The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

It’s a family affair at Wilson’s Tractor & Supply

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Bruce and Jennifer Wilson, owners of Wilson’s Tractor and Supply Co., have an admirable goal – to one day turn their family business over to their two sons, Bruce Jr. and Aaron.

The Wilson Family
The Wilson Family

The couple wants their sons to know the value of hard work and to appreciate the rewards of customer satisfaction. They look forward to their boys carrying on the stellar reputation of the Wilson name, and to one day be able to support their families with the family business.

Self-employed for most of his adult life, Bruce owned other businesses — even moving his family to Georgia for a short time — before returning to his hometown of Dade City in 2002 to open Wilson’s Tractor and Supply Co. Mowers, leaf blowers, and weed eaters line the walls of the store, showing that Wilson’s carries much more than tractors. If your mower needs a new blade or tune-up, one of the staff will gladly help unload it out of your vehicle and into the service area.

Growing up in the business and now working alongside his dad, 20-year-old Bruce Jr. specializes in selling and repairing lawn equipment and tractors. He also makes sure that everything that leaves the store is in tip-top shape, ready to meet the needs of the customer. It is this level of detail and perfection that drives the entire Wilson family.

When not at Pasco High School as a vocational teacher, Jennifer Wilson is the company’s bookkeeper and unofficial door greeter at the store. In her “spare” time, Jennifer is chauffeur to her younger son, 13-year-old Aaron, and his group of friends who have recently discovered the art of yo-yoing.

Aaron watched a yo-yo demonstration during a visit to Disney and became enthralled with the artistry of the sport. After meeting several internationally acclaimed masters and learning several tricks, Aaron is focused on starting a yo-yo club at Centennial Middle School, where he is in the seventh grade.

Future Farmers of America and 4-H are clubs important to the Wilson family. While a student at Pasco High School, Bruce, Jr. was active in the school’s FFA Club. Aaron is continuing that legacy through his own leadership roles in the club, including raising a steer (aptly named Beefy) for the Pasco County Fair. Aaron is financing his current steer project with profits earned through previous projects with his 4-H group. The family also raises chickens and turkeys.

Rounding out the Wilson team is Fred “The Tractor Man” Roenicke. Fred is as iconic in Dade City as the green and yellow paint on the tractors he sells. Fred has more than 45 years experience selling tractors and other farm equipment. His knowledge about the tractor business, combined with his love of the local area, makes Fred a perfect employee for this family business.

What does the family do for fun when they’re not at the store?

“When you own your own business, you don’t have time for your own personal fun. You want your business to succeed and you want your customers to be happy,” said Jennifer. “But we do enjoy the hunting season.”

Time in the woods, away from the business, helps motivate this family to do even more and allows them to return to the town they grew up in, refreshed and ready to get back to work.

Wilson’s Tractor & Supply Co. is located at 12410 U.S. 301 in Dade City. It can be found online at WilsonTractorSupplyCo.com, by calling (352) 567-5002 or email .

– Jenny Timms

This story is a feature of the advertising department. 

Exquisite Italian-American Cuisine in a club house atmosphere

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Joe Marchica, owner of Lake Padgett Bistro, has owned several restaurants in the area. In fact, he’s been in the restaurant business for 40 years. His wife Gina, son Nicholas and two grandmothers all work together to provide an exceptional dining experience.

LakePadgettPizzaLake Padgett Bistro offers a full-scale restaurant menu serving family recipes handed down through the generations. The family originally emigrated from Sicily to New York and then moved to Florida.

Everything on the menu is homemade using fresh ingredients. There are no frozen or prepackaged entrees coming out of Joe’s kitchen.

Joe’s son Nicholas has done most of the work getting this restaurant setup and running. “I can’t praise him enough,” says Joe. “This is a family restaurant and eventually it will be handed down to him.”

The Bistro is located inside the Lake Padgett Clubhouse East on the lower level poolside and is open to the public. Clubhouse members receive pool-side service. You don’t need to be a Lake Padgett resident to join the club and enjoy all of the clubhouse amenities including a pool, gym, tennis and basketball courts and a BBQ area.

Lake Padgett Bistro is much more than a poolside grill. Customers can get a full meal for $12 to $14. The menu includes salads and appetizers, hot and cold subs, steak sandwiches, burgers, calzones, gourmet pizza, veal dinners, chicken dinners, mussels, clams, baked pasta and children’s dinners from $6.99.

They have facilities inside and outside for catering and pizza parties. Catering is also available for weddings and special occasions. Customers can also pickup party trays and salad trays for 10 to 15 people at unbeatable prices.

