cheerexpress.org.

Schools Receive Grants toStudy Freshwater Resources

Hillsborough County students at34 schools will study the issues sur-rounding freshwater resources thanksto Splash! school grants from theSouthwest Florida Water ManagementDistrict.

The Hillsborough Countyawardees are:

Christine Lindbak, Alonso High,was awarded $2,150. Students will learnabout the Hillsborough River watershed andthen conduct water quality tests while on afield trip to the Crystal Springs Preserve.

Sonia Coleman, B.T. WashingtonElementary, was awarded $1,425. Studentswill study freshwater species and the aquiferon a field trip to the Crystal Springs Pre-serve. Students will also track water usage athome and create posters and videos to sharewith the school.

Carol Mayo, Bailey Elementary, wasawarded $3,000. Students will participate in

activities centered on the water cycle, waterpollution and aquifer recharge while on afield trip to Sweetwater Organic Farm.

Daniel Opila, Bellamy Elementary,was awarded $3,000. Students will partici-pate in activities centered on the water cycle,water pollution and aquifer recharge whileon a field trip to Sweetwater Organic Farm.

Melissa Triebwasser, Doby Elemen-tary, was awarded $1,600. On a field trip toTampa Bay, students will learn about estuar-ies and how to preserve the health of the bay.Students will share this knowledge with theirschool peers and parents.

Kyla DonLevy, Durant High, wasawarded $850. Students will study freshwa-


ter systems, watersheds and water qualitywhile visiting the Swamp Head River, theHillsborough River and Crystal Springs.

Rebecca Rouch, Easy Bay High, wasawarded $1,360. Students will learn howwater is treated and supplied to local resi-dents through field trips to a desalinationplant and waste water treatment plant.

Alyssa Mormon, EdisonElementary, was awarded $1,033. Studentswill learn about freshwater habitats and typesof pollution affecting freshwater habitats.Students will create posters and fliers to sharewith their families, school and community.

Laura Franklin, Foster Elementary,was awarded $1,225. Students will learnabout water conservation through the use ofrain barrels in the school’s garden. On fieldtrips to the Hillsborough River and UpperTampa Bay Park, students will study waterquality and the difference in fresh and estuar-ine waters.

Jennifer Fritz, Gaither High, wasawarded $1,600. Students will visit CrystalSprings Preserve to test water quality andgather biological samples to study the healthof the Hillsborough River and the surround-ing watershed.

Carolyn Klein, Giunta Middle, wasawarded $1,931. Students will care for plantsusing water from rain barrels and otherwater-conserving methods learned in class.Students will create and distribute brochuresabout their garden conservation efforts.

Sara White, Henderson HammockCharter, was awarded $754. Students willbecome “Watershed Warriors” and create apodcast sharing what they learn throughclassroom activities on the water cycle, water-sheds and water quality.

Iris Willis, Hillsborough High, wasawarded $2,500. Students will study stormwater runoff by monitoring water quality atthe Robles Park retention pond. Studentswill work with the City of Tampa Beautifica-tion Department to design landscaping thatfilters pollutants before entering the pond.The project will be promoted by hostingcommunity meetings, creating a digitalmovie and presenting to the school boardamong other outlets.

Deborah Flock, Jackson Elementary,was awarded $2,999. Students will tour awater treatment facility to learn how waste-water can affect freshwater resources. Stu-dents will also study wetland habitats andtest water quality on a field trip to WaldenLake. A community awareness campaign willallow students to share what they’ve learned.

Kristy Carew, King High, wasawarded $2,250. Students will test water andsoil and learn about different animal andplant species while on field trips to UpperTampa Bay Park and Crystal Springs Pre-serve.

Michele Smcox, KnightsElementary, was awarded $1,040. Studentswill take a field trip to Cockroach Bay to testthe water quality and dip net for living or-ganisms in the water. They will learn the im-portance of healthy water and ecosystems.

Jane Kemp, Lawton Chiles Elemen-tary, was awarded $1,699. Students will par-ticipate in activities centered on the watercycle, water pollution and aquifer rechargewhile on a field trip to Sweetwater OrganicFarm. Students will also maintain a water-conserving garden on the school’s campusand monitor water use in the garden.

Cynthia Doyle, Lincoln Elementary

Magnet, was awarded $263. Throughwater-related books and classroom resources,students will learn water is a limited resourceand why it’s important to conserve water.Students will make brochures to share withothers.

Ashley Biernacki, Mann Middle, wasawarded $2,802. Students will trace waterand pollutants from Crystal Springs toTampa Bay while testing water quality at sev-eral field locations. Students will educateothers about how human actions on land af-fect freshwater resources.

LeeAnne Foster, Martinez Middle,was awarded $1,615. Students will learnabout water conservation, water quality andwatersheds through classroom activities andthe use of rain barrels and hydroponic gar-dening systems. Students will teach fourth-graders from a nearby school about waterconservation and watersheds.

Elaine Gibbs, Middleton High, wasawarded $1,800. Students will study the var-ious habitats at Crystal Springs Preserve andtest water samples from each. Students willalso perform an investigation of the Hillsbor-ough River and tour a sewage treatmentplant about a treatment plant’s role in waterconservation.

Deborah Seto, Orange Grove Mid-dle Magnet, was awarded $2,670. Studentswill test water and soil at Crystal Springs Pre-serve and compare it to data collected in re-tention and detention ponds in east Tampa.Through their comparison, students willlearn about the health of the HillsboroughRiver.

Deetra McAlmont, Potter Elemen-tary, was awarded $3,000. Students will par-ticipate in activities centered on the watercycle, water pollution and aquifer rechargewhile on a field trip to Sweetwater OrganicFarm.

Jennell Graham, Pride Elementary,was awarded $2,800. Students will learnabout the water cycle and how it relates toweather patterns. They will track rain fall andlearn about the importance of rain as asource of fresh water. Students will also learnabout estuarine habitats while on a field tripat Tampa Bay Watch.

Georgianna Trowbridge, RiverviewHigh School, was awarded $2,512. Stu-dents will test water quality and exploreaquatic species at Crystal Springs Preserve.Students will complete a study to see howsoil, vegetation and wildlife may be affectedby their proximity to the Hillsborough River.

Gladys Jackson, Robles Elementary,was awarded $240. Through classroom ac-tivities, students will learn about the impor-tance of water and conserving it. As a class,students will create a book about what theylearn. The book will be published and sharedwith other classes and the student’s families.

