wesley chapel issue 18-11

as a typical Tuesday which turned into achase that he says “trumps them all”compared with other calls he’s been onduring his six years at ZPD.

Ofc. Widener was looking forspeeders on a stretch of S.R. 54 threemiles east of Wesley Chapel that has a35 mph speed limit, when he noticed alate-model Subaru sedan passing by at45 mph, 10 over the limit, so he flippedon his lights. With the sirens howling,the Doughertys’ Subaru gathered speedand a chase ensued, at some pointsreaching speeds up to 100-mph on S.R.54. As the vehicles came across AllenRd., heading towards Wesley Chapel, apassenger began firing shots at Ofc.Widener’s vehicle at 7:12 a.m..

“During the attack, I was con-cerned about civilian safety,” said Ofc.Widener at a recent news conference.

“More than 20 shots were fired (at hiscruiser).”

Eventually, the chase led to theCVS Pharmacy parking lot at 4910Allen Rd., where a passenger again firedshots at Widener, this time striking hisfront left tire. He continued the pursuituntil the tire went completely flat atMorris Bridge Rd. and S.R. 54, wherehe reported that the suspects wereheaded north.

Just minutes before the shootingstarted, Ryan, the youngest of the trio,had cut off his ankle monitor that wascourt-ordered, as he was convicted just

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 18 • August 27, 2011 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com 1

Volume 19Issue 18

August 27, 2011

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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

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NEWS, BUSINESS, SPORTS &EDUCATION UPDATES

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says Avalon was rewarded for hertremendous efforts for the protection ofthe environment throughout her life.Additionally, last year, the home-schooled student designed the logo fora bio-sand water filter company, Friend-ly Water for the World Inc., which sup-plies water filters to under-developedcountries, like Kenya, to produce cleanwater from untreated, bacteria-riddenwater sources.

Avalon also has previously beengranted the Nate the Newt Award forher efforts for SaveTheFrogs.com (shemade a presentation on how digitalprograms could replace frog dissectionin high schools), she has won first placein a frog call identification contest, andwas featured on CurrClick.com as“Student Of The Week” for her envi-ronmental awareness.

“She is a very talented and drivenlittle girl,” says Kay. “What theseyoung people achieve is amazing.”

When Avalon isn’t raising tadpoles

The Wild Ride Of The ‘Dougherty Gang’ Started Near Wesley Chapel

By Sean Bowes

Do you know the differencebetween a toad and frog? Do you knowhow amphibians and reptiles are differ-ent? If you cannot answer either ofthose questions with absolute certainty,then it doesn’t seem likely that youcould list the six most populous frogs inthe Wesley Chapel area and be able toidentify each of them just by hearingtheir unique frog calls.

But, Avalon Theisen, a 10-year-oldgirl who lives in Meadow Pointe, knowsall of this, and more. Avalon, whorecently won the 2011 Action forNature International Young Eco-HeroAward, an honor presented annually toyoung people ages 8-16 for their envi-ronmental achievements around theworld, is more than just an animallover. She is more like an eco-prodigy.

Just a decade old, she spends hertime traveling to countries in CentralAmerica, like Nicaragua, to studyindigenous amphibians such as the red-

eyed tree frog, and to release reptileslike endangered Nicaraguan iguanas.

“They’re very cute,” says Avalonabout the tree frogs. “Predators thinkthey might be poisonous because oftheir (bright) colors, but really they’reharmless.”

Her mother, Deborah, says thatAvalon has always been a nature-lover.When she was outside as a toddler, shewould love spending time looking up atthe treetops. Avalon used to participatein a lot of beauty pageants, too, shesays, but her devotion to animals start-ed to get in the way.

“She would be wearing her dressand tiara, and just be covered in lizardsor holding frogs,” says her mom.

Action For Nature, a non-profitorganization, gives the Young Eco-Hero Award to students who havemade an exceptional achievement toprotect the Earth. However, Avalon’saccomplishments cannot be measuredwith just one specific example. BerylKay, president of Action For Nature,

By Sean Bowes

Some families do everythingtogether, it seems. Unfortunately, forthe three Dougherty siblings, familyactivities ranged from high-speed carchases and police shootouts to a bankrobbery and an eight-day, nationwidemanhunt, which started on August 2,ended earlier this month.

The trio, Ryan Edward Dougherty,21; Dylan Dougherty Stanley, 26; andLee Grace Dougherty, 29, all lived witheach other in Lacoochee, a small,poverty stricken town about 30 milesnorth of Wesley Chapel. All of themhad arrest records before their wild ridebegan in Pasco County on August 2.

For Zephyrhills Police Department(ZPD) Officer Kevin Widener, it started

Frog-Loving Wesley Chapel Girl Wins International Eco-Award

Ten-year-old Avalon Theisen, of MeadowPointe, shown here holding six of herfroggy friends in Nicaragua, recently

won an international Eco-Hero award.See “Frog Girl” on page 22.

See “Doughertys” on page 6.

2 For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 18 • August 27, 2011 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com

cha•ris•ma (n.) : apersonal magic of leader-ship arousing special pop-

ular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public fig-ure (such as a political leader).

If you’ve ever spent more than fiveminutes with State House District 61Representative Will Weatherford (R-Wesley Chapel), you probably alreadylike him, regardless of your politicalviews or leanings. The fact is that Rep.Weatherford, 31, will soon be theyoungest Speaker of the House thisgreat state has ever had. Will also willbe the first Speaker from Pasco Countyin the last 100 or so years.

In other words, the oldest of ninechildren raised in Land O’Lakes, all ofwhom played competitive sports at thehighest collegiate level, is (to use asports cliché that just happens to ringtrue) a game-changer. He’s the type offiscally conservative Republican andentrenched, genuine family man thateven Democrats can at least embracepersonally. And, Will is smart enoughand sure enough of himself to be ableto engage in lively debates with peoplewho disagree with his politics withouteither side losing his or her temper.

So, when this coalition-building,rising young state legislator was theguest speaker on August 2 at theGreater Wesley Chapel Chamber ofCommerce (WCCC)’s monthly busi-

ness breakfast at a packed SaddlebrookResort ballroom, there seemed to be alittle bit of magic in the air.

Will talked about taxes and jobsand pensions, about Florida’s futureand our country’s future. My favoriteline of Will’s at the event was about theU.S. Legislature’s last-minute agree-ment to raise the nation’s debt ceiling:

“If we had defaulted...and the gov-ernment stopped working...how couldyou tell the difference?,” he quipped.

Redistricting A Big IssueRedistricting A Big IssueBut, Will also is the chairman of

Florida’s House Redistricting Commit-tee and the fact is that his District 61 isone that could undergo some changes— although Will didn’t let on at theChamber meeting if he already knewwhat those changes might be. He saidhis committee is still conducting publicmeetings (like the one held on July 26at Wiregrass Ranch High, which I wasunable to attend) to get as much publicinput as possible on all of Florida’s leg-islative districts before beginning theprocess of trying to implement anyboundary changes.

District 61 is an interesting case,because most of Weatherford’s con-stituents live in Pasco County, althoughmost of “northeastern” New Tampaalso is in his District.

The bottom line he mentionedduring the Chamber meeting was thatat the meeting held at Wiregrass RanchHigh the previous week, there wassome call from the speakers at themeeting, which received enthusiasticresponse from many in the audience,for Pasco to have at least one legislativedistrict of its own. If so, District 61would be a more logical choice to be“all Pasco” than District 44 (which isprimarily a Hernando County district

An editorial by Gary Nager

Weatherford On New Tampa, Wesley Chapel & Redistricting that includes some ofnorthern Pasco), orDistrict 45 (mainlyPinellas, but withsome of westernPasco).

But, with theState House’s Repub-lican majority and thecommittee’s charismat-ic Republican leader(Weatherford), theredistricting decisions are likely to bemade to best optimize Republicanchances in races that will be contested

at the same time as the 2012 presiden-tial election. That is in no way a jab atWill, it’s a fact of partisan politics in thiscountry. The party in charge basicallygets to re-draw those lines. The bottomline is that we will just have to wait theprocess out and see.

September is a great month to getinvolved with the Chamber. On Tues-day, Sept. 6, Lisa Stoessel of the Amer-ican Cancer Society will be the featuredbreakfast speaker at Saddlebrook andthe Chamber’s annual Awards Banquet(see pg. 9) will be held on Saturday,Sept. 10, also at Saddlebrook.


Table of ContentsLOCAL NEWS, BUSINESS, & EDUCATIONUPDATES........................................................Pages 1-24News Briefs...................................................................4-5New Exit Ramps Now Open For I-75 And I-275 Minivan Full Of Children Struck By SemiLooting Spree Hits New Tampa & Wesley ChapelNew Tampa Toddler DrownsLocal Restaurant Owner Dies From Husband’s Beating

Wesley Chapel Community Calendar............................8-9Local Business Updates..................................12-21Prudential Tropical Realty......................................................12Seven Oaks Pet Hospital........................................................14Business Briefs............................................................15Sim City Golf Now Open In Wiregrass MallSweet Darling Quilts To Open In Grand Oaks SquareEye Glass Factory Celebrates Ribbon CuttingStar’s Organic Spa Group Celebrates First Birthday

Local ‘Back To School’ Updates.....................22-24Wesley Chapel Girls Wins Award (cont. from page 1)..........22Local Teen Takes Flight With Aviation Scholarship.............23Wesley Chapel School Grades Released................................24 Non-Profit Organization Hands Out School Supplies........24

Neighborhood MagazineUncle Bo’s Smokin’ BBQ......................................................27North Pole Ices......................................................................28

WESLEY CHAPEL COLOR CLASSIFIEDS........30

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

Senior News WriterSean Bowes

CorrespondentsCamille Gillies • Alicia Pack • Sheryl Young

Art Director Billing ManagerTony Sica Ashley KnoblachAdvertising Customer Service Manager

Nikki BennettAdvertising Account Executive

David Zacharia

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 advertisements for Volume 19, Issue 20, of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News is Monday, Sep-tember 12, 2011.

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.

© 2011 JM2 Communications, Inc.

District 61State Rep. Will

Weatherford


News BriefsWESLEY CHAPEL

By Sean Bowes

‘Bye Bye Old Ramp’ & HelloTo The New S.R. 56 Ramps

By now, most of Wesley Chapelresidents realize that they have waved“so long” to the old northbound exitramp for S.R. 56 and welcome twonew and improved ramps to Exit 275from I-75. The new improvements def-initely seem to be easing traffic conges-tion for vehicles entering I-75 from theI-275 interchange, and also allow driv-ers from both interstate highways swiftaccess to S.R. 56, especially duringpeak travel hours.

