The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Lutz News

Coming soon: outlet mall’s job fair

By

In a sign that Tampa Premium Outlets is gearing up for its October opening, planning is under way for a job fair to fill approximately 800 positions.

The hiring event is scheduled for Aug. 27, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., at Embassy Suites, at 3705 Spectrum Blvd., in Tampa.

Tampa Premium Outlets Job Fair will help fill more than 800 jobs. (File Photos)
Tampa Premium Outlets Job Fair will help fill more than 800 jobs.
(File Photos)

The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce and Career Central at Pasco-Hernando State College are event coordinators.

The chamber will invite retailers to a private breakfast before the fair. Members also are helping promote the event.

“It’s so exciting to see this,” said Hope Allen, the chamber’s executive director.

Career Central at Pasco-Hernando State College is preparing for a job fair that’s expected to attract between 1,000 to 2,000 applicants, said Ana Segovia, a business consultant with Career Central.

It proved difficult finding a venue in Pasco large enough to accommodate the event, Segovia said.

“The job fair is really important to us and to our retailers who want to fill all these jobs,” said Les Morris, spokesman for Simon Property Group. “Our motivation is to have a large, centrally located venue that people can get to easily.”

Work is heading into the home stretch at the soon-to-open Tampa Premium Outlets.
Work is heading into the home stretch at the soon-to-open
Tampa Premium Outlets.

Retailers are beginning to send in job descriptions with positions expected in retail, management, security, maintenance and food preparation.

Segovia said fliers and social media are among the various ways the word will be spread about the job fair.

In other news, developers of the outlet mall have released the first official list of stores set to open on Oct. 29.

In a July 22 news release, 14 stores are identified, out of more than 110 stores expected to open at the center.

Stores identified by the mall so far are Adidas, Banana Republic Factory Store, Brooks Brothers Factory Store, Coach, Cole Haan, Disney Store Outlet, Ecco, Express Factory Outlet, Fossil, Gap Factory Outlet, Hartstrings, Nike Factory Store, Puma and Samsonite.

Saks OFF 5th was announced previously as the mall’s anchor.

More announcements are anticipated in coming weeks from Simon, the global real estate company that is building the mall, off State Road 56, at the Interstate 75 interchange.

While store announcements are trickling out, nearly 80 stores have applied with Pasco County for building permits and have been identified in media reports in recent weeks.

Among the newest ones – not included in the news release – are Forever 21, Kitchen Collection, The Cosmetic Company, PacSun, Tillys, Guess, Motherhood Maternity, the Luggage Factory, The Limited and Aldo Shoes.

For information about the job fair, call Career Central at (352) 200-3020.

Published July 29, 2015

Compark 75 plans expansion in 2016

By

Compark 75 is growing again.

The industrial park, off Wesley Chapel Boulevard, will add a new 65,000-square-foot building to four buildings that are already leased almost to capacity.

The permitting process for the new structure is under way, with construction set for 2016.

Compark 75, which is next to the Tampa North Aero Park and visible to motorists on Interstate 75, has found ways to attract new tenants. It is getting ready to expand again, with a 65,000-square-foot building expected to begin construction in 2016. (File Photo)
Compark 75, which is next to the Tampa North Aero Park and visible to motorists on Interstate 75, has found ways to attract new tenants. It is getting ready to expand again, with a 65,000-square-foot building expected to begin construction in 2016.
(File Photo)

No tenant has signed on yet, but that’s typical for an industrial park that, from the start, has proved that location and the right market conditions will produce results.

“All of our tenants have come after the building was built,” said Heidi Tuttle-Beisner of Commercial Asset Partners Realty, an agent for the property. “They feel confident in the level of activity.”

In October, Compark 75 will welcome two new tenants.

Streetside Classics Cars specializes in the consignment, purchase and sale of classic and collectible cars. Compark 75 is its fourth showroom. Other locations are in Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth and Atlanta.

An orthodontics distribution company also will relocate from Tampa into about 41,000 square feet of space at Compark 75.

The company name has not been announced, but Tuttle-Beisner said, “It’s a high-end, incredible company.”

The office park is strategically located next to Interstate 75 about halfway between the State Road 54 and State Road 56 interchanges.

Suncoast Parkway is 12 miles to the west. The Tampa North Aero Park is along the park’s northern boundary.

A $15 million expansion of Compark 75 broke ground in 2014. It was the first major investment in commercial office construction in Pasco County since the recession.

Ross Kirk, owner of KVR Development LLC, handles the development and design of the park. Larry Morgan, president of HR Pasco LLP, owns the park.

“It’s a collaborative effort,” Tuttle-Beisner said.

The 165-acre site is zoned light industrial and can accommodate warehouse, manufacturing and office uses. About 105 acres is wetlands, which will not be developed.

“It will remain the greenest industrial park in the Tampa Bay area,” she said.