Cindy Wilkinson, Seminole Elemen-tary, was awarded $3,000. Students will par-ticipate in activities centered on the watercycle, water pollution and aquifer rechargewhile on a field trip to Sweetwater OrganicFarm.

Amy Stockard, Springhead Elemen-tary, was awarded $1,170. Students willlearn ways to minimize the negative effectsof landscaping and agriculture on Florida’swater supply and water quality. Students willcompare water saved through hydroponicversus traditional gardening methods.

Andria Keene, Strawberry CrestHigh, was awarded $1,634. Students will

visit the Florida Aquarium and learn aboutrivers and estuaries while identifying aquaticspecies and testing water. Students will alsoparticipate in a community service-learningproject to establish oyster bars with TampaBay Watch.

Christine Saettone, Tampa BayBoulevard Elementary, was awarded$3,000. Students will participate in activitiescentered on the water cycle, water pollutionand aquifer recharge while on a field trip toSweetwater Organic Farm.

Julie Sackles, Tampa Bay TechnicalHigh, was awarded $1,300. Students willlearn about the Hillsborough River and itswatershed on a field trip to Crystal SpringsPreserve where students will test water sam-ples and collect specimen. They will also re-move invasive plants on the river as part of acommunity service project.

Michele Paschal, Tampa Palms Ele-mentary, was awarded $2,984. Students willlearn about the water cycle and water conser-vation and use water collected in rain barrelsto supply the school’s garden. Students willshare this information on the school’s morn-ing news show and create a newsletter forthe community.

Meichelle Long, Terrace Commu-nity Middle, was awarded $2,400. Studentswill participate in activities centered on thewater cycle, water pollution and aquiferrecharge while on a field trip to SweetwaterOrganic Farm.

Emily Petrilli, Tomlin Middle, wasawarded $1,384. Students will visit CrystalSprings Preserve to test water quality and ex-plore aquatic species. Students will also per-form an invasive species clean-up along theHillsborough River and educate othersthrough the school’s website and morningshow.

The goal of the Splash! school grantprogram is to provide teachers with fundingto enhance student knowledge of topics thatmeet the district’s core mission and teachstudents about their local watersheds, waterconservation, quality and supply. Splash!school grants provide up to $3,000 perschool on a reimbursement basis and areavailable to public school teachers.

Melissa Gulvin, the district’s K-12 edu-cation coordinator, said the grant program isimportant because Splash! grants providefunding teachers may not otherwise have tocreate water-resources programs specific totheir students.

“For instance, if a school’s campus isnear a local water body, students may con-duct hands-on water testing and cleanupswhile learning how their actions affect thehealth of that local water body and the sur-rounding watershed,” she said.

This year, 94 Splash! grants wereawarded across the district’s 16-county re-gion to educate students on water resources.Splash! grant projects include student moni-toring of local water quality, environmentalfield studies and school or community out-reach campaigns designed to encouragewater conservation.

In addition to Splash! grant funding,the district offers free teacher professionaldevelopment workshops and curriculum ma-terials. The publications are correlated toFlorida’s Next Generation Sunshine StateScience Standards and the Common CoreState Standards and can be ordered on theDistrict’s website at WaterMatters.org/pub-lications/.


She says, “Our goal is to providehealthy food to the people in ourcommunity. We want to be here forthe long haul.” Even if you are at-tempting to eat healthier for the firsttime, Fresh Planet’s menu offers manyoptions for the ‘newbie’. The menuhas so many great items to choosefrom and they will gladly personalizeyour order and tailor it to your indi-vidual preferences.

On my past visit, one of the mostimpressive and new cuisines I experi-enced was the Peanut Butter Walnutsmoothie. It may seem like otherpeanut butter shakes you have had,with banana, honey and soy milk, butit has an additional ingredient – oat-meal – that really sets it apart. Perfectfor breakfast or a midday snack, this

shake packs fruit, protein and yourdaily fiber needs. The best part is thatthe consistency is appealing as well andthe taste is great!

Fresh Planet also has an extensivelist of fresh fruit smoothies as well, of-fered to you with no added sugar,syrups or preservatives. Often fast foodplaces claim to have this same quality,but don’t be fooled! When I asked forthe Fuzzy Navel smoothie (freshsqueezed orange juice, peaches and

By Erin Aldrich

If you are looking for an innova-tive fast food alternative, it has arrivedin Westchase! Fresh Planet Café notonly offers fresh ingredients in everymenu item but does so in an excitingnew way. Whether you are visiting forsomething light, or come packing anappetite, there is much to choose fromon the Fresh Planet menu.

Fresh Planet Café is a Quick Serv-ice Restaurant that brings 100%healthy and 100% delicious foods to amainstream setting and each of theirsmoothie options provides a 100%

daily serving of fruits and/or vegeta-bles. In addition to smoothies, FreshPlanet Café offers a variety of healthyand delicious foods. Some of the mostpreferred menu items include theTeriyaki Rice Bowl, MediterraneanFlatbread and Mick’s Mixed Berrysmoothie. You are sure to find itemson the menu that you’ll love, even ifyou are not a health food guru. Thevariety and array of culture inter-twined within each menu item will ap-peal to any craving or lifestyle.Franchise owners, Steve Tanner andEmber Young, stress the importanceof variety on the menu. Steve says,“We offer items that are different, like

our flatbread pizzas pre-pared on wheat pita.”

Fresh Planet’s cus-tomers often commentthat they are so excitedto finally have a placethat offers healthy foodthat tastes great. It is evi-dent that the Westchasecommunity believes it isimportant to start eatinghealthier; something thatEmber fully supports.

Fresh Planet Café – Eat Right, Feel Right!


mango), Kristi, a valued employee,prepared it for me in a fresh fashionwhere I could witness each ingredientbeing added to the blender. No sugar,no syrup, no ice and no water – amaz-ing! Fresh Planet also offers a full serv-ice juice bar where customers canrequest wheat grass shots, as well asjuices such as carrot, celery and or-ange, to name a few; all of which aredirect from the source, and again, withno additives. They keep it simple –pure freshness and purely organic.

Are your kids more apt to eat afast food burger and fries? Don’t thinkthey would try fresh carrot juice? In-troduce them and be amazed. Emberreports many instances where she haswitnessed kids enjoying healthychoices on their first experience. Shesays, “We want to help parents intro-

duce healthy foods to their kids.”Fresh Planet also offers a kids menu,where they do not have the option be-tween fries and apples, because FreshPlanet does not offer a single frieditem! They do offer fresh hummusmade from scratch with toasted wheatpita bread; an excellent side item toaccompany their delicious GreekChicken Pita or tasty Saturn Salad.

