Massage Envy Is Celebrating Nearly A Decade Of Making New Tampa Feel Better!

Massage Envy Wesley Chapel has so much more to offer than just licensed massage therapy (LMT).

With Massage Envy’s many skin care options, members and guests can enjoy a facial, add total body skin care to their massage, or combine the two for one incredible “spa day.”

Located just south of S.R. 56 on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (in the same plaza as Nutrition Smart) in Wesley Chapel, Massage Envy has been helping the residents of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel feel better since it first opened back in 2009.

The Wesley Chapel location owned by Bobbi Royak is part of a national franchise based in Scottsdale, AZ.

Founded in 2002, Massage Envy today has more than 1,170 franchised locations in 49 states that have together delivered more than 135 million massages and facials.

“We’ve been in the Wesley Chapel market for (almost) 10 years,” Bobbi says. “One thing we try to do better than anyone else is customer service. We have some customers — and therapists — who have been with us since we opened.”

With about 35 licensed massage therapists on staff, Massage Envy offers both earlier and later hours than most of its competitors — until 10 p.m. most nights — so you can make an appointment for your massage at the most convenient time for your schedule.

“We offer memberships, which most people do because the cost is much lower than the non-member rate, especially to come on a regular basis,” says Sondra Davis, the Wesley Chapel assistant manager, adding that the cost of membership includes one massage per month, with a discounted price for additional massages the same month.

While Massage Envy has a large staff, Sondra and fellow assistant manager Carissa Epstein emphasize that when customers come in, the entire staff makes it feel personal for each client.

“Our therapists treat everyone like family,” says Carissa. “They really get to know their clients’ bodies, and can give advice and (create) customized plans.”

Sondra agrees.

“We aren’t just the ‘big chain’ that people think we are,” she says. “Our guests and members leave here both feeling good and knowing someone cares about them.”

Bobbi explains that while some people who come in for a massage just want to relax, others are dealing with injuries.

“Our therapists are well trained in all of the different modalities to target the needs of each customer,” she says. “Every customer is different and has different needs, whether it’s massage or skincare, and we have a service to help them.”

All massages are customized for the individual.

“You pay for the duration of your massage,” says Carissa, “not the type.”

You could choose a sports massage or deep tissue massage, for example, or a combination of both. Other massage types include Swedish, prenatal and geriatric massages and trigger point therapies.

Many people don’t necessarily know what type of massage they want. That’s okay. When you call to make an appointment, the front desk staff will take time to match you with the right therapist, based on what you’re looking for and the therapist’s specialties.

Whether you’re looking to relax or to relieve pain from arthritis, tension headaches, everyday aches and pains or something else, Massage Envy can customize a program to help you.

“Our goal is to make you feel better,” says Carissa.

Satisfied Customers…
Bruce and Linda Danzis are Meadow Pointe residents who discovered Massage Envy more than eight years ago. “I suffer from MS (multiple sclerosis) and my walk isn’t the best,” says Bruce, “so I was always getting knots in my back. I saw a chiropractor for 25 years, and that did nothing.”

Then, an acquaintance suggested he try his first deep tissue massage at Massage Envy.

“I went to try it and it was phenomenal,” says Bruce, who now gets a deep tissue massage twice a month and says most of the time, he stays pain-free. “Deep tissue massages have helped me unbelievably.”

Bruce says that over the years, he’s had deep tissue massages by several of the licensed massage therapists at the Wesley Chapel Massage Envy, and all have provided a quality massage that has relieved his pain 100 percent.

“They always ask me how it feels,” Bruce says, “If my lower back is not good, they continue to work on it until it’s satisfactory.”

Bruce loved Massage Envy so much, he encouraged his wife to get a massage, too. Linda saw the difference it made for her husband, and decided she would give it a try, too.

Linda says that before she went to Massage Envy, she was never even interested in having a massage.
“I thought it was a luxury thing,” she says. “But now, doing it, I understand it more and it really is a necessity. It makes your body feel so much better.”

Not only does Linda feel more relaxed and calm after a massage, she says that it has helped with pain relief for her, as well.

