The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Vet services expand in Wesley Chapel

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The Pasco Vet Center will begin offering its mobile services in Wesley Chapel this week.

The center will be bringing its 38-foot mobile unit to Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., on Fridays, effective Jan. 20.

This 38-foot mobile vet center will begin offering services on Fridays, effective Jan. 20, at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus, at 2727 Mansfield Blvd. Appointments will be accepted at 9 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., but hours can be extended, if a need is demonstrated. (Courtesy of A.J. Jones)

“It’s like an RV. It’s got two offices inside and a satellite. Everything you can do in a brick-and-mortar office, I can do onboard,” said Frank (AJ) Jones, a veteran outreach program specialist.

The weekly readjustment counseling services will be offered, with appointments available at 9 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., Jones said. “If the need is there, we’ll stay there, and we’ll make longer hours,” he added.

“We provide readjustment counseling to combat veterans. We also provide services to veterans who are struggling with military sexual trauma, male or female,” Jones said.

Counseling will be available for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Bereavement counseling is available for families who lost someone, who was in the military when he or she died, combat or not. Family counseling is available, too, Jones said.

The vet center also helps veterans who are suffering from other kinds of trauma, too.

“We see mortuary teams. These are the morticians in the military, who are here in the states. When the bodies come back to the states, they normally come back the way it was when they were over there. When they open the casket to prepare the bodies, they’re dealing with the combat trauma,” Jones said.

A.J. Jones is a veterans outreach program specialist.

The center also serves drone teams, Jones said. “They’re in the war during the day, and then they go home at night. It’s different for the soldiers that are over there, everything is focused on being there and where they’re at in the moment. They’re not,” he said. Instead, they’re fighting in the war during the day and going home to their family at night.

“It’s a whole different dynamic there, for the drone teams,” Jones said.

Resources are available to help veterans who are searching for employment, who need assistance with benefit claims, he said.

Referrals also are available for suicide prevention.

All services are confidential and provided at no cost to the veteran and family members, Jones said.

The idea is to make the services more convenient, so veterans don’t have to drive into Tampa to receive help, Jones said.

To schedule an appointment or to find out more, call the Pasco Vet Center at (727) 372-1854.

Published January 18, 2017

New digs for Pigz in Z’Hills this year

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Buoyed by new festival grounds, the seventh annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Fest is aiming to become its most successful.

The shindig, now a well-attended staple in Zephyrhills, is set for Jan. 21 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, 39450 South Ave.

Admission is free, but parking is $10.

Presented by The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, Pigz in Z’Hills features both professional and amateur barbecue competitions, all sanctioned by the Florida BBQ Association. This year, about 50 teams are expected to compete.

The barbecue contest has a total cash purse of $8,000. Winners will be declared in four standard categories: chicken, pork, brisket and ribs.

Don Carlon, of Dan’s Dogs in New Port Richey, mixed barbecue sauce, veggies and sausages on a grill at last year’s Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Festival. Approximately 50 teams are slated to participate in the event on Jan. 21. (File)

The contest also serves as a qualifier for four prestigious barbecue championship contests: The Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational in Lynchburg, Tennessee; the American Royal World Series of BBQ in Kansas City, Missouri; the Sonny’s Smokin’ Showdown Invitational in Sanford; and, the World Food Championships in Orange Beach, Alabama.

Besides the sweet smell of barbecue wafting through the air, festival-goers can also enjoy a wide lineup of musical acts.

This year’s slate of performers includes: The Betty Fox Band, JP Soars & The Red Hots, The Chuck Riley Band, and Mama’s Batch. Live music is scheduled from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Those with other interests can enjoy children’s activities, a car show, an aviation showcase, access to a military history museum and a business expo.

A key moment at the event is expected at 12:15 p.m. That’s when the National Anthem will be rendered while local skydiver David Strobel jumps in bearing the American flag.

Unlike the prior barbecue festivals, this year’s edition is set in a roomier venue with permanent staging.

