The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

New welcome center coming to Dade City

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Andy Taylor, legislative aide to Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore; Camille Hernandez, mayor of Dade City; and, Adam Thomas, tourism director for Pasco County for Destination Management Organization, all take part in a groundbreaking ceremony at the new welcome center in Dade City. (Courtesy of Experience Florida’s Sports Coast)

Dade City is pushing ahead to make the Roy Hardy Trail more tourist-friendly. Officials gathered on March 10 for the groundbreaking of a new visitor’s information welcome center, to be located on the south side of Church Avenue, near the Hardy Trail multi-use trailhead.

The building, which is expected to open this summer, will include two family bathrooms that meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

The center will feature an open interior floor plan — allowing for vendor operations, area attractions, museums and art exhibits to host mobile displays.

The welcome center is part of a larger exterior space concept that envisions a bike-share hub with stations for parking, minor bicycle repairs and public resting areas for cyclists, and exercising pedestrians.

The visitor’s information center is being funded with the help of a $250,000 grant from the Pasco County Tourist Development Council.

Published March 17, 2021

This sign lets people know that Dade City’s new welcome center will be opening this summer. A groundbreaking celebration was held on March 10. (Courtesy of Andy Taylor)

Grants to bolster Pasco library programs

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The Pasco County Public Library Cooperative has received two state grants that will allow it to expand its services.

The library has received a grant for $20,315 for fiscal year 2020-2021 to create a Books by Mail program, which will serve homebound residents who are physically unable to visit the library.

Homebound residents include those who can’t leave home during the pandemic, but also could be expanded to include people who live far away from a library.

The program will deliver materials to patrons through the United State Postal Service, and will  provide postage for the materials to be returned, according to information included in the agenda backup for the Pasco County Commission’s March 9 board meeting.

The county’s library system also received a grant through the Library Services and Technology Act for $50,413, to be used for a “Mobile Makerspace.”

In other library news, these appointments were made:

  • Douglas Butler will represent District 5 Commissioner Jack Mariano on the Library Advisory Board
  • Richard Hayes will represent District 3 Commissioner Kathryn Starkey on the Library Advisory Board
  • Joan Clark will represent Pasco County at large on the Library Advisory Board
  • Susan Dillinger will represent Pasco County at large, west side, on the Library Cooperative Advisory Board
  • Anjali Bedi will represent the City of Zephyrhills on the Library Advisory Board and Pasco County at large, east side, on the Library Cooperative Advisory Board.

Published March 17, 2021

Crowd gets to see ‘Elvis,’ a ‘teen angel’ and classic cars

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Spectators at the “Grease is the Word” event at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park had a chance to listen to an Elvis impersonator, check out a musical rivalry between Pasco Fire Rescue and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, and to take a look at some classic cars. There were also games and other attractions at the event on March 13.

Billy ‘Elvis’ Lindsey ends his set draped in an American flag. ‘If you see any other Elvis impersonator do this, he got it from me,’ Lindsey said. (Fred Bellet)
This 1965 Buick Skylark, owned by David and Maria Aponte, of Wesley Chapel, was one of the standout vehicles on display.
Twelve-year-old Payton Garver gingerly places a Jenga block on top after taking it from the bottom of the tower that she and her mom, Marie Garver, were building in front of the Life Church tent.
Pasco firefighter Logan Mielke appeared as a teen angel, during the sing-along competition between Pasco Fire Rescue and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. Mielke was assisted by the Bobbie Sox Dancers, and the songs were sung karaoke-style.
Donna and Don White of Land O’ Lakes are accompanied by the musically inclined Moxie, left, and Mia — two Pembroke Welsch Corgis, at ‘Grease is the Word.’
The “Grease is The Word” performances put a smile on Dottie Morgan’s face as the Tampa woman watches Billy “Elvis” Lindsey on the Heritage Park stage.
Classic car judge Dallas Stevens, of the Land O’ Lakes, peers into a car dubbed ‘Pink Panther’ during a car contest at the ‘Grease is the Word’ event, at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park. Howie and Barbara Mendick, of Lutz, own the 1950 Mercury.

 

All dressed up, and ready to go — at St. Patrick’s Day parade

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Noah Royak, of St. Petersburg, assumes the role of a super-tall leprechaun — dancing and singing to ‘Oh Danny Boy,’ as bagpipe music played, at the St. Patrick’s Day parade. (Fred Bellet)

A super-tall leprechaun, bagpipers, men dressed in kilts, decorated golf carts, and people of all shapes and sizes sporting green — were among the many highlights of the second annual St. Patrick’s Day parade at the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club, in San Antonio.

