So, your favorite (or not) New York-transplanted editor is back for another rant about driving in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel — and really everywhere in Florida.
I’ve already complained about our self-deputized civilians who refuse to get out of the left lane (because they may be traveling the posted speed limit), despite the fact everyone who wants to drive a normal speed has to pass them on the right — and are still doing it despite Florida’s new law that says you can be ticketed for it. “Slower traffic keep right” isn’t just a slogan.
I’ve also previously explained why dedicated right turn exit and acceleration lanes when going from one major roadway to another are neither yield nor stop signs.
So, here’s Part 3 of this “helping you drive better” series — which I felt was particularly fitting as our recent drought ended and we began the rainy/hurricane season when the calendar turned to June — driving in the rain.
Let’s take a quick quiz on the subject:
1. Whenever you’re driving in the rain, you should:
a.) reduce your speed, b) allow yourself additional braking distance between you and the vehicle in front of you, c.) turn on your headlights if they’re not already on or on auto, d.) all of the above. The answer, as most everyone knows (except those who refuse to turn on their headlights in the rain), is d., all of the above.
2. When are the roads at their slipperiest or slickest?
a.) When it’s been raining heavily all day, b. When it first starts to rain, c.) The roads are always equally slippery, d.) I have no idea.
The answer to that one is actually b., because the oils that build up on the roadway when it’s dry outside rise to the surface and make the roads slicker than when it’s been raining all day and those oils have all been washed away. Sadly, this means that for many people, the answer, until now, was d.
Now for the toughie/trick question (despite the hint in the photo above):
3. When it is raining so hard that seeing the vehicles in front of you becomes difficult, you should:
a) Pull off to the side of the road and have your hazard lights flashing, b) Continue driving, but turn on your hazard lights, c.) Continue driving, but make sure that your headlights are on, reduce your speed and use extra caution or d.) I have no idea.
The “trick” part is that if it’s so bad that you really can’t see the vehicle in front of you, the answer should be a., but very few of us will choose to do that when we’re in a hurry to get to or from work or to a meeting or event that we can’t afford to pull over and wait it out, especially because you’re something of a sitting duck if someone else swerves off the road.
The most practical answer, in that case, is actually c. Those of you who picked b. might as well have picked d., because you are truly clueless — a fact that is re-proven to me almost every time it rains more than a drizzle here.
But, here’s why you don’t turn your hazards on in heavy rain, McFly — your hazard lights are for when you and/or your vehicle are in an emergency situation — you had to pull off the road to change a flat tire, your car breaks down in the middle of the road, etc.
If you’re already driving with your hazards on and your car breaks down (maybe because you’re driving through deep water and your car’s electrical system goes bad), how will the vehicle behind you know that your car has stopped working? The answer is usually by smashing into you from behind, which is normally the rear-ender’s fault, but not in this case.
As indicated on the sign in the photo, Florida law says “Driving in the Rain: Headlights On, Hazards Off,” which means that if you have an accident while violating this law, you would be the at-fault driver.
So, please: read the sign and obey it. Driving in the rain is tough enough without drivers who make up their own laws because they mistakenly think it’s easier to see flashers than it is steady lights.
WCNT-tv Keeps Building!
Check out the ad for WCNT-tv — Wesley Chapel & New Tampa Television — on page 43 of this issue. You’ll see some numbers that I’m very proud of. As of June 9, a little less than a year since we debuted the show — we have reached very close to three quarters of a million people and been viewed more than 350,000 times on YouTube and Facebook.
Our recent Neighborhohood Dining News segments about Little Italy’s Family Restaurant & Catering and Fushia Hot Pot Buffet & Asian Bistro each garnered thousands of views and have generated some new business at both locations. And, I think our most recent News segment about the Diverging Diamond Interchange (see story on page 6) and most recent Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce Featured Business segment about American Wood Flooring are among the best work we’ve done to date.
Please view, like & share all of our WCNT-tv segments on YouTube & Facebook!