Since 2013, the tract of land the chamber had been using at the airport was about 2.5 acres. The new venue spans 14 acres.

Amenities include a 20-by-40 stage, and 50 spaces equipped with water and electric.

The expanded area, too, comfortably accommodates up to 15,000 guests at a time, and will provide easy access and parking along South Avenue.

All of the venue space will be used, officials say.

“It’s going to be huge compared to what we’ve had in the past, and it’s going to be more family friendly,” said Melonie Monson, executive director for The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

Ultimately, the new venue is expected to help the one-day fest run smoother by creating an improved layout for musicians, vendors and attendees.

Additionally, the new venue helps reduce expenses, including the annual costs to rent a stage and generators, which organizers say have totaled nearly $10,000 in the past.

“Having a permanent venue will allow our event to grow as we see fit, along with helping make planning and set up much easier on the barbecue committee and staff,” Monson said.

Since its inception in 2010, Pigz in Z’Hills has proven to be a financial boon for the community.

Chamber officials say the event has created an economic impact of more than $1.5 million for Zephyrhills.

Of the nearly 30,000 total attendees the past six years, officials estimate that more than half have come from outside the region and state.

Last year’s event, though, saw a sizable decrease in turnout from the prior year.

There were about 7,000 showgoers in 2016, down from nearly 10,000 in 2015.

Still, the chamber reached its revenue goals, and was able to donate $15,000 back to the Zephyrhills community; several local youth and education programs were beneficiaries.

Going forward, the chamber director expects the event to run even more efficiently once organizers determine the most ideal layout for the new festival grounds.

“Obviously, this year, everything’s new. You never know what you’re going to get and you see that something might need to be changed…because of this new venue and the layout,” Monson explained.

“After this year, it’s going to be a lot easier,” she said.

Organizers suggest bringing lawn chairs because of limited seating. No coolers or pets are allowed.

For more information, visit ZephyrhillsChamber.org, or call (813) 782-1913.

Seventh annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues
When: Jan. 21, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, 39450 South Ave., Zephyrhills
How much: Admission is free; parking is $10
What: Barbecue teams compete for prizes, blues bands perform, and event-goers can purchase barbecued foods, and check out monster trucks, aircraft displays, other attractions and activities.

Published January 18, 2017

The story behind these matching Star Trek shirts

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In our family, we have a tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve.

Rachel insisted I open her gift — of matching Star Trek shirts — because she wanted us to wear them in the morning when we opened the rest of our gifts.

It was mother-daughter solidarity at its best, and symbolic of how our relationship has grown and matured.

To understand the significance of these shirts, you need a little background.

Rachel Mathes, left, and her mother, Laker/Lutz News Publisher Diane Kortus, on Christmas morning. (Diane Kortus)

When Rachel was a child, I wanted us to wear matching outfits for Christmas, Easter and other special occasions. We did when she was a toddler, but after Rachel turned 4, she would have nothing to do with my desire to wear mother-daughter dresses.

I never really gave up this quest, suggesting to Rachel until she was almost in middle school that we occasionally dress alike.

In time, my wish became family lore, and Rachel would roll her eyes whenever I pointed out how endearing it was when I saw other mothers and daughters in matching outfits.

So, when Rachel gave me the matching Star Trek T-shirts this year, it was a gift of love that only she could give.

It was Rachel’s idea that we wear our matching shirts to a movie Christmas evening. At age 24, she was no longer reluctant to publicly acknowledge that we were together, both in our love for Star Trek, and as mother and daughter.

Those of you with adult children know what I mean.

Through the teen years and into early adulthood, your child doesn’t want to spend time with you outside of family obligations, and when they do, are often embarrassed to be seen with you.

But in time, your conversations begin to change, and one day you realize you are talking to your child as an adult, even discussing topics where you can disagree without raised voices.

Rachel and I have arrived at that stage.

Our relationship has transitioned from the parent-child hierarchy, to one of a mother and her adult daughter — on a plane of mutual respect.

