Local News

Chorale offers thanksgiving, through song

November 18, 2015 By B.C. Manion

Marvin Robertson has been passing along his love for music for decades, and for the past eight years he’s been sharing that passion as the director of the Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Chorale.

The chorale, a group of 29 singers selected through audition, shares it loves of music by presenting free local concerts.

Its next performance, Festival of Thanks, is set for Nov. 21, beginning at 5 p.m., at the East Pasco Seventh-day Adventist Church, 7329 Dairy Road in Zephyrhills.

The event will include a welcome by Randy Surber, president and chief executive officer of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, and will have a homily on the theme of Thanksgiving, Robertson said.

Marvin Robertson, director of the Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Chorale, is shown here leading the chorus, during last year’s Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony at the hospital. The community chorus is gearing up for a Nov. 21 public performance, focusing on the theme of Thanksgiving. (Courtesy of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills) — Marvin Robertson, director of the Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Chorale, is shown here leading the chorus, during last year’s Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony at the hospital. The community chorus is gearing up for a Nov. 21 public performance, focusing on the theme of Thanksgiving.
(Courtesy of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills)

The Festival of Thanks will be a 70-minute program that includes a mixture of challenging music, as well as patriotic songs and hymns, Robertson said.

The audience will be invited to sing along on the first piece, “Now, Thank We All Our God,” and to join in on the final number, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” the chorale director said.

The program also includes a piece by Aaron Copland, a widely known American composer.

One of the more challenging works on the program is a piece called “Song of Moses,” composed by Chris Medina, a choir member who works in radiology at the hospital, Robertson said.

The piece is dedicated to the memory of James Leuthauser, a former member of the chorale’s bass section, who died two years ago.

Medina said he was inspired by a Biblical verse that “speaks of a song that is sung by the people that are redeemed from the earth … It’s kind of a happy, eventful song.”

Medina has belonged to the chorale group since it began, but his association with Robertson goes back to his college days at Southern Adventist University in Tennessee. Robertson, now retired, was dean of the school of music.

Medina said he enjoys being part of the chorale. “It’s a stress reliever for me,” he said.

Being a member of the chorale is enriching, said Sue Green, a member of the group for seven years.

The group rehearses from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., on Mondays, and, after the most recent practice, Green said she is feeling more confident about the selections in the upcoming performance.

“We’re working on it, putting on the finishing points,” Green said.

The chorale offers a wonderful opportunity for people who have a passion for singing to share it with others, Green said.

“It is challenging, and it’s thrilling,” said the retired preschool teacher.

Robertson said the chorale members come from all walks of life, and range in age from 16 to nearly 80.

“It’s an interesting group,” he said, noting the chorale includes nurses, radiology techs, teachers, a real estate broker, a doctor, a chaplain, and retired U.S. Marines, among others.

Through the years, members have come from as far away as Lutz and Hudson and Lakeland, he said.

The youngest member, 16-year-old Rose Phelps, is delighted to be part of the group.

“Singing in a choir is just so helpful because I’ve learned so much about how it sounds when all of the voices come together, the basses and the tenors, and altos and sopranos. It just really trains my ear. Hearing all those parts together is really amazing,” she said.

Being a member of choir provides opportunities for growth.

“He just gives us a piece, and we have to try to sing it right off the bat,” she said.

She’s impressed by the musical ability of other members of the choir and said she’s learning, constantly.

Besides the Festival of Thanks, the chorale also performs at the Christmas Tree Lighting at the hospital campus, and at what Robertson calls a “Prelude to Easter” concert.

The Festival of Thanks begins at 5 p.m., but doors open at 4:30 p.m., and it’s a good idea to get there early, Robertson said.

“We don’t open the doors until 4:30, and there’s always a group waiting outside. We average probably 400 to 500 people. It fills the sanctuary,” he said.

Some people have been to every Thanksgiving concert, since they began giving them, Robertson said.

“They come. I notice them, because they try to sit in the same place all of the time. And, they are not members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. They are people who like this type of music,” Robertson said.

The portion of the program that allows audience participation provides individual enrichment, Robertson said, “but it’s also community involvement I love to hear the people sing, because they really do sing.”

Green said the chorale is well received.

“Many people have said that it is the best-kept secret of Pasco County,” Green said. “I’m not really certain which group receives the biggest blessing, the musicians or the audience.”

Robertson said the hospital provides financial support to promote the chorale, which, in turn, supports the community through the arts.

“Health care is more than just taking care of the sick,” he said. “We’re enhancing the life of the community.”

