Special to The Laker/Lutz News

 

 

JR Allen’s battle against a life changing opponent

 

By Jeff Odom

 

Steinbrenner girls basketball coach JR Allen is notorious for being passionate about the game.

From making history as the first white player to join Bethune-Cookman University’s men’s team to time spent with the New York Nationals, a professional team that plays against the Harlem Globetrotters, Allen and basketball are synonymous.

But Allen faced a much greater challenge off the court six years ago that threatened to end his life as he knew it.

It didn’t deal with wins or losses.

It was a battle that tested his faith and his life.

***

In April 2006, the then 28-year-old Allen was beginning a normal day.

As he did so many times before, he revved up his motorcycle to join the morning commute on his way to Ridge Community School in Polk County where he taught physical education and was the boys basketball coach.

Allen had owned the motorcycle for about six months. It was something he said he always wanted, and it had the benefit of using less gas during his daily 30-mile commute to work.

He left early in the morning, speeding down Highway 17/92 in Haines City.

In the distance, the sun was rising and cars were flying by on both sides of the four-lane road. As he approached an intersection, miles away from the school, his life was forever changed.

“A gentleman was coming from the opposite direction and we were approaching the same intersection,” Allen said. “For whatever reason, he needed to make a left-hand turn and crossed into my path of travel.”

The driver never saw him.

Allen swerved to avoid a direct impact, but there wasn’t anything he could do to miss the oncoming vehicle.

His left femur was blown out, his neck had been broken and his pelvis snapped outward and cracked open. Shards of bone fragments sliced through his bladder causing life threatening internal bleeding.

Paramedics rushed him to the hospital, fearing that he could be paralyzed from the waist down.

“They ended up diagnosing me with something called CCS, which is called central cord syndrome, and I was out of it,” Allen said. “I was out of it for about three days. The initial findings that (the doctors) found were that my lower limbs weren’t responding to any of the tests that they were running. So, they initially came to the conclusion and told my parents that they believed I was paralyzed. … With them knowing who I was as a person, they knew what kind of toll that would have on me.”

***

Things started to improve with his vital signs when Allen finally woke in his hospital bed, but the pain he felt was excruciating.

There were times, Allen said, where he wondered to himself if he would be able to survive the healing process.

“You can’t really think of anything else when you’re in that type of pain,” Allen said. “I can look around now and see these guys that go to war and come back missing arms or limbs, so I feel like I’m whining and crying about it now. In the moment, that was the most painful thing I could ever begin to explain, or try to describe. It was constant hurt.”

Soon, Allen entered a depression and began to question his faith and whether he truly wanted to keep living.

He’d stay up late at night crying, praying that he wouldn’t have to go through the pain anymore.

“It was such a traumatic experience that I didn’t want to go through it mentally for the first few weeks and months,” Allen said. “I was in such a dark place knowing the battle I was going to have to face.”

***

During the past 15 summers, Allen has helped teach basketball to children while working at the University of Florida’s summer program.

A self-admitted “huge Florida Gators fan,” Allen had become good friends with men’s basketball coach Billy Donovan and cheered the team on to its first national championship just a week prior to the accident.

It wasn’t until he got a special phone call from his mentor that Allen truly saw the reason he had to stay alive and keep fighting.

“One of the early nights that I was in the hospital, there was always someone in the room with me, sitting with me and checking up on me and it happened to be my grandmother,” Allen said. “She was trying to take care of me and do everything she could when the phone rang in my room. I heard her answer it and she said to the person on the line, ‘He’s sleeping right now, let me see if he’s awake.’

“She told me someone was on the phone for me and asked if I knew a coach Donovan,” Allen continued. “I still get emotional thinking about that. To hear a national championship winning coach, a friend, call my hospital room to keep me in good spirits, that gave me some strength, some courage that I really needed at that time to keep going.”

Donovan joked with Allen about “taking a break” from working out to lie in a bed all day and said he wanted Allen to work hard to get back to the camp in June.

“He said, ‘We know you’re hurt pretty bad and we’re thinking about you and we want you to get back up here to celebrate getting back on your feet,’” Allen said. “That was so uplifting to hear my hero in my time of need. It was the single biggest factor to get me motivated along with my family.”

From there, Allen set his goals and told himself he would win the fight against the agony.

First, he had to learn how to walk again after being confined to a wheelchair.

Allen started taking steps without a wheelchair seven months after the injury, right around Thanksgiving in 2006.

The severe impact of the accident had caused spinal damage to many nerves controlling Allen’s arms and legs.

