The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Connerton hosts ‘stud’ parties

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Connerton is hosting three events to give people a chance to write a few words of encouragement and inspiration for retired U.S. Army Sgt. David Roca and his family, who will be receiving a mortgage-free home from Connerton, Lennar and Operation Finally Home.

Roca sustained several traumatic brain injuries in combat during his deployment to Iraq. One of those injuries occurred when an improvised explosive device hit his vehicle.

Construction is already underway at 8743 Savory Walk Drive. The family of four is expected to move in on April 30, thanks to an expedited permitting and review process by Pasco County.
(Courtesy of Grey Street Studios Inc.)

Roca and his three children were surprised on a windy, chilly March morning when they found out they would be moving into a home in Connerton, a 4,800-acre mixed-used, master-planned community in central Pasco County.

Roca and his children, Alex, Amelie and David Jr., will be moving into a 2,065-square-foot, four-bedroom home, being built by Lennar Homes. The family is expected to move in on April 30.

Those who would like to extend their congratulations and well wishes will have a chance to write them on the home’s studs before the dry wall is installed, said Joan Stout, a Connerton marketing consultant. Those signings will take place at the home site, 8743 Savory Walk Drive in Connerton, on April 1, April 2 and April 8, from noon to 3 p.m.

Those unable to come during those times should visit Club Connerton, at 21100 Fountain Garden Way, where they can sign a heart. Those hearts will be stapled to the framing of the home, Stout said.

The Roca family will be able to read the notes, as they do a walk-through of the home before the drywall is installed. That walk-through is expected on April 9.

Grey Street Studios Inc., also will do a video tour to capture the notes of love so that the family will have a permanent remembrance of the wishes extended to them from the community.

This is the sixth home Lennar has provided to military families around the country, and the first in the Tampa Bay market.

Based in Texas, Operation Finally Home has provided more than 150 mortgage-free homes for veterans during the past 10 years.

Published March 22, 2017

Talented youths get time to shine

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Jessica Twitmyer received the top scores to win a $1,000 Pasco Heritage Scholarship, during the 34th “Spotlight on Talent” on March 11 at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel High School.

Because of its popularity, the talent contest is divided into two shows, said Barbara Friedman, the executive producer for the competition, which is put on by the nonprofit Heritage Arts Center Association.

Vocalist Jessica Twitmyer won the top prize during the 34th annual ‘Spotlight on Talent’ competition, receiving a $1,000 Pasco Heritage Scholarship.
(Courtesy of Heritage Arts Center Association)

The afternoon performance features younger competitors and the evening show features older contestants.

More than 160 students auditioned on Feb. 28 for a chance to compete in the finals, Friedman said. Of those, a total of 140 competed in the two shows.

Friedman was helped by assistant producers Dr. Rebecca Groomes and Alicia Polk Guanio. Also, a 15-member board of directors worked on the project for three months, and a final production team, including 20 members of the community, pitched in to put on the competition, Friedman said.

Both performances drew audiences of hundreds of people, and performers competed for more than $5,000 in trophies, ribbons and cash prizes.

Contestants included musicians, singers, dancers and musical theater performers.

There were two masters of ceremonies, Tom Jackson, who works for Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Paula O’Neil, and Mike Rom, principal of Countryside Montessori Charter School.

A panel of paid professional judges selected the winners.

The younger students competed in Act 1, and the older students competed in Act II.

The winners in Act 1 were:

Category 1:  Vincent Pham, piano, first; Samuel Wu, piano, second; and, Larkin Mainwaring, musical theater, third

Category 2:  Kasey Lang, piano, first; Angelica Drobny, voice and piano, second; Emma Shireman, musical theater, third; Isabella Como, musical theater, fourth; and Jasmine Villa, pointe dance, fifth

Showstoppers’ musical theater performance earned third place in its category at ‘Spotlight on Talent.’