What: Festival of Thanks, featuring several musical selections by the Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Chorale.
Where: East Pasco Seventh-day Adventist Church, 7329 Dairy Road in Zephyrhills
When: Nov. 21 at 5 p.m.
Who: The public is welcome and admission is free.

Published November 18, 2015

Fall Festival introduces new stables to Wesley Chapel

November 18, 2015 By Michael Murillo

Sarah Russell took horse-riding lessons when she was 4.

At age 7, she got her first American Saddlebred.

By the time she was 15, she was a world champion equestrian.

“It’s just my passion,” Russell said.

Now, it’s her business as well.

Before Sarah Russell owned her own stables, she was a successful saddleseat competitor. At age 17, she was already a three-time world champion. (Courtesy of Sarah Russell) — Before Sarah Russell owned her own stables, she was a successful saddleseat competitor. At age 17, she was already a three-time world champion.
(Courtesy of Sarah Russell)

Russell opened Sarah Russell Stables Oct. 1, with a 24-stall barn, covered arena and a half-dozen training horses. She lives on the property, located at 29319 Hadlock Drive in Wesley Chapel, with her husband, Ross, and son, Kellan.

They’ll host a free Fall Festival event on Nov. 29 to serve as an open house of sorts, and introduce the business to the community.

Russell has worked in stables locally, and in places like Kentucky.

The 29-year-old has spent her life competing and caring for horses, and has noticed the good and bad characteristics of various stables.

She has taken the best of her experiences and put them into one Wesley Chapel business.

“I think the Wesley Chapel area is really an untapped market for our business. It’s such a growing and booming town, it was a great opportunity to start something like (a new stable) there.”

Russell has taken advantage of the opportunity by offering riding lessons for all levels of riders. She specializes in saddleseat training, a challenging discipline which requires riders to handle a double bridle when guiding their horse. As a competitive rider, Russell claimed multiple national and world championships, and memorabilia of her titles are displayed at her business.

Stephanie Burchette, who works at Ross Russell's veterinary practice, takes a horse out for a little sunshine and fresh air. Millionheir’s Row is one of the client horses at Sarah Russell Stables in Wesley Chapel, which opened on Oct. 1. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo) — Stephanie Burchette, who works at Ross Russell’s veterinary practice, takes a horse out for a little sunshine and fresh air. Millionheir’s Row is one of the client horses at Sarah Russell Stables in Wesley Chapel, which opened on Oct. 1. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

But, you don’t have to be an aspiring world champion to get something out of horse riding, she said. She’s taught adults who had never been on a horse, and they came away with a new passion and pastime. One adult student went from never riding before to owning three horses.

While grownups can enjoy valuable experiences by riding, children and young adults learn lessons that stay with them when they’re out of the saddle.

“It’s such a commitment. It teaches you dedication, and determination and hard work,” Russell said. “You learn to develop a connection between you and your horse which is so good for so many other aspects of life.”

The stalls are already filling up with students who board their horses there, and Russell keeps the training up even when the owners aren’t around. The students still come by frequently to bond with their horse, she said.

Russell and her husband are originally from Michigan. When they moved to the area, they lived in a more traditional subdivision.

But, that wasn’t the life she wanted, and having her own business on 18 acres suits her much better.

Her husband is a veterinarian whose office also is on the property, and Kellan, while only 2, already enjoys being around and sitting on horses.

In a couple of years, he’ll be his mother’s age when she started taking lessons, and Russell believes he’ll take to it like she did.

Owning a stable isn’t easy, Russell admits.

While she already has clients whose horses get trained on a daily basis, there’s still a lot of work to do less than two months into her new career.

“It’s a lot of work. It’s a big undertaking and a huge commitment, but it’s what I’ve always wanted to do, so it’s a great thing,” she said. “It’s totally worth it. Every minute of it.”

The Fall Festival will run from noon until 4 p.m. It will include local vendors, face painting, a bounce house and pony rides. For information about the festival or the stables, contact Russell at (810) 955-5023 or .

Published November 18, 2015

Antiques from rustic to elegant at Shabby Shack

November 18, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Golf can wait – at least for now. Antiques are so much more fun.

So, Laura Sanderson has put her golf career on hold, and has set up shop at Shabby Shack Antiques & Vintage.

The shop’s name is a twist on the Bill Murray movie, “Caddyshack,” a classic comedy about what else – golf.

But, let’s forget golf for the moment.

Inside Shabby Shack, antiques and collectibles fill the floors, nooks and crannies of seven rooms.

