Local News

Old Lutz School delivers old-time Christmas

December 11, 2014 By Michael Murillo

The Old Lutz School taught area students for decades. Now, as a recognized historic site, it’s delivering another kind of lesson during the holidays.

The 18th annual Christmas at the Old Lutz School, 18819 U.S. 41 N., has all the things residents might expect from a traditional holiday event: Music, cookies, hot chocolate, trains, and plenty of Christmas-themed decorations including nutcrackers and trees.

Suzin Carr adjusts a tree decorated by the Steinbrenner High School Student Ambassadors. It’s just one of many on display at the Old Lutz School during Christmas season. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

“We never miss it. We make it part of our holiday,” said Suzin Carr, a two-time Lutz Guv’na.

Her family has attended the event since they moved to the area in 2003, and it had such a positive effect on her when they arrived, she wanted to do more for the community. As a result, she ended up a multi-term winner of the ceremonial title.

While it might not make everyone run for Lutz Guv’na, Carr said there’s a lot to enjoy at the school’s holiday event. One room is devoted to a pair of private train collections with elaborate figures and scenes that took weeks to set up. Another room showcases a variety of Christmas trees, decorated by members of the community and different organizations.

Outside, refreshments will be served free of charge. The school also will have collection barrels for people to donate food or toys to brighten up the holidays for the less fortunate.

It takes a lot of work to put together a holiday event spanning several nights, but the school has a dedicated group of volunteers who make things happen. The Citizens for the Old Lutz School Building work year-round to keep the landmark looking nice, and prepare it for special events where residents can enjoy part of community history.

“You get such a feel for the hard work volunteers put in to make it so special for people,” Carr said. “There’s no event without them.”

In addition to the school’s regular supporters, newer faces have been chipping in to make the event special as well. She singled out students at nearby Steinbrenner High School as active participants, and said it’s good to see younger people helping the regular volunteers to make the holiday event a success.

Breakfast with Santa is one part of the Christmas program at the Old Lutz School that’s always a success. This year, it will be from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., on Dec. 13.

There will be food and crafts available for purchase, activities, and a chance for children to meet Santa, of course.

While people tend to file in and out of the regular Christmas event, and attendance can vary based on live performances, there’s no doubt of the drawing power of Kris Kringle — even in the morning.

“Breakfast with Santa is huge,” Carr said.

Whether it’s a holiday-themed breakfast, or a casual stroll through a piece of Lutz history, Carr said the annual event is a good way to visit an important part of the community, and spend an evening enjoying a more traditional celebration of the holiday season. Some people drop by on several evenings because of the variety of musicians and singing groups who appear throughout the event.

“The great thing about it is there’s different entertainment every night,” Carr said. “It’s a chance to step back and enjoy some very simple pleasures in the community.”

The school will be open from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., each night of the event. Christmas at the Old Lutz School will run Dec. 11, Dec. 13-14, Dec. 16, Dec. 18, Dec. 20-21, Dec. 26-28.

For more information, visit OldLutzSchool.com, or call Phyllis Hoedt at (813) 949-1937.

Published December 10, 2014

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Going weekly in East Pasco further proves bright future

December 11, 2014 By Diane Kortus

We hear talk all the time that newspapers are failing everywhere, and that no one under age 30 will ever read an old-fashioned print paper like the one in your hands.

Our readers are proof that these doom-and-gloom predictions are wrong, at least when it comes to community papers like The Laker/Lutz News.

There are more than 60,000 people who read our papers every week, and another 13,000 unique visitors to our website and 2,000 Facebook likes. That’s a lot of people in Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and Dade City — a number that represents 79 percent of the households in the ZIP codes we serve.

We’re so optimistic about the future of newspapers that we’ve made significant investments in recent months to improve the quality of our papers in order to attract even more readers and advertisers.

The biggest and most noticeable change was last August, when we increased our page size by 30 percent to become the same size as most daily papers.

