The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

New rules ahead for dispensing medical marijuana

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Voters statewide overwhelmingly said they want more people with debilitating illnesses to receive the benefits of medical marijuana.

But, approval of the constitutional amendment in the Nov. 8 general election is only a first step in expanding an existing, but limited, medical marijuana program.

State lawmakers and health department officials will have a say in what comes next.

TitleIn the interim, Pasco County commissioners are considering local zoning rules to restrict dispensaries to industrially zoned areas of the county. They also are considering a one-year extension on a moratorium that bans the cultivation, processing and dispensing of cannabis, which is used to produce medical marijuana.

The current moratorium expires on Dec. 31.

“This moratorium is to keep things from popping up outside of what you’re already proposing, until the legislature acts next year,” said Kristi Sims, an assistant county attorney.

According to the newly approved constitutional amendment, the Florida Department of Health has six months to issue guidelines for expanding the state’s current program.

However, lawmakers during the 2017 legislative session could put their imprint on the process as well.

Currently, a low level form of medical marijuana, known as Charlotte’s web, is legal in Florida for patients with certain seizure disorders. Terminally ill patients can qualify for stronger potencies of medical marijuana.

Based on state law, to date, only six dispensaries are licensed to distribute medical marijuana.

New state rules would allow more illnesses to be treated with medical marijuana, and more potent forms of medical marijuana as well. The number of dispensaries also is expected to grow.

On Nov. 29, Pasco County commissioners reviewed a proposed ordinance establishing rules of operation for dispensaries. In addition to locations within industrial zones, dispensaries would be at least 1,000 feet from establishments such as schools, day care centers, churches, pharmacies and drug treatment facilities. They could be no closer than 500 feet from a residence. And, a one-mile distance would be required between each dispensary.

Public hearings, and votes by county commissioners, on the moratorium and zoning regulations will be on Dec. 13 at 1:30 p.m., at the historic Pasco County Courthouse, at 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.

Published December 7, 2016

Fantasy comes alive at Zephyrhills art shop

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Sarah Hamilton has always been intrigued by the fantasy subculture.

From Harry Potter novels to Jim Henson-directed films (i.e. The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth), Hamilton acknowledges she’s “obsessed” with fairytales and magical creatures.

“I love dragons,” she said. “Really, creatures have been my inspiration.”

The Harry Potter series has been, too.

Sarah Hamilton is the owner of the Mad Dragon Studio, 5226 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)
Sarah Hamilton is the owner of the Mad Dragon Studio, 5226 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

“I definitely am a huge fan. I’ve read all the books, watched all the movies.”

In October, the Lutz resident opened the wizard-themed Mad Dragon Studio, 5226 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills.

The shop, located in the heart of the city’s downtown, offers handcrafted wizardry wands along with feather quills, and cosplay props and costumes.

Other vintage products like homemade bath bombs, wizard uniform aprons and non-alcoholic butterscotch beer are also featured throughout the mythical studio.

“It’s kind of the place to come if you want something different,” Hamilton explained. “I always want you to walk-in and feel like it’s magical in here.”

A former first-grade teacher, Hamilton said she’s had artistic leanings since she was a youth.

Sarah Hamilton uses a mix of polymer clay to craft each wand by hand. They range in price from $5 to $125. (Photos courtesy of Sarah Hamilton)
Sarah Hamilton uses a mix of polymer clay to craft each wand by hand. They range in price from $5 to $125.
(Photos courtesy of Sarah Hamilton)

“I’ve been making creatures since I was a little girl,” Hamilton said, “but, I had no idea I’d be doing this.”

In fact, her business started by happenstance.

About five years ago, Hamilton wanted to purchase small wands as party favors for her son’s wizard-themed birthday. But, when she discovered the price tag of a single wand was a minimum of $35, she opted to just make them herself.

“I just started messing around. I started sculpting with polymer clay, and I moved up to (larger) wands,” she explained.

Hamilton later sold handcrafted wands on Etsy, an online marketplace offering handmade and vintage goods.

“It just kind of kept evolving,” Hamilton said, “and then I thought it’d be fun to have my own actual brick-and-mortar (store).”

The wands, which also feature a wooden core, typically take Hamilton “a few hours to make.”

The wizard-themed shop offers handcrafted wizardry wands along with feather quills, and cosplay props and costumes.
The wizard-themed shop offers handcrafted wizardry wands along with feather quills, and cosplay props and costumes.

She, too, offers customized wands — one of which was recently used in a wedding proposal. As the story goes, Hamilton molded an engagement ring into a wand handle that could separate and reattach.

“That (wand) one was the hardest,” Hamilton said, “because it was like, ‘How am I going to get a ring on and off?’”

Though Hamilton’s wands are among the shop’s most prominent items, it’s her unicorn horn headbands that are the highest selling.

The popularity of the headbands exploded when they were featured on Buzzfeed in 2015.

