Category: Business

Owner offers up Only The Best (OTB) for local patrons

When you meet Brazilian-born-and-raised Dirson De Mesquita, the owner and chef at Only The Best (OTB) Delights Café, located in the Shoppes at Wesley Chapel plaza across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC), you are immediately impressed by any number of things.

Of course, there’s the cleanliness of his place and the way he tries to communicate with every patron, whether they’re happy (as almost all of his customers are; see below) or not. Anyone can see that the man is a tireless worker who aims to please.

And, pleasing locals is what OTB has been able to do for a little more than a year now. With OTB’s healthy menu, featuring organic and locally-grown produce, no microwaves, fryers or freezers, it’s a perfect, casual (but recently redesigned) little spot where so many who work out at the FHWC Wellness Center or work at the hospital itself have invited their friends and co-workers to sample OTB’s tasty food at very fair prices for the quality.

Dirson has made some changes to his menu, but most recently, he decided to bring back his six-item dinner menu.

For dinner, OTB has two kinds of grass-fed, organic top sirloin (Dirson says to try it with balsamic caramelized onions and gorgonzola cheese crumbles), a Salmon Gone Wild entrée (which is a different dish than the Salmon Gone Wild salad on the next page) of wild-caught, baked North Atlantic salmon with pesto sauce, a chicken Ana Bella (free range chicken cooked in a cream sauce with spinach and tomatoes), all served with soup or salad and fresh veggie and rice sides.

The dinner menu, which is offered any time of day (just as you also can get breakfast or lunch whenever OTB is open), also has two kinds of mini-quesadillas — with cheese or chicken and cheese.

The dinner menu is so new, we don’t have pics of the new items to share, so all of the pics on this page are from OTB’s breakfast and (primarily) lunch menus. But, OTB — which Dirson says he has consistently ranked #1 or #2 of all restaurants in the Wesley Chapel area on Trip Advisor.com and has maintained a 4.5-star (out of 5) rating on Yelp.com — already has lots of fans, including everyone here at the Neighborhood News office. In fact, OTB was the #10 Favorite Restaurant in Wesley Chapel with our readers in the most recent Reader Survey & Dining Contest, and #11 on my own list of favorites (and my fourth favorite lunch place and third favorite hamburger joint in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel).

From breakfast, where I flipped for the Good Morning Ciabatta (try it with over easy fried eggs although, I warn you, it’ll get a little messy), even though I really didn’t think I loved turkey bacon, to each of our office’s favorites so far, there’s something for pretty much everyone at OTB.

Billing manager Jill Reilly loves the Kickin’ Chicken burrito, office assistant Celeste McLaughlin swears by the San Diego Chicken sandwich, office manager Mary Dorey really enjoyed the Salmon Gone Wild salad, assistant editor John Cotey really enjoyed the Seared Steak Delight salad, which is one of my three favorites at OTB, the others being the Asian Orange Ahi Tuna salad and the killer Artisan Burger.

I also can vouch for both the Rio Rancho and Shanghai Chicken rice bowls, which means there’s very little on the menu that I can’t recommend. I don’t eat too much vegetarian-only (and no gluten-free) fare, but OTB does have multiple salads, sandwiches and entrées catering to non-carnivores and those who prefer fresh, real food.

Dirson even recently started growing fresh herbs right in OTB’s new planters to add to the organic feel of the place.

OTB Café is open Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-9 p.m., 8 a.m.-9 p.m. on Sat. and 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sun. Catering also is available. For more information, call 973-8880 or visit OTBDelightCafe.com.

North Tampa Behavioral Health Expanding

Jameson_Norton — Jameson Norton, the CEO of North Tampa Behavioral Health, discusses the facility’s expansion plans at the Jan. 28 Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council meeting.

With an increasing demand for psychiatric care in eastern Pasco County, Acadia Healthcare’s North Tampa Behavorial Health (NTBH) on S.R. 56, less than two miles east of the Shops of Wiregrass mall, is expanding and will add a two-story unit housing 48 additional beds by the end of this year, CEO Jameson Norton told members of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) at an Economic Development Council briefing on Jan. 28.

Florida ranks 49th in the U.S. in per capita mental health services expenditures, Norton said. The $9-10-million expansion (which will increase NTBH’s site from its current 53,000-sq.-ft. to 80,000) will bring the total number of beds at NTBH to 123, and is expected to bring approximately 50 new jobs to the area.

