Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By B.C. Manion

It’s a club that rarely calls attention to itself, and yet, it is widely known throughout Lutz and Land O’ Lakes for the civic work it performs.
Its roots go back 50 years and this week, members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club will gather at the First United Methodist Church of Lutz to celebrate the club’s 50th anniversary.

The club has invited about 150 guests including state and local elected officials, dignitaries, former members, members and their spouses to drop in to celebrate the milestone, from 2-4 p.m. Oct. 27.
Like many of its occasions over the past five decades, this one will involve refreshments: Finger foods and a big cake.
As guests join the celebration, they’ll have a chance to learn the club’s story – detailed in a video painstakingly created by Cheryl Benton, chairwoman of the 50th anniversary celebration.
Benton culled through a half-century of yearbooks to find the most telling details of the often subtle actions that have improved the quality of life not only in Lutz and Land O’ Lakes, but in many places beyond those communities.
“I was amazed at the things the club had accomplished over the years,” Benton said. This was the group that started the first library in Lutz, pushed for streetlights for US 41 and got a railroad crossing installed, after a mother and daughter were killed near the tracks.
Club members have a hand in all sorts of community activities, large and small.
The club directs the annual Fourth of July parade and organizes an arts and crafts festival at Lake Park each December – with both events attracting thousands of people.
It raises money to pay for scholarships. It supports scout troops and other community groups, such as the Lutz Volunteer Fire Department and friends of the Old Lutz School.
Club members pitch tents for events, knit caps for babies in hospital neonatal units, hold bingo games for retired veterans and make sundresses for African children.
The list goes on and on.
Benton said the club strives to live up to its motto – “Serve today for a better tomorrow.”
The club’s 90 members come primarily from Lutz and Land O’ Lakes, but some hail from Odessa, Wesley Chapel and Tampa.
Benton said her experiences in the group have made her “in awe of all the things that women can do when they are united.”
Lorraine Dabney will speak at the half-century celebration, in a gesture to acknowledge her standing as having the distinction of being the club’s longest-serving active member.
When Dabney moved into Lutz years ago, she was looking for something to do, she said.
“One of my neighbors invited me to come to (the) club. From the first day, I was hooked.”
Initially, she was drawn by the friendly nature of the women. As time went on, she grew increasingly impressed by the club’s commitment to service.
It’s a club that nurtures individual development, too, she said.
“We’re really a place where someone can come and grow,” Dabney said. “If you nurture something, then it blossoms. I like to think that we’re the ones who water and fertilize.”
While the majority of the club members are 50 or older, Dabney said the group is seeing more interest from younger women.
“They’re looking to serve. I think there is a spirit of volunteerism now more than ever. People want meaning to their lives. They want to make a difference,” said Dabney, who now lives in Land O’ Lakes.
For those who are community minded, there are lots of ways to be involved.
“Nobody is required to serve any minimum amount of hours,” Dabney said. “I like to say we have a smorgasbord that people can pick and choose what they want to do. No matter what you do, as long as you use your gift, you’re an asset to our club.”
Like most organizations, the woman’s club has felt the effects of the recession, Dabney said. “I know that we have had to cut back on some of our giving because when we have fundraisers maybe we’re not raising quite as much money as we have in the past.”
Besides serving the community, the women in the group help each other.
They have a sunshine chairwoman who sends cards to members who are sick or bereaved or going through some other sort of difficult time.
“There’s so much compassion in this club. If a member is in need, if we know about it, we’re there to help with that need,” Dabney said.
Marilyn Wannamaker is one of the women who has benefited from that support.
“I joined right after we moved here from Dover (near Plant City). A year later, my husband (Jim) died,” Wannamaker said. “If it had not been for the club, I really don’t think I would have made it. They were wonderful in their support and their caring. I just know that I’m a better human being for being in the club.”
Wannamaker, a member for 11 years, has been president of the club twice. She now supervises the Little Women of Lutz, a group of high school girls who make up a junior chapter of the group.
“It’s been a joy. We cook dinner at Ronald McDonald House. We help at the library. We adopted a road and clean it up three times a year. We adopt a family in need at Christmas,” she said.
“To me, it’s wonderful to watch them grow and develop into wonderful young women,” Wannamaker said.
Edwina Kraemer, the current club president, described the group as purposeful, empowered women. She was attracted to the group because of its focus on service.
“I was raised with the idea that you are not a burden to your society and that you give back,” Kraemer said.
As it begins its second half-century, the group wants to reach out to women who are still in the work force and to stay-at-home moms, Kraemer said.
That group will have evening meetings and will focus on goals that address needs and concerns of those women, she said.
While the older group tends to look at geriatric concerns, this group will likely be more interested in issues involving children and teenagers, Kraemer said.
By creating this new group, the club will address a piece that’s been missing and will help perpetuate the future of the organization, Kraemer said.
While the club is involved in many activities, Kraemer said, that’s not its legacy.
“It is not what we are doing now,” Kraemer said “It is what we’re going to leave.”

