The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Not here yet, but five-minute pizza could come soon

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Ever thought of pizza as a fast food?

A retired professional baseball player raising his family just south of Lutz is bringing such a concept to the Tampa Bay area beginning early next year. And it won’t be long before he has his eye on some potential sites in Pasco County.

Just a few years old, Pie Five Pizza has just a couple dozen locations in six states. However, that’s expected to explode to more than 200 in the next couple years. (Courtesy of Pie Five Pizza Co.)
Just a few years old, Pie Five Pizza has just a couple dozen locations in six states. However, that’s expected to explode to more than 200 in the next couple years.
(Courtesy of Pie Five Pizza Co.)

Matt LaPorta, a star prospect from the University of Florida baseball team who went on to play for the Cleveland Indians, has joined a group of investors to open 18 Pie Five Pizza stores throughout the region — nearly doubling the number of locations the chain already has across the country.

The concept is to serve made-to-order pizza … in less than five minutes.

“I was playing baseball down in Mexico, and I was talking to one of my business partners Josh Fields, who told me there was this pizza thing I needed to look at,” LaPorta said. “We flew out to Dallas, and met with everyone at Pie Five, and I was sold.”

LaPorta has only spent a few years in Major League Baseball, and despite a little bit of spring ball across the border, it looks like past hip injuries have most likely ended his career. Not even 30 yet, the former first baseman and left fielder is looking at life beyond the diamond.

While retirement might mean more time with his kids, and more regular trips to Grace Family Church in Lutz — where his father-in-law, Craig Altman, is the lead pastor — LaPorta was looking for something that could support his family for years to come, while also trying to make his mark in a crowded restaurant market.

The fast casual concept of Pie Five is more akin to places like Pei Wei and Chipotle, than it is to somewhere like McDonald’s or Wendy’s. The chain is an offshoot of Pizza Inn Holdings, which operates hundreds of Pizza Inn restaurants in the south, except in Florida. In fact, Pie Five would be the Texas company’s first foray into the Sunshine State, opening its first location in Port Orange last year.

LaPorta is gambling quite a bit on the Pie Five franchise taking off, despite the fact the brand is just 3 years old. Many franchising companies offer single store locations with a minimum investment. However, Pizza Inn took a lead from companies like Five Guys Burger and Fries which instead requires franchisees to buy entire markets, with a commitment to build a bunch of stores, not just one or two.

“They want to do regions,” LaPorta said of the company. “Instead of working with 100 owners, they can instead work with just 50.”

Fields, who introduced LaPorta to Pie Five, is a former baseball player himself, covering third base for teams like the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals. He’s also working with former Baltimore Ravens tight end Billy Bajema to open Pie Five restaurants in the Oklahoma City area.

The franchise area LaPorta bought stretches from Sarasota to Pasco. Where a store might end up, however, is still on the drawing board. The initial plan is to open in the heart of Tampa’s metro area, and then expand out from there.

“We want Tampa to be the epicenter of this whole region,” LaPorta said.

The idea would be to find prime business plaza-style space in the area, possibly in places like Wesley Chapel or Wiregrass Ranch.

“That is a great area for us, it’s a booming area,” LaPorta said. “I go up that way quite a bit, and I can definitely see the potential for a location there.”

How quickly a Pasco site happens depends on a number of factors, including when the space and location they want becomes available. LaPorta says he’s also being careful not to open too many locations at once, as he feels the region will need some time to be introduced to the concept.

Pie Five currently operates 21 locations in six states, but has 200 more locations under contract in 13 states and Washington, D.C. Joining LaPorta and Fields are restaurant operators Jeff Engle and Brandon Birdwell, the latter an Oklahoma businessman who has worked extensively with franchising Firehouse Subs locations among other pursuits.

Published July 23, 2014

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Lutz-based trolley rolls into mobile food service market

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When the owners of Lutz Mail Depot on Dale Mabry Highway found that customers enjoyed spending time at their business and socializing, they wanted to provide a small cafe so they could sit and eat.

While brainstorming that idea, they considered launching a traditional food truck. But then they got really creative.

