Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Dr. Leslie Horne New Owner of Land O’ Lakes Chiropractic

November 4, 2015 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Dr. Leslie Horne may be a new chiropractor in Land O’ Lakes, but she is anything but new to the profession.

Fifteen years after opening Yadkin County’s only chiropractic clinic in rural North Carolina, in June, Dr. Horne sold her practice and moved to Land O’ Lakes.

A mother of five young children, ages 4 to 18, the Florida native wanted to return to her roots in Tampa Bay and be closer to family.

“I came across a tremendous opportunity to buy Dr. Jeanne Sellers’ chiropractic business, who was retiring after practicing here for 10 years,” said Dr. Horne. “It was a well established practice, plus Land O’ Lakes is home to several family members.”

She closed on the purchase in June and moved her family to the Dupree Lakes subdivision, located just 15 minutes from her office on Raden Dr. in a small professional center behind the Wendy’s restaurant on St. Rd. 54.

Dr. Horne grew up in Indian Rocks Beach, played softball for St. Pete Junior College and earned her bachelor’s degree from University of South Florida in Tampa. She went to chiropractic school at Life Chiropractic College (now called Life University) in Marietta, Ga., graduating in 1999.

What attracted Dr. Horne to the chiropractic field?

“My mother worked for a chiropractor, so I was familiar with the field. Plus, I had headaches as a kid, and problems caused by running cross-country in high school. Chiropractic services took care of both these problems,” she said.

Dr. Horne brings a very natural, holistic approach to her practice.

“Chiropractic medicine is not just for pain. It’s to get your body working better and in sync. It helps so many things, even mental health,” she said.

Dr. Horne said it’s her wide breadth of experience that sets her apart from other area chiropractors.

“I am a very experienced doctor, said Dr. Horne. “Being the only chiropractor in Yadkin County meant I saw a lot of very diverse problems — it made me very experienced at moving people.”

Dr. Horne, who is 43, also acknowledges that some patients prefer seeing a woman chiropractor, and some like that she plans to practice in the Land O’ Lakes area for many years. Plus, as a mother of young children, she specializes at adjusting children, including infants with colic and ear infections.

In addition to providing traditional chiropractic services, Dr. Horne offers a weight loss program that detoxifies the liver so that a person’s body is at balance.

“It’s easier to loose weight when your body is in balance and working better. This program has a 90% success rate, and I’ve had patients who have lost up to 70 pounds,” said Dr. Horne.

In the few months since she has owned the practice, Dr. Horne has become involved in the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, You Fit’s Membership Appreciation Day and the Land O’ Lakes Athletic Foundation, including Swamp Fest.

To celebrate her new office, Dr Horne is offering patients a reduced price of just $35 for the first visit, which includes a chiropractic exam, consultation, spinal adjustment and two x-rays, if needed. She is also offering $10 off massage therapy.

Land O’ Lakes Chiropractor accepts most insurances, including Florida Blue, United, Medicare and Medicaid.

Land O’ Lakes Chiropractor

2414 Raden Dr., Land O’ Lakes

(813) 948-2225

Thinking About Going Back To College? Saint Leo May Be The School For You.

November 4, 2015 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

There are two kinds of adult students who find their way to Saint Leo University — those completing their undergraduate studies and those returning to higher education to earn a master’s or doctorate degree.

For residents of Pasco and surrounding counties, Saint Leo’s adult learner programs are convenient, cost-effective and highly personal. Most local students take a combination of traditional classes held on campus evenings and weekends, along with flexible online classes.

“Saint Leo is ideal for adult students who live close-by in Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes and Lutz. Because we’re close to home, our students benefit from the on-campus experience of learning with other students and getting to know their professors firsthand,” said Laura “Beth” Lastra, Director of the university’s Adult Education Center.

To help people assess if Saint Leo’s adult learner program is right for them, the University has two upcoming information sessions that are free to attend. Sessions are Tuesday, Oct. 27 from 6 to 7 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 14 from 10 to 11 a.m. Both will be on its campus located at the Donald R. Tapia School of Business, in northeast Pasco, located on State Road 52, three miles east of I-75.

Leading the sessions will be academic advisors from both the Adult Education Center and Graduate Admissions to discuss programs and the admission process. After an overview of the University, students will break into groups for undergraduate or graduate students.

“Our sessions help people learn how they can earn their degree with the flexibility they need to fit their busy home and work schedules,” said Lastra. “We share important details about our degree programs, financial aid, class schedules and the enrollment process.”

