Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

 Garrett Linquist spent his college years helping the Saint Leo University men’s lacrosse team reach new heights and is now helping students and athletes do the same.

Linquist spent the last two school years teaching gifted social studies at John Long Middle in Wesley Chapel after being a part of two Deep South Conference championships from 2005-09 with the Lions.

“I was one of those kids who enjoyed going to school and learning,” Linquist said. “I was always really interested in history and government. I enjoyed most of my teachers, and I model some of my teaching after them. What I love about it is you get to help the outcome of a kid’s life. You get to talk about a subject you like. It’s just a lot of fun to see kids grow.”

Linquist joined John Long’s staff for the 2010-11 school year after completing his internship with the school.

Linquist also gets to teach the game he loves as an assistant on the Wiregrass Ranch boys lacrosse team and with the Tampa Tribe club, a part of the Wesley Chapel Athletic Association. He also is an assistant on the John Long football team.

“You can teach life lessons to these kids,” Linquist said. “I feel like I’m the person I am today because of my coaches, whether it was in football or lacrosse. They all taught me something, and I want to have that impact on kids’ lives.”

Saint Leo men’s lacrosse coach Brad Jorgensen, who started the Lions program, said he is not shocked where Linquist has ended up.

“He was always the person to do anything to help the whole team and would always help other players with their technique,” Jorgensen said. “When I heard he became a teacher and a coach it didn’t surprise me at all, because that’s right in line with the kind of person he is.”

Linquist said of Jorgensen, “He’s one of those guys who is real down to earth and tells you like it is. He really inspired me, and I model my coaching style after what he did. He loves to win and he really cares about the sport.”

Linquist was born in Chicago, but grew up in Lake Mary, northeast of Orlando. He started playing lacrosse as a freshman in high school.

“It was something new, and it was very physical,” said Linquist, who also golfed and played football in high school. “It takes a lot of conditioning because it’s a fast-paced game. I liked hockey when I was a kid, and I’m still a big Chicago Blackhawks fan. Lacrosse is a lot like hockey, so it kind of grew on me.”

When Linquist was looking for a college, Saint Leo was not the first program that came to his mind.

“I didn’t know much about Saint Leo, but my coach in high school (Frank Lanuto) mentioned it to me,” Linquist said. “It was just starting its lacrosse program, so I wanted to check it out. I liked the feel and the area there. It was a little hard my first year because all my friends were going to FSU, UCF or UF and were excited about the big school, but that wears off after the first year.”

Linquist, a defender, was one of the first players to attend the school for the sport. Jorgensen even described him as “one of the founding fathers of our lacrosse team. He was on our very first team.”

Linquist said one of the most important things he learned while in college was about uniting for a common goal.

“You had all these kids from the Northeast, the Midwest, the West coast and the Southeast all coming together and becoming one team,” Linquist said. “It was like a brotherhood, and I still see a lot of them all the time. I’ll never forget those guys.”

Linquist took a medical redshirt during his sophomore season because of a chest injury, but the extra year allowed him to double major in education and history.

“Sometime in high school I knew I wanted to be a social studies teacher and coach lacrosse,” Linquist said. “Saint Leo has a great education program and it just fit me, because it let me get my degree and play lacrosse at the same time. It was one of the best decisions of my life.”

By B.C. Manion

Banks aren’t the only ones left holding the bag when homeowners foreclose on their houses. Homeowners associations feel the brunt, too.

“It’s an issue that every community in Pasco County has to deal with,” said Jim Flateau, president of the Pasco Alliance of Community Associations.

When homeowners foreclose on their properties and stop paying their homeowner association fees, everyone living in that community pays the price, Flateau said.

“When somebody doesn’t pay, that puts more heat on the others,” he said.

Abandoned properties also drive down values in neighborhoods.

When a prospective buyer drives into a neighborhood to look at home, and the house next door has 3-foot weeds, the potential sale is lost, Flateau said.

The general quality of the neighborhood is affected, too, when homeowner associations are unable to collect fees that are typically used for the upkeep of common areas, he added.

Issues such as those prompted the biggest turnout in recent months at the Pasco Alliance of Community Association’s meeting last week at the Land O’ Lakes Community.

