east lake - vol. 9, issue 2, february 2016

Your neighborhood. Your magazine.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

ECRWSSPostal Customer

Dated MaterialPlease Rush!

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDTAMPA FL

PERMIT 1185

Family Fun at Suncoast Stables...3Community Calendar...............4The Property Doctors.......10-11Drive For A Cure..............12-13Swing ‘N Sweets Jazz

Concert ELHS....................14Weddings at Wentworth &

Crescent Oaks Golf Clubs........16The Watermark at Trinity..........18-19New SAT / New ACT...............20-21People for Haiti..........................22-23Patient Advocate Services.................24Homebound Heroes........................26-27Meet Your Fire Department...............32

This Independent Community News, Business & Dining Guide Is Directly Mailed Once Each Month To:Anchorage, Bay Arbor, Boot Ranch, Brookers Landing, Crescent Oaks, Cypress Cove, Cypress Lakes Estates, Cypress Run, Cypress Trails, Deer Hollow,

Grey Oak, Eagle Cove, Eagle’s Cove at Lake Tarpon, Eagle Ridge, Eagle Trace, Eagle Watch, East Lake Oaks, East Lake Woodlands, Hunters Wood, Key-

stone Bluffs, Keystone Palms, Keystone Ranchettes, Lansbrook, Lansbrook Village, Meadow Ridge, Nature’s Watch, Oak Hill Acres, Pine Ridge, Regina

Estates, Ridgemoor, Tarpon Woods, Wentworth, Whispering Lakes, Woodfield

Vol. 9, Issue 2, February 2016

The Premier “Shop Local” Community Magazine Directly Mailed To 15,000 Homes In East Lake & Surrounding Areas

The Community Dining &Business Guide that your

neighbors READ!By Julie Kanehl

If you have a furry, feathered,aquatic or reptilian family member,you probably know the importance ofhaving a pet store that you can dependon! Conveniently located at 3416 EastLake Road in Palm Harbor, you’ll findeverything you need for your pets atPets “N” More! Pets “N” More is theperfect blend between a family-ownedneighborhood pet boutique that offerspersonable and knowledgeable cus-tomer service, and a larger store thatoffers a wide variety of products atcompetitive prices. Their fabulous se-lection of food, pet supplies and gear,combined with their eager and friendlystaff, makes shopping for your pet atotal breeze. What’s more, Pets “N”More is a wonderful place to meet thepet that will steal your heart and make

you smile for years to come.Pets “N” More is really big! It’s a

5,200-sq.-ft. store that is simply a lotof fun if you love animals! It’s the per-fect place to come if you’d like to seesome really beautiful creatures, fromrare exotic birds to ferrets, reptiles,fish, and even to visit cats and dogsthat are up for adoption throughPinellas County Animal Services. SincePets “N” More opened in October oflast year, their attentive staff has foundhomes for 32 dogs and 17 cats, in-cluding one lucky dog named Cookie,who happened to be the only pet leftbefore Christmas and was adopted byPets “N” More owners, Steve andRaine Murphy!

Steve and Raine have owned anumber of businesses in our area, fromcar washes to an air conditioning com-pany, but this time they wanted to

open a place that would cater to petlovers like themselves. Steve said, “Wewanted to create a place that providedthe best products for the animals. Wehave one of the largest selections of

Pets “N” More, Your Neighborhood Pet Superstore!

See “Pets “N” More” on page 34.

By Katie Thomas

Tucked away at The Shoppes atCloverplace on the corner of TampaRoad and Lake St. George Drive inPalm Harbor, you will find the best-kept secret in Tampa Bay. Mystic FishSeafood Grill and Bar is a foodie’sdream with a divine menu including asection of 20 small plate selections thatare perfect for sharing with friends –inspired menu items often lead to in-spired conversations! Palm Harbor’sgem, Mystic Fish has it all – artisticdécor, exceptional service, a top shelfbar and amazing food – and is farmore that what one would expect tofind at a strip center restaurant. MysticFish takes pride in providing patronswith captivating meals that are refresh-ingly affordable within a hip, upbeatatmosphere.

The star behind the menu isOwner/Chef Doug Bebell, whosecommitment to excellence has helpedto make Mystic Fish an award-winningrestaurant. The popular locale hasbeen the #1 rated restaurant in PalmHarbor on TripAdvisor.com for aslong as the website has existed, andMystic Fish is consistently listed in thetop ten restaurants for the Tampa Bayand Central Florida Areas onOpenTable.com. Celebrating fifteenyears of great food and superior serv-ice this July, Mystic Fish is excited tocontinue its journey as one of the top-rated restaurants in the entire CentralFlorida area.

Elegant with an edge, the attire ofdiners is smartly casual, making it theperfect meeting spot for drinks andsmall plates after work. Mystic Fish is

Mystic Fish, One of Tampa Bay’sFavorite Restaurants for 15 Years!

See “Mystic Fish” on page 30.

2 For Ad Info 727-943-2946 • www.NNLFlorida.com FEBRUARY 2016 East Lake Area Neighborhood News & Lifestyles

For Ad Info 727-943-2946 • www.NNLFlorida.com FEBRUARY 2016 3East Lake Area Neighborhood News & Lifestyles

East Lake AreaNeighborhood News & LifestylesDirectly mailed once a month to nearly 15,000households in zip code 34685, 34688 & 34677

220 Safford Ave. S. Tarpon Springs, FL 34689

Phone: (727) 943-2946; Fax: (727) 942-2432Advertising E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

© 2016 Eastlake Area Neighborhood News & Lifestylesis published by Ads 2 Publications, Inc.

Nothing that appears in the East Lake Area Neighbor-hood News & Lifestyles may be reproduced, whether wholly or inpart, without permission. Opinions expressed by East Lake AreaNeighborhood News & Lifestyles writers are their own and do notreflect the publisher’s opinion.

The management of East Lake Area NeighborhoodNews & Lifestyles is always happy to accept outside editorialsubmissions to the paper. Please call for outside editorialsubmission and advertisement deadlines.

East Lake Area Neighborhood News & Lifestyles will con-sider previously non-published outside editorial submissions ifthey are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. EastLake Area Neighborhood News & Lifestyles reserves the right toedit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makesno guarantees regarding publication dates. East Lake AreaNeighborhood News & Lifestyles will not return unsolicitededitorial materials.

East Lake Area Neighborhood News & Lifestyles reservesthe right to edit and/or reject any advertising. East LakeAreaNeighborhood News & Lifestyles is not responsible for errors inadvertising beyond the actual cost of the advertising space itself,not for the validity of any claims made by its advertisers.

East Lake Area Neighborhood News & Lifestyles ispublished by Ads 2 Publications, Inc.

PublisherTim SelbyGeneral ManagerJim O’Reilly EditorKim ThomasAdvertising SalesMatt Selby Tim SelbyJim O’ReillyJared NagerLinda Veiga

CorrespondentsAlexis SelbyJulie KanehlKatie ThomasDara TuckerArt DirectorDat X. DoGraphic ArtistsDat X. DoTony SicaAccounting ManagerDoreen Selby

Family Fun with Horses at Suncoast Stables Suncoast Stables, located at 1108

Altamont Lane in Odessa has a fun,family-friendly event planned for Sat-urday, February 20th. Stable ownerKrystle Lee invites the community tocome out and meet the horses. Thefun begins at 5 p.m. with a barn tour,but that is just the beginning of anevening of fun and horsing around!There will also be a horseback ridingdemonstration, a grooming stationdemonstration and a chance to win a4-pack of free riding lessons. Andwhat better way to wrap up an eveningof horseplay than a free, kid-friendlyhorse movie watched on a blanketunder the stars?

This event is free but bring somecash because there will be food anddrinks for purchase, as well as facepainting for the kids. Proceeds willbenefit Suncoast Stables’ Youth Cluband Saving Grace for Equines, a501(c) 3 non-profit organization fo-cused on the rescue of American Sad-dlebred horses. Krystle grew uparound horses and enjoyed competingas a juvenile and amateur in the Amer-ican Saddlebred arena, so the rescue ofthis breed is one she is happy to help

support. The driving force and pas-sion behind Saving Grace for Equinesis Joy Rodak.