Category 3: Agnes Hernandez, piano, first; Jadon Day, voice, second; Grace Williams, lyrical dance, third; Faith Phaller, contemporary dance, fourth; Sailor Wade, ballet dance, fifth

The winners in Act II were:

Category 1: Julianna Mazza, lyrical dance, first; Gracie Scaglione, contemporary dance, second; Allison Crump, contemporary dance, third; Victoria Conn, ballet dance, fourth; Nora Urbuteit, jazz dance, fifth

Category 2: Victoria Neukom, contemporary dance, first; Maria Hernandez, piano, second; Kaira Torres, voice, third; Kiersten Herman, musical theater, fourth; Hannah Knight, voice and guitar, fifth; Catherine Beard, voice and piano, sixth

Category 3: Jessica Twitmyer, voice, first; Courtney Graham, musical theater, second; Clare Hernandez, piano, third

Groups: Star Dancers 9 – 12, contemporary dance, first; Piano Nerds, piano duet, second; Showstoppers, musical theater, third

Published March 22, 2017

Negotiations underway for county administrator

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Pasco County Commissioners have selected Daniel F. Biles as their top choice for the next county administrator and his contract negotiations are underway.

Biles emerged as the clear favorite in the selection process, and commissioners voted unanimously to offer him the position, said Commission Chairman Mike Moore.

If Biles agrees to terms, he will replace County Administrator Michele Baker, who is retiring. She has been in the role since 2013, following a lengthy career with the county.

Commissioners had planned a two-day selection process. Initially they intended to conduct public interviews with all five candidates, followed by one-on-one individual interviews between each commissioner and each candidate.

After that, they were set to reconvene on the first day to narrow the field to three finalists, with those interviews expected on the following day, March 15.

But when they got back together, commissioners received a score sheet to rank the candidates on a scale of one to five, with five being the best score.

Heather Grimes, assistant county administrator, tallied the sheets and announced the outcome.

Biles scored a 25, meaning each commissioner identified him as the top choice, Moore said. Commissioners then decided to drop the second day of interviews.

Biles currently is the deputy county manager of Jefferson County, Alabama, located in Birmingham.

He has 10 years of experience in engineering, including work on stormwater issues. He also has a military background and has family living in Florida.

Besides the public interviews and one-on-one interviews, the candidates also went on a tour of the county and attended a private meet-and-greet session on March 13.

Other candidates that were considered were:

• Mark A. Cunningham, assistant county administrator in Sarasota County

• David M. Ross, the first county administrator of Rock Island County, Illinois, which formed its government in 2015

• Theodore L. Voorhees, the former city manager of Fayetteville, North Carolina

• Dale M. Walker, the county manager of the Macon-Bibb County government, which consolidated in 2014

The five candidates who were interviewed were selected from a list of 11 candidates recommended by the Chicago-based recruitment firm of GovHR USA.

Both Moore and Commissioner Mike Wells said the county had a top-notch pool of candidates.

But, both also said that Biles stood out.

Both commissioners said Biles’ military leadership experience, his private business experience and his government experience equip him to perform well in the job.

Moore characterized Biles as being relaxed and engaged.

“I watched how he interacted with folks, during the meet-and-greet period,” Moore said. “He just felt at home, to me, talking to people.

“Something else that stood out is that his spouse flew down with him, too. His spouse came to the meet-and-greet. She sat with him, while he was interacting with others. She also came and sat in the public interviews that we did, as a group, too,” Moore said.

“Obviously, you really take it serious if you make that decision to bring your spouse down,” Moore said.

That fact didn’t escape Wells’ notice, either, and if left a positive impression.

Wells said Biles obviously had done his homework and, he said, Biles clearly values the importance of customer service.

Moore also noted: “When I had my private interview with him, too, going one on one, he was very comfortable during that conversation. I never felt once that he was trying to oversell me.”

Besides being factual, “he (Biles) was bringing great ideas to the table,” Moore said.

After commissioners offered Biles the job, Moore said he was chatting with him, and Biles mentioned that today’s technology will enable him to be out and about in the county, while remaining accessible.

Moore thinks that’s important.

“When you’re a leader like that, your team needs to see you, and the community needs to see you,” Moore said.

The board is expected to vote on Biles’ contract at its next meeting, scheduled for March 28.

Published March 15, 2017

Burglars can’t steal softball league’s spirit

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Lutz Softball Inc., formerly known as the Lutz Leaguerettes, isn’t going to let a recent burglary ruin its season.

