Special to The Laker/Lutz News

The question is, how many?

By B.C. Manion

When Marc and Becky Young, Texas delegates to the Republican National Convention (RNC), arrived at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel, they made a beeline to Publix for batteries and flashlights.

Forecasters had warned that Hurricane Isaac was a potential threat to the Tampa Bay region, and they weren’t taking chances.

The following morning, Amy Doucet and Lisa Garza, delegates from Texas, walked along SR 54 in Wesley Chapel to the Waffle House to grab a bite. Next, they stocked up on groceries. They intended to catch a movie at Cobb Grove 16 the next day.

Other Republicans staying at Saddlebrook said they were planning to check out The Shops at Wiregrass, eat meals at local restaurants and stick around for a few days after the convention to see the area’s sights.

The 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee estimated direct spending tied to the RNC would range from $175 million to $200 million. That’s not counting the “multiplier” effect, which can equal 2.5 times the actual dollars spent, the committee reported.

Those numbers, however, are the topic of debate.

An analysis by Jones Lang Lasalle, a financial and professional services firm, estimated direct spending at far less, putting the total at $153.6 million.

Philip Porter, an economics professor from the University of South Florida (USF), scoffs at both projections: “They want to paint the best picture they possibly can. They count anything they can possibly put their hands on.”

Studies conducted of past conventions in other cities have shown that optimistic spending projections do not bear out, Porter said.

“The real question is what you expect to sell,” the economics professor said.

Much of the money conventioneers spend will benefit companies based elsewhere, Porter said.

For instance, the convention’s bookings primarily go to the international companies that own the hotels, Porter said. Limousine services that are brought in from other cities to ferry people around bring in revenue for the out-of-town companies that own the car services. Even the dinner rolls served in local restaurants are made from grain and flour that come from different states, he said.

Saddlebrook Resort is locally owned and was sold out for the week of the convention thanks to delegates from Louisiana and Texas. It was the only RNC convention hotel in Pasco County but wasn’t the only area hotel picking up trade.

“The short-term impact is probably on our hospitality industry,” said John Hagen, president/CEO of the Pasco Economic Development Council.

Local merchants hoped to catch some RNC business, too.

The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel put out a welcome mat for convention visitors and for Labor Day weekend by hosting a bipartisan, All-American Festival, including concerts, a puppet show, a sidewalk sale and a fresh market.

Poor weather conditions early in the week probably put a damper on visitors to the mall because many of its amenities are outdoors, some mall merchants said.

Greg Lenners, general manager at The Shops at Wiregrass, said it was too early on Aug. 30 to tell what kind of impact the RNC would have on mall traffic.

Most of the mall’s special events weren’t planned to begin until after the convention’s final evening on Aug. 30, Lenners explained.

Merchants offered a variety of deals to try to entice hotel guests to visit the mall.

Guests from 30 area hotels picked up a special red, white and blue wristband to get in on the deals, including discounts on merchandise at several shops. One special was a 17.76 percent discount on shoes or apparel at Fitniche.

Discounts were also offered on food and drink, including 10 percent off a beverages at Barnie’s Coffee, a free appetizer with two adult meals at Red Robin, a free 14-ounce draft at Primebar and 20 percent off Pagelli’s Italiano.

Blondie’s Cookies got into the spirit by decorating a cookie with a RNC theme, and the staff at hq Salon Aveda took a bipartisan approach by creating a window display showing the hair styles of all of the first ladies, from Martha Washington to Michelle Obama.

Cobb Grove 16 saw little difference in its usual sales, except for a bump in business on Aug. 27 when RNC events were cancelled because of concerns about Hurricane Isaac, said Jeremy Welman, chief operating officer for the Cobb Theatres/CinéBistro chain, based in Birmingham.

“We not talking a big swing; maybe 20 percent higher,” Welman said.

Business was a bit more brisk at CinéBistro Hyde Park Village, which is closer to the convention, Welman said.

