Defensive scores by senior linebackers Ed Marcelin and Steven Joseph (pictured left), a rushing touchdown by 6-foot-4, 325-pound lineman OC Davis and a perfect night of kicking by Zach Godbold gave Wharton a 42-7 win — and New Tampa bragging rights — over Freedom in the annual football showdown between our area’s local high school rivals.
The Wildcats’ win was the second-most lopsided ever (only the 36-0 win in 2006 was worse) against the Patriots, and Wharton now leads the series 11-6.
The Wildcats rushed for 246 yards and four touchdowns, with senior Ben Williams leading the way with 155 of them on 13 carries, two for touchdowns. Davis’ touchdown harkened back to William “The Refrigerator” Perry’s days as a member of the Super Bowl XX-winning Chicago Bears, when the defensive lineman was a short yardage sensation. Davis, by the way, is two inches taller than The Fridge in his prime, but about 30 pounds lighter.
Godbold, one of the top junior javelin throwers in the country, also is adept with his right foot. He was 6-for-6 on extra points, and booted three of his seven kickoffs into the end zone. Two others were fielded near the goal line and resulted in Freedom starting drives at their own 11- and 15-yard lines.
The Wildcats snapped a two-game losing streak to Freedom, and improved their overall 2019 record to 3-2 as of our press time. The Patriots, who picked up their first win of the season the week before by defeating Spoto 22-15, fell to 1-3.
A town hall at the Daarus Salaam Mosque in New Tampa on Sept. 21 drew a crowd of roughly 100 people, with topics ranging from the need for a traffic light to healthcare and gun safety.
Luis Viera’s New Tampa town halls are generally hyper-local affairs.
The District 7 Tampa City Council member (and usually a guest or two) are asked about things like Kinnan-Mansfield, traffic along Bruce B. Downs, new additions to our local parks and everything from a pothole over there to a slow light over here.
On Sept. 21, however, Viera’s town hall, in conjunction with the Islamic Society of New Tampa, at the Daarus Salaam Mosque on Morris Bridge Rd., just north of Cross Creek Blvd., broadened the councilman’s normal town hall fare.
Along with a few questions about traffic safety near the bustling mosque, especially in the mornings where more than 100 children are headed to school near busy (and narrow) Morris Bridge Rd., the conversation circulated around such weighty topics as religious and social tolerance, affordable housing, gun violence, school funding and healthcare.
“I thought it went really well,” Viera said. “I thought there was a lot of energy and people seemed enthused to be there.”
The town hall, moderated by CAIRFlorida’s Aida Mackic, was Viera’s 14th in the North Tampa district he represents. It included a wide spectrum of guests, which likely prompted some of the larger-issue questions. Fentrice Driskell, the Florida House District 63 representative (which includes New Tampa), Hillsborough County District 7 (county-wide) Commissioner Kimberly Overman and Hillsborough County sheriff Chad Chronister all joined Viera on the panel.
“My heart is bursting with pride to be here,” Driskell told a crowd of about 100. “I’m so excited, but I’m trying to play it cool.”
It was a predominantly Muslim crowd, but Viera said those who worship at the mosque and live in the area are an important part of the community.
“Potholes hold no party or religious affiliation,” Viera said. “A pothole annoys the Southern Baptist as much as it annoys the Muslim.”
As you might expect from a predominantly Muslim crowd, there were concerns raised about Islamophobia, guns and the protection of the mosque.
Dr. Adel Eldin, MD, a Brooksville cardiologist, laid out a laundry list of items mosque members would like to see from its elected officials — yellow lights to slow down traffic in the morning as children make their way to school, better fire rescue service and for the mosque, which has a Thonotosassa addressed in unincorporated Hillsborough County, to be incorporated into the City of Tampa so it could be on the city’s sewer system.
Along with the recent Islamic Society of New Tampa purchase of six acres of land adjacent to the mosque for expansion, Eldin said his list of requests were critical.
Safety From Violence
But, the safety of worshippers was on his mind as well. He thanked Sheriff Chronister for increasing patrols after shootings of Muslims earlier this year in New Zealand, but also said he would like to see a deputy on site in the morning when the children are vulnerable.
Chronister sympathized with many in attendance.
“There are 4,000 members of the sheriff’s office that want to make sure no one has to live in fear,” he said. He drew one of the loudest ovations of the afternoon when he added, “You should be able to worship in peace, regardless of your faith.”
That led to a discussion about gun control, namely the dangers posed by access to assault rifles, as well as a 12-year-old in the crowd suggesting lawmakers focus on the mental health issues of students who suffer from harassment and fear of bullying in schools.
“This is a community concerned about tolerance and safety a bit more acutely than other folks,” Viera said.
Driskell tackled questions on the lack of education funding, one of her primary interests as a legislator. “I am ready…give me the ball!,” Driskell said when the first question about education was asked.
