The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mike Camunas

More changes, growth coming to Zephyrhills

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The City of Zephyrhills continues to grow and change as it enters 2023.

“I think the biggest thing is, we’re not just a snowbird community anymore,” City Manager Billy Poe said. “We’re growing leaps and bounds, and now, as a city, we have to ask ourselves, ‘What do we want to be when we grow up?’ And what we want is everyone on the same page as we head into what is expected to be a busy future for Zephyrhills.”

Poe’s current passion project is the city rebranding. From the town slogan, logo and even color schemes, it’s a citywide image change that will be based on research and resident feedback.

The City of Zephyrhills — the largest municipality in Pasco County — has several projects in the works and planned for 2023. The city expects its population to reach nearly 20,000 within the next couple of years. (Mike Camunas)

“It’s to tell everyone who we are, what kind of city we are and have become, and what we have to offer,” Poe said.

In July 2022, city leaders brought in North Star Place Branding + Marketing, a Jacksonville-based consulting firm that will conduct research within the community to uncover how Zephyrhills is perceived, attitudes that people have about it, and to explore the city’s unique offerings. The firm then launched a survey in October, asking residents those questions. Since then, Poe said, there have been nearly 1,000 responses.

Poe hopes the rebranding will be complete by mid- to late-2023 to unveil to the public.

The city’s $100-million budget is nearly 33% more than it was last year, reflecting Zephyrhills’ growth.

It has earmarked $1 million to repair and add sidewalks throughout the town, especially around schools.

Poe says this is to “connect any missing links,” so residents can get around town without crossing streets or have neighborhoods connecting to the schools via sidewalks.

The sidewalks are coming at the right time and coincide with several road work projects, such as extensions of Dairy Road and Kossick Road, and improvements to the intersection at County Road 54 and 12th Street, next to Zephyrhills High.

In addition, Poe said the city was excited to welcome a new distillery — Dunamis Premium Spirits — which opened a tasting room by the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport off Chancey Road.

The distillery plans to convert the old SunTrust Building on Gall Boulevard into a two-story, glass-fronted tasting room and banquet hall that will be available for events.

“That could be a real game-changer for downtown Zephyrhills and a real shot in the arm for Gall Boulevard,” Poe said. “This project will be pretty cool, and I think that it’s exciting because, while not right downtown, it’s a couple of blocks away and could be a real catalyst in connecting that strip there into downtown.

“Because, let’s be honest, we’re almost at 18,000 here in Zephyrhills, so it won’t be much longer before we’re at 20,000.”

An estimated 1,200 to 1,800 residents are expected at the Abbott Square development off Simons Road, which is adding 600 homes.

“You want to grow at a controlled pace for several years to come, and we’ll see what happens — certainly we want to move forward, but we have to do it the right way,” Poe said. “Our goal is to grow a great community, with a balance of commercial and residential properties, so it becomes — and this is going to sound cliche, but it’s so true — where everyone wants to live, work and play.”

Additional Zephyrhills projects include:

Hercules Park: Plans are being finalized for a new $5.4-million park project that will be on the 12-acre parcel of land at the corner of County Road 54 and Gall Boulevard, adjacent to Woodland Elementary. City officials hope to have the full plans for City Council approval in time for a late spring/early summer groundbreaking. The park will include a splash pad, restroom, picnic shelters, a playground and trails.

The Backyard: An open-air park at the southwest corner of Eighth Street and Sixth Avenue will feature covered seating under teepee-like structures. Repurposed metal storage containers will serve as vendor spaces. There will be a stage, lighting, an event screen, plus service from food trucks. The initial design on the project came in over the $250,000 budget, so the city is having conversations to scale back the project. If officials can’t settle on budgetary concerns, the project may be shelved until a later time.

Multi-use indoor sports complex: A 30,000-square-foot multi-use indoor sports complex is planned to come to the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, but also is facing funding issues. Money for this project had been planned through state appropriations, but that was pulled back due to Hurricane Ian. Facility plans call for room for four full-size tennis courts and other athletic events. The space also would be used for trade shows, banquets and ceremonies. City officials are looking to scale back some on this project and, of course, await the funding, with a late 2023 start date being very tentative at this time.

Airport additions: More state appropriation money has been given to the city to add a new terminal, two box hangers and a taxiway. This also would include jet parking after the airport finished a $5.9-million, 1,200-foot runway expansion in the summer that will allow the city to welcome larger planes, including private jets. Since 2011, the city has spent $32 million improving the airport and has another nearly $7 million of state appropriated funds to spend on it.

National Guard Armory Complex: A $25-million armory complex is expected to be completed by 2026, also built by state appropriated funds. This also will mean extending South Avenue to the north up to County Round 54. Bidding on this project will commence soon and future development will come at a later date.

Published January 11, 2023

Striking up a really, really big band

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Consistency is not a minor key.

That’s especially true when it comes to the Land O’ Lakes High School Band.

Land O’ Lakes High Band member Max McGuill practices his tuba during a class in December. The Gators’ band, since being taken over by Johnathon Mulder six years ago, has more than doubled in size, from 60 to 124 members. Since Mulder took over, there’s been an emphasis on the passion of creating music together, and less focus on ratings and awards. (Mike Camunas)

In the six years that band director Johnathon Mulder has been leading the Gators, he has demonstrated consistency in leadership, direction, experience and, of course, the love of music.

