Land O' Lakes News

More development proposed near Tampa Premium Outlets

December 2, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Another residential and commercial project is proposed for development on the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor, near Tampa Premium Outlets and the Cypress Creek Town Center.

Pasco County planners are reviewing a zoning request for about 32 acres owned by Highway 54/56 LLC. The sale of the property is pending approval of the project.

Lutz businessman Carl Anderson is the company’s manager, according to state records.

The site — named Brightwork Crossing — is north of State Road 54 and State Road 56, and west of County Road 54, also known as Wesley Chapel Boulevard. The site is behind the Walgreen’s drugstore and nearby gas station, on both sides of Old State Road 54.

A couple of cows graze on land that is proposed for future residential and commercial development near Tampa Premium Outlets and behind Walgreen’s drugstore, off State Road 54. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo) — A couple of cows graze on land that is proposed for future residential and commercial development near Tampa Premium Outlets and behind Walgreen’s drugstore, off State Road 54.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

The proposal from Tampa-based Brightwork Real Estate is to build a 100-room hotel and up to 115,000 square feet of retail on about 14 acres on the east side of the site. Up to 350 apartments are planned on about 13 acres on the west side of the site. The plan also includes open space.

About 1½ acres would be added to the county’s critical linkage pathways to preserve natural resources and wildlife. In return, developers are seeking a land swap and for the county to vacate a section of Old State Road 54, which bisects the site and is a cut-through for motorists navigating State Road 54 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

A neighborhood park would be built as an amenity within the apartment complex. There also would be a park-and-ride facility with 100 parking spaces and a bus transit stop.

No dates are scheduled yet for either a recommendation from the county’s Development Review Committee, or for a public hearing before the Pasco County Commission.

Published December 2, 2015

Toys for Tots delivers holiday cheer

November 25, 2015 By Michael Murillo

When a doctor told a mother that her son suffering from a muscular diseases needed a bicycle to keep his muscles moving, she turned to the Toys for Tots for help.

She couldn’t afford a bicycle, so she went to the organization’s toy distribution event a couple of years ago.

“When she got there, she was about the third to the last parent there, and we had one bike left. We handed that bike to her, and she crumbled right there in front of us,” recalled Herb Roshell, captain of the Toys for Tots efforts in Land O’ Lakes and part of Lutz.

“It’s those kinds of experiences that keep us empowered to do this,” he said.

The United States Marine Corps Reserve has been doing this for more than 65 years, creating a national program that distributes toys to needy children during the holidays.

In Roshell’s area alone, the program has distributed to more than 500 children from nearly 400 families last year.

Each child gets two to three toys, plus games for the family and stocking stuffers.

Toys are laid out so parents and guardians can go ‘shopping’ and choose the right toys for their children. They depend on drop-off boxes at local businesses and the Dec. 5 postal service pickup for the bulk of donations. (Photo courtesy of Bob Loring) — Toys are laid out so parents and guardians can go ‘shopping’ and choose the right toys for their children. They depend on drop-off boxes at local businesses and the Dec. 5 postal service pickup for the bulk of donations.
(Photo courtesy of Bob Loring)

To keep up with this year’s demand, the program is back with its familiar toy drop-off boxes in various businesses in the community.

Roshell estimates that around 100 locations will sign up for the boxes, and collect new, unwrapped toys for children of various ages.

The U.S. Postal Service also will collect toys that residents leave out by their mailboxes on Dec. 5.

Toys will be distributed Dec. 19 at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., beginning at 8 a.m.

Those toys might not seem like much in the big picture, but to a mother struggling to provide for her family or a child who sees their peers with gifts, it means a lot.

“If we didn’t have it, it would really hurt our community a lot,” Roshell said.

His wife, Stephanie, knows that firsthand. As a young single mother, she used Toys for Tots when she moved and found out her job had been eliminated. She now spends her time helping those in need, and recognizes the empowerment of simple kindnesses.

