Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Pioneer Fest takes visitors on a trip through the past

February 4, 2010 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

DADE CITY—Visitors to the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village will experience life as it was many years ago at the 20^th Annual Farm Festival & Quilt Show.

The festival will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 6 and 7 at the museum, which is one mile north of Dade City off US 301 on Pioneer Museum Road.

Festivities will include a Southern Draft Horse Competition, an arts and craft show, demonstrations, live entertainment with Cowboy Tom’s Wild West Show and cowboy poetry by Les McDowell. Children’s activities include a free petting zoo and crafts.

Susan Bayes, office manager at the museum, said she thinks the festival will be a lot of fun.

“It should be an educational and fun experience,” Bayes said. “Many of the demonstrations throughout the day will teach people about the history of Florida during the 1800’s time period. There will be soap making, butter making, weaving and basket making.”

Bayes said what she is really looking forward to is the quilt show and the Hoffman Challenge Traveling Collection with dolls, quilts and clothes.

“The Hoffman quilts are small and are unreal,” Bayes said. “They are absolutely gorgeous, like a piece of art. The show goes all over the country and it is very interesting.”

In addition to showing off quilts submitted by the community, there will also be a quilt raffle. Last year the quilt show had more than 90 entries and they are expecting about the same this year.

“It is not like a juried quilt show where judges pick the quilt based on skill, this will be a people’s choice award,” Bayes said. “Visitors to the show will be given a ballot where they can vote for their favorite.”

Kathie Watts, of Zephyrhills, and her husband Gary will teach visitors about what life was like for Seminole Indians from 1835 to 1842.

“We will have a period Seminole camp,” Watts said. “It is surprising how many people don’t know their Florida history. We will teach people about the hardships they faced and how they fought the Second Seminole War only to try to protect their families and their homes.”

Watts said she and her husband will be dressed the way Seminole Indians did in that time period and doing things the way they did then.

“I will be doing things that a Seminole woman would have done,” Watts said. “I will be grinding corn and cooking Seminole corn pan bread. We will also have hands-on activities for kids and my husband will be showing how bullets were made.”

The Pioneer Florida Museum is a private non-profit history museum dedicated to preserving and teaching about Florida’s Pioneer Heritage. For more information, visit www.pioneerfloridamuseum.org or call 352-567-0262

Put the super in Super Bowl party

February 4, 2010 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

Super Bowl Sunday is one of the most popular days to stay at home and throw a party. It’s a great excuse to get together with friends, get rowdy and eat junk food.

Many elements go into planning a Super Bowl bash. Hosts have to get the right food and of course, no party is complete without decorations.

Party Scene, 2115 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes, has a selection of football party supplies, some of which are specific to the teams. In this case, the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts are fighting it out. So, decorations are blue and white, and black and gold.

Party Scene owner Lisa Vignera and her husband, Frank, have a game party every year. Frank Vignera said he thinks decorations help set the tone for the party, which is why he always makes sure to go all out. He wants everyone to have as much fun as fans at the game.

“We have wonderful decorations and all the paper goods we could need,” Vignera said. “We also have an inflatable super bowl cooler and a bunch of different cooler cozies. We really like to go all out. We throw the football around and try to make it as fun as possible.”

Even though the Wesley Chapel resident is not a loyal fan to either team playing, he has picked out the team he is rooting for.

“I think it would be good to see the Saints win,” Vignera said. “They had a rough couple of years.”

The typical fare at a Super Bowl Party might include chips, dip and other finger foods but Betsy Crisp of Land O’ Lakes said she it is important to remember to incorporate healthy snacks as well.

“I advise people to have plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables,” Crisp said. “Another thing that helps is to make a dip with non-fat sour cream or non-fat yogurt dip. It is a good time to make wiser choices and to limit amounts.”

Some of the vegetables Crisp recommends for a platter include the traditional fare like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and green peppers along with radishes, squashes, fresh green beans, zucchini and cucumber.

It’s no secret that party goers expect to eat while they watch the game. Small bite goodies are popular this year. Publix Aprons has a variety of recipes for sliders available to customers this year.

The game is just around the corner. Get shopping and have some fun.

