Dirt Is Moving On S.R. 56 Extension

Just east of the intersection of S.R. 56 and Meadow Pointe Blvd. is a busy place these days.

Construction has begun, rather quietly, on the S.R. 56 extension project that is expected to have a huge impact on central-to-eastern Pasco traffic and development.

After years of trying to figure out a way to pay to extend S.R. 56 from Meadow Pointe Blvd. to U.S. Hwy. 301/S.R. 41, and then pulling off a complicated deal to get approval from the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners, ground finally started moving in February on the extension without a big kick-off.

“We wanted to do something, we just couldn’t make it happen with everyone’s schedule,’’ said District 2 Commissioner Mike Moore. “But, they are moving dirt, and that’s the important thing.”

Moore and others had tried to arrange a groundbreaking ceremony, but once the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gave the okay in early February, construction company Cone & Graham wasted little time digging in.

“We didn’t want anything to hold it up,’’ Moore said.

The road, which was originally envisioned as a two lanes, is now a four-lane $65-million project that is being touted as a big victory for economic development opportunities in the area, as well as increasing the tax base in both Zephyrhills and Wesley Chapel as new homes continue to be built throughout the area. The extension also will relieve traffic on both S.R. 54 and S.R. 56, and provide easier access to I-75. It also will open a new path to Morris Bridge Rd., which also connects into the New Tampa area.

Currently, Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills residents only have the two-lane S.R. 54 for east-west traveling between the areas, a trip that can be grueling during rush hours and other times.

But, S.R. 56 will provide more and easier access. And, with a widening of S.R. 54 project set to go for later this year, Moore says it will soon be “smooth sailing” for local commuters.

The S.R. 56 extension is a partnership with the City of Zephyrhills and four developers.

Funding for the project, which will cost less than $58 million (not including $8 million in interest), is being provided by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Pasco County, the City of Zephyrhills and the developers of Wesley Chapel Lakes, Wyndfields, River Landing and Two Rivers Ranch.

The developers are expected to add (gulp) more than 10,000 homes along the extended S.R. 56 from where it currently ends at Meadow Pointe Blvd. As for “soon,” the road is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.

By then, Moore joked, the county will have a ceremony ready to go to celebrate its newest transportation improvement.

Taste Of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel To Rock Florida Hospital Center Ice!

Dress Warm! The Coolest Event Ever Will Be Held At The Coolest Venue Ever — Saturday, March 18, Noon-4 p.m!

The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) was no longer interested in putting on any more big events. The New Tampa Rotary Club just happened to be looking for one.

So, with a little bit of gentle negotiations, the Taste of New Tampa — formerly a New Tampa Chamber of Commerce fund raiser that was inherited by the WCCC when the two chambers merged in 2014 — fell back in New Tampa’s mouth…errr, hands.

“They had an asset, meaning the trademark for the Taste of New Tampa, and it was a great opportunity for us as a club to take on that trademark,’’ says Karen Frashier, the president-elect of the New Tampa Rotary and chair of the 21st (but now-renamed) “Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel.”

Scheduled for Saturday, March 18, noon-4 p.m., at the new Florida Hospital Center Ice, this year’s Taste has the potential to be the best one ever.

Why? Here are our top five reasons you should attend the 2017 “Taste”:

1. IT’S INDOORS!

If you attended many of the previous 20 Tastes, chances are there was at least a time or two when you cursed out the weather. Whether you were soaked by the rain or just drenched in your own sweat, being held outdoors sometimes made the food spectacular a crapshoot.

But, you’ll want to wear an extra layer of clothing for this one.

You won’t be standing directly on ice — but it will be beneath the rink’s special “sports court” floor — and the temperature inside the FHCI will be below 60 degrees.

You’ll be dry from any rain, though, and you can leave the sunscreen at home. Hurrah!

