Month: June 2021

Farina Orthodontic Specialists Focused On The Future

Mark Farina, D.M.D. (Doctor of Dental Medicine) is one of the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area’s best-known, most respected orthodontists. In his 26 years of creating beautiful smiles locally, Farina Orthodontic Specialists has been responsible for fixing more than 20,000 smiles.

And, not only is he not done yet, Dr. Farina is taking his practice to new heights.

While he already has three offices, including one in Tampa Palms off Amberly Dr. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (that he moved into in 2000), it is his glimmering, modern, cubed building on BBD between the Shops at Wiregrass and AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, that has expanded his services and his vision.

The three-floor, 16,000-sq.-ft. building is certainly not your daddy’s dental office, inside or outside. It does, however, reflect the high-tech and futuristic nature of Farina’s practice.

“I wanted to create a building to reflect our thought process of moving into the next 10-20 years,” Dr. Farina says. “It’s modern, clean, and unobtrusive. And, the windows represent a radical transparency, which is something we pride ourselves on with our fees, consultations and allowing parents to come back with their children.”

Farina Orthodontic Specialists operates out of the new building’s first floor, and half of the second floor has offices handling oral maxillofacial surgery, periodontics and implant dentistry (with Dr. Matthew Waite, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Joyce and Dr. James Wilson) and endodontics (root canals) with Dr. Christian Kamaris and Dr. Frank Delgado.

The other half of the second floor will be home to a training facility and administration. The space will offer continuing education for those already working at Farina Orthodontic Specialists and even those at other offices. Dr. Farina says it will have a “Google-like” atmosphere, with an open lounge and classrooms, and should be completed by the fall.

The third floor will be the new home for Communication Corner & More, which is owned by Jill Vought, who specializes in speech and physical therapy.

“My concept was to have a multi-interdisciplinary facility where all the specialties can come together to give a treatment plan and the best possible care to our patients,” Dr. Farina says. “It’s almost like a Cleveland Clinic or Mayo Clinic of dentistry, where we have all the specialists under the same roof.”

As for the thing he is most known for, Dr. Farina continues to offer the best in orthodontic services with the most advanced technology.

Dr. Farina earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology from Boston College in Boston, MA. He earned his D.M.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia and did his post-graduate orthodontic training at New York University in New York City, NY.

He also has received advanced training in the integrated diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain, and has served on research teams at both New York University and the University of Pennsylvania to help find new and better ways to solve orthodontic problems.

In fact, he has never stopped looking for the better way.

“We are always trying to polish the diamond,” Dr. Farina says.

It begins with stellar patient service from the first phone call to the consultation and explaining what will be done, taking the patient through the process step by step. A friendly waiting room offers a beverage bar and iPads, which are used for entertainment and for signing in — there is no paperwork.

“It’s about treating everyone really like family,” Dr. Farina says. “We really work hard on our culture. The goal is not to just end up with patients with straight teeth. (We believe) the experience, from start to finish, is what separates us from others.”

*Who needs that dreadful goop when the 3D impressionless scanner (above) at Farina Orthodontic Specialists will create a digital 3D model of your teeth in minutes?*

Patients begin in the 3D Imaging Room, where an i-CAT 3D Machine takes a 3D image of not just the patient’s teeth, but also the bones and airways in their head. The process takes all of five seconds.

The 3D Imaging can help bring clarity to a number of problems, and can help identify red flags like temporomandibular disorder (TMD), which is an irregularity with the temporomandibular joint that causes clicking, popping or just pain and discomfort in the jaw area.

Farina Orthodontic Specialists also treats sleep apnea and snoring, both of which can be the result of an obstructed airway. The imaging also can detect airway development problems in children.

The process combines digital impressions created with the 3D imaging machine and intra- and extra-oral photographs, offering a more complete picture of the patient’s overall oral health.

There’s even an iTero 3D impressionless scanner that will create a digital 3D model of your teeth.

“It avoids having that dreadful goop in your mouth,” Dr. Farina says. “In three minutes, we have a full 3D model that’s far more accurate than your typical mouth impression.”

If that’s not easy enough, the Farina Orthodontic Specialists website (FarinaSmiles.com) offers a Virtual Smile Assessment, where patients can upload a smile selfie and receive a virtual consultation from the comfort of their own homes.

In addition to traditional braces, Farina Orthodontic Specialists uses the Invisalign® brand of clear aligners and has been designated a “Diamond Plus,” or in the top one percent of orthodontic practices in North America with Invisalign patients.

Dr. Farina also offers his own trademarked system, called ClearTech.

“It’s for minor tooth movements and relapses, like maybe if someone didn’t wear their retainer,” he says. “It’s a less expensive option than (Invisalign) , and just as effective. And we control every step of the way.”

