Education Archives — Page 8 of 35

Your CBD Store/Get SunMed Wesley Chapel For Great Quality & Service

Whether you’re looking for natural products that can help relieve pain or anxiety — whether for you or your pets — Lisa Feigel, the owner of Your CBD Store/Get SunMed Wesley Chapel, has not only the quality products you need, but also extensive knowledge of her ever-expanding product line to make sure you end up with the best possible all-natural solution to your problem.

With her extensive knowledge of CBD, or Cannabidiol, as well as one of the top-rated product lines to sell, SunMed, Lisa says she can help just about anyone who walks through the door of her Your CBD Store/Get SunMed Wesley Chapel in the Freedom Plaza on S.R. 54.

“I am a big believer in CBD,” says Lisa, who opened her Wesley Chapel store in August 2019. “I believe in what it can do, and I think that most people who try it will almost always come back again.”

While CBD is derived from hemp (as is cannabis, or marijuana), it contains less than 0.3% of THC, and thus, does not produce any of the psychoactive effects of “weed.” However, CBD still retains all of the medicinal benefits of cannabis, the uses of which go back thousands of years.

Lisa’s SunMed CBD products have a wide range of effects on a wide range of maladies, from anxiety to sleep deprivation to pain management, and more. According to a recent New York Times story, Brightfield Group (a cannabis market research firm) conducted a survey of 5,000 people, revealing that 60 percent of CBD users have taken it for anxiety, followed by chronic pain, insomnia and depression.

“I have suffered intense paranoia and anxiety for most of my adult life,” says Sam Crook, one of Lisa’s regular customers. “Lisa was very VERY informative, patient, and just overall pleasant as she walked me through the options. Taking her advice, I purchased a few products and life has never felt better for me.”

By eliminating some of the things that had been holding him back, Crook says he has gotten a new lease on life with Your CBD Store/Get SunMed Wesley Chapel products.

“With my anxiety and neuroses diminished, I feel more confident, more productive at my job and sleep better than I ever have,” says Crook, “Physically, I have more energy (than I’ve had) in years. These things are literal game changers.”

More and more people are experiencing the benefits of CBD. According to a story posted by Forbes.com, national CBD sales hit $4.6 billion in 2020 (just two years after hemp-derived cannabinoids were federally legalized), and some forecasters are predicting a U.S. market of roughly $20 billion by 2025.

SunMed grows its hemp in Oregon and Colorado, and is processed by a third party lab in Palmetto, FL. The company uses a CO2 extraction, which means there are no carcinogens or ethanol in its products.

SunMed’s carcinogen-free products have the USDA Organic designation, and are labeled with QR codes, so users can see exactly what they are putting into their bodies.

Updated ‘Delta’ Info

*For Delta 8 and Delta 9 CBD products that go Above & Beyond, visit Your CBD Store/Get SunMed Wesley Chapel.*

Delta 8 and Delta 9 products are for more extreme and chronic concerns.

Delta 9 can produce some psychoactive effects, but does not require a medical marijuana card. In fact, Lisa says many medical cannabis card holders have come into her store looking for a less expensive way to get the same benefits.

The difference between Delta 9 and Delta 8 is just one particular chemical bond appearing on the eighth carbon molecule instead of the ninth.

“Delta 8 was a big deal when it was introduced in 2021 and really brought more people in to check us out,” Lisa says, adding that some of her customers have told her using Delta 8 has provided them with “the best sleep of their lives.”

CBG, or cannabigerol, and CBN, or cannabinerol, are Broad and Full spectrum products that can provide a drowsy effect which can aid with sleeping, while CBG is touted more for its “pick me up” and potential therapeutic, anti-inflammatory effects.

CBG is known as the “super momma of cannabinoids” and Lisa says the topical pain cream version of it is one of her store’s best sellers.

Whether by cream, oil, gummy, water soluble or vape, Lisa says her store offers multiple ways to get her CBD products into your system. “Everyone has a preference,” she says, “but really, there’s no wrong way of taking CBD. It’s just a matter of getting it in you.”

For those who need a boost in losing weight, there is now TRIM!

