The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

These flowers won’t wilt or fade away

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Viktoriya Flowers 4by Mike Matthew

special to The Laker / Lutz News

Viktoriya Harris worked in the flower department at Publix for 3 years before opening her own florist shop, Flowers by Viktoriya, in Land O’Lakes. Her customers loved the arrangements she created and soon sought her out for special occasions and events.

Viktoriya graduated from Ashworth College in December 2013 with a degree in floral design and started putting the pieces in place for her own shop. She was a perfume store owner for 5 years before joining Publix. That experience helped greatly in planning for this new venture.

Flowers by Viktoriya opened for business in October 2014. “I haven’t had a day off since we opened,” says Viktoriya. Her husband, Michael, helps out during the day and takes care of deliveries. This gives her time to work on her creations.

“I decided to specialize in silk flower arrangements,” says Viktoriya. “When I was at Publix, customers would ask me to create arrangements to send through the mail. They weren’t happy with the choices offered by those 800 number delivery services. Silk arrangements enabled me to give them exactly what they wanted.”

Silk flowers and plants are perfect for businesses, offices, waiting rooms and any environment where keeping a plant watered isn’t foremost on your mind. You also won’t need to worry about them when you’re away from home.

Step into Viktoriya’s shop and you’ll have to look closely to tell the silk plants from the living ones. Her creations are unique. Many of her arrangements are placed in unusual containers that were never intended to hold flowers. By the time she’s finished you’d think they were made to go together.

She’s decorated a number of local restaurants, medical offices and reception areas. “People are looking for arrangements that fit their image and enhance their decor,” says Viktoriya. “I listen carefully to what they’re asking for. I’m very meticulous. I want to get the order right for the customer.”

“The right plants and flowers enhance your rooms,” says Viktoriya. “They soften the mood and create a relaxing atmosphere. This is particularly important for medical offices and waiting rooms where people may be anxious or nervous when they arrive.”

Viktoriya recently attended a master class taught by Rene van Rems, a master floral designer from Amsterdam. This class focused on creating beautiful arrangements for weddings and bridal parties.

Spend a few minutes discussing your floral needs with Viktoriya and you can’t help but catch her enthusiasm. She will go out of her way to create a custom arrangement with the design and flowers of your choice.

You’ll also find a variety of live potted plants and flowers along with cut flowers such as long-stem roses. She has a large selection of vases to choose from along with hand-made containers. Filler materials include artistic stones and sea shells for that Florida look and feel.

Her designs are captivating and unique. Anything from small arrangements to sit on a table to large vases for the floor are available and will be custom designed to fit your taste and decor.

Flowers by Viktoriya is located at 5132 Land O’Lakes Blvd, Suite 105, in Land O’Lakes (just north of Hale Road). Call her at 813-235-6200 or visit her website at www.landolakesflorist.com.

Tax penalties for those without health insurance

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Tolson 2By Mike Matthew

Special to The Laker / Lutz News

John Tolson, owner of Tolson Insurance, has been in the insurance business for 25 years. He has seen a lot of changes over the years but none as complicated and confusing as those caused by Obama Care.

The government wants everyone to be able to afford health coverage. They’re even willing to subsidize the insurance premiums for people with lower incomes. People with minimum wage jobs and no employer-provided health care can now afford health insurance.

Obama Care has also removed one of the biggest headaches for anyone with long-term health problems, the pre-existing condition. You will now receive coverage and care for problems that would have previously been denied by the insurance company. This is a major step forward.

This new system is not without problems. The application process is often confusing and seemingly contradictory at times. Insurance agents and companies are dealing with weekly policy changes. The pool of providers has been reduced.

All of this makes one thing abundantly clear, you need an insurance agent to navigate this process. John Tolson is an independent broker with the knowledge and expertise to help you select the best options for your health, life, dental and Medicare coverage.

He will help you determine whether it’s better to apply directly to the insurance companies or through the marketplace (Obama Care). With an understanding of your situation and your needs, he’ll help you make the best choices.

John has lived in the Lutz area for 35 years. His father, a licensed broker for 60 years, brought him into the business.

“I’m an independent broker,” says John. “This means that I work for the client, not an insurance company. This enables me to provide the best coverage for my clients.”

Open enrollment for health care coverage ends on February 15. “If you don’t have health insurance, the IRS may fine you on your tax return,” says John. “This plan won’t work if only sick people sign up, so the government is going to fine people who don’t have coverage.”

