Construction on “Segment D” of Bruce B. Downs is expected to wrap up by the end of the year. But, recent changes have made some safety improvements amongst the maze of orange barricades for students walking and driving to and from Wharton High. (Photo: John C. Cotey)
Traffic snarls continue to frustrate New Tampa drivers, as road construction is moving forward on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., but isn’t quite complete yet.
A persistent trouble spot on BBD is in front of Wharton High, where delays get particularly lengthy during morning drop-off and after school lets out.
The intersection of BBD and Oak Preserve Blvd. in front of Live Oak Preserve, at the north end of the high school, where student drivers and parents enter and exit the school, has drawn a lot of complaints.
“That intersection is ridiculous during drop-off,” said parent Paula Olson in a letter to Tampa City Council member Luis Viera. “People are turning left out of the wrong lanes, people are going straight from multiple lanes because they don’t want to wait — all with new student drivers in the mix.”
Olson and others voiced concern that while they have heard the situation will be better when the construction has been completed, something needed to change immediately.
Viera says he has heard his constituent complaints. Because students also are walking in that area, he says the matter is of particular importance. “Bruce B. Downs is a is a county road, not a city road,” says Viera, “so it’s a little bit out of my jurisdiction, but I jumped on it anyway.”
In road construction terms, that portion of BBD is part of “Segment D” – a 1.44-mile stretch from Pebble Creek Dr. to County Line Rd. It is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.
Construction on Segment D began in October of 2016, when it was a four-lane divided roadway, and it will soon be an eight-lane divided roadway with a landscaped median, sidewalks, a multi-use path and upgraded traffic signals.
But although completion of the roadway portion should be as early as November, Viera says he set up a meeting with representatives from Hillsborough County to figure out what could be done quickly.
He reports that four issues were agreed to at this meeting with the county on Sept. 21, and have since been implemented.
First, an off-duty law enforcement officer now assists with directing traffic during the morning hours while students are going to school.
Viera says that three additional issues relate directly to pedestrian safety in the crosswalk across BBD.
The timing on the crosswalk has been changed to allow for more time for students and others to cross from Live Oak to get to the school.
Striping on the pavement was enhanced to more clearly mark the pathway.
It also was discovered that the pedestrian buttons were sticking, so that problem also was corrected.
Viera says this is a great example of different governmental entities working together across jurisdictional boundaries to get issues resolved for local residents.
Earlier this year in a school-wide email and phone call, Wharton principal Mike Rowan reminded parents that all students attending the school are provided transportation by bus, no matter the distance they live from school.
This is an exception to the Hillsborough County School District policy, which typically offers buses only for students who live more than 2 miles away from school. However, busing is offered at Wharton due to the “hazardous conditions” presented by roadway construction and then, once construction is complete, an eight-lane road.
“It has certainly been a challenging situation living through the entire BBD expansion project,” says Olson, who says she has lived in New Tampa for 17 years. She calls the changes “positive” and says she was pleased to see them implemented.
“Personally,” she adds, “I will just be happy when this project is completed, which hopefully will be soon.”
Matt McDermott is the new principal at Wesley Chapel High (WCH), replacing Dee Dee Johnson.
Johnson was selected to take over as principal at Pasco Middle School, where former principal Jeff Wolff was removed in September amid concerns about low teacher morale at the middle school in Dade City.
“I’m super excited,” McDermott says. “I’ve lived in the community since about 2000, and I was briefly an assistant principal there from 2009-2010, before I opened Fivay High (in Hudson).”
Some of the young Wildcats approve.
“The kids who live in my neighborhood have been by to say congratulations and tell me they’re excited to have me as their principal,” McDermott says.
McDermott has worked for Pasco County Schools since 1996 and has been a teacher, coach, athletic director and school administrator. He started as an AP environmental science and biology honors teacher and football and wrestling coach, and became the athletic director at Sunlake High in 2007 before a brief stay as assistant principal at WCH in 2009. He helped open Fivay in 2010, and returned to Zephyrhills as an assistant principal in 2015.
This is McDermott’s first appointment as a principal.
“You always think you’re ready to be a principal,” McDermott says. “I have good mentors and people I can reach out to if I need something. I’ve been in the principal pool for a while and prefer the southeast part of the county because that’s where I live. This is one of my dream jobs and I’m excited to be given the opportunity.”
