Special to The Laker/Lutz News

 

By B.C. Manion

 

In a community where residents cherish history and tradition, planning has begun to mark the 100th birthday of Lutz in a special way.

Organizers had their first planning session on Sept. 17 to begin brainstorming about ways to mark the major milestone. About two dozen people from various clubs and organizations were there to bounce around ideas.

Organizers are encouraging residents to get involved in the planning and in helping to pull off centennial events to bring the community together. And, they want residents to weigh in on the type of events they should have and when they should be.

Planners threw out a few suggestions at the initial meeting, but they left the door wide open to other ideas, and they welcome people who are interested in getting involved to attend future sessions to offer ideas.

Suzin Carr and Phyllis Hoedt headed up the initial meeting, but both women said they are looking for others to take the lead on organizing the 100th birthday events.

They hope the group will name a chairman, vice chairman, secretary and treasurer for the 100th Birthday Committee at the next session. They also are asking organizers to come up with ideas for a theme, or slogan, for the upcoming slate of events while identifying and scheduling activities people would enjoy.

Helen Cantrell, who works at Annie’s Garden Shed, just off US 41, thinks events should happen all year long to mark the community’s centennial.

“When I think of Lutz, it makes me think of downtown Americana,” Cantrell said.

Annie Fernandez, whose grandparents moved to the community in 1921, hopes to find a way to involve the community’s pioneer descendants.

Fernandez is co-chair of an annual event that brings families with deep roots in the community together to relax, enjoy a potluck, look at old pictures and reminisce.

Organizers at the meeting talked about various ways that Lutz could honor its centennial. It could have a picnic in the park, for instance, and old-fashioned games, such as sack races.

“Whatever events we have ought to culminate on the Fourth of July,” said Marion Smith.

A community movie night is one possibility, Carr said.

But William Westcott, a longtime leader of the North Tampa-Lutz Cadet Squadron, noted having a movie outdoors would be a problem because of mosquitoes.

It may be possible to have the movie indoors if a church can be found to host it, Carr said.

Elizabeth Bergeron, who is affiliated with Tims Church on Sunset Lane, said that church could be a good venue for the movie night. It has the proper equipment and could accommodate moviegoers, she said.

Whatever the committee decides, there will be costs involved.

That prompted Lea Griffin to ask a practical question: “Where is the money coming from?”

Selling T-shirts is one way to raise money, Carr said.

Bergeron offered to design the T-shirt, and Carr said local businesses will be approached to see if they would like to be listed on the back of the T-shirts as sponsors.

The Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club has set aside some money to support the centennial celebration, said the organization’s president Rosie Heim. She said she’d ask her board to approve covering the costs of the T-shirts so they can be produced in time to sell at an upcoming community event.

Along with events, those at the meeting discussed ways to bring attention to the anniversary.

Cantrell said she’d love to see a banner proclaiming the community’s centennial year and a list of events to mark the milestone. She can also picture a tower of cupcakes paying tribute to the big birthday, which would be handed out to those who gather to celebrate.

At this point, the planning is just getting started and all ideas are welcome, Hoedt and Carr said.

They’d love to hear ideas about potential celebrations from local businesses and organizations. It may be that some groups want to sponsor individual events, which could be tied to the overall theme and listed in a community banner.

As planning gets underway to celebrate the community’s centennial in 2013, there is some question about when Lutz actually turned 100.

Susan A. MacManus, who co-authored two local history books with her mother, the late Elizabeth Riegler MacManus, has said that Lutz was named in 1911, but the post office didn’t open until 1913.

Whatever the case, Lutz residents are getting ready to party.

The next planning session for the birthday festivities will be at 7 p.m. on Oct. 8 at the Lutz Community Center, 101 First Ave. N. in Lutz. All are welcome to attend.

 

Have ideas?

If you have ideas for how to celebrate Lutz’s centennial, please call Suzin Carr at (813) 453-5256 or Phyllis Hoedt at (813) 949-1937.

Land O’ Lakes woman’s book for chronic pain sufferers

 

By B.C. Manion

 

Carla Valentino has always enjoyed being active with her children.