Our daily phone calls are an enjoyable two-way conversation, with Rachel asking me as many questions about my life, as I do about hers.

I must say, this transition feels very good. It’s climbing the top rung of parenthood — proudly watching your child become the caring, contributing, successful adult that you nurtured for so many years.

It also reminds me of when I first developed an adult relationship with my father after I moved from Minnesota to Florida, when I was 25.

I remember feeling so proud to be fully independent of my Dad, and sharing with him the excitement of moving to a new job in a new state.

As we talked about my experiences and challenges, Dad asked questions and shared stories of his youth that helped guide my decisions.

What Dad didn’t do was talk to me like a child. He didn’t lecture, tell me what to do or offer his financial help. He let me make my own decisions, learn from my mistakes, and assured me that if I worked hard and made the right moral choices, I would be OK and ultimately come out on top.

And so, now I am in this same spot with my daughter.

Isn’t it fascinating how life’s lessons evolve so naturally from one generation to the next?

I’m proud of the adult relationship that Rachel and I share. I enjoy our conversations, and value how accepting we are of each other’s goals, dreams and relationships with others.

Of all the phases that we’ve gone through as parent and child, this phase is the most fulfilling of all.

After all, it is the end game of almost 25 years of parenting.

Nothing could be more rewarding than seeing my daughter as the caring, committed and compassionate adult woman I hoped — prayed —she would grow up to become.

Published January 18, 2017

Shedding light on a hidden problem

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Human trafficking is the second largest criminal enterprise in the world, just behind the illegal drug trade — netting billions of dollars annually, experts say.

But, it’s a crime that many know little about and often are unaware that it’s happening in their own backyard, said Cpl. Alan Wilkett, of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

Natalie Epo, an associate dean at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus, said the college wants to help the community to be aware of important issues, such as human trafficking. (B.C. Manion)

“When we talk about this problem, we’re not talking about a Mexico problem, or a Guatemala problem, or a Colombia problem,” Wilkett said, during a symposium on human trafficking at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus, on Jan. 12.

“We have to look at our own communities and say, ‘What’s going on, around us?’” Wilkett said.

“Not too far from where we’re sitting right now, we have cases working. In Wesley Chapel, there was a house that was housing human trafficking adult victims,” he said.

“Just down the street from here, some folks who had been educated about human trafficking, interrupted two 15-year-old girls who were being snatched by a human trafficking predator.

Nationally, Florida ranks third in the number of human trafficking crimes — trailing only California and Texas, Wilkett said. Tampa Bay ranks second highest in Florida, in suspected cases reported to the national human trafficking hotline.

The law enforcement officer told those gathered about a case he worked that began as a traffic stop.

A van ran a red light, and when Wilkett stopped it, he discovered that it was filled with men. They were obviously laborers who had been working all day, he said.

“Nobody has paperwork,” he said. Finally, one of them calls someone and a guy arrives a few minutes later.

He tells Wilkett: “I am so glad you pulled them over. I just fired them today. I just found out today that they are illegal.”

The men had been working on a local construction project, hanging drywall.

“I knew we had a problem here,” Wilkett said.

Karen Foster and Diane Parker are volunteers who have made it their mission to help spread the word about human trafficking. They want to people to understand the dangers, so they can be vigilant about protecting themselves and their loved ones.

Undocumented workers are often smuggled into the United States on the promise they’ll be given work and will be able to repay the person who smuggled them, the law enforcement officer said. But, despite working long hours, they never earn enough money to repay the debt.

Statistics on human trafficking vary, Wilkett said. He uses the most conservative estimate, which puts the figure at 20.9 million. That includes about 5.5 million children, he said.

Many people are aware that modern-day slavery includes the sex trade, Wilkett said. They may not realize how young the victims can be.

Minors are being rescued from sex trafficking, Wilkett said. “The average age that we are rescuing in the Tampa Bay area is 13. Nationally, it’s 12 to 15.”

