Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By B.C. Manion

Choosing a Christmas tree is pretty simple, right?
Well, that depends.
Do you want a Frasier fir or a Douglas fir? A blue spruce or a Scotch pine. Maybe you’re in the market for a white pine.
So, what’s the difference?

Matt Marsh, who works at a tree lot on SR 54, just west of Collier Parkway in Land O’Lakes, said “the best-selling tree” on his lot is a Frasier fir. People tend to like the shape of the tree and they have nice branches upon which to hang ornaments, he said.
Douglas firs are bushier and have a nice fragrance, he said.
Blue spruces have a nice shape, but sharp needles.
And Scotch pines are quite durable, but have very little scent, Marsh said.
In the end, it’s generally boils down to customer preference and the space they need to fill, Marsh said.
“Some people want a real skinny tree,” Marsh said, while others prefer plump trees.
Super large trees typically find a home at a church or hotel or other place that needs to fill a big space, he said.
Prices can vary, too.
At his lot, the Scotch pines sell in the $30 range, while the other trees generally go for about $10 a foot. However, Marsh noted, prices are negotiable.
Christmas tree lots were just beginning to pop up around northern Hillsborough and Central Pasco last week. No lots were easily visible from the main roads in Zephyrhills, and just one stand was going up on SR 54 near Interstate 75 in Wesley Chapel.
A lot had been set up at Gaither High and also at the Seal Swim School on North Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz. Another lot was operating on North Florida Avenue, just north of Bearss Avenue.
Sales for fresh trees usually peak around Thanksgiving and continue at a good clip for the next couple of weeks, Marsh said.
The trees are trucked in from Michigan and new shipments will come throughout the season to replenish the supply.
When the trees arrive, they often still have snow on their branches, Marsh said.
“Some have birds’ nests in them.”

For the glance box, perhaps we could imbed it into the tree lot photo? Just a thought…

Tree lot
A look at a tree lot before the rush begins to find that perfect tree.

Tips for choosing a fresh Christmas tree
The rush is on to find that perfect Christmas tree – a time-old tradition for many families, churches and businesses. If you’re in the market for a fresh tree, these tips from the National Christmas Tree Association may come in handy:
–    Be sure you know what size (height and width) you need before heading to the retail lot.
–   If you want to learn about the species of trees that are popular in your area, browse the National Christmas Tree Association’s website, www.realchristmastrees.org before heading to the retail lot.
–    Go to a retail lot that is well-lit and stores trees in a shaded area.
–    Ask the retailer when he or she gets his or her trees. Are they delivered at the beginning of the season, or do they come in several shipments throughout the season?
–    Look for indicators of dryness or deterioration such as excessive needle loss, musty odor, discolored foliage or wrinkled bark. A good rule of thumb: If you’re not sure a tree is fresh, choose another one. If none of the trees on the lot look fresh, go shopping elsewhere.
Maintenance and safety tips
–    Get a fresh cut on the trunk of the tree before leaving the tree lot. A fresh cut will help the tree absorb water
–    Put your tree in a sturdy stand to keep it from toppling over. Fill the base with water and replenish it frequently.
–    Use a tree skirt to help make it easier to clean up the needles that drop from the tree.
–    Use only indoor lights on the tree. To prevent potential fires, check for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. If a light string is damaged, don’t use it. Avoid overloading extension cords.
–    Turn off tree lights and decorations when you go to bed or leave the house.
Sources: The National Christmas Tree Association, the University of Florida/Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences and the National Safety Council