“People also need to understand that they won’t be able to sign up anytime they want,” says John. “They need to apply during the open enrollment period. This policy is meant to prevent people from applying for insurance when they have a health problem.”

The next open enrollment period won’t occur until November 15 for coverage to begin in 2016. The only exception is when you’re dropped from a group plan. You have 60 days after being dropped to apply.

Call John Tolson at (813) 453-7380 if you have any questions or concerns about your insurance coverage. He also provides group insurance, AFLAC and is licensed to help people navigate the complexity of Medicare. More information is available on his website JWTIns.com.

Sweethearts cozy up for love

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On Feb. 13, about 60 residents showed up at Shells to enjoy a lovely lunch. There was so much conversing going on as the company was delightful. The waitresses were very nice and explained things if we needed to know. There were several cars, and while some people went directly back home after a big meal, a few others went shopping.

Disc jockey Gary Wilcox (Courtesy of Annmarie Shackewyc)
Disc jockey Gary Wilcox
(Courtesy of Annmarie Shackewyc)

Almost 100 residents were at the community center for a sweetheart dance on Feb. 14. Gary Wilcox was the disc jockey, and from what I was told, he outdid himself. He varied the music being played and took dedications.

Before the dance, he put a paper in the community center for people to write down their dedications, and he tried really hard to accommodate all. Gary also took requests where someone would ask for a favorite song. He definitely kept the dance floor full of dancers. He did a splendid job.

There were ballots for king and queen, and Rich and Jean Lydecker won the honor.

The dance was hosted by Cheryl Leone, and she did a fine job. Our thanks go out to her.

On Feb. 18, in addition to a fun game of shuffleboard in the morning, we had a writing group at Nancy Lay’s house. We didn’t have one for quite some time because of the summer months and the fact that the holiday season kept us busy.

It is a small group, but all of us are interested in writing. Here we read what we wrote from a prompt that was given to us previously, and we picked a prompt for the next month.

I look forward to these meetings, as we all enjoy writing, and we mention some other thoughts that may have occurred to us on the subject.

By Helene Rubenstein

Published February 25, 2015

February brings new ideas to Grand Horizons

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Activities continue with several new things going on.

First, we have Colleen Crandall starting up a group to do paper crafting on Wednesdays at the community center. Here, people will work on their own projects such as card making, scrapbooking, journal writing, recipe collections and more. Colleen mentions that they would love new ideas, so if anyone has any, just mention it. The main idea of this class is to have fun.

The Lunch Bunch got together at A Matter of Taste restaurant in Dade City. (Courtesy of Tita Mauk)
The Lunch Bunch got together at A Matter of Taste restaurant in Dade City.
(Courtesy of Tita Mauk)

Another new and exciting game that we play is cribbage. This is hosted by Bill Quinn and Linda Rogers. Our first game was on Feb. 5, and it sure was fun. You really have to keep on your toes. Even beginners can enjoy this game as there are other players, who are well versed in playing, willing to teach. I just know that as time goes on, the amount of people looking to learn this fun game will grow.

On Feb. 1, we had a Super Bowl party at the community center. There was chili and cornbread and more. The kickoff started at 6:30 p.m., and about 35 attended. If some people decided not to watch the football game, they created their own game of Mexican Train or Rummikube, and all had a fun time.

On Feb. 3, several women attended the Lunch Bunch and had a very good time at A Matter of Taste restaurant located in Dade City. There were 18 women who attended. A group picture was taken by one of the girls. This lunch was hosted by Rosie Semian, and our thanks go out to her for arranging this get-together.

We have also added to our library DVDs. Brian Heidman was nice enough to undertake this project and build a cabinet for the community center. In addition to this, Linda Tutin is taking care of the books. We now have much reading material and DVDs to borrow and watch or read at our leisure. Our sincere thanks go out to Linda and Brian who take care of the books and DVDs that are in the library.

On Feb. 7, Jim and Judi Leitzke, along with their helpers, put on the monthly egg n’ bag.  The helpers were Galen and Sue Parker, Colleen Crandall, Clayton and Carol George, Jane and Maurice Thayer, Fred and Sam Sage, Doris Sutfin, Ken and Cheryl Leone, and Jim and Dora Mae Sinner. They served over a hundred people. As usual it was done to perfection, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.  Our sincere thanks go out to all who worked on making this breakfast.

