The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

B.C. Manion

Local Boy Scouts and their parents help food pantry

By

A group of men and women gathered recently at Harvester United Methodist Church, off Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes, to lug bags and boxes of food from a room in the church to their SUVs and mini-vans in the church parking lot.

Megan Backhus, a sister of a scout, Kenneth Huffman, a Cub Scout with Pack 323 and Boy Scouts from Troop 707 Nikolaus Lappe, Jared Backhus, Owen Lowry, Sawyer Spiegel, Iain Lappe and Lawrence Huffman helped collect food during a recent food drive at Publix. (Courtesy of Boy Scout Troop 707)

They made numerous trips carrying all sorts of items, including potato chips, granola bars, Goldfish, pasta, Little Bites, pudding cups, bottled water, Gatorade, and canned fruits and vegetables, among other things.

The adult volunteers chatted and laughed, as they worked.

There was so much stuff that they found themselves putting down seats to make more room in their vehicles.

Ultimately there were enough groceries to fill five cars.

They never expected such a bounty from the two-day food collection campaign conducted by Boy Scout Troop 707, of Land O’ Lakes.

“We were flabbergasted,” said Kay Svendgard, a mom volunteer with the troop.

Jacquie Petet, executive director of Christian Social Services in Land O’ Lakes, was all smiles when the crew of adult volunteers for Boy Scout Troop 707 showed up with five vehicles full of food. (B.C. Manion)

The boys stood outside the Publix store at the Shoppes at New Tampa, off of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. They collected donations on a Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and a Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Others helped, including siblings of the scouts, their parents and some members of Cub Scout Pack 323, which feeds into Boy Scout Troop 707.

As shoppers walked into the store, the volunteers would hand them a Publix flyer and tell them they were collecting food for Christian Social Services, which has a food pantry in Land O’ Lakes, Svendgard said.

“They would point out some of the Buy One, Get One Free, and would ask them, if they would like to come out and give us food,” she added.

During the first shift alone, there was enough food donated to fill the back of a truck, Svendgard said.

Kay Svengard fills a grocery cart with some of the goods collected by Boy Scout Troop 707 in a food drive for Christian Social Services.

“I was like ‘Holy Moly, that’s unbelievable.’,” she added. “Every shift, we had the same result. Not only food, but cash donations.”

Troop 707 does a variety of community service projects each year, including the most recent food drive.

“One of the things that the boys learn from scouting is that you need to give back to your community,” Svendgard said.

“The church itself does not have a food pantry,” she added, so it supports Christian Social Services, which does help the hungry.

Troop 707 — which by the way signifies LOL (Land O’ Lakes) flipped upside down — is made up of 36 boys.

Christian Social Services has a good supply of food to help people in need because of generous holiday donations, said Jacquie Petet, the organization’s executive director. Come summer, it will be very grateful for the additional donations brought by Boy Scout Troop 707, she said.

The troop gets a lot of support from parents, Svendgard said.  “We have a great group of adults that help make Troop 707 great,” she said.

Some of them showed up to help deliver the groceries to Christian Social Services.

Among them were Dan Backhus and Steve Koenig, who are both assistant scout masters.

The two men have a couple of other things in common, too. For one thing, both of them are Eagle Scouts. For another, their sons, who are now freshmen in high school, have been scouts together since first grade.

Doreen Perez, who also is active with the troop, and Mike Thors, a volunteer parent, were also on hand to help deliver the groceries.

“I did not expect this much,” Perez said, surveying the room inside the church that was piled with bags and bags of groceries.

Steve Koenig, himself an Eagle Scout, enjoys being involved with Boy Scout Troop 707. He is an assistant scout master.

She was pleased by the kindness of strangers.

“On the first shift, there was a woman who came in. She was so excited she went in and bought an entire cart full of vegetables,” Perez said.

Backhus, who works at that Publix, also was delighted by the community’s generosity.

“I was just super-impressed. It was so uplifting. Everybody — they were so nice,” Backhus said.

When the volunteers arrived with their cars full of food, Jacquie Petet, executive director of Christian Social Services, offered this response: “Holy Cow! We are blessed.”

The charitable organization has food left from its holiday donations, but knows that the supplies will dwindle.

“Come summer, we’ll be so grateful,” Petet said. “This is wonderful.”

Published February 14, 2018

Big things are in store for Pioneer Florida Museum and Village

By

For the second year in a row, the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village in Dade City will be hosting a traveling Smithsonian Exhibition.

This year, it will be presenting “Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America,” from March 17 through April 28.

A young woman competes in a high school rodeo in 2011. (Courtesy of National High School Rodeo Association/David Jennings Media Group)

The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, in cooperation with Florida Humanities Council, will be presenting the program, which is part of the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street program.

