Local Andy On Call Franchise Is Available To Repair & Remodel Your Home!

Reggie Morgan, the co-owner of the local Andy OnCall franchise, has professional craftsmen who can fix/remodel anything in your home.

To-do lists around the house can easily pile up. When an appliance breaks down or a major repair is needed in your home, the task can be overwhelming. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a place that promised to tackle your entire to-do list and give you back your weekend?

Well, there is. Andy OnCall is licensed, bonded and insured and is your one-call solution for home improvements, maintenance and remodels.

Sometimes, it’s just small, nagging repairs that you just can’t get around to or can’t quite find the right part for. Andy OnCall can help. Even with something as simple as hanging a picture frame, hanging some shelves or installing a pet door, a screened and certified craftsman will come to your home and leave you with a completed job and a one-year warranty on the labor.

Andy OnCall craftsmen prefer to finish jobs, too. Taking into consideration large projects that take a little longer —say, a new kitchen, or extensive plumbing work — co-owner Reggie Morgan estimates that 80 percent of the jobs they take on are completed in a matter of hours, days or weeks.

Andy OnCall covers the entire spectrum of home repair, even if it’s not one of their craftsmen handling the job.

“We don’t physically do roofs but we have roofing contractors that work for us,” Morgan says. “If we can’t do it, we will find someone who can. Rather than you calling five different people, we can do that. We are a one-stop shop.”

All Craftsmen Are Screened & Certified

Andy OnCall doesn’t just hire anyone. “Most guys have a minimum 10 years of experience when they come to us,” Morgan says. “That’s 10 years, verifiable, with their own truck and tools.”

Craftsmen are given lighter jobs early, with Morgan or managing partner and co-owner Vince Pizzitola following up on the work.

Pizzitola and Morgan bid the larger jobs and will use newer hires in on-the-job training, always making sure that “newbies” first work with a veteran craftsman. Craftsmen are given yearly background checks and have printed badges with photo identification on them.

“We don’t just hire people,” Morgan says. “We want someone that fits our role and knows what we expect.”

Andy OnCall carries insurance that covers the company’s employees, including their employees’ vehicles, while they are on the job, and is licensed for electrical, plumbing and air-conditioning (HVAC) work.

Craftsmen split the rates set by Andy OnCall with the company. Craftsmen are paid by the job and not by the hour. And, Andy OnCall offers free estimates for jobs.

“We will actually go out to the site to evaluate your needs,” Morgan says. “There’s no obligation but we don’t give estimates over the phone.”

In addition to Morgan and Pizzitola, the company currently has eight craftsmen and two office workers. And, the craftsmen are spread across the tri-county service area (Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco).

Craftsmen are scheduled so that they either stay close to their homes or at least end their route near their homes.

“We try to keep them working in a systematic way,” Morgan says. “We will try to steer the workers home with bids.”

This makes for a shortened commute that employees appreciate. It also saves the company money, while getting someone to your home more promptly.

“It makes a difference because you’re not getting the job done if you’re in your car, driving from place to place,” Pizzitola says. “We have craftsmen strategically located in areas around the Tampa Bay area and they tend to handle those areas.”

Andy OnCall also will cater to the skillset of each craftsman. If a craftsman specializes in drywall, he/she will get a lot of drywall bids. If another is a skilled electrician, those craftsmen will more often get the electrical bids.

Pizzitola and Morgan are there as backup, too, just in case.

“We want our craftsmen to be successful,” Morgan says. “We train them, but Vince and I are also available to walk them through something on the phone, too.”

Craftsmen At Heart

Andy OnCall was established in 1993 in Chattanooga, TN. Founder and CEO Tom Harris had built a reputation as a homebuilder in the 80s and 90s and people regularly asked Harris to take care of small projects for them. “Builders want to build, but Tom saw a need for a handyman service,” Morgan says.

So, why Andy, and not, say, Tom OnCall? “Back in 1992, the phone book was the internet,’’ Morgan says. “So, you wanted your name show up on the first pages of the yellow pages.”