The new exit ramps are the latestedition of the ongoing interstatewidening project in our area, accordingto Florida Department of Transporta-tion (FDOT) spokesman John McShaf-frey, which is coming along as sched-uled. SEMA Construction, Inc., startedthe $31.4-million project on October17, 2009.

“This is going to make thingsmuch easier for anyone trying to get onS.R. 56,” McShaffrey says. “Unlessthey miss the ramp the first time, andhave to turn around, but after they getused to it, people will appreciate how

much better this is (than the previousramp).”

FDOT has erected three differentsigns to notify drivers on both I-75 andI-275 about the entrance to the newramps, and to make sure that no onetries to access the old ramp to S.R. 56– which, as of August 16, has beenblocked off with road barriers and willno longer be accessible to any travelers.Vehicles that do enter the new exitramps from I-75 and I-275 will meet ata two-lane, 2.3-mile- long stretch ofhighway that runs parallel with I-75until it merges right onto S.R. 56. Theimportant thing to note about theentrance off I-75 is that it is locatednearly 2 miles closer to the Bruce B.Downs Blvd. exit off I-75 than the oldone and is now south of where theCounty Line Rd. “apex” crosses thetwo interstates.

As of now, both lanes are openand have had a positive reception fromthe community. McShaffrey says thatFDOT has made efforts to keep laneclosures to a minimum on the new exitramps, as further construction aroundthe new lanes is still planned, althoughhe says they are likely to take place dur-ing early morning hours.

Laying down a new toplayer of pavement, and workaround the medians will takeplace until the construction ofthe exit ramps has been com-pletely finished, which FDOTofficials estimate will be some-time in the spring of 2012.According to McShaffrey, theroadway may seem a bit roughuntil the final layer of asphalt hasbeen placed on the ramp.

For drivers who do acciden-tally drive past the new exitramp from I-75, it will mean driving4.2 miles north until they can turnaround at S.R. 54 (Exit 279) and thenreturn to the S.R. 56 exit. According toMcShaffrey, FDOT anticipates a fewpeople driving past the new ramp, buthe says if they do happen to miss theirexit, it’s unlikely they will do it again.

Five Key Points About TheFive Key Points About TheNew RampsNew Ramps

• The exit points for the newramps are 2 miles further south thanyou are used to exiting onto S.R. 56.

• The posted road signs give plen-ty of advance warning and lighted mes-sage boards are being used for now tomake drivers aware of the new exits.

• Should you miss the exit, don’tpanic! Just continue on I-75 about 4miles north to the next exit (S.R. 54,

Exit 279) and either use local roads(S.R. 54, BBD, etc.) or get back ontosouthbound I-75.

• Workers will still be in the areauntil the project is completed – pleasewatch out for them!

• Night lane closures will be usedas needed until the project has beencompleted.

Notices of upcoming I-75 laneclosures are listed on FDOT’s projectwebsite, MyTBI.com, where you alsocan see photos and get other updatesabout ongoing and future projects,such as the reconstruction of the I-75 rest areas in Wesley Chapel locat-ed between S.R. 56 and C.R. 54,and the widening of I-75 betweenS.R. 56 and C.R. 54.

Minivan Full Of LocalMinivan Full Of Local

The new exit ramp for S.R. 56 from I-75 north-bound is about two miles south of the old exit.


Children Hit By SemiChildren Hit By SemiA 16-year-old Wesley Chapel girl

and five of her passengers are alive afterthe new driver drove her Dodge mini-van in front of the path of a semi truckon S.R. 54 and Curley Rd., a FloridaHighway Patrol (FHP) report states.

Jasmine Dixon was driving the2005 van with four children, ages 5-12,who are all Tampa and Wesley Chapelresidents. Jamira Dixon, 31, sat in thefront passenger seat as Jasmine tried tomake a left turn onto Curley Rd. fromS.R. 54 on July 26, and was struck by asemi truck traveling westbound.According to the FHP report, the truckdid not have enough time to stopbefore colliding with the minivan.

All of the passengers in the vanwere treated at St. Joseph’s Hospitalwith injuries ranging from minor toserious. The children ages 5 and 12 sus-tained the most serious injuries andwere airlifted to the hospital. All of thepassengers were wearing their seatbelts.

Rash Of Smash & GrabsRash Of Smash & GrabsRobberies Strike Our AreaRobberies Strike Our Area

Suspects are still on the loose for arecent rash of crimes in our area thatonly can be described as “smash andgrab” burglaries. The break-ins left atleast 12 businesses in New Tampa andthe Wesley Chapel area with brokenfront doors and damaged interiors.

According to the Tampa PoliceDepartment (TPD), the suspect(s) firststruck in the wee hours of the morning,smashing the glass front doors of busi-nesses at 17500 Preserve Walk Ln. inHighwoods Preserve, adjacent to BruceB. Downs (BBD) Blvd., east of I-75,on August 4. The suspects then walkedinto the restaurant, coffee shop or hairsalon, sometimes taking the cash regis-ters, sometimes not.

Cold Stone Creamery, Starbucks,Jimmy Johns, and Salon at the Walkwere just some of the business targetedby the vandal(s) on August 4.

That same night, six businesses inthe shopping plaza at 6431 CountyLine Rd, less than five miles north ofPreserve Walk Ln., were robbed and/orvandalized. Hungry Howie’s, GrandeurSalon, Five Guys Burgers & Fries,Frogury Frozen Yogurt, China Wokand Hudson Cleaners were all victim-ized. The suspects escaped with an esti-mated $800 in cash total, TPD reportssay.

“They broke through my frontwindow, and stole a computer,” saidArno Schlappig, owner of Salon at theWalk. “They didn't take any money. Wedon’t keep much in the cash register.”

Police are looking for a male sus-pect, 18-24 years old, 5-foot-8 with amedium build.

TPD detectives are workingtogether with the Pasco County Sher-

iff's Office (PCSO) to find the perpetra-tors, as the New Tampa crimes are verysimilar to the recent break-ins at threebusinesses located near the intersectionof S.R. 56 and BBD.

Anyone with information aboutthe suspects or crimes is asked to callTPD at 931-6500 or PCSO at (727)844-7711.

Restaurant Owner Dies OfRestaurant Owner Dies OfInjuries From BeatingInjuries From Beating

The charges of attempted murderand child abuse are likely to change forChunping Lin, the man who, accordingto Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office(HCSO), beat his wife so severely thatshe eventually died of her injuries onJuly 15 from the attack that took placeon May 20.

Readers who have been followingthe story in the Neighborhood News mayremember from our previous reportsthat Lisa Tian, the wife of Lin andowner of the Joy of Tokyo restaurant,was seriously injured when her husbandbeat her to the point of sustaining

major injuries to her brain and wrist. According to published reports, a

search warrant early on in the case stat-ed that Tian had, “multiple skull frac-tures (and) was suffering from brainswelling and a broken arm.”

A report from HCSO showed thatLin’s child abuse charge stemmed fromTian’s 10-year-old son trying to protecther, but was attacked by Lin as well,and suffered a laceration on one of hisfingers.

Tian was transferred from St.Joseph's Hospital, where she remainedin critical and serious condition sincethe beating, to Melach Hospice Houseat 11125 North 52nd St. She passedaway three days later.

A friend of Tian’s, Sara Johnson,spoke out on a Tampa-based blogabout Tian’s marriage with Lin.

“She has suffered from her hus-band’s abuse since I have known her,”Johnson blogged. “She never left himbecause she loved him, and he didn’tspeak good English. She didn't knowhow he would make it on his own.”

one day before the car chase for his lat-est crime: exchanging sexually explicittext messages with an 11-year-old girl,making him a registered sex offender. Itwas reported that just before the chasestarted, Ryan had text messaged hismother saying, “There’s a time for all ofus to die.”

The trio, whom authorities consid-ered heavily armed and extremely dan-gerous, then spent the next few hoursdriving north before they committedtheir next crime, authorities say.

Lee-Grace, the oldest of the trio, isa stripper who worked at a club calledCheetah’s in Cocoa Beach. She said onher photo webpage that she is, “28 butI act like I'm 17 most of the time. Ilove to farm and shoot guys and wreckcars. I’m a redneck and proud of it. Ilike milk and German engineering andcausing mayhem with my siblings.”

By the time the “DoughertyGang” reached Georgia, it seemed theywere ready for more “mayhem.”According to the FBI, three suspectsmatching the trio’s descriptions,entered a bank in Valdosta, and openedfire with an AK47 assault rifle, shootingat the ceiling, and stole an undisclosedamount of cash.

Ryan is believed to have purchasedan AK47 two years ago at a Zephyrhillspawn shop, the Pasco County Sheriff’sOffice (PCSO), said.

After the bank robbery, authoritiesaround the nation began the manhuntfor the siblings. Their mugshots wereposted on billboards, social networkingsites and reports came out from hun-

dreds of different news channelsand newspapers. Pasco SheriffChriss Nocco spoke to the mediatrying to get out information thatwould help lead to the capture ofthe Dougherty siblings.

“These are not just somekids,” Nocco said in a newsreport. “They’re street smart.They’re extremely dangerous, andthey have an arsenal.”

After the bank robbery inGeorgia, it is suspected that their nextcrimes were two separate carjackings inPleasant Grove, Utah. According toPleasant Grove Police Detective JordanMcNaughton, the trio are the main sus-pects where carjackers stole one car andabandoned it, and unsuccessfully triedto steal another, with weapons drawn.It was reported that the getaway car forthe unsuccessful car theft was a whiteSubaru sedan with Colorado plates.

With the manhunt underway innearly every state, the “DoughertyGang” was spotted next in ColoradoSprings, CO. The siblings were seenpurchasing a tent from an REI outdoorsporting goods store, and they werespotted driving the same white Subarusedan, which had since been reportedstolen by Ryan’s girlfriend.

The next morning, August 10, itwas reported that their vehicle was seenat a campground at the San IsabelNational Forest. Authorities were thendispatched to the surrounding area,where they eventually spotted the Sub-aru at a gas station off of I-25. A Col-orado state trooper approached the trio,who then took off in the stolen vehicle.It would be the second time theDougherty Gang would lead police on


a 100+mph police chase. As the trio sped along at speeds up

to 120 mph, they blasted gun fire atpolice cruisers behind them, PuebloCounty Sheriff Kirk Taylor said.

As the pursuit continued, officerslaid down a Teflon spike strip across theinterstate, which sent the trio’s speedingSubaru into a cartwheel, with machineguns and automatic weapons flying outof the car, as it finally rested on the sideof a guard rail.