Norton, who became CEO of NTBH in June of 2015, said his adults-only facility, which is the only one in eastern Pasco that accepts Baker Act patients (who are either emergency room or involuntarily admitted for psychiatric evaluation) and the only one in all of Pasco accepting Marchman Act patients (which allows for the involuntary or voluntary assessment and stabilization of a person allegedly abusing substances like drugs or alcohol), is growing to meet that need and also is planning to expand its services for military veterans.

Many of the new rooms at NTBH will be earmarked for treatment of veterans.

“There’s a lot of need in the veterans community,’’ said Norton, himself a retired U.S. Marine Captain.

The groundbreaking for the new wing will be March 1, with an expected completion date of December 30 of this year, Norton said.

For more information about North Tampa Behavioral Health (29910 S.R. 56), visit NorthTampaBehavioralHealth.com or call (877) 297-2192.

Sophia Presents Pasco Sheriff Nocco With $3.2K For K-9s!

Wesley Chapel resident Sophia Contino (who was featured in our last issue) presented Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco with a check for $3,200 to help fund Kevlar vests for Nocco’s K-9 deputies.

Sophia who lives in Meadow Pointe and attends Sand Pine Elementary, is an 8-year-old who wants to save canine lives by providing the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO)’s K-9 officers with bulletproof vests.

Sofia came up with the idea of having a lemonade stand to raise the money.

“The reason I am raising money is, I love dogs and I love people,” Sophia said in our previous story.

Sophia, whose father Jason works for Wesley Chapel Nissan, where Nocco held a fund raiser for his re-election campaign, has now raised nearly $6,000 in just a few months by selling lemonade at the dealership and other locations.

‘Sophia’s money will only be used for the K-9 unit, not my campaign,’ Nocco said. ‘I want to make that very clear.’— GN

Sting Operation In Wesley Chapel Proves Successful

Speaking of Nocco, his department continues to work hard towards stopping human trafficking.

January was National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and the PCSO ended the month by staging a two-day sting operation in Wesley Chapel that resulted in 20 arrests for prostitution and drug possession.

PCSO used the Econo Lodge on S.R. 54 just west of I-75 as a staging ground for its sting operation, operating out of a handful of rooms to make a series of arrests. The Econo Lodge gave permission for PCSO to use its location.

“The big issue for us was human trafficking, that’s what they were looking for,’’ said PCSO spokesman Eddie Daniels. “It’s an important, serious issue.”

While the sting operation did not find any evidence of human or sex trafficking, it has been a point of emphasis for Nocco’s department.

Florida is third in the nation annually in cases of human trafficking (behind California and Texas), and nearby Hillsborough County is second to Orange County (Orlando area) in the state.

According to a recent Neighborhood News story about trafficking as well as the PCSO website, there are roughly 300,000 cases of child sex trafficking reported every year, and it is estimated between 500,000 and 2 million people are trafficked annually worldwide, with an estimated 15-18,000 being trafficked into the U.S. each year.

The proliferation of social media and websites have helped lead to more trafficking, so the Sheriff’s Office used ads on a website to lure many of those arrested Jan. 29-31 to the Wesley Chapel motel.

Among the 20 people arrested, two had Wesley Chapel addresses. The others were from as far away as Nova Scotia, Canada, and Ocala and Spring Hill, FL.—JCC

Andrew Krance, Master Of Fine Arts, Can Create A Masterpiece For You

By Gary Nager

I’ll freely admit that I don’t know nearly as much about art as I do about food, wine or single-malt Scotch (go figure!). But, as someone who was born and raised in and near New York City, I was definitely exposed to a lot of art and I have found that whether it’s surrealist, impressionist or cubist, I just know what I like when I see it.

“And that is the thing about art,” says Wesley Chapel resident and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Andrew Krance. “It’s such a personal thing. You don’t always know why you like or don’t like a piece of art, you just know if you do or not.”

But, if you’re moving into a new home or redecorating an older one and you want something really cool to tie together that huge new living room or you just like the idea of purchasing original art directly from the artist rather than buying a signed and numbered print, lithograph or giclet, I believe that if you visit Andrew’s home studio in the Villages of Wesley Chapel and see just how much original art he has displayed in a wide variety of genres and styles, you might end up becoming a customer of his.

A Little Background…

Andrew’s father, Casimir Krance, who also was a renowned concert pianist, had inherited a munitions factory in France before World War II. When the Germans invaded France, the native of Poland moved his family to New York City but they eventually ended up in Wisconsin, where Andrew earned his MFA degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

An accomplished musician himself, Andrew’s artistic bent helped him find his way back to the Big Apple, where he lived with an aunt on Manhattan’s posh Upper East Side, near Gracie Mansion, the residence that is home to New York City’s mayor.

