37 Couples Wed On Valentine’s Day By Crist!

Newly elected Hillsborough Clerk of the Court & Comptroller (and Tampa Palms resident) Victor Crist was the officiant at the “Tie The Knot” wedding ceremony of 37 couples on a gorgeous Valentine’s Day at the Joe Chillura Courthouse Square in downtown Tampa.

This is the 17th year the Hillsborough Clerk of the Court has presided over the mass ceremony, which has had a total of 325 previous couples get married.

Viera Interested In County & State Races for 2026!

District 7 Tampa City Council member and New Tampa resident Luis Viera says he hasn’t made a decision yet, but he is looking at either a State House of Representatives or Hillsborough County Commission run in 2026, before his current City Council term expires in March of 2027.

While introducing Viera, who was the guest speaker at North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce’ (NTBC)’s monthly Business Breakfast on Feb. 4, NTBC president & CEO Hope Kennedy mentioned that she had heard Viera might be considering a run for Mayor of Tampa, but Viera said he was more interested in a run for the District 67 State House seat currently occupied by House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, who will reach her term limit with the Nov. 2026 election.

Since that Feb. 4 meeting, Viera says he has been approached by multiple media outlets about his plans going forward. He says he is mulling over the possibility of running not only for Driskell’s Dist. 67 State House seat, but also for one of the County Commission seats up for election in 2026. “I haven’t made a decision yet,” Viera says. “But, once I announce which of those offices I will choose to run for, I will have to give up my City Council seat before my term ends.”

Even though he is a registered Democrat (City of Tampa elections are all nonpartisan), the 47-year-old Viera also discussed his ability to work with other political office holders — including reaching across the political aisle —  in Hillsborough and Pasco counties, as well as with Rep. Driskell, Dist. 20 State Senator Danny Burgess and with Dist. 15 U.S. Congresswoman Laurel Lee.  He also talked about New Tampa’s status as the “Alaska” of the City of Tampa, was well as zip code 33647’s cultural diversity, as well as what he has accomplished in the nine years since first winning election — by 65 votes in the two-candidate Special Election runoff in Nov. 2016 — in his first election over fellow New Tampa resident Dr. Jim Davison.

Look for a full recap of Councilman Viera’s Chamber breakfast chat, and more information about his political plans, in the March 4 New Tampa Neighborhood News Issue #5-25.

Freedom High Chorus Set To Perform At New York’s Carnegie Hall In April! 

Freedom High chorus students last got to visit New York City in 2023. In a couple of months, 33 Freedom students will be taking a trip to the Big Apple to perform in the National Concert Chorus at the renowned Carnegie Hall, but they need some financial assistance. (Photo provided by Amber Faircloth) 

Freedom High chorus students are preparing for the experience of a lifetime — an upcoming trip to sing at the renowned Carnegie Hall in New York City. 

Amber Faircloth, the school’s choral director, says Freedom students will perform in the National Concert Chorus, singing a variety of choral repertoire numbers under the direction of esteemed directors, along with several other high schools from across the country. 

The trip will include three days of rehearsals with the students from other schools. The students, their chaperones and teacher also will see the musical “Hadestown” and do some sightseeing. They’ll have a dress rehearsal and concert in Carnegie Hall, then attend a reception at the Hard Rock CafĂ©, where the venue will be shut down exclusively for them from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. 

The event is put on by National Concerts, an organization that aims to “provide impactful performance opportunities for musicians, empowering them to reach their highest potential through innovative collaborations.” 

Of about 70 total students in Freedom’s chorus program, 33 will attend the trip Mar. 29-Apr. 2. The National Concert Chorus performance will be held on Tuesday, April 1. 

Faircloth says her goal is to do a big trip every year. She wasn’t able to lead trips during and shortly after Covid but, in 2023, she took students to New York City to do a Broadway tour, where they saw three shows and participated in a workshop. Last year, they went to Williamsburg, VA, where they participated in the Williamsburg Heritage Festival and were evaluated on their performance. 

“The performance part of the Williamsburg trip made it so much more special because they had something to work toward,” Faircloth says. 

This year, she is thrilled to take them to the next level. “Carnegie Hall is a very special venue they wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to perform in,” she says. 

Faircloth has taught at Freedom since her graduation in 2018 from Florida State University in Tallahassee with a Bachelor of Music Education degree. She’s made it a goal to give her students memories that will last a lifetime, like the ones she had as a student in Hillsborough County’s Newsome High in Lithia. 

“My high school chorus teacher gave me the best chorus experience,” she says. “I remember in vivid detail my madrigal dinners and competitions and trips. I want to give my students memories they can take and live with the rest of their lives.” 

She says chorus also offers students a positive experience and something fun in their day to look forward to, and exposes them to new things they can be successful with, such as Freedom’s own annual madrigal dinner, as we reported last issue. 

A madrigal dinner, an evening of Renaissance-style entertainment, may be something students are not familiar with until they join chorus, she says, but “it’s a fun, festive way to ring in the holiday season.” 

Upcoming performances that are open to the public include a coffeehouse fundraiser with solo and small group performances at Lutz Community Church on Friday, April 11, 6 p.m. “Shrek the Musical” will be held in the Freedom auditorium the weekend of May 1-3 and the chorus spring concert will be Thursday, May 15, 6:30 p.m. 

Please Help! 

Faircloth says Freedom is looking for community support to help her chorus students take the trip of a lifetime to perform at Carnegie Hall. 

Students have already paid $1,725 each to attend, but that is well short of the actual cost of the trip. “A lot of students have taken up jobs to pay for the trip themselves, and their families are working very hard for them to have this opportunity,” Faircloth explains. “We’ve done quite a bit of fundraising and applied for grants to cover the cost as much as possible.” 

