New Tampa Brew Fest 2019!

When the New Tampa Noon Rotary went looking for an idea to create a signature event that would raise thousands of dollars for the club’s favorite causes, it wanted something hip, trendy and successful.

Now, heading into its second year, the club members have high hopes for their New Tampa Brew Fest, which will be held tomorrow — Saturday, November 16 — at the Venetian Center at St. Mark The Evangelist Catholic Church on Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa

“We actually stole the idea from the Temple Terrace Rotary Club,” says Jeff Ulbrich, the event’s co-chair.

According to Ulbrich, his fellow Rotarians in Temple Terrace have been holding a craft Brew Fest in the spring for five years, and it has been wildly successful, drawing more than 2,000 attendees from more than 70 zip codes to sample the wares from roughly 35 different breweries.

The Temple Terrace event has made the kind of impact that the New Tampa Noon Rotary is hoping for with its Brew Fest. Despite some nervous moments leading up to the event, last year’s inaugural New Tampa Brew Fest was deemed a success, drawing 28 breweries and about 500 attendees.

The event raised enough money to cover expenses and contribute thousands of dollars to U.S. military troops and the second Fisher House at the James Haley VA Hospital on BBD, which is a “comfort” home where active U.S. military and veteran families can stay while their loved ones are being treated in the hospital.

“The purpose behind the Brew Fest was for our Rotary Club to create an event that the whole New Tampa, and greater Tampa Bay area, can take part in,” says co-chair Chris Stennett. “The dollars go back into civic projects, so we wanted something that had the biggest value. We aren’t a big club, so for us to make a big impact, we had to dream big.”

The New Tampa Brew Fest is by far the biggest fund raiser put on by the Noon Rotary, and the plan is to continue building it until it rivals the one held in Temple Terrace.

The numbers have been encouraging. Last year’s event had 28 breweries, but dipping further into Tampa and St. Petersburg’s deep bench of craft breweries, close to 35 of them will be represented this year, serving more than 100 different kinds of beers. “I was stunned by how many craft breweries there are,” Ulbrich says.

The craft beers available for tasting come from such noted craft breweries as Cigar City, Big Storm Brewing, Coppertail, Florida Avenue (which is opening a new brewery on S.R. 56; see pg. 39) and 3 Daughters, as well as smaller brewers like Krazy Eddie’s Garage (KEG) Brewing, which is made in garage in Odessa, the new Double Branch Artisanal Ales (which is opening next month at The Grove in Wesley Chapel)l, and Wiregrass Brewing, another independent brew which attended last year’s event (see pg. 38).

Ulbrich says the bigger craft breweries use big distributors like Pepin and JJ Taylor, which also will provide beers for the event from 24 breweries, with the rest coming from smaller independent brewers. “We are trying to find a balance,” Ulbrich says. 

The mega-popular White Claw hard seltzer, which is fighting a nationwide shortage of its product, will again have a booth at the event as well.

This year’s Brew Fest also will have three new food trucks on hand – Bacon Boss, BBQ Time and Mr. C’s Grilled Cheese.

“Last year was our first year, and we had no idea how many people would show up,” says Stennett. But, we knew it could work, and we knew the event could be a lot of fun and engage the community. We want to be able to do more (with our donations), and we feel we’re on to something here.”  

Longhorns Make It Three Straight County Championships

Coach Damon Zassenbraker gets a victory dousing after the Longhorns’ third straight Pasco County championship. (Photos courtesy of Valerie Sercu/Celebrate Everything Photography)

John Long Middle School football coach Damon Zassenbraker has an unusual approach to kicking the ball off during games.

He doesn’t.

Instead, he orders onsides kicks, where the ball needs to only travel 10 yards before the Longhorns can recover it, unless the receiving team beats them to the ball, which they usually don’t.

After 23 straight wins, including a third consecutive Pasco County middle school championship on Oct. 28, it’s hard to argue with his strategy.