“I was homeless as a teenager and vowed that if I ever came out of my poverty state that I would never, ever forget about the children and the youth that are struggling,” Stephanie said. “I’ve stood in their shoes before, and I know personally how it made me feel, so I want them to feel that same sense of gratification that I felt.”

Parents or guardians who utilize Toys for Tots feel like they’re shopping when the toys are selected.

At the distribution center Dec. 19, they get assistance from “deputized elves” to help pick out just the right gift for their children. The “elves” are volunteers who meet with regional coordinator Bob Loring, and pledge to offer support and encouragement at the event to help parents choose gifts.

Just being able to provide some holiday cheer for their family boosts family bonds, according to the Roshells.

“It bridges that gap in the family, so the child is looking to that parent as still being that hero,” Stephanie said.

For those parents to remain heroes, the Roshells and many others in the Toys for Tots program work hard to make each year a success.

In the Land O’ Lakes area they expect to collect 1,700 to 2,000 items for distribution. And, unless there’s a large need elsewhere or they have a surplus, the toys donated within the community, stay here.

While individuals and businesses are generous with donations, there are specific needs each year that pose a challenge.

Children between 8 and 12, especially boys, usually receive the least donations, Herb Roshell said.

Boys that age like handheld games and girls enjoy makeup kits, and Toys for Tots wants to make sure there are enough to go around.

The postal service pickup is an important method of toy collection, but response has dropped off in recent years.

The postal service doesn’t cover the organization’s postage anymore, so it’s up to them to get the word out about the Dec. 5 collection date.

Helping those in need makes Dec. 19 a special day for families who wouldn’t otherwise have presents for their children.

And, it’s pretty special for the Toys for Tots family, too, since they get to see their efforts pay off with a bounty of gifts going to local homes, making families’ holidays a little brighter.

For people like Stephanie Roshell, who has been on both sides, it’s an important part of the holiday season.

For information about the Toys for Tots program, and to find out how to apply for assistance, contact the Roshells at or call (813) 713-5197.

Published November 25, 2015

Parents oppose proposed Elem W boundaries

November 25, 2015 By B.C. Manion

Scores of parents from the communities of Arbor Woods and Northwood are opposed to proposed school boundaries that would send their children from their Wesley Chapel community over to Denham Oaks Elementary, in Lutz.

About 100 people showed up at a community meeting on Nov. 19 to seek changes to the proposed boundaries for Elementary W, a new school being built off Mansfield Boulevard.

They told officials they understand that Seven Oaks Elementary needs relief from overcrowding, but they don’t want their children to be sent to a school in a different community.

They raised numerous concerns.

Vince Iglio, a parent from Arbor Woods, questioned the school district’s projections regarding future growth, particularly in the area of Denham Oaks Elementary. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos) — Vince Iglio, a parent from Arbor Woods, questioned the school district’s projections regarding future growth, particularly in the area of Denham Oaks Elementary.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

They don’t want to contend with the traffic on State Road 56, particularly near Interstate 75.

They don’t want their children to leave an A-rated school to go to one with a lower grade.

They want their children to have access to the same programs and services that they now enjoy at their current school.

They’re concerned about how the shift will affect which middle school and high school their children will attend.

And, they question the accuracy of the district’s projections.

They want district officials to change the boundaries so children in Arbor Woods and Northwood can attend Sand Pine Elementary, which is closer to where they live.

Elementary School W, now under construction off Mansfield Boulevard, is intended to provide some relief for Seven Oaks and Double Branch elementary schools. It also has some space available to accommodate anticipated growth, said Chris Williams, director of planning for Pasco County Schools.

A boundary committee for Pasco County Schools has recommended a number of shifts that would affect the boundaries of Seven Oaks, Double Branch, Sand Pine and Denham Oaks.

Williams said the committee considers a number of factors when recommending school boundaries.

Those include school capacity, current enrollment and growth projections. The committee also attempts to avoid splitting subdivisions and considers traffic, he said.

Vince Iglio, representing Arbor Woods, said his neighborhood has just 25 students, which would have a negligible impact, if the students were assigned to Sand Pine.

