New Tampa Back to School Edition

which will be paid for with impactfees (money collected from devel-opers when they begin projects inthe area), Florida Department ofTransportation (FDOT) fundingand a $1.5-million grant fromHillsborough County, in part be-cause Cross Creek Blvd. is acounty road from BBD to whereit reduces to two lanes.

“We’ve been working on(this project) for a while,” saysCity of Tampa Transportationmanager Jean Duncan, P.E.“We’re happy about getting itgoing to avoid future congestion.”

Duncan says that the City is eager tostart the project because it currently isahead of major development on MorrisBridge Rd., particularly in K-Bar Ranch.

NEIGHBORHOOD MAGAZINE

Wazoo Gets Wild As Battles Brew At The ‘Bod,Our 2013 Dining Survey & Contest, Casa

Ramos Brings Mexican Flair To Tampa Palms,Plus More Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes!

Pages 43-60

Also Inside This Issue!NEWS, BUSINESS, SPORTS &

EDUCATION UPDATES New Tampa Rec Center Expansion Postponed,Swiftmud Loosens Watering Restrictions, NewTampa Schools Get Good Report Cards, Lots

Of Local Business Features & More!Pages 1-42

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Celebrating The Rebirth Of The Pebble Creek Collection! By Gary Nager

You may not realize it, but the PebbleCreek Collection (PCC) on Bruce B.Downs (BBD) Blvd. is the oldest shoppingplaza in New Tampa. Built during the1970s, the strip center looks as good as itever has, thanks to an ongoing facelift pro-vided by the center’s landlord and owner,John Martinez, which has included replac-ing the entire roof throughout the plaza.

That’s a good thing, because our officewas in the Collection more than a dozenyears ago, and roof leaks were an ongoingissue when we were there.

“We’re also going to replace theplaza’s current monument sign on BruceB. Downs with something a lot nicer,” hesays. “I’m really happy with the way thecenter has filled back up.”

When Martinez purchased the plaza in2005, he says it was always close to full andbustling with activity. In fact, he was able tomanage PCC from his home in California.But, when the local economic bubble burstin 2007-08, he says it became a lot harderto keep the tenants in business, much lesshappy, and by 2011, Martinez decided tomove to Tampa to take a more hands-onapproach and get the plaza back to capacity.

He was as carefulas possible tochoose businessesthat would com-plement the exist-ing tenants andhopefully survivethe ongoing eco-nomic downturn.

And today,other than thelong-empty for-mer gas stationlocated on thenorthern outpar-cel of the plaza,with directfrontage on BBD,which Martinezhopes to be mak-ing a formal an-nouncement about soon (see below), anda former chiropractor office in the plaza it-self, PCC is now full.

The newest new tenant to open is onethat Martinez is particularly excited about— Once Upon a Child, a chain of chil-dren’s consignment stores with more than260 locations across the U.S. and Canada.

“It’s a known retail name, in our an-

chor tenant space in the plaza,” says Mar-tinez. “I hope it will attract a lot of trafficfor the entire plaza, from the restaurants toour real estate offices.”

Once Upon a Child owners Melissaand Brian Levering say their store, whichhad been open less than a week at our presstime, was definitely generating quite a bitof traffic from people hoping to cash in on

the store’s commitment to purchasing(and reselling) high-quality, new and gen-

tly used apparel, toys, baby equipment andfurniture for children at affordable, family-friendly prices.

“So far, so good,” says Melissa. “We’redefinitely in purchasing mode right nowand quite a few people are finding us andbringing in their quality baby and childclothing.”

By Matt Wiley

Getting from Bruce B. Downs (BBD)Blvd. to Morris Bridge Rd. by car could get alot quicker in the next two years, as the Cityof Tampa plans to widen the portion of CrossCreek Blvd. that currently is still one lane ineach direction, making the entire 4.5-milestretch four lanes.

The project, which has been in the works

for several years, could begin as soon as May2014, according to city documents. Cur-rently, Cross Creek Blvd. which links BBD toMorris Bridge Rd., is a four-lane divided roadfor two miles, beginning at BBD east to justbeyond Cory Lake Dr. at the entrance to theCory Lake Isles Professional Center.

Widening the remaining 2.5-mile stretchto a four-lane road, divided by a 22-foot me-dian, is estimated to cost about $6.1 million,

Cross Creek Blvd. Widening To Morris Bridge Rd. Could Begin As Early As May 2014

The portion of Cross Creek Blvd. from east of theentrance to the Cory Lake Isles Professional Centerto Morris Bridge Rd. will be widened to two lanes

in each direction beginning in May 2014.

See “Cross Creek Blvd.” on page 14.

(L. to r.) Ramses, the new owner of Las Palmas Café, Alex of PartyScene and Melissa and Brian of Once Upon a Child invite you to

check out the newly revamped Pebble Creek Collection on BBD.

See “Plaza Reborn” on page 14.

In the meantime, plazas in NewTampa and Wesley Chapel that havebeen suffering for years are suddenly fill-ing up again (see our cover story for oneimpressive example) and more often thannot, those new businesses are turning tous — as they have for nearly 20 yearsnow — to help them make their respec-tive businesses work for them and fortheir families.

This issue (the biggest Back-to-School issue we’ve ever done, by theway) is once again packed with both adsand features about a variety of local ad-vertisers who have turned to us to helptheir businesses succeed. I hope, as al-ways, that you will check out those fea-tures, visit or utilize those businesses andtell the business owners that you readabout them in the New Tampa Neighbor-hood News!

And remember, school starts inHillsborough County on Tuesday, Au-gust 20, so please drive carefully!

Although I still hear alot of the businesses wedo business with say that

they don’t see the economy recovering— at least not at any pace that’s helpingthem — based on the number of newbusinesses that keep opening in our areaand the fact that those owners seem tohave little or no trouble spending moneywith us to promote those businesses, Ithink there is some economic momen-tum being built in our community.

Every year, it seems, we have a fairlysizable number of advertisers who say,“Hold me out until after the summer,because there’s no one here until theend of August.” Well, even though wedid have a few businesses pull their adsthis summer, there have been even morecoming in to take their place. In fact, Ican safely say that, culminating with thisissue, the summer of 2013 has been thebest — in terms of both advertising rev-enue and the feedback we’re gettingfrom readers and advertisers alike — wehave ever had in our New Tampa andWesley Chapel issues for June-August!

So, to what do I attribute this suc-cess? Several things, actually. The biggestcompliment general manager Nikki Ben-nett and I hear from local businessespretty much every day is that even withsome people achieving outstanding re-sults with their own online and socialmedia advertising, if you’re trying dobusiness in New Tampa and/or Wesley

Chapel, other people are telling thesebusinesses that they have to advertise inthe Neighborhood News!

That’s pretty awesome for us as it is,but what I also see happening these daysthat wasn’t happening nearly as much in2009-12 is that whenever spaces openup in our local shopping plazas, newbusinesses are quickly coming in to fillthose spaces. And, as the newcomers getready to open, they’re being told byother businesses in the same plazas whatmarketing they’ve done that has worked.And, more and more of them are beingtold that we’re about the only thingthey’ve done that worked well enoughfor them to warrant the cost of that ad-vertising — especially because the freebusiness profile articles we have writtenabout them bring in more business thanany other form of advertising, marketingor publicity, whether in print or online.

Another factor I’ve also heard isthat banks and other lenders are onceagain lending people money, whether tobuy or remodel a home or open a busi-ness. Of course, this re-raises concernsabout the banking crisis that was at thecenter of the economic maelstrom thatstarted a few years ago, when the bankswere just handing over money to peoplewho had little or no chance to keep upwith their payments, as though themoney was free candy. And, with still nomajor new restrictions in place to keepthe banks from making themselves failagain, the economic pundits I see on TVall seem to believe that we’re headed foranother fall, but that remains to be seen.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 17 • August 17, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com 3Neighborhood News @ntwcnews

Thanks, New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, For Our Best Summer Ever!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]

Editorial E-mail:[email protected]

Publisher & Editor Gary Nager

General ManagerNikki Bennett

Assistant Editor / PhotographerMatt Wiley

CorrespondentsBonnie Mason • Lauren Saslow

Kathleen SchiopSenior Graphic Designer

Porsha LemosAdvertising Sales Rep

Taylor GardnerNothing that appears in New Tampa Neighborhood News

may 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 19, of New TampaNeighborhood News is Monday, September 2, 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 1-42New Tampa Recreation Center Not Expanding Until 2016...............4HCSO Seeks Help Identifying Serial Robbers.......................................6Swiftmud Loosens Water Restrictions....................................................8.New Tampa News Briefs...................................................................10Arrest Made In May BBD ShootingNew Tampa Burger King Robbed At GunpointOak Ramble Murder Suspect ConvictedOrlando Woman’s Body Found Near New Tampa

North Tampa Behavioral Health To Open To Patients In Oct.....12New Tampa Community Calendar................................16Local Business Updates.................................18-35Are You Ready For Obamacare?..............................................18Pebble Creek Family Dentistry Makes Your Family Smile........20Tri-Care Services Serves Your A/C & Plumbing Needs..........24Prudential Tropical Realty: Your Home-Buying Realty Team..26The Vein & Cosmetic Center Of Tampa Bay...........................30Family Wellness Center: One Doctor For The Whole Family...34

Local Education & Sports Updates...............38-41New Tampa Schools Get Good Report Card...........................38Chiles Elementary Welcomes New Principal............................39Tampa Bay Rebels Fall Short Of Hoops Repeat At Freedom...41

Neighborhood MagazineWazoo Gets Wild While Peabody’s Hosts Brew Battles...........43Enter Our 2013 Dining Survey & Contest.......................46Casa Ramos Brings Mexican Fare & Flair To Tampa Palms ....50‘Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes’...............................54

NEW TAMPA COLOR CLASSIFIEDS....................56Guest Column - By New Tampa’s Tampa City Council Member Lisa Montelione...................................................58

The Ten Year ‘Oops!’My apologies go out to Travis &

Fiona Monday of Fit 4 Life PersonalTraining & Physical Therapy (907-7879), which was profiled in our July20 New Tampa issue.

Although they loved the story,the Mondays pointed out to me thatin the very first paragraph of that arti-cle, I said Fit 4 Life first opened in2011, even though I went on to saythe studio has been in business at itscurrent location in the Tampa PalmsProfessional Center since 2006. Well,Fit 4 Life first opened in 2001, not2011, so I was only off by a decade.

Yeesh, sorry, guys! — GN

NTRC,” says Parks & Rec director GregBayor. “The initial concept includedmany good elements, but once costswere associated with those elements itbecame our responsibility to make surethat only the essential needs were met.”

Bayor said last August that the Parks& Rec department hoped to begin con-struction this month, but the project hadnot yet been funded.

Now, the project will cost morethan $850,000, about half of the cost ofthe initial design that was being consid-ered last August.

“Last year, the Parks & Recreationdepartment was working on a design for(the NTRC expansion), but thereweren’t any funds allocated for it at thattime,” says Ali Glisson, spokesperson forMayor Buckhorn’s office. “It’s nowbeing included in the 2016 budget be-cause there are funds available (that year)for (the expansion).”

Glisson says that, in the meantime,Tampa-based architecture firm Fleis-chmanGarcia — which originally de-signed the NTRC that opened in 2008— will be refining the expansion designs.

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

vBy Matt Wiley

It appears as though the bustlingNew Tampa Recreation Center (NTRC)in Tampa Palms, which was expected toundergo an expansion this year, will re-main at its current size for the foresee-able future.

In his 2014 City of Tampa Budgetpresentation on July 25, Tampa MayorBob Buckhorn announced that his rec-ommended budget for the City is$830.9 million, with about $103 milliondevoted to capital improvement projects,which include government, transporta-tion, utilities and parks & recreationprojects.

However, the expansion of the19,500-sq.-ft. NTRC, a hub for localgymnasts, did not make it onto thisyear’s list of funded projects (althoughwe mistakenly reported in our July 20issue that the NTRC would be a fundedproject for 2013-14).

Instead, the Rec Center expansionhas been pushed back until at least 2016.

“When I heard about the postpone-ment of (the NTRC expansion), myheart sunk,” says City of Tampa District7 Council member Lisa Montelione.

Last August, the City was in the

process of designing a $1.5 million,14,000-sq.-ft. addition to the NTRC,which, in addition to more space forstorage, was to feature more gymnasiumspace, locker rooms, multi-purposerooms and even a workout center forboth kids and parents, as well as a rock-climbing wall. City Parks & Recreationdepartment statistics show that theNTRC serves an average of 7,500 partic-ipants per year in its enrolled programs.

“In the initial design, we wentthrough and included all of the thingswe’d love to have in the expanded

New Tampa Recreation Center Expansion Postponed Until At Least 2016

Airborne Paige Kinsey, 14, is one of the 7,500participants who utilize the New TampaRecreation Center, located on CommercePark Blvd. in Tampa Palms, every year.

By Matt Wiley

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’sOffice (HCSO) is seeking the public’shelp in locating two suspects they believeare responsible for a string of robberiesdating back to July 22, including one justsouth of Tampa Palms on Bruce B.Downs (BBD) Blvd.

According to HCSO, just after mid-night on July 22, two black male suspectsof unknown age — one wearing a hockeymask and wielding a revolver, the otherwearing a dark bandana — began a cross-county robbery spree in Valrico, hitting a

Circle K on Lumsden Rd. The two con-fronted the clerk and demanded moneyand lottery tickets. They even stole a do-nation jar from the checkout counter.

About two hours later, HCSO saysthe same robbers struck a 7-Eleven onEhrlich Rd. in Carrollwood. The clerksaw them coming and hid in the coolerwhile the duo snatched more cash, lotterytickets and cigarettes, and then took offon foot.

Most recently, HCSO reports, thesame robbers are suspected of holding upthe Kangaroo Express gas station at the

intersection of BBD andSkipper Rd., just southof Tampa Palms, around11:30 p.m. on August 4.

Anyone with anyinformation is urgedto call HCSO at 247-8200 or Crime Stop-pers at 1 (800)873-TIPS (8477).Tips also can be re-ported anonymouslyonline at CrimeStop-persTB.com or bysending a text to C-R-I-M-E-S (274637).


HCSO Seeks Help Identifying Suspects WhoRobbed The Kangaroo Express On BBD

HCSO seeks teh public’s help identifying these men whoare suspected of robbing at least three convenience stores.

By Matt Wiley

The heat of summer is upon the NewTampa area, but with it has come theusual pattern of oppressive heat through-out the day, followed by thunderstorms inthe afternoon and early evening. For thisreason, the Southwest Florida Water Man-agement District (aka “Swiftmud”) has al-lowed the stricter watering restrictionsimplemented earlier in the year to expire.

According to a July 30 release fromSwiftmud, the District’s Governing Boardvoted to let all Phase III water shortageorders — which limited lawn watering toonce per week on specific days, deter-mined by address, between the hours of 6p.m. and 8 a.m. — expire on July 31, al-lowing residents to return to twice-per-week watering.

