carrollwood - vol. 4, issue 5, may 2016

The Premier “Shop Local” Community Magazine Directly Mailed To 15,000 Homes In Carrollwood, Lake Magdalene & Avila

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:Win Tampa Bay Rays Tickets!!!.............................3

Community Calendar........................................4-5

Gables and Gardens LLC..................................8-9

ASAP Church...............................................12-13

Divine Connections Massage & Spa...............14-15

Centre For Girls.................................................16

Old McMicky’s Farm Presents Barns & Beer......18-19

Cornerstone Pros..........................................22-23

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDTAMPA FL

PERMIT 1185

Your neighborhood. Your magazine. Vol. 4, Issue 5, May 2016®

by Mike Bird

For more than 171 years theYMCA has been working to betterthe community through Judeo-Christian principles by putting intopractice programs that build healthyspirit, mind, and body for all. Thistradition is alive and well and contin-ues today right here in Carrollwood!

The Bob Sierra Family YMCAis massive, with two campuses span-ning 25 acres –the main campus islocated at 4029 Northdale Boule-vard, and about 1/10 of a mile

away on Ragg Road, is the sprawl-ing Youth and Family Center(YFC). Due to its many great pro-grams for all age groups, the Y has adiverse membership, appealing topeople from all walks of life. Thereare other gyms, but none are aspractical and functional for so manydifferent lifestyles – from familieswho want to stay healthy together,seniors who love to stay active, andthose who want a gym where thefocus is on working out and notlooking in mirrors.

By Deborah Bostock-Kelley

His passion was fueled at an earlyage. As a boy, Travis Meyers was fasci-nated by water and marine life. Raisedin central Illinois, however, he didn’thave any oceans to pursue his interest.“I fell in love with marine life going toaquariums as a kid,” he said.

In 2006, after his sophomore year

in college and a shoulder injury caus-ing him to forfeit a baseball scholar-ship, Meyers decided he wanted tofollow his childhood dream, move toFlorida, and go to school in Marathonto become a diving instructor.

When Meyers later moved toTampa, he worked in a local Carroll-wood dive shop learning the ins and

Travis Meyers FulfillsHis Passion with Gulf

Coast Divers

Bob Sierra Family YMCA Celebrates 30 Years inCarrollwood with $2.2MM Renovation

See “The YMCA” on page 24.

See “GC Divers” on page 28.

Carrollwood Neighborhood Lifestyle2 MAY 2016 For Ad Info 813-928-6124 • NNLFlorida.com

Carrollwood Neighborhood Lifestyle MAY 2016 3For Ad Info 813-928-6124 • NNLFlorida.com

CarrollwoodNeighborhood LifestyleDirectly mailed once a month to 15,000

households in zip codes 33618, 33624 & 33613220 S. Safford Ave.

Tarpon Springs, FL 34689Phone: (813) 928-6124; Fax: (727) 942-2432

Advertising E-mail: [email protected] E-mail:

[email protected]© 2016 Carrollwood Neighborhood Lifestyle

Nothing that appears in Carrollwood NeighborhoodLifestyle may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part,without permission. Opinions expressed by CarrollwoodNeighborhood Lifestyle writers are their own and do not re-flect the publisher’s opinion.

The management of Carrollwood NeighborhoodLifestyle is always happy to accept outside editorial sub-missions to the paper. Please call for outside editorial sub-mission and advertisement deadlines.

Carrollwood Neighborhood Lifestyle will consider pre-viously non-published outside editorial submissions if theyare double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. Carroll-wood Neighborhood Lifestyle reserves the right to editand/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makesno guarantees regarding publication dates. CarrollwoodNeighborhood Lifestyle will not return unsolicited editorialmaterials.

Carrollwood Neighborhood Lifestyle reserves the rightto edit and/or reject any advertising. Carrollwood Neighbor-hood Lifestyle is not responsible for errors in advertising be-yond the actual cost of the advertising space itself, not for thevalidity of any claims made by its advertisers.

PublisherMatt SelbyAdvertising SalesJared Nager (Manager)Linda ViegaMike BirdAccounting ManagerAlexis SelbyMarketing & DevelopmentAshley KnoblachArt DirectorTony Sica

EditorAlexis SelbyCorrespondentsJulie KanehlMarcy SanfordPamela SicaKatie ThomasKim ThomasDara TuckerDeborah Bostock-Kelley

Win Tampa Bay Rays Tickets!!!

By Matt Selby

April has been a very excitingtime of the year for my family and me;not only because our hometown teamthe Tampa Bay Rays kick off their sea-son, but also because for the third yearin a row the Rays have reached out toour company for a “visibility cam-paign” partnership.

WIN TICKETS!Part of our deal with the Rays in-

cludes six press level season tickets.Even though we have a bunch of fam-ily and friends in this area we’ve de-cided to give away many of our primepress level tickets to our valued readersto show how much we appreciate you.

Each month, starting in May andending in September, we will giveaway multiple press level (sec. 204)Rays’ tickets to seven lucky winners amonth.

Two Grand Prize winners permonth will receive six tickets and twoparking passes. Two 1st Runner Upwinners will get four tickets and oneparking pass, and three 2nd RunnerUp winners will have fun at the ballpark with two tickets and a parkingpass. This contest will be a lot of funand we are really happy to give back toour readers. You make what we do pos-sible, plain and simple. We wish wecould make every entry a winner.

Enter online atwww.NNLFlorida.com/Rays.

Good luck!


Community Calendar Center, 4537 Lowell Road in TampaMore Info: It’s the ultimate rock

concert for kids! Mr. Tommy uses clas-sic songs and storytelling to educateand entertain his audiences. With a gui-tar in his hands, Mr. Tommy delivers ahigh-energy show that has kids skip,jump, stop, drop, and (rock ‘n) roll.

Admission: $7-$8 / $28 Family4-PackWOMENS AUTHORSBOOK CLUB

When: May 16 at 7:15 p.m.Where: Carrollwood Cultural

Center, 4537 Lowell Road in TampaMore Info: The book club will

discuss We Never Asked for Wings byVanessa Diffenbaugh. For more infor-mation, please contact group facilita-tor, Debbie Doliner, [email protected].

