What’s Happening With Morris Bridge Rd.? The Big Changes At 3 Key Intersections

Construction at the intersection of K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. at MB Rd. (Photo by Joel Provenzano)

If it feels like Morris Bridge Rd. (MB Rd.) has been in a constant state of change lately, you’re not imagining it. From New Tampa through Wesley Chapel, this important north–south corridor, once considered little more than a two-lane country road, has seen closures, construction crews, and long-awaited reopenings — with even more changes on the horizon. 

As Neighborhood News has reported over the past several years, MB Rd. is gradually transforming from a quiet rural connector into a critical link between several fast-growing communities in Hillsborough and Pasco counties. 

Here’s a closer look at what’s recently been completed, what’s under way, and what’s still to come — with a focus on three intersections that are shaping the future of the MB Rd. corridor. 

MB Rd. At Future K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. 

As we first reported in April 2024, the final phase of K-Bar Ranch in Hillsborough County is more than just another residential expansion — it’s a long-planned transportation connection that will finally open all of K-Bar Ranch to MB Rd., benefiting both New Tampa and Wesley Chapel residents alike. That vision is now becoming reality. 

Construction is under way on the eastward extension of K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. past Easton Park to MB Rd. Once completed, this connection also will allow access from Wesley Chapel, including from Union Park and Meadow Pointe, via the planned Wyndfields Blvd. extension to the south and the existing Meadow Pointe Blvd. extension. 

The map of the planned K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. extension we ran in Apr. 2024. (Source: NN) 

Although the Neighborhood News first told our readers the story of this future connection about a year and a half ago (see map), crews are now actively building the new phase of K-Bar Ranch, and the collector road that will extend Wyndfields Blvd. south into the New Tampa development. For Union Park residents in particular, this means a new and more direct route into Tampa — and fewer bottlenecks on already-crowded roads. 

Turn lanes are currently being added along MB Rd. at the future K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. intersection (top photo), and a traffic signal will follow. The signal is required under the developer agreement and will help manage the increased traffic once the road opens. 

According to the K-Bar Ranch III CDD Preliminary Engineer’s Report (Jan. 2025), construction on the overall final build-out is planned to run from Mar. 2025 through December 2028, and is broken into two phases. 

Phase 1 includes 471 single-family homes, followed by 188 townhomes in Phase 2. Based on issued permits and the pace of construction, it’s likely the road connection will be completed before Phase 2 even begins — possibly even this year. 

In short, the long-anticipated direct connection between K-Bar Ranch, Union Park, Meadow Pointe and MB Rd. is now closer than ever. 

MB Rd. At Bonnet Hole Dr. 

Just north of Cory Lake Blvd. (less than two miles south of Cross Creek Blvd.), the Hillsborough County section of MB Rd. reopened the week of Christmas after a full closure that frustrated many residents — particularly those still remembering the road’s prolonged shutdown following Hurricane Milton in Oct. 2024. 

The Dec. 8-Dec. 22 closure was necessary to complete stormwater drainage repairs between Apache Dr. and Bonnet Hole Dr., as Hillsborough County explained in a public release. To put it plainly — collapsing and aging culverts under the roadway had to be fully replaced. 

Although only a small segment of MB Rd. was actually shut down, detours were lengthy due to the lack of alternative routes. During our communications, county officials acknowledged the inconvenience to residents. 

Typically, fully closing the road allows crews to complete the work much faster than staged lane closures would have, especially on two-lane roads where it’s harder to shift traffic and breakup the digging into two phases, due to limited space. 

Chris Wilkerson, senior media relations strategist for Hillsborough’s Public Works Dept., told us this single stormwater project cost approximately $240,000. When asked if more closures are coming, Wilkerson confirmed that two additional stormwater-related closures are expected on MB Rd. in 2026 — one just north and one just south of the recent work area — so residents will need to keep an eye out for when those closures are announced. 

MB Rd. at Chancey Rd. (Pasco) 

Meanwhile, in Pasco County, the long-closed intersection of MB Rd. between S.R. 56 and Chancey Rd. finally reopened just before Christmas, ending months of detours and speculation about what went wrong. 

