The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Michael Murillo

Saint Leo’s women finish as national tennis semifinalists

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Saint Leo has a good women’s tennis team. But when the sixth-ranked Lions (20-5 at the time) entered the NCAA Division II Tennis Championships last month, they faced a much better one.

Junior Paula Montoya was part of the Saint Leo Lions’ record-breaking season in women’s tennis. (Courtesy of Mike Carlson)
Junior Paula Montoya was part of the Saint Leo Lions’ record-breaking season in women’s tennis.
(Courtesy of Mike Carlson)

Headed into their first-round match-up, the Brigham Young University-Hawaii Seasiders were undefeated in the 2014 season. And while they were ranked just third in the tournament, losing to anyone was a rarity: In the past 16 seasons, the team had been defeated just nine times.

After facing the Lions, though, they now have 10 losses.

Saint Leo upset BYU-Hawaii 5-4 in a match that lasted more than six hours. Following that victory, the Lions toppled the 12th-ranked California University of Pennsylvania Vulcans to advance to the semifinals.

It was the first time the Lions reached the Final Four and their first trip to the national tournament, as well. Saint Leo’s run ended after a loss to second-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State University. Still, acting head coach Sarah Summerfield is proud of the team’s accomplishments.

“Obviously, I was thrilled,” Summerfield said. “The way we performed at the end of the year, it was spectacular. It was the best tennis I’ve seen them play all year.”

While defeating the Seasiders was the highlight of the year, Summerfield said it wasn’t the only big match the team won during their memorable season. Avenging an earlier loss to Lynn University, one of the top teams in the competitive Sunshine State Conference, Saint Leo defeated the Fighting Knights in the conference semifinals and again in the second round of the national tournament.

The conference victory against Lynn came down to a final singles match — college tennis competitions are determined by counting victories in both doubles and singles play in a best-of-nine format — and it was junior Paula Montoya who came through with the deciding win.

Montoya, who hails from Venezuela, said that her country’s tennis play is marked by a combination of consistency and aggression, and she used both to secure the win for her team.

“In the beginning it was consistency. I played the ball so she was getting tired,” Montoya said. “But then in the second set she got aggressive and I got kind of defensive, so I almost lost that second set. It was 5-2 (in favor of her opponent) and I got my confidence back and I was able to play my aggressive game.”

The Lions’ success this season will help juniors like Montoya prepare for a larger leadership role next year, she said. And her coach agrees, noting that a regular challenge for sports teams is replacing veteran leadership.

But Summerfield thinks that the current team set a standard that the team next year will be eager to match.

“I believe that they’re going to want to do just as well or better than we did this year,” she said. “I definitely think that the new seniors have to step it up, and I know they’re going to do it because they know what it feels like to get to the Final Four, they know what it takes and I know they’re going to be up for the challenge.”

Part of that challenge will be to adapt to a new head coach.

While Summerfield will be a graduate assistant coach for Saint Leo, a permanent coach will be chosen to lead the team going forward.

Summerfield said she had a great experience as head coach, and believes taking a team to the Final Four will serve as a nice highlight on her coaching resume.

She plans to pursue head coaching opportunities in the future.

The run to the Final Four also will remain a highlight of Saint Leo’s tennis resume. While Montoya said she’s already starting her training program for next season and believes the team can improve its fitness to be better prepared for grueling matches, she acknowledges the accomplishment that puts this year’s women’s tennis team in the school’s record books, and the work that went into attaining that success.

“It’s amazing because we’ve been playing and training for that goal,” she said. “We’re ranked No. 3 now and that’s amazing. That’s the first time we’ve been ranked that high.

Published June 4, 2014

(Re)discovering Dupree Gardens

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Dupree Lakes is a nice community in Pasco County near Ehren Cutoff. The homes look great and the area is well-maintained. Just driving through, you can see it’s a pleasant residential area.

But it’s not a destination for visitors or anything. Nobody’s going to buy tickets to go see it, and they don’t need a gift shop to accommodate all the people looking for souvenirs. It’s not a tourist attraction, after all.

All that remains of Dupree Gardens is an old ticket booth that served visitors. It still stands on the property of what is now Dupree Lakes, a residential community. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
All that remains of Dupree Gardens is an old ticket booth that served visitors. It still stands on the property of what is now Dupree Lakes, a residential community.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

But almost 75 years ago, it was. A tourist attraction, I mean.