“We’ve tried to put a big emphasis on recruiting — which is not really like it is in the sports world,” said Mulder, a former trumpet player from the Herd of Thunder, the University of South Florida’s marching band. “It’s more of just trying to get to the middle school and giving them the information about us and joining us when they come to this high school.

“But until I got here — with the last five to six band directors — there was constant turnover, where it was a new band director every two to three years. So consistency, that was a big thing for me when I came in — not to leave after two years.

“Because with any band program in the state, or even the country, ones that are large in size and very good, you see that they have a director or directors that have been there for an extended time.”

Mulder’s stay, and the consistency in leadership, have worked. Land O’ Lakes now has the second largest public high school band in Pasco County, only behind Mitchell High.

Land O’ Lakes High Director of Bands Johnathon Mulder directs the woodwind and brass sections of the Gators’ band during a practice session on campus in December. Since he took over the band six years ago, Mulder has changed the band’s culture, which has resulted in an uptick of participation from students, especially from incoming freshmen.

When Mulder took over, the band had about 60 members. Now, the Gators’ band has 124 members, which is a school record.

“When I came here, there was a lot of negativity within the band,” Mulder said. “A lot of students would make jokes about themselves — self-deprecating humor — but we wanted to stop that.

“The big thing with my philosophy in teaching is we will do well, we will go on stage and put on a great performance and a high-quality production. What’s important is that this class, like our dance and art and chorus classes and theater, is usually the safe space for those students. We wanted to create an atmosphere that this is a family, that we’re all working for each other, with each other and pushing ourselves and holding ourselves to high standards.”

That family atmosphere, and the “recruiting,” seems to be working, given the band’s size. Mulder and the band’s captains will visit the middle school band, like the one at Pine View Middle, which has close to 300 members. But the band also will have a Middle School Night.

For that, the Gators will go to a Pine View game and play and perform with those middle school band members. They’ll also invite them to a Gators’ football game, so they can watch the band perform during the game and its halftime performance.

“We do have a middle school band night, so we were there and played their tunes, our tunes — really jammed out with them and performed on the field with them,” senior trombone section leader Riley Palmer said. “And they came to our game and, obviously, I didn’t really pay attention to them in the stands because I was playing, but I think they liked it.

Riley Palmer, a senior, left, and Gracie Bagley, a junior, play their trombones during practice for Land O’ Lakes High’s band.

“I know, for me, I loved it because, just like them, I was in the stands on middle school night and it got me really excited to join when I came to Land O’ Lakes.”

Middle school night has been quite the recruiting tool, according to one of the band’s recruiters.

“We’re really involved with middle school night and just show them this is the high school band experience and they really love it,” said Kenzie Ringo, a senior, who plays the clarinet and is the band’s co-captain. “In the past, you’d get a really big freshman class and then they’d quit, but now everyone sticks around and you have seniors that have been in band all four years.

“We’re a lot like a family — we’re really close and love being around each other, and so that helps people stick around and that’s just very cool to see.”

As senior players who have enjoyed four full years under Mulder’s guidance, they believe his tenure has made all the difference.

“What makes our band stand out from other bands is that we’re not as serious as other bands,” Palmer said. “I’d like us to be a little more serious, but I also just like how chill we are, and that’s what he’s brought to this band.”

“He’s, obviously, our band director, but he’s the leader, right?” Ringo added. “He’s just a very easy person to talk to and down to earth with us. He doesn’t mind talking to any of us outside of band time. He’s just someone that you want to be friends with, even after you move on from high school.”

And after six years, the Gators band is finally on the same page of sheet music.

It’s important to have consistency in leadership and expectations, Mulder said.

“When you establish those expectations and have them year after year, you build a culture of success, and I think that absolutely shows now after six years.”

Published January 11, 2023

Damien Cardina, a junior, plays his euphonium during a practice session.
Brady Horn, a sophomore, plays the flute, as part of the 124-member Land O’ Lakes High School band — the largest band in the school’s history.
Nayshun Glover, a freshman, practices a drum routine.
Isabella Gomez, a sophomore, practices on her oboe.

They’ll be hanging around

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Time to swing into the weekend.

And it’s just in time for HangCon 2023 — the largest hammock gathering in the country.

That’s right.

It’s just like other conventions, though for hammock enthusiasts. And it doesn’t meet in a convention center or a hotel event room.

This gathering will be outdoors, in wooded campgrounds, with hundreds of people from all over the country attending, to just hang out.

Hundreds of hammock-camping enthusiasts are expected at HangCon, from Jan. 12 to Jan. 16, at the Florida Sand Music Ranch in Brooksville. It is the largest hammock gathering in the country and includes a weekend of outdoor activities, a flea market and trading post, vendors, exhibits and, of course, just hanging out in hammocks. (Courtesy of Paul Collins)

“We’ve actually had several people who attend HangCon come up to us and they’ve thanked us for the event,” said Paul Collins, one of HangCon’s organizers. “Since it’s free, several people use HangCon as a family vacation or a getaway or camping trip. Maybe they don’t have the funds to take the whole family to Disney, so they use it to come down from whatever state and hang with us the whole weekend.

