The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Quilters do themselves proud at fair

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The 67th Annual Pasco County Fair took place Feb. 17-23 in Dade City at the Fairgrounds on State Road 52. This year, the competition was called “Collura Country Cottage.” One of the highlights, for many years, has been the quilt competition.

Sweetwater quilters took home many awards at the Pasco County Fair quilt competition. With their quilts are, from left, Janet Barrett, Betty Keller and Madge Witzing. (Courtesy of Cinda McCormick)
Sweetwater quilters took home many awards at the Pasco County Fair quilt competition. With their quilts are, from left, Janet Barrett, Betty Keller and Madge Witzing.
(Courtesy of Cinda McCormick)

Five women from the Twisted Stitchers’ Quilt Club in Sweetwater Park in Zephyrhills did particularly well. Betty Keller, leader of crafts and quilting in the park, received the prestigious Best In Show award, called the Vera Cox Award of Excellence, in quilting. She received a deep burgundy ribbon award for a lovely quilt made from vintage handkerchiefs that she had been collecting for years.

Her Dizzy Diamonds quilt won an Award of Excellence as well.  Betty’s third entry, a wall hanging, also won a blue ribbon.

Janet Barrett’s baby quilt, “Jungle Babies,” won a blue ribbon, and she made it for her great-grandson.

Sue Gilbert, another avid quilter, entered six quilts in the fair. She won a blue ribbon, or first place, on each, and an Award of Excellence on two of them.

Her first quilt used the “A Trip Around the World pattern.” She renamed the queen-sized quilt “A Trip Around the Garden” because each of the 20 fabrics had flowers on them. It won a first-place ribbon.

She called her second queen-sized quilt her “Chicken Quilt.” The pattern is a snowball block with a pieced floral block. She used fabric representing chicken wire for the outside border.

Sue’s third entry was a tall and trim Christmas tree wall hanging.

“This paper-pieced pattern is very easy, and tall and narrow, which is great for decorating a Florida trailer,” Sue said.

Sue’s fourth entry was “Papas Truck,” an appliqué wall hanging using Wonder-Under. It was created by B.J. Designs and Patterns.

Sue’s fifth entry, a wall hanging called “Fonzie Frog,” won a first-place ribbon, and a pink and white large ribbon, Award of Excellence. This is an appliqué project using Wonder-Under, created by Jackie Cooper, who lives at least part-time near North Fort Myers.

Sue’s sixth and final entry was “Pioneer Toddler.” It received a first-place ribbon, and another Award of Excellence ribbon. Sue, also a good photographer, took a photo of a little girl and her mom at the Pioneer Museum’s Farm Fest in 2012, and decided to try to make a wall hanging from the photo.

Our fourth quilter was Madge Witzing. She did the pattern “Bethlehem Star.” It was a king-sized quilt, and Madge used a mixture of blues, white and greens. She has only quilted for a couple of years and her quilting friend, Vivian, shared the pattern with her.

Madge found it to be quite a challenge but was pleased with the result and earned a second-place ribbon. She will give it to her daughter.

The last Twisted Stitchers’ club member, Suzanne Parrish, entered three items in the fair.  Her first quilt, “My National Park Quilt,” won Grand Champion.

“You can buy the pictures of the national parks online,” Suzanne said.

Pattie Geyman did the quilt on a long-arm quilt machine.

Suzanne’s second entry was a Christmas tree wall hanging with homemade Christmas ornaments. It was quilted on a long-arm by Nada Garvin. This entry received a first place, and an Award of Excellence.

Her third entry was a hand-appliquéd and hand-quilted wall hanging called “Shades of Baltimore.” It received a second-place ribbon.

Sweetwater’s quilters not only made themselves proud, but also made residents of Sweetwater proud, too.

The Twisted Stitchers’ Quilt Club annual Quilt Show and Tea was March 12 in the Running Water Clubhouse.

By Cinda McCormick

Published March 19, 2014

YMCA wants to prevent diabetes locally

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Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA — which includes YMCAs in New Tampa, Zephyrhills, Dade City and Northdale — is offering a 50 percent discount for those who sign up for the Y Diabetes Prevention Program on March 25.