Back then, Dupree Lakes was Dupree Gardens, and there were no homes — just 25 acres of colorful flowers, vines and palm trees.

Trails and fruit trees.

Green grass and bushes.

A gift shop and a tearoom.

It was a popular tourist destination that attracted people from all over the country.

Think of it as being like Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg, only bigger and better. No offense to Sunken Gardens, of course. I’ve been there, and it’s a nice spot. But by all accounts, Dupree Gardens was a really big deal, especially for its time.

It was actually part of a larger estate owned by J. William Dupree, a Tampa attorney. And by “larger,” I mean 900 acres.

But the section called Dupree Gardens attracted as many as 30,000 visitors during its season from mid-November to the end of April, and had a reputation for being a beautiful place to visit.

It was especially known for its exotic flowers: Violets, poppies, magnolias, azaleas, calendulas and camellias. Now, I’ll be honest. I don’t know much about flowers. Aside from the violet, I had to look up each one to see what they looked like. I even had to double-check how to spell some of them.

But by looking at the old photos, you can tell that it was a special place. No matter what you had going on in your life, it was a unique escape that was visually stimulating, natural and tranquil. Nothing else looked like it.

By the way, it wasn’t just flowers and trees. You could eat in the restaurant (located in the tearoom) or take an electric-powered boat ride across the lake. That was a pretty unique experience for people. Remember, it was the early 1940s.

So what happened to Dupree Gardens? Well, it was the early 1940s. The attraction got off the ground right as World War II was heating up. That also was a pretty big deal, and the restrictions placed on people — gasoline rationing and limited private travel to save resources for the war — made it hard to attract enough visitors.

Dupree Gardens limped along, but the strain of the war took its toll, and eventually, it closed down. The land was sold, the flowers made way for home development, and Dupree Gardens became nothing but a very pleasant memory.

Well, not exactly. The ticket booth is still there. But there are no attractions, no tickets to sell and nobody to sell them to you even if they had some.

On the bright side, there are no long lines. You can walk right up to the booth any time you like, with no waiting. There’s just nothing to buy.

Still, it’s worth a quick trip just to see the original ticket booth and the plaque marking it as one of the Historic Places of Pasco County.

More than seven decades ago, people walked up to that same booth for a chance to see a nationally known attraction right in this neighborhood.

And now, it’s a neighborhood in itself.

Things change. But it’s worth remembering that Dupree Lakes was once Dupree Gardens, and it’s still a unique part of area history.

Published May 28, 2014

On the move: Tigers go from Dade City to Montana

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Two Dade City sisters just moved to Montana.

There’s more to the story, of course. The sisters, Jasmine and Sophie, are 2-year-old Siberian tigers who were born at Dade City’s Wild Things, an ecotourism sanctuary zoo located at 37245 Meridian Ave. And they moved to Montana because they were donated to ZooMontana, a zoo in Billings to rejuvenate their tiger exhibit, which had just lost its only tiger due to cancer.

Jasmine is one of two Siberian tigers that arrived at their new home in Billings, Montana, last week. Dade City’s Wild Things donated them to ZooMontana to bolster their tiger exhibit. (Courtesy of Dade City's Wild Things)
Jasmine is one of two Siberian tigers that arrived at their new home in Billings, Montana, last week. Dade City’s Wild Things donated them to ZooMontana to bolster their tiger exhibit. (Courtesy of Dade City’s Wild Things)

“They weren’t interested in breeding and they didn’t want babies,” said Kathy Stearns, director at Dade City’s Wild Things. ZooMontana “wanted young tigers that would be well-adjusted, and being that our tigers have worked with people, they were very adjusted.”

Dade City’s Wild Things does exhibit their own animals, but that’s just a part of their mission. In addition to rescuing and adopting animals, often providing lifetime care, they also breed and supply other zoos when they can meet their needs. In this case, the tigers were deemed to be a good fit, so they arrived in Billings last week.

Determining a good fit is something Stearns takes seriously. She said that before any animals go to another facility, representatives from Dade City’s Wild Things will visit the location to check living arrangements for size and safety. They also get a feel for the receiving location’s philosophy and ability to handle the animals.