And let’s not leave out the ricebowl options – prepared with brownrice, fresh vegetables and many proteinoptions. My favorite is the PeanutThai rice bowl, made with chicken,snow peas, carrots, red peppers, broc-coli and walnuts, smothered in Thaipeanut sauce. Dominique, A.K.A“The Pro”, another valued FreshPlanet employee, prepared this lovelydish with ease and expertise. At Fresh

Planet, the staff pays close attention toportion control, and again, is willingto modify any dish to your liking.

As if this does not spark your in-terest and appetite, how about thespecials they offer! Any order $25.00or more receives a $5.00 discount anytime and every Sunday all smoothiesare a dollar off!

Fresh Planet Café is also activelyinvolved in our community. Theirmost recent effort supported a localelementary school, Forest Lakes, intheir effort to raise money for a PTAwalk. Fresh Planet often partners withlocal gyms and would like to extend a

welcome to more opportunities withneighboring businesses to spread thenews about their amazingly healthyfood. At Fresh Planet Café, it is notjust about getting healthy; it is aboutstaying healthy and enjoying the expe-rience in the process!

Fresh Planet is located in frontof the Lowe’s shopping center at13811 West Hillsborough Ave inTampa. Hours are Mon. – Sat. 10a.m. – 10 p.m. and Sun. 10 a.m. – 9p.m. For more information or toview their menu please call (813)814-1000 or visit their website atwww.FreshPlanetFranchise.com.


By Marcy Sanford

Spring is here and now is the per-fect time to entertain friends or relaxwith family around a lovely pool orback patio. A lanai is a great addition,because it allows you to enjoy thebeautiful Florida days and warmFlorida nights without being botheredby creepy bugs and lizards. It also pro-vides much needed shade during theday and helps maintain your pool’scleanliness by keeping leaves and de-bris out. But while our Florida weathercertainly has many perks, it can alsohave a downside in that the strong sunand rains can create extra wear andtear to your lanai. Children, pets, andeven weed-eaters or lawn-edgers canalso cause tears to your screens. Whenyou start to notice bugs and lizards in-side your lanai, have a hard time open-ing your screen door, or see a silverreflection on sunny days, it’s time tocall the experts at Screens ‘R’ Us.

Located in the Westchase area,Screens ‘R’ Us can repair a singlepanel, completely re-screen an enclo-sure, or replace worn-out hardware.They’ve been serving the area since2003 and have more than 5,000 com-

pletely satisfied cus-tomers. In 2006,2007, 2011 and2012 Screens ‘R’ Uswas awarded the cov-eted Angie’s ListSuper Service Award– an exclusive recognition awarded tocompanies who have achieved andmaintained a superior service rating onAngie’s List for a full year. Less thanfive percent of the companies onAngie’s List meet the eligibility re-quirements for this award.

“Screens ‘R’ Us is a very profes-sional, responsible company,” says cus-tomer Brenda M. “They appeared forthe estimate as promised. They per-formed the job as promised and did anexcellent job in a very timely manner. Iam so very pleased with the quality ofwork as well as the manner in whichthe job was done.”

Owner Andy Bukowski comesfrom a corporate background and heprides himself on the professionalismand integrity of his staff. “Most of theemployees at Screens ‘R’ Us have fiveto eight years of experience and somewith over 20 years of experience in thescreen repair business,” says Andy.

“We make sure the job is done cor-rectly the first time so our clients canget back outside and enjoy their patioarea.”

The average life span of a screen iseight to ten years, but damage frompets, children, lawn equipment, thehot sun, and strong storms, can causeit to wear out quicker. Screens ‘R’ Uscan replace individual panels or com-pletely restore your lanai. They willcome out and give you a free estimate,and in most cases you don’t even haveto be home while they complete therepairs.

If you do need to replace your en-tire lanai, Screens ‘R’ Us are the ex-perts to turn to. Screens ‘R’ Uscustomer Steve M. says, “Screens ‘R’Us completely re-screened our 48' x25' pool cage plus re-screened the sidepanels of a very large lanai and in-stalled a large ‘doggie door’. The crewalso replaced the door hardware on

two screen doors; pressure washed theenclosure and repainted or replacedrusted screen anchors and screws.They did an outstanding job. The en-tire enclosure looks brand new eventhough it's 12 years old. They fully re-stored the look of the entire area.From the screening, to the supports,to the doors, it all looks like it was justinstalled. The dog door was well in-stalled with a frame that will ensurelongevity. Equally impressive was theclean-up they did when the job wascompleted; you couldn't tell anyonehad even been working there. Screens'R' Us are totally professional – theydid exactly what they said they wouldand did a little more as well.”

Screens R’ Us – Your Screen Repair Experts!

APRIL 2013 11For Ad Info Call (813) 928-6124 or Visit NeighborhoodNewsFL.comWestchase Area Neighborhood News

In addition to replacing torn orworn out screens, Screens ‘R’ Us canrestore your whole enclosure by re-placing door handles, closures, hinges,door bug sweeps, and kick plates. Insome cases, the lower support anchorson a lanai have rusted and are nolonger attached to the cement slab.Screens ‘R’ Us will re-secure the alu-minum structure by replacing rustedlower anchor supports as well as the tie

down straps that may have rusted orbeen cut by landscaping. This will re-store the structural stability of the en-closure – giving you a brand new andfully functioning lanai.

If you have a screen that has beendamaged by a pet or by a grass trim-mer or another lawn maintenance ma-chine, Screens ‘R’ Us can help. Theyspecialize in pet door installation andspecial heavy-duty pet screening that is

resistant to damage caused by largepets. Dog doors come in sizes, fromsmall to extra large, and many catlovers install the small sized doors fortheir feline friends.

Screens ‘R’ Us can also help youcome up with solutions for any spe-cialty screening needs like solar screensthat offer more protection and insome cases full protection from thesun or heavy mesh screens that give

you extra privacy.

Don’t let a worn out screenruin your summer fun. Call Screens‘R’ Us today for a free estimate. Toschedule an estimate from Screens‘R’ Us, visit their web sitewww.ScreensRUs.com, [email protected], or call (813)295-1217 or (813) 410-1914.

(L)In addition to replacing torn or worn out screens, the professionals at Screens R’ Us can restore your old enclosure to its original splendor. (R) Andy (L) and Edvin (R) will help you come up with solutions for any specialty screening need.