Today we are announcing another major investment — this one for our readers in Zephyrhills and Dade City. Beginning in January, the East Pasco edition of The Laker will once again be a weekly paper — publishing every Wednesday just like our editions in Lutz, Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel.

We’ve been publishing a Laker for East Pasco residents for 10 years, beginning as a weekly and then changing to an every-other-week format in late 2011 during the height of the economic crisis. Back then, local businesses could only afford to advertise every other week, and we adjusted our business plan accordingly. But now, with our economy getting better every day, we’re ready to return to a weekly format.

Going weekly means we will include our new B Section in our East Pasco edition, a section that adds eight more pages of feature stores, photos, contests and puzzles. It also organizes all of our classified products in one section to make them easier to find.

This addition will give East Pasco readers 22 to 24 pages to read, instead of the 14 to 16 pages they receive now.

Going weekly also means that Publix will begin inserting its grocery circular in our East Pasco edition. This is in addition to circulars from Publix Liquors, SmartSource coupons, Michaels Stores — and beginning in March, Lowe’s.

It’s a big deal for most readers to get their weekly Publix circular inside their Laker so they can plan their shopping a day or two before the store’s weekly sales begin. We are thrilled to be able to provide this circular to our readers in East Pasco, especially since Publix is building its first store in Dade City in 2015.

And it’s a big deal for our company to have Publix choose our papers for its circular program. Publix is a huge testament to the effectiveness of advertising in our papers, and to the loyalty of our readers to support our advertisers and shop local.

As we get ready to go weekly in Zephyrhills, you’ll begin to see new bylines from reporters who are helping us expand our news coverage. While my staff already does a fine job writing about issues that impact readers in East Pasco, publishing weekly will obviously allow us to publish more stories on a more timely basis.

East Pasco readers also will see more stories in their paper from Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes and Lutz. After all, residents of Zephyrhills and Dade City do not live in a bubble and are part of the greater Pasco community.

We know you care about what happens in neighboring towns because you shop, worship, attend school, and have friends and relatives who live there.

And that is what makes us different from other community newspapers, which only report news about happenings in Zephyrhills and Dade City. We believe East Pasco residents have much broader interests and want to read well-written stories about things that affect their lives, and read about the many good things happening in all communities of Central Pasco and East Pasco.

My staff and I are excited to take our East Pasco edition weekly in just a few weeks. We recognize this big step for our business would not be possible without the loyalty of our readers and the support of our advertisers, and we thank you for that.

We truly look forward to becoming an even more vital part of your routine — not just twice a month, but every week.

Published December 10, 2014

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Zephyrhills wants respect on State Road 56 expansion

December 11, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Just about every road leading to Zephyrhills is two lanes. And for what is soon to become the largest incorporated city in Pasco County, leaders there says it’s time for that to change.

Yet, whether it’s U.S. 301 from the south, State Road 54 from the west, or now the new extension of State Road 56 into the airport business park area, Zephyrhills just can’t get any respect.

“The rest of (State Road) 54 has been widened in the county, but not Zephyrhills,” one resident and local businessman, Nils Lenz, shared in a recent letter. “Why is Zephyrhills being left out? The population within the city limits of Zephyrhills — with all of the recent annexing in the last few years — (is) only about 200 less in population than New Port Richey.”

Lenz, the owner of B & N Lenz Enterprises, was reacting to news last week that the Florida Department of Transportation was cutting funding of the State Road 56 extension project from $60 million to $35 million. While the 6.7-mile road will connect Wesley Chapel’s Wiregrass Ranch area with U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills, it is no longer a four-lane project.

Cone & Graham, the last contractor standing in the bidding process, will still have to convince property owners along the route to donate 250 feet of right of way, room enough to build up to six lanes. However, that won’t be built until traffic studies require it and additional funding becomes available.

Zephyrhills city manager Steve Spina expressed local frustration to state lawmakers, including former mayor and new House District 38 representative Danny Burgess, during a legislative delegation last week in Land O’ Lakes.

