The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Lutz cake and pie contest features new twists

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The annual Fourth of July cake and pie contest in Lutz this year will have a few new ingredients.

One change attempts to level the playing field.

Sarah Robison gave her cake a festive feel, attracting the highest bid from Mark Carnes, who posed with her after the auction. (File Photo)
Sarah Robison gave her cake a festive feel, attracting the highest bid from Mark Carnes, who posed with her after the auction.
(File Photo)

From past experiences, contest coordinator Marilyn Wannamaker said she has observed that it was not fair to have a 4-year-old compete against a 20-year-old. That inspired the addition of a new category.

Now there will be three categories instead of two. It will break up adults 18 and older in their own group, with teens between 12 and 17 competing against each other, and children from 4 through 11 in their own category.

Also new this year, the contest will be move to the Lutz Senior Center. Previously, it was at the Lutz Fire Department building, but the volunteer fire department has since been replaced with a county crew and the building sold.

This year will be Wannamaker’s “last hurrah,” as the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club member plans to turn over the task of organizing the event to someone new next year. At age 83 and after running the contest for 12 years, Wannamaker said it’s time to give someone else a turn.

The Lutz woman said she originally found herself interested in the annual contest because she enjoys the opportunity to meet people in the community. Some competitors are new to the contest every year, while others enter each year.

Wilma Lewis typically enters four or five decorated cakes each year and is expected to do the same this year, Wannamaker said. The Gaschlers like to make it a family affair. Last year, Ron baked a hummingbird cake, Rebecca entered a chocolate chip confection, and Tracy made her famous five-pound apple pie.

The pie fetched $85, the highest price in the cake and pie auction, which follows the parade each year.

Adults and children entered about five-dozen pies and cakes last year. This year, Wannamaker hopes to attract more entries, as the theme of the Independence Day celebration is a salute to the volunteer firefighters who served the community for decades.

Those wishing to enter the contest should remember to think about the type of icing they use because there is no refrigeration in the judging areas, Wannamaker said.

“We had one little boy who baked a large cake that was a house and a village, and he used blueberry Jell-O for the lake,” Wannamaker said. “Well, his lake became an ocean.”

Winners in each category will receive a blue ribbon.

Size matters, too, according to the contest organizer. The entries must be no larger than 9-by-13 inches.

Once the contest is over, all pies and cakes will be carried over to the front of the train station for the auction.  The money raised by the sales go to different charities in the Lutz area.

Besides generating money for good causes, the cake and pie auction can be entertaining. Auctioneer Bob Moore will encourage bidders, while Cheryl Benton carries the sweets around to give the crowd a good look at them.

Sometimes, Wannamaker said, the best bidding wars involve parents and grandparents.

Fourth of July cake and pie contest
There are now three age groups for the Lutz Fourth of July cake and pie contest. They are adults, ages 18 and older; teens, between 12 and 17; and children, from 4 through 11.

The contest categories are the same for each group, with the exception of an additional category for men in the adult age group, and for boys in the other two age groups. The idea is to get the boys and men into the kitchen, said Marilyn Wannamaker, contest coordinator.

Categories include best-decorated, most patriotic, best cake tasting, best pie tasting, judge’s favorite, and Guv’na’s favorite.

Those wishing to enter the contest must deliver their entries to the Lutz Senior Center, 112 First Ave. N.W., between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., on July 3, or between 6 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., on July 4.

– Ashley Schrader

Published July 2, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

Award winning air conditioning, heating and plumbing in Land O’ Lakes

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James and Dana Spears, owners of Cornerstone Pros, are fully prepared to handle all of your air conditioning, heating and plumbing needs.They offer same-day service, 24-hour emergency service, free estimates for installation and free second opinions.

Cornerstone won the Angie’s List Super Service Award for 2012 and 2013 and currently has over 415 glowing reviews on Angie’s List. They also have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

“Our goal as a company is customer service first,” says Dana. “We strive to provide exceptional service at a fair price. We want to go above and beyond customer’s expectations.”

James and Dean Spears have made Cornerstone Pros a premiere air-conditioning company.
James and Dean Spears have made Cornerstone Pros a premiere air-conditioning company.