Human trafficking goes beyond the commercial sex trade, Wilkett added. Forced labor includes such industries as landscaping, construction, nail salons, restaurants and agriculture.

Edie Rhea, a survivor of human trafficking and a woman who uses the pseudonym Amy, also spoke at the symposium.

Rhea was just 10 years old when her world was turned upside down by the man who claimed that she was his little princess. Her mother’s boyfriend began raping her, and then he began selling her to other men who raped her, Rhea said.

Amy said she was a single mother with a medically needy baby when she went to work at a strip club, and was then recruited by a pimp who beat her severely and used the threat of future beatings to keep her in his grip.

The symposium is part of a series of community seminars to help raise awareness about a variety of issues.

Natalie Epo, associate dean of academic affairs and retention services, said it’s important to put the spotlight on the issue of human trafficking.

“The reality is that it’s happening,” Epo said. “It can be someone luring your kids for jobs. They can say, ‘Hey, we have a job we’re going to send you to New York, or whatever the case might be.

“Unfortunately, they get trapped in this horrible system of human trafficking,” she said.

“We want to able to keep the community abreast about issues that are affecting them. We want to keep our finger on the pulse of the community,” she said.

Students at the state college also benefit from this type of symposium, said Rene Hensley, a teacher on the state college’s West Campus.

Hensley was there with her first-year licensed practical nursing students.

She thought they could become more knowledgeable about the issue and pick up some pointers on how to respond to a patient, if they discover he or she is a victim of human trafficking.

The speaker, Amy, who landed in the hospital more than once, offered a piece of advice on how to respond to a human trafficking victim: “It’s really about one human (communicating) to another human,” she said.

Karen Foster, of Dade City, and Diane Parker, of Zephyrhills, are volunteers who are committed to raising awareness about human trafficking.

“Our mission, as volunteers, is to make sure everyone knows about it,” Foster said.

Parker agreed: “We have to tell everybody about it. We live our lives, and we’re not aware what goes on. When you tell people, they are amazed.”

Published January 18, 2017

 

New rules aim to protect cats and dogs

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The Pasco County Commission has approved new regulations to make it harder for convicted animal abusers to buy or adopt cats and dogs in the county.

But, those measures fall far short of what’s needed, a trio of animal rights advocates said during a Jan. 10 public hearing. They advocate the adoption of an animal abuser registry.

The county’s program will be “nothing more than a list on a website,” said John Marinello of the Alliance to Save 90.

Alliance to Save 90 is a Hillsborough County-based coalition that supports no-kill policies at animal shelters. Its goal is to save 90 percent of shelter populations from euthanasia.

County commissioners said a statewide registry is the better solution but, until legislation is passed, the new ordinance will help.

“We need to show we’re part of this now,” said Pasco County Chairman Mike Moore. “We can do something stricter later.”

Beginning March 1, to knowingly transfer a cat or dog to a convicted animal abuser will be a violation of county code.

The Pasco County Clerk of Court’s office will provide a link on its website of people convicted of animal abuse after March 1. Individuals or organizations that sell or adopt cats or dogs must document that they checked the link prior to the sale or adoption of a dog or cat. Records must be kept for five years.

Farm animals and service animals, including miniature horses trained to work with disabled people, are excluded from the ordinance. And, because the website link will rely on “other sources” for data, the county can’t guarantee the link’s accuracy or completeness.

No penalties are included in the ordinance, but county commissioners are expected at a later meeting to adopt a fine of up to $500 for violations. Citations would be issued for violations.

The commission unanimously approved the ordinance.

Marinello was one of three speakers during public comment to ask commissioners to reconsider and approve a registry.

Lutz-based veterinarian Betsy Coville and Land O’ Lakes resident Rebecca Foss also spoke against the amended ordinance.

An earlier draft of the ordinance included an animal abuser registry. But, at a Nov. 29 public hearing, county staff members cited problems with implementing a local registry, and recommended adoption of the scaled-back regulations.

