Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Sarah Whitman

Senior Staff Writer

Ana Stooks is a mother of five, a wife and a devoted pro-life advocate. She also has an extensive background in nonprofit work, marketing and business.

This made her the perfect candidate for the executive director position at the Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Pregnancy Center.

“She had all the qualities we were looking for in an executive director,” said the center’s co-founder Charlie Reese. “She has great business experience and the passion needed to run a pro-life ministry.”

The Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Pregnancy Center opened in August 2009 at 1528 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. The nonprofit offers free pregnancy testing, counseling and educational services to women of all ages. Up until now, the center ran entirely on the effort of volunteers and a 10-member board of directors.

Stooks is the first paid employee.

“I want to promote the center so that everyone in the area knows we are here,” Stooks said. “My background is in management and marketing, so I can use those skills to help the center grow. I want women to know if they have questions or are in need, we are here for them.”

Stooks is a graduate of Seton Hall University in New Jersey. She was formerly the program director for the Girl Scout Council in New York City and has worked as a training consultant for multiple businesses. More recently, she was a stay-at-home mom to her children, ages 5 to 13.

The job opening with the pregnancy center came just after her youngest entered kindergarten.

“Since all my kids are in school now, when I heard about this position, I thought it sounded like a great opportunity to help women in the community,” Stooks said. “It’s not about starting up a career, it’s about saving lives. It’s a labor of love.”

Stooks said working at the center isn’t just about counseling young girls.

“We have women come in who already have children and are struggling financially, or women who are single and unsure what to do if they are pregnant,” Stooks said. “Unplanned pregnancies can happen to all ages.”

At the center, abortion is not treated as an option.

“When a woman comes in and finds out she is pregnant, we let her know she can get through it without having to choose abortion,” Stooks said. “We offer a support system. We have volunteers who are nurses, social workers and adoptive mothers working with clients.”

If clients ask about adoption, Stooks provides them with the necessary information.

“There are so many women out there who can’t have children and want to adopt,” Stooks said. “If clients choose adoption we work with them and help them prepare mentally.”

If a client chooses to keep her baby, volunteers counsel the client from day one to delivery and provide assistance after the baby is born.

“Moms can watch videos to learn about parenting and we have a store where they can shop for baby items,” Stooks said. “If a client watches a video, or reads material we give them, they can earn points to shop in the store.”

Stooks, who attends St. Timothy’s Church in Lutz, said working at the center is about giving moms a chance to choose life instead of abortion.

“I believe it is all in God’s hands,” she said. “God has a life planned for every baby that is created. I let clients know you can be young or single and still be a great parent.”

Kathy DeSanto, a registered OB nurse, is on the board of directors at the center. She admires Stooks’ commitment to the job.

“Ana is enthusiastic about saving lives,” DeSanto said. “That is what the center is all about. It is our mission. Ana helps motivate the team and make our mission a reality.”

Stooks said her family supports her work 100 percent.

“They’ve been at the center helping, folding baby clothes in the store and organizing pamphlets,” she said. “It’s a family affair.”

The Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Pregnancy Center is funded entirely by private donations and is not affiliated with any particular church.

For information, call (813) 948-PREG

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

At Land O’ Lakes Christian School, students learn more than just their ABC’s.

The school, 5105 School Road, is adding a new program in August for 3-year-olds by Sept. 1.

Students will actually be learning their letters shapes and sounds, their numbers and pre-writing and pre-reading skills. Denise Smith is assistant to the administrator and kindergarten and elementary school coordinator.

“All those learning habits will help them as they get older,” Smith said. “They also learn how to be in a social environment. They learn when it is OK to talk and when it is not their turn.”

Through the program, students will learn more than just the alphabet and numbers.

“We develop integrity and character,” Smith said. “We want it to be Godly character. It is based on all the fundamental things they need. We teach them to be responsible, compassionate, generous and truthful. It makes them a better person, not just a better learner.”

Even though the school does offer before and after school daycare, the new program will not be a daycare program.

“We take a three-prong approach to teaching,” Smith said. “We present them with the information in a variety of methods with auditory, visual and tactile. We are reaching them on all of these levels. It needs to be engaging and fun but there also has to be enough structure for them to be able to learn.”

Many people might think 3 is too young to start teaching but Smith does not agree.