Sliders are a popular item this year. Publix Aprons offers up this tasty treat:

Black’nd Blue Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Prep and Cook: 25 minutes (Makes 12)

Ingredients:

6 Deli fried chicken tenders
1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce
1 cup blue cheese salad dressing
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 teaspoons blackening seasoning
12 Bakery dinner rolls (sliced for buns)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut each chicken tender in half; bake 10–12 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Toss hot chicken with wing sauce. Combine salad dressing, mayonnaise, and seasoning.
Place in bun: chicken and blue cheese sauce. Serve.

CALORIES (per 1/12 recipe) 250kcal; FAT 16g; CHOL 25mg;

SODIUM 660mg; CARB 17g; FIBER 1g; PROTEIN 10g;

VIT A 2%; VIT C 0%; CALC 6%; IRON 6%

Digital Photographic Memory

February 4, 2010 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

But all I have is a photograph
And I realize you’re not coming back anymore

— “Ringo Starr”

By Randall Grantham

Community Columnist

I love technology! Sure, sometimes those endless voicemail loops are a pain in the butt, but overall, technology has streamlined our day-to-day lives and made things easier and more efficient. And just this last week, I discovered one way it can enhance crime-fighting abilities.

As loyal readers know, I am a photography nut. I’ve had a darkroom since high school and I resisted digital technology for years until it finally caught on and then surpassed film quality. Since then I’ve been slowly assembling a respectable amount of digital cameras, lenses and accessories.

One thing nice about the digital technology used in these non-film cameras is that you don’t have to worry so much about the heat in an unattended car destroying your film, so you can carry it around in the car, readily available for that unexpected shot. Well, the other day, my camera case, or should I say my suitcase sized backpack with all my lenses and my best camera, came up missing from my car.

It had been a fixture in my car but, the other day, it was nowhere to be found. After checking every possible place it could be and re-tracing my steps, I came to the conclusion that it must have been stolen. So, without much hope that the police would recover it, but in order to protect myself if it turned up at a local pawn shop, I called it in to the Sheriff’s Office.

A very nice lady deputy responded and even offered to dust my car for prints, but by then I had been in and out of it so much that I knew it would be a fruitless gesture. She asked if I had the serial number of the camera because there was a state wide database that was used for all pawned property and anything pawned had to be kept for 90 days. I now had hope that it would be recovered!

Since I hadn’t recorded the number, I first tried to call the store I bought the camera from, but that location had been closed (along with most, if not all, of University Square Mall). I then called another location and they gave me the number to the national headquarters of Ritz Camera.

HQ had no record but referred me to the extended warranty company, who had records of four previous cameras I bought, but not the one I needed. They referred me back to Ritz at a different number. This time they found the purchase, but had no other information,

By this time, I had found the receipt with some random digits on it, so I called another number at the warranty company to see if that would help. It didn’t, but this operator was able to find the purchase in question and had all the info – date of purchase, amount, camera bought, accessories included, everything except for the serial number, which was the only thing I needed.

Finally, I called Canon to see if I had, by chance, sent in the “warranty” card which is really nothing but a way for them to market more products to you. Of course, I hadn’t, but the Canon rep said there were three ways to get the information I needed: One was the warranty card, which could not be found. Two was the box. The number was on the box, but we had just thrown it out, literally, the week before, in anticipation of an impending move. The third way, which is where technology comes in, is that every single picture that you take with their cameras records the serial number and it’s contained in the metadata which can be accessed using the software that came with the camera.

Why the hell wasn’t I told this to begin with? Before I tore up the house and office and spent hours on the phone! Sure enough, I opened up one of the pictures I had taken with the camera, right clicked here, left clicked there and….BAM! Serial number found.

So, is there a happy ending to this story? Did the cops use the information to locate my camera equipment and snag the thief? Not exactly.

One of my friends realized that my camera “bag” was actually the backpack he had confused with his daughter’s book bag and let me know before I put the number on the “hot list.” I’ve got my stuff back and a newfound appreciation for how smart my stuff is.

What they really need to install in the camera, also in my keys, my phone, my wallet, etc., is a tracking beacon that can be accessed wherever it may be. Now that’s technology that I can appreciate.

Zephyrhills Heart Institute given highest rating in Tampa Bay

February 4, 2010 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

ZEPHYRHILLS — Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Heart Institute recently received the highest rating for heart disease treatment in the Tampa Bay area.

