Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Zephyrhills athlete ready to show her talents

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

Zephyrhills High School senior Heather Haynie has been a national champion at the shot put and discus throwing events since the fifthgrade. Now she will be able to show off her athletic talents for the first time for the Bulldogs.

She was unable to compete before because until this year, Florida had no track and field division for permanently disabled athletes in high school.

“It really is great that I’ll finally be able to compete in my senior year,” Haynie said. “I tried to compete in middle school, but I wasn’t allowed. Now I’ll be able to finally show what I can do.”

Haynie was born a normal girl, but lost both her legs in a car accident one week before her fifth birthday.

“I’ll never forget that day,” Haynie said. “July 20, 1996.”

The Florida High School Athletic Association announced last November it was creating new adapted divisions for track and field this year.

“The issue was brought to us last spring by some parents who had eighth-grade students who were interested in competing in high school,” said Laurel Ring, FHSAA director of special programs. “FHSAA staff began looking at programs already in place in other states and decided to add the new divisions for disabled athletes.”

The new divisions will be broken into four classes like traditional track and field based on the number of students that attend each school. The athletes will be able to compete in three events, the wheelchair 200-meter and 800-meter races and wheelchair shot put.

“They will be competing with the traditional events all the way through at every meet,” said Lanness Robinson, Hillsborough County athletic director. “There haven’t been many athletes show interest yet, but I’m sure that will change with time…It’s great that the athletes will have a chance to participate because they haven’t had an opportunity to show their talents before.”

The story is similar in Pasco County.

“I don’t know how many athletes we have in the new divisions yet, but I know it hasn’t been a huge number yet,” said Phil Bell, Pasco athletic director. “It will be great for the athletes once it becomes more mainstream, but we have to start somewhere.”

Haynie is the only disabled athlete who has confirmed her interest in competing in the new divisions in Pasco from any of the high schools in Land O’ Lakes or east, but students from the surrounding counties have.

“She adds a lot to our team,” said Jason Rouser,” Zephyrhills girls track and field coach. “It’s great that she can finally compete because it is obvious that she is very talented. She will be a big factor for the state championship.”

The Bulldogs are in Class 3A, District 7. Haynie will be competing in both racing events and the shot put.

“It is like having the best extra coach in the country here,” said Janay Rouser, Zephyrhills assistant and wife of Jason. “I coach shot put, discus throw and pole vault, so I’ll be working with Heather a lot. I don’t know how much I’ll be able to teach her because she is one of the best in the country, but she’ll be able to point out problems with anyone’s form in the shot put.”

Despite her skill in the shot put, her true passion is in an event she cannot compete in.

“The shot put isn’t my favorite event,” Haynie said. “I really like discus throwing, but they don’t have that yet for wheelchair athletes in high school.”

Haynie said her best distance in the shot put and discus throw are 7.5 and 23.5 meters respectively.

“I actually have all the records for distance in both events for my age and class,” Haynie said. “I’m also the youngest person ever invited to the Paralympics. I was 14 then.”

Haynie also won gold medals in the shot put and javelin throw events and a silver medal in the discus throw at the 2008 Junior Paralympics. Heather said the shot she will be using is about 6.6 pounds.

“People ask me all the time if it is tiring, but it isn’t really,” Haynie said. “You don’t try and use a lot of strength when you do it. It’s more about technique than anything. More strength will actually mess up your form and you won’t get as a much distance.”

Haynie will finally be able to leave her mark on Zephyrhills track and field in her last year, but she has loftier goals as well.

“I’ll be competing in the trials for the 2012 Paralympics this summer and my dream is to compete in the games in London,” she said. “I’ve been a national champion, but know I want to test my skills against the best in the world.”

Local reaction mixed about project

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

LAND O’ LAKES — The recent firing of WDG Construction Inc. by the Pasco County commissioners has left the Collier Parkway extension project in limbo.

The Wesley Chapel-based company, which was also fired by the commissioners from the project to connect Mansfield and Meadow Pointe boulevards in Wesley Chapel, had its contract with the county terminated Feb. 9. County chief engineer Jim Widman said the company stopped work on the extension in December after its vehicle and workers insurance expired.

The extension, which will take Collier through Hale Road and Parkway Boulevard and connect with Ehren Cutoff, is meant to ease traffic on US 41 by allowing those living in the area to take Collier south to bypass the congested highway. However, those working and living in the affected area are mixed about what the extension will do to traffic.