Greg Skibbee and his partner at Lutz Mail Depot, Paul Fischer, have put around $125,000 into their Route 66 Kitchen & Dining Car. The trolley/food service vehicle is now parked in front of their business during the week, and will travel the state on many weekends. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Greg Skibbee and his partner at Lutz Mail Depot, Paul Fischer, have put around $125,000 into their Route 66 Kitchen & Dining Car. The trolley/food service vehicle is now parked in front of their business during the week, and will travel the state on many weekends.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

“We thought, let’s do something cool with this and let’s do something that’s kind of interesting and unique,” said Greg Skibbee, who owns Lutz Mail Depot with his business partner, Paul Fischer.

Make way for the trolley.

Skibbee and Fischer converted a working, 35-foot motorized trolley from Paris, Texas, into the Route 66 Kitchen & Dining Car, a mobile food service vehicle that will sit outside their business during the week serving food, and hit the road throughout Florida on weekends. It officially opened for business last week.

While converting a trolley into a food truck is an unusual concept on its own, Skibbee explained that there’s more to it than that. At more than twice the length of a typical 17-foot food truck, they can offer something missing from mobile food vehicles: inside seating.

Between eight and 10 patrons can eat inside the trolley, and awnings will provide shade for customers who use tables and chairs outside.

In addition to getting the trolley ready for inside customers and decorating it with Route 66-themed memorabilia, Skibbee and Fischer added a new, electric cooking system with induction heating. The equipment will allow for fast, clean cooking, while keeping temperatures under control, Skibbee said.

After adding air conditioning and getting everything up to code — the trolley has passed its health inspection and is road-ready — its owners will have spent around $125,000 making their idea a reality.

The transformation required a lot of effort in a short time, since they just purchased the trolley in late May. But according to Skibbee, the effort has been worth it.

“This is probably one of the things I’m most proud of because it took so much to do it,” he said.

The trolley made its public debut at the Lutz Independence Day parade, escorting outgoing Lutz Guv’na Suzin Carr along the parade route. But even when its owners take it to Home Depot for some upgrades, it attracts plenty of attention, Skibbee said.

While the Route 66 Kitchen & Dining Car will serve hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and even breakfast to patrons, they’ll be happy to serve the underprivileged in the community as well. Military veterans and the homeless will find themselves welcome wherever their wheels stop that day.

“You want to support your vets and you want to support your homeless,” Skibbee said.

If the community supports their Route 66-themed trolley, its owners will make sure it isn’t lonely on the road. They have preliminary plans to add two or three more to the fleet by the end of 2015.

The trolley already has made an impact inside their business as well, as benches have been converted into sitting areas. But outside, Skibbee believes the trolley will have a presence that fits in with the unique spirit of Lutz. And to make sure nobody forgets where it comes from as it travels around the state, the trolley has its home community proudly displayed on the back.

“That’s why we actually branded it as ‘Hometown: Lutz,’” Skibbee said. “It doesn’t say ‘Hometown: Tampa’ or ‘Orlando.’ It says ‘Lutz’ because Lutz is where we are.”

For more information about the Route 66 Kitchen & Dining Car, visit Route66.kitchen, or call (813) 949-5370.

Published July 23, 2014

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Wesley Chapel High receives national automotive certification

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Wesley Chapel High’s Academy of Automotive Technology has received a five-year certification for maintenance and light repair from the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation.

The certification provides a level of credibility because outside experts have evaluated the program and determined that it has met is rigorous standards, said Shelley Carrino, an assistant principal who oversees the automotive program.

Shelley Carrino, who oversees the Academy of Automotive Technology at Wesley Chapel High, holds the framed five-year certification from the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Shelley Carrino, who oversees the Academy of Automotive Technology at Wesley Chapel High, holds the framed five-year certification from the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

With this certification, students can be confident their training is current and adheres to high standards, Carrino said. Potential employers can be assured that the students are prepared to handle the demands of the work.

Obtaining a certification requires a two-day evaluation by a representative of the association. It includes checking out the program’s facilities, resources, quality of training programs, and equipment, and measures them against industry standards.

Details are important, Carrino said. For instance, the evaluator looked through the school’s tool drawers to make sure there is enough equipment to support the program’s size. The evaluation also included checking out the technology that’s available and safety issues.

Carrino and academy teacher Jeff Corliss worked for months with Barbara Donaghy, a supervisor in the district’s career and technical education division to prepare for the certification process.

“She put a lot of long hours and hard work, in helping us,” Carrino said. Community partners also stepped in to help.

