Local News

Acts of kindness abound, and not only at the holidays

December 4, 2013 By B.C. Manion

It’s that time of year again when efforts begin revving up to provide holiday meals and gifts for those who need help, and lots of groups and individuals are stepping up to help out.

But the season of giving expands far beyond the holidays in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

On any given day, the newspaper receives emails detailing the good works being done. Requests pour in, too, seeking help to put the word out for a wide array of charity events.

The communications are telling. They paint a picture of a community that cares.

Noah Schultz gets a look under the tire of a 1998 Honda Prelude that he’s helping to repair for Matt Feldhouse, a member of the military who was deployed at that time to Kyrgyzstan. (Photos by B.C. Manion)

Here’s a look at just a few of the dozens of charitable acts performed in recent months, by young and old residents of Central Pasco, East Pasco and Northern Hillsborough counties.

In response to Typhoon Haiyan that killed thousands in the Philippines and rendered others without food or shelter, the Rev. Federico Agnir of Wesley Chapel had a charity benefit on Nov. 24 at Atonement Lutheran Church. The concert was free, but donations were collected for the Pacific Typhoon Response Fund of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

The Zephyrhills Historical Association also had a recent fundraiser at Ruby Tuesday in Zephyrhills. The restaurant donated 20 percent of diner proceeds for the fundraiser to support the Rosemary Trottman Scholarship Fund. The scholarship goes to a qualified Zephyrhills High School graduate.

Other examples of the community’s giving nature abound.

Nearly 600 hikers turned out for Hike for Hospice, on Nov. 10 at the Land O’ Lakes campus of Rasmussen College on State Road 54. The event raised more than $56,000 to support programs at Hospice Houses and bereavement centers from Gulfside Regional Hospice, as well as to help patients and their families facing life-limiting illnesses in Pasco County, according to a news release.

The GFWC Lutz-Land O’Lakes Woman’s Club routinely stages events to raise money, which in turn, benefits groups ranging from scout troops, to domestic violence survivors, to the homeless.

Woman’s club members Joan Collins and Pat Serio recently delivered a truckload of infant and toddler clothing to Alpha House of Tampa. It helps homeless pregnant women and mothers with young children by providing a safe place to live and equipping women with tools to become self-sufficient.

Throughout the year, Gloria Dale, another woman’s club member, signs cards that are shipped during the holidays to military personnel overseas, and delivered to residents at local nursing homes.

Other groups also work all year long to show their support for the troops.

Support the Troops in Wesley Chapel ships boxes including microwaves, refrigerators, televisions, snack foods, coffee and other items to military personnel overseas. The Lutz Patriots sends care packages, including snacks, personal hygiene supplies and other items to the troops, too.

Patricia Murphy of Land O’ Lakes enlists local businesses and volunteer groups to help her organization, Books for Troops. The books are distributed to military personnel and at local nursing homes.

Members of the men’s group at Grow Life Church in Wesley Chapel performed a personal act of support for a member of the military. They decided to restore a 1998 Honda Prelude owned by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Matt Feldhouse while he was deployed in Kyrgyzstan.

The car broke down before Feldhouse went overseas. While he was gone, the men’s church group rallied local businesses and others to help support the project and made the needed repairs.

They surprised Feldhouse at an event at The Shops at Wiregrass, a popular venue for many community events, which often are coupled with fundraising efforts for local charities.

In this age of tweets and texts, Gloria Dale uses an old-fashioned way to send holiday cheer to veterans and troops. She writes each of her greeting cards by hand.

For instance, this year The Shops will host a new event called The Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot, with proceeds from the Thanksgiving morning race going to Feeding America Tampa Bay and local charities through New Tampa Rotary Foundation and the New Tampa YMCA.

Local chambers of commerce also commit acts of kindness, often sponsoring student of the month celebrations and scholarships and getting involved in cleanups and other community projects.

The Lutz Civic Association drums up support for community organizations through its annual race for Lutz Guv’na. This year’s candidates raised $12,596, which was distributed to support various community organizations.

The race for honorary mayor in Wesley Chapel also raises funds, which are used to support the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce and local causes.

Some networking groups also get into the act.

The Christian Business Connection, a Central Pasco group, hands out a number of checks each year. Recently, the group donated $250 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, using funds from the networking group’s membership dues.

