Category: Uncategorized

Zoom Meeting Postponed, So You Can Still Be Part Of It!

For the last few issues, I’ve been writing in this space about how I’ve personally felt about the state of race relations in this country. And now, I feel fortunate that I have found a way to do something about it — and several dozen of my readers in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel have agreed to see if we can do that something together.

And, even though I still have no idea what I hope this group can accomplish, I do know that the readers who have responded that they’re interested in participating are of all different racial, socioeconomic and religious backgrounds.

It’s the kind of group I hope to someday have a chance to meet with in person to have a beverage and/or a meal, or even a large-scale gathering in an open auditorium. But for now, it will begin with a Zoom meeting that originally had been scheduled for August 10 but has been postponed until a weeknight between August 19-August 26 that will be open to anyone who genuinely wants to be part of something that I hope will be helpful in some way.

In my August 4 editorial in Wesley Chapel Issue #16-20, I said that because it will be a Zoom meeting, I plan to moderate the discussion that evening and I have asked someone I have a huge amount of respect for to co-moderate it with me — District 63 State Representative Fentrice Driskell — who has already re-won reelection to her seat because of having no opponent and who represents the New Tampa area in the Florida House of Representatives.

Rep. Driskell is originally from Tampa Bay and moved back home after law school to find meaningful ways to involve herself in the community. So, as my co-moderator, she is someone who is familiar with our local context. Rep. Driskell believes that, in order to address racism, and ultimately, to heal its wounds, our community must be willing to have tough, honest and sometimes uncomfortable conversations about race. She also is in conversation with multiple stakeholders around these issues to develop policy solutions to tackle institutional racism at the legislative level.

Rep. Driskell also is working with other elected officials and community leaders on a project in conjunction with the Equal Justice Initiative that will lead to more community conversations about race. Through the project, local officials will erect a marker that will honor and memorialize the lives lost to racial lynchings in Hillsborough County during the Jim Crow era. The goal of that project is both to educate our community about its past with respect to racially motivated violence and also to spark dialogue about how our shared past is relevant to the structural racism that we see today. She believes that this kind of dialogue, rooted in the factual truth of our common past, will help us develop solutions to build a future that is more fair, inclusive and expansive in opportunity for us all.

After mentioning Rep. Driskell in my Aug. 4 editorial, I also mentioned, in the last paragraph of that editorial, that, “As the moderator of the Zoom meeting, one thing I won’t be interested in discussing is the defunding of law enforcement, which has become a popular rallying cry in the wake of (George) Floyd’s death. I also will do everything I can to not allow finger-pointing or for the meeting to become about Red vs. Blue.

“As someone who grew up in New York and saw police officers running towards people who had just been shot as I tried to go in the opposite direction — away from the danger — no one can convince me that 1) most cops aren’t good public servants & 2) to improve law enforcement’s protection of us will mean additional training that will cost more money, not less.”

Once Rep. Driskell saw my editorial, however, she called me to discuss it and shared her sentiment that in order for the meeting to be as inclusive as possible, it would be important for us to welcome the perspectives of all participants. She also shared that, as an elected official, it is her job and duty to listen and to consider the opinions of all of her constituents.

I really felt badly when Rep. Driskell brought this to my attention and, after we spoke about it, I better understood why I received some negative emails because of that paragraph.

So, while we may have differing viewpoints on some issues, Rep. Driskell and I agree that we have a responsibility to not exclude anyone’s ideas that would be productive to the discussion.

In addition, even though I didn’t want to postpone the meeting, in light of how Rep. Driskell felt about my editorial — which I didn’t share with her prior to publishing it in that Aug. 4 issue — in the current scope of the discussion, I agreed it was the right thing to do.

I knew it wasn’t easy for her to have to call me about it, but even though all of the opinions expressed in all 600+ of my page 3 editorials I have published in the 26 years I have owned and been the editor of the Neighborhood News have always been mine alone, once I was introducing Rep. Driskell as my co-moderator, I should have at least run the column by her, which might have prevented us from having to postpone it.

Please send me an email at ads@ntneighborhoodnews.com to join this open dialogue with this diverse group of your neighbors in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. Once the revised Zoom meeting date and time are set, I will again email everyone who signed up with a link to the meeting.

Radiance Orthodontics Wants To Put A Smile On Your Face, Too!

Tampa Palms resident Kellie Lightbourne says she’s a very particular person, especially when it comes to her family and their teeth.

You’d expect that from a former Mrs. USA and veteran television personality.

So, when it was time for Kellie to choose an orthodontist for her 12-year-old twins, she went to several offices for consultations.