The program had to meet the standards for 12 different categories, and there were subcategories for each standard, Carrino said.

“Besides the fact that it’s important for us to do it, it really became urgent for us to go through this process and get it done as quickly as possible,” she said. “We were losing funding for our kids.”

The certification was necessary for the school to qualify for state funding for the classes offered through the automotive academy.

When the school launched its program in 2009, it began in a classroom. Then it branched into an outdoor space, Donaghy said.

It didn’t open its permanent building until this past January, so it would not have been able to qualify for the certification until this year, Carrino said.

“Every year you reflect on, ‘What can I do to do better? What can I do to meet the needs of my students so they’ll be more successful?’” she said. “The NATEF standards and tasks are definitely going to deepen the learning and the skills, and also enhance the instructor’s ability to be a better instructor.”

Published July 23, 2014

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Wesley Chapel All-Stars tee up a state title

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A batter steps up to the plate with two outs in the final inning of a tied game. He hits a shot near third base and drives in the winning run.

His team not only wins the game, but a state championship as well. The crowd in the bleachers applauds, his teammates cheer, and his coaches are proud of the team’s title run.

The Wesley Chapel T-Ball All-Stars had their skills tested at the district and state tournaments, but came away with the championship earlier this month. (Courtesy of Todd Owen)
The Wesley Chapel T-Ball All-Stars had their skills tested at the district and state tournaments, but came away with the championship earlier this month.
(Courtesy of Todd Owen)

Not bad for an athlete who’s up well past his bedtime.

Lucas Cinnante is just 6 years old, but his game-winning single clinched the state title for the Wesley Chapel T-Ball All-Stars earlier this month. The contest was part of a three-game final day for the team that made it past several must-win games and came from behind in the final match-up.

By the time they won the championship, a 16-15 victory over Sebring, it was nearly 10 p.m.

Cinnante and his teammates didn’t play like they were tired, and he said he wasn’t really nervous, either.

“Not that much,” Cinnante said. “My coach said to hit a ground ball, so I hit a ground ball. I just wanted to win a game and have fun.”

Wesley Chapel won the game and had fun, and their final victory capped an impressive run for the 6- and 7-year-olds on the team. The All-Stars are made up of the best t-ball players during the regular season across several teams, and they get together to compete for district and state honors.

Their run started with a strong showing at their district tournament last month in Wildwood, with Wesley Chapel earning the Dixie Youth Baseball District 6 championship after compiling a 5-1 record in the tournament.

Wesley Chapel then competed for the state title earlier this month in Mulberry, but it wasn’t an easy path to the championship. The tournament split the 12 competing teams into two pools, and Wesley Chapel completed its pool play with a perfect 5-0 record, earning a spot in the double-elimination championship portion of the tournament.

Then things got challenging. They defeated Wildwood next, but a loss to Sebring put them in the elimination bracket, meaning the next loss would end their title hopes.

They would have to keep winning to earn their way back into a rematch with Sebring, and then beat them twice in a row to claim the title. And accomplishing that task would include playing three elimination games in a single day.

Team manager Todd Owen knew that would be a tall order for athletes with just a half-dozen birthdays under their belt.

“Coach Vito (Anello) and I were saying to ourselves, ‘Just let the kids play. Let them enjoy this,’” he said. “It’s going to be a tough, uphill battle to win three games in one night. So let the kids go out, have fun, enjoy it and just be positive for the kids.

“And the kids just took the game over. They were out there just making things happen,” Owen said. “It was pure joy as far as the coaches being able to sit there and watch that.”

But nobody was sitting when the team finally won the title. The players were elated, Owen said. “They were jumping for joy.”

“I’m not sure who was more happy, the parents or the kids,” he said.

The parents were the key to the team’s success this year. Even with good coaching and talented players, the families are necessary to provide support, encourage and show patience with the young athletes, and foster a healthy environment for the team.

Cinnante’s mother, Leslie Cinnante, said that healthy environment was a positive experience for players and parents.

“This group of people is absolutely wonderful,” she said. “Everybody gets along, everybody is encouraging, everyone is positive, everybody helps each other. The All-Star team was a wonderful team.”

While winning the state championship was a special accomplishment, Owen said the team earned another title during the state tournament that was equally impressive. Wesley Chapel received the sportsmanship award.