Women-n-Charge, a women’s networking group, presents an annual fundraising tea to raise money to support two $1,000 grants to help women advance their business goals. This year’s fundraiser went so well the group raised extra money, so they also contributed $1,000 to A Woman’s Place, a ministry devoted to providing free help to women facing unplanned pregnancies.

Bigger organizations get involved, too.

For example, Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point recently kicked off its “Connected in Times of Need” campaign. This four-week effort is aimed at raising money to provide emergency funds to help Hospital Corporation of America employees and their families when they face extreme financial hardships. Those difficulties can arise from a natural disaster, an extended illness or another kind of tragedy.

More than $15 million has gone to help more than 14,000 employees and their families since the fund was established in 2005, according to a hospital news release.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel also is involved in various community events. In August, for instance, it sponsored a seminar to help educate parents, coaches and athletes about the dangers of concussions, and steps to reduce the risks of concussion injuries.

The list of charitable acts through The Laker/Lutz News’ coverage area goes on and on. Perhaps it is best represented, however, by Jack Buttafuoco, 9, who took it upon himself to conduct a summer food drive to help fight hunger locally.

The Seven Oaks resident collected canned foods, pasta, peanut butter and other items from friends, family and neighbors to help stock the pantry at Feeding America Tampa Bay-Suncoast Branch. He even pitched in $26 of his allowance.

Buttafuoco said he decided to do the food drive because it makes him feel sad when he thinks of others who are hungry.

Local official on elevated road: It’s when, not if

December 4, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Pasco County Commissioners are being asked to give an early blessing to a proposed elevated road project along the State Road 54/56 corridor … and they just might do it.

A nonbinding resolution about the unsolicited proposal was part of the commission’s Tuesday meeting, which took place before The Laker/Lutz News press deadline. The goal was to help Florida Department of Transportation officials get a clear look at where commissioners stand on the project that could exceed $2 billion. That is, even though the commission’s approval is not necessary for it to move forward.

“What DOT wants to know is if we’re still onboard doing this thing,” said Richard Gehring, the county’s planning and development administrator. “The DOT and the county have a lot of partnering history in putting this together and working on it. And basically, we already have $1 million out there in the corridor with detailed studies we’ve done there.”

International Infrastructure Partners Inc. brought the idea of building a 33-mile elevated road — similar to what was constructed over the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway in Hillsborough County — earlier this year. It would be primarily a private venture, with IIP earning long-term profits through tolls.

FDOT had originally set a deadline of last October to receive competing proposals on such a project, but delayed it just ahead of the deadline until Dec. 9 after IIP asked for more time.
Part of that reason was because the Urban Land Institute, the independent growth and development analytical group that is studying the future of Pasco County, had reportedly advised against the project.

Yet, ULI’s recommendation may have been a bit premature, Gehring said.

“They raised the question, wondering if we’ve exhausted all alternatives, and they raised a bunch of study issues,” Gehring said. “But what they didn’t know is that we already had two-and-a-half years of efforts already underway.”

ULI leans toward the development design structure of “New Urbanism,” Gehring said, which emphasizes pedestrians and de-emphasizes vehicle traffic. But what IIP has proposed is much different — allowing the corridor to maintain localized traffic while providing viable options for those trying to traverse the region.

“They said that some communities were taking down their elevated roads, but those were specialized circumstances,” Gehring said. “They were one-, two- or three-mile sections in downtowns that were built years and years and years ago. This is nothing like that.”

Whether the elevated road is the way FDOT and the county goes or not is not going to change the fact that something has to be done to move traffic, Gehring said. Intersections like U.S. 41 and State Road 54 already see 100,000 vehicles each day, and that’s only going to grow as the corridor grows.

“At some point, 140,000 or 150,000 cars per day are going to need to be in that corridor, and that’s going to be both a blessing and a curse,” Gehring said.

The Metropolitan Planning Organization developed a long-range transportation plan in 2008 that warned the State Road 54/56 corridor could require up to 20 travel lanes to accommodate future vehicles in a little more than 20 years. The group later earmarked $800 million for improvements to the corridor that could include toll-based roads and elevated sections.

