Land O' Lakes News

Residents weigh in on Pasco’s quality of life

September 11, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Pasco County residents like to express themselves at the polls, but aren’t all that interested in attending public meetings.

When they need to go to work, chances are they’ll hop in their car and drive themselves there.

And, when it comes to ranking efforts to create jobs and grow the economy — they see plenty of room for improvement.

These are just a few of the findings from the National Citizen Survey, which offers a glimpse of how Pasco residents view the quality of life in the county and provides a basic report card on government services.

The survey is a collaborative effort between the National Research Center Inc. and the International City/County Management Association.

The survey was developed by the National Research Center to provide a statistically valid survey of resident opinions about the services provided by local government.

The survey was distributed to 1,200 randomly selected addresses, and of those, 243 were returned for a return rate of 23 percent. The survey has a plus or minus 6 percent margin of error.

According to the survey, 91 percent of those responding said they are registered to vote and 81 percent said they made it to the polls on Election Day.

Far fewer seemed interested in making their opinions known at public meetings. Just 21 percent of the survey takers said they attended a meeting of local elected officials or other local public meeting in the last year.

When it comes to getting around, 76 percent reported that they drive alone in their car to get the work, and just 7 percent said they’d been on a bus in the county during the past year. Fewer than a third gave good or excellent marks to ease of biking or walking around the county.

Overall, 68 percent of those surveyed gave Pasco County a good or excellent mark for its quality of life. But just 34 percent gave good or excellent marks to economic development, and a whopping 85 percent said job growth is too slow.

Opportunities to attend cultural events also scored poorly, with just 30 percent giving good or excellent marks in that category.

On a brighter note, however, 79 percent gave excellent or good marks for the county’s public library services.

The survey rated a number of county services, which were compared to a benchmark database. Of the 40 services for which comparison was available, none exceeded the benchmark, 15 were similar and 25 were ranked below.

Despite that outcome, though, 81 percent of those surveyed said they would be somewhat or very likely to recommend living in Pasco County, and 83 percent said they planned to remain in Pasco for the next five years.

The county has made gains in some areas.

The availability of affordable health care, for instance, was rated as good or excellent by 60 percent of the survey takers, compared to 46 percent last year and 44 percent in 2009.

Health services, overall, also scored a higher mark — with good or excellent ratings by 64 percent, compared to 57 percent last year and 49 percent in 2009.

Parks and recreation also picked up a few points, with 50 percent of those surveyed rating recreational opportunities as good or excellent, compared to 45 percent last year.

On the public safety front, 93 percent of the respondents reported feeling safe or somewhat safe in their homes during the day.

Five percent of those surveyed said they or someone in their household had been a victim of crime — compared to 14 percent the previous year.

However, just 72 percent said they reported the crime to police, compared with 84 percent reporting it the year before.

The Pasco County Commission is expected to hear a report on the survey when they meet Sept. 4. The item had been on the commission’s Aug. 27 agenda, but was delayed because of long discussions on other issues.

Radio-controlled planes go back in time at fly-in

September 11, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Larry Utt spent a year painstakingly creating his replica of an S.E.5a plane, popular with both American and British forces during World War I.

His plane is a fraction of the size of the original Scout Experimental 5, which was nearly 21 feet long, more than 9 feet high, and weighed 1,410 pounds when empty. But when it’s in the air, it’s hard to believe it’s only radio-controlled.

Joe Barzyz of Spring Hill fuels up his Cub radio-controlled airplane, preparing it for flight on Connerton Preserve. This hand-built Cub is one of many planes that visitors can see at the Golden Era Fly-In on Sept. 14 at Connerton’s Area 52 field. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

“It’s just a model, until it flies,” Utt said. “After that, it’s an airplane.”

The S.E.5a is one of more than a couple dozen radio-controlled planes from the “Downton Abbey” era scheduled to dazzle aviation fans Sept. 14 at the Golden Era Fly-In. The event, presented by Bay City Flyers of Land O’ Lakes, is open to spectators and pilots alike at Connerton Preserve’s Area 52 field just off SR 52.

“You pay a small fee to fly, which is a fundraiser for the club,” Utt said. Spectators are also welcome beginning at 9 a.m. for a modest $3 donation at the gate.

The field itself was a grazing area for cattle just a decade ago, and now consists of two pavilions and grassy runways on land now owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Club members built the field and maintain it. It has become a popular daily stop for many of the local club’s more than 200 members.

