Lutz/Land O' Lakes/Odessa - Vol. 7, Issue 4, April 2015

The Premier “Shop Local” Community Magazine Directly Mailed To 20,000 Homes In Odessa, Lutz & Land O’ Lakes Areas

The Community Dining &Business Guide that your

neighbors READ!

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

ECRWSSPostal Customer

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PAIDTAMPA FL

PERMIT 1185

Quantum Leap Farm’s Stirrup Hope......................3

Calendar & News Briefs......4-5 SCORE Business Mentors..6-7Law Office of

Charles S. Philips............10-11Tobacco Free Pasco.........14-15Budget Blinds of Greater

Tampa............................18-19Kids R Kids Academy........22-23Brain Balance.................26-27Today’s Foster Parents...28-29Deputy and K-9 of Year..36-37

Vol. 6, Issue 04, April 2015

This Independent Community News, Business & Dining Guide Is Directly Mailed Once Each Month To:Ashley Lakes, Ballantrae, Belle Meade, Calusa Trace, Canterbury, Cheval, Citrus Greens, Concord Station, Devonwood, Dolce Vita on Lake

Keystone, Echo Lake, Farmington Village, Fern Glenn, Grey Hawk at Lake Polo, Heritage Harbor, Ivy Lake Estates, Keystone Groves, Keystone Manors, Keystone Reserve, Keystone Shores, Lake Charles, Lake Church, Lake Parker Estates, Lakeside Grove Estates, NorthlakeVillage, Northbridge at Lake Pretty, Northton Groves, Oakstead, Orange Blossom Creek, Reflections, Steeple Chase, Stillwater, Stonegate,

Suncoast Crossings, Suncoast Meadows, Swan Cove, Van Dyke Estates, Van Dyke Farms, Villa Rosa, Wyndham Lakes

Your neighborhood. Your magazine.

See “Vallarta’s” on page 30

Great Clips is Cut Above Rest By Deborah Bostock-Kelley

You don’t need to ask the em-ployees of Great Clips if they like whatthey do for a living; the proof is foundon the faces of their satisfied cus-tomers. “It’s quick. They do a greatjob and it’s not that expensive. Theymake me look good,” quipped cus-tomer Alan Bell. “And I’m really notgiving them much to work with.”

It’s this type of friendly banter andcustomer relationship that separatesGreat Clips from the rest of the wallet-friendly hair cutting shops.

Ally Phlipot and Sarah Kahn,stylists at the Palms of Carrollwood lo-cation, located on the corner ofFletcher and North Dale Mabry,agreed that ‘meeting and talking to

new people’ was what they enjoyedbest about their job.

“It’s never the same – you’re al-ways meeting someone new,” addedstylist Lindsey Willis.

A longtime resident of Tampa,owner Lea Orchard got in on theground floor in Tampa Bay of a nownationwide franchise and opened herfirst Great Clips location in 2001. Shewas the first to bring the Great Clipsfranchise to her community.

It wasn’t always easy. Over adecade ago, Great Clips didn’t yet haveany locally renowned name recogni-tion, or the 60 Tampa Bay locationsand the 3,700 nationwide locations inthe U.S and Canada that it does today.

See “Great Clips” on page 34

By Marcy Sanford

When you dine at Vallarta’s Restaurante Mexicano inLutz, take a tip from me – do not wear a white shirt. Why?

Well if you’re like me, you can’t resist a great salsa. Andthe salsa at the Lutz Vallarta’s is so fresh and delicious andtheir chips are so perfectly crisp and salty that you’ll betempted to take one more bite of chips and salsa over andover and over. And if you’re like me, you’ll invariably end updropping some salsa on yourself, but it’s so delicious, youwon’t even care if you make a mess! If you’re worried, weardark clothes or patterns and enjoy all the scrumptious chipsand salsa you want. You may even want to add some freshlymade guacamole or lip-smacking queso to the mix.

Vallarta’s Restaurante Mexicano located on State Road54 in the Northpointe Village is a festive restaurant withgreat food and drinks at great prices.

One taste of their fresh, delectable food and it’s easy to

Vallarta’s Restaurante MexicanoAuthentic and SO Delicious!

2 For Ad Info Call (813) 928-6124 • www.NNLFlorida.com APRIL 2015 Neighborhood News & Lifestyles

For Ad Info Call (813) 928-6124 • www.NNLFlorida.com APRIL 2015 3Neighborhood News & Lifestyles

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PublisherTim SelbyGeneral ManagerJim O’Reilly EditorKim ThomasAdvertising SalesManagerMatt SelbyAdvertising SalesJim O’ReillyLinda VeigaAlexis SelbyJared Nager

CorrespondentsJulie KanehlMarcy SanfordKatie ThomasDara TuckerArt DirectorDat X. Do

Graphic ArtistsDat X. DoTony SicaAccounting ManagerDoreen Selby

Billing AssistantTina O’Reilly

Quantum Leap Farm’s Stirrup Hope Big Success!Quantum Leap Farm’s inaugural

Stirrup Hope, held March 21 at thefarm in Odessa, raised over $300,000for the equine-assisted therapy facility.The first-time event raised 38% of theorganization’s total budget and prom-ises to be a staple of the fundraising ef-forts for the farm moving forward.Fifteen sponsors underwrote the totalexpenses for Stirrup Hope leaving thetotal income from the night to benefitQuantum programs.

Kevin Holmberg, a participant inQuantum’s therapeutic riding programspoke at the event, sharing how his re-lationship with a horse named Johnnybrought him healing after experiencinga traumatic brain injury in a car acci-dent several years ago. Kevin has beenriding at Quantum for four years, andin addition to other types of therapyhas regained his ability to walk andspeak.

Joe Wilcher, an active army soldieralso shared his story with the audience,bringing many to tears. After being de-ployed during his son’s first four yearsof life, Joe came home to find out hisson was diagnosed with Muscular Dys-trophy, a fatal disease that has signifi-cantly shortened his son’s life span. Joe

shared how the staff at Quantum hashelped his son and brought hope totheir family.

“A huge ‘thank you’ to Edie, forchasing her dreams because we all nowget to be a part of those dreams andshare something very special: QuantumLeap Farm,” says Patty Bates, a StirrupHope guest and the wife of a partici-pant in the program.

Sue Levitt, Quantum’s Director ofDevelopment, says, “Quantum is sucha special place and that begins with notonly the setting but the people. It wasreally a team effort between the board,volunteers, staff and the donors who sogenerously support us.”

Quantum Leap Farm has beenserving the Tampa Bay area since 2000and is home for people of all ages andabilities including wounded veterans,military families, children with cancer,and people with disabling diseases. Thefarm offers comprehensive equine-as-sisted therapy programs including ther-apeutic riding, Hippotherapy, At EASEgroup therapy and Family Fun Days.Quantum’s focus is on bringing healingto the entire family and using horses tohelp participants regain strength, confi-dence and connectedness.

“Our participants are the mostamazing individuals – they demon-strate daily the human capacity foremotional and physical strength, re-siliency, integrity and adaptability, andthey constantly remind us how interde-pendent and beautiful we all are,” saysFounder and Executive Director, EdieDopking, Ph.D.

Dopking founded the farm 15years ago after her longtime love forhorses converged with her academicendeavors in Aging Studies Research toreveal the developmental benefits ofequine therapy for adults. Seeing thatfew other riding centers in the area of-fered programs for adults, Dopkingcreated Quantum Leap Farm, a placewhere children and adults could seekthe benefits of the horse-human bondand have some fun at the same time.

Quantum plans to host StirrupHope again in 2016. After this year’sevent, the staff and participants arefeeling grateful and re-energized by thegenerosity of the guests and supportersof the farm. More information atwww.QuantumLeapFarm.org. Wantto help? Donations can be mailed to:Quantum Leap Farm, 10401 Wood-stock Road, Odessa, FL 33556.

