The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Helping principals develop their skills was his biggest joy

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Dave Scanga received a standing ovation during his final meeting with the Pasco County School board and district leaders, at the beginning of March.

Superintendent Kurt Browning lauded Scanga for his 27 years of service to the district.

“I’ll tell you, when Dave walks out the door, there’s going to be a great deal of institutional history that is walking out with him,” Browning said.

“His fingerprints are on so many things around here,” the superintendent added.

“Dave has been a rock,” Browning said, characterizing Scanga as “the voice of reason” during various staff discussions.

School board members praised Scanga’s ability to work through issues.

Dave Scanga recently retired from his post of assistant superintendent in Pasco County Schools. Regardless of his role during his 27 years in the district, his aim was the same: To help students to learn and to thrive. (B.C. Manion)

Board member Colleen Beaudoin recalled her first encounter with the assistant superintendent, which came when she was parent attending a board meeting, to call attention to an issue.

“He took me aside afterward and we problem-solved and worked together, and it was a really great experience,” Beaudoin said.

“He really listens to parents and community members, and I greatly appreciate that,” she added.

Board Chairwoman Cynthia Armstrong said the board could count on Scanga to be responsive, whenever it was warranted.

“I didn’t have to worry, you were going to be there, and you were going to handle it with such calm and reason and grace,” Armstrong said.

Board member Allison Crumbley said, the way Scanga worked through a problem, “everybody felt pretty good by the time it was solved.”

Board member Megan Harding appreciated Scanga’s presence — not only when a situation needed correction, but also to celebrate a success.

“You’ve always been there and you’ve been advocating for our kids,” Harding told Scanga. “I am unbelievably grateful for you.”

Deputy Superintendent Ray Gadd weighed in on Scanga’s even temperament.

“Over the years, he’s come into my office a few times, just madder than heck about a few things. And, he was very calm, when he was mad,” Gadd said. “Rarely is he mad, but even when he is mad, he is calm.”

In his final role, Scanga was an assistant superintendent. Before that, he was director of research, a principal, an assistant principal and a behavioral specialist.

Scanga arrived in Pasco County after working overseas for 10 years in Saudi Arabia, Africa and Japan. He worked in student services in those schools.

Scanga grew up on a farm outside of Pittsburgh, in a family of nine children.

He said his international experiences broadened his perspective and deepened his understanding of himself.

He was attracted to Pasco County through a recruiting effort, and once he arrived had no desire to leave.

“At our core (in Pasco County Schools), we do believe in supporting the whole child and we do believe in connecting to the family,” Scanga explained.

He also admires that the district gives principals the autonomy to work with the community.

Scanga said he was attracted to serving in an administrative role because he desired a wider sphere of influence. He wanted to focus on helping others develop their leadership skills.

“The joy of my career has been working with principals, and the great ones … they create the context for everybody to feel like they’re part of the work,” Scanga said.

Role of principal complex, challenging
Scanga holds principals in high esteem.

“They are excited. You can barely contain them. They want to be so successful. But they also are stepping into a role that is very complex and very challenging — a lot of responsibility,” Scanga said.

“Every principal I’ve ever worked with has basically said: ‘I thought I knew what it was going to feel like. But I didn’t.’”

This is a group of new elementary principals that Dave Scanga worked with to help them develop their leadership skills. (Courtesy of Dave Scanga)

It’s a tough job, Scanga said.

“Principals are at the apex of everything below them and are a conduit to everyone above them,” Scanga said.

He said he  appreciated being able to be a mentor to new principals, and to help them build a network of support, where they could learn from one another’s experiences.

In a group meeting, Scanga said, one principal might say: “’I have this problem.’

“And everyone else in the room will go: ‘So, do I.’’

The quality of a principal’s leadership has a direct bearing on the effectiveness of a school,  Scanga added.

“It doesn’t matter, the context of the school — the socioeconomic level, high or low, (or) where you are geographically — a good principal will make a difference in whatever situation you put them in, whether it’s a brand-new school, or a school that’s been there for 100 years.

“Helping principals transition into the role is part of what I’ve been able to do and what I’ve enjoyed,” Scanga said.

Whether on the front lines, or working at a higher level, Scanga said his driving motivation has been same: To foster a culture where children had the opportunity to learn, and to thrive.

Although stepping away from Pasco County Schools, Scanga will remain active in education — continuing in his role as an adjunct professor at Saint Leo University.

He is passionate about public education.

“I believe it’s the bedrock of our democracy, and even though, we’re under attack sometimes, it’s the people in this (district board) room that are going to make the difference,” Scanga said, during his last school board meeting..

