The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Festival offers heaping helpings of barbecue and blues

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People of all ages headed to the ninth annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival to sample some ribs, barbecue chicken or pulled pork — and get their fill of the blues.

Smoke emanates from the grill, as Edwin Alvarez, of Kissimmee, prepares chicken on a stick, which is called Pincho. Alvarez and his boss, Luis Merced, of Largo, were preparing food for patrons at the barbecue festival. (Fred Bellet)

The scent of barbecue filled the air, Benny the Pig made the rounds and people sported pig hats — as they strolled around the Zephyrhills Community Venue, at 5200 Airport Road.

Some barbecue chefs traveled from far-off places to take part in a competition involving about 60 teams who vied for bragging rights and prizes, and a chance to advance to the World Food Championship.

Besides being able to enjoy barbecue, event-goers could check out items being offered by various vendors and could listen to blues musicians.

There was a car show and an aviation show, too.

Proceeds benefit community organizations, such as the YMCA, and for scholarships for Zephyrhills High School students.

First-timers at the Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival, left, Coral Etshman, of Tampa, gives friend Reggie Bowers, of Tampa, a taste of pulled pork.
The Ellie Lee Band was among the lineup of bands performing at the ninth annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival. Other bands playing were the Dave Shepard Band, Chuck Riley’s All Stars, The Bird Tribe and headliner Damon Fowler.
Jerry Newell, of Zephyrhills, had his own pig hat, which he wore to the festival.

 

Washing cars, to help Zack

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Members of the National Honor Society at Zephyrhills High School, under the supervision of science teacher and cross-country coach Vincent Baez, had a car wash fundraiser on Jan. 12 to benefit 18-year-old Zack Springfield, a member of the school’s cross-country team. Springfield is battling Ewing Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. The car wash was held at Coney Island Drive-In, at 5327 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills.

Zephyrhills High junior Abigail Boyko has a little fun, in between car washes, by blowing suds bubbles toward her friends, 15-year-old Samantha Wilkes, left, and 17-year-old Angel Bicknell. The young women are members of the school’s chapter of the National Honor Society. (Christine Holtzman)
Seventeen-year-old Ethan Vest, a senior at Zephyrhills High School, washes and dries the back window of a sedan. The group washed dozens of cars in the quest to help Zack Springfield and his family.
Zephyrhills High School National Honor Society students scrub a car during the ‘Carwash for Zack’ fundraiser on Jan. 12 at Coney Island Drive-In, 5327 Gall Blvd.

Wrestlers test their mettle at tournament

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Wrestlers from several Tampa Bay area schools took part in the Bill Combs JV Invitational wrestling tournament on Jan. 15, at Sunlake High School, 3023 Sunlake Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes. Both female and male wrestlers competed. The tournament is sponsored by Bill Combs, of Brooksville, who is a National Wrestling Hall of Famer and Florida wrestling advocate. The competition is in its third year, and Sergio Matos, Sunlake’s wrestling coach and former student of Combs, is the event’s organizer.

Fourteen-year-old Cole Henderson, from Land O’ Lakes High School, is in the top position while wrestling 14-year-old Garrett Hoss from Tampa’s Jesuit High School. They were competing in the 106-pound weight class. (Christine Holtzman)
Fourteen-year-old Caitlyn Davis, a freshman at Land O’ Lakes High School, left, and her 16-year-old teammate Natalie Hall, do stretches before the wrestling tournament begins. Davis and Hall were among several females competing, often against members of the opposite sex. Wrestling requires athletes to prove themselves, Davis said. ‘It’s a lot of hard work.’
Seventeen-year-old Leo Lopez, from Wiregrass High School in Wesley Chapel, in front, shoots in for the takedown of 14-year-old Austin Black who wrestles for Sunlake High School.

New Art Gallery Opens in Dade City

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Russell Taylor

Out of Our Hands Gallery is a new shop in downtown Dade City that showcases a variety of original, handmade work from more than a dozen accomplished artists around Florida. It features artwork that works with any budget, and includes landscapes, abstract paintings, mixed media, sculptures, ceramics, metalwork, photography, jewelry, leather and décor gifts.