“If anything it will make the traffic worse on Collier,” said Christina Telleir, property manager for The Lakes at Collier Commons Apartments. “It will help with traffic on (US) 41, but everything on it south of Ehren Cutoff is six lanes I believe, so that is where most of the traffic should be. I guess I’m mixed on the extension because I want progress and growth, but the traffic should stay on the main roads.”

Collier Commons is located just north of the intersection of Collier and SR 54. Telleir not only works in the area, but lives close by in Sable Ridge.

Representatives from several of the neighborhoods on Collier, including Lake Padgett and Plantation Palms, all echoed Telleir’s concerns. However, Rebecca Macone, community association manger for Lake Padgett East, saw more positives resulting from the extension.

“It will pull some of the traffic from the back roads,” Macone said. “The buses drive through Lake Padgett East to get to the bus depot on Parkway Boulevard. The extension will let them use Collier to get to the depot instead of driving through the neighborhoods.”

Jeff Johnson, who has lived off Parkway Boulevard near Ehren Cutoff since July 2009, has his own concerns about the buses.

“The back of our house faces Parkway, so we expect to hear much more traffic, especially in the mornings when Pasco County school buses are driving to and from their lot at Pine View Middle School,” Johnson said. “The Collier extension will provide a more convenient path to the businesses around Collier, SR 54 and to I-75 and Wesley Chapel, but my family hopes the convenience will outweigh the additional noise.”

Other major places affected by the extension include Pine View Middle School, Lake Myrtle Elementary, Academy at the Lakes school, Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, Land O’ Lakes Recreation Center and Our Lady of the Rosary Church.

“We have between 2,500 and 3,000 members of our parish and some of those do come from that area that would have their travel time reduced by the extension,” said Deacon Dennis Snyder. “When mass lets out on Sundays, it gets a little crazy out there. That wouldn’t do anything with the weekday traffic, but it can get bad on Collier.”

The extension project was planned in three phases. The first two, which WDG was hired to complete, will take Collier north through Hale until it connects with Parkway Boulevard. The last will further extend Collier to Ehren Cutoff. The whole project will add about three miles of road to Collier, one from phase one and two and two more miles from phase three.

Phases one and two were set to be completed this spring, but WDG had finished less than 40 percent of the work as of Feb. 9. WDG was awarded the contract worth $4.3 million to complete the first two phases in April 2009. Since being fired from the project, the company has taken down its Web site and disconnected its phone number.

Deborah Bolduc, program administrator for Pasco County Engineering Services, said phase three will not be planned until 2013 or 2014 and will not be completed until at least 2015 or 2016. Bolduc said phases one and two will still be completed, but no plans had been set for how and by when as of Feb. 17.

WDG was the second construction company doing work in Land O’ Lakes fired by the county this year. Kearny Construction Company, which was doing waterline work along US 41, also had its contract with Pasco terminated in January.

When the road extension is completed, the land around it will be usable for a variety of different purposes. In an e-mail, the Pasco Zoning and Site Development Department wrote the different portions of the newly accessible land are zoned of everything from residential to agricultural purposes.

“I’ve lived in Land O’ Lakes for most of my life,” Telleir sad. “When I was young there was barely a Collier Parkway and I hope the increased traffic doesn’t negatively affect the area.”

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

ZEPHYRHILLS — The lights are dim and the rhythmic drums by Babatunde Olatunji reverberate through the room as people file into the Zephryhills High School activity center. Then suddenly the curtains open to the school’s jazz band playing “In the Stone” so well you might think it is actually Earth, Wind and Fire on stage.

Derrick Tucker, assistant principal at the school, will then step out to let people know what the performance is about. The title of the program is Celebrate Black History Through the Exploration of Music.

“The program will be about harmony and working together,” Tucker said. “It will be teaching people to treat others with decency and kindness regardless of race, creed or color. If you treat people right, it will be all right.”

For the last 10-15 years, Tucker has coordinated a black history month performance at the various schools he has worked for. He said it is important to teach students because there is still distrust and racism in the world.

“We will be educating the audience,” Tucker said. “They will learn about culture through the exploration of music and have some food for thought when they leave. I will interpret the extent of how this program is valued by how many attend.”

This year’s assembly will be different from any he has done before.