Calendar & News BriefsVilla Rosa Community-Wide Yard Sale

April 18, 8 AM–12 PM––Thecommunity is located north of LutzLake Fern Road and just east of theVeterans Expressway.

SHRED 2014 GOODBYE!!!Sat., May 2, 9:30–11:30

AM––Thrivent Members, guests andthe public are invited to shred your olddocuments. 2014 is over and it is timeto clean those files. Shred any docu-ments that you no longer need andfree up space. We are providing a sitesecured shredder truck for you to useto dispose of those unnecessary docu-ments.

Come, shred, and enjoy refresh-ments compliments of the Tampa BayGroup of Thrivent Financial and Fi-nancial Representatives Keith Harveyand Jason Carrier. Where: 1342 W.Fletcher Ave, Tampa. Cost is FREE,but donations to the SPCA of TampaBay welcome.

Light refreshments will be servedand Thrivent will be collecting pet

(dog & cat) items such as food, toysand blankets to benefit the SPCA ofTampa Bay.

For more information, contacttheir office at 813-269-1116.

Florida Manufacturing Career FairWed., Apr. 22, 1–4 PM––Loca-

tion: Pasco-Hernando State College,Spring Hill Campus, 450 BeverlyCourt, Spring Hill, room B105. Formore information contact: AnaSegovia 352-293-1335 or [email protected]

NAMI Pasco Family & FriendsSupport Group Meetings

The Pasco County Chapter ofNAMI (National Alliance on MentalIllness) offers two types of supportgroup meetings each month, one for*family and friends of those with men-tal illness, and one for ** those livingwith mental illness. This includes allbrain disorders, including, but not lim-ited to OCD, depression, bi-polar,schizophrenia, multiple personalities,

etc. Information: 727-992-9653 orwww.namipasco.org.

*NAMI Family & FriendsSupport Meetings

2nd & 4th Monday, Monthly,7:30–9 PM––Medical Center of TrinityWest Campus, Second and FourthMonday of each month in ConferenceRoom C, 5637 Marine Parkway, NewPort Richey

1st & 3rd Thursday, 6:30–8PM––Regional Medical Center BayonetPoint, Shoreline Café Meeting Room,14000 Fivay Rd, Hudson, FL

1st & 3rd Tuesday, Monthly, 7–8:30 PM––Atonement LutheranChurch, 29617 State Road 54, WesleyChapel

**NAMI CONNECTIONS (Re-covery support group for those livingwith mental illness.) Group meets 90minutes and is facilitated by trainedpeers, at two locations.

Every Wednesday, 7–8:30 PM––Medical Center of Trinity West PascoCampus, 5637 Marine Parkway, NewPort Richey, Conference Room C

1st & 3rd Saturday, 11:30 AM–1PM––Hugh Embry Library, 14215

4th Street, Dade City16th Annual Broadway Comes toTampa

Sat., May 9––New Tampa Playersrequests the honor of your presence attheir Fundraising Gala to benefit Com-munity Theater: HorsD’oeuvres/Cash Bar/Silent Auction atsix o’clock, Dinner at seven o’clock

Show at eight o’clock. BroadwayComes to Tampa will be held at theHilton Downtown Tampa. The eventis black tie optional and is $200 perPerson or $2,000 for table of ten.Broadway stars in attendance are:Richard Todd Adams, star of Phantomof the Opera and Les Miserables; Jean-nette Bayardelle, star of The ColorPurple; Rita Harvey, star of Phantomof the Opera and Fiddler on the Roof;Mandy Gonzalez, star of In theHeights and Wicked; Danny Zolli, starof Jesus Christ Super Star and Evita

(Talent subject to change.) Thefavor of a reply by May 2nd. please feelfree to share this invitation with friendsand employees. Seating is limited. Pri-ority given on a first come, first servedbasis. For more information please call813-386-9333 or log on to


www.Broadwaycomestotampa.com.New Tampa Players, Inc. is a Floridanot-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.Your donations are tax deductible inthe amount that they exceed the valueof the event.

Medical Center of Trinity andCARES Health & Wellness Collabo-rate to Present Active Living EveryDay Program

Mondays 9 AM, April 13 – July1––Medical Center of Trinity andCARES Health & Wellness announcethey are presenting “Active LivingEvery Day (ALED).” The free pro-gram consists of a one-hour class oncea week for 12 weeks. The classes willbe conducted by CARES (CommunityAging & Retirement Services) andheld at the Medical Center of TrinityConference Room C at 9 a.m. everyMonday beginning April 13 throughJuly 1, 2015. For more informationand to register call 727-834-5630.

Active Living Every Day is a step-by-step behavior change program thathelps individuals overcome the barriersto physical activity. ALED offers alter-natives to more traditional, structuredexercise programs. Participants choosetheir own activities and create their

own plans based on their lifestyle andpersonal preferences; focusing onmoderate-intensity activities that canbe easily added to their daily routines.As participants progress through thecourse, they learn lifestyle managementskills and build on small successes,methods that have proven effective inproducing lasting positive change.

Seating is limited and reservationsare required. Please call 727-834-5630to RSVP.

2nd Annual PADDLEPALOOZA!April 17–19––The Bayou Business

Association and Visit Pasco are thrilledto announce the 2nd Annual 2015Paddlepalooza, hosted at Gil DawgMarina, 5416 Treadway Drive in PortRichey.

This event is to exhibit local busi-ness and the unlimited outdoor activi-ties West Pasco County has to offer.

Paddlepalooza kicks off Friday, at5 p.m., with a Poker Run Pub Crawl.While Crawlers visit participating busi-ness they will be collecting playingcards, hoping to turn in the winninghand at Rum River at 8 p.m.

The water competition goes un-derway Saturday with the Battle in theBayou Dragon Boat Racing, pro-

duced by High Five Dragon Boat outof Tampa, FL. Community and corpo-rate teams are encouraged to sign up.There will be a Battle in the BayouCorporate/Community Champion aswell as the Best in the Bayou ClubTeam. Participants may sign up individ-ually; they will be placed on a partici-pating team’s roster.

Following the Dragon boat races,is the Nature Coast’s premierkayak/SUP competition, The SaltSprings Classic. This event featuresboth a river and open water course.

Celebrate the day’s races Saturdaywith the Bearded Brothers Band per-forming on the Magical Butter Stage inWayne’s World Entertainment Stage.

Sunday’s first event begins at 8:30a.m., the Cotee River Park to ParkChallenge. This event is an open pad-dle sport race from Francis AvenuePark, in downtown New Port Richey,to Waterfront Park along Port Richey’sBayou Business District.

The final race of the weekend isthe Student Survival Sprint Race, astandup paddleboard and kayaks sprintstyle held in Channel #18 betweenPort Richey Waterfront Park and GillDawg Marina.

Proceeds from the weekend’s

events will support theBayou BusinessAssociation’s objective to achievesuccess, sustainability and distinction topreserve an everlasting presence in ourcity. Additionally, the Bayou BusinessAssociation will use proceeds to sendyouth from the area to New PortRichey Summer Camp.

Find more information about thePaddlepalooza races, events and volun-teer opportunities online atwww.pascopaddlepalooza.com, or youmay email [email protected], orcall Walter Loos at (727) 277-0519.

Senior Sports: Softball, Golf,Tennis & More

Senior Sports offers a variety offun-filled sports to play and meet newfriends, including: a Senior Over 60Co-ed Slo Pitch Softball League (falland winter); Golf at a variety of coursesevery Wednesday year-round; Bowlingevery Thursday year-round; TennisLeague; Indoor Volleyball League;Basketball and Ping Pong play.

If you would like to enjoy laugh-ter and fun through fitness while meet-ing new friends, or if you would likemore information on Senior Sportsactivities, please call Walt Bockmiller at813-527-8211.


