The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Recognizing our volunteers

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The recent Monday euchre champs were Mae Slipp and Roger Ward.

Also, Dave Roberts was a three-game shuffleboard winner.

Dan Bluhm, with his wife, Vicki, is a volunteer who gives a lot to the community.
(Courtesy of Mabel Budzinski)

Eighty-two residents came to our best potluck dinner ever. Many thanks to Paula Beck and Mary Kay Lynch for their efforts in making this so special.

Alan Bennett opened Thursday morning coffee hour by giving the invocation and leading the Pledge of Allegiance. Linda Files moderated the conversation. In attendance were 142 residents and guests.

My pick for volunteer of the week is Dan Bluhm. Dan quietly does so much for our community. He works with the maintenance committee, summer committee, and watches for issues and handles them before they become problems. Dan, with the help of his wife, Vicki, is responsible for the beautiful butterflies that have come to Gem Estates. Shirley Czysz was the lucky person to find one this week.

By Mabel Budzinski
Gem Estates

Published January 25, 2017

 

Grand Horizon residents enjoy food, glorious food

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Grand Horizons held its first egg n’ bag of the New Year on Jan. 7, with 95 people in attendance and several first-timers, including guests.

Joyce Bell offers a bite of one of the desserts at the Olive Garden.
(Courtesy of Joyce Bell)

If you have never been to an egg n’ bag, let me explain it to you. It is a very different way to serve an omelet. People pick their own ingredients from an assortment including bacon, ham, cheese, onions, mushrooms, green peppers and Jalapeno peppers. Besides the omelet, there are hash-brown potatoes, sausage gravy and biscuits, plus coffee and orange juice.

The event was hosted by Jim and Judi Leitzke, plus many helpers, including Sue and George Richardson, Joan and Dave Lawrence, Sue and Galen Parker, and Clayton and Carol George.

There was much socializing and catching up on past news.

Galen Parker said grace before the tables were called forward to make their omelet. The entire community was quiet while grace was being said, and Galen did a very nice job.

A waiter at the Olive Garden offers up a couple of cheesecake selections.

As always, the breakfast ran smoothly, as each person had a specific job to do.

On Jan. 10, we had our Lunch Bunch. It was a little different than the past lunches, as the women met at an Olive Garden where they had a lovely time. The only difference was there was a misunderstanding and, for some reason, they met at two completely different Olive Gardens.

There was still a nice gathering of approximately 20 women who got together and went shopping or directly home after a terrific lunch.

I didn’t go that day, but I am sure different dishes and cheesecakes (which they known for) were served and taken home for a remembrance of a delightful, but hectic, day.

I recall, too well, the different cheesecakes that were brought out last year. The array of colors was breathtaking. I am sure the same goes for this year as well.

This lunch was hosted by Joyce Bell.

By Helene Rubenstein
Grand Horizons

Published January 18, 2017

 

Neighbors helping neighbors

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Gem Estates’ residents recently were treated to some fabulous music of “our era” performed by the Sugarbear Band. Those in attendance were pleased to find two members of the band outside relaxing on a bench greeting folks as they arrived.

Dick Thompson volunteers to help anyone with computer issues, whether it is setup, repairs, or learning how to use one. (Courtesy of Mabel Budzinski)

Lee Heffelfinger introduced the band, and the music was delightful.

Ellie Brookins and Larry Sharp were the recent Monday evening euchre champs, and

Sy Budzinski was a three-game winner in Wednesday morning shuffleboard.

I would like to thank Dick Thompson who volunteers to teach a computer class, repairs computers and sets up equipment for those of us who need his help. This electronic whiz also is a block captain and works with the maintenance committee.

On Jan. 12, the big red bus was here for our blood drive. That same evening, Jim Nagle’s group served a pancake supper for $4.

On Jan. 31, 24 of our residents will attend a Neighbors Helping Neighbors class presented by Bayfront Health Dade City.

Debbie Myers will present her country music show on Feb. 10.

On a more somber note, Gem Estates residents are deeply saddened by the passing of our friend and neighbor Edward Morehouse.