The team organized group photos with their opponents to remember the fun times they had at the tournament, for example. And Owen was told that, unlike the t-ball championship, there wasn’t as much competition for that particular title. The people who came in contact with Wesley Chapel saw them as respectful and good sports throughout the tournament, he said.

“I did not expect that or anything,” Owen said. “That’s something to be proud of.”

The young Cinnante, who claims Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Ben Zobrist as one of his favorites, will move up to a higher level of t-ball next year. But as much as he loves baseball and playing t-ball, there’s one thing he doesn’t like about the game: Having to wait until the next season starts to get back to practice.

“It should start like next week,” he said.

Published July 23, 2014

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Business Digest 07-23-14

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Denyse Bales-Chubbs
Denyse Bales-Chubbs

New CEO at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel
Denyse Bales-Chubb is the new president and chief executive for Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, beginning Aug. 1.

She replaces Brian Adams, who filled a similar position at Florida Hospital Tampa earlier this year.

“Denyse is committed to our mission and growing the legacy of Seventh-day Adventist health care,” said Don Jernigan, president and chief executive of Adventist Health System, in a release. “I’m pleased to welcome her to our system, and look forward to seeing her contributions to both Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel and Adventist Health System.”

Bales-Chubb brings more than 25 years of health care experience, most recently serving as vice president and administrator of Adventist Medical Center Selma and Adventist Medical Center Reedley, both located in Southern California. She has worked for other organizations as well, including United WestLabs, Valley Baptist Health Plan, Tenet Health System, Columbia Healthcare, Lutheran Health Systems, and Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center.

Bales-Chubb has a master’s degree in health care administration from Wichita State University in Kansas, and a bachelor’s degree in medical technology and biology from Fort Hays State University in Missouri.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is an 83-bed facility located on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in central Pasco County.

A new restaurant?
The Laker/Lutz News is working on a story about new restaurants that have opened since the beginning of the year.

New restaurants in the coverage area interested in being considered as part of the story can call Diane Kortus at (813) 909-2800, or email her at .

RaceTrac coming to State Road 56
The State Road 56 corridor between Land O’ Lakes and New Tampa continues to grow, with a third major gas station getting ready to set up shop … this time to help eastbound travelers.

RaceTrac Petroleum Inc., out of Atlanta, purchased 4.6 acres of vacant land along State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel where it intersects with Northwood Palms Road last month for $1.4 million, according to county property records. It will be located across the street from Colonial Grand at Seven Oaks.

A RaceTrac spokeswoman told The Laker last week the company did indeed buy the property with the intention of building a store there, but details of when that might happen and what might exactly be there have yet to be worked out.

When built, it would become the area’s fourth RaceTrac, including one finished last year down the road near the intersection of State Road 54 and Livingston Road. Others are located at 3817 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., and 15474 State Road 52, both in Land O’ Lakes.

Consignment shop has new owner
Connie Whittington is the new owner of Our Little Lambs Children’s Consignment Shop, located at 1532 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Lutz.

The shop will host a back-to-school sale from Aug. 1-3.

For more information, call (813) 909-1881.

Sponsorship announced for SmartStart business incubator
In what officials are calling a surprise announcement, Florida High Tech Corridor Council president Randy Berridge announced his organization is offering a $50,000 sponsorship for the SmartStart Business Incubator program.

The announcement was made last week at the opening of the second incubator location in New Port Richey, joining the existing one in Dade City.

The council and the University of South Florida back “numerous initiatives that support small and growing companies, and the SmartStart program is a terrific program that is already beginning to show successful results,” Berridge said, in a release. “We are glad to help foster the entrepreneurial activity in Pasco County.”

This is the group’s second sponsorship of Pasco Economic Development Council’s SmartStart Program with USF. Last year, both groups announced it would provide a $50,000 sponsorship during the opening of the Dade City business incubator.

The SmartStart program has helped create 42 jobs, and has projected to create a total of 65 jobs over the next two years, officials said.

For information, visit SmartStartPasco.com, or email Krista Covey at .

7-Eleven store location sold
The 7-Eleven store located at 2400 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, has been sold to a New York-based property manager for $4.2 million, according to county property records.

Lakes Pooh LLC bought the property from Commercial Net Lease Realty, now known as National Retail Properties, which had originally purchased the vacant land at the corner of State Road 54 and Land O’ Lakes Boulevard for $965,000 in 1998.

