The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

This lawyer’s free advice: Start drinking heavily

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So pour me some Tennessee whiskey,
Pour me a fine Jamaican rum.
That loud mouth soup
Can get ya kind of looped
Tequila, of course I’ll have some!
– (We’ve Got) a Lot to Drink About – J. Buffett

By Randall Grantham

Only two more weeks until the election and an end to this non-stop barrage of campaign ads. We will finally get a respite, if only for a year or so (if that), from the sniping, mud slinging and, yes, in some cases, lying pitches from politicians wanting our votes.
If only there were some way to make this time pass faster. I’ve already cast my vote, so for me especially, it’s wasted time and money on both sides. So I invented some drinking games.
To be fair, I did not invent the television-related drinking game. They’ve been around for years. You know, the games where you and your companions take sips of your beer or slam a full shot based on when a character on television does or says something that is cliché to the actor or show.
And they’re no new developments either. There’s one for “All in the Family,” that old show with Archie Bunker and his “meathead” liberal son-in-law. The rules include instructions that you take one drink whenever Edith “scurries” across the room or whenever Archie tells someone to get out of his chair. But, when Edith yells at someone you take two drinks and if it’s Archie that she yells at, you take three.
There’s one for “Seinfeld” that requires drinking whenever the bass line plays or when Kramer bursts into a room. It gets interactive too. Whenever there’s a Newman/Seinfeld confrontation, everyone must say “Hello Newman” and take two drinks. When the “Soup Nazi” says “No soup for you,” everyone must yell the line with him and take 3 drinks, according to the official rules.
You’d get sloshed quickly watching “Rachael Ray” where you have to take a sip every time she says “EVOO,” “goin’ on,” “delish” or three more pages of Rachaelisms. But no more so than the show 24 where you take a drink each time Jack Bauer disobeys an order.
So, in the spirit of the election, I’ve come up with some drinking games to get us through these last two weeks of the 2010 political season:
Whenever a Marco Rubio ad comes on, one person yells “Marco” and when another person in the house responds with “Polo,” all drink.
If you see the ad with Rick Scott’s mom, everyone has to say, “He’s a good boy,” and take a sip.
As the election gets closer and closer, more and more ads are running, some back-to-back supporting opposing candidates. Take one drink for each ad run against a candidate that just ran a previous ad. For instance, if there’s an Alex Sink ad followed by a Scott ad, followed by another Sink ad, that’s two shots. And, every time someone says “flip-flop,” that’s also two drinks.
If you see Kendrick Meek on an airboat holler, “Red Right Return” and finish the glass.

I don’t know that this will make the final weeks any better, but it will dull the pain a little. And I don’t recommend drinking right before you before vote. But, it does help to hold your nose.

Randall C. Grantham is a lifelong resident of Lutz who practices law from his offices on Dale Mabry Highway. He can be reached at . Copyright 2010 RCG. To comment on this or anything else, e-mail the editor at and for past columns go to lakerlutznews.com.

