Michael Hinman

Hair-raising fundraising event planned for Land O’ Lakes teen

September 25, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Emily Raymond was just 1 when her hair first starting falling out.

She was diagnosed with an autoimmune form of alopecia, where Emily’s immune system attacks hair follicles, preventing new hair from growing.

As a young girl, Emily covered her head with hats or bandanas. But since seventh grade, the now 17-year-old Land O’ Lakes High School senior has worn wigs,

“When I got my first wig, I didn’t really want to wear it,” Raymond said. “I was just afraid to, I guess.”

It took Audrey Pease three years to grow her hair this long, and only seconds for stylist Lucy Rosado of Susan’s Mane Tamer in Lutz to cut it off. It’s all to support Emily Raymond, background, and Locks of Love. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Good wigs, especially those made from natural human hair, are expensive, ranging in price from $700 to $2,000, she said. That’s why nonprofit groups like Locks of Love are so needed.

“I am definitely grateful,” said Raymond, who plans to attend Pasco-Hernando Community College next year to begin studying to become a dental hygienist. “It’s wonderful that people want to grow their hair out and donate it to for others to wear.”

That’s what Audrey Pease, a Mary Kay cosmetics sales consultant, decided to do for Raymond. Pease met her when Raymond was just 12. Her son and Raymond’s brother attended Boy Scout meetings together, and Raymond would tag along.

“I didn’t really understand what was going on with her,” Pease said. “But when I learned what was wrong, and what it costs to buy wigs, I knew I had to help.”

Pease tried a fundraiser through Mary Kay, raising $100 for a wig. But as an encore, Pease decided to add something to this year’s fundraiser — she would actually donate some of her hair.

“I’d been growing it for three years, and I didn’t want to get it cut until it was long enough to help Emily,” Pease said.

Locks of Love, which started in 1997, requires hair donations to be at least 10 inches long. It has to be bundled in a ponytail or braid, and cannot be bleached. Pease had 12 inches of hair ready to go, and it took just seconds for stylist Lucy Rosado to cut it away.

“I love my new haircut,” Pease said afterward. “My hair had been getting in my face a lot, and made it hard for me to turn my head while I was driving. It’s shorter now than what it was when I first started to grow it out, so it will take some getting used to.”

Pease’s hair will not necessarily go to Raymond. However, such donations can save Locks of Love money from acquiring hair from other sources, thus bringing their overall costs down. The nonprofit does sell hair it doesn’t or can’t use, a controversial practice it says is necessary to help offset manufacturing costs. That includes shorter and gray hair.

While Raymond won’t benefit directly from Pease’s hair donation, she will benefit from Pease’s latest fundraiser. Through Nov. 15, Pease is donating 40 percent of her Mary Kay sales to help Raymond get a new wig.

“That’s pretty much everything I make from the sale,” Pease said. “But it’s absolutely worth it.”

Raymond has two wigs custom-made for her right now, but she really only uses one. At one point she had four, but she donated two of hers to a family friend who also was losing her hair.

“I joke around with my friends that I could just get a bunch of different-colored wigs, and wear a different wig each and every day,” Raymond said. “I want to do it.”

For more information on Audrey Pease’s fundraising benefit for Emily Raymond, visit tinyurl.com/RaymondLocks.

Sleeping Pasco communities reawakened with new homes

September 25, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Just a few years ago, if you built it, hundreds would come to line up wanting to buy it.

It was a housing boom like no other seen before, a bubble that popped so loudly, it almost took the nation’s entire economy with it.

Connerton has just a few hundred of the proposed 8,000 homes built off U.S. 41, but that will continue to grow, especially as the housing market rebounds. Since its relaunch in May, Connerton has already closed on 40 new homes. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

One of the states hit worst by the housing crash was Florida, especially Pasco County, which saw unprecedented new home growth right before the market came to a screeching halt. Suddenly communities that once had to figure out how to build homes fast enough were now trying to figure out how to sell the homes they already had. Life switched from community developers making huge profits, to just trying to survive.

And it was clear that not everyone was going to make it through — with all eyes on Connerton.

“There were a few times when we thought the market was getting better, only to find it didn’t,” said Stewart Gibbons, an executive-turned-consultant with Connerton.

The community, which was considered one of Pasco’s crown jewel developments when it was first proposed in the 1990s, was designed to eventually bring 8,000 homes just off U.S. 41 just south of State Road 52. By the time of the crash, however, just 300 homes had been built, and there was tremendous concern by some there wouldn’t be any more. Especially when Terrabrook, Connerton’s original developer, pulled out in 2009.