“They are eager and ready at that age,” Smith said. “They are sponges. You just have to have the proper structure for developing appropriate practices and the 3-year-olds will thrive in that environment.”

When deciding to create the program, Smith said she was thinking about what the community needed.

“We are central to Pasco and Land O’ Lakes and we are trying to meet the needs of the families here,” Smith said.

The program will be offered in three ways. Students can be enrolled in a two-day program on Tuesday and Thursday, a three-day program on Monday, Wednesday and Friday or a five-day program meeting all week.

“I know there are some children and parents who are not ready for a five day program,” Smith said. “Being able to meet people’s needs is a part of our Ministry. We serve the community through our love of Christ.”

In Robin de le Rosa’s 5-year-old kindergarten class, students are already learning to write in cursive.

Jorge Santana, 5, is in de le Rosa’s class at the school.

“I like it here because I have very many best friends,” Santana said.
Ella Knouse, 5, said she loves her class, too.

“I like my teacher because she teaches me good stuff,” Knouse said.

The school is a part of First Baptist Church of Land O’ Lakes. The church has been around 78 years and the school has been operating for more than 30 years. The school is fully accredited through the Department of Education and the PK3 and 4 programs have the gold seal, a designation from the Department of Children and Family Services for going above and beyond the basic program guidelines.

Currently there are 200 students enrolled at the school in the K4, K5 and first through 12^th grades. Class sizes for all grades are from 12-14 students.

Smith said the classes are probably going to fill up fast. Registration is open now and will continue to stay open until they fill up. For information, call (813) 995-9040 or visit www.fbclol.org/lolcs.

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

In a time when many businesses are struggling, a local balloon artist company is growing.

Land O’ Lakes resident Ben Alexander started Balloon Distractions in September 2003 with one restaurant in Tampa. He has successfully been able to expand his business to what it is today where he serves about 350 restaurants in 16 states a week. His balloon artists make balloon animals for tips and keep families with children entertained while waiting for their food.

“The company started with me, an idea and a balloon apron,” Alexander said. “Even though I have artists to work for me, I still like to go out and twist balloons a few nights a week.”

Alexander worked his last 18 months of college as a balloon artist. He graduated from Rowan University with a bachelor’s in economics and then went on to a career in sales.

“After I graduated, I sold everything from insurance to underwater cameras to Toyotas,” Alexander said. “I think a sales job is the best preparation for being an entrepreneur.”

In the beginning, Alexander’s business was not the successful, thriving entity it is today. Every year Balloon Distractions has grown and in 2008 saw a 42 percent increase and in 2009 a 62 percent increase.

“When I started the business, it was a little chaotic,” Alexander said. “It has now evolved to be a smooth running system.”

Alexander said he always knew his business would grow one day. He is still working towards his goal of having a balloon artist in 10,000 restaurants a week.

“It took three months for me to get into 20 restaurants a week,” Alexander said. “Now we add about one restaurant a day.”

His balloon artists are in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Illinois, California, Nevada, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Utah, New York, Washington, Missouri and Arizona.

His business is successful because of the three questions he asks himself about his business. The questions could be applied to any business.

Do you provide a service? Is there a demand? Are you easily replaced?

While many of the balloon artists at Balloon Distractions are college students, he has employees of all ages. In order to work for Alexander, balloon artists have to complete an application from his Web site that is based on the Myers-Briggs personality test. He also checks every balloon artist against the national sex offender’s list.

Alexander said he has four main things he looks at when hiring a balloon artist. His artists must be talkative, outgoing, enthusiastic and smart.

“I want to see what is going on with them before I hire them,” Alexander said. “Balloon artists are also getting extensive training. They have to take five written tests and they have to learn at least 20 different balloon animals and it can’t be the easy stuff. We want them to have that wow factor. We want to show the customer something they haven’t seen before.”

Alexander is also a Rotarian in the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club.

“I like being in the Rotary because it gives me a break from just thinking about money,” Alexander said. “I wanted to focus on something that had nothing to do with my business.

Jason Pratt, general manager at Cantina Laredo in Wesley Chapel, was the shift supervisor at Bennigan’s in New Tampa when Alexander was first starting out. Pratt said he was interested in bringing balloon artists in for the kid’s night. Until Bennigan’s closed its doors, an artist from Balloon Distractions was there twisting balloons for families.