By Alexis Selby

As our largest organ and the pro-tector of everything within, our skinplays a significant role in the harmo-nious functioning and overall regula-tion of our body, and as such, it iscrucial that we do all we can to pre-serve it and maintain the healthiestskin possible. Part of this preservationand maintenance often involves seeinga dermatologist. And, regardless ofwhether you have a specific issue orwould just like to get a regular check-up, it is imperative that you find a der-matologist who you can trust; onewho, if you should have an issue withyour skin, will get to the root of theproblem and find out exactly what isgoing on.

For over 20 years, board-certifieddermatologist Robert Norman, DO,has been leading the way in the ad-vancement of skin care, and providingpatients in the Tampa Bay Area withthe very best in dermatological healthcare. Dr. Norman is extremely knowl-edgeable in the various facets of medi-cine and spent many years studying theentire body before centering his focus

on the specific field of dermatology.When Dr. Norman first entered intothe medical field he started off in fam-ily medicine, concentrating on primarycare, emergency medicine and geri-atrics; it was there that he realized hislove for dermatology and continuedhis education in that field. Dr. Nor-man specializes in geriatric dermatol-ogy, and provides the most innovativetreatments in general and cosmeticdermatology to people of all ages.

Dr. Norman has such a passionfor what he does and it is evident howmuch he really does care about eachand every patient. Dr. Norman says, “Ilove what I do. People are always veryappreciative because they know that Iam helping them. I provide a lot of re-assurance to people, and that is alwaysa nice thing to be able to do.” His der-matology practice is one of the toppractices in the country and one of thevery few in the state of Florida to ac-cept Medicaid, which he does solelybecause he believes everyone deservesthe right to have beautiful, healthyskin. Dr. Norman says, “I like takingcare of my patients; that’s why I wentinto Medicine – I wanted to help peo-

ple. I am one of the few providers thattakes Medicaid, and because of that Isee people from all over the state everyday. My favorite part of my job is help-ing people. When my patients leaveand express that they are better, that isby far the best reward of what I do.”

The list of Dr. Norman’s creden-tials is truly impressive and his experi-ence and knowledge regardingdermatology, and general medicine forthat matter, ranks him among the verybest in not only the state of Florida,but the entire country. Dr. Norman isa faculty member for five medicalschools and has been honored withnumerous service and teaching awards,including Physician of the Year in2005, Distinguished Service Award in2007 for Hillsborough County, andTampa Bay Medical Hero Award in2008. He has written 23 books, in-cluding a textbook on Geriatric der-matology in 2001, the first textbookon preventative dermatology in 2010,and the recently published TheWoman Who Lost Her Skin (AndOther Dermatological Tales), which isprimarily based on articles he has writ-ten in Discover magazine, and Mother

Nature, Fa-ther Time-Tales ofMedicine.He has beenthe editor offour text-books onGeriatricsand GeriatricDermatol-ogy andpublishedover 100 ar-ticles in vari-ous major media publications.

In addition to his regular practice,Dr. Norman also has a private practiceand is the chief physician and owner ofDermatology Healthcare, founded in1994, which delivers essential skin careservices for nursing home patients.Last year alone, he saw over 32,000nursing home residents throughoutthe state of Florida. Dr. Norman isalso the first in the country to offermobile radiation for cancer and on-siteskin cancer surgery to nursing homepatients.

In his free time Dr. Norman is

Dr. Norman – Preserving Your Natural Skin For a Lifetime

Dr. Robert Norman,DO


very active in his community and likesto spend time with his wife Carol andtheir five children, who have beenbrought together in a blended family.When he can he plays tennis, trap-shooting, biking, kayaking and theharmonica.

Dr. Norman and his staff providedermatological services in both generaland cosmetic dermatology, includingthe treatment of Eczema, Psoriasis,

Acne, Rosacea, skin cancer, moles andmelanoma, as well as cosmetic proce-dures such as Restylane, Botox, laserhair reduction, microdermabrasion,chemical peels and Sclerotherapy. Dr.Norman also performs all types of skinsurgeries.

“We practice more comprehensivecare,” says Dr. Norman. “I like to getto know my patients and take care ofthem as a whole; addressing any other

medical problems, in addition to thosewith their skin.” As a dermatologistwith a background in primary care,Dr. Norman is able to both diagnoseand treat his patients with a higherlevel of expertise than one might nor-mally find at a dermatologist.

Education is of high importanceto Dr. Norman and when he is not athis office, he teaches at seven differentmedical schools throughout the state,

educating students on the various as-pects of dermatology. He worksclosely with local universities and con-stantly has students in the office shad-owing him to help them get hand-ontraining in the field. He also has hisown weekly radio show called ‘DocTalk’ on 860 AM. With everythingthat is going on in his life, Dr. Nor-man explains, “I condition my time toget a lot done during the course of theday. It is a matter of concentration anddiscipline.”

One happy patient writes, “Beforevisiting Dr. Norman I had been to twoother dermatologists and had been putthrough tests with no results. Dr. Nor-man took the time to explain my con-dition and what course of treatmentwas best for me. He gave me informa-tion on support groups and his staffwas attentive and patient. I have sentmy sister to him and she was veryhappy with the office.”

Dr. Norman’s office is locatedat 8002 Gunn Hwy. in Tampa. Of-fice hours are Mon. – Fri. 9 a.m. – 5p.m. For more information or toschedule an appointment please call(813) 880-SKIN (7546), [email protected], or visittheir website at www.DrRobert-Norman.com.


The Learning Experience Academy of Early EducationWhen you walk into The Learn-

ing Experience Academy of Early Ed-ucation at 3933 Tampa Road inOldsmar, you instantly get a sensebeing amongst family. The entire fa-cility is immaculately kept and afriendly face is there to greet you asyou walk in the door. It instantly be-comes obvious that the people thatbuilt this center put a lot of thoughtinto creating a facility that caters to ayoung child’s every need.

By catering to a child’s everyneed, The Learning Experience hasestablished itself as much more thana normal, everyday child care center.Although the center is rather new, itis part of a larger franchise systemthat has been built on more thanthree decades of experience in pro-viding children with the tools andenvironment necessary to achieve the

highest potential intheir stages of earlylearning.