“In the past I have done talent shows,” Tucker said. “It didn’t matter what color they were, they could just get up to sing, dance and perform. It was a very arduous task. This year I will have my two conservatory-trained musician adult sons performing with me.”

The school’s jazz band and choir will perform along with The Modern ZHS Sextet featuring Juan Ortega on bass, Michael Schmidt on percussion, Miles Tucker on saxophone, Derrick Tucker on keyboard and vocals, Wayne Tucker on trumpet, keyboard and vocals and Marcos Robles on guitar. Music will be the key focus of the program with songs like “I Stood on the Banks” by the Rev. James Cleveland, “In the Stone” by Earth, Wind & Fire, “Voodoo Child” by Jimi Hendrix and “So What” by Miles Davis.

“It will be worth the journey to come to this show because I know my kids,” Tucker said. “We will have some smooth jazz, some bebop jazz, some fun reggae, gospel and more.”

The lyrics from “Lift Every Voice,” the African-American national anthem, will be read over music.

“Last year we had two women singing, but this year we will have our student, Passion Dixon, recite the lyrics,” Tucker said. “I want people to be able to understand the words and reflect on them.”

Throughout the program, students will be giving speeches about various topics including giving a history of jazz, funk, reggae, and R&B. Jonathan Funnell, senior, will be teaching the audience a little about jazz.

“I am going to talk about the lives of some of the greatest people in black history,” Funnell said. “I will talk about how jazz was formed and how it is played. My favorite jazz musician is Joshua Redman. I am going to talk about him and his role in jazz music.”

Terrance Stewart, junior, will be introducing songs at the performance.

“I want to get the audience interested in what we are doing,” Stewart said. “I hope people will learn. Everyone knows who Rosa Parks is and Martin Luther King, but they don’t know most music today is a form of African American music that has evolved to what it is now.”

The school will have a performance during the day just for the students and one in the evening open to the community. Tucker said this year the day performance will be different because everyone in the school will attend it.

“During school assemblies, students normally can opt out and sit in the cafeteria,” Tucker said. “I want the children to have a comprehensive school experience.”

The performance falls under the umbrella of character education at the school.

“Character education allows each school to devise its own manner towards establishing awareness,” Tucker said. “The characteristics we are teaching students are caring, respect, citizenship, trustworthiness, responsibility and fairness. We have hands-on learning activities that are based more on expression as compared to pure lesson based learning.”

The show will be 7 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Zephyrhills High School activity center, 6335 12^th Street. It is free to the public, but a love donation will be accepted.

Joshua Eskelund, senior, will be running the technical side of the show.

“It is going to be an amazing show,” Eskelund said. “We have so much talent. We are just going to have fun with it and see where it goes.”

Local teen auditions for national television show

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

LAND O’ LAKES — On the next season of America’s Got Talent, area residents might be able to follow one of their own.

Alyssa Bermudez, a junior at Sunlake High School, attended the initial interview for the show along with about 1,000 other people in Orlando a few weeks ago. She will find out if she made it to the next round where she will interview with the celebrity judges in March.

“I was watching TV when a commercial came on about season five,” Alyssa said. “If you wanted to be on you had to pre-register on-line. A couple months passed and it got to the point I thought they would never call. I got the e-mail and filled out the paperwork and got the audition date.”

The audition was at 8 a.m. Feb. 13. Alyssa and her mother Yolanda Bermudez stood in line for hours before seeing the judges.

“When they let us know she had an audition, I was so happy and excited,” Yolanda said. “She did such an awesome job. We are hoping she made it but either way, it was a great experience. We met a lot of people and she had a chance to perform in front of the cameras.”

In the holding room before going into the audition, Alyssa said she started to get nervous.

“They asked me to pretend I was practicing,” Alyssa said. “I had to sing and the cameras were right on me. I love being in front of cameras. The directors told me I was doing good and they liked me.”

Then the scary part of the day came with Alyssa’s audition.

“I had to wait with the others,” Alyssa said. “I felt so anxious. I just wanted to get in there. When we walked in, the room was dead silent. They call you up and you say your name, age and where you are from and then you have to sing acappella.”

Alyssa only had 90 seconds to make an impression on the judges with her song choice “I Turn To You” by Christina Aguilera.

In March or April, she will find out if she will be asked back to be on the show for the next round of judging.

