Touch Is Wesley Chapel’s Largest & Most Luxurious Nail Spa!

Having recently celebrated two years on S.R. 56, Touch Nail Spa now offers even more space to accommodate even more clients.

Located in the Cypress View Square shopping plaza on S.R. 56 (the same plaza as Capital Tacos), Touch Nail Spa offers a beautiful, luxurious setting to enjoy a pedicure, a manicure, or one of the salon’s many other services, including eyelash extensions, waxing, facials and massages.

Timmy Pham and his wife Tiffany opened the salon in March 2017. Business has been brisk, which led them to expand their space from 3,200 square feet to 4,800. The additional 1,600 square feet allowed them to add 17 additional pedicure chairs (for a total of 33) and nine additional stations for manicures (for a total of 30).

The new space opened last August. It’s a perfect area for private parties, and Timmy invites guests to reserve the space for groups from six to 20 people.

“You can pick any services you want,” he says, “and all services are 10-percent off for everyone in the party.”

Touch Nail Spa celebrated its two-year anniversary on March 24 by giving a free manicure or pedicure to the first 50 guests that day.

Timmy designed the salon himself, and it is beautiful, relaxing, upscale and clean.

In fact, Timmy describes it as “flawlessly clean,” with gleaming floors and spotless tabletops, a tidy restroom, and all surfaces and tools sanitized for each individual person.

While the salon is large, it maintains a quiet, relaxing atmosphere. Timmy says he and the staff pay attention to every detail to ensure a nice ambiance is maintained. For example, they immediately greet each visitor as they walk through the door and the TVs are kept quiet. Touch Nail Spa offers a complimentary beverage with every service, such as water, soda or even wine, served in a chilled glass (limit one per adult customer with I.D.).

More Techs, More Services

While the dĂ©cor reflects a more upscale experience, with its high ceilings, large windows, and beautiful surfaces and fixtures, don’t let that fool you. Touch Nail Spa’s prices are affordable.

Timmy says most customers come in for a manicure and/or pedicure, and the salon offers a menu of options to fit everyone’s individual taste. 

Currently, there are 43 employees working at Touch Nail Spa, all of whom are State-licensed in cosmetology. They can help you figure out which services are the best fit for you.

Manicures may include a simple polish, gel polish, dipping powder or acrylic nails.

A variety of spa manicures and pedicures are offered, and even the “Simple Touch” pedicure (just $25) includes a callus treatment, pineapple sugar scrub, hot towel wrap and lotion massage, along with nail trimming and shaping, buffing and cuticle grooming.

For an even more spa-like experience, a variety of “Hot Touch” pedicures are offered ($45-$60). These include a hot stone massage for your legs and feet, plus additional treatments — such as specialized exfoliation for the bottom of the feet and a mask for legs and heels.

A couple of specific brands of pedicures have been recently added, by customer request. One is the Volcano Spa pedicure, which includes a bubbly, fizzing treatment added to the pedicure water. Another is the Nu Skin organic pedicure.

Timmy says that you’ll always be able to find the color you want at Touch Nail Spa. He carries 1,700 different colors, and every color available in a regular polish is available as a gel color, too. That means you have access to 3,400 bottles of color.

Manicures using dipping powder, which is a newer service, add a layer to your nails that is as strong as acrylic, but much healthier for your nails. Timmy says he offers the dipping powder in 2,000 colors.

The thousands of colors are one thing that really sets Touch Nail Spa apart.

“Everyone has dips, everyone has gel,” says Timmy. “We have more colors, and we have less waiting because we have more employees.”

So, while he offers a relaxing experience, you can get in and out quickly if you need to.

Joy is a Touch Nail Spa client who says she has been coming in since it opened. She still comes in once a month for a pedicure and dip for her nails.

“Their customer service is amazing,” she says. “The atmosphere is nice and it’s not too noisy. It has a nice ambiance and is very clean. For example, they have a disposable wrap for the pedicure chair, which decreases the risk of infections.”

Joy’s favorite nail technician, Mai, says all services at Touch Nail Spa are guaranteed for two weeks. If your nails don’t last two weeks, come back and they’ll fix it. 

“But, you don’t need to come back because they do such a good job,” Joy says.

Specials & Perks

Treat yourself to a birthday manicure and pedicure! Timmy says if you come in on your birthday and purchase two services, you’ll receive 50-percent off the more expensive service. You must show ID that it is your actual birthdate; not valid any other day.

