B.C. Manion

Serving up fried chicken, nostalgia

October 14, 2015 By B.C. Manion

They come to the Old Lutz School, on U.S. 41, bearing casserole dishes and memories to share.

These are men and women who have deep roots in Lutz and Land O’ Lakes.

Their families helped settle the area, and every year they come to celebrate the connections they feel to the community and each other.

The size of the annual gathering has diminished over time, as people have died or can no longer attend.

Jim Dennison slices up a platter of fresh veggies for the descendants’ day feast at the Old Lutz Schoolhouse. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos) — Jim Dennison slices up a platter of fresh veggies for the descendants’ day feast at the Old Lutz Schoolhouse.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

“We have some people who won’t be with us anymore, like Cliff Dennison, bless his heart. He used to do this with me. He’s in a nursing home now,” said Annie Fernandez, the event’s organizer.

“This year, I pretty much did it myself,” said Fernandez, who was born in her grandmother’s front bedroom, off the edge of an orange grove, in 1942.

The annual get-togethers with descendants of Lutz pioneers used to be organized by Elizabeth Riegler MacManus, a local historian, who co-authored with her daughter, Susan A. MacManus, an extensive history of the area called “Citrus, Sawmills, Critters and Crackers: Life in Early Lutz and Central Pasco County.”

Elizabeth MacManus organized the event for 20 years but, after that, Dennison and Fernandez took over the duties.

The group has met in three different locations over the years. First, they gathered at a church, then at the Lutz Community Center, and for the past few years, at the Old Lutz Schoolhouse.

“We have this event every year because everybody likes to get together and chit-chat about things that happened to them a long time ago,” said Fernandez, whose family ties to Lutz date back to around 1920.

It’s a true potluck, said Fernandez said, noting the menu is never known completely until the participants show up with their dish.

At this particular gathering, diners found plenty of options, including fried chicken, broccoli casserole, collard greens, lima beans, potato salad, Swedish meatballs, fresh veggies and other foods. They could wash it down with iced tea and lemonade, and top it off with a piece of cake or other desserts.

Sonya Salter was busy in the food room, arranging items as they came in. Fried chicken was in one spot, salads in another, desserts and so on.

She’s not from Lutz, but came to help both last year and this year because she’s Fernandez’s friend. She said she thinks its great that people get together to share their memories.

Bodde O’ Steen, who was at the gathering, too, said he’s lived in Lutz since 1937.

“I’ve seen a lot of changes. When I got here, there weren’t many people here,” he said, guessing there were about 300 people living in the general vicinity.

People cared about each other, O’ Steen said.

“If you needed help, everybody helped out everybody,” O’ Steen said.

Joe Strickland, Margie Strickland, Annie Fernandez and Bodde O’ Steen pose together at the annual gathering for the descendants of Lutz and Land O’ Lakes pioneers.

The area has changed enormously over time, he added. “Everything was orange groves and truck farming.”

The Dennison name is widely known in Lutz, with some of the Dennisons spelling the name with two Ns in the middle, while others use just one.

Regardless of the spelling, the family has strong ties to the area.

The Dennisons came to Lutz shortly after the Coopers, who arrived in Lutz in 1832, said Jim Dennison, a family historian.

“Allen Scott Denison drove the stage coach from Fort Brook, which is Tampa to Fort King, which is now Ocala. That was the Concord-Apopka Stagecoach Company.

“They carried the U.S. Mail. And he lived off County Line Road,” he said.

Jim Dennison’s family lived near the intersection of State Road 54 and Livingston Road.

“Where the Raceway’s gas station canopy is — that’s where our house stood,” said Jim Dennison, who moved away from the area for 22 years but came back when his parents needed him.

He’s been attending the descendants’ gatherings since around 1982.

“My dad (Milford Dennison) used to like to come out, and I would bring him,” Jim Dennison said.

He keeps coming because he enjoys the event.

“This is my family — my family and childhood friends,” Jim Dennison said. “Old-timers like to get together and tell stories on one another.”

“A lot of people just like to come in and chat, and have a little refreshment. We have a good time,” Fernandez said.

Published October 14, 2015

Church uses prayer to help find a building place

October 7, 2015 By B.C. Manion

Grace Community of Wesley Chapel has completed its master site plan and a conceptual floor plan for the first phase of its main church campus, but it must raise additional funds before commencing construction.

The proposed 7,760-square-foot building will seat up to 200 worshippers, and will be constructed on a site of about 20 acres on Boyette Road, just south of Wesley Chapel District Park, said Pastor Jeff Olsen.

The property was acquired by the church in April 2014.

Pastor Jeff Olsen said Grace Community of Wesley Chapel prayed over several sites before finding the place where it will build its permanent home. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — Pastor Jeff Olsen said Grace Community of Wesley Chapel prayed over several sites before finding the place where it will build its permanent home.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The church also will provide ample room for a full children’s program on Sunday mornings, and will host a Christian preschool and other programs during the week.

