Farina Orthodontic Specialists Opens New Building & Office In Wesley Chapel!

Orthodontists Dr. Rudy Wagner (left) and Dr. Mark Farina will keep your kids smiling at their new Farina Orthodontic Specialists office on BBD Blvd. in Wesley Chapel, just north of S.R. 56.

I try not to have to write too many of these business feature stories anymore because, after 24 years of owning and editing the Neighborhood News, I’ve written so many stories about (for the purpose of this story) doctors and dentists of all specialties that it’s hard for me (or anyone, really) to approach each story with a fresh perspective.

So, why I am I so deliriously happy to write this story about Farina Orthodontic Specialists, which recently opened an amazing new office on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just north of S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel?

Because, quite honestly, I will always feel personally indebted to orthodontist Mark Farina, D.M.D. (Doctor of Dental Medicine) because not only did he truly transform the smiles of both of my sons, he showed my entire family his heart. He didn’t just ask the boys questions when they would visit during the years they wore braces, he genuinely cared about what they had to say and still can recite back information about both of them to me today, 15+ years later.

First, a little background about Dr. Farina’s schooling and training. He earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology from Boston College in Boston, MA. He earned his D.M.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia and did his post-graduate orthodontic training at New York University in New York City, NY.

He also has received advanced training in the integrated diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular joint pain, or TMJ, and has served on research teams at both New York University and the University of Pennsylvania to help find new and better ways to solve orthodontic problems.

The new office has lots of great new technology, including a digital impressions machine that eliminates the need for goopy molds.

He also participates in Continuing Education to stay up-to-date on the latest breakthroughs and most effective innovations in the industry and attends more than 80 hours of professional seminars so that he may bring the most advanced diagnosis, treatment and technology to my patients.

Mark started advertising in my publications way back when he only had his original offices — on N. Habana Ave. in West Tampa and an office he shared in the Palm Lake at Tampa Palms office building with oral surgeon Dr. Ted Grellner. He continued to promote his business in these pages when he and general dentist Dr. Rodney Holcombe built a new office in the professional plaza adjacent to what is now called the Shoppes of Amberly in Tampa Palms in 2000.

He did eventually take something of a hiatus from advertising with me a few years after he had transformed Jared’s crossover canine teeth and Jake’s giant “Chicklets” into the gorgeous smiles both still have today. Why? Quite honestly, his Tampa Palms office was already so busy he really couldn’t handle more new patients.

Enter: Dr. Rudy Wagner

When you talk to Mark about his wife, Lissette (who handles the marketing for his practice, which now has three offices) and his own sons, Stefano and Sergio, you will believe he cares about you and your children the same way he cares about his own family. He doesn’t just appreciate your business. He feels it is his honor and privilege that you have entrusted something so precious to any parent as your child’s smile to him and he will always take the time to ensure they end up looking the way you expect when he finishes his work.   

So, even though neither of his sons took an interest in becoming an orthodontist, Mark’s nephew, Dr. Rudy Wagner, who was born in the U.S. but raised in Puerto Rico, did decide to become a dentist. The always-smiling Dr. Rudy joined Mark in 2015, after graduating with his D.M.D. degree from the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine in San Juan, where he also earned both his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology and his Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Dental Sciences.

Dr. Rudy also did post-graduate work at Lehigh Valley Hospital, in Allentown, PA, where he had a general practice residency, and his post-graduate orthodontic training at the University of Puerto Rico.

The New Office

Due to the overcrowding at his New Tampa office — he says that he and Dr. Rudy have now helped improve 20,000 smiles the last 24 years — and wanting to expand into the booming Wesley Chapel market, Mark and Lissette purchased some property from the Porter family three years ago in the Wiregrass Ranch area, between Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) and the also-new Florida Medical Clinic building.

New Tampa residents should have no trouble finding the new Farina Orthodontics office in Wesley Chapel, because of its unique cube shape and clock facing BBD.

And, a few weeks ago, the unique, cube-shaped building housing the new Wesley Chapel office of Farina Orthodontic Specialists opened on the 5,333-sq.-ft. first floor of the three-story, 16,000-sq.-ft. building. Mark says a periodontist and an endodontist are going to occupy the 2nd floor of the building, but he still has the 5,333-sq.-ft. third floor available. “It has amazing views and would be perfect for an injury rehab center or any professional use.”

He adds, “It’s crazy, but we’re already seeing 20-30 patients a day at the new office,” Mark says. “Of course, this office is twice the size of the one in Tampa Palms.”

New digs require new technology and there’s no doubt that Mark’s new office has the most incredible technology I’ve seen at a dentist’s office to date — and I’ve seen a few.