“You don’t know what people are going to like until you put it out there,” said Hamilton.

She added the store’s most frequent customers are adult cosplayers and larpers (live-action role players).

“It’s people who, like me, have just really been obsessed with that (medieval) kind of world. That’s been an interesting thing to notice,” Hamilton said.

In her spare time, the local artist organizes ‘Fab Lab’ craft classes, where she teaches attendees how to make sugar scrubs, glitter wine glasses and other unique products.

“I’m all about people getting their hands into something creative and just trying it. That’s certainly how I got into it,” Hamilton said.

For more information, visit MadDragonStudio.com.

Published December 7, 2016

Service of remembrance offers comfort

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The holidays are often filled with pressures, and can be especially difficult for those who have recently lost a loved one.

It also can be a tough time for people who have lost a family member or friend — even if it happened quite some time ago and they’re still grieving that death.

To provide some help, Hodges Family Funeral Homes and Chapel Hill Gardens are extending an invitation to those who would like to attend a holiday service of remembrance.

The service will be on Dec. 8 at 7 p.m., in the Chapel Mausoleum, at Chapel Hill Gardens, 11531 U.S. 301 in Dade City.

“This is our fifth year (offering the remembrance service) at Chapel Hill,” said Keith Williams, general manager for Chapel Hill Gardens and Hodges Family Funeral Home.

“Most of these families — this is their first year without their loved one. Their first Christmas, without their loved one. We want them to know that they’re not alone.

“There are other families that are going through that. We’re here for them.

“What the service consists of is some holiday music, some readings that we find are very encouraging.

“We’ve got a couple of people who come every year,” Williams said.

The service is open to anyone who would like a place to go and reflect about their loved one, and to be with others who also have suffered a loss.

“We know that it’s a difficult time,” he said. The service is intended to deliver the message: “You’re loved. We’re here for you.”

The service will last around an hour. There also will be some light refreshments afterward, and people are welcome to mix and mingle, Williams said.

While the service will acknowledge the reason for the Christmas season, it is open to people from all denominations.

“We don’t preach the gospel,” Williams said.

It’s a service that offers a place for anyone who just needs to come and be with likeminded people for the moment, he said.

No RSVP is required, but one would be appreciated and can be made by calling (352) 567-5571.

It often is difficult to know what to say to someone who is grieving. Grief.com offers these suggestions to help navigate conversations that sometimes lead to unintentionally hurting someone we love.

The Best Things to Say to Someone in Grief

  1. I am so sorry for your loss.
    2. I wish I had the right words, just know I care.
    3. I don’t know how you feel, but I am here to help in anyway I can.
    4. You and your loved one will be in my thoughts and prayers.
    5. My favorite memory of your loved one is…
    6. I am always just a phone call away.
    7. Give a hug instead of saying something.
    8. We all need help at times like this; I am here for you.
    9. I am usually up early or late, if you need anything.
    10. Say nothing, just be with the person.

The Worst Things to Say to Someone in Grief

  1. At least she lived a long life, many people die young.
    2. He is in a better place.
    3. She brought this on herself.
    4. There is a reason for everything.
    5. Aren’t you over him yet? He has been dead for awhile now.
    6. You can have another child still.
    7. She was such a good person, God wanted her to be with him.
    8. I know how you feel.
    9. She did what she came here to do, and it was her time to go.
    10. Be strong.

Published December 7, 2016

New arts and crafts show venue is a hit

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With a new venue in place, the 37th annual GFWC Lutz Arts & Crafts Show promised to be “bigger and better than ever.”

It delivered.

Cindy Bishop, of Tampa, browses one of the many vendor booths at the 37th annual Lutz Arts & Crafts Show, as decorative, hand-painted gourd birdhouses loom above. The festival was held at a new location, Keystone Prep High School in Odessa. (Fred Bellet/Photos)
Cindy Bishop, of Tampa, browses one of the many vendor booths at the 37th annual Lutz Arts & Crafts Show, as decorative, hand-painted gourd birdhouses loom above. The festival was held at a new location, Keystone Prep High School in Odessa.
(Fred Bellet/Photos)

The show — held for the first time at Keystone Preparatory High School in Odessa — drew rave reviews from attendees and vendors alike.

On Dec. 3 and Dec. 4, thousands of visitors swung by the 60-acre site, at 18105 Gunn Highway.

Once there, show-goers talked up the new venue’s amenities, including its additional space, U-shaped food booth layout and ample parking.

The comfortable weekend weather didn’t hurt, either.

The show, one of the largest annual events in Hillsborough County, typically draws 30,000 to 40,000 people.

It featured more than 350 vendors, about 50 more than two years ago.

“It’s huge,” said Cindy Bishop, of Tampa. “It’s much larger, I think, than it was up there (at Lake Park).”

