Special to The Laker/Lutz News

 

 

By Jeff Odom

 

Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, was sworn in as the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives Nov. 20 after serving in the state legislature for more than six years.

Born in Dallas, Weatherford is a former Land O’ Lakes High football player and Jacksonville University graduate. He moved to Florida in 1986, where he married his wife Courtney and became a real estate broker and businessman.

He was first elected to the state House in 2006, replacing longtime representative Ken Littlefield despite Weatherford not having his name — or an opposing candidate — on the ballot.

During his acceptance speech, the gavel was passed to the 32-year-old Weatherford by outgoing speaker Allan Bense.

He said he plans to reach his hand across the aisle to Democrats, which are outnumbered 76-44 in the state House.

“We must work together,” said Weatherford during his acceptance speech. “As I stand before you today, I do not have to make a bold statement or a new commitment to work in a bipartisan manner with the minority party. On this matter, you can expect my future actions to match my prior years of bipartisanship. What I can commit to is that you will always be treated with fairness and respect no matter which party you represent.”

Weatherford wants to see Florida move away from that trend of stalemate between the two major political parties that has plagued Washington, D.C. in recent years. He wants to begin a new one with both the Republicans and Democrats working as one.

He said his main focuses are job creation, education and helping those affected by the housing crisis.

“We are living in a time when the people of Florida expect us to act,” Weatherford said.  “Despite our efforts, more than 8 percent of Floridians still cannot find a job. Half of Florida’s homeowners are underwater on their mortgages. More than three and a half million Floridians are on food stamps. One third of all Florida high school students do not graduate. … Florida must take the reins and determine our own destiny.”

Weatherford gave each member of the House a countdown clock to display the time left until Election Day 2014. He said it’s a reminder that those serving are there for their constituents and that they can easily be removed from office if the state isn’t back on track.

“I welcome and value the spirited debate and the clash of ideas,” Weatherford said. “It is good and healthy for this process, and it produces better solutions. What we all have to understand is that our enemies are not sitting in this chamber or down the hall across the rotunda. Our enemies are real and they are worthy of the fight. Our enemies are unemployment, poverty, illiteracy, broken systems, broken government and burdensome regulation. These are the enemies that are wreaking havoc on our people and on our state.

“We have no excuse,” he continued. “We will need a clear focus, a collaborative purpose and a leadership of conscience that is willing to do what is right. Our time is short. The clock is ticking. Let us make the most of every single second. There are people who are counting on us. I am counting on you. So that when that clock runs out may it be said of us that we were bold, we served with a purpose and we fulfilled our promise to Florida.”

 

Ruth Reilly steps up to help children of South Sudan

 

By B.C. Manion

 

Ruth Reilly began praying about her next phase in life long before retiring from her high-ranking career in Pasco County Schools.

The Land O’ Lakes woman found her new calling, serving as a volunteer educational advisor to help school children in Akot, South Sudan.

It didn’t take Reilly long to discover the vast differences between the conditions in the schools of South Sudan and those in Pasco County.

Reilly, who visited South Sudan in October, said it took two days to reach her destination, and the last leg of her journey was on a small chartered airplane. The pilot had to buzz the dirt landing strip to shoo cattle away before he could touch down.

She was one of a seven-member mission team that made the trip. She and another retired educator spent four days in the community’s two primary schools.

Living Water Community Transformation, a Tampa-based ministry, supports the schools, Reilly said. The ministry operates as Akot Christian Ministries.

A total of 600 students attend the two schools, which are called Abundant Life and Living Water. Both schools have open-air classrooms with thatch roofs supported by wooden poles.

Materials for the schools are in short supply, Reilly said.

“Every child is given one activity book, which is a little notebook of paper that’s actually provided by UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund),” Reilly said. “It might be 50 pages and it’s for the entire year. … That is all they have. And, they’re given a pen for the entire year.”

The retired assistant superintendent noted that when she was in Akot, the schools were approaching the end of their academic year. Many of the children no longer had their pen or paper.

That makes learning difficult, especially because the schools have few textbooks, she noted.

“Typically in a classroom, a teacher would have a little chalkboard, a piece of chalk, their own book and that would be it,” she said.

“In their English classes, they tended to have more copies of books,” Reilly said, adding that in those classes, there might be 10 books for every 30 children.

There are other challenges, too.

Reilly said the teachers are not college educated.

“They’re all from the community — and they are all very dedicated, very committed, very capable individuals — but lack training,” she said.

