new tampa neighborhood news october issue

By Matt Wiley

The previously unfunded final seg-ment of the widening of Bruce B. Downs(BBD) Blvd. in New Tampa could beginsometime in 2017.

According to the HillsboroughCounty Metropolitan Planning Organiza-tion (MPO), BBD “Segment D,” whichwill widen the road from four to eight lanesfrom Pebble Creek Dr. to County Line Rd.and is estimated to cost more than $11 mil-lion, is ranked second on the MPO’s LongRange Transportation Plan and is part ofthe MPO’s 2014-15 Transportation Im-provement Program (TIP).

Adopted on September 3, the TIP isused by the Florida Department of Trans-portation (FDOT) to identify where to im-plement funding for the list oftransportation priority projects throughoutthe county.

Spokesperson Kris Carson explainsthat FDOT will be using funds from itsTransportation Regional Incentive Pro-gram (TRIP funds) to help the county payfor the project, matching what Hillsbor-ough will pay with its own local funding.

FDOT has set aside $2,638,918 forfiscal year 2017 to match the county’samount in that agreement, but the countyis then responsible for the rest of the cost,approximately $5.7 million.

“FDOT currently is in the process ofcreating the ‘tentative’ work program,”Carson says. “The county has asked if wecan advance this project, if possible.(FDOT) may be able to provide additionalfunding, but that is still being reviewed.”

Hillsborough Public Works Depart-ment spokesman Steve Valdez says that thecounty still is working out cooperativefunding with FDOT.

The final segment of the BBD widen-ing project has been funded for design,Valdez says, but the right-of-way acquisi-tion and construction phases remain un-funded.

Valdez explains that more countyfunds might be available for the final seg-ment, depending upon the bids that are re-ceived from contractors for the nextsegment of BBD widening — from PalmSprings Blvd. in Tampa Palms 3.58 milessouth to Bearss Ave., also known as Seg-ment C, which is estimated to cost $30 mil-

lion and which could begin con-struction as soon as the spring of2014.

Valdez says that the Requestfor Proposals (RFP) for that seg-ment should go out late in the fallof this year. Depending upon howmuch of the cost of construction ispaid for by the contractor that isawarded the project, Valdez saysthat the county could then havemore funds available for SegmentD.

Valdez also explains that thedelay in funding for the final seg-ment of BBD widening has in partbeen due to a lack of resources anda high demand for road improve-ment projects throughout thecounty.

Currently, when driving northon BBD, the recently completedeight lanes of widened roadway from DonaMichelle Dr. north to Pebble Creek Dr.funnel back down to four lanes (two in eachdirection) approaching Regents Park Dr.,similar to the area of BBD under I-75 (fromDoña Michelle Dr. to in front of the 7-11

in Tampa Palms), which won’t be wideneduntil the widening of the interstate over-passes is completed, which still is expectedto be by the end of the year. Pasco Countyhas widened BBD to six lanes from CountyLine Rd. to S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel.

NEIGHBORHOOD MAGAZINE

FHWC Hosts Inaugural Women’s Health Day AtSaddlebrook, Our 2013 Dining Survey &

Contest, Mobile Meals Brings The Restaurant ToYou, Plus Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes!

Pages 47-60

Also Inside This Issue!NEWS, BUSINESS, SPORTS &

EDUCATION UPDATES ‘Imagine’ Hillsborough In 2040, Make StridesAgainst Breast Cancer At Wiregrass Mall On

Oct. 19, Texting & Driving Ban In Full Effect,Lots Of Local Business Features & More!

Pages 1-46

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Volume 21Issue 21

October 12, 2013

By Gary NagerIt was a great night for Peabody’s

Palms Lounge in Tampa Palms, and anamazing feeling that still lingers today, asthe Deacon Blues Band performed fornearly three hours at a Leukemia & Lym-phoma Society of Tampa Bay fund raiser inhonor of Marlana Lacivita, the Busch Gar-dens dance captain who refuses to let herown year-long battle with Hodgkin’s lym-phoma keep her from dancing — or enjoy-ing an amazing evening with great friends,

some of whom she had never met beforethe event on Sept. 28.

Organized by my friend and DeaconBlues keyboard player Bernie Desrosiers,the Leukemia Society fund raiser in honorof Marlana was attended by nearly 200 peo-ple, who each gladly made a $5 donationto hear and see one of the New Tampaarea’s most beloved local bands.

The highlight of the evening wassurely the appearance of Marlana herself,

The portion of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in yellow(aka “Segment D”) above is the last phase of BBD to

be widened. The project likely won’t begin before 2017.

Bruce B. Downs ‘Segment D’ Widening Could Begin In 2017

Leukemia Society Fund Raiser For Marlana Draws A Crowd At The Palms

Busch Gardens Tampa dance captain MarlanaLacivita (above) was on hand to enjoy the

Leukemia Society fund raiser held in her honorat Peabody’s Palms Lounge on Sept. 28. (Right)Marlana is greeted by Deacon Blues keyboardist

& event organizer Bernie Desrosiers.

See “Marlana” on page 54.

yours truly, Crist, Caetano and his daugh-ters Caron and Jacquie (as well as a fewother family members) at the BonefishGrill in Carrollwood.

Caetano, who is still fighting thegood fight by trying to get another firestation built along County Line Rd. (astation that is in the city’s long-rangeplans, but not currently funded) and otherimprovements for our area, also is, ofcourse, the long-time former owner of theBostonian Hair Studios in New Tampa.

Joseph and I have had some ups anddowns over these 20 years, but the bot-tom line is that he’s been a good friend,so I simply couldn’t ignore him reachingsuch an important milestone.

Looking good, too, Joseph!

Happy Birthday, J-Man!Happy Birthday, J-Man!I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention

another major milestone, this one involv-ing a member of my family.

My older son Jared recently turned25 and I’m proud that my kid (and fellowUniversity of Florida alum) has continuedto grow, both as a man and as a sales andmarketing professional. We could sure usehis talents here at the New Tampa Neigh-borhood News. Just saying.

Unfortunately, my younger son Jakewasn’t available to celebrate Jared’s birth-day with us because he was at that otherstate university in Tallahassee (which Jaredand I try to not hold against him), whereJake, 21, is completing his senior year.

I’ve always said thatthe people in this commu-nity who get involved incauses — whether it’s to

help their favorite nonprofit organization,serve as a volunteer Board member of aPTA or Chamber of Commerce or runfor political office — are people I appreci-ate, even when/if I disagree with them.To me, being involved is better than sit-ting at home complaining about what isor isn’t happening in our community.

Two of the people I have appreciateda lot over the nearly 20 years I have beenthe owner and editor of this publicationhave a lot in common, despite their differ-ent ages and backgrounds.

Both Joseph Caetano and formerState Rep. Shawn Harrison have been ex-tremely politically active people who areformer chairs of the Tampa Palms Com-munity Development District Board ofSupervisors, as well as former District 7(which includes all of the incororatedareas of New Tampa) representatives onthe Tampa City Council. Both men alsohave lost elections — Harrison for a city-wide City Council seat and for the StateLegislative district which includes NewTampa (now known as District 63) andCaetano for both the HillsboroughCounty Commission and the Hillsbor-ough School Board.

Both also are long-time friends ofnot only mine, but of the entire NewTampa area — and both recently held cel-ebrations that I attended.

Harrison (R-New Tampa) has an-nounced that he is running again for the

District 63 seat in the Florida House,against the man who defeated him — De-mocrat and current District 63 Rep. (andfellow New Tampa resident) Mark Dan-ish. To that end, Shawn and his wifeSusan and their family held a reception for30-40 supporters and friends at Hunter’sGreen Country Club the same day (Sept.26) as the New Tampa Chamber of Com-merce’s Business Expo (see page 38) toofficially kick off his campaign againstDanish, an election being held in 2014.

“I still feel I can do a good job serv-ing in the State Legislature and want a re-match (against Rep. Danish),” Harrisontold me that night. “The decisions madein Tallahassee still affect us here on a locallevel and I feel confident I can build coali-tions in the legislature to get some of ourproblems throughout our District cor-rected.” More than 20 Republican FloridaHouse members already have thrownHarrison their support, as have State Sen-ators John Legg and Bill Galvano, andHillsborough County Commision mem-bers Victor Crist, Ken Hagan, MarkSharpe and Sandy Murman.

For more information aboutShawn Harrison and his campaign, visitShawnHarrison.com.

The ‘Mayor Of New Tampa’The ‘Mayor Of New Tampa’Turns 80!Turns 80!

Caetano was among those in atten-dance at Harrison’s kickoff event and al-though Caetano’s not currently runningfor political office himself, the man whoonce led a campaign to de-annex NewTampa from the City of Tampa and incor-porate as Hillsborough County’s fourthmunicipality (Tampa, Plant City and Tem-ple Terrace are the others) did celebrate amajor milestone last week.

“The ‘Mayor of New Tampa’ turns80!,” exclaimed District 2 HillsboroughCounty Commission member Victor Cristduring the small celebration that included

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 21 • October 12, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com 3Neighborhood News @ntwcnews

Celebrating With Two Of My Most Politically Active Friends An editorial by Gary Nager

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

Advertising E-mail: [email protected]

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Publisher & Editor Gary Nager

General ManagerNikki Bennett

Assistant Editor / PhotographerMatt Wiley

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Nothing that appears in New Tampa Neighborhood Newsmay be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permis-sion. Opinions expressed by New Tampa Neighborhood Newswriters are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion.

The deadline for outside editorial submissions andadvertisements for Volume 21, Issue 23, of New TampaNeighborhood News is Monday, October 28, 2013.

New Tampa Neighborhood News will consider previouslynon-published outside editorial submissions if they are doublespaced, typed and less than 500 words. New Tampa Neighbor-hood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside ed-itorial submissions and makes no guarantees regardingpublication dates. New Tampa Neighborhood News will not re-turn unsolicited editorial materials.

New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit&/or reject any advertising. New Tampa Neighborhood News isnot responsible for errors in advertising beyond the actual costof the advertising space itself, nor for the validity of any claimsmade by its advertisers.

© 2013 JM2 Communications, Inc.

Table of ContentsLOCAL NEWS, BUSINESS, EDUCATION &SPORTS UPDATES..............................Pages 1-42‘Imagine’ Hillsborough County In 2040..............................................4 New Tampa News Briefs...................................................................6Make Strides Against Breast Cancer On Oct. 19 At Wiregrass MallTexting & Driving Banned On Florida RoadsZephyrhills Woman Dies In New Tampa Crash

New Tampa Community Calendar.....................................8Local Business Updates.................................10-46Energia Wellness Studio Offers A Personal Approach To Zen..10Brighter Days Counseling Can Help Work Out Your Issues....12St. Andrew Presbyterian Church Puts God First......................16Dr. Greg At Children’s Dentistry - A New Tampa Original!....20Land O’Lakes Primary Care & Wellness Center.......................24New Tampa Eye Institute Helps You See Clearly.....................28Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube..................................................30Once Upon A Child Kids Consignment Store.........................34New Tampa Chamber Hosts Successful Business Expo...........38

Local Sports Updates..........................................42Wharton Football Sits Atop District

Neighborhood MagazineFHWC Hosts Inaugural Women’s Health Day...................... 47Mobile Meals Brings Area Restaurants To Your Door..............48Wolf’s Den — Our Area’s Favorite Neighborhood Diner!.......50‘Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes’...............................52Enter Our 2013 Dining Survey & Contest................55-56

NEW TAMPA COLOR CLASSIFIEDS....................58

Hillsborough County Commissioner Victor Cristrecently attended Shawn Harrison’s campaign

kickoff (left) & Joseph Caetano’s birthday party.

4 For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 21 • October 12, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com Neighborhood News @ntwcnews

By Matt Wiley

More than 25 years from now, Hills-borough County (especially New Tampa)could be hardly recognizable. With abun-dant growth projected for the region’s fu-ture, anything can happen. However, thegroups in charge of setting plans in mo-tion to shape the area’s future want toknow what you want to see when the cal-endar reads January 1, 2040. By just fill-ing out an online survey between nowand Sunday, October 20, HillsboroughCounty residents can weigh in on howthey want to see the county grow.

During a special presentation at theNew Tampa Regional Library on Septem-ber 16, Tony LaColla, a senior planner forthe Hillsborough County Planning Com-mission (HCPC) gave several New Tamparesidents an idea of the different ways thatthe county could grow, as the HCPC andHillsborough County Metropolitan Plan-ning Organization (MPO) begin to pre-pare their long-range plan for 2040,entitled “Imagine 2040.”

In years past, both the HCPC andMPO have updated their respective mas-ter and long-range plans every other year.This year, the two organizations decidedto combine the process into one.

“Imagine 2040” puts the county’sresidents in charge of deciding how theywould like to see the region grow, as thepopulation — which currently sits atabout 1.3 million — is expected to rise byanother 400,000-600,000 people in thenext 25 years, according to HCPC esti-mates. LaColla said the current growthboundary — an imaginary boundary linethat helps determine zoning and land usedecisions — only allows for about 67,000more new homes.

“Twenty-five years ago, there was alot of scrub brush in New Tampa,” La-Colla said. “Now, there are a lot ofhomes. A lot can change in 25 years.”

LaColla laid out three scenarios forthe growing county: the “SuburbanDream,” “Bustling Metro” and “NewCorporate Centers.”

In the “Suburban Dream,” LaColla

said that growth will just be business asusual — development will continue theway it has for the past several years, withmost new homes built in suburban-stylecommunities and with new jobs spreadacross the county in small office parks.

Traveling would be done mostly byautomobile and would require the widen-ing of existing roads, bigger intersectionswith overpass-style interchanges and otheradvanced traffic management systems.The growth boundary would have to beexpanded into rural and agricultural landsto allow room for new homes and busi-nesses and infrastructure would have toexpand to meets demands.

The “Bustling Metro” scenario paintsa slightly different picture. Instead of thecurrent growth in the county, new homes,shopping and services would be built inmixed-use centers around bus and trainstations, while older shopping areas wouldbe revitalized. The bulk of the jobs wouldmostly remain in the current business dis-tricts (Downtown, Westshore, USF), butnew buildings also would be added. Masstransit would play a much more significantrole in the region and could include bus,rail, shuttles and bicycles. The “BustlingMetro” option would not require chang-ing the growth boundary and wouldallow for the conservation of rural andagricultural lands.

Finally, there is the “New CorporateCenter” option, which would see a dy-namic change in the way people get

around the county by adding toll lanes ininterstate medians. The toll lanes wouldbe used to connect economic centers in-cluding downtown, Westshore and USF,as well as others that would be developedalong both I-75 and I-4. Homes wouldfollow those centers. The growth bound-ary would expand, as would the existingroads and infrastructure systems.

However, with each growth optioncome a different set of pros and cons,which the “Imagine 2040” surveydemonstrates in twelve different cate-gories, including job creation, traffic delay,infrastructure cost, water use and redevel-opment potential, among others.

“No matter what we do, infrastruc-ture cost is going to be more than it is

today,” LaColla said. “We’re trying to col-lect input from citizens to create the besthybrid scenario of these options.”

District 7 Tampa City Council mem-ber Lisa Montelione encourages NewTampa residents to take part in the survey.

“This process is one of the only timesthat citizens get to give their input onlong-range plans,” Montelione says.“Usually, input is only heard on short-term issues in public hearings. Imagine2040 is a chance to really have a say aboutyou want to see in the area in the future.”

Residents are encouraged to par-ticipate in the online survey by visitingImagine2040.org, which also featuresmore detailed versions of each scenario,as well as the pros and cons of each.

Help The Planning Commission Imagine Hillsborough In 2040

Above are artists’ renderings of how the three different Imagine 2040 scenarios (l.-r., “Suburban Dream,” “Bustling Metro” and“New Corporate Centers”) could appear, although the actual growth of the county would likely be some combination of the plans.


News BriefsNEW TAMPA

Make Strides Against BreastMake Strides Against BreastCancer On October 19!Cancer On October 19!

October is Breast Cancer AwarenessMonth and, as always, there are severallocal events that help raise money thatgoes toward the research for a cure forthe disease that has killed millions. Oneof the biggest of these events across thenation each year is the American CancerSociety (ACS)’s “Making Strides AgainstBreast Cancer” 5K walk, which will againbe held locally on Saturday, October 19,at the Shops at Wiregrass mall.

At our press time, 532 people on 95teams already were on board and hadraised more than $25,000 for the causefrom both individuals and companies, in-cluding the office of Pasco County comp-troller and clerk of court Paula O’Neil(who announced in May that she wasbattling the deadly disease), the PascoCounty Sheriff ’s Office (PCSO) and, ofcourse, the mall itself.

“This year is very comparable to pre-vious years,” says Jannah McDonald, thelocal ACS community rep. “But, we stillneed more corporate sponsorship andmore teams.”