Saladino Award winner Drew Ehrhard (with trophy), is joined by ((l. to r.) Wharton assistant coach Joe Fernandez, his mom Shannon, his brother Zack, dad Rodney, Wharton head coach Scott Hoffman, Tony Saladino and Wharton assistant coach Wade Boggs.
Rodney Ehrhard was supposed to talk about how proud he was of his son. How it had been great teaching young Drew how to play the game of baseball. How terrific his son’s senior season had been, and about how special it was to see him chosen as Hillsborough County’s best baseball player.
But he couldn’t. Not yet.
Overcome with emotion, Rodney could only stick a napkin in his eyes and walk outside to compose himself.
It was an emotional ceremony in the living room of Tony Saladino, the patriarch of one of Hillsborough County’s most prominent baseball families and the namesake of a popular spring break baseball tournament, as the 80-year-old host awarded Wharton High’s Drew Ehrhard the 47th Saladino Award, presented each year to the top high school senior baseball player in the county.
Drew led the Wildcats in hits (35), average (.422), RBI (24), doubles (9) and homeruns (4) this season, helping Wharton to a Class 8A, District 4 district title, two thrilling come-from-behind playoff wins and a spot in the Regional championship, where his team lost 2-0 to the eventual state champions from Tallahassee Lincoln High.
He became the first player in Wharton’s 20-year existence to ever win the prestigious award, which is voted on by the county’s coaches, and said he was shocked to win it.
“I didn’t think I would win it, to be honest,’’ Drew said. “I had always hoped I would, but I knew there was some good competition.”
He joins an impressive list of past winners of the award, including past major leaguers like Mike Heath (Hillsborough, 1973), Dave Magadan (Jesuit, 1980), Tino Martinez (Jefferson, 1985), Gary Sheffield (Hillsborough, 1986), as well as current Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers (Jesuit, 2012) and Chicago White Sox pitcher Tyler Danish (Durant, 2013).
“I’ve looked at the list, and it’s unbelievable to be a part of that crowd,’’ Drew said. “I have no words for it.”
Some Hall Of Fame Help
One major leaguer who played in Hillsborough County but never won the award, former Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Devil Rays third baseman and Hall of Famer Wade Boggs, played a big hand in helping Drew win it this year.
An assistant baseball coach at Wharton the past 17 years, Boggs — who teased Saladino about getting passed over for the award in favor of Brandon’s Sammy Spence in 1976 — said he remembers hitting ground ball after ground ball to Drew his freshman year as the youngster was converting from second base to shortstop.
Drew Ehrhard
Despite being undersized and having to adapt to making a longer throw to first base, Drew made the transition seamlessly and ended up, rather remarkably, playing every inning of every game in his high school career.
“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog,’’ Boggs said, proudly.
Boggs, along with head coach Scott Hoffman, also helped get Drew to the Saladino home in Brandon while keeping the award a surprise.
“He told me some story about how there were some reporters down from Boston for coach Boggs, and we had to go to dinner to meet them,’’ Drew said.
The coaches managed to get Drew into Saladino’s home, even though he had to step over a Saladino Tournament doormat to enter — “I didn’t even see it,’’ Drew laughed — before it finally dawned on him that he, and not Boggs, was the evening’s actual guest of honor.
“I was kind of confused when I got inside,’’ Drew said. “I had always heard stories about being in Coach Saladino’s house and seeing all the memorabilia on the wall…I was like, ‘whose house am I in?” Then I realized, oh, this makes sense now.”
Drew found a large crowd waiting for him, including his brother Zack, who will be a freshman at Wharton next year, his parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and baseball coaches.
While Boggs compared Drew to current Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, others see a more apt comparison to Rodney, who was a high school standout as an outfielder at Plant City High who was drafted as a catcher and went on to play in the New York Yankees minor league system, making it as far as Double-A.
At Plant City, many considered Rodney Ehrhard the best player on a team that included future major league pitcher Kenny Rogers. Rodney went on to star at the University of Tampa, and was inducted into the Spartan Hall of Fame last year.
When it came to playing ball, Drew also chose the Spartans. Like father, like son.
“I hear his family make that comparison a lot,’’ said Shannon, Drew’s mother.
