Local ‘Wreaths Across America’ Group To Lay 30,000+ Wreaths At Florida Nat’l. Cemetery

Wesley Chapel resident Randy Lewer has led volunteers in placing wreaths at the graves of thousands of U.S. military veterans buried at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell since 2006.

Before Christmas every year, volunteers across the country visit national cemeteries where U.S. military veterans are buried to honor them by placing a Christmas wreath on their graves, in an effort called Wreaths Across America.

One of the largest Wreaths Across America programs in the country takes place tomorrow morning just a short drive north of Wesley Chapel at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell (which is located in Sumter County, northeast of Brooksville).

Florida National Cemetery is the final resting place of more than 100,000 U.S. military veterans and 30,000 spouses.

Wesley Chapel resident and Vietnam veteran Randy Lewer has been leading the charge to honor the men and women buried at Florida National Cemetery since 2006. Back then, he and a couple of his buddies from the U.S. Military Vets Motorcycle Club held a small, brief ceremony, where just a few people gathered in the rain.

Now, Randy continues to spend his time, energy and resources every year to be sure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to live out the mission statement of Wreaths Across America, which is, “Remember our fallen U.S. veterans, honor those who serve, and teach your children the value of freedom.”

Last year, more than 8,000 volunteers helped Randy place 27,000 wreaths throughout Florida National Cemetery.

This year, he says, the goal is to place 30,000 wreaths, and up to 10,000 volunteers are expected to help place them on the graves, then participate in a ceremony that honors and remembers U.S. military service men and women.

Since Lewer hasn’t ever received enough wreaths to place one on each and every grave in the cemetery, ceremonial wreaths are presented during the ceremony to honor all members of the military. Seven ceremonial wreaths honor the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, POW (Prisoners of War)/MIA (Missing In Action) and Merchant Marines.

This year, an additional ceremonial wreath will be placed by “Gold Star” families, which are families who have lost a loved one during their military service. While the wreath will honor all veterans, it is a special tribute recognizing those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Collecting the funds to purchase 30,000 wreaths is a year-round undertaking for Randy. As of our press time, about 28,000 wreaths have been sponsored.

“Since we started in 2006, we have always grown from the prior year,” Randy says. He says he wasn’t sure they would be able to top last year’s number, but this year’s sponsorships have now surpassed 2017’s.

Many local organizations and community groups, such as the Boy and Cub Scouts, Civil Air Patrol, and even companies, ask friends, family and neighbors to sponsor the wreaths for $15 each.

A Family Tradition…

Monica Riley is the coordinator for American Heritage Girls (AHG) Troop FL2212 at Faith Baptist Church in Wesley Chapel. Her troop sold 75 wreath sponsorships to support Wreaths Across America.

“Placing wreaths on the graves of soldiers is an amazing way to teach our girls to remember our fallen heroes,” she says.

Monica, who has lived in Wesley Chapel for 13 years, says she will be attending the wreath-laying event this year for the third time.

“My father-in-law was on the Battleship Texas on D-Day,” says Monica, explaining why her family first got involved with Wreaths Across America, “so it was important for us to teach our daughter, who was then 11, about his sacrifice by honoring him with a wreath.”

Randy says groups like Monica’s are essential to the massive effort that it takes to purchase that many wreaths for the graves.

“People think, ‘My one wreath won’t make a difference,’ but the one-wreath-at-a-time sponsorships account for at least 90 percent of what we bring in,” says Randy.

He says he gets a couple of corporate donations that purchase a thousand wreaths at a time, but most wreaths are purchased by individuals or groups that typically solicit sponsorships one or a few at a time.

Randy hopes that after people sponsor a wreath or two, they’ll come out to see the wreath-laying and the ceremony for themselves to help them really see what happens on this special day.

“When I was in the service, I was in the color guard and participated in funerals,” explains Randy. “The saddest ones were when there was no one there except a funeral director. That stuck with me.”

He adds that members of “the greatest generation” from World War II may be no longer remembered because they have no surviving family members, or that their families are too far away to visit them.

“So it’s kind of sad, but it’s also kind of cool that we can do this,” Randy says. “We can honor them so they are not forgotten.”

Wreaths can be sponsored year-round. Wreaths purchased now would start the fundraising toward the event in 2019, which Randy says would be a huge help to kick off the efforts and ensure the event is successful next year.

 

This year’s event takes place on Saturday, December 15, at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell (6502 SW 102nd Ave.). Wreath-laying begins at 10:30 a.m. and the hour-long ceremony starts at 11:45 a.m. Event organizers encourage guests to arrive between 9 and 9:30 a.m., due to heavy traffic into the cemetery.

