06-10 WCNN 01-36 web

coming north on I-275 have had toattempt to cross two or three lanes oftraffic coming north on I-75 in order toget [all the way to the right] to the S.R56 exit on the east side of the highway,all while northbound motorists comingon I-75 had to fight through that trafficin order to continue on their way pastthe exit. The new ramps will eliminateall that merging and confusion,McShaffrey says.

“Once the (ramp) project is com-plete, every motorist exiting to S.R. 56

will be taken out of the mix of ongoingtraffic,” he says.

According to the most recent traf-fic studies, which were conducted in2008, there were 119,000 vehicles perday on the stretch of I-75 between theI-275 exit and the S.R. 56 exit (bothnorthbound and southbound), withabout 22,500 of those accessing theofframp at S.R. 56 from northbound I-75. The congestion at the interchange

(down 6.4 percent);burglary (down 5.7percent); larceny(down 7.7 percent);and motor vehicletheft (down 21.5percent). Robbery(7.3-percent higher)was the only catego-ry that increasedfrom ‘08.

Overall, White said, the total num-ber of reported crimes in the countydecreased by 7.8 percent, including a3.6-percent decrease in violent crimesand an 8.2-percent decrease in non-vio-lent crimes. White noted that ‘09 wasthe second consecutive year that thecounty’s violent crime index haddecreased, and said that the numbers

were even more impressive, consideringthat even though the county’s popula-tion rose once again last year, the percapita number of crimes decreased.

“These numbers indicate that thedeputies of Pasco County are hard atwork fighting crime in the county,”Sheriff White said. “When we look atcrime statistics, we look at the trend,and these numbers show that overall,crime is trending downward.”

According to PCSO spokesmanDoug Tobin, there were a number of

By Michael Smith

Pasco County Sheriff Bob Whiteheld an impromptu press conference onFebruary 26 to announce that crime inthe unincorporated areas of the county(which includes Wesley Chapel)dropped by nearly 8 percent in 2009,when compared with 2008.

According to the statistics, thenumber of crimes in six of the sevencategories that are tracked by the PascoCounty Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), theFlorida Department of Law Enforce-ment and the Federal Bureau of Investi-gation dropped in 2009. Those cate-gories include: murder (which wasdown 50 percent); forcible sex offenses

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 18, Issue 6 • March 13, 2010 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com 1

Volume 18Issue 6

March 13, 2010NEWS

WESLEY CHAPEL

The Direct-Mail Newspaper 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

THIS INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER IS DIRECTLY MAILED TO:

LOCAL NEWS, BUSINESS &SPORTS UPDATES

Meet State House Candidate Elena McCullough, High School Winter

Sports Wrap-Up & More!See pages 3-22!

NEIGHBORHOOD MAGAZINE!

Night Of 5000 To Benefit Young BurnVictims, Neighborhood Nibbles &

Much More!See pages 23-36!

Also Inside This Issue!

Inside:‘Night Of 5000’

Preview!See page 23!

Interstate Construction Keeping Drivers On Their ToesBy Michael Smith

We’ve been getting quite a fewinquiries from local residents and busi-ness owners asking about all the high-way construction work that’s beengoing on between the junction of I-75and I-275 and the S.R. 56 interchange.Well, here’s the scoop:

Most of the work that people areseeing in that area is related to the con-struction of new ramps for northbounddrivers on both highways who are exit-ing the interstate at S.R. 56. Accordingto Florida Department of Transporta-tion (FDOT) spokesman John McShaf-frey, the new ramps, which will bealmost a mile long, will allow driverswho plan to exit the interstate at S.R.56 to do so well before they reach thebusy interchange. The new northboundI-275 exit ramp will cross over I-75,while I-75 will be widened and resur-faced, and will include a new bridgeover Cypress Creek that will accommo-date traffic exiting onto S.R. 56.

The $29.9 million project alsoincludes the construction of huge new

drainage ponds in the area where thetwo interstates pass underneath CountyLine Rd., which are required not onlyfor this project, but also for the eventu-al widening of I-75 itself.

In fact, McShaffrey says that theramp project actually was originally acomponent of the widening project,but, since the widening of I-75 fromFowler Ave. all the way up to S.R. 52 isnow on hold (at least for the immediatefuture), because of a lack of funding,FDOT planners last October decided tomove forward with the ramp project,which is expected to be finished by thesummer of 2012.

“It was pulled out of the wideningproject for two reasons,” McShaffreysays. “One, because we can afford itnow, and two, because it will provide atremendous benefit to motorists.”

As anyone who regularly uses theS.R. 56 interchange knows, that areahas been difficult to traverse ever sinceit opened in 2002, but even more sorecently, with the influx of new residen-tial communities and businesses allalong the S.R. 56 corridor. Motorists

Sheriff White Reports That Pasco’s Crime Rate Dropped In 2009

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By summer 2012, drivers reaching the apex of I-75 and I-275 will no longer have tocross over multiple lanes of traffic to get to or around the S.R. 56 exit ramp.

2 For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 18, Issue 6 • March 13, 2010 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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Despite my best efforts, it’s notalways possible for me to gear my Wes-ley Chapel editorial for Wesley Chapelreaders only and this column is noexception. There are a couple of eventstaking place in New Tampa that areopen to residents of Wesley Chapel andpromise anyone who attends a greattime for a great cause.

Deacon Blues To Play A 2ndBenefit Concert At St. Andy

In February, the Deacon BluesBand (yes, the group that used to haveme as a member) staged a successfulconcert at The Palms Lounge atPeabody’s in Tampa Palms attendedby more than 100 people and raisedmore than $1,000 for Haiti.

Well, the Deacon Blues are at itagain, putting on a special benefit con-cert at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church(5338 Primrose Lake Circle, off Com-merce Park Blvd., Tampa Palms) onFriday, March 12. The concert is opento adults 21 and older only, and snacksand non-alcoholic beverages will beprovided. Tickets cost $15 per person,but are limited to 100 tickets on a first-come, first-served basis.

Deacon Bluesers Dr. Tracy San-son and her husband, Dr. KellyO’Keefe, are both emergency roomdoctors who plan to use the money

raised from both shows to purchasemedical supplies and make sure theyget into the proper hands in Haiti.

For more information, call 907-3057 or visit SaintAndy.com.

Pig Roast To Rock St. Mark’sChurch March 21

NewTampa’s Noon,Evening andBreakfast RotaryClubs (whichmeet Wednes-days at noon atCircles NewTampa Bistro,Thursdayevenings atHunter’s GreenCountry Club and Friday mornings atTampa Palms Golf & Country Club,respectively) will all team up for thefirst time to present the New TampaRotary Pig Roast at St. Mark theEvangelist Catholic Church on CrossCreek Blvd. on Sunday, March 21, 2p.m.-5 p.m..

You can expect even more teamsroasting delicious pigs (with all of thetrimmings), with lots of cash prizes(totalling $5,000), plus free beer, wineand soft drinks, live music provided bylocal photographer Bob Thompson ofThompson Studios and as always, afun family atmosphere.

To sponsor or volunteer, or fortickets, which cost $25 each, callour office at 910-2575.


Table of ContentsNEWS UPDATES...................................Pages 1-11 Elena McCullough Set To Challenge Weatherford...........4Construction (cont. from Page 1).....................................6News Briefs (cont. from Page 1)..................................8Man Charged In Rental Scheme, 2005 Shooting Remains Unsolved

Lawsuit Challenges New Tampa Blvd. Extension..............9Wesley Chapel Community Calendar...................10-11

BUSINESS UPDATES...................................13-17West Coast Financial Group On Roth IRAs....................13Dentist Lou Cerillo & Skin Solutions........................14-15Coulter, Aviles & Jackson, CPAs.....................................17

EDUCATION UPDATES....................................18Seven Oaks Elem. Students Raise Money For Haiti, WRH To Hold Practice ACT, WCE Students Support Animal Rescue Group

LOCAL SPORTS UPDATES..............................20Ben Alford Named As New WCH Football Coach; Winter Sports Wrap-Up; Miraglia Pitches Shut-Out

NEIGHBORHOOD MAGAZINENight Of 5000 To Benefit Young Burn Victims..23,26John Knox Village Offers Affordable Care......................24‘Baby Share’ Showers Moms With Gifts.........................28Neighborhood Nibbles...................................................33

WESLEY CHAPEL COLOR CLASSIFIEDS...34

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

Managing EditorMichael SmithCorrespondentMelissa O’Brien

Advertising Customer Service ManagersNikki Bennett • David Zacharia

Art Director Billing ManagerTony Sica Ashley Knoblach

Office & Marketing AssistantKaren Glenn

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 advertisements for Volume 18, Issue 8, of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News is Friday, March 19, 2010.

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.

© 2010 JM2 Communications, Inc.

