Author: Gary Nager

Recapping Another Great (Fiscal) Year For The Rotary Club Of Wesley Chapel!

WC Rotary Banquet John Jay — John Jay the DJ was named the WC Rotary’s Rotarian of the Year by outgoing president Erin Meyer. Photos by OurTownFla.com & J. David Wright

As a member of the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel (Noon), which meets Wednesdays at noon at Quail Hollow Country Club off Old Pasco Rd., I am proud to be able to provide more photos of this nearly-100-member Rotary Club, which capped off its Rotary fiscal year of 2015-16 with a bang — as in by giving and receiving plenty of awards.

The club’s outgoing president Erin Meyer handed out a number of awards at the club’s June 7 annual banquet (held at Pebble Creek Golf Club in New Tampa), which featured a 1970s theme (think lots of disco music and costumes), bestowing the club’s Rotarian of the Year honors to John Jay (the DJ) Anglada, who not only co-chaired the club’s successful first-ever Duck Derby (as we reported last issue), but also volunteered his DJ services at numerous other club events and also handled all of the audio and visual needs at virtually every meeting of the club.

Meyer also recognized Rebecca Smith — the WC club’s lone representative at the Rotary International conference in Seoul, South Korea — where more than 50,000 Rotarians were on hand — as well as for being the hard-working Rotary Foundation chair and one of the three hosts for Alice Vetturi, the club’s Rotary Youth Exchange student from Italy, with an Avenues of Service Citation.

Before turning the Noon Rotary club’s gavel over to 2016-17 president Dr. Pablo Rivera, Meyer also gave her Rookie of the Year award to Jodie Sullivan for her efforts with the Duck Derby (as well as her enthusiasm and sense of humor, I’m guessing) and “Service Above Self” awards to club members Ron Oldano, David West, Patrick Murtha, Carla Armstrong, Terri Williamson and Terri Dusek (who is with the WC Rotary’s Land O’Lakes Satellite Club).

Johnson Named The District 6950 Rotarian Of The Year

13443183_10209057421060316_7595010010836670103_o — Outgoing Rotary District 6950 Governor Will Miller named former Wesley Chapel Rotary president Eric Johnson as the Rotarian of the Year for all of District 6950 at the District Awards Banquet on June 16. Photos by OurTownFla.com & J. David Wright

A little more than a week after the clubs awards gala, at least a dozen members of the WC Rotary also attended the Rotary District 6950 awards banquet, where outgoing District Governor Will Miller named Eric Johnson, a former president of the Wesley Chapel club, as the District’s Rotarian of the Year.

Johnson, who also got a Governor’s Recognition Award as the Dist. 6950 membership chair, is perhaps best known for his efforts with the WC club’s annual humanitarian trip to Troyes, Honduras, where club members have installed much-needed water filters and latrines the last five years.

Miller, who also gave awards to WC Rotary member Robyn Liska and former club president (and Asst. District Governor) Kelly Mothershead, then turned his District 6950 gavel over to the 2016-17 District Gov. Mike Chapman.

All in all, another great year for one of the most exciting Rotary Clubs you’ll find anywhere! For more info, visit WCRotary.org.

More Than 100 Preview WCNT-tv During Our VIP Premiere Party!

Check out the Premiere Episode of WCNT-tv Now at WCNeighborhoodNews.com!

If you somehow haven’t already seen the first-ever episode of WCNT-tv, I suggest visiting our website — WCNeighborhoodNews.com — right now, even before you read this article. The photos on this page and on page 3 are from the incredible Premiere Party we hosted at our Neighborhood News offices on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel on June 23 for the first-ever webcast dedicated to the residents and businesses in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area and there’s no doubt the premiere episode of our bi-weekly webcast has already captured the attention — and the imagination — of a pretty impressive list of major business owners and representatives who were on hand at the Premiere Party.