“The (Swiftmud) Governing Boardhas allowed the water shortage orders toexpire in response to significant improve-ments in aquifer and river levels as a resultof this summer’s above-average rainfall,”the Swiftmud release states. “The region’smajor public water suppliers have alsobeen able to capture and store large sup-plies of water to meet the needs of resi-dents.”

The Swiftmud year-round water con-servation restrictions took effect on Au-gust 1, and included both Hillsboroughand Pasco counties.

In an August 1 press release, theTampa Water Department (TWD) an-nounced that location addresses ending in0, 1, 2 or 3 will now be able to irrigate onMondays and Thursdays, while locationaddresses ending in 4, 5 or 6 can irrigateon Tuesdays and Fridays. Addresses end-ing in 7, 8 or 9, along with locations thathave no address, such as common areas orbusiness complexes, can irrigate onWednesdays and Saturdays.

There currently are no restrictions forthose using reclaimed water, micro-irriga-tion (or drip irrigation, which uses muchless water) or hand-watering using a hosewith a spray nozzle.

However, watering still is prohibitedbetween the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.,which also was in effect during the PhaseIII restrictions that expired. These water-ing days apply to customers in both theCity of Tampa and Hillsborough County,but watering times and maintenance al-lowances may differ.

For more information, please visitMyWateringDay.com.


Swiftmud Loosens Restrictions,Back To 2X-Per-Week Watering

Arrest Made In May BBDArrest Made In May BBDShootingShooting

Details have emerged and an arresthas been made in the shooting death of aPasco County man who was shot in his carwhile driving on Bruce B. Downs (BBD)Blvd. in May.

According to the Tampa Police De-partment (TPD), Demetrio Earle, 27, ofTampa, was arrested around 3:45 p.m. onAugust 2, following an investigation intothe May 31 death of 20-year-old ReggieAdams.

TPD reports that around 3:30 p.m.on May 31, Earle met Adams and a pas-senger, Eddy Lee, in the parking lot of theMcDonald’s, located in the New Tampa

Center shopping plaza atBBD just north of CrossCreek Blvd., to sell an un-known item. At somepoint during the sale in-side the black DodgeMagnum, an altercationoccurred and Earlejumped from the vehicleas it backed out of the

parking lot.The report says that Earle got into his

own vehicle and chased the victims southon BBD and began firing a gun into thevehicle near I-75. Lee was struck in thearm and Adams was fatally shot in thechest. Adams was dropped off at PascoRegional Medical Center nearly two hourslater, where he died. Adams, who lived inTexas, had been in town visiting family.

Earle is being held without bond oncharges of second-degree murder with afirearm, attempted second-degree murderwith a firearm and shooting into an occu-pied vehicle.

No additional information was avail-able at our press time.

NT Burger King Robbed AtNT Burger King Robbed AtGunpointGunpoint

It’s never a good idea to open thedoor for strangers, as a manger at New

Tampa’s Burger King (in the Trout Creekarea) has learned the hard way.

According to the Tampa Police De-partment (TPD), just after midnight onJuly 24, the store manager of the NewTampa Burger King, located at 20590Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just northof Burger 21, heard the buzzer comingfrom the rear door just after closing.

TPD reports that the managerthought the person at the door was amember of a maintenance crew, andopened the door to a man loading a semi-automatic pistol.

The report states that the managerfled to the front of the store while the un-known black, male suspect, dressed inkhaki pants and a grey, long-sleeved shirtwith a white bandana or t-shirt coveringhis face, proceeded to the restaurant’s of-fice and stole an undisclosed amount ofcash.

The suspect left out of the same door,but no one witnessed his vehicle or the di-rection in which the suspect went. No onewas injured during the robbery.

The same day, an unknown whitemale burglarized the Burger King locatedat 901 E. Fowler Ave, but TPD has notyet determined whether or not the casesare related.

Anyone with any info about thiscase is urged to call Crime Stoppers ofTampa Bay at (800) 873-8477 (TIPS).The case is still under investigation andno additional information was availableat our press time.

Oak Ramble Murder SuspectOak Ramble Murder SuspectConvictedConvicted

The popular coming-of-age bookStand By Me, by Stephen King, tells thestory of a group of boys who are asked ifthey have ever seen a dead body by theolder, “cool” kids in their town. In 2009,here in New Tampa, a similar story playedout, only the two kids showing off thebody were the ones responsible for it andhave now both been convicted of murder.

On July 26, Amer Ejak, 20, wasfound guilty of first-degree murder in theSeptember 2009 killing of Thomas M. Jo-hannesen, 34, HCSO records state.

According to the HillsboroughCounty Sheriff’s Office(HCSO), on September13, 2009, Ejak (who was16 at the time) andChristopher J. Cox (22 atthe time), both of Tampa,were arrested for themurder of Johannesen,who lived in the OakRamble Apartments, lo-cated on Bruce B. Downs(BBD) Blvd., just southof Tampa Palms.

HCSO reported in2009 that the suspectswere inside Johannesen’sapartment for unknownreason when Cox told

Ejak to strike Johannesen over the headwith a whiskey bottle. Once on theground, Cox and Ejak then put the victimon the couch, where Ejak covered hishead with a plastic bag and tied it aroundhis neck with a belt, causing Johannesento suffocate to death.

Once he was deceased, the HCSOarrest report states that Cox and Ejak putJohannesen’s body in a closet and coveredit with clothes and other items. They stolehis cell phone, keys and shoes.

On September 12, Cox and Ejakshowed the body to two girls, who told athird party, the report states. The thirdparty alerted authorities later that nightand the two were taken into custody thenext day, both on charges of first-degreemurder.

HCSO records show that Cox was

convicted of second-degree murder andsentenced to 25 years in prison lastMarch. Ejak’s sentence had not yet beendetermined at our press time.

Orlando Woman’s BodyOrlando Woman’s BodyFound Near New TampaFound Near New Tampa

The body of a missing Orlandowoman has been discovered in nearbyHillsborough River State Park.

According to the HillsboroughCounty Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), around10:15 a.m. on July 25, Darcy ArleneMiller, 30, of Windermere, left her condoin her white Honda Fit, never to return.

HCSO reports that Miller contactedmembers of her family around 12:30p.m., telling them that she was goingshopping at the Mall at Millenia in Or-lando. Family members say that Miller didnot have her prescribed medication withher and that it was unusual for her to beout of contact for so long.

Miller’s vehicle was discovered in theHillsborough River State Park, located offU.S. Hwy. 301, in nearby Thonotosassa.Detectives called off the search just before11 p.m. when the body of a white femalewas discovered deep in the park.

HCSO states that the cause of deathis still pending and will be determinedthrough an autopsy, but that it doesn’t ap-pear that foul play was a factor. — MW


News BriefsNEW TAMPA

A masked gunman enters the NewTampa Burger King on July 24.

Amer Ejak

Christopher Cox

DemetrioEarle


monly known as the“Baker” Act. ThisAct allows for a per-son to be involuntar-ily committed for upto 72 hours if thereis evidence that theyare a danger tothemselves or others.

The facility alsowill receive FloridaSubstance Abuse &Impairment Act (aka,the “MarchmanAct”) patients. Thosewho fall into theMarchman Act cate-gory are subject tothe same treatment asBaker Act patients.

Eventually, Har-ris says, the facilitywill offer services to additional popula-tions, such as for children and adoles-cents, military, eating disorders and so on,depending upon the needs of the com-munity. “However, we do not have aforensic unit and we will not be treatingcriminals.”

The facility will offer assessments on-site to anyone at any time in the commu-nity. NTBH will also feature a mobileassessment team that can travel into thecommunity, providing assessment and re-

ferral services as well as issuing a BakerAct if necessary.

NTBH offers a Partial Hospital Pro-gram on-site, essentially a half-day hospi-tal service complete with a separateentrance, a psychiatrist, registered nurseand group meetings. Meals and trans-portation will be provided by NTBH tothe patients.

“The partial hospital is a step downfrom the acute, inpatient level of treat-ment,” Harris says. “This is a half-day ofintensive group treatment and medication

By Matt Wiley

North Tampa Behavioral Health(NTBH) is slated to open its doors onS.R. 56 in early October, about one yearafter the opening of Florida Hospital Wes-ley Chapel (FHWC). However, instead ofa facility devoted to physical wellness,NTBH will focus on the well-being of themind for its patients. In addition, the facil-ity eventually will create more than 200jobs.

This summer NTBH bought the fa-cility (located just east of Mansfield Blvd.on the south side of S.R. 56 in the Wire-grass Ranch Development of RegionalImpact, or DRI) from United MedicalCorp. NTBH was impressively con-structed, in form and function, by DeAn-gelis Diamond Healthcare Group, LLC,to withstand Category 5 storms. DeAnge-lis is a Naples-based, nationally reputedconstruction company that specializes inbuilding medical facilities.

NTBH will be both the newest andone of the most secure psychiatric hospi-tals in the Tampa Bay area when it opensin early October, says NTBH chief execu-tive officer Jim Harris, a Licensed ClinicalSocial Worker who has worked in themental health field since 1990.

Surrounded by 14-foot-tall fences,the 53,000-sq.-ft., 75-bed facility sits on16.46 acres of land on an outparcel of the

Wiregrass Ranch DRI, but is surroundedalmost entirely by conservation land. Con-struction began last November. The cen-ter is centrally located to serve severalhospitals without psychiatric units, includ-ing FHWC, Florida Hospital Zephyrhillsand Bayfront Dade City (Pasco Regional).

“We look forward to working closelywith our surrounding hospitals and theiremergency departments to address themental health needs of the community”,says Harris. But it doesn’t stop there –Harris enthusiastically described the im-portance of developing relationships withlocal providers such as medical clinics,nursing homes, police and EMTs, as wellas the people and families that make upour community.

“This is a place where healing cantake place,” Harris says. “(NTBH) willhave a culture of warm, welcoming, com-passionate care. The design of this facilityreflects that concept. Additionally, a lot ofplanning went into the engineering of thebuilding itself, to ensure a high degree ofsafety.”

When it opens, the inpatient facilitywill care for geriatric, general adult, anddual diagnosis patients who may checkinto the facility themselves, be checked inby family members or other providers foremotional or psychiatric concerns, or betransported to the facility under theFlorida Mental Health Act—more com-

North Tampa Behavioral Health To Open To Patients In October

The new North Tampa Behavioral Health sits on more than 16 acresof land, most of which is conservation, providing a buffer from the sur-

rounding communities in Wiregrass Ranch & Meadow Pointe.

monitoring provided weekdays to preventhospitalization or re-hospitalization.”

Open Door, All-Access TourOpen Door, All-Access TourHarris provided the Wesley Chapel

Neighborhood News with an extensive tourof the new facility.

Walking through the front door ofNTBH, it’s hard to tell that the lobby,with its dark, wood-lined, multi-tonepainted walls with towering ceilings andwindows, is a medical facility at all, resem-bling instead the lobby of an upscalehotel. The walls of the facility are linedwith artwork that has been researched andshown to be calming. There is no institu-tional feel about this building at all.

Through the first set of card-key-ac-

cessed doubledoors is a sec-ondary waitingarea for patientswho may not becomfortablewaiting aroundother patients.

Through thesecond set ofdoors is access toa hallway thatleads to all threeunits of the psy-chiatric facility,which also re-quire a cardswipe to be ac-cessed. On the

way is an indoor gym, complete with abasketball court. A projector screen hangsfrom the far wall in a room that soon alsowill house the center’s exercise equip-ment. “Activity and exercise are part ofany good treatment plan,” Harris stated.

Each wing of the facility houses 25beds in a mix of private and semi-privaterooms, each through yet another set oflocked doors. At the beginning of eachwing is a common area surrounding anursing station, as well as three windowedrooms where patients eventually will workin groups. During the day, patients willtake part in activities in one of the threegroup rooms, the common area or evenin a spacious, fenced-in outdoor area.


The three locked units inside NTBH were designed to offer patients acalm atmosphere, conducive to healing, CEO Jim Harris says.

“This allows the staff to see the en-tire unit at any time,” Harris explains.“We are in the business of providing safeand quality care that is safe not only forthe patients, but also for the staff and thesurrounding community.”

Everything in the patient areas is de-signed with safety in mind, Harris ex-plains. All patient care areas are equippedwith “anti-ligature” fixtures and appli-ances such as doors with continuoushinges and tapered handles, and bath-rooms with toilets, sinks and showers thatminimize a person’s ability to harm them-selves. The geriatric unit provides medicalbeds made specifically to reduce falls aswell as risk of self-harm.

Harris emphasizes that NTBH is apositive addition to the Wesley Chapelcommunity, despite the stigma that oftenis attached to mental health facilities.

“(NTBH) will meet a great need inthe community,” Harris says. “At full ca-pacity, we will offer hundreds of full- andpart-time jobs to Wesley Chapel and sur-rounding communities. NTBH will offera place for people to seek effective andcaring treatment that is closer to theirhomes. And, we will meet the commu-nity’s need to service Baker Act patients.Safety and quality treatment are our toppriority. We’re here to help people heal.”

For more information, please visitNorthTampaBehavioralHealth.com.

been coming here long enough to haveknown all of the previous owners.”

Changing ownership and tenant line-ups have long been a staple of the Collec-tion. For example, the current KobéSteakhouse has previously been Harris& Co., Durango Steak House, Wasabi

and other restaurants, none of which haslasted more than a couple of years.“Hopefully, Kobé will change that,” saysMartinez. “I’m hoping all of these ten-ants will be able to stick around.” See thePCC ad on page 42 for more info!

The current tenants who have beenin the plaza the longest are Bryan andPam Hardy of Insurance Associates ofFlorida. “We’ve been here almost 20years,” Pam says. “We’ve always loved thisplaza and moved our office around in itquite a bit. We really like the currentlineup of tenants (see diagram) here.”

Another long-time tenant in PCC isAlex, the owner of Party Scene, which isa small store packed with everything youneed to throw a great party, including hergreat dozen latex balloon special for only$9.99. “It’s nice to see the plaza fill up,but I will definitely benefit when that gasstation comes in,” she says.”

And, speaking of the gas station,Martinez assures us that a deal is immi-nent. “The ink isn’t dry on the deal and Ihave to invest some money to have gastanks located under the station,” he says,“ but I expect that there will soon be aCircle K convenience store with Chevrongas moving into that building very soon.”

Sam, the new owner of the new KingBeauty Supply in the plaza, says hemoved from a successful location onBearss Ave. because, “this is a betterneighborhood and closer to my home.”

Another tenant who is waiting for agas station is Full Circle Pizza ownerRon Chase. “Our dinner business keepsbuilding,” he says, “but I’m betting a gas

station will really pump up my lunchcrowd. I’ll probably have to start sellingslices (of pizza) at lunch, instead of onlywhole pies, like we do now.”

Although he already has a pretty solidlunch business, new Las Palmas Caféowner Ramses Garcia says that the combi-nation of an anchor gas station and hisnew-and-improved, more authenticCuban cuisine recipes should make thatcrowd even bigger.

“We’re already getting great feedbackfrom our customers,” Ramses says, as acouple who overheard him nods in agree-ment that the food at Las Palmas is evenbetter than it was before. “And, we’ve

In addition to widening the road for ve-hicles, the project will also improve the op-tions for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, addinga 6-foot-wide sidewalk on the north side ofthe road and a 12-foot-wide trail on thesouth side, as well as a 5-foot-wide shoulderto allow space for bicycles.