“And each year it just grows and grows. We’re expecting just over 400 people and, of those people, 33 states will be represented (in attendance).”

HangCon started back in 2011 when it was just a small gathering of like-minded outdoor enthusiasts called Florida Hang. It was the idea of a couple, who only went by their trail names, “Timberrr and Gumbo.”

It officially changed to HangCon in 2016, but it also moved locations because attendance kept growing. Originally it was at Doe Lake Campground in the Ocala National Forest.

Collins, or “Skunkape,” took over running HangCon in 2019, along with A.J. Glenn, or aka, “Phoenix.”

“A.J. and I, we plan HangCon for the whole year,” said Collins, who also runs the event’s website and social media. “And back when it was smaller, sure, it was easier. We’ve always said that as long as we can make it free to attend, we’ll always do HangCon.”

Collins says it takes upward of $15,000 to put on HangCon, but that comes from raffle ticket sales and donations. Vendors will donate $10,000 worth of gear to raffle off.

The past few years, HangCon has grown in popularity because Collins started a podcast for hammock camping called The Hammock Hangers Podcast. He said he noticed increased listenership and an uptick in attendance.

HangCon 2023, while already the largest hammock gathering in the country, is expected to attract its highest attendance since it started in 2011. This year’s attendance is anticipated to top 400.

“We have people that come every year, but because of the podcast, we have a lot of first-timers,” Collins said. “We have a group of car campers that come, a group of motorcycle campers that come — we have all types of campers coming and a lot of them are not even hammock campers.

“They’ll come because they’re hammock-curious.”

Some traditional tent campers want to try hammock camping — sleeping in a hammock that can be insulated and feature a bug net — to see if they like it.

“Because it’s a lot of money to invest (into hammock camping) and not knowing if you’re going to like it or it becomes your new hobby,” Collins added.

That’s why HangCon also will feature several demonstrations and vendor setups to both educate and display all that goes into hammock camping. The vendors will be nationally known hammock camping specialists. Experts also will be there to discuss a variety of topics, such as the different types of hammocks, as well as hanging techniques.

HangCon also provides breakfast and dinner for attendees through the weekend, while Hammock Hangers Flea Market and Trading Post will be open for people to buy and trade gear, and more.

There also are plenty of outdoor activities planned, such as a guided kayak trip down the Chassahowitzka River, guided hikes and even whiskey-tasting.

The idea is to make it a fun weekend for hammock campers, with memories they can hang onto.

“As soon as HangCon is done on Monday, A.J. and I will talk about next year’s event, maybe what we’ll do differently, but also plan on there being even more people next year,” Collins said. “And with more (people) added every day before we get to (Jan. 12), we plan and expect that. We expect the numbers to go up, but we also expect to have a great time — for everyone. From experienced hangers to those hammock-curious, everyone can come out and hang with people who love hammocks just as much as they do.”

HangCon 2023
When: Jan. 12 to Jan. 16
Where: Florida Sand Music Ranch (formerly Sertoma Youth Ranch), 85 Myers Road, Brooksville
Cost: Free
Details: HangCon began in 2011, as a small gathering called Florida Hang. The event has grown yearly and is the largest hammock gathering in the country. Attendees, from hammock to camping to outdoor enthusiasts are expected from all over the country for a four-day weekend of activities, vendors, food, hammock demonstrations and fun. It is absolutely free to attend HangCon, with food also provided, but donations are welcome. If you plan to attend, organizers ask that you register online to help them have a head count for the food.
To donate or register, visit HangCon.com.

Nearby places for an awesome hang*
Hal Scott Preserve, Orlando: A 9,515-acre nature preserve located along the banks of the Econlockhatchee River.

Alexander Springs, Altoona: Spring water pool for canoeing, kayaking and swimming surrounded by forest, camping and picnic areas.

Manatee Springs State Park, Chiefland: A sparkling spring run and boardwalk beneath a cypress forest with 8.5 miles of nature trails and a safe connection to the 32-mile Nature Coast State Trail.

Ginnie Springs, High Springs: A privately owned park located on the south side of the Santa Fe River, with access to several springs and caverns with a sand and limestone bottom.

Withlacoochee State Forest, Brooksville: Forest of 157,479 acres providing critical wildlife habitat, plus trails, caves, campgrounds, and kayaking and canoeing.

*Always check to be sure a park or campground allows hammocks.

Published January 11, 2023

Dade City looks to renovations, redesigns in 2023

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As 2023 gets started, Dade City is looking toward the future.

And while Pasco County’s oldest city plans to keep its history and small-town feel as vibrant and forefront as possible, officials are excited about its various plans and upcoming projects in store for the ever-changing town.

“Absolutely, it is an exciting time to be in Dade City and for our residents,” City Manager Leslie Porter said. “We have a number of projects in development and it would be hard to pick just one we are most excited about.”

However, Porter acknowledged she is perhaps most enthused about the Seventh Street Streetscaping Improvement Project the city is about to undergo, which is “basically going to change to a whole new look” in the downtown Dade City area, Porter said.