“They’re going to keep public education viable. They’re going to keep it so that every student has that opportunity that they need to have to become a strong, literate citizen in this country,” Scanga said.

Public educators must stay the course, he said.

“If we ever blink, it will be our fault because basically without it (public education), the country just won’t be what it is meant to be,” he said.

Published April 06, 2022

Tampa’s Baseball Museum scores a home run

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You might — and probably will be — greeted by a rooster.

No, it’s not on a farm, but one that roams the historic streets of Ybor City, some of which are still laid in brick from nearly a century ago.

And, tucked away on those historic streets, at 2003 N. 19th St., is the Tampa Baseball Museum.

The Tampa Tarpons played at Al Lopez Field until 1988, when the area anticipated a Major League Team to be awarded to Tampa. The region wasn’t awarded a professional team, then known as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, until 1995. (Mike Camunas)

It opened in September and is inside the Al Lopez House, which was painstakingly moved from its original place in West Tampa to Ybor City.

Step inside the museum, and 135 years of Tampa baseball history and heritage greets visitors. It’s a place where 89 professional baseball players with Tampa roots are honored.

The impressive and immersive exhibit displays the rich and diverse stories dating back to long before the Tampa Bay area received a major league franchise.

Baseball and Cigars
In 1887, Ybor City was a small but crowded town with about 700 residents.

What else is there to do? Start a baseball team? Why not!

Residents would come by the hundreds to watch the team play other Florida teams. A decade later, the Cuban Cigar Industry came to Ybor City and the love of baseball bloomed.

Later in the 1910s, Spring Training would come to Tampa, with the Chicago Cubs playing on Plant Field. Six other teams would join the Cubs: the Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees.

The Tampa Baseball Museum at the Al Lopez Home in Ybor City showcases elements and features from the rich baseball history in the Tampa Bay area, including original seats and home plate from Al Lopez Field. The field was demolished in 1989. (Mike Camunas)

Minor League teams formed shortly after this, including the Tampa Smokers in 1919 — one of the first teams of the Florida State League. That team ended in 1929, but not before it was able to sign and develop Al Lopez, its most pivotal player.

The man, the legend
Lopez, who grew up playing in the sandlots of Ybor City, made his major league debut in 1928, becoming the first Tampa native to enter the Majors.

After a career that lasted nearly 20 years, he would become a manager, doing that for nearly another 20 years. Lopez also is the first Tampa native to manage a major league team, the first to manage a team to a World Series and the first to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, which happened in 1977.

What’s baseball without a Cuban Cigar? Here are some that were part of the Havana Winter League in the 1960s.

Lopez’s 1,410 MLB managerial wins are ranked 11th all-time.

It’s why the original Al Lopez Field was named after him when it opened in 1955. It would host Spring Training games for the Cincinnati Reds and the Tampa Tarpons, the Reds Class-A minor league team at the time until it was demolished in 1989, when the Tampa Bay area began pursuing a major league expansion team.

If you visit this museum …
Take your time. There’s much more Tampa Baseball History than you’ll expect. There’s a continuous running video presentation and various timelines of the different aspect of baseball in Tampa, including Tampa Bay receiving the expansion Devil Rays, the Negro Leagues and baseball during wartime.

Be sure to check out the wall of signed balls that include older players, Hall of Famers and even current players.

And once you’re done, head out past the roosters and go get a Cuban sandwich, one to honor Mr. Lopez and his hometown.

Tampa Baseball Museum at the Al Lopez House
Where: 2003 N. 19th St., Tampa
When: Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: $12 adults, $10 Military, Seniors 65+, Students 18+ (ID required), $6 children
Details: An interactive history museum on the 135-year history of baseball in Tampa
Info: Call 813-400-2353, or visit TampaBaseballMuseum.org

Published April 06, 2022

The Tampa Baseball Museum has dozens of signed baseballs from Tampa natives who grew up playing baseball in Tampa, including current Rays manager Kevin Cash, West Tampa’s Lou Piniella and Tino Martinez, and even Mets’ first baseman Pete Alonso, who played for Plant High School.
One of Ybor City’s many roosters that roam the streets outside the Tampa Baseball Museum at the Al Lopez House.
Great care was taken to move the Al Lopez House, now known as the Tampa Baseball Museum. It was situated in West Tampa but is now on 19th Street, in Ybor City.

Efforts underway to extend Penny for Pasco surtax

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The Pasco County School Board and the Pasco County Commission recently held a joint session to discuss asking voters to extend the Penny for Pasco, a local government infrastructure surtax, for 15 years.

