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Viera, City Officials Talk K-Bar Ranch At Town Hall Meeting

District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera says that he feels it’s necessary to host Town Hall meetings in K-Bar Ranch — New Tampa’s only major community that is still growing — at least twice each year.

“There’s so much growth happening in K-Bar, and the residents have so many critical needs when it comes to mobility, fire and public safety issues,” Viera told about a dozen K-Bar Ranch residents at his most recent Town Hall on Mar. 13. For that reason, he added that, “It’s important to bring as many city officials as possible — as often as possible — to K-Bar.

To that end, Viera brought with him Tampa Police Department (TPD) Dist. 2 Major Brett Owen, Tampa Fire rescue (TFR) District Chief Bob Brown and traffic safety coordinator William Porth from the city’s Transportation Mobility Dept.

Each of the speakers made a brief presentation and took questions from the residents in attendance at the meeting.

Here are some of the highlights of that Mar. 13 Town Hall event:

• Porth was the first speaker, as Viera said, “There’s always a new stop sign that needs to be added here,” and other transportation issues to deal with as K-Bar continues to grow. Porth mentioned that since the last time he visited New Tampa, “I have been named the construction project coordinator for the city’s ‘Vision Zero’ campaign,” which is working to reduce the number of traffic fatalities in the city to zero. It’s a lofty goal, but we’re going to continue to work on that.”

Porth also said that three new stop signs have been installed along K-Bar Ranch Pkwy., “which pretty soon, will connect through to Morris Bridge Rd.” He noted, however, that as the community gets closer to its build-out, “we may have to remove those stop signs.” Porth also said that the city is looking at increasing the speed limit on K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. from 30 to 35 miles per hour (mph), “because we agree that the speed limit is a little low, although if we raise it to 35, people will go at least 40 mph.” He also said the city is considering reducing the speed limit north of Pride Elementary to 15 mph.

In addition, Viera said he plans to meet soon with new Dist. 2 Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman (who replaced Mike Moore) regarding not only the Tampa-Hillsborough-Pasco connection at Kinnan St.-Mansfield Blvd., but also at two other planned road connections.

Also discussed was the possibility of adding a stop sign or, preferably (according to Porth) a traffic signal where Live Oak Preserve residents access Kinnan St.

• Viera also mentioned that of the 24 TFR stations in the city, four of the six stations located in New Tampa’s 33647 zip code, “have the city’s slowest response times.” TFR’s Brown mentioned that $1 million of the city’s public safety funding has been spent in New Tampa, including what is known as a “heavy rescue unit” at Station No. 21 on Cross Creek Blvd., “so we don’t have to wait for the unit downtown to be able to cut people out of their vehicles.” Stations 23 (in the Grand Hampton area) and 21 also have had their Basic Life Support ambulances replaced with upgraded Advanced Life Support units.

• Meanwhile, TPD’s Owen said that although there is “almost no crime out here” in New Tampa, “most of the calls we get are either about people speeding or kids going through people’s yards.” He also noted that there has been “about a minute increase in response times here, which may not seem like a lot, but it is a concern for us that we’re working to correct.”

• Viera also talked about the opening of one of his pet projects — the New Tampa All-Abilities Park in Tampa Palms — as well as the fact that there is land that is owned by the city in K-Bar that could become a new park, but it would be operated by the county. “But, I do believe New Tampa needs more city-run parks out here,” he said.

He also mentioned that the repaving of Tampa Palms Blvd. has begun and that New Tampa Blvd. in West Meadows will be next. And finally, Viera noted how important it is for all New Tampa residents to cast a ballot in the upcoming Municipal Runoff Election on April 25, where three citywide City Council seats will be filled.

Palms Pharmacy — New Tampa’s Neighborhood Pharmacy

James Kist says he truly enjoys walking into the Palms Pharmacy in The Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms, just south of the Bruce B. Downs Blvd. exit off I-75.

So much so, that when he was recently asked if he wanted a 30-day supply of his prescription or a 90-day supply, he says he would take the 30-day supply so he could come back more often.

“It’s such a pleasure walking in the door and being called by your first name,” Kist says.

That’s exactly what owner and Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) Shahida Choudhry envisioned when she opened Palms Pharmacy nearly seven years ago.

Dr. Choudhry was determined to create a place that felt different from a typical chain pharmacy, a place where she knew her customers by name and gave them specialized, concierge service — like what they would have expected from a neighborhood pharmacy decades ago.

Kist says he knows those neighborhood pharmacies better than most.

“My father had a retail drug store for 50 years, so I’m used to personalized service,” says Kist, a local CPA who has served New Tampa for the past three decades. “At Palms Pharmacy, they are professional and truly care about you.”