“I had to relearn how to do everything,” Allen said. “I had to relearn how to eat and pick things up with my hand. It was completely starting from scratch as a newborn, but being 28 years old.”

Allen worked tirelessly every day, pushing himself to get back to playing basketball and taking another shot at what he loved most — coaching.

***

In 2009, three years after the accident that nearly ended his life, Allen was hired as Steinbrenner’s first girls basketball coach.

One year later, he felt the opportunity was finally right for him to open up and share his experience with the team.

Before Steinbrenner’s game against Hillsborough County powerhouse Jefferson, which had defeated the Warriors one year earlier 64-11, Allen felt the time was right.

He passed out envelopes containing a picture of him during the ordeal and a message about staying strong in times of adversity.

When he was finished telling his story, there wasn’t a dry eye in his classroom.

“I’m a firm believer in everything in life, there is a reason for things happening,” Allen said. “You can make the best of it or you can wallow in self pity. It took me a long time, but through encouragement and some help through family, I realized that I could use this and turn it into a great story and help someone out.”

One of Allen’s players, Lauren Shedd, dealt with issues of her own.

During CrossFit training in the summer of 2011, the forward’s spine began to compress and she suffered breaks to her L4 and L5 vertebrae.

Her playing career was in serious jeopardy of being cut short halfway through last season.

Allen pulled her aside and encouraged her to not give up and remember his story as a drive to keep fighting.

“His injury was obviously a lot worse than mine, but his recovery was a lot like mine,” said Shedd, who returned to the squad this year as a senior and is Steinbrenner’s third leading scorer. “He really helped me know that.”

***

As Allen continued to get better throughout the years, so did his team.

Last season, in just his third year at the helm, his Warriors hoisted the Class 7A-District 9 championship with their best overall record in program history — 22-3 — after only winning nine games in 2009.

This year, Steinbrenner has started 16-4 while outscoring opponents by an average of 52.6-39.

Although he still deals with soreness every morning, Allen is grateful to be where he is today.

“I was able to use my bad experience and be placed at this wonderful school with these great kids and great parents,” Allen said. “It takes (me) back there, and it’s not easy to relive, but it’s a tool. It gives me a chance to be able to use it for good, and if I’m able to leave my imprint on someone, then I did what I was supposed to do.”

 

 

By Jeff Odom

 

Duty was light for volunteer firefighters Dec. 31 at Lutz Station 24. The memories and emotions left behind on the final day, however, were heavy.

At midnight Jan. 1, the turning of a new year meant the end of the line for volunteer fire associations in Hillsborough County, after a performance audit in September found the cost of running them outweighed the benefits.

County commissioners then voted unanimously in November to approve the fire department’s new reserve responder program, which staffed all volunteer houses with 78 paid career personnel instead of volunteers.

For the Lutz association, which was founded in 1952, the vote had a greater impact. It meant more than 60 years of history had reached its final chapter on New Year’s Eve.

“The people of Lutz have really appreciated what we do for them.” said Brandyn Dawson, a volunteer for the last two years. “I was raised in Lutz, and it’s been nice to kind of give back this way to a community where I’ve lived and be helping the same people and town that I was born in. It’s a privilege.”

Though most of the other five associations were losing money, Lutz stayed on stable financial ground with more than $150,000 in revenue – $85,508 coming from community support, donations and membership dues, according to the audit.

Residents and volunteers hoped that support would set the station apart, but the county opted for change. Now, Dawson, like so many other volunteers, will have to figure out what’s next.

“I’m really not sure what I’ll do,” Dawson said. “I want to start school. I want to do something still medical, maybe paramedic or nursing’s an option. Honestly, there are so many different directions I can be heading.”

Assistant chief Matt Storey, who has been a volunteer in the county for more than 11 years, transferred from Dover in March. He said one of the first traits he noticed about the community when he arrived was how much it gave back to the association.

He hopes to continue working with the department through the county’s reserve responder program, but with a wide pool of applicants, Storey said he may return to school.

“It’s been a whole new experience for me coming from the small Dover community, to Lutz, which has such a tremendous backing for the fire department,” Storey said. “I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve never seen so many people support a volunteer fire department, and it was really an eye-opener.”

Three-year veteran and acting captain Javaro Johnson, 36, chose Lutz so that he could be a part of the history. He said that the volunteers tried to talk to the county, but the decision was out of their hands.

“There were rumors here and there around October, and no one really paid attention to it. And one day it was really true, and some people were devastated,” said Johnson, who plans on spending time with his family after leaving the station. “It’s kind of hard to believe that it’s down to the last few hours. Just for it to go that easy, just because somebody else made a mistake, it cost everyone else big. There’s not much we can do about it now.”