More than 50 people representing homeowner associations, condominium associations and neighborhoods showed up to listen to a presentation by Steve Mezer, an attorney with Bush/Ross, who specializes in legal issues pertaining to homeowner and condominium associations.

Mezer is well aware of the problems the associations are facing.

“Some of you have foreclosures with weeds up to there. The houses, with squatters in them. The houses where people who are living in them are not paying you, and they’re not paying them. You’ve got all of these combinations.

“I’m not sure which is worse – you’ve got the squatter, the person living there for free, or the totally abandoned homes, with the weeds up to there. Which would you prefer to have? None of those are good scenarios for you,” Mezer said.

He alerted those at the meeting: “You may get marketed by all kinds of people. Attorneys. People who want to buy your liens, attorneys who want to buy your liens. Companies that want to buy your liens and buy your bad debt.

“The arrangements that these people want to make, first of all, I’m not sure that they’re legal, but secondly, anything that they can do with that bad debt claim, you can do, too.

If there’s a property that is delinquent in homeowner association fees, a lien can be attached to the property and the association can foreclose on the property, Mezer said.

One popular strategy is for the homeowners’ association to place a lien on the property, foreclose on it and rent it until it loses the title when the mortgage foreclosure case is completed, Mezer said.

Typically, if a mortgage foreclosure case has been dismissed, it will take at least a year before a new case would be heard – making it safe for the homeowners association to rent out the home for a year.

On average, foreclosure cases are taking two years or more, he said.

The up side is that the homeowners association can make sure its fees are paid out of the rental income and can make sure the property meets its deed restrictions, he said.

On the down side, many homes that are in foreclosure have been stripped – making it a costly proposition to get them ready to rent.

“Candidly, most of my boards don’t want to get into the rental business. If the market were better, we would have been talking about sales. But that’s really not a reality for most of you,” Mezer said

When a house has been abandoned, it is not a good idea for a member of a homeowner association to go in to inspect its general condition, Mezer said.

“I would probably not go in, if I could avoid going in there because the claims they’re going to make against you for not securing the property. Something is missing or damaged. When the copper turns up missing, ‘I saw the guy out there. He was in there the other day with his truck and the copper ends up missing,’” Mezer added.

In some cases, it may be best to approach the homeowner who is in foreclosure, but has not moved out to see if they want to stay in the house and rent it.

“I prefer you talk over the phone and don’t go knocking on the door, if somebody owes you money. You never know what’s on the other side of that door,” Mezer said.

A representative of the homeowners’ association can tell the owner: “We’re going to go ahead and take title of your home. If you want to stay there and rent it back from us, you can do that. You can stay there, but you have to pay us. If you don’t pay us, we will evict you,” Mezer said.

By Kyle LoJacono

 

When the Wesley Chapel football team started practice in August it had a numbers problem.

The Wildcats had plenty of players tryout for the squad. In fact, it had 100 — 20 more than the number of helmets they had.

“We have to replace 20 helmets next year and we only have 80,” said Wesley Chapel football coach Ben Alford. “We had 100 kids out for football this year, and I hate to turn away kids because we don’t have equipment. Football is something that I believe helps all young men, regardless of skill level, become better young men. I would love to be able to keep all kids rather than cut them off the team.”

The story was similar with shoulder pads and other equipment, so Heritage Ford in Wesley Chapel is bringing the Drive One 4UR School program to help raise money for the team.

“We know funding for school programs is hard to come by, and we want to do our part to help make sure these programs remain available,” said Jennifer Cofini, community relations manager at Heritage Ford. “We’re excited to raise money for Wesley Chapel High School.”

The dealership will donate $20 to the Wildcats football program for everyone who test-drives a new Ford vehicle, up to $6,000 total. It will give an additional $20 for every new Focus driven, up to another $2,000.

Jarrett Ford in Dade City has a similar event each year to support Zephyrhills and Pasco high schools. Alford was thrilled to hear the event was coming to Wesley Chapel.

“I thought it was great,” Alford said. “It is a great opportunity for us to create new relationships within the Wesley Chapel community.”

Heritage will have personnel available to answer any questions about the vehicles.

