westchase - vol. 2, issue 9, september 2013

According totheir website,“The Mellowfounders dreamedof a world wherehappiness could befound in the sim-plest things; like amouthwateringslice of pizza andan ice cold beer.”

Rated as hav-ing one of the bestbeer selections inthe world, Mellow Mushroom inWestchase succeeds in the original,mouthwatering mission. “We havesomething for everyone, no matterwhat style of beer they like to drink,”says general manager Stefan Hicks.Mellow Mushroom Westchase isowned by Greg Warren, who brings

years of restaurant experience to hispopular location.

The vibrant eatery has a staff thatcomplements its eclectic style, allyoung and very friendly. Most of thestaff has worked there a long time, andthe team is proud to see their regular

The Community & Local Business Magazine Directly Mailed To 16,000 Homes In Westchase & Surrounding AreasThis Independent Community News, Business & Dining Guide Is Directly Mailed Once Each Month To:

Arlington Park • Aston Villas • Bay Arbor • Berkeley Square • Calf Path Estates • Enclave At Citrus Park • Fawn RidgeForest Lakes • Hampton Lakes • Highland Park • Lake Chase • Mandolin • The Eagles • Tree Tops • Twin Branch Acres

Waterchase • West Hampton • Westchase • Westchester • Westwood Lakes • Windsor Place

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

ECRWSSPostal Customer

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PAIDTAMPA FL

PERMIT 1185

Umbrellas for Peace..............3

Community Calendar............4

News Briefs..........................5

Westchase RecreationCenter...................................6-7

Local Girl Scout.....................10

100 Years Young............22-23

Vol. 2, Issue 9, September 2013

By Lenay Ruhl

This past July, the Mellow Mush-room in Westchase celebrated eightyears of serving “classy pizza andbeer” to the Tampa Bay community.Bringing more to area than just origi-nal recipes and local brews, this locally

owned MellowMushroom offerscustomers a tasteof the psychedelicconsciousness ofthe ‘70s.

The originalMellow Mush-room opened itsdoors in Atlanta,GA back in 1974,inspired by the“mellow,” hippieculture that was

sweeping the nation. The Westchasefranchise, themed after the GratefulDead rock band, vividly portrays theband’s infamous time living on Ash-bury Street in San Francisco. Paintedacross the wall are the famous lyricsfrom the Dead song, “Truckin,’ –“What a long, strange trip it’s been.”

See “Mellow” on page 14.

See “Music” on page 18

By Erin Aldrich

Want to get your kids excitedabout music? Look no further thanthe newly opened Westchase MusicSchool! Boredom has no place in thisstate-of-the-art music school, and withtheir 15 fantastic instructors and funteaching methods, your child will beexcited and motivated to take lessons.Westchase Music School offers a broadspectrum of musical lessons, including,piano, flute, euphonium, guitar, harp,clarinet, bass, piccolo, saxophone, vio-lin, organ, keyboard, drums, trom-bone, tuba and voice.

Husband and wife, Rick and

Helen Foessett have a true passion formusic, accompanied by years of experi-ence and a fantastic vision forWestchase musical talents. In additionto this new location in Westchase, theyalso own and operate a successful musicschool in Charlotte, North Carolina.Their musical vision in Charlotte holdstrue for this second location as well,and Helen, who has been teachingmusic for over 25 years, hopes to expe-rience the same success that her hus-band and she have had in NorthCarolina since opening 5 years ago.

Westchase Music School offers les-sons for children as young as 3, up toadults of all ages, and tailors their les-

sons to the individual abilities andgoals of each student. There is no limitto the genres of music a student canexplore here, from rock to Broadway

Westchase Music School –Hitting the High Note!

Neighborhood NewsNeighborhood News®

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& LifestylesYour neighborhood. Your magazine.

2 SEPTEMBER 2013 Westchase Area Neighborhood NewsFor Ad Info Call (813) 928-6124 or Visit NeighborhoodNewsFL.com

SEPTEMBER 2013 3Westchase Area Neighborhood News For Ad Info Call (813) 928-6124 or Visit NeighborhoodNewsFL.com

Neighborhood News& Lifestyles

Directly mailed once a month to 16,000households in zip codes 33626 & 34677

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Phone: (813) 928-6124; Fax: (727) 942-2432Advertising E-mail:

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[email protected]© 2013 Westchase Neighborhood News is published by ADS 2 Publications, Inc.

