‘DON’T LOSE HOPE’

Haley Scott still has Olympic aspirations, but the Wesley Chapel figure skater is taking it one leap…er, step…at a time as she recovers from a two-year-long battle with Covid-19. (Photos: Charmaine George)

Haley Scott breathes in the cool, crisp air of the rink as she glides on the ice at AdventHealth Center Ice in her white skates. Gearing up, she makes three rotations in the air — a perfect triple loop. Her excitement to be back at the rink outweighs the muscle and lung aches, reminders of her two years off the ice due to complications of long Covid-19. 

The 16-year-old Wesley Chapel resident has been skating since she was five years old; however in November 2020, she was forced to stop when Covid prevented her from walking, talking and skating. The virus, which usually leaves the body in two weeks, persisted for Haley for over two years.

Doctors told Haley she may never be able to skate again. However, six specialists later, she is back on the ice and ready to perfect her form.

“It was definitely a hard journey coming back,” Haley says. “Trying to get used to jumping again, spinning again
 just even being on the ice.”

Scott is a 2015-19 Sunshine State Games gold medal-winning ice skater. She was awarded the 2016 Betty Stark Award for the highest combined score in the Juvenile Girls Free Skate and Short Program and the 2017 Dorothy Dodson Award winner as the top skater in the two programs for the Intermediate Ladies divisions.

Midway through the pandemic, Haley began suffering from the usual dizzy spells and headaches associated with Covid-19. 

She felt fine two weeks later. 

But, the third week, her speech slurred and she could barely stand.

“I was definitely a whole different person than I used to be,” she says. 

Her mother, Julie Scott, took her to the emergency room but got turned away due to her daughter’s Covid-19 test coming back negative. Julie took Haley to cardiology, neurology, immunology and hematology appointments before scouring the internet for some cures. After ten months in pain, Haley was recommended to IncellDx, a research group in California. 

“They were just a godsend to us,” Julie says. “They listened. Many doctors will turn you away with no answers and that’s it. They listened and at least tried things.”

In December 2021, Haley started to see results. She could walk again, talk again, and in January, she actually began to skate again. 

The 16-year-old also is completing her high school credits through Florida Virtual School, while also taking college-level classes at Pasco-Hernando State College.

“I feel thankful,” Julie says. “I’m very proud of her and I just want her to enjoy the journey, wherever it may take her.”

Before her battle with long Covid, Haley was practicing at the rink 4-5 hours a day. In January, her mission to get back on the ice started slowly, with just 30 minutes of free skating. But now, she has worked her way back to practicing with her coach, Silvia Fontana, five days a week.

Haley has trained under her coach for four years. When Silvia learned of the news of Haley having long Covid, she was devastated. Everything needed to become a professional ice skater was taken away by the illness, she says.

“At one point I just wanted her to have a regular life and just to be happy again,” Silvia says. “For us as coaches, the skating and athleticism are important. But, we care about them as people first. So, that was the main concern.”

Silvia says Haley is one in a million. Even through the hardships, her coach has seen Haley fight back and excel. And, she still believes that Haley can represent the U.S. in the Winter Olympics in four or eight years. 

“I want her to always remember where she came from,” Silvia says. “When you get to the higher level, it gets more stressful and she needs to know the strength and resilience she had during that really difficult time.”

Haley is training for the qualifying season in July. For athletes struggling with long Covid, Haley says, “it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”

“Don’t lose hope,” she says. “You just have to stay positive and remind yourself who you are.”

So Far, These Are My Favorite Dishes At KRATE Restaurants

So, how many of the restaurants at the KRATE Container Park at The Grove have you tried so far? I have tried all of them, although I definitely haven’t tried every dish at every KRATE eatery yet, so below is a list — in alphabetical order by the name of the KRATE — of my favorite dishes so far at the now-18 open restaurants and bars at the KRATEs. I plan to keep on sampling everything I can at these mom-and-pop eateries, and I will list my favorite KRATE desserts next issue, so stay tuned! — GN 

Bacon Boss HQ — Although I have them put the BBQ mayo on the side, my favorite menu item at the Bacon Boss is the Bugsy Siegel Burger, which features a grilled-to-perfection burger topped with two slices of American cheese, crispy bacon, lettuce & tomato. So good.

