Local News

Water district officials discuss proposed Pierce Lake guidelines

October 10, 2018 By Brian Fernandes

The Southwest Florida Water Management District is proposing new minimum levels for Pierce Lake, and held a meeting in Land O’ Lakes recently to explain the changes and accept public comment.

Minimum levels are established to protect lakes and wetlands, according to district experts. The minimum level is the limit at which further water withdrawals will cause significant harm to the water resources, and/or the environment.

Environmentalist scientist David Carr explained proposed guidelines for Pierce Lake during a Sept. 28 presentation at Connerton Elementary School, in Land O’ Lakes. (Brian Fernandes)

Pierce Lake is southwest of the intersection, between State Road 52 and U.S. 41. It lies within the Gowers Corner Slough basin.

Pierce Lake has no significant inflow other than overland flow, and at stages above 72.6 feet, it discharges through a ditch at its southern end across a field, according to materials prepared by the water management district.

Both outflows enter the same wetland to the lake’s southwest, the technical report says. It also notes that the topography is flat, and flows are often negligible.

Pierce Lake was selected for reevaluation based on development of modeling tools used to simulate nature water level fluctuations in lake basins that were not available when the current minimum lake levels for the lake were developed, the report adds.

“The review process does take a very holistic look the way this lake’s levels interact with all various different uses and indicators,” Joel Brown, government affairs manager for the water management district, told those gathered.

Such factors taken into consideration include acreage, species in or around the lake, recreational activities and water quality.

Minimum and guidance levels for Pierce were first approved in November 2006 and later implemented in 2008.

These levels are categorized into four parts, each providing a guideline for what healthy water elevation should look like for any given lake.

Environmental scientist David Carr and hydrogeologist Cortney Cameron provided a presentation, detailing how Pierce Lake’s lake levels have varied since 1981.

Cameron, who has studied the lake site for reevaluation, explained how Pierce Lake’s level has varied over decades, plus what it would look like without regional ground pumping.

“Pierce can fluctuate quite a bit,” she said, during her presentation. “Our records show that it’s fluctuated 8 feet in about two years.”

This two-year window occurred from 1998, when records showed elevation at its highest, to 2000, when it was at its lowest. Since then, levels have not varied significantly.

The North Pasco well field was Pierce’s closest water source until it was discontinued earlier this year. The nearest well field is now at Cross Bar Ranch, running at 12,500 acres in North-Central Pasco.

From 1981 to 2003, it was steadily pumping about 25 million gallons of water a day. In the past 15 years, it has cut down to 12 million gallons.

Studies show the correlation between a decline in pumping and the gradual rise of Pierce Lake’s elevation.

Attendees at the workshop did not express major concerns.

The scientists also noted that the elevation growth has not been substantial.

“It’s not the highest it’s ever been and not the highest it’s ever going to be,” Carr said.

The proposed level guidelines for Pierce are not substantially different from the ones adopted in 2008.

The recommended high guidance level is 72.7 feet, which is the same as the previously adopted level.

The recommended high minimum lake level is 71.9 feet, which is slightly less than the previously adopted level of 72.2 feet.

The recommended minimum lake level is 69.8 feet, which is slightly less than the previously adopted level of 70.5 feet.

The recommended low guidance level is 68.5 feet, which is slightly less than the previously adopted 68.9 feet.

The water management district’s governing board is set to make its ruling in November.

A draft report for Pierce Lake’s minimum levels can be found at WaterMatters.org/mflreports.

For additional information, contact David Carr at (800) 423-1476, ext. 4246, or at .

Published October 10, 2018

Frank Lloyd Wright on display at Florida Southern

October 10, 2018 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Ask most people to name a few famous architects and chances are they’ll say Frank Lloyd Wright. And no one else.