The exhibit will feature a variety of sports, said Stephanie Black, the museum’s executive director.

The Smithsonian does one traveling exhibition a year that travels to six different place in the state, Black said.

“Out of the group from last time, we’re the only ones who got it for a second time in a row,” she said.

The exhibition also will arrive at the Dade City museum first, which helps because the Smithsonian and the other museums all come to help set it up, Black said.

The Florida Humanities also is involved with a family reading project leading up to the exhibition, Black said.

In conjunction with the exhibition, the museum receives grant money and must meet certain requirements, Black said. One of those things is to help a home team in the area, she said.

“We’re looking at Dade City Little League. We’re going to sponsor a team this year,” Black said.

Stephanie Black, executive director of the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village in Dade City, is excited about upcoming events and improvements at the museum. (B.C. Manion)

“Hometown Teams” will capture the stories that unfold on the neighborhood fields and courts, and the underdog heroics, larger-than-life legends, fierce rivalries and gut-wrenching defeats. For more than 100 years, sports have reflected the trials and triumphs of the American experience and helped shape the national character. Whether it is professional sports or those played on the collegiate or scholastic level, amateur sports or sports played by kids on the local playground, sports are everywhere in America, according to a news release about the exhibition.

Black said she’s still working on the details regarding what will be part of the exhibit at her museum.

In other news, the museum is working on improvement projects and additional events.

It is using a state grant to pay for the construction of eight new bathrooms.

“Those will help us when we have events here, we don’t have to rent port-a-lets. Nobody likes those anyway,” Black said.

The permanent restrooms will provide more comfort for guests and eliminate the rental costs, she said.

“The grant was for $53,500,” Black said, so the museum just needs to chip in a few hundred dollars to cover the remaining cost.

The museum is also adding a new blacksmith’s shop and a new carpenter’s shop. The blacksmith shop is 24 by 24 and the carpenter’s shop is 24 by 32.

In the blacksmith’s shop, the museum acquired Dade City road bricks to put in the floor.

There are also beams from one of the railroads, to put in the buildings, Black said. Since the buildings weren’t moved there, the staff still wanted it to be full of Dade City history, she said.

In another project, the community is trying to organize a room that will feature an exhibit focusing on black churches and black businesses.

“There’s a woman from Saint Leo University who is doing a lot of work on black history that’s involved with this,” Black said.

The museum also is planning some additional events this year.

The Living History & Civil War Re-Enactments will be on the museum grounds on Feb. 24 and Feb. 25, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a special school day planned for Feb. 24.

“We’re very excited about it,” Black said.

The event had been held at the museum years ago, but it was in September, which was the wrong time of the year.  “It was just way too hot for them.”

The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village is at 15602 Pioneer Museum Road in Dade City. It is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with general admission of $10 for adults; $8 for seniors and $5 for students. Children under age 5 are free.

Revised February 15, 2018

‘Get Loud!’ takes aim at sexual assault, domestic violence

By

Cheers normally reverberate through Wiregrass Ranch High School’s gymnasium when a boys basketball player on the home team scores.

That didn’t happen though during the initial minutes of the varsity team’s Jan. 30 game against Sunlake High School.

Instead, spectators remained silent, in response to signs being shown to them that said “Shhh” and “Be Quiet.”

Lots of people wore purple to a special event staged during the Jan. 30 basketball game between Wiregrass Ranch and Sunlake high schools. The goal was to raise awareness about the problems of power-based violence, including domestic violence and sexual assault. (B.C. Manion)

The crowd kept quiet until the ninth point was scored and then —responding to signs that said “Break the Silence” — spectators roared.

Obviously, there was a lot more going on than just a routine basketball game.

In fact, a full-fledged public awareness campaign was being staged, too.

Wiregrass Ranch High School’s basketball game was the venue for “Get Loud!”

The event was presented by the high school, in Wesley Chapel, in conjunction with the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay and Sunrise of Pasco County Inc. Domestic and Sexual Violence Center. It also was supported through a Tampa Bay Lightning Foundation Community Heroes grant.

Staying silent for nine points was intended to call attention to the fact that every 9 seconds in the United States a woman is assaulted or beaten.

Besides making people more aware of the problem, the event aims to spread the message that it’s time to break the silence about these forms of violence, which are sometimes deadly.

Wiregrass Ranch senior Gabby Azzolina led the efforts to bring the event to her school. She said people don’t realize the extent of the problem, and survivors don’t know where to turn for help.

“So many people don’t know there are facilities to help and numbers to call,” Azzolina said. “I want them to know that it’s OK to get loud about it, and break the silence. The Crisis Center’s number is 2-1-1.”

Mathematics teacher Amy Munroe helped Azzolina to organize the event at Wiregrass Ranch.

