Author: Celeste McLaughlin

Lifesong Church Celebrates Five Years In Tampa Palms

It was just a little more than five years ago when Pastor Svend Wilbekin opened the doors at Lifesong Church in Tampa Palms for the first time.

It was so unlikely, he says, that there’s no explanation for it unless God ordained it.

That was November 5, 2016, when Svend was sent from a church in Gainesville called The Rock, where he had served on staff for 20 years as youth pastor, college pastor and young adult pastor. He felt the experience led him to start a new church in New Tampa.

He says most churches these days don’t launch with fewer than 50 people, but his had only nine. And, the really unheard of thing? They started in a building that they already owned.

“God supernaturally blessed us to purchase a building right before we had our first service,” he explains. When Svend tried to find a place to rent, such as a high school, everywhere he looked was already leased. He started looking at what was available to buy and was shocked to find a building for sale that would work for the fledgling church.

That began frantic efforts to get the building ready, in addition to all of the details of putting together the very first service, while Svend’s wife Katy organized a picnic for all the friends and family who were coming to support them on launch day.

“A lot of families in Tampa Palms saw the bounce house and the food,” he says, and learned about the new church in the neighborhood. He says a full-page ad in the Neighborhood News hit mailboxes the day before the first service and, “It was a great way to introduce ourselves to the community.”

Five years later, Lifesong Church is an important part of New Tampa, as it continues to grow and welcome new people into its ministries.

“The vision of our church is to love out loud,” says Pastor Svend. “If you visit, you’ll hear that terminology. Our heart is to love everybody who walks through our doors.”

He says Lifesong members also are “out” loving the community, like through their homeless ministry.

“We noticed that within the homeless community, food is provided, some shelter is provided, and a lot of services, but what wasn’t being provided were relationships,” he explains. “We started going downtown with nothing but ourselves and our time. We’ve been doing that and made great relationships.”

The church offers life groups where people encourage each other, too. There is a group for women and one where men are challenged to be better husbands and fathers. Every year, the church offers a course to help couples strengthen their marriages, overcome obstacles, and live more fulfilling lives with their spouses.

Svend and his wife, Katy, who now live in Meadow Pointe, are parents to three sons, who all grew up in Gainesville.

Their oldest son, Scottie, had a remarkable career playing college basketball at the University of Florida, where he was named SEC Player of the Year in 2014. He was a star player on a team that went undefeated in the SEC and beat perennial powerhouse Kentucky at home to win the SEC championship in a run his dad calls “magical.” Scottie currently plays professional basketball in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Middle son Mitchell played basketball at Wake Forest and currently plays for the Greensboro Swarm, an NBA G League (the NBA’s official minor leage organization) team affiliated with the Charlotte Hornets.

The Wilbekins’ youngest son Andrew will graduate with a Ph.D. degree in Physical Therapy in May from Husson University in Bangor, ME.

“What’s beautiful about that is they’ve all graduated from college and they all love the Lord,” says Svend. “Where they’re at now really blesses us.”

The transition from living in Gainesville, where everyone knew how to pronounce their last name — thanks to their famous son — to the New Tampa area also has been a blessing for Svend and Katy.

“We absolutely love New Tampa,” he says. “It’s the most incredible community. We love so much about it — we love the restaurants, I love the golf courses. It’s very diverse.”

As an interracial couple, the community’s diversity is important to the Wilbekins and a goal for their church is to “build a community of believers that looks like heaven,” Svend says, embracing all ages, nationalities and skin colors.

Sunday Morning Services

Lifesong Church meets Sunday mornings at 10 a.m., and Svend says that’s where the “song” part of the church shines.

“We have anointed musicians and instrumentalists ushering in the presence of God through the use of music,” he explains. “We have a full band with guitars, drums, keyboards and vocalists singing contemporary music.”

He says the Covid-19 pandemic has been one of the most challenging seasons he’s ever experienced as a pastor.

“We shifted to an online service, and we’ve grown in that area, which has helped us expand our reach,” he explains. “But now, we have an online community as well as an attending community. It’s been neat to see.”