Duncan says the project will be adver-tised to potential contractors beginning inOctober, with the contract expected to beawarded in April 2014. Construction is setto begin in May and is expected to be com-pleted by February of 2016.

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

“Cross Creek Blvd.”Continued from page 1

“Plaza Reborn”Continued from page 1

FutureCircle K

KobeJapanese

SteakHouse

(Left) PCC Landlord/owner JohnMartines. (Above) Alexandra &Philippe of The Baker’s Gallery.

N


August 2013August 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].

Sunday, August 18Zen 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, August 19Community 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, stop smoking and customized weight-loss programs. For more info, call 960-8833 or visit IonMediSpa.com.‘WeWork’ At LifePoint -‘WeWork’ At LifePoint - “WeWork,” meets Mondays evenings at 7 p.m. at LifePointChurch (8702 Hunter’s Lake Dr., off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. {BBD}, in front of Hunter’sGreen). The group is designed to help you search for jobs, improve interview skills, write aresume, negotiate a job offer, improve your attitude, develop networking skills or discoveryour gifts. For more info, call 907-9818, or visit LifePoint.tv/WeWork.

Tuesday, August 20New 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 bike rides/runsat Flatwoods Wilderness Park (13330 Morris Bridge Rd.) every Tuesday, Thursday and Sat-urday at 7:30 a.m. For additional information, join the Facebook group or e-mail [email protected].

Wednesday, August 21 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 Wednesdayfor lunch at noon at Hunter’s Green Country Club (18101 Longwater Run Dr.). Guests arealways welcome.New Tampa Evening Rotary Club -New Tampa Evening Rotary Club - The New Tampa Evening Rotary Club meets everyWednesday at 6:15 p.m. at Hunter’s Green Country Club. New members are always welcome.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, August 22Free Real Estate Webinars -Free Real Estate Webinars - Local real estate Broker associate Lance Mohr will behosting FREE 30-40 minute real estate webinars on Thursdays and Saturdays, at 7p.m., covering topics such as home pricing, conditioning, marketing and understandingreal estate stats. To register and tune in to the webinars, please visit TBSeller-Webinar.com or call Lance at 317-4009.Food Addicts In Recovery -Food Addicts In Recovery - Are you having trouble controlling the way you eat? FoodAddicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) is a support group without any dues, fees or weigh-ins and is based on the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. FA meets at Florida HospitalTampa at (on BBD) in the Camelot A room at 7 p.m. For additional information, 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, August 23New Tampa Rotary Club -New Tampa Rotary Club - The New Tampa Rotary club meets for breakfast at 7 a.m.at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club (TPGCC, 5811 Tampa Palms Blvd.). The guestspeaker will be Harold Richardson.

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

Saturday, August 24New 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.

Sunday, August 25Beauty Pageant PreviewBeauty Pageant Preview - Whether you’re new to pageants or a “pageant pro” this is ameeting for you! Be the first to know all of the pageant details for the 2013-14 New Tampaand Wesley Chapel pageant season! Attendees get FREE facials and makeovers with newcolor looks for fall. This is a FREE event & refreshments will be served. The meeting startsat 2 p.m. at 24824 S.R. 54. Please R.S.V.P. by calling 714-6513.

September 2013September 2013Tuesday, September 3GriefShare - 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.

Thursday, September 12Northeast 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.

Thursday, September 26New Tampa Chamber of Commerce Business Expo & Annual Meeting - New Tampa Chamber of Commerce Business Expo & Annual Meeting - TheNew Tampa Chamber invites you to check out its annual Business Expo & new Board memberintroduction at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites (8310 Galbraith Rd., next to theMuvico Starlight 20 movie theater). Free to attend. For info, call Regina at 293-2464.

Saturday, September 21, 8:30 a.m. - In appreciation of all that women do, FloridaHospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) is holding a multi-generational women’s health &wellness-focused event. This fun, FREE, inspiring event will feature physician presenta-tions, health screenings, pampering and giveaways at Saddlebrook Resort & SpaTampa (located off S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel).

Attendees will have an opportunity to hear from some of the area’s most respectedphysicians, discussing such topics as heart health, genetic testing & breast cancer risk fac-tors, pregnancy, healthy aging and what women need to know to live a healthy life. At-tendees also can get tips on cooking a quick, healthy meal for the entire family during acooking demonstration. There also will be a variety of free screenings, including bloodpressure, blood glucose, Body Mass Index (BMI) and more. There will even be a lacta-tion consultant at the event for pregnant women. And, it wouldn’t be a day dedicated towomen if there weren’t also pampering opportunities like chair and hand massages.

The event is free and open to the public; however, registration is required, asspace is limited. To register, call 929-5432 or visit FHWesleyChapel.org/events.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel’s Inagural Women’sHealth & Wellness Day At Saddlebrook Resort



Are You Ready For Health Care Reform? Expect Higher Premiums January 1!By David Huerta, RHU

The Patient Protection and AffordableCare Act (PPACA), aka “Obamacare,” isbeing rolled out and the financial impact ofits provisions will begin being felt by allAmericans on January 1, 2014.January 1, 2014. The in-tent of health care reform was good: to pro-vide affordable coverage and to make surethose with pre-existing health conditionswere not prevented from getting coverage.

The unexpected delay until 2015 tobegin implementing the “employer man-date” (which requires employers with 50 ormore employees to offer affordable coverageor pay a per-employee penalty) is indicativeof the complexity of the requirements andthe need to have a better way to implementthe Act that is not as taxing on employers.

Most New Tampa residents have healthinsurance through an employer sponsoredplan; although some have individual cover-age. Regardless of the type of policy, how-ever, effective January 1st, all insurancecarriers must make sure that all of the plandesigns they offer comply with the man-dated provisions of the Act.

Does that mean change? Yes, andplenty of it, in both plan design require-ments and, more important, in increasedincreasedpremiums.premiums. It is projected by many, includ-ing the U.S. House of RepresentativesCommittee on Energy and Commerce, thatindividual and small group premiums inFlorida will be faced with increases that cantop 50 percent. In the Committee’s May13, 2013 Oversight Report of Accountabil-ity to the American People entitled “TheLooming Premium Rate Shock,” it statesthat post-reform increases can exceed 50percent, due to the federal mandates in theplan designs, taxes/fees and other factors.Potential highs in some regions could havepremium increases topping 100 percent.

The purpose of this article is to providean inside look at what is going to cause pre-miums to inflate starting on January 1,2014, for all renewals and new plans. Wewill focus on the mandated changes that willimpact premiums, the individual mandateand what is now being defined as a smallgroup (businesses with fewer than 50 full-time employees).

The media has made some of the provi-sions known. For example, many parents

know they can cover children to age 26 (aslong as their employer does not offer cover-age) and that pre-existing conditions will becovered as any other illness for all ages whenthe Act is implemented. You also may haveheard that employers must either offer cov-erage to employees or pay a $2,000-per-em-ployee penalty (the “pay or play rule”).

This “employer mandate,” howThis “employer mandate,” how--ever, only applies to businesses withever, only applies to businesses with50 or more full-time employees and50 or more full-time employees andthe implementation of the “largethe implementation of the “largegroup” mandate is what recently wasgroup” mandate is what recently wasunexpectedly delayed until 2015.unexpectedly delayed until 2015. ThePPACA draws a line in the sand when itcomes to employer size.

There are new definitions for part-timeemployees (30 hours per week) and ways tocalculate Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) em-ployees. You can find more info reYou can find more info re--garding FTEs at IRS.gov/pub/garding FTEs at IRS.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-12-58.pdf.irs-drop/n-12-58.pdf.

A small-group employer does not haveto offer health insurance to its employees. Infact, one of the best features of PPACA isthat an employer with 25 or fewer FTEs canreceive up to a 50-percent tax credit for theportion of premium they pay for employeecoverage subject to certain criteria (checkwith your CPA for those rules).

If a small employer does not offer cov-erage, or if an employee does not elect theemployer’s plan, then the “Individual Man-date” comes into play. The Supreme Courtruling last summer upheld that individualsmust secure health coverage or a penalty willbe imposed. Individuals MUST:Individuals MUST:

1. Qualify for an exemption1. Qualify for an exemption (incomebased, religious exemption, American Indian,Undocumented immigrant, incarcerated);

2. OR obtain coverage2. OR obtain coverage (throughgov’t. program, employer or indiv. market);

3. OR pay a penalty.3. OR pay a penalty. Penalties phasein starting in 2014 at the greater of $95 peradult & $47.50 per child or 1 percent of grossfamily income. In 2016, those penalties go upto the greater of $695 per adult/$347 perchild or 2.5 percent of income. Penalties aredue the following year as part of the tax return.

Tax Return Changes Tax Return Changes Speaking of tax returns, did you realize

that PPACA required employers to reportthe amount of premium they paid on eachemployee’s W-2? The IRS created a new“box” on the 2012 W-2 (Box 12) which re-

quires the employer-funded premiumamount to be identified to the IRS. Em-ployer-paid premiums has long been a fringebenefit of employment and you have neverhad to pay taxes on that funded portion ofpremium. Although the PPACA does notrequire ordinary income tax to be paid onthis employer-funded premium, there hasbeen speculation that the time may comewhen it may be taxed since it is now identi-fied on the W-2.

Three factors will cause carriersThree factors will cause carriersto have to increase rates:to have to increase rates: expandedbenefits, underwriting changes, and newtaxes and “fees.” These increases will beabove the standard “trend” increase appliedto premiums to cover higher billed chargesfrom providers. It is important to note thatwithin the PPACA physicians/providers arebeing reimbursed less for Medicare/Medic-aid services. This leaves the commercialplans vulnerable to the potential of highercharges that will need to be funded.

PPACA-mandated expanded benPPACA-mandated expanded ben--efits include “Essential Benefits.”efits include “Essential Benefits.” Anumber of essential benefits are already cov-ered: ER services, hospitalization, prescrip-tion drugs, lab services, etc. However,PPACA expanded coverage is required toalso include unlimited pediatric services fororal and vision care, wellness visits with noco-pays, rehab, substance and chemicaltreatment and pregnancy.

PPACA also mandates plan dePPACA also mandates plan de--signs.signs. Gone are the days when a person canpurchase a “catastrophic” health plan toprotect their finances against large, unex-pected claims. Plans with high deductibles(greater than $2,000) had lower premiums.However, these plans will not be reHowever, these plans will not be re--newed & will no longer be available.newed & will no longer be available.

For individual and small employerplans, the PPACA mandates a maximum in-dividual deductible of $2,000. Also man-dated is a $6,400 maximum out-of-pocketexposure. Deductibles, coinsurance and co-payments must all count towards the$6,400 maximum out-of-pocket for net-work benefits. Since many current planshave deductibles higher than the mandatedlevels, premiums will have to increase as car-riers comply with the mandated levels.

The PPACA also increases expoThe PPACA also increases expo--sure to insurance carriers.sure to insurance carriers. This higherrisk will be reflected in higher premiums.

The mandates of PPACA include:The mandates of PPACA include:• Insurance carriers must cover every-

body regardless of health condition; • Medical and Rx plans must have unlim-

ited benefit provisions; • Underwriting has all but been elimi-

nated (community rating), as premiums can’tbe adjusted up or down based on health risks;

• Carriers must return unused claimfunds, as defined by Medical Loss Ratio rules.

The idea that Health Care Reformcould reduce premium costs was just that,an idea. The reality is upward pressure onpremiums. Mandates eliminate the freedomto purchase a plan design that is appropriatefor your needs.

There are some ways, however,There are some ways, however,to overcome the premium impact:to overcome the premium impact:

• An employer plan should consider “re-newing” on December 1, 2013,December 1, 2013, instead ofJanuary 1. This will give the group plan onemore year of “pre-reform” rating.

• An employer with 10 or more coveredemployees should consider alternate fundingto avoid the mandates, taxes/fees and under-writing changes.

• An individual who is healthy shouldconsider an individually underwritten plan.

In summary, the impact of PPACA willbe financially felt starting in 2014. It canmean big changes for individuals and smallemployers. Expanded and unlimited bene-fits, underwriting changes, and new taxes/fees will cause the cost of coverage to in-crease. Pretty much everyone can expect tosee higher premiums, so talk to your bene-fits provider asap to find out it’s likely im-pact on you, your employer and your family.

David Huerta, Registered Health Un-derwriter, has lived in New Tampa since2002. He is the founder of both GroupBenefit Strategies (GBS), Inc., and CostPlus Advisors, LLC, and has more than 23years of experience in employee benefits.He earned his B.A. degree from the Col-lege of the Holy Cross and his RHU desig-nation from the American College ofFinancial Services.

David continues to pursue innovativesolutions for his clients to the rising cost ofinsurance and health care. He has been aguest lecturer on the topic of insurancespending and the dynamics of managedcare. He recently spoke at Florida StateUniversity in Tallahassee, as well as at twonational conventions for small businessowners. He can be reached at 907-0300 orvisit GBS-Tampa.com.

By Matt Wiley

Smiles go miles, as the saying goes.So, when taking care of your smile, it’s im-portant to choose a dentist who wants tomake your entire family smile.

Consider Pebble Creek Family Den-tistry (PCFD)’s Dr. Vijay Patel, DDS(Doctor of Dental Surgery), a highlytrained dentist whose practice (which hasbeen in business in the New Tampa areasince November 2010) focuses on takingcare of entire families, from children ages 6and older to the elderly.

PCFD provides general dental proce-dures, including routine cleanings, dentalexams and X-rays, composite fillings, rootcanals and extractions, as well as cosmeticdentistry procedures, such as porcelaincrowns, tooth whitening, bridges, veneersand bonding.

Dr. Patel, an Arbor Greene resident,is a family man with two kids, 4 and 7, soit just makes sense that he wants to pro-vide dental care for your whole family.

A University of South Florida (USF)alumnus ofr his undergraduate studies, Dr.Patel says he used to drive through NewTampa on his way to classes at the Tampacampus from Dade City every morning.He says that he always knew the area be-tween Dade City and USF (Wesley Chapeland New Tampa) was ripe for future de-velopment. For that reason, after earning

his DDS degree from Howard Universityin Washington, D.C., he decided to set upshop in what is now the Chase Bank build-ing at the intersection of Bruce B. Downs(BBD) Blvd. and Regents Square Dr., inPebble Creek (across from McDonald’s).

“I’ve always loved this area,” Dr.Patel explains. “It has a very young popu-lation, which is exactly the kind of area Iwas looking to start a practice when I gotout of dental school. My patients are verycaring, loyal and faithful.”

For the weary or bored patient,PCFD’s waiting room alone is enough toease the senses, from its friendly front of-fice staff members who welcome patientsas they walk through the door, to itsserene décor and comfortable leathercouches, surrounding a flat-screen TV thatcan be tuned to your requests.

“From the moment you walk into Dr.Patel’s office, you feel comfortable and atease,” says happy PCFD patient RamonitaOrtiz. “Dr. Patel takes the time to actuallyhave a conversation with you. When I hadwork done, (he) even called me the nextday to ensure that I was okay.”