Saving Grace for EquinesJoy Rodak has shown American

saddlebred horses for 20 years, and hasheaded up Saving Grace for Equinesin Ocala, Florida since October 2013,when she bought six American saddle-bred horses to save them from a meatbroker. While it is illegal to slaughterhorses for meat in the United States,they are still shipped to Canada andMexico and processed for human con-sumption. Saving Grace for Equineshas rescued numerous horses experi-encing inhumane treatment and con-ditions, including starvation, abuse,unsafe habitats, and some of those arebound for slaughter for human con-sumption. “These are very nice horsesthat can still serve a purpose,” says Joy.“It’s not a lot, but we are doing ourpart along with the other saddlebredrescues in the country.”

Many times the original selleroften has no idea what can befall theirhorse and Joys says most of the own-ers are unknowing participants.

Rescued horses usually havesome physical issues and are oftenmalnourished. Saving Grace forEquines works on their nutrition forthree or four months before they areready for adoption. Saving Grace forEquines relies on donations andsponsorships to operate.

Log on to savinggracefore-quines.org for information. Findmore information about SuncoastStables at www.suncoaststable.com orcall (813) 368-0666.


Calendar & News BriefsEAST LAKE AREA

Palm Harbor Historical Society’s17th Annual English Tea

Sat., Mar. 5, 11:30 AM & 2:30PM––The Palm Harbor Historical So-ciety invites you to be pampered for amorning or afternoon of elegance atthe 17th Annual English Tea beingheld at the Palm Harbor Museum. Anarray of delectable sweet and savorytreats will be served along with thefinest English black tea. Guests will betransported to the elegance of Englandwith tastefully decorated tables set withclassic china and a special party favor.Guests are asked to dress in their bestattire. Hats and gloves are encouragedfor the ladies but not required. A prizewill be given to the person with themost original hat. There will be a silentauction and prize raffles. Tickets for theevent are $30 per person. Custom tabledecorations are available to honor yourspecial person or tribute (for a sug-gested $100 donation). Advance reser-vations are required. Tickets can bepurchased at Palm Harbor Museum,2043 Curlew Rd, Palm Harbor, FL34683, or mail in your ticket request

form. The Museum is open Wed.–Sat.,10 AM –3 PM. Call (727) 724-3054for information.

All proceeds benefit the Palm Har-bor Museum, a 501(c) (3) dedicated tothe preservation, interpretation andpresentation of the rich historical her-itage of the Palm Harbor Area includ-ing Crystal Beach, Curlew, Eastlake,Ozona and Wall Springs.

Brooker Creek Preserve ActivitiesBrooker Creek Preserve offers sev-

eral environmental events and interac-tive activities providing residents theperfect opportunity to explore the out-doors. This February, visitors to thepreserve can enjoy a wide variety of na-ture hikes, plant exploration, andspecies investigation. Most events andactivities are free, unless noted other-wise, and registration is required.

Pinellas County Extension offersclasses, programs and activities at theEnvironmental Education Center. Thispermanent, hands-on educational ex-hibit features 22 discovery-oriented ex-periences that help visitors of all ages

understand how natural Florida haschanged over time and the ecologicalfootprints left by those changes. TheWindows to Our Wildest Place exhibitallows visitors to experience the life of agopher tortoise, educational videos anda touch and feel display of animal, in-sect and reptile skins and skeletons thathave been preserved. The center is op-erated by the Pinellas County Parks andConservation Resources Departmentand is open Thursday to Saturday, 9a.m. to 4 p.m. It is closed all PinellasCounty holidays.

To learn more about BrookerCreek Preserve and its upcoming pro-grams and events, call (727) 453-6800.To register for programs and events,visit www.brookercreekpreserve.org.Videos featuring Brooker Creek Pre-serve can be viewed atwww.youtube.com/pcctv1.

People’s Choice Exhibit at Artists’Faire Gallery

Feb. 13-26, Reception on Feb. 26,5-7 PM––Residents and visitors are in-vited to view and vote for their favoritepiece of artwork. Artists’ Faire Gallery,111 E. Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs, ishosting 24 paintings by Tarpon SpringsArt Association members who comefrom Hudson to Oldsmar, with the

majority being Tarpon Springs artists.Viewing and voting takes place duringthese two weeks and the public is in-vited to come back on the 26th, from 5to7pm, for a Reception with light re-freshments and the award presentationto the artist garnering the most votes.For more info, call Heather at 727-744-3323. Free of charge to the pub-lic.

Nar-Anon Family MeetingsThe Nar-Anon Family Groups are

a worldwide fellowship for those affectedby someone else’s addiction. Website:Naranonfl.org; Help Line: 1-888-947-8885

Tuesdays, 6:45 PM––All SaintsChurch, 1700 Keystone Rd., TarponSprings

Wednesdays, 8 PM––AsburyUnited Methodist Church, 4204 ThysRd., New Port Richey. *NARATEEN(Same day, time and location)

Mondays, 7 PM––Crystal BeachCommunity Hall, 517 Crystal BeachAve., Palm Harbor

Saturdays, 10 AM––UnitedMethodist Church, 207 BuckinghamAve., Oldsmar

Tuesdays, 7 PM––Hope Church,5107 Lutz Lake Fern Rd., Lutz


By Julie Kanehl

Take a look around your houseand think back to when you originallybought it. Was it last year? Ten yearsago? Twenty-plus? What plans did youmake for your house then? Did youbuy it thinking that “someday” youwould update the kitchen or the mas-ter bathroom suite? Have you beendreaming of an addition or creatingthe perfect in-home office space? CallThe Property Doctors for a consulta-tion! The Property Doctors is a local,licensed and insured residential con-tracting company with owners whosepassion is listening to their clients andhelping them to create the space oftheir dreams.

Jeff Mullins (#CRC1330824) hasmore than 26 years of residential andcommercial contracting experienceunder his tool belt, and his experienceruns the gamut between restoring his-torical masterpieces to recreating anentire space for the rich and famous intheir penthouse suites. From customkitchens to complete makeover fa-cades, the options are endless.

Jeff’s wife and business partner isLibba Phillips, who has a keen abilityto see your vision for your space; to-gether, they make a dream team forremodeling and home design. Passion-ate about creating spaces that feel justas good as they look, Libba brings awealth of knowledge and talent to TheProperty Doctors. She graduated fromGeorgia Southern University with aBachelor of Fine Arts Degree in 1990,and her fine art photographs havebeen featured in various galleries andpublications across the United States.

Renovations to Feng Shui Design Do you ever watch those home

shows on TV and wonder what it’d belike to do the same for your home?Don’t you love how they can open up

a floor plan by removing a walland adding a window? The Prop-erty Doctors can do that! Want toadd a bathroom or remove anoutdated drop ceiling? Not aproblem! Are you wishing thatyou could get a contractor tocome in and really tell you what’sgoing on behind the walls? Jeff’syour guy! Deserving of the nameProperty Doctors, Jeff loves toget in there and “diagnose” thespace, making sure that what’s al-ready there is healthy and doneright! From there he “prescribes”if you will, the best way to moveforward. Most importantly, Jeffunderstands the delicate balancebetween vision and budget, andcan help to guide clients through-out the process, considering costand design.

Additionally, Libba is one ofthose design gurus who knowswhere to place the furniture, hangthe pictures and create a space,where the rest of us tend to stickwith the status quo. Often sought outfor her expertise in the field of FengShui, Libba is fun and easy to workwith. Her peaceful energy and passionfor design makes decorating exciting.Feng Shui isn’t a crazy new technique,but an ancient approach to living yourbest life. It’s pretty easy to understand;for example, many people feel thatwhen their desk is cluttered, they havea hard time getting to work. Feng Shuisimply helps you use the space youhave in the best way possible, creatingan environment that is spacious, func-tional and peaceful.

Thinking about buying a “fixer-upper” but don’t know what it will re-ally cost to make it the house of yourdreams? The Property Doctors canprovide you with an investment prop-erty assessment that will help you cre-ate a vision (and a realistic budget) to

make your investment worth it. Andwhile “fixer-uppers” and foreclosurescan be a great opportunity for home-buyers who have a little vision, it’s im-portant to have a contractor on yourside who can do the job that needs tobe done, and do it right, turning yournew house into your dream home.

