As previously announced, the last remaining New Tampa Winn-Dixie supermarket, located at 6425 County Line Rd. (in the same plaza as LA Fitness), closed on Dec. 8 and is in the process of being converted to the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area’s third ALDI grocery store.
We were told that it would be several months before the new ALDI would open, but this Germany-based international brand already has nearly 2,500 U.S. supermarkets and more than 200 stores in Florida, including at 18002 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. in New Tampa and at 2215 Sun Vista Dr. in Lutz (in front of Costco).
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the still-open (at least at our press time) Winn-Dixie in the Towne Center of Wesley Chapel plaza on Wesley Chapel Blvd. told us there are no plans to close that store. — GN
As a direct-mail newspaper that only hits mailboxes every four weeks, it’s hard for us to publish some stories because they’re already “old” by the time our next issue reaches you.
For example, by the time this issue reaches you, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa will all be distant memories and the year 2025 will already be in full swing, as even the kids will be back in school the same day this issue is scheduled to reach you.
Even so, photographer Charmaine George and I attended many of the local holiday-themed events last month — some or even all of which you may have missed — including two different local performances of “The Nutcracker,” the annual New Tampa Christmas tree and Hanukkah menorah lighting events and even the unique second-annual Renaissance-era “Madrigal Dinner” hosted by the Freedom High chorus at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center, which isn’t specifically a holiday event, but which was held on December 5 and included an actual delicious dinner for those who attended.
The two photos above are from the New Tampa Dance Theatre’s “preview” performance on Dec. 7 at the Shops at Wiregrass. Charmaine took these pictures since neither she nor I were available to attend NTDT’s full “Nutcracker” ballet performances at the University of South Florida Dec. 20-22. Charmaine said that the huge crowd of people at the mall was definitely captivated by the ballet.
I took the three photos above during one of the Tampa City Ballet (TCB)’s three performances of “The Nutcracker” at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) Dec. 13-15. Not only were the dancers (adults and children) all amazing, the choreography by TCB’s Paula Nunez, as well as the costumes and sets, were all as impressive as you would see at any big-city ballet company performance of Tchaikovsky’s holiday masterpiece. TCB also performed “The Nutcracker” at USF Dec. 7-10.
I had really hoped to attend Freedom High’s Madrigal Dinner at NTPAC (see the left photo and the photo below) but Charmaine said it was super-fun, with great singing, funny skits and a delicious dinner of chicken parmesan and salad, plus tiramisu for dessert.
On Dec. 2, the City of Tampa’s New Tampa Recreation Center and Parks & Recreation Department hosted the annual Christmas tree lighting event and parade (photos below) and a nice crowd of around 200 people attended to participate and watch the youth dance performances, enjoy the lighting ceremony and spend a little quality time with Santa Claus himself!
And finally, on Dec. 26 (the second night of Hanukkah), the New Tampa Rec Center also hosted the second annual Hanukkah menorah lighting event, which featured prayers, songs and a wonderful message delivered by Rabbi Mendy Yarmush of Chabad of Wiregrass, which is now the only Jewish congregation in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel. Both the Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations at the Rec Center were organized in part by District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera.
Freedom High’s Madrigal DinnerChristmas Tree Lighting Event and ParadeChristmas Tree Lighting Event and ParadeHanukkah Menorah LightingHanukkah Menorah Lighting
At New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.). Daniella Mass, “The Liri Pop Princess,” is a composer and young coloratura soprano from Colombia who was featured on “America’s Got Talent.” Tickets cost $15 for a theater seat, $20 for a table seat. To purchase tickets & get more info, call (813) 829-2760 or visit NewTampaArtsCenter.org/events.
When Duncan Pastore was growing up in New Tampa, he played recreational baseball with what is now the North Tampa Athletic Association (NTAA), dreaming of one day playing Major League Baseball.
Duncan became a Wharton High standout who recently signed with the New York Yankees and, at age 24, is currently playing for its Single-A affiliate, the Yankees’ Florida State League (Single A) affiliate, the Tampa Tarpons.