The dental exam room can be an-other stressful place for patients who aren’tkeen on seeing a dentist, but everyoneloves a massage, right? Each exam room inPCFD is equipped with a reclining mas-sage chair facing ceiling-mounted flat-screen TVs for patients to relax in as they

undergo their cleaning, or any other pro-cedure that may have brought them intothe office.

When Dr. Patel visits with you as apatient, he makes sure that you under-stand what he is explaining. Instead ofsimply muttering medical terminology, hewill even bring out a cross-section dia-gram of a tooth to show patients whichpart of their tooth may be experiencingpain and show them why, before givingthem options about how to treat theproblem.

“We are all about dental care andwe’re compassionate,” he explains. “Thisis not a high-volume-based practice whereyou’re treated like a number. We do any-thing and everything that is possible totake care of the patient and to make surethat they are comfortable.”

In fact, it’s attention to patient carethat kept Dr. Patel out of a hospital envi-ronment when he was figuring out inwhich direction he wanted to take hisdental career.

“I did some volunteer work in a hos-pital and at a dental office,” Dr. Patel says.“I was much more impressed with thedental office and the relationships thatcould be developed there. It was more pa-tient-based and I saw that you actuallyhave the opportunity to build relation-ships. And, many of those patients staywith you forever. With doctors, many

times you only see them for emergencies.”Speaking of emergencies, even if you

are not a patient, if you have a dentalemergency, Dr. Patel can see you.

“We happily accept walk-ins, andthose patients usually are seen that sameday,” Dr. Patel explains. “We try to slide(walk-in patients) into the nearest avail-able timeslot, so that I’ll be able to seethem as fast as possible. I’ll even see themon my lunch hours, if necessary.”

His attention to patient care has notgone unnoticed. Dr. Patel has patientswho live as close as Wesley Chapel andLand O’ Lakes, and others who live as faraway as Miami.


Pebble Creek Family Dentistry Will Gives Your Family Something To Smile About

Dr. Vijay Patel of Pebble Creek FamilyDentistry in the Chase Bank building

on Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

“This couple was in town visitingtheir son and came in to see me,” Dr.Patel says. “Now, every six months, theystill drive up in their RV to see me fortheir checkups.”

Coming Soon — ImplantComing Soon — ImplantDentistry!Dentistry!

Although PCFD currently only spe-cializes in general family dental proceduresand cosmetic dentistry, Dr. Patel says thathe is excited to be adding implant den-tistry at the office, possibly as soon assometime next year. Dental implant sur-gery involves literally implanting a root foran artificial tooth into the jawbone to an-chor it and replace a missing tooth.

But, for now, if you and your familyare looking for a new dentist that not onlywill leave you with a clean smile, but alsoleave you smiling, stop in and see Dr. Patel

at Pebble Creek Family Den-tistry.

“You won’t regret com-ing here,” Dr. Patel says. And,from looking at all of the posi-tive testimonials on his web-site, it’s obvious that hispatients agree.

Pebble Creek FamilyDentistry, located at 19007BBD, accepts all PPO (pre-ferred provider option) in-surances and is openMonday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-6p.m. For more information,visit PebbleCreekFamily-

Dentistry.com or call 406-4947.


Patients at Pebble Creek Family Dentistry enjoy re-laxing massage chairs and flat-screen TVs.



By Bonnie Mason

Customer satisfaction is at the back-bone of Tri-Care Services, Inc., wherethe mission is to keep customers for life,not just one job, according to MasterPlumbers Sam Watson and Craig Griffin.

“We treat every job with hard work,honesty and integrity,” says Watson, thecompany’s vice president. Combined, theduo of Watson and Griffin offers 62 yearsof plumbing, gas, heating and air condi-tioning experience. Located in WesleyChapel, Tri-Care Services provides resi-dential and commercial services through-out the tri-county — Hillsborough,Pasco and Pinellas — area.

Watson first met Griffin in the class-room in 1983, when Griffin was his in-structor at Tampa Bay Tech High off E.Hillsborough Ave. Watson spent eightyears in vo-tech school — four as aplumbing apprentice and four in HVAC(heating, ventilation and air condition-ing) apprenticeship. Watson practiced athis trade during the day and joined histeacher, Griffin, to teach their trades toothers at night.

In 2011, Griffin and Watson joinedforces, marrying their extensive back-grounds and experience to become Tri-Care Services, Inc. Watson has more than

16 years of plumbing and teaching expe-rience and he is a gas contractor and cer-tified LP qualifier for the company.Griffin, Tri-Care’s president and owner,has nearly 30 years of plumbing andteaching experience and he also is a Mas-ter A/C Contractor, as well as a MasterPlumber and Gas Contractor. Both are li-censed contractors with the state ofFlorida and Tri-Care Services is an A-rated member of the Better Business Bu-reau (BBB).

“We became Tri-Care Services tobetter reflect what we offer our clients,”says Griffin, “not just skillful, promptmaintenance of HVAC and plumbingsystems, but also ideas, opportunities,and research to help our clients meettheir goals.”

Watson adds, “We have families our-selves and know how important it is thatwhen something needs fixing — whetherit’s air, heat, or leaking pipes — that itgets done right and within budget. Wepersonally guarantee every job is doneright, at the lowest possible cost.”

Watson and Griffin keep up to dateon all of the latest technologies in theirtrades and ensure that their staff ofeleven also is kept informed and trained.

Tips From The MastersTips From The Masters

Plumbing &Gas - Tri-Care in-stalls water mains,provides small orlargesewer/plumbingservices and re-pairs, as well as tan-kless service andrepairs or replace-ments, if needed.

“We alwayscheck on a cus-tomer’s warranties,which can helpsave money in re-pairs,” says Wat-son. To keep costs and repairs to aminimum, parts specifically for commer-cial and residential water softeners are al-ways readily available at Tri-Care.

And, if a Tri-Care customer pur-chases materials needed for an installa-tion, the company’s staff will install themexactly to the manufacturer’s specifica-tions. Tri-Care pipe systems include castiron, plastic, PVC (polyvinyl chloride),CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride, athermoplastic materials) copper, stainlessand more. The company also is L.P. gas-certified, so it can provide repair andmaintenance services to customers with

natural gas appliances.Watson recommends finding a

“journeyman” plumbing contractor tocarry out all the projects that your homeor company requires to ensure qualitystandards and safety requirements aremet. A “journeyman” is someone whohas completed an apprenticeship and isfully educated in a specific trade. Watsonalso cautions anyone hiring an individualand/or a company that you need to ver-ify that the firm is licensed and legiti-mate.

“Don’t hesitate to check out a com-pany through the Better Business Bu-


Tri-Care Services For All Of Your Plumbing, Heating & A/C Needs!

Tri-Care Services, Inc., co-owner Sam Watson says his company com-bines hard work with honesty and integrity to get your job done right.

reau,” says Watson, who adds that youcan review companies through a simplesearch at BBB.org. “It’s always a goodidea to make sure the person or companyyou hire is skilled at handling differentgas, plumbing, and heating systems, andis knowledgeable about the latest tech-nology and methods to effectively exe-cute the job safely and professionally.”

Customers can have confidence thatTri-Care's professional staff is qualifiedand familiar with the wide range of

plumbing issues, such as leaks, burstpipes and problems with tanks and gaspumps. The best equipment for the jobis used to ensure the highest standards.

HVAC - Many Tri-Care customersare building new homes, which requiresthem to decide which type of heatingsystem should be considered for installa-tion in their new home. Whether it’sforced air, radiant heat, hydronic, steamradiant, or geothermal, each systemshould be considered carefully to ensurethat the one you choose will be effectivefor your home and your budget.

Forced-air, or central heat, is thesystem most commonly seen in residen-tial structures because it can be used forcooling as well as heating a home, ex-plains Watson. Generally, air is heated ina furnace and then forced out throughinstalled ductwork and vents placedthroughout the home. This system canheat air with electricity, natural gas,propane or oil.

Watson says that nearly 80 percentof new U.S. homes today are installingcentral air conditioning units while underconstruction, while others in olderhomes may be considering upgrading toa central A/C unit and Watson says thatmost homes can be upgraded “with fewissues.” Again, he advises you to find aqualified contractor such as Tri-Care toinstall a new central A/C unit — an en-


Jason, a Tri-Care empliyee, solders somepipe for a bathroom as part of the remod-eling of a large home in South Tampa.

hancement to your home that will makeyou and your family more comfortableand help you save on energy costs.

Watson explains that you can signifi-cantly reduce your electricity bill by re-placing your older air conditioner with anew SEER-rated (Seasonally Energy Effi-ciency Ratio) central air conditioningunit. Tri-Care Services stays on top ofthe latest efficiency standards in allHVAC systems, as manufacturers are re-sponding to the challenges of increasedenergy costs.

After-hours emergency plumbingand HVAC calls are handled by Watsonhimself. “We don't use an answering

service,” he explains. “All after-hour callscome directly to me. It's our mission tobuild a good relationship with our cus-tomers and you can't really do that if youhave a hired company answering yourcalls.”

If your home or business needs aplumbing, gas, air conditioning orheating installation or repairs, call Tri-Care Services at (727) 546-2050. Inaddition to the Wesley Chapel loca-tion (6740 Bluff Meadow Dr.), Tri-Care has a second office at 1706Avoca Dr. in Tarpon Springs. Servicesare available 24 hours a day, 7 days aweek.

By Gary Nager & Lauren Saslow

Whether you’ve just moved into theNew Tampa area or you’ve been here foryears, if you’ve ever had the pleasure of ei-ther trying to sell your home or house hunt-ing before sitting down at the closing tableand signing and initialing mountains of doc-uments, you understand how daunting theprocess can be, — especially if you don’thave the proper help to get the job doneright.

Prudential Tropical Realty (PruTrop) isan independently-owned franchise, with 16offices and nearly 500 agents in four coun-ties (Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Her-nando), of the nationwide Prudential RealEstate. And, PruTrop’s hugely successful lo-cation in the Shoppes at New Tampa plazain Wesley Chapel (just south of the Shops atWiregrass mall), can help you find the homeof your dreams or sell the home you’veloved for years at the best possible price,with the least possible amount of hassle andaggravation.

Dennis Derbes, the Market Presidentand Managing Broker for both the NewTampa and Zephyrhills offices of PruTrop,manages a staff of 64 agents, 52 in the NewTampa office and 12 in Zephyrhills, al-though the market for our local office in-cludes New Tampa, Wesley Chapel andLand O’Lakes.

One of the things Derbes says helpedkeep the local PruTrop office thriving thelast few years, when many real estate offices

in our area either closed or were absorbedinto other agencies, is that Prudential Tropi-cal Realty is truly a “one-stop shop” for allof your real estate needs. While all of theservices available aren’t physically located atthe New Tampa office, the PruTrop fran-chise and its divisions and affiliates can liter-ally handle all of your real estate needs,including rentals, property management, re-location, title, mortgage and home warrantyservices, commercial real estate transactionsand more.

The Power Of ‘The Rock!’The Power Of ‘The Rock!’Plus, PruTrop also is an independent

part of the Prudential Real Estate network,one of the largest in the U.S., with 1,400 of-fices and more than 47,000 agents nation-wide.

“That’s the other thing that helps us ina down economy,” Derbes says, “thestrength of the Prudential name. When peo-ple relocate to this area, they may not imme-diately find a small, local real estate office,but everyone can Google search ‘Prudential’and ‘Tampa’ and find us.”

And now, for some more good newsfor anyone considering buying or selling ahome in this market, in what some still call alackluster economy.

“Every statistic we have for this marketis showing a lot of improvement since 2011,and especially, since last year.”

For example, when comparing the firstsix months of 2013 to the first six months of2012, in zip codes 33647 (New Tampa),

33543, -44, and-45 (WesleyChapel) and34638 and -39(Land O’Lakes),he says that, ac-cording to theFlorida MultipleListing Service(MLS), the aver-age home saleprice rose morethan 14.5 per-cent, to $204Kfrom $178K.Equity homesales were up inthis NewTampa/ WesleyChapel marketabout 34 per-cent, while short sales actually went downnearly 8 percent, and bank-owned saleswere up more than 12 percent. Derbes addsthat 85% of the business at the New Tampaoffice are homeowners in the six zip codesmentioned earlier.

The stats also show that the NewTampa/Wesley Chapel/Land O’Lakes mar-ket is ahead of the average for Hillsborough,Pasco and Pinellas overall, where equity salesare up only 27 percent and average salesprice is up only about 11 percent.

“With both the number of sales goingup and the average and median proces alsorising, you can see why we’re encouraged

about the future in this New Tampa/WesleyChapel market,” he says.

A Little PruTrop HistoryPrudential Tropical Realty is one of the

oldest and most successful Prudential fran-chises, and the only one with the same origi-nal owners: Dewey Mitchell and AllenCrumbley. Mitchell, a resident of the Trinityarea of New Port Richey, and Crumbley, anAlabama native, met when both played foot-ball in the late-1970s for legendary CoachPaul “Bear” Bryant at the University of Ala-bama. Bryant taught Mitchell and Crumb-ley not only the lessons of football, but also


Prudential Tropical Realty — A Local Leader In Residential Real Estate!

Managing Broker Dennis Derbes (left) manages both the NewTampa and Zephyrhills offices of Prudential Tropical Realty.

life lessons. Derbes explains that the two car-ried those tenets into their real estate busi-ness when they bought an existingPrudential franchise in 1984 and renamed itPrudential Tropical Realty, where their focuswas (and still is) on taking care of customersin “an appropriate, ethical and professionalmanner.”

While all PruTrop agents are individu-ally licensed, by Florida law they must workunder a supervising entity or “ManagingBroker.” The Broker offers assistance andsupport to the agents, while also ensuringthat each abides by Florida laws.

“For example,” Dennis says, “ouragents are not allowed to handle short sales,although we have people we refer short salesituations to when we receive those inquiriesat our office.”

The Broker also provides his or heragents with the necessary marketing materi-als in-house that are required to successfullycomplete their daily operations. Derbes ex-plains his role, like other managing brokers,is to act as “a touchstone and a problemsolver.”

While he “dabbled in residential andcommercial real estate” for 25 years, Derbesactually has a long history of automotivesales. Hailing from New Orleans and gradu-ating from Tulane University with a degreein History and Economics, Derbes manageda shopping center in New Orleans before re-locating to Tampa in 1973, where he spentyears as the general sales manager at ReevesImport Motor Cars in North Tampa untilthe mid-1980s. He eventually met his wife,Vicki — now a Licensed Real Estate Agent

in Dennis’ New Tampa office — whileworking at Reeves. Derbes’ sales and man-agement experience has helped him success-fully lead his team of agents, which pridesitself on providing individualized attentionfor every client.

“Yes, we have some agents who sellmore houses than others,” Dennis admits,“but service is the key for every member ofmy team, so it doesn’t make sense for me tosingle out any of my agents.”

Committed To The EnvironCommitted To The Environ--ment & The Communityment & The Community

As consumers now often prefer docu-ments to be e-mailed to them — for notonly convenience, but also as a commitmentto the environment — Prudential TropicalRealty has pledged to go green. While somereal estate documents still require hardcopies, Dennis says PruTrop is working to-wards its goal of streamlining the businessby becoming a paperless workplace, for themajority of the company’s business docu-ments, by the end of the year.

