Bickham Named Honorary Mayor At Chamber Awards Banquet!

Among those honored at the Wesley Chapel Chamber’s annual awards banquet at Hunter’s Green Country Club on Sept. 14 were (l. to r.) Greg Lenners of the Shops at Wiregrass mall; Peter Castellani of Oasis: A Pregnancy Care Center, Maureen Moore of St. Leo University, Kelly Mothershead of A Focus on Fitness, Cathy Bickham of Chapel Home Health & Brian Adams of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel. At right is Chamber president Jeff Novotny. Photos courtesy of OurTownFla.com.
Among those honored at the Wesley Chapel Chamber’s annual awards banquet at Hunter’s Green Country Club on Sept. 14 were (l. to r.) Greg Lenners of the Shops at Wiregrass mall; Peter Castellani of Oasis: A Pregnancy Care Center, Maureen Moore of St. Leo University, Kelly Mothershead of A Focus on Fitness, Cathy Bickham of Chapel Home Health & Brian Adams of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel. At right is Chamber president Jeff Novotny. Photos courtesy of OurTownFla.com.

By Gary Nager

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC)’s annual “Excellence in Business Awards” banquet, which was held on September 14 at Hunter’s Green Country Club in New Tampa. But, I was definitely there in spirit as the Chamber once again showed why it is still the heart of the business community in Wesley Chapel.

Congrats go out to the evening’s many award winners, especially to the new Honorary Mayor of Wesley Chapel, Cathy Bickham of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC)’s Chapel Home Health. Cathy also was one of the primary members of the fund-raising teams for previous Honorary Mayor winners John Negley of the FHWC Foundation and Troy Stevenson of Wesley Chapel Nissan, who will retain the title until January 1, 2014.

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Once Upon A Child Opens Up For Sales Of Gently Used Kid’s Products

By Bonnie Mason

Brian and Melissa Levering of Once Upon A Child in the Pebble Creek Collection on BBD are ready to provide your child with new and gently used toys and clothing for less!
Brian and Melissa Levering of Once Upon A Child in the Pebble Creek Collection on BBD are ready to provide your child with new and gently used toys and clothing for less!

Wesley Chapel residents Brian and Melissa Levering are betting on the families in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area — betting that those families are ready to clear their closets, garages and storage spaces of items their children have outgrown, in return for cash!

On August 1, the Leverings opened Once Upon A Child, a children’s consignment shop, in New Tampa’s Pebble Creek Collection shopping plaza, located on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., a mile south of the Pasco County line. The 3,500-sq.-ft. retail space is a place where families can buy, sell or trade gently used children’s clothing (from infants to pre-teen), toys and equipment. The Pebble Creek location is just one of five Once Upon A Child franchises in the Tampa Bay area, with 260 stores located across the U.S. and Canada.Continue reading

An Embarrassing Correction, My Car & The Spelling Bee Choker?

By Gary Nager

An editorial by Gary Nager
An editorial by Gary Nager

I was excited when District 2 Pasco County Commission candidate — and fellow Wesley Chapel (noon) Rotary Club member Mike Moore called me the day our last issue hit mailboxes…that is, excited until he pointed out one of the stupidest errors I’ve committed in my nearly 20 years of doing this job.

Thankfully, it wasn’t a mistake that damaged Mike or his campaign in any way, it just made me look stupid as an editor and spoiled an otherwise outstanding story by assistant editor Matt Wiley, who really was not at fault, even though his name was on the story’s byline and mine wasn’t.

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Make Strides Against Breast Cancer On Oct. 19!

Help make strides against breast cancer at the Shops at Wiregrass mall on October 19.
Help make strides against breast cancer at the Shops at Wiregrass mall on October 19.

By Matt Wiley

As Breast Cancer Awareness Month approaches in October, so, too, do events that help raise money that goes toward the research for a cure for the disease that has killed millions. One of the biggest of these events across the nation each year is the American Cancer Society (ACS)’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” 5K walk, which will again be held locally on Saturday, October 19, at the Shops at Wiregrass mall.

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Bid Recieved For S.R. 54/56 Toll Road

By Matt Wiley

Interest from private firms is building regarding the possible construction of a toll road that would connect Wesley Chapel to western Pasco County.

According to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), a Request for Proposals (RFP) was opened on August 23, after the agency received an unsolicited bid from International Infrastructure Partners (IIP), LLC — a group of investors and infrastructure construction companies — to lease right-of-way to fund, design, build, operate and maintain a toll road with elevated and “at-grade” lanes along the more than 33-mile stretch of S.R. 54/56 from Wesley Chapel to New Port Richey.Continue reading