Special to The Laker/Lutz News

LAND O’ LAKES —More homes for low income families are expected to be built in the Land O’ Lakes area as a result of a pending merger between the Central Pasco and East Pasco chapters of Habitat for Humanity.

In the past 10 years, the all-volunteer Central Pasco Habitat has built four homes compared to 73 completed by the East Pasco Habitat, which has eight employees and two VISTA volunteers.

“We expect to accelerate home construction in central Pasco to two or three homes a year,” said John Finnerty, president of the East Pasco organization. “It’s gotten to be a lot more difficult to get grant monies, and by combining our resources we will be able to build more homes.”

On Jan. 16, the Central Pasco group dedicated its fourth home, built for Jasson and Ashlie Neeley and their three young sons — identical 3-year-old twins Christian and Cayden, and 6-month-old Gabrielle. The 1,400 square foot home in Pasco Lakes Estates has a wide front porch, three bedrooms and a bath. The subdivision is located in north Land O’ Lakes on US 41, about five miles north of SR 52.

“We moved in on Dec. 19, which was Jasson’s birthday and just in time for Christmas,” Ashlie said.

Work began on the family’s home 18 months earlier, when they were still a family of four. Jasson, who works at All Phase Electric in Tampa, did much of the work with the help of Habitat volunteers.

Next door to the Neeley home, another Habitat home is being built by the Central Pasco group. Board member Gary Williams said the selection committee is currently reviewing applications to choose a family for the group’s fifth home.

“The board is really proud of what we’ve done and the merger steps up and allows us to build more homes,” Williams said.

The merger of the two local Habitat chapters is expected to be formally approved by the national Habitat for Humanity organization in March, Finnerty said.

The merged organization will be called Habitat for Humanity of East Central Pasco. Three members from the current Central Pasco board —Danny Coleman, Randy Gailit and John Westfall — will be appointed to a combined 22-member board.  Central Pasco will continue to be represented by a 12-member advisory group made up of current board members and new volunteers.

Finnerty said the two chapters have been working on the merger for six months. They are currently searching for a location in the Land O’ Lakes area to open a Habitat Restore to accept donations of new appliances and building materials. If donated items are not needed in a local Habitat home, they are sold at Habitat’s Restore at significant discounts to the public. The store is just one project made possible by the merger.

Laziness comes in handy for Land O’ Lakes teenager

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

LAND O’ LAKES — At just 16-years-old, Hunter Morera already has his first patent pending invention, and he can thank it all to unusual inspiration.

“I have to say I’m lazy,” Morera said. “So to try and do as little work as possible I try and think of ways to make things easier.”

Morera, who lives on the Pasco County side of Lutz and goes to Sunlake High, won a national invention search last November. Morera was one of six people who earned a spot on season two of the Discovery Channel show “Pitchmen.” He will appear with his invention, the “Select-A-Wrench.”

Morera came up with his invention while trying to save time looking for tools. He and his father, Eddie, were using a tree trimmer when they realized it had some loose bolts. After several unsuccessful trips for the right wrench, Morera had a brainstorm.

“I said this is just stupid,” Morera said. “There has to be an easier way to find the right tool than to run back and forth.”

The Select-A-Wrench is an open-ended tool with multiple wrenches that fold down to fit in the palm of someone’s hand like a pocketknife.

Morera and his invention were featured at the Museum of Science and Industry’s Kid’s Invention Day Jan. 17. The young inventor has volunteered at various MOSI stations each Saturday for the last two years.

“We decided to have the day because Hunter has volunteered here for years and we wanted to honor him on National Kid Inventor Day while teaching other children more about science and invention,” said Cathy Crowder, MOSI spokesperson. “He could be what inspires hundreds of other inventions by kids.

Morera easily impressed Crowder.

“I’ve met Hunter a few times and everyone here loves him,” she said. “He is always on time when he’s volunteering and he’s a great ambassador for MOSI.”