Lakes Pooh is associated with Manhattan Skyline Management Corp., according to state corporate records, which manages “several thousand luxury apartments in New York City’s most desirable neighborhoods,” according to the company’s website.

The company did not release plans for any possible changes at the 7-Eleven location, and a request for comment had not been returned.

Political Agenda 07-23-14

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(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

Pasco County Commission candidate Mike Moore leads a sign-waving event recently at the corner of Land O’ Lakes Boulevard and State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes. Moore is facing Ken Littlefield and Bob Robertson in the District 2 primary, with the goal of succeeding retiring Pat Mulieri.

Poll tackles Supreme Court bias
The U.S. Supreme Court recently wrapped its annual session, but a new poll by Saint Leo University suggests some Americans are still skeptical if the court truly uses the U.S. Constitution as a guide in making decisions.

A majority of those surveyed, 53 percent, believes the court is influenced by political considerations when it hears and decides cases, the university said. Only 30 percent said the court decides cases strictly on its interpretation of the Constitution.

The survey was based on 802 people who identified themselves as “likely voters,” and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent. The participants were asked, “Which comes closest to your view about how the United States Supreme Court hears and decides cases?”

Independent voters were adamant the Supreme Court is too political, with 63 percent supporting that notion. More than 53 percent of Republicans believed that, but just 43 percent of Democrats. On the other side, 41 percent of Democrats believed the Supreme Court did rely on the Constitution, while only 26 percent of Republicans and 22 percent of independents supported that notion.

Meet the candidates on Friday
Wesley Chapel Nissan, 28519 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, will host a candidate forum July 25 beginning at 6 p.m.

The forum will include candidates from local races, including county elections and statewide elections.

Chambers to host candidate forum
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce is joining forces with the Trinity-Odessa Chamber of Commerce to sponsor a candidate forum for both the Pasco County Commission and the Pasco County school board July 30 beginning at 6 p.m.

It will take place at Keystone Community Church, 21010 State Road 54 in Lutz.

Anyone wishing to ask questions of those running for the District 2 county commission race or the District 5 school board race can email them to .

District 2, which would replace the retiring Pat Mulieri, is a Republican race involving former state Rep. Ken Littlefield, Wesley Chapel entrepreneur Mike Moore, and Zephyrhills financial analyst Bob Robertson.

The District 5 school board race is between Steve Luikart and Marc Yacht.

For information, visit CentralPascoChamber.com.

Connecting Overpass Road to I-75 now up to county

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Seven months might seem like a long time to await a decision. But when it comes to building major roads, time isn’t always on your side.

Florida Department of Transportation District 7 secretary Paul Steinman announced to Pasco County commissioners last week that the Federal Highway Administration has approved a new interchange that will connect Interstate 75 with Overpass Road.

Overpass Road will finally get its connection with Interstate 75, the first step toward what could be Pasco County’s new hot spot with sports fields, schools and a massive community that could help fuel growth over the next 50 years. (File Photo)
Overpass Road will finally get its connection with Interstate 75, the first step toward what could be Pasco County’s new hot spot with sports fields, schools and a massive community that could help fuel growth over the next 50 years.
(File Photo)

The project will add yet another entry into the county in an area where Wesley Chapel District Park already exists and a new high school is planned, and could even alleviate current and future congestion on State Road 52 to the north, and State Road 54 to the south.

“The exciting part of that is that it does open up the east side of the county for you once it gets developed,” Steinman said at the meeting.

The Overpass Road interchange will provide additional access in the Wesley Chapel area as well as East Pasco County, where several developments have been approved, or are in various stages of planning or construction, such as Pasadena Hills.

That is a 22,000-acre project that will create more than a dozen high-density villages that could help the area manage growth for that region over the next few decades.

To build the interchange, that portion of Overpass Road near I-75 will be expanded to four lanes with the possibility of expanding into six in the future. Eventually, the plans are to extend Overpass to connect Old Pasco Road and U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills.

The cost for the project will be more than $55 million, and while federal money will eventually be available to the county, officials have to show initially they’re able to fund the overall work on their own. Funds could come from an expanded gas tax, Penny for Pasco funds, and even mobility fees.

“Whether the state or federal government will put in any money, you can’t depend on that,” county transportation planning manager James Edwards told The Laker last January.