By B.C. Manion

It’s a mid-term election, but voters have a lot riding on the outcomes of votes tallied in Election 2010.
Voters will decide who will be Florida’s governor and its next attorney general. They will choose who goes to Washington to fill a Florida seat in the U.S. Senate.
Other big ballot issues include proposed constitutional amendments that:
-Will determine whether legislative and congressional districts are prevented from being drawn to favor or disfavor an incumbent or political party
-Determine whether class size limits for public schools should change
-Decide whether voters must approve future changes to a local government’s comprehensive land use plan.
In Hillsborough County, voters also will decide the fate of a 1-cent sales tax proposed to pay for light rail, expanded bus service and road improvements.
Many Hillsborough and Pasco voters also will cast their ballots in the District 12 State Senate race.
Jim Norman won the Republican primary for the seat, defeating Kevin Ambler. But the race has been thrown into turmoil, after Ambler sued to challenge the primary results.
A Tallahassee judge disqualified Norman in an Oct. 15 ruling, stating Norman had failed to disclose a $500,000 gift on his disclosure form.
Ralph Hughes, a political activist and Norman supporter, gave the money to Norman’s wife, Mearline, who used it to purchase a house in Arkansas.
Ambler sued to have Norman disqualified. He also sought to his name placed on the ballot, but the judge refused.
On Saturday, the Republican Party tapped former state Rep. Rob Wallace to run for the seat. Wallace is an environmental engineer who, while in the House, once cast the lone vote against the state budget out of concerns for government overspending.
While the ballots show Norman’s name, a vote for Norman will be counted for Wallace — though Norman and Ambler both had pending appeals, meaning things could change between now and Election Day.
Beyond the confusion in this race, there are many other congressional, legislative, county commission, school board and other seats up for grabs during this election.
Early voting continues until Oct. 30. Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 2.
When the ballots are counted, it should signal the end of a barrage of negative campaigning that has characterized this political season. For more election information or to view sample ballots or for additional information go to www.pascovotes.com or www.votehillsborough.org.

