The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Michael Murillo

Junior tennis open March 7-8

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A United States Tennis Association-sanctioned junior tournament will be held March 7 and March 8 at Lake Padgett Estates, 4533 Savanah Drive, Land O’ Lakes. The event will feature competition for boys and girls in both singles and doubles formats. For information, call (813) 638-6306, or email .

Rushe Middle School wins basketball championship

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Rushe Middle School won the Eastside Conference Championship with a 7-1 record. Their only loss was a two-point defeat to Weightman Middle School. Players included Nell Santiago, Francis Santiago, Joshua Bent, Justin Lucena, Mathew McDonald, Jordon Golden, Albert Lared, PJ Steuber, Chris Reiss, David Hammond, Chance Coleman and Darren Dudley. The coaches were Peter Dinovo and Kenneth McDonald.

LOL Christian players earn all-star status

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ight students from Land O’ Lakes Christian School were chosen for this season’s Florida Christian Conference all-star basketball teams. For varsity boys, Caleb Kravitz earned all-star designation. For varsity girls, Sophia de la Rosa, Lindsey Mengel and Bethany Greene received the honor. And for junior varsity boys, Dave Nichols, Bryce Hoynoski, Caleb Noseworthy, Paul Wei and Emmanuel Durojaiye were named to their respective team.

Sports Schedule

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Feb. 25
Softball
Wiregrass Ranch 7, Mitchell 4

Feb. 26
Baseball
Wiregrass Ranch 6, Mitchell 3
Wesley Chapel 6, Hudson 0
Zephyrhills 9, Anclote 0
Freedom 5, Steinbrenner 3
Softball
Anclote 3, Wesley Chapel 0
Land O’ Lakes 9, Pasco 3
Freedom 9, Steinbrenner 2

Feb. 27
Baseball
Wesley Chapel 2, Pasco 1
Nature Coast Tech 2, Zephyrhills 1
Tarpon Springs 7, Sunlake 4
Robinson 5, Freedom 3
Softball
Land O’ Lakes 10, Wiregrass Ranch 7
Pasco 15, Wesley Chapel 0
Sunlake 6, Weeki Wachee 1
Nature Coast Tech 5, Zephyrhills 4
Freedom 5, Robinson 2

March 4
Baseball
Wharton at Steinbrenner, 7 p.m.
IMG Academy Grey at Sunlake, 6:30 p.m.
Softball
Wharton at Steinbrenner, 7 p.m.

March 5
Baseball
Fivay at Wesley Chapel, 7 p.m.
Zephyrhills at Central, 7 p.m.
Tampa Bay Tech at Freedom, 7 p.m.
Softball
Berkeley Prep at Land O’ Lakes, 7 p.m.
Pasco at Sunlake, 8 p.m.
River Ridge at Zephyrhills, 8 p.m.
Tampa Bay Tech at Freedom, 7 p.m.
Fivay at Wiregrass Ranch, 7:30 p.m.
Gulf at Wesley Chapel, 8 p.m.

March 6
Baseball
Wesley Chapel at Central, 7 p.m.
Dunedin at Land O’ Lakes, 7 p.m.
Gulf at Sunlake, 7 p.m.
Pasco at Nature Coast Tech, 7 p.m.
Softball
Central at Wesley Chapel, 7 p.m.
Nature Coast Tech at Pasco, 7 p.m.
Steinbrenner at The Villages Charter, 7 p.m.

March 7
Baseball
Freedom vs. Jefferson, 7 p.m.

March 9
Baseball
Freedom vs. Strawberry Crest, 4 p.m.
Softball
Wiregrass Ranch at River Ridge, 8 p.m.
Zephyrhills at Mitchell, 8 p.m.

March 10
Baseball
Wesley Chapel at Zephyrhills, 7 p.m.
Land O’ Lakes at Gulf, 7 p.m.
Sunlake at River Ridge, 7 p.m.
Pasco at Hernando, 7 p.m.
Steinbrenner at Jesuit, 7 p.m.
Freedom vs. Robinson, 4 p.m.
Softball
Zephyrhills at Wesley Chapel
Land O’ Lakes at Anclote, 6 p.m.
Fivay at Sunlake, 8 p.m.
Hernando at Pasco, 7 p.m.

Source: MaxPreps.com, various

Published March 4, 2015

 

Putting his best foot forward

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Stephen Levin is state podiatry president

When Stephen Levin was younger, he wanted to be an architect. He even studied it in college.