Two New Tampa Events ForWesley Chapel Folks

An editorial by Gary Nager

There will be lots of foodand cash prizes again atthe New Tampa Rotary

Pig Roast!


Elena McCullough To Challenge Weatherford For Dist. 61 Seat By Gary Nager

The first time I met Wesley Chapelresident Elena McCullough, she wasneither a community activist nor a can-didate for a seat on the State legislature.She was a fairly typical youth footballmom who drove her son Carlos to andfrom (and actually watched) his prac-tices with the New Tampa Wildcats. Iwas providing a similar chauffeur serv-ice for my son Jared, who became closewith Carlos while both were runningbacks for the then-fledgling Wildcatsprogram.

Flash forward about a decade. Theactivist who created the Wesley ChapelCommunity for Change organizationto try to garner support for the electionof U.S. President Barack Obama inRepublican-dominated Pasco Countykept hearing that she could and perhapsshould be doing even more to help thepeople in her own community.

Although she says some of herclosest friends think she’s “just maybe alittle crazy” for not just living her com-fortable life with her husband Ray andtheir children Carlos and Corina, Elenasays she was just “so inspired” byObama’s triumph that she decided tochallenge Republican incumbent andfellow Wesley Chapel resident Will

Weatherford for the District 61 seat inthe Florida House of Representatives.

It doesn’t appear that eitherMcCullough nor Weatherford will facea primary election opponent in Sep-tember, so unless something changesbetween now and then, the two will viefor Weatherford’s seat, which includesall of Wesley Chapel as well as most of“Northeast” New Tampa (Live OakPreserve, Pebble Creek, Cross Creek,Hunter’s Green, etc.) in November’s“midterm” elections.

Weatherford, himself a formerLand O’Lakes High football star andthe brother of former Florida Statequarterback Drew Weatherford, defi-nitely has the better-known name in thearea. He also is a personable rising staramong Florida’s Republicans whoalready has $200,000+ in his campaigncoffers and who is in line, if he wins inNovember, to possibly become Speakerof the Florida House in 2012.

But, none of that matters toMcCullough, who was born in theDominican Republic at age 16, butdidn’t learn to read and write Englishfluently until two years later. Shebecame a U.S. Citizen at 18 and rightaway joined the U.S. Coast Guard,where she spent 24 years total, the lastten as an officer.

“The thing I likedabout the Coast Guard,”she says, “was that youadvanced and succeededbased on your effort andmerit. It didn’t matterthat I was a woman ororiginally from anothercountry. All that matteredwas that I strived to bemy very best and my[commanding officers]took notice of me.”

She says she believesthat the State Legislaturehas “continually movedin the wrong direction”and vows to make peopleher top priority. “My Number Onefocus will be on trying to bring jobsback to our community,” she says. “Ihave no ties to any special interestgroups because the people of my Dis-trict and this state in general are myspecial interest.”

She adds that, “Education is thekey to success,” she says. “If we proper-ly educate our children, we CAN movemountains.”

She says she understands that she’snot running for an education position,but she promises to work hard tosecure more resources for our schools

and help improve graduation rates. She also says she hopes to work to

repeal the recent increases in taxes onmiddle class families that have been“disguised as fees,” including hunting,fishing and driver’s licenses and vehicleregistration fees, something Weather-ford voted for because, she says, “Itseems to me he always votes with hisparty leadership, whereas I will alwaysvote with my heart and my head.”

For more information aboutElena McCullough, call 516-6619or visit ElenaMcCullough.com. Wehope to interview Will Weatherfordin a future issue before the election.

Alison Berke Morano (left), the president of the PascoDemocratic Executive Committee, came to the partyofficially announcing the candidacy of Wesley Chapel

resident Elena McCullough for the Dist. 61 StateHouse seat currently occupied by Will Weatherford.



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is especially bad, however, during themorning and evening rush hours.

Bridge Project At SR 54 Ahead Of Schedule

Meanwhile, just one exit north ofall that construction, work continueson the project to build new bridgesfor I-75 over S.R. 54. That $33 mil-lion project, which is necessary toaccommodate the future widening ofboth the interstate and of S.R. 54, isahead of schedule, McShaffrey says,and is well on track to be completedby the fall.

That should be good news formotorists, who have had to get usedto nightly lane closures on S.R. 54and lane changes on the interstatethroughout the construction process.The bad news is, those closures willcontinue, but notices of upcomingdetours and closures are posted onelectronic signs around the construc-tion area and on the internet atMyTBI.com.

“It has been a process of shiftingtraffic back and forth (on the inter-state),” McShaffrey says. “Vehicleswere switched to the inside, originally,

but we’re getting ready to switchthem onto the new bridges within thenext month.”

He adds that FDOT has beengetting some complaints from driverswho say that the entrance ramps fromS.R. 54 onto the interstate are nowtoo short, but he says that they had tobe shortened in order to accommo-date the improvements to the inter-change.

“People just have to realize thatthey aren’t going to get a free flowonto the interstate all the time,” hesays. “But, that’s why there are ‘Yield’signs there, because drivers enteringthe freeway have to yield to thethrough traffic, and they may evenhave to come to a complete stop.”

“Construction”Continued from page 1

Looking south from County Line Rd.,the new I-75 ramp is taking shape.


things that contributed to the decline inPasco’s crime rates.

One was Sheriff White’s initiativeto reorganize the department, changingthe way deputies patrolled the countylast year. Tobin says that in December2008, White called upon the depart-ment’s computer section to analyze thepatrols, the number of calls received ineach area of the county, response timesand the time of service for each call.

Using that data, White then“redistricted” the patrol deputies,breaking the county up into threezones — west, east & southwest — andadded more patrol units in the areasthat needed them most. He alsoassigned some units to patrol in specificareas of the county all the time, whichTobin says has a couple of benefits.

“It gives the deputies more of asense of ownership of that area,” hesays. “It also helps them become morefamiliar with the normal traffic patternsand other activities within that area,which makes it easier for them to spotanything out of the ordinary.”

The department also was able toput more deputies on the streets,despite countywide cutbacks in manydepartments, thanks to a $4.4-millionfederal law enforcement grant (thefourth largest grant awarded to anyagency in Florida), which allowed thedepartment to fund an additional 23deputy positions the next three years.

Tobin says PCSO also created acountywide burglary task force, andincreased efforts in education andawareness among the public.

“We are working to create a realpartnership between the public and lawenforcement,” Tobin says.

Much of the education campaignfocused on particular things that countyresidents could help themselves avoidbecoming victims of crime, such as sim-ply making sure to lock the doors oftheir homes and vehicles. He said therewere several instances over the past year,including within the Wesley Chapelarea, where auto burglars would walkfrom one end of a street to the other,looking for vehicles to break into andfinding many unlocked.

“You have to make it (locking yourdoors) part of your everyday routine,”Tobin says. “You may feel safe in yourown neighborhood, but you neverknow when someone may be walkingthrough in the middle of the night,looking for an opportunity to commit acrime. Leaving your doors unlocked isan invitation for someone to break in.”

Man Charged For RentingHomes That Weren’t His

Last month, PCSO announced the

arrest of a Land O’Lakes man who hadan interesting solution to the housingcrisis — illegally taking possession ofhomes that didn’t belong to him andthen renting them out to unsuspectingtenants.

According to a PCSO report,Stephen Thomas Bybel, 49, of 22430Stillwood Dr. in Land O’Lakes, illegallytook possession of72 homes in severalcommunities inLand O’Lakes andWesley Chapel. Hedid so by makinguse of a real Floridastatute, known as“adverse posses-sion,” which allowssomeone who does-n’t own a piece ofproperty to take ownership of it, butonly under certain circumstances andconditions, which Bybel did not follow,PCSO officials said.

What he did, according to thereport, was drive through neighbor-hoods looking for homes that were invarious stages of foreclosure, and thenclaim them as his own, posting noticesof adverse possession and then chang-ing the locks.

Bybel then would make minorimprovements, such as yardwork orpainting, and then rent out the homesthrough various means, includingadvertisements on the Craigslist.comwebsite. PCSO investigators say herented out at least 31 homes, collectingalmost $17,000 in rent money duringthe month of January alone.

According to the Sheriff’s Officereport, Bybel told investigators that hewas not only within his rights under thelaw, but also that he was “helping thecounty” by placing tenants in homesthat would otherwise be vacant. How-ever, after his scheme was uncovered,investigators were in the process ofnotifying all of his tenants, all of whomwould have to move from the propertythat they rented from him.

Bybel was charged with one countof committing a scheme to defraud andwas released from custody after postinga bond of $5,000. According to PCSOspokesman Doug Tobin, the case is stillunder investigation and additionalcharges may be filed.