By B.C. Manion

Hillsborough Community College wants to expand into Northwestern Hillsborough County – and has received the State Board of Education’s approval to do so.
If this story sounds familiar, it’s because the state gave the college the same kind of permission 10 years ago.
The college submitted a new request on Aug. 26 because so much time had elapsed, the state asked the college to update its proposal, said Ashley Carl, spokeswoman for HCC.
HCC President Ken Atwater justified the college’s request in an Aug. 26 to Judith Bilsky, executive vice chancellor in the division of Florida colleges. The letter was accompanied by a detailed proposal, justifying an HCC northwest satellite.
Atwater’s letter notes that the college’s enrollment continues to grow and that a center within Northwest Hillsborough “will greatly improve access to higher education for residents of Citrus Park, Lutz, Odessa, and Northwest Hillsborough County while also relieving overcrowding at our Dale Mabry campus, HCC’s largest campus.”
The region already sends more than 3,500 students to HCC, according to a college analysis.
Residents from Central Pasco may also benefit from a new HCC site because community college enrollments are not tied to boundaries.
Denise Layne, an activist in Lutz, said “the civic association is very supportive of having a satellite location. It makes sense.”
She said she and other community representatives have met with Rob Wolfe, a vice president at HCC, who has made assurances that the college has no desire to put the satellite in an area against the community’s wishes.
Barbara Dowling, recording secretary of the Keystone Civic Association, said the community favored a proposed location on Old Tobacco Road, which is in the Lutz planning area.
Siting the center in Keystone’s planning area may be difficult because the area relies on water wells and septic tanks, Dowling said.
Carl said that the college needs to expand because the Dale Mabry campus is already over capacity and has no room to grow there.
The Northwest Center would offer a variety of courses such as intermediate and college algebra, anatomy and physiology, psychology, sociology, English and American history. It also would offer introduction to business administration, introduction to computer technology, human nutrition, physical education and other courses.
The college has been looking for a Northwest location for more than a decade and has looked at more than 20 locations, Carl said.
It has seriously investigated several sites, but they have not worked out because of costs or other development challenges, the college’s submittal says.
Some sites that were explored include the former Northdale Public Library, a K-Mart building on Waters Avenue, the Citrus Park Baptist Church and a site on Old Tobacco Road.
The college also has checked out leasing space but rejected those possibilities because they were not deemed to be cost-effective or were unsuitable for classroom use, the submittal says.
However, the submittal notes, “with softening of the real estate market in recent years, several more viable sites have emerged.”
Carl said the college is not looking at any specific site at the moment. She said she could not specify the general area the college is looking at, except to say it is unlikely that it would be west of Sheldon Road.
Atwater’s letter also states that he has met with the presidents of St. Petersburg College and Pasco-Hernando Community College to discuss ways they can collaborate. Presidents of both colleges also wrote letters to the state on behalf of HCC’s request.

By Shannon Edinger

It will be a day filled with food, music and fun when the Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce hosts the inaugural “Pigz in Z’Hills” BBQ & Blues Fest on Saturday, Oct. 30, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The BBQ & Blues Fest will be at Charles Krusen Memorial Field at Alston Avenue and 20th Street, east of US 301. Admission is $3 and children under 12 enter for free.
BBQ & Blues will most notably have a BBQ cook-off competition with live blues music playing in the background.  There will be professional chefs and backyard chefs from varying regions participating in the BBQ cook-off.  Those attending BBQ & Blues will be able to taste the chefs’ BBQ creations.  The chamber hopes to register the competition as a Kansas City BBQ Society-sanctioned event next year.
Vonnie Mikkelsen, executive director of the Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, wants people in the community to come out and have fun.  “We expect people from all over to come out,” Mikkelsen said.  “For the seasonal residents coming back down to Florida for the winter, the event will be a good “welcome back” for them.
Other events include an antique car show, Kidz PlayPen activities, a Pignic on the grass or in the Pig Palace (the VIP tent) and vendors selling BBQ-related items such as BBQ sauce and grills.  There will also be ice cream and refreshments provided at BBQ & Blues.
Mikkelsen is still accepting community and business BBQ cook-off team entries, as well as car show entries.  There are also sponsorship packages available for participating businesses and teams.  “Starting at only $150, you can launch your event,” Mikkelsen said.
The sponsorship packages vary in price.  “The Squealer” is $150 and it includes advertising perks such as a sign at the main entrance and a listing in the event program.  It also includes access to the Pig Palace and two guest passes. “The Piglet” is $500 and includes recognition and thanks over a PA system during the event, a banner and 10 guest passes. “The Hog” is $1,000.  It includes everything in “The Squealer” and “The Piglet” plus more advertising perks, the logo on event T-shirts and 15 guest passes.
Mikkelsen is optimistic that it will be a great event for years to come.
For more information, contact Vonnie Mikkelsen at (813) 782-1913, or e-mail .

By Kyle LoJacono

University Community Hospital (UCH) now has the ability to make every patient room completely sterile with the help of a new device that vaguely resembles an oversized bug zapper.
The new piece of equipment, called the intelligent room sterilization system (IRS) 3200M, went into use at UCH, Pepin Heart Hospital and The Women’s Center Oct. 15.

