Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By B.C.Manion

They gather on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at the Lutz Senior Center with a well-worn deck of cards and plenty of banter.
It’s a small but lively group.

Rose Dyll, 75, has been sitting in on Double-Deck Pinochle games for the better part of a decade.
“It is fun. We are friendly. We don’t play for money,” the Carrollwood woman said with a laugh.
“We play for ego,” dead-panned Elton Shahin, an 84-year-old player from Lutz.
“It stimulates your brain. It’s so good for you,” agreed Paul Ganci, also an 84-year-old from Lutz, who clearly enjoys a deft play.
“It keeps your mind sharp. You really have to pay attention. You’ve got to listen to the bids,” added Ganci, who began playing pinochle at 18 and has been part of the club for three years.
On a recent Thursday, just three members turned out — so they had to play three-handed Double-Deck Pinochle.
“Three-handed is very messy,” Ganci said.
It’s not exactly Dyll’s favorite way to play either. She hates holding so many cards in her hands.
They only play the three-handed game when not enough players turn out.
That happens more often than it used to.
“When I first started here, sometimes we’d get about 12 people,” Dyll said. But the turnout declined as members died or moved.
The club would love to rebuild the group. It’s entertaining and doesn’t cost a thing, they said.
“If you haven’t played pinochle in awhile, it’s no problem,” Ganci said. “It’s like riding a bicycle. We’ll get you back into it.”
However, you do need some experience to join the group because they are sticklers for the rules.
“We play hard pinochle,” Dyll said.
And, just because they’re friendly doesn’t mean they’re not competitive.
Dyll, in particular, enjoys trash-talking.
During one hand, she eyed Ganci’s cards, which were spread on the table and declared:  “He’s got crap. He’s got a lot of losers.”
“He’s in trouble,” Shahin agreed.
Somehow, though, Ganci pulled the hand off.
“I got it,” he said, beaming. “A good pinochle player counts trump.”
In another hand, when Ganci made a clever play, Dyll declared: “Ooh, sneaky, you.”
“Sneaky me,” Ganci said, clearly pleased.
When Dyll has good cards, they literally fly out of her hands as she snatches cards off the table and tosses another one in, in a split-second move showing confidence and command.
On one occasion, she catches Ganci off guard:  “Oh, that was a surprise,” he said.
These players know the glory of victory and agony of defeat.
Once Ganci forgot one of the cardinal rules of the game and suffered a demoralizing defeat.
“We thought it was funny,” Dyll said.
“It was devastating,” Ganci said.
In another hand, Dyll and Ganci got into a bidding war — both desperately wanting a pile of cards they thought would give them a most excellent hand.
Dyll won the bid.
She was jubilant.
Ganci, deflated.
She beamed as she spread her cards proving that she got what she wanted.
Ganci slumped his shoulders and let out a heavy sigh.
But the table turned later on, when Ganci got a hand that he simply couldn’t believe.
“You never get dealt this. I can’t believe this,” he exclaimed, sounding like a child who had won first prize at the fair.
A little bit later, another player joined the game.
When 71-yer-old Robert Potts of Land O’ Lakes showed up, they were able to switch from the three-handed game to two teams, with partners.
It didn’t take them long to shift gears and begin attacking each other.
“Eliminate the enemy,” Shahin declared, again revealing his wry sense of humor.
Time passes quickly. The players shuffle, deal and play out their hands.
They are clearly enjoying the game and each other.
“We have such a great time,” Potts said.
No matter the outcome, it seems that they do.

Players wanted
If you play pinochle and have some free time, you are welcome to join the Double-Deck Pinochle Club at Lutz Senior Center, 112 First Ave., N.W. in Lutz.
The games are 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays.

By Tammy Sue Struble

Brenda Carlson learned from example. When she was young, Carlson used to go with her mom when she donated blood. Now, she hopes people can be that example her mom was – donating blood and saving lives.
“I’ve never received an award like this before,” Carlson stated after being honored with Donor Chairperson of the year for the Zephyrhills, Dade City and San Antonio area for BloodNet USA.

On Thursday, Jan. 13, Carlson was one of a handful of chairpersons awarded for their successful blood drives over the last year at the 26th Annual Donor Chairperson Luncheon held by BloodNet USA at the Lakeland Center.
The Health Academy Instructor at Zephyrhills High School, Carlson helps direct two large blood drives at the high school each year.
“Our Health Academy students lead the drives,” which helps give the students practical and helpful experience, she said. Carlson explained that they usually get about 200 students per drive to donate blood. The students who donate blood get wheeled back to their classrooms in wheelchairs.
“The next (Zephyrhills High) student blood drive is in April and I hope it is the most successful we’ve ever had,” Carlson said.
Charles “Buddy” Franklin, Blood Chairman for the Zephyrhills Moose Family Center also attended the BloodNet luncheon; he tries to have a blood drive five to six times a year. “Every 56 days you can donate blood,” explained Franklin.
According to Executive Vice President J.B. Gaskins from BloodNet, “Over 47,000 units of blood were collected in (this) Lakeland region in 2010.” BloodNet USA says that each unit will save three lives.
For more information logon to www.BloodNetUSA.com or contact area representative Cheryl Thompson at (813) 714-3270 to start your own blood drive.