And in the case of the tigers, handlers will stay there for a day or two after they arrive to make sure the transition is smooth, the animals are adjusting, and all questions and concerns have been addressed. They also will monitor their progress in the future to make sure the sisters are doing well in their new home.

But even without the tigers, there are still plenty of other animals to care for in Dade City. They have a wide variety of residents living on their 22-acre facility, including bears, alligators and lions. They also house the infamous “Mystery Monkey,” a rhesus macaque who had been on the loose in the Tampa Bay area for more than three years and had gained quasi-celebrity status before being captured in 2012.

Dade City’s Wild Things is open like a regular zoo and has animals on exhibit. Education, however, is paramount, and that becomes evident in their tours.

“One thing that we do a little different is that ours (are) always guided,” Stears said. “We have people that go (with visitors) because we want to educate, we want people to learn about the animals. So instead of a free walk-around, you’re going to have guides that actually go with you and talk to you about the animals.”

Stearns believes the tigers are a good fit for their new home, and will help create an interesting and informative exhibit in Montana. And helping provide that information to zoo-goers around the country is in-line with her organization’s mission of keeping the public educated as well as entertained.

“That’s what we’re all about is education, and getting people to be aware of these animals and their plight in the wild,” Stearns said. “So we want people to be able to see these animals. People can’t afford to go to Africa to see a lion. The whole point of zoos is to educate.”

Dade City’s Wild Things has more than 200 animals on display, surrounded by a botanical garden landscape. Walking tours and tram rides are available, as well as some hands-on encounters.

For more information, call (352) 567-9453, or visit DadeCitysWildThings.com.

Published May 28, 2014

Sunlake’s Skye Nichols signs on to acrobatics and tumbling in Connecticut

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Athlete signings are common for high school players. If someone excels at their sport, they often get a chance to continue competing at the next level.

Football, basketball, soccer and baseball are just a few sports where graduating seniors continue playing as college freshmen.

Skye Nichols takes part in a ceremonial signing with Sunlake principal Steve Williams, left, cheerleading coach Pennye Garcia and Nichols’ mother, Sheri. Nichols will enter Quinnipiac University with championship cheerleading experience, and she’ll use it to compete on the school’s acrobatics and tumbling team. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Skye Nichols takes part in a ceremonial signing with Sunlake principal Steve Williams, left, cheerleading coach Pennye Garcia and Nichols’ mother, Sheri. Nichols will enter Quinnipiac University with championship cheerleading experience, and she’ll use it to compete on the school’s acrobatics and tumbling team.
(Courtesy of Sunlake High School)

Cheerleaders, however, are now becoming part of that group.

Skye Nichols, a captain for Sunlake High School’s state championship cheerleading team, will attend Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, and compete for the school.

But technically, it won’t be cheerleading. The Bobcats have an acrobatics and tumbling team, and Nichols was recruited to be a member of the squad.

“I feel very blessed. That’s the only way I can describe it,” she said. “I only dreamt about it, and I still can’t believe it’s reality.”

The Bobcats do have a spirit squad, but Nichols isn’t planning on participating. That group performs more of the traditional cheerleading functions, but the acrobatics and tumbling team is part of a sport, which suits her better.

They’ll have a schedule where they square off against other teams in group and individual categories, and do extensive traveling to compete in different locations around the country.

While Nichols is excited to be part of the competition, she realizes it will mean a lot more work. Rigorous practices and weight training are just part of the schedule, and she’ll have to balance that with pursuing her studies in sports management.

But her cheerleading coach at Sunlake, Pennye Garcia, believes Nichols’ time as a cheerleader has her well-equipped to succeed.

“It’s her drive,” Garcia said. “When she really wants something, she will keep working at it.”

Nichols was a team captain, and was called upon to not only study technique and offer corrections, but also motivate her teammates when they were losing focus, Garcia said. Her ability to remain motivated while also motivating others helped separate her from less-driven athletes.

Nichols believes the leadership role helped her as well.

“I definitely think it gave me experience how to work with people, and how the best way in working with people is leading by example,” she said. “Also, being friends with them makes a big difference. If you’re just strict all the time, I feel like you kind of lose respect, but you’ve got to care about them to earn respect.”

