Local News

Sunlake really wants state soccer title

October 30, 2014 By Michael Murillo

The Sunlake Seahawks boys soccer team went undefeated in their district last season on their way to a 29-2-1 record. And for the second straight year, they lost in the state semifinals.

Having two dominating seasons in a row would be a source of great satisfaction for any high school. But when it comes to competitive soccer, Sunlake isn’t just any school, and team members aren’t satisfied with bowing out in the final four.

If teams want to get past Sunlake’s soccer team, they’ll have to first get past star goalkeeper Daniel Hrenko, who has a habit of shutting out opponents. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

“It’s disappointing, really, to go all that way twice and not win the championship,” goalkeeper Daniel Hrenko said. “Getting to the semifinals is a good accomplishment, but I feel like we could go farther, and we should have gone farther.”

Teammate Connor Spencer agrees.

“I kind of look back on it as a negative thing because it’s two years we’ve gone back to the same spot,” he said. “We’ve finally got the school behind us and supporting us, and then we just come up short every year.”

If players feel badly about their recent playoff results, that could be bad news for Sunlake’s opponents. Even though the season hasn’t started yet, the Seahawks are focused and working on taking a serious attitude into the beginning of the schedule as they try to get over the hump and claim a state title.

They’ll also take a familiar lineup into the season as well. Eight out of 11 starters are returning to the team, and Coach Sam Koleduk said the team’s veteran leadership makes them at least as dangerous as his previous teams.

“We know what it takes now,” Koleduk said. “I think we’re just as talented, maybe even better than last year.”

Last year’s team had plenty of talent itself, with Remi Pimm leading the nation in scoring. Pimm’s status with the team is uncertain at this time, and Koleduk said they’re preparing to not have him this season.

But with scorers like Spencer — who already has more than 90 career goals — they expect to be in good shape up front. And with solid goalkeeping from Hrenko, who led the nation in shutouts last season, opponents should be challenged to put goals on the board once again.

Sunlake’s team also benefits greatly from its athletes’ participation in club play, Koleduk said. While some teams might have just a few players who participate in local club soccer, all 26 members of his varsity team — from starters to reserves — play at the club level. That gives the Seahawks a higher caliber of talent, consistent focus on the game, and the depth to overcome injuries as they occur during the season.

Chris Wilkinson, another offensive-minded player, agrees that extensive club experience gives the Seahawks an advantage over many opponents.

“At the club level, you really know what you need to do,” he said. “A lot of other schools have some kids that play (club soccer) and some kids that don’t, and they struggle to gel in that sense.”

But all teams have weaknesses, and Koleduk acknowledges that defense is an area they had to retool in the lineup. The team lost talented starters from last year, so that’s something of an unknown headed into the season. But if practice is any indicator, Spencer says the defense looks ready to provide solid support while he tries to score goals.

“From what I’ve seen from the defense, they’re good enough to where I don’t need to worry about, ‘Are they going to mess up?’ at all,” he said. “I’m confident enough in them that they’re going to do their job and they know what to do.”

Having a capable defense makes things easier for him as a scorer, since he doesn’t have to worry about converting every opportunity or be concerned that the opposing offense will have an easy time connecting when they have the ball in Sunlake territory.

While it looks like another strong season is likely for Sunlake, it won’t be good enough for them unless it ends with a state title.

“We need to win it all,” Koleduk said. “That’s how I look at it, but we’ll definitely give it our best shot for sure.”

Published October 29, 2014

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Are newspapers the dinosaur of our era? Absolutely not

October 30, 2014 By Diane Kortus

Are newspapers the dinosaurs of our era, doomed to extinction because of the Internet and social media?

I’ve been asked that question countless times as the online world explodes with more news sites, postings and blogs than one can possibly imagine.

T-Rex is the theme of The Laker/Lutz News’ community exhibit, such as this display at the recent Pasco Hernando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce business expo at Wesley Chapel Toyota. (Suzanne Beauchaine/Staff Photo)

And my answer is absolutely not — especially not community newspapers like The Laker/Lutz News. So it’s tongue-in-cheek that we chose T-Rex as our theme to promote our papers at community events, marketing ourselves as the T-Rex of newspapers.

By now, hopefully, you realize your paper is much larger than its previous size. In August, we took a leap of faith and went from a tabloid size, to one that is the same size as a daily newspaper. That’s a 30 percent jump in page size.

To introduce our larger format to the business community, we produced a fun video that I also invite you to watch. It’s on YouTube, and you can find it at tinyurl.com/LakerXLVideo.

In our video’s opening scene, you’ll see vibrating glasses of water mimicking that iconic moment in “Jurassic Park” right before T-Rex burst into the scene.