She says SunMed’s TRIM is the only CBD weight-loss product on the market, adding that, “in a 90-day clinical study of 120 people, participants lost up to 18 pounds, six inches around the waist and eight points in their BMI (Body Mass Index).

TRIM features THC-V, which it says is a non-psychoactive compound in hemp known to naturally suppress your appetite. This product can be taken as an edible, oil, or capsule.

“There are always new products coming out all the time,” Lisa says. “TRIM has been very popular. It’s just another way that CBD can help make your life easier.”

As for your fur babies, CBD has proven to be effective in relaxing pets who have anxiety, suffer from thunderstorms and fireworks. Your CBD Store has a variety of products, including the newest ones — Chillin’ Out (for relaxation) and Movin’ Easy (for mobility and aches and pains) broad spectrum hemp chews for dogs and cats.

Stop in to Lisa’s beautiful boutique style store and try a free sample while she and her staff educate you on which CBD product is best for you!

Your CBD Store/Get SunMed Wesley Chapel (30044 S.R. 54) is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday & by appointment only on Sunday. For more info, call (813) 536-0119, visit getsunmed.com or search “YourCBDStoreWesleyChapel” on Facebook and Instagram.

Former Saddlebrook GM To Open Community Café By June 15!

Pat Ciaccio says that before Saddlebrook Resort was sold last year to Mast Capital, it was providing a safe haven where intellectually and developmentally disabled adults could work and be accepted.

The former long-time Saddlebrook general manager says that all the years that he worked for the resort’s founder and owner Tom Dempsey, “were very good to me and my family and I knew that what I really wanted to do was give something back and do something to help people with special needs.”

Above is a rendering created by Neighborhood News multimedia specialist Charmaine George which superimposes over the current construction site what the various areas of the Community Café will resemble.

Ciaccio says he was building on the good work Saddlebrook started when he came up with the idea for his new nonprofit passion project — which he calls the Community Café, located in the 3,200-sq.-ft. former Keeps Carpet Store building on S.R. 54, less than a half-mile west of Morris Bridge Rd.

“The Community Café will create welcoming spaces and provide workforce training opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” Ciaccio says. “I know there are other businesses that hire the developmentally disabled, including Publix, but we want to do even more to help them. We want to train them so they can not only have a job, but actually move up to management positions. Nearly our entire staff of 30-35 employees (when it opens) will be people with these special needs who normally find it difficult to find a job.”

Raised in New Jersey, Ciaccio says his family background spans more than five generations of leaders in the hospitality industry. He says the Community Café will be home to a gourmet coffee bar and also will sell ice cream and smoothies (see rendering, right). The Café also will feature a retail shop selling T-shirts, coffee mugs and other branded merchandise. He says he has visited several other businesses around the country with similar concepts, including Rise & Nye’s in Sarasota.

*Pat Ciaccio outlines his vision for the Community Café’s event center.*

And finally, there is an 1,100-sq.-ft. private event space that will feature artwork (that will be for sale, with all sales proceeds going to the artists) rotating quarterly by intellectually and developmentally disabled professional artists affiliated with Art4All. He says there will be entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights featuring performers with special needs. He adds that the event space will be available for use by community organizations.

Best of all, each area of the Community Café will have its own “team leader” among the “Shining Stars,” which is what all of the employees will be called. Only Ciaccio himself and the Café’s top management will not have special needs.

The Shining Stars will deliver a high-quality food and beverage experience with exceptional guest service in a tranquil, family-oriented, decompressing, “Team Greater Than Me” environment.

Ciaccio says that his goal is to provide cohesive and inclusive workforce training that will offer advancement opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“We truly are looking to change the current narrative about special needs adults from awareness to education,” he says. “The narrative must be changed.”

Ciaccio isn’t alone in his passion to help those with special needs.

“I am in partnership with Katbrat Studios (which specializes in digital media and content creation), John Lombardo Coaching & Consulting and The Leyda Group (which specializes in leadership coaching and human resources consulting).

The Community Café also will be led and mentored by a five-person Board of Directors: Dr. Alexis Dempsey-Doyle, Jodi Gordon, Wasim Kayal, Seth Ravenna and Dr. Mohamad Saleh.

“We plan to connect the community through educational workshops and podcasts in the Café’s event center while providing an exceptional food and beverage experience,” Ciaccio says.