The award, Excellence in Coronary Intervention, was given to honor the institute for exceeding HealthGrade standards for cardiac disease treatment.

Zephyrhills Mayor Cliff McDuffie recently proclaimed Feb. 7 to 14 Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week in the city. Photo by Gary Hatrick.

“The reason we opened the center in January 2006 was we listened to what the Zephyrhills and surrounding community wanted,” said Gwen Alonso, director for the institute. “The process to open the Heart Institute began before I started working here six years ago because in the past we had to send people down to Tampa if they had a heart problem.”

Alonso has lived in Wesley Chapel for 11 years.

“Before the institute opened, heart patients had to leave the comfort of their community here in Zephyrhills,” she continued. “The trip was really long for patients and time is very important when dealing with heart problems.”

Lyn Acer, hospital spokeswoman, agrees with Alonso.

“Our Heart Institute provides care to adults suffering from cardiac or cardiovascular disease,” she said. “We are constantly looking at ways to improve the services we provide and to ensure we are providing our patients with most comprehensive care.”

The institute also received national accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers in April 2009 for its speedy treatment of people with heart problems. It is the only hospital in east Pasco County with such accreditation.

“Every minute counts when it comes to heart disease, and we make sure patients get care within 90 minutes of the problem starting,” Alonso said. “We have to work with (Emergency Medical Services) in the field so they recognize heart problems fast and get them to the Heart Institute quickly. So it takes a focused effort from our employees and outside groups to get the fastest treatment possible.”

The award coincides with National Heart Disease Awareness Month, which is each February. In order to spread the word about heart disease, Zephyrhills Mayor Cliff McDuffie has declared Feb. 7 to 14 as Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week in the city.

“This is the kind of thing people need to know about and it doesn’t cost the city anything to do,” McDuffie said. “This is the second year we’ve done this and I think it helps get the word out about the disease to the public.”

McDuffie’s father, Cliff McDuffie Sr., died of a massive heart attack at the age of 37.

“That really scared me about heart disease, but it turned out to not be genetic in any way,” he said. “It was a long time ago, but I still try to get the word out about heart disease when I can.”

Congenital heart defects are the most common birth defect in the United States, according to the American Heart Association, which states nine of every 1,000 babies are born with such a defect.

The Heart Institute does not treat children, but adults with congenital defects can be treated there.

“We usually send children with congenital defects to Tampa, but we can treat almost any other heart problem here,” Alonso said. “Last year we treated 2,500 patients in the Heart Institute. Of those, 800 had to have a balloon inserted to clean out a blocked artery, and 128 had open-heart surgery.”

The Heart Institute is having a four-month cardiac lecture series, which started in January. Dr. Katual Chauhan will be giving a free lecture about diabetes and high blood pressure from 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 9 at the hospital’s Wellness Center.

“The Heart Institute has saved a number of lives here because people can go to the hospital in their own city,” McDuffie said. “In the past, that long trip down to Tampa was too long for people and many died getting there. The center is very important for our population.”

The Happy Gardener

February 4, 2010 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Paul Vahue

Community Columnist

Warm, happy sunshine along with life giving rain encourages us that spring is not far away. Maple trees whose buds swell to crimson red seem to be in agreement. Unfortunately, history does not support this optimism. Typically we will have another freeze or frost before Valentines Day. Last year it was after that date. What to do, what to do, what to do?

Start by cleaning out your garden shed or garage. Properly dispose of bags of whatever that is hard as a rock. Get rid of seeds that are 2008 or older. Take old paint to your county landfill so it can be disposed of properly. Repair broken tools if not, replace them. Sharpen tools with an edge, such as loppers, hedge clippers, axes, shovels, etc. Check your gardening chemical inventory, see if any can be used now such as Malathion with oil for citrus. If you can’t read the label or the chemical has thickened or hardened contact your cooperative extension service for proper disposal. When finished with the shed you can move outside.