During the week, some flyers could be out as early as sunrise, and many stay until after lunch. On the weekends, many of the clubs’ younger members stop by, many times father and son teams enjoying the open sky.

Area 52 is one of three fields Bay City uses, but each one is special, said one of the group’s leaders, Mike Diesu. Despite the use of mufflers, and flying when few other people are around, the hobby of radio-controlled planes is not something usually well-accepted in neighborhoods.

“Clubs usually lose locations because of development,” said Joe Barzyz, who moved to the area from New Jersey in 2005. “People who have an interest in all this think it’s nice, but the problem is that once you put a house on the other side of the road, and they start hearing the mufflers, you have a problem.”

Area 52 is good because it’s a preserve, and there isn’t a house for miles. The only thing interfering with flying there, besides bad weather, are sandhill cranes. If one of those protected birds shows up on a runway, everything stops until they make their way elsewhere on the land.

Flyers at Area 52 respect the birds, and the land they use. They are careful to not spill fuel on the grass, and keep the whole area maintained, including grass mowing.

Bay City Flyers also stay active in the community, helping with food drives, and teaching aviation students. Flying a radio-controlled plane is not as easy as it looks, and getting good at it could take as long as becoming an actual pilot.

Sometimes, new flyers will spend thousands of dollars on equipment, and go out feeling like they’re ready to go. But after their first crash — and there are many crashes in radio-controlled flying — they can become discouraged easily.

“It’s only as expensive as you want it to be,” Utt said. While some planes can cost upward of $3,000, many good ones can be found for less than $300.

In fact, Bay City encourages people to join before they even buy a plane, to learn how to fly, use some of the club’s equipment, and then use that experience in buying their own plane.

And fly-ins, like the one next week, are great tools to add more pilots to the ranks.

The Golden Era Fly-In will run from 9 a.m. through 2 p.m., and features planes from 1919 to 1939. Landing fees for pilots are $10, and free lunch will be offered to all Academy of Model Aeronautics members who are flying.

Lunch will be available for spectators for a small price.

For more information, visit BayCityFlyers.org.

For Lutz man, it’s not junk … it’s art

September 11, 2013 By B.C. Manion

When Andy Hamilton goes rummaging around at a swap meet or flea market, he’s always on the lookout for the makings of his metal works of art.

Andy Hamilton of Twisted Mind Rusty Metal, stands next to a robot he built. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

What might look like a colander to most instead looks like a turtle shell to Hamilton. Pot lids and air-conditioning gauges are eyes. Hedge clippers and rakes make good wings. Rusty pipe wrenches bounce back to life as grasshoppers.

Hamilton sees possibilities everywhere.

“These two bikes here, they came from a flea market,” said Hamilton, 62, outside his workshop in Lutz. “The guy was just trying to get rid of them. Five dollars a piece. I’ll take the front forks off of them, use them for legs. Chains, I’ll use for manes on a horse.

The satellite dish arm? “This is the neck of a horse.” And the post-hole diggers? “These are the heads for alligators,” he said.

“Potato forks are usually tail feathers for a bird.”

Hamilton is a Lutz-based artist with Twisted Mind Rusty Metal, a company that specializes in recycling old metal and other objects into art. Where other people see obsolete car parts, rusted garden implements, empty bottles and old tools, Hamilton envisions whimsical works of art.

“Somehow, I can see something,” Hamilton said. “People have asked me, ‘What kind of drug do you take? Do you drink a lot?’ It seems like the crazier I make stuff, the more people like it.”

Bins and shelves in his workshop are chock-full of the raw materials of his artworks. He has another collection of salvaged goods that he plans to recycle outside next to his shop.

“You’ve got to have a stockpile,” Hamilton said.

As he surveys his shop, there is stuff everywhere. “It’s a disorganized, organized mess,” he said.

Hamilton hunts regularly for old golf clubs, and often finds them for a dollar each at thrift stores.

“I just cut all of these off the shafts,” he said, motioning to a stack of club heads. The steel pieces become ears for dogs and feet for pigs.

“A lot of people throw these away,” Hamilton said, pointing to some empty helium tanks. “They end up in the trash and when I see ‘em, I grab ‘em.”

The tanks become the bodies of pigs and other animals.

Hamilton, who has spent more than four decades working in masonry, started his metal art business more than two years ago. It started when he decided to make a couple of things for his wife’s garden.