The revised ordinance also was amended to cover cats and dogs only.

“They can go ahead and abuse a bunny rabbit, and they will find one and do it,” said Coville, who is a member of Save 90’s advisory board.

Foss said that a “true, strong registry is needed.”

The links between animal abuse, child abuse and domestic violence is well-documented, and a registry offers law enforcement protections, Foss said.

A registry approved in Hillsborough requires in-person registration that provides an address, photograph and other personal information. Anyone on the registry is banned from owning or living in a home with animals.

However, some Hillsborough County commissioners cited the need for a state registry.

Moore took the three speakers to task for waiting until the final hearing to object. But, he also offered some advice.

“I implore you to keep talking to your state legislators to put something forward,” Moore said.

Following the public hearing, Coville said she and others expected commissioners to approve the registry item that was posted in the Nov. 29 agenda. They were surprised by the last-minute substitution, she said.

State legislators failed to approve a statewide registry in 2012. That bill, known as Dexter’s law, was about as weak as Pasco’s ordinance, Coville said.

But, she hopes that Rep. Blaise Ingoglia of Spring Hill will file a registry bill for the 2017 session. The state lawmaker’s staff said he is contemplating such a bill, but had no further information.

Coville said she has helped to win approvals for registry ordinances in Hillsborough and Marion counties. She is pushing now for registries in Manatee and Miami-Dade counties, and eventually in Sarasota County.

“Once you have several counties passing these, (state legislation) is easier,” Coville said.

Revised January 19, 2017

Public meeting set to discuss Extension Office location

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Community members will have another chance to share their views on the future location of the Pasco County Extension Office.

Extension now operates out of space owned by the Pasco County Fair Association, under an annual $17,000 lease, which is currently on a month-to-month basis.

But, the office is too small and outdated to meet Extension’s needs.

LeAnne John, president of the Pasco County Fair Association, asked for time to determine whether improvements can be made at the fairgrounds to keep Extension there. (File)

The county wants to improve conditions for Extension and has been weighing various options.

Views were divided over the best location, during an Oct. 12 stakeholders’ meeting.

Some speakers supported an upgrade to the office at its current fairgrounds location. They said it makes sense for Extension because of its close alignment to the Pasco County Fair.

Others urged the county to move Extension to the county-owned Stallings Building, at 15029 14th St., in Dade City. They said that area children and families would benefit from having Extension in that neighborhood.

Whitney C. Elmore, director of Pasco Extension, said details are still being ironed out, but she expects a plan to be presented to stakeholders at that meeting.

“We want to get their feelings, their input, on a variety of things, and talk to them about how we’re going to move forward to increase the visibility for Extension across Pasco County,” she said. The aim is to provide additional space, so Extension can expand the programs its offers.

A meeting has been set for Jan. 19, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at 36702 State Road 52 in Dade City, at the fairgrounds.

Meanwhile, Pasco County, in conjunction with the Pasco County Fair, also has scheduled a public hearing to certify that the Pasco County Fair Association Building is designed for a public purpose.

The fair association is applying for a grant from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to renovate the fair association building. To be eligible for the grant money, the county must certify that the building provides a public service.

That public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 24 at 1:30 p.m., during the County Commission’s regular meeting at the Historic Pasco County Historic Courthouse, at 37918 Meridian Ave., Dade City.

If a state grant is approved and remodeling funds are made available, Elmore said Extension would need to relocate while that work is done.

Regardless of what happens with Extension’s office space, Elmore said she will be working with community volunteer Sammy Ortiz to set up new Hispanic 4-H Club in Dade City.

The Extension director said one of the best things that came out of the Oct. 12 meeting is that she learned about Ortiz’s willingness to take on a leadership role.

Elmore also said that Cathy Pearson, an assistant county administrator who led the previous stakeholder’s meeting, will be leading the Jan. 19 meeting, too.

What: Community stakeholders meeting on Extension Office improvements
Where: 36702 State Road 52 in Dade City
When: Jan. 19, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Who: The community is invited to participate in the discussion.

