The New Tampa Performing Arts Center (in red) off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. will be part of the Village at Hunter’s Lake mixed-use development. (Photo: Charmaine George)
In one of the more significant steps in the long, sometimes-tortured history of a proposed cultural arts center in New Tampa, the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has approved the hiring of a firm to design the facility.
Last month, the BOCC awarded a $598,413 contract to Fleischman Garcia Architects to draw a plan for the long-awaited facility, which is now officially being called the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC), after years of being referred to as a “cultural center.”
“It’s an extremely significant and critical step in the process,’’ said District 2 county commissioner Ken Hagan, who represents New Tampa and has been involved in the project in various forms since it first sprouted in 2001. “It’s an important move.”
The design of the center — which will be located directly across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from the main entrance to Hunter’s Green, in the new Village at Hunter’s Lake development — is expected to be completed by the end of the year, with bidding for the construction services tentatively scheduled for May of 2020.
It is hoped that the $6-million construction of the NTPAC will begin sometime by November 1, 2020, and is expected to open by Jan. 1, 2022.
The facility — long-heralded to be the centerpiece of the New Tampa community — will be 20,000 square feet on its first floor, with the capability to have a 10,000-sq.-ft. second floor added later.
The building will include a 350-400-seat theater/multi-purpose room and stage to be used for community theater performances. It will be the home of the New Tampa Players (NTP) acting troupe, which currently stages its performances at the University Area Cultural Development Center (UACDC) on N. 22nd St., just south of Bearss Ave.
The stage area at the NTPAC will be more than 2,000 square feet, and Hagan said it will include an orchestra pit that he helped add after meeting with the NTP and addressing some of their requests.
The center also will host cultural/arts education classes, as well as meetings, banquets and other events.
There will be 1,040 square feet dedicated to NTPAC operations and education programs employees, including an office for the NTP.
The education wing will feature two studios with ballet and dance floors, mirrors and movable walls.
Hagan made note that the NTPAC also will be sustainable, incorporating solar power and electric vehicle stations.
Plans for the NTPAC date back to 2001, when a Connecticut firm was paid $27,000 by the City of Tampa for a study that determined New Tampa could support a small cultural center of its own.
A nonprofit group, called the New Tampa Cultural Arts Center, was offered the six acres of land it requested for the project, but the city requested the group come up with a $10-million endowment to pay for it, which killed the effort back in 2005.
Doug Wall, who was involved with those initial efforts, revived it again in 2007. But Wall, the New Tampa Players president and founding artistic director, could not secure the funding and he passed away in 2017.
Former county commissioner and Tampa Palms resident Victor Crist helped keep the project alive as he worked on finding funding. In 2014, the larger Village at Hunter’s Lake project, of which the NTPAC is a central part, was approved.
In a 2016 meeting at Hunter’s Green, Crist told the NTP he had secured partner-ships with the David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, the Patel Conservatory and the Prodigy Cultural Arts Program to bring gravitas to the project and elevate it to a high-level arts center.
The Wharton volleyball team ended a long stretch of frustration against arch-nemesis Plant High.
Every Wharton volleyball season since 2014 has been just about exactly the same.
Post a great regular season record. Make the District final…lose to Plant. Two weeks later in the Regional playoffs, lose to Plant again. Season over.
However, the Wildcats may be poised to write a different ending this year. In their first meeting with the Panthers on Aug, 28, Wharton thrilled a boisterous home crowd with a nerve-wracking 3-2 victory, snapping a 10-match losing streak against their Class 7A, District 7 rivals.
The 25-21, 25-16, 16-25, 18-25, 15-12 win was the first against Plant since the Wildcats posted a regular season win on Sept. 16, 2015.
In other words, it was the first win over Plant for Wharton’s four seniors, and they all played key roles in the win.
Middle blocker Jamie Koopman (#14, above) led the team with 12 kills and six blocks, while outside hitter Jeanette Henderson added 10, including a miraculous play in the third set, where she went running off the court to save an errant hit, only to get back in time to take the set and smash a kill. Henderson and Koopman have played since their freshman year, and were 0-8 against Plant.