Zoe Deimling, 4, of Odessa, just can't stop looking at the art on her face after having it painted at the Lutz Arts & Crafts Show. Deimling was along with her grandmother, Denise Alliston of Odessa, and her great-grandmother, Susan Corcoran of Lutz.
Zoe Deimling, 4, of Odessa, just can’t stop looking at the art on her face after having it painted at the Lutz Arts & Crafts Show. Deimling was along with her grandmother, Denise Alliston of Odessa, and her great-grandmother, Susan Corcoran of Lutz.

Last year’s arts and crafts show was cancelled due to a sinkhole at Lake Park in Lutz, forcing the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club to find a permanent location.

The club, in turn, signed a five-year contract with Keystone Prep to have the festival on the school’s property.

Denise Alliston, an Odessa resident and first-time attendee, was delighted to discover the event relocated to Keystone Prep long-term.

“I love it,” Alliston said. “I’m glad that they put it out here; there’s a lot of room.”

Some longtime arts and crafts show attendees — like Zephyrhills resident Doreen Coursey — were just ecstatic to finally see the arts and crafts festival return after its absence in 2015.

“We missed it last year — it was a bummer,” Coursey said.

The festival’s revamped digs, though, quickly put a smile on her face.

“It’s very nice,” she said.

Victor Brown, of Valrico, navigates his way through the woodworking and hand-painted lawn art ornaments, crafted by his father, Vick Brown. Brown's work was among the many colorful displays along the festival route of booths and tents.
Victor Brown, of Valrico, navigates his way through the woodworking and hand-painted lawn art ornaments, crafted by his father, Vick Brown. Brown’s work was among the many colorful displays along the festival route of booths and tents.

One man, Lutz native Tom Benson, admittedly didn’t want to see the popular arts show leave the place he was born and raised.

“I’m homegrown…so I have a little bit of a favor to the park,” said Benson. “It’s sad that sinkhole erupted.”

Compared to Lake Park, Benson said the Odessa venue has less shade, but acknowledged “there’s a lot more parking.”

For most, the two-day arts and crafts show provides a boost for holiday shoppers looking for gifts.

There’s a lot to choose from, with vendors typically offering such items as paintings, photography, jewelry, woodcarving, ceramics, pottery, stained glass, quilts and more.

Tampa resident Glenda Melching took advantage of that opportunity by purchasing Christmas ornaments for each of her 11 grandkids.

“We always buy (ornaments) for presents,” Melching said. “We get them every year.”

As if she did not have enough to carry, Mita Garga (right), of Lutz, holds her daughter Nena's lemonade as the two get ready to snack on a funnel cake while at the Lutz Arts & Crafts Show.
As if she did not have enough to carry, Mita Garga (right), of Lutz, holds her daughter Nena’s lemonade as the two get ready to snack on a funnel cake while at the Lutz Arts & Crafts Show.

Besides arts and crafts booths, the U-shaped food court, too, was an instant hit.

Situated at the festival’s entrance were a vast array of grub offerings — Italian fare, BBQ, comprehensive breakfasts and homemade treats.

“This is nicer that you have a little more,” said Suzanne Hatfield, an Orlando resident and regular attendee. “Last time, it was just one (food) line.”

She noted, however, the food court “could use more tables” in the future.

Vendors, meanwhile, were delighted by the constant foot traffic over the course of the two-day occasion.

“Look at all the people here — it’s a good show,” said Bob Platt, who was promoting a line of Orlando-based Honey Bee Skin Healing Cream.

Vick Brown, a first-year vendor who creates and sells wooden yard designs, likewise was amazed by the festival’s magnitude.

“It’s great,” said Brown, 45, of Valrico. “A lot of people are out, and everybody’s friendly.”

He added: “It’s a little different from the other crafts shows we’ve been attending —we didn’t have this traffic flow.”

The show even drew out-of-state vendors, like Tony Kassebaum, a Nevada-based goldsmith who produces and sells exotic handmade jewelry.

For Kassebaum, the festival is an annual stop on his cross-country art show circuit that leads him throughout Florida and Michigan.

“I’ve always enjoyed the show,” Kassebaum said. “Many of my customers are repeats. People have seen my stuff at the (Bay Area) Renaissance Fairs or at other shows.”

The arts and crafts show is the largest yearly fundraiser for the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, which gives provides college scholarships and donations to local charities. Figures are not yet readily available.

Published December 7, 2016

There are plenty of ways to help this season

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If you would like to help someone else during the holidays, there are plenty of ways you can do that.

Here’s a look at some of the efforts underway that could use more support.

