The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Residents awarded for beautiful landscape

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(Courtesy of Jo Ann Buley)
(Courtesy of Jo Ann Buley)

The Timber Lake Estates Beautification Committee awarded Ray and Marlene Bedell of 3210 Moonlight St., Home of the Year on Dec. 16. They received a certificate, a winning flag, and a cash award of $150. The Beautification Committee is noting many improvements within the park and is encouraging residents to keep up the good work. The committee is now in the process of selecting the Home of the Quarter for 2014.

Let the entertainment begin at Rainbow Village

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Rainbow Village residents started out 2014 with meals that are to bring them good luck in the new year.

Entertainer Rich Wilson snapped this photo of the audience during his show at Rainbow Village. With front row seats are Dave and Donna Sherman, and Dick and Sandy Abel. (Courtesy of Rich Wilson)
Entertainer Rich Wilson snapped this photo of the audience during his show at Rainbow Village. With front row seats are Dave and Donna Sherman, and Dick and Sandy Abel. (Courtesy of Rich Wilson)

In Pennsylvania, we have pork and sauerkraut with mashed potatoes. In the south, some have pork jaw and green eyed peas, or corn beef and cabbage for good luck. Whatever tradition you follow, it’s always been the way to bring in the new year.

You don’t always get to hear about the nice things people do at Christmas time, especially businesses. Our Rainbow Village residents were very generous at Christmas and collected enough money to purchase 18 big bicycles for the needy children in Zephyrhills.

Our manager, Sue Flynn, went to Walmart, and the assistant manager there, John, went above and beyond helping them select and purchase the 18 bikes. Thank you, John at Zephyrhills Walmart. Residents also collected many toys and games for the children, too.

Denny Ellis entertained us at a Sunday night ice cream social with a lot of country songs, especially Merle Haggard songs. It was a very enjoyable evening.

Jimmy Smith performed his gospel show at a recent Sunday night ice cream get-together. He did some of his Elvis gospel songs and some Vince Gill and other artists’ gospel songs. Jimmy has a beautiful voice and he closed out his show honoring the veterans.

We were very privileged to have Rich Wilson for our first show of the season. He has performed in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, and many other places. His unique brand of interactive comedy, along with his great vocals, was a perfect combination for Rainbow Village to love his performance. He sang many songs of yesteryear that most of us grew up on. We sure would welcome him back to our resort.

We started off the state dinners with the Multi-State Dinner. These are the states not from Michigan, Canada and New England. Dick Elliott and his committee did a great job of planning this event. There were raffle prizes, and entertainment by Doug and Mary Sawyer, and Jan Peyton, singing country songs. It was very entertaining.

The food was great, and there was so much of it. Thanks, Dick and your committee.

Our next Rainbow Village show is the Steve Jeffris’ one-man band variety show, with guitar and vocals, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m.

On Feb. 19, Sarah Getto, a musician and songwriter, will perform.

On March 5, our last show will feature Jimmy Smith Remembering the Legends and Gospel Show.

These shows all start at 7 p.m., and the price of the tickets is $8 each. Call Sue Flynn at (813) 782-5075.

So far the season has been great and we’re looking forward to a very eventful February.

By Sandra Gilbert-Abel

Quilters finish what Gertrude Dupuis started

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When Gertrude Dupuis began sewing her last quilt in Midland, Mich., she didn’t know that it would be completed by a group named the Leisure Day Quilters and used to benefit hospice patients like herself in Pasco County.

Quilters take care of unfinished business The Leisure Days Quilters finished this quilt started by Gertrude Dupuis before she passed away under hospice care. The quilt is now being awarded in a drawing with all proceeds benefiting Gulfside Regional Hospice.(Courtesy of Regional Gulfside Hospice)
Quilters take care of unfinished business
The Leisure Days Quilters finished this quilt started by Gertrude Dupuis before she passed away under hospice care. The quilt is now being awarded in a drawing with all proceeds benefiting Gulfside Regional Hospice.(Courtesy of Regional Gulfside Hospice)

Dupuis was an avid quilter and loved her hobby. When she passed away on Feb. 18, 2013 under hospice care in Michigan, her daughter, Marilyn Rindle, knew she could not leave her mother’s last piece unfinished.

Rindle gave the unfinished quilt to Donna Agle, a volunteer for Gulfside Regional Hospice and a member of the Leisure Day Quilters. Agle brought the pieces to the quilters, and they completed the hand-pieced quilt as a group project.

The quilt, appraised at $2,300, is now being awarded in a drawing with all proceeds benefiting Gulfside Regional Hospice, at Rindle’s request.

