Westchase - Vol. 4, Issue 10, October 2015

By Julie Kanehl

Massage is a universal languagethat has been “spoken” for centuries inevery region of the globe, and it hasmany benefits including the ability toreduce anxiety, relieve pain, reduceblood pressure, and aid in relaxation.For many people, massage is a raretreat that they look forward to at thespa or as an experience during their va-cation. Others use massage on a regu-lar basis to help with chronic pain,reduce inflammation or to help healafter an injury. Whatever your reasonfor wanting a massage, Barkdoll Mas-sage Therapy makes it easy, affordableand best of all, Barkdoll comes to you.

Barkdoll Massage Therapy, whichis an entirely mobile-based massage

business, is based in the Trinity areaand is owned and operated by Li-censed Professional, Karla Barkdoll,who has been in the massage industrysince 2001. Serving Trinity and thesurrounding communities, BarkdollMassage Therapy is completely differ-ent in that it takes all of the stress outof your massage experience by bring-ing it straight to you. No traffic, nostress, just pure relaxation where youfeel most comfortable!

Originally from a small town incentral Pennsylvania, Karla moved toBaltimore where she trained at the Bal-timore School of Massage. Licensed inMaryland, DC, Virginia and Florida,Karla is a member of the American

The Premier “Shop Local” Community Magazine Directly Mailed To Over 15,000 Homes In Citrus Park, Westchase & Surrounding Areas

This 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 Ridge

Fawn Lake • Forest Lakes • Hampton Lakes • Highland Park • Lake Chase • Mandolin • The Eagles • Tree TopsTwin 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

Local Pageant Contestant........3

Community Calendar & News Briefs.............................4

Penguin Pretzel Factory.........6-7

Dance Excellence................8-9

Sewing Center ofTampa Bay......................10-11

Under ArmourFlag Football.......................16

Tampa Bay Making ADifference Award............18-19

Your neighborhood. Your magazine.

Vol. 4, Issue 10, October 2015

By Alexis Selby

Offering gentle, compassionate dental care in awelcoming friendly environment, Mangrove Bay Den-tistry is your local dental office! From routine check-ups and cleanings to full mouth reconstruction, ToanTran, DMD provides his patients with exceptionaldental care in all facets of general dentistry!

With over 14 years of experience working inTampa Bay, and 6 years at the same location on thecorner of Hillsborough Ave. and Race Track Rd., Dr.Tran has established himself as a leading dentist in thearea, serving patients of all ages, from children asyoung as one years old to adults and seniors. Sowhether you are just beginning the routine of properdental hygiene, or have been taking care of your teethfor over 80 years and are looking for ways to maintaingood oral health, Dr. Tran can help ensure you have ahealthy smile for many more years to come!

At Mangrove Bay Dentistry they understand you

have many different options for dentists in the area,and they might all offer the same services, but whatreally sets their practice apart is the individualized at-tention and quality customer service that you will re-ceive here at their office. You are more than just apatient, you are part of the family – and that is exactlyhow you will be treated, whether you are new to theirpractice or have been a patient for many years.

When hiring staff and employees Dr. Tran is veryparticular with whom he brings onto his team; he onlyhires staff who share his same values and principles;those who really understand the importance of qualitycustomer service. “Our focus is on our patients andthe customer service that we can provide them,” saysDr. Tran. “We customize their treatments to whatthey need rather than what insurance is dictating. Wegenuinely care about our patients and their wellbeing.When our patients leave here we want them to feel asense of ‘wow’; we make it so they actually enjoy

See “Mangrove Bay” on page 20.

®

Smile with Confidence at Mangrove Bay Dentistry

See “Barkdoll Massage” on page 14

Barkdoll Massage Therapy,Where the Massage Comes to You

Licensed Massage Therapist Karla Barkdoll

2 OCTOBER 2015 Neighborhood News & LifestylesFor Ad Info 813-928-6124 • NNLFlorida.com

Neighborhood News & Lifestyles For Ad Info 813-928-6124 • NNLFlorida.com

Neighborhood News& Lifestyles

Directly mailed once a month to 15,000households in zip codes 33626 & 34677

220 S. Safford Ave. Tarpon Springs, FL 34689

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

[email protected]© 2015 Westchase Neighborhood News & Lifestyles is

published by ADS 2 Publications, Inc.

Nothing that appears in Westchase NeighborhoodNews & Lifestyles may be reproduced, whether wholly or inpart, without permission. Opinions expressed by WestchaseNeighborhood News & Lifestyles writers are their own anddo not reflect the publisher’s opinion.

The management of Westchase NeighborhoodNews & Lifestyles is always happy to accept outside edi-torial submissions to the paper. Please call for outsideeditorial submission and advertisement deadlines.

Westchase Neighborhood News & Lifestyles will con-sider previously non-published outside editorial submis-sions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500words. Westchase Neighborhood News & Lifestyles reservesthe right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submis-sions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates.Westchase Neighborhood News & Lifestyles will not returnunsolicited editorial materials.

Westchase Neighborhood News & Lifestyles reserves theright to edit and/or reject any advertising. Westchase Neigh-borhood News & Lifestyles is not responsible for errors in ad-vertising beyond the actual cost of the advertising space itself,not for the validity of any claims made by its advertisers.

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

PublisherTim SelbyGeneral ManagerMatt Selby Advertising SalesJim O’ReillyLinda ViegaMike BirdJared NagerAccounting ManagerDoreen SelbyBilling AssistantTina O’Reilly

EditorAlexis SelbyCorrespondentsKim ThomasJulie KanehlKatie ThomasMarcy SanfordDara TuckerArt DirectorTony SicaGraphic ArtistDat X. DoMarketing & DevelopmentAshley Knoblach

OCTOBER 2015 3

Local Tampa Student to Compete in NationalAll-American Miss Princess Pageant!

