Here are the area’s top teachers as selected by their peers. Congratulations!
Stacy Hoffman Hunter’s Green Elementary Math & Science, 3rd grade STEM lead “Teaching is my passion! My students become family and together we build a class community. We don’t see differences, we encourage others, and we understand that we learn from our mistakes. Through this, I become their biggest cheerleader, encouraging them to be the best they can be.”
Simon Meshbesher Liberty Middle Social Studies/History, 8th Grade “Teaching is the most exciting and rewarding profession! The extent of enjoying student achievement, watching students learn, offers unlimited possibilities to influence generations of students, imparting to them the excitement of learning, the passion of discovery, and the magic of an inquisitive mind.”
Michelle Payton Clark Elementary Math & Science 4th grade “My favorite thing about teaching is making positive connections with my students and showing them that learning can be fun…each time I see one of my students have an “A-Ha” moment, it means success (for both of us).”
Rachael Trent Freedom High ESE “The students in my classroom run their own business, have jobs on campus and volunteer at an assisted living facility in our community. I love that I am able to facilitate all of this for them in order to enrich their lives and help them become more independent adults.”
Daniel Sturlaugson Turner Bartels K-8 School 4th Grade “My favorite thing about teaching is empowering students to lead. Student leadership isn’t something that we are mandated to teach, but it’s crucial in preparing students to be college- and career-ready. It’s a true opportunity to see students grow and change right before your eyes.”
Shane Moody Benito Middle School Subject Area Leader for the Language Arts Department, ELA-3 (8th grade) Honors/Advanced classes. “The best thing about teaching is that I get to invest my time in developing young students on a path to success relating to their life goals…I am so proud to say I am a member of the Jaguar Family.”
Kendall Arnold Heritage Elementary 2nd grade “My favorite thing about teaching is making connections with students that last beyond the year they are in my class. I have students who come to visit me years after they leave my second grade class. This is the most meaningful part of my job.”
Carol Lynch Tampa Palms Elementary 1st grade “Tampa Palms Elementary has an incredibly talented staff of teachers and support personnel, so it really is an honor to be chosen by my peers for this award.”
Dawn Harris Pride Elementary Kindergarten “My favorite thing about teaching is the growth I see ALL my students achieve. They always make me proud.”
Lisa Keigher Chiles Elementary English Language Arts 3rd grade “My own children, who are now adults, went to Chiles. Their teachers, some who are still at Chiles…inspired me to go into education. To be chosen from my colleagues is the greatest honor I could have ever gotten.”
Elizabeth Glover Wharton High Social Studies, AP Human Geography (9th grade) and Student Government Advisor. “(My favorite thing about teaching?) Working with the students! Watching them have the ‘a-ha’ moments while explaining difficult concepts to them. Teaching them tools to perform tasks, then observing them while they self-start and do (them) on their own.”
Pam Edmonson has a warm, welcoming personality that sparkles. You might say she lights up the room. Her passion really shines through when she talks about helping and serving people, especially through her career.
Pam is an experienced permanent makeup artist who owns Serenity Salon & Spa Suites, located off S.R. 54 in the Brookfield Professional Park, about a half-mile west of Morris Bridge Rd./Eiland Blvd. in Wesley Chapel. At the salon, she provides permanent makeup for eyebrows, eyelids and lips.
“It’s such a blessing to know that I’m really being helpful to people,” she says, “especially when you see that end result that makes them feel better about themselves.”
One area of specialty for Pam is helping people who have had cancer. Some come to her after they’ve lost all of their hair from chemotherapy. Others find her before they lose their hair. Pam can help to create their eyebrows in permanent makeup, following the natural hairline that already exists.
Pam says her career in permanent makeup started after many years of running a business in the manufactured housing industry. In 2009, Pam says she wanted to do something different, so she went to school to become a hair stylist.
While she enjoyed hair, Pam says she soon discovered something that interested her even more.
“I love detail,” Pam says. “As a detail person, eyebrows are what first drew me into the permanent makeup field.”
She studied permanent makeup at the Boca Ta-2 School for Permanent Makeup in Williston, FL, in 2010 and began providing permanent makeup services in Zephyrhills in 2011. She is licensed in Florida as both a cosmetologist and as a tattoo artist.
Pam offers permanent makeup for eyebrows and lips, along with permanent eyeliner. Many of her clients who want permanent eyebrows choose a technique called microblading.
“Brows are always my favorite because of the drastic way they change how someone looks,” Pam says. “Our eyes are meant to be framed, and brows definitely complete the face. Some women look so much younger when they have them done.”
