The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Michael Murillo

Lutz-based trolley rolls into mobile food service market

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When the owners of Lutz Mail Depot on Dale Mabry Highway found that customers enjoyed spending time at their business and socializing, they wanted to provide a small cafe so they could sit and eat.

While brainstorming that idea, they considered launching a traditional food truck. But then they got really creative.

Greg Skibbee and his partner at Lutz Mail Depot, Paul Fischer, have put around $125,000 into their Route 66 Kitchen & Dining Car. The trolley/food service vehicle is now parked in front of their business during the week, and will travel the state on many weekends. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Greg Skibbee and his partner at Lutz Mail Depot, Paul Fischer, have put around $125,000 into their Route 66 Kitchen & Dining Car. The trolley/food service vehicle is now parked in front of their business during the week, and will travel the state on many weekends.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

“We thought, let’s do something cool with this and let’s do something that’s kind of interesting and unique,” said Greg Skibbee, who owns Lutz Mail Depot with his business partner, Paul Fischer.

Make way for the trolley.

Skibbee and Fischer converted a working, 35-foot motorized trolley from Paris, Texas, into the Route 66 Kitchen & Dining Car, a mobile food service vehicle that will sit outside their business during the week serving food, and hit the road throughout Florida on weekends. It officially opened for business last week.

While converting a trolley into a food truck is an unusual concept on its own, Skibbee explained that there’s more to it than that. At more than twice the length of a typical 17-foot food truck, they can offer something missing from mobile food vehicles: inside seating.

Between eight and 10 patrons can eat inside the trolley, and awnings will provide shade for customers who use tables and chairs outside.

In addition to getting the trolley ready for inside customers and decorating it with Route 66-themed memorabilia, Skibbee and Fischer added a new, electric cooking system with induction heating. The equipment will allow for fast, clean cooking, while keeping temperatures under control, Skibbee said.

After adding air conditioning and getting everything up to code — the trolley has passed its health inspection and is road-ready — its owners will have spent around $125,000 making their idea a reality.

The transformation required a lot of effort in a short time, since they just purchased the trolley in late May. But according to Skibbee, the effort has been worth it.

“This is probably one of the things I’m most proud of because it took so much to do it,” he said.

The trolley made its public debut at the Lutz Independence Day parade, escorting outgoing Lutz Guv’na Suzin Carr along the parade route. But even when its owners take it to Home Depot for some upgrades, it attracts plenty of attention, Skibbee said.

While the Route 66 Kitchen & Dining Car will serve hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and even breakfast to patrons, they’ll be happy to serve the underprivileged in the community as well. Military veterans and the homeless will find themselves welcome wherever their wheels stop that day.

“You want to support your vets and you want to support your homeless,” Skibbee said.

If the community supports their Route 66-themed trolley, its owners will make sure it isn’t lonely on the road. They have preliminary plans to add two or three more to the fleet by the end of 2015.

The trolley already has made an impact inside their business as well, as benches have been converted into sitting areas. But outside, Skibbee believes the trolley will have a presence that fits in with the unique spirit of Lutz. And to make sure nobody forgets where it comes from as it travels around the state, the trolley has its home community proudly displayed on the back.

“That’s why we actually branded it as ‘Hometown: Lutz,’” Skibbee said. “It doesn’t say ‘Hometown: Tampa’ or ‘Orlando.’ It says ‘Lutz’ because Lutz is where we are.”

For more information about the Route 66 Kitchen & Dining Car, visit Route66.kitchen, or call (813) 949-5370.

Published July 23, 2014

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Wesley Chapel All-Stars tee up a state title

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A batter steps up to the plate with two outs in the final inning of a tied game. He hits a shot near third base and drives in the winning run.

His team not only wins the game, but a state championship as well. The crowd in the bleachers applauds, his teammates cheer, and his coaches are proud of the team’s title run.

The Wesley Chapel T-Ball All-Stars had their skills tested at the district and state tournaments, but came away with the championship earlier this month. (Courtesy of Todd Owen)
The Wesley Chapel T-Ball All-Stars had their skills tested at the district and state tournaments, but came away with the championship earlier this month.
(Courtesy of Todd Owen)

Not bad for an athlete who’s up well past his bedtime.

Lucas Cinnante is just 6 years old, but his game-winning single clinched the state title for the Wesley Chapel T-Ball All-Stars earlier this month. The contest was part of a three-game final day for the team that made it past several must-win games and came from behind in the final match-up.

By the time they won the championship, a 16-15 victory over Sebring, it was nearly 10 p.m.