Admission: Free

“ROCKIN’ AROUND THEFIFTIES” with theCarrollwood Chorus

When: Sat., May 21 at 7:30pmWhere: Carrollwood Cultural

Center, 4537 Lowell Road in TampaMore Info: Travel back to a time

of soda bars, poodle skirts and sockhops and, of course, vinyl records withthis high energy choral concert star-ring the Carrollwood Cultural Cen-

ter’s community chorus.Admission: $10-$16

“THE MOVIES” with theCarrollwood Winds

When: Sunday, May 22 at 4 p.m.Where: Carrollwood Cultural

Center, 4537 Lowell Road in TampaMore Info: Pop some popcorn

when the Carrollwood Winds concertband take you to the movies with mu-sical selections from The Lion King,The Theory of Everything, and Manof Steel.

Admission: $10-$16

CCC BOOK CLUBWhen: Mon., May 23 at 7:15 p.m.Where: Carrollwood Cultural

Center, 4537 Lowell Road in TampaMore Info: The CCC Book Club

is friendly, informal and open to all. Atclub meetings, the group explores awide variety of books and interests —fiction and non-fiction, male and fe-male authors, selections old and new.The reading list is determined by ademocratic process in which membersof the club promote a book of theirchoosing for addition to the list. Formore info, please contact the group fa-cilitator, David Brayshaw, [email protected].

Admission: Free

Events and Activities at theCarrollwood Cultural Centerin May 2016

The Carrollwood Cultural Cen-ter, located at 4537 Lowell Road inTampa, will host several events, activi-ties and workshops in May.

JAZZ WITH JIM WITHSPECIAL GUEST SAMKOPPELMAN (vibraphone)

When: Sat., May 13 at 7:30 p.m.Where: Carrollwood Cultural

Center, 4537 Lowell Road in TampaMore Info: After receiving a B. S.

in Music Education from New YorkUniversity, Sam Koppelman worked asa drummer and vibraphonist aroundthe New York area Carnegie Hall andTown Hall. In 1985, he relocated to StPetersburg, FL and has performed in avariety of musical groups and styles, in-cluding rock, R&B, jazz , Klezmer,and Latin. He has performed with TrioVibe for the past ten years and is afounding member of the Latin jazzgroup “Jurika” and performs withthem regularly. He also appears withthe M&M Latin Jazz Ensemble, fea-turing Marty and Michiko Morell.This is Mr. Koppelman’s second ap-

pearance at Jazz with Jim.Admission: $12-$18

NORTH TAMPA MARKETWhen: Saturday, May 14 at 10

a.m. - 2 p.m.Where: Carrollwood Cultural

Center, 4537 Lowell Road in TampaMore Info: The outdoor market

will include fresh food, hand crafts andlive music. For more information, visitwww.tampabaymarkets.com.

Admission: Free

STRINGS IN THE SPRINGWhen: Sat., May 14 at 7 p.m.Where: Carrollwood Cultural

Center, 4537 Lowell Road in TampaMore Info: Florida Orchestra vio-

linist Lucas Guideri joins pianist FranzMantini in this year’s edition of Stringsin the Spring in a program featuringboth solo and ensemble works byBach, Mozart, Debussy, Dvorak, JohnWilliams and more.

Admission: $17-23

MR TOMMY’S SUMMERTIMEFUNTIME SHOW

When: Sunday, May 15 at 2 p.m.Where: Carrollwood Cultural


GIRLS NIGHT OUTCOMEDY SHOW

When: Friday, May 27 at 8 p.m.Where: Carrollwood Cultural

Center, 4537 Lowell Road in TampaMore Info: A summer installment

of the popular Girls Night Out Com-edy Show series will feature the hilari-ous trio of Rene’ Brey, Robin Savageand Amanda Jordan.

Admission: $14-$20

MILES FOR MINDS BACK TOSUMMER 5K and FUN RUN

Where: Millennium GardensWest Village Drive Tampa, FL 33618

More Info: Miles for Minds is anew series of year-round communityfitness events in association with Takethe First Step Club and the Carroll-wood Village Cultural Center. Pre-sented by the Carrollwood VillageHOAs. For more information, visitRaceHawk.com.

All performance tickets can bepurchased at the box office, onlineat www.CarrollwoodCenter.org, orby calling (813) 922-8167.

Grace Lutheran Church atCarrollwood Plans SummerVacation Bible School

Grace Lutheran Church at Car-

rollwood is accepting applications toattend the summer Vacation BibleSchool program for the week of July18-22 from 9:00 a.m. until Nooneach day. The program is open to chil-dren ages 3 to rising 4th graders.

Children will be able to exploreand experience “Surf Shack VacationBible School” and God’s welcominglove! The beach themed adventures in-clude interactive Bible fun, great music,super science, cool crafts, mission work,exciting games and much more.

You can register on their web-site at www.gracetampa.org or formore information contact thechurch office at (813) 961-8747.Grace Lutheran Church at Carroll-wood is located at 3714 WestLinebaugh Avenue and Dale MabryHighway.

“Electronics for a Cause” toOffer FREE RECYCLING ofConsumer Electronics, RaiseFunds for Local Charities

As part of its 2016 Earth Daycelebration, Rapid Refill Ink hasjoined forces with Urban E Recyclingfrom April 22 – May 30, 2016, topresent “Electronics for a Cause,” of-fering free recycling of consumer elec-tronics . Recycling proceeds willbenefit local charities. Past organiza-

tions benefiting from this effort in-clude Keeping Tampa Bay Beautiful,Meals on Wheels, HARC, and Opera-tion Helping Hand.

Office and household used elec-tronics can be dropped off at Rapid Re-fill Ink, 10416 N. Dale Mabry Hwy.,Tampa, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 7p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The following items will be ac-cepted for proper recycling: Comput-ers (desktop and laptop), servers, harddrives, circuit boards, UPS batterybackups, printers, copiers, DVD play-ers, VCRs, modems, cable boxes,satellite receivers, routers, cell phones,telephones, phone system hardware,video game systems and ink and tonercartridges.