Munroe said she was happy to help when she was asked. She hopes that more people will begin talking about the problem, as a result of the event.

“Just to be able to talk about it, is a big deal,” Munroe said.

Buttons at the ‘Get Loud!’ event helped spread the message of the problems of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Dottie Urbanek Nash, director of education and prevention for Sunrise, said these kinds of events are important.

“Awareness campaigns like this are wonderful. They do a lot to get the word out about what’s happening, locally. Unfortunately, we tend to think that domestic violence doesn’t happen here,” she said.

It’s also important for people to know there are ways to help prevent these types of violence, she said.

The Wiregrass Ranch event evolved out of a conversation between Gabby’s mom, Madeline Azzolina, and Denise Cassedy, whose daughter, Katie, initiated the first “Get Loud!” event at Robinson High School two years ago.

After Katie graduated, her sister, Carolina, got involved, and now — Robinson, Plant and Hillsborough high schools in Tampa have “Get Loud!” events.

Wiregrass Ranch intends to make this an annual event, Munroe said.

Some sobering statistics

  • One of every three women have been victims of some form of physical violence by an intimate partner within her lifetime. The same is true for one in every four men.
  • One in five women has been sexually assaulted.
  • One in seven women has been stalked. The same is true for one in 18 men.
  • Nearly two-thirds of all sexual assaults are not reported to the police.

Source: The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Do you need help? Call 2-1-1

Published February 7, 2018

Mission 22 helps fight the war on veteran suicides

By

U.S. military personnel are trained to go into combat and face deadly dangers, but it turns out that adjusting to life after leaving active duty can sometimes pose greater perils.

That was the message that Shawn Huber brought to the Jan. 23 luncheon meeting of the Rotary Club of Lutz at the Heritage Harbor Country Club.

Shawn Huber, an ambassador for Mission 22, talks about the problem of military veteran suicides during a Rotary Club of Lutz meeting on Jan. 23. An estimated 20 veterans die by suicide each day, according to research by the department of Veteran Affairs. (B.C. Manion)

Huber, an ambassador for Mission 22, talked about that organization’s efforts to reduce the number of veterans who lose their lives to suicide.

An estimated 20 veterans die by suicide each day, according to research by the department of Veterans Affairs.

It’s a problem that led to the creation of Mission 22, said Huber, noting that he went to high school with one of the group’s original founders.

“What Mission 22 is looking for is financial donations to get these guys through treatment,” he said. It also needs ambassadors to help organize local events.

So many wounded warriors have injuries that cannot be seen, Huber said.

“People are like: ‘How do you know when people are going through this?’

“You don’t.

“If you’re missing an arm or a leg, I know you’ve been injured, right? But, if you don’t show any outward sign of injury — it’s all internal — people pass it off as if there is nothing wrong with you,” Huber said.

“The thing about military families — the wives and children know that Dad comes and goes. “What happens when Dad comes home and stays home. They don’t know how to handle them,” Huber said. “They try to ‘fix’ them.”

Veterans leave the service, where they were part of a team and had a specific role, to return to society, where they are no longer part of that team and can’t find a job that correlates with the one they left, Huber said.

“You were trained to do a job, and that job doesn’t exist,” Huber said.

Many are suffering from PTSD, too.

“They start drinking. They’re doing drugs,” he said.

“There are people that I’ve talked to — who have been on between 25 and 47 different drugs at once,” Huber added.

Some people who end their life by suicide choose that route, he said, because “in their minds, sometimes, this is the easiest way for them not put a burden on their friends and their family,” he said.

When someone ends his or her life, people often wonder: “What is the one thing that pushes them over the edge?” Huber said. “It’s not one thing.”

And, it’s often not easy to tell who might need some help, Huber added.

“You very rarely will find out who in your neighborhood is coming back from the military, unless they’re damaged physically and they’re missing a limb,” he said.

“We want to create awareness,” Huber added.

“What I’ve volunteered to do is that when people are ready and they want to make a change in their lives, I take them from where they are, to better.

Mission 22 has two treatment programs that focus on Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The goal is not to medicate and mask the problems our veterans are facing, but to heal them. The creation of these Mission 22 Healing Projects will allow us to support even more veterans through groundbreaking treatments.

One program can be done at home, and the other is done at a treatment facility in North Carolina.

For specifics about each program, visit Mission22.com.

Published February 7, 2018

These gardeners are breaking new ground, in more ways than one

By

Community gardens are not a new concept, but the Watson Park Community Garden in Dade City has a new twist.

This garden is the first of its kind in Florida, and the people behind it hope it will become a model for others to follow.

At a ribbon-cutting and groundbreaking ceremony on Jan. 26, children from Cox Elementary School were among the first to get their hands dirty in the garden.