Melissa Choe and her husband Jacob have been attending Lifesong Church in person for about a year with their daughter Melody.

They’re one of the families that found Lifesong online and watched from home before deciding to attend in person.

“I really like the community aspect of Lifesong,” says Melissa. “Everyone is very welcoming and there are opportunities to get plugged in and get involved.”

While Melissa and her husband serve on Lifesong’s Worship Team, her daughter loves Lifesong Kids.

“She’s always saying, ‘Can I go to my church?’ and ‘I love my church,’” says Katy. “I love that (children’s director) Julie (Nash) is really mindful of not making it your parents’ church. They focus on teaching the children about the Bible, but in a fun and appropriate way.”

Svend says Julie offers a hands-on and age-appropriate version of church for kids. “It’s enjoyable, and they come away with the knowledge of God’s word in a practical manner,” he says.

Svend graduated the from University of Florida with a degree in political science. He went through a mentoring program at The Rock under the leadership of Pastor George Brantley to be trained and equipped as a pastor.

Of the experience of planting a church, he says, “It was harder than I thought, and more rewarding than I thought it would be. Seeing people become a community has really been a priceless and beautiful moment, and such a confirmation of what God put in my heart six years ago.”

Lifesong Church hosts its weekly service on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m., including a special Christmas Service on Sunday, December 19. The church is located at 6460 Tampa Palms Blvd., near Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club and Tampa Palms Elementary. For more information, visit LifeSongTampa.org.

Lifesong

Max’s Natural Pet Market & Salon Is Now Open In New Tampa, Too!

For the past two years, Wesley Chapel-area pet parents have been finding — and falling in love with — Max’s Natural Pet Market & Salon, which opened in 2019 on S.R. 54, about a mile east of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., near the entrance to Saddlebrook Resort.

Now, the store’s second location has opened, bringing premium nutrition and impeccable grooming in a cage-free facility to New Tampa, just south of County Line Rd.

Located in the same shopping plaza on the southeast corner of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and County Line Rd. with Winn-Dixie and LA Fitness, the new store is owned and operated by Gregg and Gabriel Clavijo-Hopper, who are business partners of Paul Spalvieri’s. Spalvieri opened the original Max’s location and will continue to operate that store.

Max’s Pet Market & Salon is named after Paul’s four-year-old bichon frisé. Paul and his wife Martina live in Watergrass in Wesley Chapel and are pet parents to both Max and Missy, a Havanese, as well as three human kids.

Gregg and Gabriel are Paul’s neighbors. They became interested in opening their own Max’s location when they heard Paul was looking to expand the concept beyond Wesley Chapel.

As Paul was looking forward to opening new locations, Gabriel said, “Why don’t you let us buy into it?”

Being a healthcare worker during the Covid-19 pandemic took its toll on Gregg, and he decided he wanted out of the industry. Gregg worked in healthcare for 30 years, and Gabriel has worked at the Moffitt Cancer Center for about 20 years. They both love animals and knew they weren’t ready to retire.

Gregg says it went from a dream to a decision in December 2020, when he left his job to actively pursue opening a location of Max’s.

They are pet parents to a giant schnauzer named Regalo, a Pyrenees/border collie mix named Albee, and a Chinese crested named Taylor. They also have two human sons, Tony and Devin. Devin works at the store alongside Gregg and Gabriel.

“Our dogs have had skin and coat and stomach issues,” says Gregg, “and Paul told us about what he was doing — feeding dogs the right kinds of foods — and moving our dogs to that, we immediately saw great changes.”

For example, their dog Taylor had diarrhea every day, along with problems with his skin. They followed Paul’s advice and changed Taylor’s nutrition, with the high-quality, all-natural and organic food options from Max’s.

“He’s a completely different Taylor,” Gregg says. “Now he has a beautiful coat, no upset stomach, and no ripping of the skin.”