“Whether I make it or not at least the whole experience was a lot of fun,” Alyssa said.

Alyssa has been in several school talent shows and even modeled for a while. She said she stopped because it took up too much of her time.

“I have been singing since I was little,” Bermudez said. “When I lived in New York I used to always sing, it drove my parents crazy. I like getting up in front of people and performing.”

This year she will perform in her school talent show March 12 at the school, 3023 Sunlake Blvd. The show starts at 7 p.m. and is open to the community.

“I will be doing the same routine I did for the audition,” Bermudez said. “I like to sing because I believe through singing I can express myself. I like to get out there and just do it. I put my heart and soul into it.”

Even though Alyssa loves to sing, she does not plan to make a career out of it. She will be studying law and maybe psychology when she goes to college.

“If it is meant for me to have a career it will happen,” Bermudez said. “I don’t think singing does much for the world and I want to be able to help people.”

With Alyssa’s personality and talent, Yolanda said she knows she will go far.

“Alyssa is a people person and very friendly,” Yolanda said. “One good thing about Alyssa is she is very confident. I know that whatever she wants to do we are there for and will support her.”

For more information about America’s Got Talent, visit www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent.

Founder’s Day grand marshals named

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

ZEPHYRHILLS — It would have been nearly impossible to pick one grand marshal to represent all of Zephyrhills during the last 100 years, so Main Street Zephyrhills Inc. had to be creative.

Instead of the traditional one grand marshal at Founder’s Day this year, there will be 10 — one for each decade the city has been in existence.

“It fits into our theme for Founder’s Day, which is ‘Celebration of Generations,’” said Brenda Welcher, executive director for MSZI. “So many have been a part of making Zephyrhills what it is. It’s great to be able to recognize so many people for their contributions.”

One of the oldest families in the city are the Neukoms, who have had five generations born in Zephyrhills.

“Zephyrhills is my home and I think a lot of it,” George Neukom said. “I’ve been here all my life. Zephyrhills is a huge part of my life and what we are as a family.”

Neukom’s son, George Neukom III, owns Neukom Groves on Gall Boulevard. The family came to the area in 1910, before Zephyrhills was founded. At the time it was called Abbott Station, named after a doctor who lived in the area and two railroad stations in town. The family also owned a retail store, Neukom Drugstore, on Fifth Avenue from 1921 to 2001.

Another old-time family represented by a grand marshal is the Smiths, who have lived in the area since the 1860s.

“We’ve always tried to give back to the city,” said Brantley Smith. “Our family donated the land for the YMCA on Eiland Boulevard and we always try and support the school’s sports teams and youth leagues.”

Smith owns Silverado Golf and Country Club and his late brother, Stephen, was on the city council. His other brother, Buddy, will also represent the family.

“My brother and I were very honored to be asked to be marshals, but I think there are probably more deserving people out there,” Brantley said. “We have been here a long time and seen a lot of changes over the years.”

Nelson Ryman’s family has not been in Zephyrhills as long as the Neukoms or Smiths, but he has lived in the city since 1969.

“Zephyrhills is my hometown, even if I wasn’t born here,” Ryman said. “It’s a great community to live in with genuinely friendly people.”

Ryman owned H&R Interstate Mobile Homes and is active in the Rotary Club of Zephyrhills Daybreak.

“It is historic and I get to be a part of it,” Ryman said of being named a grand. “Not all cities are able to reach 100 years. It is great to see the city survive and continue to thrive.”

Neukom, Ryman and the Smiths will ride in the float of their corresponding decade at the parade March 13. The other grand marshals include: Nathan Geiger, former Zephyrhills baseball coach John Clements, Helen Winters, the 1962 Zephyrhills basketball team that one the Class B state championship, Sam Surratt, Irene Dobson; and Marcus and M.J. Price of Goin’ Postal.

Winters is the owner of Winters Mobile Home Park, the oldest such park in Zephyrhills. Her late husband, Gordon, bought the park in the 1950s.

Dobson is an equal rights activist in the city and has been involved in such projects as getting Sixth Avenue’s name changed to Martin Luther King Avenue.

Geiger was born and raised in Zephyrhills. His family owned a grain and feed store in the city. The store was sold several years ago.

Surratt was a member of the Zephyrhills City Council from 1953 to 1954 and again from 1957 to 1976.

