The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mike Camunas

Pickleball tournament a smash hit

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It was a slam dink.

Take arguably the fastest-growing sport out there and host a two-day tournament for fanatics of pickleball and, sure enough, players showed up to compete.

Pickleball youngster Luke Pulaski gears up and follows through on a shot at the courts Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex on Oct. 14, on the second day of a pickleball tournament hosted by Pickleball Fanatics, a pair of local instructors who teach and promote the sport in Central Pasco County. The two-day tournament featured 120 players — including 18 youth players — and divisions of doubles of men, women and mixed, with winners taking home medals. Pickleball Fanatics has been working for about a year to get permanent, public pickleball courts at a location in or near Land O’ Lakes. (Mike Camunas)

Pickleball Fanatics — a pair of pickleball instructors based in Central Pasco — hosted an adult and youth tournament at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway, with players coming from near and far to compete in different divisions and competitions.

About 120 players showed up — including 18 youth players — as the duo of Kathy McCausey and Val Thomopalos looked to promote the sport. They also are using the proceeds to benefit the rec complex — specifically to get public, permanent courts either there or at a nearby location.

“The demand for (permanent pickleball) courts is very significant,” McCausey said. “It’s really just about getting enough money and talking to the right people to get it approved.”

McCausey and Thomopalos say they’ve been working to communicate with the Pasco County Commission to get public, permanent courts, specifically in the Central Pasco area.

The top three teams of the women’s division pose on the podium on Oct. 14, after receiving medals at the two-day pickleball tournament at Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex.

Besides the rec complex, other possible locations are Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park and Wesley Chapel District Park. The pickleball partners also mentioned the county might want courts at Starkey Ranch District Park, as well.

Currently, when pickleball players get together, temporary lines are put on tennis courts. Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Center in Zephyrhills has pickleball courts, but using them requires a membership.

“They don’t really like having to put down lines every time,” Thomopalos said. “We really want something just for pickleball in Central Pasco, and this sport is absolutely popular enough to warrant them.”

The duo has raised somewhere between $10,000 to $15,000, but definitely know it will take a lot more money — as well as the backing of a county board member  — to achieve their goal.

But for now, Pickleball Fanatics will continue to promote the sport by hosting free play, tournaments and the rest of the pickleball craze.

“Anyone can come out and play,” Thomopalos said. “There are no requirements, no experience level — if you want to come play pickleball, come play pickleball with us!”

Pickleball Fanatics
Details: Led by Kathay McCausey and Val Thomopalos, the two instructors give lessons, run tournaments and coordinate impromptu meet-ups of pickleball enthusiasts in Central Pasco.
Info: Visit PickleballFanatics.biz, or email .

Published October 25, 2023

Pickleball enthusiasts — both adults and youth, and talented and inexperienced — flocked to the tennis courts at Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex for a recent two-day tournament.
Chris Torgusen, left, and Brian Ridge rush the net during a pickleball match at the courts at Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex.
Isabella Little, of Spring Hill, watches her return shot sail over the net and into ‘The Kitchen’ during her match on the second day of a pickleball tournament at Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Participants of the youth division of the two-day pickleball tournament tap paddles in sportsmanship following their match.
Robert Parimore, of Thonotosassa, sends a shot back over the net to his opponent during a pickleball match at Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex.
Pickleball Fanatics co-founder Val Thomopalos goes over the match schedules during the second day of the tournament. She and her pickleball partner, Kathy McCausey, hosted the tournament.

Plenty of bones to pick on display

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Brian Clay knew if he built it, people would come. And, they have.

The 63-year-old truck driver spent 10 months creating a Halloween decoration display in the carport of his Dade City residence in The Pines community next to John S. Burks Memorial Park.

The Rolling Bones are on display, and playing music, at the impressive, and fully motorized, Halloween display that Dade City resident Brian Clay built by hand in the carport of his home in The Pines community. Clay, who has done this display for four years now, says he builds the display for the love of it and invites anyone to come out and see it, free of charge, in the evenings through Halloween. Clay added the display took 10 months to build and cost about $10,000. (Mike Camunas)

It is one of the most impressive, and ingenious, Halloween house displays around.

In fact, his display, which cost about $10,000 to build thanks to all the motorized skeletons — and parts — is so impressive, theme park prop departments were looking to acquire Clay’s builds and services.

