Cheers & Jeers For Grand Hampton’s Main County Line Rd. Entrance Signal 

Grand Hampton residents hail the new traffic light as a much-needed safety improvement; while others complain about its timing. 

The map shows the new traffic signal at the main entrance to the Grand Hampton community on County Line Rd., the location of the Grand Hampton back gate & the existing traffic signals at Northwood Palms Blvd., Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., Imperial Oak (IO) Blvd. & Aronwood Blvd. (Google map modified by NN) 

Back in the spring of 2004, left and right turn lanes were constructed on County Line Rd, leading into the then-brand-new, 600-acre community of Grand Hampton. Even back then, news reports talked about the delays and “bothersome” lane closures along County Line Rd to accommodate these changes, and the “rapid growth” of the area was causing inconvenience for a few long-time locals. Sounds like some things never change, right? 

Well, some 20 years later, the residents of Grand Hampton (which today has a little more than 1,000 homes) got something new out front on County Line Rd. — a traffic signal. The signal was recently constructed, and then put into full operation on July 30. The county put it in “flash mode” for a week prior, and put up temporary electronic signs to alert motorists to the change in the traffic pattern. 

When the new signal became fully operational, some local residents on social media expressed their frustration with it — citing long initial backups. Others, especially people living in Grand Hampton, countered that they saw the new signal as a necessary safety improvement and defended the county’s decision to put one up at that location. 

Several local residents said that there have been serious crashes at that intersection over the years, and with the growing population in the new and existing communities along County Line Rd., including Woodside Trace and Belle Chase (see map), plus The Hammocks townhomes and the North Tampa Christian Academy and Creative Times Academy of Wesley Chapel, that risk would just continue to grow with an increasing number of cars passing the intersection everyday. 

Why NOW? 

A signal was first installed less than a mile down the street at Northwood Palms Blvd., at the entrance to the Northwood community (in early 2015), which helped in the interim, because when that signal turned green for the Northwood side street, it would create some gaps in the westbound traffic in front of Grand Hampton. 

That was important, because in order to find a gap to make a left turn out into traffic at the Grand Hampton Dr. entrance to the community, both the east and west approaches have to be clear at the same time, and that can be challenging and tricky for motorists to safely judge on a busy two-lane “rural” road. That’s why the engineering signal warrants for a two-lane undivided road are traditionally lower, than say for a four-lane divided road that might have a median opening cars can pull into, pause, and check if the other direction is clear is safely proceed. 

As more support businesses have been getting constructed to the west, including places like the Tampa Premium Outlets, Costco, Aldi, etc., residents began making more lefts out at Grand Hampton Dr. than they used to, gradually changing the traffic pattern over time, reducing the effectiveness of the “down stream” signal at Northwood Palms Dr. to provide relief. This also increased the through volumes on County Line Rd. 

Traffic does back up on County Line Rd. at the new Grand Hampton Signal. (Photo by Charmaine George)

In 2018, in an effort to try and help make it a little easier to get out of Grand Hampton, the county reduced the speed limit along the corridor from 55 miles per hour to 45 mph. This was around the same time that the North Tampa Christian Academy finished construction. 

But, even with those improvements, the corridor still retained its original high speed rural characteristic; as a two-lane undivided road with narrow lanes, no shoulders, no curb and gutter and, most critically, no sidewalks or bike lanes. Unfortunately, because the road still “felt” the same, speeds stayed on the higher side, and even though it’s been six years, some online commenters joked (at least we hope they were joking) that they didn’t even know the speed limit was ever reduced to 45 mph. 

Accordingly, those who live in Grand Hampton had been reaching out to Hillsborough County for years about adding a signal for themselves, due to growing and continual concerns. And in his June 10 town hall meeting at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (as we reported in our June 25 New Tampa issue), County Commissioner Ken Hagan said he was pleased that he was able to get funding for that need and mentioned that construction (of the now active signal) would be completed at the end of June. 

Although County Line Rd. serves both Pasco County and Hillsborough, any issues or problems with the new signal can be reported to Hillsborough County, the entity that is responsible for monitoring and adjusting the signal’s timing and detection. 

