New Tampaโ€™s Holiday Season Includes Two โ€˜Nutcrackersโ€™ & Much More!ย 

As a direct-mail newspaper that only hits mailboxes every four weeks, itโ€™s hard for us to publish some stories because theyโ€™re already โ€œoldโ€ by the time our next issue reaches you. 

For example, by the time this issue reaches you, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa will all be distant memories and the year 2025 will already be in full swing, as even the kids will be back in school the same day this issue is scheduled to reach you. 

Even so, photographer Charmaine George and I attended many of the local holiday-themed events last month โ€” some or even all of which you may have missed โ€” including two different local performances of โ€œThe Nutcracker,โ€ the annual New Tampa Christmas tree and Hanukkah menorah lighting events and even the unique second-annual Renaissance-era โ€œMadrigal Dinnerโ€ hosted by the Freedom High chorus at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center, which isnโ€™t specifically a holiday event, but which was held on December 5 and included an actual delicious dinner for those who attended. 

The two photos above are from the New Tampa Dance Theatreโ€™s โ€œpreviewโ€ performance on Dec. 7 at the Shops at Wiregrass. Charmaine took these pictures since neither she nor I were available to attend NTDTโ€™s full โ€œNutcrackerโ€ ballet performances at the University of South Florida Dec. 20-22. Charmaine said that the huge crowd of people at the mall was definitely captivated by the ballet.ย 

I took the three photos above during one of the Tampa City Ballet (TCB)โ€™s three performances of โ€œThe Nutcrackerโ€ at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) Dec. 13-15. Not only were the dancers (adults and children) all amazing, the choreography by TCBโ€™s Paula Nunez, as well as the costumes and sets, were all as impressive as you would see at any big-city ballet company performance of Tchaikovskyโ€™s holiday masterpiece. TCB also performed โ€œThe Nutcrackerโ€ at USF Dec. 7-10.ย 

I had really hoped to attend Freedom Highโ€™s Madrigal Dinner at NTPAC (see the left photo and the photo below) but Charmaine said it was super-fun, with great singing, funny skits and a delicious dinner of chicken parmesan and salad, plus tiramisu for dessert.ย 

On Dec. 2, the City of Tampaโ€™s New Tampa Recreation Center and Parks & Recreation Department hosted the annual Christmas tree lighting event and parade (photos below) and a nice crowd of around 200 people attended to participate and watch the youth dance performances, enjoy the lighting ceremony and spend a little quality time with Santa Claus himself!ย 

And finally, on Dec. 26 (the second night of Hanukkah), the New Tampa Rec Center also hosted the second annual Hanukkah menorah lighting event, which featured prayers, songs and a wonderful message delivered by Rabbi Mendy Yarmush of Chabad of Wiregrass, which is now the only Jewish congregation in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel. Both the Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations at the Rec Center were organized in part by District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera.

New Driving Range The First Of Many Improvements At Saddlebrook!ย 

(l.-r.) Jordan Kornberg of Mast Capital, Pasco County Comm. Jack Mariano & Florida Sports Coast exec. director Adam Thomas were among those who took the first swings on the new driving range at Saddlebrook Resort on Dec. 11.ย (Photos by Charmaine George & Gary Nager)

Since Mast Capital purchased Saddlebrook Resort & Spa from the resortโ€™s late founder and owner Tom Dempsey back in 2022, the Wesley Chapel community has been anxiously waiting to see what Mast was going to do to update and upgrade what was once the jewel of Wesley Chapel. 

To that end, on Dec. 11, Saddlebrook and Mast unveiled the resortโ€™s newly relocated golf driving range with a โ€œfirst driveโ€ ceremony, a champagne toast and a great party that thunder, lightning and the possibility of heavy rain cut short. 

With Saddlebrookโ€™s former driving range along S.R. 54 being replaced with apartments, the range was relocated to a portion of the former Palmer Course, one of two Arnold Palmer-designed 18-hole courses at the resort. But, Mast decided to do away with nine of the Palmer Courseโ€™s 18 holes and the new driving range takes up about six of the other nine holes. 

When the renovations are complete, Saddlebrook will be left with 27 holes of championship golf. 

