Special to The Laker/Lutz News

 

By B.C. Manion

 

Ice cream trucks have been making the rounds for decades, but now a new business in Lutz is trying to break into the mobile sweets market.

Unforgettable Cupcakes & More, an online company that specializes in gourmet cupcakes, dipped pretzel rods and marshmallow pops, recently launched a new line of business – a cupcake van.

The van makes the rounds of various events, with a regular Saturday stop at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex on Collier Parkway.

The company’s founder, Shirley Quinones, believes she has the only cupcake truck in the area.

And now she’s planning another twist she thinks would be a first for the market: A cupcake bar.

The concept for the cupcake bar is similar to the approach at ice cream shops where people choose their own toppings for sundaes. In this case, they’d be selecting toppings for cupcakes.

When Quinones launched her company about 15 months ago, she was looking for something she could do for herself after spending years devoting her full-time energy to her family.

Her daughters, Victoria, 12 and Karmelyna, 11, are now in middle school at Villa Madonna. Her husband, Juan, is an architect.

So, with the encouragement of her sister, Leslyann Acosta, Quinones turned her love of baking into the foundation for Unforgettable Cupcakes & More, an online gourmet treats business.

Quinones, like many entrepreneurs, enlisted the aid of everyone in her family to make the company a success.

Her husband, parents, sister, brother-in-law and kids helped transform an old ice cream truck into “Dottie the Unforgetabus,” a moniker submitted by the winner of an online contest sponsored by the cupcake company.

Quinones’ husband and her dad, Lester Santos, work the cupcake truck on Saturdays at the recreation complex. Her sister created the company’s website and took all the photographs. Her children help her come up with new flavors and names for the cupcakes. And relatives, friends and colleagues are the taste-testers, offering feedback Quinones uses to tweak recipes.

There’s no shortage of creativity in this crowd.

They’ve come up with more than 20 flavors, with selections including Wedding Bliss, Vanilla Dulce, Chocolate Amore, Razzle Dazzle, Ruby Red Velvet, Coco-loco, Pineapple Paradise, Cinnamon Crunch, Peanut Butter Dynamite, S’mores and Chiquita Split.

Big hits so far include Peanut Butter Dynamite, S’Mores and Coco-loco, which is either a vanilla or chocolate cupcake with coconut frosting.

Baking offers the Lutz woman a form of therapy and her business provides an outlet for personal expression.

“It’s fun to create new things and different things,” Quinones said.

She makes everything from scratch in small batches, to ensure freshness and customizes her small cakes with homemade frostings. She offers a wide selection of cakes and toppings, providing patrons with an array of choices.

She handles the baking chores at her home, or at a commercial kitchen in Town ‘N Country – depending on the size of the order.

Quinones has learned a lot about purchasing, pricing and marketing her business. One of the biggest challenges she’s had so for far is learning how to be more outgoing in promoting her business.

“I’m more of a behind-the-scenes kind of a person. I don’t like attention,” she said.

The online company accepts orders and offers delivery in several areas in Hillsborough and Pasco counties, including Cheval, Lake Magdalene, Land O’ Lakes, Lutz, Keystone, Odessa and Wesley Chapel. A standard mileage charge applies for areas outside the free delivery zone.

To learn more, visit http://unforgettablecupcakes.net/, email or call (813) 403-7280.

 

Kids’ club does good works

 

By B.C. Manion

 

When Jordan Mark started Friends for Florida, he rounded up some kids in his Deer Lake neighborhood to do some good deeds for nature.

At the time, he just thought it’d be a neat thing to do.

The Steinbrenner High student said he didn’t think the group would still be around five years later, or that it would have become involved in so many environmental efforts.

The group has three basic elements.

First, the students select an environmental cause each year and choose a nonprofit organization to help.

Then, they get their hands dirty. They have collected trash from roadsides and rivers during cleanups, waded through the water to count scallops, planted trees and sea oats and helped to build oyster bars and oyster domes.

And, by the way, they also have fun: Going on night hikes, kayaking, fishing and doing other stuff in the great outdoors.

Since beginning in June 2007, the group has raised money for groups such as Save Our Seabirds, Big Cat Rescue, Tampa Bay Watch, and Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

The kids have raised money various ways, including asking for donations at Walmart and recycling aluminum cans.

Their next fundraiser is April 21, a garage sale in Wilderness Lake Preserve during the subdivision’s communitywide sale.

Friends for Florida, which now has 13 members, meets monthly at the home of Todd and Jodi Mark in Lutz.