“We believe it’s vital to southeast Pasco County and Zephyrhills to the municipal airport to have four lanes of funding as it’s built initially, and not piecemeal as we go forward,” Spina said.

State Sen. John Legg said he and Burgess want to have a town hall meeting to discuss some of the city’s transportation issues in January or February. The east-west corridor of the county, the Lutz Republican said, is becoming more congested because of the residential growth there.

The meeting, Legg said, could help the lawmakers decide how to move forward, and possibly move some projects up on the list, including the possibility of making the State Road 56 extension four lanes.

The Zephyrhills City Council may not wait that long. It was scheduled to vote on a resolution during its regular Monday meeting imploring state lawmakers to back the expansion of State Road 56 to the city now, rather than later. The resolution cited, among other things, the residential growth in the city, as well as $5 million in facility improvements at Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, which also serves as an industrial park for the city.

Councilmembers want FDOT to revisit its construction schedules, and based on new budget priorities from state lawmakers, fund the four-lane expansion.

Lenz doesn’t want the transportation discussion to stop at State Road 56, however. He feels it’s time the state look at finally widening State Road 54 — something that has been talked about for more than a half-century — and which has been widened everywhere except one last major stretch between the eastern side of Wesley Chapel to Zephyrhills.

FDOT has approved widening that road to where it meets Morris Bridge Road and Eiland Boulevard, but still won’t take that final leap into downtown Zephyrhills.

“In comparison to the other ideas … (State Road) 54 is absolutely the best option,” Lenz said. “It will be less expensive than all the other options suggested” as rights of way have already been acquired, usually a costly and time-consuming process in building a new road.

Published December 10, 2014

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Applications pouring in for Pasco’s first magnet school

December 11, 2014 By B.C. Manion

Pasco County Schools received more than 860 applications within the first four days of finding students for its first magnet facility, Sanders Memorial STEAM Magnet School.

Applications for Sanders — a school that focuses on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics — will be accepted through Jan. 15.

Pasco County Schools superintendent Kurt Browning says that Sanders Memorial STEAM Magnet School, Pasco’s first magnet school, is evidence the school district knows it needs to expand its educational choices. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Lindsey Davis submitted the first application at 12:01 a.m., on Dec. 1, in hopes of securing a space for her 7-year-old son, Grant, to attend the school at 5126 School Road in Land O’ Lakes.

Davis and her husband, Quentin, were at a news conference later that day where Superintendent Kurt Browning talked about the need for the school district to expand its educational options.

“As a district, we know that we must compete for the students we serve,” Browning said.

Davis believes that Sanders would be a good fit for her son.

“This is more his niche,” she said. “He loves science. He loves math. He loves basically everything this school is going to offer.

“I’m crossing my fingers that he gets picked.”

The school is set to open in August for the 2015-16 school year. It will serve 762 students in kindergarten through fifth grade, including a mix of children from throughout Pasco County reflecting the diverse nature of Pasco’s public schools.

The school district plans to provide bus transportation within a five-mile radius of the school. For those living farther away, the district will establish transportation hubs at Veterans, Moonlake and Trinity elementary schools where the kids can board a bus to ride to Sanders in the morning and will return to their hub after school.

Students will be selected through a weighted lottery system, with pupils from nearby Connerton and Oakstead elementary schools as well as children of Sander’s staff members given additional weight. Connerton and Oakstead are both operating with enrollments well beyond capacity.

Siblings of students accepted to Sanders also will be given extra weight in the lottery.

Once a student has been accepted, he or she student will be able to attend the school through fifth grade.

Although the standards for the students will be the same, the learning approaches will be different.

The design of the school also will foster a greater degree of collaboration between students, and between students and teachers. A wetlands area with a boardwalk also will give students a chance to get up close with nature, creating opportunities for outdoor learning.