This year marks the fourth that localpink-bra-wearing participants will marcha 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) course that thisyear will take them from the mall out toand around Florida Hospital WesleyChapel (FHWC) twice and back to themall (there also is a 3K, or 1.8-mile walkavailable) and the 11th year it has beenheld in Pasco County, but it is just one ofabout 300 ‘Making Strides’ events heldacross the U.S. Last year, the Wiregrass

event raised more than $190,000, but or-ganizers hope to raise more than$220,000 this year. ‘Making Strides’events raise more than $60-million forcancer research each year.

To participate, call 949-0291 orvisit MakingStrides.ACSevents.org &enter your zip code. Texting & Driving Ban NowTexting & Driving Ban NowIn EffectIn Effect

If you’re on New Tampa roads, orany Florida road for that matter, stay offyour phone. Or, off of the keyboard, atleast, as Florida’s texting and driving banhas gone into effect. However, there aresome exceptions.

On October 1, Florida became the41st state to actively ban texting and driv-ing. According to the Florida HighwayPatrol (FHP), 3,400 crashes resulted fromdistraction by an electronic device in thestate last year, 24 of which resulted in fa-talities.

Considered a non-moving violation,texting and driving carries with it differentfines in different counties. For example, iftexting and driving in New Tampa (Hills-borough), the fine amounts to $103, but,if texting in Wesley Chapel (Pasco), thefine is $114.

However, texting and driving is con-sidered a “secondary offense,” whichmeans that traffic authorities cannot pull aperson over simply for texting and driving.If a person commits another traffic viola-tion and is discovered to be texting in theprocess or the officer believes that the vio-lation was caused by someone texting anddriving, the driver is then susceptible tothe accompanying fine.

“Enforcing and educating all driversabout the dangers of texting and driving isimportant,” said FHP director Col. DavidBrierton in an October 1 press release.“There are three things to remember tokeep you safe while driving: keep yourhands on the wheel, your eyes on the roadand your mind on driving.”

According to the National HighwayTransportation Safety Administration adriver who texts and drives is approxi-

mately 23 times more likely to be involvedin a crash.

The Florida law, State Statute316.305, reads, “A person may not oper-ate a motor vehicle while manually typingor entering multiple letters, numbers,symbols, or other characters into a wirelesscommunications device or while sendingor reading data on such a device for thepurpose of non-voice interpersonal com-munication, including, but not limited to,communication methods known as tex-ting, e-mailing, and instant messaging.”

It continues, “As used in this section,the term ‘wireless communications device’means any handheld device used or capa-ble of being used in a handheld manner,that is designed or intended to receive ortransmit text or character-based messages,access or store data, or connect to the In-ternet or any communications service asdefined in s. 812.15 and that allows textcommunications. For the purposes of thisparagraph, a motor vehicle that is station-ary is not being operated and is not sub-ject to the prohibition in this paragraph.”

By that logic, if stopped at a stop-light, a driver cannot be cited for textingand driving, although, of course, sitting ata light that has turnewd green while tex-ting can still cause a traffic accident.

Also, a driver cannot be fined if thatperson is the operator of an emergency ve-hicle; reporting an emergency or criminalactivity to law enforcement; receivingmessages that are related to the operationor navigation of the vehicle, safety-relatedinfo (emergency, traffic or weather alerts),data used by the vehicle or radio broad-casts; using a device for navigation orusing the device hands-free.

For more info, please visit theFlorida Department of Highway Safety& Motor Vehicles’ website atFLHSMV.gov.

North Tampa BehavioralNorth Tampa BehavioralHealth Opens To PatientsHealth Opens To Patients

As of October 1, North Tampa Be-havioral Health (NTBH), the area’snewest medical facility, officially is open topatients.

The 53,000-sq.-ft., 75-bed facility,which is located on S.R. 56 about a halfmile east of Mansfield Blvd. on a Wire-

grass Ranch Development of RegionalImpact (DRI) outparcel, serves the mentalhealth needs of the surrounding commu-nity, providing care for geriatric, generaladult, and dual diagnosis patients whomay check into the facility themselves, bechecked in by family members or otherproviders for emotional or psychiatric con-cerns, or be transported to the facilityunder the Florida Mental Health Act,more commonly known as the “Baker”Act, which allows for a person to be invol-untarily committed for up to 72 hours ifthere is evidence that they are a danger tothemselves or others.

The facility also can eceive FloridaSubstance Abuse & Impairment Act (aka,the “Marchman Act”) patients. Thosewho fall into the Marchman Act categoryare subject to the same treatment as BakerAct patients.

For more info, please visit North-TampaBehavioralHealth.com.

Zephyrhills Woman Dies InZephyrhills Woman Dies InNew Tampa CrashNew Tampa Crash

A woman is dead following an early-morning head-on collision in NewTampa.

According to the HillsboroughCounty Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), just be-fore 4 a.m. on September 20, Kunjum-men Arun Babu, 18, of Zephyrhills, wasdriving north on Morris Bridge Rd. nearPictoral Park Dr., about half of a milenorth of Cross Creek Blvd. in his 2010Honda Accord. At the same time, RitaMarie Sutliff, 68, also of Zephyrhills, wasdriving south on Morris Bridge in her2012 Ford Explorer. Both vehicles weretraveling at about 50 m.p.h.

HCSO detectives state that Babudrove out of his lane and drifted into thesouthbound lane of Morris Bridge Rd.,striking Sutliff’s vehicle head-on. TheHillsborough County Fire Rescue(HCFR) Heavy Rescue Unit respondedto remove Sutliff from her vehicle, but shewas pronounced dead at the scene.

Babu was transferred to a local hospi-tal with non-life-threatening injuries.HCSO says that both drivers were wear-ing seatbelts and that drugs and alcoholdid not appear to be factors in the crash,which remains under investigation.— MW


October 2013October 2013MOMS Club Of New TampaMOMS Club Of New Tampa -- The MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) Club ofNew Tampa is currently open to new members in the New Tampa area. The MOMS Cluboffers a variety of daytime activities for mothers and their children, opportunities for Moms’Nights Out and many more benefits. For more information, or to join the club, [email protected], October 13Zen Meditation Group -Zen Meditation Group - Enjoy meditation? Looking for a new way to relax? Check outthe FREE Zen Meditation Group that meets Sundays at 10 a.m. in the Arbor Greene Com-munity Center (18000 Arbor Greene Dr., off Cross Creek Blvd.) Aerobics Room. People ofall faiths are welcome. You only need an interest in meditation and a more peaceful and relaxedmind and life. For more info, call Jeremy at 528-6285.Monday, October 14Community Acupuncture -Community Acupuncture - A Monday night community acupuncture and discussiongroup is forming at Ion Medi-Spa (8903 Regents Park Dr., Suite 130), 6:30 p.m. Topicsinclude needle-free acupuncture, facial rejuvenation and stop smoking and customizedweight-loss programs. For more info, call 960-8833 or visit IonMediSpa.com.Tuesday, October 15New Tampa Tri Club -New Tampa Tri Club - The New Tampa Tri Club is open to runners, swimmers, cyclistsand triathletes across the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. The club hosts group bikerides/runs at Flatwoods Wilderness Park (13330 Morris Bridge Rd.) every Tuesday, Thursdayand Saturday at 7:30 a.m. For additional information, join the Facebook group or e-mail [email protected] - This video-seminar-support group is for anyone who is grieving the death ofa loved one. The cost is $20 for a workbook and 13 sessions, begin any week to find healingand hope. The group meets Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at Lake Magdalene Methodist Church(2902 W. Fletcher Ave., Room 310). For information/registration, call 963-1555.Wednesday, October 16 BNI Millionaire Makers -BNI Millionaire Makers - The BNI Millionaire Makers chapter meets every Wednesdayat Pebble Creek Golf Club at 7:15 a.m. (10550 Regents Park Dr., off BBD Blvd.). The $13meeting fee includes a hot breakfast. Contact Lisa Jordan at 621-6015 for more details.Business Networking International (BNI) -Business Networking International (BNI) - BNI, a group of business professionalsdedicated to helping their respective businesses grow through qualified referrals, meets everyWednesday morning at 7:30 a.m. at the Cory Lake Isles Beach Club clubhouse (18630 Plan-tation Bay Dr., off Morris Bridge Rd.). For more info, call Ed Gleason at 299-4475. New Tampa Noon Rotary -New Tampa Noon Rotary - The New Tampa Noon Rotary Club meets every Wednes-day for lunch at noon at Hunter’s Green Country Club (18101 Longwater Run Dr.). Guestsare always welcome.New Tampa Evening Rotary Club -New Tampa Evening Rotary Club - The New Tampa Evening Rotary Club meetsevery Wednesday at 6:15 p.m. at Hunter’s Green Country Club. New members are alwayswelcome. For info, call Liz DeAmbrose at 956-6487 or email [email protected] Toastmasters -Tampa Toastmasters - Great speeches & great topics. Come hone your public speakingskills. Tampa Toastmasters meets every Wednesday 7 p.m. at Pebble Creek Golf Club (10550Regents Park Dr.) New guests are always welcome. For more information, call 428-6356.Thursday, October 17English As A Second Language (ESL)English As A Second Language (ESL)- This group meets Thursday mornings atTampa Bay Presbyterian Church, located at 19911 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., from 9-11:45a.m. Classes are taught by a native English speaker using several ESL and Bible study re-sources. Come, practice your conversational English and make new friends in a fun and re-laxed environment! The cost is $20 each quarter, which covers the workbook and classmaterials. For more information, or to register, call Heather at 753-8567.Food Addicts In Recovery Anonymous (FA) -Food Addicts In Recovery Anonymous (FA) - Are you having trouble controllingthe way you eat? Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous is a support group without anydues, fees or weigh-ins and is based on the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. FA meets atFlorida Hospital Tampa at (on BBD) in the Camelot A room at 7 p.m. For additional in-

formation, visit FoodAddicts.org or call Roz at 355-4197.

CBC Networking -CBC Networking - Come together with like-minded professionals at the Christian Busi-ness Connections (CBC) Networking group, which meets every Thursday at 7:30 a.m. atSt. Andrew Presbyterian Church (located at 5338 Primrose Lake Cir. near the New TampaCommunity Park in Tampa Palms) for a “meet & greet,” followed by a meeting, .

For more info, email [email protected].

Friday, October 18New Tampa Rotary Club -New Tampa Rotary Club - The original New Tampa Rotary Club meets for breakfastat 7 a.m. at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club (TPGCC, 5811 Tampa Palms Blvd.). Theguest speaker will be Tim Jordan, speaking about the BP oil spill.

For more information, call Eric Longphee at 202-1105.

Saturday, October 19New Tampa Dog Pack -New Tampa Dog Pack - Do you have a dog? Enjoy scenic nature walks? Join the NewTampa Dog Pack on Saturday mornings at 8:30 a.m at Flatwoods Wilderness Park (at the18205 BBD entrance) and on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. at Compton Park (16101 ComptonDr., Tampa Palms). For more info, please visit MeetUp.com/New-Tampa-Dog-Pack.

‘We Work’ At Lifepoint Church‘We Work’ At Lifepoint Church - “We Work,” will meet at Lifepoint Church (8702Hunter’s Lake Dr.) at 8:45 a.m. and is designed to help you search for jobs, improve inter-view skills, write a resume, negotiate a job offer, improve your attitude, develop networkingskills and discover your gifts. For more info, visit LifepointChurch.tv/WeWork or call907-9818 ext. 14.

Friday, October 25Tampa Fisher House Golf ClassicTampa Fisher House Golf Classic - The Pebble Creek Golf Club will host this year’sgolf tournament to benefit the Tampa Fisher House, the residence providing free housing &meals to the families of injured military veterans treated at the James A. Haley Veterans Hos-pital (on BBD, south of Fletcher Ave.). Tournament registration & catered lunch begin at11:30 a.m., with a 12:30 shotgun start. The cost to play is $125 per golfer (includes cart,lunch, dinner & more); sponsorships are available, too. For info, call Valerie Casey at317-8886 (or email [email protected]) or Barry Schuman at (516) 523-2678.

November 2013November 2013Sunday, November 10“Sunset At The OASIS”“Sunset At The OASIS” - Outreach Assisting Students in Schools (OASIS) will present“Sunset at the OASIS,” a FREE family movie night beginning at 4:30 p.m. and featuringfun and games and the feature film “Dolphin Tale” at the Louis Benito Middle School (10101Cross Creek Blvd.) soccer fields. This family-friendly event is free to attend, however tax-de-ductible donations (monetary or in the form of new or gently-used children’s school clothing)will be greatly appreciated. For more information about OASIS and “Sunset at theOasis,” call (727) 520-6390 or visit OASIS-Network.Org.

Thursday, November 14Northeast Tampa Women In Business Meeting -Northeast Tampa Women In Business Meeting - The Northeast Tampa Women inBusiness group meets the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. at Hunter’s GreenCountry Club (18101 Longwater Run Dr.). Visit NETWIB.org or call 843-2354.


By Lauren Saslow

It’s 6 p.m. on a Monday. You want tomake it from October through the holidayswithout gaining weight or feeling the stressof the season. You slide into the studioafter fighting rush hour traffic just in timefor a yoga class and manage to find a tinyspot on the floor amidst a class of morethan 20 students. This does not feel veryrelaxing. You are not feeling very “Zen.”

When Brazilian-born Virna Lichter(an American Council on Exercise or ACECertified Personal Trainer who is also certi-fied in CPR and AED) began developingthe concept for her own yoga and wellnessstudio more than a year ago, she wanted toensure that she created a truly relaxingspace that would offer individualized clientattention, small class sizes and well-trainedhealth and fitness professionals. Today,Lichter’s Energia Wellness Studio (locatedin Seven Oaks off of Bruce B. Downs Blvd.in Wesley Chapel) finally came to fruitionthis fall and includes not only yoga classes,but also one-on-one personal training ses-sions, Brazilian cardio dance classes, medi-tation classes, massage therapy, and auniquely eco-friendly Brazilian boutique.

Lichter, who moved to the U.S. toearn her B.A. in Physical Education fromthe University of California at Berkeley, andnow possesses more than 15 years of expe-rience in the corporate fitness industry (shehas worked for companies such as Verizon,

TECO and Aegon Transamerica Founda-tion) originally became interested in bodyconditioning through karate and judoclasses. The certificate for her Black Belt inTae Kwon Do is now proudly displayed onthe wall above her minimalist front deskspace at the studio.

Lichter also describes how the addi-tion of yoga into her fitness routine posi-tively impacted her life in recent years.

“I started doing yoga four and a halfyears ago,” she says. “It helped eliminatemy migraines and offered me improvedbalance and overall wellness.”

Lichter adds that once clients walkthrough the door at Energia, “the spaceshould eliminate their stress. It is an inten-tionally clean, clutter-free environment.”

And the color scheme? All light shadesof green. “Green is a color found in nature,so it’s easiest on the eyes. It is also an ener-gizing color.”

This is where the inspiration for thestudio’s title ‘Energia’ — the Portugueseword for ‘energy’ — originated. The ab-stract green mountains in the company’slogo depict the Sugarloaf Mountain silhou-ette, a scenic peak in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,that is popular with hikers and rockclimbers. The logo smartly combines theowner’s Brazilian roots with the fitness andwellness concept.

Tampa resident Julie Hurley who saysshe has been taking yoga classes for tenyears in various studios, appreciates the

warm and comforting feel-ing that Energia WellnessStudio offers. In fact, whenLichter offered her a tourof the studio after the softopening in September2013, Hurley’s reactionwas, “When can I start?”

Hurley describes theappeal of Energia’s one-on-one personal trainingsessions because they,“eliminate the intimidationand awkwardness of peoplelooking at you.” She alsohas taken meditation andgentle yoga classes at Ener-gia and admits that whenthe meditation class wasover, she didn’t want to leave the peacefulroom. She urges others to, “Get in thereand see it! It’s going to grab you and youaren’t going to want to leave.”

Getting Started At EnergiaGetting Started At EnergiaThe wellness program at Energia be-

gins with a complimentary consultation, inorder to develop fitness goals for the indi-vidual. Clients then begin a four-phasebody transformation plan in which he orshe moves through each phase once certainpersonalized objectives have been met. Thepurpose of the customized regimes, saysLichter, is to ensure that clients completetheir wellness routines in a safe, enjoyable

and effective program. “We want people to respect them-

selves,” Lichter insists. “They shouldn’thave to wait until they lose 20 lbs. to feelbetter about themselves. They should feelgood about themselves today. Everyoneprogresses at a different pace based on theirphysical abilities and personal goals.”

Classes at the studio already have in-cluded an eclectic group of clients, such asa 74 year old and a Mixed Martial Arts(MMA) fighter working side by side; thegoal is to offer a full-service wellness pro-gram for individuals in all walks of life.

The 60-minute Brazilian dance classes,also part of the program at Energia, offer a

Energia Wellness Studio Offers A More Personal Approach To ‘Zen’

Energia Wellness Studio owner Virna Lichter (right) puts fellow En-ergia dance class instructor Astrid Santiago through her paces during

a personal training session at the studio located in Wesley Chapel.


choice of Samba 360 and Latin Fusion,which are fun workouts, while the 60-minute personal training sessions incorpo-rate user-friendly Precor Preva equipment,free weights, medicine balls and other highquality gym equipment which make work-ing out both entertaining and motivating.The various styles of yoga classes —hatha,yin and gentle yoga — help clients increaseflexibility, strength, balance and mental re-laxation at their own pace.