“We encourage potential students to bring their transcripts to the information session, so we can help them determine where they’re at academically, and what they need to do next to earn their degree,” said Lastra.

In addition to its main campus in Saint Leo, the university also offers adult undergraduate classes at the New Port Richey and Porter campus of Pasco Hernando State College, as well as the PHSC locations in Hernando County.

Adult students can chose from 13 undergraduate majors, with the four most popular programs offered in business, criminal justice, social work and education.

The average age of adult education students is 37-45, says Lastra. And while most transfer in with some college credit, more than a quarter of students have not previously attended college.

“Adult students enroll for many reasons,” said Lastra. “Many are coming back to school because of a new job, a promotion or after they’ve earned their associate degree from a community or state college.

“We also have many older students who are back to fulfill a personal goal of completing their college degree – and some who are here to set an example for their children, who may even be competing with their children who are also college students.”

Many of Saint Leo’s adult students enroll full time to qualify for a Florida Resident Access Grant (FRAG). This program provides residents of the state of Florida an annual grant of $3,000, if they’re enrolled full time at an accredited, private university in the state, such as Saint Leo University.

“With the offset of the FRAG grant, tuition for our full-time adult students is less than $3,168 a year — which is comparable to the tuition at a state university,” said Lastra.

In the graduate program, students earn master’s degrees in Business Administration and Cybersecurity.They also offer a doctorate in business administration. Graduate classes are taught at the Saint Leo campus and at its Channelside location in downtown Tampa.

Most of the campus graduate programs schedule classes every other weekend, explains Joshua Stagner, who is Director of Graduate Admissions. Classes are taught in four-hour blocks, with most students taking two classes each semester.

“We find having classes every other week gives our adult students the most flexibility to allow for a life balance of school, family and work,” said Stagner.

“We understand the importance of family and work obligations, and know these needs must be met for a student to be successful in his graduate program,” said Stagner.

Twelve classes are required for most master’s degree programs. Saint Leo students can complete their master’s in two years by taking two classes each term, Stagner said.

Saint Leo’s MBA program is its oldest and best-known graduate program. It was launched in 1994 and is viewed as one of the university’s flagship programs.

“We offer several concentrations within the MBA program, including Accounting, Health Care Management, Marketing, Sport Business and Project Management,” he said.

The university’s newest master’s program — Cybersecurity — is also one of its most successful with an astounding number, considering the program is only in its second year,” Students will learn about Cybersecurity in our state of the art lab at University Campus.

Another recent success in the graduate department was Saint Leo’s first doctorate degree — Doctor of Business Administration.

“Both programs have really shown strong support and growth,” said Stagner. “We are thrilled at their success, and proud to be bringing such quality, and much needed, higher educational programs to our community.”

Adult Learner Information Sessions

At University Campus – Donald R. Tapia School of Business

RSVP (800) 707-8846

Tuesday, Oct. 27 – 6 to 7 p.m. • Saturday, Nov. 14 – 10 to 11 a.m.

33701 State Road 52 • St. Leo, FL 33574

SaintLeo.edu/rsvp

Cutting a path toward development

October 28, 2015 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

At 128 feet tall and 26 feet around, a bald cypress tree in Pasco County is the eighth tallest of its kind in Florida.

The Ehren Cypress Tree was photographed on Aug. 27, 1989, on property owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District, near Ehren Cutoff Road. Jack Vogel, Patsy Herrmann and Eddie Herrmann, all of San Antonio, are standing with outstretched arms, leaning against the tree’s estimated circumference of 27 feet. The tree was spared from being cut down decades before because it had a split in its trunk. Courtesy of Eddie Herrmann — The Ehren Cypress Tree was photographed on Aug. 27, 1989, on property owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District, near Ehren Cutoff Road. Jack Vogel, Patsy Herrmann and Eddie Herrmann, all of San Antonio, are standing with outstretched arms, leaning against the tree’s estimated circumference of 27 feet. The tree was spared from being cut down decades before because it had a split in its trunk.
Courtesy of Eddie Herrmann

And, it will always be protected in the Upper Pithlachascotee River Preserve, 1 mile east of the Suncoast Parkway. The land was purchased from the proceeds of the Penny for Pasco 1-cent sales tax approved by Pasco County voters.

That is good news for future generations.