By Marcy Sanford

Pasco County residents Jeremyand Lindsay Graham thought theyhad a good business idea. The couplesketched out the plans for their busi-ness on the back of a napkin and thendecided to seek guidance and advice.They came across SCORE while look-ing for business consultants. The not-for-profit association is dedicated toentrepreneur education and the suc-cess of small businesses nationwide.The Grahams were matched up withSCORE mentor Richard Bonnett, anentrepreneur with 23 years of experi-ence in corporate and mortgage bank-ing. After talking to Richard, Jeremyand Lindsay decided to quit their highpaying jobs and run their own busi-ness.

One year later, Premier Hospital-ity Sourcing specializes in selling andmarketing manufacturers’ productlines to distributors serving the hospi-tality, food service, healthcare, facility

maintenance, educational, and themepark industries throughout the south-east. Their product lines representmanufacturers in chemical, industrialpaper, linens, and disposable can lin-ers. They also are in the process ofexpanding to other states and arehiring representatives to assist them.

The Pasco-Hernando Chapterof SCORE has been helping smallbusiness owners locally since 1979.Each year they conduct more than1,000 free and confidential individualmentoring sessions. They also providemore than 60 free training and educa-tional seminars for small business own-ers. SCORE’s certified volunteermentors offer a wide range of expert-ise by virtue of their education andmany years of hands-on business expe-rience. SCORE is also a resource part-ner of the U.S. Small BusinessAdministration.

This year, the Pasco-HernandoChapter of SCORE has celebrated sev-eral successes of its own. The chapter

increased theirtotal client servicesby 28 percent overthe previous yearand increasedcounseling servicesby 38 percent. All25 volunteers havetheir mentoringcertification fromSCORE National.

At a recentceremony TheSouth West FloridaSCORE Districtpresented thePasco-HernandoChapter with theDistrict Chapter ofthe Year Award for2014.

The Pasco-Hernando Chapter ofSCORE was also awarded the 2014Chapter Platinum Leadership Awardfor outstanding leadership, commit-ment and exemplary services in main-

taining chapter standards of operation.The Platinum Award is the highestlevel awarded. The award was given tothe chapter for serving clients in atimely manner and achieving growth intotal services from the previous year.

The Pasco-Hernando Chapter of SCOREA Great Resource for Small Business Owners

Greg Kullman, Pasco-Hernando Chapter of SCOREchairman, receiving District Chapter of the Year Awardfrom Juan Fret, SW Florida SCORE District Director


The Pasco-Hernando Chapter ofSCORE has seminars for every smallbusiness owner no mater what theirneeds or interests. You can learn thebasics of Excel or QuickBooks, how toapply for a small business loan, or howto market your business. Score alsooffers hundreds of webinars in topicscovering finance and money, manage-ment, technology, and more.

Visit Pasco-Hernando SCORE atwww.pascohernando.score.org for acomplete listing of the upcoming sem-inars and webinars SCORE offers, orto request a mentor.

There are seminars ongoingmonthly, and the following are stillavailable in April:

E-Marketing Concepts: Tues-day, April 21, 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM atCentennial Park Branch Library––Attendees will obtain an understandingof the E-Marketing technologies, e.g.,local search directories, email newslet-ters, social media, blogs, and search en-gine advertising, and how they mayhelp to enhance the ability of a smallbusiness to reach customers and com-municate their brand, products andservices.

Risk Management: Wednesday,April 22, 5:30–7:30 PM at South Hol-iday Branch Library––Numerous cor-porations have established a riskmanagement process. Learn what thatprocess entails and how to anticipateand manage threats to business success.

Advanced Quickbooks: Thurs-day, April 23, 5:30–7:30 PM at NewRiver Branch Library––This two-hourseminar is designed for persons thathave some reasonable experience usingthe basics of QuickBooks, but whowould now like to benefit from itsmany more advanced features. Ourother “Introduction to QuickBooks”seminar, or familiarity with its content,is assumed as a prerequisite to thisseminar.

Marketing to Grow Your Busi-ness: Thursday, April 23, 5:35–7:30PM at the Regency Park BranchLibrary––Learn how and where tofind some of the answers about whatworks and doesn’t work, what infor-mation is required to write a sales &marketing plan, how to profile yourcustomers, determine the best type ofadvertising and/or promotions, whatyou can learn from your competitors,and how to analyze your program’seffectiveness.


By Kim Thomas

None of us want to ponder thepossibility of being personally injured,or having a loved one injured, due toanother person’s negligence. Unfortu-nately, it happens to families every dayso it’s important to know your rightsunder Florida’s No-Fault law. I re-member feeling terrified upon learningthat our daughter’s car was struck by avehicle running a red light at a PascoCounty intersection. Seeing the crash,it was obvious her car was a total loss.My husband and I were anxious to layeyes on our girl, who thankfullyseemed okay, though bruised andshaken. Not sure of what to do, butknowing that I wanted my daughter’srights protected in case she showedsymptoms in the hours and days fol-lowing the crash, I contacted The LawOffice of Charles S. Philips, located inNew Port Richey.

Attorney Chuck Philips took timewith us, explained the law to us, andthankfully, we ended up not needinglegal representation. That was yearsago, but then and now, Chuck Philipsis respected and trusted by me, mywork associates, and by many in thecommunity. His innate kindness juxta-posed with his ability to turn up theheat in your case, either through legalargument or by filing a lawsuit, makeshim unique and a good man to have inyour corner if you need legal represen-tation. He thoroughly evaluates indi-vidual cases and gives clients a realisticview of the possible outcome and theirability to recover financial compensa-tion for injury, including lost worktime, pain and suffering, and medicalbills.

With more than two decades of

professional experience in Pasco andPinellas Counties, Chuck Philips un-derstands the ins and outs of Floridatraffic laws and insurance claims. Heserved as a former Assistant State At-torney in Pinellas County for a total ofapproximately five years both in Trafficand Misdemeanor Divisions as LeadTrial Attorney, and also served asFelony Division Assistant for 2-1/2 ofthose years. Plus, his past experience asan Insurance Defense Attorney giveshim an insider’s knowledge of the in-surance companies, and how they han-dle claims. Additionally, for the last 20years he has represented those whohave been injured in an accident. Inshort, Attorney Philips has a uniqueperspective that he uses to his clients’advantage in his practice.

Through his experience in helpingvictims of auto accidents, AttorneyPhilips finds that many people are un-aware of their rights under Florida’sNo-Fault Law, which underwent im-portant changes in 2013. The Law Of-fice of Charles S. Philips kindly sharedthe following information about theFlorida No-Fault Law with Neighbor-hood News & Lifestyles’ readers.

Understanding Florida No-FaultFlorida No-Fault requires each in-

dividual to self-insure for auto acci-dent-related injuries, lost wages andmedical bills. Florida drivers do thisthrough purchasing Personal InjuryProtection (PIP) as part of their autoinsurance coverage. Florida insurancelaw only requires two types of cover-age, each in the amount of $10,000.They are: Property Damage LiabilityCoverage (to repair someone’s prop-erty when we are at fault) and PIP (topay our own accident-related medicalexpenses at 80%) up to $10,000. In

general, Florida does not require thepurchase of Bodily Injury Liability cov-erage, which is coverage that wouldpay for bodily injury to the other partywhen we are at fault. Therefore, whensomeone says they are “fully insured”in Florida, it does not necessarily meanthey have anywhere near adequate cov-erage for themselves, or others.

Attorney Philips says, “We areconstantly asked by clients why theirinsurance company has to pay for theirmedical expenses, when the otherparty was clearly at fault. The answer issimple. Florida law requires it to bedone that way.”

Additionally, even though theminimum PIP required in Florida is$10,000, a PIP deductible can be pur-chased up to $1,000, under the cur-rent law.

What You Need to Know AboutPIP

Following an auto accident, youmust seek medical treatment within 14days. Generally, for the first visit fol-lowing an accident, PIP allows you tosee any doctor of your choosing, un-like an HMO or managed care plan,which may limit or dictate your choice.When you visit your treating doctor,advise them that you are there becauseof an auto accident and provide themthe information from your auto policy.Your PIP coverage will pay for 80% ofthe “reasonable and customary” ex-penses related to your treatment, andyou will begin to accrue an unpaid bal-ance of the 20% not covered by PIP.