Elephants are the motif for a pair of table art decorations at Shabby Shack. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photos) — Elephants are the motif for a pair of table art decorations at Shabby Shack.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

The wares are from personal family treasures, garage sales and thrift stores.

“This has been a passion of my whole family, collecting antiques and unusual things,” said Sanderson. “I’m at a point in my career when it was good to put it on pause, and go for it,” Sanderson said.

She is the new owner of the former Family Treasures’ property. That long-time business on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard bought and sold coins, metal detectors and collectibles.

The location also once operated as an antique shop, known as Calamity Jane.

Shabby Shack, at 4312 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., is stepping out with its own sense of style.

Sanderson asked her family members to “thin out” their antiques at home, and bring them to Shabby Shack.

On weekends, she also combs through garage sales and thrift shops on the lookout for the one-of-a-kind item.

Laura Sanderson is putting her golf career on hold for another passion – antiques. She opened Shabby Shack in October.

“It’s not straight antiques. I have modern too, if it’s unusual,” she said. “I like things that have form and function.”

Her favorites are art deco and mid-century Modern.

In her spare time, she goes creative and repurposes what seems to have lost its function. An old camera with a flash attachment, for instance, becomes a lamp. Map pages from an atlas become the foundation for wreaths.

A large, wooden biplane hangs from a ceiling, waiting for its transformation.

“It would be the perfect lamp hanging over a pool table,” said Sanderson, who is a graduate of Brandon High School.

She began playing golf as a youngster, but didn’t become a professional golfer until age 40.

She worked for more than 25 years as a golf pro at area country clubs, including The Groves and Meadow Oaks.

She moved to Land O’ Lakes about six years ago.

Shabby Shack is in a spot along U.S. 41 that Sanderson hopes is ready for redevelopment.

A large, wooden biplane hangs from a ceiling at Shabby Shack. Shop owner Laura Sanderson thinks it would make a perfect hanging lamp over a pool table.

“I believe in Land O’ Lakes,” she said. “I so badly want to see something happen along U.S. 41.”

And, she’s eager for Shabby Shack to be a part of that transformation.

On a mid-day on Tuesday, Land O’ Lakes resident Margaret Dillard dropped by to purchase a pulley. She had her eye on it for a few days.

“I don’t know where you’re shopping (for antiques), but you’re getting some mighty nice things,” she told Sanderson.

Dillard said she enjoys the surprises that can be found at Shabby Shack. The shop caters to all tastes from rustic to elegant, she said.

Sanderson said her goal at the shop is to “turn, turn, turn. I want new truckloads every week. I don’t want stale inventory.”

Merchandise generally is priced on the lower end of the scale, from $3 to $200.

Sanderson’s husband helps with lawn maintenance around the property, which also has a smaller building in the rear. Sanderson hopes to rent that out, possibly for another antiques space.

For now, Shabby Shack is pretty much a one-woman show.

“I’m just stepping out on a leap of faith,” Sanderson said.

What: Shabby Shack Antiques & Vintage
Where: 4312 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Information: (813) 501-4900

Published November 18, 2015

Carrollwood Day School speaker supports cancer research

November 18, 2015 By Michael Murillo

More than two decades ago, Charlotte Embody watched a televised speech by a basketball coach, who had been diagnosed with cancer and was accepting an award.

The March 3, 1993 speech was uplifting, but Embody didn’t expect it to have a personal impact on her family.

“Of course, it was emotional, but it didn’t become a big thing in my life,” Embody said.

Over time, that would change.

The coach making the speech was Jim Valvano, former head coach of North Carolina State and an analyst for ESPN.

George Bodenheimer, longtime president of ESPN and now its executive chairman, will speak and sign books on Nov. 18 at Carrollwood Day School. He donates all author royalties to the V Foundation. (Image Courtesy of V Foundation for Cancer Research) — George Bodenheimer, longtime president of ESPN and now its executive chairman, will speak and sign books on Nov. 18 at Carrollwood Day School. He donates all author royalties to the V Foundation.
(Image Courtesy of V Foundation for Cancer Research)

He was accepting the first Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award at the inaugural ESPY Awards, ESPN’s awards show.

And, the speech would become an iconic 10 minutes of inspirational television.

Valvano succumbed to cancer the following month, but his legacy continued far beyond his coaching accolades or the frequent replays of his famous speech.

Valvano founded the V Foundation for Cancer Research, which has donated more than $150 million in research grants over the years.

Now, Embody has organized a speaking and book-signing event on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m., at Carrollwood Day School, 1515 W. Bearss Ave. in Tampa. The public is welcome to attend, and there is no admission charge.