He and Gabriel have been training with Paul to learn about pet nutrition, and also taking many online seminars and reading books about how to help pet owners choose the food and treats that will help their pets eat healthier and avoid skin and digestive issues.

When You Love Your Animals

Gregg and Gabriel say their venture into the pet market and salon business is all about their love of animals.

“Pets are a great part of our families,” Gregg says, “and with the right nutrition and care, they can live long, healthy lives. There’s nothing better than having an animal companion.”

They believe that opening Max’s Pet Market & Salon is bringing something brand new to the community.

“The one thing that we’ve been missing in New Tampa is a boutique healthcare store for pets and a cage-free, relaxed environment for grooming,” says Gregg, “Plus, the store is bringing 15-20 new jobs to the area.” At out press time, the new store was still looking to fill some of those positions.

That includes not only retail staff, but also a team of groomers with technical expertise to give breed-specific cuts, with certifications such as National Certified Master Groomer, as certified by the National Dog Groomers Association of America.

And, the cage-free environment means dogs will never be locked up. Appointments run strictly on time to avoid a pet feeling stressed and anxious in a cage while waiting to be picked up.

Shannon Waite, who lives in Estancia, has been taking her Pomeranians to the original Max’s for grooming since it opened in 2019.

At that time, she had a senior Pomeranian named Leroy. As he got older and couldn’t hear or see, he got jumpy, and Shannon says it became hard to find a groomer who would take him.

“People don’t really like to deal with senior dogs,” she said, “but at Max’s, they took such good care of him, especially while he was ill.”

While she says her groomer went above and beyond — even coming in on her day off to give Leroy a bath during his last days — Shannon says others in the store did, too.

As Leroy got more sick and refused to eat, Shannon says she was at Max’s a lot.

“They helped me find food that would help him gain weight and told me how to get him to eat it,” she said. For example, “They explained that sometimes the dog can’t smell the food, so they recommended ways to get it to smell, like how long to microwave it for.”

Meanwhile, Shannon says her other two Pomeranians were not having trouble eating at all, so they suddenly ended up having to go on a diet, and the staff at Max’s helped her find the right nutrition for them, as well.

“At that time, I had one senior dog, a toddler and a teenager, so they were all at crazy stages, and they are high-maintenance dogs,” Shannon explains.

She says that the prices at Max’s always seem to be the same or even lower than other places she could buy the same items, including online sources.

“I love Max’s,” she says. “I recommend it to everybody. They take very good care of people’s pets, and that is hard to find these days.”

The New Tampa store is offering Grand Opening specials up until Christmas, including Salon Rewards cards (buy 12 groomings, get the 13th free, while the card supply lasts). Some of these specials may be noted on Max’s Facebook, Instagram and TikTok pages.

“When we first opened the store, it was all about Max, but our focus has changed,” says Paul. “Now, it’s all about your pet. (Both locations) offer the highest quality advice, products and grooming that you can get in the New Tampa or Wesley Chapel area. We have your dog or cat’s best interest at heart, and they are the number one reason why we open our doors every day.”

Max’s Natural Pet Market & Salon has two locations and both stores are open every day from 8 a.m.–7 p.m. The original Max’s is located at 28838 S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel and can be reached at (813) 649-3939. The new New Tampa store is located at 6431 E. County Line Rd., and can be reached at (813) 591-5368. For more information, visit MaxsPetMarket.com.

Max's Natural Pet Market & Salon

Want New Floors Quickly? Visit American Wood Flooring!

While families are waiting months for new furniture, contractors seem to be too busy to take on jobs, and Christmas gifts may be languishing in shipping containers still on the ocean, you don’t have to wait if you want new floors.

Andy Dunning, the owner and CEO of American Wood Flooring, located in the SuperTarget-anchored Northwoods Plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., north of County Line Rd., says his crews are typically installing new floors for clients in about a week.

“From order to install is about seven to 10 days out,” Dunning says, although he admits that some materials are on back-order, and some clients could have back-ordered materials delayed for several months.

