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Volume 27 Issue 7

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March 22, 2019

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Now Celebrating 25 Years As New Tampa & Wesley Chapel’s Primary News Source! The Direct-Mail News Magazines Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Since 1993! For the complete list of the neighborhoods that receive this publication by direct mail in New Tampa (zip code 33647), see page 50!

NTP Ready To Deliver A Special Performance Of ‘Aladdin’ First Look Inside:

By LIBBY BALDWIN

The cavernous main hall at the University Area Community Center swelled with a chorus of voices. The booming energy of the song “Prince Ali,” from the classic Disney film “Aladdin” sounded like a seasoned community theater production. In fact, however, it was just a regular rehearsal for a very special group of New Tampa Players (NTP). The local community theater troupe’s president, Nora Paine, was attending a theater conference in summer 2018 when she learned about the Penguin Project, an initiative that gives children with special needs the chance to perform onstage. Established in 2004 by Dr. Andrew Morgan, who spent more than 35 years as central Illinois’ primary medical specialist for children with disabilities, the Penguin Project matches each “young artist” with a peer mentor. These mentors, who are mostly children the same age as the performers who don’t have disabilities, volunteer their time to work side-by-side through four months of rehearsals and during the final performance. “The New Tampa Players had been looking for something like this, but didn’t want to re-invent the wheel,” said Paine, herself a mother to three special needs children. “This program is unique because it gives these kids a chance for social networking outside of the special needs community.” “Aladdin Junior,” which wasn’t modified from the original script, will be the first Penguin Project production not just

Get Out Your Shovels...

The New Tampa Recreation Center expansion project cleared one final hurdle and will break ground next month. Page 6 The joy in the room is palpable as the New Tampa Players' Penguin Project group practices dance steps for “Prince Ali.” Peer mentor Olivia Carr dances with her Genie, Connor Olsen. (Photos: Libby Baldwin)

for NTP, but in all of Florida. The performing artists and their mentors attend 3-4 rehearsals per week that run for no longer than 90 minutes, to ensure attention spans don’t run out. Each peer mentor learns every line, every dance move and every blocking move, along with his or her artist. Rehearsals are no slower-paced than regular children’s theater; peer mentors are expected to keep their artists on task. If a special needs child becomes upset, the show still must go on. “The young artist and their mentor go off to the side until they are able to calm down,” Paine said. “Then, they come back and join us. No big deal.” Paine has years of stage managing

experience, a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Montessori Education, but she and her staff of choreographers, costume designers and musicians are all volunteers. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see the happiness that it brings these kids,” said Brad Roberts, the music director for NTP's “Alladin Junior,” who says he previously has worked with special needs children. “A lot of these kids, despite working at a different speed than I’m used to, have really impressed me with their raw talent and ability to learn and retain.” While some of the artist-and-mentor pairs rehearsed, others sat patiently off to the side, using the time to run lines or go See “Aladdin” on page 8.

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Pages 24-25

Psst, Parents: Are You Looking For A Summer Camp For The Kids?

Finding something to keep your kids busy during the summer may be one of parenting’s most difficult challenges, and finding a camp before they fill up can be a grind. Miriam Cook, the founder of Family-Friendly Tampa Bay, is trying to make those tasks a little simpler. For the third straight year, FamilyFriendly Tampa Bay will hold a big Summer Camp Expo for parents in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas. Scheduled for Saturday, March 30, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Plantation Palms Golf Club (23253 Plantation Palms Blvd.) in Land O’Lakes, the expo is free for anyone to attend.

“This is our third year connecting summer camp experts with campers in Tampa Bay,” says Cook. “With over 3,500 event participants over the past two years, they have told us that our expos help create stress-free summers for parents, provide a variety of affordable summer program options and a fun and interactive experience for their children.” Providers from more than 40 camp and programs — ranging from sports and adventure camps to tech and coding camps — are expected to be on hand to demonstrate camp activities and offer exclusive discounts to attendees. The Summer Camp Expo also will be something of a camp itself — there

will be bounce houses, an all-ages dodgeball area, free crafts and a petting zoo. Expo-goers also can take advantage of a BOGO round of mini-golf on the Plantation Palms mini-golf course. Although the Expo is free to attend, those who plan to take part in the festivities are asked to go to Eventbrite.com and search for “Family-friendly”to register. General admission is free, and VIP tickets are available for $20, which include a large beach bag, $75 in coupons for local attractions and other goodies. For additional information, visit FamilyFriendlyTampaBay.com/tampasummer-camp-expo/. — JCC

Taste-y Treats

The Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel returns to AdventHealth Center Ice with another great lineup of popular eateries for area foodies to sample.

Pages 36-41

Get On The Guest List Now To Celebrate My 25 Years Of Neighborhood News! An editorial by Gary Nager So, even though I've also had a lot of haters over the 25 years I have owned and been the editor of the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News, the fact is that I get the most amazing feedback from all of you — our readers — about what we do to bring our communities together. A case in point is our now-finalized plan to celebrate my 25 years at the helm of the primary news and information source for New Tampa and Wesley Chapel residents and businesses. Even though we didn't (at that time) yet know when the celebration would be held, we've still have at least 60 people register to be part of that celebration — and another 30 or so of our advertising business owners who say they plan to attend. So, let's see how many of you will register to be on our guest list now that we are officially announcing the details of that little shindig. Although my 25-year anniversary was actually February 25 of this year, the celebration will be held on Friday, April 12, at the awesome Bayscape Bistro at Heritage Isles Country Club (off Cross Creek Blvd.), with heavy hors d'oeuvres being put out at around 6 p.m. and karaoke with my friend Gary Carmichael of Heart & Soul Karaoke kicking the musical festivities into high gear by 7 p.m. The food will be outstanding, as Bayscape owners Eddie and Lourdes Bujarski (who ran the culinary arts program at New Tampa's Wharton High for nearly two decades) will put out everything from fruit and cheese to some of Bayscape's Friday Fiesta fare like tacos, fajitas and more. We're still working on an exact menu (and Bayscape's complete menu will still be available for purchase) and the bar will be a cash bar, but this is a unique opportunity to hang out with not only my amazing staff at the Neighborhood News, but also the owners of

New Tampa Neighborhood News Address: 29157 Chapel Park Dr., Suite B Wesley Chapel, FL 33543 Phone: (813) 910-2575 Advertising E-mail: Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Editorial E-mail: EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Publisher & Editor /Ad Sales Gary Nager Managing Editor / Photographer John C. Cotey Correspondents Libby Baldwin • Jarrett Guthrie • Celeste McLaughlin • Andy Warrener Lead Video Producer/Multimedia Specialist Gavin Olsen Photography, Videography & Video Editing Charmaine George Graphic Designers Georgia Carmichael • Gavin Olsen Advertising Sales & Billing Assistants Janet Levins • Jannah McDonald

Nothing that appears in New Tampa Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by New Tampa Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion. The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertising space reservations for Volume 27, Issue 7, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Monday, April 8, 2019. New Tampa Neighborhood News will consider previously nonpublished outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates. New Tampa Neighborhood News will not return unsolicited editorial materials. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit &/or reject any advertising. New Tampa Neighborhood News is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the actual cost of the advertising space itself, nor for the validity of any claims made by its advertisers.

many of the businesses you see advertised in every issue of this publication. So, all you have to do to be part of the celebration is email us from a valid email address with your first and last name, the community you live in (Tampa Palms, Live Oak Preserve, etc.) and the first and last names of any other people you plan to bring with you. There is no admission fee to attend my "25 years of Neighborhood News" celebration, but you're not officially on the guest list until you receive a confirmation email from us. If you want to get an idea of how crazy Jannah and I and some of our friends are about karaoke, check out my article on page 44 of this issue. And no, you don't have grab a mic to sing at all to attend, but you do have to email us at Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews. com and put "Neighborhood News Guest List" in the subject line! See you there!

Tampa television) YouTube channel. Of the videos that we have released since my last update in these pages, our video about the new Twistee Treat in Wesley Chapel (see page 46) has been viewed 8,500 times, our story about the Pasco County School District's planned purchase of property for a new school in Wesley Chapel has been viewed 5,600 times and our video about Wharton's boys basketball team defeating the Freedom boys in the Regional playoffs (photo) has been viewed 4,600 times. And, although I wasn't available to go myself, Gavin and I were invited to travel to New York City to be part of a global conference call among all of the news organizations

who received funding from Google. He surely will report about that conference in our next issue. And, by the time this issue reaches your mailbox, most of our existing print advertisers and many people who have requested information about our video and online subscriptions will have received that information. So, if you're interested in having a Featured Business video produced about your business, or you're interested in the only truly multimedia advertising opportunity for businesses in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, please email us at Ads@ NTNeighborhoodNews.com ASAP! And, look for more info in these pages about our soon-to-launch new website — NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net!

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It's been almost exactly two months since we were among only 23 news organizations in the U.S. and 87 worldwide to receive funding support from Google — and lead video producer Gavin Olsen, our new inhouse videographer/video editor Charmaine George and managing editor John Cotey and I are all pretty excited about how things are going. As you're receiving this issue, you have the opportunity to watch a new "Neighborhood Dining News" segment with owner Steve Falabella of 900° Woodfired Pizza at the Shops at Wiregrass mall, our second "Chappie Chatter" segment with Wesley Chapel Community Facebook page administrator Jennifer Ames and even a new video about Liberty Middle School's human hot fudge sundae (check out the story on page 30 of this issue for more about that one). Many of our latest videos have done very well for us, both on Facebook and on our WCNT-tv (Wesley Chapel & New

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Table of Contents

Local News Updates.....................3-19

Viera Wins; Castor & Straz To Run-Off For Mayor...4 New Tampa Rec Center Breaking Ground In April!...6 New Tampa YMCA Has A New Executive Director...10 Lightning Recognizes Local Teen's Altruism..........12 Women Get Their Due At Herstory Museum...........14 Big Brothers & Sisters Honor Wesley Chapel Man....16 New Tampa Community Calendar..............................18

Local Business Updates..............20-27 Allergy Tampa Practice Adds New Doctor & More!......22 Murtha & Murtha — The New Tax Law Experts!....24 Tailored Living Can Help You Organize Your Stuff...26

Local School Updates.................30-35 It's Sundae Funday For Liberty Principal.................30 Local Students Make Mark At STEM Fair..................32 Hailey's Hope Fighting Mental Illness In Schools......34

Neighborhood Magazine

Our 2019 Taste Of New Tampa Preview!.......36-41 A Full Week Of Karaoke? Why?................................42 Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes..........46 New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Classifieds...........48 @NTWCNews

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Elections: Viera Cruises; Castor & Straz Advance To Run-Off For Mayor By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneightborhoodnews.com

While no winner for Tampa mayor could be declared following the March 5 elections — Jane Castor and David Straz are headed to a run-off election on Tuesday, April 23 — it was abundantly clear who New Tampa wanted to represent our area on Tampa City Council in District 7. Luis Viera, running for his first full term after finishing the remaining two years of Lisa Montelieone's term following a 2016 special election, trounced opponent Quinton Robinson 76.2 percent to 23.8 percent at the Tampa Municipal Election on March 5. Viera won 26 of the 29 precincts in Dist. 7 (which includes the Busch Gardens and Copeland Park areas, Forest Hills, USF and the city-based areas of New Tampa), compared to when he won just one precinct on his way to defeating fellow Hunter's Green resident Jim Davison by only 65 votes in the 2016 run-off. “When I ran in 2016, I ran against an individual in the run-off who a lot of people knew out here,” said Viera, referring to Davison, a long-time local activist on transportation issues and a twice-failed candidate for the Hillsborough County Commission (in 2002 and ’04). “I was a first time candidate. Things went my way. But, I stayed humble and knew I had to prove myself to people.” Viera received the largest percentage

Tampa City Council member Luis Viera (center) celebrates his win on March 5 with Heritage Isles’ retired Colonel Mike Escudie (left) and Jon Fletcher, president of Vietnam Veterans of America of Tampa.

of the vote among the other 23 candidates running for any of the seats in races for City Council Districts 1-6. Buoyed by his record of founding the New Tampa Council and North Tampa Veterans Association and creating the Warrior Games Promotion Committee to promote attendance at the Warrior Games (which are coming to Tampa in June), as well as hosting a number of local town halls, with guests like Hillsborough County Dist. 2 County Commissioner Ken Hagan, Hillsborough Dist. 3 School Board member Cindy Stuart and outgoing Mayor Bob Buckhorn’s chief of

staff, Dennis Rogero, Viera established himself as someone intent on raising the civic profile of New Tampa. He also spearheaded support for the city's Fiscal Year 2018 budget, which included nearly $2 million for the expansion of the New Tampa Recreation Center, and the design of a new sensoryfriendly park in Tampa Palms. “There were a lot of people who didn’t know me in New Tampa,” Viera says, “and I wanted to prove to them I was the right person for the job. I held their interests close to my heart, like the results showed.”

