Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Freedom Angel Tree nets gifts for 100 needy kids

By Kyle LoJacono

Five excited teenagers gaze into a room loaded with presents.

Wearing grins from ear to ear, the five poke through the piles of gifts and find items ranging from clothes to toys to new bicycles.

It’s not a scene from Christmas morning. It’s at Freedom High and the five students are examining the donations the Patriots gave to the Salvation Army for 100 needy kids in the Tampa Bay Area.

The five include Amy Chang, Leah Thomas, Michael Simon, Cris Zayas and Christina Wise. They are members of Freedom’s Less Than One club, which raises money throughout the year to sponsor underprivileged kids in countries like Ethiopia or China. But during the last two holiday seasons the group has organized an Angel Tree program through the Salvation Army, which provides needy children’s wish lists for Christmas presents.

The 100 wishes were put on paper angels and hung on a Christmas tree in Freedom’s main office. Students and faculty answered the call of all the children and provided the gifts.

“It’s really good knowing that kids will get a new bike for Christmas when they can’t afford it,” said Chang, who participated in the Angel Tree project last year. “Happiness is going to them during the holidays and you know you’re helping with that. It’s just really special to know they’ll have a great Christmas.”

Chang, a senior, was part of Freedom’s first Angel Tree program last year, which netted 75 presents for needy children.

“Angel Tree is so big and it really helps the Tampa Bay area,” Chang said. “There are a lot of people who aren’t as privileged and it’s good to help them whenever we can.”

Gifts included smaller items like clothes and coloring books to more elaborate presents like 12 bikes and a Nintendo DS game system. Club supervisor Laura Babbitt said it was a thrill to see the pouring in of gifts from students.

“Of the gifts that were donated, at least half were given by students, not the adults,” said Babbitt, an ESE specialist at Freedom. “So many students used their own money and stepped up to get an angel off the tree to get them something special for Christmas. That’s what has been amazing to me that we have so many teenagers who care so much.

“The thought that they put into the gifts shows,” Babbitt continued. “You can tell the gifts that came from students and which came from adults because of the thought that went into it. There was a girl who gave a bike, but also got a lock for it and other things to go along with it. So she was thinking of everything she would want with a new bike and added to it.”

Chang said the Angel Tree idea started with a now graduated student named Amy Kim.

“She really wanted to give gifts to kids whose parents couldn’t afford them for the holidays,” Chang said. “She wanted to find ways to help the community out and she loves kids. I thought it was a great idea and wanted to be involved in it.”

Chang said it was really special participating in the Angel Tree project the last two years. She added the underclassmen in the club are planning to continue it each year.

“Hopefully it will just keep growing and growing,” Chang said. “That way more kids can have presents on Christmas.”

By B.C. Manion

Visiting Stuart Marcus’ wildlife photography gallery is like taking a trip around the globe.

There are images of big cats­ – leopards and lions – that he tracked down in Africa and photographs of penguins he captured in Antarctica.

The collection also includes images of bats, iguanas and rhinos. There are pictures of birds, too, including the blue-footed booby, the red-footed booby and the masked booby that Marcus shot in the Galapagos Islands.

He’s particular about the kinds of animals he photographs.

“You can see big herds of camels in Australia,” he said, but when he was there, he didn’t take any pictures of those. “I didn’t want to photograph an animal that was brought there.”

The same goes for foxes. “Foxes were brought to Australia because the English wanted a fox hunt. They’re not native.”

Some of his favorite shots have resulted from work he’s done with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. He’s worked with the department there on studies done on grizzly bears and harbor seals.

“I’ve been going to a spot where basically I have seen the same bears year after year after year,” Marcus said.

While some may appreciate the aesthetic quality of Marcus’ work, he said that’s not what drives him.

“If you see artistic merit, thank you very much,” he said. “It was purely unintentional. The intent is to capture animal behavior without interfering.”

Over the years, his experiences have created vivid memories and he keeps copious notes, to help him fill in the details.

“This beautiful young leopard, he is a young male, absolutely in the prime of his life,” Marcus said, describing one of his photos at the HiBrow Art Gallery, at 14125 Seventh St., in downtown Dade City.  “He was photographed in the Serengeti, in the Seven Hills area.

“He’s one of the few animals that’s actually ever succeeded in scaring me — in making me move backwards.”

When Marcus and his guide initially spotted the leopard, it was moving away from them.

Marcus said his guide asked him if he trusted him – and Marcus told him he did.

The guide then proceeded to drive on a game path that took them all of the way around the plain, a trip that took over an hour, so they could try to catch a glimpse of the leopard on the other side.