Philanthropist and local seven-year-old MarianaLynn Togado surelyis representing Tampa well! As a Na-tional American Miss Florida, StateFinalist, Princess division, Mariana-Lynn will be competing this Novem-ber in the National All-AmericanMiss Princess Division in Disneyland,California.

About MarianaLynnBorn, June 20, 2008 Mariana-

Lynn is only seven years old, yet al-ready has big aspirations. As aNational American Miss Florida,Princess division, State Finalist shehopes to gain opportunities in mod-eling, acting and print media.

Her Awards Include:• National American Miss

Florida State Finalist, Princess Divi-sion, 2nd runner up, among 106contestants on July 18-18 2015.

• National American MissPrincess Optional Contest:

Most Promising Model – 1strunner up

Photogenic – 2nd runner up

Casual Wear – 3rd runner up• Spirit of America Award• Art Contest Winner • Filipino Festival Parade, Best

in Gown winner, April 5-6, 2015.

MarianaLynn’s talents includesinging, dancing, modeling, swim-ming and acting, including experi-ence as a TV weather forecaster andactress in a TV Cereal Commercial.

Giving back to her community isvery important to MarianaLynn andshe is well known in the area for hercharitable work. She aims to helppeople both locally and worldwide,whether she is volunteering at soupkitchens feeding the homeless orhelping to raise money for underpriv-ileged children in the Philippines.More recently, MarianaLynn set up afashion jewelry sale to earn money todonate to charity – this is somethingshe thought up all by herself.

As you can see, MarianaLynn cer-tainly does have a bright future aheadof her. So let’s wish her luck as sherepresents Tampa this November inDisneyland, California!

33626. Please contact [email protected] for more in-formation. All Paw Print Heartsdogs (and kittens) can be viewed ontheir Facebook or websitewww.PawPrintHearts.com.

Toast of Tampa ShowChorus Announces 2015-2016 Performance Season

Toast of Tampa is pleased to an-nounce its upcoming fall winter sea-son shows, beginning with the Nov14 Standing Room Only annual showat USF’s Music Concert Hall, Tampacampus. Two performances at 3pmand 7pm will highlight whatTampa's140 singers and dancers willput on stage at International Conven-tion in Las Vegas on Oct 6-10. Specialguest quartet Throwback, men’s2015 5th place medalist, will also joinin the a cappella fun. For tickets, con-tact Ellen at: [email protected] 813-294-3226. To place an ad orhelp sponsor the show, contact Rosaat: [email protected] or 305-878-8573. Your welcomed ads and spon-sorships will also be presented in the

beautiful programs of the chorus’winter showbooks. That’s a 4-the-price of 1 deal in support of commu-nity arts in Tampa!

2016 concerts include:Feb 21, 2016 at New Covenant

United Methodist Church, The Vil-lages, 6pm, including an appearanceby the Heralds of Harmony

Mar 13, 2016 at First UnitedMethodist Church, Lakeland, 7pm,sharing the stage with the Heralds ofHarmony men’s chorus

Please “Like" them on Face-book and visit their website attoastoftampa.org for updates onnew bookings.

Visitors are always welcome atTuesday night 7-10pm rehearsals atTPepin’s Hospitality Centre, 4121N 50th St.


Community Calendar & News BriefsMah Jongg LessonsAt The JCC

If you have always wanted tolearn the ancient Chinese table game,now is the time! Please join for an ex-citing Mah Jongg series hosted byVicki Solkin!! The session beginsTuesday, October 27 and runsthrough Tuesday, November 24 from1:30 pm – 3:30 pm. The cost is$20.00 per session for members and$25.00 per session for non-members.

For more information, pleasecontact Marissa Rosenthal [email protected] or call (813) 769-4724.

Paw Print Hearts HostsDoggie Day Spa

On Sunday, September 20th, PawPrint Hearts, a local nonprofit (501(c)(3) animal rescue, held a DoggieDay Spa for their dogs in boarding asthey wait patiently for their loving, for-ever homes. The Doggie Spa Day is allabout pampering these dogs (whowere saved from being euthanized) tomake them feel good and look greatfor meet and greets with potential

adopters. If you would like to helpwith the pampering process for futuredoggie day spa events, Paw PrintHeart volunteers are looking for dona-tions of grooming items including wa-terless and regular shampoo, wipes,and treats for their dogs. The rescuealso runs a weekly Dog Walking andSocialization Program for their board-ing dogs who enjoy individual atten-tion, walks, playtime and training fromvolunteers. The dogs are in need ofdonated items such as Kongs, Frisbees,leashes, bandanas and collars to makethis a fun and successful program.

Paw Print Hearts frequently hostdoggie day spa events, for informationon their next upcoming event or tovolunteer please visit www.PawPrint-Hearts.com or contact [email protected].

Donations can be dropped of atPetville, 11405 E Broadway Ave,Seffner, Fl 33584 (813) 438-5923and monetary donations can be bemade to Paypal account [email protected] or by check to:Paw Print Hearts, 13046 RaceTrack Rd. Ste 145, Tampa, Fl

Correction: In last month’s issue inthe article for Lowe’s, the financingoptions were incorrectly stated. Fi-nancing options are as follows: 6,12, and 18 MNI, NOT 6, 8, and12 as originally stated. In addition,it was noted saying their currentslogan is “Helping Customers LoveWhere They Live” when in fact thisis not their slogan. Sorry if thiscaused any confusion.


By Alexis Selby

If you are looking for the ultimatefoodie experience, than you have tocheck out Penguin Pretzel Factory onTampa Road! Baked fresh to order allday long, the warm doughy pretzels atPenguin Pretzel Factory will have youhooked in just one bite!

From yummy twisted pretzels tomouth watering stuffed pretzel sand-wiches and desserts, Penguin PretzelFactory is so more than just your aver-age “pretzel shop”. They offer a varietyof delicious options, so whether youjust popped in for a quick bite on yourlunch break or have come for a nicefamily meal, Penguin Pretzel Factoryhas something for everyone to enjoy!