Senior middle blocker Alexis Morse, who joined the varsity as a sophomore, added three kills, while Deborah Rodriguez, in her second season, had 11 kills and 13 digs.
Kills by Morse and Rodriguez in the first set helped seal it after Plant had pulled within 22-20.
Rodriguez set the tone in the second set with a thunderous cross-court shot that put the ‘Cats ahead 15-12 as they cruised to a 25-16 win and a 2-0 lead.
Plant, however, did not go down easy, no surprise considering they are 10-time State volleyball champions.
The 25-16 and 25-18 wins by the Panthers in the middle sets were decisive and seemed to shift the momentum.
“We had to try and get back to basics,” said Wharton head coach Eric Barber. “Games one and two, we were playing our game plan. I think we were too amped for games three and four and we had to get back to doing the little things.”
The Wharton Blue Crew student section got back into the match for the fifth and deciding set, exchanging chants with the Plant faithful.
Koopman (#14, pictured right) and Rodriguez stuffed the very first Panther kill shots at the net to start the decisive set. Koopman made another block at the net that put the Wildcats up 5-3.
Wharton looked well on the way to the win when the ‘Cats took a 10-6 lead, but the Panthers very quickly knotted it 10-all.
Koopman put the Wildcats on her shoulders, presenting a ferocious obstacle at the middle of the net, both blocking and swatting down short sets. It would be a touch shot from Koopman, snuck just beneath a Panther block attempt, and then an angled shot that found the floor that clinched a 15-12 win in the set and 3-2 win of the match, setting off a wild, bench-clearing celebration.
While the seniors were the stars, contributions from the underclassmen may prove to be the key to keeping the old script flipped on Plant come playoff time.
Junior setter Payton Kenny had 21 assists, and sophomore Gabrielle Frye added 17 for Wharton, while junior libero Jacquelyne Kelly had a team-high 25 digs and sophomore hitter Isabella Bonatakis added four kills and three blocks.
The first truck pulled up to Wharton High in 1997, and head custodian Tirso “Junior” Cintron was waiting.
He pulled the first chair off the truck. The first desk.
“The first everything,” says Carmen Aguero, one of the first teachers at the school.
Junior set the desks and chairs up in the classrooms and offices. He made sure the bathrooms had toilet paper and soap. The lawn was mowed. The floors were shined.
Wharton was ready.
And every day, for the next 22 years, before any teachers and students arrived for the day, thanks to the diligence, determination and dedication of Junior, you could count on one thing.
Wharton High was ready.
* * *
Junior’s last day at Wharton was August 26. To say he will be missed hardly does his legacy justice.
“I’m telling you, and this is no exaggeration, he is the most beloved person ever to walk the halls of Wharton High,” says Tommy Tonelli, a guidance counselor and the school’s long-time, beloved boys basketball coach. “He has done more for Wharton in the history of our school than any other person that has ever worked here.”
That’s high praise from Tonelli, who isn’t prone to hyperbole. He was one of hundreds of friends that Junior made at Wharton over the years. Junior’s retirement party on Sept. 12, Tonelli says, will be the most attended retirement party ever at New Tampa’s oldest high school.
A school custodian can be a thankless job, and rarely does one rise to the level of hallway celebrity, but Junior somehow did just that.
He was always affable, earnest, positive, productive and those who knew him say he never had a bad day.
He arrived every morning at 5 a.m., checked the air conditioning, swung by the kitchen to make sure the cooks had gas, went building to building turning off all 16 alarms, and made a sweep of the school to make sure everything was safe and ready for another day.
During the day, he answered calls on his radio for assistance, never saying no, never sighing, never hanging his head. When the school served as a hurricane shelter, it was Junior who made sure everyone was as comfortable as possible.
Even the dreaded call to clean up after a sick student — the one task he liked least — was hastily handled.
“I am an easy person,” Junior says. “I always had a good attitude, that’s why I win so many people. If a teacher saw me in the hall and said she needed a new board in her room, when she showed up the next morning, the board was there.”
Wharton career counselor Magda Rodriguez has a student take a picture of her and Junior, one of her best friends at Wharton.