Dawson said that he will miss being around the station he’s called home for so long.

“It’s really the greatest job in the world,” he said. “When you find something you love to do, it’s not really even a job. I’ve really enjoyed my time and definitely being part of the team is really great. What better job could you have, really?”

 

Monkey Huggers set to launch this year

 

By B.C. Manion

 

Some people thought Marcus and M.J. Price were crazy when they launched Goin’ Postal in 2002.

People would ask them why they named their business after a phrase with such a negative connotation, M.J. said. But the way they saw it, their mailing store could turn a negative vibe into something good.

Goin’ Postal blossomed into a franchise operation in 2004, and now there are approximately 260 locations nationwide.

After that, they launched Hut no. 8, a franchise business that specializes in the sale of gently used clothing and accessories for people in their teens and 20s.

They think their latest franchise concept — Monkey Huggers — has tremendous potential for boosting opportunity in Zephyrhills.

“We’ve always been looking for something that is a big enough idea to build something here that was going to employ hundreds, if not thousands of people. And, now we’ve got it,” Marcus said.

The Monkey Huggers franchise idea has been kicking around for years, but the couple had to wait until they got the software perfected for their Hut no. 8.

“The Hut no. 8 system is well developed now,” Marcus said. “We’re just writing second-generation software to manage the store and as soon as that software is done, it’s the same software that’s going to manage the Monkey Huggers store. The resale stores are very similar; they’re just a different product.

“For a long time now, we’ve been working on the characters and the theme, and we’re starting to define the look and the feel of the stores because everyone has always built resale stores that are like a Goodwill or The Salvation Army,” he continued.

Their approach is different.

They’re creating children’s stores that will offer resale items, but will be similar in concept to a Disney store, Marcus said.

“We’re developing the characters and the music, even down to the smell,” Marcus said. “All of our stores have licensed scents in them and licensed soundtracks. We’re going to do the same thing for Monkey Huggers. We’re going to make it some place where the kids want to go, not somewhere where they’re dragged by their parents.”

M.J. added, “Monkey Huggers will have a really fun, fun, interior feel. It’s going to be like a jungle. It’s going to be easy to clean for the franchisee with smooth, safe, rounded corners. But it is also going to be very vibrant, very fun.

“They’re going to want Mom or Dad to bring them there, or Grandpa or Grandma or guardian — so they can go play, watch the Monkey Hugger cartoons that are playing in the store, and it’ll be a nice experience for the moms,” she continued.

“I know it’s always a nightmare for me to have to bring the kids if there isn’t a place that’s a kiddie corral for them. They will have a safe, protected corral that they will be checked into. They can’t be removed from it without the parents signing them back out.

They’re participating in activities and watching the cartoons and doing something with a staff member while Mom can just shop and enjoy herself and relax.”

Work is under way to create the cartoon program, Marcus said: “Right now, the first episode is being animated.”

Monkey Huggers will be in sync with today’s trends and will have a full line of branded merchandise, the couple said.

“It’s going to be multimedia,” M.J. said. “There also will be apps. There will be games. There will be books and educational toys.”

Marcus added, “Just like Disney takes every possible approach to their business, there’s no reason we can’t do the same.”

M.J. said every element of the Monkey Huggers will be manufactured in Zephyrhills.

Beyond the store, there will Monkey Huggers-themed daycare centers and party centers.

“Every aspect of the business will feed every other aspect,” Marcus said. “From the stores, the kids will get to meet the characters, and because they get to meet the characters, they’ll want to buy the toys, the T-shirts and the clothing. We can stick the logo on everything.”

It’s expensive for companies to get new customers, but once they have them they can cross-sell, Marcus said. “We’ve got daycare services for them and those kids have birthdays — there are party centers for them.”

The Zephyrhills location of Monkey Huggers will be about 5,000 square feet, Marcus said. Generally, the stories will be 2,000 to 3,000 square feet.

The couple expects to have the first Monkey Huggers open and fully operational by Christmas 2013.

Work continues to develop the franchise’s starring monkey.

“We’re hoping to unveil our little guy, hoping — fingers crossed — we’re hoping to have him ready to appear on the Founders’ Day float in Zephyrhills, March 9, 2013,” M.J. said. “We’re hoping to have his theme song and him. … We haven’t named him yet. We will probably have a contest to name him. We may have a contest for the jingle.”

Besides being a fun place to go, the stores will offer good deals, the couple said.