There is a digital X-ray machine that takes complete, 3D images of your mouth, jaw and all of your teeth in 4.8 seconds, with lower radiation than any traditional X-ray machine.

But, the most amazing thing to me at the new office was the new digital machine (above right) that can create custom-fitted molds of your mouth for braces or sleep apnea appliances without having to chomp down into trays covered with goop. I know I’ve choked on that goop before, so I wasn’t surprised when Mark told me that, “People throw up from the goop all the time. But, not only is the new machine easier for patients, the digitally-created molds we make are so much precise than the goop. And, with our new machine, it only takes a few minutes.”

Think You’ll Save Money With ‘Smile Direct?’ Think Again!

Mark and Dr. Rudy agree that orthodontists across the country currently are dealing with the public perception that it’s worth the initial lower investment to get invisible aligners from on-line companies like Candid and Smile Club Direct. But, they say people who choose that route for themselves or their children don’t understand how much having an experienced orthodontist not only create your appliances,  but make sure that everything is going according to plan by actually meeting with the patient every few weeks, is worth.

“Mark and I literally spend one day per week working with patients who have had bad experiences with online aligners,” Dr. Rudy says. “Having to fix a problem is much harder and costs more than coming to us first.”

In other words, if you want to transform your smile or your child’s, you should at least visit the new Farina Orthodontic Specialists office in Wesley Chapel.

And, if you like the analog clock on the side of the new building, you can thank Stefano Farina. “People remember a building with a clock on it,” he told his dad. “It’ll set you apart.”

Farina Orthodontic Specialists’ Wesley Chapel office is located at 2370 BBD Blvd., Ste. 100. For info, call (813) 964-3081 or visit FarinaSmiles.com. For the Tampa Palms office (15303 Amberly Dr., Ste. E), call (813) 972-2929 and please tell them the Neighborhood News sent you!

Sylvan Learning Center Offers Successful Approach

At the Sylvan Learning Center in Wesley Chapel, (l.-r.) assistant director Kristi Chatham, director Lara Riordan, director of education Caitlyn Hussey and owner Dr. Judy Johnson tailor lessons, taught by certified teachers, to each student’s individual academic needs.

Dr. Judy Johnson brought Sylvan Learning to the Tampa Bay area more than three decades ago, when she opened her first Sylvan Learning Center in Carrollwood in 1985.

Her students from 30 years ago now bring their children — or those who brought their kids now bring grandchildren — telling Dr. Johnson they remember how much it helped them, and how much they enjoyed their time at the center.

Over the years, the success of the program has led to expansion locally, and Dr. Johnson opened her fifth Bay-area center this past October. The newest location is here in Wesley Chapel, in the Summergate Professional Center in Seven Oaks, off of S.R. 56, behind Sam’s Club.

Her Bay-area locations, which also include Carrollwood, Westchase, Temple Terrace and Zephyrhills, are among the more than 750 Sylvan Learning Centers worldwide.

Dr. Johnson is a lifelong educator who holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Special Education from the University of South Florida in Tampa, which she received in 1995. Previously, she completed a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Counseling from Ball State University in Muncie, IN, in 1977 and a Master of Education (M.E.) degree in Biology from the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1971.

Since the Wesley Chapel center opened last fall, Kristi Chatham has served as its director. She has been with Sylvan for three years, and previously was at the Zephyrhills location and prior to that, worked as an instructor at a Sylvan Learning Center in Alabama.

“I like it because I know it works,” Kristi says. “I’ve seen it.”

As of May 1, Kristi took a step back to be the assistant director of the center, allowing her to spend more time with her family. Lara Riordan is now the new director. Lara has been the director of the Temple Terrace center since 2005. She started with Sylvan as an instructor in New York in 2000.

A Proven Model

The Sylvan model means students have a maximum ratio of three students to one teacher, so they’re never in large groups where they can be overlooked. Students come to Sylvan to get ahead, for extra practice, for test preparation or whatever they need.

“We’re not tutors fixing one skill for one test,” explains Lara. We are a solution for all (of your child’s) academic needs.”

“We’re not just for remediation,” adds Dr. Johnson, “We work with accelerated kids – kids who want to go to Harvard.”

Sylvan Learning Centers are staffed by certified teachers who receive additional training in the Sylvan program. They then teach students lessons, which vary based on the child and are flexible for each individual student. The Wesley Chapel location currently has about 10 teachers on staff, including the director, assistant director and director of education Caitlyn Hussey.

“I still teach,” Dr. Johnson says. “It’s a good way to see what’s going on and meet with families.”

Sylvan’s program starts with a diagnostic assessment, then the teacher creates a “prescription” for the student, to ensure lessons are properly tailored to each individual’s needs.

