If you need someone to Clean-it, call Clean-it

Celly de Freitas is the owner and operator of Clean-it. She and her team work together to ensure their clients’ homes and offices are thoroughly cleaned.

If you’re in the market for a new cleaning service for your home or office, Celly de Freitas invites you to try Clean-it, her family-owned cleaning service based in Wesley Chapel and serving the surrounding areas, including New Tampa, Lutz and Land O’Lakes, which she has owned and operated since 2013. The company is unlike many, in that Celly herself meets with each client to get specific instructions and room-by-room requests and then returns to either do the job herself, or supervise it, every time your home is cleaned.

Celly says other cleaning services don’t usually offer the consistency she does. Large companies hire a lot of people, she says, so you don’t always get the same crew working in your home. She says this is a recipe for miscommunication, and also considerably slows down the cleaning process.

“For all of my clients,” explains Celly, “I either personally clean their house, or I check it after my crew is done. Every house, every time.”

Clean-it includes four crew members besides Celly, and they are all her family members and friends.

“I only have people working for me who I know and trust,” Celly says. “I’m not going to allow someone into my clients’ homes if I don’t know them.”

She says she often hears from people who are not happy with their current cleaning service.

“They tell me they’ve arranged their schedule to be home, then people don’t show up, and sometimes the cleaning company doesn’t even know they’re missing houses,” she says. “Or they don’t like that different people show up at their house for each cleaning. So, they tell me they’ll give me a try, and then they (usually) stick with me.”

Clean-it provides general cleaning services, including dusting, wiping down and disinfecting window ledges, baseboards, interior glass doors, countertops, the facings of all appliances, sinks, faucets, exterior cabinets, blinds and ceiling fans, as well as floor vacuuming and mopping. If you need something done that isn’t on this list, Celly says all you have to do is ask, as she is happy to accommodate special requests.

The same goes for offices, too. Celly says she vacuums, clean the bathrooms, tables and blinds, fans, and mops floors. She says offices tend to be more simple, but she still accommodates whatever is needed.

“I do whatever the client asks, and I always accomplish what I promise,” Celly explains. “My clients are always happy with my services, or I go back and make it right.”

She says this is another contrast to large cleaning companies, where a cleaning crew may have so many homes scheduled that they are in a rush at every home they visit.

“This isn’t a quick clean,” says Celly. “We’re not paid by the hour, so we don’t have to look at our watches while we’re cleaning, to be sure we get in and out quickly.”

She stresses that, in her business, the needs and desires of her clients are of the utmost importance. “We just do whatever it takes to make sure your house looks good every time we leave.”

Celly insists that each time she cleans your home, it will be as clean as the first time. She says that her reputation has been built on satisfied customers who know she does a thorough and detailed cleaning each and every time.

A Little Background

Celly has now worked in the cleaning industry for more than 20 years, the last five as the owner and operator of Clean-it. She moved to Florida 21 years ago from Brazil and her family settled in the Seven Oaks community in Wesley Chapel more than 15 years ago. With her roots in this area, she has many long-term relationships with her clients.

“I want people to know they can trust me,” she says. “I have houses I’ve cleaned for 15 years. I provide references and I welcome new clients to call my current clients and see what they have to say about me.”

Julie is one of those clients who is happy to talk about how much she appreciates Clean-it’s cleaning services. She says she first met Celly in 2006 when she was looking for someone to clean her home and a neighbor referred her.

“Celly is incredibly reliable, neat, prompt and honest,” Julie says. “She does a good job, and she’s careful with delicate things.”

Julie adds, “I have a lot of plantation shutters, and Celly is obsessed with keeping them dusted and clean, even more than me,” says Julie. “And that’s a big job! I’m very happy with her.”

Celly says Julie is just one of her many satisfied customers. She believes her customers stay happy because she dedicates her time to each one of her clients and puts her personal stamp of approval on each cleaning job.

“Homeowners like the fact that they know me and my crew,” says Julie. “If I don’t come to your house one day, but send a crew instead, it’s still going to be someone you know who has cleaned your house before.”

And, Celly will still stop by to make sure that everything has been done properly.