The resale items will be about 70 percent off regular prices, Marcus said.

The new franchise provides the couple a way to thank the city of Zephyrhills, M.J. said.

The couple used to live in a van that didn’t run, and then they lived in a bus before they finally moved into a house in the East Pasco County community.

“There’s nowhere else in the world where we could have made it the way we made it here because Zephyrhills is the kind of community that it is,” M.J. said. “That’s why we remain here. … We’ve had plenty of offers to move our operations to other locations — all kinds of great incentives. That’s not home to us. This is home.”

Marcus put it simply, “Zephyrhills adopted us and we adopted Zephyrhills. We want to bring lots of jobs and lots of success back to the city.”

 

 

By Jeff Odom

 

Kirsten Joyer can still recall the hectic car trips to and from football practice.

In between dressing her sons in the back seat or behind dumpsters, to quick food runs, there was a simple goal — to one day make athletics the open door to college, which the family could hardly afford, and possibly more.

Fifteen years later, she sat in the stands at the Louisiana Superdome watching her middle son, Hunter, the starting fullback for the No. 3 ranked Florida Gators, and her oldest, Kamran, an offensive lineman for the No. 21 Louisville Cardinals, go head-to-head on one of the biggest stages in college football — the Sugar Bowl.

 

***

The Joyer brothers grew up playing football in the Pasco Police Athletic League (PPAL), Weightman Middle and, for two years, together at Wesley Chapel High.

They excelled in many different sports, including weightlifting and track and field. Each set numerous high school records that still stand today.

“We were always together, working out or tossing the football around or playing basketball,” said Kamran, a 22-year-old redshirt junior. “We’re three years apart, but we were like twins.”

The thought of one day meeting each other on opposing teams never crossed their minds, said 19-year-old Hunter, a sophomore.

“Nope, not at all; maybe, if we went to the same college maybe, but definitely nothing like this,” Hunter said. “We kind of compare it to the Barbers, Tiki and Ronde, and how they were in the NFL.”

Kirsten said from an early age she could tell her boys were going to be special.

“There was just something that was a little bit different about them as athletes,” Kirsten recalled. “They stood out. They were just different in their own unique ways. … They were so tenacious and big and incredibly hardworking, and it’s what really stood out to me most.”

As they finished high school and began their college careers, Kirsten, a longtime educator and former assistant principal at Weightman, wanted to make sure Hunter and Kamran kept their focus on academics too. While class is in session, Kirsten and her husband, Jack Joyer, call to check up on how they are doing. During the season, she always makes sure at least one family member is at Kamran and Hunter’s games.

“I’ll talk to them and their voices are so faint. They’re tired and you can hear it, but I’m saying, ‘What are you doing? What do you have going on?’ and they’ll tell me about a paper they have to write or something, and I’ll have them read it to me over the phone, and I’ll say ‘This doesn’t sound right,’” Kirsten joked. “We know they’re sacrificing so much, and we’re willing to do anything to help them.”

When the bowl matchup announcement was made, Kirsten closed her eyes and opened them again numerous times. She couldn’t believe it.

On one hand, she was glad that separate travel plans wouldn’t have to be made if Florida wound up in the BCS National Championship game in Miami, but then she panicked about who to root for in what the family has dubbed the “Joyer Bowl.”

“I just couldn’t wrap my mind around the concept that when we get to New Orleans I’m going to be watching both my sons playing against each other,” Kirsten said. “It’s so surreal, it really is. I still can’t believe it, and it’s been so many weeks since that announcement was made. … It’s truly a blessing.”

 

***

Being thousands of miles apart during the season was hard for the brothers at first, but distance hasn’t stopped them from continuing to be there for one another.

At Wesley Chapel, the two were known to pick each other up during games and each acted as a mentor.

Kamran promised Hunter that he would stick with him and help push him.

“Getting to play Division I football was always our goal,” Kamran said. “It was something we always dreamed about, and we accomplished it. It’s truly a blessing for everything.”

A lot of what both players learned under former Wesley Chapel coach John Castelamare, now at Academy at the Lakes, they brought with them to the next level. Mainly it was the competitive fire that inspired them.

“He was real passionate, molded us into the men we’ve become.” said Hunter, who transferred to Tampa Catholic for his junior and senior seasons. “He loves what he does, and we wouldn’t be here without him. He led us in the right direction. He never took it easy on us and was here for us. We appreciated him as more than just our coach.”

For Hunter, his freshman year was more of a downer for the Gators, who went just 7-6. But he never stopped working, and under second-year coach Will Muschamp, Florida came within one win of playing for its fourth BCS title this season.