Among tenants at the park are the Pasco County Tax Collector’s office and the U.S. Geological Survey Florida Water Science Center.

Nearly two years ago, J.T.D. Enterprises relocated from Michigan to Compark 75. The company manufactures tubular fabrications and assemblies used in products such as golf ball retrievers and flagpoles. Its products also are applicable to defense technologies.

Companies attracted to Compark 75 generally are looking to expand in locations that offer easy access to the interstate system, and they find that in Pasco, Tuttle-Beisner said.

The area’s attractiveness also is being helped by retail development along the State Road 54 and State Road 56 corridors.

The Shops at Wiregrass and the soon-to-open Tampa Premium Outlets are adding amenities and jobs to the area. But Tuttle-Beisner noted: “All the jobs can’t be retail.”

Compark 75 is helping diversify Pasco’s economy by bringing manufacturing and distribution companies into the mix.

“There is nothing else out there like this,” Tuttle-Beisner said.

Published July 29, 2015

Scout has a sign in mind for Old Lutz School

By

Eagle Scout projects are an important part of earning the distinguished designation from the Boy Scouts of America. But because they’re normally completed while a candidate is close to graduating high school, their schedule is pretty full.

In many cases, they might only have a few months to design, present and complete it.

Sam Crawford doesn’t have that problem.

He’s not getting ready to graduate high school. He hasn’t even started it yet.

Sam Crawford's project mentor, Michael Ritchie, made a detailed sketch of the proposed sign. It will need adjustments and an architect's touch before it can get final approval.
Sam Crawford’s project mentor, Michael Ritchie, made a detailed sketch of the proposed sign. It will need adjustments and an architect’s touch before it can get final approval.

Crawford, 13, will start his freshman year at Steinbrenner High School this fall. He’s also working toward his Eagle Scout designation.

The Lutz teenager had the option of either wrapping up his project and becoming a very young Eagle Scout, or spending more time on it and making it something big.

Crawford went big.

“I just really wanted to do a project that, when I was older, I could still see it, and it would still be in use,” Crawford said.

So, as he heads off to his new school, he’ll be doing something for an old one — a very old one.

His project involves the Old Lutz School, at 18819 U.S. Highway 41 N.

The school was built around 1927, and served as a school until the mid-1970s.

Now, the structure serves as a symbol of the community, a gathering place for civic groups and a host for local events.

It is also the beneficiary of Crawford’s Eagle Scout project.

Right now, as drivers on U.S. 41 pass the school, they likely have no idea what’s happening at the school, because the sign is too small to be seen clearly from both sides of the highway.

Crawford’s solution? A bigger sign that’s easy to read.

Scouting is important to Sam Crawford, who will attend Steinbrenner High School this fall. He's also working toward his Eagle Scout designation with a project that benefits the Old Lutz School. Shown here, he is standing next to Scoutmaster Jeff Potvin. Joey Hermes, another scout, is in the background. (Photos courtesy of Sam Crawford)
Scouting is important to Sam Crawford, who will attend Steinbrenner High School this fall. He’s also working toward his Eagle Scout designation with a project that benefits the Old Lutz School. Shown here, he is standing next to Scoutmaster Jeff Potvin. Joey Hermes, another scout, is in the background.
(Photos courtesy of Sam Crawford)

Current plans call for it to be 10 feet long and about 8 feet tall, with removable lettering and a protective cover on the signage.

Plans also call for a shingled roof and brick construction, to make the sign both durable and attractive.

When finished, the sign will be the perfect place to list announcement and events for both the school and local organizations.

Even with quality materials and a sturdy design, it might seem like a simple thing to put up a sign.

But this is no simple sign. Crawford wants it to use electricity so it will be useful at night, and the school only has a couple of outlets.

He’ll also need permits to build it, which will take time to secure.

And, he has to find a way to pay for it, since a sign this elaborate will cost thousands. He’s getting material donations and the Citizens for the Old Lutz School Building are chipping in a good amount, but Crawford still needs to raise money to make up the difference.

In all, his Eagle Scout project will take about a year from start to finish. And, he’s already about halfway there.

He’s fine with taking a little extra time to create something that will be useful for years to come. He also expects to learn quite a bit by the time the project is finished.

“I’m very excited, because I’ve never led something this big,” Crawford said.

“It’ll teach me a lot about leading a group of people, and I think I’ll learn a lot from the experience,” he said.

Crawford’s extra efforts are appreciated by the people who are most involved in the school.

“He’s a very nice guy and working very hard on it. It was a big project for him to take on,” said Phyllis Hoedt, co-chair of the Citizens for the Old Lutz School Building.

The new sign will be oriented so drivers traveling north and south can see it clearly, Hoedt said. It will help promote events at the school, such as yard sales, flea markets and their annual Christmas event. The end result should be better promotion on a busy highway, and better attendance at events.