The 30-minute guided meditationclasses, led by Marta M. Rivera-Crick —who holds a B.A. degree in biology and is acertified Perfect Health Ayurvedic LifestyleInstructor and Primordial Sound Medita-tion Instructor — are scheduled for groupsof five clients or less and are generally rec-

ommended for post-workoutrelaxation.Fifty-minute massage therapysessions are available with Maria FernandaBacilieri — a Licensed Massage Therapist(LMT) and graduate of the Florida Col-lege of Natural Health in Pompano Beach— and tailored to clients’ needs based ontheir respective fitness routines and physicalneeds.

Lichter values education and wasadamant that all of the dance, yoga andmeditation instructors as well as the mas-sage therapist that she hired should bewell-educated and experienced in their re-spective fields.

Not long after the privately ownedand operated fitness center had its softopening last month, Energia offered a Free

Lynn Saela Howe (left) leads a yoga class at the new Energia Wellness Studio in WesleyChapel, where all class sizes are kept small to maximize client benefit and relaxation.

Yoga in the Park event at the Avalon ParkWest community (on S.R. 54 in WesleyChapel) in honor of both the InternationalDay of Peace and Yoga Month. A GrandOpening and Ribbon-Cutting ceremonywith the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamberof Commerce is scheduled for Wednesday,October 23, 5 p.m., at the studio. Theevent also will feature a reception with horsd’oeuvres, beverages and the opportunityfor visitors to take a demo class at Energia.

Giving Back...Going GreenGiving Back...Going GreenAt Energia Wellness Studio, nearly

every product a client’s body touches, fromtoes to fingertips, is environmentallyfriendly. The Boutique, located in the en-tryway of the studio, offers only eco-friendly and fair trade products fromcompanies located in Brazil and otherAmazon Jungle-area countries.

For example, the unique Natura Ekosbeauty products made from the seasonalfruits of Brazil — some of which Lichterreminisces grew in her grandmother’s gar-den in her native country — are all natural,biodegradable and packaged with recycledglass and paper products. Natura Ekos em-ploys 1,400 families in the Amazon, whilealso educating communities about ways todecrease carbon footprints in the forests.The quality yoga mats available at Energiaalso are crafted from environmentallyfriendly products.

The flooring in the 800-sq.-ft.yoga/wellness studio is made of bamboo,which is a renewable resource requiring less

time to regenerate (growing up to four feetper day) than traditional hardwood trees(which can take upwards of 50 years to ma-ture). The table in the massage therapyroom is dressed with all organic sheets, freefrom perfumes, dyes and pesticides. Addi-tionally, the Japanese-style tatami mats inthe meditation room are fabricated fromwoven rush grass, offering a naturallyearthy, aromatic scent to help clients relaxwhile listening to calming music in lowlighting during the meditation classes.

The studio’s most notable pledge tothe environment is to plant a tree in Brazil,through Trees for the Future, for each per-sonal training session that clients purchase.Trees for the Future, an incorporated pub-lic nonprofit organization based out ofMaryland since 1989, assists communitiesin 19 developing countries by plantingtrees, thus allowing them to restore theirenvironment, grow more food and build asustainable future.

“I chose Brazil for our Trees for theFuture (donations) because we are taking[part of the flora] away from the country,”Lichter says. “So, I wanted to give some-thing back.”

Energia Wellness Studio is locatedat 3836 Flatiron Loop, Suite 101, Wes-ley Chapel. For additional informationor to schedule an appointment, visitEnergiaWellnessStudio.com. You alsocan “Like” their page on Facebook.comor call 973-7300. The studio is openMon.–Thur., 8 a.m.-8 p.m., 8 a.m.-6p.m. on Fri. and 9 a.m.-noon on Sat.

By Bonnie Mason

Do you often feel an overwhelmingsadness or despair, or have a hard time fo-cusing your thoughts? Are you anxious incrowds, or have a specific fear, such asbeing afraid of heights? Perhaps you havea compulsive habit or behavior like wash-ing your hands too often or overeating?You are not alone — each of these exam-ples may be considered as a mental disor-der, or a form of mental illness.

Tens of millions of people in the U.S.suffer from a mental disorder each year.And, according to the National Instituteof Mental Health, only a fraction of thosewho have a mental disorder receive anytype of treatment. Licensed Clinical SocialWorker (LCSW) Kristina Martin, theowner of Brighter Days Counseling inWesley Chapel, hopes to increase thatnumber by helping local residents main-tain and achieve good mental health.

Martin says the term “mental illness”often has a negative connotation and islooked down upon by many. Martin ex-plains that the general definition of mentalillness is when a person’s thinking, feelingor mood is disrupted, causing an inabilityto function on a daily basis or results in anegative behavior. Mental illness isn’t bi-ased; it can affect anyone, no matter whatage, race, ethnicity, income, religion andcomes in many forms and varying de-

grees. Some are minor concerns and canbe managed and/or cured in a short pe-riod of time. Others are debilitating andcan require extensive therapy over a longperiod of time. A mental illness also canaffect the way a person relates to others.

“This is why it’s important to getyourself to a good mental health state andaddress what is causing the disruption inyour thoughts, mood or behavior,” saysMartin.

Martin received her Bachelor of Artsand her Master’s degrees at Florida StateUniversity in Tallahassee, and obtainedher CSW license in 1997. She worked in acommunity mental health center for twoyears, where she counseled patients from2-70 years old. Then, she moved toBrooksville, where she was the head ofclinical services for an adolescent programat Eckerd Youth Services. Martin alsoworked in the health insurance industry,conducting assessments for patients in fa-cilities and providing approvals for treat-ment. Prior to opening Brighter DaysCounseling, she completed the doctorateprogram at Argosy University and re-ceived her doctorate ABD (all but disser-tation).

Focused TherapiesFocused TherapiesMartin says that the good news is

that recovery from most types of mentalillness is possible. She explains that many

of those illnesses are treatable withcounseling therapy. Althoughthere are numerous methods totreat patients, Martin says she usesthree main therapies to help herclients through their illness: Cog-nitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT),Motivational Enhancement Ther-apy (MET) and Eye MovementDesensitization and Reprocessing(EMDR.)

CBT is evidence-based, time-limited therapy centered on ourbeliefs and thoughts. It is a formof treatment that examines the re-lationship between thoughts, feel-ings and behaviors. Martinexplains that by exploring patternsof thinking that lead to self-de-structive actions and behavior or disrup-tive beliefs, patients can learn to cope bylearning how to modify their patterns ofthinking. Martin says she uses CBT to ac-tively work with her clients to help themrecover from or manage mental disorders.

For example, one of Martin’s clients,a mother with two teenaged daughters,noticed that her relationship with herdaughters was becoming increasinglystrained. Concerned, the mother soughthelp through Martin, who was able to getto identify the event that caused theclient’s smothering behavior. From there,they worked together to process the event

and identify that it was the client’s behav-ior, not that of the daughters, that wascausing the issues. This enabled the clientto go back to being the mom she hadbeen before the event. The smotheringceased and the relationship was repaired,all within 8-10 sessions of counseling.

Martin says it’s through CBT that thetherapist identifies and focuses on theproblem and sets goals to address theclient’s symptoms.

“This is where homework comes intoplay,” says Martin (Note-homework as-signments can be keeping a log or recordof automatic thoughts during distressing


LCSW Kristina Martin can help put traumatic experiences behind you so that your days are brighter.

LCSW Kristina Martin Of Brighter Days Counseling Is Here To Help

emotions, journaling, and other methodsto explore or test your though patterns).

She adds that, “People who are hon-est about their thoughts and feelings, whoset goals, and complete their homeworkassignments have a greater chance at re-covery from a disorder. It’s not just busywork — the homework helps change theclient’s way of thinking about how theyfeel in certain situations, thereby helpingto change that thinking that causes un-wanted behavior.”

Martin also uses CBT to help withother behavioral issues, such as weightloss and weight management. Obesity isa nationwide epidemic. More and morepeople wish to lose weight and many oth-ers struggle to maintain their weight.

“Cognitive behavioral therapy is aperfect match to weight loss,” says Mar-tin. “I work with clients to explore theirbeliefs about food and help them to learnways to change that related behavior.”

Martin says a myriad of motivationalinterviewing techniques to analyze anddissect client feedback are used in Motiva-tional Enhancement Therapy (MET).MET often is used to treat substanceabuse. The focus is on re-patterning clientbehavior that is the result of ambiguousand undefined thoughts, MET comple-ments cognitive therapy. And, like Mar-tin’s number one rule when counselingher clients, MET is very nonjudgmental.

Another therapy Martin uses withher clients is Eye Movement Desensitiza-

tion & Reprocessing (EMDR), which al-lows people to heal from emotional stressand ultimately resolve a trauma. Traumacan be almost any event, such as a childhaving been neglected by his parents, a di-vorce, death, or a catastrophic life-threat-ening event such as 9/11 or returningfrom war. Martin says EMDR therapywill help the client move their “stuck” ex-periences into the non-adaptive memorypart of the brain, which is where Martinsays they should reside.

“Many believe that other things con-trol our emotions, but in actuality, it’s ourthinking that ‘I have control, I get to sayhow I feel,’” she says. “I want to learn myclients’ goals — I want to listen, teach andencourage them so that they are able tohave the control they need to change theirown thinking. She says that, dependingupon the issue and the client’s preference,sessions can occur 1-2 times each weekand are generally 50 minutes long.

Martin was born in Pennsylvania, butspent most of her childhood in Tallahas-see, Florida. She has been married to BillMartin for six years and the two reside inthe New Tampa area.

If you’re ready for brighter days,call and make an appointment withKristina Martin, LCSW, at 501-4999.Brighter Days Counseling is located at3848 Flatiron Loop, Suite 102, WesleyChapel, and offers flexible hours Mon-day-Friday. To learn more, visit Brigh-terDaysCounseling.com.


logical Seminary in Atlanta,the same school his fatherhad graduated from, andthen went on to obtain hisDoctor of Ministry(D.Min.) degree from Mc-Cormick Theological Semi-nary in Chicago. He took asabbatical from school for ayear (between his secondand third year of theologyschool) to serve in Ghana,West Africa, which he de-scribed as, “a life-changingexperience.”

He recalls, “I remem-ber coming back to the U.S.and, in the first few hours,the thing which really shocked me was theavailability of food. You can get foodeverywhere here, from gas stations torestaurants. But, that’s not so true there inGhana, so the experience was quite an eyeopener.”

Building A Church FamilyBuilding A Church FamilyAfter finishing his D.Min. degree,

Shelor says he served churches in StoneMountain, GA, and spent seven years asthe pastor of Carrollton PresbyterianChurch in Carrollton, GA, before comingto Tampa to start St. Andrew in the sum-mer of 2002. The congregation began

worshipping in the fall of 2002 in thecafeteria of Liberty Middle School, whichis located very close to the St. Andrewbuilding in Tampa Palms.

“We were a nomad church for aboutsix years,” he laughs, “setting it up, tear-ing it down, and then setting it up againthe following Sunday.” On October 1,2006, St. Andrew Presbyterian Churchwas chartered as a new congregation ofthe Presbyterian Church in the USA de-nomination, the original and largest Pres-byterian denomination in the U.S.

In 2007, the ground was broken onthe new church building and on Easter


By Kathleen Schiop

We have many responsibilities in oureveryday lives, including work, paying ourbills, raising our children, maintaining ourphysical health, and so many more, that itcan become easy to ignore our spiritualwell-being in lieu of the more “earthly”concerns in our lives. Many of us are justconcentrating on getting by without real-izing that we need to nourish our souls aswell. Faith in God can give us solace,courage and hope in times of sorrow, des-peration and help us better deal with ourdaily challenges.

If you are struggling to renew yourfaith, if you are new to the New Tampaarea, or just wish to have some spiritualquestions answered, you may wish to visitSt. Andrew Presbyterian Church (locatedin the Tampa Palms Professional Park offCommerce Park Blvd. in Tampa Palms),where you will be warmly welcomed byPastor Dr. David Shelor and his welcom-ing church family.

Dr. Shelor, or “Pastor Dave,” as he isaffectionately known by his parishioners,doesn’t fit the image of the stereotypicalminister. Although he was born and raisedin Black Mountain, NC, as the son of aPresbyterian minister from a family of min-isters, he says he came to his calling, “kick-ing and screaming.” He laughs, “I was

very much a math and science person. Andmy Bachelor’s degree is actually in Physics,so I guess you could say I was a nerd.”

While attending Davidson College, asmall liberal arts college in Charlotte, NC,Rev. Shelor took the opportunity to ex-plore other areas of study, including reli-gion, philosophy, psychology andsociology. He initially decided againstgraduate school and worked for four yearsas an engineer in Atlanta designing andselling control systems for power plants.

“After I had worked for a while, Ididn’t find the job fulfilling,” he says. “Irecall remembering a quote from (Ameri-can author, poet and philosopher HenryDavid) Thoreau while sitting in traffic inAtlanta, who said, ‘Most men lead lives ofquiet desperation, and live with the songstill in them,” and I realized I just couldn’tdo it anymore.”

Shelor later met with a vocationalcounselor, who reminded him of Ray-mond Burr from the old TV series “Iron-side.” “(The counselor) was a polio victimin a wheelchair who had this rough voice,and instead of saying the usual stuff like,‘The answers are within you,’ and such, helooked at me and said, ‘David, I’ve lookedat your stuff and you can either go into theseminary, or you can be miserable for therest of your life. You choose!’”

Dr. Shelor attended Columbia Theo-

Pastor David Shelor of St. Andrew PresbyterianChurch in Tampa Palms leads a children’s service.

St. Andrew Presbyterian Church Can Help You Keep God In Your Life


Sunday, 2008, the congregation movedinto the 9,000-sq.-ft. facility.

Dr. Shelor says that St. Andrew hasremained stable, despite the fact thatTampa has among the lowest religiousparticipation among the top metropolitanareas in the U.S. He admits, however, thatif the church’s population grows muchlarger, “We will probably have to looksomewhere else. Right now we have about220 to 230 parishioners, but we wouldlike to continue to grow,. The need is herein the community, so we would certainlywelcome expansion.”

Pastor Dave is ably assisted at St. An-drew by a group of spiritually dedicatedand committed staff members, consistingof his Associate Pastor Dr. Heather Hart-sell, who oversees the church’s Youth Pro-gram, director of Christian educationPaula Salter, church administrator April Si-

mons and music directorTodd LeBlanc.

So, What Does So, What Does ‘Presbyterian’ Mean?‘Presbyterian’ Mean?

For those who are notfamiliar with the PresbyterianChurch, it literally means“ruled by elders.”

“We believe that thebest way we have of connect-ing to God is with other peo-ple, to be connected to acommunity,” he says. “Be-cause of this, every decisionin a Presbyterian church is

made either by the whole congregation,or by representatives (“elders”) whom thecongregation has elected, rather than byany single individual. And, we also believein ordaining women,” which the othermajor Presbyterian denomination in theU.S., the Presbyterian Church in America,does not allow.

Shelor says that “elder” is an or-dained position, and that the ordination isequal to the pastor of the church. Eldersare looked upon with respect, and calledupon for assistance in much the same wayas the pastor. So, when the church has tomake decisions, it is led by people whohave been chosen by the congregation.These leaders, as well as the pastors, canbe adult men or women of any age. Eldersat St. Andrew are elected democratically,and they each serve two-year terms.

St. Andrew is located in the Tampa Palms Profes-sional Center off Commerce Park Blvd.

How Can I Participate?How Can I Participate?St. Andrew Presbyterian Church has

many options for both spiritual and secularparticipation. The church offers various so-cial and study groups to members and thecommunity. From golf outings to bridgegames, from pottery classes to ballroomdancing, from opportunities to help othersless fortunate to classes on Bible study —there is a group for everyone! Some of theevents have a small fee for materials or spe-cial instruction. (Note-Email [email protected] for more information.)

St. Andrew offers Sunday School forages 3 years to fifth grade, and the childrenare always invited to remain for the firsthalf of worship, so they can begin to learnwhat worship is all about, and then followtheir teachers out to special activities justfor them that relate to that day's theme inways they understand.

During worship, children under 3years of age are welcome in the church’sprofessionally staffed nursery or in worshipwith their family. Babysitting services areoften offered for many of the adult groupfunctions and special meetings.

Adults have a number of groups tochoose from at St. Andrew:

•WIMODA (short for Wives,Mothers and Daughters) is an active groupwhich meets for study, fellowship, andfood one Monday of the month at achurch member’s home. Each year, acourse of study is selected and a lessonfrom the study is discussed each monththat relates to the Bible and women's is-sues. This year, the group is studying theBook of Ruth and the Book of Jonah.

• Boomers & Beyond — Are you a‘baby boomer?’ Are your kids grown ornearly so? Do you like to ea and enjoy thecompany of others? Boomers & Beyond isjust what you've been looking for! Thisgroup of “over 45s” meets approximatelyonce a month for a variety of activities, butthey always enjoy good food, good fellow-ship and the love of God .