Judy Choinski is a parent of two students at WCH, and a member of its School Advisory Committee (SAC). She says she’s happy for Johnson, the school’s now-former principal. “It’s a huge compliment to her that she was chosen to bring [Pasco Middle] back up to where it needs to be,” Choinski says. “She’s going to turn that school around.”
Choinski acknowledges that there’s disappointment in losing Johnson, and in having yet another new principal. But, she says there is just as much excitement about McDermott.
“His reputation is really good,” she says. “Some parents and teachers I talked to said they were hoping he would be selected, that he would be the perfect fit for Chapel.”
At our press time, McDermott had been recommended as principal by Pasco School Superintendent Kurt Browning and was expected to be approved by the School Board on October 16, with a start date of October 17.
“It’s a win-win for everybody,” Choinski adds. “Hopefully, everything will stay solid for a while.”
Good As Gold
At a Pasco County School Board meeting on Oct. 2, Browning and members of the Board were presented with the Florida Healthy School District Gold Flag by Florida Action for Healthy Kids.
The county received the Gold Flag “for establishing a culture and climate in which students and staff can reach their personal potential and for continuing to serve as a leader in the state in reducing and eliminating the barriers to learning, resulting in increased academic achievement.”
Pasco County Schools earned the Silver award in 2016, but this year is its first-ever gold. The district will hold the Gold award designation through 2020.
To earn the Gold designation, the district demonstrated high scores in areas like creating a healthy school environment, contributing to employee wellness and excellence in counseling, psychological and social services and health education.
The Florida Partnership for Healthy Schools is a grassroots partnership that advocates for school health issues and recognizes excellence among Florida school districts.
PTAs Honored Nationally
Double Branch Elementary and John Long Middle School have both earned recognition as a National PTA (Parent Teacher Association) “School of Excellence,” with a designation that lasts from 2018-20.
The National PTA School of Excellence recognition program “supports and celebrates partnerships between PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being for all students,” according to the National PTA website.
Schools apply to be recognized, then complete a series of steps designed to improve relationships between schools and families, which are individual to each school. If they meet their goal, they earn the designation.
In addition, the county-wide Pasco County Council of PTAs (PCCPTA) was recognized for having the highest increase of membership in Florida for the 2017-18 school year. PCCPTA representatives Mahalia Surin, Denise Nicholas and Andria Roscart presented the trophy they received to Pasco School Board chair Cynthia Armstrong and Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning (photo above).
Teachers Wanted
Want to work as a teacher in Wesley Chapel? Pasco County Schools will host a fall instructional job fair on Wednesday, November 14, 4 p.m.-6 p.m., at Sunlake High in Land O’Lakes.
The district is looking for teachers in math, science, emotional and behavioral disorders/autism spectrum disorders (EBD/ASD), exceptional student education (ESE) and elementary education. They also have openings for guest teachers, behavioral analysts and school nurses.
All education interns, teachers, student services employees, and those who have a Bachelor’s degree and are interested in becoming certified educators are invited to attend. Applicants can meet with administrators and hiring managers for on-the-spot interviews and job offers.
Anyone interested in attending should register at https://pascofalljobfair2018.eventbrite.com, visit http://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/hreq/ or contact work@pasco.k12.fl.us.
Big Easy Bucha is available in all Publix stores. Austin Sherman shows off his original product – with flavors such as Jazz Juice and Streetcar Sipper — and its first-to-market kombucha “shots.”
When Austin Sherman graduated from New Tampa’s Wharton High School in 2001, he headed to the nearby University of South Florida to pursue a degree in communications.
At that time, he wouldn’t have guessed he’d be where he is now — leading a company brewing kombucha, a fermented, probiotic tea that is increasing in popularity and market share, with products in many major grocery stores, such as Whole Foods and Publix.
Austin and his wife, Alexis Korman, who co-founded Big Easy Bucha in New Orleans four years ago, expect to sell 3 million bottles in 2018.
And, with the way they’re growing, Austin says they’ll sell 10 million bottles next year.
It’s not how Austin envisioned his future. He left college in 2005 to join a commercial real estate firm in Seattle. He remembers it being a busy, stressful time, while he worked hard.
“Every dollar I made, I would invest in more real estate,” he says. “I was 25 years old, with a couple of million dollars in real estate. Then, I woke up one day and it was all worth nothing.”
The real estate bubble had burst. Over time, the firm he worked for let its employees go and shut its doors, and Austin came back to New Tampa to figure out what to do next.
He landed a job as a bartender at the old Ciccio & Tony’s in Tampa Palms, where he met people like Dan Costello.
