Little Amici moves to Lutz

Little Amici Children's Boutique and Consignment has moved.

The store, formerly in the Pebble Creek Shopping Plaza, has opened up a new space at 1904 Oak Grove Blvd. Click here for more information.

RSVP for New Tampa Chamber of Commerce Luncheon

The New Tampa Chamber of Commerce Luncheon will be Monday September 14 from noon to 1:30 p.m. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m.

The event takes place at the Pebble Creek Golf & Country Club. Tim Donovan from Advanced Innovations Managers will be the featured speaker. He will discuss "Matching Technology Needs to your Business." Price for the lunch is $15 for Chamber Members and $20 for non-members.

Please R.S.V.P. by Friday September 11th by 5 p.m. if you plan to attend by sending an e-mail to info@newtampa.org or calling Kristen at (813)514-2922.

New Tampa residents on alert; fake solicitors unlocking windows

Here's an e-mail circulating around Meadow Pointe and New Tampa:

WARNING...PLEASE READ, Especially Meadow Point Residents:  There is a
very pretty young girl (looks to be around 20 or so...) who claims to
be a USF Foreign Exchange Student.  She has a very thick accent. She
is knocking on doors all throughout MP (1, 2, 3 and even 4).  She
claims that she has books for young school aged children (she can
often have much information about you & or ur children)...she keeps
trying to talk to you, even if U say U have No interest.  Then, she
asks to use ur restroom or wash her hands & she is going in &
unlocking any window &/or side doors that she can. This is a SCAM.
Please be aware. She is VERY Persistent. She has knocked on my door
once. I've just heard that she has knocked on some peoples doors two
or three times. Apparently she might be organized with a ...group who
may have access 2 a database & have info, names of our children, the
school they attend & even teacher names...PLEASE BE AWARE,, please
post on ur FB 2 alert everyone! and pass this email on to everyone.

Even if she doesn't come to your door, or if someone lives in another
community this can easily happen in any neighborhood.  NEVER LET
ANYONE in your home...even if they seem sweet and innocent.  The MP
community website has even had some postings on message boards about
her.  Their also may be more than one girl doing this. 

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Search is on for Miss New Tampa

2008 winners

Calling all contestants: The second annual Miss New Tampa Pageant is 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Pebble Creek Community Center, 18715 Bent Tree Lane.

All young ladies ages 4 to 19 are eligible to be a part of the pageant.

The purpose is to get young ladies involved in the community while having fun and to build self-esteem. No pageant experience is necessary.

The deadline to enter is Sept. 23.

Here are the age Divisions:

• 4-6 years Miss New Tampa Princess
• 7-9 years Miss New Tampa Sweetheart
• 10-12 years Miss New Tampa Pre-Teen
• 13-15 years Miss New Tampa Teen
• 16-19 years Miss New Tampa

There will be one winner and three runners-up per age group
All contestants will receive an official Miss New Tampa Pageant T-Shirt.

Winners will receive a tiara, trophy, embroidered sash with crown pin, flowers and other gifts, including a savings bond.

Click here for more details and to enter.

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Strip center near new SweetBay filling up

Soon you can drop off your dry cleaning, choose a lunch of burgers, egg rolls, pitas or pizza, get your hair cut and nails done at the strip mall across from the new SweetBay supermarket and LA Fitness.

Signs for Five Guys Burgers and Fries, China Wok, Pita's Republic, and Hungry Howie's have appeared in the windows of the center at Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and County Line Road. Also coming are Hudson Cleaners, Grandeur Hair Design and Ego Nails.

SweetBay and LA Fitness opened in July.

Lisa Buie, Times Staff Writer

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Pride Elementary's new leader wants parents deeply involved

[ Newly-appointed Pride Elementary School principal Cindy Land talks with secretary Beverly Campbell in the school office. DANIEL WALLACE | Times]

From the Times:

By Rodney Thrash

NEW TAMPA — When Pride Elementary students go back to school next month, they will have a new leader. • In June, the Hillsborough County School Board picked Cindy Land, previously the assistant principal at Chiles Elementary, to succeed Jamie Johnson, who moved out of state. • The 38-year-old Pebble Creek resident takes over a school shrouded in controversy last year after Johnson allowed a 160-foot cell tower on the campus without public notice. • The episode strained relations between administrators and parents. Some threatened to pull their children out of Pride. • Land said she can't do much about the past, but believes all stakeholders should be at the table before any major decisions. She wants to hear from those stakeholders at 2 p.m. Aug. 24 in the school cafeteria. Until then, pull up a seat for the St. Petersburg Times' conversation with Land.

New Tampa networking

James Quinlan, of the Law Office of James Quinlan, will talk about "Essential Legal Issues for Small Business & Entrepreneurs" at the New Tampa Professional Partners Network meeting at 11:30 a.m. Friday (April 17) at Mulligan's Irish Pub at Pebble Creek Golf Club, 10550 Regents Park Drive. Learn about the key legal issues that affect your business daily. RSVP by Wednesday (April 15). Call (727) 644-7541 or e-mail billchomes@hotmail.com. Also check out pnconnections.org.

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Golf Course Vandal identified

Bill Place, owner of the Pebble Creek Golf Course, which was vandalized on Nov. 16 by someone in a pickup truck said the person has been caught. The driver maneuvered the truck around the course and spun its wheels, causing about $3,000 in damage. Place offered a $200 reward and within a couple of days, tips led to the identification of Garrett Simmons, 21, of Pebble Glen Drive as the alleged culprit:

"Rather than face felony prosecution, Mr. Simmons is offering to make restitution, apologize to the golf course members and maintenance staff, and do 20 hours of community service," Place wrote. "I commend Mr. Simmons' parents for having their son take responsibility for
his actions. I'm also pleased that the community responded and helped us to immediately identify the
offender.  This should be a strong message to anyone that vandalizes our
community - we will find you."

Reward offered for information about golf course vandalism

Here's a plea from Pebble Creek Golf Course owner Bill Place regarding vandals who damaged the course over night:

Last night, Pebble Creek Golf Course was vandalized.  It appears that two vehicles drove through the golf course, spinning their wheels to damage the fairway grass on most of the holes and on two greens.  I am offering a $200 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the offenders.

Our maintenance crew has been working all day today to repair the damage. Playability of the course is not impacted, though there will remain some visual impact to the fairways for the next week or two.

From what we can tell, one car and maybe a small pickup joyrided through the course sometime between 7 p.m. Sunday night and 4:15 a.m. Monday morning.  From the tracks, it appears that one of the vehicles got stuck at the #2 tee and used other vehicle(s) to get unstuck.  Police have been notified.

If you saw any of this, including what time of night, description of the vehicles or any other information that will help us track down the offenders, I would appreciate hearing from you at 763-2654.  Your response will be kept confidential.

I am hopeful that we can catch those involved, and we will press charges.

Bill Place
Owner, Ace Golf / Pebble Creek Golf Club
(813) 763-2654 - cell

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Mix-N-Mingle

The New Tampa Village will host its monthly Mix-N-Mingle event on Sunday, Sept. 7, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Pebble Creek Community Center. See an interactive presentation by fitness and nutrition expert Sonee Thompson; enjoy refreshments from The Juice Zone, great music too. $3 per person, children attend free. The organization strives to create a sense of community among African Americans and Craribbean Americans in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel.