Month: February 2022

Women’s Professional Hockey Champion To Be Crowned At Center Ice

You probably have already heard that last July, the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated Montreal in Tampa, earning the Bolts a second straight Lord Arthur Frederick Stanley Cup.

But, did you know that Lord Stanley had a daughter named Isobel, and a trophy bearing her name is handed out to the best professional women’s hockey team?

It’s true, and next month in Wesley Chapel, the winner of the 2022 Isobel Cup will be decided at AdventHealth Center Ice.

The six teams in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) will square off March 25-28, with preliminary round games tipping things off on Friday, the semifinals on Sunday and the final to be contested live on Monday at 9 p.m., on ESPN2.

The PHF championship game will mark ESPN’s first linear broadcast of professional women’s hockey. And, although NBCSports.com reports that no current members of the powerhouse U.S. and Canadian women’s national teams have played in the PHF since 2019, a recent influx of new capital — a reported $25 million — will more than double each PHF team’s salary cap (from $300,000 to $750,000) and provide health care and maternity leave benefits for all PHF players.

“We’re pumped about it. This is a pretty big deal,” said AdventHealth Center Ice CEO Gordie Zimmermann. “The women are trying to develop and move into the pro ranks and the gain the respectability that they have always been looking for. So I think this is a great platform. The hockey development here is like no other in the nation and they recognize it as great place to present their format. Girls hockey is growing in Florida as well, so this is a great thing for all the developmental programs in the area to come and watch.”

Zimmermann says all the girls hockey programs will be invited to watch the playoffs. The general public also is invited to the event. AdventHealth Center Ice seats roughly 1,000 spectators.

It’s surreal and somewhat ironic that both the Stanley and Isobel cups, awarded to best teams playing the national sport of Canada, would be decided in….Florida. But, the opening of Center Ice in 2017 opened up a lot of previously unimaginable possibilities.

The PHF playoffs is another coup for Zimmermann. Other than the many men’s hockey events Center Ice has hosted, some of its most noteworthy events have involved women’s hockey. It was the training site for the 2018 Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s Hockey team and hosted Team USA, Canada, Finland and Sweden for the 2017 Four Nations Cup. In 2019, a virtual women’s hockey museum opened inside Center Ice.

Each spring, the rink complex also plays host to USA Hockey’s Women’s Nationals.

“We have been a catalyst for the growing interest in hockey in Florida since our opening, and in women’s hockey in particular,” Zimmermann says.

Seven of the 25 players in Center Ice’s elite Global Prospects Academy are girls, and the facility also is home to the Crunch travel program, which has 14-under and 16-under teams.

The PHF was established in 2015 as the National Women’s Hockey League before re-branding itself. The league is made up of the defending champion Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan (New Jersey) Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps and the Toronto Six.

The pairings aren’t set yet because the regular season is still ongoing, although Connecticut and Toronto are currently in first and second place, respectively.

For more information, visit PremierHockeyFederation.com or AHCenterIce.com.

AdventHealth Center Ice Premier Hockey Federation

NerdsToGo Is On The Move For Small Businesses

Michael Varnadore is a nerd, and he’s proud of it.

He says he’s been a nerd since the 1980s, when he first laid his eyes on an Apple IIe computer, bought his first Commodore 64 and got his first Information Technology (IT) gig in 1986, when the U.S. Air Force started using the new Zenith Z-100.

What a decade that was. The computer world has changed a lot since then, and Varnadore has changed along with it. Now, he directs an entire team of nerds at NerdsToGo Computer Services, located in the Pebble Creek Collection shopping plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. Varnadore’s nerds can come to you and solve your computing needs.

“First and foremost, we want to be known as the guys you can trust with your IT, with your business, and with your data,” says Varnadore. “All of my nerds are certified, background-checked and drug-tested. Everybody here is a professional IT specialist of one type or another.”

NerdsToGo offers a slew of services, ranging from replacing a cracked screen on an iPhone to serving as an on-demand mobile IT department for your small business.

“We basically do everything,” says Varnadore, who opened his NerdsToGo franchise in 2019. “Our motto is ‘We Make IT Work.’”

NerdsToGo was founded in 2003 in Guilford, CT by David Colella to provide computer service for residential and small business users, long before computers were ubiquitous. The concept hasn’t changed, and there are now 25 locations nationwide, mostly along the east coast but as far west as Seattle.

On the consumer side, Varnadore’s franchise does hardware repair, and can even replace the back glass on an iPhone (and other phones) with its new laser machine. In many cases, they can have your cell phone or laptop with a cracked screen back to you within a few hours.

*Owner Michael Varnadore says his nerds can take care of your small business IT needs, too.*

And, Varnadore promises that they will never put business ahead of honesty.