Shortly after they arrived on the other side of the plain, they saw the leopard approaching.

“We stay still in the Jeep. In about another 20 minutes, he emerges from the grass. He’s walking right at the Jeep. I am down, shooting out the window, so I can have a nice low angle of him walking up to me, and I thought he was going to go through the window to get to the other side of the Jeep.

“He did not turn until he literally was two or three feet away from the window.”

The leopard then climbed a fallen tree branch, where he watched for his prey – giving Marcus ample opportunity to capture images of the big cat.

He was thrilled to get the shots.

Leopard sightings are rare, Marcus explained. “Less than 2 percent of the people that ever go to Africa ever see a leopard in the wild.”

Another image from Marcus’ photo collection shows an eagle ray jumping out of the water in an area near Heron Island, a coral atoll that sits on the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef.

“It’s in the morning, we’re waiting to leave and rays are jumping. The water is clear enough that I can track them under water.

“For about two hours, I’m tracking rays and have not pushed the shutter one time. I have a mantra that I am reciting to myself: ‘When his nose breaks the water, push the shutter. When his nose breaks the water, push the shutter.’

“If you wait until the top of the arc, you have a lovely splash.”

“I took one shot. I knew I had it when I took it,” he said.

Getting the shots that he wants requires being willing to be patient, to go off the beaten path, and to endure bitter cold, searing heat, heavy rains, deep snows and high winds.

The 60-year-old is willing to go where he needs to go, but he doesn’t take undue risks.

When he is out at night in Africa, for instance, he has a guide, a driver, a spotter and an armed guard. “The armed guard is not to protect us from the animals.”

The Dade City man said his interest in wildlife began when he was a young boy.

“I was blessed, in a way, that my dad was an airline mechanic. He worked for National Airlines. We traveled as children. In those years, we would go to the zoos like everyone else. As I grew, I simply developed this fascination with animals in their native environment,”

He got into photography when he was about 18 years old.

His dad had some cameras, so Marcus began experimenting with them and expanded his repertoire.

Around 1975, he sold his cameras, his darkroom and his golf clubs to start a business in the electronics field.

That business, Sound Connections International, designs and manufactures high-end audio and video connectors for the entertainment industry. The business is located in Lutz and is run by Marcus’ daughter-in-law.

Years after he got his business rolling, Marcus went on an Alaskan cruise. While he was on the trip, he saw some excellent photographs that had been taken by someone on a whale-watching excursion. It reignited his interest in photography.

That was about 20 years ago.

Since then, he has traveled all around the world to add to his photo collection and, at a friend’s encouragement he put some photos up on display.

He’s been showing and selling his photographs ever since.

Marcus has no intention of packing up his cameras any time soon – unless, of course, it’s to go to out on another photo expedition.

 

 

By B.C. Manion

 

 

The Pasco Alliance of Community Associations has weighed in on the proposed Ridge Road extension, throwing the weight of the thousands of people it represents behind the project.

Members of the organization overwhelmingly supported the submission of a letter signaling their support of the project to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The alliance represents more than 70 homeowner and community associations across Pasco County.

Members of the group support the extension of a limited access Ridge Road, to connect where it now ends in New Port Richey and extend it over to US 41 in Land O’ Lakes.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has denied the permit for the extension, citing environmental issues.

But the agency is accepting additional public comment on the project through Dec. 28.

That’s why Jim Flateau, president of the Pasco Alliance of Community Associations (PACA), wanted to bring the issue to members of the organization at its December monthly meeting in Land O’ Lakes.

Flateau said environmentalists oppose the project because a portion of the alignment goes through about 60 acres that had previously been set aside to mitigate wetlands that were affected by the Suncoast Parkway project.

“Our county’s population increased by 119,932 residents, or 35 percent, between the 2000 and 2010 census, severely increasing the pressure on our traffic patterns, including those in west and central Pasco,” Flateau states in a Dec. 9 letter addressed to Tracy Hurst, a project manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Flateau notes that the proposed extension would affect 59 acres within the 6,000-acre Serenova Preserve, an area set aside to offset wetland acres that were taken for the construction of the Suncoast Parkway.

Although the county wants to take those acres, it is setting aside about 1,100 acres to make up for that, Flateau said.

“As long as the county is setting aside acreage, is looking at the changes that it’s making, being honest about always setting aside far more than the taking, I think that protects the environment and that it’s ecologically responsible.”

The improvement is needed, Flateau told the group.

In addition to improving traffic flow, the road would improve public safety, he said.

“We live in a county that only has two roads that transverse the width of the county, [SR] 52 and [SR] 54. We also know that we live in an area that could be hit by a hurricane or a tropical storm.