“A friend of hers had sold plants at plant shows,” he said. “She told me to bring some along and see if they would sell.”

They did sell, and the company was born — using a name his wife, Sheila, created.

Over the past couple of years, he has sold 700 to 800 pieces, ranging in price from $35 to $400.

He now spends nearly every evening out in the workshop behind his house, where he sandblasts rusted parts, welds pieces together and paints to create Chihuahuas, pigs, robots, weather vanes, sunflowers, birds and all sorts of critters.

On weekends, one can find Hamilton making the rounds — either to events where he’s selling his art, or at swap meets, garage sales and flea markets where he’s picking up materials he can recycle.

“Starting September through basically March, that’s the busy season,” Hamilton said.

Over Labor Day weekend, for instance, he had a booth at the 13th annual Gulfport Geckofest on Saturday. By Sunday, he was at a swap meet in Bushnell. Monday, he hit the flea market in Webster.

During the off-season, typically November through March, Hamilton spends Saturday mornings in Dunedin at the Green Market. And the third Friday of each month, he’s in Safety Harbor between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. He also does three shows a year in Lakeland.

He also attends the Lutz Arts & Crafts Festival Christmas show.

“Last year we sold like 26 pieces on Saturday, and at least 10 or 12 on Sunday,” Hamilton said, adding he sells even more during the town’s Fourth of July celebration.

Hamilton’s wife is a big supporter of his artistic pursuits.

“She wants me to quit masonry for this,” said Hamilton, who believes someday he will.

Pasco could have state’s first private toll road

September 11, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Gerald Stanley wants to build the first private toll road in the state. And he wants to build it across Pasco County.

Stanley, a retired road builder from Lutz who is a partner with International Infrastructure Partners LLC, submitted an unsolicited proposal June 11 to the state Department of Transportation proposing a toll road be built along the SR 54/SR 56 corridor. That would link Wesley Chapel to New Port Richey, with the possible addition of Wesley Chapel to US 301 in Zephyrhills.

The partnership proposes to lease the right-of-way from the state and both build and operate a 33-mile toll road. Much of the road would be elevated, but portions would be at ground level where necessary. It would be constructed in phases, with the first leg planned for SR 54/56 from Bruce B. Downs Boulevard to the Suncoast Parkway.

The second phase would go from the Suncoast Parkway to US 19 in New Port Richey. A possible third phase would extend the road from Bruce B. Downs to Zephyrhills. It’s possible, however, that phases one and two would be combined immediately for cost efficiency.

Stanley touted the benefits of the proposed project in a letter addressed to Anath Prasad, the secretary of the state roads department.

“This will be the first of its kind, privately funded, designed, built, operated and maintained elevated expressway in the state of Florida,” Stanley wrote. “It will create thousands of jobs for Floridians, further economic development in Pasco County, improve traffic flow, and promote use of existing and future transportation facilities.”

International Infrastructure Partners was formed specifically to manage the project and consists of engineers, accountants and financial professionals, according to Stanley’s proposal.

The construction would be done by PCL, a company that is currently working on the Interstate 4 connector project. The company also has completed work for the toll-funded Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway.

Guggenheim Securities LLC would be the capital partner for the project, Stanley said, soliciting investments through a fund called “FL54Xpressway.”

Kris Carson, spokeswoman for District 7 of the DOT, said it is too early to tell if any project like this would come to fruition.

“It could be that nothing ever happens,” Carson said. “There are a lot of questions to be answered.”

In response to Stanley’s proposal, the state roads department issued a request for proposals to encourage a competitive process, and set a date of Oct. 23 for opening those proposals.

John Hagen, president and CEO of the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc., said when the idea of a toll road was initially raised, there were questions about who would pay for it, and its financial feasibility.

The fact that a private group has stepped forward and is willing to pay for it, gives legitimacy to the concept, he said.

Like Carson, Hagan said it is too early to tell if a project will materialize.

“There are a lot of technical questions that need to be answered,” Hagan said.

But if a toll road is built, it will provide an additional transportation option that will allow traffic to move quickly across the county on a toll road, while local traffic uses the surface streets, the economic development expert said.

Steps must be taken to increase traffic capacity, Hagan said. Otherwise, “eventually SR 54/SR 56 will just become a parking lot.”
Jeff Miller, a real estate agent and resident of Wesley Chapel, said he welcomes this type of project. He sees it as a way for people, like himself, to get to New Port Richey and Pinellas County much more quickly than is possible now.

