Local News

Kids rise to challenge: Former principal gets slimed

October 30, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Dallas Jackson, the former principal at Martinez Middle School in Lutz, recently got his just desserts when two teachers poured 12 gallons of slime onto the administrator — soaking him with the sticky green Jell-O substance.

Chorus teacher Chad DeLoach and civics teacher Michael Carballo had the honors of sliming Jackson because their homerooms sold the most discount cards in a school fundraiser to generate money for covered walkways.

Dallas Jackson, former principal at Martinez Middle School, gets slimed in a school event to celebrate surpassing a fundraising goal at the Lutz school. (Photos courtesy of the Martinez Middle School Parent Teacher Student Association)

The school’s Parent Teacher Student Association took the lead on the moneymaking quest by devising a card with 40 discount stickers that can be redeemed at local businesses. The goal was to raise $22,500 this year, with $10,000 going toward the covered walkway project.

Jackson, who was recently promoted to a district position outside the school, promised he would allow himself to be slimed and would give students an upside-down uniform day if they exceeded the $22,500 fundraising goal. In the upside-down uniform day, teachers and staff wore school uniforms, while kids dressed in regular attire.

Apparently, the idea of seeing the principal slimed proved motivational. The PTSA raised nearly $30,000 through the discount card sales.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that the cards, which sold for $20, had a wide variety of discounts on local goods and services. There are discounts on frozen yogurt, cupcakes, pizza, hot dogs, restaurant meals, Sunday brunch, pet grooming, tutoring, car washes, golf outings, personal training and other deals.

This year’s discount card was an expanded version of a fundraiser the school had last year, which they called “Pizza Palooza.” That promotion was so successful the pizza places said they couldn’t afford to offer such deep discounts again, said PTSA president Monique Dailey.

So, the PTSA came up with a new plan. Fellow PTSA member Charmane DelBrocco suggested they expand on the theme.

In the words of Dailey: “They decided to take it and 2.0 it.”

“It definitely took hard work. There was a lot of cold calling,” said Dailey, crediting DelBrocco and Terri Ansel, another PTSA member, for hitting the pavement and using persistence to secure 40 discount deals.

By putting together their own discount card, the PTSA is able to direct the money to school projects and activities instead of paying a professional fundraising company, Dailey noted. Some of those companies want at least 60 percent of the proceeds.

Dailey said she’s not surprised by the generosity of area businesses, but she is gratified.

“It’s reassuring because we stepped out on faith that they would be there, that we would be able to fill 40 coupons,” she said.

To help entice students to sell the discount cards, the PTSA offered a $250 prize to the top seller. Seventh-grader Jordyn Schramm, who sold 18 discount cards, took home that reward.

Schramm said she walked around her Lutz neighborhood, pitching the discount cards to friends and neighbors.

“All I did was put a smile on my face and ask for their help,” she said.

It helped that the discount card had lots of good deals at nearby businesses, she said. “It’s for all of the places around our local neighborhood.”

Raising money to help the school provide more covered walkways is a good cause, Dailey said.

It’s a definite need, Schramm agreed, noting on rainy days all of the school’s 1,000-plus students use the same hallway.

“It’s almost like human bumper-to-bumper traffic,” she said.

By next year, the PTSA ladies said, they hope more kids will be able to walk under covered walkways across campus.

And, in the end, the former principal took a soaking — so students at the middle school won’t have to, on those rainy days.

‘Li’l Abner’ brings comic strip laughs to local stage

October 30, 2013 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Musical theater lovers are invited to take a trip back in comic strip time as a group of young performers bring the antics of Dogpatch, Ark. to life on the Pasco Middle School stage.

Arts in Motion’s production of the musical comedy “Li’l Abner” begins its run Nov. 8, featuring a cast of student performers from all over central and eastern Pasco County.

‘Li’l Abner’ director Capria Pichette, left, reads through some lines with actors in the play set to premiere Nov. 8 at Pasco Middle School. (Photo courtesy of Arts in Motion)

Inspired by Al Capp’s famous comic strip that was syndicated throughout the United States from 1934 to 1977, the musical comedy is focused on the lives of Li’l Abner Yokum, Daisy Mae Scragg Yokum, and other residents of the fictional mountain town of Dogpatch.

Two Pasco teens are sharing the responsibility of portraying Daisy Mae in the Arts in Motion production. Kailey Holyoke, 16, a junior at Wiregrass Ranch High School, and Melanie Kender, 17, a junior at Pasco High School, will take turns on the stage during the show’s two-week run.

Sharing a leading role can be tricky, the girls said. But, split time in the spotlight does have its perks.

“We help each other learn lines and get to work on teamwork skills,” Holyoke said.

“When you share a lead role, you get different perspectives,” Kender added.

