The New Tampa Sensory & Autism Friendly Park, which originally was earmarked to be built on five acres of land behind the BJโs Wholesale Club on Commerce Palms Dr. in Tampa Palms., is headed to a new site.
Now, the park will be constructed in the nearby New Tampa Community Park (NTCP).
After concerns were raised by members of the Stafford Place community about parking and noise, Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, who represents New Tampa as part of District 7, began the search for a new site.
The sensory-friendly park has been one of Vieraโs pet projects since he was elected to the council in 2015.
Viera, whose older brother Juan has autism, successfully fought to get $90,000 included in former Mayor Bob Buckhornโs 2018 Tampa city budget for Phase 1 of the project, which was allocated for a study and design of the park.
Now, that design will be used at the NTCP.
Viera said he will make a budget request to finally have the park constructed.
He estimates the cost at $1-1.4 million, less than he had originally anticipated.
โThere are sites located in the New Tampa Community Park that not only get the job done, but due to the presently available parking and other infrastructure, reduce the cost of this effort substantially,โ Viera says. โ JCC
Matt Sanchez stands inside his Heritage Isles home, 10.9 yards from his practice target (blue arrow). (Photo: John C. Cotey)
Wharton High senior Matt Sanchez has more than just Olympic dreams. Earlier this month, those dreams nearly came true.
Competing at the Air Rifle U.S. Olympic Trials Feb. 7-9 in Colorado Springs, CO, Sanchez battled against 16 of the sharpest shooters in the country, and briefly toyed with making the Olympic team, before falling four points short and settling for third place. He is instead the first alternate for the squad if either of the shooters who finished ahead of him canโt make the trip.
The top two finishers โ 2016 Olympian Lucas Kozeniesky and University of Kentucky sophomore Will Shaner โ will make up the U.S. Olympic Air Rifle team. As the first alternate, Sanchez will only go if either Kozeniesky or Shaner canโt make the trip to Tokyo for the Games, which run from July 24-Aug.9.
This Colorado Springs trip was the second part of the Olympic Trials. The first part was held last fall, and Sanchez actually entered the second part in seventh place.
โThe top two people were way ahead of everyone, so it looked like they were pretty much going to make it,โ Sanchez said.
However, the second-place shooter from Part I had a terrible first day, and Sanchez was excellent. Shooting at a target the size of a size 12-point font period from 10.94 yards away from a standing position, he scored a 627.5 (out of 654), and made a big move up to third-place overall. Sanchez made up four points on the first day, and needed to do it again the final day to possibly nab the second spot on the team.
โI didnโt expect to make the team, honestly,โ Sanchez says. โBut then, things got a little crunchy going into the second day. I thought if I shoot the same thing, I could make it into second place.โ
Sanchez admits he may have been overthinking on Day Two, and he shot a 624.1, and finished four points behind second-place Shaner. Kozeniesky tied a world record on Day 2 with a 633.5.
โIt was a little bittersweet, to be honest,โ Sanchez says. โIf it was a year ago, and I made third place, Iโd be really happy โ โOh hey, I got third place at a national competition, I did really goodโ โ But, seeing that I was only four points away from making an Olympic team and getting to go is a little bittersweet.โ
Being first alternate is still quite an accomplishment, especially for a 17-year-old balancing high-level national competition with graduating from high school. Sanchez already has signed a scholarship to attend college-shooting powerhouse West Virginia University in Morgantown in the fall.
Sanchez took his first shots at age 9 at a gun range in Las Vegas while visiting his grandmother. From those first eager moments, he has evolved into a finely-tuned technician. In most air rifle competitions, you fire 60 shots in a 75-minute time limit, not the steady rat-a-tat shooting at a range you might be more familiar with. It takes an amazing amount of precision and training.
Sometimes, your heartbeat or a vein is pumping enough to jostle your sights. Sometimes, Sanchez says you need to move the rifle off a vein, or shoot between heartbeats.
Boomโฆboomโฆclickโฆboom.
โHis biggest attributes are his patience and his attention to detail,โ says Mattโs father Freddy. โHe does everything at 100-percent maximum. He is a very patient individual. My patience gets tested just watching him.โ
Sanchez, unlike much of his competition, doesnโt have the benefit of a college or Olympic facility at which to train. The nearest specialized facility is in Orlando, and he also travels to south Florida to train with his coach, 1996 and 2000 Olympic team member Jayme Shipley.