Blush Wine Room — Despite its billing as a wine bar, this is definitely one of my favorite KRATE restaurants. I already love the bruschetta, beef & pork meatballs with spicy marinara and the chicken with vodka sauce flatbread (photo, left). The wines (including wine flights) also are great, but my favorite drink is the strawberry frosĂ© — perfect on a hot day.

Cachapa

Chamo Bites Venezuelan Cuisine — I’ve always been a fan of arepas, and Chamo Bites tops them with a great variety of meats and cheeses, but I’m absolutely addicted to the Cachapa (a sweet corn pancake) filled with queso de mano, or “hand cheese,” which is like mozzarella only better.

El Prince Mediterranean — The meat shawarma sandwich, which is delicious, marinated sliced ribeye beef roasted with Middle eastern spices in a pressed pita-style wrap, topped with onions and tahini sauce (that I had them put on the side) is still my favorite at El Prince, although the diced El Prince salad is also a delicious option.

La Creacion Express — You don’t have to be a fan of Puerto Rican cuisine to enjoy La Creacion, although I haven’t yet tried the more hard-core items like octopus or alcapurria (green bananas & taro root) empanadas, I love the tripleta sandwich (with steak, ham and pork).

Mojo Grill Latin Fusion — The menu really is a mix of so many Latin favorites you really can’t go wrong, but my favorites so far are the steak chimichurri sandwich (thinly sliced skirt steak, caramelized onions, melted cheese and house-made chimichurri sauce on a toasted baguette) and the build-your-own bowl with grilled chicken, cilantro rice, black beans and Cuban slaw.

Palani’s Hawai’i Noodles House of Saimin — To date, the only dish I’ve tried is the saimin noodles in a savory clear broth garnished with barbecued char sui pork, kamaboko and crisp green onions, but it definitely makes my list of KRATE favorites. I suggest paying $4 for additional Chinese-style char sui pork. So good.

Shake-A-Salad — Since it was one of the first KRATE restaurants to open, I’ve tried more than one option of all three parts of the menu — the salads (my favorite is The Cobb), the wrap sandwiches (the Chicken Caesar is my fave) and the signature rice bowls (I absolutely love the Asian Marinated Chicken Rice Bowl).

Tacos El Patron — Already a family favorite, we love the savory pastor quesadilla filled with marinated pork, the huge carnitas burrito (filled with pork chunks, rice, beans and cheese) and the asada (steak) taco salad. 

Tasty Ramen — Although I’m not as much into the variety of ramen bowls as I am the appetizers, I definitely love the pan-fried gyoza dumplings and crispy spring roll.  

TJ’s Hot Dogs — Although TJ’s has a great variety of topping for its gourmet hot dogs, I only really have one favorite type — a kosher-style dog with brown mustard and sauerkraut (above) and TJ’s satisfies that craving for me. I plan to try some of the other options…eventually.

MOMs Club To Host A ‘Climb’ Event

On Saturday, June 25, at 9 a.m., the MOMs Club of Wesley Chapel (photo) will host the first-ever Team Tampa Bay “Climb out of the Darkness” event at Wesley Chapel District Park (7721 Boyette Rd.).

Climb out of the Darkness is the largest annual fund raiser supporting Postpartum Support International (PSI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to helping women and families have access to information, social support and professional care to deal with mental health issues related to childbearing. PSI provides help for families that suffer from PMAD (perinatal mood and anxiety disorders), including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and other postpartum issues.

The local Climb will include a community walk (bring your strollers, talk with other families) followed by family fun, including a bounce house, large yard games for the kids, raffle prizes (gift cards, zoo passes, swim lessons and more) and snack items. And, a hockey puck signed by Brayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning will be auctioned off.

MOMs Club president Joy Clark explains why the club chose to host a Climb as its annual philanthropy this year.

“We took on this project when I was only two weeks out after having my second son. I myself suffered severe anxiety and depression during both of my pregnancies. I know this is real and I found my support in MOMS Club. We are honored to support PSI . (Postpartum) mental health problems are real, and I want people to know they are not alone.” 

To register, email climbtampabay@gmail.com.

Wiregrass Ranch High Highlights Spring All-Conference Awards

No. 1 singles boys tennis standout Ninad Raut led the Bulls to the Class 4A State semifinals.

There was little doubt which of Wesley Chapel’s three high school athletic programs had the best spring this year — Wiregrass Ranch High.

The Bulls dominated the Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) East selections, capturing three team titles, three Coaches of the Year and four Players of the Year, as well as putting 25 athletes on all-SAC first teams and another 28 on second teams. 

WRH was the only area school to have at least one All-SAC first-team performer in all 10 sports offered — baseball, softball, boys weightlifting and wrestling, and boys and girls tennis, track and field and lacrosse — during the Spring 2022 season.

Softball Player of the Year Kylee Johnson, a junior shortstop, had arguably the best season ever for an area player, batting .506 with 34 RBI, 8 home runs, 10 triples and 12 doubles for a whopping slugging percentage of 1.149.

Other Bulls Players of the Year included:

‱ Girls lacrosse standout Luna Khatib, who scored 83 goals and had 33 assists in 17 games this season in earning POY honors for a second straight year

‱ No. 1 singles boys tennis standout Ninad Raut, who led the Bulls to the Class 4A State semifinals

‱ Hurdler Catherine Fleming, who advanced to the State championships in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles as well as the 4×100 relay and, like Khatib, was a repeat POY winner. 

Coaches Craig Havermann (girls lacrosse), Dave Wilson (boys tennis) and Mark Kantor (weightlifting) were all named Coaches of the Year after leading their respective sports at WRH to SAC championships.

Other highlights for the Bulls included:

‱ Brothers Maddox (sophomore infielder) and Mason McDougal (senior outfielder), who made the All-SAC first team for baseball.

‱ Seniors Mackenzie Smith (offense) and Alessia Lloyd (defense) and junior defender Aly Allen joined Khalib on the All-SAC lacrosse team.

‱ Boys tennis players Raut, Vld Shumakov, Zak Herrmann, Belal Mansour and Leonardo Rodriguez all made the All-SAC first-team, and all are juniors, so they will return next season.

‱ Track & Field’s Ava Schmitt, a freshman, made the first team in two events – the 1600m and 3200m.

Meanwhile, Cypress Creek High produced two SAC Players of the Year — senior infielder Ethan Petry, who led the Coyotes with a .479 batting average, 33 runs and six homers at the plate and a 5-2 record and 60 strikeouts in 42 innings as a pitcher, and freshman weightlifter Jayden Cruzado, who finished third at the Class 2A State championships in the 129-pound weight class. Cruzado also made first team All-SAC in wrestling at 129 pounds

Other highlights for Cypress Creek included senior Kione Roberson making the track & field first team in the long jump and second in the high jump, and junior Tiffany Colin making first team in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter sprints.

Wesley Chapel High’s baseball team won the SAC title this season after going 6-2 in the conference, and the Wildcats also were represented on the All-SAC teams by girls track & field Athlete of the Year Latia Dove — a senior who advanced to the Class 2A State championships in the long jump and 4×100 relay — and 199-pound senior Jorden McCaslin, the SAC Wrestler of the Year and a competitor at the Class 2A State championships.

Other highlights for the Wildcats included McCaslin also making first team for weightlifting and second team for track (in the 4×100 relay); senior pitcher Zach Showalter (team-high .333 average, four homers, 21 RBI, 0.78 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 45 innings) making first team for baseball; and Kandace Means capping a great career (.390 batting average, 19 doubles, 15 home runs and 91 RBI in 73 games) with first-team softball honors.