2. THE FOOD!

The last Taste in 2013, due to the threat of torrential  rain, ended up having fewer than 20 restaurants show up. This year’s event already has 41 signed up, with a month to go. According to our own Gary Nager, the restaurant chair for the 2017 “Taste”, there are another dozen or so still interested in participating at our deadline, so you might just have the choice of sampling food and adult beverages from more than 50 restaurants and beverage providers when it’s all said and done.

Your choices cover just about the whole spectrum of categories. Arroy Thai, Cantina Laredo, Dempsey’s Steak House, Latin Twist Cafe, Little Italy’s, OTB Delights Cafe, Paramount Lebanese Kitchen, Pepe’s Cuban Cafe and Union 72 are among the many participating at our press time.

And, organizers didn’t forget about your sweet tooth, as Blondie’s Cookies, La Berry Yogurt & Ice Cream, 7 Layers Bakery, Happy Cow Frozen Yogurt and The Cake Girl are among those that will be dishing out desserts. For a complete list, check out pages 34-39 of our latest New Tampa issue, or pages 40-45 of our upcoming Wesley Chapel issue.

3. IT’S FOR A GOOD CAUSE

The New Tampa Rotary Club supports a lot of worthwhile causes, and much of the money raised at The Taste will help the club support about 25-30 nonprofits in this area. The Rotary’s signature project is Feeding America Tampa Bay, so four mobile food pantries in the USF area, Meals on Wheels and the club’s meal-packing events – to which the club devotes $10,000-14,000 annually — will benefit.

“We saw (the Taste) as a great potential fund raiser for the nonprofits that we support,” Frashier says.

Also, 10 percent of the net proceeds will be provided to the WCCC to be used for scholarships for area high school students. The WCCC already gives out mutliple scholarships to students at Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass Ranch high schools, but now, thanks to The Taste, you can add Freedom and Wharton to that list, too.

4. THE ENTERTAINMENT

The Taste continues to add new stuff every week, but you can plan on checking out the Wiregrass Ranch drumline, the Bob Thompson Trio and the New Tampa Players, a local acting troupe that plans to perform a medley of Broadway hits, including some from the group’s latest production of “Jesus Christ Superstar.” 

Frashier also said that all of the sponsors will have tables, and FHCI will offer open skating plus hockey, figure skating and perhaps even curling demonstrations.

There will be an area set up for kids to work on projects, and a trophy presentation at the end of the event — The People’s Choice Awards, where the public can vote on the tastiest food (or beverage) they sampled during the day. The top three vote-getters will win the “People’s Choice” awards.

5. GEORGE STELLA 

Famous low-carb chef George Stella may not be the Godfather of the low-carb lifestyle – that’s still Dr. Atkins – but he’s pretty close.

Stella will be on hand, and we hear he will be showing everyone how he makes two of his more popular dishes — Anaheim Shrimp Scampi and Plant City Strawberry Shortcake Martinis.

Stella, who once weighed 467 pounds before dropping 250 by cutting out carbs, hosts “Low-Carb And Loving It” on the Food Network, and his most recent book — Low Carb Essentials — sold out in two days on QVC, Frashier said.

He will be signing copies of the book at The Taste, so if you need to drop a few pounds, the day after this event may sound like a good time to start.

For ticket and volunteer info for the 2017 Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, visit TasteOfNewTampa.org.

Viera Talks Veterans & More With Both New Tampa Rotary Clubs

Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera talks to the New Tampa Noon Rotary Club on Feb. 15.

Recently elected District 7 Tampa City Councilman and New Tampa resident Luis Viera, two months into his new job of replacing Lisa Montelione on the council, is continuing to make his rounds in New Tampa.

Last week, Viera spoke before the New Tampa Noon Rotary as well as the Rotary Club of New Tampa, filling in club members about some of his goals in his new position.

The most interesting tidbits Viera shared involved the potential creation of a North Tampa Veterans Association, while also suggesting that plans for the long-delayed Hunter’s Lake project may be close to being filed.