He remembers a time he asked a question, got an answer and left, thinking the conversation was over. An hour later, his phone rang and the pharmacist was providing additional details she had researched after he left.

As a CPA, Kist says he has wondered, “How do they make any money? I’m surprised at how low the prices are.”

He says the service is so excellent, he would gladly pay more for his prescriptions and other products, but that’s not necessary at Palms Pharmacy.

Dr. Choudhry says that’s the kind of service her customers have come to expect. If they have a problem, she and her staff will work to find ways to solve it.

For example, in the wake of post-Covid production and other supply issues (and other factors), some medications have become very hard to come by.

She says for some patients, she often can help them find medications that aren’t available at other pharmacies. For other patients who absolutely cannot get a medication they need that isn’t available anywhere on the market, she tries to find innovative solutions.

“We have really grown our section of supplements for kids and adults who suffer from ADHD,” she says, referring to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Adderall, a popular ADHD medication is completely unavailable nationwide right now. “If you can’t get your meds and want to try an alternative, or you’re just curious about what products are out there, come on in.”

She recommends that patients talk with their physicians, as well, but says they can get a lot of information to discuss with their doctors by coming in to Palms Pharmacy and learning about what’s on their shelves “We’re trying to be innovative,” she says.

National Recognition

*Dr. Choudhry and her “Most Influential People in Pharmacy” award.*

On a national scale, Dr. Choudhry has been recognized for her innovative ways. She recently won an award for being one of the “Most Influential People in Pharmacy” by the Pharmacy Podcast Network. She came in at number five, ahead of national CEOs and others says she was impressed just to be ranked among them.

Since the award is voted on by her peers in the business, it was especially meaningful to her.

She says that it’s not so much that she appreciates the accolades, but because she’s truly trying to offer her customers something better than what they get at the big retailers.

For example, Palms Pharmacy offers on-site compounding to make your medications to custom specifications, such as low-dose Naltrexone (to manage alcohol or opioid use disorder and hormone replacement therapy.

The store also now specializes in diabetic and endocrinology supplies, including being a preferred pharmacy for the continuous glucose monitoring system, DexCom.

And, Palms Pharmacy still offers curbside pickup for anyone who would prefer to stay in their car, rather than walking into the pharmacy.

The staff has grown to 12 people and now supports a second location, called One Source Pharmacy, in Westchase. This location has a partnership with One Source Medical Group, which helps diabetic patients get needed supplies that may not be covered under a pharmacy insurance group to get those supplies through their medical insurance.

Dr. Choudhry opened Palms Pharmacy in 2016, after 10 years as the pharmacist at the Publix in Tampa Palms. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy, then went on to receive her Pharm.D. degree in 2001, both from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY.

“We enjoy what we do and really appreciate our customers,” Dr. Choudhry says. “We know you can go anywhere, so if you’re willing to park your car and come through our doors, we’re going to try to do a little bit extra to make you feel welcome.”

Covid Deadline: May 11

Dr. Choudhry says at-home Covid tests will no longer be covered by insurance after May 11.

“Make sure you have Covid tests at home,” she says. “Covid is not going away. It’s more controllable now because when people get it, they stay home, but you will still want to be able to test for it.”

Come in to Palms Pharmacy before May 11 and the staff will help you get four or eight take-home Covid tests at no cost to you, if it’s covered by your insurance. If you’re not sure if it’s covered, feel free to call or text (phone numbers below) or come in so the staff can help you.

Palms Pharmacy also stocks the anti-viral treatment Paxlovid and the anti-inflammatory Medrol often prescribed by doctors with it for their Covid-positive patients.

The front of Palms Pharmacy features niche products that make fantastic gifts, including locally-sourced soaps, candles and honey, plus fun candy and snacks. A popular product called “Warmies” are soft animals stuffed with lavender. They can be heated in the microwave for 30 seconds and may help your child sleep or can be used as a heating pad. These are just a few items that may make a nice surprise in an Easter basket, for a loved one’s birthday, on Mother’s Day, as a hostess gift, and for countless other occasions.

Palms Pharmacy is located at 17008 Palm Pointe Dr., Tampa, and is open Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Call (813) 252-9063, text Palm Pharmacy’s secure text-only line at (727) 513-3210. For more info, visit ThePalmsPharmacy.com. Follow Palms Pharmacy on Instagram and/or Facebook.

*Whether you want bath bombs (right) for Mother’s Day or Easter candy, Palms Pharmacy has you covered!*

New Tampa Palms Pharmacy Pharmacy The Palms Pharmacy

Oriental Rug Care Can Clean & Repair Your Rug!