“When we did testing on some of the more dirty areas of rooms, which are places like door handles, call buttons and toilet handles, before and after using the device, we found it killed almost everything in the room,” said Jacqueline Whitaker, UCH director of infection control. “We took samples from those areas and grew them in our lab and we found either zero or one organism lived.”
Whitaker said that falls within the definition of sterilized because no one can develop an infection from one microorganism.
One of IRS 3200M co-inventors Mark Statham said the technology has been in the development stage for about two years.
“It creates a powerful electromagnetic field that disrupts the DNA of anything,” Statham said. “That changes the DNA and makes it so the microorganism can’t reproduce if it does survive. The one or two that last die very quickly and the room is completely sterilized.”
Statham works for Infection Prevention Technologies, based in Michigan. He said only three hospitals in the country have the device and no others are in Florida.
“We wanted to go with this device because it truly kills anything left in the room from the last patient,” Whitaker said. “We’ve looked at some other similar machines and nothing came close to this.”
The mobile machine is taken into the patient rooms between occupants. It takes about 10 minutes to sterilize the room.
“We made it very user friendly,” Statham said. “It knows how big the room is and how much electricity to use to clean it. You just move it into the room and turn it on and let it go to work.”
Statham said people cannot be in the room while the device is on because it will cause temporary burning to the eyes and skin. To prevent an accident, a controller is placed on the door of the room being treated. The controller turns the IRS 3200M off instantly if someone opens the door while it is in use.
“We also designed this so the electromagnetic field can’t go through a window,” Statham said. “People can walk by or look in without fear of anything happening.”
The IRS 3200M is also being used in surgical rooms at the end of the day, but the larger rooms take more time to sterilize than hospital staff can give between patients. Statham said the company is working on a larger version of the device to mount in the ceilings of the surgery rooms that will take less time so they can be sterilized as well.
“This just fits in to everything UCH is trying to do to increase patient safety,” said UCH spokesman Will Darnall. “Hospitals sometimes get a bad reputation, but we’re doing everything we can to keep patients safe. This is just one way we are doing that and the best thing is it kills even drug-resistant pathogens too.”
All rooms will still be disinfected as before, then the device will do its job.
“We plan to use the same technology at UCH-Carrollwood, our long term center in Land O’ Lakes and the Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital in Tarpon Springs. It’s the best way to make sure patients are safe and we want to use it everywhere we can.”

By B.C. Manion

When it comes to choosing a pumpkin, it generally boils down to a matter of personal preference, said Coy Barton III, whose family operates the pumpkin patch next to New River Methodist Church on SR 54, just outside Zephyrhills.
“Some people like a perfect short, perfectly round one. Some people come in here asking for the ugliest pumpkins. Some people like the tall, skinny ones.

“Some people know what they’re going to carve already, in advance, so they want a certain shape.
“That’s why I like to get a good mixture,” said Barton, whose pumpkins come from Ohio, sell for 50 cents a pound and range from 5-200 pounds. The stand sells Magic Lanterns, Ghost Riders, Pie Pumpkins and Big Macs.
Besides picking up pumpkins at the patch, patrons also can buy hale bales, corn stalks and decorated scarecrows. There are also cutouts of Halloween decorations, where people can take pictures of children and adults.
At Harvester United Methodist Church, 2432 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes, pumpkins do more than raise money. They help the church reach out.
The church recently had a Playtime in the Patch, where pre-schoolers were having a ball playing games, doing crafts and having their faces painted.
The church also hosted a free fall festival for families.
The pumpkin patch, which the church has operated for several years, is popular, said Pastor Sam Maihack. “We’ve already been branded as the pumpkin church.”
The pumpkins, which come from North Carolina, sell for 50 cents for the teeny tiny ones to $20 for the super-large ones. Proceeds support the church’s youth ministry and missions.
The Seal Swim School, at 19509 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz, also uses its pumpkin patch to reach out to the community.
It has a family fun festival every Friday night in October, where kids can pose with pumpkins, jump around in the bounce house, paint pumpkins and get their faces painted.
The swim school generally sells 3,000 to 4,000 pumpkins a year, but no purchase is necessary to join in the fun.
The school takes great pride in the quality of its pumpkins.
“All of our pumpkins are kept shaded. We wash them. We turn them. We really baby our pumpkins,” said Melanie Stairs, marketing director of the swim school.