“We’ll have a nice sign to advertise what’s going on the community,” she said.

For now, that nice sign is still in the planning stages.

Crawford still needs a professional sketch by an architect and must finalize structural details so it can be built once they get the proper permits. But once it’s completed, it will be useful and a point of pride.

“I really enjoy (the project) because I’ve grown up in Lutz all my life. I feel like giving back to the community and putting this sign in, it really will help the community for many years to come,” Crawford said. “Hopefully more people will be showing up at the events — thanks to the sign.

Published July 29, 2015

Lutz artist’s work selected for international exhibit

By

Elizabeth Fontaine-Barr always wanted to be a painter — whose works would sell and gain recognition for artistic excellence.

She got there, but it was no simple path.

She enjoyed drawing as a child. She won art awards in high school. And, in college, she obtained an art degree.

So far so good.

Elizabeth Fontaine-Barr's ‘Off the Path’ was accepted into the International Society of Acrylic Painters open exhibition in California. Landscapes are preferred subjects for the artist. (Photos courtesy of Elizabeth Fontaine-Barr)
Elizabeth Fontaine-Barr’s ‘Off the Path’ was accepted into the International Society of Acrylic Painters open exhibition in California. Landscapes are preferred subjects for the artist.
(Photos courtesy of Elizabeth Fontaine-Barr)

Then she realized something was missing.

“They don’t tell you how to make money when you graduate in painting,” Fontaine-Barr said.

Knowing there would be bills to pay as an adult, the New Orleans native had studied advertising design in New York.

She opened a store back home with another artist where they taught art classes to children and did custom picture framing.

Then she was a freelance commercial artist, and she went on to become the editor for a New Orleans hospital newsletter.

After that, Fontaine-Barr went into advertising sales, managed a rock ‘n roll band, and spent time in the health field. And during that time, she worked on film and video, serving as a production coordinator when she moved to Florida.

“I’ve worn a lot of different hats,” she admits.

Now, Fontaine-Barr, who moved to Lutz in 1990, wears the hat that fits her best.

She returned to painting and is selling her work.

She’s being recognized with admittance into the 18th Annual International Society of Acrylic Painters open exhibition, July 30 through Aug. 23, in Paso Robles, California. Her accepted piece, “Off the Path,” made the cut after being scrutinized by a juror, who examined all the submissions and accepted just 58 into the exhibition.

“Off the Path,” like most of Fontaine-Barr’s works, is a colorful landscape that doesn’t look like anything you’d see in real life.

Elizabeth Fontaine-Barr has been a custom picture framer, an editor, and a manager for a rock band among other careers. But she came back to painting, which she has loved since her childhood.
Elizabeth Fontaine-Barr has been a custom picture framer, an editor, and a manager for a rock band among other careers. But she came back to painting, which she has loved since her childhood.

She draws inspiration from real-life landscapes — often they’re vacation photographs — and puts them through the filter of her own emotions.

The result is an expressionist’s interpretation of the image. “Off the Path” is filled with vibrant hues and an expansive sky.

Unlike many of her works, it doesn’t have foliage to break up the scene.

The inspiration for her ISAP entry came from a photograph of a different painting of a landscape, though you wouldn’t recognize the painting or the original image in Fontaine-Barr’s art.

Once it goes through her creative process, all that’s left is her own impression of what she’s seen.

“Just because I’m looking at a photograph, it’s not going to look like that photograph,” Fontaine-Barr said. “It’s just a trigger for an emotion that I am trying to get down on canvas.”

Fontaine-Barr started getting back into painting around 2008, and it took some adjustment.

Like a blank sheet of paper can be intimidating to a writer, a blank canvas can be daunting to a painter, she explained.

When her creativity flows, she takes advantage of it while she can, coming back to a work periodically on a piece until it’s done.

And because she’s not replicating that particular landscape, it can be hard to tell where it’s going or when she’s actually finished.

“Sometimes, because I’m not drawing what I’m seeing, I don’t know how this is going to turn out,” she said. “It’s almost like the painting has to paint itself.”

Fontaine-Barr does the actual painting, and now she’s doing some selling as well. She estimates that she’s sold more than two dozen works, and hopes “Off the Path” will be another.

Still, it’s no fast track to wealth.

Once an artist factors in the cost to enter exhibits, ship the painting to the event and give the gallery its cut, a painter isn’t looking at a life of luxury, even if the work sells.

Fontaine-Barr won’t be attending the exhibition in California. Going there would add even more to the expense.

Still, being accepted into exhibitions is good for an artist’s resume, Fontaine-Barr said. In addition to the ISAP exhibition, she’s been accepted into regional and local events, as well.

Also, if an artist wants gallery representation — something Fontaine-Barr is considering pursuing in the future — it helps to have a proven track record of acceptance.

