Wesley Chapel has been without a library for more than a year since the only previous location, the New River Branch Library on S.R. 54, began a major facelift.
That facelift, which will feature areas for teens and children, remodeled bathrooms, new furniture, an improved community garden and covered learning space, should be completed by January, but that hasnโt stopped District 2 Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore from looking ahead to another library for the area.
โI think the time is right,โ Moore says, pointing to the massive growth the area has witnessed in recent years, as well as the tens of thousands of homes still planned for the future.
Moore pitched the idea to his fellow county commissioners last week.
As usual, it will all come down to finding the money to build what Moore expects would be roughly a $10-million endeavor.
It may be a few years away, but plans to add a second library in Wesley Chapel are proceeding. The rendering above shows the outdoor lounge.
The land already is owned by Pasco County, Moore says. It is right in front of Seven Oaks Elementary, off of Mystic Oaks Blvd. In 2004, that parcel was set aside as part of the development agreement for the Seven Oaks DRI with the intention that the county would use it for a future library.
In September, Moore was able to secure funding for a concept design for the 20,000-sq.-ft. facility. Renderings of the possible library show plenty of meeting spaces inside and outside, as well as large glass windows that overlook the wetlands that would be behind the library (above).
Now, he is proposing a larger expenditure, probably close to $1-million, to fund the actual design of the library.
After that, โWeโll look at all possible resources to get it built,โ Moore says.
Bob Harrison, the Pasco County Libraries marketing and communications program manager, says it could take 3-4 years to bring the project to fruition. He agrees that Wesley Chapelโs rapid growth warrants a second library.
โWe definitely look at the growth areas and Wesley Chapel is probably the fastest growing area in Pasco County and has been for some time,โ he says. โIt definitely could use another library based on its population growth.โ
Many of the countyโs libraries have been refurbished and received updated maker spaces. For example, the Regency Park Library in New Port Richey has a test kitchen, the Hudson library has a recording studio, and both were decided on by local residents.
Harrison says the Wesley Chapel community will decide what special features to put in a new library via focus groups and meetings.
โAs far as I know, (Moore and his fellow commissioners) are certainly committed to making it happen,โ Harrison says. โOf course, funding is always a question, but I know at this point they are moving forward with it.โ
Although the New River Library is still closed, itโs still available as an early voting site for this yearโs General Election. For info, visit PascoVotes.com.
Candice Dupree pushes her 3-year-old twins Cali and Demi on swings near their home in The Ridge at Wiregrass Ranch.
Her 15th WNBA season is over for former Wharton High star Candice Dupree, and while she wishes her summer also included the WNBA playoffs, she says she couldnโt be happier.
It was time to head home to be reunited with her three-year-old twins, Cali and Demi.
โI told my mom, whenever that last game is, I need you here the next morning to get me out of here,โ Dupree said from Bradenton, where she wrapped up the season with her Indiana Fever teammates in the WNBA bubble at the IMG Academy on Sept. 12. โI want to get home.โ
Home is Wesley Chapel, just up the road from Wharton, where Dupree remains the schoolโs all-time leading scorer.
Today, she says, her greatest accomplishments are raising the twins with wife DeWanna Bonner, a job she is eager to resume full time.
Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images
Because Dupree and Bonner are both WNBA players, it is often no easy task. They play for different teams, have different schedules and because most womenโs basketball players make more money playing overseas โ before coronavirus and this summerโs WNBA season, Dupree was playing in Hungary, DeWanna in China โ they have a hectic travel schedule and few days off.
While some WNBA players brought their children into the bubble โ basically an isolation zone to keep the players coronavirus-free so the season could be played โ Dupree was able to rely on mom Patty and Dupreeโs twin sister Crystal, who she jokes enlisted as the nanny the day Bonner gave birth to the twins.
โWe didnโt really know what weโd be getting ourselves into inside the bubble,โ Dupree says. โAt home, they have school, they play outside and in the pool. They wouldnโt have been able to do that (in Bradenton).โ
The bubble was an experience Dupree says she wonโt forget. She was playing in Hungary when President Donald Trump enacted a travel ban from Europe because of coronavirus, and, the very next day, she was hustling to get back to Florida.
Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images
When she entered the bubble in June for the WNBAโs 22-game schedule, the league was at the forefront of the social justice movement (photo on next page) in the wake of the death of George Floyd and nationwide protests.
Dupree was active in the leagueโs initiatives and personally met with the League of Women Voters in hopes of becoming more involved with the voting community.