She says it was when she met Sam Jureyda, D.M.D. (Doctor of Medical Dentistry), of Radiance Orthodontics, located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center, that she knew she had found exactly what she was seeking for her family.

“Dr. J is amazing,” she says. “He sat with my kids, talked with them, interacted with them and made them feel welcome.”

That’s a big deal for Kellie’s son, Niko, who has special needs. Kellie feared he wouldn’t cooperate with an orthodontist working inside his mouth.

“Once Niko decides he’s not doing something, there’s no way he’s going to do it,” Kellie says. “I thought orthodontic treatment would be a nightmare, but now he’ll do it for Dr. J because he likes him so much. Now, I have no fear.”

Niko’s twin sister, Landyn, immediately liked him, too. “Dr. J was so different than all the other orthodontists because he actually talked to us,” Landyn says. “It wasn’t boring. He actually made it sort of fun and interactive. He made us feel very comfortable and he’s very funny.”

Dr. Jureyda has spent more than 25 years practicing orthodontics. Before moving into private practice in 2006 — and subsequently opening Radiance Orthodontics in 2016 — he taught graduate-level students at the University of Buffalo, NY.

As a former educator, he believes his own practice is improved by education, as he strives to give his patients access to modern options that lead to the best possible outcomes. He knows each patient has a unique set of needs and is sure to treat each individual with a personalized and completely customized treatment plan.

His goal is not just to treat the patient, but also to involve the patient in the process — even the youngest among them — so they are invested in their care and have a positive experience at Radiance Orthodontics.

“We believe in building a relationship with each patient,” Dr. Jureyda explains, “educating, supporting and encouraging them. We look forward to your visits as time spent with a friend, and we genuinely hope you will feel the same.”

Radiance Orthodontics offers traditional metal braces, along with clear braces, and also offers treatment with Invisalign^TM, which uses invisible, removable, comfortable aligners to straighten teeth. The method is constantly improving and is now so effective, it often works more quickly than traditional braces.

Adapting To Keep You Safe

Like all orthodontic practices, Radiance Orthodontics was required to shut down for several weeks during the Covid-19 pandemic.

During that time, Dr. Jureyda and his staff continued to answer phone calls, text messages and emails to help their patients.

“Dr. J” provides quality orthodontic care and your health and safety are his top priorities. Photo provided by Radiance Orthodontics.

When the office reopened, the same stringent cleaning protocols that have always been practiced were followed, and enhanced procedures have been added, such as temperature checks and health screening questions.

“We have temporarily closed our waiting room and now ask our patients to wait in their cars,” says Dr. Jureyda. “Simply call or text us when you arrive, and we’ll let you know to come in as soon as your room is ready. We’re being extremely cautious at this time, to protect all of our patients and staff.”

‘Consultations Are Free?’

Justine (who asked that we only use her first name) is a University of South Florida medical student who recently began treatment at Radiance Orthodontics.

In January of 2019, Justine signed up with a company that promised to close a gap between her front teeth by sending her aligners in the mail. While her first choice would have been to go to an orthodontist in person, she didn’t think she could afford it.

“I don’t have dental insurance and I thought braces would cost $6,000 to $8,000,” she said. “I didn’t know consultations are free.”

Justine says the next 12 months with the mail-order company couldn’t have been further from her expectations. The aligners did not move her teeth, which caused them to not fit properly as she tried to continue her treatment. When she had questions — such as if the painful sores she was developing were normal — she had no medical professional to ask. She says the company’s customer service department replied in form letters that were sometimes not even relevant to her question.

When the aligners didn’t fit anymore, the company offered to send her modified aligners. She did her own impressions at home, and sent them in. She didn’t receive the new aligners for eight weeks. At that time, they no longer fit her teeth and she had to start over. After the third modification, with still no progress happening to fix the gap between her front teeth, she gave up. She decided she needed to see an orthodontist in person, and scheduled an appointment with Radiance Orthodontics.

She says she wishes she would have done it much sooner.

As she discovered, consultations at Radiance Orthodontics are completely free and are always no-obligation.

“The cost is much less than I thought it would be,” Justine says. “And it’s worth it. I’m a young adult without a lot of experience. I didn’t know there were discounts for paying in full, or that the pricing would be built around monthly payments and a payment plan.”

She says the experience is already vastly different than with the “do-it-yourself” aligners, including attachments being placed on her teeth to hold the Invisalign^TM aligners in place.

“Dr. J was listening,” Justine says. “It was such a stark difference than when I had no one to turn to.”

Serving The Community, Too!