Because it only took 37 years for the Cummer Sons Cypress Company to log the centuries-old cypress trees for the company’s logging operations.

Loggers like Jacob Cummer, who harvested much of the old-growth cypress in east and central Pasco County, probably skipped over this tree because of a large scar on its western side, presumably from a lightning strike.

Cummer had bought land for timber in Virginia, North Carolina, and Louisiana.

In 1922, the Cummer operation acquired a 100-acre site in Lacoochee to construct the largest sawmill and box factory in the South.

A railroad was built in the Green Swamp to transport cypress trees from land that totaled more than 50 square miles in east Pasco and west Polk Counties.

Many of the cypress trees were cut with an ax before the chainsaw was invented.

Using a sophisticated network of levers and racks, cypress logs as large as 6 feet in diameter were lifted out of the swamps and, at one point, produced more than 100,000 citrus crates each day.

With 700 employees and the largest payroll in Pasco County, coupons could be used as part of workers’ paychecks in the prospering downtown of Lacoochee.

In the years after the Cummer sawmills opened, a two-story, 30-room hotel was built.

The new growth in the town also included four churches, two bakeries, two drug stores, two service stations, three barbershops, two train depots and a constable.

Over in central Pasco, all was not lost when the stage line stopped running around 1856. The area was surrounded by vast stands of virgin timber.

Established along what is now County Road 583, 100 people found work at the Ehren Pine Sawmill.

By 1910, a community called Ehren had a hotel and school, along with the sawmill.

The first permanent settlers such as George Riegler, of Lutz, needed lumber from the local sawmill to build homes for their families.

Greer’s Mill was used by Jim Greer to “sawmill a new town site” as a retirement area for Union veterans of the Civil War.

Lumber magnate and former Zephyrhills Mayor I.A. Krusen built The Home Theatre in downtown Zephyrhills. Opening in 1948, it was billed “as one of the most modern movie theaters in the South, with comfortable seats, a wide stage and a glass-enclosed ‘crying room’ for cranky babies.” Courtesy of Henry Fletcher — Lumber magnate and former Zephyrhills Mayor I.A. Krusen built The Home Theatre in downtown Zephyrhills. Opening in 1948, it was billed “as one of the most modern movie theaters in the South, with comfortable seats, a wide stage and a glass-enclosed ‘crying room’ for cranky babies.”
Courtesy of Henry Fletcher

Called the Zephyrhills Colony, Harold B. Jeffries, a captain who served in Pennsylvania’s 28th Cavalry, started it with lumber from Greer’s Mill.

Even the railroad cross ties came from Greer, transported by a team of oxen owned by Brantley Smith, a great-grandfather of Lance Smith, a future developer and a member of the Zephyrhills City Council.

Greer had plenty of competition.

James L. Geiger and I. A. Krusen, to name just a couple.

Geiger’s sawmill was located south of Greer’s Mill. He was one of the five signers of the Town of Zephyrhills charter, granted by the Florida Legislature in 1915 and ratified in a special election a year later.

“At the height of his business,” Madonna Wise wrote for the Zephyrhills News on March 3, 1994, “Krusen employed 300 men, turning out a million feet of lumber per month.”

Krusen’s mill was part of the Krusen Land and Timber Company that once owned 13,000 acres, extending as far south as present-day Tampa Palms and Pebble Creek.

Despite cypress exteriors exposed to harsh winters and hot summers, many old buildings in New York City have a rooftop water tank that is hardly considered outdated.

Local sawmills were familiar with the term “tank cypress.”

Also known as “The Wood Eternal,” the heart of old cypress trees was valuable for marquee customers including the Atlantic Tank Company of New York.

And, the majority remain in use due to the unique benefits that cypress shells provide for water tanks, brewer’s tanks, oil tanks and tanks for canneries.

Cypress trees, which took centuries to grow, were felled in great numbers by logging operations.

It took only 37 years for the Cummer Sons Cypress Company to close its doors and move farther south.

In 1959, the company relocated to the Everglades to harvest a stand of bald cypress as “pond timber.”

Some of the company’s land holdings in the Green Swamp were sold to Agri-Timber, and, in 1992, that area was set aside for water resource protection and conservation by the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

Totaling 37,500 acres as the Green Swamp-West Tract, the area shares a boundary with Pasco County’s regional park that is operated along a section of the Withlacoochee River east of Dade City.