Fight the urge to prune and clean up cold damaged plants. Pruning just encourages succulent new growth, which is much more susceptible to cold damage. There is plenty of weeding and raking of leaves to be done. Vegetable and flower gardens can be prepped for planting. Begin by adding compost or other organic matter, such as peat moss or cow manure, to the soil. Unless you have acid loving plants such as blueberries it is wise to also add dolomite or lime to the garden as well. The recommended rate is 4-5 pounds per 100 square feet. Dolomite helps replace Calcium in the soil that has been leeched out in the rain. Dolomite also has Magnesium, which works with Nitrogen to produce chlorophyll, which makes the leaves green. Both the organic matter and the dolomite should be tilled into the garden. Now, it’s time to head back into the house.

Start planning your vegetable or flower garden. Use graph paper and lay it out to scale. For example each square equals one foot. Remember to run the rows east to west, with taller plants such as corn on the north side. Tall plants will shade the rest of the garden if they are in the wrong spot. If you don’t already have seed catalogs, many can be ordered on line for free. Some of the most popular include, burpee.com, stokeseeds.com and vermontbean.com . As soon as seeds are in hand, things like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers can be started inside. Delicate seedlings cannot be set out until after the danger of freeze or frost has passed. Many people believe on planting with the full moon. The first full moon in February is on the 28th. Planting with the moon or tides is a whole other topic. Until next time, Happy Gardening!

Goodwill opens high-profile superstore in Wesley Chapel

February 4, 2010 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

WESLEY CHAPEL—Many people probably have a pre-conceived notion of Goodwill offering used items, but the new store opening in Wesley Chapel might change that.

Michael Ann Harvey, president for marketing and public relations for Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, describes the outside of the new building as The Jetsons go to South Beach.

-The new 25,000 square-foot Goodwill, 2390 Willow Oak Road in Wesley Chapel, offers a selection of new and donated merchandise as well as a drive-thru donation lane. Photo by Suzanne Schmidt

“It is a departure from what people expect to see when they go to Goodwill,” Harvey said. “We are hoping to attract people who have never shopped here before.”

The store will be open by the beginning of February, but the grand opening will be 9 a.m. Feb. 6. In addition to offering new and donated merchandise, the store also has a drive-thru donation lane.

Ed Malnory has been managing the building of the superstore. The store offers merchandise like clothing, furniture and household items.

“It doesn’t look like your mother’s Goodwill store anymore,” Malnory said. “It is the newest prototype so everything is electronic. There are also more categories and more quantity. This store will put out close to 100,000 pieces of clothing in the store in one month. We also put out fresh goods everyday all day, so there is always something new to see. If you can’t find what you are looking for here, you won’t be able to find it anywhere.”

Mistie Bradley, the manager of the new store, said she is excited the new store is open. Photo by Suzanne Schmidt

Along the entire back wall and other parts of the store, there is a mural that represents Goodwill’s values. Harvey said the mural is titled The Power of Work.

“It shows the people we assist, our shoppers and our values like education,” Harvey said. “In one section, the clients with disabilities get assistance with daily life skills like dressing themselves and doing laundry. In another section a group of people sits around studying.”

Even though the store hasn’t opened yet, Malnory said there have been donations out in front of the store everyday for the last three weeks. He said even without that, the organization has been saving up donations for six months at their headquarters in St. Petersburg.

Mistie Bradley, manager of the new store, said she is excited to see it open. She has been waiting for this opportunity since she started at Goodwill in Land O’ Lakes 13 years ago as a cashier.

“The people I meet keep me here,” Bradley said. “They started out as just my customers, but then they became family. The new store is exciting because now I will get to meet more people.”

Many of the people on her staff in the Land O’ Lakes Goodwill store had the option of moving over to the new store or staying. She said about 10 decided to stay at the old location, 21503 Village Lakes Shopping Center, which will stay open for at least the next year.

The revenue from the stores is critical to supporting Goodwill’s programs like BookWorks. Through BookWorks, the organization brings volunteers into pre-schools and Head Start centers to read and hand out books to the children. The new store will be the headquarters for the program in Pasco County.

“Before when we would meet up with the volunteer readers, we would have to go all over the place,” Harvey said. “We are hoping now to expand the program. We need volunteers and we have to establish relationships with Head Start centers and pre-schools.”

Harvey said there are a few qualities that make for a good volunteer for the program.

“We are looking for someone who loves little children, who has a flair for drama when they read and someone who believes literacy is a key to our future,” Harvey said. “The volunteers get to teach kids to value and treasure their books.”

In addition to helping young children, Goodwill also has programs to help people with developmental disabilities.