The school and the V Foundation will host former ESPN President George Bodenheimer, who will be talking about his book, “Every Town is a Sports Town: Business Leadership at ESPN, from the Mailroom to the Boardroom.”

Bodenheimer donates all of the royalties from his book to the cancer foundation.

Embody and her husband, Derek, also have donated to the V Foundation over the years, but the famous speech became a part of her family’s activities as well. Her sons attended Carrollwood Day School, and her oldest son, Billy, was given the speech to read in fifth grade.

“He performed it for competitions at the bay area Forensics League,” Embody explained. Eventually, he won first place with the speech, and his younger brother, Andy, took it on and performed it as well.

The entire family all knew the speech by that point, and after the boys lost a friend to cancer, it took on even more meaning.

Now, helping the foundation is a special cause for the Embodys. When the V Foundation let her know that Bodenheimer would be in town on that date, Embody wanted to set something up at the school her children once attended.

“We’ve known who he is for years, and I’ve just been in awe of everything he’s done,” Embody said, referring to Bodenheimer.

They met at a gala event last year, and Embody found him to be both inspiring and down-to-earth.

As president of ESPN for more than a dozen years, Bodenheimer led the company through a period of expansion, including launching high definition, Spanish language and college sports networks to grow the brand.

Often cited in most-influential lists of sports executives, he got his start as a mailroom clerk at the network, and left the position of president in 2012 to become the network’s executive chairman.

Embody is glad to have someone of his caliber speaking to the community, especially local children. Sometimes they need positive messages from someone other than their parents, she said. And finding the right person to deliver a thought-provoking message isn’t easy.

“In this day and age, it’s really hard to find someone with good character and ethics and integrity that you want your kids to look up to,” she said.

Bodenheimer is that good-character influence for both children and adults, Embody said. Her children are in their 20s, but the speech from Valvano and the V Foundation still resonates with her family.

She hopes for a good turnout for Bodenheimer at the Carrollwood Day School Theatre, and is glad to have him speak at the school her children attended, and where they were first given that inspirational speech to recite.

“It’s sort of where our story really took root with the V Foundation,” Embody said.

Copies of Bodenheimer’s book will be available for purchase at the event.

For more information, call the school at (813) 920-2288, or visit CarrollwoodDaySchool.org.

Published November 18, 2015

School year starts sooner for local students

November 18, 2015 By B.C. Manion

The 2016-2017 school year will ring in earlier for students in Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

Students in Pasco County will begin next school year on Aug. 15 and will finish it on May 26.

The Pasco County School Board approved the new calendar without discussion.

“The purpose for the earlier start date is to allow secondary students to complete semester exams before winter break,” according to Linda Cobbe, the Pasco County school district’s spokeswoman.

“It also lets us end the school year before June,” she noted.

The adopted calendar has six fewer days in the first semester than in the second semester. The third quarter has the most days, and the others all have roughly the same number of days.

Kenny Blankenship, president of the United School Employees of Pasco, said he thinks students do benefit from having the opportunity to take their semester exams and end of course exams before the winter holidays.

This school year, the end of the first semester in Pasco County is Jan. 14. Next school year, it will be Dec. 22.

Students’ first day of school in Hillsborough County next school year is Aug. 10. The district’s first semester will end on Dec. 16.

The last day in Hillsborough County for students will be May 26, 2017.

Published November 18, 2015

Antiques store is repository of memories

November 11, 2015 By B.C. Manion

Johnny Herrmann’s business card boasts that his antiques business, in San Antonio, is “not your grandma’s antiques store.”

But, there’s no doubt that the shop where his business operates is steeped in his family’s history.

The store is in the 1946 Herrmann Building, at 11853 S. Curley St.

Johnny Herrmann enjoys being surrounded by items he’s purchased at estate sales, other antiques stores and from individual sellers. He has a particular weakness for paintings. He just loves having them around. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — Johnny Herrmann enjoys being surrounded by items he’s purchased at estate sales, other antiques stores and from individual sellers. He has a particular weakness for paintings. He just loves having them around.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The building is one of a collection of structures on Curley Street, south of State Road 52, constructed by the Herrmann family, beginning in the 1920s.

“People used to refer to this part of town as Herrmann-ville, because there were so many buildings that my grandfather and father built,” said Johnny, whose grandfather moved to the area in the 1920s, according to published reports.

The collection of businesses is now called the South San Antonio Arts and Antiques District, or s.o.s.a for short. The businesses, as well as San Antonio Pottery, are part of that district.