They started the business in 2006. Before that, Dana worked in commercial insurance for 15 years; while James worked in air conditioning and plumbing for 25 years. In their previous jobs, Dana learned about the value of customer service, and James saw first-hand the benefits of exceptional professional trade knowledge.

One of their goals is to employ local people and serve local customers. They rented their first building just down the road, moved to another as their business grew, and recently got an opportunity to purchase their current building.

They have 27 employees, some of whom have been there since they opened. “We have a wonderful staff and dedicated people who enjoy working here,” says Dana. “We added plumbing this year and hired two plumbers. Our goal is to have six plumbers on staff within a year.”

Their services include the service and maintenance of all air conditioning and heating units. They also provide water treatment and testing services, whole home re-pipes, stoppages, and fixture installations.

Cornerstone did a rebranding earlier this year. They hired a firm to create an old-school image that portrayed their core values, ethics, honesty and quality work. “The feedback from our customers and the community has been excellent,”says Dana.

This is truly a family-owned and operated business. They currently have five family members working for the company. “Our children have to work for one year for someone else before they can work here,” says Dana. “We want them to know what it’s like to work in the real world. That outside experience will help them see the importance of happy employees and customers.”

“We recently had an outside company do an anonymous employee survey,” says Dana. “The employee feedback was outstanding. The survey company was astounded at how satisfied our employees were. We work hard to give our employees a good work environment and keep them long-term.”

Dana was born and raised in Lutz. She graduated from Land O’ Lakes High School and is a mother of five. Two have graduated from Land O’ Lakes High School, two are still in high school, and they now have a 2- year-old son. James was born and raised in Tampa. They are both very active in community support and want to give back more as they continue to grow.

To learn more, visit CornerstonePros.com, or call (813) 949-4445.

– Mike Matthew

This story is a feature of the advertising department.

In Print: Big news coming from a bigger Laker, Lutz News

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The new century has not been the kindest to newspapers, with many cutting staff, coverage and pages. But that’s not the same at The Laker/Lutz News, where we aren’t getting smaller.

Instead, we’re getting bigger. Six inches bigger to be exact.

“It’s because of your continued belief and support that we’re able to announce today a milestone that is one of the most significant improvements ever to our papers,” Publisher Diane Kortus said. “Beginning Aug. 6, we are increasing our size to that of a daily newspaper.”

That extra six inches will make the paper 25 percent larger. And it will come with a refreshed look at the top as well, with what we like to call “Laker Blue” dominating the landscape.

The new design will allow for bigger and more photos, two sections for most editions with easy-to-find classifieds, bigger ads, more advertising circulars from retailers like Beall’s Outlet, and a renewed commitment to what we’ve been doing all along: serious local news, from the people who make the area great, to what will affect your way of living.

See everything Diane has to say about the changes in this week’s edition of The Laker/Lutz News, or read the online e-edition for free by clicking here.

During the school year, tens of thousands of breakfasts and lunches are served every day to students in cafeterias across Pasco County. But what happens when the school year ends, especially for students who might not have had a good meal otherwise?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture hasn’t forgotten, and works locally with Pasco County Schools to bring lunches to thousands of kids, whether it’s at one of more than 60 food distribution stations, or on one of five retrofitted school buses that travel around the county, bringing lunches to those who might not be able to get out.

“There are kids who can’t get to those sites,” Cindy Norvell, a food and nutrition specialist for Pasco County Schools, told reporter Michael Hinman. “Many of them don’t have transportation. So instead of expecting them to come to us, we took meals to them out into the communities that needed them most.”

The effort requires a lot of organization and dedication, including on the buses which have had seats replaced with food counters.

Find out how this program is working, and how more people can participate by reading this week’s print edition of The Laker. Or you can read the print edition online by clicking here.

When Gulfside Hospice & Palliative Care started in 1989, a lot of people weren’t familiar with what hospice services were.

But even today, as Gulfside celebrates its 25th anniversary, hospice is much more well-known, but there are details that still get a little lost in translation.

“A lot of people think that hospice is a place,” Linda Ward, president and chief executive of Gulfside, told reporter B.C. Manion. “Hospice is a concept. The concept is really comfort and quality, peace, dignity.”