By 1997, Harris’ daughter Tamara developed the computer software that culminated into the program used to run the business today. The original business in Chattanooga became the first franchise in May of 1999. There are now 2,849 franchises nationwide.

Pizzitola came into the Tampa franchise five years ago as a craftsman. He actually has a background in chemistry and engineering and worked  at rehabbing houses for 10 years. He even ran his own handyman service for a while.

Pizzitola handled the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area as a craftsman and still takes jobs in that area but has transitioned into more of a managerial role. He came on as the local franchise co-owner in January of this year.

“I still am the main backup or problem solver, but now I’m more of a resource,” Pizzitola says.

Morgan bought the franchise located on W. Linebaugh Ave. in Tampa in April of last year. He comes from a nine-year career in the Navy, working in electronic warfare. He also has worked in the broadcast industry and was a Sears Home Central district manager responsible for 114 technicians before moving to Wesley Chapel 15 years ago. But, he still came from a building background.

“My father was a carpenter,” Morgan says. “I grew up with all the skills from him. He could fix or build anything.”

In Tampa, Morgan then took over as director of services for Invitation Homes in 2012. He says she saw the company grow from five employees and 500 homes to 168 employees and more than 5,000 homes — in six months. When the company downsized, Morgan knew it was time to jump ship.

“Andy OnCall had name recognition, the location was 16 years old and it was a good match to my needs,” Morgan says.

That unique name recognition and level of service are now taking root in Tampa Bay.

If you’ve been putting off a repair or need someone to tackle your to-do list, call Andy on Call at (813) 961-2600 or swing by the office at 5008 W. Linebaugh Ave., Suite 35, to set up an appointment for service or a free estimate. The office is open Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.. Visit AndyOnCallTampaBay.com.

Terry Tan Turns Vision Into Valedictorian

Freedom High’s 2016-17 Valedictorian Terry Tan is an “old soul,” because sometimes that’s what it takes. Despite being the youngest of two sisters, she has the mature vision and work ethic of someone successfully balancing the pressure of academics with the richness of life.

In addition to being Freedom’s Valedictorian, Terry also volunteers at other schools, works a part-time job, plays sports and yet, still finds time to relax.

“I don’t like to focus too much on one, specific thing in life,” Terry says. “My goal is to be a well-rounded person.”

The daughter of second generation Chinese immigrants, Terry has discovered balance in her life, in which academics has played a huge role.

She is a member of the National Honor Society (NHS), the Science National Honor Society (SNHS), Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), and Mu Alpha Theta, a math honor society.

Terry walked across the stage on May 23 at the Florida Expo Hall with a weighted GPA of 7.27 and unweighted 3.98.

She says that Valedictorian wasn’t even a goal until somewhere in her sophomore year, when she says she first paid attention to it.

“It was something exciting I could pursue,” Terry says. “I knew that if I set my mind to it, I could become Valedictorian.”

It hardly became an obsession, however. Terry went on about her life, and only found out she’d earned Valedictorian honors sometime in January, when some of her friends congratulated her in the hallway at school. She initially asked why they were congratulating her.

“I definitely could not believe it,” she says. “I was very happy. With  all that hard work, it felt really good.”

Terry spent the spring term in the closest thing to a college setting outside of an actual college setting. She took three dual enrollment classes that gave her college-like responsibility. She’ll enter the University of Florida in Gainesville next fall with 31 college credit hours already under her belt.

“Dual enrollment is completely on your own, it’s all based on if you can motivate yourself,” Terry says. “Even with AP classes, you still have your teacher there.”

That setup suited Terry just fine. She says she enjoyed the flexibility and freedom and was able to balance her nine college credit hours, her job (and own personal workouts six days a week) at LA Fitness, track season and volunteering at Chiles Elementary in Tampa Palms and at St. Mark The Evangelical Catholic Church on Cross Creek Blvd.

She ran cross country for the Patriots for three years, as well as the 800 and 1,600 meters and the 4×800 relay on the school’s spring track team.

