wesley chapel neighborhood news issue 18-12

And, that’s where localbusinesses can get their foot inthe door, Hayes said. As anexample, he explained thatVisitTampaBay.com has a socialmedia “hub” for the RNCwhereby anytime anyone, forexample, tweets anything aboutTampa Bay, or asks where theycan find anything from a goodrestaurant to a massage thera-pist to an urgent care center inthe area where they’re staying,the social media “hub” canscope out answers and “tweet”back answers to them.

“If your business is socialmedia savvy, we believe thereare plenty of opportunities tobenefit from the RNC,” saidHayes. “All you have to do isfind them.”

Hotels On The BandwagonHotels On The BandwagonLisa Moore, the marketing director

for the new Springhill Suites by Mar-riott in Tampa Palms, and George San-dona, who manages the Holiday InnExpress Hotel & Suites near Muvico inHighwoods Preserve (one of three

hotels owned by the New Tampa Hos-pitality Group, which also owns theWingate Inn by Wyndham in NewTampa and the Hampton Inn & Suitesoff S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel), agreedthat despite their distance from down-town Tampa (and the Pinellas beaches,

tal begins to see patients in October.According to a press release from

the hospital, the “Community GrandOpening” will be held on Sunday,September 16, at 1 p.m. The eventwill be free, open to the public and willfeature live entertainment, refreshmentsand activities for all ages, includingtours of the new facility, which will giveattendees a look at areas that will notbe open to the public once the state-of-the-art, 83-bed hospital opens.

The event also will include appear-ances by Tampa Bay Lightning playersand McGruff the Crime Dog, who willbe helping with child fingerprinting.For kids, there will be a rock-climbing

wall, an obstacle course and some large,inflatable slides.

New Hospital, New JobsNew Hospital, New JobsBefore it opens, FHWC has plenty

of positions to fill — a total of morethan 400, in fact. Experienced nursesand clinical staff are encouraged toapply online at the hospital’s website,FHWesleyChapel.com/Careers, but

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 18 • August 25, 2012 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com 1

Volume 20Issue 18

August 25, 2012

The Direct-Mail News Magazines Serving Wesley Chapel & New Tampa Since 1993!

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

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Inside:Kids Get Into Monkey

Bizness At Wiregrass Mall!In Neighborhood Magazine!

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NEWS, BUSINESS, SPORTS &EDUCATION UPDATES

Bodies Found AT Target Ruled A Murder-Suicide, Avalon Park West To Break Ground

August 28 & Much More!

Pages 1-28

Are You Ready For The Republican National Convention, Wesley Chapel?

Jobs Filling Up At WC’sJobs Filling Up At WC’sNew Economic Engine!New Economic Engine!

By Matt Wiley

After years of planning and con-struction, the brand new Florida Hospi-

tal Wesley Chapel (FHWC) on Bruce B.Downs (BBD) Blvd., just north of theShops at Wiregrass mall, is finally gear-ing up for its public Grand Opening,and is in the process of filling hundredsof additional positions before the hospi-

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel’s Public Opening To Be Held Sept. 16!

See “Hospital” on page 4.

See “RNC” on page 5.

By Gary Nager

Unless you’ve been living under arock or in a foreign country the pastfew months, I’m sure you’re aware thatthe Republican National Convention(RNC) is coming to downtown Tampajust a few days after you receive thisissue. The question you might be ask-ing yourself right about now, however,is “How is that going to affect me? Welive 35 minutes, without traffic, fromdowntown!”

Well, the RNC is going to hithome a lot closer than you think. Withvirtually every hotel in the WesleyChapel and New Tampa areas sold outfor the week of the convention (Aug.27-September 2), the Shops at Wire-grass mall hosting an “All-AmericanFestival” from Thursday, August 30-Monday, September 3, and with oneof the leaders of the effort to bring theRNC to Tampa appearing at a recentNew Tampa Chamber of Commercemeeting to tell the Chamber membershow they can benefit from having theRNC in thier backyards...well, let’s justsay that not only are the “Elephants”coming, they’re coming to help you —

and your business! This is a uniqueopportunity to showcase your goodsand/or services to a group of peoplewho will get to see for themselveswhether or not the rumors are trueabout what a great place the TampaBay area in general (including the Wes-ley Chapel/ New Tampa area) is toboth live and work.

On August 14, Steve Hayes, theexecutive VP of Tampa Bay & Compa-ny and the VisitTampaBay.com web-site, one of the groups which helpedbring the RNC to Tampa, told about30 New Tampa Chamber memberswho gathered for lunch at Hunter’sGreen Country Club that opportunitiesdo abound for locals to benefit fromthe RNC.

“There are more than 30,000hotel rooms in Hillsborough Countyalone that will be filled with visitorsfrom other states that entire week,”Hayes said. “Those people have tospend long hours downtown and willbe looking for other things to do —from dining to shopping to outdooractivities — away from downtown,especially if they’re among those stayingin or near this area.”

Steve Hayes of VisitTampaBay.com discussed howlocal businesses can benefit from the RNC with theNew Tampa Chamber of Commerce on Aug. 14.

2 For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 20, Issue 18 • August 25, 2012 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com

itself, the Chamber also has agreed toallow us here at the Wesley ChapelNeighborhood News to handle the adver-tising sales and design for Chamber-member businesses who want to pur-chase any of the very limited number ofspaces available each month.

“We’re very excited about thisopportunity,” says Chamber executivedirector Mary Adele Cluck. “We’vealways appreciated the coverage theChamber has received in the paperalready, but once we heard the WesleyChapel Neighborhood News is theONLY publication directly mailed to16,000 homes, apartment/townhomeunits and businesses in more communi-ties in zip codes 33543, 33544 and33545 than any other local print medi-um, it was an easy decision for us.”

We’ve already sold a few ads forthe newsletter, but the Chamber want-ed to wait until we had enough adssold for the page to pay for itself — andonce the Chamber’s special reduced-rate ad spaces on its page are filled, nomore ads will be sold — unless we haveenough businesses interested to warranta second Chamber page each month!

To order your Chamber ad, orfor more information, call Nikki at910-2575 or visit WCNeighborhoodNews.com today! — GN

A wise Bob Dylanonce sang, “The times,they are a’ changin.’”

Cliché as that sounds, it’s true, and weat the New Tampa/Wesley ChapelNeighborhood News are aware that wecan do more to take better advantageof today’s technologies.

We know the Internet has takenover in terms of access to local andeven international news, and that whatmost people used to wait for and pickup in their driveways every morning,they can now see on their phone oriPad as soon as it happens.

Duh. I spend more time readingon my phone than I do talking on it.But, regardless, we’re getting with thetimes and here’s the plan. Coming verysoon, every day on WCNeighbor-hoodNews.com and NTNeighbor-hoodNews.com, there are going to bedaily headlines. Sure, we’ve mentionedit in the paper before and attempted tokeep up with the task, but bad habitsdie hard, and when your bad habit isnot putting daily news on your newswebsite...well, you get the idea.

In the past, our website has been aplace to find the whole previous issuethat might have missed your mailbox,or because maybe you tossed it in thetrash and then heard there was some-thing good to read in it, or an articlethat directly concerned you and yourcommunity, and you wanted a secondchance. (We forgive you, by the way.)

The point is, if you don’t keep up,you get left in the dust. We don’t want

to get left in the dust, and we don’twant our readers to ever get left in thedust when it comes to the news thataffects those of us who live and/orwork in New Tampa and WesleyChapel. No one likes dust. So, makesure you keep an eye on our websitesfor the news that concerns you.

We are currently recruiting free-lancers who want to contribute newsitems to our website. The only way totruly embrace the voice of the commu-nity is to let the community speak. Ifyou are interesting in being a contribu-tor, shoot me an email at [email protected] a resume and ONE short (lessthan 1,000 words) writing sample andwe’ll get you started. If you thinksomething’s not getting covered thatshould be, and you feel like you havewhat it takes to get the info uploadedto the net, let us know and do thesame. We’re “all ears.”

The New Tampa & Wesley ChapelNeighborhood News have been the all-direct-mail community news publica-tions serving New Tampa & WesleyChapel since 1993, and we’ve beenaround every block in these areas. Weknow what’s up, and you, our readers,deserve to be the first to know about it.

Reserve Your Ad In The WCChamber Newsletter Today!

At the bottom of page 1 of ourlast issue, we announced that theGreater Wesley Chapel Chamber ofCommerce (WCCC) had agreed to uti-lize the Wesley Chapel NeighborhoodNews as the exclusive location for dis-tributing the Chamber’s printednewsletter.

In order to make the page pay for


Table of ContentsLOCAL NEWS, BUSINESS, EDUCATIONUPDATES........................................................Pages 1-24Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (continued from page 1).....4RNC (continued from page 1)...............................................5

Wesley Chapel News Briefs ................................................8Bodies Found At Target Ruled A Murder-SuicideCouple Charged in Prostitution AssaultPebble Creek Resident Charged In Stabbing

Rep. Bilirakis Visits The WC Republican Club......................10Avalon Park West To Break Ground August 28!...................12New Mosque Opens On Morris Bridge Rd..........................13 Wesley Chapel Community Calendar..............................16

Local Business Updates..................................20-28Checking Out The Fitness Revolution!..........................20New Tampa Dance Theatre...................................................24

Local Education & Sports Updates................26-27Local Kumon Student Wins National Competition.............26Wesley Chapel Resident Wins Jr. Golf Title...........................27

Neighborhood M agazineMonkeying Around At The New Monkey Bizness........29, 31Artisan Aesthetics Introduces LipoControlTM ....................30Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes................................32PDQ Is More Than Just ‘Pretty Darn Quick’.......................33

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

Editorial — Our Website & Chamber Page Updates, Elections & More!

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 • Michael Murillo • Sheryl Young

Advertising Customer Service ManagerNikki Bennett

Marketing DirectorAshley Knoblach

Senior Graphic DesignerPorsha Lemos

Nothing that appears in Wesley Chapel Neighbor-hood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part,without permission. Opinions expressed by Wesley ChapelNeighborhood News writers are their own and do notreflect the publisher’s opinion.

The deadline for outside editorial submissionsand ads for Volume 20, Issue 20, of Wesley ChapelNeighborhood News is Monday, September 10, 2012.

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 to editand/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makesno 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.

© 2012 JM2 Communications, Inc.

Gary Nager; with guest editorial by Matt Wiley

Primary Election ResultsAmong the other things we will

have to provide on our website(WCNeighborhoodNews.com) for youare the precinct-by-precinct votingresults for Wesley Chapel’s 12 precincts(#s 007, 024, 038, 048, 062, 073, 084,085, 090, 099, 101 & 107) from theAugust 14 Primary Election.