By Helene Rubenstein

Published February 18, 2015

New tenants meet their neighbors

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We had our first luncheon to welcome new tenants to the park on Jan. 22. Lil Durham was the chairperson of the event. She and her helpers did a great job.

More than 40 people were in attendance and everyone had a fun time. It started with a lunch of subs, chips, fruit and brownies, followed by games.

Another family has arrived at Palm View Gardens — newly hatched ducklings. (Courtesy of Millie LeBaron)
Another family has arrived at Palm View Gardens — newly hatched ducklings.
(Courtesy of Millie LeBaron)

We played musical chairs. After all, who says people over a certain age can’t play musical chairs? Maura Kempa wrote a song about our park called “Palm View Gardens,” and it was sung by Louva King.

There was a lot of conversation between everyone getting to meet new people.

A lot of prizes were given out.

We are happy to have new people come to our park, and we want them to now they are welcome and appreciated here.

We have had Jimmy Smith, as Elvis, as entertainment. He put on a great show complete with swivel hips.

Our bus has been traveling, also. Auburndale Flea Market and St. John’s Pass were recent destinations. Busloads of folks have been traveling to Hooter’s and the Webster Flea Market. Bonnie has been doing a wonderful job providing the entertainment and driving the bus.

Thanks to Chuck Gould for another successful dance. Flashback provided dance music for a packed house.

Everyone was successful in getting rid of or adding to their treasures at the annual yard sale. We sometimes call it exchange day here! The heavy traffic was handled well. The volunteers did a fine job of directing the traffic. A big thank you to you.

Our library looks sparkling with new carpets. The gals are doing a good job of keeping all the books in the right order.

Euchre, cribbage and bid euchre have been bustling with full tables. Pinochle, nickel bingo on Saturdays, and many other new games, have been added to our activities. Thank you to the volunteers that make these activities possible.

The shuffleboard courts are full throughout the days and evening.

The choir is practicing on Thursdays at 10 a.m. More members are always welcome. Their beautiful voices can be heard each Sunday from 9:45 a.m. to 10 a.m., as well, during the church service.

Many of our men folk join together each morning for a coffee and donuts. This is know as our Liar’s Club since stories are traded, of course.

Ted Cote was the lucky winner of a quilt. He donated it back to be raffled off. The proceeds of $200 from that raffle were donated to The Disabled Warriors. Thank you, Ted.

There was a spaghetti dinner Feb. 14. All the proceeds from this dinner were donated to our local fire company. Thank you to them for their service.

Breakfast is each Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. There is a different menu each week with donuts and coffee available each week. Our business meeting is at 8:30 a.m.

After the meeting, all are welcome to play a game of horse collar at the shuffleboard courts.

Be well! Bless our friends and neighbors.

By Millie LeBaron

Published February 18, 2015

Celebrating the art of marriage

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Rainbow Village Resort had 78 couples celebrating 50-plus years of marriage.

Every two years, we have a special dinner for them.

Jean Kammermayer and Nancy Newton led the committee for the 50th anniversary dinner. (Courtesy of Sandra Gilbert-Abel)
Jean Kammermayer and Nancy Newton led the committee for the 50th anniversary dinner.
(Courtesy of Sandra Gilbert-Abel)

Jean Kammermayer and Nancy Newton chaired this event and did a wonderful job of organizing everything that it takes to pull this event off.

Each couple had their pictures taken, and these are special because sometimes this is the last picture of them taken together. The hall was decorated beautifully and the tables each had an anniversary cake on it to share with those at that table. Thanks to Linda Luce who baked and decorated them. A delicious chicken breast dinner was served.

The longest married couple was honored and that was Don and Jan Stephens who were married 67 years.

Congratulations to all the couples that attended, and a big thank you to the committee for a job well done.

A special fundraiser for Relay For Life was held at the social hall. Each lunch was a hamburger or hot dog lunch, which included a special dessert. It was well attended.

Our “Over the Rainbow for the Cure” team will participate in the upcoming event at the end of March at Zephyrhills High School. Mary Pierce and Pat March have been really busy with fundraisers all season for this event. They collected more than $1,000 from the lunch fundraiser.

Well done, ladies.

We need to find a cure for all kinds of cancer.