Here’s all the Wesley Chapel-area choices by school:

WIREGRASS RANCH

TEAM CHAMPIONS

Weightlifting

Boys Tennis

Girls Lacrosse

PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

LUNA KHALIB, GIRLS LACROSSE

NINAD RAUT, BOYS TENNIS

KYLEE JOHNSON, SOFTBALL

CATHERINE FLEMING, GIRLS TRACK & FIELD

COACHES OF THE YEAR

CRAIG HAVERMANN, GIRLS LACROSSE

DAVE WILSON, BOYS TENNIS

MARK KANTOR, BOYS WEIGHTLIFTING

FIRST TEAM PICKS

BASEBALL: Maddox McDougall, 10, INF; Mason McDougal, 12, OF.

SOFTBALL: Kylee Johnson, 11, INF; Brianna Baer, 12, OF.

BOYS LACROSSE: Jeremiah Loo, 12, Off.

GIRLS LACROSSE: Luna Khalib, 12, Off, Mackenzie Smith, 12, Off;  Alessia Lloyd, 12, Def; Aly Allen, 11, Def.

BOYS TENNIS: Ninad Raut, 11; Vlad Shumakov, 11; Zak Herrmann, 11; Belal Mansour, 11; Leonardo Rodriguez, 11.

GIRLS TENNIS: Sydney West, 11

BOYS TRACK: 4×400 relay (Riddyk Ayan, 11; Mason Spearin, 10; Joseph Medina, 11; Alexzay Rodriguez, 9)

GIRLS TRACK: Catherine Fleming, 12, 100m and 300m hurdles, 12; Ava Schmitt, 9, 1600m and 3200m.

WRESTLING: Dylan Dison, 11, 119 pounds.

WEIGHTLIFTING: Isaiah Fitzpatrick, 11, 154 pounds; Kenneth Walker, 11, 219; Devin Leathers, 11, 238.

SECOND TEAM PICKS

BASEBALL: Christopher Labraon, 12, INF.

SOFTBALL: Abigail Vyas, 12, P; Elise Eason, 12, INF; Stephanie Daly, 10. BOYS LACROSSE: Garrett Schwartz, 11, Off; Jackson Payton, 11, Def.

GIRLS LACROSSE: Bridgette Currin, 10, Def,

BOYS TENNIS: Jeremy Caruso, 11

GIRLS TENNIS: Natalie Andelova, 9; Oceane Bucaille, 12

BOYS TRACK: Izaiah Williams, 10, 200m; Riddyk Ayan, 11, Long jump; 4×800 relay (Mason Spearin, 10; Jaime Candelaria, 11; Tyler Dana, 9; Joseph Medina, 11.)

GIRLS TRACK: Maryam Khalil, 12, shot put and discus; 4×100 relay (Kenzye Gainey, 11; Amaiya Potter 11; Daylyn Brown, 9; Ashtyn Warner 11); 4×400 relay (Catherine Fleming, 12; Faith Sidwell, 12; Kenzye Gainey, 11; Amiaya Potter, 11).

WRESTLING: Kenneth Walker, 11, 219 pounds

WEIGHTLIFTING: Dylan Dison, 11, 119 pounds; Alex Cruz, 10, 139; Elijah Brown, 10, 183.

CYPRESS CREEK

PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

ETHAN PETRY, BASEBALL

JAYDEN CRUZADO, WEIGHTLIFTING

FIRST TEAM PICKS

BASEBALL: Ethan Petry, 12, INF.

SOFTBALL: Charlie Montgomery, 12, INF; Reagan Alapa, 11, OF.

BOYS LACROSSE: Nicholas Vreeland, 12, Off.

GIRLS LACROSSE: Avery Smith, 11, Off; Mirando Garcia, 12, Def

BOYS TRACK: Kione Roberson, 12, Long jump

GIRLS TRACK: Tiffany Colin, 11, 100m, 200m, 400m.