While still picking up the pieces from a March 8 break-in, the league is moving forward with practices and games, as usual.

“We are not going to have the girls suffer,” said Mike Cook, president of Lutz Softball.
“We’re still going to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off, and try to spin it in a positive direction, someway, somehow.”

Two suspects burglarized the Oscar Cooler Sports Complex in the early morning hours of March 8, causing losses in excess of $5,000.

While Hillsborough County owns the park, Lutz Softball has a field-usage agreement, working closely with the county’s parks and recreation department.

The hooded suspects stole approximately $1,000 in cash, $1,000 worth of sporting equipment, $1,500 in food, and caused $2,000 in property damage, according to information from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Lutz Softball Inc., is having several fundraisers after a burglary at the Oscar Cooler Sports Complex caused about $5,000 in losses for the organization. The recreational fast pitch league caters to girls, ages 5 to 18.
(Courtesy of Lutz Softball Inc.)

Released video surveillance footage shows the suspects used pry bars to break into the concession stand, office and equipment storage areas.
“They took whatever they could get their hands on,” the league president said.
The footage also shows the suspects loading the items into an unknown vehicle parked on the west side of Crooked Lane, just south of West Lutz Lake Fern Road.
Pilfered items included an 80-pound safe, safe shields, shin guards and softballs.

“It’s unfortunate they got into the equipment room,” Cook said. “I’m guessing it’s probably just stuff they can sell quick, and get a couple of bucks for.”
Bulk quantities of various concession items also were swiped by the burglars, the league president said.
“They took everything in the freezer,” Cook said. “They took the hot dogs, the buns, the cheese, the chicken tenders, the mozzarella sticks, the onion rings, the bacon —everything.”

The recreational fast pitch organization has created a GoFundMe page to recoup the thousands of dollars in losses.

So far, more than $1,000 has been raised, including numerous donations from players’ families.
“We’re a strong unit, a strong network,” Cook said, “and everybody’s come together on this.”

There will also be another major fundraising opportunity on April 1, when the league hosts its annual Super Saturday event.
Described as a “fun-filled day,” the event will feature a parent softball tournament, along with various games, a bounce house and dunk tank. There’s also a silent auction and basket raffles.
“It’s a huge day for us,” Cook said. “It’ll certainly help in recovering and recouping from (the burglary).”

To Cook, the hardest part to grasp from the incident is the impact on the league’s young players, who range from 5 to 18 years old.
“You’re not stealing from the parents there. You’re not stealing from the executive board. You’re stealing from these girls, who just want to go to a place where they’re not playing video games or hanging out on the street corner,” Cook said.

Besides raising money to replace lost items, the league is working with Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation to repair the broken locks and doors, and one of the damaged fields.
Cook noted the sports complex was last burglarized about three years ago.
Additional security measures to prevent a similar instance are being discussed with the league’s executive board, he said.
“We’re trying to figure out what the best route is, but we certainly want to upgrade our current surveillance system, with some other precautionary measures,” he said.

Besides the burglary, it’s been an eventful year-plus for the softball organization.
In January 2016, Lutz Softball announced it would offer a recreational fast-pitch league for the first time in its 37-year history.
Just six months later, the league discontinued its slow-pitch leagues altogether, citing dwindling registration figures and an overwhelming preference for fast-pitch.
Cook said the league now has about 200 girls (ages 5 to 18), the highest number since he joined the organization four years ago.
“The transition to fast pitch is going really, really well,” he said.
The Leaguerettes are a PONY (Protect Our Nation’s Youth) Softball affiliate.

To donate, visit GoFundMe.com/eyqzb-lutz-softball.
Anyone with any information on the burglary is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at (813) 247-8200.

Published March 15, 2017

 

Golf course could be replaced by houses

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Despite impassioned pleas from residents of Quail Hollow, it appears that the Quail Hollow Golf Course & Country Club soon could give way to residential and retail development.

Property owner Andre Carollo, of Pasco Office Park LLC, is proposing to build a maximum of 400 single family homes, 30,000 square feet of office/retail and 10,000 square feet of day care.

