A little less than a year ago (in July 2023), we gave you an update on the Chapel Crossings community, located on the north side of S.R. 54. That article, which focused on the fact that Curley Rd. somehow had two terminuses on 54, included a discussion of the Zephyrhills (Zhills) Bypass, a long-awaited connection between Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills that one day will be taking traffic off of the recently widened S.R. 54. That article mentioned that the first portion of the Zhills Bypass had finally opened, with the opening of the new Story Wesley Chapel apartments, at the westernmost entrance to Chapel Crossings.
Well now, another new development, to be located directly to the east of Chapel Crossings (but only north of the Zhills Bypass, whereas Chapel Crossings has neighborhoods under construction both north and south of the as-yet-unfinished Bypass road), may be getting ready to begin building.
The new development will be called Hamilton Oaks, and one of the most important things about it (at least from our perspective) is that the developer of Hamilton Oaks will be responsible for building the next segment of the Zhills Bypass to the east of Chapel Crossings, although there will still be several miles of that roadway that will need to be constructed before the connection to Zephyrhills will have been completed.
Pasco County’s comments on the conceptual site plan were sent to the applicant on Feb. 29 of this year and it appears that the county doesn’t see any major issues/problems with the new project.
This land went through a residential rezoning as ‘Hamilton Oaks MPUD’ in 2022. It is approved for 224 single-family units on 61 acres (see site map, above). The property owner is listed with Pasco County as William D. Brown and the applicant is listed as Jeff Oligschlaeger of AMH, AMH Living, American Homes 4 Rent. We had no further information as to when Hamilton Oaks is expected to begin building or when residents may be able to begin moving in.
The main thing, which is already shown on the site plan, is that the development will be required to convey any needed right-of-way and build the portion of the Zephyrhills Bypass roadway up to the project’s eastern property line. That road currently dead-ends at Cason Blvd in Chapel Crossings.
Eventually, the Bypass will be extended east to connect with River Glen Blvd. (in Avalon Park Wesley Chapel), then ultimately be extended to Handcart Rd. and connected to Eiland Blvd. with a realignment that will provide vehicular traffic with an alternative direct travel route into Zephyrhills.
The large, mostly empty parcel (labeled as Depue Ranch by the Pasco property appraiser’s office) immediately to the east of this development has not yet submitted any development or rezoning requests to the county.
After hosting the party celebrating my 30 years of owning the Neighborhood News, Jannah and I were proud to celebrate an even bigger milestone at an event hosted by our friends Kent and Cindy Ross, the owners of RP&G Printing & Business Systems, Inc.
And, while Kent and Cindy both seemed to enjoy themselves and said super-sweet things to us about my 30 years of Neighborhood News at our event, the fact is that my accomplishment pales in comparison to the fact that Kent has owned RP&G now for 40 years and Cindy joined him in 1995, or almost 30 years ago.
Like yours truly, Kent — a long-time member and former president of the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel — and Cindy, one of the most visible (at virtually every event) long-time ambassadors for the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC), have deep roots in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel communities and also have been able to evolve their printing business over the decades.
Their celebration of Kent and RP&G’s 40 years on Mar. 21 also was a way to introduce their many friends and business associates to the company’s new location on Pet Ln., off Wesley Chapel Blvd. in Lutz, and featured beautiful food (including some very upscale bacon-wrapped, cheese-filled dates crafted by RP&G graphic designer Stephanie Flischel), an impressive hula hoop display — did I mention the hula hoop was on fire? — by production specialist Brianna Peterson and a dancing 7+-foot-tall robot (provided by Karen’s Hora Loca) adorned with the RP&G logo and a similar number of attendees as the 150 or so who attended (including Kent and Cindy, by the way) our event.
When you consider that the only other business that has been open continuously in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel since 1984, when Kent first opened RP&G, is Saddlebrook Resort, you can understand why RP&G’s longevity is such a major accomplishment.
And, don’t forget that Saddlebrook was sold by founder and owner Tom Dempsey last year, so unless I’m forgetting someone, I don’t believe any business has been serving either of our distribution areas for longer than our friend Kent has.
Here are some facts Kent sent us in a press release about RP&G’s 40th birthday:
“We started by supplying continuous forms and checks for the burgeoning computer revolution in the 1980s. along with business cards and stationery,” he said. ”Full color printing then was so expensive only big companies could afford it, but now, we specialize in full-color marketing materials to help small businesses shine that are affordable for any size company.”
“This dedication has established a foundation of loyalty, still servicing clients that have been with the company since its inception — a testament to their unwavering commitment to client relations and customer service.”
Cindy added, “RP&G stands for more than just service; it signifies a promise to deliver great value and make our clients look their best.”
