Pebble Creek Vet Helps Build Monuments At Bushnell National Cemetery

Pebble Creek resident Wayne Rich and his daughter at the 2019 Gasparilla parade as part of Ye Special Forces Krewe on Tampa Bay, representing the Special Forces Association.

A short drive north of Pebble Creek in New Tampa, where retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Wayne Rich lives, his father, mother and wife are all buried at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell.

Averaging 7,000 burials a year — about 30 each day — Florida National Cemetery is the second most active cemetery in the U.S.

When Wayne arrives after the 45-minute drive up I-75, he takes in the rows upon rows of gravestones, sprawling across 600 acres. It’s hardly possible to view the markers for all 130,000 people who are laid to rest there.

At certain times of the year, volunteers come out and mark the graves with flags. Last Memorial Day, they placed 105,000 flags. Near Christmas, they laid 30,000 wreaths.

Bushnell National Cemetery, however, is lacking something you might expect to see — a monument to the veterans and their spouses who have died and are buried there.

In 2018, Wayne became part of the committee that is working to design monuments for the cemetery, raise the money to fund them, and eventually carry out their installation, as well. 

Called the Florida National Cemetery Joint Veterans Support Committee, it is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Wayne also serves on a separate subcommittee, called the monuments committee, that is working to determine the plans and the rollout of the monuments.

After 21 years on active duty, and as a combat veteran from Vietnam, Granada, and Panama, Wayne is spending his retirement in a different kind of service. He was asked to join the Joint Veterans Support Committee as a representative of the Special Forces Association, of which he is a member. That group focuses on community service, as well.

“How could I not volunteer to help in the effort?,” Wayne asks.

Wayne works with committee chair Doug Gardner, also a Vietnam vet, who was inspired to join the effort when the cemetery’s executive director, Tony Thomas, shared his vision for a memorial that would welcome Vietnam veterans home.

“That caught me in one sentence,” says Doug, who understands that the memorial is not just about veterans from one conflict, so the committee came up with a design that would honor everyone buried at the cemetery.

The centerpiece of Freedom Memorial Plaza, which will be located at the main entrance to the cemetery, will be a tribute to a military honors funeral, with two bronze military figures folding a flag which will be powder-coated red, white and blue, over a bronze casket.

It will be surrounded by 14 additional monuments, with etchings displaying memorials for specific groups, such as Vietnam and World War II veterans, special forces, and more. It also will feature the Defenders of Freedom Wall, which will be 470 feet long, using the back of a columbarium (a public storage of cremated remains) that will delineate the border of the Memorial Plaza.

The wall will have granite panels that depict scenes from every U.S. conflict since the Revolutionary War. 

Doug is not only a veteran, he’s also a volunteer who helps visitors to the cemetery by answering questions, locating graves and even taking those who can’t walk out to the gravesites they want to visit on a golf cart.

He recently drove a World War II veteran who used a walker out to his wife’s grave. It had been a few months since she passed away, and there were lots of tears. It was emotional, but Doug says he felt something was missing. He looks forward to the time when he can take those veterans to a monument that will show them how much their service to their country is appreciated.

“We’ll get in that same golf cart, but on the way, we’ll go to the Defenders of Freedom Wall,” Doug says. “We’ll stop by the World War II section and it will bring back memories for him.” 

He hopes it will be meaningful for those it is intended to tribute, and educational for everyone who sees it.  “We have a half million visitors a year at the cemetery,” Doug says. “With the monuments, now it can become an educational experience for all.”

He emphasizes that all of the monuments will focus on sacrifice, not victory, and will give those who view it an understanding of the sacrifice that has happened throughout our nation’s history.

Wayne says it will honor not only his parents, but the values that they passed on to him.

“My parents instilled into me the principals of duty and honor and serving one’s country,” he says. 

