New Tampa’s Vasil Kirkov Plays Doubles At Both Wimbledon & The US Open!

(Above) New Tampa-raised pro tennis player Vasil Kirkov (no hat) shakes hands with Julian Cash after Vasil & partner Brad Stevens (below right) lost in two tough sets to Cash & partner Lloyd Glasspool in the 1st round at Wimbledon., who ended up 
winning the tournament. (Photos provided by Stoyan Kirkov) 

In the 31 years I’ve owned this publication, I can’t recall having actually interviewed any kid raised in New Tampa who played at Wimbledon — the oldest and most prestigious professional tennis tournament in the world — or the US Open, the only tennis major played on U.S. soil (in Flushing, Queens, NY).

But now, I can’t say that anymore, as Bulgaria-born Vasil Kirkov, 26, who has been raised in New Tampa since he was nine, played Men’s Doubles at Wimbledon with his partner Bart Stevens from The Netherlands — and has now also made it into the Men’s Doubles draw at the US Open.

The unseeded duo lost in straight sets (6-7[6-8], 4-6), in the first round in July at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in London — to the #5-seeded doubles team of Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool. The British duo ended up winning the entire tournament — becoming the first all-English pair from the host country to win the Men’s Doubles title at Wimbledon in 89 years — and lost only one set along the way. 

“We definitely gave them as tough a match as anybody,” Vasil says. “We even took them to a tiebreaker in the first set. So, even though we ended up losing, I thought we played very well.”

Very well indeed for a team that only made it into the Wimbledon draw as the third alternate and had to wait for a call that said they were going to compete there. Even with that loss, however, Vasil is now ranked a career-high #78 in the world as a doubles player (Stevens is #74)  and since Wimbledon, the pair made it to the Finals of the ATP Challenger Tour tournament in Hagen, Denmark, earlier this month.

Vasil says that he started his tennis “career” on “the courts in Hunter’s Green. I can still remember the first time I hit on Court 3 with my brother Kiril (who ended his tennis career after playing in college).” Depending upon which surface his next tournament will be played on (clay or hard-court), Vasil continues to practice when he’s in town at the courts at either Arbor Greene or Hunter’s Green. 

He also admits that his mom Tanya used to beat him “until I was 11 years old, so she definitely played her part in this.” He credits his father Stoyan as his self-taught coach, even though Stoyan was never a high-level player himself.

Now standing 6’-1” tall, Vasil says he was home-schooled beginning with the seventh grade — after attending Benito Middle School on Cross Creek Blvd. for 6th grade. “I was playing tournaments all over and traveling too much to continue to attend school,” he says. “I had a lot of success in junior tournaments.”

So much success, in fact, that he says he was “always ranked in the top five of my class [nationally] when I was 18.” In fact, at the 2017 French Open on clay in Paris, France, Vasil and his then-partner Danny Thomas made it to the finals, but were defeated in straight sets (4-6, 4-6) by the team of Nicola Kuhn and Zsombor Piros.

And, even though he had offers from a number of Division I NCAA tennis programs, Vasil decided to turn pro. “That was more than eight years ago,” he says, “Looking back on that decision, it would have been nice to have that college experience, but I’m happy with my decision.”

He started out playing both singles and doubles as a pro, but injuries kept him from ever rising above the #439 in the world singles ranking he achieved in 2021. For his career, Vasil has won 10 ATP Challenger Tour and eight ITF doubles titles. He began partnering with Stevens in Oct. 2024 and, at our press time, the pair had a decent career match record together of 244 wins and 180 losses. Kirkov’s career pro tennis earnings recently surpassed $200,000. 

“We know what we have to do in order to be successful,” Vasil says. “So, that’s what we’re focused on; not just the outcome.” 

On To The US Open? YES!