Boosters say that immediate spending is just one benefit from hosting a presidential political convention. They think the intense media exposure can help a convention city create a positive impression that can have long-lasting benefits.

Hagen said the entire region worked together to put on a marketing blitz for Tampa Bay, adding that the concerted efforts before the convention helped cement stronger ties in the region and offered learning opportunities for those involved.

In broadcast interviews on radio and television, members of the host committee and local politicians repeatedly cited the intense media exposure as a tremendous opportunity to showcase the area’s strengths and bolster the region’s long-term prospects.

Porter is skeptical.

“It’s exposure,” Porter said, but there’s no guarantee it will be good. When the city hosted the Super Bowl in the past, media outlets focused on reporting Tampa’s strip clubs, he said.

He also doubts that those attending the convention are the kind of people who influence where businesses decide to locate.

“These are delegates and newspaper reporters and politicians,” Porter said, not the captains of industry.

Porter criticized city leaders for not presenting a more accurate picture of the true impacts.

The bottom line, Porter said, is this: “What did you have when you had the RNC and what did you have when you didn’t have it? It’s same old, same old. … Our city is saying what the RNC tells them and not looking at their own data.

“They have the data,” Porter continued. “They don’t look at it, and, as a result, they do us a disservice.”

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn — a Democrat who has championed the positives the convention would bring to the city — could not be reached for comment.

A.J. Blount’s recovery from ACL surgery

By Kyle LoJacono

The most prolific goal scorer in Wiregrass Ranch girls soccer history is ready to make up for lost time this season.

Senior A.J. Blount is fully recovered from a torn ACL in her right knee that robbed her of the 2011-12 season. The forward scored a single-season program record 40 goals as a sophomore while kicking in 15 assists.

Add the 28 goals and three assists Blount recorded as a sophomore and she has 154 points in her two seasons with the Bulls.

The injury happened just more than a year ago on Sept. 2, 2011, about a month before the high school season, while playing club soccer with the Brandon Flames. Blount was hurt with about five minutes remaining in the contest.

“I was playing wing, I took the ball down the side and I saw this big girl coming,” Blount said. “I was thinking pass and beat her. I stuck my foot out to try and pass, and she took a nice whack at it. I was not prepared; I was unstable. Everything went wrong.

“I knew from the moment it happened because I felt it pop and do things it isn’t supposed to do,” Blount continued. “The first person I texted was Ms. Jen. I said ‘I think something is wrong,’ and she said ‘I need to see you ASAP.’”

Jen Stollery, the head certified athletic trainer at Wiregrass Ranch, said the recovery time for an ACL tear is six months.

“Her six months happen to be the entire soccer season, so I know it feels like a year, but it was six months for her,” Stollery said.

Blount said her first time back in a contest was April 14 with Brandon during the playoffs. She assisted on the game-winning goal and notched two tallies of her own in the following matchup.

“Most difficult thing was waiting,” Blount said. “Ms. Jen babied me as if I was her kid. My doctor and her knew I could do more, but they said ‘We need to take a step back and think about it.’ I ended up not doing the things I wanted, but I do thank (Stollery) a lot.”

Blount said she is stronger than before the injury. She was also given the chance to play on scholarship at the University of South Florida, where she committed last year.

“I didn’t know this was going to happen to me, but I feel it’s all God’s plan,” Blount said. “Now I’m even stronger and even better.”

…

Blount started playing soccer around age 3 because of her dad Horace Lynch.

“He didn’t play or anything,” Blount said. “I was just so energetic he would put me in a sport and have me run my energy out there and not in the house. For awhile I did a lot of sports. … When I was in Mississippi I played on my first competitive team, and it was just hard work. I didn’t know that’s what soccer was consisting of and what it was demanding. I got fit and the technical skills, and I didn’t want to give that up.”

Blount said she didn’t think she had a knack for scoring, but coaches would put her at forward because of her speed. She actually prefers playing on the wing where she can set up teammates to score with crossing passes.

When she does have a clear break at the net she thinks only optimistically.