“Dan was one of my favorite customers,” Austin says. “He was very active in the beverage and salty snack business, and I found that fascinating.”
Austin was living with his younger sister, Chelsea, who was studying to be a nurse. It was Chelsea who learned how to brew kombucha. Many people drink kombucha because of the health benefits associated with its probiotics.
“In nursing school, all of my peers were super health conscious,” says Chelsea. “Some were brewing kombucha; and we all were drinking it. We were trying to be health forward for our patients.”
Austin Sherman and his sister, Chelsea, before Wharton’s prom in 2001, when the siblings were growing up in Arbor Greene.
Chelsea taught Austin how to brew kombucha, which he had been introduced to in Seattle.
“I had been in bartending and mixology, so I knew how to put ingredients together and get a desired result,” says Austin. “I made my first batch with pineapple and elderflower.”
He began experimenting with different flavors and made small batches to pass out to his friends and family.
He moved to New Orleans, where Alexis was living and working as a writer.
In 2014, they officially launched their company in New Orleans and called it Big Easy Bucha.
“I really didn’t have a vision of what this could become,” Austin says. “At that time, it was just a hobby.”
Just four years later, it’s so much more. The friends and family he used to pass out samples to are not only his customers, they’re also his biggest supporters — and some are even employees.
Chelsea left nursing to work full-time as a marketing associate for the company.
Meanwhile, Dan Costello has served as an advisor and has just transitioned to the role of president of Big Easy Bucha.
Austin’s best friend from high school, Ted Krawsck, lives in Wesley Chapel and says he’s now a Big Easy Bucha “one-a-day-er.”
Ted says he was surprised to discover the positive effects kombucha has had for him.
“It had huge health benefits,” Ted says. “As someone with stomach problems, I instantly started feeling better. My stomach felt completely different.”
Austin says he and Alexis had tried other brands and were put off by the flavor, so they wanted to be a “gateway” drink for people who are new to kombucha.
While the kombucha trend started in the west, Big Easy Bucha is focused on the growing markets in the southeastern United States.
“Big Easy Bucha is definitely based on the Southern palate, with flavors that are very fruit forward,” such as strawberry, blueberry, pineapple, and satsuma — a citrus fruit similar to a Mandarin or clementine orange, Chelsea says.
Austin’s favorite flavor is still that first combination he put together in his first brew in Tampa, pineapple and elderflower. Now, that combo is known as Big Easy Bucha’s “Jazz Juice.”
A highlight of the company’s story so far is that last year, Big Easy Bucha was successful in getting its products into Publix stores.
“It’s really hard to do,” says Austin. “I’ve been a customer of Publix my entire life. I remember shopping at the store on Cross Creek Blvd.”
He adds that in the year that Big Easy Bucha products have been sold at Publix, the chain has opened 50 new stores, for a total of 1,196 Publix stores nationwide. Whenever a new Publix opens, it stocks Big Easy Bucha.
“It’s been fun,” Austin says. “We’ve been able to grow in Publix.”
He thinks Publix likes working with Big Easy Bucha, too.
“We’re known to Publix as innovators,” Austin explains. Recently, a Publix buyer suggested an idea for a new product — a kombucha “shot” for people who want the probiotics and healthy organic acids of the drink, but don’t want to have to drink a full 16 ounces.
“Within four weeks, we had samples for them,” says Austin. “Coke and Pepsi can’t move that fast. It takes them a year to get it through research and development and another two years to get to market, if they decide to make the product.”
Now, the four-ounce shots also are available at all Publix stores and Big Easy Bucha is the first kombucha company making the product, which are called Lil’ Easy Kombucha Shots.
“It’s the same strength and efficacy, in a fun and festive shot format,” explains Austin. “We’re in New Orleans, so everything’s festive (here).”
To buy Big Easy Bucha, visit any local Publix store and look for it in the refrigerated aisle, next to the juices. For more information about the company, visit BigEasyBucha.com.
At 11 years old, Sarah Clanton is finally learning to walk, thanks to the help of the special horses and people at Emerald M Therapeutic Riding Center in Brooksville.
Sarah was adopted from an orphanage in Ukraine when she was five. At just 19 pounds, she had been kept in a bed all her life. Her mom, Yvonne, says she could barely sit up.
Yvonne and her husband, Jon, began helping Sarah in all the ways they could, including physical therapy, to help her learn to walk.
While Sarah has special needs, including blindness and other conditions, doctors could find no reason physically why she wouldn’t be able to walk.