Armed with his highest-ever doubles ranking and very good recent results, Kirkov and Stevens have now made it into the 64-team Men’s Doubles bracket at the 2025 US Open. The unseeded duo will take on the also-unseeded team of  N. Siriam Balaji and Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli of India tomorrow — Friday, August 29 — in their first-round match. We’ll keep you posted about this and all of Kirkov & Stevens’ matches at this year’s fourth and final tennis major, which is being played at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens. The Wimbledon-winning team of Cash and Glasspool is seeded #1 at the US Open.

Even though US Open play has now begun, Stoyan says Vasil is still  seeking local sponsorships as he continues his pro tennis journey. 

If your business could benefit from having your name and/or logo seen by a world-wide TV audience, call Stoyan at (813) 841-8014 or email K1tennis@yahoo.com.

‘The Music Man’ Is The Latest Triumph For The New Tampa Players!

I will readily admit that among the dozens of Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals that I saw during my years of living in New York, “The Music Man” was never one of my favorites. But, I only ever saw the hit 1962 movie starring Robert Preston as the conniving Prof. Harold Hill and Shirley Jones as the lovely librarian/music teacher Marian Paroo — although I was in the show’s (barbershop) “Quartet” in my high school’s performance of the classic Tony Award-winning hit. 

I thought the story of Hill, the traveling salesman/con man, and his duping of a town full of weird and often stupid characters, created by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey, was just too dated and not as much fun as some others. 

But honestly, to me, the New Tampa Players’ (NTP) production of “The Music Man” at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center was better than the movie. And apparently, I wasn’t alone. All of the people sitting around Jannah and me raved about the talented cast and their beautiful singing voices, the sets, the costumes and the 15-piece orchestra — the largest ever for an NTP production — under the musical direction of the great G. Frank Meekins. I hope director Angel Borths, choreographer Tatiana Eriksen, costume designers Shelley Giles, Heather Cleveland, Travy Stemm and Dave Giles and production manager (and NTP producing artistic director) Nora Paine and the entire cast and crew are proud. This also was the first NTP show I’ve seen with sign language interpreters (photo below)! 

The amazing Melanie Bierweiler was correctly sassy as Marian (and did a fantastic job singing “Goodnight My Someone” and “Till There Was You”) and David Groomes didn’t disappoint in the demanding role of Prof. Hill on “Ya Got Trouble,” “76 Trombones” and with Melanie on “Till There Was You.” The “Quartet” of Chase Reeder, Michael Bonassar, Jacey Squires and James Cass hit every note of every song, including on “Lida Rose.” 

Neil Bleiweiss provided great comic relief as Mayor Shinn and Becky Groomes correctly “overacted” as his zany wife Eulalie. Talented youngsters Nora Duffy as Amaryllis (who sang like a songbird in duet with Melanie on “Goodnight My Someone”) and Luke Adams as Marian’s lisping brother Winthrop (who sang to the back of the theater on “Gary, Indiana”) showed that NTP has a bright future ahead. And, Debbie Scourtes brought a lot of verve to the role of Marian’s widowed mother Mrs. Paroo, who is trying to keep her daughter from becoming an old spinster. 

You could just hear the audience hissing at the show’s one villain, Charlie Cowell (played to perfection by Stephon Mikell), and Jaden Figueroa and Chloe Tort were great as the young “troublemaker” Tommy Djilas and Zaneeta Shinn (“Ye Gawd!”), respectively. 

The largest cast I’ve ever seen in an NTP production also included the super-fun and funny Pick-A-Little Ladies (Lena Wigfall, Suzann Humara, Christy Adams and Chelsea Keith), plus nearly 20 “ensemble” players young and old (including the super adorable extra-young’ns Mars Wolfe Bonassar and Elliott LeFloch). 

But, I wouldn’t be telling the truth if I didn’t say that Gabriel Martin White as Hill’s buddy and fellow con man Marcellus Washburn was this show’s scene stealer. He got laughs — calling Hill by his real first name (“Greg”) throughout — and he brought to mind the young Dick Van Dyke in “Mary Poppins” with his expressive face and high-flying, elastic-legged dancing. My pics did him no justice! 