Back in Duncan’s NTAA days, his father Lou was one of the league’s volunteers, ensuring his son and others in the community had a thriving league for youth baseball and softball, even serving as league president.
“Duncan playing with the Yankees is a dream come true,” Lou says. “It’s every kid’s dream to play professional baseball and eventually [make it to] the big leagues. As you move up the ladder from high school to college, the chances of you making it one step further is less each time. The fact that he was able to do it makes me, his mom, and everyone who knows him extremely proud of him.”
And to think, it all started on the fields in New Tampa.
This spring, hundreds of boys and girls will have their opportunity to work on their dreams their dreams to follow in Duncan’s footsteps, while others will play just to get outside, have fun and develop skills such as teamwork and sportsmanship in the NTAA.
Duncan Pastore (Source: Nova SE University)
Registration is now open for boys and girls ages three to 16 (as of April 30, 2025) to play baseball and softball with NTAA.
Robert Pickett is the director of baseball for ages 12 and under for the league.
“We’re a thriving and growing league, right in the heart of New Tampa, and a lot of people don’t know about it,” Robert says.
While the NTAA had more than 450 players last season, Robert says an ideal size would be closer to 600-700 playing baseball and softball. “The more teams there are, the more competitive it is,” Robert explains. “I’d rather have 10 teams in each division instead of three. It’s more fun.”
That’s why he and others from the entirely volunteer-run league are increasing their recruiting efforts this year, hoping that new players will grow the NTAA community.
The NTAA plays baseball and softball at two field complexes. One is Eber Field, located near the corner of Cross Creek Blvd. and Kinnan St., and the other is Live Oak Park, located behind Turner Bartels K-8 School.
“Every night the parks are bustling,” Robert says. “If you drive by Eber Field on a Tuesday night, you’ll see games on two fields, concessions are open, families are everywhere,” he says. “You can go hang out and feel the sense of community.”
Registration for the Spring 2025 NTAA season will remain open until mid-January. That’s vastly different than at the nearby Wesley Chapel Athletic Association (WCAA), where registration filled within minutes of opening.
Some parents have asked why NTAA is open for registration while WCAA is completely full. What’s the difference?
According to Robert, it all comes down to capacity.
With the ongoing explosive growth of Wesley Chapel (vs. the nearly-built-out community in New Tampa), there’s simply more demand for WCAA youth baseball and softball than there is space for players.
Because WCAA and NTAA are both part of the Babe Ruth League, there are flexible geographic boundaries, unlike with Little League Baseball programs. So, WCAA’s capacity is crunched by both tremendous growth in its “home” area, and kids from Dade City and Zephyrhills who want to play in Wesley Chapel.
Meanwhile, NTAA’s geographic location makes it sandwiched in between other areas where New Tampa kids can go to play, such as Lutz or Wesley Chapel.
That means there’s still room in the NTAA for kids in nearby Wesley Chapel to be part of a league that is this year celebrating 10 years since switching from Little League Baseball to the Babe Ruth League, which provides more flexibility for players who don’t live in the 33647 zip code.
“It’s a great outlet to have fun,” Lou says of participation in NTAA. “Sports can teach kids a lot about how to grow up and mature and become great leaders and teammates. At the same time, kids can just go out and play and not have to worry about cleaning their room or all the things they have to do.”
Lou says NTAA taught his son to be a role model for other kids, which started with Duncan looking up to the older players, and then wanting to be like them.
“Duncan wanted to break the park’s home run record,” Lou explains, “and then, when he was 12, he did it. The younger kids looking on went chasing for that home run ball as if (Yankees star) Aaron Judge himself had hit it over the fence. They ran it back to the dugout and Duncan signed it and gave it back to them. He learned to be a role model at such a young age, and that’s a big part of who he is today.”
Lou currently actually works for the Yankees as a groundskeeper for George Steinbrenner Field, where the Tampa Tarpons play, and still also maintains the fields for NTAA.