“Dirty pumpkins don’t sell,” added Erin Grande, the school’s director.
The Friday night festivals are fun, said Laura Sutton, a customer service representative for the school.
“The kids come and they have their costumes on. They’re just so cute and happy.”
While there are full-fledged pumpkin patches in some locations, other places merely offer pumpkins as a sideline – as a convenience to their patrons, or to draw attention to themselves.
Community Thrift Shop, at 21021 SR 54 in Lutz, decided to let a vendor sell pumpkins in front of the shop, after some customers mentioned it would be nice to have a pumpkin patch there, said Caroline Werter, a thrift shop volunteer.
Besides offering a convenience for its customers, the thrift shop also will receive 25 percent of the vendor’s proceeds, which will be donated to charities.
At Plant Stop, 3904 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. in Land O’ Lakes, a small pumpkin patch is intended to draw attention to the relatively new business, said Pat Onorato, the store’s owner. The shop has also used a special weapon to advertise the patch: “My little grandson Gunner (Onorato) was out there in front, pointing at the sign,” he said.
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By Kyle LoJacono

What started as just a couple bumps on Jacob Leuthold’s head turned into a seven-month search for answers.
“We went to seven doctors in that time and each thought it was something else,” said Jacob’s mother, Susan. “None of the treatments or shampoos did anything. Finally we found out he had psoriasis and we got him the treatment he needed.”
The main problem with the diagnosis is psoriasis, which has no cure, is very uncommon in children. Most people do not see signs until turning 15, but Jacob saw the bumps at 9.

The condition is the most common autoimmune disease in the United States, according to Catie Coman, spokeswoman for the nonprofit National Psoriasis Foundation. There are about 69,000 people with the condition in the Tampa Bay area and 7.5 million in the country.
Jacob, 13, said he wanted to do something to help fight the disease. He and his mother looked around and found several walks to raise money for psoriasis research and awareness, but none were near their Odessa home.
“A doctor told us about the foundation and we wrote them asking if we could start a walk in the area and they said several people had asked them the same question,” Susan said. “When it got started they asked if Jacob could be the youth ambassador at the walk. I’m really excited about that.”
The walk starts at 9 a.m. Nov. 6 at Ballast Point Park, 5300 Interbay Blvd. in Tampa. Interested walkers can do either a 1K (1 kilometer or 0.6 miles) or 5K (3.1 miles). It is free to participate, but donations are accepted for the foundation.
The main symptoms of psoriasis are very painful and itchy bumps and blotches on the skin caused by the body’s immune system attacking itself. It can also cause large red areas, cracks in the skin, bleeding and scabs.
Jacob said his biggest problem is the constant itching.
“It’s really annoying,” Jacob said. “It’s bad all day long and doesn’t get any better. It’s hard to focus on school when I’m always itching.”
The outbreaks are mainly on Jacob’s head, but it used to be all across his skin. He had severe psoriasis, which means 10 percent or more of his body was covered. His condition is now considered mild, which means less than 2 percent is covered.
“We use a couple of topical medications,” Susan said. “We also have to make sure he doesn’t get too much sun because sunburns make it worse … We switched to basically organic milk and meat and that seems to have helped. He also has a pro-biotic drink that doctors have told us helps reduce the coverage.”
Outbreaks represent more than short-term discomfort. Coman said the more severe the case, the more likely it is for people to develop long-term health problems like heart disease, type II diabetes and liver disease.
Psoriasis is genetically based, but is set off by something in the environment, according to Coman. No one else in Jacob’s family has it.
One problem those with psoriasis have is people think it is contagious.
“It isn’t contagious in any way,” Coman said. “Almost everyone with it has a story about being asked to leave a public pool because people think it’s contagious. That also makes it hard to make friends.”
One advantage Jacob has is he and a lot of his friends had a third-grade teacher named Linda Goode at McKitrick Elementary in Lutz who also has psoriasis.
“That made things easier when we first told Jacob he had it,” Susan said. “He said that’s what Ms. Goode has. All his friends know what it is and it isn’t a problem for him.”
Goode still teaches at McKitrick; Jacob currently attends Martinez Middle.
Jacob’s goal is to raise $500 in donations at the walk and he is currently at just more than $200. The overall goal in Tampa is $35,000, of which nearly $5,000 has been collected. Anyone interested in signing up for the walk or donating should visit walk.psoriasis.org, click “find a walk near you” and select Tampa.
Coman said the walks fund research while letting those with the condition know they are not alone.
Jacob said he wants as many people to show up even if they do not have psoriasis.
“I think it will help them understand it better,” Jacob said. “It will show them there are a lot of people with psoriasis and we are like anyone else. That’s why I wanted to be a part of this so I can do something to fight psoriasis and let people know more about it.”