Those wishing to donate a largequantity of items or have questionsabout items that can be acceptedshould contact Rapid Refill Ink at(813) 514-0680. FREE pick-ups are

available.Urban E Recycling will wipe and

shred hard drives off-site and provide adata destruction certificate. The $5 feewill be donated to a local charity.

The event will also feature secureon-site document shredding for a dis-counted fee of .59/lb.

Local ordinances require thatelectronics be disposed of in a propermanner and not placed with normalhousehold or office trash. Over 85percent of all electronic waste (E-waste) goes un-recycled, with mil-lions of tons entering the wastestream every year. The average Amer-ican household has at least 24 elec-tronic items. E-waste can containmore than 1,000 components, manyof which are toxic.

Please recycle your used and oldelectronics to help support our localcharities and the planet we call home.


Gables and Gardens LLC Incorporates Nature into DesignBy Deborah Bostock-Kelley

Turn down Mushinski Road offHenderson and you would never knowthat Tiverton, a community of 30brand-new custom designed homes,would soon be nestled into a cul-de-sac just a short drive down the street.

And that is exactly how Gablesand Gardens LLC founder, developerand builder Brent Balch intended it tobe. He won’t destroy the naturalbeauty on the 9 acres; rather he isbuilding into it.

Brent graduated from Universityof Florida with a degree in LandscapeArchitecture and although he lovedthe exterior design component, hewanted to build the homes he waslandscape designing. After a few years,he returned to University of Florida fora degree in Construction Manage-ment. Initially he worked in large com-mercial construction, but longed for anopportunity to build his own homes.

In 2003, he started his devel-oper/builder career in the Carroll-wood area and continues to developthere today. For the past thirteenyears he has filled a niche market for asmall turnkey full-service operation.

His first build was a townhome devel-opment on Linebaugh Avenue – Onthe Park Townhomes.

Brent has the rare ability of beingable to design a gorgeous home, whileknowing how to perfectly comple-ment its exterior with luscious land-scapes. He has an eye for making theexterior landscape of a home as beauti-ful as his wife Angie, the business proj-ect coordinator, designs the interior.“She completes my vision,” he said.

While he brings the outside inwith tall French Doors and naturallight, she uses a palette of light colorsand Florida design elements to makeeach room a beautiful living space.“Watching dirt become a house ispretty awesome,” said Kim Rice, busi-ness sales manager, who works withhome buyers to oversee the projectsthrough to completion.

Since opening, Gables and Gar-dens has remained a local family andfriends business, with 10 employees,yet Brent still competes against the bigbuilders. Unlike the production “justadd water” homes that appear to sim-ply pop up, he would rather take histime and create a family legacy; ahome that will last through the gener-

ations due to the exem-plary craftsmanship anddedication to detail.

Brent said, “Webuild a little bit differ-ent than the big pro-duction guys. We areable to do what wewant because we aresmall. We are able totailor each project. Wedon’t do the samething every time. Wehave total control be-cause we do everything.We buy the land, wedesign and we build.It’s a turnkey opera-tion. We only do 1 to 2projects at a time. Stay-ing small like this helpsto keep our quality andallows us to offer a to-tally different product,at the same time.”

Looking at the charming southerninfluenced design of the Tiverton com-munity, reminiscent of Charleston, SCcarriage homes, with expansive bal-conies and large covered porches, youcan almost envision the future of the

beautiful energy-efficient SIPS con-struction (Structural Insulated PanelSystem) home - kids giggling, runningto the community park at the end ofstreet, reading a book on the woodenporch swing and hearing the ice tin-kling in a glass of cold lemonade.


“We are able to take time to de-velop our vision and come up withhousing designs that are going towork and fit the neighborhood andcommunity,” said Brent.

Gables and Gardens does not cre-ate cookie-cutter production homes.They build a single family home thatBrent has sketched out on papermonths or years ago, finding the per-fect plot of land, and bringing his vi-sion of affordable family homes, pricedin the 200-300K range, to life.

Brent leaves a distinct Gables andGardens stamp on each home he cre-

ates. Each home in the new Tivertoncommunity will be a shade of whitewith a colorful door. “You’re notgoing to find this house, this style ofhouse, or this construction anywhereelse in Tampa,” said Brent. “We’rebuilding unique neighborhoods.”

“The quality of standards is whatsets us apart,” added Rice. “It’s thestandards that are used that just makesthese homes standout – interior-wiseand exterior. It’s architecture that isnot around. These are not cookie-cut-ter templates. These are created and

branded by Brent and the company.”There are no car garages in the

front of the house, rather rear recesseddetached garages come with optionGranny flats on conservation lots.

Brent explained that he createdthis special subdivision because thereare very few new homes in his pricerange in Carrollwood. “There is noland left,” he said. “To get out thereand try to buy a house in the 200 to300K that is brand new and that is inthe Carrollwood area is hard to find.Everything is older - 20 – 25 years old -

and although there are plenty of oppor-tunities to buy nice older homes, therereally is not much new, if you want tostay in Carrollwood. We try to give anaffordable alternative to fill the void.”

What is distinctly recognized assignature Gables and Gardens homes,is the fabulous outdoor designs. Brentmakes sure to build a gorgeous out-door space with every design project.

“There’s open space in every oneof our communities for an outdoorliving space. Each one of our GaugeLine Lofts has a private rooftop deck.”

With projects that vary and are asdiverse as the communities Brent cre-ates - from custom townhomes andwelcoming subdivisions, to custom in-dustrial-styled lofts - one thing is incommon: “We take pride in beingunique. We do the whole thing to cre-ate thoughtful neighborhoods andhomes.”

A Grand Opening celebrationof Tiverton will be held on May 14from 10am-6pm and May 15 from12-6pm. During the special event,Gables and Garden is offering$10K off design options. Learnmore about the new community atwww.homesoftiverton.com, by call-ing (813) 600-8858 or [email protected].