There was more than just the usual MOSI crowd in attendance to see Morera. Anthony Sullivan and Sullivan Productions were also there filming for season two of “Pitchmen.”

Morera said of the film crew coming to the event, “When they said there’d be cameras, I was like ‘I don’t like cameras. No cameras please.’ But it wasn’t really that bad.”

On Jan. 16, Sullivan Productions also allowed other young inventors to bring their own inventions and best sales pitches. This children “pitch-a-thon” may be used during season two of the show.

“It’s great because it’s giving kids a chance to show their ingenuity,” said Sarah Burns, assistant producer for “Pitchmen.”

Morera is the youngest person ever on the show. A 17-year-old named Kyle from California was on the first season.

“Kyle from season one e-mailed me when he learned I’d be on the show,” Morera said. “He told me he was glad they picked another kid to be on the show.”

One-on-one filming with Morera for the show has not started yet and not even the local star knows when it will.

“I’ve learned that working with a film company is really crazy and all over the place,” Morera said. “One day they call you like 10 times and then I you don’t hear from them for weeks. I say that everything is always ‘hurry up and wait’ because things have to always be fast even though nothing is really planned.”

Thing might be crazy with filming, but Morera is still coming up with ideas in the interim.

“I was thinking I might want to do something with Q-tips because I can never grab just one,” Morera said. “I thought of trying to do something with a Q-tip dispenser a few days after the competition because I always grab like 20.”

Morera said someone at the competition last November had an invention involving Q-tips.

“Maybe it is something I can work on over the summer,” Morera said. “Maybe I can get on season three (of “Pitchmen”) with this one. I don’t know if there is going to be a third season, but that would be really cool.”

By Suzanne Schmidt

LAND O’ LAKES—For two years, Sarapage Bauguss has been growing her home-based business, Baby Girl Products.

It all started when Bauguss became a stay-at-home mom to Brinly, 4, and Bradyn, 2. She said she used to clean up all the time because she thought that was the way to keep her daughters safe and healthy.

After seeing all the safety recalls for the toys because they had lead, she decided to do some research on all the other things she thought were safe including cleaners. What she discovered made her decide to not only change her ways, but to also help others out there who were just like her.

“When I was doing research, I could not find anything that was 100 percent safe enough,” Bauguss said. “The chemicals in cleaners have been lab tested and have been found to cause the growth of cancer cells and cause reproductive difficulties. There is also the presence of neurotoxins which have been found to cause brain abnormalities.”

The Baby Girl products are certified organic with ingredients like vinegar, organic essential oils, olive oil and lemon juice. All of the products are non-toxic and some are even safe enough to eat like the wood polish and the glass cleaner.

“Most of my products use vinegar because it is a natural disinfectant,” Bauguss said. “I don’t like it to smell like vinegar so I use organic essential oils that I saponified, which means I turned them into soap.”

In order to reach more people, Bauguss has been attending moms groups and community events. She said she originally started creating Baby Girl products to educate people, but now that her business is growing she is excited.

“Educating is my main thing,” Bauguss said. “I never thought I would make a profit.”

Through word-of-mouth, Bauguss has been able to grow her business. She started out just mixing the cleaners in her kitchen and selling them on-line. She now has 14 stores carrying her products as well as four women working for her.

“I have been going to events and speaking at Mom’s groups,” Bauguss said. “I have been talking to a lot of people who were just like me. There are a lot of people who just don’t have that awareness. The main way my business has grown is just because when people buy my products, they get so excited they want to tell everybody.”

Through her Web site, Bauguss distributes a newsletter every month where she gives helpful cleaning tips like using her glass cleaner for flat stove tops or using cooking oil spray to clean stainless steel. She said it is important to her to help others and most importantly her family.

“If there is anything in my life I can do to protect me or my family from having cancer, then I will do it,” Bauguss said. “I figure if a product is safer and works just as well, then why not use it.”