Reilly is working to find people who are nearby and have expertise to provide teachers additional training. So far, she’s found one person who lives within a couple of hours that she hopes will be able to help.

Reilly doesn’t believe the government will be able to provide much help.

“South Sudan is a country that is newly independent. They became an independent country in July of 2011. So, they really have very little in terms of government resources,” Reilly said.

She tracked down curriculum, written in 2002, which apparently is the most current that’s available there. Copies are being made here to distribute to teachers there because even printing is not easily accomplished in South Sudan, Reilly said.

Despite the challenges, Reilly said she was impressed by the students’ eagerness to learn and by the commitment of the local parent organizations.

“The people value education and they are doing whatever they can, within their resources, to support the school,” Reilly said. She added, “We had a very interesting meeting with the PTA (parent teacher association) board. There were tribal leaders and parents from the community. These are parents that are really very involved in supporting this school. … These parents were really a very vital link with many parents who live far out in the bush. The PTA would actually physically go out and talk with people that the school couldn’t reach.

“The other thing that really, really impressed us was how well behaved the children were,” Reilly continued. “The children would sit for hours underneath these thatched huts on these benches that were rough logs. They were just so excited to be at school.”

Reilly is available to give talks or presentations to community or church groups by emailing her at or calling (813)996-5079.

To learn more about the ministry, visit livingwaterct.org.

 

 

By Meaghan O’Neal

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

 

In 2007, Class Source started with just five families looking for a home-school option.

That number has grown by almost 20 times that amount in five years.

The Christian-based, nonprofit education group was started by Dina Fox as a way to improve the home-schooling experience for families. She has been home-schooling children for more than 15 years as a way to help those who wanted to better control the education of their kids.

“(I) noticed that upper elementary kids and beyond needed more assistance than what they could get at home because of the difficulty of the classes or finances,” Fox said. “I saw a lot of people putting their kids back into school not because they wanted to, but because they felt unequipped.”

Today, Class Source offers classes ranging from high school level chemistry to culinary arts.

Fox said the group is unique in the home-schooling community because it was created specifically to fill the needs of the family. Because of that, the desire is to make attending co-op, or group that provides classes taught by other parents or teachers, as convenient as possible.

One way they do this is by offering classes a la carte, instead of requiring students to enroll in a complete program or take multiple classes.

The founding group’s families saw that some parents struggle to teach the more difficult classes, such as sciences that require labs, at home. They wanted to make the courses available in such a way to give parents more freedom and flexibility.

Class Source’s goal is not only to fill those gaps, but to do so excellently.

“Class Source is unique in that all the teachers who are here are teaching from specialty fields that they were trained in, which leads to a higher quality of teaching,” said Shannon Barker, a science teacher at Class Source with a bachelor’s degree in food science and chemistry.

Fox said the teachers and tutors are all highly qualified for the classes they teach.

“While we believe there’s different ways to educate, we believe that if you’re going to call it biology, you need to have done all the labs, tests and homework,” Fox said. “You can be sure that if you come take a class at Class Source, everything that needs to be of integrity on your transcript is done.”

Sara Negron said these standards and smaller class size have led to a better learning experience.

“I went to high school, and I didn’t like the environment because the teachers didn’t give me as much attention as they do here,” Negron said. “At Class Source, I’ve learned that education is for me and to enjoy learning.”

Daniel Speed, another Class Source student, said his “teachers were very understanding” when his family had to go out of town suddenly for a week. Parents and students agreed that the atmosphere is incomparable to other schools or groups because of the attitudes of all the students and teachers.

As Fox put it, “Class Source believes the family is important in every aspect of society.”

The group has been developing a way to aid students getting involved in their communities through doing service projects. The program is available every other year, and has partnered with groups such as Metropolitan Ministries, Boy Scouts, Safe Haven for Newborns and the Ronald McDonald House.

Students can learn to give back to their community, while earning their required community service hours. The group also provides courses to educate the community as a whole on home schooling.

Class Source meets at 19501 Holly Lane in Lutz. For more information, visit www.class-source.com/Welcome.html.

 

 

By B.C. Manion

 

Whether you want to be bedazzled by a holiday light show, take in a live nativity scene or do a bit of seasonal shopping, there are plenty of area offerings to help you get into a holiday mood.

The Shops at Wiregrass is offering its fifth annual Symphony in Lights at the regional shopping center at Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and SR 56.

This year’s extravaganza showcases more than a quarter-million lights and 10 tons of holiday décor.

The illuminated trees are choreographed to light in sync with the sounds of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

The crowd even gets to experience some snow flurries, but these are of a much more temporary nature than real stuff that falls at the North Pole.