The golf course is located on Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

More than 20 residents attended a public hearing of Pasco County’s Development Review Committee on March 9 in Dade City.

Committee members agreed to recommend approval of the project to the Pasco County Commission.

County commissioners will have another public hearing, where they will make the final decision.

Many residents speaking in opposition to the proposal said they bought their homes decades ago when it was marketed to them as a golf course community, with large lots, ranging from 1 acre to 3 acres.

Land use attorney Barbara Wilhite said the golf course – built in the 1960s – pre-dated the home sales.

There never was a master-planned golf course community, said Wilhite, who represents Pasco Office Park LLC.

The golf course shut down in 2008 and reopened in 2011.

Its website touts Quail Hollow as “more than just a golf course” with a restaurant and banquet facilities for weddings, parties and special events.

Residents are worried about losing their rural enclave.

But, they also raised issues about ongoing flooding in the neighborhood and concerns about increased traffic.

Boom Boom Drive currently is the only access road off Old Pasco Road into the golf course.

A traffic engineer for Pasco Office Park described intersection improvements that would add right- and left-hand turns on Old Pasco to improve traffic flow. Construction is scheduled for completion in 2019, about the time new residents would be moving into their homes.

Flooding already is a chronic problem for homeowners, said Edward Glime, who lives in the area.

“We can’t stop them from building on the golf course,” he said. But, he asked: “Is it (water) going to be running like a river? “What kind of erosion is going to be happening to my property?”

Engineer Greg Singleton said a drainage system would be designed to “provide more area for floodwaters to spread out.”

Resident Jeanne Luczynski was skeptical.

“The flooding is tremendous in the rainy season,” she said. “We need more assurances that this is not going to be worse.”

Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker expressed sympathy for the residents’ plight.

But, the reality she said is that “golf courses are a dying breed.”

At least three in Pasco County have shut down, including the now-closed Magnolia Valley Golf Course in New Port Richey.

Residents either face redevelopment or finding a way to buy the land to stave off new housing construction.

Plantation Palms Golf Course, in Land O’ Lakes, is one community that opted to hold onto its golf course, but Baker said it was at a “premium.”

She did make a promise to residents about flooding when the final plan came to the county commissioners.

Baker came to Pasco County initially as its emergency management director. She also has dealt with flooding problems countywide in recent years from heavy summer rains and tropical storms.

“I hear you,” she said. “We will be reviewing it with a very jaundiced eye and make sure there is no negative impact.”

Published March 15, 2017

Quest continues for Ridge Road permit

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Pasco County officials are hoping a letter of support from Gov. Rick Scott, and an executive order from President Donald Trump, could finally lead to a permit to build the Ridge Road extension.

For 19 years, the county has pursued the permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for an approximately 8-mile road extension that would cut through a portion of the Serenova Preserve. The road extension is a high priority for the county to give residents an additional evacuation route during hurricanes.

But, critics of the project vow to fight an extension of the road.

Clay Colson, chairman of the nonprofit Citizens for Sanity Inc., said development, not a hurricane route, is behind the county’s efforts to extend Ridge Road through the preserve.

“The county had this idea of entitlement,” he said. “They think they are entitled to the permit.”

A county delegation, including Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker and Pasco County commissioners Kathryn Starkey and Jack Mariano, went to Washington D.C., in early March, to lobby for the project.

During an unexpected meetup with the governor, Baker asked him to write a letter supporting the project.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis also wrote a letter of support and sent it to President Trump.

According to the president’s executive order, the White House Council on Environmental Quality would have 30 days to respond to the governor’s request for priority status for Ridge Road.

Scott’s office has not responded to The Laker/Lutz News to inquiries about the letter.

The president’s executive order directs federal agencies to give priority to longstanding infrastructure projects with pending environmental reviews.

“The wheels are definitely moving to try and get it finalized,” Baker said, during the March 7 county commission meeting in Dade City.

Besides running into Scott, the group also met Ted Boling, the acting director of the White House’s council on environmental quality.

While the county may be making progress toward obtaining the permit, opponents of the road say construction of the road should not be about political pressure from letters and executive orders.