• Study Groups — Various groupsmeet throughout the month for study, fel-lowship, and support.

• Hands On St. Andrew — Thisgroup plans one-day work projects anddrives for various outreach programs

throughout the Tampa Bay area.• Men’s Group — Meets monthly

on Thursdays at 6:45 p.m., offering studyand fellowship with a male viewpoint.

• Choir — If you like to sing or playa musical instrument, join the St. Andrewchoir for music and fellowship, or justcome to worship and listen to beautifulmusic. The church leadership believes thatevery kind of music belongs to God, so onany given Sunday at St. Andrew, youmight hear traditional hymns of thechurch, contemporary praise choruses,gospel tunes, jazz and music from aroundthe world. Whatever type of music it maybe, music director Todd LeBlanc strivesfor it to be excellent and inspirational.

What If I'm Not Presbyterian?What If I'm Not Presbyterian?“Come anyway. People are people

and it’s the church that is Presbyterian,”says the charismatic Pastor Dave, who hasbeen the church’s face in the New Tampacommunity. The father of two youngdaughters, he was the president of thenow-defunct New Tampa Kiwanis Club,currently serves a leadership role in thelocal chapter of Business Networking In-ternational (BNI) and he was a member ofthe Board of the New Tampa CommunityCouncil before it became the New TampaChamber of Commerce. Pastor Dave andother St. Andrew members volunteered asthe cleanup crew at this year’s Taste ofNew Tampa, which was held at PrimrosePark, a 1/4-mile from the church.

He says St. Andrew welcomes all peo-ple, regardless of their background. “TheChristian faith is diverse,” he says, “it ismade up of many different traditions andhistories.” As a Presbyterian church, Sh-elor says St. Andrew is only part of that di-versity and doesn’t claim to be “the onlygame in town.” The church works to con-nect and cooperate with other Christiansand even other faiths. “We all have a spiri-tual component to us, a life that needs tobe nurtured,” says Pastor Dave, “so comeand see what we can offer.”

St. Andrew Presbyterian Church(5340 Primrose Lake Cir.) meets Sun-day mornings, 10 a.m., for worshipservices. For more info, call the churchat 907-3057 or visit SaintAndy.com.

By Gary Nager

We obviously have to do a lot of busi-ness profiles in our publications in order tokeep our advertisers happy, but some storiesare a lot easier and more fun to write thanothers — especially for someone like me,who has written, literally, thousands ofthese things over the years.

But, when you “have” to do a storyabout the dentist who took care of both ofyour children’s teeth for almost twodecades, this gig gets a whole lot easier.

The dentist in question is GregStepanski, DDS, of Children’s Dentistry,who has had a New Tampa location for tenyears now, in the Cory Lake ProfessionalCenter on Cross Creek Blvd. I can assureyou that “Dr. Greg,” as almost everyonecalls him, is a personable, fun, outstandingdental professional who genuinely caresabout your kids — and not just because heand his wife Sue have raised three kids oftheir own right here in Tampa Palms.

When Dr. Greg opened his original of-fice on E. Fowler Ave. in Temple Terrace in1991, there were very few (if any) dentistswith offices in New Tampa “proper.”

“We had quite a few New Tampa pa-tients even when we first opened,” he says,“and it was obvious that the growth in ouroffice was mainly coming from the NewTampa area.” He adds that it wasn’t longbefore he started looking for locations

closer to his home, and finally built andopened his 3,800-sq.-ft. office on CrossCreek Blvd. in 2003 — the same year heshattered all of the bones in his leg in an ac-cident involving one of those fold-out atticladders I usually refused to climb even be-fore I heard what had happened to him.

“It was so bad that I was in the hospi-tal for a month and had to take threemonths off before I could go back to work— and even then, I was still on crutchesand could only work part-time,” he says. “Ihaven’t been able to run or jog since then,but I definitely got more into riding my bi-cycle after that accident.”

In fact, the long-time runner had par-ticipated in the Disney Half-Marathon theweekend before suffering the injury to hisleg. Since then, he has completed the MS-150 bike race twice and the 208-mileCross-Florida bike race. He also plans toparticipate in the 300-mile “Cure onWheels” bike ride from Tampa to Tallahas-see next year.

Top Training & TechnologyTop Training & TechnologyBut, Dr. Greg is more than just my

friend, he’s a truly outstanding pediatricdentist with training above and beyond the“average” dentist.

After graduating with his Bachelor’sdegree from prestigious Notre Dame Uni-versity in South Bend, IN, Stepanski earnedhis Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from

the Ohio State University College of Den-tistry in Columbus. The Ohio native thendid a one-year general dentistry residencyat the Medical University of Ohio inToledo and two years of pediatric residencyat the Case Western Reserve School ofDental Medicine in Cleveland.

“I was second in my class in crownsand bridges and taught dental residents,too,” he recalls. “But, I was probably themost comfortable taking care of pediatricpatients.” Today, he is a Diplomate of theAmerican Academy of Pediatric Dentistry,and an active member of the AmericanDental Association, the Florida Dental As-sociation and a past president of theFlorida Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

His Children’s Dentistry office offersthe very latest in technology, includinglow-dose digital X-rays and flat-screen TVsabove the patients in the exam/operatingrooms, as well as fun video games and ahumongous saltwater tropical fish tank inthe waiting area.

A few of the nine members of Dr.Greg’s current staff have been with him“since the beginning” (including his officemanager Melanie and Shannon, his recep-tionist and insurance coordinator) andmost everyone else has been with him “foryears, too.” The office definitely runs like awell-oiled machine and his young patientsreally seem to appreciate Dr. Greg’s easy-going demeanor and the office’s truly fam-

ily-friendly atmosphere.Among the services available at Chil-

dren’s Dentistry are gentle cleanings, fluo-ride treatments, gentle injections, topicalanesthetic gels, nitrous oxide, full sedation,natural-looking fillings, cosmetic bondingand TMJ diagnoses, as well as an in-officelaboratory.

GDr. Greg says that performing labwork in the office allows Children’s Den-tistry to have complete control over all lab-oratory procedures. “We’re able to beinvolved in the lab process, rather than de-pend upon commercial dental laboratories,like most offices,” he says. “Of course, thismeans more precise and beautiful materi-


Dr. Greg Stepanski & Children’s Dentistry — A New Tampa Original!

Dr. Greg Stepanski has been takingcare of the smiles of New Tampa kidsfor more than 20 years at Children’sDentistry, which has been located on

Cross Creek Blvd. for a decade.

als, not to mention faster turnaround.”Community InvolvementCommunity Involvement

Dr. Greg also is one of the most activevolunteers I know in this community —and I know quite a few people.

He is a past president of and still an ac-tive participant in the New Tampa NoonRotary Club (which meets Wednesdays atnoon at Hunter’s Green Country Club), apast president of the Tampa Bay Fly FishingClub (which actually meets in TampaPalms), and he and Sue, a teacher at theCorpus Christi Catholic School in TempleTerrace the last dozen years, are active fundraisers for both Corpus Christi and the fam-ily’s church, St. Mark the EvangelistCatholic Church on Cross Creek Blvd.

All three of his children — Maura,Mike and Brian — graduated from Tampa

Catholic (TC) High and Dr. Greg helpedcoach the TC lacrosse team for three years,while Mike played for the team.

Maura, who is a Bronze Star recipientwith the U.S. Army, was a track star at TCwho also ran at John Carroll University.Mike is an accounting and pre-med majorat the University of Miami (FL) and Brianwalked onto the Mercer College (inMacon, GA) lacrosse team.

If you’re somehow still not surewhether or not Dr. Greg and Children’sDentistry are right for your children, youshould see both of my sons’ smiles.

For appointments & info aboutChildren’s Dentistry (10317-B CrossCreek Blvd.), call 973-3100 or visit Dr-Greg-ChildrensDentistry.com. Mostmajor dental insurance plans accepted.


The amazing tropical fish tank in the lobby at Children’s Dentistry is as popularwith Dr. Stepanski’s young patients as the waiting room’s video games.

By Matt Wiley

Looking for a new family physician,but looking for more than the traditionalcare services offered at most doctors’ of-fices? Consider Land O’Lakes PrimaryCare Wellness Center, just a few milesnorthwest of New Tampa.

Combining the convenience of beingable to see a family physician with the op-tion to take part in additional services notoffered by most typical internal medicineoffices, including hormone replacementtherapy and anti-aging treatments, LandO’ Lakes Primary Care Wellness Center(LOLPC) is one-of-a-kind.

Together, Dr. Peggy Watson, M.D.,and Dr. Larnel Sultan, D.O., along withnurse practitioners Joy Drexler, ARNP-C;Jennifer Godshall, ARNP-BC; and ValerieBuethe, ARNP-C, LOLPC treat patientsolder than 13 for a wide variety of medicalailments. The office also offers non-tradi-tional, aesthetic services.

LOLPC has been keeping local resi-dents healthy for more than a decade.Originally located in a 1,500-sq.-ft. officesuite in the Big Lots shopping plaza onS.R. 54 at U.S. 41, the practice quicklyoutgrew its office and a new, 5,000-sq.-ft.practice was built less than a mile from theold office on S.R. 54 on Amberfield Dr. in2007. Today, LOLPC has a staff of 20+.

Traditional Training, Traditional Training, Alternative ApproachAlternative Approach

“We have a different way of thinkinghere,” says Dr. Watson. “If you come inwith a headache or a symptom, we try tothink about why you’re suffering from thatsymptom, rather than just about what pre-scription drugs we can give you to get ridof it.”

A practicing primary care physicianfor more than 20 years, Dr. Watson has ex-tensive medical training, all of whichstemmed from her first year at PurdueUniversity in Lafayette, IN, where she haddecided to attend business school.

“I went to college thinking I wantedto get into business, but biology was theonly class I liked the first year,” Dr. Wat-son explains.

So, she changed majors and went onto graduate as a Doctor of Medicine fromthe Indiana University School of Medicinein Indianapolis in 1989, before completingresidencies at both St. Mary’s MedicalCenter in Evansville, IN, and Miami ValleyHospital in Dayton, OH. Most recently,Dr. Watson earned her Master’s degree inMetabolic and Nutritional Medicine in2010. She actually started out working forTampa Palms-based GMS Florida WestCoast, Inc., with which LOLPC still is as-sociated.

She is now an American Board ofFamily Practice-certified physician and be-

longs to the AmericanAcademy of FamilyPhysicians, FloridaAcademy of FamilyPhysicians, AmericanSociety of BariatricPhysicians and theAmerican Academy ofAnti-Aging Medicine.

The latter, shesays, is part of whatsets LOLPC apartfrom other practicesin the area.

“About seven oreight years ago, reallycompletely by acci-dent, I went to ananti-aging/regenera-tive medicine conference because Iwanted to learn about bio-identical hor-mones, since many of my patients hadbeen asking about it and I didn’t knowanything about the subject,” Dr. Watsonexplains. “It really opened my eyes to thefact there is an entire world of medicalcare available for patients, validated inpublished medical literature, but not prac-ticed by most traditional physicians be-cause it’s not taught to us in medicalschool.”

So, in addition to traditional treat-ment for typical medical problems, such asdiabetes, cardiovascular diseases, high

blood pressure and routine check-ups,LOLPC also can offer aesthetic services,such as Botox, Juvederm, weight-loss pro-grams and hormone-replacement therapy,which replaces low levels of hormonesthat the body has been losing during a pa-tient’s life span with structurally identicalhormones synthetically developed in a lab.

“Our patients like (that we offerthese additional services) because theyknow us and they trust us,” Dr. Watsonexplains. “We’re very low-pressure sales.We don’t make our living doing Botoxand Juvederm treatments. I frequently tellpatients what services wouldn’t work forthem and what would be a waste of their


Land O’Lakes Primary Care Wellness Center — A Different Spin On Traditional Care

The team of health care professionals at Land O’Lakes Primary Care,located off S.R. 54, includes (l.-r.) Dr. Peggy Watson, M.D.; Joy

Drexler, ARNP-C; Jennifer Godshall, ARNP-BC; Valerie Buethe,ARNP-C; & Dr. Larnel Sultan, D.O.

time and money.”Dr. Sultan, who graduated from West

Virginia University in Morgantown in1993 and the West Virginia School of Os-teopathic Medicine in Lewisburg in 1998,also helps with aesthetic, cosmetic proce-dures, including Botox, for which he hascompleted advanced training in a variety offacial fillers that reduce the signs of aging.

“We manage a lot here,” Dr. Sultansays. “We don’t refer our patients out (toother offices) that much because theproviders we have here can handle multi-ple, complicated medical problems with-out sending them elsewhere.”

The alternative medical options atLOLPC also give patients options besidesthe traditional prescription medications

that other doctors mayhave prescribed them inthe past.

“We spend a lot ofour day trying to get peo-ple off of prescription med-ications, get them healthy,get them sleeping, de-stressed and eating prop-erly,” Dr. Watson says.“We also do nutritionchecks so that peoplearen’t taking things (vita-mins or supplements) thatthey don’t really need.”

LOLPC patient Mon-ica M. knows well the ben-efits of the care she receivesfrom Dr. Watson.

“Dr. Watson weaned me off the acidreflux and digestion medications I hadbeen on for years, replacing them with avitamin/mineral regimen that not onlycured my illness, but actually improved mygeneral health,” Monica explains. “(Dr.Watson) explained at length how thesemedications create a domino effect in thebody by creating new symptoms and defi-ciencies. Everything she said was correctand the follow-up blood work (I haddone) was proof. I eventually was able toremove a few vitamins from my regimenbecause the medication was found to bethe reason for those deficiencies. Dr. Wat-son is the rare physician who doesn’t rushyou out of her office with a handful of pre-

scriptions, but welcomes the opportunityto restore your health in the most naturalway possible.”

Land O’Lakes Primary Care Well-ness Center accepts most medical insur-ance plans and is contracted with mostmajor insurance providers, includingMedicare. The office is always offeringaesthetic specials and is open six dayseach week: Monday, Wednesday, Thurs-day and Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., 8 a.m.–7 p.m. on Tuesday and 8 a.m.-noon onSaturday. The office is located at 20615Amberfield Dr., Suite 102, LandO’Lakes, and can be reached by calling949-2950 or by visiting WatsonWell-ness Clinic.com.


Dr. Watson visits with a patient named Victor, a Wesley Chapel resi-dent, at Land O Lakes Primary Care Wellness Center.

By Bonnie Mason

Patients clearly see the focus of theNew Tampa Eye Institute — high qual-ity personalized care.

In fact, Michael Alperovich, theCEO and co-founder of New TampaEye Institute, located in the SummergateProfessional Park (behind Sam’s Club) inSeven Oaks, says, “We have a team ofdevoted health care professionals stand-ing by to care for you. And, our state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, plus thelatest in medical record technology,complement the excellent care our doc-tors provide their patients.”

Alperovich partners with his wife,Board-certified ophthalmologist GrettaFridman, M.D., to bring the specialtyeye care practice to New Tampa/WesleyChapel residents.

Ophthalmologists are medical doc-tors with extensive training focused onthe eyes and the area around the eyes.They are able to provide the full contin-uum of eye care, from routine eye examsto diagnosis of eye disease to performingcomplex and intricate eye surgeries.

Meet The DoctorsMeet The DoctorsThe medical professionals at New

Tampa Eye Institute remain at the fore-front of medical technology for the diag-nosis and treatment of eye disease.

Dr. Fridman is Board-certified bythe American Board of Ophthalmology.Prior to completing her residency andglaucoma fellowship at the University ofSouth Florida, Fridman received herM.D. degree from the State Universityof New York Downstate Medical Centerin Brooklyn, and her Bachelor's Degreefrom Barnard College of Columbia Uni-versity, also in New York City. Originallyfrom the Ukraine, Fridman grew up inthe Big Apple, which is where she metAlperovich, who is originally fromMoscow. Married for 13 years, the cou-ple lives in New Tampa with their 4- and7-year-old daughters.

A New Tampa Eye Institute patientnamed George says that Dr. Fridman isgreat to work with and talks to you in away that you will understand. “I’d rec-ommend her to anyone,” George says.

“Patient education is a big part ofwhat we do and why we spend as muchtime as we need to with our patients,”Dr. Fridman says, adding that whethershe is explaining a medical diagnosis,treatment options, or after-surgical careto patients and their families, she always

tries to speak in terms thatcan be easily understood.

Dr. Fridman’s subspe-cialty is in glaucoma, a dis-ease of the optic nerve.Glaucoma generally beginswith a subtle loss of periph-eral vision that can causeprogressive damage to theoptic nerve; it is the leadingcause of blindness.

“An early diagnosis (ofglaucoma) is important,” Dr.Fridman says. “If glaucomais not diagnosed and treated,it can progress to a loss of vi-sion.” Glaucoma is mostoften treated with eye drops,although it may require sur-gery if the drops prove notto be effective.

Dr. Fridman says she also treats pa-tients with cataracts, macular degenera-tion, diabetic retinopathy, and all otherdiseases and disorders of the eyes.