After the initial visit (must bewithin 14 days of the accident), a med-ical opinion must be rendered by amedical doctor, doctor of osteopathicmedicine, dentist, physician’s assistant,

or registerednurse practi-tioner thatthe accident-related in-juriesconstitute aneed for im-mediate med-ical attentionbecause of an“emergencymedical con-dition” which is defined as a medicalcondition that manifests itself by acutesymptoms of sufficient severity, whichmay include severe pain, such that theabsence of immediate medical atten-tion could reasonably result in any ofthe following: 1) serious jeopardy topatient health; 2) serious impairmentto bodily functions; 3) serious dysfunc-tion of any bodily organ or part. Thedetermination of an “emergency med-ical condition” cannot be made by achiropractic physician as per the statu-tory requirements.

If this medical opinion is not ren-dered, then the insured will be limitedto $2,500 in PIP benefits. However, ifthe requirement is properly met, thenthe insured will be entitled to the max-imum of $10,000 in PIP coveragebenefits. If treatment is not soughtwithin the initial 14 days after the acci-dent, then the insured will be pre-cluded from obtaining any PIPbenefits.

Another change: Massage therapyand acupuncture treatments have beenexcluded from the PIP statute and willnot be covered treatment under thePIP coverage.

If you have Medical Payments(MP) coverage on your auto policy, it

The Law Office of Charles S. Philips Helps You UnderstandHow to Protect Yourself Under Florida’s No-Fault Law

Attorney Chuck Philips


will pay the 20% (that PIP won’tcover) as it is incurred. If you have noMP coverage, the 20% becomes part ofyour claim against the at-fault party’sBodily Injury Liability coverage andwill be included in any final settlementwith the insurance company. Whilewaiting for your case to settle, yourdoctor may request that you sign aLetter of Protection (LOP). This is anassurance by you and your attorneythat the unpaid expenses will be paidout of the settlement of your claim.Any request for a LOP by your doctorshould be discussed with your attorneybefore you sign.

You may receive treatment underPIP until your benefits are exhaustedor are terminated by your insurancecompany following an independentmedical examination (IME). The set-tlement of your Bodily Injury Liabilityclaim at the conclusion of your casedoes not affect your ability to receivetreatment using your PIP. They arecompletely unrelated.

In the event that an individual’sIME recommends no further treat-ment, yet there are ongoing medical is-sues, it’s imperative to have aknowledgeable and experienced attor-ney like Chuck Philips on your side tooffer sincere and straightforward legaladvice regarding whether you should

sue your PIP carrier to continue yourbenefits.

Lost Wages Under PIPShould your treating physician

write an order or prescription takingyou off work for any period of timeafter an auto accident, your PIP willpay you 60% of your average weeklywage. Your employer will be asked toprepare a Wage and Salary Verificationform showing your gross wages for the13 weeks preceding the accident. Thiscompleted wage verification form mustbe submitted to your PIP carrier, andthe PIP carrier must begin providingthe PIP wages within 30 days of sub-mission of the completed wage loss ap-plication, Wage and Salary Verificationand physician off-work slips. The 40%of your wages not covered by PIP be-comes part of your damages claimagainst the at-fault party’s insurancecompany. The at-fault party’s insurancecarrier will make a one-time, lump sumsettlement payment to you, which willinclude all of your damages.

PIP LimitsPeople typically select $10,000 for

their PIP Limits on their auto insur-ance, although higher limits are avail-able. It’s important to remember thatevery bill you incur will reduce your

benefits. Be proactive and aware ofwhat you are being charged for, thenecessity of your treatment and its fre-quency. You have a limited amount ofPIP benefits to pay for your medicalbills and lost wages and once your limitis reached, your insurance company’sobligation to you is exhausted.

Following an accident, your treat-ing doctor may order you not to workbecause of your injuries, and this couldbe for an extended period. It may be inyour best interest to request that yourPIP insurer reserve your PIP benefitsto pay your wage loss before payingmedical bills. Otherwise, medical ex-penses submitted by providers couldbe paid first and diminish or eliminatethe PIP funds that could be used topay for your lost wages resulting ingreater financial hardship for you.

You may continue to obtain treat-ment under your PIP, health insuranceplan or Medicare after your case is set-tled. Settlement with the at-fault partyor under your own un-insured/under-insured motorist coverage does notterminate your right to continuedtreatment. However, your right tocontinued treatment under PIP is lim-ited by the amount of benefits youchose (generally $10,000), and couldbe terminated following an Independ-ent Medical Examination (IME).

However, barring an IME termination,you may treat under your PIP for 3years, so long as you need treatment oruntil benefits are exhausted. That iswhy monitoring your expenses is im-portant so that your benefits are notused unwisely and prematurely.

Motorcyclists are not coveredunder Florida No-Fault, so they are ex-cluded from the requirement of carry-ing PIP; however, Attorney Philipssuggests that all motorcyclists purchasemotorcycle insurance coverage in orderto protect themselves in an auto acci-dent claim because they cannot counton the at-fault party having sufficientBodily Injury Liability as part of theirinsurance.

If you ever need solid legal coun-sel following a personal injury incident,call The Law Office of Charles S.Philips, which has been assisting vic-tims injured due to the negligence orrecklessness of others since 2002.

The Law Office of Charles S.Philips is located at 9400 RiverCrossing Blvd., Suite 103, in NewPort Richey. Satellite offices are lo-cated in Citrus, Hernando, Pinellasand Hillsborough Counties. Formore information, please call tollfree (800) 844-8652 or (727) 494-2008. Visit www.chuckphilips.comfor full list of services.


By Georgia BrieckSince Tobacco Free Florida

launched in 2007, adult smoking rateshave been steadily declining; however,there is still a lot of work ahead. Cur-rently, Pasco County’s adult smokingrate is 26%, compared to the states av-erage of 18%. The Tobacco Free Part-nership of Pasco County is working todecrease that number even further byeducating the local community anddecision makers on the importance oftobacco prevention. With their diversemembership consisting of local stu-dents, non-profit organizations, andcommunity service agencies, they arelooking to the community for supportto promote tobacco-free living.

The PartnershipThe Tobacco Free Partnership of

Pasco County is a collaboration ofyouth and adults who share an interestor passion for tobacco prevention andcontrol. This coalition partners withPasco County Students WorkingAgainst Tobacco (SWAT) and the

Florida Department of Health inPasco County to execute TobaccoFree Florida grant initiatives in thecounty. Overall, the coalition strivesto:

• Eliminate flavored tobacco andsecondhand smoke from PascoCounty through voluntary policychange

• Promote tobacco cessationthrough health education

This diverse and dedicated groupof partners collaborates with manylocal organizations in the communityto build awareness of tobacco issues,build relationship with local and statepolicy makers, expand communitysupport, and keep the conversationabout tobacco issues alive!

Community Outreach Some of the ways in which the

Partnership mobilizes the communityis through collaboration with local or-ganizations and entities. This year thepartnership is sponsoring the 2nd An-nual Safe Kids Day at the Shops at

Wiregrass on April 11th. Secondhandsmoke is one of asthma’s great triggersand can further irritate the lungs. Inaddition to the onset of asthmas at-tacks, secondhand smoke can causemiddle ear infections, eye irritations,

headaches, and other complications.The Safe Kids Day event will allow thePartnership to educate the parents andcaregivers on secondhandsmoke/third hand smoke exposureand the negative health consequences,

The Tobacco Free Partnership of Pasco County“Join the Mission for a Tobacco Free Pasco”

Pasco County Students WorkingAgainst Tobacco (SWAT)


especially on children. Over the recent months, both

SWAT and the Partnership have edu-cated local and state decision makerson the dangers of flavored tobacco toyouth. Flavored tobacco productscontain flavors like vanilla, orange,chocolate, cherry and coffee, are espe-cially attractive to youth. They arewidely considered to be “starter”products, establishing tobacco habitsthat can lead to a lifetime of addiction.On February 2nd 2015, Co-Chair of

the Partnership, MykenzieRobertson, and SWAT pre-sented to the Dade CityCouncil on this issue. As aresult, the council passed aflavored tobacco resolutionthat urges local retailers tocease the sale and marketingof flavored tobacco productsto youth.