“We specialize in works from fine artists around the South,” said Russ Taylor, who owns the gallery with his wife, Lee, who also teaches art at Denham Oaks Elementary in Lutz.  “In a world of mass production, we believe more people appreciate handcrafted art, similar to the farm to table movement with food, and craft breweries with beer.”

Many of the gallery’s artists are from the Dade City area, including Jayde Archbold (painter), Matthew Cicanese (photography), Amanda Dempsey (pottery) and Deborah Gillars (clay monoprint). Also exhibiting are the owners, Russ (painter) and Lee (mixed media). The gallery’s oldest artist is Frank Gabriel, an 80-year-old woodcarver from Lakeland.

The Taylors spent years exhibiting at art shows around the country, and decided to open a gallery after they bought a home in the Blanton Road area north of Dade City.

“We wanted to bring our artwork, and that of many talented artists we know, to our new community,” said Russ.

Why did the couple gave their gallery its unusual name?

“Asartists, we make things with our hands, but more importantly, everything is truly out of our hands and entirely in God’s hands,” Russ explained.

Now that their new gallery is open, the Taylors are looking to expand their offerings, including teaching and hosting adult workshops, classes and summer camps for kids.

“At 3,000 square feet, our gallery is quite large, and we’re dedicating half of this space for classes and community gatherings,” said Russ.

 

Out of Our Hands Gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. It is

located in historic downtown Dade City, one block north of Meridian Street.

(352) 437-3204

14245 7th Street • Dade City, FL 33523-6255

outofourhandsgallery.com

 

Published 1/23/19

A Slice of New Jersey In Wesley Chapel

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By William Jacko

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

When he was 18, Rosario Lubrano left his hometown of Naples, Italy, and moved to Piscataway, New Jersey, to seek the kind of opportunity available only in the United States.

“The future brought me here to look for work and start a new life,” Lubrano said.  “I had a friend whose family had a pizza place in New Jersey, went to work for them as a dishwasher, and stayed there from 1996 to 2005. I had never spoken English in my life, but by listening to customers, I started picking up the language, working with customers and making the pizzas, until I was running the store.  That’s where I got my passion for food and pizzerias.

Lubrano moved to Florida when he had an opportunity to open his own pizzeria in Brandon. He called his restaurant Pomodoro Pizza, which means tomato in Italian.

His pizzeria was a success, and after a few years sold his business to be closer to his home in Wesley Chapel.

Lubrano recently reopened a new Italian restaurant in Wesley Chapel, also called Pomodoro Pizza, and was soon at work again creating his own personal Jersey/Italian style of food.

“I make the dough Sicilian style from scratch every day for pizzas, calzones and pretty much everything else,” Lubrano said.  “All the sauces are made at the moment.  We don’t have anything ready to go.  When I make the sauce, I just keep it simple.  I don’t really add too many spices.  I just try to keep it tomato flavored, so when you eat the pizza, you don’t taste bunches of different spices.  You actually taste the flavor of the tomato.”

Local residents from the northeast, as well as former customers in Brandon, love Pomodoro Pizza for its familiar New Jersey-style pizza that is hard to find in Florida.

“Every day we get customers who say they haven’t tasted pizza like this since they left New York or New Jersey,” said Lubrano.

Pizza may reign supreme at Pomodoro Pizza, but its menu also includes hot and cold subs, chicken and seafood dishes, and desserts. Stromboli, mozzarella Caprice, lasagna, fettuccine Alfredo, eggplant parmigiana, shrimp scampi, and many other Italian standards can be found at Pomodoro Pizza, all made according to Lubrano’s own recipes.

“We’re known for pizza, but we also have excellent pasta dishes, and appetizers and fresh salads,” said Lubrano.

Lubrano enjoys living in the Wesley Chapel area, close to his restaurant in Seven Oaks Plaza on State Road 56.

“We love Wesley Chapel because wherever you go, everything is kept up well, the community is growing and the people are so nice,” said Lubrano, who adds that he helps to support his community by sponsoring local soccer teams. “People are really happy with our new pizzeria in Wesley Chapel — so much, they keep coming back until they’re friends.”