“I have now taken care of every field Duncan has played on since he started playing baseball,” Lou says, adding that he also takes a lot of pride in maintaining the fields so NTAA kids have an outstanding place to play.
In January, Duncan will return to his childhood baseball fields to host a one-day camp for young players, ages 5 to 12, whether or not they are registered to play with NTAA. He will be joined by other professional baseball players who want to give back to their community and mentor young people who want to sharpen their skills.
“Youth Day with the Pros” will be held on Saturday, January 11, at the Live Oak baseball complex. To register, go to NT-AA.com.
Registration for NTAA’s spring baseball and softball season is open now through mid-January. Players must be at least three years old on April 30, 2025, and no older than 16 on that date. Practices, which begin in early February (the season runs through May) are held at Live Oak Park (behind Turner Bartels K-8 School) and Eber Field (at the corner of Cross Creek Blvd. and Kinnan St.). For more information, see the ad below. To register, go to NT-AA.com.
These renderings of the planned Peak Surf Park on the north side of S.R. 56 near U.S. Hwy. 301, in the Zephyrhills portion of the massive Two Rivers development, show (below left) the entrance to the park, with the central wave device or “plunger” visible behind it and (above) a surfer riding the curl. (Photos and Renderings provided by Tony Miller)
Even though he grew up in Tampa, Peak Surf Park developer and businessman Tony Miller says he and his friends spent a lot of time driving to Florida’s east coast to catch whatever waves were available.
“Sometimes, we did a lot more paddling than surfing,” Tony says, “which was kind of disappointing after driving all that way.”
But today, at age 57, the still-surfing former owner of SPARK, a marketing and advertising agency in Tampa that had Visit Florida and Visit Tampa Bay as two of its largest clients, says his plan is that, “anyone who wants to surf, whether they just want to learn how or are already experts, to be able to do so, with waves that will always be perfect for them. That’s why I’m bringing Peak Surf Park to Pasco County,” which of course, also is known as “Florida’s Sports Coast.”
Tony says he has been studying all of the different “surf lagoon” technologies available and chose Australia-based Surf Lakes, which he says, “has the highest-capacity surf lagoons, with 200 surfers per hour.” He adds that some of Surf Lakes’ competitors can only accommodate nine surfers per hour.
“This technology sends out a wave in each direction,” he says. “Because it’s a full 360º lagoon, with a central wave device (CWD) or ‘plunger’ in the middle, it sends a pulse out and it’s like dropping a rock in a pond — it ripples out in concentric waves. The bottom shapes the waves and we shape the bottom so you have a north wave, south wave, east wave and west wave and each one of those can be a beginner, intermediate, advanced or expert wave — and that’s our game plan, to have those different skill sets, so all levels can have a wave that they can ride at the same time. It’s 30 seconds of the machine pumping up and down and creating the waves. and then the lagoon settles for a minute, when it gets kind of calm again.”
But, speaking of lagoons, Tony says Peak Surf Park will be nothing like the Crystal Lagoons® at Epperson and Mirada, which are basically just huge swimming pools.
“This is a much more active, fun place to be,” he says. “Yes, we will also have about a half-mile of pristine beach area, great food and beverage options and live music for those who will never even think about getting in the surf lagoon to still have a great day, but this is truly an action-adventure park.”
He adds that his experience working with Visit Florida and Visit Tampa Bay has taught him a lot about “customer experience” and he knows that Peak Surf Park will provide a unique experience with something for everyone.
“We believe thousands of people will come to Pasco County from all over for the chance to surf hours away from the nearest ocean — without sharks, jellyfish or bad surf conditions. There are maybe 60,000 surfers currently in Florida, but we believe we will create thousands more from the millions of people living in West Central Florida (which is his protected territory with Surf Lakes), as well as from the millions more visiting this area. I can’t wait for it to open.”
Securing The Land
(above) Peak Surf Park developer Tony Miller today (below left) and in his teens, posing with the first surfboard he ever owned.