There were others there to celebrate, including Saqib Mukhtar from the University of Florida; Whitney Elmore and Eden Santiago-Gomez, of the Pasco County Extension Office; Camille Hernandez, mayor of Dade City; representatives from the Dade City Garden Club and Pasco County Master Gardeners; financial supporters and members of the community, too.

A cast of many played a role in making the garden become reality, Elmore said, in her opening remarks.

She credited Santiago-Gomez for coming up with the idea and working relentlessly to pursue it.

But, Elmore also noted that it was a collaborative effort and required the help of many.

“It’s the first one in the state that is a partnership between the University of Florida and a municipality (Dade City), so, we’re really, no pun intended, breaking ground, breaking new ground here,” Elmore said.

“Camille Hernandez, the City of Dade City and the commissioners were kind enough to see the value in this and allow funds for the fencing, for the irrigation. They had their work crews, city crews come in and put that in very quickly, a professional job, very, very well done,” Elmore said.

Mukhtar, associate dean for extension and program leader for agriculture, said “this will be a shining example of what can be done.”

Elmore noted: “We’ve got different types of plots. We’ve got regular raised-bed plots. We’ve also got handicapped-accessible plots.”

Eden Santiago-Gomez works with children from Cox Elementary School to begin planting in the Watson Park Community Garden. (B.C. Manion)

The value of community gardens goes beyond growing fruits and vegetables, both Elmore and Hernandez said.

“It really is an exciting day today,” Hernandez said.

She then shared Dade City’s vision for community gardens.

That vision, Hernandez said, is “to provide opportunities for people to grow food for themselves and for donations; to promote healthy diets and activities; to get to know their neighbors and make new friends; to learn from each other; to engage our youth; to promote environmental sustainability and to create a productive and beautiful common ground in our community.

“Today is all about engaging and educating. I’m excited about this wonderful opportunity,” she told the crowd before the ribbon-cutting to officially open the garden, which offers free garden plots for lease.

After the ceremony, Hernandez donned a pair of pink garden gloves and made her way into the garden.

This is the first of many community gardens that Elmore would like to see across Pasco County.

Another community garden is planned in Dade City, which Elmore expects to open within a few months at the Stallings Building, which is owned by Pasco County.

Other possibilities include establishing community gardens at public libraries on the west side of Pasco County, adding community gardens to development projects and possibly to schools, too.

Like Hernandez, Elmore sees enormous potential in the good that community gardens can do.

Besides producing wholesome food, they offer a place where people can learn, she said. They also can bring people together and can provide a source of nutrition to reduce chronic disease.

Elmore expressed gratitude for the widespread support.

“All of these folks saw the need. They all saw the potential for good. And, if it hadn’t had been for them, we couldn’t have made this happen,” Elmore said.

She heaped particular praise on Santiago-Gomez.

“This is the result of her brainchild, of planning, coordinating, being on the phone 24/7, and getting things done. A lot of labor on her part,” Elmore said.

Published January 31, 2018

Rezoning of some west Pasco schools invalid, judge says

By

A circuit court judge has invalidated school rezoning actions by the Pasco County School Board for some of the district’s west schools, citing violations of a public notice requirement and of the state’s Sunshine Law.

In a ruling dated Jan. 10, Circuit Court Judge Kimberly Sharpe Byrd determined that members of the district’s boundary committee “held discussions on Boundary Committee business outside of a noticed public hearing, and when it held breakout sessions of the middle school and high school groups.”

The school board also violated a section of the state’s public notice requirements, according to the judge.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning addresses reporters during a news conference about a judge’s decision to invalidate rezoning of some west Pasco schools based on the judge’s findings of Sunshine Law and public notice requirements. (B.C. Manion)

The judge’s ruling did not affect any zonings involving schools in other parts of the county.

In response to Byrd’s findings, Pasco School Superintendent Kurt Browning held a news conference to discuss the ruling and talk about the district’s next steps.

“Our attorneys are currently determining how to respond to the order,” he said, and It will be up to the Pasco County School Board to decide how to proceed.

Meanwhile, Browning gave parents of all students affected by the invalidated rezoning the opportunity to choose to return to the school they were rezoned from, or stay where they are at, for the rest of the school year.

Parents had the opportunity, before Jan. 20, to indicate their wishes via a form on the district’s website.

“Parents who don’t complete the form will be presumed to want (their student) to stay in their current school,” Browning said.

“We believe it would be entirely disruptive of us to just literally give parents no choice, give students no choice and pick them up out of classrooms, let’s say Friday, and Monday they start back at Seven Springs Middle and J.W. Mitchell (High School),” Browning said.

The vast majority of parents opted to keep their children at the school they had been reassigned to attend.