Cinnante and his teammates didn’t play like they were tired, and he said he wasn’t really nervous, either.

“Not that much,” Cinnante said. “My coach said to hit a ground ball, so I hit a ground ball. I just wanted to win a game and have fun.”

Wesley Chapel won the game and had fun, and their final victory capped an impressive run for the 6- and 7-year-olds on the team. The All-Stars are made up of the best t-ball players during the regular season across several teams, and they get together to compete for district and state honors.

Their run started with a strong showing at their district tournament last month in Wildwood, with Wesley Chapel earning the Dixie Youth Baseball District 6 championship after compiling a 5-1 record in the tournament.

Wesley Chapel then competed for the state title earlier this month in Mulberry, but it wasn’t an easy path to the championship. The tournament split the 12 competing teams into two pools, and Wesley Chapel completed its pool play with a perfect 5-0 record, earning a spot in the double-elimination championship portion of the tournament.

Then things got challenging. They defeated Wildwood next, but a loss to Sebring put them in the elimination bracket, meaning the next loss would end their title hopes.

They would have to keep winning to earn their way back into a rematch with Sebring, and then beat them twice in a row to claim the title. And accomplishing that task would include playing three elimination games in a single day.

Team manager Todd Owen knew that would be a tall order for athletes with just a half-dozen birthdays under their belt.

“Coach Vito (Anello) and I were saying to ourselves, ‘Just let the kids play. Let them enjoy this,’” he said. “It’s going to be a tough, uphill battle to win three games in one night. So let the kids go out, have fun, enjoy it and just be positive for the kids.

“And the kids just took the game over. They were out there just making things happen,” Owen said. “It was pure joy as far as the coaches being able to sit there and watch that.”

But nobody was sitting when the team finally won the title. The players were elated, Owen said. “They were jumping for joy.”

“I’m not sure who was more happy, the parents or the kids,” he said.

The parents were the key to the team’s success this year. Even with good coaching and talented players, the families are necessary to provide support, encourage and show patience with the young athletes, and foster a healthy environment for the team.

Cinnante’s mother, Leslie Cinnante, said that healthy environment was a positive experience for players and parents.

“This group of people is absolutely wonderful,” she said. “Everybody gets along, everybody is encouraging, everyone is positive, everybody helps each other. The All-Star team was a wonderful team.”

While winning the state championship was a special accomplishment, Owen said the team earned another title during the state tournament that was equally impressive. Wesley Chapel received the sportsmanship award.

The team organized group photos with their opponents to remember the fun times they had at the tournament, for example. And Owen was told that, unlike the t-ball championship, there wasn’t as much competition for that particular title. The people who came in contact with Wesley Chapel saw them as respectful and good sports throughout the tournament, he said.

“I did not expect that or anything,” Owen said. “That’s something to be proud of.”

The young Cinnante, who claims Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Ben Zobrist as one of his favorites, will move up to a higher level of t-ball next year. But as much as he loves baseball and playing t-ball, there’s one thing he doesn’t like about the game: Having to wait until the next season starts to get back to practice.

“It should start like next week,” he said.

Published July 23, 2014

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Pass the Sash: Perkins named Lutz Guv’na

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The doctor is in.

Cindy Perkins, a chiropractor who lives and works in Lutz, won the annual Lutz Guv’na race, a campaign for the ceremonial title where all the money raised goes to local organizations.

Cindy Perkins was declared the new Lutz Guv’na on July 4 at the community’s Independence Day celebration. (Courtesy of Suzin Carr)
Cindy Perkins was declared the new Lutz Guv’na on July 4 at the community’s Independence Day celebration.
(Courtesy of Suzin Carr)

Perkins claimed the Guv’na sash by raising the most money during her campaign.

“I was very excited, and I still am. I was very shocked, actually,” said Perkins, owner of Back in Health Wellness Center on North Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz.

Her campaign win was no landslide victory, however. According to Eleanor Cecil, a member of the Lutz Civic Association, the race went down to the wire.

“It was very close. I really think it was the closest we’ve ever had,” she said.

In a campaign season where the five candidates raised almost $9,500, Perkins edged “Papa” Jay Muffly by less than $10. The totals were counted multiple times to ensure they were correct.

The funds raised by all the candidates will be distributed to local organizations. In the past, recipients have included Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Friends of the Lutz Branch Library, the Old Lutz School, the Civil Air Patrol, and the Lutz Patriots. Between 15 and 20 different groups will receive grants from the Guv’na race in a typical year.