Despite early rumors of the closure being caused by a “sinkhole,” Pasco officials clarified that the issue was actually a damaged, buried 16-inch water main. When the main failed, it washed away soil beneath the roadway, creating a large underground void that looked like a sinkhole, but was not a traditional limestone collapse. 

The unexpected discovery of the water line — struck during routine work — complicated the repair. Replacement parts had to be specially ordered, delaying construction for months. Pasco officials had warned residents back on Sept. 19 that delivery and installation of the water main alone could take at least eight weeks, followed by another five to eight weeks to rebuild the road. 

In the end, the project was completed almost exactly within that extended timeframe. 

But, while the intersection is now open, some residents have been disappointed to see no new left-turn lanes added. According to Pasco officials, those improvements are part of a larger widening project that is still in development. 

The county’s current Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) list, adopted in June 2025, shows plans to widen MB Rd. to a four-lane divided roadway between S.R. 54 and S.R. 56. Construction is tentatively scheduled in two phases: 

2028 – From S.R. 54 south through the Chancey Rd. intersection 

2029 – From south of Chancey Rd. to S.R. 56 

Of course, the project has already been delayed once and timelines could change again. 

The Big Picture 

Taken together, these three intersections tell the story of MB Rd. today — a corridor under pressure from rapid growth, environmental challenges and aging infrastructure — but also one that’s steadily being improved. 

Some work is finished, some is still under way and more is coming in the next few years. For residents of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel alike, the changes along MB Rd. promise better connectivity in the long run, even as the short-term disruptions unfortunately continue. 

As always, the Neighborhood News will keep you updated with what’s happening with the MB Rd. corridor — one closure, one construction zone and one reopening at a time. 

Jas Warren’s Impact Fondly Remembered At Celebration Of Life At Wharton

When you know someone is a good person who has lived a life in service to others, you often still don’t really know the impact that person has made, or just how many people they helped — until you attend their Celebration of Life. 

Such was the case of former Wharton High theatre teacher James “Jas” Warren. As I mentioned in my page 3 editorial in our last issue, Jas passed away after suffering a heart attack at the age of 61, while he and his wife Renee were on a FaceTime call with their daughter Abby and her three sons. 

I had seen probably only four or five of the 100+ shows (including, I believe, two of his original works) Jas produced with his LSA (Lighting & Sound America) Repertory Theatre Company during his time at Wharton, and had spoken with him after most of those performances. It was clear at that time that his students — and their parents — loved him. And, as a native New Yorker who had seen at least 50-60 Broadway and Off-Broadway shows in my lifetime, the power of the performances Jas directed let me know just how good he was at his job. 

What I had no idea about, however, was just how powerful his impact was on his students until I attended the Celebration of Life held at Wharton on Nov. 8 in his honor. Even though I ended up leaving early because I had another event to get to, the hour+ I spent listening to his long-time friend and fellow Wharton teacher Carlos Rosaly, Jas’ daughter Abigail Rodriguez and son Jackson Warren, followed by at least eight of the dozen or so total speakers and performers that day, it was clear to me that I didn’t really know Jas Warren — or just how many children he impacted, how many lives he changed — at all. 

And I am as saddened by that fact today as I was uplifted by what I saw and hear that day. 

Act I — Abby, Evan, Jackson & Carlos 

I sat next to my friends Dr. Elliot and Pam Cazes, whose son Evan is one of Abby’s best friends. It was Pam who let me know that Jas had passed and when and where the Celebration of Life would be held. 

When I arrived, Evan and Abby were already sitting on the stage (photo), getting ready to sing the haunting “Those You’ve Known” from the Tony Award-winning musical “Spring Awakening.” How both of them were able to make it all the way through this beautiful, but overwhelmingly sad song is a tribute to the training both of them received from Abby’s dad. Believe me when I say that there literally was not another dry eye in the house: 

“Those you’ve known 

And lost still walk behind you 

All alone 

They linger till they find you 

Without them 

The world grows dark around you 

And nothing is the same 

Until you know that they have found you” 

When they finished singing, recently retired Wharton High math teacher (and baseball announcer) Carlos Rosaly — one of Jas’ closest friends and a fellow original member of the Wharton faculty when the school opened for the 1997-98 school year, was the first to speak.. 