The LearningExperience® is ableto accomplish thisby giving childrenthe support theyneed to develop so-cially, physicallyand emotionally ina safe and secureenvironment. Pro-grams like theircutting edge, propri-etary L.E.A.P.(Learning Experi-ence Academic Pro-gram) curriculumand Fun with Phonics have nearly90% of participating children readingby the time they enter kindergarten.Other programs that are part of theeveryday curriculum include sign lan-guage, technology (computers areprovided in all classrooms for 2.5years of age and above), L.E.A.P.into Spanish®, physical fitness andManners Matter® and have childrenexercising not only their minds, buttheir bodies as well. This well-rounded approach to early educationof both the body and mind has madeThe Learning Experience the leadinginnovators in the child care industry.

In keeping with their innovativeways, The Learning Experience re-cently introduced their L.E.A.P. In-teractive® curriculum. This nextgeneration of curriculum has beenspecifically designed to enhanceTLE’s existing L.E.A.P.® curriculumby having children engage in cutting-edge, touch technology on a large,interactive screen. L.E.A.P are sup-plemented with real-time videos and

eye-opening destinations that areshown on the interactive board viaGoogle Earth®. Children can reachout and touch these destinations andtravel the world without ever leavingthe classroom. This interactive tech-nology also allows children to utilizethis high-tech means of education to"fill it," "shape it," "draw it," and"spotlight it." The touch-screengives them the ability to learn hands-on rather than just seeing it in a bookor hearing about it from a teacher.This hands-on, next level technologydefinitely offers children an educa-tional experience that is rarely offeredor acquired anywhere else.

Further evidence of their com-mitment to caring for children is thestaff at The Learning Experience.Each staff member is a loving andnurturing individual with exceptionalcredentials. Teachers and assistantsmust follow strict guidelines, meet allstate certification requirements andare encouraged to participate insponsored continuing education pro-

grams. Mandatory First Aid trainingand CPR courses are provided annu-ally. Consistent evaluations by superi-ors and parents help maintain thecenter's high standard of excellencefor its staff.

If you’re not already thoroughlyimpressed by the learning and thegrowing that takes place at TheLearning Experience, you should seehow they play! The Learning Experi-ence’s unique play area, called MakeBelieve Boulevard® is a scaled downversion of Main Street, U.S.A. thatincludes a fire station, diner, generalstore, post office and garage. Withinthis area, children can engage insocio-dramatic activities that encour-ages playfulness and role-playing.

Whether your child is an infantor preschooler, The Learning Experi-ence offers the very best in age-ap-propriate care and academic andenrichment programming.

The Learning Experience inOldsmar is located at 3933 TampaBecky Shield, Director at

The Learning Experience.

At The Learning Experience they make learning fun,and cater to your child’s every need, by giving them the

support they need to develop socially, physically andemotionally in a safe and secure environment.


Road in Oldsmar. Hours are Mon.– Fri. 6:30a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Formore information, or to schedule atour of their facility, please call

The Learning Experience in Olds-mar at (813) 855-7572 or visitthem at oldsmar.tlechildcare.com.

(L) The Learning Experience boasts large classrooms.(R)Make Believe Boulevard® is a scaled down version of Main Street, U.S.A.


travel a lot and the fact that we canrely on a clean, well-kept yard andlawn means a lot. We don’t have toworry about the condition of ourlandscaping while we’re gone. I havereceived many words of appreciationfrom the people we have referred tothem. They have a long list of satisfiedclients."

With April being the start of hisbusy season, Schomers and his crewsare prepared to mow each customer’syard once a week from April throughOctober, and then every other week inDecember, January and February. Hehas had his same employees for thepast six years, with the exception ofone who has worked for him for threeyears. He prides himself on thelongevity of his employees, becausethey are all familiar with each yard,making their care more personalized.

“Since I’ve been a homeowner for23 years, I know what you need,” saysSchomers, as he talks about his 20years of observations living in CentralFlorida. Because of his experience, hehas learned what does and doesn’twork. He says, “This area is its own

animal, as far as the climate. Some-thing that might work in Fort Laud-erdale or Tallahassee might notnecessarily work here, just because it’sFlorida.”

With a niche in residential yards,Schomers Lawn Service prefers cus-tomers who are going to want a year-round yard. Most of his customerscome from word of mouth, and a lot ofpeople call him because they are un-happy with their current service. Happyto help, Schomers takes the time to findout what’s wrong and what his crewscan do to make it better.

“I have spent 20 years building upcustomers,” says Schomers, and as atestament to his quality service, he stillhas one of his very first clients, and hasbeen caring for her yard in Westchasesince the very beginning. “I have had alot of return business.”

Although Schomers mowed grass

as a kid, he didn’t get into the lawnservice business until after purchasinghis own home. The house next doorwas for sale and the yard was left un-cared for, as it was pending being pur-

chased. Schomers called the Realtorand asked if he could mow it, which inturn lead the Realtor to give him morejobs. During this time he was offered ajob with an established lawn care serv-

“Schomers Lawn”Continued from page 1

Schomers Lawn Service will give your yard the attention it deserves!


ice, where he worked for a year. Helearned a lot and was able to start hisown business simultaneously.

Before getting into the lawn carebusiness, Michael used to be a full-time musician; traveling and playing alldifferent types of music. “We had twolittle girls and he got tired of beingaway from them every night,” says hiswife, Gail Schomers. With a studio inhis home, Schomers still plays andrecords music as a hobby, and now hisdaughters join him in singing. “I’veactually written songs while mowing,”adds Michael. “I’ve just got my ownthoughts and plenty of time.”

A family man with a love for the

outdoors,Schomers is happyto be cutting grass.He joked aboutsometimes feelinglike a referral serv-ice as well. His cus-tomers often askhim if he knows adog sitter or anypest control busi-nesses. “Whateveryou need, of courseyou’re going to askthe lawn guy,” saysSchomers. “I do

usually know somebody.”He doesn’t charge extra for his re-

ferrals, and as far as price for lawn care,Schomers decides this based on theyard and what services the customerwants. His prices are very fair, and asfar as quality is concerned, you are get-ting the very best for your money.

Quality customer service is whatreally sets his company apart fromtheir competition in the Westchasearea. “Taking care of someone’s lawnis more than just riding a mower,” saysSchomers. “Most people want de-tailed, customized lawn service – that’sour specialty!”

Also, Schomers points out thatlarger companies focus on commerciallawn care, and they don’t always giveresidential yards the attention theyneed. “Just mowing some home-owner’s yard isn’t on their list of prior-ities, but that’s what we do,” saysSchomers. “Just showing up regularlyand on time and doing a good job –that’s half the battle.”

