Month: February 2016

Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes

Spa Moritz’s Elegant Grand Opening!

If you missed our ‘222’ Speakeasy Party on Jan. 14, I at least hope you got to attend perhaps the most elegant Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) ribbon-cutting event ever — when new Spa Moritz (located on Commerce Park Blvd. in Tampa Palms) owners Martin and Patricia Anello (at left in photo below) decided to not only cut a ribbon with the WCCC but also open the doors of their spectacular, European-style salon to more than 100 Chamber members and other friends and existing clients.

With truly delicious all-vegetarian food that Martin prepared himself, imported chocolates and great wine and cocktails served by Martin and the Spa Moritz staff, the highlights of the evening were still the dozens of free spa services and the great raffle prizes given away, including beautiful “real stone” jewelry by Erika Williner, who sells her original jewelry designs at the spa.

For more info about Spa Moritz, visit SpaMoritz.com or cal 813-971-4772.

Green Grocers & More Coming To WC In 2016

In our last issue, we had an article about some of the new “stuff” that’s coming on and around S.R. 56. Well, for those of you who live in New Tampa who have been waiting for a “green” grocer to come to the property located across from the main entrance to Hunter’s Green on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., Wesley Chapel may beat New Tampa to the punch.

There are no fewer than four supermarkets planned and all but one of them would have access to S.R. 56 — and at least three of them are being touted as possible “green” grocery chains such as Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Trader Joe’s and Sprouts.

Stage Left & Sprinkles Close

All of us at the Neighborhood News were truly saddened by the sudden closing following the close of regular business on Jan. 16 of Stage Left Bar & Kitchen on S.R. 54 in Lutz. Those who enjoyed (as we always did) visiting Stage Left for the Tuesday Open Mic night on Jan. 19 were notified by Stage Left’s Open Mic “host” Cal Olivier in a Facebook message on Jan. 18 that the popular restaurant and night spot, which featured live music every Tuesday-Saturday, would not be open the following evening.

Later that same day, co-owner Isabelle Dunleavy posted this message on Facebook:

“Yes kids, the buzz is true……. The restaurant is officially closed. ?

Thanks for reaching out but please understand & respect that it was a difficult decision to make and no, we don’t want to talk about the details…It hurts. But we know that God is good and His voice was very clear that it was time to pull the plug…

Thanks for the love & support and know that we will be ok.

We will miss our amazing employees (those that stayed loyal to us) and our nice customers and our awesome musicians!!!”

I consider Isabelle and her husband and co-owner Brian to be dear friends and I loved living so close to such a vibrant night spot with great food in the middle of Lutz.

A few weeks earlier, shortly after we went to press with our Jan. 1 New Tampa issue, where I named it as my third favorite ice cream or dessert place in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel in 2015, I was saddened to learn that Sprinkles Ice Cream Parlor, in the Northwood Plaza between the SuperTarget and Marshall’s, also had closed.

A note (photo) posted in the shop’s door shortly after Christmas said, “We have made the difficult decision to close Sprinkles effective immediately. We appreciate your support and will treasure the friendships we have made.”

Sophia Presents Pasco Sheriff Nocco With $3.2K For K-9s!

Wesley Chapel resident Sophia Contino (who was featured in our last issue) presented Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco with a check for $3,200 to help fund Kevlar vests for Nocco’s K-9 deputies.

Sophia who lives in Meadow Pointe and attends Sand Pine Elementary, is an 8-year-old who wants to save canine lives by providing the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO)’s K-9 officers with bulletproof vests.

Sofia came up with the idea of having a lemonade stand to raise the money.

“The reason I am raising money is, I love dogs and I love people,” Sophia said in our previous story.

Sophia, whose father Jason works for Wesley Chapel Nissan, where Nocco held a fund raiser for his re-election campaign, has now raised nearly $6,000 in just a few months by selling lemonade at the dealership and other locations.

‘Sophia’s money will only be used for the K-9 unit, not my campaign,’ Nocco said. ‘I want to make that very clear.’— GN

Sting Operation In Wesley Chapel Proves Successful

Speaking of Nocco, his department continues to work hard towards stopping human trafficking.

January was National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and the PCSO ended the month by staging a two-day sting operation in Wesley Chapel that resulted in 20 arrests for prostitution and drug possession.

PCSO used the Econo Lodge on S.R. 54 just west of I-75 as a staging ground for its sting operation, operating out of a handful of rooms to make a series of arrests. The Econo Lodge gave permission for PCSO to use its location.

“The big issue for us was human trafficking, that’s what they were looking for,’’ said PCSO spokesman Eddie Daniels. “It’s an important, serious issue.”

While the sting operation did not find any evidence of human or sex trafficking, it has been a point of emphasis for Nocco’s department.

Florida is third in the nation annually in cases of human trafficking (behind California and Texas), and nearby Hillsborough County is second to Orange County (Orlando area) in the state.

According to a recent Neighborhood News story about trafficking as well as the PCSO website, there are roughly 300,000 cases of child sex trafficking reported every year, and it is estimated between 500,000 and 2 million people are trafficked annually worldwide, with an estimated 15-18,000 being trafficked into the U.S. each year.

The proliferation of social media and websites have helped lead to more trafficking, so the Sheriff’s Office used ads on a website to lure many of those arrested Jan. 29-31 to the Wesley Chapel motel.

Among the 20 people arrested, two had Wesley Chapel addresses. The others were from as far away as Nova Scotia, Canada, and Ocala and Spring Hill, FL.—JCC

Andrew Krance, Master Of Fine Arts, Can Create A Masterpiece For You

By Gary Nager

I’ll freely admit that I don’t know nearly as much about art as I do about food, wine or single-malt Scotch (go figure!). But, as someone who was born and raised in and near New York City, I was definitely exposed to a lot of art and I have found that whether it’s surrealist, impressionist or cubist, I just know what I like when I see it.

“And that is the thing about art,” says Wesley Chapel resident and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Andrew Krance. “It’s such a personal thing. You don’t always know why you like or don’t like a piece of art, you just know if you do or not.”

But, if you’re moving into a new home or redecorating an older one and you want something really cool to tie together that huge new living room or you just like the idea of purchasing original art directly from the artist rather than buying a signed and numbered print, lithograph or giclet, I believe that if you visit Andrew’s home studio in the Villages of Wesley Chapel and see just how much original art he has displayed in a wide variety of genres and styles, you might end up becoming a customer of his.

A Little Background…

Andrew’s father, Casimir Krance, who also was a renowned concert pianist, had inherited a munitions factory in France before World War II. When the Germans invaded France, the native of Poland moved his family to New York City but they eventually ended up in Wisconsin, where Andrew earned his MFA degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

An accomplished musician himself, Andrew’s artistic bent helped him find his way back to the Big Apple, where he lived with an aunt on Manhattan’s posh Upper East Side, near Gracie Mansion, the residence that is home to New York City’s mayor.

It was while working for Dorothy Maynor, the opera star who founded the Harlem School for the Arts (which provides college curricula in performing and visual arts in Upper Manhattan), that Andrew met Barbara Johnson of the Johnson & Johnson family, one of the world’s foremost collectors of fine art, and where he began dabbling in a wide variety of artistic genres.

“She had Van Goghs, Rembrandts and a 40-foot Monet in her home,” Andrew recalls. “Her collection today is worth in the billions of dollars.” Johnson took the young artist under her wing, as she had many others, and introduced him to everyone from the governors (at the time) of Texas and Arizona to Leo Castelli, whom the actor Dennis Hopper called “the godfather of the contemporary art world.”

The Castelli Gallery was one of the most famous in the world and helped launch or further the careers of everyone from Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns to Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol.

And, for a while, a young Andrew Krance. Andrew says the artists under Castelli’s “wing” would have drinks together at a place called Magoo’s off Canal St.

But, “Andrieu,” as his late, Israeli wife Eti (Esther) used to call him, ultimately went into the pet food and pet products business and later moved to Key Largo, FL, where he and his wife opened a lingerie store. They spent 20 years together on the east coast of Florida before moving to Wesley Chapel together a few years ago. She passed away three months after learning she had cancer.

“I did throw myself more into my art after Eti passed,” he admits.

Today, Andrew continues to go through different “periods” with his art, although he mainly uses acrylic paints and a more “pop art” style these days. “The paint just dries so much faster (than oil) and the colors and textures are amazing,” he says.

So, his work ranges from emulating everyone from Picasso to Warhol to Jackson Pollack and some of his favorite pieces are his own “takes” on famous people, like the late music stars Stevie Ray Vaughn and Bob Marley and even Warhol himself.

Corporate Work & More

Today, Andrew says that he can create virtually anything in acrylics and he really enjoys being commissioned to create something unique.

“I can fill those huge walls in a large corporate office or an upscale home,” he says. “Give me an idea and a style and I’ll come up with something great, in less time than you might think.”

But, even if you’re not sure you want to buy anything, one thing I certainly would suggest is to make an appointment with Andrew to check out the art that’s already in his home. There’s more paintings on Andrew’s walls than at some art galleries I’ve been to and I have included some of my favorites (and his) on these page. So, sit down, enjoy a cup of coffee or a good Scotch with him and talk about art.

The artist has become friends with one of his neighbors, Joe Lawler, and Andrew says, “Joe has bought five pieces from me, but not because we’re friends, but because he likes what I do.”

Joe says, “You can just see the talent Andrew has. I love his art that looks like Picasso so much, I bought my favorite.”

You also can check out most of Andrew’s art at KranceContemporaryPaintings.com (which he says is being revamped a bit as we’re going to press) or call 994-0008 for more info.

Freedom Boys Basketball Faces Tough Road To Defend District Title

By Andy Warrener

Riding the wave of back-to-back District championships, the Freedom High Patriots boys basketball team finds themselves facing an uphill battle starting tonight in what is arguably the toughest district in Tampa if they hope to win another crown.

“When I got here (to Freedom) five years ago, Sickles, Chamberlain and Wiregrass Ranch were all pretty good,” Pats head coach Cedric Smith says. “But then, Wharton went up to (Class) 8A.”

This season, the Wildcats (20-4, 12-2) moved back down to Class 7A, and they have locked up the second seed in the Class 7A, District 8 tournament, where they will host the semifinals and finals.

Freedom is (19-5, 11-3) is seeded third, and will host Gaither tonight at 7 p.m.

Because the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) won’t be altering districts again until 2019, the Patriots need to get used to the stiffer opposition and tougher-to-win league titles.

“We’re excited for the competition,” Smith says. “We want to play the best teams, we want to beat the best teams.”

Freedom split the two-game regular season series with the ‘Cats and it’s almost an inevitability that the two New Tampa schools will face off in the District 7A-8 semifinals at Wharton, making for a potentially incredible evening. The previous two meetings between the schools have not disappointed, as both were close contests settled in the final quarter and with large crowds in the stands.

The No. 1-seed is Sickles, 23-2 and winners of eight straight games.

“Sickles has a good crowd and they’re playing so well right now,” Smith says. “This is the year they think they are going to get through Regionals to Lakeland.”

Smith is well aware of the task in front of him and his team.

“It’s nerve-wracking but I’m a competitive guy,” Smith says. “I want to have to play two of the best teams in the county (to advance in the District playoffs).”

Smith, being the newest of the three coaches, says he has gleaned a great deal from both coach Renaldo Garcia of Sickles and Wharton’s Tommy Tonelli.

“We try to model our success on what those guys have done,” Smith says. “I have the greatest respect for those guys as coaches and I try to model my program after them.”

Smith might be the new kid on the block compared to his district rivals but the Patriots have been red-hot, winning 11 straight until a 57-56 loss to Riverview in last week’s season finale. A Dec. 18 win against Wharton kicked off the big run.

The Pats trailed 22-9 at the half before rallying to a 54-49 victory in their own gym. Since that near loss, the Patriots added 10 more wins, all by double-digits and with an average victory margin of 21 points, including a 60-41 victory over State championship contender St. Petersburg Gibbs (20-2 at the time).

A big part of both that comeback against Wharton and the current streak has been the play of senior point guard Nasir Core.

“He (Core) has always been a big factor,” Smith says, “but this year, he’s got higher numbers and we’re asking him to do more. He brings leadership to the point guard position, and is like another coach on the floor; he’s been a big impact for us.”

Core, one of Freedom’s three co-captains, had a team-high 16 points in the game against Wharton, and he averages just under 10 points a game this season. Core also is pulling down 3.2 rebounds per game and leads the team in assists-per-game with 2.7.

“We’ve gotten to the point where Nasir is a big part of what we do,” Smith said.

Core certainly doesn’t do it alone. Forward and co-captain Sheldon Odunna is the team’s leading scorer (15.7 per game). Guards Chase Creasy and Alexander Oguinn make key contributions for the Patriots, too.

“We usually know what we’re going to get from Nasir and Sheldon,” Smith said. “When those others come on and the light bulb goes on, we’re a tough team to beat.”

The Pats will need all hands on deck as they wrap up the regular season this week and get set for a minefield of a District tournament beginning tonight.

Crawford’s Turnaround Sparking Wharton’s Boys Hoops Success

Josiah Crawford, a 6-foot-3 senior forward at Paul R. Wharton High in New Tampa, has improved his scoring average this season, and improved his rebounding totals as well.

Crawford’s numbers, however, while impressive, don’t tell the most important part of his story.

Coach Tommy Tonelli does.

Tonelli describes Crawford in glowing terms like “respectful, committed and determined” to describe a player he says has grown into “a great teammate.”

The long-time Wharton boys basketball coach has not only been impressed with Crawford’s turnaround as a basketball player, but moved by his turnaround as a person.

“In all my years of coaching, I have never seen a greater transformation,’’ says Tonelli, now in his 17th year of running Wharton’s successful hoops program, of his talented swingman.

Crawford, who can basically play every position on the floor, is a big part of the reason why the Wildcats ave notched their seventh straight 20-win season and head into tonight’s Class 7A, District 8 tournament at Wharton as the No. 2 seed and winners of seven straight. He is averaging team-highs in points (16.8) and rebounds (8.7) and has been a leader on the court.

Crawford says his journey to arrive at that court, however, required overcoming some self-inflicted obstacles.

As a freshman, Crawford decided he didn’t want to play basketball for the Wildcats, despite being a talented hoopster in AAU and at pick-up games at the nearby L.A. Fitness on County Line Rd.

“I was just messing around, I didn’t want to go to practices,” Crawford says. “I was just lazy. I would just go home and hang out.”

For some of the Wildcats, many of them his friends, that was unacceptable. They told him he needed to be on the court, that he was wasting his talent.

They told Tonelli, too. The coach, however, told his players that if Crawford wanted to come out for the team, he needed to stop by his office and ask.

When Crawford finally stopped by towards the end of his freshman year, Tonelli says, he still had a hint of an attitude problem. “I remember he walked in, and he was Mr. Cool,’’ Tonelli says. “He said, ‘You wanted to see me?’ I told him no.”

The message from Tonelli was simple — if you want to play, come earn your way onto the team.

That summer, Crawford did just that, competing in summer leagues with Wharton. “He was like a wild colt,’’ Tonelli says.

Crawford was a standout during the junior varsity summer league at Berkeley Prep in the Westshore area of Tampa, opening Tonelli’s eyes. While the coach had never seen him play prior to him coming out for the basketball team, his players told him that Crawford needed to be on the Wharton roster.

“He showed some real talent, and that carried right over into fall workouts,’’ Tonelli says.

However, during his freshman year, Crawford was not only not playing basketball, he wasn’t performing well in the classroom either. Tonelli described him as a “knucklehead.” As a result, he was ineligible for most of the basketball season his sophomore year, despite his super summer.

“I was disappointed in myself,’’ Crawford recalls. “If I would have played basketball my freshman year, coach would not have let my grades be the way they were.”

It was during this time, Tonelli surmises, that Crawford began changing, accepting responsibility, working hard and growing into the young man he is now. Even knowing he wasn’t going to be able to play, Crawford showed up every day to practice with the ‘Cats. He came to every game. He helped with water and the towels, and became a better student in the classroom.

In other words, Tonelli says, “He worked his butt off.”

Crawford regained his eligibility in time to play the final two games for Wharton’s JV team, and has never looked back since.

That summer, Crawford, who also stars in the 400- and 800-meter runs for the Wharton track team, took off. Playing on an AAU team with players from Wharton and Jesuit, his game improved every day. Last year, as a junior, he started every game for the ‘Cats and, for the first time, he actually made the honor roll in school.

This year, he has been one of the best players not only on the Wildcats but in District 7A-8, where he ranks third in scoring and second in rebounding.

“My jump shooting has gotten better, my rebounding is better,” Crawford says. “I’d just say that all around I think I’ve gotten better.’’

Two Saturdays ago, Crawford was named the game MVP in a 63-46 win against Clearwater at a tournament in Seminole. It’s been like that all year, Tonelli says. The player he describes as a one-time knucklehead continues to make every hustle play, shining both on the court and in the classroom.

“What really moves me is the way he has given appreciation and thanks for all the people who brought him along this far,’’ Tonelli says. “It’s really a nice thing to see.”

Boys Class 7A-8 District

Basketball Tourney Schedule
Feb. 2: Leto at Wharton, 7 p.m.; Gaither at Freedom, 7 p.m. (Note: Higher seed teams host first round games; the rest are played at one site.)

Feb. 3: at Wharton; District Semifinals at 6 and 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 5: at Wharton; District Championship at 7 p.m.