The Annie Pfeiffer Chapel on Florida Southern College’s campus in Lakeland is one of 12 buildings Frank Lloyd Wright designed there. The college boasts the most concentrated number of Wright-designed buildings in the world. (Karen Haymon Long)

His masterpiece home, Fallingwater, 70 miles east of Pittsburgh, his circular Guggenheim Museum in Manhattan, his desert gem Taliesin West, outside of Phoenix, and his charming prairie homes in the Chicago suburb Oak Park, are all far from Florida.

But, the most concentrated number of Wright-designed buildings in the world are on the Florida Southern College campus in Lakeland. And, they are open to the public.

Wright designed and oversaw the construction of 12 buildings between 1938 and 1958 on the campus he called “Child of the Sun.’’

All on the west side of campus, near Lake Hollingsworth, the buildings include a library with a circular reading room, and two chapels, side by side and both featuring concrete walls with colorful glass inserts that Wright said reminded him of Florida flowers and butterflies.

Red, green, blue and yellow – the inserts sparkle like sea glass in the Florida sunshine.

Colorful cast glass inserts in the concrete block walls of the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel shine in the sunlight. Frank Lloyd Wright, who designed the chapel, said they reflected Florida’s flowers and butterflies.

One of Wright’s trademarks was to always incorporate buildings in their natural settings and to use local materials when he could. He did this in Lakeland, where he nestled buildings into natural berms and along slopes, then included whole walls of glass windows that open onto nature.

He liked mimicking nature, too. The concrete columns on esplanades, or covered walkways, that connect many of his campus buildings are shaped like orange trees – and are spaced 18 feet apart, the same distance that orange trees are spaced in nearby groves, says Carol Hall, who leads tours of Wright’s buildings.

At the Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center, visitors can go into a Usonian House, designed by Wright, that was built in 2013.

Wright created the blueprints for it in 1939 and envisioned professors living in his Usonian homes in neighborhoods across from campus. He figured the 1,300-square-foot homes would cost $20,000 each, which he thought was affordable – in 1939.

That never happened.

His plans were resurrected for this one, and construction – because of the craftsmanship and materials – cost $1.3 million.

Like many Wright homes, it features low ceilings in the entranceway, then soaring ceilings in a large gathering place, with a fireplace, built-in dining table and couch, other Wright hallmarks.

Soaring toward the ceiling, these thunderbird designs adorn the sanctuary of the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel, which Frank Lloyd Wright designed on the Florida Southern College campus in Lakeland.

The house also features his signature Cherokee red poured concrete floor, floor-to-ceiling windows looking out toward the yard and built-in bookcases. And, like in many of his campus buildings, colorful cast glass sparkles from tiny indentations in concrete walls.

Across the street, on campus, visitors can see his other creations, starting with his Water Dome, a 160-foot-diameter fountain that was renovated in 2007 and sprays water 45 feet in the air at full blast. Wright called it “the fountain of knowledge.”

Then, there’s “Mister Wright’s Library,” as Hall calls it, built from 1942-1945 to house books and a circular reading room, but now used for meetings and lectures. It still has Wright’s beautiful wood desks, examples of his chairs and another looming fireplace.

Nearby, a newer library, designed by one of Wright’s students, blends with Wright’s creations.

A wall of colorful glass in the William Danforth Chapel is typical of expansive windows designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Two of his most picturesque buildings are chapels – the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel and the William H. Danforth Chapel, both still used for services, weddings and other special events.

Both have low-slung entranceways that make you feel as if you have to bow to enter, roofs soaring skyward and lots of glass windows.

The Annie Pfeiffer Chapel has a wall of windows similar to those in Fallingwater, a home Wright designed over a waterfall in 1939 that’s now opened to the public as a museum.

It also has soaring concrete designs in the shape of thunderbirds and a door at each of the chapel’s four corners instead of a central front door, which makes it challenging for brides to make a grand entrance, Hall quips.

The Danforth Chapel is smaller and features a wall of red, yellow and clear glass behind the lectern. Like in the larger chapel, Cherokee red cushions pad wooden benches.