Gulfside now has 14 locations, including a corporate resource office in Land O’ Lakes. And it’s one of two major groups bringing hospice to Pasco County.

To read more about the anniversary and what Gulfside has planned, check out this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News. Or read 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.

Pinchers Crab Shack opens at The Shops at Wiregrass

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Pinchers Crab Shack, a seafood restaurant chain based out of Bonita Springs, has opened its 10th location at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel.

The restaurant, located at 28330 Paseo Drive, Suite 185, is offering dinner service beginning at 4 p.m., and will expand to include lunch beginning July 7 at 11 a.m. It will be managed by Dacie Broshears, who also managed what was the closest Pinchers to the area before in Lakewood Ranch near Bradenton.

Pinchers started in 1997 at a six-table restaurant in 1,500 square feet of space in Bonita Springs. It has grown to 10 locations and more than 500 employees, stretching from Wesley Chapel in the north to Key West.

For more information on the location, visit PinchersCrabShack.com.

Fasano collecting weekend food for needy kids

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The federal government provides food for disadvantaged kids through the school breakfast and lunch program, but Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano wants to make sure bellies are full on the weekends and holidays, too.

Fasano is teaming up with Pack-a-Sack 4 Kids in July, which provides a backpack full of food that each participating child can bring home on Friday afternoons that will get them through the whole weekend. More than 7,000 children in Pasco County alone lack adequate food during the weekends and school holidays, Fasano said.

Each tax collector’s office in the county will be a collection site for non-perishable food items such as single-serve cereal boxes, bowls, oatmeal packets, canned pasta, juice boxes, canned meats, crackers, pudding and applesauce cups, as well as other items like tuna or chicken packets.

Food will be picked up weekly as to allow fresh fruits and vegetables, but Fasano is asking that no items be donated that require refrigeration.

“There should not be a single child who goes to bed hungry each night,” Fasano said in a release. “Every item of food that is collected will go into the hands of young people throughout Pasco County to ensure that they have a full stomach during weekend and school holiday periods. I encourage anyone who visits one of our offices to bring in an item or two that a child would enjoy eating.”

Contributions can be made at the Land O’ Lakes and Dade City offices for the tax collector, as well as New Port Richey and Gulf Harbors, Fasano said. For more information about the food collection drive, call Greg Giordano at (727) 847-8179.

Gas prices to slip a little for July 4

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Fourth of July is coming, and drivers hitting the roads might get a patriotic gift of lower gas prices.

AAA says it expects to see the most cars on the road in seven years, with as many as 34.8 million Americans expected to drive 50 miles or more.

However, while gas prices might be coming off of some highs of recent weeks, this could still be the most expensive July 4 holiday since 2008.

“Market concerns about a supply disruption in Iraq are calming,” AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said in a release. “The price of oil slipped last week, so motorists should begin go see some relief at the pump. However, the discount may only be a nickel.”

It was July 4, 2008, when gas prices were at the highest for the holiday, with the average cost for a gallon of gas in Florida topping $4.06. That was followed in 2011 with gas prices at $3.50 in Florida, and slowly dropped down to $3.43 last year.

This year, fuel prices are expected to hover around $3.63 in the state. While that might be 20 cents more than last year, it’s still a dime cheaper than what it was earlier in the year, Jenkins said.

“AAA doesn’t believe gas prices will keep people from traveling for the holiday,” he said. “Most plans have already been finalized and budgets allocated. If anything, travelers will cut back on costs in other areas like shopping, dining out or entertainment.”

Tax collector focused on Arc of Florida in July

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The Arc of Florida/Center for Independence is the featured charitable organization for July by the Pasco County Tax Collector.

The goal is to raise funds to support those with developmental and other intellectual disabilities in the community. The Center for Independence is the Pasco County chapter of The Arc of Florida, and is a key provider of services to those with a variety of disabilities, according to a release.

Services there include residential, day-training, supported employment, and transportation assistance.

“Donations through the check-off program fund services that change the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Pasco County,” said Deborah Linton, chief executive of The Arc of Florida, in a release.

“There is probably not a person who does not know someone with a disability, whether a family member, friend or neighbor,” said county tax collector Mike Fasano, in a release. “The programs offered by the Center for Independence have made the lives of countless individuals better. Your donation of any amount will assist the center to continue providing the highest level of care possible.”