“We are pretzelologists,” saysowner Suzy, who runs the restaurantalongside her husband Nick. “To methat means really believing in what wehave to offer. We absolutely love ourdough and our goal is to take ourrecipes and create something beautifuland delicious!”

Starting with a dream, Suzyprayed hard one night and the ideajust popped into her head. Soon aftershe and her husband Nick took thatidea and made it a reality. And, whatstarted as a hobby soon grew into oneof the fasted growing trends in TampaBay food culture.

“Our life was hectic and Nick andI were thinking about ways that wecould start a business and spend moretime together as a family,” says Suzy. Ijust remember waking up one morningwanting a change. I woke up with anidea – pretzels! For the next six monthsI started baking nonstop, coming upwith different recipes and ideas until fi-nally I found the perfect doughrecipe.” And that it is; their dough re-ally is incredible!

Although they are new to this lo-cation, opening just over a month ago,Penguin Pretzel Factory is not new tothe business. They actually started byselling their pretzels at both MOSI andBusch Gardens over many years ago. Asyou can imagine their pretzels were ahuge hit; this sparked the idea to openup a storefront.

Since opening their original loca-tion two years ago in Trinity, PenguinPretzel Factory has seen a tremendoussupport from people in the communitywho absolutely love their food!

Because of this increased customerdemand, Suzy and Nick decided toopen this second location to betterserve Tampa Bay and surroundingareas. And, just like the original, this lo-cation has quickly gained a huge fol-lowing. All it takes is one visit and youwill become a customer for life!

“We have customers that comefrom all over Tampa Bay, includingthose who drive from as far away asOcala, Sarasota, Gainesville and Bran-don,” says Suzy. “We are doing some-thing that no one else is doing. Weoffer a completely different food expe-

rience, unlike anything you have en-countered before.”

A cross between a NY street pret-zel and the famous “mall pretzel”Suzy’s secret dough recipe is the driv-ing force behind the success of theirbusiness! Used in all of the items ontheir menu, from the stuffed sand-wiches and desserts to the twisted pret-zels, their dough has just the rightamount of sweet and savory that trulymakes their food one-of-a-kind!

Every Wednesday they also offergluten-free pretzels. Suzy asks that ifyou are planning on ordering this op-tion to please give her advanced notice(if possible, call the day before) so sheknows how much gluten-free doughto prepare.

Accompanying the stuffed pret-zels, Penguin Pretzel Factory has a vari-ety of gourmet homemade dippingsauces, including cucumber dill, nachocheese, marinara, bleu cheese, honeymustard, ranch, and buffalo.

On my last visit Suzy and Nickbrought out a bunch of differentstuffed pretzels for me to sample, in-cluding my personal favorite, their Buf-falo Chicken and Cheese – also knownas The Endangered (everything isnamed after penguin-related terms).With crispy buffalo chicken dipped intheir homemade buffalo sauce, andwhite American cheese stuffed inside apretzel, wow was it good! With just theright amount of doughy pretzel, andfresh, tender chicken, this sandwich wasreally, really tasty!

Another customer favorite, and amust-try menu item, is their Cuban-stuffed pretzel, featuring slow roastedpork and ham (which they roast in-house) marinated in their homemadeMojo sauce, as well as authentic Cubanspices, Swiss cheese, pickles and mus-tard. You could taste the freshness of

the meats, and the flavor and spicesused really enhanced the flavor of thispretzel, making it one of the best – andcertainly the most unique – Cubans Ihave ever had.

After trying their food I can easilysee why they have been voted amongthe top restaurants in Tampa Bay onTrip Advisor for the past few years, andhave recently received a 2015 Certifi-cate of Excellence.

In addition to their pretzel twists,which you can get salted, unsalted,cinnamon-sugar or everything, othergreat options include BBQ pulledpork, Steak Bacon & Cheese, Pepper-oni & Mozzarella, Meatball Marinara,and more. They also have pretzeldogs – hot dogs wrapped in dough –as well as pretzel pizzas, where youhave the option of choosing your crust– cheese stuffed, salted, buttered orparmesan – and your toppings – extracheese, pepperoni, ham, bacon, salamiand buffalo chicken.

They have a selection of vegetar-ian options as well, including theirSpinach and Feta – a Greek favoritecombining chopped spinach, fetacheese and scallions served with theirhomemade cucumber dill dip – andtheir Roasted Veggie, made withroasted eggplant, zucchini, yellowsquash, onions and tomatoes seasonedwith olive oil and garlic.

Suzy and Nick are constantly com-ing up with new ideas and differentspecialty pretzels. Starting October 15and running through Christmas theirnewest special is Thanksgiving Dinnerin a Pretzel. Featuring sliced turkey,stuffing, and gravy served alongside acranberry dipping sauce, I can onlyimagine how fantastic this pretzel isgoing to taste! I will definitely be backto try it!

Have a sweet tooth? Penguin Pret-zel Factory offers a tantalizing selectionof stuffed pretzel desserts, includingdark chocolate, white chocolate, peanutbutter, milk chocolate, Oreo, apple pie,Nutella and blueberry. Oh and did Imention they have a Snickers one aswell? Made with an entire Snickers barbaked inside a pretzel, yes, this dessertis as amazing as it sounds!

Enjoy Mouth Watering Deliciousness AtPenguin Pretzel Factory in Oldsmar!

OCTOBER 2015 7Neighborhood News & Lifestyles For Ad Info 813-928-6124 • NNLFlorida.com

A really unique idea for smallgroups – reserve Penguin Pretzel Fac-tory outside normal business hoursand come in and learn how to makestuffed pretzels. “We have done thiswith elementary school children aswell as different nursing homes, and ithas been a lot of fun,” says Suzy. “Weteach them how we make our pretzelsand they get to create their very own

pretzel to take home.” Looking to plan your next party?

Make a great impression with partyplatters from Penguin Pretzel Factory.Whether it be a Christmas party, birth-day celebration or office gathering,Penguin Pretzel Factory’s mini stuffedpretzels are sure to be a hit amongstguests and are the perfect bite size thatcan easily be enjoyed while minglingwith guests.