“This was my first time visiting NerdsToGo, but definitely will not be my last,” wrote one of the customers on Google, where the New Tampa NerdsToGo franchise has a 4.9 rating. “All of the staff here were super knowledgeable and pleasant. They were upfront and honest, did not try to haggle me for business. In my case, I had numerous devices to repair and they were very honest and told me which ones were not repairable. For the items that were repairable I received same day service.”

Varnadore says home networking, mostly involving setting up mesh networks to improve the WiFi range in homes, is popular, as well as options like setting up a new computer and transferring data off an old one, setting up printers, installing certain applications, removing malware and other issues with cyber security.

All of these are even more important issues now, in a Covid world, than they were before, because so many more people are working from their homes.

There are enough computer conundrums to keep NerdsToGo busy. One of the most common complaints from consumers? “My computer is too slow!”

NerdsToGo specializes in tuning up your device by offering solid state drive (SSD) bundles, where they swap out an old hard disk drive (HDD) for a newer SSD, while transferring all your data to the new drive.

HDDs have moving parts, like a spinning “platter,” which can be broken when dropped or bumped, while an SSD is more like a large memory chip.

Varnadore says the difference in speed can be like trading in a station wagon with side paneling for a Porsche.

“The slowest thing on a computer these days is the hard drive,” Varnadore says. “Data is read and written to the disk so many times, people don’t realize how much that it slows everything else down. Now, with new solid state technology, there’s no moving parts. It’s very fast. You put (an SSD) in, it turns that slow computer into something running better than the day they bought it. People are amazed at the difference in speed, and that can save them hundreds, even thousands of dollars.”

*NerdsToGo does most repairs in its office, but sometimes a trip to your home or business is all it takes.*

NerdsToGo also is bolstering and emphasizing its local and small business offerings for those who can’t afford a full-time IT employee or don’t want to invest in expensive managed service companies to monitor their networks.

Through its NerdAssure program, NerdsToGo can manage the IT services for small businesses, supporting anywhere from one to hundreds of computers.

“From the day we opened our doors, we’ve always provided services to small businesses,” Varnadore says. “The new NerdAssure is a new branded capability we are rolling out that can do stuff in the background.”

The service monitors more than 3,000 different elements of the business’ computer hardware and software to make sure it’s running effectively, and if there’s a problem, NerdAssure is alerted so it can take action.

Varnadore says that NerdAssure also provides a real-time antivirus, “that not only looks for bad guys’ signatures but actually has a security operations center watching for any events that might be taking place.”

One of the most valuable services is backing up your business’ data. “If you lose critical data you can be out of business,” Varnadore says. “Everything else can be replaced. But, your intellectual property can’t. We can protect that.”

NerdAssure provides hosting for a Microsoft 365 environment and takes care of email issues while offering other IT administrative support as well.

And, when problems do arise, NerdsToGo can be onsite the same day to fix them.

“We want to be the IT company for your small business,” Varnadore says. “When you need us, we are there, and we can be there onsite, so you’re only paying for the time you need us there. When you don’t need us, NerdAssure is monitoring and securing your network in the background.”

And, when you do need NerdsToGo, Varnadore says you won’t be passed through to a call center somewhere else. The New Tampa location phone is answered by a customer specialist, one of the technicians or even by Varnadore himself. So, give your local nerds a call for a free technology evaluation.

NerdsToGo is located at 19651 Bruce B Downs Blvd., Suite C6. The store is open Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m., and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, visit NerdsToGo.com or call (813) 321-1700.

computers NerdsToGo

Wharton Hoops Headed To State!

When you play a great basketball game for Wharton’s Tommy Tonelli, you will receive praise, a high five and maybe even a hug from the coach.

When you play arguably the greatest basketball game for Tonelli, you get something even better.

The Griddy dance.

Yes, Wharton was that good Friday night, beating Sumner in the Class 6 region championship by a resounding score of 50-11 and turning in a defensive effort so impressive that even old school coaches like Tonelli are compelled afterwards to perform the latest dance craze at center court in front of his joyous players.

The win propels the Wildcats (28-2) to the state final four for the first time since 2013, and only second time overall. Wharton will play Martin County Thursday at 6 p.m. at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland in one 6A semifinal, with Winter Haven and Ponte Verde squaring off in the other semifinal.

The Griddy dance. (Photo: Charmaine George)

While the Wildcats were expected by most to win Friday’s game, no one envisioned holding Sumner to 11 points. Three Wildcat players — Trevor Dyson, Chandler Davis and Lucean Milligan — each scored that many or more by themselves.

“That’s amazing,” said senior Carlos Nesbitt, who scored 10 points for the Wildcats. “We pride ourselves on our defense, and tonight we just executed the game plan. That’s what we do, we’re known for our defense.”

But, 11 points?

Trevor Dyson takes on four Stingrays for two of his team-high 13 points. (Photo: Charmaine George)

“I don’t know if we expected that,” said Dyson, a senior forward who led the Wildcats with 13 points and had a huge game on the boards.