“I have to keep telling myself that this is going in, and just stay positive about it,” Blount said. “Hopefully everything goes your way, but it’s more about training. When you train, you know you can do it. It’s not just a maybe it’s going in. You know it’s going in.”

Her family moved to the area as a seventh-grader. She met many of her current Wiregrass Ranch teammates while at John Long Middle, such as goalkeeper Dayton Wetherby and midfielder Anne Cypriano.

…

The Bulls went 23-3-2 in Blount’s sophomore season, one more win than the program’s first four seasons combined. They also won a district title for the first time and reached the regional finals thanks in part to Blount’s ability to find the back of the net.

The news of Blount’s injury seemed impossible to Cypriano.

“At first I didn’t believe she was hurt,” said Cypriano, a senior. “I guess I didn’t want to believe it. I hated seeing her hurt.”

Cypriano had to play more of an offensive style of midfield last year to replace some of Blount’s production.

“I feel more comfortable with her up top because we’ve played together for so long,” Cypriano said. “I can trust her up top and we can play like we used to.”

The loss also allowed opposing teams to focus on stopping senior forward Berlin Waters.

“It was difficult to adjust because she played forward with me,” Waters said. “Me and her played so well together, so it was hard to work things out. It was difficult, but now that she’s back I think it’ll be easy to get right back at it and play like we used to up top together.”

Wetherby, a senior, said she tried whatever she could to help her injured teammate.

“I wanted to help her as much as I could, so when she was done with rehab and cleared to play we worked together,” Wetherby said. “It was really hard because she’s like a sister to me.”

…

Stollery said Blount came for treatment every day after her stitches came out.

“She did what any elite athlete would do,” Stollery said. “Treatment and rehab as often as possible, pushing herself but not too much.”

Stollery said the first step to recovery from an ACL tear is regaining motion while keeping out swelling.

“The biggest things are range of motion and strengthening of the quad,” Stollery said. “Once you get the quad strength back you move into balance and functional stuff and then have to do a lot of on-the-field activity before you go into live play.”

Blount showed she had regained her speed during the track season. She was part of the Wiregrass Ranch 4×100-meter relay team that won Sunshine Athletic Conference and district championships.

“It was really inspiring for me when she came back during track,” Stollery said. “That’s one thing that we work on with athletes before you start side-to-side motion is that straight on speed. Man did she have it, and it came back so fast. I was so happy for her.”

For Blount, it took a return to the pitch.

“I had to be on a field and touch a ball before I felt like I was back,” Blount said.

High school practice begins Oct. 8 with games starting three weeks later, a wait Blount could do without.

“If it were my decision we’d be playing now,” Blount said. “I’m ready to get to play with these girls one more time before we head off to college.”

—Stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches

By Kyle LoJacono

If the Gaither football team is on offense, Shug Oyegunle is on the field.

Which position he’s at is much less certain.

The 5-foot-9, 175-pound senior has lined up at every offensive position during his time with the Cowboys except on the line while also returning punts and kickoffs.

He led the squad with 526 yards on 64 carries and five touchdowns while adding 265 yards on 12 catches and another three scores. Add in 178 return yards, including a 99-yard touchdown, and completing 15-of-37 passes for 257 yards and two scores, and Oyegunle showed that he is one of Tampa Bay’s more versatile football players.

He even makes Gaither’s defense better.

“Going against Shug, he’s the fastest guy around here,” said senior linebacker Dom Neglio. “He’s speedy. … Going against him makes us learn how to take the right angle and makes us build our speed. If we can catch them, we can catch anyone in the county.”

Oyegunle first took the gridiron at age 7 with the Citrus Park Bills with the goal of emulating his older brother, Yemi, who is entering his senior year playing linebacker at The Citadel.

“I just wanted to follow his footsteps,” Oyegunle said. “He’s been the biggest inspiration in my life, and I’ve always wanted to be like him.”

