Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Sarah Whitman

The Lutz Patriots will honor a lost friend with a tree planting ceremony June 19.
Robert Henry Elrod, father of Lutz Patriots co-founders Barbara Mueller and Karen Williams, passed away April 7. The Navy veteran of WW II was laid to rest with military honors April 19 at Bushnell National Cemetery, following a funeral service at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz. He was 87 and died from complications after a fall where he broke his neck.
Friends and family will gather to plant a crape myrtle June 19 at 9:30 a.m. at the Old Lutz School. The public is invited to attend and remember a true hero.

“He was a good and humble man,” said longtime friend and Lutz Patriot Bruce Hockensmith. “He loved God and his country.  He was at the Old Lutz School almost every Friday waving the flag.”
According to friends and family, Elrod loved his country and was a proud member of the Lutz Patriots, always eager to share stories with fellow veterans. He was a first cousin to Henry T. “Hammerin’ Hank” Elrod, who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroic actions on and above Wake Island during WW II as a U.S. Marine aviator.
“He was very proud of that,” Hockensmith said.
Elrods daughters, Mueller and Williams, founded the Lutz Patriots in 2003 to encourage a pride for country within the community. Inspired by their father, the women send letters and care packages overseas on a regular basis. They organize community events and offer support to military families. Mueller, whose son also served in the marines, said her father set an example to be proud of and she is excited to honor him with the tree planting.
“When some of the Lutz Patriots came to us and said they wanted to honor our dad this way, we were surprised and happy,” Mueller said. “It is a very sweet thing.”

Muller is coincidentally hosting a family reunion the same day as the tree planting, so many of her relatives will be there.
“I have cousins coming I haven’t seen in years,” Mueller said. “I told them they get to attend a very special event. Our dad would be overwhelmed. He’d probably say something like, ‘Why are you doing all this for me?’ ”
Hockensmith and other Lutz Patriots in attendance will also present Elrod’s family with a plaque in honor of his life and service to America. They will share stories of what he meant to the community. More than 50 people are expected to attend.
“Our father truly would be humbled,” Mueller said. “There are a lot of great patriots in the community and a lot of people could be honored. To honor our dad, is really special. He was a great dad and a great man.”
Visit www.lutzpatriots.com.

By Sarah Whitman

She calls the animals by name.
“Arnold, come here boy,” she says and a pot bellied pig scurries forth, crossing through a herd of goats to answer the call. She pats the animal’s head and he snorts.
“Isn’t he cute,” she says, smiling like a proud parent.
She is Valerie Burke, founder of Home Sweet Home Animal Rescue in Wesley Chapel. The rescue houses small farm animals and birds, many of which arrive sick or injured from neglect and are homeless. Arnold is one of the newest residents. His former owners decided to discard him after he made one too many muddy messes.

Burke welcomed the mess maker with open arms.
“I take the animals no one else will take,” she said. “I give them a chance and a home.”
Burke, who grew up in Boston and moved to Florida in 1989, has always had a soft spot for animals. She spent almost 10 years as a volunteer at Lowry Park Zoo before going to work there fulltime as a zookeeper in 1996. When she left the zoo, she was assistant curator of Florida mammals and had worked with most every species. She is a member of the Bay Area Disaster Animal Rescue Team, which disperses animal rescue to affected areas in times of disaster, and is involved with the SPCA Tampa Bay.
Burke started Home Sweet Home after taking in an injured goat for a friend at New Tampa Animal Hospital. She asked the vet if there was another place for abandoned goats to go. When the answer was no, Burke opened up her home and decided to start an official nonprofit.
Today, there are seven goats, two hens and five birds being cared for at the rescue. They come from different circumstances. Some were abandoned pets. Others were found living in deplorable conditions and confiscated.
“This is a small rescue because I want to give each animal the care and attention they deserve,” Burke said. “It is not about numbers. It is about the connection with the animals.”
Burke’s work is funded by donations she uses to buy animal feed and other necessary items. She is partnered with New Tampa Animal Hospital in Wesley Chapel and Livingston Animal and Avian Hospital in Lutz. The hospitals provide quality care to injured or sick animals taken in by Home Sweet Home.  The cost is minimal.
“They have been a big help,” Burke said. “They treat the animals for practically nothing.”
Nola Overturf is a veterinary technician at Livingston hospital. She works with Burke on a regular basis. She said Home Sweet Home lives up to its name.
“Val is really good with the animals and she genuinely cares,” Overturf said. “People are getting rid of all sorts of animals because they can’t afford them and Val takes care of them.”
Overturf has sent several birds to live at Home Sweet Home including Cassie, a 32-year-old macaw parrot who’s owner gave her up due to health problems.
“I was sick about that bird but Val called and reassured me,” Overturf said. “She told me Cassie let her scratch her back and was doing good.”
Burke plans to adopt out some of the birds she has but is leery to do so. She plans to do thorough background checks and interview anyone interested in adoption. She isn’t willing to put up any of the goats for adoption, because she said people are using them for food and that isn’t the fate she wants for her babies.