“I think it’s one of a kind, where fantasy becomes reality,” Clay said. “You have to look at it with the eyes of a 10-year-old kid and with imagination.

“This will probably be my last year (doing it),” he added. “Now, I’m on too many groups and pages for Halloween and decorations and they want to buy my stuff, but I’m not interested. 

“I could make a lot of money off it, but it’s just a hobby.”

Clay said the props department at Disney emailed him, but he turned them down, saying, “You start putting your hobbies into work, you lose interest, at least that’s how I feel.”

So, instead, Clay took his skills and spent any free time he had working on the 70 motors that make the skeletons move. He also routed 3 miles of wiring around his carport to complete the display, full with music and sound effects.

Dade City resident Brian Clay spent countless hours and invested his own money to build his expansive Halloween display in the carport of his home. He welcomes neighbors, residents and nearby locals to come see his motorized creations during the evenings, now through Halloween.

Clay began doing these displays about four years ago, starting with a large pirate ship inside Ace Hardware. He moved it to his home hoping to inspire others in his neighborhood to also decorate extensively for Halloween.

So far, he says, only one other home does any sort of decorations. 

“I thought this would give the neighbors a kick in the butt (to also decorate), but I guess not since I’m the only one who does it of the 72 homes here,” Clay said. “People do love coming to see it, especially since I had like 700 people and gave out about 90 pounds of candy on Halloween (last year). The cops had to direct traffic on the road.”

Clay got the display up fully running Oct. 13 (also Friday the 13th) and welcomes any to come see it in the evenings.

“It’s best when it’s all lit up,” he said.

Clay’s Halloween display includes several sections of different businesses, all of them run by motorized skeletons. There’s a bank, a dentist, a bar, a casino, a doctor’s office and, of course, a band — The Rolling Bones — playing music. 

Skeletons give out massages, somehow, in one of the several sections of Brian Clay’s Halloween display at his home in Dade City.

Additionally, at the front of the display, Clay built a skeleton fire department, with an actual water hose that will be dousing out real fire on another part of the display.

“Whenever I come up with all this, I just figure out a way to make it work and put it together,” Clay said. “That’s what I’ve always been doing.”

To see the display is free of charge — though Clay just asks for one thing.

“Come in with a smile, leave with a smile,” he said. “Just to have people come, for free, to come and have a smile on their face, that’s more than I can ask.

Brian Clay works on his Halloween display. He spent 10 months building it in the carport of his Dade City residence.

“It’s like the baseball film — ‘If you build it, they will come,’” Clay added. “(There) aren’t many kids in this neighborhood, but they come from all over Dade City and other neighborhoods to come see it, which is great.

“It’s really all for the kids. I don’t want to scare anyone or kids — I just want to make them laugh with this whole thing.”

Brian Clay’s Halloween House
Details: A no-cost Halloween display in Dade City resident Brian Clay’s carport in The Pines community. Clay says he built the skeleton-heavy display for the neighborhood and kids. All are welcome to come take a look.
When: Evenings through Halloween
Where: 36020 Serbia Spruce Drive, Dade City
Info: Visit Clay’s Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/278680211647750.

Published October 18, 2023

Dade City resident Brian Clay has several sections of skeletons in the Halloween display he created, with motorized skeletons that include music, all intended to the delight of neighbors and residents who come out to see the expansive display.
Scary skeletons on display at Brian Clay’s Dade City home are awaiting some medical attention.
There are several sections of skeletons in the Halloween display.

 

Acting out in the community

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There was a casting call. 

It was posted to Facebook and drew an overwhelming response.

From left, members of the Wesley Chapel Theater Group Leanne Green, Yasmine Noori, Nicki Haberland, Samantha Sacasa and Samantha Grahn run through a rehearsal of ‘Steel Magnolias,’ which the budding community theater troupe performed from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 on a ‘black box’ stage at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel. The theater group formed in 2021 when a Facebook post looking for local actors and players garnered so much attention that it warranted creating the 501(c)3 nonprofit acting group. (Mike Camunas)

The post was seeking theater enthusiasts interested in forming a community group of actors and thespians — specifically from the Wesley Chapel area, but also from  surrounding Pasco County.

And after more than 300 likes and comments, the Wesley Chapel Theater Group (WCTG) was formed, as a nonprofit 501(c)3 that was enthusiastically ready to bring the arts to the small stages — to willing audiences.