The Polk County Science Building has other Wright touches: the columns on the organic sciences side of the building are concrete shaped like orange trees, like those on the covered walkways. Those on the industrial sciences side are all straight lines made of aluminum. Hall said Wright tested them in his shower to be sure they’d withstand rain and heat.

Frank Lloyd Wright designed what he called ‘Geometric Butterflies’ into the registrar’s building at Florida Southern College. The building is now used as an administration building.

A theater in the round in Wright’s Ordway Arts Building has such excellent acoustics that an actor standing in the center of the circular space can say lines in a normal voice and they’ll be heard by everyone in the room.

Whispers from the entrance of the theater distinctly carry all along the circular wall to someone standing halfway around the circle. This is the only theater in the round Wright designed.

Surrounding the Ordway Arts Building and other Wright buildings are ponds, orange trees, flowering bushes, a rose garden, smaller fountains, hedges and lawns, typical of Wright’s “harmonious union of art and nature.”

“We have lots of gardens and lots of green space, and that’s all Wright’s influence,” Hall says.

And, thanks to Wright, The Princeton Review named the 3,000-student Florida Southern College campus the most beautiful in America, she says.

Wright himself wasn’t shy about bragging about his creations. When the then-college president refused to tear down the perfectly attractive red brick buildings that pre-dated Wright’s, the architect told him that was fine, that they’d just be “ugly bridesmaids to my beautiful brides.”

Tips for the trip
Florida Southern College in Lakeland is home to 12 Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. The Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center, Frank Lloyd Wright’s campus headquarters, is at 750 Frank Lloyd Wright Way, across from campus, next door to a Wright gift shop.

Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., daily; closed major holidays.

Tours start at the gift shop. Guided hour-long tours are $20 and are given Monday through Saturday at 10 a.m.; 2 1/2-hour, in-depth guided tours are offered daily at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., and cost $35. A 10-percent discount is given for reservations made online at FlSouthern.edu. Hit “About” at top of screen, scroll down to Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture, and look for the reservations button.

Reservations can also be made by calling (863) 680-4597.

Self-guided tours are another option. Those brochures are sold at the gift shop.

Chapel Poem
William H. Danforth, who paid for the chapel on campus named for him, asked Wright to feature this poem within it somewhere. On a wall in an alcove by the entrance, it says:

“DEDICATED TO

THE WORSHIP OF GOD

WITH THE PRAYER

THAT HERE

IN COMMUNION WITH THE HIGHEST

THOSE WHO ENTER

MAY ACQUIRE THE SPIRITUAL POWER

TO ASPIRE NOBLY

ADVENTURE DARINGLY

SERVE HUMBLY’’

By Karen Haymon Long

Published October 10, 2018

Take a swing at supporting Girl Scouts

October 10, 2018 By Mary Rathman

Members of Girl Scout Troop 148 of Zephyrhills are working hard to raise money for a final camping trip. (Courtesy of Tammy Whitworth)

Girl Scout Troop 148 of Zephyrhills is made up of young girls currently in high school. Its members are working hard to raise money for a final camping trip that will take them to the Florida Caverns, to Arkansas to mine for diamonds, and to the Georgia border for white-water rafting.

As part of its fundraising efforts, the troop will sponsor a golf tournament on Nov. 10 at Silverado Golf & Country Club in Zephyrhills, and is looking for prize donations and sponsors for the event.

The four-person scramble format is expected to draw 120 participants. The cost per player is $50.

Items also are being accepted to put into goodie bags, and a hole sponsorship is $50.

All proceeds from the tournament will benefit Girl Scout Troop 148.

For information and questions, contact Tammy Whitworth, troop leader, at (813) 510-8561 or ; or call Tracy Sullivan at (813) 679-6200.

Published October 10, 2018

Halloween events aim to include those with sensory differences

October 10, 2018 By Mary Rathman

The Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI), The Florida Aquarium and ZooTampa at Lowry Park are collaborating to raise awareness for autism in the Tampa Bay community through “Day of Discovery” Halloween events.

The events will provide special-needs families with unique programming, special animal encounters, enrichment and hands-on activities.