Chris Williams, the director of planning for Pasco County Schools, explains the process used by a boundary committee to make recommendations regarding a school’s boundaries to the Pasco County School Board, which makes the final decision.

But, Williams said, if Arbor Woods were assigned to Sand Pine, the district should also consider other parts of Northwood, which would yield an impact of roughly 200 students.

Iglio questioned the district’s projections for Denham Oaks. He said the school could become overcrowded as early as next year, given the development that’s springing up in the area.

Williams said he expects that all of the schools affected by Elementary W’s boundaries will continue to grow, but some areas are expecting greater growth pressures.

Jennifer Northey, president of the Parent Teacher Association at Denham Oaks, told parents gathered in her school’s cafeteria that she understood why they were fighting the move. She said she’d be doing the same thing if her school’s boundaries were being changed and her family was affected.

She said she came to the meeting to reassure the parents that good things are happening at Denham Oaks.

David Scanga, a district administrator who supervises numerous schools, including Denham Oaks, said he understands parent’s concerns. He told them that Denham Oaks has been making great strides in improving its performance.

Ali Soofi, a resident of Arbor Woods, detailed some of the concerns of the Arbor Woods community in an email to The Laker/Lutz News.

“All of us knew that eventually we would be rezoned to a different school,” Soofi wrote. “However, none of us realized that we would be moved to a different city.

“Zero part of our rationale has to do with any school ratings,” Soofi added. “We just want to stay in Wesley Chapel, where we spend all our time, money, and worship.”

The Pasco County School Board has the final word on school boundaries, and it is slated to consider the boundaries at public hearings set for Dec. 1 and Dec. 15.

Elementary W boundary hearings
What: Public hearings for proposed boundaries for Elementary W, a new school which will open next school year in Wesley Chapel.
When: Dec. 1 at 9:30 a.m., and Dec. 15 at 6 p.m.
Where: Pasco County Schools district complex, Building No. 3 North, at 7205 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

Published November 25, 2015

Antiques from rustic to elegant at Shabby Shack

November 18, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Golf can wait – at least for now. Antiques are so much more fun.

So, Laura Sanderson has put her golf career on hold, and has set up shop at Shabby Shack Antiques & Vintage.

The shop’s name is a twist on the Bill Murray movie, “Caddyshack,” a classic comedy about what else – golf.

But, let’s forget golf for the moment.

Inside Shabby Shack, antiques and collectibles fill the floors, nooks and crannies of seven rooms.

Elephants are the motif for a pair of table art decorations at Shabby Shack. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photos) — Elephants are the motif for a pair of table art decorations at Shabby Shack.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

The wares are from personal family treasures, garage sales and thrift stores.

“This has been a passion of my whole family, collecting antiques and unusual things,” said Sanderson. “I’m at a point in my career when it was good to put it on pause, and go for it,” Sanderson said.

She is the new owner of the former Family Treasures’ property. That long-time business on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard bought and sold coins, metal detectors and collectibles.

The location also once operated as an antique shop, known as Calamity Jane.

Shabby Shack, at 4312 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., is stepping out with its own sense of style.

Sanderson asked her family members to “thin out” their antiques at home, and bring them to Shabby Shack.

On weekends, she also combs through garage sales and thrift shops on the lookout for the one-of-a-kind item.

Laura Sanderson is putting her golf career on hold for another passion – antiques. She opened Shabby Shack in October.

“It’s not straight antiques. I have modern too, if it’s unusual,” she said. “I like things that have form and function.”

Her favorites are art deco and mid-century Modern.

In her spare time, she goes creative and repurposes what seems to have lost its function. An old camera with a flash attachment, for instance, becomes a lamp. Map pages from an atlas become the foundation for wreaths.

A large, wooden biplane hangs from a ceiling, waiting for its transformation.

“It would be the perfect lamp hanging over a pool table,” said Sanderson, who is a graduate of Brandon High School.

She began playing golf as a youngster, but didn’t become a professional golfer until age 40.