According to the police report,Lee Grace tried to escape on foot witha Mac 11 pistol in her hand. Authoritiesshot her in leg after she pointed hergun at Walsenburg Police Departmentofficers, who then arrested her, and hertwo brothers who gave themselves upshortly after the crash.

“I pointed a gun at a cop,” Lee-Grace later told authorities, “I deservedto get shot.”

Back at home, Ofc. Widener’sphone started ringing off the hook, asfriends and coworkers wanted to lethim know that the trio had been finallybeen caught, in Colorado of all places.

“I would have loved to have beenthere when they arrested them,” saysOfc. Widener. “I’m just so thankful thatno one) was hurt. I prayed every nightthat (the Doughertys) would not hurtanyone.”

ZPD Chief David Shears says thatthe trio’s shootings at Ofc. Widener arethe only time he can recall shots beingfired at a ZPD Officer in his 20 years atthe department. Chief Shears says sincethe Dougherty’s committed crimes allover the U.S., he is unsure of wherethey will be charged.

"I want the maximum punish-ment, and if that's through the federalsystem, let it be through the federal sys-tem," said Chief Shears.

“Doughertys”Continued from page 1

Zephyrhills Police Dept. Ofc. Kevin Widener (left) was the first law enforcement offi-cer shot at by the Dougherty siblings (l. to r.) Lee Grace, Dylan and Ryan, during a

recent eight-day crime spree and nationwide manhunt.


Community CalendarWESLEY CHAPEL

Motorcycle Ride For BuckySunday, August 28 — Bikers

from around the area will come togeth-er to raise money to help Bucky, the co-owner of Skinny’s Sports Bar, who wasinjured in a recent motorcycle accident.Join Bucky’s friends in a motorcyclepoker run to raise money for Bucky’shospital bill. The ride starts at Skinny’sSports Bar, 27429 S.R. 54.

Call 994-4646 for more info.

Wesley Chapel ToastmastersMonday, September 5 — The

new Wesley Chapel Speaks ToastmastersClub meets on the first and third Mon-day of every month, 6:15 p.m., atHyundai of Wesley Chapel (26944Wesley Chapel Blvd.). Club meetingsare open to all interested parties.

For more information, call 406-5931 or visit Toastmastersd84.org.

Women Of Wesley ChapelWomen Of Wesley ChapelFriday, September 5 — WOW,

the Women of Wesley Chapel, meetsthe first Friday of every month at theBranch of Christ Building, CypressView Square, 27223 S.R. 56 (locatednext to Boardwalk Frozen Custard).The meeting starts at 7:30 a.m.

For info, email Debbie Yoerg [email protected].

Free Networking Int’lFree Networking Int’lMonday, September 5 — Free

Networking International (FNI), agroup of area business owners, meetseach Monday for networking and dis-cussion, 8 a.m., at Lexington Oaks GolfClub (26140 Lexington Oaks Blvd.).

For more information, call StacyDalton at 469-5499.

Business Networking Int’lBusiness Networking Int’lTuesday, September 6 — Busi-

ness Networking International (BNI), agroup of business professionals whowork to support each other throughqualified business referrals, meets everyTuesday at 7:30 a.m. at Song & DanceStudio (27221 Foamflower Blvd.) inWesley Chapel.

For more information, contactNancy Cross at 789-7836 or by e-mail at [email protected].

East Pasco Networking East Pasco Networking Tuesday, September 6 — The

East Pasco Networking Group meetsevery Tuesday, 9 a.m., at BeefO'Brady's (1660 Bruce B. DownsBlvd., in the Shops of New Tampa atWesley Chapel plaza).

For more information, contactFrankie Ammons at 479-7997 or bye-mail at [email protected].

GriefShare Recovery GriefShare Recovery Support GroupSupport Group

Tuesday September 6 — EveryTuesday, a group meets for those griev-ing the death of someone close. Meetothers who understand the pain of lossfrom 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., at LakeMagdalene United Methodist Church,2902 W. Fletcher Ave., Room 307.

For more info, call 963-1254, orEmail [email protected].

Wesley Chapel Rotary ClubWednesday, September 7 — The

Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel meetsevery Wednesday at 12:15 p.m. atDempsey’s Steak House at SaddlebrookResort (5700 Saddlebrook Way).

For more information, call 862-8989 or 391-3895.

WC Civil Air PatrolWC Civil Air PatrolWednesday, September 7 — The

Wesley Chapel Civil Air Patrolsquadron meets every Wednesday, 6:30p.m., at Tampa North Aero Park (4241Birdsong Blvd., off S.R. 54).

For additional information, visitWesleyChapelCAP.com or call CherylSpence at 973-7270.

Networking For SuccessNetworking For SuccessThursday, September 8 — The

Networking For Your Success groupmeets every Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-10a.m., at Song & Dance Studio (27221

Foamflower Blvd., off S.R. 54).For additional information, call

John Anglada at 298-3232 or visitNetWorkingforYourSuccess.com.

WC Republican ClubWC Republican ClubThursday, September 8 — The

Wesley Chapel Republican Club meetsthe second Thursday of each month, 7p.m., at Hyundai of Wesley Chapel(27000 Wesley Chapel Blvd./S.R. 54).Visitors and new members are welcometo attend.

For additional information, callMike Moore at 777-6171 or [email protected].

WC Wind EnsembleWC Wind EnsembleThursday, September 8 — The

Wesley Chapel Wind Ensemble, a com-munity group of brass and woodwindplayers, meets every Thursday, 7 p.m.,at Crossroads Community UnitedMethodist Church (26211 CountyLine Rd.). New members are encour-aged to join.

For additional information, callGlenn at 746-4821 or e-mail him [email protected].

Vegetable Gardening SeminarSaturday, September 10 — Fall is

the time to start a vegetable garden, socome discover some tricks to yielding abumper crop at Land O Lakes Com-munity Center, 5401 Land O’LakesBlvd., starting at 9 a.m.


For questions about this class,call (352) 518-0156.

An Evening Of EleganceAn Evening Of EleganceSaturday, September 10 — The

Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber ofCommerce is hosting its annual AwardsBanquet at Saddlebrook Resort Tampa(5700 Saddlebrook Way, off S.R. 54).

Cocktails will be served at 7 p.m.,and the banquet begins at 8 p.m. Thedress is Cocktail/Evening attire and theevening will have a Frank Sinatratheme. The price is $55 per person,which includes parking and gratuity.

For more info, including spon-sorships, call the Chamber office at994-8534.

CBC Networking GroupCBC Networking GroupThursday, September 15 — The

Christian Business Connections (CBC)Networking Group meets every Thurs-day, 8 a.m., at A Cup of Organic cof-feehouse (1900 Oak Grove Blvd., offS.R. 54, in Lutz). The group is open toall business leaders and professionals inNew Tampa, Wesley Chapel and sur-rounding communities. CBC members’core philosophy puts God first andbases business decisions on Christianvalues, both moral and ethical. CBCmembers focus on helping each other’sbusinesses prosper by networking, shar-ing ideas and business practices.

For more information, call JeffHanneken at 600-9200.

Wesley Chapel Sunrise RotaryFriday, September 16 — The

Wesley Chapel Sunrise Rotary Clubmeets every Friday at 7:15 a.m. at Lex-ington Oaks Golf Club (26140 Lexing-ton Oaks Blvd., off S.R. 54).

For more information, callLynne Wilson at 695-6466.

MOMS Club Of WCMOMS Club Of WCMonday, September 19 — The

Moms Offering Moms Support(MOMS) Club of Wesley Chapel, anon-profit social group for stay-at-home mothers, meets at 10 a.m. thethird Monday of each month at theLexington Oaks clubhouse (26304Lexington Oaks Blvd., off S.R. 54) foractivities, field trips and more.

For more information, e-mailHeather at [email protected].

Free Women's Health ClinicWednesday, September 21 —

The Foundation for Wellness Profes-sionals and Quantum Vitality Centres(27454 Cashford Cir., behind Sam’sClub) will host a free health clinic, 11a.m.-1 p.m., for women who may expe-riencing the deliberating effects ofPMS. Come learn about balancing hor-mones naturally without the use ofdrugs or hormone replacement. Spaceis limited and reservations are required.

Call 973-4747 to reserve a seator for more information.

‘Helping Hands’ Food PantryNow Open In Wesley Chapel

By Sean Bowes

In these tough economic times,Social Security payments, food stampsand other government assistance arestill not putting enough food on thetable for many families. The HelpingHands Pantry in Wesley Chapel is try-ing to fill some of that void for needyPasco County residents.

If you’ve ever driven down S.R.54 on a Wednesday afternoon, chancesare you have you seen the crowd thatassembles outside of the AtonementLutheran Church of Wesley Chapel.Many of the visitors are jobless, someare homeless and others just need ahelping hand. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.each Wednesday, the small churchtransforms into a food pantry whichhands out hundreds of bags of food toany individual or family who needs alittle help. The program is aimed atresidents who cannot afford the gro-ceries they need to buy each week.

“Even if you think you make toomuch money to qualify to receive (thepantry’s) food, we'll help you out,”says Yvette Williams, assistant directorof the program. “We try to not turnanyone away.”

Typically, Helping Hands servesbetween 150-180 families each week.The non-profit organization hands outnumbers to each Pasco County resi-dent outside, and lets in five people ata time to collect their groceries for theweek, at zero cost to the shopper.

Normally, people start lining upoutside around 7 a.m., sometimes evenearlier, to be first in line to enter thechurch and fill their bags from theimpressive smorgasbord of items,including everything from breads andcookies to a variety of fresh produceand frozen meat. Volunteers set upmakeshift grocery aisles every Tuesday,carrying food supplies from an air-con-ditioned storage shed behind the

church to get ready for the rush ofpeople the next day.

“They always have plenty ofcanned foods and bread,” said ChristalPoitevint, a Shady Hills woman whocommutes 40-minutes each way everyweek to stock up on food for her fami-ly, “There is at least enough so youhave something to eat.”

Many people like Poitevint use theprogram in addition to food stamps;because, she says, food stamps “aren'talways enough” to fill their plates.

According to Carla Haberland,the director of Helping Hands Pantry,the organization gave out more than280,000 lbs of food to 26,866 individ-uals last year. Hablerland says at thispoint, the most difficult thing is notreally finding enough food for the resi-dents, but staffing enough volunteersto help set up the grocery aisles andassist people with their shopping.

The pantry collects all of its foodfrom local individuals, the USDA andother churches in Wesley Chapel, aswell as stores like Sweetbay, Bageli-cious, and Walgreens. Volunteers forthe organization come from all overthe area and students from youthgroups like the Wesley Chapel HighNational Honor Society volunteer atthe pantry to earn some communityservice hours.

While the program appears to be asmooth running operation, Haberlandsays there are still ways it could beimproved to help out the communitymore efficiently. She also says the pro-gram needs the use of a larger storageshed, as the pantry’s current one is toosmall to handle the amount of fooddelivered each week.

For more information aboutvolunteering or donations for Help-ing Hands Pantry, call 973-2211, orEmail [email protected]. Atone-ment Lutheran Church is located at29617 S.R. 54.

The Helping Hands Food Pantry, based at the Atonement Lutheran Chirchon S.R. 54, provides food and more for thousands of Pasco residents.


or her own website.This way, customerscan find out moreabout who they'reworking with, andhave easy access toindividual contactinformation.

“We also live,work and breathe thereal estate business,”Ronnie says withenthusiasm. “We goabove and beyond.We'll help buyers orsellers with pickingout paint and décor,home emergencieslike busted pipes,picking people upfrom airports to see houses when theyhave limited time, making beds beforeshowings, you name it. We considerour jobs to be 24/7.”

Prudential Tropical TakesPrudential Tropical Takes“24/7” Literally“24/7” Literally

Speaking of around-the-clockservice, Prudential Tropical has a pro-gram called CITY 24/7. If a prospec-

tive buyer passes a house and likeswhat they see, they call a certain num-ber, get a prompt to enter the home’saddress and hear a recording of thehome’s features. There’s even anoption that allows you to be connect-ed directly to the agent.

Going around the table, wefound that some of these Realtors®actually work from 6 a.m. to 2:30a.m. to take care of their clients. And,

Prudential Tropical Realty Serves Buyers & Sellers Around The Clock!By Sheryl Young

Are people still having the goodfortune of selling and buying houses?Yes, especially when they have a com-pany like Prudential Tropical Realtyon their side. And, within PrudentialTropical's 19 locations, including oneright here in the New Tampa/WesleyChapel area, there’s a great full-servicereal estate solutions provider locatedright here to serve local residents.

The vivacious team at the locallocation in the Publix-anchoredShoppes of New Tampa plaza onBruce B. Downs Blvd. (BBD), justsouth of S.R. 56, is eager to sharetheir knowledge, expertise and love ofhomes with hopeful home seekers aswell as home sellers. We spoke withvice president of sales and marketingRob Hilliker and several of his morethan 50 real estate agents from thisoffice -- Ronnie Preusch, Debbie Mar-vin, Beverly Carollo and ChristinaBarone — are proud to be a part ofthe Prudential Tropical team.

“With the right strategies, thismay be both a seller’s and buyer’smarket,” Hilliker says. “Things are

looking up. And, we are here to pro-vide the full array of services that sur-round the major decision of buying orselling a home.”

Ronnie adds that whether it’s abetter market for buyers or sellers maydepend on the location, not today’seconomy. “High-end homes still rep-resent a buyer's market,” she explains,while Debbie says that a seller may stillfind it more necessary to adapt theirprice to the market at the lower end.

“I’ve worked for other Realtors,but whatever the case, PrudentialTropical offers more marketing toolsand resources to get things doneright,” Debbie states.

Beverly agrees. “Prudential offersmore services to sellers, buyers andcorporations that are looking for relo-cation living space for their employees.Plus, we have mortgage services,rental properties…we have access toshowcase everything.”

They all agreed that there are sev-eral things that set Prudential Tropicalapart from other real estate offices.For one thing, a special perk for bothagents and customers at PrudentialTropical is that each agent is given his

Among the more than 50 agents at Prudential TropicalRealty’s Wesley Chapel office are (l. to r., back) Christina

Barone, Beverly Carollo, VP of sales & marketing Rob Hil-liker and (front) Debbie Marvin and Ronnie Preusch.


some make it a family affair.Debbie and Christina’s husbands

also both work in the business, andthey consider themselves “Team Mar-vin” and “Team Barone,” respectively.

Christina is pleased at how quick-ly help comes to them as agents, sothey can in turn help their customersin a timely and efficient manner. “OurManaging Broker, Dennis Derbes, isalways there for us,” Christina says.

“There’s no way anyone can dothis job part time,” Beverly adds. Ourheads must always be in the game. Weneed to know every legal aspect ofcontracts and updates on the houses.We have to love what we do, and wehave to love working with each otherto get all the pieces together.”

The agents pointed out that theyalso take time to meet the propertyappraisers. Sometimes an appraiserisn’t familiar with an area, and won'tdo the house justice with the appraisalbecause they go off averages on paper.Prudential Tropical agents know theirneighborhoods, and can point thingsout which might be important to theproper appraisal of a home.

Between just these agents, theyhave about 60 years of experience.Hilliker defines their office as the“Nordstrom’s of Real Estate,” and the

group estimates that 95 percent oftheir business comes from referralsthrough previous customers. So, theirservice has to be outstanding.

For newer agents, PrudentialTropical has something they call RockUniversity, which they were able toindependently develop because these19 offices are a privately owned fran-chise. “The newly hired agents are notjust thrown on the floor,” Hillikerexplains. “We have a training programeven after they pass the state test.”

Repeat Customer AffirmsRepeat Customer AffirmsExcellent ServiceExcellent Service

Repeat customer Bob Abajianconfirms that Prudential Tropical’sservice is top-notch. He and his wifeDeborah have done business with theoffice several times, specifically withDebbie Marvin and her husband, whoalso just happens to be named Robert!

“We met Bob & Debbie [Mar-vin] while selling a house in 2001,”says Abajian. “We hit it off and endedup also buying through them. Then, Igot into the business of fixing uphouses and re-selling them and con-tinued to work with the Marvins.”

Abajian adds that the Marvinsreally saw everything through withshowings, handling various other

Realtors, doing all the paperwork.“They’ve done an excellent job of

marketing and selling the houseswe’ve renovated,” he says. “Throughtheir efforts and guidance on pricing,it all has worked out so well. Theyeven help me decide where to usestainless appliances and with otherdesign aspects. Compared to otheragents I’ve used, their follow-throughis outstanding.”

In conclusion, Hilliker says, “It'sa great time once again to buy and sellhomes. It's wonderful to hear thenoise of construction in the NewTampa and Wesley Chapel areas again,

but our office really hasn’t had a hardtime.”

Maybe it’s all that training, dedi-cation and 24/7 service that keepsthese Prudential Tropical Realtyagents at the top of their game.

Expectant buyers and sellerscan visit this Prudential TropicalRealty office at 1830 Bruce B.Downs Blvd. (just south of S.R. 56and less than a mile north of thePasco County line) in the Shoppesat New Tampa of Wesley ChapelPlaza., or call 907-8200. You alsomay visit NewTampa.Prudential-Tropical.com.


house calls, tradition-al spays and neuter-ing, on-site x-rays,vaccines (includingthe canine influenzavaccine), scalpel-lessradiowave surgery,microchipping andnutritional counsel-ing. There’s evenholistic veterinarycare, which is anapproach to the pre-vention and treat-ment of diseasewhere the whole ofyour pet and his/herphysical and socialenvironment is takeninto account.

For instance, if your pet is afflictedby Irritated Bowel Syndrome and Aller-gic Dermatitis, the Holistic Veterinarianconsiders that these two diseases arepart of a single complex and he designstreatments to address them as a whole.

As treatment, your pet may receivehomeopathy, acupuncture and othernatural medicines. It may also requireadjustments of the pet’s diet usingfoods that promote the function of fail-ing organs. Your pet may also requireconventional medications.

“Holistic medicine for pets reallydoes work,” says Dr. Reddy. “We havemany success stories about how evenjust a dietary change has made a bigdifference.”

Seven Oaks Pet Hospital also is apaperless practice and is not a “corpo-rate” animal hospital. It truly is yourneighborhood vet office and Mazzygives it two very enthusiastic paws up!

Seven Oaks Pet Hospital (27227S.R. 56) is open Monday-Friday, 8a.m.-6 p.m., and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. onSaturday. For more info, call 929-4100 or visit SevenOaksPet.com.

Mazzy Gives ‘Two Paws Up’ To Seven Oaks Pet Hospital!

Laparoscopic spays (left), available at Seven Oaks Pet Hospital, are performedwith much smaller incisions, with much less loss of blood and significantly less

recovery time than traditional spay surgeries.

Mazzy gives ‘twopaws up’ for the carehe’s getting at SevenOaks Pet Hospital

on S.R. 56 in WesleyChapel and fromDr. Sree Reddy.

By Gary Nager

If you have a dog or cat (and whatfamily doesn’t?) and you’re not takingyour furry best friend to see my friendsat Seven Oaks Pet Hospital on S.R. 56(next to Boardwalk Frozen Custard), Ithink you should consider visiting thisextremely popular veterinary office.

But, don’t just take my word for it.Listen to Mazzy, the new dog in notonly my life, but in the lives of everyonein our office.

It was only a couple of issues agowhen I lost Goldie, my beloved goldenretriever, and I had no intentions ofgetting another dog — at least not any-time soon.

But, after meeting Mazzy’s brotherLouie and being told that if someone inour office didn’t take his identical twin,one of these adorable “Schnorkies” (webelieve they’re part schnauzer and partYorkshire terrier) was headed to an ani-mal shelter. I couldn’t let that happen,especially when Mazzy just happens tobe the best-trained, most affectionate,most obedient five-month-old pup I’veever met.

So, where did I decide to takeMazzy for his veterinary care? To thesame wonderful place that helped getme through Goldie’s cancer and herhaving to be put down when she begansuffering. I can honestly say that I have

never met a more caring, outstandingdoctor and staff than Sree Reddy,D.V.M., and his amazing crew at SevenOaks Pet Hospital. Not only do thesefolks ALL love animals, Dr. Reddy hasdone everything he can to keep hisprices for outstanding pet care amongthe lowest in the area and you’re neverwaiting much more than five minutesfrom the time you walk in until thetime you see the doctor.

“I don’t appreciate being made towait very long when I go to a doctor’soffice,” says Dr. Reddy, who graduatedfrom the College of Vet Medicine inIndia in 1997. He then completed histraining at the Tuskegee UniversitySchool of Veterinary Medicine inTuskegee, AL, in 2000, and moved toFlorida in July 2004.

“I know people want to get inhere, get the proper care for their pet,feedback and instructions from me andmy staff and get back home and nothave to spend so much money,” hesays. “ I haven’t raised my prices since Iopened here four years ago.”

The immaculate facility offersextremely affordable wellness packages,where all of your office visits for theyear are included in the price. SevenOaks Pet Hospital also offers the latesttechnology with laparoscopic spays andanesthesia-free dental cleanings. Alsoavailable are emergency care and even


Business BriefsNEW TAMPA & WESLEY CHAPEL

by Personal Chef of Tampa Bay TatianaMartinez, wine and fun. Giveawaysincluded free jewelry, Zumba and Yogaclasses, haircuts, facials, nails, make-up,massages and discounts galore.

Jessica from All Brides*2*Be wason hand to show attendees the beauti-ful gowns and formalwear she has at thespa. Lisandra and Tobias of Joint Con-nections were available for massages andbody therapy sessions. Kelly, Sue andSteve from A Focus on Fitness providednutritional guidance and training info.Star, Donna and Judy from Star’sOrganic Spa made many of the guestslook and feel beautiful. Janis finishedthem off with Jewelry by Beadangled.It was a fabulous celebration of a greatfirst year in business!

For more information, call 973-8787 or visit StarsOrganicSpa.comand tell them we sent you!!!

Eyeglass Factory’s RibbonEyeglass Factory’s RibbonCutting & Mixer!Cutting & Mixer!

Our friend, Dr. David Scamard ofthe Eyeglass Factory and Showroom onS.R. 54, less than a mile west of theintersection with S.R. 56, is proud toannounce that he is hosting a Chamberribbon-cutting and mixer on Thursday,Sept. 22, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Theevent will include food, refreshmentsand plenty of great door prizes.

The Eyeglass Factory is locatedat 24444 S.R. 54 in Lutz. For moreinfo, call 949-7274 or visit EyeglassFactoryandShowroom.com.

By Gary Nager

Whether you like golf, quilting orfree refreshments, check out this issue’sBusiness Briefs below for the latest info.

Sim City Golf Now OpenSim City Golf Now OpenIn Wiregrass MallIn Wiregrass Mall

Even the most hard-core Floridagolfer would have to admit that it’s alittle less fun playing 18 holes in theheat of our summer. So, whether you’relooking for a lesson from a licensedPGA professional, or want to try yourhand at playing 60 of the world’s mostchallenging courses without leavingWesley Chapel, wouldn’t it be nice todo so in air-conditioned comfort?

Sim City Golf, which openedrecently in the Shops at Wiregrass mall(near Barnie’s Coffee and Dillard’s at29329 Paseo Dr.), is owned by PGApros Fred Bender and Tim Polce, whopromise that their GolfBlaster 3D simu-lators are state-of-the-art and the facilityoffers not only lessons, but also greatgolf leagues, closest-to-the-pin contestsand even mini-golf for all ages.

And, since Fred and Tim arelicensed by their overseas partner JanBurger to sell the GolfBlaster 3D simu-lators, you can even buy one for your“man cave” at home or open a Sim

City franchise of your own.For more information, call 973-

2222, visit SimCityGolf.com or seethe ad on pg. 4.

Sweet Darling Quilts OpensSep. 1 In Grand Oaks Square

If you’re already a quilting enthusi-ast, or you’re at least interested in find-ing out more about it, visit our friendCathy Tokish at her new Sweet DarlingQuilts, which will open Thursday, Sep-tember 1, next to Chapel Cigars, in theGrand Oaks Square plaza on S.R. 54,just a little west of Lexington Oaks.

Sweet Darling Quilts has every-thing from a huge selection of quiltingpatterns, fabrics, notions and supplies toquilting classes and so much more.

Sweet Darling Quilts (26240Wesley Chapel Blvd., Lutz) is openMon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For moreinfo, call 994-2994, see the ad on p.5 or visit SweetDarlingQuilts.com.

Star’s Organic Spa’s Bday!Star’s Organic Spa’s Bday!Star’s Organic Spa Group and A

Focus on Fitness (2136 Ashley OaksCir., in Seven Oaks Prof. Park) celebrat-ed their first anniversary with a Cus-tomer Appreciation Party on July 29.Attendees were treated to fantasticmusic by Kool Kat DJ, delicious food

PGA pro Fred Bender takes a swing at the GolfBlaster 3D simulator at Sim City Golf,which is open every day in the Shops at Wiregrass mall.


By Gary Nager

I can’t yet guarantee you that the60-minute group personal trainingworkouts at Orangetheory Fitness(located off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. inNew Tampa, next to Cold StoneCreamery and Starbucks) will deliverthe best possible results of any gym orpersonal training studio. What I can tellyou is that the workouts are definitelyintense, unique and even fun.

Although I have been working outconsistently the last four+ years andhave kept off most of the nearly 50 lbs.I lost, I have to admit that I hadn’tbeen as motivated the last few monthsto really give my all in my workouts. Tothat end, I signed up for Orangetheo-ry’s six-week Ultimate Fitness Chal-lenge — not so much to try to win the$2,500 top prize — but to see if I likedthe facility, the workout, the trainersand yes, to get back my motivation tolose back the last 15-20 lbs.

Motivation, energy and heart rateare the big buzz words at Orangetheo-ry. Each of the no more than 24 peoplein each class is given a personal heartrate monitor and the workout nearlyalways begins with 26 minutes on thetreadmill, although there is both a sta-tionary bike and a unique ellipticalmachine called a “strider” for those

who can’t do a hard 26 minutes (walk-ing or running) on the treadmill.

During that 26 minutes, the train-ers have you establish a “base” pacethat should get your heart up to the“green” zone (as shown on big-screenTVs), or between 75-85 percent ofyour maximum heart rate (based onyour age). They then include one- ortwo-minute intervals of “pushing” and“all out” paces designed to get yourheart rate up to and to stay in the“orange” zone (85-95 percent of yourmaximum) and, eventually, into the“red” zone (95 percent and above ofyour maximum heart rate).

The trainers will tell you that yourheart rate should stay in the “orange”zone (thus, the “orange theory”) atleast 12-20 minutes of each one-hourworkout to achieve maximum weightloss and fitness results.

In addition to the treadmills,Orangetheory workouts include inter-vals on an ergonomic rowing machineand the “weight room” includes repsusing a variety of dumbbell freeweights, medicine balls, step benches,and enough sets of rings suspendedfrom the back wall for each person inclass to have a set.

The instructors generally do a verygood job of explaining each exercise,but it is really important to pay atten-

Taking The Orangetheory Fitness Challenge Is...Challenging!

At Orangetheory Fitness on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (near Cold Stone Creamery & Star-bucks) in New Tampa, the intense small group workouts usually begin with 26 minutes on

the treadmill (left) but also include (right) some unique strength-training exercises.

tion as each is explained, because thetrainers have a lot of people they haveto keep on task, the music is loud andpulsating and the exercises themselvesare designed to bring your muscles tofull fatigue, while keeping your energylevel high, so you definitely want to dothem all correctly. The trainers also takethe time to show you lower- or non-impact alternative versions you can doinstead of the higher-impact exercises.

Orangetheory co-founder andTampa native Terry Blachek says he ishappy to bring Orangetheory to theNew Tampa/Wesley Chapel area.

“The choice to open in New

Tampa was an easy one, and we arelooking forward to becoming a staplein this tight-knit community.”

I’ve only been at the Challengefour weeks (I’ve done seven sessions in14 days), but I have lost a few pounds,my blood pressure and cholesterol lev-els have gone down and I’m alreadyincreasing my time in the orange andred zones with virtually each workout.Oh, and I feel great, too.

To get started, call 774-3488,visit OrangetheoryFitness.com orstop by the studio at 17515 Pre-serve Walk Lane. There are 55classes each week, including Sunday.


Apartment Complex Set To Open In New Tampa In October Future New Tampa residents are

signing leases at the Colonial Grand atHampton Preserve apartment complex,where construction is chugging alongright on schedule. The high end, town-house-style apartments, located offBruce B. Downs Blvd. and Trout CreekDr. (near the new Sweetbay supermar-ket), is set to open in the fall. The com-plex will fill 67 acres of previouslyundeveloped land a half-mile south ofCounty Line Rd.

Colonial Grand’s regional VPDiane Gilmore says that families andindividuals already are coming onboardto live in the brand new community,which will feature the comforts of luxu-ry living, while enjoying a “Go Green”lifestyle. Residents will begin movinginto the complex on Monday, October17, where they are welcome to use theoversized workout facility, poolsidecabanas with WiFi, as well as participatein the community events that HamptonPreserve plans on hosting every week.

Colonial Grand has invested $53.8million into the New Tampa area, andwill open with opportune timing, asFlorida Hospital Wesley Chapel, locateda couple of miles north on BBD, nearsits unveiling in 2012.

“There are no other apartmentcomplexes being built in the (New

Tampa) area right now,” says Gilmore.The 486 lease-only apartments at

Hampton Preserve will be available in1, 2 or 3 bedroom units. Garages willbe available for many of the 2- and 3-bedroom units, and special “GourmetUnits” are available to guests who enjoythe lavishness of wine racks and chillersto accompany their gourmet-inspiredkitchens, ten-percent of the apartmentswill feature those and other luxuries,management said.

All 31 buildings and 17 floor plansat Hampton Preserve have been certi-fied by the National Home BuildersAssociation (NHBA) with a GreenBuilding Standard certification. Gilmoresays the complex is going to encouragemany aspects of “Going Green,”including giving its residents the optionof living in a smoke-free building, anoption that its sister community, Colo-nial Grand at Seven Oaks, and mostother complexes do not have.

“Energy-saving appliances, low-watt light bulbs, paperless bills, and thechoice of signing an ‘E-Lease’ are all apart of our efforts to ‘go green,’”Gilmore says.

Rents fluctuates with the size andfeatures of the apartments. The unitsrange from 682-1,468 sq. feet, andGilmore says they are reasonably priced

for the value resi-dents receive, includ-ing views of thebackwoods wildlife,the resort-style pooland the wild flowergarden, which wasdesigned to keep thestomachs of the localdeer populationhappy while lookingpleasant to residents.

For moreinformation aboutColonial Grand at Hampton Pre-

serve, call (866) 522-5998 or visitCGHamptonPreserve.com.— SB

The Colonial Grand at Hampton Preserve apartment com-plex is a sister community to Colonial Grand at Seven Oaks.


Topash Painting: Still Keeping Our Area’s Homes Beautiful! By Sheryl Young

K.T. Topash grew up in paint.The painting business, that is. K.T.worked in the family business with hisfather, Paul, for 16 years, and has nowowned the Wesley Chapel-basedTopash Painting for the past three.

