Note: This story has been updated since it was printed in our April 21 issue hitting mailboxes today and tomorrow. Superintendent Jeff Eakins made an announcement after we went to press that he will propose to the School Board that changes in the bell schedule be postponed to the 2018-19 school year.
Superintendent Jeff Eakins emailed parents April 17 saying that he will now recommend the proposed bell schedule be implemented in 2018-19, not next fall.
Hillsborough County Public Schools has released a proposal that changes the times school will start and end, which will affect start and end times for all elementary, middle and high school students in New Tampa. While originally the plan called for changes to be made this fall, for the 2017-18 school year, school superintendent Jeff Eakins sent an email to parents on April 17 saying that he will now recommend these changes be implemented for the following school year, 2018-19.
“Currently, many students are consistently late to school because there’s not enough time for our buses to pick up and drop off students,” explains Eakins in a video emailed to parents and staff in late March. “This means our children are losing valuable instructional time. When students are late to class, it affects the learning environment for all children.”
The bell schedule originally proposed for 2017-18 adds instructional time at the elementary level in most schools, with one exception in New Tampa. Turner Bartels K-8 students would lose 5 minutes of a day that already is longer than most elementary schools. For middle schools, students would lose 20 minutes, and high schools lose 32. Middle and high school students will keep their seven-period day, but may see the elimination of homeroom, a shorter time for lunch, and class periods that may be reduced by a minute or two.
Eakins says additional benefits of changing school bell times are that the new times may allow for more time for music, art and physical education at the elementary level, and that “… all students will benefit, due to an increase in quality planning time for teachers.”
Eakins wrote in his email to parents that he still feels the proposed plan is still the best option for meeting the school district’s goals. However, the proposal drew a large amount of public outcry, not only because of the time changes but also how the proposal was created. The plan, released on April 4 and available online at SDHC.k12.fl.us/doc/1855/administration/resources/belltimes/, proposes the following changes:
School
Current Bell Schedule
Proposed Bell Schedule for 2017-18
High (Freedom & Wharton)
7:33 a.m. – 3 p.m.
7:15 a.m. – 2:10 p.m.
Middle (Benito & Liberty)
9 a.m. – 4:15 p.m.
9:30 a.m. – 4:25 p.m.
Elementary (Chiles, Clark, Heritage, Hunter’s Green, Pride & Tampa Palms)
8 a.m. – 2:15 p.m.
8:35 a.m. – 3:05 p.m.
Turner Bartels K-8
8:45 a.m. – 3:35 p.m.
8:30 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
The Board is still expected to consider the proposed recommendation — which may include revisions based on comments from the community — at a specially called meeting on Tuesday, April 25, 3:30 p.m.
To share your thoughts on the proposed changes, email bellschedule@sdhc.k12.fl.us.
THE CUISINE that I miss the most from when I lived in New York City is still Chinese food, hands down. To be honest, there still isn’t a place in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel that really compares to the incredible Chinese food I have loved all of my life.
That having been said, I do still enjoy quite a few of the Chinese places in our area and one of the places that has really grown on me the last few months in Kwan Ming Bistro, located on S.R. 56, in the same Seven Oaks Plaza as Wolf’s Den and Cabana Spas. Owner/chef Henry Lo opened Kwan Ming in 2012, but I will admit that I didn’t like it as much then as I do now.
I believe that Henry, who has 40 years of Chinese cuisine experience and is known for his creative specials printed on a specials board inside the restaurant, has grown as a chef and the addition of assistant chef Nick Shalna in 2015 has given Henry the freedom to explore his more creative cuisine options and better control the quality of the food at his restaurant. Kwan Ming bills its food as Hong Kong-style Chinese cuisine, but I believe several of its offerings are as close to NY-style as you’ll find in our area.
“Don’t give me any credit,” says Nick. “Henry is the chef. I’m just trying to help him make sure that the fact that the two of us cook everything here will continue to make sure that our quality stays consistent.”
I believe the formula is working. Let’s start, as I always do, with the appetizers. I can’t really enjoy a Chinese meal without spare ribs, egg or spring rolls and dumplings and Kwan Ming’s are all very good.
I like my Chinese-style ribs with as little sauce as possible, but while the honey-glazed ribs at Kwan Ming are slathered with a little more sauce than I usually like, they are tender, meaty and delicious, albeit a little bit on the messy side. And, speaking of messy, the gooey General Tso’s chicken wings are very tasty, although not as spicy as some of the General Tso’s recipes I’ve had at other places.
The pork egg rolls and veggie spring rolls aren’t particularly large, but they are served crispy and the homemade duck sauce makes for a nice dip. I also prefer my pork dumplings more pan-fried than a deep-fried, but the flavor of Kwan Ming’s fried dumplings is excellent, as is the homemade dumpling dipping sauce.
I also enjoy the Beijing hot-and-sour and Hong Kong-style wonton soup and plan to try Henry’s unique vegetable garlic soup on a future visit.
Ahh, Yes, The Entrées
I’m still exploring the huge selection of entrées at Kwan Ming Bistro, but I do have a number of favorites. My two favorites to date are probably the beef with fresh asparagus and the Su Choi Chow fish with fresh vegetables, which features nicely sautéed chunks of fresh, white fish.I usually order the sauce a little spicy, but I will suggest that if you like your food spicy, ask for it that way. I love the heat I feel when I enjoy a great Szechuan or Hunan-style Chinese dish, but I think Henry and Nick tone down the spiciness unless you specifically ask for your dish extra spicy.
Other favorites among our Neighborhood News staff include the General Tso’s chicken, the kung pao chicken (shown as one of several available lunch specials in the photo on the next page), the beef with broccoli and the Mongolian pork.
I also really love Kwan Ming’s fried rice, from the house special fried rice shown on the next page (I order it without the shrimp, of course), which actually gets a nice flavor boost from the addition of fresh red peppers, to the simple pork fried rice. I’m not the biggest lover of Chinese noodle dishes, but Kwan Ming has a wide variety of not only lo mein dishes — there’s even a mixed seafood lo mein and a k-krab special lo mein — but other noodle dishes, too. For example, Nick says that those who like broader Chinese-style noodle dishes will love Kwan Ming’s beef ho fun, which is made with hand-cut, house-marinated flank steak and homemade rice noodles.
Speaking of special, the aforementioned specials board always attracts a lot of attention at Kwan Ming Bistro, for good reason. Although none of these dishes are pictured here, Nick says the following are his favorites: the true king crab lo mein, the deep-fried Chinese eggplant, the lobster kew and the seafood volcania, which features krabmeat, U10 scallops, white fish and shrimp.
“We also have an extensive number of vegetarian options,” Nick says. “We will even use water to cook your vegetarian meals, instead of chicken broth.”
And, although neither whole Maine lobster nor Hong Kong-stye whole duck aren’t on the menu, Nick says they can get them for you — with a day’s notice.
“We don’t keep a lobster tank here,” he says, “but, if you give us one day’s notice, we will gladly order a whole lobster for you.” He adds that Kwan Ming serves Halal meats as approved on Zabiliah.com.
He also notes that the duck also takes a day because Henry will hang the ducks — as I remember them doing in Chinatown in New York City — to help the fat drain out and leave nothing but succulent duck with crispy skin. I definitely plan to try this one sometime in the future, too.
And of course, even though Kwan Ming certainly isn’t a fancy place, it does accept and recommends reservations for weekend evenings and also offers beer and wine, including Tsingtao Chinese beer and others. There’s also a variety of hot teas, including some Chinese specialty teas.
Kwan Ming Bistro is located at 27607 S.R. 56. It is open every day except Monday for lunch and dinner, as follows: Tues.-Fri., 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., and noon-9:30 p.m. on Sat. and Sun. For more info, search for “Kwan Ming Bistro” on Facebook or visit KwanMingRestaurant.com. For dinner reservations, call 994-2328. And, Kwan Ming Bistro stays open on Christmas Eve & Day and New Year’s Eve & Day.
When Pankaj Jha moved to the Tampa Bay area, he was living in a condo in Tampa Palms while searching for the perfect school for his young children. He looked at homes in both K-Bar Ranch and Cory Lake Isles, and ultimately chose the neighborhood that would send his young children to Pride Elementary.
“We paid more to buy a house in Cory Lake Isles so my children would go to Pride,” Jha says. But, when it was time to move, his son — then in the 2nd grade — didn’t want to leave his current school. “It took me a year of driving him to school every day in Tampa Palms to convince him to go to Pride.” Last fall, his son — now in the third grade — and Jha’s daughter, who started kindergarten, both began the school year at Pride.
But now, if a proposal by Hillsborough County Schools is approved by the School Board and implemented, his children will be moved to Hunter’s Green Elementary for the 2018-19 school year.
“The biggest headache I have now is that it took time for them to adjust to going to Pride, and now I have to tell my kids they have to go to another school,” he says. “They don’t want to go to another school.”
He says not only do they have friends and feel comfortable at Pride, but they’ve built relationships with teachers. More than anything, he wants his children to go to Pride. He bought his house in Cory Lake Isles (CLI) specifically because he thought they would go there.
Jha was one of more than 300 people who packed the Benito Middle School cafeteria on March 30, when the school district staff presented its proposal for rezoning four New Tampa schools in the fall of 2018. While changes will happen at Clark, Heritage, Hunter’s Green and Pride, the loudest voices at the meeting came from residents of Cory Lake Isles and Arbor Greene (AG), where 563 stuSeedents are being reassigned from Pride to Hunter’s Green.
The proposal keeps a majority of students currently assigned to Pride together, with all residents of both CLI and AG now being assigned to Hunter’s Green. This makes room for residents of K-Bar Ranch — currently 154 elementary students — to be assigned to Pride. Right now, those students travel past Pride to get to their assigned school, Heritage. (Note-The actual number of students moving may be different because some students choose a school other than the one to which they are assigned).
It also opens up space at Pride for the residents of more than 1,500 new homes that are expected to be built in K-Bar Ranch in the coming years.
The proposed re-shuffling ends busing of students from the neighborhoods near the University of South Florida to both Hunter’s Green (HGE) and Clark and reassigns them to schools closer to their residences. From Hunter’s Green, 304 students will move to Shaw (just off of E. Fowler Ave. on N. 15th St.), and from Clark, 248 students will move to Witter (south of Fowler Ave. on N. 22nd St.). Additionally, 187 students who are residents of the Morgan Creek apartments, located just north of the Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. exit off I-75, will now be assigned to Clark.
Jennifer Ledford, parent of a second grader at Clark, attended the meeting to voice her support for the rezoning. She says this is the change she’s been looking for since before her son started kindergarten. “I moved to this area so my child could go to a neighborhood school with neighbors,” she says. “When you lose the geographic proximity to a school, you lose the investment in the community. I think the new plan is fabulous.”
But, not all parents agree.
“My grievance is that this reshuffling doesn’t address the elephant in the room, which is that Hunter’s Green is underperforming,” says Steven Hancz, a CLI resident whose seven-year-old twins are in first grade at Pride. “The school ranking has been dropping like a hot potato,” he says.
School grades for last year, which are based on test scores, rank Pride and Clark as “A” schools, Heritage as a “B,” and HGE as a “C.” While Hunter’s Green received an “A” grade for many years, it has been ranked a “C” the past two years. Pride has consistently been an “A” school.
School officials say the test scores of the students currently at HGE who live in New Tampa show that they are performing at an “A” level. They expect that the school grade will be an “A” once its attendance boundaries include students only from surrounding neighborhoods.
Elementary school grades for this school year (2016-17) will be released by the Florida Department of Education (FDoE) in July.
Lorraine Duffy Suarez, Hillsborough County Public Schools’ general manager for growth management, says the change is necessary. “We monitor growth, and we know how much growth is coming, and we have to accommodate it,” she says. “Pride was built on land that we bought from K-Bar Ranch. The school was sited there because we knew that development was coming. Now is the time.”
She says moving so many students should give the affected students a measure of reassurance. “The whole neighborhood is moving,” she explains. “You’re going to a different school, but you’re taking 562 of your friends with you.”
Not all Pride parents are angry. Some, such as Kellie Mulligan, an Arbor Greene resident whose three children have all attended Pride since kindergarten, are accepting it. Her youngest will be in fifth grade when the changes take effect. “I’m hoping she will be grandfathered in, but if her whole class and all her friends move, then I’m okay with that, too,” Mulligan says. “Honestly, I think the zoning makes sense.”
While many parents are at least accepting the change, they still have concerns they want addressed. Sigrun Ragnarsdottir is an Arbor Greene resident whose children attend Pride. As soon as she heard of the rezoning, she began researching all possible courses of action to stop it from happening, but hit dead ends. Now, she says she is embracing the change, but says she is still looking for answers.
“In the long run, I believe Hunter’s Green has a lot to offer the students,” she says, citing programs her kids don’t currently have, such as Hunter’s Green’s “Kindness Club” and garden plots with irrigation and soil available to teachers. “The question I’m still asking is, ‘What about busing?’”
With the school district ending so-called “courtesy busing” for middle and high school students this fall, elementary schools are expected to lose courtesy busing the following year, when this rezoning will take place (see story on next page). Anyone who lives less than two miles from the school will no longer be provided with a bus to school. Many Arbor Greene residents have a bus to Pride, but because Hunter’s Green is less than two miles for many of them, it is expected that there will be no bus to that school.
Ragnarsdottir also fears traffic will snarl coming out of Arbor Greene with residents waiting to turn left onto Cross Creek Blvd., then be backed up again as parents turn left onto Highland Oaks Blvd. to get to HGE. Other parents at the meeting expressed similar concerns, saying it will make traffic worse for everyone driving along the already busy Cross Creek Blvd. in the morning, and unsafe for those children who are walking or biking, as more are likely to do because of the end of courtesy busing.
“The school district says this will save money, but how much is a child’s life worth?,” Ragnarsdottir asks. “How much have they budgeted for lawsuits?”
All this adds up to a lot of changes for New Tampa parents, who are being hit with this school rezoning, the loss of middle and high school courtesy busing, plus the expected loss of elementary busing next year, and one more thing – new start and end times for all New Tampa schools (see story, next page).
Comments from parents and the community were accepted at the meeting on March 30. If you did not attend and would still like to comment, send an email to boundaries@sdhc.k12.fl.us.
Changes may be made based on the many comments received before a final recommendation is made by school superintendent Jeff Eakins to the seven-member School Board. The Board is expected to consider the proposed recommendation — including any revisions made as a result of comments from the community — at its meeting on Tuesday, May 16.
Duffy Suarez says she understands the plan means a lot of changes, and that parents leaving Pride are the ones expressing the most frustration with the proposal. “We’re changing a lot of students, and I understand that,” she says. “They have a lot of pride in their Pride, but Pride can’t hold all the students who are going to come there.”
On Friday, May 12, beginning at 6 p.m., the American Cancer Society (ACS)’s New Tampa Relay for Life returns to the track around Paul R. Wharton High. Every year, I try to keep our readers apprised of the Relay events in our area in part because, like most people these days, I have a personal connection to cancer that runs very deep.
Back in 1967, when the survival rate for anyone diagnosed with any type of cancer was about what the rate is now for the deadliest forms of the disease (such as lung and pancreatic), my father, Jack Nager, received the diagnosis no one wants to hear. I was eight years old at the time and didn’t find out what happened to my dad until I was in my teens, but he had surgery to remove a single, large, encapsulated tumor from his left arm and shoulder area.
After removing the tumor and much of the surrounding tissue, my dad had the precursor to today’s linear particle accelerator radiation therapies, called cobalt therapy, which is still in use for some cancers today (according to Cancer.org, the website for ACS).
Fifty years later, although my dad has had some other health issues (he turns 83 two days after this Relay), his cancer has never returned. And, although I tried unsuccessfully to research how many people who were diagnosed at least 50 years ago were still alive today, I can promise you that 50-year surviviors don’t make up much of the population of more than 15 million Americans still alive today after being diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetimes. In other words, although I usually only attend the local Relays for Life to cover them, this time, I plan to do a little walking myself, in honor of my dad. We haven’t always had the best relationship, but after all, it is something of a miracle that he is still around (and still living in my native Long Island, NY) half a century later.
I would love to walk 50 laps (more than 12 miles) in my dad’s honor, but my arthritic knees won’t allow it. I will, however, walk as many as I can without pain and pledge $83 (a dollar for every year he’s been alive) to the New Tampa Relay regardless of how many laps I complete. At our press time, a month before the local Relay, nearly 400 participants on 34 teams had already raised more than $21,000 of the event’s stated goal of $75,000 — and that figure does not include sponsorship funds.
If you want to pledge any money — whetherin honor of my dad, a cancer survivor close to you or in memory of someone who lost their battle with the scourge of our lifetimes — or you want to join an existing New Tampa Relay team, visit RelayforLife.org and enter “33647” in the zip code search.
Neighborhood News & WCNT-tv!
We keep getting more and more people telling us how much they love WCNT-tv, although many business owners have told me that it seems a little too expensive for them to do.
Well, we are doing everything we can to control the cost of being a Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) Featured Business on the show, and to provide some additional value for those who do choose to be featured on it.
WCNT-tv is professionally produced and although it isn’t a cable network or a local TV station, it is a unique “on air” way to promote your business in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, as the first 20 episodes and multiple Special Reports now have a combined reach of more than 600,000 people and have been actually viewed almost 300,000 times on Facebook & YouTube.
Episode 20, which featured an update on the map on page 11 of this issue, as well as my visit to the new Ford’s Garage (photo), again posted some great numbers for the show and, when they were released individually on Facebook, the Ford’s Garage segment alone was viewed more than 6,400 times. Plus, the Taste of New Tampa Special Report about Noble Crust was viewed by more than 8,300 people! And of course, some of our non-video Neighborhood News Facebook posts, like the recent post on Aldi (see page 10) coming to Wesley Chapel) have reached more than 30,000 people!
But of course, the best way to reach the most people in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel is still to advertise in our two publications, which are directly mailed to a combined total of nearly 50,000 households and more than 120,000 potential readers in zip codes 33647 (New Tampa) and 33543, 33544 and 33545 (Wesley Chapel).
To that end, I am now offering all current Neighborhood News advertisers who are WCCC business members the opportunity to combine both our print and online media.
So, whether you purchase an 1/8-pg. ad in just one of our publications per month or a full-page ad in both publications (or any sizes in between), you have the opportunity to have a full-length WCCC Featured Business segment on WCNT-tv produced for your business for only $100 additional per month (for 10 months) over the current cost of your print advertising.
And, perhaps best of all, you get to pick when your segment will air. Whether you want it in the episode before Mother’s Day (our next one) or Christmas, we’ll schedule your segment once you start paying the additional monthly amount. Of course, if you want to save an additional $200, I’ll give existing new and existing Neighborhood News customers (who join the WCCC) their segment for just $800.
In other words, email ads@wcnt-tv.com or call 910-2575 today to get more info or to get your WCNT-tv segment scheduled today!
Nope, this cool water park pool isn’t at a theme park. It’s the centerpiece at Club Connerton, in the Connerton community in Land O’Lakes, 20-30 minutes from most of New Tampa.
Wesley Chapel and New Tampa residents looking for a more pastoral lifestyle may find what they’re looking for at the Connerton community in Land O’ Lakes, located just east of U.S. 41, 7.5 miles north of S.R. 54.
Developed on what was once the Conner cattle ranch, the 4,800-acre community carries a New Town Developmental of Regional Impact (DRI) designation from Pasco County, which means it is a mixed-use, master-planned community combining residential areas with commercial, office, medical and government-related space. Connerton also has earned the distinction of being named the Tampa Bay Builders Association’s Showcase Community for its 2017 Parade of Homes, which will be held on Friday, April 29.
According to Connerton’s promotional materials, when the community is fully built-out, it may include up to 5,000 residences, 730,000 square feet of retail space, 1.4 million square feet of office and industrial space, as well as a government center.
Even with that ambitious development potential, Connerton retains a relationship with its rural central Pasco heritage. While the community’s concept offers convenient access to shopping, employment and services, marketing coordinator Melissa Donaldson says a big attraction for prospective homebuyers is Connerton’s plan for 1,800 acres of parks and natural open spaces.
“I get a lot of people from New Tampa coming over here who are tired of the hustle and bustle of New Tampa,” Donaldson says.
One of Connerton’s most highly touted features is its 1.75-mile paved Arbors Village Nature Trail, which winds along natural, preserved areas, including lakes and wetlands. There’s plenty of wildlife to see, such as little blue herons, wood storks, sand hill cranes, and of course, Florida alligators.
Adjacent to the north end of the community is a 3,000-acre nature preserve under the jurisdiction of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), giving residents access to even more trails and natural settings, as well as providing a buffer against the encroachment of other development. There also are five miles of paved sidewalks in Connerton for suburban strolling.
With Amenities Like This…
Residents don’t have to venture beyond Connerton’s boundaries to enjoy first-class amenities, like a 10,000-sq.-ft. clubhouse that provides social and recreational opportunities for residents.
Known as Club Connerton, it features the well-equipped Fit & Flourish Fitness Center, complete with a wide range of exercise equipment, from treadmills to weight machines. Several video monitors keep fitness buffs up-to-date with sports and news, or otherwise entertained while burning calories.
“If people have a gym membership somewhere else, they can cancel it,” says Donaldson.
The Conner Town Cafe serves “stick-to-your-ribs food,” according to Donaldson, and a children’s activity space, known as the Kidz Zone Club, is available for toddlers and older children up to age 12.
Other rooms provide space for fitness classes such as yoga and Pilates, as well as social activities ranging from arts & crafts classes to poker nights.
The big attraction, according to Donaldson, is the outdoor pool, that’s more like a water park (photo). She says it’s often the highlight of a tour for prospective residents.
“It’s the biggest ‘Wow!’ on the tour,’’ Donaldson says. “People see it and they think they’re at a resort.”
There also are three tennis courts, a sand volleyball court and a basketball court, providing even more recreational options.
Of course, a community is more than just a group of homes and amenities, and Donaldson says a full schedule of events involving residents helps tie it all together.
“Because we do so many events, everyone gets to know each other,” she says
Activities include the summertime, patriotic-themed, Nation Celebration (scheduled to avoid conflicting with other Independence Day observances), a Labor Day ice cream social, and a Winter Wonderland Celebration. Connerton even offers its own full-day summer camp to keep the younger residents busy while school is out.
And, while school is in session, Connerton is able to offer families with young children a chance to avoid bus rides and car lines with Connerton Elementary, a Pasco County District school located inside the community, so that walking and riding bikes to school are safe and practical options.
Other nearby public schools include Sanders Memorial Elementary, which has a Science Technology Engineering Art & Math (STEAM) program; Pine View Middle School, which is the school district’s first International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme Candidate school; and Land O’ Lakes High, an IB World school, with advanced placement, culinary arts, child care and agriculture programs. Land O’Lakes High also has an agreement with Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) allowing students to take classes through PHSC to earn college credit while still in high school.
Great Builders, Too!
Connerton has the ambiance of small-town, neighborly living, in part because many of the homes for sale feature front porches that promote relaxing and socializing outdoors. Four of the Tampa Bay area’s best-known builders are constructing homes in Connerton: Taylor Morrison, Homes by Westbay, Lennar and M/I Homes. According to information provided by Connerton, homes range in size from 1,504 square feet to 4,895 square feet, with a starting price range of $198,490-$502,990.
Homeowners association (HOA) dues and community development district (CDD) fees vary with lot size and community.According to Donaldson, about 700 homes have been sold so far in Connerton.
The Cornuta family bought a home and a share of the Connerton lifestyle when they relocated to Florida from upstate New York. Nikole Cornuta says it was the right choice for their move to the Sunshine State.
“We love how there is always something fun to do,” Nikole says, “whether it’s enjoying activities sponsored by the fun-loving staff members at the clubhouse, riding along the vast nature trails, playing at the various playgrounds, or soaking up the sun by the super-pool, we always have a blast!”
Besides the activities, Cornuta also says that she appreciates the welcoming attitudes that she and her transplanted family have encountered.
“We also feel so lucky to have met neighbors that now feel like a supportive family,” she says. “Connerton is a fantastic place to raise a family.”
One way to describe the Connerton community’s personality is “heartfelt,” says Donaldson.
She cites occasions of residents coming together, both in celebration and in times of need. One example that illustrates both is Connerton’s partnership with Operation Finally Home, a national nonprofit organization that networks with builders to provide mortgage-free homes for wounded veterans as well as their surviving spouses and families. At Connerton, Lennar Homes is providing such a home to medically-retired U.S. Army Sgt. David Roca, who experienced life-changing injuries from an improvised explosive device (IED) while serving in Iraq.
Connerton residents have been active in special events during the home’s construction and introducing the Rocas to the community, such as writing welcoming notes on the house’s framing before the drywall was installed.
“People have really come together for this and want to be a part of it,” says Donaldson. “It’s something that helps make this a true community.”
You can learn more about homes in Connerton and the community’s lifestyle by visiting the Welcome Center located inside Club Connerton at 21100 Fountain Garden Rd., in Land O’ Lakes. You also can check out the ad on page 5 of this issue, visit Connerton.com or call 996-5800.