Cecil, who has been involved with the race for about 13 years, said the money is only part of what makes the Lutz Guv’na race special. The entire event is supposed to be fun, and the candidates are expected to enjoy themselves while they work for the title.

And from what she saw, all five candidates — Perkins, Muffly, Liane Caruso, Jerome Smalls and Susan Gulash — did just that.

“I went to many of their events and I really think they had a good time with it, and they put in a lot of effort,” Cecil said.

She noted they also worked well as a group, hosting joint events to raise money and supporting each other throughout the race.

Perkins said she enjoyed meeting the candidates she didn’t know, and making stronger friendships with the ones she had already met. Her campaign raised more than $4,000 of the total, and said the money brought in shows the positive impact of the campaign on the community.

“To come close to raising $10,000 that’s all going to go back to different local schools and other nonprofits and charities, that’s fantastic,” Perkins said. “It really shows how a few people can kind of pull a community together.”

Even though the title has been passed, Cecil said that the previous Guv’na left some pretty big shoes to fill. Suzin Carr, who has been Guv’na twice, was very active in the role and even helped recruit the new batch of candidates to replace her.

“She did more than just be Guv’na. She helped us out a lot and took the lead in a lot of things,” Cecil said. ”She’s really a phenomenal lady.”

Perkins not only is ready to fulfill her traditional Guv’na duties, such as attending Lutz events, she’s taken Carr’s lead and started the recruitment process for the next batch of candidates.

“I’ve already started trying to talk some people into doing it next year,” she said.

Businesses or organizations in the Lutz community are welcome to apply for a grant as long as they are designated as a nonprofit and are not affiliated with a religious organization.

For more information on how to apply, e-mail Eleanor Cecil at .

Published July 16, 2014

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Seeking seniors: Sports group offers fun times, friendship

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Seniors might live a less-active lifestyle than they did when they were younger, but Walt Bockmiller thinks they still have time for softball, golf, tennis, bowling and maybe volleyball.

If not all of those activities, maybe one or two of them.

Whatever sport a senior might enjoy, Walt Bockmiller probably has something on the schedule for them. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Whatever sport a senior might enjoy, Walt Bockmiller probably has something on the schedule for them.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

Bockmiller, a Land O’ Lakes resident, started Senior Sports in 2011, and he organizes regular events for older residents that include a wide variety of activities. Whatever people choose to do, there are plenty of benefits in getting out and being active, he said.

“It’s an opportunity for them to get out and start doing something rather than just being home shopping or watching TV,” Bockmiller said. ”It gives them an opportunity to meet people in a different kind of environment.”

Bockmiller began Senior Sports by setting up softball leagues, since many people have some experience with baseball or softball in their youth. That starting point proved extremely popular, and he now has around 90 participants for those games. Counting tennis, bowling and golf, Senior Sports boasts more than 150 participants, and he said that tennis could prove to be the most popular of them all.

While softball is designed for men and women ages 60 and older, the other sports don’t have an age limit. He said players could be in their 40s through their 80s. The oldest softball player turned 90-years-old last month.

At 71 years old himself, Bockmiller might be expected to ease up on his schedule, but it’s simply not in his nature. He worked in recreation and leisure services management, and over his 47-year career, Bockmiller organized several activities, both with and without sports themes.

While he expected the participants to enjoy Senior Sports, he didn’t expect them to have quite as much fun as they’re having. He said people are “finding their smile,” and area residents who normally didn’t get out much are making friends and planning get-togethers off the field or court. Participants often go out to dinner, plan outings to see the Tampa Bay Rays, and even go on cruises together, Bockmiller said.

Senior Sports is about sports, naturally, but without a focus on the competitive side. Instead, Bockmiller keeps the focus on having fun, giving out awards that are earned by good sportsmanship instead of athletic skill. Softball might appeal to more physically fit participants, while bowling is available for those who might not have that level of ability. Or, people can simply sign up to play whatever appeals to them.

The activities are designed to be inexpensive and occur during various dates and times, allowing more seniors to participate. But whether a person plays every available activity or selects their favorite, or simply wants to meet new people, Bockmiller said they’ll come away with some fun memories and good people to share them.

“There are a lot of friends that come out of this stuff. Some of my friends in tennis and golf, especially tennis, are friends for life,” he said. ”There’s a commonality that you have, and because of that you have a lot of laughs over the years. It’s just a lot of fun.”

