The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Land O’ Lakes holding IB informational sessions

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Land O’ Lakes High School is hosting three family information nights for prospective applicants seeking ninth-grade admission into the school’s International Baccalaureate program for the 2015-16 year.

Parents and guardians of students currently in the eighth grade at public, charter and private schools are invited to attend, as well as families of students in other grades.

The first meeting is Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the high school’s mini theater, 20325 Gator Lane in Land O’ Lakes. The second meeting is Oct. 30 at 6:30 p.m. at Long Middle School’s cafeteria at 2025 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel. The final meeting is Nov. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at Weightman Middle School’s cafeteria, 30649 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel.

Those attending can learn about the IB program, as well as the application process.

For more information and for access to the 2015-16 online application, click here, or contact Jeff Morgenstein at (813) 794-9429, or (352) 524-9429. Or he can be emailed at .

Many child car seats are installed wrong

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AAA-The Auto Club Group is reaching out to drivers, making sure they are providing a safe ride for their young children by properly installing car seats.

“Three out of four car seats today are installed incorrectly,” said Michele Harris, director of traffic safety culture at AAA, in a release. “Too often, we see kids who are in a car seat that’s installed incorrectly, or not using an age-appropriate booster seat.”

One of the most frequent car seat mistakes is the positioning of the harness straps, Harris said. If straps are too loose, children will not be properly restrained in the event of a crash. This may subject them to higher crash forces, or even ejection from the seat altogether.

Harness straps should lie flat and not have any twists. The harness should be snug enough that one cannot pinch any extra material at the child’s shoulder.

With schools back in session, carpooling among parents increase obviously, which can result in situations where children are not riding in a car seat or booster seat. A recent AAA Consumer Pulse survey found that 45 percent of people surveyed in Florida agree it’s difficult to make arrangements to have booster seats available for other people’s children.

That survey was conducted Aug. 22-29 from a sampling of 400 people. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.

The use of booster seats can reduce injuries by 45 percent compared to using an adult seatbelt alone, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Children who have outgrown their five-point harness car seat by weight or height should use a booster seat until they reach 4-foot-9, typically between the ages of 8 and 12.

For younger children using a five-point harness car seat, many hospitals offer car seat installation classes, and car seat inspection stations provide certified child passenger safety technicians to inspect seats to make sure they are installed properly. It find an inspection station, visit SafeSeats4Kids.AAA.com.

Beginning Jan. 1, every driver in Florida will be required to use a child restraint device for children up to the age of 6, AAA said.

Crist has slim lead in Saint Leo poll

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With a less than two weeks until voters have to make a final decision on who they should send to (or keep in) Tallahassee, a new poll from the Saint Leo University Polling Institute shows Democrat Charlie Crist with a slight lead over incumbent Republican Rick Scott.

However, the survey — which polled 500 likely voters between Oct. 16 and Oct. 19 — has a margin error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points, still making the Crist-Scott race a statistical dead heat. Crist received 43 percent of the support from those surveyed, while Scott garnered 40 percent.

Yet, the numbers may be a little troublesome for Scott, since those polled also said they disapproved of President Barack Obama’s work in office. That means the anti-Obama sentiment Republicans have tried to capitalize on in the race may not be working.

Of those surveyed, 51 percent said they disapproved of Obama, while 48 percent approved.

Both Scott and Crist seem to have about the same approval ratings themselves, with the incumbent receiving 48 percent favorable ratings, while Crist was at 47 percent.

Crist also had the support of 15 percent of Republicans, compared to Scott’s 11 percent of Democrats, and 76 percent of black voters. Scott’s biggest demographic was in older voters above the age of 65, getting 48 percent of their vote compared to 44 from Crist.

“It appears as though Charlie Crist’s attacks against Rick Scott are working, as the race has swung away from the incumbent in the last few months,” said Frank Orlando, a political science instructor at Saint Leo University, in a release.

However, Crist’s lead is still a bit tenuous.

“Pre-election polls tend to overstate support for third-party candidates,” Orlando said. “When it comes time to cast their ballots, voters seem to settle on one of the two main parties for fear of ‘wasting’ their vote.”

The Libertarian in the race, Adrian Wyllie, received 8 percent support, while another 9 percent remained undecided. However, if Wyllie was removed the equation, Crist and Scott would be in a true dead heat, getting 45 percent of support apiece, while 10 percent remained undecided.