It’s also important to Celly to use environmentally friendly products, she says. She chooses products that are efficient, ones that, “work well but are not harmful,” she says.

“If you have kids and pets, we know they sometimes come into contact with cleaning products, whether that’s from licking the floor or just having their hands on the floor,” Celly explains. “So, we use products that will not be harmful to their health.” If a client wants their own, personal products to be used for cleaning instead, Celly says she is happy to oblige.

Clean-it offers a 10 percent discount on your first cleaning to Neighborhood News readers who mention this story. Be sure to see her ad on page 49 of this issue, too. Like it says, if you choose to give her a try, “you will see the difference.”

For a free estimate, call Celly at (813) 505-0431. You can learn more about Clean-it online at Facebook.com/CleanIt.Services. The business is licensed and insured. Appointments are available Mon.-Fri., with special request appointments available on Sat. Clean-it is accepting new residential and business clients for regular weekly, bi-weekly and monthly cleanings, as well as one-time services for moving in out.

Specialized Care Available In Wesley Chapel At Florida Orthopaedic Institute

Dr. Chris Baker

It’s been two years since the newest office of Florida Orthopaedic Institute opened in the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., directly across from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC).

The staff and doctors at the office are meeting the increasing demand for specialized orthopaedic care that can help the residents of Wesley Chapel and nearby communities stay active.

The Board-certified doctors and surgeons at Florida Orthopaedic Institute have been recognized globally for their expertise. Headquartered in North Tampa, the Wesley Chapel office is the tenth for the practice, which has been open for 27 years and now serves patients in or near Bloomingdale, Brandon, Citrus Park, Northdale, Oak Hill/Brooksville, Palm Harbor, South Tampa, Sun City Center, Temple Terrace and Wesley Chapel/New Tampa.

The Wesley Chapel office offers physician services, physical therapy and X-rays, with three Board-certified physicians on staff:

• Christopher Baker, M.D., a fellowship-trained specialist in sports medicine and shoulder reconstruction;

• Brian Palumbo, M.D., who specializes in hip and knee replacement surgery, with a focus on diagnosing and treating hip and knee arthritis, and

• Timothy Epting, D.O., orthopaedic foot & ankle surgeon, who focuses on injuries and disorders of the foot and ankle and general orthopaedic conditions.

To maintain the highest level of orthopaedic skill, Florida Orthopaedic Institute only employs doctors who have had fellowship training.

“This additional training is just part of what sets us apart,” says Dr. Baker, “especially when the sophisticated work of joints is involved. In order to keep our patients active, the precision of the treatment is paramount to success.”

Dr. Baker, a partner at Florida Orthopaedic Institute, has been with the group for four years and has practiced in the area for seven. He graduated cum laude with his M.D. degree from the University of Florida in Gainesville and completed his residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. His fellowship at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic of the Carolinas (in Spartanburg, SC) gave him an extra year of study in sports medicine and shoulder reconstruction, making him the only fellowship-trained shoulder specialist in eastern Pasco County.

He also has been very influential in high school athletics, since he assisted in opening the sports medicine programs at Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills high schools. Dr. Baker continues to serve as the team physician for several schools in both Pasco and Hillsborough Counties. He also treats professional athletes and has served as the orthopaedic and sports medicine physician for the Tampa Bay Storm Arena Football League team.

In addition to caring for athletes, he also treats patients who have shoulder pain stemming from aging or injury. Many patients avoid shoulder treatment because they are afraid they will need surgery or because of the misconception that pain is a normal part of aging, but Dr. Baker always informs his patients about all available alternatives.

“There are a lot of options other than surgery, like physical therapy or cortisone injections,’’ he says. “Our mission is to do what is best for the individual patient.”

Even when surgery is necessary, Dr. Baker says he does not go straight to invasive surgical techniques. He uses the latest technologies and says that many repairs are done with an arthroscope to minimize incisions, pain and recovery time. The other doctors at Florida Orthopaedic Institute, like Dr. Palumbo, also believe that minimizing surgical trauma and muscle damage should be a high priority for any surgeon.