That day is American Diabetes Association Alert Day, bringing attention to the 26 million people who suffer from diabetes, as well as the 79 million adults — or one in three — who are on their way to having diabetes in the United States.

Prediabetes, as it’s called, is a condition in which individuals have blood glucose levels that are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes, according to a release. People with prediabetes are at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

“A prediabetes diagnosis should serve as a final warning to take action to prevent developing Type 2 diabetes, and there is no better time than American Diabetes Association Alert Day to determine risk,” said Bridget Piephoff, the diabetes program prevention manager at the Tampa Y, in a release.

Initiatives like the Y’s Diabetes Prevention Program, show that losing a moderate amount of weight and increasing physical activity can prevent or delay new cases of Type 2 diabetes by 58 percent overall, and by as much as 71 percent in adults over the age of 60, the Y said.

The Y’s Diabetes Prevention Program is part of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention-led National Diabetes Prevention Program, and is available at nearly 800 sites in 39 states.

For information, call Bridget Piephoff at (813) 922-2808, or email .

Zephyrhills women leaders host panel at PHSC Tuesday

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Pasco-Hernando State College will celebrate Women’s History Month with a panel of Zephyrhills women leaders on March 25 beginning at 12:30 p.m., at the school’s Dade City campus.

The panel includes Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Foundation executive director Carolyn Sentelik, Main Street Zephyrhills executive director Gina Granger, Zephyrhills City Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson, legislative aide Joy Hampton, and Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce executive director Vonnie Mikkelsen. Hampton works for state Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel.

The panel will discuss topics from author Sheryl Sandberg’s book “Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead.” Lisa Richardson, associate dean of PHSC’s East Campus, will moderate.

It will take place in the East Campus’ Conference Center A-240, located at 36727 Blanton Road, in Dade City.The event is open to the public at no charge. However, RSVPs can be made by calling Jennifer Gardner-Snell at (352) 518-1314, or emailing her at .

HUD gives $225,000 for Pasco public housing

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Pasco County was awarded $225,000 today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to make large-scale improvements to its public housing units.

The money is part of a $48.4 million award to Florida, and $1.8 billion nationwide through HUD’s Capital Fund Program, which provides annual funding to approximately 3,100 public housing authorities to build, repair, renovate and modernize public housing in their communities. These housing authorities, according to a release, use the funding to do large-scale improvements such as replacing roofs or make energy-efficient upgrades to replace old plumbing and electrical systems.

“This funding is critically important to public housing agencies as they work to provide the best housing possible for their residents,” HUD secretary Shaun Donovan said in a release. “While the funding we announce today will never be enough to meet the tremendous backlog of capital needs, HUD will be working closely with Congress to expand efforts to generate approximately $6 billion in private investment for the recapitalization of public housing.”

The nation loses 10,000 public housing units each year, primarily due to disrepair. A 2011 study estimated that 1.1 million public housing stock in the United States are facing an estimated $25.6 billion in large-scale repairs. Unlike routine maintenance, capital needs are extensive improvements required to make housing decent and economically sustainable, according to a release, such as replacing roofs or updating plumbing and electrical systems to increase energy efficiency.

Regional awards went to:

* Brooksville Housing Authority – $146,541
* Clearwater Housing Authority – $755,513
* Housing Authority of the City of Lakeland – $526,714
* Housing Authority of the City of St. Petersburg – $760,467
* Pasco County Housing Authority – $224,594
* Tampa Housing Authority – $5.1 million
* Tarpon Springs Housing Authority – $232,889

In Print: Spending $119,000 on a campaign with no opponent

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State Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, may find his return to Tallahassee an easy one in the November election, especially if he doesn’t draw an opponent.

But the man in-line to become the House Speaker in late 2015 has spent more than $9,000 a month on his re-election campaign, and far more than any other House candidate, whether they have an opponent or not.

Corcoran knows he’s spending a lot, but he’s using the election as a way to connect with constituents, a lot of the nearly $119,000 already spent on events like tele-town halls that draw thousands of people.

“If there’s any chance you get where you can communicate with the voters and get their input, we do it,” Corcoran told reporter Michael Hinman. “Anytime you get input from the voters, that just makes you much more effective.”

