wesley chapel issue 04-13

many proposals we’ll have to look at.”Two separate listings currently

appear on the county’s solicitation web-site, one for the design of the park, andone for its management, operation andmaintenance.

Stromer says that with both listingsout at the same time, it will be easierfor the designer and operator to com-municate with each other, as well aswith the county, to put together a planthat works for the Fields.

“This will make the process runmore smoothly,” Stromer says. “It’smuch easier having (the designer andoperator) working together.”

He says that it will be much moreefficient than having a design in placeand then having to find an operator, orvice versa.

The County has several require-ments that it will be looking to satisfywhen considering design proposals.

By Matt Wiley

The search is on for which compa-nies will construct and operate theplanned “Fields At Wiregrass” project,which received the go-ahead fromPasco County last November.

The bidding opened on January15 for the sports complex project,which will be built with $14 million inCounty tourism funds on more than200 acres of land inside the WiregrassRanch DRI (Development of Regional

Impact) that has been donated by thePorter family. Companies interested inboth designing the complex and main-taining and operating it have until Feb-ruary 15 to submit their proposals.

Although the bidding period hasbeen open for nearly three weeks (as ofour press time), Pasco purchasing direc-tor Scott Stromer says that not manybids have yet been submitted.

“We won’t see many bids until thelast few days,” Stromer explains.“That’s when we’ll get a feel for how

Bidding Opens For Design & Operation Of ‘Fields At Wiregrass’

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 4 • February 9, 2013 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com 1

Volume 21Issue 4

February 9, 2013

WESLEY CHAPEL: Aberdeen • Belle Chase • Brookside • Chapel Pines • Country Walk • Lexington Oaks • Meadow Pointe • New River • Northwood • Pinewalk • Pine Ridge • Saddlebrook • Saddleridge Estates • Saddlewood • Seven Oaks • Lakes at Northwood • The Villages of Wesley Chapel • Wesley Pointe • Westbrook Estates • Williamsburg

NEW TAMPA: Arbor Greene • Cory Lake Isles • Cross Creek • Grand Hampton • Heritage Isles • Hunter’s Green • Hunter’s Key • K-Bar Ranch • Lake Forest • Live Oak Preserve • Pebble Creek • Richmond Place • Tampa Palms • West Meadows

NEIGHBORHOOD MAGAZINE!

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NEWS, BUSINESS, SPORTS &EDUCATION UPDATES

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Pages 1-24

The Direct-Mail News Magazines Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Since 1993!THIS INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY NEWS MAGAZINE IS DIRECTLY MAILED TO:

By Gary Nager

With several dozen peoplecrammed into every nook and cranny ofhis new district office in the professionalpark on S.R. 54, just east of SaddlebrookResort, Dist. 12 U.S. Congressman GusBilirakis (R - Palm Harbor) has actual-ly opened two new offices, including thisone, his first-ever in Wesley Chapel.

“I previously represented the 9thCongressional District, which didn’tinclude this area,” Bilirakis said duringthe Wesley Chapel open house on Janu-ary 30. “Now, I represent all of PascoCounty, so we decided to open newoffices in New Port Richey and WesleyChapel, so our local constituents inthose areas can better reach us.” The12th District also includes parts ofnorthern Pinellas and northern Hills-borough counties, including the parts ofNew Tampa, north of Tampa Palms.

Among the dignitaries on hand atthe Wesley Chapel open house was

Pasco County District 5 CommissionerJack Mariano, as well as Roger Mitchell,the regional president of the FleetReserve Association (FRA), a Congres-sionally chartered, non-profit organiza-tion that represents the interests of theSea Service community (e.g., the U.S.Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard),especially the enlisted members of thoseforces, before the U.S. Congress.

Mitchell said Rep. Bilirakis, who isthe Vice-Chairman of the House Veter-ans’ Affairs Committee, Chairman ofthe Veterans’ Affairs Task Force for theRepublican Policy Committee and Co-Chair of the Military Veterans Caucus,earned the recognition, “by a unani-mous vote,” because of his “service toall U.S. military veterans.”

Rep. Bilirakis, who didn’t know hewas even nominated, was obviouslytouched by the honor and gladlydonned an FRA garrison hat given tohim by Mitchell.

“I will cherish this award,” he said.

“I know the goodwork that the FRAdoes on behalf ofour (sea) servicemen and women.”

Rep. Bilirakissaid that as the113th Congressbegins its work thismonth, there are,“many tough timesahead, and toughdecisions that haveto be made” tohelp pull the coun-try out of its cur-rent economic woes. He added that he,“welcomes the input of every con-stituent,” so that he can make his deci-sions on some of the country’s most crit-ical issues, “based on what the residentsof the 12th District say they want.”

In other words, Rep. Bilirakis wantsyour input on any of the issues comingbefore Congress and he says the best

way to contacthim is by email-ing him fromhis website,B i l i r a k i s .House.gov. “Isee every letter and email sent to me,”he said. “And I want to hear from you!”

Rep. Bilirakis’ Wesley Chapeloffice (5901 Argerian Dr., Suite 102)is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.For more info, call 501-4942.

Congressman Bilirakis Opens Two New Offices, One In Wesley Chapel

See “Bidding” on page 9.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis(above, l.) was honored

by the Fleet Reserve Assn.(right) at the Grand

Opening of the Congress-man’s new office off S.R.

54 in Wesley Chapel.

This possible site plan for the “Fields at Wire-grass” has not been approved by Pasco County.

2 For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 4 • February 9, 2013 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com

As I write this edito-rial, I am excited to saythat there are only eight

weeks until the 20th annual Taste ofNew TampaTM will be held in PrimrosePark, located behind the PrimroseSchool and across Commerce Park Blvd.in Tampa Palms from Freedom Highand Liberty Middle School.

The 2013 Taste will be held onSunday, March 24, noon-6 p.m., andit truly promises to be the biggest andbest year ever of New Tampa’s signatureone-day event, especially if everyone inWesley Chapel who reads this editorialalso participates — whether as a sponsor,business exhibitor, food or beverageprovider, volunteer or attendee.

More than 700 local businessesalready have received emails from usabout the Taste and the Board membersof the New Tampa Chamber of Com-merce — which puts on this event everyyear — are busy contacting as manybusinesses as possible as well. As I haveso many times in years past, especiallybefore the now-defunct New TampaCommunity Council (which wasreplaced by the Chamber six years ago)hosted the Taste, I have been keepingmyself busy visiting as many restaurantowners in person as I can to ensure thatwe make my goal of between 40-50restaurants who will provide samples oftheir respective cuisines to this year’sTaste attendees.

In order to entice more restaurantparticipation, I convinced the Chamber

Board to provide reimbursement for thecost of the food the restaurants provideby reducing the cost of admission to the2013 Taste to only $5 per adult (andchildren older than age 12) if you buyyour tickets in advance (we willannounce all of the presale locations inour next issue) because we’re going to,for the first time ever, also charge atten-dees $1 per Taste (although somerestaurants may charge more than $1per Taste for providing larger samples).The restaurants will get to keep 50 centsof each $1 ticket they redeem at the endof the event.

The cost of admission goes up to$10 per adult the day of the Taste, soyou’ll definitely want to get your admis-sion tickets in advance. Children ages 12and younger will still get in for free, butwill still also be charged per taste.

I’m not going to announce any ofthe participating restaurants until nextissue, but rest assured, there will be sig-nificantly more and some more upscalerestaurants this year than last, as manyrestaurateurs and beverage providers arepretty pumped up to be part of the 20thannual Taste!

And, don’t forget that also for salefor $1 per taste this year will be beer andwine samples from some of your favoritebeverage providers.

Big-Time Entertainment, Too!The 2013 Taste also will feature a

“Battle of the Bands” and the day’sheadline act will be the band Big Broth-er, whose Facebook.com page says, “hasbeen rockin’ since 1982.” The groupapparently has a great followingthroughout the Tampa Bay area and alsotours out of state.

First-Come, Best-Served!First-Come, Best-Served!So, now is the time to act if you’ve

been thinking about attending or partic-

Gearing Up For The 20th Annual ‘Taste’ On March 24!ipating as a sponsor or exhibitor for thisyear’s Taste of New TampaTM. Tastebusiness booths start at just $200 forNew Tampa Chamber members and youcan join the Chamber anytime betweennow and March 10 and still be eligibleto have a booth at the Taste.

You also can be a Taste sponsor foras little as $500, which allows you tobring an advertising vehicle to the event.All sponsors and participating restaurantswill get to park their advertising vehiclesin designated areas around the perimeterof the Taste, so that as attendees walk upto the entrance, they will be able to seeyour advertising message. We also are

offering many other higher sponsorshiplevels, each with more goodies and free-bies to help promote your business atthe New Tampa area’s historically best-attended one-day event.

For more information aboutTaste sponsorships & business & res-taurant exhibitor booths, visit Taste-NewTampa.NewTampaChamber.orgor NewTampaChamber.org, or callthe Chamber’s executive assistantJayne Baker at 293-2464. Our officemanager Nikki Bennett also will behappy to send you Taste applicationsif you call our office at 910-2575. Buthurry! You won’t want to miss it!


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

Website: WCNeighborhoodNews.comAdv. E-mail: [email protected]

Editorial E-mail:[email protected]

Publisher & Editor Gary Nager

Assistant Editor/PhotographerMatt Wiley

CorrespondentsCamille Gillies • Bonnie Mason • Kathleen Schiop

General ManagerNikki Bennett

Marketing DirectorAshley Knoblach

Senior Graphic DesignerPorsha Lemos

Advertising Sales Rep.Taylor Gardner

Nothing that appears in Wesley Chapel Neighbor-hood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or inpart, without permission. Opinions expressed by WesleyChapel Neighborhood News writers are their own and donot reflect the publisher’s opinion.

The deadline for outside editorial submissionsand ads for Volume 21, Issue 6, of Wesley ChapelNeighborhood News is Monday, March 4, 2013.

Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News will considerpreviously non-published outside editorial submissions ifthey are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words.Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News reserves the right toedit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions andmakes no guarantees regarding publication dates.

Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News will not returnunsolicited editorial materials.

Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News reserves the rightto edit &/or reject any advertising. Wesley Chapel Neigh-borhood News is not responsible for errors in advertisingbeyond the actual cost of the advertising space itself, norfor the validity of any claims made by its advertisers.