The resolution considered by the commission also shared an FDOT study completed earlier this year that looked at 18 highway and transit improvement alternatives for the corridor, eliminating anything additional built at the same level as the existing road. Its recommendation was to go up, possibly with four elevated lanes.

Commissioner Pat Mulieri, who has been a proponent of the elevated road, told The Laker/Lutz News last week she planned to support the resolution. By passing it, FDOT and other agencies will get the support it needs for more studies that would define the concept’s revenue potential costs, environmental impacts, explore more possible private-public partnerships, and seek out more public input.

Although IIP has not provided any cost projections for the project, using the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway elevated road as a model from 2004, construction could cost more than $70 million per mile. That would put the total price tag well over $2.3 billion.

The question is no longer if to build something like this elevated road, but when, Gehring said.

“If someone out there has another way to solve this, we would be very glad to listen,” he said.

Company shares secrets behind festive Christmas lights

December 4, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Every year, sometime around July, Melissa Christensen will start fielding inquiries from businesses seeking estimates on decking out their businesses with holiday lights.

Melissa Christensen holds a ball of holiday lights, which is easier to wrap around trees. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

The Lutz woman, who calls herself “The Christmas Light Girl,” works with a crew of up to eight guys, all who have holiday light installations down to a science. The company consists of Christensen, her fiancé Jarrett Lane, his relatives and a friend. They’re busy each year from early November through mid-December.

Christensen can quote jobs ranging from small homes to mansions, from the St. Pete Museum of Fine Arts to Bartow Ford — anywhere around the Tampa Bay area, including Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

Over the years, the installers have learned the tricks of the trade. When planning a lighting display, for example, it’s important to think about the scale of the job, Christensen said. A big tree, for instance, requires more lights, decorations and extension cords.

When figuring out how many lights are needed for a roofline, it’s important to keep in mind the various setbacks on the roof, she said.

It’s also essential to have enough extension cords and timers for each job. It’s easy to underestimate the number of timers that are needed to achieve the desired effect, she said.

At a house the company decks out each year in Odessa, for instance, the job requires nine timers.

While some people use multicolored lights, others prefer clear ones. One winning look involves clear lights, combined with splashes of color for effect, Christensen said.

Her company uses that approach on palm trees. It wraps the trunks in clear lights and then uses a green band of lights at the top of trunk, just below the fronds.

The average tree requires 150 feet to 200 feet of lights. Trying to deck out the fronds can get a bit pricey, Christensen explained.

“Fronds tend to get expensive because you usually have to have a lift. So, the green band on top is a good alternative to getting your color on your palms,” she said.

It’s a good idea to shop around for lights because prices can vary widely, Christensen said. Decorating trees can go anywhere from $50 to $250, depending on the type and size of tree.

Commercial light strands are available at places like Lowe’s and Home Depot, but also can be purchased online. The strands are typically 132 feet for incandescent lights, and 67 feet for light-emitting diodes.

“LEDs are just a spot of light,” Christensen said. “They do not glow or illuminate. If you really want illumination, then you need to stick with the incandescents.”

However, the LEDs do have one big advantage: They last longer.

It’s also important to expect lights to fail.

“It’s usually one of two things: Either you’re missing a bulb, or the squirrel chewed through the wire,” she said. To help spot outages, Christensen’s company uses “stay lits.” If a light goes out, she loses half of the strand, which helps her identify the problem spot.

To help prevent failures, she recommends taping over extension cord plugs to keep water from seeping in. She also said it’s advisable to alert landscaping crews, so they turn off the sprinklers and avoid running equipment over cords.

It’s also a good idea to tape down any cords that are running across walkways, to prevent a tripping hazard.

For those decorating a tree, Christensen does offer a tip: Roll the strand of lights into a ball. Then unroll it as the tree is wrapped the tree.

“It saves a lot of time. It makes it a lot more manageable,” she said. “It allows you to keep your lines tight. It makes it easier than trying to pull the wire through each time you go around.”

Installing lights keeps the company busy for about six solid weeks, Christensen said, but she enjoys the work.

She also delights in seeing a finished job.

“Lights are awesome,” she said.

Contempo students ready to dance for Rockettes

December 4, 2013 By Michael Hinman

The Rockettes have high-kicked their way on dance stages around the world since 1925. And for the first time in seven years, they’ll bring their famous precision dance moves to Tampa’s Straz Center.