Each venue makes unique modifications regarding the environment setting, to ensure surroundings have been adapted for those individuals with sensory differences.

ZooTampa hosted “Sensory Creatures of the Night” on Oct. 6, allowing individuals to explore the zoo’s Halloween-themed areas through scavenger hunts.

Next up is MOSI’s sensory-friendly Trick-or-Treat on Oct. 20 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Working with Believe It and Achieve It Therapy Services of Tampa, the museum will set up a low-stress environment of lights and sounds, and invite guests to trick-or-treat throughout the museum. Children also can meet MOSI’s astronaut, Moonbase Mike, and have treats that are organic, gluten-free and dye-free. For information, visit MOSI.org.

The Florida Aquarium will participate on Oct. 27 from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., by offering a sensory-friendly “Guppyween.” The event will allow families to trick-or-treat throughout the aquarium in a low-stress environment, which includes a meet-and-greet with Tango, the sea turtle mascot. The 501st Legion and Rebel Forces also will join in for photo ops. For information, visit FlAquarium.org.

All three attractions also are planning Day of Discovery events in December, to continue to support and positively impact children and families of all abilities, and celebrate the spirit of inclusion in the Tampa Bay community.

Published October 10, 2018

PHSC promotes ‘Unity’ at annual Peace Week

October 10, 2018 By Brian Fernandes

Pasco-Hernando State College hosted its 11th annual Peace Week Celebration from Sept. 24 to Sept. 28.

The event — held on college’s campuses Dade City, Brooksville, Wesley Chapel, Spring Hill and New Port Richey — celebrated a theme of unity.

Pasco County Sheriff’s Cpl. Alan Wilkett gave a talk on human trafficking on Sept. 25 during ‘Coffee with a Cop,’ as part of Pasco-Hernando State College’s Peace Week activities. (Brian Fernandes)

The intent was to bring participants together — to embrace each other’s differences and to stand up for what is right.

The weeklong celebration was open to faculty, students and the community, offering outdoor food, music, yoga classes, lectures and a workshop with Buddhist monks.

Laura Raposa, a Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) coordinator at the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel, said the week offered the opportunity for important discussions about various issues.

The idea behind the annual celebration is to give students and those in the community a platform to express themselves on what they think matters, said Raposa, now in her third year of Peace Week at PHSC.

“We really wanted to do something that was important today and signified where we want to be,” she said of the agenda for Peace Week.

Sharon Hayes shows off her custom-made tie-dye shirt during Pasco-Hernando State College’s Peace Week festivities at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, in Wesley Chapel, on Sept. 24.

Mason Fitzpatrick, a transgender man, visited PHSC’s different branches to explain his journey in a lecture series called “Stand Together.”

In addressing the audience, he aimed to improve understanding about the identity issues that come with wanting a transition.

Pasco Sheriff’s Cpl. Alan Wilkett made stops at several campuses for “Coffee with a Cop.” His talk focused on the global issue of human trafficking and ways people can help identify a victim in need.

Members of Bikers Against Child Abuse also spoke in a segment called “A Mission of Love.” Their talk focused on how to better support child abuse victims, especially when the victims must testify in court.

Like the other PHSC branches, Wesley Chapel’s Porter Campus held an outdoor Unity Festival including a drum circle, which invited the public’s participation.

Those attending festivities at the Porter Campus also were able to create custom-made tie-dye shirts and framed paintings.

As is traditional, the state college plans to have a day in spring where everyone on campus wears their tie-dye shirts to show solidarity.

Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch had a drum circle on Sept. 24 as part of Peace Week. From left: Duane Powell, Claudia Alvarez, Marbelys Alvarez, Myna Mendoza and Paul Gavin.

Throughout the week, professors held workshops on the three Ps of peace: Professional, personal and public. These sessions covered how to maintain a healthy balance in the different areas of one’s own life, while coexisting with others.

Another support network present at the event was the Porter Campus’ prayer group.