Jennifer Agustines, a stay-at-home Mom in Tampa, said when she met Bauguss recently, she changed her life. Agustines said she loves Baby Girl products and uses them all the time instead of traditional cleaners.

“I used to have a germ phobia,” Agustines said. “I was actually a bit of a bleach-aholic because I thought it was good to be clean and sanitized. I didn’t pay too much attention to what I used to clean, but then I met Bauguss at a mom’s event. I like that the Baby Girl products clean really well and they don’t smell bad.”

The next event Bauguss will be attending will be the Smart Baby Expo at the Quorum Hotel, 700 N. Westshore Blvd., Jan. 31 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit babygirlproducts.com.

Carol Morsani earns Women of Distinction award

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

LUTZ — Those who have been to Carol Morsani Hall at the David A. Starz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, formally the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, probably don’t wonder too much about who the hall is named after.

Carol Morsani has lived in Lutz for the last 20 years and was recently named one of four winners of the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida’s 2010 Women of Distinction award.

“I was kind of surprised when I heard I won the award from the local girl scout council because I haven’t been really involved with scouts for years,” Morsani said. “I had two girls, Tulsa and Suzanne, who where in Girl Scouts, but that was in New Jersey a long time ago. I guess you could say I was shocked and honored all at once.”

The hall was renamed after Morsani in 1996 when she and her husband, Frank, donated $5 million to the center through the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay. It was the largest single donation given to the center at its time. The 2,610-seat hall was previously named the Festival Hall.

The two have established the Frank and Carol Morsani Foundation Inc., which donates money to several causes in the Tampa Bay area.

“My husband and I have done very well over the years and we want to try and give back as much as possible,” Morsani said. “We just love the whole Tampa Bay area and want to make it a better place for everyone.”

Frank owned several automobile dealerships while Morsani raised their family.

There are four recipients of the award each year presented by the GSWCF, which is the governing body for all Girl Scout troops in Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, Hernando, Sumter, Citrus and Marion counties.

“Nominations from the community are accepted all year, however a special call for nominations is posted on our Web site (www.gswcf.org) each fall,” said Lora Hulse, Women of Distinction Selection Committee chairwoman. “A selection committee of three volunteers reviews all nominations and ranks them.”

To be eligible, a woman must show community philanthropy, be a positive role model for girls and make the community a better place according to GSWCF. Nominees must also live within GSWCF boundaries.

Winners will attend a luncheon on March 23 at La Carte Event Pavilion in Tampa, where they will receive a pin designed by Tampa Bay area artist Karen Arch.

“Since 1992, more than 230 women have been honored with the designation of a Woman of Distinction by GSWCF,” Hulse said. “Each of these honored women has contributed extensively to the communities they live in and served as outstanding role models for girls.”

Other award winners this year included Maruchi Blanco, of Tampa, Susan Churuti, of St. Petersburg, and Seretha Tinsley, of Winter Haven.

Morsani’s giving does not stop with the performing arts. She has also helped the University of South Florida.

“Carol and Frank Morsani have established a legacy of making their community a better place,” states the USF Web site. “In addition to their leadership gift, which created the Carol and Frank Morsani Center for Advanced Health Care, the Morsanis’ generosity has created the Robert L. Anderson professorship at the College of Business Administration, and a women’s softball stadium and a football practice complex.”

Frank has been quoted in past years as saying, “It doesn’t matter if you’re donating $10 or $10 million. It’s the act of supporting your community that’s meaningful and priceless.”

Morsani has also made contributions in Pasco County by giving to the Gulfside Regional Hospice in Dade City.

“Those people with the hospice are great and give needed support to families struggling with their health,” Morsani said. “They are nonprofits, so they can use all the help they can get.”

While Morsani is no longer active in Girl Scouts, she has not ruled out helping them in the future.