Dykes-Johnson Architects, of Brandon, designed the structure, which features a large cross in the middle of a glass entryway that will lead into the main gathering area.

Future phases have been planned, so the church will be able to grow along with the community surrounding it, Olsen said.

There will be space for fellowship events, outreach ministries, and recreation.

Plans call for a community park that would serve as a place not only for the church’s congregation, but also would be available for neighborhood use.

The building project’s theme is “Reaching Beyond Ourselves,” which reflects the desire to extend God’s love beyond the church walls and to make a difference in the local community, Olsen said.

The project is expected to cost about $1.2 million, in addition to the $430,000 the church already paid to secure the land.

The congregation currently meets at Wesley Chapel Elementary School, 30243 Wells Road, so its new home will be close by.

Its worship service includes traditional and contemporary Christian music, a Biblical message, and an interactive children’s program it calls “Grace Harbor” for children, from 3 months old to age 11.

Finding the site for the church was no simple feat, said Olsen, who has led Grace Community since its inception in April 2006.

Grace Community initially met at Kids R Kids preschool in Meadow Pointe, then moved to Wiregrass Ranch High School and now meets at Wesley Chapel Elementary.

“The hardest thing in a growing area, believe it or not, is finding places to meet,” Olsen said. “We asked 25 different places if we could meet,” he said, including restaurants, clubhouses and schools.

Although meeting in a temporary space has served the church, there was a desire to find a permanent home.

“Portable church — you know, setting up, taking down — is a great way to connect with people. You focus on ministry, outreach, community, in the early years. But over time, it creates some fatigue and some limits for growth,” Olsen said.

“So, we felt in order to set up something that was healthy and fruitful for the future, that we would look for a property.

“Boy, was that hard,” Olsen said.

The church began by praying for a new place to call home.

“We virtually canvassed every available plot,” the pastor said. “We had a 20-point checklist.

“This is what we want.: Ingress and egress. All utilities. No flood zones. High and dry. Clear and ready to build.

“This was the only one (site). We had looked for years and never found even five good acres on a paved road in Wesley Chapel.

“We held a prayer tour, where we went and prayed at various locations within the community, asking God, if he wanted our ministry to focus in a particular area that we would find a location.

“We prayed for property near the PHSC (Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch) property, if God wanted us to do college ministry.

“We prayed for property in Meadow Pointe, if God wanted us to do residential. We prayed for property on (State Road) 54, where there would be kind of the business (focus). I was involved in the chamber of commerce.

“And then we prayed for property up in the Wells Road and Boyette, where there were schools and a park,” Olsen said.

“That was the door that God opened. We prayed over a broad group of properties, and it was where we were meant to be,” Olsen said.

“We prayed. God provided a contract. We need to get it in cash. On our last day, we received $41,000, on the last day before we had to opt out,” Olsen said.

The building committee has cleared old agricultural fences and made the property usable.

“We’ve had prayer meetings. We’ve had some sports activities out there,” Olsen said.

The church hopes to raise $850,000 by Jan. 6, which is Epiphany, in order to have the first phase of the church ready for use by next fall.

“If we don’t have the money, we wait. If we have the money, we move forward.

“God is preparing a place for us, and he’s also preparing us for the place,” Olsen said.

For more information, call Pastor Jeff Olsen at (813) 994-9363, or visit ExploreGrace.com.

Published October 7, 2015

Teacher says technology is ‘great equalizer’

October 7, 2015 By B.C. Manion

If Woodland Elementary teacher Bobbi Starling had it her way, every child would have access to the kinds of technology her students use.

“The technology in my room does not represent what is school-wide. The other classrooms have one iPad for the whole classroom,” said Starling, who earlier this year was named one of 100 teachers nationwide as a PBS Digital Innovator.

From left, Kaitlyn Gard, Isabelle Hicks, William Poe and Bryce Beson use traditional and digital tools during a science lesson about adaptation. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — From left, Kaitlyn Gard, Isabelle Hicks, William Poe and Bryce Beson use traditional and digital tools during a science lesson about adaptation.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

Woodland Elementary, which has an enrollment of roughly 1,000, is a Title 1 school, meaning that it serves children living in an area with high rates of poverty.

“The PTAs in communities with higher socioeconomics provide the equipment the schools can’t provide,” said Starling, who has been able to equip her classroom by securing grants.

She believes technology levels the playing field in education.

“I think it’s the great equalizer. They (students) get to experience a lot of things they normally would not have access to,” Starling said.

“We do virtual field trips,” said Starling, who also was selected by PBS as one of the nation’s 30 lead digital innovators.

Starling incorporates digital tools in every aspect of her teaching.

In science, for instance, the students use electronic notebooks as well as traditional notebooks.

Her lessons combine instruction from Starling, as well as information from videos that play on each student’s computer.

Children wear ear pods, as they listen to the videos to gather needed information to answer questions.