On the first day of the event, they had a booth set up outside, hosted by two sisters, Claudia and Marbelys Alvarez.

Now up to 20 members, the club meets once a week on campus for prayer and Bible study. It offers an environment to share thoughts and words of encouragement, the sisters said.

During Peace Week, the group’s booth was decorated with baskets of candy and neatly filed envelopes. Each envelope contained different passages of scripture to help brighten the readers’ day and offer hope for the future.

“This is just the beginning,” Claudia said, referring to the spiritual guidance

offered to those passing by.

“Your purpose [is] so big, bigger than just a career, and that’s what I want students to get,” she said.

Published October 10, 2018

San Antonio gardening fest offers lessons, vendors and fun

October 3, 2018 By Brian Fernandes

“Come one, come all – it’s a family event,” said Dorothy Moore, issuing an invitation to the upcoming Gardening 365 event at San Antonio Park.

At last year’s garden festival, visitor Hailey Ferrel, left, received help with her take-home plant from Pasco County Master Gardener Pam St. Louis. (Courtesy of Pasco County Master Gardeners)

Pasco County Master Gardeners, who are part of the University of Florida/Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, are hosting the festival slated for Oct. 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Now in its second year, the festival’s theme this year is “Edibles.”

Those attending the event will have a chance to learn how to cultivate and maintain healthy organic foods year-round.

Multiple seminars will be offered, tackling such topics as: How to prune trees for hurricane season; How to grow Asian vegetables; Proper water conservation; and, Lasagna Gardening – layering your home garden.

Last year’s vendor, 3 Seasons Growers, provided the festival with a variety of flowers and plants for visitors to choose from.

“If they’re [visitors] looking at growing pesticide-free plants, this is the perfect way to learn,” Moore said.

The rain barrel seminar is the only course that has a fee, but it also includes a rain barrel that participants get to take home.

Vendors will set up throughout the park, offering shoppers a chance to buy a variety of plants and landscaping accessories.

The Kids’ Zone will be available for young ones to engage in free activities. And, there will be a food court and picnic benches.

Parking is available, and festival-goers are asked to bring only service animals, as needed.

For more information, contact Dorothy Moore at (352) 518-0156 or .

Gardening 365 Event
Where: San Antonio Park, 12200 Main St., in San Antonio
When: Oct. 6, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: Free
Details: Pasco County Master Gardeners will present courses on planting and organic food alternatives. There also will be vendors and a Kids’ Zone.
Info: Call Dorothy Moore at (352) 518-0156, or email .

Published October 3, 2018

Pasco County considers mobility fee rate update

October 3, 2018 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County Commission is considering changes to its mobility fee rate structure, which could lead to higher rates in a couple of categories by virtue of removing discounts they now receive.

The update also calls for lowering fees in seven land-use categories, and changing the fee charged for residential development in rural areas on lots of 5 acres or more.

Mobility fees are based on the transportation impacts caused by new development, which is typically expressed in the number of trips the development generates, as well as the length of the trips it creates, according to Bill Oliver, of W.E. Oliver P.E., LLC, the county’s consultant on the mobility fee update.

The mobility fees are charged to new construction.

Currently, the mobility fee for a new single family home is $9,800 in the rural district; $8,570 in the suburban district; and, $5,835 in the urban district.

During a Sept. 25 workshop, a majority of commissioners agreed that removing a 7 percent incentive for apartments in the county’s urban fee district would not pose any problems for the county.

Commissioner Mike Moore urged his colleagues to drop that incentive.

“It’s no secret, my frustration, on every corner and every street, we’re putting up apartments,” Moore said.

“We don’t need any more high-end apartment complexes on 54 and 56, in that corridor. So, why would we incentivize them?”

“We’re talking about taking up valuable land, frontage of (State Roads) 54/56, that could be job creators, and they’re getting filled with apartment complex after apartment complex and storage facility after storage facility, and it’s getting crazy.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, however, expressed reluctance.