“The programs we have are aimed at helping people get jobs so they can become self-sufficient,” Harvey said. “We offer job placement and coaching for as long as a person needs the help. Our outlet stores are also staffed by people with disabilities.”

For information, visit www.goodwill-suncoast.org.

Lutz Chiefs end partnership with PPAL

January 28, 2010 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Move to Tampa Bay Youth Football League

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

LUTZ (Change to Pasco County for all other zone) — For nearly 30 years, the Lutz Chiefs youth football and cheerleading teams have played and cheered for the Pasco Police Athletic League.

Johnathan Blalock played for the Lutz Chiefs during the Pasco Police Athletic League jamboree last year. The Chiefs played in PPAL for almost 30 years, but the organization recently joined the Tampa Bay Youth Football League. Photos by Faith Jordan-Masella of www.OurTownFLA.com.

“The first thing I want to emphasize is that the Chiefs leaving is not in any way a negative reaction to PPAL,” said Lisa Penzer, president of the Chiefs. “We just feel like PPAL is moving in a direction that is different than where we want to go as a youth athletic organization.”

Penzer has lived in Lutz for nine years and her son, Jarrett, played for the Chiefs for seven years.

Lutz will play in the Tampa Bay Youth Football League in 2010, which was made official on Jan. 1.

“The biggest issue is we are a Hillsborough team playing in a Pasco County league,” Penzer said. “The Hillsborough County Parks (Recreation and Conservation) Department made it known that it would like to see the Chiefs play in Hillsborough after the expansion of Oscar Cooler Park.”

PPAL executive director Tim Couet said, “We wish the Chiefs only the best, but Lisa told us they had to leave as part of moving into the new football complex. I told her I’d do the same thing if I was in her position.”

The park’s expansion is set for completion in late April at a cost of $3.7 million according to John Brill, HCPRC spokesman. The new park will have additional fields, including ones for soccer.

“To my knowledge no one told the Chiefs they had to join a Hillsborough league,” Brill said. “The individual teams can join leagues wherever they want as long as they follow laws for everyone. They don’t have to leave their old league just because it’s in Pasco County.”

While it is unclear if the Chiefs had pressure from HCPRC to switch leagues, it is certain the Lutz organization was unhappy with some of PPAL rules.

“For example, PPAL doesn’t let kids who are small for their age play down in a younger age class,” Penzer said. “PPAL also doesn’t have any flag football divisions anymore, which our new league does…The new league has flag football for kids 4, 5, and 6 years old.”

The Chiefs are the only Hillsborough based team in PPAL, which had 10 youth organizations before Lutz left. The remaining teams include: Land O’ Lakes Gators, Wesley Chapel Bulls, Zephyrhills Bulldogs, Dade City Pirates, Trinity Mustangs, New Port Richey Buccaneers, Crew Lake Cowboys, Hudson Cobras and West Hernando Cougars.

The loss of the Lutz team leaves PPAL with only nine members.

“We are in the processes of looking for another team if we can find one close to Pasco that is at the level of play we are used to,” Couet said. “If we can’t find another team we’ll just go on with nine and see if that works.”

The Chiefs are not the only team to join TBYFL this season. The league also added the South Pasco Steelers, Thonotosassa Giants and Brandon Ravens.

“We added almost 1,000 kids through the cheerleading and football teams joining us this year,” said Scott Levinson, TBYFL president. “We say that if we have kids playing football or cheering, then they can’t be doing something they shouldn’t be.”

Lutz will keep its traditional five football and cheerleading age groups, with the youngest division as a flag football division.

Allowing kids to “play down” an age-class and offering flag football is part of the larger focus of the TBYFL.

“We think kids have too much pressure today, so we want things to be fun here,” Levinson said. “We try to teach the kids football in a safe way, not get them ready for high school football. If they choose to play in high school that’s great, but we just want to teach them the basics and let them have fun.”

The Chiefs considered two other youth football and cheerleading leagues before joining TBYFL — the national Pop Warner league and the since disbanded West Coast league.

“It was a very hard decision to leave PPAL because when you think of the Lutz Chiefs you think of the league,” Penzer said. “It’s going to be very strange playing other teams in new places, but we did a lot of research and were very careful in selecting this new league. It was the best choice for the kids.”