Clements coached the Bulldogs for 21 seasons and was a minor league baseball player for a few years and brief was in Major League Baseball. The Zephyrhills baseball field was named after Clements in 1983.

The 1962 Bulldogs basketball team was the first Zephyrhills squad to win a state title. Two of the former players, Clyde Bracknell and Billy McGavern, will represent the team. Bracknell was also on the City Council 29 years — more years than anyone else in the city’s history.

Marcus and M.J. Price founded the shipping franchise Goin’ Postal in Zephyrhills in 2002, which now has more than 300 locations across the country. They were named because the city is changing form an agricultural city to one that has more businesses.

“It certainly is a great recognition to everyone selected,” Welcher said. “There were lots of great choices and in the end we could only have 10.”

Zephyrhills was founded March 10, 1910 and has come a long way from the little town with two train stations.

“A lot of my friends kid me that I’m turning 100 this year too, but I’m not quite there yet,” said the 72-year-old Neukom. “My family has seen this city go from Abbott Station to Zephyrhills, so we’ve seen it literally go from A to Z.”

Founder’s Day Parade grand marshals

Marshals Decades

• The Neukoms 1910s
• Brantley and Buddy Smith 1920s
• Nathan Geiger 1930s
• John Clements 1940s
• Helen Winters 1950s
• Zephyrhills basketball team 1960s
• Sam Surratt 1970s
• Nelson Ryman 1980s
• Irene Dobson 1990s
• M.J. and Marcus Price 2000s

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

WESLEY CHAPEL — The Shops at Wiregrass bring that main street festival feel to the mall with The Gatherings, an event featuring live music, shopping deals and kids entertainment.

The Gatherings will be from 6 to 9 p.m. every Thursday March through May. The main attraction is the live entertainment featuring a variety of music including rock, reggae, R & B, folk, oldies, pop, contemporary jazz and more. The first event on March 3 will feature the acts Bus Stop, The Spells and Ricky Wilcox.

Bus Stop is a six-member group with an upbeat dance and funk sound. The Spells is an acoustic duo featuring pianist Tracy LaBarbera and guitarist Gale Trippsmith. Ricky Wilcox is an intelligent mish-mash of British pop, Americana and early 80’s Athens smart jangle.

Chad Doritan, director of marketing for the Shops, said the event is meant to bring out people during an otherwise slow night.

“We close down the streets and set up three stages one at each end of the shopping center and one in the center,” Doritan said. “We wanted to have the event in order to kick off the weekend.”

After the success of last year’s events with the Shops getting about 3,000 to 5,000 visitors each Thursday night, Doritan said it just makes sense to do it again.

“We saw a lot of new faces and a lot of the same people every week,” Doritan said.

The music is booked through Skipper’s Smokehouse talent agency. It will be different every week. The goal of the event is to have something for everyone to enjoy.

“We will have a variety of music,” Doritan said. “The music we had last year was a big hit. We had a lot of people come out just to hear a specific band. It really drew even more people then we expected.”

In addition to the live entertainment, stores are encouraged to bring some merchandise out in front of the shops and offer one-night only deals for the event.

“There is a lot of flow with people walking from one stage to the next,” Doritan said. “Sometimes they even have entertainment in the stores.”

Some restaurants also have specials for the event. Grillsmith will offer an extended happy hour with half price wine, beer and mixed drinks and a large variety of appetizers for $5.

Joe Brooks, managing partner of Grillsmith, said he was happy with how many people the events brought out last year.

“The marketing department does a wonderful job of having all kinds of events,” Brooks said. “We saw a 25 percent sales increase on those evenings. This year will be even better because we will have patio dining.”

The children’s area offers face painting, bounce houses and live children’s entertainment like stage shows.

“For the first event, we will have Mr. Tommy Girbin,” Doritan said. “He is a children’s musician with a very interactive show. He is not the only guy we will have, but it is that kind of thing we will have every week. It will be something kids can enjoy.”

Visitors to the event are encouraged to bring their dogs as well.

“We also saw a lot of people bring their dogs last year,” Doritan said. “One week we had a beach theme with beach music and we invited people to dress up. We had more dogs dressed up than people.”

The Shops also offers various other activities including a kids day every Wednesday, a classic car show every month, bike nights and more. For information, visit www.theshopsatwiregrass.com.