One hallmark of Radiance Orthodontics is that Dr. Jureyda remains committed to being a partner at almost all of New Tampa’s public schools. As a business partner at our two high schools, three middle schools, and seven elementary schools, Dr. Jureyda actively supports the PTAs and students in our community.

“We truly miss being able to be out in the community and attending events at our local schools,” he says. “We consider it a privilege to support our local students and educators.”

To ensure that Radiance Orthodontics is accessible to everyone, especially during these uncertain times, Dr. Jureyda makes accommodations in both scheduling and payment plans. Some evening and Saturday appointments are available, and Radiance Orthodontics also works with patients to determine orthodontic benefits through dental insurance and provide affordable payment options.

“My reputation relies solely on how I treat each and every patient,” says Dr. Jureyda. “I take that very seriously.”

To read reviews about the practice, Google “Radiance Orthodontics,” where you’ll see that every review is a five-star rating. In addition to more than 100 ratings on Google, the reviews for Radiance Orthodontics on Facebook, Yelp! and Healthgrades are also exclusively five stars.

Radiance Orthodontics is located at 17427 Bridge Hill Ct., Suite A, in the Tampa Palms Professional Center. For more information, please visit MyRadianceBraces.com, search “Radiance Orthodontics” on Facebook, or see the ad on page 21. To schedule your free consultation, call or text Radiance Orthodontics at (813)-972-1100.

dentist orthodontics Sam Jureyda

Uptown Cheapskate Can Turn Your Unwanted Clothes Into Cash!

Uptown Cheapskate Tampa Palms owner Amber Watt.

We bet you didn’t realize that there’s money hiding in your closets. It’s sitting there right now. And no, we’re not talking about that $20 bill you found in your jacket pocket, so continue reading if you need a little Covid-19 cash boost. You really can find some convertible cash on your hangers, in your drawers and sitting on your shoe racks.

Thanks to Uptown Cheapskate — a chain of fashion retail stores that are similar to a thrift store but with more upscale, designer-label items — the clothes, shoes and accessories you no longer want, may be of resale value to you. The 4,800 sq.-ft. store that opened in the Publix-anchored City Plaza at Tampa Palms shopping center back in November of 2018 has re-emerged from a temporary Covid-19 closure in need of more trendy clothing and accessory items that you may have outgrown or stopped wearing or using for whatever reason.

Every day, the local Uptown Cheapskate buys your items from the time they open up until an hour before closing. There’s no appointment necessary, but the staff does prefer that your former fashions arrive in hampers or bins. You can shop while one of Uptown’s 12 employees sorts through to find inventory they need. From there, your “upcycled” clothes go through an appraisal system that generates two offers. You can choose cash or store credit — the latter yields an extra 25-percent value.

So, what should you be looking for the next time you clean out your closets? Uptown Cheapskate Tampa Palms owner Amber Watt says the store accepts a plethora of name brands, and fashions ranging from XS-XXL. The store is particularly in need of high-waisted “mom” shorts and jeans, crop tops, tank tops, shirts and trendy, summery pieces from brands like Zara and H&M.

“We cater to a very wide range of people and that’s what makes us so successful,” says Watt, who adds that she regularly shopped at Goodwill as a youngster before attending West Virginia University in Morgantown on a full academic scholarship and studying engineering.

Watt’s store is one of three in Florida from this national franchise that includes more than 80 locations in two dozen states. It launched in Utah more than a decade ago., and the Tampa Palms store is the only one in the Tampa Bay area. Watt says it was doing very well until the novel coronavirus forced a temporary shutdown in March.

“It hit us pretty hard,” says Watt, who was very happy that Publix, the landlord for the plaza, issued her a rent abatement for two months. “We were having a pretty strong Saturday in the middle of March and by the next Saturday, we were completely shut down. We did start an online store over the break (Uptown-Cheapskate-Tampa-Palms.myshopify.com) and were able to keep some of the staff on. It helped, but it wasn’t what we needed.”

Uptown Cheapskate reopened at 25-percent capacity during the first week of May and went to 50 percent by the end of that month. It returned to full capacity by June, along with some new changes.Sneeze guards have been installed on all of the counters and stickers are now on the floor depicting the 6-feet social distancing space.

All employees must wear face masks and customers are required to as well. The store provides free disposable face masks for customers and also sells double-layer cloth masks. All six dressing rooms are sanitized and locked each time a customer uses one, and hand sanitizer is available at all stations.

We Want Your Clothes!