But there’s also a physical aspect to cheerleading, and Garcia said it revolves around strength. As a base — someone who stays at the bottom of the formation and helps support others — Nichols needs good leg strength. Those physical skills helped her get recruited by Quinnipiac.

And while Nichols feels the school is a perfect fit for her, it wasn’t part of her original plan. Her first choice of school didn’t work out, and her path wasn’t shaping up the way she wanted.

But when she visited the Quinnipiac’s campus, she realized that the new opportunity was actually better than her planned one.

“Right when I went to the school I was like, this couldn’t have been any better for me,” she said. “It just felt so right.”

School also is important to Nichols, whose GPA is 4.05. She considers herself to be competitive and something of a perfectionist, and while that’s translated to success in the classroom and on the mat, she believes that self-confidence and hard work will help her face the coming challenges of a new city, new school and a new level of competition.

“I think anything you do that’s really new is a little nerve-racking, but I just believe in myself that I can handle it,” Nichols said. “I pushed myself really hard these four years, and I think that definitely conditioned me for the next four years.”

Published May 28, 2014

Sunlake trio has football in their future

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Last football season, the Sunlake Seahawks had a suffocating defense. They recorded four shutouts, and held their opponent to less than seven points three additional times, en route to a 9-2 record and a playoff berth.

Joe Jean-Baptiste, left, Ricardo Williams and Nick Larry take part in a ceremonial signing at Sunlake High School on May 16. All three will continue their football careers after graduation. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Joe Jean-Baptiste, left, Ricardo Williams and Nick Larry take part in a ceremonial signing at Sunlake High School on May 16. All three will continue their football careers after graduation.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

Last week, three of their standout players got together to do a little paperwork.

Seniors Nick Larry, Joe Jean-Baptiste and Ricardo Williams participated in a ceremonial signing session to cement their college plans. Each of them will attend a different school, all on scholarship and with an opportunity to continue their athletic career in the collegiate ranks.

Even though head coach Bill Browning has been a football coach for 36 years — including his tenure at Sunlake, which began when the school opened in 2007 — seeing athletes commit to colleges and continue their careers never gets old.

“It’s something they work for and something they dream about, so it’s always exciting to see someone go on and get an opportunity that they’ve been working for,” he said.

All his athletes have worked hard, Browning explained. They have a rigorous practice and preparation regimen, and he feels that their program — being in Florida, which is known as a strong area for high school football — will serve the players well at the next level.

And the players who participated in the signing last week can’t wait to get there.

“It’s honestly a dream come true,” said Jean-Baptiste, who played safety for Sunlake.

He’ll attend Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, and play for the Storm on a partial scholarship.

While he acknowledges the Seahawks had a strong defense, Jean-Baptiste also realizes that playing at the next level will include new challenges. Just as the speed of the game changed for Jean-Baptiste when he made the jump from junior varsity to varsity, he expects a similar increase in game speed in college.

To prepare, he plans to spend time watching game film and scouting opponents when he’s not studying criminal justice.

Larry will play football for Gattaca, a post-graduate team whose players attend Hillsborough Community College with an eye toward playing for bigger schools in their future. For him, attending college on a full scholarship validates the effort he put in to improve and excel during his high school career.

“It feels amazing. It just shows that everything I did, I did right. And all the work I put in, it shows that it pays off,” Larry said.

While the defensive tackle wants to take this time to improve and prepare for a football opportunity in the future, Larry doesn’t want to get ahead of himself. He’ll study sports management and make sure his grades are strong while he also focuses on football.

Williams also was part of the team’s excellent defense as a cornerback, but he also played wide receiver. But when he attends Peru State College in Nebraska on a partial scholarship, he’ll play for the Bobcats on the offensive side of the ball at running back.

And Williams believes that playing on defense in high school will help him when he suits up in college.

“As the cornerback, you have to have quick hips and you have to stay focused at all times,” Williams said. “And I feel like that if you translate that to a running back, those are really good features to have.”

He believes that his time playing defense will help him anticipate their moves and positioning, since he’s spent a lot of time thinking like a defensive player. When he’s not on the field, he’ll study nursing.

All three players are eager to get their college careers going, but their coach has some advice for the soon-to-be college freshmen: Savor the moment and focus on what’s important.

“Just work hard and enjoy the experience,” Browning said. “And the bottom line is, get the education.”