“One time I threw out my back and couldn’t walk,” she says. “My massage therapist got me feeling better. Anytime anything happens, you think you might go to the doctor or pop a pill or go to a chiropractor, but I go to Massage Envy.”

Bruce also appreciates the warmth of the staff.

“The best part of it is when you walk in, everyone is so happy to see you,” he says, “From the people at the desk to the manager, everyone there is beyond nice. They are so accommodating and couldn’t be any nicer if they tried. They take care of us and are just excellent.”

That’s what Bobbi, the franchise owner, always wants and expects to hear.

“We focus on wellness and making a difference in people’s lives,” Bobbi says. “People ask me why I got into this business. I got into it because it helps people who want to get massages and those who need to — and we cater to both.”

Don’t Forget About Your Skin
Not only does Linda now get a massage each month at Massage Envy, she says she gets facials there now, too.

Among Massage Envy’s most popular skin treatment options are microderm infusion, an exfoliating treatment that adds serum into the skin, as well as chemical peels.

There also are enhancements to your full body massage, such as Cy-Me (pronounced “see me”) boosts, which are Massage Envy’s exclusive serums and are infused into the massage lotion to treat the whole body, in formulas such as hydrating, firming and clarifying.

Other massage enhancements available at Massage Envy include total body stretching. Carissa says it’s an assisted stretching program that includes breathing techniques to help clients relax.

“It’s good for athletes,” Carissa says. “Golfers and tennis players especially love it, either in conjunction with their massage or on its own.”

Got To Have ‘Percussion?’
Massage Envy also offers a technique called percussion, which uses a vibrating massage device prior to your massage, with the client fully clothed. Carissa says 10 minutes of percussion, which is meant to be a massage enhancement, is equivalent to 30 minutes with the massage therapist using his or her hands.
Massage Envy is involved in the community, too.

“We donate a lot of massages back to the community for school auctions and events,” says Bobbi. “We are very involved in those kinds of things; we like to be part of the community.”

Massage Envy Wesley Chapel is located at 1821 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Suite 124. It is open Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m. – 10 p.m., from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Sunday. For more information or to make an appointment, visit MassageEnvy.com or call (813) 948-5600.

Creativity Unpinned Offers Unique Gifts, Artisan-Created Crafts & More!

Bracelets made from recycled t-shirts.

Moving, metal art made from nuts and bolts that look just like a dog, a scuba diver and even a Minion from “Despicable Me.”

There also are margarita glasses that seem to belong in a chemistry lab.

There’s something special about the kinds of hand-made, artisan-created treasures you can find at a weekend craft fair.

At Creativity Unpinned, you don’t have to wait for the weekend or take a long drive to find unique gifts. Owner Wendy O’Neill says that it’s like the craft fair comes to you, all in one convenient place, available whenever the mall is open.

Creativity Unpinned is one of the newer stores at the Shops at Wiregrass, and is located in the space that was formerly occupied by the Gymboree store.

It opened in April, and since then, Wendy says more and more customers are discovering her many one-of-a-kind items that are either the perfect gift — or even the perfect find for themselves.

At Creativity Unpinned, 56 different artisans currently rent space to share their hand-crafted treasures.
“Everybody’s stuff is different,” Wendy explains, saying that all but three of her artisans are local.

She also explains that 80 percent of what’s in the store is hand-made, while the other 20 percent is a collection of unique lines of items, such as Mozi rings, or their glow-in-the-dark counterparts, Glozi rings.

“They are crazy fun,” Wendy says, showing off the unique contraption that is somewhat reminiscent of the old Slinky, but instead rolls up and down your arms and can be passed from person to person.

“We like to be interactive,” she says, so she hands the toy to anyone who wants to try it in the store.
Creativity Unpinned is filled with handmade items so that everyone can find something special, such as tooth fairy pillows, hand-drawn artwork and cards, stunning photography, doll outfits and hand-painted glassware.

There’s a Christmas section with the eye-catching and fun Deb’s Tacky Sweaters.

“They are hilarious,” Wendy says, showing off sweaters, sweater vests — even a dress — decorated with outrageously tacky ornaments, sure to be the talk of any Christmas party.