Great job, one & all! 

Up next for NTP are another classic musical — “Oklahoma” — in October, and “The Sponge Bob Musical” (yes, really) in January. Auditions for both shows have already been held (although volunteers to help with both productions are still needed), so look for announcements about when tickets go on sale in these pages and at NewTampaPlayers.org. — GN 

Blue Heron Senior Living’s New Wing Is Just Part Of The Community’s Appeal

Chris Tomko of Senior Helpers (left) explains how the Virtual Dementia Tour works to Christopher Dobard at Blue Heron Senior Living in Wesley Chapel. 

Although my mom isn’t suffering from any of the 180 different forms of dementia, I was happy to attend the “Virtual Dementia Tour” put on by Senior Helpers at Blue Heron Senior Living in Wesley Chapel on July 16. 

I honestly believe that whether you know or think someone you love has Alzheimer’s disease or any other type of dementia, the Virtual Dementia Tour will give you a new perspective on the diverse variety of problems most of us will deal with as we age, regardless of our whether or not our mental faculties ever diminish (more on this event below). 

I also know that Blue Heron, owned and managed by TLC Management, is the only assisted living and memory care facility in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel that also offers skilled nursing for rehab or long-term care. Hosting events like the Virtual Dementia Tour just adds to the appeal of this 159,000-sq.-ft. residence where the opportunity to “age in place” has kept it near capacity since it first opened in 2021. 

The new dining area in the newly expanded skilled nursing wing at Blue Heron. 

“Our current occupancy is 100% in both long-term care and memory care and 90% in rehab,” says Blue Heron’s executive director Meagan Kopstad, “but we do have a couple of rooms available right now on the assisted living side.” 

Blue Heron’s skilled nursing area added a new wing last year, “with 37 additional patient beds, bringing us up to 141 total,” says community relations director Lilly Gonzalez. “Those new beds are divided between the first and second floor — 18 on the first floor (for rehab) and 19 on the second floor (for long-term care).” 

She adds, “We couldn’t hold our planned Grand Opening of the new wing last October because of the hurricanes that hit the area. In other words, your readers have never seen the new wing in print before.” 

The new wing also includes a new dining area (photo above), a new patient lounge and a new nurses’ station. 

With the expansion, Blue Heron Wesley Chapel now has a total of 248 residential units — 95 assisted living, 22 private memory care and the 141 skilled nursing units. 

About The Virtual Dementia Tour 
Neighborhood News editor Gary Nager admits that he failed the VDT miserably & got a better understanding of the lives of our elderly.

Blue Heron brought in Senior Helpers, the nation’s leading provider of in-home senior care, with more than 400 locations across the U.S., including a local location serving New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, to host the Virtual Dementia Tour (VDT). Senior Helpers is certified to bring the VDT to Blue Heron and other assisted living facilities and, in just a few minutes, the tour definitely gave me new insight into the lives of the elderly. 

VDT participants put provided inserts in their shoes with plastic pegs that push into your feet to simulate painful neuropathies. 

You also put on glasses that blur your vision, similar to how cataracts affect your eyes. You also have to put on thick, heavy work gloves that significantly reduce your manual dexterity. And finally, you put on headphones that make it a lot more difficult to hear. Anyone you know have any of these issues? 

You are then led into a room and given two tasks to do that would be simple for the average person to complete, but you are only given the instructions once, all while wearing the headphones. Pretty much everyone, including yours truly, fails the VDT miserably. But in doing so, you can clearly see (once you take off the glasses, that is) how difficult the most mundane tasks can become. 

This five-minute test is pretty much guaranteed to help you become more empathetic to your elderly loved ones — I know it’s helped me better understand some of the things my mom is dealing with — and the VDT is just one of many free programs Blue Heron brings in for both its residents and members of the community. 