If approved by voters, the extension is expected to yield about $1.9 billion in revenues, which would be split between the school district, the county and the county’s municipalities.

The school district and county each would receive 45% and the municipalities would share the remaining 10%.

The special 1-cent sales tax initially was adopted in March 2004, and was in effect from Jan. 1, 2005 through Dec. 31, 2014. Voters extended it for 10 years, with that renewal going from Jan. 1, 2015 through Dec. 31, 2024.

The proposed renewal would be from Jan. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2039.

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent for Pasco County Schools, recalled when the tax was initially  proposed.

“We had schools that were 200% capacity.

“Sand Pine Elementary had more kids in portables than they had in the original concrete structure. We had no green space on that piece of property. The only space we had where the children could play was on the basketball courts.

“That was just our worst example, but we had numerous schools that were at 150% capacity, 170% capacity, and it was nothing to have 15, 20, 25, and in some situations, 30 portables on a campus,” he said.

Chris Williams, director of planning for the school district, said: “In the first Penny, we did a lot of new schools as part of our projects, as well as renovations. When the Penny came up for renewal, we were in the recession, or just coming out of the recession, so our growth had pretty much gone to zero. So, our focus on the current Penny was more on renovations, rather than on new schools.

“With the growth that you all are well aware of, in our county — at this point, again, we’re going back to focusing on not only renovations, but also on new schools,” Williams said.

The proposed list includes numerous new schools.

“As you know the (State Road) 54 corridor in the Central Pasco area is booming, and so we are looking at doing potentially a new elementary school, probably in the Bexley development,” the planning director said.

“Also, along the (State Road) 52 corridor, we know that Central Pasco Employment Village is starting to come to fruition, just to the west of I-75, so we have a K-8 (kindergarten through eighth grade) school planned for that area.

“Also, we’re already planning on doing a K-8 school on the Smith property, which is in the Ballantrae area, along the (State Road) 54 corridor, and we anticipate opening that in 2025, but we’re looking toward using Penny money for that,” Williams said.

Also, in the Villages of Pasadena Hills — between Wesley Chapel and Dade City — the school district is expected to be building a K-8, or whatever is needed there, Williams said.

But those are just some of the projects that would be built with Penny proceeds.

The school district also would use the tax revenues to add computers in schools, upgrade the district’s computer network, fortify the safety on its campuses, upgrade athletic facilities and improve safety at driver pickup locations at schools, among other things.

The county proposes to spend its portion of the tax revenues this way: 40% for transportation, 20% for economic development, 20% for public safety; and, 20% for environmental lands, as well as park infrastructure.

County Administrator Dan Biles said using a portion of the funds for park infrastructure is a new idea, but is intended to equip recreational areas, so people can enjoy them.

The county administrator also noted that it’s impossible to accurately project revenues or costs over a 15-year period. So, he said, the hope is to underestimate revenues and overestimate costs.

Sheriff Chris Nocco noted: “Our county is growing too quickly, the needs are overwhelming right now.

“When we’re looking at the Penny, maybe we don’t always have to do it the same way. Maybe we could adjust it different ways to address different needs,” he said.

The first Penny was approved on a narrow margin, but the renewal received much boarder  support, Gadd said.

Superintendent Kurt Browning said he hopes that voters give the second renewal resounding approval, as well.

“Moving forward, there’s a great deal of work that has to be done, in order to assure our public, our voters, that we’re worthy of the renewal and our district is committed to that end,” Browning said.

The two boards will be working in coming months to prepare to get the Penny for Pasco renewal placed on the November ballot, so voters can decide whether the 1-cent surtax should be extended.

Published April 06, 2022

This musical showcases dark side of American Dream

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From left are Marcus Blake, as Charles Guiteau; Johnathan O’Brien, as John Hinkley Jr.; and, Jay Morgan as Samuel Byck. mad Theatre of Tampa is performing the musical ‘Assassins’ at the Straz Center, March 31 to April 16. (Kelli Carmack)

mad Theatre of Tampa, a local nonprofit performing arts theater, is bringing its latest musical, “Assassins,” to the Straz Center in Tampa.

Directed by Jessica Berger Vitalo, this musical explores the lives of nine men and women who either assassinated or attempted to assassinate one of the nation’s presidents.

The musical explores the dark side of American history, delving into the lives of assassins ranging from John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, and others.

The stories of our country’s most infamous and would-be assassins intersect in unexpected ways creating a powerful, yet unnervingly funny look at some of the most shocking moments in the nation’s history.