Tony says that the hardest part, at least so far, of bringing Peak Surf Park to our area was the large amount of land he needed.
“I was looking for at least 30 acres for almost two years,” he says, “and I was talking to the developers at Two Rivers for more than a year before things got serious. Yes, they have 6,000 acres, but they also have eight home builders and every type of commercial, condo and apartment developer all wanting some of it, so I wasn’t too high on their priority list. I personally drove to at least 87 potential sites all over the area and checked out at least 100 more online before coming to an agreement for this property.”
That search began after Tony commissioned an economic impact study by Hotel & Leisure Advisors in 2022, which indicated that Peak would generate more than $1.3 billion in annual business output and 700 jobs per year, with tax revenue for the county he chose to be in nearly $150 million over ten years. He eventually was able to secure the 35 acres in Two Rivers, so the process of creating the park could begin. Tony also has launched a crowd-funding campaign that accredited investors can take advantage of to fund pre-construction and plans to launch a secondary campaign for retail investors.
He says that although there currently aren’t any surf lagoons anywhere in Florida, he knows a few will be coming online soon and notes that there are four different surf park technologies out there.
“There will be a bunch more lagoons coming to the U.S. over the next two years,” he says. “The entire surf park industry is in its infancy (no more than 5-6 years old), but, a lot more of these surf parks will be going public with announcements. I went public with my announcement earlier than most will. Because I haven’t been a developer, I do things a little bit differently than most developers — and I believe that’s a good thing. I think I’m getting a lot more positive than I am negative out of it, but most developers are pretty close to the vest when it comes to their projects. They don’t really announce anything until they’re ready to break ground.”
He likens surf parks today to where the skiing industry was in the 1930s, “when a few adventurous people would actually climb mountains to ski down them. The advent of chair lifts then opened up access to everyone, and the industry just boomed — to the point where, today, there are 462 ski areas in the U.S. But, you can really only ski at any of them for six months a year, at most, whenever there’s snow on the mountain. With all that being said, this type of surfing is way easier on your body because you’re popping up & riding for 15 seconds at a time. It’s not like bouncing down a mountain. And, here in Florida, you will pretty much be able to surf at Peak all year ‘round.”
What About The Water?
Tony is definitely prepared to answer most of the questions about where the millions of gallons of water for Peak Surf Park will come from.
“The initial fill will likely be municipal water,” he says, “but from there, we will do a lot to capture rain water to minimize any additional water needs we might have. Sustainability and conservation have always been a big component of the surf world and certainly people going to surf parks are going to be very conscientious about that.”
A rendering of the planned deck overlooking the Peak Surf Park lagoon and “plunger.”
He adds, “We looked at various solutions where we can actually take stormwater that’s just held in retention areas and I’ve talked to Swiftmud (the Southwest Florida Water Management District) about being able to take some of that water to flow it through our multi-million-dollar water filtration system to use as a replenishment source. They said that although they wouldn’t normally do that, after they reviewed our proposal, they said, ‘Yes, this is something we would consider permitting.’ I don’t have a specific answer yet in terms of ongoing water but there is going to be a lot of effort to control how much water we will need after that initial fill.”
He adds, “I would tell people this — our surf lagoon is projected to use the same amount of water to fill it and, on an annual basis, if we re-filled it every year, as about three holes of golf.”
Tony also says that, “People see a big lagoon and say, ‘Look at all that wasted water,’ but what they don’t think about is that an 18-hole golf course (and there will be one on the Hillsborough side of Two Rivers) uses about 4-5 times the amount of water, which gets sprinkled over fertilized dirt and runs into the water system, which is far worse environmentally. But, when you see a large lagoon it’s so much more obvious how much water there is, so it’s an education process that these lagoons are much more water-conscious and sustainable.”
Tony says he plans to open Peak by the end of 2027. He believes it will take about a year for him to receive all of the entitlements he needs to break ground and 18-24 months for construction, with about six months built in for unforeseen delays.
For more info, visit PeakSurfPark.com, or connect with Peak on Facebook & Instagram.