Many other Christmas-themed gifts are available, too, such as dish towels and “Santa Cam” ornaments.
Wendy also says that items throughout the store reflect popular themes, such as unicorns or mermaids, which are hot sellers right now.

Book pillows are a popular item, she says, with a pocket sewn into the pillow that you can tuck a book into. The vendor who makes the book pillows even provides a free book of the customer’s choice with the purchase of a pillow.

See something you like but it’s not exactly right? Because most of the store’s items are handmade, nearly anything at Creativity Unpinned can be custom-made, such as a book pillow customized to complement your child, grandchild, niece or nephew’s favorite bedtime story.

Wendy says her customers love their pets, and items throughout the store with pet themes also are popular. Plus, you can order a personalized caricature of your pet, or pick out handmade clothes for your pooch — anything from a leather jacket to a bathrobe.

Creativity Unpinned also features a wide variety of price points, since vendors set their own prices. There’s even a line of kids’ items that is priced intentionally so kids can choose something they can buy with their own allowance money.

Wendy says there is room for about 75 vendors in the store, but that there is a waiting list for several types of artisans, such as those who create jewelry.

“We want a nice variety of jewelry,” says Wendy, which she says she now has with different artistic influences from countries such as Venezuela and Mexico, a variety of materials from natural items such as flowers and leaves to Italian glass. “But, we don’t want to become a jewelry store.”

She says she looks for high quality, and she has turned vendors away whose quality wasn’t up to her standards.

“We give creative entrepreneurs the opportunity to own a business,” Wendy says. “It amazes me what our artisans come up with. They really blow me away.”

Creativity Unpinned sometimes does classes and special events, such as the class on making shadowboxes that was taught after hours one Sunday evening.

Fund Raisers, Too!
A recent fundraiser allowed each vendor at Creativity Unpinned to choose a charity they would like to support. Shoppers voted for their favorite one, and the winning charity – Trinity Outreach – will receive $500, the proceeds of a special sale of items donated for the event. “It raised awareness for charities,” explains Wendy, “and people had fun with it.”

Creativity Unpinned has three employees, and like Wendy, they are all dedicated to top-notch customer service.

“We’ll point out things to you and tell you the backstory that makes an item even more interesting,” Wendy says. “We can do that because these items aren’t mass produced.”

She emphasizes that she wants customers to come in and touch and smell and feel the products, which is something her vendors appreciate.

For example, there is Rhonda McDaniel’s line of artisan soaps, called A Caring Touch Skin Therapy.

“I love being a vendor at Creativity Unpinned because my products are available to customers at the mall,” Rhonda says. “I like shopping there myself.”

While she mostly sells her products online, she likes that her website now tells people they can visit Creativity Unpinned to see her products in person.

Rhonda says she loves interacting with the customers who are interested in her artisan soaps. “When I go in the store, I can see their excitement about the product and answer their questions,” she says.

Creativity Unpinned is located at 28163 Paseo Dr., #180. For more information, search “Creativity Unpinned” on Facebook, or call (813) 575-9605.

Local Teen Lands Role In NYC Musical For Teens With Bleeding Disorders

Natalie Rubin says she lives by a personal mantra.

“Although having an illness limits you,” she says, “for every one thing you can’t do, there are a million things you can do.”

The Freedom High senior has a blood disease called Von Willebrand disease, a genetic disorder caused by a low level of clotting proteins in the blood. It was discovered when Natalie was 12. She got really sick, and the medications prescribed to her thinned her blood, resulting in her entire body being covered with bruises and petechial, or small red or purple spots caused by bleeding into the skin.

Now 17, Natalie has lived with the disease ever since. She tries to focus on things she loves, such as music and her position as a woodwind captain in Freedom’s band, playing tenor sax in marching band and bass clarinet in concert band.

She has to be extra cautious, though, because she bruises so easily, and her disorder can mean her blood doesn’t clot.

“When they throw rifles in marching band, I always think that I have to be very careful,” she says, as a bump to the head could be catastrophic for her.