She says she recommends thateveryone have their eyes examined onceper year, even infants. “Routine eyeexams, where your vision and eye pres-sure are checked, is extremely importantto good eye health,” says Dr. Fridman.

Methods to help prevent eye dis-ease include being diligent about ultravi-olet (UV) ray protection, eating healthyfoods and exercising. The UV rays (radi-ation) from the sun can damage the skinon your eyelids, as well as your cornea,lens and other parts of the eye and mayincrease the development of cataracts(the clouding of the eye’s lenses) or mac-ular degeneration. Dr. Fridman explainsthat protection from this harmful radia-


The New Tampa Eye Institute Helps Bring The World Into Focus

Dr. Laurie Small, M.D. (left), and Dr. Gretta Frid-man, M.D., of New Tampa Eye Institute, which islocated behind Sam’s Club in the Summergate Pro-

fessional Park (off S.R. 56) in Wesley Chapel.

tion can be accomplished by wearingproper sunglasses that filter the UV raysand that wearing a hat may further pro-tect your eyes.

Dr. Fridman also notes that healthyeating habits are essential to good eyehealth. In fact, she says, “eating carrotsfor good eyesight is not a myth. Carrotsare high in vitamin A, an essential nutri-ent for vision.” Other foods containinghigh quantities of vitamin A and aretherefore good for your eyes include eggyolks, milk, cheese and liver. Dr. Frid-man cautions that the high oxidation ofred meat also can be a cause of maculardegeneration and yes, exercising three

times a week for at leasttwenty minutes improvesblood flow in all parts ofthe body, including theeyes. She highly recom-mends walking, runningand other cardiovascularactivities.

Dr. Laurie Small,M.D., also is Board-cer-tified by the AmericanBoard of Ophthalmol-ogy. Dr. Small receivedher M.D. degree fromthe University of Floridain Gainesville, which alsois where she completedher residency and fellow-ship in oculoplastic sur-

gery. She earned her Bachelor of Scienceundergraduate degree from the Univer-sity of Miami (FL). Dr. Small lives inWesley Chapel with her husband, gas-troenterologist Dr. Michael Small, andtheir two daughters, ages 3 and 1.

Dr. Small says her subspecialty is inoculoplastics, which is a nice comple-ment to Dr. Fridman’s specialty. Oculo-plastic surgeons are ophthalmologicaleye surgeons with additional advancedtraining in plastic surgery relating to theeyes and surrounding structures, such asthe eyelids, tear drain, eye socket, eye-brow, and midface. Dr. Small can surgi-

cally treat patients who have ptosis, themedical term for a droopy eyelid, as wellas eyelid tumors, and those with eyelidretractions. She also can alleviate facialspasms with Botox injections.

Minor eye procedures can be per-formed on site at the New Tampa EyeInstitute, although more complicatedprocedures are conducted at either theNew Tampa Surgery Center, locatednearby on Cypress Ridge Blvd. (also offS.R. 56) or at the Ambulatory SurgeryCenter on E. Fletcher Ave., across thestreet from USF’s Tampa campus.

No matter what eye disorders youare experiencing, or if you are simply

looking for a quality, personable eye doc-tor, the New Tampa Eye Institute fea-tures quality ophthalmologists and astate-of-the-art vision center.

The New Tampa Eye Institute islocated at 27348 Cashford Cir. inWesley Chapel and accepts most med-ical insurance plans. For appoint-ments, call 994-7000. The Institute isopen Monday-Wednesday and Friday,8 a.m.-5 p.m., and 8 a.m.-7 p.m. onThursday. Saturday hours are avail-able every other week, 9 a.m.-noon.Same-day appointments are availablefor emergencies. For more informa-tion, visit NewTampaEyes.com.


Dr. Small takes a look into a patient’s eyes during a rou-tine checkup at New Tampa Eye Institute.

By Lauren Saslow

While most northerners joke aboutthe lack of seasons in Florida, New Tampaand Wesley Chapel residents oftentimesmark two times of each year by prevalentpests; the two most notable “seasons”being mosquito season and lovebug sea-son. Lovebugs, or Plecia nearctica, are afly species — common along Gulf Coaststates — that have flight seasons in latespring and again in late summer. Whileharmless to humans — they do not stingor bite — lovebug populations are a nui-sance to motorists. The acidic egg massesof the dead females that splatter on carscan dry quickly in the subtropical heat,causing ingrained build-up in the clearcoat of automobile paint.

“It is important for drivers to be vigi-lant about washing and waxing their vehi-cles frequently during this time of year toavoid damaged paint jobs and keep theirwindshields free from severe smudgingwhich can become a driving hazard,” saysStephen Schab, the managing partner ofBay Breeze Car Wash & Lube, located be-hind the Walgreens on Bruce B. Downs(BBD) Blvd. and on Doña Michele Dr. inNorth Palms Village, two traffic lightsnorth of I-75.

Schab adds that Bay Breeze offers aconvenient solution to lovebug woes. As afull-service car wash, customers can

choose from a simple $5 no-wait expresslane to a bumper-to-bumper interior andexterior detail as well as a variety of op-tions in between.

À la carte services allow motorists tocustomize their service to suit their indi-vidual needs, and a full lube service at BayBreeze allows them to receive an oilchange while they wait at a competitiveprice. In a fast-paced world where NewTampa and Wesley Chapel residents maysometimes neglect a much-needed carwash, the convenience of this New Tampalocation (only one traffic light north of theBBD exit off of I-75) allows drivers tosqueeze in either a quick or detailed carwash during their commute home.

Using state-of-the-art technology, in-cluding Envirosoft 2nd Generation Foamwash material, which is safe for all vehiclefinishes, Bay Breeze offers quality care andservice catered to fit nearly any budget.From the moment a customer is greeteduntil the time a supervisor returns yourcar, quality service is ensured through theentire process.

Since 2004, this privately ownedcompany — which now has six locationsthroughout the greater Tampa Bay area— has succeeded through the implemen-tation of Bay Breeze’s five key premises:“Quality Service, Clean & Orderly, Safety,Friendly and Easy To Do Business With.”

Schab explains that BayBreeze is a

principal-drivencompany. Bornand raised inChicago, Schabworked as a gen-eral manager for35 years in themetal heat-treatingindustry with EarlFeltner — theprincipal owner ofFPM Heat Treat-ing. When Feltnerretired to Floridaand opened BayBreeze, Schab andhis family relo-cated to Florida aswell, where Schabhas implemented his effective manage-ment through a quality-based employeefocus program.

As satisfied customer Robert Parkerdescribes, “The above-and-beyond cus-tomer service that [employee Moses Po-males offered] was a true miracle for meand my family. He told me that he takescare of his customers and as long as I’mhappy he is happy as well.”

Parker adds, “I highly recommendthis location and furthermore will nevergo anywhere else but (Bay Breeze) for myvehicle service.”

For loyal customers such as Parker,

Bay Breeze offers a “Loyalty Gift & Re-wards Card” that can be purchased forjust $5 and allows returning customers toredeem points toward car wash services,and may be used at Bay Breeze’s full-ser-vice car wash locations in both NewTampa and on S.R. 60 in Brandon.

Comfort & ConvenienceComfort & ConvenienceIn addition to quality service, Bay

Breeze Car Wash & Lube also offers a va-riety of comforts and conveniences to cus-tomers while they wait. Outside the lobby,you can relax on benches on a shadeddeck and take advantage of the free Wi-Fi,while those who opt for climate-con-

Make That Vehicle Shine, Run Like New At Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube!

Whether it’s a wash or oil change you need, Bay Breeze Car Wash &Lube managing partner Stephen Schab has you covered. Bay Breeze islocated on BBD, less than three miles south of the Pasco County line.

coolant flushes, air and oil filters, fuel in-jector cleansing and wiper blades.

Schab points out the clean counters,free of paperwork and clutter, as well asthe employees outfitted in blue and reduniforms emblazoned with the companylogo. He adds that the principles of thebusiness are passed down to the nearly 50employees at this site alone through man-agement-employee communication viasmall group meetings.

Supporting Education &Supporting Education &Much More!Much More!

As an established business for nearly adecade, Bay Breeze uses some of its re-sources to support education locally. Forexample, Sylvie Wittmann, carnival chair-person for the Tampa Palms ElementaryPTA, expressed appreciation to the com-pany for its donation for a raffled gift bas-ket earlier this year.

“We just wanted to let you know wevalue our relationship with you,”Wittmann said. “Thank you again foryour participation and support of TampaPalms Elementary.”

Florida College Academy of TempleTerrace also expressed thanks recently forBay Breeze’s contribution to the school’sspring auction, which helped to fund out-door play areas and purchase a new onlinereading program. The company’s gener-ous donation of an auction item to thenonprofit General Federation of Women’sClubs (GFWC) New Tampa Junior

Woman’s Club’s annual charity event thispast spring helped to fund the Tampa Po-lice Department’s Resources In Commu-nity Hope (RICH) House of SulphurSprings, which serves disadvantaged chil-dren and their families by providing localyouths with a safe place to complete theirhomework and get something to eat anddrink after school.

Bay Breeze’s charitable contributionsextend beyond education, however.Tampa MetLife’s Linda Burrage explainsthat Bay Breeze’s donation of raffle itemsand moral support to the American Can-cer Society’s Relay for Life, which recentlywas held at Freedom High in TampaPalms, “honored cancer survivors, payingtribute to the lives we’ve lost to the dis-ease and helped raise money to fight it.”

“There is no complacency in ourbusiness,” insists Schab. “We are alwayslooking for ways to improve. There aretwo ways to move. One is forward andthe other is backward, and we don’t wantto be doing the latter.”

New Tampa’s Bay Breeze CarWash & Lube is located at 17501 N.Palms Village Pl., behind Walgreens.

For additional information, visitBayBreezeCarWash.com or call 615-1333. The hours of operation areMonday– Saturday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. and10 a.m.–4 p.m. on Sunday. Feel free tocall first if the weather appears to bethreatening, but the oil change area isopen rain or shine.

trolled comfort can relax in the lobby onleather couches and chairs while keepingup with the football season or the news ona large flat-screen TV. Customers also maybrowse through Blue Mountain Artsgreeting cards and calendars for sale whilesipping on free coffee or the chilled water,soda or juice available for purchase in oneof the many coolers along the wall in thewaiting area.

The lobby also offers small snacks,candy, car air fresheners and other con-venient items for sale, in addition to awindow viewing area to watch as their carmoves through the wash. The walls aredecorated with unique black and whitephotographs of Tampa historical areas and

events. In the event a customer needs toleave the premises while his or her car isbeing serviced, a complimentary shuttleservice is available for nearby locations.Other patrons may opt to simply walk toone of the many nearby businesses orrestaurants, including Liang’s Bistro,Chick-fil-A, Steak ‘N Shake and others.

While not all of the Bay Breeze loca-tions offer full service and lube like this lo-cation — four of the locations are expresscar washes with an automated cashier andonly one other location (on S.R. 54 inLutz) offers oil change services — they allinclude the same level of quality technol-ogy and convenience, as well as other autoservices, including transmission flushes,

In a rush? No worries, Bay Breeze combines speed and quality service to get youand your vehicle back on the road in no time at all.


By Bonnie Mason

Wesley Chapel residents Brian andMelissa Levering are betting on the fami-lies in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapelarea — betting that those families areready to clear their closets, garages andstorage spaces of items their children haveoutgrown, in return for cash!

On August 1, the Leverings openedOnce Upon A Child, a children’s consign-ment shop, in New Tampa’s Pebble CreekCollection shopping plaza, located onBruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., a milesouth of the Pasco County line. The3,500-sq.-ft. retail space is a place wherefamilies can buy, sell or trade gently usedchildren's clothing (from infants to pre-teen), toys and equipment. The PebbleCreek location is just one of five OnceUpon A Child franchises in the TampaBay area, with 260 stores located acrossthe U.S. and Canada.

“We are excited to move into phasetwo of our business, in which we can startto sell our inventory to families at a signifi-cantly reduced cost, well below retailprices,” says Brian, who explains that sinceopening the business, the store’s focus hasbeen on purchasing items from area resi-dents to build the store’s inventory.

“I think families will be happy withwhat we have to offer them,” Brian says.“The response has been astounding!”

The Leverings live in Wesley Chapelwith their five-year-old son Brody andone-year-old daughter Mila, and under-stand that raising a young family is costlyin any economy, but especially whenmoney is tight, when most everyone wel-comes the chance to make or save money— or both. With Once Upon A Child,your kids can look great in the latest styleswithout having to pay those high-end de-signer prices.

The Leverings are sure you will behappy with their selection of the latest innew and gently used brand name clothes,toys, books, equipment and furniture, justright for fast-growing babies, toddlers andkids. And, because Once Upon A Childpurchases items from customers daily, thestore’s inventory is always changing,which is why the Leverings recommendbrowsing the store often, especially ifyou’re searching for items of a specificbrand.

You will find gently used name brandclothing like Gap, Gymboree, Hanna An-derson, Justice and Tommy Hilfiger, toname just a few, from infant and toddlersizes, up to size 16 for girls and boys’ sizes18-20. And, Once Upon A Child also hasall the toy brands your kids know andlove, including Fisher Price, Leap Frogand Lego, in addition to the best brandsin infant products, such as swings, bounc-ers, entertainers and strollers.

“I had to travelto Northdale in Car-rollwood to sell myson’s clothing andtoys when I learned Iwas having a girl withmy second preg-nancy,” Melissa ex-plains. Already havingdecided to open afamily business,Melissa and Brianthen decided thatfamilies like theirsneeded a resale busi-ness for children'sitems closer to theNew Tampa/ WesleyChapel area.

Melissa spent nine years working as aclinical researcher for a local orthopaedicphysician group before turning her full at-tention to this new business. Brian helpsout when he is not busy with his long-time full-time job as a medical salesman.

“And, since Once Upon A Child isthe nation’s leading buyer and seller ofname-brand, new and gently used kidsstuff, opening a franchise just made sensefor us,” Brian explains. “We felt that theirbusiness model was one of the best outthere for us, considering the demograph-ics of our community.”

How Does It Work? How Does It Work? No appointment is necessary to sell

items at Once Upon A Child; just bringyour items into the store during normalstore business hours and you will walk outwith cash, or if you prefer, you can tradeyour items for other items in the store.

When you arrive, the staff will sortthrough your items and choose whichitems Once Upon A Child would like topurchase from you. Items will not be pur-chased if they show too much wear, haveuntreatable stains or if toys and equip-ment are damaged or have battery corro-sion. Another reason Once Upon A Childmay not buy your items is if they have anoverabundance of that specific item al-ready in the store’s inventory.

It’s important to note that some

items also won't be purchased from cus-tomers if they’ve been recalled by themanufacturer. And, Melissa notes that allgently used infant equipment, includingstrollers, entertainers, bassinets and infantand children’s toys go through a safetycheck prior to being purchased.

“We enter the item and its modelnumber into a company database whichlets us know if an item has been recalledby the manufacturer,” she says.

Unlike purchasing used baby gear,furniture and toys at a garage sale or on-line auction, parents can be confident thatitems purchased at Once Upon A Childare safe for their children. Sellers will evenreceive an offer from Once Upon A Childafter the items are entered into a databasethat generates a computerized quotebased on current market conditions.

Generally, while the staff is siftingthrough items to determine the ones thatmeet Once Upon A Child’s standards,sellers can spend time browsing the store.It also is a good time to take advantage ofthe tax-free trading available at the store.

“I think Once Upon A Child is greatfor the community, given that the area is abig destination for families,” says NikkiMurphy, shift lead at Once Upon AChild. “Ultimately, the store will allowlocal people to shop close to home andsave money; and it brings something newand exciting to the area — a store run by

Once Upon A Child — A Store For Gently Used Kids’ Clothing & More!

Brian and Melissa Levering of Once Upon A Child in thePebble Creek Collection on BBD are ready to provide yourchild with new and gently used toys and clothing for less!

a family for families. It’s a warm, invitingenvironment, where people are encour-aged to sell and shop and interact. Work-ing in a family-run business makes the jobless a job and more a gift to work withpeople I care for and about.”New, Too!New, Too!

Although most items in the store are

used, Once Upon A Child does sell somenew items, too.

“We have great hair bows, tutus, sippycups, Melissa & Doug children’s toys, andother popular children’s products that arein our new item category,” says Melissa.All of the new items in the inventory comefrom an approved vendor list provided bythe Once Upon A Child corporate entity,which helps all franchisees purchase fromviable companies.

“It's hard to find gently used boysclothing- — we all know what they do totheir clothes!,” says Andrea, a Once UponA Child customer. “I always have the bestluck at Once Upon A Child. From shoesto winter coats, it’s like a treasure huntwith a guaranteed prize at the end!”

Once Upon A Child is located at19651 BBD in the Pebble Creek Collec-tion. Store hours are Monday-Saturday,9:30 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Sundays noon -5 p.m. on Sundays. For more informa-tion call 388.2985, visit their website atOnceUponAChildWesleyChapel.com orgo to Facebook.com and search “OnceUpon A Child Wesley Chapel.”