That’s not normal, though, and for those who are waiting, it’s not on the installers. Dunning says American Wood Flooring has 12 crews that are kept busy working six days a week with all the families who are remodeling their homes or upgrading builder flooring, especially at this time.

“We do a lot of new construction,” Dunning says. “Customers are buying new houses with cheap carpet and then come to us. We do the floors before they move in, because builder prices are ridiculous.”

The process normally doesn’t delay move-in day very long. An American Wood Flooring crew starts immediately as soon as the sale of the house closes. It’s typical for a crew to install 500 to 600 square feet of flooring per day.

Dunning says that if you have a mortgage, the builder has to install a floor covering to close. If his company pulls out brand new carpet, he will donate it to the Salvation Army or Habitat For Humanity to be used for another purpose.

For any buyers who pay cash for their home, the builder can leave the subfloor and skip the installation and removal process altogether.

But, it’s not just new construction keeping the crews occupied. Dunning says the store has been busier than ever with remodels, especially over the last 18 months, because of the way people’s lifestyles have changed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“A lot of people are working from home or are stuck at home looking at their flooring and want to get something new in there,” he says.

Dunning says that recently, the most popular choice for flooring has been luxury vinyl plank, sometimes referred to as LVP.

“The trends continue toward that vinyl plank because of its durability, the fact that it is waterproof, dent-proof, and super scratch-resistant,” Dunning says.

That’s because vinyl plank floors may look like wood, but they aren’t. They are made from a PVC-type material with a tight lock-and-fold system to keep moisture out, even from the attached padding underneath that is made from an anti-microbial melamine material.

The current LVP flooring options are also dent-proof, which is an upgrade from when the vinyl planks first arrived on the scene and were made from a wood composite material.

“They’re always coming out with newer, more innovative ways to keep the product getting better and better,” Dunning says.

While the vinyl planks are his best sellers, American Wood Flooring also installs a wide variety of wood floors, as well as carpet, tile and laminate.

You can choose the flooring that matches your taste, lifestyle and budget, and the experts at American Wood Flooring can direct you to the materials that will work best for you. Dunning says that projects can be for just one room, up to every room in the entire home.

Dunning says there are many options, but he sees trends that are typical among many of his clients. “Usually we’re doing a hard surface, such as vinyl, wood or tile throughout the main areas, and carpet in bedrooms,” he explains.

A Wesley Chapel Fixture

The Wesley Chapel location of American Wood Flooring has been located in the Northwoods Plaza for more than a dozen years.

The company also has another location in New Port Richey. That location opened first, by Dunning’s dad and stepmom, before he opened the Wesley Chapel location in 2008.

Between the two locations, American Wood Flooring crews travel far and wide to meet their customers’ needs. In fact, Dunning says they often follow families when they move out of the area.

“We did a home in Meadow Pointe in 2016 and they’re moving to Apollo Beach, so now we’re doing the house in Apollo Beach,” Dunning says. “We’ve (installed floors) as far north as Ocala, as far south as Fort Myers, and as far east as Orlando.”

Wesley Chapel resident Patrick Murphy has used American Wood Flooring for several projects in his home, in a rental property, and says is now looking at redoing the floors in his office.

“In our old house, Andy did tile and laminate floor, then we moved to our new house in 2018 and he’s done almost our whole house,” says Murphy. “Now we’re shopping for new tile. It’s always a good experience. The pricing is competitive, the installers are good, and we like to support a local company before going to a big box store.”

American Wood Flooring offers free in-home estimates, and financing through Synchronicity Bank is available that allows many customers to pay no interest for 12 months.

The company also offers a non-transferrable lifetime warranty on every installation.

“A lot of companies won’t offer a lifetime warranty on the install, but we do,” says Dunning. “Sometimes the transition pieces will pop up or boards get loose, and we’ll fix that for as long as you own the house, as long as it’s an installation problem.”

American Wood Flooring’s Wesley Chapel showroom is located at 1285 BBD Blvd. and is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday; and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information, visit FlooringforFlorida.com or call (813) 991-7999.