Published May 21, 2014

Inaugural Memorial Day parade ready to get rolling

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People often have things they always wanted to do or try, but never got around to it. For Bob Barbero, that thing was a Memorial Day parade.

Barbero didn’t want to attend one. He wanted to start one.

The Knights of Columbus’ Memorial Day parade will end at the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Nursing Home, where local dignitaries will speak at the inaugural event. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
The Knights of Columbus’ Memorial Day parade will end at the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Nursing Home, where local dignitaries will speak at the inaugural event.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

“It’s something I’ve had in my mind to do for 30 years,” he said. “It was one of those bucket list things.”

In his working years, Barbero never had the time to put it together. Now that he’s retired, he joined fellow members of the Knights of Columbus Assembly 2741 and Council 8104, and their first Memorial Day parade is scheduled for May 26 at 9 a.m.

The hardest part of organizing a parade, which took nearly a year, was the logistics and compliance issues, Barbero said. They wanted to set up a route that wouldn’t block any roads completely, making parade logistics especially challenging.

Traffic control also was important, as was setting up first aid stations, gathering permits and purchasing insurance.

But the easy part was getting participants. Barbero was pleasantly surprised to find that, once groups heard about the parade, they were eager to participate. Organizations associated with the Shriners and Boy Scouts contacted them to see if there was room in the parade, and around 25 different organizations will be participating on Monday.

“We’ve had so many great experiences that have just fallen into place,” Barbero said. The Ancient Order of Hibernians, representatives from MacDill Air Force Base, and the Wesley Chapel High School Marching Band also are participating. Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco will serve as grand marshal.

While the entire event took a lot of work to organize, one part of the parade route was known from the beginning. The Knights of Columbus work frequently with the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Nursing Home at 6919 Parkway Blvd., and Barbero wanted to make sure their residents would be able to see the parade.

“I said, gee, wouldn’t it be nice to have a parade so these fellas could come outside and see the bands and all of this? And that’s exactly what is happening,” he said.

The parade begins at Dupree Lakes before turning at Ehren Cutoff and then Parkway Boulevard, where the nursing home is located. And while Barbero doesn’t know how many people will turn out on Monday, the Knights of Columbus are prepared for strong attendance with nearly 500 American flags to hand out to parade-goers.

But regardless of how many people will be at the Memorial Day parade, Barbero feels good about the organizational and community support, and the ability to pay tribute to those who made sacrifices around the world for everyone else here at home.

“I’m an American, and I think we should all do what we can, when we can,” Barbero said. “The main thing is to never forget what got us here, how many wonderful people that gave their lives so that we can walk around these streets in America and feel free.”

Published May 21, 2014

Lutz Patriots continue making every Friday a flag day

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Every Friday afternoon, drivers on U.S. 41 near the Old Lutz School are making hand gestures and honking their horns.

But they aren’t frustrated residents stuck in a traffic jam. The hand gestures are waves and thumbs-up, and they’re honking their horns at the Lutz Patriots, who line up American flags by the former school once a week.

Jim Russell, left, Bill McCray and Bruce Hockensmith of the Lutz Patriots wave to drivers along U.S. 41, who honk their horns in return to show support. The group has been setting up flags near the Old Lutz School on Fridays for more than a decade to show support for the military and their families. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Jim Russell, left, Bill McCray and Bruce Hockensmith of the Lutz Patriots wave to drivers along U.S. 41, who honk their horns in return to show support. The group has been setting up flags near the Old Lutz School on Fridays for more than a decade to show support for the military and their families.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

The Patriots are not a political organization, but they do want to remind drivers that troops remain in harm’s way, and that military personnel and their families still need support.

According to member Bruce Hockensmith, people are getting the message.

“If you stand here and watch us, you’ll hear the horns honking and see the lights flashing,” Hockensmith said. “It’s like a silent majority, people who support the troops.”

The Lutz Patriots have waved to drivers almost every Friday since 2003. The group was founded by two sisters, Karen Williams and Barbara Mueller, who wanted to show support for a family member at a time when there was public anti-war sentiment during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

Now, a core group of about 10 make up the organization, who still line up flags by the school and still get a strong showing of support from the drivers who see them on their Friday afternoon travels.