And, as they work through the lesson, students record what they’re learning in their science notebooks.

They cut and paste the old-fashioned way, using scissors to trim worksheets and glue sticks to paste them into their notebooks.

They move with ease, from traditional to digital.

Technology gives children access to a much broader frame of reference than traditional textbooks.

And, when there’s a glitch or a question, Starling is right there to help.

Besides engaging the students in the classroom at her Zephyrhills school, Starling also spends considerable time before and after school preparing to deliver instruction.

“I try to make it personalized for the kids. I try to figure out what they’re missing and then try to fill those gaps. They’re kind of like Swiss cheese, and I’m trying to fill the holes — and the holes are not the same for every kid in every subject. They are all so different.

“So, to really try to pinpoint what they need and then get something (to fill the gap), takes a long time,” Starling said.

Bryce Beson and Bobby Hilton listen to a video through their ear pods during a science class in Bobbi Starling’s class at Woodland Elementary. Starling wishes all children had the same kind of access to technology as the students in her classroom have.

She customizes instruction. Some children may be reading for one purpose, while others are reading for another.

“It depends upon what their goal is, and what they are working on at the time and what they need,” Starling said.

Besides obtaining grants, Starling’s classroom is involved in a district pilot of an engineering program called “Project Lead the Way.”

Her selection as a lead digital innovator by PBS enabled her to attend an all-expense paid summit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she enjoyed luxurious accommodations and great food, while enhancing her digital know-how.

She also had the opportunity to attend some sessions at the International Society for Technology in Education conference. And, she has access to premium content from PBS.

For “Project Lead the Way,” Starling went down to Florida Gulf Coast University, where she spent a week in the dorms, again, adding to her tech savvy.

Starling is obviously passionate about her work.

Her interest in becoming a teacher dates back to when she was just age 5.

“I had a teacher that I fell in love with in kindergarten,” she said. “I just loved being there.”

She believes that new educational standards, commonly referred to as Common Core, benefit both students and teachers.

“I think that it definitely helps them (students) to become college ready, and I actually think that it really focuses the instruction (for teachers),” Starling said.

Teachers can look at the standards children are expected to achieve and plan how they are going to get them there, she said.

The culture at Woodland Elementary promotes a college education for every child.

“They go to a different college campus every year, from the time they are in kindergarten,” Starling said. “For a lot of the kids at Woodland, they might be the first kid in their family to get to college.”

And, while the teacher believes that new education standards are beneficial, she also realizes that the transition may not be easy.

Children beginning kindergarten with the new standards in place will have an easier time than fifth-graders who are facing new expectations, she said.

For older students, she said, “not only do you have to teach that year of standards, but you have to go back and fill in, and make sure that they’ve got the standards that they missed before it became Common Core,” Starling said.

Starling applauds the idea of adding standards for speaking, listening and technology.

“Most of the jobs that these kids will be competing for have not even been invented yet. I definitely think that they need the 21st century learning skills. Collaboration is going to be big. They’re going to have to be pretty techie,” Starling said.

As a teacher, Starling hopes her students will realize “that learning is fun — and that they should be lifelong learners, that every day they should be learning something new.”

She also hopes parents understand that they can turn to her if they need help in supporting their child’s education.

“Sometimes, I’m not sure that they’re aware of what’s available, or what’s out there, or how to help them (their children).

“I guess my message to them would be if they needed anything, whether it was resources, information or just extra time, that I could meet with parents and kids one-on-one,” Starling said.

While teachers do not command the kind of salary often enjoyed by those in other professions, Starling has not been tempted to leave teaching.

“The pay is there for me. It’s not monetary pay – but the pay you get in changing lives, making kids realize if they can dream it, they can do it.

“I am excited every day,” Starling said.

Published October 7, 2015

Yoga sessions for babies and adults

October 7, 2015 By B.C. Manion

The sessions that Eric and Erin Wheeler lead at the New Tampa Regional Library are aimed at creating a safe space where children and adults can interact, and learn techniques to promote good health.

The couple, who operates Lucky Cat Yoga, based in Seminole Heights, leads yoga sessions throughout Tampa Bay.

At the New Tampa library branch, they lead a half-hour class, once a month.

The class includes baby massage, songs and dance, stretching exercises and other activities.

“It’s all about creating community,” Erin Wheeler said. “It’s about allowing a safe space for the caregivers to go to be able to meet other people with children around the same age.

“It’s the same opportunity for the children — to meet and socialize,” she said.

A group of 26 adults and children do a morning stretch at the beginning of the session. Erin and Eric Wheeler lead the Parent, Baby and Yoga class. Despite its name, the class is intended for babies and their caregivers, whether they are parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or others, Erin Wheeler said. (Steven C. Hollingshead/Photo) — A group of 26 adults and children do a morning stretch at the beginning of the session. Erin and Eric Wheeler lead the Parent, Baby and Yoga class. Despite its name, the class is intended for babies and their caregivers, whether they are parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or others, Erin Wheeler said.
(Steven C. Hollingshead/Photo)

And, both children and adults get a chance to learn from each other, she added.