Dade City has some big plans for 2023, from adding a splash pad near the Hardy Trail to streetscaping Seventh Street in downtown, in a move to reduce traffic speeds and reinvigorate the shopping and entertainment district. (Mike Camunas)

“The feedback and concern we always get is that Seventh Street is like a raceway,” Porter added. “The usual concern is cars driving too fast, so the streetscaping will not only be safer, but it will also give downtown’s main intersection and roads a whole new look and feel.

“So we’re on the cusp of doing something very big.”

Porter said the city worked with Johnson Engineering, which is preparing renderings on what streetscaping would do to downtown. Not only would this reconfiguration calm traffic, it also would bring about new sidewalks, bike lanes, landscaping and lighting.

Porter says the city is expecting the renderings this month and there will be more workshops then to prepare for actual design.

Also in the works is the development of a splash pad and all-inclusive playground on the land next to The Spoke: Dade City’s Market Place and Visitors Center on Church Avenue at the start of the Hardy Trail. The $1-million project funded by the Community Development Block Grant would include restrooms and is out to bid now for a project management team.

“The playground would be the first one of its kind in Dade City,” Porter said. “We know we are starting to have younger families, so the splash park and new playground are going to be even more amenities for people to enjoy.”

Additional projects mentioned by Porter that are in planning phases include:

Morningside Drive Extension
The city is currently in the design phase to take Morningside Drive from U.S. 301 and extend it west to connect to State Road 52. It’s a long-range project, but one that City Manager Leslie Porter says will create a new traffic route, and allow direct and quicker access to AdventHealth Dade City with a whole new access point.

Wastewater Treatment Plant Design
This project is still a few years out, but a contract was awarded to design a new wastewater treatment plant. It will replace the current plant near the  Mickens-Harper neighborhood, which officials hope to remove by 2026.

New Civic Center
The city is about to undertake a study to determine exactly what type of new building will be built at the James Irvin Civic Center, 38122 Martin Luther King Blvd. It has already been determined that the current building was beyond renovation.

Dade City, with a nearly $41-million budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, 64% higher than the previous year, is growing and expanding rapidly, and Porter recognizes this. 

With the influx of new businesses downtown, the renovation of the Hugh Embry Library, several projects on the horizon and a population nearing 8,000, Dade City is looking to beyond 2023 and into the future.

“We’re getting new businesses all the time and thanks to things like First Friday and The Block, I think it’s getting realized that there is a nightlife now,” Porter said. “We’ve got a wine bar downtown, and the brewery and restaurants, and there’s a whole new crowd of people in Dade City. We even have an indoor mini golf place!

“And you can see that new crowd especially when the Art Walk was a great success, so with everything going on in this town and where we’re headed, it’s a very exciting time to be in Dade City.”

Published January 04, 2023

Back again, Pigz in Z’Hills looks to be bigger, better

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Even though the annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ and Blues Festival has never missed a year — even from COVID — organizers are still excited for the event to be back.

And, organizers hope this year’s festival will be bigger and better than ever.

Entering its 13th year, the barbecue and blues fest is looking to get back to pre-COVID attendance numbers, bring in an influx of tourism into Zephyrhills and make even more money for the local nonprofits and scholarship funds.

Lamar Marshall, of Lakeland, pitmaster for the Smoke Shack BBQ team, prepares ribs and sausage to feed hungry patrons during the 2022 Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival. (File)

“We are pretty excited,” said Vicki Wiggins, director of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce that hosts the annual festival. “We’re hoping for about 10 (10,000) to 13,000 in attendance, which is pre-COVID numbers for us. But we’re also just hoping to make some money, which we turn around and donate to several of the nonprofits in the community.”

Pigz in Z’Hills has helped The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce to provide $48,000 in scholarships for local Zephyrhills area students since the event began.

Students aren’t the only ones benefiting. 

Many local 501(c)3 youth groups and charities volunteer their time at the event. Its success has allowed the chamber to “Pay it Forward” with donations to scholarships, youth leadership programs and children’s charities every year.

“(The festival) really does have an impact on everyone in the (Zephyrhills) community,” Wiggins said. “Folks come over and spend the night, then they eat and shop downtown and in Zephyrhills, so we expect everything and everyone to be very busy that weekend. I know that all the hotels are full and that the restaurants will get full — if you bring 13,000 into the community, everyone gets super busy.

“But that makes for a huge economic impact on this area.”

The festival will once again include its Kidz Grillin’ Competition. Through community donations and sponsorships from Sonny’s BBQ, Bahr’s Propane Gas & AC, Home Depot and Chick-fil-A Zephyrhills, 30 barbecuing youths will compete while being mentored by local Pitmasters.

“We’re really looking forward to that (competition),” Wiggins said. “We’ll have the judges going over their food, but we love the kids cooking and grilling just like mini adults. Watching them in their aprons using grills is just so cute!”

Additionally, there will be a cornhole tourney on both days of the event, a Kidz Zone with various activities and the Zephyrhills Museum of Military History also will be open for visitors to see its unique collection of memorabilia.