“Marilyn thinks the world of what hospice did for her family,” said Agle.

She is 100 percent behind hospice and what they did for her mother while she was in her last days.”

Tickets for the drawing are available now for a donation of $2 per single ticket, or $5 for three tickets. The drawing will be on Feb. 8 at 9 a.m., at the Leisure Days Quilt Show, 34533 Leisure Days Drive in Zephyrhills. Contestants do not need to be present to win.

Tickets can be purchased at Gulfside’s administrative office, 6117 Trouble Creek Road in New Port Richey; Gulfside Center for Hospice Care, 5760 Dean Dairy Road in Zephyrhills; and each of Gulfside’s five thrift shop locations.

For more information about the quilt or tickets, call Erin Cleary at (727) 845-5707, or email .

The high days of winter at Happy Days

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It was called “polar vortex,” but in truth it was cold. Almost too cold to think about our first ice cream social of the New Year.

Socializing before one of the many park activities at Happy Days are, from left, Jim Weaver, Steve Warren, Nancy Warren and Judy Weaver. (Courtesy of Ron Graham)
Socializing before one of the many park activities at Happy Days are, from left, Jim Weaver, Steve Warren, Nancy Warren and Judy Weaver. (Courtesy of Ron Graham)

In the middle of those freezing days, the most amusing site at the local store was Ron and Heather Graham pushing a cart loaded to the brim with frozen ice cream. Boy, that was a topic of conversation for their fellow shoppers. Our chairperson, Heather, felt like the mailman — we must deliver in sleet or snow.

As she noted, all we have to do now to get ready is slice it into squares. Brrrr.

The ice cream social always is a popular event, and luckily the temperature rebounded enough for the 6 o’clock serving to bring more than 110 into the hall. For $1 you got a cupcake and ice cream. What a deal. Cold cash gave you an equally cold dessert, on an equally cold day.

On Jan. 11 we all headed down to the hall again for our first park breakfast of the year. Jim Grant and his cracking (egg) team again plated their mouth-watering breakfasts of pancakes, eggs, sausage, toast and coffee for $3. All you had to do was bring your silverware, coffee mugs, and a big appetite. And, of course, three bucks. Last count was 104 happy eaters.

Jim probably wished he had that many on KP duty. Not being deterred, he is planning the next one for the first weekend of February. He may have a special addition to his menu, so stay tuned.

And, since we seem to overdo our feasting frenzies sometimes, on Sunday evening we finished the week with our first potluck dinner of the new year. Since our official capacity counter had the weekend off, association president Linda Jenkins defined the crowd, equally as large as we had this week. Cleanup crews as usual are many and anonymous, but still thanked for their service.

There is no doubt that the high days of the winter season are upon us. Now the sports venues are heating up, the crafts, hall activities, bus tours, etc., are active. It will now be a few busy months.

By Ian Marwick

Grand Horizons welcomes in the new year

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Approximately 100 residents of Grand Horizons and some family members enjoyed the New Year’s Eve celebration in our community center.  It was definitely done in very good taste, and you could see the preparations that went into it. There was much work, and it certainly was appreciated by all.

Chick and Annmarie Shackewyc were the hosts for this party, and were assisted by Brian Heidman and Sue Laurin, Rich and Chris Fulton, and Bill and Judy Ellsworth. Our sincere thanks go out to all of them.

Barbara and Ken Holzapfel look surprised that 2014 is finally here. (Courtesy of Helene Rubenstein)
Barbara and Ken Holzapfel look surprised that 2014 is finally here. (Courtesy of Helene Rubenstein)

Billy Cole performed the DJ duties, and it was one song after another. He did an outstanding job. Billy also took requests and tried to accommodate all. There was country, pop, slow dances, and many songs from our generation that brought back pleasant memories.

There also were line dances, and even a polka thrown in. The music had us singing, dancing and more.

Every couple that attended brought a plate for the table and there ended up being a large variety of nibbles. In addition to this, a huge table was set up in the room with all types of spreads, crackers, and quite a bit more.

In the course of the evening, names were pulled and the winners got an envelope with something “special” in it.  So, in addition to the good time, several people went home with a little something to remember this grand event.

Toward the end of the evening pictures were also taken, and then emailed to the specific person or couple. We had the television set on in the community center when it was getting close to midnight, and when it eventually got to be the new year, we rejoiced with the crowd on the set.

Horns were blaring and clickers were clicking as we welcomed in the new year in Grand Horizon style.