“We have a shortage of workforce housing. I think we ought to be careful,” Starkey said.

Moore said he’s talking about high-end apartments that are popping up along the corridor.

Starkey said one way to address her concern might be to set a threshold to identify apartment developments that could continue to receive an incentive, and those which would not.

While commissioners cannot take any actions at workshops, their discussion can indicate which way they’re leaning. In this case, they agreed to bring back the apartment incentives issue for when they hold a public hearing on the proposed fee update.

On another category, Starkey failed to sway a majority of commissioners when she suggested eliminating, or at least reducing, the incentive for hotel development.

“I’m not sure we need to subsidize hotels anymore,” Starkey said. “They’re running at 90 percent occupancy.”

Moore said he’d want more information before going that route.

“Do we have enough product yet? How much product do we need in Pasco County before we take that away?” Moore asked.

Starkey said the incentive wouldn’t have to be stripped entirely, but the county could charge something.

“They’re paying zero,” she said.

Commissioner Jack Mariano suggested looking at the issue again in five years, when the county plans to do its next update of the mobility fee rates.

Commissioner Ron Oakley agreed: “We’re trying our best to be a premier county and we’re getting there. Don’t put the brakes on before we get there.”

On another issue, Oakley said asked if the county could reduce the gap between the fees paid in rural districts, versus the other fee districts.

Oliver explained that the rates paid in rural areas are higher because residents living there drive longer distances, thereby having a greater impact on the county’s roads. They also enjoy a higher level of service because there’s less congestion.

Oakley said the disparity in rates bothers rural residents.

“They’re concerned about having to pay so much more here, and everybody says ‘Well that’s because you’ve got a longer trip on the road and that’s got more impact.

“It seems like it’s harsh,” Oakley said, noting a lot of “have been arguing and fussing” because of high mobility fees.

David Goldstein, chief assistant county attorney, said the proposed fee schedule addresses that issue.

Under that schedule, a new single-family home built on 5 acres or more in the rural district would pay the same fee as the same-size home built in the suburban district, which is $8,570. Those built on smaller lots in the rural district would continue to pay $9,800.

Goldstein noted: “Our vision for the rural area really is larger lots, so we didn’t think that a large lot in the rural area should be penalized for building on a large lot in the rural area.”

The update calls for reducing fees in these categories: High-rise condominiums; age-restricted communities; congregate care facilities; college/university in suburban/rural areas; churches in suburban areas; hospitals; and hardware/paint stores (but not big box stores such as Lowe’s or Home Depot).

The update also introduces five new land uses: Non-veterinary kennel; breakfast/lunch only restaurant; fast-casual restaurant; ice-skating arena; and active/passive warehouse.

Besides changing specific categories, there’s also a proposal to update the mobility fee schedule every five years, instead of approximately every three years, as has been the practice.

Lengthening the time between updates, coupled with an increasing number of permit applications, would allow the county to reduce the permit administration fee from $392 per permit to $136 per permit, Goldstein said.

The update also proposed additional incentives to spur development along U.S. 19.

Next, the proposed fee schedule goes to the Pasco County Planning Commission for its recommendation, and then it comes back to County Commission for final action.

The Planning Commission is scheduled to take up the issue at an Oct. 25 public hearing. The County Commission has two public hearings scheduled, on Nov. 27 and Dec. 11.

If adopted, county staff recommends that the new fees take effect on Jan. 1.

Mobility Fees update
Pasco County is considering an update to its mobility fee schedule.

Some quick facts:

Pasco County’s mobility fee was last updated in 2014. (Since then, infrastructure costs have increased by 6.7 percent and the county’s incentives program has expanded).
Fees have essentially held constant since 2011.
The county has rural, suburban and urban fee districts.
There are 11 fee schedules, with 81 land uses in each schedule.
The fee schedule has incentives to encourage specific types of development, in specific areas. (The county pays those subsidies, using taxes from nongrowth sources).
The update introduces five new land uses. They are: Non-veterinary kennel; breakfast/lunch only restaurant; fast-casual restaurant; ice-skating arena; and active/passive warehouse.
The update also calls for reducing fees in seven land use categories. They are: High-rise condominiums; age-restricted communities; congregate care facilities; college/university in suburban/rural areas; churches in suburban areas; hospitals; and hardware/paint stores (but not big box stores such as Lowe’s or Home Depot).
The proposal also calls for updating the mobility fee schedule every five years, instead of every three; and, reducing the administrative fee for permit applications from $392 per permit to $136 per permit.