Decked-out golf carts rolled along Old Tampa Bay Drive, offering a spectacle to behold for onlookers lined up along the road.

Some decorated golf carts represented branches of the military. Others carried families and golf and country club residents who turned out to enjoy the day.

Special touches included the performance of the song ‘Danny Boy,’ participation by scout troops, a pipe and bugle band, and miniature therapy horses, among other things.

In an atmosphere of good cheer, the sentiment seemed clear — that those gathered there felt fortunate to be enjoying a wee bit of Irish luck.

Published March 17, 2021

Members of Boys Scouts Troop 311, from San Antonio, carry a banner to express appreciation for first responders. The troop meets at the Presbyterian Church in Dade City.
Mary-Jo Fuller, a resident of Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club, makes some last-minute checks on the Tampa Bay Zumba Club golf cart she decorated for the second annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Many-Dears Grinder, a veteran of the Vietnam War and a resident of the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club, watches the road as she steers her golf cart and waves to spectators.
A booming beat and the sounds from the Dunedin Pipe Band create an air of excitement, as band members make their appearance, dressed in kilts, for the St. Patrick’s Day parade at the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club.
One-year old Harmon Windschill watches in awe, as the pipe and bugle band goes by. He is flanked by his mom, Stephanie Windschill, left, and his dad, Nathan Windschill. Nathan and his parents are visiting his grandparents, John and Donna Windschill, residents of the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club.
Seven-year-old Aiden Riley, of Land O’ Lakes, sports a beard as he rides the back of a golf cart during the St. Patrick’s Day parade on March 13 in the community of the Old Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club, in San Antonio. He was there with his grandparents, Mary Ann and Robert Cleaves. His 4-year-old sister, Addison Riley, sat up front with the grandparents, as they rolled along Old Tampa Bay Drive.
Decorated golf carts in the parade honored various branches of military service.
Grace Oddo gets into the spirit of the parade by donning a sculpted balloon hat representing a rainbow with a pot of gold. The former New York resident recently moved to the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club.
Horse handler Maria Horvath, of Tampa, gets a kiss from Calypso, a miniature therapy horse. Calypso’s half-brother, Chardonnay, took part in the St. Patrick’s Day parade, courtesy of the Angel of God Equine Sanctuary.

 

Paying it forward, through music

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For 35 years, Karen Bishop taught orchestra in the schools, working with kindergartners through high school seniors. She saw it all. Or, so she thought.

Nearly two years after her retirement — and the immediate realization that she “missed it terribly’’ — Bishop has organized a community orchestra that motivates her passionate musicians and helps worthy causes at the same time.

Karen Bishop, who directs the Play it Forward Orchestra, stands alongside Daniel Ramos. The group had a Christmas benefit concert to help Ramos, a violinist in the orchestra, who has cancer. (Courtesy of Karen Bishop)

The “Play It Forward Orchestra’’ is a 25-member group that adheres to its motto — “A group of beautiful humans making the world a better place through music.’’

Last July, Bishop called around, trying to assemble a few violinists for a driveway concert to benefit the medical needs of a former student. More than two dozen musicians showed up. There was no rehearsal, just some inspired music for the cars that drove by. Someone asked, “When are we doing this again?’’

It has been going strong ever since.

In December, the orchestra held a fundraising Christmas concert for one of its own, violinist and Steinbrenner High School senior Daniel Ramos, who has cancer. Drinks and snacks were served by the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation Fighters, a Steinbrenner group formed by Lexie Mulvihill, whose brother died of cancer last year.

The orchestra, open to anyone with high school or college music experience, includes current and former musicians from Blake, Gaither, Hillsborough, Steinbrenner, Hillsborough Community College, the University of South Florida, the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida.

“It’s all volunteer and people who are doing it for the love (of music),’’ said Bishop, who spent the last 12 years of her career at Martinez Middle School. “It has been so much fun. The people in the group are loving and caring. If you tell them, ‘We have something next week in Ybor City at 8 in the morning,’ they will be there.

Karen Bishop directs the Play it Forward Orchestra, during a driveway concert.

“I hope it continues to grow. They love practicing and performing. There are a lot of fundraising and benefits we can do to help out.’’

In turn, the orchestra has been a helpful experience for the musicians — even beyond their love of music and performing.

Just ask violinist Bryan Camus, 32. He was in the orchestra at Blake, a performing arts magnet school. He became a nurse practitioner and lost himself in that career, partially losing his identity in the process. Life’s stresses seeped in. He experimented with drugs, considered suicide and spent nearly a month in rehab.