Co-ed slow-pitch softball is played from September through December, and again from mid-January through mid-April. Golf is played on a variety of courses year-round on Wednesdays. Bowling is played year-round in Lutz on Thursdays. Tennis and volleyball are new to the schedule.

For more information about Senior Sports, contact Bockmiller at (813) 527-8211.

Published July 16, 2014

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Local soccer teams earn gold in Special Olympics

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While soccer fans around the world are watching the World Cup, two teams from Land O’ Lakes High School already are basking in victory.

Two soccer teams from Land O’ Lakes High School went to Lake Buena Vista to compete in the Special Olympics Florida State Summer Games. Both came home with gold medals. (Courtesy of Land O' Lakes High School)
Two soccer teams from Land O’ Lakes High School went to Lake Buena Vista to compete in the Special Olympics Florida State Summer Games. Both came home with gold medals.
(Courtesy of Land O’ Lakes High School)

Two squads, the Grey Team and the Gold Team, each claimed the gold medal in their respective divisions at the Special Olympics Florida State Summer Games, May 16-17 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista.

The Grey Team is a Division 2 team with seven players per side, while the Gold Team is a Division 3 team with five players per side. Divisions are set up based on team skill levels.

Each team is unified, meaning athletes play alongside partners to help them and provide support. The Gold Team has four players and three partners playing at one time, while the Grey Team has three players and two partners.

While the players are happy to have achieved their goal, their longtime coach, Vicky King, is equally proud.

“It was a great accomplishment. Our teams have trained really hard this year,” she said.

The Gold Team had little knowledge of soccer before they started playing together a few years ago, King explained. For their first two years playing soccer, they didn’t score a single goal. Now they understand the game, talk about it, and claimed the gold medal in their division.

And the Grey Team has a chance to continue playing at an advanced level. They’re eligible to compete at the World Games, and if selected, they’ll go to Los Angeles to take part next July.

The keys to success are the same as they would be for any championship team, King said. Hard work, a balanced squad, and an emphasis on fitness and skills led the teams to victory.

But the Special Olympics is about more than competition. Land O’ Lakes resident Terry Ahearn said his son, Andrew, truly enjoys being a part of the team and competing in the games.

“He loves it. It’s been really good for him, too,” Ahearn said.

Andrew has participated in Special Olympics for years, and plays soccer for the Grey Team. He has autism, and is high-functioning. His father said that playing has given him more confidence, and even though he can be hard on himself, he always has praise and support for his teammates.

While playing on a unified team allows the athletes to get on-field support, it doesn’t affect the team dynamic. Ahearn said once they start playing, everyone is working toward the same goal.

“It doesn’t matter if they’re playing basketball, if they’re bowling or playing soccer, you really can’t tell the difference between any of the kids,” he said. “They’re just like any other team.”

And like any other athlete, Andrew is happy to have claimed the gold for his team.

“It feels good,” he said. “We did our best.”

The midfielder said participating in various sports — Andrew also competes in bowling, basketball and flag football — and having fun are the best things about the games. He was named Athlete of the Year for Pasco County.

For his father, coaches like King are some of the real highlights of participating in the Special Olympics. The teachers and coaches make the experience more valuable for the participants, he said.

“I’m proud of (Andrew) and how he competes and what he’s learned, but I’m also proud of the teachers and the coaches,” Ahearn said. “Because he would not be where he is right now if he didn’t have the teachers and coaches that gave so much of themselves.

“To do what these kids are doing and to reach them takes a special person. I could not say enough good things about them.”

For more information about the Special Olympics, visit SpecialOlympicsFlorida.org.

Published July 9, 2014

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Little Women take home big service awards

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The Little Women aren’t so little anymore when it comes to statewide awards.

The GFWC Little Women of Lutz, a club for girls ages 12 through 18 sponsored by the GWFC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, earned multiple awards at their Juniorette Annual State Meeting in Lakeland.

The Little Women of Lutz came home from their statewide meeting last month with a number of awards, including Club of the Year. (Courtesy of Janet Hardy)
The Little Women of Lutz came home from their statewide meeting last month with a number of awards, including Club of the Year.
(Courtesy of Janet Hardy)

The event, held June 12-14, is an annual gathering of Florida’s General Federation of Women’s Clubs Junior Clubs.

The Lutz group earned four first-place awards and five second-place awards for its work in the community, taking home Club of the Year honors. In addition, the Little Women won for the second consecutive year the Marcia Bright Award, given to the club that interacts most with its GFWC Woman’s Club sponsor.

Club advisor Janet Hardy said her first interactions with the Little Women of Lutz revealed how organized they were.