At this time, she is maxed to capacity and not taking in more farm animals. She still needs donations and volunteers to help her care for the Home Sweet Home family.
“I’m very careful to only take in animals I can afford to and have time to take care of,” she said.
Burke also hopes to educate others. She takes some of the animals to visit local schools and wants to visit local nursing homes. She said the animals have a way of connecting with people that’s hard to put into words.
“I find animals intriguing,” she said. “People don’t always take the time to watch them but they can be really amazing. They can be inspirational.”
For information on the rescue, how to donate and volunteer opportunities, visit www.hshartampa.org.

Reaction to Hillsborough County’s transportation plan

By Kyle LoJacono

In May the Hillsborough County Commissioners voted 5-2 to place a penny sales tax increase for public transportation on this November’s ballot.
If passed, the tax is estimated to raise $160 to $200 million each year. About 75 percent of that would go to starting a light-rail system within Hillsborough and to doubling the number of county buses. The rest would go to road improvements.
Hillsborough’s sales tax is currently 7 cents on every dollar, as is unincorporated Pasco County’s. Businesses on the Hillsborough side of the county line could lose business to Pasco companies if the increase is approved.
“It seems like a small amount, but when people are making large purchases it makes a big difference,” said Dan Gonzalez, co-owner of Carême’s Market in Lutz. “I could see it having an impact on business in Lutz now because people are watching their spending closer and holding onto every dime and every penny. It will just add to the burden of local businesses.”
Carême’s is located at 16319 N. Florida Ave in Lake Chapman Plaza and opened Oct. 1 of last year. Gonzalez and his family lived in Lutz for 15 years and knows how easy it is for people to go to Pasco if they wanted to save money.
“Those right on the fringe of Hillsborough might go north to save money,” Gonzalez said. “Our products and concepts are different because we are a market, convenience store and prepared food, so there isn’t a store that offers what we do. Still those on the fringe might go north if we have more taxes.”
Customers at the Publix Super Market located at 3939 Van Dyke Road in Lutz saw things a little differently. While10 shoppers asked about the proposed tax agreed that it is unneeded, all did not think they would travel to Pasco to save the penny per dollar for weekly purchases.
“I think it’s a waste of money,” said 18-year Lutz resident Ron Mullikken of the proposed tax. “It wouldn’t do much to make travel better.”
The Van Dyke Publix would likely face more difficulties if the tax were instituted given the fact that there are three other Publix’s within 12 miles across the county line, according to Google Maps. That does not take into account the other grocery stores in the area. Repeated requests for interviews with managers at the Van Dyke Publix were not returned.
Gonzalez did see the benefit in enhancing transportation in Hillsborough, especially with improving roads, but does not think mass transportation will catch on for several years.