During one such spurt of energy at age 39 during a birthday party, the Land O’ Lakes woman sprained her ankle while playing with her daughter, Natalie, in a bounce house.

“It was so bad I had to go to the emergency room,” Valentino said. She added, “They did the typical thing. They casted me up and told me I had to see my doctor.

“My foot was not healing,” Valentino continued. “I had elephantitis like you would not believe. Lots of redness; acute pain.”

During a follow-up, a nurse told Valentino and her husband, David, she had reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD).

That was five years ago.

Now, the chronic pain in her ankle have spread to her knee and hip.

The condition, which is also known as complex regional pain syndrome, is characterized by severe and relentless pain with no cure, according to www.rsds.org. The website estimates between 200,000 and 1.2 million Americans are affected by it.

As Valentino has learned about RSD, she is aware of the challenges it presents.

“It cannot only affect one extremity, but it can bounce to all four extremities without any other injury,” Valentino said.

“With it comes spasms,” she continued. “They are uncontrollable. They happen at any time, anywhere. … I’ve been at my kids’ functions at auditoriums. I’ve had to be carried out.”

The same thing has happened on vacations and at dinners, she added.

“It’s kind of hard to plan your life,” Valentino said.

The condition caused Valentino to be less active.

“One night, I was putting my daughter to bed, she looked up at me — she was 3 at the time— and she said, ‘Mommy, when can we run, dance and play again?’

“It just stopped me in my tracks.”

Later that night, Valentino had trouble falling to sleep, but when she did, a story came to her mind. She got up to write it down.

“I didn’t even know I was going to do a children’s book,” Valentino said. “It was just the urgency to get the story down. … When she asked me that question, I realized she is curious. She wants to know what’s happening with her mommy.”

As time went on, Valentino felt an increasing urge to publish the story. She felt her book, When Can We Run, Dance and Play Again?, was meant to be when she found illustrator Donnalee Houston.

Self-published through AuthorHouse, the book is dedicated to Valentino’s children, Brett and Natalie. Valentino said she invested about $7,000 in the project.

The book offers a glimpse into the life of a mom whose health doesn’t allow her to play with her children the way she once did.

The book doesn’t dwell on RSD. Rather, it relates to how a mom can use imaginary games and other ways to play with her children.

“A lot of times I’m in bed; I have a lot of guilt,” Valentino said. “I’m a mom. I can’t do what I used to do.”

The book is not a how-to guide, but promotes the idea of using one’s imagination.

Valentino has learned to be resourceful in real life.

“We create things in bed,” she said. “We paint things on canvas. We make jewelry. We’ll do all of these fun things from bed because Mommy can’t go out.”

The book is intended for anyone who is suffering from an illness or disease, to be used as a springboard for discussion, she said.

“I’m a talker, so it’s easy for me,” Valentino said. “But some people have more trouble, especially when they’re in pain. I know it can be very hard to open up, especially when you have young ones. You don’t want to scare them.”

After learning she had RSD, Valentino said she met others who have the same condition at RSD groups. She also found out there were other families, whose children also attend Academy at the Lakes, who have a family member with the same condition.

Valentino said she also hopes her book will raise awareness about RSD, which remains in many ways a medical mystery.

Valentino said she’s tried a variety of treatments, such as an oxygen chamber, acupuncture, surgeries, cranial therapy, spinal stimulators, lower lumbar shots, injections of fish poison, deep breathing, visualization and hypnosis.

She hopes it goes into remission.

She also keeps a journal to record what is happening to her.

“Emotionally, it can be very, very difficult,” Valentino said.

But she said her family has been amazing and her friends have been wonderful.

She’s also determined to push on with the help of her cane, crutches and wheelchair.

“I am not going to let RSD rule me and take over me,” Valentino said.

And, despite the pain and limitations, Valentino said dealing with her condition has had positive effects.

“It has made me a more aware person, and, I believe, a better person, too,” Valentino said. She added, “I really want to say to people who might be suffering from a chronic illness, ‘Never give up. Don’t let it eat you up and destroy you.’

“This is probably my purpose,” Valentino continued. “Things happen for a reason, and even though they’re bad, you have to take something bad and make it good.”