Step inside San Antonio Antiques, and you’ll find a place chock full of unusual items — purchased from estate sales, other antique shops and individual sellers.

A few years ago, the place was vacant, and it had been that way since the mid-1970s, Johnny said.

Now, it houses the antiques shop, Tangerine Hill and Red Dog Designs & Home, and A Healthy Convenience. Upstairs, there’s a yoga studio and a place for martial arts classes.

Beyond its current role, the building is a physical reminder of a family that has played a considerable role in San Antonio.

Johnny lives in the house that belonged to his grandfather, Lucius, who was a baker by trade.

His business is in the space that was once occupied by his father’s business.

Indeed, the gleaming terrazzo floor near the front door is emblazoned with the logo for Saf-T-Gas, the business that Joe Herrmann ran from the building.

Joe Herrmann arrived in San Antonio when his father, Lucius, moved there and set up a bakery.

Lucius Herrmann left the area, but Joe and his wife, Rose Ullrich Herrmann, stayed, raising nine children there.

Joe and Rose were deeply involved in community life.

These are the buildings that were built by Johnny Herrmann’s grandfather, Lucius and his father, Joe. At one point, the area was known as “Herrmannville.” (Courtesy of Johnny Herrmann) — These are the buildings that were built by Johnny Herrmann’s grandfather, Lucius and his father, Joe. At one point, the area was known as “Herrmannville.”
(Courtesy of Johnny Herrmann)

Joe played a role in so many different ventures and organizations there, he was called “Mr. San Antonio,” according to news accounts.

He was entrepreneurial from a young age.

He delivered newspapers and fresh bread. He set up a radio store. He caddied at a golf course, too.

News accounts and historic documents detail Joe’s involvement in politics, banking, business and civic life.

He was appointed by the governor to fill a seat on the Pasco County Commission, upon the death of Arthur Schrader. He served as San Antonio’s mayor.

He helped establish the Traveler’s Rest community and was one of the founding fathers of the San Antonio Credit Union, the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village, and the Pasco County Fair Association.

He also championed the San Antonio Rattlesnake Festival and the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce.

Before he died, Joe made it known he would like to see the former Saf-T-Gas building revived, Johnny said.

Now, it’s a showcase of the items Johnny has accumulated through years in the antiques business.

In the past, Johnny and a partner had stores in Seminole Heights and Ybor City, and then Johnny traveled thousands of miles each year, going to shows in cities from New York to Miami.

He still has a passion for collecting and selling. He enjoys the thrill of finding an unusual item, or a great bargain, and he continually seeks to broaden his knowledge.

He enjoys being surrounded by interesting objects and paintings in his shop.

And, it’s nice, he said, to be able to walk to work from the house that his grandfather built to work in the building that his father constructed and to do business in a community that he calls home.

Published November 11, 2015

Consolidation improves emergency operations

November 11, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Pasco County’s 911 call center is making strides in improving its operations, according to an annual report of its activities.

For the past two years, the Public Safety Communications department has been in transition as the county and Pasco County Sheriff’s office consolidated emergency response operations.

The Dade City Police Department also recently merged its 911 center with the county.

The Public Safety Communications division is a busy place.

In 2014-2015, it answered more than 525,000 calls.

Of those, more than 210,000 were 911 calls, and nearly 38,000 were classified as high priority.

Of more than 252,000 dispatched calls, most went to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and Pasco Fire Rescue, the report shows.

There were about 15,000 dropped, or abandoned, calls.

That’s a significant number, according to Randy TeBeest, assistant county administrator for public safety and administration.

But, it’s an improvement.

In a single year, the center has reduced the number of abandoned calls from 10 percent to 7 percent, the report found.

“Abandoned calls are a national problem,” TeBeest said, and they happen for a variety of reasons.

Children sometimes dial 911 by mistake. Prank calls are made. In the age of the cellphone, pocket dialing happens. And at accident scenes, people who start to call 911 realize other people also are dialing and, TeBeest said, they drop their calls.

A benefit of consolidation is a 55 percent reduction in call transfers from one department or agency to another. That has helped cut down on the time a caller has to wait and also on the potential for dropped calls.

Emergency dispatch times have improved by 30 percent, the report found. National standards require 90 percent of emergency calls be answered in 10 seconds during the busiest hour with the greatest call volume.

The standard also requires 95 percent of all emergency calls to be answered within 20 seconds. There was a significant decline in answering times for the sheriff’s office in the summer of 2014, but TeBeest said, “At all times, we were above industry standards.”

Most recently, call takers answered about 99 percent of calls for assistance from the sheriff’s office within the standard recommended time.