Robinson’s main argument was that Viera was too focused on New Tampa, but in precincts not located in New Tampa, Viera still won 66 percent of the vote, or 1,744 votes cast, to 901 for Robinson. In New Tampa’s precincts, Viera received 82 percent of the vote, with a ballot advantage of 4,062-910. In Hunter’s Green precinct No. 361, where Viera lives and a precinct he had lost handily to Davison, he had his biggest margin of victory, with 687 votes (or 88 percent) cast for him, compared to only 95 for Robinson. Another local candidate, Pebble Creek’s Vibha Shevade, ran for the citywide District 3 City Council seat, but finished fourth with 11 percent of the vote. Top vote-getters John Dingfelder (with 48.96 percent; see ad below) and Stephen Lytle (20.26%) finished first and second, respectively, to advance to the April 23 run-off election. Castor, the former Tampa Police Chief, won 52 percent of the vote and every precinct in New Tampa, but couldn't pass the 50-percent threshhold citywide (48%) and will take on Straz, who was second with 15 percent of the citywide vote In New Tampa, Straz garnered 16 percent of the vote, while Harry Cohen had 12.5 percent. The other four candidates all finished in single digits.

Vibha Shevade

Former Dist. 3 Candidate from New Tampa

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NTRC Expansion Will Break Ground Next Month at the time proved to be too low compared to the bids the city received for the project. Dial said rising costs for materials, such as steel, as well as higher prices due to a better economy, were to blame. “You never truly know the cost of a project until the bids come in,” he said. Phinazee and Granger Construction, Inc.’s bid of $2,390,000 required additional funds — $660,000, or 27 percent of the original estimate — to be reallocated to cover the costs. Although two lower bids were rejected for errors, the Phinazee and Granger bid was the lowest of the seven others submitted. Viera says the $660,000 came from a pool of funds set aside for projects that go over budget. “There’s red flags for something like that, when it requires additional money,” Viera said. “I was prepared for that. Let’s put it this way — was I worried? Yes. But was I actively worried something would happen and the project would be sunk? No.”

By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneightborhoodnews.com The New Tampa Recreation Center (NTRC) expansion is, officially, a go. Despite a number of obstacles over the years, including being dropped from the budget on more than one occasion, the Tampa City Council approved an additional $660,000 in funding on March 7 and voted 7-0 to award the contract to Valrico-based Phinazee and Granger Construction, Inc. A groundbreaking is scheduled for Friday, April 12, at 10 a.m. “There is no going back now,” said District 7 City Council member Luis Viera. “It 100 percent has been set off on its course.” The NTRC’s 7,825-sq.-ft. expansion is expected to make the facility’s immensely popular gymnastics and dance programs more accessible to those currently on a waiting list that numbers in the thousands of names. The expansion is expected to be completed around the end of 2019. Paul Dial, the director of the City of Tampa’s Parks & Recreation Department, says a number of improvements will be made, but noted that three will make the most impact. First, Dial says, one of the new rooms being designed will be for participants ages 6 years old and younger.

This is the latest rendering for the NTRC expansion. The new additions are the lower rooms in yellow. (Image: Tampa Parks & Recreation) “That will allow us to really focus on will really enhance the center,” Dial says. our efforts with them in a smaller setting, “We’re pretty excited about them.” versus the large gymnasium, or gymnastics Although $1.9 million was approved in room, they learn in now,” he said. Not the Fiscal Year 2018 budget for the expanonly will it create less distractions for the sion, following a vocal effort by supporters younger athletes, according to Dial, but it from New Tampa and some contentious dewill free up more room for the older combate on the City Council, the cost estimates petitors in the existing areas. Secondly, one of the additional rooms will double the area for the NTRC’s popular dance program. And thirdly, says Dial, another room is being developed that will be called the Training Box, which will have an emphasis on strength and conditioning and also feature a youth and adult component, the latter of which does not currently exist at For more infomation, contact Terri Vernon at (646) 436-2497 or email divaterriva@yahoo.com. the facility. “We think all three of these

Thank You, New Tampa! YOUR TAMPA CITY COUNCILMAN Political advertisement paid for and approved by Luis Viera, for Tampa City Council, District 7.

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Penguin Project: A Whole New World For Performers With Special Needs FROM PAGE 1 over dance steps. Even the youngest mentors, some under the age of ten, offered only smiles and gentle encouragement to their artists. “They’re just so open and ready to go for it, and that makes them be a really supportive family for each other, which you don’t always see in groups of ‘regular’ kids,” said Roberts.

Truly A Special Bond

The young mentors don’t seem to mind that all their hard work will lead to someone else getting the spotlight. “I’ve found a really good friend, and an understanding for how these kids think,” said 13-year-old Olivia Carr, who peer mentors the young actor playing Genie. “I have a lot of fun with him because he’s very energetic, and we have the same personality.” Olivia’s mom, Tami Carr, enjoys watching her daughter be part of such a selfless undertaking. “She looks forward to rehearsals all day; being a kid in general is rough, so seeing anyone struggle makes her want to help,” said Carr. “I wish everyone would come and see how much joy they have. It’s contagious, and hopefully, it will ignite a spark here that will catch fire.”

The special needs actors get plenty of support from the all-volunteer New Tampa Players’ staff if they become overwhelmed. (Above left, music director Brad Roberts and choreographer Charis Lavoie comfort a young artist. (Top right) Olivia Carr works with Connor Olsen, who is playing the Genie, on his lines. (Photos: Libby Baldwin)

Paine said she plans to put on one Penguin Project show each year, and said the response from the community has been overwhelming. She credits District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, who is very involved in the special needs community, with helping her secure local sponsors, including Pepin Academies, the Arts Council of Hillsborough County, MOSI and more. Paine’s 12-year-old son, Sebastian, mentors Jaden Figueroa, also 12, who

landed the title role of Aladdin. Jaden said he wants to be a movie star when he grows up. “He (Sebastian) helped me with my lines; we’re good friends,” said Jaden. Paine’s 7-year-old daughter also Zoe is a peer mentor, and although the mentors don’t get the spotlight, Paine believes they gain something much more meaningful from the experience. “She’ll come home after mentoring her friend Jack, and she’ll be so excited

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 7 • March 22, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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and proud that she helped him learn his lines and perform well,” she said. “They get a very special relationship.” “Aladdin” will open on Friday, April 5, at 8 p.m., with additional performances on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. All performances will be at the University Area Community Center, located at 14013 North 22nd St. in Tampa. Tickets can be purchased online for $15.

@NTWCNews

New Tampa Teen Wins Community Hero Award From The Lightning! By LIBBY BALDWIN

When New Tampa resident Harsh Bagdy was in the fifth grade at Montessori Preparatory School, the place he loved the most was the soccer field — and it was in bad shape. More rocks and dirt than grass, it was too dangerous to play on. So Harsh, whose father Ash had instilled in him a passion for giving back, decided to do something about it. Together, they rallied people in the community to raise $40,000 for a brand new field. That was only the beginning. In seventh grade, Harsh secured enough money to build a new computer lab at Terrace Community Middle School. By his sophomore year at King High, he had founded his own nonprofit, Charity Health Resources, a 501(c)(3) that raises money to purchase quality wheelchairs, walkers, shower chairs and other devices for people without adequate health insurance. “I see mobility as something we all take for granted,” said Harsh, whose mother Kavita Jain works as a physical therapist. He said she often tells him about the great need for mobility equipment she sees. “It’s impossible to go out, have a job or do really anything if you aren’t mobile, and if you’re worried about

Harsh Bagdy (right) with 9-year-old Sabian, who was the first to receive a donation from Harsh’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Charity Health Resources.

paying for food or housing, you can’t do anything about it,” he said. Harsh, 17, a first-generation American whose parents moved to Tampa from India 25 years ago and now a junior in high school, was honored by the Tampa Bay Lightning on January 19 as this season’s 25th Lightning Community Hero. He received a $50,000 donation from the Lightning Foundation and

the Lightning Community Heroes program. Half of the money will go towards his own education. He gave the other half to Metropolitan Ministries, an organization he’s been volunteering with since the sixth grade, and the one he turned to when establishing Charity Health Resources. “I instantly connected with Metro’s outreach team, because we had something they couldn’t easily

provide and they could find people who needed it,” said Harsh. A new partnership between Metropolitan Ministries and Charity Health Resources, made possible by Harsh’s winnings, will put more members of the outreach team further into the community, allowing them to find mobility-challenged clients who are unable to travel to the main outreach center in Tampa Heights. “Because of Harsh, when our team meets someone in the community with a handicap or mobility challenge, we can just call him up and he’ll fulfill the need,” said Metropolitan Ministries’ president and CEO Tim Marks. “That’s something we never could have done without him.” Charity Health Resources, said Harsh, has made between 15-20 donations in its first year. Their first donation was a new wheelchair for a 9-year-old boy named Sabian with spina bifida. He was growing too big for his chair and too heavy for his mother and grandfather to carry around, but his insurance wouldn’t pay for another wheelchair for two more years. The chair that Charity Health Resources donated to him enabled him to return to riding around in his grandfather’s car, spending time with his cousins and other family.

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C A SH Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Alex Killorn (left) and CEO Steve Griggs present Harsh Bagdy, the 25th Lightning Community Hero this season, with a check for $50,000.

“I really enjoy hockey,” said Harsh, who attended the January 19 Lightning game against the San Jose Sharks as the team’s guest of honor. “I see it as a faster-paced soccer game.” When Harsh — who is enrolled in demanding International Baccalaureate (IB) classes at King and travels multiple weekends a month for debate competitions, and also is a Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) member — isn’t at school or doing charity work, he still loves playing soccer and occasionally goes out for movies or dinner with his friends. He’s hoping for admission into one of three prestigious business

schools — at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Chicago or New York University. “Being chosen for this award felt amazing, both for me and for the work I’m doing,” Harsh said. “I may get the recognition for it, but the best part is that it allows me to spread my branches further and help people in areas I couldn’t reach before.” For more information about Charity Health Resources, visit charityhealthresources.org. For additional information about the Lightning Community Hero award, visit NHL.com/lightning/community/community-heroes.

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New Tampa Family YMCA Names New Director & Volunteer Of The Year! ing our selfless leadership staff with service opportunities and assisting other nonprofits to further their missions,” she says.

