Local News

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

Pasco County brings back bus service for Veterans Day

November 11, 2015 By Kathy Steele

People looking to board Pasco County’s public buses on Veterans Day are in luck.

Routes will be in operation on the holiday for the first time in nearly seven years.

Pasco County commissioners voted unanimously on Nov. 3 to authorize the Nov. 11 bus service, at a cost of about $17,000. According to a county memorandum, potential ridership could be about 3,200 trips on that day.

Many of those expected to board buses that day work in the retail sector, said Philip Pumphrey, the county’s public transportation director.

Public buses will be on the road in Pasco County on Nov. 11. (Courtesy of Pasco County) — Public buses will be on the road in Pasco County on Nov. 11.
(Courtesy of Pasco County)

Bus drivers will operate on a Saturday schedule from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., on what Pumphrey describes as a “pilot” program. Administrative offices will be closed on Nov. 11.

Based on ridership, Pumphrey said the county would gauge the need to add more “non-major holidays,” such as Columbus Day and Good Friday, to its bus schedules.

Budget cuts during the economic downturn have kept public buses off the road on minor holidays since 2008.

But an improving financial outlook, and some back and forth between Pasco County commissioners, county staff members and the local Teamsters Union 79, put the buses back on the road.

At least they’ll be there on Nov. 11.

But, stay tuned for Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving. The commissioners would need to authorize an additional $17,000 to cover one more holiday bus service. That likely would happen only if enough bus drivers agreed to work that day.

For 2015, the county didn’t set a designated county holiday schedule that included “non-major” holidays.

Riders were alerted to that via posters displayed inside the buses, according to James Boucher, union steward for Teamsters Union 79.

He spoke to commissioners during public comment.

“This late in the year, drivers have planned vacation time, family time around those days,” Boucher said. “It would inconvenience them.”

Commissioners initially sought to approve service for both holidays, as long as enough bus drivers agreed to work.

They were disappointed at the response. Though Pumphrey anticipated bus drivers would volunteer for extra pay, he said, “I think there was some changes of the mind going on.”

On Nov. 11, bus drivers will be paid overtime or have the option of taking a floating holiday to be used at a later date in lieu of holiday pay, according to an email from Kara Deniz, press secretary for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who was responding to an inquiry from The Laker/Lutz News.

The back and forth negotiations on the holiday bus service rankled some commissioners.

While he agreed that the county could have acted sooner, Pasco Chairman Ted Schrader said the union was politicizing the matter. “It’s wrong,” he said.” It’s part of their job.”

He pointed out an appreciation award the county had just presented to dozens of county employees for their extra work during the recent flooding.

County officials said the lack of bus service on the non-major holidays has been a source for ongoing complaints over the years. Columbus day prompted numerous phone calls and emails.

“There’s no doubt for public transit, we’ve got to get back to a level of service we had,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells.

For information on routes and schedules, visit RidePCPT.com.

Published November 11, 2015

Community rallies to help Mark Smith

November 11, 2015 By Michael Murillo

Years ago, Tammy Hunt periodically would put together charity events.

And, whenever she did, the Smith family would step up and offer their business, San Ann Liquor & Lounge (also known as Ralph’s), as a location for the fundraisers.

As a result, the Smith’s generosity became widely known in the community.

So, when Mark Smith, the son of Ralph’s owners, Grace and Jimmy, needed help, it was a no-brainer for Hunt to get involved.

“This one was a hands-down easy decision to make to help this family,” Hunt said.

Mark Smith has been diagnosed with bile duct cancer, and the community is coming together to help with his expenses. Events to be held Nov. 14 include a golf tournament, a barbecue lunch, a corn toss tournament, entertainment and auctions. (Courtesy of Sharon Perkins-Van Pelt) — Mark Smith has been diagnosed with bile duct cancer, and the community is coming together to help with his expenses. Events to be held Nov. 14 include a golf tournament, a barbecue lunch, a corn toss tournament, entertainment and auctions.
(Courtesy of Sharon Perkins-Van Pelt)

The 36-year-old Smith has been diagnosed with bile duct cancer, and while he battles the disease, a number of fundraising events are planned on Nov. 14 to help raise money for his treatment.

The events will be at his parents’ business, at 33625 State Road 52 in San Antonio.

It is unusual for someone as young as Smith to be affected by bile duct cancer.

Normally, the disease affects senior citizens. The average age of a bile duct cancer patient is between 70 and 72, depending upon the type of bile duct affected, according to the American Cancer Society’s website.

In a way, that works to Smith’s advantage. His body should be better able to handle the long and painful treatment, giving him a stronger chance of success, Hunt explained.

But, that still leaves the “long and painful” part to endure. He’s already spent weeks in the hospital, requires muscle relaxers to ease the pain, and has more procedures and chemotherapy ahead of him.

Not surprisingly, the treatment is expensive. The Smiths have been able to find generic options for some prescriptions, but without catching cost-cutting breaks, the medications alone could eventually bankrupt someone without health insurance.

And, Smith doesn’t have health insurance.

He does, however, have a supportive family and a community that is pulling together to help the Smiths in their time of need.

The outpouring of support has been noted and appreciated.

“We can’t say enough about the community,” said Mark’s brother, Jimmy Smith II. “Anytime something goes wrong and we give back to the community, the community gives back just as hard, if not harder.”

There will be plenty of ways the community can help on Nov. 14.

A golf tournament begins at 8 a.m., at The Abbey golf course at Saint Leo University, 33640 State Road 52.

Barbecue chicken dinners will be sold, starting at noon, at San Ann Liquor & Lounge.

That’s followed by a cornhole tournament at 2 p.m.

There will be a firearm raffle at 6 p.m., silent and live auctions, a 50/50 drawing and other raffles and giveaways.

Live music and beer specials also are planned as part of the day’s events.

While it’s going to be a long treatment process, Jimmy Smith II said his brother has the personality to endure hardships and work his way toward recovery.

“He’s very outgoing. He’s a go-getter. He’s a very hard worker when he’s got his mind into anything,” he said.

Hunt has put in a considerable amount of work to organize a full day of events to help the Smiths.

Her old fundraising skills are being put to good use, and she admits that this one is personal for her.

“It’s been a little emotional, just because it’s close to my heart,” Hunt said. “But I’m glad that I can do it.”

The golf event costs $50 per player, or $200 per team, and includes dinner.

The cornhole tournament costs $25 per player.

Auction items include a guitar autographed by Joe Walsh, member of the iconic rock band The Eagles.

Donations also can be made directly to San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union by referencing Mark Smith Benefit Fund account number 5587-001.

For more information, contact Hunt at (352) 206-5543 or Jimmy Smith II at (813) 714-9937.

Published November 11, 2015