With microblading, Pam uses a small blade and ink to create individual stroke lines. She uses a pencil to draw an outline, then uses the microblade to draw each individual hair, adding a more natural look to the eyebrow.
Pam strongly recommends that anyone considering microblading “should do their homework,” explaining that some people who offer the service may only have taken a three-day class in the technique before they start working on clients. The person who will do your eyebrows should sit down with you and show you before-and-after pictures of their own work, Pam says.
Pam was trained in microblading in 2014, when the process was new. Since then, she says she has done hundreds of sets of eyebrows.
“It’s been close to 10 years since I first went to school,” says Pam. “I’ve learned so much over the years about different ways of doing things, using certain inks, learning from experience, and how everyone’s skin is so different.”
She requires a free, in-person, no-obligation consultation for all clients. Even for someone who is sure they want permanent makeup, Pam still requires a consultation, to look at each individual and their unique skin, and to help them decide which technique is right for them.
Johella Liguori is a client of Pam’s who just recently had microblading done on her eyebrows and permanent eyeliner both above and below her eyes.
“It was great,” she says. “She was very welcoming, super friendly. She’s awesome.”
Johella says she was looking for a way to simplify her daily routine, and not having to worry about eye makeup would make life easier for her.
When figuring out where to have those services done, she did her research, including spending time on Pam’s website at CreativePermanentMakeupByPam.com.
“What caught my eye is that she has tons of years of experience,” says Johella, adding that, “Pam told me from the get-go that I would have to come back for a touch up and fills. I actually came in a third time because my skin is very oily, so she wasn’t satisfied with the result. She had me come again and she didn’t charge me extra for either of the follow-ups.”
But, Johella says she has been thrilled with her results.
“I’m a dentist,” explains Johella, “and everyone notices. I’ve gotten tons of compliments from my patients and co-workers.”
She says many people ask her how much it hurts. For Johella, it wasn’t painful at all. She says Pam kept her numb so she didn’t feel anything, and she appreciated how Pam made her comfortable and ensured that she was never in pain.
Johella says her procedures were all done on Saturdays, and she was able to go right back to work two days later (on Monday). In fact, after her touch-ups, she was out that afternoon, even attending a Christmas party on the same day. She says she had no pain, no discomfort, and no redness or puffiness that would keep her from participating in normal activities.
“Let me tell you,” Johella says. “This lady, she knows her stuff. Eyebrows are her deal.”
There are many women who come to Pam wanting permanent makeup and, like Johella, leave with it, but Pam says there also are many other women who — for one reason or another — don’t.
“You always get a completely honest opinion from me,” says Pam. “It might not be what you want to hear, but I’ll tell you the truth. If somebody isn’t a good candidate, I’ll tell them.”
That might be because of issues with their skin or previous scar tissue. (In fact, Pam says some women are told they should get yearly touch-ups, but Pam recommends asking her for a more personalized recommendation, since yearly touch-ups can cause scarring, and most women don’t need touch-ups that often.)
Sometimes, Pam says she has turned some women away who already had beautiful brows and didn’t need the procedure.
“There are a lot of times that people come in for a consult and they walk out with brow powder,” laughs Pam.
Johella says that anyone considering having microblading or permanent makeup should consider Pam.
“She’s amazing and I’m grateful,” she says. “With Pam, you really bond and she takes you in as part of her family. She’s really passionate about what she does.”
Creative Permanent Makeup by Pam is located at Serenity Salon & Spa Suites at 33913 S.R. 54, Suite 101, in Wesley Chapel. For a free consultation or more information about Pam’s permanent makeup services, visit CreativePermanentMakeupbyPam.com or call or text Pam at (813) 997-6302.
The 2020 Academy Awards will be handed out on Sunday, February 9 (on ABC-TV), and for those of us who haven’t been to see a movie since “Finding Nemo” was released in 2003 (Thanks, kids!), we have enlisted the help of local movie buff Matthew Hunter to guide us through this year’s 92nd annual event with his picks in some of the biggest categories.
Best Animated Feature Film
THE NOMINEES: “Klaus,” ”How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” “I Lost My Body,” “Missing Link” & “Toy Story 4.”
THE PICK: Nine times out of ten, Disney usually reigns supreme in this category. But, not this year. I’m picking “Klaus,” a passion project from director Sergio Pablos. His unique origin story about Santa Claus and the Christmas holiday is great. In a world of 3D animated features, Klaus stands out from the crowd by being mostly a hand-drawn animated film. Bonus: It’s on Netflix, so you can (and should) check it out.