Theater is a passion for both girls. Holyoke, who has been performing with Arts In Motion off and on since she was in elementary school, hopes to pursue the arts as a career.

Kender began working with the nonprofit youth community theater group in 2009, and has been involved in every production ever since. She hopes to become a linguist down the road, but says theater will remain a part of her life.

As for “Li’l Abner,” both girls say the show is a “must-see.”

“It’s fabulous,” Holyoke said. “It’s a really fun show. It’s catchy and it has really great dance numbers.”

Director Capria Pichette agrees, and points out those who attend the show not only get to enjoy live theater, but they gain an additional benefit as well.

“It’s a great way to support your local community as well as support children and the arts,” she said.

Arts in Motion provides students in kindergarten through 12th grade an opportunity to learn about the performing arts. Its mission is to make sure youngsters have access to the educational opportunities theater can provide, said the group’s president, Patti Corjay.

The nonprofit got its start back in 1995 as public schools began to cut arts funding. Since it’s geared toward theater education, Arts in Motion makes sure every child who auditions for a production receives a role, Corjay said.

Donations, sponsors, ticket sales and a small fee charged for participation funds the group. Children whose families cannot afford the fees are provided with scholarships.

The next production for Arts in Motion is “High School Musical,” with auditions for the spring show set to begin in January, Corjay said.

For more information on how to join Arts in Motion, and how adults can support the mission, visit the group’s website at ArtsInMotionPasco.com. The group stages two productions each year, one in the spring and the other in the fall.

If you go
Arts in Motion will present ‘Li’l Abner’ at Pasco Middle School, 37350 Florida Ave., Dade City.
Shows are at 7 p.m. on Nov. 8, Nov. 9, Nov. 15 and Nov. 16, and at 2 p.m. on Nov. 10 and Nov. 17.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens, and $7 for students.
For tickets and more information, visit ArtsInMotionPasco.com.

By Sherri Lonon

Returning to Grand Horizons in November with a bang

October 30, 2013 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

The month of October rolled on at Grand Horizons with new activities and old. This community certainly can keep people busy as much they want to be.

We have our old reliable fun things to do like card playing, mahjong, shuffleboard, exercises, bingo, dominoes and so much more. That’s in addition to new and exciting things like the movies that Rich Wagner is showing in his home and other things to come.

A train rolls through on the Essex Steam Railroad. (Photo by Marty Rubenstein)

From what I understand, “Fun with Art” with Luella Wheeling, and other activities that were put on hold during the summer, will start shortly.

In the meantime, Grand Horizons had its monthly connoisseur luncheon on Oct. 11. This month the connoisseur lunch was at Golden Corral.

“We had 50 people and we filled the Tuttle Room,” said Sandy Lindke, who hosted this event along with her husband, Al Lindke. “It took us a good hour to get our fill of food and friendship.”

Denise Stewart and Pidge Elliott found smiley face stickers on their chairs, indicating that they had won the thank you prizes of $10 gift cards for Walmart. After the luncheon, about 20 people gathered together in the Lindke carport to spend the rest of the afternoon with drinks and laughter.

There also was something that we never had before, and it was taco night on Oct. 16 in the community center. It was hosted by Andy and Margaret Castonguay. Helping out in the kitchen to do the cooking and serving were Annmarie and Chick Shackewyc. There was additional help, as almost everyone helped out in several different ways.

I spoke to Andy and he told me that they served 91 people and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. They had taco bowls with toppings made from scratch.

These bowls were made in a deep fryer and for toppings they had lettuce, diced tomatoes and onions, salsa, cheese, black olives, and sour cream. The toppings on the meat created a nice meal.

After the main meal, they had cake and coffee or iced tea. Later in the evening they had poker, plus hand and foot. So it was a day to be remembered.

Marty and I will join our friends at Grand Horizon shortly, but in the meantime, on Oct. 13, we took a day trip which was a 1.5-hour cruise from Haddam, Conn. We took this ride on the River Quest and experienced the lower Connecticut River.

It was a lovely crisp day, and we passed by the Goodspeed Opera House that was built in 1870 and has terrific plays and musicals like “Annie” and “The Sound of Music,” and so much more. We saw a swinging bridge that is 100 years old and is the fifth oldest swing bridge. We also saw on this trip the Gillette Castle and several yacht clubs.

On the river we saw many canoes and speedboats with people fishing, and we saw some beautiful homes and some schools, plus some inns that were converted into apartment buildings.

At one point on our cruise we observed, from the water, the Essex Steam Railroad. This was a beauty of a train with many cars.

We also saw the Chester Ferry that took passengers across the river, and we actually got to see another tour boat called the Betty Thatcher. We just waved and hooted to one another as we passed. We observed many birds such as the tree swallows and several nests being built by the birds. Some were completed, and we actually saw a bald eagle in one.