Speaking of Dr. Palumbo, he served in the Special Operations Command for the U.S. Air Force. He later earned his M.D. degree from the University of South Florida in Tampa, where he also served as a resident in USF’s Department of Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. After that, he attended Harvard Medical School’s Hip & Knee reconstruction surgical fellowship for one year at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA.

Dr. Palumbo specializes in hip and knee arthritis management, joint replacement surgery and the treatment of failed or painful hip and knee joint replacements. He is Board-certified by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, a member of the American Association of Hip & Knee Surgeons, and serves as an assistant professor for the University of South Florida’s Orthopaedic Residency Program.

There are several unique aspects to Dr. Palumbo’s orthopaedic practice. He is a proponent of the direct anterior approach (DAA), also known as the frontal approach, for hip replacements. He says this technique minimizes surgical trauma and allows for faster recovery and decreased pain. He explains that, “Rather than cutting through or damaging muscles (with the DAA approach), you’re simply spreading certain muscles to the side, using their natural tissue planes. It’s like opening a window versus breaking through it.”

His approach to joint replacement surgery also includes a technique for total knee replacements called Kinematic Knee Alignment. This technique is unique in that the goal of the surgery is to restore the natural position and dynamics of the knee joint, rather than implanting it in an alignment that the surgeon believes is correct.

“Conventional total knee arthroplasty implants the knee where the surgeon thinks it belongs, while kinematic alignment implants the knee replacement in a way that attempts to replicate (that) knee before (the patient) had arthritis,” he states.

Dr. Palumbo also is an advocate for partial (rather than total) knee replacements whenever possible. He feels that sparing hip and knee joint muscles and preserving bone (when possible) can lead to improved and faster recovery and long-term outcomes.

He also firmly believes in the importance of fellowship-trained, specialized surgeons. “The added training and expertise this provides allows us to care for complex failed and painful joint replacement issues,” he says. “Approximately 30 percent of joint replacements I perform are re-do replacements for old or failed joint replacements.”

An Emphasis On Education

Educating patients is a core philosophy at the Florida Orthopaedic Institute, whose surgeons encourage patients to seek out options to ensure that they are getting a doctor who is experienced in treating their particular type of injury.

Dr. Epting is an orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon, the only one in Pasco County.  He is Board-certified and did his fellowship training at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Prior to joining the Florida Orthopaedic Institute team, Dr. Epting served three years as an orthopaedic surgeon at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Jacksonville, FL. He also served as an orthopaedic surgeon in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in 2010. “My military experience and fellowship training allow me to explore all options for my patients so they can receive the best possible care,” he says.

Dr. Epting treats sports injuries of the ankle/foot (fractures, ligament and tendon injuries), as well as arthritis (fusions and ankle replacement) and foot & ankle deformities. He utilizes non-surgical measures (bracing and physical therapy) as well as surgical repair, arthroscopy and reconstruction, when appropriate. Orthopaedic surgery training gives him insight into foot and ankle conditions, as well as their impact on the body as a whole.

For more info, stop in at Florida Orthopaedic Institute’s Wesley Chapel office at 2653 BBD, or visit FloridaOrtho.com. The Wesley Chapel location is open Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Call (800) FL-ORTHO for appointments.

Nibbles and Bytes: WC Rotary’s Casino Night Raises $18,000!

Congratulations to my friends from the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel (noon), which meets Wednesdays at noon at Lexington Oaks Golf Club, for putting on a smash hit “Casino Night” fund raiser to help the family of Clayton Mahler with their medical bills.

The Rotary Cub was prompted to action by Pasco’s Clerk & Comptroller Dr. Paula O’Neil, who knows the family personally and was the emcee for the event, which was held August 25 — the same day Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas — at Wesley Chapel Nissan on S.R. 54. The dealership took all of the vehicles out of its showroom and replaced them with gaming tables for the event.

Dr. O’Neil, a breast cancer survivor herself, talked to her friend and Wesley Chapel (WC) Nissan public relations rep Troy Stevenson about doing something to help.