“People like the convenience of driving their cars whenever they want,” Gonzalez said. “A rail system and more buses are great, but it isn’t as easy as driving. I think it would take years before people start using it like they do in big cities like New York.”
Among those who voted to put the question on the ballot is Ken Hagan, county district 2 representative and commission chairman. The district covers most of north Hillsborough, including Lutz and Odessa. Also voting yes were commissioners Rose Ferlita, Kevin White, Kevin Beckner and Mark Sharpe.
Hagan said he was not in favor of the tax, but is in favor of allowing the people to make their own decision. Voting no were commissioners Jim Norman and Al Higginbotham.
The light-rail system will be designed to take people to all areas of Hillsborough, which the majority of commissioners believe will help business. Those in favor of the tax also said it would likely increase tourism within the county once the high speed rail project to connect Tampa and Orlando is finished.
Some of the road projects that will be funded if the public approves the referendum include widening the Veterans Expressway from the Suncoast Parkway to the Courtney Campbell Causeway. It will also add bicycle lanes on Bearss Avenue from N. Dale Mabry Highway to N. 22nd Street.

Zephyrhills principal brings rules and open communication

By Kyle LoJacono

Steve Van Gorden became Zephyrhills High’s principal May 5, 2009 and he wasted little time instituting his style of education during his first full year at the school.
“The biggest challenge is people get accustomed to doing things a certain way and then a new person comes in and makes a bunch of changes,” Van Gorden, 34, said. “We had some transition issues, but after getting through most of those I think I feel very close to all the students now.”

Most of those changes were to tighten safety around the school, such as keeping students from leaving campus for lunch. While these changes may have seemed unneeded to students, Van Gorden believes they are necessary ensure the students’ protection.
“Overall I think the changes he’s made are positive,” said senior class president Elizabeth Patrias. “A lot of people have been resistant to the rules and said they were strict, but that’s because they are new.”
Patrias has been class president all four of her years at Zephyrhills and worked with Van Gorden’s predecessor Gerri Painter. She said the main difference between the two was things were more relaxed with Painter, but feels the school is safer now, as did junior class president Tiffany Trebour.
“I think things have been pretty good this year,” Trebour said of Van Gorden’s methods. “He wasn’t scared to change things that he thought needed to be changed.”
Van Gorden’s goals may not be apparent to all the students yet, but they are clear to the administration.
“I think he’s done a great job,” said Zephyrhills assistant principal Tim Urban. “He’s gotten involved in the community and brought a lot of good ideas….When issues came up he addresses them without hesitation. That’s not to say that Gerri Painter hesitated on things, but Mr. Van Gorden deals with issues quickly.”

Urban has been with the school for four years and likes how Van Gorden always asks the opinions of administrators.
“We have weekly meetings to go over everything in the school to see what we can do better,” Urban said. “He has an open mind and I’m excited about working with him next year.”
One way Van Gorden included the community was in selecting Reggie Roberts as the new football coach. He was forced to terminate Jerrell Cogman from the position before the season amid alleged recruiting violations, which was another test of Van Gorden’s leadership. He then created a search committee, which included community members that led him to picking Roberts for the job.
To help ensure students stayed on campus at the school, Van Gorden had each child assigned to a parking spot to easily see if a student was gone.
“That was something I never had to deal with in my last job,” Van Gorden said, who was the principal of Hudson Middle. “You don’t have to think about middle school kids driving off campus for lunch.
“While I put in these new policies, I made sure people knew I would listen to them,” Van Gorden added. “I want there to be open communication and for the students to be comfortable with me.”
Van Gorden was born in Arkansas and grew up in Spring Hill. He started as a teacher at Pasco High and Pasco Middle before becoming an assistant principal, which was a split position between Wesley Chapel High and Land O’ Lakes High. He became the principal at Hudson Middle at age 28, but wanted to come to Zephyrhills because it is closer to his Dade City home.
The Bulldogs principal also has political experience. Van Gorden was elected a commissioner of Dade City in 2004 and served for more than five years.
Next year, the principal wants to continue to tighten school safety while increasing its academic standards. That includes offering more advanced placement and duel enrollment classes.
Van Gorden has been focusing on the big issues at Zephyrhills, but one seemingly small decision turned into one of the biggest for the seniors.
There is a place called the senior stage in the commons area at the school where seniors spend time. Van Gorden moved two couches from the stage to different places within the facility so the school did not have to buy new ones. The seniors were upset because they had waited three years to use the couches.
After hearing the senior’s complaints, he moved one of the couches back and added benches. Van Gorden said he believes that problem brought him closer to the senior class because he listened to them and they worked through it.
“I couldn’t do everything I wanted with (Patrias) and her class because I was trying to learn my job, but I’m working with next year’s senior president so we don’t have a couch issue or other problems,” Van Gorden said. “It took me a year to learn. This was my learning year.”