The Property Doctors have builtan incredible reputation that speaks foritself. Neighborhood News & Lifestyles’own Tony and Ashley Sica said of theirrecent whole house renovation project,“Jeff and The Property Doctors turnedour vision into a reality... and withinour budget to boot! We had never re-modeled one room before, let alone anentire house, but Jeff made the entireprocess manageable and in the end wecould not be more pleased with theway our home came together. Ourmaster bathroom is a “showpiece”

according to friends and family. In fact,we liked it so much that we’re cur-rently in the process of having him adda second bathroom downstairs. Iwould not hesitate to recommend TheProperty Doctors to anyone lookingfor top-notch quality from an honestprofessional.”

Collaboration is the Nameof the Game

What sets The Property Doctorsapart is their commitment to listeningto their clients and creating a collabo-ration of professionals to work on theproject from start to finish. Their goalis to include the homeowner to what-ever extent that they are comfortable.

Libba says, “Many of our clientslike to be involved with every aspect ofthe project, while others feel comfort-able enough after the initial planning

Create the Home of Your Dreams with The Property Doctors!

The craftsmanship of owner Jeff Mullins is showcased in this custom bar areathat he designed and built for a client's entertainment area


phase, to let us do what we do best!”She adds, “Jeff has a unique way of lis-tening and verbalizing back to ourclients the vision for the project sothat everyone is on the same page. Hetakes the time to describe the entireprocess so that our clients are edu-cated all the way through, and theyknow what to expect.”

One of the hottest projects forhomeowners right now is creating a

home theater. Yes, it can be done,even in your home! Partnering withother experts where necessary onspecific projects, The PropertyDoctors are professional, consciousof your budget, and prepared towork hard to meet deadlines.

Libba says, “We have preferredpartners that we work with to helpcreate your vision.” Adding, “There’sa synergy that happens when the right

people come together on a project!”The Smith family recently had

some work done by The PropertyDoctors, and said, “Jeff listened toour ideas, asked questions, and madesuggestions. It was amazing how hewas able to envision exactly what weeach wanted and was able to come upwith ideas that satisfied both of us!Not only is Jeff a professional, quali-fied Contractor, he is also a trueArtist. His organized team, and theirattention to detail were impressiveand appreciated.”

If you’re looking to add new lifeto your home, call The PropertyDoctors. No job is too big or toosmall; they work with you to create aplace that will be functional, beautifuland all your own.

The Property Doctors cancome to the rescue of any home inthe Tampa Bay Area. Owner JeffMullins is a Florida State LicensedContractor #CRC1330824.For more information, please call(727) 639-3089, or log on towww.thepropertydocs.com.

The hot water closet and the tiny bath (pictured above) were completelyre-configured and designed to become one spacious and beautiful master

bath suite (photo at right) in The Sica’s historic fixer-upper home


Contributed

We’re very excited to announcethe 2016 East Lake Woodlands“Drive for a Cure” Golf outing.This annual event will take place onFriday, February 26, 2016 at the EastLake Woodlands Country Club.Arrival and registration begins at11:00 AM with a 1:00 PM shotgun

start. There will be flights forwomen, men and mixed foursomes.Dinner, along with the Chinese,silent and live auctions will followplay. The cost is $100.00 (if paidbefore February 12 or $115.00 ifpaid after February 12); cost coversgolf, cart, range, snacks, dinner anda contribution to our charities. Thecost for dinner only is $45.00.

This year we are extremelypleased to welcome Linda Hurtado,a 20-year veteran of TV news herein Tampa Bay. She anchors FOX 13News at Noon as well as the FOX 13News at 5 PM with Cynthia Smoot.

Linda takes pride in being veryconnected and involved in her com-munity. In addition to her manyhosting and speaking engagements,she has won 12 Emmys, an EdwardR. Murrow award, Associated Pressawards, Society of ProfessionalJournalism awards, and a FloridaBar award for a variety of news and

health stories.She has been very active with the

American Cancer Society’s Reach toRecovery and Making Strides AgainstBreast Cancer events long beforeher own diagnosis of breast cancerin 2011, because her mother was abreast cancer survivor until thedisease finally took her life in 1995.Since her own diagnosis and recov-ery, she has become the local emceefor the Susan G. Komen events.Additionally Linda supports the Faceof Courage non-profit as well as theMy Hope Chest that funds recon-struction for women who do nothave insurance. And every year shedonates proceeds from A Shoot fora Cure to the Florida Hospital Foun-dation to fund mammograms forwomen without insurance.

In the U.S. in 2015 there werean estimated 231,840 new cases ofinvasive breast cancer and 60,290new cases of in situ breast canceramong women resulting in 40,290breast cancer deaths. Although breastcancer in men is rare, it does happen.In 2015, there were an estimated2350 new cases among men in theU.S. resulting in 440 deaths.

Drive for a Cure 2016…

Linda Hurtado


By supporting the Morton PlantMease Mammography Program andthe Florida Suncoast Affiliate ofSusan G. Komen, a dedicated effortis made to keep the funds raised tobenefit those in the Tampa Bay area.While the major portion of the fundsraised focus on screening, diagnosticand treatment services for the unin-sured and underinsured, a portion ofthe funds is also used to support re-search with the goal of eradicatingbreast cancer once and for all. Bothrecipients are designated as 501(c) 3organizations.

Since 2007 the Drive has sent$153,000 to the organizations we

support. This year our goal is toreach $200,000 to support thosedealing with breast cancer. Participa-tion and sponsorship is very impor-tant to this effort, and there aremany opportunities available to helpus meet this goal. Come play with uson our beautiful, top-quality golfcourses; you’ll have a wonderful timeand you will be instrumental in sup-porting this very worthwhile goal.

For more complete informa-tion about the event, registration,sponsorship and donations, log onto www.elwdriveforacure.com .We’ll see you on February 26th!

Checks from 2015 proceeds were presented to the Suncoast Affiliate of SusanG. Komen and Morton Plant Mease Foundation


By Julie Kanehl

If you like jazz, and let’s face it,who doesn’t love some jazz, you’renot going to want to miss East LakeHigh School’s Swing ‘N Sweets, onFriday, March 11th! It promises tobe a sweet evening filled with jazzfavorites everyone loves like “Some-one to Watch Over Me” and “April inParis” as well as modern jazz coversby bands such as Chicago, Toto, andthe Snarky Puppies.

East Lake High School has quitea talented group of students, andnearly fifty of them will be performingon stage that night. Band Director,Mr. Fulton, says, “Our students aregreat. They are hungry to learn moreabout jazz, and they love performing,it’s their life blood.”

Swing ‘N Sweets will include EastLake High School’s two big bands,the ELHS Jazz Ensemble, a studentlead group called the Tension DefectDisorchestra, and a well-known localband called Encore IV, who play jazz

for the love of jazz. Thisconcert is sure to be a hitwith the whole family!

When asked whichpiece he most looked for-ward to playing, JuniorNathan McGrew said, “Ican’t wait to perform apiece called “TheChicken.” I play a tenorsax solo with one trum-pet player and one trom-bone player. It’s superhard, but it sounds awe-some.”

It all starts at 6 p.m.when guests will betreated to some sweetdesserts and given some time to min-gle before the concert begins. Ticketswill $10 (cash only please), and will begoing on sale shortly. Tickets can bepurchased from any of the band stu-dents, by coming to the school to pur-chase them in advance, at the door onthe night of the concert, or by con-tacting Tessa McGrew, concert Coor-

dinator. Proceeds from the concertwill go towards the ELHS BandProgram.

Come and join East Lake HighSchool for an evening filled withdelicious treats, sweet tunes, and“a whole lotta” jazz.

East Lake High School is lo-cated at 1300 Silver Eagle Drive in

Tarpon Springs. The doors willopen for Swing ‘N Sweets at 6 p.m.on Friday, March 11th. Tickets canbe purchased from a band member,or at the door on the night of theevent. Tickets are $10 each (cashonly). For more information, con-tact Tessa McGrew [email protected].