Source: Bill Oliver, of W.E. Oliver P.E., LLC, the county’s consultant on its mobility fee schedule update. This information was presented by Oliver to the Pasco County Commission during a workshop on Sept. 25.

Published October 3, 2018

Enjoy beer and wine samples, and help a good cause

October 3, 2018 By Brian Fernandes

The Fall Brewfest for Hospice on Oct. 6 gives people a chance to sample beer and wine, while benefiting Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care.

The venue for the event is Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., and it’s scheduled for Oct. 6, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

During the Spring Brewfest in March, festival-goers enjoyed live music and sampled beer and wine offered by local breweries. (Courtesy of Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care)

Admission is $25 for one ticket, $45 for two and $120 for six.

The entrance fee covers beer and wine samples from various local breweries and wineries.

Food trucks will offer an array of choices, and picnic benches will be available.

Strictly Business, a band made up of local business owners, will provide live entertainment.

There also will be health care organizations offering information, and vendors selling arts, crafts, jewelry, candles and other goods.

Festival-goers will be able to play cornhole and other games, too.

“It’s a fun event, but we’re doing it for a good cause,” said Kirsty Churchill, community relations manager for Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care, the only nonprofit hospice care that serves Pasco County exclusively.

The hospice organization accepts patients regardless of whether they can pay the expenses.

The fundraiser is important, Churchill said.

“Events like this really help cover the gap of what’s not paid for by Medicare, Medicaid and insurance,” she explained.

The event is open only to those age 21 or older.

Tickets are available online at BrewfestForHospice.org and by calling (727) 845-5707.

For additional information, contact Leesa Fryer at or (727) 845-5707.

Fall Brewfest for Hospice
Where: Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.
When: Oct. 6, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost: $25 for one ticket, $45 for two and $120 for six
Details: Brewfest offers event-goers a chance to sample beer and wine, play games and purchase meals from food trucks.
Info: Contact Leesa Fryer at or (727) 845-5707. Tickets are available online at BrewfestForHospice.org and at (727) 845-5707.

Published October 3, 2018

Sister Helen turns 105

October 3, 2018 By B.C. Manion

Sister Helen Lange, a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida in Saint Leo, celebrated her 105th birthday on Sept. 28.

There were 75 guests at the party, including three relatives, according to Cheryl Chadick, development assistant for the Benedictine Sisters of Florida.

The relatives who came to the party were Sister Helen’s cousin, Joan Schmidt, from Brandon; and, her niece, Monica “Shotsie” Keyes, who traveled from Salem, Virginia. Keyes was accompanied by her daughter, Stefanie Martin, who is Sister Helen’s grand-niece.

Sister Mary David Hydra escorts Sister Helen Lange to her 105th birthday cake, as Sister Roberta Bailey, Prioress of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida assists. Sister Helen resides at the Heritage Park Health and Rehabilitation Center, and the other sisters live at the Holy Name Monastery in St. Leo. (Courtesy of Richard K. Riley)

Kym Hoerr honored Sister Helen with three dozen roses, Chadick added.

“The party was a huge success. Sister Helen looked beautiful, as usual,” Chadick said.

The festivities were held at Heritage Park Health and Rehabilitation Center in Dade City.

Sister Helen, formerly known as Laurina Lange, was still a teenager when she traveled by train from Texas to Florida to pursue the religious life, according to an Aug. 17, 2016 Laker/Lutz News report.