A product of local public schools (Lake Gibson in nearby Polk County) who went on to graduate from Harvard, Driskell said more help — both financially and in the classroom — needs to be provided to teachers across the state in order to retain them. She said she watched the joy of teaching fade from her mother after a 35-year career in the classroom.
Since being elected last November (beating incumbent Shawn Harrison), Driskell said that she has witnessed first-hand just how tough that fight for more funding for public schools can be.
“I don’t like to make things partisan,” she said, “but I think 90 percent of the time in state legislature, we agree on most of the issues and most of the bills we vote on will pass through unanimously. But, for whatever reason, public education has become so highly politicized. It falls into two camps: those who favor public schools, and those on the side of charter schools and vouchers for private schools.”
Driskell said she is not necessarily against charter schools or vouchers, “but not at the expense of public schools.”
Overman and Hillsborough County District 3 School Board member Cindy Stuart, who was in attendance, also said more funding was central to fixing what ails schools and their teachers, but the answers may have to come from the community.
Chronister agreed. As the vice chair of the Citizen Oversight Committee for the education referendum that passed last year, Chronister touted many of the school projects that the $23 million raised by a the new one-cent sales tax that are making things better for students and teachers.
Affordable healthcare, affordable housing and building a stronger community also were touched on in the wide-ranging, two-hour forum, and at the end, Viera said it accomplished what he had hoped.
“I do it because I think it’s important,” Viera said. “There were a lot of legitimate concerns, not paranoia, raised, and addressing them and showing that their local politicians have their backs makes the community stronger and better off.”
The Esplanade at Wiregrass Ranch, which broke ground last month, will be an over-55 community with more than 800 total homes, as homebuilder Taylor Morrison continues to expand in Wesley Chapel.
Homebuilder Taylor Morrison’s Esplanade series — which provides “resort lifestyle experiences” for its residents — has already proven to be popular in a number of Tampa Bay locations.
A new development planned for Wiregrass Ranch could take that popularity to another level.
Last month, Taylor Morrison broke ground on Esplanade at Wiregrass Ranch, which will feature more than 850 single-family and detached villa homes and will be Wesley Chapel’s first 55-and-over community since Williamsburg was originally built as an age-restricted community in the 1970s.
The new community will be located in the heart of the Wiregrass Ranch DRI, between State Roads 54 and 56 and east of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. Esplanade at Wiregrass Ranch will be adjacent to the under-construction Wiregrass Ranch Blvd., which will run north and south from S.R. 56 to S.R. 54.
Originally, the project was called Valencia under a different builder, but when that fell through last year, Taylor Morrison was approached and jumped at the chance to take over the development.
“The location and the size of it were two of the things attractive about this opportunity,” said Doug Miller, Division President of Taylor Morrison’s operations in Tampa. “To have this lifestyle community in Wesley Chapel is really attractive for us. There are a lot of things to do there, there’s a hospital, shopping and entertainment. It really made this location key for us.”
Phase One, which was approved for construction in May, will have 169 single-family, attached homes.
Scott Himelhoch, vice president of land acquisition for Taylor Morrison, unveiled many of the plans and amenities for Esplanade at Wiregrass Ranch at a North Tampa Bay Chamber Economic Development Briefing at Hunter’s Green Country Club on Aug. 29.
With construction under way, the 55-over community hopes to hold a grand opening of its amenity center sometime late in the first quarter or early in the second quarter of 2020. That was good news for some of the Realtors in attendance at Hunter’s Green, who said they are in need of more product to sell to eager buyers.
Taylor Morrison’s Esplanade offerings generally offer features like tile roofs and lush landscaping as standard features. Because it will be building in an area that has ample greenspace, walking paths and nature will be incorporated into the layout.
Although the community will be mostly restricted to residents 55-and-over (80 percent must fall in that category, with the other 20 percent required to be 45-and-over), Taylor Morrison will be building homes ranging in size from 1,700-3,500 square feet, recognizing that not every older family wants to downsize and that many still want to be the central hub for holiday and family gatherings.
Taylor Morrison has Esplanade communities either built or in the process of building out in New Tampa (350 homes just south of the Hillsborough-Pasco county line and west of Grand Hampton) and Starkey Ranch (500 homes) in Odessa.
The Wiregrass Ranch community, however, is expected to be the crown jewel of the Esplanades in the Tampa market.
Himelhoch touted many of the offerings that will make Esplanade at Wiregrass Ranch a popular pick for homebuyers.
Because Esplanades seek to give residents a boutique resort living experience, a full-time lifestyle manager is on staff in every community, operating as part-cruise director, part-concierge.
The lifestyle manager helps create wellness programs and social events. A loaded calendar offers things like dinner dances, concerts, clubs, groups and football watch parties.
The concierge service is an added plus. The resort-style pool will offer towels, food and beverage service, as well the ability to make dinner reservations without ever having to leave your poolside seat.