Youth InvolvementNearly 90% of smokers

began at or before the age of18, a time when they arehighly targeted by tobaccocompanies. Big Tobacco tar-gets youth by marketingtheir products to make themmore appealing to the youth

by adding flavoring, using candy-likepackaging and advertising in youthmarkets. In Pasco County alone, 1 in5 kids between the ages of 11-17 havetried candy-flavored tobacco.

Youth smoking rates have de-clined significantly over the years;however, products like smokeless to-bacco and hookah are still popularamong young adults. Youth work col-laboratively with the Partnership toeducate their peers on the dangers of

these products.Currently 25% of the Partnership

is comprised of youth and youngadults. Most of the youth serve onPasco’s Student’s Working AgainstTobacco Chapter. SWAT works toachieve a tobacco-free Pasco by edu-cating their peers about the harmfuleffects of tobacco use, aiding currenttobacco users in their efforts to quit,and influencing local events and pol-icy. As a result of youth participation,the Partnership gains insight into theyouth perspective on tobacco issuesand encourages youth leadership.

For more information aboutSWAT and how to join, contactNaomi Docilait at [email protected] or visitwww.swatflorida.com.

Partnership CommitteesThe Partnership provides several

opportunities for members to addresstheir specific interests as it relates totobacco prevention and cessationthrough the following committees:

• Cessation CommitteeEncourages cessation and pro-

motes local resources• Events CommitteeOrganizes community outreach

events, tobacco observances, and

trainings• Secondhand Smoke CommitteeWorks with multi-unit housing to

create smoke-free housing and assistsother entities to create clean air poli-cies

• Youth Prevention CommitteeCollaborates with Students Work-

ing Against Tobacco (SWAT) to createtobacco free schools, restrict the saleof candy-flavored tobacco, and limitBig Tobacco’s marketing.

Whether attending regular meet-ings, serving on a committee, or dis-tributing information to thecommunity, any amount of time do-nated to the partnership will help pro-mote tobacco-free living in Pasco.

Partnership meetings are held bi-monthly on the Second Thursday ofthe month from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.at Rasmussen College in Land O’Lakes. The general public,especially youth, who have a personalor professional stake in tobacco con-trol are welcome to attend.

For more information aboutjoining the partnership, contactyour Tobacco Free Florida countyrepresentative, Georgia Brieck [email protected] or visitwww.tobaccofreeflorida.com/county/pasco.

The Tobacco Free Partnership of Pasco Countypartners with Pasco SWAT and the Florida

Department of Health in Pasco County


new location on W. Fletcher Avenuein 2012.

What a boon for our area, asthey have expanded from three tofourteen employees since then! Andnow, I understand, they are in theprocess of opening a second locationin the Riverview area within the nextfew months to optimize their pres-ence in the southern portions ofHillsborough County as well. By theway, there’s still 3500 square feetavailable in the center of the TrotterTerrace complex should you want topursue your own entrepreneurialdreams and are looking to start asmall business in the area! Talk toJim and Elaine– they are pros!

There are four consultants onstaff who can help you to envision thepossibilities for your home. First, theycan address your specific needs in thewell-appointed showroom and/or sec-ondly, they are poised to assess yourspace on site, taking into account thefollowing criteria: Fashion and style,Heat, Solar, Privacy and Glare control.Elaine quickly noted, “We have a solu-

tion for every window and a style forevery budget, as well.” Once a nov-elty, it seems that motorization has be-come a lifestyle here in Florida, ergo,programmable window coverings arealso available to address any proximityor security issues that you may have.So if you have a window treatmentdilemma, you will certainly want togive Budget Blinds of Greater Tampaa call at (813)968-5050.

Remember, window coverings areoften considered an investment inyour home. For instance, did youknow that shutters will actually add tothe appraisal value of your property?Being under the Budget Blinds um-brella, the franchise owners have sub-stantial buying power with forty

By Pam Sica

What a pleasure it was to meetElaine and Jim Trotter, owners of theBudget Blinds franchise convenientlylocated at 1208 W. Fletcher Avenuebetween Rome Avenue and NorthBoulevard. Their showroom is easy tospot, as they are set just behind newly-opened Marco’s Pizza, which recently

leased their building on the street sideof Trotter Terrace. Elaine explainedthat in 2008, their Budget Blindsshowroom was originally situated inLand O’ Lakes, where the two ofthem started to live their dream of es-caping corporate America by owningtheir own business and giving back tothe community. After a few years ofhoning their craft, they developed a

thriving businessand finally out-grew their facili-ties. Havingfound the NorthTampa locationto be muchmore capable ofserving theirgrowing clien-tele within PascoCounty,Springhill andBrooksville et aland a large partof HillsboroughCounty, theymoved to their

Budget Blinds of Greater Tampa –Satisfying All Your Window Covering Needs

Jim & Elaine Trotter


different vendors. As a result, they areable to offer you great options, pricesand warranties not seen anywhere elsein the industry! Just ask them abouttheir 5-year “No Questions Asked”Warranty Program for their PureVu®and Norman® shutters. You’ll seethat it’s quite impressive.

Here’s the amazing thing,though… The second part of theTrotters’ dream has been undertakenin a big way. They lend their supportto our local Habitat for Humanity bydonating blinds, as well as to Metro-politan Ministries by being a drop offsite for food and toys. Elaine saw myeyes grow bigger while I was takingcopious notes. She then summedthings up rather well by saying,“We’ve been embraced by our localneighborhood and feel it is importantto give back to our community.” Butthat’s just the beginning…

Under the larger umbrella ofBudget Blinds, a division of HomeFranchise Concepts (HFC), they arehelping our returning veterans bypartnering with Homes for OurTroops. They (and other fran-chisees) are donating $1 for everywindow covered, which over a 3-yearperiod, will provide window cover-ings across the country in everyHFOT home. Homes for Our

Troops is a privately funded non-profit organization that builds spe-cially adapted, mortgage-free homesfor the most severely injured Veter-ans who served in Iraq andAfghanistan post 9/11. Most ofthese Veterans are multiple amputees,paraplegic, quadriplegic or have suf-fered severe traumatic brain injury(TBI). The homes built for theseVeterans will help to restore the free-dom and independence that they sac-rificed while serving our nation, thusenabling them to focus on family, re-covery and rebuilding their lives.Wow! There even ways you can per-sonally help, if you are so inclined…just ask and Elaine, Jim or any oftheir staff to fill you in on the details.This initiative follows CorporateBudget Blinds’ existing commitmentto offer veteran-friendly franchise op-

portunities, as well.“Everyone needs a safe haven to

feel comfortable,” Elaine noted.Budget Blinds of Greater Tampa hasthe express desire and the expertise tohelp make that a reality for your homeor business. It’s no wonder that theyhave a steady stream of returning cus-tomers and referrals to delight anew.There are even commercial applica-tions like Burger King, Tijuana Flatsand apartment complexes like CitrusRun, near Sheldon Road) in the mix.

Suffice it to say that the Trotters andtheir staff are equipped to handle allyour window covering needs. Letthem assist you the next time youwant to maximize the possibilitieswithin your home or business, “what-ever the dilemma.” Hope to see youthere soon!

Budget Blinds of GreaterTampa is located 1208 W. FletcherAve. in Tampa. For more infoplease call (813) 968 – 5050 or visitBudgetBlinds.com/NorthTampa.