By Suzanne Schmidt

When Rosilyn Dickerson was watching TV with her second-grade son Kyler, she and her son unexpectedly ended up seeing a news segment about the Haiti earthquake.
Even though Rosilyn tried to comfort her son, she said he was still very sad. So they decided to try to find some way to help, which is when they came up with the idea to collect shoes for the people in Haiti.

“He was so subdued and his demeanor had changed so much,” Dickerson said. “He was scared the same thing would happen here. I told him about how fault lines work and that we are not on one here. He seemed to be receptive, but I could tell he was still scared.”
At first Kyler wanted to send his teddy bear, Corduroy, to the people in Haiti to give them something to comfort them, but with the help of his mom he decided to do a shoe drive instead.
“When people get hurt and some people don’t deserve it, I feel bad for them,” Kyler said. “I wanted to send shoes to help support their feet. I wanted to let them know people care. I think when they see them, they will put them on and see how much better walking around can be.”
Rosilyn and Kyler went to his second-grade teacher Hillary Wankelman with his idea and soon the whole school joined in the effort. Through the month of April, parents, students and teachers went through their closets for gently used shoes to donate to the people in Haiti. The school collected 172 pairs of shoes.
“Kyler realized when he saw the people on the TV, they were not wearing any shoes,” Rosilyn said. “He was so excited to be able to help people get shoes. Our church, Without Walls, also had a shoe drive based on his idea. I think these kids are learning real life lessons.”

Hillary Wankelman, second-grade teacher, said the shoe drive went better than she expected.
“It was neat how the kids were affected by what they saw on the news and decided to help,” Wankelman said. “We have not yet decided how we are going to get the shoes and toys over there, but we are going to make sure that they go to the organization that needs it the most.”
Nathalia Filgueira Leon, 9, saw the devastation in Haiti after the earthquake and decided she would like to help bring comfort to the children by giving them stuffed animals. Filgueira Leon is a third-grader in Steve Hughes’ class.
“I saw it on the news and a day later I asked my Mom if I could collect teddy bears,” Filgueira Leon said. “I know when I am upset I like to hold my teddy bear. I think when they see the teddy bears they are going to be happy. I know when I look at my teddy bear, I see all the memories I made with the bear and it makes me happy.”
Jaelynn Collins, 8, is a second-grader in Wankelman’s class. She gave up her teddy bear that she had for four years because she wanted to help the people in Haiti.
“The people in Haiti lost their stuff and many of the kids don’ t have their stuffed animals anymore,” Collins said. “I think it will help them to go to sleep. It was sad to give it up but I am happy it will be helping someone.”
A letter from Kyler will accompany the donations from the school.
“He wrote a letter to the kids in Haiti and we are going to have it translated to go along with the shoes,” Rosilyn said. “It is great to see how one kid can make a difference.
Kyler said he was inspired to write the letter by his mom.
“The letter was about how sad I was that they were injured,” Kylar said. “I said how we are sending them the bears and the shoes to make them feel better. That way if someone in their family is injured they can hug the bears and feel better.”

Zephyrhills Troop 72 honors military and national symbol

By Kyle LoJacono

More than 30 people, three of whom served in the military, watched Boy Scout Troop 72 retire 50 flags at Shepard Park to honor Memorial Day.
Among those troops present were Elena McCullough, John Witzke and Rick Hillman.
“It was a very good ceremony,” said Zephyrhills resident Hillman. “I enjoyed it very much.”
Witzke, of Zephyrhills, simply said “beautiful” when asked what he thought of the evening.
McCullough, of Wesley Chapel, added on the ceremony, “It was wonderful. I don’t even have the words to describe it. It is so great to see these scouts showing such respect for our flag.”