© 2013 JM2 Communications, Inc.

Table of ContentsLOCAL NEWS, BUSINESS, EDUCATION & SPORTS UPDATES....................................Pages 1-24

Wesley Chapel News Briefs ................................................6Gas Leak Causes Evacuation, Road Closures WC Sweetbay Locations To Remain OpenPratico Lands Large Land Deal In K-Bar Ranch

Hog Hunt In Flatwoods Bags Nearly 70 Feral Hogs...........10Wesley Chapel Community Calendar........................12-13

Local Business Updates...................................14-21Lee Nails Provides The Spa Treatment..................................14Lose That Weight With Tampa Rejuvenation ......................16Budget Blinds Has Your Windows Covered.........................18

Local Education & Sports Updates.............20-24WC Teachers Are Pasco ‘Teacher Of The Year’ Finalists.......20WRH Is ‘Apple Distinguished’ School..................................21WCH & WRH Get New Football Coaches.........................22WRH Girls Are District Soccer Champs!..............................23

Neighborhood MagazineCharles Jewelers Is New Tampa’s V-Day HQ!......................25 Suncoast Arts Fest Attracts Artists From Across Nation.......26Tampa Bay Lightning Staying Hot At The Forum!.............29Winners Grill : Great Sports, Even Better Food....................30Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes...............................32

WESLEY CHAPEL COLOR CLASSIFIEDS........34

An editorial by Gary Nager


Gas Leak CausesGas Leak CausesEvacuation, Road ClosureEvacuation, Road Closure

The “all clear” has been given fora Wesley Chapel building that was evac-uated the morning of January 29 dueto a natural gas leak.

According to the Pasco CountySheriff’s Office (PCSO), just after 9a.m. on January 29, a natural gas leakwas reported in the Seven Oaks areathat caused road closures and at leastone building evacuation. However, the“all-clear” has been given and closedintersections at Mystic Oak Blvd. andBruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. andRedfern Way and BBD were reopenedlater the same day. Although intersec-tions were closed, morning traffic alongBBD was not affected.

A Pasco County Fire Rescue(PCFR) Sergeant described the leak asminor in the report, which also saysthat a lawn maintenance worker run-ning over a gas valve may have causedthe leak.

No additional information wasavailable at our press time.

WC Sweetbay To RemainWC Sweetbay To RemainOpen, Despite ClosingsOpen, Despite Closings

Wesley Chapel Sweetbay shopperscan breathe easy, as the two locationsnearest to your area will remain open in

the midst of a mass closing by thesupermarket chain.

According to a press release onJanuary 16 from Sweetbay Supermar-kets, the company is closing 33 storesin Florida, 22 of which are located inthe Tampa Bay area, including the NewTampa location on Bruce B. Downs(BBD) Blvd. near I-75. The under-per-forming stores are set to close by mid-February, the release says.

Not on the closing list, however,are the S.R. 54 location in the WesleyChapel Towne Center and theBBD/County Line Rd. store.

“While these decisions are difficult,especially given the impact on our asso-ciates, customers and communities,these actions will continue to enhancethe performance of our overall storeportfolio and further enable us to deliv-er profitable growth and accelerateshareholder value,” the release said.

Sweetbay — which replaced thenow-defunct Kash-N-Karry grocerystore chain beginning in 2004 — had105 different locations at the end of2011 across the western coast of Flori-da. Once the announced closings arecomplete, the chain will retain only 72of those locations, leaving more than2,000 employees without jobs.

Sweetbay spokesperson Nicole

LeBeau says that there are between 50and 60 employees at each store.

“Full- and part-time associates atthe stores are all being offered sever-ance packages,” she says. “We have(Human Resources) reps who will sitdown and meet with each associate ateach affected store.”

LeBeau says that the terms of thepackages will depend mostly upontenure with the company. She says posi-tions will be available at other areastores; however, due to the number ofworkers displaced, any positions avail-able could be filled quickly.

No comment was available fromthe BBD location’s store manager atour press time, although the sale toclear the inventory from the BBD storeis under way, starting with a 25-percentdiscount on everything in the store. ASweetbay Liquor Store employee saidthe discounts were being increasedevery few days and that the store wasexpected to close by Feb. 13.

Pratico Closes $7MPratico Closes $7MDeal In K-BarDeal In K-Bar

More development is instore for New Tampa’s K-BarRanch, located just south ofWesley Chapel, as two largeland parcels on the propertyhave recently been sold to resi-dential developers.

According to Leonard H.Johnson, a partner with the law

firm of Johnson, Auvil & Pratico, P.A.,which handled the deal, the two piecesof land were purchased for a total ofmore than $7 million from Krusen-Douglas, LLC., which owns the 2,280-acre K-Bar Ranch.

Johnson says that M/I Homesand Lennar Homes, two nationalbuilders, each took a piece of the K-Barproperty. Columbus, OH-based M/IHomes already had begun to develop600 units in the Bassett Creek commu-nity of K-Bar, and has now purchased100 single-family home sites, whileMiami-based Lennar Homes purchased121 single-family home sites.

Both builders have plenty of expe-rience building and selling homesthroughout the New Tampa, WesleyChapel and Tampa Bay areas.

“It took about five months to getthe deal done,” Johnson says. “(Thebuilders) are excited to be there.” Headds that several other builders alsosubmitted proposals. — MW

The New Tampa Sweetbay supermarket will beclosing its doors the second week of February.

News BriefsWESLEY CHAPEL

Among these, included in thedesign must be eight, 300-ft.-fencedand fully-lighted baseball fields, eachwith electronic scoreboards, MajorLeague Baseball-style dugouts andbleachers, one “championship stadi-um,” multi-purpose turf fields toaccommodate soccer and lacrosse, walk-ing/biking trails, a playground area, a400-car parking lot, plus several otherrequirements. The designer also wouldbe responsible for the infrastructuredesign for the entire complex and a rec-ommendation of whether to use realgrass for the fields, or AstroTurf.

Stromer says that a committeemade up of senior County staff, atleast one County Commissioner anda representative from the Parks andRecreation department will reviewthe design proposals, but he addedthat the list of possible committeemembers is still undecided.

“The design proposals will becompletely qualification-based,”Stromer explains. “We want to find acompany with lots of experiencebuilding something like this.”

However, he says, cost will defi-nitely be an issue for the operationand maintenance proposals.

For operations and maintenance,Stromer says that proposals mustinclude an analysis of the companyitself, as well as a summary of thecompany’s concept for running thecomplex, proof that there is a marketfor the proposed concept, identifica-tion of the company’s advantageagainst competition in the region, aswell as a marketing, operations andfinance plan. Most important is thatthe company must provide at leastten percent of the cost to constructthe complex and will have to negoti-ate a revenue-sharing agreement withthe County, if chosen.

“The operations side is more of abusiness review of the company mak-ing the proposal,” Stromer explains.“It’s pretty intensive. We’ll send theinformation off to an economist torun the numbers on the offers thatwe get.”

The County will spend 60-90days going through both types ofproposals, although Stromer says thatthe process may be expedited.

On February 15, all bids will besealed for 30 days, after which, theywill become public record. If thecompany cannot find partners todesign and operate the facility within24 months, it will instead become adistrict park.


“Bidding”Continued from page 1


By Matt Wiley

After three nights in the NewTampa woods, local hunters havehelped put a dent in the wild hogpopulation in the Lower Hillsbor-ough Wilderness Preserve, locatedeast of I-75 and north of U.S. 301.

The hunt, which was put on bythe Southwest Florida Water Man-agement District (aka Swiftmud),began at dusk on January 22-24, andproduced 68 hogs, whose populationwas becoming a problem, as theomnivorous wild pigs uproot vegeta-tion to find food.

A Swiftmud release says that the

District only uses hog hunts whenthe damage that the hogs causereaches an “unacceptable level,”which, in some cases, can leaveswamps and pine flatwoods lookinglike plowed fields. The District saysthat the damage has become severeand frequent enough to warrant sucha hunt.

“It’s been a very successfulyear,” says Will VanGelder, Swift-mud’s senior land management spe-cialist. “This is a fiscally responsibleapproach to hog control. We cover(our) expenses through registrationfees, which takes the burden off thetaxpayer.”

The New Tampa-area hunt wasone of 13 across the state. Therewere 280 total hunting permits avail-

able District-wide, although only 22were available for the New Tampahunt, which sold out the first day.There were no restrictions on size orthe number of hogs that could betaken.

Local hunter Kelly Davis andher party pulled out four hogs thefirst night, each weighing 60-100pounds. Davis used two dogs, bothblue-tick coonhounds, which shebreeds and sells with her businessHouse of Blueticks (HouseofBluet-icks.com).

According to the Florida Fishand Wildlife Conservation Commis-sion, hogs are not native to the state,have been known to reach five to sixfeet in length and weigh an averageof 100-150 pounds with some speci-mens reaching more than 600pounds!

For more information,please call the Land Manage-ment Section at Swiftmud’sBrooksville Headquarters at 1-800-423-1476 or (352) 796-7211, ext. 4467.

Nearly 70 ‘Nuisance’ Hogs Taken In Three-Day Flatwoods Hunt!

Kelly Davis with her dogs and hogs afterthe Jan. 22 hunt. Photo: HouseofBlueticks.com.

A group of hunters waits for dusk to begin thehog hunt in New Tampa’s Flatwoods Park.

Our wonderful friends at WesleyChapel Nissan, in conjunction with PascoCounty comptroller and clerk of thecourt Paula O’Neil and the WesleyChapel Lions Club, are hosting yetanother local Casino Night for a trulywonderful cause. “Casino for the Heart”Night, a fund raiser for Noah Nero andhis family, will be held Friday, February15th 6 p.m.-10 p.m., at Wesley ChapelNissan, located at 28519 S.R. 54 (atWesley Pointe Blvd.)

If you haven’t heard the story, NoahNero is a five-year-old boy who was bornwith Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.The bottom line is that this fund raiser isto benefit his family as Noah is now

recovering from hisrecent heart trans-plant. Event organ-izer Susan Bruem-mer-Casey ofInsurance NewTampa says theevent should be funfor the whole familyand Noah’s motherCherish is planning to attend!