The entire PruTrop franchise also hasdemonstrated a responsibility to the localcommunity by offering money and man-power to multiple charitable organizationsthroughout the past three decades.

One targeted organization includedfunding for former Tampa Bay Buccaneersrunning back (also originally fromLouisiana) Warrick Dunn’s “Homes for theHolidays,” which offers assistance to singleparent families working towards first-timehomeownership by providing down pay-ment and closing costs, home furnishings

and long-term support for financial stability. The company’s current charitable

focus, “The Sunshine Kids,” is a nationwidenonprofit foundation based in Houston,TX, dedicated to organizing positive activi-ties, events and trips — as well as emotionalsupport — for young children receiving can-cer treatment across the country, includinglocally at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Treat-ment & Research Center on the USFTampa campus.

Derbes and his team provide volunteersand nurses to accompany the children ontrips to places like Universal Studios andWalt DisneyWorld in the Orlando area sothey can relax and be ‘normal’ kids forawhile. Derbes is humble when describingthe contributions and also clearly humbled

by the impact the children have made onhim. “We can learn a lot from those kids,”he asserts. “They have a verve for life and aconviction to conquer it.”

The New Tampa office also has manyplaques on the walls, thanking Derbes andhis crew for sponsoring local Little League,football, soccer and other teams andschools. The office also participates in eventslike the Taste of New Tampa and others.

For more info about the NewTampa Prudential Tropical Realty office(located at 1830 BBD in Wesley Chapel),visit NewTampa.PrudentialTropical.comor call 907-8200. The hours of operationare Monday -Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5:30p.m., 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday & 10a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday.



By Kathleen Schiop

Science and beauty don’t always havemuch in common with one another. How-ever, at the Vein & Cosmetic Center ofTampa Bay, Dr. Jeffrey Hunt, D.O., R.V.S.,has combined the two — and is proud tohave been achieving amazing results for hispatients throughout the Tampa Bay area —since 1991.

Today, with 18 different laser and In-tense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapies to choosefrom, the Vein & Cosmetic Center treatseverything from leg veins, spots and vesselsto facial creases, wrinkles and freckles, utiliz-ing everything from Acoustic Wave Therapyand Fractional Laser Treatments to Photore-juvination, Botox®, CoolSculpting®, and toomany more to name, really. Dr. Hunt is theTampa Bay area’s most experienced leg veinspecialist and he and his professional,friendly staff are dedicated to providingtechnologically advanced, non-invasive cos-metic care for your legs, face and body thatcan be custom-designed to suit any budgetand beauty treatment need.

Established as a medical facility dedi-cated to treating varicose veins, spider veins,and other venous disorders, the Vein & Cos-metic Center has been providing the mostcomprehensive, proven, and effective veintreatments and non-invasive cosmetic en-hancement procedures for more than twodecades. In fact, Dr. Hunt was making menand women living in the New Tampa and

Wesley Chapel area look and feel betterfor many years before there were cos-metic surgeons or Med-Spas with of-fices in our area.

Dr. Hunt, who is Board-certifiedby the American Osteopathic Board ofFamily Physicians and is a Diplomate ofthe Osteopathic National Boards &Flex Exam, earned his Doctor of Os-teopathic (D.O.) degree from the WestVirginia School of Osteopathic Medi-cine. His post-doctoral training in-cluded a three-year family practiceresidency at Cuyahoga Falls GeneralHospital in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. Hethen developed and maintained a suc-cessful family and vein sclerotherapy practicein Akron, OH, for seven years before relo-cating with his family to Tampa.

His extensive post-graduate training in-cludes working with the founder of theAmerican College of Phlebology. Sincethen, Dr. Hunt has performed more than115,000 nonsurgical vein sclerotherapytreatments and more than 50,000 spidervein treatments. He has perfected the ad-vanced method of ultrasound-guided foamsclerotherapy and CoolTouch Endolaser™for the treatment of varicose veins. He is apioneer in the treatment of venous diseaseand is among the first physicians in the na-tion to earn a new certification from theAmerican Board of Phlebology (ABPh).

“Our treatment is more comprehensivethan other clinics, because most of them donot do follow ups,” Dr. Hunt says. “And,

because we do so many of them, our pricesare usually better than you’ll find anywhereelse.” Dr. Hunt also conducted FDA clinicaltrials to bring IPL treatments to the UnitedStates. His commitment to research and al-ways keeping up with the newest medicaltechnology, while offering only the most ef-fective and safest treatments possible, en-sures that patients at the Vein & CosmeticCenter receive outstanding care.

One patient, Lisa from Lutz, ravesabout the leg treatments she received fromDr. Hunt: “I just wanted to thank Dr. Huntand his staff for the great care I received formy varicose veins; I am currently 6 monthspregnant and have had NO issues like I didwith my first pregnancy in terms of swelling,pain etc. in my legs and feet. I am so happy Ihad this done and will be back around in thespring to take care of some new spider/

small varicose veins that have surfaced dueto this pregnancy, but overall my legs are110-percent better this pregnancy than be-fore! Thanks so much!”

Non-Invasive TreatmentsNon-Invasive TreatmentsFor Face & BodyFor Face & Body

Dr. Hunt is an avid believer in non-in-vasive cosmetic treatments for not only legs,but also for your face and body, all withoutsurgery or the need for anesthesia.

“We have so many ways of helpingpeople look better, with little or no downtime,” he says, and the Vein & CosmeticCenter’s website (VeinCenterTampa.com)offers a complete list of these face and bodytreatments. The non-invasive treatmentsoften come in packages custom-designed byDr. Hunt to provide the most immediateand longest-lasting results possible.

Vein & Cosmetic Center — Cutting-Edge Technology Without The Cutting!

The friendly, professional staff at the Vein & Cosmetic Center of Tampa Bay on RockyPoint is led by Dr. Jeffrey Hunt.

“People who come in here want tolook better as quickly as possible,” he says.“With some treatments, it can take severalvisits over several months time to see real re-sults, so we focus on those that provide thebest possible results in the shortest numberof visits.”

A patient named Maureen writes, “Ifirst visited Dr. Hunt for my rosacea. I hadtried green undertones in my foundation,but people kept asking me what I was upsetabout, or what was I angry about. My facewas always so red. Dr. Hunt treated my facewith Photofacial™ and those upsetting com-ments stopped. Just recently, he treated mewith the Alma Lasers™. On my recent visithome, my brother and his wife were amazedwhen they saw me. They actually said Ilooked ten years younger. I’ve recom-mended Dr. Hunt to friends and will con-tinue to do so. Lasers are one thing, but Dr.Hunt’s skill and dedication while usingthem are extraordinary.”

Committed to research and the newesttechnology, Dr. Hunt conducted a recentstudy of a new process that dissipates fatfrom legs, love handles and abdomen as wellas the much more invasive liposuction. Dr.Hunt’s research showed that whenCoolSculpting™ body treatments are imme-diately followed by Acoustic Wave Therapy(AWT) treatments each week for four con-secutive weeks, “the fat absorption rate istwice as fast when compared with resultsfrom CoolSculpting™ treatments alone,” hesays. “This means you should see the resultsin half the time. What used to take sixmonths now only takes three, and with nodown time and patients are losing 50 to 60

percent of their body fat inthe areas that concern us themost, the trunk area.”

The results of his clini-cal study have been releasedin Europe and Asia and Dr.Hunt says manufacturersthere already are using thestudy to sell their products.His study of increased fat re-duction results is an excitingbreakthrough for patients andhis research on this subject is in the processof being published and is already being im-plemented by other prominent doctors inthe field.

An Even Newer Way ToAn Even Newer Way To‘Vanquish’ Fat‘Vanquish’ Fat

And, the innovations don’t stop there.“One of the newest treatment devices in thefield is called Vanquish, which promises evenmore breakthrough results in non-invasivefat reduction with no down time,” says Dr.Hunt, adding that the Vein & CosmeticCenter will be getting this new technologysooner than expected. “I was supposed tobe way down the list to get one of these,”he says. “In fact, there were 53 offices aheadof ours, but I am going to participate in aFox-TV news study, and I told them if theywould send it, I would use UltraSound tomeasure the thickness of the fat patients lost,so we can determine what the optimal timeprotocol for (Vanquish) retreatments wouldbe. We will be only the second office inFlorida to have this technology.”

Vanquish is a Czech-made devicewhich requires the patient to simply lay flat

under the machine while the sensors read hisor her body fat to determine the energy levelneeded to dissipate the fat. Then, a focused-field radio frequency heats the skin to 101degrees and the underlying fat to 120 de-grees to eliminate fat cells. “There are fourpanels on it, and they never touch yourskin,” he says, “and, unlike CoolSculpting,there is no suction with it.”

Vanquish covers larger areas of thebody and the panels can be adjusted tocover the patient’s entire abdomen andflanks at the same time. Since the technol-ogy is still so new, Dr. Hunt believes that themachine may also be used to dissipate fat inthe thighs and arms but, “we don’t evenhave a protocol for that right now.”

“New You magazine will be featuringan article on Vanquish in their Septemberissue, and Allure magazine recently had ashort write up — a teaser, if you will —about the device,” Dr. Hunt says,

And So Much MoreAnd So Much MoreIn addition to all of the new, cutting

edge technology, the Vein & Cosmetic Cen-ter also features the tried and true.

“I believe we are the number one facil-ity for Botox® injections in Tampa Bay,”says Dr. Hunt. “Our rep says we are first inthe Tampa Bay area for Restylane® injec-tions and either number one or two for Ju-véderm XC® treatments in this area,” hesays. Dr. Hunt adds that he keeps his priceslow to be affordable, and offers very com-petitive pricing for the variety of treatmentshe offers. The office’s comprehensive web-site describes the treatments offered. Headds that his office hours are convenient formost appointments, with the cosmetic sideof the business open 50 hours a week.

Dr. Hunt says that although he doesn’tperform surgical cosmetic procedures at theVein & Cosmetic Center, “When we get re-quests for rhinoplasty, facial surgery orbreast augmentations, we refer our patientsto some of the outstanding cosmetic sur-geons in the area.”

For someone who has accomplished somuch in the Tampa Bay community, Dr.Hunt also says he feels it is very importantto give back to the community he serves.He and his staff are involved in numerouscharitable efforts, but he modestly men-tioned one. “We were offering Photofacialsin December for $99, but anyone whowanted one had to bring a toy,” he says.“We filled an 8-foot truck with toys, andthey had to come back for a second pickup.”The toys were donated to the Joshua Housechildren’s home for Christmas.

The Vein & Cosmetic Center ofTampa Bay is located at 3001 N. RockyPoint Dr E., Suite 125. For appointmentsand more information, call (888) 434-9192 or visit VeinCenterTampa.com.

You, too, can go from flabby to fabulous with customized treat-ments at the Vein & Cosmetic Center of Tampa Bay.




By Matt Wiley

If you’re looking for a doctor whocan take care of most of your family’smedical needs, consider an appointmentwith Dr. Richard Kay at Family WellnessCenter, located less than two miles northof the Hillsborough County line in theWindfair Professional Park (near theShoppes of Wesley Chapel and acrossBruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. fromFlorida Hospital Wesley Chapel, orFHWC), a family-run practice that serveseveryone from children ages 5 and olderall the way up to geriatric adults.

Dr. Kay is an American Board ofFamily Medicine-Certified Family Practi-tioner who has been taking care of familiesin the Wesley Chapel area since openinghis practice in September of 2008.

Born and raised in Miami, Dr. Kaygraduated from the Tulane UniversitySchool of Medicine in New Orleans in1977 before completing a residency at St.Vincent’s Medical Center in Jacksonville,FL, in 1980. He now has more than 25years of experience as a primary care med-ical doctor. Before opening his first prac-tice, Dr. Kay worked in Oregon for thePortland Adventist Group, and for fiveyears in a practice in Ashville, NC, beforespending three years traveling acrossFlorida as a mobile doctor for geriatric pa-tients, visiting the elderly in their homes.

“We set up this practice here becausewe wanted our daughter, Bobbie Boyer,to run the office,” Dr. Kay explains. “Shewas already living in this area and she’svery meticulous and very precise.”

Dr. Kay’s wife, Marie, is the practice’sbusiness manager. The family vibe of theoffice can be felt by just walking throughthe front door.

“I try to make this as much fun as Ican,” says Bobbie. “We work in the med-ical field and you can’t always make every-one happy, but we do like to laugh.”

Just about four years after openinghis practice, FHWC opened across BBD,where Dr. Kay also works as a staff doctor.Working with FHWC (a member of theAdventist Health System) was a perfectmatch for Dr. Kay, because of his previousexperience at the Adventist-owned hospi-tal in Portland before moving to Florida.

As a doctor on FHWC’s staff, Dr.Kay has the ability to both admit and visithis patients if they ever have a conditionthat warrants a stay in the hospital.

“I go see my own patients at the hos-pital, instead of them being assigned ahospital doctor,” he says. “They know meand I know them, so it makes it muchmore comfortable for the patient.”

In addition to being on staff, Dr. Kayalso is the chairman of the FHWC EthicsCommittee, which is a group of doctorsand professionals that, using morals and

ethics, work together todetermine the best careapproaches and plans forpatients in difficult situa-tions, such as for older pa-tients and their families,who need to make majordecisions about their fu-ture care.

Everything AEverything AFamily NeedsFamily Needs

The Family WellnessCenter accepts most majorinsurance companies andservices include sports,school and pre-employ-ment physicals, minor sur-geries (such as biopsies),preventive care treatment (such as electro-cardiograms or EKGs), routine physicalexams, gynecological exams (which heperforms with an assistant in the room),child checkups, acute care, sleep apneascreenings and even allergy testing.

“I like working with entire families,”explains Dr. Kay. “My practice is a littleunusual in that about 50 percent of mypatients are male and 50 percent are fe-male. Men typically don’t seek medical at-tention as much (as women do). Usually,their wives make them come, but every-one seems to enjoy coming here.”

That enjoyment could be due to the

fact that, with the help of his “scribe,”Anne Weidner, Dr. Kay is able to have amuch more personal visit with his medicalpatients because Anne stays in the roomthroughout the appointment with a lap-top and takes down notes of all of the in-formation that the patient is giving thedoctor and that the doctor is giving thepatient — and stores the info in each pa-tient’s electronic medical record (EMR).

“That way, I don’t have my nose in acomputer like I have for the past fouryears,” Dr. Kay says, laughing. “I’ve had ascribe since May and it’s been great. Annecan spell and type a lot faster than me,

The friendly, professional staff at the Family WellnessCenter, located across BBD from Florida Hospital Wes-ley Chapel, includes (l. to r.) Dr. Richard Kay, Bobbie

Boyer, Amanda Thomas and Nicole Peters.

The Family Wellness Center Has The Right Treatment For Your Entire Family


too. I’ve found that most patients (preferto) have direct eye contact with their doc-tor and now I can have direct eye contactwith them, as well.”