Witzke served in the Navy from 1972-1985, which included part of the Vietnam War. McCullough was in the Coast Guard for 24 years and is now running for Florida House of Representatives District 61.
Hillman is still an active Army reservist and is part of central command in Tampa. He reached the rank of major and earned his Eagle Scout award in 1959 with a troop in New York.
“It brings back memories of doing more than one myself,” Hillman said of watching the ceremony. “It’s an honor to see young people taking the time to show such respect to the flag on Memorial Day.”
Witzke was also in Boy Scouts and reached the rank of Life, one level below Eagle Scout.
“To me it is special to see so many young men out here honoring the flag,” Witzke said. “It’s very special and it makes me feel good about the future of this country.”
Many of the scouts were just as impressed with the troops.
“This was the first public flag retirement I’ve done and it was amazing to see so many people come out and watch,” said assistant senior patrol leader and Star Scout Michael Gallar. “I was surprised to see so many and it was very cool to see the soldiers come out and witness it.”

Troop senior patrol leader and Life Scout Brandon Meier had done one flag retirement before with his ROTC unit, but said this was the largest one he has been a part of.
“It went very well and actually went better than I expected,” Meier said. “It was great to see the veterans come out and that really made it special for me.”
Meier, 17, and Gallar, 16, both said they want to join the Navy after high school.
The ceremony lasted about one hour. Each of the 50 flags was folded tightly and walked slowly toward the fire pit. The flags were then unfolded, presented to the audience and then placed into the pit.
Scoutmaster Greg Hilferding is also an Eagle Scout and said he had never been a part of such a large flag retirement either.
“I’m so proud of the scouts for coming up with the idea to have the ceremony to honor Memorial Day,” Hilferding said. “They did a really great job.
“It went very well,” Hilferding added. “I’m very proud of how well they all did. They treated the night with respect and dignity and did me proud.”

The United States Flag Code states, “The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.” Some of those conditions unfitting of display include holes, tears or faded colors.
Goin’ Postal provided refreshments during the evening. The business accepts old U.S. flags each July, which is where the troop got many of the now retired U.S. symbols. The troop also receives flags throughout the year from people who want them to be retired respectively.
The troop had more than 100 flags to retire, but Hilferding said it would take too long to do them all on one evening.

By Sarah Whitman

A Lutz home is about to be famous.
Ralph and Peggy Watts 4,000 square foot home at 1308 Anglers Lane was selected to appear on Sell This House, A&E’s home makeover show with a twist. The show’s hosts, Tanya Memme and Roger Hazard, visit homes throughout the country and do makeovers designed to help the homes sell.

The Lutz home, a four bedroom three bath on 1.3 acres behind the Publix at Dale Mabry and Lutz Lake Fern, will appear on a June 26 episode. The asking price is $499, 500.
The Watts can’t wait for the show to air.
“It’s a dream come true,” Peggy Watts said. “They had great ideas and made big changes. We’d watched the show before and it’s exciting to be on it.”
The Sell This House crew came to Lutz in mid-May and spent two days working their magic. The Watts are both art teachers, so the home was a creative hodge-podge with different wallpaper at every turn, mismatched antiques and even a Vegas-style slot machine. The couple gave the show free reign to make changes.
Led by Hazard, the designers stripped wallpaper, repainted, redecorated and even created a home theater. They emphasized the homes spacious rooms and hardwood floors, getting rid of unnecessary furniture and other items like faux flower arrangements. They went for a clean and modern look.
Thousands of people submit their homes to appear on Sell This House. To qualify, a home must currently be on the market and the owners must be living in the home with furnishings. Applicants send in photos with a story about the house.
Keller Williams realtor Elizabeth Flach said producers selected the Lutz home based on its potential. She said the house’s best qualities were hidden and the show’s designers knew how to make those features pop.