So grab a slice at Pomodoro Pizza, close your eyes, and transport yourself to the Garden State—if only for a meal.

(813) 328-8063

27607 State Road 56

Wesley Chapel, FL 33544

www.pomodoropizzafl.com

Published 1/16/19

Pioneer Florida Museum hosts a sweet and spicy event

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Eleven-year-old Jonah Uilk, of Minnesota, enjoys a cotton candy treat. He was vacationing in Bushnell with his family. He and his mother, Heidi, and grandmother, Diana, were browsing the vendor booths. Ulik, who said he loves cotton candy, thought it was funny that the treat turned his mouth blue. (Christine Holtzman)

Whether they were tasting chili samples, watching syrup being made, or cuddling up with an animal at the petting zoo — there were lots of ways for people to enjoy themselves at Raising Cane, a Sweet and Spicy Event, held on Jan. 12 at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village in Dade City.

There was a Chili, Chili Verde and Salsa Competition, sanctioned by the International Chili Society, which offered cash and trophies for the first, second and third place winners.

And, there were two local chili challenges, with the City Chili Challenge featuring police chiefs, chamber executives and other local dignitaries. Also, there was a local chili challenge, which was open to anyone who wanted to put their chili or salsa to the test.

Event-goers could pay $5 for a tasting cup to sample and vote on their favorites from the two local chili challenges.

Museum volunteer Marcus Copeland, of Dade City, skims out the impurities in the sugar cane juice that is boiling in a large kettle during the process to make sugar cane syrup. Around 80 gallons will boil for approximately 4 hours. When the process is finished — about 9 gallons of the sweet and sticky concoction will remain as viable syrup.

In addition, there was a Southern Syrup Makers Association Sugar Cane Competition, and there was a petting zoo, featuring baby chicks, rabbits, goats and a horse.

Those who enjoy music could listen to various bands, and could do a little dancing, too.

And, vendors offered a variety of goods.

In addition to the chili and syrup tasting, attendees could take a stroll through the Pioneer Museum to catch a glimpse of Florida life from a bygone era.

Chris LaBorde, director of research with the U.S. Sugar Corporation in Clewiston, and Wayne Davidson, an agronomist with the Florida Sugar Cane League, helped educate the crowd about sugar cane and passed out samples so people in the audience could compare texture and flavor.

Karen Brown-Blonigen, of Tampa, dressed in period clothing, plays a mountain tune on her Dulcimer inside the Pioneer Florida Museum.

Steve Melton, president of the Southern Syrup Makers Association, was there, sharing his knowledge about cane syrup.

Melton said that sugar cane syrup was the staple sweetener more than 100 years ago.

It was frequently used for cooking, and families usually kept a bottle on the table, he said. Its popularity waned over time because of the labor-intensive process needed to produce the finished product.

Perhaps the highlight of the day was a visit to the sugar cane mill to watch the labor-intensive process involved in making a batch of sugar cane syrup.

By Christine Holtzman

Published January 16, 2019

Nine-year-old Mariah Robinson, of Zephyrhills, gazes at a baby chick at the petting zoo. She was at the event with her grandmother, Anne Benedini, of Dade City.
Steve Melton, president of the Southern Syrup Makers Association, puts another log on the fire that is used to heat the large kettle, to boil the sugar cane juice into syrup.

 

Debbie Richter, of San Antonio, left, and Pamela Garrison, of Dade City, sample a taste of chili made by Veni Miller, of Bubba and Cha Cha’s Chili in Georgia. There was a professional chili cookoff and a local chili competition. Event-goers could purchase a sample cup and try up to 10 different types of chili.

Community Service Is Top Priority For Williams Automotive Group

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The Williams Automotive Group does much more than just sell and service vehicles from its Wesley Chapel and north Tampa dealerships.

It literally touches the lives of hundreds of people in Pasco and Hillsborough counties by providing meaningful careers for its associates, and by helping people in need through its volunteer and financial support of several local charities.

