Rachael Mendohlson, an 11-year-old who lives in Quail Hollow, says her life is pretty idyllic.
âIâm blessed and lucky to live on a beautiful ranch with my parents and sister,â she says, where she helps care for 40 chickens, 20 cows, five cats and two rabbits.
Thatâs why, when she heard about a kid her age in Kansas who provided gifts to children staying in a homeless shelter, she thought she could do something similar in her community.
Rachael asked her dad, Lane, to help her get started.
Lane sought out a family shelter in Pasco County and found out that Rachaelâs timing couldnât have been better, as the countyâs very first shelter that accommodates families is opening this month in Port Richey.
Rachaelâs plan was to pack new backpacks with toys and activities so that kids arriving at the shelter would be greeted with a bag full of new items just for them.
To fund her idea, she planned to use one dollar from every dozen eggs she and her sister sold from their egg business.
Thatâs where Lane stepped in again, offering that his company, Vantagepoint AI, would pay for the backpacks and toys so that Rachael could have enough funds to make an impact quickly, making a donation that would pay for 70 backpacks, along with toys and activities to fill the backpacks.
Rachael and her sister, 8-year-old Abby, sorted the toys by age and packed all of the bags themselves, including items such as coloring books, colored pencils, a book, fidget toys, and magnetic drawing toys for the younger kids, while choosing items such as a watch and a hat for older kids.
âBeing a girl and going to school, I know Pop Its fidget toys are very popular,â she said, âso I made sure to include a lot of those.â
In early October, Rachael was invited to bring her donations to the new shelter and speak to invited guests at the shelterâs opening ceremony.
She said that if she can do something good to bring someone else happiness, thatâs what she wants to do.
âI hope a kid will see the backpack and think, âOh my gosh, someone really cares about me,â and that will give a little spark to make someone happy,â Rachael says.
Lane says he wants to pass on what learned from his parents to the next generation. âI want to instill those values of gratitude and giving people a hand when they need it in my own daughters,â Lane says. âItâs so important that they grow up that way.â
It seems heâs doing just that, as Lane says that Abby has expressed interest in finding her own way to give back, thanks to her inspiring older sister.
âGiving back is my way of saying thank you,â Rachael says, âbecause Iâm grateful that I have such an amazing life.â
When classically trained chef Anass El-Omari and his wife Susana Herrera purchased Lexington Oaks Golf Club about three years ago, I was excited about the prospect of having another real restaurant in Wesley Chapel.
And, although Anass at first revamped the existing golfer-oriented menu at the golf courseâs restaurant, which he re-named Omariâs Grille, he ended up scaling back his everyday offerings of fresh fish, pasta and filet mignon, and has kept the menu smaller and simpler since reopening Omariâs after the Covid-19 pandemic shut it down for a few months in 2020.
But now, while Omariâs regular menu is still mainly comprised of burgers, sandwiches, wings and other fast, simple foods favored by the golfers who frequent his completely renovated golf course, Anass has brought back some of the dishes I loved on his original Omariâs menu as specials on Friday evenings.
Anass loves both cooking and talking about cooking. So, in conjunction with this article, we recorded our second âCooking With Anassâ segment that was released a few days before this issue arrived in your mailbox, where he made an amazing Cajun pasta (above), with both Andouille sausage and top sirloin steak in a semi-spicy cream sauce thatâs as good as anything youâll find in any fine dining establishment.
Now that things have gotten a little more normal in this Covid-crazy world, people are again looking for great places to host events like weddings, quinceañeras, baby showers, anniversary parties and even memorial gatherings and you canât go wrong if you host your next event for 20-80 people at Lexington Oaks.
Omariâs offers a complete appetizer catering menu â featuring burger sliders, mini-croissants stuffed with chicken and tuna salad and more â as well as a sit-down dinner menu for events, so you can serve London broil with mushroom sauce, orange chicken and a variety of shrimp dishes, plus a dessert bar. Anass and his staff also can custom-design pretty much anything else youâd want to serve.
And, while the indoor space currently is limited to 80 people, Anass says he plans to extend the room out to the existing patio area, so that up to 120 people could fit in the air conditioned, indoor space. And, there is an additional covered outdoor space that can fit another 60 or so people.