Faircloth says she’s hoping additional community support could help to limit the amount students have to pay for New York City’s famously expensive meals and activities. 

To support the students’ trip, visit FreedomHSChoralBoosters.square.site and choose the “Donate” option. Businesses that are interested in sponsorship opportunities, which will include recognition on social media and in concert programs, can email AmberFaircloth@HCPS.net for more information.

‘Mysterious’ Crosswalk Pops Up On Wiregrass School Rd. To Access 7-Eleven 

During the week leading up to Christmas break, crews were seen putting the final touches on a brand new mid-block crosswalk (with flashing beacons) on Wiregrass School Rd., directly in front of Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH), to the surprise of both parents and staff, who had no idea it was coming, or who was even installing it,….and it went up quick! 

It was like a surprise Christmas gift from a secret Santa had just appeared at the school’s doorsteps, literally. 

At the beginning of this 2024-25 school year, WRH principal Robyn White had sent an email out to parents about her concerns with students crossing mid-block, in order to get to the 7-Eleven on the other side of the road: 

“We need your help. I have noticed in the [morning], but more so in the afternoon, that students are crossing the road in front of traffic by the 7-Eleven. Please encourage your child, if they are a walker or bike rider, to use the crosswalk [at the signal] at Mansfield Blvd. The last thing any of us wants to see is a student get hit by a car or a bus. They think they are invincible and don’t hesitate to walk in front of moving vehicles and, as a parent, it is scary for me to watch. I appreciate your assistance as you discuss this safety concern with your children.” 

Since the 7-Eleven gas station opened in 2022, it’s been a very popular place for WRH students to grab a drink or a snack, as it is conveniently located just outside the school. 

But, the gas station was on the opposite side of Wiregrass School Rd. from the school, so students would just find gaps in the school traffic wherever they could, to cross anywhere from the sidewalk leaving the school property. There was no “designated” place to cross, except at the traffic signal, which was about 350 feet out of the way, and kids tend to take the shortest path possible. 

This new mid-block crosswalk is positioned perfectly to help with the problem, providing a well-marked and well-lit consolidated crossing point, located off the southern corner of the gas station, just outside the front gate for the school. 

The question on the minds of many residents and school administrators was, “How did it get there?” White and other staff members said they had no idea, since the new crosswalk was installed just outside of the school’s property. 

A keen eye would notice that the new sidewalk ramps for the crosswalk connect with the new sidewalk that was just laid around the property for the recently constructed Bay Paws Pet Resort (blue building in photo). Mallory White, the new Wesley Chapel Bay Paws manager (who previously was at the Trinity location), explained that Bay Paws provided the new crosswalk. 

“It was something that the county required, so our contractor worked with them on it over two weeks [to complete the crosswalk].” 

White also said that the crosswalk was one of the final steps in the Bay Paws site construction permit requirements, so the pet boarding facility could receive its Certificate of Occupancy (CO) to open, which she says she hopes will be by the time this issue reaches your mailbox. 

Over the past couple of years, Pasco County officials have been focusing even more on pedestrian safety and connectivity, with effective sidewalk networks, with all new construction permits. This new crosswalk is equipped with Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) which are activated by a push button on either side of the street, similar to the ones recently installed on Mansfield Blvd and on County Line Rd in Meadow Pointe. 

There is no button in the median because the flashing sequence gives ample time to cross both sides of the street. The push button makes a loud chirp when pressed to let the pedestrian know that the flashing beacons have been activated.

Phase 1A Of County’s New Branchton Park Opens On Morris Bridge Rd. 

Congratulations to the Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation Department, which has now opened Phase 1A of a new $6.7-million multi-phase expansion of Branchton Park at 15508 Morris Bridge Rd., less than a half-mile south of Cross Creek Blvd. 

On a frosty cold Jan.23, Hillsborough’s director of Parks & Recreation Rick Valdez, District 2 County Commissioner Ken Hagan, park project manager Jason McKenzie, New Tampa resident and Dist. 4 Comm. Christine Miller’s legislative aide Rico Smith were among those who cut the ribbon on the new 43-acre park. 

Valdez said the new park includes a splash pad (which wasn’t yet open, but it was too cold to try that day anyway), a large playground area (with a blue turf facsimile of the Hillsborough River running through it), plus several changing rooms, restrooms and a “Cop Cabin” where Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office (HCS) deputies can have a desk, a lounge (with a working fireplace) and a place to keep an eye on what’s happening in the park. 

Also under construction in Phase 1B are six pickleball courts, large- and small-breed dog parks and an additional restroom. Phase 1B is expected to open by no later than March of this year. 

Phase 2, which is funded and includes renovations to the original 19-acre Branchton Park, also is expected to include a zipline (in partnership between the county and a private contractor, who has not yet been selected) and an event center. Valdez said Phase 2 will take about two years to build. 

“I am thrilled to be here this morning as the commissioner who championed this project for over a decade,” Comm. Hagan said prior to the ribbon cutting ceremony. “How this occurred is that, for six years, I lived around the corner, off Cross Creek Blvd. And every day, I would drive on Morris Bridge Rd., because before we widened Bruce B. Downs (Blvd.), the traffic was terrible. 

“So, I’d go down Morris Bridge, and I’d always look over here and see this beautiful area and I would never see more than two or three people on the basketball courts or in the little picnic area. And I just remember thinking that we could really do something special and make a destination here. Well, many years later, we’ve created it [and we] worked closely with the New Tampa community to get the amenities the residents wanted to see here.” 

Hagan added, “This park will serve 45,000+ people within a ten-minute drive of this area.” 

For more info, visit HCFL.gov.Â