By LIBBY BALDWIN

The New Tampa Family YMCA in Tampa Palms has a new executive director at its helm. Robyn Ostrem, 46, relocated to Tampa from Chicago last month to accept the position that seemed tailor-made for her. It opened up right when her husband, Matt, decided to retire from a career in law enforcement. “It was always our hope to land in Florida when that happened,” says Ostrem, who is in the process of finding a new home for her family in Tampa. Her husband Matt, their two daughters and the family’s Labrador retriever will arrive in our area in June. “Three weeks in, and I love everything about my new post,” she says. “I’ve met such great people, and you can’t beat the weather!” Ostrem’s passion for the YMCA grew from her beginnings at Big Brothers Big Sisters in Chicago, where she ran a suburban branch of the agency for 13 years. A major donor took notice of Ostrem’s skills and persuaded her to transition in 2013 to the Sage YMCA of Metro Chicago, where she served as executive director for the past five years. “One of my favorite parts of working in the Y movement is community connectedness,” she says. “YMCAs are pivotal parts of communities across the U.S., and New Tampa is no exception.” The New Tampa facility opened in 2001 and is located at 16221 Compton Dr. It is a popular staple in the area for its family events, fitness classes and volunteer opportunities. “The Y is an amazing resource for families; we’re grateful for their summer camp and affordable programming,” said member Catherine Mund on Facebook. “We moved here in the last year, and the Y helped make New Tampa home.” Members enjoy a robust selection of amenities, including a full gym, group sports for children and adults, and even the City of Tampa’s only Olympic-sized (50 meters long) swimming pool. Ostrem says she is excited about what she sees as enormous potential for

Congrats, Steve!

The New Tampa Family YMCA’s Volunteer of the Year Steve Young (left) and new executive director Robyn Ostrem at the YMCA Regions Community Impact Dinner on March 4. her new workplace. “This is a large, roCamp Extravaganza, an open event on bust center with dedicated staff, mem- Saturday, April 27, 1 p.m.-4 p.m., will feabers and advisory board,” she says. ture the Healthy Kids Day initiative and of“Collectively, these groups will bring in- fer family activities, vendors, raffles, treats novative programming and an excellent and more. experience to the community, along with Ostrem entirely credits YMCA volraising much-needed funds to support unteers with the New Tampa Y’s success, our Open Doors program.” particularly the Board of Directors, which The Open Doors initiative, current- she hopes to expand in the coming years. ly established in many YMCA facilities “My vision is to bring the Y into the around the country, allows residents who community by being more visible, alignare struggling financially to apply for a membership on a sliding fee scale. “The New Tampa community is fortunate to have a YMCA here,” said Ostrem, who says she has an open-door policy and welcomes input from members. “You can expect some transformation projects in the coming years, and I’m elated to assist!” Ostrem’s first major project as executive director will be the Safety Around Water program, which will provide free swim lessons for children aged 3-12, whether or not they are YMCA members. The four-day course, taught by certified instructors for one week in May and one week in September, teaches children the skills to reduce the risk of drowning and increase their confidence in and around water.

Among the six volunteers on the New Tampa Family YMCA board is Steve Young, who was honored as the New Tampa Y’s 2019 “Volunteer of the Year” during the Tampa Metropolitan YMCA’s Regions Community Impact Dinner on March 4 (photo). The annual event attracts more than 500 guests and showcases the volunteer accomplishments from every Tampa-area YMCA. “Not only does Steve help provide guidance and leadership for the New Tampa Y’s cause-driven life-changing work, but he is also actively involved in raising funds, increasing community awareness and creating partnerships that further the success of the Tampa Y’s Vision 2020 strategic plan,” said Lalita Llerena, the senior communications director for the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCAs. “(That plan is) to close the achievement gap, improve the community’s health and well-being, prevent drowning and develop teen leaders.” Young, a Tampa native and YMCA member since 2011, joined the New Tampa YMCA Board in 2014. For more information about recreation and volunteering at the New Tampa Family YMCA, visit TampaYMCA.org or call (813) 866-9622.

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Interactive ‘Herstory’ Museum Opens At AdventHealth Center Ice! currently 13th on that all-time wins list). At the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, Murphy became the first American female color analyst for a women’s ice hockey game broadcast on television and, in 2015, along with Aronda Kirby, founded the UWLX, the first professional women’s lacrosse league in the U.S. Murphy and Kirby also founded the Play It Forward Sport Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit geared towards gender equity in women’s sports.

By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

As Marnie McClean looked around the new Herstory Museum at AdventHealth Center Ice (AHCI) in Wesley Chapel, she was grinning broadly. An eighth-grader from Fort Myers, McClean was at the facility competing with her Florida Alliance U-14 team in the Southeast Regional Girls Hockey Championships on March 9, but the Grand Opening of the interactive Herstory Museum on the same day was an added bonus. “I saw it on Digit Murphy’s Instagram, that it was going to be here, and I was so happy to come and see something like this,” McClean said. “It is really cool.” Margaret “Digit” Murphy is a women’s hockey pioneer and legend, as well as a champion for Title IX, the federal law prohibiting anyone, on the basis of sex, from being excluded from participating or denied the benefits of sports, or being discriminated against under any education program or activity that receives Federal financial assistance. The interactive Herstory Museum is Murphy’s brainchild, inspired by a visit to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH, that left her disappointed over the lack of exhibits honoring women’s accomplishments in the NFL. She and Wesley Chapel engineer Jeff Novotny created it for girls just like McClean, to bring to them the stories they

Everyone Has HerStory Jeff Novotny shows hockey players Danielle DiPasquale (center) and Tristina Doyle how to access the information at the Herstory Museum at AdventHealth Center Ice. (Photos by John C. Cotey) would otherwise never get to hear. The walls looks two of the ice rinks at the facility. are covered with portraits of the gold-medal Parents and players lined up against the winning 2018 U.S. Women’s Olympic ice glass to watch the action in the ice, strollhockey team that trained at Center Ice, as ing over to the exhibits on the wall during well as large vinyl displays for each featured breaks in the games. female hockey pioneer. Visitors can access “It’s pretty inspiring to see what a QR Code, which takes you to a webpage women have accomplished in hockey,” said featuring a biography and video, or you can Tristina Doyle, a teammate of McClean’s on send a text to a certain number to receive the Florida Alliance U-14 team. “Usually, that pioneer’s website link. it’s only the men you can read about, but All of the information is available really not much about women.” The first display features Murphy, online at GetHerStory.org. a former Ivy League Player of the Year The museum is located on the second at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. She floor of AHCI, next to the skating facility’s also produced seven Olympians while beTop Shelf Restaurant & Sports Bar. While coming the all-time winningest women’s only occupying about 100 square feet or hockey coach in NCAA Division I history so, plenty of women’s hockey history is — with 318 wins at Brown (she is still crammed into the space, which also over-

New Tampa resident Marisa Martin, 55, thinks stories like Murphy’s should be shared with as many young female athletes as possible. “I think it’s very important,” Martin said. “The sad part is, a lot of times, these younger women don’t know the history and that’s a problem. I think it’s a shame, because they’ve been given so much privilege, they don’t realize what was required to get here. I think it’s important to remember the women who came before.” Martin has her own story. When she was 9 years old, she had to take her 6-yearold brother Lonnie Jr. to sign him up for Little League because their mother was sick that day. With a check made out to Atlantic Little League (in Jacksonville), she and Lonne walked a half-mile to sign up. A woman sitting behind a table jotted down her brother’s name, and then looked up at Marisa and asked if she wanted to play, too.

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“I was like, ‘Are you talking to me?,’” Marisa said. And, with a little help from the woman, Marisa signed up for Little League baseball for the first time. “That woman changed my life,” she said. Marisa ended up playing Little League (and every other sport available to her) as a kid, and played basketball and softball in high school, where in 1981, she helped lead Fletcher High to the Class 4A state softball championship — 13 years before the sport converted from slow to past pitch, thanks in part to Title IX. As an adult, Marisa says she took up tennis and hockey as well.

How It Happened

After Novotny presented the idea to AHCI general manager Gordie Zimmermann, a three-year agreement was signed to bring the museum — which will be developed by Murphy’s Play It Forward Sport Foundation — to Wesley Chapel.

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Murphy, a whirling dervish of energy and a fountain of hockey knowledge, was the star of the Grand Opening. But, she shared the space with interactive displays featuring Katey Stone, the winningest women’s coach in NCAA hockey history; gold medal winners Sara DeCosta-Hayes (1998; photo) and Amanda Pelkey (2018); and Kitty Guay, the first woman to ever officiate an NCAA Division I men’s game in 2015. Another wall in the Herstory Museum will one day feature a local hero, which could be anyone, says Novotny, but will likely be someone with a relationship with hockey. That person hasn’t been selected yet, but visitors were allowed to nominate someone at the grand opening. Novotny says they will choose someone over the next few months. Admission to the museum is free. For more information, visit GetHerStory.org and PlayItForwardSport.org.

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Tampa Bay’s Best Big Bro By LIBBY BALDWIN

All that Howie Taylor says he wanted for his fifth birthday was a toy truck. Instead, he got a baby brother. Howie, now 52, and his brother Chris were inseparable. They grew up in Kansas City, MO; closer to each other than to any of their other siblings because of that shared birthday. They stayed close even as they settled in different places — Chris in Nebraska, and Howie with his wife Karen in Wesley Chapel, with whom he has two adult daughters. Howie has been a Wesley Chapel resident for the past 20 years. In 2014, Chris passed away, and Howie sunk into a deep depression. Just a year later, his youngest daughter moved out, widening the sudden empty space in Howie’s life. All that changed in 2016, when Howie walked into a Dairy Queen and left with a flyer that would bring him a new little brother. The flyer was for Big Brothers Big Sisters Howie Taylor and his “little brother” Hunter have enjoyed many adventures together, of Tampa Bay. including this recent visit to Busch Gardens Tampa. The two were named the Big It led to a connection with a 12-year-old Brother & Little Brother of the Year by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay. Land O’Lakes boy named Hunter, that turned

into more than either expected — Howie and Hunter were recently named the Big Brother and Little Brother of the Year by the Tampa Bay chapter of the nonprofit organization, and have a shot at the national prize, which will be announced later this year. “It’s kind of a whirlwind right now,” said Howie, who was asked to travel to Tallahassee and speak to legislators about the importance of mentoring. “We’ve got 500 kids sitting out there like Hunter was, just waiting on somebody to step up and offer a few hours of their time.”

Filling Needs

The loss of Chris, combined with his daughter’s moving out, left a noticeable void in Howie’s world. “The house just seemed so much bigger,” says Howie, a web developer. Hoping for a sense of normalcy and a way to fill his time in a positive way, Howie began seeking out volunteering opportunities. Even before his brother’s death, Howie was no stranger to giving back. He helped found the Gasparilla Krewe of Blackbeard’s Revenge, which

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has raised nearly $300,000 for local charities since its inception in 2011. He also worked with the YMCA, Metropolitan Ministries and other organizations before he walked into that Dairy Queen. Hunter says he was looking for something, too. “I was spending all my time in my room, playing video games,” says Hunter, who is now 15 and plays multiple percussion instruments in the band at Land O’Lakes High School. “My mom told me I should probably go out and do stuff!”