Local Sources

Elizabeth Riegler MacManus and Susan MacManus: “Citrus, Sawmills, Critters and Crackers: Life in Early Lutz & Central Pasco” (1998) University of Tampa Press.

Rosemary W. Trottman: “The History of Zephyrhills, 1821-1921” (1978) Vantage Press.

Pasco County Environmental Lands Division

Doug Sanders has a penchant for history and has developed his sleuthing skills through experience in newspaper and government work. For more information, or to submit your ideas for a local history column, please contact Doug Sanders at .

By Doug Sanders

Published October 28, 2015

Invite beneficial bugs into your garden

October 21, 2015 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Many insects live in our gardens. But did you know that most insects are harmless?

In fact, nearly 99 percent of all insects are either harmless or helpful, and just 1 percent are considered pests.

Sometimes we easily recognize beneficial bugs.

Common insects that come to mind include honey bees, butterflies and lady beetles. Other examples of beneficial bugs are predatory wasps, earwigs and big-eyed bugs.

It is easy to encourage beneficial bugs to your garden.

The larra wasp is a fierce predator of mole crickets. (Courtesy of Andrei Sourakov, Florida Museum of Natural History.) — The larra wasp is a fierce predator of mole crickets.
(Courtesy of Andrei Sourakov, Florida Museum of Natural History.)

Start by adding plant diversity. Choose flowers of different colors and shapes, so they attract large and small pollinators.

One highly successful pollinator plant is scorpion’s tail. This plant has tiny white flowers that are attractive to wasps and flies.

Another great choice is partridge pea. The partridge pea has light green leaves and bright yellow flowers. Partridge pea blooms throughout the year. Not only does it serve as a host plant for yellow sulphur butterflies, it also serves as a nectar plant for butterflies, bees and pollinators. Planting partridge pea in your garden will ensure visits by our native pollinators.

When encouraging beneficial bugs to your garden, properly identify “pests.” When you see an insect or a bug, take the time to identify it before taking action.

My favorite bug is the mealybug destroyer. Most people find this bug in its larval form. As larva, it resembles a giant, white mealybug with a bad hair day. But, this bug seeks out and eats pest insects such as scales and mealybugs. At first glance, a reaction may be to squish or spray it. However, when left alone, the mealybug destroyer moves quickly and eats its prey. Eventually, it turns into a black lady beetle.

The mealybug destroyer is a type of lady beetle, and inadvertently killing it significantly decreases the ability of a key insect to assist you with your garden’s pest control.

Some beneficial bugs have been introduced as biological control agents. These insects typically link with a key pest, plant or problem.

For example, the air potato vine is an invasive exotic plant that grows rapidly, has few known natural predators and propagates easily by tubers. Air potato vine had few predators, until now. The air potato leaf beetle was released a few years ago, primarily in natural areas such as state parks. This reddish orange beetle has successfully lived in the wild, reproduced and is voraciously eating the air potato vine leaves. When this beneficial bug eats the air potato vine leaf, it effectively reduces the leaves’ ability to make food through photosynthesis. Over time, this beetle will help reduce the amount of land covered by the invasive vine.

There are other great biological controls, such as the larra wasp.

Most people do not realize that wasps and flies can be beneficial. In particular, the larra wasp is a predator of mole crickets.

Mole crickets are insects that love bahiagrass.

Mole crickets are large, active at night, and they form burrows in soil — called galleries —that damages grass roots.

The larra wasp loves mole crickets. It finds a mole cricket, drags it up to the soil surface, and lays an egg on the soft underside of the mole cricket. When the mole cricket travels back, down into its tunnel, the larra wasp egg eventually hatches and the larra wasp larva consumes and kills the mole cricket.

The larra wasp is a great beneficial bug. You can attract it by planting larraflower Spermacoce verticillata. The tiny clusters of white flowers are very attractive to larra wasps and other pollinators.

Lastly, be careful with pesticide use. Use the least toxic or soft pesticides, such as insecticidal soap and horticultural oil, whenever possible. Rotate vegetables to keep vegetable garden pests guessing. Choose pest-resistant varieties and follow the first principle of Florida Friendly Landscaping^TM: right plant, right place. By selecting the right plant and planting it in the right location, you may be able to reduce pest and disease problems.

So, don’t forget: Most insects are harmless or are actually helpful, and just 1 percent of insects are pests.

Also, recognize that proper identification is important, and that in cases like the mealybug destroyer, larva can look very different from the adult form of that same insect.