In the attorney general race, Republican incumbent Pam Bondi was leading her challenger, Democrat George Sheldon, 47 percent to 39 percent. Adam Putnam seems to be well ahead of his Democratic challenger for agriculture commissioner, Thad Hamilton, with 51 percent support.

The same is true for Jeff Atwater in the chief financial officer race, leading Democrat Will Rankin 50 percent to 35 percent.

Finally, how much could the Ebola virus’ entry into the United States affect state races in Florida? Probably not as much as some would hope. Only 46 percent said they were concerned about Ebola, while 52 percent said they were not losing sleep over it. Only 3 percent were not sure how they felt about the disease.

Early voting in Pasco County begins Oct. 25, with the general election set for Nov. 4.

Homeless veterans given chance at Stand Down event

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Pasco County Stand Down is set for Oct. 24-26 at Veterans Memorial Park in Hudson.

The grassroots, community-based intervention program helps the nation’s estimated 67,000 homeless veterans manage life on the streets. The national program began in San Diego in 1988, and has since spread to include more than 200 similar events nationwide.

The local Stand Down supports homeless and at-risk veterans in Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Hernando counties. It provides a broad range of highly needed services, including food, clothing, medical and dental care, benefits advice, personal care, haircuts, entertainment, and mental health services.

It is sponsored by several local public and private organizations, including Saint Leo University, which will provide a select group of current and former Saint Leo master of social work students, along with faculty, to help the veterans out. The social work program is part of an institution service learning project that provided needed counseling for veterans while at the same time train newer social work clinicians in advanced, research-based counseling methods.

More than 125 veterans who are expected to attend will be offered free, confidential and supportive counseling services — the first time that such services are being offered at the event.

For more information on the event, which takes place at 14333 Hicks Road in Hudson, visit PascoStandDown.org.

 

A gem of a golf course just minutes from Land O’ Lakes

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Ron Padoba has been the proud owner of the Meadow Oaks Golf and Country Club since 1994. The course was originally built in 1984. “People are always telling us they never knew we were here,” says Ron. “You can’t see the course from the highway.”

CLMeadowOaksMeadow Oaks is a challenging shorter course – 6,030 yards from the back tees. It’s not too difficult for beginners, but still challenging enough for experienced golfers. The front nine holes wind through majestic oak trees. Water comes into play on seven of the final nine holes.

It’s a player friendly course with good condi- tions centrally located a few miles north of Land O’ Lakes. “We’d like to be known as the friendly golf course,” says Ron. “A lot of golf courses are in trouble these days, because it’s just a business to the owners. We’re hands-on owners on-site everyday. The whole family plays. We’re passionate about golf.”

The course is open to the public. A variety of memberships are available at reasonable prices. The course is maintained in a state of tournament preparedness. The greens feature Jones-Dwarf grass.

Laura Sanderson, head golf professional, says it’s more like a mom and pop shop with a hometown feeling. “We love our staff and take pride in our course,” says Laura. “We’re constantly looking for ways to upgrade and improve the course. We’ve probably played every golf course in several counties. We try to integrate the things we like about other courses into ours.”

Meadow Oaks has a full driving range, warmup areas, an immaculately maintained putting green, and a chipping green with practice bunker.

“We’re golfers,” says Ron. “We look at our course with a golfer’s eyes. We’re constantly looking toward the future, to things we can do to make this course the very best in the area. This is a constantly changing industry. We’re always on the lookout for new ideas.”

Golf pro Laura Sanderson is a past member of the LPGA and a certified instructor for the AAU Junior Golf program. She teaches the courses at Meadow Oaks for junior golfers ages 17 and under. She is an All-Army European Women’s Golf champion and a member of the All-Forces Golf team.

“We produce the best course that people can play at a reasonable price,” says Laura. “We’re successful for a reason, we’re doing a lot of things right.”

Ron grew up in the area and graduated from high school there. Laura was born and raised here. The staff is made up of community people. Most have been working there for years. All of this contributes to the family friendly atmosphere of the club.

You’ll find a good mix of golfers playing at Meadow Oaks, from beginners to seniors. Mature oak trees abound. The club also hosts tournaments, weddings and charity events. There is a full bar and restaurant where you can relax and enjoy a meal whether you’re golfing or not.

