Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Zack Peterson

Monique Montoute has always been known for trying as many sports as possible. As a freshman at Academy at the Lakes, Montoute alone was involved in cross-country, played on the softball team and was part of the first all girls soccer team.

“I’m one of those people who tried everything,” Montoute said. “In middle school, I tried every sport.”

But since age 2, Montoute has been involved in karate, and her passion and dedication for the sport has led her to achievements that she will forever be remembered for.

Just last summer, Montoute was inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame for the Caribbean at the age of 15 as an assistant instructor. As of now, she is the youngest female American to do so.

“It’s a very big honor,” Montoute said. “I couldn’t believe it when my name was called because I was so shocked.”

For Montoute, it all started when someone from her dojo, Purple Dragon’s Florida Academy of Don Jitsu Ryu, nominated her to the position.

According to Montoute, they admired her leadership, and Montoute greeted the news with jubilation and appreciation.

“For the first year I was really happy,” Montoute said. “People would come up to me and say, ‘Congrats Monique, you deserve this.’

I always do my best to encourage everyone to be their best,” she said.

However, the sudden success did little to sway Montoute from her precise work ethic.

In her environment, she lives, breathes and dreams karate.

Everybody in the Montoute family is involved in Don Jitsu Ryu karate, and the morals, ethics and codes that comprise it helps set the tone the Montoute family operates under.

Although one might find the discipline challenging, Montoute finds it to be a positive aspect of the family’s dynamic.

“It helps us be better people,” Montoute said. “We’re always going to have little conflicts and fights here and there; no one’s perfect. But we have a lot of discipline and carry ourselves well.

“Having a martial arts background separates you from everybody else in a good way.”

Montoute’s parents have been practicing Don Jitsu Ryu since they were teenagers in Trinidad, and with Montoute’s father being the owner of the Purple Dragon dojo in Florida, Montoute and her younger brother, Pierre, were born into the practice as well.

Though time consuming, being surrounded by karate her entire life has allowed Montoute to excel in Don Jitsu Ryu at a rapid pace.

Montoute received her black belt at age 11, and has since been continuing her training in the hopes of testing soon for her second-degree black belt.

With her high level of skill, Montoute also plays a large role at the Purple Dragon dojo.

“I have to check with them first, but I can quickly take over a class normally taught by a third or fourth-degree black belt if they’re unavailable,” Montoute said. “I think it’d be real cool if one day I could move up to that level and own my own dojo when I’m older.”

But for now, Montoute continues to embrace her passion for Don Jitsu Ryu that has taken her all this way.

“I just hope I can keep up my standards, keep up the training, keep up the good work,” Montoute said. “But for now, I’m not training specifically to become an instructor (in the Martial Arts Hall of Fame), I’m just being myself.”

Future likely to have private firms running facilities

By Kyle LoJacono

Though Pasco County has $11.4 million to build new recreation facilities, there’s no money in the budget to operate any new facilities.

“We barely have the budget to maintain what we have,” said county parks director Rick Buckman. “We’ve lost 30 percent of our budget since 2007 and we’re expecting more cuts this year.”

In total, the department’s budget has been cut $1.8 million from 2007-10 and Buckman said the projected reductions this year is $470,000, down another 5.8 percent. They are already planning to close the last two public pools, which would save $289,000 a year in operating costs.

Despite the budget concerns, the Pasco Commission is looking to the private sector for ways to use the money allocated for new facilities without closing existing sites.

The plan is to donate county land and pay for much of the initial building cost, and then turn the operation over to private companies who would pay to run the sites.

“We haven’t set anything in stone for the proposed sites, but it seems like the best option,” said Commissioner Ted Schrader.

The idea is not completely new, as the commission worked out a deal with Sportsplex USA to manage a regional park at Starkey Park in Odessa. The county offered $12 million to build the site, but demanded assurance from Sportsplex that the site would remain open regardless of the finances.

“We can’t give away millions of taxpayer dollars without a guarantee the money won’t go to waste,” Schrader said. “I’d say that’s something we should always ask for.”

Sportsplex walked away from the deal earlier this year. A similar proposal to build the proposed Pasco National Tennis Center in Saddlebrook Resort in 2009 fell through as well because of Pasco wanting protection for the money given.