“Both of them hit well, they always started and they always worked hard,’’ said Rodney’s father, George. “I followed Rodney around when he was at Tampa, and I’ve got some more following around to do now with Drew.”
His napkin gripped tightly in his right hand, Rodney finally spoke proudly of Drew, who was given a stuffed baseball and bat when he was only three years old. He never put them down, his parents say. Soft stuffing gave way to cowhide and aluminum, but Drew’s grip, his father said, never wavered. He watched his son grow into the player he is today, relying more on hard work and determination than on God-given ability, as the two spent countless hours sharing their passion.
“He’s always been smaller than everybody, but he’s always been really good,’’ Rodney said. “But, he made up for that in hard work. He never stopped trying to get better.”
Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera hosted a town hall meeting at the New Tampa Recreation Center in Tampa Palms that attracted roughly 75 local residents who came to discuss a number of issues., especially those related to the traffic in our area.
Town hall meetings are all the rage this days, with the operative word, in too many cases, being rage. Constituents are demanding answers from their representatives, especially regarding healthcare issues, and the disruptions and anger make national news on a seemingly weekly basis.
A New Tampa town hall, organized by District 7 City Councilman Luis Viera and held June 5 at the New Tampa Recreation Center, however, couldn’t have gone any smoother.
“It really shows that people are engaged,’’ Viera said. “The next one we have will probably be even bigger.”
Here are five takeaways:
1. This Was A Good Idea
If you’ve ever wondered what is really bothering people in New Tampa, the town hall, which attracted roughly 75 local residents, including many of the area’s Homeowner’s Association presidents, was a good place to find out.
Outside of the usual complaints about taxes and transportation, those who attended raised a number of issues like trash on Cross Creek Blvd, local commercial buildings looking run down, bank foreclosed property causing a blight in otherwise well-kept neighborhoods and even concerns about the ability of ethnic minorities to worship safely.
This is exactly what Viera says he had hoped for when he scheduled the event. With code enforcement inspector Fred George and Tampa Police Department District 2 shift commander Kevin Schoolmeesters in attendance, some of the simpler questions raised will undoubtedly be answered. Most important, Viera said, was that a majority of those who raised concerns seemed to be satisfied with the answers.
For the bigger, more complicated issues, like transportation and the city budget, it was a step in the direction of creating a unified front when it comes to lobbying city hall for changes. Viera has already formed the New Tampa Council with this idea in mind.
“We need a collective and unified voice,’’ Viera said.
Although Mayor Bob Buckhorn couldn’t make it, his chief of staff, Dennis Rogero, did attend. And, while he didn’t really have any concrete answers for those asking questions, he was certainly enlightening and honest, even if it meant telling people things they didn’t want to hear.
More on that later.
2. The Big Issue
To quote Bob Parker of Heritage Isles, the biggest issue in New Tampa is “transportation, transportation, transportation.”
While Pasco and Hillsborough counties remain at loggerheads over connecting the two at various points between Meadow Pointe and the K-Bar Ranch, traffic is a real concern for local residents along Cross Creek Blvd.
Bob Parker of Heritage Isles tells Luis Viera that trafiic, traffic and traffic are the big issues facing New Tampa.
The City Council recently okayed plans for 400 more homes to be built by M/I Homes in the K-Bar Ranch area. “You should be ashamed,’’ Parker scolded, considering there’s only two two-lane roads in and out of the area.
“I feel like I live on an island,’’ Parker added, “and there are two causeways, Bruce B. Downs (BBD) and Morris Bridge Rd.”
That lack of options is preventing people from getting to hospitals, and making the long drives to work in Tampa unbearable. “It’s killing New Tampa,’’ he said.
Rogero said the city is well aware of the issue. “You are right, you might as well live on an ocean,’’ Rogero said. “We hear the horror stories. That’s one of the reasons I live in South Tampa. We looked here. It’s beautiful up here. But, I didn’t want to add a couple of hours in commute time to my schedule.”