If you need help identifying an insect, contact your local Extension office.

By Nicole Pinson

Nicole Pinson is an Urban Horticulture Agent in Hillsborough County.

Published October 21, 2015

Need New Flooring? Visit Great Britain Tile For Quality, Affordable Products.

October 16, 2015 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

The name of George Clamp’s business — Great Britain Tile —is as distinctive as the man himself.

Both are impossible to forget after just one encounter. George has a charming way of disarming you and making you feel at home — as if you were a long lost relative.

And, his showroom is just as memorable, with its flood of natural lighting and array of colorful tile, stone, carpet, wood and laminate flooring samples.

It’s almost impossible to separate the man from the business — and the business from the man —after more than 50 years on two continents in the flooring industry.

It began in England when George was just 15 and was taught how to lay tile at his uncle’s flooring company. After a few years of learning everything he could about tile installation and products, George was ready to start his own business.

When the opportunity came about in 1982, George relocated his young family to the U.S., setting up shop in the Town n’ Country area of Tampa.

After a couple of nondescript names for his new business, George decided to re-name his company after something dear to his heart — his homeland.

And so, Great Britain Tile was established. Today it is a well-respected brand that is recognized by homebuilders, contractors and homeowners.

In 2003, George moved his business to Land O’ Lakes and built a 60,000 square foot warehouse on U.S. 41 to be closer to the thousands of new homes going up in central Pasco County. He also made Land O’ Lakes his family’s home, building in the Wilderness Lakes subdivision just a few miles from his office.

Most people who drive past Great Britain Tile don’t realize that the retail showroom they see from the road is just a small part of the company’s revenue.

Commercial work is Great Britain Tile’s core business. Its largest customer is Lennar Homes. Other key accounts include Homes By Westbay, LGI Homes, Gulfwinds Homes, Dolphin Homes and Morgan Construction.

George’s son, Steve Clamp, serves as company’s vice president and heads up the commercial side of the company’s business. He manages crews of installers who go out every day to install flooring in the area’s once-again booming subdivisions.

Building a warehouse to support the commercial side of their business gave George and Steve the opportunity to open a showroom for local residents.

“We wanted to share with our new neighbors the quality products and competitive pricing we get from national and international manufacturers because of our high volume work,” said Steve.

The large showroom showcases ceramic and porcelain tile, natural stone, mosaics, glass tile, metal tile, handmade tile, inlays and medallions, cork, leather, vinyl, hardwood and laminate flooring.

“We provide quality products from some of the finest and most respected suppliers in the industry,” said Kim Novotny, showroom manager. “We keep up with the latest designs and decorating trends, and help customers come up with ideas that work with their budget.”

Just as important as its quality products is the knowledge and experience of its installers.

“We know what products work best in different situations, and gladly share our knowledge about material options and installation techniques,” said Kim. “We even have setting materials and tools available for our customers.”

George and his staff understand that buying flooring is a major household purchase and want to help local residents any way they can.

“We invite you to come by our showroom and ask us any question you have about flooring, whether you end up buying from us or not,” said George.

(813) 235-9775

9533 Land O Lakes Blvd. (US 41, 8 miles north of State Rd 54)

Land O Lakes, Florida

www.GreatBritainTile.com

9 to 5 Mon -Fri • 9 to 1 Sat

‘New Leaf’ Is Perfect Name For This Chiropractic Office

October 8, 2015 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

There could not be a better name then New Leaf Chiropractic Wellness Center for Dr. Michael Pease.

After 20 years in the telecommunications business, Dr. Pease was looking for a career change that would get him out from behind a computer to more face-to-face interaction with people.

Although he lived a healthy lifestyle, eating mostly healthy foods and exercising regularly, being at a desk all day long resulted in frequent headaches, neck pain and insomnia.

“I liked my job, but didn’t like how it made me feel,” said Dr. Pease, who worked for Alltel Communications in its cellular division for many years. “I was only in my mid-30s, but already had prehypertension and didn’t have the energy I should for someone who was so health conscious.”

And then seven years ago, he had an “aha moment” that changed his life forever. “I happened to meet a chiropractor at a health screening event,” said Dr. Pease. “I told the doctor about my medical problems, and he said he could help. After just three months under his care, I saw a 180-degree improvement in my health.”

As Dr. Pease tells the story, he describes it as an awakening — a calling that took his life in a completely new direction. “It was almost as if the clouds parted and I knew what I was meant to do — to help people get well, just as I had been helped,” he explains.