During the news conference, Browning said the district expects to rezone schools again before the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year, so it is possible that someone could choose to leave River Ridge to go back to J.W. Mitchell, and then be rezoned back into River Ridge again.

“The same thing could be said of Seven Springs Middle and River Ridge Middle, as well,” he said.

It is possible that the upcoming rezoning on the west side of the district will include additional schools, Browning said.

That rezoning will be done using the district’s new rezoning procedure, Browning said.

“I eliminated the boundary committee. The committee was problematic,” Browning said. “I think this order exposed that there were opportunities for possible Sunshine violations, and according to the judge (there were) four Sunshine violations.”

Besides citing communications outside of committee meetings, the judge also had a problem with breakout sessions used.

Individuals could not hear what was going during them, and there were sidebar conversations, Browning said.

“It’s problematic. I think If you are going to be making public decisions, they need to be made in the public, where people can hear them and they can participate at the appropriate time.

“I think this has taught us a lesson. I think it will send a message to school districts and county commissions and local governments across the state,” Browning said.

Under the new rezoning procedure, the superintendent determines a rezoning is needed, has proposed boundaries prepared, takes them to a public workshop and then takes the final recommendation to the school board for action.

“It follows the process that the department of transportation uses when they go to site a road,” Browning said.

Browning said he understands that parents don’t want their children to be rezoned.

“As a parent of two boys that went through this system, I would not want to be told that I’m going to have to take my children out of Pasco High School, where I went to school, where my mother went to school and send them to another school in Pasco County.

“Fundamentally, it’s aggravating,” he said.

However, the district has to accommodate growth and must redraw boundaries to address school crowding, Browning said.

Published January 31, 2018

These graduates have taken a different path to success

By

One plans to help build ships.

Another wants to work in child care.

Two others plan health care careers.

And, that’s just four of the more than 50 graduates who received their diplomas during the 2018 Commencement Ceremony on Jan. 25 at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel.

Sixteen-year-old Hailey Pecora plans to pursue a nursing degree. (B.C. Manion)

Some had completed their GEDs. Others had finished the cosmetology program or Early Childhood Apprenticeship. And, there were some receiving high school diplomas, either finishing up credits they needed, or graduating ahead of their class.

All of the graduates had something in common: They smiled broadly as they marched into the auditorium, as members of the audience clapped and cheered.

This was their moment, and they soaked it in.

Graduate Hailey Pecora, of Dade City, plans to enroll at Pasco-Hernando State College, to pursue a degree in nursing.

Her grandmother, Xandra Erickson, came from Jacksonville, to share in the moment.

Her pride was evident. “She has done this graduation thing at 16. She’s already enrolled in college.”

Graduate Sita Ramrattan completed the Early Childhood Apprenticeship.

Next, the 44-year-old plans to earn her associate’s degree, at either Saint Leo University or Pasco-Hernando State College.

Eighteen-year-old Gunter Winkler, of Zephyrhills, wants to pursue welding, with the aim of going into shipbuilding.

He was pleased to be moving onto the next step, and to have his parents, grandparents and best friend there to help him mark the accomplishment.

Sandra Vogel, a school counselor for adult education, simply loves graduation ceremonies.

“It gives you a warm feeling because you know what they’ve gone through to get here.

“They’ve worked really hard, and we’re really proud of them,” Vogel said.

Forty-four-year-old Sita Ramrattan celebrated the completion of her Early Childhood Apprenticeship.

Leslie Ruttle, a resource teacher, said that besides recognizing the graduates, the ceremony can serve as a stimulant for others.

“A lot of our students, the way we get them, it is word of mouth. A relative, or a friend, or something like that has gone through the program,” Ruttle said. “We’ll get some students tonight,” she predicted. “They’ll come here, and they’ll see other people have been successful and they’ll think: ‘I can do it, too.’”

“So many of the students have gone through trials,” said Wendy Beard, program manager for adult education. “Now, another door is opening for them.”

Throughout the auditorium, there were family members, friends and fellow students cheering on the graduates.

Ambrose Helms, 17, of Wesley Chapel had a giant fan club. Roughly 30 people were expected to come help him celebrate.

“I feel excited because he’s graduating early,” said Latoya Lovett, his cousin, who had staked out a place near the front of the auditorium for Helms’ supporters.

Nicole Robinson was there to support Olivia Paradilla, a graduate from Land O’ Lakes High.

“She’s my best friend. I know she’ll do great things,” Robinson said.

Catherine Agovino came to support Niki Atkins and Danielle Cary, who had completed their Early Childhood Apprenticeship. “It’s a big accomplishment,” Agovino said.

Hope Corcoran, who delivered the student address, underscored the reality that high school is not a perfect fit for everyone.

She was born in China, where she was abandoned, as an infant, on the side of the road.