“There’s no muscular or neurological reason she can’t walk,” Yvonne says. “It’s just that she’s missing all those milestones and all those years of development, and her brain just doesn’t have ability to put it together.”
Earlier this year, Yvonne decided to take a chance on something different. It’s called hippotherapy, and it uses the movements of a horse to help people like Sarah. Yvonne had heard about a place called Emerald M Therapeutic Riding Center, so she decided to try it out.
“I did this just for the heck of it,” says Yvonne. “I didn’t really expect it to work.”
But, it has.
“It’s amazing,” says Yvonne. “We can walk with her now, just by holding one hand. Before, most of the time we just carried her — even around the house — because it was just easier.”
Yvonne and Jon have four other children. Of their five kids, three have some sort of disability, and their son, Sam, also benefits from hippotherapy at Emerald M. Of all the therapies her kids have experienced, says Yvonne, “Nothing has ever been as dramatic the change we’ve seen in Sarah.”
Lisa Michelangelo
(To purchase tickets to its Grand Opening Fundraiser on Saturday, October 20, 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m., visit EmeraldMTherapeuticRidingCenter.org.)
Emerald M Therapeutic Riding Center was founded by Lisa Michelangelo, a former New Tampa resident who is a physical therapist. For about eight years, she managed the physical therapy department at the Fit 4 Life Personal Training & Physical Therapy studio in Tampa Palms.
She and her family always loved horses, so in 2013 – when Lisa’s daughters were 13 and 10 – they moved out to Dade City, where they could have a larger property and be able to live with their horses, rather than boarding them elsewhere.
At that time, it occurred to Lisa that she had the opportunity to combine her love of horses with her professional career as a physical therapist.
Lisa did extensive continuing education through the American Hippotherapy Association to be able to provide this unique therapy.
“Through the use of a horse and movement, we target deficiencies and work on areas such as core strength, balance and walking,” explains Lisa. “The horse replicates human walking. I can put someone on the back of the horse, and they feel like they’re walking on air. Once we can recreate the walking pattern on the horse, we can also recreate it on the ground.”
In 2014, Lisa launched Emerald M Therapeutic Riding Center on her property in Dade City.
“The name, Emerald M, comes from the emerald gem stone,” Lisa explains. “The emerald stands for hope, renewal and growth, and that’s what we provide to the people we serve. We provide hope and a renewed sense of self, and then they continue to grow.” She says the “M” is for her last name.
Lisa explains that participants in her program have a wide variety of conditions that bring them to her.
“We have kids and adults who come to us with autism, processing disorders, emotional disorders, cerebral palsy, paralysis and brain tumors,” she explains, “It’s a whole plethora of diagnoses.”
She explains that sometimes a child or adult can complete hippotherapy, because they have successfully overcome the condition that caused them to need the therapy. At that point, they graduate to therapeutic riding, which is where they learn horsemanship skills and how to ride.
In addition, Emerald M offers beginner riding lessons for siblings of program participants, too.
“We know it affects the whole family,” Lisa says, speaking of the conditions that cause people to come to her riding center for therapy. “Often, the siblings of the children with special needs are watching their brother or sister ride, and they want to ride, too.”
Growth… And Tragedy
A couple of years ago, Emerald M became a nonprofit organization, with Lisa as its founder. “Since then, the program has exploded,” Lisa says, explaining that word of mouth and practitioner support continues to draw new people into the program.
Soon, the programs Lisa offers outgrew the five-acre property she had in Dade City, so she moved the riding center to Brooksville.
She says the new property is only 5 miles from the former one, and her participants coming from places such as Wesley Chapel and New Tampa don’t mind the drive. Sarah’s mom, Yvonne, who drives from Zephyrhills, says the hour-long drive is absolutely worth it, for the amazing results they are seeing in Sarah.
“We had to make that move to accommodate the growth,” says Lisa. “The new property is much more suited for the kind of work that we do.”
In the midst of moving, the staff and volunteers at Emerald M experienced a tragedy. When a storm blew through the area, three of the riding center’s horses were killed by a lightning strike.
“It was tragic,” said Lisa, who adds that says she has had support from the organization’s board of directors and volunteers, and throughout the community, as supporters set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to help with the cost of new horses.
“They will never be replaced,” says Lisa. “However, we have come through and have brought in some new furry friends. The new horses help to carry the load.”To celebrate the opening of the new location and to continue to raise funds for the organization’s mission, Emerald M is hosting a grand opening fundraising dinner on Saturday, October 20, from 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m.