Owners Brent and Angie Balch


look like,” explained Pastor Lena.“We have families that are divorced,are going through different situations– maybe they only have their kidsevery other week, or they’re raisingtheir kids on their own. A lot of fami-lies nowadays, when something likethat happens to them, they stop goingto church. They seem to feel like no-body in that building is going to un-derstand or has been through theirsituation. A lot of blended familiesfeel that rejection from church; thatchurch is for perfect people – hus-band, wife, 2.5 kids with a dog andmany feel like they don’t belongthere. We wanted to break down thatstigma; we wanted to stand out thatwe are a church that personally under-stands various different family dynam-ics and support blended families andthose dealing with child custody.”

Pastor Mike stressed there isnothing to feel ashamed about. “Weunderstand life happens,” added Pas-tor Lena.

Pastor Mike says that he is a cutand dry Bible preacher. “It is the B-I-B-L-E and there’s no changing that.”

In addition to Sunday sermons,ASAP Church features Connect

Groups. “Connect Groups are theheart and soul of our church,” hesaid. “Connect Groups are wherepeople can have real relationshipswith each other. A lot of good hap-pens on Sunday morning – the

By Deborah Bostock-Kelley

“Everyone is welcome,” is themost important message Pastors Mikeand Lena Meadowcroft want to share.

ASAP Church, named in honorof the ministries All Saints and Abid-ing Place, has only been around a fewshort months, but already the impactof this multi-denominational churchhas touched the community.

“You need a miracle; you needhealing in your body; you needprayer. You always need those thingsASAP,” said Pastor Lena as she ex-plained the secondary meaning of thechurch’s name.

ASAP Church’s main goal is toconnect parishioners of all ages toJesus and build a solid understandingof a relationship with God. Mike said,“We are a multi-denominationalchurch. We have people from everytype of background of Christianity inour church. From Baptist to Ortho-dox to Pentecostal to Catholic, wehave everyone. That’s very rare be-cause everyone has walls up when itcomes to their different denomina-tional beliefs. We stay focused onJesus, the Holy Spirit and the Father.

As long as we stay focused on themain ideas, everyone coalesces aroundthose ideas.”

Each Sunday morning the coupleand their "Dream Team" transformsthe basketball court of Bob SierraFamily YMCA Youth and Family Cen-ter, located at 4015 Ragg Road, intoASAP Church in time for their 10a.m. worship experience. “We set upevery service and break down afterevery service,” he said.

Pastor Mike started preaching in1999 and served as a local pastor for 5years. He spent many years as a mis-sionary including spending two yearsin Africa. He said "We've had greatexperiences all over the world and Ireally felt in my heart that God wasspeaking to us about starting a localmulti-denomination church. This is abig leap of faith. I’m used to a com-pletely different type of ministry – bigevangelist work in foreign fields – butnow I feel like the Lord wants us tohelp people on an individual one-on-one basis and family by family.”

The pastors say that what sepa-rates them from other churches istheir acceptance of people. “We un-derstand what family dynamics today

Basketball Court Provides Home to ASAP Church

Pastors Mike and Lena Meadowcroftwith their son Michael


preaching of the Word, communion,and worship – but there’s six otherdays in the week where people facereal-life situations, so our smallgroups are where people can get to-gether throughout the week.” Con-nect Groups include a bowling groupand men’s golf, among others.

“These are all ministries of ourchurch where people come and feelcomfortable with other people whoenjoy hobbies that they do. What wefind is a lot of our members are able toopen up more with situations thatthey are going through in their liveswhen it’s in a Connect Group ratherthan on a Sunday morning church sit-

uation,” said Pastor Mike.ASAP Church also welcomes

young parishioners through its ASAPKids program for children, which isfor infants through children 12 yearsold. They take real-life principles andput them together with similar experi-ences in the Bible, making it very sim-ple for children to understand so theycan apply it to their lives.

“ASAP KIDS is basically churchfor kids. We use videos and we talkabout different things in their lives.April was about Perseverance andMay is about Contentment. In April,we looked at people in the bible andhow they went through challenges

and didn’t give up. For May we willtalk about being content with whatyou have and being grateful. We willlook at people in the Bible who hadto learn that lesson, as well,” saidPastor Lena.

Mike said, “We want to makeASAP Kids really fun, so when wethey wake up in the morning, theyare the ones dragging their parentsto church, excited to go to church.We want to instill this early in life.We want to be that stability for kids– I know I’m going to have fun, seemy friends and I’m going to learnsomething that I am going to re-member for the rest of my life.”

In addition to these programs,

ASAP Church members will regularlygive back to the community throughvolunteering in their Serve Saturdayprogram. Their recent efforts includeda free car wash and limited detail – anall ages affair- on North Dale Mabry.

Mike said, “People wanted to do-nate, but we didn’t take anything. Wedid this to bless the community tomake their week a little easier.”

To learn more about ASAPChurch or give financially towardsASAP Kids program, visitwww.asapchurch.com or like themon Facebook. For additional infor-mation e-mail Pastor Michael andLena at [email protected]


Experience ultimate relaxationand rejuvenation at Divine Connec-tions Massage & Spa, where ownersand sisters Maggie Ramirez and MercyTerrill will help you loosen up and un-wind from your hectic day with theirdivine spa services!

Recently expanding their servicesto better accommodate their growingclientele, Divine Connections is work-ing towards becoming a full servicespa, offering full body waxing, bio mattherapy, eyebrow and eyelash tinting,massage therapy, infrared therapy,body scrubs, aromatherapy and a vari-ety of luxurious facials. They are alsohoping to add full body wraps in thenear future.

Therapeutic Massage TherapyProviding a relaxing spa-like at-

mosphere and a fabulous list of spaservices, Divine Connections takes adifferent approach to health andwellness. “We consider ourselves tobe a wellness center where peoplecan come and feel better,” saysMercy. “Our clients come in withaches and pains and when they leavethey leave feeling so much better;they are no longer in pain; they have

finally found relief. We strive to bethe Bay area’s leader in therapeuticmedical massage; we want to differ-entiate ourselves from other spas inthe area. Our clients come in to getpampered and walk out feeling like awhole different person.”

Mercy knows all too well what itfeels like to live in pain, which is whyshe is so dedicated to helping herclients through massage. A whileback she completely fractured herspine and was in a lot of pain. She re-ceived help from a chiropractor andmassage therapist and it made such adifference in her life. It was then thatshe decided massage therapy was theright path for her.