Casino Night sponsorships are avail-able, ranging from $100-$1,000. Ticketsto attend are a $20 donation per adultand all proceeds will go directly to theNero family. For more info, [email protected].

Noah Nero

Casino Night To Benefit Noah Nero Feb. 15!


Community CalendarWESLEY CHAPEL

WC Red Hat Society ChapterWC Red Hat Society ChapterThe Wesley Chapel chapter of the

Red Hat Society invites women over 50to join in the sisterhood of wearing redhats and pursuing fun, friendship, free-dom, fulfillment of lifelong dreams andhappiness, as well as the occasional nosh.

For more info, send and email [email protected] NetworkingExperienced NetworkingProfessionals (ENP)Professionals (ENP)

Monday, February 11, 7:30 a.m.— This networking group meets Mondaymornings at 7:30 a.m. for breakfast andat 8 a.m. for networking at Quail HollowGolf & Country Club (6225 Old PascoRd). For info, call Cindy at 505-3065.Free Networking Int’lFree Networking Int’l

Monday, February 11, 8 a.m. —Free Networking International (FNI), agroup of area business owners, meetseach Monday for networking and discus-sion at Lexington Oaks Golf Club(26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd., off S.R.54). For more information, call StacyDalton at 469-5499.

Wesley Chapel BusinessWesley Chapel BusinessForum & NetworkingForum & Networking

Monday, February 11, 8 a.m. -The Wesley Chapel Business Forum &Networking (WCBFN) is a free gatheringof local business leaders in the SouthCentral Pasco and North Hillsborough

areas. WCBFN meets Mondays at Lex-ington Oaks Golf Club, located at 26133Lexington Oaks Blvd. For more info,call John Roth at 377-2622, emailJohn.Roth@ IBuilderz.com or visit thegroup’s Facebook page.

Walking ClubWalking ClubMonday, February 11, 9 a.m. -

The Walking Club meets at the MeadowPointe III Clubhouse every morning,Monday-Saturday to walk the path alongMeadow Pointe Blvd. All are welcome,even strollers, but no dogs please. Walk-ing has unlimited benefits, so put on yourwalking shoes and come on out.

For more information, contactSusan Johnston at 767-7071 or [email protected].

MOMS Club Of WCMOMS Club Of WCMonday, February 18, 10 a.m. —

The Moms Offering Moms Support(MOMS) Club of Wesley Chapel, a non-profit social group for stay-at-homemothers, meets the third Monday of eachmonth at Lexington Oaks Golf Club foractivities, field trips and more.

For more information, e-mailHeather at [email protected] Chapel ToastmastersWesley Chapel Toastmasters

Monday, February 18, 6:15 p.m.— The “Wesley Chapel Speaks” Toast-masters Club meets on the first and thirdMonday of every month, at Hyundai of

Wesley Chapel (26944 Wesley ChapelBlvd.). Club meetings are open to allinterested parties.

For more info, call 406-5931 orvisit Toastmasters84.org.

Business Networking Int’lBusiness Networking Int’lTuesday, February 12, 7:30 a.m.

— Business Networking International(BNI), a group of business professionalswho work to support each other throughqualified business referrals, meets Tues-days at Heritage Church (1854 OakGrove Blvd.). For more info, email Timat [email protected].

East Pasco Networking Group East Pasco Networking Group Tuesday, February 12, 9 a.m. —

The East Pasco Networking Group meetsevery Tuesday at Beef O’Brady’s (1660Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in the Shops atNew Tampa of Wesley Chapel plaza).

For more info, call FrankieAmmons at 479-7997 or [email protected].

Mothers Of PreschoolersMothers Of PreschoolersTuesday, February 12, 9:30 a.m. -

Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) is anon-profit group which meets to buildfriendships between mothers of infants tokindergarteners in the local community.MOPS meets the second Tuesday of eachmonth at Victorious Life Church, locatedat 6224 Old Pasco Rd.

For more information, email Deb-bie at [email protected] Chapel Rotary ClubWesley Chapel Rotary Club

Wednesday, February 13, 12:15

p.m. — The Rotary Club of WesleyChapel meets every Wednesday at CiaoItalian Bistro in the Shops at Wiregrassmall (2001 Piazza Ave.). Call 862-8989or 391-3895 for more information.

Networking For Your SuccessNetworking For Your SuccessThursday, February 14, 8 a.m. —

The Networking For Your Success groupmeets Thursdays at Quail Hollow Golf &Country Club (6225 Old Pasco Rd.).

For additional information, callShawn Clark at 888-711-2032 or visitNetworkingforYourSuccess.com.

WC Republican ClubWC Republican ClubThursday, February 14, 7 p.m. -

The Wesley Chapel Republican Club isresuming meetings for 2013 and willmeet on the second Thursday of eachmonth at the Wesley Chapel Hyundaidealership (27000 Wesley Chapel Blvd.).

The club is open to Republican menand women who are interested in “goodgovernment” and new members arealways welcome.

For more info, please contactMike Moore at 777-6171, or [email protected].

WC Sunrise Rotary ClubWC Sunrise Rotary ClubFriday, February 15, 7:15 a.m. —

The Wesley Chapel Sunrise Rotary Clubmeets every Friday at Quail HollowCountry Club (6225 Old Pasco Rd.)

For additional information, callLynne Wilson at 695-6466.

Special Needs Support GroupSpecial Needs Support GroupTuesday, February 26, 6:30 p.m. -


Learning Your Function, Inc., is a newnon-profit group dedicated to helpingindividuals with disabilities and their fami-lies through support groups, educationand advocacy. The group meets at Cross-roads Community United MethodistChurch (26211 County Line Rd). Allinterested parties are encouraged toRSVP and attend.

For questions call Jim Cracchioloat 469-2455, or visit LYFInc.com formore information.

Women-N-chargeWomen-N-chargeFriday, March 2, 11:30 a.m. - The

ladies of Women-N-Charge will be havingtheir monthly networking meeting at thePebble Creek Country Club (10550Regents Park Dr.). This month’s meeting

will focus on “turtle networking,” inwhich members sit down with each otherand discuss their businesses for four tofive minutes intervals.

The lunch costs $15 online (atWomen-N-Charge.com) up until theTuesday before the meeting. Tickets thengo up to $18.

For more info, please contact Judyat 600-9848 or email [email protected].

Community Calendar items areprinted free of charge. Submit infor-mation and photos (in any digitalformat) to WCNeighborhoodNews.com, Attn: Matt Wiley.

Wellness Festival Moves To Wiregrass Saturday, February 23, 10 a.m. - Time

to get healthy! The Greater Wesley ChapelChamber of Commerce (WCCC) is partneringwith Florida Medical Clinic (photo from lastyear) to host the annual Wesley Chapel Health& Wellness Festival, which will be held at theShops at Wiregrass mall — a change of venuefrom The Grove shopping center.

The FREE event will feature local health-care providers, FREE health screenings, a chil-dren’s play area, medical demonstrations, enter-tainment and so much more.

For more information, or to find outhow to volunteer, please visit WesleyChapelChamber.com.


Lee Nails & Spa — A Hidden Gem Worth Finding In The Grove!By Kathleen Schiop

Everyone loves to be pamperedand I’m no exception. So, when I wasinvited to indulge in a spa pedicure atLee Nails & Spa (located in the smallprofessional center opposite TJ Maxx inThe Grove Shopping Center off OakleyBlvd.), I jumped at the chance.

Owner Tony Truong, who has 16years in the nail business, says heopened the spa 4-1/2 years ago andhas enjoyed loyal patronage ever since.Since the plaza itself is (and always hasbeen) mostly deserted, I wonderedhow he has managed to not only stay inbusiness, but also thrive. But, my ques-tions were answered when I actuallycame to the spa.

As Tony says, “We believe we willcontinue to be successful because wetrust our experience and how we treatour valued customers.” He adds thathe picked the location, because it verya very convenient plaza with plenty ofparking. “It’s easy for our customersto get in and out quickly, and this arealooks very nice, too.”

Elegance & FriendlinessThe first impression upon entering

the spotlessly clean Lee Nails is one ofelegance. A color scheme of soothingpeaches, light browns and yellowsgreets the eye, and relaxing music isplaying. With ten pedicure stations, thespa is able to accommodate largegroups, but what first caught my eyewas the cute child-sized station, whichcaters specifically to the little princess orprince in your family.

The spa offers a full range of serv-ices at affordable prices, ranging from avariety of manicures and pedicures towaxing and facial services, as well as avariety of eyelash treatments and evenpermanent makeup.

My pedicure began when I wasseated in a massage chair and my feetwere placed in warm, swirling water. Iturned to the customer next to me, andasked her how long she had been com-ing to this spa. April, a regular clientwho travels all the way from New PortRichey, said she had been to five otherspas before finding Lee Nails, and hasbeen a loyal customer ever since.

“I love the cleanliness and the nailart work they do,” she said. “It’sunique and well worth the drive here.”

Of course, one of the primary con-cerns of any customer coming to a nailspa is hygiene. So, when my licensednail technician Mya (one of seven at thespa) began, I first questioned her aboutthe procedures Lee Nails uses to avoidcontamination of their tools. Sheexplained that all of the spa’s nail toolsare soaked in a powerful antiseptic,placed in a sterilizer, then sealed in abag. The bags are only opened whenthe nail technician begins work on theclient’s pedicure.

After trimming and buffing myfeet, Mya began a massage on my lowerlegs, using a mask which felt cool andtingly and had a wonderful aroma ofeucalyptus. She let the mask dry, thenfollowed it with a cooling gel. My feetand lower legs felt fantastic. But then,

she rubbed my legs with an orangescented sea salt and encased my feetwith warm, melted paraffin wax,wrapped in plastic.

After the pink wax hardened, shepeeled it off, leaving my feet feelingincredibly smooth. Utter bliss. Themassage was incredibly relaxing, andMya spent more time on the massagethan I’ve experienced at other spas. Ithought to myself that Lee Nails wouldbe the ideal place to come after one ofmy 5K road races as I dissolved into alittle, contented puddle.