It’s not a typical yoga class.

“We do song and dance, movement,” Wheeler said.

Most classes attract a mix of people. Some have been there before, while others are new to the class.

The class is paid for by The Friends of the New Tampa Regional Library, and is offered for free to participants.

The class offers children a chance to do something interactive and healthy, Wheeler said.

“It puts them on a track — that a lot of us didn’t have as children — for optimum health and wellness, through this kind of holistic art,” she said.

Wheeler said the class also is presented at the Lutz Branch Library once a month.

To find out when the next class will be at the New Tampa and Lutz libraries, visit the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library system’s website at THPL.org.

Published October 7, 2015

Reaching out to help a friend

September 30, 2015 By B.C. Manion

They are unlikely friends.

She is 63 and he is 24.

She lives in New Tampa, and he lives in Roatan, Honduras.

But Sally Hillman and William Brown-Santos have a friendship that transcends their ages and backgrounds, and now, Hillman is trying to help her friend.

Hillman and her husband, Dave, met Brown-Santos about seven years ago when the couple was taking a shore excursion off a cruise ship at the port of Roatan, Honduras.

They had visited a park to see the monkeys and parrots, and Brown-Santos was their tour guide.

Hillman felt an instant connection.

“He was so pleasant, and knowledgeable and funny,” she said.

Sally Hillman and William Brown-Santos pose behind Hillman’s New Tampa residence. Hillman is trying to help Brown-Santos find treatment to restore as much movement as possible to his right arm and hand. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — Sally Hillman and William Brown-Santos pose behind Hillman’s New Tampa residence. Hillman is trying to help Brown-Santos find treatment to restore as much movement as possible to his right arm and hand.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

At the end of the tour, Hillman approached Brown-Santos to let him know she would like to stay in touch. He gave her his contact information, but since he’s in the habit of shortening his last name to Brown, the letter she sent didn’t reach him.

About six months later, Hillman and her husband made the same cruise, this time taking the trip with her son and his friend.

While there, she overheard Brown-Santos’ voice, and they reconnected. This time, the connection stuck.

They began corresponding, then texting and sending messages via Facebook.

A couple of years later, Hillman went to Honduras again, this time with her daughter. They had the chance to spend time with Brown-Santos’ family.

All along, Hillman felt that Brown-Santos had been put in her life for a reason.

Then, on Feb. 9, she received a frantic call from Brown-Santos’ mother.

He had been driving his motorcycle at a high rate of speed, had skirted around a car parked on a curb, and ran head-on into a motorcyclist.

At the scene, he was choking on his own blood, until a friend intervened.

Brown-Santos’ injuries are severe.

He still can’t move his right arm and can barely move the first three fingers in his right hand. He lives with excruciating pain.

Hillman felt compelled to help.

She reached out to Dr. Michael Craven, a long-time chiropractor in Land O’ Lakes, where she used to live and who had treated her in the past.

She said she knew Craven to be a good man.

Craven said she talked to his wife and asked her if he would help, as a humanitarian, Christian gesture.

Craven agreed to help.

“When you see something in the community that touches your heart, and you have the opportunity to reach out and do something about it, that’s pretty much why we got involved,” Craven said.

So, Hillman set out to bring Brown-Santos to the United States.

That turned out to be much more complicated than expected. It took six months for Brown-Santos to get a visa.

He arrived on Aug. 18.

The next day, they went to see Craven.

After examining Brown-Santos, the chiropractor knew that there wasn’t a simple treatment plan for the injuries.

“It was just discouraging from that moment,” Hillman said.

Craven ordered an MRI from Rose Radiology, who discounted the rate for the case, and Craven picked up the rest of the expense, Hillman said.

They got the MRI results. The result was a torn labrum. It’s called a SLAP lesion, which stands for superior labrum, anterior, posterior.

Next, they went to Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

“I told them the whole story,” Hillman said.

They examined Brown-Santos and consulted with the orthopedic surgeon on call.

Hillman and Brown-Santos did a follow-up appointment with the orthopedic surgeon.

“He’s fearful that this is permanent. He’s referred us to a neurologist,
Hillman said.

That news hit her hard.

“I’m crying in the doctor’s office,” Hillman said. “I didn’t walk away with an optimistic view. That’s why I cried.”

The appointment with the neurologist, which was Sept. 25, involved another test to find out the extent of the damage.

“That will help to determine how severe the injuries are, and what possible steps could be taken,” Hillman said.

If surgery is required, Craven hopes an orthopedic surgeon will step forward to volunteer to handle the case. He doesn’t think a Go Fund Me account will raise a sufficient amount to cover those costs.
Brown-Santos is grateful for the help he’s received so far, and he’s prepared to face any outcome.

“It’s a blessing. It’s the first time in life somebody tried to do something nice for me,” Brown-Santos said.

“If I can get better, I’ll be the happiest man in the world. If not, that’s God’s plan, and I just have to live with that. I really truly believe in God. So, I’m just going to keep praying and have faith that everything can work for the good.

“If he doesn’t heal me, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t love me.

“I’m going to just leave it in God’s hands,” Brown-Santos said.

Want to help? Go to William’s Recovery Fund at GoFundMe.com/mj3g9k7h.

Published September 30, 2015

Stepping into the world of dementia

September 30, 2015 By B.C. Manion

The tourists sat waiting for instructions.

They filled out forms. They answered questions. Then, they began putting on special equipment.

They put ridged plastic insoles into their shoes.

They put on plastic gloves for protection and a different outer glove for each hand.

Then, they stepped up a few steps into a dim room, where they donned special headphones and glasses.

Next, they were asked to perform a list of tasks.

People wait to experience ‘The Virtual Dementia Tour.’ When taking the tour, they wear gloves, headphones and glasses, and walk on ridged plastic insoles in their shoes in an experience that simulates impacts of dementia. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos) — People wait to experience ‘The Virtual Dementia Tour.’ When taking the tour, they wear gloves, headphones and glasses, and walk on ridged plastic insoles in their shoes in an experience that simulates impacts of dementia.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

Through the headphones they heard recordings of chatter and continual noises. The glasses obscured their vision.

It didn’t take long to discover that the experiences on this “Virtual Dementia Tour” were disorienting and frustrating.

“I felt lost. I really felt lost,” Grace Walker said. “You can’t see, you can’t hear. You’re mixed up,” said the woman who works in housekeeping at American House Zephyrhills, on Pretty Pond Road.

That’s understandable, said Glen Scharfeld, a senior care specialist and owner of Senior Helpers, based in Spring Hill.

His company brought a mobile Virtual Dementia Tour to American House Zephyrhills last week.

The Virtual Dementia Tour was created by P.K. Beville, a geriatric specialist, as her postgraduate work. It is a scientifically proven method that builds sensitivity and awareness in individuals caring for those with dementia by temporarily altering participants’ physical and sensory abilities.

The tour is designed to simulate:

Loss of auditory interpretation and increased confusion
Loss of central and peripheral vision
Loss of sensory nerves and fine motor skills
Onset of arthritis and neuropathy

Beville donated the program to Second Wind Dreams, which has provided the experience worldwide.

An estimated 44.4 million people worldwide, including 5.2 million Americans, are living with dementia, the Second Wind Dream’s website reports.

This mobile unit is rigged to give people an opportunity to experience the impacts of dementia. The idea is to promote greater awareness, sensitivity and empathy for caregivers of people experiencing dementia.

“The Virtual Dementia Tour is designed to emulate mid-level dementia,” Scharfeld said.

“We provide this education to the community, to families, family caregivers. The reason we’re here is that there are caregivers here who deal with dementia every day. It’s designed to promote empathy and for people to understand what people are going through,” he added.

The experience helps people step inside the shoes of individuals who are living with dementia.

“We’re here to help you empathize with them and be patient with them,” Scharfeld said, as he chatted with some staff members from American House Zephyrhills, who had just completed the tour.

“We age. We get older. Our senses start to diminish. With dementia, it’s a whole different ballgame. What you’ve got to realize is that the brain, the brain cells are depleted in the different areas of the brain,” Scharfeld said.

“It takes the most recent memories, and they’re gone.

“People don’t remember stuff that just happened. They may remember their daughter as 30 years ago.

“They may think that they’re 30 years younger than they are. They won’t believe when they look in the mirror. It’s like, ‘Who is that? Who is that?’ You say, ‘That’s you.’ And they’ll say, ‘That’s not me. That’s an old lady,” he said.

Scharfeld is a retired law enforcement officer, who worked in Hillsborough County. He used to encounter people with dementia when responding to calls.

“I didn’t know that when I was running code to a burglary in progress, (it was) because a lady saw herself in the slider. She thought there’s somebody out there.

“Or, they’ll think the people on the TV are actually in the house,” Scharfeld said.

The sounds coming through the headphones enable those on the tour to experience the kind of confusion that people with dementia have in processing information.

“The person is sitting there. They’re confused. Some caregivers think, if I talk louder, they’re going to get it.

It’s not the hearing. It’s the processing,” Scharfeld said.

“They hear bits and fragments. That’s why they do crazy stuff. You ask someone to something, and they wind up doing something else,” he said. “The caregiver gets mad and frustrated.”

“We’re here to promote to you, empathy,” Scharfeld said.

The Virtual Dementia Tour has spread to 17 different countries, he said.

“What we did is, we took it mobile,” he said. “We basically have a house on wheels. We’re independently owned. This is our rig.

“I wanted to bring it to the community,” he said.