Among the people already talking about WCNT-tv — which has its own Youtube channel, but also can be accessed from the front page of our website, our Facebook page and/or by clicking on the “WCNT-tv” tab on the front page of WesleyChapelChamber.com — included our Premiere Party attendees Gordie Zimmerman of ZMitch, LLC, the developers of Florida Hospital Center Ice, our first video news feature; Tampa Premium Outlets GM Stacey Nance; marketing director Tracy Clouser of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, which is

Left to right: FHWC’s Tracy Clouser, Susanna Martinez, Gary Nager, Vicki Hutto (VIP Pest Control), Craig Miller & Dirson & Ana De Mesquita of OTB Café.

the studio sponsor of WCNT-tv’s news segment; WCCC CEO Hope Allen and membership coordinator Jennifer Reightler; Pasco County commissioner Mike Moore; New Tampa’s State Rep. Shawn Harrison; Peter Gambacorta of the Private Chef of Tampa, which provided some of the food for the event (as did Little’s Italy’s Family Restaurant); and Troy Stevenson of Wesley Chapel Nissan and his Acme On the Go Movies (which provided the amazing 17’x9’ screen) technician Harry Wilkins, as well as many WCCC business owners & New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Rotary Club members.

Also special thanks to our first chamber-featured business sponsor, VIP Pest Control, and restaurant sponsor, OTB Café.

Special thanks also goes out to John Fisher of The Polar Pod, which provided 50º comfort on a hot and humid night for all of our attendees, to my WCNT-tv co-anchor Susanna Martinez; Mike McDonald, who provided the entertainment; WCCC Featured Business host Jill Reilly (who also is my Neighborhood News billing manager), my WCNT-tv sales & production assistant Lauren McDonald, as well as asst. editor John Cotey (who took these great pictures at the event) and my entire staff at Neighborhood News, which have allowed me the freedom to pursue a dream; cameraman Brad Hall and especially, my partner and WCNT-tv executive producer Craig Miller of Full Throttle Intermedia.

Look for new episodes of WCNT-tv every two weeks and more to come!

Wiregrass Flag Day Celebration A New Tradition

FlagDay3 Most Americans know that our nation’s Independence Day will again be celebrated on Monday, July 4. The bet here is that far fewer people in our area —and throughout the nation — know that Flag Day is celebrated on June 14.

Well, Shops at Wiregrass mall GM Greg Lenners is hoping that he has started a new tradition by unveiling a new, 80-foot-tall flagpole (and 8’ x 12’ American flag) on Piazza Ave. in the center of the Shops. Although the event didn’t have great public attendance (only about 50-60 total attendees), several local political dignitaries were on hand for the celebration and raising of the flag — to only half-staff, in honor and memory of the 49 people who were murdered in Orlando just two days before (on June 12). Lenners opened the event with several moments of silence for those who fell and prayers for the survivors and all of the families affected.

Lenners, who pulled the plug on the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club’s fifth annual Freedom Festival (see stories on pages 1 and 4) at the Shops due to safety concerns, said, “We had to kill Freedom Fest, but to show our patriotic support, we finally installed the flag right there at the valet circle. And, it only took 7-1/2 years to find the perfect spot for the flagpole.”

Among the dignitaries in attendance were Pasco County commissioners Mike Moore and Ted Schrader, State Reps. Danny Burgess and Shawn Harrison and Rotary District 6950 Rotarian of the Year (see page 10) Eric Johnson of the Williams Auto Group and the Wesley Chapel Noon Rotary Club, who sang the national anthem.

Also part of the event were local law enforcement officials on horseback, a beautiful color guard flag-raising ceremony and several active and retired U.S. military veterans.

“The Flag Day event isn’t a replacement for the Freedom Festival,” Lenners said. “But it is a nice little memorial and a patriotic nod and we hope it will become a popular annual event here.”

Flag Day

Justin Zabinski — A Working Model Known For His Model Behavior

When we first told you about model and longtime Wesley Chapel resident Justin Zabinski, it was more than a decade ago. And, while a lot has changed for the 25-year-old Wesley Chapel resident, a lot has stayed the same, too, as Justin continues to be a blessing not only for his father — well-known local resident Leo Star — but for homeless men, women and families and disabled children, among others.

“Whenever Justin flies in from a modeling shoot,” Leo says, “no matter what time he gets in, he’s up at 6 the next morning to help serve in local soup kitchens. He has thousands of fans (nearly 8,000 at our press time), but he always volunteers his time to help others.”