âI think Wesley Chapel really needs an event space like this,â Anass says, âand the food will always be good. âPlus, we have the area down by the water (photo above) for weddings (as in the photo above) and the people love it.â
Omariâs Grill at Lexington Oaks Golf Club (16333 Lexington Oaks Blvd.) is open Wednesday & Thursday, 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m., 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m., and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday & Sunday. For additional information, call (813) 929-4217, visit LexingtonOaksGolf.com. Or, call the golf courseâs main number â (813) 907-7270 â to talk to a catering specialist about scheduling, and designing a menu for, your event.
Dr. Jay Nelson has sold his dental practice and now focuses dental sleep medicine and specifically helping those who suffer from sleep apnea at his Nelson Dental Sleep Medicine practice located off S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel. (Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Nelson)
After decades of practicing dentistry, Dr. Jay Nelson, D.M.D (Doctor of Dental Medicine), has sold his dental practice in Lutz to focus exclusively on dental sleep medicine.
Itâs been his passion for more than a decade, since he first took a course that he says sparked his interest.
As his knowledge, expertise and dental sleep medicine practice have grown over more than 10 years, it led Dr. Nelson to sell his dental practice, located off S.R. 54 in Lutz, in January. He had originally opened that practice in 1987, about the same time he moved to New Tampa, where he still lives.
In April of this year, he opened Nelson Dental Sleep Medicine on Foggy Creek Rd., in the Cypress Creek Professional Center off of S.R. 56 (less than a mile east of I-75).
The move to the new office allows him to focus fully on treating those who suffer from sleep apnea âWeâre actually saving lives,â Dr. Nelson says.
Building on what he learned while earning his D.M.D. degree at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia, Dr. Nelson has since earned advanced certifications from professional organizations such as the Academy of Laser Dentistry (ALD), Academy of Comprehensive Esthetics (ACE) and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM).
Frances Cameli (left) and Betsy Ramos both worked with Dr. Nelson at his dental practice and have now joined him at his Nelson Dental Sleep Medicine office.
Nelson Dental Sleep Medicine is the only facility in Florida and one of the first 20 dental offices in the U.S. to be accredited by the AADSM.
Recently, Dr. Nelson was one of only two dentists asked to speak before the 21st annual Current Concepts in Sleep medical conference, where he taught virtually to a national audience.
His team at his new office includes Frances Cameli, who worked in his previous practice for more than 10 years and serves as the dental sleep manager in the front office, while Betsy Ramos, who also came from Dr. Nelsonâs previous practice, serves as the officeâs clinical assistant.
Dr. Nelson offers a free consultation to people who wonder if their snoring might be a sign they have a serious underlying condition. And often, itâs not the patient who suggests they visit Dr. Nelson, but those who have to sleep within earshot of them.
âWe save marriages, too,â Dr. Nelson says, referring to those couples who sleep separately because of the disturbances from snoring.
To find out if youâre at risk for sleep apnea, Dr. Nelson suggests using Google to search for the âSTOP BANGâ survey questionnaire. It asks questions about snoring, tiredness and other risk factors. There also is a similar assessment (that requires personal information to be entered) on the Nelson Dental Sleep Medicine website: SleepBetterFlorida.com/take-our-quiz.
Sleep apnea is a condition affecting more than 200,000 people in the U.S. each year. It causes patients to stop breathing for brief periods of time during sleep, which can lead to drowsiness that increases risk for auto and other accidents, as well as an increased risk of overall mortality, strokes and cancer.
âIf you have symptoms of sleep apnea,â he says, âget tested or get treated.â
Obstructive sleep apnea is a medical condition, so those who see Dr. Nelson will be referred for evaluation at a sleep testing center, as well as to their primary care physician for diagnosis.
The standard treatment for obstructive sleep apnea has been to pump a continuous stream of air into a patientâs nose or mouth while sleeping. This method â using a Continuous Positive Air Pressure (or CPAP) system â is effective, but many people find the CPAP machine cumbersome and uncomfortable to use, Dr. Nelson says, resulting a high failure rate, usually due to patient non-compliance.
âWe know that 50% of people who start on a CPAP give it up within a year,â explains Dr. Nelson, âso we provide an alternative to that.â
Instead of the unwieldy, scary-looking CPAP machine, Dr. Nelson makes an FDA approved oral appliance that is adjusted to position the tongue and jaw to allow greater airflow to the lungs while sleeping.