Nothing that appears in Westchase NeighborhoodNews may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, with-out permission. Opinions expressed by Westchase Neighbor-hood News writers are their own and do not reflect thepublisher’s opinion.

The management of Westchase Neighborhood Newsis always happy to accept outside editorial submissionsto the paper. Please call for outside editorial submissionand advertisement deadlines.

Westchase Neighborhood News will consider previ-ously non-published outside editorial submissions if theyare double spaced, typed and less than 500 words.Westchase Neighborhood News reserves the right to editand/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makesno guarantees regarding publication dates. Westchase Neigh-borhood News will not return unsolicited editorial materials.

Westchase Neighborhood News reserves the right toedit and/or reject any advertising. Westchase NeighborhoodNews is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond theactual cost of the advertising space itself, not for the validityof any claims made by its advertisers.

Westchase Neighborhood News & Lifestyles is pub-lished by ADS 2 Publications, Inc.

PublisherTim SelbyGeneral ManagerMatt Selby Advertising SalesJim O’ReillyLinda ViegaMike BirdAccounting ManagerDoreen SelbyBilling AssistantTina O’ReillyMarketing & DevelopmentAshley Knoblach

EditorAlexis SelbyCorrespondentsKim ThomasJulie KanehlKatie ThomasMarcy SanfordLenay RuhlDara TuckerErin AldrichArt DirectorTony SicaGraphic ArtistDat X. Do

The kickoff to Big Brothers Big Sis-ters of Tampa Bay’s new awareness andrecruitment campaign was a great success.Nearly 200 volunteer mentors, parents,and children attended “Umbrellas forPeace” on Sunday, July 14, at the GlazerChildren’s Museum, 110 W GasparillaPlaza, Tampa.

Bigs (volunteer mentors) and Littles(children) spent time discussing theirthoughts about peace and helping thecommunity, while painting umbrellas withmessages of hope at the museum. Guidedby stilt walkers from Busch Gardens, theythen showcased their masterpieces duringa colorful parade around Curtis HixonPark. The parade culminated in the groupforming a heart shape in the middle of thepark. The “heart” is part of the BigBrothers Big Sisters logo. (See photos.)

Umbrellas for Peace started out asart therapy for people affected by theSept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and hassince blossomed into a global peace initia-tive. More than 2-million people from 29countries have participated in artist MattLamb’s “Umbrellas for Peace” concept.Sunday was be the first time the event washeld in Tampa.

When initially presented with the

idea, Stephen Koch, president and CEOof Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay,Inc., felt it was a perfect tie-in with ournew recruitment initiative. "Just like um-brellas shield us from the rain and storms,good mentors can shield kids from someof life's harsher elements,” Koch said. Incoming months, Big Brothers Big Sisterswill host and partner in events intended tospur discussion about the need for men-tors, especially men.

Last year, Big Brothers Big Sistersmatched more than 1,700 kids with men-tors in Hillsborough, Pasco and Polkcounties. Yet, more than 600 children re-

main on the waiting list. Statistics haveshown the positive effects of the profes-sionally supported mentoring that BigBrothers Big Sisters provides. In 2012, 99percent of Littles had no involvementwith the Department of Juvenile Justice,while 96 percent were promoted to thenext grade.

The local “Umbrellas for Peace”event was sponsored by: the BroadrickFamily Foundation, Earth Tech and theGlazer Children’s Museum. The GlazerChildren’s Museum, along with BigBrothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, is aChildren’s Board of Hillsborough County.

“Umbrellas for PeaceCreated a Colorful Display of Togetherness in Tampa

After kids painted the umbrellas withmessages of peace, their handiwork

dried in the sun.

The parade culminated in everyoneforming a heart in the

middle of Curtis Hixon Park. Theheart is part of the Big Brothers

Big Sisters logo.*Photos by: Tacy Briggs-Troncoso of

Mamarazzi Foto

community of Faith: “Lake Magda-lene has a full and rich history of min-istry to the Carrollwood communityand beyond, however we believe Godis doing marvelous and powerfulthings in our midst today! We areseeking to provide a Faith Communitywholly committed to transforminglives through Christ's love. To thatend we strive to employ ALL of ourresources for the specific purpose ofbecoming a church “Where Christ’sLove Creates: A Place to Belong, APlace to Become, A Place to Make ADifference.”