“Whether you are looking to test out our larger vehicles, like the Explorer or F-150, or more interested in a smaller sedan, like the Focus, we will be able to put you behind the wheel of your favorite Ford vehicle,” said Rich Dearborn, Heritage Ford general manager.

The event is at Wesley Chapel High, 30651 Wells Road, on Thursday, Oct. 20 from 3-8 p.m. The date coincides with the squad’s home game against Hudson, where the players will be raising awareness about breast cancer. There will also be Halloween entertainment for children at 6 p.m.

“We are trying to turn the program around, and we really need the community’s support to do that,” Alford said. “On Oct. 20 you can come out to Wesley Chapel High School and test drive a Ford, trick or treat around the track and also be able to support breast cancer awareness. This will be a big night for us. I am donating half of my concession stand proceeds to the American Cancer Society. So I encourage all to come out and enjoy the night.”

Drive One 4UR School event

Where: Wesley Chapel High, 30651 Wells Road

When: Thursday, Oct. 20

The event coincides with the Wesley Chapel football game against Hudson. Heritage Ford will donate $20 for everyone who test drives a new Ford vehicle.

By Kyle LoJacono

 The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) completed railroad repairs in Lutz that forced two of the three northbound lanes of US 41 to close for five days last week.

FDOT public information officer Kris Carson said the right two lanes were closed in the area around Debuel Road in order to repair the track where it crosses US 41. All three northbound lanes reopened on Oct. 15.

“It was routine repairs that are needed every few years,” Carson said. “Everything went as planned, and there should be no more delays.”

Carson said the tracks need repair because of strain from vehicles that drive across the tracks. For more information on FDOT projects, visit www.dot.state.fl.us.

By B.C. Manion

 

Volunteers are still needed to help with the Land O’ Lakes 2011 Swamp Fest, a community event hosted by the Land O’ Lakes High School Booster Club.

“We’re very, very dependent on volunteers,” said Doug Hutchinson, who is co-chairing the event with Mike Conner.

The festival is slated for Nov. 4-6 at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

The event aims to bring the community together and serve as a fundraiser for many different causes at the same time, Hutchinson said.

Various venues are selling wristbands in advance of the event, Hutchinson said.

Buying early is a good deal, he said, noting the wristbands are $12 in advance and $20 during the event.

The midway is being handled by W.G. Wade Shows. It will feature 22 rides, 14 or 15 games and seven or eight food vendors, Hutchinson said.

The Central Pasco Optimist Club will be selling boiled peanuts and corn on the cob and Dipping Dots will be selling ice cream, Hutchinson added.

Some businesses and some nonprofit organizations also will have booths at the event, the organizer said.

“We tried to make it a true community fair,” Hutchinson said.

Swamp Fest began as a fundraiser at Land O’ Lakes High, home of the Gators and that’s what inspired the festival’s name, Hutchinson said.

Besides rides, games and food, the event also features live performances.

The entertainment tent will feature bands on Friday night and music all day on Saturday.

On Sunday, performances by youth dance and drama groups will be featured.

“That’s a big day for all those kids,” Hutchinson said. “The kiddie rides will get a good work out that day,” he added.

There is no admission charge, but parking is $5 a car.

This year, as part of the event, the organizers are conducting a survey to solicit ideas to improve the festival. The event has several sponsors, including The Laker.

Anyone who would like to volunteer at the event should call Hutchinson at (813) 293-3684.

LOL SwampFest

When: Friday, Nov. 4: 4-11 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 5: 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 6: Noon-6 p.m.

Where: Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

What: Rides, games, entertainment, food, business and community organization booths

For more information, visit http://www.lolswampfest.com

Ticket outlets

— Connerton, Denham Oaks and Lake Myrtle elementary schools

— Pineview and Rushe middle schools

–Land O’ Lakes High

–Kids Stuff Daycare

–Song and Dance Academy

–Beef O’Brady’s in Wilderness, Sunlake and Village Lakes

 

By Kyle LoJacono

 

Pasco tax collector Mike Olson has run unopposed by Republican competition for the county post the last 16 years, but Ed Blommel is ending that streak.

Blommel, 62, has lived in Pasco his entire life. He has worked 40 years with Tampa Electric Company (TECO), spending the last 17 as the regional manager for before retiring in 2009.