After Five Years, HighwayShooting Is Still Unsolved

It was five years ago this monthwhen a Wesley Chapel man was shot todeath while driving on I-75, but inves-tigators are still no closer to findingout who pulled the trigger or why.

Angus Valley resident David Addi-son Neel, who was 49, was on his wayto the Florida Strawberry Festival inPlant City on the morning of March 6,2005, when his blue and grey Ford F-


250 pick-up suddenly veered off thehighway just after the offramp for east-bound I-4.

When Neel’s body was discoveredinside the pickup, investigators with theFlorida Highway Patrol initiallybelieved that the married father of twohad died as a result of injuries sufferedin the crash, but upon further investiga-tion, it was discovered that he actuallyhad died from a bullet wound to hisupper torso. The Hillsborough CountySheriff’s Office (HCSO) then beganinvestigating the case as a homicide,but, aside from the wound, and a singlebullet hole in the driver’s side door ofNeel’s truck, they still found no clue asto the identity of the shooter or anypossible motive.

Investigators from the FloridaDepartment of Law Enforcement(FDLE) then were called in to assistwith the case, and after conducting testson the angle of the bullet hole in thevehicle, they were able to determinethat the bullet most likely was firedfrom another vehicle, probably a car,that was traveling alongside and slightlyahead of Neel’s truck.

In the months following the inci-dent, HCSO and Tampa BayCrimestoppers erected electronic signsalong the interstate asking for the pub-lic’s help in the case, and that led toseveral telephone calls from motoristswho had seen Addison driving on the

highway the day of the shooting, butnone of the calls resulted in any solidevidence towards solving the murder.

Now, information about theshooting is included in the FDLE’s“Cold Case Playing Cards,” which aredistributed to inmates in the state’sprisons in hopes that someone willcome forward with information thatwill help to solve the cases that arehighlighted. Also, a trophy in Neel’sname is awarded to exhibitors in thelivestock competition at the FloridaStrawberry Festival each year.

Anyone who has any informa-tion about the case is asked to callthe Crimestoppers hotline at (800)873-TIPS.

“News Briefs”Continued from page 1

Stephen ThomasBybel


Lawsuit Challenges New Tampa Boulevard Extension ProjectBy Michael Smith

In the last issue of the Wesley ChapelNeighborhood News, we told you aboutthe results of a traffic study commis-sioned by the City of Tampa as part ofits plan to move forward with the con-struction of a bridge over I-75 thatwould connect New Tampa Blvd. inWest Meadows to Commerce Park Blvd.in Tampa Palms.

The bridge has long been a contro-versial project, opposed by many resi-dents of both communities, mostly onthe grounds that it would bring highvolumes of traffic into their neighbor-hoods, posing a threat to pedestrians,bikers and residents in general. City offi-cials, on the other hand, have said thatthey are required to build the bridgebecause it is part of the overall plannedroad network for the area, and becausethey have already collected money fromdevelopers who were required to payimpact fees that are applied towards theconstruction of that road network.

Now, however, the project is onhold, at least for the time being, and mayeven be quashed altogether, thanks to achallenge of the wetlands mitigationagreement between the HillsboroughEnvironmental Protection Commission

(EPC) and the City of Tampa, allowingthe destruction of a little more than twoacres of wetlands in order to build thebridge.

The challenge was filed in April2009, on behalf of West Meadows resi-dent Evelyn Romano and Tampa Palmsresident Andrea Braboy, with fellowTampa Palms resident Warren Dixonacting as their attorney in the hearingsthat followed. Dixon says that the agree-ment, which calls for the city to set asideproperty offsite to mitigate for the wet-lands that are going to be destroyed,should not have been issued for a num-ber of reasons, including the fact that theEPC, in his opinion, did not follow itsown rules, as outlined in both Hillsbor-ough County ordinances and in theFlorida statute which created the EPC.

He points out that the statute callsfor the EPC to “insure the purity of allwaters and soils consistent with publichealth and public enjoyment thereof, thepropagation and protection ofwildlife…atmospheric purity and free-dom of the air from contaminants…andfreedom from excessive and unnecessarynoise which unreasonably interferes withthe comfortable enjoyment of life orproperty…”

Dixon says the EPC has not fulfilledits duties, since by entering into the miti-gation agreement, it is allowing the wet-lands to be destroyed, rather than pro-tecting them, and fostering noise and airpollution in the two communities byway of the increased traffic that thebridge would bring.

“From an activity on a land (such asbuilding a bridge), there can be effectsthat are negative and negatively affectpublic health and safety,” Dixon says. “Itis our contention that the traffic that isgoing to be generated from this bridge isone such effect.”

Dixon says that the rules governingthe EPC also call for the agency to con-sider the public interest, includinghealth, safety and welfare, when it isexamining the impacts of a project,whether or not there is a mitigationagreement in place.

That, however, is when the interpre-tation of the statutes and the EPC regu-lations comes into play. Lawyers for theEPC and the city contend that the merefact that there is a mitigation plan inplace allows them to move forward withthe project. They also say that the otherissues raised within the residents’ chal-lenge, such as the amount of traffic thatwill be generated within the two neigh-

borhoods, the safety hazard that trafficrepresents, and the need for the bridge tomeet concurrency requirements, for traf-fic calming and more efficient travelbetween the two communities, are out-side the scope of the EPC’s review whenit comes to mitigation of wetlands. Nei-ther attorneys for the city nor the EPCwould comment on the case, but in sev-eral instances, the hearing officer who isassigned to the case (who also is appoint-ed by the EPC, seems to agree, since hehas refused to allow much of the docu-mentation collected by Dixon and his fel-low plaintiffs, and testimony by one oftheir key witnesses, Braboy herself, to beentered into evidence.

He also has sided with the city andthe EPC on another contention made byDixon, which is that since notices of theappeals hearings were not posted in atimely manner, the mitigation agree-ment, which has an expiration date ofThursday, March 4, should be allowedto expire, which would mean that thecity would have to start the approvalprocess all over again. As it stands, how-ever, the officer has granted an extensionof the agreement until a final order isissued in the appeal.

According to an EPC spokesperson,once the hearing officer has registered anopinion, the attorneys for each side thenhave 10 days to file exceptions to thatopinion, after which the matter goes tothe EPC board (which is made up of theseven members of the HillsboroughBoard of County Commissioners),which will then render a final verdict onthe case. It is at that final hearing thatmembers of the public can register theircomments on the case, as well. The EPCBoard meets monthly, and agendas fortheir upcoming meetings are posted onthe agency website, epchc.org, so thatany member of the public who wouldlike to attend and comment on the issuecan find out when this case will be onthe agenda.


Cancer Survivors WantedThe Survivors Committee from

the American Cancer Society’s WesleyChapel Relay for Life is looking forcancer survivors and their caregivers toregister and join the Relay, which willbe held at Wesley Chapel High on Fri-day, May 7, beginning at 6 p.m. Sur-vivors and their caregivers will walk thefirst lap after opening ceremonies andthere will be a free dinner and dessertfollowing the lap for those who partici-pated. All participants will also receive afree T-shirt and other gifts as well.

For more information, pleasecontact survivor chair Shanon Weissat (484) 336-0527 or by e-mail [email protected].

Food Pantry ProgramSunday, March 14 – Atonement

Church (29617 S.R. 54) will hold aspecial program to provide informationabout its ongoing “Helping HandsFood Pantry” program, which assistedmore than 900 local needy families inDecember alone. The program, whichalso will include a blessing of the volun-teers that help run the program, will bepart of the church’s regular worshipservice, which begins at 10 a.m.

For more information, call the

church office at 973-2211.

Wesley Chapel Toastmasters

Monday, March 15 – The newWesley Chapel Toastmasters Club meetsMondays, 6 p.m., at the AmericanConsulting Engineers Building (2818Cypress Ridge Rd., off S.R. 56). Clubmeetings are open to the public.

For more information, call(352) 567-1508 or visit Toastmas-tersD84.org.

Free Networking Int’lMonday, March 15 – Free Net-

working International (FNI), a groupof area business owners, meets eachMonday for networking and discussion,8 a.m., at the Lexington Oaks GolfClub (26140 Lexington Oaks Blvd.).

For more information, call StacyDalton at 469-5499.

Business Networking Int’lTuesday, March 16 – Business

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

For more information, contact

Community CalendarWESLEY CHAPEL Nancy Cross at 789-7836 or by e-mail at [email protected].

East Pasco Networking Tuesday, March 16 – The East

Pasco Networking Group meets everyTuesday morning, 9 a.m., at BeefO’Brady’s (1660 Bruce B. DownsBlvd., in the Shops of New Tampa atWesley Chapel plaza).

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

Wesley Chapel Rotary ClubWednesday, March 17 – The

Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel meetsevery Wednesday at 12:15 p.m. at LasVallarta Mexican Restaurant (in the Vil-lage Market shopping center at S.R. 54& Bruce B. Downs Blvd.).

