New Tampa Again Trails City In Voter Turnout At The Runoff Election 

Although the results of the Apr. 25 City of Tampa Municipal runoff elections have been known for about a month as you’re receiving this, I know that no other local media has told you how the candidates fared in New Tampa’s 22 voting precincts in the three citywide (or “at large”)City Council runoff elections.

No, there was no runoff in the race for Tampa Mayor, as Jane Castor was elected to a second term by about 81%-19% over write-in candidate (and New Tampa resident Dr. Belinda Noah in the Mar. 7 Municipal Election.

New Tampa’s local District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera also was officially reelected because he had no opponent on Mar. 7.

However, four City Council races had to be decided at the runoff election on Apr. 25, including in single-member Dist. 6, but New Tampa residents were not allowed to vote in that race.

On the other hand, New Tampa voters were asked to help decide the winners of the three citywide races — Alan Clendenin over Sonja Brookins in Dist. 1, Guido Maniscalco over Robin Lockett in Dist. 2 and Lynn Hurtak over Janet Cruz in Dist. 3 — but very few of you went to the polls.

In fact, while citywide voter turnout for the runoff election was an abysmal 10.76%, New Tampa’s turnout was even worse, as only about 7% of the nearly 35,000 registered voters in zip code 33647’s 22 precincts cast a ballot, whether in-person, by mail, early or provisional.

Even so, there were a couple of interesting results from the runoff, as Clendenin — who beat Brookins by  64.5%-35.5% citywide — did not fare quite as well in New Tampa, where he won by a 62.1%-37.9% margin in New Tampa, winning 12 of the 21 local precincts.

Meanwhile, Maniscalco — who topped  New Tampa resident Robin Lockett 61.9%-38.1% citywide — still beat Lockett by a 60%-40% split in her home districts, despite each candidate earning more votes in 11 of the 22 districts.

The surprise of the citywide runoffs was that the incumbent in citywide Dist. 3 Lynn Hurtak beat former State Senator Janet Cruz 60.3%-39.7%, who outraised Hurtak in campaign contributions by more than 2-to-1 ($215,000+-$106,000), so easily. The other surprise was that the trend was reversed in New Tampa, as Cruz won 16 of New Tampa’s 22 districts and by a total margin of 52.4%-47.6%.

I have nothing to attribute Cruz’s local win to, other than the fact she ran ads in this publication, while Hurtak did not (only half-kidding). Take note, future candidates!

Congratulations To New Tampa’s Top Of The Class Of 2023!

We wish we could congratulate every student graduating from New Tampa’s two high schools, but we simply don’t have room to even list every name in these pages. Rather than just do our usual recognition of each school’s valedictorian and salutatorian, freelance correspondent Celeste McLaughlin aimed a little higher — or lower, in this case — as she actually got the top-10 students (with just a few exceptions) in the 2022-23 graduating classes of both Freedom and Wharton high schools to provide some pretty terrific information about themselves for this article and photo spread. Congrats on a job well done, Celeste, and to all of those graduating at and near the top of their respective classes! Get ready to don those caps & gowns! -GN

Freedom High

1. Sofia Murrin (Valedictorian) 

GPA: 8.2266

Clubs/Activities: Senior Class President, Scrubs Club President, HOSA President, Book Club President, Mu Alpha Theta VP, Science National Honor Society (NHS) VP, National Honor Society, Rho Kappa, Key Club, swim team, AP Capstone Diploma

College planning to attend: University of Notre Dame

Planned Major or Future Career: Double major in Biochemistry & Business to pursue a medical degree.

Best thing about High School: Life lessons I’ve learned along the way. I have learned countless lessons on friendship, the importance of diligence and perseverance, and the importance of good communication throughout these last four years that I believe shaped me into the person I am today and prepared me for my journey ahead.

2. Sienna Silvest (Salutatorian)

GPA: 8.0389

Clubs/Activities: HOSA President, Scrubs Club President, Book Club President, tutor for the nonprofit Learn To Be, volunteer volleyball coach at the YMCA, SGA

College planning to attend: University of Virginia

Planned Major or Future Career: Nursing or Psychology

Best thing about High School: Mr. Tillman’s class

3. Emma Stone

GPA: 8.0268

Clubs/Activities: Lacrosse, cross country, track & field, swim, basketball, Environmental Club, French Honor Society, FBLA, Mu Alpha Theta, Rho Kappa, Science National Honor Society (SNHS)

College planning to attend: United States Naval Academy

Planned major or future career: Naval Architecture

Best thing about high school: Mr. Tillman’s class

4. Olivia Kurtz

GPA: 7.8000

Clubs/Activities: Senior Class VP, Best Buddies President, FBLA President, Science National Honor Society President, Robotics President, Softball Captain, SGA, Mu Alpha Theta Historia, Girl Scouts (CEO advisory board, service area delegate)

College planning to attend: University of Florida

Planned major or future career: Mechanical Engineering

Best thing about high school: Mr. Tillman’s class

5. (tie) Jessica Afiat

GPA: 7.6800

Clubs/Activities: FBLA Officer, Mu Alpha Theta Treasurer, NHS, SNHS, Tri-M orchestra liaison, orchestra principal first violinist, swim team

College planning to attend: University of Florida

Planned Major: Chemical Engineering

Best thing about high school: Mr. Tillman’s class. 