But what are election observers saying about the spending spree? You’ll have to find the print edition of The Laker/Lutz News this week to learn more.

Amy Deeb also wants to make some people connections, but in a completely different way.

The 16-year-old Sunlake High School student will spend her summer in India as part of a U.S. Department of State program that encourages young people to learn different languages. Deeb will immerse herself in Hindi.

“I figured if I’m going to go for it, I may as well pick something that’s so, in my mind, different from what I could ever experience in America,” Deeb told reporter B.C. Manion.

And it will be the first language outside of English Deeb has learned since she picked up American Sign Language.

While Deeb is preparing for her trip to a new continent, B.C. as her own trip idea a little closer to home. As part of her “Worth the Trip” series, B.C. introduces us to Gamble Mansion near Ellenton.

Gamble Mansion in Ellenton is the only remaining antebellum plantation house in South Florida. The park is open to visitors every day. The mansion is open to visitors, by guided tours only, Thursdays through Mondays. (Photo by B.C. Manion)
Gamble Mansion in Ellenton is the only remaining antebellum plantation house in South Florida. The park is open to visitors every day. The mansion is open to visitors, by guided tours only, Thursdays through Mondays. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

The house and surrounding park is open to the public, and carries with it a significant amount of history, especially around the Civil War era. Among other things, it is said to be a place where some of the leaders of the Confederacy hid out in the aftermath of that conflict.

All of these stories and more are 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.

Gas prices on the rise, and here’s why

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It’s costing more to pump gas at the pump than it did a few weeks ago — locally more than a dime more per gallon — but gas price spikes are nothing like what’s happening in and around Orlando.

There, prices have jumped as much as 16 cents per gallon, according to GasBuddy.com. And all of it is because of an “imperfect storm of events.”

The biggest problem, according to senior petroleum analyst Gregg Laskoski, is supply. Florida is transitioning to its “summer blend” gasoline, in a process that will take at least another month to complete. At the same time, GasBuddy said there have been unconfirmed reports of gasoline transportation delays moving from Houston or New Orleans to Tampa due to fog in the Gulf of Mexico.

Imports from offshore sources also have stayed low, while freight rates for moving gas from Texas and Louisiana remains high because of a shortage of American-flagged vessels to transport it.

Another problem affecting gas prices is ethanol, which has jumped to $3.75 per gallon in Florida. That alone has raised gas prices by at least 6 cents a gallon, compared to the beginning of the year when the abundance of ethanol probably cheapened gas by a few pennies, according to GasBuddy.

Trains that bring ethanol to Florida have been backlogged, although southern Florida is experiencing those effects more than central Florida.

Trucks to transport gas also are in short supply, especially since many of them are being used for move jet fuel from the ports on the east coast to Tampa.

Finally, demand is probably the strongest in the last six years, primarily because of northern states experiencing some of its harshest winters in the past century, experts said. That demand, which also can drive up prices, could continue through the end of April.

GasBuddy operates more than 250 websites that track gasoline prices at more than 140,000 stations in the United States and Canada.

Florida ranks fourth in best taxpayer state survey

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There are a lot of reasons to live in Florida: sunshine, beaches, Walt Disney World … and taxes?

When it comes to the best states to be a taxpayer, Florida is ranked among the best with an average annual state and local tax payout of $3,648.

That makes Florida fourth in the nation, according to a new survey from WalletHub. Only Wyoming, Alaska and Nevada are better. It’s some good news, at least, as we head into the deepest part of tax season.

WalletHub looked at how state and local tax rates compared to the national median in 50 states and the District of Columbia. The company looked at who had the highest and lowest tax rates, how they compared to the median, which states offered the most value in terms of low taxation and high cost-of-living adjusted income levels.

The study found Florida paid 48 percent less in taxes than the national median. Wyoming, where the tax burden is just over $2,300 annually, is 66 percent lower than the national median.

The worst state to live when it comes to taxes? New York, where residents can see tax bills as high as $9,700 on average — 40 percent over the median.

Where do other states rank? See the interactive map below, courtesy of WalletHub.

WalletHub

Commissioners seek workforce board members

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Pasco County Commissioners are accepting applications from those interested in serving on the Pasco-Hernando Workforce Board.