Combining their love for pretzelsand passion for customer service, Suzyand Nick truly have brought an amaz-ing concept to the Tampa Bay area. Ifyou have yet to visit Penguin PretzelFactory in Oldsmar, I suggest youcome in today and see what all thehype is about! Nick says, “It’s not justfood, it’s an experience!”

In the near future, Penguin Pret-zel Factory will be doing a weekly kidseat free special, date TBD. Stay up-dated by visiting their Facebook page.

Penguin Pretzel Factory is lo-cated at 4022 Tampa Rd. in Olds-mar. They are open Tues. – Fri. 11a.m. – 7 p.m. and Sat. 11 a.m. – 6p.m. They are closed Sun. and Mon.For additional information pleasecall (813) 925-9771, visit their web-site at www.PenguinPretzels.com ortheir Facebook page by searchingPenguin Pretzel Factory.

Made with an entire Snickers barbaked inside a pretzel, this dessert is

as amazing as it sounds!


Dance Excellence Ballroom – Creating Community in Tampa Bay!By Deborah Bostock-Kelley

It is Dance Excellence Ballroomowner Stefan Dobrev’s goal to getpeople off of the couch watchingDancing with the Stars and into hisballroom to create their very owndancing adventure.

“Instead of watching what otherpeople are doing and saying oh, Iwish I could do that, you need to doit,” said Stefan. “People think withballroom dancing you have to com-pete, but actually only 10 to 20% ofstudents in the dance studio com-pete. The majority does dance forfun, health, and exercise. It teachesyou how to communicate with apartner and shows you how to worktogether. It’s a great date night activ-ity for couples who want to bringthat flame back up.”

Dobrev, a dancer since the age of7 and a Bulgarian National DanceChampion, prides himself of having astudio both his students and instruc-tors enjoy coming to. Eight full-timeinstructors, and a ninth coming on byyear’s end, are not only certified, butare required to participate in continu-

ous education, with their skills testedevery 6 to 8 months.

Ballroom students range fromages 17 to 80, and through a struc-tured program, can check theirprogress, right along with their in-structor. Dobrev himself tests thestudents to make sure they are get-ting everything they wanted out oftheir lessons.

Dobrev says, “We are trying tocreate a community. We love that weare growing, and the best part issometimes we actually have difficultygetting our students out of here; theylove being here that much. We’vebeen here since 12 o’clock and it’snow 10 o’clock at night; we have togo home, I tell them.”

Opened in November 2014, Do-brev is pleased to have created a placewhere people can meet, form friend-ships, and find people with similar in-terests and hobbies. “It’s soinspirational and that’s what I wantedto create – a place where people wantto come to – whether they are teachersor students.”

At Dance Excellence Ballroom,clients can learn both International

and American Style Ballroom dances,including Salsa, Cha Cha, Rumba,Jive, Samba, Tango, Waltz, VienneseWaltz, Quickstep, and Swing. Lessonsare available privately or in a groupclass setting and you don’t need tobring a partner, unless you want to.

“What I love about dancing is itis something no one can take awayfrom you,” said Dobrev. “It’s like ed-ucation. When you learn, it’s not thecertification document; it’s the experi-

ence throughout time that makes youwhat you are. Unlike hobbies like golfor tennis, with dancing you don’tneed a special place. If there is music,you can dance.”

When asked if there was ever aperson that Dobrev couldn’t teach todance, he responded decisively. “No.Everyone can learn how to dance, butit depends on the level that they wantto learn and how much time that theywant to invest, and how good they


want to be.”Besides looking skilled on any

dance floor, the benefits of ballroomdancing come in four main categories:

Ballroom dancing is a social ex-perience, as ‘partner dancing’ re-quires communication andteamwork, and helps create friend-ships and community. Even some ro-mantic relationships have been bornfrom holding hands and consciouslylistening and responding to themoves of your dance partner.

Ballroom dancing is mentallystimulating, necessitating listening,

planning, sequential learning andproblem solving. According to re-search, like the 2003 Bronx AgingStudy, activities that challenge themind may prevent or delay the onsetof Alzheimer’s in older adults. Becauseballroom dancing involves precisephysical activity, listening to the beatsin music, remembering dance steps,and taking your partner into account,it is mentally challenging.

Emotionally, ballroom dancehelps build confidence and poise, andcan help people overcome shyness.

And finally, ballroom dancing is as

physical as going to the gym to workout; however, less stressful on thebody. “Ballroom dancing is easier onthe muscles and joints, but still youget plenty of exercise,” Dobrev said.“It makes you very disciplined becauseyou have to repeat the moves over andover and over again.”

On September 26th eleven stu-dents of Dance Excellence showedoff their dancing and competed inthe Tampa Bay Classic at Hilton Car-

illon Park. This level of partcipationin a local competitive event is atremendous accomplishment whenyou consider this dance studio hasbeen open for less than a year.

Long-term, Dobrev hopes tostart an afterschool program for chil-dren to share the values he learnedgrowing up in ballroom dancing.

“Dancing is about being a gentle-man and a lady,” said Dobrev. “Thelady has a grace and poise. The manhas dignity and is a gentleman. Youwalk on the dance floor and take yourlady with you. You bow before youstart dancing. You take her in yourarms and move across the floor. Youfinish the dance and you bow again toyour dance partner. It teaches you somany things of how to communicateas a team.” “Dancing is not aboutknowing steps – it’s a way of life.”

Dance Excellence Ballroom islocated in the Oldsmar Plaza at3730 Tampa Road, Suite 7. Theyare open Monday through Friday 1p.m. to 9 p.m. They will be havinga movie-theme dance showcase onNovember 13. For more informa-tion about group or private lessonsor dance parties, visitwww.DanceExcellenceBallroom.comor call (813) 814-0099.