With this insight, Dr. Pease quit his job and turned over a “new leaf,” enrolling in Palmer College of Chiropractic in Port Orange.

“That was back in 2008. I have never looked back and never doubted that I made the right decision,” said Dr. Pease. After graduating as a chiropractic physician, Dr. Pease moved to Tampa tobe closer to his two teenage children and started his own practice in a shared facility on Bearss Avenue.

In August of this year, he moved to Lutz to a professional center on State Road 54, located just east of the new Lowe’s store.

“Our name is apropos for myself as well as our patients, because they too are often turning over a ‘new leaf’ to get healthy and stay fit,” said Dr. Pease. “I believe everyone can benefit from chiropractic treatments. I give every one of my patients 100 percent of my focus and energy. I strive to maintain good communication with patients, and am always open.”

Dr. Pease is currently offering special promotional discounts on initial exams for new patients, as well as discount cash payment options. He strives to keep his rates affordable and offers flexible payment plans.

813-254-2500

2029 Osprey Lane, Suite B, Lutz, FL 33549

NewLeafChiroLLC.com

Need a car? Poor credit? Victory Lane can help

October 8, 2015 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Sales Manager Harry Gooden, left, and General Manager Steve Morgan at Victory Lane Motorcars in Land O’ Lakes.

Special to The Laker / Lutz News

Steve Morgan, general manager of Victory Lane Motorcars in Land O’ Lakes, loves his job because he helps people facing difficult times get financing to buy a vehicle. “Unfortunately, people have bad luck –

bankruptcy, bad health, unemployment,” said Steve. “And when their luck is down, they cannot buy a car the traditional way because they have poor credit and little money for a down payment.”

That’s where Steve and his sales manager, Harry Gooden, come in. “We’re able to get almost anyone in a car, even folks whose credit scores are as low as 400 to 500,” said Steve. “Helping someone get financing for a vehicle is often the first step in re-establishing their credit.”

Steve explains that Victory Lane is not a “buy here, pay here” car lot. “Those lots do not report a client’s credit history to the credit bureaus. And because they don’t, a loan at a ‘buy here, pay here’ lot does nothing to help someone improve their credit score,” said Steve.

Steve and Harry can usually qualify someone for financing in 15-20 minutes. “I like the challenge of helping people find the most affordable financing,” said Harry. “Once we do, within an hour, we can usually complete the sale, and send the customer home in a new car.”

Victory Lane Motorcars keeps close to 100 vehicles on its lot and rotates its inventory every few weeks. It has everything from late model year vehicles with less than 30,000 miles, to cars for as little as $1,500 to $2,000.

“You’ll see all models here, domestic and foreign, including Mercedes, Lexus, Mazda, pickup trucks and even Hummers,” said Steve.

Most customers come from Pasco County, but many travel from Tampa and St. Petersburg looking for a specific vehicle, said Steve.

“And when someone comes by, they usually stay and buy from us, because of our personal touch and genuine customer service,” said Steve. “We’re here to make it happen,” adds Harry. “It is not unusual for us to stay open after closing hours to help a customer get their car that day.”

Every car Victory Lane puts on its lot first goes through an intensive mechanical review. There is a full-time, certified mechanic on staff, and also a body shop. “Every one of our vehicles has been serviced and is ready to go,” said Harry.

Harry and Steve have been selling vehicles for a long time. Steve and his father operated M & M Used Cars in Hamilton, Ohio for 58 years. Harry has been in the car business for more than 10.

Victory Lane Motorcars is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., every day except Sunday, when the business is closed. Steve and Harry invite folks to come by to check out their huge inventory and overcome any credit issues they may have.

6600 Land O’ Lakes Blvd,

Land O’ Lakes, FL 34638

813.996.6019

Sharing the tradition of southern cooking

October 7, 2015 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

I grew up with southern cooks.

My mother hailed from Maysville, Georgia, and my father was born in Fort Myers, with a maternal side hailing from the Panhandle.

My father always claimed to be “more southern” than my mother, because he was born farther south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Sandy Graves, a resident of Land O’ Lakes, is active in numerous community efforts, including the push to bring an outdoor stage to the Land O’ Lakes Community Park. The stage is expected to be built in 2016.

One of the things I observed through the years is that much southern cooking doesn’t involve using a recipe. Instead, it is passed down, as one cook shows another how to make a dish.