 

To buy the book

When Can We Run, Dance and Play Again? is available through Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and authorhouse.com. For books purchased through the author’s website, whencanweplayagain.com, Valentino will donate 20 percent of the proceeds to the RSD Hope for Tomorrow Research Fund.

 

Facts about RSD*

—It is a malfunction of part of the nervous system. Nerves misfire, sending constant pain signals to the brain.

—It is frequently caused by minor injuries, such as a sprain.

—Symptoms include swelling, abnormal skin color changes, skin temperature, sweating and limited range of motion.

—Women are two to three times more likely to have the condition than men.

—The mean age at diagnosis is 42, but children as young as 3 have been diagnosed with it.

—The condition is not a psychological syndrome, but it may become one if no one believes the complaints of pain of someone who has the condition.

*Source: www.rsds.org

 

 

By Kyle LoJacono

 

Ermias Bireda has never competed in a hurdles race, but the Wiregrass Ranch senior might be an expert on running through such obstacles after the last six months.

Bireda ended the 2011 cross country season as the 15th fastest racer at the Class 3A state meet, completing the 5-kilometer course in a personal record (PR) 16 minutes 9.1 seconds.

He maintained that positive momentum during the track season, claiming district championships in the 1,600- (4:31.54) and 3,200-meter (10:04.19) and a regional crown in the 1,600 (4:26.43).

His run of strong performances continued during the 3A track final. Bireda was solidly in third place rounding the last turn of the 1,600. Less than 200 meters separated him from his first state medal.

That’s when fate started throwing him curve balls.

Bireda was tripped from behind by one of his competitors. As he fell to the track, his opportunity to have a state medal placed around his neck was dashed.

“It’s most definitely motivation,” Bireda said. “It’s really hard to forget that. … I don’t think I’ve ever been so mad when that happened. I looked up and saw all those kids passing me.”

Bireda still managed to finish 12th out of 15 runners in 4:34.05, but unfortunately for him the difficult string of events wasn’t done.

Spurred by the disappointing end to his track season, Bireda pushed himself like never before during the summer. In fact, he overdid his training.

“The main reason I think it happened was I jumped my mileage up too much in one week,” Bireda said. “It happened in early August. … I was running in the low 60s miles per week, and I jumped to the high 70s.”

The result was inflammation in his left shin, which kept him out of practice for about a month.

“He was in really good shape,” said Bulls coach Chris Loth. “I think in terms of this summer as good as anyone we’ve ever had. He’s staying in shape really well. He’s aqua jogging, staying in the gym and doing anything he can. … It’s killing him not to be out here. He never wants to miss a practice. He’s chomping at the bit.”

Bireda said the internal drive to be as prepared as possible for his senior season was too great to not push himself to the limit during the summer.

“Socially he’s a laid back person, but competitively he’s a Type A,” Loth said. “He just wants to run. He doesn’t want to miss a workout or a meet ever. He’s keeping a good frame of mind, and keeping the big picture in mind, which is the end of the season.”

Bireda said that competitive nature developed during the track season last spring when he started winning titles.

“I was competing with the top guys and getting wins,” Bireda said. “I wasn’t just running for times anymore. It’s a different feeling.”

Bireda began running track while in eighth grade at John Long Middle. That is where Loth first saw his talent.

“I coached him in middle school at John Long, and he broke the mile record there (5:09),” Loth said. “He was one spot away from competing in the state meet as a freshman, so he was a solid top-eight runner as a freshman.”

Eighth grade was also when Bireda met his current teammates Thor Alastre and Ben Hall, both seniors.

“It’s been really tough seeing him hurt because you can tell it’s messing with him,” Hall said. “He doesn’t like being hurt and not being able to run. That’s his big passion, running. … He is the most dedicated person I’ve met. He’s the hardest working kid. Any goal he makes, he strives to get it.”

Alastre added, “Ermias is an inspiration. He’s a freak of nature. It’s an honor running with him. He’s the most hardworking person I know. … He’s going to overcome this. I’m 100 percent sure of that.”