“I stopped being involved in Girls Scouts because my girls were all grown up and I didn’t think I could keep up with the kids anymore,” Morsani said jokingly. “But if the scouts told me they could use some help I would do what I can. Girl Scouts is great (help) for young women to become better adults.”

Businesses partner to host family friendly event

By Sarah Whitman

Senior staff writer

LUTZ — The Hound’s Meow, Careme’s Market and Java Tinto have partnered to host “Pirates, Pups and Pastries,” a day of food and fun from noon to 4 p.m. Jan. 23 at Lake Chapman Plaza in Lutz. There will be a raffle, free food, games and free beads in the spirit of Gasparilla.

Business owners hope the event will attract people of all ages from Lutz to Tampa.

“We’re hoping people will stop by, have fun and see what’s great about our businesses, ” said Hound’s Meow owner Sarah Harrison.

Careme’s owner Bill Wiener is excited to cook up delicious treats for people to try. The restaurant will be open for lunch while free samples are handed out outside.

“We’ll have cheesecake and carrot cake for everyone to taste,” he said. “We’re also going to have a wine tasting.”

Java Tinto, which adjoins to Drytech cleaners, will provide the coffee.

“We’ll have samples of our latest flavors,” said assistant manger Rachel Hammond. “Events like this are a great way to meet people living in the area and let them know what we offer.”

Hound’s Meow, a pet-supply shop especially for dogs and cats, will offer up treats for the pups.

“If you have a pet, bring them along,” Harrison said, “And if you’re looking to adopt a pet, we’ll have adorable dogs and cats waiting to find homes.”

Harrison said she’s glad she opened her business at Lake Chapman, because all the owners are friends.

“We get along well and we help each other out,” she said. “Like with the costs of this event, just one business couldn’t have afforded to put it together.”

Weiner said, in a struggling economy, three minds are better than one.

“We can brainstorm and come up with ideas to bring customers to the plaza,” he said. “We plan to do a group event once a month.”

Weiner thinks people might be surprised by how many locally owned businesses there are in the area.

“We aren’t corporate America,” he said. “When you shop or eat here, you are supporting your neighbors.”

Saturday’s event is free and open to all. Bring the pets, bring the kids and celebrate local commerce.

IF YOU GO

• WHAT “Pirates, Pups, and Pastries”
• WHEN noon to 4 p.m. Jan 23
• WHERE Lake Chapman Plaza, N. Florida Ave.
• HOW MUCH Free
• MORE INFORMATION (813) 960-6111

By Sarah Whitman

Senior Staff Writer

LAND O’ LAKES — Cancer is a word no one wants to hear. For many, the possibility of unexpected illness leads to worry and frustration. John Suits’ business is helping to ease those anxieties. Suits owns New Born Blood Banking, Inc. a cord blood storage facility in Land O’ Lakes. The business safely stores infant cord blood to use in case of a health emergency. The blood can be used to fight diseases ranging from Leukemia to Sickle-Cell Anemia.

“Cord blood is filled with stem cells and stem cells can be used to save lives,” Suits said. “We help parents collect and store their children’s cord blood so its there if the families need it.”

Suits, a former math teacher, learned about cord blood storage when his wife was pregnant with their first child in 1996. Prior to the pregnancy, she had battled lung cancer.

“It just happened so suddenly,” he said. ” She was fine one day and the next she could die. It was unnerving.”

Soon after Suits’ wife went into remission, the couple heard about cord blood storage and grew fascinated. They began reading up on the subject around the time they began trying for a family. They found that cord blood can prevent the need for bone marrow transplants, a difficult and dangerous procedure.

“With a stem cell transplant, there is a greater chance for a match, meaning the body won’t reject the new cells,” Suits said, “And with cord blood, a match is there waiting for the donor.”

After learning this, the Suits found out they were expecting a baby girl.

“When we got pregnant, we decided we definitely wanted to do it,” Suits said, “so we went in search of someone who could help us.”