Empower your employees and they will do wonders

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By Diane Kortus

I’ve learned that the best way to lead a company is to step back and give your staff the room to do their job without interference from the boss.
The more autonomy someone has, the more self-directed he or she becomes and the better they are at their job. With autonomy come empowerment and the time to explore new ways to do things in a manner that is best for the employee and ultimately the company.
Engaged employees come to work knowing they make a difference. My staff knows their skills and talents are vital for the company to achieve its goals.
Sure, the boss needs to hire the right people and guide the team in formulating a vision. After that, her primary responsibilities are to provide the resources her staff needs and to make sure her people have the freedom to try new things without worry of criticism if their ideas don’t turn out quite as anticipated.
This is the kind of boss I strive to be to my 14 employees. By giving every employee a voice in the company that is heard by their co-workers and me, we have created a culture that is continually evolving and learning.
This culture allows my staff to excel and is why we can proudly announce in a full-page ad in today’s paper that The Laker and Lutz News earned 13 awards at the 2009-10 Florida Press Display Advertising Contest.
This is an extraordinary achievement for our small, independently owned company.
We competed against the largest weekly newspapers in the state, most that are corporately owned with far more resources. There were more than 350 entries from newspapers from the Panhandle to South Florida submitting their best work in 26 categories
We are excited, and humbled, to be named winners in 13 of those categories. Significantly, seven are for first place, an impressive showing by anyone’s standards.
Last year, when we were just beginning to change the culture of our company, we received five awards in this competition. I find it truly remarkable that just one year later, we more than doubled the number of awards we earned.
While everyone at The Laker and the Lutz News contributed to our success in the Florida Press competition, there are two employees I want to single out — Matt Mistretta and Stefanie Burlingame.
Matt is our art director and the person behind the design transformation at the papers. He has worked here since 2005 and this past year finally has been able to begin implementing his vision of improving the paper’s overall look. Matt’s commitment and steadfastness are greatly appreciated by his colleagues and me.
Stefanie joined us two years ago and is the designer whose name is on most of the winning ads. Her job is to work with customers and sales staff to design knockout ads that move people to buy products and services our advertisers sell.
Stef is the employee who taught me more than anyone else that the more I leave her alone the better she becomes. Her talent is evident by the 12 awards that identify her as the artist.
Please join me in congratulating Matt, Stefanie and the entire staff for their outstanding work. You are fortunate to have such talented and dedicated people working every week to bring you a community paper that is one of the best in Florida.

Gators shooting for first district crown in two decades

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New coach guides Land O’ Lakes to 15-3 record

By Kyle LoJacono

None of the current Land O’ Lakes High volleyball players were born the last time the Gators won a district title, but that is not stopping them from going for the title this year.

Land O’ Lakes (15-3) last took home a district crown in 1989 and they are getting guidance from first-year Gators coach Laurie Tyszko on how to end that 21-year streak.

“The farthest I’ve gotten was last year when we got to the district semifinals,” said senior setter and outside hitter Morgan Crescent. “Last year we did it mainly on skills our old coach taught us.  Our new coach is showing us how to put those skills together and work as a team.”

The Gators finished 11-9 last year with Michelle Griffin as coach, but she was deployed with the U.S. Army.

“It was unexpected,” said senior libero Helen Marte. “We found out at the end of last year. We got a letter from her once and wrote back. We miss her a lot because she helped us get better, but our new coach is also great.”

Tyszko coached at Hudson High last year and was unsure about how things would go with the new squad. To combat any potential problems she has allowed the players to do their normal routines.

“I watched them during the summer and I saw a lot of talent,” Tyszko said. “I noticed we have a lot of good jump servers and we actually score a lot of points off our serves. I wanted them to be comfortable with what they do. I wasn’t looking to make huge changes.”

The biggest change to this point is playing a rotation with two setters. Tyszko decided to go with the different system to keep Crescent and setter and outside hitter Teresa Della Penna, a junior, on the floor as much as possible.

Crescent is second on the team with 153 kills, 60 aces, 161 assists and 141 digs through Land O’ Lakes’ first 18 matches. Della Penna leads the Gators with 151 kills, 188 assists and 82 aces. Della Penna also has 134 digs and 16 blocks.

“We work together well,” Della Penna said. “When I’m up front and having a good hitting day I’ll go for the kill and if I’m not, I’ll set someone else up. Working with Morgan is great and actually most of the girls have played together for years even in middle school.”

Learning the new rotation was also tough at first for senior middle hitter Nicole Woodard, but she and the rest of the players have picked it up quickly.

Nicole Woodard

“It was really hard when we were first learning it,” Woodard said. “I’ve been playing with a lot of the players for a long time, so that made things easier. We basically still knew where the others were going to be.”

Woodard has a team-leading 95 blocks while adding 131 kills.

While Della Penna, Crescent and Woodard lead the way up front, Marte commands the backline for the Gators. She has team-high 201 digs to go with her 17 aces.

“Playing libero, sometimes there is a lot of pressure,” Marte said. “When the ball comes over everything is on you to get the ball. You learn to deal with that at the position. You can’t be nervous and go all out for the ball.”