While Natalie recognizes her limitations — she can’t play lacrosse or give boxing a try, both things she says she’s wanted to do — she looks for opportunities to live out her personal mantra and focus on the things she can enjoy to the fullest.

When the opportunity to audition for a unique opportunity to be in a New York City musical focusing on teenagers affected by blood disorders such as hemophilia and Von Willebrand disease, Natalie submitted an audition video and an essay, where she shared her personal mantra.

Although she called it “a long shot,” Natalie was one of only 25 teenagers from across the U.S. who ultimately were chosen for the performance,  called “Hemophilia: The Musical.”

Their essays were the inspiration for the songs that were written for the production.

Natalie’s aforementioned personal mantra was used in the production.

On Nov. 9, Natalie and the other teenagers arrived in New York City. and the spent some time touring the city, as well as many hours in rehearsals.

They had prepared at home, where their rehearsals were spent working with a professional voice coach, choreographer and others to bring their voices together for the one performance of the musical, held just a few days later — on Nov. 12, at the New World Stages in Manhattan.

“It was such an amazing, extravagant trip,” Natalie says, explaining that it was provided to the students at no cost to them, and included a stay in NYC’s Fashion District and being shuttled around the city to tourist destinations such as Times Square, where Natalie and the other teens’ names were highlighted on one of the city’s famous huge billboards, advertising the musical.

She says her favorite thing about participating was all the people she met, and she took away from it a message of how precious life is.

As a high school senior, Natalie is looking toward her future. She says she plans to major in medical genetics.

“Growing up with a health condition, it makes you feel different,” Natalie explains. “Then, maybe you go to camp and meet people like you and feel like you fit in, but you realize you’ve bonded over a sad thing. I want to cure something so kids don’t have to feel like that.”

She volunteers as a youth ambassador for the Hemophilia Foundation of Greater Florida, which serves people with bleeding disorders such as hemophilia, Von Willebrand disease, and others. She says the foundation is a great source of support to her.

Natalie adds that her participation in “Hemophilia: The Musical”  helped her think about what it really means to be a teenager living with a bleeding disorder. She explains that she is part of the first generation to have access to blood factor products, which are lifesaving to people with conditions like hers.

“I’m not lucky that I have this illness,” Natalie says, “but I am lucky that I have a full life and I can live with it. The last line of the musical is, ‘We’re still here today.’ It’s powerful because we’re here in honor of all the people who can’t be here because of their bleeding disorders.”

To view the performance, visit BreakingThroughHemophilia.com.

How New Tampa Voted: Blue Wave Floods Longtime Local Pols Out Of Office

Victor Crist

As it turns out, there was a Blue Wave after all.

Locally, though, it was more like a Blue Tidal Wave.

While Democrats lost ground in the U.S. Senate nationally, despite picking up a slew of House seats, the local wave, by a surprisingly large margin, washed a pair of longtime New Tampa Republicans out to sea — Hillsborough County commissioner and Tampa Palms resident and Dist. 2 Hillsborough County commissioner Victor Crist, and Dist. 63 State House Representative and Hunter’s Green resident Shawn Harrison.

And, a third local Republican, county commissioner and former New Tampa resident Ken Hagan, won his election by a much narrower margin than expected.

In the race for the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) District 2 seat previously held by Crist, Hagan had a huge advantage in both name recognition (as the point man in luring the Tampa Bay Rays to Tampa) and in money — he raised more than 10 times what Democrat and political newcomer Angela Birdsong was able to raise.

But, that only translated to a narrow 52-48 percent victory for the seat Crist vacated due to term limits that represents Citrus Park, Lutz, Temple Terrace, Brandon and New Tampa.

“I would say that I expected the margin to be closer than I’ve been accustomed to, so it wasn’t completely unexpected,” said Hagan, who won his previous two elections by double digits. “The reality is, Hillsborough County has gone from a Republican county to a Democratic stronghold. That was reflected up and down the ballot. And, New Tampa also has gone from Republican to Democrat.”

Hagan, who has spearheaded a number of big projects here in New Tampa and has attended two town halls in the area the past year alone, lost New Tampa’s 18 precincts to Birdsong by a surprisingly large number: nearly 3,000 votes. Hagan won just two precincts, 357 (which includes part of Tampa Palms) and 361, which is Hunter’s Green.