Customer Pam K. of Westchasewrites, "Schomers Lawn Service hasbeen maintaining and landscaping myyard for the past four years. The busi-ness itself is run very efficiently and itsstaff is very accommodating. The

owner and employees make sure mylawn is in prime condition and, if not,they work diligently to perfect mylandscape. I have complete confidencein them, knowing that my lawn carewill be done and my garden beds areperfectly manicured each week. I amso appreciative of everything SchomersLawn Service does for me and myyard."

For more information onSchomers Lawn Service or to get afree quote, please call (813) 792-1492 or visit the website atwww.SchomersLawnService.com.


of PSI Omega Dental Fraternity. Shecompleted a one-year residency in Ad-vanced Education of General Den-tistry, where she studied at theDawson Center for the Advancementof Dentistry. Dr. de la Torre’s enjoy-ment of community involvement hascarried over into her practice. She is aan active member of the AmericanDental Association, Florida Dental As-sociation, Hillsborough County Den-tal Association, West Coast DentalAssociation and the Dental Organiza-tion for Conscious Sedation. Dr. de laTorre is certified in Botox and DermalFillers, as well as Invisalign.

Dr. de la Torre is very involved indentistry on both a local and statelevel, and she attends extracurriculartraining every year in Scottsdale, Ari-zona at the Spear Education Campus.She is compassionate about being in-volved around the local area and par-ticipates in the Give Kids A Smileprogram, which allows her to choose achildren’s home and provide free den-tistry to kids who may not otherwisebe able to receive the care. As a mem-ber of Dentist Day on the Hill, Dr. dela Torre joins others in Tallahassee

every year to lobby for issues withinthe dental industry. Dr. de la Torre’spassion for her profession is evident inall aspects of her work, especially thequality, professional care she providesto each of her patients.

Creating Beautiful Smiles“We have a mission to guide our

patients along a path of optimal healthand wellness for life, while non-judg-mentally delivering the highest possi-ble level of care with empathy andunderstanding”, says Dr. de la Torre.“We continuously pursue excellencethrough continuing education, per-sonal and team growth, and masteryof the leading-edge technology.”

Delatorre Dentistry focuses onrestoring and enhancing the naturalbeauty of your smile through the useof conservative, state-of-the-art proce-dures that result in long lasting smiles.By providing comprehensive dentalcare, Delatorre Dentistry is able tohelp patients reach the highest oralhealth possible and throughout theprocess, provide a learning experiencethat leaves you with the educationneeded for preventative care. As apractice, Delatorre Dentistry believesthat “preventative care and education”are the main ingredients for optimaldental health. Exams focus on check-

ing the overall health of teeth andgums, performing oral cancer checksand taking digital x-rays to ensureprime care. Dr. de la Torre says,“Routine cleanings, flossing, sealantsand fluoride are all helpful in prevent-ing dental disease. We focus on thebeauty of your smile as well as yourhealth.” Delatorre Dentistry maintainssterilization and cross contaminationprocesses using standards recom-mended by the American Dental Asso-ciation, the Occupational Safety and

Health Administration and the Centerfor Disease Control.

Building trusting relationshipswith patients leads to positive experi-ences, and at Delatorre Dentistry thecaring staff strives to build a founda-tion of trust by treating patients asspecial individuals. Dr. de la Torresays, “We give more personal attentionto patients. We give them options andallow patients to make choices in theirdental care.” Dr. de la Torre is bilin-gual, speaking both English and Span-

“Delatorre Dental”Continued from page 1

Delatorre Dentistry is conveniently located at10830 Sheldon Road in Tampa.


ish, and together with her experiencedstaff at Delatorre Dentistry, all ofwhich have been working at the officefor the past 10 to 25 years, pridethemselves on providing quality cus-tomer service to all of their patients.Delatorre Dentistry has four doctoroperatories and two private hygieneoperatories for your comfort.

Delatorre Dentistry specializes incosmetic dentistry through Invisalign,and smile makeovers, as well as generalcleanings and prevention, periodontaldisease, restorations and orthodontics.The practice offers sedation dentistry,which is a technique that aims to phar-macologically alter your central nervoussystem (CNS) to produce an overallcalm and relaxed (sedated) sensation.Sedative drugs (tranquillizers, depres-sants, sleeping pills, anxiolytics, etc.) areused to induce sedation and can be ad-ministered in a variety of ways to ac-commodate people who have dentalphobia. Sedation Dentistry allows pa-tients to relax in a safe, environmentwhile receiving the necessary treatmentneeded for oral health.

Delatorre Dentistry provides thefollowing sedative options:

· Local anesthesia – the mostcommon method – which can be ad-ministered via injection in the mouth.Convenient, because they leave you

conscious and fully aware, local anes-thetics are best used for minor dentalprocedures.

· Inhalation Analgesia (alsoknown as Laughing Gas or NitrousOxide), which is administered througha small nose-hood placed over thenose prior to and throughout thetreatment. Nitrous Oxide is one of themore commonly requested types ofanesthesia from people who have anxi-eties about their procedure and pa-tients typically experience an overallfeeling of well being, tingling and

numbness. · Oral Sedation: In the form of a

small pill, oral sedation is given beforedental procedures to diminish aware-ness of pain, sounds, and smells. Oralsedation is most commonly associatedwith sedation dentistry.

As an Invisalign provider, Dr. dela Torre is able to help you get thebeautiful, straight smile you’ve alwayswanted. With custom-made clearmolds and less treatment time, In-visalign might be the best alternativeto braces for you. With her expertise,

Dr. de la Torre ensures that you willreceive the perfect, comfortable fit foryour mouth.

Along with wonderful compre-hensive dental care, Dr. de la Torre of-fers Botox and Juvederm treatmentsfor patients looking to enhance theiryouthful features. Confidence shinesbright, and with Dr. de la Torre’s den-tal processes and cosmetic enhance-ments- you are sure to walk outfeeling proud, confident and beautiful.

Dr. Alina de la Torre, DMD, isdedicated to your comfort and easewithin her office. She will build a rela-tionship with you that allows you tobe confident in her professional care.She works with patients from all back-grounds and strives to make personallasting relationships with each individ-ual that walks into the office.

Dr. de la Torre is happily marriedto her husband Matthew De-Domenico, D.M.D, who is a local or-thodontist, and together they share awonderful son, Tyler, who was justborn on February 10 of this year.