The couple found Dr. Yenhui Chang at All Children’s Hospital. Chang helped them purchase the right equipment, which includes collection kits, complete with special storage bags, and a liquid nitrogen freezer. The Suits then converted their garage into a hygienic lab.

“We got everything we needed, learned from Dr. Chang and prepared for our daughter’s birth,” Suits said.

Unfortunately, when Suits daughter was born, they weren’t quite ready and were unable to store the blood.

“It was a disappointment but we believed so much in the process, we decided to try and help others,” Suits said.

Knowing the good they could do, the couple helped a friend, Obstetrician Dr. Steve Greenberg, store his son’s blood. After the collection was successful, the Suits began helping more and more people. In 1999, they turned the operation into a full-time business. At the time, the only licensing required was for the liquid nitrogen. Today, the FDA regulates all storage facilities.

Jerlyn Shaw was one of New Born Blood Banking’s early clients.

“I had read literature on cord blood storage and I thought it was a good thing to do,” Shaw said.

While pregnant with her son, Shaw contacted Suits and began the process. She paid the $200 required deposit and put her name on the list.

“It was simple,” she said. “John (Suits) came to the hospital when I delivered, took care of everything and that was it.”

New Born Blood Banking makes a promise to make it to the hospital with a collection kit, rain or shine.

“We collected during the 2004 hurricanes,” Suits said. “We bring the kits, get them to the obstetricians and then take them back with us right away.”

The blood is kept safe at a facility on Carson Dr. in Land O’ Lakes.  The first year storage cost is $1095. An 18-year storage plan is $3095.

“Its worth the cost,” Shaw said. “I’ve been lucky so far but I can rest easy knowing my son has a resource waiting if he were to get sick, or even if something were to happened to me or my husband, we could use it then too.”

Suits said many of his clients work in the medical profession.

He encourages anyone interest in cord blood storage to research the topic and contact him.

“If you have the funds to do this, you should,” he said. “You never know what’s going to happen. It could save a life.”

For more information, call (813) 948-2673.

New editorial team brings more local news and community stories

By Diane Kortus

Publisher

When I became publisher of The Laker and Lutz News last July, one of my staff’s first goals was to give readers more stories about people, community groups, local businesses and recreational sports.

We wanted stories that readers would not find in the daily papers or anywhere else. We believed our stories should make readers feel good about their community and be reflective of the people living in their neighborhoods. We wanted stories that were informative and useful to people living here.

One of the first changes we made was to reduce our coverage of crime news, especially crime that occurred in outlying areas. We saw no purpose in reporting on incidents in Hudson, Lacoochee and north Tampa —areas where we had few readers.

By comparison, there was little crime to report in our primary coverage areas of Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills. We still cover pubic safety, but only if it happens in our readership area, and only if we can report it differently. Local TV news, radio and daily newspapers report crime news aggressively and we didn’t want to repeat this same news in our community papers.

Another decision we made early on was to discontinue obituaries. Like classifieds, obituaries have migrated to the Internet because of the immediate need people have to learn about someone’s death and memorial service. Because we publish only once a week, we were publishing obituaries with services that had already happened.

Eliminating crime briefs and obituaries freed up a lot of space in our papers to publish stories we cover best — grassroots news that is found deep within our neighborhoods.

Stories about people who make a difference, clubs that help others, local arts and entertainment events, stories about student achievements, profiles on churches and their outreach programs, profiles about people behind our businesses, prep sports that focus more on people than scores, and adding recreational sports like kickball, golf and adult soccer.

We began to implement these changes and by the first of the year wanted to accelerate our plan to give readers more diverse and better-written stories.

We were fortunate to find two experienced journalists living in the heart of our readership area who hold the same vision for community journalism. Sarah Whitman and Suzanne Schmidt joined our staff last week after several years at The Tampa Tribune.