This is the kind of night it was for Sumner: After guard Tyrell Smith took a pass along the baseline and swished a tough fall away jumper over the outstretched hands of a Wharton defender to give the Stingrays a 2-0 lead, Tonelli turned to one of the referees and said “If they keep making those kind of shots, we’re in for a long night.”

Sumner made only four more baskets all game.

The 11 points were the fewest ever allowed by Wharton in a playoff game, and was 27 points less than Sumner’s worst game of a season, a 45-38 loss to Bloomingdale, whose coach, Wharton hoops legend Shawn Vanzant, might have learned a few things about defense in his time as a Wildcat.

Wharton came into the game allowing only 44 ppg. In three state playoff wins, they are allowing only 28.6.

After Sumner’s game-opening basket, Wharton scored the next 12 points as Dyson hit a three-pointer, Davis blocked a shot and got the ball back on the break for a lay-in, and point guard Trent Lincoln found Nesbitt for an alley-oop jam.

Tonelli said it was the best game of Nesbitt’s career.

“He did everything on both ends of the court, things you don’t even see,” Tonelli said. “He was the unsung hero.”

Following a Sumner basket to make it 12-4, Wharton went on another run, this time scoring the next 14 points, including three consecutive three-pointers in a span of 2 minutes, 30 seconds in the second quarter by Milligan, twice, and Davis.

And the rout was on. By halftime, the Wharton lead had ballooned to 30-6.

“The three-pointers got us hyped,” said Davis. “And on defense, we just locked them up. They had six points at halftime, and we were hitting our shots. They’re a good team, but we played great defense.”

Even with a 30-6 lead, Tonelli says the Wildcats were taking nothing for granted. However, Sumner only scored twice in the second half, and didn’t even score in the fourth quarter, missing all 13 of their three-point attempts for the game.

Tonelli hugs his wife Kristin after the Wildcat win. (Photo: Charmaine George)

It was easier than Tonelli thought it would be. The night before the game, he woke up in a full sweat, and had to get up and change his clothes. The game, and the quickness of the Sumner guards and its height in the post, was weighing so heavily on him, his wife Kristin said she thought he might be having a heart attack.

But she also said it was nothing new. Tonelli is the ultimate tactician, and had prepared non-stop for the Stingrays.

“We watch film every day ,” said Lincoln, the point guard. “We probably watch more film than anyone. We knew their plays. We knew what was coming. We were prepared. We have to thank coach for that.”

Dyson and Nesbitt, a pair of 6-4 forwards, controlled the boards, despite going up against Christian Henley, listed as a 7-footer, and 6-5 D.J. Jones.

Henley was shut out, and Jones had a single basket.

“The coaches told us we were going up against some tall players,” said Dyson, smiling. “But I wanted to show them who the big dog was.”

The last time Wharton won a regional championship, the Wildcats needed a miracle. After making Wharton’s C.J McGill made a free throw with six seconds left, Orlando University rushed down the court and hit a three-pointer from the corner as the buzzer sounded. After a huddle by the officials, a few moments that Tonelli says were the most agonizing of his coaching career, they determined the shot was taken a micro second after the clock expired.

Friday’s win was almost anti-climatic.

“I’d rather win a game this way,” Tonelli said, a wide grin flashing across his face.

basketball playoffs state wharton high school

Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. Adds Authentic Carnegie Deli Menu Items!

When I lived in New York City in the early 1980s, the two most iconic Jewish delicatessens in Manhattan were the Stage Deli, which closed for good in 2012, and the Carnegie Deli, which permanently closed its doors at the end of 2016. The two delis, which also were bitter rivals, were located about a block from each other on 7th Ave., near Carnegie Hall, and both were known for their huge, overstuffed sandwiches, weighing in at a pound of meat each.

I thought both famous eateries were gone forever; that is, until Wesley Chapel Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. franchise owner Daniel Kurland told me that all 16 or so of the locations in the Florida-based chain were replacing their existing deli lunch sandwich meats with authentic corned beef and pastrami (and a few other items shown on this page) from the wholesale distributor that has stayed in business since the Carnegie Deli closed.

“Brooklyn Water Bagels even tried to get an exclusive,” Kurland says. “Our corporate entity wanted our stores to be the only places you could get these authentic Carnegie Deli items, including corned beef, pastrami, potato knishes, cheesecake, sour Kosher pickles and even mustard.”

But, Kurland added, “We were told that there were delis and restaurants all over the country, many in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area, where the first Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. locations opened, which already were buying these items from the Carnegie Deli wholesale distributor. They had to be grandfathered into our agreement with Carnegie.”

So, while it’s not the only place in the U.S. where you can sample these items that I loved so much when I lived in Manhattan, Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. is one of very few places on the west coast of Florida, and is certainly the only place in Wesley Chapel, where you can buy them.