Donate a Bicycle
This effort, spearheaded by Caroline Contractors LLC, is seeking donations of money, bicycles or helmets. Those wishing to donate bicycles or helmets can drop them off at these locations:

  • Caroline Contractors LLC, 18039 U.S. 41, Suite B, Lutz, 33558
  • Hungry Harry’s Family BBQ, 3116 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes, 34639
  • The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, 2810 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes, 34639
Todd Caroline of Caroline Contractors LLC gets ready to deliver new bicycles during a Christmas Bicycle Drive. Caroline and his wife, Cindy, began giving new bikes to children from less fortunate families several years ago. (File Photo)
Todd Caroline of Caroline Contractors LLC gets ready to deliver new bicycles during a Christmas Bicycle Drive. Caroline and his wife, Cindy, began giving new bikes to children from less fortunate families several years ago.
(File Photo)

Bicycles must be dropped off by Dec. 10. If you can’t drop off your donation, Caroline Contractors will pick it up. If you don’t have time to shop, Caroline Contractors will be happy to take your cash donation and do the shopping for you. For more information, call (813) 931-4611.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tax collector helps Toys for Tots
Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano is collecting Toys for Tots at the county’s five tax offices. The Toys for Tots program is run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve. It seeks new, unwrapped gifts for children and teenagers.  Bring your donations to these locations by Dec. 22.

  • West Pasco Government Center, 8731 Citizens Drive, Room 120, New Port Richey, 34654
  • Gulf Harbors Office, 4720 U.S. 19, New Port Richey, 34652
  • Central Pasco Government Center, 4111 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. (U.S. 41), Land O’ Lakes, 34639
  • Wesley Chapel Office, 4610 Pet Lane, CIOI, Wesley Chapel, 33559
  • East Pasco Government Center, 14236 Sixth St., Room 100, Dade City, 33523

Home builder helps Toys for Tots
CalAtlantic Homes is hosting “The Great Toy Drive” for the Toys for Tots program. Participants can make a donation of a new, unwrapped toy to any CalAtlantic community through Dec. 11. For locations, visit CalAtlanticHomes.com.

Auto repair shop helps Toys for Tots
Ice Cold Air Discount Auto Repair is trading free oil changes and tire rotations, or $20 in auto repair services, for a new unwrapped toy to benefit Toys for Tots. To find a list of locations, visit IceColdAir.com.

Santa’s Tree
The San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union is partnering with local children’s charities to help make the holidays brighter for children. This year’s effort benefits the youth of the Thomas Promise Foundation.

Stop by any of the credit union’s offices in San Antonio, Dade City, Zephyrhills or Wesley Chapel to pick a gift tag from Santa’s Tree. Purchase the item listed. Return the gift tag and unwrapped gifts to the credit union by Dec. 16 before 6 p.m.

The credit union will do the wrapping and distribution, along with its partners at Thomas Promise.

Blanket Tampa Bay
New or “gently used” blankets are needed for Blanket Tampa Bay’s second annual Blanket Drive. The blankets will be passed out to Tampa’s homeless on Dec. 24 at the Trinity Café in downtown Tampa. For more information, call (813) 300-9277.

Published December 7, 2016

CORRECTED: Pasco County looks for ways to boost recycling

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A corrected version of this story appears below. Pasco County’s waste-to-energy facility at Shady Hills burns trash to produce renewable energy. Recyclables are not burned, but processed and sold to market. This information was incorrect in the original cutline of a photo and in the story. A correction also will appear in the Dec. 7 publication of  The Laker/Lutz News.

Pasco County faces a double dilemma.

First, how does the county get more residents to recycle?

The county plans to post a survey online early next year seeking public input on what it would take to boost residents’ 27 percent participation rate in curbside recycling.

Answers to that survey could help to shape the solution to the other half of the dilemma.

A pile of what is called ‘clean recyclables’ stack up on the transfer floor at the Shady Hill Waste-to-energy facility, where recyclables are burned to produce renewable energy. (Courtesy of Pasco County)
A pile of what is called ‘clean recyclables’ stack up on the transfer floor at the Shady Hill Waste-to-energy facility.
(Courtesy of Pasco County)

How can Pasco find $190 million to expand its waste-to-energy plant at Shady Hills that burns trash and produces renewable energy?

The county doesn’t have that money. It’s not even close.

About $48 million sits in the county’s solid waste’s reserve budget, but that covers any potential expenditure for solid waste.

More recycling could reduce landfill disposal costs and mean a delay in expanding Shady Hill’s facility beyond 2030.

Members of the county’s solid waste department presented options at a public workshop on Nov. 15. Those options include a $2 to the annual assessment.

Developers also could possibly see an increase in solid waste impact fees that would be offset with an equivalent decrease in water impact fees.

The long-range goal is to build up funds for the expansion costs.

“The further we put it out, the more it’s going to cost,” said Flip Mellinger, assistant county administer for utilities. “Either way, it’s not going away.”

A decision on the fees, as well as other options, won’t likely come until more discussion in 2017.

The workshop was presented to a commission that is n a state of transition.

Only three current commissioners attended – Mike Moore, Mike Wells Jr., and Jack Mariano. Pasco Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey had a scheduling conflict and Commissioner-elect Ron Oakley, attended, but had not yet been sworn in.

Ted Schrader decided not to seek re-election, but instead made an unsuccessful run for property appraiser. His last meeting was Nov. 9.