The inventory at Once Upon A Child istop-notch & new items are added daily.

Congratulations go out to the NewTampa Chamber of Commerce, whichhosted a highly successful Business Expoand annual meeting at the Holiday Inn Ex-press Hotel & Suites on September 26.

More than 30 Chamber member busi-nesses took part in the Expo, where every-thing from new area banks to Avonproducts to a newly opened boxing-for-fit-ness gym were on display for an estimatedcrowd of more than 200 attendees.

In addition, outstanding free Mediter-ranean food — and plenty of it — was pro-vided by the Little Greek restaurant in theNew Tampa Center plaza, and Bruster’sReal Ice Cream and Toast Café & Wine Bar(both on BBD) pro-vided delicious icecream and a selection offine wines to sample, re-spectively.

“We’re alwayshappy when peopleshow up to theseevents,” said ChamberVP Neil Heird. “Wesigned up six new mem-bers today!”

Heird also attrib-uted the success of thisyear’s Expo to the re-turn to the Holiday InnExpress itself. “We reallyneed to thank the hoteland its entire staff for being so hospitable,”he said. “Plus, it’s easier to get people towalk into a hotel for an event than it is at aprivate country club.”

For more info about the New TampaChamber of Commerce, visit NewTam-paChamber.org or call the Chamber Hot-line at 293-2464. — GN

Neighborhood News @ntwcnews38 For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 21 • October 12, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

New Tampa Chamber Business Expo Draws A Crowd To Holiday Inn Express!

(Left) New Tampa Chamber of Commerce president Regina Ramalheira and VP Neil Heird gave away a variety of greatprizes at the crowded Chamber Business Expo on September 26 at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites near Muvico.

Among the businesses on hand at the Expowere (clockwise from above far left)

Charley’s Boxing Gym, BB&T Bank, TwoCan Paint, Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, Cen-tral Bank and the Little Greek restaurant.

yards passing and145 yards rushingthrough the first fivegames. While thosearen’t numbers forthe record books, the‘Cats have had occa-sional difficulty stop-ping the run. Lookfor linebacker JeremyJefferson and defen-sive end AntonioJoseph to play amajor role in keepingthe Ravens’ talentedoffense in check.

Wharton’s ad-vantage going into the Alonso game is theRavens’ own inability to stop the run.Against Newsome’s High’s run-heavy of-fense, Alonso gave up 456 rushing yardsand 5 TDs on the ground. This bodeswell for the Wildcats, whose offensive linehas shown the ability to create runningroom against tough defenses. If Keil per-forms the way he did against Newsome,look for the talented RB to rush for atleast 200 yards.

Wharton will host District co-leaderand perennial juggernaut the Plant HighPanthers (4-1-1, 2-0) on Oct. 25 in thelast regular season home game of the year.

Plant has posted impressive numbers onboth sides of the ball. The Panthers boastan average of more than 200 yards passingthrough their first five games. Wharton’sdefensive backs will have their hands fulltrying to disrupt Plant quarterback ColbyBrown in the pocket.

On the other side of the ball, theWildcats’ offensive line will have to beready for the Panthers’ aggressive frontseven. In their first four games, Plant tal-lied 26 sacks for a total loss of 152 yards.Should the offensive line falter, Litton hasthe ability to scramble out of the pocketand turn the threat of a sack into positive


Wildcats Football In Control Of District After Beating Newsome!

The Wharton High Wildcats celebrate their victory at Newsome High on October 4.

By Benjamin Carter

Past the halfway point and lookingdown the stretch, the Wildcats of Paul R.Wharton High find themselves in a dog-fight for a District title.

After a hard-fought, impressive 21-20 victory over the Newsome HighWolves (at Newsome) on Oct. 4, theWildcats moved into a first place tie withPlant High in the State Class 8A, District6 standings, with an overall record of 4-1,including 2-0 in the District.

Wharton’s offense took control earlyin the first quarter by starting the gamewith an 80-yard drive that ended withquarterback Chase Litton rushing 20yards for a touchdown. Litton displayedhis impressive throwing ability throughoutthe game. Head coach David Mitchell fo-cused on establishing the passing gameearly and the success in the air allowed starrunning back Jeffery Keil to record morethan 100 yards rushing against Newsome(now 3-3, 1-1), including a 40-yardtouchdown jaunt late in the third quarter.

Mitchell is focused on making theplayoffs, but doesn’t want to look to farinto the future. “I don’t look past theteam we’re playing next,” he said. “Onegame at a time. We’re trying to win a Dis-trict title.”

In their next game on Oct. 11 (theevening you’re receiving this issue in yourmailbox), the Cats will visit the Steinbren-ner High Warriors in a non-Districtmatchup. With a record of 1-4 and 0-2 inthe State Class 7A, District 7 standings,the Warriors have struggled to maintain agame tempo through most of the season.Through the first four games, their de-fense has given up an average of nearly210 yards passing and 160 yards rushingper game. Wharton’s offense should setthe tone early and attempt to maintaincontrol throughout.

Meanwhile, Wharton wide receiverAuden Tate is likely to see more targetsthan he did against Newsome. The key tomaintaining control will depend on thenumber of penalties by the ‘Cats. An ex-cess of penalties against Newsome made ita close game instead of a guaranteed win.Going forward, if penalties continue to bean issue it may decide whether Whartonwill be in pursuit of a District title and apossible State playoff march or miss thepostseason altogether.

On Oct. 18, the Wildcats will playtheir next District game at home againstthe Alonso High Ravens (3-3, 0-2). Al-though the Ravens are winless in the Dis-trict, it won’t necessarily be an easy winfor the ‘Cats. Alonso has averaged 154


yards. Wharton’s coaches have given Lit-ton the green light to take the run optionwhen opportunity presents itself.

“They (the coaches) say if I feel it, gowith it,” Litton said.

Both Plant and Wharton are in theposition to take sole possession of the Dis-trict lead in the coming weeks. If bothteams continue their on-field success, it islikely the District title could be decidedwhen these two teams meet towards theend of the season.

Freedom Still In TheFreedom Still In TheHunt...But Barely!Hunt...But Barely!

You can count the penalties and thelosses, but don’t count out the Patriots.The Freedom High football team staresdown adversity every day, struggling tograb victory.

After a hard-fought 22-14 road lossto the Strawberry Crest Chargers in anon-District tilt on Sept. 27 and a tough53-13 loss to the unbeaten (5-0, 2-0)Sickles High Gryphons, coach ToddDonohoe’s team now owns a record of 1-5, including 0-2 in State Class 7A, District7, as the Pats struggle to stay in the play-off hunt. With three District games re-maining on the schedule, Donohoe’s teamhas to go on a winning streak to advance.

“I think the offense is definitely start-ing to move the ball more,” Donohoesaid. “They’re keeping the guys’ moraleup and [we’re] opening [things] up in

terms of throwing the ball more.”Unfortunately for the Pats, Dono-

hoe’s corrections weren’t enough to beatthe Gryphons, who were fresh off of a byeweek. The Sickles’ defense allowed only81 yards in the second half. Sloppy mis-takes continue to plague the Pats, includ-ing consecutive games of allowing a safety.

Following a bye week on Oct. 11, thePatriots will have their work cut out forthem when they visit the Tampa Bay TechHigh Titans (5-1, 2-0) in a District tilt onOct. 18. The Titans’ offense has averagedthis season and have outscored their oppo-nents 86-28. If Freedom’s defensive coor-dinator Lyn Gross’ front seven can disruptthe passing game, then Freedom has achance to control the ball game. The de-fense will have to play better than it didagainst Sickles to beat the Titans.

Whether the Pats can hang on againstTampa Bay Tech, their District match upfavors them on Oct. 25 when they visitthe Steinbrenner High Warriors (1-4, 0-2). The Warriors’ inconsistent defenseshould allow the Pats’ offense, led byquarterback DJ Grant, to set the gametempo early on. The Pats can get a Dis-trict win if the defense can set the toneand the offense can improve, althoughDonohoe and his staff remain optimistic.

“I’m proud of our kids’ fight and thefact that they keep battling. That’s a goodsign in terms of the future of our footballprogram.”

going to be okay and thattheir jobs were not in danger.

“I know that this is atemporary inconvenience andI’ll get through it,” O’Neiltold the crowd. “We can’t letpeople be ashamed (of havingcancer).”

O’Neil concluded by an-nouncing that she thinks thatit actually is a good time to bebattling the disease.

“I’ve lived a good life,”she explained. “There arewomen with little kids running aroundwith cancer. I may not have chosen this,but right now the technology is so won-derful. Every day, we hear that soon therewill be a cure for this. We can contribute

to that research and we can make it a bet-ter world for the next generation and gen-erations to come.”

For more information aboutFHWC and the Pink Army, please visitFloridaHospital.com/WesleyChapel.

By Matt Wiley

Calm and collected, Pasco Countyclerk of Circuit Court & comptrollerPaula O’Neil spoke about her recent diag-nosis as if it were a faint memory from an-other life. Few would suspect that thepopular public official is still actively bat-tling the deadly disease, as she spoke tohundreds of women about her experiencefighting breast cancer.

On September 21, more than 700women from all over Tampa Bay attendedthe inaugural Florida Hospital WesleyChapel (FHWC) Women’s Health &Wellness Day at Saddlebrook Resort inWesley Chapel, taking part in breakoutsessions with guest speakers and an exhibitroom full of pampering and health screen-ing opportunities, including mammogramregistration, screenings for oral cancer,blood pressure and glucose, a gripstrength test, a self-breast exam, as well asa balance test, body mass index (BMI)and body fat analysis from the FHWCHealth & Wellness Center. The hospitalalso introduced its “Pink Army” cam-paign that encourages women to makesure that they get their annual breast can-cer screenings.

“We know that women handle a lotof responsibilities and don’t always stop totake care of themselves,” Aimee Keller, di-rector of the Center for Women’s Healthat FHWC, said in a press release. “Wewere excited to give women a chance tolearn and recharge at this fun, inspiringevent and were thrilled with the turnout.”

The free event culmi-nated with a free lunch andkeynote address fromO’Neil.

“I had felt a lump (inmy breast) and had itchecked out a year earlierand it was fine,” O’Neilsaid to the ballroom filledwith women. “So when Iwent to the doctor that dayand got the results backfrom the lab, I didn’t ex-pect anything.”

O’Neil, said that shehad a regularly scheduledmammogram and ultra-sound on May 9, afterwhich the radiologist camein and explained that thelump was cancerous. She said that one ofthe weirdest parts about the experiencewas walking out to the parking lot whilewaiting for the needle biopsy results forthe lump the same day.

“Who do you tell that you have can-cer?,” she asked the crowd. “I mean, youcan’t call your kids in the middle of theday and tell them. So, I just called work. Iknow how to work. I don’t know how tobe sick.”

O’Neil ended up having a mastec-tomy and reconstruction and is scheduledto be finished with her chemotherapytreatments by the end of October. Herdecision to go public on the Thursday be-fore Memorial Day was made to let herstaff of more than 350 know that she was


Saddlebrook Hosts FHWC’s Successful Women’s Health & Wellness Day

Those who attended the inaugural Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Women’s Health & Wellness Day on September 21 weretreated to complimentary health screenings, including balance tests (above left), plus a keynote speech from breast cancersurvivor and Pasco clerk of court Paula O’Neil during a packed free lunch held at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel.


By Matt Wiley

Cravings for meals from restaurantslocated outside of New Tampa are manytimes easily extinguished by thinkingabout the travel time and traffic that willbe encountered on the way to the eatery.However, one local company is making itas easy as a few clicks on a computer tohave food from more than 130 restaurantsfrom around Tampa Bay brought straightto your door, usually in less than one hour.

Started in 2009 by siblings andHunter’s Green residents JenniferMekdeci, 29, and Chris Shelton, 27, Mo-bile Meals is a far-reaching food-deliveryservice that delivers meals from restaurantsfrom Apollo Beach to Wesley Chapel.

Mobile Meals started in Brandon andkeeps expanding, with a focus on technol-ogy and customer service.

“We started working with about eightrestaurants (in Brandon) before expandinginto South Tampa and eventually NewTampa, because we’ve lived here for morethan 20 years,” Mekdeci says. The entre-preneurial siblings are products of NewTampa’s schools, as each attendedHunter’s Green Elementary, Benito Mid-dle School and Wharton High, beforegraduating from the nearby University ofSouth Florida, Mekdeci with a degree inelementary education and Shelton with atechnical writing degree.

“But, we wanted to do our ownthing,” Mekdeci says.

“Neither of our degrees sounded thatappealing to us (when we graduated), sowe started thinking of ideas we could getbehind,” Shelton explains. “We decidedon Mobile Meals because convenience isking, right now. We figured, ‘Everybodyeats, so why not a food delivery service?’We had seen it being done before, but wedidn’t think that it was being done prop-erly, so we decided to take the idea andimprove upon it.”

How It WorksHow It WorksWhether you’re hungry for a burger

from Oakley’s Grille, yogurt from You SayWhen on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.,some hot wings from the BBD/FletcherAve. Hooters, a gyro from AcropolisGreek Taverna (also on BBD) or a slice ofcheesecake from the Cheesecake Factoryat the International Plaza, but don’t feellike going out, just go online.

Specifically, go to MobileMeals.com.At the site, several tabs will greet you, in-cluding “Order,” “Catering,” “Support”and “Blog.” Whether you’re ordering forjust you or for a few, just click on“Order.” You’ll be taken to a page withfeatured restaurants, announcements andcoupon codes for discounts on deliveriesfrom specific restaurants and the optionsto search by zip code to see which restau-rants in the area are available for deliveryby Mobile Meals.

Once a restaurant is chosen, a fullmenu for the eatery pops up. By simplyclicking on a menu item, the dish or drinkwill be added to your “shopping cart,”just like online shopping. However, order-ing by phone also is an option.

“About 90 percent of our customerbase utilizes our online ordering,”Mekdeci says. “It’s very easy to use. De-livery usually takes between 35-50 min-utes, depending upon the restaurant.”

Once the order comes in, one of the

five staff members at Mobile Meals’ cus-tomer service center calls the order intothe selected restaurant. Once the meal isready, one of Mobile Meals’ 30 “mobilewaiters” picks the order up from therestaurant and delivers it to the addressprovided in an insulated “hot box.”

The charge for delivery is only an ad-ditional $3.99 charge on top of what themeal costs at the restaurant. Using MobileMeals is just like ordering a pizza; only itcan be almost any meal from almost anygenre of restaurant in HillsboroughCounty, as well as several in WesleyChapel, including 900 Degree WoodfiredPizza and Cantina Laredo in the Shops atWiregrass mall. And, Jennifer says that atthe core of their entire business is takingproper care of customers.

“Customer service is extremely im-portant to us at Mobile Meals, and westrive to always ensure our customers’complete satisfaction,” Jennifer explains.

Scott, a local Mobile Meals customer,agrees. “My wife and I use Mobile Mealsat least 2-3 times per week,” he explains.“In this day and age of lackluster cus-tomer service, I am amazed at the level ofservice given by the staff who answer thephones, all the way through to the deliv-ery drivers who get us our food while it isstill hot. Mobile Meals is fast and accurate.This is a great service with fantastic peopleworking for it.”

Mobile Meals Brings The Restaurant To Your Living Room In No Time!

Mobile Meals owners and New Tampa resi-dents Jennifer Mekdeci and Chris Sheltoninvite you to have cuisine from more than

130 Tampa Bay-area restaurants deliveredto your home or office.


In addition to residential meal deliv-eries, Mobile Meals also offers cateringservices for both businesses and privatecelebrations. A mobile waiter will delivereverything necessary for a self-serve cater-ing event, including the food, utensils,napkins and plates.

“The beauty of our business is thatyou can use us not only for individualmeal deliveries to businesses and homes,but also for catering,” Mekdeci explains.

Breast Cancer AwarenessBreast Cancer AwarenessTo help raise awareness for Breast

Cancer Awareness month, which runsthrough October 31, Mobile Meals is col-lecting donations for the H. Lee MoffittCancer Institute & Research Center (lo-

cated on the USF Tampa cam-pus) and having “mobile waiters”wear pink ribbons either on theiruniform or on their “hot boxes.”

Mobile Meals customerswho wish to donate can easily doso while ordering their meal on-line, as there is a list of donationamounts that appear as menuitems on each restaurant’s menu.If you so choose, you can justclick the amount that you wouldlike to donate and it will beadded to your shopping cart, justlike a food or drink item.

“We’ve been lucky that ourbusiness has grown as fast as ithas,” Jennifer says. “For Chrisand I, the things we worried

about with the business four years ago arethings we’d probably laugh at now.”

Looking for a fast and convenientrestaurant meal, but don’t want todrive to go get it? Give Mobile Meals atry by visiting MobileMeals.com or bycalling 907-MEAL (6325). Deliveryhours are Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.– 9 p.m. Fri-day and Saturday hours are the same,but deliveries are available until 9:30p.m. both days and noon–9 p.m. onSundays. And, if you’re interested inpartnering with Mobile Meals, simplyclick on the “Support” tab, and thenon “Partnerships” when you visit theMobile Meals website.