Suffering from vision impairment,Mercy truly has found her calling,through her gift for touch! “When itcomes to touch I have a special abil-ity,” says Mercy. “Not every body hasit. It’s a learned ability and a learnedtouch. Its a gift, in more ways thanone. When I started doing massages, Ifell in love with it. It really is my pas-sion; I enjoy being able to help peo-ple, especially when they have a lot oftension and muscle pain and I canhelp fix that. It’s an awesome feeling!”

“You don’t haveto live with pain,”she adds. “The aver-age person does notrealize how tensethey are. Pain andtension can have adomino affect onyou life in manyways. We treat thecauses of your painand help get rid of it.We also like to edu-cate our clients sothat their pain doesnot come back. Ourlong-term goal is toeliminate a person’sneed to come see us. But we still hopethey’ll come back, even after theirpain is gone.”

The Revolutionary Bio MatIf you suffer from chronic pain

and stress, have an injury, are about tohave surgery, or have just had surgery,you could benefit from the AmethystBio Mat at Divine Connections. “Thebio mat technology has been aroundsince the late 60s when NASA discov-ered its healing properties to the

human body. The mat was originallydeveloped in the Orient to help peoplerecuperate from surgeries,” says Mag-gie, “but we’ve found clients withmany different types of injuries, ill-nesses, and pain have benefited fromthe bio mat.”

“The bio mat promotes repair ata cellular level,” explains Mercy, “andit helps your cardiovascular and lym-phatic system flow more optimally.We’ve had a client come in before andafter knee surgery to lie on the mat.He has told us that his surgeon is im-

Divine Connections Massage & Spa

Owners Mercy Terrill and Maggie Ramirez


pressed with how quickly he is healing.We’ve also had individuals with cancerwho have found that they aren’t nau-seous or tired after they’ve spent time

lying on the mat. We haveanother client who hasfound relief from jointpain and rheumatoidarthritis after time on themat. We’ve seen incredi-ble results in many on ourclients.”

Fabulous Facials One of their more

popular facials - the 24carat gold Leaf Mask - isguaranteed to leave yourefreshed and glowing.Mercy says, “It really doeswork. What I personallynotice is that it cleans outyour face and helps totake away from the darkspots under your eyes. Itleaves your face very softand moisturized.”

Creating a homeaway from home whereguests can come to relax,revive and rejuvenatetheir body, mind andspirit, Divine Connec-tions strives to be the bayareas leader in therapeutic

wellness services. Mercy says, “We re-ally are creating a family here. Every-body that comes in here not only loves

what we have to offer, but wants tobring their family and friends. It’s liketaking a mini vacation without havingto leave home. We want people tohave a quality life. I think that’s thereason why people will love beinghere. It’s a different experience unlikeanywhere else.”

Divine Connections is currentlysearching for experienced massagetherapists who want to work in a posi-tive work environment. For more in-formation please call them at (813)402-2959.

Divine Connections is cur-rently offering a fantastic spapackage, which includes a 30

minute infrared treatment, a 60min custom massage, and a 30minute custom facial - two hoursof spa services for only $99!

Divine Connection Massage &Spa is located at 6052 Van DykeRoad in Lutz. Book your appoint-ment online by logging on towww.divineconnectionsmassage.comor call (813) 402-2959. Walk-insalso are welcome. Divine Connec-tions is open 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Mon.– Sat. and 11 a.m.–5 p.m. on Sun.“Like” Divine Connections Mas-sage & Spa on Facebook for newsand updates.

If you suffer from chronic pain and stress, have aninjury, are about to have surgery, or have just hadsurgery, you could benefit from the Amethyst Bio

Mat at Divine Connections


It’s full S.T.E.A.M. ahead forsixth and seventh graders at The Cen-tre for Girls at 105 W. Sligh Ave.,thanks to a two-year grant award total-ing $309,000 from the Children’sBoard of Hillsborough County.

Kelley Parris, Executive Directorof The Children’s Board said: “Formore than a year, the Children'sBoard has been collecting communityfeedback, data, and anecdotal informa-tion to develop strategies to make in-vestments that lead to positiveoutcomes for children in HillsboroughCounty. Our findings yielded consid-erable concerns especially as it relatedto lack of available out of school timeactivities. In fact, in 2014, only 8.92%of Hillsborough County children wereenrolled in after school programs.The Children’s Board is pleased toprovide funding for this program andincrease availability of positive out ofschool time activities.”

Ann W. Madsen, Executive Direc-tor of the Helen Gordon Davis Centrefor Women, which operates The Cen-tre for Girls said: “The grant makes itpossible to broaden our arts and en-

richment programs for sixth and sev-enth graders to provide fun-infusedprogramming especially designed forthem. Through an innovative methodof arts-integrated tutoring, we will usethe arts to help girls improve readingand writing skills.”

Centre for Girls DirectorGabrielle Perham explained: “Ourprogram is based on an evidence-based model which incorporates visualarts, drama, dance and music. Babysit-ting classes and water/home/firesafety classes will also be offered.

“Our goal is to provide programsthat teach skills to help girls develop ahealthy understanding of themselves,others and the larger world. Providinga safe, vibrant learning space – espe-cially for middle school girls – givesparents peace of mind. Parents willfind us to be partners committed totheir children’s healthy developmentboth in and out of school.”

The middle schoolers will be ableto participate in Girls Glow, a 10-weekseries promoting healthy body imageand self esteem. It is designed to ap-proach middle school girls on their

own turf on topics such as self image,fashion, peer and societal pressures –and equip them with critical thinkingand self-empowerment skills.

Perham said: “Our girls havehelped to shape the series, and wehave commitments to “export” GirlsGLOW to other child-centered organ-izations, eager to host the series fortheir girls.”

A newly launched state-of-the-artCyber Lab will help girls improve theirdigital skills through digital classes, ro-botics and regular arts-based afterschool activities.

The Centre for Girls is a pro-gram of The Helen Gordon DavisCentre for Women and has built innew resources for parents as well.Counseling and Wellness and Em-ployment Services programs will offerservices to parents and families onsiteduring times when the facility is notbeing used by girls.