You Have To Start Somewhere

Soon after discovering that flyer, Howie was sitting in a Land O’Lakes kitchen with Hunter and his family, getting to know his new best friend. When Howie and Hunter first met, Hunter admits he was introverted, unsure of himself and uncomfortable in his own skin. He talked to other online video game players much more than he ever talked to people in real life. “You couldn’t drag more than a few words at a time out of him,” says Fred Tanzer, Hunter’s grandfather. “Before Howie, the willingness on his part to open up just wasn’t there.” Hunter, his older brother and their mother have lived with Fred and his wife, Linda, for the past 12 years. Howie’s father calls him nightly, but their interaction ends there. “Hunter hasn’t had a lot of parental anything from his dad,” says Linda. “Howie has just been a ray of light. He’s 100-percent invested, not 98 or 99 percent.” Adults who volunteer to become Big Brothers or Big Sisters go through a background check and an orientation session, after which matching specialists select a Little Brother or Sister for them. The adults must commit to eight hours a month with their young “siblings.”. “Both my kids are girls,” Howie says. “I never had a little boy to work under the hood of the car, play in the garage or throw a ball around with. I was hoping for someone not too rambunctious, but I just wanted to help.” Back in 2016, Howie wanted to

Big Brother Howie Taylor plays a rousing game of UNO with his Little Brother of more than three years, 15-year-old Hunter, at a Dairy Queen in Lutz. Howie and Hunter encourage anyone who wants to be a Big Brother or Big Sister to contact BBBSTampaBay.org. (Photo: Libby Baldwin)

expose Hunter to the world outside his room, but not overwhelm him on their first excursion. He thought about his hobby of flying drones and realized it was the perfect compromise. “We talked about how the dexterity you learn from video games can be good for a lot of things,” Howie says. “Within a few minutes, I handed him the controls and he had the thing out there dancing for me. He was a natural.” Since that first meeting, the pair have shared a bevy of experiences that Hunter believes he never would have done otherwise, including offshore fishing, regular trips to Busch Gardens, charity walks and other volunteer events, car shows and even appearing together on Howie’s Gasparilla Krewe float the last three years. “One of my favorite memories was watching him dance and sing at a Pentatonix concert,” says Howie. “I remember him asking if it was okay to do that, because it was his first concert.” Hunter still talks about their offshore fishing trip; they caught black sea bass and sheepshead, and had a fish fry surrounded by new friends. One of Howie’s Krewe connections hooked Hunter and two friends from school up with a recent trip to

Monster Jam in a limousine. “We see each other at least three or four times more than the minimum eight hours a month,” said Howie. “I’ve probably seen him three times just this week, and I hope to see him regularly for the rest of my life.” Hunter’s grandparents consider Howie to be part of their family, which is Jewish. Although Howie isn’t Jewish himself, he has come up with small gifts for Hunter and attended Hanukkah

festivities every year at their home. “Whenever the school band has a concert, Howie and Karen are there,” Linda says. “Birthdays, he’s always at the parties. We feel very blessed that Howie came into his life — and ours.” Hunter, who says he hopes to turn his gaming talent into a YouTube channel, said he has grown up during his time with Howie, particularly while volunteering, and realizes just how fortunate he is. “I have a lot more than most people, and I’ve learned to respect others and be confident,” he says. Howie adds that his friendship with Hunter has helped fill the voids in his own life left by his brother’s passing and his “empty nest” more than he ever imagined it would. “I’ve always got someone to hang out with,” Howie says. “I heard it said once that when your grown-up kids call you out of the blue, it’s like winning the lottery. I feel the same way when I get a call from Hunter after a long day at work.” Howie hopes that those considering becoming a Big Brother or Sister will reach out to the organization and join. “Anybody can do it, and it doesn’t take a lot of time or money,” he says. “It just takes interest, and a little bit of that can make such a huge difference.” For more information, visit BBBSTampaBay.org, or call (813) 769-3600.

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MARCH 2019

Saturday, March 30

Saturday, March 23

Bay Chapel Food Pantry - Free food for needy families. Open every Saturday from 9:30am11:30am, behind Christian Brothers Automotive (20300 Trout Creek Dr., off BBD). For more info, visit BayChapel.com/foodpantry. Free Community Boot Camp - Camp Gladiator is a fitness movement with dynamic, fun and challenging workouts. This is 60-minutes of amazing at your favorite place to shop. This Free event is held every Saturday, 8:30am-9:30am at Tampa Premium Outlets (2300 Grand Cypress Dr, Lutz). Participants should bring: exercise mat, 1-2 bottles of water, sweat towel, a smile & great attitude. For more Info: email Christine Iloni at christineiloni@campgladiator.com

Sunday, March 24

Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel - Check out our exclusive Taste 2019 Preview Section on pages 37-41 of this issue!

Monday, March 25

Yoga On The Lawn (The Shops at Wiregrass) - This Free event is held every Monday, 6:30pm-7:30pm at Center Court (The Shops at Wiregrass) Weather Permitting. This is Relaxing Beginner to Intermediate Yoga, sponsored by Energia Wellness Studio - For more info call (813) 973-7300.

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Sunday, March 31

GFWC New Tampa Junior Women’s Club - Topgolf Fundraiser - The GFWC New Tampa Jr. Woman’s Club will host its 22nd annual Charity Fundraiser & Silent Auction at Topgolf Tampa (10690 Palm River Rd, Tampa) 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Tickets cost $75 and will include 3-hours of Topgolf fun, a buffet dinner, silent auction, 50/50 raffle and more. The funds raised benefit the volunteer service projects for the 2019-20 year and will benefit the Tampa community. For more info. and tickets go to gfwcnewtampajuniors.org/no5000

APRIL 2019 Tuesday, April 2

MGM Friends Business Connection - Leap into action Monthly with MGM (Meet & Greet Mixers) Friends Business Connection held at USF (3802 Spectrum Blvd, Tampa). First Tuesday of the month, 9:00am-10:15am. Build strong relationships with like-minded business professionals with no fees. Open to all businesses looking to make real connections. Hosted by Shelomo Solson with Leapcaller. Facilitator: Georgianna Strickland. For more info. go to mgmfriends.com or call (813) 477-7306. New Tampa Library - Giant Book Sale - See ad below left!

Sunday, April 7 New Tampa Democratic Club - The Club meets on the 4th Monday of each month, 7:00pm8:30pm at Mulligan’s Pub (10550 Regents Park Dr, Pebble Beach Golf Club). Guest speakers Appreciate Pasco - Good Deeds Day Festival - A Community Festival celebrating doing good as part of Good Deeds Day. This event kicks off Volunteer Appreciation Week and recognizes are featured at every meeting. Come early, eat, mingle or come on time and eat during the and thanks groups, organizations and volunteers who lend their time, talent, voice and support to meeting. For more info, email newtampademocraticclub@gmail.com. Community causes. The event is family friendly and neighborly. It will provide entertainment, activWednesday, March 27 ities, arts & crafts, food, prizes, vendors and giveaways. Sunday, April 7, Noon-5:00pm, at Florida Business Networking International (BNI) - Meets every Wednesday, 7:30am, at Mulligans Trailer Solutions (36822 S.R. 54, Zephyrhills). RSVP to attend http://bit.ly/GoodDeeds2019. inside Pebble Creek Golf Club (10550 Regents Park Dr.). Call Bill Sullivan 813-994-1143. Rotary Club Of New Tampa Noon - The New Tampa Noon Rotary Club meets Wednesdays at Noon at Bayscape Bistro, inside Heritage Isles Country Club off Cross Creek Blvd. Guests are always welcome. For more info, search “New Tampa Noon Rotary” on Facebook. Thursday, March 28

North Tampa Veterans Association meeting - All armed forces veterans and associates are invited to a weekly lighthearted Dutch-treat breakfast meeting to get acquainted and tell your tales, new and old. Location: Steak ‘n Shake just off BBD Blvd. (17509 North Palms Village Pl) - every Thursday at 7:30 am. Bring your spouse and your brag sheet. RGA Network Weekly Meeting - The RGA Networking Group meets every Thursday for networking at GrillSmith at the Shops at Wiregrass Mall. Networking begins at 11:30am; Lunch is Noon-1:00pm. For more info, visit RGANetwork.net.

Friday, March 29

Rotary Club of New Tampa - The Rotary Club of New Tampa meets every Friday for breakfast at 7:00am at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club (5811 Tampa Palms Blvd.). For more info, including the speaker schedule, contact David Lanigan at 813-760-6548 or dave@ davidlanigan.com or visit NewTampaRotary.org. North Tampa Bay Chamber: Final Friday Networking - Held the last Friday of each month, Final Friday allows business professionals to meet in a ‘not-too-formal’ setting. This month’s event is hosted by FlameStone American Grill (10900 SR 54, New Port Richey). 4:00-6:00pm.

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Tampa’s Allergy Specialists Conduct Cutting-Edge Research; Dr. Pepper Joins The Team! By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

For patients who need relief from seasonal or food allergies, seeing a doctor who is up-to-date on the most current research could make a significant difference in your treatment options. That’s why Drs. Lockey, Fox, Ledford, Glaum, Cho and Pepper, a team of Board-certified allergists and immunologists found online at AllergyTampa.com, place equal emphasis on treating patients in their private practice and conducting research at the University of South Florida (USF) Division of Allergy & Immunology Clinical Research Unit (CRU). The private practice office and CRU make up the entire top floor of a medical building near the corner of Fletcher Ave. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. In addition to that main office, the practice also has offices in South Tampa, Citrus Park and Brooksville. The physicians manage a variety of disorders related to allergies, asthma and immunology, including food allergies, rhinitis (inflammation and swelling of the mucous membrane of the nose, often referred to as hay fever), cough, laryngitis, headaches and immune disorders. The specialists also treat allergic reactions and immune responses resulting in rashes and dermatitis.

About The Doctors

The group has recently expanded to six doctors, with Amber Pepper, M.D., joining the practice in August. Dr. Pepper, who says she married into the name and likes that it’s memorable for

Dr. Amber Pepper (left) recently joined (top, left to right) Drs. Cho, Ledford, Lockey, Fox and Glaum as Board-certified allergists and immunologists who treat patients, conduct academic research and teach the next generation of doctors just south of New Tampa.

her patients, is a familiar face at the practice. From 2016-18, Dr. Pepper did a fellowship through USF’s Division of Allergy & Immunology. Prior to that, she completed her residency in internal medicine in 2016 at USF, where she was in a once-weekly rotation at the practice, after earning her Doctor of Medicine degree from USF in 2013. She joins Drs. Lockey, Fox, Ledford, Glaum, and Cho, and says she first became interested in allergy and immunology while shadowing Dr. Ledford when she was in med school. “He is a wonderful mentor and enthusiastic supporter of this specialty,” she says. Richard Lockey, M.D., founded the practice in 1984 as Academic Associates in

Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. He earned his M.D. degree from the Temple University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Lockey served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, then subsequently joined the faculty of the USF College of Medicine (now the Morsani College of Medicine) as a Professor of Medicine. He currently is the director of USF’s Division of Allergy & Immunology. He also volunteers at the James A. Haley Veterans (VA) Hospital, where he was previously Chief of Allergy & Immunology. Dr. Lockey also has served as president of the World Allergy Organization and is a past president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), of which all of the practice’s specialists are members. Roger Fox, M.D., earned his M.D. degree from the St. Louis University School

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of Medicine in St. Louis, MO. He has written and lectured extensively on the topics of environmental, chemical, food and drug allergies, urticaria (hives) and skin disorders, such as angiodema. Dennis Ledford, M.D., received his M.D. degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. Like Dr. Lockey, he also is a past president of AAAAI. Dr. Ledford is the director of the Section of Allergy & Immunology at the James A. Haley VA Hospital. His published writings focus on immunology and autoimmune disorders and he has won many awards, including being installed to the Gold Humanism Honor Society for medicine at USF. Mark Glaum, M.D., Ph.D., earned his M.D. degree at Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. He completed a fellowship in allergy and clinical immunology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, also in Philadelphia.

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His areas of interest include how the body responds to substances that cause allergic reactions and advancing diagnostic techniques, such as rhinoscopies (examining nasal passages with specialized instruments). Seong Cho, M.D., received his M.D. degree as an otolaryngologist — an ear, nose and throat doctor — from Kyung Hee University School of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea. His allergy and immunology training was completed at the Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago, IL.

Research Benefits Patients

What sets the practice apart from other groups is the relationship the doctors all have with USF. All of the doctors are not only researchers, but also USF professors who teach residents and fellows. Their work is on the leading edge of new science in their field. “We are still learning so much about the immune system,” says Dr. Pepper. “We’ve come a long way, but there’s still so much to

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learn. It’s very interesting and I like being on the forefront of that.” This partnership allows the doctors to provide the convenience of neighborhood medicine, combined with the experience of the academic setting. “It’s unusual,” Dr. Ledford says, “but Dr. Lockey has created a hybrid of a university clinic and a private practice. They complement each other.” For example, if a study is being conducted that could help a specific patient, the doctors can send that patient right down the hall to USF’s Clinical Research Unit to participate in the study. One study that has recently completed clinical trials and moved to private practice is related to peanut allergies. “We give patients peanut protein in small, gradually increasing amounts to see how the immune system reacts,” explains Dr. Pepper. “We have shown it can reduce or prevent severe reactions in the

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event of an accidental exposure.” For someone who has a life-threatening allergy to peanuts, to be able to tolerate small amounts can relieve the constant fear of accidental contact with peanuts. This is the time of year when seasonal allergies are at their worst, and the doctors help many patients find relief from the significant amount of pollen in the air. In fact, the doctors’ research includes monitoring pollen in the air by collecting it on a slide and counting what they find. Once the doctors identify your allergy triggers, a personalized treatment plan may include nasal medications to reduce inflammation, antihistamines to relieve itching, sneezing, and runny nose and/or decongestants to reduce nasal congestion. If it is right for you, they may also prescribe allergen immunotherapy, also known as allergy shots. Fredia Green is a New Tampa resident who has been seeing the group to help her deal with her asthma and allergies for 20 years.