The Longhorns defeated local rival Weightman 35-6 to cement themselves as an official dynasty in Pasco’s middle school ranks. Behind two touchdowns apiece from quarterback Isiah Williams and running back Gavin Zassenbraker and, of course, some key recoveries of onsides kicks, the Longhorns capped off another undefeated season.

“It feels good, I’m happy for the kids,” said Zassenbraker, a world history teacher at Long and the head football coach for two different stints totalling six years. “We give them a game plan, and they go out and execute it. It’s wonderful to get to this point again.”

The Longhorns were able to attack the outside edges with success against Weightman. Williams, who improved throughout the year, scored the first touchdown around the right end, as Gavin Zassenbraker sealed the edge with a block to clear the way for the 40-yard score, and then Zassenbraker followed that up with his first touchdown, covering 24 yards on an inside run.

Weightman struggled with the Longhorns’ offense all evening. Coach Zassenbraker described his offense formations as a combination of the stuff the University of Oregon and Auburn University run, and it produced early results that put Weightman on its heels.

Kicker Cameron Canard was a key offensive weapon in the championship victory.

Long’s kicker Cameron Canard’s amazing ability to make his onsides kicks hard to recover was more than enough to provide the cushion the rest of the way. Williams and Jayden Ramos recovered two onsides kicks, and with Weightman playing up to defend against it later in the game, Canard — who acquired his kicking skill playing soccer — kicked one deeper that his teammates recovered.

Those kicks limited Weightman to only four offensive possessions in the game.

“Cameron has an amazing ability to make the ball bounce just right, it’s unreal,” Zassenbraker said. “I think we had to recover at least two every game.”

Doesn’t that peeve the other coaches?

“Oh, absolutely,” Zassenbraker said with a chuckle.

Ironically, Weightman’s only score came when Gacanica Armani grabbed one of the onsides kicks and ran it back the other way for a touchdown.

Canard’s foot saved Long’s season at least once this year.

Trailing Pine View Middle 12-6, the Longhorns scored on a great catch by Jaden Ramos in the left corner of the end zone to tie it up with a little over a minute remaining. Canard’s extra point made it 13-12, and then his onsides kick was recovered to seal the win.

Opponents only scored 24 points against Long this season, and only 12 of those were against the Longhorns’ defense. The other 12 were scored on onsides kick returns for TDs.

Can the Longhorns make it four straight? Zassenbraker isn’t sure. Because of school rezoning, he will lose a large number of his players to the new Cypress Creek Middle School. But, he says he can’t wait to try again.

“It’s always satisfying to see the smile on the kids’ faces,” he said. “I always tell ‘em no matter what, they’ll always be my boys.”

Summer & Winter Both Come To Wesley Chapel This Weekend!

Santa Claus is coming to town.

The round, cherry-cheeked giver of gifts (if you’ve been nice, that is) will arrive at the annual tree-lighting celebration at The Shops at Wiregrass, marking the official start of its popular Symphony in Lights display in the center of the mall.

The dancing light show, set to music featuring the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, is expected to premiere at 5 p.m., and there will be shows nightly from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. through December 31.

This will be the 11th year of the lights display. 

After the trees and lights are unveiled, Santa will waste no time taking his toy requests from the kiddies, starting tomorrow — Saturday, November 16, 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m. 

You can even get your pet a photo with Santa on Monday nights from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. between November 18-December 2.

For more information about Santa’s schedule (and his break schedule; it gets hot in that suit!) please visit TheShopsAtWiregrass.com.

Parrot Fest At The Lagoon!

However, if you’re not quite ready for the holiday season or prepared to put away your summer clothes to prep for winter, you might want to take an opportunity to check out the Epperson Lagoon (31885 Overpass Rd.) free of charge.

The lagoon is transitioning from water events to those held on land, as it plays host to its first-ever “Parrot Fest.”

The event will be held tomorrow (Sat., Nov. 16), 5 p.m.-10 p.m., and will feature the Caribbean Chillers (right photo), a popular Jimmy Buffett tribute band.

Bring your own blankets and chairs and get ready to chill out to some classic Buffett tunes.