For more information, call 263-7188 or 383-6683.

Civil Air PatrolWednesday, March 17 – A new

Civil Air Patrol squadron meets everyWednesday, 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m., atTampa North Aero Park (4241 Bird-song Blvd., off S.R. 54).

For more info, visit Wesley-ChapelCAP.com or call CherylSpence at 973-7270.

Networking For Your Success

Thursday, March 18 – The Net-

working For Your Success group meetsevery Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m., atSong & Dance Studio (27221 Foam-flower Blvd.) in Wesley Chapel.

For more information, call JohnAnglada at 298-3232 or visit Net-workingforYourSuccess.com.

Wesley Chapel Wesley Chapel Wind EnsembleWind Ensemble

Thursday, March 18 – The Wes-ley Chapel Wind Ensemble, a commu-nity group of brass and woodwind play-ers, meets every Thursday at 6 p.m. atHyundai of Wesley Chapel (27000Wesley Chapel Blvd./S.R. 54). Newmembers are encouraged to join.

For more information, contactGlenn at 746-4821 or by e-mail [email protected].

Pasco/Hernando HispanicChamber Of Commerce

Thursday, March 18 - The newPasco/Hernando Hispanic Chamber ofCommerce will meet at 1 p.m. at theBest Western Summer Crest Hotel(5639 Oakley Blvd.). The chamber willmeet on the third Thursday of everymonth, with future meeting times to beannounced. In addition, the new groupwill host a communications seminar forSpanish speakers, on Saturday, March27, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Seating is limited to25 people.

For more information, contact


Rocio Paulsen at 909-6965 or byemail at [email protected].

Sunrise RotaryFriday, March 19 – The Wesley

Chapel Sunrise Rotary Club meetsevery Friday at 7:15 a.m. at LexingtonOaks Golf Club (26140 LexingtonOaks Blvd.). For more information,call Lynne Wilson at 695-6466.BBQ Festival & Outdoor Expo

Friday-Saturday, March 19-20 –Habitat for Humanity of East & Cen-tral Pasco will hold its Second AnnualOrange Blossom Special BBQ & Out-door Expo, 6 p.m.-9 p.m. on Fridayand 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturday, at theDade City Business Center (15000 Cit-rus County Dr.).

On Friday, attendees can enjoyBBQ and a beverage garden whileenjoying live music by local recordingartist Michael Ray and a variety ofcooking contests; Saturday’s events willinclude music by Ray and nationalrecording artists the Carter Twins,BBQ cook-off results, a classic car show,displays and shows by Reptile Discov-ery, games and activities for kids andmuch more.

For more info, call (352) 567-1444 or visit EPHabitat.org.Maurice Sklar Concert

Saturday, March 20 – Shoresh

David Messianic Synagogue at TrinityUnited Methodist Church (33425 S.R.54) will host a concert by world-renowned violinist, prophetic psalmistand teacher Maurice Sklar, beginning at7 p.m. There is no charge, but an offer-ing will be collected.

For more information, call 760-3269 or visit ShoreshDavid.org.Free Relationship Movie

Friday, March 26 – AtonementChurch (29617 S.R. 54) will hold afree screening of the movie “Fire-proof,” which offers inspiration andadvice about building healthy relation-ships. The movie will begin at 7:30p.m. For more information, call thechurch office at 973-2211.Wesley Chapel Republican Club

Thursday, April 8 – The WesleyChapel Republican Club meets on thesecond Thursday of every month, 7p.m., at Wesley Chapel Hyundai(27000 Wesley Chapel Blvd.).

For more information, call PeterHanzel at 907-6614 or send anemail to [email protected].

MS Support GroupSaturday, April 10 – A new mul-

tiple sclerosis support group will meetonce a month at noon on Saturdays atNew River Library (34043 S.R. 54).

Call Noreen at 312-3345.



Roth IRA Conversions—2010’s Gift To High-Income IndividualsBy Charles J. Lewandowski CFP

Since 1997, highincome wage earnerswere denied access to avery valuable financialplanning tool granted bythe U.S. Congress andrecognized by the Internal RevenueService — the Roth IRA. However,beginning in the year 2010, access tothe Roth has been opened to wageearners who were previously deniedaccess to this type of retirementaccount. Are you taking advantage ofthis opportunity? Now is the time toconsult with your tax advisor to see if aRoth IRA might make sense for you.

The Roth IRA allows taxpayerswith earned (not passive) income to setaside after-tax dollars for retirement.Although no tax deduction is receivedin the year of the contribution, contri-butions and earnings may grow tax-free. Additionally, if the account is heldfor 5 years, distributions taken after age59 also are free from taxation. TheRoth IRA also has the benefit of notbeing subject to Required MinimumDistribution (RMD) rules at age 70and has flexible withdrawal options notavailable with traditional IRAs.

Taxpayers also have the ability to

convert a Traditional IRA to a RothIRA. The process involves re-classifyinga traditional IRA as a Roth IRA andpaying taxes at ordinary income rateson any gains in the account for the yearthat the conversion occurred. Through2009, however, there was an AdjustedGross Income limit of $100,000 thatprevented high wage earners fromundertaking a Roth Conversions. But,in 2010, the rules are now changed.

In 2005, Congress enacted the TaxIncrease Prevention and ReconciliationAct, which modified the income limita-tions associated with Roth conversions.As a result of the 2005 Act, the adjust-ed gross income limitation for Rothconversions is dropped in 2010. Also,tax liabilities incurred as a result of theconversion may be spread over twoyears. So, if you and your tax advisordetermine that the conversion nowmakes financial sense for you, how is itaccomplished?

Typically, there are two conversionscenarios that may apply to a high wageearner. Let’s explore each of these.

Ms. Pimona, a sole proprietor, hasno traditional IRA assets. Her husbandhas a 401k retirement account whichwas established by his employer. Ms.Pimona can open a “non-deductible”IRA for herself and her spouse in the

tax years of 2009 and 2010. If they areboth over 50 years old, a total of$24,000 may be set aside in theseaccounts. After January 1 of this year,they can convert the non-deductibleIRAs to Roth IRAs and spread any taxliability over two years.

Dr. Newsome has a rollover IRAthat he funded with a 403(b) accountfrom his previous employer’s retirementplan. He can contribute to non-deductible IRAs for himself and hisspouse and convert them. He can alsoconvert some or all of his TraditionalIRA. However, his tax liability is gov-erned by the “pro-rata” rule, whichbases the tax liability on the balances ofboth the Traditional and Non-deductible IRAs. The liability can bespread over two years. Once again, your

tax advisor should be consulted todetermine the extent of this liability.

There are several other factors thatshould be considered before undertak-ing the Roth IRA conversion. But, withthe proper guidance from your tax andfinancial advisors, you will gain a veryflexible tool in your financial planningtool box.

New Tampa resident Charles J.Lewandowski specializes in Retire-ment Planning for Small BusinessProfessionals. His website is CJL-CFP.com. Lewandowski is with WestCoast Financial Group, Inc., which islocated at 16241 N. Florida Ave.,Lutz. Call 269-7100 for an appoint-ment or more info.

The Supervising Office for WestCoast Financial Group is located at218 Glenside Avenue, Wyncote PA19095. Call (800) 242-1421. Finan-cial Representative offering AdvisoryServices and Securities through Lin-coln Investment Planning, Inc., Reg-istered Investment Advisor, MemberFINRA/SIPC.

Lincoln Investment Planning,Inc., and West Coast FinancialGroup, Inc., are independentlyowned and each is responsible for itsown business.

As of 2010, high wage earners nowhave the right to save on their taxes

with a Roth IRA.


Skin Solutions & General Dentist Lou Cerillo — A Natural Combo!face, too. We’ve had a tremendousresponse from our patients andhave already made so many ofthem look and feel better aboutthemselves.”

Cerillo explains that Stricklandpreviously was an “expanded func-tions” dental assistant when shefirst came to the office, but hadpreviously worked in the cosmeticsindustry – with top names such asLancome, Clinique and Mary Kay— for more than a decade.

“Lori told me she missed thecosmetic side of the business, so shedecided to become an aesthetician,” hesays. “Skin Solutions has been the per-fect addition to our office.”

Skin Solutions offers new clients acomplimentary skin analysis and consul-tation. In addition, if you purchase askin care system, you’ll receive a freeHydra Facial (until March 31).

“We offer Obagi’s complete med-ical skin care line,” Lori says. “And, myclients also can confer with Lou aboutinjectable dermal fillers when facials andcreams aren’t enough. And, we evenrefer quite a few patients to plastic sur-geons when their needs are more thanLou or I can handle. No matter whatyou need to look and feel younger, wecan take care of you!”