I also asked Lee Nails’ managerand Licensed Aesthetician Cindy aboutsome of the spa’s other product andservices. She showed me the menu ofspa services, featuring Galvanic Spa,NuSkin and Ageloc products, to namea few. She added that the spa uses noth-ing but the highest quality products togive the customer the best treatmentspossible. The wide range of facials sur-prised me. The Mini Facial Treatment,the Full Facial, and the Super Facialconsist of varying degrees of firming,hydrating and brightening techniques,and there is also is an Acne Facial treat-ment available. I am tempted to comeback for one of these treatments in thevery near future.

Another service I asked Cindy

about were eyelash treatments, sinceLee Nails offers more of these treat-ments than I have ever heard of before.In addition to eyelash tinting, the spaoffers eyelash perming for those blessedwith long eyelashes (I wish!) and eye-lash extensions, (which is more up myalley), giving you a choice of eitherPush-up or Flare lashes done in 20

Your child can get a pedicure at thesame time you do — in his or her own

cool pedicure chair at Lee Nails.

Owner Tony Truong of the elegantLee Nails & Spa in The Grove shop-ping center has 16 years of experience

in the nail care business.


minutes, or individual extensionswhich take approximately 90-120minutes to apply. Tony says herecommends the Flare lashesbecause the final look is fuller andthe method uses less time and ismore economical. And, onceapplied, Cindy also recommendedstopping into the spa for eyelashmaintenance about every two tothree weeks to keep that beautiful,diva look.

While Mya finished polishingmy toes with a beautiful bur-gundy OPI polish, a couple camein for his & hers pedicures. Iasked Mya if this was a normaloccurrence, since nail spas often tend tobe “no man’s land,” but she said theysee a mixed clientele of both male andfemale, as well as families enjoying thespa services together. After my experi-ence at Lee Nails, I can certainly under-stand why.

Lee Nails & Spa is located at6013 Wesley Grove Blvd., Suite 104.It is open Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-7:30p.m., and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday.For appointments (which are notrequired) and more information —including Lee Nail’s current specialof 15-percent-off all services of $20or more offer with the coupon in thead on page 20 of this issue — stop inor call 907-8100.

Lee Nails & Spa uses only the most hygeini-cally safe methods and equipment to ensure

you’ll enjoy being pampered.

Cindy, the spa manager & LicensedAesthetician at Lee Nails, reviewsthe spa’s menu of available services

with the author of this feature.


By Matt Wiley

No two people are exactly alike.Whether it’s their personalities, a facialfeature or two or body types, evenidentical twins are usually slightly differ-ent. The same goes for each person’sbody’s response to weight-loss tech-niques. Exercise and a healthy dietwork wonders for some people in amatter of weeks or months, while oth-ers work just as hard and see little or noresults. For the latter, consider a visit toTampa Rejuvenation.

With one of its three locations innearby New Tampa (at Bearss Ave. andBruce B. Downs, or BBD, Blvd.),Tampa Rejuvenation specializes in med-ical weight-loss through the use of bio-identical hormone therapy, combinedwith nutrition and fitness.

According to its website, with a lit-tle help from doctor-prescribed andFDA (Food & Drug Administration)-approved medications to reducehunger, enhance energy levels, improveability for physical activity, increasestamina for exercise and increase anindividual’s resting metabolic rate (orthe amount of calories burned whilethe body is at rest) Tampa Rejuvena-tion can help you get on track to ahealthy lifestyle.

For the past five years, Brett

Markowitz — the Tampa Palms resi-dent who started Tampa Rejuvenation— and his team of medical doctors andstaffers, have been helping treat thosewith weight issues at three locations,one here in New Tampa, with a secondlocation in South Tampa and anothernow open in Brandon.

“(Tampa Rejuvenation) workswith individuals who have variousissues, such as hormone or thyroidimbalances, food-sensitivity or weight-gain issues, vitamin-deficiency or a min-eral imbalance,” Markowitz says. “A lotof patients are put on medication forblood pressure or hypertension by theirprimary care physicians. We agree thatthese patients may need those medica-tions, but many times, these doctorsaren’t trying to help patients in a pre-ventive manner. People have to takesome of these medications for the restof their lives.”

Markowitz says that, for him,helping people lose weight comes frompersonal experience. After learningabout his own body and losing weighthimself, he says he realized that mostpeople don’t know that in order toaccomplish their weight-loss goals, it’simportant to first understand how theirown bodies work. A former personaltrainer, Markowitz also holds a nutri-tion degree from Huntington College

of Health Science in Knoxville, TN.“The goal is to teach people to

incorporate a different lifestyle thatthey can maintain,” he says.

And that’s where the work of Dr.Johanna deVrye can help.

“When patients come in, I firsttry to figure out exactly what issuesthey’re having and look at eachpatient’s medical history,” says Dr.deVrye, who earned her undergradu-ate and medical degrees from presti-gious Northwestern University inChicago. “Then, I take a look at theirphysical exam, blood work and salivatest and use that to come up with adiagnosis and plan of treatment.”

Dr. deVrye says that her practiceis split between hormone therapy andweight-loss treatment. Some of themost common issues she encountersare low testosterone, lack of energyand libido issues in men, and low ener-gy and lack of focus in women.

“It’s a combination of things,” sheexplains. “People come in for all kindsof reasons.”

However, Markowitz says that themain reason people come to TampaRejuvenation is to feel better, loseweight and be able to become active.

When a patient visits Tampa Reju-venation, he or she is given a free meet-ing with a staff member who goes over

the patient’s goals. If the patientdecides to begin treatment, they under-go lab tests, a physical and a consulta-tion with Dr. deVrye to figure out theright plan of action based upon thepatient’s test results.

It is still a good idea, however, toconsult with your primary care physi-cian before beginning any exercise orweight-loss program.

“A lot of people come in forweight loss and then end up gettinghormone therapy, as well, because they

Tampa Rejuvenation Can Help You Keep That New Year’s Resolution!

Brett Markowitz (left) and Dr. Johan-na deVrye of Tampa Rejuvenation,which has a New Tampa location.


realize that it will help them reach theirweight-loss goals more successfully, andalso just feel better,” Dr. deVrye says.

Dr. deVrye met Markowitz aftertaking a break from practicing InternalMedicine in Pittsburgh and moving toFlorida. He was looking for physiciansand she was looking for a new way topractice medicine. Both agree that itwas a perfect match.

When she was working in InternalMedicine, Dr. deVrye says she oftenbecame frustrated because patientswould come in not feeling well, so theywould run tests, but all the usual testresults would come back normal.

“I felt like we were missing theproblem and we weren’t helpingpatients the way that I would like to,”

she explains. “Ifeel like this is away betterapproach. We’remore holistic inthat we look atthings that tradi-tional medicinedoes not. Hor-mone therapymakes a tremen-dous differencefor a lot of peoplein how they feeland their energy.”

In manycases, she says,

Tampa Rejuvenation is able to helppatients with Type-2 diabetes or highblood pressure significantly cut backon, or completely come off of, theirmedication. “It’s incredibly rewardingwhen that happens,” she says.

Hormone Therapy ExplainedHormone Therapy ExplainedAccording to the Tampa Rejuve-

nation website, hormone therapy helpsto replace the body’s natural hormonesthat have been lost over time with age.By replacing those hormones andbringing them back up to a normal,balanced level, Tampa Rejuvenation isable to help patients prevent themselvesfrom getting many age- and weight-related illnesses.

However, instead of using synthet-

Tampa Rejuvenation client Catherine Snell has seenimpressive results from her personal weight-loss program.

ic hormones, which Dr. deVrye sayscan have negative side effects whenintroduced to the body, Tampa Rejuve-nation uses “bio-identical” hormones,which are produced by plants and con-verted into chemical molecules in a lab-oratory to match the same chemicalmolecules found in the human body.

Whether it’s for weight loss, orjust to feel better, Tampa Rejuvenationreally can help rejuvenate your lifestyle,but don’t just take the staff’s word forit, check out the numerous customertestimonials on the company’s websiteat TampaRejuvenation.com.

“I had reached my limit, weighing207 pounds,” says New Tampa resi-

dent Patricia Still. “I was miserable. Ididn't want to see any of my friends Ihad not seen for a long time. That'swhen I found Tampa Rejuvenation. Itsaved me. Now, I’m 51 pounds lighter.I feel great about myself and don'tmind running into old friends.”

To lose those holiday poundsand finally keep them off, visitTampa Rejuvenation (14448 BBD,in the Arbor Ridge ProfessionalPark, near E. Bearss Ave.). It is openon Monday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m., onWednesday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. andnoon-8 p.m. on Thursday. Or, visitTampaRejuvenation.com or call 558-9500 for more information.


ny’s showroom (where you can chatwith in-store design consultants Traceyand Derenda) and see the products ondisplay before you make a decision topurchase — or you prefer to be visitedby one of Budget Blinds’ traveling con-sultants, where you can see all of theavailable styles, colors and textures inthe rooms where the treatments actual-ly will be installed.

Many Treatment OptionsMany Treatment OptionsCustomers can choose from indus-

try favorites such as Hunter Douglas,Signature Series, Enlightenment andmore. Budget Blinds’ large selectionincludes blinds made from sheer,woven and room-darkening fabrics, aswell as from vinyl, faux wood, premiumhardwoods and aluminum. And, ifenergy efficiency is one of your goals,Budget Blinds has window coverings toinsulate the home and provide solarheat control as well as enhance lightingin a room, which reduces the need forelectrical lighting. Jim says honeycombshades are a good choice for the ener-gy-conscious consumer, as their con-struction traps air near the window,adding a layer of insulation.

Blinds and shades are not the onlyproducts available at Budget Blinds.Jim and Elaine offer a full line of cus-tom draperies and cornices, and soon

will offer a line of area rugs to accentu-ate any décor. Whether you want anenriching, sleek new design for your liv-ing space, more privacy in your bed-room, safety and security for a baby'sroom, or creativity for your office,Budget Blinds of Greater Tampa willprovide you with the highest qualitywindow covering products, as well asthe personalized service you need.

Because Budget Blinds is the num-ber one window covering franchisebusiness in North America and Canada,with more than 850 stores, Jim andElaine are able to secure the best fabricsand manufacturers, as well as offeringmany exclusive products available only

By Bonnie Mason

Are you ready for a new look inyour home or office this year? Customwindow coverings from Budget Blindsof Greater Tampa, now located on W.Fletcher Ave., will transform your spaceinto a room you will be excited toshow off to family and friends. Fromblinds, shutters and sliding panels tosolar shades and a full line of customdraperies, Budget Blinds’ in-home andshowroom design consultants arehappy to work with you to bring newlife to your space.