Junior, 67, was born in Puerto Rico and moved to The Bronx, NY, when he was 18. He worked as a waiter in a hotel for 17 years, met and married Rosa, his wife of 42 years, and started a family — daughters Elaine and Jennifer, who are now teachers in Hillsborough County, and son David, who is a U.S. Marine.
In 1989, the Cintrons moved to Tampa, where Junior started work at Hillsborough High from 2:30 p.m.-11 p.m., while holding a second full-time time cleaning floors at Tampa General from 11:30 p.m.-8 a.m.
Those at Wharton can thank Aguero for Junior. The two met when Junior was the head custodian at Hillsborough.
When she was promoted to the athletic director at Wharton, and the new school was looking for a custodian, she had one word for principal Mitch Muley: Junior.
Aguero lured him to Wharton, where Junior soon became indispensable.
“He was the heart and soul of Wharton,” she says.
Aguero chuckles recalling the time Junior helped chase away the biggest squirrel either of them had ever seen, and the time he had to remove a dead alligator from the tennis courts.
When Aguero left Wharton to become principal at Webb Middle School, she had her head custodian sit down with Junior, “to teach him how to do the job right.”
Junior had his own way of dealing with problems. When parents complained that their kids said there were no soap dispensers in some of the bathrooms, Junior explained that the school couldn’t replace the ones student were destroying fast enough.
When the parents showed up to discuss the issue a second time, he was ready with a pile of smashed and broken soap dispenser. “After that, they never call me again,” Junior says.
When some kids made fun of him for being a custodian, he pretended not to understand or would just ignore them. Those that didn’t, he would fist bump or salute.
“I was like that with them all time; they would say ‘he’s cool,” Junior says, smiling proudly. “They like me because I’m cool.”
Junior loved joking with students and teachers, and wasn’t above the occasional prank. One of his favorite victims was Tonelli.
Despite the basketball coach’s fear of frogs and snakes, that didn’t stop Junior one time from putting a frog in a bag of donuts he left for Tonelli. Junior waited in an adjoining room with some other teachers, all eagerly waiting to hear the reaction. Junior leans forward as he tells the story, slapping his knee.
And yes, Tonelli was still Junior’s biggest fan.
“They should rename the school after him,” Tonelli says. “That’s how much he has meant to Wharton High School.”
On Junior’s last day at Wharton, he was summoned to the auditorium where the school’s teachers were waiting for him. He received a standing ovation, two sweaters for the winter — he hates the cold — and lunch.
He got a second lunch later when the ladies who work in the cafeteria made him his favorite — pork, rice and black beans.
“Two big lunches,” Junior says, grinning ear to ear.
However, even the happiest guy in world couldn’t escape the sadness on that last day. At 2:30 p.m., he took his radio and told everyone it was time for his final call. He thanked current principal Mike Rowan and all the teachers, and it was as if the entire school wept along with Junior.
Then, he walked out the front door, turned around, and gave the school he had served for 22 years one last glance.
“I looked at everything, and I say, ‘Okay. That’s it.’”
A piece of the ladder from FDNY Ladder Truck 18, pictured above being pulled from the rubble of the north tower of the World Trade Center, will be the centerpiece of a 9/11 Memorial being developed by the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel and the Tampa Premium Outlets. (Photo courtesy of Chris Casella)
Every year when the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel is handing out miniature American Flags on the anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, current club president Chris Casella is moved to tears.
People who lost a brother, sister, loved one or a friend thank Casella and his fellow Rotarians, and share their heartbreaking stories.
“It never fails,” says Casella, who, due to an injury, was on limited duty as a sworn officer with the New York Police Department (NYPD) when the World Trade Center towers crumbled to the ground.
The latest project hatched by Casella and his fellow Board member Troy Stevenson and the Rotary Club is Pasco County’s first permanent 9/11 Memorial, which will be dedicated at the Tampa Premium Outlets on Saturday, September 7, at 8:46 a.m., the time the north tower was struck in 2001.
Stevenson is a 13-year first responder with the National Disaster Medical System and U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services. Casella and Stevenson have received a lot of help from not only their fellow Board members, but especially from Wesley Chapel resident Stephen Spelman, a retired Fire Department of New York (FDNY) emergency medical technician who was at the foot of the north tower when it collapsed.
