Wesley Chapel resident led effort to place 20,000 wreaths at Florida National Cemetery

Wesley Chapel resident Randy Lewer and other volunteers placed wreaths at the graves of thousands of U.S. military veterans buried at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell.

Back in December 2006, Wesley Chapel resident Randy Lewer and a couple of his buddies from the U.S. Military Vets Motorcycle Club held a small ceremony at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell to remember the veterans buried there during the holidays. Randy says just a few people gathered in the rain that day for a brief ceremony.

The group had been provided with seven ceremonial wreaths (honoring the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, POWs {Prisoners of War}/MIA {Missing In Action}and Merchant Marines), which were donated from the organizer of an effort to lay wreaths on the graves at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. That effort has since grown into what is now called “Wreaths Across America” and helps to adorn graves at about 1,500 military cemeteries throughout the U.S.

While Wreaths Across America has grown nationwide, Randy’s efforts at Florida National Cemetery (which is located in Sumter County, northeast of Brooksville), have flourished into one of the largest in the country.

Last year, Randy estimates that 8,000-10,000 people came out to the Florida National Cemetery, where 21,600 wreaths were laid on the graves of those buried there. While there are more than 100,000 U.S. military veterans and 30,000 spouses buried at the cemetery, he says the number of graves adorned with the wreaths is determined by how much fund-raising is done.

Randy is one of the Wreaths Across America organizers who work nearly year-round to raise funds to purchase the wreaths. Many local organizations and community groups, such as the Boy and Cub Scouts, Civil Air Patrol, and even companies, ask friends, family and neighbors to sponsor the wreaths for $15 each.

 “Wreaths Across America” was held on Saturday, December 16, Randy was expecting to place at least 21,200 wreaths.

Randy’s focus is not on the number of wreaths, though. He says every veteran in the cemetery is honored and remembered. He says his focus is on Wreaths Across America’s mission, which is to, “Remember our fallen U.S. veterans, honor those who serve and teach your children the value of freedom.”

“That’s probably the biggest thing for me,” says Randy, “teaching our kids the values of freedom, respect and patriotism.”

He says the best time to do this is when there starts to be a “lack of thought,” as he calls it, when people start to forget about the sacrifices of our country’s veterans.

“Around Christmas you get so busy, sometimes the only people who think about our fallen veterans are the families who recently lost someone,” Randy says. “This is one way to get out there and look at a grave and say, ‘Thank you for your service.’”

One of Randy’s two “brothers” from the motorcycle club who originally started the wreath ceremony at Florida National Cemetery has moved on and no longer organizes the event. The other, Jack Sellers — known as “Breakdown” — passed away a few years ago after an illness associated with exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. 

“He used to emcee the ceremony,” says Randy. “When we buried him, I asked to have him buried in the section across the street from the ceremony area. They put him in the front row, so he’s always looking at the ceremony.”

Randy hopes the event is a reminder to everyone to remember what is important in an era of disagreement.

“The way this world’s gotten, things are so divisive,” says Randy. “It’s nice to have 10,000 people come together and not be divided. We can all be behind one thing – to remember, honor and teach.”

For additional information about Wreaths Across America, visit WreathsAcrossAmerica.org.

Union Park ‘Resident’ Is A Security Robot

Patrolling the streets of Union Park (located just south of 56, off of Meadow Pointe Blvd. in Wesley Chapel) is the first “security robot” to be on duty in a residential neighborhood in the United States.

“Right now, we’re beta testing for six months at Union Park to see how a security robot would help us in a large community,” says Kartik Goyani, vice president of operations for Metro Development Group, developers of both Union Park and Epperson (see page 1), the latter of which is part of the “connected city” and which will be home to the first of two Crystal Lagoons coming soon to Wesley Chapel.

The robot has been named “Deputy Metro” and is a five-foot tall, 400-pound robot that drives itself throughout the community. It records data and provides 360-degree video.

“What we do at Metro in our heart and in our DNA is innovation,” Goyani says, so experimenting with brand new technology makes a lot of sense.

While Union Park is the first residential community to get a security robot, Goyani says it’s actually the 39th of more than 50 such robots throughout the country, created by a company called Knightscope. These robots patrol malls, hospitals, office parking lots, even the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.