Now the county can use additional money from sales tax and impact fees, up to a total of $21 million, to sweeten any deal to operate such facilities. However, Pasco has yet to come up with a way to make such proposals palatable for private companies.

“We’re kind of to the point where we have to decide, where do we want to move forward?” said Michele Baker, assistant county administrator.

Commissioner Pat Mulieri added, “We just have to be realistic. There isn’t money to be able to run these facilities, but we need to think of how to better Pasco County.”

Pasco commissioners talked about four potential sites to build new facilities at a recent board meeting, which include large regional parks in Wesley Chapel near Wiregrass Ranch High and Starkey Park. They also include smaller locations in Trinity and Hudson.

The board discussed creating a 160-acre park in Wesley Chapel. Pasco would own 40 acres with the Porter family controlling the remaining 120 with some level of public access.

J.D. Porter, whose family owns much of the Wiregrass Ranch land, has described the future site as similar to Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando. He envisions a tournament destination for many different sports, which could help boost Pasco’s economy.

“We have the Dick’s Lacrosse Tournament each winter and that brings so many people from all over the country,” Mulieri said. “Our hotels, restaurants and stores are packed. It’s a major shot in the arm each year.”

In Odessa, the board still wants to build an 80-acre park in Starkey Ranch. The facility would likely include baseball and soccer fields, a skate park, a bicycle track and a cable park on a lake for water skiing.

Much like in Wesley Chapel, the county would like to own part of the land, which would be paid for by fees imposed on the privately operated portion.

Former county commissioner Michael Cox, a representative for the Starkey family, said the public park would “provide the foot traffic and exposure” for the private section. Cox was the main supporter of the Sportsplex project when on the board.

Building the four proposed parks would take a near miracle, according to Commissioner Jack Mariano.

“I don’t think we could build all four,” Mariano said. “It is good to have these things in front of us, so we can have more discussions. We can’t move forward without these kinds of talks.”

County Administrator John Gallagher said the commissioners want at least a five-year commitment from a private company before any park would be built. Without a compromise, any deal could suffer the same fate as Sportsplex and the tennis center have the last few years.

Proposed park sites

Regional park in Wesley Chapel near Wiregrass Ranch High

Regional park Starkey Park in Odessa

Small local park in Trinity

Cable park on the Gulf coast in Hudson

By B.C. Manion

The Florida PTA has named Shaylia McRae, principal at Martinez Middle in Lutz, as its  Outstanding Middle School Principal of the Year.

The principal’s nomination, submitted by the PTSA board at Martinez Middle, praises McRae’s leadership and ability to collaborate with others.

The principal has introduced many new programs to Martinez Middle since becoming the school’s instructional leader, the nomination notes.

Karen Cuervo, chairwoman of the board’s awards committee last year, was thrilled by McRae’s selection.

“Ms. McRae is an all-around great principal and deserved this award 100 percent,” Cuervo said in an email.

The principal strives to bring together the PTSA, the students, the administration, teachers and community to work toward a common goal — the welfare and success of the school’s students.

McRae also knows how to connect with people, says Cuervo, who is the incoming president of the school’s PTSA board.

“She has a lot of personality and makes being on the PTSA fun,” Cuervo notes. “I look forward to working with the Martinez administration every year.”

The school has taken great pride in having a cohesive team of administrators, staff, parents and students since the day it opened, according to the nomination letter.

McRae, who is the school’s second principal, came into the role “on the heels of a very organized and beloved principal,” it adds.

McRae “made the transition both positive and dynamic.  Her willingness to step out of the box and create her own vision, while maintaining the core mission of the school was nothing short of brilliant. Without becoming stagnant in the process, she continues to focus on making clear the vision to provide the best education in the nation.”

In essence, she lives the mission of the school, which aims to provide all students the knowledge and skills needed to help them reach their highest potential, the letter states.

“We believe it is her impeccable leadership that continues to make Martinez Middle School an “A” school in every way.”

The letter goes on to says that Martinez possesses “unique leadership qualities” that are necessary at the middle school level, a time at which adolescents are going through a critical stage in their life and need firm, but empathetic direction.

Elinor Adler, chairwoman of the Florida PTA’s awards program, said in an email that judges take a number of factors into consideration when determining the winners of the annual awards.

