Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

LAND O’ LAKES — “Travel down the business highway to success” is the theme of the upcoming Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce Business Expo.

The Expo will be at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway, from 4 to 7 p.m. March 12 and from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. March 13. The Expo will have everything from local businesses showing their services, to a taste of the town and even a pie and cake baking contest.

The chamber has opened up the business expo to nonmembers, which is something they haven’t done before. Kathy Dunkley, executive director of the chamber, said she has about half of the 98 businesses she needs and may even sell out.

“We opened up to nonmembers because of the economy this year,” Dunkley said. “This gives businesses the opportunity to show off their products, services and employees. Many of the businesses that have been doing it for years keep coming back because they get business from it.”

Lou Molner, broker/owner of Coldwell Banker Advantage Team Realty, said he has been in the Expo for at least 11 years because it is a great way for people to learn about his business.

“It is a chance to show our face and interact with the community,” Molner said. “I like it because I get to meet people in the community and people from other businesses. I also like to go and try the food. The chamber handles these Expo’s like real pros.”

Even though Dunkley is excited to show off the businesses in the community, she is really looking forward to the pie and cake contest, but she still needs more entries.

“We need people to participate,” Dunkley said. “It is a lot of fun. People don’t have to be the greatest bakers in the world; we would just like some people to make an attempt. First place will get a blue ribbon and a basket with baking equipment.”

After the judges get a taste, the extra slices will be sold at the event with the proceeds going to the Pageant Scholarship Fund at the chamber. The chamber usually has the Central Pasco Scholarship Pageant in the fall where teens can get as much as $500.

Visitors to the Expo will also have the opportunity to win door prizes and a $1,000 savings bond.

In addition to the Expo, the chamber will also have a Taste of the Town from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 13. Restaurants from the area like Pizza Villa and Golden Inn will have samples for $1 each.

“The restaurants give a lot more than just a sample of food for that dollar,” Dunkley said. “It would behoove the community to come out and try the restaurants and see what they have to offer.”

At the Expo, the chamber usually has a chef doing food demonstrations. This year the chamber is still looking for a “celebrity chef.”

In addition to promoting businesses through the Expo, the chamber recently started a Facebook page.

“I want to do more with it, but right now we have our events on there like our meetings and our ribbon cuttings,” Dunkley said. “It is a great way to get our information out there quickly.”

For more information, visit www.centralpascochamber.com or www.facebook.com/pages/Central-Pasco-Chamber-of-Commerce/178745857326.

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

Children scarred by a fire can take a long time to heal emotionally and physically.

At Camp Hopetake, kids who have been seriously burned go to this safe and supportive environment where they can share their feelings and interact with other seriously burned kids. This year the camp is struggling to raise funds so the GFWC New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club has stepped up to help.

The club will donate money raised from its 13^th Annual Night of 5000, a black tie optional gala, at 6 p.m. March 20 at the Ritz Ybor, 1503 East 7^th Ave. in Ybor City.

Heather Keen, president of the club, said the club chose the camp because it is a good charity.

“One reason why we chose the camp is because they are a local organization,” Keen said. “This is truly a home-grown project. With the economy down, it is harder and harder to get sponsorship dollars. We are hoping the money we raise will impact them.”

Tampa Fire Fighters Local 754 works in conjunction with the Tampa General Hospital’s burn unit to provide the camp for 40 children between the ages of five and 17. The camp started about 20 years ago.

“At the camp all the kids require so much more care than at a traditional camp,” Keen said. “It is a self-esteem builder where the kids can just go and have fun with other kids going through the same thing.”

Jace Kohan is not only a captain for the Tampa Fire Rescue; he also is the president of the Tampa Fire Fighter Charity Fund.

“We are so thankful the woman’s club is helping us out,” Kohan said. “The camp is completely run on donations and this year donations are down.”

Children invited to the camp will stay at a dormitory at the University of South Florida June 13-19. Throughout the week, children will go to places like Busch Gardens, Adventure Island and Disney World and also do activities like going bowling and swimming. For more information or to donate to the camp, visit www.tampafirefighters.com and look under the community service heading or call (813) 229-7540.

“Many of the kids were rescued from burning homes and were treated by paramedics or nurses at Tampa General,” Kohan said. “It is very rewarding for the fire fighter and paramedic volunteers to be able to help them with their physical and emotional scars. Some of the kids take a long time to heal and as fire fighters we understand what it is like.”

The event will kick off with a cocktail hour featuring live jazz entertainment, a cigar roller, cash bar and a silent auction. After the cocktail hour, guests will be ushered into the ballroom to enjoy entertainment by the Collective Soles Arts Group directed by Troy Jansen and Synchronicity.

“It is a great band,” Keen said. “I think they will be able to keep people on their feet. They play great dance music and covers. It is also a great event to attend because each person will have a chance to win $5,000.”

The woman’s club raises funds for various charities throughout the year including OASIS, Joshua House, A Kids Place and The Spring of Tampa Bay.

“It is a great way to be able to give back to a bunch of different organizations,” Keen said. “It keeps me going when I see the smiles on the kids faces for all the different projects we do.”