Raymond Homsi has one goal in mind when a customer is in need of his services — and that is to get the customer’s Oriental rug looking as nice as it did the day it was purchased.

That means cleaning it and/or repairing it, but either way, Homsi says he and his team at Oriental Rug Care, which is located on Johns Rd. in the Town & Country area of Tampa, is your best choice to get the job done right.

Homsi has been in the rug business for more than a decade, even previously owning his own Oriental rug shop, and has always specialized in restoring the beautiful colors while protecting the intricate designs of Oriental rugs.

*The intricate touches your Oriental rug originally had can be repaired and restored by Raymond Homsi and his Oriental Rug Care’s expert technicians.*

He says that cleaning the rugs is the most popular request by his customers. Oriental rugs are often handmade and also are often very expensive/valuable. The rugs can be family heirlooms, or even investments, depending upon the quality. So, a yearly cleaning can be pretty important, although Homsi says a deep cleaning from Oriental Rug Care can last 2-4 years.

“Each rug is treated differently, depending upon the contents of the rug (which are sometimes made of delicate materials, like silk), and depending on the colors,” Homsi says. “If it’s handmade, it’s a different process we use, but there are all sorts of different processes and different products. It all depends upon the rug.”

The care taken by Oriental Rug Care helps preserve many of the qualities of the rug, and is especially useful for people who have pets that may pee or chew on the rug.

“An amazing rug cleaning company,” says one of the 5-Star reviews on Google.com. “Staff came to my house and gave me a quote for cleaning my four oriental rugs. Price was right and the turnaround was quick. I love the way my rugs came out and I highly recommend this company for any of your rug cleanings.”

While you can certainly try to clean your own rug, there is a danger of disrupting the distinctive patterns and even dulling some of the deep, rich colors associated with Oriental rugs — and some fabrics are more easily damaged than others.

“Regular carpeting is just something that is synthetic and very basic and when they get cleaned out, it’s with heavy pressure washing machines or a truck mount or whatever,” Homsi says. “This is not what we do. We don’t apply heavy water, we don’t apply pressure water. Because that kind of leaves a little bit of, you know, smell and mold. We use a lot of scrubbing from the foam that we create from our natural products.”

While there may not be a school someone goes to in order to learn the art of the cleaning, Homsi says these skills are generally learned through many years of practice and experience.

“Years and years,” Homsi says. “Our guys are very experienced. You learn as you go. And you know, you’re working with so many different types of rugs that you just accumulate that knowledge.”

*If you have both a pet and a valuable*
*Oriental rug at home, you probably will need to call oriental Rug Care.*

Oriental Rug Care also will attack pet odors and stain removal, provide sanitizing and deodorizing and also help with unwanted colors that may be the result of heavy traffic.

And not only that, Oriental Rug Care will come out to your home and give you a free estimate. If you decide to use their service, they will pick the rug up and return it to you when your service has been completed.

Homsi says the time between pick-up and drop off can be weeks for some companies, but Oriental Rug Care says they usually can have your rug back in 7-10 days.

“I think that’s where we stand out in the crowd,” Homsi says. “Even though we’re a small company, the main thing I hear from my clients is that our turnaround is very, very good and very fast…We’re very organized. We work on the rugs as soon as we get them.”

Cleaning rugs is just one part of the Oriental Rug Care business. Homsi says he has master rug weavers on staff who can repair even the most delicate Oriental rugs.

That includes repairing or replacing rug fringes, altering the rug size, restoring faded colors, fixing holes or rips or even rebinding the sides to give your rug a few added years of life.

“My rug was too long for the hallway and I called Ray — he is full of energy and knowledge,” wrote one of Oriental Rug Care’s customers. “He returned my call, showed up on time, gave me a fair quote to trim the rug’s length, remove the antiquated frills, clean it thoroughly and attach leather bonding to the underbelly. (He) kept me updated often, texting pics, and even delivered the rugs himself!”

Oriental Rug Care is located at 6101 Johns Rd., Ste 9, in Tampa. It is open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. If you mention this story, you can receive 25% off any service. For more information, call (727) 377-9577, or visit OrientalRugCareCleaning.com.

New Tampa Oriental Rug Care Rug Repair

Empowered For Performance Helps Athletes & Others Manage Pain

When Olympic track and field athlete Marco Arop took home the bronze medal in the men’s 800-meter race at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, he says he felt lucky to have Licensed Massage Therapist Ewaldson Francois, LMT — who goes by Francois — at the meet with him.