Goyani explains that it’s too early to tell exactly how Deputy Metro will be used in the long term, but it’s planned to be used at the soon-to-be-renamed connected city and at Metro’s developments with Crystal Lagoons. Goyani explains the current beta testing will help determine how it will be used in those larger communities. “The main goal is as a deterrent and seeing how this technology can fit into our lives,” Goyani says.

“For example, Union Park is not gated,” he says, so Metro tried stationing the robot at the entrance to the community to see how that worked. “We essentially made Deputy Metro like a virtual gate, monitoring the traffic going in and out.”

Meanwhile, he says video from the security robot has already been requested by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office (PSO).

In the future, Goyani hopes the PSO won’t have to request the footage. As part of its partnership, Metro Development expects to make streaming video available to the Sheriff, “so they don’t have to call us at all.”

Goyani says the reactions to Deputy Metro have been overwhelmingly positive, and many negative responses are due to concerns they have been able to alleviate, such as a concern that the robot could cause a resident to get a speeding ticket.

He says some of the positive response has been even more than what they expected.

“Deputy Metro is part of the community,” says Goyani. “One time when I was at Union Park, a couple of engineers from Knightscope were there, and a young girl who lives in the community came with her dad and brought her notebook and followed them around. She said (Deputy Metro) inspires her to learn more about STEM and robotics.”

For more information about Deputy Metro, visit DeputyMetro.com.

Plans To Widen & Improve Curley Rd. Getting Fresh Look

The connected city projected is not only bringing fast internet and Crystal Lagoons (see pgs. 1 & 4) to Wesley Chapel, it will also result in some local road improvements, as the county preps for additional traffic in the future.

A 2005 route study that recommended widening Curley Rd. (C.R. 577) is getting a re-evaluation, due to development in the area that is expected to increase traffic. Curley Rd. makes up the connected city’s western border.

Also, Clinton Ave. is being extended to the west and will become the new re-aligned S.R. 52, which runs along the connected city’s northern border in San Antonio.

A steady crowd (photo) showed up to participate in the route study re-evaluation Open House held Dec. 6 at Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church Parish Center in San Antonio.

Local residents were allowed to view the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) plans for east-west re-aligning of S.R. 52, which is expected to begin in June of 2019.

The county hopes to complete its right-of-way acquisitions by the spring of 2019.

The Curley Rd. project itself is even further off. While minor improvements will be made where Curley connects with the realigned S.R. 52, right now, it is unlikely anything will be done with widening it or re-routing where it connects with Prospect Rd. (579A) before 2030.

“Because of connected city (east of Curley)and the Villages of Pasadena (a development on the west side of Curley Rd.), things have changed,’’ said Panos Kontses, project manager for the Pasco County Engineering Services Department. “What we analyzed then has changed, so we are doing a refreshing of the study.”

The study is looking at widening Curley Rd. from two to four lanes (from one lane in each direction to two lanes in each direction) from north of the Wesley Chapel schools on Wells Rd. to north of the S.R. 52 re-alignment.

The road would have one sidewalk, and a 46-foot grass median that could allow for the expansion of the road to six total lanes.

Also presented at the open house were three alternatives for a Curley Rd.-Prospect Rd. intersection, north of Tyndall Rd.

Prospect Rd. is an east-west road that curves north before ending at Curley (after Curley curves west).

New plans call for extending Prospect west to Curley, where the two roads will intersect. But, Prospect will become Mirada Blvd. and run northwest through another connected city/Crystal Lagoon development called Mirada.

Residents were asked to weigh in on three options: a single signalized intersection, a roundabout with right turn bypass lanes or two signalized offset “T” intersections for the Curley Rd./Mirada Blvd./Prospect Rd. intersection.

According to traffic studies, Curley Rd. currently handles roughly 7,200 vehicles a day, but by 2041 is projected to have 21,000 vehicles traveling on it each day.

Likewise, Prospect Rd. is expected to increase from 6,200 to 15,100, and once the intersection is complete, Mirada Blvd. will be handling 11,900 vehicles daily.

“It is a ways off,” Kontses said. “All we’re doing right now are the planning studies. We don’t (currently) have the funding for design or construction of this project.”