Three state studies focus on Pasco, northern Hillsborough

By Kyle LoJacono

Rail systems have come to dominate the conversation for public transportation in recent months, but that is not the only way to increase movement in Pasco and northern Hillsborough counties.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is currently funding three studies on transportation corridors in conjunction with the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA). The affected roads include:
–SR 54/56
–Veterans Expressway/Suncoast Parkway
–Bruce B. Downs Boulevard
The SR 54/56 corridor study began last December and is scheduled to take two years. Elba Lopez, FDOT’s public transit/intermodal administrator for the area, said the goal is to decide if the 30 miles between Wesley Chapel and New Port Richey would benefit from managed traffic lanes for express bus travel.
“Managed lanes just means lanes devoted to buses and could also be used for carpoolers,” Lopez said. “That allows the buses to get through during peak levels of traffic and so they don’t slow down traffic either. There isn’t a set number of stops or anything like that yet. That corridor was identified as one of the priority one areas by the Regional Transportation Master Plan.”
Lopez said some of the reasons the area has been designated as priority one is the number of people that travel the corridor and the potential for growth in the coming years.
The boundaries for the project are Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, also known as CR 581, to US 19. The study is being done by RS&H at a cost of $500,000.
At this point, about 18 alternative plans have been proposed for the corridor. Once the more realistic ones are identified, FDOT will discuss them with the various stakeholders and the public.
In another study, the more than 100 miles of the Veterans Expressway/Suncoast Parkway from Tampa to Inverness in Citrus County is also being looked at for an express bus route with managed lanes. That study, which comes in at a price of $530,000, started very recently and is many months from completion, according to Lopez.
The last and most expensive study involves Bruce B. Downs from SR 54 in Wesley Chapel south to the University of South Florida, a stretch of about 50 miles. This project has more than just buses as a potential conclusion.
“That’s looking at bringing possible short-distance rail,” Lopez said. “It’s just conceptualizing it at this point. It’s not like tomorrow we’ll be putting down rails or anything like that, but it’s looking at the possibility.”
That rail study is only two months in and comes in at a $1.7 million price tag.
Stops along a future rail route are also not set, but stops in the area could include the Grove at Wesley Chapel, The Shops at Wiregrass and University Community Hospital.
FDOT spokeswoman Kris Carson said the public will be able to voice their opinions and get more information on the future of these corridors at later public meetings.
Information on these three studies or anything else related to the master plan is available on the TBARTA website, www.tbarta.com. The public can give their opinions and concerns there as well.

By B.C. Manion

A wrap-around porch and the sweet smell of barbecue smoke invite passersby on SR 52 to take a brief detour and grab a bite to eat at On Q Smokehouse Grill.

Linda Bailey, who lives between St. Leo and Dade City, has been enjoying the foods prepared by Willie Flott ever since he set up his mobile business on the vacant lot next to the wood-frame house in St. Leo about a year ago.
Flott set up the temporary shop to get to know the community and to find out whether there was a demand for the kind of food he serves, which is primarily, but not exclusively, barbecue.
When Flott found the community was receptive to his offerings, he decided to rent the house at 33030 SR 52 and do some renovations to get it ready for his business.
Bailey is glad Flott decided to settle in.
“I was one of his first customers,” Bailey said. She enjoys his barbecue chicken, his greens, his catfish and pork tenderloin – but she’s simply wild about his fried green tomatoes.
“I really haven’t had them like this since my mom made them for me when I was a girl,” Bailey said. “That was a long time ago.”
Paul Brenot and Marcia Stone shared a meal there recently, when one of the specials that day was a Fried Green Tomato BLT.
Stone said she enjoyed the fried green tomatoes and found the bacon to be smoky and meaty. Brenot reveled in the restaurant’s atmosphere.
“I love sitting outside here,” he said. “The weather we’re having right now is exquisite.”
Flott said he built the porch on the restaurant and reconfigured some spaces inside before he moved his business into the house.
“I personally thought the porch was my biggest selling point,” Flott said. He thinks it creates a welcoming ambience and lures patrons — especially when the building is lit after dark.
Flott said he prepares his barbecue by rubbing a mixture of spices onto the meats and cooking them over charcoal on custom-built championship smokers.
“We don’t put any sauces on anything. We want the customer to taste the flavor of the meat,” he said.
Customers can choose from a variety of sauces, including one concocted by Flott. The sauce, which has a mustard base, is also available by the bottle.
The menu includes sandwiches and burgers, salads, appetizers, platters, kids’ meals, beer, wine, coffee, tea and soda.
Besides fried green tomatoes, appetizers include asparagus fries, corn nuggets, fried pickles, fried mushrooms and chicken wings.
The restaurant also sells bulk items and offers catering.
Flott said he can handle parties of any size and has catered funerals, church picnics and other gatherings.
The name of the restaurant is a play on the phrase, “on cue,” which is how Flott wants to serve up his food — prepared properly and served right on time to satisfy his customers.
The restaurant is open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
For more information about On Q, call (352) 668-4821 or visit www.onqsmokehousegrill.com.

By B.C. Manion

New River Township, a development on SR 54 in Wesley Chapel which came to a virtual standstill during the housing crisis, is now getting a jumpstart thanks to a deal involving $20 million in community district development bonds.
The bond deal took about two years to consummate, according to a news release from the Avalon Park Group, the project’s developer.