Otherwise, Mattโs training takes place at a makeshift and poorly lit set-up at his Heritage Isles home. His garage isnโt quite big enough, so while the target is set up on one of its walls, to get 10.9 yards away he has to open the door and shoot from inside the homeโs foyer.
โItโs been a real blessing to see him progress to this level,โ Freddy says. โTo be able to shoot in the garage and get a spot as an Olympic alternate, I canโt ask for anything more. He has a college scholarship, pretty much a full ride, heโs a member of national teams, he travels the world โ China, Korea, Germany, you name it.โ
Freddy rubs his left forearm.
โIโm getting goosebumps just talking about it.โ
Sanchez might be too cool for goosebumps, but he is now more homed in than ever on making the 2024 Olympic team.
By then, heโll have had four more years of training, this time at top-notch facilities at WVU and the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, and the memory of 2020 pushing him.
โI would have loved to make the Olympic team, but Iโm happy with where I am right now,โ Sanchez says. โThis experience has really pushed me and given me a drive to be a really, really good shooter. I know I need to ensure that, at the next Olympic trials, I wonโt miss making the team by a couple of points.โ
Owners John Kuemmel and Shawn Diehl have done exactly what they wanted to do when they decided nearly three years ago to fulfill a 25-year dream they shared of opening their own bar. In the heart of Tampa Palms, they have spun an inventive menu, ice cold beer, premium liquor and a unique atmosphere into our readersโ favorite bar in New Tampa to enjoy a night out.
Whatโs not to like (other than the ridiculously hard questions on Tuesday Trivia Nights)?
A bar that has outstanding food โ and The Fat Rabbit finished just behind Acropolis as our readersโ sixth favorite restaurant in New Tampa, too โ is never a bad thing.
The chicken wings are arguably the best around โ make sure you check out the Buffalo Garlic Ranch โ and thereโs even a Real McCoy burger named after former Tampa Bay Buc and Tampa Palms resident Gerald McCoy and a fresh Catch of the Week. And, the crispy tater tots are truly divine.
The Fat Rabbit now even brews a Transplant IPA and Concrete & Gold Pilsner in-house, with more tanks on the way.
And, the decor gives the Fat Rabbit an elegant look with a comfortable neighborhood feel that keeps you coming back for more. โ JCC
2. Stonewood Grill & Tavern has been among New Tampaโs favorite places to drink since the moment it opened, and since our readers obviously also love the food (see previous page), too, thereโs no doubt that Stonewood is here to stay.
3. Mr. Dunderbakโs has never had a full-alcohol bar, but its huge variety of beers from around the world, unique German-inspired menu, gifts and even chocolates keep it one of our readersโ favorite bars year after year, which often makes it hard to find a seat at that bar.
4. Chiliโs Grill & Bar in New Tampa continues to receive lots of votes in our Reader Survey every year. Even though itโs a chain, thereโs no easy access to it from BBD and the restaurants next door to it keep going out of business, it keeps on rolling. โNuff said.
5. Peabodyโs in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms is another long-time favorite bar that also has great food (especially pizza & wings). Plus, itโs New Tampaโs adult play place, with tons of TVs, pool tables, darts and a younger-skewing crowd.
According to a report from the renowned Johns Hopkins Medicine, the novel coronavirus, formally known as Covid-19, has spread to 28 countries and regions since it was first identified in mainland China in December last year. Globally, it has now infected more than 73,000 people and killed more than 2,000 (at our press time), the vast majority still in mainland China.
Influenza, or โthe flu,โ and Covid-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, are both infectious respiratory illnesses. Although the symptoms of Covid-19 and the flu can look similar, the two illnesses are caused by different viruses. And, the fact remains that although the coronavirusโ rapid spread and the number of people it already has killed in a very short time โ who had ever even heard of it six months ago? โ is frightening, the flu currently affects and kills 100-300 times more people (anywhere from 250,000 to nearly 650,000, depending upon whose numbers you use) every year, not just the last few months, the world over.
And, the fact remains that the easiest way to avoid getting either of these two potentially fatal illnesses is getting a flu shot and proper, frequent hand-washing, especially immediately after coming in contact with someone you suspect might have more than โjust a cold.โ
No, considering how debilitating both the flu and Covid-19 can be, youโre not being rude if youโre not so quick to shake the hand of every stranger you come in contact with (much less want to stand near anyone who is sneezing, even if they say โItโs just my allergiesโ), especially when this yearโs flu season continues to be such a doozy.
On the other hand, the recent worldwide backlash against people who appear to be Chinese to those of us who arenโt Asian (even though the majority of Americans donโt think people from China look any different than people from Thailand, Japan, Korea or Vietnam) makes no sense at all.