Helping Veterans, Too
About a year ago, Lisa began partnering with an organization called Veterans Alternative to help U.S. Military combat veterans and their spouses. Veterans Alternative helps veterans from all over the country, all branches of the military, and all eras of war, by providing a weeklong retreat to work through PTSD and other issues.
Lisa facilitates the part of the program called P.E.A.C.E., or “Powerful Equine Assisted Counseling Experience.” She says she comes alongside mental health providers who join these combat veterans and their spouses for a day of therapy with the horses at Emerald M.
Each horse has a story — what jobs they’ve done, or what hurdles they’ve faced — which are relayed by mental health counselors. And in turn, the veterans relate their own personal stories to the stories of the horses they are working with. Lisa says they begin to talk about things that might be challenging to them.
“It’s incredible,” she says.
Over the past year, 135 combat veterans have completed the program.
“We even have combat veterans who have found so much reward in this program, that now they’re out here volunteering, giving back by helping their brothers and sisters in the military,” says Lisa.
One such veteran is Franco Caro, a former U.S. Marine who served from 2001-05, and who deployed to Iraq in 2003. After leaving the military, he struggled with finding a sense of purpose.
“I tried to take my life nine times between 2005 and 2010,” he says. “To go from working nonstop in the military to being told you can’t do that anymore, you feel lost.”
Working with mental health providers and taking medications didn’t keep him from attempting suicide.
But, Franco’s last suicide attempt was in 2010, before he found something to give him the sense of accomplishment he was looking for.
Franco says he first encountered horses and the idea of therapy through riding and caring for them at a place called Rocking Horse Farm in New Port Richey. Just this summer, he was introduced to Emerald M Therapeutic Riding Center, and he now volunteers there two or three times a week.
“I don’t realize how far I’ve come until I start thinking back,” Franco says. “When I go there, instead of overanalyzing myself, it allows my brain an escape to focus on something else.”
He explains that his role is to be sure the horse he cares for, named Anna, is ready to work with the hippotherapy participants. He grooms Anna, rides her to be sure she’s properly exercised, gets her tacked up, and makes sure she’s comfortable.
“I look over my horse from nose to tail, make sure she’s walking correctly, standing correctly, doesn’t have any wounds or discomfort,” Franco says. “She can’t tell me, so I form a strong bond with her. It puts me at ease, too, and Lisa’s getting a volunteer who knows horsemanship and what to do.”
Those volunteers, Lisa says, are essential. “I couldn’t do it without them,” she says.
Franco also volunteers with the P.E.A.C.E. program, where he can tell his story to fellow veterans and share how equine therapy has helped him. “They are very small, very personal groups, and we are there connecting with the veterans one-on-one,” Franco says.
Whether it’s working with veterans or kids with special needs, Lisa says she has been a part of incredible changes at Emerald M.
“Miracles happen out here,” Lisa says. “A lot of times, it’s unexplainable. It truly is the horses. I facilitate it, but the animals do have a sense that we can’t explain. The changes that we see out here are monumental for both families and individuals.”
For more information about Emerald M Riding Center, to donate to its GoFundMe campaign, or to purchase tickets to its Grand Opening Fundraiser on Saturday, October 20,5:30 p.m.-10 p.m., visit EmeraldMTherapeuticRidingCenter.org.
Pam Edmonson of Creative Permanent Makeup By Pam in Wesley Chapel helps women achieve beautiful-looking eyebrows without daily makeup application.
Pam Edmonson loves having new clients in her chair. Whether they’re tired of spending way too much time drawing on their eyebrows — or maybe they’ve even lost the hair on their eyebrows due to chemotherapy — Pam is excited to offer women a beautiful new look that fits both their individual problem(s) and their skin.
Pam is a permanent makeup artist who owns Serenity Salon & Spa Suites, located off S.R. 54 in the Brookfield Professional Park, about a half-mile west of Morris Bridge Rd. in Wesley Chapel. At the salon, she has a room where she provides permanent makeup for eyebrows, eyelids and lips.
Pam opened Serenity Salon & Spa Suites with a partner more than two years ago, but now she is the sole owner. She takes pride in offering an inviting place for licensed beauty and wellness professionals to offer their services, such as hair styling, massages and facials.
“I want to empower people to work for themselves and be successful,” she says, explaining that her salon provides a drama-free environment.
“Everyone who works here works well together,” Pam says. “We laugh together. When people walk in, they feel welcomed, and it’s natural. We’re not fake. Although I’m the owner, this isn’t my salon, it’s ours all together.”