‘Grand Hampton’ To Debut ‘Anthology’ At The Tampa Theatre 

Photos courtesy of Antony Capers

Congratulations to local artist and filmmaker Antony Capers (photo, below) for the debut of the newest episodes of his supernatural YouTube serial “Grand Hampton The Movie Series.” 

What started as a pandemic project with his family and neighbors in their New Tampa neighborhood has grown into a multi-year endeavor with a loyal cult following. The series takes place in Capers’ upscale Grand Hampton neighborhood that — the viewer soon discovers — was built by “The CONNECTED” solely for the purpose of housing citizens within the government’s witness protection program. The community has been experiencing some very odd occurrences, and — even more alarming — extraterrestrial beings have been seen roaming the quiet neighborhood’s streets. 

Beginning with Season 3, the series began branching out to discover the dark stories of so many of Grand Hampton’s residents. And, on Wednesday, October 18, or only a day or so after this issue reached your mailbox, the historic Tampa Theatre (located at 711 N. Franklin St. in downtown Tampa) will host the premiere of an “ANTHOLOGY” of new chapters that bring three of these stories to life. Attendees will find out what happens in the world’s craziest house in “ABBY.” Then, witness the bond being broken between two brothers as they become part of an experiment in “PLACEBO.” And finally, we get to play a game of “SPIN THE BARREL,” where the winner actually loses. 

After the screening, Capers, the “Grand Hampton” creator, and members of his cast will discuss the project and answer audience questions. 

The doors of the Tampa Bay area’s oldest movie theater will open at 6 p.m. and there will be a social hour prior to the screening of the new trilogy, which is part of the Tampa Theatre’s annual “A Nightmare on Franklin Street” film series. 

“Grand Hampton The Movie Series,” which was invited to participate in the Orlando International Film Festival (OIFF) in July, has been at the Tampa Theatre before, as Capers and his crew of talented actors not only got to present his “Super Vita” episode but also film a portion of it there. 

Among those who have provided cameos in the series to date include New Tampa’s District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera and former Tampa Bay Bucs offensive lineman and local radio/podcast host Ian Beckles. 

“I also definitely want to thank my sponsors for the premiere,” Capers says, “including EmployEZ, UES-United Employment Solutions, Done Deal Promotions and ‘Aliens of the Metaverse.’ Without all of them, this event would not be happening.” 

Tickets to the premiere of “ANTHOLOGY” at the Tampa Theatre on Oct. 18 cost just $10. To order, call the box office at (813) 274-8286 or visit TampaTheatre.org/movie/grand-hampton-the-movie-anthology. All “Grand Hampton The Movie Series” episodes are available on YouTube. 

‘Grand Hampton’ Series Headed To The Big Screen

Annette Simmons-Brown, who plays the evil Dr. Annette, and Antony Capers co-wrote the Season 3 premiere that shot part of its episode at the Tampa Theater on July 1. (Photos: Charmaine George)

Here’s something that Grand Hampton resident and multimedia artist Antony Capers never imagined happening when he started shooting his campy, convoluted and creepy YouTube-based horror series during the pandemic — “Grand Hampton: The Movie Series” is headed for the big screen.

What began as a 45-second video clip of Capers’ son Merric and became an online series with two seasons and 27 episodes filmed exclusively in the Grand Hampton community with local residents mostly during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, is now going to have its Season 3 premiere — an hour-long movie — shown at the iconic Tampa Theater in downtown Tampa in October.

Part of that premiere was shot at the Tampa Theater Friday afternoon. 

Filmmaker Antony Capers (with hat) and some of the cast members of his “Grand Hampton: The Movie Series” at a recent table read.

Capers, a freelance designer who owns his own production company, Reelistic Tales, continues to be humbled by the rection to his horror series, which is about a community filled with people in the witness protection program, whose children are disappearing as part of an organ harvesting plot run by an evil doctor and assisted by strange alien creatures. The show has more than 250 subscribers and 15,000 views on YouTube. While it has allowed Capers to build strong friendships in the Grand Hampton community, his primary goal when he started the series, it also could pull open some curtains for the 46-year-old filmmaker. 