The play also takes viewers on a nightmarish roller-coaster ride where assassins and would-be assassins from different historical periods meet and interact with each other.

The musical will be from March 31 to April 16 at the Shimberg Playhouse, at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets start at $27, and can be purchased at StrazCenter.org.

As an aside, Trevor Lloyd, who portrays John Wilkes Booth, also plays a role on The Laker/Lutz News team, handling an array of marketing duties.

Published April 06, 2022

Chris Cordero plays Guiseppi Zangara, who attempted to assassinate Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. Pictured here is Zangara moments before he is executed.
Trevor Lloyd, center, plays John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Abraham Lincoln, the nation’s 16th president. Jay Morgan to the left, as Samuel Byck, is to the left and Richard Brown, as Leon Czolgosz, is to the right.

Making homelessness ‘rare, brief and non-recurring’

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Pasco County has been working to change the trajectory of homelessness — and two of the leaders in that effort recently updated the Pasco County Commission on the quest.

Marcy Esbjerg, director of community development for Pasco County and Don Anderson, CEO of the Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County appeared jointly at the county board’s March 22 meeting.

They reported on progress and discussed ongoing challenges, offering suggestions for future action.

Esbjerg reminded commissioners that the board approved a coordinated investment plan in September of 2020 and she was there to report on what happened..

“We said we were going to house 225 people in 180 days,” she said.

“We wanted to take some that were unsheltered elderly; some that were unsheltered, but not elderly; unsheltered, chronically homeless; and, families.

“We were using about $4 million from the Emergency Solutions Grant,” she said.

The goal to house 225 people in 180 days didn’t happen, Esbjerg said. It took longer than 180 days, but ultimately, 254 households were housed, including a total of 368 individuals.

Other initiatives also have occurred.

For instance, 14 new, permanent supportive beds have been added, along with the county’s  partner agency, St. Vincent DePaul, using a combination of funding sources.

“We had people that came strictly right off the street,” Esbjerg said.

“I met Joe, who for 20 years lived in the woods. He said to me, in a meeting we had recently, that it was the first time he thought that he would ever have a microwave and a refrigerator. And, no, he didn’t use his dishwasher yet because he only had one fork, one spoon and one bowl and he didn’t need to use the dishwasher,” the community development director said.

The county also opened a family shelter.

It operates out the former Boys & Girls Club on Youth Lane, which has been renovated.

It has nine separate rooms and a large common area, Anderson said.

“The primary objective here is get these families houses, as quickly as possible. We don’t want to warehouse them at the Family Shelter, rather, we want them to be housed as quickly as we can.

The combination of efforts is making a difference, Esbjerg  said.

“This is the most movement, the most achievement, the most success that we have seen when it comes to homeless initiatives in probably over a decade, if not longer,” Esbjerg said.

The county’s homelessness initiatives are data-driven and based on best practices, Esbjerg said.

The efforts begin with an outreach team who identify the individuals and the families that are homeless, Anderson explained.

Help is prioritized by greatest need
“We evaluate them with a standard tool, and then they go to what is referred to as a ‘By-Name List,’” Anderson said.

“The individuals and families on that By-Name List have all been evaluated by the same tool, so they are ranked, in order of, who’s at the greatest risk of harm on the streets, in the woods,” he said.

“We triage, so we help the highest needs first,” Esbjerg added.

“We have a housing first philosophy, meaning we take people straight from the streets and the encampments and we put them into houses and into housing rather than this ladder approach, where they go into emergency shelter and then perhaps transitional housing and they have to earn their way through the various steps,” she added.

“Clients have a choice in their housing and also in their services,” Esbjerg added.

Pasco County is one of 400 or so Continuums of Care (COC) across the country, which compete for funding.

Esbjerg reported “the (Pasco) COC has doubled the amount of funding that they get from 2018, to now. From $800,000 to $1.7 million.”

Point-in-Time Counts are taken to determine the extent of homelessness.

“What’s important about these numbers is that these aren’t merely anecdotal,” Ebsjerg said.

“We drove down the street: What did we see? “We drove into a neighborhood: What did we see? “These are actual counted numbers,” she said.

In both the 2020 and 2021 Point-in-Time counts, there was a high percentage of single adults, Esbjerg said. In 2020, 76% were singles; and, in 2021, 82% were singles.

A gap analysis was done and it determined there was a gap between how services are being directed and where they are needed, she said.

As it turns out, more resources are needed to address individual homelessness, Esbjerg said.