Commissioners agreed to pursue a community survey on residents’ recycling preferences. But, a proposed list of questions will be reviewed, with more discussion with staff members on a final document.

Residents probably will see the survey in early 2017 when it is posted online to the county’s website, PascoCounty.gov, and the county’s mobile application, MyPasco.

The survey is expected to attempt to determine how often people use curbside recycling, trash pickups, the county’s drop-off recycling centers and what kinds of materials are recycled.

It also asks if residents would give up one day of trash pickup a week in order to have recycling once a week at no additional charge. Or, would residents be willing to pay more to have two days of trash pickup and one day a week of recycling.

Currently, about 27 percent of residents participate in curbside recycling. That is a somewhat higher number since June when the county added cardboard and paper to a list of approved items for recycling pickup. In each month since then, recycling grew by about 100 tons a month or more.

“It was a significant jump, but not where we need to be,” Mellinger said.

The goal is to boost recycling by 10 percent a year by 2030, or 48,000 tons with no changes to the current program. However, an expanded recycling program would aim for a goal of 35 percent more recycling per year by 2030, or 168,000 tons per year.

The current amount recycled annually is about 4,200 tons a year, or about 1.4 percent of all solid waste collections.

An educational program could be done in-house or by hiring an outside communications firm.

Giving carts to residents also is seen as a way to significantly boost recycling.

But, solid waste officials also said one-day-a-week trash pickup encourages people to make use of one-day-a-week recycling programs that provide carts.

Short of that, a two-day-a-week trash pickup, with one day for recycling would work, if residents pay more, but should be seen as an interim way to reach the “one/one” option.

Moore said he would expect pushback from residents on going to one day each for trash and recycling. “I don’t think that’s a great idea,” he said. “I think we’d take a lot of hits from citizens.”

An increase in fees also is doubtful, he said.

Wells noted a program in Clearwater for one day each of trash and recycling pickups, and carts. It got off to a slow start, with some resistance from residents. But, he said the program eventually boosted recycling by about 20 percent.

“It really comes down to education,” Wells said. “There’s no doubt we need to do a better job with education.”

Published November 3o, 2016

Bexley buzz isn’t just marketing hype

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LAND O’ LAKES — Late on a recent Saturday afternoon, as the sun’s slanting rays cast their golden autumnal glow, Tommy Brown and his young sons mounted their bikes and set off in search of adventure.

Luckily, they didn’t have far to go, and their destination was known. In fact, from their side yard near the northeast corner of Ballantrae, they’d had their eyes on it for weeks: the BMX (bicycle motocross) park in the neighboring, emerging community of Bexley.

All they needed was for the construction zone barriers to come down. That Saturday morning, in conjunction with Bexley’s grand opening weekend, they did.

A family enjoys the playground during Bexley’s opening festivities. (Courtesy of Brian Swartzwelder)
A family enjoys the playground during Bexley’s opening festivities.
(Courtesy of Brian Swartzwelder)

Now as the lads on their tyke-bikes jounced over the moguls, careened through the twists and catapulted across the banked turns, they hooted with laughter.

“This is fun!” whooped Alec Brown, 5, fairly hopping astride his bike while, nearby, Oscar, 9, clattered triumphantly over the wooden plank extension that rises like a dinosaur’s frill above the signature banked curve.

Their dad, meanwhile, was discovering the limitations of a mountain bike on a layout designed for tiny wheels. Never mind all that. Bathed in the patina of a fading fall afternoon, the 42-year-old computer programmer and his boys were making memories that would last into all their golden years.

Now, Pam Parisi, regional marketing director for developer Newland Communities, will tell you Bexley is selling a lot of things — houses (ranging from $215,000 townhouses to single-family houses in the mid-$500,000s), desirable amenities, nature-friendly design, abundant get-outside activities and a killer location (no one is closer to the Suncoast Parkway) — but, if you suggested, ultimately, the whole place is about filling your life with moments you’ll cherish, she wouldn’t disagree.

“Bexley is all about being families again,” she says. “It’s all about getting outdoors again. It’s not about having kids sitting on the couch ‘playing together’ with other friends on other couches.”

About that. Bexley comes front-loaded with “boot camp” fitness trails, miles of bicycle paths — one of which ultimately will link to the 42-mile Suncoast Trail — and a variety of parks. Some for kids. Some for dogs. Some for every recreational taste.

The playgrounds, in particular, hold your attention with slides laid into manmade hills and high-rise wooden play structures that, engaging the imagination while challenging young muscles, could be anything from a frontier fort in the Wild West to a magical abbey in Nepal.

No doubt some readers will consider this attention to a single master-planned community overwrought. In fact, the region embracing the Hillsborough-Pasco border from Trinity almost to U.S. 301 teems with similar villages, and many are splendid in their own right.