Meadow Oaks is located approximately 1.5 miles from the Suncoast Parkway interchange (Route 578 / County Line Road). The clubhouse restaurant serves breakfast and lunch every day of the week. Their Friday night fish fry is very popular. Play nine holes and eat, or just come for dinner. They also feature a full-service liquor bar.

Meadow Oaks Golf & Country Club is located at 13125 Fairwinds Road in Hudson. Additional information can be found on their website at MeadowOaksCountryClub.com. Their phone number is (727) 856-2878.

– Mike Matthew

This story is a feature of the advertising department.

A perfect tan in less than 15 minutes

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“Fifteen minutes in our level one beds equal four hours on the beach,” says Glen Harrod, owner of The South Beach Tanning Company. “And we’ll make sure you don’t get a sunburn. We don’t want anyone to tan longer than their skin can handle comfortably.”

CLTanning“We help our clients determine the length of time for an optimal tan,” says co-owner Jill Harrod. “It’s important for them to have a pleasant experience. Our initial discussion is designed to help prepare people for tanning. We go over everything, including their type of skin, expectations, choosing the best lotion and the right tanning equipment.”

South Beach Tanning offers five levels of ultraviolet tanning and also a sunless spray tan booth. “You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better selection of equipment,” says Glen. “We’ve made a tremendous investment in equipment since we acquired The South Beach Tanning franchise for the Tampa market area.”

The Harrods bought a tanning salon that has been in the same location for eight years before converting to South Beach Tanning Company. This was their first foray into tanning. South Beach is a high quality, family-oriented company that has enabled them to create a salon that met and even exceeded their vision and expectations.

Level one tanning beds have built-in surround sound stereo, high-powered body blowers and a large tanning surface. These level one beds often surpass many other salons top-of-the line equipment.

Level two and three units feature wider tanning surfaces, additional cooling, higher output bronzing lamps and high-pressure UVA facial tanners. Level three units have adjustable UVA facial tanners. Stand-up units are included in the level three package.

Levels four and five shower your body with a unique blend of high output UVA bronzing light designed to maximize your tanning experience. These high-pressure unit bronzing lights emit nearly 99 percent UVA light to give you the darkest tan possible.

The sunless Versa Spa Pro spray tan unit allows clients to select a combination of solutions for an optimal tan. These stand-up units spray a heated, ultra-fine mist that penetrates and moisturizes the skin. It’s a full body spa treatment, not just a simple tinting.

People can tan for as little as $18.88 per month. “We use a membership model because it allows the client to come in as often as they like,” says Glen. “We use a boimetric fingerprint system to ensure no one else is tanning under your account. This also keeps us in line with Florida guidelines which prohibit a person from tanning more than once per day.”

“After selecting the proper tanning level, our second focus is making sure they have the right lotion,” says Jill. “Lotions make a big difference in tanning. Our lotions are made locally by Devoted Creations in Oldsmar. They are aloe based which increases the quality of the tan as much as 60 percent over water based tanning lotions.”

South Beach Tanning offers packages to fit anyone’s needs. Clients have complete privacy in every room, and every unit is cleaned and sterilized immediately after use. Each employee goes through training and is certified to ensure every client receives the correct advice and new clients don’t get overexposed.

“We have entire families that tan here together,” says Jill. “We get to know the entire family from grandparents to grandchildren. It’s a wonderful way to earn a living.”

Glen and Jill just signed a lease for a second location in St. Petersburg and are negotiating leases for two more locations in New Tampa and Lutz.

South Beach Tanning is located at 1221 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in Wesley Chapel (in the Target Shopping Center at the intersection of Bruce B. Downs and County Line Road). Their phone number is (813) 994-3050.

– Mike Matthew

This story is a feature of the advertising department.

In Print: There’s only one way, the Keppel Way

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Kris Keppel is the last person who feels he deserves all the accolades he’s received lately. While he had to retire as both a cross-country coach and a teacher for Land O’ Lakes High School earlier this year because of his battle with pancreatic cancer, Keppel still has to admit, what he’s done — and always has done — is inspire.

And that’s what he wants to keep on doing.