“(The post) blew up like crazy,” said Rachael Gandy-Naylor, WCTG’s artistic director. “We’ve been extremely lucky that every time we call out for auditions, we get repeats, but we get new people, too. We’re growing and we want to do bigger shows and even musicals, which always calls for a more diverse cast.

“Everyone is local,” she added. “We had a lot of people that responded, and their kids are off to school, maybe empty-nesters, looking for something to do and probably hadn’t stepped on stage in 10 to 15 years. 

“Their passion is to get back to it and those are who gravitated toward us — they are passionate about community theater and performing arts,’’ she said.

Now, more than two years later, the acting troupe has six board members and a steady group of around 20 volunteers who perform and help behind-the-scenes for shows.

Leanne Green, right, and Yasmine Noori rehearse a scene from ‘Steel Magnolias,’ before they and the rest of the Wesley Chapel Theater Group performed it three nights in a row, starting Sept. 29.

So far, all the performances have been in Wesley Chapel, at venues including Treble Makers Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant, Side Splitters at the Grove, Avalon Park, the KRATE and The Center for the Arts Wesley Chapel.

Their biggest performances were from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, at the Center for The Arts, where they put on “Steel Magnolias” on a black box stage. The setting allowed for small, but intimate showings, which all sold out.

The group is open to anyone over 18, even if they haven’t set foot on a stage since high school/college or they’re newcomers to acting.

There is one requirement: They must be passionate about theater.

“This is absolutely for the love of the theater,” Gandy-Naylor said. “Those who have been here since Day One bring passion and knowledge from the past shows, and as much as we become a family during our shows, we’re still very inviting. We want more people to come out and be a part of this. Anyone new that comes in is automatically welcomed into that family, as we try very hard not to be cliquish.”

Rachael Gandy-Naylor, artistic director of Wesley Chapel Theater Group, goes over the script and other notes during a rehearsal of ‘Steel Magnolias’ at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel.

The group’s inviting attitude is as welcoming as a round of applause and very beneficial to the group.

No one is paid for their work or services. As members of a nonprofit organization, they volunteer their time, efforts and talents for the love of putting on a great show. Proceeds from shows are put right back into the group for more performances, as well as props, costumes and sets.

They also build or make their own sets, props and costumes. They use items they find in bargain bins, as well as roundup stuff members have in their homes.

“Everyone who has volunteered for our shows, you can just see the passion radiating off them,” Gandy-Naylor said. “There are a lot of late nights and lots of rehearsing, and we can be practicing and preparing until midnight, but everyone buckles up and gets through it with a smile on their faces.”

Being a part of WCTG is not about getting paid for performances. Many members see it as a craft, one to hone. It is, also, just plain fun to perform in front of family, friends and the community.

Yasmine Noori rolls her hair in curlers, to prepare for a dress rehearsal of ‘Steel Magnolias.’

“We are not getting paid or anything like that, but I take great pride in putting on a great show,” member and actor Samantha Sacasa said. “That I can perform in front of people who appreciate and love the theater, that’s what it’s all about.

“I’m a little nervous to perform in front of so many people, but also very excited to do that and be a part of this group.”

Fellow member and actor, Samantha Grahn, agrees.

Wesley Chapel Theater Group actors prepare in the dressing room backstage at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel.

“It’s such a rush,” Grahn said. “They say the theater bug can itch, and I was waiting for it to scratch it and this group was it. It was nostalgic, in a way, because I remember you just click with people like this, that you share the same love of the theater.

“It’s a camaraderie and a new set of friends.”

Moving forward, WCTG is looking for a permanent home for performances, either at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel High or the Pasco-Hernando State College Instructional Performing Arts Center at Cypress Creek High, the latter of which will host the groups Masquerade Gala as a fundraising event.

Though the group will continue to produce and perform for the community, with people from the community.

All of whom are looking for that curtain call.

“It’s all very exciting, especially when you’re into theater and you want to get back out on stage and interact,” Grahn said. “I like entertaining people, I like that it’s close to home, and it’s great to get back with people who share your passion for the arts. 

“Now, I just tell them, ‘What can I do?!’ ‘Get me involved!’ and anyone can do that with our group.”