“All of us have a knowledge base,” explains Dr. Johnson. “When we go to school, we have to sit through things we already know.” Sylvan is different, she adds. “We find out what a child knows. We figure out where they’re strong and weak.”

Then, she explains the child is taught “on the edges of where they need to be,” so the lesson is neither boring nor too hard.

“The programs are as individualized as they need to be,” explains Caitlin. “My challenge is to ensure that each program is sufficiently challenging to meet each student’s needs.”

As an endorsement of Sylvan Learning Center, Dr. Johnson shares that recently, an investor traveled from China to the U.S. to evaluate all of the different learning center companies, doing an extensive investigation before making his investment in education in China.  The result of his research? “He bought 200 Sylvan Learning Center franchises,” Dr. Johnson says.

Here in Wesley Chapel, Nicole Buzard has been bringing her son, Carter, to Sylvan twice a week for the last couple of months and says, “It’s been all positives so far.”

Carter is a gifted student who is at the top of his class, so Nicole says his teacher recommended advanced skills.

“I tried working with him at home,” she says, “but I didn’t feel structured enough.” She says once Carter mastered one skill, she didn’t immediately know the next skill he should work on.

“I was looking for enrichment and it led me to Sylvan,” says Nicole. “He enjoys the extra math work. He’s excited, and I never have to force it.”

Nicole says her son’s enthusiasm for attending Sylvan is rubbing off on her 10-year-old daughter, Ava, too.

“She’s not one who would want to do extra schoolwork, so I didn’t really explore it as an option for her,” Nicole explains. “But, she has seen how excited my son is, and now she wants to go.”

Nicole says the office staff is easy to work with and flexible to meet her needs and schedule. She says the Wesley Chapel Sylvan Learning Center is a quality program.

“They know what they’re doing and — even with my son already being good at math –— I’ve seen improvements.”

While many people believe these learning center programs are expensive, the Sylvan staff says they are happy to work with families to make it affordable. “We offer different programs at different price points, with budget-friendly programs,” explains Dr. Johnson

“It’s a really good option for an extracurricular activity,” she adds. “Kids enjoy intellectual stimulation and learning things they don’t usually learn in a typical education setting.”

Sylvan Learning Center will offer STEM camps this summer, including robotics, engineering, coding, LEGO, writing, MATH and ACT/SAT prep. Most camps run Monday through Thursday in the morning or afternoon.

The Sylvan Learning Center at Seven Oaks is located at 27724 Cashford Cir., #102. Business hours for the center are Mon.–Thurs., 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m., Fri. by appointment only and Saturday, 9 a.m.–noon. Teaching hours vary based on the day and will be different in the summer. For details, call (800) EDU-CATE, visit Educate.com, or see the ad on page 36.

City Council Puts Hold On K-Bar Expansion

Craig Margelowsky says he is one of many residents of K-Bar Ranch that would prefer to see more roads built before allowing more homes.  The Tampa City Council agrees. (Photo: John C. Cotey)

 

Stop!

That’s the message from Tampa’s City Council, which is tapping the brakes – something quite familiar to New Tampa residents trying to get around our already congested roads — on allowing any more new homes to be built in K-Bar Ranch, at least until there is a way for the people that buy those homes to leave the community in their automobiles.

Ideally, the city says, connector roads into Pasco County would help reduce some of the transportation issues facing New Tampa.
At the City Council’s May 3 meeting in downtown Tampa, District 7’s Luis Viera led the charge have the Council postpone a decision to allow 698 more homes to be built in K-Bar Ranch, located in the northeast corner of New Tampa between Kinnan St. and Morris Bridge Rd.

A final vote is scheduled for Thursday, June 28.

Pasco has concluded it’s Wesley Chapel Roadway Connection study by then, which is expected to clarify some of Tampa’s issues.

That study, commissioned more than a year ago, is looking at three connections between Tampa and Wesley Chapel — at Kinnan St.-Mansfield Blvd., at K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. and Meadow Pointe Blvd., and at a two-way connection where Wyndfields Blvd. would connect to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. as well as to Morris Bridge Rd.

Until they are agreed to, Viera says new homes will just exacerbate a major problem in the area, where residents currently only have one road (Kinnan St.) out of K-Bar Ranch.

Any connections are dependent upon the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County finding a solution to the decade-long standoff with Pasco County, which has been resistant to the idea of connecting Kinnan St. to Mansfield Blvd.

Negotiations have been, at times, very contentious.

“The way I see this is, we have a constant crisis in the New Tampa area and it’s not just the things we’ve heard today (about traffic),” Viera said at the May 3 meeting. “This is really a crisis of governments not really working together.”