Sarah is heading up our news operation as senior staff writer. A USF graduate, she most recently wrote stories about northeast Hillsborough County for The Tribune.

For us, Sarah is focusing on news from Lutz and Land O’ Lakes, as well as stories about people, community organizations and churches throughout our coverage area.

Suzanne Schmidt is a name many readers may recognize. She wrote for In The Loop, The Tribune’s weekly paper in central Pasco, until it folded last year. Suzanne is a graduate of Southern Illinois University and is focusing on news from Wesley Chapel and writing about schools and businesses for all coverage areas.

In January, Kyle LoJacono became a full-time writer covering sports and news from Zephyrhills. A 2009 graduate of Florida State University, Kyle started with us last summer as a part-time sports writer.

Rounding out our team is editorial assistant Mary Rathman, a talented and versatile employee who is described by her colleagues as “the glue who holds us all together.”

With so much new talent in our newsroom, last week was a very good week for our company.

And it was an even better week for Suzanne Schmidt. Not only did she land a full-time journalism job at a paper just 15 minutes from her Land O’ Lakes home, but she also became engaged to her boyfriend of two years, David Jackson.

Our congratulations to Suzanne as she begins her journey as a reporter for Community News Publications, as well as that of a future bride

Founder’s look-alike contest added too

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

ZEPHYRHILLS — It seems like everyone is doing things a little bigger for the 100th birthday celebration of Zephyrhills.

The official announcement will come Jan. 20 at the Main Street Zephyrhills Inc. board of directors meeting, but the Founder’s Day parade will have 10 grand marshals for the first time this year.

“We’ve been working on the list of potential candidates for a while now,” said Gary Hatrick, one of people on the grand marshal selection committee. “We’ll be sending out letters soon to see if everyone will accept the nominations.”

Hatrick takes freelance photographs for The Laker.

The committee has received approval from Brenda Welcher, MSZI executive director. Welcher said the original plan was to have just one grand marshal, but the idea grew from there.

“We didn’t want to pick just one person to represent the entire city of Zephyrhills for the last 100 years,” Hatrick said. “Since the parade is divided by decades, we felt it would be best to pick one person to represent each decade. That seemed more fair and could help people learn the history of the city.”

The Founder’s Day parade will be March 13 in downtown Zephyrhills. The parade’s theme is “Celebration of Generations,” with one float for each decade.

Each grand marshal will be selected for their decade either because they or one of their family members made a big impact on Zephyrhills during that time. The committee did not release a list of potential grand marshals, but did say they wanted to have a descendant of the city’s founder, Howard Barth Jeffries, as one of them.

Jeffries came to what was formally called Abbott Station in 1909. He bought 35,000 acres of land from James Lee Greer, and later founded the new city on March 10, 2010.

“I think it is a wonderful idea to have 10 grand marshals and divide the parade up like they are,” said Madonna Wise, Zephyrhills historian and former Zephyrhills High history teacher. “I think it enriches all of Founder’s Day and will really give people a feel for the history of each decade. Brenda Welcher has done a great job with the idea.”

Wise has either taught or been an administrator at Zephyrhills High, Stewart Middle and Centennial and West Zephyrhills elementary schools. She has also written a book on the city, “Zephyrhills,” which will be released Feb. 24.

MSZI has also decided to add a Jeffries look-alike contest at Founder’s Day this year.

“It was my idea to have a look-alike contest,” Hatrick said. “I first wanted to have a beard contest and it turned into this. People liked the idea and I hope we can make it an annual event at Founder’s Day. Maybe it can turn into like what they do with Ernest Hemingway down in Key West each year.”

The Hemingway look-alike contest in Key West happens each summer.

“The look-alike contest is fine, but I’d like to see it include more than just Jeffries and have some diversity,” Wise said. “Maybe include Mrs. Jeffries and some famous African-Americans from Zephyrhills. I do think it’s a great way to build interest in Founder’s Day. Not that it needs any more though because everyone knows about it.”