Wesley Chapel Theater Group
Details: After a Facebook post in Summer 2021 received more than 300 likes and comments, the Wesley Chapel Theater Group (WCTG) was created, becoming a 501(c)3 nonprofit that has been performing skits, acts and plays all over Wesley Chapel, such as at Treble Makers, the KRATE at the Grove and the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel. Performers and theater enthusiasts over 18 are welcome to join, even if they haven’t set foot on a stage since high school/college or it’s their first time, looking to perform.
Upcoming shows: Wesley Chapel Theater Group’s Masquerade Gala: Annual Fundraising Benefit – Nov. 4, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Pasco-Hernando State College Instructional Performing Arts Center, 8657 Old Pasco Road, in Wesley Chapel
Every Christmas Story Ever Told and then Some by Michael Carleton, James FitzGerald, John K. Alvarez – Dec. 15 to Dec. 17, Woman’s Club of Zephyrhills, 38545 Fifth Ave.
Info: Visit WesleyChapelTheaterGroup.org or the group’s Facebook page.

Published October 18, 2023

Leanne Green, left, and Yasmine Noori practice a scene from ‘Steel Magnolias,’ before they and the rest of the Wesley Chapel Theater Group performed it three consecutive nights, beginning on Sept. 29.
Wesley Chapel Theater Group player Samantha Sacasa rehearses a scene from ‘Steel Magnolias’ with fellow actor Leanne Green.
Members of the Wesley Chapel Theater Group huddle around play director Dave Sparano before a rehearsal of ‘Steel Magnolias.’

Lutz teen volunteer has been putting in the hours — for a decade

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Alyssa Hayman never expected any of this.

She didn’t expect to volunteer so much, or to be recognized, at such a young age.

Alyssa Hayman, a 15-year-old sophomore at Steinbrenner High School, has been volunteering for more than a decade. In the beginning, she helped out because her mom ‘made her do it.’ But over time, the benevolent teen has become immersed in volunteer work, putting in hundreds and hundreds of hours with several organizations, including starting a group around National Junior Honor Society and student government students back in middle school. The teenager will be celebrated at a special recognition ceremony in November, hosted by Hope Children’s Home in Citrus Park. (Mike Camunas)

But now, after more than a decade of giving back to her community, the 15-year-old Steinbrenner High sophomore can’t picture her life any other way.

“My mom made me do it,” she said without hesitation. “She introduced me to Hope Children’s Home (in Citrus Park). I think I was about 5 years old, and we gave a lot of stuff away and had fun, too. Then, I was like, ‘I think I should keep doing this — it was fun!’”

But why would a teenager spend all her time volunteering, so much so that Hope Children’s Home is honoring her for her decade’s worth of service?

“Because the community needs it,” Hayman said with confidence. “I’ve been doing it since I was so young, so, why stop now?”

In just 10 years, Hayman has helped countless people.

She volunteers with both Feeding Tampa Bay and the Salvation Army, and has spent a decade helping scores of children at Hope Children’s Home — a live-in campus school that helps children without families to get through high school and onto college.

Hayman is being recognized on Nov. 10 by the children’s home for her service in a special ceremony. They are honoring the work she has done to arrange snack donations to be gathered regularly from hundreds of middle and high school students, and for her leadership on an annual donation drive for home goods needed to make sure children have a comfortable and secure place to stay.

The ceremony also will recognize her Warriors – Your Bright Futures Group, which she created back in elementary school, but has followed her to Steinbrenner.

It’s a group of like-minded peers and students who also take the time to volunteer in their community, specifically the Lutz and North Tampa areas, and to obtain service/volunteer hours for the Florida Bright Futures program.

The group, which began with just a handful of students, is now more than 400 strong.

“It’s anyone who is willing to come out and help,” Hayman said.

Alyssa Hayman, right, and Hope Children’s Home staff member Stephanie Gradys carry boxes of supplies into the Home’s Donation Barn in Citrus Park.

“(Being recognized by Hope Children’s Home is) very special to me because that’s never happened to me before and I never expected it,” she added. “It’s all very humbling. All I did was volunteer and have fun doing it.

“(Volunteering is) fun, because you get to help the communities, you get to help people and you get to see them smile. It’s rewarding, but it’s not always about that. It’s fun, but the community needs it.”

Hayman is also consistently involved in other projects and initiatives.

She’s a bell ringer for the Salvation Army, during the holidays, in front of the Publix Super Market at Lutz Lake Crossing. She also makes about 800 Christmas cards each year — for the elderly at Angels Senior Living at Idlewild and Brighton Gardens of Tampa.