Sanders will have materials that are similar to those in traditional schools, but there will be differences. For one thing, each student will have some type of device allowing them to use technology to help solve problems and enhance learning. They also will have the arts infused into a curriculum that aims to create independent thinkers and learners.

Sanders’ design aims to encourage collaborative learning. When construction is completed, the school will have individual classrooms that are flanked on both sides of a large space where students can work together on projects, where groups of children can work with teachers, and where larger presentations can be given.

Classrooms will have wireless technology. They also are set up to accommodate experiments. Space also will be provided within the school to allow students to store projects they are working on.

Jason Petry has been named the school’s principal, effective Jan. 6, and he’s excited about leading the district’s first magnet school. He said Sanders will emphasize collaboration, critical thinking and communication.

It will encourage children to “pose and answer questions for themselves,” he said.

Teachers and staff should be hired by early summer.

The construction is taking place on a site that was previously occupied by Sanders Memorial Elementary School. Four new buildings are being added, and three old buildings are being reconstructed at the site.

When it opens, Sanders will have a wall showcasing its history, which dates back to 1948. The display will include plaques from the original building, as well as historic photographs.

Correction
Sanders Memorial Elementary School opened in 1948. The Dec. 10 issue of The Laker/Lutz News reported an incorrect year.

Published December 10, 2014

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Charter school for 1,000 students proposed for Lutz

December 11, 2014 By B.C. Manion

A proposed charter school for up to 1,020 elementary school children in Lutz is drawing opposition from the Lutz Citizens Coalition and area residents.

Charter Schools Inc. of Boca Raton has filed a request with Hillsborough County for a special use permit to allow a school on 8.4 acres of agricultural land at the southwest quadrant of Lutz Lake Fern Road and Sunlake Boulevard.

Charter Schools Inc. of Boca Raton has filed a request with Hillsborough County to use an 8.4-acre parcel at the southwest quadrant of Lutz Lake Fern Road and Sunlake Boulevard for an elementary charter school that would accommodate up to 1,020 students. Opposition to that plan is mounting, said Michael White of the Lutz Citizens Coalition. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

A public hearing on the request has been delayed from Dec. 15 to Jan. 20.

Plans show a two-phase project. The first phase includes a two-story building with 33 classrooms for 650 students. The second phase calls for a two-story building, with 20 classrooms for 370 children. The school would serve kindergarten through eighth grade.

The plans also show a storm water pond, a playground, and areas for parking for both vehicles and bicycles. Plans also call for basketball courts.

The application notes that any spillage of light from recreational areas will be kept to a minimum.

Public water and sewer lines are located within the Sunlake Boulevard right of way, according to the application.

Mike White, president and founder of the Lutz Citizens Coalition, said opposition to the proposal is mounting.

“It’s an inappropriate location,” White said. “It’s cramming 10 pounds into a five-pound bag.”

The coalition is a volunteer organization that works with neighborhood and community groups on zoning, environmental and other issues. It played a leading role in fighting Learning Gate’s proposed use of a site near U.S. 41 and Sunset Lane for a middle and high school.

Much like the site at Sunset, the proposed site at Sunlake and Lutz Lake Fern is not a good choice for a school, White said. Both roads are two lanes, which are not equipped to handle the kind of traffic that the project would produce.

Beyond traffic, there are concerns about flooding and the other impacts that a school would have on nearby residential development, White said.

“There’s going to be a huge fight on this,” he said.

Despite their opposition to the Learning Gate proposal and to the proposed location of the charter elementary school, the coalition is not against schools in general, White said. If the applicant chose an appropriate spot for a school, they would wholeheartedly support it.

Representatives for the applicant did not respond to a request to comment as of press time.

Published December 10, 2014

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Big improvements are underway at Land O’ Lakes park

December 11, 2014 By B.C. Manion

Work is underway on a $2.4 million improvement project at the Land O’ Lakes Community Park, next to the Land O’ Lakes Community Center.

The project includes the addition of a lighted football field and a football practice field, a multipurpose trail, a multipurpose court, and 165 parking spaces, said Martha Campbell, assistant director of Pasco County’s parks and recreation department.