Customers who wish to support the charity can check off the box on their vehicle registration form to contribute $1 or more to the fund. Cash donations also will be accepted at tax collector’s offices around the county, like Land O’ Lakes, Dade City, New Port Richey and Gulf Harbors.

The promotion runs throughout July.

For more information, call Greg Giordano at (727) 847-8179, or visit PascoTaxes.com.

Terri Dusek Central Pasco’s new honorary mayor

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The votes are in, and so is the money. Pasco County has a new mayor, and it’s Terri Dusek.

Dusek, a local real estate agent, ran a campaign of “Paying it Forward Through Music.” She was one of several people and businesses honored at the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce annual dinner last week. Dusek also won Ambassador of the Year.

The dinner included the installation of the new chamber president, Charlene Ierna, of Ierna’s Heating & Cooling. She succeeds Denny Esber, who also is retiring from board along with director Gary Loman. Before he left, Esber handed out his President’s Award to Tony Masella of OurTownFla.com for his outstanding service to the chamber and the community.

Hungry Harry’s Bar-B-Que was the Large Business of the Year while All Smiles Tampa Bay won Small Business of the Year. A Focus on Fitness was New Business of the Year, while Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco was Non-Profit Member of the Year.

If honorary mayor and the chamber’s top ambassador wasn’t enough, Dusek topped a successful season as Chamber Member of the Year.

The Community Service Award was a tie between April Saland of A.L. Saland Insurance Solutions, and Pam Oakes of Pasco International Tourism.

Finally, the Central Pasco Chamber honored the lifetime service of Larry Delucenay, and retiring Pasco County commissioner Pat Mulieri.

To learn more about the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, visit CentralPascoChamber.com.

Restaurants, food trucks get new DBPR inspection schedule

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Beginning Tuesday, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation will implement a new inspection program officials say will lower the regulatory burden for businesses with a good inspection history.

Based on a law that passed last year, the new inspection program through the DBPR’s hotel and restaurants division, will focus more of its attention on businesses that have had problems with the agency in the past, especially those that pose a higher risk to public safety.

“Florida’s restaurants and food trucks not only serve the citizens of the state, but also those who are visiting on vacation, so ensuring public safety is crucial to Florida’s growing economy,” said DBPR secretary Ken Lawson, in a release. “This new inspection frequency program allows the department to hone our regulatory efforts, which makes great business sense for our licensees, and for Florida’s taxpayers.”

Under the new program, food service establishments will be categorized by risk levels rated one through four. Each number represents the number of inspections they’ll be required to have on an annual basis, so a Level One business will need just one inspection each year, while a Level Four would require four.

However, DBPR will continue to conduct an inspection each time a complaint is received, as it has before, no matter what level the business is.

DBPR will assign initial levels at the next inspection, or when a new business applies for a license. Then, at the beginning of each fiscal year, DBPR officials will reassess each establishment’s inspection frequency classification, and reclassify it if necessary.

The complete guidelines surrounding the risk-based inspection frequency can be found right here. Those with questions can call DBPR directly at (850) 487-1395, or visiting online.

Pasco County closes offices July 4

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Pasco County government, including constitutional offices like the county clerk, as well as the courts will be closed July 4 in observance of Independence Day.

Government offices and courts will re-open July 7.

The Pasco County Tax Collector’s office will be closed both July 4 and July 5, re-opening the following Monday.

All libraries in the county will be closed July 4, but will reopen July 5 at regularly scheduled times.

The Pasco County Parks and Recreation centers will be closed July 4, but parks and beaches will remain open from dawn to dusk.

Pasco County Animal Services will be closed that Friday, including the adoption center and the intake/reclaim shelter. However, and animal control officer will be available for emergencies.

The adoption and intake center will reopen July 5 from noon to 4:30 p.m., and the administration offices will re-open July 7.

Pasco County Public Transportation will not run buses July 4, but will resume normal weekend service on July 5.

The Pasco County Resource Recovery Facility and the East Pasco Transfer Station will be closed to the general public on July 4, but will remain open to licensed commercial haulers. Both will re-open to the general public July 5.