She was adopted and attended schools in Wesley Chapel.

“It didn’t go as I would have liked,” Corcoran said. “I felt like I didn’t fit in. I was constantly bullied and teased. I would come home crying to my mom, and I told her I didn’t want to go back because I felt so different from the other kids.

“I was made fun of for being overweight and for having slanted eyes,” she said.

“It got to a point where I ended up enrolling into home-school,” she said.

“And, then I found out about the GED program and that I could finish high school and get my diploma.

“It was through this program that I met Miss Linda Rockwell.

“I’m so thankful that I had the opportunity to meet this incredible woman. She cares about her students and wants to see them achieve the best future possible,” Corcoran said.

Along the way, Corcoran said she learned some lessons.

“I have learned that people drop out for different reasons. Sometimes bullying. Sometimes academic reasons and family struggles. Everyone has their own story.

“Many students feel lost in high school and don’t know where to begin. There are so many things that go on, behind the scenes, that we are unaware of.

“It’s expected that students all learn the same way, with the same lessons, same techniques and same books, when that is simply not the case. High school isn’t for everyone.

“Some students have jobs, to help support their families. Or, need to stay home to take care of them, along with other responsibilities, outside of school that can get in the way of academic work,” Corcoran said.

“A few nights ago, I was texting Miss Rockwell and I was telling her I wasn’t sure what else I should talk about. Her response was: ‘Talk about how there’s more than one path to success. How each person chooses their path. You can talk about how not everyone has the same definition of success, and that getting a GED is just the first step to success.’”

Corcoran observed: “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

Published January 31, 2018

Thousands turn out for barbecue and blues

By

The results are in, and the eighth annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival drew a crowd of more than 12,000, according to festival organizers.

The event, held Jan. 20, at the festival venue at Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, featured blues music, award-winning barbecue, and vendors offering goods and services.

The Ed Wright Duo, The Doug South Band, The Legendary JCs, Chuck Riley’s All-Star Revue and Someday Honey Entertainers were the slate of entertainers lined up for the festival.

People settled in their lawn chairs to listen, or danced in front of the stage, as musicians entertained at the festival dedicated to blues and barbecue in Zephyrhills. (B.C. Manion)

People set up lawn chairs to listen, while others danced in front of the Florida Hospital Pavilion stage.

Dozens of professional and backyard barbecue teams competed for prizes and bragging rights.

Melonie Monson, executive director of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, was enthusiastic about the event’s success.

“It is exciting to say this was our favorite BBQ yet; our team was amazing. We, at the chamber, are ecstatic with how everything came together,” Monson said, in a news release.

She noted having the event at the same facility for the second time made it easier to organize setting up the event, and offered a simpler layout for festival-goers to navigate.

She also expressed appreciation for the people who helped pull off the event. About 200 volunteers are involved each year.

“The teams this year were top notch, we had a variety of concessions who put out amazing food, the Kidz Zone was a huge hit, I heard rave reviews of the car show, and the bands were better than ever,” Monson said. “I talked to many who traveled far just to hear our bands,” she added.

As usual, the festival was built around a Florida BBQ Association-approved barbecue competition. More than 50 professional and backyard teams competed in the four standard categories of chicken, pork, brisket and ribs.

Professional teams had the added incentive of potentially winning $10,000 in prizes.

In the professional barbecue division, Hot Wachulas of Bartow, under head cook Matt Barber, took top place overall winning $2,000, plus $700 in individual category awards, not to mention an unprecedented rare score of a full 200 points for Ribs.

Swamp Boys of Winter Haven, led by Rug Bagby, took second place winning $1,500 and $850 in individual category awards. Both won trophies as well.

Backyard division winners were 27 South BBQ of Babson Park, under Danny Sharpless, in first place, winning a trophy and $200, and Smokin’ Ain’t EZ of Valrico, taking second place under Sam Nowakowski, winning a trophy and $100.

Monson noted that two of the teams received a perfect 200 score on their individual entry, which she said, “I’m told never happens and is unprecedented. That makes me proud to know we gave them the right combination to help them excel.”

The festival was enhanced this year with a Rock Wall in the Kidz Zone, sponsored by Suncoast Credit Union.

The car show was run by veteran Ronnie Setser, and Roy Kesner of Riverview took “Best of the Best” in early models with a 1937 Ford 3 Window Coupe.

Other highlights included an aviation showcase, access to the Military History Museum, and a business expo, the news release said.