From its new showroom, locatednear I-275, Budget Blinds serveshomes and businesses in the TampaBay area, including Wesley Chapel andall of Pasco and Hernando counties, aswell as eastern Hillsborough (includingall of New Tampa), Brandon and eveninto Manatee County. Owners Jim andElaine Trotter have been married for28 years and Jim spent 20 years in thecorporate world while Elaine stayedhome to raise their two boys, James(now 26) and Tanner (24). After sever-al moves, Jim’s work brought the fami-ly to the Tampa area, where the couplebegan dreaming of settling down andrunning a business together.

In October 2008, despite the factthe U.S. economy was in the midst of a

downward spiral, the Trotters took aleap of faith and purchased BudgetBlinds of Greater Tampa, then locatedon U.S. 41 in Land O’Lakes, from itsprevious owner.

And, according to Elaine, it hastaken faith, hard work and determina-tion to help the couple grow their busi-ness. Jim and Elaine complement eachother’s strengths. His sales skills, in par-ticular in commercial sales, are strong,while she has more of the financial andbookkeeping skills needed to successful-ly run a business. Elaine also managesmuch of the marketing for the compa-ny. And, less than five years into theirownership of the business, BudgetBlinds of Greater Tampa today boasts astaff of two full-time designers whobring the products to your home orbusiness, as well as two full-time designconsultants to assist customers in theshowroom design center on FletcherAve. that opened in November 2012.

“We're excited about our movefrom Land O’Lakes to the FletcherAve. location,” says Elaine. “The newshowroom gives us a larger space todisplay more of the window coveringchoices our customers desire.”

The good news for Budget Blindscustomers is that the business literallyhas your windows and walls covered —whether you prefer to visit the compa-

Budget Blinds Will Provide Your Home With A Fantastic New View!

When you visit the new Budget Blinds ofGreater Tampa showroom on W. Fletcher

Ave., you’ll meet in-store design consultantsTracey and Derenda.


to Budget Blinds customers. A largepercentage of the business is residential,however, Budge Blinds also works withany number of commercial buildingclients, medical facilities and apartmentcomplexes. Commercial space oftenrequires heavier tracking systems due tobuilding codes and other requirements,but Budget Blinds has the experienceand product that the commercial indus-try has trusted for nearly 20 years.

Budget Blinds backs its productswith a five-year manufacturer’s warran-ty. The company also provides a one-time, no-questions-asked free replace-ment. So, whether your dog eats yourblinds or your child decides to take hisscissors to your shades, Budget Blindswill replace the product at no cost andwithout question.

‘Butterflying’ In‘Butterflying’ InSoon!Soon!

Elaine and Jim recentlyreturned from a BudgetBlinds franchise conventionand vendor showcase in LasVegas, where the couplelearned of an exciting newproduct — butterfly blinds.This versatile innovation,exclusive to Budget Blindfranchises, is a horizontalfabric blind that transformsto a privacy blind when it’sclosed. Also new to the com-pany is a roller shade exclu-

sively designed in Europe for BudgetBlinds customers in North America.

February is customer appreciationmonth and Budget Blinds’ GrandOpening celebration. Various promo-tions will occur throughout the month.

Customers can visit BudgetBlinds’ Facebook page to get up-to-date promotions at Facebook.com/BudgetBlindsGreaterTampa for thelatest updates.

Budget Blinds of Greater Tampais located at 1208 W. Fletcher Ave.,between North Blvd. and RomeAve., and is open Monday-Friday, 10a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturdays byappointment only. For more info,please call 968-5050, or visit Bud-getBlinds.com/GreaterTampa.

Your home can look more palatial, too, with any num-ber of window treatments available at Budget Blinds.


By Matt Wiley

The Pasco School District’s 2013“Teacher of the Year” will be namedat the “Heart & Soul of Pasco Coun-ty” ceremony on Saturday, February9. The annual celebration, put on bythe Pasco County Education Founda-tion, Inc., is being held this year atWesley Chapel, where Wesley Chapelschools lead the pack with two of thethree Teacher of the Year finalists rep-resenting Wesley Chapel-area schools.

Among the finalists is WiregrassRanch High’s (WRH) Paula Berry, anAdvanced Placement languageteacher.

“Knowing that I’m being recog-nized in the same group as the otherteachers is just amazing,” Berry says.“Being named the ‘Teacher of theYear’ at Wiregrass Ranch was hum-bling enough in itself.”

Currently in her fifth year atWRH, Berry also teaches Speech andan iPad English 2 Honors course (seethe next page for more info). She saysthat her goal now is to complete theapplication to be considered as anApple Distinguished Educator, a titlegiven to a select group of educatorsaround the world who are recognizedfor “doing amazing things with Apple

technology inand out ofthe class-room.”

As far aswinning isconcerned,Berry saysthat really shehasn’t givenit muchthought.

“It’s sofar beyond my imagination,” sheexplains. “I’m in awe of the otherteachers. I honestly haven’t thoughtthat far ahead.”

To be considered, teachers hadto complete an 11-question, essay-style application, which asked ques-tions about each nominated teacher’sgreatest teaching accomplishments,challenges and current educationtrends that they recognize.

Also up for Pasco “Teacher ofthe Year” is Dr. John Long MiddleSchool’s Darcy Cleek, an advancedscience teacher.

“It’s very humbling,” says Cleek.“I’m honored. This (teaching) iswhat I do all day, every day — evenon the weekends.”

Cleek says she spends a large

WRH’s Paula Berry & Long MS’s Darcy Creek Named ‘Teacher’ Finalists! amount of herfree timeresearching les-son plans forher classes, sothat they alwaysare engagingand worth-while.

“I alwaystry to thinkbeyond theFCAT (Florida

Comprehensive Assessment Test),”Cleek explains. “I try to help get

these kids ready for life.”Congratulations also are in

order for the “Teacher of the Year”nominees from the rest of WesleyChapel’s schools — Double BranchElementary’s Patrice Bradarich, QuailHollow Elementary’s Kanin Wynne,Sand Pine Elementary’s Nadine Lam-bert, Seven Oaks Elementary’s EricaWalchak, Veterans Elementary’s MariDlugi, Watergrass Elementary’s TobiTurner, Wesley Chapel Elementary’sDarlene Polansky, Weightman MiddleSchool’s Claudine Nipps and SusanCullum from Wesley Chapel High.

Pasco ‘Teacher of the Year’ finalists Paula Berryof Wiregrass Ranch High (left) and Darcy Cleek

of John Long Middle School.


As technology continues to beimplemented more than ever in educa-tion, Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH)will be on the forefront of progress, asit was recently named an “Apple Distin-guished School” for the 2012-13school year, the first school in the PascoCounty School District (PCSD) ever toreceive the prestigious award.

“It’s an extremely impressiverecognition,” says WRH principal RayBonti. “Apple recognizes a very smallnumber of schools nationwide. What’smore impressive is that we are a 2,000-student, public high school. Usually,the schools that are recognized aremuch smaller, private schools.”

According to a WRH press release,the school “joins a select class of insti-tutions (that) Apple is recognizingnationwide as exemplary learning envi-ronments and centers of innovation,leadership and educational excellence.”

The release says that WRH waschosen in part because of its “BYOD(Bring Your Own Devices)” program,which allows students to bring toschool, and use as instructional tools,their own computers, smart phones,tablets and iPods to enhance learning.

“We’re very open with technolo-

gy,” Bonti says. “It’s embedded in edu-cation, so we try to take advantage ofit. There are times when using a smart-phone for learning is very practical.”

WRH also is in the process ofestablishing a program that will elimi-nate textbooks in the future, replacingthem with iPads. It’s being called the“iPad initiative.”

Last school year’s 125 incomingninth graders were selected to be partof the program and were given iPads tobe used for all of their learning needs.

“Instead of being issued five or sixtextbooks, the students are given aniPad,” Bonti explains. “When thosestudents go home, they’ll do theirhomework with (the iPad), as well.Everything is done electronically.”

Bonti says that WRH is the firstschool in the area to implement such aprogram and adds that he thinks theprogram played a major role in beingrecognized by Apple. The school plansto expand the number of studentsusing iPads each year.

WRH will be recognized as an“Apple Distinguished School” at theDistrict School Board meeting onTuesday, February 19. — MW

Wiregrass Ranch High RecognizedAs ‘Apple Distinguished’ School!


By Matt Wiley

After tough 2012 seasons for boththe Wesley Chapel High (WCH) Wild-cats and the Wiregrass Ranch High(WRH) Bulls football teams, next sea-son could be a different story, as bothschools have hired new head coaches.

Coming off a winless season is noteasy to swallow, especially for the sec-ond season in a row. Wiregrass Ranch’snew head coach Mike Lawrence hopesto change all that.

“I’m blessed with the opportuni-ty,” he says. “The most difficult part isgetting the kids to buy into whatyou’re doing. Changing the culture ismy top priority.”

Lawrence, who is the third coachin the program’s history and served asthe team’s offensive coordinator lastseason, wants to focus on discipline andexecution. “We need to make sure thateach player knows their assignmentsand is playing more physically,” heexplains. “We have to learn to trust ourteammates.”

WRH athletic director Dave Wil-son says that Lawrence was the idealpick for the position, especially since hewas already familiar with the school andthe players, and also has experienceplaying the game. Lawrence played

running back at Division 1A KansasState University in Manhattan, KS,from, rushing for more than 2,000yards in his four seasons.

“He has knowledge of the gameand he motivates the kids,” Wilsonsays. “He’s worked at WRH for thepast year, and we thought he couldreally help turn the program around.”

Lawrence will be taking over forprevious head coach Jeremy Shobe,who resigned on November 12 afterleading the team since 2009. After two5-5 seasons, with a playoff berth in2010, his last two seasons as headcoach were both winless.

Wildcats Want To WinWildcats Want To WinA few miles to the north and east,

the WCH Wildcats also are looking fora better record this coming season, andhave hired a new head coach to takethe reigns and steer the team in a win-ning direction.

More than 20 people applied, butTico Hernandez, an offensive coordina-tor for WRH for the past two seasons,filled former head coach Ben Alford’sposition in December.