It bears noting, however, Newland has a history of reshaping how people regard things. Twenty-odd years ago, when it began carving out a mini-town at the end of a two-lane road near a sleepy incorporated settlement in southeast Hillsborough County, skeptics wondered whether the hotshot developers had lost their minds.

Now, as Parisi correctly notes, the area formerly known as “Lithia” is a reference reserved for mapmakers. For everyone else, it’s Fishhawk Ranch.

This is not to suggest the keepers of the Land O’ Lakes flame should prepare to take to the barricades. For openers, at 1,200 acres, Bexley is somewhat less than half Fishhawk’s sprawling 3,000 acres.

Instead, it’s merely to acknowledge the buzz about Bexley is warranted. Parisi describes the new community as Fishhawk Ranch improved by 20 years of experience and evolutionary thinking.

She points out the amenities are front-loaded, and not dependent on hitting a certain number of committed homeowners before artist’s renderings begin to transform into facts on the ground.

From Day One, residents will have access to the niceties mentioned above, plus a cafe (The Twisted Sprocket) and clubhouse worthy of a country club, plus a full-service bicycle shop, the first offshoot of the venerable, nearby Suncoast Trailside Bicycles, run by the energetic Geoff Lanier.

Next door, a cafe — open to the public — serves Bexley burgers (cheeseburgers topped with an onion ring) and beers crafted by Odessa-and-Clearwater based Big Storm Brewing Co.

Figuring out what’s going to erupt from the commercial frontage along State Road 54 is another matter. The first hint broke a couple of weeks ago with the announcement of a 110-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott, the first of its kind in Pasco County. Stay tuned.

And, as we have seen, even before the first families take up housekeeping, Bexley is fulfilling its mission: Getting people out and about. Getting them moving. With fresh memories to savor, the Browns of neighboring Ballantrae are happy it’s here.

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

Published November 30, 2016

Local vet named ‘Pet Industry Woman of the Year’

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A Lutz veterinarian has been named the “Pet Industry Woman of the Year” by the Women in the Pet Industry Network.

Dr. Dani McVety is the co- founder of Lap of Love, a company based in Lutz that is made up of a national network of veterinarians who provide hospice and in-home euthanasia for pets.

Besides winning the the network’s overall award, McVety also received the “Advocate” award for 2016 from the national group at its conference in Portland, Oregon.

McVety, who grew up on a horse farm in Odessa, didn’t set out to earn national acclaim.

Dr. Dani McVety, a veterinarian specializing in end-of-life care and in-home euthanasia for pets, recently was named ‘Pet Industry Woman of the Year’ by the Women in the Pet Industry Network. She also was awarded the ‘Advocate of the Year’ award. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Dr. Dani McVety, a veterinarian specializing in end-of-life care and in-home euthanasia for pets, recently was named ‘Pet Industry Woman of the Year’ by the Women in the Pet Industry Network. She also was awarded the ‘Advocate of the Year’ award.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

She said her company began as a sideline to help her pay off her student loans.

She hopes, however, it will help lead to a paradigm shift in the way veterinarians work with pet owners in the last days of a pet’s natural life.

“We are trying to change how end-of-life care is done,” she said.

She recently recounted how her company began.

“This woman came in with a Chihuahua,” she said.

The pet was wrapped in a little gray blanket, and the woman knew she was euthanizing her dog that day.

She asked McVety: “Can you leave him on my lap? I don’t want him on the cold sterile table. I don’t want him to touch anything but my lap.”

That approach went against her training, the veterinarian said.

“We’re taught, ‘You take him in the back, you place an IV catheter, and you bring him back in the room.’ That’s the most acceptable way of doing it,” she said.

But, McVety decided to honor the woman’s wishes.

“I’m looking at this woman, and I’m going: ‘Why not? Why can’t we do what she wants me to do?”

“I said, ‘Sure. I’m going to do that.’

“So, I sedated him through the blanket, which is something that we normally would not do.

“I gave him the second one.

“It was beautiful. It was perfect. I remember thinking, that’s what all pets deserve. They all deserve to be on your lap, the whole time. That’s what they want. That’s where they’re most loved,” McVety said.

She decided to create her own business and to call it “Lap of Love.”

A friend and veterinarian — Mary Gardner — joined her to take the business nationwide, through a network of veterinarians.

Initially, McVety thought she’d be doing more hospice work.

“What I discovered early on was that people wanted in-home euthanasia. Really, what they want is a really good conversation before giving permission to step into that space — and then a really, nice peaceful euthanasia.”

McVety estimates that about 30 percent of the 2,000 calls that come in each week are for hospice consultations. Of those, she said, about 90 percent result in an in-home euthanasia.

McVety said her background in ER veterinary services helped her realize that she has a knack for helping people who are facing a difficult time with their pet.

“I really enjoy working with the people who love their animals.

“In ER work, that translates into helping somebody understand what’s happening in a very short amount of time. They don’t have a lot of time to make decisions.