Carlos recounted humorous stories of his long relationship at the school with Jas and their shared love of rock n roll. 

“The difficulty for us in his passage is that he wasn’t done telling stories and we weren’t done listening to him,” Carlos said. “We weren’t done watching it all on stage. And that’s our loss.” 

He also noted that Jas loved everything about the performances — “the auditions, the callbacks, the rehearsals, the running laps around the office, the vocal warmups, the read-throughs, the curtains up, the spotlights, the music, the show, he loved it all. Thank you, James.” 

Carlos also read a moving passage from the book Jesus in Blue Jeans by Laurie Beth Jones. But, it was all just getting started. 

Next up was Abby, who said her dad thought she never cried. “Well, Dad, I have never cried more in my life than I have in the past three weeks. Three weeks ago yesterday, I heard his voice for the last time. Every day since then, I wake up and hope that the nightmare is over.” 

She then retold the story of how she was on the phone with them when her dad was in the throes of the heart attack. After telling her mom to call 9-1-1, Abby waited to hear back from her. 

“Not too much time passed before I called my mom and they said ‘He didn’t make it.’ I remember standing in front of my fridge and dropping to the floor. I called my husband (who is in the Army) and said words I didn’t expect to end up saying, ‘Please come home.’” 

She added, “All I could think of were the things I wished I could have said if I knew it was his last moment…He was the kind of dad that everyone wanted and the kind of director that kids in other public schools dreamed of having. And I was lucky enough to get him. I idolized him…and there came a point where he thought I stopped, but I never actually stopped.” 

Abby also said that her earliest memories were on the very same stage in that Wharton auditorium. “He created magic on this stage,” she said. “Whether it was one of the One Act [plays] he’d spend all summer writing, or how he found the most perfect songs for those shows that he edited to perfection. He changed lives, not just through his art, but through who he was. He created lifelong friendships for most of us and introduced many of us to our spouses and our own families. And I’m living proof of that.” 

She also recounted how her dad officiated her wedding, how he supported her every time she announced she was pregnant, their Walmart runs during school, their trips to New York City to see Broadway shows. She also gave her many definitions of what grief is now that her dad is gone. 

“I will keep saying it: I don’t know how to live in a world where he doesn’t exist. He deserves so much more time and he has so many more stories to write…and to watch my kids grow up. Everything I am is because of him — my love of theatre, music, reading, writing, dark humor, everything. So, for now, I will still send a text when something reminds me of you, I will still cry for you and I will think of you every day and I will think about what life would be like if you were still here. Until we meet again.” 

Jas’ son Jackson (above right) said that, “Everywhere I look, he is there. I just can’t believe that he’s still gone.” Jackson said he wished his dad could watch another season of another show he loved. And how every moment that he thinks about his dad, “even the moments that I didn’t think would matter at all, are just so special. It’s just a lesson to learn — you never know how much time left you have with someone. Don’t live with regrets. Do what you want to do before it’s too late because you never know when it will be too late. I’m just glad that my final words to him were ‘I love you’ and I gave him a hug. It doesn’t solve anything, but it helps.” 

Act II — All Of His ‘Other’ Kids 

Next up was Tori Fuson, who sang an incredible rendition of the song “Leave Me Here” by Hem. This is just the chorus: 

“So, as I rise, I will reach for the livin’ 

And I’ll say no prayer 

Cuz tonight he brought me to heaven 

And left me here” 

Tori then added, “Mr. Warren was more than a teacher for us. He wanted to create the best works and he did, because he created all of us and that’s the reason we’re all here today. He taught us, at a very young age, about injustice and loss, love and human connection. He showed us that acting is not about pretending. It’s about telling the truth. He had a way of drawing discipline and authenticity from children, which is a really difficult thing to do. He changed every student who walked in his doors. And, for many of us, this auditorium was our home.” 

Tori was followed by Nicole Nouri, who put the Rolling Stones themselves to shame with her soaring rendition of “Wild Horses.” 