Clinical counseling services inEnglish or Spanish will be availablefor adults, couples, children andteens, and families. The Centre haslicensed, Master’s-level counselors

who address issues of healthy familyrelationships, barriers to child aca-demic achievement or to adult em-ployment success, and stressorsproducing anxiety or depression.

Workshops in Nurturing Parent-ing, Parent-Child Communication,Tips for Raising Teens, Anger Man-agement for Tweens, and wellnessworkshops will be offered quarterly.In addition, The Centre for Women’sEmployment Services staff will pro-vide on-site job skills assessment anddevelopment, job search and place-ment assistance, and case manage-ment to remove barriers to sustainedemployment. These services will beopen to all.

For information about TheCentre for Girls, call (813) 231-3404 or visit thecentreforgirls.org.

Children’s Board Grant Funds New ProgramsFor Sixth & Seventh Graders at Centre For Girls


Old McMicky’s Farm Presents Barns & Beer

Old McMicky’s Farm invites thecommunity to the next Barns &Beer, (age 21-and-up event) on May14th at 7 p.m. Guests will be enter-tained with live music performed byone of Tampa Bay’s favorite bands,The Black Honkeys, while enjoyingthe beautiful, classic farm with its bigred barn set on a picturesque 40-acre lake.

Old McMicky’s Farm has gath-ered the best local beer making ge-niuses for your sampling pleasure.There will be more than 75 craftbeers and wine, great entertainment,

great food and many new friends tomeet. Mark your calendar to dosomething new, different, and fun!And you’ll support a great cause!

Old McMicky’s Farm knowshow to provide a good time withfarm-inspired games such as EggRaces with farm eggs, a Barn Mazeand more! This event makes givingback fun with Mechanical Bull Rides($5 donation) and the Lighted HayRide ($3 donation). Photo opportu-nities abound with hay bales at theentry barn, photo boards with Mr. &Mrs. Farmer, farm animal faces and

more! Enjoy food for sale from someof the area’s best food trucks! Foodnot included with admission price.

If you decide to attend the Barns& Beer event, add to your enjoymentby knowing you are supporting OldMcMicky’s Farm (Camp Keystone) –a 70-year tradition (Est. 1946) dedi-cated to serving kids and families inour Tampa Bay community. Barns &Beer benefits the Old McMicky’sFarm Foundation, a registered501©(3).

Here are just a few of the Foun-dation’s programs and organizations

that your attendance helps to support:“1000 Kids” Program––Each

year, the farm’s “1000 Kids” Pro-gram has the goal of welcoming1,000 kids in the Tampa Bay areawho are facing challenges to comeout for a great day at the farm andenjoy amazing moments with animalsand activities in an atmosphere oflove and fun – no charge.

“Mission I Do” - Mission I doprovides free all-inclusive weddingsfor veterans and active duty military.

Child Adoption Education andSupport - over 450 potential adop-


tive parents recently attended thefarms Child Adoption Education Dayin 2015 to learn about adoption andto help find more families for localchildren. The farm also holds Adop-tion Match days and 15 local chil-dren have been matched with theirForever Families at OMF’s last twomatch days.

Organizations and groups servedby the Farm’s Foundation:

The Children’s Home, Metropoli-tan Ministries, Eckerd CommunityAlternatives, The Junior League ofTampa, Heart Galleries, Big BrothersBig Sisters, Children’s Cancer Center,Guardian Ad Litem, Camelot Com-

munity Care, Adoptive Related Serv-ices, Hillsborough County Foster Care,Pacso/Pinellas Foster Care, ExplorerK8, Morning Star School, Fit4Truth,HOPE Camp, Monarch House, Light-house of Pinellas, UPARC, Sydney’sAcademy, Florida Autism Center ofExcellence, Homeless Emergency, Proj-ect Learning Center, NeurorestorativeClearwater Group, Spinabifida Sup-port Group, Joshua House, March ofDimes, Hope Youth Ranch, Champi-ons for Children, Fostering Youth ofFlorida, A Reel Future, Jackson inAction 83 Foundation.

Tickets & Info: Please visitwww.oldmcmickys.com.


By Marcy Sanford

Cornerstone Pros has been atrusted name in the area for more than10 years, consistently receiving theAngie’s List Super Service Award.Now, the company that thousands ofhomeowners have turned to whenthey need plumbing and HVAC serv-ice has added another feather to theircap by providing electrical services.“Cornerstone Air, Plumbing & Elec-trical can help homeowners with alltheir residential plumbing, HVAC,and electrical needs,” says owner DanaSpears. “We’ve had really great re-sponse to our electrical service. Ifneeded we can send two technicians toa home which is very convenient forhomeowners.”

Cornerstone Pros is dedicated tohelping make your home a safe andcomfortable environment. Dana saysthat Cornerstone’s certified techni-cians are trained to expertly handleany HVAC need in your home, fromrepairs to installing new units, as wellas plumbing and electrical. Corner-stone Pros does everything possible tocomplete your project on budget andon time.

Time for a HVAC System Check-UpSummer’s consistently hot days

are right around the corner and Danasays now is a great time to get aHVAC system check-up and clean-upto insure that your home stays pleas-antly cool during the upcoming 90-degree days. A properly functioningHVAC system not only keeps you coolon hot, summer days but it can alsosave you money on your energy billsand prolong the life of your unit.

Cornerstone Pros customerGlenn A. says, “I can see why Corner-

stone has such high ratings. I pur-chased the $49 coupon and scheduledan appointment. Scott J. was the techwho arrived. He was professional, po-lite, and very knowledgeable. He per-formed a thorough inspection of myheat pump and provided areceipt showing all readings andspecifics of what he did. Not only wasthis informative for me, but it providesa record for any future visits - and Iwill call them for any future issues.”

Right now is a great time toschedule your system’s spring check-up and clean up because CornerstonePros is offering a special for only$39.95.

If you do find yourself with anAC unit on the fritz, CornerstonePros’ skilled technicians are there foryou 24-hours a day whenever youneed help. Cornerstone Pros servicesall brands and is always happy to pro-vide you with a free estimate on instal-lations or a second opinion on repairs.They make it a point to get to emer-gency calls within the same day so thatyou can get back to living your life.