 

Public hearing regarding Pasco County Fair Association Building
Where: Pasco County Historic Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., Dade City
When: Jan. 24, 1:30 p.m.
Why: The fair association is applying for a state grant, and in order to qualify, the county must certify that the fair association’s building is used for a public purpose. The Pasco County Extension Office is at the Pasco County Fair Association’s fairgrounds.

Published January 18, 2017

Festival offers up a sweet and spicy time

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Marcus Copeland, of Dade City, watches as Wilbur Dew, a staff member of the museum, pours the heated syrup into a container to cool and to be bottled for sale at the Pioneer Florida Museum. (Richard K. Riley)

Whether it was tasting cane syrup, riding on a mule, sampling chili, or listening to music, there were plenty of ways to have fun at the seventh annual Raising Cane Festival at the Pioneer Florida Museum in Dade City.

Those attending the festival had a chance to see how sugarcane is turned into syrup. They also could check out the festival’s first chili cookoff, and the syrup-tasting contest, where samples were judged on taste, color, pour and clarity.

Other activities included live entertainment, barrel train rides and a petting zoo, as well as iron skillet and sugar cane pole tossin’.

Amelia Sizemore, 5, of Spring Hill, rides Sam the Mule around the cane-squeezing machine.

Wilbur Dew, who has produced cane syrup for more than 20 years, demonstrated his skills.

Museum experts say cane syrup was a routine part of pioneers’ diets, especially those settled in southern states, like Florida.

The Pioneer Florida Museum gives visitors a chance to step back in time and learn how the state’s early settlers lived.

For more information about the museum, visit PioneerFloridaMuseum.org.

Published January 18, 2017

Campaign 2016: Something to talk about

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Everyone knows the old saying, the one designed to keep peace among restless kinfolk: Never discuss religion or politics.

Sandy Graves knows it, too, and spurns it at every turn.

“If it weren’t for religion and politics,” she says breezily, “I wouldn’t have anything to talk about.”

This, as anyone who knows the first lady of Land O’ Lakes, is not entirely true. She can do hours on the history of her community, or what goes into the construction of a small amphitheater.

Sandy Graves stands near a lake in her beloved Land O’ Lakes.
(Tom Jackson/Photo)

Even so, politics and religion, and especially how they intertwine, are her preferred milieu. Nonetheless, in anticipation of the completion of a historically wild ride, Graves is willing to take a conditional vow of silence.

It was either that, or, to affix a fitting ending to her efforts on behalf of a certain billionaire reality TV star and developer, pay close to $700 a night for a hotel room anywhere near a Washington D.C. Metro stop. “With a four-night minimum,” Graves says. Yikes.

Yes, Sandy Graves, accompanied by amiable husband Steve, is going to the (even now, mind-boggling) inauguration of Donald J. Trump as the 45th president of the United States. In exchange for free lodgings with her niece, a pleasant progressive who lives in Alexandria, Virginia, and supported Hillary Clinton, she says, “I am willing to bite my tongue.”

That will be her niece’s loss, because as pleased as she is about the election’s outcome, Graves nonetheless emerged from the campaign with utterly delightful tales that have next to nothing with partisan politics.

We will get to the Blue Ridge Mountains snake woman in a moment.

First, meet Liam, a 7-year-old Wesley Chapel lad who greeted Graves, who’d arrived in response to a request for campaign signs, as if mounted on springs.

Graves rapped, the door swung open, and there was Liam, eyes wide and bright, and bouncing — boing-boing-boing — as he summoned his grandmother.

“Grammie! It’s a Trump supporter! Grammie!”

Weeks later, after Election Day, Sandy and Liam happened across each other, and the boy asked why she hadn’t responded to his email.

“You sent me an email?” she answered. “I don’t think I got it.”

Shrugging, but without missing beat, he said, “Hillary must have deleted it.”