Patrons patiently waited in line to pick up some ribs, chicken and sausage from the ‘Off the Bone’ vendor’s tent. The grilling crew was one of many vendors serving up barbecue during the 2022 Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival. The tent is adorned with flags from some of the team’s past BBQ competition wins. (File)

There will be plenty of Blues music, too, featuring numerous bands, with music playing both days. Visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs to enjoy music starting at 11 a.m. on Jan. 14.

“I think that the only thing that is different this year is that we’re really focused on the food and the bands,” Wiggins said. “We’ll continue the cornhole tournament and the Kidz Zone and can’t wait for the Kidz Grillin’ but we’re focused on food, bands and, of course, fun.

“We love that this event is in January because we like to use it to kick off the year right — and we all want to have a really good 2023!”

13th Annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ and Blues Festival
When: Jan. 13, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; and Jan. 14, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, 39421 South Ave., Zephyrhills
Cost: $5 entrance fee, free parking
Music acts: Friday – Chuck Riley’s All-Stars; Paul Correia and The Sandspurs. Saturday – Mark Shane, Snake Farm Band, R.J. Howson, Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones
Details: In addition to the barbecue, vendors and live blues music, the Kidz Zone will feature face painting, arts & crafts and games provided by the East Pasco Family YMCA. There also will be a Kidz Grillin’ Competition on Jan. 13, with up to 30 youth in a cookout competition, and a cornhole tourney on both days.
Info: Visit tinyurl.com/mebb43t7, or the event’s Facebook page.

Published January 04, 2023

Favorite Sports Stories of 2022

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We, at The Laker/Lutz News enjoy sharing stories in our Community Sports Section about people who live or grew up in our coverage area. We like to report on their accomplishments, whether it’s on a local field, or in the wide world of sports.

The section often includes athletes testing their skills in everything from shuffleboard in Zephyrhills, to Little League in Lutz, from youth football in Wesley Chapel to cycling in Dade City. Of course, there’s also cycling in San Antonio, high school sports all over, fitness challenges, and myriad recreational pursuits.

Here are some of our favorite sports features from 2022.

Adapting to the right fit
Published Sept. 21, 2022

(Mike Camunas)

At CrossFit AERO in Lutz, trainers have developed a modified program allowing individuals with permanent physical disabilities or severe injuries to complete the Workout of the Day, or WOD, and become comfortable with the fundamentals of functional movement.

“The way we see it, with CrossFit, everything is scalable,” said Ellaine Sapin-Ancheta, the AERO Adaptive CrossFit director and head trainer. “So, if there is a workout of the day — say its rowing — every single person that walks in the door, we want them to be able to do that, no matter what your ability or disability is.”

Stephanie Beaver, of Wesley Chapel, is one of the program’s athletes and can be seen here doing a deadlift at CrossFit AERO during a session of Adaptive CrossFit.

“The movements we do here translate into the things I have to do every day, from moving around at home or to picking things up. It just translates into everyday life for me, so that really helps a lot,” Beaver said. “Never in a million years I thought I would ever be doing the things I am doing today while at CrossFit.”

From Lutz to Ole Miss, Tim Elko becomes a legend
Published July 20, 2022

(Courtesy of Josh McCoy, Ole Miss Athletics)

A local kid became a legend. 

Ole Miss baseball captain and Lutz native Tim Elko hoisted up the NCAA National Championship trophy on June 26 at Charles Schwab Field Omaha after The Rebels defeated Oklahoma in two games. 

Becoming a national champion caps off an amazing collegiate career for Elko, who through his last two seasons, was the one of the big bats in the lineup. In 2021, he batted .325 with 16 homers and 55 RBI that helped lead the Rebels to a Super Regional appearance, doing so all on a torn ACL. In 2022, he batted .300, with 24 homers and 75 RBI — plus added that national championship.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Elko, who went 4-for-5 with a home run and three runs scored in Game One of the CWS Finals against Oklahoma. “You just couldn’t ask for a cooler final season. Some people counted us out, but the rest is history. This was just a great team that never gave up and believed in our abilities. Really, a dream come true.”

Up next for Elko: he was selected in the 10th round of the MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox.

Senior Softballers in a league of their own
Published Sept. 7, 2022

The North Tampa Bay Senior Softball League, which plays their games and practices in Land O’ Lakes, kicked off its 10-year anniversary season on Sept. 9. And the league has come a long way since it started with just 10 players.

(Mike Camunas)

“It was an adventure (10 years ago) because many of us were coming back to the game we hadn’t played in many, many years,” said Lutz resident Fred Eckstein, another one of the original 10. “We blew up back then and even sometimes now, where we get a new influx of players. But the play is good, the camaraderie is good — it’s a real diverse group, too, given everyone’s backgrounds and where they are from, originally.

“It’s really just fun to hang out with all (the players).”

Now, there are more than 100 people involved, including players, umpires and scorekeepers. Seven teams will play through the playoffs and a championship in May.

Our story about the team resonated with the community, according to the league’s commissioner, Walt Bruschi. “Senior citizens across the entire area of your paper’s distribution have called me.

“I had a call from The Keystone Place at Terra Bella, a retirement and assisted living community, (and asked) if they could bring a van of senior citizens to watch our games!”

A hearty comeback
Published June 8, 2022

JohnE McCray was dead for four minutes.