“You will go insane if you focus on only one aspect, if all your focus is on academics,” Terry says. “What about the other aspects of life that you could be missing out on?”

She strives for perfection in everything that she does. The one “B” she got in high school, a sophomore year pre-calculus class, still gnaws at her.

“I’m also the type of person that when something’s almost perfect but not quite perfect, it becomes a pet peeve,” Terry says.

It turns out that the “B” in pre-calc was the only one she would receive in her high entire high school career. In fact, it was the only one from elementary school on up. However, Terry’s old soul quality she uses for balance keeps her from obsessing over it.

“I feel like the children, my generation of my family, are all more mature and have old souls,” Terry says. “Whereas my mom and dad are really young at heart — they make jokes, they poke fun at me in a sweet way — they’re just goofy and like to have fun.”

They also keep Terry grounded.

“I hope that my, ‘kid at heart’ attitude will continue to remind her ‘old soul’ to slow down and celebrate her hard work,” Terry’s mother Sylvia said.

Terry’s older sister Tammy also attended UF, and is similarly motivated with her own big-picture mentality. Tammy thinks Terry has just scraped the surface of what lies ahead.

“I don’t think Terry realizes her accomplishments are a reflection of how much potential she has in doing even greater things in the future,” Tammy says. “I am thrilled for this new chapter that is coming for her because I want her to finally see her potential come to life.”

Tammy has been a constant source of motivation for Terry, who says her older sister has inspired her and made her mature faster.

Tammy will graduate from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine on the same day Terry graduates from Freedom.

Terry isn’t sure whether or not she’ll follow her sister’s path into a medical profession, as she says she is considering a couple of different fields. She took a microeconomics class her first semester of her senior year and a macroeconomics class at Hillsborough Community College this past semester.

“After those classes, I thought about maybe looking into finance,” Terry says.

On the other hand, she adds, she really enjoyed working with children at the local church and elementary school. Terry says she likes how the field of orthodontics opens up the opportunity to work with children.

“If I do pursue orthodontics, it will be in pediatrics,” she says. “I really love working with kids.”

Whatever field Terry does decide to pursue, you can bet she’ll pursue it with vigor and passion, while always finding time to stop and smell the roses. She says she is grateful to her entire family, including her grandfather — whom she says was a major source of inspiration — for providing the support necessary to accomplish some of the things she has already accomplished to date.

She says they have taught her to, “be yourself, that’s all that really matters.”

What doesn’t matter? That darn “B” from sophomore pre-calculus.

“Ummm, that, B?,” she says. “That’s in the past.”

Gunter & Gunter Insurance — Committed To The Community & To Rotary

Insurance is peace of mind. While you may not like to have to pay for it, when you need to use it, it is helpful that you have the right policy from the right agency.

For many Wesley Chapel and New Tampa residents, that means visiting Gunter & Gunter Insurance, run by familiar local faces Gary and Joyce Gunter.

While still located in the Westbrook Professional Park (across from Saddlebrook Resort), near I-75 and SR 54, Gunter & Gunter now has a new office in the same professional park facing S.R. 54 at the front of the office park.

“The presence right on the street is the best feature (about the new building),” Gary Gunter says. “And, the layout of this office is nice. It’s visible and convenient.”

Gary and his wife Joyce moved into the office park in 2010, when the Gunters purchased three insurance agencies and combined them into their Wesley Chapel location.

“With more people in the office, it’s easier to take care of all of our customers,” Gary says. ‘We’re one of the few places that will actually answer the phone.”

There is always someone on staff during business hours at Gunter & Gunter.

Furthermore, all of the office’s staffers are fully licensed property and casualty agents. Florida law requires that an insurance office have at least one licensed agent; Gunter & Gunter has five property and casualty and one customer service agent.

“We want them all to have the highest level of education and provide the best level of service,” Gary says.

Top Policies & Saving a Bundle

Gunter & Gunter specializes in home and auto insurance, although they sell all types of insurance, from business to life insurance, and the office boasts nearly a century of combined insurance experience.