“Where do the people from Route [US] 19 and that area get out of the coast and move east? This extension would provide a third area,” he said.

Donna Cardellino, a West Pasco resident who supports the road extension, said she wrote her first letter supporting the project back in 2007 when she saw a neighbor’s home catch on fire and she watched the flames grow larger and larger.

“It seemed like, of course, forever before the fire trucks got all of the way back to the subdivision,” she said.

She is frustrated by the lack of progress and the corps’ resistance.

“They’re not being smart about this,” Cardellino said. “Human safety should be at the top of the list.”

Pasco County Commissioner Pat Mulieri said she also supports the road’s extension. She said it is a much-needed evacuation route and that it would spur the economy and create jobs.

State Sen. Mike Fasano is also a staunch advocate for the project. “I fully support the extension of Ridge Road. I have since Day 1.

“The important reason is for evacuation,” Fasano said. But the road also would allow people easier access to the Suncoast Parkway.

Fasano said the road should have been constructed years ago.

At the very least, the corps should make a determination, so the county will know where it stands and can proceed to appeal the decision, if they choose to do so, Fasano said.

Tracy Hurst, project manager for the corps of engineers, could not be reached for comment.

Public comment on the project can be submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 10117 Princess Palm Ave., Suite 120, Tampa, 33610.

 

Personal safety

–Be aware of your surroundings. Avoid dimly lit or isolated areas.

–If you are carrying a bag keep it close to your body and in front of you at all times.

–Do not carry large amounts of cash and limit the number of credit cards to only what is necessary.

–If your wallet or handbag is demanded from you, throw the item as far as you can and then flee in the opposite direction.

–Consider carrying a personal alarm device.

Safety on the street

–Plan ahead and avoid danger spots such as isolated or poorly lit alleys or parking lots, which can create opportunities for criminals to operate out of sight.

–When walking on a sidewalk, stay on the side closest to the street. Be sure to create a space between yourself and any shrubbery, dark doorways, trees and shadows.

–Avoid passing stationary cars with their engines running and people sitting in them.

–Be extra vigilant when using an ATM. Watch out for anyone hovering nearby and never count your money within public view. Return to your vehicle or a public place as quickly as possible.

–Do not keep all of your valuables in one place.

Driving Safety

–Plan your journey carefully. Know what route you are taking and let other people know where you are going and when you hope to arrive.

–Have a map or GPS in the car so you don’t have to stop and ask for directions.

–Never leave your keys in the ignition while you are out of the car for any reason. Keep the doors locked when you are driving and keep bags and other valuables out of sight.

–If someone approaches your car while stopped, never roll the window down. If you feel threatened sound the horn and flash your lights to attract attention. Drive off if possible.

–Avoid breaking down in dangerous areas by serving your car regularly.

Parking Safety

–Avoid using poorly lit parking spaces.

–Reverse into the parking space, if possible, and hide all valuables.

–Lock the doors and shut your windows.

–When returning to your car, have your keys ready. Scan under the car and inside your car before getting in. Lock your doors once you are inside.

 

Consumer protection tips

–Read sales ads and coupons carefully to make sure you understand any limitations.

–Look for price-matching policies.

–Pay attention to the scanner during checkout to be sure you were properly charged and be sure to save your receipts.

–Find out refund and return policies before you purchase your items.

–If you’re planning to use lay-away, be sure you understand the policy and be sure to follow the terms.

–Pay by credit card to give yourself the best protection for disputing unauthorized charges.

–Shop online only with companies you know and trust. When going to a company’s website, type in the website. Don’t click on one that pops up on your company because that may take you to a fake website.

–Keep a paper copy of whatever you order online and the confirmation number for your records, so you can track it down if the order does not arrive.

 

Sources: Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and Hillsborough County Consumer Protection Agency.

 

By B.C. Manion

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Christian Brothers Automotive – a Texas-based automotive repair business with locations in several states – is making its entry into the Florida market with a new shop being built on SR 54, just east of Livingston Road.

The business is a full-service automotive repair shop, providing everything from oil changes to engine replacements, and a range of services in between, said Josh Wall, vice president of franchise and strategic development for the company.

The shop will have an upscale look and feel  – with a brick and stone exterior, wood flooring, leather couches, artwork and Wi-Fi, Wall said.

Like most repair shops, it will have a selection of magazines in the waiting room. But unlike the majority, it also will likely have a Bible and may have a prayer request journal, as well, Wall said.

However, the company doesn’t encourage its patrons to sit around in the waiting room killing time.