Unleash Your Inner Creativity at Sewing Center of Tampa BayBy Marcy Sanford

Whether you are an expert seam-stress or a novice who has alwaysdreamed of sewing your own cre-ations, the friendly, enthusiastic staff atthe Sewing Center of Tampa Bay canhelp you find the perfect sewing ma-chine to easily bring your designs tolife. Located inside the Jo-Ann Fabricand Craft Store at 12635 Citrus PlazaDrive, the locally owned Sewing Cen-ter of Tampa Bay is a dealer for themost state-of-the-art sewing machinesavailable – the Husqvarna Viking.

Adriana Stenger went from beinga customer 15 years ago to an em-ployee a year and a half ago and is ex-cited to now be the owner of theSewing Center. She is committed tobringing the excellent customer serv-ice that veteran customers have grownto expect from the Sewing Center andis excited to introduce sewing to anew generation of clientele.

“We are a small, locally ownedbusiness and we pride ourselves oncontinuing the great job the previousowners were doing for more than 22years,” says Adriana. “All of our cus-tomers are wonderful to work withand I really enjoy seeing teenagers and

pre-teens coming to take sewingclasses or asking their parents for asewing machine. At the Sewing Centerwe offer personalized customer serviceand extended hours so you have theopportunity to look for a machine, de-sign, or class around your schedule.”

The Viking Machines you’ll findat the Sewing Center are some of themost innovative and easy-to-usesewing machines on the market today.These state-of-the art machines havebeen produced using world-renowned

Swedish engineering technology since1872 and the company has a long his-tory of developing new sewing inno-vations. Viking sewing machines helpsewers transition to the next skill levelby providing sewing enthusiasts withunlimited options that will keep themsewing for a lifetime.

Viking’s newest sewing machine,the Epic, will be introduced thismonth. “Viking really listens to theircustomer comments when they aremaking updates or designing a new

model,” says store manager and in-structor Deborah Freshwater. “Theseare sewing machines made for sewersby sewers. They are very easy ma-chines to work with.”

The new Epic machine has someamazing features including:

- The industry’s first interactivetablet-like screen so you can easilydrag-and-drop, rotate, pinch, spread,and duplicate designs. The full colorscreen makes it a breeze for you tocreate and customize designs.

- The industry’s first cloud-basedstorage system, mySewnet, is embed-

The new Designer EPIC (L) sewingmachine has some amazing features,

allowing you to make incredibledesigns and creations, such as the

embroidery featured above.


ded in the Epic so you can store, ac-cess, and synchronize all your embroi-dery designs across several devices. Infact, you can create a design at yourfriend’s house, upload it to mySewnet,and it will be saved on your machinewhen you get home.

- An app that will send you up-dates on the status of your embroideryproject so you can start a project andleave the room to do other things.

- 143 years of sewing experienceare embedded in 120 animated and il-lustrated step-by-step tutorials readilyavailable on this very smart machine.

- Intuitive Settings, as with allViking machines, the Epic has intuitivesettings that automatically set every-thing for you based on the type of fab-ric, specific stitch, and desiredtechnique to make sewing and em-broidery easier and the results better.

- Specially designed lighting so thereare no shadows clouding your project.

- The largest embroidery area onthe market – 360 x 350 - and a newlarge hoop – 360 x 260 - an embroideryhoop that you don’t have to turn!

Because of their years of experi-ence and their dedication to their cus-tomers, you know that when youchoose a Viking, you are going to getthe best sewing machine available.“Because our sole focus is sewing, wewere able to translate our understand-ing of enthusiast sewers into an en-tirely new machine platform,” saidKarin Johannesson, Manager ofSewing Technology and Usability forViking. “Our re-imagined DesignerEpic machine tailors the sewing expe-rience around the wants and needs ofmodern enthusiast sewers. The resultis a brand new sewing experiencewhere the sewer’s own creativity can

come to life in new and special ways.” When you purchase a Husqvarna

Viking at the Sewing Center of TampaBay, you’ll receive classes and they’llhelp to ensure that you know and canuse all of the wonderful features onyour machine. “We have sewing ma-chines for every level, budget, and in-terest,” says Deborah, “and, we makesure that you know the basics of howto use your machine before you take ithome. We’ve had customers who havenever sewn before, but because theViking machines are so user-friendlyand because we offer a high level ofsupport, they are able to easily createthe designs they want. We offer in-structional and creative classes at awide variety of times so you can findone that fits with your schedule.”

“I love Husqvarna Viking becausethey are always listening to suggestionsand making updates,” adds Deborah.“These new machines are going tomake a lot of people happy.”

To help you be able to easily cre-ate the projects you want, the SewingCenter has teachers who are experts inmany different areas – there is even aninstructor who specializes in weddingdresses. “Our teachers always makethe classes fun and informative,” saysAdriana. “They are here for our cus-tomers whenever they have a question

or need extra support.”The Sewing Center is committed

to educating the next generation ofsewers and supports Spoto HighSchool’s nationally accredited CareerAcademy of Fashion Technology andDesign – the first to be established inthe United States.

“I came to the Sewing Center 15years ago and was hooked,” says Adri-ana. “It’s amazing how good you feelwhen you create something. We wantto help people find a machine that isthe best fit for them and help themlearn how to create for life.”

The Sewing Center will be show-casing the new Husqvarna Viking De-signer Epic on Saturday, October 24.They will also have a Viking educatorin the store Friday, November 6 for avery exciting event. For more informa-tion and to register, visit their Face-book page or their websitewww.sewingcentertb.com. Informationwill be added as plans are developed.

The Sewing Center of TampaBay is located inside the Jo-AnnFabric and Craft Store at 12635Citrus Plaza Drive. They are openMonday through Saturday 9 a.m. –9 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.For more information, call (813)792-1855 or visitwww.SewingCentertb.com.

Store Manager Deborah Freshwater(L) and Sewing Center owner

Adriana Stenger (R) will help youbring your designs to life!


Massage Therapy Association, and isNationally Board Certified.