“It was crazy, a huge turnaround from last year,” Hunter said. “I knew we had it in us; we just had to buy into what Muschamp was getting across and even with all these close games, I didn’t doubt us. It was my favorite year of football so far.”

Kamran, who missed almost the entire second half the season with injuries, called it a “great experience” to capture back-to-back Big East conference titles — Louisville’s third since joining the league in 2005.

When it came down to bowl selection day, the two brothers conversed over the phone about the different opponents they could face.

While Florida was already a lock for the Sugar Bowl, many signs pointed to Louisville playing Florida State in the Orange Bowl.

“He called me to talk about the possibilities and I kind of just brushed it off, not thinking it was going to happen,” Hunter said.

But when it did, the trash talking began, all in fun, of course.

“I told him he was Gator bait,” said Hunter, laughing.

“As soon as they showed it on TV, he called and started talking crap to me,” Kamran added. “I talked a little bit, but it’s all in fun and games.”

The Cardinals went on to shock the Gators 33-23 on Jan. 2.

But win or lose, the brother’s said before the game they would step back and take it all in as one of the greatest hours of their young lives.

“A great experience with quality brother time,” Hunter said. “Like the quiet before the storm.”

 

 

By B.C. Manion

 

City manager Jim Drumm can easily picture multi-story buildings with commercial uses on the bottom floors and residences upstairs when he envisions the future of Zephyrhills.

And, now that the Florida Department of Transportation has decided how to proceed with improvements to US 301, the city can begin charting its course for future development, Drumm said.

City officials and state transportation planners had battled for years about the best way to improve US 301, also known as Gall Boulevard in Zephyrhills.

The state had been considering an option that would have widened US 301and converted it into a one-way road through the city.

Local officials, business leaders and residents fought that idea, saying that turning US 301 into a one-way road would kill businesses in the commercial corridor. Instead, they pushed for a plan that keeps it as a two-way street and shifts highway traffic onto a pair of one-way roads running parallel to the highway.

While the state has agreed to the city’s vision, work on the highway project isn’t expected to begin any time soon.

Meanwhile, the city can start setting the stage for more urban-scale development in the highway commercial district, Drumm said.

“Our goal in the next few years is to meet with these property owners and talk to them about how they see the future of their properties,” Drumm said. He added, “We’re going to bring in an engineer to design it, block by block, where we might see the public park space come in and where we might see the drainage go and take it piece by piece.”

The city wants to talk to property owners along US 301 about new ways to use their land, which could include greater densities, Drumm said.

“I really see the focus starting at  (US) 301, where the Village Inn is and moving northward,” Drumm said. He added, “I’m picturing the density would be higher between fifth and 12th (streets), and then at both ends it goes down as far as the height.”

He can easily see eight-story buildings on part of that stretch.

“We’re going to be planning for this. We can start changing the zoning that is going to allow this,” Drumm said.

Some may have trouble envisioning Zephyrhills with tall buildings, the city manager acknowledged. There may be people who will say, “Well, Zephyrhills is a small town and will always be a small town,” Drumm said.

He doesn’t see it that way.

“Somebody had to build that first eight-story building in Lakeland or Plant City or Tampa,” Drumm said. “It starts with one or two buildings.”

The additional density can make the city more vibrant, Drumm said.

“It really adds to the value of your community and the extra people coming in are going to help keep our businesses alive,” Drumm said.

The city manager doesn’t envision giant skyscrapers in his community, but said there’s a need for more office buildings.

“We’re seeing an increase in the hospital space,” Drumm said. “Florida Medical adding surgery suites. There is a need for additional doctors’ offices.”

The city will need to offer incentives to spur redevelopment, Drumm said.

“How do you convince a building owner to tear down their building?” Drumm asked. “You’ve got to give them something back, and what you are giving them back is the ability to make more money on their investment by having the ability to build up.”

The city plans to give redevelopment areas a more urban look, with downtown-type sidewalk, trees and benches, Drumm said.

The city is also looking at improvements in the Zephyr Park area, Drumm said. One possibility would be to replace the Alice Hall Community Center with a larger civic center.

The community center is too small to accommodate large events, he explained.

While Drumm discussed a host of possibilities for the city’s future, he said it will likely be years before they reach fruition.

 

Hurricane protection part of plan

 

By B.C. Manion

 

The city of Zephyrhills’ Fire Rescue Station No. 2 will be undergoing a transformation in the coming year.