“They (federal agencies) are supposed to do their job,” Colson said.

His group and others will file a lawsuit, if the permit is granted, Colson said.

The county initially submitted its application for Ridge Road in 1998. The road dead-ends at Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey. The extension would provide a link to U.S. 41, with a connection to Suncoast Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reviews permit applications to determine if projects meet regulations within the Clean Water Act. If approved, projects should do a minimum of damage to the environment.

About 58 acres of the 6,000-acre Serenova Preserve are under review. The land was set aside years ago to mitigate about 200 acres of wetlands lost due to construction of the Suncoast parkway.

An elevated road design to limit environmental damage is among potential alternatives for how the road extension would be built.

Over the years, environmental groups, such as the Sierra Club and Audubon Society, have opposed the Ridge Road project, saying it would destroy wildlife habitat and degrade water quality.

Pasco commissioners hired Washington D.C. consultants with Dawson & Associates in 2016 to lobby for the permit. The county is paying the firm about $28,000 a month.

The costs expended on the project so far, including land acquisitions and consultants, is about $19 million.

Published March 15, 2017

You’ll probably like how this tour ends

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If beer is your thing, a visit to Yuengling Brewery is well worth your time.

Tours at Yuengling Brewery give visitors an up-close look at the machinery used to brew beers. Here, tour visitors peek inside a brew kettle.
(Fred Bellet)

Free guided tours provide the history behind the nation’s oldest American-owned brewery, as visitors stroll along, seeing how beer is made and bottled.

And, of course, at the end of the tour, those who are legally permitted to quaff a brew will get a chance to sample various brands of Yuengling.

One recent weekday morning, a dozen or so gathered at the brewery’s gift shop to take the tour. Most were tourists from out of town, but a few locals rounded out the group.

A group of friends from Iowa came for a national softball tournament in Tampa. But, they took advantage of the time they had, while waiting for their flights to go home.

“It’s interesting,” said Iowa resident Kent Juergens. “I like trying different beers.”

Diana Martinez and William Lopez were on vacation from Miami.

The Yuengling Brewery logo, with an eagle, is displayed outside the office of the brewery.

“It’s pretty amazing how they make beer,” Lopez said. “It’s nice to know they take pride in their beer.”

For the Yuengling family, brewing beer is a family legacy dating back five generations.

Brewer G.D. Yuengling was a young immigrant from Germany when he opened the “Eagle Brewery” in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, in 1829. In 1873, the brewery changed its name to Yuengling & Son.

The brewery’s headquarters and operations remain in Pottsville to this day. The brewery building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Yuengling brewery has been in constant production since 1829. Not even Prohibition could shut it down.

The company produced “near beer,” with alcohol content low enough to pass inspection. Yuengling also began making ice cream. On the day Prohibition was repealed in 1933, Yuengling sent a truckload of a specially brewed “Winner Beer” to President Franklin D. Roosevelt at The White House.

A Yuengling Brewery employee shepherds bottles through the conveyor system, where labels are added before the beers are packed and shipped.

Richard L. Yuengling, the current president of the company, is known as a hands-on boss who arrives at work at 4:30 a.m.

He has four daughters, Wendy, Jennifer, Debbie and Sheryl. One or more of them will likely take over the company.

The business isn’t inherited.

Each succeeding generation of Yuenglings has to buy the brewery from the retiring generation.

But, whoever steps in for the sixth generation will make history as the first woman to run Yuengling.

It was a Christmas gift to their father that brought Yuengling brewery to Tampa. Yuengling always wanted to play baseball with professionals. He got a vacation of a lifetime at the Philadelphia Phillies Phantasy Baseball Camp in Clearwater.

Tampa resident Dylan Bredengerd joins his friend, Gary Recktenwald, of Augusta, Georgia, in a lager toast at the end of a tour of the Yuengling Brewery, off 30th Street in Tampa.

Amid the hustle of shagging baseballs and cracking bats, Yuengling heard a rumor that Stroh had its brewery on the market.

To everyone’s surprise in Pottsville, Yuengling returned home with plans to start up brewing operations in Tampa. The brewery is one of three operated by Yuengling — and the only one outside of Pennsylvania.