The new league will be different for the players, but they will be playing against teams from such close locations as Citrus Park and Carrollwood.

“I wish PPAL only good things in the future and we have no negative feelings toward the league,” Penzer said. “We just had to make a tough choice for our kids.”

For more information on TBYFL or to sign up for the 2010 season, visit www.tbyfl.com. To learn about PPAL and its upcoming registration dates, visit www.pascopal.org.

Nick Pardo commits to St. Petersburg College

January 28, 2010 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Son of Wesley Chapel teacher is first Gator ever signed by school

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

LAND O’ LAKES — At first glance, Nick Pardo looks more like a power forward in basketball than a first baseman.

Land O’ Lakes first baseman Nick Pardo hit .333 with 25 hits, 23 runs batted in and four homeruns as a junior. Photo by Faith Jordan-Masella of www.OurTownFLA.com.

The nearly 6-foot-6, 200-pound senior has been able to utilize his size and strength to earn the first ever scholarship to a Land O’ Lakes player from St. Petersburg College, formally St. Petersburg Junior College.

“He made an impression on me from the first time I saw him play,” 13-year SPC coach Dave Pano said. “We’ll have to start signing some more of these Gators if they are all as good as Nick.”

The senior has played baseball nearly all of his life.

“It really is something I’ve always loved to do,” Nick said. “It’s such a great feeling to be signed and know where I’ll be playing next year. It’s not that far from home too and it has a great baseball program. It’s an honor to get a chance to play there.”

Nick is the son of Kim Pardo, who taught English at Gaither High for 14 years and now teaches at Wesley Chapel High.

“Baseball is just the family business,” said Gerardo Pardo, Nick’s father. “I played in the minor leagues for the Detroit Tigers for a short time and his uncle Al (Pardo) played in the majors.”

Al played four seasons in Major League Baseball, two with the Baltimore Orioles and two with the Philadelphia Phillies. Gerardo was a right handed pitcher, and Nick’s cousin, Braulio, is in the Anaheim Angels minor league system.

Nick played at Gaither during his freshman year before transferring to Land O’ Lakes. He was a wide receiver on the Gators’ football team as a junior, but decided to focus on baseball this year.

“I thought it would be best to stick with baseball,” Nick said. “I thought I’d have a chance at a scholarship as long as I didn’t get hurt playing football.”

The newly signed Nick hit .333 with 25 hits, 23 runs batted in and four homeruns as a junior.

“He’s a great player that leads by example,” Land O’ Lakes coach Calvin Baisley said. “He can do something great every time he comes up to bat and he’s also a standout defensively. He has a bright future ahead of him.”

The Gators went 16-9 in 2009, but were eliminated in the first round of the Class 5A, District 7 tournament by Wesley Chapel.

“We made the Regional Tournament when I was a sophomore and I want to get back at least there again.” Nick said. “Really I want to get to the State Tournament because this is my last year and I want to make it last as long as I can.”

Combined driving event makes its debut in Dade City

January 28, 2010 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Economy ends decade-long steeplechase

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

DADE CITY — The economy has ended many traditions in the past year, but that void is an opportunity to start new annual rituals.

Sharon Blanchard (right), co-owner of Little Everglades Ranch, with ranch general manager Katie Carris and 17-year-old Feine Dame. The horse searched for treats in the bucket, but found none.

“This is the first year we will have the Little Everglades International Combined Driving Event,” said Bob Blanchard, co-owner of Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City. “Really I’m excited about it.”

The combined event is Jan. 28 to 31 at 9 a.m. each day, and consists of three types of events: dressages, cross country marathons and obstacle competitions.

For each of the events, two to four horses carry two to three people who stand in a carriage. Each carriage has a driver and a navigator, who helps the driver guide the horses while they run and go through obstacles.

Some of the young horses at Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City. The horses are 1-year-old and will not be “broken,” or trained as riding horses, until they are nearly 2.

“It’s just incredible to me what those horses and drivers can do,” said Sharon Blanchard, co-owner and Bob’s wife. “They are beautiful animals and I love seeing what they can do.”

There will be three divisions at the competition. The most difficult level is the Federation Equestre International, followed by the Intermediate and Preliminary divisions.

While the combined event tests different skills of the horses and the riders, the dressage combines everything together.