And here’s why we want you to make the connection between T-Rex and The Laker/Lutz News:

To give you a visual that our papers are bigger — the T-Rex of community newspapers. We’re bucking the industry trend of shrinking sizes and fewer pages.
We’ve both been around a long time. Dinosaurs walked the Earth for 160 million years, and our papers have been in circulation longer than any other weekly newspaper in north suburban Tampa: The Lutz News since 1964, and The Laker since 1981.
By making T-Rex our icon, we’re debunking the myth head-on that newspapers are on a path to extinction.

The Laker/Lutz News has never been financially stronger, and we’re not alone. Community newspapers everywhere are thriving because we give people news about their community that they look forward to reading, and cannot get anywhere else.

The Internet and social media have not, and will not, replace the relevancy of community newspapers. We too have an active Facebook page, and a growing website with more than 25,000 page views each month. While impressive, this still does not compare to the 64,000 people who read us each and every week.

Why is our printed product so popular? Industry research consistently reports that people prefer reading stories about their neighbors, community groups and upcoming events in a traditional printed newspaper they hold in their hands.

Since increasing our size, we have received overwhelming support from readers and advertisers. More stories in the paper mean it is a better read, and more readers result in more customers for our advertisers.

We have positioned The Laker/Lutz News to be the No. 1 source of local news, and the best way to market your business in north Hillsborough and Pasco counties.

So, to those of you who still think newspapers are dinosaurs, you are wrong.

We are here to stay. Extinction is not in our vocabulary.

Published October 29, 2014

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Ready to vote? Here’s an election primer to help

October 30, 2014 By Michael Hinman

The mute button for many television viewers has never been used more through the barrage of political ads for everything from the governor’s race, to even Pasco County Commission.

Who will win? Voters will have a chance to express their opinions next Tuesday when Florida elects a governor, while local residents will choose a new state representative and a new county commissioner. (File Photo)

But as early voting continues through this weekend, and on Election Day itself Nov. 4, all of that is about to come to an end.

The governor’s race remains too close to call, while more local races like the county commission have a history of fueling upsets.

It’s impossible to condense the entire political season into a single story, so here are some of the highlights of major candidates on the ballot.

Be sure to get the latest election news Nov. 4 on our website at LakerLutzNews.com, and aftermath coverage in our Nov. 12 print edition of The Laker/Lutz News.

GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Rick Scott, Republican
Has he done enough to win a second term as governor? Or is Florida ready to look to its recent past and bring in a familiar replacement?

Those are the questions Gov. Scott has to answer as he touts the number of jobs created during his first term, and where the state is heading economically into the future.

It’s been a virtual dead heat for Scott and his main opponent, and both have engaged in a lot of mudslinging that some political analysts say may discourage more voters from going to the polls than welcome them.

Scott struggled in his first couple years to connect with people, including media, and suffered a low approval rating until this past year when he worked to fix it. But issues like high-speed rail (which he killed) and his time as the head of a major hospital chain continue to provide fodder for Democrats.

Charlie Crist, Democrat
He tried being governor once, and ended up presiding over one of the worst economic downturns in history, where hundreds of thousands of jobs were lost.

But if that wasn’t difficult enough to overcome, Crist also has to convince voters he’s now a Democrat after a lifetime of being a Republican, which also means he’s changed his stance on a number of hot-button political issues.

Crist entered a race where the incumbent was certainly vulnerable, but it’s tough to tell if the $9 million he’s raised through last week is enough to top the deep pockets of the current governor.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Pam Bondi, Republican
She’s not afraid to take a stand and express her opinion, and it seems that’s what voters liked about Bondi when they first elected her to office in 2010.

Yet, her firm stance on controversial issues could pose some problems, especially as the state fought against the federal Affordable Care Act, and continues to defend its ban of gay marriage, which is now legal in most other states.

Bondi has raised $2.2 million in her re-election bid through last week.

George Sheldon, Democrat
He’s raised far less money than his opponent, but Sheldon — an attorney and government administrator on both the state and federal level — jumped into this race because he says the current attorney general has mishandled her responsibilities.

He feels there’s a disconnect between Bondi’s fight for the ban on gay marriage and her battle over the Affordable Care Act, saying that while marriage might be defending a law, the program informally called Obamacare also is the law of the land.

Sheldon has raised $760,000 through last week.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 38

Danny Burgess, Republican
He became the youngest Zephyrhills councilman at 18, and was the youngest mayor at 27. And he’s raised nearly $142,000 to try to replace Will Weatherford in Tallahassee.

Many Republicans look at Burgess as the future of the party, but opponents fear he lacks specific plans to help Pasco County overcome some serious growing pains.

Read more about Burgess at tinyurl.com/DannyBurgess.

Beverly Ledbetter, Democrat
After spending more than three decades as an educator in Pasco County’s school system, Ledbetter says she’s ready to use her experience in the state House.