On Jan. 2, we had our first social club of the year with our new social director, Barb Sullins. Approximately 20 to 25 people came to the community center to hear about the activities that they have planned for the coming year and to give our new director some support.

Terry Gardner spoke about the upcoming show on Jan. 24, and another show that will be in February, while Andy Castonguay talked about the spaghetti dinner on Jan. 16.  Several more items were on the agenda, and all in all, the meeting was informative.

The following day proved to be very windy and quite brisk out, but we still had four shuffleboard players that braved the cold and played three games. It was fun, and you tolerated the cold more and more as the games progressed.

The afternoon hours found several people at the community center playing Rummikub. This is a fun game and has you thinking as you would do in the game of mahjong.  As in most of our games played at Grand Horizon, there is much laughter, kidding around and friendly banter along with much teasing.

The following morning, on Jan. 4, we had our first breakfast of the new year. It was an excellent turnout of 85 to 90 people buying tickets, and more being served that included all the volunteers that made this breakfast such a success. This was the biggest that we ever had for breakfast.

Attending this function were many of our neighbors and several guests. There were three couples that attended the egg n’ bag for the very first time, and they were recognized by Linda Tutin, along with the rest of the people in attendance.

As in every breakfast, we had a drawing for a winner of a free egg n’ bag, and the lucky winner was me. Our breakfast consisted of eggs or Egg Beaters, along with potatoes, a biscuit, orange juice and coffee. There was also jam, butter and other condiments available.

After our holiday break, many of the residents met at the community center on Jan. 6 for a lively game of dominoes. We always have a very good time at Mexican Train, and this day was no exception with friendly banter.

On Jan. 10, we had our once-a-month lunch connoisseurs at The Lucky Dill.  We had gone there before and we had a delightful time with great food, and we did once again. There were 42 people who attended, and there were so many items on the menu that people had a difficult time deciding what to order.

They had a bakery with all sorts of goodies in it, and it was quite busy. The many cakes, cookies, pies, bagels, etc., were so inviting that you had to at least take a look.

Our thanks go out to Bill and Donna Quinn, who were hosts for this luncheon.

By Helene Rubenstein

Great place to eat, hidden in plain sight

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If you are ready for a delicious quick bite to eat with a unique flavor, this is the place to go.

The gyro platter with sautéed veggies is one of the popular healthy dishes at Gyro Zone in Lutz.
The gyro platter with sautéed veggies is one of the popular healthy dishes at Gyro Zone in Lutz.

I found a little Middle Eastern-flair Lebanese café that is actually next to a gas station right on U.S. 41 in Lutz called the Gyro Zone.

Trust me, don’t judge a book by its cover. Even though it’s next to a gas station, you will be very impressed with the quality of food the owner delivers, and the great service he provides.

I have to admit, I have not eaten Middle Eastern food before, but this food is delicious, wholesome and tastes very fresh. And I liked that it’s something totally different than we are used to with traditional American food.

The owner, Abe Srour — who was born in Lebanon — says that “seeing people happy and coming back is what I do this for.” He added that 95 percent of his customers are American, and “I feel they are looking for something different. We have brought a new cuisine to this community, and people have been very receptive. Everyone that has come in has returned many times.”

One of the things I love about family restaurants, instead of the big corporate ones, is you really get that family feel from the owners. Abe is such a nice guy, and you can tell he really enjoys serving his customers. Honestly, even though the food is great, it’s worth a trip, even just to meet this guy!

One of the items they specialize in is gyros, which is lamb. If you have never had this before, I encourage you to try it. It’s very healthy. I also tried the homemade hummus, and that was a delicious snack to start with.

Abe recommended I try the chicken shawarma, even though I had no idea what it was. But I was willing to check it out, and wow, was I surprised.

“Shawarma” is a Turkish word that means “turning,” so basically the meat is turning on a spindle while it’s being cooked. It is a vertical rotisserie, and you can choose chicken, beef or gyro.

To reduce the carbs, I modified the platter that came with the sautéed veggies and rice, and I left off the rice. I believe in eating a higher-fat diet and controlling your blood sugar levels by monitoring your carbs. This helps you lose weight easily, age slower, have ultimate health, and get rid of cravings.

The flavors that Abe used are delicious and so unique, I had to control myself not to eat too much (love those to-go boxes). Traditionally, a gyro comes with a wrap, but one thing I like here is they offer it with or without that, and you can just enjoy the meat and veggies. It is just as enjoyable without the excess carbs.

Another thing I like is the oil they use — a very thick olive oil from Lebanon, which is much better for you than using vegetable oils that many restaurants use. Consuming vegetable oils in excess are linked to inflammation in the body, so you want to reduce those in your food choices.