Cypress Point Continues To Diversify

Cypress Point Community Church’s Thailand Missions Team is shown beginning their journey to Thailand, where they equipped and provided moral support to local Christian ministry leaders (Photo provided by CPCC)

As Cypress Point Community Church has grown from a few families worshipping and studying the Bible together in homes in Wesley Chapel and New Tampa to a congregation of more than 700 members, meeting the diverse needs of those who consider the nondenominational Christian church their spiritual home has become a complex matter.

Over its nearly two decades of existence, Cypress Point has dealt with the physical growth in number of worshippers by moving to larger spaces — from those family living rooms to a real estate sales and visitor center, to worshipping for six years at the Muvico Starlight 20 movie theater on Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. 

Now, congregants gather in the church’s own 30,000-sq.-ft. multipurpose building on 30 acres on Morris Bridge Rd., just north of Cross Creek Blvd.

In February, Cypress Point added a 10,000-sq.-ft. building to house its youth center, with a gym, basketball court, classrooms and snack bar.

While that physical expansion has accommodated the church’s growth in size, there also has been a requirement to develop more services and programs that meet the wide variety of needs and expectations its worshippers have, according to Lead Pastor Dean Reule, who co-founded Cypress Point Community Church in 1998 with his wife Hettie, who also is the church’s Children’s Pastor.

“The church is like a Walmart Supercenter,” says Pastor Dean, who earned his Ph.D. degree in Religious Studies from Florida State University in Tallahassee. “Whatever the need, there is always a Biblically-based solution.”

A commitment to enacting such solutions for the benefit of members and the wider community has yielded a wide variety of ministries, activities and services available through Cypress Point Community Church. 

Nourishing the spirit as well as the body during times of need is one way to express the mission of Cypress Point’s Care Center, which combines a food pantry, stocked with donations of canned and packaged food from church members, with a cadre of devoted worshippers who provide spiritual support as the Prayer Team.

Whichever season of life or road Cypress Point members may be experiencing or traveling on, Pastor Dean says there is no need to make the journey alone, as there are church activities relevant to all ages and lifestyles.

Young people are the future of a church and Cypress Point serves the needs of children from birth to adulthood. There is an Adventure program that introduces Christian teachings to young children (Pre K-fourth grade) through activities, crafts, instruction and music. On Thursday nights at “The Edge,” young adults (18+) meet and discuss topics relevant to them from a Biblical perspective.  Those of the in-between ages are served by “56,” which, according to the church website, is a “Sunday morning experience for kids in 5th or 6th grade.”

The Dwelling Place, or “DP,” is where young people in grades 7-12 come together to learn Christian teachings and connect with God in ways they can appreciate, which might be through instruction, performances, or conversation over pizza. These activities are held in the DP rec center, which is equipped with air hockey and video games, as well as the basketball court. Cypress Point youth volunteer Shannon Romera says the DP is a good place for teens to bring their friends.

“There’s no other place like it in New Tampa,” Shannon says. “It’s a safe place where kids can come out and it’s more comfortable than asking someone to come to a church service.”

Support For The Military & More

At the Morris Bridge Rd. entrance to Cypress Point, there’s a large, red-white-and-blue-painted sign announcing the church’s support to the community’s military families through its Military Support Outreach, or “MSO.”

MSO Director Evangelo “Vann” Morris acknowledges Cypress Point’s commitment to the military and its veterans.

“The church is really big on supporting the military,” says Morris, who is a retired U.S. Navy officer, adding that  the Cypress Point MSO is focused on helping homeless veterans transition to more productive lifestyles by working with local agencies and programs vetted by the Veterans Administration, such as Tampa Crossroads. MSO also supports active duty troops who are away from home with care packages filled with items ranging from USB thumb drives to packages of beef jerky and more.

People who are interested in helping prepare packages, donate items or provide the name of a deployed service member can contact MSO through the Cypress Point website CPCConline.com under the “Ministries” heading.

Other activities and programs at Cypress Point Community Church include its Firefighters Ministry, which demonstrates support for the community’s fire stations by bringing cards and letters of support, as well as light snacks to local station houses; MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) & More, a monthly meet-up that provides a network of support for mothers of young children; and Man Up, a fellowship of Godly masculinity in which men are motivated toward loving acts of devotion in the name of Jesus Christ.