That might be unsettling— to hear the mayor’s Chief of Staff confess to avoiding our area because of the traffic — but Rogero was honest and admitted he didn’t have any answers.
Viera didn’t expect answers. But the Hunter’s Green resident is advocating for some “incremental” changes.
One that should sound good to residents of Cross Creek “Island,” is a third left-hand turn signal onto Bruce B. Downs at the very busy intersection that Viera said he will propose.
Another possibility that was raised: Putting the controversial East-West Connector back in the MPO.
Jim Davison, who narrowly lost to Viera in the City Council runoff in December, applauded his former opponent for the town hall and the New Tampa Council, and suggested a second town hall, perhaps with a more narrow focus on one topic, like transportation.
Viera said he hopes to hold another one in December.
3. Getting The Short Shrift
Rogero got an earful from local attorney Tracy Falkowitz, who lives in Tampa Palms, about the plight of the New Tampa Rec Center.
Mayor Bob Buckhorn’s Chief of Staff Dennis Rogero explained that the New Tampa Recreation Center expansion isn’t high enough on the city’s priority list to receive funding, while Tampa Palms’ Tracy Falkowitz argued that it should be, due to the amount of money the area provides the city in property taxes.
For the second time in five years last year, the City Council voted to provide funds for a different project – the Cuscaden Park pool in Ybor City – instead of the rec center, even though a $1.5-million, 14,000-sq.ft. expansion of the facility was originally included in recent budget drafts.
Despite spending $3.2 million on renovating the Cuscaden Park pool and re-opening it last August, it was closed again in April for more repairs. It has since re-opened.
“This area has been short-shrifted every year,’’ Falkowitz said. “That money needs to come back. This amazing facility does so much with so little. We want our expansion. Every year that money allocated for here gets sent somewhere else, and it’s my understanding that this year it’s not even included in the budget.
She added, “It constantly sends the message: New Tampa, just send us your money, then sit down and shut up. That’s what we’re all being told. So as the budget guy, what are you doing to make sure the community gets what it deserves and was supposed to be given to us six years ago.” That statement drew the night’s loudest round of applause.
Rogero said, however, that it is a misconception that what an area pays in property taxes, it will get back in enhancements. It is a misconception, in fact, shared by quite a few residents.
“We allocate one big pot of general funding for the priorities of the city, city-wide,’’ Rogero said. “We don’t necessarily try to return dollar for dollar to any particular area. That’s simply not the way property taxation is set up.”
Rogero admitted that there is a need in New Tampa for the expansion — the dance and gymnastics programs have roughly 800 students and the waiting list’s cup runneth over — but as each priority is paid off, “by the time we get to the New Tampa Rec Center on the list, we’re out of money.”
Viera said he wasn’t surprised at all that people remain angry about the rec center. “It’s the reason we held the town hall there,’’ he said. “I think it’s symbolic.”
4. Did Someone Say Secession?
Falkowitz ended her comments by mentioning that instances like the rec center expansion being cut out of the budget is why the subject of New Tampa de-annexing from the City of Tampa came up in the last election (and continues to come up). “What would the city do without the funds from (New Tampa),’’ Falkowitz said, which got at least two people in attendance to clap. “We are very, very unhappy with how we have been treated by city of Tampa.’’
“From the city’s perspective,” Rogero replied, “we don’t feel that we’re mistreating New Tampa.’’
There were a few people in the room who didn’t agree with Rogero, including former City Councilman Joseph Caetano, a longtime proponent of New Tampa’s secession.
Viera is strongly opposed to the idea. “I’ve never thought that was a good idea,’’ he said, adding that if people knew what that entailed, they would be opposed, too.
5. Organize & Be Heard
Brad Van Rooyen, who is on the New Tampa Council, and Davison asked a simple question in regards to tax monies – how can New Tampa get the city to pay attention to its needs and to increases services to the area.
Rogero echoed what Viera has been saying, and really, the reason for town halls like this – make your voices heard.