Karla’s massages can be done any-where – at home, poolside, or at theoffice. Most of her clients choose theroom in their house that offers theleast distractions, and there she createsa wonderful environment for massage.She also takes the time to really speakto her clients before their massage tolearn more about them so that she cancreate the best personalized massageexperience.

Lindsey from New Port Richeysays, “If you are looking for the bestmassage, then look no further thanKarla, she is a rare find. Once you havea massage from Karla, you will look nofurther, that I will guarantee!”

Massage Services thatImprove Your Life

“Your Health is your Wealth” isthe philosophy at Barkdoll MassageTherapy, and that is why Karla takesthe time to really find out what kind ofmassage you prefer, whether it’s aSwedish massage or a deep tissue treat-ment for chronic pain, Karla’s massagewill make a difference in your life.

Karla offers a wide range of af-fordable massage therapy styles andpackages. If you are looking for a tradi-tional massage, Swedish massage treat-ments are designed to improvecirculation, reduce stress and to relievemuscle tension. This massage is verypopular all over the world because ofits light, long, and slow strokes thatrelax your cares and worries away. Ifyou are interested in trying somethinga little different, hot stone massagesuse something called warm stone ther-apy, which is the art of using heatedstones in combination with a Swedishmassage. According to Karla, the warmstones dissolve muscle tension and in-duce a deep relaxation.

Deep tissue massage is a therapeu-tic treatment designed to ease the painand discomfort associated with chronicpain. Karla says, “During deep tissuemassages I use trigger points to specifi-cally find the places where the workneeds to be done.” Deep tissue mas-sages can help people who live withpainful conditions live a fuller life.

Another style of massage thatKarla offers is sports massage and in-jury rehabilitation. This style of mas-sage combines the benefits and style ofa deep tissue massage with stretching,which can improve the range of mo-tion in joints. Whether you are healing

after a car accident or are sufferingfrom chronic pain associated with amedical condition, this kind of massagecan be extremely beneficial.

One of Karla’s clients from Trinityrecently said, “I have had the pleasureof having Karla as a massage therapistfor the past six years and it has alwaysbeen an enriching and healing experi-ence. She is knowledgeable, profes-sional and a kindhearted person and Ihave no hesitation in recommendingher service. She has hands of gold!”

Prenatal massages are a fantasticway to pamper the mom-to-be whileeasing some of the side effects of preg-nancy. Karla uses specially designedmassage table pillows that create acomfortable position just for her dur-ing this time, so that pregnant momscan safely enjoy their massage.

Aromatherapy is proven to aid inrelaxation, which is why Barkdoll Mas-sage Therapy offers a variety of essentialoils and scents that can be used in col-laboration with any other style of mas-sage. Most often used with a Swedish

massage, aromatherapy oils are appliedby Karla during your massage to en-hance the massage experience.

One local couple recently wrote,“We all have very busy schedules and itsaves us time and stress to have Karlacome right to our home. My husbandhas chronic pain and her weekly mas-sages help him tremendously. Whetheryou just want a great stress reliever oryou have a medical condition I wouldhighly recommend Karla!”

If you are looking for a fantasticway to improve morale at work, howabout offering your employees a cor-porate seated massage? This is a fullyclothed, seated massage that can bedone right at the office. This style ofmassage focuses on the back, neck,shoulders, scalp, arms and hands. Whata great way to let your employeesknow how much you care about them!

My Massage with KarlaI am a huge fan of massages. I go

every chance I get, but to be honest,that isn’t very often. When I’m not

“Barkdoll Massage”Continued from page 1


busy with my family or writing for theNeighborhood News, I’m like mostmoms and am usually concerned witheveryone else’s comfort over my own.That’s why I was so excited to be giventhe chance to experience one of Karla’smassages by the staff at NeighborhoodNews. (Thanks Jim!)

Scheduling my massage turnedout to be a breeze because BarkdollMassage Therapy is one of the onlyplaces that offers evening massage ap-pointments. It was all very easy for mesince I wasn’t going to have to worryabout driving anywhere or a babysitterfor the kids! On the evening of mymassage appointment, I simply pickedout a quiet room in the house, sent thekids outside to play with my hubby,and got ready to enjoy my massage.

Karla arrived right on time andbrought everything she needed withher. A true professional, Karla evenwears a clinical massage uniform.Within just a few minutes Karla had setup the massage table and was set upand ready to go. I was really impressedwith how quickly the room I hadpicked had been transformed. Beforewe started she spoke to me about whatkind of massage treatment I wanted,and she asked if I had any injuries thatshe needed to be aware of. We decidedon a combination Swedish and deeptissue massage. She also offered me

many different aromatherapy optionsfrom rose oil to eucalyptus. I felt to-tally at ease, and while she stepped outof the room, I comfortably got ontothe massage table and got settled.

When Karla came back in a mo-ment later, she put on what I like tocall “massage music,” and spoke to meabout what she was going to do beforeshe began. To my surprise, I was evenmore relaxed because I was at home. Ienjoyed the entire hour instead ofwondering how many minutes hadpassed, or wondering about the kids. Ifelt safe, pampered and well cared for.

After my massage, I felt like a soft-ened stick of butter, and I was able tojust put on my slippers instead of myshoes! This was an incredibly cool ex-perience that made me feel more cen-tered, and really changed my outlook.I felt great for days and my entire fam-ily could see what a difference it madefor me both physically and emotionally.

I can see that a massage with Karlawould be a great gift, which is why I’mso happy that she offers gift certificates,but one of the best parts about Bark-doll Massage Therapy is how afford-able it is. I might not have to wait for aspecial occasion because her pricing iscompetitive and affordable enough tofit into anyone’s budget on a regularbasis. From now on, I’m going to takebetter care of myself, and that includes

having massage treatments from Bark-doll Massage Therapy on a regularbasis. See you in a few weeks Karla!