“Sometimes it is the first time that they’ve heard that their pet is dying, and they need to decide in the next 15 minutes whether or not they want to go to surgery or whether we’re going to euthanize (the pet).

“I started gravitating toward end-of-life cases, the ones that weren’t going to make it, that were difficult euthanasia cases,” she said.

“I don’t want it to be their choice—  to do this or that. I want to guide them based on what I feel they want, and within the medical boundaries that I have.

“Instead of saying, ‘Which one do you want?’ It’s ‘Here are the two options, and I need to learn more about what you think is the best thing to do, so I can guide you on which decision we’re going to make,” McVety said.

When she works with pet owners, she said, she takes this approach: “Instead of ‘You are making the right decision,’ It’s “We are making the best decision.’

“I feel like there’s so much guilt that gets put on people, where you’re the owner and I’m saying, ‘You just tell me what’s best for you.’”

She thinks it’s also important for pet owners to learn to “look at this is the natural progression of biology,” she said.

“There’s a subjective period of time when euthanasia is an appropriate decision. It’s not your only decision, but it’s an appropriate decision. Before which, I am not going to euthanize because a quality of life exists, and after which, I’m insisting on euthanizing because there’s sustained suffering,” McVety said.

Sometimes, the pet is absolutely ready in her medical eyes, but the family is not yet ready.

“Your first pet, people usually push the boundaries because they don’t know any different. The second pet, people make the decision sooner and sooner, and sooner.

“They know what’s going to happen. And, it doesn’t get easier,” McVety said.

Published November 30, 2016

Adding a new chapter, in a family legacy

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Joanne Kassebaum made a decision nearly four decades ago that has become a Kassebaum legacy.

The Book Shack opened next to the Dade City post office about 37 years ago, selling mostly used paperbacks. It shifted later to a shop on Martin Luther King Boulevard. And now, it is relocated again to 14145 Seventh Ave., across from the historic Pasco County Historic Courthouse. It is situated between Lunch on Limoges and Kiefer’s Village Jewelers.

Joanne Kassebaum, left, is handing off The Book Shack’s legacy to Kristy Kassebaum, her granddaughter-in-law. The bookstore opened 37 years ago in Dade City. (Courtesy of The Book Shack)
Joanne Kassebaum, left, is handing off The Book Shack’s legacy to Kristy Kassebaum, her granddaughter-in-law. The bookstore opened 37 years ago in Dade City.
(Courtesy of The Book Shack)

Kristy Kassebaum – married to Joanne’s grandson, Kyle – is the new proprietor. Like her grandmother-in-law, she is passionate about books and reading.

When she knew Joanne Kassebaum was ready to retire in October, the timing seemed perfect.

“I’ve always wanted to own my own business,” she said. “To keep it in the family name is a fun bonus.”

And, Joanne Kassebaum isn’t going anywhere – just yet.

On weekdays, she operates the shop until mid-afternoon when Kristy Kassebaum finishes her job as a learning design coach with the Pasco County School District.

There is symmetry at work.

Joanne Kassebaum started her bookstore career when her sons were young; now Kristy Kassebaum is doing the same, with her children, Natalie, 4, and Nolan, 2.

Kristy Kassebaum said her husband, Kyle, has fond memories as a youngster hanging out among the shelves and shelves of books at his grandmother’s store.

“It’s cool to think my kids might have those memories, too,” she said.

But, first, years ago, there were 91 cartons packed with books that arrived in Dade City, shipped by Joanne Kassebaum’s sister-in-law from her Milwaukee bookstore.

She said it would work out great to open a bookstore, and start off with some of the extra books the Milwaukee store didn’t need.

“My boys were at the age I didn’t feel I could work full-time,” said Joanne Kassebaum. “But, this way I was the boss. If I had to leave, I could leave. It worked out beautifully. I never believed I’d stay 37 years. Never guessed it.”

Books made sense as an avocation.

As a youngster in Milwaukee, Joanne Kassebaum said, “I grew up reading. For a nickel, you could ride the bus uptown. We had a big library up there. I could get my books and take them home.”

Beginning at the age of 9, she made that journey weekly.

“I will read anything that has a good story line,” she said.

Her bookstore is a haven for readers who want to hold a book and feel it in their hands. She specialized in paperbacks and stocked the store with every genre, including paranormal romance, thrillers, Westerns, mysteries, military fiction and nonfiction.

Prices range from $1 to $10, depending on the original price list for the book. And, customers can get paid a few dollars for books they sell to the shop.

The reading range surprised Kristy Kassebaum.

“We have so many genres I didn’t know existed. Paranormal romance. You need a whole shelf for that. Yes, you do,” she said. “I had no idea people loved Westerns so much. There is something here for everybody.”

The new shop is a bit smaller than the space on Martin Luther King Boulevard, but it is in a prime spot for foot traffic.

Kristy Kassebaum is making a few changes, but she checked first with Joanne Kassebaum for approval.