The first curtains to open will be those at the Tampa Theater. Last year, Capers attended a horror movie viewing of “The Conjuring 3,” starring Tampa’s Patrick Wilson, at the old movie house in downtown Tampa as part of a “Film Tampa Bay Presents” series showcasing the work of local writers, directors, actors and crew who are from the Tampa area.

During the Question-&-Answer session after the movie, Jill Witecki, the Tampa Theater’s marketing director, says there was a lot of discussion about the Tampa Theater’s mission to celebrate area films and filmmakers, and it struck a chord with the New Tampa filmmaker.

The next day, Capers and Annette Simmons-Brown, who plays the evil Dr. Annette, harvester of children’s lungs, in the series, emailed Witecki about the Grand Hampton project.

“It was fascinating to us,” Witecki says. “Not only because he was a local filmmaker, but because it was really something different. It was a great example of some of the creativity that came to light during the pandemic.”

Witecki says Tampa Theater officials and Capers had a number of conversations about working together. One idea was to have Capers speak to the theater’s summer campers. 

“The film camp program is learning how to do exactly what he did, which is take what’s around you, take the people and the locations, and turn it into a movie,” Witecki says.

The other idea was to fit “Grand Hampton: The Movie” into the theater’s October horror series, “The Nightmare on Franklin St.,” where classic horror movies have been shown the last two weeks of the month for the past nine years.

Antony Capers.

“It seemed to be a good fit,” she says.

Not only did Capers jump at the chance, but he also talked the theater into letting him film part of the premiere inside the Tampa Theater.

Capers and Simmons have written the script for the Season 3 premiere together. They wrote a small part for Witecki, as well. And, Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, who attended the Season 2 premier at the Grand Hampton clubhouse and helped give the show some of its initial publicity, also has a small role.

While Season 2 had to end abruptly due to the opportunity with the Tampa Theater, Capers says it is giving him a chance to revamp the series. Instead of it focusing on one family — him and Merric — each episode will be a 45-minute tale about a different family, which Capers compares to the way the old “Tales of the Crypt” series was filmed.

Season 3 begins with the parents of Grand Hampton going on a date night to the Tampa Theater, and while they are gone….well, you’ll just have to watch.

“A lot of action takes place back home during date night,” Capers says. “The new way of doing ‘Grand Hampton’ is pretty cool, if it works. It’s still ‘Grand Hampton,’ still the same characters, no paid actors, still 100-percent community involvement. It’s just revamped.”

The opportunity at Tampa Theater has Capers dreaming big. 

He says a showing at an iconic theater will put new eyes on his series, which is a thrill. And, he’d love to get into the Sundance Film Festival, get on Netflix or even just get the chance to pitch the idea to a streaming service. 

“That’s what I’m hoping for,” he says. 

And, for Capers,  Simmons and other Grand Hampton cast members, the chance to be seen on the big screen and then answer questions from the audience about what it’s like making a series and a movie will be the thrill of a lifetime.

“Branching out at an iconic location like Tampa Theater is going to be great,” Capers says. “I can’t wait.”

To view all episodes of the series, visit YouTube.com and search “Grand Hampton: The Movie”.  

Grand Hampton Residents Turn Community Into A Movie Set

The scene that started it all for “Grand Hampton: The Movie Series,” with Antony Capers and his son Merric.

A strange alien-like creature is chained to the wall. Four kids lay motionless on the floor, marked with blood. A menacing woman in a white lab coat steps over them to talk to a baby girl dangling from the ceiling. A light fog flows through the scene.

This is just a regular Wednesday or Thursday night in the Grand Hampton garage of 45-year-old Antony Capers, where, on this night, he is filming another episode of his quirky, campy, creepy — and even funny — web video series that has much of his community buzzing.

Capers, a freelance designer who owns his own production company, Reelistic Tales, is an accomplished painter, graphic designer and has even written and illustrated children’s books. He also is the creator of “Grand Hampton: The Movie Series.”

He says the series, which so far has posted 17 episodes and can be viewed on YouTube by searching for “Grand Hampton Movie,” has changed his life. The series has 151 subscribers, and roughly 6,000 total views. A party was held in the Grand Hampton clubhouse for the Season 2 premiere.