Those values will one day be on display at the cemetery where they’re buried, thanks to the efforts of the entire committee and all those who support it, making Freedom Memorial Plaza a reality to both remember and honor all of the veterans buried at the Florida National Cemetery.

To find out how you can support the effort to bring the Freedom Memorial Plaza to life, go to the Joint Veterans Support Committee website at JVSC.us or search “jvscfl” on Facebook. 

Prime Rx Pharmacy Fills Your Prescriptions With A Personal Touch!

Vikas Ghiya and his wife, Harsha, are long-time New Tampa residents who recently moved Prime Rx Pharmacy from Seminole in Pinellas County closer to home on Cross Creek Blvd.

Prime Rx Pharmacy in the Cross Creek Center plaza on Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa has only been open for three months, but owner Vikas Ghiya, R.Ph. (Registered Pharmacist) is a long-time New Tampa resident who was happy to bring his business home to his neighborhood.

Ghiya has worked as a pharmacist since 1992, first for Eckerd, then Publix. In 2009, he established Prime Rx Pharmacy in Seminole, in Pinellas County, in partnership with others who opened other Prime Rx pharmacies in St. Petersburg and Riverview.

When the partnership dissolved in 2012, Ghiya kept his Seminole location open while he commuted from New Tampa. Recently, his landlord notified him that he needed to move the pharmacy, so he decided to relocate all the way to New Tampa, cutting 3 hours a day out of his commute. He says he now travels less than three miles each way to work.

Vikas has been married to his wife, Harsha, for 32 years. Harsha manages the office and billing for the pharmacy, and also has a license as a pharmacy technician, so she can help her husband with that part of the business when needed.

Currently the staff also includes Joseph Ortiz, who is Prime Rx’s primary pharmacy  tech, and Ghiya says the staff prides itself on being both fast and accurate, plus going above and beyond what is typical at a corporate pharmacy/chain drug store.

“Here, customer service is a priority,” explains Ghiya. “We often recognize our customers and welcome them by name.”

While Ghiya is quick to say he would never criticize a fellow pharmacist, he says in a corporate environment, pharmacists generally are simply too busy to offer such personalized service.

Not so at Prime Rx Pharmacy.

In India, Ghiya says he was educated in Ayurvedic medicine, which is a holistic healing system developed more than 3,000 years ago. Ghiya earned a doctorate degree and practiced Ayurveda in India until 1988, when he moved to the United States. He explains that in the U.S., his doctorate in Ayurveda is not recognized.

So, Ghiya enrolled at St. John’s University in Queens, NY, and received his B.S. degree in Pharmacy in 1992. Then, he moved to Florida.

“Even back then, corporate pharmacy was looking at quantity, not quality,” he says. Instead, he chose to be an independent pharmacist.

“This way, I get to spend more time with each patient,” he says, using both his pharmacological training and physiological training from India.

The Prime Rx Difference

Whether medicine is needed in a hurry or it’s just your regular prescription, Prime Rx Pharmacy will deliver it to your home (provided it is within a certain distance from the pharmacy) at no charge. 

“We offer free delivery,” says Ghiya. “If the kids are sick and Mom can’t leave the house, we deliver.”

In fact, Ghiya says closing his pharmacy in Seminole hasn’t meant losing all of those patients as customers. He says that Prime Rx Pharmacy still delivers medications to Seminole twice a week.

“However, some come to this pharmacy,” says Harsha. “They say, ‘you drove to us for 10 years, now we can drive to you once a month.’”

The pharmacy also offers compounding, such as mixing creams for male and female hormones. Each patient requires a completely custom tailoring of estrogen, progesterone and/or testosterone, which must be done in a compounding pharmacy such as Prime Rx.

Prime Rx Pharmacy also provides compounding for veterinary medicines when needed for your dog or cat.

And, it offers free flavorings in certain medications, which is especially popular in some antibiotics for kids.

In addition to prescriptions, the pharmacy also carries durable medical equipment (DME) for sale, and some items are also available for rent, such as wheelchairs, canes and more. 