Nicole was followed by Stephen Arment and Lizzy Clark (left photo), who were both in Wharton’s first graduating class in 2000. 

Stephen, who is now the drama teacher at Durant High in Plant City, said, “There are a lot of ways to talk bout someone who shaped your life, but the truest place I could start is this. I loved being around him. He did not just teach theatre. He built families. Entire generations of us found our ‘people’ and our purpose under a new direction. When I arrived at [Wharton], he was one of the first people who made me feel seen for who I could become. We have each carried so many of his lessons with us. Not just how to block a scene, but how to make people feel seen before they even believe in themselves.” 

Stephen also said he remembered when Jas and Renee brought their newborn daughter, Abby, “in to meet us for the first time. He wasn’t just introducing his daughter to his students, he was introducing her to a community that she would always be connected to, whether she wanted to or not. It was like watching two parts of his world intersect — the family he went home to and the family that he built in this place. He poured so much of himself into us that we walked away feeling like we carried a piece of him into adulthood. So, to his family, thank you for sharing him with us.” 

Stephen concluded, “I became a high school drama teacher because of him. He wasn’t just teaching theatre, he was shaping what theatre education looked like across the board. He didn’t just attend [theatre] festivals, he helped build the blueprint for how they are run — the systems, the traditions, the way we gather, the way they create. So much of that traces back to him. So, thank you, Mr. Warren. We’ll take it from here.” 

When it was Lindsay’s turn to speak, she paid Stephen one of the best compliments she could: “I just have to say that I had the honor of watching Stephen run a rehearsal at his school today and he is Mr. Warren. There were so many ‘Warren-isms’ that I felt as if I was a student there myself.” 

She also said that “I’m deeply grateful to stand up this day, in this auditorium, a place stitched with memories, to celebrate the life of someone who didn’t just shape my high school experience, but helped to shape me.” 

Lindsay added, “Mr. Warren was brilliant, passionate and, let’s be honest, a little terrifying. He knew when to challenge us and when to protect us. His office felt like the safest place in the world. It was where we cried, we laughed, we vented and we dreamed. I remember he showed us what looked like a baseball card of a young pop singer no one had ever heard of. He said, ‘Believe me, she is going to be huge.’ We rolled our eyes and thought this is just another weird Warrenism. The pop singer? Britney Spears.” 

That was when I left the building, but it’s clear to me that Jas Warren left behind so much more than just hundreds of high school theatre awards. He built hundreds of young people into amazing people, not just amazing actors. 

I missed the final performance of the day, but Elliot Cazes recorded it for me (above right): Green Day’s “Time Of Your Life.” 

Just perfect.

St. Mark Choir To Perform For Pope Leo XIV In Rome!

Dr. John Paul Cappa (center, with brown sport jacket) is bringing members of the St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church Choir on a “Peter’s Way” tour of Italy, including final stops in Rome, where the choir will perform for Pope Leo XIV, and have a Papal audience at Vatican City. (Photos by Charmaine George) 

I’m not Catholic, but I can’t help but feel proud to have seen and heard the amazing choir at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church on Cross Creek Blvd. perform shortly before 15 members of the choir and St. Mark director of music Dr. John Paul Cappa before the group embarked on a 10-day “Peter’s Way” tour culminating with a performance for Pope Leo XIV in Rome. 

St. Mark director of music John Paul Cappa 

Dr. Cappa, who has served in his position at St. Mark the past 18 years, has made this pilgrimage to perform for the Pope with two previous choirs — the St. George Parish Choir of Erie, PA, and the Mother of Sorrows Parish Choir of Murrysville, PA — but this will be the first time he has brought a group from St. Mark on such a journey. 

After watching the choir rehearse prior to Sunday Mass at the church, all I can say is that this is a truly talented group of singers of different ages who will do St. Mark and the entire New Tampa community proud when they perform for the Pope and 2,000 people at the St. Paul Center, next to the Vatican. 

Pope Leo XIV (Photo source: Wikipedia.com) 

“And, all of these folks are local,” said Dr. Cappa. “It’s really a blessing to be able to take this group on this journey.” 