The facility bought by Yuengling has changed hands several times since it was built by Schlitz in 1958. It later was sold to Stroh, then to Pabst, and back again to Stroh before Yuengling took over.

The flagship brand is its Traditional Lager, but other choices include a porter, a black and tan, and an India Pale Ale.

By volume, Yuengling is the largest American-owned brewer of craft beers, even besting the Boston Beer Company that produces Sam Adams’ beers.

Yuengling is sold in 19 states, primarily in the northeast and southeast.

In recent years, as the micro-brewery world of craft beer has captivated beer lovers, Yuengling has adapted.

“Craft brewing has kept us on our toes,” Fletcher said.

Seasonal beers, including a summer wheat, have been added to Yuengling’s craft beer roster.

Riverview resident Dylan Bredengerd and his friend, Gary Recktenwald, of Augusta, Georgia, are both Yuengling enthusiasts.

Although it is mass produced, Bredengerd said, “It’s craft beer quality.”

Yuengling Brewery guided tours
Where: 11111 N. 30th St., Tampa
When: Monday through Friday from at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 1 p.m.; Saturday at 10:30 a.m., and noon; gift shop is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Cost: Free
Details: Tours begin at the gift shop and last about 75 minutes. Guides recount the brewery’s history and explain the process of making beer.
All ages are welcome. No pets are allowed. Visitors must wear closed shoes. Photography and video are allowed.
The brewery isn’t handicap accessible. However, a video tour can be provided upon request.
A valid identification must be shown to sample beer at the end of the tour.
Info: Call (813) 972-8529, or visit YuenglingBrewery.com.

Published March 15, 2017

Using the written word to help process grief

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While the journey through grief is a singular experience for those who have suffered a loss, there are tools that can help, said Tiffany Kring, a bereavement counselor at Gulfside Hospice.

One approach uses the power of the written word to work through the grieving process, said Kring, who will be leading a free workshop called “Journaling Through Grief.”

The session is scheduled for March 23 at 2 p.m., at the Gulfside Center for Hospice Care in Zephyrhills, at 5760 Dean Dairy Road.

It is open to the public, but the session is limited to 10 participants, so the seats will be given, based on the order of those signing up.

“Generally, it’s about a one- to two-hour workshop. It’s using some different writing and journaling techniques to help process thoughts, feelings and things associated with the grieving process,” Kring said.

“It’s especially helpful for people who have a hard time verbalizing, or sharing feelings,” said Kring, who has been a counselor for about 25 years and has used writing as one of her counseling tools throughout her career.

“I think it’s a very effective tool,” she said. “A lot of people don’t realize how beneficial it really is.”

Some exercises involve free-flow writing, others are more structured, such as asking participants to do some writing based on a writing prompt, or writing about a specific topic, she explained.

There’s something about the writing process that frees thoughts and feelings, she said.

“Sometimes when they just sit down with pen and paper … they’ll find that it helps to release what’s going on,” she said.

“Even if they are in counseling for it (grief) or have friends, or someone, they’re talking to, it’s still a good way to get those things out, especially because it’s something people can use when they’re alone, or in those late-night hours when they get up,” Kring said.

Kring said if more than 10 people call in to sign up, she’ll keep a list of those she can’t accommodate, and she’ll reach out to them when she has her next “Journaling through Grief” workshop.

The deadline for signing up is March 17. Those interested should call Kring at (727) 247-7510.

Published March 15, 2017

Land O’ Lakes library is a Hulafrog favorite

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The Land O’ Lakes Branch Library is feeling the love from Hulafrog families who voted in an annual survey for favorite library, according to a press release from Pasco County.

Hulafrog is an online resource that connects area parents to local kid-friendly events and businesses.

The Land O’ Lakes library, at 2818 Collier Parkway, won top spot among other libraries in Wesley Chapel, Lutz and New Tampa. Residents who are subscribers to Hulafrog voted in the annual “most loved awards” survey.

This photo was taken during the ‘Play, Make Discover! Silly Dance Party’ at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library on Collier Parkway.
(Courtesy of Land O’ Lakes Branch Library)

Other categories included “Most loved learning center,” “Most loved kid-friendly restaurant,” and “Most loved pediatrician.”

