The Laker/Lutz News

Buchanan Middle School

Bearss Landing Townhomes Opening This Summer

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One of north Tampa’s most desirable locations on Bearss Avenue, located just west of North Boulevard, is the site of a new townhome community being built by Meritage Homes.

Opening this summer, Bearss Landing will be a community of 115 townhomes on the north side of Bearss Avenue, positioned in-between Buchanan Middle School and Carrollwood Day School.

“There is a huge demand for affordable new construction in north Tampa, and Bearss Landing will be perfect for families looking for a spacious home with quick access to USF, downtown Tampa, and all the shopping and dining in Carrollwood,” said Chris Ryan, division president of Meritage Homes for Tampa.

In addition to being just five minutes from Interstate 275, floor plans developed for Bearss Landing are uniquely designed for families and young adults buying their first home.

Six floor plans will be available, ranging from 1,756 to 2,378 square feet. Every plan has a covered patio, two-car garage, three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths. The first floor has a half bath, and two full baths are upstairs along with the master bedroom and two additional bedrooms. Some floor plans have a downstairs flex room that can be used as an office, dining room, playroom or library.

“It is very unusual for a townhome community to provide two-car garages for every home,” said Ryan. “But, our research shows that just about everyone buying a home wants a two-car garage, so we made sure that was a standard feature.”

Bearss Landing is planning to open two models homes, the Fremont and Burbank, in August. Prices are expected to begin in the high $200s.

“Energy efficiency is another feature that new homebuyers identify as important,” said Ryan. “Meritage seamlessly builds energy efficiency into every home, which means homeowner will save up to 50 percent on their utility bills.”

Meritage Homes, which has designed and built over 100,000 homes in its 32-year history, is the industry leader in energy-efficient homebuilding and has received the ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year for Sustained-Excellence Award for the sixth consecutive year.

Bearss Landings also offers upscale amenities, including a gated, landscaped entrance, and community pool and cabanas. Amenities are under construction and will be ready for the community’s first homeowners.

The schools zoned for the community are Maniscalco Elementary, Buchanan Middle and Gaither High. For families looking for private schools, Carrollwood Day School is next door, and offers classes for children from preschool through high school.

About Bearss Landing
New construction
115 Townhomes
1,756 to 2,378 square feet
6 unique floor plans
Attached 2-car garages
3 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths
5 minutes to I-275
10 minutes to Carrollwood
Gated, landscaped entrance
Community pool and cabanas
Models opening summer 2018

Energy Efficient Features
Weather-sensing Irrigation
Dual-Actuated Toilets
Water-Efficient Faucets
ENERGY STAR® Certified Appliances
Spray Foam Insulation
Advanced Thermostat
Conditioned Attics
Low-E Windows
Sealed Insulated Ducts
Minimum MERV 8 HVAC Filtration
PEX Plumbing
Insulated Garage Doors
Minimum SEER 15 HVAC
LED Lighting

Sales Center: (855) 679-9942

Published May 23, 2018

They’re off to learn the ins and outs of leadership

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While some kids are heading to the beach or to a theme park this summer, a trio of girls who just wrapped up fifth grade at Lutz Elementary are gearing up for a trip to Washington D.C.

Kylie Flynn, Kaitlyn Britton and Alice Mooneyham will be participating in the Junior National Young Leaders Conference.

The students were nominated by their former teacher, Cindy Morrissey.

The girls can’t wait to check out the nation’s capital.

This trio of girls are heading to Washington D.C., to find out a few things about leadership. They are, from left, Alice Mooneyham, Kaitlyn Britton and Kylie Flynn. They’ll be participating in the Junior National Young Leaders Conference. (B.C. Manion)

“I’ve never been to Washington D.C., and I’ve wanted to go there,” said Alice, who is 11. “I think it’s going to be a really cool experience.”

Eleven-year-old Kaitlynn shares her enthusiasm.

“It’s going to be fun. My sister went in eighth grade. She got a lot of really cool photos. It was really pretty there.”

Plus, Kaitlyn added: “It will be fun to learn all about the statues.”

Ten-year-old Kylie is eager to make the trip, too.

“I can’t wait for the experiences to go to the different places,” she said. “I was really happy that I was nominated.”

Alice is particularly interested in visiting the Lincoln Memorial, while Kylie is looking forward to visiting Harper’s Ferry. Kaitlyn is looking forward to an activity-packed schedule.

“There’s going to be a lot of stuff to do in the day,” Kaitlyn said. “You’ll get to learn the history behind the monuments.”

The conference includes sessions on leadership traits and historic topics, as well as visits to national memorials, museums and a sleepover at the Maryland Science Center, amid mummies, dinosaurs and space exhibits.

Kaitlyn thinks the conference will be a good experience, but she’s not sure if it will help her with her future career. She wants to be a chiropractor when she grows up.