(Mike Camunas)

This Zephyrhills resident and professional disc golf champion was out on the course on Feb. 5, even doing well at the Barnett Park Championships, in Orlando, and suffered a heart attack.

After emergency surgery and the installation of an automated internal cardiac defibrillator (AICD), the 50-year-old disc golf national champion needed some time to rehabilitate, which was about four months of rest and recovery, including building up endurance just to be able to walk the courses.

Now, he’s ready to be back on the Professional Disc Golf Association Tour.

“Definitely got some big plans (to get back on tour),” he added. “When (the heart attack happened), it was Saturday afternoon, and I woke up on Monday, but thought it was still Saturday. I’m like, ‘Am I still going to be able to play tomorrow?’ and Jen was like, ‘Um, I don’t think so!’

“So, yeah, I’m really ready to get back out there on the course.”

Splash for the cash
Published May 18, 2022

Wyatt Deaton just kept swimming.

For 2 miles — raising $5,900 through his persistence.

The 11-year-old Wesley Chapel resident powered through laps as part of Swim Across America (SAA) — the nationwide fundraising event for cancer research, clinical trials and patient programs.

(Mike Camunas)

He did it for his mom who has secretory breast carcinoma, a rare form of cancer.

“I just wanted to do my part to raise money for cancer (research), because my mom’s cancer is very rare, and this helps finding rare cancers and helping people, like my mom, who have it,” Wyatt said.

He set a fundraising goal of $2,000, but he ended up raising nearly $6,000 — becoming the top fundraiser for the Tampa Bay SAA event.

“He was devastated (when I was diagnosed with cancer), so he just read every book to learn more about it,” Michelle, his mother, said. “I think that being able to do something as a child that makes a difference means a lot to him, and I can see him doing (SAA) for years and years to come.”

The Tampa Bay swimming event raised more than $136,000 for Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg.

His goal for the 2023 swimming event? 

“I want to raise $10,000,” Wyatt said.

Published January 04, 2023

Local resident competes in Olympia Weekend

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(Courtesy of Winston Sullivan)

Winston Sullivan, a 37-year-old security guard from Lutz, competed in the Mr. Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend from Dec. 15 to Dec. 18 in Las Vegas. Sullivan, who has been doing professional bodybuilding for about eight years, qualified for the pinnacle of bodybuilding events in October and did so without the guidance of a trainer. And while Sullivan didn’t place in the Men’s Physique Division, he told The Laker/Lutz News in December that just being one of 60 competitors in this division and just one of 23 from the United States was an accomplishment he’ll never forget.

“It’s kind of fun to see how far you can push yourself and your body,” Sullivan said in December. “I look back at myself before (bodybuilding) and I’m like, wow.

“To see thousands of competitors, and they say you’re one of the top 60 guys in the world, that’s an accomplishment within itself, and I’m very excited to be a part of that.”

Hockey results

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The Tampa Bay Girls 12U Crunch, which plays out of AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel, went 4-0 during a Thanksgiving tournament from Nov. 25 to Nov. 27 at the RDV Ice Den in Orlando. The Crunch defeated the Orlando Express on Nov. 25, the Queen City Royals (Charlotte, NC) and Atlanta Thrashers on Nov. 26, and the Royals again on Nov. 27. The Crunch were led by Danielle Rapport and Lilly Maclure on the scoring end, while Giuliana Wilson and Juli Polo split duties in the net to make key saves for the weekend sweep.

First family moves into new ‘Village’

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Danielle Thornton and her kids will be home for the holidays.

They’ll be in their brand-new, mortgage-free house in Land O’ Lakes.

Retired Army Staff Sgt. Danielle Thornton, center, with the help of numerous family members, her two children Jaylen and Kinsley, and Tunnel To Towers CEO Frank Siller, cuts the ribbon to her brand-new, mortgage-free home in the Let Us Do Good Village, a community that’s in development in Land O’ Lakes. Tunnel To Towers created the village to provide homes to catastrophically injured veterans and the families of fallen military members and first responders. (Mike Camunas)

Retired Army Staff Sgt. Thornton and her two children, Jaylen, 9, and Kinsley, 5, received the very first house given away by the Tunnel To Towers Foundation in the new Let Us Do Good Village on Dec. 17. The nonprofit is creating a new 96-home community, off Parkway Boulevard, in Land O’ Lakes.

The mortgage-free homes are being given to catastrophically-injured veterans and the families of fallen first responders and military members.

“I’ll never forget the call from Tunnel To Towers, and I had never heard of that (foundation),” Thornton told a crowd of hundreds, many of which were first responders and veterans. “I mean, who wants to give you a mortgage-free home for nothing? No one does that, no one wants to just give you a home. But it was real. It was really real.

“Just being able to start all over again, in a brand-new house in a brand-new community, and we’ll have neighbors that’ll be families just like us — it’s a great opportunity for us and … I’m at a loss for words.”

Danielle, left, and Robert Thornton, left, met in college and enlisted in the Army together, however, Robert died in 2017 from complications of an undiagnosed enlarged heart. (Courtesy of Tunnel To Towers)

In 2017, her late husband, Army Sgt. Robert Thornton, was going through physical training at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. He would collapse, and later it was determined he suffered from an undiagnosed enlarged heart. 