By Tammy Sue Struble

The newly revived Ronald Reagan Republican Club met Jan. 12 in Dade City.
Attendees were welcomed and advised that the scheduled guest speaker, Secretary of State Kurt Browning, would not be at the meeting because he had to make a trip to Tallahassee.

Browning had served as secretary of state in the previous administration, but retired in April 2010. New Gov. Rick Scott asked Browning to serve as Florida’s secretary of state again.
Steve Van Gorden, presiding over the Reagan Club meeting, stated that he wasn’t surprised Governor Scott also chose Browning for the secretary of state position as he seemed to perform his job well and was well liked.
Van Gorden spoke to the group of 16 and explained that there was a lot that needed to be done, in particular, volunteers would be needed as the 2012 Republican National Convention is set for Tampa.
The next meeting is scheduled for March 8 at 6 p.m. at Beef O’Brady’s in Dade City. See www.pascogop.org for more information.

Pasco High shares in the reward

By Kyle LoJacono

Despite being run entirely by volunteers, Keep Pasco Beautiful was recognized as one of the top plastic bottle recyclers nationwide.

The group was one of nearly 600 organizations affiliated with Keep America Beautiful that participated in a challenge from Nestlé Waters North America to recycle the most bottles. The challenge was tied to the Great American Cleanup last year, which was from March through May.
“What we did was we challenged all the schools in Pasco County to recycle as many bottles as they could,” said Jennifer Seney, Keep Pasco Beautiful president and the county’s recycling coordinator. “We collected 24,580 pounds of plastic bottles and that really is something the kids should be proud of.”
The more than 12 tons of plastic is more than the average weight of two adult African elephants. The county contributed the seventh most of any affiliate in 250,000 or greater population category. The honor comes with $1,000 award from Nestlé.
“This puts us on the map,” Seney said. “Other groups around the country are much larger and have more funding, so for our group to do this with just volunteers is impressive. Keep Milwaukee Beautiful had the most bottles recycled with more than 1 million pounds, but they are much larger than we are.”
Seney offered another challenge to the 13 public high schools in Pasco to see which could contribute the most plastic. Pasco High finished on top with 707 pounds recycled and was given $500 for its efforts.
“That’s a great thing,” said Pasco principal Pat Reedy. “I’m proud of the kids here, but I’m never surprised by what they do.”
Reedy said the school has had bins to collected recycled paper and plastic bottles for several years thanks in large part to the Pirates science department head Don Charlick.
“Don has headed up the recycling effort at Pasco and does a great job getting the kids to understand it is important,” Reedy said. “Each Thursday on our school’s news show we remind the students to recycle. It’s part of what we all need to do.”
Seney said a lot of the credit goes to Karen Bryant, the Pasco County School District’s recycling coordinator.
“It gets the kids excited about recycling,” Seney said of Bryant’s efforts in the district. “She does a lot of great things to show kids that recycling is important.”
The rest of the award money will go to the 2011 Great American Cleanup, which is always celebrated in the county the third Saturday in April. The money will mostly be used to buy bags for the trash and recycled items and other materials for the effort.
Seney said the group is always looking for cleanup site captains and volunteers for the annual effort.
“We have locations all over the county, so people won’t have to go too far to help,” Seney said.
To learn more about this year’s cleanup, call Seney at (727) 847-8041 or e-mail her at . For more information on Keep Pasco Beautiful, visit www.keeppascobeautiful.org.

County searches for replacement

By Kyle LoJacono

Longtime Hillsborough County Fire Chief William Nesmith retired Jan. 15 after 41 years working in fire rescue.
Nesmith, 62, started with the county’s fire rescue service as the assistant fire chief in 1994 and became the fire chief in 1996. Prior to that, he worked with Tampa Fire Rescue for 24 years before retiring as the division chief.

“Over the 41 years of fire service, I have found a second family and the friendships will last forever,” Nesmith said. “I will cherish the time I spent in the fire service.”
Nesmith added he is in good health and just wants to spend more time with his family now that he is 62.
During Nesmith’s tenure, the Hillsborough County Fire Department and Hillsborough County Emergency Medical Services were merged as one. He also saw the growth of the department from 400-850 firefighters and the opening of eight new fire stations.
Additionally, Nesmith won the 1997 Harvey Grant Excellence in Rescue Award presented by the IAFC, the 1998 Hillsborough County Excellence in Government Award and the 2010 Distinguished Service Award by the Hillsborough County Volunteer Services Association.
Nesmith has also served on several committees during his time, including chairman of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Transportation Emergency Rescue Committee, president of the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association and member of the Florida West Central Region Board of Directors. He has also served as an instructor of basic firefighter certification and management level courses at Hillsborough Community College.
Ray Yeakley, department spokesman, said a nationwide search is underway for Nesmith’s replacement.
“We aren’t sure right now how long it will take,” Yeakley said. “It could take months; it could take many months.”
Administration Chief Ron Rogers will be the interim chief while the department seeks a replacement.