But then, his career path changed.

Dr. Stephen Levin has plenty of models, but the podiatrist enjoys treating his real-life patients at New Tampa Foot & Ankle on Foggy Creek Road in Wesley Chapel. He recently was selected to be president of the Florida Podiatric Medical Association. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Dr. Stephen Levin has plenty of models, but the podiatrist enjoys treating his real-life patients at New Tampa Foot & Ankle on Foggy Creek Road in Wesley Chapel. He recently was selected to be president of the Florida Podiatric Medical Association.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

“I didn’t get into the architecture program,” Levin said. “I was studying architecture as an undergraduate, and it didn’t work out.”

Eventually, he found a way to study a different kind of arch. He went into medicine, and became a podiatrist.

The 44-year-old has been a podiatrist for 16 years.

In addition to having a successful practice, New Tampa Foot & Ankle, the Wesley Chapel resident has been elected the 2015 president of the Florida Podiatric Medical Association.

“It feels good,” Levin said of being named as the organization’s leader.

“It’s definitely something I never thought I’d do, but its definitely nice to be here and to be involved in that part,” Levin said.

As president, Levin said he’d like to focus on increasing membership and adding younger members to the roster.

The FPMA has around 1,000 active podiatrists in its membership, as well as past members and others who have reasons to join.

But to those outside the organization, Levin would like to spread the word that a podiatrist can do more than the general public probably realizes.

“Some people don’t know the full scope of what we do. That’s probably the biggest thing we have to overcome.

“What does a podiatrist do?” he continued. “It’s not just going to get your corns taken care of,” he said.

Podiatrists handle problems and care issues related to the foot, ankle and other areas just below the knee.

They can help treat sports injuries, provide diabetic care, and address other forms of trauma, as well as routine foot care.

Different communities have different medical needs, Levin said.

A community that is overwhelmingly populated by seniors means a podiatrist serving that area will see the same types of patients and problems every day. That might get a bit boring day-in and day-out, but he doesn’t have that problem in Wesley Chapel. His patients run the spectrum from toddlers to seniors, and that means he sees a variety of podiatric problems.

“Wesley Chapel’s a great community because it’s more diverse. It’s not just the elderly. It’s families, it’s everybody, and this practice that I have is great because I see the whole realm of everything,” Levin said. “That’s why I love it. It really makes it very interesting.” Levin has a second office in south Tampa, but he works at his Wesley Chapel location.

While he’s reached a high point in the Florida FPMA, there are other opportunities at the national level. The next step would be to serve on the delegation that represents Florida at the national meeting. From there it’s a matter of following the path at that level. It’s something he would consider in the future, he said.

For now he’s happy keeping busy at his office. The office sees between 35 patients to 40 patients per day and schedules elective surgeries on a few days each month.

His wife, Diane, is a nurse and serves as practice administrator when she’s not teaching. And when Levin’s not on the job, he might be coaching his son, Sam, in soccer, or watching his daughter, Sarah, perform gymnastics. His stepson, David, also plays saxophone for Wharton High School.

While his original career plans shifted, Levin’s certainly not lamenting the switch that has brought him so much success over the years.

“I don’t know what I would do other than this, to be honest,” he said. “I wouldn’t do anything else.”

Good Foot Health
Dr. Stephen Levin, recently named president of the Florida Podiatric Medical Association, has a few suggestions for keeping your feet in tip-top shape

  1. Always wear shoes. It might be tempting to go barefoot in Florida, but there are fire ants and snakes outside, and tile or concrete inside. That provides little support and can cause problems.

Also, choose better protection than regular flip flops. They simply don’t provide the kind of support that other types of shoes can. Running shoes and work shoes with thicker, rubber soles are better for your feet.

Be sure to use “more cushion, more shock absorption, more overall support for your foot,” Levin advises.

  1. Be careful with treadmills. They make you run at something other than your normal pace. Instead, consider other ways to walk or run.

“Asphalt’s probably the most forgiving of what we have,” Levin said. “Or a padded track inside, like at a gym.” Elliptical and rowing machines are also good exercise options.

  1. Don’t wait when you have a problem. Waiting to see if it goes away on its own can make healing and recovery a longer process. Deal with foot pain and other issues before they become harder to manage.

“The sooner you can catch it, chances are you can get rid of it faster,” Levin said.