“I went to one of their board meetings, and was just shocked at how many events they had scheduled,” she said. “It was really amazing. It really impressed me, honestly.”

While the club collected many awards in the span of a couple of days, they represent a year’s worth of work in the community, both with their sponsors and on their own. In addition to helping clean up Lutz Lake Fern Road three times a year, the Little Women collect books to be placed at laundromats, play bingo at the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Nursing Home, and host fundraisers for breast cancer awareness.

They also pack boxes to send to overseas troops, collect cans for Metropolitan Ministries, and work with both the Ronald McDonald House and the Special Olympics.

Bethany Hanson is president of the Little Women of Lutz. The 15-year-old believes that the hard work of the members pays off both for the club and the area in which they live.

“I think it’s important to be active in the community because it helps so much,” Hanson said. “Even if you do a little bit of work, it makes a big impact. Whenever we volunteer, we get a sense of accomplishment, like we did something great. I always come back smiling because I know I helped someone, and that’s a feeling you can’t beat.”

The Little Women aren’t the only ones smiling. The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club remains proud of their junior club’s accomplishments, and feels very close to its members.

“It’s almost like they’re family members,” said Pat Serio, a woman’s club member and an early advisor to the Little Women more than a decade ago. “We see them as daughters and granddaughters.”

In addition to helping their mentors on a variety of projects, the Little Women are learning valuable skills they can use later in life, Serio said. They get experience in public speaking and organizational leadership, handle funds through their treasury, and gain confidence from taking a hands-on approach to their work at a young age.

She also credits Hardy with encouraging them to implement new ideas and get the word out regarding their activities, making the group stronger and more effective.

“She’s doing a fabulous job,” Serio said of Hardy.

While the Little Women of Lutz boast just 17 members — with nearly half of them set to leave because of age limits — the group beat larger chapters, including some with multiple sponsoring clubs to support them. Hanson attributes their success to working as a group and finding ways to accomplish their tasks on their own, allowing them to grow and succeed together.

“I think our chapter is different because even though we’re small, we do a lot,” she said. “Unlike many of the large chapters, the members do the work themselves and the advisors don’t. The secret to being successful is jut working together, as a team.”

For more information about the Little Women of Lutz, call Hardy at (813) 758-0979.

Published July 9, 2014

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Volunteers find that a clean city is a happy city

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M.J. Price has to deal with a lot of garbage.

That’s not a problem for the longtime Zephyrhills resident. In fact, the more garbage she handles, the happier she is.

The I Heart Zephyrhills monthly community cleanup will set its sights on Zephyr Park on July 28. Volunteers always are welcome. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
The I Heart Zephyrhills monthly community cleanup will set its sights on Zephyr Park on July 28. Volunteers always are welcome.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

Her monthly I Heart Zephyrhills community cleanups are designed to clear out as much garbage as possible from a designated location on the last Saturday of every month between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. A group of approximately 15 to 25 volunteers joins Price each month to pick up around 15 kitchen-sized garbage bags’ worth of wrappers, cans, fast-food containers and other trash.

In the past year, the group has visited places such as Krusen Field, Tangerine Drive and Veteran’s Memorial Park.

Price decided to launch the monthly cleanup more than a year ago when she volunteered to clean up an area where she didn’t even live.

“We did a community cleanup with some friends from Zephyrhills down in Tampa, and I thought, ‘Well, this is so crazy that all these folks are driving all the way down to Tampa to clean up Tampa, when we live right in Zephyrhills,’” she said.

While the first community cleanup drew more than 200 volunteers more than a year ago, it’s settled into a smaller, core group. But there are some new faces, though Price said she hopes for more involvement from groups and civic organizations. She mentioned Crossroads Pentecostal Church as one congregation that has attended several cleanups.

There are benefits to the monthly events aside from helping to keep Zephyrhills looking nice, Price said. The group tries to keep them fun, promoting a contest for the strangest piece of trash collected. Previous winners include a hairpiece and seats for a boat.

An hour’s worth of exercise also is a positive, she said. And volunteering could have even longer-term benefits for an individual who might be looking for work or trying to make new contacts.

“You never know who is going to be picking up trash next to you,” Price said. “It might be somebody who is looking to employ someone. It might be someone who knows someone else. You never know. There are a lot of good connections that have been made.”

I Heart Zephyrhills also would write letters of recommendation for students looking to boost their college resume to confirm that they’ve done volunteer work for the group, Price said.