While she has worked with the teachers union quite extensively, Ledbetter has not held any public office before. However, she is getting advice from her husband, Michael Ledbetter, who was a Pasco County commissioner in the 1970s.

But it could be a tough battle, as she’s raised just $34,000 through last week.

Read more about Ledbetter at tinyurl.com/BeverlyLedbetter.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER, DISTRICT 2

Mike Moore, Republican
He easily moved past a busy primary against two opponents — one who was a former state legislator — and has raised some serious cash: $171,000.

But if history is a guide, county commission races don’t always go to the best-funded campaigns.

Moore has run primarily on job creation, using his experience as an entrepreneur to help get face time with large corporations who might consider moving to Pasco County. Yet, he brings a personality far different from the woman who’s held the office the past two decades, Pat Mulieri, and that might turn off some voters.

Read more about Moore at tinyurl.com/MikeMoorePasco.

Erika Jean Remsberg, Democrat
She’s raised less than $11,000 in her race to become the first Democrat on the county commission since 2010, but Remsberg has certainly made her mark.

In fact, she won the endorsement of Mulieri, the retiring county commissioner who isn’t even a member of the same political party.

Remsberg is hoping for a major grassroots boost to propel her to victory, but the social worker knows it will be tough. Plus, it’s hard to tell how much she can accomplish as a political minority on a board with its own agenda.

Read more about Remsberg at tinyurl.com/ErikaRemsberg.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT No. 1

Water and Land Conservation – Dedicates funds to acquire and restore Florida conservation and recreation lands.
This amendment to the state constitution would move money already collected through an existing excise tax into a fund that would help purchase more conservation lands in the state.

The goal would be to help improve the environment and water quality, supporters say, and help provide a boost to the growing ecotourism movement as well.

Although there are no groups organized to oppose this amendment, some lawmakers and individuals feel this is an overreach of the constitutional amendment process, and could be more effective as a standard law through legislators.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT No. 2

Use of marijuana for certain medical conditions.
By far the most controversial measure on the ballot, which would have likely received far more attention if it weren’t for the tight gubernatorial race.

If passed, this amendment would open Florida up to allowing the use of marijuana for specific health conditions, under the guidance of a doctor.

The battle over medical marijuana has played out in several states already, with proponents saying this is a move of compassion for those who would suffer otherwise. Opponents, however, call this a loophole to try and legalize the drug for everyone, especially since other states like California have very loose restrictions on who qualifies for the program.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT No. 3

Prospective appointment of certain judicial vacancies.
This is probably the least known of the three amendments on the ballot, but one that could have significant impact on the state in future years.

Right now, Florida Supreme Court justices have terms that run the same time as the governor, meaning they are typically chosen by a new governor, rather than an outgoing governor.

If this amendment passes, the winner of Tuesday’s gubernatorial election will likely appoint three justices to the state supreme court before he leaves office in 2019. However, if the amendment fails, then the system will remain allowing the winner of the 2018 election to make that appointment.

Published October 29, 2014

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Business Digest 10-29-14

October 30, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Leadership Pasco still strong after 25 years
Leadership Pasco unveiled its Class of 2015, bringing together 41 emerging and existing community leaders, chosen from a competitive pool of applicants. The 10-month course includes full-day program sessions, tours and candid conversations with community leaders, as a way to broaden local understanding of the ever-changing needs of the county. Participants this year include Andrew Baxter, Jackie Bennett, Susannah Caum, Tracy Clouser, Kimberly Collins, Rebecca Corrigan, Michael Cox, Cundee Dornblaser, Mel Eakley, Pamela Elliott, Kim Hamm, Becky Hatcher, Susan Hoeller, Alison Janke, Stacey Jenkins, Sean Kline, Billy Knight, Deepthi Kumar, Wendy Longman, Lee Maggard, Tim McClain, John McMillon, Russell Miller, Teri Nichols, Kada Parris, Todd Pillars, Cheryl Pollock, Leslie Porter, Ryan Regensdorfer, Gregg Schoppman, Cindy Schwiebert, Jeremy Simons, Daniel Swing, Randall TeBeest, Lisa Wagner, James Walters, Steve Wells, Mark Wickham, John Willis and Lauren Witmer.

McDonald’s, offices planned for Connerton
People waiting for a new McDonald’s restaurant on the northern part of Land O’ Lakes Boulevard may not have to wait much longer.

Planners are meeting with Pasco County officials this week to build a McDonald’s, as well as a 5,000-square-foot office building on the northeast corner of U.S. 41 and Pleasant Plains parkway. Pasco Investment Land LLC of St. Augustine, and FCPG R E Fund 09-03 LLC of Orlando currently own the 6.5 acres of land.