He doesn’t get paid to do the show — a new episode is posted each Monday — but he says it has brought him the kind of joy that is priceless.

“It’s really a labor of love for me,” Capers says. “I’ve met so many of my neighbors, and it’s become a close-knit production of new friends.” 

What began as a short 45-second clip morphed into a series of short episodes filmed exclusively in Grand Hampton, starring only the community’s residents.

“It’s like my Hollywood playground back here,” says Capers, a Queens, NY native.

Which is not how it all began. His initial 45-second clip of his son Merric staring out across a lake in a trance, pointing at something only he could see, was done for Capers’ portfolio.

But, he decided to post the clip on Grand Hampton’s community Facebook page for fun, and the rest, as they say, is history.

“Everybody who commented  asked what Merric was looking at, and not to leave them hanging,” Capers said.

So, he didn’t. He shot two more episodes with his son, basing the story on an idea that has been bouncing around his head for years — where a community that is comprised entirely of people in the witness protection program is used to harvest the lungs of those who won’t be missed.

Antony recruits another neighbor to join the cast.

With requests for more episodes, Capers started asking for community volunteers to play roles in the production.

Richard Villarino was first, playing a neighbor in Episode 3 concerned that children were disappearing.

Another neighbor, Annette Simmons-Brown, sent in a head shot and, perhaps because her bald head (at the time) gave her a more minacious look, was pegged to be the evil Dr. Annette, the harvester of kids’ lungs, a few episodes later.

“I don’t know why he picked me…but I’m glad he did,” Simmons-Brown says. “It’s been so much fun. If I had to rate the whole experience on a scale of 1-to-10, I’d give it a 15.”

Taabish Ajaney, a 15-year-old North Tampa Christian Academy student, messaged Antony on Facebook looking for a role. He landed a part, but also has extensive editing experience and has taken on the role of intern, helping shoot many of the scenes.

Julia Rees, a 26-year-old medical school student, donned a red hood, black makeup streaked across her face and a 10-inch knife while emerging in the Season 1 finale as a mysterious hero…or perhaps a villain.

“He just said I’d be a bad ass,” says Rees. “I’m not sure where the character is going, but I’m along for the ride.”

Roughly 50 neighbors, many who gathered to watch the filming of the latest episode, have played roles. Kelly and Lura Mulroy and Latasha Scurry play television anchors, Henry Scurry is convincing — and arguably the best actor in the series — as the head bad guy, and Ishban Howard has played multiple roles, including one as the chained up alien. 

Nicole Reber is another bad guy who made her debut recently in Season 2, Episode 3, and her three children — Ashton, Dylan and Skyla — were all snatched by the aliens in the same episode. Others have helped build sets and set up other scenes, while Capers’ next door neighbor Chace Scurry not only played a part, but her infant daughter Jahnai was the one dangling from the ceiling while mom nervously looked on. “Can you believe she let me do that?,” Capers says, chuckling. 

Jordan Caviggia read about the show on Facebook, and brought his son Jaxon, 9, to the most recent shoot, where he played one of the children in the garage. 

“It sounded like it’s a fun time, and I thought Jaxon would enjoy it,” Jordan said.

Capers thanked him for showing up, and asked the elder Caviggia if he was interested in having a part, too. Five days later, Caviggia filmed a scene playing the head of a newsroom.

“This has really ended up being about bringing people together,” he says. “It’s not about the show. I mean, there’s a story there, but it’s about community. It’s weird, and it’s a weird thing that’s happening, and I love it.”

Would Capers love for his show to catch the eye of a Hollywood executive? Of course. 

“If not, I’ll just keep filming with my friends,” he says.

K-Bar Ranch Driving Growth In New Tampa

HomebuilderMap_NC webBy Gary Nager

When you’ve been doing the same job for more than 21 years, you’re likely to see a lot of things change. Well, in my capacity as the publisher and editor of the Neighborhood News for New Tampa and Wesley Chapel since 1994, I’ve seen housing booms and housing busts come and go — with the biggest boom hitting New Tampa in 2004-06, followed by the bursting of the local housing bubble in 2007-08 — and the slow, but inevitable resurgence of resales and new homes being built in our area ever since.Continue reading