As though he’s not already busy enough, Ciaccio, Tom Dempsey and Erik and Seth Ravenna also are opening Johnny C’s Italian Eatery on Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa, in the former Precinct Pizza location.

Get More Info On Apr. 18!

Although Ciaccio says he anticipates that the Community Café will open on or around June 15, he and his leadership team will host a News Conference that will be open to the entire local community, as well as the media. The event will be held on Tuesday April 18 (the day many of you will receive this issue in your mailbox), at 11 a.m., at the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel (26640 Silver Maple Pkwy.). Ciaccio says he thanks Hilton Garden Inn GM Charlie Whiteacre for graciously agreeing to host this event.

“I also would like to thank all my partners and community members who already have reached out to lend support,” Ciaccio says. “It takes a village but together, I know that we can change the narrative!”

For more information, visit CommunityCafeFL.com.

Community Cafe Developmental Disability Intellectual Disability Jobs Wesley Chapel

PHSC’s Timothy Beard To Retire

After 17 years at Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC), which includes leading the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, president Timothy L. Beard, Ph.D., will retire effective January 31, 2024, the school announced on Mar. 1.

By the time he retires, Beard will have served nearly nine years as the state college’s president and CEO. Prior to that, he served more than eight years as PHSC’s Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.

The school announced that it is conducting a nationwide search for Beard’s successor. Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting firm will lead the search for PHSC’s fifth president, teaming up with a presidential search committee comprised of community stakeholders and PHSC faculty, staff and students.

During Beard’s presidency, PHSC constructed the $18-million Instructional Performing Arts Center (IPAC), located on Old Pasco Rd. in front of Cypress Creek middle and high school. The facility opened in 2021, and provides instruction in music, dance, theater and multi-media design.

“Serving as PHSC’s president has been the crowning achievement of my career,” Beard said in a release. “The College has made exceptional progress, thanks to the guidance of our trustees and the dedication of our administrators, faculty and staff. I remain in awe of the transformative power of education.”

Beard also has been at the helm for a number of other major projects, like adding a $5 million Burn Center and Fire Academy training center at PHSC’s East Campus in Dade City, which will also be home to a future STEM Student Success and Community Engagement Center with a projected $25-million budget.

Dr. Beard earned his Bachelor’s degree from Florida A&M (FAMU) in 1984, and received his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Florida State University. He worked on the staff, faculty and in the administrations at FAMU, FSU and the University of South Alabama in Mobile before accepting the vice president’s position at PHSC.

He succeeded former PHSC presidents Katherine M. Johnson, Ed.D., in 2015. Johnson was preceded by the late Robert W. Judson, Jr, Ed.D., and Milton O. Jones, Ph.D., the college’s founding president.

PHSC, which has six locations in Pasco and Hernando counties serving nearly 10,000 students annually, saw its operating budget increase by nearly 40 percent under Beard, and the PHSC Foundation’s assets increased by more than 60 percent. Beard personally raised several hundred thousand dollars to establish and fund scholarships.

PHSC’s nine-member District Board of Trustees is hoping to find and introduce Beard’s replacement in September.

Information on PHSC’s Presidential Search, including details about the application and nomination process, can be found at MyersMcrae.com or PHSC.edu/about/leadership/presidential-search.

pasco-hernando state college phsc Timothy Beard Wesley Chapel

AIMING FOR THE TOP

*Parth Madabhushi gives 100 percent to everything he does, as evidenced by his acomplishments in dance, music and sport.****(Photos: Courtesy of Madabhushi family)***

Wesley Chapel teenager Parth Madabhushi doesn’t do anything half way.

When he took up karate, he put in all his effort and made it onto a national team that competed in other countries.

When he took up dance, he spent hours and hours practicing his craft and became the third generation in his family to learn the classical Indian dance Bharatanatyam.

And, when he took up music, he mastered the mridangam (the ancient classical drum of South India), recently completing his solo percussion recital, or arangetram, with renowned Indian musician Padma Shri A. Kanyakumari.

Whereas the majority of people may take a few years of karate or a few lessons in dance or compete in a couple of sports leagues, Parth has always set out to conquer everything he tries.