First of all, the World Health Organization and other governmental agencies around the world are tracking every known case of the coronavirus. Second, anyone who has been on a cruise ship or airplane from anywhere near the new illnessโ epicenter of Wuhan, China, is being quarantined and then closely monitored for any sign of Covid-19. Third, absolutely no one is closely monitoring the more than 120,000 people of all races, religions and ethnic groups who have been hospitalized for the flu during the 2019-20 flu season, or the hundreds of thousands more who were treated by doctors without being hospitalized or the thousands more who somehow were able to beat back the disease without even seeing a doctor.
People getting sick enough to die from their illnesses during the cold and flu season isnโt a Chinese problem. This scary new malady may have started in one particular area of one particular country, but that doesnโt mean that anyone of Chinese or Asian descent, especially if they live anywhere but in the Hubei province of south central China, is any more likely to be afflicted with Covid-19 than you are, especially if they havenโt visited their native country since the virus started.
Oh, and here in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, we can rest a little bit easy (for now, at least) knowing that none of the few cases of Covid-19 that have been confirmed in the U.S. have found their way to Florida.
But, I know there are a lot of seemingly normal people who are losing their minds over the coronavirus outbreak, just as they have over many other issues that donโt need to be debated here.
But, when I read that Chinese restaurants from Australia to Florida have lost 20-70 percent of their usual business โ or had to close their doors altogether โ in the less than three months since the outbreak first hit, well, thatโs where this lifetime Chinese food lover has to draw the line.
This isnโt the time for anti-Chinese sentiment, much less for hating Chinese-Americans or…Heaven help me, Chinese food.
So, whether your favorite local Chinese restaurant is Liangโs Bistro, Ho King or my favorites โ Fushia Asian Bistro here in Tampa Palms and Yummy House on E. Hillsborough Ave. โ or any other, now is the time to do yourself and the family that owns that eatery a favor and get yourself some egg rolls and Yang Chow fried rice.
Nothing Bundt Cakes arrived in Wesley Chapel quietly in March of 2017.
It was that day that its unique offering of tiny, moist bundt cakes with mouth-watering cream cheese icing nearly stole the show at the Taste of New Tampa. Competing against more than 35 restaurants, Nothing Bundt Cakes finished third overall in attendee voting.
The next year, Nothing Bundt Cakes opened at the Shops of Wiregrass, and now, the shop is your choice for best dessert in Wesley Chapel.
โThat is great,โ says Tammy Mencia, who owns the Wesley Chapel and Carrollwood locations of the dessert franchise with her husband Ralph. โWe have had a great reception from the community since we opened.โ
The franchise was started 22 years ago in Las Vegas, with bundt cakes made with all fresh ingredients and the best butter and cream cheese available.
The store, according to employees Amanda Burden and Anissa Rivera (pictured above), is always busy. The chocolate chocolate chip is the best seller, but no matter which of the 10 flavors you choose, or what size โ bite-sized bundtinis, miniature bundtlets or full-sized or special order bundt cakes โ you are guaranteed a moist, delicious treat that will leave you smiling.โ JCC
2. Happy Cow Frozen Yogurt Happy Cow continues to outpace other local frozen yogurt shops in our annual Reader Survey, and among the items that distinguish this make-your-own frozen yogurt shop from others are its delicious, house-made brownies and chocolate chip cookies and its varieties of flavors & toppings.
3. Culverโs Culver’s started in Wisconsin, where they take their frozen custard seriously. The burgers and cheese curds are divine, but a shake, pint of frozen custard and the Concrete Mixers are worth the stop all by themselves. Wesley Chapel has two locations, so from one Cheesehead to the rest of you: youโre welcome!ย
4. Dairy Queen DQ doesnโt do anything special with its desserts, and maybe thatโs the charm for locals โ you know what youโre getting. The ice cream is good, the Blizzards are way better than McFlurries, and ice cream sundae, parfaits are easy choices and delicious ice cream cakes are always a treat.
5. Batter n Dough BnD on S.R. 56 specializes in topping trendy liege and other waffles with everything from ice cream to eggs & bacon, all with delicious flair. The ice cream waffle sandwiches are equally delicious with sweet or savory waffles. And, in less than two years, Batter & Dough has made our readersโ top-5!ย
6. Ice Dreammm Shop 7. 365 Caffe Italiano 8. Buttermilk Provisions 9. Jenny’s Mini Donuts 10. Le Macaron