More resources also are needed to address the increasing issue of domestic violence, which is leading more people to enter the system, she added.

The county has received a $300,000 grant for domestic violence programs, she said.

The county also intends to use American Rescue Plan funding to increase the supply of affordable housing.

Esbjerg said the county also is trying to purchase a hotel, motel or multifamily housing to help address homelessness.

It had identified one, but lost out on that one to a private developer, she said.

Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey asked why the county couldn’t build one.

Esbjerg said it could, but it would take longer.

County Administrator Dan Biles said besides taking longer, the county couldn’t build it as cheaply as a private developer could.

Anderson said he’d like the county consider building a family shelter on the east side of Pasco.

“It’s very difficult for a family, if they are on the east side, while they are homeless, many times they have tentacles into the community —maybe job, children going to a particular school — it’s really a hardship to expect them to come to this (west) side of the county,” Anderson said.

Published April 06, 2022

Bounce on over, to have fun here

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Enjoy jumping around? This is the spot for you.

At Flying Squirrel Trampoline Park, at 22930 State Road 54, in Lutz, there’s plenty of trampolines and all sorts of other options for when kids, and adults, get squirrely.

Amelia Marcos hangs from cloth ropes in a foam square pit at Flying Squirrel in Lutz. (Mike Camunas)

It’s an entertainment and recreation option that occupies more than half of the former K-Mart in the Willow Bend Shopping Plaza.

“We open at 2 o’ clock when school gets out, so it’s about people always looking for stuff to do after school,” said Kevin Olivella, Flying Squirrel’s manager. “So, it can be busy then, but that’s when we have a lot of people and families like that ready to jump around.”

Flying Squirrel opened in June 2020, following some pandemic delays typical for businesses opening during that period.

Ian Samora dunks a basketball off a trampoline at Flying Squirrel in Lutz.

“I think we put together every trampoline,” Olivella said. “From every last spring,” he added, laughing.

“And, even as a trampoline park itself, we have different aspects than other trampoline parks, too,” said Brody Flanagio, fellow manager.

Besides large trampoline areas, Flying Squirrel has a handful of Top Golf simulators, Drey Cafe for food and drinks, an augmented rock wall, arcade games, American Gladiator-like games with foam battalions, and even a zip line.

“It’s a lot of fun here, even to work here, because we have some staff competitions with the kids to mix things up,” Olivella said. “Weekends are our big days because we have birthday parties and it’s crazy. Or can be.”

Flying Squirrel is not far from Main Event Wesley Chapel, at the Tampa Premium Outlets, but Olivella said that the trampoline park and Main Event are different enough to not view themselves as competitors.

Flying Squirrel, located at 22930 State Road 44, in Lutz, now occupies the former K-Mart department store in the Willow Bend Shopping Plaza and is one of the largest trampoline parks in the Tampa Bay region.

“Main Event has bowling, more video games,” Olivella said. “I like to think we’re really a trampoline park first, so not only do we have a little younger demographic, we’re more about being active, jumping around, wearing kids out. So they’re just different beasts of entertainment.”

At Flying Squirrel, booking in advance is not necessary for those who just walk in to jump and play, but it is recommended for parties and events.

Prices start at $19 an hour, but there are family passes available, which are popular with frequent visitors.

Don Hager, of Wesley Chapel, falls into that category. He has made the trek to Flying Squirrel dozens of times, accompanied by his grandson, Braddick.

“He loves it,” Hager said. “It’s definitely something for him to do and then he’s tired later on. He gets great exercise and it gets him out of the house for an hour or so. What more does he need?”

Flying Squirrel Indoor Trampoline Park
Where: 22930 State Road 54, Lutz
When: Tuesday through Thursday, 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 2 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost: Prices start at $19 an hour; group rates available
Details: A trampoline park, a rock wall, arcade games and other recreational options
Info: Call 813-501-8488, or visit FlyingSquirrelSports.us/lutz-florida/

Published April 06, 2022

Some basics, to protect yourself from scams

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It seems like every time you turn around, someone you know is being scammed, or being targeted as a potential victim.