Lake Magdalene UMC is lo-cated at 2902 W. Fletcher Avenuein Tampa. For more details pleasecheck out the church website atwww.lmumc.org. To register, call(813) 963-1555 and leave a mes-sage for a call back. More informa-tion is available atwww.churchinitiative.org.

Free Caregiver’s MonthlySupport Group Meeting

Held the last Tuesday of everymonth from 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., theCaregiver’s Monthly Support groupmeeting is a general caregiver supportgroup, facilitated by Kim Linder,Caregiver Coach & Host of The Care-giver Hour Radio Show. The meetingis free for all caregivers and includes acontinental breakfast. Each month thegroup will feature a guest speaker, lastmonth’s being Andrea Brogen ofMeals on Wheels; who provided valu-able information on this popular serv-ice for caregivers.

The group meetings are held atEmeritus at Carrollwood Senior Living,located at 13550 S. Village Dr. inTampa, phone number (813) 908-5300.

For more info please contactKristie Rowe, the Community Rela-tions Director, by emailing [email protected] or callingher office at (813) 908-5300


Community CalendarThe Learning Express’Grand Opening WeekendExtravaganza

Join the fun and festivities onSeptember 18 – 22, as The LearningExperience, one of the nation’s lead-ing franchisor of educational toystores, celebrates its Grand OpeningWeekend Extravaganza at it’s newestlocation in Westfield Citrus Park Mall.During these dates the store will befeaturing 20% off storewide. In addi-tion, on that Friday, Saturday andSunday, they will also have games,contests, raffles, prizes and free facepainting & balloon designs from 1p.m. – 4 p.m. Plus, Elmo will bethere!

At Learning Express Toys of Cit-rus Park, they aim to provide cus-tomers with a lively, interactiveshopping experience that delights theyoung and the young at heart. Theytake great pride in calling themselves a“Neighborhood Toy Store” becausethey are just that – a hub of activity, ameeting spot for friends and neigh-bors, and a place where they get toknow you and your children by name.

The new Learning Express will

be located in the Westfield CitrusPark Mall, three doors down fromMacys, at 7814 Citrus Park TownCenter Mall. For more informationplease call (813) 774-2678.

Lake Magdalene UnitedMethodist Church PresentsGriefshare

Starting on Sept. 3 and runningthrough Nov. 26, Lake MagdaleneUnited Methodist Church will presentGriefShare, a thirteen-week seminarand support group for those who aregrieving the loss of a loved one. Theseminar will run every Tuesday, from6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. and will be heldin room 310 of the Christian Educa-tion Center at the church, located at2902 W. Fletcher Avenue in Tampa.Cost is $20, with scholarships avail-able. You can join any time throughNov. 26.

About Lake Magdalene UnitedMethodist Church

As quoted from the website, thisstatement represents both the visionand mission of the church, comingfrom their beliefs and core values as a


Community News BriefsLocal ProfessionalGoalkeeper OfferingPrivate Soccer Lessons

Chrysanthos Christou, aprofessional soccer goalkeeper,internationally trained & CFAaccredited, is currently offeringprivate soccer lessons to bothadults & children. He providesbeginner, intermediate & ad-vanced soccer lessons to ac-commodate adults & childrenof all levels of experience.

Born in Larnaca, Cyprus,Chrysanthos had begun hissoccer career at 12 years old. He hadplayed professional soccer for 10 yearsfor teams internationally accredited byUEFA, the Union of European Foot-ball Associations, such as: ErmisAradippou F.C, Ethnikos Achnas F.C.,Apoel F.C. and Omonoia AradippouF.C. Chrysanthos has additionallytrained with Ray Clemence MBE, oneof English & European soccer’s mostdecorated goalkeepers, as well asNikos Sarganis, a legendary Greek re-tired soccer goalkeeper.

Chyrsanthos Christou can bereached at: (813) 777- 1470 [email protected]

Chrysanthos Christou, above with family,played professional soccer for 10 years.