The Lutz Patriots is mostly made up of retired military, and they recognize that their weekly message is seen by those who serve and their families, as well as the general public. Sometimes members of the military will stop and say hello and thank them for their display.

For Jim Russell, a Lutz resident who was in the U.S. Navy, it’s especially important that members of the military feel appreciated for their service. Russell was in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam War, and received a negative, disrespectful reception when he came home.

“I got off the ship in San Francisco in 1967. Does that tell you anything?” he said. “I don’t want to see things get back to that. It’s part of the reason I’m out here.”

While the Lutz Patriots can be found waving their flags every Friday, it’s not the only place they make their presence felt. When the remains of a fallen soldier are returned via MacDill Air Force Base, the group sets up their flags along Bayshore Boulevard in South Tampa to let the grieving family know their sacrifice doesn’t go unrecognized.

They also send packages to troops stationed across the globe. Hockensmith, who served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany during the Vietnam War, said the group recently spent more than $700 in postage to send out a series of packages.

Hockensmith has been with the group since they began their weekly event, and said it feels strange on the rare occasions when bad weather prevents them from being there. They want to make sure drivers take a moment to remember those who are around the world serving in the military.

“We just want to keep them aware that we do have guys and gals serving that are in harm’s way every minute of every day,” he said. “We don’t want those people serving out there to be forgotten.”

The Lutz Patriots start setting up flags around 4:30 p.m. every Friday. To contact the group or make a donation, visit LutzPatriots.com, or e-mail Hockensmith at .

Published May 21, 2014

Guv’na hopefuls kick off campaigns at annual ‘debate’

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The candidates to become the next Lutz Guv’na are all a bunch of sellouts.

Lester ‘Boddie’ Osteen, a Lutz resident since 1936, took a few moments to share his memories of the area and its history with the crowd. ‘You’re privileged to live in this community,’ he said. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Lester ‘Boddie’ Osteen, a Lutz resident since 1936, took a few moments to share his memories of the area and its history with the crowd. ‘You’re privileged to live in this community,’ he said.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

At the annual Guv’na debate May 10 at the Old Lutz School, the five hopefuls for the ceremonial title were doing whatever they could to raise cash: Selling cookies, brownies and even specialty popcorn. They had raffles and drawings. They even announced yard sales and other fundraisers scheduled for the next couple months.

But unlike a traditional political campaign, the money raised doesn’t go toward buttons, bumper stickers or negative attack ads. It goes to local schools, civic organizations and other groups that benefit from the Lutz Guv’na event, which names the winner solely by how much money they raise for charity. Last year the candidates as a group raised nearly $12,000, most of that coming from the winner and current Guv’na, Suzin Carr.

The debate was an opportunity for the candidates to kick off their campaigns with smiles, handshakes and outrageous promises if “elected” to office. One vowed to rid the area of pesky mosquitoes. Another promised a five-day weekend. And they participated in contests to show their ability to handle the job, such as watermelon eating and knitting.

If it all sounds a little strange, Carr said that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be.

“It’s a silly, community spirit, wonderful thing for Lutz,” she said. “It’s supposed to be tacky. It’s supposed to be off-the-cuff crazy.”

Having a campaign for an honorary title is the kind of event that keeps Lutz’s small-town appeal intact. The fact that the money goes directly to organizations that need it makes the Lutz Guv’na race a positive force in the community, Carr explained. Scout troops, the Civil Air Patrol, Friends of the Library and the Old Lutz School itself are just some of the groups who will benefit from the money candidates raise.

This year’s crop of candidates seemed eager to kick off their campaigns. Liane Caruso is the founder and chief marketing officer of Limelight Marketing. She has a strong knowledge of social media and a love of tacos going for her.

Susan Gulash is the owner and creative force behind Gulash Graphics. She couldn’t attend the debate, but was well represented with her team both at the booth and the podium.

“Papa” Jay Muffly was the longtime president of the Lutz Volunteer Fire Association. He’s the choice of the Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, and had plenty of supporters in attendance.

Dr. Cindy Perkins is the owner of the Back in Health Wellness Center. She came to the debate armed with cupcakes for sale and a pink tutu to wear while on the panel.

Jerome Smalls is the director of operations at Soccer Gemz, a sports program for younger children. His program is so positive-oriented that when asked to showcase his “mean coach” voice, he only shouted encouragement.