âMany people find the oral appliances more comfortable than the CPAP,â Dr. Nelson says, explaining that those who have been diagnosed with mild or moderate sleep apnea can begin using an oral appliance, while those who have severe sleep apnea should start with the CPAP. If they are not able to comfortably use the CPAP, they then become a candidate for an oral appliance. Nelson Dental Sleep Medicine does offer both types of appliances.
Ed Sapiega is one of Dr. Nelsonâs patients, who first came to him about three years ago. Tired of the hassle of lugging his CPAP machine around while he traveled, Ed was thrilled with the appliance that Dr. Nelson made for him.
âI had lived with a CPAP machine for years,â Ed says, âThe noises it made prevented my wife from sleeping almost as much as my snoring did.â
Recently, Edâs original oral appliance broke, and he went back to Dr. Nelson for a new one. However, he found out that since he first became Dr. Nelsonâs patient, an even better device (above) has become available.
âItâs quite fantastic,â he says. âItâs easy to use, and thereâs no pain and no strain. I didnât have to go through a process of learning to sleep with it.â
He says that while he was very happy with his first device, times have changed, and his new one, while from the same company, is much better.
âCompared to the CPAP, itâs very convenient and extremely effective,â Ed says. âDr. Nelson is very good with these devices and keeps very current. Iâm extremely pleased.â
Ed adds that Dr. Nelson was able to accommodate him very quickly, and he has nothing but good things to say about him. âHeâs a very pleasant dentist and professional to deal with.â
Because the treatment is for a medical condition, Dr. Nelson and his staff help patients navigate the confusing world of medical insurance and accept Care Credit, which offers payment plans for those who have out-of-pocket expenses.
Nelson Dental Sleep Medicine is located at 26907 Foggy Creek Rd., Suite 101, in Wesley Chapel. To make an appointment or for additional information, visit SleepBetterFlorida.com or call (813) 733-4169.
âThe Nutcrackerâ is in its 22nd Dance Theatre of Tampa season, and this year will be held Friday-Sunday, December 17-19, at the USF Tampa College of Arts Theater 1.
Whether you or your child likes to dance for fun or dreams of a career on stage one day, the New Tampa Dance Theatre (NTDT) offers dancers a world-class, professional experience that is unmatched in the Tampa Bay area.
Located on Cross Creek Blvd. (across from Heritage Isles) in New Tampa, the 7,500-sq.-ft. NTDT is the largest professional dance training facility in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. Owner and artistic director Dyane Elkins IronWing is in her 27th season of creating dance memories and futures for her students, many of whom have gone on to study dance in college and/or dance professionally.
âAs always, Iâm so proud of our students,â says Elkins IronWing. âOur dancers become excellent college students, with their impressive time-management skills, perseverance and creative thinking. Our hearts are bursting with excitement, seeing our beautiful students again. We are continuing to give back to the community during this pandemic with our âPay It Forwardâ program and offering all new students $25 per month tuition for every class!â
NTDTâs complete schedule of classes is being offered with in-person classes. Elkins IronWing says that the safety of her students has always been her top priority, so social distance guidelines, extra disinfecting nightly with hospital-grade products and wearing masks are all required at this time.
âOur students are extremely excited being back dancing at the school again and spending time with their dance family,â says Elkins IronWing. âWeâre extremely proud of our faculty and studentsâ dedication and perseverance during this pandemic. They are all truly living up to the NTDT motto of âRespect, Responsibility and Teamwork.ââ
A Chance To âDo As I Have Doneâ
Elkins IronWing says she started dancing at age 5, later trained in New York City and performed with Ballet Metropolitan in Columbus, OH.
She moved to Tampa in 1995 and immediately opened NTDT in the Pebble Creek Collection. In 2002, she purchased the current NTDT property on Cross Creek Blvd, and moved her school to the new building in January 2006.
With the bigger location, Elkins IronWing was off and running, offering smaller class sizes and larger, more varied schedules.
She says NTDT also has a larger pool of students today, with the ongoing explosive growth in Wesley Chapel, as well as in New Tampa.
âOur name might say New Tampa,â she says, âbut our location is much closer to Wesley Chapel than one might assume. We are extremely convenient to all of the current growth (there). Wesley Chapel families are shocked to discover just how close we are and are excited because of how quickly they can drive to our school.â
All Ages & Experience Levels
NTDT caters to both the recreational dance lover as well as the devoted pre-professional â and every level in between.
The studioâs leveled curriculum offers multiple art forms for students to explore. Through personalized attention and professional expertise, NTDTâs professional faculty strives to provide a positive educational experience.