Delatorre Dentistry is locatedat 10830 Sheldon Road in Tampa.Office hours are Mon. – Thurs. 8a.m. – 5 p.m. For more informa-tion, please call (813) 792- 9400 orvisit them online at www.Delatorre-Dentistry.com.

The professional staff at Delatorre Dentistry is dedicated to your comfort,and strives to make personl, lasting relationships with their patients.

live with. But that is not true. Moder-ate and severe tinnitus can affect yourquality of life. Sometimes the ringingis so loud that patients are unable tofall asleep at night or concentrate dur-ing the day. They may have a difficulttime participating in conversationswith others or even watching T.V.People suffering from tinnitus oftenfind they are fatigued throughout theday and sometimes the tinnitus leadsto severe depression. Up until about ayear ago, there was not a lot that wecould do to effectively treat tinnitus,we were only helping patients learn tocope with it. But new advances in neu-rophysiology mean that we now havea clinically based, FDA cleared treat-ment to cure tinnitus.”

Dr. Alvarez evaluates your hearingand conducts a thorough tinnitus eval-uation, so she will know exactly whatyour tinnitus sounds like. This helpsher develop a treatment plan cus-tomized for you. Dr. Alvarez says thatmany patients notice an immediate re-duction in the ringing, although thefull treatment could take anywherefrom 9 to 24 months. After the initialevaluation, consultation, and fitting,

patients spend between 2 to 4 hours aday wearing the Tinnitus RetrainingDevice (TRT). The TRT device isabout the size of an iPod with ear-phones, and patients are able to partic-ipate in most of their regular home orwork activities while wearing it. “Wehave had a wonderful year helping thepeople in this community improvetheir quality of life,” says Dr. Alvarez.“I want tinnitus sufferers to know thatthey do not have to live with the ring-ing, depression, hearing loss, and frus-tration. We can help them.”

Dr. Alvarez cautions that frequentbouts of ringing in your ears is one ofthe first signs of hearing loss or can bea symptom of a more serious condi-tion. If you are experiencing frequentringing in your ears or notice yourselfmissing conversations or asking peopleto repeat themselves, you should haveyour hearing evaluated. Alvarez Audi-ology offers free hearing screenings tothe community. All you have to do iscall and schedule an appointment.

Alvarez Audiology helps patientsof all ages, from newborns to cente-narians. Dr. Alvarez and her caringstaff are experts in the most recent re-search and technologies to help theirpatients improve their quality of life.Whether you are experiencing tinnitusand want to stop the ringing in your


“Alvarez Audiology”Continued from page 1

ears; hearing loss and want to makesure you don’t miss another word; orare exposed to loud noise on a regularbasis at work and want to protect yourhearing, Dr. Alvarez can develop acustomized treatment plan for you. “Ienjoy working personally with my pa-tients to make sure their treatmentworks for them,” says Dr. Alvarez.

Alvarez Audiology’s patients ap-preciate Dr. Alvarez’s attention anddedication. Patient Samuel writes,

“Dr. Alvarez truly cares for her pa-tients. She is concerned that theirhearing is improved, regardless ofwhat is involved. Dr. Alvarez neverhurries, or pushes her patients to makedecisions. She is very patient and sen-sitive. If a patient is frustrated withtheir lack of hearing and the resultingcommunication issues, her counsel isvery practical and appropriate. I verylikely would not be wearing hearingaids right now if not for the help of

Alvarez Audiology is conveniently located in the Gunn Executive Center at6615 Gunn Highway in Tampa.


Dr. Alvarez. My loss was 20-40% and Iwas doing ‘OK’ in my profession with-out aids. She completely understoodmy vanity issue, being a publicspeaker, and worked with me throughtwo models of aids until I was com-fortable with the aids I use now. Dr.Alvarez is my favorite doctor of all my

62 years.”Alvarez Audiology hosts events

and seminars throughout the year tohelp educate the community on hear-ing issues and resolutions. The officealso offers a quarterly newsletter avail-able through mail or electronically.

Dr. Alvarez says, “When you aresuffering from tinnitus or hearing lossin general, your brain is so busy tryingto cope with the problem, that youmay lose some cognitive ability. It canbe mentally and physically fatiguingbecause your brain has to work extrajust to cope with the auditory prob-lem. Hearing loss may be less notice-able and develop more gradually thantinnitus but it can be just as frustrat-ing. Many patients notice a positive ef-fect with their energy level or feelphysically better overall after they starta hearing treatment therapy or beginwearing a hearing aid.”

Alvarez Audiology is located inthe Gunn Executive Center at 6615Gunn Highway in Tampa . Theyare open Mon. and Thurs. 9 a.m. to4 p.m., Tues. and Wed. 9 a.m. to6:30 p.m., and Friday 9 a.m. tonoon. To sign up for their newslet-ter, get more information, or sched-ule an appointment, call (813)265-2255 or visit their web sitewww.AlvarezAudiology.com.

Dr. Indira Alvarez, Board CertifiedAudiologist.


By Alexis Selby

As parents, we all want the verybest for our children; for them to havethe necessary skills and the ability tolead a successful and independent life;to make the right decisions and charttheir own path for the future. So whatdo you do when you realize that thereis something amiss – that your childisn’t progressing at the same rate, insome area or another, as other chil-dren their age, and is having difficultywith things that come so naturally toothers? It can be quite devastating, forboth the parent and the child, andmany feel helpless, thinking they haveno where to turn. But, just know, thatthere is hope; and, Brain Balance inOldsmar, located at 4022 Tampa Rd.,Suite 6, is seeking to help familiesdealing with this struggle to regaincontrol of their lives and get their chil-dren back on track to success.

Personal Success StoriesCynthia Lucas – A right hemi-

sphere weaknessMother Nancy Lucas first noticed

something was unique with her

daughter Cynthia when Cynthia wasover a year old. Nancy says, “She wasalready talking non stop and by theage of two she was speaking full sen-tences and paragraphs. Cynthia and Iboth were born very gifted with lan-guage.” But it wasn’t until Cynthiaturned three that Nancy recognizedthat something might be wrong.Nancy says, “By the age of three, weknew something wasn’t right. She hada hard time with self – regulation andcalming down; going to bed and tak-ing naps was also a challenge for her.She was hard to manage and it was ex-asperating. Food was also an issue forher, especially the texture. It had to bea certain consistency or she wouldn’teat it. She was also hyper sensitive andwas greatly affected by noise andlacked the ability to withdraw if shegot upset.”