By Dara Tucker

Trinity will soon be the nexthome to the national franchise, Kids RKids Academy. Anitha Thomas is theowner of Kids R Kids Academy inWesley Chapel and is excited to openTrinity’s brand new state-of-the-artfacility. Anitha says that she looked fortwo years to find the perfect propertyin Trinity that would allow students toenjoy the natural beauty of the area.The 17,000-square-foot facility sits ontwo acres of property at 11081 TrinityBoulevard in Trinity. From infants asyoung as six weeks old to school-agedchildren who need before and afterschool care and summer camps, KidsR Kids of Trinity has a program to fityour family’s childcare needs.

Owner Anitha Thomas comesfrom a family of educators, and taughtEngineering Physics at the collegiatelevel before she opened Kids R Kids inWesley Chapel ten years ago. Whenyou first come to Kids R Kids you’llnotice Anitha takes safety seriously.Each parent is supplied with a smallfob that allows him or her secure ac-cess to the building, similar to a key-less hotel card. After a fob is used to

enter the building the parent uses atouch screen at the counter to signtheir child in and out of Kids R Kids.There is always a director at the frontdesk, and there also is a security cam-era in the lobby. The glass walls in thepreschool allow the classrooms to bevisible to each other and help the chil-dren transition to their next develop-mentally appropriate learning areaeasier. Each classroom has two cam-eras that online stream through a se-cure website that parents can sign upon to view their child during the day.

The school is designed to hold290 children and Anitha keeps eachage group at a lower teacher/studentratio than the state requires, which al-lows for better teacher interaction withthe children. Each class has one leadteacher (who has a CDA, A.A. degree,or bachelors degree, and five or moreyears experience) and one or more as-sistants (who have completed DCFtraining and have a minimum of oneyear childcare experience). The Trinitylocation will have at least thirty-six em-ployees to meet the children’s needs.

Kids R Kids has its own SACSapproved 42-week progressive curricu-lum, along with a 10-week Summer

Camp curriculum for all age groups.Curriculum has teacher-directed andchild-directed activities throughoutthe day. Program also includes music,Spanish, sign language, manners andcharacter development. The class-rooms have between four to eightlearning stations for student choicethat includes library centers, dramaticplay, hands-on exploration and math,depending on the age of the child.

If you have a school-aged child,Kids R Kids Academy drops off andpicks up children at Odessa, Trinity,

Trinity Oaks and Longleaf Elementaryschools. Children ride in a school buswith seatbelts between their schooland Kids R Kids Academy, where theytoo can enjoy the new facility.

Anitha’s love of technology andthe natural setting of the Trinity loca-tion can be seen in the design of thenew preschool with the uniqueSTEAM (science, technology, engi-neering, arts, math) lab, media centerand outdoor nature area. TheSTEAM lab will be run by a full-time,qualified teacher who will provide chil-

Kids R Kids Academy of Trinity Opening in April

Kids R Kids Academy is a newly built children’s academy that offers care forchildren from infancy and beyond with before and after school programs.


dren an opportunity to explore sci-ence, technology, engineering, artsand math outside of their classroomsetting. The media center will focuson technology; allowing students tohave interactive learning opportunitiessuch as creating videos the staff willshare with parents. The outdoor na-ture area includes an outdoor class-room, a garden area for seasonalplants, garden boxes and raised waterand sand areas. In addition to theoutdoor nature area, there is a fullyshaded play area for infants, two- andthree-year-olds, three- and four-year-olds, and a play area for children fourand older. Having different play areasfor different ages ensures children areplaying on age-appropriate, safe equip-ment. Daily children visit both theoutdoor nature area and the play area,allowing them to really enjoy the natu-ral beauty of Trinity’s Kids R Kids’ lo-cation. The outdoor water park areawill be completed by summer, and issure to be a favorite spot for the kids!

Another unique aspect of Kids RKids Academy is the full size cafeteriathat holds nearly fifty students at atime. They have a full sized kitchenthat is run by a certified chef who cre-ates well-balanced, nutritional mealsfor the children. A hot breakfast, hotlunch and snack are all included in theprice of your child’s tuition. This is agreat convenience for parents, andhelps make the transition to an ele-mentary cafeteria easier for children.

Anitha says that communication isan important aspect of Kids R KidsAcademy. “Teachers assess studentsand the results are provided to parents.In the fall the reports will be availableon line, so if parents are too busy at pickup or drop off to communicate withteachers about their child’s growth theycan look on line when it’s convenientfor them. There are eight to nine dif-ferent aspects, or categories, on the re-port, depending on the child’s age.”

With a successful Kids R KidsAcademy branch in Wesley Chapel,

Anitha is excited to be offering Trinitya state-of-the-art facility for the fami-lies in the area. The location allowsstudents to have authentic learning ex-periences both inside and outside witha nurturing staff.

If you’re interested in register-ing your child for Kids R KidsAcademy at 11081 Trinity Blvd. inNew Port Richey, including beforeand after school care and summercamp, contact Anitha Thomas at727-376-5437. Visit online atwww.krktrinity.com to learn moreabout Kids R Kids Academy,including informational videos.

This summer, Kids R Kids will have its splash park!


By Julie Kanehl

If you’re the parent of a child who is struggling,it can feel frustrating and overwhelming trying tofind answers. In a world where children don’t alwaysfit into the parameters set by lawmakers, it can beconfusing when your child doesn’t meet the “norm.”Brain Balance Achievement Centers can help. TheBrain Balance program is completely unique in that itindividually assesses your child and combines years ofresearch and scientific facts with professionals whoare educated, experienced and ready to help. Theirholistic, one-on-one approach has helped childrensucceed beyond their parents’ wildest dreams. TheBrain Balance Achievement Center of Oldsmar is lo-cated at 4022 Tampa Road, just a few minutes fromEast Lake, Palm Harbor, Trinity, Carrollwood andTampa.

If you have a child who has trouble makingfriends, throws temper tantrums on a regular basis, orhas a learning disability, be it dyslexia, ADD, ADHD,processing disorders, Asperger’s, OCD, or evenAutism, the Brain Balance program has been provento help. This program brings hope to parents andfamilies of children who have any kind of learning,social, or developmental disability. Even if you don’thave a diagnosis, Brain Balance is willing to help.

Brain Balance Achievement Centers Offers SummerPrograms For Children Who Need It!


Brain Balance doesn’t believe insimply trying to “catch kids up.” Theirgoal is to get to the root of the prob-lem, and the problem usually can befound in a “disconnect” between thetwo hemispheres of the brain. Scientif-ically, if the two halves of the brain arenot working together properly, therecan be issues with communication in-cluding: speech and cognitive under-standing; the inability to pick up onsocial cues and contexts; visual-spatialconcerns; body and motor-skill issues;and problems focusing.

After entering the program andbeing assessed, Brain Balance providesa wide range of tools that can helpyour individual child learn to succeed.The program includes NutritionalCounseling Sessions, weekly sensorymotor and cognitive exercises, dailycore exercises at home, andschool/teacher meetings. It’s a com-mitment that many families travel allover the country to make, and we areblessed to have one of the top BrainBalance Achievement Centers righthere in our back yard. You don’t haveto feel like your child is slippingthrough the cracks. The Brain BalanceAchievement Center of Oldsmar canhelp.

While the Brain Balance program

sees K-12 kids year-round, there is athree-month summer program begin-ning shortly that is a great chance forparents to experience what Brain Bal-ance has to offer. It is a great opportu-nity for your child to take part in anindividual comprehensive program toget your child back on track and readyfor the new school year.

Be sure to enroll early for theBrain Balance Summer Program. Youcan receive six extra sessions at no ad-ditional cost, which is a savings of$1,000 if you enroll on or before May8, 2015. This three-month, 36-ses-sion program should be completed intime for your child’s regular fall schoolschedule.

One parent said, “Brain Balancehas improved our lives immensely! Myson is happier; he is excelling in schooland the family is benefiting from thereduced stress and increased peace.”