The Land O’ Lakes Community Park is being upgraded. Sanders Memorial STEAM Magnet School, which sits right behind it, also is in the midst of a major reconstruction project. The county and school district are working together to share facilities for various uses. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Work on the project began Nov. 17, she said, and the contractor has 200 days to complete the work. The community center, at 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., will remain open while the project is being completed.

Sandy Graves, president of the Heritage Park Foundation, is delighted that efforts have started to upgrade the park. The foundation has pushed for park improvements for years.

Ultimately, the foundation wants to see a stage added to create a community gathering space, Graves said. Members are busy raising local funding for that project, but they also hope state officials will contribute to the effort.

Graves appeared at the Dec. 3 meeting of the Pasco County Legislative Delegation, asking its members to see if they can find any funding to help make the foundation’s vision a reality. Graves hopes that state lawmakers can provide $75,000 in funding for the project, which would be matched with local funds.

“Our community is ready and willing to do it,” Graves said, but it needs some help.

She envisions a time when students will perform band and choral concerts at the park, and present plays there, as well. She thinks it will be a great venue for local festivals and for entertainment, such as Shakespeare in the Park.

Heritage Park Foundation members also imagine a time when park visitors will stroll along a path lined with historical markers that help to tell the story of the community’s history and families.

In addition to the walking trail, which will feature markers detailing facts about the area’s history, the park also will have an outdoor stage. The Heritage Park Foundation has advocated for such an amenity for years to provide a focal point for community gatherings.

While the county works to create improvements to the park, Pasco County Schools is working on a major reconstruction and new building project at Sanders Memorial STEAM Magnet School. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

That school, which will become the county’s first magnet facility, is adjacent to the community center and park.

The school board and county officials have forged an agreement that allows both parties to benefit from each other’s projects and will create greater public access to their facilities. School board member Cynthia Armstrong lauded the partnership as being a wise use of taxpayer dollars.

Published December 10, 2014

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New ordinance could have predators on the run

December 11, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Registered sexual predators and offenders already have to stay at least 1,000 feet away from areas where kids might congregate. If Mike Moore gets his way, those convicted of sexual crimes could be pushed back even further.

Moore, who joined the Pasco County Commission last month, is expected to propose a new countywide ordinance in January that would increase the distance registered predators and offenders have to stay away from children areas at 2,500 feet, or nearly a half-mile. That would include everything from schools and day cares, to the thousands of bus stops located around the county.

And if that means there’s nowhere left for predators or offenders to live, Pasco County sheriff Chris Nocco says he’s OK with that.

“It’s not a bad day if they all leave the county,” he said. “You get a guy who did a sexual battery on an 11-year-old girl, and I propose that anybody who is against this, let that person move into your house. If you feel like we’re beating up on that person, let them move into your house, or let them move next door to you.”

It’s not clear exactly where those who are convicted and registered predators and offenders would be able to live, but Moore said during a news conference Monday there are some pockets in the county that would still be legal if the ordinance were to pass. It might come off as highly restrictive for those who have been convicted of crimes, but the safety of children should come first and foremost, the commissioner added.

“Anything we can do to reduce the opportunity for sexual offenders and sexual predators to come into contact with these children is a positive for us,” Moore said. “Looking from the outside and looking in, they’ll understand that Pasco is a safe place.”

Although Moore has not discussed the proposal with other commissioners, he said he has talked to the county attorney, Jeffrey Steinsnyder. A draft of the ordinance might echo similar ones in other areas, including one in Miami-Dade County. The ordinance there strengthens state law that already restricts those convicted of a sexual battery, lewd and lascivious act on or in the presence of a child under 16, the sexual performance by a child, or selling or buying of minors for portrayal in sexually explicit conduct, to reside within 1,000 feet of any school, day care center or playground.