Enjoy Sweet Tunes and Delicious Treats at the ELHSSwing ‘N Sweets Jazz Concert on March 11th!


Alissa Klinger and her family relocatedfrom Cheboygan, Michigan to New PortRichey this summer. With extensive experi-ence in events and restaurant managementand a real love for Wedding Planning, Alissafound a position as Events Director at AceGolf, two family-owned golf clubs includingWentworth and Crescent Oaks Golf Clubs.

Alissa’s passion for weddings has led toa surge in wedding events at the two popularEast Lake area Golf Clubs. “I chose Went-worth and Crescent Oaks because of theirtwo very different, beautiful reception ven-ues. Also, as local, family-owned businesses,I have a lot more latitude to be creative andprovide exceptional service,” says Klinger.

Membership is not required to hold awedding or event at either club, and the costcompares favorably with hotel and othervenues. Wentworth offers a stately, upscaleEnglish Manor Clubhouse and Veranda.Crescent Oaks is a larger, Mediterranean-style banquet facility with sweeping views ofthe golf and a new outdoor event pavilion.

Alissa helps brides plan their weddingswith her calm demeanor, creativity, and at-tention to detail. “I was raised in a house-

hold with a stay-at-home mom who had anattention to detail like no other. Every din-ner party was an exercise in planning andevery holiday became an event where mymother’s creativity and desire to please oth-ers made for a spectacular gathering.”

Alissa took her first Country Club Man-agement position right out of college at anexclusive Golf Club in Northern Michigan.It was here that she started her journey increating one-of-a-kind functions, creatinglifelong memories. She later joined a resortrestaurant and grew their non-existent cater-ing business to a very busy wedding destina-tion.

Those considering a wedding or otherevent are invited to meet with Alissa for atour and to exchange ideas. She is at Cres-cent Oaks Golf Club at 3300 Crescent OaksBoulevard in Tarpon Springs, off East LakeRoad a mile north of Tarpon (Keystone) Av-enue. Alissa can be reached at 727-937-4653 x31. For more information onCrescent Oaks, log on tocrescentoaksgolf.com. For more informa-tion on Wentworth, log on towentworthgolfclub.org.

Michigan Transplant Transforms Wedding Eventsat Crescent Oaks & Wentworth Golf Clubs

Alissa Klinger


By Julie Kanehl

Forget what you think you knowabout assisted living, and discover thedifference at The Watermark at Trin-ity. Currently under construction, TheWatermark at Trinity, which is part ofWatermark Retirement Communities,is well under way at 1960 Blue FoxWay, and they are already busy accept-ing reservations for Founding andCharter Residents. This incrediblybeautiful new community is slated toopen this Spring, and will include lushgardens, a packed activity schedule, amovie theater, Indulge Salon, naturetrails, and that’s just a few of thethings that new residents can look for-ward to. What’s more, they’re cur-rently offering a sales incentive, so ifyou’re looking to be part of a commu-nity that caters to an active, fun-filledlifestyle, and also provides an amazingprogram for residents who qualify forMemory Care, call or visit The Water-mark at Trinity right away.

The accommodating and experi-

enced staff is inviting anyone who isinterested in The Watermark at Trinityto come to the sales office, just acrossthe street, at 10751 Maple CreekDrive, Suite 104. There, guests canchoose from a variety of apartmentfloor plans, ask questions, and learnabout some of the unique reasons thatpeople all over the country chooseWatermark Retirement Communities.Watermark Retirement Communitieshas 38 locations all over the UnitedStates – including three in the TampaBay Area - from Arizona to Washing-ton State, and people are already veryexcited about this new community, asWatermark has built a reputation forproviding an extraordinary living envi-ronment where residents and theirfamilies can thrive. Plus, they get it.They understand that when peopleleave their homes to move into a com-munity such as this one, that doesn’tmean they have to leave their expecta-tions behind. The Watermark at Trin-ity is going to be gorgeous, luxuriousand staffed with experienced and qual-

ified personnel 24 hours a day to meetany need you may have.

Aileen Carlson, Executive Direc-tor of The Watermark at Trinity, has15 years of experience working at an-other Watermark Retirement Commu-nity, and says, “I’m excited about theopportunity to be the person who getsto spearhead the activities, the pro-gramming, the dining, and to help

create the feel and the vibe of thecommunity.”

Right now at The Watermark atTrinity’s sales center, residents arepicking out their new apartments, andare able to have the pick of the litter.To be part of the first group of peopleto live there is very exciting! Every-thing will be brand new! The Water-mark at Trinity is in the process of

The Time is Now to Reserve a Place at The Watermarkat Trinity, Assisted Living with a Difference!


hiring a qualified team to be part oftheir staff, which means that The Wa-termark at Trinity will be the best ofboth worlds.

The Watermark at Trinity Differ-ence: Assisted Living

Why choose The Watermark atTrinity? For one thing, they are creat-ing a beautiful environment in whichto live. Forget cramped, monotonousapartments that all look the same, Wa-termark understands and respects theirresidents and, in creating new neigh-borhoods for them, have listened towhat people prefer. We’re talkingabout apartments that have plenty ofnatural light, architectural and designelements that redefine what assistedliving looks like, and upgrades to im-press.

The grounds are going to be im-maculately kept, with lobbies, sittingareas and dining areas that give off theimpression of living in a resort. It willfeel that way too, as residents don’tneed to worry about cleaning, mainte-nance, grounds keeping or security.The staff also takes care of the house-keeping, laundry, linens and more. Allutilities are included as well, except forphone, Internet and cable, which canbe added easily and affordably. Thestaff at The Watermark at Trinity takescare of it all; with the goal of lettingthe residents simply enjoy their retire-ment!

Have I mentioned the food yet?Because the food at The Watermark atTrinity is bound to draw people in allby itself. No more cooking, no moredishes, The Watermark at Trinity hashired Chef Joshua Marlowe to createmenus that are not only healthy, butbeautiful and delicious as well. Theyeven offer room service!

Speaking of service, when you be-come a resident at The Watermark atTrinity, you now receive access to a

trained staff that is available if youshould need it, around the clock. Withthe staff acting as a liaison to your per-sonal physician, you and your familycan rest assured knowing that you arein good hands if the need for medicalattention arises.

While other assisted living centersaround the globe create a rigid sched-ule to follow, Watermark has a totallydifferent approach to assisted living.For example, in many places breakfastis served at a specific time and that’s it.Watermark believes that the commu-nity should adhere to your personalschedule and not the other wayaround. That means, if you like toenjoy your breakfast at 9:45 instead of7:30 or vice versa, that can easily bearranged. It’s the simple things, some-times, that make you feel at home.The Watermark at Trinity staff wantsto do more than make you feel athome, they want you to relax and letthem do the work. Don’t you deserveit?

Offering regularly scheduledtransportation, residents have access toplaces all over town, and The Water-mark at Trinity staff is excited about allof the fantastic events that they aregoing to be putting on the calendareach month.

Residents will have access to allkinds of exciting activities and classes.In fact, another unique program thatWatermark has created is their Water-mark University. Watermark Univer-sity offers classes in just aboutanything you can imagine, from jew-elry making to ballroom dancing, andfrom computer classes to classes whereyou can learn how to speak anotherlanguage like Spanish or even sign lan-guage! The best part about WatermarkUniversity is that they understand thattheir residents have a wealth of knowl-edge to share, and many residentsenjoy teaching classes about subjects

that they know alot about!

JenniferNaster is the SalesDirector who helpspeople find theirnew home at TheWatermark at Trin-ity. With manyyears of experienceworking for Water-mark, Jennifer said,“One of our resi-dents at anothercommunity taughta Watermark Uni-versity class onseashells. She was an expert on shellsand taught everyone about how shellsare used in everything from décor tomedicine. It was really interesting.”She added, “People love the opportu-nity to share what they know!”

The Watermark at Trinity RedefinesMemory Care

For the many people who sufferfrom memory loss, dementia orAlzheimer’s disease, it’s truly impor-tant to provide a homelike environ-ment that helps them feel happy, safe,secure and well provided for. The Wa-termark at Trinity has an entire floordedicated to Memory Care, and pro-grams that help each resident livehappy, fulfilled lives.

Have you ever heard of Nayas?The word, “Naya” is an ancient San-skrit word that means guide or personof wisdom, and The Watermark atTrinity will have many qualified Nayason hand to act as guides for the Mem-ory Care residents, guiding themthrough praise and approval. Water-mark Retirement Communities part-ners with the National Council ofDementia Practitioners to train theirNayas. People with dementia are oftenconfused, and Watermark has expertson hand to make sure that you or yourloved one is well taken care of at alltimes, focusing on what each residentcan do, instead of what has becomedifficult to do.

Just like with residents in AssistedLiving, the food provided to residentsin Memory Care is outstanding, nutri-tious and expertly prepared. Water-mark has even come up with acompletely unique way to provide nu-tritious meals to people who have adifficult time eating independently be-cause of cognitive or neuromuscularchallenges. This is their Thrive DiningProgram. In fact, they’ve revolution-ized the way people with cognitive or

physical disabilities eat by creatingtheir own version of “Grind Din-ing™”, which basically takes a healthy,nutritious meal, ground into handheldone or two-bite appetizer portions.It’s simple, it’s easy and it’s a fantasticsolution to helping those who wouldhave a much harder time eating nutri-tiously otherwise. This program givesconfidence to those individuals whoneed it most, and is unique to Water-mark.

Residents of Memory Care are ac-tive! That calendar is packed with funactivities that include many opportuni-ties that are tailor-made for each per-son to receive some type of physicalexercise. Watermark also uses music,art and dance to help people tap intotheir creative energy. Art is a wonder-ful way for people to communicate aswell.

Offering unique programs andamenities for the residents in MemoryCare, such as a Personal Pantry Pro-gram, which allows families to supplytheir favorite snacks and foods, to pro-viding outings that are typically un-heard of in memory careenvironments, The Watermark at Trin-ity promises to help each residentmake the very most of every day.

If you or someone you love is in-terested in moving to a place thattakes away the hassles and the chores,while providing a beautiful, safe, andexciting community to be part of,choose The Watermark at Trinity tocall home.

The Watermark at Trinity isbeing built at 1960 Blue Fox Way,Trinity, Florida 34655. For moreinformation, call 727-493-4536 orvisit their sales office just across thestreet at 10751 Maple Creek Drive,Suite 104, Trinity, FL 34655.To learn more, visit their website atwww.trinity.watermarkcommuni-ties.com.


TRINITY DENTAL CARETRINITY DENTAL CARE

Dr. S. Shayes - Dr. A. Eskandari

• 1843 Health Care Drive, Building #1Trinity, FL 34655

(at the corner of Mitchell Blv & Little Rd, behind Walgreens)

• 20729 Center Oak Drive, Tampa,FL 33647

www.trinitydentalcare.com

The patient and any other person responsible for payment has a right to refuse to pay, cancel payment or be reimbursed for payment for another service, examination or treatment which is per-formed as a result of and within 72 hours of responding to the advertisement for the free, discounted or reduced fee, service, examination or treatment.

New patients only. Cannot be used with insurance.Coupon needs to be presented at time of service.

NEW PATIENT SPECIAL

#DN15013#DN15492

(727) 372-2001Toll Free: 1-888-tooth AK

We perform the following procedures:- Preventive Dentistry- Crowns, Bridges- Dentures, Partials, Repairs- Tooth Colored Fillings- Gum Treatment- Nitrous Gas (Happy Gas)

- Root Canals- Teeth Whitening- Dentistry for Children

and Adolescence- etc.

$39.99

Exam (D0140)

and X-Ray (D0272 or D0220)

EXP. 3/31/2016. WEEKDAYS ONLY.

Saturday Appointments AvailableTWO Locations!

Exp. 3/31/2016. D1110. New patients only. Cannot becombined with insurance or any other offer.

Present coupon at time of service.

Exp. 3/31/2016. D2950 build up, x-ray, andexam NOT included. Cannot be combined

with insurance or any other offer.

$69.99

$655.00

NOW ACCEPTING

NEW PATIENTS

HEALTHY GUM CLEANING

CROWN (D2740)

Well, the old SAT Exam is nowhistory and students start taking thenew SAT Exam on Saturday, March5th. The new ACT Exam began thispast September. Both are now moredifficult than before.

The New SAT has five test sec-tions: Writing and Language, Read-ing, Math without Calculator, Mathwith Calculator, and Essay. The max-imum score 1600, with a maximumof 800 for the combination ofWriting and Language and Reading,and 800 for the combination of thetwo math sections. The Essay isscored separately.

Writing and Language is simi-lar to the old exam with more criticalthinking required. With my propri-etary, 35 page that is a “grammarcourse in a nutshell”, my studentsnormally dramatically improve theirscoring in this area because mosthave not had grammar since thesecond grade guide.

Reading is now only medium-length passages with related ques-tions. There are no formal “fill in theblanks” for vocabulary and no short

passages. But the vocabulary in thepassages used is “high-level”, and thethought processes to find the rightanswers are more like those foundin AP Language and Composition.With my special “vocabulary learn-ing” section, my students usuallydouble or triple the speed at whichthey can learn new words, and havefun doing it.

Math: Most of my students totell me that the Math without Calcu-lator section is harder than Mathwith Calculator. Both sections nowinclude solid geometry andtrigonometry. The average length ofa math question is six lines, withsome having twelve lines (by compar-ison, the average number of lines inamath question on the old exam wastwo lines). So students must be farbetter at interpreting word problemsand converting them into mathemat-ical formulas and figures. My propri-etary “quick solve” approach andexamples help my students quicklydetermine the type of math question,best solution strategy, translationinto a needed formula and/or figure,

and then detailed steps to get theright answer.

Essay: Every student shouldtake the “optional” Essay becausemost colleges require it. Rather thanuse the traditional “bottom up withincremental improvement” approachof most schools, I use a “top down”approach using an outstanding essay,deconstructing it with comments soa student can see the principles anddetails of how it is put together andwhy it is outstanding, and then thestudent applies this to another essayassignment. The result is very rapidimprovement.

The New ACT: Not to be out-done by the SAT, the ACT Examalso changed this year by adding amore difficult Essay that gives a state-ment and then three perspectives.The student must analyze the state-ment, develop a position, and showhow that position relates to the threeperspectives with detailed examples.We use the same “deconstruct, learn,and reconstruct” approach with aproprietary format I have developedas a professional writer.

More students are now focusingon the ACT Exam because it isequally acceptable to colleges as theSAT, is a known quantity for scoringand correlations to later perform-ance, and colleges do not requireadditional SAT Subject Tests (usuallytwo) when a student submits theACT Exam results. I also tutor a“combination” course that has greatsavings compared to taking the ACTand SAT Prep Classes separately.

More Information: Please feelfree to contact me about the SATPrep Class, ACT Prep Class, or mySAT/ACT Combination Class thatsaves 15 class hours from takingthem separately, at 727-253-0639or [email protected]. All mystudents and parents receive mysupplement, “Negotiating withColleges”, that has helped manyparents save $1,000 to $10,000 ayear in college costs.

Dr. Wayne Adams is one of theleading SAT and ACT tutors in thecountry. His students normally im-prove 150 – 250 points on the newSAT superscore, and 4 – 7 points on

The New SAT And ACT Exams


the new ACT composite. They havebeen admitted to eight of the topten universities in the country, fifteenof the top twenty-five, and manyschools in Florida. These schoolsinclude Harvard, Yale, Princeton,Columbia, Stanford, U Chicago,Duke, U Penn, Johns Hopkins,Cornell, Notre Dame, Emory, UCBerkley, UCLA, USC, UNC (ChapelHill), NYU, Northeastern (Boston),Boston College, Georgia Tech, AirForce and Merchant Marine ServiceAcademies, Penn State, LSU,Auburn, UF, U Miami, FSU, USF,

UCF, Florida Atlantic, Florida GulfCoast, FIU, New College of Florida,Stetson, and Julliard – Manhattan -New England - and Berkley Conser-vatories of Music. Many have re-ceived academic, athletic, or musicscholarships. He is a former Deanof a Graduate School of Businessand Full Professor, and began collegeteaching at the University of Mary-land in 1968. He has degrees andadvanced studies at Harvard, Yale,Vanderbilt, Columbia International,and Luther Rice.