“It’s not a done deal. We’re all trying to determine if it’s feasible,” Stanley said. “If it’s not profitable, it won’t be built.”

If the project is done, however, it will employ hundreds of construction workers and will bring more industry to Pasco County.

It will also help prevent gridlock, as Pasco continues to grow, said Stanley, who has been a part of the Florida Transportation Builders Association for 35 years, and was the group’s president in 2005-06.

“We’re looking to the future,” he said.

In its request for proposals, the state DOT requires those interested in pursuing a private toll road to:

–Obtain any required approvals from federal regulatory agencies to operate a toll facility in this corridor;

–Identify and comply with existing federal, state, and local regulatory agency requirements;

–Identify and address how the proposer plans to design, construct, operate and maintain a toll facility in Pasco County;

–Identify and address existing infrastructure and utility conflicts, and provide for resolution of such infrastructure and utility conflicts;

–Address future build-outs of infrastructure in the corridor(s) that may be impacted by or impact the toll road, and future phases of the toll road;

–Identify and address any zoning or land development codes of any affected local government.

The submitter must also demonstrate its ability to further economic development in the region and state, protect the environment, create temporary and permanent jobs in Florida, improve transportation efficiency and otherwise benefit citizens and the state.

The state would not provide any funding for the project, according to the RFP.

A decision on awarding the project would occur on Nov. 6, according to the RFP.

Parade of 400 choppers honor first responders

September 11, 2013 By Michael Hinman

It’s never too early in the morning to ride a motorcycle, especially when it’s all to say thank you to firefighters and emergency first responders.

Nearly 400 motorcycles showed up for this year’s Sept. 11 Gratitude Ride, sponsored by Pasco County Choppers to honor members of Pasco County’s Fire Rescue and raise money for its benevolent fund. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Some 400 cyclists showed up at the Pasco County Government Center on US 41 Saturday to participate in the annual Sept. 11 Gratitude Ride.

The event, organized by local Realtor Dan Turner and his wife Cheryl, is a way these chopper enthusiasts honor members of Pasco County Fire Rescue, and raise money for the Pasco County Fire Benevolent Fund.

“Make no mistake about it, this is a 9/11 event,” Turner told the crowd during a short ceremony. “It has been 12 years. Can you believe it? Unfortunately a lot of people have forgotten all about it, and we just want to make sure everybody remembers.”

The Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks killed 412 emergency workers in New York City alone, all of them trying to rescue people from the World Trade Center after each tower was struck by a commercial jetliner.

But it’s not just during terrorist attacks they put their lives on the line. This year alone, 79 firefighters have lost their lives in the line of duty, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Between 1977 and 2011, there have been 4,325 on-duty firefighter fatalities — an average of 127 each year.

The Benevolent Fund raises money not for equipment or vehicles, but instead to help members of the Pasco County Fire Rescue when they may need a little financial assistance.

“They are the ones that always say it’s just a job, but we all know they run into danger as we are running away from it,” Turner told The Laker/Lutz News last month.

“As we reflect back on that horrible day back in September 2001, we remember all the public safety personnel (who) were affected,” said Pasco County Fire Chief Scott Cassin. “They were doing everything they do every day: saving lives and saving property.”

Pasco County Choppers, which hosted the event, said nearly $4,900 was raised for the local benevolent fund, more than double what was raised last year. Even winners of the poker run, a fun event to encourage motorcyclists to visit multiple locations, gave a little back.

“Winners of the poker run reverted nearly all of the money they won back to the cause,” Turner said in an email after the event. “Once again (it shows) that the biker community is there for those that lay their lives on the line for us, every single day of the year.”

Giving readers what they want to read

September 11, 2013 By Diane Kortus

Running a newspaper is not much different than running any other small business.

All successful businesses work to give customers what they want at a fair price so they continue to be their customer and tell friends and family about their products and services.

If you are a restaurant, you offer a menu filled with dishes customers have asked for and prepared by the best chef in town. If you are a retail store, you sell products people want so they come back and shop again.

At The Laker/Lutz News, our customers are both readers and advertisers. We know that if we give you stories and information about people and issues that are important to you, you will read your paper cover to cover, week after week, and share what you’ve read with family and friends.