Recently, we have seen a variety of weather, but I won’t complain about our weather —  they had snow in Jefferson, Texas!

By Mabel Budzinski
Gem Estates

Published January 18, 2017

 

Grand Horizons rings in the New Year

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Nearly 80 people attended a New Year’s Eve celebration on Dec. 31, with music, dancing and games. The party was hosted by Gary Wilcox, and from what I heard, he did a marvelous job.

Joan and Ed Fisher celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary and stepped in time to the first song they ever danced to.
(Courtesy of Ed Goldstein)

The band, Gears 1 Music Explosion, played a variety of music, which consisted of oldies, rock n’ roll and country. The band also took requests.

There was music trivia, karaoke and cash prizes awarded to 10 attendees. The prizes that were awarded were such things as a free egg n’ bag, a free pancake breakfast and so much more. From what I heard, there was a movie basket, too.

I spoke to Eileen Goldstein, and she said that the movie basket included four movie tickets, cash and candy. Barb Livingston made up the basket, and she did a lovely job.

When the people first entered the community center, they saw it was decorated beautifully with top hats (for the men), tiaras (for the women), and noise makers at each individual place setting, plus beads and confetti on the tables.

Gary Wilcox, host of the New Year’s Eve party, dances with his wife, Carol.

The tables were set up with silver and white tablecloths, along with black seat coverings.

Many pictures were taken, and Gary Wilcox and Ed Goldstein provided information about the party and some pictures of the fun time.

A special presentation was made to Joan and Ed Fisher on their 67th anniversary. The presentation was made by Gary Wilcox. This was truly special to the wonderful couple.

The band went on to play the song, “I Wonder Who is Kissing Her Now,” which was a song that the Fishers danced to when they first met.

Gary Wilcox was the disc jockey, and Chick Shackewyc was in charge of the engineering and setup.

Our thanks go out to Gary and all the other volunteers in making this celebration a success.

By Helene Rubenstein
Grand Horizons

Published January 11, 2017

 

Get-togethers offer fun times

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At a recent Monday night euchre game, Mae Slipp was the winning lady. Larry Sharp and Carl C. tied, receiving bragging rights for the men.

On Wednesday, there were two three-game winners: Clifford Leonard and Dave Roberts.

There were 117 people who attended the Thursday morning coffee hour. Alan Bennett moderated the conversation. Wayne Getchell gave the invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Dick Burgess shared a bit of humor.

Those in sick bay were Ed Morehouse, Linda Files and Deannie Bennett.

Butch Weiss was thanked for doing an excellent job heading up our recycling program. We have an awesome amount of volunteers in our community, and each week I will try to mention one.

Remember the fairies that visited Gem Estates last season? Be aware that butterflies are coming.

The Sugarbear Band was here on Jan. 6, and provided an evening of enjoyable music, and our park-wide rummage sale was Jan. 7.

By Mabel Budzinski
Gem Estates

Published January 11, 2017

Making Women Beautiful For 50 Years

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The Hair Port’s staff: Seated on bench (l to r): Brooke Gill, Cindy Caron and Linda Villar. Back row (l to r): Rebecca Barnes, Nina Edmisten, Tammie Brandl, Wanda Smith Sara Barnes and owner Judi Barnes.

Judi Barnes has been making women beautiful in Land O’ Lakes for more than 37 years.

The owner of two Land O’ Lakes hair salons — The Hair Port for the past 12 years, and before then, County Terrace for 15 years — Judi has been a hair stylist since 1966 when she graduated from DeVrys’ School of Beauty in Indiana. She eventually relocated to Tampa, where in 1969 she opened her first salon in Port Tampa.

Judi moved to Land O’ Lakes in 1979 and is proud to be the hair stylist for multiple generations of local families.

“I’m taking care of grandchildren — even great grandchildren — of women whose hair I’ve been doing for over 30 years,” says Judi. “I love making people happy in their appearance and in their hearts.”

When Judi moved to Land O’ Lakes, she wanted to open a shop with a family atmosphere where stylists could work together in a friendly, happy environment without gossip and where stylists and customers treated each other with respect.