The Symphony in Lights is nightly at 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Some other holiday events and celebrations are:

 

Posing with Santa

If you want to get a free family portrait with Santa, or want to get a shot of your child hamming it up with   Old St. Nick, then head to Zephyrhills Dec. 1.

Free photos with Santa are available at Hut no. 8, 38435 Fifth Ave., between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m., which is during the Main Street Zephyrhills’ Festival of Lights celebration.

Families are encouraged to bring their own cameras, but a professional photographer will also take free photos, which will be available for a free download on the Facebook pages of Goin’ Postal Zephyrhills and Hut no. 8 Zephyrhills.

Santa will be taking a break during the Christmas parade, but otherwise he’ll be easy to spot at Hut no. 8.

Bob Stephens and the Price family of Zephyrhills sponsor the annual event.

 

Lutz Arts & Crafts Festival

If you’re looking for unique holiday gifts, you may want to drop by the Lutz Arts & Crafts Festival, hosted by the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club at Lake Park near the intersection of Dale Mabry Highway and Van Dyke Road.

This is the club’s 33rd annual sale, and the two-day event presents plenty of choices to shoppers, with more than 250 vendors offering paintings, print works, photographs, jewelry, pottery, ceramics, woodwork, quilts and other handmade items.

This year’s event is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 1 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 2.

Admission is free, but the Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation Department charges $2 per car for parking.  

This is a juried art show with cash prizes awarded in several categories. Food booths will feature such favorites as sausage and biscuits, barbecue, Cuban food, hot dogs, peach cobbler and funnel cakes.

 

Jazz band in Land O’ Lakes

The Hudson Middle Jazz Band will help celebrate the holiday season with a 2 p.m. concert Dec. 1 at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, 2818 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

 

Forest Lakes holiday craft fair

Forest Lakes Estates will have its annual holiday craft fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 1. The fair is at 6429 Forest Lake Drive in Zephyrhills. Lunch will be available from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Handcrafted items including jewelry, jams, quilted items and other goods will be available for purchase.

 

Stately Christmas trees

Florida Hospital Zephyrhills is presenting its 28th annual Christmas Tree Lighting Dec. 2 on the front lawn of the hospital at 7050 US 301.

Grab some lawn chairs and blankets and gather family and friends for this free event, which features light refreshments, a variety of performances, musical entertainment and 53 decorated holiday trees.

Featured musical entertainers include vocalist Ashley Shannon, the East Pasco Adventist Academy Hand Bell Choir and the hospital’s community chorale under the direction of Marvin Robertson.

Children from local schools, members of civic organizations and clubs and individuals will decorate 53 trees between noon and 4 p.m. There are trees to represent each state, an international tree to represent the world, a tree for the 12 Canadian provinces and a Support Our Troops tree.

 

Chili cook-off/birthday party

The First United Methodist Church of Lutz is having a chili cook-off and birthday party for Jesus.

Those wishing to enter the Dec. 2 cook-off must have their chili at the church by 5:25 p.m. Judging will begin at 5:30 p.m. After that, a progressive dinner will begin at 6 p.m.

Those attending are encouraged to bring a crockpot full of their best chili or a salad large enough to share.

There will be roasted marshmallows at a fire ring by the lake, followed by a stroll behind the church for a birthday party for Jesus complete with cake and ice cream.

The church is at 960 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road.

If you are planning to attend, let the church know you’re coming with a count of how many will be attending and whether you’ll be bringing chili or a salad to share. Reserve your spot by emailing or calling (813) 949-1751.

 Holiday movies

Tampa Theatre in downtown Tampa has a slate of holiday movies on tap for December.

—3 p.m. Dec. 2: The Muppet Christmas Carol

—3 p.m. Dec. 9: White Christmas

—3 p.m. Dec. 16: Miracle on 34th Street

—7:30 Dec. 21, 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 22 and 3 p.m. Dec. 23: It’s A Wonderful Life

Tickets for the Holiday Classics Movie Series are $9 for adults, $7 for children, seniors, military and Tampa Theatre members at the box office.

 

Christmas in the Park

Celebrate the holiday season by attending the Founders Garden Club of San Antonio’s Christmas in the Park at 7 p.m. Dec. 2 in the San Antonio City Park.

The event, sponsored by the garden club, has been a holiday tradition for 40 years.

Club members provide the refreshments, and the evening entertainment features the musical Huron family from Heritage Bible Church of San Antonio.