“We have a federal grant to remodel and upgrade the station,” said Jim Drumm, city manager.

The city of Zephyrhills has $750,000 in federal money and has put up about $230,000 of its own funds to pay for the changes that will make the building more attractive and provide protection from hurricane-force winds, Drumm said.

“This is in engineering right now. I think they’re going to start working on it in probably early March,” Drumm said.

“Since it’s in the historic district, we’re going to give this building a more historic character. It’s going to really dress the building up,” he continued.

Part of the design calls for adding brick to the station’s tower and adding windows to give the building a more historic feel.

A garage bay at the fire station will be converted into offices, Drumm said.

The fire station was built in 1960 and has been dubbed “The Outhouse” or “The Dungeon,” according to the city’s website. Originally, it was Station No. 1, but it was renamed after the city built a new station, the website states.

Station No. 2 has experienced numerous repairs, renovations and additions through the years.

It was vacated on Jan. 23, 2008, when flooding occurred. Firefighters were temporarily housed at the World War II barracks at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport until it re-opened April 15, 2010.

Repairs to the building, mostly made by city employees, included pulling down drywall and insulation and making other repairs.

Drumm is looking forward to the building’s facelift.

“It’s an exciting project,” Drumm said. “It’s going to give a nice look to one of the uglier buildings downtown, which just happened to be owned by us.”

 

 

By Zack Peterson

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

 

The opening of the Health & Wellness Center on Jan. 7 offers locals a chance to jumpstart their goals and make 2013 better — both physically and emotionally.

The center, a 50,000-square foot facility adjacent to Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, isn’t meant to be just another fitness center.

It might look the part, based on a simple tour, but downstairs the center boasts two pools —  a 25-meter lap pool and a square-like warm water therapy pool.

Upstairs is the center’s main floor, which contains rows of equipment used by many Olympians, four main group fitness rooms and a cushioned running track that loops the entire area.

It also possesses a cycling studio that uses green revolution technology to capture energy from 24 exercise bikes, pump it back into a generator and lower the building’s power costs.

“It’s progressive, yes,” said Dominique Wakefield, the center’s fitness and programs manager.

The Health & Wellness Center, whose started construction in April 2012, has loftier goals in mind.

According to director Diane Colville, its objective is to give people the opportunity to achieve healthy, happy lifestyles.

“The Health & Wellness Center at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is committed to helping members of our community achieve long-term wellness,” she said.

That is why they based their philosophy on the American College of Sport’s Medicine’s “Exercise is Medicine” concept, Colville said.

Because it believes long-term growth doesn’t stem solely from isolated exercise, the center features more than 50 classes and wellness programs ranging from specialized exercises and group classes to diet/nutrition and stress management.

In addition, popular exercise classes like Pilates, TRX Cables and Zumba are all offered.

“We focus on quality of life,” Wakefield said. “Quantity of life is a byproduct.”

Feeding into that concept is the Fit Fresh Café located just beyond the reception area, which features numerous healthy food options.

Wakefield said staff qualifications also set the center aside from standard fitness centers. They’re all degreed and certified.

That level of education gives members better access to quality instruction, according to Wakefield. And when they can’t be face-to-face with a trainer, there’s the “wellness key.”

Every member receives one, Wakefield said.

The keys are tailored to each individual’s goals and can be personalized with trainer suggestions.

Wakefield also said that so far, 50 percent of members indicated they had never belonged to a facility before, which makes personalization all the more important to the center.  “Anyone can come here and find what fits their needs,” she said. “We’re very excited.”

 

 

By Andy Warrener

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

 

Buongiorno and buonasera greet any customer coming into the front lobby of Villaggio’s Restaurant at 102 Flagship Drive in Lutz.

Giuseppe Mascali, owner, chef, manager and host, took over the restaurant in 1999 when it was a 70-seat, 2,000-square-foot dining room. Now it is a 6,000-square-foot, multi-room time capsule that can seat up to 160 guests.

Italian charm is what oozes from every nook and cranny of Villaggio’s. From the harp player to the wine cellar to the antique cappuccino machine, Villaggio’s is like a time machine transporting diners back to a finer time on another continent.

Unassuming from the outside and nestled in the front of the Village Center in Lutz, Villaggio’s delivers an authentic experience from the moment a customer walks in the door.

“It’s a mission keeping the tradition alive,” Mascali said.

Villaggio’s features a small bar in the lobby as one walks in, a handsome formal dining room, the DaVinci banquet room used for overflow or private events, a cork room called Lala Land with an 8-foot diameter lazy Susan table that seats 20, a wine cellar and even a patio dining area.