“I thought it was a good way to promote our kid’s night,” Pratt said. “It was a good thing for the kids because it creates a fun environment and it is good for the parents because it gives them something to do while waiting for the food. I wanted to help build the sales for that night and we did see an increase in sales on those nights.”

For information, visit www.balloondistractions.com.

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

Hundreds of second-graders rushed onto the field at Freedom High School last Friday for the I Feel the Need to Read literacy festival.

Second-graders from MOSI Partnership Elementary School, Mort Elementary School and Riverhills Elementary School came to Freedom to participate in literacy activities. The Title 1 school students were able to color, make sentences and run through the obstacle course.

Freedom students in student government, drama, Café Freedom and cheerleading took children through the different activities.

Blake O’Connor, senior, is the president of Café Freedom club. He organized the event because he was inspired by his trip to the Aspen Ideas Fest through the Bezos Scholars Program at Aspen Institute. He was one of 12 students who were invited to meet influential people in a number of fields including Sandra Day O’ Connor, retired Supreme Court Justice and Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education.

“The whole point was to go to be inspired and bring back a program for the local community,” O’Connor said. “I had the idea to have a festival for child literacy. Literacy is the foundation for every academic field. You have to be able to read in order to be successful.”

The festival had a Dr. Seuss theme with each group of children named after a Dr. Seuss character. At the end of the celebration students came together to sing “Happy Birthday” to Dr. Seuss and eat cake.

Several organizations donated money including $1,000 from the Bezos Family Foundation, $200 from the New Tampa Rotary Club and Publix donated $100 for the cakes. The money raised was used to buy supplies for the activities and for goodie bags. Each student who attended left with a goodie bag with a book, bookmark, buttons, flashlight, pencil and handouts.

Lutz resident Mary Davis, senior, is a cheerleader at Freedom. She was helping to get the second-graders organized for the event.

“I just want the students to have fun,” Davis said. “We have a lot of things planned where the kids should have fun like the obstacle course and photo dictionary.”

Shannon Rehak, senior, was a team leader at the event. The Lutz resident said she loves working with young children.

“It is fun to watch them get so excited,” Rehak said. “I hope they have fun today and learn some new words.”

Alana Snead, second-grader at MOSI Elementary, said she had a lot of fun.

“I like that we get to do a lot of things,” Snead said. “I like art and here we get to do a lot of creations.”

Chantyana Dade, second-grader at MOSI Elementary, also loved all the activities.

“I like that we get to do this stuff with the older kids,” Dade said.
Kristin Mauro of Lutz said she wanted to help because she thinks reading is important. The Lutz resident is in the student government club at the school.

“It is a great way to get kids involved and encourage kids to read and learn,” Mauro said. “Reading is vital in today’s society; it is the foundation for everything else. Dr. Seuss is a great way to do it.”

Senior Lyndsie Sigler of Lutz took it a step further by dressing up as Cindy Lou Who from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”

“We are trying to get the kids excited about reading,” Sigler said. “The sentence formation activity is great because it helps with their grammar and sentence formation.”

Fabian Aceves of Lutz joined the Café Freedom Club because he wants to help children learn to read. Through the club, students from the school go to Title 1 schools in the area to read to second-graders.

“Literacy is very important for children,” Aceves said. “Some families don’t have the option to get their kids books or they can’t read to them because they don’t speak English. This helps them to learn how to read, which is important because not many people read anymore.”

Rosemary Owens, assistant principal for curriculum at Freedom, said she was impressed by how much work the students did to organize the event.

“This has been an amazing process to see,” Owens said. “It is exciting to see the enthusiasm and passion they have to make this happen. I have found a level of caring you wouldn’t think would be in high school students.”

The event went so well Owens said the juniors involved hope to do it again next year, but next year they want to make it bigger. By the end of a few years, she is hoping to get all the high schools and Title 1 schools in the area involved.

Owens said the students learned a lot of valuable skills from organizing the event.

“They learned to network,” Owens said. “They learned not to take no for an answer or to find an alternative route. Hopefully our young guests will remember this day years from now when they pick up a book to read.”

By Sarah Whitman

Senior Staff Writer

Even though the unemployment rate in Pasco County rose to 14.3 percent and Hillsborough to 12.7 percent in January, economists say people should not lose hope.