Touch Nail Spa also offers a new customer reward program. Upon arrival, sign in on one of the salon’s iPads, and sign up for your free membership. Rewards members receive 1 point for every dollar spent, and when you reach 500 points, you receive your choice of a free simple touch pedicure or $25 off any other pedicure service.

You also can now purchase e-gift cards for Touch Nail Spa online at the spa’s website, TouchNailAndSpa.com.

Originally from Vietnam, Timmy has been in the U.S. 23 years and has been doing nails almost 19 years. Tiffany and Timmy met when he spent a year in Chicago about 12 years ago and have now been married about six years.

Timmy previously owned a nail salon in Kentucky. He moved to Florida seven years ago and has worked at other salons in the area. He says he opened Touch Nail Spa because of his desire to serve customers at a higher level.

“It’s been a lot of hard work,” he says, to grow the business the way it has, “but the results of that hard work are showing.”

Touch Nail Spa currently is looking to hire a full-time receptionist. If you’re interested in applying, please call the salon at the number below.

Touch Nail Spa is located at 27233 S.R. 56 and is open Monday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m., and 11 a.m.–5 p.m. on Sunday. Walk-ins and appointments are welcome. To make an appointment or ask about services, call (813) 973-4111.

Local Scout Turning Tennis Balls Into Tennis Courts For Eagle Project

It’s not exactly aluminum cans, glass or old newspapers.

But when Saddlebrook resident Martin Levins sees an old, beaten up tennis ball lying in the grass — and as a junior tennis player at Saddlebrook Preparatory School, he sees a lot of them, at his club and other locations — he knows that unless it is recycled, that ball will take 400 years to decompose.

So, the 9th grader decided to do something about it, turning his mission into his Eagle Scout Service Project.

In the past year, Martin has been collecting as many discarded tennis balls as he can, which not only provides a benefit to the environment, but will help people as well — because the balls will be recycled and used to make impact-resistant courts for tennis players who are elderly and disabled.

“I know it sounds amazing, and it is,” Martin says.

Martin, who has been a scout since 2010 and is in Troop 300, which meets in Saddlebrook, put up four recycling Ad-In bins — paid for by sponsors Insight Family Eyecare, Cross Creek Auto Service, Global Access Partners and the Saddlebrook Prep Student Council — all around the tennis courts at Saddlebrook, providing a convenient place for tennis players to discard their old tennis balls, which lose their pressure and ability to bounce after a few sets and, therefore, their usefulness. 

Martin Levins, a ninth grade student and junior tennis player at Saddlebrook Preparatory School, is collecting old tennis balls to be turned into tennis courts, as his Eagle Scout project.

He also managed a team of 30 scouts, student athletes and parents to scour the area around Saddlebrook’s 45 tennis courts looking for wayward tennis balls.

“To sweeten the deal, I orchestrated a massive clean-up of the areas around all of the tennis courts in Saddlebrook to clear the environment of used or dead tennis balls,” Martin says.

The balls are then collected from the bins, put into shipping boxes and sent to RecycleBalls, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Vermont.

“It’s an absolutely fantastic operation that Martin is running,” says James DeFusto, tennis director of recruitment for Saddlebrook. “We’ve definitely noticed that outside of the courts are a lot more clear. There are barely, if any, tennis balls lying around. It’s pretty amazing what he’s accomplished so far.”

According to RecycleBalls, 125 million used tennis balls, roughly 20,000 metric tons worth, wind up in landfills around the country every year. 

RecycleBalls has partnered with Wilson Tennis and Sport Group, the world’s largest sports surface manufacturer, which takes the recycled tennis ball material and uses it in their Laykold Masters tennis courts, which can be hard or cushioned.

Last month, Martin shipped more than 10,000 tennis balls he collected to RecycleBalls, enough, he says to provide the surface for one low-impact tennis court somewhere in the U.S. Even after Martin finishes his project and the local Council submits it to the BSA National Council to officially make him an Eagle Scout, his efforts will live on.

“This is definitely something we will invest in and continue doing,” DeFusto says. 

SPRING FOOTBALL RECAP Wharton 10, Freedom 0.

It may have lacked the sizzle of a regular season match-up, but the two New Tampa rivals squared off for two quarters of football looking to answer some questions and end the spring on a high note. In the end, it was the Wildcats pulling out a 10-0 victory at Hillsborough High School.