Westchase Recreation Center Opens New 10,000 Square Foot GymnasiumBy Marcy Sanford

This September, after more than ayear of renovations and construction,Hillsborough County’s WestchaseRecreation Center will open its doorsto a new 10,000 square foot gymna-sium, additional recreation room, andnew central lobby. “The additions andrenovations will not only allow us tooffer more classes for youth andadults, but it will also allow us to ex-pand our after school programs for el-ementary and middle schoolstudents,” says Recreation and Pro-gram Supervisor Dona Smith. TheWestchase Recreation Center origi-nally opened in 2005, and Dona,along with Dave Lyle, has been theresince day one. They, and the rest ofthe Center’s staff, are excited aboutthe opportunity to serve moreWestchase residents.

Rec2Six After SchoolProgram

In the past, spots in the afterschool program at the WestchaseRecreation Center have always filledup quickly, and at times there have

been more than 300 families on thewaiting list to get in. With the new ex-pansion, the Center will be able to ac-commodate twice as many children asthey can now, helping to ease waitingtimes. “We have had some families onthe waiting list for several years,” saysDona. “We will offer openings tothose students first.”

The Rec2Six after school programoffered at the Westchase RecreationCenter is open to children in kinder-garten through 5th grade. The pro-gram encourages children to live ahealthy lifestyle through 40 – 60 min-utes a day of active structured play andskill building. Students are evaluatedat regular intervals for improvementsin fitness, coordination, and manipula-tive skills. The program also intro-duces children to healthy foodchoices. In addition to those activities,children have 30 minutes to work onhomework or read and enrichment ac-tivities like 4-H and field trips.

Middle School ProgramThe Westchase Recreation Cen-

ter’s after school program has been sosuccessful that students often come

back to visit after they’ve graduatedfrom the program. Many middleschool students already stop by to sayhello or check in with past counselorsand Dona is hoping that the Centerwill be able to expand its after schoolprograms for Middle School studentsas well. They also have plans to beginhosting ‘Friday Night Out’ events forstudents.

Youth Dance, Tumbling,and Sports Programs

While there have been a few tum-bling and dance classes for tots at theCenter, the new gymnasium will allowfor more classes and sports leagues forchildren of all ages including:

- Self-defense- Cheerleading- Tumbling for Tots

Bill Beekley, Jessa Moody, Stefanie Berrios, Maria Pirone, Dona Smith,Dave Lyle, Vince Bowers


- Dance for Tots- Basketball League- Volleyball League- Art Classes

Adult Exercise andSports Programs

The Center will also be able tooffer more exercise classes for adultsand already has Zumba and Jazzerciseclasses on the new schedule. They alsohope to start adult basketball, volley-ball, and badminton leagues.

Senior ProgramsThe Center will have exercise

classes for seniors, including a tone andstretch class and power lifting. Basedon input from the community, Donahas added pickleball to the list of newgames that will be played at the Center.For those not familiar with this game,according to the USA Pickleball Associ-ation, “Pickleball is a fun game that isplayed on a badminton court with thenet lowered to 34 inches at the center.It is played with a perforated plasticbaseball (similar to a whiffle ball) andwood or composite paddles. It is easyfor beginners to learn, but can developinto a quick, fast-paced, competitivegame for experienced players.”

The new additions will allow the center to offer more classes for youths andadults, as well as more afterschool programs.

Most classes cost $6 -10 per class.You can register and pay for any classor program online through Hillsbor-ough County’s web site at www.Hills-boroughCounty.org.

Your CommunityRecreation Center

Dona hopes that everyone in theWestchase community will be able tobenefit from a program at the center.She says, “We have surveyed our par-ents about programs they would likeus to have but we would love inputfrom people throughout the commu-nity as well. If someone has a special

request, they are welcome to give us acall or drop by to tell us. We also wantto hear from people who are inter-ested in teaching a class.”

The Westchase Recreation Cen-ter is located at 9791 WestchaseDrive in Westchase. Times for pro-grams and classes vary, but regularhours are Monday through Friday8 a.m. – 9 p.m. To get more infor-mation about programs, facilityrentals, or classes you can visit theHillsborough County web site atwww.HillsboroughCounty.org orcall the Center directly at (813)964-2948.