And we know that your readership has a direct impact on the bottom line of our other customer — businesses that advertise in our papers. The better and more completely you read your paper, the more you will take note of the adjacent ads.

Which brings me to why we’re making some changes to the kinds of stories we write in The Laker/Lutz News.

Last spring we hired an independent research company to ask readers what type of news they want in their community paper. This was done in conjunction with our annual circulation audit that verifies the number of papers we print and deliver.

This study revealed the No. 1 reason people like you read The Laker/Lutz News is to learn about things to do in their community. Our best-read section is What’s Happening with its news briefs about upcoming activities and events.

Because readers put What’s Happening at the top of their list, we’re expanding this section and increasing our coverage of community events before they take place. B.C. Manion, our community editor for the past three years, is taking on this charge and welcomes suggestions on events you’d like to see covered.

The second topic most requested is business news.

You want to know what’s coming when you see a new commercial building underway. You want to know about local road improvements and how they will impact your drive to work. You are curious about local businesses, big and small, and are looking for new places to shop and professional services in your neighborhood.

To increase our business coverage, in late July we hired Michael Hinman as our news editor because of his community and business journalism background. In addition to working for several area weekly newspapers, Michael spent five years as a reporter at the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

Like B.C., Michael also welcomes your story ideas. Both journalists can be reached at (813) 909-2800 or by email at or .

You may have already noticed that there’s more business news in your paper. Last week, for example, we were the first to report on the expansion of Florida Medical Clinic’s new facilities in Zephyrhills and Carrollwood. This week we have a story on the elevated expressway for SR 54 that’s being proposed by a private developer.

I began this column talking about the importance of giving customers what they want. That’s why we’re committing more of our resources to stories you want to read. And why you’re seeing more stories about upcoming events, local businesses and growth and development.

With more than 60,000 readers, it’s impossible to give every single person everything they want in their community paper. But know that we’re acting on the best information we have to give you the kinds of stories you tell us you’re most interested in reading in The Laker/Lutz News.

Rick Scott visits to honor local veterans

September 11, 2013 By Michael Hinman

His first real exposure to heroism came when his mother married a man who served with the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II.

“I don’t think he believed he would come back alive,” Gov. Rick Scott told local veterans last week of his stepfather. “In the Navy, no one shot at me, and I didn’t have to jump out of perfectly good airplanes like he did.” But it’s because of his stepfather Scott said he realized that “America will remain the land of the free only so long as it remains the home of the brave.”

Florida’s First Lady Ann Scott awards a medal to one of the residents of Baldomero Lopez State Veterans’ Nursing Home in Land O’ Lakes during a ceremony last week as her husband, Gov. Rick Scott, looks on. Scott has been giving his Veterans Service Award medals to veterans across the state. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Scott visited with veterans last week at the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans’ Home on Parkway Boulevard, sharing stories, and handing out his Veterans Service Awards medals.

“It’s so important that we honor and give thanks to our American veterans, our heroes,” Scott said. “It is important that we don’t wait just for the holidays to thank our men and women, we must take every opportunity to thank them.”

The medal Scott and his wife Ann gave to veterans in Land O’ Lakes last week has the Florida state seal on front, and the five seals representing the different branches of the armed forces on the back.

Scott singled out one resident during his speech, Sgt. First Class Angel Torres-Mendez, who served between 1947 and 1974, completing 18 missions — many of them solo missions — in Vietnam.

“He’s proud of his accomplishments, not his medal,” Scott said. “Like many of our residents here, his heart is as patriotic as it was when he joined the service many years ago.”

A total of 136 veterans were honored with the medal during last Thursday’s ceremony, honoring whom Sen. John Legg described as “super.” Legg, R-Lutz, shared a conversation he said he had with his 5-year-old son that morning about where he was going.

“’I am going to go stand and talk to some heroes,’ and his eyes got real big, ‘Are you going to meet Superman?’” Legg said. “I am going to see some super men and super women who, in our nation’s darkest hour, stood in front of tyranny, stood in front of those things that seemed hopeless, and brought light into the world.”

Maj. Gen. Emmett R. Titshaw Jr., who has served as the adjutant general of Florida for the last three years, said the state’s 12,000-soldier strong National Guard is “focused on the future, and our horizons.”

“But we have a deep appreciation of our heritage, and that heritage you contributed to and built,” Titshaw said. “We literally stand upon your shoulders and accomplishments, taking over the nation you provided to us, safe and secure.”