Leo says that Justin even helps put on events where the host charity can charge admission, and all the proceeds are donated to that charity. “He never takes anything for himself,” Leo says.

I was happy to catch up with Justin and his dad a couple of weeks ago, before he flew off to New York City and then Los Angeles for modeling shoots.

Justin, who certainly looks and acts the part of the “laid back surfer dude,” says he is still in search of “the perfect wave, although I have gotten to surf on some amazing beaches in Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and California.”

Among his many modeling credits are AllAmericanGuys.com, Rugby and Polo by Ralph Lauren, APC (France), Tony Meliilo fashion show in NYC, Bruce Weber, GQ Magazine (Germany) JC Penney, Hang Ten, American Living and Levis. He also has been featured in At Large magazine, which calls itself, “The definitive magazine for contemporary culture, art entertainment and men’s style.” Justin also been featured in People magazine and he is currently working as a cover model.

“I love all of the messages I get from fans,” Justin says. “Even though there are always some haters, too. I just don’t let any of it affect me.”

As for his love life, Justin says he’s simply too busy right now to worry about finding the right girl to settle down with, although he admits he would like to find that certain someone “someday.”

In the meantime, Justin hopes to see a lot more of the world, especially more of the world’s best surfing beaches, from Fiji to Australia and anywhere else he can chase the big water. “I do like hanging here at home, too,” he says.

But, being home also means serving, cleaning up and helping out any way he can in many local soup kitchens, especially in Pinellas County, where he actually graduated from high school while splitting time between Pinellas Park and Wesley Chapel.

“I know I can’t do this type of work forever,” he says. “So, I’m just enjoying the opportunity I have now and will always take the time to give back to help others who aren’t as fortunate as I’ve been.”

For additional information about Justin Zabinski, or to book him, visit his “Official Fansite” on Facebook.com.

In Loving Memory Of Dick Strom

Somehow, even though he passed away on May 29 and friends and family were invited to be received by his family at a memorial service on June 5, I didn’t find out until June 9 that my friend and Cross Creek resident Dick Strom, 61, had lost his battle with cancer. A friend asked me if I had heard Dick had passed at an event that day and, even though I knew he wasn’t doing well following multiple rounds of chemotherapy, I felt my knees buckle when I heard the news.

Kathy, his wonderful wife of 38 years, and Dick didn’t have much time to mourn the passing of their son Patrick, who died in a single-car accident in Hunter’s Green in 2012 before Dick was first diagnosed with cancer.

The Stroms and their friends started a nonprofit organization in Patrick’s honor in 2014, called “Trick’s Kicks,” which has held two golf tournaments and other fund raisers, all with the purpose of donating “Kicks” (athletic shoes, which Patrick, who liked to be called “Trick,” loved) to children in need.

I reported about the second “Trick’s Kicks” golf event in October of last year and Dick was already battling cancer, where I first met the Stroms’ older son Michael and Michael’s future wife Dee.

“Cancer sucks,” Dick told me, “and chemo is really hard on your body. But, I’m not giving up. I have so much to live for.”

His only “complaint” or “question?”

“If you’re going to take me anyway, God, why did you have to take Patrick first?”

One of the events Dick was on hand for was Michael and Dee’s wedding, but since then, he started posting on Facebook about the toll not only the cancer but also the treatments themselves were taking on him.

Even so, it feels like yesterday that Dick and I were coaching youth basketball against each other at Benito Middle School, when both of our younger sons were playing in a Saturday youth league.

I, of course, was among the most…let’s say vocal…of all of the coaches and Dick was one of the quietest (although some of his on-court expressions while biting his tongue were priceless), but somehow, we developed a mutual respect for each other.

I didn’t really get to know him, however, until he and Kathy lost Patrick, but the love he had for his entire family (including his new daughter-in-law) was just so obvious every time we spoke.

Dick was a Project Manager for KFORCE who managed installation of EMC Hardware for federal customers for many years. He also was a faithful and devoted member of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church and the consummate family man.

It’s never easy for me to say goodbye to someone, especially a true fighter and amazing man like Dick Strom, but it’s even harder to not express my feelings about it here.

Rest in peace, Dick. I know your only consolation is being reunited with Patrick.