For additional information about Wreaths Across America or to sponsor one or more wreaths, visit WreathsAcrossAmerica.org/FL0021.

Massage Envy Is Celebrating Nearly A Decade Of Making New Tampa Feel Better!

Massage Envy Wesley Chapel has so much more to offer than just licensed massage therapy (LMT).

With Massage Envy’s many skin care options, members and guests can enjoy a facial, add total body skin care to their massage, or combine the two for one incredible “spa day.”

Located just south of S.R. 56 on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (in the same plaza as Nutrition Smart) in Wesley Chapel, Massage Envy has been helping the residents of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel feel better since it first opened back in 2009.

The Wesley Chapel location owned by Bobbi Royak is part of a national franchise based in Scottsdale, AZ.

Founded in 2002, Massage Envy today has more than 1,170 franchised locations in 49 states that have together delivered more than 135 million massages and facials.

“We’ve been in the Wesley Chapel market for (almost) 10 years,” Bobbi says. “One thing we try to do better than anyone else is customer service. We have some customers — and therapists — who have been with us since we opened.”

With about 35 licensed massage therapists on staff, Massage Envy offers both earlier and later hours than most of its competitors — until 10 p.m. most nights — so you can make an appointment for your massage at the most convenient time for your schedule.

“We offer memberships, which most people do because the cost is much lower than the non-member rate, especially to come on a regular basis,” says Sondra Davis, the Wesley Chapel assistant manager, adding that the cost of membership includes one massage per month, with a discounted price for additional massages the same month.

While Massage Envy has a large staff, Sondra and fellow assistant manager Carissa Epstein emphasize that when customers come in, the entire staff makes it feel personal for each client.

“Our therapists treat everyone like family,” says Carissa. “They really get to know their clients’ bodies, and can give advice and (create) customized plans.”

Sondra agrees.

“We aren’t just the ‘big chain’ that people think we are,” she says. “Our guests and members leave here both feeling good and knowing someone cares about them.”

Bobbi explains that while some people who come in for a massage just want to relax, others are dealing with injuries.

“Our therapists are well trained in all of the different modalities to target the needs of each customer,” she says. “Every customer is different and has different needs, whether it’s massage or skincare, and we have a service to help them.”

All massages are customized for the individual.

“You pay for the duration of your massage,” says Carissa, “not the type.”

You could choose a sports massage or deep tissue massage, for example, or a combination of both. Other massage types include Swedish, prenatal and geriatric massages and trigger point therapies.

Many people don’t necessarily know what type of massage they want. That’s okay. When you call to make an appointment, the front desk staff will take time to match you with the right therapist, based on what you’re looking for and the therapist’s specialties.

Whether you’re looking to relax or to relieve pain from arthritis, tension headaches, everyday aches and pains or something else, Massage Envy can customize a program to help you.

“Our goal is to make you feel better,” says Carissa.

Satisfied Customers…
Bruce and Linda Danzis are Meadow Pointe residents who discovered Massage Envy more than eight years ago. “I suffer from MS (multiple sclerosis) and my walk isn’t the best,” says Bruce, “so I was always getting knots in my back. I saw a chiropractor for 25 years, and that did nothing.”

Then, an acquaintance suggested he try his first deep tissue massage at Massage Envy.

“I went to try it and it was phenomenal,” says Bruce, who now gets a deep tissue massage twice a month and says most of the time, he stays pain-free. “Deep tissue massages have helped me unbelievably.”

Bruce says that over the years, he’s had deep tissue massages by several of the licensed massage therapists at the Wesley Chapel Massage Envy, and all have provided a quality massage that has relieved his pain 100 percent.

“They always ask me how it feels,” Bruce says, “If my lower back is not good, they continue to work on it until it’s satisfactory.”

Bruce loved Massage Envy so much, he encouraged his wife to get a massage, too. Linda saw the difference it made for her husband, and decided she would give it a try, too.

Linda says that before she went to Massage Envy, she was never even interested in having a massage.
“I thought it was a luxury thing,” she says. “But now, doing it, I understand it more and it really is a necessity. It makes your body feel so much better.”

Not only does Linda feel more relaxed and calm after a massage, she says that it has helped with pain relief for her, as well.

“One time I threw out my back and couldn’t walk,” she says. “My massage therapist got me feeling better. Anytime anything happens, you think you might go to the doctor or pop a pill or go to a chiropractor, but I go to Massage Envy.”

Bruce also appreciates the warmth of the staff.