Stevenson got the approval of the dealership’s general manager Joey Falcon to host the Casino Night, which was attended by more than 300 people and which raised about $18,000, according to event chair and club Board member Chris Casella.

Clayton was diagnosed with Stage 3 rhabdomyosarcoma after a July 4th visit to the emergency room for a growth in his nose that was obstructing his airway. He is receiving 42 weeks of chemotherapy, followed by radiation, after 95 percent of the mass was removed.

The Mahlers’ medical bills are piling up and you could feel the love and appreciation flowing in every direction during Casino Night, which was attended by a Who’s Who of local politicos, including Congressman Gus Bilirakis, State Representatives Danny Burgess and Amber Mariano and four of the five members of the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners, as well as by numerous Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce members, many of whom served as volunteers.

The food was donated by Latin Twist Café on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., although Chick-fil-A on BBD in New Tampa donated the food for the second floor VIP room, where Clayton and his family spent most of the evening. Wine was donated by our friends Charles and Cheryl Visalli of Time for Wine and the delicious Taino Light and Boricua beer was donated by WC Nissan owner Jay Rosario, who also is an owner of the beer company, which is based in Altamonte Springs.

“We’re proud to be able to help this wonderful family,” Casella said. “We really want to thank Dr. O’Neil, the family and especially Wesley Chapel Nissan for hosting us.”

Unfortunately, the club’s planned Sept. 11 American flag giveaway and breakfast for local first responders had to be scrapped because of Hurricane Irma, which made landfall in Florida on Sept 10. The club has since rescheduled the flag giveaway at both the Shops at Wiregrass and Tampa Premium Outlets malls for this weekend — Saturday-Sunday, September 23-24, noon-4 p.m., at both locations.

For more information, visit WCRotary.com or attend one of the club’s meetings at Lexington Oaks Golf Club.

Starbucks, Chick-fil-A & CubeSmart Getting Closer

If it’s been a while since you ventured out on S.R. 54 east of I-75, you may not have noticed all the progress that’s been made on both the new Starbucks, located just east of the new Walmart on 54 or the new CubeSmart self-storage facility located just west of the intersection of 54 and Curley Rd.

Prior to Hurricane Irma, we also saw some progress on the planned Chick-fil-A that is just beginning construction on 54, just west of the Walgreens at BBD.

We will have updates on all three businesses in a future issue.

Sorry that we didn’t have room for a list of WCCC events in this issue, but there are always great events — many of which are free — available for current and future Chamber members to attend and this month is no different.

For all the latest events, visit WesleyChapelChamber.com. — GN

Happy Cow Is So Much More Than Just Great Frozen Yogurt!

THERE is little doubt that there are a lot of ice cream and frozen yogurt shops in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel — and several others that have come and gone the last few years.

So, how does a single location (a second location has opened on Gall Blvd. in Zephyrhills) of a (so far; see below) non-chain that opened next to Bonefish Grill in a crowded, Wesley Chapel shopping center in 2013 continue to distinguish itself from its competition?

Happy Cow Frozen Yogurt co-owner Ray Perez says that, at his brightly colored dessert shop, “Our products and unique, Disney-like environment and customer-first attitude are only the beginning. We are still service-based, even though the product itself is self-serve.”

For example, he says, that every staff member is taught to bring high chairs for parents toting babies and toddlers and to bring napkins when they notice that a customer forgot to grab some.

Happy Cow offers up to 16 flavors at once (Ray says there are at least 100 being rotated), and not all of them are frozen yogurt.

“We’re a true dessert shop,” he says. “In addition to frozen yogurt, we have soft-serve ice cream, soft serve gelato, sorbet and we always have gluten-free, no-sugar-added and fat-free options. We also offer 60 different toppings, 7 sauces, freshly baked cookies and brownies, waffle cones and fresh fruit. We even recently added amazing milkshakes and even ‘epic shakes’ like Cookies & Cream Craze.”

And, despite being up against any number of chain frozen yogurt shops across the Tampa Bay area, Happy Cow was voted “Best in the Bay” by Creative Loafing readers for 2016. It also has been the Favorite Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt Shop” of Neighborhood News readers entering our annual Reader Survey & Contest (see pg. 42 of this issue) the last three years in a row. “We’re proud that the people who read those publications love us,” Ray says.