Grace Family Church runs soup kitchen

By Sarah Whitman

Senior Staff Writer

LUTZ — A few weeks ago, a 52-year-old man named Miles was living on Tampa’s streets. Then, he heard about an outdoor soup kitchen on Nebraska Avenue and decided to check it out. He didn’t know it was a ministry of Grace Family Church, or that volunteers were working to change lives. He simply wanted a hot meal.

At the soup kitchen, Miles met a volunteer named Nan Caldwell, who runs a halfway house in Thonotosassa. Now, Miles is no longer living on the street. When he visits the soup kitchen, he wears the shirt of a volunteer.

“This soup kitchen is a blessing for people who are in dire straits,” Miles said, enjoying a plate full of rice and casserole. “I was homeless. I was angry at the world. I came here and I met Nan. She showed me a whole different perspective. She offered me real love. This is a place where people really care.”

Grace Family Church started its soup kitchen eight years ago, when a teenager named Adam Skinner wanted to do something more to help the hungry. The outreach started in a parking lot behind the U Save off Livingston Avenue. It has moved around throughout the years. The kitchen is currently open from 6 to 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday nights at 14751 N. Nebraska Ave.

“All of us have struggles in our lives,” said April Dean, outreach coordinator for Grace. “We want to be available to help people who are in need. This is one way we can help.”

Volunteers meet at Grace, 5101 Van Dyke Road, at 5 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays to pack food into the church’s truck and trailer. Grace receives most of the food served from Metropolitan Ministries. They also order pizzas to take and volunteers make soups. Meals include breads, meats, veggies and desserts.

Rain, sleet or shine, the church’s truck arrives at the soup kitchen site on time.

“When we drive up, there are usually already people waiting,” Dean said. “We’ve had numbers close to the 100s before.”

Volunteers hurry to set up folding tables and open the serving line.

Grace member Rudy Trosin volunteers whenever he can.

“Being a Christian isn’t about sitting around, you got to go out and do something to help people,” Trosin said. “These people out here don’t look any different than me. The way I see it, I stub my toe somewhere along the way and I could be out here needing food.”

Miles’ story echoes Trosin’s statement.

“I had a wife and a home,” Miles said. “I made some bad choices and I just gave up. I asked God to help me, and he did, in His time. He sent someone to care for me.”

That person was Caldwell; whose halfway house is an outreach of the ministry, God Works! The ministry contacted Grace a few months ago to help out with the soup kitchen. Caldwell and her volunteers help by bringing food and offering support to those who need a place to go.

God Works! volunteer Tommy Vien cooks food to bring almost every week.

“I was homeless for awhile,” Vien said. “It was a devastating time in my life. I just couldn’t find a job. I still can’t find a job. So I’m working as a volunteer with this ministry. They took me in and helped me out. Now, I want to give back.”

Dean and other Grace members are thankful to God Works!.

“They help out a lot with food and they really care,” Dean said.

Aside from God Works! most all volunteers come from Grace. Church members of all ages give time to the cause, including teens.

“It’s good to give back to the community,” said 17-year-old Gina Muto. “I like helping.”

Dean said teens can learn a lot by serving at the kitchen.

“It helps them to realize the homeless are people just like us,” she said. “Some of the stories of the homeless that come to the soup kitchen are really encouraging.”

Dean remembers one story in particular.

“There was a man who kept coming to the soup kitchen,” Dean said. “He told us he wanted to change and made a commitment to go to rehab. We helped him go through rehab and now he comes back to the kitchen sometimes to share his testimony.”

Dean was happy to learn about Miles, who she considers an example of God’s miraculous ways.

Miles is happy to share his testimony with anyone in need of encouragement.

“I have a place to lay my head now,” he said. “I am content. There are a lot of hurting people out there. This soup kitchen is a good place for them to come.”

For information on Grace Family Church outreach programs, contact April Dean at (813) 265-4151.

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

LUTZ — From the octagon to the mats of his new academy, Marcio Cruz, world jujitsu champion, never loses his passion of fighting.

Marcio Pe de Pano Cruz is his ring name. Even though most fighters start training at a young age, the Brazilian born fighter started when he was 17. That did not stop him from becoming a six-time Brazilian jujitsu champion, an eight-time Brazilian jujitsu PanAm champion and a five-time Brazilian jujitsu national champion.