“It all begins with the commitment of our owners, John and David Williams, who have shown exceptional loyalty to their employees and community since they bought Wesley Chapel Toyota in 2008,” said Therese Bottino, who heads up marketing for the business.

“Active community involvement is so important that it is the most important core value on our mission statement,” she continues. “This commitment comes from the very top of our organization, and we live it every day.”

Williams Automotive Group employs 460 people between its four dealerships — Wesley Chapel Toyota, Wesley Chapel Honda, Lexus of Wesley Chapel and Tampa Honda. Most of its associates live close to their work and are active members of the community.

“We are much, much more than just a car dealership,” said Eric Johnson, director of community partnerships for Williams Automotive Group. “Our first commitment is to make a difference in our community by giving our associates an opportunity to get out and serve.”

Johnson joined the company eight years ago in his outreach role, and was the first full-time community liaison in Pasco’s vibrant automotive market along the State Road 54/56 corridor.

Johnson’s primary responsibility is to identify area nonprofits deserving of help, and then develop programs to help by setting up volunteer events that make it easy for employees to become involved.

“We believe everyone has a desire to serve,” said Johnson. “My job is to create the opportunity by coordinating what support is needed at the charity, so all our associates need to do is sign up and show up.”

In 2018, Johnson set up volunteer programs with 10 different local charities, and had a recording-setting year for employee participation.

“Last year, we had 175 team members volunteering their time to serve at 41 different events,” said Johnson. “That works out to almost one event a week!”

An example is the volunteer work employees do to support Everyday Blessings, a foster home in Thonotosassa whose primary mission is to keep sibling groups together.

“Our associates get to know these kids personally by taking them shopping, signing up for Bingo nights and helping at fundraising events,” said Johnson. “Most of our volunteer events are three to five hours, and employees are given the flexibility to volunteer by adjusting their work schedule.”

Williams Automotive Group works with a variety of charities, so employees can choose to support those that interest them most.

“We have groups that focus on children, others that work with veterans, and those that serve the homeless and hungry,” said Johnson.

“Managers and hourly workers work side-by-side, and it’s a great way for our associates to get to know each other on a more personal level,” add Bottino. “We also encourage associates to invite their favorite customers to volunteer alongside them.”

Ronald McDonald House was the first charity that the company worked with. It added Habitat for Humanity the following year, and continues to welcome new charities every year.

In 2018, charities supported by Williams Automotive Group included:
Everyday Blessings Foster Home
Feeding Tampa Bay
Habitat for Humanity
Hillsborough Education Foundation
Metropolitan Ministries
Pasco Education Foundation
Ronald McDonald House
One Blood
Support The Troops
Trinity Café

In addition, the company has pledged $500,000 to the Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation, which supports cancer research, patient care and education initiatives.

“We set aside for Moffitt a percentage of the sale for every vehicle sold, which our company matches 100 percent,” said Bottino. “I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been touched by cancer, and we are blessed to have Moffitt in our community helping cancer victims and their families.”

Williams Automotive Group believes that people who volunteer their time to help others make for outstanding employees.

“We truly believe that people feel better about themselves when they give back and serve,” said Johnson. “We encourage people to serve by making it easy for them to volunteer.”

Every year the company recognizes its top employee volunteer with its prestigious Volunteer of the Year Trophy. The 2018 winner was Patrick Welsh, a detailer at Wesley Chapel Honda, who has worked at the dealership for less than two years.

“Seeing Patrick receive the volunteer trophy was exciting because it shows that even newer employees can jump on board to volunteer their time and make a difference,” said Johnson.

Because Williams Automotive Group is family owned, it has the ability to make decisions quickly in all aspects of its business, including charitable giving, without the corporate layers often found at other dealerships.

“We see ourselves as your friends and neighbors, and show it every day by our very real commitment to the community,” said Bottino. “Many customers tell us they buy from us because of our charity work, and that makes us very proud.”

Published January 16, 2019

Creating art, using everyday objects

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A class at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, recently had a chance to learn how to transform an ordinary wine glass or bottle into a work of art. Helen McDaniel, who taught the class, demonstrated how to paint designs on glass. The teacher, who is a snowbird from Ohio and a part-time Land O’ Lakes resident, collects bottles in Ohio for the class, and her daughter, Diana, flattens them out — using the intense heat from a kiln. The library offers classes and activities appealing to people with all sorts of interests.