It was while working for Dorothy Maynor, the opera star who founded the Harlem School for the Arts (which provides college curricula in performing and visual arts in Upper Manhattan), that Andrew met Barbara Johnson of the Johnson & Johnson family, one of the world’s foremost collectors of fine art, and where he began dabbling in a wide variety of artistic genres.

“She had Van Goghs, Rembrandts and a 40-foot Monet in her home,” Andrew recalls. “Her collection today is worth in the billions of dollars.” Johnson took the young artist under her wing, as she had many others, and introduced him to everyone from the governors (at the time) of Texas and Arizona to Leo Castelli, whom the actor Dennis Hopper called “the godfather of the contemporary art world.”

The Castelli Gallery was one of the most famous in the world and helped launch or further the careers of everyone from Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns to Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol.

And, for a while, a young Andrew Krance. Andrew says the artists under Castelli’s “wing” would have drinks together at a place called Magoo’s off Canal St.

But, “Andrieu,” as his late, Israeli wife Eti (Esther) used to call him, ultimately went into the pet food and pet products business and later moved to Key Largo, FL, where he and his wife opened a lingerie store. They spent 20 years together on the east coast of Florida before moving to Wesley Chapel together a few years ago. She passed away three months after learning she had cancer.

“I did throw myself more into my art after Eti passed,” he admits.

Today, Andrew continues to go through different “periods” with his art, although he mainly uses acrylic paints and a more “pop art” style these days. “The paint just dries so much faster (than oil) and the colors and textures are amazing,” he says.

So, his work ranges from emulating everyone from Picasso to Warhol to Jackson Pollack and some of his favorite pieces are his own “takes” on famous people, like the late music stars Stevie Ray Vaughn and Bob Marley and even Warhol himself.

Corporate Work & More

Today, Andrew says that he can create virtually anything in acrylics and he really enjoys being commissioned to create something unique.

“I can fill those huge walls in a large corporate office or an upscale home,” he says. “Give me an idea and a style and I’ll come up with something great, in less time than you might think.”

But, even if you’re not sure you want to buy anything, one thing I certainly would suggest is to make an appointment with Andrew to check out the art that’s already in his home. There’s more paintings on Andrew’s walls than at some art galleries I’ve been to and I have included some of my favorites (and his) on these page. So, sit down, enjoy a cup of coffee or a good Scotch with him and talk about art.

The artist has become friends with one of his neighbors, Joe Lawler, and Andrew says, “Joe has bought five pieces from me, but not because we’re friends, but because he likes what I do.”

Joe says, “You can just see the talent Andrew has. I love his art that looks like Picasso so much, I bought my favorite.”

You also can check out most of Andrew’s art at KranceContemporaryPaintings.com (which he says is being revamped a bit as we’re going to press) or call 994-0008 for more info.

The Legacy At Highwoods Preserve Redefines Assisted Living!

By Anu Panchal

When Penny Kauffman was 4 years old, a new, soon-to-be-adored person entered her life. Her 15-year-old half-brother, who had been in boarding school in England, moved in with his mother and step-father in Tampa. Kauffman was immediately captivated, and the sibling bond blossomed, with Anthony Hamilton (her brother) even allowing his kid sister to tag along on his dates with him to the roller skating rink in Tampa.

Three quarters of a century later, Hamilton, a former reporter and photographer for Tampa’s WFLA-TV (Ch. 8), suffers from age-related dementia, and when it became impossible for the 79-year-old to stay in his Seven Oaks home, Kauffman and her husband, Ken, had to find a better alternative that would allow them peace of mind and proximity to Penny’s beloved brother. After stays in three different facilities, they finally struck gold close to home: the brand new Legacy at Highwoods Preserve, on Highwoods Preserve Pkwy., less than two miles from Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.

“We’ve hit out of the ball park with this one,” says Kauffman. “We’re very pleased with The Legacy.”

The Legacy (owned by Houston-based PinPoint Commercial ) opened its doors last summer and boasts spacious rooms, an extensive array of facilities and amenities, expansive views over a nature preserve outside and even a putting green at the center of one of the facility’s courtyards.

TheLegacyPiano — ***Editor’s note: The version in the Jan. 29 edition of the New Tampa Neighborhood News ran with a picture of a ballroom from one of The Legacy’s sister properties. This is the correct picture. We apologize for the error.

The Legacy has the capacity to house 88 seniors in 82 private, self-furnished suites, and community relations director Aarene Alessi says, “we are on target with projected occupancy goals.”