To find out more about future stops on the tour, call (352) 835-7191.

Published September 30, 2015

A ride through history, with rare and exotic cars

September 30, 2015 By B.C. Manion

It’s not located on a busy thoroughfare, but people who enjoy exotic cars, or who have a penchant for innovation, will find much to enjoy at the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum.

This is a place where history comes to life through vehicles.

The museum houses the private collection of Alain Cerf, owner of Polypack, a business located next door.

Polypack, which began outside of Paris, is a manufacturer of automatic packaging machinery.

As visitors approach The Tampa Bay Auto Museum, they may wonder what awaits them inside. Once they walk in, they’ll find a collection of vehicles that, beyond being visually appealing, also help tell the story of automobile design. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos) — As visitors approach The Tampa Bay Auto Museum, they may wonder what awaits them inside. Once they walk in, they’ll find a collection of vehicles that, beyond being visually appealing, also help tell the story of automobile design.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

Cerf opened the museum on March 19, 2005, to share his unique collection with the general public.

“The founder of the business was born and raised in France and actually began the business in France, had a factory just outside of Paris,” said John Perodeau, a museum employee.

“They started doing work in the United States and in the mid-1970s, he moved his business and his family from Paris, France, to Pinellas Park, Florida.

“When they moved, they brought not only the business and the family, but they brought what were then the family cars.

“The first three cars in here, and then a couple of more that are in the back, are the cars that came with them across the Atlantic.

“The rest of the cars in the collection have been selected because they display some sort of innovative engineering or technology, something that was new, different and pioneering for its time,” Perodeau said.

“We’re not a typical classic car museum. We don’t have Duesenbergs and Packards and Pierce-Arrows. They’re very nice cars, but their engineering was conventional, and we focus on the unconventional.

“We focus on engineering innovations in automobiles,” Perodeau added.

Something else that’s unusual?

This is the first impression you’ll get when you walk into the Tampa Bay Auto Museum in Pinellas Park. Besides offering scores of visual treats, the museum tells a story of creativity and ingenuity, as expressed through vehicles.

The cars in this museum sometimes can be seen tooling down the road.

“They all have Florida license plates. They’re registered and insured. They may get taken home at the end of the day after work. They go out on weekends. They go to parades and car shows. They don’t just sit here in the museum,” Perodeau said.

The collection has a total of 63 cars.

Visitors are free to get close to them and take as many photos as they want.

They are asked not to touch the cars, but if they’d like to look under the hood or inside the car, they can ask the museum staff to give them that closer look.

Staff members are knowledgeable about the history of automobiles and new developments.

Perodeau and Gary Lasasso, another museum staffer, welcome queries.

“If you have a question on any of the cars, one of us will get you an answer,” Perodeau said.

During a recent visit, Lasasso pointed out innovations of various vehicles, talked about the people who designed and manufactured them, and offered historical context, too.

The 12,000-square-foot gallery space includes examples of some of the finest early approaches to aerodynamic shapes and packaging, front wheel drive, unibody construction, and pioneering uses of materials such as cast aluminum and pressed steel.

Designed by the young Jacques Gerin, the 1925 Gerin Aerodyne is a prototype mid-engined saloon car which marked a significant departure from other vehicles of its day.

The innovation of engineers such as Paul Jaray (the designer of the Zeppelin airships), Gabriel Voisin (aircraft from World War I and beyond), Edmund Rumpler (aircraft from World War I and beyond) and Jean Albert Gregoire (Tracta front wheel drive) are present in automobiles throughout the collection.

There are also examples that celebrate the work of Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, Hans Ledwinka and others.

Lasasso is a huge fan of Gregoire.

In fact, he admires Gregoire’s innovations so much that he created a sculpture – displayed on a museum wall — to honor him.

The display includes automobiles from France, Germany, England, Ireland, the United States and the former Czechoslovakia.

There are so many interesting vehicles on display, and there is so much to learn about them, that visitors can easily spend a few hours there and have plenty of reasons to come back again.

If you go
What: The Tampa Bay Auto Museum is a collection of rare and exotic cars
Where: 3301 Gateway Centre Blvd., in Pinellas Park
How much: Admission: $8 per person, $6 for seniors, and $5 for students and for those in groups of 12 or more. Children under 6 are free. (Guided tours are available, if arranged in advance.)
When: The museum is open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., on Mondays and Wednesdays through Saturdays. It is open noon until 4 p.m., on Sundays. It is closed on Tuesdays and holidays.
More information: Call (727) 579-8226, or visit TBAuto.org.

Published September 30, 2015

Wesley Chapel complex to help ‘Build the Thunder’

September 23, 2015 By B.C. Manion

A recently announced $6 million initiative aimed at expanding the game of hockey regionally in Tampa Bay will be partially played out at the Florida Hospital Center Ice, a hockey complex expected to open in Wesley Chapel in the spring.