While many of the team’s leaders are seniors and juniors, one freshman has started to make a larger impact.

“It was kind of intimidating starting off,” said freshman outside hitter Daniella Smith. “I just didn’t want to mess things up. The more I’ve gotten in, the more comfortable I’ve felt.”

Tyszko said when she started she just wanted the team to have a winning record, which they have already clinched. Now she is hoping for that elusive district title, a couple wins in the regional tournament and who knows after that.

“We have the talent to get to the state tournament,” Tyszko said. “Hopefully things will come together for us the next few weeks.”

-All stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches as of Oct. 18.

Land O’ Lakes crushes Wesley Chapel 49-3

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Offense and defense show up big in victory

By Kyle LoJacono

Land O’ Lakes High needed just seven plays to take a lead it would never give up against Class 3A, District 7 rival Wesley Chapel High in a 49-3 win Oct. 15.

While the Gators (6-0) offense is averaging 46 points per game, it was the defense that set a school record in the 46-point win by recording 13 sacks against the Wildcats (2-5).

Land O’ Lakes linebacker Jackson Cannon brings down Wesley Chapel quarterback Devon Henry for one of the Gators school record 13 sacks.

“That was pretty impressive,” Land O’ Lakes coach Matt Kitchie said of the sacks. “We had an 11-sack performance earlier in the year and 13 tonight and you can’t really do that without the whole defense working together. We had a lot of players step up and make plays.”

Junior weakside linebacker Shadow Williams had four sacks in the game, doubling his total for the year.

“You just have to read the guards and read the tackles,” Williams said on how he was able to get to the quarterback. “You can tell by how they’re setting up and watching which way they’re going.”

Junior linebacker Jackson Cannon added two more sacks. The Gators are averaging more than six sacks per game.

The third sack on Wildcats freshman quarterback Alex McGough knocked him out of the game with an apparent knee injury.

Williams and the entire defense took pride in not allowing a touchdown to the Wildcats and holding them to just 75 yards.

“It’s really good for our offense because it gives them good field position and keeps them on the field so we can get points on the board,” Williams said.

Land O’ Lakes senior quarterback Stephen Weatherford said, “Our defense is unbelievable. They’re as good as our offense if not better. I can throw a pick and I know our defense is going to get the ball back to us.”

Stephen Weatherford

While the Land O’ Lakes defense was setting up shop in the Wesley Chapel backfield, the Gators offense was having a party of its own. They took the opening drive 49 yards down the field ending with a one-yard touchdown run by Weatherford.

“I felt like our passing game has been off for a couple games,” Weatherford said. “I felt like our running game clicked and our offensive line has been doing a lot better too and that opens things up in the passing game. I felt good about our whole offense tonight.”

The Land O’ Lakes signal caller finished 14 of 23 passing with 337 yards and four passing scores while adding another 65 rushing yards. Weatherford has 1,661 passing yards this year and 24 touchdowns. His 276.8 yards per game is the third most in Florida.

Weatherford threw a pair of touchdown passes to wide receiver Will Irwin and tight end Jason Tello, both seniors. The longest was a 63-yarder to Irwin.

“Stephen and I, we have a lot of chemistry,” Irwin said. “We’ve been in practice every day going on four years now. He knows where I’ll be and I know where to go. He knows when to throw it and he knows I’ll be there for it.”

Weatherford did throw one interception in the game and senior wide receiver Matthew Carper saved him from another. Late in the game a Wesley Chapel defender got his hands on a pass and looked like he completed the interception, but Carper pulled it away and made a would-be turnover into a 13-yard completion.

“I’ll have to buy him lunch or something for saving me from that one,” Weatherford said jokingly.

The Wildcats lone score came on a 27-yard field goal by junior Cody Hodgens. The points were set up by a muffed punt recovered by Wesley Chapel on the Gators 40-yard-line.

“We’re a really young team,” said Wesley Chapel coach Ben Alford. “A lot of those guys on the other sideline have been together for three and four years. We’re playing three or four freshman each game. It makes it difficult, but they’ll learn from these kinds of games.”