The specific position is a representative of economic development agencies, according to a release. This would cover areas of local planning and zoning commissions or boards, community development agencies, and other local agencies and institutions responsible for regulating, promoting or assisting in local economic development.

The workforce board is a not-for-profit organization that serves Pasco and Hernando counties by administering local workforce development and welfare reform programs through state and federal initiatives. The board meets every other month, alternating meetings between its New Port Richey and Spring Hill locations.

Members serve a term of four years, and is both voluntary and non-paid.

Those interested in serving should fill out an appointment form by clicking here.

Deadline is March 21 at 5 p.m.

Pasco, Tampa Bay area under tornado watch

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UPDATE: The tornado watch has been lifted, but a hazardous weather outlook warning remains in effect through the end of the week.

A nasty line of storms coming in from the Gulf of Mexico is creating a rainy St. Patrick’s Day for Pasco County residents. And now it comes with the threat of a tornado as well.

Heavy rains, high winds and possibly tornadoes are what Pasco and Hillsborough county residents -- and the rest of the Tampa Bay area -- can expect throughout Monday. (Photo by Michael Hinman)
Heavy rains, high winds and possibly tornadoes are what Pasco and Hillsborough county residents — and the rest of the Tampa Bay area — can expect throughout Monday. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch until 11 p.m. for Pasco and Hillsborough counties, along with 21 other counties along Florida’s west coast.

It’s all part of a hazardous weather outlook the weather service issued early Monday morning, which called for severe thunderstorms and high winds among other problems.

A tornado watch means current weather conditions could possibly produce a tornado, but does not mean an actual tornado has been spotted.

For Monday and Monday night, thunderstorms will continue with a slight risk of severe storms capable of producing damaging winds, the weather service said. It also could include heavy rains and frequent deadly lightning strikes.

Strong southerly winds will create hazardous conditions on area likes, especially south of the Interstate 4 corridor. A lake wind advisory is in effect until 6 p.m. Monday.

Residents should stay away from beaches as well as high winds and seas on the Gulf will result in high surf that will produce rip currents along area beaches throughout Monday. And anyone thinking of taking a boat out might want to reconsider, as southerly winds ranging from 15 knots to 20 knots has created a small craft advisory on Gulf waters south of Tarpon Springs.

The weather service also warns that small craft should exercise caution elsewhere.

There’s no immediate end in sight for the storms, either. Thunderstorms are expected to continue Tuesday and through the rest of the week, capable of producing strong, gusty winds with heavy rains and lightning strikes.

Save green while celebrating green on St. Patrick’s Day

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St. Patrick’s Day is a time to wear green and celebrate Irish ancestry. But it’s also a religious observance for many Catholics, Anglicans, Eastern Orthodox and Lutherans.

The holiday stems from the introduction of Christianity in Ireland, and March 17 is said to be the day St. Patrick died in A.D. 461. The long-running tradition of shamrocks in the holiday comes from the reported teachings of St. Patrick, who used the plant as a demonstration of the Christian Holy Trinity.

St. Patrick’s Day also comes on the tail end this year of the Jewish celebration of Purim. That weekend, which includes jokes and costumes, celebrates how King Ahasuerus’ royal vizier, Haman, was foiled in exterminating the Jews in his empire by Mordecai and adopted daughter Esther, who at the time had become queen of Persia next to Ahasuerus.

Purim has since become a day of celebration, which like St. Patrick’s Day, could include some alcohol and parties.

There are local observances of St. Patrick’s Day that might help keep some green in your wallet. The first is Pasco Kinship Care’s free family fun event at Old McMicky’s Farm in Odessa from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. today. That event includes hands-on interaction with animals, pony rides, hayride, barn maze and a lakeside lunch.

The farm is located at 9612 Crescent Drive, and those seeking information can email Larry Cooper at .

Two thrift stores also will offer discounts today to shoppers celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.

HPH Hospice thrift stores are offering a 30 percent discount on any items with a green tag today. The sale is taking place at both their 4910 Allen Road, Zephyrhills, store, as well as their 6528 Massachusetts Ave., New Port Richey, store.

Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes also will offer discounts, but for them 17 percent storewide. For a list of their store locations, visit GHPPC.org.