Children ages 3-4 can participate in the schoolâs Early Childhood Program, ages 5-8 can take part in the Childrenâs Program and ages 9-18 are invited to join NTDTâs Youth Program.
Located on Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa, the 7,500-sq.-ft. New Tampa Dance Theatre is the largest professional dance training facility in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area.
In addition to classical ballet, NTDT offers full programs in creative movement, modern, jazz, tap and hip-hop.
Each program has its own directors and specific syllabuses guiding students in a structured manner through their studies.
The facilities at NTDT are as top notch as the instructors, and include maple flooring for the tap classes, 20-25-ft.-tall mirrored walls, student locker rooms and a large studio space that can accommodate up to 200 people.
NTDT has developed a reputation for creating strong, professional dancers with alumni who have moved on to highly respected dance companies, Broadway productions, national tours and even the Walt Disney Company.
Because NTDT students learn to be proficient in multiple art forms, these students have an edge in the competitive world of dance and many of them have been accepted into prestigious summer intensive programs, including the School of American Ballet and American Ballet Theater in New York City, The Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago and the Boston Ballet.
âWith just passing our milestone 25th 2.0 anniversary celebration season, itâs a time for reflection with extreme gratitude and love for all the amazing people who have been a part of our dance programs and family,â says Elkins IronWing.
One local former student certainly agrees with that assessment.
âI credit all of my success as a professional dancer to the foundational training I received at NTDT from ages 6-18,â says Victoria DeRenzo, who today is a professional dancer and choreographer who has toured internationally in 28 countries on four continents, most notably with the renowned Pilobolus Dance Theatre in Washington Depot, CT.
âI loved every second of my experience growing up there,â DeRenzo adds, âbut I had no idea how spoiled I was until I graduated. Not many people receive a top-notch dance education in multiple artforms during their lifetimes, let alone at the age of 6.â
If a student doesnât choose to pursue a career in dance after high school, they can still reach a level of artistry to be accepted into many college dance programs, says Elkins IronWing.
âBelieving in yourself, respecting the process of working towards a goal, and having a well-rounded dance education give our students the tools and confidence to continue discovering new passions throughout their lifetimes,â she says.
Great Productions, Too!
All students have the opportunity to perform in NTDTâs âSpring Productionâ and â through the studioâs nonprofit partner, the Dance Theatre of Tampa (DTT) â in the winter production of âThe Nutcracker,â as well as the âSummer Concert Series,â held in June at the University of South Floridaâs Tampa campus.
DTT provides more than 300 free tickets to NTDTâs corporate sponsors, local community supporters, alumni members and students. A small costume rental fee for productions is the only cost over the tuition that parents have to pay at any time â Elkins IronWing says there is never a requirement to buy advertising or pay performance fees.
New Tampa residents Gary and Charity Hartley relocated here in 2018 from Virginia, and enrolled their daughter Hope at NTDT.
âThe New Tampa Dance Theatre and the entire staff were the linchpins for our transition into the New Tampa area,â Charity says. âThe warmth of the studio, quality of instruction and wonderful students have made us feel right at home. We especially love the way (NTDT) manages the educational aspect of their DTT company members, ensuring they have exposure to various dance forms in their weekly training, master classes and dance performances they attend as a group.â
Every holiday season, Elkins IronWing says local residents look forward to the communityâs largest and longest-running interpretation of Tchaikovskyâs classic ballet, âThe Nutcracker,â now in its 22nd DTT season. This year, it will be held Friday-Sunday, December 17-19, at the USF Tampa College of Arts Theater 1.
âItâs all about the children at NTDT, always has been and always will be,â she says. âWe are a company that enables children to succeed. The key is setting high expectations, all while having fun and building self-confidence. With the transition season ahead of us, we would like to thank all of our trusting and loyal families over the years and the organizations that continually support our vision. Without their recognition and time, NTDT wouldnât be the magical place it has become!â
The New Tampa Dance Theatre offers year-round free trial classes for prospective dancers of all ages. To tour the facility or to rent it for a meeting, party or function, visit NTDT at 10701 Cross Creek Blvd. For more information and to check out the exciting lineup of fall 2021 classes, visit NewTampaDanceTheatre.com, call (813) 994-NTDT (6838) or see the ad on page 27. You also can follow NTDT on Facebook and Instagram at âNew Tampa Dance Theatre.â
The 50,000-square-foot AdventHealth Care Pavilion at Hunterâs Green is now open in the former LifePoint Church building on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. at Hunterâs Lake Dr. (Drone photo by Charmaine George)
Going to the doctor may never be described as a fun experience. From the dreary waiting room to being shuffled in for the poking and prodding to the inevitable stop at the pharmacy on the way home or, even worse, a separate trip to another dreary waiting room at an imaging center or somewhere else for more tests, itâs an experience many people arenât thrilled to go through.