The Gators are currently tied for the district lead with Pasco High and Sunlake High.

Pasco has won the district the last three years and beat Land O’ Lakes 28-16 last year in Dade City, their only loss of the regular season. Kitchie has the score hanging on the Gators locker room door to remind them. The rematch with the Pirates is this Friday, Oct. 22 in Land O’ Lakes at 7:30 p.m.

“I think we’re really prepared for them,” Kitchie said. “Obviously the wounds are still fresh and that’s been up there on our locker room door since the Monday after we got beat so they see it every time they hit the practice field.”

Lawson McLeod fastest ‘Iron Kid’

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By Kyle LoJacono

Lawson McLeod has been competing in triathlons for nearly two years and he recently tasted victory at the national Iron Kid race Oct. 3.

Lawson McLeod

The race was in St. Petersburg and included a 50-meter swim, 500-meter run and two-mile bike ride. The Wesley Chapel 6-year-old finished with a time of 13 minutes and 50 seconds, besting 550 competitors in his age group from 30 states and five countries.

“When I was coming to the end there were a lot of people yelling.” Lawson said. “Then I heard my cousins screaming that I won. I was so excited because it’s the first time I’ve won an Iron Kid race.”

Lawson has also won four Livestrong Youth Series races this year.

Lawson, who is a student at Wesley Chapel Elementary, started competing in triathlons just after turning 5 last January. His mother and father, Laura and Tommy McLeod, also do such races and his 3-year-old sister Ryann will begin doing the same next year.

“One thing we love about the sport is that as a family we can practice and train together,” Laura said. “Bike workouts include riding with Tommy and/or I at Flatwoods or on the trails in Seven Oaks. We all go together to swim practice at Arbor Greene and we can run together.”

Lawson said he enjoys doing all three elements of a triathlon. His mother said the day after he competed in his first he could not stop talking about it.

“He woke up and the first thing he asked is was he going to race in a triathlon again that day,” Laura said. “It was the cutest thing. He just loved everything about it from the start.”

Laura and Tommy both love Lawson’s athletic pursuit, but they were surprised by his selection of triathlons. Laura played college soccer while Tommy played college football and the two thought Lawson would pick up one or both of those sports instead.

“He has played soccer at the (University of South Florida) Bulls Academy held at USF, played T-ball, baseball and karate,” Laura said. “He had fun seeing his buddies at these sports, but triathlons have been the only thing that he has ever popped up after the event the very next morning and said, ‘do I get to do a triathlon today?’

“The energy output level that he expends on a daily basis training is excellent and having choices is wonderful too,” Laura continued. “He sees friends at swim practice, tri-camp and at all the meets, so the social component is still there.”

Lawson has done so well in this season’s Livestrong Challenge Series he will be presented with a special triathlon seat for his bike. He will receive the prize for placing first in the series locally Nov. 6 at the Bob Sierra YMCA in Northdale.

“I don’t want the season to end, but I’m excited for next year,” Lawson said. “It’s really fun and I want to keep doing it.”

Cowboys take down Plant City on homecoming night

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By Kyle LoJacono

Gaither High’s defense forced six turnovers and recorded six sacks in a 20-7 victory against Plant City High, giving its fans a gift on homecoming night.

The Raiders (4-3) came in averaging 31 points and more than 400 yards per game, but were held to less than 300 yards by the Cowboys (3-4).

“Our defense is a veteran unit,” said Gaither coach Mark Kantor. “They stepped up and gave our fans a great homecoming win.”

Gaither quarterback Shug Oyegunle got the Cowboys on the board in the first quarter with a 22-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Carlo Perello. Senior Joel Paredes added an 86-yard kick return and sophomore Dalton Gilson added field goals of 19 and 22 yards.

Chadd Hannah

Senior defensive end Chadd Hannah had six tackles, one sack and forced a fumble. He received the first scholarship offer for Gaither Oct. 14 from Rutgers University. Junior linebacker Josh Scarberry had 13 tackles, three sacks, one interception and recovered a fumble in the win.