Pasco Investment Land is affiliated with Hayman Woods, the current developer of Connerton. Charles Mitchell Jr. of Orlando runs FCPG. He is the president and owner of First Capital Property Group, according to an online profile, a company he has owned for a little more than 19 years.

Mitchell is one of the people involved in the development of the property, as well as Stephanie Tyrrell, a construction manager for McDonald’s USA. It’s not clear if this will be a franchise location, and if so, who will own it. Ed Rogers of Heidt Design will function as the engineer of record, according to documents filed with Pasco County officials.

Once opened, this would be the 11th McDonald’s in Pasco, joining one franchised by Brickman Management Co., down the road at Land O’ Lakes Boulevard and State Road 54. This new location would be near a SunTrust Bank, Subway and a Walgreens.

A request for comment to Stew Gibbons with Connerton earlier this month was not returned. No timetable was released on when plans for the restaurant and office building will move forward.

Home sales, prices up in September
It’s nothing but positives in September for the Tampa Bay housing and condominium market, as both sales and median prices have gone up.

The latest report from Florida Realtors shows existing home sales are up 11 percent, and condo sales grew more than 4 percent, compared to a year ago. Median sales for the area that also includes Pasco County also rose more than 3 percent for existing homes, and 10 percent for condos.

In September, the Tampa Bay region sold 3,441 single-family homes and 1,132 condos — second only to the greater Miami area. Statewide, existing home sales were up more than 13 percent to 20,792, while condo sales climbed 2 percent to 8,622.

The median price for those single-family homes was $159,900 locally, compared to $180,000 statewide. Condos in the Tampa Bay region were $105,500, compared to $142,700 around the state.

The interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.16 percent in September, down from 4.49 percent a year ago, according to Freddie Mac.

Dade City RaceWay sold
After more than 15 years of corporate ownership, RaceTrac Petroleum Inc. has sold its Dade City RaceWay location for $2.3 million.

The buyer of the station, located on a little more than an acre of land at 12310 U.S. 301, is 974 Pasco LLC, managed by West Palm Beach attorney Carolyn Sakolsky. The location was built in 2004 on land RaceTrac purchased in 1999 for $263,000.

Bobby and Dorothy Baker of Zephyrhills originally owned the land.

It’s not clear if the sale of the property will affect the location in any way. A request for comment last week from Atlanta-based RaceWay was not returned.

However, there is a chance the RaceWay might have sold to a franchisee. According to the company’s website, locations owned by corporate use the name RaceTrac, while those owned by franchisees are called RaceWay.

SBA wants to boost women-run business
The U.S. Small Business Administration and the National Women’s Business Council have joined forces in an effort to increase the flow of money by and into small businesses run by women.

The overriding goal, according to a release, is to encourage greater participation by women on the financial and investing side of high-growth entrepreneurship.

Both groups will host a series of roundtable discussions around the country to develop policy recommendations. Over the past year, woman-owned businesses were approved for 341 loans totaling more than $163 million, according to Francisco Marrero of SBA’s South Florida district. That’s up over the previous year, where 317 loans were approved for $133.8 million.

During the next few months, the working groups of 20 will meet with investor and fund managers to discuss ways to increase the ranks of women investors, while developing strategies to encourage investment in companies run by women. The series will culminate with the unveiling of policy recommendations at an investor network meeting next May.

For more information about the Small Business Investment Companies initiative, visit SBA.gov/INV.

Political Agenda 10-29-14

October 30, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Local leaders endorse Mike Moore
Mike Moore, the Republican candidate seeking to replace the retiring Pat Mulieri on the Pasco County Commission, has picked up endorsements from Dade City commissioner Scott Black and Zephyrhills councilman Kenneth Burgess.

“Mike’s enthusiasm and his commitment to serving as a county commissioner for all of Pasco County will bring great benefit to our citizens,” Black said, in a release. “His record as a successful business owner will afford him the needed perspective to lead our county to a higher level.”

Burgess called Moore a “family man and businessman with great character and integrity. Pasco County can count on Mike to always listen, be accessible, and do what he says.”

Moore is running against Erika Remsberg, the Land O’ Lakes social worker who recently picked up the endorsement of Mulieri herself, despite being a Democrat.

Voters will choose between the two on Nov. 4.

Affordable Housing Advisory Committee to meet
Pasco County’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee will meet Nov. 10 and Nov. 24 beginning at 9 a.m., at the Hap Clark Building, 4111 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

For information, visit PascoCountyFl.net.

Forever the Keppel Way at Land O’ Lakes High

October 23, 2014 By Michael Hinman

The crowd was there to watch the football teams from Land O’ Lakes and Sunlake high schools take the field. But for several minutes before kickoff, they were all chanting something much different: “We love Keppel!”