Oyegunle played mostly on offense while in youth football, including significant time at quarterback. When he started at Gaither he expected to one day be the signal caller; he just didn’t think it would be at age 14 and less than a month into his freshman season.

He played mostly slot receiver early on, but made the move under center three games into his first year.

“I expected to play quarterback at some point in high school, but I wasn’t expecting it to happen so fast in my freshman year,” Oyegunle said. “Just having the opportunity to start in my freshman year was a really good thing getting that experience.”

Oyegunle stayed there the rest of that season and his entire sophomore campaign. He went a combined 139-of-350 passing for 1,947 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding another 462 yards on 183 carries and five scores.

Oyegunle was preparing to again play quarterback going into last season when the squad picked up a big addition — 6-foot-2.5, 190-pound Wesley Chapel transfer Alex McGough.

McGough started for the Wildcats as a freshman the year before but expected to sit behind the established quarterback. Fortunately for the Cowboys, Oyegunle recognized how much better the squad was with both of them on the field at the same time.

“As long as we’re winning, that’s all that matters to me,” Oyegunle said. “I don’t care where I’m playing as long as we win.

“When Alex came in, I was happy because I’ve been waiting for someone to play that role in this offense,” Oyegunle continued. “It was a really good thing for us that he came here. Honestly everything came out right. … When he first came, I tried to make him as comfortable as possible. I told him everything about our offense so that he could play that role as our quarterback.”

McGough added, “It made it easy for me. He was very receptive of me coming in. He was fine being our all-around athlete. It put us both in a position to excel. He’s one of my best friends. The chemistry we have is really good.”

Gaither coach Jason Stokes, who was also in his first year with the program in 2011, said Oyegunle’s attitude set the tone of being unselfish for the rest of the team.

“Just doing whatever it takes to win,” Stokes said. “People saw that if our quarterback can give up anything to make the team better, then they need to do whatever it takes too.”

Oyegunle played a lot at quarterback early last season as McGough transitioned to the program and learned the offense. By midseason, it was McGough under center with Oyegunle moving all over the field.

“Shug is such an athlete that anywhere you put him he’s going to make a difference,” Stokes said. “Now the team has to worry about a good quarterback, a good running back and receiver. It makes it more of a headache for defenses having to deal with him and follow him around the field.”

The squad took off after that, going 9-4 and made the regional finals for just the second time in the program’s 27-year history.

This offseason, Oyegunle has been 100 percent preparing to play running back and receiver, but added teams will still have to respect the potential of him throwing the ball.

“I love being able to do that, and we’ve got some packages where I can still throw it, like as a halfback toss,” Oyegunle said. “I know I can still do it, and if people aren’t paying attention we’ll really be able to burn them with it. That makes us more dangerous I think.”

Oyegunle has received 13 scholarship offers to play in college, including from Division I programs like Florida Atlantic, Western Kentucky, Navy and Ball State.

Stokes said the colleges like Oyegunle’s unselfishness, versatility and 4.5-second speed in the 40-yard dash. The senior is thrilled with the prospects of playing at the next level, but is more energized about what the Cowboys can do this season.

“This is so exciting,” Oyegunle said. “We’ve got a lot of really good players on offense, the defense is looking really good and we’ve got great coaches.”

Oyegunle and Gaither host Leto for their home opener on Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m.

—Stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches

Samuel Water Surratt Jr. left his mark on Zephyrhills

By B.C. Manion

When people talk about Samuel Walter Surratt Jr., they recall a man who was a devoted civic leader, an involved father and a generally nice guy to be around.

For 21 years, you could find Sam at Zephyrhills City Hall on Monday nights, handling the duties of a city councilman. He devoted the same number of years to helping put out fires as a member of the city’s volunteer fire squad.

He was so well respected that he was named as grand marshal of the Zephyrhills’ Founder’s Day Parade three times. Most notably, he was one of 10 grand marshals selected for the Founder’s Day Parade that celebrated the East Pasco County community’s 100th birthday.