There will be multiple food trucks on site — you might even be able to get a cheeseburger in, well, paradise — as well as drink specials at the tiki bar.

Although tickets are free to attend the event, Epperson is asking everyone to register online at EventBrite.com. Just go to the site and search for “Caribbean Chillers.”

For more information about the free Parrot Fest, visit LagoonInformation.com or call (813) 527-0775.

If Someone Tells You Print Is Dead, Tell Them About The Neighborhood News!

Almost every day when I go to North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon-cutting and other local events, I have at least one local business owner tell me that they don’t do any print advertising at all — and that Facebook, Instagram and other online advertising outlets are the only places they spend their money these days.

And then, inevitably, there’s always at least one person, who may or may not think that they’re being funny, who will tell me, “Haven’t you heard? Print is dead!”

When my blood finishes boiling, I usually explain that I’ve been the owner and editor of the Neighborhood News in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel for 25 years and that people who live in our communities — whether they got here before I took over an 11-month-old monthly in 1994 or they just got here last year — tell me constantly that the Neighborhood News is the only local publication of any kind that they read cover-to-cover. I’m not dissing any other publication, I’m just repeating what I hear literally every day. 

But, before you say, “Yeah, right!,” and turn the page to see another great python pic or read about the upcoming second annual New Tampa Brew Fest (see pages 40-43), consider something as simple as our annual Reader Dining Survey & Contest, which appears for the last time for 2019 on page 35 of this issue.

Last year, when there were many more spaces to fill in than in this year’s revised, much simpler survey, we received fewer than 300 entries — not bad as local magazine contests go, but far fewer than our record 1,200+ Dining Survey Contest entries received either three or four years ago.

This year, that number actually may surpass 1,500 entries before this year’s November 11 entry deadline.

Yes, this year’s contest is easier to enter and yes, we’ve had quite a few people who have entered to date fill out the survey on our NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net website. However, we also believe that the vast majority of the people who go to the website to fill out the survey still read about the contest in our print editions first and then go online to fill out the survey to save themselves the extra effort (and cost) of having to put the survey in an envelope, writing the address info on the envelope, paying for and using a stamp and dropping it in the mailbox. So exhausting!

But, even if some of those entries came from people who only read about it online, how do you explain the 600+ people who already have taken the time to open one of our recent issues and do just that? And, I can assure you, with stories by managing editor John C. Cotey like the Burmese python hunter from Cory Lake Isles, The Brunchery coming to Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., the latest on the Kinnan-Mansfield flap and getting to be the first local media of any kind to break the story about the new owner of The Grove at Wesley Chapel shopping center, to name just a few — I know that the vast majority of our print readers still have not entered that contest at all.

Yes, we have worked hard to make the Neighborhood News a true multimedia experience, but the next time someone tells you that print is dead, make sure you tell them to take a look at the kind of information the Neighborhood News print editions provide for you about your community every four weeks — and that all it takes for you to keep up with what’s happening in your community is actually open it when you take it out of your mailbox.   

Neighborhood News Online Update     

I can’t believe that as this issue is reaching your mailbox, the calendar has turned to November, which means that we are nearing the end of the year in which we became one of only 23 U.S. media companies to receive 2019 funding from the Google News Initiative. 

A lot has happened in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel over these past ten months, and we have done our best to keep up with the incredible amount of important hyperlocal news coming out of both of our distribution areas. 

In fact, although we are still a little behind on our goal of reaching five new video releases every week, we are now right at three videos per week, up from only one every other week through the end of 2018.

But of course, it’s not just about the quantity of videos we release — it’s about the quality. In fact, since we became the first local news provider to break the story — in video first, then in print in our October 18 Wesley Chapel issue — about Mark Gold, the new owner of The Grove, the video has surpassed 10,500 views on Facebook and the Facebook post of John’s print story may have set a record for us, with a reach of nearly 80,000 people and 7,800+ total engagements!

I also have been thrilled that most of the nearly 21 videos we have released in the seven weeks since September have totalled nearly 80,000 views and an average of 4,300 views per video.