“The best part of it is when you walk in, everyone is so happy to see you,” he says, “From the people at the desk to the manager, everyone there is beyond nice. They are so accommodating and couldn’t be any nicer if they tried. They take care of us and are just excellent.”

That’s what Bobbi, the franchise owner, always wants and expects to hear.

“We focus on wellness and making a difference in people’s lives,” Bobbi says. “People ask me why I got into this business. I got into it because it helps people who want to get massages and those who need to — and we cater to both.”

Don’t Forget About Your Skin
Not only does Linda now get a massage each month at Massage Envy, she says she gets facials there now, too.

Among Massage Envy’s most popular skin treatment options are microderm infusion, an exfoliating treatment that adds serum into the skin, as well as chemical peels.

There also are enhancements to your full body massage, such as Cy-Me (pronounced “see me”) boosts, which are Massage Envy’s exclusive serums and are infused into the massage lotion to treat the whole body, in formulas such as hydrating, firming and clarifying.

Other massage enhancements available at Massage Envy include total body stretching. Carissa says it’s an assisted stretching program that includes breathing techniques to help clients relax.

“It’s good for athletes,” Carissa says. “Golfers and tennis players especially love it, either in conjunction with their massage or on its own.”

Got To Have ‘Percussion?’
Massage Envy also offers a technique called percussion, which uses a vibrating massage device prior to your massage, with the client fully clothed. Carissa says 10 minutes of percussion, which is meant to be a massage enhancement, is equivalent to 30 minutes with the massage therapist using his or her hands.
Massage Envy is involved in the community, too.

“We donate a lot of massages back to the community for school auctions and events,” says Bobbi. “We are very involved in those kinds of things; we like to be part of the community.”

Massage Envy Wesley Chapel is located at 1821 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Suite 124. It is open Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m. – 10 p.m., from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Sunday. For more information or to make an appointment, visit MassageEnvy.com or call (813) 948-5600.

Creativity Unpinned Offers Unique Gifts, Artisan-Created Crafts & More!

Bracelets made from recycled t-shirts.

Moving, metal art made from nuts and bolts that look just like a dog, a scuba diver and even a Minion from “Despicable Me.”

There also are margarita glasses that seem to belong in a chemistry lab.

There’s something special about the kinds of hand-made, artisan-created treasures you can find at a weekend craft fair.

At Creativity Unpinned, you don’t have to wait for the weekend or take a long drive to find unique gifts. Owner Wendy O’Neill says that it’s like the craft fair comes to you, all in one convenient place, available whenever the mall is open.

Creativity Unpinned is one of the newer stores at the Shops at Wiregrass, and is located in the space that was formerly occupied by the Gymboree store.

It opened in April, and since then, Wendy says more and more customers are discovering her many one-of-a-kind items that are either the perfect gift — or even the perfect find for themselves.

At Creativity Unpinned, 56 different artisans currently rent space to share their hand-crafted treasures.
“Everybody’s stuff is different,” Wendy explains, saying that all but three of her artisans are local.

She also explains that 80 percent of what’s in the store is hand-made, while the other 20 percent is a collection of unique lines of items, such as Mozi rings, or their glow-in-the-dark counterparts, Glozi rings.

“They are crazy fun,” Wendy says, showing off the unique contraption that is somewhat reminiscent of the old Slinky, but instead rolls up and down your arms and can be passed from person to person.

“We like to be interactive,” she says, so she hands the toy to anyone who wants to try it in the store.
Creativity Unpinned is filled with handmade items so that everyone can find something special, such as tooth fairy pillows, hand-drawn artwork and cards, stunning photography, doll outfits and hand-painted glassware.

There’s a Christmas section with the eye-catching and fun Deb’s Tacky Sweaters.

“They are hilarious,” Wendy says, showing off sweaters, sweater vests — even a dress — decorated with outrageously tacky ornaments, sure to be the talk of any Christmas party.

Many other Christmas-themed gifts are available, too, such as dish towels and “Santa Cam” ornaments.
Wendy also says that items throughout the store reflect popular themes, such as unicorns or mermaids, which are hot sellers right now.

Book pillows are a popular item, she says, with a pocket sewn into the pillow that you can tuck a book into. The vendor who makes the book pillows even provides a free book of the customer’s choice with the purchase of a pillow.

See something you like but it’s not exactly right? Because most of the store’s items are handmade, nearly anything at Creativity Unpinned can be custom-made, such as a book pillow customized to complement your child, grandchild, niece or nephew’s favorite bedtime story.