Carr, the only two-time Lutz Guv’na, loves wearing the sash that designates her as current title-holder. But she knows her term will come to an end soon, and she has some advice for those who want her job: Enjoy the race, and the title that might come with it.

“Have fun. Put yourself out there,” she said. “For me, when I ran, it wasn’t as Suzin Carr. I was in a character. The Guv’na to me is a character.

“Nobody believes that at home I’m really a private person. But when I’m in the public eye like this, you just go with it.”

Published May 14, 2014

Through painful pages, a message of faith from author

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Writing a book is often a difficult process. Finishing one can be an exhausting, emotional ordeal for the author that becomes a real challenge to complete.

Nancy Carroll McEndree writes her books sitting in a recliner in her Zephyrhills home. She writes longhand and husband Duane transcribes that work into their computer. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Nancy Carroll McEndree writes her books sitting in a recliner in her Zephyrhills home. She writes longhand and husband Duane transcribes that work into their computer.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

But it wasn’t like that for Zephyrhills resident Nancy Carroll McEndree. It was much, much worse.

“I went into (post-traumatic stress disorder) every chapter I wrote,” McEndree said. “I sat in my chair or in my office and I wept uncontrollably. I ended up in the hospital.”

To write “Remembering Jim: From Violence, Abuse and Terror to Joy Everlasting” — a book chronicling her late brother’s difficult upbringing, bottoming out as an absent husband and father, and eventual transformation to an active person of faith — McEndree had to go back to the beginning of their lives.

And that meant dealing with her own childhood, which was filled with memories of her mother and brothers dealing with constant physical abuse. McEndree also suffered severe mental abuse and neglect, and said she even had to spurn her father’s sexual advances.

She would have been happy to leave those memories in the past, except they were necessary to tell her brother’s story of redemption. The only thing worse than revisiting her childhood would be to leave his story untold, McEndree said.

Jim started the book himself, but was unable to continue, so McEndree promised him that she would finish it.

Last October, seven years after his death, “Remembering Jim” was released on WestBow Press.

McEndree recalls the close bond she shared with Jim, while they were growing up in New Hampshire, in frightening and degrading circumstances.

“We were buddies all through our lives, because we lived in a very dysfunctional and violent environment,” she said.

As his life deteriorated, however, they grew apart.

After a football injury derailed a potential athletic future, he had trouble holding jobs and couldn’t stay faithful in his marriages. He abandoned his wife and children and ended up on the street, surviving on food from soup kitchens, and bathing in restaurant bathrooms, McEndree said.

When McEndree reached out to him, Jim was living in a halfway house. The brother she loved rebuffed her.

“What he said to me was, ‘Nancy, you’ve got your life and I’ve got mine. Don’t ever call me again. I’ll never see you,’“ she recalled.

Over time, he eventually found God and was able to reverse his life’s fortunes, becoming a Pentecostal preacher.

McEndree had already survived her abusive past and became a devout Seventh-day Adventist. She did medical missionary work, wrote several books, and had a radio show with her longtime husband, Duane.

But she still missed her brother.

Then one day he reached out, with a desire to reconnect. But he also had some tragic news: He was dying from leukemia and he needed her help.

“I just found him and I’m going to lose him again,” she thought when they spoke.

Jim moved in with McEndree and her husband, and the final years of his life were spent in a healthy family environment, prayer, and an ability to touch the lives of those he met in a positive way.

Jim also was able to reconnect with some of his children, and expressed a desire to put his story to paper.

While she was relieved to finish the book and is pleased with the result, her husband of 23 years was worried it was too taxing on her.

McEndree, 71, has her own health issues, and her husband didn’t want her to jeopardize her health for the project.

“I know it was very traumatic for her,” Duane McEndree said. “Nancy has heart problems, and several times during the writing process, she went into arrhythmia because of the trauma that she was going through. I was very concerned.”

Still, the stress she endured writing “Remembering Jim” hasn’t soured her on writing.

McEndree also has written a series of children’s books, and she’s currently working on another book dealing with the world’s problems and offering solutions to them.

Her work is done lounging in a recliner located in a room with plenty of sunlight, and their house is on property that also includes the home of some of her children and grandchildren.