January 12, 2010 marked thedate that Haiti was devastated by a7.0 magnitude earthquake, leaving220,000 people dead and 300,000injured with little hope for medicalaid. The world watched and grievedwith Haiti, and one group in TampaBay joined in the efforts to bring aidto Haiti. Six years later, People ForHaiti (PFH), a Tampa Bay Area based

non-profit medical mission is stillmaking a difference in Haiti. OnJanuary 12th, 2016, in honor of theearthquake anniversary, People ForHaiti launched a fundraiser to helpcontinue mission trips. The averagecost of patient care is just $5 per per-son. PFH is asking that people visitthe website (www.peopleforhaiti.com)or the People For Haiti Facebook

page to help the organization tocontinue to bring aid to the Haiti.

Created on January 28, 2010 bytwo local doctors from the Tampa Bayarea, PFH has completed 31 missiontrips with volunteers from the medicalprofession, as well as ordinary citizenswith the common goal to help theHaitian people. During these missiontrips, the doctors and nurses volun-

teering with PFH has administeredfree medical care to over 33,000Haitian citizens, and have performedhundreds of free surgeries and savedcountless lives. PFH receives donatedgoods and medicine on a regular basisthat they hand carry to Haiti. In Aprilof this 2015, PFH treated a babynamed Myson, who was in criticalcondition due to a congenital heart

People for Haiti – The Work Continues Six Years After Disaster

People for Haiti is a non-profit organization founded six years age by two local doctors


condition. Our President of ClinicOperations, Christine Hashim, tookthe baby to four different hospitals inPort Au Prince. He was finally sent tohave surgery in Grand Cayman. Weare pleased to report that he made itthrough the surgery and is thrivingand getting stronger every day!

This year, EKO Devices donateda state of the art digital stethoscopeto use on their patients. This allowsdoctors to virtually diagnose patients.They can take vital signs, uploadthem, and send them over to special-ists in the United States for a consul-tation. A goal of People For Haiti isto set up virtual kiosks so that PFHstaff can communicate with Haitianmedical personnel when they are notin Haiti. This is a first step towardthat goal and is a wonderful tool forthem.

About People For Haiti: PeopleFor Haiti is a Tampa based non-profitorganization that administers freehealth care to the Haitian people ona regular basis. Its founders, Dr. LeoVieira and his wife Guiga Vieira, andDr. Robert Ferreira felt helpless whenthey heard the unfathomable newsthat January day in 2010. Despitemany obstacles, the two doctors

found their way to Haiti, while Guigainitiated grassroots support fromhome. Their hearts were united andwithin them arose a dream. Today,People for Haiti travels to Haiti 4-5times a year on medical and surgicalmission trips.

The organization is now led byTammy Denbo, Christine Hashimand Dr. Lonnie Klein. Tammy Denbois former Tampa Bay Buccaneerscheerleader and an attorney at law.Tammy was so inspired by her missiontrips with PFH, that she went back toschool to get a medical education andshe recently graduated as a paramedic.Now, she feels she can be of moreassistance on her trips to Haiti. Sheloves that former Buccaneers cheer-leaders continue to join her in Haiti.Christine Hashim, a nurse anesthetistand nurse practitioner from New PortRichey, presides over all of the clinicaloperations for the group includingproviding 24-hour call access formedical problems. Lonnie Klein, MDserves as the board’s Medical Direc-tor. Lonnie is a Tampa Bay urologistwho has been on several mission trips.

PFH volunteers come from allwalks of life. Doctors, nurses, lawyers,news reporters, housewives, students,

teachers, professional cheerleadersand more join PFH on mission trips.The volunteers pay for their owntravel and board. There are no paidemployees and 100% of donations toPeople For Haiti go towards medicineand medical supplies for mission trips.

Though the earthquake hap-pened six years ago, PFH missionariesare continually given vivid remindersof this tragedy. Its ghosts lurk inevery corner, the thousands of grave-stones a stark reminder. In six yearstime, roads have been rebuilt, build-ings are slowly being resurrected, and

life continues to go on. But, there isstill a long way to go, and people arestill suffering immensely and unneces-sarily. PFH’s hope is that the Haitianpeople will one day be able to offerquality healthcare to their people ontheir own. Until that time, the organ-ization is going there to offer aid,teach and support in any way possi-ble. PFH’s goal is to train and equipthe people of Haiti to one day, standon their own feet again. Until then,People For Haiti hopes to offer themstrength through renewed health.


Patient Advocate Services, Inc.(PASi), a 501(c)(3) non-profit lo-cated in New Port Richey, wasfounded by Kim Petro McCrum afterexperiencing many of the problemscommon to patients dealing withthe health care systems. The non-profit was formed to improve the ex-perience of patients overwhelmed byillness and medical bills.

The US has a very complicatedmedical billing system - with 68,000different codes that are both compli-cated and time consuming for any-one trying to understand thecomplexities. Eighty percent ofmedical bills that are generated bymedical providers contain errors, ac-cording to Medical Billing Advocatesof America and 60 percent of allbankruptcies are due to medical bills,according to NerdWallet, and out ofthat 60 percent, 70 percent havehealth insurance.

The US healthcare system,according to the World HealthOrganization, ranks 37th in qualityof healthcare, but ranks in at numbertwo for having one of the most ex-pensive healthcare systems.

PASi strives to provide assistanceto patients of all ages, their familiesand caregivers, in managing theirmedical bills and providing referralsto patients who need specializedadvice or assistance. Even thoughthe Affordable Care Act has at-tempted to address some of the defi-ciencies in the healthcare system, ithas fallen short of correcting manyof the problems that frustrate pa-tients and continue to force othersinto bankruptcy.

PASi Introduces Wellness Program A Mayo Clinic study showed

that 70 percent of Americans take atleast one prescription drug on a reg-ular basis, while 50 percent take twoor more. In addition to PASi’s pri-mary goal of helping patients withmedical billing problems and refer-rals, it also strives to promote goodhealth and a healthy lifestyle. To thisend, PASi recently introduced amember-based wellness program.Membership in the PASi WellnessProgram entitles members to takeadvantage of a variety of holisticand/or alternative treatments. There

is a perfect opportunity coming up tofind out more in person: PASi invitesyou to its Wellness Program Meet& Greet on February 24th at 6:30p.m., which is being held at TrinityUltimate Fitness, located at 11108Challenger Avenue in Odessa, FL.

PASi’s desire to help individualsimprove their health by participating inthe Wellness Program stems from thehope that by improving health, we canall rely less on the healthcare system.

Working tirelessly to accomplishthe goals of PASi is President KimPetro McCrum, along with thenewly elected Board, Vice-PresidentDayna Stiteler, Treasurer CharleneFinerty, Secretary Sandra Petro Hart,and Directors-at-Large, ChetPietras and Renee Mays. The team atPASi strives to promote and improvethe Wellness Program, along with theother services offered. Working toutilize their varied areas of expertise– including accounting, nursing, in-surance and business – the PASi teamhelps patients understand complexand often confusing medical invoices,Explanation of Benefit forms, reim-bursement forms and other docu-

ments, so that PASi can provide thebest advice and referrals to help pa-tients, families and caregivers whencontacting medical providers, facili-ties and hospitals. PASi helps pa-tients with problems such as billingerrors, overcharging, double charges,and services billed but not provided,as well as where and how to obtainspecialized services depending onindividual need.

Patient Advocate Services, Inc.(PASi) can be contacted by phoneat 727-372-0567 or by email [email protected] more information about PASiand the services provided, log onto patientadvocateservices.org.

PATIENT ADVOCATE SERVICES, INC. Strives to Help Patients with Health Insurance and Medical Billing Problems


Homebound Heroes: Helping Our Veterans, One Home at a Time!By Matthew Selby

It’s not everyday you meet some-one who has a selfless mission to helpothers in need with no desire to linehis own pockets. We’ve all becomeincreasingly aware of so called charitiesthat although may do some good, doso at the expense of making their own-ers and operators rich in the process.Roy “Bucky” Shell isn’t built that way.He saw too many of his friends comeback from serving our country over-seas only to be stuck battling a never-ending inner war. After carefulconsideration upon what Buckywanted to do for our Veterans, hecame up with an idea. He decided tostart Homebound Heroes, a privatelyfunded, non-profit organization thatprovides mortgage-free homes toreturning War Veterans.