The new contest may in time become a big event, but the highlight of Founder’s Day is the parade.

“I’m really excited about the parade because I’ll be dressing up like an equestrian and riding in a decorated carriage from the 1910s to 1920s,” Wise said. “Now I just have to convince my husband to come along and dress up with me.”

For more information on upcoming centennial events in Zephyrhills, visit www.zephyrhills100.com.

Wesley Chapel woman gives tips to vacationing families

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

WESLEY CHAPEL — Most people have a special feeling about Walt Disney World, but Suzannah DiMarzio might enjoy its magic a little more than most.

“I’ve just always had a special place in my heart for everything from Disney World and everything about it,” DiMarzio, 36, said. “You just get a special feeling when you’re at the parks or watch Disney movies.”

DiMarzio worked at Disney’s Magic Kingdom park in Orlando for about one year. She worked in several merchandise shops on Main Street USA near the entrance to the park shortly after moving to Florida in 1995.

DiMarzio and her husband, Gerry, moved to Wesley Chapel three years ago, where she is a housewife for the couple’s three children: Christian, Sophia and Giovanni. Before that, she was working as a travel agent who scheduled many trips to Disney World.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve been to the parks in Orlando, but it is a lot,” DiMarzio said. “We moved from Orlando because of Gerry’s job, but we always get back to Orlando to go to the parks.”

When DiMarzio is not in Orlando visiting Mickey Mouse and the other Disney characters, she can now help other families plan their trips.

She was named as one of 43 members of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel, an online forum where fellow panel members answer questions about Disney theme parks and resorts. There were 21 new panel members added in 2009, but more than 20,000 people applied.

“Following an extensive application process hailing entrants from across the country, DiMarzio’s knowledge of the parks — together with her years of professional experience planning Disney vacations — distinguished her from thousands of applicants and secured her a seat on the third-annual Walt Disney World Moms Panel,” stated a press release from Disney. “Each panelist was selected to share their vast knowledge of the resort and personal secrets with other families who are considering a trip to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.”

The panel had 12 members in 2008 — its first year.

“This is the largest group of panelists we’ve ever had,” said Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World Resort. “Because interest in the Web site has grown so quickly, and we had so many highly qualified applicants, we started out searching for 10 knowledgeable parents, and eventually selected 21. Now we’ll be able to share even more Disney park secrets and travel tips with families visiting the Moms Panel site.”

DiMarzio said of being named to the panel, “While I was writing a blog I decided that this would be a goal for me, but it seemed impossible. I thought it would never really happen. It is a great honor to be one of so few picked.”

DiMarzio said the selection process started last September with an online question and answer process. The 20,000 applicants were reduced to less than 200, and finalists were interviewed on the phone by Disney media relations managers.

“It was a tough process actually,” DiMarzio said. “They asked as everything about our experiences at Disney and what we’ve done there.”

The new panel member said her last trip to Disney World was about a month ago when her family stayed at the Old Key West hotel and vacation club. She said her favorite hotel is the Beach Club, her favorite Disney movie is “Toy Story” and her favorite ride is the Soarin’ flight simulator at the EPCOT park.

Panel members are not employees of Disney and remain on the panel for as long as they still want to contribute. Many of the members are “part time,” which means they only answer questions for part of the year. DiMarzio is part time and will be answering questions from April to June.

“It’s amazing to me the kinds of questions that are asked and the good answers people get from the panel,” DiMarzio said. “One person asked if her visually impaired son would be able to experience the rides like everyone else. She was told he can because there are audio attraction descriptions for many rides, as well as Braille guides throughout the parks.”

While DiMarzio has been to Disney World in Orlando, she has yet to visit Disney Land in California.

“It’s been a dream of mine to go to the California parks,” DiMarzio said. “Hopefully I’ll be able to get out there this year.”

Those interested in asking the panel questions can visit www.disneyworldmoms.com.