Pizza by the slice or a full pie is available for take-out or eating in. Right now they offer a Monday night special: purchase one pizza at regular price and get a second for $5. The Wednesday night special gives you a spaghetti and meatball dinner for only $5.

They also offer specials on football nights and coupons available where you can get two full dinners for $12 each.

A website is in the works where you’ll be able to find all of their current specials. Until then give them a call at (813) 406-4440.

“We’re here, we’re open, we’re ready to serve,” says Joe. “This is a unique setting, perfect for families enjoying a day at the pool with full service from our restaurant.”

Great food with a refreshing atmosphere in a park-like setting is only minutes away. Stop on by, say hello to Joe and his family, enjoy an excellent home cooked meal, and let Joe wash the dishes.

Lake Padgett Bistro is located at 4533 Savanah Way in Land O’ Lakes. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays, and from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. on weekends. They offer free delivery within five miles, and can be reached at (813) 406-4440.

– Mike Matthew

This story is a feature of the advertising department. 

Business to recognize Zephyrhills swimmer

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Westcoast Brace & Limb is set to recognize one of its patients during a swim meet Wednesday night at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex.

Taylor Sanders, who has been treated by the Tampa-area company since first being diagnosed with monoplegic infantile cerebral palsy, is a member of the Zephyrhills High School swim team, and will join her teammates Wednesday beginning at 6 p.m. to face Sunlake High School.

The recreation complex is at 3032 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

Sanders, a sophomore at Zephyrhills High, has faced challenges all her life, according to a release. She was originally put in a wheelchair, and told she would never be able to walk. However, Sanders taught herself how to walk, but used her tip toes, which caused a deformity in her right hip, making her less mobile.

However, since last November, Sanders has undergone two surgeries to correct her hip displacement, and to help lessen her pain and gait impairment. She had four bones cut in half, a hip rotated from her abnormal 70 degrees to the correct 15 degrees, a calf muscle cut to relieve the spasticity and throbbing constant pain, and her foot and ankle reconstructed.

She started the year on the swim team, but was not able to actually swim because she was still in her cast from surgery. She continued to show up to practice, and once she got her cast off Aug. 14 — just four weeks after surgery — she was in the pool the same day.

On Aug. 27, Sanders swam the 50-meter freestyle in 50 seconds, participating in her first meet of the season.

The recognition at Wednesday’s meet is designed to help raise awareness of cerebral palsy, and the positive effects that swim teams and high school sports have on disabled kids, according to a release.

Westcoast Brace & Limb has five locations in the greater Tampa Bay area, as well as mobile units throughout the region.

County warns residents to stay away from mosquitoes

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It’s called “drain and cover,” and it’s the Florida Department of Health’s way to emphasize the importance of protecting against mosquito-borne illness.

“Drain and cover” basically is emptying, removing or covering any containers that will allow mosquitoes to develop, said Dennis Moore with the Pasco County Mosquito Control District. By draining standing water, it will stop mosquitoes from multiplying.

Residents also should:

• Drain water from garbage cans, house gutters, buckets, pool covers, coolers, toys, flower pots, or any other containers where sprinkler or rain water has collected.

• Discard old tires, drums, bottles, cans, pots and pans, broken appliances, and other other items that aren’t being used.

• Empty and clean birdbaths and pet water bowls at least once or twice a week.

• Protect boats and vehicles from rain with tarps that don’t accumulate water.

• Maintain swimming pools in good condition, and appropriately chlorinate them. Empty plastic swimming pools when not in use.

• Cover skin with clothing or repellent. Wear shoes, socks and long pants and long sleeves. This type of protection may be necessary for people who must work in areas where mosquitoes are present.

• Apply mosquito repellent to bare skin and clothing, and use mosquito netting to protect children younger than 2 months.

When it comes to using repellents, members of the Pasco County division of the health department suggests people read label directions carefully, since some repellents are not suitable for children.

Products with concentrations of up to 30 percent DEET are generally recommended. Other approved repellents from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency including Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535.

Repellent should be applied to exposed skin or onto clothing, but not under clothing.

Residents also should cover doors and windows with screens to keep mosquitoes out of houses.

Those who would like more information on avoiding mosquitoes can call (727) 861-5250, ext. 162, or email .

Tax holiday for Energy Star, WaterSense products

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This weekend might be the perfect time to get that appliance you’ve been waiting for.

This year’s tax holiday on appliances certified by Energy Star or WaterSense begins just after midnight Sept. 19, and run through the end of the day Sept. 21.