Viera, the attorney with Ogden Sullivan who defeated Jim Davison in a hotly-contested runoff election in December, said he recently met with developers, who told him that plans may be filed by April for the project located directly across from the entrance to Hunter’s Green that will be home to the New Tampa Cultural Center, apartments, a restaurant and a green grocer — which Viera said he has heard would likely be either a Trader Joe’s or a Whole Foods.

Viera added that he is hoping developers choose a non-chain restaurant to fill the space.

“Hunter’s Lake is a project that is necessary and important to the area, and I’m ready to fight for it,’’ Viera said.

Viera also is hoping to put together some area leadership groups, first and foremost a North Tampa Veterans Council. An informational meeting has been scheduled for Sunday, March 19 at 12:45 p.m. at the New Tampa Library.

He says New Tampa has a large contingent of veterans living in the area, and combined with the close proximity to the University of South Florida and the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., it’s only natural the area should support veterans through a council.

Viera’s hope is that regional connections can be made with other veterans group, and a council would not only help foster patriotism but also help craft an identity for all of North Tampa.

Although Viera said he is still months away from putting together a council, another of his projects is already seeing results, he says.

His recent area tour with code enforcement has already helped reduce the number of tractor trailers that typically park in the Muvico Starlight 20 parking lot in Highwoods Preserve, and he hopes to see the same results at the former Sweetbay Supermarket across BBD from Muvico.

Some other topics Viera touched on:

Tampa Fire Station No. 23, which will be built on County Line Rd. between LA Fitness and BBD, could break ground in April.

Viera also told the Rotarians that the Kinnan St.-Mansfield Blvd. dead-end is still on his list of items to tackle, and (as a member of the MPO Board) that the idea of a East-West road that was nixed in 2008 but still in the Tampa Hillsborough MPO’s 2025 Long Range Transportation Plan could be revived.

Viera said he would like to see a Veterans Park built in New Tampa. He also visited the New Tampa Recreation Center in Tampa Palms, where he was told the waiting list for gymnastics is 2,400 students long.

Turner-Bartels Kindergarten Teacher Runner-Up For ‘Teacher Of The Year’

Kindergarten teacher Carrie Donatelli of Turner-Bartels K-8 School was a 2017 finalist for Hillsborough Teacher of the Year.

At the annual “Excellence in Education” awards banquet to be held February 28, Hillsborough County Public Schools announced the school district’s 2017 Teacher of the Year.

Although she did not win, one of this year’s six finalists was Carrie Donatelli, a kindergarten teacher at Turner/Bartels K-8 School in New Tampa.

“Just to be one of six finalists in Hillsborough County, which is one of the largest school districts in the country, is such a huge honor,” Donatelli said. “It’s very humbling.”

Donatelli has been teaching for 16 years, with the last four years being at Turner/Bartels. She says she loves teaching at the school because of its commitment to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), and she serves on the school’s technology committee, which is currently working to design “capstone projects” to determine what kids at each grade level should be able to do using technology.

“In kindergarten, it’s things like turning on the computer and logging on to websites,” Donatelli says. “But, by the eighth grade, these kids are doing some amazing things.”

Her supervisor is Turner-Bartels assistant principal Lara Barone.

“(Carrie) does great innovative things, different than what you would expect in a typical classroom,” Barone says. “She wants her kids to be citizens of the world, so her kids have Skyped with people around the world.”

Donatelli also uses technology to strengthen the bond between home and the classroom. For example, she posts pictures of her class to a private Instagram page. “It gives the parents a window into their kids’ class,” she says.

In fact, while it seems schools are increasingly focused on testing, and technology plays an integral part in Donatelli’s classroom, neither test results nor technology are what Donatelli says is her biggest goal.

“The most important thing is that my students know I care about them,” she says. “I’m here for them, whatever they need. My classroom is very structured and has high expectations, but it’s also very loving and caring.”