Weidner and other scribes work for aTampa-based company called MedicalScribe Alliance (MSA) and are more com-monly found in hospital emergencyrooms. Scribes usually are students in ei-ther a Pre-Med or Pre-Nursing program,which allows them to gain experience inthe medical field.

Back To School CheckupsBack To School CheckupsAs the 2013-14 school year ap-

proaches, the Family Wellness Center isoffering sports and school physicals, aswell as regular check-ups for kids, because,Dr. Kay says, kids will get sick no matterwhat. However, he likes to emphasize that

a cold is not alwayssomething that warrantsa trip to the doctor orantibiotics.

“If your kids go toschool, they’re going tocome home with colds,”Dr, Kay explains. “But, ifthey’re only showingsymptoms for two orthree days, they reallydon’t need antibiotics.But, if a cold lasts longerthan a week, the childshould see a doctor.”

If your child isn’tsuffering from a cold, but

has cold-like symptoms, allergies could bethe cause and Dr. Kay can screen forthose, as well.

“We test for 72 different types of al-lergies,” Dr. Kay says. “Then, we send theinformation off to a company that mixesup a custom formula for the patient todrop under their tongue from the comfortof his or her home. The custom formulagradually desensitizes the patient to the al-lergy so that their response is much less se-vere if they do come into contact withwhat they’re allergic to. It’s a lot betterthan having go to the doctor once a week,get shots and then have to wait after theshots before you can leave.”

Another common ailment that Dr.Kay says many people suffer from anddon’t even know it is sleep apnea.

With the help of his “scribe,” Anne Weidner (left), Dr. Kay canspeak face-to-face with patients throughout an appointment.

“If you often feel like you didn’t get agood night’s rest and you’re tired all day,you might suffer from sleep apnea,” Dr.Kay says. “Sleep apnea is a condition inwhich your body is not getting enoughoxygen during the night, due to periodi-cally not breathing.”

To screen for this condition, Dr. Kay’soffice provides the patient with a devicethat he or she can wear during the courseof three nights to determine the oxygenlevels in the body while they sleep. The pa-tient brings the device in to the office andDr. Kay’s staff can check the results to de-termine if the patient is suffering fromsleep apnea.

Even while sitting in the waiting

room, patients seem to really enjoy com-ing to see Dr. Kay.

“I’ve had a lot of doctors in my life-time, but he’s the most patient-orienteddoctor I’ve ever had,” says J.C. Terry ofOldsmar. “He’s old-style. He’s not in andout and about the money. He takes histime and makes patients comfortable. Hemakes you feel like he’s there for you, notthat you’re there to see him.”

Looking for a new family doctor?Give Family Wellness Center a call at994-0611 or schedule an appointmentat FWCTampa.net. The office, locatedat 2718 Windguard Cir., Suite 101, isopen 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Fridayand new patients always are welcome.




By Matt Wiley

School report cards are out for 2012-13 school year in the HillsboroughCounty School District (HCSD) and,overall, New Tampa’s elementary andmiddle schools once again scored highly.

Of the 61 “A”-rated elementary andmiddle schools in the HCSD (which re-ceived a “C” overall from the Florida De-partment of Education {DOE} this year, aletter grade drop from its “B” in 2011-12), seven are New Tampa schools, in-cluding Chiles, Clark, Pride, Tampa Palmsand Turner elementary schools, as well asBenito and Liberty middle schools.

High school grades have not yet beendetermined and will be released later inthe year, usually in December.

Across the state, the DOE reportsthat the number of “A” elementaryschools decreased from 861 (48%) in2012 to 479 (27%) in 2013 and that thenumber of “B” elementary schools in-creased from 443 (25%) in 2012 to 503(28%) in 2013.

In New Tampa, the number of “A”elementary schools decreased from 6 to 5.The only local elementary school to re-ceive a “B” was Heritage Elementary,dropping from an “A” last year, andHunter’s Green Elementary (HGE)dropped from the only “B” elementaryschool in 2012 to the only “C” elemen-

tary school in New Tampa with this year’stougher standards.

The DOE reports that the number of“A” middle schools also decreased, from255 “A” schools (44%) in 2012 to 177(31%) in 2013, while the number of “B”middle schools increased from 122 (21%)in 2012 to 123 (21%) in 2013.

Bartels Middle School was the onlyNew Tampa middle school to earn a “B”this past school year.

A Higher StandardA Higher StandardIt should be noted that schools faced

newly tougher state standards to earntheir respective grades in 2012-13, asFlorida gets ready to begin testing usingstandards set under the nationwide Com-mon Core State Standards Initiative, a setof standards that already has been adoptedby 45 states to establish “a single set ofclear educational standards for kinder-garten through 12th grade in English lan-guage arts and mathematics.”

But, higher standards didn’t stopmost of the schools in the New Tampaarea from performing well, such as BenitoMiddle on Cross Creek Blvd., which alsoreceived an “A” from the DOE.

“I think our grade is reflective of ourcommunity,” says Benito principal JohnSanders. “Our kids, their parents and theteachers here all worked really hard. We’rereally very thankful.”

Based partly upon the Florida Com-prehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) 2.0,elementary school grades are measuredusing an 800-point scale (900 for middleschools), also taking into account End-Of-Course (EOC) test scores, which aregiven in middle and high schools in a vari-ety of subjects, and the Florida AlternateAssessment (FAA), an alternative test forstudents who are unable to complete theFCAT test due to cognitive disabilities.

Points are given for students whoscore “satisfactory” or higher and/ormake learning gains. A point is awardedfor each percent of students who scoresatisfactory or better in each subject areaof each test.

For example, students that score alevel 3 or higher on the math, reading andscience FCAT 2.0 tests, and/or a level 4on EOC tests, and a 3.5 or higher onFCAT writing, the percentage of studentsthat achieve that level in each subject isthe point value that the school is given.To earn an “A,” at least 95 percent of theschool’s students must have been testedand at least 595 points must have beenearned.

To determine learning gains, testscores for students in each subject onFCAT, EOC and FAA tests are examinedby comparing those scores with the previ-ous year. If students perform at the samelevel or improve on their achievement

level, the school also earns points for thatpercentage of students.

If that sounds confusing, that’s be-cause it is.

“It’s been a confusing time for every-one,” says HCSD communications man-ager Tanya Arja. “There have beenchanges to scoring and higher standardsput into place. But, many schools in theDistrict still showed gains. We want to letparents, teachers and students know thatthis is a transition period and that themain thing that matters is making surethat the kids are improving.”

For info, please visit FLDOE.organd click on the “School Grades” tab.

New Tampa Schools Overcome Tougher Standards To Earn Good Grades


By Matt Wiley

In addition to receiving an “A”from the Florida Department of Edu-cation (DOE) for the 2012-13school year (see the story on the pre-vious page), Lawton Chiles Elemen-tary in Tampa Palms also isbeginning the 2013-14 school yearwith a new principal.

Teresa Evans, Ed.D., is the newprincipal for Chiles (which is locatedon Tampa Palms Blvd.), but she isn’tnew to the school. In fact, Dr. Evanswas a teacher at Chiles when theschool opened back in 2000, whereshe taught second and third gradeuntil 2005.

Evans says that she is excitedabout her return to Chiles and plansto maintain its stellar reputation ofearning an “A” every school yearsince 2003.

“There’s always pressure whenyou’re a principal of a school,” Evansexplains. “Each year, you have a newgroup of kids, but we have greatteachers here.”

Having earned both a Master’sdegree in Elementary Education(2008) and a Doctor of Education

(Ed.D.) degreein Leadership(2010) from thenearby Univer-sity of SouthFlorida (USF),Evans says thather extensive ex-perience acrossthe Hillsbor-ough CountySchool District(HCSD) makesher the ideal can-didate to lead

Chiles into the future.“I have an understanding of not

only Chiles, but also the TampaPalms community,” Evans explains.“Plus, I can supplement that with ex-perience (I’ve had) in different posi-tions at different kinds of schools.”

After leaving Chiles in 2005,Evans went on to work as a resourceteacher at Lockhart Magnet Elemen-tary in North Tampa, where sheworked with both lower-level readingstudents and gifted first grade stu-dents. She then served as the assistantprincipal at the Rampello PartnershipMagnet School in downtown Tampa

before working as an assistant princi-pal at Dunbar Elementary MagnetSchool, just west of downtownTampa.

“I’ve come full circle,” Evanssays. “This year at Chiles, we’regoing to continue the tradition ofteamwork, making sure that the stu-dents get all the help that they need.”

Lawton Chiles Elementary islocated at 16541 Tampa PalmsBlvd. For more information, pleasecall the school at 558-5422 or visitChiles.MySDHC.org.

Dr. Teresa Evans Is The New Principal At Chiles Elem.

New Lawton Chiles El-ementary’s principalTeresa Evans, Ed.D.



Freedom High-Based Pro HoopsTeam Denied Championship Repeat

By Andrew PhillipsAfter finishing with the best regular sea-

son record in the four-team Florida Basket-ball Association (FBA) for the secondconsecutive year, the Tampa Bay Rebels werehopeful that they could win a second straightFBA Championship.

After jumping out to an early 12-pointlead over the team the Rebels defeated in lastyear’s FBA title game — the Lake Walesarea’s Heartland Prowl (which again had theleague’s second-best record during the 2013regular season) — the Rebels then battledback from a 17-point deficit to tie the gamemidway through the fourth, but still endedup falling just short of a championship gamerepeat when guard Stan Bufford’s game-tying attempt bounced off the front of therim as time expired.

The exciting, 111-109 loss was only thethird since the season began in April for theRebels, who played their home games, in-cluding the title clash, at Freedom High inTampa Palms.

Following the game, long-time NewTampa resident and Rebels’ head coach /GM Fernando Rojas, said, “We started thegame taking too many outside shots againsttheir zone defense. We had our best perform-ance in the fourth quarter with CoryLemons, Stan Bufford, Aubrey West and Je-remy Grimball doing an excellent job on thedefensive end and making big shots. In thelast 40 seconds of the game, we had chances

to tie and even winthe game, but theshots didn’t go in.The Prowl is a greatchampion, and welook forward to nextyear,” he added.

Playing in frontof one of the largesthome crowds of theseason at Freedom,the Rebels called atimeout with 3.1 sec-onds remainiing in regulation, down by two.Tampa Bay ran a sideline inbounds play thatsaw Bufford catch the ball on the left wingand make a strong move to the basket, buthis bank shot bounced off the front of therim as time expired.

Rebels point guard Cory Lemons fin-ished with a triple-double, scoring 27points, dishing out 15 assists, and grabbing11 rebounds, while Chris Stephenson fin-ished with 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 as-sists. Bufford added 21 points and 10rebounds, while center Jeremy Grimballcame off the bench to add 13 points.

Heartland (which finished 11-3) for-ward Arnold Louis was named Finals MVPfor his 27-point performance in the finale.

To learn more about the Tampa BayRebels, visit TampaBayRebels.com. Theteam also utilizes Twitter and Facebook toconnect with fans about upcoming games,events and promotions.

Stan Bufford


Wazoo Gets Wild While Peabody’s Hosts Seasonal Brew BattlesBy Matt Wiley

Living among the animals for a nightmay sound like reality TV fare, but on Au-gust 3, it truly was reality for the animalson the other side of the glass at the LowryPark Zoo during the zoo’s 18th annualWazoo Beer Fest.

Named one of the top 10 beer festivalsin the nation by USA Today, Wazoo has be-come one of the biggest annual fund raisersfor Lowry Park Zoo, located on W. SlighAve in Central Tampa (call 935-8552 orvisit LowryParkZoo.com) — and this year’sevent raised more than $150,000 to helpthe zoo fund and maintain its amazing pro-grams and exhibits. Fund-raising events,along with private donations, are what havekept Tampa’s zoo not only up and running,but also thriving, the past 25 years.

Following a quick afternoon rainshower, as opposed to the strong thunder-storm that knocked out power to the entirezoo just before the event began last year,Wazoo 2013 was on for more than 4,000craft beer enthusiasts.

J.J. Taylor Distributing brought 275beers from breweries near and far, includingTampa’s own Cigar City Brewing, whichheld a contest a few weeks prior to theevent to name a beer that would be re-leased at Wazoo. “Strawberries Out TheWazoo,” a German lager infused withstrawberries, was one of the most memo-rable of the night, along with Cigar CityCider & Mead’s “Fight the Power” sourapple cider.

Other notable entries included an en-

tire table of suds from Ft. Collins, CO-based and Florida newcomers New Bel-gium Brewing, most famous for their FatTire Amber Ale, as well as their Ranger IPA(India Pale Ale), both of which are makingtheir way onto shelves around the TampaBay area, as you’re reading this article.

Escondido, CA’s Stone Brewing Co.didn’t disappoint, either, with their ownsignature IPA, as well as Ruination andLevitation IPAs, all different takes on thesame style. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.came out swinging with some beer notnormally found on Florida shelves in theform of their Hoptimum Imperial IPA, abig 10-percent hop-lover’s dream. And, ofcourse, San Diego’s Green Flash Brewingbrought its heavy hop hitters West CoastIPA and Hop Head Red.

Beerfest At The BodBeerfest At The BodHowever, Wazoo was not the only

beer tasting that has gone down in theTampa area recently. In fact, Tampa Palms’own Peabody’s Billiards& Games hosted itsown summer beer tast-ing event on July 27 inthe Palms Lounge to acrowd of about 50.

The task for atten-dees? Try some beer in a“Battle of the Brews”and vote for which bev-erage they’d most like tosee on tap next atPeabody’s.

Contenders in-

cluded beers from AbitaBrewing Co., Bell’sBrewing, Brooklyn Brew-ery, Dogfish Head andTerrapin Beer Co., butAngry Orchard HardCider and Florida Brew-ing Company’s Key WestSunset Ale reigned victo-rious and both currentlyare available on draft.

Did you miss thisBattle of the Brews? Noworries, as an Oktober-fest edition is on tap forSaturday, October 5, 4p.m.-7 p.m. andshouldn’t disappoint.

Peabody’s Billiards& Games is located inthe Shoppes of Amberlyin Tampa Palms. Formore info, please visitPeabodysBilliards.com.

(Above) More than 4,000 attended the 18th annual Wazoo BeerFest at Lowry Park Zoo to try limited-edition samplings from

breweries such as Cigar City and Sierra Nevada (below right).

(Bottom left) Peabody’s Billiards & Games also has begun a sea-sonal beer fest tradition that will continue this October.



Win $100 In FREE Dining In Our 2013 Dining Survey & Contest! Please fill in every category that applies to you 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)__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)__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)__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)__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 Stkhs (Wiregrass Mall)__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.

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.


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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__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)_____________________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)___________________


fairprice,” he says. “But, not everyone can doit with love the way we do at Casa Ramos.”

And, as I said before, I am enjoyingexploring both the menu and the invitingdécor of this full-premium-liquor bar,where the servers only have four tables intheir stations and the service, at least thedays and times I’ve been there, is definitelyexemplary..

I started with my usual first visit steakfajitas, which are made of delicious, tenderflank steak, made sizzling to my mediumrare specifications and served over a hugebed of sautéed onions and green peppers,with Mexican rice or white rice, blackbeans, refried or Rancho (cholesterol-free)beans, pico do gallo, sour cream, gua-

camole, cheddar cheese and corn or flourtortillas.