Prime Rx also sells oil diffusers and essential oils, such as lavender and jasmine, to help people with sleep issues or anxiety, as well as CBD oil.

“We carry a broad spectrum of over-the-counter medicines and specialty vitamins, too,” says Ghiya, including the brands Pure and Ortho, which he says are high-quality vitamins. 

“They work better and are absorbed better,” he explains. “You cannot find this stuff in Walmart, CVS or Walgreens.”

He says he and his staff also are happy to counsel patients on the best vitamins, especially when they are taking prescription medications.

Custom Pill Packaging

Prime Rx Pharmacy also offers customized pill packaging, with medications sorted by the day and time a patient should take it. This is especially helpful for people who are chronically ill and take several medications at different times throughout the day.

“Instead of opening three or four different bottles, patients just open one blister pack,” Ghiya explains. “It helps the patient not to miss any pills. We count and make sure they get the exact dosage they need.”

At Prime Rx Pharmacy on Cross Creek Blvd., owner/pharmacist Vikas Ghiya is happy to help patients who have to take multiple medications every day. These blister packs divide your meds by when they need to be taken, marked with the day and time, to reduce the instances of patients forgetting to take their medication or accidentally taking more medication than they need.

He tells the story of one patient he recently helped with this type of packaging. “She took 18 medications, some once a day, some four times a day,” he explains. “That means she’s opening bottles 20-30 times a day. Instead, we give her a blister pack, and each one says which date and time to take it, so she knows if she missed a dose.”

Nine months later, he says that the patient’s health has improved.

“Her doctor asked her what she was doing to improve her health, and she said, ‘My pharmacist helped me,’” Ghiya says. “It’s because she’s not missing doses or taking extra doses.”

Now, he adds, she’s only on 12 meds and some of those are at reduced dosages.

Taking Time With Patients

“We like to make it fun and make people laugh when they come here,” Ghiya says. “People come in from the doctor and they’ve already waited and waited.”

Often, they’re stressed because they’ve received a bad diagnosis, so Ghiya and his staff always offer a listening ear, comfort and moral support.

“One patient moved here from New York and her daughter is diabetic and needs a particular insulin,” explains Ghiya. “She doesn’t have a car and was able to walk in to our pharmacy. Within two days, we took care of everything and delivered her special order to her. She said it was a totally different experience than at other pharmacies.”

He says the mom was nervous about using a syringe to give her daughter insulin, so he taught her how to use an insulin pen instead of a syringe.

“It’s easier to use and more accurate,” Ghiya explains. “We sat with her for 45 minutes to help her. We’re happy to do that.”

Prime Rx Pharmacy is located at 10010 Cross Creek Blvd. at Kinnan St. It is open Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more information, visit PrimeRxPharmacy.com or call (813) 955-7777.

Debbie Demboski Celebrates 30 Years Of Decorating Your Dens (& More!)

In 2019, Decorating Den Interiors is celebrating 50 years in business.

Tampa Bay-area franchise owner and decorator Debbie Demboski has been a Decorating Den franchisee since 1989. She is proud to be celebrating 30 years in business herself, as one of the company’s longest-tenured representatives. 

She says Decorating Den continues to be successful because clients appreciate that the business comes to them with a completely free consultation and no hourly fees, whether you want to update a room, a piece of furniture, your window treatments, or redecorate your entire home from top to bottom.

“There are not a lot of 50-year-old companies,” says Debbie, especially as home design businesses seem to be contracting because so many people now turn to online shopping. “But, Decorating Den is growing, and the last couple of years have been really tremendous for us.”

Debbie says one of the biggest benefits of working with Decorating Den is that her design studio gets parked right in your driveway.

Stocked full of samples of fabrics and colors, the Decorating Den van at your home or office means your designer will help you choose how to decorate your interior space while standing inside and looking at that very space.