The city does a very good job of keeping things orderly, she said, and Price’s group aims to simply help clean up where they can. Unfortunately, people can get accustomed to a certain amount of trash. One or two wrappers might not seem like a big deal, but they impact the community appearance, and can soon grow into a problem.

“It piles up pretty quickly,” she said.

As a permanent resident since 1998, Price has organized more than 300 community events, from the monthly cleanups to an annual flag exchange and replacement program. She said it is part of her nature to get involved in her community.

“It’s just my thing,” Price said. “I was just raised that way — that you’re always trying to better the place where you live. It’s just kind of what I do, and I really love it.”

I Heart Zephyrhills works on the last Saturday of every month except December. Volunteers will head next to Zephyr Park, 38116Fifth Ave., west of U.S. 301 on State Road 54. The July 28 event begins at 9 a.m.

Volunteers should wear a pair of work gloves, closed-toe shoes and long pants. I Heart Zephyrhills will provide water, garbage bags and a method of hauling away the trash.

For more information, contact Price at (813) 782-1500, ext. 104, or email her at .

Published July 9, 2014

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Lutz resident headed to Canada for martial arts games

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Ethan Dillon has a trip to Canada planned for later this year. He’ll probably pack a jacket and some long-sleeve shirts.

He’ll also bring his three black belts.

Ethan Dillon, 14, of Lutz, will represent the United States at the TAFISA World Martial Arts Games in September. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Ethan Dillon, 14, of Lutz, will represent the United States at the TAFISA World Martial Arts Games in September.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

Dillon, 14, of Lutz, is one of 60 martial arts athletes selected to represent the United States at The Association For International Sport for All World Martial Arts Games, Sept. 3-7 at The Olympic Oval in Richmond, British Columbia. TAFISA has had World Games every year since 1992, but September will be the organization’s first world games dedicated specifically to martial arts.

Dillon owns a first-degree black belt from Krav Maga Martial Arts, a second-degree black belt from Extreme Martial Arts and a second-degree black belt from Lee Jacobs Christian Karate. His disciplines include karate, mixed martial arts, jiu-jitsu, tae kwan do and Krav Maga, a self-defense program used by the Israeli Defense Forces.

He also has a couple of green belts and a white-yellow belt to round out his collection.

While he earns plenty of accolades, Dillon spends little time dwelling on them.

“I don’t look at it too long because there’s always someone out there trying to get that, and if I want it I’m going to have to fight for it,” he said.

When he travels to Canada, he’ll fight to defend three world titles he won at the organization’s 2012 World Games in Austria. TAFISA, which is recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the International Olympic Committee, operates under a “sports for all” philosophy, and includes adult and child competitors of both genders.

Dillon competes in both matches against opponents and through kata, a display of choreographed patterns of movements by himself. Of the two, it’s the one he does alone that’s hardest for him to master.

“I enjoy the kata. It’s a challenge, just because the way my head is, I don’t remember stuff very easily,” he said.

Dillon has been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, making it sometimes harder for him to focus or remain still for long periods of time. But his mother, Melony Dillon, said that a decade of martial arts has given Ethan a great deal of discipline and improved his concentration, allowing him to excel in areas on and off the mat.

Even his behavior and attitude is better than most of his peers.

“I have to say, he’s probably one of the better teenagers around,” she said. “I see a young man growing into being a really great young man. Not just with martial arts, but on the whole, being a nice productive citizen.”

Dillon’s productivity on the mat requires a lot of effort and a busy schedule. On Mondays and Wednesdays, Dillon works on traditional martial arts. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, it’s mixed martial arts, a sport that has gained popularity over the years due to high-profile professional leagues such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Fridays are private lessons, and Saturdays are spent with team training.

Most of those days also include weight training, and Dillon has to fit his education in during the school year as well. Dillon is home-schooled, which allows him some flexibility with his schedule. But even his day off, Sunday, is often spent doing some physical activity, like paintball or swimming.

Martial arts also has taken a toll on his body. Dillon has torn ligaments in his right foot and broken his left foot. But he’s always eager to get back from an injury, doing whatever work he can while he heals.

His fighting injuries might take a greater toll on his mother than Dillon himself. While Melony is supportive of her son’s martial arts career, and travels with him to other countries to watch him compete, she hasn’t gotten totally comfortable with watching him get hit.

“It’s really hard sometimes when he’s fighting for me to put my mom hat over here and not go, oh jeez, my son just got hit really bad,” she said.

While it can be tough on his mother, getting hit isn’t usually a problem for Dillon. In fact, he likes to give his opponent the first strike, so he can absorb the first blow and proceed with his own attack unfazed by his opponent.