She worked for more than 25 years as a golf pro at area country clubs, including The Groves and Meadow Oaks.

She moved to Land O’ Lakes about six years ago.

Shabby Shack is in a spot along U.S. 41 that Sanderson hopes is ready for redevelopment.

A large, wooden biplane hangs from a ceiling at Shabby Shack. Shop owner Laura Sanderson thinks it would make a perfect hanging lamp over a pool table.

“I believe in Land O’ Lakes,” she said. “I so badly want to see something happen along U.S. 41.”

And, she’s eager for Shabby Shack to be a part of that transformation.

On a mid-day on Tuesday, Land O’ Lakes resident Margaret Dillard dropped by to purchase a pulley. She had her eye on it for a few days.

“I don’t know where you’re shopping (for antiques), but you’re getting some mighty nice things,” she told Sanderson.

Dillard said she enjoys the surprises that can be found at Shabby Shack. The shop caters to all tastes from rustic to elegant, she said.

Sanderson said her goal at the shop is to “turn, turn, turn. I want new truckloads every week. I don’t want stale inventory.”

Merchandise generally is priced on the lower end of the scale, from $3 to $200.

Sanderson’s husband helps with lawn maintenance around the property, which also has a smaller building in the rear. Sanderson hopes to rent that out, possibly for another antiques space.

For now, Shabby Shack is pretty much a one-woman show.

“I’m just stepping out on a leap of faith,” Sanderson said.

What: Shabby Shack Antiques & Vintage
Where: 4312 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Information: (813) 501-4900

Published November 18, 2015

Efforts yield socks and shoes for charity

November 11, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Land O’ Lakes’ brothers, Owen and Grady Matthew, want to provide socks for the homeless.

And, Zephyrhills retiree Janet Chubinsky wants to give new shoes to children in need.

The efforts are separate, but both are making strides in reaching their goals to help others.

Kid President, a YouTube character played by 11-year-old Robby Novak, inspired the Matthew brothers to get involved.

Owen Matthew, left, and Grady Matthew challenged students and families at Countryside Montessori Charter School to a sock drive that collected 1,552 socks for the Salvation Army. (Courtesy of Countryside Montessori Charter School) — Owen Matthew, left, and Grady Matthew challenged students and families at Countryside Montessori Charter School to a sock drive that collected 1,552 socks for the Salvation Army.
(Courtesy of Countryside Montessori Charter School)

Kid President declared the month of October as “Socktober,” and challenged children across the nation to host sock drives to help homeless people.

Sixth-grader Owen and second-grader Grady embraced the challenge, and enlisted the help of nearly 300 students and their families at Countryside Montessori Charter School in Land O’ Lakes.

By the end of the month, the sock drive doubled its goal of 770 socks by donating 1,552 socks to the Salvation Army.

“We have amazing parents,” said Holly DePiro, volunteer and fundraising coordinator for Countryside Montessori Charter School. “You ask, and they go with the cause. The kids get excited.”

Though it was a one-time event, DePiro said it could be repeated. “If there is a need out there, then we’re on it,” she said.

The school is having a food drive in November.

Students also are collecting leftover Halloween candy to send to troops overseas for Operation Gratitude.

A toy drive is planned for December.

Chubinsky, 81, transplanted a shoe donation program she started in Tennessee to Pasco County when she and her husband retired to Zephyrhills four years ago.

“I need to have something to do,” Chubinsky said.

Lachoochee Elementary School students, Damarko Cross, 5, and his sister, Demyia Cross, 7, show off the new shoes they got from COPE (Children Outreach Program Effort). (Courtesy of COPE) — Lachoochee Elementary School students, Damarko Cross, 5, and his sister, Demyia Cross, 7, show off the new shoes they got from COPE (Children Outreach Program Effort).
(Courtesy of COPE)

Her daughter, an educator in Tennessee, suggested that Chubinsky visit area schools to find out what they needed.

On her first visit to Raymond B. Stewart Middle School in Zephyrhills, she heard a familiar response. Thirty-six students at the school needed shoes.