The Gyro Zone is located at 18215 U.S. 41 in Lutz. Its hours are Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m.

I encourage you to check it out, and experience Abe’s skill for cooking great food, and his passion for hospitality.

By Samantha Taylor, Pure Health Studios

Woman’s club loses one of its brightest stars

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The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club is grieving the loss of one of its most cherished members.

Mary Martin, a longtime member of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, lost her battle with cancer on Jan. 1.
Mary Martin, a longtime member of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, lost her battle with cancer on Jan. 1.

Mary Martin, a club member who served for 35 years in nearly every capacity, lost her battle with cancer on New Year’s Day. She was 85.

She fought courageously to overcome two bouts of cancer and again tolerated heavy treatments, but sadly lost her third battle.

Mary was a lovely and petite American of Japanese-English descent, known for her quiet dignity, kindness and meticulous style. Wherever she went she always was perfectly turned out and made up.

She was a talented artist and crafts woman, and for many years, played tennis with a Tampa Bay area group.

She was a woman of great faith and a longtime member of First United Methodist Church of Lutz. Her faith sustained her and gave her the strength to bear the heavy burdens she faced, especially during the last few years.

Mary recently spoke of wanting to “go home to the Lord” and rejoin her beloved Duane in their Father’s House. She suffered the loss of her husband of 48 years, Duane Martin, a few months ago.

She is at peace, now.

Mary is survived by three sons and two daughters-in-law, and two grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Woman’s Club members mourn the loss of their dear friend, but are consoled in knowing the heavenly skies burn more brightly now, with her twinkling glow.

“As gentle as a snowflake, may peace come to your heart.”

-Japanese proverb

By Patricia Serio

A culture of caring is needed at school, home

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Since becoming Pasco Superintendent of School, I have spoken at length about creating a culture of caring and respect, and the importance of social-emotional learning — giving our students the skills they need to navigate their lives in a healthy, positive way.

Kurt Browning
Kurt Browning

And that is why I feel compelled to write today. Recently, the Pasco County community lost a 16-year-old in a senseless act of violence committed by another teenager.

The District School Board of Pasco County has been working diligently to foster a culture of respect. We started this conversation over the summer at the Together We Stand youth summit, and we now must raise our voices to get the message across.

Today, I write this letter to continue the conversation about how we can all help our kids grow into responsible and caring adults, who interact with one another in a civil, respectful way. I don’t have all the answers in our schools, but I know we cannot do this without the community.

I know it will take deliberate and tough conversations within families and communities to help kids learn how to deal with conflict and cope with adversity appropriately. We must work together!

Whether you’re a Pasco native, or you moved here from somewhere else; whether you’re rich or poor; whether your skin color is red, olive, black or white — this culture of violence is our problem, and we must work together to create the type of community we want for our children. A culture of caring and respect must transcend the school doors and spill over into the community, especially during this holiday season.

In the meantime, I call on government, business, community, faith, and especially our youth leaders to resume talking about how we can address the problems our kids are experiencing. I urge parents and caretakers to talk to their children on an ongoing basis about what’s appropriate and not appropriate. Know their friends. Watch their Facebook and Twitter conversations. Set limits and talk to them about your expectations.

If you have any thoughts or ideas to help further this dialogue, please do not hesitate to email me at .

We do not need any more children killing children. We need adults and children to practice respect and to care for each other.

Are you with me?

By Kurt Browning is superintendent of Pasco County Schools.

City Grill brings a new dining experience to Wesley Chapel

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CityGrillCloserLook

Executive chef Gerry Malynowsky, owner of City Grill, brings a chef-driven international menu, craft beers, signature drinks and a nice wine selection to Wesley Chapel diners. The main dining area hosts plenty of seating and beautiful new bar. A pool table and dart boards are provided in the lounge area.

For many years, Gerry owned and operated a popular sports bar in the same location, Winners Grill. He sold it in 2008, but was forced to repossess it in 2013. It didn’t take long for Gerry to realize this wasn’t the same restaurant, so he closed it down, completely renovated the interior and recently opened it again as City Grill.

“We’re very excited to offer Wesley Chapel a whole new dining experience,” says Gerry. “We’re an independent, non- chain restaurant offering a unique menu with fresh chef-prepared food from local suppliers.” He brought his chef, Kasia Lavigne, from San Francisco where she earned Cordon Blue degree in Culinary Arts from the acclaimed California Culinary Academy.