He noted that, unlike his previous Peter’s Way tours of Italy, the St. Mark group is starting its tour on the western coast of Italy — Milan, Turin (to see the Shroud), Naples, Amalfi, Sorrento, Positano and Pompeii — and ending with a mass with the Pope at the Vatican. “A lot of the choir members and musicians are seasoned travelers who have been to Venice, Florence and Naples before,” he said, “so we’re doing a different trip this time.” 

And, even though he has brought groups to perform for the Pope before, “It’s a different Pope now. And, it is always exciting and an honor to perform for the Pope.” 

Soprano soloist Ashely Shalna 

It’d been years since I had attended a service at St. Mark, so I didn’t realize that the church’s choir has 30 singers, including soprano soloist Ashely Shalna, bass soloist Marty Angiulli and accompanist Maureen Hartung. “But, when some of our college students come back during breaks, we have as many as 42,” Dr. Cappa said. 

Of that group, he added, only 15 actual choir members will make the trip to Italy, “but with spouses and other church members, we’re bringing 37, I believe,” he said. 

Bass soloist Marty Angiulli 

On Nov. 2, the day photographer Charmaine George and I visited — and 9 days before the group was leaving for Italy — there were at least a dozen incredible musicians from the Florida Orchestra, as well as some USF professors, practicing and performing with the group for the 10:30 Sunday Mass. The rehearsal of composer Gabriel Fauré’s “Requiem” hymn with these woodwind, brass and string musicians was absolutely captivating. 

But, Dr. Cappa — who has a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree in Organ Performance from West Virginia University and is working on a second DMA degree in Choral Conducting at USF — says the choir will perform five pieces for Pope Leo: the “Orbis Factor” ordinary chant, the “Cantate Domino” by Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni; the “O Domine Jesu Christe” by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina; the “Locus Iste” by Anton Bruckner; and the “Adoramus Te” by Jacobus Clemens non Papa. 

I wish them all “Bonam Fortunam!”— GN


Some of the musicians from the Florida Orchestra 

Accompanist Maureen Hartung 

Benito Middle School Welcomes New Principal Jacqueline Enis!

The new principal at Benito Middle School on Cross Creek Blvd. is Jacqueline Enis, who plans to continue the New Tampa school’s tradition of “A”-rated excellence. (Photo provided by Jacqueline Enis) 

Jacqueline Enis is the new principal of Benito Middle School. 

Enis started in the role on Sept. 16, after former principal Brent Williams was tapped to lead Franklin Boys Preparatory Academy Middle Magnet School in Tampa. 

It was announced at the school board meeting on Aug. 26 that Williams would begin in his new role on Sept. 2. Hillsborough County Pubic Schools officials then acted quickly to interview candidates and appointed Enis to lead Benito, making the announcement at the School Board meeting on Sept. 9. 

Enis joins Benito after six years at neighboring Turner Bartels K-8 School, where she served as the assistant principal of curriculum. 

Prior to that, Enis had served as assistant principal of curriculum at Farnell Middle School since 2013. She began her career with Hillsborough County Public Schools in 2001, when she taught ESE language arts and reading and served as a reading coach. 

Enis says the transition to taking the reins at Benito has gone smoothly. 

“It’s absolutely awesome,” she says. “I love the community and I love what we’re doing for students. I’m happy to continue the legacy of those who came before me.” 

Benito has been a strong “A”-rated school for more than two decades. It has only two “Bs” in the school’s history, with the last one coming in 2001, so Enis says she isn’t looking to make a lot of changes on campus. 

“The students respect adults and have been very welcoming,” she says. “They tell me that they miss Mr. Williams, but they have embraced me and have made me feel at home.” 

Benito PTSA president Rob Taylor agrees with the students’ sentiments. “While we miss Mr. Williams, we are very excited to have Ms. Enis as our new principal,” Taylor says. “She seems on board with our goals of planning fun and exciting activities, events and rewards for students, and doing everything we can for our amazing teachers.” 

Enis says she’s happy to partner with the PTSA and volunteers on campus, and she likes to be accessible to parents. 