Published march 4, 2015

 

Coach of the year, again

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Pasco-Hernando State College volleyball coach Kim Whitney has been named Coach of the Year.

While that’s an impressive accomplishment, it’s not a surprising one.

In fact, it happens all the time.

Volleyball coach Kim Whitney, right, gets help from assistants Brian Kachurak, Chris Vergnaud and Kristen Wimer on game days and throughout the season. But it all starts with the coach, who has captured yet another Coach of the Year award. (Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)
Volleyball coach Kim Whitney, right, gets help from assistants Brian Kachurak, Chris Vergnaud and Kristen Wimer on game days and throughout the season. But it all starts with the coach, who has captured yet another Coach of the Year award.
(Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

The National Volleyball Coaches Association named Whitney the Two-Year College Northeast-Southeast Regional Coach of the Year for 2014. They did the same thing in 2011. And in 2010, and in 2006, too.

She was named the District P Division II Volleyball Coach of the Year in 2014 as well, just like in 2011 and 2010. Going back in her career, the Suncoast Conference named her Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2007, and District H Division I Volleyball gave her the same honor in 2004 and 2005.

Then, there was the time she was named Coach of the Tournament for the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II national volleyball tournament. PHSC won the national championship that year.

With a career record of 316-119 at the school, 11 straight regional tournament appearances and five national tournament appearances, it might be more newsworthy if she didn’t win a Coach of the Year award from somebody. Everybody thinks she deserves frequent praise and recognition.

Everybody, that is, except the coach herself.

“For me, it’s strange to take an award for what your team accomplished,” Whitney said. When a team does well, it tends to follow that the coach will be seen as doing an exemplary job.

Her most recent team reached the NJCAA Division II national tournament and finished eighth in the country despite having 11 freshmen on the team.

But with several accolades throughout her 11-year tenure at PHSC, it’s not one team or one tournament run that’s getting her recognized for outstanding coaching. She attributes those accomplishments to getting better organized and prepared for success over her career.

“The planning part of it, the organizing part of it, the managing part of it — over the years I think that’s something I’ve gotten better at, and I just know what it’s going to take,” she said.

Whitney, 37, knows what it takes both as a coach and as a player. She played for the United States Women’s National Volleyball Team, as well as professional stints in the U.S. and Spain. That experience has helped her coaching career, she said. Being around great players and teammates and competing at a high level provided a blueprint for how the teams she coaches should perform.

Having a coach whose teams perform at a high level year-in and year-out is a valuable asset to Steve Winterling, the college’s athletic director.

“It makes my job a lot easier,” Winterling said. “She’s a very organized person. She’s a good team player, and I depend on her a lot because she’s also my assistant athletic director.”

Whitney is a talented recruiter, Winterling said. She is able to size up her team’s needs each year and find the talent necessary to keep them competitive. That’s a particularly important skill at a two-year college, which naturally has a lot of turnover from year to year. Good recruiting is essential for a coach to remain successful over the long term.

Whitney’s accomplishments also motivate her fellow coaches.

Winterling coaches the team’s successful baseball program, and has fallen behind the volleyball team in national tournament appearances.

“She went back again (to the tournament), so I’ve got to play catch-up,” he joked.

There’s a good chance Whitney will be keeping the pressure on with more tournament appearances. Her team will have a good mix of experienced sophomores and incoming freshmen, along with a high level of expectations to continue the success of the program. For Whitney, it’s the players that will determine that success.

“You have to have the right people to make that work. I’ve been very fortunate to have athletes who are able to buy into that system and to do well with the way that we run things here,” Whitney said.

With the way she runs things at PHSC, there might be another opportunity in the future.

Winterling sees a time when the assistant athletic director might not have the word “assistant” in her title.

“I’m trying to throw more stuff at her (in assistant athletic director duties) where she could one day, after I do retire (become the director),” Winterling said. “She would be a great replacement for the college.”

Published March 4, 2015

 

Eagle Scout’s gazebo project benefits church

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Eighteen-year-old Robert Sturm has been a scout most of his life.

He became a Tiger Scout when he was 5 and has been involved in scouting ever since.

He’s also attended First United Methodist Church of Land O’ Lakes since he was quite young, too.

Building a gazebo isn't a one-man project. Eagle Scout Robert Sturm recruited help to get it built for the church. (Courtesy of the Sturm family)
Building a gazebo isn’t a one-man project. Eagle Scout Robert Sturm recruited help to get it built for the church.
(Courtesy of the Sturm family)

In fact, the church formed his first scout packs and troops.