With the season over, Dupree is eager to spend time with the girls.
โMy girls are to the point where, when we talk, they are like, โMomma, come home, when are you coming home?,โ Dupree says. โInitially, they were not like that. But, they are starting to miss their parents.โ
Dupree is not looking to return to Europe to play hoops anytime soon and, at the age of 36, her WNBA career is finally winding down.
She will be a free agent. Her stats this year were in line with her career numbers of 14.4 points and 6.6 rebounds a game, and she is in great shape physically. She could play another two years, she says.
โBut if a different job opportunity comes my way, I wouldnโt hesitate to take it,โ she added. Opportunities she is interested in exploring include coaching at the professional level.
Do You Remember When…
Dupree was a silky smooth forward for the Wildcats, becoming the schoolโs all-time leading scorer and winning the Dottie McGahagin Award as Hillsborough Countyโs best girls player in 2001-02 (to go with a 4.8 GPA). She went on to be an All-American at Temple University, playing for three-time Olympic gold medalist Dawn Staley, and was the No. 6 pick by Chicago in the WNBA draft in 2006.
One thing she never imagined while making buckets at Wharton is that she would one day be where she is today โ a 15-year WNBA veteran, a seven-time All-Star, a 2014 WNBA champion and one of the best players the womenโs league has ever seen.ย
โI never wanted to play in WNBA,โ Dupree says. โIโm not going to lie. I didnโt even know what it was. I was so busy competing in so many different sports I never even watched pro sports on TV. I was just excited to be recruited and get a full ride somewhere.โ
While it has been her consistency and steadiness that has defined her โ she has never averaged less than double figures in points โ Dupree is fifth all-time in WNBA career scoring, having put up more points than womenโs basketball legends like Lisa Leslie, Sue Bird and Tina Charles.
In fact, for someone who never imagined playing professionally, Dupree is all over the WNBA career record book: second behind all-time leading scorer Diana Taurasi in field goals made, fourth in minutes played, and seventh in rebounding and games played.
In 2010, she put together one of the best WNBA seasons ever, averaging 15.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, shooting a blistering (and league-leading) 66.4 percent from the floor, and was second from the free throw line at 93.6 percent.
โI put together a pretty good resume,โ Dupree says. โIโm on some lists with some very elite company. At some point, when I have I have time to sit back and reflect, Iโll say that was one helluva career. But, right now, Iโm still wrapped up in it, playing and trying to win games, so I donโt pay it too much attention.โ
Now that sheโs home, Dupree plans to relax. She may check out the new Wiregrass Sports Campus of Pasco County near her home in The Ridge at Wiregrass, which recently hosted the seventh annual Candice Dupree Invitational, a girls basketball tournament for college hoops hopefuls. Dupree has sponsored teams for the tournament organizers, the East Tampa Youth Basketball Association, for years by buying them shoes and uniforms.
โIt sounds great, weโve needed something like that in that area for years,โ Dupree says. She says one of her daughters may be interesting in the Sports Campusโ cheerleading program; the other, she laughs, leans more towards playing football.
And while she takes her kids on walks and plays with them in the pool, sheโll contemplate her next move.
โIโm not really in a rush,โ Dupree admits. โI usually leave for Europe after Christmas but who knows if that will be happening. I just want to spend time with the girls and hang out for the time being. Then, weโll see what happens.โ
Adriane & Mike Wonderlin will be opening a new Budget Blinds showroom in a few months at the KRATE container park in The Grove off S.R. 54. (Photos courtesy of Adriane Wonderlin)
Considering the amount of time you have probably spent looking longingly out your windows the past few weeks while quarantined, have you noticed that maybe your window treatments arenโt as attractive as they could be? Do your drapes look a little outdated? Do your shutters need to be modernized? Is there too much sun coming in and driving up those electricity bills?
Budget Blinds can solve all of those problems, and more.
Lexington Oaks residents Mike and Adriane Wonderlin are owners of the Budget Blinds franchises in Greater Tampa, Brandon and Lakeland. North Tampa has the nearest showroom, which is located on W. Fletcher Ave. near I-275, two exits south of Wesley Chapelโs S.R. 56 exit. The Wonderlins have a second showroom in Riverview, which serves their customers in the Brandon and Lakeland ares.
However, Wesley Chapel residents will have even easier access to the almost unlimited selection at Budget Blinds in a few months. The Wonderlins have already signed a lease for another showroom at the upcoming container park called KRATE by Gold Box at The Grove.