One of the spacious private bathrooms in the newly expanded skilled nursing wing at Blue Heron. 

The next such free event is being held on Wednesday, August 27, 10:30 a.m.- noon, and is called “Charting Your Course: Protecting Yourself, Your Loved Ones & Your Legacy.” Board-Certified Elder Law attorney Ed Spinks, a partner with Florida Elder Law & Legacy Planning, will lead the discussion so you can learn how to legally protect yourself, your family and your assets. “This is an essential first step in the estate-planning process and will help you take control of your future with confidence.” 

Blue Heron also offers amazing amenities for all of its residents, like beautiful, enclosed courtyards and gardens, lounges, family rooms & dining rooms with delicious meals, a pub, a theater, a salon/spa, computers, internet and cable TV, a private dining room for family gatherings, an art studio and a wonderful life enrichment center with fun programs. 

There’s always something to do for Blue Heron residents, where your loved ones can find compassion, companionship and care. 

For more information about Blue Heron Senior Living (5071 Eagleston Blvd., Wesley Chapel), call (813) 454-0513, or visit SeniorLivingAtBlueHeron.com. 

GEICO Wesley Chapel — Where You Can ‘Shop Local’ For Insurance!

Jaime Bryant (in white shirt) & his friendly staff at the GEICO local office on BBD Blvd. in Wesley Chapel can help you with many types of insurance without having to call a 1-800 number. (Photos by Charmaine George)

If you’re like most people, you probably know GEICO Insurance from the company’s countless television commercials offering low rates with a 1-800 phone number. 

What you might not know is that you can get the same GEICO products — and much more personalized service — by calling the local GEICO office, where real people who live and work in our community answer the phone. You can work with an agent who knows your name, understands local insurance issues and wants to help you navigate the complicated world of insurance to find what’s best for you. 

The Wesley Chapel local office of GEICO is owned by Jaime Bryant and is located in the Northwoods shopping center, which is anchored by Super Target just north of County Line Rd., on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.

While GEICO is mostly known for its auto insurance — insuring close to 30 million vehicles — the company also offers insurance for homes, condos, rental apartments, boats/watercrafts, jewelry, floods, mobile homes/RVs, motorcycles and umbrella policies, which provide extended liability coverage for people with a lot of assets. 

With hurricane season fast approaching, Jaime says it’s important to be prepared. 

“Last year was a busy year, and this season is expected to be slightly above average,” he says. 

Jaime also says that one thing many people are unaware of is that if their home is damaged by a hurricane or tropical storm, the policy has different terms than if the damage is caused by wind unrelated to a named storm. 

“People don’t realize it’s a higher deductible,” he explains. “Ideally before storm season, but definitely before you contact anyone to repair the damage at your home, be sure you know what your out-of-pocket cost will be.” 

After a storm, you may have companies offering to replace your roof. To know whether or not you should move forward with the replacement, you need to know how much of that cost will be your responsibility. 

“For example,” Jaime says, “a roofer will file a claim, the insured will get paid, but insurance only covers half because of the deductible. It’s really important to know what your deductible is and make sure you can pay that deductible before moving forward with those repairs.” 

And, he says, now is the time to shop for new homeowner’s insurance. If you’re thinking of changing policies, or if your policy renews during hurricane season, sometimes a storm comes through and companies pause writing new policies for 30 to 45 days. In that case, you can’t get immediate coverage. “You need to be proactive with homeowner’s insurance during hurricane season,” Jaime says. “Time is not your friend.” 

He adds that right now is a good time to shop for new auto insurance, too. 

“Rates have stabilized and a lot of people are finding lower prices now,” Jaime says. 

Jaime’s office has 10 agents, all of whom are experienced and trained to help you get the right insurance for you and your needs. Each person’s situation is unique, so a local agent can be sure to ask you the right questions to get the right policies in place. 