Mobile Meals’ “Mobile Waiters,” such as Alex Reibman(above) make sure your take-out food shows up hot to

your doorstep within 50 minutes of ordering.

including BBQ brisket, pulled pork,chicken and the tantalizing ribs picturedat the top of this page and, of course, allof the fixins’ for your BBQ favorites, in-cluding some of the best baked beansI’ve had in this area.

Roger says that his liver & onionsdinner and his Friday all-you-can-eat fishfry are also popular dinner choices.

Back To Breakfast BasicsBack To Breakfast BasicsI will admit, however, that my fa-

vorite meal at Wolf’s Den is still breakfast.I can get my eggs over easy, my hashbrowns and bacon extra crispy, deliciouslycreamy grits and even add extras likehomemade waffles, French toast or fluffy,larger-than-plate-sized pancakes topped


Wolf’s Den — Your Neighborhood Diner Is Focusing On What It Does Best! By Gary Nager

The last time I wrote about Wolf’sDen restaurant owner Roger Wolf, I wastelling you about the passing of Roger’sbeloved wife Patty (“Patty Wolf - TheSmile & Spirit Of Wolf’s Den - Remem-bered At Memorial,” March 16, 2013)from ovarian cancer.

Fast forward just seven shortmonths and a lot has happened at Wolf’sDen, which Roger and I like to call“Wesley Chapel’s NeighborhoodDiner,” located on S.R. 56, in front ofSam’s Club.

The man who was among the firstU.S. troops to serve in Vietnam nearly50 years ago (when he was just 17) hasbeen looking for the best way to expandhis hours and menu at one of our area’smost successful mom-and-pop eateries.

First, he looked at moving, becausethere simply wasn’t an adjacent space tohis in his current plaza. But, when a dealto open directly across Bruce B. Downs(BBD) Blvd. from the new Florida Hos-pital Wesley Chapel (in the spaces previ-ously occupied by Baja Fresh and othernow-closed eateries), Roger decided toexpand his hours and his menu at his ex-isting location and he also plans to oneday get a beer and wine license.

In the meantime, Roger has greatly

expanded his service area at Wolf’s Denby creating an attractive and well-cov-ered patio area, perfect for the coolerweather heading our way soon. “Weeven welcome to bring their pets, if theywant to dine outside here,” Roger says.

But, after about a month of beingopen for dinner every day, Roger de-cided to “go back to focusing on whatwe do best — serving the best breakfast,lunch and weekend brunch in the area atthe best possible prices,” although Wolf’sDen is still staying open for dinner onThursday and Friday (until 8 p.m.). Italso is now open Saturday-Wednesdayfrom 7 a.m.-3 p.m.

“Unfortunately, not enough peoplethought of coming here for dinner,”Roger says, “although people who didcome really liked our new dinner entrées,so we are keeping those around. Butnow,” he laughs, “you can order themfor lunch or even breakfast, if you like.”

My favorite dinner entrée at Wolf’sDen is still Roger’s uniquely crispy, butalways juicy golden fried chicken, whichI usually get with mashed potatoes andgravy and either fresh green beans orRoger’s homemade cole slaw, but I haveenjoyed his veal parmesan, fried porktenderloin and (even though I’m not thebiggest BBQ fan), his new BBQ entrées,

Among our editor’s favorites at Wolf’s Denon S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel are (top left)the BBQ ribs, all of the breakfast items pic-

tured above and even the unique thick-crust pizza (left). Photos by Jayne Baker.

with steaming hot blueberries or othertasty toppings.

“And I know no one in this area cantouch our prices for the quality and por-tion size of our breakfast,” Roger says,confidently. “This place is packed everymorning for breakfast.”

I also have met a lot of people atWolf’s Den who order their favoritebreakfast items for lunch during theweek, too, and of course, there can belines on Saturdays and especially on Sun-days for brunch, but Roger’s profes-sional staff always makes sure you get inand out as quickly as possible.

For lunch, in addition to the afore-

mentioned dinner entrées, Wolf’s Den isa great place for delicious, overstuffedsandwiches — including juicy burgers,open-faced roast beef sandwiches withgravy, an excellent corned beef Reuben,aptly-named Patty melt, huge triple-decker turkey club and so many more, Ican’t name them all. On my most recentlunch visit, I really enjoyed Wolf’s Den’stasty turkey burger and extra crispy waf-fle fries that are better than you’ll findanywhere (straight fries available, too).

Pizza, Anyone?Pizza, Anyone?Although Wolf’s Den isn’t a “pizza

place,” I have to admit that I’m im-pressed with Roger’s pizza. Although Inormally prefer my pizza New York-style, with a crisp, thin crust, at Wolf’s

Den, I actually prefer the still-crisp andhearty, thick-crust pizzas at Wolf’s Den.

“We also can create a take-and-bakepizza with any toppings you like,” Rogersays. “You take it home, pop it in theoven, and in 20 or 30 minutes, you havea delicious, fresh pizza that’s better thananything you’ll find at a grocery store.”

And, with the coupons you’ll find in

Wolf’s Den’s ad on page 56 of this issue,you can save $1.50 on any small ormedium pizza, or $2 off a large. Or, save10% off of your breakfast, lunch or din-ner, or $5 off any order of $25 or more.

For additional information, visitWolf’s Den in the Seven Oaks plaza at27607 S.R. 56, call 907-9124 or visitWolfsDenRestaurant.com.


Other great choices at Wolf’s Den include (l. to r.) the golden fried chicken, corned beef Reuben sandwich, triple-decker turkeyclub sandwich and the turkey burger with crispy waffle fries. Photos by Gary Nager


The Latest & Greatest News About Dining, Shopping, Retail & More In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel!New Tampa Chiropractic’sNew Tampa Chiropractic’s2nd Grand Opening 2nd Grand Opening

Congratulations go out to my friend andfellow Rotarian Dr. William Scheu and hisamazing staff at the New Tampa Chiroprac-tic & Injury Center (photo below), who cel-ebrated the Grand Opening of the office’snew location in the Cypress Ridge Profes-sional Park just off S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapelon October 3. The crowded (at least 40 or sopeople) Open House event featured deliciousfood by Ghada Jadallah of A Dash of Salt &Pepper (on Cross Creek Blvd.), as well as aGreater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Com-merce Ribbon Cutting.

The new office, which is much largerand has more private treatment, rehab andmassage therapy rooms than New TampaChiro’s now-closed old office (next to theSuper Target on BBD), is elegant, comfort-able and a lot more functional.

“My staff, my family and I are definitelyall happier here,” Dr. Scheu said during the

event. “Our patients are having no problemfinding us and we’re really not missing out onmuch walk-in traffic at the old location be-cause there never really was very much of it.”

For more info about New Tampa Chi-ropractic & Injury Center (2312 CrestoverLane, Suite 102, Wesley Chapel) — in-cluding info about the Licensed Therapeu-tic Massage, weight loss, core strengthen-ing and of course, chiropractic and injuryrehab services & more, call 994-6111 orvisit ConfortiChiropractic.com.

Jen & Travis Open...& CloseJen & Travis Open...& Close...The Flaming Taco?...The Flaming Taco?

I was so psyched that my dear friendsJennifer & Travis Davidson and theirfriends Mary Ann & Keith Cucuzza(photo on right) had opened an amazingnew taco stand in Ybor City called theFlaming Taco that I wrote them up as aNeighborhood Nibbles item in our Sep-tember New Tampa issue.

But, the following for the Flaming

Taco (which was located in-side the Yo Boys yogurtshop, a little more than ablock from the ColumbiaRestaurant), grew so big soquickly that the young en-trepreneurs already knewthe small space inside a not-really compatible businesswouldn’t last long.

So, while the FlamingTaco might now be closed,The Flaming Taco Cater-ing Company is alreadytaking big orders for home-made, unique recipe tacosand other delicious South-western Tex-Mex favoritesyou don’t even know areyour favorites yet.

As soon as standing outside on 7thAve. on weekends between midnight-3a.m. took off, it wasn’t long before Travis,Jen, Mary Ann and Keith recognized thatthere was more that they could do.

Travis (still the group’s creative forcein the kitchen) says, in addition to my al-ready-favorite spicy El Cubano beef briskettaco and the six other items on the Flaming

Taco’s menu (including the unique baconguac-adilla), he also already is creatingcatering orders featuring his new, all-nat-ural chorizo sausage tortas (Mexican sand-wiches, served on an incredible egg clubroll), topped with roasted poblano peppersand onions, steak-on-a-stick and a fewother unique items.

For catering order information, call389-2765 or visit TheFlamingTaco.com.

Cappy’s Pizza Opens In Cappy’s Pizza Opens In City PlazaCity Plaza

For those of us who had already sam-pled any of the existing Cappy’s Pizza lo-cations (the closest to New Tampa beingthe Seminole Heights location on N.Florida Ave.), the opening of the newCappy’s in the City Plaza at Tampa Palmsshopping center (in the original Ciccio &Tony’s space) was surely welcome.

The owners of The Flaming Taco Catering Company(l. to r.) Travis & Jennifer Davidson & Mary Ann &

Keith Cucuzza (and their families) recently visitedthe Fresh Market at the Shops of Wiregrass mall.

A thin-crust margherita-style pizza at the newCappy’s Pizza in City Plaza at Tampa Palms.

Photo by Matt Wiley.

Cappy’s is a funky-chic pizza, saladand calzones-only eatery, which featuresboth thin-crust and deep-dish Chicago-style pizza, a variety of crisp salads, thebiggest overstuffed calzones I’ve everseen and, according to our resident ex-pert (assistant editor Matt Wiley), a niceselection of craft beers, as well.

Please tell the folks at the newCappy’s Pizza (16019 Tampa PalmsBlvd. W.) that we sent you! For moreinformation, call 512-8927 or visitCappysPizzaOnline.com.

City Grill Opens!City Grill Opens!You may or may not have noticed

that there’s a cool, new restaurant that hasopened at 5429 Wesley Chapel VillageMarket on S.R. 54 just east of I-75.Athough a lot of Wesley Chapel residentsalready are loving the place, what you maynot yet have sampled, living here in NewTampa, is the elegant new City Grill,which is one of the first true sit-down,non-chain restaurants in Wesley Chapel,featuring what the owners call “chef-cre-

ated fresh seafood, pasta and more.” Yes, you can get great wings and

burgers at City Grill, too, but you also canget amazing appetizers like the uniqueCuban Cigars pictured below left, ahituna poki (tartare) and truly fresh black-ened grouper.

For Happy Hour and menu infor-mation, visit CityGrill.us, call 973-9988 or go to Facebook.com/citygrillwesleychapel.

Here & There, Here & There, This & That!This & That!

We’re still waiting for official an-nouncements about the opening of thenew Ciccio’s California Cusine in theold World of Beer space in the Shoppesat The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms andthe new Vallarta’s Restaurante Mexi-cano in the most recent Ciccio’s space inCity Plaza, but we’ve been told that bothare still “coming soon.” Vallarta’s may beopen as early as the end of this month,and there also is talk of Ciccio’s openingon December 3.

If you went to Bonefish Grill in theShoppes of New Tampa at Wesley Chapelplaza on BBD last week, you may havefound the popular eatery closed for reno-vations. Although it is now reopened, therenovations were primarily to the kitchen,so don’t expect a whole new look if youvisit Bonefish — but feel free to tell themwe sent you!

We’ve also heard a rumor that LeeRoy Selmon’s was once again planningto re-open in its original New Tampa lo-cation, but we’ll keep you posted. — GN


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as well as event co-organizer Shari Torres(Rae) and several other of Marlana andShari’s fellow performers from Busch Gar-dens, all of whom joined her on the dancefloor for a great line dance as the DeaconBlues played the Georgia Satellites hit, “KeepYour Hands to Yourself.”

Another Busch Gardens performer,Desrosiers’ daughter Nicole, joined the Dea-con Blues onstage for the Aretha Franklin/Carole King hit, “You Make Me Feel Like aNatural Woman” and the entire evening lefteveryone in attendance with a warm feeling.The band also kept the house rockin’ withfavorites like “Mustang Sally,” “Brown EyedGirl,” “Johnny B. Goode” and “SweetHome Chicago.”

“I can’t thank you all enough for com-ing,” Marlana said, holding back tears. “Thisis just so awesome.”

Although there are still some unnamedcorporate sponsors whose donations for theevening hadn’t been received at our presstime, Desrosiers estimates that at least$5,000 was raised at the event, all of whichwill be donated to help the local Lukemia &Lymphoma Society chapter lead the battleagainst blood-borne cancers.

Our friends (and Shoppes of Amberlyplaza neighbors) at Peabody’s were thrilledwith the packed room and promised tobring the Deacon Blues back — and host other bands and events at The Palms Lounge.

For info about Peabody’s (15333 Amberly Dr.), call 972-1725 or visit Peabodys-Billiards.com. For donations to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Tampa Bay inhonor of Marlana, visit pages.teamintraining. org/sun/StPeteHf13/storresg0s.


“Marlana”Continued from page 1

(Clockwise from top left): Guitarist/vocalist Michael Marth & vocalist ToddLeBlanc of the Deacon Blues; the “Soul Train” line during “Brown Eyed Girl;”

(front, l.-r.) Marlana, Bernie & Shari Torres (Rae); Nicole Desrosiers sings “YouMake Me Feel Like a Natural Woman.”


Win $100 In FREE Dining In Our 2013 Dining Survey & Contest! Please fill in as many categories as possible and all of the personal info requested. One winner,

drawn at random from all legitimate entries, will receive a $100 gift card to the restaurant ofhis or her choice in the Tampa Bay area! To help you remember the different local independentrestaurants in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, we have provided an alphabetical list of them (& theirlocations) to choose from in each category, although you can write in your other favorites in each

category, too, in the “Write-In” space. Fast food & national & regional chains with more than 20 lo-cations are not listed, although you can vote for them in any category by writing them in. — GN

My Favorite Restaurants In New Tampa(Number your 5 favorites #1-#5)

__Acropolis (Oak Ramble)__Apna Kabab House (Live Oak/BBD)__Back 9 Café (Heritage Isles CC)__Biagio’s II Pizza & Pasta (Cross Creek)__Big Papa’s Pit (Bearss Ave.)__Burger 21 (Trout Creek/BBD)__Café Olé (Cross Creek)__Cappy’s Pizza (City Plaza, NEW)__Casa Ramos (Shoppes of Amberly)__China City (City Plaza)__China Wok (County Line Rd.)__Cross Creek Deli (Shell station)__Full Circle Pizza (Pebble Creek)__Fushia Asian Bistro (Shoppes of Amberly)__Hawkeye NYS Pizza (Cross Creek/BP)__Ho King (Highwoods)__Hunter’s Green Country Club__Kobé Japanese Steakhouse (Pebble Creek)__Koizi Hibachi Grill (Tampa Palms)__La Cubanita Café (New Tampa Center)__La Fuente Mexican Cuisine (Cross Creek)__Lanna Thai (old Ploy Thai; Cross Creek)__Las Palmas Café (Pebble Creek)__Liang’s Bistro (North Palms/BBD)__Little Greek (New Tampa Center)__Mr. Dunderbak’s (Oak Ramble)

__Mulligan’s Irish Pub (Pebble Creek CC)__New China King (Cross Creek)__Oakley’s Grille (North Palms/BBD)__Peabody’s Billiards & Games (Amberly)__ Petra Mediterranean Cuisine (Highwoods)__Pita’s Republic (County Line Rd.)__Pizzazone (Tampa Palms)__PJ Dolan’s Irish Pub (Bearss Ave.)__Saffron Indian Cuisine (Cross Creek)__Seasons Fresh Café (Bearss Ave.)__Soho Sushi (Bearss Ave.)__Stonewood Grill & Tavern (Tampa Palms)__Sushi Café (Highwoods)__Sushi Ko (New Tampa Center)__Sukhothai (Highwoods)__Takara Sushi & Sake Lounge (Oak Ramble)__Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club__Taste of New York Pizza (Highwoods)__Thai Ruby (Shoppes of Amberly)__Toast Fine Wine & Café (Oak Ramble)__Top Thai (Live Oak)__Woodfired Pizza (Bearss Ave.)__Zeko’s Express (New Tampa Center Mobil)__Write-In (must name)_____________________Write-In (must name)_____________________Write-In (must name)_____________________Write-In (must name)_____________________Write-In (must name)___________________

My Favorite Restaurants In Wesley Chapel(Number your 5 favorites #1-#5)

__Asian Buffet (Shoppes at New Tampa)__Amici Pizza (Grand Oaks Plaza)__Bagelicious & More (Freedom Plaza/54)__Best NY Pizza (Pinebrook Plaza/S.R. 54)__Bonsai Sushi (Shoppes at New Tampa)__Bosco’s Italian To Go (Freedom Plaza/54)__Burger Monger (Shoppes at New Tampa)__Café Fresco (S.R. 56)__China Taste (Shoppes at New Tampa)__China Wok (Village Market)__Ciao! Italian Bistro (Wiregrass Mall)__CineBistro (The Grove)__Dempsey’s Steak House (Saddlebrook)__Dempsey’s Too Lounge (Saddlebrook)__Don Pan Int’l Bakery (Shoppes at NT )__Fine Thai Express (S.R. 54)__Gonna China (Hollybrook Plaza)__GrillSmith (Wiregrass Mall)__Hibachi Express (Village Market)__Ho Wok (next to Target)__Hungry Greek (across BBD from FHWC)__Kwan Ming Bistro (S.R. 56)__La Prima Pizza (next to Target/BBD)__Latin Twist Café (across BBD from FHWC)__Lexington Oaks Golf Club

__900º Woodfired Pizza (Wiregrass Mall)__NY NY Pizza (BBD in Seven Oaks)__PDQ (S.R. 56)__PizzaMania (Wiregrass Mall)__Poolside Café (Saddlebrook)__PrimeBar (Wiregrass Mall)__Quail Hollow Country Club__Shang Hai Chinese (Eiland Blvd./Publix)__ Taste of Boston (Shoppes at New Tampa)__TD’s Sports Bar (Saddlebrook)__365 Caffé Italiano (Wiregrass Mall) __Tokyo Grill & Sushi (Eiland Blvd./Publix) __Vallarta’s (Village Market)__Woody’s Pizza & Wings (Village Market)__Wolf’s Den (S.R. 56)__Yamato Japanese Steakhouse (Wiregrass)__Write-In (must name)_____________________Write-In (must name)_____________________Write-In (must name)_____________________Write-In (must name)_____________________Write-In (must name)___________________

Please only put each numeral (#s 1-5) oneach list once each, including your write-

ins. We apologize for any inconvenience toindependent restaurants not listed here.