Girl Scouts isn’t just about cook-ies. Girl Scouts teaches girls how to beleaders and encourages them to makethe world a better place. One way GirlScouts does this is through the GirlScouts Gold Award. The Gold Awardis earned through a take action projectwhere girls learn to make a difference.Sarah Lucker is a local Girl Scout fromLutz, working on her Gold AwardProject.

When the recent tornadoes hittwo elementary schools in Oklahoma,Sarah knew she needed to help thestudents there. She contacted a guid-ance counselor in Moore, Oklahomaand asked how she could help. The re-sult is the following list of items whichshe is collecting to send to Oklahoma:

• over the ear headphones• tissues• scissors (round and shape

ended)• colored markers (thin and

wide)• recess games (cards, board

games, etc. ages 5-11)• clorox wipes• baggies (gallon size)• paint sets and brushes• play doughSeveral local businesses are sup-

porting her by sponsoring drop boxesto collect the donations. You can helpby dropping off a donation to any ofthese businesses from August 1stthrough August 22nd.

•Brunchie’s (14366 North DaleMabry Highway, Tampa 33618)

• Sam Ash Music (13133 No.Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL )

• PDQ Restaurant (12650 N.Dale Mabry Tampa, FL 33618)

• Pak Mail (4522 West VillageDrive, Tampa, FL 33624)

• Old McMicky’s Farm (9612Crescent Drive, Odessa, FL 33556)

Donated items will be shipped toOklahoma just in time for the class-rooms as the students return back toschool at the end of August. Air Doc-

tor Air Conditioning will donate theshipping of all donated items.

Sarah is learning that throughher leadership and the generoussupport of her community thatmaking a difference in the world isimportant and is the right thing todo.

Local Girl Scout Needs Your AssistanceHelping the Oklahoma Tornado Victims

SEPTEMBER 2013 11For Ad Info Call (813) 928-6124 or Visit NeighborhoodNewsFL.comWestchase Area Neighborhood News


with the enlightened spinach salad; amixture of fresh spinach, dried cher-ries, apples, homemade candiedpecans and feta cheese. I alternateddipping my salad into the balsamicvinaigrette and their signature, creamydressing, called Esperanza. Now, themenu describes the dressing as “a fla-vor you’ll never forget,” but I person-ally thought that Stefan calling it“crack sauce” as he handed it to mewas slightly more accurate. It was ad-dicting.

For an appetizer, the Bruschettatastes as beautiful as it looks, withfresh tomato, basil and feta drizzledover toast.

If you are looking for somethinglighter, order the Creole ShrimpPo’Boy. The breaded shrimp wastucked into a toasted hoagie roll. Itwas not overbearingly spicy, yet stilloffered enough flavor to keep youwanting more.

Now, as to be expected in a placewith such positive energy, there is onlygood karma at the Mellow Mush-room. Order the Kosmic Karma for adelicious red sauce pizza topped withsun dried and Roma tomatoes, as wellas mozzarella and feta cheese, sea-soned with a hint of pesto. One of themore popular pizza items, it is a signa-ture pie at Mellow Mushroom.

customers hanging out on a frequentbasis.

“We attract a cooler clientele,”says Stefan, as he poured a glass ofsangria for Meg, a customer seated atthe bar. “Every woman that comes inhere will swear by that,” he says, as hegestures towards the freshly deliciouswhite wine and citrus fruit sangriamade in-house.

Meg shared how she lives in St.Petersburg, but her daughter playssoccer in Westchase. She laughed asshe confessed that she and her hus-band actually argue over who gets totake their daughter to practice, andwho is staying home with the rest ofthe kids. “Whoever gets to take her topractice gets Mellow Mushroom thatnight for dinner,” says Meg.

Meg and her husband are origi-nally from Atlanta, so Mellow Mush-room is nostalgic for them. Meg saysthat the flavor and atmosphere has notchanged over the years, and she lovesto come back because it has, “goodvibes, good food, and good service.”She smiles as she shakes her head, lostin her own memories. One thing was

obvious – that her experience at Mel-low Mushroom was about more thanjust the pizza.

Looking over the menu, therestaurant does offer more than justpizza, even for those who do not re-member the ‘70s. Their versatile listhas something for everyone – whetheryou love pizza, salad, hoagies,munchies, or just stopped by for thealcohol. Family friendly, MellowMushroom also has a kid’s menucomplete with many tasty options.