He died on Aug. 14 at age 92 after battling pneumonia, Parkinson’s and heart disease. Hundreds of people turned out on Aug. 18 for his funeral at the First United Methodist Church in downtown Zephyrhills.

Surratt is survived by his wife, Raybelle, and their son, Sam Surratt III. He was preceded in death by the couple’s daughter, Judith Ireland. Other survivors include his son’s wife, Linda, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Raybelle, his wife of 71 years, recalled her husband’s kindness and generosity. She said he thrived on helping others and knew how to have a good time.

“He was very outgoing. He enjoyed life. He was a fun person to live with and be around,” said Raybelle, who met her husband while she was selling tickets at the Crescent movie theater in Dade City, where they both lived.

“Other than his two years in the service, we were never separated,” Raybelle said. He served a two-year stint in the U.S. Army, using his welding skills to repair ships in Rouen, France.

After returning from World War II, he ran his own business, Surratt Iron & Welding Works, in downtown Dade City, across from the historic courthouse, Raybelle said.

Sam Surratt III, recalls visiting his dad’s business.

“What was so neat about the shop — it was a gathering place for politicians. It was wonderful,” he said. People interested in running for office would drop by to test the waters, he said. “That was the local chat shop.”

He shared many happy times with his dad.

“Years ago, in Zephyrhills, we would put a team together and play together in somebody’s pasture,” he said.

His dad would pile all of the kids in the back of a pickup and drive them to one of the fields. Sam and other fathers would use barrels covered with feed sacks to roll across the field, picking up sandspurs so they wouldn’t stick to the kids’ feet.

“We played bare-footed for cryin’ out loud,” he said. “We would have bases (made) out of cow pies.

“We used to hunt at the Green Swamp,” he added. They made it a point to be there on the opening day of hunting season. “I always missed that first day of school.”

Raybelle recalled that her husband was a big band booster supporting both of their kids who played instruments. He pitched in at cookouts to help raise money.

Raybelle also recounted her husband’s passion for gardening, especially for growing orchids. He enjoyed perfecting the beautiful blooms and sharing them with others, she said.

When he retired from his welding business, Sam sold the building to a law firm and used some of the proceeds to explore the world with Raybelle.

“We had a lot of nice trips together,” said Raybelle, who retired after working for years for Pasco County Schools in Zephyrhills and then for the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Dade City.

Places they visited included Switzerland, France, Italy, Africa, Spain and South America.

The two often traveled with two other couples, Jean McClain Murphy and her husband, Pat, and Christine and H.C. Douglas.

Murphy said the couples got along famously and had a fantastic time on the trips.

“Sam was always the same. He had a wonderful personality. He was always happy.”

When the couples were in their 20s and 30s, they would routinely get together with several other couples, Murphy recalled. They weren’t wealthy, but they had fun.

“We were in each other’s homes and our children were there, and Sam was always in the middle of it,” Murphy said.

He enjoyed socializing, Raybelle said, but he also got tremendous pleasure from being of service to others.

Besides being a council member and a volunteer firefighter, he was also involved with the First United Methodist Church, served on the Zephyr Haven Nursing Home Board and was a member of the Zephyrhills V.F.W. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge for more than 50 years and was an honorary member of the Zephyrhills Garden Club.

He received the Distinguished Citizenship Award in Governmental Affairs in 1975.

“He believed in giving back,” Raybelle said. “He didn’t do things for any recognition. He just enjoyed doing them. He was a humble man.”

He also got a big kick from gathering with a group of men at Scratch, a coffee club where members enjoy good-natured ribbing and talking politics, she said.

Sam’s son said if there is anything people remember about his father, he hopes it is this: “He was so passionate about this community and the people who lived here. He was always approachable. He would talk to anyone. He was never too busy to help people out of a problem.”

Odessa company aims to help make things work

By B.C. Manion

You may not know what they’re called, but you take advantage of them every day.

They’re the tiny devices that make the microwave go on when you want to heat up your frozen dinner, or fire up the oven when you want to bake a pie.