Among the fun and educational programs available at the Land O’ Lakes library are the Play, Make, Discover! Program on Saturdays; Tinkering Tuesdays every second Tuesday in the month; and weekly story times for babies, toddlers and preschoolers.

“We’re extremely proud to be recognized by the community we serve and to know that our patrons love us as much as we love them,” said Kathleen Rothstein, in a statement from the press release. Rothstein is regional branch manager at the Land O’ Lakes library.

Two suburban mothers in New Jersey launched Hulafrog in 2010. Since then, Hulafrog has expanded to about 100 markets in 2,200 cities in 28 states. Florida has 75 Hulafrog communities on the Internet.

Parents can log in and subscribe for free, to learn information about upcoming events and activities.

The Week Ahead, for instance, highlights one event for every day of the week. There also is Save the Date and Weekend Guide information. Announcements include coupons and promotions offered by area businesses.

Business owners with children’s activities can have a free profile on Hulafrog, and post information about their events, classes, camps and birthday parties.

Hulafrog is funded through advertising packages.

For information, including the full list of “Most loved” awards, visit Hulafrog.com/wesley-chapel-lutz-fl.

Or, visit the Facebook page at Hulafrog Wesley Chapel-Lutz.

Published March 15, 2017

This event gets dogs’ tails waggin’

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Dogs’ Day in Dade City, now in its eighth year, is an event that’s aimed at giving dogs a chance to have fun, while their owners have a good time, too.

Dog owners bring decked-out wagons, so their dogs can ride in style during the Dog Wagon Parade at Dogs’ Day in Dade City. This year the event is March 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
(Courtesy of Lucy Avila)

Rain put a damper on last year’s festivities, but event organizer, Lucy Avila, hopes this year’s Dogs’ Days will enjoy better weather.

The event is scheduled for March 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Agnes Lamb Park, at Meridian Avenue and Ninth Street in downtown Dade City.

Those attending the event typically come from Dade City and the nearby communities, such as Zephyrhills and Brooksville, but also from Tampa, Wesley Chapel, New Port Richey and other communities.

Dogs must be kept on a leash.

There are all sorts of activities planned, including a dog wagon parade, a dog costume contest, a K-9 challenge, a Canine Got Talent contest and an ice cream/yogurt eating contest.

In the ice cream/yogurt eating contest, Avila said, “The dog gets the dog yogurt, the human gets the ice cream. When they say, ‘On your mark, get set, go,’ they take the lids off of their containers and the humans hold the one for the dog, and the humans hold their own, and they can only use their mouth, their tongue.

“It’s great. It is so much fun,” Avila said.

The K-9 challenge has been very popular, too, she said. Dogs compete in the small, medium and large categories.

This pup was having fun showing off a few moves at a previous Dogs’ Day in Dade City. The event, now in its eighth year, aims at bringing dogs and dog-lovers together to have some fun

They have to complete a course, which is timed. But, there are things along the way to sidetrack them, including treats, a ball and other distractions.

“That has been a hit,” she said.

“We are just really proud of our community to be able to put this on,” she said.

Another highlight of the event will be a 1 p.m. presentation by a speaker from Canine Partners for Patriots, of Brooksville.

“We are so proud to have them come to our event,” she said.

In that program, dogs and veterans are connected. The speaker will be sharing stories of those special connections.

“The dogs mean so much to these people. They just have made a better quality of life for them,” she said.

The “‘Canine Got Talent” portion of the event is always a big hit, as people show off dogs who can jump through hoops, bark along with music and do other fun pet tricks, Avila said.

Dogs’ Day in Dade City
Where: Agnes Lamb Park, at Meridian Avenue and Ninth Street in downtown Dade City (Across from the Edwinola on Meridian)
When: March 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Cost: Free admission, free parking
Details: People and dogs can both have fun at this shindig. There will be a dog wagon parade, dog costume contest, a K-9 challenge, a Canine Got Talent contest, as well as vendors selling items meant for dogs and for humans.

Published March 15, 2017