5. (tie) Britney Pun 

GPA: 7.6800

Clubs/Activities: Track, lacrosse, swim, Key Club Webmaster/VP, FBLA VP, orchestra, Mu Alpha Theta, SNHS Historian, PTSA Board Campus Cleanup Lead

College planning to attend: University of Florida 

Best thing about high school: Mr. Tillman’s class. 

7. Arturo Zarrate

GPA: 7.5041

Clubs/Activities: Florida State Spanish Conference, NHS, SNHS, Spanish Honor Society, French Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, track & field, HOSA, Multicultural Club, Student Advisory Committee, Environmental Club

College planning to attend: University of Florida

Planned major or future career: Triple Major — Biochemistry, Philosophy & German

Best thing about high school: Learning how to reframe academic and social stress into new motivation to succeed.

8. Dylan Panganiban

GPA: 6.8800

Clubs/Activities: Key Club VP/President, Environmental Club, National Art Honor Society Secretary, NHS Historian/VP, Spirit Club, Varsity volleyball, swim, tennis

College planning to attend: University of Florida

Planned major or future career: I plan to pursue a career in computer science or PA Dermatology

Best thing about high school: Mr. Tillman’s class. 

9. Alyssa De La Sala

GPA: 6.8496

Clubs/Activities: Varsity flag football Captain, cross country Captain, track, varsity cheer, Allstar cheer, musical theater Class Senator, Key Club, Student Government Treasurer, NHS, Mu Alpha Theta, Best Buddies, FCA, Spirit Club President, Chess Club, SNHS, Kappa Phi Delta, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Interact Club, International Thespian Society, TriM Music Honor Society

College planning to attend: University of Florida, University of Tampa or Florida Southern College

Planned major or future career: Forensic Science

Best thing about high school: Spending time with all the people I’ve met who have helped shaped me into who I am today. I’ve loved having the opportunity to be a part of so many amazing things and creating memories that I’ll be able to share and look back on for years to come.

10. Katherine Moulton

GPA: 6.7833

Clubs/Activities: Spirit Club President, FCA, flag football, cross country Captain, track, Yearbook Editor-in-Chief

College planning to attend: University of Florida 

Planned major or future career: Finance

Best thing about high school: All of the laughs and strikes in Mr. Tillman’s class.

Wharton High

1. David Ascano (Valedictorian)

GPA: 7.5844

College Planning to Attend: University of Florida or Florida State University

2. Sammy Gillespie (Salutatorian)

GPA: 7.5775

College Planning to Attend: University of Florida

3. Liberty Sanford

GPA: 7.5073

College Planning to Attend: Florida Institute of Technology

4. Angela Anzalone Gimenez

GPA: 7.2592

5. Robert “Jackson” Raitt

GPA: 6.8800

College Planning to Attend: Marist College

6. Alessandro Anzalone

GPA: 6.8400

College Planning to Attend: University of Florida

7. Matthew Schwindler

GPA: 6.8282

College Planning to Attend: University of Florida

8. Suhani Rana

GPA: 6.7103

9. Peter Chandler

GPA: 6.6800

College Planning to Attend: University of Florida

10. Brett Brown

GPA: 6.6766

College Planning to Attend: University of Florida

We know there is a lot of additional information about the Freedom graduates than about those from Wharton. That was not our intent, but the information shown is all of the info we received from/about these Wharton students. — GN

TP Blvd. Repaving Nears Completion; Is New Tampa Blvd. Next?

The long-awaited repaving of the east side of Tampa Palms Blvd. (in red on map) is well under way and the City of Tampa expects to complete the repaving project by August or September of this year.

The safety of our children and families is a high priority, not only for the residents of New Tampa, but also for our District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, who always is looking for ways to make the City of Tampa — and especially, the community where he lives — safer.