Five floor plans range from 330-sq.-ft studios to 525-sq.-ft. deluxe suites. There are 60 suites for assisted living, as well as room for 22 residents in the secured memory care wing of the impressive building.

As part of The Legacy’s all-inclusive package, residents are served three meals a day at the Palm Pavilion (think fine linens and menus). They also can grab a snack from the Key Lime Bistro any time of the day or night, meet for a drink at the Hurricane Sports Bar, or book the Coconut Grove private dining room for a meal with visiting family members.

There’s also a full-service salon, game room, theatre, library, a grand piano a putting green and a fitness center. Residents’ medical needs are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) with oversight from Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs).

Both the salon and the fitness center also are open to the community at large. Alessi says that the public will also be able to book meeting space for up to 75 people in the facility. “We want to be a resource for the community,” she says.

Technological innovation is at the forefront of all of The Legacy’s offerings. The fitness center boasts state-of-the-art HUR equipment for senior exercise, which residents can activate with a touch of their radio-frequency ID wrist bands that also alert the machines to the user’s preferences and goals.

With no weights or chains to struggle with, this unique equipment minimizes falls and injuries, which is so important for active seniors. The wrist band, which they also can wear as a pendant, also functions as the resident’s room key.

For Francene Newbury, whose mother, 96-year-old Laura Augustyn, moved into The Legacy last October, that technology has made all the difference in the world. “For the first time in years, I am sleeping at night,” says Newbury. “That’s huge for me.”

In the nursing home where Augustyn lived before she moved into The Legacy, Newbury says her mother would often fall at night. Because she would have had to crawl to her bedside and pull a cord for help there, Newbury got her mother a pendant with a button that linked to Newbury’s cell phone. She says she got numerous calls from her mother for help, and by the time she would make the 15-minute drive from her Tampa Palms home to her mom, she says the staff there were often just becoming aware that there was a problem in the room.

But now, at The Legacy, Laura and all of the residents wear pendants that can alert caregivers on staff instantly.

Health care providers also use handheld mobile devices, called Point of Care Solutions, to electronically record all interactions with residents and even send electronic prescriptions to pharmacies. Cameras and 18 monitors keep a watchful eye on public areas, and residents are protected (privacy intact) inside their suites with the Quiet Care System, a motion monitor that gets to know their behaviors and patterns.

If something is out of character — such as a resident getting up unusually often at night — the system alerts the CNAs so they can monitor the resident for conditions such as a possible urinary tract infection, a common problem among both male and female residents.

Kauffman says this system helped alert the staff that her brother was waking up too many times at night, and helped them make a decision to switch the timing of his medications because they may have been keeping him up.

Anyone entering the facility, whether they are family members, third party providers or doctors, is checked out by Accushield, a digital sign-in kiosk that verifies providers’ credentials, time spent in the building, and even criminal and health backgrounds. All visitors are issued a badge with a photograph, but the ink on the badge will disappear after 24 hours.

“Technology gives us the cutting edge,” says Alessi. “But, (it’s the) people (who) take care of the residents. It’s very important to us to hire and have a team that is passionate about senior living.”

Recreation is an important part of The Legacy’s offerings, and area residents may already have seen the bright Legacy logo adorning the motor coach that takes residents to restaurants for lunch, to the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa or the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg.

“My mom would just sit in a chair and snooze,” says Newbury about her mother’s former assisted living facility.

Today, Newbury’s mother participates in movies, Bingo, musical events and some outings. “It makes her feel like she’s not just stuck in a place living out her remaining days,” she says.

Another attraction? Chef Fred (photo on pg. 20). Not only is the chef part of the group that sets up each resident’s “wellness plan,” he also is eager to accommodate residents’ individual tastes.

When Hamilton’s son brought his father a traditional plum pudding from England to celebrate Christmas, Hamilton said he would like to introduce such a dessert to his fellow residents. So, Chef Fred agreed to whip one up which Hamilton will share on Super Bowl Sunday.

“They’re onto something,” says Newbury of The Legacy. “This is the way of the future. As boomers get to the point where we need added care, this is the type of arrangement that makes sense. We’re finally moving away in Tampa from the nursing home concept to an engaged, safe arrangement for senior parents.”

The Legacy at Highwoods Preserve is an assisted living and memory care center located at 18600 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. For more info, call 375-9858, see the ad on pg. 33 or visit LegacyatHighwoodsPreserve.com. You can walk in or schedule a tour Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sun., 10 a.m.-2 p.m.