Its members are teenagers and younger children from Lutz and Land O’ Lakes. They attend Steinbrenner and Land O’ Lakes high schools, Pine View and Rushe middle schools, and Lake Myrtle and Connerton elementary schools.

“Over the summer, they come up with different environmental topics that interest them,” said Jodi Mark, a teacher at Rushe Middle. “The first year they chose seabirds. This year, it was beaches.”

After they choose their topic, they research area nonprofits that support that cause. This year, they chose Friends of the Island Park.

Besides collecting items for the upcoming garage sale, club members also will sell terra cotta pots and birdhouses they made using supplies donated by Lowe’s.

Jordan Mark said the group tries to choose causes that are fun and worthwhile.

“I really enjoyed building oyster domes with Tampa Bay Watch. We had to fill molds with concrete. Once they dry, they drop them in the water,” he said. “They attract oysters.”

He also had a good time counting scallops during The Great Bay Scallop Search.

Besides helping his community, being involved helps him, too, because he gets community service hours, Jordan Mark said.

Fifteen-year-old Nick Mitchell, who attends Land O’ Lakes High, said when he joined, it was mostly about having a good time with friends.

“We were all having fun being out in nature. The more we did it, the more we got involved with other groups and we started helping them, raise money for them and help them get new supplies.

“It is worthwhile. It’s a real learning experience – plus it gets you (volunteer) hours for school,” said Mitchell, a club member since its inception.

Emily Cohen, another member since the start, said her work in Friends for Florida makes her feel good.

“At first I did it because Jordan invited me, but then I kind of got into it,” said the 15-year-old, who attends Steinbrenner High.

She especially enjoys seeking donations from patrons at Walmart.

“We have big science boards. We put pictures of all we’ve done and we have pamphlets for the places we’re fundraising for,” she said. People generally are generous, she said.

Fifteen-year-old Alexander Duarte, who attends Land O’ Lakes High, said he’s run across some interesting things during cleanups.

“We actually found a chair in a river. What makes someone think to throw a chair in the river?” said Duarte, whose brother, Avery, also recently joined the club.

Another family has four club members: Josie, Jolie, Jamie, and Jake Linares, who live in Wilderness Lake Preserve. Their family is hosting the garage sale this weekend.

“We wanted to do something where the whole family could participate,” Becky Linares said, explaining why all four children are club members.

Besides helping others, the kids get to have fun, said Todd Mark, Jordan’s dad.

“We went to Picnic Island. For some of the kids, it was their first time fishing. We did a night hike at the Brooker Creek Preserve. We got to look at the scorpions with black lights. They glow under black lights.

“They got to see the lightning bugs – something we used to take for granted.”

 

/Glance box

Friends for Florida fundraiser

What: Garage sale to benefit Friends of the Island Parks in Honeymoon Island

Where: 7800 Citrus Blossom Drive in Wilderness Lake Preserve in Land O’ Lakes

More information: Jodi Mark, (813) 505-0979

 

 

 

 

Porters say it’s time for the county to act

 

By B.C. Manion

 

The Pasco County Commission is set to consider on April 24 a proposed youth sports complex that could put the county on the map for national athletic tournaments, but County Administrator John Gallagher wants to know more about potential fiscal impacts before he’ll sign off on the deal.

The Porter family, which owns thousands of acres of ranch land and citrus groves in Wesley Chapel, has proposed a development they believe will create a significant economic boost for the county.

They’ve been negotiating the deal for months and J.D. Porter said the time has come for the county to act on the proposal.

Porter expressed frustration about the lack of progress in negotiations.

“Every time we’ve met with them (county staff), there’s been a different path that they wanted to go down in regards to it. We’ve taken the approach that we want to honor what they want, but at some point there’s got to be a defined direction,” said Porter, noting he’s ready for the Pasco County Commission to vote on the family’s proposal.

Gallagher said the Fields at Wiregrass could become a very nice recreation complex that could serve the local community and accommodate visiting tournaments.

But, the administrator said, he wants to know the specific impacts of a proposed condition of the deal that would exempt the Porters from a yet-to-be adopted “Timing and Phasing Ordinance,” which deals with transportation impacts on development.

As part of the deal, the Porters would operate and maintain the sports venue – which is important during today’s tight budgets which would not allow the county to budget money for operating costs, Gallagher said.

The county has already set aside $8.5 million for construction costs, and the proposed agreement calls for up to $5.5 million more.

Gallagher said he would like to see an engineer’s estimated cost before agreeing to the additional $5.5 million, or at least would like to have that amount subject to an engineer’s estimate.