As she continues her artistic pursuits, she’s keeping up with her own family’s track record of creativity. Her husband, John, is a musician, and her daughter, Hannah, is involved in ballet.

After spending years in creative and noncreative careers, Fontaine-Barr is again finding satisfaction and success putting her own creativity on canvas.

“I finally came full circle back to my passion,” she said.

For more samples of Fontaine-Barr’s work, visit FontaineGallery.com.

Published July 22, 2015

 

Tennis app serves up statistics

By

Lutz resident John Straumann was playing tennis several months ago and was trying to keep statistics on how his shots were going during a match.

It wasn’t going well.

John Straumann's work center in his Lutz home is more like a command station, with desktop computers, laptops and smartphones working together on his projects. It's where he developed the ScoreIt! sports apps for the Apple iWatch in his spare time. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
John Straumann’s work center in his Lutz home is more like a command station, with desktop computers, laptops and smartphones working together on his projects. It’s where he developed the ScoreIt! sports apps for the Apple Watch in his spare time.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

“One of the biggest things was trying to track unforced errors versus winners, and I was trying to do it in my head. It was impossible,” said Straumann, who was then living in Washington. “I started thinking, well, this new Apple Watch is coming out. I wonder if I could do something so I could track the stuff myself.”

Like many people, Straumann thought he had come up with a pretty good idea for a mobile device application. But unlike the vast majority of those people, he actually designed the app, tested it and brought it to market.

ScoreIt! Tennis is now available in Apple’s iTunes App Store.

Straumann graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in computer science and engineering, and works in software sales, so it might sound like designing an app would be easy for Straumann.

After all, he’d been doing it for years.

There was just one problem: All his experience was with the Microsoft Windows platform. Apple’s operating system is different, and he didn’t own an Apple computer or an iPhone. He didn’t even own the watch that was supposed to be the platform for his new app.

So, he invested about $5,000 in the current technology and taught himself the ins and outs of Apple hardware and software.

He spent a couple of hours in the evenings after work and got up early on Saturday mornings to write and test the app before his family woke up.

The app is designed to be utilized on the court during a game. Straumann said it should only take about a second to input the necessary data.
The app is designed to be utilized on the court during a game. Straumann said it should only take about a second to input the necessary data.

During the same time frame, the family also was moving from Washington to Lutz.

It may sound like a lot of sacrifice and effort but, for Straumann, it was a form of challenging fun.

“It was almost more interesting to me because it was new. It was learning something new, taking on a new project, a new technology,” he said.

In less than two months, he had an app ready to go.

Wearing an Apple Watch, a tennis player can record his or her statistics during a match. With a couple of swipes after each point, players can record what type of shots they hit and how they fared. If there’s an unforced error, the player can log it was a forehand, backhand or serve return, for example. For winners, slices, drop shots, lobs and other types of shots can be recorded instantly and analyzed later.

Designing an app is one thing, but making it useful is another. And Straumann wanted to make sure it would work as well on the court as it did on his computer.

“The biggest things were ease of input and connectivity,” he said.

Because the watch has to be in constant communication with a companion iPhone for the app to work, he had to make sure the connection would be strong from various distances on a tennis court. And he didn’t want recording each shot to interfere with the natural flow of a game. Once a player learns how to use the app, recording statistics should take about a second, he said.

Once he had a useful app, he obtained a developer program membership and sent it to Apple for their testing and review. If they approve it, it’s ready to go. But if there’s a problem, Straumann said they don’t offer much insight into what’s wrong.

He had to wait a couple of weeks to get the verdict.

Apple responded with the green light. So it was ready for market, right?

Not quite. It turns out that Straumann was a harsher critic than Apple itself.

“I wasn’t happy with what I had done, so I rejected it myself and then submitted it again,” he said. After a couple more tweaks, and a little more back and forth, both sides were happy, and he felt good about what he had produced.

The app has only been out for a matter of weeks, but Straumann is happy with the response he’s seen so far. At $1.99 (with no ads), Apple gets about 25 percent of the tennis app revenue, allowing Straumann to see a little monetary compensation for his efforts as well.

And the ScoreIt! app family has already grown. A golf app for the Apple Watch is designed to help players keep score on their watches and input data based on the particular course they’re playing. An update to the tennis app also lets players use it to keep score if they’d prefer to do that instead. Another feature allows a parent or coach to track tennis stats via a non-watch device while the player is on the court.

The new app business is a family affair for the Straumanns. The website introduces daughters Alex (marketing and social media) and Avery (gameplay consultant), as well as wife Patti (graphics) as important team partners.

And while he considers designing apps for Apple devices to be a fun project (he’s now a fan of their products), Straumann said the tennis app has real-world uses for people looking to improve their game.

By analyzing the statistics, trends will develop that show what areas are strengths for a player and what areas need more work in practice, he said.

“I think if they really use it, they can look at things they can improve,” he said.

For more information, visit ScoreIt-app.com, or look up ScoreIt! Tennis in Apple’s App Store.

Published July 15, 2015

Fourth of July sparkles with patriotism

By

Patriotism was on full display at the Independence Day festivities in Lutz.

Whether they were part of the parade, or on the sidelines watching, people came wearing red, white and blue — and were ready to celebrate.

The nation’s colors showed up everywhere.

Jennifer Rankin wins the honorary title of Lutz Guv’na 2015. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)
Jennifer Rankin wins the honorary title of Lutz Guv’na 2015.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

They were on flags, in hair ribbons, on cowboy boots and emblazoned on the front of semi-trucks.

The parade, a community tradition, included the usual suspects.

There were Boy Scout troops, Girl Scout troops, elementary school kids and military veterans, too.

The veterans arrived in Jeeps and trucks, on motorcycles and some, riding stylishly, in a motorcade of Corvettes.

Adults and kids rode on floats featuring local businesses and area churches and sports teams.

Belly dancers jiggled their way down the parade route, while dancers from Dancercise showed off smooth moves and kids from martial arts studios broke boards with their hands and feet.

There were even some inflatable characters, including one representing the Civil Air Patrol and the Michelin man, who was there to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Dumas Tire Pros, a Lutz tire and auto repair shop.

Boy Scout Troop 12 has been a mainstay at the Lutz Fourth of July parades for decades.
Boy Scout Troop 12 has been a mainstay at the Lutz Fourth of July parades for decades.

“We like to support our community,” said DeWitt Dumas, of Dumas Tire Pros, and the company appreciates the community’s support, he added.

Lots of spectators arrived early to get a nice, shady spot.

Sam Calco was there early, staking out a spot for his family.

“We’ve lived in Lutz since ’87. We’ve made it every year, except for when we were out of town,” said Calco, who found a choice spot, under an oak, next to the library.

Now, with 4-year-old grandson, Leo McCullers, the event is even more fun, Calco said, noting, “He enjoys the beads and the candy and the fire trucks and the police cars.”

Karen Lucchese, another Lutz resident, said the parade is a great way to start Independence Day.

“To me, this is what it’s about. It’s all about hometown America. It’s exactly what you’re supposed to do for the Fourth of July, and it gives you a real sense of community,” said Lucchese, who was at the parade with her husband, Phil, her son, Tyler, his girlfriend, Lexi Neth and some other friends.

Little kids and adults lined the parade route, vying to take home some swag. There were beads, of course, but all kinds of candy, too. Some people walking down the parade route were handing out sunscreen and cardboard fans — welcome gifts on a sunny, sweltering day.

The parade wasn’t the only attraction.

There were amusement games and pony rides for kids, a cake and pie auction.

The cake and pie contest drew 28 entries, including a 5-pound apple pie, a cake shaped like a fish and another with the look of the community’s iconic train depot.

Wilma Lewis had eight entries in the competition.

Military officers rode in style during the Fourth of July in Lutz.
Military officers rode in style during the Fourth of July in Lutz.

“I’m thinking she’s wanting one of those blue ribbons,” said Karen D’Amico, who coordinated the competition this year, under the tutelage of Marilyn Wannamaker.

Shirley Simmons entered her famous, made-from-scratch pound cake, which fetched $75 in the auction after the parade.

Another highlight of the day was the swearing-in of Jennifer Rankin, as the honorary Lutz Guv’na for 2015.

It was a moment that Rankin has desired since she was a student at Lutz Elementary School.

Of course, at that time, she thought it was a real political race.

Once she learned it was to raise money for community organizations, she was even more enthused, she said while on the campaign trail.

As a Lutz native who grew up in the family business, Al’s Lawn Care on North Dale Mabry Highway, Rankin said she was pleased to represent the family business which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

She thanked her family members for all of their hard work in helping her to win the race, and she thanked everyone who donated to the cause.

Others competing for the title were Cheryl Lynn Ayers and KarenSue Molis.

Ayers raised more than $2,800 in her bid for the title, Molis raised more than $7,300 and Rankin raised more than $9,200.

“These ladies are awesome,” said Suzin Carr, a two-time Guv’na, who announced the new Guv’na.

“Every penny, nickel, dime — counts,” Carr said. “Last year there were more than 20 local charities here that got a piece of this pie.”

Lutz wasn’t the only place hosting celebrations during Independence Day weekend. The Shops at Wiregrass and the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel hosted the fourth annual Wesley Chapel Freedom Festival, and the Pasco County Fairgrounds had its annual Sparklebration celebration.

Published July 8, 2015

Local woman’s club named best in state

By

The GFWC Lutz-Land O’Lakes Woman’s Club has received the Lois B. Perkins Award, which goes to the GFWC Florida Outstanding Club of the Year.