Along with their tangy, delicioussangria and close to 200 differentbeers, the restaurant also provides afull liquor bar. For customers unsureof which beer to select, they also letyou sample them. They have a combi-nation of microbrews and almost 30beers on tap, some seasonal.

Arriving at dinnertime, the staffwas quick to greet me, seat me andfeed me. They immediately were ableto describe a multitude of their localbeers, letting me review the extensivemenu. True to his word, Stefanpoured me a glass of the fresh sangriaand brought me a salad while I waitedon the main course.

There is as much flavor in theirfood as there is color on the walls ofthis chill dinner choice. I started out

“Mellow”Continued from page 1


For meat lovers, they have theMighty Meaty, which also has redsauce and mozzarella, but is toppedwith bacon, ham, ground beef, pep-peroni and sausage.

The menu also has many vegetar-ian options that can easily be transi-tioned to a vegan order, and includesthe option to have gluten-free crust.

Since 2005, Mellow Mushroomhas created a place in Westchase fornostalgia, local beer tasting, weeklyspecials and live music. There are alsocarry-out and gift cards available. Al-though it is a nation-wide franchise,

locals can visit the Mellow TampaFacebook page to find out what isgoing on at their casual yet classyeatery.

Mellow Mushroom inWestchase is located at 11955 Shel-don Road in Tampa. Hours areMon. – Thur. 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.;Fri. – Sat. 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Sun.11 a.m. – 10 p.m. For more infor-mation or a list of upcoming eventsplease call (813) 926-3600, visitwww.MellowMushroom.com, ortheir Facebook page by searchingMellow Mushroom Tampa.

to classical, and everything in between. At Westchase Music School, they

understand the importance of match-ing each student with a teacher andHelen and Rick take special care whilepairing students with potential instruc-tors. “Our teachers understand how toreach the students on their level tokeep them both interested and moti-vated,” added Rick.

The music instructors atWestchase Music School are highlyqualified, and a majority of their teach-ers have achieved their Masters inMusic. Helen says, “Most of our in-structors have over 15-25 years experi-ence from a broad range of uniquebackgrounds. Some are Band Direc-tors, and others are current teachers inthe Hillsborough County and PinellasCounty public and private school sys-tems.”

Helen is very thorough in the hir-ing process and hires teachers thathave extensive experience as well as agreat love of music. She adds, “Thisbrings strength to our program be-cause some music schools hire those

who simply have a passion for music,but we believe methodology and ex-perience are just as important.”

Westchase Music School is uniquein so many ways! First off, whereasmany music schools only offer 30-minute lessons, at Westchase MusicSchool each lesson is 45 minutes andincludes a 15-minute interactive labthat allows the student to explore ex-


“Music”Continued from page 1

clusive music technology. The labportion of the session also providesfacts about music history, composerknowledge, and instrument identifica-tion, and keeps a personal record ofthe students’ progress and their under-standing of music methodology. Thelabs are age-appropriate and are fo-cused on specific learning techniquessuitable for each age group. Second,

Westchase Music School uses onlyhigh-quality acoustic instruments, al-lowing the student to truly experienceand appreciate the real instrument.Third, students are enrolled on amonthly basis so there is no long-termcontract. Finally, many families areconcerned with the expense of havingto purchase an instrument for theirchild to take lessons; not an issue here– Westchase Music School provides in-strument rentals through the Musicand Arts Rental Program. Instru-ments can be rented for as little as$6.75 a month and they also offer arent-to-own option.

Once enrolled, you will not bedisappointed in both the affordabilityand accessibility of lessons and themusical environment is both welcom-ing and inspiring to all who enter.Taking lessons at Westchase MusicSchool has many great advantages,and students are more motivated tolearn when surrounded by others whoshare in their excitement.

They also provide free Saturdaymorning ‘master classes’ that are of-fered to all enrolled students. Theseclasses are designed to inform studentsabout the practical side of playing aninstrument. Topics covered in theseclasses include how to string a guitar,

Westchase Music School’s Music Technology Lab


cleaning of instruments, etc.