Ray, whose wife Kristi helps out at the two current locations on weekends, also is partners with Connie and Bill Rogers in the Happy Cow corporate entity, which is now beginning to sell franchises — and not just for locations in strip shopping plazas. “We’re looking to put Happy Cow kiosks in malls and even schools.”

And, although he can’t yet announce anything in terms of franchises that already are sold, he says, “There is a lot of interest from the public in our brand. I should be able to make some announcements soon.”

He also says that catering is a popular part of the Happy Cow experience, especially in family-oriented, growing Wesley Chapel.

“We brought in one of our mobile machines to Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel for an event and served 600 members of the hospital’s staff,” he says. “And, everyone went home happy.”

Personally, my favorite flavors are peanut butter and cake batter and I usually start with one of Happy Cow’s chewy, fudgy brownies as a base. I also always have to have the hot chocolate fudge, peanut butter fudge and/or marshmallow cream topping. The good news is that if you don’t like what I enjoy, Happy Cow’s variety of toppings and sauces will surely include something you love, too.

Ray says that Happy Cow also is the only yogurt shop that delivers through Uber Eats to a limited area, including to Meadow Pointe, Seven Oaks and even Grand Hampton in New Tampa, “and it’s taken off more than I expected, without marketing it to our 17,000 Facebook and Instagram followers.”

Happy Cow Frozen Yogurt also has a user-friendly “C’mon, Get Happy” Rewards Club with “no passwords, no cards, just fun.”

And, with the coupon from the ad on pg. 3 of this issue, you’ll get 15-percent-off any product at Happy Cow.

Happy Cow Frozen Yogurt (1646 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.) is open at 11 a.m. every day and stays open until 10 p.m. every weeknight and until 11 p.m. on Fri. & Sat. For more information, visit HappyCowFroYo.com or call (813) 428-5929 and please tell Ray and the crew you read about them in the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News!

To Protect Your Home, Auto Or Business, Check Out Tina Insurance!

Tina Ricketts is the owner of Insurance/Seguros of America Ricketts, LLC.

There’s no better time than when a major-category hurricane is expected to arrive in your neighborhood to clarify the value of possessions, such as your home, automobiles and businesses.

When it comes to protecting those assets, Tina Ricketts, the owner and principal agent of Insurance/Seguros of America Ricketts, LLC (aka Tina Insurance), says that doing business with an independent, licensed, professional agent has advantages over obtaining coverage online or through a toll-free phone number.

“You have a face to go with the name,” says Tina. “When you call us, you deal with me directly.”

She also cites the focus of her agency’s activities and relationships with clients as distinguishing it from its competitors.

“The majority of consumers don’t know about insurance and don’t know what insurance they’re getting,” she says. “We teach them what coverage they need, based on what they’re doing.”

According to its website, TinaInsurance.com, specializes in “trucking, business, homeowners, or auto insurance.”

Trucking, you say? Tina has found that insuring commercial trucks is much different from insuring the family runabout.

“The first thing is, it’s an 80,000-pound vehicle, versus a 5,000-pound car, so the damage that a truck can cause is way higher than what a personal car can cause,” she says, adding, “There’s a difference between commercial use and personal use. You don’t use a semi-truck to ride around town.”

The implications of a trucking industry that operates safely on affordable, sound, insurance are apparent to Tina,

“You see them everyday on the road, bringing us our food and our goods,” she says. “(Trucks are) an important part of our economy.”

Tina started out at Insurance/Seguros of America in 2006 as a licensed Certified Professional Service Representative (State of Florida Customer Representative License), which allowed her to advise on and sell insurance products under the agency owner’s Florida Agent License.

When Ricketts earned her own license to sell property and casualty lines as an agent in 2010, she bought the agency, adding her family’s name to it.

She has started marketing her agency as Tina Insurance, as an official Doing Business As (DBA) name.

She is licensed for Property and Casualty insurance. She does not, however, sell life or health insurance.

Getting into the nuances of a your business’ products and services to create a right-sized, beneficial policy, as well as serving the insurance needs of individuals and families, keeps the job interesting for her.

“Every day you find something different,” Tina says. “Every risk (the probability of something happening being known, but not when it will occur, or the value of the occurrence) is different; they have their own needs they’re dealing with.”

She adds that she greets each new day at the office as an opportunity for “something new to quote,” such as coverage for a cryogenics salon that provides cold-temperature physical treatments for people.

Tina Insurance’s commercial coverage emphasizes small, independent enterprises such as those opening their doors to the public each day in Wesley Chapel and New Tampa. And, if those businesses rely on cars or trucks for commerce, Tina is ready to find the right insurance coverage to ensure that the wheels keep moving, whether they’re attached to pickup trucks or 18-wheelers; owner-operated or part of a transportation fleet.

“Every scenario is different,” she says. “It’s never boring.”

She adds that the first step to being certain you have the insurance you need could be checking what coverage you already have, or maybe think you have, but don’t.

“We are here to provide a service to help you understand what you have in case of a claim,” says Tina, who notes that many people make assumptions about what their insurance policies actually cover and often discover coverage shortcomings in a time of need, such as after a hurricane or other natural disaster strikes.

Tina also says that one of the most confusing areas is how flooding is defined and covered, since insurers make distinctions between flooding that occurs as a result of an overflowing hot tub and rainfall or storm surge from a hurricane.

“A lot of people think they have hurricane coverage or they have flood coverage and that’s not always the case,” she says. “It depends on how (your home or business) gets flooded.”

Bu$iness Policies

Commercial and business insurance involves coverage for everything from inventory to worker’s compensation. Tina says that minimizing exposure for her clients means taking time to learn about their businesses.

“Every business is different,” she says. “Tell me about your business and your daily operations.”

Tina Insurance which, according to its mission statement, is committed to protecting each client’s “American Dream,” and helping them financially recover from damages inflicted by natural disaster or incurred through the conduct of business.

And, just as the businesses that Tina finds insurance coverage for represents the dreams and aspirations of the people who own them, Tina Insurance is part of Tina’s own American Dream that began when she came as a teenager to Tampa from Venezuela 17 years ago.

The insurance agency is a family business as well, with her husband Nick also playing an important role in its success.

“He’s the marketing director,” Tina says. “He handles the advertising, marketing and networking.”

Tina has more than 10 years of experience in the insurance industry and purchased the Wesley Chapel agency, Insurance/Seguros of America, in 2010. She has been building her business ever since, keeping in mind a basic guiding principle in her daily quest for the best insurance values for her clients.

“I want to treat my customers the way I want an insurance agent to treat me,” says Tina, who has lived in Wesley Chapel since 2005 and is a member of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce. She adds that the community’s growth has created a lot of opportunity in the insurance business.

“We’re growing so much as new homeowners come in, and a lot of those homeowners are business owners as well,” she says.

The consensus among the six customers providing Google Reviews for Tina Insurance is that the agency provides Five-Star customer service.

Andra Lo expressed appreciation for the high level of customer service in her Google Review: “Tina and her team were able to help me with all of my insurance needs, they were helpful and very easy to work with. I recommend them to anyone looking for great insurance service.”

Meeting commercial insurance requirements was Jay Ellison’s need and his Google Review is unrestrained in its praise of Tina  and her colleagues.

“Tina and her team are wonderful to work with. They take the time to understand your business and find the best coverage for you for a price that works. She’s my go-to recommendation for commercial insurance!”

Finding out whether Tina and her team can help meet your insurance needs begins with a free consultation which can be as simple as entering required information through the Tina Insurance website or through a conversation.

“If you want us to review your policy, come in and show us what you have,” says Tina, who offers one piece of advice to keep in mind until the end of the 2017 Hurricane Season on November 30.

“Keep your policy handy,” she says. 

Insurance/Seguros of America Ricketts, LLC, is located at 3823 Turman Loop, Suite #101, off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Wesley Chapel. You can visit online at TinaInsurance.com to learn more and get a free insurance policy quote or call (813) 907-1555.