“I have to tell you, it could be that some of you have shown up to the budget meetings,but I can guarantee all of you haven’t,’’ Rogero said, “because there’s typically less than a dozen people there. I appreciate your emails, and your phone calls, but when it’s a billion-dollar budget and another half billion of capital improvement projects, your city council is looking at an empty room. I can’t tell you what prioritization comes to their minds. I can almost guarantee you, though, it won’t be yours.”
Talk of taxes, transportation, budgets and secession aside, most in attendance seemed to be looking for answers to simple problems, like beautifying Bruce B. Downs – Viera is already talking to officials about getting mowers out to New Tampa more frequently — and local commercial buildings and taking care of bank-foreclosed homes.
George, who admits his code enforcement department is understaffed, encouraged people to call in complaints to (813)-274-5545, because he can’t see everything.
Others remain concerned about the county’s plans to stop courtesy buses for students who live within two miles of their school, which will result in students having to cross over BBD by foot. (Walking pedestrian bridge, anyone?)
Residents seemed pleased with the TPD, and were complimentary about the service they receive, like the visits you can get from officers when you are on vacation just by calling (813) 931-6500. And code enforcement and police requests while on vacation can also be filed via TampaGov.net, the city’s website.
Local dignitaries and church members turn dirt where the first row of pews will begin in Grace Episcopal Church’s new sanctuary. Bishop Dabney T. Smith, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida looks on.
On an April Sunday morning twenty years ago, the Rev. Larry Hooper led a joyful procession of Grace Episcopal Church’s congregation from their temporary home at Tampa Palms Elementary to the Promised Land at the confluence of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., Tampa Palms Blvd. and Amberly Dr., where their newly constructed worship building was completed.
Parishioners’ spirits were similarly raised, along with some earth, on June 3 while breaking ground on Grace’s new sanctuary, in a ceremony that united members of New Tampa’s religious and civic communities in celebration.
Referred to as the “Amazing Grace Building Project,” the finished structure will provide 4,500-sq.-ft. of worship space for the church’s 300 parishioners. It is being built by Waterford Designs, Inc. at a cost of $1.5 million.
Etta Green, chair of the Amazing Grace Visions capital campaign, expresses optimism that the labor will be finished in time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
“We’re hoping it will be done by Christmas,” she says.
So far, the capital campaign has raised more than $160,000 of a $450,000 goal, according to Green. Parishioners have the opportunity to contribute to the campaign through donations which can be designated to specific spaces or needs of the project, such as its nursery, carillon or even individual pews, bricks and benches. The remaining cost is being funded from cash the church has on hand.
The groundbreaking was presided over by the Rt. Rev. Dabney T. Smith, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida. Featured speakers celebrating the occasion included Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, who was introduced by Luis Viera, a Hunter’s Green resident who represents New Tampa’s District 7 on the Tampa City Council
“Communities are defined by their institutions and this church is a great strength and support to the families of New Tampa,” said Viera. Grace’s current Rector, the Rev. Canon Benjamin Twinamaani, known affectionately as Fr. Benjamin, served as the event’s master of ceremonies.
A Little History…
Grace Episcopal Church had its genesis in 1992, when it held its first services in a storefront in the nearby City Plaza at Tampa Palms shopping center. It was one of the few places of worship in New Tampa at the time, and Mayor Buckhorn recognized the relationship between the church and the community it has served in the 25 years since then.
Artist rendering of the new sanctuary.
“We have watched the amazing growth of this community and this church has been an important part of the growth of Tampa,’’ Buckhorn said. “Go make us proud; continue to grow and continue to prosper.”
The event was a bit of a homecoming for Shawn Harrison, who represents District 63, which includes most of New Tampa, in the Florida House of Representatives. He is a former parishioner of the church who said he recalls the relationship between Grace Episcopal and Tampa Palms, which donated land for the church. “This has always been the little community church of Tampa Palms,” Rep. Harrison said.
Bishop Smith turned the soil at the place where the sanctuary’s future altar will be. As he did so, he noted the significance of the occasion, which he referred to as “a moment of aspiration for the church. What we are doing today in simply turning dirt will create a space of transcendence.”
Among members of the congregation who gathered for the groundbreaking, the consensus is that Grace Episcopal is, above all, a welcoming place.