Couples who have taken on the responsibilities of marriage and family may benefit from Cypress Point’s Love Walk ministry, which provides opportunities for fellowship and tip-sharing with other couples from all stages of marriage.

Promoting not only Christianity as a religion, but advocating and acting on behalf of its basic tenets, whether locally, nationally or internationally, is part of the motivation behind Cypress Point’s Compassion & Justice ministries, whose mission it is to, “Fight local and global poverty and injustice,” according to the Ministries page on the church’s website.

Participants in these mission projects often travel to impoverished communities in the U.S. to lend a helping hand, or to Southeast Asia to assist Christians there and to combat human exploitation.

Sunday services (at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.) also attract crowds to the worship hall, for energetic sermons from Pastor Dean, who connects diverse philosophical and spiritual points, from Plato to Jesus, into basic principles to embrace.

One recent Sunday message from Pastor Dean explored the Power of the Golden Rule (or Matthew 7:12) which, according to The World English Bible, reads as, “Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.”

It is a principle that guides much of the work that is performed at Cypress Point and Pastor Dean summed up the reason why to those who were gathered: “We can change our small part of the world.”

One person attending the service who says attending Cypress Point has made his part of the world better is New Tampa resident Neal Hamlett, who plays guitar in the church band and has been a member for eight years.

“It’s a big family that takes care of each other,” Neal says.

Cypress Point Community Church is located at 15820 Morris Bridge Rd. Sunday services are at 9:30 and 11 a.m. and the Dwelling Place (DP) has main services for young people in grades 7-12 on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., with doors to the rec center opening at 6 p.m. For more information, visit CPCConline.com online or call (813) 986-9100.

For Truly Special Holiday Gifts & More, Visit The Gift Box Boutique!

Walking into The Gift Box Boutique in Tampa Palms, there’s something interesting everywhere you look.

“We are a unique boutique,” says owner Jennifer Colón, who opened her store in the Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms (next to Stonewood Grill) in the summer of 2014.

In her one-of-a-kind shop, Jennifer stocks an impressive array of gifts, home dĂ©cor items, jewelry and women’s clothing, from beautiful Nora Fleming servingware, to Simply Southern tee shirts, to trendy “pop sockets” for your phone, to pajama pants and much, much more.

Whether you’re shopping for a gift for someone else or a treat for yourself, you’ll find something great at The Gift Box Boutique.

The store offers many items that are made locally, both to support small businesses in the area and because people like to give gifts that represent their hometown.

“We carry Toffee To Go, which was on Oprah’s list of favorite things a few years back,” says Jennifer. “It’s a fabulous product made in South Tampa, and we run out of it every year because they can only provide so much.”

You can also buy Seventh Avenue Apothecary candles, made at “a little mom and pop manufacturer, right here in Tampa.”

Jennifer says, “We also sell gifts from Tampa’s Columbia Restaurant, which gives people an opportunity to purchase them without having to drive down to Ybor City.”

Jennifer also offers items from local artisans, each with their own unique flair.

“People want to share their talents in the things they make, such as wreaths or jewelry, and we like to support those local artists,” she says.

To make your gift even more special, The Gift Box Boutique offers personalization on nearly everything in the store.

“We personalize everything from dishes, to picture frames, to our Corkcicle products,” says Jennifer, “and we monogram everything from clothing to tote bags and blankets, so our gift items have that personal touch.”

Corkcicle is a line of insulated cups and canteens in a variety of colors, based in Orlando. Its stemless tumbler is on Oprah’s Favorite Things list this year, where Oprah says, “Here’s a 12-ounce covered stainless steel cup that keeps hot things hot for three hours, cold things cold for nine hours, and soccer moms happy right through overtime.”

Now Carrying Brighton, Too

Beginning in March of this year, The Gift Box Boutique began selling Brighton jewelry.

“It’s nice to have this bigger brand in the store,” Jennifer says. “Brighton approached us about selling it, and we were flattered, to say the least.”