So, when it came time to choose an Eagle Scout project, an important part of qualifying for the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America, it was pretty easy to decide to combine the two together.

“I’ve been going there my whole life,” Sturm said about the church. “And they support our troop, too, so it’s nice to be able to give back to them.”

With help from around a dozen people, Sturm managed a project to create a gazebo for the church, located at 6209 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

The idea was to create a place where church members and their families can enjoy the comforts of a covered outdoor area.

After a few months of work, the gazebo was finished last summer, and Sturm became an Eagle Scout later that year. His Eagle Court of Honor was held at the church.

Taking the lead on that kind of project takes more than just pointing fingers and sketching out plans.

First, Sturm contacted the church trustees and worked with them on what they’d like to have.

Once they decided on a gazebo structure, there was the issue of money: Building a quality, outside structure that can survive the elements isn’t cheap. Sturm had to raise around $1,300 to make it happen, and traditional fundraising methods weren’t going to raise a lot of money quickly.

So instead, he started buying and selling used items to make a quick profit.

So, he and his friends began hitting up garage sales, looking for good deals.

“After we bought stuff at garage sales pretty cheap, we could turn it around and make money off that.”

A good day of searching could result in some pretty good bargains: A two-dollar investment in a tent turned into $60.

At the end of one garage sale, someone gave him and a friend a T-shirt press for free. His cut of the resulting sale netted $200 toward his project.

After few months of getting up at 7 a.m., to go bargain hunting for tools, video games and whatever else he could find, he had the money necessary to build the gazebo.

Now that the project is finished, when he comes home for a visit from his classes at the University of Central Florida, Sturm can see his and his helpers’ handiwork.

As he looks at the completed gazebo, he’s reminded of the hard work and challenges he faced along the way.

The paving was especially difficult, he recalled, because the gazebo had to have a level and strong foundation.

With its paver-stone floor, tin roof and wooden construction, the gazebo was built to last well into the future.

So, in addition to recalling the challenges, Sturm feels the sense of pride that comes from knowing that he’s created something for his church that enhances the property and helps people enjoy their time there.

The church is happy, too, not only to have something new and useful, but to know it came courtesy of a longtime member.

“I’ve been at the church for 22 years, but on staff for 10. I remember Robbie before he was born,” joked Bob Swan, facilities manager at First UMC of Land O’ Lakes.

The church gets occasional Eagle Scout project requests, and wasn’t surprised that Sturm wanted to give back.

The gazebo is getting good use, Swan added. It serves as a meeting place on Sunday mornings and throughout the week. And, the church is still finding more uses for it as time goes on.

Now that the work is completed, Swan is impressed by the quality of the work.

“I think it went real well. He had a good plan,” Swan said, adding that Sturm had some capable advisors and helpers along the way.

“It came out as it was planned,” Swan said.

Sturm might not have planned to gain experience for college out of the project, but he’s finding the lessons he learned building the gazebo are serving him in higher education, too.

The fundraising experience has proved valuable, as he learns about marketing, the college freshman said. Organizing a group project and getting everyone focused on the same goal also has everyday applications in the world of business, he said.

Beyond those practical benefits of the experience, Sturm said there’s a feeling of satisfaction that comes from creating something worthwhile.

“It feels really good to actually have a finished project and have people be able to go sit in it and use it,” he said.

February 25, 2015

Wiregrass Ranch boys claim first regional soccer title

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When the Wiregrass Ranch Bulls reached the regional semifinals last year, the team was experiencing its best season ever.

But that milestone lasted just one season, because this year the team took another step forward, by winning its region and advancing to the state tournament.

Wiregrass Ranch High School junior Brendan Duran races past Melbourne players during the regional final. Duran scored the game's only goal to lift Wiregrass Ranch to its first state tournament. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
Wiregrass Ranch High School junior Brendan Duran races past Melbourne players during the regional final. Duran scored the game’s only goal to lift Wiregrass Ranch to its first state tournament.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

This time around, the Bulls won their region by shutting out Melbourne — last year’s state champion in Class 4A — by a 1-0 margin in the final.

The team’s first trip to the state competition ended in a 1-0 loss to Chiles, the tournament’s eventual champion. But no one at Wiregrass Ranch is hanging his head in defeat.

“From the moment that we ended up losing, I was proud of the boys,” said coach David Wilson, who also coaches the school’s state champion tennis team and serves as athletic director. “We hung tough and played well, but just not well enough to win.”

Wiregrass Ranch played well enough to win the vast majority of its games, racking up 25 victories against just two defeats and one tie. Wilson attributes the team’s success to a wealth of talent but also to a spirit of camaraderie and chemistry — a combination that he believes is critical in building a winning soccer program.

“It may be more important than having talent,” Wilson said of team chemistry. “If they don’t work together and pull for each other and push each other and everything else, then you could have all the talent in the world (and not succeed).”

Wilson said that he’s coached teams with more raw talent than his current regional champions, but never one that could rival both their talent and chemistry.

It’s also important for the players to take ownership of the team at Wiregrass Ranch. They hold each other accountable and can even run portions of their practices on their own. They also know that if things don’t go well, they need to find ways to bounce back. That characteristic was tested earlier in the year, said Brendan Duran, a junior.

“After we came back from our loss (a 2-0 defeat to Sickles in December) we regrouped and focused ourselves again, and just went from there,” he said. They wouldn’t lose again in their regular season, and went 12-0-1 until their exit in the state semifinals.

One of those wins was a 3-2 victory at Sunlake in January, and Duran said it was an important one. Given Sunlake’s track record of success — this season they reached their state tournament for the third year in a row — the win helped earn the Bulls some notoriety, and had people taking note of their skills and accomplishments.

While notoriety, victories and titles are the mark of a successful program, Wilson isn’t getting there by coming down hard on the athletes or getting animated when they don’t perform. He’d rather create a program they want to join, and let them motivate themselves into keeping it strong and reaching their goals.

“My philosophy the whole time has been the experience has to outweigh the outcome. If you go in and you keep screaming and yelling and everything else, it’s not worth doing. We don’t run a program like that,” Wilson said. “I think our kids really, really enjoy the experience of playing.”

They also enjoy the fruits of the team’s success. When the Bulls won their regional final game in the waning minutes, the sizeable home crowd provided vocal support. For Duran, who scored the game’s only goal, it was a highlight of the season.

“We had a ton of people at the game, and they all stormed the field after,” he said. “That was once-in-a-lifetime moment. I didn’t think that so many people actually cared about soccer until then.”

Soccer fans at Wiregrass Ranch might have more reasons to cheer in the future. Most of the players, including three goalkeepers, are eligible to return next season. In fact, out of 22 members on the team, only six will graduate this year.

Wilson also will look to the successful junior varsity soccer team, which went 13-1 in its recent season, to supplement the roster.

With that much talent coming back and their chemistry intact, this current “best season ever” achievement may not hold up long.

“Assuming everybody returns, we should be better next year than we were this year,” Wilson said.

Published February 25, 2015

Meet Saint Leo’s new president: William J. Lennox, Jr.

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When Saint Leo University began the search for its next president, it knew it was looking for a star.

Instead, the search committee found three stars.

William J. “Bill” Lennox, Jr. addresses the audience at the Feb. 6 announcement of his selection as the next president of Saint Leo University. He'll start work later this summer. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)
William J. “Bill” Lennox, Jr. addresses the audience at the Feb. 6 announcement of his selection as the next president of Saint Leo University. He’ll start work later this summer.
(Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

William J. “Bill” Lennox, Jr., a retired United States Army three-star lieutenant general, has been named as the ninth president in the university’s history. He was introduced at a campus news conference on Feb. 6. He assumes his new post this summer.

“It feels great,” Lennox said about taking on his new job. “I think it’s an amazing institution.”

Lennox is familiar with Saint Leo University. He served on the school’s board of trustees for six years before deciding to take on the president’s role.

Lennox has been part of the selection process from its inception, but not always in the role of a candidate for the job.

As a member of the search committee, he had turned down consideration before they began exploring other options.

The search committee found very qualified candidates out of more than 100 applications, Lennox said, but when they couldn’t reach a consensus, he was asked to reconsider. This time he said yes.

While running a college is no easy task, Lennox comes to the job with plenty of experience. He previously served as Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point for five years, an institution where he also received his bachelor’s degree in 1971. As superintendent, he performed similar duties to a president at a civilian college. Lennox believes that experience will help him in his new challenge.

In fact, Lennox sees similarities between the famous military academy and Saint Leo.

“Both of them are very interested in education, but education with an intent in mind, and a values system that backs that intent,” he said. A strong focus on students and a supportive faculty are also characteristics of both institutions, he said.