Kris Keppel — standing with his wife Dar and daughters Meredith and Morgan — thanks the fans and students during last week's Land O' Lakes-Sunlake football game for honoring him with a new award, and naming one of the school's streets after him. (Photo by Michael Hinman)
Kris Keppel — standing with his wife Dar and daughters Meredith and Morgan — thanks the fans and students during last week’s Land O’ Lakes-Sunlake football game for honoring him with a new award, and naming one of the school’s streets after him. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

“It’s pretty easy to inspire,” Keppel told fans at the recent Land O’ Lakes-Sunlake football game, according to reporter Michael Hinman. “Inspiration is a two-way street. You all can inspire each other on a daily basis.”

Keppel not only received the honor of having his name put on an award that will be given regularly by the high school to those that inspire others, but also to have a street named in his honor on campus.

“What better way to have students in the future know how much he inspired us to do things the Keppel way than to actually rename the roadway that leads into the athletic facility,” school principal Ric Mellin said. “From this point forward, every time our athletes come down the road from the parking lot into the stadiums in the back here, they are going to be doing it the Keppel Way.”

What did Coach Keppel and others think of all this? Find out in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available now. Or if you’re someone who can’t leave their computer quite yet, check out the story in our free online e-edition by clicking here.

It was a different kind of inspiration that led Bryan and Darci D’Onofrio to start their own theater company. And the name says it all.

Dreamhouse Theatre opens its first full production, “Little Shop of Horrors,” this weekend at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel.

“Something we’ve always wanted to do was to have our own theater,” Bryan D’Onofrio told reporter B.C. Manion. “That’s been a dream of ours.”

So they pulled together their resources and made it happen. Bryan is the artistic director, while Darci is the executive director.

“We absolutely love the arts,” Darci D’Onofrio said. “We want to bring them here. We know that’s a need.”

Learn more about Dreamhouse Theatre and the people behind it in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available everywhere now. Or if you’d prefer, read it right now in our free online e-edition. Just click here.

There is a lot of focus on veterans at Saint Leo University, and not necessarily because a lot of them are traveling to Pasco County to take on classes. In fact, there are many veterans who are finding a way to get that post-high school education they’re looking for from Saint Leo — but they are doing it through the convenience of distance technology.

One man — U.S. Marine Corps gunnery sergeant Tedd “Gunny” Weiser — is in charge of making sure veterans successfully make the transition from battlefield to classroom.

“When these veterans come off active duty, there’s a trust, a comfort level, in being able to speak to somebody who can not only talk the talk, but walk the walk,” Weiser told reporter Michael Murillo.

The support his department provides is more than just answering basic questions or even maintaining a campus presence. It also comes in the form of a free online course developed by Saint Leo to help veterans and their families transition from military to civilian life. And not just to go to school, but to make it in the world that isn’t always the most friendly to soldiers coming back from conflict.

To learn more about what Saint Leo is doing with veterans, check out this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News. Or read our free online edition by clicking here.

And finally, photojournalist Fred Bellet has some great pictures to share from the recent Fall Festival at The Grove at Wesley Chapel. It was some great costumes and more at the annual event — put on by the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce — which can be found on the front of this week’s B-Section. See it online by clicking here.

All of these stories and more can be found in this week’s The Laker/Lutz News, available in newsstands throughout east and central Pasco County as well as northern Hillsborough County. Find out what has your community talking this week by getting your local news straight from the only source you need.

If The Laker/Lutz News is not coming to your door, call us to see where you can get your copy at (813) 909-2800, or read our free e-edition by clicking here.

Home sales, prices up in Tampa Bay region

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It’s nothing but positives in September for the Tampa Bay housing and condominium market, as both sales and median prices have gone up.

The latest report from Florida Realtors shows existing home sales are up 11 percent, and condo sales grew more than 4 percent compared to a year ago. Median sales for the area that also includes Pasco County also rose more than 3 percent for existing homes, and 10 percent for condos.

“When home prices increase, more Florida homeowners may be ready to list their homes for sale,” said Florida Realtors president Sherri Meadows, in a release. “So on the one hand, it is a positive factor for improving housing inventory in many markets, but on the other hand, rising prices also can make it more challenging for first-time buyers to enter the market, or even for move-up buyers to find their next home, especially when lending standards remain too restrictive.”