It also provides a shuttle service, to deliver its customers to work, home or shopping.

“We want to make it as convenient as possible for them,” Wall said.

The shuttle is driven by the franchise operation’s owner, — and that’s for a reason.

“It allows them to really connect with their customers.”

The company has 93 franchise operations in 11 states, and expects to open its 100^th location sometime in 2012. Florida will be the company’s 12^th state and it has current commitments for stores in 16 states.

Besides the Land O’ Lakes location, it also plans to open a store on Bruce B. Downs, south of County Line Road, on May 21 and another on June 11 on Race Track Road near Countryway Boulevard.

“We’ve had our eye on the Tampa market for some time. We’re really optimistic about the growth,” Wall said. “We believe this is a service that customers want and need.”

The economy has caused many people to delay purchasing new cars and, as a result, they are investing more to maintain their car and keep it on the road, he said.

“We have seen this as a national trend,” Wall said.

When Christian Brothers Automotive is considering a new franchise location it considers a combination of factors, Wall said. It wants to make sure there’s a market for its services and it wants to give its franchise operator the best possible chance for success, he said.

Christian Brothers Automotive uses a model similar to Chick-fil-A and McDonald’s, Wall said. It builds its stores and leases them back to franchisees.

So far, the company, which is 29 years old, has a solid track record, Wall said.  “We’ve been franchising for 15 years with a 100 percent success rate.”

The shop under construction in Land O’ Lakes is expected to open on Feb. 13. The 5,000-square-foot facility will have nine automotive repair bays. Eventually, it is expected to have about a dozen employees.

The chain’s normal operating hours are Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. However, when a new location opens, it also is open on Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the first six to nine months.

The idea is to introduce the shop’s services to the local community, including to that segment of the market that only get repairs and maintenance done on Saturdays, Wall said.

The company is closed on weekends to allow its employees to relax, spend time with their families and worship, Wall said.

The policy of being closed on weekends has helped the company to recruit outstanding employees, Wall said.

While the new automotive shop goes up near the northeast corner of SR 54 and Livingston Road, two other projects are being built on the southwest corner of the intersection. One is a RaceTrac gas station and the other is an apartment development.

By B.C. Manion

Al Giovannelli was just 6 years old when he fried his first egg, and that was the beginning of a lifelong passion for cooking.

As a young boy, he sat at the kitchen table, while his mother, Maria, schooled him in the art of Italian cooking.

“I made everything. Bread. Cookies. Homemade meatballs. Homemade sausage,” he said. “When we needed tomatoes or parsley or basil, we went to the backyard in the garden and we picked it.”

His sister, Susan Meschino, also grew up learning the ins and outs of Italian cuisine.

She remembers that they had to be sure to pick the right kind of tomatoes for the sauce, Some kinds of tomatoes simply have too much water in them to be good in sauce, she explained.

While the siblings were learning how to make Italian foods, Al’s wife, Janette, was growing up in a household where her mother, Juanita Valentin, was teaching her how to create Spanish dishes.

And now, Al and his wife and his sister are combining their talents to offer a wide selection of breakfast, lunch and dessert items at Simple and Delicious Bakery & Café, 24832 SR 54 in Lutz.

The restaurant, which is about 1,000 square feet, has a simple décor.

The east side of the dining room is dominated by a pastry case – loaded with Italian and Spanish treats. The west side has a collection of five wooden tables, each with five chairs.

The family-owned operation aims to be a place where people come looking for a good meal or a tasty treat and keep coming back for more.

“We cook like we do when we have company,” Meschino said. “You want to impress your guests when they come to your house for dinner. That’s exactly what we do here.”

There’s a sense of satisfaction from serving someone delicious food, Meschino said.

“It’s just the pleasure of seeing someone smiling — that they’re enjoying what they’re eating,” she said.

“Everything is fresh,” Giovannelli said. “There’s nothing frozen that you throw in the microwave.”

Breakfast items include eggs, egg sandwiches, sausage and bacon. For lunch, they serve a variety of sub sandwiches for lunch and various pasta dishes. There are also grilled chicken, ham and turkey dinners, salads and lots of sides.

And then there are the desserts. The bakery case is filled with enticing selections including Italian cookies, guava pastries and cheesecakes.

“Up North, if you really wanted a good cannoli, you went to an Italian bakery,” Meschino said. They hope that transplanted Northerners will beat a path to their door, once they find out what they offer.

“Our cookies are fresh. We bake them from flour. Everything is from scratch,” Giovannelli said.

They aim to please.

“If we don’t have it on our list and someone suggests something, we’ll make it for them – no problem,” Giovannelli said.