Jaime has lived in the Tampa Bay area for more than 20 years and is a University of South Florida graduate with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. He worked for GEICO in Lakeland for 16 years, prior to opening the Wesley Chapel office. 

He says calling his office, instead of the 1-800 number, ensures that you’re talking with someone who understands Florida and the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area specifically. 

“We want to make sure you don’t have too much or too little insurance for your situation,” he says. “Nothing’s ever one-size-fits-all.” 

Andrea Shank is a long-time GEICO customer who was comfortable using GEICO’s online tools and never considered working with a local agent. When her brother recently passed away, her mom was dealing with a probate process and needed to insure vehicles that weren’t registered in her name yet. Andrea’s mom had previously worked with someone in the Wesley Chapel office, so they reached out and connected with George, one of Jaime’s local agents. 

Andrea says George spent most of that entire day serving them — answering questions, getting verification on complicated questions, researching answers, calling back, sending forms for them to fill out, etc. – but she says that what stood out was the compassionate way George treated her mom during the difficult loss of her son, which was completely unexpected. 

“He was so patient with her,” Andrea says. “He was funny, and made my mom laugh, which was pretty wonderful in that circumstance.” 

Andrea adds that he also took the time to share a personal recommendation for a company that could help her mom modify the vehicles to adjust the pedals, even emailing her contact information after business hours. 

“He went so far above and beyond, it was amazing to me,” Andrea says. “The level of customer service he provided is a startling contrast from what we’ve come to expect.” 

In fact, she says, she’s already referred her nephew, sister and best friend to the office. 

“No doubt,” she says, “I will not go back to an online situation. We all get used to what we buy and don’t think about making changes, even when our circumstances change. That’s something we should look at. I will definitely continue to call George, because it was such a nice experience.” 

The GEICO-Wesley Chapel local office is located at 1227 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. It is open Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m., and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sat. For more information, visit GEICO.com/Wesley-Chapel-Bryant or call (813) 953-4200.

Introducing New Pride Elementary Principal Kirsten Meyer!

With the 2025-26 school year having started on Aug. 11 for all Hillsborough County students, Pride Elementary has a new principal who has taken the helm after the retirement of former principal Paulette English. 

Kirsten Meyer says it feels like “coming full circle” for her, after starting her career as a second grade teacher at Hunter’s Green Elementary (HGE) in 1998. 

In fact, two teachers who are now part of the staff at Pride — Julia McKernan and Lucy Kovach — were once her students at HGE. 

“It’s nice to see the growth in the community and see the love and passion that teachers have for their kids,” Meyer says. “There’s an energetic feeling and a love for learning at all of the schools in this area.” 

Most recently, Meyer was assistant principal at Mitchell Elementary in South Tampa, where she served for two years. Prior to that, she was the assistant principal at Foster Elementary off of 22nd St. in North Tampa. 

At Pride, she leads one of the largest schools in Hillsborough County — about 1,000 students. 

“To be a first-time principal and have the responsibility to take on a school that is such a high-performing school is an honor,” Meyer says. “I know the expectation walking in. I know that I have to keep this going.” 

In fact, Pride has never received any letter grade other than “A” from the State Dept. of Education in the 23 years it has received one since first opening for the 2001-02 school year. 

Meyer says the staff and parents have been welcoming and supportive, and that she is excited to work with the “amazing” staff, including her experienced assistant principal, Heather Moncrief. 

She says she recently learned that the school’s namesake, Dr. Richard Ford Pride, is the grandfather of Shaylia McRae, whom Meyer worked under when McRae was a regional superintendent for the county. 

“It’s another personal connection,” Meyer says. “I have to live up to her namesake. This school has a tradition of high standards, so I want to make this community proud and make these teachers proud.” 

Speaking a few days before school started, she said she couldn’t want for the students to come back and get the year under way. 

“Pinch me,” she says. “It’s a dream come true. I couldn’t have wished for anything better.”