“It’s typical in a recession cycle for unemployment to continue to rise even after recovery has started,” said John Hagen, president of the Pasco Economic Development Council. “Employers are reluctant to hire until they see the economy has really turned around. Things should start to pick up after the dust settles but that isn’t a lot of comfort to people who are out of work right now.”

David Hamilton, management consultant for the Pasco Hernando Workforce Board, said the situation is harsh.

“Lay-offs keep happening and none of the major markets are hiring right now,” he said

“Retail is flat, government isn’t hiring, schools aren’t hiring. It’s the economic conditions we’re in.”

Hamilton is a consultant with Career Central, a program sponsored by the Pasco Hernando Work Force Board to help the unemployed find work. The program has three offices and a mobile unit where people can go to get advice and find out about possible job opportunities. Offices are located in Spring Hill, New Port Richey and at 6038 Gall Blvd. in Zephyrhills. The mobile unit will be at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 26.

“We work with people so they can be prepared and have their resumes ready,” Hamilton said. “It’s all about how you present yourself.”

Michael Blanchard of Land O’ Lakes has been out of work for more than two years. He previously worked as an insurance adjuster.

“I’ve sent out more than 100 resumes,” he said. “I’ve had three call backs and one interview. I haven’t been able to land anything.”

Hamilton said competition is fierce for the few jobs that are out there. He encourages applicants to learn how to network. He suggests carrying a flash drive with a resume on it and keeping it on hand at all times.

Vonnie Mikkelsen, executive director of the Zephyrhills Chamber, has similar advice.

“You have to get out and about, even if you don’t feel like it sometimes,” she said. “It’s important to go to networking groups and keep current on your skills. Volunteering is also good because you’re out meeting people and have access to job leads.”

Hamilton said there are fields looking to hire these days.

“In the Pasco area, there is growth in the health care field,” he said. “It’s also good if you have a very specific technical skill, like if you’re a welder.”

Jerry Karp, a business analyst with the Small Business Development Center in Lutz, said entrepreneurship is on the rise.

“There’s been an increase in the number of people seeking counsel on how to start up a business,” Karp said. “They can’t find a job, so they want to know what they can do to go to work for themselves.”

The unemployment rate for the state of Florida is recorded at 11.9 percent. More than a million Floridians are job searching.

Mikkelsen hopes to see the market change soon.

“This situation is a great concern to all of us in the business of business,” she said. “It’s extremely frustrating. We’re hoping to see it bottom out soon and then start getting better.”

By Joe Potter

Special to The Laker

The hundreds of people who planned and assisted with Zephyrhills’ 100th anniversary celebration knew they had one chance to get it right. They could hold their heads high after last Sunday’s conclusion.

Founders Day and its many events — carnival, parade, fireworks, community church service and time capsule dedication — were coordinated by Brenda Welcher, executive director Main Street Zephyrhills Inc. She worked closely with the Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, Zephyrhills Police Department and numerous other organizations in her planning.

Welcher was literally speechless at the end of the three-day event. But Keith and Cassandra Anderson of Haliburton, Ontario, and John MacDiarmid of Zephyrhills summed up the success of Founders Day 2010.

The Andersons have spent the last eight winters in Zephyrhills and have attended several Founders Days. This year’s event was by far the best, Cassandra said. “The parade was great,” added Keith.

MacDiarmid said Founder’s Day, “was really an amazing thing that took place in Zephyrhills. The parade was a parade of all parades. It was very, very spectacular.”

Thousands of people lined Fifth Avenue and Seventh Street the morning of March 13 to watch the 118-unit parade that took two hours to proceed.

The parade featured grand marshals who represented each of the past 10 decades. Area mobile home or recreational vehicle communities were represented in 12 of the units. “Royalty” from the parks rode in convertibles while spectators marveled at their crowns and colorful garb. Churches were represented in six of the units.

Bands from Zephyrhills High School, Raymond B. Stewart Middle School, Pasco Middle School, J.W. Mitchell High School and Pine View Middle School provided musical entertainment.

The only centennial event cancelled was skydivers dropping into Zephyr Park because of high wind gusts. Still, hundreds gathered at the park to watch fireworks shoot from a pontoon boat in the middle of Lake Zephyr. Fireworks lit up the night and detonations could be heard miles away.