Fentrice Driskell

Harrison lost his Florida House District 63 seat to another political neophyte in Democrat Fentrice Driskell, although what is typically a fairly close race wasn’t this time around.

Driskell, seen as one of the rising stars to emerge from the 2018 election, beat Harrison by more than 4,500 votes. She focused some of her campaign energy on New Tampa, and it apparently paid off, as she defeated Harrison 57-43 percent in New Tampa.

Shawn Harrison

The only precinct Harrison won was Hunter’s Green, where he is a resident, and even that was only by a 55-vote margin. In 2016, Harrison beat Lisa Montelione partly on the strength of almost 600 more votes in his home precinct.

The District 63 seat, which also represents Lutz, Carrollwood and the University of South Florida area, is back in Democratic hands for the first time since 2014.

Crist, a visible New Tampa figure who has worked diligently to bring a cultural center to the area, failed in an attempt to win Hagan’s old countywide seat in District 5. He lost handily to Democrat Mariella Smith 52-45 percent, or by nearly 39,000 votes. Crist, who had never lost an election since entering politics more than 20 years ago, had won his last two District 2 races by 38,000 and 12,000 votes.

“It’s something I saw coming,” said Crist. “I believe in scientific polling and we polled early on and saw that there was going to be trouble. I knew even before I had an opponent that I would most likely face a tough time in this election.”

Even on what is essentially his home turf, Crist could not find any footing in New Tampa, losing every precinct by sizable numbers and by a 60-40 percentage.

In the other countywide county commission face, Democrat Kim Overman defeated Republican Todd Marks by 53-45 percent in District 7.

Pebble Creek resident Karen Perez will join the Hillsborough County School Board after besting Henry “Shake” Washington 54-45 percent. Perez, who ran unsuccessfully for the Florida House in 2006, was the voter’s choice in every New Tampa precinct.

In other news, tax referendums to raise money for transportation and education passed by a greater percentage in New Tampa than in the rest of the county.

While the one-cent transportation tax passed with 57.3 percent of the vote countywide, New Tampa voters favored the measure with 60.1 percent saying yes.

The education tax, which passed all of Hillsborough with 56.3 percent of the vote, received 60.5 percent of the votes cast in New Tampa.

Finally: Bruce B. Done

Imagine being a traffic engineer for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and director of public works in Hillsborough County for 29 years, going to work, designing traffic layouts and signals to help traffic flows in 14 Florida counties.

Imagine doing your highly stressful job so well and acquiring so many admirers along the way, that when you suddenly pass away, it is so heartbreaking that they re-name a road in your honor.

Now, imagine your name is Bruce Barkley Downs.

• • •

In New Tampa, you won’t have Bruce B. Downs to kick around much longer, as the widening of the much-maligned, and breathlessly-besmirched boulevard that bears the late Mr. Downs’ name is now — finally — complete.

But, not completely complete, mind you.

Bruce B. Downs

There is still a light to install at Trout Creek Dr., which was determined to be a need after the project began. There also are a few patches here and there that need to be smoothed out, and trees and other aesthetic elements to put into place.

As we went to press with this issue, just before Thanksgiving, there were portions of a few northbound lanes receiving their final paving layers, and some of those dreaded and all-too-familiar orange cones are lying around. But, by the time this issue hits mailboxes, we are told they will have vanished.

All eight lanes — eight! — of Bruce B. Downs, for all intents and purposes, are finally Bruce B. Done.

“It’s good to finally get the last piece done,” says Jim Hudock, Hillsborough County’s Public Works director, the same job Downs once held.

• • •

The project was a big one, right from the start. Though construction actually began in 2010, the decade before that was filled with discussions and planning and petitions and angry residents, but for years, no money to do anything.

What was formerly N. 30th St. before being named for Bruce B. Downs in 1986, what is now New Tampa’s primary artery, used to be called the “Road To Nowhere,” a seemingly endless stretch of road that ran all the way north to S.R. 54, where it dead-ended at a stack of concrete cinder blocks in someplace called Wesley Chapel.