“It’s always been a family busi-ness,” says K.T. “My dad consideredme (to be) his partner. Since he hand-ed the business on to me, I’m alreadybringing my son Cole in, and my wifeHollie does our bookkeeping.”

Topash Painting specializes ininterior and exterior home and com-mercial painting. Sometimes, Cole, age10, accompanies K.T. to job sites.

Despite the shaky economy, orperhaps, at least in part, because of it,K.T. says he is being kept very busywith painting jobs.

“Oh yes, the bulk of my businessis coming from (home) re-painting,”he explains. “Many people aren’t mov-ing, so they’re deciding to re-vamptheir houses, inside and out, either thesame color for freshness, or changingthe colors of their rooms. Paint is theleast expensive way to give your homea totally new look.”

Although K.T. says his favorite jobis still exterior painting, he adds that

no job is too small for him. He’ll doan interior job that could take a weekor more, or he’ll come out to paint afront door that might have complicat-ed trim work. He and Hollie also stayup on the latest paint trends, so he canadvise his clients about today’s bestcolor choices and even impart somedécor intuition. And, since TopashPainting is a mobile business, K.T. usesa trailer as an “office on wheels.”

“My trailer is my office, my rollingworkshop, that I travel in,” he says. “Ihave every possible needed sample andtool on board.”

K.T. does all of the work on hisjobs himself, beginning with a freeestimate. He’ll work with other con-tractors that need to be on the proper-ty at the same time, like floor installersor cabinetry companies. He will alsouse environmentally friendly “green”paints upon request.

He explains that environmentallyfriendly paints means those with “low -to-zero VOCs,” with the initials stand-ing for “Volatile Organic Com-pounds.” VOCs may include chemicalsthat sometimes cause low-level toxinsto be released into the air that can irri-tate allergies, or cause gas emissionsnow known as harmful to the environ-ment. At one time, lead was the

biggest health hazard in paint, butalthough that’s been removed frommost products, traditional paints maystill contain some VOC-producingchemicals.

K.T. is savvy in which paint com-panies are now producing low to zeroVOC paint lines, including low-odorpaints for those who are fragrance-sen-sitive. He warns, though, that becausesome essential elements might beremoved from this type of paint, it maynot last as long.

Speaking of how your paint jobcan last, when it comes to updatingand maintaining the appearance ofyour home, K.T. is quick to sharesome valuable advice.

“On average, exterior paint lastsseven years,” he says. “The best thing a

homeowner can do to preserve theirexterior paint is power-wash the houseevery 12-18 months. It will protectagainst mold and mildew. And, itwon’t wash off the paint – it will keepit fresher and easier to paint the nexttime. The worse a house needs paint-ing, the more chances there are thatwater can seep past the exterior andinto the house.” K.T. also can do yourpower-washing before painting.

So what are some of the latestinterior paint trends? “People whodon’t like really shiny walls in theirbathrooms and kitchens are discover-ing that a satin or eggshell finish cleansjust as well as a semi-gloss,” K.T. says.“And, accent walls are still popular.But, if you’re staying in the same colorgroup as the other three walls, choose

(L. to r.) Holly, Cole and K.T. Topash of Topash Painting.


a shade more than one shade awayfrom the first color, or it will just looklike a shadow.”

How To Hire A Painter How To Hire A Painter For the occasional unavoidable

schedule clash, K.T. will hire or recom-mend other painters he knows andtrusts to do the work. So, here aresome of his tips on how to find a goodpainter:

• Ask friends and neighbors aboutpainters they’ve used.

• A reputable painter will beknown to area stores. Mention anypainter you are considering at yourlocal hardware or home supply store tosee if they are known there.

• A clean vehicle indicates a neatpainter who takes pride in his or herwork. Observe the vehicle he or shearrives in when they come to do theestimate.

• You shouldn’t be asked to buyyour own paint before the job.

• Another warning sign is if theperson doesn’t return your calls in atimely manner.

• They must be able to show theyare licensed, bonded and insured inyour county.

On Being Self-EmployedOn Being Self-EmployedK.T. says he is thankful to be an

independent business owner in a timewhen so many people are losing their

jobs. He gets much of his work fromrepeat customers and their referrals,but wants to thank the NeighborhoodNews for the exposure he’s receivedthat’s brought him many new clientsover the years.

In fact, K.T. wants readers toknow that he periodically runs specialsin this publication, so keep your eyesopen for those specials.

John and Shannon Triplett wereimpressed by K.T., from when theyfirst spoke to him about painting theexterior of their home — and evenmoreso after the painting was complet-ed. “K.T. did a great job,” John says.“Several days before the painting, hecame out and power-washed thehouse, as well as the sidewalk anddriveway. On the day he painted, Iwent to work, came home and healready was done. Besides, the houselooked great and everything was leftspotlessly clean.”

The Tripletts say they already havecalled K.T. back for another job.“We’re having him do the interiornow,” John adds. “I hate to paint!”

K.T. Topash of Topash Paintingcan be reached for estimates andappointments at 780-2511, or by e-mail at [email protected] Facebook link for customercompliments for Topash Painting isFacebook.com/pages/TopashPaint-ing/122435881136778.


Green Rangers & FL Waterworks Create Beautiful Landscapes TogetherOne way he watches each cus-

tomer’s dollar is by monitoring theamount of time a system is running tomake sure it is working efficiently.

“You can water your grass toomuch, and then you are just wastingwater and stuck with a big utility bill,”Frank explains, adding that he is veryconscientious about water usage andconservation.

His customers include both resi-dential and commercial accounts, suchas office complexes and the commonareas of large communities. He guaran-tees that he will stick with a job until itis completed to the customer’s satisfac-tion. “I am not done with a job untilit’s done right,” he states emphatically.

Green RangersGreen RangersWolfle, the owner of Green

Rangers, has been in business in theTampa Bay area for 21 years. Locatedin Land O’ Lakes, his company servescommercial and residential customersprimarily in New Tampa, WesleyChapel, Lutz and Land O’ Lakes.

It’s not surprising that Charlierefers business to his good friend Frankbecause Green Rangers is a tight-knitestablishment. “We have a small, family-run business of five employees, includ-ing myself, and we are all either familyor friends,” he says.

Charlie is a hands-on businessowner who often goes out on job sitescompleting the work himself. Evidently,his customers appreciate his personalinvolvement because he says many ofthem have been loyal to his businessthroughout its 21-year existence.

One such long-term customer isWesley Chapel resident Chuck Rizzo,who relies on Green Rangers to takecare of lawn pest control and shrubpruning at his 1.5-acre property in Sad-dlewood Estates. Chuck says he metCharlie 20 years ago as the result of anadvertisement in a church bulletin. “Ihad just built a house in Saddlewood

By Camille Gillies

If you’e a New Tampa or WesleyChapel-area homeowner, you knowhow challenging it is to keep your lawnlooking lush and lovely. For many of us,it’s nearly impossible unless you have abackground in horticulture or enlistsome professional help. The weeds, thepests, the stressed-out grass, the list ofannoyances goes on and on. That’s whyit’s so important to hire experiencedpest control, lawn care and irrigationspecialists.

If you’re still looking for top-notchlawn care and/or pest control, two areabusinesses have teamed up to tackleyour lawn maintenance headaches.Although not officially partners, andeach owning his own business, friendsCharlie Wolfle and Frank Lauria havebeen working in tandem for the pastfive years to provide their customerswith the best landscape service possible.

Charlie owns Green Rangers, afull-service lawn care and pest controlcompany, and Frank owns FL Water-works, specialists in irrigation. Together,they can establish a landscape designfrom inception to completion, and pro-vide the maintenance necessary to keepit green and healthy for the long term.

“If I notice chinch bugs, grubs or

worms at one of my customer’s proper-ties, I refer them to Charlie,” saysFrank. “If he sees dying grass at one ofhis customer’s homes and knows it’snot caused by a pest problem, he refersthem to me. Many times the grass issuffering because there is an area thatisn’t being irrigated properly and I canfix that for them.”

FL WaterworksFL WaterworksLocated in Tampa, FL Waterworks

serves customers in Pasco, Hillsbor-ough and Pinellas counties. A licensedirrigation contractor, Frank offers serv-ices that include installation andredesign of irrigation systems, generalsprinkler system repair, valve repair, wiretracking and fault finding. The Tampanative started the company five yearsago, after working for Walt Disney-World in Lake Buena Vista, where hespent a year maintaining the extensiveirrigation systems throughout the Dis-ney theme park system.

He says honesty and integrity arethe hallmarks of FL Waterworks.

“A lot of irrigation contractors cutcorners by using inferior products,” hecomments. “I use only real irrigationwire and quality parts and equipment. Ipride myself on quality workmanshipand I always strive to save money formy customers.”

Frank Lauria (left) owns FL Waterworks,an irrigation company and his friendCharlie Wolfle owns Green Rangers, a

lawn maintenance firm. Together, they cantake care of all your landscaping needs.


and was looking for someone to do mylawn and shrub care,” Chuck recalls. “Ihired Charlie and he’s been doing mylawn ever since.”

Chuck says he appreciates Charlie’sattention to detail, as well as his accessi-bility and fair pricing.

“He’s a good fellow to do businesswith, very straight forward,” saysChuck. “He surveys my property andtells me what needs to be done, but healso tells me if something can be doneat a later time.”

The company also believes inoffering flexible lawn maintenance pro-grams to suit a variety of needs.

“We have several programs to fitpeople’s budgets,” Charlie comments.“We also offer free analysis and compli-mentary service calls.” Pest control canbe contracted for as little as six monthsat a time and mowing contracts areyearly, with mowing services performedevery week from April through Octoberand every other week from Novemberthrough March.

For his New Tampa-area clients,Charlie says that he is prepared for thenew government-mandated restrictionson nitrogen that the Tampa City Coun-cil passed on June 23. The new ordi-nance, which goes into effect in 2012,bans the sale of nitrogen-packed fertil-izer between June 1 and Sept. 30 andalso prohibits residents from putting iton their lawns and gardens. Charlie says

that he already has been employingother fertilizing alternatives for the lastthree years. “I have been using iron anda variety of micronutrients for severalyears now,” he says, so the ban won‘thave a significant impact on his cus-tomers.

Pasco County has yet to imple-ment any kind of nitrogen-packed fer-tilizer ban, but if they do, Charlie willbe equipped to comply with any newregulation.

In addition to pest control expert-ise and full-service lawn care, GreenRangers also features landscape designservices. Charlie attended FarmingdaleState College in Farmingdale, NY,where he studied landscape design.