In September, the Tampa Bay region sold 3,441 single-family homes and 1,132 condos — second only to the greater Miami area. Statewide, existing home sales were up more than 13 percent to 20,792, while condo sales climbed 2 percent to 8,622.

The median price for those single-family homes was $159,900 locally, compared to $180,000 statewide. Condos in the Tampa Bay region were $105,500, compared to $142,700 around the state.

Nationwide, single-family prices were up 5.2 percent to $220,600, according to the National Association of Realtors, while the national median existing condo price was $213,900.

“The stability that has characterized the housing market in Florida continued in September, but at a higher level of activity,” said Florida Realtors chief economist John Tuccillo, in a release. “Both single-family and townhouse and condo sales were up, but so were new listings and pending sales. Despite this, inventory — as measured in months — remained about the same in a range that indicates a balanced market. So, more houses are coming on the market, and more people are buying.”

The interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.16 percent in September, down from 4.49 percent a year ago, according to Freddie Mac.

Florida prepares for highly unlikely Ebola epidemic

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There have been just three diagnosed cases of Ebola in the United States, and less than 200 people actually exposed to the virus. Yet, the fear by many that Ebola can become an epidemic in this country — although federal officials have dismissed any real possibility of that happening — has Gov. Rick Scott pushing federal officials to help Florida prevent the virus from coming here.

In his latest move, Scott has directed the Florida National Guard to establish two rapid response teams — groups of 16 people that includes doctors, nurses and equipment personnel.

The teams are undergoing intensive training, and will be ready by the end of October to help health care workers — if they are ever needed — to supplement a hospital’s existing personnel in case Ebola does arrive in the Sunshine State. The move comes after Texas experienced a number of missteps that officials believe may have expanded the number of American-based Ebola cases from one to three.

“While our first responders and health care workers are the front line of care in the event of an Ebola case, our Florida National Guard is currently establishing two rapid response teams that can manage Ebola cases and provide support to hospitals, if needed,” Scott said, in a release.

Scott already has directed state officials to repurpose more than $7 million in federal funding Florida has received to buy equipment to help the state prepare for any Ebola response. On top of that, employees are 55 Florida hospitals have completed Ebola preparedness training, with a hope of expanding that to all 210 hospitals in the state.

The chances that Ebola will spread beyond the current containment of the virus in the United States is extremely minimal, and the chance for there being an outbreak in America is practically zero, officials said. At the current rate of infection in the United States, the odds of being diagnosed with Ebola in the United States are 1-in-105 million.

By comparison, the odds of dying from tuberculosis in the United States is 1-in-6,300, and the odds of dying from lung cancer is 1-in-23. And the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot is 1-in-175 million.

The first person diagnosed with Ebola in the United States, Thomas Eric Duncan, died Oct. 8. Two nurses who helped treat Dunan are now being treated themselves.

SBA looking to boost women-run businesses

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The U.S. Small Business Administration and the National Women’s Business Council have joined forces in an effort to increase the flow of money by and into small businesses run by women.

The overriding goal, according to a release, is to encourage greater participation by women on the financial and investing side of high-growth entrepreneurship.

“Developing a deeper pool of women investors and financiers is key toward expanding the marketplace of women-owned businesses,” said SBA administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet, in a release. “These roundtables, which will continue through 2015, are the first big steps we need to take together to make it possible for more women to invest in each other’s companies, while exponentially increasing the growth potential of these businesses.”

Both groups will hold a series of roundtable discussions around the country to develop policy recommendations. Over the past year, woman-owned businesses were approved for 341 loans totaling more than $163 million, according to Francisco Marrero of SBA’s South Florida district. That’s up over the previous year where 317 loans were approved for $133.8 million.

“While this is a good sign, we will try to do more to increase the flow of capital and resources to woman-owned businesses,” Marrero said, in a release. “This initiative is another example of SBA’s desire to help start and grow small business.”

During the next few months, the working groups of 20 will meet with investor and fund managers to discuss ways to increase the ranks of women investors, while developing strategies to encourage investment in companies run by women. The series will culminate with the unveiling of policy recommendations at an investor network meeting next May.

The National Women’s Business Council is a non-partisan federal advisory council serving as an independent source of advice and counsel to various national organizations and government agencies. For information on the group, visit NWBC.gov.

For more information about the Small Business Investment Companies initiative, visit SBA.gov/INV.