While Lennox comes to Saint Leo with plenty of accolades, he also has some pretty big shoes to fill.

Outgoing president Dr. Arthur F. Kirk, Jr. is retiring at the end of the academic year after serving in that role since 1997.

Under Kirk’s leadership, the university has more than doubled its student body, more than doubled its degree programs, renovated many facilities and added new land and buildings to its campus.

Lennox steps into the role with admiration for his predecessor’s success.

“I’ve been very impressed with the work Art Kirk has done,” he said. “Art’s a tough guy to follow.”

While he’ll be spending the next few months becoming more familiar with the institution’s financials and other details, Lennox has already identified potential challenges he’ll face when he steps into his new position.

Saint Leo, which has been at the forefront of higher education online programs, is facing stronger competition as more schools increase their presence on the Internet, Lennox said. And, as an institution with a strong military presence with learning centers at various military bases and community colleges, government budget cutbacks will provide new challenges as they serve that market.

Lennox also knows that the university has overcome obstacles in its history, so he won’t have to face them alone. Lennox plans to tap into his staff’s talents to help find solutions together.

“The strength of St. Leo is a culture that the faculty and the staff have come up with some great solutions to those problems in the past, and I want to encourage that and take advantage of that,” Lennox said. “There are some real experts out there and I want to capitalize on their knowledge and their strength in these different areas, and see what we can do.”

Lennox, 65, is at an age when many people consider slowing down, and with three children and five grandchildren he could spend his days in leisure. But it’s not in his nature to be idle. His spouse of 43 years, Anne, is used to him taking on engaging work and putting in considerable energy to ensure his endeavors are successful.

And, he’s ready to continue Saint Leo’s successful path and meet its future challenges head-on.

“I’m going to quote Art,” Lennox said of the university’s retiring president. “He says ‘Our best years are in front of us.'”

Published February 18, 2015

Seniors flock to Zephyr Park for ‘Snowbird Palooza’

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Bird-watchers will find plenty of pigeons in Zephyrhills. But there’s another type of bird that’s already completed its annual migration to the area:

The snowbird.

Magician and balloon-artist Windy Douton of Largo fixes his Styrofoam, straw-looking hat as he gets ready to go on stage to entertain those attending the Snowbird Palooza at Zephyr Park. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
Magician and balloon-artist Windy Douton of Largo fixes his Styrofoam, straw-looking hat as he gets ready to go on stage to entertain those attending the Snowbird Palooza at Zephyr Park.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

Snowbirds aren’t really birds, of course. They’re northerners who make their way south and live in the area for several months out of the year. From the winter months through around April, they make Florida their home. And many of them have residences in Zephyrhills.

But according to Sonya Bradley, who estimates that the local population grows by around 30,000 people at this time of year, snowbirds weren’t getting the kind of welcome they deserve.

She set out to change that with Snowbird Palooza.

Bradley, the event coordinator for Simply Events of Tampa Bay, decided that a free event for part-time residents — though it was open to everyone — would be a good fit for the February schedule. It was held Feb. 11 at Zephyr Park, the same site as last month’s Zephyrhills Pie Festival & Community Bake Off, which was also organized by Simply Events.

Bradley estimates that between 500 and 600 people attended the first Snowbird Palooza, which featured various arts and craft booths that coincided with the bi-weekly farmer’s market held at the park.

There also was live music and a bingo pavilion, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., that offered the chance to buy cards to play the popular game and win some money.

“It was a good day,” Bradley said. “People stayed, which was awesome, because we had entertainment for them and different things for them to do.”

Snowbird Palooza offered some health benefits as well.

Bayfront Health Dade City had representatives on hand to administer blood pressure checks and hearing tests for attendees. Nurses also were available to interpret results and answer questions.

Simply Events learned from the first pie festival about how to improve it for next year, and Snowbird Palooza was no different.

The 2016 version will have expanded medical screenings, Bradley said, as well as more input from local mobile home communities. She’d like one of them to run the bingo games and help get the word out about the games and the event in general.

Bradley was pleased to see some younger people who had stopped by the farmer’s market or were running through the park also having a good time. But with a large senior population, she wants to get the word out for next year to make Snowbird Palooza even bigger and better-attended than the first one.

“It’s a community with an older soul. It just makes sense for this time of the year,” Bradley said. “Why not have an event just for them?”

Published February 18, 2015