Freedom, Wharton Make List Of β€˜Most Challenging High Schools’

By Matt Wiley

New Tampa’s two high schools β€” Freedom High in Tampa Palms and Paul R. Wharton High on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. β€” are no strangers to accolades, each receiving top marks (β€œAs” and β€œBs”) from the State Dept. of Education for the past several years. So, it’s really no surprise that the two schools, along with all of the high schools in the Hillsborough County School District (HCSD), again appear on The Washington Post’s list of β€œAmerica’s Most Challenging High Schools.”Continue reading

St. Joseph’s John Knox Village β€” An Exciting Retirement Community!

*johnknoxgameroom2By Anu Varna Panchal

Hot air ballooning or flea marketing? The art of Salvador Dali or the music of Verdi? Tai chi or Wii golf; wine etiquette or geopolitics; Bible study, yoga, movies or a night of watching a blues band perform?Β  With a plethora of activities, excursions and on-site amenities, the biggest problem facing the residents of St. Joseph’s John Knox Village on E. Fletcher Ave. in Tampa (less than five minutes from Tampa Palms) may be choosing from among the continuing care retirement community’s many entertainment options.Continue reading

Wesley Chapel Chamber Director Chosen For CEO Direct Program

*hopeBy Matt Wiley

The Wesley Chapel area is a hotbed for growth these days, and few know it better than the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of CommerceΒ  (WCCC)’s executive director Hope Allen, who recently was selected to be a participant in a regional program to help business leaders learn about economic growth around Tampa Bay, including here in the New Tampa area. Continue reading

New Tampa Projects Top MPO’s Priority List As Cross Creek Blvd. Widening Wraps

Construction continues along Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Tampa Palms, but it may not be the last of it for southern Tampa Palms, even after the current project wraps in 2017.
Construction continues along Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Tampa Palms, one of the Hillsborough County MPO’s top transportation project priorities.

By Matt Wiley

Determining which transportation projects take priority over others is a complicated process debated by several local planning groups. Recently, the latest five-year transportation plan for all of Hillsborough County was approved and several ongoing and future New Tampa road projects sit on top of the Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)’s 2015-19 Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) priority list. One such project should even be completed as you’re reading this issue.Continue reading