Jacob’s psoriasis walk
What: 1K or 5K walk
When: Nov. 6 at 9 a.m.
Where: Ballast Point Park, 5300 Interbay Blvd. in Tampa
Charge: Free, donations accepted
To signup: walk.psoriasis.org
Website: www.psoriasis.org

By B.C. Manion

Diane Watta’s mind was reeling as she scoped out the ReStore store in Zephyrhills.
“The ideas are going through my mind like you wouldn’t believe,” said the 70-year-old woman, who was at the store browsing because she plans to undertake a few home improvement projects.

John Sparling, also of Zephyrhills, said he frequently shops at the store, which opened on Oct. 1.
“There’s always something you can use,” said Sparling. “We live in a trailer. There’s always something you have to fix and this is the place to come to get it. Every time I come in here, I get what I want.”
Sparling is familiar with the store, operated by Habitat for Humanity of East and Central Pasco, because the organization has a similar store in Dade City, where Sparling has shopped.
The Zephyrhills store is a 15,000-square-foot space at 4700 S. Allen Road.
It is next to a bunch of mini-warehouses, which is advantageous, said Niki Trapnell, the ReStore store manager. People who cannot fit everything into their mini-warehouse, or who don’t want to cart off all of their stuff can conveniently donate it to ReStore, Trapnell said.
The inventory at her store is constantly changing – as donations come through the door and as customers carry out their purchases.
The donations are always a surprise, Trapnell said. “It’s like Christmas every day at the ReStore store, you never know what you are going to open up in the box.”
During a recent visit, there were doorknobs, desks, file cabinets, bathtubs, vanities, a smoker, a grill, a portable AC, upholstered chairs, patio furniture, mirrors, lighting, laminate flooring, mattresses, mop heads and faucets.
There was even a kitchen sink.
There are deals to be had.
“Our prices are generally 50 to 70 percent off of retail,” Trapnell said.
But some items were a real steal: golf clubs and bags of hardware for a buck; a Danish end table for 10 bucks.
Ceiling fans typically go for between $5 and $50, depending on the type and condition, while weed whackers range from $5 to $60.
The store accepts just about any donation, Trapnell said. If people want to give clothing, they’ll regift it to another charitable cause, she said. The store also recycles metals, paper, cardboard and aluminum cans.
“Our whole concept is to reduce what goes into the landfill and have people reuse it, or repurpose it,” Trapnell said.
Profits generated by the store go into the Habitat for Humanity’s mission to eliminate poverty housing in Pasco County and to give families a decent, affordable place to live, Trapnell said.
Judi Fisher, a volunteer from Land O’ Lakes, is pitching in at the shop to help a family earn 400 hours they need for a Habitat for Humanity house. Their house was destroyed by fire because of a faulty ceiling fan.
The 43-year-old said she helps because she has “a servant’s heart.”
Bert Reil, another volunteer, has been helping Habitat for Humanity for 10 years.
“I helped on 44 houses,” the Zephyrhills woman said.  “I enjoy seeing houses go up. We were custom builders.”
Like most businesses, the ReStore store has felt an impact from the recession, but not to a great degree.
The poor economy has caused more people to look for good deals, Trapnell said. But the store can’t stock enough used appliances to meet the demand, she said.
“People who were upgrading their appliances before, when their appliances were still usable, are hanging onto them.”
To volunteer at the store or to make a donation call (813) 395-6994.