While there has been talk of the Porters taking the reins on building the complex, Gallagher said his legal staff said that might not be possible.

Porter said the proposed sports complex would be a highly competitive venue, comparing favorably to others — including Walt Disney World.

“It’s wildly expensive at Disney,” Porter said. “A lot of kids, once they get a certain age they don’t want to go to Disney anymore.”

Porter said Fields at Wiregrass has the potential to generate as many as 100,000 room nights a year for the county, compared to about 3,500 room nights spawned by Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions, a national lacrosse tournament the county nearly lost recently.

The proposed deal covers a number of issues.

In part, the Porters would agree to:

–Donate 200 acres to the county for the park, which is 80 more than required in its Development of Regional Impact agreement

–Provide four miles of right-of-way for a future light rail or rapid bus corridor

–Share some of the costs of constructing the fields, which would include 12 soccer and lacrosse fields and eight baseball fields near The Shops at Wiregrass and the site where Raymond James is considering a satellite campus

–Provide public access to active sports fields to accommodate youth recreational sports leagues serving the Wesley Chapel area

–Provide 100 percent public access to passive amenities during park operating hours

In exchange, the Porters want:

–To be exempt from the “timing and phasing” ordinance

–To speed up approval of 2,000 housing units in the Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI)

–To have more flexibility in changing allowable uses within their DRI

Part of the proposal would help fulfill a promise the county made to provide additional lacrosse fields as part of the deal to keep the Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions in Wesley Chapel.

The first phase of the proposed Fields at Wiregrass includes 12 lacrosse/soccer fields and eight baseball/softball fields.

The proposal also calls for Wiregrass Ranch to operate the complex under an agreement with the county. It would determine the park programming. It would cover the maintenance, operation and capital repair costs.

Porter said the time has come for the county’s elected leaders to consider his family’s proposal.

“It’s up to the county commission to decide whether they want to go down this path. I’m confident that we can’t give any more,” Porter said. “I’m confident that that’s our all-in deal.”

Pediatrician gets Pasco’s first microloan

Dr. Jay Harvey’s Personal Pediatric Care in Trinity is the first recipient of a microloan from the Pasco Economic Development Council.

Harvey, a board certified pediatrician, opened his office in 2011 with the intention of providing boutique, concierge medicine with a limited patient base. That model could not be supported in the current economy, so he restructured his business for growth. Like many other small businesses, Personal Pediatric Care was unable to obtain traditional financing.

“We know that the use of the funds will make a huge impact here in Pasco County and on his business,” said Michael Cox, chair of the economic development council’s growth task force and associate vice president with Wells Fargo Advisors. “The bottom line is, we want to help businesses promote themselves, continue to grow and add to our community.”

The microloan fund was established to help local entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and expand. Visit www.pascoedc.com for more information on how to apply, or call the development council at (813) 926-0827.

 

Business networking

Wesley Chapel Business Forum and Networking meets Mondays at 8 a.m. at Lexington Oaks Golf Club, 26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd. The group consists of local business leaders in the South Central Pasco and North Hillsborough areas who are focused on leads to build business. Meetings feature speakers and discussion topics. There is no fee, but coffee and breakfast are available for purchase. For more information, call John Roth at (813) 377-2622 or email .

 

Lex Smith chosen for CEO program

Local business leader and Dade City resident Lex Smith has been selected for Tampa Bay Partnership’s 2012 CEO Direct program.

Smith, who serves as chair and executive committee chair for the Pasco Hernando Workforce Board, also is on the board of the Pasco Economic Development Council. His involvement with CEO Direct will give him a regional perspective on economic development issues and connect him with other business leaders to help Tampa Bay and Pasco County reach their full potential. Smith is the senior vice president for SunTrust Bank in the Tampa Region Wealth & Investment Management line of business.

Participants in CEO Direct learn about critical issues affecting economic development in the Tampa Bay region and are challenged to help find solutions through problem solving, regional collaboration and strategic thinking. Participation in the program is by invitation and limited to 25 participants annually.

 

Allen S. Crumbley joins hospice board

Allen S. Crumbley has joined the Gulfside Regional Hospice board of directors, a volunteer board that guides policy for the nonprofit health care organization.

Crumbley is a co-owner of Capstone Tropical Holdings Inc., which is comprised of Prudential Tropical Realty, Capstone Home Mortgage, Capstone Title, and Prudential Commercial Real Estate FL, and is president of Prudential Commercial Real Estate FL. He specializes in marketing commercial and investment properties, primarily in Tampa Bay.