Mast Capital chief investment officer Jordan Kornberg promised that the new driving range โ€œis just the beginning. We will be returning Saddlebrook to its former glory.โ€ 

Among those joining Kornberg for the ceremonial first drive (complete with exploding golf balls) were the resortโ€™s managing director Raj Mohan, District 1 Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano and Florida Sports Coast executive director Adam Thomas. 

Mohan said he was looking forward to the community seeing the changes now in motion at Saddlebrook and Mariano also expressed excitement for the future of the resort. 

Attendees were treated to a picnic-style lunch with fried chicken, beef brisket and curried pork with all the trimmings, as well as enough umbrellas for everyone in attendance, as heavy showers were a looming possibility. 

For more information about Saddlebrook Resort, visit Saddlebrook.com or call (813) 973-1111.ย 

New Tampa Schools Have 4 Education Awards Finalists!ย 

Roxanne Coriell, Adam Wilinsky, Antonyia McCray & Bonnie Walters All Still Vying For Top Honorsย 

(L.-r.) 2024 Hillsborough County Teacher of the Year Dr. Clayton Nylund of Blake High, Hillsborough Superintendent of Schools Van Ayres, 2025 Teacher of the Year finalist Roxanne (Roxi) Coriell, School Board chair Jessica Vaughn & Hunterโ€™s Green Elementary principal Nicole Libby. (Photo provided by Hillsborough Public Schools)ย 

 Four representatives of New Tampaโ€™s public schools have been announced as finalists for the 2025 Excellence in Education (EIE) Awards. 

From more than 13,000 teachers in Hillsborough County, one of five finalists will be named Teacher of the Year at the event, which is hosted by the Hillsborough Education Foundation, in partnership with Hillsborough County Public Schools, on Thursday, January 23, at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Tampa. 

(Above, l.-r.) Dr. Clayton Nylund, Jessica Vaughn, 2025 Teacher of the Year finalist Adam Wilinsky, Pride Elementary principal Paulette English, and Van Ayres.

Similarly, one of five finalists will be named the Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator of the Year, and one of four finalists will be awarded Instructional Support Employee of the Year honors. 

New Tampa is represented in all three of the categories, including two of the Teacher of the Year finalists. 

Roxanne (Roxi) Coriell, a kindergarten teacher at Hunterโ€™s Green Elementary, and Adam Wilinsky, a fifth grade math and science teacher at Pride Elementary, are both finalists for Teacher of the Year. 

In addition, Antonyia McCray, the success coach at Freedom High, is a finalist for Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator of the Year. 

And Bonnie Walters, Secretary 4 atย Tampa Palms Elementary, is a finalist for Instructional Support Employee of the Year.

TPE secretary 4 Bonnie Walters.ย 

On December 2, the finalists were visited by the โ€œSurprise Patrol,โ€ made up of representatives from the Hillsborough Education Foundation, Hillsborough County Public Schools and the EIE event sponsors. 

Roxi Coriell was visibly shocked as the Surprise Patrol entered her classroom that Monday morning, the first day back after this yearโ€™s Thanksgiving break.โ€œIโ€™m so honored to be the Hunterโ€™s Green Teacher of the Year,โ€ she later said, โ€œand then, every step of the way, has been another complete surprise.โ€ 

HGE principal Nicole Libby says Coriell is an innovator who genuinely deserves the nomination. 

โ€œMrs. Coriell is an exceptional educator who truly embodies the qualities of a dedicated and impactful teacher,โ€ Libby says. โ€œHer ability to create an engaging, nurturing, and inclusive learning environment sets her apart and makes her incredibly deserving of this recognition.โ€ 

Meanwhile, at Tampa Palms Elementary, principal Angela Gluth says secretary Bonnie Walters, who has worked at the school for 27 years, is the heartbeat of their campus. 

(l.-r.) School Board member Lynn Gray, Antonyia McCray, Freedom principal Kevin Stephenson & School Board Vice Chair Karen Perez

โ€œIf she were to win at the District level, it would mean everything to us,โ€ Gluth says. โ€œIt would be an opportunity for everyoneย  to know what we already know about how special and amazing she is. She doesnโ€™t necessarily want the recognition, but I canโ€™t think of a more deserving person.โ€ย 

Congratulations to all four of the finalists, as well as to all of the teachers and school staff members who were chosen to represent their respective schools as nominees for this yearโ€™s EIE awards. That complete list appears below. 