Jennifer says Brighton’s classic jewelry is popular and “easily giftable.” She says sales of the jewelry continue to grow as people learn it’s available at the shop.

Scott McGary is the Brighton account executive who approached The Gift Box about selling the brand. “We saw that Jennifer put her store together really well and has a great reputation in the retail world,” he explains. “We look for shops where customers can be helped ‘head to heel’ and can find other items to complement our jewelry. We wanted to partner with her shop because she carries other lines that do well with Brighton and look good together, too.”

While McGary wouldn’t say what brands he was referring to, Jennifer says clothing lines currently carried in the store include Escapada, NYDJ (Not Your Daughter’s Jeans) and Elan.

She says, “It says a lot about our reputation as a small business that (Brighton) sought us out.”

Giving Back

It’s also important to Jennifer to give back to the community. The store carries Chavez for Charity bracelets, each of which supports a cause, such as Alex’s Lemonade Stand foundation for childhood cancer or Best Friends Animal Society, a national organization that advocates for “no more homeless pets,” and many others.

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She gives back on a local level, too.

“We support the Oasis Network, which gives clothing to children (in schools throughout the county),” says Jennifer, who says the store also is a drop-off location for Toys for Tots donations every year.

Jennifer also serves on the St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital philanthropic committee, volunteering her time to raise funds and help women and children at the hospital.

And, Jennifer says, she’s happy to support local schools, charities, and churches when they come to her requesting items for silent auctions and other fund raisers.

In-Store Events

For the holiday season, The Gift Box Boutique will host what Jennifer calls, “Sip & Shop Saturdays.” She says past events have featured tastings of food items available in the store, flower arranging to create a pretty tablescape for the holidays, and demonstrations for preparing food and beverages for holiday entertaining.

To find out what “Sip & Shop Saturday” events are coming up, go to Facebook.com and search “The Gift Box Boutique.”

Jennifer also prides herself on being responsive to what her customers ask her to carry in The Gift Box. She even keeps a “wish list” of items her customers have asked her to carry, and brings those items into the store whenever possible.

For example, she says people asked for more food items to make holiday gift baskets, so more were brought in this year, such as Wicked Mix (photo on next page)and Stonewall Kitchen.

And, while the store has always had a great selection of items for babies, she now carries gifts for girls, such as “magic rainbow unicorn” journals and pillows.

Jennifer says she has helped many Realtors find the perfect gift for housewarming presents. That’s one reason the higher-end Mariposa brand of servingware is now at The Gift Box. And, she says, not just Realtors are enjoying it. Mariposa offers a popular cocktail napkin holder that offers interchangeable weights, so your classic piece can be easily updated seasonally.

One of those customers Jennifer is sure to bend her ear to is Tampa Palms resident Wendy Grant, who says she has been shopping at The Gift Box since it opened.

“They make you feel so welcome, especially if you’re a regular customer, and they let you know how much they appreciate your business,” says Wendy. “They have original, interesting things, and I’ve never had a bad experience there.”

Wendy was on her way to the store to purchase Finchberry soaps, a beautiful decorative product she wanted for her bathroom. Jennifer says the bath and body lines in her store have been expanded because of customer requests.

In addition to Finchberry, The Gift Box Boutique carries Mussee bath “balms” with something special inside, such as its “Happy Birthday” balm with a candle.

Wendy says she loves the selection she finds whenever she shops at the store.

“It really answered a need in our neighborhood,” she says. “It’s a treasure. It has wonderful gifts, the prices are reasonable and the staff is very helpful.”

Jennifer says she wants to be sure it stays that way.

“I’m here all the time, listening to what people say they want,” she says. “We know our customers on a first-name basis. People tell us we’re their go-to store for gifts in this area. They tell us, ‘we’re so glad you’re here’ all the time.”

She adds, “I’m thankful for the people who have supported us through this venture. We wouldn’t be here without them, and I’m very proud of what The Gift Box has become.”

The Gift Box Boutique is located at 17032 Palm Pointe Dr. The shop is open extended hours during the holiday season. Now through the end of the year, shop Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., and noon-5 p.m. on Sunday. You can see pictures of what’s available in-store at Facebook.com/TheGiftBoxBoutiqueTampa. Or, for more info, or call (813) 284-5986.