Taylor Morrison has been very active in Wesley Chapel. In the last few months, the homebuilder has completed two new communities in Wesley Chapel — Woodside Trace, a 52-townhome community located on County Line Rd. approximately two miles west of Bruce B. Downs, and Chapel Trace, an 87-unit single-family-home community north of S.R. 54 on Boyette Rd. The builder also is preparing to build three additional new subdivisions within WaterGrass on Curley Rd.
With the new S.R. 56 extension to U.S. Hwy. 301 in Zephyrhills complete, Taylor Morrison already is planning on new developments in that corridor – it is the contract purchaser for land at the former Zephyr Egg site west of Morris Bridge Rd., and could begin construction next year.
“We expect to continue to be active,” Miller says. “Wesley Chapel is one of our key submarkets in our approach to Tampa. We have a nice mix of offerings in that area, and we see a lot of runway ahead of us in Wesley Chapel.”
For more information about Taylor Morrison’s new 55+ community, visit EsplanadeAtWiregrassRanch.com, where you can join the VIP Interest List, or call (866) 495-6006.
The City of Tampa and Hillsborough County have resolved its dispute over usage of Tampa Fire Rescue Station No. 21 on Cross Creek Blvd. (Photo: John C. Cotey)
When roughly 5,000 residents in Pebble Creek, Live Oake, Cross Creek and other communities located in unincorporated Hillsborough County lost their City of Tampa fire rescue service in 2018, Hillsborough County turned to nearby Pasco County for service.
With a new mayor in office, they have now turned back to Tampa.
On September 18, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) agreed by a 7-0 vote to finalize an agreement with the City of Tampa to restore its fire service to the area, which former Mayor Bob Buckhorn ended in 2017 after demanding the county pay roughly five times what it was already paying.
Under the new proposed agreement, the county will pay the city $600,000 a year for service from the four stations located in New Tampa. It also gave a 90-day notice to Pasco County which, in lieu of the City of Tampa, has been providing service for the unincorporated area since 2018.
Hillsborough County commissioner Ken Hagan
“This is great news for New Tampa,” said Hillsborough County commissioner Ken Hagan, who represents the New Tampa area in District 2. “Restoring Tampa’s fire rescue service to unincorporated New Tampa was my No. 1 priority. It was the first thing I met with (newly elected) Mayor Jane Castor about when she got elected. I’m absolutely thrilled that we’ve reached an agreement in principle.”
District 6 Commissioner Pat Kemp agreed, and offered thanks to Mayor Castor for being open to renegotiating.
“This is the most sensible and safe solution to serve the residents there,” Kemp said.
The nearest Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Station is the University Area Station No.5 on E. 139th Ave., which is more than 10 miles from most of Pebble Creek.
So while the $600,000 is nearly three times what the county was paying in its previous agreement with the City of Tampa, “it is $900,000 less than what the City previously wanted, and it is far less than what it would cost to construct and operate a fire station in the area,” Hagan said.
Hagan said he recently spoke at a Homeowners Association meeting in Cross Creek, and fire rescue service was one of the first concerns raised. He says he came to the BOCC with nine letters of support from HOAs in the unincorporated areas of New Tampa.
“The best-case scenario was to ultimately restore service, and unfortunately, that required a new Mayor,” Hagan said.
In 2017, Buckhorn said the City of Tampa would no longer provide fire rescue service to the unincorporated portion of New Tampa, which it had done since 1998 with some combination of Fire Stations No. 20 in Tampa Palms and Nos. 21(located across Cross Creek Blvd. from the Cross Creek community) and 22 on Cross Creek Blvd., In February, another station, No. 23, opened just off of County Line Rd. on Trout Creek Dr., essentially surrounding unincorporated New Tampa with fire rescue stations.
Without coverage from the city, Hillsborough turned to Pasco County for help. For $275,000 a year, Pasco — primarily Pasco County Fire Rescue Station No. 26, located in the nearby Meadow Pointe I community of Wesley Chapel — provided emergency services to unincorporated New Tampa.
“Pasco has done a good job, but the reality is the response times are longer,” Hagan said. “A few calls have taken over 20 minutes to respond. I’ve also heard horror stories from residents who have had to call 911 a second time or have taken matters into their own hands and driven loved ones to the ER themselves. As a result, New Tampa has been begging the county to contract with Tampa.”
Pebble Creek residents created a Facebook page and online petition asking the County to build a fire station closer to them.
While Tampa’s closer fire rescue stations could still respond to emergencies if the Pasco Fire Rescue Trucks were occupied — due to a mutual aid agreement between the counties — all local calls in the unincoporated areas were diverted first to Pasco Fire Rescue.
A return to the old agreement, Hagan says, is simply more convenient, and safer, for area residents.
“I can tell you, the community is absolutely delighted that Tampa Fire Rescue is once again going to be providing service to unincorporated New Tampa,” Hagan said.