“Anytime you can get turnovers and give your offense a short field it helps,” Kantor said. “They can’t score if you keep taking it from them. Guys like Chadd Hannah, Josh Scarberry, Levon Brookins, Max Paulter, Xavier Wynn, Angel Alvarez and really everyone on the defense stepped up.”

Kantor said he has seen the team’s energy improve in practice during the last few weeks. Last week they lost to defending Class 5A state champions Plant High by only eight points and just knocked off one of the top Hillsborough County teams in Plant City.

“Last year we won just one game and we had to get the kids expecting to win again,” Kantor said. “Now they know they can play with anyone. Now we have to keep building and win our district games to get into the playoffs.”

Gaither will travel to Class 5A, District 5 rival Chamberlain High Oct. 22. The loser is eliminated from playoff contention.

-All stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches as of Oct. 18.

Bulls win second straight conference title

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By Kyle LoJacono
The Wiregrass Ranch High boys golf team won its second straight Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) championship Oct. 11. The Bulls claimed the title after winning 11 league contests in the regular season and earning another 11 points in the SAC tournament.
Jacob Fleck

Dylan Larson shot an even-par 72 to lead Wiregrass Ranch, followed by Logan Horrigan with a three-over 75.

“You need four good scores to win and fortunately we had that,” said four-year Bulls coach Nicholas Cuviello. “The difference between the teams that win and the ones that don’t is having four-player depth. We have a solid group that has been with the team for several years now.”
Wiregrass Ranch lost just three regular season SAC matchups the last three years after winning one match its first year and finishing .500 in year two.
The Bulls have eight seniors on the 11-man team. Cuviello said the Bulls are hoping to win their first district tournament, which is Oct. 19 at Pebble Creek Golf Club in New Tampa; return to regionals for the second straight year and make the state tournament for the first time in school history.
Coming in second at the tournament was Wesley Chapel and Mitchell high schools. Land O’ Lakes High came in fourth.
The only golfer to finish under par at the SAC tournament was Wesley Chapel senior Jacob Fleck, who shot 1-under 71. He was the individual champion.
Pirates take second behind Mitchell
The Pasco High girls golf team came in second place in the Sunshine Athletic Conference tournament, which was Oct. 12 at the Groves Golf and Country Club in Land O’ Lakes. Mitchell High took the overall team title and River Ridge High came in third.
Kelliannce May shot a team-best 5-over 70 for the Pirates, which was the second best score of the day and two strokes behind Mitchell’s Rebecca Van Etten. Van Etten was the individual champion. Wesley Chapel’s Hana Lee tied with Mitchell’s Emma Fivecoat for third with a 71.

As her world darkens, Wesley Chapel woman plans support group

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By B.C. Manion

Lucina Radd lives in constant fear that she’ll go to sleep one night and wake up the next morning in a world that has gone completely dark.
She’s already lost the vision in her left eye and her field of vision in her right eye is diminishing.

Lucina Radd, who has been losing her vision for years, wants to launch a support group for others who also are struggling with a loss of sight. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