Best Original Song
THE NOMINEES: “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from “Rocketman” – Music by Elton John; Lyrics by Bernie Taupin; “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from “Toy Story 4” – Music & Lyrics by Randy Newman; “I’m Standing with You” from “Breakthrough” – Music & Lyrics by Diane Warren; “Into the Unknown” from “Frozen II” – Music & Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez; “Stand Up” from “Harriet” – Music & Lyrics by Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo.
THE PICK: There were some pretty great films songs this year, such as the fun and jazzy “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away,” or the big grand ballad that was “Into the Unknown.” But I’m picking “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from “Rocketman.” The song manages to work perfectly as a catchy pop song in the context of the movie.
Best Supporting Actress
THE NOMINEES: Florence Pugh – “Little Women,” as Amy March; Kathy Bates – “Richard Jewell,” as Barbara “Bobi” Jewell; Laura Dern – “Marriage Story,” as Nora Fanshaw; Scarlett Johansson – “Jojo Rabbit,” as Rosie Betzler; Margot Robbie – “Bombshell,” as Kayla Pospisil.
THE PICK: My money is on Pugh, who is the best of the many brilliant performers in “Little Women.” Watching her evolution from selfish sister to her own person was terrific, and she probably brings the most emotion and bitterness to her performance of all the nominees.
Best Supporting Actor
Brad Pitt (Photo: Glenn Francis)
THE NOMINEES: Brad Pitt – “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” as Cliff Booth; Tom Hanks – “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” as Fred Rogers; Anthony Hopkins – “The Two Popes,” as Pope Benedict XVI; Al Pacino – “The Irishman,” as Jimmy Hoffa; Joe Pesci – “The Irishman,” as Russell Bufalino.
THE PICK: Hanks, Pacino and Pesci were all terrific, but I think Pitt picks up the award for his performance as Cliff Booth in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” What makes Pitt so great is that he is the epitome of cool, and his character is charismatic and awesome at the same time, already earning him a Screen Actors Guild award in the same category.
Best Actress
Scarlett Johansson
THE NOMINEES: Scarlett Johansson – “Marriage Story,” as Nicole Barber; Cynthia Erivo – “Harriet,” as Harriet Tubman; Saoirse Ronan – “Little Women,” as Josephine “Jo” March; Charlize Theron – “Bombshell,” as Megyn Kelly; Renée Zellweger – “Judy,” as Judy Garland.
THE PICK: While there were some great performances delivered by Ronan, Theron and Zellweger, I thought Johansson’s Nicole Barber was the best. The wife of the main character (played by Adam Driver), Johansson has the difficult task of trying to divorce him while remaining part of her son’s life. The film delves into the hardships of divorce, and Johansson puts everything into the role.
Best Actor
Joaquin Phoenix
THE NOMINEES: Joaquin Phoenix – “Joker,” as Arthur Fleck/Joker; Antonio Banderas – “Pain and Glory,” as Salvador Mallo; Leonardo DiCaprio – “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” as Rick Dalton; Adam Driver – “Marriage Story,” as Charlie Barber; Jonathan Pryce – The “Two Popes,” as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio.
THE PICK: Banderas was great, and Pryce was superb. However, this is a one-sided competition as far as I’m concerned, because Phoenix in Joker was simply just better. His performance carried the movie, eschewing the usual hammy Joker played by previous actors. Instead, Phoenix played the troubled Fleck as a real person, albeit one with very realistic mental issues — a clinically insane villain, who is creepy, dangerous, and only seeks to make other people’s lives as bitter as his. Outstanding.
Best Director
THE NOMINEES: Sam Mendes – “1917,” Martin Scorsese – “The Irishman,” Todd Phillips – “Joker,” Quentin Tarantino – “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Bong Joon-ho – “Parasite.”
THE PICK: I’m picking “1917” for Best Original Score and Best Cinematography, so it’s only natural I like Mendes for Best Director. The movie is presented in one shot, though obviously it wasn’t. While you may be able to tell where there are cuts, you hardly notice them because of how good the editing is. War films are hard enough to expertly deliver, but Mendes took an already difficult and expensive production and put a unique and challenging twist onto it. That sealed the deal for me.
Best Picture
THE NOMINEES: “Parasite,” “Ford v Ferrari,” “The Irishman,” “Jojo Rabbit,” “Joker,” “Little Women,” “Marriage Story,” “1917,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
THE PICK: I agree with the Screen Actors Guild — “Parasite” was the best film of 2019..