Blommel said his plan to run for the position has nothing to do with Mike Olson being the only Democrat in an elected office in Pasco. Instead, he said it is time for “a new set of eyes and ears” running the post.

“It’s time for someone to have a fresh look at the services and how they are provided,” Blommel said. “Bring new ideas and to add enhancements to the services that are now being provided. It’s time to bring business leadership from the private industry to build on county services. It’s time to focus more on services than on government. ”

Blommel is a graduate of Pasco High, as well as Pasco-Hernando Community College and the University of South Florida. He is also a member of the Dade City Rotary Club and the Dade City and Wesley Chapel chambers of commerce, while volunteering with the United Way, Habitat for Humanity, Pasco Economic Development Council and Pasco Public Education Foundation to name a few.

Blommel was most recently appointed to the Pasco County Housing Authority’s board of directors by Gov. Rick Scott.

“I have a passion for people and a strong desire to serve them,” Blommel said. “If you look at my past history over the last 17 years, it demonstrates both my willingness and my ability to provide service and leadership to Pasco County.”

If elected, Blommel said he has no plans for sweeping changes with the office, but favors “tweaking” it mainly with technology upgrades to improve customer service.

“If you look throughout the county, the tax office serves the most people of any office or department in Pasco,” Blommel said.

Olson, 66, has been the county tax collector since 1981. He said 99 percent of the more than 100,000 customer comments his office has received during his tenure state the service offered as good or excellent.

Olson said he has been on the forefront of upgrading technology with the office, including adding a new cashier system and software to make processing quicker.

“I know what our customers think,” Olson said. “I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I don’t think the people would keep electing me if I didn’t listen to them.”

The tax collector’s office processes property tax payments, provides businesses with tax receipts, sells hunting and fishing licenses and handles new driver licenses and vehicle tag registrations within the county.

 

Williams files for school board

Bryan Williams has filed to run for the Pasco School District board’s District 2 seat, according to records with the county’s supervisor of elections office. The spot represents most of the central portions of the county, including Land O’ Lakes. The seat is currently occupied by Joanne Hurley.

 

By B.C. Manion

There was a feeling of pent-up excitement in Kelly Keene’s fifth-grade classroom last week as the children awaited the arrival of Vice President Joe Biden.

It was a big moment, not only for these children, but for Pasco County Public Schools, as well.

Biden is the highest-ranking government official ever to visit the school district, and that created a buzz all over the campus at Oakstead Elementary in Land O’ Lakes.

When the vice president arrived, it didn’t take long for him to establish a comfort zone with the kids.

He moved easily through the classroom.

He sat at a small desk to field some questions. He walked around the classroom to answer others. He leaned over to get closer to the kids.

He touched a student’s hair. Squeezed a child’s shoulder. Looked directly at the youngsters, as they posed their questions.

When Biden felt a little too warm, he politely asked the kids if it would be all right with them, if he took off his jacket.

The children had plenty of questions for the vice president. And, they obviously relished their time with him, as they snapped photographs to preserve the moment.

This is one of those days — the students said after Biden’s departure — that they never expect to forget.

Here’s a look at some of the things the kids wanted to know, and excerpts of the vice president’s answers.

Q. Do you like what you do?

A. I do like what I do. My daddy used to say, “It’s a lucky person who gets up every morning with both feet on the floor, who knows what they’re about to do – knows what their job is – and is happy with that and thinks it makes a difference.”

I like what I’m doing because I hope it makes a difference. I get to do things that help people.

Q. Were you excited to become vice president?

The answer is yes.

When the president first came to me and said, “Joe, I’d like you to be my vice president, I said, ‘No, I don’t want to do that. I will be happy to help you anyway that I can, but I never thought about being vice president.’ I thought it would be better for me to stay where I was, in the Senate.

“He said, ‘Think about it. Talk to your wife.’

“I talked to my wife. She said, ‘You should be vice president.’

Q. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

A. If I get a chance to do anything in the world, I like to spend the time with my kids. My kids have become my best friends.

Q. What is it like being vice president?

A. Well, it’s kind of cool. You get to meet a lot of people. I used to do a lot of things with foreign leaders, you know, what they call heads of state. I’d go and visit Prime Minister (Vladimir) Putin in Russia and Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu of Israel. I spent a lot of time in Afghanistan and China and Iraq and all around the world.