The devices are called embedded controls, and there’s a company in Odessa that makes it its business to come up with ways to make all kinds of technology work.

Ray Carr and his team design these controls for clients that provide equipment used by defense contractors, medical providers, restaurants and industrial companies, to name a few.

In essence, the embedded controls they design are tiny devices that combine hardware and software to make things work, said Carr, whose company, called Occam Medical Designs, has adopted the slogan “simplicity by design.”

He started his business in 1999 in the garage of his home in Lutz, and when the company outgrew that space, he moved to a business park in Odessa. Now, Occam Medical is getting ready to move again and plans to relocate to Land O’ Lakes.

Carr’s interest in technology began more than three decades ago. The 46-year-old said his introduction to the marvels of what computers can do happened when he was 12.

He had traveled to Pennsylvania with his family to visit relatives. His uncle was a university professor and Carr recalls seeing computer-generated images of Abraham Lincoln and the Starship Enterprise.

The printouts captured his imagination.

When Carr returned to Florida, he began delving into the world of computer programming. He spent summers at the Science Center of Pinellas learning whatever he could.

“I was writing (computer programs) on teletype terminals,” Carr said. “I finally talked my dad into getting me a computer when I was in ninth grade.”

Carr attended Vanderbilt University, where he discovered a love of electronics as well as programming.

Since then, he has used those skills to develop 23 domestic and international patents on 14 different products, including an endoscopic shaver blade window positioning system, a blood product delivery system, a conveyerized oven and method for uniform cooking, a multi-purpose irrigation/aspiration pump system and a foot switch.

Carr’s company has been involved in designing embedded controls for all sorts of restaurant equipment, such as french fryers, smoothie makers and walk-in coolers.

Despite the recession, his company has grown from a $200,000 a year operation to one topping $3 million annually.

Carr credits the subcontractors he works with.

“We have some really excellent designers,” said Carr, noting many had been laid off by their companies. “We pulled them into our group.”

These designers have handled technologies for a wide range of uses. They’ve created for defense contractors including Honeywell, ATK, Burtek, Raytheon and E-Systems.

In the medical arena, they’ve done work for Baxter, GE Medical, Bristol Myers Squibb and MELA Sciences. And, general industry clients have included Manitowoc Food Service Group, Hobart and Polaris.

Carr didn’t start out his career expecting to launch his own company that now handles work for business across the country.

Initially, Carr pictured himself climbing the corporate ladder, he said.

“I actually advanced pretty quickly. I was a director when I was 27 years old,” Carr said.

He discovered it wasn’t the life for him.

“I didn’t like what it was,” Carr said, so he and his wife, Tami, decided he should set up his own consulting company and see where that led.

Carr said creating his own business has allowed him to put his priorities in their proper place.

He and Tami, have two children, 13-year-old Sean and 6-year-old Olivia. The children are homeschooled.

“Family is so important,” said Carr, who has set aside one-on-one time with his children on his calendar each week.

“It’s so important to schedule business around your family, instead of family around your business,” Carr said.

He also relies heavily on his faith.

“As the business was growing, I joined a group called the C12,” Carr said. “It’s a group of Christian CEOs in the area.”

C12 members lead companies doing anywhere from a couple of hundred thousand to more than a billion dollars worth of business, Carr said.

“We meet once a month,” Carr said. “You get one-on-one training and you also meet once a month with your core group, which has a dozen people from the area. That has been really, really helpful.

“These are guys who can mentor,” Carr continued. “They are extremely well-versed in business and what to do.”

As he makes his business decisions, Carr pays attention to how those decisions fit into his values.

“My goal is to listen and to take advantage of the opportunities that are presented and to filter them out from the ones that may be not right for us, or not a good fit,” Carr said. He added, “It’s important to just sit and kind of be peaceful. I don’t call it meditation. To me, it’s prayer. You feel if you should flow some place and you feel if you shouldn’t.”

Ultimately, Carr said, “It’s God’s company, not my company.”

To reach Carr, email him at .