“Francois traveled with a group of us, and every one of us medaled at Worlds,” Marco says. “That’s pretty impressive.”

The group met Francois when he was the massage therapist for the athletics department at Mississippi State University (MSU) in Starkville.

Now, Francois has opened a new business in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area, as he and his family have moved here for the long term.

His business is called Empowered For Performance Massage, and Francois currently works out of a suite at Barefoot Massage, located in the New Tampa Professional Park in Pebble Creek. He is available to help athletes of any caliber, as well as those who are looking for relief from long-term pain.

“He’s really special as a therapist,” Marco says, “not only in the techniques and his ability, but also in his dedication.”

Marco says Francois is always eager to learn and try new techniques and that his sessions with Francois have become a huge part of Marco’s career.

“I’ve seen a lot of improvement over the last year,” Marco says. “It’s not just keeping me healthy, but also building strength through new techniques. I have to give him credit for a lot of my accomplishments.”

*LMT Ewaldson Francois can help you get Empowered for Performance, too!*

Francois’ background is in sports massage and medical massage, helping people who suffer from chronic pain, and also helping athletes with recovery from injuries, increasing performance and muscle balancing. He is certified to provide not only those types of massage, but also myofascia release (manipulation of the tough membranes that wrap, connect and support muscles) and manual lymphatic drainage (to stimulate lymph system flow).

As a kid growing up, Francois says his aunt always asked him to massage her feet.

“I realized how much it helped her and how much I enjoyed it,” he says, “so I developed a love and passion for massage.”

At that time, though, Francois never considered that it could become a career.

Out of high school, he joined the U.S. Navy and worked in the medical field. After the attacks of September 11, 2001, he decided to extend his stay in the military to “do his part.” At that time, his sister went to massage school and the seed of an idea was planted for what Francois might do after leaving the military.

While stationed in Virginia and working nights as an x-ray technician at Portsmouth Naval Hospital, he began going to massage school during the day. He graduated with an Associate’s degree from a program at ECPI University. It was at that time that Francois left the military and met his wife, Martisa. He moved to Mississippi, where she was a teacher.

Francois began his massage career at a spa in Mississippi but quickly realized that wasn’t for him. Instead, he began working with the athletes of the track and field team at MSU. He then worked with the football team — traveling with them for two seasons — and eventually worked with all of the sports teams in the university’s athletic department.

He then started his own business, called Golden Triangle Massage Therapy, in 2016.

“I wanted to work for myself and had the desire to be an entrepreneur,” he says. “I wasn’t scared of the hard work that comes with it.”

But, Francois and Martisa knew they didn’t want to stay in Mississippi forever, so they began looking for the perfect home to begin the next chapter of their lives together. Their search brought them to the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area, where they plan to raise their daughters, five-year-old Olivia and three-year-old Hosanna.

Now, Francois works with athletes from the high school level to college and professional, and with weekend warriors such as triathletes and cross-fit athletes.

“Anyone who takes their body to the extreme limit,” he says, “my job is to help you recover so you can get the most out of your workouts.”

He says that often starts with deep tissue massage to increase blood circulation. He also is certified in what is called “muscle activation therapy” to make sure the smaller muscles are working as well as the larger ones. Francois explains that this therapy is personalized based on the individual anatomy of each athlete and how their muscles get fatigued.

Francois also helps people who aren’t athletic, too, especially those suffering from chronic pain. “My goal is not just to fix the problem, but also to find out what’s causing the problem,” he says, “which could be simple things in day-to-day living.”

He says he has helped people discover the source of their migraines and other headaches, as well as sciatica and other chronic pain — whether it’s the way you sit, how you hold the steering wheel, if you’re always looking down at your phone, or if your home office isn’t set up with proper ergonomics.

Francois adds that he’s helped many people who were hopeless and thought they could never do certain things again.

“Muscle pain — chronic pain especially — takes so much out of your quality of life,” says Francois. “The doctor will tell you that you need a muscle relaxer or surgery, but that’s not always the answer.”

He says he can’t always explain exactly how he knows how to help people. “It’s a gift,” he says. “I put my hands on somebody and their body lets me know what it needs. Things just make sense to me.”

Jeanie Dale is another client who highly recommends Francois. After playing a lot of sports at a younger age, she started feeling the wear and tear on her body in her early 60s, and she developed gait issues during the healing process after a knee surgery.

“He’s gotten it back to normal,” Jeannie says. “I had to re-strengthen muscles that had lost strength and he definitely helped me. With Francois, massages are not just relaxing — they’re more therapeutic.”

Jeanie says Francois already is tremendously missed in Mississippi, and Marco Arop, the Olympic athlete, agrees.