The numbers for the county as awhole were downright ugly — only16.64 percent, or 50,146 ballots castamong Pasco’s 301,316 registered vot-ers — although registered Republicansin Pasco turned out by more than dou-ble (27 percent to 13 percent) their reg-istered Democratic counterparts, and wehave some of the moderate surprises interms of results on our website.— GN

Porter’s Charges DroppedAs we went to press with this issue,

the recent domestic violence chargesagainst Wiregrass Ranch developer J.D.Porter had been dropped. Porter, 33 wasarrested July 4 on suspicion of criminalmischief and domestic battery after anargument with his girlfriend, MaridyGregory, 30 (the sister-in-law of SheriffChris Nocco), turned physical. Prosecu-tors dropped the case Aug. 1, but theinformation didn’t reach the media untilAugust 17. For details, visitWCNeighborhoodNews.com. — GN

the hospital warns that most of thesemay be full by the time you are readingthis.

Recently, FHWC hired its firstthree Board-certified obstetric andgynecological (OBGYN) doctors whowill be providing services at the hospitalonce it opens in October. AnnetteWilliams, MD, FACOG; JenniferRoller, MD; and Tymesia Hudson,MD; will be available to providewomen’s services at FHWC.

The hospital staff urges womenwho are expecting and have due datesafter FHWC’s opening to begin regis-

tering to deliver in one of the elevennew elaborate labor/delivery/recov-ery/postpartum rooms, each completewith its own relaxing whirlpool tubsand large, LCD TVs in each bathroom.

The new doctors also will work inFHWC’s full-service Women’s Center

in the FHWC’s Well-ness Plaza, the100,000-sq.-ft. medicaloffice building adjacentto the hospital and slat-ed to open in early2013. The Women’sCenter will offer mam-mograms, ultrasounds,stereotactic biopsies,bone density tests andOB/GYB checkups.

For more infor-mation, please visitFHWC’s website atFHWesleyChapel.com.


• Cleanings(Ages 4 and up)

• Crowns, Bridgesand Implant Crowns

• Veneers• Zoom & Take

Home Whitening• Root Canals &

Extractions

FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY20441 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

(across the street from Wharton H.S.,in front of Live Oak)

Dr. Neeraja Jasthi, DMD

WELCOME TOFAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY

Dr. Neeraja Jasthi

866-9913“Let Our Family Be Here For Yours”

“Hospital”Continued from page 1

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel’sOBGYN physicians include (l. to r.)Dr. Annette Williams, Dr. Jennifer

Roller & Dr. Tymesia Hudson.

The fuinishing touches are evident everywhere as FloridaHsoiptal Wesley Chapel gets ready to open Sept. 16!

The mall also will offer special“discount wristband days (Aug. 27-Sept. 3) for guests who visit theShops’ Guest Service Desk. The patri-otic wristbands will provide the wearerwith special discounts from the mall’smerchants.

The Shops also is having an “AllAmerican Window Display Contest,where the merchants in the Shops areall eligible to participate and all mallguests are invited to vote for theirfirst, second and third favorite windowdisplays. The contest winners will notbe announced until Wednesday, Sep-tember 5.

In other words, the hotels will befull, the mall will be rockin’ and it’s allright here in Wesley Chapel!

For additional informationabout the Shops at Wiregrass Malland the upcoming “All AmericanFestival,” call 994-2242, visitTheShopsAtWiregrass.com or themall itself (28211 Paseo Dr.).

If you’re attending the RNC

and want to submit observationsfrom the event for our website(WCNeighborhoodNews.com),please email us at [email protected] ASAP!

for that matter), all of the local hotelsare sold out for the week of the RNC.

“We’re full and those people areasking what there is to do in this area,”Moore said at the Chamber luncheon.

Also completely sold out for theRNC is Saddlebrook Resort Tampa onS.R. 54, which began promoting “Allthat’s new at Saddlebrook” severalmonths before the RNC. Among theamenities touted by the resort as newfor potential RNC attendees are build-ing exterior elevations with newentrances, staircase landings, extendedpatios and balcony railings to “enhanceyour room with a view.” Saddlebrookalso invested in new cobblestone paversto spruce up its landscaped courtyardand in a new iBAHN ETVi platform todeliver an IP-based high-definition pic-tures on every flat screen TV in everyguest bedroom and living room.

The Shops Presents AnThe Shops Presents An‘All ‘All American American Festival’Festival’

Fresh off its hugely successful“Freedom Festival” on July 3, theShops at Wiregrass Mall is proud toannounce that it will host an “AllAmerican Festival” to welcome RNCvisitors to the Tampa Bay area.

According to Debbie Detweiler,the director of marketing for theShops, the five-day-long festival willinclude a “wide variety of activities,including concerts, other entertain-ment and shopping discounts.”

The “All American Festival” willfeature three free concerts (Thur.-Sat.,6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. each day) with JTCurtis & the Silver Eagle Band per-forming. JT Curtis, a Nashvillerecording artist who combines coun-try, rock and southern rock, won the“Battle of the Bands” at the “Free-dom Festival” on July 3.

The mall also will be featuring aspecial sidewalk sale, where “shopon-istas” can snag the hottest deals theentire Labor Day weekend. In addi-tion to the mall’s new Monkey Biz-ness play center (see page 29), themall will feature a variety of free-to-everyone activities and strolling enter-tainers, face painters and balloonartists in the mall’s center courtThurs-Sat. evening.


“RNC”Continued from page 1

The “All American Festival” at the Shopsat Wiregrass mall should be another star-

spangled event for RNC attendees.


Bodies Found At TargetBodies Found At TargetRuled A Murder-Suicide Ruled A Murder-Suicide

The two bodies that were foundin the Wesley Chapel Target parkinglot on August 9 have been identifiedand the case has been officiallydescribed as a murder-suicide.

According to the Pasco CountySheriff’s Office (PCSO), the bodiesdiscovered in the vehicle are those ofArmando Troconis, 66, of Holiday,and his girlfriend, Elizabeth Behrens,60, of Tampa.

The case is still under investiga-tion, but PCSO detectives believe thatTroconis shot Behrens in her car andthen turned the gun on himself.

The PCSO report says that theSheriff’s Office received a call around7:48 p.m. on August, when the deadbodies of a man and woman were dis-covered inside a vehicle in the parkinglot of the SuperTarget located at 1201Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.

No other info was available at ourpress time. WCNeighborhoodNews.com will provide updates on the situa-tion as they become available.

Couple Charged InCouple Charged InProstitution AssaultProstitution Assault

Sometimes the ads on classified-

listing websites, such as Craigslist.comor Backpage.com, aren’t exactly whatthey seem to be.

According to PCSO, male domes-tic partners Chad Battle, 23, andStacey Miller, placed an ad on Back-page.com for a “transsexualencounter,” posing as a blonde female.

On July 27, a 28-year-old victimresponded to the ad and traveled tothe residence at 32052 Northridge Dr.in the New River Township communi-ty of Wesley Chapel, located off ofS.R. 54. The victim was surprised tofind Battle and Miller there, instead ofthe blonde female he was expecting.The report says that the victim enteredthe residence, but, after realizing thatthe situation was not what he hadresponded to in the ad, he attemptedto leave.

The report says that’s when oneof the defendants locked the door andblocked the exit with his body,demanding that the defendant still payfor the meeting. When the victimrefused, the report says, the defendantblocked the door and the two beganto struggle. Once the fighting began,the second defendant emerged fromthe back of the residence and entered

News BriefsWESLEY CHAPEL the ongoing struggle.The report says that

the victim was able toescape the house, butwas assaulted with pep-per spray and thenstruck in the head withthe canister while mak-ing his way to his vehi-cle. The victim brokewindows of both defen-dants’ vehicles beforedriving off. The reportalso notes that thedefendants each gotinto a vehicle and chased the victim.The vehicles were pulled over byPCSO deputies and Battle and Millerwere taken into custody.

Each was charged with attemptedrobbery and false imprisonment, andreleased from the Pasco County jail onJuly 28 on a $10,000 bond.

The same couple appeared in theWesley Chapel Neighborhood Newsafter a SWAT team standoff on May18, following a domestic disputebetween the two.

Tampa Man Charged InTampa Man Charged InPebble Creek StabbingPebble Creek Stabbing

And, in New Tampa, one PebbleCreek resident has been charged withsecond-degree murder in the death ofa second Pebble Creek man.

According to the HillsboroughCounty Sheriff’s Office, just beforemidnight on July 20, Benjamin LeePowell, 25, was arrested and chargedwith second-degree murder in the July19 stabbing death of 18-year-oldGrant Woodham in the Pebble Creekcommunity of New Tampa, wherePowell also is a resident.

After conducting numerous inter-views, deputies discovered that Wood-ham had left a friend’s house on July19 in his black 2010 Dodge Chargerto sell drugs to an unknown buyer.Woodham’s car was not found at thecrime scene.

Deputies identified Powell as aperson of interest and, after runningsurveillance on him, he was founddriving Woodham’s car at 4601 E. Cit-rus Cir., just east of Busch Gardens.

Woodham’s death was declared ahomicide by the Medical Examiner’soffice on July 20.

HCSO says that just before 8p.m. on July 19, a resident of the Peb-ble Creek community, located off ofBBD, called to report an unknownman, later identified as Woodham,bleeding on the sidewalk in front of hishome on Fox Hearst Dr. HillsboroughFire Rescue (HFR) responded andpronounced Woodham dead at thescene due to severe upper body trau-ma. No further details were available atour press time. — MW

Chad Battle

Stacy Miller


Local Resident Is Pasco’s New Animal Services EducatorBy Matt Wiley

They will stick with you throughthick and thin, always by your side andready to cheer you up when you’refeeling blue. That seems worth thesmall fee that Pasco County AnimalServices (PCAS) charges to adopt adog or cat that needs a home.

Just ask Meadow Pointe residentJudy Gregory (photo). After all, asPCAS’s new education and volunteercoordinator, i’s her job to educate thepublic on how good a deal they getwhen they pay the small adoption feeto give a dog or cat a new home.

Since she was appointed to theposition on June 25, Gregory has beenvisiting summer camps and speaking tochildren about what PCAS does,spreading awareness about responsiblepet ownership and letting the publicknow about the Adoption Center atPCAS, something Gregory doesn’tthink most people even know exists.

“People don’t even know thatwe’re here,” she says. “They don’trealize that they can volunteer here. Ialso don’t think people realize thevalue of micro chipping and why youshould spay/neuter. It’s very impor-tant that these things get taught.”

And, that is what she will helppeople learn when she speaks at neigh-

borhood associations, and when shegoes out to speak at schools, onceclasses resume. People also aren’taware what is actually included whenthey adopt a pet.

At the PCAS Adoption Center, itcosts $70 to adopt a dog and $40 toadopt a cat, which is minimal, com-pared with getting a dog or cat at theaverage pet store. This fee includesmicro chipping, physical exams, shots,boosters, blood testing, even spays andneuters. The total value of all of themedical attention the animals receivewhen adopted is more than $400.