Robert, assigned to the 528th Sustainment Brigade and a decorated soldier, died, leaving behind his young wife, 5-year-old son and newborn daughter.

“There was a knock at the door, and it was odd because I was trying to call him, and he wasn’t answering,” Danielle recalled. “Being in the military, when you get a knock at the door, it’s usually not good — I ended up closing the door in their face.

“From that day to this day, I’ve tried to figure out what am I going to do with these kids? It was very scary for me.”

Five years later, things got less scary for Danielle and her children after receiving the new house on Do Good Way in Land O’ Lakes. As the Thorntons entered the house for the first time, escorted by Tunnel To Towers CEO Frank Siller, they were overjoyed and overwhelmed. The house came with rooms for each member of the family, including a master bedroom for Danielle that includes a big closet and a walk-around shower.

Retired Army Staff Sgt. Danielle Thornton, center, hugs her daughter, Kinsely, left, while also hugging Frank Siller, CEO of Tunnel To Towers Foundation. The nonprofit organization is building the Let Us Do Good Village, a brand-new, 96-home community in Land O’ Lakes that will provide mortgage-free homes for catastrophically injured veterans, Gold Star families and the families of fallen first responders. The Thorntons, having lost their patriarch, Army Sgt. Robert Thornton, in 2017, were awarded the first fully built home in the community during a Dec. 17 ribbon-cutting ceremony. (Mike Camunas)

“Why did she get this house?” Siller asked. “Because of her sacrifice. She gave to this country, more than many have or ever will. And it is our responsibility to give back to these people, whose families were taken from them, who sacrificed their families for this country. We want to take care of these families who have sacrificed everything for this country.”

At the moment, the Thorntons are the only residents in the Let Us Do Good Village. But other houses already are in progress, as is the state-of-the-art community center that will include a pool, courts, movie theater and more. Once others move in, Danielle is looking forward to having neighbors that are very relatable.

“Even five years later,” she said, “there’s still a lot of pain, but just being able to turn to others in the same situation will help a lot.

“All I could do is cry (when entering the house), because — and I say this all the time — even though my husband’s not here, he still takes care of us.

“He’s saying, “It’s finally all coming together for us … that … that it’s going to be OK.”

Danielle knows her late husband can rest easy now, with the knowledge that his family has been taken care of and a place to call their own.

“He’d tell the kids, ‘Go jump on the bed, go mess up something,’” Danielle said with a laugh. “He’d want to go cook something — he would enjoy every part of this. 

“He would love it — absolutely just love this house.”

Let Us Do Good Village by Tunnel To Towers Foundation
Details: The Let Us Do Good Village is a new, 96-home community in Land O’ Lakes that will provide mortgage-free homes to catastrophically injured veterans and the families of fallen first responders and military members. The community also will include a state-of-the-art community center with an ADA-compliant gym and pool, a movie theater, basketball and pickleball courts, meeting rooms and playgrounds. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation is dedicated to honoring the sacrifice of FDNY Firefighter Stephen Siller, who laid down his life to save others on Sept. 11, 2001.
For more about the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and its commitment to DO GOOD, please visit T2T.org.

Published December 28, 2022

Danielle Thornton, right, and her son, Jaylen, are blown away by the master bedroom of their new mortgage-free home in Let Us Do Go Village in Land O’ Lakes. (Mike Camunas)
Retired Army Staff Sgt. Danielle Thornton, sitting on the couch in her new Land O’ Lakes home with her 5-year-old daughter, Kinsely, reflects on how overwhelmed she was to receive a mortgage-free house from Tunnel To Towers. She becomes choked up while discussing her late husband, Army Sgt. Robert Thornton.
Retired Army Staff Sgt. Danielle Thornton was overwhelmed on Dec. 17, when she had her first look at her new, mortgage-free house in Land O’ Lakes. Thornton, and her two children, Jaylen, 9, and Kinsley, 5, were the first recipients of a house in the Let Us Do Good Village being created by Tunnel To Towers. The 96-home community will provide mortgage-free houses to catastrophically injured veterans and the families of fallen military members and first responders.
Danielle Thornton, while standing in front of her new mortgage-free home in Land O’ Lakes, chokes up while addressing the crowd of hundreds gathered to see her receive the first house in the Let Us Do Good Village and discussing her late husband, Robert.

Fishing for a better quality of life

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Out on the water, they’re just anglers.

While battling waves and some big fish, there is no talk of injuries or paralysis or other medical issues, or even the grueling but essential rehabilitative therapy.

This is their therapy.

Recipients of Tighten The Drag Foundation, a Lutz-based 501(c)3 nonprofit that helps better the quality of life for those with spinal cord injuries, get a fully-paid fishing weekend through the foundation’s annual fishing tournament in Safety Harbor.

Robert Tramontana, right, seen here out fishing with his brother, Matt, suffered a spinal cord injury in 2012 and has been wheelchair-bound since. Through Tighten The Drag Foundation, a Lutz-based nonprofit that helps improve the quality of life for those that have suffered a spinal cord injury, he and several others are afforded a yearly fishing tournament, as well as money to pay for rehabilitation therapy, which is not covered by any insurance. (Courtesy of Sheila Tramontana)

But, it’s more. The foundation helps those that have come for assistance participate in adaptive sports and enjoy recreational activities. It also raises money that will help pay for that therapy, which, shockingly, is not covered by any insurance.