Barbecue competition results:
Professional Division
Overall Winners: Hot Wachulas, first place; Swamp Boys, second place; GetChewSumBBQ, third place

Chicken: Uncle Toad’s BBQ, first place; Backyard Bro’s, second place; Hot Wachulas, third place

Ribs: Hot Wachulas, first place; Swamp Boys, second place; Sweet Smoke Q, third place

Pork: Pig Chicka Cow Cow, first place; GetChewSum BBQ, second place; Going Yard BBQ, third place

Brisket: Swamp Boys, first place; Uncle Toad’s Competition BBQ, second place; Uncle Kenny’s BBQ, third place

Backyard Division
Overall Winners: 27 South BBQ, first place; Smokin’ Ain’t EZ, second place; Big Red BBQ, third place

Chicken: Big Red BBQ, first place; Smokin’ Ain’t EZ, second place; 27 South BBQ, third place

Ribs: 27 South BBQ, first place; Smokin’ Ain’t EZ, second place; Papa’s BBQ, third place

Pork: 27 South BBQ, first place; Smokin’ Bros, second place; Bahr’s Smokin Butts, third place

Brisket: Smokin’ Bros, first place; Big Red BBQ, second place; 27 South BBQ, third place

Published January 31, 2018

Ranch Days is back for its second act

By

When the organizers were gearing up to debut Ranch Days last year at Little Everglades Ranch, north of Dade City, they proceeded with caution.

They wanted to see how the event went, before making plans for another one.

Apparently, the event went well because now event planners are gearing up for the second annual Ranch Days on the 2,050–acre property, owned by Bob and Sharon Blanchard.

Kevin Campbell, events coordinator for Little Everglades Ranch, and Melissa Black brought a WWII amphibious landing craft that will be used for rides at the Ranch Days event in February. (Richard K. Riley)

Slated for Feb. 10, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and for Feb. 11, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the event offers a chance to listen to music, grab a bite to eat, and take home a purchase or two. Little Everglades Ranch is at 17951 Hamilton Road, north of Dade City.

Last year, about 5,000 turned out, said Kevin Campbell, who along with his wife, Andie, coordinates events at Little Everglades Ranch.

“For a first-year event, we were pleased with the amount of people that we had out,” he said.

This year, he said, there have been some improvements.

“The stage is bigger and better,” Campbell said.

“Where we have the stage sits on a real gentle kind of hill to the north, and there are three or four real big live oak trees kind of around it.”

“The music is great. We went a little bit harder on some of the headline entertainment,” he said.

This year’s lineup includes Thomas Wynn and The Believers, as the headline act on Feb. 10. “They’re kind of a bluesy-rock Florida group.”

Another act, Colin Axxxwell, is coming from Nashville.

“He’s just so good. I had to book him,” Campbell said.

There’s also Bill “The Sauce Boss” Wharton.

“Bill is a 72-year-old man who has been playing music for many years. For the last 30 years, he cooks out a batch of gumbo on the stage. He comes up in a chef’s coat and a chef’s hat. He plays guitar all by himself, with a bass drum and a high hat.

“When he first comes out, I think he has a 12-gallon pot. We give him all of the ingredients and he fills this pot up, and he starts his batch of gumbo — and then 67 minutes later he takes the batch of gumbo … and he gives out 100 bowls of gumbo.”

Another act, Mean Mary, is back again from last year.

“She’s been playing since she was a 4- or 5-year-old child. She plays fiddle and banjo. “She’s really, really talented,” Campbell said.

The Junior Savage Race is back, too, complete with medals for the kids who complete the course.

This year’s guided tours include a bus tour, swamp buggy rides, a ride on a Vietnam-era amphibious supply vehicle, and camel rides. The bus tour is new.

The event also offers a petting farm, pony rides, face painting, and entertainment by Mr. Tommy.

Other acts will include high-wire shows by Tino Wallenda, of the Flying Wallenda Family, and a snake show and exhibit by Jim Mendenhall, a snake handler and expert.

Lady Kitty will be there, with her birds of prey; and, Rick and Jan Stratton will provide a juggling and variety show, with their sidekick, Snorkel the pig.

He offered these tips for enjoying the experience. Buy tickets for rides early, wear hiking boots, and bring lawn chairs and blankets, to relax on while you listen to the music.

“The rides were booked solid last year,” he said. “People just loved going across the ranch,” he said.

The amphibious vehicle goes across the ranch and into the lake.

There are plenty of choices for food, and there’s beer, soda and water.

Admission is free, but parking is $10 for cars, and $25 for buses and RVs.

Campbell think it’s an event that families will enjoy.

“You pay for rides, and you pay for food and you pay to park,” Campbell said, but everything else is free, he said.

No coolers or pets are allowed. The event will be held, rain or shine.

For more information, visit RanchDays.com.