McEndree’s writing sessions can last several hours, and usually produce several handwritten pages that Duane puts into their computer.

Now that the book has been released, McEndree is excited about the opportunity to help others with a positive message. Regardless of someone’s upbringing or how far they’ve fallen, she believes her brother’s story proves it’s never too late to put their life on a better path.

“This is a ‘victory in Jesus’ book,” she said. “I believe this book is going to touch the hearts of many people that need to hear that there’s hope and that God loves them.”

“Remembering Jim” is available at tinyurl.com/RememberingJim.

Published May 14, 2014

Back to back: Nikki Carroll repeats as state pole vaulting champ

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When you’re an athlete in your junior year of high school, there are few titles better than “state champion.”

But “two-time state champion” is one of them.

Land O’ Lakes resident Nikki Carroll won her second state pole vault title as a junior by clearing 12 feet — her personal best. She’s already eyeing a shot at a third title next year. (Courtesy of Carol Carroll)
Land O’ Lakes resident Nikki Carroll won her second state pole vault title as a junior by clearing 12 feet — her personal best. She’s already eyeing a shot at a third title next year.
(Courtesy of Carol Carroll)

Land O’ Lakes resident Nikki Carroll earned that designation by claiming her second straight Class 2A pole vaulting title earlier this month at the state meet, on the University of North Florida campus in Jacksonville. She cleared an even 12 feet to best her closest competition by six inches.

“It feels amazing doing it twice,” Carroll said. “I really wanted to win it again and I knew that a lot of people were expecting me to win. It was definitely my goal to win again and to jump 12 feet.”

That mark — a full foot better than last year’s winning height — not only gave the Tampa Catholic High School junior a second state title, but a new personal best as well.

While it was the perfect ending to another year of track and field for Carroll, it didn’t happen under perfect circumstances. Pole vaulting, is the kind of competition where the weather can make or break an athlete’s day. Since participants are using a long pole to propel themselves above and beyond a set bar, anything that makes it harder to run, set and grip can mean the end of the competition.

So when it was raining on the day of the meet, and didn’t stop when she had to perform, Carroll had every right to be concerned. But her coach told her that holding the pole lower makes it less likely that an athlete will slip, and Carroll naturally has a lower grip than many pole vaulters.

While it wouldn’t help in good weather, she said the lower grip might have helped succeed in the rain.

But Carroll had to overcome her own miscues as well, and the pressure that came with them. A pole vaulter has three chances to clear each height. After the third miss, they’re out of the competition — and, in this case, the running for the state title.

Twice in Jacksonville, Carroll found herself down to her last try.

“I was on my third attempt at 10 feet, 6 inches and at 11 feet, so that definitely freaked me out a little bit because I was almost out,” she said.

But Carroll was able to stay focused, keep her grip and clear the hurdle both times to stay alive in the competition and eventually claim the title.

Successfully clearing a certain height and being successful at pole vaulting in general is harder than it looks, Carroll said. On television, such as during the Olympic Games, the athletes make it look easy. But it takes a lot of training and practice to get it right.

As a state champion, Carroll definitely puts in the time to be the best. She does gymnastics every day (a sport she’s been doing for several years) except Sundays, and said the skills she hones at those practices are a natural fit with pole vaulting.

But Sundays aren’t a day of rest. She travels across the state to Melbourne, where she practices at Pole Vault City to stay prepared for the actual competitions.

Bobby Haeck, co-owner and head instructor of Pole Vault City, said Carroll’s skills give her an immediate advantage over the competition.

“It’s speed and tremendous gymnastics,” he said. “If you put those two things together, you get a really good pole vaulter.”

Height also can be important for an athlete, he said. While Carroll isn’t tall, her quickness and ability to clear the bar more than compensates for a lack of height.

Haeck, who has trained pole vaulters for nearly 15 years, was there to see Carroll defend her title, and he was impressed with her ability to succeed in the rain and convert her third attempts. He believes she has a bright future continuing the sport in college.

Carroll said she’d like to continue pole vaulting after she graduates high school, and will pursue a pre-med course load in college in order to become a doctor. But before any of that happens, she still has her senior year ahead of her. And that means another chance to defend her title.

“Not a lot of people can win it back-to-back, and then even less can win it three times,” she said. “I’m definitely going to go for three.”

Published May 14, 2014