Barkdoll Massage Therapy is anentirely mobile massage therapybusiness that comes to you. KarlaBarkdoll (License # MA47546) is

available 7 days a week from 9 a.m.to 9 p.m. by appointment only. Toschedule an appointment or to re-quest more information about mas-sage packages, corporate events orgift certificates, call (727) 372-6389 or email Karla at [email protected].


Under Armour Co-Ed Flag Football LeagueBeginning this winter in Tampa

is a nationwide co-ed flag footballleague sponsored by Under Armourand Brothers In Arms Foundation.The flag football league was createdto promote a competitive, confi-dence-building, non-contact footballexperience for all skill levels. Incharge of the Tampa chapter is JohnKaleo, former Tampa Bay Stormquarterback and owner of one of thetop quarterback academies in thecountry (John Kaleo QB Academy).John says, “Unlike other flag footballleagues, what made me gravitate toUnder Armour was the format weare using; a 7 on 7 structure de-signed to delop each player’s skills.This means there is no pass rush andjust a sack count, which allows theQB to set his feet and deliver the ballproperly while receivers and defend-ers can develop the timing needed inthe passing game. We also transitionthe kids from the 6 on 6 format intothe high school 7 on 7 game throughgrade levels, so the 7th-8th graders

will play under the HS 7 on 7 rules.”When asked what he enjoys mostabout this league John said, “I enjoywatching the development of ouryouth in the athletic arena as theylearn to compete while still showingsportsmanship. We also want tobring back the honoring of ourChampions and rewarding them withmedals and trophies, instead ofeveryone getting a medal for partici-pation. The other thing that is neatabout our league is we play ourgames on Friday nights so we havefood vendors and music present forour families. This creates a fun at-mosphere for everyone.” With mostleagues running on weekends I’msure parents will be happy with theFriday night schedule and keepingthe rest of the weekend open for anyother family activities.

The league will consist ofthese core values and principles:• Competitive Co-ed league forgrades K-8th • 6v6 format with sack count

• HS 7v7 format for grades 7th-8th• 7 weeks of Games plus Playoffs • 9 players per team so everyoneplays• “Friend/Team” request • Online shopping for discountedUnder Armour apparel • Food & Entertainment for Families

Proceeds will go to the BrothersIn Arms Foundation, which honors

fallen soldiers and provides fundingassistance to existing organizations,where the need is significant, with anemphasis on educational opportuni-ties and financial assistance for servicemembers, heroic community ser-vants, and their families. For more information or to regis-ter for the league please go towww.uaflag.com. The season runsfrom December through February.


Trinity Family Physicians Announces the First Recipientof the Tampa Bay Making A Difference Award

Dr. Amir Shir-mohammad andDr. Stephanie El-dridge appreciatethe great responseto the inauguralTrinity FamilyPhysicians’ TampaBay Making A Dif-ference Award.Trinity FamilyPhysicians an-nounced the Awardin NeighborhoodNews & Lifestylespublications in Julyand now the physi-cians are excited toannounce the firstrecipient of theTampa Bay Making A DifferenceAward. Dr. Shirmo (as his patients af-fectionately call him) presented JimCarow with a beautiful gift basket do-nated from partnering sponsor Grille54 that was filled with wine, cheese,crackers and of course, a gift certificateto enjoy a delicious dinner at Grille54. Nominated for his volunteer work

with the IWork program at IdlewildBaptist Church in Lutz, Jim Carowmakes a difference in the lives of oth-ers here in Tampa Bay!

Dr. Shirmo met with Jim Carowand his wife Mary to learn more aboutthe volunteer work they do and heshared the reason that he and Dr. El-dridge created the Tampa Bay MakingA Difference Award. “My wife and I

wanted to start a program where wecould give back for a worthwhilecause,” said Dr. Shirmo. “Dr. Eldridgesaid right away, ‘Why don’t we giveout an award to people in our com-munity who are making a difference inthe daily lives of others?’ We bothloved the idea!”

Dr. Eldridge and Dr. Shirmogrew up in Tampa Bay, fell in love inTampa Bay, went away to earn medicaldegrees together and then came backto the area to open a family medicalpractice and raise their own family.They look for ways to promote goodin the community they love andthough it has been a busy time for thehusband-and-wife team – Dr. Eldridgejust gave birth to their third daughterin August and Dr. Shirmo volunteersas one of the team physicians for hisalma mater Jesuit High School – theystill found a way to honor others whoare making a difference with TrinityFamily Physicians’ Tampa Bay MakingA Difference Award.

There were some exceptionalnominees and it wasn’t an easy deci-sion for Trinity Family Physicians but

they kept coming back to one emailwith a nominee who seemed to exem-plify everything that the Tampa BayMaking A Difference Award is meantto represent.

Wendy McDonnell wrote, “Iwould like to nominate Jim Carowfor your Tampa Bay Making a Differ-ence Award. Jim hosts IWork out ofIdlewild Baptist Church on Mondaynights, where he and his team feed,bring hope to and teach those in ourcommunity who are out of work orunderemployed. The support and en-couragement he offers is priceless,but there is no charge for the help orthe dinner.

“IWork is a safe place to sharepersonal stories and be vulnerable dur-ing a tough time in your life. With Jimleading, his team gives advice on inter-viewing, resume building, networking,having the right attitude and research-ing to find the best career fit for eachindividual. Without IWork and Jim,there would be more hopeless peopleunemployed in our community, that’swhy he should win your next award.”

Dr. Shirmohammad (L) presents Jim Carow (R), the 1strecipient of the Tampa Bay Making a Difference Award,with a beautiful basket donated from sponsor Grille 54.


Nominate Someone for the NextTampa Bay Making A DifferenceAward

The Tampa Bay Making A Differ-ence Award will continue to honor in-dividuals who make a difference. Ifyou know someone who makes a dif-ference in the lives of others in TampaBay, Trinity Family Physicians andNeighborhood News & Lifestyles wantto hear from you! Please submit yournominees (and tell us why they qual-ify) for the next Tampa Bay Making ADifference Award by email [email protected]. The nextAward winner will be announced in

the December issues of NeighborhoodNews & Lifestyles.