Many people like to overlook foreign movies. In fact, “Parasite” is only the 11th foreign-language film to be nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award, and none has ever won. I think this South Korean film makes Oscar history. The movie has a little bit of everything — the story of a poor family that ends up working for a rich family is dark, suspenseful and sometimes funny.
“Parasite” parallels the different viewpoints of economic classes without ever being too preachy. The intensity builds throughout the film, with surprises that keep you engrossed. However, it never loses its grip on realism. For being entertaining, nuanced and bold, “Parasite” absolutely deserves to be remembered as the Best Picture of 2019.
Matthew Hunter is a senior at Wharton High, a budding journalist and aspiring movie critic who has loved going to the movies since he saw “Robots” in 2005.
The transformation of the Wesley Chapel District Park (WCDP) on Boyette Rd. continues.
Not only is the park getting an indoor basketball gymnasium — hopefully later this year — and not only is it now home to local cricket players, and not only does it have the only inclusive playground for children with disabilities in the area, it also will soon be home to a street hockey rink.
On Jan. 7, Pasco County finalized an agreement with the Tampa Bay Lightning to build two outdoor street hockey rinks in the county, one at the J. Ben Harrill Recreation Complex in Holiday, and the other at WCDP.
“When they first came up here (with the idea), they were going to do one, but our county is so wide and we have such an interest that they were nice to agree to do two,” said District 3 Pasco Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, who was originally pitched the idea.
The rinks will measure 60’ by 120’ feet, and will come with pins for dasher board systems, player benches, a penalty box area and a scoreboard.
Pasco County has budgeted $240,000 from the Capital Improvement Plan Projects Fund for the rinks, most of which will go towards the underlying concrete pads. The Lightning Foundation will take care of the rest.
“It’s obviously exciting anytime you can introduce kids to a new sport,” said District 2 Pasco Commissioner Mike Moore, who has spearheaded the indoor facility, cricket field and inclusive playground at the park. “It’s a positive, nice entry point for kids who can go to a public facility and not have to pay to get on there to learn.”
Jay Feaster, the Lightning’s vice president of community hockey development, told Pasco’s commissioners that the NHL team has donated 106,000 Lightning logo street hockey sticks and balls to children at 503 middle schools as part of their Build The Thunder program. This is the fifth year of the program.
“As Bruce Springsteen once said, I realized after I put all them people in all them cars, I had to figure out someplace for all them to go,” Feaster said.
So, after three years of distributing equipment as part of the Build The Thunder program, the Lightning now have the Connect The Thunder Initiative, with the team committed to building 10 outdoor street hockey rinks in nearby counties.
“We realized we had to have someplace for the youngsters to play,” Feaster said.
In addition to building the street hockey rink at WCDP, Feaster said the Lightning also will provide former players to help assist in the Grand Opening as well as programming throughout the year.
“We’re pretty excited about it,” he said.
Wesley Chapel already is home to AdventHealth Center Ice (AHCI), the largest skating facility south of New York in the United States. AHCI is being rightfully credited with increasing the popularity of ice skating in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas, and has been drawing more than a million visitors each year of its existence.
The outdoor street hockey rink will open the door for more people who might not be able to afford hockey equipment to be introduced to playing the sport.
“I think we have more kids that play hockey around here than anywhere in Florida,” Moore says. “The Bruce B. Downs corridor (down through New Tampa) has a lot of kids who play, and this will only help give (more) opportunities to others.”
The real estate professionals at the new Real Living Casa Fina Realty office in the Shoppes at Amberly in Tampa Palms want to help you buy, sell, rent or manage your home or property.
It sounds like something they might hear from one of their clients — “We’ve outgrown our current place.”
The team at Real Living Casa Fina Realty has always loved the office’s Tampa Palms neighborhood, but needed more space than at the office in the Tampa Palms Professional Center.
So, in 2020, the agents will help people in New Tampa and surrounding areas buy and sell homes from a larger, more modern workspace in The Shoppes at Amberly, located on Amberly Dr., also in Tampa Palms.
Nick Parrinello, the Broker/owner of Real Living Casa Fina Realty, moved his company into its new digs on Dec. 17. “As we have continued to grow,” he says, “we needed more space and wanted a little more visibility.”
Casa Fina Realty began as an independent real estate brokerage in Tampa Palms in 2003. Nick came to work for the company in 2007, shortly before it became a franchise of GMAC Real Estate, which was rebranded as Real Living in 2011.
Nick bought the company in 2014. In the past few years, Nick says Casa Fina Realty has grown to be the third largest brokerage in New Tampa.