“There was a lot of information out there, frankly some information that was incorrect and slanted, and naturally, when you’re a large community, people are going to focus on you,” Gibbons said. “We certainly saw the effects of that to some degree.”

However, Connerton may be emerging from dark times. The construction industry, dormant for years, has now returned. And since relaunching under a new owner last May — CoastOak Group and Hayman Woods LLC — Connerton has sold some 40 homes, and is poised to do even more before the year is out.

And Connerton is not alone. Some of Pasco’s other large communities, which suffered during the downturn, are starting to come back. And the timing couldn’t be better to see more people calling this part of the county home.

Bright future?

“We love the Tampa market,” said Barbara Kininmonth, sales and marketing director for Crown Community Development, which owns the WaterGrass development off Curley Road. “We love it so much that we sold out all our single-family lots at WaterGrass.”

The community, designed for just under 1,200 homes, has more than 600 in the books already. With the first phase complete, Crown now has plans to start 356 additional homes using five builders — Standard Pacific Homes, Ryland Homes, Homes by WestBay, Bakerfield Luxury Homes and Arthur Rutenberg Homes.

Sales picked up briskly once the housing market returned because WaterGrass spent the money needed to maintain common areas, and to keep it attractive for any potential buyers who wandered in.

“We develop communities across the country, and our standards never decreased,” Kininmonth said. “The level of upkeep for the community never changed. We worked to make sure lots were ready for builders, and we continued on plans for parks and other amenities, all as they were originally planned” during the boom.

The spring quarter has made many builders optimistic. Metrostudy, a company that tracks housing data across the country, said the Tampa Bay area experienced 1,838 housing starts during that time period, up nearly 48 percent from a year ago. However, actual closings are down a bit compared to the same time in 2012, off by just less than 6 percent. That may be because of the lukewarm job growth in the area.

“We’re very bullish on the whole Tampa market,” said David Caillouette, the owner’s representative for LakeShore Ranch off U.S. 41, not far from Connerton. “I would love to see job growth come back because housing is dependent on job growth.”

Last spring, 33,300 new jobs were reported in the Tampa Bay region, according to the same Metrostudy report, up nearly 3 percent. However, unemployment rates are still fluctuating between 6.9 percent and 7.2 percent. Yet, it’s a far cry from more than 9 percent unemployment, which is where Florida was a year ago.

Help wanted

Some of the jobs coming back are construction. In fact, the only reason why the construction industry hasn’t grown faster is because there aren’t enough skilled people in the area to fill the jobs.

And that could slow housing growth in Pasco.

“We lost an awful lot of the labor force” after the crash, said Connerton’s Gibbons, who also speaks on behalf of the Tampa Bay Builders Association. “They just wanted jobs, so many people moved on to other geographic areas like Texas, and others left the industry altogether, and probably won’t be coming back.”

Also possibly hurting some communities is the Pasco County Commission’s recent failure to pass a gas tax hike. Such money could’ve been used to maintain worn roads, like those found in communities trying to get back on their feet. Connerton, for example, built its roads several years ago, but depends on the county to maintain them.

“If you don’t maintain potholes, they only get bigger and more expensive to fix,” Gibbons said. “The tax would’ve cost people an additional $2 or $3 a month, which seemed like a fairly modest number. The county has such a strong emphasis on economic development, but it’s hard to do if the roads are bad.”

Since the housing crash of 2008, there have been several starts and stops in the market that only teased a recovery. That has resulted in a cautious approach by builders, even as Pasco’s demand for homes continue to grow.

“We don’t want a repeat of a few years ago where everyone built far more homes than people were actually able to buy,” said LakeShore Ranch’s Caillouette.

“People wanted to move to the suburbs before the economy went south, and Pasco was the next spot they were all going to. We expect we’ll be picking up right where we left off.”

Except now at a much different — and slower — pace.

Suncoast Parkway ramps to close this weekend

September 25, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Ongoing construction on the Veterans Expressway and Suncoast Parkway could mean some delays and detours in the coming weeks.

The Florida Department of Transportation plans to close the State Road 54 northbound off-ramp of the Suncoast Parkway from 9 p.m. Sept. 25 to 6 a.m. Sept. 26 for the installation of a temporary asphalt and barrier wall. The southbound off-ramp of County Line Road will be closed from 9 p.m. Sept. 26 to 6 a.m. Sept. 27 for the same reason.