During the period, no sales tax or local option taxes will be collected on the first $1,500 of the sales price of a new qualifying Energy Star or WaterSense products. The exemption is limited to a single purchase for each specific type of qualifying item, having a sales of $500 or more. However, there are no limits for items that cost less than $500.

That means savings of up to $105 per item in Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

Energy Star products that are covered under the sales tax holiday include air purifiers, ceiling fans, clothes dryers, clothes washers, dehumidifiers, dishwashers, freezers, light bulb packages, refrigerators, room air conditioners, swimming pool pumps and water heaters.

An Energy Star item must be designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Energy, as meeting or exceeding the requirements under the Energy Star program, and include an Energy Star label.

Qualifying WaterSense products include bathroom sink faucets, faucet accessories, high-efficienciey toilets or urinals, shower heads, and weather- or sensor-based irrigation controller.

A WaterSense item must be recognized as water efficient by the EPA, with a WaterSense label affixed to the product.

The holiday, however, does not apply to rental or repair of any of these items.

SBA introduces new online course for young entrepreneurs … in Spanish

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The Small Business Administration is reaching out to young, Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs with what it’s calling a new tool to determine whether they’re ready for business ownership, and to help get them started.

The free, self-paced online course will be offered in Spanish, giving an overview of basic business principles, and introduce resources available from the U.S. Small Business Administration, according to a release.

“As a proud Hispanic American, I believe that providing financial, educational and technical assistance to Hispanic entrepreneurs is a major means to create jobs and stimulate the economy,” said Maria Contreras-Sweet, an SBA administrator, in a release. “The new course is an essential business development tool for young entrepreneurs that can be central to the future success for many generations to come.”

The young entrepreneurs course is designed to help with the essential of starting a small business, including evaluating business ideas, choosing the best financing options and registering a business. The course also includes useful resources that will help with each step along the path to entrepreneurial success.

Hispanics are starting and growing new businesses at nearly twice the rate of the general population, according to Francisco “Pancho” Marrero, the SBA’s South Florida district director. Last year, the SBA lent nearly 3,400 loans, totaling more than $850 million to Hispanic-owned businesses.

The course is accessible from the SBA’s Learning Center, under the banner “Starting a Business.” It’s available at Go.USA.gov/mnFT. It’s also available in English.

SBA has placed more than $3.3 billion in loans to Hispanic business owners between 2009 and 2013, according to a release. This year, SBA’s lending pace already has exceed last year’s volume, attaining a level of more than $857 million.

Tax collector raises $4,000 for traffic safety group

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Yet another focus on a nonprofit has helped raise thousands of dollars from the community.

The Pasco County Tax Collector’s office raised nearly $4,000 for the Florida AAA Traffic Safety Foundation. The fundraising was part of the office’s August promotion, which will be used for life-saving bicycle and automobile equipment, as well as educational training on traffic safety issues.

Through the voluntary automobile registration and renewal check-offs, as well as direct cash donations from the public, the Florida AAA Traffic Safety Foundation will be able to purchase booster seats, bicycle helmets, educational materials, and other important bicycle and vehicle safety devices, according to a release.

“The AAA is one of the most respected organizations in the nation,” said Tax Collector Mike Fasano, in a release. “The funds raised through this promotion will benefit Florida in general, and the resident of Pasco County and surrounding communities, in particular.”

Additionally, the foundation will allow senior citizens to have their vehicles inspected to ensure their safety equipment is functioning properly. The donations made during the promotional event also will help educate children and adults about the dangers of texting and driving, as well as the dangers and penalties that driving while impaired may have on the driver and everyone else in a vehicle.

To learn more about the Florida AAA Traffic Safety Foundation, visit AutoClubSouth.AAA.com. For more information on the Pasco County Tax Collector’s office, visit PascoTaxes.com.

Gas prices fall in Zephyrhills, Dade City

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Gas prices have now dropped for six weeks in a row. And those prices could fall even lower yet, especially after the price of oil is at its lowest point since May 2013.

“Motorists should continue to see a discount at the pump,” said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins, in a release. “High domestic oil supplies, a decrease in global demand, and the easing of geopolitical tensions in Libya and Iraq are keeping downward pressure on gasoline prices.”

Beginning Monday, refineries will no longer need to sell summer-blend gasoline, Jenkins said. Winter-blend is cheaper to produce, which will help push prices even lower in the coming months.

The price for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel in Florida was $3.32 on Sunday, compared to $3.36 a week ago. That’s down 16 cents a gallon from a year ago.