Significant achievements in RP&G’s 40-year history include:
• Winning the Small Business of the Year award from the NTBC in 2017
• Runner-up for Small Business of the Year, Pasco Economic Development Council, in 2016
• Receiving the Superior Performance in Print Shop Management award by CPrint International three times in the past five years.
Kent reminisces with humor about the company’s early days: “People often ask me what RP&G stands for. At the start, I looked so young — many assumed I was a kid trying to run a business. By rebranding to RP&G instead of my original ‘Ross Printing and Graphics,’ and changing my title from President to Sales Representative, I saw our sales take off, as people then trusted that I had ‘adult supervision.’”
In addition to keeping up with modern printing production technology, RP&G attributes much of its success to its dedicated staff.
“Machines will only get you so far,” Kent says. “At the end of the day, it’s the people in your organization that will make or break you and we have been blessed with talented team players that really look after our clients!”
These four decades also showcase a family’s legacy in the printing business. Kent’s grandmother was the founder of the Pasco Shopper and had a print shop in the 1950s. His father joined that business in the early ‘60s.
Congrats, Kent & Cindy! We love you! And clearly, we’re not the only ones!
For more info about RP&G, call (813) 949-5700 or visit RPandG.com.
The Porter Family’s Land Donation Celebrates A Decade Of Adding Skilled Workers To The Local Economy!
Many of the people in this picture have been with the Porter Campus of Pasco Hernando State College since PHSC first opened back in January of 2014. Current Provost Dr. Davina Jones (second from left) hosted an outstanding 10th Anniversary Celebration for the Porter Campus on April 6. Holding the sign, front and center in this picture, is Sonia Rodriguez Thorn, who was the first Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the Porter Campus under the campus’ first Provost Dr. Stanley Giannet. (Photos by Charmaine George)
When Sonia Rodriguez Thorn first arrived in 2013 at the not-yet-open Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch of what was then called Pasco Hernando Community College (PHCC), her name was only Sonia Rodriguez, as she was not yet married.
Sonia’s last name was still Rodriguez when the school’s Porter Campus opened in January 2014 as the fifth campus of the freshly renamed Pasco Hernando State College (PHSC) and she served as the first Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the Porter Campus, and the right hand to the Porter Campus’ first Provost, Dr. Stanley Giannet. Sonia did get married in December of that year, so both she and the school had new names to start the Porter Campus’ second year.
“It’s an honor to come back here, after 30 years of service and especially, opening this campus,” Sonia said when she was introduced by the current Provost of the Porter Campus Dr. Davina Jones, “when my first hire Mildred (Santiago Diaz) and I couldn’t even get into the building yet. Mildred (who is one of several employees introduced by Dr. Jones as having been at the Porter Campus for all ten years of its existence) and I and all of our new hires were housed in one room, with six tables and chairs, at the West Campus in New Port Richey until this building (at seven total stories, the tallest in Pasco County) opened.”
She added, “I’ve been involved with this institution in one form or another since 1991 and it’s been a blessing and a privilege for me to serve not only the community and our stakeholders but also the institution that helped develop me both personally and professionally and I’m very honored by that. So, to come here today is really special for me, to see all that the Porter Campus has done for the Wesley Chapel community and Pasco County. Thank you so much!”
“Sonia gave us her best,” said Dr. Jones, who introduced her to those in attendance on Apr. 6, prior to the festivities celebrating the Porter Campus’ tenth anniversary as a PHSC campus.
“So, of course, we invited her back to be here for this event today.”
Next, Dr. Jones mentioned that the three previous Porter Campus Provosts — Dr. Stanley Giannet, Dr. Bonnie Clark and Dr. Kevin O’Farrell — also were immortalized in the new PHSC “Hall of Fame” with a commemorative photo framed and displayed in the Provost’s conference room.
“We are also going to send each of them a photo of this tribute,” Dr. Jones said. ‘We just think it’s important that the Porter Campus never forget the excellence and the greatness that led this place.”
She also related a story she had heard about Dr. Giannet: “I heard that when he pulled up to this campus, he had a car full of beautiful art he brought with him and placed it all around the “A” Building and donated it. That is the mark of excellence that he brought to this campus…So, we want to continue to celebrate and honor all of our Provosts.”
She also gave gifts to each member of the campus’ inaugural staff and, before concluding the introduction to the day, Dr. Jones received a surprise herself. She handed off the microphone to Ann Coppola, the associate director of the library at the Porter Campus, who mentioned that Dr. Jones also was an original member of the campus’ faculty, as a public speech communication professor.
Current PHSC Porter Campus Provost Dr. Davina Jones (left) and Somia Rodriguez Thorn pose with the special shadow box presented to Dr. Jones by her staff. Dr. Jones was named by U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. in 2022 as someone who inspired the replacement of a statue of a Confederate general in the U.S. Capitol statuary hall with one of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune.