After years of dealing with the be-havior and endless hours spent search-ing for a solution, Nancy was at herbreaking point. She says, “We triedeverything – diets, food allergy testing,counseling for both her and me, at-tachment disorder training, and hadspent over three years and endless dol-

lars in conscious discipline classes onhow to manage children. I would goaway for weeks at a time to differentseminars and read over a dozen books,and still it didn’t change the outcome.She was also extremely thin; her bodycouldn't absorb the food. We fed herhealthy food but her body wasn't pro-cessing her foods. Her motor skillswere a big one and sports were a chal-

lenge for here, due to the lack of coor-dination of the left and right sides ofthe brain.”

One day while at a Sidewalk ex-hibit, a miracle happened, and Nancystumbled upon Larry Polnicky, theowner and Executive Director of BrainBalance in Oldsmar, and, after gettingto the subject of her daughter, was inawe at how well Larry knew what she

Brain Balance Achievement Centers

(From L to R) Cynthia Lucas with her mother Nancy and brothers Elijah andJosiah.

self confidence in school. Nadine says, “I fought hard for

Luke, and no one was listening. Iwanted to scream. I kept driving bythis place called Brain Balance andlooked it up. I was on their websitefor a couple of hours and watched Dr.Robert Melillo’s speech. I really feltthis could help Luke. After school,when I saw Luke’s face of yet anotherdisappointing day, I pulled into BrainBalance and met Maria Mogollon, As-sistant Director, who greeted me everso kindly

It was at this time that Nadinemet Laura Crumley and set up an ap-pointment to have Luke assessed. Itwas a two day assessment. At BrainBalance, they don’t diagnose; insteadthey pin point the problem - Luke hadissues with weakness on the left side ofthe brain.

“A lot of their non invasive testsshowed us why he was having issues;for instance – his eyes,” says Nadine.“His vision was fine, but it’s the wayhis eyes communicated with his brainthat was the problem. They had a so-lution which included a series of dif-ferent exercises to strengthen his eyes.We learned the importance of corestrength and brain function – and theyhad exercises for that as well. We alsolearned all about the importance offood sensitivity and how that can af-fect your child’s behavior and learn-ing.”

It was then that Nadine decidedto sign Luke up for Brain Balance,which consisted of one hour sessionsthree times a week, in addition tohome exercises, and nutrition changes.Nadine says, “We started seeing a re-markable difference in his overall atti-tude within the first week. He stoppedcomplaining so much and he washappy all the time. Towards the end ofthe program I was able to have a fullblown conversation with my son, with

him being able to understand andcomprehend what I was saying. Hisrelationships with his father, brother,aunt, and friends all got so much bet-ter. Instead of everybody being frus-trated all the time, we were all happyand having fun. As far as his learningchallenges go, he is in a normal rangenow. For the first time ever he has justmade honor roll. Thanks to Brain Bal-ance he now has confidence and feelssmart. He actually says that his brainis working right now. I just wish wewould have found Brain Balancesooner; but better late than never!”

Brain Balance Oldsmar is lo-cated at 4022 Tampa Rd., Suite 6in Oldsmar. Hours are Mon., Wed.and Fri. 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Tues.and Thurs. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Formore information please call (813)475-6977 or visit www.BrainBal-anceCenters.com.


was going through. Nancy says, “Heis the first person that really under-stood what I was going through andwhat Cynthia was going through. Hegave us hope, and when we went toBrain Balance and Cynthia got the as-sessment – dysfunctional hemisphericimbalance (weak on the right side ofthe brain) – there was no question inmy mind that this approach wouldn’twork. My husband and I were con-vinced.”

Cynthia started at the center inMarch 2012, which consisted of threeone-hour visits each week. With exer-cises uniquely tailored for her individ-ual needs, Cynthia worked oneverything from physical activities andmultitasking, to creative writing andlogical thinking.

The change happened almost in-stantly. Within the first month Cynthiawas willing to eat more foods and hersense on smell improved. Most impor-tantly, she was able to sit down and eatbecause now she had enough ability toself- regulate to be calm enough toeat. Her outbursts became less fre-quent and less violent and her overallbehavior dramatically improved.“Within three weeks of her startingthe program I could see a difference,”says Nancy. “Brain Balance was a com-plete miracle. “I love Laura Crumley,Center Director and Larry and therest of the staff at Brain Balance, and Iam so grateful for what they havedone in our lives. Cynthia is free, sheis healed, and she is able to move for-ward in her life. She is now the de-lightful little girl that I always dreamedof raising!”

Luke Henderson – A left hemi-sphere weakness

Mother Nadine Henderson firstbecame concerned about her sonLuke when at 18 months old he wasstill not speaking words and as he gotolder, would make up his own lan-

guage which sounded much like Chi-nese. The older he got, the more shebegan to notice that he had a reallyshort attention span and had severalsensory issues. She says, “We couldnever take him to a grocery store orrestaurant because of all the distrac-tions; he would misbehave from sen-sory overload.” Transitioning was alsoa big challenge, but more on a longspan as opposed to immediate. For ex-ample, if he stayed with his grandpar-ents for the weekend, it would take2-3 days for him to adjust to hisschedule; the same thing would applyif he had time off of school, etc. Dueto lack of comprehension, Luke’s ex-hibited ‘bad behavior’, which resultedin lots of frustration for the wholefamily, and especially Luke.

When Nadine had Luke tested atthe age of 3, they were told he had se-vere delays in language, speech, com-prehension and fine motor skills andwas showing signs of autism. But, de-spite all this, Luke was never given aspecific diagnosis. Nadine says, “Sinceage 3 he was in the FDLRS program,and continued with IEP’s in Kinder-garten through 3rd grade. He hadOccupational therapy, speech therapy,and language therapy.”

The breaking point came in thethird grade, when Luke was placedwith a new teacher that Nadine feltwas not suited for him. “He had a newlanguage therapist who he wouldcomplain about, which never hap-pened before,” says Nadine. “He al-ways loved the therapists. He couldnot focus with her because he washighly distracted by her breath andfoot smell – a sensory issue.” After histeacher was out half the year due toher daughter’s illness, Luke had sub-stitute teachers most of the time, andwith his transition challenges, it causedhim to come home, having broken allsorts of rules. He couldn’t keep fo-cused, which in turn ended with no

Luke Henderson

Westchase - Vol. 2, Issue 4, April 2013

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Transcript of Westchase - Vol. 2, Issue 4, April 2013