“They removed the clutter from the house,” Flach said. “They put chair railing and added other new accessories.”
The Watts purchased the home, which was built in 1982, 12 years ago. They remodeled the inside and built a life there, spending many weekends relaxing on the lake. They put the house up for sale because they plan to retire from teaching soon. Their one daughter is grown and living on her own now. So, they are looking for a smaller place in the Tampa Bay area to spend their golden years.
“We just don’t need this much space anymore,” Peggy said.
Watts didn’t mind a television crew invading her home, especially since they brought along professional decorators. She was excited to see the finished product. She said the change that surprised her most was the home theater.
“I am used to white ceilings and they painted the ceiling dark,” she said. “It is different but I like it.”
Watts hopes the show prompts interest from homebuyers looking for a place to stay for many years to come.
“The house would be great for a family,” she said. There is a lot of room. There is space to entertain and have family gatherings. It is warm and inviting. It’s been a great home.”
Tune in to A&E for the show June 26 or stop by the house in person June 12 for an open house.

By Suzanne Schmidt

When the Wiregrass Ranch High School Odyssey of the Mind team learned they had placed fourth in the world, they didn’t believe it.
Team members junior Anthony Jason (A. J.) Nardi, 17, sophomore Nathan Teindall, 16, sophomore Lindsey Cucore, 15, junior Joshua Harding, 17, sophomore Jesse Hu, 16, sophomore Lauren Brown, 16 and junior Rachel Jarding, 17 all said they were shocked to learn they placed fourth out of 46 teams in their division.

The team solved the column structure problem in division III where they had to design a structure made up of columns to support weight. They earned points based on the amount of weight their structure held, a skit they had to perform and a spontaneous problem.
Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students kindergarten through college. Students compete on teams where they apply their skills and creativity to solve problems from building mechanical devices to putting on plays. The Wiregrass team had to compete at the regional level then the state level to get in the world competition at Michigan State University.
“We used electromagnetic clamps to hold the structure,” Nardi said. “We had to build five individual columns and we had to build a device that would put the columns on the board without using our hands.”
The team’s eight-minute skit revolved around a parody of fairy tale characters and their issues.
“The skit had to include a lot of elements like we had to use recyclable materials and we were graded on the artistic value of our sign,” Brown said. “We did a parody of fairy tale characters for our skit. I was the Narcoleptic Beauty and Lindsey was the Girl Who Cried Time.”
Hu added that the skit was all about the fairy tale characters solving their own problems.
“They were having a group therapy session with Humpty Dumpty where they were trying to solve their problems,” Hu said. “At the end there was a huge plot twist where Humpty Dumpty is evil and they decided to solve their own problems.”
The team also earned points for their work solving a spontaneous problem. They said according to their point totals, the spontaneous problem is what helped them place fourth because the column they designed did not hold as much weight as some of the other teams did. They placed ninth based just on how much weight their structure held and they placed third based on just the spontaneous problem.
Harding said his favorite part about the competition was meeting people.

“It was nice to meet other teams from different parts of the world,” Harding said. “Competing was exhilarating. You are so nervous because you don’t know what is going to happen. Anything could go wrong. It was the most surprising thing ever. I didn’t think we even placed in the top six.”
Hu said meeting all the different people from different cultures taught him something. Teams come from as far as Singapore, Poland and South Korea and from all over the United States like California and New York.
“It was cool meeting the people,” Hu said. “We are all from different places but we are all the same kind of people.”
The team was the most important part of the experience for Brown.
“This was my first year going to world with this team,” Brown said. “It was an experience I will never forget. It is fun because you have to solve problems on the spot.”
One of the biggest things about going to the competition for Nardi is the pin trading.
“Every state makes their own set of pins,” Nardi said. “The Florida pins were about theme parks and surfers this year. You get your pins and you can walk around and talk to people and trade pins with them. I have pins that I will remember forever how I got them.”
Cucore said she would not want to do Odyssey of the Mind if she was not with her current teammates.
“I liked how much our team has come together,” Cucore said. “Most of us on the team have been doing this together for years.”
Teindall said he learned a valuable lesson.
“I learned that teamwork is important,” Teindall said. “I hope I can apply this to other areas of my life. It was a good experience.”
The team was able to raise a portion of the money with fundraisers like Beef ‘O’ Brady’s nights, and a Sam’s Club cookout as well selling candy. The rest of the money the teens had to raise themselves from their parents.
Jardine said she always has fun at the competitions.
“I think everyone should try it at least once,” Jardine said. “It is a great experience and there is nothing else like it. It is a great way to express your talents. It teaches a lot of life skills and you are surrounded by a lot of great people. I have been doing it since the fifth-grade because I love it.”
For more information, visit www.odysseyofthemind.com.