Music MarathonSo maybe this all sounds great to

you, but still your child is not surewhat instrument they would like toplay? Why not set your worries asideand take advantage of a unique pro-gram called Music Marathon. Createdas a ways for students to try out a vari-ety of different instruments, studentschoose four of any of the instrumentlessons available at the school and ex-plore one a week for four weeks. Fol-lowing the program, students willhave a better understanding of whatthey want and can then choose theirfavorite to continue in a private lessonsetting. This is a terrific way to intro-duce a variety of musical instrumentsto a student that is undecided and it isalso beneficial to the parents whowould really like their child to play aspecific instrument. This way theychoose something they really like andanxiety takes a back seat! The MusicMarathon Class is also available toadult students.

Pre-K Music ProgramWestchase Music School also of-

fers an incredible Pre-K Music Pro-gram for groups of children ages 3 –

5. This program is nationally accred-ited for Pre-School Music by MENC.When younger students begin in thissetting, it sets a foundation for asmooth transition into private lessons.Using real acoustic instruments, thefocus of this program is on readingmusic and music teaching and the Pre-K class performs at all recitals, which issomething unique to Westchase MusicSchool.

Convenience – families are wel-come to enroll up to 4-5 children orfamily members (including mom ordad) to take lessons all at the sametime. Westchase Music School under-stands that parents are busy – drivingtheir kids around – and, with 15teachers on staff, they make it conven-ient for any parent to enroll all theirkids in private lessons at the same timewith different teachers, saving parents

time. Westchase Music School also hasa family discount for enrolling morethan one family member and eachnewly enrolled student receives a freemusic tote. Currently they are work-ing on a scholarship fund for both en-rolled students and students in thepublic school system. “It is importantto us that we are not just a businesswithin the Westchase community, butthat we truly become a part of it,” saysRick. Starting in October, music stu-dents will travel to local nursing

homes and share their gifted musicaltalents. They also would like to be-come involved in public and privateschools in the area and welcome anyopportunity to visit and speak withstudents about music.

Westchase Music School wel-comes you to stop by any time for awalk around tour. They are cen-trally located in the heart ofWestchase, on the corner of Coun-tryway Boulevard and Citrus ParkDrive near the Upper Tampa BayPublic Library at 11301 Country-Way Blvd in Westchase. They have 3different and easy ways for anyoneto register for lessons – online viatheir website, by phone and in per-son. For more information or tocheck out weekly promotions pleasecall (813) 925-0102, visit theirwebsite at www.WestchaseMusic-School.com or their Facebook page.


the family business, Kessler’s Depart-ment Store, and continued to workthere even after she married the lateSimon Kessler in 1935. The two metthrough family when they were youngand Simon asked her to a dance whenthey matured. The rest was history.Three children later, the couple movedto South Tampa in 1948 and becamelong time members of CongregationSchaarai Zedek.

Simon and Edythe always feltblessed by their family of three children:Beverly, Jean, and Martin; three grand-children: Andrew, Lori, and Jim; andfour great grandchildren Michael, Sam,Ryan, and Rachel.

“Mom always had an open doorpolicy and on weekends, family wouldcome from different areas to visit,”reminisced Edythe’s daughter Beverly

during a re-cent familybirthday cele-bration. “Assoon as theygot there,Mom was al-ready defrost-ing food andcooking forthe family. Infact, ourcousin justreferred to

her as the ‘family treasure’ and that’sthe truth.”

Through the years, Edythe lovedthe arts, as well as knitting, baking,cooking and playing the piano. While atWeinberg Village, Edythe can still befound playing the piano for other resi-dents when she is not busy reading agood book or taking long daily walksdown the hallways to stay in shape.After being asked about the values shelives by, Edythe answered, “I have en-joyed my life and family. I believe in Godand in helping people. We should sharewhat we have. When people are hungrywe should feed them. Those are the val-ues I have passed on to my children.”

Ruth Sklar Ruth Sklar was born the youngest

of six children in New York City onJune 3, 1910. Ruth’s advice to thenext generation is, “Be a good personand be nice to everybody. If you dothat, you’ll have a great life. It’s what Idid and now I thank God every day forbeing alive and still of sound mind!”