Bernard and Nancy Guss are founding members of the church, and also are a mixed-religion couple. Bernard is Jewish and Nancy is Episcopalian. They say Grace has been a spiritual home that has accommodated both of their respective beliefs.
Bishop Dabney T. Smith, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida, turns dirt at the future site of Grace Episcopal Church’s new altar. He is flanked by (left) Fr. Benjamin Twinamaani, the church rector, and the Revd. Deacon Lynn Grinnell.
“Nancy and I visited several churches before coming here,” Bernard said. “We felt like it was open to a variety of beliefs. It’s truly a unifying place where I have felt welcome.”
Zainaba and Charles Forster are both from the West African nation of Sierra Leone who now make their home in Heritage Isles. Charles said that Grace Episcopal Church is a tranquil place that is always open. “It is indeed what church is supposed to be,” Charles said.
The Forsters were married by Fr. Benjamin, who has been the church’s spiritual leader since 2005. Fr. Benjamin, who is known throughout the New Tampa area, considers the new sanctuary to be a tangible expression of Grace Episcopal’s commitment to the local community.
“We are renewing our identity as a church that anchors the community,’’ Fr. Benjamin said. “In today’s world, we need that.”
Grace Episcopal Church, located at 15102 Amberly Dr. in Tampa Palms, holds services each Sunday at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Visitors are always welcome to attend services. For more information, visit online at GraceNewTampa.org or call (813) 971-8484.
Dr. Marta Rivera (left) sees patients from 1-18 years old in her office in the Tampa Palms Professional Center.
At Pediatric Dentistry of New Tampa, Marta Rivera, D.M.D., offers dentistry — and even orthodontics — for children, in a warm and fun, but professional, atmosphere.
The office has been open in the Tampa Palms Professional Center (across Commerce Park Blvd. from the New Tampa Recreation Center and just 15-20 minutes from most of Wesley Chapel) since 2008. For five years prior to that, Pediatric Dentistry of New Tampa was located in Hunter’s Green.
Dr. Rivera — although most of her patients and their families call her “Dr. Marta” — was born in Brooklyn, NY, and moved with her family to their native Puerto Rico when she was 10 years old.
She graduated from the University of Puerto Rico with a Biology degree and then graduated from the University of Puerto Rico Medical Science Campus School of Dentistry in San Juan. She owned her own general dentistry practice for seven years and also worked with the Olympic committee of Puerto Rico, taking care of the athletes and children who boarded in the specialized training school.
In 1995, Dr. Rivera did a residency in pediatric dentistry at the University Children’s Hospital in San Juan and moved to Florida in 1997. And, after passing the Florida Dental Board, worked in dental offices in Lakeland and Plant City until opening her own private practice.
Services provided at Pediatric Dentistry of New Tampa include digital (low-dose) X-rays, treating periodontal disease, bleaching of teeth for teenagers, sedation dentistry, conscious sedation with nitrous oxide, cosmetic dentistry, mercury-free restorations and custom-made athletic mouth guards.
Dr. Marta mainly sees patients from ages one to 18 (although she does treat some adults, too), and recommends a cleaning and exam when your child turns one.
“We can look at their habits and teach parents how to clean emerging teeth,” she says. “As a dental professional, we can see things that are there, even before the teeth emerge.”
Health Beyond Teeth
Dr. Marta says she tries to integrate a holistic approach when she sees a child, so she not only looks at teeth and dental problems, but also considers other health issues, such as nutrition and food allergies.
“Because we see our patients every six months and sit down and talk with their parents, we can talk about nutrition, habits and other information,” says Dr. Marta. “The relationship is very important.”
For example, she says, kids with recurrent acid reflux generally have more cavities, so sometimes a child who eats the right foods might still be getting cavities because of acid erosion. “If their nutrition is good, but the child is still getting cavities, I refer them to their pediatrician or a pediatric ear, nose and throat specialist. It could be as a result of food sensitivities.”
She says it’s frustrating when kids have cavities when their parents are taking good care of them. “It’s not just sugar or bad hygiene that causes cavities,” she says.
Orthodontics, Too
Dr. Marta says she was the first provider in Florida to offer Myobrace, a type of “myofunctional” (meaning it deals with the muscle function of the mouth) orthodontics.“Some kids have habits that are detrimental to the development of the dental arches, and we can work on that before traditional orthodontics,” she explains.
Dr. Marta says Myobrace is often an ideal treatment to eliminate habits such as thumb sucking or tongue thrust that cause teeth to become misaligned. With Myobrace, a child can correct those habits before beginning traditional orthodontics, or sometimes eliminate the need for traditional orthodontics altogether.
“We evaluate the child’s airway for snoring, grinding teeth, enlarged tonsils, poor posture, breathing issues and speech problems, amongst other issues,” she says. “The myofunctional therapy may help, in conjunction with the help of other professionals like pediatric ear, nose and throat physicians and pediatricians.”
(Note-More information about myofunctional orthodontics can be found at Myobrace.com.)
In addition, Dr. Marta does also provide traditional orthodontics.
“I’m not an orthodontist,” she explains, “but I was highly trained in my residency to do orthodontics.”
She is happy to offer braces to her patients because they already know her and feel comfortable with her. She says she only provides orthodontics to patients she knows she can help and refers more complicated cases to specialists.
Even beyond orthodontics, “We like to offer as many services as we can,” says Dr. Marta. For example, each month, a Board- certified pediatric anesthesiologist comes in to provide deep sedation for Dr. Marta’s patients. This might be for children who have many cavities or extractions, for healthy patients with special needs, or for a laser phrenectomy to eliminate “tongue tie.”
In addition, Dr. Marta says, “We have a multicultural practice and we try to honor the practices of other cultures.”
She explains, “We don’t get away from the standard of care, but we offer other options that can help, but won’t hurt.” As an example, she says, instead of a prescription medicine, she can recommend a mouthwash of essential oil to reduce inflammation.
(Note-Dr. Rivera holds a diploma, in aromatherapy and herbal medicine, from the American College of Healthcare Sciences in Portland, OR, which helps her to recommend these types of alternative therapies for her patients, when they are appropriate and preferred by families.)
Another way she honors her multicultural patients? “I speak English and Spanish,” she says, “and I am trying to learn a little Arabic so I can at least say ‘open’ and ‘close’ so the kids feel safe and comfortable.”
Feeling The Love
Kristie Bond is a parent whose two children have been going to Pediatric Dentistry of New Tampa for several years and says she is impressed with the ways that Dr. Marta has gone above and beyond to make her children feel comfortable.
“My daughter had sensory issues and needed a little more patience and gentle touch,” says Kristie. “We started seeing Dr. Marta when she was about 6 and she’s 14 now.” Not only has Kristie’s daughter had regular cleanings and check-ups, but she also has braces and will be getting them off this summer. Kristie says the entire staff has a great way of putting kids at ease, and she appreciates how courteous and friendly they are.
“We’ve had a very good experience,” Kristie says. “Dr. Marta is amazing. My son, who is 11 now, is on the autism spectrum. He couldn’t do the full-out cleaning (at first), so they worked with me to get him accommodated by using the same room, first showing him the tools and what is to be expected at the cleaning. Then, next time, they just cleaned one tooth. The next appointment, we did a little bit more. Now, he’s able to let them clean all of his teeth. They’ve been very patient and accommodating, and so kind.”
Dr. Marta says her choice to be a pediatric dentist has been an extremely rewarding decision.
“I’ve been doing this long enough that I’ve seen some of my patients graduate and even have babies,” she says. “They even come back from college and visit me.”
She says she loves what she does because of the kids. “They make me laugh,” she says. “We provide a healthy and fun environment, and we have the opportunity to educate them and their parents, too.”
Pediatric Dentistry of New Tampa is located at 5326 Primrose Lake Cir. and is open Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. The office accepts many insurance policies, primarily PPOs. For additional information, see the ad on page 19, call (813) 374-0388 or visit TampaHappySmiles.com.