Aleisha Linck, of New Tampa, has been a member of the club for one year. She said she joined because she likes the volunteer opportunities and the camaraderie.

“We get to give back to the community,” Linck said. “Since I joined I have made so many amazing friends. It has been a blast. I am constantly recruiting.”

The club accepts new members all year-round from the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area.

Tickets for the gala are $100 per person. Sponsorship opportunities are still available as well. For more information, visit www.ntjwc.com.

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

ZEPHYRHILLS — Kevin Ryman and Charlie Proctor will be giving free appraisals for those who want to know the value of their coin collections March 6.

“People have been coming by and calling me asking about coins more and more,” Proctor said. “It’s great for me because I love coins and buying and selling them. It gives me a reason to focus more on coins.”

The event is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Ryman Construction Inc., 36413 SR 54 in Zephyrhills. It is the second such event for the two men. The first was in Dade City in January.

“We want people to make appointments so we know how many people to expect,” Kevin said. “We’ll be paying cash to anyone who wants to sell their coins there too. We’ll appraise as few as one coin or a whole collection. If people keep showing up we’ll do more of the appraisals in town.”

To make an appointment, call Ryman at (813) 714-0962 or Proctor at (813) 780-1858.

“I first got interested in coins because my grandparents (Ike and Catherine Miller) had some and I loved looking at them,” Ryman, who owns Ryman Construction, said. “I’ve always bought coins and I don’t sell nearly as many as Charlie does.”

Proctor, who owns Charlie’s Coins, had his interest sparked by one special dime.

“I didn’t have a relative who had a lot of coins, but my father (Clarence) would let me and my sister (Patty) have as many coins as we could grab from his pocket in one handful,” Proctor said. “He worked three or four jobs at a time and always had a lot of change. One time I found a Mercury dime, which were all made of silver. I started researching coins because of that one dime and I’ve been hooked since.”

Ryman and Proctor both said their favorite coins are any of the old ones made from gold and Morgan silver dollars, which were made from 1878 to 1921 and are 90 percent silver.

“For years the auto detail company brought in a lot of my income, but last year with the economy the way it was people cut back on their cars,” Proctor said. “For the first time I made more selling coins than in car detailing.”

Neither Proctor nor Ryman ever clean the coins they buy for themselves or for later sale.

“That kills the value of the coin,” Proctor said. “I know a cleaned coin as soon as I see it and I won’t buy them that way. People might think it’s no big deal to try and take some dirt off, but it’s really destroying the coin.”

Zephyrhills winter resident Stanley Rynes buys coins from Proctor eight or nine times each year.

“I love collecting Civil War tokens, and Charlie will call me whenever he gets some in,” Rynes said. “I’ve been to other coin dealers in the area and Charlie is the one I like most because of his honesty. He bends over backward to make sure you’re comfortable with any deal.”

Ryman has developed a similar reputation with Proctor.

“Kevin is a great guy, and I thought that before I knew he collected coins,” Proctor said. “His construction business keeps him a little busier so he can’t buy and sell as much as I do, but he’s starting to get people to see he gives fair prices on coins.”

Owner of featured pet sitting service charged with marijuana trafficking

Katie Yates, one of the owners of a pet sitting service featured in the Feb. 24 editions of The Laker and Lutz News, was charged with the manufacture of marijuana last October after Pasco County deputies raided a home she rented and confiscated 70 plants and 6 pounds of packaged marijuana. The Land O’ Lakes home was located in the gated community of Plantation Palms.

Yates’ husband, Robert, also a partner in All About Love Pet Sitting & Transportation, was arrested with his wife on Oct. 14. According to court records, marijuana trafficking charges against Robert Yates were dropped Nov. 18.

Katie Yates’ case is still pending a final hearing. She pled not guilty to the manufacture of marijuana on Dec. 8 and is currently enrolled in a court-ordered drug treatment program. Her next court appearance, a status check, was March 1.

When reporting on the couple’s pet sitting service, the staff of The Laker and Lutz News was unaware of the Yates’ arrests and Katie Yates’ subsequent felony charge.

Katie Yates gave the following statement regarding this situation to The Laker and Lutz News:

“I feel that it is very unfortunate that after all the good I am contributing to the community that my past has to be brought to light in this manner. The charges brought against me last October in no way, shape, or form defines my character, morals, values, or how I conduct my business.

“I might have regrettably made mistakes in the past, as I believe we all have in some way or another. Nobody is perfect. But learning from our mistakes helps to shape our character and grow as individuals. I have definitely learned a lot from my past and I am blessed because of it. I have now created a successful business and provide a valuable service for our community.

I am an active member of my church and I belong to a homeless outreach program which helps feed 125-200 people weekly. I am proud of the woman I have become. I am a person of faith and I believe in the power of forgiving others for things that I might consider to be wrong. I pray that the community also shares this belief in forgiveness and second chances.”

Chelsea is a 1 ½- year-old boxer. She goes to daycare at Happy Tails Pet Lodge and loves every minute of her day. Just the mere mention of the place makes her grin. Chelsea’s proud owners are Jim and Lisa Patterson of Land O’ Lakes.