While the company has expanded from 15 agents, and Nick is excited to own a larger firm, he says he won’t let his Casa Fina outgrow its boutique feel.
“We have the same culture and our core values haven’t changed,” he says. “Some agents have been with us from the beginning.”
And, while the company serves 10 counties, and focuses on Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties, Nick says the heart of Casa Fina is right here, a few minutes south of Wesley Chapel.
“We have just one office and it’s always been in Tampa Palms,” says Nick. “We want to keep our roots here.”
He says many of the agents and staff live in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel, and the company sees the Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. corridor as its home and primary market.
While real estate agents typically work from anywhere — whether it’s driving around neighborhoods, meeting clients in restaurants or coffee shops, or making phone calls from home — Nick is optimistic that Casa Fina’s new space will be a place his agents will want to be.
“It’s a great location, in the same plaza with five spots to grab lunch without having to get in the car and drive,” he says. “We expect it to have a lively, vibrant atmosphere.”
Instead of cubicles, the new space offers agents shared private offices, where they can close the door for privacy, but have the efficiency of sharing the space with other agents.
The new location also features a large conference room for company meetings, or where agents can present seminars or classes to the community. Nick is planning to see that space used for customer appreciation parties, new homebuyer seminars and other events that bring people together, as well as to share valuable information.
While Nick says Casa Fina Realty serves about 700 families a year, the goal is to provide the best possible customer service to each one.
“We want to empower agents by ensuring they are well-trained and giving them the tools they need,” he says.
He describes himself as “a stickler for knowing the contract,” saying that having a license in real estate is just the bare minimum when it comes to being prepared to buy and sell homes.
“We’re not attorneys, but we are responsible for our clients,” he says. It’s a big responsibility, especially when contracts start at 12 pages and often grow from there.
He adds, “We all started out inexperienced and there’s nothing wrong with that, but inexperienced agents need the backing and support of management if something goes wrong.”
One Satisfied Customer’s Story
Lisa Souza is a Cross Creek homeowner who worked with Casa Fina agent Seena Allen when she and her family moved to the Tampa area from New York this past summer.
“It was extremely challenging, because we knew nothing about the Tampa area,” Lisa explains. “She honestly helped us get our dream home, and we’re so happy. It’s even better than what we hoped.”
Lisa says Seena was professional, patient and kind, and worked hard when things got complicated.
“We made an offer on a house but then found out there was lots of work that needed to be done after the inspection,” Lisa explains. “Our house in New York was sold, the one we wanted to buy fell through, and it was an extremely stressful time. But, Seena was such a pleasure to work with that it took the stress out of it.”
Lisa says that when issues popped up, Seena would call on her colleagues if she had questions or wanted another opinion about how to handle the issues. “They all got back with her almost instantaneously with text messages,” she says.
Nick says his agents work hard to ensure they are able to be a network of resources for their clients, whether they are in the middle of a transaction, or they are a past client from years ago.
“We try to be the go-to person if you need something,” Nick says. “Maybe you bought a house three years ago, but now you need a plumber. We think of ourselves as local guides or resources.”
This Wesley Chapel home is just one of the many sold by Real Living Casa Fina Realty along the Bruce B. Downs corridor in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel in 2019.
He says that even in the days of Google and Yelp, people still prefer a personal recommendation. No matter what you need, someone in the company has a connection and a personal experience they can share.
Another way the firm provides added value to its clients is by serving as a full-service brokerage, with agents who specialize in commercial services and property management.
“If you need help finding a tenant or you need full management of your property, we fully cover New Tampa and Wesley Chapel and some of the surrounding areas,” Nick explains.
Casa Fina Realty also can help anyone who may need to move but isn’t sure if they want to sell.
“It gives us the flexibility to offer different options,” he says. “I can’t tell you how many houses we put up for sale and for rent at the same time and then see which happens first.”
He says sometimes people relocate and then move back, or sometimes they choose to sell after their home has been rented for a few years.
No matter what your personal situation is, Nick and the agents at Casa Fina want to help you determine what’s best for you and help make it happen.
Lisa’s experience with Casa Fina Realty has led her to recommend the company to both her mom and sister — both of whom she hopes will move to New Tampa — and an acquaintance who already lives in the area.
She says she told them, “The details will be handled thoroughly, things will be done quickly, and there will be a level of professionalism that comes from the heart.”
Real Living Casa Fina Realty is located at 15343 Amberly Dr. in the Shoppes at Amberly. To learn more, visit CasaFinaRealty.com, call (813) 569-6294, or see the ad on page 29.