Kris Keppel, who spent more than two decades as the coach of the Land O’ Lakes cross-country team, and even longer as a teacher, was given that ovation during last Friday’s game. Keppel, never one who likes to draw attention to himself, knew something was up when he was invited to the game. But he still showed up, because he knew his courage facing pancreatic cancer would continue to inspire the students and athletes at the school.

Kris Keppel along with daughters Meredith and Morgan, and wife Dar, proudly show the new sign students and visitors will see leading the way to the athletic fields of Land O’ Lakes High School. Principal Ric Mellin says this will remind everyone to take the ‘Keppel way.’ (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

“It’s pretty easy to inspire,” Keppel told the crowd. “Inspiration is a two-way street. You all can inspire each other on a daily basis.”

School officials and his team wanted to honor Keppel for being a finalist in the Brooks Inspiring Coach of the Year contest. Although Keppel received the most votes in the nationwide competition, he was able to applaud as Renee Williams-Smith of Manhattan Beach, California, received this year’s award during a ceremony last summer in Seattle.

The initial idea was to give Keppel a large trophy, girls’ cross-country coach and close friend Karen DeHaas said. But then an idea surfaced that would allow Keppel’s work to be honored year after year, naming a new school inspirational award after him and a fellow teacher, the late Marilyn Ling, who also battled cancer.

“We have always had inspirational people that helped our students and helped our faculty,” school assistant principal Rich Batchelor said. “We would like to start a new award, the Ling Inspiring Individual Award. But we decided to rename it for the first recipient of the award. So it will now be known as the Ling Keppel Inspiring Individual Award.”

But the school wasn’t done. A small crowd walked to a spot just outside the Land O’ Lakes football stadium so a new street sign could be unveiled — renaming that stretch of Gator Lane to Keppel Way.

“What better way to have students in the future know how much he inspired us to do things the Keppel way than to actually rename the roadway that leads into the athletic facility here,” school principal Ric Mellin said. “From this point forward, every time our athletes come down the road from the parking lot into the stadiums in the back here, they are going to be doing it the Keppel Way.”

Keppel was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer more than a year ago. Despite his grueling treatment for the disease, Keppel continued to attend as many practices and meets as he could. That continued until this past school year when he was forced to retire to focus more on fighting the cancer. It meant stepping down from his longtime role as cross-country coach, too.

“He’s retired, yet he comes to all the practices, except when he has chemo on Mondays,” DeHaas said. “He’s not able to bike with the runners anymore, but having him out there has really motivated all of our runners, and they want to win for him.”

Those trips to practices and meets have become their own inspiration to Keppel.

“We’re a team, we are a partnership,” Keppel said. “They keep plugging away, and I keep plugging away.”

A recent change in his chemotherapy treatment has allowed Keppel to grow back his hair, his eyebrows, and even his trademark moustache. He has lost weight, but being able to recognize his reflection in the mirror has helped him continue to fight the cancer.

“I have good days and bad days, but today was a good day,” Keppel said, looking toward his wife Dar, standing nearby. “The last few days were good, but the beginning of the week wasn’t so hot. It is what it is, and you just take it one day at a time.”

And that couldn’t be any other way, because it is indeed the Keppel way.

Published October 22, 2014

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Set for success: PHSC volleyball qualifies for tournament

October 23, 2014 By Michael Murillo

Sometimes it’s good to know your schedule in advance.

The Pasco-Hernando State College women’s volleyball team still has around seven games left on their schedule, but they already know where they’ll be next month: Competing in their regional tournament at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, North Carolina.

With a team full of talented freshman athletes like Amanda Turley, Pasco-Hernando State College had to find their chemistry. With a 29-4 record so far, they’ve found a regional tournament berth as well. (Courtesy of Len Umhoefer)

The Lady Quistas have already qualified for District P, which covers three collegiate regions.

PHSC punched their tournament ticket with a current mark of 29-4. Because they aren’t in close proximity with other schools in their region, the team must be .500 or better during the regular season in order to earn a bid into the tournament.

They technically qualified back with their 20th win, but have compiled even more victories with both a potent offense and stifling defense to improve on their strong record.

Coach Kim Whitney is glad to have gotten tournament qualification out of the way with plenty of games to spare.

“We have that expectation for that goal, but once you get into the season, you’re not really sure how you’re going to match up with your opponents,” she said. “It was a big deal for us to get to that point.”

Part of that uncertainty was the makeup of this year’s team. Of the 15 players, 10 are freshmen. And while they were recruited for their ability, the coach said, one never knows how they’ll actually perform under pressure.

Now it’s clear this year’s squad will fit in nicely with other teams during Whitney’s 11-year tenure at PHSC. The school tends to expect this kind of success each year, and Whitney has the track record to justify those expectations.

In her previous 10 seasons as volleyball coach, PHSC qualified for their regional tournament every year. They’ve reached the National Junior College Athletic Association national tournament four times, and took home their division’s national championship in 2010.