WHARTON

Biggest Question

The Wildcats had to answer the typical questions surrounding any team’s spring, but chances are, there were more of them to answer than in years past, following an abysmal 2018 season in which Wharton went 1-9, the program’s worst record since the school’s first two years of existence (1997 and 1998). The ‘Cats will have someone new under center, someone new in the backfield and some new pieces on defense, all questions head coach David Mitchell hoped to settle, or at least get closer to settling.

The Answer?

Well, there weren’t really many answers at the spring jamboree against Freedom, as the Wildcats outscored the Patriots 10-0 in two quarters of football.

Daveon Crouch (4) outjumps teammate Michael Reddin Jr. (20) to make the interception.

At quarterback, 6-foot, 2-inch rising junior Emery Floyd got the reps but only attempted one pass and it was out of bounds. However, the Wildcats have yet to test out Tampa Bay Tech transfer Pete Stuart, who saw limited action in three games as a junior. Because he transferred in January, he was ineligible to play in the spring game. Mitchell hopes to settle the quarterback position over the summer during 7-on-7 work. In the backfield, the coach has already committed to rising sophomore Johnnie Cason and rising senior Benyon Williams. Cason picked up 19 yards on four carries, including a three-yard touchdown, while Williams ran five times for 31 yards, against Freedom. 

On defense, linebacker Michael Zellem seemed to have a strong command of the play calls and a nose for the football, and made a big stop on fourth down to force a Freedom turnover on downs. 

Defensive end Cole Essek, a rising junior, had a very strong game, creating quarterback pressure and making solo tackles, even ending the jamboree with a sack-forced fumble. Mitchell would like to see the 6-7, 170-pound Essek put on some weight this summer but feels confident both Essek and Zellem will be major factors this season.

Stars of the Game

Essek was a force to be reckoned with on defense. He even flips around and plays offensive tackle next to a couple of behemoths in Xavian Bivens (6-2, 350) and Dorian Lewis (6-1, 325)
.Kicker Zach Godbold nailed a 29-yard field goal with ease. Also a soccer player (and state javelin champion), Godbold should be a reliable point-maker when Wharton’s drives stall
.Receiver/defensive back Daveon Crouch had a big punt return and an interception
.Edwouens Marcelin blocked a Freedom punt and had a sack on the night. 

FREEDOM

Biggest Question

The Patriots had a slightly better season than the Wildcats a year ago, and a 10-6 victory over Wharton in September 2018 during the regular season was part of their 4-6 record. But, with the loss of 25 seniors, Freedom hoped that a number of their new players would be able to step up into roles vacated by graduation.

“We wanted to see how some of the younger kids handle adversity,” said Freedom head coach Henry Scurry, who is heading into his second season. “We wanted to see who responded in various situations. All jobs are available at this point; we’re trying to see who can do the jobs consistently.”

Freedom’s Edwin Greene goes low to catch a pass for the Patriots, who fell 10-0 to its New Tampa rival Wharton in the spring jamboree. (Photos by Andy Warrener).

The Answer?

“The jury is still out,” Scurry said. “There’s a lot of room for improvement. There’s a lot of things we have to clear up, like the quarterback-center exchange, and we weren’t able to establish a rhythm.”

The Patriots looked a little lost in the 10-0 loss to Wharton, unable to control any aspect of the game. They established a school record last year for fewest points scored with 83, and don’t have anyone returning who scored a touchdown last year. 

Scurry did say that his defense, however, which allowed only 143 points (third-lowest in school history) is pretty much where he’d like it to be, although he is looking for someone to step up at linebacker. The coach says he felt good about his defensive line play, but linebacker remains one of the Patriots’ biggest question marks.

Stars of the Game 

One of the team’s few returners, rising senior Dontae Johnson, got some looks at quarterback in the spring game, as well as some reps at defensive back. Rising sophomore lineman Tawfia Thomas is another returner. Scurry also mentioned rising senior Edwin Greene as having a fairly good spring. Rising junior Joel Pierrelus ran for 19 yards on two carries as the “wildcat” quarterback in the spring game, and Scurry said that Pierrelus could end up playing a number of different positions. 

Lots of Stuff Is Brewing On The Local Business Scene

There could soon be more tenants to announce for the Village at Hunter’s Lake development currently under construction on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., across from the main entrance to the Hunter’s Green community.