She says she’s not afraid to ask questions of her doctors, and they encourage her to do so. “I believe in being very detailed and they support that,” she says. “They have allowed me to ask all my questions and they make sure I understand my care.” Before she began seeing Dr. Fox for her allergies, Green says she suffered quite a bit. “I used to go to the doctor six times a year because of sinus infections,” she says. Now, the allergy injections she receives at the practice “make such a huge difference.” She says she’s watched the office grow from three doctors to six, and that all of them offer her the best possible care, which has benefited her tremendously in dealing with both her asthma and her allergies. To learn more about Drs. Lockey, Fox, Ledford, Glaum, Cho and Pepper, visit AllergyTampa.com, see the ad on page 15 of this issue or call (813) 9719743. The main office is located at 13801 BBD Blvd., Ste. 502.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 7 • March 22, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Who Should You Call To Untangle The New Tax Laws? Murtha & Murtha, CPAs! By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

Tax season is upon us (“Tax Day” is Monday, April 15), and with the new tax laws that have created more questions than ever before, it might be time to call in some experienced experts. The father-and-son team of Tom Murtha, CPA, and Patrick Murtha of Murtha & Murtha, LLC, is ready to answer that call. Partners and owners of their own firm in the Seven Oaks Professional Park off S.R. 56 (across from Sam’s Club), the Murthas have more than 50 years of combined experience in tax law, and they recently added three more employees, following a merger with another office in Zephyrhills, which is now called Henson & Murtha, CPAs. “It was a good opportunity to grow the business and take our brand and implement that in Zephyrhills,” Patrick says. With the addition of longtime CPA John Henson and three other employees in the Zephyrhills office, anyone signing up with the Murthas now has access to more than 100 years of combined experience in everything from accounting to tax preparations to mergers and acquisitions. “Where we definitely shine with is handling complex issues you don’t see every day,” Patrick says. “Between all of us, we’ve seen everything.”

Patrick (left) and his father Tom Murtha, CPA, offer a plethora of accounting services for individuals & businesses from their office in the Seven Oaks Professional Park in Wesley Chapel. (Photo: Gavin Olsen)

The Curious Case Of The Shrinking Tax Return

The current tax season promises to be an interesting one for Murtha & Murtha and other accounting firms, as clients are feeling the effects, good and bad, of last year’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Things like the doubling of the child tax credit, higher standard deductions and new limits on itemized tax breaks could create some thorny issues for those doing

their taxes on their own and those using computer software. So far, Patrick says that some people are finding out that their usual tax refund has been replaced by a new tax bill. While there are still a lot of tax breaks in the new bill, “W-2 employees are finding their withholdings weren’t enough,” Patrick says, “so, when they’re used to getting a tax refund, we have clients who are getting a much smaller tax

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 7 • March 22, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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refund, and some that actually owe.” How did that happen? Well, when the new tax law went into effect, Patrick says the IRS overestimated the tax savings that your average taxpayer was going to have. In other words, the IRS was less aggressive on the withholding than it should have been. “So, what happened is people got bigger paychecks during the year, but that was in the form of withholding less tax for their tax bill for the end of the year,” Patrick says. The Murthas say they are not completely surprised by this development. They say they started noticing while doing tax returns in 2018, just after the bill passed, that many of their clients said they were receiving bigger paychecks. As anyone on social media can attest, there were many posts from people praising the new tax law because it meant an extra $100 every week or two on their paychecks. One of Patrick’s clients, a married couple, say they have never owed taxes before and usually get a refund of around $3,000. This year, they owe $2,500. On the other hand, says Tom, Murtha & Murtha has another client, a business owner making more than half a million dollars annually, who they saved $30,000-40,000 in taxes. “He made out like a fat rabbit,” Tom says, “and he was able to put the savings into retirement planning.”

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While everyone is paying a little less tax, Patrick says the sweet spot this year seems to be those making between $150,000 and $400,000, due to the child credit being doubled and available to those who make up to $400,000, a generous qualified business income (QBI) deduction of 20 percent for business owners and “softer” tax brackets. If using a firm like Murtha & Murtha sounds daunting and exorbitantly-priced, the Murthas promise that it’s not. “Price-wise, were competitive with companies like H&R Block, we really are,” Patrick says. “I have clients who come in and I quote them a price and they say, ‘Wow, I paid $100 more at H&R Block and they messed up my return.’ We are able to provide a high level of service without pricing people out.” That service, provided by Patrick, Tom and the firm’s senior accountant Kyle Flischel, CPA, is what they call the “Murtha & Murtha Difference.” They don’t have someone meet with you, pass off your return to someone different in a back office, and then deliver your results to you without explaining everything and rushing you out the door. At Murtha & Murtha, the person you talk to is the person who does your tax return. Whether you’re a filer from a lower income tax bracket, a business bringing in $100,000 a year or someone with an $80-million stock portfolio, you get personalized treatment. “We want our clients to view us as advisers,” says Patrick, “not just the guys who do their tax returns.” Murtha & Murtha will go over your return, explain how the final result was achieved and offer advice on how to proceed in the future. If you’re unhappy with your refund or lack thereof, they can offer suggestions to avoid a repeat. “We want to make them aware of what the new landscape is and how to deal with it,” Patrick says. “Retail companies train employees how to use the software, they don’t train them on tax law. We’re not just a tax return mill, we want long-term relationships with our clients.”

More Than Just Tax Returns

Murtha & Murtha can and does handle much more than just tax returns. Tom, who earned his B.S. degree in

Management from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY, in 1976, and his M.B.A. (Master of Business Administration) degree in Accounting from St. John’s University in Queens, NY, in 1981, has been doing mergers, acquisitions and business valuations since the 1990s. Along with various accounting services, business valuations are another perk of being a Murtha & Murtha client. A good and accurate estimate of the worth of someone’s business is as important to a business owner as the appraisal of one’s home. Tom specializes in this field, “and not just the back of an envelope type of thing.” In the long run, he adds, everyone wants (or has) to sell his or her business one day. Murtha & Murtha also offers a “CFO Retainer Package,”which is designed to help businesses and those who are self-employed whose company may need a Chief Financial Officer but don’t have the budget to hire a full-time manager or accountant for that job. For a fraction of the cost of a fulltime CFO, the Murthas operate in an advisory position and can handle everything from accounting and book bookkeeping, setting up payroll and ensuring that all the income and expenses are classified correctly. They also will put together a budget, which Patrick says hardly any other companies do but is needed, as it provides a “compass” to let you know if your business is headed in the right direction. And of course, they will take care of all the tax preparation and planning. If you follow Murtha & Murtha on Facebook, you also can find advice in the form of short videos that will help answer a number of common tax questions, from simple ones to those that are more complex. “We offer the complete package,” Tom says. “When you are with us, you really do get a lot.” Murtha & Murtha, LLC, is located at 2236 Ashley Oaks Cir., Suite 101, in Wesley Chapel. For more info, see the ad on pg. 12, visit TampaTaxFirm.com or to schedule a free consultation, call (813) 991-1120. Henson & Murtha, CPAs is located at 5315 8th Ave. in Zephyrhills. For more information, call (813) 782-0580.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 7 • March 22, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Time To Reduce Your Home’s Clutter? Tailored Living Of Central Tampa Can Help By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN

Is it time for the annual spring cleaning at your home? If you’re tired of looking at piles of clutter, overcrowded closets, or a pantry or garage that you keep saying you need to clean up, Tailored Living might be the solution. Mat Jones is the franchise owner of Tailored Living of Central Tampa, which serves the Wesley Chapel and New Tampa areas. After spending the last 14 years as the vice president of sales for a software company, he got tired of traveling and bought the Tailored Living franchise in December, building a local business that allows him more time with his family. Mat and his wife Karie, who have been married for 22 years, live in Lexington Oaks with their kids, 10-year-old Ethan and 9-year-old Addison, and their golden doodle named Stella. “We do whole home organization from garages to closets and everything in between,” explains Mat. “We also create custom desks, laundry rooms, Murphy beds, pantries and garage floors.” In addition to creating custom closet cabinets with open or closed shelving and drawers for your home, Tailored Living also offers its services to commercial businesses, such as offices and stores. Mat recently installed a custom organization system in his doctor’s office. To finish the organized, clean look of your garage, Tailored Living offers several

Mat Jones is the franchise owner of Tailored Living of Central Tampa, which serves the Wesley Chapel and New Tampa areas. Tailored Living focuses on home organization by more properly utilizing the space in your home. (Photo: Gavin Olsen) options for garage floors, including epoxy Sarasota, Jacksonville, Orlando, Miami, Palm coating and tough floor tiles. Coast and the Panhandle. Tailored Living is part of the Home Franchise Concepts family of brands, which A Little History... also includes Budget Blinds. Tailored Living started out about 15 In fact, local Budget Blinds local years ago as PremierGarage, then purchased a company called Closet Tailors and changed franchise owners Mike and Adriane Wonderlin are Mat’s neighbors. They introthe name. Now, there are about 200 Taiduced him to the idea of buying a Home lored Living franchises across the U.S. and Franchise Concepts franchise and even Canada. In Florida, there are franchises in

became one of his first clients. “Mat did our daughter’s closet and we’re going to do our master closet as well,” Adriane says. “Getting organized is something people want to do, but people don’t know where to start. He gave us a lot of ideas on how to make life easier.” She says she was pleasantly surprised by how her daughter’s closet organizing system will grow with her. “She’s only 5, so they tailored it to a little girl who wants to dress herself,” explains Adriane. “It’s so versatile. As she gets older, I can move the bars up or move the shelves around, when she’ll have more clothes instead of toys.” Adriane says Mat had really good design ideas, but also took the time to understand her needs and created a design to address those specific concerns. “The consultation was easy,” she says, “then the installation was done in one day.” She was impressed by the 3D concepts presented during the consultation, allowing her to see exactly what her project would look like from many angles. She also learned a lot during the process, such as unexpected add-ons, including different kinds of molding, lighting and glass doors. After they get their master closet organized, the Wonderlins says they plan to tackle their garage. “I come from up north where there are basements and attics,” Adriane says. “Here, there’s no storage, so you have to get creative with the space you have. Bins from Walmart can only do so much.”

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 7 • March 22, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Creating more space in your bedroom closet (left), kitchen (center) and/or garage (right) with the use of shelving and taking advantage of wall space can help any home become more organized and less cluttered.