Plus, she and her mom, Ann, participate in the annual Cheval Cares 5K, which raised more than $40,000 for the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation in September.

“She’s very humble,” her mom said. “I like to brag about her, but she likes to keep it on the down low — ‘Oh, it’s no big deal. I’m just helping the community. I don’t like to make a big deal about it.’ And I know you don’t, but I do because the contagiousness about what you do, it gets to people.

“She doesn’t say anything about it on social media, but I do because I’m a proud mom and it gets other kids to want to help, as well.”

Alyssa Hayman has spent 10 years helping out and volunteering at Hope Children’s Home in Citrus Park.

Ann admits she made Alyssa volunteer when she was 5 years old, but since then Alyssa’s desire to volunteer kept growing. When she was little, she could only do so much, but took on more roles as she got older.

She was involved in Safety Patrol in elementary school and student government in middle school. She began her student volunteer group at McKitrick Elementary, and took it with her to Martinez Middle and Steinbrenner High.

“As a teacher who taught middle school for 17 years,” said Lisa Quinn, Alyssa’s previous National Junior Honor Society advisor, “it is very impressive to see someone like Alyssa so willing to give her time to others through volunteering. … It is inspiring to see a young woman like Alyssa choose to spend her time helping others. There’s nothing wrong with typical middle school pursuits, such as hanging out with friends, but she has made it a priority to reach past that and make room in her life for service to others.”

Her mom adds: “It makes me very proud of her because she wants to do so much for so many in the community. She really didn’t know what she really wanted to do, but she took the initiative when she was really young and now just wants to help other children and people.”

So just how does Alyssa handle all the volunteer work? 

With maturity no one expects.

“Sometimes it can feel overwhelming, but it never really does,” she said. “Mostly in my free time, I do homework, watch movies and hang with friends, so it’s a nice balance. … If there is ever an opportunity to help out more, I will.

“I just want to help, wherever I can.”

Published October 18, 2023

Stomping out suicide, a trail run at a time

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They stomped through the woods — for a great cause.

More than a couple hundred runners and bystanders came out on Oct. 7 to the third annual Stomp Out Suicide Trail Run, hosted by the Pasco County Parks, Recreation, & Natural Resources Department, at Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City.

Iren Taylor, left, and Sarah Gruber, share a laugh while running on the trail at Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City during the third annual Stomp Out Suicide Trail Run, hosted by the Pasco County Parks, Recreation, & Natural Resources Department. The run — that included a 10K, 5K, a fun run and a dog run — is part of the department’s ‘RECreate Your Mind’ initiative, which hosts events to bring attention to suicide prevention. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for those ages 10 to 24. (Mike Camunas)

The event is held to raise awareness to suicide prevention and related mental health issues.

The run was started three years ago as part of the department’s “RECreate Your Mind” initiative, which hosts events to shed light on this taboo and often stigmatized topic.

Department officials and event organizers said the event was created after three suicides in a short span that affected the department and provided more than enough motivation to create the trail run, as well as other events.

Suicide is a national health problem and the second leading cause of death for those ages 10 to 24.

The event included a 10K, 5K and mile fun run, all through the trails near the Withlacoochee River.

Each runner received a finisher medal and T-shirt.

Participants also could do a “Double Stomp” of the 5K and mile run or do a 5K Dog Run. Nearly 10 participants brought their furry companion.

Additionally, race officials encouraged participants to take a blank bib and write down a person and/or reason for why they were out at the event.

Many participants proudly displayed their reasons for being there during the early-morning run.

RECreate Your Mind
Details: The Pasco County Parks, Recreation, & Natural Resources Department hosts events that bring awareness to suicide prevention. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for those ages 10 to 24. The department holds the event with the hope of shedding light on this taboo and often stigmatized topic.
For more information on upcoming events hosted by the department, visit secure.rec1.com/FL/pasco-county-fl or the department’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PascoParksFL.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.