Here’s a list, compiled by The Better Business Bureau, to help you to avoid being scammed:

  • When someone you have not met asks you to send them money, especially by wire transfer, prepaid debit card or gift card, don’t do it.
  • Never click on links or attachments in unsolicited emails or texts. That’s how crooks put malware on your devices.
  • Don’t trust the legitimacy of something by its looks. Emails and websites are easy to fake with copied logos and graphics.
  • Don’t trust your Caller ID. It can be faked to read any way a crook wants it to read.
  • Buy online only from legitimate sources with a website address that has the “s” in “https.” Look for the lock icon in the address bar as well.
  • Look up any company you’re unfamiliar with at BBB.org.
  • Treat your personal identification information like gold. Don’t give it away to anyone who contacts you out of the blue. Your banking, Social Security and insurance numbers should be closely guarded.
  • Anyone pressuring you to act quickly could be a scammer who doesn’t want you to have time to seriously consider the “offer.”
  • Get details in writing and read them thoroughly.
  • Don’t overshare on social media. Con artists can collect your information from such sources and use it to make you think they know you.
  • Keep your travel plans to yourself and only share them after the fact.
  • Shred junk mail, old documents, bills and medical paperwork.
  • Monitor your accounts and check out any unknown transaction, even for tiny amounts (crooks start with small amounts to see if you pay attention).
  • Use strong passwords and keep software and virus protections updated constantly.

Check out the Better Business Bureau’s articles on phishing scams, tech support scams and Social Security scams.

Scammers never quit, but they can be thwarted by staying on top of the latest tips and news from organizations that monitor them, such as the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission.

Go to BBB.org, to look up online marketplace business profiles, file a complaint, or write a customer review. Visit the BBB Scam Tracker, to research and report scams.

Avoid ransom scams
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office shares this tip to help people avoid becoming victim of an economic scam that is known as a ransom scam.

In this crime, the scammer will call the victim and claim to be holding a member of the victim’s family captive.

The scammer instructs the victim to transfer ransom money into the scammer’s bank account or the victim’s family member will be harmed.

The scammers use tactics to convince the victim their loved one is a hostage, such as using screams and cries in the call.

In its posting, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office advises those who receive such a call should hang up the phone and then call your relative to verify his or her safety.

Published April 06, 2022

Young performers get their shining moments on stage

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Hundreds of people turned out to watch the 39th annual “Spotlight on Talent” Performing Arts Competition, which allows young performers to showcase their skills and be evaluated by professional judges.

Faith Phaller, a ballet dancer, is this year’s recipient of the Pasco Heritage Scholarship Award. The $1,000 scholarship goes to a Pasco County graduating senior who attains the highest solo scores from the finals judges for the Spotlight on Talent competition, as well as earning the highest marks from the audition judges. (Courtesy of Heritage Arts Center Association)

The event was held on March 12 at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel High.

Over the years, the competition has become so popular that it has two final shows.

Younger students performed in the matinee, which began at noon and older students and groups perform in the evening show, which began at 7 p.m.

In total, about 110 contestants performed during the two shows, which is staged each year by the non-profit Heritage Arts Center Association.

The association’s 15-member board worked on the competition for three months, with a final production team including 14 additional community friends who gave of their time, according to a news release from the Heritage Arts Center Association.

Barbara Friedman was the competition’s executive director and assistant producers were Lauretta Brown, Michael Roberts, Michelle Twitmyer and Laurel Weightman.

The event was supported by 37 corporate and community sponsors who donated toward the $4,000-plus in cash prizes, trophies and ribbons that were awarded, plus costs of the show, topping $16,000.

Masters of Ceremonies for the event were David West, a Rotarian and a pastor, and Clint Roberson, a lawyer.

The shows were dedicated to the memory of the late Dr. Jack McTague, a board member of the Heritage Arts Center Association.

Diverse talents were demonstrated during the two shows, including vocal, piano, dance, musical theater, electric, rock and classical guitar and spoken poetry.

One of the high points of the evening came when the winner of the 10th Pasco Heritage Scholarship was announced. Faith Phaller, a dancer, was named this year’s winner of the $1,000 scholarship which goes to a Pasco County graduating senior who attains the highest solo scores from the finals judges, as well as from the audition judges.

Here’s the listing of the 2022 Spotlight on Talent winners:

Matinee

Category 1

  • First: Naomi Reed , piano
  • Second: Kaiya Bistany-Charles, vocal
  • Third: Amber Luu, piano
  • Fourth: Berkley Hopper, vocal
  • Fifth: Chloe Adams, modern/acro dance

Category 2

  • First: Alexander Butts, contemporary dance
  • Second: Nikki Lang, piano
  • Third: Camila Trejos, vocal
  • Fourth: Kat Baudoin, vocal/electric guitar
  • Fifth: Abbey Yokum , contemporary dance

Category 3

  • First: Kendall Hill, vocal
  • Second: Rio Ricardo, musical theater
  • Third: Tavin Groomes, musical theater