New Tampaโ€™s 2025 Hillsborough Education Foundation EIE Awards Nominees 

Chiles Elementary 

Teacher of the Year: Felicia Sell, 2nd Grade Teacher 

Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator of the Year: Marie Exantus, Varying Exceptionalities (VE) Teacher Instructional Support Employee of the Year: Cristhian Valladares Murillo, Night Crew Leader Custodian 

Clark Elementary 

Teacher: Brittany Long, 5th Grade Teacher 

Ida S. Baker: Donna Clark, ESOL Resource Teacher 

Support Employee: Alena Plumb, Secretary 1 

Heritage Elementary 

Teacher: Heather Leitzke, Access Points Teacher 

Ida S. Baker: Lauren Sturlaugson, Media Specialist 

Support Employee: Aracely Garcia, Head Custodian 

Hunterโ€™s Green Elementary 

Teacher: *Roxanne Coriell, Kindergarten Teacher 

Ida S. Baker: Michelle Lilius, ESOL 

Resource Teacher 

Support Employee: Ivan Vazquez Rico, Custodian 

Pride Elementary 

Teacher: *Adam Wilinsky, 5th Grade Teacher 

Ida S. Baker: Christine Goff, School Counselor 

Support Employee: Alexandria DeJoseph, 

Principalโ€™s Secretary 

Tampa Palms Elementary 

Teacher: Elizabeth DaSilva, 3rd Grade Teacher 

Ida S. Baker: Lindsay Vizzi, Speech Lang. Pathologist 

Support Employee: *Bonnie Walters, Secretary 4 

Turner-Bartels K-8 School 

Teacher: Elaine Kurtright, Media Specialist 

Ida S. Baker: Marelisa Moreno, ESOL 

Resource Teacher 

Support Employee: Sheila Swain, Bookkeeper 

Benito Middle School 

Teacher: Chris Ellis, English Teacher 

Ida S. Baker: Felicia Chalmers, Varying 

Exceptionalities Teacher 

Support Employee: Mili Criswell, Exceptional 

Student Education Paraprof. 2 

Liberty Middle School 

Teacher: Natalia Maritza Sutton, Math Teacher 

Ida S. Baker: Dottie Urbanek-Nash, 

School Social Worker 

Support Employee: Angela J. Gonzalez, 

Data Processor 

Freedom High 

Teacher: Barrett Biernacki, Phys. Education Teacher 

Ida S. Baker: *Antonyia McCray, 

Student Success Coach 

Support Employee: Annmarie McLaughlin, 

Principalโ€™s Secretary 4 

Wharton High 

Teacher: Christi Atkinson, Science Teacher 

Ida S. Baker: Amanda Rizzi, Access Teacher 

Support Employee: Ona Miller, Principalโ€™s Secretary 

Vanessa Ng & CommLoan Can Provide The Funding You Need To Expand Your Business!ย 

Commercial lender Vanessa Ng (photos) knows that busy entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses donโ€™t have time to call a bank, apply for a loan, wait to hear back and then call a different bank if theyโ€™re turned down by, or just not sure they like, the first option. 

Thatโ€™s why she works for CommLoan, a company that allows her to help business owners apply for a loan through a streamlined process that provides many options to meets their needs quickly. 

โ€œCommLoan is really efficient and can provide a quote to the borrower within minutes,โ€ Vanessa explains. โ€œWe have a database of 750 lenders we work with through a proprietary system called CUPID, and, in some cases, it will give us back 300 options.โ€ 

CUPID, which stands for Commercial Underwriting Pricing Index Data, is an innovative platform developed by CommLoan, a company that was founded in 2014 in Scottsdale, AZ, by long-time mortgage banker Mitch Ginsberg. CommLoan lends nationwide, except in Nevada and North and South Dakota. 

Vanessa joined CommLoan about a year ago, adding commercial lending to her 12-year career as a residential lender. 

She currently works with business owners all over the country and says she is hoping to increase awareness of CommLoan locally in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas. 

Vanessa is originally from South Tampa and graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Finance in 2012. She went straight into the mortgage business out of college and first moved to New Tampa for five years, and then, to Wesley Chapel, where she now lives in Estancia at Wiregrass Ranch. 