Huge portions are to be expected atCasa Ramos, from the award-winningAzteca nachos, which our entire officeloved on a more recvent visit, to the que-sadilla, burritos, enchiladas, tacos, tostadasand especially, the must-be-shared combi-nation plates. My favorite combo to date isthe carne asada y mojo combo, whichcombines your choice of carne asada steakor chicken, topped with the robust spice ofa big grilled jalapeno pepper and accompa-nied by a nice-sized serving of grilledshrimp and mushrooms served with garlicand crushed red pepper butter. I’m allergicto the shrimp, but the sauce is amazing,and anyone visiting Casa Ramos with me

By Gary NagerPhotos by Jayne Baker & Matt Wiley

OK, so there’s no doubt that a lot ofus — including yours truly — were sad tosee Sushi Tsu Japanese Steakhouse close itsdoors in the same Shoppes of Amberlyplazain Tampa Palms as our office earlierthis year. But, I was definitely intrigued bythe idea of an upscale Mexican restaurantcoming in to replace it.

And, in the less than two months thatit’s been open, I have to say that I am defi-nitely enjoying getting to know CasaRamos and owner Mateo Ramos, who isthe chief operatring officer of a companythat operates more than 40 Azteca andCasa Ramos restaurants, primarily on the

west coast of the U.S.,According to Casa

Ramos’ company web-site, Mateo’s uncle José(Pepe) Ramos grew upin Cuautla, Mexico, asmall farm village in theCentral Mexico state ofJalisco, where his fatherowned a grocery store.

With a few pesosin his pocket and un-able to speak a word ofEnglish, Pepe arrived inSeattle WA, in 1973 tobegin work as a dish-washer in his cousin’srestaurant. From dish-washer to cook to chef, Ramos also workedhard at learning English. After saving$1,000, and with his cousin’s blessing,Ramos opened a small, 24-seat restaurantin Burien, a suburb of Seattle, in 1974.

Ramos eventually was able to bringthe rest of his family to the U.S., whichhelped the family open additional restau-rants, most of which, until the opening ofthis Casa Ramos, have been called Azteca,including several restaurants which Mateoopened in Orlando, Winter Haven, Davieand New Smyrna Beach.

Today, Mateo says, more than 1,400Azteca and Casa Ramos employees havebecome an important part of the Ramosfamily. “Anyone can serve good food at a


Casa Ramos — A 40-Year Mexican Tradition That Started With ‘Uncle Pepe’

From gigantic burritos (left) to the Carne Asada y Mojocombination plate, the new Casa Ramos in Tampa Palmswill satisfy your craving for delicious Mexican food. Casa

Ramos’ “Coronaritas (bottom left) are a popular libation.

will get to enjoy all of the shrimp if weshare this immense platter.

Another shrimp dish Mateo says isamong the most popular at Casa Ramos isCamarones Monterey, which are cliantro-and-garlic-marinated extra large shrimpwrapped in bacon, baked and served fajitastyle. I also definitely plan to sample themarinated lamb shank with a marinadesauce, pico de gallo, avocados and ranchobeans, with corn or flour tortillas.

Also highly recommended for moreauthentic tastes is the Plato Mexicano,which combines taquitos ranchero, carneasada skirt steak, a chile relleno and aJalisco-style (filled with jack cheese anddipped in a sauce of mild chiles. You’ll evenfind burgers, salads and “Vegi-Mex” disheson Casa Ramos’ extensive menu. And, youcan definitely taste the cilantro in thehomemade salsa.

And, save room for dessert, becauseCasa Ramos has an amazingly decadent

fried ice cream, topped with chocolate orstrawberry sauce that is big enough forfour people to share. Seriously.

Casa Ramos also can provide cateringplatters for your football and other parties.Check out the $49.95 fiesta platter on theback of the menu & you’ll probably endup ordering it.

Casa Ramos has awesome HappyHour specials served 3 p.m.-6:30 p.m. and10 p.m.-close every day. It includes 2-for-1 premium house margaritas, homemadesangria, imported and domestic draft beersand well drinks, as well as half-price appe-tizers and other food specials.

Casa Ramnos (15363 Amberly Dr.)opens every day at 11 a.m. for lunchand dinner. For more information, call977-2266 or visit AztecaMex.com.


Check out the Camarones Monterey (left)and the ultra-decadent fried ice cream

(above) at Casa Ramos.



neighborhood’s newly revamped clubhouse,a hub of activity for the community, PRO-tential’s summer and after-school programsimmerse children between the ages of 5 and12 in a comprehensive mentorship programfocused on teaching life through sports.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to be givingkids in Cory Lake Isles an opportunity toreach their full ‘pro-tential’ in all areas oflife,” says Tony Bland, CEO and presidentof Tampa-based PROtential Sports. “We’reconfident that our integrated approach todeveloping campers athletically, mentallyand emotionally will have a powerful impacton children in the community.”

PROtential Sports already has offeredweek-long summer camp sessions at CoryLake Isles (and other local communities)each month this summer, and starting nextweek, after-school programs will launch. En-rollees will learn and participate in a varietyof sports, including soccer, basketball, foot-ball, baseball, lacrosse, golf, tennis andcheerleading. In addition to sports coaching

and mentorship, the program offers trans-portation, snacks and homework help to allof its students.

Unlike traditional camps and after-school programs, PROtential Sports inte-grates life lessons into its athletic curriculumto help direct children towards a successfulfuture. The coaching aims to cultivate char-acter traits and instill values such as disci-pline, respect, honesty, integrity andteamwork in the children they work witheach day. Every student is given individualmentorship to help them grow physically,mentally and emotionally.

“We couldn’t be happier about PRO-tential Sports coming to our community,”said Sheri Schobert, lifestyle director at theCory Lake Isles CDD. “Our facilities andfields offer all of the amenities PROtentialneeds to thrive. We look forward to sharingin the excitement and watching the campimpact the lives of children.”

Driven by a desire to help kids, TonyBland, a former wide receiver with the Min-


The Latest & Greatest News About Dining, Shopping, Retail & More In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel!Chane & Burgess Added ToChane & Burgess Added ToJohnson, Pratico & Auvil Johnson, Pratico & Auvil

Laurie R. Chane, a long-time PascoCounty attorney, has become the newestShareholder at the Dade City-based law firmof Johnson, Auvil & Pratico, P.A., which isnow known as Johnson, Auvil, Pratico &Chane, P.A. Additionally, Danny Burgess,the current Mayor of Zephyrhills, has joinedthe firm as an Associate.

Chane will focus on family and criminaldefense law, bringing her years of experiencein the pubic defender’s office to the firmthat, since 1990, has been offering solutionsto clients throughout the Tampa Bay regionin real estate law, probate and estate adminis-tration, business and commercial transactionsand litigation, foreclosure defense and con-struction law.

A Florida native who was admitted tothe Florida Bar in 1990 after graduatingfrom the University of Miami (FL) School ofLaw, Chane has been in private practice since1997 in the firm of Chane & Eble, P.A.,since leaving the public defender’s office.

Burgess, a Zephyrhills native, joined thefirm as an Associate in June 2013. He will bepracticing primarily in the commercial litiga-tion arena with Steve Pratico, and will alsoassist Leonard Johnson in his real estate andcommercial practice.

Burgess was admitted to the Florida Barin 2011 after graduating from the BarryUniversity College of Law in Orlando. Hehas served as Mayor of Zephyrhills sinceApril 2013, following two earlier terms onthe Zephyrhills City Council, where duringhis first term, Burgess was the youngestelected official in the State of Florida. Healso serves as a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S.

Army JAG (Judge Advocate General) Corps.For more info about Johnson, Auvil,

Pratico & Chane, call 991-6300 or visitWesleyChapelForeclosure.com.

Little Greek Restaurant OnLittle Greek Restaurant OnBBD Opens To CrowdsBBD Opens To Crowds

If you love freshly prepared Greek andMediterranean cuisine, you may already bepart of the crowds of people who have beenvisiting the new Little Greek Restaurant,located in the New Tampa Center plaza, at19022 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. at thecorner of Cross Creek/New Tampa Blvd.

Owner Percy Rosemyurgy and hisfriendly staff, who celebrated Little Greek’sGrand Opening July 30 with a Greater Wes-ley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC)ribbon cutting (photo), have been handlingthe big lines at lunch time with little morethan a 5-10 minute wait — and the food isdefinitely worth waiting for! This small, localchain of now 14 restaurants (10 in theTampa Bay area) features the usual Greeksalads, gyro and souvlaki sandwiches andplatters, but also has more upscale optionslike grilled salmon and steak on a pita.

For more info, call 972-0707 or visitMyLittleGreek.com and please tell Percy& his crew we sent you!

PROtential Sports OffersPROtential Sports OffersCamps In Cory Lake IslesCamps In Cory Lake Isles

Empowering children to achieve successon and off the playing field, PROtentialSports has announced the opening of itsnewest youth sports camp in Cory LakeIsles, a Community Development District(CDD) located off Cross Creek Blvd. inNew Tampa. Conveniently situated at the

(Left) Owner Percy Rosemyurgy (3rd from left) and his staff at the new Little Greekrestaurant in the New Tampa Center have been handling the crowds nicely since this

Wesley Chapel Chamber ribbon cutting on July 30. (Right) Gyro, anyone?


nesota Vikings, came up with the idea forPROtential Sports while hosting a series ofsummer camps with several NFL stars. Thesuccess of the camps motivated Tony tostart his own. Partnering with his wife NyreeBland, a professional tennis stand-out, Tonylaunched PROtential Sports several yearsago. Since then, the camps have becomeenormously successful. In an effort to meetthe demand of those looking to replicate thecamps/programs in their own home com-munities, PROtential Sports recently an-nounced strategic franchise growth plans.

And now, PROtential offers motivatedindividuals (especially those who have com-peted at a high level) a platform to showcasethe skills and values they’ve picked up in thesporting arena — a perfect opportunity forcurrent and former athletes and coacheslooking to take the leap and plunge into en-trepreneurship. The flexible hours and theability to manage the business from homealso make PROtential Sports a great fit forparents, teachers and others interested inchild development. Prior experience in ath-letics or education is not a necessity.

For more information about PRO-tential Sports, visit ProtentialSports.com.For info about franchising opportunities,visit ProtentialSports.com/index.php/franchise.

Free Eyecare ProfessionalsFree Eyecare ProfessionalsGrand Opening Aug. 17!Grand Opening Aug. 17!

We congratulate Dr. David Scamard,O.D., on the Grand Opening of his newpractice, Eyecare Professionals of TampaBay, LLC (located at 24412 S.R. 54, atOak Grove Blvd., in the Eagle Plaza in

Lutz). Although his new practice has beenup and running for several weeks, the for-mer owner of The Eyeglass Factory (lessthan a half-mile east of the new location)will hold his Ribbon Cutting & officialGrand Opening at the spacious, new, full-service optical shop on Saturday, August17, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

With multiple prizes to be raffled off(including one-year supplies of contactlenses, free frames and other awesome do-nated prizes, plus live music by Los Dos,great food from Wright’s Gourmet House& Raa International Market, the eventpromises to be a blast! And, all of the raffleproceeds benefit the Wounded WarriorsProject & the USO. For more info, call949-7274 or see the ad on page 32.

Wolf’s Den To ExpandWolf’s Den To ExpandHours, Menu & More!Hours, Menu & More!

Although we previously reported onNTNeighborhoodNews.com that the al-ways-popular Wolf’s Den Restaurant, lo-cated on S.R. 56 (in the same plaza asInsight Family Eye Care), was taking overthe spaces in the Shoppes of Wesley Chapelplaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (op-posite the new Florida Hospital WesleyChapel, or FHWC)) previously vacated byBaja Fresh and several other businesses (seebelow), Wolf’s Den owner Roger Wolf hasdecided instead to expand his menu (includ-ing adding “Pigsilly BBQ” specialties likereal baby back ribs, brisket and more) andhis hours and add beer and wine at his cur-rent location. Look for an ad, with coupons,next issue because the new hours & BBQ

menu items will debut at Wolf’s Den rightafter Labor Day.

For more info, call 907-9124 or visitWolfsDenRestaurant.com.

Hibachi Japanese Express IsHibachi Japanese Express IsOpen...& Yummy!Open...& Yummy!

If you haven’t yet checked out the newHibachi Japanese Express, located in thesmaller outparcel building (next to ChinaWok) of the same Wesley Chapel VillageMarket that also is home to Vallarta’s & thenew Famous Tate store, you should go...forlunch or dinner...today!

Hibachi Express features the same freshsushi (I even special ordered a grilled redsnapper and cucumber roll that was just toogood), choice NY strip (photo, right) andfresh large shrimp and scallop hibachi dishes,complete with ginger salad, mushroomsoup, grilled hibachi veggies and fried rice,all at prices much less than most “teppanyaki(hibachi) table” restaurants because the hi-bachi grill is located in the open kitchen justbehind Hibachi Express’ much faster lunchcounter, so you’re paying for the qualityfood and not the show.

And, with the current special of a still-sizable lunch-sized portion of hibachi steak,chicken or shrimp, with rice & veggies, forjust $6.25, you can’t beat the value!

For more info about Hibachi Japan-ese Express (5315 Village Market Dr.),call 991-9582 or stop in & tell Chen, theowner, that the New Tampa NeighborhoodNews sent you! — GN

Gate Petroleum & MoreGate Petroleum & More

Coming To S.R. 56Coming To S.R. 56A cleared area on the north side of S.R.

56 at the Cypress Ridge Blvd. intersection isbeginning to take shape.

The property, known as the Shoppes ofCypress Creek, part of the 400-acre mixed-use development which currently has avail-able parcels on both sides of S.R. 56, soonwill be the site of the first Gate Petroleumlocation in the Tampa Bay region. Gate,which is based out of Jacksonville, FL, haslocations in six states across the southeasternU.S., including Georgia and the Carolinas,with the closest being in Lakeland. Gatereps could not be reached for comment.

In addition to the Gate location, the2.5-acre site also will feature 18,000 sq.-ft.of retail space, as well as space for a 1,750-sq.-ft. restaurant and a 0.89-acre retentionpond. “All of the land is being cleared,” saysChet Skinner of Skinner Bros. Realty, whichis selling and leasing property in the CypressCreek development (but not the adjacentCypress Creek Town Center DRI). “Someof the land from the pond is being used tofill some low-lying areas on the property.”

For info about the Shoppes of Cy-press Creek, visit SkinnerRealty.com.-MW


Call The Neighborhood News813-910-2575

To Place Your Listing Today

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

DRY WALL SPECIALI ST - Not a handy-man. Affordable Quality Work repairing waterdamage, ceilings and walls, retexturing, popcornremoval, room additions, cracks, holes, plasterand stucco repair. 26 Years Experience. WesleyChapel resident. State Certified. Call Ron for afree estimate (813) 784-5999

NEED HOME MAINTENANCE – Almostany job, large or small, ext/int, fencing , screening,sm. concrete, sprinklers, painting, repairs, int. doors,locks, sheet rock, windows, paint, caulk, grout, trim,shelving, garages organized. Installations, removals,pressure washing, wood restoration & more. CallDale’s Home Maintenance @ 973-0194 or 727-2582.