When he heard from Bishop, who was his middle school teacher, Camus hadn’t played his violin for nearly four years.

“We went through all of the pieces, and Karen and I were both shocked at how well I was playing,’’ said Camus, now a nursing professor at Rasmussen University. “Music has saved me.

“Looking at my life, I had some trauma piled on top of other trauma. My career didn’t help. In nursing school, you learn to put your emotions aside to help others. But you break at some point. “Now I have found an outlet, my love of music, and I look forward to everything we do,” he said.

Members of the Play it Forward Orchestra take their cues from their director, Karen Bishop.

The group gathers for a weekly rehearsal and for events, as needed.

Camus said the level of music ranges from intermediate to advanced. The enjoyment level? Off the charts.

“The basis for this is having fun and raising money for people who need it,’’ Camus said. “I think we will continue to grow. When Karen wants something to happen, it tends to happen.

“This isn’t like a full symphony. It’s still a small group. We all enjoy each other and pick fun at each other. I am the oldest and half these kids are better than I am, even though I’m twice their age. But it’s a very welcoming, inclusive group and you feel great just being around everyone.’’

Bishop said the group’s numbers could easily double, perhaps incorporating more adults who haven’t played in a while but never lost their musical interest. She’s looking into requesting nonprofit status and exploring other fundraising options.

For more information on the Play It Forward Orchestra, contact Bishop at .

By Joey Johnston

Published March 17, 2021

Government stimulus check inspires kindness, generosity

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When Wesley Chapel’s Carmen Quiles’ family received a stimulus check from the federal government, her initial reaction was — who can’t use some extra cash during a pandemic?

But then, she thought, there are others who need the money more.

Carmen Quiles stands near some of the ‘Bags of Love’ containing food and other items that she and her husband distribute to the homeless. Quiles used money from the government’s stimulus check to pay for items. She hopes to build on the effort, by inspiring more people to become volunteers or make donations. (Courtesy of Carmen Quiles)

She turned that generous impulse into action, packing up “Bags of Love” for the homeless — and distributing them in hot spots throughout North Tampa.

She packs sausages, cookies, crackers, peanut butter cups, sanitizers, socks, blankets, Band-Aids, ointments and more into her bags.

Quiles’ husband, Hector, a retired Navy Captain and former nurse manager of specialty clinics at the James A. Haley Veterans Administration Hospital, had no idea what his wife had in mind when he noticed various supplies being stocked in their garage.

When she outlined a plan to help the needy with their excess funds, he was delighted and supportive.

“You see the happiness and excitement in people’s eyes and that’s a feeling that’s very satisfying,’’ he said. “We’re not looking for publicity or kudos, but if it could inspire others to help or do something similar, it’s worth shining a light on this.

“You can always find people in need. Sometimes, I will be driving and see someone. I wish I had brought a bag in the car to give them. I need to start doing that,” he said.

Quiles said her idea has been greeted enthusiastically — sometimes with disbelief.

“The first time I was out, a policeman stopped me and asked, ‘What are you doing here?’” Quiles said. “I think he was concerned about safety and my husband was, too. So he comes with me.

“You see white people, Black people, Hispanic people. You see males and females, sometimes couples. You never know the circumstance or what has happened. But when you give something and it might be the only thing they eat that day, it’s an overwhelming feeling.’’

Quiles said she returned to an area where she had distributed her gift bags and she noticed a group of people were gathered around, sharing the food.

These Bags of Love are ready for delivery.

“That gave me a little tear,’’ she said.

Quiles and her husband, originally from Puerto Rico, were on active military duty for 30 years. They lived in places such as Orlando, Jacksonville, Virginia Beach and Northern Virginia during the Navy stint. Quiles did volunteer work at most of those stops and that opened her eyes.

“I was a nurse before, and I worked at free clinics and soup kitchens,’’ Quiles said. “You would see the same faces. There is great need.

“Sometimes, we tend to judge people. You don’t know their situations. Sometimes, people wind up on the streets because things happen. They might lose their jobs. It’s tough out there, especially these days. A lot of people were getting by with two jobs. Now they might not even have one. So they wind up in a situation they never expected.’’

Quiles said she has been conscious of these unfortunate situations.

She feels fortunate to offer some help.

“This makes me happy,’’ Quiles said. “There’s a lot of help that’s needed. It gives me joy if I can help to make a difference.

“I see a smile from them, even though sometimes they might not have teeth.’’

And, that fact has sparked another idea: Quiles wants to explore the potential of finding dental volunteers, who can help by providing cleaning and hygiene.

The Wesley Chapel woman would like to keep her program going, and possibly expand it, by organizing additional donations and volunteers.