Earlier in the season, continuing that regional tournament streak was no sure thing. PHSC started their season just 5-3, and were still trying to determine their most effective lineup and how best to match up with their opponents.

But those early losses motivated the team, and now the coach thinks the early-season struggles were character building and a positive experience for her athletes. She was particularly happy to see them bounce back from a poor game against the College of Central Florida with an excellent one against Hillsborough Community College.

“We didn’t really play well in that match, and the following night they played phenomenal,” Whitney said. “I think it did make us better and stronger.”

And 15 consecutive wins later, the Lady Quistas were playing more to their potential and sewing up a tournament berth.

Freshman Amanda Turley is one of the impact players helping her team reach that potential. Recruited from Franklin High School in Tennessee, Turley accepted a scholarship to play volleyball for PHSC, partially because of its coach.

“She was one of the main reasons why I decided to come here,” Turley said of Whitney. “She’s so smart and knowledgeable about the game, and what we need to do.”

Part of the coach’s plan was to get her young team prepared early in the year and acquire important game experience ahead of their opponents. Whitney purposely scheduled many games at the beginning of the season so they’d have an opportunity to gel as a team and get several college-level matches under their belts while their opponents were still easing into the season.

The team also faced Santa Fe College for that school’s first-ever home volleyball game. Whitney’s team had to perform in a hostile environment with a crowd of around 500 cheering against them. The coach hopes those intangibles will help the Lady Quistas if and when they face adversity on the court later in the year.

In the meantime, as the PHSC volleyball team keeps achieving their goals, Whitney keeps creating new ones for them. They reached their first goal, a .500 season, relatively early. Then they were challenged to reach 27 wins.

With that accomplished, the coach has a new one: Fewest losses in her tenure as coach. All her previous teams finished the regular season with at least seven losses, she said. The current team has the opportunity to beat that mark and go into their tournament, which begins Nov. 7, with a great deal of momentum.

And at that point, she’ll probably have a new set of goals to keep her team focused.

“When you don’t have something you’re driving for and you’re trying to reach, you lose that vision,” Whitney said.

Whatever that next goal is, Whitney has a history of success that says she can help them reach it, and a team full of eager players who are listening and ready to do what it takes to accomplish it.

“She’s really balanced,” Turley said of her coach. “She never gets too angry, but is never too calm. She still always has something to tell you, even if we’re up by a lot.

“I can trust everything that she says.”

Published October 22, 2014

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No tricks, but plenty of free community treats for Halloween

October 23, 2014 By Michael Murillo

Many families will go door-to-door in local neighborhoods searching for candy this Halloween. But if you’d rather do something different — or don’t want to limit the fun to Oct. 31 — there are several public events to enjoy.

Mr. Tommy, right, is a regular at The Shops at Wiregrass annual Halloween event, which will be on Oct. 29 this year. He’ll perform at 10 a.m., and serve as emcee for the costume contest at 11 a.m. (Courtesy of The Shops at Wiregrass)

Several activities — most of them free — occur the weekend before Halloween, while others are scheduled for the week of the holiday, and the rest on Oct. 31.

For families
Halloween Howl in Zephyrhills is an annual free event Oct. 25 along Fifth Avenue from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

There will be a costume parade, a hayride — which costs $2 — and free books for children. There’s also a haunted house at 38533 Fifth Ave., the historic Jeffries House.

The costume parade starts at 6 p.m., near the 7-Eleven on Fifth.

If daytime activities are better for your schedule, Hillbilly Farms at 10325 U.S. 98 in Dade City, will host its annual Harvest Festival Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hayrides, horseback rides, face painting, pumpkin painting and train rides on the Woodland Express all are on the agenda.

Food and other vendors also will be available.

If you’re looking for something on a weekday morning, The Shops At Wiregrass at 28211 Paseo Drive in Wesley Chapel will have a Halloween event Oct. 29 from 10 a.m. to noon in its parking structure.

Around 400 children are expected to attend, with gift bags ready for each of them.

Debbie Detweiler, The Shops’ marketing director, said the shopping location enjoys putting something special on each year that attracts so many people.

“It’s just a great opportunity for us to be able to give back to the community and provide free entertainment for families,” she said.

That free entertainment includes cookie decorating, balloon art, face painting, crafts and a photo booth. There will also be a costume contest for children 11 and younger benefiting the American Cancer Society, with the winner receiving a family four-pack to Legoland.

The cost is $15 until the day of the contest, and $20 on the day of the event.

Registrations must be completed by Oct. 29 at 10:30 a.m. To register in advance, visit TheShopsAtWiregrass.com.