This is all part of the continued conversion project that will make the entire Suncoast Parkway all-electronic tolling between Van Dyke Road and U.S. 98. The total project is costing $24.2 million. It includes gantry foundation installation, toll plaza equipment buildings, asphalt milling and resurfacing, roadway reconstruction and widening, lighting, drainage, utilities and final landscape work.

The 42-mile project is expected to be completed by June 2015.

Throughout the rest of the Veterans Expressway, drivers should prepare for general lane closures nightly from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

FDOT asks that motorists drive with caution through work zones, and adhere to posted detour signs and speed limits. Speeding fines are doubled in construction zones when workers are present.

Comics publisher finds magic in Wesley Chapel writer

September 18, 2013 By Michael Hinman

When the last book in J.K. Rowling’s bestselling series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” was released in 2007, Jason De La Torre was in line ready for his copy.

The next Harry Potter could come right from Pasco County. Writer Jason De La Torre has signed a deal to publish his comic book series ‘Star Mage’ with the nation’s sixth-largest distributor. (Photo courtesy of Jason De La Torre)

But once he finished the book, the Wesley Chapel resident realized a troubling fact: There was now a magical void in the world of literature.

So using his own money, De La Torre created “Star Mage,” an enchanting story told in comic book form that takes a young wizard out into space. He wrote the story, hired an artist to ink it. And then shopped it around to all the major comic book publishers.

And De La Torre’s work has paid off. Last week he signed a deal with IDW Publishing in San Diego that will put his story on the shelves of bookstores all over the country next April.

“I grew up reading comics, and I’ve always had a love for them,” De La Torre said. “At one point, in 2011, I just started wondering what goes into being a comic book writer. I knew I couldn’t draw worth a lick, but I knew I could come up with an interesting story.”

“Star Mage” centers around Darien Connors, a 14-year-old boy who discovers he has magical abilities. That discovery, however, pulls him into a war that involves not only his family, but the entire galaxy as well.

“You don’t want to be a cheap rip-off of Harry Potter,” De La Torre said. “You definitely have to be sure the ideas you’re going with are original. That is what I try to do, come up with the most original story I could, but keeping some of the familiarity with what I love and what is successful out there, too.”

Darien’s skills do have a much different explanation. It is part of a practice known as Kishpu, and he’s not the only one that can do it. He quickly teams up with three young friends — Anthaar, Tirwa and Unura — and soon find themselves in battle with a hated enemy, Orasmas Xul Sarrum.

“Star Mage” has all the elements young comic book readers are looking for, while developing a story that will give them something completely new, De La Torre said.

De La Torre was born and raised in Tampa, and moved to Wesley Chapel with his wife Rita in 2007. During the day he’s a tech guy with a healthcare company. His evenings, however, are spent writing the first six issues of “Star Mage,” which IDW will release as a limited series in the spring.

If all goes well, and sales are strong, it could lead to a regular monthly series for “Star Mage” by the end of next year.

Each comic issue takes about 90 days to create from start to finish, with most of that time devoted to the art. Ray Dillon inked the first issue, previously making a name for himself with projects based on Peter Pan and the HBO series “Game of Thrones.” Franco Cespedes takes over after that, continuing a world where science-fiction and magical fantasy collide.

IDW is a newer company, founded in 1999, but it already is the nation’s sixth-largest publisher for many popular franchises like “My Little Pony,” “True Blood,” “Star Trek” and “Transformers.” IDW has even had some of its comics optioned for films by studios like Paramount Pictures and Dimension Films.

With comic book adaptations making billions of dollars at the box office, De La Torre said he can’t help but dream of seeing “Star Mage” on the silver screen.

“If there was a movie, I definitely would want them to respect the original material,” De La Torre said. “But I understand that comics and the actual movie business are two different things, they have to appeal to a much broader audience. That is a part of life.”

And that life could change for De La Torre pretty quickly if “Star Mage” becomes a success. It could mean full-time devotion to writing, and possibly even adapting some of his other independently published novels to the comic form as well.

“I can guarantee you, I will be taking pictures the minute my comic book shows up on the shelf,” De La Torre said. “I have a lot of ideas I’m ready to work on, and I’ll always be focused on things that I would enjoy, and maybe others will enjoy as well.”