This is the third year in a row that the club has received the honor – an unprecedented distinction, according to club members.

The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club members were decked out in a sea of red at a recent general meeting in support of February as Heart Health Month. (Courtesy of Patricia Serio)
The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club members were decked out in a sea of red at a recent general meeting in support of February as Heart Health Month.
(Photos courtesy of Patricia Serio)

Winning the award allows the club to retain the coveted silver commemorative tea service to use for their club events.

Kay Taylor, who is the club’s president, and Cathy Mathes, who is the first vice president, attribute the club’s success to its community involvement.

“Teamwork – that’s what makes our club such an awesome club,” Taylor said.

Mathes agreed: “We do a lot of hard work. We do it in a lot of different areas.”

The club is involved on several different fronts.

It supports the Old Lutz School. It helps Support Our Troops. It volunteers with bingo games at the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Nursing Home.

Members pitch in at schools. They put books at coin laundries. They put up a candidate in the annual Lutz Guv’na race. They participate in Relay for Life.

The women prepare foods for breakfast or brunch at the Hope Lodge at the Moffitt Cancer Center.

On one occasion, Mathes found the experience to be particularly poignant.

“A man came up and said, ‘My wife hasn’t eaten anything in two weeks. This is the first time she’s eaten.’

“You just want to sit there and cry,” Mathes said.

The list of activities that the women are involved in goes on and on.

The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club puts on the annual Lutz Arts & Crafts Festival each year at Lake Park. The event is the club’s biggest fundraiser and usually attracts about 30,000 people.
The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club puts on the annual Lutz Arts & Crafts Festival each year at Lake Park. The event is the club’s biggest fundraiser and usually attracts about 30,000 people.

Besides helping the community, the club is involved in two major fundraisers each year. It stages the Lutz Arts & Crafts Festival at Lake Park, an event that draws around 30,000 people each year. It also puts on the Woman’s Club Flea Market, another gargantuan task that involves lots of heavy lifting and volunteer hours.

Taylor has been a member for six years, joining the club a year after she moved to Lutz. She was recruited by Auralee Buckingham.

The club has developed a reputation around the community, she said.

“If somebody needs something, they come to us first to see if there’s any way we can help them,” Taylor said.

“We are all about service,” she said. “We are a working club, not a social club.”

Mathes added: “We do a lot of hard work. We do it in a lot of different areas.”

The woman’s club, known around Lutz and Land O’ Lakes as the “green-shirt ladies,” has 95 members.

The club is open to new ideas and picks up quite a few from meetings in Orlando, Mathes said.

“You learn from all of the other clubs in the state – the projects they’re working on. You can come home with some good ideas of some things you can do here,” Mathes said.

Winning the top prize was a surprise and a thrill, Mathes said.

The club placed second in a number of categories, but earned enough points to win first place, she said.

“There are a lot of active clubs all over the state. It’s just really a great honor,” Mathes said.

Published June 24, 2015

Final fundraisers keep Lutz Guv’na hopefuls busy

By

The race for Lutz Guv’na is wrapping up, but the candidates aren’t ready to pack it in.

All three hopefuls are prepping for last-minute fundraising, with some big events in the final days of the race. All the money goes to Lutz organizations, and the candidate who raises the most earns the ceremonial title. So they’re pulling out all the stops to grab as much cash as possible.

The cash grab for the Lutz Guv'na race was already in full swing at the debate back in May. Now, the three candidates are ramping up the fundraising as the July Fourth deadline looms. (MIchael Murillo/Staff Photo)
The cash grab for the Lutz Guv’na race was already in full swing at the debate back in May. Now, the three candidates are ramping up the fundraising as the July Fourth deadline looms.
(MIchael Murillo/Staff Photo)

According to two-time former Guv’na Suzin Carr, that’s a good strategy to have in the last days of the race.

“The final push is huge, ” Carr said. “It ain’t over until it’s over.”

That motto came to fruition last year, when the race was decided by less than $20 out of around $9,600 raised. In the end, Dr. Cindy Perkins won the Guv’na sash by the thinnest of margins. And on July 4, she’ll hand it over to whichever of the three candidates pushes themselves over the top.

The bulk of the money is actually due the day before, July 3, at 2 p.m. After that deadline, the candidates can raise up to 10 percent more of their total between then and the Lutz Parade on July 4.

Even that final window gets utilized by the best candidates. Carr recalls raising money at the parade itself, doing whatever she could to add a few dollars to her total. When her races were finishing up, she was selling items at clearance prices and hitting up whoever was nearby for whatever they could spare.

“I was calling all of my constituents in my neighborhood and just begging,” Carr said.

By acting like she had nothing to lose, Carr earned herself a couple of big wins. She raised more than $6,000 in 2009, and more than $8,000 in 2013, making her the only two-time winner in Guv’na history.