Speaking of Obagi, Lori says thecompany doesn’t let most dentists selltheir world-renowned skin care prod-ucts, “but we became a member ofObagi’s prestigious ‘Diamond Club’ inonly eight months! We even got tomeet and chat with Dr. (Zein) Obagihimself at a recent conference (photo).”

Cerillo says that although most ofthe patients originally interested in der-mal fillers and other cosmetic treat-ments were women, he recently hasseen a number of male patients, too.

“Everyone wants to look youngerthese days,” he says. “A lot of men seethe results we’ve been able to providefor their wives or girlfriends and havesaid, ‘Do that for me, too.’ It’s definite-ly a bit of a trend we’re seeing.”

By Gary Nager

I have known local general dentistLou Cerillo, DDS, for about as long asI’ve had this publication. In fact, Louwas one of the first dentists of any spe-cialty to be based in New Tampa whenhe opened his original office in the CityPlaza at Tampa Palms shopping centerin 1993 and was already one of ouroriginal advertisers when I purchasedNeighborhood News in early 1994.

Dr. Lou, as I like to call him, hasmore than two decades of experience,as well as years of training, in everyaspect of general dentistry, including“drilling and filling” (including tooth-colored fillings), permanent bridges,implant dentistry, porcelain crowns andveneers, tooth whitening and even peri-odontal (gum) therapy.

“The office has evolved over theyears,” he says. “When we first openedhere, we saw mostly young families, soeven though I’m not a pediatric dentist,I did see a lot of parents and their kids.Then, as New Tampa’s population con-tinued to age, we saw mainly adultpatients and let the local pediatric den-tists handle the younger patients.Today, we’re still mainly an adult office,but we have seen a lot of new youngfamilies moving into the area again.”

Dr. Lou, who earned both hisBachelor’s degree and his Doctor ofDental Surgery degree from CreightonUniversity in Nebraska, has been a den-tist since 1986, but you’d never knowit. Lou looks a lot younger than his age,but he promises he keeps his youthfullook by using sunscreen and wearingsunglasses every day and has had no“work” done and had never used anyinjectable fillers on his face.

However, if he really wanted tohelp improve on what Mother Naturehas given him, Lou now has licensedaesthetician Lori Strickland’s Skin Solu-tions right in his office in the SomersetProfessional Park at the corner ofAmberly Dr. and Bruce B. Downs Blvd.And, although he, of course, wouldlikely never give himself Botox or otherinjectable treatments, over the course ofthe last couple of years, Lou hasreceived many hours of training fromthe most prestigious injectable dermalfiller facial treatment companies and hasalready performed thousands of thesetreatments to help his patients look andfeel younger.

“Dentists have been injectingpatients’ mouths for decades,” he says.“So, it seemed to me to be a naturaladdition to our business to begin pro-viding injections in other parts of the

(L. to r.) Dr. Lou Cerillo, Dr. Zein Obagiand Lori Strickland.


New Office In San Antonio!“We’ve always had patients coming

from Wesley Chapel and the DadeCity/San Antonio (FL) area all the wayhere to Tampa Palms,” Dr. Lou adds.“So, it was another natural addition forus to open an office in that area.”

Towards that end, Cerillo openedon S.R. 52, just west of Curley Rd.,bringing in another dentist, Dr. LeslieHernandez, DMD (Doctor of MedicalDentistry), as an associate. Dr. Hernan-dez earned her Bachelor’s degree fromthe University of South Florida and herDMD degree from the University ofFlorida in Gainesville “Dr. Hernandezhad 15 years of experience in Lutz

before she joined us,” he says. “She’sbeen a great addition.”

The general dentistry office ofDr. Lou Cerillo and Skin Solutionsof Tampa Palms is located at 15277Amberly Dr., in the Somerset Profes-sional Park. Dr. Cerillo’s office hoursare Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-4 p.m.Call 971-1688 or visit DrCerillo.com. Skin Solutions is open Tues-day-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. CallLori Strickland at 846-9999.

Dr. Cerillo’s San Antonio officeis open Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-5p.m., and he sees patients there onWed. Call the Tampa Palms office forappointments at both offices.



Maximize Your Financial Potential With Coulter, Aviles & JacksonBy Michael Smith

Spring is just around the corner,and as the old saying goes, “In spring, aman’s fancy turns to thoughtsof…money.”

Well, that may not be the exactwords of the old saying, but spring, andtax time, is now nearly upon us, andespecially now, in these days of financialuncertainty, everyone wants to be surethat they are doing all they can to pro-tect themselves and their family and/orbusiness assets. And, one of the bestways to do that is by getting soundadvice and assistance from experiencedfinancial professionals, like those at theaccounting firm of Coulter, Aviles &Jackson (in the Arbor Ridge Profession-al Park (at the southwest corner ofBruce B. Downs Blvd. and BearssAve.), which offers tax planning andpreparation services for both individualsand small or large businesses. But, theyalso can do much more than that.

“We’re not just a tax shop,” saysJon Aviles, CPA. “We also offer anytype of accounting, as well as financialplanning and a variety of other specialtyfinancial services. Basically, we’re a one-stop shop.”

Aviles, a 20-year Tampa residentand University of South Florida gradu-ate, says he first started doing account-

ing as a teenager, working inhis father’s commercialcleaning business in hisnative Puerto Rico. Aftercoming to the U.S. andearning his CPA degree atUSF, he worked for a num-ber of small and large com-panies before deciding tobranch out on his own in2006. Then, in 2009, hemerged his firm with that ofEric Coulter and DavidJackson, who had beenworking together (alongwith a third partner) since2004. Now, Aviles and Coulter lead thefirm’s Tampa office while Jackson is sta-tioned at the firm’s other office in GateCity, VA.

“We merged two very good com-panies to make one better company,”Aviles says.

And, while Coulter, Aviles & Jack-son may not be as big as some of theaccounting firms that advertise theirservices on TV, Aviles says that is defi-nitely not a bad thing.

“At those big companies, smallbusinesses may feel like just a number,”he says. “However, we are able to offerthe same level of service and skills asthose very large accounting firms, butwith the attention to detail that the

small business owner needs on a day-to-day basis.”

Business accounting servicesoffered by Coulter, Aviles & Jacksoninclude: audit and assurance services,bookkeeping and payroll services andlitigation support, as well as consultingand advisory services in the areas ofbusiness planning, mergers and acquisi-tions, budgeting, business feasibility andoperations assessments. The firm has abroad spectrum of experience workingwith businesses and professionals in avariety of industries, both here in theU.S. and Canada, as well as in SouthAmerica and Europe, and that experi-ence gives Coulter, Aviles & Jacksonthe expertise to help your business, too.

“Our job is to sit at the right handof the business owner, to help themunderstand their financial situation andto provide guidance with the thingsthat are working, as well as what’s notworking for them,” Aviles says.

That basic philosophy also is thefoundation of the financial planningservices provided by Coulter, Aviles &Jackson, which include money manage-ment, tax reduction strategies, estateand retirement planning and more, alldesigned to help their clients achievetheir financial objectives, whatever thoseobjectives may be.

“We evaluate a client’s situation, sowe can tell them, ‘Here’s what youhave, and here’s what you can do toimprove it,” says Coulter, who is notonly a CPA, but also a CharteredFinancial Consultant and CertifiedFinancial Planner. “We put knowledgeinto the numbers and help peopleunderstand them so they can makeinformed financial decisions.”

Coulter, Aviles & Jackson islocated at 14452 Bruce B. DownsBlvd., in the Arbor Ridge Profes-sional Park. Regular hours are Mon-day-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., withextended hours available by appoint-ment. For more information, call514-1729 or visit CAJCPA.com.

CPAs Eric Coulter, left, and Jon Aviles head upthe firm’s Tampa office, while their partner, DavidJackson, works out of an office in Gate City, VA.


Education UpdatesWESLEY CHAPEL

Seven Oaks Students Raise$ To Aid Haitian Children

Last month, students at SevenOaks Elementary collected nearly$3,000 in their schoolwide fund raiser,“Coins For Kids,” to help childrenaffected by the earthquake in Haiti.

The “Coins For Kids” campaignwas conducted from February 22-26,with promotions by students on theschool’s morning news show, studentcreated posters and contests betweenteams to raise the most money. Someof the students also decorated largewater jugs to hold the coins.

Teacher Rhonda Hawkins, whohelped organize the fund raiser, saidshe felt it was a great opportunity forthe school to raise global awarenessabout children in different parts of theworld and their struggles.

“I hope the students at Seven OaksElementary will benefit from learningcompassion for those who were borninto a situation very different from theirown,” Hawkins said.

Proceeds from the “Coins ForKids” fundraiser will be donated toDestiny Village, an orphanage in PierrePayen, Haiti.