“The goose bumps went right through my body,” Chubinsky said.

She delivered 36 pairs of donated shoes within days and the Children Outreach Program Effort (COPE) was off and running.

Chubinsky, the organization’s program director, enlisted two friends to help and they dubbed themselves “Two and a half women.” When the program began, two of the volunteers were retired and one worked part-time, she explained.

This year Chubinsky anticipates giving away 900 pairs of shoes.

She works with Pasco County Schools’ ABC coordinators at 10 schools to deliver pairs of shoes, and socks, as requested, to area schools.

The school district’s ABC program seeks to help students who don’t have appropriate clothing, shoes that don’t fit or who eat all of their meals at school.

Chubinsky has 11 volunteers but would love more.

“We don’t have enough volunteers or a place to house our shoes,” she said.

Local civic groups and area businesses, such as the Elks, Eagles, Sunshine Eatery, Methodist Ladies Club and Rotary clubs, give generously.

COPE also received 300 pairs of shoes from Sole4Souls, a global nonprofit that fights poverty by collecting and distributing clothes and shoes. COPE paid Sole4Souls $2 a pair for freight costs, Chubinsky said.

She may be retired, but Chubinsky keeps busy.

She tools around in a 2000 model SUV with magnetic signs displaying the COPE logo – a large sneaker.

The sign has attracted some interest from people who want to volunteer, she said.

COPE meets the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m., at various locations. Plans are in the works for fundraising events in 2016.

“It’s God’s work,” Chubinsky said. “We’re all volunteers.”

For information on COPE and its meetings, contact Chubinsky at (352) 668-4397 or .

Published November 11, 2015

A four-legged friendship tale

November 11, 2015 By Michael Murillo

As a professional writer for 25 years, Grace Maselli has penned everything from philanthropist features to executive summaries for advisory boards. She’s garnered compliments from CEOs, and praise from audiences when she reads her poetry.

But, her upcoming audience has her a little nervous.

It’s a gathering of elementary school children.

“They’re a tough bunch, man,” Maselli observed.

The real Francis and the real Coco do live together with author Grace Maselli and her family in their Land O' Lakes home. And, just like in her children's book, they're good friends. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo) — The real Francis and the real Coco do live together with author Grace Maselli and her family in their Land O’ Lakes home. And, just like in her children’s book, they’re good friends.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

Fortunately, Maselli isn’t bringing a business profile or a PowerPoint presentation. Instead, she’ll read her first children’s book, “Francis and Coco: A Tale of Two Unlikely Friends,” on Nov. 15 at 2 p.m., at the Wilderness Lake Preserve Lodge, 21320 Wilderness Lake Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

Like her other nonfiction writing, the story of Francis, the poodle/Pekingese dog, and Coco the guinea pig, is real. They live with Maselli’s two other dogs, her two children and her husband. And, the story takes place in conjunction with their frequent moves before settling in Land O’ Lakes.

And yes, Francis and Coco really are friends.

“Francis will let her scramble all over his body. He’ll roll back. She curls up with him,” Maselli said. “They honestly get along.”

She wanted their story to be both authentic and relatable. Adults will recognize the familiar struggle parents feel when they allow a child to have a new pet, worrying how they’ll assimilate and interact with other pets. And she wants children to see the story as an example of very different beings coexisting and forging a special friendship.

“To me, this is universal because animals accept one another, and they don’t care if you’re a kangaroo or a lion,” Maselli said. “And, I think that, metaphorically, life would be a lot different for us if we didn’t judge people by their surfaces.”

“Francis and Coco” is a story for third-graders, but Maselli didn’t want to limit herself to simple words and phrases. The story contains words like “persistent,” “bluster,” and even “falderal” — which means trivial or nonsensical behavior.

Maselli wanted to tell a story and expose children to bigger words, acclimating them to some elevated language without making it difficult to follow the story. Parents might read the story to them, giving them the experience of hearing the language. If they end up learning new words, she considers that a bonus.