To that end, Viera helped the city secure a grant to pay for not only the repaving of the circular portion of Tampa Palms Blvd. that winds its way through Tampa Palms Areas 1 & 3 (on the east side of Bruce B. Downs, or BBD, Blvd.), but also is already providing for the installation of eight traffic-slowing speed tables on Tampa Palms Blvd. from the southern intersection of BBD (near Florida Executive Realty (bottom left gold logo on map above) all the way around the 2.91-mile stretch to Tampa Palms Blvd.’s northern intersection with BBD, near Lowe’s Home Improvement (see map above). 

Above is an example of an RRFB (Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon) like the ones on back-order for the Tampa Palms Blvd. repaving project. At right is one of the eight speed tables being installed to slow traffic on the roadway.

The construction of the $4.9-million project already has begun and, when it is fully completed — which Viera and Lara Bouck, the city’s chief production engineer for mobility, believe should be by August or September of this year — the project also will add two sets of three (six total) Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (or RRFBs), which will provide rapidly flashing beacons at marked crosswalks. They believe the RRFBs definitely will enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety at those intersections. There also will be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant ramps installed as part of the project and Bouck says the crews from the project’s contractor — CW Roberts Contracting — currently are installing the speed tables and signs and revising the permanent pavement markings.

Unfortunately, Bouck says, there currently is a 12-20-week wait on the RRFBs. “The latest we heard is that the (RRFB) bases will be shipped to the contractor by the end of July.” However, Bouck says that the bulk of the remaining construction of the project should be completed by May of this year. 

“We got the funds for Tampa Palms Blvd. from a combination of ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) and Local Option Gas Tax funds,” says Viera. “I have to thank U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (who represents Florida’s 14th Congressional district) for helping us secure the ARPA funds.”

And, although there was some discussion about narrowing the travel lanes to provide for additional traffic calming through this area, Bouck says, “Travel lanes were not narrowed as a part of this project.”

Is New Tampa Blvd. Next?

Viera says that he is equally concerned about implementing speed-calming improvements on New Tampa Blvd., the main thoroughfare through the West Meadows community.

“New Tampa Blvd. is number one on my priority list for New Tampa for repaving, as I believe it’s long overdue,” Viera says. “So, it’s on the list as next and we have begun seeking some design funding for it, but nothing is concrete yet. However, while we have had (I believe) design forwarded for this for funding, most construction projects for mobility have been put on hold, if they were connected to the penny sales tax and that includes this one.”

Bouck confirms that the New Tampa Blvd. project is not currently funded in the city’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP), but Viera says, “We continue to pursue funding (grants, etc.) to address the resurfacing backlog throughout the city.”

Of course, voters across Hillsborough County passed a 1-cent sales tax referendum (with 57% of the voters voting for it) to fund its capital improvements in 2018, only to have the referendum shot down in court due to ballot language issues. A similar referendum on the Nov. 2022 ballot was not passed by the voters, but millions in 2018 sales tax funds were already being collected. It is now up to the state to decide how those funds should be distributed. Once that issue is resolved, however, Viera is hopeful that the city will receive enough of the money to fund the improvements for New Tampa Blvd. We’ll keep you posted.

HOSA Team Places First In The State!

Congratulations go out to Strawberry Crest High sophomores — and New Tampa residents — Elizabeth Chettipally, Aditi Nair, Anika Prasad and Netra Vijay (photo), who placed first in their category at the Health Occupations Students of America (aka HOSA-Future Health Professionals) State Leadership Conference held at Orlando Apr. 13-16.

The girls of “Project Pink” will next be representing Florida at the HOSA National Leadership Conference in Atlanta in late June.

The quartet’s project was an attempt to increase breast cancer awareness in our local community and obviously, their presentation at the Conference was effective, as they placed first in the “Community Awareness — Teamwork” category.

Strawberry Crest High, located in Dover, has an International Baccalaureate (IB) program attended by many New Tampa residents and is one of 30 Florida high schools with more than 100 HOSA members. Several other Strawberry Crest students also won awards at the State Conference, including a “Creative Problem Solving” team that also took home first place honors. I apologize that I did not have all of the other winners’ full names at our press time, or I would have mentioned them here, too.

Nibbles & Bites: Mpanitas Opens On CC Blvd.!

For those seeking unique local options outside of the KRATEs, we also wanted to let you know that the second Tampa location of Mpanitas has opened in the oft-vacated spot in the Mobil gas station plaza at 10865 Cross Creek Blvd.

With delicious Venezuelan favorites like the excellent empanadas shown here (above), stuffed with your choice of shredded or ground beef, chicken, cheese, ham & cheese, potatoes & cheese and even fish, Mpanitas also serves arepas, mini-empanadas, mandocas, sweet tequeños and outstanding café con leché. For more info, follow “mpanitas” on Instagram.