Clearly, her students feel the love. Barone says Donatelli is often requested as a teacher and Donatelli says she is now teaching younger siblings of previous students, and strives to maintain relationships with those families. In 2015, she was invited to a high school graduation for a girl who was in her very first kindergarten class. “It’s pretty cool to maintain those relationships,” she says.

Barone says that, in addition to Donatelli being a natural leader and someone who can always be counted on at the school level to go above and beyond, she also has shown a commitment to the next generation of educators.

“She is a great mentor to interns, and is able to mold and help shape some of our future teachers,” Barone says. “Her past intern is now a teacher in the classroom right next door to hers.”

Donatelli credits those around her, including Barone and her former-intern-turned-next-door-neighbor, for helping her students succeed in a great educational environment.

“I don’t do this job alone,” says Donatelli. “It’s an amazing school with amazing teachers. We collaborate well and work well together, and we’re all here for the kids.”

Cypress Point Community Church Unveils New Youth Center & ‘Dwelling Place’

Change was the subject of Youth Pastor Earl Henning’s first Sunday sermon in Cypress Point Community Church (CPCC)’s new youth center.

“We have changed buildings, stages, microphones and there’s an element of uncertainty,” Henning told the young congregation. As the church’s youth ministry gets used to its new home, known as “The Dwelling Place,” he reminded the Sunday service gathering at the center of what remains constant: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever.”

Cypress Point’s lead Pastor Dean Reule says that the 10,000-sq.-ft  Dwelling Place cost $1 million to build and sits beside the church’s main building, which can be accessed from Morris Bridge Rd., just north of Cross Creek Blvd.

There’s plenty at the youth center to interest young people in grades 7 to 12, such as room for basketball and volleyball, free-standing video games, snack bar, pool table, lounge area with cell phone-charging stations, rooms to meet in and special activities.

Reule notes that the new facility is the largest youth center in New Tampa, Wesley Chapel or Zephyrhills. He says the goal of The Dwelling Place is to provide a resource for young people.

“Many teens in the area are looking for something to do,” Reule says. “This generation has more discretionary time than any other generation and we want to stand in the gap and share our message with the teens of today and future generations.”

The nondenominational center will mainly be open for scheduled church activities at first, but there are plans to expand operating hours and community access in the next few months, possibly adding after-school hours a couple of days a week.

“We’re hoping we can open it up after school as a safe place to play basketball or do homework,” Henning says.

According to Reule, the new facility opens up new possibilities to serve the interests of its youngest members and neighbors.

“It’s a little bit of a blank canvas now,“ he says. “There are lots of ways for the church to engage the youth and be a positive impact on lives.”

The Dwelling Place is part of the student ministry at CPCC, which offers a variety of ongoing activities, such as movie nights, retreats, missions in the local community and beyond, as well as Sunday services promoted as, “Worth waking up for!”

One teenage church member who wakes up for Sunday services is Riley Denham, who anticipates good times in The Dwelling Place.

“It’s a fun place,” he says. “It has basketball and video games before services, and there’s a hang-out space where you can meet your friends.”

Riley’s father, Justin Denham, finds the facility uplifting.

“It’s a fun, friendly place where you can play some games and learn about Christ,” Justin says.

The new building is a visible indication of how much CPCC has grown since it consisted of a few families meeting in homes and rented spaces.

The center is the second phase of a three-part plan Reule and the church put together about five years ago.

The first phase successfully retired a $1 million debt on the main building. The third phase of the church’s plan is to remodel the main building to accommodate a counseling center.

The Dwelling Place of Cypress Point Community Church is located at 15820 Morris Bridge Rd. Learn more about it via social media at “The Dwelling Place at Cypress Point” on Facebook and on Twitter @dpnation1. The Dwelling Place website is DwellingPlaceYouth.com. Wednesday night services are held at 7 p.m. and Sunday services are at 9:30 a.m. & 11 a.m.