The whole place has an old-world vibe to it where diners can relax and forget the outside world.

“We put coverings on the walls, carpet on the floors, so it’s very quiet,” Mascali said. “We want people to slow down, smell the food, take that first bite and just be comfortable.”

To aid in this setting, Mascali has made sure there are no televisions or clocks on the walls. Mascali disdains what he sees in many restaurants when a table full of people sit down together and all break out their electronic devices.

“We want less Internet and more Cabernet,” Mascali said.

If the atmosphere hasn’t taken you away yet, just wait until 7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday when Jennifer Euliano takes the stage with her harp. She has been playing at Villaggio’s the last four years.

Mascali followed no script in creating the Italian dining experience.

Mascali grew up in Torino, Italy, where he was first exposed to cooking for groups of people while serving in the military. It was there he met head chef and longtime friend Ricardo Ciabatti.

Ciabatti, who Mascali calls his right hand, was actually Mascali’s boss when he first came to the United States in 1989, which is ironically the very year Villaggio’s opened under Vasco Ferraro.

Ciabatti hired Mascali to work in the kitchen at Donatello’s on Dale Mabry Highway. From there, Mascali helped open Café Paradiso, Primadonna. Mascali worked at Romeo and Juliet as a dishwasher at Franchesco, Café Amaretto. By then, he was working as a chef and began developing ideas to set off on his own.

“My American dream came true,” Mascali said.

Mascali took over Villaggio’s, brought Ciabatti in and hired who he calls his left hand, head chef Jimmy Castillo. Castillo is from Columbia, but has made a full transition to authentic Italian dishes.

“In Columbia, tomato sauce is ketchup,” Castillo said.

Castillo is no novice with Italian food. Castillo has been working at Villaggio’s for 11 years, starting out as a dishwasher. The chef tandem ensures that there is always a top chef in the kitchen, and oftentimes two of them.

The secret to great Italian fare, according to Mascali, is simplicity.

“Every time you taste something, you want to taste (no more than) three elements,” Mascali said. “So many ingredients they put into modern dishes it overloads the palate.”

Mascali was allergic to tomatoes as a child, so he had to find a way to take down the acidity in his sauce. His chicken cacciatore has a tomato sauce so subtle it steps back and allows for the chicken and fresh herbs to dance on the palate in harmony, and it doesn’t stop there.

“I had the veal Parmesan, which is what I judge Italian restaurants by,” said first-time diner Kathy Butler. “It was so good. My husband tried it and said he wished he’d ordered it.”

Kathy and her husband, David, were celebrating their 32nd anniversary at Villaggio’s, and they were very pleased with their experience.

“The service is unbelievable,” David said. “I’d come here again in a minute.”

Villaggio’s is open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. weeknights and until 11 p.m. on weekends.

Kumquat Festival needs volunteers

The 16th annual Kumquat Festival is looking for volunteers for festival day.

The festival has been awarded a Southeast U.S. Top 20 Event award and the 2012 Pasco County Event of the Year, primarily because of the commitment of its volunteers, sponsors and partners, according to a release from festival organizers.

Volunteers are needed to welcome and direct vendors and sponsors coming into Dade City, from 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the event Jan. 26.

Those who help will receive free coffee and breakfast and will be able to attend the festival, starting at 9 a.m.

An orientation for volunteers is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 22, with food provided by the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce.

 

Christina Chadwick wins Trainee of the Year

Christina Chadwick, a trainee at Bauer Foundation in Odessa, has received the 2012 Trainee of the Year Award from the German American Chamber of Commerce.

The 18-year-old received the honor during the German American Business Outlook conference in New York City Dec. 3.

Chadwick was flown to New York for the presentation and will receive an all-expenses paid weeklong trip to Germany, sponsored by Lufthansa and FESTO, two German American businesses with operations in the United States.

Panelists who reviewed applications from many German subsidiaries in the United States selected Chadwick.

She was also recognized by Thomas Bauer, the worldwide president of Bauer, for her achievement at the Bauer staff Christmas party at the worldwide headquarters in Schrobenhausen, Germany.

The Bauer trainee program is called a Career Mentorship Program, because students are offered an opportunity to be mentored by both their educational and industrial mentors who help the students discover their career passions and to develop a path of success for both the student and employer.

The program is modeled after the successful German Dual of Education system used by Bauer’s parent company, Bauer AG, in Schrobenhausen. The parent company employs nearly 250 apprentices.