In my career as a senator, I spent a lot of time dealing with war and peace and terrorism and all of those kinds of things.

Just since I’ve been vice president, they just told me the other day how many miles I’ve traveled in Air Force 2. I’ve traveled over 445,000 miles just since I’ve been vice president.

Q. What is the best part of your job?

A. The best part of my job, I guess, is that I get to go home every night and have dinner with my wife.

When I was a senator for 36 years, I used to commute every day on Amtrak, on a train. Every single day, I’d get up every morning, and I’d get a 7:30 train and I’d go for an hour and a half, and I’d arrive in Washington at 9 o’clock and I’d leave Washington somewhere between the 6 and 7 o’clock train, so I’d get home as early as 7:30, or usually, 8:30 or 9 o’clock every single day.

Now, we live in Washington, D.C.

Q. Do you work directly for the president?

A. I do. Let me tell you what my normal day is. What I do is every day when the president and I are both in Washington, every day I start off with a meeting in the morning with the president. It has a fancy name, it’s called PDB, presidential daily briefing.

What that means is that our experts on terrorism and on things relating to our security, we meet every day in the Oval Office.

They tell us what happened over night.

And then there’s a second meeting. We talk about the economy.

Every day, I’m sitting next to the president on average 5 to 6 hours a day, when he’s in Washington and when I’m in Washington.

Q. Does the Secret Service follow you everywhere?

A. Yes. They follow me everywhere and they do that for my protection.

By the way, there are almost as many women who take care of me in the Secret Service. They can shoot just as straight as a guy.

They are always with me, and they make my life a lot easier.

Q. How often do you get to visit schools?

These days, I don’t get to schools as much as when I was a senator.

I made sure … to visit every single solitary high school in my state once a year and I went to a lot of grade schools.

I did that for two reasons. First of all, you guys are smarter than you think you are and you guys ask the best questions. And, sometimes, when you ask questions, I can figure out what your parents are thinking, too.

Lots of times, you sit at the dinner table and you hear your mommy and daddy talking about stuff, and you kind of wonder about that.

Q. Do you like sports?

A. My dream was that I thought I could be a flanker back for the New York Giants. I was a pretty good football player in high school. Not as good in college. I love football.

I also was pretty good in baseball. I always liked basketball, but my mom wouldn’t let me play three seasons, so I had to choose.

By B.C. Manion

 

It was no accident that Vice President Joe Biden chose to drop by Oakstead Elementary School last week in a pitch to sell President Obama’s American Jobs Act.

Oakstead is the largest elementary school in Pasco County, a school district that’s been rocked in recent years by steep budget cuts — including a $54 million shortfall this year that resulted in 513 fewer jobs.

Biden visited Kelly Keene’s fifth-grade class in a portable classroom building before holding his afternoon news conference in the school’s media center.

Keene’s class has 25 children. That’s six more students than she taught last year, and three more than the state’s 22-student class size cap.

Oakstead, which has more than 1,000 students, lost eight teaching positions because of budget cuts. Built just six years ago, the school was constructed for 700 pupils. It must use 22 portable classrooms to accommodate the overflow.

At the Oct. 4 news conference, Biden said the proposed American Jobs Act would jumpstart the economy.

In part, the measure calls for preventing up to 280,000 teacher layoffs, while keeping cops and firefighters on the job; modernizing at least 35,000 public schools; providing tax cuts to small businesses; and building or repairing roads, rails, airports and waterways.

The measure was expected to go to a vote before the Senate as early as Tuesday, Oct. 11.

During his remarks, Biden cited a newly released report revealing that 300,000 teachers across the nation have lost their jobs since 2008.

“That’s bad for the teachers, in terms of being able to make a living, but it’s devastating for our children,” Biden said. “This is an emergency.”

Oakstead is a “Grade A” school, the vice president said, but he noted, “there are a lot of schools around the country that aren’t Grade A.”

During the past 12 months, budget cuts across the nation have resulted in 200,000 fewer teachers, 10,000 fewer firefighters and 18,000 fewer police officers, Biden said.

Besides reducing public services, those reductions play out in very practical ways across the economy, the vice president said.