In fact, with a reach of nearly 700,000, and 400,000 views through Oct 25, we have an outside chance of breaking a video reach of one million people and 500,000 video views for 2019, especially if we can inch closer to our goal of five video releases per week.

And, we almost certainly will have an even bigger reach for our print stories that get posted on Facebook with a click-through to our website, NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net!

So no, not only is print not dead when you’re talking about the Neighborhood News, we also are the only local media outlet offering you and your business in or serving New Tampa and/or Wesley Chapel a truly multimedia advertising opportunity. Get yours today! 

Call (813) 910-2575 today to find out how to get started!  

Hagan Pushes For Kinnan Conclusion

This is the view from the end of Kinnan St., which runs north from Cross Creek Blvd. Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe is on the other side of the barrier, about 40 feet away. (Photo: John C. Cotey)

Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan, who has tried to get Kinnan St. in New Tampa connected with Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe II — the infamous Kinnan-Mansfield connection — for more than a decade, may finally get his wish.

Well, partially, anyway.

While Pasco County is firmly committed to not connecting the two roads to general traffic, it has expressed a willingness to connect them for fire rescue and other emergency vehicles. With no other options remaining, Hagan — who represents New Tampa as part of Hillsborough’s District 2 —thinks it’s time to make a deal.

At a Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting last month, Hagan introduced a motion to direct the county staff to meet with their Pasco counterparts to forge an interlocal agreement authorizing the Kinnan-Mansfield connection, for public safety purposes, to finally become a real thing.

The two sides were expected to meet last week.

Ken Hagan

“I basically introduced the item because I have been trying to make this connection for well over a decade now and, unfortunately, Pasco has steadfastly refused,” Hagan says. “While they have not completely seen the light, this is certainly a step in the right direction.”

If a deal is struck, the roads will be connected, and an entry-and-exit bar will be installed to keep vehicular traffic out. The two counties also will be connected at Kinnan-Mansfield by pathways for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Residents of Meadow Pointe II have fought the connection because they say it would add too much traffic to Mansfield Blvd., which is home to community entrances and area schools. 

Proponents of connecting the roads have argued that it would be good for local businesses and residents and would help ease traffic in the area, while also benefiting fire rescue and emergency medical services, as the two counties have a mutual aid agreement.

Currently, roughly 30 feet of overgrown grass and bushes — and a good deal of junk that has been dumped in the area — is all that separates the two roads, which were never connected when Kinnan St. was completed in 2007.

Since then, the counties have bickered on numerous occasions over whether or not the roads should be connected. 

In 2015, then-District 7 Tampa City Council member Lisa Montelione re-ignited the debate after K-Bar Ranch resident Otto Schloeter severely burned his arm and did not receive medical attention for 45 minutes, after his call was bounced between the two counties before a crew was finally dispatched. Because the roads weren’t connected, Montelione argued, it took emergency medical services twice as long as it should have to reach Schloeter.

Luis Viera, who replaced Montelione on the City Council, picked up the fight, but also to no avail. 

Pasco County commissioned an engineering firm to study potential connections between the K-Bar Ranch area and Pasco County. 

In June, Pasco’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) voted unanimously to recommend connections to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. in New Tampa’s K-Bar Ranch community at Meadow Pointe and Wyndfields Blvds., while also recommending the first responders connection at Kinnan-Mansfield.

Pasco County’s commissioners have yet to vote on it.

“Is it what we wanted in full? No,’ says Viera, who has been busy holding meetings hoping to resolve the impasse. “But, does it address our public safety concerns? Yes.”

Viera says he had conversations recently with residents of K-Bar Ranch, which is building 400 more homes but still only has one way, Kinnan St., to exit K-Bar to the west.

“They seem supportive,” Viera says.

Hagan said it is his understanding that Pasco will vote for the public safety connection.

Hagan secured $250,000 from the county in September of 2017 for what he hoped would be a connection open to everyone.

That money is still available to build the public safety connection.