Contempo School of Dance instructor Kathleen Beach runs the dancers through the routine planned for their Rockettes performance on Dec. 27 and Dec. 28. Joining her are Omar Brito, Madison Blocher, Sydney Bruen, Caleigh Hayes and Kelsey Bognar. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Before they take the stage Dec. 27 and Dec. 28, however, they’ll have an opening act filled with faces many should recognize: a team from Contempo School of Dance on State Road 54 in Lutz.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance for us to dance,” said school founder Lani Gunn.

The team had just five weeks to learn their routine, which lasts a little more than 2 minutes and 30 seconds, using music provided by The Rockettes. It will involve 32 dancers in all, who will not only take the stage to tease The Rockettes’ performance — but they will have front row seats for the main attraction as well.

Most, if not all, of the students performing that holiday weekend will watch The Rockettes for the first time. And that includes Gunn.

“I have their DVD. I’ve just never seen them in person,” she said.

The school caught the attention of the New York City Dance Alliance, a dance convention group founded in 1993, through its success at various competitions. The alliance will earn a portion of the ticket proceeds for its scholarship fund to help get dancers into school by anyone who purchases their ticket with the promotional code “NYCDA9.”

The teams get just one hour a week to practice together, but they’re also spending a few good hours each week practicing on their own at home.

“The steps that they are learning, they have learned over the years,” Gunn said. “It’s not like they can just learn it in five practices.”

Which means for all the dancers, this was a performance years in the making. Erika Hanzelka has danced at Contempo since 2007.

“My friend just told me to start coming here, and I loved it so much, I started to take more and more classes every year,” the 11-year-old said.

Other members of her team have been dancing even longer, like Whitney Herd, 12, who started at Contempo when she was 2 years old as part of the studios’ “Mommy and Me” program.

“I always find myself doing tap dances around my house,” Herd said. “With dance, you can express your emotions and kind of let go. And (Contempo) is a place where you can dance and have fun.”

Dancers just get addicted to it, Gunn said.

“When they are 3, they go once a week,” she said. “And then after that, they want to try some other form, and some other one after that. Many of these kids take between 8 to 10 classes a week.”

The Rockettes are performing as part of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular running from Dec. 12 through Dec. 29 at the center’s Carol Morsani Hall. This is the highest-profile venue yet for Gunn’s studio, which has operated in Lutz for the last 19 years.

“We do competitions, and dance at Busch Gardens and Disney, but never at that big stage at the Straz,” Gunn said.

For more information on The Rockettes show, visit StrazCenter.org. To learn more about Contempo, visit ContempoDance.com.

Prize-winning writer draws on diverse experiences

December 4, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Jeff Wilson never pictured himself as a novelist.

An avid reader and writer for his entire life, the New Tampa man viewed himself as a short story writer. As someone who has pursued many different career paths in life, Wilson honestly didn’t think he had the attention span to develop an idea into a full-length novel.

He knows now — as he launches into his sixth novel — that, for him, writing a book is actually easier than writing a short story. A novel gives him more time and space to develop the characters he creates, he explained.

Recently, his novel “The Donors” received a Gold Medal in the Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror category in the Military Writers Society of America’s Book Awards. His 246-page book fuses elements of horror, medical suspense and the supernatural.

The award is especially meaningful because it comes from authors who have an appreciation for the sacrifices and dedication that the men and women in the military demonstrate through their service, Wilson said. That’s even more meaningful for him after two tours of duty in Iraq, with the U.S. Marines and with the Joint Special Operations Task Force.

Wilson’s writing draws on his diverse life experiences. He has worked as an actor, a firefighter, a paramedic, a diving instructor and a vascular surgeon.

He was in the Navy from 1998 until 2012 and was deployed to Iraq in 2005 with the 2nd Marine expeditionary force as part of a forward surgical team supporting combat operations in Western Iraq.

After that, he was recruited to Naval Special Warfare, where he made multiple deployments as part of a Joint Special Operations Task Force. He transitioned to the reserves in 2008 and remained a reserve until leaving the Navy four years later.