The Brain Balance AchievementCenter of Oldsmar is located at4022 Tampa Rd., Suite 6. For moreinformation or to schedule a tour,please call 813-475-6977. You canalso email them directly at [email protected], orvisit online at www.brainbalance-centers.com.


Today’s foster families are skilled,valued partners who parent, nurtureand advocate for children in their care,and who mentor and support thechild’s birth parents. They leave life-long impressions on children in theircare and are privileged to positively im-pact the futures of children and familieswho live in our community.

Today’s foster parents are businessowners, soccer moms and retirees. Byday, they teach school, sell real estateand work construction. By night, theyread bedtime stories, help with home-work and give hugs. They work as part-ners with birth parents, case managers,guardian ad litems, schools and judgesto nurture, love and advocate for chil-dren in their care.

Being a champion for a child infoster care means, as their foster parent,you help bring stability to their life dur-ing a time of trauma and help shapetheir future. Foster parents leave life-long impressions on children in theircare and are privileged to positively im-pact the futures of children and fami-lies in our community.

Foster Parents Must:• Be at least 21 years old

• Have adequate sleeping space (abed for each child placed in the home)

• Demonstrate stable housing andincome

• Be financially stable

Foster Parents Can:• Be married or single • Own their home or rent • Have both parents employed

outside the home • Be first-time parents, have their

own children or be empty-nesters

Steps to FosterGet started by calling 866-233-

0790 to sign up for a free orientation.Get information at an orientation

that will explain what is needed to be-come a foster parent and answer yourquestions. Once you return a fewforms, the next step is training.

Get trained at no cost to you withclasses called Professional Parenting.You’ll learn about children in fostercare, start to understand their grief andloss issues, and much more. At theend, you will have completed 24 hoursof training and be PPT certified.

Get licensed to ensure that you,your family and your home are pre-

pared and safe. This will include ahome study and background screen-ing of all household members at nocost to you. If favorable, your homewill be licensed to accept children intoyour care.

Am I Ready?How Much Room Do I Need in

My Home? You must have enoughbedroom space for each foster child

placed in your home. They may share abedroom with your child or anotherfoster child of the same gender. Theymust have a bed of their own and can-not share a bed nor sleep on a cot ortrundle bed. A foster child may notshare a bedroom with any adult nor canthe adult move out of their bedroomand sleep on the couch to make room.

Does My Home Need to Pass In-spection? It is important that children

Today’s Foster Parents


live in a safe and clean environment.During the home study process, youwill be asked to have a health inspec-tion done in your home. Your homemust be free of potential dangers andrisks. You must have working smokedetectors and fire extinguishers and, ifyou have pets, they must be currentwith vaccinations and not present adanger to children in your home.

What Are The Physical and Emo-

tional Requirements to Fos-ter? Being a foster parentcan be demanding, thereforeyou must be healthy andemotionally stable. You maybe asked to complete a phys-ical exam or provide medicalclearance to help establishthe state of your physical andemotional health.

What Are the ScreeningRequirements? Thoroughbackground screenings areconducted on all prospectivefoster families, includingAbuse Registry, local criminaland federal criminal clearances(fingerprinting). Backgroundscreenings and child abuseclearances are required for allhousehold members.

What Are the Finan-cial Requirements? Whileyou don’t have to be rich to

be a foster parent, you must have ade-quate income to meet you own family’sneeds. You can either own your homeor rent. Foster parents are givenstipends called “board rates” for thesubstitute care they provide; theamount of this varies by the age of thechild. However, the monthly boardrate you will receive is not income.During the home study process, you

will be asked to show proof of incomeand financial stability.

What About My Marital Status?Foster parents can be single, married,divorced or in a domestic partnership.

How Do I Know When I’mReady? You will know you are readywhen your life and home are stable.“Stable” means that you are not aboutto move and you are not having finan-cial, marital, physical or emotional diffi-culties. Your home must be in goodcondition and you must be ready tocommit to 36 hours of pre-servicetraining (if you’re married, both par-ents must attend). Foster parenting im-pacts the entire family; therefore,everyone in your home should be sup-portive of your decision.

You will know you are ready whenyour life and home are stable. “Stable”means that you are not about to moveand you are not having financial, mari-tal, physical or emotional difficulties.Your home must be in good conditionand you must be ready to commit to36 hours of pre-service training (ifyou’re married, both parents must at-tend). Foster parenting impacts theentire family; therefore, everyone inyour home should be supportive ofyour decision.

You will know you are ready whenyour life and home are stable. “Stable”

means that you are not about to moveand you are not having financial, mari-tal, physical or emotional difficulties.Your home must be in good conditionand you must be ready to commit to 36hours of pre-service training (if you’remarried, both parents must attend).Foster parenting impacts the entire fam-ily; therefore, everyone in your homeshould be supportive of your decision.

For information on how youcan help foster children in Pasco andPinellas Counties, call the EckerdRecruitment Line at 1-866-233-0790.


see why they are a neighborhoodfavorite and have been voted “Bestof Pasco” in a restaurant poll.

Vallarta’s has a great selection ofMexican specialties and classics. Inaddition to specialty dinners, Val-larta’s has all of your traditional fa-vorites including quesadillas,burritos, enchiladas, tamales,tostadas, tacos, and more. And thebest part is, all the delicious dishesare available in a wide variety of com-binations. There is truly somethingfor everyone in your party withplenty of pork, steak, chicken,seafood, and vegetarian dishes tochoose from.

The expert cooks in the Val-larta’s kitchen use only the freshestingredients to create their Mexicanmasterpieces like the Burrito Vallartastuffed with shrimp and covered in adelicious green sauce or the Parril-lada, a mixed grill of beef, chicken,pork, chorizo, and shrimp withtomatoes, peppers, and onions.

If you’re a regular at Vallarta’s,you probably have your favorite –mine is the mushroom quesadilla

with a side of guacamole, my daugh-ter always goes for the cheese enchi-ladas.

Some recent additions to themenu might convince you to trysomething new. The Tilapia Vallartais a delightful dish of grilled tilapiaserved with a savory guacamolesalad, rice, and tortillas. The newCoctel de Camarones appetizer issure to get your meal off to the rightstart with plump, succulent shrimpmarinated in a spicy, hot sauce with

fresh avocados, tomatoes, onion,cilantro, and lime. Or if you’re in themood to try something new, orderthe new Tacos al Pastor with sea-soned pork, pico de gallo, salsaverde, and refried beans or the En-chiladas Vallarta stuffed with shrimpand covered with a ranchero andcheese sauce.

When you go to Vallarta’s, besure to try one of their famous mar-garitas. Served frozen or on-the-

rocks, their margaritas are the perfectrefreshing beverage to go with yourtasty Mexican lunch or dinner. Val-larta’s also has a great selection ofMexican and domestic beers, wines,and sangria.

Vallarta’s serves flavorful foodthat is sure to satisfy your cravingswithout hurting your wallet. Theyhave twenty-four lunch combo spe-cials Monday through Saturday from11 a.m. until 3 p.m., and thirty $10

“Vallarta’s”Continued from page 1


combo specials available every day.Tuesdays and Wednesdays feature $1tacos. And happy hour is every dayfrom 2 to 7 p.m.

If you haven’t been to the LutzVallarta’s, you’re definitely missingout. Stop by today and enjoy a relax-ing evening on their comfortablepatio or grab a group of friends andcatch up over drinks and dinner.You’ll be glad you did.

Vallarta’s Restaurante Mexi-

cano is located in the NorthpointeVillage at 16540 Point Village Dr.in Lutz. The restaurant is open:Sunday from 12 p.m. – 9 p.m.;Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 10p.m.; and 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. onFriday and Saturday. Find moreinfo online about Vallarta’sat www.MyVallartas.com. Noreservations are required. Takeoutis available; call (813) 920-8833to place your to-go order.


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TWO Locations!


“At first, people thought we soldhair clips,” said Lea.