But the clock is ticking, county planning and development director Richard Gehring told commissioners.

“Whenever you get this finally inked and approved, you have eight years to construct,” he said. If the county fails to do that, federal approval of the project is withdrawn, and both the county and the state would have to apply all over again.

Population studies have shown the number of people who live in the area Overpass would serve will explode 400 percent to 218,000 people by 2035. Right now, just fewer than 60,000 people live in the area.

Capacity on I-75 also will increase through that area from the current 51,000 vehicles daily between State Roads 52 and 54, to 165,800 in 2040. That kind of volume would create traffic nightmares for existing interchanges in San Antonio to the north and Wesley Chapel to the south. It could even back up State Road 56 just north of the Hillsborough County line.

The county may have been waiting for months to hear back from Washington, D.C., but plans to improve Overpass Road have been afoot for more than a decade.

In 2003, county officials first looked at how the road could be improved between Old Pasco and Fort King roads, without looking at any potential connection with I-75. That changed with a new study in 2006 that gained favorable reviews from FDOT and federal highway officials.

Because the interstate is a federal road, any connections to it would have to be approved by the federal government. To show the viability of such a plan, the county produced a project development and environment study and a preliminary interchange justification report, officials said.

The county already has started to put some funds aside for this particular project to the tune of $15 million. Additional money could come from the renewed Penny for Pasco when those funds start to come in next January.

Published July 16, 2014

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Giving the gift of vision, one pair of eyeglasses at a time

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Charley Chaney has been an optician for decades, helping others get a clearer view of the world.

Besides providing services to local customers, the owner of The Optical Shop and Showroom at 24444 State Road 54 in Lutz, also volunteers his skills to Living in Faith Ministry.

Lutz optician Charley Chaney has fabricated thousands of pairs of eyeglasses for poor people living in Haiti and Cuba. He volunteers his skills to a ministry called Living in Faith, based in North Tampa. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Lutz optician Charley Chaney has fabricated thousands of pairs of eyeglasses for poor people living in Haiti and Cuba. He volunteers his skills to a ministry called Living in Faith, based in North Tampa.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Rev. Russ Montgomery, president of Living in Faith Ministry, also is an optician. He met Chaney in 2006 through Professional Opticians of Florida.

Montgomery said Living in Faith began after he had visited Cuba in the mid-1990s and was handed some eyeglass prescriptions and asked if he could help.

“So, I went and paid full retail price to have the glasses made, and I said, ‘Lord, if this is what you want me to do, make it affordable,’” he said. “About six phone calls later, I was in touch with an optician up in Maryland and we started making glasses through him.”

During the past two decades, the ministry has branched into Haiti and has conducted eye exams and distributed more than 20,000 pairs of eyeglasses.

The ministry also tests for glaucoma and arranges cataract surgeries to be done by volunteer American-trained ophthalmologists. Montgomery trained so he could conduct eye exams and do glaucoma testing.

“When my friend in Maryland passed away, we used few other people (to make glasses), but our volume was too high for them,” he said. “And then I met Charley, and he’s been a huge blessing.”

When Chaney found out what Montgomery was doing, he got involved.

“It seemed worthwhile,” Chaney said. “When you hear the stories about how people can’t afford glasses, and you hear that they are sometimes led in by their arms. They’re 50 years old and they haven’t had an eye exam in their whole lives. Some of these people literally cannot see their hand in front of their face.”

The Lutz optician does the lab work, fabricating glasses from the orders Montgomery delivers.

“Out of all of the optical shops in the (Tampa) Bay area, this is the only one that’s helped us consistently,” Montgomery said. “We had one in Pinellas County that maybe made 20 glasses and they said, ‘That’s it.’ A couple of other ones might make 10 or 12 and that’s it.”

But Chaney will stay after hours to work on the ministry’s glasses, Montgomery added. Chaney’s experience and technical skills enable him to resolve difficult cases.

The ministry uses frames that are donated by various distributors, Montgomery said, noting, “we’ll get frames with price tags on them anywhere from $200 to $500.”

The ministry sells its eyeglasses in Haiti for $30 a pair, but will provide eyeglasses for free when someone simply has no means of paying, Montgomery said.

“We’re trying to give them something that’s functional and practical at a reasonable price,” Chaney said.

The need for vision assistance is enormous, Montgomery said.