Wilson’s other published books are “The Traiteur’s Ring” and “Fade to Black.” The publisher is Journalstone Publishing of San Francisco, an independent book publisher that specializes in the science fiction, fantasy and horror genres.

Wilson now hopes a major publishing house will pick up his work.

His agent, Talcott Notch Literary Services president Gina Panettieri, is now shopping his book, “Julian’s Numbers,” to various publishers.

Meanwhile, Wilson continues to write. He recently wrapped up his fifth book, “War Torn.” Unlike Wilson’s other books, “War Torn,” has no supernatural element.

“It’s about a young man and a young woman and the effects that war has on them,” Wilson said. “He’s a member of the National Guard. They’re in their mid-20s. She’s very active in her church. He and his best friend are in this guard unit that’s deployed to Afghanistan.”

The soldier becomes passionate about religion, through the influence of his best friend who becomes his spiritual mentor. When his friend is subsequently killed in front of him, he begins to question everything, Wilson said.

“So he comes home, like most of us, a mess. He doesn’t know if he even believes in God anymore. His marriage is strained,” Wilson said.

The book recounts the soldier’s journey back from war.

“Like all of my books, there’s a lot of me in that book,” Wilson said.

Now, Wilson is working on his sixth book, a collaborative project with another author, Brian Andrews.

Wilson said much of what he has learned about writing has come through trial and error and from being a voracious reader. He doesn’t map out his books in advance.

“When I write, it’s like watching a movie. I can’t wait to write again because I want to find out what’s going to happen.” Wilson said. “As I write, I’ll write a chapter at a time.”

As he finishes one chapter, he includes brief descriptions at the bottom summarizing elements of future chapters. The more the book progresses, the more future chapter summaries Wilson will include.

“I generally don’t know how the book ends until maybe the last 50 pages,” he said.

Wilson doesn’t devote full time to writing. He works part-time in medicine and also does contract work for the U.S. Department of Defense.

He typically writes five days a week, for a couple hours at a stretch. He said he’s found that his writing is more effective when he works in concentrated bursts.

And, even though he has a room in his home that was specifically set aside for his writing, Wilson tends to do most of his work at Starbucks or Barnes & Noble. He does that to discipline himself. If he’s at home and his kids — Jack, Emma and Connor — are there, he would rather spend time with them than work on his writing, Wilson said. He is married to Wendy, an adjunct faculty member at the University of Tampa.

Wilson isn’t the only one who enjoys writing. His son Connor told him one day that he would like to write a story. Wilson said he encouraged him to do so, and much to his surprise, his son wrote a 45-page book, which was picked up by a publisher in Chicago.

Since then, Connor, now 13, has made appearances with his book, “A Giant Pencil,” and has even made joint book signings with his dad.

For more information about Jeffrey Wilson, visit www.jeffreywilsonfiction.com. To learn more about Connor Wilson, visit www.thegiantpencil.com.

‘First Friday’ food truck rally debuts this week

December 4, 2013 By B.C. Manion

People who want to grab a bite to eat can check out a new option this Friday at the Lutz First Friday Food Truck Rally.

The event will be he first Friday of every month, said Mike White, president and founder of the Lutz Citizens Coalition.

Food trucks like this will gather on the first Friday of each month at the Lutz First Friday Food Truck Rally. The idea is to provide a community gathering spot, while raising money for the Lutz Citizens Coalition and Lutz Preparatory School. (Photo courtesy of Tampa Bay Food Truck Rally)

The coalition and Lutz Preparatory have partnered to put on the event, which will raise money for the school and the citizens coalition. It runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Dec. 6, at Lutz Preparatory School, 17951 N. U.S. 41.

“It’s just going to be a good time,” White said. “Come enjoy some good company and relax. It’s no cooking. No dishes. No hassles.”

He thinks the food truck rally will become part of a local tradition, as families who are headed to football games, ballet recitals and other events will stop to grab a bite to eat. The money raised from the event will go to support the U.S. 41 tree project, cleanups on Sunset Lane, and other efforts by the coalition to help protect the quality of life in Lutz, White said.

The food truck rally will offer patrons plenty of choices, said Michael Blasco, chief executive officer of Tampa Bay Food Truck Rally. It will feature a dozen food trucks offering such options as gourmet hot dogs, Cajun food, flatbread, cheesesteaks, pressed sandwiches, South American and Italian fusion, and, of course, desserts.