 

Community grants awarded

The Florida Medical Clinic Foundation of Caring has awarded grants to 11 local nonprofit organizations for projects aimed at improving the quality of life for local residents.

The foundation’s board of directors made these selections:

—Champions for Children, $25,000: This organization builds stronger families in the Tampa Bay region through its child abuse prevention and family education programs.

—Community Aging & Retirement Services, $15,000: This service provides patient-centered care that benefits the elderly and their families.

—Morning Star School, $10,000: The funds will provide scholarship assistance for struggling students with learning disabilities.

—Trinity Café, $10,000: The grant will be used to purchase food to be served in their free restaurant for the homeless in Tampa.

—Sunrise of Pasco Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center, $10,432: This will provide furnishings to expand the program for 16 additional women and children.

—Unsigned Preps, $7,000: These funds will assist lower income high school student athletes to obtain athletic scholarships.

—Quantum Leap Farms, $7,000: The grant will provide equine therapy for children with emotional, physical and developmental challenges.

—Brain Expansions Scholastic Training, $3,000: This organization helps under-represented and disadvantaged youth with specific attention on health related careers.

—Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful,  $1,500: This provides responsible environmental stewardship.

—Rotary Club of Zephyrhills, $1,500: This grant is for Z Kids. This project of The Rotary Club of Zephyrhills collects and distributes food to children in Zephyrhills who are known to lack sufficient food.

—Feeding America, $1,000: This is a partnership with Lacoochee Elementary and provides food to children and local families.

The foundation seeks to improve the quality of life for all through mentorship, scholarships, sponsorships, awards and service. To volunteer or donate, or to learn more about the foundation or the agencies funded, call (813) 783-9932, visit www.FMCFoundationofCaring.org or email .

 

Arthur Rutenberg’s Capri model opens

Arthur Rutenberg Homes’ 3,807-square-foot Capri model home — with a covered lanai, cabana and a master-suite wing — has opened in Ladera, a 220-acre lakefront community off Van Dyke Road in northern Hillsborough County.

The model, 1407 Merry Water Drive in Lutz, is base-priced at $639,100, said Ernie Lashlee, building company president.

Arthur Rutenberg Homes is headquartered in Clearwater, and is the nation’s largest franchisor of custom-home building companies. For more information on Arthur Rutenberg homes built by Custom Craft Homes at Ladera, call Linda Wernicke at (813) 948-7174.

 

M/I Homes claims 11 awards

M/I Homes’ sales staff took home 11 Million Dollar Circle awards, including one for Tony Mainridge as the Tampa Bay area’s top new-home salesperson.

The presentations were made during recent Awards of Excellence ceremonies, sponsored by the Sales and Marketing Council of the Tampa Bay Builders Association.

Others winners included:

—Patty Cafra, $5.9 million in sales at The Reserve at Hampton Lakes, Tampa

—Randee Romaguera, $5.1 million in sales at Easton Park/Connerton, New Tampa

—Mark Cutro, $4.3 million in sales at Easton Park, New Tampa

—Gary Gaal, $1.7 million at The Reserve at Hampton Lakes, Tampa

M/I Homes builds in the Tampa Bay communities of Hillsborough, Pasco and Manatee counties and will soon be building in Polk County.

 

North Tampa Chamber meetings

The North Tampa Chamber of Commerce will have several meetings this month:

—Jan. 8, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Chamber Chatter Connections After Hours Mixer hosted by Bennett Chiropractic Northdale, 3903 Northdale Blvd., Suite 100 W., Tampa. AAA South is co-hosting the event. RSVP to , or call (813) 341-7227.

—Jan. 10, 11:45 a.m., general meeting at the Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, 2701 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa. For early bird registration, RSVP to the chamber office by 5 p.m. for a discounted rate of $17. Reservations will be accepted after that date on the attendee check-in list for $22. For more information, call (813) 971-4710.

—Jan. 17, 11:30 a.m., Chamber Networking Luncheon: Relationship Building With Business Neighbors, Beef O’ Brady’s, 8810 N. Himes Ave. in Tampa. RSVP by Jan. 15 to Kelly Winterling at , or call Horizon Bay at Lutz, (813) 909-9679. For more information call (813) 936-2058.

—Jan. 24 at 11:30 a.m., Chamber Networking Luncheon – Relationship Building with Business Neighbors, Embassy Suites USF, 3705 Spectrum Blvd., Tampa. RSVP by Jan. 22 to Jenn Beaumont at , or call her at AGLA-American General Life at (813) 334-8998.

For more information about the North Tampa Chamber, visit www.northtampachamber.com, call (813) 961-2420, or email .