One thing in particular that was something to see was a helicopter taking off. It was some site, and the airport had several more planes and gliders.

We enjoyed the ride and that it was fully narrated. All in all, it was a relaxing day.

By Helene Rubenstein

Swamp Fest gears up, still needs volunteers

October 30, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Organizers of the Land O’ Lakes Swamp Fest have a mantra: “It takes a community to make a festival.”

In keeping with that theme, Swamp Fest 2013 welcomes additional volunteers to step forward and help with the variety of chores that have to be done to make any festival a success, Swamp Fest coordinator Doug Hutchinson said.

Students who are older than 16 can pitch in at the event to earn some community service hours, Hutchinson said, and any other civic-minded volunteer who wants to help out would be appreciated.

Cheryl Carreno and her grandson, Colton Bettis, ride the carousel at the Swamp Fest last year. (File photo)

The annual festival — Friday through Sunday this year — will be in its usual place at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

The Land O’ Lakes High School Booster Club hosts the event, which aims to bring the community together for a good time, while raising money for area schools, nonprofit organizations, community groups and area businesses.

The event generally attracts around 5,000 to 6,000 people, Hutchinson said.

Tickets purchased in advance are $15, a sizable discount from the $22 ticket price at the event, Hutchinson said. Various ticket outlets help sell the tickets and receive a portion of the proceeds, he said. Event parking is $5.

The midway is handled by W.G. Wade Shows, the same company that has participated since the festival’s inception five years ago.

The midway will feature up to 25 rides. Stands will be selling food and candy, and soft drinks will be available from local groups.

The event also features a Miss and Mr. Swampfest pageant, which will be on Saturday.

Swamp Fest began as a fundraiser at Land O’ Lakes High School, home of the Gators, and that’s what inspired the festival’s name. It is always on the first weekend of November.

Besides rides, games and food, the event also features live performances on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Anyone who would like to volunteer at the event should call Hutchinson at (813) 293-3684, or sign up on the festival’s website, www.LOLSwampFest.com.

If you go
Land O’ Lakes Swamp Fest 2013
When: Nov. 1-3, Friday 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday noon to 11 p.m.; Sunday noon to 6 p.m.
Where: Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.
What: Rides, games, entertainment, food, business and community organization booths
For more information, visit www.LOLSwampFest.com

Buy your tickets
These are the presale ticket outlets:
• Connerton Elementary School, 9300 Flourish Drive in Land O’ Lakes
• Lake Myrtle Elementary School, 22844 Weeks Blvd. in Land O’ Lakes
• Rushe Middle School, 18654 Mentmore Blvd. in Land O’ Lakes
• Land O’ Lakes High School, 20325 Gator Lane in Land O’ Lakes
• Sunlake High School, 3023 Sunlake Blvd. in Land O’ Lakes
• Kids Stuff Daycare, 21360 Lake Floyd Drive in Land O’ Lakes
• Sugar & Spice, 3508 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. in Land O’ Lakes
• All Kids Academy, 1910 Livingston Road in Lutz
• Beef O’ Brady’s — Wilderness, 7040 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Suite 108 in Land O’ Lakes; Sunlake, 18835 State Road 54 in Lutz; and Village Lakes, 21539 Village Lakes Shopping Center Drive in Land O’ Lakes.

Friends of young cancer victim told to ‘focus on positive things’

October 23, 2013 By Michael Hinman

He was described as a “young man who has the heart of gold,” and his diagnosis of a rare brain cancer at the age of 15 rallied a community behind him in the fight against such afflictions.

For Jordan Harris, that gallant battle ended in the early morning hours of Oct. 16. He was 18.

“We miss and love Jordan,” a statement read on his Facebook page, Snapback Against Cancer. “We have forever his footprints in our hearts. He has touched our lives, and we can’t describe the impact he has had.”

Friends speak on behalf of Jordan Harris during a candlelight vigil and balloon release in his memory Oct. 16 on the football field of Freedom High School. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

A memorial service for Harris is scheduled for Oct. 25 at 3:30 p.m. at Cypress Point Community Church, 15820 Morris Bridge Road in Tampa. A funeral service also is slated there the next day, beginning at 11 a.m.

Harris was diagnosed with primitive neuroectodermal tumors in 2011. He was attending Freedom High then and played boys soccer during his freshman and sophomore years.

Surgeries and chemotherapy, however, kept him sidelined in games after that. But he never gave up on the sport, even planning to play recreationally in college.

“If nothing happened, I probably would have wanted to play college soccer on a scholarship,” Harris told The Laker/Lutz News last December. “But it’ll all be about fun now.”

The tumor Harris had is rare, typically found only in people under the age of 25, according to medical experts. The cancer is aggressive, yet Harris was able to overcome early obstacles, even getting some test results as late as May that showed no tumor, according to the family’s Facebook page.