And, because the Carnegie Deli was famous for its 1-lb. sandwiches, Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. today offers the (pictured above) Manhattan Combo sandwich — with 1-lb. total of Carnegie Deli corned beef and pastrami, on authentic Jewish-style rye bread (or your choice of bagel) with Carnegie mustard (which also is available for purchase in a squeeze bottle), or the also-popular 1000 Island dressing. No, there’s no steamer “drawers” keeping the moisture (and heat) in the meats before they are piled into your sandwich, but otherwise, they are very much the same tasty (albeit fairly fatty, yum!) deli meats I remember from New York City.

There’s also The Manhattan sandwich, which offers 1-lb. of your choice of corned beef or pastrami, as well as the Half-Pounder Deli sandwich, which has just 1/2-lb. of your choice of corned beef or pastrami, for you lightweights. There’s even The Reuben, which features corned beef or pastrami with sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese, with mustard or 1000 Island dressing on toasted rye.

And, considering that a Jewish deli sandwich would never be complete without a Kosher sour pickle, Brooklyn Water Bagel’s Carnegie Deli sandwiches are all served with a matching Carnegie pickle.

But Wait, There’s More!

Growing up, I was never the biggest fan of potato knishes — which, at most delis, are either square or round single-serving “pies” with a dough crust, stuffed with uniquely seasoned mashed potatoes — but for those of you who crave them, Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. also offers Carnegie Deli’s round (only) knishes, that are very much like the ones we got at our local deli in Woodmere, Long Island. The knishes are especially delish with the Carnegie mustard, too.

And, you can even finish off your meal with a nice-sized slab of Carnegie Deli cheesecake, which is a creamy, yet dense dessert which is offered with a cherry sauce either poured over it or on the side.

And, don’t forget that Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. also has a delicious roast turkey, bacon and avocado wrap, tuna, egg, chicken and even whitefish salad sandwiches (all of the creamy salad options are available for to-go sale in tubs) and, oh yeah, a huge variety (at least dozen or more different kinds, from standard plain, sesame and everything to more exotic types, like Black Russian with seeds) kettle-boiled-then-baked fresh bagels and pick-your-own fillings omelettes that are available for breakfast or lunch anytime you visit. The smoked Nova Scotia salmon is authentic, too, and also is available for sale in packages, as are a variety of different types of cream cheese.

And, just in case you’re not a cheesecake fan, Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. has a great variety of other outstanding desserts, most of which (not including the authentic Jewish rugelach pastries) are made in-store, using the franchise’s “Brooklynized” water.

The black & white cookies are the best in the area, the chewy chocolate chip cookies have huge chocolate chunks and the house-baked muffins include blueberry, chocolate chip, apple cinnamon and banana nut.

And, if you love delicious coffee, Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. has the best hot and cold coffee in town, at least in my opinion. Its Brooklyn Water Coffee Roasters is its in-house micro-roaster, roasting its coffee in small batches (never larger than 90 lbs. at a time), and purchases only beans that are rated 80 points or higher by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (or in the top 3% of coffee in the world). My favorite available-all-year-‘round variety is the Brooklyn Infusion, with Kahlua, caramel and sweet vanilla flavors, but the seasonal Winter Wonderland blend, with white chocolate, caramel and hints of coconut also is amazing, although Kurland says it will be gone by the spring.

Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. (27835 Wesley Chapel Blvd., Suite 101) is open every day, 6 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information, visit BrooklynWaterBagel.com, call (813) 775-2275 or see the ad on pg. 34 of our latest Wesley Chapel issue to receive a free bagel just for stopping by.

Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.

Brunchery Expanding To Wesley Chapel!

Brunchery New Tampa is getting ready to open a second location in Wesley Chapel!

The New Tampa Brunchery was opened at 17507 Preserve Walk Lane (off Bruce B. Downs Blvd) by Alket (Al) Marku and Stanley Athan in 2019.

In January 2021, Marku took over as the only owner of the New Tampa Brunchery, and has been tremendously successful. He believes he will bring the same success to the Brunchery Wesley Chapel, located at 27607 S.R. 56, in the former location of Wolf’s Den.

Brunchery is known for its delicious breakfast and lunch menu that offers a variety of options, such as Stuffed French Toast, Omelettes & Benedicts, homemade Muffins, Creamy Chicken Salad on a Grilled Raisin Bread, and many other delicious items. It also is well-known for its outstanding service.

Marku, who took us on a hard hat tour of the former Wolf’s Den location that he is completely revamping, says he hopes to be open no later than Mar 14, possibly sooner. Stay tuned for an update next week.

We are definitely looking forward to the opening of the Wesley Chapel Brunchery.

For more information visit lovebrunchery.com or call the New Tampa location at (813) 533-7271. — GN

brunchery