The dedication of the new memorial will follow a one-mile Memorial Run/Walk at TPO — which will begin at 7:30 a.m.. The run/walk is open to all ages and is $10 per person to participate. All net proceeds will go to fund local scholarships for graduating high school students in Pasco County who intend to pursue careers as first responders.
The centerpiece of the 9/11 Memorial will be a 2-foot piece of the ladder from FDNY Ladder Truck 18 (photo), which will be framed and hung on a 25-foot stretch of wall at TPO’s food court. The wall will have a vinyl wrap depicting images from that day, as well as the names of everyone who perished.
According to Casella, FDNY Ladder Truck 18 was destroyed by falling debris, but the firefighters on the truck were all spared.
“Everybody on that truck survived by jumping under the ladder,” Casella says.
The ladder segment belongs to Spelman, who received it for being a scheduled guest speaker at a ceremony on 9/11/17 at the Motts Military Museum in Ohio, which he was unable to attend, due to Hurricane Irma.
For the past two years, Spelman and Casella have discussed what to do with the piece of ladder. Ideas ranged from donating it to a library or local firehouse to building a memorial, which wasn’t financially feasible.
While organizing the Memorial Run/Walk with TPO, one of the mall’s executives mentioned that he had been approached by a guy looking for help with a possible memorial. Casella asked if the guy’s name happened to be Steve…and it was.
Once TPO agreed to host the 9/11 Memorial by donating the space, plans took off and eventually came to fruition.
Casella also has been active in organizing events to benefit first responders, such as having Rotary Club members serve breakfast at all of the Fire Rescue Stations in Wesley Chapel and the Pasco Sheriff’s District 2 office in Dade City each year on 9/11.
The 9/11 Memorial and run/walk, however, may be his proudest achievement. “It’s emotional for me, and I know it is for Steve as well,” Casella says, his voice cracking. “Memorializing it is a big deal for, I think, everybody. It’s something we’ll never forget.”
Casella says the response to the Memorial Run and 9/11 Memorial has already been “incredible.”
Spelman has been in contact with two women who lost their husbands on that terrible day who also will share their stories at the dedication. Surviving first responder John Berrang also recently emailed Casella to applaud the Rotary Club’s efforts and said he’d like to participate in the one-mile run, despite currently undergoing treatment for stage 3 cancer contracted at the World Trade Center site. It was an email that Casella says was both inspiring and difficult to read, but a reminder that Sept. 11 remains a terrible day with a lot of meaning to many people.
“Thanks again,” Berrang wrote to Casella, “for remembering the heroes we lost on 9/11.”
For more information or to sponsor the Walk/Run, visit WCRotary.com/911-Memorial-Mile, or email Casella at Cdcasella@me.com or Stevenson at Troynyc65@aol.com.
The friendly, professional staff at New Tampa Plastic Surgery’s new office on Cypress Ridge Blvd. is led by Dr. Peter Fakhre and nurse practitioner Christina Ahrens (in lab coat).
New Tampa Plastic Surgery, a premier cosmetic surgery “boutique,” has been helping New Tampa and Wesley Chapel residents look and feel their best since 2011.
Specializing in the aesthetic plastic surgery of the face, breasts and body, Board-certified plastic surgeon Peter Fakhre, M.D., rejuvenates and enhances the natural beauty of his patients with the latest cutting-edge surgical and non-surgical procedures.
Dr. Fakhre also has been named one of the top doctors in the country by Vitals.com (a medical review forum for consumers). According to the website, Dr. Fakhre was named a “Vitals Top 10 Doctor.” Of more than 870,000 doctors nationwide, Dr. Fakhre has been recognized as being in the top one percent, of all physicians, as determined by patient ratings.
With a brand new office located on Cypress Ridge Blvd. in Wesley Chapel, behind (just north of) Synovus Bank and the Mercedes Benz dealership, New Tampa Plastic Surgery sees patients from all across Pasco and Hillsborough counties.
Dr. Fakhre and his staff help everyone who walks through their doors feel welcome; he says their primary goal is to make the patient feel comfortable while exploring his or her best options for plastic or reconstructive surgery (as well as non-surgical alternatives, in some cases) in a professional and confidential environment.