Farina Orthodontic Specialists also gives back to the community. Dr. Farina says they are close to launching a “Million Dollar Smiles” initiative, where $1-million worth of smiles will be donated by 2023-24. Those in need and with special circumstances would be nominated and receive free dental care. Dr. Farina already has picked up the bill for a patient who lost their father and a Vietnam vet whose dream it has always been to have a great smile.

“I’ve always been very involved in the community,” he says. “I coached locally, I lived locally and I’ve always had great support from parents. It’s in our core values to help.”

In fact, Dr. Farina speaks of his practice’s Five Core Values often. The practice’s Five Core Values are:

1.) Delivering “WOW,” through service and smiles

2.) Make it simple, get it done

3.) Be present, clear and humble

4.) Encourage and embrace change

5.) One team, one family, one vision

Those core values are a big part of the reason many of his patients keep coming back to Farina Orthodontic Specialists, like Stacey White, who has been going to see Dr. Farina for roughly 10 years.

Both of Stacy’s daughters, Kathryn (now 24) and Hanna (17), got their braces from Dr. Farina. And in fact, Stacy decided to get Invisalign as well, since her teeth had shifted since her childhood braces.

“We just love how great they are with their patients,” Stacy says. “They know their stuff, and they are truly very warm and friendly. ”

While Kathryn was a patient at Dr. Farina’s Tampa Palms office, Stacy and Hanna got to experience the new office in Wesley Chapel and loved it, especially the 3D imagining.

“They really do pride themselves on looking for the next best treatment, not just because it’s cool but because it makes the experience better, faster and easier. That’s really nice.”

For appointments and more information about the Wesley Chapel office (2370 BBD Blvd., Suite A), or any of the three locations of Farina Orthodontic Specialists, call (813) 972-2929 or visit FarinaSmiles.com.

Farina orthondontics

Mission To Feed The Hungry Leads To Congressional Award

*Nitya Anne could have 2,000 volunteer hours by the time she graduates high school.*

It was a Sunday tradition — pack peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and travel to THORN Ministries in Riverview to feed the homeless.

What started in fifth-grade for Nitya Anne sparked a lifelong goal to never see another person go hungry.

“You feel like you’re doing something in the community that has a purpose,” Nitya says. “This motivates you to become a better person.”

Nitya has accumulated more than 800 volunteer hours from fund raising, tutoring and other initiatives she started. The 17-year-old junior, who lives in West Meadows but attends King High’s IB program, made a commitment in 2019 to volunteer more than 400 hours to her community. After setting proactive goals to enrich both herself and the community, she will accept a Congressional Award Gold Medal later this year.

The Congressional Award is given to individuals who complete personally challenging goals in voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness and expedition/exploration. The award ceremony, which is usually held in Washington D.C., will occur either over Zoom or next year, due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Nitya has spent most of her volunteering career at food pantries and hospitals, with a single goal in mind: to help people. She has raised more than $3,000 in the pursuit of providing the basic necessities for individuals.

Nitya’s mother Rajani, who took her to her first volunteering event, told her daughter she should apply for the Congressional Gold Medal.

“I’m really, really proud,” Rajani says. “I hope other kids get motivated by this and do more community service.”

“No Girl Left Behind” is an initiative Nitya created after her 2016 visit to India, where she saw a lack of educational opportunities for girls in the country. When she returned home, she started fundraising at local community events by selling Indian cuisine in exchange for donations towards education in India.

“I felt like the spreading of education is really important,” Nitya says. “I started helping two girls in India by giving funds from my fund raisers and this gave them the opportunity to go and learn.”

In high school, she is an active member of her school’s Speech and Debate Club, where she created a Speech and Debate camp for middle schoolers interested in learning key public speaking techniques and participating in mock competitions.

Nitya also started a tutoring club at her high school to help students of all ages struggling in their classes due to the pandemic.

Her advisor for the Congressional Award is Jessie Peña, who also is her homeroom and English 3 teacher.

“She’s really going above and beyond,” Peña says. “It’s just about who she is and the care that she has for the homeless and for other people who are in need.”

Nitya has gained new skills as a result of her volunteer efforts, such as better time management and project planning. Peña says she asks questions and contributes her ideas more.

“She’s been growing a lot as a result of her participation in this volunteer work,” Peña says. “She’s a great example of what can happen to yourself in terms of personal growth and development by giving to others.”

Nitya plans to continue volunteering and her advisor says she will most likely have 2,000 volunteer hours completed by the time she graduates from high school.

“I want to dedicate my time to helping the community as much as possible,” Nitya says. “I feel like it’s really important to continue to volunteer, even if it’s not for an award.”