By B.C. Manion

It all began with a rocking chair.
Millie Cornell wanted to buy a rocking chair for her granddaughter to carry on a tradition she’d begun with her oldest grandson.

She found one at a store that she thought would be perfect, but as she carried it to the counter to pay for it, it began to fall apart.
She rejected that chair and went home and told her husband Duke (whose given name is George) that she wouldn’t be able to get a chair for Sarah.
Duke told Millie not to worry. He said he’d see if he could make their granddaughter a rocking chair.
So began Grandpa’s Wee Rockers Woodcraftsman, a business that continues to this day at 38133 Fifth Ave. in Zephyrhills.
Duke spends the better part of most days working in the open-air shop out behind their house, a highly visible location near Zephyrhills.
A sign in front of the shop welcomes passersby: “Come See What I Saw,” it proclaims.
Drop by and you’ll likely hear the whirring sound of a drill, as Duke uses 2.5-inch deck screws to bind together parts of a bench. The quick and sure movements of his hands and sawdust on the floor are evidence of a man at work.
Visitors can check out child-sized rocking chairs, wishing wells, Adirondack chairs, a bench swing, picnic tables and single, double and triple gliders on display on the lawn and driveway at the couple’s house.
At one point, Duke set up at a flea market, but there was too much down time in that venture for his tastes, he said.
At another point, he carted chairs to the Northern states because he’d taken one up at someone’s request and found there was a demand for them there.
Now, he’s content to stay at home working in his shop.
The idea of retiring is not even a remote possibility for this 83-year-old.
“I can’t sit around,” said Duke, who speaks quietly and appears to be a man of few words. “You’ve got to do something.”
He cuts pieces of spruce and pressure-treated pine into pieces he needs to make his furniture.
“About 40 pieces go into those rockers,” he said. The sliders have about 40 pieces, too.
The rockers are strong enough to support the weight of a child up to 28 pounds, he said.
Many patrons are repeat customers.
“They keep coming back for grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” he said.
The rocking chairs hold up well, he said. “They hand them down from generation to generation.”
Busy times of the year are typically around the Christmas holidays and just before Mother’s Day, Millie said.
The length of his work day varies, Duke said. “It depends on what I have to build.”
How much he gets done each day varies, too. “It depends on how fast you work and how hard.”
In the summer, he works mostly in the morning because of the afternoon’s stifling heat.
The tools of his trade include a band saw, a sander, a drill, deck screws and wood.
Over the years, the business isn’t the only thing that has grown and prospered.
The couple, who married on April 24, 1947, has five children, 16 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
For more information about items, prices and hours call (813) 788-2984.

By B.C. Manion

If Pasco County wants to gain a competitive edge in attracting businesses and jobs, its land development code needs to be more specific so people who want to build or expand their businesses will know exactly what to expect.
The county also needs to shorten the time it takes to get through the process, to eliminate duplication in reviews and to refrain from adding last-minute requirements for issues that should have been covered earlier through staff reviews.
Those are among the general recommendations offered during a 2 ½-hour meeting Friday morning of the Competitive Task Force of the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc.
The task force — made up of experts from the development community — is weighing in on a county effort to make itself more attractive to employers by streamlining the land development code.
In making the changes, it is important to eliminate language that is overly broad, task force members agreed. When the language is too broad, it is too hard for businesses to predict what will be required and how long it will take for approvals.
It is also important to eliminate logjams, they said.
One of the biggest obstacles is how long it can take to get a final plat, they said.
The final plat has a 30-page checklist and is often used by county staff to address issues that should have been addressed earlier in the process, they explained.
Another problem can occur at the front end of the process, when agreements reached between the applicant and staff are not written down and made binding.
There are also issues with the county’s parking requirements, duplicative stormwater reviews and lengthy delays between parts of the process, task force members said.
When it comes to parking, for instance, the standard for spaces at industrial sites should be based on the number of employees there during its peak period of operation, not on how many workers are employed by the company.
At a retail site, on the other hand, the number of employees at the business is less important than the people using the business.
When it comes to stormwater reviews, the county’s stormwater department is reviewing the same things as the Southwest Florida Water Management District — with SWFMD sometimes issuing a permit before the county review is even done.
The county should also take a look at creating a faster process for small projects which already have proper zoning and comply with the county’s master plan.
The county also may want to consider creating a “glitch committee” which would look at issues that continue to pop up, as applicants work their way through the process. The committee could address issues that keep popping up and suggest ways to fix the problems.
Recommendations from the task force will be considered by county staff before it takes its final recommendations on the streamlined code to the Pasco County Commission, which has the final say.