One of the biggest challenges for the center is staffing turnover due to the intensity of the job. The center currently has 13 vacancies.

But, TeBeest said the center expects to be close to fully staffed soon.

The county authorized eight new hires and, in total, there are 11 new employees in training, he said.

The emergency response operations will deploy a new radio system in the coming year to enhance communication among agencies. A new phone system also is being installed to thwart potential cyber attacks.

Published November 11, 2015

Changing the conversation on substance abuse

November 11, 2015 By B.C. Manion

There’s a powerful tool that could help reduce substance abuse, but it’s rarely considered, according to Monica Rousseau, coordinator for the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention.

“In order to reduce substance abuse, we must change the way we think about it,” Rousseau said, during a presentation on substance abuse prevention at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.

While addiction is viewed as a choice, other medical problems that could be the viewed the same way, generally aren’t, Rousseau said.

Sonia Thorn, an associate dean at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, said a series of seminars this fall is on prevention, including such topics as suicide and substance abuse. In the spring, the series will focus on preventing chronic diseases. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos) — Sonia Thorn, an associate dean at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, said a series of seminars this fall is on prevention, including such topics as suicide and substance abuse. In the spring, the series will focus on preventing chronic diseases.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

“We think about them extremely differently. We think of addiction as something demonic, as a moral hazard. And we think of other things, as ‘That person needs medical care.’ ”

In reality, people with addictions and other medical conditions often require a lifestyle change, may need some type of medication, should consult with their doctor and need social support to help them change their behavior, she said.

Not only do people think of the issues differently, but funding for help is different, too, she said.

While an attitude shift may be one of the best ways to help reduce substance abuse, there are other ways to tackle the issue, Rousseau said.

For instance, her organization helped implement a local ordinance to reduce access to synthetic marijuana.

“How many of you remember Spice? How many of you knew people who were impacted by Spice?

“When Spice came out, I was in college. I was 20. Spice was a really, really big deal. I had a lot of friends who had a lot of complications from Spice.

She had friends who wound up in the hospital and flunked out of school.

“I have one friend, at the moment, who has been in a severe depression for a few years and has tried to commit suicide a few times,” she said.

Pasco County did such a great job with its ordinance that it became the standard for the state and was referenced in national documentaries, she said.

“The way we did this is by changing the ability of people to market it. The composition of Spice can change every year, so if you just banned the components of it, the drug manufacturers would change one component of it. In Pasco County, we restricted the way it was able to be marketed and the packaging.”

Her organization also has also been involved in efforts to reduce driving under the influence.

Statistics show that drunk driving arrests are down, she said.

“Immediately you want to say, ‘Yes. This is great. This is awesome.’ However, we also know that our budget for our drug enforcement patrolling has gone down,” Rousseau said.

Monica Rousseau, program coordinator for the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention, said one way to reduce substance abuse is to change our attitudes about it.

When drivers are cited for DUI, they are given a survey, which asks drivers where they were when they had their last drink and if anyone encouraged them not to drive.

It turns out there are 10 restaurants in Pasco County where most drivers report having their last drink before their DUI, Rousseau said.

Her organization has targeted those restaurants with public awareness campaigns, to help reduce the problem.

Rousseau’s talk was part of a series of speakers arranged by PHSC’s Porter Campus, in an effort to support its academic programs and provide community outreach, said Sonia Thorn, associate dean at the Porter campus.

“I think it’s two-fold. Sometimes, people need information, and a lot of these agencies need assistance,” Thorn said.

“For this fall semester, we’re focusing on prevention,” she said. “We did domestic violence last month. We had 150 people.

“In September, we did suicide prevention.

“In the spring, we’ll be working on chronic disease prevention. We’ll be having seminars on that from February to April.”

“In April, even though we’re doing a chronic disease series for the spring time, we’re going to work with Sunrise of Pasco and also do a sexual awareness assault month in April.”

Substance abuse awareness event
What: Learn how to recognize addictive behavior and address risk factors that may lead to substance abuse.
Who: All are welcome
How much: Admission is free.
When: Nov. 18 at 4 p.m.
Where: Pasco-Hernando State College, at its Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Published November 11, 2015

A walk through history at Lutz Cemetery

November 11, 2015 By Kathy Steele

The first resident of the Lutz Cemetery is a man known only as Mr. Nims. His grave marker is gone and the burial plot nearly obliterated.

Local historians think he was buried there in 1914, and almost nothing is known of his personal history.

That is not the situation, however, for most of the people resting in peace at this hallowed ground, off U.S. 41 at Fifth Avenue.