Gregory understands that thereare misconceptions about PCAS, dueto the shelter’s euthanasia policy.

“It’s not even so much a miscon-ception,” she explains. “We do eutha-nize here, but, what most people don’tunderstand is that we also don’t turnanimals away. Basically, because weexist, other shelters can say, ‘No,’ andturn animals away. We want to increaseour adoption rate and the transfer ofanimals to raise our release rate.”

PCAS, located off S.R. 54 inLand O’Lakes, is the only shelter forpets in Pasco County. Its 12,650-sq.-ft.adoption center just opened in theOakstead community in 2011, and, onany given day, houses an average of150-200 dogs and cats waiting to find

new homes in the community. Thefacility has nearly 30 employees.

“It’s a great team,” she says. “It’sa really great environment to work in.It’s an awesome place to represent andI’m excited to be working at this facili-ty where there are animals. I’ve alwayshad an animal in my home and can’timagine what life would be like with-out a ‘furry friend’ in the house.”

Call Of The WildCall Of The WildFor 28 years, Gregory ran a mar-

keting and sales business out of herhome in five different states, including— in addition to Florida — Missouri,New York, Ohio and Virginia.

“I moved around and had torebuild and start the business fromscratch a number of times,” sheexplains. “It’s nice to use the skills Ilearned from that experience.”

Gregory says that she has a mas-ter’s degree in counseling from LongIsland University in Brookville, as wellas a special education teaching degreefrom Virginia Commonwealth Univer-sity in Richmond.

To get the position, she had toapply, interview and do a presentationwith PCAS, detailing what she wouldbring to the position. But, the mainreason she thinks she was chosen wasfor her extensive experience in volun-

teer coordinating for the AmericanCancer Society and several boosterclubs in each of the states she’s lived inover the past 15 years.

“This is a nice blend of my skillsand my education,” she says. “I feltthat (getting the position) would giveme the chance to really help animals,as well as people. I get to help home-less animals find homes, and help peo-ple add to their families. Animal com-panions can be amazing for people ofall ages and it’s exciting to get towatch people take an animal home.”

For more info about PCAS,located at 19640 Dogpatch Ln. inLand O’Lakes, please visit the Ani-mal Services page on PascoCoun-tyFl.net, or at Facebook.com/PCASAP. PCAS’s 501(c)(3) non-profit, Friends of Animal Services,Inc., also accepts donations of petsupplies and cash to their CallPCAS at 929-1212.

By Matt Wiley

District 9 U.S. Congressman GusBilirakis (R-Palm Harbor) believes thatWesley Chapel voters will play a largerrole in the upcoming November elec-tions.

As the sun went down on August9, or less than a week before theAugust 14 primary elections, Rep. Bili-rakis made an appearance at the month-ly Wesley Chapel Republican Club(WCRC), which meets on the secondfloor of Wesley Chapel Hyundai onS.R. 54. The room was a packed house,as Bilirakis and District 11 U.S. Con-gressman Rich Nugent (R-Brooksville)— who previously represented WesleyChapel in Congress until new redistrict-ing maps were approved earlier this year— discussed the upcoming presidentialelection with members of the WCRC.It was also a moment for Rep. Nugentto “pass the torch” to Bilirakis.

“It’s a great District, and I’m hon-ored to represent it,” he said. “It’s acritical time. Once we get the primariesdone with, we need to come backtogether as party and family. If we sticktogether to get the vote out there, wewill win!”

Bilirakis confessed that former

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was-n’t his first choice for the Republicannomination to take on U.S. PresidentBarack Obama in November, but hesaid that he now backs him 100 per-cent. He explained that he thinks that aprevious CEO is exactly what thiscountry needs.

He went on to discuss his disap-proval of the recently approved Obamahealthcare plan.

“We need to repeal ‘Obamacare,’”he explained. “But, we need to be ableto replace it with a free market solution.We need to step to the plate to saveMedicare and protect our seniors.”

Bilirakis also voiced his support forthe owner of Chick-Fil-A, Dan Cathy,whose recent comments and stance onsame-sex marriages has stirred up con-troversy nationwide.

“Cathy stood up and spoke hismind,” Bilirakis said. “He wasn’t scaredabout how it would affect his business.That’s what we need.”

One of the last points Bilirakistouched on was his support for veteransof the U.S. Armed Forces.

“Veterans are our priority,” he said.“We need to hold universities account-able for making sure that vets are get-ting their G.I. Bill.”

He explained how, asvice chairman of the veteransaffairs committee, he recent-ly passed legislation that willhelp make sure that veteransreceive their benefits.Although he didn’t name itin the meeting, the bill iscalled the Honoring Ameri-ca’s Veterans Act, and itrequires the VeteransAdministration to report thenumber of veterans using theeducation benefits, the cost and num-ber of credit hours earned, as well ashow many veterans are earning theirdegrees.

“If you work hard, and believe inan issue, you can make it happen,” hesaid.

Following his speech, Bilirakis andNugent answered questions fromWCRC members. Some of the issuesthat arose were the Republican Party’smessage not being heard and theparty’s ability to pass legislation.

“We have press conferences out-side the Capitol building in Washing-ton, DC, but you never see them inFlorida,” explained Nugent. “NBC andABC are there, but they don’t broad-cast because our message isn’t the one

they want out there.”In response to the media calling

Republicans, who now control theHouse, inefficient at passing legislation,both had passionate responses.

“We’ve passed more bills, andallowed both parties to make amend-ments, in two years, than the Democ-rats did in four,” said Nugent.

“I think we’ve been pretty darnproductive,” Bilirakis added.

The Wesley Chapel RepublicanClub meets the second Thursday ofeach month at 7 p.m. at WesleyChapel Hyundai, located at 27000Wesley Chapel Blvd. For more infor-mation, call Mike Moore at 777-6171, or send an email to [email protected].


Rep. Bilirakis Addresses Wesley Chapel Republican Club

Wesley Chapel Republican Club president MikeMoore (far left, standing), with U.S. Congress-

men Rich Nugent (left) & Gus Bilirakis.


Avalon Park West Community To Break Ground On Aug. 28!By Matt Wiley

Residential and commercialgrowth are continuing in WesleyChapel, as another large communityplans to break ground next week, offer-ing hundreds of homes in its first phasealone, as well as bringing more jobs toour area.

In a press release from the AvalonPark Group, the same developers as theadjacent New River Township, thecompany announced plans to breakground on Avalon Park West, locatedon the north sideof S.R. 54, justeast of New River,on Tuesday,August 28. Aval-on Park West’sfirst community,Cypress Village,will offer 342homes.

The entiredevelopment,once completed,will offer about4,800 single-fami-ly homes andmulti-family units,

as well as nearly 700,000 sq. ft. of com-mercial space, including more than560,000 sq. ft. of retail and 120,000sq. ft. for office buildings. In addition,the community also feature several con-servation areas.

The development’s constructionwill be overseen by Avex Homes, a newconstruction company formed througha partnership between the Orlando-based Avalon Park Group and sitEXProperties USA, a Switzerland-basedreal estate investment fund and projectdevelopment company.

According to the press release,Avex homes will specialize in develop-ing homes “with the lifestyle of familiesin mind,” including front porches, set-back garages and open floor plans.

“We want to create communities,not housing developments,” says EricMarks, senior vice president of AvalonPark Group.

Marks also says that, according todata from the National Association ofHome Builders, Avex homes expects tocreate 15 new jobs for Wesley Chapelresidents in its first year of operations.

According to their website, theAvalon Park Group is a family of com-panies that was started by Beat Kahli, aSwiss investment banker, in 1995, andspecializes in a range of developments,from master planned communities, suchas Avalon Park West and New RiverTownship, to industrial parks, such asthe North Suncoast Industrial Park nearthe Suncoast Pkwy. in Pasco County.

For more information aboutAvalon Park West and the Aug. 28groundbreaking event, see page 16or visit AvalonParkWest.com.

Cypress Village will be the first subdivision to break groundin the new Avalon Park West community on S.R. 54.


All mosques, regardless of wherein the world they are located, are situat-ed in a way that all who gather to prayinside of them face the Ka’aba, a cube-shaped building located in Mecca,Saudi Arabia, that is considered byMuslims to be the most sacred place ofthe Islamic faith.

Inside the Mosque, there are noseats, as all worship takes place on thefloor, which is covered with plush, redcarpets that feature a golden patternthat outlines where each worshipperwill pray, each spot facing Mecca andthe Mihrab (or altar) and where theMasjid’s Imam (or leader of worship)Junaid Khan recites verses of theQu’ran during prayer.

The worship space is divided intotwo areas — one for men and one forwomen — by a one-way mirror, theidea being that during worship, thefocus should be on God, not on theopposite gender.

According to Islamic tradition, themosque also features separate entrancesfor men and women. Before worship,each person must remove their shoesand enter an area that resembles a bath-room, but is actually where each wor-shiper washes his or her hands, feet and

face, a process referred to as “ablution”in the Islamic faith.

“Cleanliness is a very importantpart of the faith, both physical and spir-itual,” explains Shibly.

Once worshippers complete theprocess of ablution, they may enter themain mosque area, which is an enor-mous, open room, with a ceiling reach-ing an impressive 50 feet.

“We would have made it higher,but Hillsborough County said that 50feet was the maximum height we couldbuild,” says Ahmed.

Shibly translates a verse from thewall, “That when My servants askabout me, I am close to them. I amnear.” He says that each of the versesare chosen specifically because they areinspirational and reflect the beauty ofthe Qu’ran.

The new mosque also features anattached multi-purpose room, whichdoubles as extra space for worshippers,with roll-up carpets that mirror the car-pets in the main area. The room alsohouses a few small study rooms and akitchen for community dinners and get-togethers, one of which is beingplanned for after Ramadan so thateveryone in the New Tampa and sur-rounding areas can come out and seethe new Masjid.

“Hopefully, this mosque willstrengthen the community,” says Shibly.“And, not just the Muslim community,but the overall community because thismosque will hopefully serve as a centerwhere not only all Muslims can gettogether and worship, but also as a cen-ter where people of all faiths can comeand meet their Muslim neighbors, learnabout the Islamic faith and recognizethat we have much more in commonthan that which divides us.”

For more info about the newmosque (located at 15830 MorrisBridge Rd.), including prayer andworship schedules, please visit New-TampaMasjid.com.

By Matt Wiley

It looks like the type of structurethat would be seen on a sightseeingtour in Istanbul, Turkey, its goldendome reflecting the sun and archedentryways welcoming anyone whowants to learn more about the Islamiccommunity here in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. Its name is DaarUs Slaam, which translates into “Houseof Peace,” and it is the first-evermosque in our distribution areas.

Located on Morris Bridge Rd.,just north of the intersection at CrossCreek Blvd., the mosque, or Masjid,serves as the meeting place for theIslamic Society of New Tampa(ISONET), and invites anyone who isinterested to come learn about Islamwith other Muslims in the New Tampaand Wesley Chapel communities.