Alford resigned to take an out-of-state position after leading the Wildcatsfor three less-than-impressive seasons,with an overall record of 11-19. Her-

nandez says he hopesto improve on thosenumbers.

“I’m excited forthe opportunity towork with the playersand represent WesleyChapel High in thecommunity,” Hernan-dez says. “First andforemost, we need towin in the classroomand get our players’GPAs up.”

Hernandez saysthat he has a unique way of both relat-ing to young players and holding themaccountable with strict discipline, butalso making sure that they have fun.

“I want to get the kids involved inthe campus and help (the players)

understand the importance of selflessservice in the community,” he explains.“Those two things will help lead tosuccess on the field. These guys are thefuture. I want to make a positiveimpact on their lives.”

WCH & WRH Seek Better Records With New Fooball Coaches

New Wiregrass Ranch High head football coach Mike Lawrence(left) and new Wesley Chapel High head coach Tico Hernandez.


By Matt Wiley

After a phenomenal season and aDistrict championship title, the Wire-grass Ranch High (WRH) girls soccerseason finally has come to an end, fol-lowing a loss to the Lakeland GeorgeJenkins Eagles in the Region 4A-3?Semifinals.

Coming off of an 18-2 season,including 5-0 in their 4A District-8games, the Bulls girls went on to defeatthe Sickles High Gryphons and theGeorge M. Steinbrenner High Warriors(14-6), for the school’s second DistrictChampionship in seven years, a notablefeat for first-season coach Eddy Costa.

The regional semifinal matchagainst Lakeland George Jenkins washard fought, but the Bulls ultimatelycame up short at home against thehigh-flying Eagles 4-1, ending theirState title hopes with a final seasonrecord of 20-3.

“The game wasn’t beyond ourreach,” Costa says. “We just played ourgame during the first half,” when theBulls walked away up 1-0, on a goalfrom freshman Chloe Lipovetsky. How-ever, the Eagles were not going downwithout a fight.

“Unfortunately, we made somemistakes that (George Jenkins) capital-

ized on,” Costa explains. “They wereable to get up 2-1 pretty early in thesecond half.”

Costa says that, he pulled his mid-fielders to give his team a strongeroffense with about 16 minutes left, butit was the Bulls who were unable tostop the Eagles from sneaking in twomore goals by the time the final whistlewas blown.

“As the girls’ head coach for myfirst season, (winning a District title) isa great feeling,” Costa says. “Obviously,

the girls and I would have liked to haveplayed (for the State title), but I’m real-ly happy with this season.”

District Champs!District Champs!The Bulls had a lot to prove when

they made the short drive to Steinbren-ner on January 18 for the District 4A-8championship.

Although they fell behind 1-0before the end of the first half, WRHsenior Berlin Waters got the comebackstarted early with a Bulls goal just min-

utes into the second half, followedshortly by another goal from fellowsenior A.J. Blount.

“We took away their midfield,”says Costa. “A team like Steinbrenner isgoing to score on you. We just had tomake sure we kept their scoring low.Steinbrenner was a challenge. The girlstrained hard for them.”

In addition to winning the Districttitle, the Bulls also broke an 11-gamewinning streak for Steinbrenner, whichwent on to lose in the Regional Quar-terfinal to the same George Jenkinssquad that ended WRH’s season agame later.

Although Costa is losing severalstandout players after this season,including Waters, who is committed tonearby St. Leo University; Blount, whois committed to USF; and goalkeeperDayton Wetherby, who is committed toattend the U.S. Naval Academy, he sayshe still has high hopes for next season.

“We had freshmen starting gamesthroughout the season,” he explains.“They all shone. We might be losing sixseniors, but we still have a whole otherhalf of a team. I’m excited for nextyear. This whole season, our slogan hasbeen ‘believe to achieve.’ We’re justgoing to keep on believing.”

Wiregrass Girls Win District Soccer Title, Ousted In Regional Semis

The Wiregrass Ranch High girls soccer team celebrates after winning theDistrict 4A-8 championship on January 18. Photo by Donna Waters


By Gary Nager

OK, so as you’re looking at thisissue, which arrived in your mailbox onor about February 1, you’ve probablybeen wondering what to get for thatcertain someone for St. Valentine’s Day(Thursday, February 14).

Well, stop wondering, becauseowner Jackie Tuozzo of Charles Jewel-ers — which has been located in theCity Plaza at Tampa Palms shoppingcenter (next to Stein Mart) for 15 years— and her sister Jennifer Boscan andtheir entire staff have what you need tomake this the best V-Day ever for yoursomeone special. “When it’s from yourheart” is the store’s motto and there’sno doubt Charles Jewelers lives up tothat slogan every day.

Of course, women love jewelry, soit’s hard for a guy to make a mistakegiving the type of quality gold, silver,diamonds, precious and semi-preciousstones you’ll find at Charles Jewelers,because Jackie and Jennifer togetherhave hand-picked every piece of jewelryin the store.

Charles Jewelers is the type ofneighborhood shop men have alwaystrusted to put smiles on their significantothers’ faces and Jackie, Jennifer & Co.do everything they can to make sure noone is left disappointed.

Of course, even though Valentine’sDay is still primarily about guys buyinggifts for their special girls, there’s nodoubt that women also can find somegreat gift ideas for the men in their lives

in the store’smany displaycases, too.

First, ofcourse, you haveto decide whatyou’re lookingfor, but there’sno doubt thatwhile you’rebrowsing andtrying to figureeverything out,Jackie, Jenniferand their staff canhelp you find theright ring, neck-lace, bracelet or fine watch you need toput a lasting smile on someone special’shappy face.

What A Selection!What A Selection!On this page alone, you’ll find

examples of many of the top-qualityjewelry and watch collections at CharlesJewelers. In our Neighborhood Maga-zine header above, for example, you’llfind the beautiful “Be My Valentine”earring and necklace gift set by Pandora(top left), which usually sells for $165,but is available for only $125 in thestore while supplies last.

On the right of the header aboveare just some of the amazing diamondengagement rings and necklaces avail-able from Simon G, a family-owned-and-operated, luxury jewelry manufac-turer in its 31st year of business. SimonG. Jewelry, found only in the finest jew-

Charles Jewelers Is New Tampa’s Valentine’s Day Headquarters!

elry stores, has gained recog-nition as a leading brand indesigning and producingbridal jewelry, including dia-mond engagement rings,wedding bands and otherfashion jewelry. Jennifer saysthat unlike most other topjewelry brands, Simon Ghand-mounts each piece, soyou can be sure your gift willbe top-quality.

Other beautiful linesavailable at Charles Jewelersinclude a large selection oftruly unique Elma * Gilengagement rings and fash-ion jewelry, Michele watch-es, Belle Étoile hand-paintedenamel jewelry and more.

(Above) This is just a sampling of the collection of fineMichele watches at Charles Jewelers in Tampa Palms.

(Top) Owner Jackie Tuozzo and her sister JenniferBoscan invite you to check out their amazing selectionof Pandora silver jewelry and (above) Elma * Gil dia-

mond engagement rings and fashion jewelry. See “Charles” on page 28.


By Matt Wiley

Onlookers examine thousands ofpieces of art, from sculptures and hand-made jewelry to oil paintings and pho-tography. Live music pierces the air, butno one seems upset. That’s probablybecause this is not an art gallery, butthe eighth annual Suncoast Arts Fest atthe Shops at Wiregrass mall.

On January 19-20, under partlycloudy skies and comfortable tempera-tures, more than 115 artists set upbooths and displayed their works of art

along Paseo Dr., an interior road in theShops at Wiregrass mall.

“This year has been much moreoptimistic,” said Suncoast Art Fest pub-licist Laura Knox. “The artists say saleswere much better this year.”

In its eighth year, the festival is puton by Fine Arts of the Suncoast, Inc., a501(c)(3) non-profit organizationwhose mission is to, “develop a com-munity culture that embraces the arts.”Proceeds raised go toward the fundingof visual and performing arts programsin Pasco County schools. Knox said

that last year’sevent raisedmore than$11,000.

Althougha final atten-dance countand fundsraised at thisyear’s festivalwere not yetavailable at ourpress time,Knox said thatshe estimatedthat it wasabout thesame as lastyear’s impres-sive attendance

of more than 100,000 visitors duringthe two-day event.

Among the artists displaying theirwork was Maitland, FL, resident RollyRay Reel, who, for the fourth straightyear, was awarded “Best In Show” forhis collection of “mixed media” sculp-ture work.

“I’m just thrilled,” Reel said. “I’mdefinitely coming back next year topush my luck.”

Reel specializes in obscure, butunique sculpture pieces made from awide variety of materials, from items hefinds at flea markets, to objects he ran-domly finds while walking along rail-road tracks. Many of the pieces he dis-played incorporated framework, which

he did himself, with miscellaneousobjects mounted under a pane of glass.The larger sculptures, he explained, alltook him several months to construct.

Also displaying sculptures at thefestival was Rollin Karg, of Kechi, KS,except instead of sculptures made ofnumerous materials, Karg’s work wasmade up entirely of glass pieces, whichhe blew himself. This was Karg’s firstyear at Suncoast. “(The show) has beenvery worthwhile,” he said. “The peoplehave been very welcoming. We’ll beback next year.”

Karg’s work included numerouspieces, from small, elaborately colorfulglass the size of paperweights, to larger,dish-shaped table centerpieces. He said

Suncoast Arts Festival Showcases Local & National Artists At Wiregrass

(Left) Bill Sargent, with his photography. (Right) One of Rolly Ray Reel’sunique sculptures again captured “Best in Show” honors at this year’s Sun-

coast Arts Festival, which was held Jan. 19-20 at the Wiregrass mall.


he didn’t realize that he was an artistuntil he was 33 years old. Now 68,Karg said that a tour of a glass museumand a class in glass blowing at a craftshow changed his life, and he has beendoing what he loves ever since,although he “had to learn the hard way,with (blowing) the larger sculptures.”

Displaying a wide range of photo-graphic work, from antique barbershopscenes to famous storefronts (includingKey West’s iconic Sloppy Joe’s onDuval St.), was Lakeland resident BillSargent. With this being his third yearat Suncoast, Sargent said that he usuallyattends between 25-30 shows per year,some as far west as Colorado.

“This show is always put togetherreally well,” he said. “That’s why I keepcoming back every year.”