Ruth was invited to a local socialclub event in 1934 where she met herfuture husband, Abraham Sklar. Thetwo married and went on to have threechildren: Sherman, Joseph, and Gail; sixgrandchildren: Kerri, Jamie, David,Michael, Aaron, and Evan; and thirteengreat grandchildren: Alexander, Carli,

On Sunday, June 9th, WeinbergVillage residents celebrated the birthdaysof three centenarians, whom at 100(+)years are still “young at heart”; RuthPross (100 on May 27), Ruth Sklar (103on June 3) and Edythe Kessler (103 onJune 15). Residents enjoyed a birthdayparty in honor of the three women tocelebrate their milestones, complete withmusic, entertainment, and, of course, alarge birthday cake.

Ruth ProssRuth has lived at Weinberg Village

for a little over three years. When askedabout her longevity, she said, “God isgood to me, He keeps me going. Beinghere at Weinberg has been wonderfulbecause I am closer to my son anddaughter-in-law, the staff is very helpful,and there are many activities to choosefrom every day.”

Ruth was born in Brooklyn (Bor-ough Park), New York in 1913. Shetook business classes throughout highschool and later worked as a book-keeper for many years before marryingIrving Pross in 1945. Ruth and Irvingmet through family and friends in 1940before Irving was deployed overseas forWWII. The two fell in love and main-tained a long distance relationship.

WhenIrving re-turned in1945, thecouplewas hap-pily mar-ried lessthanthirtydays later.

AfterleavingNewYork in

1975, the Pross’ headed to Floridawhere they raised their family and con-tinued to enjoy the journey towardtheir 58-year marriage. Ruth and Irv-ing were blessed with two children,Ron and Arthur (who unfortunatelypassed away at a very young age); threegrandchildren: Adam, Rachel, and Seth;and six great grandchildren: Benjamin,Dahlia, Jonah, Rena, Dante, Clara; aseventh one is on the way.

Edythe KesslerEdythe Kessler was born June 15,

1910 in Fort Valley, Georgia beforemoving with her family to Clermont,FL. While in Clermont, she worked for

100 Years Young at Heart

Ruth Pross with SonRon Pross

Edythe Kessler withgreat grandson,

Sam Fruit


Sadie, Ryker,Tayla, Adam,Jenna, Jordan,Darryn, Elijah,Asher, Levi,and new bornbaby, Reyna.

Ruth wasa stay-at-homemom until herchildren grewolder, when

she went to work for the City of NewYork as a civil service Proctor and de-rived much joy from this career. WhenAbe retired, the couple moved to Del-ray Beach where they spent many happyyears enjoying the Florida lifestyle untilAbe passed in 1996.

Ruth’s son Sherman commented,“Ruth can attribute her long and happylife to good health, love of family, andpositive attitude that allows her to getalong with everybody. Ruth has been aresident of Weinberg Village for almost7 years and loves the food, staff and ac-tivities. Even at 103, she stays busy withall her activities and many friends mak-ing it difficult to reach her by day.”

About Weinberg VillageThe mission of Weinberg Village is

to enhance the quality of life of their res-idents by providing quality care in ahomelike environment sensitive to Jew-

ish culture and values. While three peo-ple over 100 “years young at heart” re-side at Weinberg Village, there areresidents as young as 75. Weinberg Vil-lage specializes in providing care forevery age and stage of one’s life – fromindependent to those looking for healthand wellness services. Weinberg Villageoffers a full complement of services in-cluding assisted living residence with anindependent style, customized health &wellness plans, medication management,assistance with personal care, 24 houron-site wellness staff, on-site rehabilita-tion services, transportation to doctorappointments, kosher meals, laundry &housekeeping service, cultural, social &recreational activities, and secure mem-ory care. Weinberg Village features pri-vate studios, one bedroom residencescomplemented by a host of amenities,including a salon and a Jewish Commu-nity Center; all on a 21 acre gated multi-generational campus.

Assisted Living Facility License #: 08679.A wholly owned subsidiary of the Tampa JewishCommunity Center & Federation.

Weinberg Village Assisted LivingResidences is located at 13005 Com-munity Campus Dr. in Tampa. Formore information about Weinberg Vil-lage’s programs and services please call(813) 969-1818 or visit us on the webat WeinbergVillage.com.

Ruth Sklar

westchase - vol. 2, issue 9, september 2013

Documents

mellow mushroom westchase

westchase music school

westchase recreationcenter

opened westchase musicschool

musical vision

community calendar

tampa bay community

mellow mushroom inwestchase