“It wakes me up, actually,” Dillon said. “I actually laugh sometimes when I get hit.”

Getting hit in Canada is expected, but it also will be expensive. For Ethan and Melony to make the trip, they’ll need around $4,500 to cover basics like equipment and uniforms, flight and lodging.

After fundraising efforts, he still needs to come up with around $1,200 by the end of July.

Dillon’s family goes to a lot of effort to fulfill his busy schedule, with weekly trips to Lakeland, Odessa and Sarasota for training. His 7-year-old sister, Emma Dillon, and his grandmother, Betty Dillon, are also big supporters.

While he works hard to excel and gain recognition, it’s his family’s support that helps keep him going.

“That helps quite a bit because I know that there are some families that push their kids to do this, and then there are other families that don’t even support their kids doing this at all,” he said. “It means a lot to me.”

For more information about Dillon and his fundraising, visit tinyurl.com/EthanDillon. For information about TAFISA, visit TAFISA.net.

Published July 2, 2014

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Liane Caruso working to brand herself Lutz Guv’na

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Liane Caruso runs Limelight Marketing Consultants, a full-service marketing firm she started in 2009.

When she’s working, Caruso always is thinking about how to make something better known, bigger and more successful.

Lutz Guv’na candidate Liane Caruso has plenty of support for her campaign, including her sister-in-law, Dr. Dae Sheridan, right, and her daughter, Lila. (Courtesy of Liane Caruso)
Lutz Guv’na candidate Liane Caruso has plenty of support for her campaign, including her sister-in-law, Dr. Dae Sheridan, right, and her daughter, Lila.
(Courtesy of Liane Caruso)

Even as a candidate for Lutz Guv’na, she can’t take off her marketing hat.

“I would hope that one day this Guv’na thing could be a really big deal,” she said. “I know there’s a lot of people who know about it, but I’m finding that there a lot of people who don’t know about it, and I think what a great way to bring attention to Lutz and the businesses of Lutz.

“It’s a great concept, and I hope that it only continues to grow.”

Caruso decided to help it grow by signing up as a candidate for the ceremonial title, given to the person who raises the most money during the campaign. The winner will be announced during Lutz’ annual Fourth of July celebration, and all monies raised go to local organizations.

To help add a little marketing savvy to the race, Caruso launched ILoveLutz.com, which provides fundraising opportunities for her campaign. But once the race ends, she wants to see it grow into a site for local businesses to make their presence known to visitors and increase visibility for the community in general with news releases, business reviews, and a calendar of upcoming events.

Caruso is from Jacksonville, but spent time in Key West, where she met her husband Larry. They decided that it wasn’t the ideal place to raise children, so they moved to the area to be closer to family and enjoy the strong community presence. They have two children, Kyle, 5, and Lila, 2.

Caruso lives in Land O’ Lakes and moved her business to Lutz last year, and is happy to have the important things in her life close to each other.

“I’ve built my entire life within a 5-mile radius, which I absolutely love,” Caruso said. “I love the community and how supportive they are of each other.”

Philanthropy was another aspect about the race that drew her in, and with some experience in community races — she helped others campaign for king and queen of Fantasy Fest, a 10-day celebration in Key West — she felt it was a good time to take a shot at being Guv’na.

In addition to helping local organizations with much-needed funds, Caruso wants her campaign to also focus on helping local businesses expand their opportunities on the Internet. In conjunction with her ILoveLutz website, Caruso believes companies can utilize a strong Internet presence in conjunction with the face-to-face, personal relationships they’ve built over the years in Lutz.

“Our entire world has shifted to technology and online awareness. It’s great those people that have built their business off word of mouth and the good old-fashioned way,” she said. “So many other businesses don’t have that luxury, and their website and how they’re found online is a first impression, or their first chance. If they’re not found online they’re essentially missing opportunity.”

Local businesses that don’t have a brick-and-mortar location, but are still owned and run by people in the community, need a strong online presence to gain exposure they might not get otherwise, she said.

Caruso’s campaign has gone well, she said, with plenty of fundraising efforts such as raffles, themed parties and workshops, as well as combined events with multiple Guv’na candidates.

One of the fun things about the race is how supportive and friendly the candidates are with each other, she said.

With her constant focus on branding, marketing and social media for clients — and a Guv’na campaign to run — Caruso doesn’t make much room for idle time. But the Carusos enjoy local and state attractions (she admits to being “theme park junkies”) and spending time with local family.

While she sometimes travels out of the state for business and has lived throughout Florida, it’s Land O’ Lakes and Lutz, where Caruso lives and works, that feels like home.

“I wouldn’t move back to Jacksonville, I probably wouldn’t really live in Tallahassee although I loved it while I was there,” Caruso said. “Orlando and Tampa, to me, are pretty comparable, but Key West is very different. This is exactly the right place.”

For more information about Caruso’s Lutz Guv’na campaign, visit ILoveLutz.com or search “Liane for Guv’na” on Facebook.

For more information about Limelight Marketing Consultants, call (813) 419-3777 or visit LimelightConsultants.com.

Published July 2, 2014

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Three days of fireworks: Local events display patriotic spirit

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Local residents wanting to see fireworks to celebrate the Fourth of July can enjoy them before, during and after the actual holiday.

The third annual Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Freedom Festival at The Shops at Wiregrass features a fireworks display on July 3 at 9 p.m. (Courtesy of Tony Masella/OurTownFla.com)
The third annual Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Freedom Festival at The Shops at Wiregrass features a fireworks display on July 3 at 9 p.m.
(Courtesy of Tony Masella/OurTownFla.com)

Multiple venues will host fireworks shows as part of special holiday celebrations July 3-5, along with a number of other activities to help celebrate Independence Day in Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes.

Those who want to celebrate early can visit The Shops at Wiregrass, 28211 Paseo Drive in Wesley Chapel, on July 3. The shopping complex, home to around 100 different retailers, is the site of the third annual Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Freedom Festival. Last year’s event drew around 30,000 people.

The free event begins at 5 p.m., and includes a watermelon-eating contest and a bicycle-decorating contest. But one of the highlights is a patriotic-themed pageant to crown Little Miss and Mr. Firecracker across several age groups.

The pageant was a favorite in 2013, and should be bigger this year, said Debbie Detweiler, director of marketing for The Shops.

“It’s grown so much that we’re having it hosted up on the center court stage this year,” she said. “It was a really popular part of the event last year, and we want to make more room for it.”

Winners will be announced for participants in three separate categories: Ages 3 months to 1, ages 2 to 4, and ages 5 to 8.

The fireworks show begins at 9 p.m., with approximately $9,000 worth of pyrotechnics on display.

On July 4, the annual Sparklebration event will be held at the Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36722 State Road 52 in Dade City. It includes a watermelon-eating contest, a hot dog-eating contest and bounce houses.

Gates open at 3 p.m.  The fireworks begin at 9:15 p.m. The cost is $5 per person, with children younger than 12 admitted free. Parking also is $5.

For anyone who missed the events on July 3 and July 4, or wants to celebrate a little longer, there are a couple of local options the following day. Avalon Park West, 5227 Autumn Ridge Drive in Wesley Chapel, will host its free Independence Day Festival on July 5.

According to Kristin Muslin, marketing and events coordinator for Avalon Park West, it’s more important for the community to schedule an event when people can attend than to make sure it falls on the Fourth of July.

“Having an event during the week is a little bit more difficult for a lot of people to attend,” Muslin said, noting that July 4 falls on a Friday this year. “So it’s kind of important for us to make it a little bit easier for families to be able to spend time together on the weekend.”

Avalon Park West also wants to use the event as an opportunity to showcase its neighborhood, which has around 70 occupied homes. With future planning allowing for 4,800 homes to be built, the Independence Day Festival allows the community to learn a bit more about them, Muslin said.

Avalon Park West’s town center will serve as the focal point of the festival.

The event includes bounce houses, giveaways, community performances and food trucks. More than 50 vendors are expected to be in attendance. A bicycle parade starts at 5:30 p.m., and the fireworks begin at 9 p.m.

That same day, Connerton, a community located on U.S. 41 about seven miles north of State Road 54, will host a free Fifth of July event starting at 5 p.m. Its celebration also is a chance to show off the 8,000-acre community, which includes a 3,000-acre nature preserve.

The celebration includes live music, games, prizes, and bounce houses. Food trucks and refreshments will be available, and guests are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets. The fireworks start at 9 p.m.

For more information about the Freedom Festival at The Shops at Wiregrass, visit TheShopsAtWiregrass.com.

For more information about Sparklebration at the Pasco County Fairgrounds, call (352) 567-6678, or visit www.pascocountyfair.com.

For more information about Avalon Park West’s Independence Day Festival, call (813) 482-5361.

For more information about Connerton’s Fifth of July event, visit Connerton.com.

Published July 2, 2014

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