For Todd Hammer, of Land O’Lakes, the Suncoast Arts Fest wassomething completely new, his first everart show.

Hammer displayed several large“fine art fusion, sculptured oil paint-ings,” that incorporate both sculptureand painting on diverse surfaces, includ-ing masonite wood and the type offoam used in surfboards, resulting inthree dimensional works of art. Oneparticularly large piece displayed anunderwater scene, in which a sea otterwas swimming through a kelp forest.

“I got the idea from adive I did in California,”Hammer, an avid scuba diver,said. “I get a lot of my ideasfrom photos I take whilescuba diving.”

Other booths includedeverything from hand-madejewelry, handbags and cloth-ing to oil and acrylic paint-ings, pottery and many otherdiverse works of art, as well asfine craft works.

For a list of the artistswho participated in thisyear’s event and more info,visit SuncoastArtsFest.com.

Todd Hammer with one of his scuba-inspired‘fine art fusion’ pieces on display at the Suncoast

Arts Festival.


Here’s a little more info aboutsome of the featured jewelry lines you’llfind now at Charles Jewelers:

Pandora Unforgettable Moments- Pandora is an exciting and interchange-able collection of jewelry which cele-brates the unforgettable moments andrelationships in a woman’s life. You’llfind beads to commemorate friendship, alove, weddings, babies, holidays, mile-stones, hobbies and so much more. Askabout the great deals on both the “BeMy Valentine” and “Love of My Life”bracelet gift sets for Valentine’s Day.

Michele Watches - Showcasingbold, brilliant, hand-set diamond casesand mother-of-pearl dials, Michele payshomage to the art deco-influenceddesigns of South Beach. The Micheledesign philosophy blends timeless ele-gance with contemporary fashion for acombination of classic and feminine style(although Michele also offers fine watch-es for men, too). Famous for inter-

changeable made of premium calfskin, aswell as alligator and other exotic skinssourced from around the world.

Elma * Gil - Since its inception asa jewelry company 21 years ago, Elma *Gil has been in the forefront of bridaland fashion jewelry crafting. Alwaysadhering to the highest standards of dia-mond and gem grading, metalsmithingand precision workmanship, always cre-ating stunning collections that haveplaced us above the rest. Featuring tech-nically challenging designs, and thedevelopment of advanced and propri-etary shapes of diamonds in its jewelry,Elma * Gil has been setting fashiontrends, winning design awards and pro-ducing innovative and alluring jewelryrecognized the world over.

Belle Étoile - “Shine like the staryou are” with Belle Étoile, which offers ajewel box full of looks, styles, colors, andicons. Whether you’re a rock star, fash-ion maven, or power executive, BelleÉtoile has what you need to expressyourself. In French, Belle Étoile means“beautiful star.” That’s why such adelightful radiance permeates through-

“Charles”Continued from page 25

out all of the company’s creations. In addition to these collections,

Charles Jewelers also offers Lladro fig-urines, shimmering jewelry from Lafonnand watches by Bulova, Fendi, Elle, theever-popular Ice Watches and so manymore items you’ll never find in a “mallstore.” Plus, you can bring in your ownjewelry to have it appraised at the store’sonce-each-month appraisal opportuni-ties. Charles Jewelers also offers jewelryrepairs in-store, performed by a masterjeweler, and free watch repair estimatesfrom a certified watch specialist.

For more information, stop byCharles Jewelers at 16053 TampaPalms Blvd.W., or call 972-4653. Or,visit CharlesJewelersTampa.com.

“Shine like the star you are” withBelle Étoile hand-painted Italian enamel

earrings and more at Charles Jewelers.


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It’s hard to believe that both theTampa Bay Lightning and the Taste ofNew TampaTM (see page 3) are celebrat-ing their respective 20th anniversaries thisseason, but even harder for some of us tofathom how we survived until Januarywithout Lightning hockey.

I attended this year’s opening nighton Jan. 19, a thrilling 6-3 thrashing ofAlex Ovechkin and the Washington Capi-tals, and I have to say that I hadn’t seenthe crowd at the newly revamped TampaBay Times Forum this amped up since theStanley Cup FINALS (which, of course,Tampa Bay won) in 2004.

Owner Jeff Vinick pumped about$40 million in renovations to the Forum,including adding the biggest Jumbotronscoreboard I’ve ever seen, but it would’veall been for naught had the NationalHockey League (NHL) owners and play-ers not come to an agreement in time toend the owners’ lockout of the players intime to salvage the 2012-13 season.

But, better late than never for ourBolts, who have always had a huge follow-ing here in New Tampa, and have startedthe season 6-1 and in first place in theNHL’s Southeast Division, even thoughlast-year’s 60-goal scorer Steven Stamkoshad only five of the team’s league-leading37 goals (a 5.3-goals-per-game average)so far. New goalie Anders Lindback hasbeen as good as advertised and the addi-tion of speedy 5’-8” winger CoryConacher and defensemen Matt Carle and

Sammy Salo have given the teamnew firepower at both ends ofthe ice. Go Bolts! — GN

Tampa Bay Lightning Start The Season Hot At The New Forum!

The huge, new scoreboard at the Tampa Bay Times Forum isthe centerpiece of the arena’s recent $40 million renovation.

(Top left, l. to r.) Marty St. Louis, Matt Carle and Steven Stamkos. (Above, l. to r.) Former Lightning captain Dave Andreychuk (left) discusses thestart of the season with Ron Diaz from SportsRadio 620 WDAE-AM. Captain Vinny Lecavalier has been hitting more than ever & new goalie

Anders Lindback and speedy new winger Cory Conacher also have helped lead the Lightning to a 6-1 start to the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.

unveiled to Winners’ customersearlier this week, still has many ofthe same appetizers, includingfried mozzarella sticks, “dirty”chicken fingers, quesadillas, Buffa-lo shrimp and, of course, big,plump chicken wings, but Gerryand Kasia have added some newitems too delicious to ignore.

Although I’m allergic to mus-sels (sigh), I have to say that thezesty garlic sauce that Winners’new wine mussels appetizer is literallyswimming in — which also combineswhite wine, shallots, Pernod liqueur,fresh basil and diced tomatoes — is asgood or better than what you can get atmost Italian restaurants. I also recentlygobbled down an order of the newconch fritters, which are literally loadedwith fresh conch, and assistanteditor/photographer Matt Wiley raved

about Winners’ new peel-&-eat shrimp.Also new to start area a made-fresh-dailyhummus appetizer, which combines gar-banzo beans, fresh lemon zest, cumin,garlic, olive oils, Kalamata olives andgrilled flatbread for dipping, as well asparmesan garlic breadsticks served with ahomemade marinara dipping sauce.

Fresh Fish? Really?Fresh Fish? Really?Because both Gerry and Kasia love

By Gary NagerPhotos by Matt Wiley

For those of you who are long-timeWesley Chapel residents, you’ve probablyseen, passed by and perhaps even triedWinners Sports Grill, located in the Wes-ley Chapel Village Market, on S.R. 54near the intersection of Bruce B. DownsBlvd.

But, if it’s been a while since youvisited Winners — even if it’s only beena couple of months — you owe it toyourself to try it again.

About 17 years ago, owner GerryMalynowsky actually opened all of theoriginal Winners restaurants — in TampaPalms, Oldsmar and this same WesleyChapel location — but sold them all topursue other endeavors, including, mostrecently, as the executive chef at the T.Pepin Hospitality Center on N. 50th St.in Tampa, and executive chef for Puff n’Stuff Catering, where he was responsiblefor providing 5,000 unique meals eachday of last year’s Republican NationalConvention.

During his three-year tenure atPepin, Gerry, a classically trained chefhimself who received his formal trainingat the Culinary Institute in Montreal,Canada, hired fellow chef Kasia Lavigne.who also has had years of outstandingprofessional experience after earning herprestigious Cordon Bleu culinary degree

from the California Culinary Academy inSan Francisco. The two eventually begandating and when Gerry had to repossessthe Wesley Chapel Winners in Novem-ber, he brought Kasia in to not onlycook the food — so he could focus onmarketing and running the business —he also had her redesign Winners’ “bor-ing” (Gerry’s words) sports bar menu.

“I have so much experience pur-chasing food for Pepin and the cateringcompany that I know I could providemuch higher quality food at Winnersand still sell it at a very fair price,” hesays. “I told Kasia to get creative and weboth think the new Winners menu willappeal to a much larger number of peo-ple, but without turning off or scaringaway the existing customer base.”

Starting Fresh!Starting Fresh!The new menu, which was just


Winners Grill — Finally, A ‘Sports Grill’ With Great Food!

Of course you’d expect to find great Buffalo and honey garlic wings (far left) at Winners Sports Grill in the Wesley Chapel Vil-lage Market (S.R. 54 at Bruce B. Downs Blvd.), but how about zesty wine mussels (center), crispy conch fritters loaded with fresh

conch meat (right) or our editor’s new favorite herb-crusted baked half-chicken with homemade chicken gravy (below).

their fresh fish, they have added not onlya fresh catch of the day preparedgrilled, blackened or fried, as well asdelicious grouper tacos, made withblackened black Gulf grouper andserved on soft flour tortillas with asavory Baja slaw, spicy chipotle mayoand fresh lime. If you doubt that fishcould possible be fresh, Gerry will behappy to tote out one of the beautiful7-9-lb. black grouper filets he brings infresh every week to prove you wrong.

Other items we’ve sampled are the“Just like Grandma’s” shepherd’s pie(layered with creamy corn mashed pota-toes, cheddar cheese and gravy), theawesome Cowboy burger (topped withAmerican cheddar cheese, bacon, onionrings and BBQ sauce), Lou’s Buffalobirdie sandwich, the new wine musselpasta, new chicken Marsala, herb-crustedbaked chicken (my new favorite dish),homemade soups, fresh salads, fajitas andeven a new grilled flank steak toppedwith a homemade chimichurri salsa

In other words, if you love greatfood at a fair price (only the catch of theday can cost more than $12.99), Gerry

and Kasia have your taste buds covered. And of course, Winners is still a

great place to watch a Lightning, Rays orBucs game, grab a quick lunch (see page33 for a great lunch coupon special) andHappy Hour is actually served all day,with 2-for-1 well cocktails, domesticdrafts and house wines. Large party plat-ters also are available for takeout.