For pets
Your four-legged friends can participate in the Halloween fun with Spooky Tails on Oct. 25, an annual event at Parwick Kennels, 22129 Carson Road in Land O’ Lakes.

Starting at noon, children can enjoy pony rides and face painting, with a police dog demonstration at 1:30 p.m.

But it’s the pets that go all out for the event, with a costume contest that begins at 2:30 p.m. Each entry gets a free pumpkin and the winner receives $200.

Local business booths, raffles and live music round out the information and entertainment.

While it’s a fun Halloween-themed event, it’s also a fundraiser to help pay the bills for police dogs when they retire from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. It also helps pay for equipment and other supplies for the K-9 Unit.

In the past, Spooky Tails has helped pay for a bite suit, which is used in K-9 training drills.

For more information about the event, call (813) 949-1687, or visit ParwickKennels.com.

Halloween alternatives
If your family doesn’t celebrate Halloween, or you’d prefer to participate in a faith-based setting, there’s fall fun on your schedule, too. Several churches are hosting events on or around Halloween.

On Oct. 31, Myrtle Lake Baptist Church, 2017 Reigler Road in Land O’ Lakes, will hold a Trunk-A-Treat celebration from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free, and includes games, face painting, balloons and candy.

That same evening, Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, 2348 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes, will host its Trunk or Treat event from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Children will go from car to car — with their trunks and tailgates open — in the church’s parking lot to collect candy and other treats in this family-friendly environment.

Also on Oct. 31, Idlewild Baptist Church, 18333 Exciting Idlewild in Lutz, will have its Light the Night event from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. No costumes are allowed, but there will be games, a hayride and inflatables.

The cost is $3 per person or $15 per family, with children under 2 admitted free.

Published October 22, 2014

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Stadium projects reveal sense of connection to Pasco High

October 23, 2014 By B.C. Manion

It’s a familiar scene in movies and in television shows about high school football teams in small towns.

The stands are filled with the locals.

Pasco High School principal Kari Kadlub, center, joins, from left, Mark Fox, Bobby Correia, Tom Lameau and Wilton Simpson, inside the window of the new concession stand at Pasco High School’s football stadium. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

A lot of the spectators there don’t have a player on the team from their family — but it’s their team anyway because they attended the high school or live in the community.

“You know the movies, when you see Texas football? It’s like that,” said Pasco High School principal Kari Kadlub. “The community support is amazing.”

The stadium is the place to be when Pasco High has a football game, Pasco County Schools planning director Chris Williams said.

“I didn’t realize it until I moved to Dade City, but the Friday night game, everybody goes there,” he said. “It’s a community event. It’s not one of these things where only the parents go.”

“It’s a culture,” agreed state Sen. Wilton Simpson, who graduated from Pasco High in 1984. His mother also is a graduate of the school, as are his wife and daughter. His son will graduate from there next year.

“All of the Simpsons have come through here,” he said.

Some spectators have been regulars at the games for decades, Kadlub said. One group of sisters has been Pasco High fans for about a half-century.

“They literally sit on the track with their lawn chairs,” she said.

Part of the attraction is the team itself, said Simpson, who recently spearheaded a community effort to help build a concession stand and add new restrooms at the stadium.

“We’ve got good coaching and a good program,” he said.

Many Pasco High graduates still feel a deep connection with the school, said John Petrashek, director of construction services for Pasco County Schools.

“It’s a real identification and association,” he said. “That’s where they went to school. That’s where they graduated. That’s their school.”

“There’s a lot of pride here,” Simpson agreed. “If you come out here (to the concession stand) and look at the boosters cooking, most of them graduated from this school. Some of them (graduated) in the ’70s, and some in the ’80s.”

The community and Pasco County Schools came together to make the improvements happen. The concession stand — built to last for at least 30 years — replaces a shed. The stand’s professional restaurant-style equipment replaces a portable grill.

“I helped raise the funds for the project and was general contractor,” said Simpson, who also is head of Simpson Environmental Services, which specializes in asbestos removal, mold remediation, duct cleaning, lead-paint abatement, general contracting and demolition work.

On top of that, he owns and operates Simpson Farms, an egg-laying facility based in Trilby that is home to more than 1 million chickens — supplying eggs to supermarkets throughout Florida.

Tom Lameau, an electrician for Pasco County Schools, did the electrical work on the project. Bobby Correia, also on the district’s staff, did the plumbing. A number of other district employees handled other chores during construction.

The new concession stand and new bathrooms were desperately needed, Simpson said. Construction began a couple of days after the last school year ended, and work was completed a couple of days before the school’s first football game.

One portion of the project remains to be done. It involves renovating the restrooms underneath the stadium, Simpson said. That work will start after football season ends.

“If you go back to the ’80s, the restrooms under the stadium are the same ones as when I was here,” he said.