“Unlike the average chain restaurant, we want you to feel comfortable sitting here long after your meal is finished,” says Gerry. “We have ladies come in for lunch and stay for a couple of hours enjoying their martinis. It’s a really friendly and relaxed atmosphere.”

City Grill has a nice selection of specialty sandwiches. Customer favorites include the Reuben (corned beef piled high on grilled rye, 1000 island, swiss cheese and sauerkraut), Corned Beef and Rye, Prime Rib on toasted bread, and the Cuban (mojo pork, smoked ham, salami and swiss cheese on pressed buttered cuban bread). You’ll also find chicken sandwiches and a variety of burgers (made with freshly ground NY strip, ribeye and sirloin steak).

Monday through Friday, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., two can share a sandwich for the price of one. “We know how the economy has affected people,” says Gerry. “This seemed like a nice way for us to give people a really nice lunch at a very affordable price.”

Dinner selections are simply outstanding. Select three types of steak prepared four different ways. Fresh fish from St. Pete includes Grouper and freshwater Tilapia with six different preparation choices. Gulf oysters, shrimp and lobster crab cakes are also on the menu.

At City Grill, every member of the family will find something to their liking. “The menu is continually evolving,” says Gerry. “We have a lot of ideas for the coming year. We want this to be a fun place to enjoy a meal with your family.”

Gerry is very supportive of local artists. He’s planning to bring in local jazz and blues bands to play on Friday and Saturday nights starting in the new year. You can also find artwork on display from local artists. Andrew Krance will be displaying his artwork at the restaurant on the last Thursday in January 2014.

The atmosphere is casual. The food is excellent. The staff is friendly. And Gerry is always interested in your opinions and suggestions. Stop on in and enjoy the food at the best new restaurant in Wesley Chapel.

City Grill is open nights with a late night menu and a full bar. They are located at 5427 Village Market, at the corner of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and State Road 54, in Wesley Chapel.

– Mike Matthew

This story is a feature of the advertising department.

Permanent makeup comes to Wesley Chapel

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Valerie Rudmin, owner of Everlasting Beauty, has been a permanent makeup specialist for 26 years. She first heard about permanent makeup when Michael Jackson had permanent eyeliner applied. She thought, what a great idea! That inspired her to become a permanent makeup artist to help those in need, especially women without eyebrows.

She immediately enrolled in one of the only schools in the United States offering permanent makeup and began offering it as a service through the hair salon she owned in Chicago.

Her first client was herself. “I wanted to show my clients what I was talking about, rather than trying to explain it, no one knew what this was” says Valerie. “That way, they could see the results first-hand.” Her business took off from there.

In 1990, she moved to Florida. Shortly after that, she met a doctor in Hernando County, who asked her to come to work in his office. Her reputation grew, and she began working with cosmetic surgeons at the Clearwater Center for Cosmetic Surgery.

After attending a conference 16 years ago in North Carolina, she was invited to open a studio in Des Moines, Iowa. Every couple of months, she flies there to work with clients who’ve booked appointments from all over the U.S.

“I always wanted to work closer to home,” says Valerie. “A friend found a studio that’s just a few minutes from my home, so I opened a studio in Wesley Chapel in January (2013) adding to my other locations.”

Valerie currently has over 30 certifications in permanent makeup. Her education is ongoing. “I’m always interested in learning something new,” says Valerie. “In 1992, I took some time off to study with master tattoo artist Big Joe in New York. He was the best in the industry and a really interesting character.”

The majority of her work comes from referrals. “People need to know who’s working on their face,” says Valerie. “There are things that should not be done, mistakes that can cause irreversible damage. A tattoo artist with a couple of classes in permanent makeup is probably not the wisest choice.”

Valerie’s studio is a safe and sterile environment that’s been licensed and inspected by the State of Florida Health Department. She uses the best topical anesthetic and knows how to apply them so her clients don’t feel anything while she’s working on them. Most work is completed in a single visit lasting a little over one hour. Clients leave her office with no swelling, bleeding or bruising, just makeup that wont wash off.

Valerie is a Lifetime Member of The Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals (SPCP.org). She also remodels scars, including chemo port scars, creates the 3D areola on “our beautiful breast cancer survivors”, as well as eyebrows, eyeliner and lip liner. She also has her own skin care product line. She works by appointment only. Call her at (727) 460-3847 to set up an appointment.

“I can take 10 years off your face simply by doing your eyebrows,” says Valerie. “It feels good to wakeup with makeup.”

Valerie Rudmin can be reached at (727) 460-3847, or by email at .

– Mike Matthew

This story is a feature of the advertising department.