“I wanted to take the best things about our industry and create beauty and happiness for others,” said Judi.

Today, The Hair Port has seven stylists, with most having over 30 years experience in the beauty field. Working the front desk is the mother-daughter team of Rebecca Barnes (mother) and Sarah Barnes, who are Judi’s daughter-in-law and granddaughter.

“We all work together as a team to take care of our clients and their comfort,” said Judi.

The salon’s highly skilled and talented stylists gladly back each other up and make sure all customers are treated like VIPS. Clients also appreciate The Hair Port’s affordable prices.

“Excellence in hair care does not have to be expensive,” said Judi.

Unlike many hair salons today, The Hair Port still offers weekly shampoo and set for clients who like a firm, longer-lasting hairstyle.

“Roller setting and teasing were something they taught in school 30 years ago. But today, they are almost a lost art,” said Judi. “There are many ladies who count on us every week to shampoo and set their hair for the weekend.”

The Hair Port is a full service salon, including barber services and braiding by appointment. While most clients schedule appointments, the salon also welcomes walk-ins. Professional products used are by Redken, Paul Mitchell and Matrix.

“While we have a very steady clientele, we always welcome new customers,” said Judi. “Please call for an appointment — we know you’ll love our services and our prices.”

Take your choice: card games, exercise or coffee

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Although our residents had a busy week preparing for Christmas, they still had time to enjoy their weekly activities.

Ellen Raymond, a member of the kitchen crew, prepares meals for shut-ins.
(Courtesy of Mabel Budzinski)

Recent Monday night euchre weekly winners were Ellie Brookins and Carl.

The exercise groups were going strong on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

On a Thursday morning, 109 folks attended coffee hour where Alan Bennett moderated the conversation, Wayne Getchell gave the invocation, and Richard Burgess gave us all a chuckle or two with his witty humor.

Those in sick bay include Edward Morehouse and Linda Files.

Our fabulous kitchen crew provided a delicious meal for 148 residents, guests and shut-ins.

By Mabel Budzinski
Gem Estates

Published January 4, 2o17

No More Waiting With Experimac

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Friends since college, Mark Berry, left, and Chris Grace, opened their Experimac store last July in Carrollwood. (Photo by Will Plazewski)

Instead of standing around in the electronic sections of big box stores, or waiting in long lines at the Apple store in a mall, you can skip those tedious waits and head to Experimac’s store in Carrollwood for fast service, expert advice and refurbished Apple devices.

Experimac’s focus is on repairing, buying and selling Apple products. It offers same-day service, and often fixes problems while a customer waits.

Its highly trained Apple technicians talk face-to-face with customers about their problems. They never send a phone, tablet, computer or laptop off for repairs like other service centers, which may leave one without their device for a week or longer.

Experimac performs all out-of-warranty repairs on Apple devices, including upgrading higher storage capacity, installing more memory (RAM), replacing logic boards and performing just about any Apple repair that’s needed.

All device sales and repairs come with a 90-day limited warranty that can be used on any repair or exchange at Experimac’s Carrollwood store.

In addition to fast, expert service, Experimac also saves customers significant money, especially when compared to new Apple products.

The store’s selection of pre-owned, fully wiped and tested Apple laptops, tablets and iPhones sell at about 60 percent the cost of new products. It also stocks a variety of new accessories, including cases, chargers, adapters and other high-demand connectivity products.

Mark Berry and Chris Grace own Experimac. Friends since college, the two were exploring technology opportunities when they came across Experimac.

“We were immediately impressed by the company’s franchise model, as well as its Apple-only niche,” said Chris. “A big part of what drew us to Experimac was the well-documented, owner-loyalty found among Mac users — people like us,” said Chris.

The partners opened their store this past summer and are drawing rave reviews from customers in Hillsborough and Pasco County. But they’re not stopping there.

Chris and Mark are planning to offer after-school technology education classes, and aim to become more than just another retail store and service center.