Big hair leads to big dreams in Las Vegas for artistic family

September 18, 2013 By Michael Hinman

The 1960s may have been the era of big hair, but one local stylist team is ready to bring it into the 21^st century.

Portia De Cordova and her father Ben De Cordova pose with their winning hair design during a June competition in Orlando.

And that team is family — like father and daughter family.

Ben De Cordova and his daughter Portia will be on their way to Las Vegas in October to compete in the Battle of the Strands. The career hairstylist and the young up-and-coming makeup artist will join another daughter, Chris, to compete against some of the best artists in this hemisphere.

And all of them will vie for more than $100,000 in prizes.

“It’s in the avant-garde realm, but it goes a little bit beyond that,” Ben De Cordova said. “All of this takes you out of your element, out of your comfort zone, and more into a different artist mode. You have to be ready for anything.”

De Cordova comes from a long line of those involved in hair. In fact, he’s fourth generation, and many of his siblings and relatives are also involved in the industry.

“We were all raised doing hair,” he said, noting that his mother was a hairstylist. “There were a lot of things that were instilled in us from the beginning of our lives.”

De Cordova has been doing hair for more than 30 years, originally working with famous names in Hollywood, by his account, and then moving to Florida nearly two decades ago.

Right now, De Cordova can be found at Hair, a salon located on North Dale Mabry Highway near the intersection of Van Dyke Road. But soon, he hopes to open a new salon, which he’ll call Art of Hair by De Cordova. And he’ll hopefully enlist the help of his 22-year-old daughter, Portia, as well.

“Everyone would love to pick up a huge job, but I’m not reaching for that right away,” Portia De Cordova said. “I want as much schooling and as many different opportunities as I can find to help build my resume. Once I do that, then I know I’m ready to go after those huge jobs.”

Winning the Battle of the Strands would be a great addition to anyone’s resume, she said. And they’ll have to do it by working quickly, strongly, and creatively.

The De Cordovas earned the spot in the Las Vegas competition by winning a qualifying round in Orlando in June. Using a wire framework, they were able to create hair that resembled waves of an ocean, and even the mast of a ship. It took the both of them to place the work of art on top of their model’s head, and both held their breath as the model moved slowly down the runway.

Chances are, they will have to create something similar in Las Vegas. But with so much prize money and prestige at stake, there’s no telling what the judges will ask for once they arrive.

“You are working with a bunch of talented people,” Portia De Cordova said. “These are not the average hairdressers. These are not your average makeup artists or wardrobe creators, either. This is a completely new level.”

Competing teams will come from New York, California, Panama, Puerto Rico and more. They will face judges that include the editor-in-chief of the beauty magazine American Salon, Kelley Donahue, as well as popular YouTube stylist Kandee Johnson, who has racked up nearly 200 million page views in her time online.

“It’s not just building something,” Ben De Cordova said, “it’s creating something. You have to make it stand out. You have to make it form something extraordinary. You have to make a big difference.”

To follow the De Cordovas’ journey to and at the Battle of the Strands in Las Vegas, visit them at www.SalonDeCordova.com.

Tea, murder highlight Women-n-Charge fundraiser

September 18, 2013 By Michael Hinman

The ladies of Women-n-Charge want to take you on a cruise, but this is one with a twist.

Can you find a killer in this group? You’ll need your detective skills for the upcoming Women-n-Charge tea Sept. 28, taking place at the Groves Golf & Country Club. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Wright)

Someone has been murdered, and it will be up to those booking passage to figure to whom among the Red Feather Ladies did it. And it’s all done with some of the best teas available in the area.

It’s part of the annual fundraiser for the professional women group taking place Sept. 28 at 2 p.m. at the Groves Golf & Country Club, 7924 Melogold Circle in Land O’ Lakes. For the second straight year, Women-n-Charge will entertain at its annual tea party with a murder mystery. In fact, this voyage — set on the S.S. Titanica — is a direct sequel of last year’s event.

“This is all a spoof that centers on a group of wealthy ladies, known as the Red Feather Ladies Investment Club,” said Anne Childers, a member of Women-n-Charge’s board of directors, and one of the organizers of the event. “There was this roving Romeo who was dating all of them under the radar under different names. He fleeced every one of them, and took their money and their morale. So one of the ladies shot him dead.”