Published October 18, 2023

Fran Garner, left, and Stephane Sorbel make their way down the trail at Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City during the third annual Stomp Out Suicide Trail Run, hosted by the Pasco County Parks, Recreation, & Natural Resources Department, on Oct. 7.
Sharaya Hairston writes on a blank bib prior to the third annual Stomp Out Suicide Trail Run on Oct. 7. Runners were encouraged to write why they were running the 10K or 5K at Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City. The event is held to raise awareness about suicide prevention.
A couple hundred runners, of all ages, participated in the third annual Stomp Out Suicide Trail Run, hosted by the Pasco County Parks, Recreation, & Natural Resources Department on Oct. 7.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alise Minichino, who finished second in the 5K with a 23:52, tries to catch her breath as she receives her finisher medal from Dade City Mayor Pro Tem Normita Woodard.
Gamora, and her owner, Jessica Sohngen, finish up the Stomp Out Suicide Trail Run 10K in 54:16 at Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City on Oct. 7.
Each participant received one of these medals for completing either the Stomp Out Suicide 10K or 5K or both trail runs at Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City.

Hay, now — Dade City’s painted bales are back

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One sign it’s time for fall in Dade City — painted hay bales have returned.

The hay bale at Agnes Lame Park, 14200 Ninth St., in Dade City, honors the true and tested fall tradition of pumpkin spice latte. It was painted by Patty Reese, Delanie Reese, Alissa Ross and Cassidy Welch for the Fourth Annual Dade City Hale Bale Painting Project. Six hay bales are stationed throughout Historic Downtown Dade City and will be on display through Nov. 12. (Mike Camunas)

The Dade City Center for the Arts announced the kickoff of its fourth annual Dade City Hale Bale Painting Project, which features six painted hay bales displayed at various parks and locations throughout the city until Nov. 12.

This is the fourth consecutive year that painted hay bales have been on display and the third year the center was able to provide sponsorships for them.

Sponsors include Florida Cracker Lunch on Limoges, Badcock Home Furniture, Dade City, Karatinos Law, PLLC, RX Care Pharmacy, and Lynch, Cotton & Associates.

Joey Wubbena, of Sumner Knoll Farms, donated the bales.

Local artists demonstrate their creativity through their designs on the bales. Most have a fall theme, but Kevin Taggerty’s bale maintained his American flag theme from previous years.

Lucy Avila, vice president of the Dade City Center for the Arts, said she and the center are glad this has become a staple in Dade City, as residents and visitors alike enjoy seeing the new designs each year.

Fourth Annual Dade City Hale Bale Painting Project
Details: Six painted hay bales are on display at varying parks and locations throughout the city and will be available for viewing through Nov. 12.

Artists/Locations:
Patty Reese, Delanie Reese, Alissa Ross and Cassidy Welch — Agnes Lamb Park, 14200 Ninth St.
Ryah Taggerty — Dade City Woman’s Club, 37922 Palm Ave.
Kevin Taggerty — Hardy Trail at Church Avenue, in front of 37800 Church Ave.
Diego Grant — Naomi Jones Park, 38122 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Joey Wubbena — Price Park, 37415 Magnolia Ave.
Zoe Roland – Watson Park, next to the Community Garden, at North Avenue and Main Street, in Dade City
Info: Visit DadeCityArts.com.

Published October 18, 2023

The decorated hay bale at Price Park, 37415 Magnolia Ave., in Dade City, was designed and painted by Joey Wubbena, of Sumner Knoll Farms, who also donated the six bales that will on display throughout the city through Nov. 12.
Kevin Taggerty’s hay bale on the Hardy Trail at Church Avenue is a salute to America and patriotism and will be on display until Nov. 12

Compromise approved for house in Lake Padgett Estates East

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At one point it wasn’t clear what was going to happen to the house at 4537 Victoria Road, in Land O’ Lakes.

The home was built with improper setbacks, which sparked neighborhood disputes, led to lengthy public hearings and made the house impossible to sell without securing a variance from county requirements.

The Pasco County Commission has overturned the county planning board’s decision to reject a variance request for the house at 4537 Victoria Road, in Land O’ Lakes. The approval requires the applicant to take some additional steps to improve the property’s drainage and landscaping. (Mike Camunas)

SoHo Builders sought a variance from county standards, but that request was denied on a split vote by the Pasco County Commission.

The applicant then appealed the planning board’s action to the Pasco County Commission.

The county board took up the issue on Sept. 5, but delayed the request until its Oct. 10 meeting, to give SoHo Builders a chance to work out issues with a neighbor, make some improvements to its plan and seek approval from the Lake Padgett Estates East Property Owners’ Association before bringing it back to commissioners.

Those actions were taken, and the county board overturned the planning board’s denial of the variance.