Well done, ladies.

By Sandra Gilbert-Abel

Published February 18, 2015

Catching up at Garden Cafe

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At Grand Horizons we have a writing group composed of a few people that usually meet once a month.

Members of the Grand Horizons writing group met at Garden Café in Dade City. Catching up were, from left, Helene Rubenstein, Lynn Green, Barbara Sullins, Nancy Martin and Nancy Lay. (Courtesy of Barb Sullins)
Members of the Grand Horizons writing group met at Garden Café in Dade City. Catching up were, from left, Helene Rubenstein, Lynn Green, Barbara Sullins, Nancy Martin and Nancy Lay.
(Courtesy of Barb Sullins)

At these meetings, we read a story that we wrote from a prompt that was given to us at the last meeting. We discuss our writings and how we can make them more interesting. Sometimes, one person may have a story on the subject to relate to the group that they would like to pass on. Since we were so busy during the holiday season, we didn’t get to meet as much as we wanted to, but we did end up going to a local restaurant, Garden Café in Dade City, on Jan. 21, to meet after the new year.

Here at Garden Café, we had a delightful time, with a menu that made it difficult to choose as they had a huge variety of dishes. Everything on the menu sounded so delicious and mouth-watering.

Lynn Green was nice enough to drive all five women there, while Barb Sullins was good enough to arrange the outing. Our sincere thanks go out to both these women.

On Jan. 31, we had our first pancake breakfast of the new year in our community center. Rosemary Semian and Colleen Smart Crandall hosted this breakfast.

At the breakfast, they served all you wanted of pancakes, sausage and French toast.

There was a good turnout, and almost 90 residents showed up. It is a nice way to start off the morning, with a good breakfast under your belt. You are then ready to face the day with all the activities that have been planned.

By Helene Rubenstein

Published February 11, 2015

Eating our way through January

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They say that food is the way to a man’s heart. At Happy Days it applies to everyone. For some reason, January must be ‘Eat As Much As Your Puffed Out Stomach Will Hold’ month. It sends shivers down the spines of our health proponents, sponsors of Walk Off The Pounds, pool aerobics and “Walk The Park Till Your Arches Drop.” Dedication to our fetish was proven by our breakfast master Jim Grant, still mending after back surgery only three months ago, who led his crew to still feed a record crowd in the hall.

Phil Knaack couldn’t wait any longer to have a piece of the pie he bought at the pie auction. (Courtesy of Ron Graham)
Phil Knaack couldn’t wait any longer to have a piece of the pie he bought at the pie auction.
(Courtesy of Ron Graham)

It was the best deal in any park — the big breakfast with pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, toast, dessert and unlimited coffee at $3. No wonder Jim was sore! The following Wednesday was our Ice Cream Social, and the group led by Heather Graham kept up the pace with a large slice of ice cream and a cupcake for $1.

Again, what a deal! No wonder we beat all records.

Then Sunday evening was the association potluck dinner in the hall and it filled in any corners we had left in the old jeans. Whew! Ran out of breath talking about it.

Not to be outdone, we squeezed in an Open Mic Karaoke Night hosted by Nancy ‘Sparkle’ Warren. Nancy loves to put on these shows and always attracts the ‘I wish I was a superstar’ performers. Bravo. Good show. You are all superstars.

Also, thanks Nancy, for putting up with our search for your stage name. Are we getting any closer?

The first Turkey Shoot of the year was on Jan. 19, immediately after the Monday coffee hour.

The large turnout was not disappointed with the ability of many to hit anything that they could not see, let alone score so well.

The winners were Ken Knight from Michigan, first place, with123; Dick Johnson from New York, second place, with 119; and Warren Blanchard from New York, third place, with 110. Thanks for all that tried their luck.

And, if that was not enough, the first hot dog lunch of the year, always on the same day, was a hit.

A dog, pop, chips and the trimmings for $1.50, or 2 dogs for $2. Again, the best deal in town! No wonder we eat so much.

One comment overheard through all of this was, “What a happy, fun crowd we have at all our functions.”

Our guess is that a Happy Days’ definition includes the words talented, fat and sassy!

By Ian Marwick

Published February 11, 2015

Tea and barbecue at Leisure Days

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The ladies of Leisure Days RV Resort recently enjoyed an old-fashioned Victorian Tea.