The price for a barrel of oil settled at $92.27 on Friday, down a little more than a dollar from the previous week. It’s at its cheapest level in four months.

The price drop came as the International Energy Agency decreased its 2015 oil demand forecast late last week, where it estimated that global demand will rise just 1.3 percent next year.

“The bottom fell out of oil prices this week,” Jenkins said. “U.S. domestic oil production is set to hit a 45-year high by next year. Barring a major weather event in the Gulf, or overseas geopolitical tensions, we should continue to see oil prices fall.”

In Zephyrhills, gas is cheaper than most other places in the county, with six gas stations checking in at $3.15. Yet, the Citgo at Gall Boulevard and Chancey Road reported prices of $3.34. Dade City saw a range of $3.15 at the RaceWay on U.S. 301 and McDonald Road, to $3.29 at a BP station at the U.S. 98 Bypass.

Four locations in Land O’ Lakes offered gas at $3.19 on Sunday, according to GasBuddy.com. They included the RaceTrac on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard near Lake Patience Road and on State Road 52 near Silver Palm Boulevard, as well as the Citgo station on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard near Lake Patience Road as well, and the Mobil station on State Road 52 near the Suncoast Parkway.

The most expensive reported was $3.30 at a Sunoco station on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard near Causeway Boulevard.

In Lutz, gas prices Sunday ranged from $3.21 at the Circle K on Van Dyke and Old Tobacco roads, to $3.39 at two Shell stations near Van Dyke.

Wesley Chapel prices were the lowest at Sam’s Club at State Road 56 near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard at $3.16, and reportedly the most expensive at a Shell station nearby, where gas sold for $3.29.

Expect some lane closures on Veterans, Suncoast

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For the first time in weeks, drivers along the Veterans Expressway won’t have to worry about lane closures between Linebaugh Avenue and Gunn Highway.

But go a little further south, and construction crews will need a little extra space.

Waters Avenue, in the area underneath the Veterans overpass there, will be closed completely between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. beginning Sept. 14, and running through that following Thursday. While the Veterans itself won’t be closed, it could create some traffic congestion in that area, according to an alert from the Florida Department of Transportation.

There will be some single inside-lane closures on the northbound portion of the road during those same times between Memorial Highway and Waters while workers remove a temporary barrier wall.

Overall, construction will take place between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. from Monday through Thursday, and from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Fridays, with additional work overnight. Motorists should be alert for construction vehicles entering and exiting the roadway, although no daytime lane closures are currently scheduled.

There will be general lane closures Sunday through Friday from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., on the stretch of Veterans between Gunn and Dale Mabry highways. A full southbound off-ramp closure at Gunn will continue through Sept. 19, with detours using Ehrlich Road to Gunn Highway, near Westfield Citrus Park.

Hutchison Road will have a full northbound on-ramp closure beginning at 7 a.m. Sept. 13, and running through 5 p.m. that Sunday, for demolition of the old tollbooth there. The road also will have a full southbound off-ramp closure between Sept. 20 and Sept. 21 for that tollbooth demolition.

Although work continues to demolish the old toll plaza at Sugarwood, there are no lane closures expected.

The work is all a part of the $386 million improvement project that widens 11 miles of the Veterans, expected to double the capacity of the highway from four lanes to eight.

Milling and resurfacing has begun on the Suncoast Parkway in the Lutz area, with single-lane closures northbound running from 4 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Sept. 17-19, and southbound from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sept. 15-16.

That $3.4 million project includes resurfacing and signage between mileposts 14 and 18. 

‘Novel’ treats at this year’s Halloween Howl

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Halloween is all about tricks and treats, but treats don’t always have to be candy corn, lollipops and chocolate bars.

This year’s annual Main Street Zephyrhills Halloween Howl on Fifth Avenue will give out what organizers are calling a “novel” treat … an actual novel.

As part of a local reading initiative started by Bee Bully-Free, hundreds of free books will be given away in front of the Goin’ Postal location during Halloween Howl, set for Oct. 25 from 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., in downtown Zephyrhills.

The Bee Bully-Free mascot, Smurphy, will be on hand as well. Smurphy is described as a “good kind of bully,” an English bulldog, that is.

The idea to give out books during Halloween came from the son of Bee Bully-Free founder M.J. Price, Bodhi Price. The 7-year-old read 254 books over the summer to help overcome a learning challenge.

Halloween Howl is free, although a Hair-Raising Hayride will be available for $2.

For more information, call Main Street Zephyrhills at (813) 780-1414, or visit MainStreetZephyrhills.org.