Wesley Chapel seminar to promote women’s health

September 11, 2013 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Women who want to hear a lecture on heart health, watch a cooking demonstration or get a bit of pampering can get those things and more at the Women’s Health & Wellness Day at Saddlebrook Resort Tampa, off SR 54 in Wesley Chapel.

The free half-day seminar, sponsored by Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, will be on Sept. 21 from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.

The seminar will feature six breakout sessions, giving women a chance to hear from some of the area’s most respected physicians discussing heart health, breast cancer risk factors, pregnancy, healthy aging and other wellness topics.

Women who are pregnant or are thinking of having a baby can talk with a lactation consultant.

The event will also feature a women’s health panel, with experts fielding questions about primary health care, internal medicine, geriatric medicine, obstetrics and gynecology.

There will also be a cooking demonstration and free screenings for blood pressure, blood glucose, BMI and others. There will be pampering opportunities, too, and giveaways.

The event will feature a women’s health panel, answering questions about primary health care, internal medicine, geriatric medicine, obstetrics and gynecology.

Send questions in advance to .

Space for the seminar is limited and reservations are required.

To register, call (813) 929-5432.

Dade City artist makes a worldwide impression

September 4, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Long before Pat Weaver began pursuing her passion for art, she was known as a businesswoman and politician in Dade City.

“I had retail stores downtown. I had Tricia’s. Then, I had Church Street Gallery. Then, I had Pat-e-cat’s,” said Weaver, who also served the community as both a city commissioner and later a mayor for Dade City.

She enjoyed politics and retailing, but was always drawn to art.

About four decades ago, Weaver began taking periodic trips to Scottsdale to take classes from accomplished artists.

Pat Weaver stands in front a picture window in her studio, surrounded by a few of her many works of art. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

“I would save up money and go out there and rent an apartment and stay two weeks at a time and study,” Weaver said. “Then, I’d come home for a year or two and save up my money and go back again.”

She stayed with retail, as she honed her artistic technique. Then, she began offering classes on the side.

“I started teaching locally, day classes and night classes,” Weaver said. “I also traveled to Lakeland and Plant City. That’s where I kind of cut my teeth on teaching.”

Initially, she painted with oils.

“About 20 years ago, I went into transparent watercolor. I just fell in love with the medium and decided I wanted to try it. It was an instant love affair with watercolor,” said Weaver.

Since teaching herself watercolor, she has gone on to write books about the art form, and offers workshops around the country. In fact, “I am better known away from Dade City than I am here,” said Weaver, whose book “Watercolor Simplified” is available through Amazon.com.

“I like to paint with a lot of energy and see things develop quickly,” Weaver said. “Watercolor allows for that, much more than any other medium does.”

Weaver teaches about 20 workshops a year, generally booked two to three years out. She’s taught in Florida, the Carolinas, Georgia, San Diego and Arizona.

She’s shared her knowledge in other countries, too.

“I’ve taught in the Bahamas and in Mexico, Italy, Spain, England, France,” Weaver said. Most of the students in her international classes have traveled from the United States to take part.

She lines up most of the work through art associations, watercolor societies and other organizations that sponsor her workshops. She handles her own travel arrangements.

“It just evolved over many years,” said Weaver, who has a home studio on the 36 acres she shares with her husband, Glenn.

Weaver said she gained considerable exposure about 15 years ago, when she was elected president of the Florida Watercolor Society. But her love for art dates back to childhood. She credits her mother for nurturing her creative spirit.

“She’s the one who instilled that desire in me to do art,” Weaver said.

Her seventh-grade teacher, Myra O’ Berry, was a positive influence, too.

“She would just assign me a special project and tell me to go down to the teachers’ lounge to draw it,” Weaver said. “She saw my gift.”

She pays forward that encouragement to her students while challenging them at the same time.

“I want them to be knowledgeable,” Weaver said.

They also need to know that excellence requires commitment, she said.

“The only way you can become good at anything is by doing it over and over and over,” Weaver said. “You have to be persistent and be willing to practice and apply what you learn. You can’t go and take three days of lessons and then go home and not paint until you decide to go back and take another workshop. There are no shortcuts to getting there.

Weaver said she doesn’t try to shape an artist’s style or point-of-view, but she seeks to broaden their knowledge and help them improve their techniques.