Congressional Award Nitya

Blue & White Takes 1st!

Advisor Kyle LoJacono, back row, with six of the Blue & White seniors — middle row (l.-r.)Vlada Pitner, Taryn Bartley and Payton Kenny, and front row (l.-r.) Taylor Kaliszewski, Callie Zack and Allie Massey. (Photo courtesy of Kyle LoJacono)

Callie Zack knew this past year would be a tricky one when it came to putting out Wharton High’s school newspaper, the Blue & White.

The onset of Covid-19 practically wiped out the last quarter of 2020, where journalism students generally learn page design, so many new staff members had some catching up to do. Callie’s two associate editors, Allie Massey and Taryn Bartley, would be doing e-learning while she was at school, so teamwork was paramount. And, her ability to pull it all together, as a third of the staff would be learning from home as well, was going to test her organizational skills.

However, Callie and Co. passed the test with flying colors. In May, the American Scholastic Press Association (ASPA) named the Blue & White the best high school newspaper in the country.

More than 90 schools entered the Senior High School category, which is judged by journalism teachers who have entered outstanding publications in the past.

The Blue & White received 960 out of a possible 1,000 points in the contest this year, the most scored by any other newspaper, earning the Wharton publication the ASPA’s highest honor, Most Outstanding High School Newspaper for 2020-21.

“Adviser Kyle LoJacono and the entire staff of the Blue & White newspaper should be congratulated on this excellent achievement,” Dr. Richard Plass, Chairman of the ASPA, told the Neighborhood News in an email.

“It was very rewarding,” says Callie, who will attend the University of Florida in Gainesville in the fall. “It was difficult to get things done this year. Trying to connect and make deadline was very weird.”

While the year was plagued by Covid-19, it wasn’t short on providing news for the four, 16-page issues the staff put out.

Callie thinks that what separated the Blue & White from its competition was its visual appearance, a new section that focused on hot topics called “The Spotlight,” great photography, a generous use of infographics and a plethora of big national stories — Covid-19, Black Lives Matter, the election, the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, that the staff localized.

“We were a complete newspaper,” Callie says. “We had a staff with a lot of different strengths and we played to them. They didn’t try to be good at one thing, they tried to be good at a lot of things.”

Personally, Callie says she was most pleased with her Feb. center spread about the events of Jan. 6. “I loved writing that piece,” she says, adding that, at 960 words, it was the longest thing she had ever written.

Callie, whose sister Ashley (editor in chief) and brother Taylor (sports editor) are former Blue & White staffers, said she is happy to end her tenure, and high school career, being named the best in the country, especially considering the circumstances.

“There were so many things, like just getting cameras to kids who weren’t on campus,” Callie says. “So many things that we would have never even thought of before. But, to have the organization and skill to make it all happen, I’m just really proud of this group.”

The Show Must Go On For Wharton Prom(s)!

From Homecoming to field trips, the Covid-19 pandemic has stolen quite a bit of the typical senior year experience from the graduating class of 2021.

At Wharton High, senior Taryn Bartley was determined that it wouldn’t steal the senior prom, too.

Taryn didn’t know if her fellow classmates would even be interested in attending a prom planned by another student, so she took to Instagram and posted a poll asking Wharton seniors if they would go, where they would want the prom to be held, and how much they would be willing to spend on a ticket.

“I got 144 responses to that survey,” she says, “and it snowballed from there.”

After touring a few venues, she chose The Italian Club in Ybor City and set the date for May 28. She drafted rules, like no alcohol and identification being required, and only sold tickets to students whose parents signed a form acknowledging the rules.

While school prom committees typically spend all year planning for the big day, Taryn had just 44 days from the day she posted the survey until the day the prom was held. Her mom Amy provided guidance and signed the contracts with vendors, and they benefited from Taryn’s older sister’s experience, who helped plan the Wharton prom two years before.

Taryn knew she needed to sell at least 100 tickets to have enough money to rent the venue. An additional 40 tickets would allow her to hire a deejay.

She was told a typical Wharton prom often has about 300 or 350 students attending, so she was thrilled when she sold 201 tickets.

Then, her mom says, “She worked really hard to spend all the money because she didn’t want to make a profit.”

Taryn held the event the day after graduation. She didn’t want any repercussions from the school for students who attended, and wanted to minimize the chance that anyone might have to quarantine due to exposure to Covid at the prom.

“If I was the reason someone couldn’t walk at graduation, I would have felt terrible,” Taryn says.

The night of the event, Taryn’s parents and a couple of other adults took over as chaperones so she could enjoy herself, going out to dinner in a party bus with friends.