The Wesley Chapel woman was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa nine years ago, a condition that involves the gradual decline in vision because the photoreceptors, known as rods and cones, die.
Until recently, the 49-year-old has been living in denial – but now she is trying to come to terms with her condition. In a major first step she has signed up to walk in the 3rd annual Tampa Bay VisionWalk Nov. 13 at Al Lopez Park, 4810 N. Himes Ave., in Tampa.
The walk raises money for Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc., a national organization that funds research to prevent, treat and cure conditions that cause vision loss and blindness.
She also wants to start a support group for people with vision impairment who live in the Wesley Chapel area.
Lucina’s declining vision has changed nearly every aspect of her life, said Tony Radd, her husband of 32 years.
It has limited what she is able to do with the couple’s twin 23-year-olds, Brittany and Kyle, and the couple’s granddaughter, 1-year-old Aleina.
Lucina, once a software development manager, has not worked in that field for years. She can no longer drive. She has trouble doing simple, everyday tasks that she used to take for granted.
She used to love to shop for groceries.
“Now, when I walk down an aisle, I have to scan every single item. I can’t look at both sides of the aisle and see what’s on the other side,” she said.
When she’s home and wants to cook, Tony has to help.
“If I have two pots going, I can’t watch both of them. I caught the stove on fire,” she said, noting it’s a good thing Tony was there.
“The cabinets are a big issue because they are dark inside. Even just getting a pot out is a major ordeal,” she said.
Cleaning off the counters is a problem, too, because Lucina can only see small portions at one time.
If someone puts something on the counter – which her son, Kyle, is apt to do when he’s home for a visit – it’s not unusual for Lucina to knock it off, she said.
She enjoys being outdoors, but no longer feels safe sitting alone in her backyard because she knows there are occasional snakes there and a gator lives in the pond.
She can’t watch her granddaughter on her own, either.
Lucina can no longer sew, and while she still enjoys painting, she worries that will end one day too.
Just getting ready to go out for dinner is challenging.
It used to be easy to match her clothes, shoes and accessories and to put on her makeup.
“Now, it’s hard to distinguish the colors or find clothes that match,” she said. When she puts on her makeup, she relies on her sense of touch.
It used to take about 15 minutes to get ready; now it’s more like an hour and 15 minutes.
The couple’s options for having fun are more limited too.
They used to go on long drives to enjoy the scenery, but they don’t do that anymore. Tampa Bay Rays baseball games, Tampa Bay Buccaneers football games, movies and dancing are out too.
“Everything involves sight,” Lucina said.
Even conversing with people is more difficult, she said. “I feel like I can’t communicate as well because I can’t make good eye contact with people,” she said. “It diminishes your spirit. You can’t see people’s expressions.”
As her eyesight worsened, she became depressed and withdrawn, Lucina said.
“You isolate yourself. You don’t fit in the world.”
People don’t understand her condition because she doesn’t wear dark glasses, walk with a cane or use a guide dog, Tony said.
Lucina said she used to hide her condition because she wanted to remain independent. Now, she hopes that getting involved with VisionWalk and reaching out to organizations that can help her will enable her to reach out to help others.
Tony is right there with her. He said he has often told his wife: “You may lose your sight, but life goes on and there are beautiful things in life.”
Lucina hopes that steps she’s taking will set her on a new path.
“I lived in this depression and isolation, which is not the person I am. I want to be back to the happy person I was,” Lucina said. “I really honestly hope I can make a difference for someone else.”
To contact Lucina about starting up a support group, you can e-mail her at or call her (813) 994-6521. To join her team or sponsor her in the VisionWalk go to www.Fightblindness.org/goto/LucinaRadd.

More than it seems at the Rattlesnake Festival

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By Kyle LoJacono

When it started 44 years ago, the Rattlesnake Festival was very different from the fall carnival it is today.
Jack Vogel was one of the events founders and remembers those humble beginnings.
“From the early days, the festival was indeed a rattlesnake roundup with people capturing rattlesnakes to enter competitions for size, weight and appearance although no rattlesnakes were slaughtered,” Vogel said. “Real gopher turtles were also used for the races. Children and businesses would paint them and compete for trophies. In the ’80s, however, environmental concerns changed all that.”

David Henley paints a mock snake in the children’s crafts area last year. (File photo)