It also is an exclusive Allstate agency. While Gunter & Gunter can still write policies with other companies, Allstate requires that those companies be A-Rated insurance companies. A-Rated insurance companies have to prove their financial stability in the face of a catastrophic incidents, such as a hurricane. They must prove they are able to pay out all of their policies.

Bundling is another element of Gunter & Gunter’s multi-tiered service. With the ability to write auto, home, condo, renters, motorcycle, business, life, ATV and other policies, savings are there for customers who want to bundle.

A lot of it depends on which types of insurance a customer wants to bundle together. Typically, Joyce says, savings from 8 percent-20 percent can be had. For instance, bundling renters, umbrella and life insurance could save a customer up to 25 percent.

Many homes in the Wesley Chapel area are new construction and new homes can get homeowners insurance at great rates.

“The insurance rates on new homes are fabulous,” Joyce says. “You could pay half the premium on a new home versus an older one.”

Call and ask for a quote — each time someone does, Gunter & Gunter make a donation to one of several charities.

Sinkhole & Flood Specialists

Some disasters have insurance companies running the other way. Not the Gunters.

“There aren’t as many companies writing sinkhole policies,” Gary says. “There are fewer choices now and, with the rise in premiums, a lot of people are dropping it. It’s one of our main challenges because if you have a mortgage on your home, companies require an A-rated insurance company.”

Flood insurance is another area of specialization at Gunter & Gunter Insurance.

“There has been an increase in flooding the last few years,” Gary says. “We want people to know that flood insurance is not that expensive.”

The cheapest policy is just $171 per year. The insurance agency can write flood insurance policies for homes in low-risk areas ranging from $171 to about $550 annually. Joyce says that half of the polices run about $450, and that about 40 percent of claims happen in low-risk areas. And, the average claim is about $43,000.

“If you are wondering if you need flood insurance,” Gary says, “look outside your house, and if you see water, we recommend flood insurance.”

Gunter & Gunter’s website is a testament to great service, with a number of sterling reviews. Customers like Angela B. praise Gunter & Gunter for quickly processing her claim, Shirley R. said she is “overjoyed” with the umbrella policy purchased from the Gunters and Alissa J. wrote that she felt like “part of the family” when she called to purchase insurance.

The Rotary Connection

Gary and Joyce have a vested interest in the community, both local and global. As long-time members of The Rotary Club of New Tampa, they have worked with Feeding Tampa Bay — creating mobile food pantries across the city  — and been involved in many local and international service projects.

Most recently, they traveled to Honduras working on service projects with 15 other Rotarians. The trip was organized by the Lake Wales Breakfast Rotary Club, which goes twice a year and helps with infrastructure projects on dilapidated or geographically isolated schools.

Construction projects like building a soccer field and securing fences around the school were some of the undertakings. They’ve helped found an orphanage for girls, provide clean water for small villages, meals for the poor and educational materials.

“Rotary helps us be close to all parts of our community and learn much more about the people and their needs,” Joyce said. “Much more so that we would sitting behind a desk.”

Joyce is the current District Governor for Rotary International’s District 6890, comprised of Hillsborough, Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties. Gary, who also was president of the New Tampa Rotary in 2010-11, served as the District 6890 Governor in 2014-15.

The Gunters participate in weekly food distributions and help with Thanksgiving meals in collaboration with Atonement Lutheran Church on S.R. 54. They have and say they will continue to participate in the Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot at the Shops at Wiregrass. They helped with the Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel on March 18, which was hosted at Florida Hospital Center Ice by their New Tampa Rotary Club that helped raise funds for Feeding America, the national arm of Feeding Tampa Bay.

In January, they traveled to India for National Immunization Day and the project immunized 173 million children. The Gunters also are actively involved in Rotary’s campaign called End Polio Now. Thanks to the 100-year effort by Rotary International to inoculate everyone in every country in the world, so far this year, there have been just four reported new cases of Polio worldwide.

“We are very proud to be a part of this group of wonderful people helping right here in our communities,’’ Gary says, “and around the world.”