To accommodate the children who will be in attendance, Maselli plans to have assistants holding up the pages as she reads, making it easier to follow along. She wants the auditory experience to be a positive one, and the story easy to follow.

That story begins with Francis as a nervous puppy, and ends with a new friendship when another animal joins the fold. In between, the family disagrees on how things will turn out, and some members come around to the idea of new pets and how they’ll get along together.

Maselli hopes the realistic elements of the story appeals to children and those who might read it to them.

So far, the feedback has been very positive, she said.

In fact, one family member, who has a 2-year-old son, told her that he’s been captivated by the story.

“She sent me a picture of him thumbing through it, and he’s talking about the characters in the book,” Maselli said.

While it’s a different type of writing for her, it wasn’t an easy project.

Much of the story came to her at once, but she put it away for a while before returning to it.

Now that the work is done, she wants to not only entertain young children and teach them about getting along with someone different, but also have something for her teenage children to remember as a memento of a certain point in their lives.

“To me, this is more like something I want to leave for my kids as a gift from me after I’m gone,” Maselli said.

For information about Maselli’s book, visit TatePublishing.com or GraceMaselli.com.

Published November 11, 2015

Traditions on the Green needs vendors

November 11, 2015 By B.C. Manion

The Heritage Park Foundation and the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce are gearing up for this year’s “Traditions on the Green.”

The event will feature a pancake breakfast with Santa, concerts on “the green” by local high school and middle school bands, and performances by elementary school choirs.

It also will offer crafts for kids and cookie decorating.

The award-winning teen puppet team from Van Dyke United Methodist Church will perform, too.

Live musical entertainment always plays a big role in the annual ‘Traditions on the Green’ event at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center. This year, the event is planned for Dec. 12. Sponsors and vendors are needed. (File Photo) — Live musical entertainment always plays a big role in the annual ‘Traditions on the Green’ event at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center. This year, the event is planned for Dec. 12. Sponsors and vendors are needed.
(File Photo)

Vendors will sponsor a Holiday Scavenger Hunt, with the winner receiving a $50 Walmart gift card, said Sandy Graves, of the Heritage Park Foundation.

The event is slated for Dec. 12 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and will be at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5402 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

While planning efforts are in full gear, organizers are looking for vendors and sponsors to help pull it off, Graves said.

This is the first year the event will be able to take advantage of the upgraded park, which has undergone a $2.4 million renovation.

Next year, Graves hopes that the planned outdoor stage at the park will be available for the annual event’s performing groups.

“Traditions on the Green” aims to be fun, inexpensive, community event, said Graves, who wants to revive the old-fashioned fun she had while growing up in Land O’ Lakes.

Anyone would like to participate in “Traditions on the Green” should call Tina Gibbons at the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce at (813) 909-2722 or Sandy Graves, with the Heritage Park Foundation, at (813) 817-3011.

Published November 11, 2015

Creating art from life

October 28, 2015 By B.C. Manion

Land O’ Lakes watercolorist Bob McAnespie doesn’t like to refer to himself as an artist.

He calls himself a painter.

In his view, an artist is to a painter, what a chef is to a cook.

The Land O’ Lakes man teaches a watercolor class for beginners at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex. The three-hour sessions are held Thursdays and cost $10 each. Supplies for the class cost about $50.

McAnespie encourages anyone who is interested in creating watercolor paintings to give it a try.

“The only way you can fail in watercolor is if you quit. If you stick with it and have any talent at all, you’re going to get somewhere,” said McAnespie, who is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society and the Florida Watercolor Society.

He enjoys painting landscapes or cityscapes, particularly with people in them.

“A lot of painters, especially beginners, they avoid people because they’re afraid of them. I tell them: ‘Don’t be afraid. People aren’t hard, once you learn a few tricks.’

“You know, when you put a person in a painting, that becomes the center of interest,” said McAnespie, who is primarily self-taught.

Over the years, he’s honed his skills by taking classes and workshops, reading books and watching instructional art programs on television.