Wiregrass Ranch High Will

Hold Practice ACT TestWiregrass Ranch High School

PTSA will hold a Princeton Reviewpractice ACT test with a strategy ses-sion on Saturday, March 27, from10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. The cost is $15 forearly registration and $20 at the door.The test is open to all high school stu-dents in the community.

Contact Stacie Lenners at [email protected] for moreinformation.

WCE Students SupportAnimal Rescue Group

The safety patrols at Wesley ChapelElementary School are doing morethan just monitoring the halls andmaking sure students make it safely toand from the busses. They are alsohelping to control the feral cat popula-tion in Pasco and Hillsborough coun-ties by assisting the Labor of Love Ani-mal Rescue.

The Labor of Love Animal Rescueis an all-volunteer organization thatrescues and finds homes for stray catsand dogs. They also educate the publicon the importance of spay/neuter andregular vet checkups for pets.

“The organization is in desperateneed of donations to help find homesfor the pets they have right now and toassist with the upcoming kitten sea-son,” says WCE Safety Patrol coordi-nator Chris Gorman.

The WCE Safety Patrols are spon-soring several events to aid the non-profit organization. First, students whobring in cans or bags of cat or dogfood or boxes of litter receive an hon-orary Safety Patrol badge. The schoolalso is accepting donations that can besold at their charity yard sale on Satur-day, April 3. Residents can also rentspace to sell their own items at the salefor a $20 donation. Local business canhelp sponsor the event as well, and fora $25 donation their business’ nameswill be printed on the sponsor bannerposted in front of the school.

If you are interested in makinga donation to this worthy charity,please contact Chris Gorman [email protected] for furtherinformation.

(L.-r.) Seven Oaks Elementary studentsSydney Jones, Emma Troy, CameronRowe, Hannah DiBrango and Kyra

Johnson, along with principal BJ Smith,show off some of the coins they collected to

aid Haitian children.

WCE fourth grader Savannah Hallwith the supplies she donated for the

Labor of Love Animal Rescue.


On February 8, Wesley ChapelHigh athletic director Steve Mumawended the mystery of who wouldreplace John Castelamare as the secondhead football coach in the school’s his-tory by announcing that former PascoHigh quarterback Ben Alford will takeover the position this season.

Alford, 25, is a Dade City nativewho was a three-year starter for thePirates between 2000-02, and was serv-ing as an assistant coach for defensivebacks and safeties at Iowa WesternCommunity College when he got thecall from Mumaw. During his career atPasco High, Alford threw for a total of3,225 yards and 50 touchdowns,including 1,678 yards and 24 touch-downs in his senior season alone, whichestablished new county single-seasonrecords.

He then went on to start at NorthIowa Area Community College, wherehe was named Midwest Football Con-ference West Division offensive player of

the year in 2006,his sophomoreyear, after com-pleting 52 percentof his passes for atotal of 1,488yards and 11touchdowns andrushing foranother 749 yardsand 10 TDs.

After that,Alford transferred to the University ofNorthern Iowa, where he played quar-terback and defensive back but washampered by injuries and eventually quitplaying after suffering numerous con-cussions.

Castelamare, who led the Wildcatsto an overall record of 106-120 duringhis 9-year tenure at WCH, was enrolledin the Pasco County School District’searly retirement program and was forcedto quit after District officials denied hisrequest to extend his employment.


Sports BriefsWESLEY CHAPEL High School Basketball,Weightlifting Wrap Up

In our last issue, we told you thatthe boys and girls basketball teams fromWesley Chapel and Wiregrass Ranchhigh schools were preparing to play intheir respective district and regionalplayoff tournaments.

Well, those tournaments are nowin the record books, and although noneof the teams from our area were able towin any championships, they can all beproud of the seasons that they had.

Of all the teams, the best record,and also the most disappointing finish,belonged to the Wesley Chapel Highvarsity girls, who lost in the final roundof the Region 4A-7 tournament, 50-38to Ocala’s Vanguard High. The LadyWildcats got to the final round byknocking off Lecanto High, 71-61, inthe quarterfinals, and then by squeakingpast Gulf High, 29-27, at home onFebruary 20. They finished the seasonwith a record of 25-4.

The WCH boys, meanwhile, gotpast Gulf High in another close game,58-57, on February 10 before falling toRidgewood two days later, 68-50, inthe District tournament, finishing theseason at 14-11.

Over at Wiregrass Ranch High, thevarsity girls (21-7) lost a close one in

the District 4A-8 championship game,56-51 against Lecanto on February 6,but were blown out in their next game,the regional quarterfinal, where theylost to Gulf by a score of 67-27.

The WRH boys, meanwhile, easilydefeated River Ridge on February 10,by a 66-29 margin, before losing toNature Coast, 57-52, in the distirctsemifinal game on February 12. Theyfinished with a season record of 21-6.

In one other note, we would alsolike to congratulate WCH’s SarahReamer, who made it to the finals ofthe girls state weightlifting meet, whereshe finished 16th in the 139-poundweight class with a bench press of 135pounds and a clean-and-jerk lift of 135pounds, for a 270-pound total.

WCH’s Miraglia Notches A Shutout Over Pasco

On February 5, WCH pitcherCole Miraglia, who transferred to theschool this year from Zephyrhills,pitched 10 strikeouts and gave up justone hit in leading the Wildcats to a 5-0victory over Pasco High. He also went2-4 at the plate, including a first-inningdouble that brought in what turned outto be the game-winning run.

The victory brought the Wildcats’record to 5-0 on the season. — MS

Ben Alford Named WCH’sNew Head Football Coach

Ben Alford




ities. One hundred percent of thisdonation will go to the cost of puttingon the camp. Most of these kids don’thave the money to go to places likeBusch Gardens or Disney World, andwe give them an opportunity to have agreat time and a chance to talk to oth-ers who are experiencing the samethings they are.”

For the members of the NTJWC,sponsoring Camp Hopetake is in keep-ing with their mission.

“We wanted to help a charity thatwas located in our ‘backyard’ and, as asmaller charity, the impact of our dona-tion will go a long way,” says NTJWCpresident Heather Keen. “We have an

affinity for children and we tend to leantoward those types of charities in termsof who we support.”

The Night of 5000 has become aNew Tampa signature annual event –where thousands of charity dollars areraised and one lucky guest wins a$5,000 cash prize. Keen says this year’sevent is planned to be better than everwith an Ybor-inspired dinner-stationmenu, added entertainment by NewTampa’s Troy Jansen (owner of theJansen Dance Project and the “Collec-tive Soles Arts Group”) and a cigar bar.

As in past years, the Night willinclude a cocktail hour, cash bar and

By Melissa O’Brien

The Greater Federation ofWomen’s Clubs’ New Tampa JuniorWoman’s Club (NTJWC) has namedCamp Hopetake, a camp for childrenwho have suffered from severe burns,this year’s primary beneficiary of theclub’s upcoming Night of 5000 charitygala. The 13th annual black-tie-optionalevent — the signature fund raiser forthe NTJWC — will take place on Sat-urday, March 20, at The Ritz Ybor inYbor City.

Being a kid can be hard enough,but imagine if you are a child who hassuffered from severe burns. For manychildren, undergoing the medical pro-cedures as a result of burns is very trau-matic, but coping afterwards with thesocial and emotional scars associatedwith these kinds of injuries can beequally as overwhelming. That is whythe Tampa Firefighters Local 754union, in conjunction with Tampa Gen-eral Hospital’s Burn Unit, sponsorsCamp Hopetake.

According to Tampa Fire Depart-ment Capt. Jace Kohan, the secretary-treasurer of the union, the camp is aplace where kids of all ages who havebeen seriously burned but are nowrecovered can kick back and have fun.

“Camp Hopetake was startedtwenty years ago by our firefightersunion,” says Kohan. “It is a one-week

camp for kids ages 5-17 whoare all going through the sameexperience. It gives them achance to talk to each otherand it’s very therapeutic forthem.”

Located in Ellenton,Camp Hopetake, which ispronounced “ho-pee-tock-ee”(from the Florida Seminoleword for children), the kids’week includes a wide variety ofactivities, including swimming,fishing, crafts, games, movies,horseback riding and a trip toa Florida amusement park.They also see demonstrationsby skydivers, Tampa Fire Res-cue search dogs, martial artsexperts and others.

The camp provides a safe and sup-portive environment for the kids toshare their feelings and interact withone another in a non-threateningatmosphere. They spend the week withother seriously burned children in air-conditioned quarters and are under fullmedical supervision by nurses from theburn unit at Tampa General Hospitaland Tampa Fire-Rescue Paramedics.

“We are ecstatic that the NewTampa Junior Woman’s Club has cho-sen our charity as their beneficiary,” saysKohan. “Right now, when donationsare down, we are extremely excited atwhat this will do to help fund our activ-

NTJWC Night Of 5000 Will Benefit Camp For Burned Children

TheNight of 5000, to be held Saturday, March 20, at The Ritz in Ybor City (andsponsored & hosted by the New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club), will benefit young burnvistims from Camp Hopetake in Ellenton, seen here at their Halloween costume ball.

See “Night of 5000” on page 26.


Think About Long-Term Care At St. Joseph’s John Knox Village!

By Melissa O’Brien

For many people, retirement plan-ning means saving in a 401K or someother kind of monetary fund, eliminat-ing debt and eventually enjoying thefruits of your lifelong labors. Rarely,when we are healthy, do we ever think,of what would happen if we were to getsick or become infirmed in our “goldenyears.” Nor do we think about the carethat we would then require and its cost.Many people simply assume thatMedicare will cover their medical needsas they age, but what most people donot know is that Medicare doesn’tcover assisted living or long-term “per-manent” nursing care.

With assisted living rates starting,at most communities, at around $3,000per month and long-term nursing carestarting at more than $72,000 per year– and with no reimbursement fromMedicare – seniors and their familiesoften need to foot the entire bill them-selves. In some cases, people are com-pletely unprepared financially shouldthey or a family member need this typeof comprehensive care.

“There are options,” says CarolineNorth, who is director of marketing forSt. Joseph’s John Knox Village, anupscale continuous care retirementcommunity located on E. Fletcher Ave,across from the USF Tampa campus.

“One option would be to purchaselong-term care insurance and anotherwould be for seniors to move into acontinuing care retirement community(CCRC) such as University Village orSt. Joseph’s John Knox Village,” Northsays. “But, it’s important to note thatseniors need to move into theseCCRCs before they need any compre-hensive care, because they must qualifyboth medically and financially. Oncethey are accepted, however, they receivediscounts on any long-term care theymight need in the future.”

North says that each CCRC com-munity features different benefits, dis-counts and savings, so seniors and theirfamilies should do some comparativeshopping before they decide where togo. Some facilities are for-profit, andsome, like St. Joseph’s John Knox,operate as not-for-profit facilities.

Most communities use an entrance

fee to keep monthly fees lower. There-fore, those residents who choose amonthly rental option rather than pay-ing an entrance or endowment fee willpay a higher monthly rent. The upfrontfees do, however, help provide thefunds for many of the amenities and therange of services a person will need asthey age in place.

North also says there are substan-tial income tax benefits to living in aCCRC because the IRS allows a por-tion of the entrance fee and portions ofthe monthly fees to be taken as incometax deductions for medical expenses.Some facilities, like St. Joseph’s JohnKnox Village, even offer a “Life CareGuarantee,” which ensures that a resi-dent will never lose their home, even ifthey no longer have the ability to pay.

“With the built-in protection, itcan really make a big difference for a lotof seniors and their families,” saysNorth. “We will never ask a resident tomove out. The whole idea is that it’slike having a long-term care policy. Youbuy it before you need the services andif you do need the assisted living ornursing care services, you have alreadyplanned for it and you’re prepared.”

Living at John Knox is like livingin a small town community. Residents

enjoy a fitness center, several pools,Sunday brunches, Wii sports teams,painting classes, happy hours, Biblestudies and more. Residents can opt fortwo-bedroom or one-bedroom apart-ments, ranging in size from 700-1,500-sq. ft., all with full kitchens. There is afull dining room if residents do notwant to cook and/or want to eat withfriends. Buses are available for thosewho do not like to drive, but residentscan remain as independent as they areable to be in a very enjoyable commu-nity atmosphere.

North says that St. Joseph’s JohnKnox Village, which is part of BaycareHealth System, is the first CCRC tohave won the Governor’s Seal.

St. Joseph’s John Knox Village Offers ResidentsOptions When It Comes To Continuous Care

Residents at St. Joseph’s John KnoxVillage receive ongoing medical care.


“It is the first in the state of Floridagranted that distinction.” says North.“Only two nursing homes in the statehave received it. We also have five-staraccreditation from the Commission onAccreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities(CARF) – a distinction that few facilitiesin the state share.”

Resident TestimonialsResident TestimonialsResident Werner “Mac” McIver

and his wife Jean say that St. Joseph’sJohn Knox Village has been a wonder-ful place to call home and offers thecouple great piece of mind.

“It is the best decision we evermade,” says Mac, who is 76. “Welooked around and liked the fact thatJohn Knox was not-for-profit. I have anin-law at a for-profit facility and they arealways getting ‘nickeled and dimed’ foreverything. Here, because the facility isnot-for-profit, they can only keep a cer-tain amount of money to keep their taxadvantage. They use their funds tomaintain the place very well. They justre-carpeted everything and painted theceilings and hallways in every building.”

He adds, “We have 24-hour secu-rity and the food is outstanding. Thereare activities directors who constantlyhave interesting things going on here.”

Mark Hoenemeyer, who works forBayLinen, Inc., a division of BaycareHealth Systems, says he did a lot of

research to find where the best place forhis mother would be.

“My decision was not just basedupon what is owned where,” says Mark.“John Knox seemed to have a greatenvironment. They offered a great con-tinuum of care. If she needs assisted liv-ing someday, it is very comprehensive inthat respect. I also like the motivation innot-for-profit facilities. It seems morehumanist to me. The excess of revenuegoes back into to John Knox which is afactor in the quality of its operation.”

Other factors Hoenemeyer says helooked at were the clean grounds andthe dining room meals.

“Everything was kept up and thefood looked and tasted good,” he says.“They had comprehensive meals. Theyalso had good access for patients to St.Joseph’s buses so residents can go outand get off campus for activities. Iwould say the best analogy for mymother, who is 82, is that this was likestarting school all over again. [Whenshe first moved in], a member of theJohn Knox Village marketing teambrought her down to meet other people— to find compatibility with others —and while it was an adjustment for her[at first], she loves it now.”

Hoenemeyer says that continuingcare is something that everyone withaging parents, or who is aging them-

selves, needs to think about. “It is something you have to save

for and need to be aware of,” he says.“It is one of those questions that needto be asked early on: ‘What are yougoing to do when you hit that age?’ Ifyour parents or you are not of that ageyet, you still need to start thinkingabout it because if you’re lucky, some-day you’re going to get there.”

For more information aboutlong term care, visit Medicare.gov/longtermcare, and Living-Options.org. For information about St.Joseph’s John Knox Village, visitStJosephsJohnKnox.com or call(800) 272-5669.

Did You Know?• This year, about nine million

men and women over the age of 65will need long-term care

• A study by the U.S. Depart-ment of Health and Human Servic-es says that people who reach age65 will likely have a 40 percentchance of entering a nursing home

• About 10 percent of the peo-ple who enter a nursing home willstay there five years or more

live and silent auctions. Two of the liveauction items include a trip to the Cali-fornia wine country and a “Stock YourBar” liquor selection. Two of the silentauction items include tickets to a NewYork Yankees home game in New YorkCity with waiter service and a deep seafishing excursion.

The evening also will include musicprovided by Synchronicity and a DJplaying tunes throughout the night.Guests may also enjoy the Fotos-R-Funphoto booth for unique photos and aCafe Ala Carte espresso cart providingan assortment of gourmet coffee bever-ages. The night will culminate with the$5,000 drawing, which will be spon-sored this year by Dr. Thomas Frank-furth’s Gentle Care Dentistry.

In addition to Gentle Care Den-tistry as the event’s Gold Sponsor, theSilver Sponsors are the Law Offices ofPratico and Smith, and Silver MediaPartner Tampa Bay Parenting maga-zine, and Bronze Sponsors include Dr.and Mrs. John Small, Firefighters Local#754, Mason Title, Salon Athena,RE/MAX Premier Group, Tampa Gen-eral Hospital, Land & Sea Market,Independent Living Pediatrics, Thomp-son Studios, Iberia Bank Mortgage,

Southeast Diabetics and Orthotics,Sypris Electronics and Rodriguez &Menendez Cigar Factory.

For the first time this year, ticketsare available for purchase online atNTJWC.org. Tickets cost $100 perperson and include dinner, live enter-tainment, complimentary valet parkingand one entry into the Grand Prizedrawing. A limited number of VIP tick-ets also are available for $175 per per-son, which includes a plated dinner andan open bar from 8 p.m. to midnight.

The GFWC New Tampa JuniorWoman’s Club is a 501 (C)(3) organi-zation that currently has 90 members.NTJWC is one of the largest GFWCclubs in the state of Florida, and theclub has won numerous club and indi-vidual state awards over the years. Lastyear, the group donated more than$27,000 to a variety of local charities, aswell as 10,000 volunteer hours in morethan 50 projects.

Sponsorship opportunities andtickets for the Night of 5000 – to beheld at The Ritz Ybor, 1503 East 7thAve., Tampa – were still available at ourpress time.