GREG’S PAPERHANGING – For all of yourwallpapering needs. Licensed & insured, clean,quick & reasonable. Call 973-2767 for free esti-mate.

RAYMOND PAINTING – Interior & Exterior pressure washing, paper hanging, plaster, stucco,tiles, clean & seal pavers, roofing leaks, etc. Li-censed & Bonded. References available. Free Esti-mates. Your Neighborhoond Arbor GreeneResident. We work 7 days. Call 994-5124.

DAVID BRIDGES PRESSURE CLEAN-ING - Complete exterior cleaning of your homeor business with a professional and personal touch.- Pool decks and screen enclosures - All fencing/driveways and walkways/roofs - Gutter and down-spouts. Find your happiness in a fresh, bright cleanhome. Your neighbors will love you for it! All workguaranteed. Licensed and insured. (813) 215-1177

WEST COAST FLOORING INC - Hard-wood, Laminate, and Carpet; Over 25 years expe-rience in sales and installations; Repairs: Large andsmall jobs; We even do exterior pavers; Free esti-mates - Call Doug at (813) 215-4817

HANDYMAN SERVICES - Handyman Serv-ices, Disposal and fan installations. Painting, drywall repair, calking, tile and wooden floor installa-tions, gutter cleaning, and much more. Greatprices! Call 813.907.6994.

D & D PRESSURE WASHING - licensed andinsured. We clean driveways, sidewalks, homes,pool decks, screen enclosures, fences and otheritems. Free estimates. Call Dina or Doug 813-949-5131 www.ddpressurewash.com

H E L P W A N T E D

PHYSICAL THERAPIST – An establishedNew Tampa outpatient clinic is hiring a part-timePT to provide customized, one-on-one care. Faxresume to (813) 994-3080

HELP WANTED - Hiring housekeeper, withcar and valid driver’s license. Spanish a plus. Call:813.758.9710 or 813.758.9745

NOW INTERVIEWING - Experienced Fam-ily Medicine Nurse Practitioner & Medical Assis-tant position. F/T or P/T. To inquire pleaseemail resume to [email protected] or call(813-994-0611 opt.1) and ask for Bobbie.

HELP WANTED - Transaction Manager forTop Producing Real Estate Team. Must Have: Atleast 1 yr Real Estate experience and workingknowledge of listing file from pre-listing to clos-ing. Excellent organizational skills, time manage-ment skills & work ethic. Dedication toexceptional customer service. Perform & multi-task well in a fast paced environment. Attentionto detail, Outlook, Word, Excel, Top Producer,ResNet and MLS skills. A "Yes, I can do it" atti-tude, confidence & maturity, Email resume withsalary history.

HELP WANTED - New Tampa medical officeneeds back office clerical support. 15-20 hoursper week. Must be very detail-oriented. Somephone responsibilities as well as filing and otherclerical duties. Email resume to Sara [email protected]. No phonecalls please.

HELP WANTED - New Tampa medical officeneeds back office clerical support. 15-20 hoursper week. Must be very detail-oriented. Somephone responsibilities as well as filing and otherclerical duties. Email resume to Sara at [email protected]. No phone callsplease.

NEW TAMPA & WESLEY CHAPEL Classifıeds

L A W N C A R E JASMINE’S LANDSCAPING - Completelawn maintenance, Tree, palm and hedge trim-ming, Planting, mulching, stones, Sod replace-ment, Pressure washing, Gutter cleaning and more.Cited by your HOA for violations? Need to complyfor: Pressure washing, Trimming, Mulching, Sodreplacement, Sprinkler repair or Mailbox repair orreplacements?Ask about our HOA SPECIAL!FREE ESTIMATE! (813) 420-4465

EDUCATION / BABYSITTING

PROFESSIONAL TENNIS LESSONS - Recentlyrelocated USPTA/PTR teaching professional availablefor private/group/team tennis lessons. Former HeadTennis Professional at the #2 and #3 Tennis Resorts inthe U.S. Past coach of former #1 singles player at theUniversity of Florida. Call Steve Brady at (843) 422-3993 or email [email protected]

AFTER SCHOOL CARE - Drop off/pick up, Helpwith Homework, Transportation to after school activ-ities. Age appropriate recreational activities. Snack/Meal Preparation. Licensed, Bonded and Insured Acti-Kare Responsive In-Home Care 813-319-9143

PIANO LESSONS/TUTORING - Located inLive Oak Preserve for children, teens, and adults. I ama highly qualified/certified Florida teacher specializingin piano, music theory, language arts, reading, writing,geography, elementary math, beginning Spanish, andFCAT/test preparation. Mention this ad and receiveyour first session for FREE! Now scheduling for thenew 2013-2014 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 - New Tampaowned & operated. Great Pricing with outstandingcustomer service! LICENSED, BONDED & IN-SURED. See why we are New Tampa and WesleyChapel’s #1 Choice!! New customer’s ONEMONTH FREE! Call Chris Today @ (813) 857-5400 or visit www. TranquilityPoolService.com

AQUATEC POOL SERVICE - keeping pools clear& swim safe since 1994. WE DO POOLS RIGHT!Commercial & Residential. CPO #33-303052 Li-censed & Insured. Service guarantee. Call (813) 312-5694 TODAY and get 1 MONTH OFQUALITY SERVICE FOR FREE. www.aquate-cpool.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, Flex-ibility, Balance, Focus and reduced stress. NewBeginner 6 week courses starting every fewmonths. Adults Course: Thursday evening’s 7-8 pm. Seniors Course: Tuesday afternoons 12-1 pm. Space is limited! Also personal instructionin Tai Chi, Kempo Karate, Boot Camp Fitnesstraining and more. With more than 30 years oftraining and teaching experience. Please contactme for more details or go to: chuan-fa.org.Peter #787-7560 or E-mail [email protected]

LICENSED MOBILE MASSAGE THER-APIST Available seven days a week, 9am -9pm.$55 for 1 hour! Types of massage available:Swedish, Deep Tissue, Aroma Therapy, HotStone, Corporate Seated, Pregnancy, Sports &Injury Rehab. References available. www.barkdollmassagetherapy.com CALL (727) 372-6389 Lic #MA47546.

GROUP THERAPY CLASSES – 4 groupsstarting: 1) Adult Stress Management, 2) Chil-dren’s Social Skills, 3) Parenting Skills, and 4)Mind-Body Wellbeing. Cost: $20-$30 perweek. Conducted by licensed therapists withover 10 years of experience. Limited Space, CallToday. We also provide individual therapy forchildren, adolescents, and adults. Call Dr. Brad Palermo, Licensed Psycholo-gist – (813)-666-5885 www.Tampa-Ther-apy.com

SENIOR CARE HELP - Homemaker,Companion, and Personal Care Services. LightHousekeeping, Transportation, WellnessChecks Meal Preparation, Respite Care.Alzheimer's Care, Licensed Bonded and In-sured Acti-Kare Responsive In-Home Care.813-319-9143

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? We DriveYou and Your Car Home! Night Clubs, CorporateEvents, 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


C L E A N I N G S E R V I C E SV&J CLEANING SERVICES, LLC. -ResidentialCommercial cleaning. Quality service. Affordable rates.Reliable, flexible scheduling. Supplies & equipment pro-vided. Call Elizabeth for free estimates813.454.3082.

CLEAN FIRST TIME - Let Clean First Time of Hills-borough serve you! We offer office cleaning, newhome/renovation construction cleaning, CommunityCenter cleaning, window cleaning & more, at times &intervals to suit you! We are fully insured & can providecurrent references. If a good work ethic & attention todetail are important to you, give us a call!813.313.8468

BELLA’S CLEANING SERVICES - Reliable, affordable, professional, detail oriented. I have references.Free estimates. I have many satisfied customers in NewTampa, with 5 years experience. Call: 941-544-7451.

M.Y. CLEANING SERVICE - Offering Residentialcleaning, complete bath & kitchen cleaning, as well asdusting & polishing furniture. We provide our own sup-plies. Free estimates! Your satisfaction is our priority! With5 years of experience, we guarantee meticulous cleaning!Call Mila: (813) 516-3554.

DISCOUNT JUNK REMOVAL!!! - No job to bigor to small! Same day service. Senior discount. Servicingthe New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, as well as surroundingareas for over 11 years. Furniture, yard debris, garage cleanout, & any other items. Call Lamar Today –813.285.4674.

Squeaky Clean Home Services - is a residential cleaningcompany offering weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly serv-ices. We also specialize in move-in/move-out cleanup. Allsupplies & equipment provided. We are an Owner Op-erator company w/ over 20 years experience. "If itNeeds to be Clean, We're your Team! Call us for yourfree in home estimate today! 813-625-6045

D-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE - We have our ownsupplies & more than 300 clients in New Tampa!For moreinformation, Call 758-9710.

P E T C E N T E R TAMPA CAT LADY- Professional Cat-Sitting Service.Cats are happiest in their own home, surrounded by fa-miliar sights, sounds, & smells. When you are away, wefeed, cuddle, & play with your kitties & clean & disposeof litter. Insured, bonded, & Red-Cross certified in petfirst aid/CPR. Call 994-9449 or visit www.TampaCatLady.com.

NEW TAMPA PET SITTING SERVICES -Under New Ownership! Please call Larisa at (813)546-3887. Thank-you for your business over ALL theseyears! Please call Marina at (813) 416-5301 for ref-erences!

C O M P U T E R S E R V I C E S PROFESSIONAL TECH SUPPORT – in yourhome or small business. A+ certified computer techwith 20 years of exp. Maintenance & repairs, upgrades& tutoring. More affordable than the large chains!Friendly, personalized svc. Technical jargon explainedin plain English. Remote assistance available. Referencesavailable upon request. Call 957-8342 for free esti-mate.

DO YOU HATE YOUR COMPUTER?!? - WECAN HELP YOU! Troubleshooting, installation, net-working & virus removal. WE COME TO YOU!Servicing residential & businesses, w/ over 25 years ex-perience. Contact Jeffrey Blank (813) 973-4507today! www.WSICA.COM; [email protected]

C L E A N I N G S E R V I C E SCYD Professional Cleaning Services Residential &Commercial - Weekly, bi-Weekly & monthly rates- Flex-ible scheduling, including weekends. 'Green' cleaning so-lutions available upon request. We provide all cleaningsupplies. Quality cleaning at AFFORDABLE prices. Over6 years experience. You'll have the same, uniformed clean-ing professional every time! Call Katherine (813) 494-6005

Guest column by Lisa Montelione

It is shocking for me to realize thatyou elected me just over two years ago.Each day, I am honored to represent youand do the best I can to help our busi-nesses flourish and to find ways to im-prove the quality of life of our residents.

So, I thought it appropriate to up-date you on a few issues I have beenworking on. By no means is this all-en-compassing, but many of the conversa-tions, calls and emails I receive deal withthe following issues.

Transportation: An issue that Iknow is important to many of you inNew Tampa is improving our transporta-tion network and the safety of our pedes-trians and bicyclists. As MayorBuckhorn’s representative on the Hills-borough County Metropolitan PlanningOrganization (MPO) and as the chair ofthe MPO’s Livable Roadways Commit-tee, I can assure you that close attentionis paid to projects that make our com-munities safer for pedestrians, bicyclistsand drivers. This year, I was selected bythe MPO board members to serve as itsVice Chair, which engages me in re-gional transportation efforts.

I also serve on the New NorthTransportation Alliance, which serves thecommunities of the University of SouthFlorida (USF) and New Tampa. In addi-

tion, I have beenworking with theCity of Tampa’slegal department oncrafting a solution toconnecting KinnanSt. in New Tampawith Mansfield Blvd.in Pasco County

(Meadow Pointe). Currently, we arewaiting on an agreement between theCity of Tampa and the developers of K-Bar Ranch, prior to working with PascoCounty to connect the two roads.

Kinnan/Mansfield is an example ofa regional connection. These connec-tions are necessary for a vibrant econ-omy. Solutions must be sought topromote job growth throughout theTampa Bay region, in addition to im-proving the quality of life for residents.As public servants, we will not be judgedby our short-term actions, but by thelong-term goals we achieved.

Utility Upgrades: In the 2014 Cityof Tampa budget, about $7 million iscommitted to water and wastewaterprojects in New Tampa. As a part of theBruce B. Downs (BBD) widening, $4.7million is committed to rehabilitatingwastewater pipes that run under BBD.That is in addition to the replacement ofthe pipes under BBD that connect theCity system to the Hillsborough River, a

primary link in case of a water emergency.That project was part of a multi-year planto replace the City’s water pipes, many ofwhich had been built in the 1970s.About $2.5 million is being spent to im-prove pressure in the North Tampa waterdistribution system, which is headquar-tered off BBD.

Businesses/Economic Develop-ment: I am proud to say that my passionfor small business permeates every policydiscussion that comes before me. In2012 and 2013, I hosted “State of SmallBusiness in Tampa Symposia,” with sup-port from the Federal Reserve Bank ofAtlanta, the FDIC, USF Small BusinessDevelopment Center, the Greater TampaChamber of Commerce, Tampa Hills-borough Economic Development Cor-poration, J.P. Morgan Chase, City ofTampa, and Hillsborough County. Theoutcome of these events was to create aprogram that would allow small businessowners to access a “one-stop shop” to re-search access to capital and public incen-tives. The event also serves to provide aneconomic update on the area from theexperts at the Federal Reserve and to im-prove communications amongst financialinstitutions, technical advisors and smallbusiness owners.

Quality of Life: Many of the issuesthe Council deals with on a regular basisare “Quality of Life” issues. This is any-

thing from your sidewalk sinking due torain, or illegal dumping of constructionmaterials. Both of those were concerns ofNew Tampa residents who recently calledmy office. We cannot fix every problem,but we can try and hopefully get an an-swer for you.

One example I frequently use waswhen the stoplight was installed onWood Sage Dr. and New Tampa Blvd. inWest Meadows. On the Tuesday morn-ing that the light went on, my office re-ceived a call from a parent who wasunable to drop her children off at ClarkElementary, due to the lack of a left handturn light. After I spoke with our Trans-portation Department, a left-hand-turnarrow was installed by Thursday. Not allproblems in this city can be solved thateasily, but you’ll never know, unless youcall my office.

As always, please let me knowhow you think I am doing. The bestway for me to do my job is to find outwhat issues are most important to youand provide whatever leadership andassistance I can to resolve those issues.If you have any questions or concerns,you can contact me at 274-7073 [email protected]. Or,come see me during my “office hours”on Monday, September 16, at theNew Tampa Regional Library (10001Cross Creek Blvd.), 6 p.m.- 7p.m.

Neighborhood News @ntwcnews

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

New Tampa’s City Councilwoman Keeps Our Area In Her Sights

Neighborhood News @ntwcnews

New Tampa Back to School Edition

Documents

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tampa palms

pebble creek collection

good thing

downs bbd

neighborhood magazinewazoo

pebblecreek collection

john martinez