“My father and uncles were all inthe landscaping business in New York,”he notes. “With my background andyears of experience, I am able to planand install a customer’s landscaping andthen care for it in all respects, from fer-tilizing and mowing to applying thepest control treatments.”

The area he doesn’t specialize in —irrigation — is Frank’s specialty, whichmakes for a friendly reciprocal arrange-ment between Green Rangers and FlWaterworks.

For a free lawn analysis or moreinformation about Green Rangers,call 949-9994. For irrigation servic-es, call FL Waterworks at 239-7345or visit FlWaterWorksIrrigation.com.

in her backyard, kayaking around Flori-da state parks or making temporaryhomes for feral toads next to her fami-ly’s compost pile, she spends her timestudying for her home-school AP Biol-ogy class (a course usually reserved for10th graders), learning Spanish andworking for Friendly Water. She sayslearning Spanish will help her commu-nicate with locals when she travels toHonduras in January, where she willspend several days with herpetologiststo study frogs and snakes.

George Heinrich, a biologist andwildlife educator in Pinellas County,meets with Avalon nearly every week tostudy the animals that live in riversaround the area.

“She is an excellent student,” saysHeinrich. “She is just so excited aboutlearning new things. I wish all of mystudents had that same excitement.”

In addition to all of her environ-mental activities, Avalon keeps busy byrunning her own business, which sheoversees online and takes abroad to dif-ferent events. Selling homemade craftsfrom vendor booths, she sells magnets,necklaces and keychains with her ownartwork designs. And, instead of stuff-ing the cash she collects into her piggy-bank, she donates it to either the Camp

Bayouu Outdoor Learning Center (aTampa-area preserve) or to SaveThe-Frogs.com.

“All I ever want is peace and love,which you cannot buy,” said Avalonwhen she was awarded her Student ofthe Week award. “By giving the profitsaway, I can help many other people.”

To learn more about AvalonTheisen and her achievements, youcan visit her website at ConserveIt-Forward.com where you can watchvideos and photo galleries of herhandling amphibians and reptiles.For more information about Friend-ly Water for the World or to seeAvalon’s logo, visit FriendlyWater-ForTheWorld.com.


“Frog Girl”Continued from page 1

their mentorsonce a week. Theprogram typicallychooses kids frommiddle schooland stays withthem until col-lege, and some-times eventhrough their firstfew semesters ofcollege.

Byron, asoft-spoken, well-mannered 15-

year-old who continually makes theA/B honor roll at Wesley ChapelHigh, says he had no real interest inaviation before the he showed up atthe camp on July 24. However, afterlearning the controls and ins-and-outsof small airplanes, like the four-passen-ger Piper Cadet, a single engine, Cess-na-style propeller plane, he began toreally appreciate being chosen for thescholarship.

“It was really cool flying,” saidByron. “Just being picked to go (tothe Destination Aviation summercamp) was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.I’m very thankful.”

The Florida Air Museum sponsorsthe $675 per-camper cost for the

“Take Stock” students to attend “Des-tination Aviation.” According to Flori-da Air Museum director Ernest San-born, the cost is well worth it.

“Every year, we have had a greatgroup of kids come here to fly,” San-born says. “Teaching the kids how tofly matures them. It gives them a cer-tain type of quiet self-confidence thatthey didn’t have before.”

At the airfield in Lakeland, stu-dents learn about all of the gauges andcontrols inside an aircraft during theflight school, so that when it comestime fly the plane, they are comfort-able at the yoke. All of the studentsalso had the unique experience of tak-ing a night flight over Pasco Countywith a flight instructor, which asidefrom flying the Piper Cadet them-selves, is one of the big highlights forthe week-long camp.

Sanborn says the Destination Avi-ation program teaches the students toembrace the Aviators Creed: “I willtreat this earth and sky as I would oth-ers: With respect and dignity.”

For more information on pro-grams and flight schools at theLakeland Sun n’ Fun Airfield, callthe Florida Air Museum at (863)644-2431 or visit the airfield locat-ed at 4175 Medulla Rd., Lakeland.


Wesley Chapel’s Byron Capehart Wins Aviation ScholarshipBy Sean Bowes

When a once-in-a-lifetime oppor-tunity presents itself, the wise thing tois take it. That is what Byron Cape-hart’s mother, Martha, told her sonwhen he was offered the chance toattend the “Destination Aviation”flight school summer camp in Lake-land at the Sun n’ Fun airfield, whichis home to the Florida Air Museum.

Byron, a 15-year-old sophomoreat Wesley Chapel High, was chosen,along with four other high school stu-dents from Pasco County, to studysubjects like math, science and tech-nology to hone their skills for possiblecareers in the fields of aviation, aero-space or engineering.

Byron and the other Pasco Coun-ty students chosen were awarded theirscholarships by the Florida Air Muse-um, which annually presents the gift offlight school scholarships to local stu-dents who are participants in the PascoEducation Foundation’s “Take Stockin Children” program.

“Take Stock” is an award-winningprogram that provides mentors, educa-tional scholarships and hope for PascoCounty’s low-income and at-riskyouth. The program uses volunteer-mentors to help its mission of breaking

the cycle ofpovertythrougheducation.

Accord-ing to “TakeStock inChildren”programmanagerRoseanneHeyser, theprogram hasbeen work-ing togetherwith the Florida Air Museum for near-ly five years.

“[The camp] gives the kids asense of a responsibility,” Heyser says.“For one week, they cook their ownmeals, clean up after themselves andthen learn to fly a plane, too.”

“Take Stock” chooses between 25and 50 students from around thecounty who are considered to be at-risk or from low-income families, andstays with them throughout their aca-demic careers until college. Accordingto the program’s website, the studentsare awarded college scholarships if theystay in school, maintain good grades,exhibit good behavior, remain crime-and drug-free, as well as meet with

Wesley Chapel High sophomore Byron Cape-hart attended the “Destination Aviation”flight school summer camp in Lakeland.


School shopping is not only physi-cally draining, it can be a financial drainas well. For some families in the WesleyChapel area, the burden of buying newschool supplies can mean decidingbetween the amount of groceries forthe week and the new backpack thattheir child needs for the new schoolyear. Luckily, there was a helping handthis year for students from low-incomefamilies, and/or those who qualify forPasco’s free or reduced lunch program.

“Projects of Pasco” is a non-profitorganization that operates primarily ineastern Pasco County and has beenrunning this free school supplies eventfor the last seven years. The organiza-tion’s mission is to help provide stu-dents with all the necessary school sup-plies rom kindergarten to high school.This year, dozens of volunteers, includ-ing the cheerleading team from WesleyChapel High and Boy Scout Troop#177, got together at Wesley ChapelElementary on August 13 to hand outhundreds of backpacks, tens of thou-sands of pens and pencils, bottles ofglue, notebook paper, folders, bindersand more.

“We have everything here that youcould find at a Wal-Mart or school sup-plies store,” said Fulk. “Everything

except the cash register.”According to Fulk, she purposely

designed the school supplies drive tomirror the aisles of a school suppliesstore – she wants the parents to be ableto pick and choose which supplies theythink their child would want to use atschool, rather than just handing them abag pre-packed with an assortment ofsupplies. The idea behind the drive isfor it not to feel like a charity, she said.

“I found everything I neededtoday,” said a parent of a Wesley ChapelElementary student. “I feel blessed.”

More than 1,150 parents pre-regis-tered for this year’s school supplies driveto receive some of the $11,000 worthof supplies. “Projects of Pasco” receivesdonations from local businesses andindividuals every year. According toFulk, the VFW in Zephyrhills, the NewYork Yankees and Verizon Wirelessannually donate thousands of dollars tothe organization. Metro Storage onS.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel donates itslargest air-conditioned storage space forProjects of Pasco to collect school sup-plies year-round.

For additional informationabout how to make a donation tothe “Projects of Pasco,” call AnnaFulk at 738-3038. — Sean Bowes

‘Projects Of Pasco’ Hands OutSupplies For The New School Year

Most Wesley Chapel SchoolsEarn ‘A’ Or ‘B’ Grades This Year

The grades for Florida’s publicelementary and middle schools are in,and parents of who attend school inWesley Chapel should be happy toknow that almost all of our area’sschools met, or exceeded the county’soverall grade of a “B.” In fact, PascoCounty as a whole received a grade of520, just five points short of earningan “A.”

New River Elementary was theonly school in the Wesley Chapel areato drop to a “C” grade, although,principal Lynn Pabst remains confi-dent that the school will rise back toan “A” or “B” next school year.

“We’re going to focus on the stu-dents who need more attention,” saidPabst, “We’re making big changesand we are going to drive to the top.”

Wesley Chapel’s elementary andmiddle school grades are listed below.High school grades have not yet beenreleased, as the Florida Department ofEducation is still tallying graduationrates, which effect high school’sgrades.

Elementary Schools:Double Branch Elementary (Cur-

rent enrollment: 810; principal: Peggy

Lewis) – Grade BNew River Elementary (585; prin-

cipal: Lynn Pabst) – Grade CQuail Hollow Elementary (405;

principal: Michelle Berger) – Grade BSand Pine Elementary (650; prin-

cipal: Todd Cluff) – Grade ASeven Oaks Elementary (900;

principal: B.J. Smith) – Grade AVeterans Elementary (860; princi-

pal: Donna Busby) – Grade AWatergrass Elementary (490; prin-

cipal: Scott Mitchell) – Grade AWesley Chapel Elementary (600;

principal: John Abernathy) – Grade A

Middle Schools:Dr. John Long Middle School

(Current enrollment: 1,600; principal:Christine Wolff ) - Grade A

Thomas E. Weightman MiddleSchool (1,156; principal: Shae Davis –Grade A

New administrative changes at Wes-ley Chapel’s public schools include:Christine Wolff, the new principal at Dr.John Long Middle School and BeckySchultz, the new assistant principal atWatergrass Elementary.

For more info, visitPasco.K12.fl.us. — Sean Bowes


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the potato salad is good, too) are just$1 apiece and you simply have towash his delicious food down with aglass of his homemade sweet tea,which also costs just $1. Pepsi Colaproducts and bottled water also areavailable for just $1.

In other words, you can’t getbetter food from a better guy at a bet-ter price. And, while Ace doesn’t have20 years of restaurant experience, hedoes know what he’s doing and enjoyshis customers as much as he enjoysthe business. He notes that he gotinto the business by necessity, after hiswife had suffered multiple strokes in2009 and 2010 and he had to leavehis full-time job to care for her.