The Miami-Dade ordinance, however, only restricts residency within 2,500 feet of a school. The Pasco ordinance, Moore and Nocco said, also would include bus stops, day care centers, libraries, assisted living facilities and nursing homes.

“Anywhere that our most vulnerable citizens congregate,” Moore said.

The Miami-Dade restrictions were enough to prompt the American Civil Liberties Union to file a lawsuit in federal court, claiming the ordinance is too onerous, and does not give registered predators or offenders any place to live.

Moore won’t let this hamper his efforts to move the proposal forward, however.

“We can’t be scared of lawsuits when we propose an ordinance,” he said.

Such an ordinance would have to be approved by the full county commission, which will not even officially get an introduction to Moore’s plan until its next regularly scheduled meeting on Jan. 13.

Nocco was a vocal supporter of Moore during his political campaign to replace longtime commissioner Pat Mulieri. Nocco appeared in a television advertisement as well as mailers supporting the commission campaign.

Published December 10, 2014

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Extra innings for Wesley Chapel baseball park?

December 11, 2014 By Michael Hinman

An ambitious plan to bring a major youth-oriented baseball complex to the Wiregrass Ranch area of Wesley Chapel might be coming apart. Yet, the developers of the plan aren’t giving up, and are even willing to continue on without $11 million in funding from Pasco County.

Pasco Sports LLC, a partnership between Blue Marble Strategic’s James Talton and retired Major League Baseball star Gary Sheffield, missed a deadline to file a financial plan with Pasco County officials Friday, a little more than a week after county commissioners gave them more time to get money together.

Major League Baseball star and Tampa native Gary Sheffield talks to some representatives of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel after a September meeting with the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce. Sheffield and development partner James Talton have a new plan to bring a youth baseball complex to Pasco County. (File Photo)

“I am very disappointed that they were unable to obtain the financing by today’s deadline,” Pasco County administrator Michele Baker said last week in a statement. “However, we still believe very strongly in the concept. Youth sports are an important component of our tourism plan, and the Wiregrass location is geographically well positioned for the region. We look forward to continued dialogue with interested parties in order to bring a sports complex like this to Pasco County.”

Pasco Sports was looking to get $11 million in county tourism funding to help construct the project, along with $23 million of its own money. However, getting a financial backer to front the private side of the deal has been problematic for Talton and Sheffield in recent weeks, forcing some scale-back from what was originally a $70 million project.

The key to the deal, at least in the eyes of the Pasco County commission, was a $3 million pledge to guarantee loans on the project, something Sheffield told commissioners just before Thanksgiving that he would be willing to front himself, if need be.

“In our minds, this is just another step in the process, and we have every intention of getting this project completed,” Talton told The Laker/Lutz News in an email over the weekend.

The commission, based on what Ted Schrader told Talton and Sheffield at the pre-Thanksgiving meeting, is expected to terminate the agreement it has with Pasco Sports at its next meeting in January. Talton, however, said that’s exactly what he now wants to happen.

“The current agreement is being terminated,” he said. “I literally cannot work based on the current financing environment. We will negotiate new terms and have financing in place upon execution so we can move forward immediately.”

In fact, Talton said the county would no longer be asked to invest $11 million into the project, as long as it releases Pasco Sports from its obligation to pay fixed and contingent county revenue, as well as the company’s obligation to secure funding by a specific date and at a specific amount. Talton shared this in a letter to Pasco County administrator Michele Baker Nov. 25.

The county, however, would still be responsible for funding and construction of the connector road between Wiregrass Ranch Road and the park, Talton said. While Pasco would save the $11 million, it would not receive a piece of the revenue generated by the sports park when it goes into operation under this revised plan.

Talton told members of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce last October that his project — consisting of 19 baseball fields, dormitories and other sports-related amenities — could create an estimated 8,000 jobs and a $318 million annual economic impact boost to the county.

Commissioners wanted to make a final decision on the $11 million investment at its January meeting, but in order to do that, the developers needed to have paperwork submitted by the end of the day Dec. 5. That would then give county officials time to review the paperwork before it was presented to commissioners.