โWesley Chapel, Land OโLakes, Lutz, that whole area is still growing like crazy,โ Mike says. โThatโs why we decided to open a third showroom.โ
Mike and Adriane have owned the local Budget Blinds franchises for two years. In January of 2019, they expanded by purchasing the Lakeland territory.
The current showroom in Tampa has been open since 2013.
Budget Blinds was founded in 1992 in Orange County, CA, and has more than 1,100 franchises in the U.S. and Canada. The Wonderlinsโ franchise has been named the companyโs Franchise of the Year in 2016, 2017 and 2018, and finished second in 2019.
While Adriane says some of their customers know exactly what they want, many donโt, due to the countless design and style combinations available. Thatโs where Budget Blinds comes in and offers service that few others can match.
โI didnโt know what I needed, I just knew I wanted some blinds that my two large dogs wouldnโt destroy,โ says Tara LeBlanc, whose Palm Cove home in Wesley Chapel has glass sliders in the back that receive a lot of sunlight. โI called Budget Blinds and they sent a consultant who was very nice, showed us a bunch of samples, went over the warranty and came up with the solution. Now, I have blinds that go up and down horizontally, they donโt get in the way of the doggie door and itโs actually pretty cool.โ
LeBlanc adds that she also will be having solar shades installed. She said she has wanted to do her back windows for years, but thought it would be too expensive. But, she says she gave Budget Blinds a budget, and discovered it wasnโt nearly as pricey as she thought.
Whether itโs shutters or drapes or anything in between, Budget Blinds has what you need.
The Wonderlins have a staff of 27 consultants and have added an operational management team to its staff โ installation manager Bill Tumelty, a U.S. Army veteran, and administrative manager Kristi Cicollelo.
Tumelty is one of a few military veterans who work for the Wonderlins.
โIt was really important to us to find someone that was in the service,โ says Mike, whose company partners with Homes For Our Troops by doing the window treatments for wounded veterans.
Additionally, Budget Blinds hired a drapery consultant, Terri Williams, who specializes in soft treatments such as drapery panels, Roman shades, and pillows.
Whether youโre looking for improved aesthetics or smarter energy consumption โ or, like many customers, a little bit of both โ Budget Blinds can steer you in the right direction. And, donโt let the coronavirus pandemic slow you down โ Budget Blinds has adapted and offers โno-contactโ service.
โWe are here to help you with your next home renovation project,โ Mike says. โBut the well-being and safety of our customers is always our top priority. Weโre continuing to follow all guidelines and updates suggested by the CDC and local departments of public health. We are currently operating under a no-contact consultation procedure for sales and installation appointments due to the coronavirus.โ
It might be a good time to find a deal as well, while helping a locally-owned business.
โShopping local has never been more important,โ Mike says. โOur vendors have offered some additional discounts to help us due to Covid-19, and weโll be passing those savings along to our customers.โ
Budget Blinds offers a complete line of window coverings.
Blinds come in vinyl, wood, fabric, faux wood and aluminum. Shutter options range from real wood (in painted or stained) and also composite shutters that donโt fade or warp.
If you prefer shades, you can choose from roller, pleated, Roman, cellular, woven wood, bamboo, sheer, solar and graphic, not to mention a variety of panels, valances and drapes.
Budget Blinds has recently renewed a partnership with Mirasol Shutters, which has been around since 1991 and offers shutters made right here in Florida (customers can have them installed in as little as 7 days, with express shipping).
Mirasol Shutters feature a number of different collections depending on your needs (including arched window treatments), and are made of a 100-percent recyclable composite core that mimics the look and texture of natural wood but isnโt susceptible to the same moisture, UV damage or dents and chips as wood.
While you can find window treatments at a variety of big box stores, having a consultant visit your home and make suggestions is a touch those bigger stores rarely offer. Budget Blinds can find the right style and product to match your bedding, walls and floors.
โOur niche in the market is somewhere between a big box store and calling a decorator,โ says Adriane. โOur design consultants donโt just go out and give a quote; they actually help design (your window treatments).โ
And, Budget Blindsโ warranties are better, too. โYou can buy the same exact line at Home Depot,โ Mike says, โbut you wonโt get the same warranty.โ
Budget Blinds only uses experts in the window treatment industry, and never uses independent contractors. Budget Blinds installers are employees, and Tumelty insures that every installation is done with the companyโs commitment to quality.
Budget Blinds also is a leader in the โsmartโ products line, which allows you to open your drapes or raise your blinds from the comfort of your couch or bed by using your smart phone or devices like Alexa and Google Home.