If you are interested in finding out more, Quiles can be reached at .

By Joey Johnston

Published March 10, 2021

New businesses beginning to pop up, along U.S. 41

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The signs sprouting along U.S. 41 — which is also known as Land O’ Lakes Boulevard — are an indication that new development is beginning to take root, on the main artery through Land O’ Lakes and Lutz.

New restaurants, a car wash and gas stations are coming. A new coffeehouse and meat shop have opened. A medical center and other developments, are planned, too.

None of this is on the same grand scale of the Tampa Premium Outlets or the Cypress Creek Town Center along State Road 56, but something is happening along Land O’ Lakes Boulevard that hasn’t happened in years.

A new restaurant is in planning stages on a site at 4422 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. It briefly was occupied by a restaurant called Mosquito Bar & Grill, and before that, Rapscallions. (Kathy Steele)

New businesses are taking a chance on a long overlooked, heavily traveled highway.

“This is great,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, whose district includes Land O’ Lakes. “As they have begun filling up along State Road 54/56, you’re seeing more happening along U.S. 41.”

Much of the new activity on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard extends from Bell Lake Road north toward State Road 52 and a nearly $50 million highway project that passes through Gowers Corner at U.S. 41.

For sale signs are plentiful, sites have been cleared and construction is underway — conveying a sense that new commercial projects are on the way, or could be coming soon.

A new Circle K gas station and convenience store is in the works at 7767 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., according to county records.

The project is being built by Frontier Building, according to a news release from that company, and the Circle K is expected to open in July.

Redstone Commercial is marketing more open land next to the Circle K.

Zaxby’s and Vortex carwash are planned for a location at U.S. 41 and Wilderness Lake Boulevard, according to posted signs and county records.

A 7-Eleven is anticipated at Bell Lake Road, along with another 7-Eleven at 9077 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., near the Tierra Del Sol subdivision, county records show.

Ps & Qs will be fluffing and styling pets from a new doggie day and boarding facility planned for 7495 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., near the community of Connerton.

Heights Meat Market, a longtime presence in the Tampa neighborhood of Seminole Heights, is operating at a small plaza at 5132 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. It opened in early 2020.

Aroma Joe’s coffeehouse is serving java, breakfast and sandwiches in a shop by the Preserve at Lake Wilderness.

Aroma Joe’s is a new coffeehouse open in a small plaza by the Preserve at Lake Wilderness, off Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

A new restaurant is expected to open at 4422 Land O’ Lakes Blvd, the site previously occupied briefly by Mosquito Bar & Grill and before that by Rapscallions, a popular meeting place.

No details are yet available regarding what the new restaurant will look like, or the type of cuisine it will serve.

The old restaurant structure has fallen into disrepair, after its closure in 2013.

Longtime Land O’ Lakes resident Sandy Graves remembers how popular Rapscallions was, especially among nearby Bell Lake residents.

Graves is pleased to see some new development and redevelopment along Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

“It’s nice to see any kind of progress,” Graves said. “I’d love to see more. It’s nice to see a new restaurant.”

There’s definitely room for improvement, she added, noting there’s still a lot of Land O’ Lakes that looks “stuck in the ’60s.”

Graves looks forward to bicycle trails being built in the future that follow along the old railroad tracks. And the completion of the Ridge Road extension, which will emerge at U.S. 41 across from Connerton, also could help, she said.

“It will be a lot easier going east and west in the county. I think things are looking up for Land O’ Lakes, which extends to the outlet mall.”

Graves sees positive changes along the northern corridor at the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

Frontier Building announced the construction of a Circle K gas station and convenience store, at 7767 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

County officials and officials from Pasco County Economic Development Council Inc., previously have touted potential economic investment in the area that is likely to result from the development of the K9 Tactical Center/Florida’s Forensic Institute for Research, Security, and Tactics, or F.I.R.S.T., and the Adam Kennedy Memorial Forensics Fields, also known as the body farm.

These facilities are expected to attract forensics-related businesses and organizations, as well as national and international visitors to forensics conferences.

Road improvements on a northern segment of U.S. 41, plus substantial improvements along State Road 52, also are expected to support new development efforts.

And, the development of the Angeline community — along with a planned Pasco County campus of Moffitt Research Center — are expected to have a significant economic impact in Land O’ Lakes.

County records show developers are getting ready for what comes once the roadwork is finished.

Five years ago, the Tibbetts family rezoned its property at the southwest corner of Gowers Corner for residential and commercial development. No projects are announced as yet.