He originally was located on S.R.54 on the other side of I-75, nearWesley Chapel Honda, but decided tomove further down 54 last October,when the construction between I-75and Curley Rd. cut his business inhalf. Trust me, it’s worth the trip!

Uncle Bo’s Smokin’ BBQ isopen every day, noon-8, on S.R. 54just east of Meadow Pointe, next toPayless Homes. For more informa-tion, call Ace at 732-4136 andplease tell him we sent you!


Uncle Bo’s Smokin’ BBQ — Wesley Chapel’s Roadside Secret!By Gary Nager

I have only know Ace “UncleBo” Jenkins for a few months, but notonly he is a friendly and genuine guy,he also serves some of the best BBQI’m almost certain you haven’t yettried...that is, unless you’ve driven byhis roadside stand on S.R. 54 less thana half-mile east of the northernmostentrance to Meadow Pointe.

Ace keeps his smoker working itsmagic on the road every day (yes, onSundays, too), noon-8 p.m., pumpingthat delicious wood-smoked aromaand plumes of smoke rising into theair in order to attract hungry driverson their way to lunch or on their wayhome from work.

“The smoke and the aroma arewhat draws them in,” he admits.“Then, it’s up to me to keep ‘emcoming back for more with great foodat a great price.”

And man, does he ever deliver.I’ve mentioned in previous stories thatI’m not the biggest BBQ fan in theworld, but I particularly love UncleBo’s meaty pork ribs and sliced beefbrisket, which are cooked and smokedwithout sauce and then served justdrizzled with his awesome homemadeslightly-sweet, slightly-spicy sauce. Ifyou need extra sauce, he’s happy tooblige, but I, for one, appreciate thathe doesn’t try to drown his deliciousfood in sauce.

And, you can’t beat the price,

either. Three of those big ribs (ormultiple slices of the beef brisket) andtwo sides cost just $9, or withoutsides, the cost is just $8. A full rack ofribs (14 bones) is just $27 and a half-rack (7 bones) will set you back $14.

Also available from Uncle Bo(which is what his nieces call him) aresmoked BBQ pork or choppedsmoked sausage on a bun ($6) or hisawesome daily chicken special of a legquarter and two sides for just $5! Youalso can get a five-dinner family feast(the rib orders come with two boneseach), with each dinner served withsides, for only $34. A la carte sidedishes (the homemade baked beansand cole slaw are my faves; although

Ace “Uncle Bo” Jenkins is waiting toserve you on S.R. 54, just east of the

entrance to Meadow Pointe.

Whether you crave tasty, meaty pork ribs (left) or a yummy pulled pork sand-wich, Uncle Bo’s Smokin’ BBQ always serves your favorites with your choice of

potato salad or his homemade baked beans and cole slaw.


If your family enjoys a deliciousdessert after school, after a great mealor after anything, really, you shouldcheck out North Pole Ices in the CrossCreek Center plaza at the corner ofKinnan St. and Cross Creek Blvd., acouple of miles south of Wesley Chapel.

The Lanigans — Kelly, Mike andtheir children Brittany, Anthony andbaby Chloe — are (like yours truly)transplanted New Yawkas who havelived in New Tampa the last ten years.Mike, who has built homes in CoryLake Isles and other local communities,decided it was time to try doing some-thing different and several months ago,North Pole Ices was born.

“We wanted to serve real NewYork Italian Ices and homemade icecream,” Kelly says. “And, we’ve beentold we have delicious ice cream andices and very reasonable prices.”

I would have to agree. Locatedacross the street from two schools andthe New Tampa Regional Library, andbasically adjacent to the New TampaLittle League field complex, parentsand kids in our area haven’t had anytrouble finding North Pole Ices since itopened and I have to say that the icecream is delicious. My favorite icecream flavors to date (sprinkles arealways free!) are the Bearfoot Brownie

and Chocolate Moose Tracksand one of the best deals in townare the large (for $3) and small($2.50) Otis Spunkmeyer choco-late chip cookie sandwiches. I caneven get my favorite traditional NY-style black & white real milkshakes stNorth Pole Ices.

My son Jake raves about the rain-bow Italian ices and fresh fruit smooth-ies and you also can order hand-packedtakeout pints and quarts. The onlything missing are the hot fudge sundaesand banana splits, but Kelly says theyshould be arriving soon, as are Nathan’shot dogs, churros, pretzels and hot andfrozen coffee drinks. And, if you men-tion this story when you visit, you canbuy any item up to $4 and get oneitem of equal or lesser value FREE!

For more info including hours,call North Pole Ices (10008 CrossCreek Blvd.) at 428-6998. — GN

North Pole Ices Is Your Neighborhood Ice Cream Shop!

(Clockwise from top left): Shannon loves the real New York Italian Ices at North PoleIces on Cross Creek Blvd. The handmade chocolate chip cookie sandwiches at North Pole

Ices are a decadent bargain. The Lanigan family, (l. to r.) Spider-Man/Anthony,Chloe, Kelly, Mike & Brittany, invite your family to join them for some sweet times!


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Job Opening. Looking for Discipline detailed ori-ented Office Personnel responsible for the following:Shipping Logistics Knowledge of Fedex Program aPlus. Customer Service to Assist customers withorders and Expediting. Order Entry of Quotes, SalesOrders and Invoicing Peachtree a plus. Please emailresume to: [email protected].

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LICENSED MOBILE MASSAGE THERA-PIST 9am -9pm, Mon, Tues & Wed. $55 for 1hour! Types of massage available: Swedish,Deep Tissue, Aroma Therapy, Hot Stone, Cor-porate Seated, Pregnancy, Sports & InjuryRehab. References available. www.barkdollmas-sagetherapy.com CALL 727-372-6389 Lic #MA47546.

NEW TAMPA & WESLEY CHAPEL ClassifıedsJoin OrthoTechnology’s Winning Team!Ortho Technology, an international orthodon-tic supply distributor located in New Tampa, isseeking talented energetic candidates for the fol-lowing part-time positions: Distribution Associates (F/T and P/T) Highenergy individuals needed to receive, restock,pull & pack customer orders. Fast paced lightindustrial environment. Required: Basic math& computer skills, ability to stand/walk forentire shift & ability to lift up to 50 pounds.WMS experience preferred. F/T Hours: 9:30a-6:15p P/T Hours: 3p-6:15pQualified candidates should submit resumes [email protected] or fax to (813)991-5986, Attn. Lynn.

TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE - NewTampa owned & operated. Great Pricing withoutstanding customer service! Licensed, Bond-ed & Insured. CALL CHRIS TODAY @ 813-857-5400 or visit WWW.TRANQUILITY-POOLSERVICE.COM to see why we areNEW TAMPA’S # 1 CHOICE! New cus-tomer’s ONE MONTH FREE!

ENJOY YOUR POOL, WHILE WE MAINTAINIT. KJ POOL SERVICE. Servicing pools for over 6years. FIRST MONTH FREE, PLUS FREE EVALU-ATION & QUOTE Owner & Operator. LICENSE,BONDED & INSURED. Office: 813.909.9466Cell: 813.748.9817. [email protected] our website @ kjpoolonline.com

AQUATEC POOL SERVICE has been keep-ing pools clear & swim safe since 1994. WEDO POOLS RIGHT! Commercial & Residen-tial. CPO #33-303052 Licensed & Insured.Service guarantee. Call 813-780-8616TODAY and get 1 MONTH OF QUALITYSERVICE FREE. www.aquatecpool.com

Exterior Designers create exterior design transfor-mations. All types of Landscaping, Decorativepaintings and Murals, Faux Painting, Mosaictables, New Sod installed. Catterton Landscapingand Siobhan’s Magical Garden Fairies “The Exte-rior Design Professionals”. (813) [email protected]

Tampa Cat Lady Professional Cat-Sitting Service.You say goodbye – we say hello. Cats are happiest intheir own home, surrounded by familiar sights,sounds, & smells. When you are away, we feed, cud-dle, & play with your kitties & clean & dispose of lit-ter. We help deter crime by bringing newspaper/mail& rotating lights/blinds, giving your home thatlived-in look. Insured, bonded, & Red-Cross certi-fied in pet first aid/CPR. Call 994-9449 or visit usat www.TampaCatLady.com.

Tai Chi Classes open to the public at the ClubTampa Palms. Benefits: Strength, Flexibility, Bal-ance, Focus and reduced stress. New Beginner 6week courses starting every few months Thursdayevening’s 7-8 pm. space is limited. Also personalinstruction in Tai Chi, Kempo Karate, BootCamp Fitness training and more. With more than31 years of training and teaching experience.Please contact me for more details. Peter today#787-7560 or E-mail [email protected]

Tired of working out of your house? Is a longcommute getting to you? Need space in New Tampa?Cory Lake Professional Center is your answer!!!!Office suite available. 950 Square Feet. Short term /long term options. Call David at 813-494-8654.

Office Space for rent. Small private offices in upscaleoffice park located in Tampa Palms area. Very Afford-able. Call Jeanette Yates, WEICHERT, REAL-TORS-Yates & Associates at 813-933-1761.

RAYMOND PAINTING. Interior & Exteri-or, pressure washing, paper hanging, plaster,stucco, tiles, roofing leaks, clean & seal pavers,etc. Licensed & Bonded. References avail-able. Free Estimates. YOUR NEIGHBOR-HOOD ARBOR GREENE RESIDENT. Wework 7 days. Call 994-5124.

FLORIDA FLOOR SYSTEMS INC.COLUMBIA LAMINATE from $2.49SF

COLUMBIA WOOD from $4.99SFMOHAWK/SHAW CARPET from $1.99SF

MATERIAL, LABOR, INSTALLED CALL DAVID 813-943-4772

FLORIDAFLOORSYSTEMS.COM, FREE ESTIMATES

2006 Acura Integra - This Acura has everythingthat you need on it already it has a six speed manualtransmission, leather seats, a full Pioneer Navigationsystem with bluetooth and a Ipod slot that you cancontrol all of the songs through the car as well aslowering and handling springs, Weapon R headers, aMegan Exhaust, and a AEM cold air intake, as wellas a Hondata chip, short shifter, as well as shifterbushings, carbon fiber shift knob, and HID's. Thiscar has over 245 horsepower. It also has Kazera rims,blacked out lights, sun/moon roof and is in greatshape. It has below 58,000 miles on it and has neverbeen in a crash! Please call me at 813-731-9088 formore details. ALSO I HAVE ALL STOCKPARTS!!!! All this for only $15,800.

wesley chapel issue 18-11

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