Now she’s watching a new group vie for the title, and she’s come away impressed. All three are doing a good job of getting in the public eye and driving home the dollars, she said. In fact, Carr admitted she’d be a bit nervous if she had to face their fundraising skills.

Whoever wins the race, it’s not like the others will be considered losers. They’re all contributing to much-needed funds for local groups, and they’ll all have a say in where the money goes. Win or lose, each candidate gets to direct 10 percent of their total to whatever group they choose. A committee will disperse the remaining funds, and around 20 different organizations usually benefit from the annual event.

Here are the last major fundraisers for each of the three candidates:

On June 24, Cheryl Lynn Ayres will bring her campaign to Elsa’s Mexican Restaurant, 18450 U.S. 41., in Lutz. Starting at 4 p.m., the restaurant will donate 10 percent of the sales from anyone who states they’re supporting her Guv’na campaign. Ayres herself will be there after 5 p.m., with games and prize drawings. She’s also auctioning off prime parade-viewing space (complete with air conditioning and bathroom facilities) for the parade on July 4. Details for the auction can be found on her Facebook page (Cheryl Lynn Schmolke Ayres).

KarenSue Molis and her fellow Lutz Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club members are having an indoor flea market on June 27 at the Lutz Community Center, 101 First Ave., NW, from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. She promises to beat the heat with rock-bottom prices inside the center.

Jennifer Rankin has been auctioning items on her Facebook page (Jennifer Silence Rankin) and will host a “Shootin’ For Guv’na” clay pigeon tournament on June 27 at Tampa Bay Sporting Clays, 10514 Ehren Cutoff in Land O’ Lakes. Both spectators and participants are welcome, with prizes for the winners. The event begins at 9 a.m.

Those fundraisers could mean the difference between winning and losing. But each candidate is hoping for good things, and Carr expects another nail-biter when the winner is announced on July 4.

“I will be surprised if this is not extremely close this year. These three candidates have really put themselves out there,” Carr said.

Published June 24, 2015

94-year-old Lutz woman pens her first book

By

There was an excitement in the air on a Tuesday afternoon, as people gathered in the reception area in the building on East Chapman Road in Lutz.

People had trekked from such places at Georgia and Texas, Wesley Chapel and South Tampa, Carrollwood and Lutz, to be there.

Gladys Kuhn, known as Gobby to everyone who knows her, released her debut book at the age of 94. The memoir recounts growing up during the Depression, having a tryout with the Rockettes and Gobby’s many other adventures. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Gladys Kuhn, known as Gobby to everyone who knows her, released her debut book at the age of 94. The memoir recounts growing up during the Depression, having a tryout with the Rockettes and Gobby’s many other adventures.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

They wanted to hear Gladys Kuhn — Gobby, to those who know her — talk about her first book.

It wasn’t a typical setting for a book signing, as this one was at Horizon Bay, a retirement home at 414 Chapman Road East.

And the author making her literary debut was 94 years old.

She didn’t read dramatic passages from her book, which is simply called “Gobby.”

Instead, she shared recollections from a past that is chock full of fun and adventure.

At the front of her 105-page book, Gobby offers this disclaimer: “To whoever reads this book: All the facts, dates, times and details may not be completely accurate. I am getting a little forgetful at 94.”

The book, which is dedicated to her children, tells the story of a woman who remembers when horses delivered the family’s milk, a card in the window let the ice man know how much ice to leave and movies cost a nickel each.

She recalls a time long before television, cellphones and computers.

Gobby grew up in Chicago during the Depression.

“Sometimes the food on the table was pretty skimpy,” she writes. “Mom would make Brown Flour Soup, where she would brown the flour and butter in a fry pan, then slowly add water and onions. I hated it because it had onions in them, and I didn’t like them as a child.”

But she adds, “We always had homemade bread with it to fill the tummy and, sometimes, Mom would put a little sugar and canned milk on the bread if you didn’t like the soup.”

The book recounts her family’s life, as she was growing up — the jobs her father held, the homes they lived in and how they had fun.

She recalls getting a job in an embroidery factory after high school, to help pay for her dancing lessons.

That’s when she met her friend, Ruby Ryan, and the two of them joined a show that was heading to New York.

“We played all of the big theaters,” Gobby’s book recounts. “We interviewed with the Rockettes and got hired, but the war started and my brother was called to service, so my Mother made me come home.”

The book also follows Gobby’s marriage to Bob Kuhn and the family they had together.

It tells tales of her life as a Girl Scout leader and the adventures she shared with her scouts.

And, she recounts the family’s life on the lake in Odessa, and the good times she had while sailing.

Throughout the book, her love of life is evident. In fact, she concludes many portions in her memoir with this simple, declarative sentence: “Life is good.”