On property adjacent to the Tibbetts’ parcels, county records show Sandridge Commercial LLC applied for a “mass grading” permit to level and prep a large swath of land for an unidentified project.

Gowers Corner and U.S. 41 are on the development radar.

Meanwhile, the signs of new development on U.S. 41 are much less obvious south of Bell Lake.

O’Reilly Auto Parts has opened a store at 3600 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., and the Walmart Supercenter, at 1575 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., is opening a fueling station.

Businesses along the southern end of Land O’ Lakes struggle to redevelop properties after a road widening years ago that chopped off frontage, Graves said.

The county may need to consider overlay districts at locations along U.S. 41, to foster redevelopment efforts, she said.

By Kathy Steele

Published March 10, 2021

Award-winning smile

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Ten-year-old Corbin Stringer, of Tampa, sports his special ‘Olympics’ sunglasses during the Special Olympics Showcase, at Achievers Day School in Lutz. See more photos in full story. (Fred Bellet)

Award-winning smiles and good sportsmanship on display

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It was one of those days when everyone went home a winner.

Athletes and staff members make their way around the track during the Special Olympics Showcase, at Achievers Day School, at 18288 U.S. 41 in Lutz. The school is for children with special needs, and on this day, they had a chance to show off skills they’ve been developing through the year. (Fred Bellet)

About 30 athletes even had medals to prove it.

They clearly relished their moment in the sun, as they demonstrated their skills in  jumping, balancing, running, and kicking a ball during the Special Olympics Showcase at Achievers Day School, in Lutz.

Six-year-old Annabella Rose, of Tampa, gets some help with her swing, from an Achievers Day School staffer.

Players from the Tampa Bay Tornadoes arena football team were on hand during the Feb. 26 event, to help out with the special track and field events.

Staffers from Achievers Day School — a private school for children with special needs — also were there to offer help or moral support, as the athletes rounded the bases, or ran on the track, or did their bit to shoot a soccer ball or make an athletic move.

It was an afternoon that gave these young athletes a chance to put into action the motor skills they’ve been developing all year.

And, it wasn’t always easy to tell who was happier — the athletes, or the spectators there cheering on as their favorite athlete showed what he, or she, could do.

Published March 10, 2021

‘Coach’ Zack Cimaglia runs with Eliezer Hernandez during a track event. Players from the Tampa Bay Tornadoes professional arena football team were on hand to help out.
Three year-old Wyatt Edwards, of Dade City, beams with pride and happiness, while holding the Special Olympics gold medal he just received from ‘Coach’ Zack Cimaglia, a kicker for the Tampa Bay Tornadoes professional arena football team.
Fourteen-year-old Savanna Sanders flashes a smile of success, during a ball game at Achievers Day School, on Special Olympics Day. Registered behavioral therapist Payton DeAndre, of Plant City, doubled as a base coach that day.
Yara Caceres’ glasses reveal the track and field event she was watching at the Special Olympics. The Land O’ Lakes resident was waiting for her son, Sebastian Ortiz, 13, to round the track.
Five-year-old Alessia Bowman, of Land O’ Lakes, bounces off the soccer netting — after kicking the ball into the goal.
It’s a proud moment for 8-year-old Alana Alderman, as she receives her gold medal for taking part in the Special Olympics at Achievers Day School in Lutz.

AdventHealth expands cancer care in Pasco

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AdventHealth Wesley Chapel has unveiled a 24-bed, inpatient oncology unit, dedicated to the care of cancer patients.

The 13,000-square-foot unit has private rooms, to substantially decrease infection risks for cancer patients, according to a news release from the hospital chain.

AdventHealth Wesley Chapel also unveiled two new state-of-the-art operating rooms, expanding the hospital’s ability to provide its clinical expertise in surgical care, the release says.

“Many of our cancer patients have had to travel outside Pasco County for the specialized care they need, and we’re excited to provide convenient access to that expert care right here in our community,” Erik Wangsness, president and CEO of AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, said in the release.

The addition of the unit also allows the hospital to expand its workforce and hire more nurses, specifically for the care of cancer patients.

“AdventHealth has a vision to expand its footprint to provide trusted, innovative cancer care to many of our growing communities,” Elizabeth Hayden, director of oncology for AdventHealth West Florida Division, adds in the release. “Our greater strategy is to build on our connected network of care to provide cancer patients in all of our counties with the access to exceptional cancer care when they need us most.”

AdventHealth Wesley Chapel is home to a number of surgical cancer services and screening opportunities for the community and survivorship programs geared toward patients who are post-treatment and in remission, the release says.

For more information, visit AdventHealth.com, or Facebook.com/AdventHealth.

Published March 10, 2021