Orchard recently opened herfourth and newest location on thecorner of State Road 54 and Liv-ingston Road next to Panera Bread inCentral Pasco.

“What is great about this businessis it is a small business; I have theGreat Clips name, but it’s my businessand I have to build it up,” added Lea.

Despite county signage regula-tions making it difficult to advertisethe location of this Great Clips shop,in its eight months since opening, thisState Road 54 and Livingston Roadlocation has almost as much volume asher flagship store in Carrollwood.

Lea is proud that she is one hun-dred percent hands-on with her busi-ness. Whether it’s frequent visits toeach of her four Great Clips locations,hiring her staff, or mastering the art ofguerilla marketing, this single motherof four balances business and familywith determination and grace.

“I won’t keep anybody that Iwouldn’t let cut my hair,” she said, asshe explained the process for selecting

the talented stylists that have becomeher second family in her four shops.

The stylists stay up to date on thenewest trends in hair, including the“pompadour” and prohibition undercut for men, and inverted and texturedbobs, tousled beach waves, and bangsfor the ladies.

“We keep notes in the computerof every person’s haircut every timethey come in,” said Lea. “We check thenotes. Consultation is huge. We askthem if ‘this is what we did last time.

What do you want to do today?’”If a haircut request is out of the

ordinary or is something that haseveryone scratching their heads, Lea ishappy to allow technology to come tothe rescue. The stylists can pull outtheir SmartPhones, find the perfectphoto online to confirm with the cus-tomer the style they are seeking beforeputting a scissor or electric razor to

their head. Technology has also helped re-

duce any wait time at the shop. Guestscan check-in on their computers orSmartPhones and add their name tothe wait list, ensuring little to no waitwhen they arrive.

“Our online check-in is amaz-ing,” said Lea. “You can look onlineand see what the wait is at a particular

“Great Clips”Continued from page 1

SmartPhone technology is welcomed at Great Clips - whether you wantto pull up a picture of your desired haircut to show your stylist or would

like to save time and check in before your arrival.

Great Clips owner Lea Orchard


store. If there’s a 20-minute wait, yousign in right then and 20 minutes lateryou come in. No matter who came inhere after you signed in online, youare in front of them. You get calledfirst before the people who didn’tcheck in online.”

Being a member of several net-working groups like CABA, where shewas 2012 president, Lea said one ofthe best things about being involvedin the day-to-day operations is thatpeople talk to her about their experi-ences in her shops.

She said, “I have a lot of – basi-cally secret shoppers – but I don’tsend them; they just come.”

She says that her shops are family-oriented. Seventy percent of her cus-tomers are men and families. Thewomen tend to come after their hus-band or child has had a haircut. Whilethey can spend hundreds of dollars oncoloring, the women have discoveredthe benefit of saving money by com-ing to Great Clips for an outstanding$14 haircut.

Lea’s Great Clips stores alsoprovide a $2 discount to military, fire-fighters and police.

“We do what we do best – hair-cuts,” said Lea. “Everybody needs a

haircut and we offer affordable qualityhaircuts that can fit into your sched-ule. Great Clips is near and dear to myheart and I’m trying to build it to be afamily business. I’d like my kids totake them over some day. I want tobuild the business and then have it bea legacy.”

Lea Orchard offers four con-venient Great Clips locations:

Carrollwood – located on thecorner of Fletcher Ave. and DaleMabry Hwy. in the Palms of Car-rollwood at 13129 B N Dale MabryHwy; (813) 969-2960

Lutz – located on the corner ofLutz Lake Fern Rd. and DaleMabry Hwy. in Lutz Lake Crossingat 19231 N Dale Mabry Hwy;(813) 909-4125

Citrus Park- located on the cor-ner of Sheldon Rd. and Gunn Hwy.in the Shoppes of Citrus Park at7851 Gunn Hwy; (813) 920-1100

Pasco County – located on thecorner of State Rd. 54 and Liv-ingston Rd. in the Shoppes atGrand Cypress at 23388 State Rd.54, Unit 106; (813) 949-5999.

Opening soon, is a 5th locationin Riverview. Hours for all locationsare: Mon. – Fri., 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.,Sat., 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. to5 p.m. on Sun.


By Marcy Sanford

In March, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Depart-ment named its six 2015 Employees of the Year, whowere recognized in different categories for their ex-emplary work performance during the previous year.Among the six and recipient of the 2015 Law En-forcement Deputy of the Year is Deputy Joe Liddickand K-9 Ace from the K-9 Unit. Liddick and his K-9partner Ace have successfully tracked and located 275people since they’ve been working together. Most ofthose were the bad guys, but sometimes they arecalled to help locate a missing and endangered inno-cent person. The pair consistently leads the unit incatches and people located, and holds the record forthe most catches in a single year. Liddick and Ace arecertified as an Explosive Ordnance Detection Teamand are part of the Tampa Bay Regional BombSquad.

“Ace is a great dog to have as a partner,” saysDeputy Liddick. “We have been working togethersince he was eight months old. At home, he is a reg-ular dog who likes to play with kids and other ani-mals but when I put on my uniform, he is ready togo to work with me. He is a tracking machine andcan catch a scent from up to a mile away. Once hehas caught the scent, nothing can stop him.”

Just this past year Deputy Liddick and Ace lo-cated 52 people. Deputy Liddick started out the yearassisting District 2 STAR units in the apprehension ofa suspect wanted in more than 30 burglaries in theLake Bernadette area of Zephyrhills. The suspect fledfrom deputies but Liddick and Ace were able to trackand locate the suspect hiding in a garage. In anothercase, the team tracked a couple of prolific offendersfrom District 1 who had fled from a stolen vehicle.

“When someone has committed a crime or is onthe run, they emit an adrenaline scent that Ace andother K-9 dogs can key on to. He is an amazing dog.No machine could ever replicate what he does.”

“The job is very dangerous but it is also very ex-citing and very rewarding. You never know who youare chasing or where you will end up. We’ve gone allthrough the woods in this county and into swamps inthe middle of the night. It is a little unsettling to seegator eyes glowing in the swamps when you are wad-ing through them. But any where that a criminal canhide, that is where we have to go.”

Bad guys are not the only ones the team has lo-cated. Deputy Liddick and Ace were called out tosearch for a missing 80-year-old man who had goneinto the woods to look for a lost remote controlledplane. The missing man was diabetic and had beenmissing for 2 hours when the K-9 team began their

Law Enforcement Deputy of the Year Joe Liddick & K-9 AceHave Tracked and Located 275 People, and Still Counting!


search. Deputy Liddick and Ace foundthe man several hundred yards intothe woods, cut up from briars, andhaving a diabetic episode. Deputy Lid-dick called for emergency medical per-sonnel and the man was soon givenlife-saving medical attention.

“It’s great to get to work withAce. Every day at work for him is likeplay. He thinks it is one big game. He

is great at tracking people and loveswhat he does,” says Deputy Liddick.“He makes me look good.”

Editor’s Note: NeighborhoodNews & Lifestyles would like to extendcongratulations to all six of the 2015Pasco County Sheriff’s DepartmentEmployees of the Year: Civilian ofthe Year – Steve Hiebert from the

Intelligence-Led Policing Unit; LawEnforcement Deputy of the Year –Deputy Joe Liddick and K-9 Acefrom the K-9 Unit; Court ServicesDeputy of the Year – DetentionCpl. Mark Bleser; Detective of theYear – Property Crimes DetectiveWilliam “Jody” Smallwood; LawEnforcement Field Training Officerof the Year – FTO Stephanie Regan;

and Court Services Field TrainingOfficer of the Year – DeputyWilliam Valentine.

Thank you to to all of the lawenforcement officers and Sheriff’sDepartment employees for your hardwork and dedication. Your communityappreciates you!

Lutz/Land O' Lakes/Odessa - Vol. 7, Issue 4, April 2015

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Transcript of Lutz/Land O' Lakes/Odessa - Vol. 7, Issue 4, April 2015