Plenty of rattlesnakes will be present this year, but they are not longer the only attraction.
The event, which draws 30,000 to 40,000 from around the Tampa Bay area, is from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 16 and 11 a.m.-4-p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17 at San Antonio City Park near city hall. Both admission and parking are free.
“We’ve tried to keep it as affordable as possible for a family to come out and spend the day or weekend,” said Stephanie Stephenson, festival board secretary. “All the shows and crafts and contests are less than $10 to enter.”
Stephenson said it is more of a fall festival today, but there is also an educational element to the event. Part of that teaching comes from the snake and reptile show, which includes many rattlesnakes. The show is $5, $2 for children ages 12 and younger.
Other attractions at the festival include wildlife exhibits, pony rides, crafts, contests and plenty of food, all of which is made at the event.
One of the highlights is the gopher race, which is $1. The event used to have real gopher tortoises, but today mockups of the reptile are used instead.
“It’s an outstanding event and I have participated in it for many years,” said Pasco County Commission Chairwoman Pat Mulieri. “In fact, I will be calling the 1 o’clock gopher race on Sunday.
“The race brings the community together, gives local people a chance to participate and does help the economy of the area,” Mulieri continued.
Mulieri is also the chairwoman of the Pasco Tourism Council. She said the influx of people to east Pasco helps the entire county when people buy gas, get food at the restaurants or stay at a hotel for the two-day festival.
Many people think they serve rattlesnake at the festival, but Stephenson said that is not the case.
“The funny thing is we’ve never served rattlesnake at the festival,” Stephenson said. “I hear that from people. We just have chicken, fish and other carnival food.”
The day will begin with the Rattlesnake Festival 5-mile and 1-mile races starting at 8 a.m. and 8:10 a.m. respectively. About 600 participate in the run each year. The start and finish lines are both on Magnolia Street near San Ann Liquors & Restaurant. The course is challenging with varying terrain and includes hills. For more information or for a registration form, call (352) 588-4444.
Also part of the festivities are the five Miss Rattlers, which will be named in the days leading up to the event. The five new winners will be out and about at the various events throughout the festival.
Contests include the Corn Toss Tournament, best Western Wear contest and the gopher race. For more information on event times, visit rattlesnakefestival.com.
Money from the contest, wildlife shows and food sales goes to benefit area churches and groups like Girl and Boy Scouts
“There’s something for everyone out here,” Stephenson said. “Where else can you see pageant winners, gopher races and rattlesnakes all in one place?”

Hot cars, spicy wings and more fall fun coming to Wesley Chapel

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By Elizabeth Gwilt

From music to wings to cars and hayrides, organizers of this weekend’s Wesley Chapel Fall Festival promise enough attractions to fill a whole weekend.
The festival will take place on Saturday, Oct. 16 and Sunday, Oct. 17 at the Grove mall. Formerly called the Wesley Chapel Craft Show, last year the festival drew crowds of about 30,000 people over the course of two days, and this year’s attendance is expected to be the same.

Volunteers from East Pasco Habitat for Humanity and Wesley Chapel Community for Change helped attendees at the 2009 craft show paint shelves.

David West, director of the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, said the event has undergone some changes in recent years.
“It’s no longer just a craft show,” West said. “We have such a variety of activities now: food vendors, pumpkin patches, live music all day — you name it.”
A custom car show is one highlight of the festival, with classic cars on display Saturday and Hot Rods taking center stage on Sunday.
Entire areas at the festival are designated just for the kids. Traditional autumn-themed entertainment such as scarecrow making and hayrides are available, but bubble machines, rock-climbing walls, human hamster ball rides, moon bounces and face painting are offered as well. Geoffrey the Giraffe from the Toys ‘R Us franchise will also make an appearance.
Battle of the Wings is one returning attraction, with Texas Roadhouse, last year’s winner, coming back to defend its title.
Restaurant manager Karina Evans is confident that Roadhouse wings will win again. “Our wings are always fresh and we have a legendary sauce,” Evans said.
“We are changing things up a bit this time. We are trying out a new flavor at the contest, and we’ll see what the other restaurants do,” Evans said.
This year, however, the competition says it’s ready. Ken Santo, owner of Santo’s Pizza and Pasta, says his wings are better. Santo came in second place at last year’s festival, but he doesn’t plan on changing his recipe.
“We serve a ton of wings at my restaurant. Our wings use the best products and the sauce takes four hours to make,” he said. “I’ve eaten the competition’s wings, and they’re decent, but I know mine are better.”
Both restaurants will be selling food at the festival along with other local eateries.
In addition to all the interactive fun, eight live bands will be playing through the duration of the festival. Looper Band, GreenLight Iguana, Bryan Edwards, and Ferengata will perform Saturday, while Sunday’s entertainment lineup includes Harold Jones, Nunes at Night, The Bucket List and 10th Concession.
“We are really hoping that families will come and have a great time together; there really is something for everyone,” West said.