“It’s like traveling the world,” Blasco said.

The food truck rally is just one of the events happening in Lutz this month. The community will also have its final celebration to mark its 100th year: The Lutz Centennial Christmas Card Lane.

That is set to run from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Dec. 17 on the Train Depot grounds at the corner of U.S. 41 and Lutz Lake Fern Road.

Lutz and Maniscalco elementary schools will provide entertainment with Lutz Guv’na Suzin Carr acting as emcee.

The evening also includes the lighting of the Christmas tree and an appearance by Santa.

Organizers are encouraging attendees to bring a blanket and lawn chairs.

Any Lutz resident, business, club or organization that wants to display a Christmas card can make one using either a quarter-inch plywood or 10mm Corex, the material that is used to make white yard sale signs.

Anyone who would like to participate should bring the card to Lutz Memorial Park, which is across the street from the Train Depot, between 8:30 a.m. and noon on Dec. 14. Boy Scout Troop 12 will set up the card.

For more information about Centennial Christmas Card Lane, call (813) 949-1937.

For more information about the food truck rally, call Tampa Bay Food Truck Rally at (813) 464-5600.

Food pantry ‘blessed’ to provide for those in need

December 4, 2013 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

The big red building on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard might not fetch more than a causal glance from some passersby, but many who step through the doors say it’s a place where blessings are granted regularly.

The nonprofit food pantry located just south of Ehren Cutoff has been helping feed area families in need since 1987. Although not always situated in its current 5514 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., home, the agency has grown through the years to meet the needs of the community.

Mike Head packs grocery bags for clients of Christian Social Services. (Photo by Sherri Lonon)

Holding true to its Christian roots, the pantry has very few rules for those who receive assistance. Individuals or families in need just need to stop by during regular hours to receive emergency food staples. Help is given on an honor system, explained Jacquie Petet, the agency’s executive director.

While tons of food goes out of the agency’s doors each month to hundreds of families in need, Petet said the community always steps up to make sure the food doesn’t run out.

“We are blessed,” she said, noting that 12 area churches and their congregations assist in keeping the pantry’s shelves stocked. Area residents also lend a hand by donating nonperishable food items, money and extras, such as presents for children during the holidays and backpacks at back-to-school time.

Christian Social Services also is partially self-supporting thanks to an onsite thrift store that’s open to the public.

Even though support for the mission is strong, Petet said additional help is always welcomed and needed. The last few years especially have been difficult with the economy down and donations to regular food drives, such as the postal carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger drive, down with it.

Before the economy turned a few years ago, the postal drive brought enough food into the pantry to handle demand for months. That’s no longer the case, Petet said.

“The last few years, it’s been substantially down,” she said.

There are many ways area residents can help out, said Llurah Utt, a longtime volunteer at Christian Social Services. Not only can they donate food, money or even items for the thrift store, but volunteers are always needed as well.

“We always welcome people that want to volunteer,” Utt said.

Christian Social Services operates its pantry and community thrift store with the help of three full-time employees — including Petet — and two part-time workers. About 20 volunteers fill in the gaps to make sure shelves are stocked, items are sorted, and bags of food are prepared for those in need.

“Our volunteers are a hundred times better than most people’s employees,” Petet said.

Employee Mike Head said the agency has been a godsend to his family and he’s been “blessed” to help others in return. Head began working at Christian Social Services several years ago after he was laid off from a full-time cable installer job.

While Mike now works at the agency, his wife Bobbi and two children, Bianka, 8, and Bryan, 10, are often at his side volunteering to help other families facing difficult times.

“It’s nice to be able to instill that,” Head said of giving back.

Christian Social Services’ pantry and thrift store are open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit CSS-HelpingHands.org, or call (813) 995-0088.

— Sherri Lonon

Thousands expected at arts and crafts festival at Lake Park

December 4, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Every year, for the past three decades, the Lutz Arts & Crafts Festival has attracted thousands to this community north of Tampa.

Vendors display their wares at the annual Lutz Arts & Crafts Festival. (Photo courtesy of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club)

The event, Dec. 7 and Dec. 8 at Lake Park, 17302 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz, features nearly 250 vendors offering paintings, photography, jewelry, woodcarving, ceramics, pottery, stained glass, quilts and food.