WRESTLING: Jayden Cruzado, 9, 129 pounds

WEIGHTLIFTING: Jayden Cruzado, 9, 129 pounds; Matt Hensley, 11, 169.

SECOND TEAM PICKS

BASEBALL: Seamus Gallagher, 10, INF.

SOFTBALL: Miranda Schwartz, 12, INF.

BOYS LACROSSE: Ben Sheldon, 11, Off; Logan Falk, 11, Def.

GIRLS LACROSSE: Ashlynn Hunter, 10, Off; Jaidyn Davis, 11, Def

BOYS TENNIS: Kai Penalosa, 10

BOYS TRACK:  Kione Roberson, 12, High jump

WEIGHTLIFTING: Huey Wyche, 9, 129 pounds

HONORABLE MENTION

Girls tennis: Melanie Rodriguez, 10

WESLEY CHAPEL

TEAM CHAMPIONS

Baseball

PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

LATIA DOVE, GIRLS TRACK & FIELD

JORDEN MCCASLIN, WRESTLING

FIRST TEAM PICKS

BASEBALL: Zach Showalter, 12, P.

SOFTBALL: Kadence Means, 12, INF; Ava Blakely, 10, OF.

GIRLS TRACK: 4×100 relay (Remiyah Harris,12; Valeria Farjardo, 10; Latia Dove, 12; Annalyse Rogers 12).

WRESTLING: Connor Maddox, 11, 154 pounds; Jorden McCaslin, 12, 199.

WEIGHTLIFTING: Jorden McCaslin, 12, 199 pounds

SECOND TEAM PICKS

BASEBALL: Zach Bice, 12, INF; Jacob Carrillo, 11, OF.

SOFTBALL: Madison Golka, 12, INF; Courtney Marks, 10, OF.

GIRLS LACROSSE: Briana Belcher, 11, Def.

BOYS TRACK: 4×100 relay (Jorden McCaslin, 12, Nehemiah Morgan, 12, Sebastian Gutierrez, 11, Jaylan Blake 12).

GIRLS TRACK: Alexi Benitez, 12, 100m hurdles; Valeria Farjardo, 10, 100m; Annalyse Rogers, 12, 200m; Latia Dove, 12, Long jump.

HONORABLE MENTION

LACROSSE: Anthony Iserino, 12, Off

BOYS TENNIS: Alexander Raatma, 11

GIRLS TENNIS: Piper Dunne, 10

Edward Jones Goes Big With New Office On Bruce B. Downs 

The team at the new Edward Jones office on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel includes (l.-r.) William Morales, Jimmy Tovar, office administrator Karn Weigel, Natalie Matos, office admin Cathy Giacinto, Paul Eliot & Scott Peterson. (Photos by Charmaine George)

The financial world is, for many, more precarious than ever these days.

Jobs and benefits are in flux, the stock market is all over the place, inflation is leaving a mark and the economy is either booming or teetering on destruction, depending upon who you ask.

Trying to decide how to shield your savings and investments from this potential storm isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. That’s why, when financial advisor William Morales is asked for one piece of advice, it’s this: come see us at Edward Jones.

“It doesn’t cost you anything, other than time,” says Morales, referring to Edward Jones’ free consultation. “That’s really it. That hour you sit down and talk with an Edward Jones advisor, you’ll get answers to questions you have and uncover questions that you never thought of yourself.”

At Edward Jones, a handful of financial advisors — Morales, Paul Elliott, Natalie Matos, Scott Peterson and Jimmy Tovar — are here to guide you from their new office on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., which opened earlier this year in the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel across BBD from AdventHealth Wesley Chapel. The new office’s Grand Opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony were held on May 6.

Edward Jones offers a wide range of financial services, advising clients on retirement and college savings, business plans, wealth strategies and investments, life, long-term care and disability insurance, annuities and credit.