However, AdventHealth Care Pavilion is opening on Sept. 14, and is happy to try and change some of that.
Located on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. at Hunterâs Lake Dr. in front of Hunterâs Green, the areaâs newest facility also is its most innovative. The emphasis was on taking everything that patients find most frustrating about going to see a doctor and improving it.
That means easier and more convenient registration, modern waiting rooms and in addition to being home to eight primary care physicians, there will be no need for additional trips elsewhere in most cases because the new facility boasts in-house labs, imaging for x-rays and MRIs to name a few, and even a pharmacy.
âWe tried to think through some of the little things that make it easier and more convenient and comfortable for people,â says John Johannessen, senior executive officer for non-acute services in the West Florida division of AdventHealth. âThatâs the mindset of what a care pavilion is. We make it easier, make it comfortable and add a higher level of service so itâs just simply a destination location that you want to come to for your care and to stay healthy.â
Johannessen says AdventHealth is so serious about making it a pleasant experience, they hired a longtime Disney hospitality employee who will be specifically dedicated to the buildingâs consumer experience.
In fact, Johannessen doesnât call it a reception desk that greets you upon entering, he says itâs more of a concierge-level welcome center.
âObviously nobody likes registering,â he adds. âYou register for the doctor and then when you have to go for the lab, you have to register for the lab, and then when you need to go get an image you have to register for the imaging. Itâs a nightmare. Itâs easy for people to say, âWhy donât you already have this information, why do I have to tell you this 10 times?ââ
In addition to primary care, there will be other offerings, like subspecialties offered, such as cardiology, gastroenterology, obstetrics and general surgery. By the end of the year, Johannessen expects to have a pediatrician on staff as well.
While it is not labeled as an urgent care, the pavilion will accept walk-ins and can provide emergency care.
The facility is roomy, going more for an open-air mall type of feel than your traditional doctorâs office. A lot of thought has been put into the light, the music and even the colors, according to Johannessen, so a better mood and tone can be set.
When you are brought to your exam room, thatâs where everything, even bloodwork, will happen.
When you are brought to your exam room, thatâs where everything, even bloodwork, will happen (unless you need an X-ray, which is just a short walk away).
The focus is on connecting services for the convenience of patients.
Another convenience â a kids club for families who have children and canât find a babysitter. The hours at the Advent Health Care Pavilion are Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-7 p.m., and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, so parents have flexibility and donât have to schedule their doctor visits around childcare or work.
âWe try to make it easy,â says Johannessen , who adds that the pavilion will initially be closed Sundays but the goal is to add enough to make it a seven-days-a-week facility.
The on-site Imaging Center will offer a separate womenâs suite, focused on services that are important to them, like mammograms.
Imaging also has a large-bore MRI, which is the same as a traditional MRI but has a larger bore opening that adds more comfort and less stress for those who may suffer from claustrophobia.
âWe tried to think through (many) of the little things that make it easier and more convenient,â says Johannessen.
The Hunterâs Green location actually is the second Care Pavilion center opened by AdventHealth. The first one opened in Westchase in June, to great response , according to Johannessen. But, the New Tampa location, which is roughly 50,000-sq.-ft. compared to its 20,000-sq.-ft. counterpart across the county, has more room to offer and room for expansion as well.
AdventHealth had been looking for a site somewhere along BBD for a year, and had all but settled on one when the previous owners of the property, which was most recently home to LifePoint Church (and Winn-Dixie before that) elected to sell.
The new site was perfect â close to an intersection, linked to a large community like Hunterâs Green, and was the right size with plenty of parking. âIt checked all our boxes,â Johannessen says.
And, that is exactly what he hopes the AdventHealth Care Pavilion at Hunterâs Green will do for those looking for quality, innovative and easy-to-navigate healthcare.
The AdventHealth Care Pavilion at Hunterâs Green (8702 Hunterâs Lake Dr.) is now open. For more information, call (813) 467-4700 or visit AdventHealthCarePavilion.com.