“It means fewer haircuts, fewer trips to the restaurant, fewer times you can take your kids to the movies, fewer times you can gas your automobile up — and fewer, and fewer and fewer,” Biden said.

When cuts are made to education, they have long-term consequences, added Biden, whose wife taught in public schools for years and now teaches at Northern Virginia Community College.

“All of this matters. It matters in terms of our long-term national security. It matters in terms of how many children we’re going to have college-ready 12 years from now. It simply matters,” Biden said.  “We’re competing in a much more competitive world.”

The jobs act would create opportunity at a time when the nation desperately needs it, Biden said.

“People ask me, ‘Can we afford it?’ My response is, ‘Can we afford not to do this?’” Biden said.

During his remarks, the vice president thanked parents and teachers and Principal Tammy Kimpland for all that they do to help children learn. And, after the news conference, he worked the crowd – shaking hands and posing for photographs, while patriotic music played.

Outside, Nina Gregory, a teacher who serves special education students and their parents, said she was glad she was able to attend the event.

“I loved it. It’s been so tough for teachers and parents, as well,” Gregory said.

“It really was inspiring. I think that we needed to hear the validation that teachers are important. I loved the way that he emphasized parent involvement.

“It’s a tough time, but there’s hope. We have to keep on trucking and things will happen,” she said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seahawks show support in fight against cancer

By Kyle LoJacono

 

Anyone who knows Courtney and Meghan Durbin is aware of how they take on challenges, whether it is in school, with sports or in the fight against cancer.

The twin sisters at Sunlake High created Pink Out Day three years ago. The senior softball players had the idea to have the Seahawks team wear pink to raise awareness and show support in the fight against all forms of cancer at one of its games each year.

The girls have continued the spring version but are now bringing it to the fall football season for Sunlake’s home game against Hernando at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 14.

“We started the Pink Out movement last year, but it was at an away (football) game at Wesley Chapel,” Courtney said. “We wanted to do it at home to get more of the community involved. Also this year we’re doing a fundraiser too by selling pink T-shirts to raise money for the American Cancer Society (ACS).”

Everyone in attendance is asked to wear pink. Even the Seahawks football players will be appropriately dressed for the evening.

“All the football players will be wearing pink gloves and pink socks and the cheerleaders are wearing pink bows,” Courtney said. “Hopefully all the people in the community going to the game will wear pink too.”

Meghan said the awareness is what the event is truly about.

“Sometimes high school kids and people in general are kind of oblivious to what’s going on in the world outside of them and in their own little box,” Meghan said. “They don’t think of people fighting through cancer treatment, so if you can get them to think about it just for a day it’s helping.”

The Durbins want to raise awareness of all forms of cancer, but their interest in fighting the disease started with a personal connection. Their mother, Kay, was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2008 when the girls were in eighth grade.

Kay also had a bout with uterine cancer associated with one of the medications she took to combat her breast cancer, but early surgery removed the tumor before it could spread. She has been in remission since June 2009 and said she is in good health.

“It makes me very proud to see that they’ve grown into such young ladies given the trials they had to go through at such a young age,” Kay said. “When most people are just coming into themselves in their tweens, they had to deal with a mature situation. They had to be mature young adults to help caregivers.

“It’s a hard thing to deal with just going through your teens in high school,” Kay continued. “For them to handle that and maintain their grades and being involved in clubs and sports, it’s just been a joy to sit back and watch your daughters overcome such a challenge and take it to the next level of spreading it to the community.”

Steve, Kay’s husband and the twins’ father, echoed his wife’s sentiments.

“It’s just been spectacular on their part after being through a lot,” Steve said.

Steve is having a Pink Out Day of his own where he works at USAA Insurance.

The Durbins’ link with the disease goes beyond their immediate family.

“Several of my friends have had connections to it too, so we wanted to make it about more than just breast cancer,” Courtney said. “That’s why we’re giving the money to the ACS so it goes to fight all cancers.”

Courtney and Meghan will be selling pink T-shirts at the game with Maura Craig, an English teacher at Sunlake, before joining in with the sea of pink. Craig, who is also the sponsor for the Key, Legacy and Class of 2014 clubs, said she has learned a lot from the twins.