American Wood Flooring

New Bell Times For Wesley Chapel Schools Start Jan. 4

When Wesley Chapel students return to school after the winter holiday break, every single school will have new start and end times, with some changing by as much as 90 minutes (see chart on next page).

A shortage of drivers countywide has been causing buses to run late every day throughout the Pasco County School District, so the School Board approved a plan that moves schools into four “tiers” — instead of the current three — to allow existing bus drivers to run an additional route each day.

When the change was proposed, Pasco County Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning explained in a video to parents, “The result of this acute shortage is that many of our students are late arriving to school in the morning, which results in loss of instructional time, and they are late arriving at home in the afternoon and early evening, which puts a strain on families.”

Students at Wiregrass Elementary will see the biggest change in Wesley Chapel, with school times moving 90 minutes earlier. The students currently attend from 9:40 a.m. to 3:50 p.m., but the new schedule has them starting at 8:10 a.m. and ending at 2:20 p.m.

Another big change in Wesley Chapel is that a couple of schools that already start late will start even later. New River and Quail Hollow elementary schools, which currently go from 9:40 a.m. to 3:50 p.m., won’t start school until 30 minutes later, both beginning their day at 10:10 a.m. and ending at 4:20 p.m.

The other six elementary and three middle schools in Wesley Chapel are all changing by 20 or 30 minutes; some starting earlier and others later.

Wiregrass Ranch High students will likely appreciate the extra sleep they will get by their school start time moving 46 minutes later, to 8:10 a.m. instead of their current 7:24 a.m. And, while the other Wesley Chapel high schools are only moving by 15 minutes, those students are now expected to be in their classes, ready to learn, at 7:10 a.m.

A 2017 proposal in Hillsborough County to have high schools start similarly early was widely opposed by parents who cited the American Association of Pediatrics’ recommendation that middle and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later to give students more time for adequate sleep, but that change ultimately was not approved by the School Board.

The changes in Pasco County were approved unanimously at the School Board meeting on November 2, and go into effect on January 4.

While the new schedule should allow school buses to run on time and get more kids in the classroom for instructional time, Browning acknowledged that it puts a strain on families to shift their schedules around and find new solutions for childcare during the times they are not in school.

“I don’t like it,” Browning said at the School Board meeting. “I don’t like anything about it. But, I equally dislike having kids miss instructional time before the great teachers we have in this District.”

The new start times will remain in effect for the remainder of the 2021-22 school year and will be reevaluated for the 2022-23 school year.

bus school times

Dr. Teena Hughes Pediatrics Adds Dr. Roger Hughes & Celebrates 20 Years!

For two decades now, Teena Hughes, M.D., has treated children at her private practice in the University Medical Park at E. Fletcher Ave. and N. 46th St., about five minutes south of Tampa Palms.

As her practice celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2021, Dr. Hughes is excited to welcome her son, Roger Hughes, III, D.O., to Teena Hughes, M.D., P.A., Pediatrics.

For now, the name remains unchanged, but both doctors agree the partnership reflects exciting growth.

Caregivers bring their children for routine care and well checks, including free prenatal consultations for moms-to-be. School and sports physicals are offered, as are vaccines. The providers also treat illnesses and injuries in children, and the doctors also are on staff at AdventHealth Tampa.

Dr. Teena Hughes is a Board-certified pediatrician who earned her M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) degree from the University of South Florida (now known as the Morsani) College of Medicine, followed by a three-year residency at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg. She then spent seven years practicing in a health care group before launching her own private practice.

Dr. Roger Hughes, III, joined the practice last July after completing a three-year pediatric residency through the University of Florida at Sacred Heart hospital in Pensacola, FL. Prior to that, he earned a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from the University of Florida in Gainesville in 2013. He then earned a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton, FL, in 2017.

“Initially I went to medical school thinking I would see adults, but in the third year you do rotations and I did pediatrics here in Tampa,” he says. “I loved it, so from there, it just kind of worked out.”