Paying Attention To Details

Mat says he’s building his reputation on details. “We say what we’re going to do, and do what we say,” he explains. “Your reputation is all you have, so we treat every job to the same level of craftsmanship. We pay attention to the details and pride ourselves on the small things.” For example, he explains, his installers don’t just cover over old closet racks with new ones. After removing the old items, they repair the holes, paint the walls and make sure the seams are caulked. “It’s an investment for people to get organized and we want them to know they picked the right company,” Mat says. He also says that all installations are done by the company’s two full-time em-

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ployees, not contractors. The lead installer has been a cabinet designer and installer in his family business and also lives in Lexington Oaks. If an extra hand is needed, Mat himself will jump in. He says his goal is to help people get organized for a more stress-free home and life, helping them to create a space for the piles that inevitably find their way into a home. “When people are running out of space, they know they need to do something,” he explains. “Most people think the solution is to get rid of the things we have. The problem is, you’re going to replace them, and then you’re going to have nowhere to put the new things.” He says the solution is not to be frustrated by the things we have, but to let Tai-

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that made sense that we never would have thought of.” The Tumeltys were so happy with the results of their closet reorganization, they then hired Tailored Living to organize their kitchen pantry. After that, they had their garage floor coated. “They were absolutely fantastic and went the extra mile for us,” Bill says, explaining that the precise attention to detail was beyond his expectations. “I believe in oldschool customer service and Mat definitely does give that.” For more information or to schedule a free in-home consultation with Tailored Living of Central Tampa, call (813) 425-0131, visit TailoredLiving. com and enter your ZIP code, or see the ad on page 45 of this issue.

lored Living help you find a way to organize, so you have a place to put those thing away. Bill Tumelty is one of Tailored Living’s satisfied customers. He says his wife had wanted to better organize the walk-in closet of their Wesley Chapel home for a long time. “I’m cheap and I didn’t want to spend the money, but now I couldn’t be happier,” Bill says. He says the closet is pretty big, and now that it’s been fitted with a custom cabinet solution, he actually has a larger section. His wife has a built-in jewelry organizer that she loves, he has a tie and belt rack that slides in and out so it’s not seen, and even the laundry hamper is built in. “The owner, Mat, is so attentive to our needs,” Bill says. “He made suggestions

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 7 • March 22, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Liberty Students Turn Principal Into A Sundae For Fund-Raising Success! By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com She has seen a principal take pies in the face, another sing songs from the top of the school and another kiss a pig, goat and a llama on the lips. But until March 15 at Liberty Middle School, Tracey Maniecki of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society had never seen a principal turned into a human sundae. A smiling James Ammirati, Liberty’s principal, sat on a chair in the gymnasium as hundreds of students cheered loudly for every scoop of vanilla ice cream, every drop of Hershey’s chocolate syrup, each piece of crumbled Oreo cookie, every sprinkle and, naturally, the jars of cherries that were dumped over his head. It was all for a good cause, as well as a reward for every homeroom that raised more than $100 towards Liberty’s final tally of $5,254.37. “About two months ago, I met with Ms. Katie Smith and also several students that are on Student Council, and we just threw around some ideas and this is the one they landed on,” said Ammirati. “I was all in because its for a great cause. And, it obviously drove our numbers up.” Smith, a 7th- and 8th-grade Spanish teacher and Student Council advisor, has led the fund raiser the past five years, but says she usually raised about $1,000. This year,

Sixth-grader J.D. Ammirati got to pour the first round of chocolate syrup over the face of his dad, Liberty Middle School principal James Ammirati, as part of a reward for raising $5,254.37 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

she says the students were sparked by stories of children whose only wish was to make it to their eighth birthday. “For a child not much older than that, it really hit home,” Smith said. “It hit home for me, too.” Money was raised from donations from students, with some parents sending their kids to school with checks of more than $100, while additional funds were raised selling treats like chocolate and Takis.

“Sometimes it’s hard to get the principals engaged, but I can’t say enough about Katie Smith and the fact she was able to get the principal on board to raise the awareness,” Maniecki said. Ammirati tilted his head back during the sundae making, joking that he consumed enough ice cream and toppings that he probably gained a few pounds.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 7 • March 22, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Next year, he hopes to be involved again, but wouldn’t mind a warmer payoff. “It was freezing,” he said.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 7 • March 22, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

(Picture, left) Clark Elementary fourth grader Harrison Shirey (left) and Chiles Elementary third grader Rohan Apte both earned Best of Fair at the February Hillsborough County Regional STEM Fair, while Heritage Elementary (l.-r.) third grader Logan Jones, fourth grader Isabella Pappalardo and third graders Emily Lara, Isabella Santiago and Dylan Farner all earned medals.

Area Students Pick Up Dozens of Awards At Regional STEM Fair By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.

New Tampa’s elementary and middle schools once again had a strong showing at the 38th Annual Hillsborough County Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) Fair on March 6. In fact, more than 50 students in New Tampa were recognized for their projects, including a pair of Best of Fair awards. All students in Hillsborough County were allowed to submit a qualifying

project in 13 major STEM subject areas. The top 27 winners advanced to the State STEM Fair, and the two best projects from Hillsborough County also will go on to compete in the International STEM Fair. The Best of Fair winners were Chiles Elementary third-grader Rohan Apte and Clark Elementary fourth-grader Harrison Shirey. Rohan won for his project entitled “Crash! Did it Break?: Do Seat Belts Matter?” His project involved crashing a LEGO car with eggs inside wearing (and some not

wearing) rubber band seat belts. It’s not the first Best of Fair aware for the Apte household — Rohan’s sister Ria also won the award, in 2016, also when she was in the third grade. Harrison won his Best of Fair award for his project “What Material Does Wi-Fi Travel Through?” Local elementary schools earned 15 Superior scores, including four each by Clark and Turner/Bartels K-8 and three by Chiles and Tampa Palms. In the older division, Liberty Middle

School’s Uma Panchal (“The Vitamin C Integrity Project”), Ellie and Olivia Pliska (“The Algae is Blooming: Does Synthetic or Organic Fertilizer Contribute more to Algae Growth?”) won first-place awards, while Wharton High took home seven top3 finishes, including a first-place by Kylie Orihuela and Mackenzie Schaecher for “Copper Heals.” While we don’t have the space to list every winner, the complete list will be available on our website, NTNeighborhoodnews.com.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 7 • March 22, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

‘Hailey’s Voice’ Brings Mental Health Training To Hillsborough Schools training teachers, and teachers begin implementing the program, she hopes other teachers will want to be trained. As the word spreads, Lisa expects that other schools and school districts will want the program brought to them, as well. She believes the training is desperately needed for students in today’s schools. “I have kids who reach out to me by phone or through Facebook messages and tell me their mom doesn’t believe that there’s an issue,” she says. “I’m hoping this will do some good for kids to help them figure out how to talk with their parents better and get some resources to give them help.”

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

The pain never goes away. But, for Chris and Lisa Acierno, there is a way to deal with it. By starting a foundation, called Hailey’s Voice of Hope, named for their daughter Hailey, who was 17 when she took her own life in 2017, the Arbor Greene parents are aiming to bring awareness to something their daughter struggled with — mental health issues — and the stigma associated with those issues. The foundation recently announced that it has partnered with the Hillsborough County School District and the Jordan Binion Project (JBP) to provide training that will pave the way for mental health awareness to be taught to Hillsborough County students. JBP is a nonprofit organization based in Washington state, created by parents who also lost their son to suicide, also related to mental illness. That foundation has spread a mental health awareness curriculum throughout the state, with a goal of getting the training into all high schools across the country. The Washington-based nonprofit’s first entrance into Florida is here in Tampa, thanks to Hailey’s Voice of Hope. Instructors from JBP will offer two training sessions in April. Those who complete the workshop will be

Hailey’s Voice of Hope will bring instructors from the Washington state-based Jordan Binion Project to Tampa to train local educators at Hillsborough Public Schools a mental health awareness program that ultimately will be taught to local high school students. (Photo courtesy of Jordan Binion Project/Facebook)

“trainers,” who can then train teachers to be able to present the curriculum directly to students. The program is designed to help students identify signs of mental illness and provide resources to help those who need them. It is targeted to high school and eighth grade students. “We’re a small foundation,” explains Lisa, “and this is something we can afford to do that will impact a lot of kids.” She says the cost, which is about $12,000 to cover the expenses of the

trainers who will travel to Florida, is a fairly small amount that will have a huge impact. The curriculum itself is provided for free to the schools. The money to pay the expenses was raised primarily through a golf tournament to benefit Hailey’s Voice of Hope held last fall, which brought in more than $15,000. A second annual golf tournament is planned to be held this October. Acierno hopes the training will have a ripple effect. Once some trainers begin

A Focus On Mental Health

Hillsborough County Public Schools District 3 School Board member Cindy Stuart says that mental health issues are a strong focus in Florida schools right now. “This is unique in that it’s being funded differently than the typical state or federal funding,” she says. “The Aciernos raised the money to bring this to the district, and they are passionate about being sure that something different gets done to fill the gaps in the system.” Stuart says that the people on school campuses who have the most training in mental health issues, such as school psychologists, don’t interact with each student on a daily basis. “This program

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“This curriculum will educate and train is very beneficial,” Saia and inform our teachers says. “We’re excited to — the people who are in see a curriculum this front of our kids every in-depth that they are day,” she says. willing to share, free of Elizabeth Tanner, charge.” supervisor of emotional The two training wellness, and Holly sessions in Tampa will be Saia, director of student held Monday-Thursservices, are two district day, April 22-25, at employees who have Keiser University on W. been working to bring Waters Ave. in Tampa. the JBP program to The two-day Hillsborough County workshops are open to Schools. all Hillsborough County “This program teachers and staff, with caught our eye because some seats reserved for it’s so comprehensive Hailey Acierno representatives of private and gives people the big and charter schools, as well as from other picture of many types of mental health Florida counties. illnesses and resources,” says Tanner. To learn more about signing up “Sometimes, it’s very easy to be knowlfor this training, contact Lisa Acierno edgeable about medical-physical issues, at foundation@haileysvoice.org. but medical-mental health issues can be Acierno says there has been a great more challenging.” response to the program so far. Within a Tanner and Saia explain that part of couple of weeks of announcing the trainthe training will be to brainstorm how ing, she says that more than 100 spots to roll the curriculum out in local high were already reserved. schools, whether it, eventually, will be presented to all schools or just in certain “I’m going to one of the trainings classes or to certain students. myself, so that I can train teachers in At this time, none of those things the future,” Acierno says. “This is my had yet been determined. way to cope.” However, Tanner and Saia agree For more information about Haithat anyone who is trained and wants to ley’s Voice of Hope, visit HaileysVoice. go back and immediately implement the org. To learn more about the Jordan program at their schools are welcome to Binion Project, visit JordanBiniondo so right away. Project.org.

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Our Exclusive Taste 2019 Preview Section — What’s New? A Lot! Congratulations to the Rotary Club of New Tampa, which will host the annual Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel for the third year in a row, again at what is now being called AdventHealth Center Ice (AHCI) on Sunday, March 24, 2019, noon-4 p.m. The club (which meets Fridays at 7 a.m at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club) did an excellent job of rounding up not only many of your returning favorite eateries from the last two years, but also some outstanding newcomers among the 29 restaurants and eleven beverage purveyors that had signed up to participate in the Taste by our press time on March 15. We caught up with Taste co-chairs Karen Frashier and Jennifer Cofini and asked them about what new and old favorites attendees will be enjoying at this year’s Taste:

NN: How excited is everyone about this year’s Taste of New Tampa event? TONT: We’ve had the pleasure to give away Taste tickets at several North Tampa Bay Chamber and community events. We always ask the crowd if they know why we’re there and what’s coming up. A large percentage of the crowd shouts back “Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel.” Hearing that crowd response makes our day! The Rotary Club of New Tampa is a

Neighborhood News

nonprofit 501(c)(3) hosting this event with the Chamber to support scholarships and our charities. Our committee has grown to 20 Rotarians and Chamber volunteers. We’re invested. NN: What do you have planned? TONT: We’ve got 40 food and beverage vendors that will start tummies grumbling the minute guests enter Rink C at AdventHealth Center Ice. The Freedom High Naval Junior ROTC flag corps will kick off the festivities, along with: Denyse Bales-Chubb, the CEO of AdventHealth Wesley Chapel; Dist. 7 Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera; and Mike Wells, the chairman of the Pasco County Board of Commissioners. Then, the Freedom High School drum corps will get the party started by marching throughout the venue. Attendees have told us they want tables spread throughout the venue so they can hang out with friends and neighbors. Done! NN: So, what’s new at this year’s Taste? TONT: We’ve added cookie decorating to the photo booth and kids painting/art booth located in the family fun area. A Dash of Salt ‘n Pepper, DCA Media Consulting and Pinot’s Palette Wesley Chapel are sponsoring the fun for kids. Our presenting sponsor is Advent Health Wesley Chapel. The Taste of New Tampa & Wes-

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ley Chapel focuses on friends, family and food — three important building blocks to whole, healthy lives. Building blocks that inspire both the Rotary Club of New Tampa and AdventHealth Wesley Chapel to serve our North Tampa Bay neighbors.