Besides benefiting the football crowd, the concession stand provides an avenue to generate revenue for booster programs and local civic groups, Simpson said.

“The Kiwanis Club and Rotary Club may use this facility for fundraisers during the year,” he noted.

The project cost about $275,000, with the school district covering about $75,000, and community contributors chipping in the rest.

Simpson was humble about his contributions to the effort.

“There were a lot of very generous people,” he said. “We were just the backstop.”

The school celebrated the new facilities at a dedication ceremony at the Oct. 10 game.

Kadlub marvels at the transformation.

“You see, over there, that shed?” the principal said, pointing at a small shed across the field. “We called it Ted’s Shed.”

There’s no comparison between the old facilities and what’s there now.

Not only is the concession stand larger and better looking, Kadlub said, the equipment is safer and allows food to be cooked more quickly.

“At halftime, there used to be a really, really long line,” she said. Now, patrons can get their food faster.

There’s a lot to be said for creature comforts.

“I was on the fair board for a long time,” Simpson said. “As we upgraded our facilities — cooking facilities and restroom facilities — it was easier to keep a crowd longer.”

Published October 22, 2014

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Saint Leo’s veterans department serves those who have served

October 23, 2014 By Michael Murillo

When military veterans were asked what type of information they wanted from a school or university, the top answer wasn’t information about graduation rates or estimates regarding student loan debt. It wasn’t even information about what credits earned in the military would be accepted by the institution.

Those were important, of course. But according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office survey, 62 percent wanted information about veterans support services more than any other option.

The Oct. 4 Mud Run raised money for Saint Leo University’s Veteran Student Services. The department provides support and resources to help military personnel adjust to student life. (Fred Bellet/Photo)

That answer isn’t surprising to retired Gunnery Sgt. Tedd “Gunny” Weiser, interim director for Saint Leo University’s Veteran Student Services. As a student who also served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 20 years, it makes perfect sense to him.

“That basically tells me that when these veterans come off of active duty, there’s a trust, a comfort level, in being able to speak with somebody who can not only talk the talk, but walk the walk,” Weiser said.

Having a department dedicated to their needs helps veterans transition from the structure of military life to the more self-directed schedule of a student.

That assistance can take many forms, Weiser said. The university can answer questions, help find scholarship opportunities, or simply provide a sounding board for their frustrations.

Just having a place to go can help Saint Leo’s veteran students adjust easier.

And there are plenty of students at the university who can use those services. At Saint Leo, 38 percent of the student body is active duty military or veterans, totaling around 3,500 students.

The vast majority of those students are not learning in Pasco County. For more than four decades, Saint Leo has taught on military bases and installations. They currently have 40 education centers around the country, including a dozen different military bases in the United States.

While the university’s relationship with the military stretches back for decades, the Veteran Student Services department is fairly new. Established in 2012, it’s the result of identifying ways to better assist its large veteran population, Weiser said, and was initiated by university president Arthur Kirk.

“He saw the need to establish a better relationship and better support for our veteran and active duty students,” he said.

That support includes a lot more than answering basic questions or maintaining a campus presence. The university has developed a free online course specifically for veterans and their families on how to make the transition from military to civilian life. It includes information on areas such as job interviewing and resume writing, networking, as well as identifying benefits and opportunities for spouses and other dependents.

The department also has its own financial resource for veterans where they can receive temporary assistance to help with financial obstacles to pursuing their educational goals. The Military Education Excellence fund provides gifts up to $500 to help pay for groceries, utilities or whatever expenses might occur.

This year, the fund has dispersed 32 gifts ranging from $160 to $500. They have another $26,000 in reserve to handle future requests.

The fund is donation-based, and Weiser said the department is trying a variety of methods to keep its coffers filled. One was the recent Mud Endeavor on Oct. 4 in Brooksville. The event, which features runners tackling a muddy obstacle course, is a tool different organizations can use to raise funds.

While Weiser isn’t sure how many people signed up to assist the department and how much money was raised quite yet, he believes it was only a modest total. Due to logistics, they only partnered with the event a few weeks before it occurred, so there was a lack of promotion and advertising.

Next year they plan to participate again, utilizing a longer lead-time to get the word out.

The feedback regarding the Veteran Student Services department has been excellent, Weiser said, both on campus and on the various bases where the university has a presence. He’s personally visited 21 of the 40 educational centers, and believes it’s important for students far from Saint Leo’s campus to see an actual person and feel like the department is in their corner and attending to their needs.

And they’re able to accomplish that by utilizing the strong bonds they all share, as well as their familiarity with the unique challenges and sacrifices active military and veteran students experience.

“I always preface this by saying I mean no disrespect to anybody with a clinical license or degree,” Weiser said. “But there’s a bond between veterans that no other modality or no other relationship can touch, particularly between combat veterans.”

Published October 22, 2014

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