The event, co-sponsored by the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club and Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department, is free after a $2 per vehicle parking charge.

The art show is juried, with cash prizes awarded by the Woman’s Club.

A variety of foods will be available, with the Woman’s Club booth offering breakfast items, hot dogs and the club’s peach cobbler. Other food booths will offer barbecue, Cuban selections sausages, funnel cakes and other items.

The event gives shoppers a chance to peruse booths to find holiday gifts and décor. It also raises money for the Woman’s Club, which uses the proceeds to support many local organizations, said Phyllis Hoedt, co-chairwoman of the festival.

It’s a popular event, attracting as many as 30,000 visitors.

The show enjoys a good reputation, and vendor booths sell out shortly after applications become available each March, Hoedt said. Many of the event’s vendors come from other states to set up their tents at the festival.

Pulling off the annual event requires an army of volunteers, Hoedt said. The Civil Air Patrol, the Boy Scouts and the Woman’s Club itself provide dozens of helpers, and community volunteers pitch in, too.

For additional information, call Hoedt at (813) 949-1937, or her co-chairwoman, Shirley Simmons at (813) 949-7060.

Music icon Charlie Daniels making fundraising stop in Pasco

December 4, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Charlie Daniels may play a mean fiddle, but how is he with a shotgun?

The Grand Ole Opry legend is making his annual trip back to the Tampa Bay area, once again to raise money for The Angelus — a group home in Hudson. But this time, his fundraising tour is going to include Land O’ Lakes.

Country music star Charlie Daniels stops to visit a moment with Gene, one of the residents of The Angelus. Daniels is making a stop in Land O’ Lakes this weekend to help raise money for the nonprofit. (Photo courtesy of The Angelus)

The Charlie Daniels Sporting Clay Shootout is scheduled for Dec. 7 at Tampa Bay Sporting Clays, 10514 Ehren Cutoff. It will not only include Daniels, but some of his other celebrity friends like the stars of Discovery’s “The Deadliest Catch,” as well as R.J. Molinere Jr., and Jay Paul Molinere from “Swamp People” on History.

And a former Tampa Bay Buccaneer player or two could show up as well.

“It’s just going to be a lot of fun,” said Tammy Williams, who has helped organize events like this for The Angelus for more years than she cares to share. “All of this is for an amazing cause, as we can use every dollar we raise this weekend.”

The residential facility set on 17 wooded acres in Pasco County was designed for the severely handicapped — all 32 of its residents are wheelchair-bound. It has five group homes, a day program, a wood shop, a pool, miniature horses, and even a rustic log cabin known as “Charlie’s Lodge” after Daniels himself.

“Everyone has a different story,” Williams said. “We have quite a few whose parents are just too old to take care of them anymore, and others who just need specialized care they couldn’t get anywhere else.”

The facility has operated on some government subsidies, but that has dwindled over the years to where private donations are more crucial than ever. And while the number of residents might seem low, it takes up to 80 employees to keep The Angelus functioning, providing much-needed around-the-clock care.

“While the state is cutting your money, they are continually raising their standards on what you have to do as a facility,” Williams said. “We have no problem giving our residents the best care, but all of it costs money.”

Daniels, who is probably best known for his songs like “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” first learned about The Angelus 23 years ago. He was asked to help raise a little bit of money for the facility, and he just never stopped.

Skip Schaer had the same problem. He owns Schaer Development of Central Florida Inc., a site development company located on Hunt Road, just off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes. It started with his son volunteering for the organization more than 16 years ago, and the next thing he knew, Schaer himself had become involved — working his way right up into the organization’s board of directors.

While it was always nice to know Daniels would make the trip to Florida to help The Angelus each year, it wasn’t until Schaer saw him in action during a Sunday service on one of his visits that he truly understood the singer’s devotion to the organization.

“He brought some of the celebrities with him, and everyone was waiting for him at Charlie’s Lodge,” Schaer said. “He walked in the door, and without saying a word to anybody, he went to each one of the kids to speak with them. They would take his face into their hands, and he would just continue, one after another, talking with every single one of them.”