Regency Centers senior leasing agent Marc Elias, who already has signed a dozen occupants for the retail/restaurant portion of the project, will be the guest speaker at the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Briefing at Hunter’s Green Country Club on Thursday, June 20. 

While Sprouts, the first green grocer to enter the New Tampa market, is the anchor of the retail strip, other occupants currently listed on the Regency Centers website are Banfield Pet Hospital, The Coder School, Grain & Berry, Hair Cuttery, Heartland Dental, Nationwide Vision Center, Pink & White Nails, Poke Island Plus, Pure Beauty Salon, Starbucks, T-Mobile and Via Italia Woodfired Pizza & Bar.

There are, however, still six spaces available.

The Village at Hunter’s Lake will have 71,397 sq. ft. of commercial space. The project also will include a 30,000-sq.-ft. New Tampa Cultural Center, a dog park and a four-story, 241-unit multi-family complex to be called The Haven at Hunter’s Lake.

Addio, Chefs of Napoli?

Chefs of Napoli, an Italian restaurant that had been expected to open in the next few months at the old Beef O’Brady’s location in the Cross Creek Commons plaza off Morris Bridge Rd., is now unlikely to do so, after its owner was arrested last month and faces charges of conspiracy to commit human trafficking and lewd and lascivious battery.

While the primary trafficker was not named to avoid identifying the teenage victim, Luigi Barile, who founded the Chefs of Napoli restaurants in Spring Hill and Ocala, was one of nine men arrested on May 17 by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office after a two-year investigation.

Hernando Sheriff Al Nienhuis said at a press conference that the victim had been sexually abused by the men for six months. He said Barile brought three of his friends to sexually assault the teenager.

“Not only did he use the services of our young victim, he also brought, at least one time, at least three of his friends with him,” Nienhuis said. “And, all four of these men exchanged money for sex.”

According to the Villages-News.com, Barile was released on a $25,000 bond — $10,000 each on two counts of kidnapping/human trafficking and $5,000 on a count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

The Villages-News.com also reported that a number of special conditions had been placed on Barile, such as surrendering his passport, being placed on a GPS monitor and that he have no intentional contact with any child under 18. He also is not permitted to leave Hernando County.

Barile has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

Time To Study…New Tampa

Students from the University of South Florida’s School of Public Affairs will meet for the first time on Tuesday, July 16, as they begin a study to determine the reasons for the outmigration of a number of local businesses from the New Tampa area and to find a potential solution, if there is one.

The meeting will be held at either the New Tampa Regional Library or Compton Park in Tampa Palms. The group is comprised of graduate students working towards their Master’s degrees in Urban and Regional Planning at USF. They will conduct a listening tour with local focus groups and businesses, as well as a field study. 

USF School of Public Affairs director Ron Sanders told the Neighborhood News in April that if the study produces something concrete, it could lead to the city conducting something “more extensive and sophisticated.”

District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera also will attend the first meeting.

“I think this has a lot of promise,” Viera says. “If there is a problem, hopefully we can figure that out. But, it’s definitely something we should look at now, sooner than later.”

Brew Bus Coming!

Brew Bus Brewing, Inc., the company behind Florida Avenue Brewing Co. and Brew Bus Brewing, has officially announced that it has purchased the former Sports + Field location on S.R. 56. The new owners will convert Sports + Field into a brewery with a beer garden, full-service restaurant and event space.

The 34,000-sq.-ft., two-floor facility in Wesley Chapel originally opened in 2005 as a $10.5-million multi-purpose fitness center that trained professional athletes while also offering fitness programs for local residents. It closed in 2015.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Brew Bus Brewing Inc., Anthony Derby, told the Neighborhood News last month that his company was taking a close look at the property, located at 2029 Arrowgrass Dr., and saw a craft brewery as a missing part of the local Wesley Chapel/New Tampa bar/dining scene.

“We are excited to expand our operations into Pasco County to provide the community with a family-friendly brewery, event and restaurant destination,” Derby said in a statement. “By this time next year, Pasco residents will not only be working in our expanded operation, but also enjoying our products a bit closer to home.”

The completed deal is expected to create 46 new local jobs and more than $8.7 million in new capital investment in Pasco County. 