Bob McAnespie has spent decades refining his watercolor painting skills. He says the best results come from painting on location, at the right time of day. Courtesy of Bob McAnespie — Bob McAnespie has spent decades refining his watercolor painting skills. He says the best results come from painting on location, at the right time of day.
Courtesy of Bob McAnespie

“I own 126 books on watercolor. I’ve read some of them two or three times,” said McAnespie, the former president of the Brandon League of Fine Arts and a former member of the Zephyrhills Art Club.

After painting for decades, McAnespie decided to begin teaching several years ago. He said he saw that as a way to deepen his knowledge.

Creating watercolor paintings requires both patience and courage, he said.

It’s also good to relax a little, he said.

He said he tells his students: “Don’t try too hard.”

Being too obsessed about results can yield paintings that are tight and have hard edges, he explained.

He teaches his courses indoors, but he recommends going out on location to get superior results.

“Mother Nature is the best teacher of all,” he said.

“The light is better.

“If you paint from a photograph, there are a lot places on photographs, in fact, they look black. But inside that black, there are a lot of colors that you don’t see. But when you are on location, you can see them.”

Time of day is important, too.

“The best time is 10 in the morning, or 3 o’clock in the afternoon because the shadows are better. If you go at noontime, there’s not much shadow at all. The sun is right above your head,” he said.

Bob McAnespie has art works hanging in his home studio and in his living room. He enjoys creating landscapes and cityscapes, particularly scenes that feature people. Courtesy of Bob McAnespie — Bob McAnespie has art works hanging in his home studio and in his living room. He enjoys creating landscapes and cityscapes, particularly scenes that feature people.
Courtesy of Bob McAnespie

Developing a trained eye takes practice, he added.

“You have to work on your observation technique. There’s a difference between looking and observing,” he said.

During his classes, McAnespie brings in five paintings and students vote on which one they’d like to create.

He demonstrates, while students observe. Then they paint and he observes.

The back-and-forth process seems to work well, said McAnespie, who has shown at many local art shows and will have works on display at the upcoming Lutz Arts & Crafts Festival at Lake Park and at the Suncoast Arts Fest at The Shops at Wiregrass.

McAnespie said he typically paints for an hour, or a bit longer, each day. Then he relaxes by playing piano.

Music and art have many similarities, he said.

“They both contain the principles of design and composition — like repetition and variation, balance, contrast, gradation, harmony and unity,” McAnespie said.

Watercolor lessons

When: Thursdays, from 9 a.m. until noon

Where: Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway, Land O’ Lakes

How much: Classes are $10

Who: Bob McAnespie, a signature member of the National Watercolor Society and the Florida Watercolor Society, teaches the class. Beginners are welcome.

For information: Call (813) 388-2766.

Published October 28, 2015

Retail is coming to Ballantrae Village

October 28, 2015 By Kathy Steele

New retail is headed to State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes, as Dunphy Properties prepares to start construction on the first shops at Ballantrae Village.

A groundbreaking is expected in January for a Circle K, a Dairy Queen, a Dunkin’ Donuts and a Taco Bell on outparcels on the northeast corner of State Road 54 and Ballantrae Boulevard, according to a news release from Dunphy Properties.

Construction begins in January on the first retail at Ballantrae Village on outparcels, next to the Ballantrae Boulevard/State Road 54 entrance to the master-planned community. KATHY STEELE/PHOTO — Construction begins in January on the first retail at Ballantrae Village on outparcels, next to the Ballantrae Boulevard/State Road 54 entrance to the master-planned community.
KATHY STEELE/PHOTO

An additional four parcels are on the market, and a 13,200-square-foot building also is planned. Tenants have not been signed as yet.

New access is planned to get into and out of the shopping plaza.

Plans for retail at the master-planned community of Ballantrae Village has been slow in developing largely due to the economic downturn in 2007 and a slow recovery. But growth is gathering steam, especially along State Road 54.

“Retail development follows residential growth,” Jim Dunphy said in an email to The Laker/Lutz News. “The economy has picked up enough that we’re seeing explosive residential growth in the (State Road) 54 corridor. In addition, the long awaited widening of (State Road) 54 is underway further fueling interest in the area.”