“I’m proud of myself for the accomplishment,” Parth says. “I don’t really get the appeal of doing something and stopping, unless it was just a hobby or something. Accomplishing all three things was important to me. My parents preached that if you’re not going to do something 100 percent, don’t do it.”

The most recent accomplishment on Parth impressice roster was completing his mridangam arangetram last year.

An arangetram (which means “ascending the stage”) ceremony is a rite of passage that is most similar to a recital or graduation, and is deeply rooted in Indian culture. The mridangam, the instrument Parth plays, is the.

All classical dancers and musicians participate in an arangetram at the end of their training with a guru, and it signifies their ascension from disciple to performer and even to teacher.

For his arangetram, Prahlad Madabhushi, Parth’s father, managed to arrange for his son to accompany violinist Padma Shri A. Kanyakumari, a recipient of the Padma Shri Award from the government of India for her devotion to the arts. Prahlad says it is rare that such a prominent artist would agree to play at an arangetram.

*The Madabhushi family (l.-r.) dad Prahlad, Parth, sister Nitya and mother Sabrina.*

“We had been in communication for 2-3 years, before Covid,” he said. “And, her calendar is packed. However, she sent us a message that she had a weekend open, and we were shocked. It was jaw dropping. But, we can see why she agreed. Parth is very very unique, and artists want to enrich upcoming brilliant kids.”

On October 29, 2022, Parth took the stage at USF and accompanied Padma Shri A. Kanyakumari in a three-hour performance that included a 10-minute solo. She changed pace often, playing at such a dizzying speed at times

it was hard to imagine Parth keeping up on his mridangam. However, he did.

“The speed she played at was crazy,” Parth said. “I enjoyed it, trying to see how fast I can play. She was challenging me, and now I know I can play that fast.”

Prahlad, who joined his son on stage, called it an impressive performance.

“It was exhilarating to see my son not only play well, but hang in there,” he said, “because it is very difficult when she plays the violin, because it’s not just at one speed, but 4-5 speeds. And she’s not like, “This is a newcomer, let me take it easy.’ Very, very seasoned musicians find it difficult to hang in with her, but Parth did.”

Completing the arangetram was just another step for Parth, who has already piled up a list of impressive accomplishments.

His father says that Parth represented Team USA at the World Karate Federation championships four times, winning four championships, and also has recently gained the title of Sensei in the martial arts form of Shitu-Ryu.

At his first arangetram in 2008 for dance — his mother Sabrina and grandmother Geetha Raaj are dance teachers — he became the first boy in Florida to complete a recital in the classical Indian dance Bharatanatyam.

Prahlad says that combination of accomplishments is “one-in-a-billion.”

So, what’s next for Parth? He’s not sure. A Carrollwood Day School graduate, he is currently a second-year Business student at the University of South Florida, and has taken an interesting in video editing. While school is a priority, and time-consuming as well, he has wondered what his next challenge might be.

“In my brain, I want to do something else,” he says. “I will figure it out. In my opinion, having something to accomplish, that’s what makes life fun.”

Parth Madabhushi

Wesley Chapel’s 2022-23 Teacher Of The Year Nominees

The Pasco County School District recently named its Teacher and School-Related Personnel of the Year.

Anita Dienes, Instructional Assistant at Thomas E. Weightman Middle School, won top honors in the District among all School-Related Personnel.

“Mrs. Dienes was nominated for her outstanding dedication to our students and continuous support of our staff,” says Donna Gricoski, the principal at Weightman. “She works hard to build relationships with students and is an out-of-the box problem solver when working through various student-related interactions.”

Timothy Hamlin, a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math)teacher at Wiregrass Elementary, was one of three finalists for the District-wide Teacher of the Year, although the award was ultimately presented to Kim Theurer of Gulf High in New Port Richey.

District-wide winners are chosen from the nominees selected at all schools in the county. Being chosen as the nominee from a school is an honor in itself, so we congratulate all of the teachers and supporting staff in the schools in Wesley Chapel who were recognized as their school’s nominees this year.

At the brand new Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation off Curley Rd., the school chose its first-ever nominees, including Brooke Howard, learning design coach, as its Teacher of the Year.

“I am extremely honored to receive this recognition from those who I work alongside,” she says.