A light will be installed at this intersection at Trout Creek Dr.

“I remember taking friends home that lived in Pebble Creek, and it seemed like three counties north of here,”  says Ken Hagan, who was elected as the Hillsborough County District 2 commissioner representing the New Tampa area after serving in the same role in the county-wide District 5 seat the last five years.

Hagan remembers drag racing on the “Road To Nowhere,” before it was even fully paved, when he attended Chamberlain High School on Busch Blvd., as his father did before him.

But, New Tampa was exploding — and northern neighbor Wesley Chapel wasn’t too far behind — and it was obvious to everyone that lived here that our main thoroughfare was not going to be able to handle all of that growth.

“That’s why it was always No. 1 on our unfunded list,” says Hagan, adding that he has worked diligently since entering public life to secure more than $100-million for the project. “The road was not initially constructed to hold the existing capacity, much less the growth that was undoubtedly going to occur. Hopefully, we have learned from those mistakes.”

Wishful thinking, perhaps? M/I Homes was recently approved to build 400 more homes in the K-Bar Ranch community, which has only one road out of it and could face similar problems with old, outdated “country roads” like Morris Bridge Rd. in the future.

• • •

The $131-million, 8.5-mile-long widening of BBD, the largest and most expensive of any similar project in Hillsborough County’s history, was done in four segments, and the first — Segments B and C together — was a 3.4-mile stretch from Palm Springs Blvd. in Tampa Palms north to Pebble Creek Dr.

Segments B & C were the hardest segments, with more than 60,000 daily vehicle trips and the I-75 interchange to contend with, and ended up costing $52.3 million.

This has been a familiar site for years on Bruce B. Downs. Not for long, says the county.

Segment A followed in 2015, and would cost $54.7 million to transform four and six lanes running from Palm Springs Blvd. south to E. Bearss Ave. into eight glorious lanes.

That last piece, Segment D, began construction in 2016, following a lightly attended public information meeting at Wharton High on Oct. 18.

While many of the businesses along the corridor suffered from lingering construction at their entrances and issues arose with various underground utilities, the high school was both one of the biggest obstacles — and concerns — of New Tampa residents.

“It took a little bit of coordination with the school, and the School Board was great about working with us,” Hudock said. “Anytime you do a construction project, there is going to be some challenges. This required a lot of hard work from a lot of different agencies. There was a lot of land acquisition; businesses had to work with us out there. We are excited to have it all open, and are hopeful that a lot of the lessons we learned in that corridor can be applied to future projects.”

Hudock has heard all of the complaints. He said his department tried to investigate specific issues that were reported, and worked hard at replying to customer service requests.

• • •

Bruce Barkley Downs, after retiring from FDOT, became Hillsborough’s director of Public Works & Safety and the deputy county administrator. According to a 2007 story in the then-St. Petersburg Times, he was in charge of 2,100 miles of roads and bridges.

In 1983, a local newspaper (yes, it pre-dates the Neighborhood News) wrote a story about Downs, stating he had the most stressful job in the county. The day the story came out, Downs, who battled high blood pressure his entire life, collapsed while having lunch with co-workers. He had suffered a major heart and passed away at the age of 53.

On April 17, 1986, on his birthday, the county renamed 30th St. between E. Fowler Ave. and the county line “Bruce B. Downs Blvd.”

It is the main thoroughfare for the University of South Florida, New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. It also has been regarded as one of the most notoriously frustrating roadways in all of Tampa Bay.

Worst traffic? The #1 road to avoid? Everything that’s wrong with government planning?

Bruce B. Downs.

Known for his reputation for helping people and his love of roads and making them work, the man for whom the road is named would likely be pleased to see a project like this one finally completed. 

So surely, the completion of the widening of that road, along with the bicycle and pedestrian enhancements and intersection improvements, deserves some kind of celebration.

A ribbon cutting? A cake? A concert by BBD (the group Bell Biv DeVoe)?

“Really, it’s about thanking everybody for the hard work and moving on to the next project,” Hudock said. “But this being as big a project as it was, there may be some consideration for something more.”