Lightning Chairman Jeff Vinik announced the “Build the Thunder” initiative on Sept. 14.

The Tampa Bay Lightning, the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association are collaborating on the five-year program that aims to help develop hockey players and to teach life skills lessons to area youth.

A news release from Tampa Bay Lightning outlines the program’s components. They involve:

Distributing 100,000 street hockey sticks and balls to third-graders through fifth-graders
Offering 10,000 hours of training opportunities for players and coaches
Increasing the number of local youth, ages 7 through 13, registered with USA Hockey by 1,000
Utilizing Lightning players, coaches and alumni to mentor 100 at-risk youths from diverse backgrounds
Establishing 10 new junior varsity hockey programs for aspiring high school players

JP Morgan Chase and Bauer Hockey are also partnering on the program, according to the release.

Florida Hospital Center Ice is expected to play a role in the recently announced $6 million initiative to ‘Build the Thunder.’ The complex is expected to open in the spring, off State Road 56 and Interstate 75. (Courtesy of Florida Hospital Center Ice) — Florida Hospital Center Ice is expected to play a role in the recently announced $6 million initiative to ‘Build the Thunder.’ The complex is expected to open in the spring, off State Road 56 and Interstate 75.
(Courtesy of Florida Hospital Center Ice)

Gordie Zimmermann, a partner in Z Mitch, expects Florida Hospital Center Ice to play an important role in the efforts to build the game of hockey regionally.

The initiative begins with street hockey, with a goal for some players to make the transition from street hockey to the ice, Zimmermann said.

“They’re going to work with all of the community rinks in the area. They’re eagerly awaiting the completion of our facility because what they need is ice, to make that transition from the street hockey to the ice,” Zimmermann said.

“Right now, there’s about 1,000 kids in the Bay area that are USA Hockey members. They want to grow that to a minimum of 2,000,” he said. “That’s very difficult to do without the ice.”

More ice also is needed to accommodate junior varsity programs, said Zimmermann, who coaches Wiregrass Ranch High School’s hockey team.

“The ice right now is booked. It’s very difficult to get a practice or any type of additional ice,” he said.

When Florida Hospital Center Ice opens, there will be significantly more ice available.

The new complex will include one Olympic-size rink, three NHL-size rinks and one kid-size rink.

It will have hockey leagues and skating programs for people of all ages, and will be able to convert to accommodate basketball, soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, tennis and other sports.

“One of our sheets is a multipurpose area. That’s an area where we’ll be able to do the street hockey. We’re going to be working with the Lightning on doing a tournament for the area,” Zimmermann said.

“Right now, Florida is fourth in memberships overall for USA Hockey in the country. When our rink comes online, we’re going to be up there in the top two,” Zimmermann said.

Florida Hospital Center Ice initially was expected to open in October, but that opening has been delayed until the spring.

The delay is due to working out refrigeration and structural design issues, Zimmermann said.

“The thing is, we’re building an ice rink in Florida, and we’re using a new technology as far as how that building is built and how it is mechanically designed,” Zimmermann said.

“We just want to make it right. We don’t want to have issues down the road,” he said.

Zimmermann doesn’t anticipate any additional delays.

There was no activity last week at the site, which is off of State Road 56, near Interstate 75, but Zimmermann expects that to change soon.

“We’re actually going to get our footer work started this month,” he said.

Published September 23, 2015

This cafeteria serves up more than food

September 23, 2015 By B.C. Manion

The cafeteria at Zephyrhills High is a busy place — serving more than 300 breakfasts, 850 lunches and about 100 a la carte items each day.

But beyond delivering daily meals, this cafeteria is also a place that helps students make their dreams come true.

There’s a storage space, in the kitchen, where there are scores of gowns, dresses, shirts, dress pants, sports jackets and shoes.

It’s a place where young women and men can be outfitted to go to prom, or homecoming, a wedding or graduation.

Suellen Smith shows off one of the gowns in the clothing closet in the kitchen at Zephyrhills High School. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — Suellen Smith shows off one of the gowns in the clothing closet in the kitchen at Zephyrhills High School.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The closet was set up about five years ago, and hundreds of students have used it.

“The kids come in during their lunch and try them on,” said Suellen Smith, cafeteria manager at Zephyrhills High.

“We stay back there with them, and we make them have a fashion show,” she said.

The students change in a bathroom next to the supply closet, and then they come out to show how they look.

“Even through it’s in a kitchen, and it’s in the middle of lunch, and we’re running around with hot pans … I make a couple of my co-workers stop and try to make it nice for the girls,” she said.

As they model the clothing, Smith responds.

“I tell them how pretty they look,” she said.

Or, she might mention: “I saw another one in there that you might like better.”

Smith said she wants to make sure the students leave with clothes that put them in their best light.

“We make sure it fits. I don’t want them going out with something that doesn’t look appropriate,” she said.

She also recommends that students choose classic looks, rather than trendy attire.