“I’m waving at them in the car line to make sure they recognize who to go to, whether they have positive things to share about their students, or concerns,” she says. 

Enis says her first few weeks at the school have been filled with one-on-one meetings with every employee on campus and that the teachers and support staff have been welcoming to her, as well. 

“I want to inspire students to succeed and help my school grow,” she says. “Benito is a place where learning is respected and there is collaboration. I want to continue to build those connections with students, staff and the community.”

The New Tampa Players (NTP) Present ‘Oklahoma!’ At The New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) Oct. 18-19 & Oct. 24-26!

NTP’s production of ‘Oklahoma!” was supposed to debut tonight (Friday, October 17), but due to male lead Gabriel White Marin leaving the area this week for a his new role in a touring company production of “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the opening night of “Oklahoma!” had to be moved from tonight to tomorrow night, so that the show’s choreographer Christan McLaurine could properly learn the choreography of the show’s classic fight scene in his new additional role as “Curly.” “It’s never easy to lose a show lead,” Paine says, “but I can’t think of a better reason to lose one! We’re all excited for Gabriel and know he will do great! We also know that Christan will do an amazing job as Curly!” 

Note — If you have tickets for tonight’s cancelled performance, NTP producing artistic director and “Oklahoma!” director Nora Paine says you can either have the cost of your tickets refunded or you can exchange them for any of the remaining available performances. Call the New Tampa Players Box Office at (813) 543-6252 if you haven’t already to make your arrangements.

As for the show itself, the heart of the American frontier comes alive on stage as NTP — New Tampa’s community theatre troupe — opens its highly anticipated production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center.

Directed by Paine (who also directed NTP’s “Singin’ in the Rain” in 2024), G. Frank Meekins (“Grease,” 2023) and Karissa Barber (“Into the Woods,” 2025), the production captures the spirit and charm of this beloved 1943 musical known for its rich score, iconic characters and sweeping depiction of life in the early 20th-century Oklahoma Territory. 

A Classic Reimagined For The Community

“Oklahoma!’ is more than just a musical: it’s a celebration of resilience, hope, and love,” Paine says. “We wanted to stay true to the classic while also making it feel fresh and relevant to our community.”

From the opening strains of “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” to the stirring finale, the show features standout performances from a terrific cast of local talent.

The multi-talented Mr. McLaurine, who wowed audiences as James “Thunder” Early in NTP’s production of “Dreamgirls” (he also was the incredible baritone voice of the man-eating plant Audrey II in NTP’s “Little Shop of Horrors”), steps into the role of Curly for Gabriel. Meanwhile, Isabella Ruano, a newcomer to the NTPAC stage, brings strength and warmth to the role of Laurey. The supporting cast — including NTP newcomer Madison DeBrino as Ado Annie, newcomer Tristan Horta as Will Parker, and long-time NTP veteran Michael Neary as the troubled farmhand Jud Fry — bring their roles to life with humor, heart and depth.

The Heart Of The Community, Too!

The production is a true community effort, involving more than 50 volunteers. Leading the team are costume designer Deb Lastinger, technical director Paul McColgan and scenic artist James Cass. Audiences will be especially delighted by the vibrant choreography by McLaurine and ballroom choreographer Erica Holland — a beautiful highlight of the show. 

Music directors Rick Barclay and G. Frank Meekins have teamed up to guide this 23-person cast and 14-musician orchestra through a score that will have you humming all the way home, including the title song, plus “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’,” “The Surrey with the Fringe on Top” and many more.

Don’t Miss It!

Don’t miss your chance to experience “Oklahoma!” like never before and get ready to be swept away by the beauty, music and magic of this unforgettable production.

Buy your tickets now, before NTP sells out the rest of this six-performance run! Performances of “Oklahoma!” will be Saturday, October 18, at 8 p.m., Sunday, October 19, at 3 p.m., Friday & Saturday, Oct. 24-25, at 8 p.m., and Saturday & Sunday, October 25-26, at 3 p.m. Tickets are available at NewTampaPlayers.org and cost $22-$40. Also, see the ad below for more info.