In my family, that’s true of such things as collard greens, dumplings, cornbread — and anything that’s fried.

Of course, there’s no such thing as a southern vegetable without including a ham hock, ham bone or some salt pork.

Indeed, every part of the hog can find its way into southern cooking.

My great-grandmother made some of the best “cracklin’ ” (fried pork skin) cornbread you’ve ever tasted, and I could go on and on with stories about our family’s southern culinary delights.

One of my favorite southern meals includes collard greens and ham hocks.

I am fortunate to have a neighbor who grows collard greens in his backyard, and every year we have the mandatory New Year’s Day meal of ham, collard greens, rice, black-eyed peas and stewed tomatoes. The collard greens and black-eyed peas are for luck and money.

Here’s my recipe for collard greens and ham hocks.

Collard Greens and Ham Hocks

4 pounds collard greens (best if cut fresh from the garden)

2 precooked smoked ham hocks (a Honey Baked ham bone is a nice substitute, if cooking more collards)

2 teaspoons sugar

Salt and pepper, to taste

Water

Rinse your greens several times under cold water to remove dirt or sand. After cleaning the greens, remove the leaf from the stem in strips — using your hands or kitchen scissors.

Place collards in Dutch oven and cover with water. Add sugar.

If all of the greens do not fit, just add more greens, as they boil down.

Place ham hocks on top and heat water to boiling, and then reduce to simmer.

Cover greens and continue to simmer for about 1 hour, until greens are tender.

Stir your greens often, and keep sufficient water level, so all the collards simmer.

About halfway through cooking, add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with ham, rice and black-eyed peas and cornbread.

(Those who like additional seasoning can add some pepper sauce, to taste, once the meal has been served).

By Sandy Graves

Published October 7, 2015

Pasco County’s namesake led an interesting life

September 30, 2015 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Some of us may know a bit about where the names for Collier and Flagler counties came from.

But for those who don’t, it was Barron Collier who constructed the Tamiami Trail through the Everglades, connecting the two coasts of Florida.

And, Henry Flagler was a key figure in the development of the Atlantic coast of Florida as the founder of the Florida East Coast Railway.

But how much do we know about where Pasco County got its name?

The historic courthouse in Dade City was named for Samuel W. Pasco. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — The historic courthouse in Dade City was named for Samuel W. Pasco.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The county is named after Samuel W. Pasco, who was born in London, when Charles Dickens was still a young newspaper reporter for The Morning Chronicle.

Pasco was born in a family of Cornish ancestry on June 28, 1834, some 200 feet from St. Paul’s Cathedral.

He immigrated to the United States with his family and settled in Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1846.

A strong student, Pasco graduated from Harvard College in 1858. He was recommended to a group of Southern Planters in Jefferson County, Florida. They wanted to educate their children with Pasco as the Principal of the Waukeenah Academy.

But that appointment didn’t last long.

When Fort Sumter was bombarded at the start of the Civil War three years later, Pasco closed the academy and, he along with 15 of his older students, enlisted in the Confederate army on August 10, 1861.

They served in the Third Florida Volunteers.

One former student, Pvt. Tom Pettus, was wounded during a heavy exchange of fire in July 1863 near Jackson, Mississippi.

According to Clarence Smith’s wartime diary “Camp Fires of the Confederacy,” Pasco searched and found Pettus among the wounded during the heat of battle. Although Pettus died the next day, Pasco received a commendation from the vice president of the Confederacy.

He also spent a week in January 1863 in Brooksville to get some stragglers to return to fight.

In the fall of that year, Pasco was left on the field with his legs shattered by a lead “minnie” bullet during the battle of Chickamauga, near Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Pasco was taken prisoner and spent nearly six months in different hospitals before being transferred to a Union Army prisoner-of-war camp in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Despite having Northern friends who tried to persuade him to take an oath of allegiance to the Union, Pasco did not and was held captive for 14 months, when he was released in March 1865, as part of an exchange of prisoners.

He was paroled with the rank of sergeant.

In 1869, he married Jessie Denham of Monticello, Florida. They had two daughters and three sons. His son, William Denham Pasco, was a lieutenant in the Spanish-American War, when he was killed on Oct. 29, 1900.

Pasco was a Baptist and a prominent Mason. He was elected president of Florida’s Constitutional Convention in 1885. He also served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives in 1887.

During the 1880s, the southern part of Hernando County was filling rapidly with settlers.