“A lot of people have ‘Islamopho-bia,’” says Mahmud Ahmed, a memberof ISONET. “But, it’s just because peo-ple don’t know us. Muslims are reallyeveryone’s next door neighbors.”

Ahmed says the 7,500-sq.-ft.house of worship usually is packed dur-ing services, especially during the cur-rent Islamic month of Ramadan, inwhich Muslims around the world fast— or refrain from eating and drinking— from dawn until dusk for 30 days.And, every Sunday during Ramadan,the Masjid hosts a community dinner.

“That’s the beautiful thing aboutRamadan,” says Hassan Shibly, Esq.,the executive director of the Tampachapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). “You fasttogether as a community, and youbreak that fast as a community. You eatwonderful food and then offer prayersfor a few hours every night.”

Muslims from all around the NewTampa and Wesley Chapel areas gatherearly in the mornings and late in theevenings to pray together and socialize.The mosque also is open throughout

the day for the five daily prayers, alsoknown as the Islamic ritual called Salah.

Ahmed says that ISONET wasfounded about ten years ago and wasoriginally just a small group of Muslimswho would pray together in theirhomes. Once the group was largeenough, an existing 2,000-sq.-ft. build-ing was purchased on the same proper-ty upon which the new $1.6-millionmosque now stands. Ahmed says thatbuilding the Masjid took three years offund raising, all donations, and twoyears to construct.

“Our knees outgrew the old build-ing,” he says with a smile.

Ahmed says that there now arebetween 2,000-3,000 practicing Mus-lims combined in the New Tampa andWesley Chapel areas and that its loca-tion on Morris Bridge Rd. is accessiblefor residents in both communities.

The mosque itself is an impressivesight, designed by Lake City architectNick Giesier and based on Turkisharchitecture. At first glance, its tall pil-lars above each entryway and massivegolden dome catch the eye. Among theinteresting characteristic of the mosqueare its unique position on the propertyand the direction it faces.

Islamic Society Of New Tampa Welcomes All To New Mosque!

Our area’s only Islamic mosque, Daar Us Slaam, is now open every day for worshipservices on Morris Bridge Rd., just north of Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa.


Community CalendarWESLEY CHAPEL

Families Sought ForFamilies Sought ForExchange StudentsExchange Students

The Aspect Foundation, a non-profit organization that sponsors highschool age students from nearly 30countries, is seeking host families forexchange students.

Host families can be any shapeand size as long as they are willing andable to provide room, board, and aloving home environment for the stu-dent. Exchange students are 15-18years old, speak English, have theirown spending money and insurance,and attend a local high school duringtheir stay. They are selectively chosenon the basis of maturity, grades andlanguage skills. Through sharing spaceand stories with each other, studentsand the host families learn about a dif-ferent culture and see their own withnew eyes, while making new friends!

For more information, callLuAnne Borak at 746-5787, orvisit AspectFoundation.com.

Central Pasco SoccerCentral Pasco SoccerLeague ReturnsLeague Returns

The annual Central PascoFall/Winter Recreational SoccerLeague returns and is available for all

North Hillsborough and Pasco Coun-ty players ages 4-18, boys & girls.This season is intended to provideplayers at all skill levels an opportunityto learn and play soccer in a fun,structured format.

For more information and toregister, please visit CPUSASoccer.com. Register now as limited spotswill fill up fast.

Avalon Park WestAvalon Park WestGroundbreaking Groundbreaking

Tuesday, August 28, 6 pm. -The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamberof Commerce will help WesleyChapel’s newest master-planned com-munity on S.R. 54 break ground atthis free event. Cocktails & horsd’oeuvres will be served and RSVPSare requested, although the date toensure attendance will have passed bythe time you receive this issue.

The event will be held at the newAvalon Park West Community Club-house (5227 Autumn Ridge Way,Wesley Chapel 33545).

To RSVP, either call or emailStephanie Hodson at 783-1515 [email protected].

New Tampa JuniorNew Tampa Junior

Woman’s Club Woman’s Club Tuesday, August 28, 7 p.m. -

The GFWC New Tampa JuniorWoman’s Club is holding a new mem-ber recruitment party at Cantina Lare-do in Wiregrass Mall. Women betweenthe ages of 18-40 are welcome toattend. The GFWC New Tampa Jun-ior Woman’s Club is dedicated tocommunity improvement by enhanc-ing the lives of others through volun-teer service.

For more info, visit GFWC-NewTampaJuniors.org.

Wesley Chapel Rotary ClubWesley Chapel Rotary ClubWednesday, August 29, 12:15

p.m. — The Rotary Club of WesleyChapel meets every Wednesday at Pag-elli’s Italian Restaurant in the Shops atWiregrass mall (2001 Piazza Ave.).

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

Networking For SuccessNetworking For SuccessThursday, August 30, 8 a.m. —

The Networking For Your Successgroup meets Thursdays at Quail Hol-low Golf & Country Club, located at6225 Old Pasco Rd.

For additional information, callShawn Clark at 888-711-2032 orvisit NetworkingforYourSuccess.com.

WC Sunrise Rotary ClubWC Sunrise Rotary ClubFriday, August 31, 7:15 a.m. —

The Wesley Chapel Sunrise Rotary

Club meets every Friday at Quail Hol-low Country Club (6225 Old PascoRd.) *Note-The Club no longer meetsat Lexington Oaks Golf Club.

For additional information, callLynne Wilson at 695-6466.

Experienced NetworkingExperienced NetworkingProfessionals (ENP)Professionals (ENP)

Monday, September 3, 7:30 a.m.— This networking group meets Mon-day mornings at 7:30 a.m. for breakfastand at 8:00 a.m. for networking atQuail Hollow Golf & Country Club(6225 Old Pasco Rd.).

For more information, callCindy at 505-3065.

Free Networking Int’lFree Networking Int’lMonday, September 3, 8 a.m. —

Free Networking International (FNI), agroup of area business owners, meetseach Monday for networking and dis-cussion at the Lexington Oaks GolfClub clubhouse (26133 LexingtonOaks Blvd., off S.R. 54).

For more information, call StacyDalton at 469-5499.

Wesley Chapel BusinessWesley Chapel BusinessForum & NetworkingForum & Networking

Monday, September 3, 8 a.m. -The Wesley Chapel Business Forum &Networking (WCBFN) is a free gather-ing of local business leaders in theSouth Central Pasco and North Hills-borough areas. WCBFN meets Mon-


days at the Lexington Oaks Golf Club,located at 26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd.

For more info, call John Roth at377-2622, send him an email [email protected] or visitthe group’s Facebook page.

Wesley Chapel ToastmastersWesley Chapel ToastmastersMonday, September 3, 6:15

p.m. — The “Wesley Chapel Speaks”Toastmasters Club meets on the firstand third Monday of every month, atHyundai of Wesley Chapel (26944Wesley Chapel Blvd.). Club meetingsare open to all interested parties.

For more information, call 406-5931 or visit Toastmasters84.org.

Business Networking Int’lBusiness Networking Int’lTuesday, September 4, 7:30 a.m.

— Business Networking International(BNI), a group of business professionalswho work to support each otherthrough qualified business referrals,meets Tuesdays at Song & Dance Stu-dio (27221 Foamflower Blvd., off OldPasco Rd.).

For more information, contactJD Lane at 391-5018 or by e-mail [email protected].

East Pasco NetworkingEast Pasco NetworkingTuesday, September 4, 9 a.m. —

The East Pasco Networking Groupmeets every Tuesday at Beef O’Brady’s(1660 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in theShops at New Tampa of Wesley Chapel

plaza). Contact Frankie Ammons at479-7997 or by e-mail [email protected].

GriefShareGriefShareTuesday, September 4, 6:30

p.m. – GriefShare is a biblically based,video seminar-support group for any-one who is grieving the death of aloved one. Beginning in September, thegroup will begin meetings on Tuesdaysat Lake Magdalene Methodist Church,located at 2902 W. Fletcher Avenue,Room 311 of the CEC building. Thereis a $20 charge for the 13 sessions.Find healing and hope.

For information or registration,call 963-1555.

Florida Plant SocietyFlorida Plant SocietyTuesday, September 11, 7 p.m.

- The Nature Coast Chapter of theFlorida Plant Society’s upcomingmeeting will include a presentation bychapter secretary David Peterson enti-tled, "Native and Exotic Plant Com-munities and the Effect on Bird Popu-lations." The group meets the secondTuesday of every month at the LandO’Lakes Community Center, locatedat 5402 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. Meetare free, and all interested parties areinvited to attend.

For more information, callMary at (727) 849-2335, or visitPascoNativePlants.org.

MOMS Club Of WCMOMS Club Of WCMonday, September 17, 10 a.m.

— The Moms Offering Moms Support(MOMS) Club of Wesley Chapel, anon-profit social group for stay-at-home mothers, meets the third Mon-day of each month at the LexingtonOaks Golf Club clubhouse for activities,field trips and more.

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

Events Extravaganza ExpoEvents Extravaganza ExpoSunday, October 21, Noon - Are

you planning any type of celebration orevent? Need ideas or reliable vendors?The all-new Quail Hollow Events Cen-ter (6225 Old Pasco Rd.) is hosting an

event you won’t want to miss! Informa-tion and assistance regarding weddings,bar/bah mitzvahs, corporate events,quinces, proms, recitals, renewing vows,graduations, reunions, black-tie parties,themed events, birthdays, or any specialmerriment you can dream of! Meetprofessionals and business owners whocan help you arrive in style. More than50 companies will be represented at theExpo, including Men’s Wearhouse,Finest Deejays, Love That Jazz Photog-raphy and many more. Admission is $5(pre-register online), or $10 at thedoor. The first 100 guests receive a“Hollywood Swag Bag.”

Call Carmen at 838-5422 orvisit Events2Perfection.comevents.


sessions also available) and support eachother in a truly positive setting.

Lopez said that the group settingis a critical part of the program’s suc-cess, and builds a community of sup-port that usually stems from a person’shome or work influences and helpseven the most fitness-challenged indi-viduals achieve their goals.

“I think the biggest and mostoverlooked benefit (for most peoplewho work out regularly) is the socialsupport. For the average person, all theodds are against them. They’re sittingall day and going out to eat more,”Lopez explains. "Being part of a com-munity of like-minded, health-con-scious individuals means exercise andhealthy eating is not only fun, it’s actu-ally the norm.”

That community has worked won-ders for New Tampa resident CarolGravante, 55, who says she has lostabout 50 pounds with Lopez’s help(and more than 90 pounds total in herpersonal weight loss journey, which washampered by misdiagnosed medical ail-ments and multiple relapses from ahealthy lifestyle).

“I had failed at two other bootcamps- — crashed and burned big-time— and I was so afraid to try anothersimilar program,” Gravante says. “Mark

was very patient, very encouraging andyes, very, very challenging.”