Call (813) 994-3900 or stop by Gunter & Gunter Insurance at 28969 S.R. 54 to discuss all of your insurance needs. The office is open Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday. Saturday appointments are available upon request. Visit GunterandGunterInsurance.com or search “GunterandGunterInsurance.AllstateAgency” on Facebook.

Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex Finally Moving Forward After BCC Vote

The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) approved regular business item R5 that green-lit the RADDsports  Wiregrass Sports Complex, as well as agreeing to double the Tourist Development Tax (TDT), or bed tax, in order to help finance it.

The $44-million project, which will be built on part of a 224-acre parcel located northeast of the Shops of Wiregrass owned by the county (that was previously donated by the Porter family), has taken on many manifestations over the years but RADDsports’ proposal won over county commissioners at nearly every juncture.

“I had to sit here, look (former Major League Baseball star) Gary Sheffield in the face and tell him, no,” BCC chair and District 2 commissioner Mike Moore said, referring to a failed plan for a Wiregrass Ranch baseball complex at the same site in 2015.

“That was a bad project,” Moore said, “but this is a good project.”

The journey to build some sort of sports complex is eight years old, and a 5-0 vote by the commissioners indicated that they think they have finally found the right one.

“I 100-percent support the project and the steps that went into it,” said BCC vice-chair (and Dist. 4 commissioner) Mike Wells.

The project design calls for a multi-purpose sports complex that is anchored by a 98,000-sq.ft. multi-purpose building, which can host volleyball, basketball, cheerleading and other indoor events. The sports complex also will include eight outdoor sports fields, an outdoor amphitheatre and event lawn as well as pavilions, a playground and trails.

“This complex, along with (Florida Hospital) Center Ice, Florida Hospital of Wesley Chapel and Saddlebrook really put us on the map,” said Pasco strategy policy administrator Richard Gehring.

Funding sources for the planned complex include $11 million previously set aside by the BCC ($8.5-million in tourist tax funds and $2.5 million in excess bond proceeds from a prior half-cent sales tax bond), a county-backed loan of $14,253,700, plus $18,750,000 in private equity and debt from the Mainsail Development, which will be building a hotel on the complex site.

The two-percent increase in the TDT is expected to generate $1.2 million annually, which will help by paying down the loan, along with the revenue RADDsports says the complex will generate (the company says that by year six, the gross revenue will be approximately $4.6 million).

A super majority vote (four of the five BCC commissioners) is required to officially pass the TDT increase. A vote will be held at a future meeting, following a public hearing.

Despite doubling the TDT, it would still be lower than the TDTs in both Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties.

There also was some discussion about losing hotel revenue to Hillsborough County. Commissioners cited the December lacrosse tournament hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods at Wesley Chapel District Park and how the county lost a lot of hotel revenue with people electing to stay at hotels in Hillsborough County, including several in New Tampa.

Gehring recommended creating a list of nearby, “preferred” hotels within the county and charging a fee for not using one of the preferred hotels.

The RADDsports proposal includes a Mainsail Development project for a $19-million, 120-room Marriot branded Residence Inn to be privately financed. The county says the sports complex will generate 27,000 room nights per year.

Saddlebrook Resort owner Tom Dempsey, as well as Saddlebrook general manager Patrick Ciaccio,  were two of a handful of speakers to voice their opinions before the commissioners debated the sports complex project.

Their  800-room resort has nearly a quarter of all the available hotel rooms in Pasco County, and as a result, collects most of the bed taxes.

“I’ve been in the sports business for 30 years and I think this project is questionable,’’ Dempsey said. “A tourist tax from Day 1 is a loser. I disagree with the two-percent tax increase.”

Other nearby hotels in Pasco include: a 92-room Fairfield Inn & Suites planned on nearby property in Wiregrass, an 80-room Holiday Inn Express that just opened east of I-75, and a 125-room Hilton Garden Inn that is currently under construction at S.R. 56 and Silver Maple Pkwy.