NN: What restaurants are you particularly excited to see that you think the locals will be happy to see? TONT: Taste attendees will be particularly interested to see how the chef showdown between past winners Ciccio’s

Our Exclusive Taste 2019 Preview Section continues on pages 38-41!

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TASTE 2019: Here’s More Of What You Can Expect This Year! FROM PAGE 37

Cali, Noble Crust and Nothing Bundt Cakes shakes out. Pincher’s, Vom Fass, Blondie’s Cookies, Fat Rabbit, Cinebistro, Chuy’s and Top Shelf Sports Lounge were crowd favorites, too. Earth Fare, a green grocer which newly opened on S.R. 56 (across from Tampa Premium Outlets) and Bahama Breeze are bringing their chefs’ A games. NN: What about any under the radar places? Maybe some eateries that aren’t located nearby or are new to the area that many will be getting a first taste of? TONT: Taste foodies will be especially interested in locally owned food and beverage purveyors such as Ava’s Low Country Cuisine, Pomodoro Pizza and the Ice Dreammm Shop. They can have their cake and eat it too from the newly opened community venue called Canterbury Hall at Grace Church Tampa Palms. And, Batter & Dough is offering yummy filled mini-pancakes. NN: Other than food samples, what else can people look forward to at the Taste? TONT: There will be big competition in the beverage category this year with Coppertail Brewing competing with 81 Bay, Zephyrhills, Time for Wine. The Brass Tap and PRP Wine International. New beverage options include Blue Chair Bay Rum and Buttermilk Provisions sangria. Chamber chair Karen Tillman-Gosselin with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services is sponsoring the

water again this year and we’ll have a booth for soft drinks. NN: What do you expect or hope for in terms of attendees? Talk about the growth of the event over the past two years, and how Center Ice has proven to be an ideal facility. TONT: The event has a 20-year history as one of North Tampa Bay’s premier events. Last year we hosted 2,000 guests. Based on history and the growth we’ve seen over three years, we expect 3,000 guests this year. AdventHealth Center Ice is a perfect location because the event is indoors — no worries about the weather. The parking is free and plentiful in front and behind the building. We’ll have volunteers in the lots helping guests locate parking and directing people to open parking. Plus, Taste-goers who present a Taste ticket the day of the event can get free ice skate

rental to glide off the calories after snacking their way through the restaurants and beverage purveyors. NN: What charitable organizations receive the proceeds that are raised? TONT: Proceeds support high school scholarships through the North Tampa Bay Chamber and charities supported by the Rotary Club of New Tampa. In 2018, the Rotary Club of New Tampa donated more than $46,000 to local and Rotary International Foundation signature projects, including End Polio Now, Feeding Tampa Bay and the Fisher House at the Haley VA Hospital. Signature youth programs such as Interact, Rotaract and Seminar for Tomorrow’s Leaders help young people develop leadership skills. Find the complete list on TasteOfNewTampa.org/nonprofitsbenefit.html.

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More Tasty Restaurants & Desserts! Outstanding Beverage Purveyors, Too!

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La Prima Pizza Celebrates 16 Years In Our Area & Counting...Down! By GARY NAGER

FROM THE FIRST TIME

I tried the true New York-style pizza at my friend Willie Lopez’s La Prima Pizza (it was called by another name at that time), I felt it was the closest thing to the pizza places I grew up with in Long Island and Manhattan, NY. Since then, in addition to a few first-place finishes in our annual Reader Dining Survey & Contest (see pages 35-38 for this year’s results), La Prima has been named my Favorite Pizza Place in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel all 16 years it has been in business. It also has been one of my favorite restaurants in Wesley Chapel and one of my favorite Italian restaurants in either of our distribution areas.

It therefore isn’t easy for me to say — or even think — that Willie would even consider selling his place, but the former executive at Salomon Bros. and his wife Lucretia say they are tired and want to be able to retire, so Willie can concentrate on his thriving baseball memorabilia business. The lifelong New York Mets fan has adopted the Tampa Bay Rays as his American League team and he has had Rays season tickets for as long as I’ve known him.

Here’s The Skinny

Established in 2003, La Prima Pizza has been family owned and operated and a staple in the Wesley Chapel and New Tampa communities for the past 16 years. Willie and Lucretia also say they are prepared to provide an “opportunity of a lifetime” to any individual/family dreaming of owning and operating their own business. This turn-key establishment offers a huge existing customer base and tremendous future growth opportunities for the appropriate fit. La Prima Pizza only uses the best ingredients on the market. The pizza dough is made fresh daily and offerings include chicken and veal entrées (like the tender veal parmigiana in the photo above right; I order it with extra sauce) made eight different quality ways, as well as many seafood dishes. There’s also homemade lasagna and dozens of other menu items — and all sauces are made from

scratch, including Alfredo, vodka, pink and red or white clam sauce. Appetizers include great calamari, fresh mozzarella and tomato and Buffalo wings, amongst many other choices. And, just because there are really so many very good pizza places in our area, I felt I owed it to myself and my staff to order the amazing meat lovers pizza (left) before writing this story. Senior video producer Gavin Olsen also raved about his pepperoni calzone and sales/office assistant Janet Levins loved her cheesesteak. In other words, if you’re not going to

buy La Prima Pizza (1211 BBD Blvd., next to Super Target), you should stop in, call (813) 907-2878 or visit ThatsGoodPizza. com and place an order today. But, Willie says if you are interested, you should call him at the restaurant — whether or not you have any prior restaurant experience. Willie says he will help in the transition of the business and transfer all of his knowledge to any qualified party. But, do it soon so Willie and Lucretia can retire and I can continue to enjoy the pizza I love!

The Favorite New York-Style Pizza In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel For 16 Consecutive Years - "Gary's Favorites," New T1m1,pa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News

"Thank you, New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, for 16 years of support. If you or someone you know is interested in purchasing a turnkey New York-style pizzeria & ristorante with a devoted local following, please call La Prima Pizza at (813) 907-2878 & ask to speak with Willie:' - Willie Lopez, Owner, La Prima Pizza

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Why Would Anyone Do Five Straight Days Of Karaoke? Because You Can!?!

By GARY NAGER So, when Jannah and I attended a great Super Bowl party at our friends Torrie and Keith Weinstein’s beautiful motor home at the Quail Run RV Park off Old Pasco Rd. in Wesley Chapel, we had no idea we would end up singing karaoke every night for the next four in “The Chap” (plus a fifth night in New Tampa). How did this come about and why would anyone subject themselves to not just attending five consecutive karaoke nights, but singing every one of those nights? To be honest, none of us are really sure how it all happened, but it started with an innocent comment during the Super Bowl from Torrie that “they have karaoke here tomorrow afternoon. Wanna go?” So, Jannah and I made our way back through the private gates of this really nice RV park the following afternoon — as karaoke at Quail Run begins promptly at 6 and ends even more promptly at 9. Unlike most karaoke locales, which are bars, you can bring your own “liquid courage” to Quail Run, which provides the karaoke just for its residents and their guests. The really funny thing was that these mostly-older-than-us local residents found a way to line dance to every song the entire night. I mean, of course they’d line dance to “I Got Friends in Low Places,” but I was flabbergasted that they also did a different line dance when I sang Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.” Line dancing to “Piano Man?” Really? Even so, the folks were very hospitable and they did seem to like the rendition of the Kenny Rogers/Dolly Parton hit “Islands in the Stream” that Jannah and I do as one of our many duets. But of course, they especially loved Torrie, who is this tiny little girl with a true set of pipes. I’m pretty sure that the Quail Run folks would pay a cover charge to sit and listen to an evening of just Torrie singing “This Ain’t Your Mama’s Broken Heart” and other line-dance-able tunes. In fact, someone even suggested it to the management at Quail Run. But, when we all realized that we were doing karaoke on a Monday night for the first time, we also recognized that in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel alone, you currently can sing at an open-to-the-public karaoke bar every Tuesday through Friday. I can’t tell you exactly how we went from saying that we could to agreeing that we were going to, but here’s how the rest of our week went:

(Left) The amazing Torrie Weinstein rocked O’Brien’s while (right) a certain editor didn’t butcher George Ezra’s “Budapest” at The Basement. earliest night for us of this now-too-long week Gary’s Karaokethon Set List In stark contrast to Quail Run, the Brass of ruining our hearing, so that we could still make it to Friday intact. Tap in the Shops at Wiregrass starts its kara(Feb. 4-Feb. 8, 2019) Once again, Torrie brought down the oke on Tuesday later than any of the other Monday-Quail Run RV Park house with her current favorite karaoke tune locales in our area (it usually starts at around Piano Man (Billy Joel) — “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” the 9:30), and it definitely attracts the youngest Don’t Do Me Like That (Tom Petty) Roberta Flack hit from the 1970s that was crowd. And, even though Torrie is the only Islands in the Stream (K. Rogers/D. Parton; w/Jannah) near-millennial in our happy group, we always redone with an almost reggae beat by the Fugees in 1996). have a lot of fun singing at The Brass Tap. Tuesday-Brass Tap Wiregrass Keith even sang once — “Tequila” by The Home (Phillip Phillips) Friday Night — Bayscape Bistro Champs. (Look it up!) Glory Days (Bruce Springsteen) The Bayscape Bistro at Heritage Isles Golf Scenes from an Italian Restaurant (Billy Joel) Wednesday Night — O’Brien’s WC Club on Cross Creek Blvd. (near Morris Little Talks (Of Monsters & Men; w/Jannah) O’Brien’s Irish Pub (see ad on pg. 35) Bridge Rd.) (see ad on page 40) is more I Want You To Want Me (Cheap Trick; w/Jannah) is where Jannah and I first sang together than just one of my favorite new restaurants All For You (Sister Hazel; w/Jannah) and I’ve written before about karaoke jock in our area. Bayscape Bistro also is the site Gary Carmichael of Heart & Soul Karaoke of the celebration for my 25th Anniversary Wednesday-O’Brien’s WC and our awesome crowd of fellow regulars at as the owner and editor of the NeighborMovin’ Out (Billy Joel) I Won’t Back Down (Tom Petty) O’Brien’s, which also was where we first met hood News. Handle With Care (Wilburys; w/Jannah & Derrell) Torrie and Keith. Owners Eddie and Lourdes Bujarski, the One of those regulars is our friend couple who ran the Culinary Arts program at Thursday-The Basement (Lutz) Derrell Newell, also known as “Elvis D,” a New Tampa’s Wharton High for nearly two Budapest (George Ezra) professional Elvis impersonator who also did decades, have a great little neighborhood resHowling at Nothing (Nathaniel Rateliff; w/Jannah) a great Roy Orbison impression helping Jantaurant and bar with a fun crowd of regulars. nah and me on “Handle With Care” by the We also were happy that we convinced Friday-Bayscape Bistro at Traveling Wilburys. our friend Ron, the O’Brien’s regular who first Heritage Isles Golf Club We also were excited that a few of the introduced us to Torrie and Keith, to come Thunder Road (Bruce Springsteen) folks from Quail Run met us at O’Brien’s — out to join us at Bayscape Bistro. Summer, Highland Falls (Billy Joel) we assumed to watch Torrie again. Home (Daughtry; not the same song as on Tues.) And, even though neither Torrie nor JanEnd of the Line (Traveling Wilburys) nah agreed to do the same, I decided that I was Thursday Night — Learning to Fly (Tom Petty) going to try to make it through the week withThe Basement (WC Blvd., Lutz) Closing Time (Semisonic) out repeating even one song, just to challenge Even though it “only” has beer and Shiny Happy People (R.E.M.; w/Jannah) myself. And, judging by the 22 tunes on my wine, we all agreed that we also always have Play That Song (Train; w/Jannah) “set list” (right), I accomplished my goal, even fun at The Basement, where our friend Gary Note - Bayscape Bistro will be the site of Carmichael also runs the show — and Gary has though I have no idea why I would even try it. Gary’s 25th Anniversary Celebration of So, there you have it...our five-day Karaprobably the best “legal” list of karaoke songs okethon. It was a lot of fun, but would we ever owning the Neighborhood News! See page 3 & to sing of any karaoke jock I’ve met. the ad on page 40 for details! do it again? “Oh hell no,” we all agreed. We also all agreed that this would be the

Tuesday Night — The Brass Tap

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Nibbles & Business The Latest & Greatest News In Dining, Shopping & Business In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel! cent opening of the new Twistee Treat on an outparcel of the Wesley Chapel Village Market on BBD, just south of S.R. 54. Our video about Wesley Chapel’s new Twistee Treat (5258 Village Market) had a Facebook reach of more than 12,000 people and was viewed more than 8,500 times! If you go to check it out, please tell the folks at the new Twistee Treat that you read/ heard about them from the Neighborhood News!