“I love to fight,” Cruz said. “If they call me, I fight. I started when I was old but I have a lot of talent for jujitsu. This is my life, my dream to be a fighter. I will keep fighting until my body says stop and I can’t do it anymore.”

Through the World Fighting Organization, Cruz is the current heavyweight champion. He keeps his belt along with his many other medals in his new academy.

In addition to the many championships he has won, Cruz also has fought in the octagon in the Ultimate Fighting Championship against such well-known fighters as Andrei Arlovski and Frank Mir.

Instead of building up his fighting experience, Cruz said he went straight for whatever fight he could get, which is why his second professional fight ever was in the UFC against former heavy weight champion Frank Mir. He won the fight against Mir with a total knock out at UFC 57. He said when he wins a fight; his first thoughts are of rest.

“I feel like I completed my job,” Cruz said. “I feel great and then I think I am happy because I can go home and I don’t have to train for a week.”

Even though Cruz has a 3^rd degree black belt in jujitsu, he said that is not enough to be a well-rounded mixed martial arts fighter. The martial art of jujitsu focuses mainly on submission holds and groundwork.

“I train in boxing and wrestling,” Cruz said. “I train jujitsu a lot too but since my ground is much better my focus has changed.”

Jujitsu is not just a martial art, it is a way of life for Cruz.

“It is a lifestyle,” Cruz said. “In order to fight, you need to love it. I like to train because when you train, you can forget about your problems.”

Even though good training and conditioning is a big part of competing in MMA, Cruz said the mental side of it is sometimes just as important.

“When a guy has good shape but has a bad mind, he might lose,” Cruz said. “The mental part is so important. When the body and the mind is strong that is the best way to win.”

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

WESLEY CHAPEL — The Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce heads in a new direction with its new executive director David West.

Social media sites like YouTube and Facebook have become very popular which is why West is planning to use those sites to promote the chamber.

“I see this as a wave of the future,” West said. “I want this chamber to be a leader. I am looking to be innovative and cutting edge.”

One way he is working to promote businesses is to film a five-minute video about a business and post it on YouTube , in addition to the chamber’s web site. For people who missed the chamber functions, West is also making videos of the functions and posting them on the chamber’s site.

“The goal is to help businesses prosper so this is a good way to promote what a business focuses on,” West said. “The idea is to let people meet the owners of businesses and to feel like they know them. My goal is to do every business in the chamber.”

Cindy Fleming, president of the chamber, said she really likes the new direction the chamber is taking.

“I think it is something the chamber needs to keep up with,” Fleming said. “We are moving in a direction we have never gone before. The videos he is creating on the businesses are incredible.”

Fleming said she thinks West will bring a lot to the job because of his stature in the community.
“He is a well-known person in the business community,” Flemming said. “He has been around here for so long. He is a trusted individual, which is important for our members to have faith in leadership. As president, I am excited to have him on board.”

West said he considers himself to be a connector.

“I spend all day connecting people with solutions to their problems,” West said. “It is what I do all the time. Sometimes I get paid and sometimes I don’t.”

Before starting the job at the chamber, West was on the board of directors at the Dade City, Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills Chambers. Now that West has the job at the Wesley Chapel chamber, he will be leaving all the other boards. Now he can just focus on Wesley Chapel.

“I have a million things I want to do,” West said. “This town is up and coming with a high energy big city feel. I think there are great opportunities here.”

The road West took to eventually end up at the chamber was a long and winding one. He started out as a preacher when he was in high school preaching his first sermon when he was only 15. He went on to get his bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies at Florida College in Temple Terrace.

He has since preached at Dundee Church of Christ in Polk County, Trilacoochee Church of Christ and he has been at Dade City Church of Christ for 15 years.

“When I got to Dade City Church of Christ, I decided I didn’t want to be one of those preachers that just stays in the office,” West said. “I wanted to be out in the community working. I was ready to learn what it is like to work for a living.”

West said he plans to approach his job at the chamber the same way he approaches his job as a preacher.

“I want people to eventually become self sufficient,” West said. “I like to help develop people to make them more independent so I can find more people to help. The goal at the chamber is to develop people into becoming board members and chairs of the organization.”

Through the years, he started a career in journalism with a job first at Pasco News where he did everything but print the East Pasco Business Focus, a monthly tab.