Loth said Bireda started running with the team last week. The plan is for him to practice for four weeks before entering into a competition.

“He may go to the line and see what he has, but he’s not really going to be full bore for several weeks,” Loth said.

Bireda said his goal is to cut his time to less than 15:40 by the end of the season, but the drive to do so isn’t for himself.

“It’s not so much pressure on myself, but I want to help the team as much as I can.”

 

 

By Jeff Odom

 

When Tropical Storm Debby sat over the Tampa Bay area dumping large amounts of rain, Lutz resident Frank Muniz found the access road to his home and yard covered with standing water.

Muniz is still dealing with the storm’s aftereffects two months later.

Across the street from Muniz’s home on Crooked Lane is the Oscar Cooler Sports Complex. There, water has filled an area that was commonly used for warm-ups and team photos during the Little League baseball season.

A crushed culvert, or a drainage pipe that allows water to flow under roadways, blocked by a bag of cement is preventing the area from clearing.

When it rains in the afternoon, Muniz said the water spills through the chain link fence and over the dirt road in front of his driveway, killing parts of the vegetation in his yard, including an orange tree.

“It has nowhere to go,” Muniz said. “I’ve called the county multiple times and nothing has been done to fix this. There’s a mound of debris from when they removed an oak tree. It’s been piling up for two and a half years.”

Hillsborough County Public Works spokesperson Steve Valdez said the damaged culvert should have been taken out years ago and that the county is doing its best to fix it.

“That culvert has not been part of our storm water system for over a decade and should have been removed,” Valdez said. “We’re in the process to redesign and change elevations in that area and get all of that water moving west.”

Muniz said the pavement can be flooded with up to 10 inches of water at the turn off onto Crooked Lane from W. Lutz Lake Fern Road, making it invisible from a far distance. With no sign warning drivers, some usually speed around the corner.

“It’s a dangerous spot, especially with kids around here learning how to drive,” Muniz said. “There’s nothing to warn you. No sign, and you can’t see it until you’re right on it, and they think everything is fine.”

When Muniz attempted to contact Hillsborough County Commissioner Victor Crist, District 2, to come look at the situation, he said there was no response. He added, other neighbors have done the same.

Along with the safety issue, Muniz is also worried that the ground will become so saturated that there will be problems with the septic tanks, which everyone on his block uses.

“I’m concerned at the raw sewage; where is it going to go?” Muniz said. “(The county has told others) that they’d get on it as soon as possible, but then they give a six-month timetable.”

With the rainfall levels so extreme, Valdez said the storm water system is only designed to take in a regular rain event. He added, the county will not pump out the excess water across from Muniz’s property.

“Everyone is dealing with a flooding issue of some kind,” Valdez said. “We’ve had 41 inches of rain to date. Our normal average is 21 inches.”

Muniz wants the county to take more action to help him and his neighbors now that the rainy season is coming to a close.

“We just want help,” Muniz said. “It’s started to go down a bit, but those aren’t even ditches anymore. They’ve become retention ponds.”

 

 

By Kyle LoJacono

 

The Hillsborough Commission has tentatively approved the county budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year without the fireworks seen in many neighboring local governments.

In fact, the spending plan is downright boring, and that’s the way Commissioner Mark Sharpe and the rest of the board wanted it.

“No tax increases and no job cuts,” Sharpe said. “That’s what we were hoping for.”

The board also didn’t have to tap into reserve money or issue furlough days to county workers to balance the budget despite a dip in property value by 2.19 percent. County Administrator Mike Merrill said sales and tourist taxes brought in more revenue than expected, which offset the reduction in property taxes.

Sharpe said Merrill, who was appointed in 2010, deserves much of the credit for the budget.

“He’s done a great job for the county,” Sharpe said. “He’s been really focusing on taking our local government from the old way of doing things to a new way.”

That new model included outsourcing many tasks traditionally done by county staff, such as maintaining landscaping at county parks, when the budget crises took hold. This resulted in 160 layoffs the previous two years while eliminating many vacant positions, but bidding out such jobs allowed them to keep services for Hillsborough residents.

“We didn’t think that somehow magically the economy would turn around and the cavalry would come over the hill, which is what a lot of cities and counties thought,” Merrill said. “So, now you have more municipal defaults than they’ve ever seen and more municipalities are cutting basic services because they bet wrong.”

Merrill said he also looked to eliminate duplications, which have helped reduce per capita cost of county services by 26 percent from five years ago.

The county administrator also pointed out that Hillsborough has kept its AAA rating, the highest possible, on its general bonds, which allows the county to borrow money at a lower interest rate.

“While other communities are seeing their ratings drop, ours are going up,” Merrill said. “So, what we were able to do then was to take some one-time money and invest it in some capital projects.”

Some of those projects include improvements to roadways. Funded jobs in the new budget include $8.5 million to make dangerous intersections safer and $1 million each for new sidewalks and road resurfacings.

The new budget also included a one-time bonus of $1,500 for county employees. Merrill said this was suggested because staffers have not received a cost-of-living raise in four years.

Commissioners are expected to give final approval to the budget this week. The spending plan must be in place by Oct. 1.

• By B.C. Manion

   

  Maryhelen Zopfi is such an avid gardener that she’s filled up nearly every nook and cranny in her front yard with diverse plants, a koi pond and eclectic yard art.

  But she doesn’t stop there.

  Her passion spills into the backyard, where there are roses, orchids, crotons, fruit trees and grapevines. There’s even a stand of stately canna lilies in an old claw-foot tub. And, there’s a large koi pond out back, too. It’s much larger than the one in front. The backyard pond used to be the family’s swimming pool.

  Her property, on North Mobile Villa Drive in Lutz, is also a showcase for Florida-Friendly landscaping practices.

  Zopfi catches rainfall in a rain barrel to water a portion of a garden. She diverts runoff from her rooftop and pipes it into areas of her garden. She uses landscape beds to keep storm water from spilling out of her yard. And, she uses micro-irrigation to apply water where needed without wasteful spraying.

  She groups plants with similar water and maintenance needs, uses mulches that are environmentally friendly and welcomes birds and butterflies to her garden with her well-stocked birdfeeder and butterfly plants.

  Zopfi’s yard is considered to be such a fine example of Florida-Friendly landscaping that she was named the recipient of Hillsborough County’s 2012 Florida-Friendly Landscape Water-Wise Award. She collected her award from the Hillsborough Commission at its Sept. 19 board meeting.

  Visitors to Zopfi’s garden will find a place that awakens the senses.

  Walk along the garden path out front and you’ll smell the fragrance of white ginger, wafting into the air. You’ll see a cluster of orchids displaying gorgeous blooms.

  “It’s just like in the rainforest,” Zopfi said. “They hang out under trees and nature takes care of them.”

  Look in one direction to see colorful crotons. Peer another way to see massive staghorn ferns.

  Her front yard has plants everywhere. There’s shell ginger, pinecone ginger, spider plants, powder puffs, impatiens, bromeliads, coleus and roses.

  

  She picks up some stock at plant sales. Other vegetation comes from swap meets. She gets cuttings from fellow gardeners and freebies at seminars.

  Some crotons are unique to her garden. Her husband of 43 years, Simon, grafted them. Others plants have found a new home in her garden after being transplanted from other yards. The bird’s nest fern, for instance, was once in her grandmother’s yard.

  Zopfi also gets a kick out of yard décor.

  She’s no minimalist when it comes to adorning her yard, and her definition of “yard art” is broad.

  Some decorations include a dangling pair of blue crocs, which her granddaughter outgrew; a lady bug created from half of a bowling ball; a bucket she turned on its side with rocks spilling out; and a dinner plate garden border.

  “I just set things around my yard,” Zopfi said. “When people don’t want something, they give it to Maryhelen.”

  Besides gifts from friends, she gets stuff at yard sales, from flea markets and by “ground shopping,” a term that describes her outings to find gems in other people’s discards.

  “I found these steps on the side of the road,” she bragged. They’re now her potting bench.

  She enjoys finding new uses for old things. An old mailbox in her front yard is now a storage place for garden tools.