Tickets will be sold for drawings on a variety of gift baskets. The tickets are $1 each or six for $5.

 

Breakfast with Santa in Lutz

The Old Lutz Schoolhouse, 18819 US 41, presents its 16th annual Breakfast with Santa. A continental breakfast will be served from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Dec. 8. Children can have breakfast with the jolly old elf and create homemade crafts for $3.50.

They also can purchase presents from the Santa Store and tour the Christmas House.

The house is decorated with community trees with glimmering lights, all types of model railroad displays, animated figures and more than 200 nutcrackers.

Parents are welcome to bring a camera to take pictures of their children with Santa.

 

Holiday concert

The adult and student choirs, the orchestra and cast of Idlewild Baptist Church present Right White Christmas at 7 p.m. nightly Dec. 7, Dec. 8 and Dec. 9. Tickets are available online at www.idlewild.org. Reserved seating is $12, $10 and $8. For more information, call (813) 264-8764. The church is one mile east of N. Dale Mabry Highway on Van Dyke Road in Lutz.

 

More photo ops with Santa

The Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) is offering a couple of photo opportunities with Santa. One will be on the Sky Trail Ropes Course, and the other during a holiday breakfast.

Photos with Santa on the rope trail will also feature other fun holiday activities for the family from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 8. Photos are free with paid Sky Trail Ropes Course admission. Or, keep both feet on the ground and have your photo taken with Santa for $7 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

If climbing ropes isn’t your thing, there’s also a breakfast with the jolly old elf. That’s happening at MOSI at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 15. The museum will be offering an all-you-can-eat breakfast, holiday activities, music and fun. Bring your camera for photos with Santa.

Proceeds from the breakfast will benefit MOSI’s educational programs. Preregistration is highly recommended. Prepurchased tickets for MOSI Members are $11 for adults and $8 for children. For nonmembers, prepurchased tickets are $13 for adults and $10 for children. At the event, tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for children. Tickets are available by calling (813) 987-6000.

 

Wild Wonderland at the zoo

Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo transforms into a whimsical world of holiday magic for Wild Wonderland, presented by Publix Super Markets Charities.

Stroll through the zoo illuminated with holiday lights, sights and sounds from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Dec. 8, Dec. 14 to 23 and Dec. 26 to 30.

The newest addition to the seasonal celebration this year is an Arctic Freeze Ice Slide, 100 feet of frozen fun located inside the Reindeer Games area. Families can chill out, play carnival games and little elves can jump for joy on new inflatables.

Admission prices for Wild Wonderland are $13 for adults, $11 for children ages 3 to 11 and free for ages 2 and younger. Parking is free. Tickets may be purchased online, at the zoo’s front gate during business hours or on the night of the event.

 

Traditions on the Green 

Have breakfast with Santa, enjoy concerts and art and do a bit of shopping with vendors at Traditions on the Green at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 US 41.

The event is scheduled from 9 a.m. until noon on Dec. 8, with the breakfast with Santa set for 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Pasco County’s parks and recreation department is hosting a cornhole tournament; entry is a new toy to donate to Toys for Tots.

Donations of canned foods are also welcome. Those contributions will be taken to the Land O’ Lakes drop-off tent for Metropolitan Ministries.

 

Christmas home tour

The Trinity Oaks Women’s Association is hosting a Christmas Home Tour and Boutique Dec. 9 at Fox Hollow Golf Club, 10050 Robert Trent Jones Parkway in Trinity.

The tour of the holiday decorated homes and Trinity Club Apartment’s clubhouse and model apartment is from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The boutique at Fox Hollow Golf Club, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., will feature 18 vendors.

Proceeds go to support a scholarship supported by the women’s association for a Mitchell High graduate and various groups, including Good Samaritan Health Clinic, Salvation Army Domestic Violence Center, All Children’s Hospital, Salvation Army Center of Hope, West Pasco Habitat for Humanity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Florida Orchestra, PACE and Support Our Troops.

 

A Walk through Bethlehem

Step back and let your imagination be stirred, as you join the Walk through Bethlehem live nativity scene created by the Richland Baptist Church, 40510 Stewart Road in Zephyrhills.

Visitors, in groups of 10 to 12, are led on a guided tour in a village intended to convey first century Bethlehem.

The reconstructed city seeks to emulate what life would have been like at the time of the birth of Jesus. The village includes a census taker who greets people at the gate, city people of all ages, shopkeepers, Roman guards, animals and baby Jesus in a manger.