Under the approved variance, the house can have a 20-foot front yard setback — instead of 25 feet — and it can have 8.5-foot side yard setbacks, instead of 10 feet.

The board’s action also requires the applicant to:

  • Provide gutters/downspouts to direct the water to the front culverts to correct drainage flow and install an underground advanced drainage system
  • Install a culvert
  • Plant two additional trees, bringing the total number of trees to three

SoHo Builders also has agreed with the homeowner’s association to complete an improvement project at the community playground, but that is a private agreement and the county cannot enforce private agreements.

During the Sept. 5 public hearing, Patrick Plummer, representing SoHo Builders, also mentioned he had worked out an agreement with a neighboring property owner.

For its part, the property owners’ association did not require any added architectural features or a reduction in the size of the garage, according to the backup materials in the county board’s Oct. 10 agenda packet.

Published October 18, 2023

A splashy, and spooky, ski show

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The Tampa Bay Water Ski Show Team performed a Halloween-themed show on Bell Lake in Land O’ Lakes on Oct. 7 while entertaining those around the lake, but also those packing the outdoor and dock dining and seating at Stonewater Grill, 4422 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. (Mike Camunas)

The Halloween spirits wanted to ski — and make a splash for the crowd.

The Tampa Bay Water Ski Show Team performed a “spooky” ski performance, fully dressed in Halloween costumes while passing by Stonewater Grill, the Land O’ Lakes eatery on Bell Lake.

The water ski show team entertained eager diners, as they noshed on a late lunch on Oct. 7.

As “Gomez and Morticia” — the patriarchs from ‘The Addams Family’ — led the narrating, the ski team made several passes, while music played, and dozens of patrons watched from the outdoor and dock seating at the restaurant.

The team made several trips, as well as costume changes, but also did some of their traditional acts, such as a three-tier pyramid and a nine-person line, in which the skiers held the handle with just one foot.

This is the second time Stonewater Grill has had a ski show on a Saturday afternoon, and restaurant management said that based on the turnout and anticipation for each show, a third one will be planned.

Stonewater Grill is at 4422 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

To learn more about the Tampa Bay Water Ski Show Team, visit TampaWaterSki.com or the team’s Facebook page.

Published October 18, 2023

Members of the Tampa Bay Water Ski Show perform a nine-person, one-footed line as they entertain those watching from Stonewater Grill on the shore of Bell Lake in Land O’ Lakes.
The Tampa Bay Water Ski Show makes a pass by the dock and outdoor seating at Land O’ Lakes restaurant, Stonewater Grill, on Bell Lake on Oct. 7.
The Tampa Bay Water Ski Show donned various costumed characters during its show, which included passes in front of Stonewater Grill in Land O’ Lakes on Oct. 7.

Bulls bounding toward district title, postseason berth

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Luke Knight — and his teammates — had to convince the coach.

Longtime Wiregrass Ranch High Football coach Mark Kantor was weary — but also ready to go home. So, Knight and teammates pleaded — and eventually twisted Kantor’s arm enough — to go for it. They wanted the record for most touchdown passes in a game.

Wiregrass Ranch senior receiver Isaiah Riggins leads the team with 49 catches for 910 yards and 13 touchdowns, as the Bulls sit atop the Class 4 Suburban, District 6 poised to host a playoff game. The Bulls, however, are looking for more, specifically a second postseason win, as the program has just one win in eight playoff appearances. (Mike Camunas)

“The kids were like, ‘Coach! We’re one away!’” Kantor recalled. “I just wanted to get out of there with a win where no one got hurt either.”

In the end, Knight — the Bulls senior quarterback headed to Army to play football — threw a Pasco-County-record-tying eighth touchdown pass on Sept. 22 in the team’s 57-33 win over Harmony.

“When you’re a football player, your competitive nature is to win,” said Knight, who has passed 2,377 yards, 29 touchdowns and just one interception.

“(With) records, games — when we got to a point at halftime, we were like, ‘Let’s go get it.’ We all put our two cents in and said, ‘Let’s go for it, coach.’

“And we did.”

Knight tied the county record set in 2022 by Zephyrhills’ Brendyn Colella against Gulf, and also topped an impressive school record: six in a game (2020) by former quarterback Rocco Becht, now a redshirt freshman at Iowa State.