So, to satisfy your craving forgreat food and great service at alwaysfair prices, visit Winners Sports Grill(5429 Village Market), call 973-7474or visit WinnersSportsGrill.com. And,please tell Gerry I sent you!


If you want truly fresh (and delicious!) grouper tacos (left), Gerry says youhave to start with truly fresh black Gulf grouper (right).

(Left) Chef Kasia Lavigne and owner GerryMalynowsky invite you to sample Winners’delicious Cowboy burger (above) and “just

like Grandma’s” shepherd’s pie (below).

By Gary Nager

WingHouse Coming ToWingHouse Coming ToFormer Buffalo’s Café!Former Buffalo’s Café!

It’s been vacant a few years already,but the for-mer Buffalo’sSouthwestCafé, locatedon S.R. 54near the inter-section of OldPasco Rd. willsoon become— to thedelight of allthe men, atleast, in the Wesley Chapel area — thenewest Ker’s WingHouse.

Well, in one reporter’s opinion, itshould be to everyone’s delight,because not only will owner and formerNFL guard (with the Cowboys andBroncos) Crawford Ker’s newest WingHouse help make the northern part ofWesley Chapel a little more of a desti-nation for business people and local res-idents, it also has pretty good food.

Yes, the always-hot Wing Housegirls will still be the biggest attraction,but the naked (unbreaded) wings andother better-than-Hooters fare andstaying open for all of the live, pay-per-view UFC and boxing matches also willhelp make Ker’s Wing House as big ahit locally as it has been in it’s current20 locations throughout Florida sinceKer opened the original restaurant inLargo in 1994. Converting the long-

vacant Buffalo’s building will take “afew months,” according to a Wing-House spokesperson. Bottom line? Youdefinitely can expect to have a newplace to hang for the 2013-14 NFLand college football seasons. Need wesay more? I didn’t think so.

For additional information, visitWingHouse.com.

Lee Roy Selmon’s To OpenLee Roy Selmon’s To OpenOn S.R. 56?!?On S.R. 56?!?

Although there’s not yet a signposted at the site, we’ve been told by aspokesperson for MVP HoldingsTampa, the parent company of LeeRoy Selmon’s, PDQ and CarmelCafé that those of us who have missedSelmon’s since the New Tampa loca-tion on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. closedlate last year won’t have to wait toomuch longer.

The new Selmon’s reportedly is setto open — as early as April somehow— on a currently vacant piece of landjust off S.R. 56, between the existing


The Latest & Greatest News About Dining, Shopping, Retail & More In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel!Texas Roadhouse and Ashley Furni-ture and in front of Shapes Total Fit-ness, which will give it visibility fromboth I-75 and S.R. 56, as well as a cen-tral location between the Shops atWiregrass mall and The Grove shop-ping center. We’ll keep you posted.

Cornerstone AC & HeatCornerstone AC & HeatWins Angie’s List Award Wins Angie’s List Award

Cornerstone Air Conditioning& Heating has earned the serviceindustry-coveted 2012 Angie’s List“Super Service Award,” an honorawarded annually to only about 5 per-cent of all of the companies rated onAngie’sList.com, the nation’s leadingprovider of consumer reviews aboutlocal service companies throughout theU.S. "We are honored to have won thisaward and to be affiliated with such awell-respected site," says Dana DeckardSpears, owner of Cornerstone Air Con-ditioning & Heating.

Angie’s List Founder Angie Hickssays, “Our standards for the Super

Service Award are quitehigh. The fact that Cor-nerstone Air Conditioning& Heating earned thisrecognition speaks vol-umes about its dedicationproviding great service toits customers.”

Service company rat-ings are updated daily onAngie’s List. Companiesare graded on an A-F

scale in areas ranging from

price to professionalism to punctuality.Members can find the 2012 SuperService Award logo next to companynames in search results onAngiesList.com.

With an A Rating from the BetterBusiness Bureau, Cornerstone is an AirConditioning & Heating Companywith 24-hour emergency service, freeestimates for new system installation,repair and maintenance of "any brand,any problem, any time." Serving all ofPasco, Hillsborough, and Hernandocounties, the company prides itself onbeing able to provide all of its cus-tomers with reasonable pricing, qualityworkmanship and the professional serv-ice they deserve.

For more information aboutCornerstone, call 949-4445 and askabout the company’s free annualheating safety inspection (whichcomes with a “No Breakdown” guar-antee) for just $49.95 or $20 off anyemergency service repair. Or, visitCornerstoneAirFla.com

FHWC Wellness CenterFHWC Wellness CenterRibbon CuttingRibbon Cutting

Although we’ve told and shownyou almost everything possible aboutthe new Florida Hospital WesleyChapel (FHWC) and its adjacent Well-ness Plaza, we still wanted to show youthe official Ribbon Cutting ceremonyfor the Wellness Plaza, sponsored, ofcourse, by the Greater Wesley ChapelChamber of Commerce (WCCC).

A few dozen Chamber membersThe white stakes to the left appear to mark off where the new

Lee Roy Selmon’s restaurant will be built off S.R. 56.


and guests got a chance to enjoy freerefreshments and get tours of the amaz-ing 100,000-sq.-ft., three-story medicaloffice and wellness facility, which is basi-cally the most incredible fitness centerI’ve seen to date — with a 25-meter lappool, warm therapy pool, dozens oftreadmills, elliptical and rowingmachines, a huge free weight area, ahealthy snacks café and so much more.

For membership and otherinformation, visit WellnessPlazaFH-WC.com or call (847) 568-5890.

And, don’t forget that we’re stilllooking for more current or interest-ed WCCC members to advertise onthe exclusive Wesley Chapel Chamberpage in the next (March 16) WesleyChapel Neighborhood News! Call Nikkiat 910-2575 for more info!

Check Out Eyeglass World!Check Out Eyeglass World!If you haven’t yet visited Eyeglass

World, located next to Verizon Wirelesson S.R. 54 (Wesley Chapel Blvd.), just

west of I-75, you really need to get inthere soon!

Basic eye exams at Eyeglass Worldare the least expensive in the area, atonly $39! Contact lens exams start at$99 and include a prescription for glass-es. Glasses are buy one, get a secondpair (aka “BOGO”) every day, startingat two pairs for as little as $78! Somerestrictions apply and of course, yourcost may be higher, based on theframes and lenses you choose.

Eyeglass World features a hugeselection of 3,000 frames to choosefrom and a wide variety of lenses to suitany prescription. Among the best-known brands available are Polo byRalph Lauren, Ray Ban, DKNY,Coach, D&G, Vera Bradley, Anne Kleinand many more.

Stop in to Eyeglass World(27835 S.R. 54) or call 907-9122for more info and please tell storemanager Elisa Shah we sent you!

Representatives of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel and the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber ofCommerce cut the ribbon at the January 30 ribbon cutting of the FHWC Wellness Plaza.


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LICENSED MOBILE MASSAGE THERA-PIST Available seven days a week, 9am -9pm. $55for 1 hour! Types of massage available: Swedish,Deep Tissue, Aroma Therapy, Hot Stone, CorporateSeated, Pregnancy, Sports & Injury Rehab. Refer-ences available. www.barkdollmassagetherapy.com CALL (727) 372-6389 Lic #MA47546.

JAZZERCISE CLASSES - Classes available Mon-Fri 8:30am & 9:30am located at Jansen Dance Proj-ect. Jazzercise is a combination of dance, hip hop,kickboxing, yoga, and Pilates. Enjoy 30 minutes ofrockin’ cardio and 30 minutes of strength training.All Monday’s in September are FREE! For moreinformation call Julie (813) 505-5258,www.jazzercise.com [email protected].

GROUP THERAPY CLASSES –4 groups start-ing: 1) Adult Stress Management, 2) Children’sSocial Skills, 3) Parenting Skills, and 4) Mind-BodyWellbeing. Cost: $20-$30 per week. Conducted bylicensed therapists with over 10 years of experience.Limited Space, Call Today. We also provide individ-ual therapy for children, adolescents, and adults. CallDr. Brad Palermo, Licensed Psychologist – (813)666-5885. Website: www.Tampa-Therapy.com

L A W N C A R E JASMINE’S LANDSCAPING - Complete lawnmaintenance, Tree, palm and hedge trimming, Plant-ing, mulching, stones, Sod replacement, Pressurewashing, Gutter cleaning and more. Cited by yourHOA for violations? Need to comply for: Pressurewashing, Trimming, Mulching, Sod replacement,Sprinkler repair or Mailbox repair or replacements?Askabout our HOA SPECIAL! FREE ESTIMATE!(813) 420-4465

LAWN CARE - We Specialize in Residential Lawn &Landscape Maintenance! Landscaping, Mulching,Clean-ups, Palm/Tree Trimming & Sprinkler Repairalso available. Owner Operated over 17 years. Call ustoday for Reliable Service for everything that grows @ your property (813) 973-3825 or visit: ntlcpropertymaintenance.com

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

TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE - NewTampa owned & operated. Great Pricing with out-standing customer service! LICENSED, BONDED& INSURED. See why we are New Tampa’s #1Choice!! New customer’s ONE MONTH FREE!Call Chris Today @ (813) 857-5400 or visitTranquilityPoolService.com

AQUATEC POOL SERVICE - keepingpools clear & swim safe since 1994. WE DOPOOLS RIGHT! Commercial & Residential. CPO#33-303052 Licensed & Insured. Service guarantee.Call (813) 312-5694 TODAY and get 1MONTH OF QUALITY SERVICE FORFREE. www.aquatecpool.com

F U N & G A M E S

BRIDGE PLAYERS WANTED - Daytime.Weekdays. Once, twice, or more per month forthree hour sessions in selected homes of membersin New Tampa or Wesley Chapel. Actual scheduledepends on availability of players. One-two tablesmaximum. Party bridge, not Duplicate. Interme-diate level. Enjoyable, warm, casual people. Free.No frills. For details call Harry at 813-907-2541 or Jane at 813-355-3665.

LOOKING TO PLACE A LISTING?Call The Neighborhood News 813-910-2575

wesley chapel issue 04-13

Documents

new tampa wesley chapel

sports bar

design proposals

new offices

design operation of

sports complex project

winners grill

theplanned fields