Then he became the community relations manager for Pasco and Hernando counties at The Tampa Tribune. After he was laid off in November 2008, he started looking for another job. After working for a while as a business assistant specialist at the Health Department, he ended up at the chamber.

“I never had training for any of the jobs I ever had,” West said. “I have just done a lot of things and I am a quick learner.”

In addition to all of his job experience, West also brings with him to the job his extensive experience working with organizations like the Rotary, The Toastmasters Club, The Pasco Boys and Girls Club and Morningstar Fishermen.

He has helped to start seven Rotary clubs in the area including one pilot project on-line rotary club for people in the Southeast United States and the Caribbean. For information on the club, visit rotaryclub34.org.

“It is great because it reaches out and allows more people to be involved in the Rotary,” West said. “They are good for people who are unable to attend a weekly meeting who either do too much travel or for people who have disabilities and can’t get out. It is also useful for club members who miss a meeting to be able to get credit.”

Most recently he began a Toastmaster club in Wesley Chapel because he said it is a very useful skill for people to learn.

“It is a very supportive environment,” West said. “It is a great way to get comfortable speaking in front of people. People can learn many valuable business skills. We all like to talk, it is just hard to do in front of a crowd.”

For more information, visit www.wesleychapelchamber.com.

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

ZEPHYRHILLS — It would not be a Friday night at Zephyrhills High School during the football season without Greg First’s voice, but his work on the east side of Pasco County goes further than that.

He has lived in Zephyrhills for more than 50 years and was the president of the Sunrise of Pasco abuse center. He spent two years on the board of directors of the San Antonio Rattlesnake Festival and is a member of the Conservative Club of East Pasco. His work in the community has earned him the Lincoln Heritage Award, given annually by the Conservative Club.

“I can think of about a thousand others that should get the award before me,” First said. “It’s really humbling to be receiving it.”

The award has been given for the last seven years to the person who has demonstrated community service throughout their lifetime. First will receive his award at a ceremony Feb. 26 at Zephyr Palms Events Centre, 4645 Airport Road in Zephyrhills,

“The previous year’s winner always presents the new winner with the award,” said Dick Albrecht, Conservative Club vice president. “Last year Wilton Simpson was the winner, and he is every bit as deserving as Greg. They’re both great people and do a lot for the community.”

First has been a member of the Conservative Club for more than two years. The club has members from Zephyrhills, Dade City, Wesley Chapel and the rest of the east side of Pasco.

“Greg is the kind of person who will treat you like you’ve been his friend forever the first time he meets you,” Albrecht said. “He is the only person I’ve ever met that you can ask him a favor and he’ll do it without any follow-up. He just does things for people all the time, and that’s one of the reasons he’s receiving the award.”

Gordon Hyde will be the master of ceremonies at the event.

“He and I are business partners with Zephyr Palms Events, so I work with him about as much as anyone,” Hyde said of First. “He just can’t say no to community service. He is the voice of just about every parade in Zephyrhills and Dade City and is always out helping people. He wasn’t looking to get the award, but he absolutely deserves to have it.”

First works with Hyde, but calls the Bulldogs football games with Kerry Ryman.

“We have fun no matter how good or bad the team is,” Ryman said. “I’ve been doing the games for 20 years and Greg’s been doing it a little longer. He is just a great person and very devoted to the community here in Zephyrhills and east Pasco.”

First was born in Ohio but moved to Zephyrhills when he was very young. He and wife Jenny consider the city home. Jenny had two children from a previous relationship, Kristen and Evan Alston, who First helped raise.

The new award winner first joined the club because of his upbringing.

“I was raised to get up each day, go to school and say the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer,” First said. “I’d like to see those traditional ways of doing things come back.”

First is also a lifetime member of Amvets, a service organization for people who have served in any branch of the U.S. armed forces.

“I was in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1972, but I didn’t serve over there,” First said. “It’s nice to have an organization like Amvets where you can go and have people you can relate to. It doesn’t matter how long you served, where you served or in what branch you’ve served.”

First’s late father, James, served in the Coast Guard during World War II. Evan followed in First’s footsteps and joined the Air Force.

Many things have changed in Zephyrhills since First came to the city more than a half century ago, but he still feels the same about the area.

“It’s a great place to raise kids and live,” First said. “It still has a small town feeling where everyone tries to look out for everyone else. The community looks out for you and that’s why my family and me try to look out for the community.”