The 2010 Founders Day celebration ended Sunday afternoon with the dedication of a time capsule on Veterans Walkway at Zephyr Park. The time capsule will be filled later this month with more than 60 items of historical and sentimental significance from the city’s first 100 years. Items to be included are local newspaper stories about the Centennial, a Michigan license plate, the book “Zephyrhills — Images of America”  by Madonna Wise, 2010 yearbook from Zephyrhills High School (also founded in 1910) and sports memorabilia from Zephyrhills natives Dave Eiland, pitching coach for the NY Yankees, Dave Reutimann, NASCAR driver and Ryan Pickett, lineman for the Green Bay Packers

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

The hundreds of children who race at Tampa BMX Raceway in Lake Park now have a newly refurnished track to race on.

“We are recapping the track with fresh clay mixed with binding chemicals to make it like concrete,” said Art Heinrichs, president of Tampa BMX. “That will make the grip better for the racers and prevent erosion during the big race coming up.”

The improvements are in preparation for a Gator Nationals race April 9 to 11 at the park, 17302 Dale Mabry Highway. Last year there were 3,500 spectators for the race. This year there will be 1,000 riders and Heinrichs said he expects at least as many people to come and watch. Some of the riders were participants in the 2008 Summer Olympics and many will try and qualify for the 2012 games in London.

Improvements to the raceway were finished March 14 and were paid for by Tampa BMX, which is a nonprofit organization. The new clay, chemicals and equipment cost about $1,500.

“All our income comes from practice fees, race fees and sponsorships,” Heinrichs said. “We don’t get any of the fees to enter Lake Park.”

It costs $3 for a two-hour practice session at the park and either $2 or $4 for a competition depending on the type of race. The $2 fee to enter the park goes to the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department. Heinrichs said the organization does not charge anything to watch the race.

The fee to enter the park started last October, but those in Tampa BMX have not seemed to mind.

“I’ve been to many races at other parks that charge $5 to get in, so the $2 here is nothing,” said M.J. Peters, Land O’ Lakes resident and BMX racer. “If there had been a $2 fee before then no one would even notice now. The reaction to the fees is only because it is something new. People just have to get used to it.”

Peters, 25, started racing in 1995 and currently races in the expert class for people 19 to 25 years old. Other large BMX racetracks in the Tampa Bay area are in St. Petersburg, Riverview and Sarasota.

“The county needed more revenue to support the park,” Heinrichs said. “I’m actually surprised it didn’t happen years ago. I think it hurt the number of racers we had at first, but now the racers are all back and Tampa BMX is as strong as ever.”

Heinrichs added that Tampa BMX would not be able to put on large races like Gator Nationals without the help of the county, which provides things like bleachers and trash cans.

BMX stands for Bicycle Moto-cross. The bikes are designed to travel on uneven terrain and the racetracks usually have obstacles to avoid as well.

Racers at Tampa BMX are generally from north Hillsborough county and Land O’ Lakes. Riders can be as young as 2 years old, but children that young need to have an adult present for them to ride.

Heinrichs said all riders must have a BMX license and insurance to race on the track, which costs $50 per year. He also said those in financial need can qualify for a waiver of the license and insurance fee. The organization also loans out certain equipment.

Heinrichs, who became the president three years ago, said he and other volunteers receive no money for their work with Tampa BMX, adding that most volunteers are riders or parents wanting to help their children.

“My son Tyler (14) rides, but I didn’t know anything about BMX riding until he started,” Heinrichs said. “My daughter Allie (16) also rides.”

Another young rider at the park is 13-year-old Randy Howard, who races in the 13-novice class and has been riding for two years.

“I just love going fast, jumping and winning,” said Howard, who lives in Lutz. “It’s just fun to get faster…My little brother (Riley) rides too and I get to teach him how to ride faster.”

Riley is 9 years old.

Peters agrees with Howard.

“I love the thrill of being on the track,” Peters said. “When you’re racing you are your own team and you’re the only one that decides if you win or lose. It is really addicting.”

Peters also stated how much better and faster the track will be now that the improvements are completed.

“I can’t wait for Gator Nationals,” Howard said. “It’s my first time in it and I hope I win.”