After almost two years of workingthrough different programs withLopez, she feels that she has a greatdeal of support from not just the per-son leading the class, but from her fel-low workout partners as well.

Lopez adds that he also provides

By Michael Murillo

The traditional health club formatis so common, everybody knows thegame: You pay your money to becomea member, get access to rows and rowsof machines...and that’s it, unless youwant to incur additional charges. Thishas been the standard method for thelast 15-20 years and it still attracts manypeople seeking to lose weight, improvetheir health and make importantlifestyle changes.

But, according to Mark Lopez,owner and head trainer of Fitness Revo-lution in New Tampa, there’s just oneproblem: It doesn't work.

“The concept of Fitness Revolu-tion revolves around the single sen-tence, ‘The fitness industry has failedus,’” he says. “The current businessmodel is to herd in as many people aspossible to keep the shiny equipment,giving members little or no educationalvalue or personal attention on how toreach their goals.”

As a result, he says, many peoplestill find the health club setting intimi-dating, and often give up, frustrated bytrainers and members who don’t alwayscreate a positive workout atmosphere.

But, that’s not the case at FitnessRevolution of New Tampa, and the dif-

ference between this nationally fran-chised fitness system and program andother health clubs is intentional. Younever exercise “by yourself.” You workout in a group that often consists ofbetween four and 10 people in order tomaintain a group atmosphere that stillallows individual monitoring. Lopezsays that 12 can be an ideal size for agroup and 15 people in a single classwould be the maximum.

Fitness Revolution, which wasfounded by long-time trainers NickBerry and Pat Rigsby, today has nearly150 locations in 36 U.S. states.

Although the sessions have some-thing of a “boot camp feel,” each clientis placed in a setting they can handle(for example, Lopez will offer lower-impact exercises for those who haveback, neck, elbow, knee and otherhealth issues; always consult your physi-cian before beginning any workout reg-imen) and every workout features var-ied routines and minimal equipment(resistance bands, dumbbells, etc.) inorder to provide the “muscle confu-sion” needed to optimize your resultsand avoid plateaus that can impedeprogress and frustrate you. Groupmembers work out together three timesa week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fri-days, at varying times, with Saturday

Fitness Revolution Will Revolutionize The Way You Work Out!

Members who work out at Fitness Revolution ofNew Tampa take part in one of owner/trainer

Mark Lopez’s four weekly fitness classes at CypressPoint Community Church on Morris Bridge Rd.


support to the community, and hischaritable spirit is almost as energetic asone of his workouts.

“I just want to get involved andgive back to the community,” he says,and that desire is seen in regular eventsdesigned to help others.

On Saturdays mornings, he leads afree workout for those who bring acanned food item for the food drive atCypress Point Community Church,which is where Lopez uses a 2,000-sq.-ft. space four days a week for FitnessRevolution. He also has run exercisebenefits for Autism Speaks, an organi-zation that funds research, advocacyand awareness about autism, and forthe New Tampa Players, the popularlocal community theatre troupe. Lopezplans to continue holding monthlycharity workout benefit events to sup-port a variety of different causes.

But, helping his clients also givesLopez a great deal of satisfaction.

“It’s really an amazing feeling,” hesays. “Watching them give it 100-per-cent during every session, stayingaccountable to their eating, and listen-ing to their stories week after week,month after month,” he says, addingthat simply dropping even a single dresssize or getting an unexpected compli-ment can make a big difference in aperson's attitude. “Those small, littlechanges day by day — you can see theirconfidence grow,” he beams.

Fitness Revolution New Tampais located in Cypress Point Commu-nity Church (15820 Morris BridgeRd.). Through September 15, clientscan work out for 30 days for just$99. From that total, Lopez willdonate $50 to the school sports pro-gram, Little League or other com-munity sports organization of yourchoice. For additional informationabout Fitness Revolution, call 843-5294 or visit FitnessRevolutionNewTampa.com.

Fitness Revolution New Tampafounder and owner Mark Lopez


Dance Your Way Over To New Tampa Dance Theatreby Sheryl Young

Do you or your kids love to danceor watch professional dancers? Do yourkids twirl around the house or mentionwanting dance lessons?

If so, move your feet over to theNew Tampa Dance Theatre (NTDT),located in a free-standing building onCross Creek Blvd, just three minuteseast of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.NTDT currently is accepting enroll-ment for their fall 2012 season. Classesbegan August 13, but the studio is stillenrolling new and returning students.

NTDT was established in 1995 inthe Pebble Creek Collection as NewTampa’s first professional training facili-ty for dance and it has become a namesynonymous with excellence in educa-tion, trust, and integrity.

In 2002, Artistic Director andowner Dyane Elkins IronWing pur-chased land to build a free-standing,state-of-the-art training facility specifi-cally designed for dance. In January2006, the school moved into its beauti-ful 7,500-sq.-ft. home, which includesfloors properly made for dancing, largelocker rooms, a café, faculty lounge andeven a costume warehouse. The build-ing offers unique vistas, with its 24-foot-tall ceilings, 10-foot-high windows

overlooking the wetlands, and a per-formance space large enough to seat anaudience of 250 people.

“Once I purchased the land, Inever looked back,” Dyane says. “And,the school continued to flourish, so thedream of having my own facility quicklybecame a reality.”

She takes note of a quote she hasposted in the lobby: “What would youdo if you knew you could not fail?,”and says. “I truly live by this and askthe students regularly, so they, too, cansee their dreams become reality.”

NTDT and its affiliated nonprofitcompany, the Dance Theatre of Tampa,have an additional goal, a communitymission. “Connecting and sharing withNew Tampa and the surrounding com-munities through the art of dance is animportant part of our mission,” Dyaneexplains. “We do many free public per-formances and help develop outreachprograms that provide exciting andvaluable cultural experiences for peopleof all ages.”

NTDT’s outreach program hasgrown to serve 10 local schools, reach-ing 1,000 children in the New Tampaarea to enrich their lives through dance.In the past season, their communityperformances have exposed more than7,000 children (and many more adults)

to dance productions –some for the first time.

For small children,NTDT is the officialdance school for BrightHorizons Family Solu-tions child care centersin New Tampa andWesley Chapel.

NTDT also is well-known in the area forits annual local produc-tion of “The Nutcrack-er,” which has soldmore than 1,500 seatsper season for the past13 years. All major NTDT performanc-es, including Spring Productions andSummer Concert Series, are held atvenues on the University of SouthFlorida’s Tampa campus.

Dyane says dancing was always inher blood. “My aunt was a professionaldancer,” she says. “I started at age 5along with trying many other sports,but I never quit dancing and soon real-ized it was my passion. I couldn’t imag-ine life without it.”

Over the years before openingNTDT, Dyane performed professional-ly with Dino Anderson’s Dance Ameri-ca, toured nationally with magician TodBucanon, trained under scholarship in

New York City for two years, and per-formed with several professional NYCcompanies, including Ballet Metropoli-tan and Jazz Met.

Dyane and her husband TroyIronWing have been performingnationally and internationally for thepast 10 years with the bi-coastal basedgroup, Rhythm Extreme, which is ahigh-energy, Stomp-like show includingdrumming, tap dancing, and just aboutanything that can create rhythms. Troy,who has been NTDT’s Tap Directorsince 2003, began playing the drums atage 6, and found his passion for tap incollege. He received a Bachelor’sdegree in Musical Theater with a minorin Dance and has had the privilege to


train with tap masters Savion Glover,the Nicholas Brothers, Derrick Grantand Ted Levy, to name just a few. Bothstudents and parents enjoy his fun-lov-ing personality and ability to connectwith children.

Dyane, as the Artistic Director, stilldoes some substitute teaching atNTDT when needed. “I have ninestrong, well- educated and very talentedfaculty members,” she says. “Our staffis dedicated to the development of thestudents. We don’t only teach dance.We give students the self-esteem theyneed to be successful in life.”

A Wide Range Of ClassesA Wide Range Of ClassesClasses at NTDT start with very

young children and go all the waythrough senior adults, with everythingfrom classical ballet, modern, tap, jazz,creative movement, and hip-hop.

“Children as early as age 3 canbegin with creative movement,” Dyanesays. “At every age level, whether it’sthe recreational or pre-professional pro-grams, our faculty follow a prepared syl-labus to ensure that each student learnsthe proper techniques.”

In fact, Dyane urges parents ofyoung children to ask about her staff’straining and the syllabus so they can beconfident of their kids’ dance educa-tion. Each spring, families can see theculmination of what their children havelearned in two separate Spring Produc-

tions – one for ages 3-8 andanother for ages 9 and up.

NTDT also offers aconcentrated Boys Programon Saturdays (12:30-1:30pm), for boys ages 5and older. With more than35 students attending, theseclasses improve athletic bal-ance and help build coordi-nation for all sports. Dyanesays dance is a great skill forboth cheerleaders andschool dance teams to study, and it’sthe perfect adult activity for staying ingreat physical shape; it also allows adultstudents to meet new people with com-mon interests.

For students who want to be pro-fessional dancers, there’s even a class totrain them in auditioning skills.

“With older children and teenagersaspiring toward a dance career, wecoach them through the professionalaudition process, which can be quitegrueling,” Dyane explains. “We'vetaken groups to New York for ‘cattlecall’ auditions (which are open to thegeneral public). We teach them how topresent themselves. This usually starts atage 11 or 12, and they’re ready for for-mal professional auditions at 15 or 16.”

As a result, NTDT students areregularly accepted into prestigious sum-mer programs including the School ofAmerican Ballet, American Ballet The-

ater, and the Joffrey, Boston and KirovBallets. Many NTDT alumni havereceived college scholarships and movedon to dance professionally.

“We take pride in treating andtraining each student as an individual,”Dyane says. “It’s a private school men-tality. We’re not obsessed with num-bers. We know each student’s name.”

Lisa Laches, the mother of twoNTDT students, attests to the greattraining. “My daughters, Rachel (16)and Elizabeth (14) have been dancingsince 2002,” she says, “and with theNew Tampa Dance Theatre since 2004.Under Dyane’s guidance, they havegrown into confident, mature, strongdancers, with discipline and respect, notonly for their dance instructors, but fortheir peers as well. The friends they’vemade at dance are their closest friends,and they thoroughly enjoy their time inthe studio. They feel privileged to per-

form in the community, and look for-ward to ‘The Nutcracker.’”

Speaking of “The Nutcracker,”NTDT allows children from otherdance schools to audition for the stu-dio’s biggest annual show. “Dancerswho are at least 8 years old and takingballet class somewhere are eligible toaudition,” Dyane says.

Still not sure you want to enroll?Take a trial class. Children and adultsare both welcome to try any class intheir age group at NTDT for free. Youcan even try multiple classes to discoverwhich dance styles are your favorites.