But first, they gathered at the Hunter’s Green Captain Nathaniel Hunter Park with dozens of others, taking pictures as they’ve done for many other events over the years.

“We’ve all gone to school with most of these people our whole lives,” says Taryn. “We’ve added more people as you go on, but there are a lot of the same people, and it was really nice to have everyone together.”

Officially, Wharton did offer some activities to replace prom, so Taryn also was careful to include the school’s student-elected prom court in her event.

“Out of 10 members of the prom court, we had eight of them come to our prom,” she says. The two who were missing participated in a separate prom organized by different students and parents.

Taryn says that all of the hard work definitely was worth it. “I think it turned out great,” she says. “It really came together like a last hurrah.”

K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. Receiving Safety Upgrades

With more than 1,000 homes scheduled to be built in the coming years in the sprawling K-Bar Ranch development in New Tampa, District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera has been keeping a close eye on the transportation issues already plaguing the community.

Whether it’s poorly marked roads, unsafe crosswalks or simply ways to get in and out of K-Bar Ranch, the infrastructure needs to keep pace.

By the end of this year, a number of improvements along K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. are expected to be completed.

The parkway itself is still under construction and less than half complete, but when completed, it will be the spine road of the growing community. At that point, it will run from the Kinnan St. entrance all the way east to Morris Bridge Rd., to an exit/entrance just a little north of the current entrance to the Easton Park subdivision.

Residents have complained about the lack of definitive striping on the completed portions of K-Bar Ranch Pkwy., resulting in some near-accidents. Two auto-related deaths, in 2012 and 2019, were both blamed on speeding.

Viera says he has experienced the concerns first-hand. After conducting one of his community meetings at K-Bar Ranch, Viera says a vehicle almost hit him on his way out.

“Me and my son were driving out on the same K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. residents had just been complaining about, and, lo and behold, I had to swerve out of the way of another car in what could have been a tragic accident,” Viera says.

Viera requested that the City of Tampa take immediate action. He also plans on holding a K-Bar Ranch workshop at a City Council meeting in September to address other issues related to public safety.

Improvements now planned for K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. include:

• Departing Kinnan St. eastbound, the existing 30-mph speed limit signs will be upgraded with enhanced and more visible panels above.

• Approaching Kinnan St. westbound, upgraded stop signs and bright sticks will be added.

• Departing Hawk Valley Dr (private road) eastbound, adding a two-way traffic warning sign.

• Departing Redwood Point Dr. east- and westbound, installing new 30-mph speed limit signs and with enhanced conspicuity panels above.

• The skipping yellow center line along the original section of K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. will be updated with a double yellow center line and raised pavement markers.

• Departing Laurel Vista Way (private road)/Wild Tamarind Dr. east- and westbound, new 30-mph speed limit signs and more visible panels above will be installed.

• Approaching Paddock View Dr. eastbound, end-of-road marking signage (red diamonds) and an advanced T-intersection warning sign will be added, as well as a refreshing of all markings as needed and adding raised pavement markers.

• Departing Paddock View Dr. westbound, new 30-mph speed limit signs will be installed with enhanced conspicuity panels above.

“It is pivotal that the City of Tampa and local governments invest in the requisite infrastructure, roads and public safety systems, as a community grows,” Viera says. “K-Bar Ranch is a growing community and needs this constant attention. Transportation is pivotal.”

CONNECTION COMING: Another primary improvement along K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. will be a connection to Meadow Pointe Blvd. into Wesley Chapel. However, the developer, MI Homes, has targeted Dec. 31 as a completion date, although there are still some permitting issues to resolve that could stretch that completion date into 2022.

The Meadow Pointe Blvd. connection will be the only northbound way out of K-Bar Ranch (other than Morris Bridge Rd.) when K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. is completed.

The Meadow Pointe Blvd. connection is the consolation prize for those who wanted to see Kinnan St. in K-Bar and Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe connected to give residents on both sides of the border easier access and to reduce congestion on BBD.

But, as we’ve reported previously, after years of negotiating with Hillsborough County, Pasco County commissioned a study that recommended connecting the roads only for emergency use, and instead agreed to connect K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. to Meadow Pointe Blvd. and Wyndfields Blvd. for vehicular traffic.

K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. is being constructed in segments, and once each road segment is completed, it will permit the developers to build more homes in that area.

Segment C, starting at the Kinnan St. entrance, is currently completed. Segment D, which is partially completed, will connect to the Meadow Pointe Blvd. extension, which also is under construction right now.

Segment F also is under construction, and will take the parkway almost to the westernmost part of Easton Park.

Completion is targeted for Dec. 31 for those segments.

The remaining segments to complete the parkway are pending permitting, meaning that completion will most likely not happen until 2022.

k-bar ranch