Wendy says her customers love their pets, and items throughout the store with pet themes also are popular. Plus, you can order a personalized caricature of your pet, or pick out handmade clothes for your pooch — anything from a leather jacket to a bathrobe.

Creativity Unpinned also features a wide variety of price points, since vendors set their own prices. There’s even a line of kids’ items that is priced intentionally so kids can choose something they can buy with their own allowance money.

Wendy says there is room for about 75 vendors in the store, but that there is a waiting list for several types of artisans, such as those who create jewelry.

“We want a nice variety of jewelry,” says Wendy, which she says she now has with different artistic influences from countries such as Venezuela and Mexico, a variety of materials from natural items such as flowers and leaves to Italian glass. “But, we don’t want to become a jewelry store.”

She says she looks for high quality, and she has turned vendors away whose quality wasn’t up to her standards.

“We give creative entrepreneurs the opportunity to own a business,” Wendy says. “It amazes me what our artisans come up with. They really blow me away.”

Creativity Unpinned sometimes does classes and special events, such as the class on making shadowboxes that was taught after hours one Sunday evening.

Fund Raisers, Too!
A recent fundraiser allowed each vendor at Creativity Unpinned to choose a charity they would like to support. Shoppers voted for their favorite one, and the winning charity – Trinity Outreach – will receive $500, the proceeds of a special sale of items donated for the event. “It raised awareness for charities,” explains Wendy, “and people had fun with it.”

Creativity Unpinned has three employees, and like Wendy, they are all dedicated to top-notch customer service.

“We’ll point out things to you and tell you the backstory that makes an item even more interesting,” Wendy says. “We can do that because these items aren’t mass produced.”

She emphasizes that she wants customers to come in and touch and smell and feel the products, which is something her vendors appreciate.

For example, there is Rhonda McDaniel’s line of artisan soaps, called A Caring Touch Skin Therapy.

“I love being a vendor at Creativity Unpinned because my products are available to customers at the mall,” Rhonda says. “I like shopping there myself.”

While she mostly sells her products online, she likes that her website now tells people they can visit Creativity Unpinned to see her products in person.

Rhonda says she loves interacting with the customers who are interested in her artisan soaps. “When I go in the store, I can see their excitement about the product and answer their questions,” she says.

Creativity Unpinned is located at 28163 Paseo Dr., #180. For more information, search “Creativity Unpinned” on Facebook, or call (813) 575-9605.

Local Student Is Florida’s First Boy To Perform A ‘Bharatanatyam Arangetram’

Wesley Chapel resident Parth Madabhushi is the first young man in Florida to have performed a Bharatanatyam arangetam, a two-hour-long, solo folk dance recital from India.

Wesley Chapel resident Parth Madabhushi is carrying on a family tradition.

His mother, Sabrina Madabhushi, is a teacher of Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance that originated in the Hindu temples of Tamil Nadu in southern India.

Sabrina’s mother, Geetha Raaj, is a guru who has taught thousands of students the traditional art form as she has traveled the state of Florida sharing her knowledge of the dance since 1990, and prior to that in India.

Of the thousands of students she’s taught, only some rise to the level of training where they are ready to ascend the stage and make their performance debut, sharing their dance with an audience at a demanding individual recital called an “arangetram.”

For Guru Geetha Raaj, her 150th student to perform an arangetram just might be the most special. In addition to being her grandson, Parth is the first boy among her students to achieve this level of training.

“It’s not like children learning ballet,” explains Sabrina, “where you learn a little bit of ballet and do a recital. An arangetram is the first time you show yourself on stage, after all these years of learning Bharatanatyam.”

It typically takes about 10 years, she adds.

“I started learning the basics when I was about 4 or 5,” says Parth, who is now 14. “I was 11 or 12 when I knew I’m not just a kid learning anymore. Now I have to prepare to perform. I turned on a switch I didn’t have before.”

Parth says it was last November when his guru decided he was ready to begin preparing for his arangetram, and that’s when the more rigorous, everyday work began.

Parth’s arangetram was held on September 16 at the India Cultural Center in Tampa. More than 600 people attended, including Florida Senator Dana Young and Tampa City Council member Luis Viera.

An orchestra from India played live music while Parth danced for more than two hours, with just short breaks in between long, individual dances, showing the mastery of Bharatanatyam he has accomplished so far.

There is still much more for Parth to learn, though, says Sabrina.

“He will continue learning after this stage,” she says. “You can get more into the deeper intricacies of the dance. There’s so much mythology, and so many characters you could portray.”

For his arangetram, Parth portrayed masculine characters, something that is not seen as often in the dance form because there are not that many boys who study or perform it.