Cornerstone Pros PlumbingServices

It isn’t just the HVAC repairs andinstallation services that keep Corner-stone Pros’ customers happy. Anotherreason that Cornerstone Air, Heating,Plumbing & Electrical is the highestrated service provider in the four-county area is their honest, reliableplumbing service.

“The service from Cornerstonewas perfect,” says Dianne P. “Therewas an issue with one of the faucetparts and the plumber from Corner-stone took the time to call the manu-facturer about the warranty. He evenshowed me how to put it in. He wentover, above, and beyond.”

Now Offering Electrical ServicesCornerstone Pros’ customers love

that the trusted and reliable company

Cornerstone Pros – Your Trusted Partner for AirConditioning, Heating, Plumbing & Electrical Needs

Dana & James Spears, pictured above and with their family, andCornerstone Pros’ expert team (far right)


now provides electrical service, too! Cornerstone Pros’ client Michelle

N. states, “Cornerstone was very re-sponsive, professional, and knowledge-able. I had an extensive amount ofwork that needed to be done in myhome that included replacing thebreaker box, repairing outlets, in-stalling a ceiling fan, and replacing thewater heater. The price they quotedme was reasonable and fair for theamount of work done and the servicetechs that came out to my home wereterrific. They knew exactly what theywere doing, completed the work inless than half a day, and were very

pleasant and friendly. I like Corner-stone because they offer not only elec-trical repair, but plumbing and HVACservices as well. I would not hesitateto recommend them and plan to usethem again for future work.”

A few of the electrical servicesthat Cornerstone Pros now offers:

• Adding or replacing lightingand fixtures

• Adding or replacing landscapelighting

• Installing LED – energy effi-cient lighting

• Home safety inspections• Adding or replacing ceiling fans

• Installing cables for cameras

Cornerstone Pros can even per-form a home safety inspection if youare buying a new home or if you livein an older home.

Thanks to hard work and depend-able, friendly and honest service, Cor-nerstone Pros has become the area’stop choice to call for heating, air,plumbing, and electrical issues. Fromrenovations and new equipment instal-lations to emergency repairs or servicecheck-ups, their team of certified tech-nicians and plumbing specialists blendinnovation with old-school values to

deliver 100-percent satisfaction.Born and raised in the area, it is

important to Dana that CornerstonePros is known as a company that hercommunity can trust. The familyowned business prides itself on hiringthe best local technicians and customerservice professionals available. She andher husband, James Spears, also sup-port local charities and schools.

For honesty, reliability, andexpertise, give Cornerstone Pros acall today at (813) 949-4445. Tofind more information about thespecials and services they provide,log on to CornerstonePros.com.


The YMCA cares about com-munity and it cares about its mem-bers, always striving to offer the verybest services and amenities. Jill Price,Associate Member Director at theBob Sierra Family YMCA in Carroll-wood, shared great news! The BobSierra Y plans to celebrate its 30thyear and give back to its membersand the community by embarkingon a massive renovation with abudget of $2.2 million. The projectwill take place in five phases over thenext nine months. Renovations arescheduled to start mid-to-late-Aprilwith stages targeted for completionat late 2016 and early 2017.

Updates are planned for virtu-ally every area of the main campus.The 5000-square-ft. space that for-merly was the gymnastics center willhouse the new mind/ body studio.Both locker rooms will be guttedand renovated, and private familylocker rooms will be added withshowers. A brand new Kid Zonespace will be added which includes anew indoor family playground.Also, there will be an updated coffee

bar and lounge area.The Bob Sierra Family YMCA

is excited to reward members withthese new improvements and newfacility additions with state-of-the-art everything, which will serveboth family memberships and indi-vidual memberships in a bigger andbetter way.

Despite the large scope, the var-ious phases of construction willallow the Bob Sierra Y to remainopen and fully operational through-out the renovation.

Explore the Bob Sierra Yand YFC!

There are so many things tolove about the local Bob Sierra Y!Well maintained for 30 years, “TheBob,” as members sometimes callthe main campus, has been a hub forthe community, offering a basketballgym, pool, racquetball courts,dance/zumba/jazzercise workoutspaces, and a fully equipped gymwith all the latest equipment includ-ing a cross fit room. The Bob SierraFamily YMCA even offers free child-care to members.

The pool at the Bob Sierra Y is agreat way to cool off and stay inshape. Enjoy water aerobics, FREEkids’ swim lessons, as well as pro-grams for seniors and those withspecial needs. The swim team meetsat the pools of both locations, themain campus and the YFC.

The newer Youth and FamilyCenter (YFC) on Ragg Road is de-voted to youth and family sportsprograms, and you’ll find that thefacility and the staff are amazing.The staff is always helpful, from the

“The YMCA”Continued from page 1


front desk staff, to lifeguards, gymtrainers and camp counselors. TheYFC is very family-friendly andprovides nice private family lockerrooms and larger locker roomswith showers.

The YFC has a new gymnasticsbuilding, completed a year ago.The 12,000-sq.-ft. GymnasticsCenter boasts state-of-the-art-equipment and highly skilled andtrained instructors. It is home toTop Flight Gymnastics, a competi-

tive team that competes in USAGand AAU competitions!

The YFC has a very large bas-ketball gym, recreation rooms forpractice, two big pools includingthree 25-foot water slides and asplash fountain shallow pool for veryyoung children, a climbing tower,sand volleyball courts and lawn areasfor practice and camps.

The YMCA offers great teamsports programs for kids ages 3–14.These programs include t-ball, swim

team, basketball, soccer, volleyballand flag football.

This writer’s children have beeninvolved in the team sports at theYMCA for the past five years andthey love it. Team sports build confi-dence, coordination and show kidsthe value of teamwork.

The after school childcare pro-gram is excellent and they even offera scholarship program for lower in-come families. They work with thekids to make sure their homework isdone before mom and dad pickthem up. How nice is that?