“It was surprising when we reopened,” Watt says. “We expected a lot of pent-up demand to sell us clothes, but when we reopened, it was really the opposite. We had a lot of customers shopping for clothes, but not selling us (their) clothes. We were unprepared for that, so we’ve depleted our inventory quite badly and really need spring and summer clothes now. We hope everyone will clean out their closets and bring their clothes to us. ”

Whether shopping or selling, Watt prides herself on keeping a clean, organized store where customer service is paramount. Clothes are organized by size, then subcategorized by short/long and further by color groupings. The experience was something that Ashlee Fredrickson felt compelled to share on Facebook after recently making the drive from Brandon to shop there.

“Clean store,” she said. “Plenty of safety measures in place with recent Covid-19 issues. Great selection and great prices.”

Any time you visit, shoppers should look for stickers. Depending upon the color, there’s various discounts available — as much as 70-percent off retail. Uptown Cheapskate puts new items out within 30 minutes of bringing them in and many are gone within a week. For other items that literally hang around longer, the local store offers a semi-annual sale to push through old inventory and make room for the new styles that come in every day.

Other deals to look out for include Dollar Days — where clearance items go for as low as a $1 — and the tax-free weekend August 7-9, where you save the 8.5% sales tax.

Watt says that plus sizes are hard to keep in stock and the handbag rack also is a popular display. The store also always needs shoes, especially men’s athletic footwear, and offers a wide range of bralets, complete outfits, swimwear and new and used jewelry. The casual clothing store caters to everyday wear fashions – primarily for the age 18-55 crowd.

Customer favorites include brands such as lululemon and Gymshark athletic wear, Kate Spade and Michael Kors handbags and American Eagle jeans. You will find everything from Target brands up to Gucci and Louis Vuitton. On a recent visit ,we found a Coach purse for $22.99, Victoria Secret leggings for $13.99, Adidas shoes for $27.99 and an almost new men’s Ralph Lauren Polo shirt for $13.99.

Anything that the store doesn’t purchase from you can easily be donated to the Salvation Army, which picks up donations onsite 2-3 times a week. You can leave them behind and you’ll receive a tax receipt. It’s better than having your unwanted clothes end up in a landfill, Watt says.

“Resale is on the rise,” she says. “It’s the future — for environmental reasons. Clothing in a landfill lasts up to 200 years. But, your trash might just be somebody else’s treasure.”

Whether or not you think you have a few dollars hanging in your closet, head over to Uptown Cheapskate at 16031 Tampa Palms Blvd. W. Store hours are Monday–Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., 10 a.m.-9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and noon-6 p.m. on Sunday. For more info, call (813) 287-8696 or visit UptownCheapskate.com.

second-hand uptown cheapskate

Local Teen Delivers A Positive Message

For one Wesley Chapel teenage entrepreneur, every Friday is Black Friday.

In conjunction with her online store selling T-shirts that promote positive messages for black teenagers, Janiah Hinds also posts a video every week of someone who is important in black history. She begins each video with “Welcome to Black Friday…”

The 15-year-old, who lives in Country Walk and will soon start her junior year at Wesley Chapel High, hasn’t missed a Friday since she first came up with the idea last fall.

She says it started with brainstorming in her room one day.

“I thought of stereotypes of African Americans and I wrote them down,” she says. When she showed them to her dad, an entrepreneur and business coach himself, he encouraged her to put the list on a T-shirt to sell.

Janiah’s online store now carries T-shirts that dispel those stereotypes, plus three additional T-shirt designs that celebrate being black. For example, one popular shirt says, “Black is ambitious, powerful, intelligent, resilient, hardworking.”

She also created a limited edition design for Juneteenth that sold out.

Janiah named her business “Slay It Proud,” which she says means to “rock the message proudly” and also is a tribute to the song, “Say it loud! I’m black and I’m proud” by the late, great R&B superstar James Brown.

She says it’s also a nod to her 13-year-old sister, Joelle, who also is a young entrepreneur herself. Joelle started a business selling press-on nails, called “Slay All Day Nails,” last year.

“When I was younger, I never would have thought I would have my own business selling T-shirts,” says Janiah, “but I’m glad that I have this opportunity and that I can use my platform to spread black history.”

That’s what Janiah says is her true passion — sharing black history with teenagers and others.

So, she came up with the idea to post the weekly videos. With the self-imposed responsibility of posting so much new content, she says she now takes suggestions and also does quite a bit of research of her own.

In the past couple of months, she’s posted videos about Ida B. Wells, a prominent anti-lynching campaigner in the early 1900s; a famous “hypocrisy speech” delivered on July 4, 1852 by Frederick Douglass; as well as one about the inventor of the Super Soaker water gun in the 1980s, Lonnie Johnson.