“Homebound Heroes is some-thing I’m very proud of,” says Bucky.“It’s only in the beginning stages, butit has a huge potential. My goal is toeventually get it to a point where wecan help hundreds of Veterans; we justneed to get the word out. We are

dedicated to providing mortgage-freehomes to returning War Veterans whohave served our country. A majority ofour returning heroes suffer from mul-tiple levels of PTSD and have found itvery difficult to make the transitionback to a civilian lifestyle. Home-bound Heroes was created to helprelieve the pressure as they make oneof the biggest investments of theirlives. By providing a house for thesebrave veterans we can help them adaptto their next mission of succeeding inAmerica and turning their new houseinto a home.”

PTSD is an overwhelmingly big

problem for a large percentage of ourveterans. It’s crippling for many, leav-ing them a shell of their former selves.Our heroes need help! Fed up withthe lack of help our servicemen andwomen were receiving, Bucky decidedto do something about it.

Bucky was especially upset withorganizations who claim to be “all infor Vets” but really are just all in fortheir salary. This is not the case withHomebound Heroes. HomeboundHeroes is committed to ensuring thatover 90% of all received donationsgoes directly towards providing mort-gage-free housing for our Veterans.

Homebound Heroes is currentlyworking on providing two local Veter-ans with a mortgage-free home –Michael Yancey, a Veteran of the Army

National Guard and Marine BobbyMalina.

Michael YanceyMichael joined the Army Na-

tional Guard in July of 2003 thenwent to basic training and advancedindividual training. In the summerof 2005 his unit was put on alertthat they were going to be deployingto Iraq. During his first tour he tookon many responsibilities. Fromdefending Abu Ghraib prison andtaking control of all detainees insidethe facility to PSD (personal securitydetail) to convoy security.

After returning home just acouple days before Christmas 2006Michael started doing his weekenddrill with his unit, which he contin-


ued for the next few years. Then, inearly summer 2009 he was informedthat the 53rd Infantry combatbrigade was going to be deployingagain and needed volunteers. “Imade the decision to volunteer andby early 2010 I was on a planeheaded overseas again,” saysMichael. “Our mission was fob secu-rity at camp Patriot Kuwait. We werein charge of convoy security for allammunition and explosives comingfrom our military boats going tothe ammunition holding area.”

“I saw many things that havechanged my perception on life,” saysMichael. “I am thankful for my un-derstanding wife and my beautifuldaughter. Joining the military wasone of the best decisions I havemade. It gave me a new sense ofconfidence and pride.”

Bobby MalinaGrowing up in Palm Harbor,

Bobby has been an athlete his entirelife. All County his senior year forfootball, Bobby was voted on thePinellas County All Star Team. Bobbyhad scholarship offers to play collegefootball, but in March of 2003, just afew months before graduation, theUnited States of America declared waron Iraq. After that he didn’t feel col-lege was a top priority anymore andthe following weekend he went to therecruiting station and stood outsidefor a few minutes and thought, “TheMarines say they’re the best of thebest; let’s do this.” Bobby went toboot camp in October 2003 and wasmeritoriously promoted to PFC (pri-vate first class; E-2, the rank aboveprivate) for superior work before grad-uation in January 2004.

In his military career, Bobby

deployed three times and has been on200+ convoys, 200+ security patrols(mounted/dismounted), and has es-corted EODs to many weapon caches.On his 2nd tour to Iraq his vehiclewas blown up by IED’s twice onOct. 8, 2005 and Oct. 17, 2005.Bobby is very lucky to be alive.

After returning home his 3rd timeBobby got out of the Marines. In thattime the VA diagnosed him withPTSD and TBI (traumatic Brain In-jury) from the explosions.

“I didn’t think I needed to seekhelp until after a blackout where mybrother told me I was going house tohouse in my neighborhood trying toclear them, calling for air strikes, andtalking to people that weren’t there,”says Bobby. “Luckily I have a veryunderstanding wife who tries tounderstand what I have been through.We just take it one day at a time andtry not to dwell on the things thatdon’t go our way. I’m just happy I’mstill alive and have the chance to seemy son grow up.”

Nominate a HeroFor a minimum $20 donation,

you can nominate yourself or a fellowVeteran. A form is provided on their

website. If you are nominating your-self, please fill out all sections. If youare nominating a fellow Veteran,please fill out as many of the sectionsas you can.

Bucky says, “Our mission is toserve the brave men and women thathave served our country to protectour freedoms.”

If you have the ability to helpone of our heroes in need, anydonation helps. For more informa-tion or to make a donation, pleasevisit HomeBoundHeroes.com, call(727) 638-4418, or [email protected].


great for special occasion parties andthose nights when you just want toget out of the house. People love todine at Mystic Fish for all occasionsand the reasons are clear: Manage-ment and the service staff are alwayson point; you are greeted with a smile;and reserved tables are ready on arrivalor very shortly afterward. Menu itemsare prepared with exceptionally freshingredients that come from localproviders. Most of the staff has beenwith the company long-term and allstaff members are trained, knowledge-able about the menu and wine selec-tions and eager to answer anyquestions you have.

Mystic Fish’s chefs create delec-table menu items and features that arebeyond delicious! The menu has a lineup of shining stars such as the signa-ture Panko Crusted Hogfish served ona soy beurre blanc, and BronzedChilean Sea Bass with hijiki sauce.Seafood is fresh caught and local blackgrouper always has tasty preparationscreated by Chef Bebell. Some otherdivine choices include Kona CrustedRib Eye, Filet of Bison, Paella and

Bouillabaisse. The menu truly has something

for everyone. New customer Jazz says,“Having recently moved to the TampaBay Area, it is fun discovering newplaces to eat. The food and servicewere outstanding. My server Zach wasprofessional, knowledgeable, friendlyand provided timely outstanding serv-ice. The ambiance of this fine restau-rant is warm and inviting with theadded touch of the manager stoppingby my table to insure my dining expe-rience was going well. I love seafoodand Mystic Fish did not disappoint mewith its delectable mussels andBronzed Chilean Sea Bass. Mystic Fishhas been added to my favorite restau-rant list. I will gladly recommend Mys-tic Fish to family and friends, and Ilook forward to future dining experi-ences here.”

Having 20 small plates to choosefrom along with vegetable plates,soups, salads and one of the best ham-burgers in the county allows for greatvariety if you choose not to go with anentrée. The grilled octopus draws ravereviews, even from the Tarpon Springscommunity, who know their octopuslike nobody else. Coldwater oystersare on the menu when available, alongwith fresh PEI mussels.

The full liquor bar offers high toptable service and impeccable hand-crafted cocktails, all-American craftbeers and a nice wine menu. The barand high top tables offer drink andsmall plate specials all night long. Barand high top specials run daily until 7p.m., with $2.50 well drinks andhouse wine, plus $5 martini specialsand $5 small plates.

Early diners can enjoy early din-

ner specials (salmon, chicken, shrimpcake, short ribs, shrimp pasta andcod) daily from 4:30 to 5:15 p.m.with happy hour running until 6:30p.m. Early menu items are just as de-licious as the traditional dinner menuentrées and provide a great bang foryour buck!

A frequent diner remarked, “I’vebeen here several times and have beenimpressed each time so I keep coming

“Mystic Fish”Continued from page 1


back and recommending Mystic Fishto friends. The early bird specials arewonderful – where else can you get aglass of wine for under $3? But whatkeeps me coming back is the deliciousand interesting array of entrees andappetizers. The desserts are a perfectsize and absolutely priced right. I’malready looking forward to my nextvisit.”

Please call ahead for reservationsor if you will be arriving close to clos-ing time and the Mystic Fish crew willgladly accommodate your party. Or,call and order your selections to go

and dine-in at home. Private luncheonhours can be arranged from 11 a.m. to3 p.m. and Mystic Fish is a greatvenue for a bridal or baby shower, of-fice celebrations, and parties of alltypes.