“I don’t know if other athletes have the same experience,” he says, “but I feel really lucky to have worked with him.”

Empowered For Performance Massage Therapy is located at 8905 Regents Park Dr., inside Barefoot Massage, at the New Tampa Professional Park in Pebble Creek. For more info or to make an appointment, call or text Francois at (813) 461-4591.

Athlete Empowered For Performance massage New Tampa Pain Management Wesley Chapel

New Tampa Players Take First Bows At NT Performing Arts Center!

I can remember the first-ever conversation I had with Graeme Woodbrook and Doug Wall about trying to bring a professional performing arts center to New Tampa. It was the year 2001 and Woodbrook and Wall (the founder of the New Tampa Players) were both on the original organizing committee and both of them told me they believed that one day, their shared vision would bear fruit.

Fast forward 22 years, to the evening of March 25, 2023, and even though Wall — who passed away in 2017 after battling pancreatic cancer — unfortunately didn’t live to see his Players take the stage at the sparkling new, 350-seat New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC), Woodbrook and I were both on hand to see the Players’ “Prelude & Recognition Performance” at their new home.

As new NTPAC general manager Keith Arsenault was proud to proclaim to that evening’s packed house, “Mission Accomplished!”

*New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) GM Keith Arsenault and spoke before the “Prelude & Recognition Performance” by the New Tampa Players at the NTPAC.*

Arsenault, who we introduced in our last cover story about the NTPAC, said he has been involved in Tampa’s arts scene for 50 years, since his mother owned a ballet studio near the University of Tampa. He thanked Woodbrook, former Hillsborough County Commissioner (and State Senator) Victor Crist and former Tampa City Council member (and State Rep.) Shawn Harrison, as well as original Players Lydia Macias, Jennifer Barnakow and Janine Hartfield (who is still a member of the theatre troupe today), current Players producing artistic director Nora Paine (“who is everywhere and doing everything,” he said) and, of course, Wall.

Arsenault, who called the NTPAC a “state-of-the-art” theatre, also said, “We also would not be here without the continuous efforts of (current Hillsborough County Commissioner) Ken Hagan,” who he then introduced as the evening’s next speaker.

Hagan, who said he has been involved in trying to bring the PAC to New Tampa for, “at least 15 years,” also thanked many of the same people — and especially focused on Wall.

*County Commissioner Ken Hagan both spoke before the “Prelude & Recognition Performance” by the New Tampa Players at the NTPAC.*

*The future plaque remembering New Tampa Players founder Doug Wall. The orchestra pit at the NTPAC.*

“The theatre was Doug’s heart, soul and light,” Hagan said, quoting Wall’s cousin Neil Berg, himself a Broadway composer and producer. “We wouldn’t be here tonight if not for his efforts. We realize Doug’s dream tonight!”

Hagan also noted and displayed a photo of a plaque created in Wall’s honor and memory that wasn’t quite finished in time for the “Prelude” performance, and mentioned that until the PAC was completed, the Players were a “theatre troupe without a home.”

Also speaking before the performance was Michelle Giles, the current chair of the Players’ Board of Directors, who presented Paine with a pre-performance floral bouquet.

The “Prelude & Recognition Performance” itself included almost 30 musical performances by the 13 current Players, interwoven with explanations of how the troupe’s shows are chosen, how the audition process works (including for directors and choreographers) and other ins and outs of the community theatre business.

The performances themselves were amazing and I’m sad that I don’t have room here to hit all of the highlights, but here are a few:

Kyle Fisher’s “One Last Kiss” from “Bye Bye Birdie,” Janine Hartfield’s “No Time at All” from “Pippin,” Bri Filippelli’s “Do Re Mi” and the title song from “The Sound of Music,” Makayla Raines singing “Little Girls” and Olivia Carr’s “Tomorrow” from “Annie,” and “We Go Together” from “Grease” by the entire company. What a great night!

Speaking of “Grease,” that will be the first show produced by the Players at the NTPAC. As shown in the ad below, the auditions will be held at the Uptown Stage at University Mall on Monday & Tuesday, April 24-25, and all performers are welcome to try out at this open audition.

For more information, to volunteer and/or make donations to the New Tampa Players, visit NewTampaPlayers.org.

For questions about the NTPAC, email ArsenaultK@HCFLGov.net.

Original New Tampa Players cast member Janine Hartfield performs a song & dance routine with Jarrett W. Koski-Kohler to “No Time at All” from the Broadway hit “Pippin.”

New Tampa New Tampa Performing Arts Center new tampa players NT Performing Arts Center NTPAC

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