Charlie’s Lodge was built in 1999 with the help of more than 600 volunteers, and has been a quiet refuge for residents and employees alike at The Angelus.

Although the Charlie Daniels event originated in Pasco County, in recent years it has moved south to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa. That’s where Daniels and others will perform Saturday night.

But with The Angelus and the weekend fundraiser roots in Pasco, Schaer looked for an opportunity to bring it back. And shooting clays in Land O’ Lakes seemed like the perfect opportunity.

“We are hoping that we have a lot of local folks who will come out and support us here in their own backyard,” Schaer said. “Charlie and everyone else will be there, and they are all very hands-on. They never have a problem posing for pictures or signing autographs.”

But shooting slots are already filling up, even at $150 for an individual or $600 for a four-person team.

For more information on the shootout or any of the other events planned around Daniels’ visit, go to TheAngelus.com, or call Tammy Williams at (727) 243-8293.

East Pasco students to have more educational options

December 4, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Students on the county’s east side will have a broader range of educational options beginning next school year as Pasco County Schools initiates Cambridge education programs at Pasco Middle and Pasco High schools.

An international program that offers students the opportunity to earn college credits is being introduced at Pasco Middle and Pasco High schools next year. A large crowd of parents and students turned out to find out more about the program at a recent information meeting. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

The programs, which are known for their academic rigor, will be housed at those two schools, but will also be open through school choice to students from Zephyrhills and Wesley Chapel high schools, and also to students from Centennial, Stewart and Weightman middle schools.

Students who successfully pass the examinations attached to the Cambridge program can earn up to 45 college credits at Florida public universities. Those achieving the Cambridge diploma will qualify for the highest award available in the state’s Bright Futures Scholarship program.

Pasco educators believe that students who complete the Cambridge course of study will be better prepared to succeed in college.

The University of Cambridge launched the program more than 150 years ago, beginning with 370 candidates in seven British cities. Now it has more than 8 million diploma candidates in more than 160 countries.

A large crowd of parents and students attended a recent information session at Pasco Middle to find out more about the programs.

“We wanted to bring a rigorous program to these kids in the east side of the county,” Pasco Schools superintendent Kurt Browning said. “This is an established program.”

Students have the opportunity to earn college credits that will result in substantial savings in tuition costs, but they’ll have to apply themselves to make that happen, Browning said.

“They’re going to have to work. They’re going to have to work hard,” he said.

Another information session about the Cambridge option is scheduled for Dec. 5 at 6 p.m., in the media center at Wesley Chapel High, 30651 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel.

The program, known formally as Cambridge International Examinations, offers the opportunity to earn an Advanced International Certificate of Education. It is offered through the University of Cambridge International Examinations, a division of the Cambridge, England, school.

The program seeks to develop learners who are confident, responsible, reflective, innovative and engaged.

To apply for the Pasco programs, students must:

• Have a score of Level 3 or above on reading and math on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

• Submit two teacher recommendations.

• Have an unweighted grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

• Complete a 300- to 500-word essay.

The application deadline is Jan. 31.

Pasco Middle will house the Lower Secondary Program, which is designed to prepare students to continue onto Cambridge course work at Pasco High.

“We were very impressed with the Cambridge schools that we went to go see,” Kim Anderson, principal at Pasco Middle, told the audience at the recent information session. “The students that we saw in these programs were outstanding. They were thinking, at times, far above some of the adults in the room.”

The program offers academic rigor, much like the district’s International Baccalaureate program offered at Land O’ Lakes and Gulf high schools, but offers students more flexibility, district officials said. The program requires students to pass six exams to receive a diploma. Three of those exams must be in each of the program’s study areas, but the student gets to choose the other three.

In the IB program, five of the six required exams must be taken in specific study areas.

Because of its flexibility, students should have no problem taking electives and participating in extracurricular activities, such as band, officials said.

Students are also able to get college credits for single courses, if they pass the exams, even if they do not take enough of the courses to get a diploma.

The program will begin next year, with students entering sixth grade through 10th grade eligible to take part. The district will provide transportation to students in participating schools.

District officials said they’re going to wait until the applications are in before determining how large the programs will be.

To learn more about the Cambridge program, contact:
Jenny Borders at Pasco Middle School: