Boy Scout STEM Fair Held At Florida Hospital Center Ice

Have you ever seen hundreds of Scouts on ice skates? On May 6, about 350 Boy Scout and Cub Scout families from the Tampa Bay area and beyond gathered at Florida Hospital Center Ice in Wesley Chapel for the Greater Tampa Bay Area Council’s inaugural Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Fair.

Boys of all ages, along with their families, tried out ice skating on one of the new skating center’s four full-size rinks, while more than a dozen vendors showed off robots and gadgets on the adjacent rink.

“We’re going to do this again,” says Jeff Smith, a Boy Scout volunteer who was one of the event’s organizers. “We had about 100 people more than we were hoping for. It was a great turnout.”

He adds, “The facility was stellar. The majority of the people who came for the STEM Fair had never been there before. The parking was great and the staff offered tours of Florida Hospital Center Ice.”

When they weren’t skating, the kids got to watch drone demonstrations and a couple of different 3D printing demonstrations. They were able to interact with robots built by high school robotics clubs, such as Tampa’s Middleton High, and check out summer camps from Busch Gardens and MOSI. Firehouse Subs provided meals for purchase. A couple of colleges also were represented, where parents and older kids could ask questions about technology and medical fields.

New Tampa Scout Kenny Lewis (center) receives his Supernova award during the recent Boy Scout Stem Fair at Florida Hospital Center Ice.

“This is a way to embrace new technologies and get kids excited,” Smith says. “If all we teach boys is how to tie knots and make a fire with two sticks, Boy Scouts will become obsolete. So, Boy Scouts is embracing STEM as a way to stay relevant.”

To acknowledge the Boy Scouts’ new emphasis on STEM, a few attendees were presented with the Council’s first “Supernova” awards. The Supernova awards are part of an awards program that are, “designed to motivate youth and recognize
advanced achievement in STEM-related activities.”

Because the program is so new, only one Scout in the New Tampa area has earned it. Kenny Lewis, who is now a member of Boy Scout Troop 180, actually earned his Supernova award as a Cub Scout in Pack 801, which is based out of Hunter’s Green Elementary and where his father, Ken Lewis, is the Cubmaster.

Two other Scouts, one from Land O’Lakes and one from Bushnell, also were presented with Supernova awards.

Smith says he is now working with Florida Hospital Center Ice to make next year’s Boy Scout STEM Fair even bigger and better.

For more information about Boy Scouts and the STEM connection, visit TampaBayScouting.org.

Nibbles and Bytes

Irish31 in Hyde Park.

Irish 31 & Noble Crust Still On The Way, But…

It seems like new dining options are opening near the Tampa Premium Outlets (TPO) almost every day (e.g., signs for the previously announced Wendy’s and Taco Bell have recently gone up across the street from TPO), but the restaurant question the most people ask me is “Are Noble Crust and Irish 31 still coming to the Shops at Wiregrass?”

Irish31 in Hyde Park.
Irish31 in Hyde Park.

The answer is a resounding “yes,” but neither restaurant looks like it will be ready to open by the end of this month, which was the last thing I heard from Noble Crust Wesley Chapel GM Will Perez and founder TJ Theilbar a couple of weeks ago.

Even so, Irish 31, which has existing locations in Westchase, Westshore, at Amalie Arena and Hyde Park Village, all in Tampa, will open its first Pinellas County location on Clearwater Beach and its first Pasco location at Wiregrass, hopefully sometime in July.

We told you about Irish 31, which is owned by former USF football star Jay Mize, before any other news medium, back in January 2016. The Irish 31 at Wiregrass will be 2,800 sq. ft. and will feature the same great chef-inspired cuisine (like the delicious grilled chicken ploughman’s salad above left) as the other Irish 31 locations.

Visit Irish31.com for more details.

Meanwhile, Noble Crust, which had a widely viewed WCNT-tv episode following its second place People’s Choice award at the Taste of New Tampa, has a 4th St. in St. Petersburg location that continues to impress me with its array of delicious Italian cuisine with a southern twist, like the bucatini pasta with beef, lamb and pork meatballs pictured above center. Just get it open, guys!

For more info, visit Noble-Crust.com.

Taco Son Opens On 54!

Anytime you can offer big servings of good food at a fair price, you have a potential formula for success. One new restaurant that seems to have solved this equation is the third location of Taco Son, which has existing locations in St. Pete and on N. 56th St. in Temple Terrace, and is now open in the Freedom Plaza (next to Grey Wolf Armory; see ad on pg. 37) at 30056 S.R. 54.

Owner Raymond Rodriguez is an extremely personable, hands-on owner and he knows how to give his customers authentic Mexican fare and very fair value for their money, like the two-taco combination plate (with rice and beans; left) for just $7.99. The place has been packed for lunch and dinner every day since it opened in May and the customers all seem very happy.

Check out Taco Son and tell Raymond and his crew that you read about them in the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News! For info, call (813) 528-8892 or visit TacoSonMexicanGrill.com.

The Chamber Stays Busy

If you think the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) is going to slow its roll anytime soon, guess again.

With the frenetic pace of construction in our area, especially here in “the Chap,” even if the summer schedule is a little less full than it has been the last month for the WCCC, there will still be plenty for Chamber business members — and the community — to do during what looks to be a long, hot summer.

In May, the Chamber has held its Monthly Business Breakfast on May 2, where Pasco Hernando State College VP of Academic Affairs & College Provost Dr. Stanley Giannet was the featured speaker. Dr. Stan, who used to be the Provost at the PHSC Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, is always a dynamic speaker and he and the faculty and staff of PHSC have a lot to look forward to, including the future expansion of the Porter Campus.

The Chamber also hosted an unfortunately controversial ribbon cutting for U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis’ new office inside the chamber office. There also was another well-attended Coffee Social at Buttermilk Provisions, the Audi Wesley Chapel groundbreaking (see page 11), ribbon-cutting ceremonies on May 24 at the new Axiom Bank inside the Walmart on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in New Tampa and at the beautiful, new Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tampa North-Wesley Chapel (see below). There also was an outstanding Economic Development Briefing from Wiregrass Sports Complex at Pasco County developer RADDSPORTS (see story on page 6), and another fun Final Friday networking social at Glory Days Grill in New Tampa on May 26.

I also wanted to give a special shout-out to the folks at the new Holiday Inn Express, which hosted one of the best Grand Opening  events I’ve attended, with delicious food from Puff ‘n Stuff Catering and lots of great giveaways, as well as tours of this beautiful, new hotel located adjacent to Florida Hospital Center Ice.

This month, you can attend another Monthly Business Breakfast at PHSC on Tuesday, June 6, where the Chamber will debut its new “Explore Wesley Chapel New Tampa” video; a ribbon cutting on Thursday, June 8, at The Joint Chiropractic in New Tampa; another free Coffee Social at Buttermilk Provisions on BBD in Wesley Chapel on Tuesday, June 20; another Economic Development Briefing at the Pebble Creek Golf Club on Thursday, June 22, featuring representatives of the under-construction Lexus of Wesley Chapel; a ribbon cutting and family field day at Pioneer Museum in Dade City on Saturday, June 24; and another Final Friday networking social, at Pinot’s Palette in the Shoppes of New Tampa at Wesley Chapel plaza (next to Office Depot), off BBD.

Please note that not all Chamber events are free, although most are open to the public. For info (including all start times for these events), call (813) 994-8534 or visit WesleyChapelChamber.com.

Democracy In Action At Bilirakis’ New Office; Plus, Congrats, Bartell Family!

So, I saw democracy in action about three weeks ago and it made me smile. Unfortunately, the people who saw me smiling thought I was laughing at them, but I wasn’t, even though some of what was happening did make quite a few people who were on hand to see it laugh, even if a little uncomfortably, and others, maybe a little afraid.

I was just doing my job — covering the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting for Congressman Gus Bilirakis’ new office at the Chamber office in The Grove plaza in Wesley Chapel on May 9 — when an obviously organized protest with about 25 people holding signs basically blocked the Chamber’s front door.

Thankfully, it was a peaceful protest…those holding the signs and chanting certainly did not keep anyone who was there to celebrate the ribbon cutting from going in. On the other hand, several attendees mentioned that they were happy a deputy from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) was on hand to ensure that peace was maintained.

It seemed, from the signs and the chanting going on, that most of the protesters weren’t happy that Rep. Bilirakis voted for what the Congressman called the ‘first phase’ of the bill to repeal and replace Obamacare. I understood why some people were upset with that. What surprised me were the sign-holders who claimed that Bilirakis didn’t support veterans health care.

That really surprised me because, as long as I’ve known Gus (who is the senior Republican on House Committee for Veterans Affairs) veterans’ issues have always been at the top of his agenda, even though Rep. Bilirakis’ last challenger for his District 12 Congressional seat,  Democrat Robert Tager, consistently tried, unsuccessfully, to show that Bilirakis wasn’t the supporter of U.S. vets that he claims to be.

But, what shocked me the most that afternoon was that Rep. Bilirakis didn’t in any way try to insulate himself from the obviously angry crowd. To the contrary, as soon as his ribbon cutting (which was held inside the Chamber office) was over, the Congressman first stepped outside to address those who were unhappy with him. He answered several questions, with people chanting in his face, and invited the protestors inside, 5 or 6 at a time, so he could address their criticisms and concerns as individually and completely as time — and his protesting constituents themselves — would allow.

As a long-time non-politico in a too-political world whose job it has been to cover more politicians and elections than I ever thought possible, there’s no doubt I was smiling as I witnessed democracy in action months removed from any election. Whether you were on the side of those laying on the concrete, chanting and holding signs, or the U.S. Congressman who gave every one of those antagonists the opportunity to be heard by an elected official they supposedly hated, if that tableau didn’t make you proud to be an American, then you’re very different than I am.

“Rep. Bilirakis, I have disagreed with every vote you’ve made since you took office.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Were you in favor of or against the federal budget this year?”

“Against, why?’

“Because I voted against it, too. Maybe we don’t always disagree on every issue?”

“Then yes, maybe that is true.”

Ahhh, democracy. Ya gotta love it!

Congrats To The Bartells

Congratulations go out to my friend Paul Bartell, his wife Jamie and their son James, as the Sean Bartell Foundation held its second annual spaghetti dinner, held a WCCC ribbon cutting and gave away its 10th $1,000 to Wesley Chapel High grad ((and future WCNT-tv contributor) Chase Oknefski from the proceeds from the Foundation’s previous events. The dinner, donated by Little Italy’s Family Restaurant & Catering (see ad on page 40) at the Trinity Church of Wesley Chapel Fellowship Hall on S.R. 54, attracted more than 100 people, served as the official launch of the Foundation, which is why a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held.

I’ve seen the effort the Bartell family has put into the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life for many years. Now that Paul is focusing more of his “free time” on the nonprofit named for James’ brother Sean (who lost his battle with a rare skin condition in 2014), watch out!