Speaking of whom, Graves noted two errors — one of commission, the other of omission — she considers critical to Clinton’s defeat.

Evidence of the first adorns the back windshield of her Kia SUV, a sticker that proclaims the driver to be an “Adorable Deplorable,” in response to Clinton condemning Trump backers as society’s dregs.

Graves rejected Clinton’s characterization as “worse than anything Mitt Romney said about the ‘47 percent’” — the 2012 GOP nominee’s assessment of the recipient class that had no incentive to vote for him.

Also like the 47-percenters, the so-called Deplorables rallied around their new-found celebrity. “We’re deplorable?” Graves says. “Fine. We’ll take it.”

The omission: According to reports in Pasco, and pooled information from around Florida, Clinton operatives vanished between the March primary and the end of the Democratic National Convention in late July.

Meanwhile, GOP activists worked their precincts like bees, linked to their hives by sharply designed mobile apps. This, Graves noted, was in stark contrast to Clinton campaigners who, when they finally did arrive, lugged old-fashioned paper logbooks.

This, too, boosted Republican hopes. “At last,” Graves said, “our technology is ahead of theirs.” In her gratitude, she couldn’t help wondering how the Clinton campaign could have mislaid so much of what President Obama had proven correct about getting out the vote. It was almost as though Republicans and Democrats had switched playbooks.

All of that was history, however, on Election Day when, in a quirk of scheduling, the Graves found themselves in the North Carolina Smoky Mountains for Steve’s annual camp retreat with college buddies.

“If we’re here,” Sandy told him, “we’re working.”

Assigned a precinct in deep blue Cedar Mountain, between Brevard and the South Carolina state line, they met secretive ticket-splitters — shy Trump voters who planned otherwise to tick Democrat boxes — a couple their age who were first-time voters “because they said they’d never felt needed before, and the aforementioned snake woman.

She rolled up in “a nice Cadillac,” Graves recalls, and asked workers to keep an eye on it. She needed to keep the motor running and the heater on, because it was cold, and she’d brought her baby python curled up in its carrier.

“He goes everywhere with me,” she explained. “He sleeps in bed with me. Of course, my husband doesn’t like it. But, that’s the way it goes.”

“Then,” Graves says, “we asked her if she wanted a Republican sample ballot, and she gave us a look like we were nuts.”

Politics and religion. And snakes. And 7-year-old boys with zingers. That was Campaign 2016 in a nutshell.

The lesson here? Be careful what you decide people shouldn’t talk about.

 

Tom Jackson, a resident of New Tampa, is interested in your ideas. To reach him, email .

Revised January 11, 2017

Smithsonian exhibit comes to Pioneer Museum

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The working life of Americans from the mid-19th century to the late 20th century will be explored in a traveling Smithsonian exhibition that will make its first stop in Florida at The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village in Dade City.

Two children work at a mill in Macon, Georgia. This photo is from a Smithsonian exhibition on the working life of Americans.
(Courtesy of National Archives, Records of the Children’s Bureau)

The exhibit – “The Way We Worked” – is part of the Museum on Main Street, which is a national, state and local effort to bring exhibitions and programs to rural cultural organizations. The Florida Humanities Council selected the Pioneer museum as a host site.

Visitors to the Pioneer museum, at 15602 Pioneer Museum Road in Dade City, can view the exhibit from Jan. 28 through March 18.

A series of local speakers will bring insight into Pasco County’s contributions to the nation’s work history.

There also will be field trips, special programs, lunch and learn events, and tours.

The Pioneer museum released details on the exhibit in a news release. The museum is seeking corporate sponsors, speakers and docents for additional programming.

Two girls deliver ice in 1918. This photo is part of a Smithsonian exhibition on Americans’ work history that is coming to The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village.
(Courtesy of National Archives, Records of the War Department, General and Special Staffs)

“This is the first time a Smithsonian exhibition will be in East Pasco County,” said Stephanie Black, the museum’s executive director. “It allows us the opportunity to explore this fascinating aspect of our own region’s history, and we hope that it will inspire many to become even more involved in the cultural life in our community.”