That’s something online shopping just can’t do.

“So many people have a vision and get excited, purchase something and bring it home, before realizing that it just doesn’t work,” says Debbie. “Having a professional opinion can actually save you time and money. I will come to you and assist you in picking out something that not only fits your style and budget, but also works perfectly in your space.”

Debbie has a Bachelor of Arts degree in design and business from West Virginia University in Morgantown. She says she got into the interior decorating business when she was living and working in Atlanta and a friend became a Decorating Den franchise owner. Debbie went to work as a decorator for that business and, soon after, started her own franchise.

Debbie’s daughter, Sara McKenzie, has been her partner for the last five years. 

“Sara takes most of our new clients and has built her clientele to where she is now getting repeat business and referrals, as well,” Debbie says.

Sara and Debbie admit that their biggest competitor today is the online shopping craze, but once people try working with Decorating Den, they realize how much better it is than the trial-and-error process of buying online themselves.

“Every now and again, maybe the best product is from one of those online sites,” Debbie says. “But, Decorating Den has such vast product lines and we know the quality, size and proportion of all of those products.”

Decorating Den offers a “good, better, and best” mix of product lines to meet every budget.

“A decorator can help you so much versus doing it yourself,” Debbie says.

Why Decorating Den?

While other designers charge an hourly fee for their time, Decorating Den does things differently. Debbie says the reasons why her clients love working with Decorating Den are outlined in the following “NIFTY” benefits:

‱N-National umbrella: Decorating Den has the buying power of a national company.

‱I-In-home decorating: Design decisions are made in your home, in your existing lighting, working with what you already own.

‱F-Free consultation: Not only do Debbie and Sara come to you, there is no cost for the consultation and never any hourly fees for their time.

‱T-Training: Decorating Den provides opportunities for decorators to constantly update their skills and learn about the latest trends through conferences and working with other franchise owners in the region.

‱Y-Your lifestyle: Your likes, dislikes and budget are Debbie and Sara’s highest priority, to be sure that your home reflects your personal taste — not theirs.

Jennifer Pressley became a client of Debbie’s when she lived in Apollo Beach and hired Debbie to decorate her home as her budget allowed — one room at a time.

When the Pressleys moved to FishHawk Ranch in Lithia just a few months ago, they immediately hired Debbie to begin decorating their new home, too.

“She’s amazing,” says Jennifer. “She really understands how to ask the right questions and get the feel of how you want to decorate the house. Coming into this house, I had no clue where to start.”

One of the first rooms they decided to tackle was Jennifer’s daughter’s bedroom. Jennifer says Debbie had to endure the 11-year-old saying, “No, I don’t like that,” to many, many options.

“Debbie’s so patient,” says Jennifer, explaining that she didn’t get frustrated, but just kept looking until she found the absolutely perfect curtains for the room.

Jennifer says that when she originally was looking for help to decorate her former home, she talked with several designers who charged $100 per hour for a consultation. “Debbie doesn’t do that,” Jennifer says. “The consultation is free and then her fee is ‘hidden’ in the cost of what you purchase.”

That’s why Jennifer says she has recommended Decorating Den Interiors to her friends. She loves working with Debbie because, she says, “She’s not pushy, she’s not expensive, and she works with you on a budget.”

Franchises Throughout Central Florid

For the past 25 years, Debbie also has owned the regional Decorating Den territory license and can sell franchises from coast to coast in the central part of Florida.

“I just sold a franchise on the east coast,” says Debbie. “The new franchise owner is currently in corporate training. I’ll help her set up her business, go with her to her first few appointments, help her with marketing ideas and do ongoing training.”

In fact, Debbie says, franchise opportunities are available right here in the Tampa Bay area, too.

“There’s a new subdivision every time you blink,” says Debbie.