Here & There, This & That... Ya, Mon! The Hummingbird Jerk House Is Open!!

So, if you like authentic — and I mean truly authentic — Jamaican cuisine, you really need to check out the new Hummingbird Jerk House, which opened at the end of last month in the space in North Palms Village (at 17631 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Unit F) formerly occupied by Dairy Queen (next to Oakley’s Grille). So, those who love braised oxtail, goat or chicken curry, jerk or brown stew chicken (or snapper), Jamaican beef patties, coco bread, cow foot and even escoveitch (photo above left), which is a whole snapper, fried, then covered with onions, sliced carrots, scotch bonnet, pepper and vinegar, this is the place for you. I will say that every time I’ve been there,

the place has been packed with happy diners, many of whom told me they were on their third or fourth visit, even though the place had only been open two weeks at our press time. Please note that the full menu listed at TheHummingbirdJerkHouse.com isn’t yet always available, as owner Patrick Murrel and his staff are still getting some things worked out, but the Hummingbird Jerk House is a promising new restaurant, to be sure. For more information, stop in or call (813) 512-2558 and please tell Patrick and his crew that I sent you!

Twistee Treat Opens In The Chap! Even though there’s been one on BBD in New Tampa for several years, folks in Wesley Chapel seem to be very excited about the re-

• It wasn’t very long ago when there were as many as three frozen yogurt shops in New Tampa alone, but today there are none, as both La Berry Yogurt Café (top photo on next page) and Frogury closed recently. Although New Tampa still has plenty of great ice cream places, New Tampa residents have to drive to Wesley Chapel (Happy Cow or Wawa) to enjoy fresh frozen yogurt. • On the other hand, the new Smallcakes is expected to be open around the time this issue arrives in your mailbox. Not only will this store, located between Ciccio Cali and our friends at the Palms Pharmacy (see ad on pg. 12), carry a variety of delicious cupcakes, but also homemade ice cream. The Oldsmar location (3705 Tampa Rd.) reportedly has been very successful. • Also closing over the last few months was Tarek’s Café in Tampa Palms, although

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 7 • March 22, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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those who enjoy Tarek’s home-style cooking can still visit the original location on the USF Campus, just off BBD Blvd., south of E. Fletcher Ave. • Sadly, we don’t yet have updates at this time about the restaurant spaces previously occupied by Café Olé, Ruby Tuesday, Casa Ramos or the old Kash n’ Karry grocery store.

Congrats, WC Rotary & Jannah!

My sincere congratulations go out to the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel, which meets Wednesdays at noon at Omari’s Grill at Lexington Oaks Golf Club, which hosted a super-successful fourth annual Duck Fest at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge on U.S. Hwy. 41 in Land O’Lakes on March 10. That Rotary Club is the one my fiancée

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Jannah McDonald belongs to and although the event raised more than $5,000 to benefit the club’s selected nonprofit charities — Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Tampa Bay and the Pasco Sheriff’s K-9 Assn. — the primary goal of event chair Jodie Sullivan and her outstanding committee was to make the Duck Fest an even more family-friendly event and there’s no doubt they succeeded. There were literally hundreds of families on hand for the event, where thousands of small rubber ducks were blasted by hoses operated by the Pasco County Fire Rescue Department, with the top 50 or so ducks to reach the finish line earning their “owners” a great prize — including a top cash prize of $1,000 for the first-place duck! All major sponsors of the Duck Fest were invited to decorate much larger-sized

rubber ducks and several local businesses were awarded trophies for their decorations. Our favorite was the award-winning “Goddess Laguna” duck (decorated by NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net’s own Mollyana Ward and her cohort Kim Brierly at Lagoon Realty (photo below). The Rotary Duck Fest also featured a super-cool Classic Car Show and an appearance and demonstration by Titan, one of PCSO’s amazing K-9 officers. • I also want to congratulate Jannah and everyone at the Pasco Education Foundation — the 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports Pasco County’s schools — for hosting their most successful (ever) Foundation Ball at Heritage Springs Country Club in the Trinity area of New Port Richey, raising about $140,000 to pay for scholarships for graduating high school seniors and stipends for teachers in Pasco County public schools. Hillsborough County has a similar organization, but they don’t have Jannah! — GN

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New Tampa & Wesley Chapel HOME IMPROVEMENT

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WESLEYCHAPELPRESSUREWASHING.COM Soft pressure exterior house cleaning, screen enclosures, pool decks, driveways, sidewalks, fences, roofs, paver sealing and deck staining. We clean everything. No job too big or small. Experience the difference when you hire a pressure cleaning professional. Licensed and insured. Owner operated. Call for a free estimate or visit our website. 813-433-6015.

RAYMOND PAINTING. Exterior & Interior Services. Exterior: Painting, pressure washing, clean & seal pavers, stucco, roofing, leaks & wood rot repair. Interior: Painting, plastering, ceiling & wall repairs & tiles. Licensed & Bonded. References avail. Free estimates. Your Neighborhood Arbor Greene Resident! We work 7 days. Call 813-994-5124.

DALE’S HOME MAINTENANCE Pressure washing, screen repairs, garage cleaning and organizing, shelving, re-grout tile and caulking, and more. Call: 813-727-2582.

PROFESSIONAL TECH SUPPORT in your home or small business. A+, Certified computer tech with 20 years exp. Maintenance & repairs, upgrades & tutoring. More affordable than large chains! Friendly, personalized svc. Technical jargon explained. Remote assistance available. References available. Call (813) 957-8342 for a free estimate.

DAVID BRIDGES PRESSURE CLEANING Complete exterior cleaning of your home or business with a professional & personal touch. - Pool decks and screen enclosures - All fencing/ driveways and walkways/roofs - Gutter and downspouts. Find your happiness in a fresh, bright clean home. Your neighbors will love you for it! All work guaranteed. Licensed and insured. Call 813-215-1177. DRY WALL SPECIALIST. Not a handyman. Affordable Quality Work repairing water damage, ceilings and walls, retexturing, popcorn removal, room additions, cracks, holes, plaster and stucco repair. 26 Years Experience. Wesley Chapel resident. State Certified. Call Ron for free estimate: 813-7845999. MILLENNIUM HOME REPAIR.Professional Handyman. Cabinet Installation, dry wall repair, tile installation & repair, some plumbing, laminate flooring, light fixtures, interior painting, appliance installation, pressure washing, paneling, window repair, awning installation, carpentry, garbage disposal, fence repair, crown molding, window blinds, seal baths & showers, TV mounting & more. Call 813-400-1408 or email TYCOONUNION@YAHOO.COM. Tjs Pressure Washing LLC. Driveways, Houses, Fences, Lanais and Screened Enclosures. Most residential 2 car driveways or vinyl fences starting at $60. House washing prices start at $100 for a 1 story home and $150 for a 2 story home. Looking for an instant quote? Just text me a picture of the job you need done. Call Tj at 727-808-7775 CHARLES POPPE ELECTRIC. Electric of all kinds pools, spas, service changes, new circuts, low voltage, repairs, upgrades, changes to existing, trouble shooting, GFCI performance testing, generators. Expert in the field - over 40 years experience. Discount for retired people 50%. Licensed and Insured Master Electrician EC 13002399 - free phone estimates. Call 813-477-9068.

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DO YOU HATE YOUR COMPUTER?!? WE CAN HELP YOU! Troubleshooting, installation, networking & virus removal. WE COME TO YOU! Residences & businesses, more than 25 years exp. Contact Jeffrey Blank at (813) 973-4507, visit WSICA.COM or email Wsica@wsica.com.

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B CLEANING SERVICES: Over 16 years experience! Commercial & residential; Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly; New house & post construction clean-up; Window cleaning; Move-in or move-out cleanings; Pressure washing; FREE estimates; References available. Call today: 813-531-0154 or e-mail: bcleanings@hotmail.com D-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE We have our own supplies and more than 400 clients in New Tampa! For more info, Call 758-9710. Squeaky Clean Home Services LLC. - is a residential cleaning company offering weekly, biweekly, and monthly services. We also specialize in Move-in / Move-out cleanings. All supplies and equipment provided. We are an Owner Operator company with over 20 years experience that is Licensed, bonded and insured. Call us for your Free in home estimate today! 813-625-6045 www. squeakycleanhomeservices.com

JUNK REMOVAL FIRST CALL JUNK HAUL Do you need items removed or clutter cleared? Let First Call Junk Haul be your best call! We offer appliance removal, furniture removal, foreclosure clean-outs, garage clean-outs, yard waste removal and more! Affordable prices and professional service gurranteed!

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POOL SERVICES

TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE. New Tampa owned & operated. Great Pricing with outstanding customer service! LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED. See why we are New Tampa and Wesley Chapel’s #1 Choice!! Call or Text Chris today @ 813-857-5400 or visit TranquilityPoolService. com. New customers get ONE MONTH FREE!

HELP WANTED

HIRING PERSONAL TRAINER. Private Women’s Studio with Boot Camp & Personal Training in Wesley Chapel & Land O’ Lakes owned by Samantha Taylor. Please no phone calls or walk ins.To apply part time: www.lolfitbodybootcamp.com/hire-pt.

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LAWN & LANDSCAPING

A.T.B. Landscaping & Lawn Service. Licensed and insured serving the Tampa Bay area over 20 years. Family owned and operated. Quality work at affordable prices. We provide services in gutter clean-outs, screen repair, pressure washing, and sprinkler repair. Landscaping and property maintenance including: sodding, trimming trees and hedges, and clean ups. Other services are available. CALL 813-907-LAWN (5296). Jasmine Landscaping, Inc. Complete lawn maintenance: Tree, palm & hedge trimming, planting, mulching, stones, sod replacement. Gutter cleaning, leaf removal & more. Cited by your HOA? Ask about our HOA Compliance Special, our Fall/Spring Special & FREE ESTIMATE! Licensed & insured. Accepting new residential & commercial accounts. We accept Visa, MC, PayPal, Zelle, AmExp. Call or text 813-420-4465. Now hiring full-time workers.

MISCELLANEOUS DOWNSIZING? SPRING CLEANING? HANDLING AN ESTATE? We pay cash for CDs, vinyl records, Blu-Rays, DVDs, cassettes, turntables, vintage receivers, reel-to-reel tape decks, stereo speakers in pairs, non-fiction books, and more. Learn more about Sound Exchange, locally owned since 1987, at soundexchangetampabay.com or call 813-978-9316. Two locations, including North Tampa at 14246 N. Nebraska Ave. (between Bearss and Fletcher). CORY LAKE ISLES – COMMUNITY-WIDE RUMMAGE SALE. Don’t miss this SEMI-ANNUAL EVENT on Saturday, March 30, 2019 from 8:00am to 12:00pm. Household goods, baby items, trinkets, treasures, plants & MORE. BEACH CLUB PARKING LOT, 10441 CORY LAKE DR., TAMPA, FL 33647.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 7 • March 22, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 7 • March 22, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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