I tell them: “You can take that to college with you. You can wear this to a New Year’s Eve party.

“When we make a match, I cry. I openly weep. I’m actually feeling like they’re my own daughter,” said Smith, who has been managing the cafeteria at Zephyrhills High for 15 years.

The clothing comes from all sorts of sources — people in the community who know about the closet, former students, staff members.

“Sometimes, I struggle with larger sizes,” Smith said, and when that happens, she puts a post on Facebook.

“Then, miraculously, two days later, I get some dresses,” Smith said.

“The day before yesterday, somebody brought up a whole bin of dresses and shoes. A dress came in the courier Friday,” she added.

While she can’t recall the precise particulars of how the clothes closet began, she believes it started the year the county’s Cinderella Project moved to a location in Trinity.

“That’s a long way to drive for my kids to go, to Trinity. They don’t know how to get there, and some of them wouldn’t have a ride,” Smith said.

So, Smith said, “I just have my own event, all of the time.”

While girls are more likely to come to the closet, it is also intended for boys, Smith said.

Sometimes the boys are reluctant to come to the closet, so their girlfriends will come pick something up for them, Smith said.

The clothes closet is just one of the ways that Smith reaches beyond her daily cafeteria duties to touch lives.

She’s also heavily involved in Relay for Life activities, has been involved in homecoming festivities, pitches in at school events and has served as a mentor.

Earlier this year, she was honored for her many contributions.

She received the Community Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Florida School Nutrition Association in May, and also received the district’s “Best Behind the Scenes” award.

While gratified by the honors, Smith quickly credits her family and staff for enabling her to do the things that she does.

Published September 23, 2015

Land O’ Lakes revives Rotary Club

September 23, 2015 By B.C. Manion

The Rotary Club of Land O’ Lakes used to operate independently.

Then, the club merged with the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon, and now the Land O’ Lakes group has become a satellite club of the Wesley Chapel group.

As the Land O’ Lakes group gains strength, it plans to become a stand-alone club again, said Terri Dusek, who chairs the committee for the current satellite group.

Jodie Sullivan and Colleen Beaudoin are having a good time at the kick off celebration of the Land O’ Lakes satellite club of the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club. (Photos courtesy of Terri Dusek) — Jodie Sullivan and Colleen Beaudoin are having a good time at the kick off celebration of the Land O’ Lakes satellite club of the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club.
(Photos courtesy of Terri Dusek)

The group wants to function as a Land O’ Lakes club because it recognizes needs within the Land O’ Lakes community, and it wants to play a role in helping to meet them, Dusek said.

For instance, one idea is to provide some outdoor musical instruments that can be used by both children and adults at the new playground at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, said Sandy Graves, a member of the satellite club.

That’s just an idea at this point, but it could become one of the club’s projects in the future, she said.

The Land O’ Lakes group also would like to take over the duties of serving a Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving Day at the Keystone Community Church, on State Road 54 near U.S. 41, Dusek said.

“The reason it’s a ‘Why now’ to be quite honest with you is because when I joined the Rotary, I thought I was joining the Land O’ Lakes Rotary, and then I found out I was joining the Wesley Chapel Rotary because they had merged,” Dusek said.

She didn’t have a problem with it, but she realized that the service projects the club was doing were in Wesley Chapel, she said.

Harry Wright, also known as Hungry Harry, is ready to greet people at the Land O’ Lakes satellite Rotary Club gathering on Sept. 18.

That made sense, because that’s where the club met, but she felt there were needs in Land O’ Lakes that a Land O’ Lakes club could address.

“We feel there’s plenty to do in Land O’ Lakes,” Graves agreed.

As the economy improves, the women thought it made sense to revive the service club.

“I think we needed to re-energize,” Graves said.

So far, the group has about 20 members, but it hopes to attract more, Dusek said.

Joining the group costs about $1,000 each year. That covers the weekly breakfasts, and a portion goes the Rotary Foundation and to Rotary International, she said.

The group’s goals are still being formulated.

And, while it builds strength, it will continue to be a satellite of the Wesley Chapel Rotary, Dusek said.

“We have the support of the Wesley Chapel group, which has a little bit over 100 members now. If we need assistance, or we need help from them, they’re like our mother club, and they will give us assistance,” Dusek said.

“They help us get off the ground, until we’re solid. Then we can charter our own new club, if we so choose to at that time,” she added.

“It’s just a great organization,” Dusek said.

“If you are looking to feel good by spreading the love and helping other people, that’s really what Rotary is all about. ‘Service above self.’ That’s our motto,” she said.

The Land O’ Lakes group meets on Fridays at 8 a.m., at the Lake Padgett Estates East Clubhouse, at 4533 Savanah Way. It is right off Collier Parkway in Lake Padgett Estates East.

The meetings include breakfast served by Lake Padgett Bistro.

For more information, contact Dusek at (813) 340-7973 or .

Published September 23, 2015