That murder was solved last year. And now the Red Feather Ladies want to earn their money back, so they embark on this cruise that features an appearance from financial guru B.S. Sutton. Except, Sutton is no stranger to these ladies, and it isn’t long before he ends up dead, too.

Last year’s murder mystery tea, with many of the Women-n-Charge members in the cast, raised more than $4,000, which allowed the group to pay its annual expenses, and still have enough left over to fund two $1,000 scholarships to local businesswomen.

“We do it so they can further enrich the community,” Childers said. “They can use it for education, or for their business. Whatever will help them grow even stronger.”

Professional women apply for the scholarships in advance, and there are no requirements for membership with Women-n-Charge.

The mystery teas are a huge departure from how Women-n-Charge raised money when Childers first joined in 2005. Then it was a business expo, with the group earning money from booth rentals. But the economic recession changed that, and the tea parties were born.

First, the parties celebrated themes like fashion. But last year, the decision was made to go murder mystery, and it was a smashing success.

There is room for about 120 guests, and everyone is encouraged to wear a hat and dress as if they’re attending an old-fashioned summer tea. Tickets are $15 for individuals, and $25 for two.

Table sponsorships are also available, starting at $59. That package allows the sponsor to decorate the table, provide their own settings, and even their own tea. Women-n-Charge will provide the linen, cream, sugar and lemon.

“It’s hard work for those of us on the board, but in the end, it’s just a lot of fun,” Childers said. “Watching everyone enjoy it and try to figure out who did it makes it all worth it.”

For more information on the event, call Anne Childers at (813) 948-7484, or visit women-n-charge.com.

Retired Dade City teacher born for Peace Corps

September 18, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Barbara Colson was a freshman in college when she first heard of the Peace Corps.

Barbara Colson joins some of the Armenian students she taught English to visit a rebuilt 10th century church. Armenia, where the Dade City women spent two years as part of the Peace Corps, was the first full country to accept Christianity in A.D. 301. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Colson)

It was 1966, and another girl in her dorm had just received a phone call and found out she had been accepted.

“I had no idea what she was talking about, so I decided to learn more about it,” the retired Dade City teacher said. “I thought it sounded good, like something I wanted to do, but life got in the way.”

And it was a lot of life. Colson would raise her family, excel in her career with the Hillsborough County school system, and travel when she could. It wasn’t until she turned 59, after her retirement, that Colson finally applied for the Peace Corps.

“This was something I always wanted to do, and I was finally doing it,” Colson said.

She was one of thousands of people vying for just 8,000 slots that are available each year in the Peace Corps, but Colson’s education background and community service made her a perfect fit to teach English as a second language. She found out quickly that her home for the next two years would be Armenia, a former Soviet Union republic that was still struggling to get back on its feet.

“They loved the Russians,” Colson said. “Back then, everybody worked, and everybody had a house. But then the Russians just packed up everything and left, and they left these countries without the resources to continue.”

Factories closed and jobs dried up. Many Armenians now look for a better life in Russia, or even the United States. That has refocused attention on education, working to help the country become more self-sufficient, and more involved in worldwide economics.

“Many of them follow learning methods originally written by the Russians,” Colson said. “We started a Girl Scout group there, and one of the things we realized was that no one there knew how to brainstorm. That was a skill we had to teach them.”

That is what helps make the Peace Corps necessary in countries like Armenia, said Alethea Parker, public affairs specialist for Peace Corps in Atlanta.

“It’s is a large commitment to be away from your family and friends for two years,” she said. “But from our perspective, it’s very rewarding and impactful … and it is important work.”

The only requirements to become a Peace Corps volunteer is being at least 18 years old, and a U.S. citizen. But getting selected, that is a much more daunting process.

“Our application process is quite competitive,” Parker said. “Most of our programs do require at least a bachelor’s degree, and we are typically looking at several years of full-time professional work experience.”

Yet, being a Peace Corps volunteer has its advantages beyond just helping out overseas. Medical expenses are covered at 100 percent, and a decent stipend is offered to cover day-to-day living expenses.

Colson lived in Kapan, a small city of just 45,000 people in southern Armenia. That worked out great for Colson, who struggled to learn Armenian. Unlike more rural areas, the cities in Armenia tend to have a more international feel.

“A lot of people speak English as it’s an international language,” she said. “They want to be a part of the world, and to get along in the world. And they’re working hard to achieve those goals.”

Even if Colson was in a bind, where she couldn’t just point to something on a store shelf she wanted, it seemed there was always someone willing to help. It’s the kind of neighborly actions she wishes existed more back home.