Sabrina explains that Bharatanatyam is for everyone, but more girls choose to study it than boys, comparing it again to ballet.

“For every 25 girls in a class, you might get one boy,” she says, “and he might drop out after two years.”

The ‘Dance’ Of Karate, Too

Besides honoring his family tradition to learn Bharatanatyam, Parth participates in another family activity — karate.

“We are a family of black belts,” says Parth’s dad, Prahlad, who is taking both Parth and his sister, 11-year-old Nitya, to the World Karate Championships in Dublin, Ireland, hosted by the World Karate Commission.

Parth qualified on a national level to compete at the world level in several divisions, including point sparring, continuous sparring, creative weapons, creative forms and team forms.

His mom says karate has given Parth the physicality and the stamina to be able to perform Bharatanatyam in a masculine way.

“My two main passions are karate and Bharatanatyam,” says Parth. “They are completely different forms, but I’ve seen how one helps me do the other. By doing one, I get moves (more easily) in the other. They have both helped each other to help me.”

One connection is that he uses a sword in the creative weapons division of karate, and included a sword in his arangetram.

With his arangetram behind him, Parth is focused on preparing for the World Karate Championships, which will be held after we go to press with this issue, ending on Nov. 2.

Then, Parth will be back to balancing his two passions.

“I did feel my arangetram was a huge accomplishment,” says Parth, “but now I don’t want to stop dancing. I’m one of the few people in the world who have three generations of the family who are able to learn the art form and present it at the same time.”

Pasco County’s Principal Of The Year Is Cypress Creek’s Carin Hetzler-Nettles!

Cypress Creek Middle High School principal Carin Hetzler-Nettles was vacationing in Europe on Nov. 4, when she got an unexpected video call from Kurt Browning, the Superintendent of Pasco County Schools.

“Hey, Carin,” Browning said, “I know you’re in the middle of vacation, but we wanted to let you know that you are Pasco’s Principal of the Year.”

Hetzler-Nettles was chosen to represent Pasco County Schools as its nominee for Florida’s Principal of the Year.

“Carin’s colleagues nominated her from among all district principals,” says Linda Cobbe, public information officer for Pasco County Schools. “The nominations were narrowed to three finalists, based on the number of votes each received, and then we had a vote among all administrators for District Principal of the Year, and she won.”

School Board chair Cynthia Armstrong and School Board member Colleen Beaudoin joined Browning on the call, which was posted on Pasco County Schools’ Facebook page, and offered their congratulations.
“We’re excited for you,” Browning said. “You’re a great principal. We’re excited about what you’ve done in the district and what you’re doing at Cypress Creek.”

“Thank you so much,” Hetzler-Nettles responded, smiling. “I appreciate it. I’m very humbled.”

Hetzler-Nettles, “embodies what a leader is,” said the nomination. “She drives the learning community forward in every way, while supporting staff growth. She always places kids first.”

“She’s an awesome teacher, mentor and friend,” says Tim Light, an assistant principal at Cypress Creek who has worked with Hetzler-Nettles since 2011. “I’m the administrator I am because of her.”

Light says that Hetzler-Nettles is deserving of the designation because of her hard work and commitment to opening Cypress Creek, which opened in the fall of 2017, and her dedication to building the community within the school and all of its stakeholders.

It was no easy task, say those who laud Hetzler-Nettles for her success. She had to find the right balance and build unity at Cypress Creek with students — not all of whom were happy to be switching schools after the rezoning process — from three high schools, three middle schools and several elementary schools.

Hetzler-Nettles was not only tasked with bringing these diverse groups together, but with it being a brand new school, also was responsible for things like figuring out furniture to coming up with a mascot for the school.

“She was charged with…creating its mission and motto, and getting a staff on board to live and breathe the mission and motto every day,” Light says. “She took a very difficult job and got the buy-in from all the stakeholders and created the culture here that is like no other. That’s why she got the award and why she deserves it.”

Hetzler-Nettles was previously the principal at Wesley Chapel High. Dee Dee Johnson succeeded her as principal when Hetzler-Nettles was chosen for Cypress Creek.

“She had a lot of work ahead of her,” Johnson says. “She started as a team of one, went in there full steam ahead, and knew she would go in and do what’s best for kids, and make the school great.”

Her focus is on making the experience of learning enjoyable for the students, Johnson and Light agree, and building a staff that can accomplish that. With any new school, developing traditions and pride — like creating a code of personal behavior called “The Coyote Way” — can go a long way towards making that school successful.

“I feel very fortunate that I was able to work for her for several years and learn from her,” Johnson says, “She’s very deserving.”