Ranch Days
Where: Little Everglades Ranch, 17951 Hamilton Road, Dade City
When: Feb. 10, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Feb. 11, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: Admission is free; parking is $10 for cars, $25 for buses and RVs; vendor charges for food, rides and purchases
Details: Live music on two stages, ranch tours, exhibitions of a high-wire act, a juggling and variety act, birds of prey and indigenous snakes, kids’ activities and more
Info: Visit RanchDays.com.

Published January 31, 2018

It’s Kumquat Festival time

By

A day set aside for tiny orange fruits and fun

It’s that time of year when the tiny tart orange fruit reigns supreme in Dade City — the town on the eastern edge of Pasco County, with quaint shops lining its downtown streets and a historic courthouse in its center square.

Bruce Gode, of Kumquat Growers Inc., arranges a display of kumquats for sale at last year’s festival. The tiny tart orange fruit plays a starring role at the Dade City Kumquat Festival each year. (File)

About 35,000 people are expected at the festival this year, said John Moors, executive director of The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, which is the event organizer.

“They literally come from all over,” he said, noting visitors come from Sarasota, Sun City Center, all over Pinellas County, The Villages, The Nature Coast, Orlando, Lakeland, and other nearby areas.

Volunteers work all year to prepare for the event, and on festival day, crews begin to arrive at 4:30 a.m., to get the vendors lined up on the streets.

“We couldn’t do this without the almost 200 volunteers,” Moors said.

The free event features Kumquat Growers, in the Wells Fargo parking lot, where visitors can learn all about kumquats and purchase some to take home.

There are lots of fun things to see and do, too.

The festival features more than 400 vendors, offering everything from arts and crafts, to fresh produce to all sorts of kumquat products.

There’s a Kid’s Corral, with all sorts of activities for children, a Quilt Show at the Hugh Embry Library, and a car and truck show in the parking lot at the Judicial Courthouse.

If you enjoy entertainment, you’ll find plenty of choices — with a full slate of acts scheduled throughout the day. There’s also a Health & Wellness Area and an area where festival sponsors have set up their booths.

There’s free parking, free shuttles and free admission.

There’s also free entertainment all day, Moors said.

“You can spend your money on some of the arts and crafts that are featured, or in some of our wonderful shops,” he said.

This is a peek at last year’s festival, from a view looking west up Meridian Avenue.

The sponsors, including this year’s headline sponsor Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, play a vital role in making the event a success, Moors said. “We couldn’t do this without the support of our sponsors,” he said.

Besides entertainment, there’s plenty of choices for food and drink.

“The local restaurants do a great business. They adjust their menus, so they can get our attendees in and out. Have them well-fed, quickly and efficiently, so they can get on and enjoy the festival,” Moors said.

“This year, we’re featuring kumquat beer by a number of local craft beer breweries. There’s also kumquat wine available for sale by the bottle,” Moors said. “People can enjoy a beverage, and stroll along the streets and look at the arts and crafts featured.”

While the kumquat takes center stage during the event, this year’s crop has been negatively affected by citrus greening and insect damage, Moors said.

Still, Moors said, “there’s going to be kumquats for the festival, and there’s going to be ample kumquat products, pies, jams, jellies, ice cream, marmalade, kumquat beer and kumquat wine — all of those things will still happen.”

The growers are also working hard to replant trees and the hope is they’ll be back in full production within a year or two.

Meanwhile, preparations go on for this year’s festival, which Moors said is Dade City’s way to invite visitors to come see what the area has to offer.

“Our message is: Enjoy the festival. Come back and visit the area at your leisure,” Moors said.

21st annual Kumquat Festival
Where: Downtown Dade City
When: Jan. 27, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: Free admission and free parking. Free shuttles run continuously from the Pasco County Fairgrounds on State Road 52 and from a lot next to Jarrett Ford on the U.S. 301 Truck Route. The shuttles run from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Parking is available near the festival, but those spaces fill quickly.
Details: More than 400 vendors will be offering arts and crafts, foods and all things kumquat. There will be live entertainment, a car show, a quilt show and activities for kids.
Info: There are information booths at the intersection of Seventh Street and Meridian Avenue, and also at the intersection of Third Street and Meridian Avenue. (They’re Orange Tents with information in large green lettering.) Pick up your festival information flyer there.

The Kumquat Festival entertainment lineup

Jan. 27 at the Historic Courthouse Square
9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.: Saint Leo University Totally TABS

10 a.m. to 11 a.m.: Calvary Assembly of Dade City (Christian Contemporary, National Anthem/Prayer)

11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.: Sweet-n-Southern Cloggers

Noon to 1:30 p.m.: Eli Mosley, country

1:45 to 2 p.m.: St. Rita Catholic Church Folklore Dancers

2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.: Dean Johnson’s Music & Friends, various styles

3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Seventeenth Street, contemporary/country

Turning Point Church of Dade City is providing and operating the sound equipment.

Published January 24, 2018