They carry items that are gluten-free, that are low in carbohydrates and that are tailored to diabetics. They understand those special needs: Al is watching his carbs, Janette is diabetic and their daughter needs gluten-free foods.

Meschino said she loves working with her brother because they’re on the same wavelength when it comes to food.

“There are times when we are doing something and we don’t even have to say anything. We’ll look at each other and we know what we’re going to do,” she said.

There are times, though, the trio agrees, when they don’t see exactly eye-to eye.

“We’ll butt heads once in awhile: Too much salt, a little more sugar,” Giovannelli said.

Nancy Leeper, who lives in Plantation Palms, recently dropped by the café to check it out.

She tried a pignoli cookie, an almond-flavored treat that is crunchy outside, soft in the middle and has pine nuts.

“It’s to die for,” she proclaimed.

She also tried some sesame cookies, and by the time she left, she had ordered a holiday platter.

That’s precisely the reaction the trio of cooks hopes to inspire.

 

/glance box

Simple and Delicious Bakery & Café, 24832 SR 54. Lutz

Store hours: Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information: (813) 528-8714

 

 

 

 

 

By B.C. Manion

With all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s easy to get distracted – and that’s all a criminal needs to spoil the joy of your season.

It almost goes without saying that many steps people can take to avoid being victimized are a matter of common sense.

But it never hurts to hear some reminders.

During the holidays, criminals like to break into cars in parking lots near shopping centers and restaurants, said Cpl. Alan Wilkett, of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

The best line of defense is simple: Lock your doors and roll up your windows, Wilkett said.

Criminals are looking for an easy target and often will walk between rows of cars, rattling the door handles to see which will open. If your doors are locked and your windows are closed, chances are they’ll keep moving, he said.

It’s also important to keep valuables and packages out of sight, either locked in the trunk or under something in the car. Criminals are more likely to break into a car if they see something of value, the law enforcement officer said.

When parking your car, try to minimize the distance between where you’re parked and where you’re going. That makes you less vulnerable to a potential crime.

When returning to your car, pay attention to where you’re going. Resist the urge to talk on a cell phone or text. Distraction is a criminal’s best friend – and the less observant you are, the more likely you are to become a crime victim, Wilkett said.

When you are approaching your car, be sure to scan underneath it and look inside the car before getting in, to make sure no one is hiding near your car or inside.

Be wary if you see a large panel truck parked next to your vehicle, especially if there’s someone in it and it isn’t moving.

Trust your instincts, the law enforcement officer said.

“There’s a little bell that goes off if things just aren’t right,” he said. Listen to those internal warning signals.

If you have any concerns about your safety, go back to the place where you were and ask for someone on the staff at the shop or restaurant to escort you to your car.

If you’re out shopping at night and you can see in through the shop’s windows, take a look inside. That may prevent you from walking into a robbery in progress.

When shopping, women should carry their handbag in front of them, and men should carry their wallets in the front pocket, he said. Doing so makes them harder to snatch.

Do not carry large amounts of cash. Use credit cards because they can be cancelled if they are lost or stolen.

It’s a good idea to stay in well-lit places and to carry a whistle or a personal alarm, which can be activated when a danger arises.

“Noise is the No. 1 deterrent to a criminal. They don’t like drawing attention,” Wilkett said.

When it comes to holiday shopping, Kevin Jackson, chief investigator for Hillsborough County’s Consumer Protection Agency, had some advice.

If you’re purchasing items on layaway, be sure to understand the store’s policies and pay special attention to any time constraints or minimum payments that must be made.

If you’re doing online shopping, go to the site yourself, don’t just click on one that pops up on your computer. “It could be a fake website,” Jackson warned.

Be wary of prices that seem too good to be true, especially of high-end watches, purses and clothing. If something is being offered at bargain basement prices, it may turn out to be counterfeit, instead of the genuine article, he said.

It’s also a good idea to ask about a store’s return policies – whether the store provides a store credit or cash, whether it charges a restocking fee and other limitations.

Stores are supposed to post their return policy. If you don’t see it anywhere, ask someone at the store to show it to you, Jackson said.

Wilkett reminds holiday merrymakers not to drink and drive. Besides watching out for yourself, watch out for your friends, as well, he said.

“Call a taxi. Call a parent. Call a friend. Do what it takes,” he said.

Parents should also remember that if minors to drink on their property, the liability will fall onto them, Wilkett said.

To help prevent underage drinking and prescription drug use, alcohol and medicine cabinets should be locked and an inventory kept of their contents, he said. That’ll help the adults stay on top of what’s happening in their home.