Instead, their headstones and grave markers are a narrative of the history of Lutz from past to present.

The cemetery is more than 100 years old.

The Lutz Cemetery Association Inc., maintains the Lutz Cemetery. Vernon Wynn is the president of the association; Mary Lewis is vice president and also director of operations for the cemetery. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo) — The Lutz Cemetery Association Inc., maintains the Lutz Cemetery. Vernon Wynn is the president of the association; Mary Lewis is vice president and also director of operations for the cemetery.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

The original cemetery plot was 230 feet by 80 feet, in what today is the western portion of the cemetery, according to “Citrus, Sawmills, Critters, Crackers,” a history of Lutz by Elizabeth Riegler MacManus and her daughter, Susan MacManus.

Today, the site measures nearly 8 acres.

Early settlers who are buried include Fred Polen, a teacher at Myrtle School, and later a mail carrier; and Herbert Vernon, owner of Vernon & Land Co. Three generations of the Goheens can be found there, too.

Ira Goheen and his father, Alfred, made Mr. Nims’ coffin, according to the MacManus’ book.

Modern day community activists also are at the Lutz Cemetery including Oscar Cooler, a champion of Lutz youth sports. The Oscar Cooler Sports Complex is named for him. And Carolyn Meeker, former president of the Lutz Civic Association, is another activist buried there.

“This is a community cemetery,” said Mary Lewis, vice president of the Lutz Cemetery Association Inc., and the cemetery’s director of operations.

The cemetery is a legacy donated to Lutz residents by C. E. Thomas, president of the North Tampa Land Company. A group of Chicago investors bought about 32,000 acres, north of the city of Tampa. They called their proposed settlement “North Tampa.”

The company targeted its advertising to would-be farmers and settlers in the North and Midwest, especially in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.

The first permanent settler was Mike Riegler, a 30-year-old German immigrant who later donated land for the Myrtle-Denham School.

A few years into the land sales, Thomas made an offer that anyone who bought 10 acres could have a free lot in town or a burial plot in the cemetery.

New signs display the rules of the Lutz Cemetery.

Residents cared for the cemetery in the days when activities, such as “barn raising” ceremonies, still thrived and brought families together for a common effort.

For many years, Lutz’ residents gathered once or twice a year to tend to the cemetery. According to the MacManus’ book, men would come with hoes and rakes; women would pack a picnic lunch.

Just when that practice ended isn’t clear but the Lutz Cemetery Association came together in the mid-1950s, said Vernon Wynn, the association’s current president.

“It goes waaaay back,” Wynn said.

But, the association has had a low profile within the community, he said.

Today, the association is taking a more activist role in bringing attention to the cemetery. Board members recently installed a Lutz Cemetery sign near the front of the cemetery facing U.S. 41. For years, motorists could zip past and not realize the cemetery was there.

“It’s really visible now, where before it wasn’t,” Wynn said.

Wynn can point in almost any direction at the cemetery and find a family member. He traces his roots to Lutz pioneers who were among the earliest to buy land and settle down.

He remembers a garage, close by the cemetery, owned by Bill and Mary Starkey.

“Everyone gathered there. It was the only automotive type garage out here,” Wynn said. “It was kind of like a meeting place.”

Today, a few shade trees and a brick utility building on cemetery property might catch someone’s eye, said Lewis, who more than 27 years ago began working with the association.

She takes care of the cemetery’s operations from cutting grass to selling burial plots.

To most people passing by, she said, “It’s just a piece of property with a little building on it.”

The sign isn’t the only new addition to the cemetery.

Decades ago, a metal archway covered the entrance into the cemetery. It long ago was taken down. But, a replica of the archway now stands in front of the small brick utility building.

For the first time, the association had a display table at this year’s traditional Lutz Fourth of July parade.

Association members handed out brochures and collected about $1,200 in donations.

The money is essential to maintaining and preserving the cemetery, Wynn said.

The contributions are needed, said Lewis, a Lutz transplant from Long Island, New York. “People think it survives on its own.”

A few months ago, several pine trees had to be removed at a cost of about $3,000. A new roof had to be put on the utility building.

“We just can’t continue taking care of this, unless donations are made to the association,” Wynn said.

More than 1,600 people are buried at Lutz Cemetery, Lewis said. Only about 100 gravesites remain.

The association is considering adding cremation sites, and potentially looking to add more land to the cemetery.

Lewis came to Lutz in 1973, for a weekend of fun with friends, and to attend the annual pirate fest and Gasparilla parade. She was 25 years old and newly widowed.