The YFC offers various summercamps, each with a different subjectof study. For example, there is anaquatics camp, a gymnastics camp,sports camp and they even have asurvival camp. The Y camps aresome of the biggest and best campsin the area. The summer of 2016will be “THE BEST SUMMEREVER” for kids who camp at theBob Sierra Y!

Building a StrongCommunity

Leigh Ann Landreth, Senior Ex-ecutive Director, says, “Nationallythe YMCA’s cause is strengtheningthe community and the Bob SierraFamily YMCA is a real reflection ofthat, serving and carrying out thatmission of strengthening the com-munities of Northdale, Carrollwoodand North Tampa for 30 years. Thisis what makes the Y different. Thecore foundation of the YMCA is tostand for youth development,healthy living and social responsibil-ity. The YMCA is 501(C) 3 non-profit charity organization and everydollar made goes back to investingin the community and this showsnot only in our programming, but in

the quality of our facility. This iswhat distinguishes the YMCA fromanywhere else. When you are part ofthe Y you are part of a family with adeep tradition and heritage in caringfor its members and community.”

The YMCA sponsors manycommunity outreach programs. The“LIVESTRONG at the YMCA”program offers a safe, supportive en-vironment for those affected by can-cer, and enables them to participatein physical and social activities fo-cused on strengthening the wholeperson. “Pedaling for Parkinson’s” isa program designed to help peopleaffected by Parkinson’s disease, andhas been shown to minimize symp-toms through pedaling a bicycle byas much as 35 percent.

Through its many programs anddedication to nurture the potentialof every child and teen, improve thenation’s health and well-being, andsupport and serve its neighbors, theBob Sierra Family YMCA ensuresthat everyone has the opportunity tobecome healthier, more confident,connected and secure.

The YMCA’s embraces all peo-ple with a mission to put Judeo-Christian principles into practicethrough programs that build healthyspirit, mind, and body for all.

If you are not already part ofthe YMCA family, stop by and seewhy you should be!

The Bob Sierra FamilyYMCA is located at 4029 North-dale Blvd. in Tampa and can bereached at 813-962-3220. TheYouth and Family Center is lo-cated at 4015 Ragg Rd. and canbe reached at 813-269-9404.Log on to tampaymca.org formore information.


outs of retail management. When theshop became available for purchase,Meyers jumped on the opportunity tobring his vision to life.

On September 2014, Meyersopened the dive shop that he’dworked in for many years and rechris-tened it Gulf Coast Divers, going frommanager to owner. From an educa-tional component to retail shop, aswell as service and repair of equip-ment, Gulf Coast Divers provideseverything a diver would need… ex-cept for the water, that is.

“We teach scuba lessons, from be-ginning classes all the way up to ad-vance classes,” says Travis. “We alsosell diving equipment and are aScubapro Platinum dealer, the highestdealership level available. We also doservice and repair, from filling up yourair tank to servicing and repairingscuba equipment.”

Not only does Gulf Coast Diversteach classes and sell equipment, theyoffer dive traveling, as well. “We spe-cialize in dive travel all over Florida,and all over the Caribbean,” he said.“Anywhere there is water, we’ll godive it. We don’t want to just teach

you to dive, we want to take you ontrips. That’s why we do this, so we cango diving. We’ve got one coming upto the Florida Keys and another toRoatán, Honduras. The reason youare learning to dive is not just to havefun in the classroom, but to get achance to experience a lot of theseplaces and we can help you with that.”

When you learn to scuba dive,there are six training sessions in a be-ginner’s diving class. Two of the ses-

sions are in the classroom, two are in aswimming pool, and two in the openwater. Students can be as young as 10years old.

“You transition from the class tothe pool to the open water,” saidTravis. “The open water places that wedive are in the fresh water springs likeWeeki Wachee and Rainbow RiverSprings where the water is clear; it’spretty, and there’s lots of things to see.It’s also a controlled environment; we

don’t have to worry about the weathernot allowing us to dive because thesprings are consistent. The water tem-perature is the same all year round andwe know if we go there, we usuallydon’t have to worry about being can-celled due to weather.”

Typically, pending time of year,there are 10 people in a scuba class andthe six sessions span a two- week pe-riod. “At the end of that session, youare a certified diver for life,” said Travis.

“GC Divers”Continued from page 1

Gulf Coast Divers is located at 10414 N Dale Mabry Hwy in Carrollwood.They are open Mon. – Sat 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.


Gulf Coast Divers also offers kidscamps during the summer. Travis said,“When school is out, we have juniorcamps for ages 12 to 18. We contractout to use the junior Olympic sizeswimming pool at Cheval Golf andAthletic Club. They have a beautifulfacility there. They are top notch andwe are fortunate enough to be ableuse their facility for our scuba lessons.”

The dedicated employees at GulfCoast Divers have over 50 years of ex-perience in the scuba industry.Whether you are new to the sport or

are an experienced diver, their goal isto exceed your expectations. “Divingis hobby that people of all ages andabilities can enjoy. We pride ourselveson being a professional dive shop thatcarries everything you need for scubadiving,” said Travis.

Something that sets Gulf CoastDivers apart from other dive shops istheir membership program. The plat-inum membership includes unlimiteduse of all rental equipment. The Goldmembership includes unlimited use ofscuba tanks. Both memberships are

available for a low monthly fee, withan annual commitment. It was createdto help offset costs associated withscuba diving.

Yet what Meyers enjoys mostabout diving isn’t even found in thewater. “I enjoy meeting all the peo-ple,” he said. “You meet a lot of neatand interesting people. In fact, I metmy wife Julie in my scuba diving classin 2008. That’s probably right on thetop there. We have three kids underfour– a little young now - but hope-fully one day we can get them in-volved because I think they wouldreally like that.”

On May 14, Gulf Coast Diverswill feature a one-day SummerSplash sale and will feature exclusivesavings on scuba equipment, deals onwet suits and spear guns, as well as,having raffles for trips to places theyare diving this summer.

Gulf Coast Divers is located at10414 N Dale Mabry Hwy in Car-rollwood. They are open Mon. –Sat 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more in-formation, call (813) 961-3297,email [email protected] or visitwww.GCDive.com. Visit theirFacebook for current informationand specials.

carrollwood - vol. 4, issue 5, may 2016

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