“We’re seeing people who have extremely strong prescriptions. We’re getting a lot of people in that are 20/200,” he said, compared to normal vision, which is 20/20.

“We have people in Haiti that have not seen the night stars for years. With their glasses, they can see the beauty,” Montgomery said. “We’re a mile away from a mountain down there. We’ve got people who haven’t seen the mountain for years.”

Montgomery plans to travel to the mountains of Haiti, at 5,300 feet, specifically searching for people who have mature cataracts.

“We know they’re there. They’re probably stuck in their homes,” he said. “They can’t get out. Cataract surgery is a 20-minute surgery and it gives them new life.”

He believes Living in Faith is a ministry that offers people a chance to see God’s love in action.

“In the book of John, it talks about the blind man,” Montgomery said. “He’s been blind since birth. The Pharisees were asking, ‘Whose sin was it, the man or the parents?’

“Jesus said, ‘Neither, but his condition was such that when he was healed, the people would see the hand of God at work,” Montgomery said.

Published July 16, 2014

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Pass the Sash: Perkins named Lutz Guv’na

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The doctor is in.

Cindy Perkins, a chiropractor who lives and works in Lutz, won the annual Lutz Guv’na race, a campaign for the ceremonial title where all the money raised goes to local organizations.

Cindy Perkins was declared the new Lutz Guv’na on July 4 at the community’s Independence Day celebration. (Courtesy of Suzin Carr)
Cindy Perkins was declared the new Lutz Guv’na on July 4 at the community’s Independence Day celebration.
(Courtesy of Suzin Carr)

Perkins claimed the Guv’na sash by raising the most money during her campaign.

“I was very excited, and I still am. I was very shocked, actually,” said Perkins, owner of Back in Health Wellness Center on North Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz.

Her campaign win was no landslide victory, however. According to Eleanor Cecil, a member of the Lutz Civic Association, the race went down to the wire.

“It was very close. I really think it was the closest we’ve ever had,” she said.

In a campaign season where the five candidates raised almost $9,500, Perkins edged “Papa” Jay Muffly by less than $10. The totals were counted multiple times to ensure they were correct.

The funds raised by all the candidates will be distributed to local organizations. In the past, recipients have included Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Friends of the Lutz Branch Library, the Old Lutz School, the Civil Air Patrol, and the Lutz Patriots. Between 15 and 20 different groups will receive grants from the Guv’na race in a typical year.

Cecil, who has been involved with the race for about 13 years, said the money is only part of what makes the Lutz Guv’na race special. The entire event is supposed to be fun, and the candidates are expected to enjoy themselves while they work for the title.

And from what she saw, all five candidates — Perkins, Muffly, Liane Caruso, Jerome Smalls and Susan Gulash — did just that.

“I went to many of their events and I really think they had a good time with it, and they put in a lot of effort,” Cecil said.

She noted they also worked well as a group, hosting joint events to raise money and supporting each other throughout the race.

Perkins said she enjoyed meeting the candidates she didn’t know, and making stronger friendships with the ones she had already met. Her campaign raised more than $4,000 of the total, and said the money brought in shows the positive impact of the campaign on the community.

“To come close to raising $10,000 that’s all going to go back to different local schools and other nonprofits and charities, that’s fantastic,” Perkins said. “It really shows how a few people can kind of pull a community together.”

Even though the title has been passed, Cecil said that the previous Guv’na left some pretty big shoes to fill. Suzin Carr, who has been Guv’na twice, was very active in the role and even helped recruit the new batch of candidates to replace her.

“She did more than just be Guv’na. She helped us out a lot and took the lead in a lot of things,” Cecil said. ”She’s really a phenomenal lady.”

Perkins not only is ready to fulfill her traditional Guv’na duties, such as attending Lutz events, she’s taken Carr’s lead and started the recruitment process for the next batch of candidates.

“I’ve already started trying to talk some people into doing it next year,” she said.

Businesses or organizations in the Lutz community are welcome to apply for a grant as long as they are designated as a nonprofit and are not affiliated with a religious organization.

For more information on how to apply, e-mail Eleanor Cecil at .

Published July 16, 2014

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Outstanding journalists make for outstanding papers

By

In the past few months I have used my column to boast about our recent industry audit, which reports that our newspapers have more readers than ever before.

Today I want to tell you why that is. But first, a brief recap.