You can see the results of Dr. Fakhre’s work when you visit NewTampaPlasticSurgery.com. Although his work definitely speaks for itself, he also is highly recommended by his patients.
In a physician review on Vitals.com, Dr. Fakhre’s patient Jane Gibbons said, “Plastic surgery? More accurately — Surgical Artistry! Dr. Fakhre is a master of his craft. He not only is an accomplished surgeon, (he also) is a man of integrity who listens, counsels and guides his patients toward the goals they are seeking. (He) then satisfies those goals with skill and precision!”
She continues, “Dr. Fakhre works with his patients to determine the best surgical and non-surgical options that will achieve the desired outcome. As a bonus, his office staff is compassionate, efficient and shares his philosophy that everyone deserves to look their best. Unquestionably, Dr. Fakhre is the best that Tampa Bay has to offer!”
Outstanding Credentials
Dr. Fakhre, who is one of only a few plastic surgeons in the Tampa Bay area to be double-Board-certified by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and by the American Board of Surgery, explains, “There are many things that are important in achieving successful outcomes in plastic surgery: an understanding of the patient’s desires, their physical examination, realistic goals, sound surgical technique, attention to detail and outstanding postoperative care, all of which contribute to success in cosmetic plastic surgery.”
He earned his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology from the University of South Florida in Tampa, graduating summa cum laude. He then elected to attend the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville. It was while he was at U-F that Dr. Fakhre’s surgical talent, aesthetic eye and love for plastic surgery were realized.
The new office of New Tampa Plastic Surgery is state-of-the-art and even includes an on-site surgery facility. Call the number at the end of this story to schedule a free consultation and tour of the facility.
Dr. Fakhre then completed a general surgery residency at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic, where he scored in the 98th percentile in the American Board of Surgery in Training Exam, the highest among all of the residents in his program.
He was involved with numerous publications and research projects, which have been presented at a number of scientific meetings, including the distinguished American Society of Plastic Surgeons. During his surgical training, Dr. Fakhre was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award by the Mayo Clinic Medical School and served as Chief Resident in Surgery in his final year of surgical training.
Dr. Fakhre was then privileged to match at his first choice of Plastic Surgery fellowship programs at the prestigious Methodist hospital, where he again excelled, scoring the highest in-service exam score among all plastic surgery residents in his program and serving as Chief Resident during his final year of plastic surgery training.
“I had the wonderful opportunity to train with members of the original group of plastic surgeons that invented the breast implant, as well as facial and body plastic surgeons whose surgeries have been featured on The Discovery Channel,” Dr. Fakhre says. “Working in such an environment provided great exposure to a large volume of both primary and revision cosmetic surgery cases. This experience was priceless and I’m happy to bring this type of training to the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area.”
This training and his own expertise helped Dr. Fakhre earn the highest score possible, in the 99th percentile among Plastic Surgeons in plastic surgery of the breast, on the American Board of Plastic Surgery written examination.
In addition to refining his surgical skill and technique during his plastic surgery training, Dr. Fakhre also volunteered his time with Operation San José and traveled to Guatemala on a cleft lip and palate surgical mission. There, he helped deliver surgical care to many cleft lip and palate patients who otherwise may never have received the treatment they needed.
Dr. Fakhre says that he was happy to return to the Tampa Bay area after his training and currently lives in Seven Oaks with his wife of 16 years and three sons, who keep them busy and entertained.
So Many Surgical Options
Many of us have things we would like to change about our bodies. Time, age and weight changes all take a toll on your body and these factors can affect your appearance and self-image. Dr. Fakhre says that cosmetic plastic surgery is a way to help you look and feel better.
“When we are happy with our appearance, we feel more confident,” he says.
New Tampa Plastic Surgery offers a plethora of cosmetic surgery procedures for women and men, including breast enhancement (augmentations, lifts and reductions), tummy tucks, face and neck lifts, eyelid surgery, liposuction and more. Known for his technical skill, eye for beauty and superior aesthetic practice, Dr. Fakhre will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan to achieve your desired outcome and to make the “new you” a reality.