“It’s great to reactivate a dormant property with high-paying manufacturing jobs in a unique industry,” Bill Cronin, the president/CEO of the Pasco Economic Development Council, said in a press release. “A company like Brew Bus Brewing, Inc., is a win for the whole community, as they embody the ‘live, work, play’ notion so important to our community’s future economic growth.”

Brew Bus Brewing, Inc., created in 2011, currently operates both a brewery on N. Florida Ave. and buses that travel to breweries throughout the Tampa Bay area. In addition to brewing its own Brew Bus beer, the brand expanded in 2015, with the acquisition of Florida Avenue Brewing Co., in an effort to revive one of the area’s most historic breweries.  Both Brew Bus and Florida Avenue brands are distributed throughout the entire state of Florida.

“We are happy to welcome Brew Bus Brewing, Inc., to Pasco,” said District 2 Pasco County commissioner Mike Moore. “Not only are they creating jobs, but their new tasting room and restaurant will be a great destination for residents and tourists alike. Breweries are a huge part of the tourism market.”

For more information about Brew Bus Brewing, visit BrewBusUSA.com.

Neighborhood News Online Celebrates Six Months Of Google-Funded Videos!

When we received the first installment of our funding from the Google News Initiative on January 14, we made a number of promises to our benefactors regarding the number of videos we’d put online, the number of people we’d hire to shoot, edit and be on-air talent for those videos and the equipment we would need to fulfill our commitments.

As this issue is reaching you, it has now been six months since we received that funding and I’d have to say that we are right on track.

To me, the most important milestone for us to reach was the increase in the number of videos we would be releasing. Before our Google funding, we averaged one video every other week. But, we have now put out 41 videos in 21 weeks (with several videos in the can getting ready for release at out press time) since Jan. 14, or an average of at least two each week. 

And, more and more of you are watching those videos. In the nearly three years since we first started Wesley Chapel & New Tampa Television (WCNT-tv) — which we now call NeighborhoNewsOnline.net (search “Neighborhood News” on Facebook or “WCNT-tv”  on YouTube) — we have flown past one million total views and nearly two million people reached on Facebook.

The 41 videos we have put online since January alone have been viewed more than 210,000 times and have reached more than 354,000 people. Perhaps even more important is that those 41 videos have received a total of more than 36,000 “engagements” (Likes, Shares & Comments), or an average of more than 900 per video! How many local videos/posts do you know of that have had 1,000 engagements?

We continue to reach our biggest audience whenever we put out videos about food, as our two videos about the opening of the new Chick-fil-A on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel each garnered more than 12,000 views and combined reached more than 35,000 people. Our biggest reach this year has been achieved by our video about the new Smallcakes Cupcakery in Tampa Palms, which also had more than 12,000 views, and a reach of more than 22,000 people!

Even more recently, my “Neighborhood Dining News” segment about Hummingbird Jerk House and Full Circle Pizza released on May 29 already has been viewed more than 7,000 times and reached more than 11,000 people.

En Español, Tambien?    

Although I also have several more lined up to start as this issue is reaching your mailbox, we currently have four print advertisers who have begun sponsoring our videos and online content, as part of their Video & Online “Subscription” program, where each of them will receive a Video Business Feature.

Those advertisers are Total Air Solutions, Creative Permanent Makeup by Pam Edmonson, Omari’s Grill at Lexington Oaks Golf Club and KAP Medical Group. We have not yet released the Video Business Features for Total Air or Omari’s, but only the video for Omari’s had not yet been produced at our press time.

However, Total Air, which was our first “subscriber,” has already been shown as a sponsor of eight videos in seven weeks, and those videos have been viewed more than 50,000 times, with a Facebook reach of nearly 89,000 people and nearly 7,000 engagements. Creative Permanent Makeup by Pam has sponsored seven videos in six weeks, and those videos have been viewed more than 40,000 times, with a FB reach of more than 68,000 and more than 6,000 engagements. Omari’s had only sponsored two videos at our press time, but they had been viewed more than 7,000 times, with a FB reach of nearly 15,000, with nearly 700 engagements.

And, thanks to Omari’s co-owner Susana Herrera, who spent 20 years as a reporter and anchor in her native Colombia, including eight years on the Colombian CBN Network, our KAP Medical video was shot in English (with yours truly asking the questions) and in Spanish (with Susana interviewing fellow Latina Dr. Karina Parilo en Español). We plan to do a lot more with Spanish language videos in the future, so stay tuned! For advertising information, call (813) 910-2575!