The year was 1930, and she was accompanied by four of her cousins — Irma Multer, Pauline Block, and Rosaria and Rosanna Matthiesen. They, too, had decided to answer God’s call.

She recounted many of her experiences in a memoir she wrote called “Kicking the Habit.”

In the account, she describes growing up on a farm in Olfen, Texas.

Her family prayed often, enjoyed making music, and had frequent gatherings with friends and relatives, her memoir says.

One of her favorite times of the year was Easter.

“Holy Week was truly Holy Week. There were no radios, no running around, no dancing or partying,” her memoir says.

Standing before attendees as they sing ‘Happy Birthday’ at her party, Sister Helen takes the first taste of the cake celebrating her 105 years.

“On Holy Saturday, all of us kids were sent out to pick flowers to build Easter nests for the bunny to come. While we were out hunting the flowers, little did we know that mom was busy dying the eggs — which we never saw until Easter morning.

“We made small nests with the wildflowers we picked out in the fields.

“On Easter Sunday morning, we all tumbled out of bed to see what the Easter bunny had brought. There were eggs of all colors neatly laying in our nest of flowers. What a beautiful day!”

She enjoyed shopping days with her mother, her memoir reports.

Once the necessary items for the household were purchased, she and her mother would stop by the drugstore for an ice cream soda.

“They only cost 25 cents back then,” her account says.

“Another favorite treat was a chocolate bar with marshmallows and nuts. This was called a Tango. It was only five cents,” the memoir adds.

Of course, living on a farm required hard work.

There was “cotton to chop, cotton to pick, maize to head, tractors to run, cotton to haul to the gin, repairs to be done. Too many chores to mention,” the book recounts.

And, she attribute her family’s deep faith as a key influence in her decision to pursue the religious life.

Over the years, Sister Helen would be a teacher, a band director and a principal. She would oversee a hostel for visitors from other countries. And, later, she would work in elder care.

She also moved around quite a bit. Her first assignment took her back to Texas, but she also worked in New Orleans and Slidell, Louisiana, and in various parts of Florida, including San Antonio, Venice, Sarasota, North Miami, Ocala and Jacksonville Beach.

Published October 3, 2018

Motocross enthusiasts can get their fill at Dade City track

October 3, 2018 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Revving up and getting ready to race is the name of the game at Dade City Motocross Raceway, behind the Pasco County Fairgrounds, at 36722 State Road 52.

From left: 11-year-old Kylen Bruce, 9-year-old Kolton Bruce, 10-year-old Tyler Ballenger, 11-year-old Anthony Monteleone and 5-year-old Whalyn Ballenger wait their turn before taking some practice runs. (Randy Underhill)

And, if you enjoy motocross, you’d likely enjoy an evening at this raceway.

A preview of what the place has to offer was on full display during a recent Saturday night practice session.

The raceway, established in 1979 and now owned by Randy Yoho, offers about 100 acres of a clay/sand track with tight turns and jumps galore.

Sanctioned by the American Motorcycles Association (AMA), the events include a local series, Gold Cup Series, Florida/Georgia Series, Florida Series and area qualifiers for the famous Loretta Lynn Championship series held on property owned by Loretta Lynn in Tennessee.

Nick Stokes, 24, of Land O’ Lakes, heads into a tight turn on the track, made up of clay and sand.

Practice nights are Thursday starting at 4:30 p.m., for peewee and novice riders, and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., for all other classes. Saturday evening sessions are from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., following the same order when no other events are scheduled for Saturday night races.

The practices keep safety in mind, and are divided into groups, generally by age and experience levels.

The fees are $10 for spectator and $10 per rider, with a membership of $25, or $10 a day.

Lessons also are available on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The instruction is available for people of all ages and no experience is necessary. Classes are $25 each and no membership is required.

The racetrack keeps both racers and spectators in mind, with restrooms equipped with showers, water hookups for RVs, a sheltered concession stand with seating, bleachers for seating, bike spray area and ample parking.

By Randy Underhill

Published October 3, 2018