Those include whether the principal promotes the purposes and mission of the Florida PTA, whether the principal encourages PTA members to get training at the county and state PTA levels, whether the principal attends PTA meetings and activities and what kind of impact the principal has on a school’s students, parents and faculty.

“Behind every successful PTA, there is a school principal who is supportive, helpful and personally involved in PTA. The judges look for the principal who best fits this description,” Adler said.

The winning elementary principal came from a school in Broward County and the winning high school principal came from a school in Seminole County.

By B.C. Manion

The three candidates for honorary mayor gave their inaugural stump speeches at the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce’s July mixer held at the Hampton Inn and Suites.

Laura Miller, president of the chamber, said the event helps the chamber raise money for its various activities and also benefits the charities selected by the mayoral candidates. Candidates are able to give 50 percent of the proceeds to their charitable cause, depending on how much money they raise during the campaign — which runs through December.

Debbie Yoerg, the current honorary mayor of Wesley Chapel, said the post involves attending ribbon cuttings and various community events.

The kick-off event was co-hosted by The Laker and the Hampton Inn and Suites, Wesley Chapel. Co-sponsors were Toyota Honda and Texas Roadhouse, along with Dash of Salt ‘N Pepper Catering Co. and Betty Cakes Cake Shop.

Hospital executive ‘Putting on the Ritz’

John Negley donned a top hat, wore white gloves and carried a fancy cane as he assumed the leading character in his “Putting on the Ritz” campaign for honorary mayor of Wesley Chapel.

Negley, assistant vice president for Florida Hospital University Community Hospital, said he wants to use his candidacy to promote the community of Wesley Chapel and to raise money for his favorite charity, the Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Foundation.

“It’s exciting to be able to announce that I’m running for honorary mayor,” Negley said. “My focus is to raise awareness of Wesley Chapel,” Negley said. “I live in Wesley Chapel and I want to promote it. It’s a great place to live, to work, to play and be educated.

“It’s the place to be in the county. There’s no doubt about that.”

Candidate wants to showcase Wesley Chapel’s heart

Mitze Richeson is hoping her bid for Honorary Mayor of Wesley Chapel will help raise awareness of the community on a deeper level.

Her campaign slogan is “Gaining Recognition of Wesley Chapel Through the Heart,” or GROWTH 2012.

In announcing her bid for the post, Richeson said, “I am passionate about bringing unity, service and promotion to the community of Wesley Chapel, leading to growth in 2012.”

She has chosen Oasis Pregnancy Center as her charity for the campaign.

Richeson said she’s excited about the journey she is undertaking, regardless of how it turns out.

“My vision for Wesley Chapel is to experience growth through the heart of unity, through the heart of integrity and through the heart of service,” said Richeson, who is co-owner of Cypress Creek Chiropractic and Wellness, along with her husband, Micah.

Candidate wants everyone to win

Jan Roberts offers a simple reason for why she threw her hat into the ring for Honorary Mayor of Wesley Chapel.

“I was drafted,” said the woman who works for Big Brothers Big Sisters and is raising money for that cause.

She’s enthusiastic about her mission:. “We’re really excited to raise money for Wesley Chapel Chamber and Big Brothers Big Sisters,” said Roberts, whose campaign slogan is “Little Jan for Big Mayor.”

Roberts’ campaign has a NASCAR theme and she kicked off her campaign by waving a checkered flag and proclaiming: “Let’s get our engines started and let’s go.”

While Roberts wants to finish first, she also wants her competitors to do well.

“What I keep feeling is unity. We all have amazing charities and it’s so exciting that we can get together to raise money for the community,” she said.

Children have fun in the sun at field day

By B.C. Manion

They glided down water slides, jumped around in a bounce house and ran through sprinklers, laughing and screaming with joy.

Other kids were singing songs or doing crafts or cooling off under two shade tents that were equipped with soaker hoses.

No matter what they were doing, hundreds of kids appeared to be having a blast last week at a Camp Wow! Field Day at Withlacoochee River Park.

The event was just one of many summer activities provided to children who are taking part in the Pasco Learning and Activity Centers of Enrichment (PLACE) program this summer. The program is part of Pasco County Schools.

Last week’s camp involved about 700 kids from Seven Oaks, New River, Double Branch, Watergrass, Wesley Chapel, Woodland, Sand Pine, Veterans, Quail Hollow, Chester Taylor and Pasco elementary schools.