While Debbie and Sara currently cover everywhere from Odessa to the west to Thonotosassa in the east, and Wesley Chapel to the north to Lithia in the south, Debbie says that’s a large enough geographic area that could easily support a new franchise.

Debbie also offers her expertise, at no cost, to groups who are looking for a unique guest speaker.

“We constantly do free workshops,” explains Debbie. “One of my most popular talks is on decorating for the holidays. We can show before-and-after pictures, trends and talk about products.”

She says groups of Realtors, homeowners associations or any group looking for a guest speaker is welcome to reach out to her.

Decorating Den Interiors comes to you at your home or office in Wesley Chapel or New Tampa for an absolutely free consultation. For more information, call Debbie at (813) 982-2820 or visit DecDens.com/DebbieD.

Hey Everyone, Welcome Back To School
Feeling Cooler?

Workers were putting the finishing touches on the improved A/C system at local high schools right up to today’s first day.

You may or may not have felt a pinch so far this year, with the new Âœ-cent sales tax increase to support Hillsborough County’s public schools, but the Hillsborough County School District certainly has felt the benefit.

As of July 22, the district already had received $40.4 million since the tax went into effect on January 1.

Of that money, officials say they have already spent $17,902,401.49, and some of that money has gone (and will continue to go) directly into New Tampa’s schools.

Work is well under way at Benito Middle School, where crews are installing a new air conditioning system. The A/C project is expected to be completed before the 2019-20 school year starts on Monday, August 12.

“It will be huge for the students and the faculty to not have to deal with the air going in and out,” says Sharon Hineline, who now works at the front desk at Benito and was formerly the PTSA president at the school.

She says that the response from the district has typically been good when the air has not been working, and it’s usually been limited to one area or another, but the new system should mean a more reliable system throughout the entire school at all times.

“It certainly will help to minimize the disruption of moving classrooms or having doors open,” Sharon says.

“Not having air in Florida makes people not be able to think straight,” she continues, “and we need kids to be able to think straight.”

Hillsborough County Schools spokesperson Tanya Arja says work also is under way this summer to install a new air conditioning system replacement at Clark Elementary.

Wharton High’s air conditioning system also is being overhauled. 

“Work this summer is to install two new chillers of the school’s three, because the third one is only a couple of years old,” says principal Mike Rowan, who adds that there also has been pipework done at Wharton over the summer.

“Next summer, they will be replacing a couple of other things that are needed, including ductwork,” he says. “That should help a lot to balance out the air flow into the classrooms.”

The air conditioning has been an issue at the school, for both teachers and students, for many years. Rowan says he hopes the improvements will eliminate those problems.

Arja says Wharton will be getting a new roof, too, as will Hunter’s Green Elementary. Work on those projects is expected to start soon — construction on Hunter’s Green’s new roof is expected to begin sometime this month.

“With the roofs, they work on them at night and on weekends,” Arja explains. “It’s cooler for the crews that way and it doesn’t disturb activity at the schools.”

Playgrounds, Tracks & More

Tampa Palms Elementary (TPE) already has received separate new playgrounds for grades kindergarten through second, and grades 3-5. While the students saw the installation happening towards the end of the last school year, when school starts this fall, it will be the first time TPE students have gotten to play on the new equipment.

Arja also says that by the end of this school year, funds from the half-penny sales tax will be used to replace 50 playgrounds, tracks and athletic courts countywide, as well as complete 31 painting and carpeting projects, and invest more than $1 million in school security improvements.

Over the next 10 years, the district also plans to overhaul or replace air conditioning systems at 203 schools. Each summer, school officials expect to complete about 20 major school air conditioning projects as the funds are generated by sales across the county.

More than 1,700 total projects are planned over the next 10 years, including 63 aging roof replacements, $23 million in safety and security improvements, $25 million in classroom technology upgrades, and four new schools will be built to relieve overcrowding, although none are slated to be built in New Tampa.

More than 1.3 billion will be invested into schools over the next 10 years, with at least $500,000 invested in each school. 