Viera was the only council member who opposed the plan to build more homes in K-Bar Ranch when the first reading of the plan was held in April. But, between then and May 3, he gained an ally in District 2 councilman Charlie Miranda.

“Although I supported this the first reading, I was hoping between the first and second reading Pasco would come out of its coma,” Miranda said. “Evidently, it has not.”

Miranda lamented the speed of development in the current economic environment, without the sufficient infrastructure to support it. Those two things, he said, need to go hand in hand.

“It’s a problem for the whole area, the whole city, they whole county, the whole state, the whole country,” Miranda said. “When you do not invest in infrastructure, something is going to give….we can’t continue to have prosperity with no parking or transportation.”

The decision to delay any further development in K-Bar Ranch was greeted with a clap of the hands by Craig Margelowsky, the president of Heron Preserve in K-Bar Ranch.

“Nobody wants it,” he says of more development. “Not without the roads.”

K-Bar Ranch already has 700 homes built, with another 500 or so already approved and coming. If M/I Homes, the developer, is successful in gaining approval for another 700, more than 2,000 homes will complete K-Bar and add thousands of cars to New Tampa’s already congested roads.

A member of the New Tampa Council, Margelowsky has long been a proponent of making the connection between Kinnan St. and Mansfield Blvd., as well as pushing for speedier construction of K-Bar Ranch Pkwy., which will run from Kinnan St. east to Morris Bridge Rd. Because morning traffic currently only has one road out of K-Bar Ranch, it backs up to the point of taking residents 10-15 minutes just to get out of their neighborhoods.

An accident last month near Pride Elementary blocked traffic for 45 minutes. And last summer, Margelowsky said there were traffic jams during Hurricane Irma evacuations.

“There’s a choke point there,” he says. “There was nothing anyone could do.”

Margelowsky says he warned the city and developers last year that the roads in and around K-Bar Ranch cannot support any new homes. He told the Tampa City Council, “We can’t get out”, and asked that before issuing any more certificates of occupancy (COs), that K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. should first have to be completed out to Kinnan St.

COs, however, were issued in March of 2017 he says, but the parkway wasn’t completed to Kinnan until two months ago.

“We have 1,200 homes, and we still don’t have two exits out,” Margelowsky says. “We have Kinnan. What are we supposed to do?”

Connecting Kinnan St. and Mansfield Blvd. has been argued as one solution, but the City of Tampa is now demanding that all three connections be made.

If not, no more homes in K-Bar Ranch.

“We need to connect them all,” said Melanie Calloway, the senior transportation planning engineer for Tampa. She said the city is stipulating that if Meadow Pointe Blvd. is connected to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy — as they believe Pasco desires, — “then Kinnan gets done at the same time.”

If Pasco does not agree, then the Wyndfields Blvd. extension connections to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. and Morris Bridge Rd. — connections that Pasco officials want to see built — will not be considered.

“We hope that it gets done,” Calloway said. “We can’t make another municipality connect to our roadways. But, we try our best to let them know we are open. All connections. Not just pick and choose. It is important for traffic distribution.”

No one on the Tampa side seems overly optimistic that all of the connections can be agreed to, but all fingers at the May 3 meeting pointed to Pasco County for being at fault.

Attorney Donna Feldman, who is representing M/I Homes, the developer, said the City of Tampa has gone out of its way to get the connections made, but Pasco “is really standing in the way.”

Feldman pointed out that the two counties were able to work together on a Sunlake Blvd. extension from Land O’Lakes in Pasco County into Hillsborough a few years ago, but can’t solve their current quandary.

“That was done cooperatively,” Feldman said. “Okay, Pasco, so what’s wrong with these? That’s the question.”

Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan, who says he has worked on connecting Kinnan-Mansfield for a decade, said that years ago, Pasco County commissioners agreed to make the Kinnan-Manfield connection.

He said at the time, he had stats showing that large numbers of Pasco County residents were flocking to New Tampa to use the recreation center, library and parks.

However, as Pasco County Dist. 2 commissioner Mike Moore has noted, the tide has turned. Because of the massive growth along the northern end of Mansfield Blvd., in Wiregrass Ranch and along S.R. 56, he doesn’t think Meadow Pointe’s residents desire or need the connection to be made anymore.

And despite the City of Tampa’s claims, he says it is Tampa that has declined to work with Pasco in the past, perhaps missing its chance.

Even at a time when metropolitan planning organizations and transportation boards in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties seem to be urging regional cooperation and connectivity, the gap between Kinnan St. and Mansfield Blvd. continues to be more of a cavernous valley than the 30-foot patch of grass, dirt and trash that remains there.