“We also stay very involved incommunity and charity projects,”Dyane adds. “We support the SouthTampa Ronald McDonald House witha portion of the proceeds from ourmost popular fund raiser, the ‘SugarPlum Fairy Tea.’” This year, the Tea isscheduled for Sunday, December 2, 2p.m.-4 pm, at the USF Alumni Center.Attendees will get a sneak preview of“The Nutcracker,” which will be per-formed December 14-16. Ticket salesbegin October 15, through Ticketmas-ter or the NTDT box office.

For more information or toenroll in classes, visit NTDT at10701 Cross Creek Blvd or call 994-NTDT (6838). The studio is openMonday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-8 p.m.,and 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday. VisitNewTampaDanceTheatre.com.


Jadeja’s twoKumon Centers— located at21226 MarinerPl. in Lutz and at27311 WesleyChapel Blvd. inWesley Chapel —or to get yourstudent involved,give Daksha a callat 973-2266 or email her at [email protected]. And, onbehalf of the New Tampa Neighbor-hood News, congratulations Heta!

By Matt Wiley

It began as just another poem on acomputer screen, one of hundreds. But,something about the words on thescreen jumped out at everyone whoread it, and in a contest, that is the goalof the writer.

Heta Patel’s words stood outamongst hundreds of other entries inher age group from across the nation,which won her the Grand Prize inKumon North America’s FacebookPoetry Contest in her age group for herpoem entitled “Mother Is Waiting”about Earth Day.

Patel, an eighth-grade Bartels Mid-dle School student and New Tamparesident, is a student at Daksha Jadeja’sLutz/Land O’Lakes Kumon Center.Heta says she decided to enter the con-test all on her own.

“I am ecstatic that I won theKumon poetry challenge,” she says.“Kumon enabled me to take on thischallenge and made me amaze myself. Iam so thankful to convey my messagethrough my poem to make the world abetter place.”

Her poem, “Mother Is Waiting,”which she also illustrated (see above), isa look at the creation of earth throughthe eyes of Mother Nature.

“Soon there was life, tiny but there itwas, swarming

She poured love on them as she rainedMother was patient.”

As part of her Grand Prize, Patelwill travel to New York City on an all-expenses-paid trip where she will havelunch with Kumon North America’spresident Akira Hamanaka.

“It’s wonderful that she won!”exclaims Jadeja. “Especially out of somany submissions. She’s a very brightlady. She finished the entire Kumonreading program — which goes all theway up through the 12th grade level —by seventh grade!”

Jadeja runs both the Lutz/LandO’ Lakes Kumon Center and the Wes-ley Chapel North Kumon Center(which is located on S.R. 54, next toSweetbay), where students can enroll inreading and math programs to helpbolster their skills. Through these pro-grams at Jadeja’s two Kumon centers,many students are able to improve theirskills and move beyond their respectivegrade levels.

At her two centers, Jadeja current-ly has about 300 students enrolled inthe reading and/or math programs, ofwhich she says 70 percent are alreadyahead of their grade levels.

For more information about

Local Kumon Student Wins National Earth Day Poetry Contest!

Heta Patel

Heta’s national Kumon contest-winning poem about Mother Nature

included thios illustration,

By Michael Murillo

If you can play golf at a high level,you'll be the envy of weekend hackerswho crowd country clubs and publiccourses for a chance to sneak in around. If you actually compete in atournament, you'll impress your friendsand family. But, if you stage a final-round comeback, win a tournamentand draw praise from its creator, youknow you've done something special.

And this summer, Wesley Chapelresident Lauren Riehle did just that atthe Hurricane Jr. Golf Tour’s SummerClassic at Shingle Creek Golf Club inOrlando. Riehle’s two-over-par per-formance the weekend of July 7-8included a final-round score of 71 tonot only overcome a two-stroke deficitafter the first round, but claim the tour-nament victory by three strokes.

“It’s a big accomplishment becauseit’s an older division (girls 15-18), soshe’s competing against girls who arepotential Division I college players,”explained Mario Conte, executive direc-tor of the Hurricane Jr. Golf Tour (hestarted the tour in 2007). “She beat areally good field and she beat playerswho came from all over the southeast.”

The tour has players compete intwo age groups — 11-14 and 15-18 —for both boys and girls. It includes

about 65 events each year, includingaround a half-dozen in the Tampa area.

For the 18-year-old Riehle, whosefather, Greg, is the executive VP at Sad-dlebrook Resort, it’s another feather inher golf cap — the SaddlebrookPreparatory High graduate earned fiveletters in her scholastic golf career(grades 8-12) and was named PascoCounty’s Golfer of the Year for 2011-12 by a local daily newspaper. Althoughshe’s won about 20 tournaments in hergolf career (and participated in around100), Riehle posted her best two-dayscore ever (146) at the event and saidthat winning the Summer Classic wasboth rewarding and challenging.

“Winning the tournament feltincredible,” Riehle said. “I knew Ineeded to play my very best golf, whichplaced great pressure on me, but thepressure fueled me to finish strong.”

She not only won her division, butthat 71 also was the only under-parround scored by a female in the entiretourney. Riehle also led the field in pars(26), birdies (5), and her par-3 (2.88)and par-4 (4.15) averages also toppedher division.

Although she works on her gameby playing or practicing six days a week,Riehle believes that truly mastering golfoccurs above the shoulders. “The men-tal aspect of golf is what makes it such a


challenging sport,” she said. “Physicaltalent can take an athlete far in mostsports, but in golf, a strong mentality iseven more important.”

Conte agreed, noting that thegame teaches children and young adultsindividual skills they can use as they getolder. “Golf is 99 percent mental,”Conte said, “so they learn how to dealwith a lot of different situations othersports wouldn’t teach them.”

For now, Riehle will be usingthose skills on more golf courses inFlorida: She’ll be playing courses forthe Women’s Golf team at the Univer-sity of Miami, where she will studySports Administration.

The Hurricane Junior Golf Touralso has several more out-of-state stopsleft on its 2012 schedule, plus events inOrlando, Bradenton, Harmony, AmeliaIsland and Port St. Lucie. Locally, theschedule includes a weekend in WesleyChapel on Sept. 15-16. That event,the Tampa Bay Jr. Open, will be playedon the Palmer Course (one of twotracks) at Saddlebrook Resort.

Riehle said her next goal is to pur-sue an NCAA championship with herfellow Lady Hurricanes in Miami, butgolf has taught her many things thatwill prove valuable away from birdiesand bunkers.

“Golf teaches a person to be

dependent uponthemselves, howto handle pres-sure, and, mostimportant, hon-esty and integri-ty,” she said. “I’veplayed tennis andlacrosse competi-tively in the past,but my heartalways belonged

to golf because of the character it takesto be successful.”

For info about the HurricaneJunior Golf Tour, visit HJGT.org.

Lauren Riehle

Saddlebrook Prep Grad Wins The Hurricane Jr. Golf Tourney In Orlando


The New Monkey Bizness — More Fun Than A Barrel Of ….By Camille Gillies

“Quit monkeying around!”Sound familiar? You may have

reproached your children with thosewords or even heard them from yourown parents when you were goofingoff. One place you won’t hear them isat the new indoor play center thatopened last month at The Shops atWiregrass mall. At Monkey Bizness, lit-tle kids are encouraged to go ape!

The main attraction at MonkeyBizness is the PlaySmart gym, a soft,contained play system that’s a maze of astructure where kids under 7 or 8 canclimb, swing, bounce and explore totheir heart’s content. The PlaySmartindoor playground is professionallydesigned and constructed by the com-pany of the same name, according toMonkey Bizness Wesley Chapel owner

Kristin Green. “It’s a play gymdesigned for the younger child,”Kristen says. “But older kids canclimb in too.” By “older kids,” shemeans ages 7 and younger becauseMonkey Bizness is primarily gearedfor little tykes and their parents. Infact, a special section with a triple-padded carpet is reserved for theyoungest tots, or as Monkey Biz-ness refers to them, “crawlers.”

“We are designed primarily fortoddlers, preschoolers and early ele-mentary school-age children,”Kristin explains, adding that Mon-key Bizness is a safe environmentfor younger children who mightotherwise become overwhelmed bythe more rambunctious play ofolder kids.

In the few short weeks sinceits debut, Monkey Bizness has

already attracted a loyal fol-lowing. Mom Sandra Westonhas driven from Valrico everyweek since the July 14 open-ing to entertain her childrenAlexa, 7, and Jake, 4. Alexasays she enjoys painting anddrawing in the art room,while her brother, Jake,romps on the indoor playapparatus.

“She would play here allday,” Sandra says of Alexa.Gazing at the finger-paintingstation, Sandra adds, “I likeit because there is no mess athome.” Charged with super-

vising the children’s activities, staffmember Ivett Lopez shares that plansare under way to add arts and craftsprojects to the already fun art roomactivities.

Although the art room is fun,Monkey Bizness offers a pleasantatmosphere for its adult clientele, too.You can sip a Seattle’s Best coffee andchat with a friend in the dining/sittingarea as you watch the kids hoot andholler on the play equipment.

That’s what moms AndreaChristopher and Lindsey Harrie weredoing on their first visit fromZephyrhills. They brought four kids:two 7- and two 5-year-olds.

“A friend texted me about thiscute place,” says Andrea. “It was rain-ing and it seemed like a good indooractivity.” The women said they wereimpressed by the “clean environment”and “great location.”

“And, we were just saying that wewished we’d thought of (opening) it,”Andrea comments.

Unlike many other indoor playplaces, Monkey Bizness offers a full-service coffee bar, snacks and healthygrab-n-go meals.

“We like to say that while the kidsplay, moms can get a cup of coffee,dads can get some work done, and

Kids love to ‘monkey around’ at the colorful, comfortable new Monkey Bizness playcenter in the Shops at Wiregrass mall.

New Tampa resident Betty Gilmore enjoys wear-ing out her kids at Monkey Bizness. See “Monkey Biz” on page 31.

then earned his M.D.degree from the presti-gious University of Penn-sylvania School of Medi-cine in Philadelphia. Hecompleted a five-yearinternship and residency inGeneral Surgery at EmoryUniversity Hospitals inAtlanta, GA.

Dr. Castor continuedhis training in Plastic andReconstructive Surgery fortwo years at the renownedCleveland Clinic Founda-tion in Cleveland, OH. Inaddition, he completed aprestigious cosmetic sur-gery fellowship withworld-renowned plasticsurgeons, Drs. Baker andStuzin and Baker inMiami, FL This fellow-ship is only offered to twoplastic surgeons per year.

Dr. Castor is Board-certified in Plastic Surgeryby the American Board ofPlastic Surgery, the onlyplastic surgery board recognized by theAmerican Board of Medical Specialties.He also is a member of the AmericanSociety of Plastic Surgeons and a Fellow

of the American College ofSurgeons.

Dr. Stanley Castor’spractice, Artisan Aesthetics, is locatedat 5383 Primrose Lake Cir., Suite A,in Tampa Palms. For more info, call971-2000 or visit DrCastor.com.