Freedom Falls A Little Short Of A State Hockey Title At FHCI

The Freedom ice hockey team, comprised mostly of players from Freedom High in Tampa Palms and Wharton High on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.,  advanced to the Statewide Amateur Hockey of Florida (SAHOF) State championship tournament, where the Patriots fell in the semifinals.

Teams from all over the state converged for the two tiers of the State tournament, which was held for the first time ever at Florida Hospital Center Ice on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel the weekend of Feb. 25-26.

Wiregrass, Freedom, Mitchell and West Boca (Spanish River) competed in the Tier 2 high school division. Tier 2 teams can draw from up to four schools, typically in the same general area, like Freedom.

The Tier 1 championships were also held at the same time. Those teams have rosters comprised entirely of athletes that attend a particular school.

For the tournament, Tier 2 teams had to limit the number of schools they could draw their athletes from to four. While the Freedom team is comprised mostly of athletes from Freedom and Wharton, they still had to make some painful cuts to the roster.

“It’s tough to compete with a limited roster,” Freedom head coach Dave Spataro said. “These kids played really hard and sort of made up for it. It would have been easy to lay down because we didn’t have this or that player but that attitude did not emerge in the locker room.”

In pool play, the Patriots fell to eventual champion Mitchell 4-2 and then beat West Boca. In their final pool game Feb. 26, they faced off against Wiregrass, a team that draws primarily from Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass Ranch high schools, in what proved to be a tough, physical game.

Wiregrass put on the early pressure, getting three shots on goal in just the first 10 minutes, but they were all saved by Freedom goalkeeper Dominik Rini, who attends high school at Tampa Chamberlain.

Freedom was able to run counters on fast breaks to get some pressure off their goalie, and with 4:29 left in the first period, forward Gianni Grieco got on the end of a 2-on-1 fast break and notched the game’s first goal.

Wiregrass charged right back and tied it 1-1, cleaning up a puck that ricocheted off of Rini. Freedom nearly took the lead in the waning moments of the first but entered the second period in a 1-1 tie.

The second period was dominated by Wiregrass, which took the lead just over a minute in on a shot by Joseph Davis. Two-and-a-half minutes later, Wiregrass made it 3-1 after a long flip shot found Zachary Parker deep in the opposite end. A minute later, it was 4-1 in the Ice Hawks favor.

Freedom’s Owen Barno scored to make it 4-2 in the second period, but Wiregrass scored again to lead 5-2 heading into the third.

The teams traded goals until penalties sent players from both teams into the penalty box. It would be counters to the teams’ power plays that would push the last bit of scoring through, with Freedom’s leading scorer Colton Sipperley cutting the lead to 6-4, followed by Wiregrass getting another goal by Davis with 1:05 remaining.

Final score: 7-4, Wiregrass.

“These are life lessons,” Spataro said. “You work with what you have to be successful in life and they did that. We’re proud of ourselves, we rose above it to play to our full potential.”

Spataro was particularly proud of the way his team held on in the close 4-2 pool play loss to Mitchell, the defending state and national champions. The Mustangs, who beat Wiregrass to win the Lightning Cup (the championship for the Tampa Bay Lightning High School League, or TBLHSL), beat the Ice Hawks again 5-0 to win the SAHOF Tier 2 title.

“That was a hell of a team to compete against,” Spataro said of Mitchell.

North Broward Preparatory won the Tier 1 championship. It was the fourth consecutive year the Coconut Creek-based school captured the Tier 1 title.

For Freedom, its run to the state championships capped a solid season that included a 14-5-3 record in the TBLHSL, good for third-place in the Andreychuk Division, behind Jesuit and Wiregrass, which both finished 16-6.

Sophomore Colton Sipperly and senior Hunter Sipperly, both forwards, led the Patriots in goals, with 25 and 23, respectively, during the regular season. Hunter scored six in a 12-3 win over River Ridge and Cotton netted  five goals in a 6-3 win over Newsome last November.

Cotton added 24 assists for a team-high 49 points, while senior defenseman Brian Seybold was second with 33 points on 18 goals and 15 assists. Forward Tyler Young, another senior, scored 13 goals with 17 assists.