“We do everything,” Morales said. “The core of what we do is planning. The investments, that hasn’t changed, but it’s all about how we’re connecting with clients and understanding what their goals are
we know there’s a lot of people out there who should be talking to us that aren’t, so making sure we have a presence in our community is a big part of why things are moving differently.”

Morales has had his office in Wesley Chapel for years and has lived here since 1998, but now, sharing a larger workspace with other advisors with different levels of experience, different backgrounds and from different places, is a boon to clients.

“At the end of the day, it’s what can we bring to the client experience?,” says Elliott, who has been with Edward Jones since 2012. “In a single office, maybe I have an idea I want to run by someone. I tell the client I’ll make a phone call or check with an email, to ask what do you think? That’s very different from calling one of the other advisors in the office and getting maybe a different point of view. I think that’s good for the client.”

While there are many services offered, the most common questions are about retirement, by those already retired or those just getting there.

At Edward Jones, the approach is to build a relationship with clients before money and investments are even discussed.

That’s because instead of promising what they can do for you, at Edward Jones, the advisors are more interested in what you see when you look into the future.

“What are you trying to accomplish?,” Matos says is often the first question. Once a client has laid out their own plan, the investments to get them there act as the vehicle.”

Peterson, a University of Pittsburgh graduate who has worked in financial services for more than a dozen years, says he will ask clients to close their eyes and describe how retirement might look.

“Where are you, who is with you, what are you doing and what are your plans for that day?, “ he says. “Tell me about it,” and, whether you are at the beach or in the mountains or babysitting your grandkids in another state, “there is no wrong answer. You tell me what you want it to look like, and then we’ll go from there.”

That is a message shared by every Edward Jones advisor. 

“When people ask what I do, my break-the-ice answer is I make dreams come true,” says Morales, smiling. “I’m kind of joking but I’m not, because it is really what I do. We spend a lot of time trying to uncover what someone’s goals are, and what their vision of the future is, and then we try to build a personal plan towards that goal. Everything we do revolves around the client’s needs and goals.”

And, everyone is different. Some clients have grand plans for retirement, others just want to make sure they have enough to live well, and there are thousands of points in between.

Every answer is different as well, depending upon the current situation of the client. The team at Edward Jones says they don’t shy away from the tough conversations, when a client’s vision of retirement is clouded by some current realities. 

“It’s powerful to tell a client, ‘I know you want to retire at this age but, according to the models, it’s not going to work
BUT, if we tweak this and change this up this look what happens,” says Tovar, a Wesley Chapel resident since 2003. “This is where we come in.”

Your Financial ‘Toolbox’

Edward Jones has a variety of answers for each situation.

“We’re not a one-trick pony,” Elliott says. “I like to think of myself as a contractor and I have a toolbox and no bias for any of my tools. I sit down with my clients like an architect and ask what are we going to build? If I only get to use my hammer that day, then that’s fine.”

And, because Edward Jones has no proprietary products or services, Peterson says there is no incentive to use a tool that may not be the best one. “The end result is the only thing that matters to us.”

That’s important to retirees and pre-retirees, who have a number of heady concerns when it comes to their respective futures. Things like health care costs (the No. 1 concern, according to most surveys), taxes, savings and investments are important issues. So, the toolbox has to be big.

At Edward Jones, financial advisors have Series 7 and Series 66 securities registrations, and many of them have acquired further credentials, including the CFP (Certified Financial Planner), AAMS (Accredited Asset Management Specialist), CRPC (Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor), ChFC (Chartered Financial Consultant) and state insurance licenses, according to its website.

That level of service, says Matos, is why so many families keep coming back. She says generations of families have stuck with her over the years, and she hopes to build a similar long-lasting clientele in Wesley Chapel at Edward Jones.

“We care about people, we care about the community and that’s why we’re here,” says Matos, a University of South Florida graduate who has worked in the financial industry for 28 years.

“That’s the bottom line.”

Edward Jones is located at 2653 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Suite 120, in the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel. The new office’s hours are Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. , and 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. on Friday. For more information, call (813) 991-7034 or visit EdwardJones.com.