“The things that Americans get upset about, it’s beyond me,” Colson said. “Try really being in survivor mode, and you’ll find out there’s a lot more we can do for our own people back home, too.”

The Peace Corps currently has 36 volunteers from the Tampa Bay area serving overseas, and have joined more than 850 volunteers from the region who have participated since President John F. Kennedy founded the program in 1961.

Right now, however, the Peace Corps needs 1,000 volunteers, and are recruiting. Details can be found online at www.PeaceCorps.gov.

Radio-controlled planes go back in time at fly-in

September 11, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Larry Utt spent a year painstakingly creating his replica of an S.E.5a plane, popular with both American and British forces during World War I.

His plane is a fraction of the size of the original Scout Experimental 5, which was nearly 21 feet long, more than 9 feet high, and weighed 1,410 pounds when empty. But when it’s in the air, it’s hard to believe it’s only radio-controlled.

Joe Barzyz of Spring Hill fuels up his Cub radio-controlled airplane, preparing it for flight on Connerton Preserve. This hand-built Cub is one of many planes that visitors can see at the Golden Era Fly-In on Sept. 14 at Connerton’s Area 52 field. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

“It’s just a model, until it flies,” Utt said. “After that, it’s an airplane.”

The S.E.5a is one of more than a couple dozen radio-controlled planes from the “Downton Abbey” era scheduled to dazzle aviation fans Sept. 14 at the Golden Era Fly-In. The event, presented by Bay City Flyers of Land O’ Lakes, is open to spectators and pilots alike at Connerton Preserve’s Area 52 field just off SR 52.

“You pay a small fee to fly, which is a fundraiser for the club,” Utt said. Spectators are also welcome beginning at 9 a.m. for a modest $3 donation at the gate.

The field itself was a grazing area for cattle just a decade ago, and now consists of two pavilions and grassy runways on land now owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Club members built the field and maintain it. It has become a popular daily stop for many of the local club’s more than 200 members.

During the week, some flyers could be out as early as sunrise, and many stay until after lunch. On the weekends, many of the clubs’ younger members stop by, many times father and son teams enjoying the open sky.

Area 52 is one of three fields Bay City uses, but each one is special, said one of the group’s leaders, Mike Diesu. Despite the use of mufflers, and flying when few other people are around, the hobby of radio-controlled planes is not something usually well-accepted in neighborhoods.

“Clubs usually lose locations because of development,” said Joe Barzyz, who moved to the area from New Jersey in 2005. “People who have an interest in all this think it’s nice, but the problem is that once you put a house on the other side of the road, and they start hearing the mufflers, you have a problem.”

Area 52 is good because it’s a preserve, and there isn’t a house for miles. The only thing interfering with flying there, besides bad weather, are sandhill cranes. If one of those protected birds shows up on a runway, everything stops until they make their way elsewhere on the land.

Flyers at Area 52 respect the birds, and the land they use. They are careful to not spill fuel on the grass, and keep the whole area maintained, including grass mowing.

Bay City Flyers also stay active in the community, helping with food drives, and teaching aviation students. Flying a radio-controlled plane is not as easy as it looks, and getting good at it could take as long as becoming an actual pilot.

Sometimes, new flyers will spend thousands of dollars on equipment, and go out feeling like they’re ready to go. But after their first crash — and there are many crashes in radio-controlled flying — they can become discouraged easily.

“It’s only as expensive as you want it to be,” Utt said. While some planes can cost upward of $3,000, many good ones can be found for less than $300.

In fact, Bay City encourages people to join before they even buy a plane, to learn how to fly, use some of the club’s equipment, and then use that experience in buying their own plane.

And fly-ins, like the one next week, are great tools to add more pilots to the ranks.

The Golden Era Fly-In will run from 9 a.m. through 2 p.m., and features planes from 1919 to 1939. Landing fees for pilots are $10, and free lunch will be offered to all Academy of Model Aeronautics members who are flying.

Lunch will be available for spectators for a small price.

For more information, visit BayCityFlyers.org.

Parade of 400 choppers honor first responders

September 11, 2013 By Michael Hinman

It’s never too early in the morning to ride a motorcycle, especially when it’s all to say thank you to firefighters and emergency first responders.