“The horses will start off running (6 kilometers) around the ranch,” said Katie Carris, ranch general manager. “After two (veterinarian) checks to make sure the horses are all fit enough to continue, the whole team will run through six obstacles.”

Carris said the horses will run a total of 15 kilometers during the dressage this year.

“That’s why we have to make sure the horses are completely healthy,” she continued. “I takes a lot of energy to run that far while pulling two or three people. Horses get injured when they are fatigued and that’s the last thing we want to see happen.”

Teams accumulate points throughout the event for how quickly they maneuver through the obstacles with the least number of mistakes.

“They take these carriages and drive them through posts with a 10-foot gap between them,” Sharon said. “It’s amazing they don’t crash each time. If I drove through the obstacles I’d rip the front or back off my car.”

This may be the first such event at the ranch, but it will not be an ordinary combined event.

“What’s so exciting is it will be one of the (U.S.) Equestrian Federation’s selection events,” Sharon said. “That means the U.S. teams competing will be trying to qualify for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. We’ll have only the cream of the crop.”

The games will be in the fall in Kentucky. It is the first time the games have come to the United States, and 800 teams from around the world will be competing for the championship.

“There will be 55 teams, several international, who will be coming out to the event,” Carris said. “Chester Weber and Susan Gilliland of Live Oak Combined Driving Institute in Ocala will be at the event. Weber is actually the reigning world champion.”

The four-day event may grow into an annual ritual for the ranch, but another tradition fell victim to the down economy. The steeplechase at the ranch, which had been scheduled for March, has been cancelled and it is unknown if it will ever return.

The main reason for ending the steeplechase is a lack of sponsors, including last year’s primary sponsor Mercedes-Benz.

“You have to understand it costs people a lot of money to bring all their horses, equipment and people to the steeplechase,” Bob said. “We had six steeplechase races with a purse of about $100,000. Then we had stabling charges and everything else to put on the steeplechase.”

The couple said roughly 15,000 people attended last year’s one-day steeplechase, which included spectators from as far south as south Tampa, as far north as Ocala and from across Pasco County.

“We don’t really know how many people will come to the new event because it is the same weekend as the Kumquat Festival and Gasparilla,” Sharon said. “We’re thinking anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 people will come from across the county again.”

The Blanchards have owned the ranch since 1997 and have a house on the property. There are 25 horses on the 2,000 acre ranch.

“When those horses are pulling the carriages and going through the obstacles it is truly amazing,” Carris said. “It’s great to see those feisty little horses battle for the finish line.”

Carris will be the driver of the ranch’s team at the event with an old friend leading the team.

“One of the horses I’ll be driving is Feine Dame,” she said. “She is a 17-year-old Hanoverian who is just the toughest girl out there.”

Tickets can be bought prior to the event or at the gate.

If You Go

WHAT: Little Everglades International Combined Event
WHEN: Jan. 28 to 31 beginning at 9 a.m.
WHERE: 4 miles north of Dade City on Gould Road off US 301
HOW MUCH: $10
CALL: (352) 521-3661
E-MAIL:
WEB SITE: www.littleevergladessteeplechase.org.

St. Joseph’s opening postponed to Feb. 15

January 28, 2010 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

LUTZ — The first new full-service hospital built in Hillsborough County in 30 years will have to wait another two weeks longer than planned.

Surgical technician Butch Nelson demonstrates new equipment at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North. Photo by Sarah Whitman

The decision to postpone the opening of St. Joseph’s Hospital-North until Feb. 15 was made early in the day on Jan. 23, the same day the hospital opened its doors to the public for a “sneak-peak” into the hospitals services.

“We made the decision to push the opening date back to Feb. 15 to give the staff more time to train with all the equipment,” said Lisa Patterson, public relations manager. “Because of all the new and complex tools and facilities, we want to give the staff all the time they need to be ready for our first patients.”

No more information on the delay was available at press time.

The new facility, 4211 Van Dyke Road in Lutz, saw thousands of people attend the two-day “sneak-peak” event.

“It’s very exciting to see the public come out for the event,” said Jacqueline Farruggio, hospital spokeswoman. “The facility will truly bring quality healthcare closer to home for people in northwest Hillsborough and southern Pasco counties.”

For more information on St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, visit www.sjbhealth.org.