“This is all thanks to Hillsborough County taxpayers who supported the education referendum back in November of 2018,” Arja says.

Popularity Spurs Expansion Of After-School Program In WC!

Students in Wiregrass Elementary’s Explorations after-school program celebrate the completion of their Zumba class. The program was highly successful in its first year (2018-19) and is now being expanded to Seven Oaks Elementary.

In Pasco County, learning doesn’t stop when the bell rings at the end of the school day. From robotics to clay sculpting, and from Spanish to Zumba, students in several schools will again have access to innovative options after school that are fun and engaging, focused on skills the students want to acquire.

Two such pilot programs are being expanded onto three more Wesley Chapel campuses for the 2019-20 school year. Pasco County’s successful “Explorations” program for elementary school students will be offered at Seven Oaks Elementary and “Beyond The Bell” for middle school students will be offered at both John Long and Thomas Weightman middle schools.

For parents of middle school students who previously did not have an on-campus option for care after school, Beyond The Bell brings a program that keeps kids active and engaged after the school bell rings. It was started in two Pasco County middle schools (Rushe and River Ridge) last year, both located outside of Wesley Chapel.

Beyond The Bell is a fee-based program that is available every day from the time school gets out (which may vary) until 6 p.m. “Students get group tutoring by certified teachers, ‘techno time,’ where they work on projects or research, plus clubs, socialization and enrichment programs, which change every seven weeks,” says Carlotta Mathis, the Enrichment Specialist in Pasco County’s After School Enrichment Programs department. “That enrichment is everything from hip-hop and jazz dance, to robotics, to life skills.”

She explains that a wide variety of life skills are taught, such as home economics, culinary skills, babysitting and even staying home alone, as well as economics and math, where students are taught basic banking, including how to write a check and balance a checkbook.

Each school will offer both physical activities, such as sports and dance, and life skill enrichments, plus STEAM activities such as robotics. Students will be offered all the different units at some point throughout the school year.

“Our pilot program went well and we had good numbers, (last year)” explains Mathis. “There were relationships built with school staff and students, engaging activities going on all the time, and we felt like it was time for us to move it to the next level.”

It’s Elementary, Too

While Beyond The Bell is expanding at the middle school level, Explorations is expanding to a new elementary school.

Explorations is a program that started at Wiregrass Elementary last year, giving students who did not need full-time care after school the opportunity to participate in a weekly enrichment class immediately after school, available four days each week.

Students attend just one  or two afternoons per week and learn skills and topics that are asked for by families at the school. In fact, the idea to bring Explorations to Seven Oaks came from a parent.

Seven Oaks principal Shauntte Butcher says parent Senthil Sundaresan requested the program after hearing it was offered at Wiregrass. “He wanted something really fun, that looks more like a club,” Butcher explains. 

As working parents, she says Sundaresan and his wife were looking for more activities to be available on campus for students. Instead of picking children up from school, taking them to some kind of class, sport or enrichment activity, and then picking them up there, the Explorations program allows kids to enjoy a worthwhile activity and parents just one pick-up time and location.

“(Explorations) is a win-win for parents and students,” says Butcher. “It’s something fun after school and another learning activity that helps make children more well-rounded.”

She says students at Seven Oaks will be able to choose from a variety of after-school classes that will include dance, Spanish, cooking, sports, coding/robotics and Zumba. Each class lasts for seven weeks and the classes offered change each quarter.

While these programs are being expanded into three more Wesley Chapel schools, there is still more room for growth. Mathis is willing to expand her office’s programs to other schools, if the principals want it and if surveys show that parents are interested. 

To view all of the available programs and register for those that are currently open, including Explorations at Seven Oaks and Wiregrass elementary schools, plus Beyond The Bell at John Long and Weightman middle schools, visit Pasco County Schools’ department of After School Enrichment Programs (ASEP) at myASEP.com.