Instructor Helen McDaniel, left, offers first time flattened glass bottle painter Yvonne DeFant, of Land O’ Lakes, a few pointers on painting flower petals. (Christine Holtzman)
Genevieve Khan, of Pennsylvania, right, shows her completed artwork to her daughter, Anisa Khalil, of Land O’ Lakes. Khan accompanied her daughter to several classes at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library and the Foundry Makerspace.
Susan Breakiron-Lowe, of Lutz, paints a series of small flowers on her flattened piece of glass. She frequently takes part in classes at the library.

A sweet and spicy event

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The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village hosted Raising Cane, a Sweet and Spicy Event, held on Jan. 12 — offering event-goers a chance to watch syrup being made, to sample chili and to check out goods offered by a variety of vendors. Shown here, George Craciun, of Thonotosassa, center, plays banjo with some members of the Barking Dogs Band. Jim Strickland, show host of 88.5 WMNF, is on the left, and, guitarist Bill Dudley, of Dade City, is on the right. The group, which consists of six men, performed ‘Old Time’ music throughout the day.

(Christine Holtzman)

Potluck, gift-swapping and horse racing

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On Dec. 23, a potluck was held in the community center, and Nancy Huey and several helpers arranged the whole thing. The helpers consisted of Rachel Gamache, Karen Donlon and Carol Jones.

There were approximately 88 Grand Horizons residents, friends and family who attended. Nancy Huey and her helpers did a marvelous job.

Betty and Tom Cooper (Courtesy of  Helene Rubenstein)

The afternoon started with Jim Leitzke giving ‘Grace,’ while the people in attendance bowed their heads in a moment of silence.

Each table had a number on it, and Nancy called each individual table to get their soups and sandwiches.

There were several varieties of soup such as minestrone, broccoli cheddar, chicken tetrazzini, chowder and others. The soups were delicious, and nice and hot on a relatively cool day.

The sandwiches included turkey, ham and roast beef.

The meal was really good, and the social club provided it.

Jockeys with their reindeer-named horses. (Courtesy of Helene Rubenstein)

The meal was topped off with desserts. There was peanut butter pie, chocolate chip cookies, cherry cheesecake, apple squares, candy and so much more. We could go back for seconds on the entire meal. Needless to say, everyone was quite contented.

Nancy Huey had a special surprise for us. The women got in a circle, holding the gift they brought in, and passed it around the circle to a specific song that was playing. When Nancy said to stop, the gift you were holding was the one you got. If, by chance, you got to hold your original gift that you brought in, then it was exchanged.

Then the guys did the same. It was loads of fun and our thanks go to all who helped.

After the gift exchange, horse racing, hosted by Rita Gattos, took over. Each horse was named after a reindeer, such as Cupid, Vixen, Blitzen and others. It was played with three die, and that distinguished the amount of spaces the horse moved. There was a jockey for each horse. We stayed for the first race and it was pretty exciting. The game was still going on after we left.

Marty and Helene Rubenstein (Courtesy of Rita Gattos)

On Dec. 31, 2018 a New Year’s Eve dance was held in the community center, and 56 friends, neighbors and residents attended a fantastic show with Billy Cole performing.

Ron Gamache was the host for this dance and, from what I understand, everyone that attended had a great time.

Billy Cole took requests and did a variety of songs, including rock n’ roll, country, easy listening and more.

Rita and George Gattos

Everyone who attended brought something to share with the table and, therefore, had a huge variety of goodies.

From what Joyce Bell told me, the decorations were superb, as they had chair coverings in black with a red ribbon on the chairs and banners saying, ‘Happy New Year,’ hanging on the walls, and a Christmas tree gaily decorated in the corner of the community center. There also were noisemakers and hats on the tables at each individual setting.

It sounded like everyone was in a party mood and had a great time. Our sincere thanks go to Ron for the planning.

By Helene Rubenstein, Grand Horizons