  Her planters are creative, too. They include a pair of old wash tubs, a child’s red wagon, a hanging infant’s swing, an old race car tire and a collection of colanders.

  “I will plant in anything,” Zopfi said. “You give me something and I will plant in it.”

  When she adds or moves a plant in her garden, she pays attention to how it fares.

  “Plants will tell you where they want to be. You can hang that plant and if it looks wilty, it doesn’t want to be in the shade. If they’re comfortable, they do good,” Zopfi said.

  She credits her father, the late Sid Carter, for introducing her to the wonders of gardening.

  “My dad used to just throw sweet potatoes out in the backyard and let it grow,” she said.

  He also taught her to be resourceful.

  “He always told me,” Zopfi said, “I’ll give you all of your needs, but if you want something you’re going to have to build it or make it.”

  Zopfi said much of what she’s learned about gardening has come through “trowel and error.”

  She also belongs to several garden clubs and frequently attends plant talks at public libraries.

  Zopfi enjoys leaning and is happy to share what she knows. She said one of her favorite sayings is, “Those who know, teach. Those who don’t know, learn.”

   

  /glance  box

  Pasco winners

  Ron and Marian Riopelle, who live on Ninth Street in Zephyrhills, are Pasco County’s recipients of the Community Water-Wise Award for 2012. They will be honored at a future Pasco Commission meeting.

   

  /Sidebar box

  Florida-Friendly landscaping principles*

  Florida-Friendly landscaping principles include:

  —Planting the right plant in the right spot (visit floridayards.org for a database of Florida-Friendly plants)

  —Using water efficiently by designing a landscape that relies predominantly on rainfall

  —Fertilizing as necessary

  —Maximizing mulch to conserve moisture by applying a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch over the roots of plants and shrubs and in plant beds

  —Offering a place for wildlife by providing adequate food, water and shelter (visit hillsborough_fyn.ifas.ufl.edu/BWH.html to find out more)

  —Controlling pests responsibly by using fewer pesticides and allowing beneficial insects to help keep unwanted pests under control

  —Recycling grass clippings, leaves and yard debris to provide natural sources of mulch

  —Preventing storm water runoff by using rain barrels, gravel or mulch for driveways and paths and directing drainpipes onto gardens and lawns

  —Protecting the waterfront by planting native plants or noninvasive exotics near the shoreline and creating a buffer zone near the shoreline where no chemicals are applied

  *Source: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

   

 

By Jeff Odom

 

While summer months are typically slow for Feeding America Tampa Bay, this year has been like no other in the worst of ways.

Supply shelves inside the Suncoast distribution branch, 5829 Ehren Cutoff in Land O’ Lakes, are almost bare.

Only condiments and drinks fill the spaces behind the vacant produce and canned meal racks, which worries Kathy Mullen, who is the branch coordinator with the organization’s Suncoast Branch.

“This is the worst I’ve ever seen it,” said Mullen, who has been with the food bank since 1996. “Right now, we are having to spend a lot of funding that should be handling other aspects of our job description and funneling that into trying to find food that’s available through other means.”

Mullen said the continuous economic struggles and severe drought conditions in much of the country are key factors in the lack of supply in Feeding America’s collection and distribution centers. The organization, which feeds more than 500,000 people in 10 Florida counties, is looking to local businesses and clubs to help fill the hole.

“Basically, the food just isn’t here in the country,” Mullen said. “We have increased impact in need and decreased availability of food. What we’re looking for is folks out in our community who will adopt months and drive food drives for us, starting June through October, because come November and December we do get a lot of help from the community. However, it will get bad again in January. … We want a constant flow of food in the food banks.”

Items that Feeding America needs the most are shelf-stable foods, such as meaty canned soups, tuna fish, pasta, nuts, peanut butter and canned fruits and vegetables.

Mullen hopes the community can put together food drives. She said a one dollar donation can go as far as five meals.

“I look forward to the phone ringing,” Mullen said. “We don’t need any kind of liquid or drinks or anything to that affect. We need food.”

For more information on Feeding America’s Suncoast Branch, call (813) 929-0200. To find other distribution centers and how to help, visit www.feedingamericatampabay.org.