“A lot of people don’t know that,” the foundation’s lead volunteer, Sheila Tramontana, said. “A spinal cord injury, it’s like your thumbprint, in that every injury is specific to that person. … So, there’s not one special treatment. It’s a special treatment per patient because every injury affects everyone differently. 

“So, insurance companies don’t cover therapy because, most likely, someone with a spinal cord injury won’t walk again. While this therapy is necessary and worthwhile, it’s deemed this way by insurance companies because you just don’t know what kind of recovery each person will have.

“And my family, and son, quickly realized this the hard way.”

Sheila’s son, Robert Tramontana, was paralyzed 10 years ago, suffering a spinal cord injury while out on Crystal River. Robert, now 40, was scalloping with friends and decided to dive into the water to cool off. Robert isn’t sure what he hit — possibly a manatee — but his head hit it first and he became one of the 17,500 people in this country who suffer a spinal cord injury every year.

As Robert spent 87 days in the hospital, Sheila soon found out insurance would not cover the rehab therapy. It would have to be paid out of pocket and those sessions can run up to or more than $100 an hour, and, most likely, the therapy’s location is not nearby. Meaning, transportation also factors into this uncovered cost.

“It blew my mind,” Sheila recalls. “Just how little resources there were for helping this kind of injury. There weren’t places to go, nor is there an advocate for someone in a hospital who is looking for help for paralysis.

“Every person has to deal with it themselves, but they need support, and we’ll help. If you need therapy, we’ll pay — just go. If we can help get them through the door, it’s up to them and we’ll help how we can.”

Tighten The Drag doesn’t try to solicit new recipients. Most of the time, it will be through word of mouth because now, 10 years later, Sheila and the foundation have been able to let it be known that they can help those who suffered spinal cord injuries.

There are only two requirements: the person must be a Florida resident and the paralysis was caused by an accident.

Tighten The Drag’s group of volunteers who tirelessly work events and help out behind the scenes year-round. The Lutz-based charity raises funding that helps improve the quality of life for those with spinal-cord injuries.

From there, the foundation supports its recipients, from getting them the fully paid fishing tournament excursion, to other supplies they might need, to doing something special for them on their birthday and other recreational outings.

Sheila says the foundation fronts about nearly $3,000 in the first month and that each person who participates in the fishing tournament can cost up to $2,200. This, of course, all comes from fundraising and donations, such as getting money from the Lutz Guv’na campaign, for example, or the GTE Federal Credit Union in Lutz, which is the fishing tournament’s title sponsor.

“Someone like me, my goal isn’t to walk again,” Land O’ Lakes native and foundation recipient Aaron Lopez said. “That would be nice and great, but $100 an hour is actually on the lower side and it needs to be cash money every week.”

Lopez suffered a spinal cord injury in a motorcycle accident in 2014, but after nearly 10 years of therapy, this is built into his everyday life. He moves enough that the therapy, which the foundation helped him pay for, works in a seamless, but meaningful way.

Tighten The Drag recipient Sam Scribner, left, and his professional guide, Captain Ryan Amaturo, hold up a fish hauled in during the foundation’s Fall 2022 Tournament in Safety Harbor.

“The tournament, and foundation, is fantastic,” Lopez added. “To get injured people back on the water, forget about all the wheelchair and injury stuff for a little bit, and just feel like a person again.

“Insurance … doesn’t cover rehab, and I understand because why pay for something if it doesn’t make you walk again — that’s just the black and white way to put it, but the foundation gets that.”

Even more, the foundation acts like a reunion. It gets anglers back together, as a group of not just paralyzed people, but people still trying to live their best lives.

“It’s sad to see that insurance doesn’t cover it,” said New Smyrna Beach resident and the foundation’s social media manager, Sam Scribner, who fell out of a hammock in a freak accident in 2016 and broke his C5 vertebrae. “People don’t have the money and suffer because they can’t afford it, while the therapy, obviously evidentially, does wonders.

“But the biggest thing people get out of the foundation is getting people with spinal cord injuries together and talking. They exchange the how to’s of figuring out how to live this life that no amount of Googling will get you. We share experiences. …  And we get back out on the boat, with the wind on our faces, just forgetting about the everyday life of spinal cord injuries and wheelchairs. It’s feeling like a person again, and I hope others feel the same.”

Tighten The Drag Foundation
Details: A Lutz-based nonprofit foundation helping improve the quality of life for those that have suffered a spinal cord injury. The name comes from competitive tournament anglers using the term “tighten the drag” as a reference to bearing down on a fish to overpower, take control and be successful at achieving the goal of landing the fish. Each year, the foundation hosts a fishing tournament that fully pays for its 25 recipients that have come to the organization to get out on the water and fish. Funds raised through events provide scholarships for Florida residents with spinal cord injuries to attend activity-based exercise therapy rehabilitative and recovery programs either in home with a personal trainer or in licensed facilities, participate in adaptive sports and enjoy recreational activities.
For more information or to donate to the foundation, visit TightenTheDragFoundation.org.

Published December 28, 2022