“We all were weary of traveling the sand trails of Brooksville, the county seat, to attend court, or transact other business of varied nature,” Dr. Richard C. Bankston recalled, in a letter dated Nov. 25, 1927.

As a local member of the State Legislature, Bankston’s recollections described the need for a new county. He also noted there was opposition to the proposed name of “Banner County.”

At that time the Florida House and Senate were in joint session, voting for a United States Senator and they unanimously elected Pasco.

Bankston saw his opportunity.

“I immediately went to the committee room,” he wrote, “where I had a desk and changed our bill making the name Pasco instead of Banner,” he wrote.

Within four hours on June 2, 1887, Gov. E. A. Perry signed into law a bill to divide Hernando County and to create Citrus and Pasco counties.

On June 9, 1899, President William McKinley appointed Pasco as a member of the Isthmian Canal Commission, the presidential committee that laid the groundwork for construction of the Panama Canal.

Pasco made his first recorded visit to the county bearing his name during the State Farmer’s Alliance meeting in Dade City on Oct. 28, 1891.

One newspaper reported: “Senator Pasco, who was not barred from the meeting because of being a lawyer, went on record against the sub-treasury plan.”

Seven years later, Pasco appeared again in Dade City to attend a Democratic rally that “was fairly well attended, considering the late hour at which it was held,” according to an account by another newspaper.

There are no records that Samuel W. Pasco ever lived in Pasco County.

But, for Pasco’s descendants, who attended the Pasco County Centennial in 1987, it must have been a proud occasion, to see the name of their ancestry on government offices, county vehicles and other local landmarks.

Doug Sanders can be reached at .

Descendants of Samuel Pasco and Jessie Denham
• John, b. Sept. 20, 1880, Monticello, Florida; d. May 5, 1961, Richmond, Virginia. Graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 1900 (General George Marshall’s class)
• Col. Hansell Merrill Pasco, b. October 1915, Thomasville, Georgia; d. November 2008, Richmond, Virginia. He was Secretary of the Army General Staff during World War II.
• Attending the Pasco County Centennial in 1987: Mallory Pasco

Sources
Samuel Pasco at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Jonathan C. Sheppard, “By the Noble Daring of Her Sons“: The Florida Brigade of the Army of Tennessee, ProQuest, 2008.
Publications of the Florida Historical Society, 1908. Page 33.
Bill Dayton, member and former chairman, Dade City Historic Preservation Advisory Board.
Madonna Jervis Wise, author; “Images of America: Dade City” (2014). Arcadia publishing.

By Doug Sanders

Published September 30, 2015

The Laker/Lutz News wins 15 awards

September 23, 2015 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

The Laker/Lutz News received 15 awards for advertising design and photography at the annual conference of Community Papers of Florida in Orlando Sept. 18 and Sept. 19.

This photograph of an elementary school student, taken by Fred Bellet, recently received an award from Community Papers of Florida at its conference in Orlando. (Fred Bellet/Photos) — This photograph of an elementary school student, taken by Fred Bellet, recently received an award from Community Papers of Florida at its conference in Orlando.
(Fred Bellet/Photos)

The advertising design and production team of Stefanie Burlingame and Diane Kortus teamed up to receive one award; Burlingame and Carolyn Bennett paired up to receive two awards; Burlingame snared four awards on her own; an agency-produced ad was honored and The Laker/Lutz News received an award for a holiday theme page with multiple ads. All together, the newspaper received three first-place, four second-place and two third-place advertising awards. Advertisers from local businesses whose ads were recognized include J. Joseph’s Salon, ME Hobbies, Harder Law Group, City Grill Sports Bar, Jan’s Wine and Boos II, Victory Lane Motorcars and Connerton.

The photography and layout team of Fred Bellet and Matt Mistretta received four awards and Bellet snared two more. The awards included three for first place, two for second place and one for third place.

This photograph was part of a photo spread taken by Fred Bellet that was honored by Community Papers of Florida. It was taken at Pasco-Hernando State College.

Winning photo spreads included a profile of Tibetan Monks at Pasco-Hernando State College and World War II veterans at a Memorial Day event in Zephyrhills. Individual photos honored were of a skydiver competition in Zephyrhills, an elementary school student and a WWII plane.

There were 573 entries submitted in the 2015 Awards of Excellence competition sponsored by Community Papers of Florida, an industry association made up of free community newspapers and magazines.

Published September 23, 2015