“A favorite person of mine would be Shirley Chisholm,” Janiah says. “She was the first African American woman in Congress. When she (ran) for president of the US, she wasn’t allowed to be on the stage and debate (against the other candidates) because she was black. She had to take legal action to be allowed to participate.”

In 1972, not only was Chisholm was the first black person to run for a major party nomination for U.S. President, she was also the first woman ever to run for the presidential nomination for the Democratic party.

Janiah’s dad, Kymone Hinds, says he also is learning from his daughter.

“From a young age, Janiah has had a heart for people who are in need and those who are forgotten about. In addition, from the time she was first exposed to black history, she has become a self-student — doing self-studies in that area — and has helped to educate me on important figures in black history that I didn’t know about.”

Janiah says her business is just the start. In the future, she says she hopes to become a civil rights lawyer and help bring justice and equality to people.

As she sees Black Lives Matter protests happening throughout the country, she sees an opportunity to change the world for the better.

“I hope that what’s going on now can bring a better change for future generations, especially future generations for people who look me.”

Janiah has even been featured on local TV news stations, including a February interview on WFLA-TV News Channel 8 (screenshot, right)).

And while Slay It Proud was founded with black teenagers in mind, Janiah says it’s not limited to them.

“A lot of white people and people of other races have supported my business and bought my ‘Black is’ shirts,” she says. “To me, it’s saying that you see something is wrong and you want to fix it and change society for the better.”

Her dad sees Janiah as a young leader. “In any movement for change, people are playing different roles,” says Kymone. “There are those on the front line making sure it stays in view and those pushing for change at the political level. Her role is helping people to understand black history. Here is a true education, besides the limited scope of slavery and the civil rights movement.”

Janiah’s website is SlayItProud.com, where you can view all of her merchandise and access her virtual African American museum. She posts her Black Friday videos on Facebook and Instagram. Find them by searching “Slay It Proud.”

Slay it Proud

New Tampa Road Projects Still On The Way!

A new roundabout for Highwoods Preserve Pkwy., a new coat of paving for New Tampa Blvd. and a number of new enhancements for Tampa Palms Blvd. remain in the New Tampa/District 7 pipeline for Fiscal Year 2021, according to Tampa City Council member Luis Viera.

Issues like lawsuits and Covid-19 have slowed some of the projects down.

“They’re coming, though,” Viera says. “They’re coming.”

One project that likely already would have been done, or certainly would’ve been underway by now, are the long-awaited repaving and enhancements of New Tampa Blvd., from the New Tampa Gateway Bridge to Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

Long a prickly point with many West Meadows residents, the repaving was on the list of items that were supposed to be expedited after the All For Transportation (AFT) referendum passed in 2019, with 57 percent of voters agreeing to a one-cent sales tax increase to be used for transportation projects.

The New Tampa Blvd. project was slated to receive $1.3 million of the $280 million a year for 30 years the tax was expected to yield. However, Hillsborough County Commissioner Stacy White challenged the referendum language and it is now tied up in the Florida Supreme Court, which has yet to make a decision. A back-up plan for another referendum this fall has been postponed until 2022, as Covid-19 has taken precedence.

There is some good news — the New Tampa Blvd. project concept design is being funded by the City of Tampa.

“However, it can’t be completed without AFT funds, which really stinks,” says Viera, who pushed hard for New Tampa to receive some immediate improvements due to its support for the referendum, only to see it get tied up in litigation. “Moving forward with the design means they are married to the idea. So, if the AFT money doesn’t come through, it will still be funded. It’s just going to be on a longer timeline.”

The same goes for Tampa Palms Blvd., which had a total of $700,000 earmarked for Complete Streets programming, which is a Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) plan for improving pedestrian and bicyclist safety and “building the right road in the right place for the right purpose.”

The Tampa Palms Blvd. project is supposed to include operational improvements to its two Compton Dr. intersections — namely potential roundabouts to replace four-way stops — as well as roadway improvements like enhanced crosswalks, sidewalks and bulb-outs (also called curb extensions) along the roadway’s 4-mile loop.

One project that won’t be held up by AFT funds is a roundabout currently being designed for the intersection of Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. and Highwoods Palm Way/Bridle Club Dr.

The roundabout will help calm traffic at the busy intersection that leads out of the Highwoods Preserve Corporate Campus (home to thousands of employees at MetLife, Syniverse and T-Mobile) and, on the other side of Highwoods Preserve Pkwy., the Equestrian Parc at Highwoods Preserve apartment complex.

The design is expected to be completed by the end of this year, with construction expected in 2021.

road prohects round about