Pasco County’s Odyssey teams at World:
–Wesley Chapel Elementary School ranked 13 in Food Court Division I
–Double Branch Elementary School ranked 27 in Column Structure Division I
–Weightman Middle School ranked 10 in Food Courte Division II
–Mittye P. Locke Elementary School ranked 14 in Discovered Treasures Division I
–J. W. Mitchell High School ranked 16 in Return to the Gift of Flight Division III

By Sarah Whitman

Two Land O’ Lakes moms are helping their daughters’ beauty pageant dreams come true by offering people in the community a unique opportunity. Suzanne Douglas and Jennifer Fitzsimmons are hosting a Glamour Girls photo shoot June 13 to help raise funds for their daughters, Aubrey Teston and Katie Fitzsimmons, to compete in Miss Florida USA and the National American Miss pageant this summer.

Professional photographer Ragan Jenkins is offering her services for a $25 sitting fee that includes hair and make-up stylists. Participants can take home a photo CD for just $30 more, which is a major steal compared to the hundreds of dollars that can be spent on quality photos.
“My typical rate is $100 an hour with a 2 hour minimum for the shoot, so this is quite a bit less,” Jenkins said.
All proceeds will go directly to the pageant hopefuls for expenses including competition fees, travel and costumes.
“With the economy the way it is, pageant participants are not able to get financial support from large companies like they used to,” Jennifer Fitzsimmons said. “Those corporate sponsorships just aren’t available. So, we have to think of new and creative ways to get support.”
Jennifer’s daughter, Katie, is a sophomore at Land O’ Lakes High School. She began competing in National American Miss three years ago. She previously took third place and hopes to take the title this July in Orlando, leading the way to her dreams of one day competing in the Miss America pageant.
“It is such a fun experience and I always meet a lot of great people,” Katie said. “Pageants have bad stereotypes associated with them but you can learn so much from them. The more I’m involved with pageants the better I get at speaking in front of people. Pageants have taught me confidence and life skills.”
Katie is in the drama club at school and dreams of one day becoming a professional actress. Her mom supports all her dreams but was nervous about her entering the pageant world.
“I was skeptical but National American Miss is really a good program,” Jennifer Fitzsimmons said. “The program teaches the girls poise and how to conduct themselves. They don’t even allow make-up for girls under 14. They are more focused on scholastics and community involvement.”

Suzanne Douglas said pageants transformed her daughter Aubrey from a shy teen to an outgoing young lady. Aubrey, 22, is the current Miss Charlotte County Florida, which is why she is able to compete in Miss Florida USA in July. Though she is from Land O’ Lakes, the pageant system does not require you to be from the county where you receive your title.
Douglas said she thinks her daughter has a good chance at the Miss Florida USA title.
“Aubrey was the quiet one,” Douglas said. “She came to us and said she wanted to try pageants. The difference in Aubrey then and now is amazing. She gained so much confidence and I am so proud of her. She is amazing.”
Aubrey is a technician in the O.R. at Tampa General Hospital. She is a graduate of Concorde Career Institute and a Land O’ Lakes high alum. She credits much of her success to pageants and can’t wait to compete for Miss Florida USA July 9 and 10 in Davie, Florida.
Aubrey, Katie and their moms hope the Glamour Girl shoot will get more girls interested in the good things pageants have to offer.
“It should be a lot of fun and something different for girls to do,” Katie said.
Appointments are still available with Jenkins.
“It’s fun and it’s a great experience for young ladies interested in modeling or pageants who haven’t had a professional photo shoot,” Douglas said. “We hope people come out and support our girls.”
The photo shoot is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 13 at 4111 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. For information, call (813) 205-8213. To view Ragan Jenkins portfolio, visit www.raganjpix.com.