“Cosmetic plastic surgery allows the surgeon to combine artistry with sound surgical techniques to produce superior results,” says Dr. Fakhre.
Breasts, for instance, are often at the core of a woman’s femininity and self-confidence. Dr. Fakhre explains that breast augmentation surgery is one of the most personal decisions a woman can make.
“Breast augmentation surgery can increase your self-confidence and satisfaction with your body,” says Dr. Fakhre. “By increasing or restoring breast volume, we can help our patients achieve a better-proportioned body.”
Dr. Fakhre’s breast augmentation patients are first educated about implant size and types, so they can make informed decisions about which would best satisfy their personal goals. He says that the two main implant types available are still silicone and saline and that the implant selected depends upon a variety of factors.
Currently, the most common implants that Dr. Fakhre uses are silicone implants, which he says look and feel more natural than their saline counterparts.
Breast lift surgery removes excess tissue and repositions the breast and/or nipple to a more youthful position. This procedure is often chosen by women desiring to restore form to their breasts or reclaim their “before-baby” appearance. And, although breasts are intertwined with the feminine profile, women are not the only ones who have breast surgery. In fact, Dr. Fakhre says that he has helped many men feel better about their appearance with reduction surgery for men with female-looking breasts (also known as gynecomastia).
Liposuction, ‘Mommy
Makeovers’ & More
Another popular cosmetic surgical procedure at New Tampa Plastic Surgery is liposuction, which can improve the body’s contour by removing fat deposits that are resistant to diet and exercise. Liposuction restores proportionality and minimizes problem areas. Dr. Fakhre says that if you find yourself shopping for clothes to hold your tummy in or help slim your thighs, liposuction may be your answer. He adds that liposuction offers significant results with minimal downtime.
“In fact, many (liposuction) patients recover over a weekend and return to work on Monday,” he says.
A full “Mommy Makeover” also is a popular procedure sought by women who want to get back to the body they had before they had children. Dr. Fakhre says that the most common “Mommy Makeover” combines a breast lift (with or without breast augmentation for reshaping), a tummy tuck to tighten the midsection that was stretched during pregnancy and liposuction to remove unwanted fat deposits.
Dr. Fakhre, who also has surgical privileges at AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and AdventHealth Tampa, says that he performs surgeries both in the surgery facility in his office as well as at the Tampa Bay Surgery Center, located at the corner of N. Dale Mabry Hwy. and Fletcher Ave. Wherever he performs his artistry, however, Dr. Fahkre’s satisfied patients are a testament to his experience and training.
“From the moment I walked through the door in his office I was always greeted on a first-name basis, which made me feel like I wasn’t just another patient to get in and out,” Christina Vargas wrote in her patient testimonial about her experience with New Tampa Plastic Surgery. “The whole process — from scheduling my appointments to the day of the procedure, even my recovery — went so smoothly. I highly recommend Dr. Fakhre. I give him 10 stars!”
Non-Surgical Options, Too
New Tampa Plastic Surgery also is a true cosmetic boutique, offering skin care and other non-surgical cosmetic procedures, in addition to plastic surgery. Many of these non-surgical procedures — such as Botox and dermal fillers, Latisse eyelash lengthening and thickening and chemical peels that rejuvenate and energize the skin to beautify your natural state and more — often provide the results a patient is looking for, and are less “invasive” than surgical options.
Board-certified nurse practitioner Christina Ahrens (in photo on previous page, in lab coat, next to Dr. Fakhre) has more than 13 years of experience in dermatology and plastic surgery and performs all of the non-surgical procedures at New Tampa Plastic Surgery. “We are fortunate to have Christina as part of our team,” says Dr. Fakhre. “She does an outstanding job in the treatment of our patients.”
For your free cosmetic plastic surgery consultation with Dr. Peter Fakhre, call New Tampa Plastic Surgery at (813) PLASTIC (752-7842). The office is located at 2525 Cypress Ridge Blvd. For a full menu of services, visit NewTampaPlasticSurgery.com. And, be sure to ‘Like’ New Tampa Plastic Surgery’s Facebook.com page so that you can be notified of the office’s monthly promotions on various services.