“The bond restructuring took time because it was complicated,” said Eric Marks, senior vice president at Avalon Park Group. That deal, coupled with homebuilder interest, is revitalizing the project, he said.
“Now you’ve got bonds that are appropriately sized for the market,” Marks said.
“We have a lot of builder interest,” Marks said, noting talks have been ongoing with local and national homebuilders. He expects to be able to announce the names of homebuilders soon.
Marks said he’s aware that the housing market remains challenging, but he said the houses will be competitively priced. He’s also optimistic that the new activity is beginning at a time when the housing market is beginning to recover.
Development of 365 lots and a clubhouse with pool have been completed for the new phase. Only four homes currently stand in that phase of the neighborhood.
There also are plans to construct a town center containing more than 700,000 square feet of retail, civic and commercial space.
When the entire project is done, the 1,800-acre New River development will include more than 4,800 residential units, with a mix of single-family and multi-family housing, as well as a town center.
The development plan includes more than 600 acres of natural preservation, walking and biking paths and man-made lakes, according to a company news release.
A community development district assesses taxes on property owners to pay for common infrastructure expenses such as roads and utilities.

By Molly McGowan

Shrieks of excitement and the patter of eager feet filled the hallways of area schools as teachers led their young students to different speakers and activities last Thursday.
Nov. 18 marked the annual Great American Teach-In, a day during which a wide range of professionals bring their careers to the classroom and share different employment opportunities with students.

At McKitrick Elementary School in Lutz, students began a day early with a visiting armored truck on Wednesday, followed by a Drug Enforcement Administration truck on Thursday. Agents from the Tampa District DEA explained that the truck is used for support in dismantling clandestine labs and showed the children the truck’s first aid equipment, air pressure hoses and shower, as well as their entry equipment, tactical vests and helmets.
The rest of the school was buzzing with different activities, as well. Nearby, soccer player Rafael Giraldo taught Cheri Gamm’s and Liisa DiTarando’s kindergarten classes the basics of the game and set up a scrimmage, while fifth-grader Abby Sutch directed speakers to the correct classrooms. Her favorite speaker was a dentist who had her class smell and eat different things to demonstrate how scent changes the taste of food.
Guidance Counselor Kelly Goforth said her favorite memories of the days’ events came whenever the children become inquisitive. “The kids were … asking questions you and I wouldn’t think of,” Goforth said. “They’re so outside the box.”
Students at Denham Oaks Elementary also stayed active, particularly a group of kindergarteners and first-graders who got their own personal trainers for a day.
Biko Claxton, Denny Locascio and Daniel Peterson from Sports and Field athletic club shared tips for eating healthy then took the children outside for some exercise. The students, who collectively named themselves “Team Alakazam,” competed in relays followed by a few sets of pushups.
“C’mon, let’s see your speed,” encouraged Peterson, while the children ran sprints.
Ready for a rest, the students filed back into a classroom for a visit with Deputy Tobias Smith, who has been working at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for the past 16 years.
Smith listed his history working in a jail, on patrol and on special projects, and explained some of the training and other requirements necessary to become an officer.
Good driving records and college degrees seemed to be too distant to Smith’s young audience whose attention was immediately drawn to his gun. Smith explained that his gun was just one part of his uniform and proceeded to point out the details on what he was wearing. And the instant the shiny, silver handcuffs came out, Smith had won the crowd.
At Lutz Elementary, students were similarly intrigued by what Dan Harrison was holding. Visiting from Tampa Guitar, Harrison was showing a fourth grade class the basics of playing guitar. He began by asking the students a few questions, and was impressed when many knew the difference between acoustic and electric guitars.
Harrison showed them what “fretting a note” was, then let his fingers slither across the fret board to show that chords were “a bunch of different pitches being put together.” With a few more examples and instructions on how to hold a pick, fourth-grader John Anthony Perrone got to strum a few chords on the guitar before Harrison continued his lesson, showing the children just what 10 years of dedication to a craft can create.
A little further away at New River Elementary School, members of the Wesley Chapel Athletic Association were outside showing kindergarteners, first- and second-graders the basics of lacrosse outside, while inside a cosmetologist from a JCPenney Salon shocked students with the news that they each had 100,000 hairs on their head.
At Double Branch Elementary School, the horses of Pasco County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse towered above enraptured second- and third-graders, who learned that the most important jobs of the horses and their riders are search and rescue missions.
Pre-K students at Chester W. Taylor Elementary School learned that horses come in smaller sizes, too. Bakas Horses for Handicapped brought miniature horse Buddy to the school to teach children the proper way to care for a horse, and to show that regardless of size, horses can be therapeutic.
With a multitude of speakers visiting different schools in Hillsborough and Pasco counties on Thursday, and with such a variety of classes and grades within every school, each student participating in the Great American Teach In was sure to have an individual experience unlike any other child’s. But regardless of whether they saw a miniature horse or a draft horse, ran relays or played lacrosse, every child learned something on Thursday. They learned that everyone is good at something. That thousands of career possibilities exist.  And that they can be — and do — anything.