While Dr. Teena doesn’t expect it to happen anytime soon, the long-term plan is for Dr. Roger to eventually run the practice when the time comes for her to retire.

“The patients are excited and thrilled to meet him,” she says. “They’ve all heard about him over the years, and it’s nice to have someone to learn the ropes and get to know all the patients.”

In addition to helping with hospital rounds at AdventHealth Tampa and sharing the after-hours phone calls, Dr. Roger brings an influx of fresh ideas to the practice.

“It’s nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of and ask questions to,” says Dr. Teena.

She also says that some patients prefer to see a man, so she’s glad that he is now available to those patients.

Because she’s been in practice for more than two decades, Dr. Teena now sees the children of people who were her patients when they were kids.

“You have to be flattered,” she says, “It’s nice to see everybody grow up.”

In addition to the two doctors, patients also may see the practice’s two advanced nurse practitioners — Kelsy Overton, APRN, and Ashleigh Mader, APRN.

As a private practice, Dr. Teena says she and the other practitioners in her office offer more individualized service and have a better rapport with their patients than what you might find at some of the big pediatric groups.

For example, when her patients call after hours, she knows exactly who she’s talking to. That’s different than the big groups, where doctors have to see patients from several different offices.

Dr. Teena Hughes Pediatrics offers benefits typically associated with a larger practice, such as extended hours. In fact, the office open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, but the plan is to expand those weekday hours to 8 p.m.

“We want to be more available for working parents,” she says, “and prevent emergency room visits.”

Jennifer Statz is a mom of three kids who moved to Westchase, but wouldn’t even consider finding a new pediatrician.

“I love them so much that I happily drive 30 minutes,” she says. “They’ve seen my kids grow up, and they’re almost like friends to me.”

While her kids have been cared for by Dr. Teena since her oldest child was born, they have seen Dr. Roger, too.

“I feel equally comfortable with them both,” she says. “I love seeing Dr. [Teena] Hughes, but it’s great to have both of them there. She’s got the experience and he’s full of all this new knowledge.”

Jennifer says that all of the practitioners at the office — and the staff members, too — are warm and genuine, and make her feel at ease, especially when her kids are anxious about vaccines or seeing the doctor in general.

“I always feel like they listen to my concerns, address them appropriately, and do whatever it takes to help me understand why they’re recommending a particular medicine or whatever it might be,” she explains. “I always leave there with everything I need.”

Covid Testing & Vaccines

While the office never closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Hughes says there were many fewer patients over the past year, who would usually be seen for school physicals, sports physicals, and to be treated for illnesses they may have picked up at school.

“It’s now ramping back up,” she says, while the office continues to follow all protocols and guidelines recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) & Prevention.

The office also offers Covid-19 testing, which does take a couple of days to get results from the lab. And, thanks to the new CDC guidelines, the Pfizer Covid vaccine is now available at the office for anyone ages 5 and older and the Moderna vaccine is available to anyone ages 18 and older.

“You do not have to be a patient to come in for the vaccine,” Dr. Teena says.

The practice also has ramped up its partnerships with manufacturers and companies looking to improve their products, offering research trials to patients, if they want to participate.

For example, a current study gives new parents six months of free infant formula plus incentives to participate.

“Formula companies are always doing research to improve,” Dr. Teena says. “It’s great for a new mom who needs formula. These are tried-and-true companies, so it’s not experimental.”

She says the current projects have created an entire research department at her practice, which now includes five people. Active projects include vaccine trials for meningitis and pneumococcal pneumonia. Dr. Teena says rapid Covid testing should begin soon, and she’s also hoping to start Covid vaccine trials for children.

“It’s completely voluntary and if people don’t feel comfortable, they don’t have to participate,” she says. “We participate because it helps medicine to be new and innovative and helps patients.”

Teena Hughes, M.D., P.A., Pediatrics is located at 4444 E. Fletcher Ave. at N. 46th St. in Tampa. For appointments and more information, call (813) 903-0060 or visit TeenaHughesPediatrics.com.

Dr. Teena Hughes