Published December 10, 2014

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Wanted: New bikes to spread Christmas cheer

December 11, 2014 By B.C. Manion

What began as one couple’s attempt to teach their daughter about the struggles that many families are faced with has broadened into an effort to bring new bicycles to children who have little prospect of ever owning a new set of wheels.

Todd and Cindy Caroline of Lutz began providing new bicycles to children from less fortunate families about six years ago. They wanted their daughter Zoye, now 9, to understand that not all families are as blessed as theirs has been, Cindy Caroline said.

Todd Caroline gets ready to deliver new bicycles during a previous Christmas Bicycle Drive. Caroline and his wife, Cindy, began giving new bikes to children from less fortunate families six years ago. (Courtesy of Cindy Caroline)

Over time, the effort branched out.

At first, the Carolines simply asked people attending their annual Christmas party to bring a new bike to help brighten a child’s holiday, Caroline said. Then, they decided to shift the effort over to their company — Caroline Contractors LLC — so they could reach out to their suppliers, business associates and other members of the community to help.

This is the fourth year that the company has had its Christmas bicycle drive. Each year, it collects at least 100 new bicycles, or the family makes up the difference.

But this year, it has a substantially more ambitious goal. It wants to collect 1,000 new bikes.

Caroline knows that that’s more of a dream than a goal, but she’s open to miracles.

In the past, the couple has given the bicycles to other charitable groups, Caroline said, and those groups have distributed the bicycles primarily to children living in East Tampa communities.

This year, the focus has shifted to helping local children, Caroline said. She attributes the switch to a conversation she had with Suzanne Beauchaine, an account manager for The Laker/Lutz News.

Beauchaine had asked her why the new bikes didn’t go to local children, and Caroline responded it was because she didn’t have a local event. That prompted the Lutz woman to consider staging a local event to give away the bikes.

Buoyed by Beauchaine’s encouragement, Caroline began making telephone calls. First she contacted local schools — Schwarzkopf Elementary in Lutz and Myrtle Lake, Pine View, Connerton, Oakstead and Odessa in central Pasco — to see if they could help identify children from families in need.

Then, she began calling around to local organizations and businesses to see if they could help.

Caroline called Chad Hudson at Hungry Harry’s Family Bar-B-Que, who stepped up in a big way. The popular Land O’ Lakes restaurant is providing food and the use of its Lake House for a party on Dec. 21 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Charlene Ierna of the Lutz-based Ierna’s Heating & Cooling is providing a bounce house for the party. The kids will get free haircuts, too, courtesy of Star’s Organic Spa as well as Cameo Salon & Spa.

Caroline still is trying to line up live entertainment, but at the very least, she said she will have holiday music over a loudspeaker system.

She’s also trying to collect turkeys and other holiday foods to give to each family.

“We just want to be able to bless these families because life is very hard every day for them,” Caroline said. “They struggle. I’d really like to be able to give the families a Christmas dinner.”

Besides the local groups that already have stepped up, Caroline said she’s reached out to members of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce and is hoping they come through to help ensure there are enough bikes for each child to take one home.

“Our office used to be right next to the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, so our heart is Land O’ Lakes,” Caroline said. “My husband grew up here. He went to Land O’ Lakes High, so he’s homegrown here.”

She’s also looking for a source that can provide free or discounted helmets, worrying about the children being safe as they ride their bicycles.

Donations from the general public also are gratefully accepted, Caroline said. It typically costs $50 to $80 for a new bike, depending on the size.

“If I can get a bike for every child that comes, I’ll do it,” she said. “If I can’t, I’ll do a lottery-type system.”

Some people may wonder why the focus is on providing new bikes, instead of food or other items.

“You go out on a bike and you forget all about whatever the troubles at home,” she said. “I want them to have fun.”