Groups

  • First: Camila Arguello and Linley Bishop, jazz dance
  • Second: Stagelights PAC, contemporary dance

Evening Show

Category 1

  • First: Shreyashi Bodaka, piano
  • Second: Maelee Scaglione, contemporary dance
  • Third: Maris Willers, ballet dance
  • Fourth: Sofia Acosta, musical theater

Category 2

  • First: Samuel Wu, piano
  • Second: Larkin Mainwaring, vocal
  • Third: Brooke Tudor, ballet dance
  • Fourth: Jasmine Crew, modern dance
  • Fifth: Katie Young, vocal
  • Sixth: Julianne Henderson, vocal

Category 3

  • First: Ezekiel Richards, tap dance
  • Second: Faith Phaller – ballet/point dance
  • Third: Sailor Wade, ballet dance
  • Fourth: Jayden Parsons, vocal
  • Fifth: Michaela Mezzei – lyrical dance

Groups

  • First: Kasey Lang and Conner Harrie, piano duet
  • Second: Star Company, dance

Pasco Heritage Scholarship Award recipient: Faith Phaller – ballet/pointe dance

Published April 06, 2022

Gas-saving tips for boaters

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Motorists who hit the road aren’t the only ones who have to contend with high gas prices, boaters do, too.

To help boaters make the most of their fuel, the Boat Owners Association of the United States (BoatUs) has compiled some tips, which the organization shared in a news release.

Here’s a condensed list of those suggestions:

  • Tune your engine to get the best efficiency.
  • Match the propeller to the kind of boat you have and how you use it. Ask the pros at the propeller shop for advice and experiment with different models. Be sure to keep your propeller clean and in good repair. Be sure your hull is clean, too.
  • Keep track of your fuel flow. A fuel-flow meter can show you in real time how many gallons your engine is burning per hour, allowing you to dial in the most efficient speed for your boat.
  • Keep in mind that newer engines tend to be slightly more efficient than older models. Options also have increased for electric and hybrid propulsion.
  • Don’t carry extra stuff on your boat. Additional weight means more drag.
  • Lighten your tanks: Don’t run with a full freshwater or fuel tank unless you absolutely need it.
  • Avoid excess idling. Modern engines are fuel injected, so are ready to a minute or two after being started.
  • Distribute the load onboard to help your boat run most efficiently. Be sure your boat is not leaning too far to one side or the other. (You may need to rearrange your passengers.)
  • Remember that most recreational boats run most efficiently when they’re on plane, so once you’re out of the no-wake zone, safely get on plane, as soon as you can.
  • Watch your wake: One sign you’re blowing gas is the size of your wake. While sometimes you have no option, slowing down to no-wake speed saves fuel. It’s a matter of plowing a wall of water rather than efficiently slipping over or through it.
  • Slow down: In addition to conserving on gas, it’s safer.
  • Reduce wind drag: A canvas or bimini top is great for protection from the sun, but you can improve fuel efficiency while underway by taking it down if you can.
  • Navigate smartly: The ultimate trick to saving fuel, of course, is running your engine less. Travel to closer destinations or drop anchor somewhere nearer to home to enjoy your fun afternoon on the water. If possible, take the shorter route and route trips in sync with currents and tide, and try to avoid a lot of banging into head seas.
  • Share your angling outings by “buddy boating.”Head out this weekend by inviting the guy in the slip next to you, and then rotate on the next weekend’s angling outing. This fuel-saving technique is especially popular with anglers who fish canyons far offshore. Of course, this also improves your social aspects of fishing life as well.

Published April 06, 2022

Lighthouse Books shines on, in Dade City

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Step inside Lighthouse Books in downtown Dade City, and you might feel like you’ve entered an oversized time capsule – but one that encases memorabilia from far more than a single moment in history.

Shelves and tables inside the store display eclectic collections of books, periodicals, how-to manuals, and even vintage brochures that document humanity’s literary musings through the ages.

In a sense, Lighthouse Books is the quintessential used-book store, though most of its hand-me-downs are anything but mass-produced reprints.

Lighthouse Books founder Michael Slicker sits at his desk surrounded by scores of vintage books waiting to be cataloged into the store’s inventory. (Courtesy of Susan Green)

Proprietor Michael Slicker reflects on that, as he handles a 1478 edition of “Commentaries on Juvenal’s Satires,” one of the oldest and rarest artifacts available for purchase at the store.

“It was used back when Columbus got here,” he quips.

Slicker is an antiquarian bookseller, one of only about 450 members of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America. Born in St. Petersburg, he founded his store there in 1977 and chose the name, in part, for its original location overlooking the water.