The Survey continues on page 56!The Survey continues on page 56!

Your Name ____________________________________________________________Your Community (Tampa Palms, Meadow Pointe, etc.) _______________________Your Mailing Address ___________________________________________________Your Daytime Phone #__________________________________________________Your Valid Email Address _______________________________________________

Please submit BOTH pages by fax, mail, email or on our website (see pg. 3) by Fri., Nov. 8.

Neighborhood News @ntwcnews

My Favorite Chinese Restaurants In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel

(Pick or write-in one)

__Asian Buffet (Shoppes at New Tampa)__China City (City Plaza)__China Taste (Shoppes at New Tampa)__China Wok (County Line Rd.)__China Wok (Village Market)__Fushia Asian Bistro (Shoppes of Amberly)

__Gonna China (Hollybrook Plaza)__Ho King (Highwoods)__Ho Wok (next to Target)__Kwan Ming Bistro (S.R. 56)__Liang’s Bistro (North Palms/BBD)__New China King (Cross Creek)__Shang Hai Chinese (Eiland Blvd./Publix)__Sushi Ko (New Tampa Center)__Write-In (must name)___________________

My Favorite Hamburger Restaurant In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel

(Pick or write-in one)

__Burger Monger (Shoppes at New Tampa)__Burger 21 (Trout Creek/BBD)__Café Fresco (S.R. 56)__Dempsey’s Too Lounge (Saddlebrook)__GrillSmith (Wiregrass Mall)__Hunter’s Green Country Club__Lexington Oaks Golf Club

__Mulligan’s Irish Pub (Pebble Creek CC)__Oakley’s Grille (North Palms)__Peabody’s Billiards & Games (Amberly)__PJ Dolan’s Irish Pub (Bearss Ave.)__Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club__Poolside Café (Saddlebrook)__ Taste of Boston (Shoppes at New Tampa)__TD’s Sports Bar (Saddlebrook)__Wolf’s Den (S.R. 56)__Write-In (must name)___________________

My Favorite Latin/Mexican Restaurants In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel

(Pick or write-in one)__Café Olé (Cross Creek)__Casa Ramos (Shoppes of Amberly)__Café Fresco (S.R. 56)__Don Pan Int’l Bakery (Shoppes at NT )

__La Cubanita Café (New Tampa Center)__La Fuente Mexican Cuisine (Cross Creek)__Las Palmas Café (Pebble Creek)__Latin Twist Café (across BBD from FHWC)__Vallarta’s (Village Market)

__Write-In (must name)___________________

My Favorite Greek/MediterraneanRestaurants In New Tampa/Wesley Chapel

(Pick or write-in one)__Acropolis (Oak Ramble)__Apna Kabab House (Live Oak)__Hungry Greek (across BBD from FHWC)

__Little Greek (New Tampa Center)__ Petra Mediterranean Cuisine (Highwoods)__Pita’s Republic (County Line Rd.)__Zeko’s Express (New Tampa Center Mobil)

__Write-In (must name)___________________

My Favorite Bars & Taverns In NewTampa & Wesley Chapel

(Number no more than #s 1-5)__Acropolis (Oak Ramble)__Back 9 Café (Heritage Isles CC)__CineBistro (The Grove)__Dempsey’s Steak House (Saddlebrook)__Dempsey’s Too Lounge (Saddlebrook)__GrillSmith (Wiregrass Mall)__Halftime Sports Lounge (New Tampa Ctr)__Hunter’s Green Country Club__Lexington Oaks Golf Club__Linkster’s Tap Room (Highwoods)

__Mulligan’s Irish Pub (Pebble Creek CC)__Peabody’s Billiards & Games (Amberly)__PJ Dolan’s Irish Pub (Bearss Ave.)__Poolside Café (Saddlebrook)__PrimeBar (Wiregrass Mall)__Quail Hollow Country Club__Skinny’s Sports Bar (S.R. 54)__Stonewood Grill & Tavern (Tampa Palms)__Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club__TD’s Sports Bar (Saddlebrook)__Toast Fine Wine & Café (Oak Ramble)__Write-In (must name)_____________________Write-In (must name)___________________

My Favorite Japanese & Sushi RestaurantsIn New Tampa & Wesley Chapel

(Pick or write-in one)__Asian Buffet (Shoppes at New Tampa)__Bonsai Sushi (Shoppes at New Tampa)__Hibachi Express (Village Market)__Kobé Japanese Steakhouse (Pebble Creek)__Koizi Hibachi Grill (Tampa Palms)

__Soho Sushi (Bearss Ave.)__Sushi Café (Highwoods)__Sushi Ko (New Tampa Center)__Sukhothai (Highwoods)__Takara Sushi & Sake Lounge (Oak Ramble)__Tokyo Grill & Sushi (Eiland Blvd./Publix) __Yamato Japanese Stkhs (Wiregrass Mall)__Write-In (must name)___________________

My Favorite Thai/Indian Restaurants InNew Tampa & Wesley Chapel

(Pick or write-in one)__Fine Thai Express (S.R. 54)__Lanna Thai (old Ploy Thai; Cross Creek)

__Saffron Indian Cuisine (Cross Creek)__Sukhothai (Highwoods)__Thai Ruby (Shoppes of Amberly)__Top Thai (Live Oak)__Write-In (must name)___________________

My Favorite Pizza Places In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel

(Number no more than #s 1-5)__Amici Pizza (Grand Oaks Plaza)__Best NY Pizza (Pinebrook Plaza/S.R. 54)__Biagios II Pizza & Pasta (Cross Creek)__Bosco’s Italian To Go (Freedom Plaza/54)__Ciao! Italian Bistro (Wiregrass Mall)__Full Circle Pizza (Pebble Creek)__Hawkeye NYS Pizza (Cross Creek)__La Prima Pizza (next to Target)__900º Woodfired Pizza (Wiregrass Mall)__NY NY Pizza (BBD in Seven Oaks)

__Peabody’s Billiards & Games__PizzaMania (Wiregrass Mall)__Pizzazone (Tampa Palms)__Taste of New York Pizza (Highwoods)__Woodfired Pizza (Bearss Ave.)__Woody’s Pizza & Wings (Village Market)__Wolf’s Den (S.R. 56)__Write-In (must name)_____________________Write-In (must name)_____________________Write-In (must name)_____________________Write-In (must name)_____________________Write-In (must name)___________________

56 For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 21 • October 12, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News @ntwcnews58 For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 17 • August 17, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

H E L P W A N T D

PHYSICAL THERAPIST – An estab-lished New Tampa outpatient clinic is hiringa part-time PT to provide customized, one-on-one care. Fax resume to (813) 994-3080

HELP WANTED – Full Circle Pizza &Grill is looking for an EXPERIENCED pizzamaker/line cook. NO phone calls. Walk-inswith resumes ONLY. 19651 Bruce B. DownsBlvd., Suite B2, Mon-Sat, 11 a.m.– 8 p.m.Ask for Ron.

L A W N C A R E

JASMINE’S LANDSCAPING - Com-plete lawn maintenance, Tree, palm andhedge trimming, Planting, mulching, stones,Sod replacement, Pressure washing, Guttercleaning and more. Cited by your HOA forviolations? Need to comply for: Pressurewashing, Trimming, Mulching, Sod replace-ment, Sprinkler repair or Mailbox repair orreplacements?Ask about our HOA SPECIAL! FREE ESTIMATE! (813) 420-4465

AMERICAN PRIDE LAWN CARE- Aweekly full service lawn maintenance com-pany. Services include; professional mowing,edging, trimming, blowing of debris, tree &shrub trimming, yard cleanup, yard enhance-ments. Owner Operator Company Built onService & Trust! Licensed & Insured. Af-fordable prices, call today for your free esti-mate. 813-458-4778

EDUCATION / BABYSITTING

PIANO LESSONS/TUTORING - Locatedin Live Oak Preserve for children, teens, andadults. I am a highly qualified/certified Floridateacher specializing in piano, music theory, lan-guage arts, reading, writing, geography, elemen-tary math, beginning Spanish, and FCAT/testpreparation. Mention this ad and receive your firstsession for FREE! Now scheduling for the new2013-2014 school year! Contact Mrs. Daley at813-468-1424 to reserve your spot!

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

TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE - NewTampa owned & operated. Gareat Pricing withoutstanding customer service! LICENSED,BONDED & INSURED. See why we areNew Tampa and Wesley Chapel’s #1Choice!! New customer’s ONE MONTHFREE!Call Chris Today @ (813) 857-5400or visit www. TranquilityPoolService.com

AQUATEC POOL SERVICE - keepingpool s clear & swim safe since 1994. WE DOPOOLS RIGHT! Commercial & Residential.CPO #33-303052 Licensed & Insured. Serviceguarantee. Call (813) 312-5694 TODAYand get 1 MONTH OF QUALITY SERV-ICE FOR FREE. www.aquatecpool.com

F I T N E S S & W E L L B E I N G

TAI CHI CLASSES - open to the public atthe Club Tampa Palms. Benefits: Strength,Flexibility, Balance, Focus and reduced stress.New Beginner 6 week courses starting everyfew months. Adults Course: Thursdayevening’s 7-8 pm. Seniors Course: Tuesday af-ternoons 12-1 pm. Space is limited! Also per-sonal instruction in Tai Chi, Kempo Karate,Boot Camp Fitness training and more. Withmore than 30 years of training and teachingexperience. Please contact me for more de-tails or go to: chuan-fa.org. Peter #787-7560 or e-mail [email protected]

LICENSED MOBILE MASSAGETHERAPIST Available seven days a week,9am -9pm. $55 for 1 hour! Types of massageavailable: Swedish, Deep Tissue, Aroma Ther-apy, Hot Stone, Corporate Seated, Pregnancy,Sports & Injury Rehab. References available.www.barkdollmassagetherapy.com CALL (727) 372-6389 Lic #MA47546.

INDIVIDUAL & COUPLES COUNSELING - Over 90 years of person-able & experienced therapy & testing services.Better Business Bureau Accredited. With 6 cli-nicians, we’ll find the best therapist for you. Call (813) 418-7188 [email protected]. Website: www.Tampa-Therapy.com

C A R S E R V I C E S

CAR SERVICES – Don’t Have a Ride? Don’tWant to Leave Your Car? Shouldn’t Drive? WeDrive You and Your Car Home! Night Clubs,Corporate Events, Sporting Events, Concerts,Appointments, Airport or Stranded..Call Jay at (813) 966-1530.

C A S H N O WTURN YOUR CLUTTER INTO CASH!- Garage & estate sales, inventory liquidation,&appraisal services. We'll sell it for you online!Weevaluate & appraise your products then get youtop dollar. We do the work you get the cash. Ask me how, contact Mary at 813-428-5793

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

DRY WALL SPECIALI ST - Not ahandyman. Affordable Quality Work repair-ing water damage, ceilings and walls, retex-turing, popcorn removal, room additions,cracks, holes, plaster and stucco repair. 26Years Experience. Wesley Chapel resident.State Certified. Call Ron for a free esti-mate (813) 784-5999

NEED HOME MAINTENANCE – Al-most any job, large or small, ext/int, fencing ,screening, sm. concrete, sprinklers, painting, re-pairs, int. doors, locks, sheet rock, windows,paint, caulk, grout, trim, shelving, garages or-ganized. Installations, removals, pressure wash-ing, wood restoration & more. Call Dale’s Home Maintenance @ 973-0194 or 727-2582.

GREG’S PAPERHANGING – For all ofyour wallpapering needs. Licensed & insured,clean, quick & reasonable. Call 973-2767 for free estimate.

RAYMOND PAINTING – Interior & Ex-terior pressure washing, paper hanging, plaster,stucco, tiles, clean & seal pavers, roofing leaks,etc. Licensed & Bonded. References available.Free Estimates. Your Neighborhoond ArborGreene Resident. We work 7 days.Call 994-5124.

DAVID BRIDGES PRESSURECLEANING - Complete exterior cleaning ofyour home or business with a professional andpersonal touch. - Pool decks and screen enclo-sures - All fencing/ driveways andwalkways/roofs - Gutter and downspouts.Find your happiness in a fresh, bright cleanhome. Your neighbors will love you for it! Allwork guaranteed. Licensed and insured. (813) 215-1177

WEST COAST FLOORING INC - Hard-wood, Laminate, and Carpet; Over 25 yearsexperience in sales and installations; Repairs:Large and small jobs; We even do exteriorpavers; Free estimates Call Doug at (813) 215-4817

D & D PRESSURE WASHING - licensedand insured. We clean driveways, sidewalks,homes, pool decks, screen enclosures, fencesand other items. Free estimates. Call Dina or Doug 813-949-5131 www.ddpressurewash.com

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

M.Y. CLEANING SERVICE - OfferingResidential cleaning, complete bath & kitchencleaning, as well as dusting & polishing furni-ture. We provide our own supplies. Free esti-mates! Your satisfaction is our priority! With 5years of experience, we guarantee meticulouscleaning! Call Mila: (813) 516-3554.

DISCOUNT JUNK REMOVAL!!! - Nojob to big or to small! Same day service. Seniordiscount. Servicing the New Tampa & WesleyChapel, as well as surrounding areas for over11 years. Furniture, yard debris, garage cleanout, & any other items.Call Lamar Today – 813.285.4674.

Squeaky Clean Home Services - is a residen-tial cleaning company offering weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly services. We alsospecialize in move-in/move-out cleanup. Allsupplies & equipment provided. We are anOwner Operator company w/ over 20 yearsexperience. "If it Needs to be Clean, We'reyour Team! Call us for your free in homeestimate today! 813-625-6045

D-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE - Wehave our own supplies & more than 300 clientsin New Tampa! For more information, Call 758-9710.

CYD Professional Cleaning Services Residen-tial & Commercial - Weekly, bi-Weekly &monthly rates- Flexible scheduling, includingweekends. 'Green' cleaning solutions availableupon request. We provide all cleaning supplies.Quality cleaning at AFFORDABLE prices. Over6 years experience. You'll have the same, uni-formed cleaning professional every time! Call Katherine (813) 494-6005

CLEANING, LAUNDRY, YOU NAME IT!$68.00 introductory special, Mon-Wed. Makeyour list, put us to work! Anna's Housekeeping -A BBB Accredited Business Servicing Floridasince 1991. We have private housekeeper rateswith agency backup coverage! Licensed and allhousekeepers are background checked. Call 813.985.1150.

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PROFESSIONAL TECH SUPPORT –in your home or small business. A+ certifiedcomputer tech with 20 years of exp. Mainte-nance & repairs, upgrades & tutoring. Moreaffordable than the large chains! Friendly, per-sonalized svc. Technical jargon explained inplain English. Remote assistance available.References available upon request. Call 957-8342 for free estimate.

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M I S C E L L A N E O U S

NO TIME - NEED TO RUN ERRANDSor STRANDED? Call 813-263-4244 for:Professional Assistance, Concierge Services,Confidant/Companion, Transportation, Er-rands, Personal and Professional Care. Hourly,Daily & Long Term Rates Tampa Palms/ NewTampa Area TRUSTWORTHY, RELIABLE,FRIENDLY.

NEW TAMPA & WESLEY CHAPEL Classifıeds

new tampa neighborhood news october issue

Documents

ment projects

segment c

unfunded final segment

nextsegment of bbd

northon bbd

area of bbd

ment spokesman steve

valdez saysthat