Ways to help
Here are four ways you can help to make a child’s Christmas special:

Drop off a new bicycle at Caroline Contractors, 19003 Apian Way, Lutz; or Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, 2810 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes.

Purchase a bicycle and have it picked up.

Order a bicycle online from Walmart or Target and have it shipped to Lutz, where it will be picked up.

Contribute money to purchase a bicycle, which range in cost from $50 to $80, depending on size.

For more information, or to schedule a pickup, call Cindy Caroline at (813) 931-4611, or email her at .

Published December 10, 2014

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A spike in success: PHSC finishes eighth in national volleyball tournament

December 11, 2014 By Michael Murillo

When Pasco-Hernando State College began spring preparations for the 2014 volleyball season, only four players showed up.

That wasn’t a sign of poor attendance. They really only had four players at the time.

The Lady Quistas brought a stout defense into the NJCAA Division II national tournament last month. Their successful season ended with an eighth-place finish for Pasco-Hernando State College. (Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

While the athletes were honing their skills, the coaching staff was busy recruiting a class of 11 freshmen players. And with all the new faces came a lot of questions.

“Bringing in 11 freshmen, you have no idea if they’re going to be able to manage the practices and how they’re going to get along together,” Coach Kim Whitney said. “You can’t really predict all that. There’s a lot to factor in.”

Whitney might have seen a lot of potential in her young team, but it would have been tough to predict the kind of success they had this year. Of those 11 freshmen, nine players stuck with the team, and they finished with a regular season record of 35-5.

They qualified for their regional tournament, which has happened every year at PHSC during Whitney’s successful 11-year tenure as coach. But they also won that tournament, held Nov. 7-8 in Wilmington, North Carolina. That accomplishment qualified them for the National Junior College Activities Association national volleyball tournament for Division II, held Nov. 20-22 in Phoenix, where they finished eighth.

The national tournament appearance ended up being the second-best finish in school history, slotted only behind their national title run back in 2010. Overall, they closed out the season with a 39-8 record.

Earning the regional championship was a special moment for both the coach and the team.

“Getting that win at regionals was really big,” Whitney said. “It was a moment I really celebrated, and I know the girls really celebrated also. It’s not just a given. You have to work hard no matter how well your season has gone.”

While their regular season went well, it didn’t start out that way. The Conquistadors were just 5-3 after eight games, and even making their regional tournament was no sure thing. But they pulled together like a family, Whitney said, with the sophomores guiding and encouraging their younger teammates.

As a result, they went on two separate 15-match win streaks and established themselves as a successful and talented group.

So talented, in fact, that they overcame some jitters to win their first game against Waubonsee Community College of Illinois in straight sets at the national tournament, which put them in the winners bracket. But afterward, they ran into tough opponents from Columbus State Community College of Ohio, Des Moines Area Community College, and Illinois Central College. Despite some tinkering with the lineups, PHSC closed out its national tournament appearance with three losses.

While that isn’t the finish they wanted, Whitney said the experience — including coming up short at the end — was good for her team.

“I definitely think you learn a lot when you go through losses,” she said. “You hate to go through them. And the kids who hate losses, you know that those are the kids who are competitive and they want to win.

There wasn’t a dry eye among the players after their first tournament defeat.

“Sometimes you have to face those moments,” Whitney said. “But I think sometimes they make you better.”

Even though they lost their final contest against Illinois Central, she said, they played more like their regular selves and battled hard in a close, five-set match.

While Whitney is proud of the team’s accomplishments, she knows the future looks pretty bright for PHSC volleyball as well. The team is losing its experienced sophomores, yet the coach believes the regional success and tournament experience will help her freshmen when they take the court in 2015.

In fact, Whitney’s players are so enthusiastic about their prospects, they aren’t waiting for next year.

“They’re playing volleyball already,” she said. “You’d expect them to be like, ‘I just need a break, and this has been a long season.’ But they’re out there ready to play.

“I think that they’re really excited about the group that’s coming back.”

Published December 10, 2014

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