Nearly 400 motorcycles showed up for this year’s Sept. 11 Gratitude Ride, sponsored by Pasco County Choppers to honor members of Pasco County’s Fire Rescue and raise money for its benevolent fund. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Some 400 cyclists showed up at the Pasco County Government Center on US 41 Saturday to participate in the annual Sept. 11 Gratitude Ride.

The event, organized by local Realtor Dan Turner and his wife Cheryl, is a way these chopper enthusiasts honor members of Pasco County Fire Rescue, and raise money for the Pasco County Fire Benevolent Fund.

“Make no mistake about it, this is a 9/11 event,” Turner told the crowd during a short ceremony. “It has been 12 years. Can you believe it? Unfortunately a lot of people have forgotten all about it, and we just want to make sure everybody remembers.”

The Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks killed 412 emergency workers in New York City alone, all of them trying to rescue people from the World Trade Center after each tower was struck by a commercial jetliner.

But it’s not just during terrorist attacks they put their lives on the line. This year alone, 79 firefighters have lost their lives in the line of duty, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Between 1977 and 2011, there have been 4,325 on-duty firefighter fatalities — an average of 127 each year.

The Benevolent Fund raises money not for equipment or vehicles, but instead to help members of the Pasco County Fire Rescue when they may need a little financial assistance.

“They are the ones that always say it’s just a job, but we all know they run into danger as we are running away from it,” Turner told The Laker/Lutz News last month.

“As we reflect back on that horrible day back in September 2001, we remember all the public safety personnel (who) were affected,” said Pasco County Fire Chief Scott Cassin. “They were doing everything they do every day: saving lives and saving property.”

Pasco County Choppers, which hosted the event, said nearly $4,900 was raised for the local benevolent fund, more than double what was raised last year. Even winners of the poker run, a fun event to encourage motorcyclists to visit multiple locations, gave a little back.

“Winners of the poker run reverted nearly all of the money they won back to the cause,” Turner said in an email after the event. “Once again (it shows) that the biker community is there for those that lay their lives on the line for us, every single day of the year.”

Rick Scott visits to honor local veterans

September 11, 2013 By Michael Hinman

His first real exposure to heroism came when his mother married a man who served with the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II.

“I don’t think he believed he would come back alive,” Gov. Rick Scott told local veterans last week of his stepfather. “In the Navy, no one shot at me, and I didn’t have to jump out of perfectly good airplanes like he did.” But it’s because of his stepfather Scott said he realized that “America will remain the land of the free only so long as it remains the home of the brave.”

Florida’s First Lady Ann Scott awards a medal to one of the residents of Baldomero Lopez State Veterans’ Nursing Home in Land O’ Lakes during a ceremony last week as her husband, Gov. Rick Scott, looks on. Scott has been giving his Veterans Service Award medals to veterans across the state. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Scott visited with veterans last week at the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans’ Home on Parkway Boulevard, sharing stories, and handing out his Veterans Service Awards medals.

“It’s so important that we honor and give thanks to our American veterans, our heroes,” Scott said. “It is important that we don’t wait just for the holidays to thank our men and women, we must take every opportunity to thank them.”

The medal Scott and his wife Ann gave to veterans in Land O’ Lakes last week has the Florida state seal on front, and the five seals representing the different branches of the armed forces on the back.

Scott singled out one resident during his speech, Sgt. First Class Angel Torres-Mendez, who served between 1947 and 1974, completing 18 missions — many of them solo missions — in Vietnam.

“He’s proud of his accomplishments, not his medal,” Scott said. “Like many of our residents here, his heart is as patriotic as it was when he joined the service many years ago.”

A total of 136 veterans were honored with the medal during last Thursday’s ceremony, honoring whom Sen. John Legg described as “super.” Legg, R-Lutz, shared a conversation he said he had with his 5-year-old son that morning about where he was going.

“’I am going to go stand and talk to some heroes,’ and his eyes got real big, ‘Are you going to meet Superman?’” Legg said. “I am going to see some super men and super women who, in our nation’s darkest hour, stood in front of tyranny, stood in front of those things that seemed hopeless, and brought light into the world.”

Maj. Gen. Emmett R. Titshaw Jr., who has served as the adjutant general of Florida for the last three years, said the state’s 12,000-soldier strong National Guard is “focused on the future, and our horizons.”

“But we have a deep appreciation of our heritage, and that heritage you contributed to and built,” Titshaw said. “We literally stand upon your shoulders and accomplishments, taking over the nation you provided to us, safe and secure.”