Michael Hinman, news editor of The Laker/Lutz News, shows the two trophies he won for first place finishes at the Florida Press Association Better Weekly Newspaper Contest in Coral Gables last week. Hinman won for local government reporting and general news. ((Courtesy of Karel Ortiz-Tavarez)
Michael Hinman, news editor of The Laker/Lutz News, shows the two trophies he won for first place finishes at the Florida Press Association Better Weekly Newspaper Contest in Coral Gables last week. Hinman won for local government reporting and general news.
((Courtesy of Karel Ortiz-Tavarez)

According to this statistically valid research, The Laker/Lutz News is read by 79 percent of households in Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills — or more than 64,000 people every week.

This is a readership increase of 10 percentage points in the past five years — an achievement we are quite proud of, especially when considering most newspapers are reporting fewer readers, reducing frequency, shrinking in size, or being discontinued altogether.

So, what are we doing different here at The Laker/Lutz News to buck those downward trends?

It comes down to three things.

1. In our audit, we added questions that asked readers what types of news and stories they wanted to read in their community paper.

2. We accepted the survey results as fact and began focusing more on topics readers ranked as most important.

3. We hired additional professional journalists who are experienced reporters, excellent writers and passionate about community journalism.

It’s this third element I want to write about today.

After I became publisher in 2009, it took me a while to learn the importance of hiring the best reporters that I could find. I learned nothing is more important than experience and credibility when it comes to giving readers well-written, relevant stories that will engage them and keep them reading the paper.

Good writing and fair reporting builds readership and loyalty because readers know they can trust what they read in our papers because our stories are accurate, balanced and relevant to their interests.

Our journalists were accomplished writers and editors long before they joined The Laker/Lutz News. They know how to identify stories about interesting people and groups, how to pick through public meeting agendas to find stories buried between government hype, and perhaps most importantly, they know how to write well.

Frankly, it is a bit unusual for a newspaper our size to have such accomplished journalists. So let me tell you a little about our team, beginning with Michael Hinman.

Michael joined us last year as news editor. He has helped us add more serious hard and breaking news to our mix, and has brought daily news postings to our website.

His background includes five years writing for community sections of The Tampa Tribune, including editor of the Temple Terrace News before it was shuttered. More recently, Michael was a real estate reporter at the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

He first started covering Pasco County in 1997 when he was hired as a reporter for the Zephyrhills News, and later became its editor.

The quality of his work received recognition over the weekend in Coral Gables, where Michael picked up two prestigious statewide journalism awards from the Florida Press Association.

He received first place in best local government coverage for his outstanding coverage of the proposed elevated toll road along the State Road 54/56 corridor. He also took top honors in general news about a town hall last year hosted by U.S. Rep Gus Bilirakis, bringing to light major problems with flood insurance in our county.

Next is Community Editor B.C. Manion, whose byline has graced our pages for four years. She is our most experienced journalist, coming to us after 23 years with The Tampa Tribune, where she covered everything from city government to schools to regional planning.

But her love is writing about interesting people, organizations and places, and that’s mostly what she does for us. B.C. has been the leader of our editorial team as we’ve worked hard to improve the quality and depth of our stories.

B.C has received 11 awards from Florida Press Association while on our staff, and is one of the most respected journalists in Tampa Bay.

Michael Murillo joined us as a freelance writer last summer. We liked his work so much that he became an employee in the fall, writing most of our sports stories and also feature stories about people and things to do.

Michael also wrote editorials for the Tribune and spent many years as a reporter for local community newspapers. His wacky sense of humor makes him fun to work with, and his love for community journalism is contagious.

Mary Rathman is the reason our pages rarely have a grammatical mistake or typo. She scours our sentences, looking for any misplaced comma or misspelled word. She has a sign on her desk that says, “I am silently correcting your grammar,” and indeed, she is.

Besides proofing our work, Mary compiles three columns that provide useful information for our readers: What’s Happening, Health Notes and Chalk Talk. Mary is a respected and well-liked employee, who started working here more than 10 years ago. She also has served the company in other roles before using her talents to assist our editorial team.

While our editorial team is dedicated to delivering a newspaper and website that our readers can turn to for pertinent information and lively stories, we know that much of our best work begins with ideas we get from readers like you.

If you have an idea you’d like to share, please call (813) 909-2800, or email us at .

Published July 16, 2014

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