For more information, or toattend, sponsor or donate, visitntjwc.org or contact [email protected]. For more infor-mation about Camp Hopetake, visitTampaFirefighters.com.


“Night of 5000”Continued from page 23



‘Baby Share’ Shower Provides Baby Supplies To Needy MomsBy Melissa O’Brien

In today’s difficult economic times,the expenses of having a baby can bedaunting. Even at big name discountstores, brand new cribs can costupwards of $100, infant car seats typi-cally start at $50 and sturdy strollerscan run $100 or more. And, this does-n’t include all the clothes, diapers, bot-tles and other items a baby may need.

The Mothers of Preschoolers(MOPS) group, which meets at Victo-rious Life Church on Old Pasco Rd. inWesley Chapel, wants to help. In orderto assist mothers with some of the basicand not-so-basic necessities when itcomes to caring for babies, they arehosting the free 11th Annual “BabyShare” baby shower on Tuesday,March 23, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

“It is our way to reach out tomoms in need,” says MOPS coordina-tor Melisa Dean. “It is no expense tothem; they just come and enjoy a buffetlunch, sit and relax and listen to aninspirational guest speaker. They get totake home some much-needed itemsand ‘shop’ for free clothes in a warm,inviting atmosphere.”

Dean says that the 50 members ofthe Wesley Chapel MOPS group areexpecting some 250 mothers to attend

this year’s event. All they have to do ispre-register by calling the church officeon or before Tuesday, March 16.

“MOPS spent all year preparingfor the event,” says Dean. “Each tableof 8-10 people will be uniquely deco-rated in a baby theme by a volunteerhost. Guests will enjoy a buffet meal,get a chance to talk to other new orexpectant mothers and then listen to aspeaker who may have had some of thesame life experiences they have had andwho will offer a message of hope.”

All of the baby items are donatedfor the event and are either new or gen-tly used. Also, MOPS will accept dona-tions of baby items (including cribs,playpens, and clothes up to size 3T) atVictorious Life Church through Mon-day, March 22. Because of the largeamount of items that are donated forthe shower, the MOPS group is notable to check for recalled items. There-fore, it is the parent’s responsibility totake these items home and to check forany recalls that have been issued for theitems they receive.

Dean says the program works wellfor mothers because they get to choosethe items they need the most.

“We give each mother a ticket forthree large items, like cribs,” says Dean,who lives in Lexington Oaks and who

has been a member of MOPSfor seven years. “In the past, wehave had more than 600 largeitems to give away. Each personreceives a number when theycheck in and then they are calledup to get their bigger items.After that, they have the oppor-tunity to go ‘shopping’ at thetable filled with clothes, toys andother smaller baby items.”

Dean says that child carewill be provided for motherswith small children.

“We have volunteers onhand to watch the kids,” shesays. “And, the McDonald’s corpora-tion has agreed to donate 150 HappyMeals for the event.”

The idea for the “Baby Share”baby shower began with Wesley ChapelMOPS founder Toni Barsness and hasbecome so popular over the years that ithas now been adopted by MOPS chap-ters in other states.

“A couple of years ago, MOPSInternational ran an article about it,”says Dean. “From that, people contact-ed our group for information. I knowthat a couple of other (MOPS) groupshave picked up on it in other states.”

According to its website, MOPSInternational exists to meet the needs

of every mom – urban, suburban andrural moms, stay-at-home and workingmoms and even teen, single and mar-ried moms. MOPS helps all of thesemoms by helping them build relation-ships that are established in the contextof small local groups, like the WesleyChapel group, that provide a caringatmosphere specifically geared towardsmothers of young children. And, whilethe Wesley Chapel MOPS does meet atVictorious Life Church, mothers don’thave to be members of the church inorder to participate in the program.

“While there is a non-denomina-tional, religious component to our pro-gram, you need not be a member of

Moms in need will be able to choose from ahuge variety of baby seats and other items atthe 11th annual “Baby Share” baby shower.


this church or any church to be a mem-ber of MOPS,” says Dean. “We havewomen from all different faiths (or nofaith) in our group and we really dowelcome everyone.”

The group meets on the secondTuesday of every month at the churchfrom 9:30 a.m.-noon. Dean says thatchildcare is provided for children fromsix weeks to five years old, so thatmoms have time to be with friends andget a break.

“We do a craft every other month,and have guest speakers come in,” shesays. “We have had police officers talkabout crime prevention, authors visitand people come in and talk about sav-ing money through couponing. Ourmembers’ kids usually have a play dateonce a month and we have a ‘Mom’sNight Out’ every other month, too.”

Terry Luna, director of the Preg-nancy Care Center of Zephyrhills (afaith-based, not-for-profit ministry thatprovides social services for new andexpectant mothers) says the MOPS“Baby Share” event means a lot to thewomen they serve.

“We invite all mothers that we seewho are pregnant or who have a babythat is six months old or younger andget them registered to go to the show-er,” says Luna, who refers about 15-20women from the Center to the MOPSevent each year. “We even provide a vanto bring them there and to help them

get their new items home.”She adds, “It is really an incredible

event. It means a lot to these ladies,some of whom have never experiencedan environment where they are wellcared for and well fed. They listen to aspeaker who is usually someone theycan relate to on a practical level. Thespeaker will talk about how she hascome into a relationship with God.Then, they receive anything from furni-ture to bottles, formula and toys. It is awonderful opportunity for our familiesto be exposed to. The group works allyear to put it together and it is evidentin the way that it is done so well.”

To attend the “Baby Share”baby shower, you must pre-registerby Tuesday, March 16, by callingVictorious Life Church at 973-2230.People wishing to donate new orgently-used baby items can droptheir donations off before Monday,March 22, at the church, which islocated at 6224 Old Pasco Rd. (offS.R. 54). The church is open from 6a.m.-6 p.m. Restaurants that wouldlike to contribute food or service orother corporations that would like tooffer monetary donations can alsocall the church. All donations are taxdeductible. For more informationabout MOPS, visit MOPS.org. Foradditional information about Victori-ous Life Church, visit VictoriousLifeChurch.com.





Neighborhood Nibbles-St. Patty’s At Brass Tap, A ‘Fatter’ Santo’s & More!By Gary Nager

It seems there’s always somethingdelicious — and something new — inWesley Chapel’s dining scene and thismonth is no exception. We have a greatidea for you for St. Patrick’s Day, tellyou about another new favorite nowopen in the Shops at Wiregrass andnews of a local favorite’s recent expan-sion and addition of a full liquor bar.

St. Patty’s At Brass TapSt. Patty’s At Brass TapOur friends at The Brass Tap

Beer Bar in the Shops at Wiregrasshope you will check out their all-daySt. Patrick’s Day celebration onWednesday, March 17. In additionto seating in and outside, The BrassTap will bring in two refrigerated beertrailers for the event and will charge a$5 cover, which makes you eligible forgreat prizes throughout the day. Aportion of the proceeds will be donat-ed to a local charity and there also willbe live music, festive food, cigars,wine, games, giveaway contests andmore. The doors will open at noonand will stay open until 2 a.m.

Visit The Brass Tap (2000Piazza Ave., Unit #110), BrassTap-BeerBar.com or call 991-4343.

Blondie’s At The ShopsBlondie’s At The ShopsSpeaking of The Shops at Wire-

grass, we’ve tried a delicious newaddition which opened recently in themall — Blondie’s Cookies. This Indi-ana-based chain of gourmet cookieand brownie shops now has its firstFlorida location, with locations at theBrandon Town Center, Citrus ParkMall and Sarasota Square Mall open-ing later this year. Yum!

Call Blondie’s Cookies at 994-0733 and tell ‘em we sent you orvisit BlondiesCookies.com.

A ‘Fatter’ Santo’s Opens!Our friends who own both Santo’s

Pizza & Pasta and Skinny’s Sports Barin the Pinebrook Plaza at The Grove(on S.R. 54, west of I-75) are at itagain. After moving Skinny’s from thecenter of the plaza to the larger anchorspace on the west end a few monthsago, the new Santo’s has added the for-mer Skinny’s space — as well as a full,premium liquor bar.

Co-owner Ken Santo says the newSanto’s still has the same great NewYork-style pizza and Italian specialties ina larger, more comfortable space, butthe big news is that Santo’s has added apremium, full-liquor bar that will stay

open late (until 2 a.m. everyday) for your dining anddrinking pleasure.

“We hope to somedayalso have full liquor at Skin-ny’s,” Ken says. “But fornow, we’re happy to haveliquor at Santo’s.”

The new Santo’sPizza, Pasta & Bar is locat-ed at 27431 S.R. 54. Formore info, call 994-7778.Mention this newspaperfor one free draft beer atSantos or Skinny’s.

The newly expanded Santo’s Pizza & Pasta nowfeatures a full-liquor bar, as well as beer and wine.


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