Despite less room, there now is a special corner for children’s books. Gift items, including candles and children’s toys, have been added.

An inventory of the shop’s books is being uploaded into a computer to help customers search for specific books.

For Joanne Kassebaum, stepping away has been hard.

She knows the children, grandchildren and a few great-grandchildren of her customers, who are like friends to her.

“I loved that. That was wonderful,” she said. “I get emotional about it.”

The Book Shack is a “little piece of (Joanne’s) heart and soul,” Kristy Kassebaum said.

Published November 30, 2016

‘Christmas in the Park’ offers a touch of nostalgia

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It’s an event that dates back more than half-century, and offers an old-fashioned touch for the holidays.

“Christmas in the Park,” presented by The Founders’ Garden Club of San Antonio, provides an evening designed to encourage families and friends to gather together to celebrate the season.

The event will be on Dec. 4 at 7 p.m., and is expected to last 1 ½ to two hours, said Donna Swart, president of the garden club. It is held at San Antonio City Park, 12202 Main St., in downtown San Antonio.

Festivities will include a sing-a-long for the children accompanied by Dennis Devine and guests. The Sweet Adeline Lady Bug Quartet is expected to be there, and there will be a lighting of the Christmas Cards.

The club plans to offer free homemade cookies, warm cider, coffee and water, and each child will receive a little surprise bag of goodies.

People should bring their own chairs and flashlights.

From left: Diane Jones, Donna Swart and Camille Clancy are members of the organizing committee for ‘Christmas in the Park,’ a San Antonio tradition that’s been going strong for more than a half-century. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
From left: Diane Jones, Donna Swart and Camilla Clancy are members of the organizing committee for ‘Christmas in the Park,’ a San Antonio tradition that’s been going strong for more than a half-century.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

About 50 lighted Christmas cards, which are 4-by-8 or smaller, will be stationed on display around San Antonio City Park, representing various organizations, businesses and families.

The crèche — complete with nearly life-size Nativity figures will be a highpoint, too.

In keeping with the club’s tradition, the baby Jesus will not be placed in the crib until Christmas Day, according to Diane Jones, who is serving with Swart on the organizing committee.

She is looking forward to the event.

Jones thinks her son has come up with an apt description for the evening. “He calls it ‘A Norman Rockwell Night,’” she said.

Jones’ niece, Camilla Clancy, is on the organizing committee, too.

Swart, Jones and Clancy have been busy lining up gift baskets for a chance drawing.

Tickets sell for $1 each, or six for $5. They can be purchased at San Antonio City Hall, or on the night of the event at the park.

Anyone who purchases a ticket has a chance to win one of around 15 gift baskets.

Themes include spiritual, home office, garden, tea and others.

There’s also a couple of backpacks. One is for a girl and the other, for a boy.

Proceeds from the event support the garden club’s efforts to keep the park beautiful.

Other highlights of “Christmas in the Park” will include two decorated Christmas trees and a blessing offered by the Rev. Garry Welsh, pastor of Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church.

The Founders’ Garden Club dates back to 1961, when 11 women had a meeting in the park to found the organization.

Now, club meetings rotate between homes of the members.

“We meet on the first Thursday, at 9 o’clock, September through May,” Swart said.

The park, which sits on a site across the street from the church and Saint Anthony Catholic School, was originally donated to Saint Leo Abbey, which later donated it to the City of San Antonio.

When it gave the land to the city, the abbey stipulated that the church and the school get first priority in the use of the park, according to a historic account compiled for the club’s 50th anniversary in 2011.

Clancy, who now lives in Zephyrhills, grew up in San Antonio and has many fond memories of her childhood there.

She was recruited to help the club by her aunt, and is happy to be involved.

Jones said she’s love being part of the garden club.

“I love this community, and I want it to be beautiful for everyone else’s enjoyment,” Jones said.

All three ladies are looking forward to sharing their seasonal evening with the community.

“We just want to encourage people to come that night,” Swart said.

The Founders’ Garden Club of San Antonio
The name of The Founders’ Garden Club of San Antonio refers to the fact that it was the first garden club in the city, according to a document compiled to celebrate the club’s 50th anniversary in 2011.

The name also pays homage to the foresight of the original founders of the Catholic Colony of San Antonio who set aside the land for a park, the document adds.

No minutes were taken at the club’s first meeting, the account says, but those attending the second meeting were: Jeanette Barthle, Stella Barthle, Rose Cope, Margaret Cissel, Alice Epperson, Bobbie Epperson, Jo Ann Franz, Marie Harper, Ruth Pike Herman, Mary Jones, Effie McCabe, Margaret Keifer, Patsy Reynolds, Theresa Schrader and Charlene Spalding.

The following month, Elizabeth Cannon, Blanche Naeyaert, Sylvia Gude and Dolores Nalley joined, and shortly thereafter, Alice Burger, Betty Burger, Sid Corrigan and Mary Schrader joined, the account says.

Published November 30, 2016