As they tour through, visitors will hear the story of the birth of Christ. The group will also see the three wise men and visit the crucifixion scene and the empty tomb.

This year, tours are available from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Dec. 14 and Dec. 15 and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 16.

There is no charge for the tour or parking. For more information and directions to the church, call (352) 567-2990 or visit www.rbczephyrhills.com.

 

Illuminated holiday boat parade

If you enjoy illuminated boat parades, check out Florida By Water’s 2012 Holiday Boat Parade guide. The guide lists more than 70 parades throughout the Sunshine State running through Dec. 23.

To view the complete the list, please go to www.floridabywater.com/events/holiday-boat-parade.

Fasano visits Academy at the Lakes

Florida State Rep. Mike Fasano dropped by Academy at the Lakes to talk with Upper Division students about a variety of topics, including gun control, the privatization of prisons and stimulating Florida’s economy.

Besides tackling a variety of topics, Fasano encouraged students to get involved with politics, either as a public servant or as a volunteer. He especially encouraged them to exercise their right to vote, when they reach the legal age.

 

Expressions of Thanks art contest

The Medical Center of Trinity is sponsoring an Expressions of Thanks youth art contest, with the deadline for entries set for Nov. 30.

Students in kindergarten through 12th grade are eligible to enter the contest, which celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans and active personnel, who currently serve our great nation, and their families.

Here are the contest rules:

—Students can submit artwork, poems or essays

—The entry must fit on an 8.5- by 11-inch sheet of white paper

—The submission must be original and written or drawn by hand

—Entrants are allowed to use color with paint, pens, pencils, crayons and markers

—The entry should convey the theme of expressing thanks to veterans and members of the military

—No Internet art, clipart or cutouts

—Entries must have the student’s name, grade and the name of the school printed clearly on the back

Entries must be submitted by Nov. 30 to Medical Center of Trinity in one of two forms:

—In person at the information desk at the main entrance 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

—By mail to Medical Center of Trinity, Attention: Youth Art Contest

9330 SR 54, Trinity, FL  34655

Everyone who enters will receive a recognition certificate. First place winners in each grade level will receive a $25 gift card. The winner of the grand prize will be able to choose either a bicycle or an iPod.

For more information call (727) 834-4868 or email .

 

Ed Morse Cadillac Tampa helps local high schools

Ed Morse Cadillac Tampa recently has donated $10,000 to benefit schools throughout Tampa Bay.

Checks for $1,000 each were presented to Carrollwood Day School, Chamberlain High, Corbett Preparatory of IDS, Freedom High, Gaither High, Hillsborough High, Jesuit High, Steinbrenner High, Tampa Catholic High and Wharton High.

 

Watergrass Elementary named golden school

The Florida Department of Education has bestowed a 2011-2012 Golden School Award to Watergrass Elementary in Wesley Chapel.

The award is given annually to schools that demonstrate that it has exemplary volunteer programs. Volunteer hours donated by mentors, tutors, advisors, advocates and others are considered for this award. Watergrass also received the Five Star School Award for the third consecutive year. That annual honor goes to schools that have shown evidence of outstanding community involvement.

 

Land O’ Lakes student receives honor

The College Board has named Morgan Elizabeth Maguire to the 2012-2013 National Hispanic Recognition Program.

 

Girls Soccer car show

The Sunlake High School Girls Soccer team is having a Kickin’ Klassics Car Show fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 15 at the Beef O’ Brady’s parking lot at 18835 SR 54 in Lutz. Preregister by Dec.10 with Joyce Bertoni at (727) 688-8018.

 

Course offered for dental hygienists

The dental programs faculty and corporate training department of Pasco-Hernando Community College will offer a new course called Certification for Local Anesthesia for Licensed Dental Hygienists. The course will be Jan. 10 through Jan. 13 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the West Campus in New Port Richey, 10230 Ridge Road.

The Florida Legislature recently passed a bill permitting registered dental hygienists to administer local anesthesia in the dental office under direct supervision.

The comprehensive, on-site course is designed to prepare practicing dental hygienists to safely administer dental anesthesia and provide didactic and clinical training. The course also allows time for interactive questions and answers with guest speaker, Demetra Daskalos-Logothetis, author of the textbook Local Anesthesia for the Dental Hygienist.

 

Wesley Chapel high rummage sale

The Wesley Chapel High Parent Teacher Student Association is having a rummage sale Dec. 1 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the corner of Old Pasco and Country Club roads.

The proceeds will benefit the school’s Assist, Believe, Care program that provides a holiday meal and other assistance throughout the holidays.