Dunphy Properties is developing the commercial plaza on about 17 acres owned by the Aprile brothers. The plaza will be on the north side of State Road 54 and east of Ballantrae Boulevard.

The Circle K will be on the west end of the site, with Dairy Queen on the east end.

Bexley Ranch property is under construction to the north of Ballantrae Village.

According to the Ballantrae website, the community has more than 960 homes and more than 3,000 residents.

“Ballantine Village Shoppes is in the center of the growth,” Dunphy states in his email. “Many of the existing residents have done without retail, restaurant and service amenities for a long time. We are now positioned, with the additional residents and promised growth, to provide these shops and services. We are excited to be bringing this project together.”

Published October 28, 2015

Seeking to sweep away commercial blight

October 28, 2015 By Kathy Steele

For the first time Pasco County will enforce minimum standards for the upkeep of commercial buildings.

But owners who may need to repair their buildings will have until May 1 to get their property up to code.

Other provisions to cite and fine owners of “slum” buildings take effect immediately.

Pasco County commissioners on Oct. 20 unanimously approved an ordinance that mirrors one already in use to monitor and enforce standards for residential structures and properties.

The commercial ordinance, proposed by Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, drew objections from several Land O’ Lakes business owners who said the new regulations would be unfair, and were an example of excessive government.

But during a public hearing, most speakers praised the effort to clean up commercial blight along the county’s major corridors including U.S. 19, U.S. 301 and U. S. 41.

“You’d think that people would clean up their own yards. The truth is they don’t,” said Greg Armstrong, representing of the West Pasco Board of Realtors. “Unfortunately everyone doesn’t do the right thing. Sometimes we have to prod them along. We have to remind people that we are all in this together.”

Appearance really does matter when encouraging economic development, said Hope Allen, executive director of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce.

“We also have these buildings in Wesley Chapel,” she said. “We are very much in support of this ordinance.”

Stew Gibbons, the incoming president of the Tampa Bay Builders Association, also backed the ordinance.

Moore met with residents on two occasions in the past two months to explain his reasons for pursuing the ordinance. The first time, he met with about 50 Land O’ Lakes business owners who strongly opposed the ordinance.

He found a friendlier crowd at a town hall meeting in September.

Moore said he listened to the criticisms, and requested county staff members to tweak the ordinance. For instance, owners won’t have to worry about code enforcement inspectors defining buildings that had too much peeling paint.

“It’s very hard to measure that so we took it off,” he said.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco supported the ordinance as a tool to raze abandoned buildings that are havens for criminal activities.

Nearly 600 service calls have been answered so far this year around the intersection of U.S. 19 and State Road 52 where there is an empty retail store, fast-food restaurant and a boarded up bank building. And, the Sheriff’s Office has responded to more than 200 calls from an area near U.S. 19 and Alternate U.S. 19, near a closed medical clinic, according to the law enforcement agency’s data.

But not everybody agrees with tougher restrictions.

Greg Conaty told commissioners he worries that the county doesn’t have the manpower to take on new regulations.

“I’m worried about the selective enforcement of it,” said Conaty, whose family owns Land O’ Lakes Recycling on U.S. 41, south of Ehren Cutoff. He said his business has been the focus of code enforcement in past disputes with another nearby business.

“I’m not sure we need more rules if we can’t enforce rules we already have on the books,” Conaty said. “I believe something should be done but it should be fair and across the board for everyone.”

Elizabeth Villanova, a 10-year Pasco County resident, was among a group of Land O’ Lakes business owners and residents who lobbied Moore for help in taking on commercial blight. She created a Facebook page for “Land O’ Lakes Beautification Efforts”, a grassroots campaign that has garnered about 570 signatures on a petition to clean up U.S. 41.

Property values can drop because of blighted buildings, she said.

“It’s been depressing to watch the complete degradation of (U.S.) 41 specifically. We desperately want this enforced on U.S. 41.”

Published October 28, 2015