“Since then, your talent for diplomacy, your love of education and students and your strong work ethic has placed you as our campus leader and we could not be more fortunate to have you as Provost. You strive for excellence unapologetically, you advise personal accountability, you advocate for staff, faculty and students with pure intentions and most importantly, you do all of this with civility and kindness…Your core team has learned so much from you… and your leadership sets the tone for this campus.”
To that end, Ann mentioned that, at the dedication ceremony of the statue honoring Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune at the U.S. Capitol in July 2022, a statue that replaced one of a Confederate general that stood at the Capitol since the Jim Crowe era, Dr. Jones’ contribution to making that statue a reality was mentioned by U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor.
“Dr. Jones served as a front-line partner, as Florida and our nation prepared to receive and embrace this historic statue in the Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol. Dr. Jones advocated for the statue of Dr. Bethune as a far superior representative of the values and diversity of the Sunshine State.”
Ann added, “We curated this shadow box (photos above and right) to honor the work you did and still do for education. Thank you.” Dr. Jones was clearly moved by the impressive gift.
After that, she posed for a group photo with all of the original, former and current faculty members on hand and told everyone in attendance about the Business Expo and free food out on the school’s promenade, the tours (including virtual simulations) of the campus’ renowned nursing department and “Bomba” Afro- Latin dance lesson (see photos on next page).
Meanwhile, Wiregrass Ranch developer JD Porter, whose family trust donated the 65 acres upon which the Porter Campus sits, said that he was sad he wasn’t able to attend the festivities.
“My family couldn’t be more proud of the Porter Campus and its students, faculty and staff,” Porter said afterwards. “I believe it is the most successful of the five PHSC campuses — and for good reason. It’s a great resource, and not just for the hospitals and medical offices throughout Wiregrass Ranch, but also the local business community. If you need to update your technical training for pretty much any type of business, we have this amazing local resource right here. PHSC has room to expand the Porter Campus and I am confident that will happen sooner than later.”
If you attended the 10th Anniversary Celebration of PHSC’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch on Apr. 6, you got to check out (left) a “Bomba” Afro-Latin Dance Lesson, (middle left) tours of the PHSC Nursing Department and virtual simulation and a free business expo with a number of community-oriented businesses meeting with attendees.
“The mission of a library is one of connection,” said Pasco County Library System director Sean McGarvey at the groundbreaking event for the Wesley Chapel Library at Seven Oaks — to about 50 people in the audience — on Apr. 12. “We connect people to what is important…in four fundamental ways. We connect people to knowledge, to the culture of the community, to economic opportunity and, most importantly, we connect people to each other.”
McGarvey served as the Master of Ceremonies for the groundbreaking event to showcase the architectural renderings for the new library, which will begin construction within the next month or so on a vacant lot adjacent to Seven Oaks Elementary. The 14,000-sq.-ft., $11 million library, designed by Fleischman Garcia Architects, is being built by Bandes Construction and will have a number of unique features that will make it a “hub of the world,” according to McGarvey, who also introduced the groundbreaking event’s other speakers.
Pasco County Library System director Sean McGarvey
The first was Pasco County Board of Commissioners (BOC) chair Ron Oakley, whose District 1 includes part of Wesley Chapel.
Oakley said that when he first became a county commissioner eight years ago, he was told, “We need to save money in the county, so we need to cut out libraries. They’re not needed…everybody’s got a computer. But, I said, ‘I personally think everybody doesn’t have a computer and all of our citizens love libraries. It’s just amazing what is provided by our library system. The use of this library here in this community is going to be amazing.”
Before then introducing Commissioner Seth Weightman, whose District 2 includes all of Seven Oaks, McGarvey said, “I can not wait to see what the stories of the connections that this building will build for everybody else who will use it…from the kids at the school next door, to the citizens of Pasco County to the members of this community, to the business community at large. I can not wait to see what this building will create for the community.”
District 1 Commissioner Ron Oakley
Weightman then thanked retired Pasco Commissioner Mike Moore (Weightman’s Dist. 2 predecessor), “for allowing me to be here today and celebrating the work that you did over the course of your time to (make this library happen). What a fantastic community ‘add’ here to Seven Oaks. And, to the citizens of Seven Oaks, because of your community and your drive and your watchful eye, we’re proud to bring this to all the folks here in Wesley Chapel.
Weightman then introduced former Comm. Moore, “because this was his baby.”
Moore said, “This (library) was a long time in the making. Part of the Seven Oaks development agreement back then (in 2004) was this site, which was always supposed to be a library. The county commission was very, very supportive of this project when I was on the Board and what I’m most grateful for is that once I left, the next Board came
in and continued with the project. Sometimes, what we see in government, is that when people leave, sometimes projects don’t move forward and they stall, but they (the new BOC) saw the benefit of having this library.”
The former commissioner added, “This library is going to be a meeting place, a place where adults and kids alike will learn, a place where you’ll have gatherings…there will be social events, civic events…and classes for seniors, adults and children.”
Moore also thanked the team from Bandes Construction, “that is actually going to build this facility. Hopefully, it won’t take a year and a half, since materials are easier to get now….but thank you so much for all the support. And, we really are excited as a community that this is going to service not just Seven Oaks, but all of Wesley Chapel and Pasco County.”
Moore also thanked his former aide Andy Taylor, for his part in making the library happen.
District 2 Commissioner Seth Weightman
McGarvey then called up all of the speakers, plus county administrator Mike Carballa, Taylor, the representatives on hand from not only Bandes Construction, but also from U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee and State Sen. Danny Burgess’ offices, as well as other Pasco Library System employees for the ceremonial tossing of the dirt.
After the ceremony, McGarvey told the Neighborhood News that actual construction of the Wesley Chapel Library at Seven Oaks would begin later this month and that the expected completion date for it was the end of 2025.
Paula Wahl, the business compliance & contracts manager for the Pasco Library System, said that among the new library’s unique features will be a separate construction project of a trail that will be artistically designed to look like you’re walking through the pages of a book. There also will be, “an outdoor ‘reading porch’ overlooking the walkway. We also will have a flexible space that will be able to host ‘maker activities.’ Where many of our other libraries have very specific makerspaces — woodshop, video production studio, cooking programs and so on — this library actually will have a special parking space for our mobile makerspace, similar to the van we have here today, specially outfitted to bring activities from each of those out into the community. All of those other library makerspaces have mobile activities that we can bring out into the community here.”
Although the KRATE at The Grove container park has overall been super-successful, any number of the KRATEs have come and gone in a little more than a year. Here are some updates on a few of the newest additions to Wesley Chapel’s dining & entertainment district.
El Pasta & More
One restaurant KRATE that already has changed names and ownership twice is the new El Pasta & More, which originally opened (at 5817 Goldview Pkwy., #107) as The Fry Room and was followed by Top That! Pizza & More.
But, where those predecessors have come and gone, the hope here is that El Pasta survives, as we already have enjoyed a really good penne with pesto and grilled chicken (also available with shrimp) and a unique chicken parmigiana, which is basically a sizable serving of crispy chicken tenders topped with a tasty marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese, served over spaghetti.
Other options include lamb shank with spaghetti, cheese ravioli, a “build-your-own” pasta with your choice of pasta type, sauce and toppings, a variety of naan bread pizzas, as well as a number of different desserts and more.
For more information, call El Pasta at (813) 973-9359 or visit ElPastaFL.com.
Bodega Deli
If you’ve never lived in New York City, you may not know that bodegas are small stores selling groceries that also usually have great sandwiches and other tasty treats.
Well, the owners of the new Bodega Deli (who also own the adjacent Bebo’s Cheesesteaks) in the former location (at 5840 Grand Oro Ln.) of Sugar Pop!, have recreated the NYC bodega feel — with yummy hot and cold subs, wraps and soups, as well as a variety of breakfast sandwiches and even a build-your-own pasta option with penne, fettuccine or ziti, and Alfredo, vodka (pink) or marinara sauce and meatballs, chicken or Italian sausage. And, of course, like any good New York deli, the Bodega features a variety of NY-style cheesecakes, as well as house-baked chocolate chip cookies and even Good Humor ice cream.
On our first visit, photographer Charmaine George and I enjoyed a “Chopped Cheese” hot sub with chopped beef and cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mayo on a sub roll. Very tasty. We also liked the tuna salad cold sub and the Oreo cookie cheesecake.
Although no one is walking around wearing only fig leaves, you definitely also should visit the new Garden of Eden Olive Oil Company, located at 5830 Goldview Pkwy., Unit 102, in the former location of The Rebellious Hippie and Mythos, both of which were eclectic gift shops.
Located next to Paleta Mia, Garden of Eden is anything but eclectic. It features more than 60 different varieties of olive oils and balsamic vinegars and charismatic owner Adel Youssef is always happy to tell you about (and let you sample) each and every kind.
“All of our olive oils and balsamic vinegars come from our supplier in California, but we have olive oils imported from Australia, Greece, Portugal, Spain and others and our balsamic vinegars are both white and dark — and all of them are delicious and available for sampling here in the store.”
Adel, who says he preiously was in the Egyptian Secret Service protecting president Hosni Mubarak, always has fresh bread available to sample his wares, “although some people will just drink them without bread.” He also sells a variety of olive oil-based candles, skin care products and more. Go and check it all out and please tell Adel I sent you!