She and a friend thought the trip to Tampa would be a distraction.

“Before it was over, I’d bought a house,” Lewis said.

And she stayed.

“I’ve never had a desire to leave. I’ve always felt comfortable here,” she said.

The Lutz Cemetery will be her final resting place.

For information contact Lewis at (813) 310-6637, or write to Lutz Cemetery Association, P. O. Box 1353, Lutz, FL 33548.

Published November 11, 2015

Efforts yield socks and shoes for charity

November 11, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Land O’ Lakes’ brothers, Owen and Grady Matthew, want to provide socks for the homeless.

And, Zephyrhills retiree Janet Chubinsky wants to give new shoes to children in need.

The efforts are separate, but both are making strides in reaching their goals to help others.

Kid President, a YouTube character played by 11-year-old Robby Novak, inspired the Matthew brothers to get involved.

Owen Matthew, left, and Grady Matthew challenged students and families at Countryside Montessori Charter School to a sock drive that collected 1,552 socks for the Salvation Army. (Courtesy of Countryside Montessori Charter School) — Owen Matthew, left, and Grady Matthew challenged students and families at Countryside Montessori Charter School to a sock drive that collected 1,552 socks for the Salvation Army.
(Courtesy of Countryside Montessori Charter School)

Kid President declared the month of October as “Socktober,” and challenged children across the nation to host sock drives to help homeless people.

Sixth-grader Owen and second-grader Grady embraced the challenge, and enlisted the help of nearly 300 students and their families at Countryside Montessori Charter School in Land O’ Lakes.

By the end of the month, the sock drive doubled its goal of 770 socks by donating 1,552 socks to the Salvation Army.

“We have amazing parents,” said Holly DePiro, volunteer and fundraising coordinator for Countryside Montessori Charter School. “You ask, and they go with the cause. The kids get excited.”

Though it was a one-time event, DePiro said it could be repeated. “If there is a need out there, then we’re on it,” she said.

The school is having a food drive in November.

Students also are collecting leftover Halloween candy to send to troops overseas for Operation Gratitude.

A toy drive is planned for December.

Chubinsky, 81, transplanted a shoe donation program she started in Tennessee to Pasco County when she and her husband retired to Zephyrhills four years ago.

“I need to have something to do,” Chubinsky said.

Lachoochee Elementary School students, Damarko Cross, 5, and his sister, Demyia Cross, 7, show off the new shoes they got from COPE (Children Outreach Program Effort). (Courtesy of COPE) — Lachoochee Elementary School students, Damarko Cross, 5, and his sister, Demyia Cross, 7, show off the new shoes they got from COPE (Children Outreach Program Effort).
(Courtesy of COPE)

Her daughter, an educator in Tennessee, suggested that Chubinsky visit area schools to find out what they needed.

On her first visit to Raymond B. Stewart Middle School in Zephyrhills, she heard a familiar response. Thirty-six students at the school needed shoes.

“The goose bumps went right through my body,” Chubinsky said.

She delivered 36 pairs of donated shoes within days and the Children Outreach Program Effort (COPE) was off and running.

Chubinsky, the organization’s program director, enlisted two friends to help and they dubbed themselves “Two and a half women.” When the program began, two of the volunteers were retired and one worked part-time, she explained.

This year Chubinsky anticipates giving away 900 pairs of shoes.

She works with Pasco County Schools’ ABC coordinators at 10 schools to deliver pairs of shoes, and socks, as requested, to area schools.

The school district’s ABC program seeks to help students who don’t have appropriate clothing, shoes that don’t fit or who eat all of their meals at school.

Chubinsky has 11 volunteers but would love more.

“We don’t have enough volunteers or a place to house our shoes,” she said.

Local civic groups and area businesses, such as the Elks, Eagles, Sunshine Eatery, Methodist Ladies Club and Rotary clubs, give generously.

COPE also received 300 pairs of shoes from Sole4Souls, a global nonprofit that fights poverty by collecting and distributing clothes and shoes. COPE paid Sole4Souls $2 a pair for freight costs, Chubinsky said.

She may be retired, but Chubinsky keeps busy.

She tools around in a 2000 model SUV with magnetic signs displaying the COPE logo – a large sneaker.

The sign has attracted some interest from people who want to volunteer, she said.

COPE meets the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m., at various locations. Plans are in the works for fundraising events in 2016.

“It’s God’s work,” Chubinsky said. “We’re all volunteers.”

For information on COPE and its meetings, contact Chubinsky at (352) 668-4397 or .

Published November 11, 2015