Artisan Aesthetics Surgeon Introduces New LipoControlTM Treatment!Dr. Stanley Castor To Host

Lipocontrol Open House Sept. 20!

Board Certified Plastic Surgeonand owner of Artisan Aesthetics inTampa Palms Stanley Castor, M.D., hasbeen chosen as one of the first doctorsin the U.S. to be able to offer a brandnew innovative body-shaping technolo-gy that until recently, was only availablein Europe. Dr. Castor is proud toannounce that his practice, Artisan Aes-thetics, one of the pioneers in the fieldof aesthetic medicine, is now offeringGPSLipo® Laser LipoControl™ byOsyris, an FDA-approved body-shapingtreatment for removing unwanted fat.

Dr. Castor says GPSLipo®, whichuses the LipoControl™ laser, is thesafest and most precise laser lipo or lipo-suction procedure available for remov-ing fat and tightening your skin.

How The GPS LaserLipocontrol™ Procedure Works

Even with eating properly andexercising regularly, many people arestill seeking ways to quickly and effec-tively remove stubborn areas of unwant-ed fat. LipoControl™, the latest innova-tive technology to hit our shores,quickly and safely removes problemareas of fat deposits, with total controland safety — and this unique procedureis now being offered by Dr. Castor.

The procedureuses thermal energyin the form of aheat-generatinglaser to actually liq-uefy unwantedbody fat and thenremove the liquidfat, all in one easyprocedure.

LipoControl™ensures a high level of safety and con-trol because it also features a built-inGPS tracking system, which allows Dr.Castor to determine in real live timeexactly how much energy is being deliv-ered to a given area of the body, andallows him to keep that amount of ener-gy uniform. Among the benefits to thepatient with this additional control andprecision are even smoother and moreimpressive results.

The entire LipoControl™ proce-dure can be done in one session on anumber of different areas of the bodyincluding the abdomen, waist (love han-

dles), hips and thighs, buttocks, back ofarms, knees, ankles and even under thechin to remove unsightly “turkeynecks.” And, best of all, the procedurecan be done right in Dr. Castor’s officewithout the use of general anesthesia.

In addition to removing unwantedfat, the heat generated by LipoCon-trol™ causes the skin in the treated areato contract, resulting in firmer,smoother skin that further enhancesyour body-shaping goals. Skin tighten-ing continues to improve for a period ofup to 4 months depending upon yourbody’s unique chemistry.

Dr. Castor says, “I am trulyamazed at the performance and resultswe are seeing from LipoControl.Hands down, this is the best, minimallyinvasive fat removal procedure currentlyon the market. And, my patients alreadylove the results! ”

Dr. Castor works with all of hispatients to set realistic expectations, butLipocontrol patients see truly immedi-ate results due to the reduction in fatand the instantaneous skin contractionthat occurs during the procedure. Typi-cally, one day of rest after receiving aLipoControl™ procedure is recom-mended but most patients resume nor-mal activities by the second day.

The results of LipoControl™ con-tinue to improve over the next 2-4months and, best of all, all of the Arti-san Aesthetics patients who havereceived a LipoControl™ treatment todate have reported improvement in thetargeted body area(s).

To see how the new laserLipoControl™ system works, Dr.Castor and the staff at Artisan Aes-thetics invites you to come to aGPSLipo®-LipoControl™ OpenHouse at the office (address below)on Thursday, September 20, 5:30p.m. There will be hors d’oeuvresand beverages served. Attendance isfree, but space is limited, so call 971-2000 to reserve your space today!

Dr. Stan Castor grew up inZephyrhills and graduated fromZephyrhills High at the top of his classin 1982. He spent some time workingas an orderly and patient care assistantafter high school and became interestedin medicine. He worked his waythrough college playing church musicjobs. Dr. Castor graduated Cum Laudefrom Florida Southern College in Lake-land with a B.S. degree in Biology. He

As you can clearly see, from both the front (above) & back(below), the results achieved by the LipoControlTM procedure

available from Dr. Stan Castor of Artisan Aesthetics inTampa Palms are nothing short of miraculous!

Dr. Stan Castor


grandparents can get a break,” saysKristin. “But we also encourage parentsand caregivers to join the children inthe play area.”

That’s where guest Betty Gilmorecould be found, interacting with herthree children on the play floor. AGrand Hampton resident, she hasbecome a regular herself, and has beenjoined by friends from St. Petersburgon three different occasions.

“There is nothing like this placefrom here to St. Pete,” Betty says. “It’sgreat because it offers something thatall three of my kids can do.” Her chil-dren include 18-month-old twins,Addison and Kendall, and son, Hayden,3. “It’s also reasonably priced,” sheadds. “And, they don’t mind if youbring your own snacks. Plus, they giveyou a wristband if you want to leaveand re-enter.”

Betty says Monkey Bizness givesHayden an opportunity to burn off anabundance of energy in a safe atmos-phere. “He always loves to come back,”she comments. As they are belted intothe triple stroller, the twins and Haydenall appear to be contentedly exhausted.

Despite the fact kids were scamper-ing all over the play floor, Kristen saidthis particular Friday afternoon was a

little slow. Things would pick up at 5p.m., she predicted, because Fridaysand Tuesdays are family nights, whenadmission is $5 per child and $3 forcrawlers. (Typical admission is $8 forwalkers and $5 for crawlers.) Tuesdayalso is dubbed “Takeout Tuesday”because families are welcome to pick uptheir favorite takeout meals from themany fine restaurants in the mall oreven bring dinner in from home toenjoy with the kids.

“My husband and I know what it’slike to be working and have kids thisage, and one of our goals is to makethis a convenient place to bring yourchildren,” Kristen explains. “We want itto be clean, safe and affordable.”

Residents of Lutz, Kristen and herhusband, Bradley, both 36, have twosons: Spencer, 7, and Cooper, 5. Bothgraduated from USF, Bradley’s degreeis in civil engineering and Kristen is aformer high school business technologyteacher at East Lake High in PinellasCounty. They knew a few years agothat they wanted to open a business likethis, and when her parents attended agrandchild’s birthday party in Illinois atone of the ten other Monkey Biznessfranchises in five states (this is the firstin Florida), they called and told her,“You can do this!” She says the dreamhas been two years in the making.

Her passion for the business is evi-dent as she describes the thrill of watch-

“Monkey”Continued from page 1

ing the wide-eyed chil-dren: “My husband and Isee the little ones so excit-ed to be here and we feelit right here (pointing toher heart) because we did-n’t have a place like this tobring our kids when theywere that age.”

Unlike most MonkeyBizness franchises, whichare located in strip centers,this one has the benefit ofthe beautiful surroundingsof The Shops at Wiregrass.

“We knew this iswhere we wanted to be,”Kristen says, adding thatthe Wiregrass locationappeals to both kids andparents because they canvisit Barnes & Noble or Dillard’s, ridethe train, shop or have a meal in one ofthe many restaurants. “If there is awaiting list at Monkey Bizness, familiescan amuse themselves at Wiregrasswhile they wait,” she adds.

The busiest day at Monkey Biznessto date is Wednesday, when The mallfeatures “Wiregrass Wednesdays,” withfree kids’ club activities from 10 a.m.-11 a.m. If you would like to visit thenew play center when open play is lesscrowded, Kristin advises to stop bybetween 9 a.m.-10 a.m. or after 2 p.m.You might note that Monkey Bizness is

only open 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday &Sunday because the facility closes forprivate parties from noon till 5 p.m. onweekends.

For information about partypackages – Monkey Bizness offersfive different choices starting at $99– or, for a schedule of hours or anyadditional information, call 388-2922 or visit MonkeyBizness.com.You also can visit “Monkey BiznessWesleyChapel” on Facebook for spe-cial promotional offers. Monkey Biz-ness is located at 28329 Paseo Drive,Suite 160, next to Barnie’s Coffee &Dillard’s in the Shops at Wiregrass.

Seattle’s Best Coffee and a variety of “Grab & Go”snacks are always available at Monkey Bizness.


The Latest & Greatest News About Dining, Shopping, Retail & More In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel!Kouture Kidz Opens In Pebble

Creek Collection - Whether you havean infant, a toddler, a bun in the ovenor you need to buy a nice present for afriend or relative who just had a baby,you should definitely check out the newKouture Kidz Consignment Bou-tique which recently opened betweenthe new Full Circle Pizza and PartyScene in the Pebble Creek Collection(19651 Bruce B. Downs [BBD] Blvd.).

Kouture Kidz owner Kortnee Hol-ley-VanValkenburgh held her GrandOpening and New Tampa Chamber ofCommerce Ribbon Cutting as we wentto press with a ballon-twisting clown,an appearance by Mix 100.7-FM, foodand beverages, as hundreds of parentsand kids got their first glimpse of thegreat clothing, toys, bedding, acces-sories and more at this attractive, newconsignment boutique for young’nsfrom preemie through Boys & Girlssizes 16-18, with brand names likeCalvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Gym-boree and Osh Kosh B’Gosh, and newitems arriving every day.

For more info, call 528-8747 orvisit KoutureKidz.com.

Wiregrass Rumor Mill: Panera& Pandora In; Cheesecake Factory...?- The smell of bread baking will soonbe an everyday scent for shoppers.However, at this point, we cannot con-firm or deny whether or not there willbe cheesecake at the Shops at Wire-grass. The mall will soon be home to anew jewelry store, as well.

Along S.R. 56, a sign boasting the

phrase, “Baking Soon,” has appeared,letting drivers passing by know thatthey will soon have a brand new Pan-era Bread bakery-café, where they cangrab a bread bowl, sandwich, salad anda wide variety of baked goods.

According to the press release,Panera will be built on the outparcelclosest to GrillSmith and S.R. 56, and isexpected to be open for business some-time in November, just in time for holi-day shopping.

“Our concept has been embracedby many local communities, and welook forward to sharing our signaturePanera warmth in the Wesley Chapeland New Tampa area,” says KevinRicci, operating partner of Covelli Fam-ily Limited Partnership, a Panera fran-chisee that operates more than 200Paneras across the country, 26 in theTampa Bay area, including the locationon Highwoods Preserve Dr. off BruceB. Downs Blvd. (BBD) near I-75.

We have no further info at thistime about what will replace the recent-ly shuttered Aja. A spokesperson forthe mall says that The Cheesecake Fac-tory moving in is still just a rumor.

In addition to Panera, the Shops atWiregrass will also soon be welcominga Pandora Jewelry, which will move inbetween Chico’s and Dillard’s.

The store, which is expected toopen in mid to late October, will beabout 1,000 sq. ft. and will carry theentire line of sterling silver and 14-karat-gold Pandora Jewelry.

“We are offering the Wire-grass mall the entire Pandorashopping experience,” says HeidiHardman, of Polkadotz, the fran-chisee. “People can create theircompletely custom look from ourextensive line of charms to repre-sent their own unforgettablemoments, important people, petsand events.”