For more information about Gulfside Regional Hospice, call (727) 845-5707 or visit www.GRHospice.org.

 

April ribbon cuttings in Wesley Chapel

The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce recently was involved with ribbon cuttings for the following Wesley Chapel companies:

–Mini of Wesley Chapel, 26645 SR 56, on April 10

–My Tampa Bay Pediatrics, 26907 Foggy Creek Road, Suite 102, on April 11

–Great Florida Insurance, 27604 Cashford Circle, Suite 102, on April 12

–Spherion Staffing  & Gator Cleaning Solutions, Hampton Inn on 2740 Cypress Ridge Road, on April 17

 

Ashton Woods opens Crenshaw Reserve

Ashton Woods Homes has opened Crenshaw Reserve, a gated town home community off US 41 in Lutz. Forty-eight three- and four-bedroom town homes will be priced from the $200s. Presales began on April 12. For more information, visit http://www.ashtonwoods.com .

 

Nationwide open house weekend

Real estate agents are expecting this year’s spring home-buying season to be a busy one, and to kick off the season, they are hosting open houses from coast-to-coast during the weekend of April 28 and April 29. Real estate agents will be available at open houses to answer consumer questions about the home-buying process and local market conditions.

 

Taylor Morrison has record sales

Taylor Morrison Homes West Florida Division had 177 sales contracts through March 29, with more in the works. That sales performance represents a 35 percent increase in contracts compared against the first quarter of 2011. Interested buyer traffic counts have also increased by 33 percent during the same period.

“The first quarter contracts posted exceeds our best year ever on the West Coast of Florida in more than four years,” said Cammie Longenécker, vice president of sales and marketing for Taylor Morrison West Florida. “The amazing statistic has been that the buyers are of all ages, lifestyles and from many regional areas. We continue to see signs of economic improvement, increased traffic in all our sales centers and we are exceeding projections.”

Taylor Morrison builds in communities from Pasco to Collier counties and is actively seeking land purchases for new building.

 

MOSI Hurricane Expo calls for vendors

Vendors are being sought for the fifth annual Hurricane Expo at The Museum of Science & Industry in Tampa from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on June 2.

The expo is being staged by the city of Tampa and Hillsborough County.

Vendors who provide either hurricane protection and/or survival products or services are being sought to participate. The deadline to submit an exhibit registration is April 30. For more information including fees and registration, contact Peter Ignacio or Angela Baird at (813) 274-8170, or e-mail or .

 

 

 

Gets a kick out of oversized check

 

By B.C. Manion

 

It all started with an observation she made at home.

Fifth-grader Alex Kimball simply didn’t like the way a sponge smelled after her mom used it to clean off a counter in her Wesley Chapel home. The 11-year-old wondered how to disinfect sponges, and her curiosity led to a prototype of a device that would do just that.

Her model was an aluminum box with a place for the sponge and an LED light, which would become a UV light to kill germs if the invention were manufactured.

Kimball entered her invention in the University of South Florida’s Young Innovator Competition. Her idea, A Sweet Spot for Sponges, was a hit with the judges, landing her a first place win in the elementary school division of the contest.

Snagging the top prize was no small accomplishment.

The winners were selected from 14 finalists that had been culled from a record-setting field of 536 entries from eight counties. The winners were chosen based on their originality, functionality and market potential by a panel of expert and celebrity judges.

The Academy at the Lakes student was thrilled by her victory. Not only did she become the first elementary student in the school’s history to capture the top prize, she also won $1,000 for her school, $1,000 for herself and a mountain bike.

She got such a kick out of the oversized check that she keeps it in a place of honor: hanging above her bed.

The student, who said she enjoys the hands-on nature of science, recalled that the week before the winners were picked the finalists had a chance to do a practice run on their presentations.

“It helped a lot,” she said.

She was advised to ditch the scientific board she’d created and replace it with one aimed more toward marketing her invention.

So, she got to work.

That’s when she came up with her catchphrase: “It’s better for the budget, better for your family, better for the environment.”

She reasoned that families would spend less if they could zap their sponges and use them again. They’d also benefit if the bacteria on a sponge could be conveniently killed, and the environment would benefit because fewer sponges would end up in landfills.

The winners were selected by a panel of innovation experts, including infomercial pioneer Kevin Harrington, the CEO of TVGoods.com; Home Shopping Network host Bill Green; former Bay News 9 anchor and inventor Jen Holloway and USF innovation leaders.

The Young Innovator Competition was founded and is led by the non-profit corporation, Innovation Express, founded and led by Anton Hopen, a USF alumnus and Tampa patent attorney.