When she’s teaching or creating art, she’s absorbed by the work.

“When you are really into painting, you’re oblivious to anything else,” Weaver said.

She has a spontaneous approach to painting. She completes her artworks in one sitting.

She said her favorite type of art tends to be whatever she’s working on at the moment. But she does acknowledge a special fondness for doing commissioned portraits of dogs.

“As long as I get to paint, I’m happy,” Weaver said.

On a typical day she heads out to her studio about 10 a.m. and paints until about 4 p.m., with a break for lunch. Her days go longer when she’s on the road teaching.

She enjoys sharing what she knows.

“I love to see people learn and get excited about what they are doing,” she said. “They begin to see things differently than they ever saw them before.

“Most people don’t pay any attention to the light outdoors, or the colors, or the values. When you start painting, you become very aware of things.”

One of the things she loves about painting is that people can do it at any age.

“As long as your eyes are good and your hands are pretty steady, you can paint into late years. It’s a wonderful thing to be able to do,” she said.

Over the years, being an artist has had its satisfactions and its setbacks. Not every painting comes out the way she would like, but when they don’t, she just picks up another piece of watercolor paper and gets busy again.

That approach has yielded a rich life, filled with wonderful experiences and good friends, Weaver said.

“It’s taken me a very, very long time to get to the point that I am now,” she said. “But I’ve enjoyed the journey.”

To learn more about Pat Weaver and her art, visit www.patweaver.net.

How much is that doggie in the window? $1

September 4, 2013 By Michael Hinman

The holding area for the more than 130 dogs residing at the Pasco County Animal Services shelter in Land O’ Lakes erupts with barking every time someone walks in.

Cage after cage is filled with large dogs, some weighing as much as 90 pounds or more. And many of them have some sort of pit bull in them.

“Sadly, 70 to 80 percent of the dogs we get are pit bulls,” said Judy Tate Gregory, education coordinator for the shelter. “Most people come in looking for smaller dogs, and they are just more coveted. The larger dogs? Not so much.”

Flo is one of the nearly 150 dogs currently housed at the Pasco County Animal Services shelter on Dogpatch Lane in Land O’ Lakes. Because larger dogs like Flo are less likely to be adopted, the shelter is offering dogs for just $1 to good homes in September. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

And even with a policy designed to save as much as 90 percent of the dogs and cats the shelter receives, there’s a good chance many dogs with names like Jazzy, Flo and Luthes, will never again get to see outside the shelter.

That’s why the shelter is offering dog adoptions for just a buck through Sept. 28. Called the “Dollar Dog Days of Summer,” most of the dogs are available to good homes for a $1 adoption fee, plus a license fee of $10.

Each dog has been examined by a veterinarian, implanted with a microchip, and spayed or neutered — work that normally costs around $400. The total $11 charge is much lower than the normal $70 adoption fee for a dog, and a program that should make it easier for loving families to take home a new friend.

“Our goal is to save lives here,” Gregory said. “We like to find the best homes we can for them.”

The shelter is typically only required to hold dogs and cats without identifying information for 72 hours, according to county ordinances. However, the shelter tends to hold on to animals longer, doing everything possible to find someone to adopt. But it’s not easy.

“It’s hard to see all the animals in the shelter,” Gregory said. “It’s not a gloomy place here, and it is better than where a lot of them came from. But no matter what we do to make our shelter more comfortable, these animals really just want a forever home.”

In recent months, the shelter has implemented several programs to help get many of its animals on the right path. A foster program, launched in February, helps animals that are too young to be adopted, but are also without their mother. These foster families feed them, vaccinate them, and help them learn what their mother would’ve taught them otherwise.

Volunteers, of course, have always been the lifeblood of the shelter. They have to be willing to offer at least four hours a month, and be at least 15, Gregory said. Volunteers do everything from walking, grooming, cleaning, and even provide education outreach.

Adoption specials in September aren’t just limited to dogs. In honor of the late Philip Runnels, who volunteered many hours with those of the feline persuasion, Animal Services also is offering cats for a $5 adoption fee, instead of the normal $40.

“Kittens are cute, but adult cats don’t need to be taught a lot, and are very low maintenance,” Gregory said. “They need homes, too.”

To learn more about the “Dollar Dog Days of Summer” and also how to adopt a cat for $5, visit the shelter at 19640 Dogpatch Lane in Land O’ Lakes, or call (813) 929-1212.