She says there currently is one chair available for rent for a hairstylist. There also is a room available for a full-time massage therapist.
“We have amazing stylists and aestheticians here,” says Pam, who also emphasizes that if you try a stylist and don’t love them, try a different one.
“No one’s feelings will be hurt,” she says.
Pam’s journey to salon owner started as a second career for her, after many years of running a business in the manufactured housing industry. In 2009, Pam says she wanted to do something different, so she went to school to become a hair stylist.
While she enjoyed hair, Pam says she soon discovered something that interested her even more.
“I love detail,” Pam says. “As a detail person, eyebrows are what first drew me into the permanent makeup field.”
So, in 2010, she studied permanent makeup at the Boca Ta-2 School for Permanent Makeup in Williston, FL, and began providing permanent makeup services in Zephyrhills in 2011.
Pam is licensed in Florida as both a cosmetologist and as a tattoo artist.
“Any time that ink is implanted into the skin, it is a tattoo,” Pam explains, “and you must be licensed through the Florida Department of Health.”
Microblading Eyebrows
While Pam offers permanent makeup for eyebrows and lips, along with permanent eyeliner, her most popular service is microblading for eyebrows.
“Brows are always my favorite because of the drastic way they change how someone looks,” Pam says. “Our eyes are meant to be framed, and brows definitely complete the face.
Pam is also the owner of Serenity Spa & Salon Suites, where she offers her permanent makeup services, and other health and wellness professionals offer hair styling, facials, massages and more.
Some women look so much younger when they have them done.”
With microblading, Pam uses a small blade and ink to create individual stroke lines. She uses a pencil to draw an outline, then uses the microblade to draw each individual hair, adding a more natural look to the eyebrow.
Pam strongly recommends that anyone considering microblading “should do their homework,” explaining that some people who offer the service may only have a three-day class in the technique before they start working on clients. The person who will do your eyebrows should sit down with you and show you before-and-after pictures of their own work, Pam says.
Pam was trained in microblading in 2014, when the process was new. Since then, she says she has done hundreds of sets of eyebrows.
She requires a free, in-person, no-obligation consultation for all clients. Even for someone who is sure they want permanent makeup, Pam still does a consultation, because each person’s skin is unique.
“Although microblading is my favorite,” Pam says, “it may not be the right answer for a client. There can be a better alternative, depending on the canvas that I am working on.”
Because Pam is so passionate about ensuring that clients are educated about permanent makeup and microblading, she has started a video series on her website to help people better understand the process.
At CreativePermanentMakeupByPam.com, be sure to click on her blog, which links to her educational videos.
“I answer a lot of questions that so many people have,” Pam says. “I made the videos because I wanted to put some education out there.”
The first video shows the consultation process and answers common questions. Pam says that future videos will focus on permanent makeup for the brows, lips and eyeliner.
Pam values education for herself, too, and says she stays on top of all the latest information by attending classes whenever she can. Last December, she took an advanced lip class in San Antonio, TX. “I’m still learning,” she says.
She says that it’s especially gratifying to be able to help someone who has gone through a difficult time, such as a cancer patient who lost their hair and it didn’t grow back.
Or, if she can help someone who feels devastated after someone else has done their permanent makeup poorly. While Pam admits that she can’t help everyone — because each person’s skin and situation is unique — she does have the skills and expertise to help most people, often in difficult situations.
Jennifer Burrows is a New Tampa resident who had microblading done by Pam on her eyebrows.
“I was impressed by how long she took with me,” Jennifer says. “She’s a perfectionist and made them look as beautiful as they possibly can. She knows what she’s doing.”
Jennifer says she spent a lot of time looking online and contacted another company, but that person refused to work on her because of her red hair. She was thrilled when Pam agreed to help her.
“Now,” Jennifer says, “my eyebrows are beautiful and I don’t need to wear makeup.”
Pam says that’s the best part of her job.
“I’m extremely passionate about my work,” she says. “When someone tells me what a difference I made in their life and how they feel about themselves, that’s the reason that I love what I do!”
Creative Permanent Makeup by Pam is located at Serenity Salon & Spa Suites, at 33913 S.R. 54, Suite 101, in Wesley Chapel. For information about the stylists, aestheticians and massage therapists at the salon, visit SerenitySalonSpaSuites.com. For a free consultation or more info about permanent makeup, visit CreativePermanentMakeupbyPam.com, or call Pam at (813) 997-6302.