Ortho Technology Sold -Henry Schein Inc. has strength-ened its dental specialty offeringwith the acquisition of OrthoTechnology, Inc., which hasbeen one of the largest (if not thelargest) privately-owned compa-nies in the New Tampa area the

last 21 years, although financial termsof the purchase were not disclosed.

Ortho Technology is a TampaPalms-based company that distributesorthodontic products, primarily toorthodontists. The company, foundedin 1991, has about 90 employees andposted reported 2011 sales of $24 mil-lion. Henry Schein (NASDAQ: HSIC),is a Melville, NY, firm that provideshealth care products and services tooffice-based dental, medical and animalhealth practitioners.

Brian Leaghty, president of OrthoTechnology, will serve as a consultantfor a year to ensure a smooth transition.Ortho Technology offers a completeline of orthodontic supplies includingbrackets, bands, buccal tubes, arch-wires, adhesives, laboratory supplies and

patient accessories. The companyserves more than 10,000 customersworldwide via direct sales from the U.S.and distributors across the globe.

“With this transaction, we are fur-ther penetrating the $1.25-billion glob-al orthodontics market with a companythat’s been gaining market share foryears,” said a spokesperson for HenrySchein. “We will leverage Ortho Tech-nology’s aesthetic brackets and its best-in-class direct marketing expertise.”

Leaghty says, “Orthodontics is anexciting dental specialty characterizedby product innovation and growingglobal demand. As part of HenrySchein, Ortho Technology has consid-erably enhanced (its) business prospectsand an opportunity to solidify marketshare gains into the future.”

Owner Kortnee Holley-VanValkenburgh recentlycelebrated the Grand Opening of her Kouture KidzConsignment Shop in the Pebble Creek Collection.

taste even better to mewith either the zesty“Sweet Heat” or creamygarlic dipping sauces. Thecreamy garlic also is anoutstanding salad dress-ing, although I do lovePDQ’s Caesar dressingand I’ve heard many cus-tomers asking for boththe unique blueberryvinaigrette and low-fat“Fiesta” dressings, too.

The fresh-cut, skin-on fries are crispy (but not overlycrisp) pefection (but diet-deadly)and the homemade fresh cole slawhas a little spice and a lot less mayothan most I’ve tasted. Yum.

The hand-spun shakes areutterly delicious, but definitely noton the diet for those trying towatch their weight (like yourstruly). Instead of the shakes, I haveenjoyed both the regular and dietCheerwine, which is a tasty, 95-year-old cherry soda bottled inNorth Carolina, and especially, theamazing, 100-option soda machinewhich allows me to fill my drinkwith all the ice I want and cover itwith my favorite 75-percent dietand 25-percent regular Barq’svanilla root beer, but you can opt forany combination of any other Coca-Cola product.

Wesley Chapel PDQ manager EricKnott and his enthusiastic team (theywill even come to you in the parkinglot and walk you under an umbrella ifit’s raining and you don’t have one) ofmore than 70 invite you to check out a

truly unique dining concept that’s per-fect for families — kids and their par-ents love the food — and there’s even anice outdoor seating area with mistersto keep you cool.

PDQ (27757 S.R. 56) is openevery day at 11 a.m. and until 10p.m. Sun.-Thur., and until 11 p.m.on Fri. & Sat. For info, call 528-8770 or visit EatPDQ.com.

By Gary Nager

OK, so you’re driving along S.R.56 and decide that you’re hungry, butyou’re in something of a hurry. Well,whether drive-through or dine-in, thenew PDQ Fresh Tenders, Salads, Sand-wiches & Shakes is a fast, fun, attractiveplace with a delicious (but admittedly, alittle bit limited) menu.

PDQ, which today has three loca-tions (the other two are in Carrollwoodand South Tampa), will grow to sevenlocations by the year’s end, and theplace has a pedigree. It was founded (as“Tenders”) in North Carolina by a newrestaurant company created by Outbackco-founder Bob Basham.

But, PDQ isn’t about impressingyou with history lessons, it’s about try-ing to get you to come back for its

food, service and high-energy atmos-phere. The menu includes plump,freshly fried tenders (served with amaz-ing sauces; more on them below),grilled and “crispy” chicken and turkeysandwiches, hand-tossed salads withunique (especially for a “fast food”place) dressings, fresh-cut fries, freshlymade cole slaw, fresh apple slices with adecadent toffee dip, amazing hand-spun shakes in a variety of delish flavorsand the coolest fountain sodas in thebiz. And that’s it.

In other words, if you’re not upfor a salad, sandwich or fried tenders,you need to take your business else-where. But, if you’re looking for aunique take on fresh poultry, here are afew of my favorite items on the menu.

In my opinion, the fried tendersare better than Publix’s and the crispy

chicken sandwiches arebetter than Chick-fil-A’s... and I really loveChick-fil-A sandwiches,too. I just think thechicken itself is superior.

The grilled chickensalad, grilled chickenand turkey sandwichesalso are served fresh,hot and tasty, and all ofPDQ’s entrée items


PDQ Is Pretty Darn Quick & Pretty Darn Good, Too!

The (clockwise from top) fresh tenders andfresh-cut fries, grilled turkey sandwich with

creamy garlic sauce and grilled chickensalad with blueberry vinaigrette dressing are

all worth trying at PDQ on S.R. 56.


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HAIRSTYLISTS & NAIL TECHNICIANSNEEDED! - Paris Hair, the New Look, a beauti-ful free-standing Salon & Spa in the heart of Tem-ple Terrace. With an extremely professional team,we are a thriving business! We offer a relaxedatmosphere, excellent customer service, and we'reready to increase our staff! Hairstylists & Nail tech-nicians needed! For more information, Contact:Alexander Jasmine at (813) 985-3343 oronline at [email protected]

NEW TAMPA & WESLEY CHAPEL ClassifıedsJoin OrthoTechnology’s Winning Team!

Ortho Technology, a medical supply distributorlocated in New Tampa, is seeking talented energeticcandidates for the following positions:

Distribution Associates - Small partspick/pack/ship experience preferred. Strong atten-tion to detail, computer skills, ability to stand/walkfor entire shift & lift up to 50 pounds required. Weprovide a great work environment, excellent benefitspackage and growth potential. Submit resumes [email protected].

Visit our website at www.orthotechnology.com foradditional information and other job opportunities.We provide a great work environment and excellentbenefits package.

P E T C E N T E R

R E A L E S T A T E FIND YOUR DREAM HOME FROMYOUR CELL PHONE! - Wish you could seehome details while you are driving around lookingat homes? NOW YOU CAN! With Team Bohan-non's Mobile MLS Search application, you cansearch for any home in the area on your cell phone.Check out price, beds/baths, details, maps, evenphotos – all from the convenience of your cellphone. SEARCH PROPERTIES WHENEVERAND WHEREVER YOU WANT! GET ITNOW - Text: MLS4YOU to: 87778 Compli-ments of Doug, Annette and Dale BohannonColdwell Banker 813-979-4963

FOR RENT - 24' X 12' Office Space. In a bustel-ing Organic Spa Group w/ 5 busy professionals,all active in the community, who offer: organic haircolor, facials, nails, weight management and per-sonal training as well as European Massage thera-py. Ready made clientele waiting for you to join us!Perfect for Accupunturist, life coach, therapist,small boutique, wig salon, artist, small florist,bridal, etc. Available immediately. Please contactStar at 813.973.8787.

P O O L S E R V I C E STRANQUILITY 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 visitTran-quilityPoolService.com

KJ POOL SERVICE– Enjoy Your Pool, While WeMaintain It. Servicing pools for over 6 years. FirstMonth Free, Plus Free Evaluation & Quote. Owner& Operator. LICENSE, BONDED & INSURED. Office:(813)909-9466 Cell:(813) [email protected]. Visit our website @kjpoolonline.com

AQUATEC POOL SERVICE - keepingpools clear & swim safe since 1994. WE DOPOOLS RIGHT! Commercial & Residential. CPO#33-303052 Licensed & Insured. Service guarantee.Call 813-780-8616 TODAY and get 1MONTH OF QUALITY SERVICE FORFREE. www.aquatecpool.com

M I S C E L L A N E O U S SPRINGER STORAGE: RV & Boat Storage PortRichey, FL Starting at $35.00 mo. Pay first twomonths, 3rd month free. 24 hour access & 24 hourmonitoring. Call to reserve your spot. 813-833-1191.

CAR SERVICES – Don’t Have a Ride? Don’t Wantto Leave Your Car? Shouldn’t Drive? We Drive Youand Your Car Home! Night Clubs, Corporate Events,Sporting Events, Concerts, Appointments, Airport orStranded... Call Jay at (813) 966-1530.

C A S H N O W TURN YOUR CLUTTER INTO CASH -Garage & estate sales, inventory liquidation,& apprais-al services. We'll sell it for you online! We evaluate &appraise your products, you get top dollar. Call Mary:813-428-5793.

TAMPA CAT LADY- Professional Cat-SittingService." Cats are happiest in their own home, sur-rounded by familiar sights, sounds, & smells. Whenyou are away, we feed, cuddle, & play with your kit-ties & clean & dispose of litter. We help deter crimeby bringing newspaper/mail & rotatinglights/blinds, giving your home that lived-in look.Insured, bonded, & Red-Cross certified in pet firstaid/CPR. Call 994-9449 or visit us at www.Tam-paCatLady.com.

Get your listing printedCall 813-910-2575!

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

TAI CHI CLASSES - Open to the public at theClub Tampa Palms. Benefits: Strength, Flexibility,Balance, Focus and reduced stress. New Beginner 6week courses starting every few month’s adults Thur.evening’s 7-8 pm and seniors Wed. 2:30-3:30 spaceis limited. Also personal instruction in Tai Chi,Kempo Karate, Boot Camp Fitness Training andmore. With more than 31 years of training and teach-ing experience. Please contact me for more detailsor go to: chuan-fa.org Peter 787-7560 or [email protected]

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.

PROFESSIONAL TENNIS LESSONS -Recently relocated USPTA/PTR teaching professional available for private/group/team tennislessons. Former Head Tennis Professional at the #2and #3 Tennis Resorts in the U.S. Past coach of former #1 singles player at the University of Florida. Call Steve Brady at 843-422-3993 or [email protected]

C L E A N I N G S E R V I C E SD-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE - We haveour own supplies & more than 200 clients in NewTampa! For more information, Call 758-9710.

M.Y. CLEANING SERVICE - Offering Resi-dential cleaning. We offer complete bath &kitchen cleaning, as well as dusting and polishingfurniture. We provide our own supplies. Free esti-mates! Your satisfaction is our priority! With 5years of experience, we guarantee meticulouscleaning! Call Mila: (813) 516-3554.

wesley chapel neighborhood news issue 18-12

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