“Courtney and Meghan inspire me to want to make a difference in our community and in the world,” said Craig, who has known the twins for three years. “They are selfless individuals who dedicate their free time to helping others. The two sisters organize all of our club’s events and volunteer opportunities, so the Pink Out movement is not out of the norm for them. These young ladies demonstrate the power of possibility.”

The Durbins have also volunteered at the Relay For Life at Sunlake and the Miles for Moffitt Race while maintaining identical 4.138 grade point averages.

“I am amazed at how much they accomplish and organize with our club while maintaining superb grades, juggling sports schedules and dealing with high school in general,” Craig said. She then added, “This year, we hope to have the whole school in pink, as well as our guests at the football game to show that the community and the school can come together to help support a cause.”

The Durbins have already sold 248 pink T-shirts as of Oct. 5, an amount that has stunned Courtney.

“Everyone has made me speechless with all their support and how much they truly care about supporting the cause,” Courtney said.

The shirts are $10 at Sunlake’s game. Donations will also be accepted. All money raised will go to the ACS.

Pink Out Day

Where: Sunlake High, 3023 Sunlake Blvd. in Land O’ Lakes

When: Friday, Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m.

All those attending the football game against Hernando are asked to wear pink to so support in the fight against all cancers.

By Eugenio Torrens

These two weeks are some of the most hectic for Cindy Fleming.

The chairwoman of the Wesley Chapel Fall Festival said it takes about six months of planning to get the festival ready, but she said the two weeks prior to the actual event are the most stressful just making sure everything comes together.

Finally, Fleming can relax with the start of the Wesley Chapel Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 15 and Sunday, Oct. 16. The festival will take place at the Grove mall at Interstate 75 and SR 54. It will go from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. both days.

Fleming said she expects about 10,000-15,000 people to show up each day, weather permitting.

“It’s been growing every year,” Fleming said. “Every year we’ve added something new, and we’ve expanded the area, and there’s more for people to do every year.”

It’s a setting primed for kids and adults, families and friends.

“Families really like it because we have this huge kid’s area — kids can come and basically stay for hours. It gives parents a chance to relax while kids are playing.”

There will be live bands, arts and crafts, an obstacle course, Ronnie Setser’s car show, a Battle of the Wings contest, a pumpkin patch and — for the first time — a beer garden sponsored by Miller Lite.

“Last year with the heat and the wings, people asked why we didn’t have beer,” Fleming said. “So we talked to the leasing people, security and got permission to do that.”

Money raised from the festival is divvied among the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce and select charities or nonprofit causes, such as high school scholarships. Fleming cited the bands as the biggest draw of the event, with the car show also attracting a heavy number of visitors.

“Other than Wiregrass, we don’t have much out here for people to just go sit and listen to music free,” Fleming said.

The other highlighted festival of the weekend is the Rattlesnake Festival in San Antonio. The rattlesnake event, entering its 45th year, has grown from a local happening to a nationally renowned festival. It takes place at the San Antonio City Park, 32810 Pennsylvania Ave. On Saturday, the festival goes from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday.

As with the Wesley Chapel Fall Festival, this event caters to both children and adults. Some of the most notable spectacles are the races involving wooden tortoises.

And then of course, there are the rattlesnakes.

A professional snake handler offers educational tips and information about snakes, including snakes native to the area as well as those from abroad.

Amy Greif, chairwoman of the souvenir committee, said San Antonio and the Rattlesnake Festival are synonymous.

“You can mention one and people will say the other,” said Greif, who was raised in San Antonio. “We offer much more than we did in the past. It takes up the entire main part of town up north.”

She was quick to point out one possible misconception.

“No, we don’t have rattlesnakes crawling all over the place,” she said. “It just happens to be that we had found something that was unique.”

Money raised from the rattlesnake festival goes to nonprofit groups, including local baseball teams, churches and Boy and Girl Scouts.

For more information about the Wesley Chapel Fall Festival, including sponsorships and vendor opportunities, visit www.WesleyChapelChamber.com or call Christine Hope at (813) 994-8534.

For more information about the Rattlesnake Festival, visit rattlesnakefestival.com or call Rattlesnake and Gopher Enthusiasts Inc. at (352) 588-4444.