But the Bulls have more to go for, and hopefully get, before the season is done. Wiregrass Ranch — the program Kantor has guided for nine seasons —is in prime position to nab the Class 4 Suburban, District 6, which would give the Bulls home-field advantage.

Wiregrass Ranch senior quarterback Luke Knight is in the midst of a stellar 2023 season, passing for 2,006 and 24 touchdowns, with just one interception. Knight also tied a county record on Sept. 22 when he threw eight touchdown passes in a game.

This season, however, the team also wants to achieve its second-ever postseason win, with its only other coming in 2017 in a 17-10 victory over Lake Nona in the first round of the then-Class 7A regional tournament.

“Every time we go out there against an opponent it’s a 12-round bout and it will be every game,” said Kantor, who is 50-41 at Wiregrass, though the Bulls are 1-7 in the postseason. “We wanted to get back to our winning ways because it’s not the same beat, not the same vibe if we’re not in the playoffs.

“As long as we can continue to win, we should be in good shape.”

Heading down the final stretch of the season, the Bulls are in great shape.

According to FHSAA rankings in Class 4A Suburban, they are the No. 3 seed thanks to three-straight wins where the Bulls scored 50-plus points — 55-34 over Mitchell (Sept. 15), 52-45 over Springstead (Sept. 22) and 57-27 over River Ridge (Oct. 6).

However, Wiregrass realizes it’s in a tough region, with the likes of Lakeland, Bartow, Lake Minneola, Lake Gibson and George Jenkins lurking and also most likely headed to the postseason.

Wiregrass Ranch coach Mark Kantor, in his ninth season (50-41) with the Bulls, is looking for the program’s second postseason win, with the team’s last, and only one, coming in 2017.

With just one district game left — at Land O’ Lakes on Oct. 27 — Wiregrass is looking to knock off the defending district champs and host a playoff game come the second Friday of November.

“Really, it’s about us going into the playoffs and winning a couple of games and going further than any (Wiregrass) team has gone before,” said Knight, a Merritt Island transfer this season and who guided Jesuit to a state title in 2021. “We’ve got every tool we need to win the district and we just have to stay consistent.

“I know nothing but to win — it’s just my nature. I try to win at everything I do in life. I know we want to win a lot more than one (postseason game) and winning more than one is not something this program is super used to, but for me and these guys, we want to go further than (one postseason game).”

Fellow senior, and Knight’s top target, receiver Isaiah Riggins agrees.

“We just have to focus on not letting the little things slide,” said Riggins, who leads the team with 910 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. “It’s up to us, the leaders, to make sure it doesn’t slide. We’ve got a standard and our goal this season is to go as far as we can.

“We don’t want to go just to the first round, the second round — we want to go to states, we want to go to the end.”

And getting to the end will rest on the shoulders of Knight, who, Kantor says, “has great leadership skills and brings excitement to everything he and the team does.”

“That’s Luke Knight,” Riggens added. “He’s a great leader on this team, he’s a great kid, a great friend, a great brother, and I wouldn’t want to go to war with any other quarterback. He does everything right and keeps everyone up on the field, the locker room and the classroom.

“He’s just great to be around, and I know he’ll keep the leadership up.”

Class 4 Suburban, District 6 Standings
(Team/Overall Record/District Record)

Wiregrass Ranch 6-1,3-0
Springstead 5-2, 2-1
Mitchell 4-3, 1-1
Land O’ Lakes 2-5, 0-2
Sunlake 1-6, 0-2

Published October 18, 2023

Golfers break records

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Alyssa Mixon and Max Haines (Courtesy of Daniel Adams)

A couple of Sunlake High golfers were firing on all cylinders recently, putting them on course for a couple of school records.

Both senior girls golfer Alyssa Mixon and junior boys golfer Max Haines were able to set new 9-hole school records, with both rounds coming at Heritage Harbor Golf & Country Club, 19502 Heritage Harbor Parkway in Lutz.

Mixon shot a 5-under 31 against nearby rival, Land O’ Lakes High, on the team’s Senior Night on Sept. 28, and Haines shot a 6-under 30 vs. Gulf High on Oct. 3. Mixon birdied five of her first six holes, while Haines opened his round with three birdies, and closed on the last three holes with a birdie on each.

Both golfers looked to carry over that hot play when the Seahawks played in the Sunshine Athletic Conference Tournament, which was held at Saddlebrook Resort, with the boys playing Oct. 9 and the girls on Oct. 10.