Many of the ladies wore hats similar to those worn during the Victorian era.

Eileen Kavanagh and Bridget Kent (seated) and Lil Cruickshank (standing) donned hats reminiscent of the era for the Victorian Tea at Leisure Days. (Courtesy of Sandra Gilbert-Abel)
Eileen Kavanagh and Bridget Kent (seated) and Lil Cruickshank (standing) donned hats reminiscent of the era for the Victorian Tea at Leisure Days.
(Courtesy of Sandra Gilbert-Abel)

The helpers, under the direction of Noreen Peters, spent many hours decorating the hall and preparing the delicious sandwiches, including cucumber sandwiches and homemade scones, along with other delicious desserts.

The ladies also enjoyed song selections performed by Teresa Copeland, Marian Reece, Karen Mize, Marie Henhoeffer and Nancy Meyers, accompanied by Marie Taylor.

Richard Hunter, accompanied by Mary Bells Hillier, also entertained with familiar songs.

Another upcoming event is the annual park-wide yard sale that will be Feb. 14, beginning at 8 a.m.

Along with yard sale items, guests are invited to stop by the barbecue near the clubhouse to see what is available for you.

By Sandra Gilbert-Abel

Published February 11, 2015

Songs, jokes and antics keep audience in stitches

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On Jan. 24, there was a show at the community center in Grand Horizons and more than 160 residents, guests and other visitors got to see a terrific show that had everyone laughing in their seats.

When the doors first opened and we entered the center, almost every seat was taken as it was a packed house. Everyone anticipated a great show, and they certainly weren’t disappointed.

Peggy Miller performs with dummies Willie, left, and Dougie for a packed house, complete with songs and antics. (Courtesy of Marty Rubenstein)
Peggy Miller performs with dummies Willie, left, and Dougie for a packed house, complete with songs and antics.
(Courtesy of Marty Rubenstein)

Willie (a dummy) started off the show with a few jokes that got everyone in good spirits and then went on to sing “The Grundy County Auction.”

While singing this particular song, Willie made small gestures to the people in the audience and raised and lowered his eyebrows to the women. They all loved it, and it was so cute.

He also made some introductions and introduced Bill, the husband of Peggy Miller, who is the voice behind Willie and the rest of his family.

After completing of this song, he had Terry Gardner, Cheryl Leone and Karen Donlon come up to the stage. Willie then sang a song naming all the states and capitals while Terry pointed out each individual state on the map that Cheryl and Karen were holding.  When the song, “I’ve Been Everywhere” was performed, it ended with “I’ve been to Grand Horizons.” It was a nice touch.

Willie then went on to introduce his little brother, Dougie (also a dummy). The two boys sang the song “Elvira,” and after several lines of the song, Dougie stated that he was a star. He was so adorable, and Peggy Miller did a fabulous job with distinguishing both voices.

Dougie left the stage to a big round of applause, and Willie entertained us by singing “Have I Told You Lately.” Here again, he did a great job.

Willie also had his Great Great Grandma Gardner (another dummy) perform, before she did, Willie told a few more jokes and incorporated the names of some of the people that he already met into the jokes. He also had John Mauk, a resident of Grand Horizons, on stage and John took some ribbing from Willie. He was then told by Peggy to put on Willie’s hat, and she also put fake lips on John.

The song “On the Road Again” was performed by Peggy and she pulled the string so the fake lips that were on John moved. He then got into the rhythm and circled his arm and did other antics while “supposedly” singing.

Great great grandma came on stage and, she too, had everyone in stitches. She started off by telling a few jokes, and she did it so well. Some of the jokes were “My back goes out more than I do,” “Teeth are like stars, as they come out at night,” and others. She also said, “It’s great to be anywhere at my age,” in response to “Good to see you here.”

Willie, great great grandma and Peggy performed the song “Amazing Grace.”

Ernie Rice, also a resident of our park, came on stage as his birthday was the very next day. He donned a hat with candles on it and everyone sang “Happy Birthday.”

The closing to the show was superb as Terry Gardner, Bill Donlon, Galen Parker, Tom Carter, Don Jennings and Jim Leitzke, residents of our park, come on stage holding flags of all divisions of the military service while we paid tribute. It was a way to say thanks for making us free.

We ended the show with “America the Beautiful,” and people stood and sang.

By Helene Rubenstein

Published February 4, 2015