In 2016, Budget Blinds began offering a โSmart Homes by Budget Blindsโ partnership with the smart home company Lutron. The Tampa-area franchise was one of just 15 locations to pioneer the concept, introducing smart shades, lighting and thermostat controls for its customers.
Thatโs a big deal in neighborhoods such as Estancia,The Ridge, and Esplanade, where homeowners have nice conservation views, and people donโt want to have to go behind the couch to pull the cord to open or close their window treatments.
โThereโs a big push for motorization and automation,โ Mike says. โIn five years, thatโs all youโre going to see.โ
Automation even allows you to set times for the drapes or blinds to open and close. Scheduled correctly, you can be awakened in the morning by natural sunlight as your blackout shades gradually rise, or change the ambiance of your whole home after the sun has set, all with the press of a button or a voice command.
Budget Blinds of Greater Tampa is located at 1208 W. Fletcher Ave. The showroom hours are Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sat. To schedule a complimentary in-home consultation, call (813) 968-5050. For more info, visit BudgetBlinds.com/NorthTampa.
(l.-r.) Mia Nicholson, Ariana Rivera-Heppenstall, Kayla Grant and Emari Lewis have led the Wildcats to a 15-2 record this season. (Photo: John C. Cotey)
Stopping the Wesley Chapel High (WCH) girls basketball team is no small feat.
Oh sure, maybe you can slow down senior forward Kayla Grant, the reigning Sunshine Athletic Conference Player of the Year. But, what about sharpshooting sophomore guard Emari Lewis?
And maybe, just maybe, Lewis is having a bad night with her jumper. But then, what about all-around ace Ariana Rivera-Heppenstall?
And, say you manage to throw Rivera-Heppenstall off her game, what are you going to do about slasher Mia Nicholson?
If you canโt stop them all, and you probably canโt, then youโll have to pick your poison, because the Wildcats have combined an uncanny amount of balance with a high-octane attack and stifling man-to-man defense to form what is currently Pasco Countyโs best girls basketball team.
โWe all contribute,โ says Nicholson, a junior forward. โWhen River Ridge double-teamed Kayla, I stepped up. When other teams try to target one person, someone always steps in. You canโt really do that with our team. Most teams donโt have enough good players to guard all of us.โ
So far this season, Wesley Chapel is 19-3, with their only losses coming to a team from Missouri, Eustis High and Brooks DeBartolo in Hillsborough County. In Pasco County, the Wildcats are unbeaten.ย
Grant, Rivera-Heppenstall, Nicholson and Lewis are all averaging double figures in points and at least 2.5 assists per game. Grant is averaging nearly 12 rebounds per game, while the other three average more than 4 rpg each.
No one is surprised. The Wildcats are coming off a 22-3 season in 2018-19, and added Nicholson in the offseason.
A former Weightman Middle School player, Nicholson attended Land OโLakes High her first two years, and averaged 11.3 points and 4.8 rebounds last year before transferring to WCH.
โI expected this,โ Grant says, without flinching. โWe didnโt lose anyone from last yearโs team and we also got Mia. We needed one more piece, and she filled it.โ
It was a big piece for head coach Peter Livingston, who took over a struggling program in 2014-15 when he was the only person to apply for the job. The former Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH) junior varsity coach lost his first game to his former team 77-17, and one couldnโt have blamed him for changing his mind about taking the job at halftime, when the โCats trailed 52-3.
โI wanted to be a head coach, and I came here to build the program, and I was determined to do that,โ says Livingston, adding that he never did get discouraged.
He went 7-17 each of his first two seasons, then had a short-lived breakthrough with a 15-9 season in 2016-17, as Grant and Rivera-Heppenstall showed up as freshmen.
But, Grant left the following season for Brooks Debartolo, and Rivera-Heppenstall missed the season with a knee injury, as the Wildcats plunged to a 6-17 record.
For 2018-19, however, Livingston proved to be not only be a good coach, but a fortunate one as well. Grant and Rivera-Heppenstall returned to his program, Lewis enrolled as a freshman, and the Wildcats were back in business with a 22-3 season, including a Class 6A-District 8 championship.
The Wildcats lost 59-58 to Crystal River in the first round of the State playoffs.
With Nicholson added to the mix this season, the sky may be the limit.ย They will likely head into the district tournament in a little more than a week as the top seed.
โWe want to go to States,โ says Lewis. โWe have a lot of talent on this team, and weโve got more heart this year. When weโre playing as a team and playing together, we are tough to stop.โ