“Of course we want our business to succeed,” said Chris, “But for us, true success has as much — or even more — to do with our ability to contribute to the goodwill of our community at large, and become fully vested partners with our customers.”

813-280-2620 • experimac.com/north-tampa-fl/

11209 N. Dale Mabry Hwy. • Tampa 33618

 

Singing in the holiday at Grand Horizons

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The holiday season continues, and on Dec. 7 we had our weekly donuts and coffee hour. Even though several people could not join us (as they were on a cruise), we still had a nice turnout. We celebrated birthdays and anniversaries that were being held the following week, and we heard recent news. There was much conversing, and everyone had a nice time.

Hoping to start a tradition, residents performed carols throughout Grand Horizons.
(Photos courtesy of Marty Rubenstein and Adrianne Ayres)

On Dec. 10, Marty and I took the Tour De Clay 2016. The event consisted of visiting and touring four pottery studios. It was very interesting and included several demonstrations.

Each place had a kiln and had objects in it that were fired. The items that we saw were beautiful and nicely made, such as vases, cups, magnets, bowls and so much more.

Sandy and Al Lindke hosted a block party in the cul-de-sac on Dec. 15, and they were prepared with campfire heaters, if necessary. It turned out to be a beautiful day, so they didn’t need them, but it was nice to know the heaters were there, just in case.

Sandy Lindke, along with her husband, Al, hosted a cul-de-sac block party for the Grand Horizons residents.

There was a nice crowd of 50 people, and each brought something to share. There was an assortment of dishes that consisted of finger sandwiches, pizza, deviled eggs, chips, dips, cake, cookies and more. Again, because several people were away on the cruise, this was a very nice turnout.

They also collected canned goods and gift cards for the United Methodist Church food bank. It was a collection of many types of foods and food cards. The church food bank helps mostly the elderly.

On Dec. 16, a “Yankee Gift Exchange” was held at one of the homes in the development. This was our third annual Christmas Cookie Exchange. Approximately 15 women attended this function and had a very good time eating, conversing and exchanging gifts.

We each brought with us some cookies and a gift that was “Christmassy.” As each person opened up their gift, the appropriate “oohs and ahs” were heard around the house. This party, or cookie exchange, was hosted by Sharon Blair and Rox-Anne Lamphere. It was done to perfection, and we all had a variety of cookies to munch on. We all went home filled to capacity.

Barbara Holzapfel and Micki Diemicke were a couple of the many guests at the Lindkes’ block party.

On Dec. 17, we had an egg n’ bag breakfast at the community center where a really large crowd of 90 plus people gathered for a good meal to start the day. This function was hosted by Jim and Judi Leitzke and several helpers. The helpers were Ed and Eileen Goldstein, Sue and Galen Parker, Carol and Clayton George, and Bill and Ginny Sarver.

Considering the fact that the cruise had just ended, it was an extremely big crowd. There was so much conversation going on. In addition to the omelets, there were hash brown potatoes, biscuits and gravy, butter, orange juice and coffee.

Jerry and Chris Buckley relax at a block party hosted by Sandy and Al Lindke.

On Dec. 21, we had something special, which was done for the first time and hopefully for years to come. It was caroling around the development with a cute dance step included. The people who all joined in wore Santa hats, and they did a marvelous job of caroling.

This was started by Barbara Livingston, and it sure looked like everyone had a nice time.

There were approximately 12 carolers. The people who did the caroling were Chick and Annmarie Shackewyc, Gary and Carol Wilcox, Tony and Nadine Guetti, Dave and Barb Livingston, Sam and Pat Allen, Cheryl Leone and Joan Fisher.

The caroling included a variety of songs, and they went in the community center and performed, in addition to houses around the development.

We were only spectators, but we loved it.

By Helene Rubenstein
Grand Horizons

Published December 28, 2016

 

Home of the Year

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Gerald Batzel, of Countryside Drive in Timber Lake Estates, received the Timber Lake Estates Beautification Home of the Year award. Batzel received a certificate, a flag to display, and a cash award of $150. The winner was chosen by a committee from the four quarterly winners of 2016. (Courtesy of Jo Ann Buley)