โ€œThere is a lot of expansion and growing businesses in Wesley Chapel, Dade City and Zephyrhills,โ€ she says, โ€œand Iโ€™m trying to help out those entrepreneurs.โ€ 

She says she often provides loans for new commercial properties, such as gas stations or car washes, multifamily properties and single-tenant-use buildings, such as medical offices. 

Vanessa also helps business owners who have equity in their current properties refinance their existing loans to get cash out, or help those who have a maturing loan and want to refinance. 

Vanessa says her loans are for a minimum of $300,000 and can go up to as much as $100 million. She notes that some of these loans are as low as zero percent down. 

โ€œCommLoan provides tailored solutions,โ€ Vanessa explains. โ€œSo, whether a buyer is looking for no prepayment penalty, a non-recourse loan, or some other specific criteria, Iโ€™m able to filter the search for that. Within seconds, I can get the best rates and the best programs for my buyer.โ€ 

CommLoanโ€™s hundreds of lenders include everything from large national, commercial and regional banks to midsize banks, credit unions and debt funds. 

Vanessa explains that, sometimes, clients come to her feeling frustrated and overwhelmed. 

โ€œIf someone goes to a bank for a loan, but then gets turned down, it can leave them scrambling if theyโ€™re already under contract to buy a property,โ€ Vanessa explains. โ€œOnce I understand the scenario, I can send it to a dozen lenders at the same time and, sometimes, Iโ€™ll get offers the same day. Itโ€™s very different from waiting a week to just get turned down by one bank. These are busy entrepreneurs who donโ€™t have time to waste hours or days trying to get a loan.โ€ 

She says her job is to remove the frustration from the process. โ€œI do all of the legwork so you can keep running your business.โ€ 

Steven Sockwell and his wife, Lindy, have several investment properties near Rockville, IL. A few months ago, they were working with a Realtorยฎ to purchase a new rental property and the Realtor recommended Vanessa and CommLoan as a lender. Even though Vanessa was far away in Florida, Steven decided to reach out to her. 

โ€œEver since then, sheโ€™s been great to work with,โ€ Steven says. โ€œWeโ€™ve had several things sheโ€™s helped us with, including two transactions from start to finish. Sheโ€™s very helpful and the transactions have been smooth.โ€ 

He adds that Vanessa has, โ€œa wealth of knowledgeโ€ and credits her experience with helping them get the properties they wanted. 

โ€œSheโ€™s a very hard worker,โ€ Steven adds. โ€œAnything I have questions about, sheโ€™s able to answer them.โ€ 

He says heโ€™s in the process of buying another rental property and that he will continue to work with Vanessa and CommLoan because itโ€™s been such an easy process. 

โ€œOne thing Iโ€™ve noticed about CommLoan is that everything is very streamlined,โ€ he says. โ€œThe information in documentation is veryย straightforward and to the point. Itโ€™s so different than going to a local bank here where everything is so convoluted and you have to read, re-read, and re-read again to understand it. Instead, everything is very orderly and tells you want to do next, step-by-step. And, anything we donโ€™t understand, we ask and Vanessa answers quickly.โ€ย 

Steven says Vanessa also helped him look at his current portfolio of properties and figured out how to use the equity in those properties to, โ€œseize the momentโ€ to buy other properties. 

โ€œI didnโ€™t know how to go about doing that and she walked us through it,โ€ Steven says. 

He also says working with Vanessa has been so easy, even if he wasnโ€™t in the process of purchasing a property and needing a loan, he would still feel comfortable reaching out to ask her questions. 

โ€œShe would answer,โ€ he says. โ€œIโ€™m sure of it. Sheโ€™s a great person to work with.โ€ 

For more information, contact Vanessa Ng via email at vng@commloan.com, call or text her at (561) 310-4720 or visit VanessaNg.CommLoan.com.ย 

Sunday, January 12, 3 p.m.-5 p.m.โ€“ โ€œNew Tampa Unplugged,โ€ featuring Daniella Mass.ย 

At New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.). Daniella Mass, โ€œThe Liri Pop Princess,โ€ is a composer and young coloratura soprano from Colombia who was featured on โ€œAmericaโ€™s Got Talent.โ€ Tickets cost $15 for a theater seat, $20 for a table seat. To purchase tickets & get more info, call (813) 829-2760 or visit NewTampaArtsCenter.org/events.ย