Trinity Family Physicians andNeighborhood News & Lifestyles askthat you please share your thoughtsand comments with us on our face-book pages: facebook.com/trinity-familyphysicians andfacebook.com/neighborhood-newslifestyles. Trinity Family Physi-cians is located at 1817 CypressBrook Drive, Suite 101 in Trinity,FL. Log on to trinityfamilyphysi-cians.com for additional informa-tion about Dr. Eldridge and Dr.Shirmohammad.

coming to the dentist.”Dr. Tran’s goal is to make his pa-

tients feel so comfortable with comingto the dentist that they don’t procrasti-nate. Instead, he wants them to makecoming a priority, not only because theyneed to come, but because they enjoycoming and interacting with the staff.

One patient writes, "EXCEL-LENT experience! I have anxietyabout seeing dentists (as many peopledo), but the staff was very friendly andprofessional, the hygienist was ex-tremely gentle and thorough. The of-fice itself was very sanitary. Dr. Tranwas friendly and took the time to goover my x-rays and explain to me vari-ous aspects of what was going on(which is rare for a dentist to actuallytake time explaining as he did). I was-n't waiting long at all. Afterwards myteeth looked great! I would highly rec-ommend this dentist to anyone whohas anxiety or fear of dentists, or justanyone who is looking for a qualitydental practice to take your family."

Mangrove Bay Dentistry’s serv-ices include everything from regularcheckups and cleanings to dental im-plant restorations. Mangrove BayDentistry also provides services and re-

pairs for full and partial dentures, aswell as cosmetic dentistry in porcelainveneers, teeth whitening, ClearCor-rectTM (clear braces) aligner therapy,and restorative dentistry with metal-free composite bonding and fillings,root canals, extractions, crowns andbridges, and more. Mangrove BayDentistry is a full-service, one-stop-of-fice for your entire family dentalneeds, whether it is cosmetic changesyou desire or healthy gums and teeth.

Dr. Tran and his staff are verygood when it comes to explainingdental procedures and thus patient ed-ucation is a very important aspect ofevery visit. By empowering his patientswith the proper information Dr. Trangives them the power to choose whatis best for them. “When a patient isknowledgeable and educated they willmake the right decision for them-selves,” says Dr. Tran. “I don’t try toforce them into anything. I am confi-dent that if I educate them enoughabout their options they will do whatis right for their dental health.”

What I enjoy most about Dr.Tran is how easy he is to talk to – evenwhen sitting down for the interview itwas like I was talking with a long-timefriend. And, after reading all the posi-tive testimonials online I can see whyso many have chosen him as their den-tist. Not only does he take the time to

get to know his patients, but he is re-ally good at communicating withthem and keeping them informedabout their dental health. Teeth aresomething a lot of people take forgranted, that is until they have a prob-lem. Dr. Tran not only teaches his pa-tients the importance of appreciatingthe teeth they have, but he also edu-cates them on proper hygiene, as toavoid any problems before they canever arise.

“The thing I love most aboutdentistry is building relationships withthe patients,” says Dr. Tran. “I meetpeople from all walks of life, all withdifferent experiences and life stories. Ienjoy talking with my patients andgetting to know them. You neverknow who is going to walk in or whatthe day will bring.”

The staff at Mangrove Bay Den-tistry understands that you have a busyschedule and that you don’t want tomake going to the dentist an all dayaffair, especially if you are just going infor minor work or a tooth cleaning.Dr. Tran and his staff will always re-spect your time; they want to breakthe negative stigma that many peoplehave about going to the dentist –thinking that dentists always run late.Dr. Tran says, “We value our patients’time and do our best to stay on time.We don’t like to make our patients

wait and do our best to get you in andout as quickly as possible while still of-fering the very best in dental care.”

Do You Suffer FromSleep Apnea?

Are you drowsy during the daywith no explanation? Do you snoreloudly or wake up breathless in themiddle of the night? If you're experi-encing any of these symptoms, youmay have sleep apnea. A condition inwhich your breathing stops periodi-cally during sleep, sleep apnea affectsmore than 12 million Americans.

If you are unsure, but think youmight have sleep apnea, the first stepis monitoring your sleep. Dr. Tranwill give you a monitor to take home,


“Mangrove Bay”Continued from page 1


which will monitor your air intakeand heart beat – it is basically a sleepstudy that you can do in the comfortof your own home. If they do findyou have sleep apnea, Mangrove BayDentistry can make you your owncustomized appliance.

As opposed to the CPAP ma-chine, which tends to be very bulkyand big, their appliance is muchsmaller than traditional CPAP ma-chines. It is easily transportable andeasier to maintain. So whether youneed to get tested for sleep apnea, orknow you have sleep apnea and wantto get rid of your traditional CPAPmachine, you can get a less-bulky ap-pliance that can be customized for youright here at Mangrove Bay Dentistry.

If you want to maintain a beautiful

smile and a healthy set of teeth choos-ing the right dentist is key – it is impor-tant to choose a dentist who will lookout for your best interests and provideyou with a positive, unforgettable expe-rience! That dentist is Dr. Toan Tran atMangrove Bay Dentistry!

Mangrove Bay Dentistry acceptsall major PPO insurances.

Mangrove Bay Dentistry is lo-cated on the corner of Hillsbor-ough Ave. and Race Track Rd. at13998 W Hillsborough Ave inTampa. Their office is open Mon. –Fri. 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. with eveninghours available by appointmentonly. For additional information orto schedule an appointment pleasecall (813) 891-9898 or visitwww.MangroveBayDentistry.com.

Neighborhood News & LifestylesFor Ad Info 813-928-6124 • NNLFlorida.com22 OCTOBER 2015

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Neighborhood News & LifestylesFor Ad Info 813-928-6124 • NNLFlorida.com24 OCTOBER 2015

Westchase - Vol. 4, Issue 10, October 2015

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