Mystic Fish is located at 3253Tampa Road in Palm Harbor. Itopens at 4:30 p.m., 7 days a week;late dining is available on Mon. –Sat., with an 8 p.m. closing timeon Sun. Reservations are highlyrecommended. Visitwww.3BestChefs.com or call (727)771-1800 for more information.Follow Mystic Fish on Facebook


East Lake Fire Rescue (Officiallythe East Lake Tarpon Special FireControl District) is honored to servethe East Lake area communities byproviding excellent public safety serv-ices to our citizens and visitors. Withthree stations and 38 personnel, EastLake Fire Rescue provides all hazardsemergency services to over 30,000residents in a 33-square-mile area. Allemergency personnel are trained asboth firefighters and paramedics orEMTs. East Lake Fire Rescue is aSpecial District as defined in FloridaState Statute 189.403.

East Lake Fire Rescue’s annualbudget for fiscal year 2015-2016 is$6.219 million, funded from an advalorem tax of 1.9765 mils, one of thelowest rates in Pinellas County. Theelected Board of Fire Commission ac-tually lowered the millage rate fromthe previous year’s 1.98 to adjust forstrong gains in property values. Dis-trict revenue also comes from a con-tract with Pinellas County to provideAdvanced Life Support First Respon-

der services and wildland fire coveragefor a large portion of Brooker CreekPreserve.

East Lake Fire Rescue ran 3,017calls in fiscal year 2015. These callsfell into the following categories:

Medical Emergencies – 1,422;Cardiac Arrests – 19; Vehicle Crashes– 201; Fire Alarms – 287; Injuries /Trauma – 581; Structure Fires – 109;Other Fire Rescue Responses – 385;Aeromedical Upgrades – 9; WildlandFires – 4.

In addition to emergency re-sponses, East Lake Fire Rescue pro-vides a variety of prevention and riskreduction services, including:

• Annual safety inspections of allcommercial occupancies

• Annual testing of all fire hy-drants

• Plans review of all proposedconstruction for Life Safety Codecompliance

• Monthly CPR classes• Touch-A-Truck events

East Lake Fire Rescue holds sev-eral community focused events eachyear, including an annual 5K run forcharity, the Santa Truck program, andan Open House / Safety Day.

Find more information on theEast Lake Fire District – including thefull annual report, our strategic planand our budget – on our website,www.elfr.org. You can also find us(and like us!) on Facebook.

East Lake Fire Rescue – Meet Your Fire DepartmentTom Jamison, Fire Chief

East Lake Fire Commission:Paul Ferreri, Tom McKone, David Root, Randy Burr, and Tom McQueen

Tom Jamison, Fire Chief


HERITAGE SPRINGS

CHAMPIONS CLUB OF TRINITY

$199,900 Wow! 1799 Htd Sq. Ft.3/2/2. This home has living &dining rooms w/carpet kitchenw/pantry closet and breakfastnook area. Large master bedroomw/two walk in closets, 3rdbedroom or den w/designer stylelaminate flooring. Great lanai witha park like setting.

2164 Htd Sq. Ft. 3/2/2 - Formal LV& Dining rooms, Kitchen w/woodcabinets overlooks family room,enclosed lanai w/tile flooring,fabulous views of the golf course!$260,000.

4/3/3 - Entertainersdelight w/90 degreesliding doors to pool& fireplace w/largeserene views ofnature $600,000

3/3/3+/office - Pristinecondition w/manyupgrades & pond &golf course views$600,000


holistic dog food in Pinellas County,and we’ve taken extra steps to hirepeople who are knowledgeable aboutour many different animals.”

Together with their sons, Ryanand Eric, the Murphy family is excitedto open a local business. Already a partof the community, Pets “N” Moresponsors East Lake and Oldsmar LittleLeague teams, as well as supportingthe local high school football teams,including Countryside and East Lake.

Steve says, “We are involved inour community, and want to be yourneighborhood pet store.”

Pets “N” More Knows MoreAbout Pets!

Taking more than a year to turntheir dream into a reality, Steve andRaine took every effort to make intoa fun and safe environment for theiranimals and their customers. Theyeven went the extra mile, using theirexperience in the field of air condition-ing, to completely update their airconditioning system by putting in newunits as well as a special air filtrationsystem to reduce odors and bacteria

in the air. It’s clear that they reallytook every effort to make sure that theair in the store would be comfortable,clean and safe for all of the animalsand their families.

Customer Debby Ordes said,“Very nice store! Friendly staff, helpfuland fun to see all the different animals…priced fairly and in clean safe envi-ronments. Cool to take the kidsthere!”

Their aquatic section is truly adelight, with a custom waterfall tohouse their aquatic plants, and anotherthat is home to the entertaining archerfish. People come in to wanderaround and look at the many varietiesof fish, from beta fish to glow fish andthe many kinds in between.

Steve explains, “When it came toprotecting the fish, we created custom,individual tank systems to insure thesafety of the fish. While most storeshave 1 or 2 tank systems, we have 10tank systems with 110 tanks!”

There are more than a few feath-ered friends at Pets “N” More, in fact,for many people, the store provides arare opportunity to get up close andpersonal to some really exotic birds!At the time this article was written,they had a lesser bare-eyed cockatoo

that was really beautiful. Rainesaid, “Our lesser bare-eyedcockatoo is such a sweetheart.One of the sweetest, and mostloving birds I've ever handled.”They also had a yellow-napedAmazon parrot, cockatiels andmore.

Another customer, RyanMoore, said, “First visit was sogood that I’m back again. Greatproduct selection, good prices,and amazing customer service!Definitely beats the big boxstores in every way possible.”

In addition to birds and fish,Pets “N” More also has a varietyof other pets to choose, frombunnies to hamsters, turtles toferrets, dogs to cats! We’re talk-ing iguanas, snakes, chameleons,geckos, pigs, hamsters, andadding more variety all the time.No matter your pet preference,you can meet all their needs atPets “N” More!

Dogs & Cats Love Pets “N” More!Our dogs and our cats are super

important to us, which is why Pets“N” More offers more than 30 feet ofretail space devoted to collars and

leashes, an entire section devoted togrooming supplies, plus an impressiveselection of toys, bones and treats.There is a great selection of animalbeds that would make any kitty orpooch sleep like a baby, and if you

“Pets “N” More”Continued from page 1

Owners Raine & Steve Murphy with theirson Eric and newly adopted dog Cookie


have a cat, you’ll love the cat condos. Conscientious pet owners know

the importance of proper nutrition andso does Pets “N” More. The store hasan entire room devoted to dog food,including raw, refrigerated optionsand holistic, grain-free food.

Locals are really excited about thedog grooming center at Pets “N”More, which offers a nice array ofgrooming options ranging from bathsand trims to nail and coat painting.You can make appointments with thegroomer, Lauren Flora, right on thewebsite, petsnmorepinellas.com.Lauren has more than seven years of

grooming experience, and graduatedfrom Academy of Animal Arts inLargo.

Marquis Williams has one of hispets groomed at Pets “N” More, andsaid, “I love coming to this store - veryfriendly and welcoming when you walkin. I come and visit at least once aweek when I’m out on my walks. Gotmy dog groomed by their groomer,Lauren, and Saku looked perfect.”

Customers really love the varietyof products, and the fact that the staffis so engaging. They greet you at thedoor and personally help you findwhatever it is you’re looking for. If

they don’t have something in stock,they’re happy to order it for you!

Pets “N” More offers theircustomers a free loyalty card, whichearns them a 5% savings on everythingthey buy; senior citizens earn 10% offtheir purchases when they shop onTuesdays. Pets “N” More providescoupons through its website andFacebook page, where you also stayupdated on upcoming events andclasses on topics such as animal care

and dog training! Pets “N” More is located at

3416 East Lake Road in PalmHarbor and is open Mon. – Sat.,9 a.m.–8 p.m., and 11 a.m.–5 p.m.on Sun. For more information, callPets “N” More at 727-785-5555or log on to the website:www.petsnmorepinellas.com.“Like” Pets “N” More Pinellas onFacebook for updates on their pets,promotions, and events!

east lake - vol. 9, issue 2, february 2016

Documents