Alice wants to be a teacher.

Kylie wants to be a teacher, too. But, she said: “If that doesn’t work out, I want to be a lawyer. I want to be a lawyer that helps people get custody of their kids.”

Both Kylie and Kaitlyn live in Lutz, and Alice just moved from Lutz to Land O’ Lakes.

Kaitlyn will be attending Terrace Community Middle School in Temple Terrace. Kylie will be attending Buchanan Middle School in Tampa, and Alice will be attending Cypress Creek Middle High in Wesley Chapel.

Alice’s mom, Michelle Milone, is thrilled that Alice was nominated for the program.

“All three of you should be so super-duper proud of yourselves,” Milone told the girls, during a recent interview with The Laker/Lutz News.

“I think it’s really, really great,” Milone said.

“When I was in high school, I went to something called GHP, the governor’s honors program. It was paid for by the state. It was a big deal. I learned a lot.

“I went to law camp, one year,” she added. “I went to Spanish camp.”

“I met people. I learned things,” Milone said. She’s glad the girls can take advantage of this opportunity.

Like Milone, Andrea and Kiel Flynn are delighted that the girls were nominated.

They estimated the conference cost for each of the girls to be around $3,000, and that doesn’t count the expenses that Flynn, Milone or Dave and Melissa Britton will incur because they’ll be on their own.

While it’s pricey, Milone and Flynn think its worthwhile because they believe the experience will have a lasting impression.

Published June 14, 2017

Heroes for Hire playing the right tunes

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Being a boy band with a first release on iTunes is heady stuff.

But, Heroes for Hire is getting used to the attention, playing their brand of edgy, alternative rock at venues such as Skipper’s Smokehouse, New World Brewery and Buckets.

Louis Mittens, 15; Ben Hense, 13; Ryan Romero, 15; Corey Fox, 15; and, Josh Morin, 14, came together as a band at Jim Chambers Music Box.

Heroes for Hire celebrated their first iTunes release with a performance at the Orpheum in Ybor City.
(Courtesy of Marlene Fox Photography)

Chambers is the maestro who orchestrates and fine tunes young musicians at his “school of rock” in Carrollwood. He puts bands together with that right mix of personal chemistry and musical chops.

“In six weeks, they’re expected to play a show,” Chambers said.

Heroes for Hire started playing gigs more than a year ago.

On Feb. 4, the band had a release party for its first iTunes’ song, “The Wanted One,” at The Orpheum in Ybor City.

Romero is the group’s songwriter. He also came up with the band’s name which salutes the military.

“You think of soldiers. They’re always heroes,” said Romero.

He started writing songs in seventh grade. “I like emotional topics that have a moral meaning, that are inspirational.”

Some band members knew one another before coming to “the box,” but mostly they’ve become fast friends because of the music. They attend Blake High School, Buchanan Middle School and Gaither High School, and live in Carrollwood and Lutz.

Fox’s mother started him on bass guitar when he was age 10.

“I was super into it,” he said, adding that a long career in music “would be a dream.”

Chambers knows how those dreams can sometimes happen.

He is a former music executive who earned Grammy awards with Maroon 5 and Loudon Wainwright III.

Chambers got his start in the mailroom at Sky Records, which was co-owned by Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls. Ray got him a job promotion after a chatty encounter one day at work.

In a podcast interview with Cigar City Radio First, Chambers recalled Ray asking afterward, “Who’s that kid in the mailroom who won’t shut up? Put him on the phones.”

From there, marketing and promotion became his way up the music industry ladder.

In nearly three decades, Chambers built a long resume. His jobs included merchandise representative for Sony Records in Miami and national sales representative for a division of Sire Records in New York.

Along the way, he watched Maroon 5 break into the outer stratosphere of the music world.

The economic crash in 2009 cost him his job. He flirted with moving to Belize, but ended up back home in Carrollwood, with his parents.

He taught drum lessons for awhile. Then, he ran a home-based music academy, until the homeowner’s association objected.

In July 2015, he opened Jim Chambers Music Box in a small shopping plaza, at 4312 Gunn Highway. Creative Loafing magazine recognized his school as “Best of the Bay” band incubator.

His band protégés include the all-girl band, Extra Celestial, and Inkblot.

Musical influences on Heroes for Hire are the Foo Fighters, Jack White and Jimi Hendrix.

Morin admires instrumental rock guitarist Joe Satriana. “He lets the guitar be his melody,” he said.

Rehearsals at Chamber’s studio are free-wheeling, get-it-on rock shows. But, live performances are the best.

“This is a way of getting feedback,” said Hense, who plays the drums.
It also builds a fan base that gets to know their music.

Mittens thinks he’s found his niche.

“Pretty much all I want to do is play guitar, in and out of school,” he said.

Published February 22, 2017