“We’re bringing vacation to the kids. These kids don’t always get to go on vacations,” said Karla Graziano, PLACE program coordinator.

In addition to the field days, the kids have also had a chance to  go swimming and skating and to try their hand at gemstone mining. Before the summer ends, they’ll also get to go to a Tampa Bay Rays’ baseball game.

At last week’s field day, the dunk tank was one of the most popular attractions.

Kids took turns tossing softballs at a target, trying to soak Mary Grey, the supervisor of the PLACE program.

Grey egged them on, good-naturedly.

Apparently, lots of the kids were good shots.

By mid-morning, Grey estimated she’d been dunked more than 50 times.

The kids seemed to love the water slide — each gliding down in his or her unique fashion.

And, Rebekah Barragan, 8 and Bailey Bessette, 7, giggled as they made their way around a course chock full of water-related challenges.

Jesyriam Garcia, who works at the PLACE Program at Seven Oaks Elementary, said the kids had been looking forward to the day — and it appeared to be living up to their expectations.

“They’re really having fun. I think it’s wonderful,” she said.

Connie Bladon picked to lead new hospital’s foundation

By Kyle LoJacono

Connie Bladon was taught the importance of giving back to the community while growing up in Massachusetts, and now her giving won’t be limited to time away from work.

Bladon, who has lived in New Tampa for 23 years, was recently named as the first executive director of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Foundation. The hospital is slated to open in the fall of 2012.

“It’s a very exciting opportunity,” Bladon said. “This community has needed another healthcare facility for years. To be able to be a part of this and a part of Florida Hospital is very exciting for me.”

The foundation will support the hospital’s efforts to provide healthcare by working with the surrounding communities. For example, the foundation at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, which is owned by Adventist Health System that will run the Wesley Chapel facility, is currently raising money for its hospital’s new Breast Health Center.

Carolyn Sentelik, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Foundation executive director, said the decision to support the new breast center was reached after a lot of communication with the public.

Sentelik, who has been with the Zephyrhills foundation for about a year, said the organization also does community outreach and support projects throughout the year. For example, the group organized a fishing tournament in May that raised $11,000 for the future breast center. It also puts together the annual Sister Stroll each October, where those affected by breast cancer can learn about the disease and walk the hospital’s fitness trail as a mini Relay For Life-style event.

“The foundation is small, but mighty,” Sentelik said. “We have two employees and a lot of volunteers.”

Bladon said there are no specifics about the direction the Wesley Chapel foundation will take, but predicts it will do the same general work as its sister organization in Zephyrhills.

“We are putting together our board of directors right now,” Bladon said.  She then added, “After the hospital is built and up and running, what’s going to happen is our focus will shift to finding what the community needs. Giving the community the best healthcare possible. That might be technology; that might be new services. It will be whatever the community needs in healthcare.”

While the hospital is still more than a year from opening, Blandon said the foundation is already “up and running now.”

Bladon comes to the foundation after spending most of her career in the financial services. She was most recently a vice president of the business banking division with Synovus Bank for just less than four years, where she served both Hillsborough and Pasco counties.

“Connie brings a strong breadth of business experience and leadership to our new organization,” said Brian Adams, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel CEO. “Her involvement in the community and ability to draw people to a common cause will help to establish our new hospital as the healthcare facility of choice throughout the Wesley Chapel and New Tampa communities.”

While Bladon is new to healthcare, she is not a stranger to the volunteering and community support role she will have with the foundation. She said her parents, Connie and Vern, taught her and her brother John to always help others.

Some of the volunteer and civic positions she has served in include president of the Rotary Club of New Tampa and its foundation, on the board of the New Tampa Chamber of Commerce and was a part of the Friends of the Library at the New Tampa Branch Library. She has also been on the executive committee for Relay For Life of New Tampa and on the board of Outreach Assisting Students in Schools (OASIS).

“I grew up with a family that believed in giving back to the community,” Bladon said. She then added, “My father was always in public service. He was a state representative for five terms and then was in an appointed position. We did a lot of not-for-profit work because of that. My mother was a (Springfield College) professor and did a lot of the same things.”

Bladon said she is currently looking for anyone who wants to volunteer with the foundation. Those interested should either email her at , or visit www.fhwesleychapel.org and click the foundation tab.