During her book chat, Gobby’s eyes lit up as she recalled the happy times that she’s had.

But she also told those gathered that she’s had her dark times, and for a period of time she had wanted to die.

But that was before she met Raymond Paradis, who also lives at Horizon Bay, she says, and when she mentions his name, she becomes joyful again.

Those gathered to celebrate Gobby’s book release were delighted to be there.

“I think it’s pretty remarkable. My mother has always done remarkable things,” said her daughter, Lynda Rix, who lives in Lutz.

Her daughter, Kathi Traywick, of Ellijay, Georgia, helped Gobby organize her book. So did Melissa Horvath, now a graduate student, who was volunteering at Horizon Bay.

Susan Cuellar, of Carrollwood, helped her mom to get started on the book.

“A lot of times, as people age, we lose some of our hobbies,” Cuellar said. “I was looking for a new thing to kind of keep mom busy. Something for her to do. I had an old computer. She was having a hard time writing. I thought she could type.

“And, it turned into a book,” Cuellar said.

Published June 24, 2015

Hundreds turn out to remember Laura Hauser

By

Trinity Church of Wesley Chapel was packed for a service held to celebrate the life of Laura Hauser, who waged a six-year battle with cancer but succumbed to the disease on June 8.

There were probably 500 people at the service on the evening of June 13, according to Trish Trout, a long-time friend who described the event, via email.

Emma White enjoys swimming in a dunk tank during a fundraiser to benefit the Hauser family. Laura Hauser lost her six-year battle against cancer on June 8. (Courtesy of Penny Foote)
Emma White enjoys swimming in a dunk tank during a fundraiser to benefit the Hauser family. Laura Hauser lost her six-year battle against cancer on June 8.
(Courtesy of Penny Foote)

Most of the people at the memorial, deemed a celebration of life, wore blue, which is the color worn as a sign of support in the battle against colon cancer.

“There were tears, there was a lot of laughter. There was so much love and support in the church,” Trout added.

“And, of course, there was a PSA (public service announcement) to get tested for colon cancer. This is exactly what Laura would want,” added Trout, who accompanied Hauser on some of her appointments when she was initially diagnosed.

Penny Foote, another friend of Hauser, also attended the service.

She knew her friend was special but had no idea her sphere of influence had been so broad.

Speaker after speaker told story after story of the positive effect she’d had in their lives, Foote said.

“I don’t even know how one person can change so many lives for the better,” said Foote, who coordinated a fundraiser for the Hauser family on June 13 at Harvester United Methodist Church in Land O’ Lakes.

The benefit raised $3,285.65, and Foote is planning to organize another fundraiser in the future to provide additional help for the family.

Hauser is survived by her husband, Richard; her son, Noah, 14; and her daughter, Tatum, 12.

She was a warrior in her battle with cancer, friends said. She’d undergone more than 70 rounds of chemotherapy and multiple surgeries.

The disease began in her colon but had spread all over her body, including her liver, lungs, spine and brain, said Stephanie Hardy, a family friend for the past four years.

Hauser had been to Seattle for treatment but had returned to Wesley Chapel to attend Noah’s eighth-grade graduation and Tatum’s dance recitals.

She made it to the graduation, but wasn’t able to go to the recitals. She was able to watch one — that was livestreamed — from her bed, Richard Hauser said.

The family had thought that potential treatment in Seattle offered Hauser her best hope and she had planned to return there, but she died at home, under the care of hospice.

Her battle was personal, but she wasn’t alone.

Her fight inspired family, friends, colleagues and strangers to step forward to show their support.

The family also is being helped by a GoFundMe account, established by Pamela Maurer Fay on May 23, which attracted hundreds of donations and sentiments of support.

“You are strong and you are loved. Find strength in the amount of people who wish to help your beautiful family. You are in our prayers,” Rick and Susan Coder wrote, when making their donation.

Hauser worked at Wesley Chapel Elementary School before her illness caused her to leave the job.

While she was working there in 2012, she received the award for School-Related Personnel of the Year for Pasco County Schools. The distinction goes to a noninstructional employee who makes outstanding contributions.

At the time of the award, Hauser’s title was media and technology assistant, but both her colleagues and her boss said her influence was far broader.

She was the campus photographer. She handled lunch duty. She shelved books and checked them out. She had a photography club for kids, put together the school’s yearbook and helped teachers with technical issues.

Principal John Abernathy, described her this way: “Laura is hands-down the most reliable, the most efficient, the most dependable, the most sincere person that I can say that I’ve run across in a really long time.

“In terms of the lives that I would say that Laura has touched – I couldn’t even put a number to it,” he said.

After learning of Hauser’s death, Pasco County Schools tweeted out a message: “Rest in peace, Laura Hauser. A great educator, mom, wife and friend to many. You will be missed.”

Published June 17, 2015