The exhibit tells the story of working America through 86 black-and-white, and color, photographs. The photographs explain where Americans worked, how they worked, who they were and why they worked.

The traveling exhibit is an adaptation of an original exhibition by the National Archives and Records Administration, which explores the connections between work and American culture.

It is a look at the past 150 years at influences on the workforce and its environment, including the growth of manufacturing and the rise of technology.

Five other communities in the state also will host the exhibit in coming months, including the Polk County History Center in Bartow.

For information or to volunteer, visit PioneerFloridaMuseum.org.

Additional information also can be found at FloridaHumanities.org.

Published January 11, 2o17

 

Area talent show gives youth a time to shine

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Long before “America’s Got Talent” began attracting the nation’s attention, a local talent show began offering youths a chance to take center stage.

And, efforts are now gearing up for this year’s 34th annual “Spotlight on Talent” competition.

Kiersten Herman, of Wesley Chapel, won third place in her category in last year’s ‘Spotlight on Talent’ competition. (Courtesy of Heritage Arts Center Association)

Winners of this talent show won’t walk away with a million-dollar prize or a show in Las Vegas, but they won’t walk away empty-handed, either.

The regional competition awards more than $4,000 in cash prizes and trophies to winners in several age categories.

The event, organized by the Heritage Arts Center Association, features contestants who have made their way through auditions and have been selected as finalists to compete at two shows.

The competition also awards a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating senior who lives in Pasco County.

Because of the community support of the “Moonlight and Ivory” concerts, as well as the “Spotlight” contest, organizers have added the scholarship that will go to the Pasco senior with the highest total scores from the finals judges.

The contest will feature finalists from several hundred contestants who compete during an audition.

Contestants come from throughout Pasco County, as well as Tampa, Brooksville, St. Petersburg and other communities.

Talents run the gamut, too.

There are vocalists, dancers, instrumental musicians, piano players, baton twirlers, bands, gymnasts and other entertainers seeking to take home a prize.

There are several age categories. There also are categories for groups and for solos. A student may enter as a soloist and as a member of a group.

Judges for the competition come from Central Florida.

This year’s auditions will be on Feb. 11.

Julianna Mazza, of Dade City, won first place in her category in last year’s ‘Spotlight on Talent’ competition.

Participants are judged primarily on talent, but also on stage presence and appropriate appearance.

The final competitions will be March 11 at Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel, 30651 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel.

The first act, which begins at noon, will feature the younger finalists. The second act, which begins at 7 p.m., will features the older competitors.

Admission is $12 for adults for one show, or $20 for both. For students through high school, admission is $6 for one show, or $10 for both. Children under age 5 are admitted free.

The scholarship winner will be announced at the end of the final show, and will be separate, and in addition to the individual category winners.

The deadline for entries is Jan. 26, but anyone who is interested in competing should start preparing their act now and start working on the application, Barbara Friedman, one of the event’s organizers, said via email.

Information about the competition is distributed to each school music teacher in central and east Pasco County. Many dance, vocal and instrumental studios, and local Chambers of Commerce also have information about the arts competition.

Applications and information also are available online at HeritageArts.org.

The competition is also seeking additional community sponsors.

If you’d like more information about the competition or about how to become a sponsor, call Friedman at (352) 567-1720, or email .

34th annual ‘Spotlight on Talent’ competition
Deadline for applications: Jan. 26
Auditions: Feb. 11
Talent Show: March 11; Act I, featuring younger competitors begins at noon. Act II, featuring older contestants starts at 7 p.m.
Where: Talent shows will be at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel, 30651 Wells Road, Wesley Chapel.
Admission: For adults, $12 for adults for one show or $20 for both. For students through high school, $6 for one show or $10 for both. Children under age 5 are admitted free.
For more information, call Barbara Friedman at (352) 567-1720, or email .
For applications, visit HeritageArts.org.