In 2019, after being twice cramped by encroaching development, he relocated Lighthouse Books to Dade City, where his daughter, Sarah Smith, had already put down roots. Together, father and daughter run the business, which includes appraisals, purchases and sales of thousands of yesteryear’s treasures.

Specialties include books chronicling Florida and Caribbean history, as well as many works related to military histories. But Lighthouse offers collectible books, maps, and print materials from all over the world and just about every time period.

“We have a niche. We don’t have to compete with all the paperback sellers,” Slicker says.

He doesn’t count online booksellers such as Amazon as competitors, either, even though most of Lighthouse’s sales these days are made online through the company’s website.

Mainstream booksellers generally don’t handle books published before the 1970s because they don’t have ISBN numbers, Slicker explains. Without those unique identifiers, book vendors can’t easily enter books into a computerized inventory system.

At Lighthouse, each of the thousands of vintage materials that enter the store’s inventory must be cataloged by hand – a task that falls mostly to Smith.

Sarah Smith displays a vintage marketing brochure for Appleton Manufacturing Co., which crafted windmills and farm implements in the early to mid-1900s.

“It’s definitely something we work on constantly,” she says.

Judging books by their covers
Slicker’s expertise as an antiquarian book appraiser has been sought by universities, private collectors and estate sellers. And when it comes to antique book valuations, the old adage against judging a book by its cover doesn’t apply. Slicker notes that a book’s artwork and binding materials play a significant role in valuations, and they tell tales about the people of yesteryear, just as the written words do.

For example, take the 1854 volume titled “The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray.” As Slicker bends the Moroccan leather binding slightly and thumbs across the pages’ gilded edges, a portrait of the author against a churchyard backdrop appears. It’s a hidden flourish known as a fore-edge painting that sets the scene for the poet’s best-known poem, “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard,” before the first page is turned.

Or take the American decorative binding trends of the early 20th century. Lighthouse is home to quite a few examples of books with elaborate artwork gracing the covers, usually the handiwork of women.

Grace Smith, 9, daughter of Sarah Smith and granddaughter of Michael Slicker, finds plenty to ways to while away the time in the kids’ section at Lighthouse Books.

“Since women were kind of shut out of all the fine arts, they did these decorative bindings,” Slicker says.

Slicker’s appraisal talents have put him in touch with the past in a way that few people ever experience. For example, one of his assignments was to appraise a log book that the famous pilot Amelia Earhart carried with her on one of her transatlantic flights. To him, the entries read like letters to her parents in the event she didn’t return.

“You have to picture that she’s writing in her log as she’s soloing across the Atlantic,” Slicker says. “And she writes that there’s an 8-foot wave and her right engine is going out.”

As much as he loves books, Slicker doesn’t collect them himself. It’s not a good idea for an antiquarian bookseller to compete with his customers, he explains.

“I tell people I got into the business because of the books, but I stayed because of the people,” Slicker says. “It’s a joy when an enthusiastic person comes in and says, ‘Oh, I’ve been looking for this for a long time.’”

Tina Ross, of Dade City, is just such a customer. Recently, she came to Lighthouse Books looking for a specialty craft book.

“I’m like in heaven here,” she said. “I like bookstores, but they have all the new titles everywhere — nothing juicy.”

A perfect fit
Margaret Angell, a 20-year downtown business owner who chairs the Dade City Merchants Association, says Lighthouse Books is a welcome addition to a historic commercial district that draws visitors to its antique stores, specialty shops and restaurants.

“We’re delighted to have them,” she says. “They bring a whole new element to our downtown with their historic books and maps.”

Slicker and Smith say they’ve been happy with the move.

“I think it’s definitely a more leisurely pace than we experienced in St. Petersburg,” Smith says. “People come and spend the day, and they’re glad to be out and about. … I think it’s easier to be kind when they’re less stressed.”

Lighthouse Books in Dade City advertises collectible ‘books, maps, prints and ephemera,’ the latter being vintage advertisements, magazines, brochures, and other ‘throwaway’ literature of the past.

If you go
Lighthouse Books, ABAA
Where: 14046 Fifth St., Dade City
Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday
Contact: 727-822-3278 or
Info: OldFloridaBookstore.com

Calling old book lovers
What: 39th Annual Florida Antiquarian Book Fair
When: April 1 to April 3
Where: The Coliseum, 535 Fourth Ave. N., St Petersburg
Cost: Admission $10 for the entire event
Info: FloridaAntiquarianBookFair.com

By Susan Green

Published March 30, 2022