By Kyle LoJacono

Last spring, Sickles High student Jonathon Bermudez was running with a new track teammate, Abdin Fator, when he noticed the freshman had large holes in his shoes. What he did next helped earn him a nomination.

Bermudez took Fator to a local sporting goods store and bought him new running shoes with his birthday money.
“I had just turned 17 and had some money from that,” said Bermudez, a senior. “I’ve always valued personal enjoyment over money, so it wasn’t a big deal. I didn’t even think about it much because I knew it was the right thing. People save money all their life and then can’t spend it.”
Fator, 16 and a sophomore, is a young man of few words, but said he was very grateful for what Bermudez did for him.
“It’s nice to have shoes without holes,” Fator said. He then added, “I didn’t know a lot of the other runners and over the season we kind of developed that running bond. I started just running track and he kept bugging me to join cross country. I said I’d give it a try, but my old shoes wouldn’t last running a 5K (five kilometers), so he took me to get the shoes.”
Fator was born in the war-torn Sudan and moved to the United States in 2003. Before coming here, his father moved to Egypt to raise money to move them to this country.
Bermudez continued to help Fator during the summer. He would drive his younger teammate to cross country practice because he did not have a ride. Then when Fator had no way to get to his physical required to run for the Gryphons, Bermudez stepped in and again chauffeured him.
“He took Abdin under his wing like he was his little brother,” said Sickles boys cross country coach Gail Bottone, who nominated Bermudez for the award. “Now Abdin is one of the top-three runners on the team up there with Jonathon. It’s amazing because Abdin might get a scholarship to go to college because Jonathon helped him.”
Bottone, the Sickles guidance department head, said Jonathon’s actions have helped renew her faith in teenagers.
“I got goosebumps when I first heard about what he did,” Bottone said. “I couldn’t believe a teenager could be so selfless. He didn’t do it for the notoriety. When he first heard about it he said he didn’t know because of the attention. He just did it because he knew it was the right thing.”
Fator has continued to be surprised by Bermudez’s generosity.
“I keep thinking why would someone do so much for me,” Fator said.
“I don’t really think I did anything special,” Bermudez said. “I saw a teammate that needed some help and I gave it to him. I just hope other kids who hear about this will do the same thing the next time they see someone who needs some help.”

Colton Shepard’s actions save family
It was a good thing Colton Shepard decided to wear is brother’s combat boots June 16 because without them, he might not have been able to rescue a mother and child from a burning car.
The Gaither High senior was walking home from a friend’s house when he saw the aftermath of a car accident near the intersection of Dale Mabry and North Lakeview Drive, just south of Lutz. Despite the vehicle being on fire and the real possibility of it exploding, Colton jumped into action.
“I ran across the road and kicked through the windshield, which was already cracked,” Colton said. “Then I took off my shirt and used it to clear the glass from the opening so I could get the mother and kid out without hurting them or hurting myself.”
Colton, 17, does not know the people he saved. He believes the child to be 5 or 6-years-old.
“They didn’t really say anything to me because I think they were in shock,” Colton said.
Colton stayed with the family until paramedics arrived. When he saw they were being treated by rescuers, he left instead of staying for potential adoration.
“I knew they were OK so I just walked home,” Colton said. He then added jokingly, “I still had to get home and I didn’t think they’d be able to take me home on the way to the hospital.”
When he got to his house, Colton told his mother Kathy what happened.
“I can’t tell you my exact words, I was very surprised,” Kathy said. “We went to the fire station and they told me the same thing he said.”
Colton attributes his quick actions to what he has learned in Gaither’s JROTC program. Besides acting fast, he told others on the scene not to throw water on the fire because of all the gas and oil.
“That also comes from working at McDonald’s,” Colton said. “A fire like that, water just spreads it around.”
Kathy sent a letter to Colton’s JROTC instructors, Senior Chief Edward Donohue and Capt. Sreten Zivovic, along with Gaither principal Marie Whelan. The letter thanked them for helping teach Colton to do the right thing and also to tell them what he had done. After learning about what he did, his instructors nominated Colton.
Colton said he wants to join the military after graduating. His older brother, James, served four years in the Middle East, following in the footsteps of Kathy (20 years in the armed forces) and Colton’s grandfather, James, who served four years.
Colton is currently the commanding officer of Gaither’s JROTC athletic team and also the executive officer of the academic team.
“JROTC is all about working as a team,” Colton said. “When I saw that car on fire I felt like that was a member of my team in trouble. I just acted the way I’ve been taught.”