He graduated in June from Freedom, and turned 18 soon after. But later that summer, he found out the cancer had returned, and Harris continued his treatment, according to the family.

Friends, family and students came together Oct. 16 at Freedom High School’s football stadium in an impromptu event to release balloons in Harris’ memory. The air was quiet, with an occasional muffled voice or sob breaking through.

As candles were handed out, Freedom social studies teacher Katie Feldman described Harris as a “beacon at the school, but not just because he was sick. Jordan brought a light to all those around him.

“In my experience, it’s those with the hardest struggles who seem to persevere the most, and Jordan was no exception,” she said. “Talk to anyone who knew him, and they would undoubtedly mention his beautiful smile, the way he always wanted to put other people first, and his unyielding sense of perseverance.”

Harris’ father, Phillip Harris, said his son would want his work to spread a positive influence to those around him to continue.

“You all know the history of my son,” he said. “Let’s focus on the positive things. Seeing that he already set the bar, let’s follow suit to do the same or better.”

Both of Jordan Harris’ parents, Phillip and Kim Harris, shared the light of their candle with the more than 400 people in attendance before everyone walked the track and released their balloons.

“Listening to people talk, driven to tell someone they love them in a moment of sorry instead of finding a quiet place to be sad,” Feldman said. “You reached out toward each other, to try and bring each other closer, and to try to make each other feel loved. That’s Jordan.

“It’s our love for him that gives us a better understanding of our love for one another.”

PHCC gearing up to talk about Porter Campus

October 23, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Three sessions have been scheduled to provide information about Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, a new satellite campus of Pasco-Hernando Community College that is scheduled to open in January.

The Porter Campus, which is under construction at Mansfield Boulevard and State Road 56, is situated in an area poised to attract major employers and substantial residential growth in coming years. It is directly across State Road 54 from the site where Raymond James, an international financial services company, is expected to build an office park.

A view from State Road 56 of one of the buildings under construction for the new Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, a Pasco-Hernando Community College satellite campus scheduled to open in January. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

The Porter Campus plans include six buildings. One of its structures will stand 122 feet tall, giving the campus the bragging rights of having Pasco County’s highest building.

College officials anticipate attracting students from Pasco, Hernando and Hillsborough counties. One day, the Porter Campus is expected to draw about the same number of students as the college’s West Campus, the main campus in New Port Richey.

The information sessions are designed to provide a wealth of information to potential students.

Three individual sessions are scheduled at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, in the second floor conference room of Wellness Plaza, 2600 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. Each session will be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and they will be on Nov. 4, Nov. 5 and Nov. 6.

The sessions are intended for prospective, current and returning PHCC students who are interested in attending the new Porter Campus.

College faculty and staff will be on hand to provide information and answer questions about the campus. The sessions will highlight student support services, student activities, programs and courses, prerequisite courses, testing, and admission requirements.

Question-and-answer sessions are also planned, with a panel fielding the questions.

The campus has encountered some construction delays because of weather, but unless a hurricane hits or another natural disaster occurs, college officials expect the campus to open on schedule in early January, said Lucy Miller, PHCC’s executive director of marketing and public relations.

The Porter Campus is slated to offer a bachelor of applied science degree in supervision and management, and a bachelor of science in nursing degree beginning in the fall of 2014. It has received permission from the state and is now awaiting action on its application from the board of directors of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The board meets in Atlanta in December.

The college has appointed Stan Giannet to serve as provost of the Porter Campus. Previously, he served in that same capacity at PHCC’s North Campus.

Those wishing to attend the information sessions are encouraged to sign up now.

Space for each session is limited to 50, for a total of 150. The deadline for registering for the free session is Nov. 1.

To sign up, go to www.phcc.edu/rsvp. Call (727) 816-3398 for more information.

Books for Troops offers peaceful respite during challenging times

October 23, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Patricia Murphy was delivering magazines to the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, when a young man in a wheelchair approached her.

The man, who had lost his leg in the war, couldn’t have been more than 20 years old, she recalled. But here he was, thanking her for magazines.

The young veteran told her that reading the magazines at the hospital was helping him through a tough time, and he told her he wished he could have had something to read while he was deployed.

He wasn’t living at a base, he explained. He was living in a tent on the outskirts of Iraq. Having something to read, he told her, would have made a difference.

Murphy said she thanked the young man for his service, stepped into the elevator and burst into tears.

The experience inspired the Land O’ Lakes woman to launch Books for Troops. Now, in its third year, the organization has shipped more than 15,000 books to troops overseas and delivered 5,000 books to local veterans.

It has an annual drive in October to collect the books that it sends out all year.

“We are accepting action adventure, suspense, mystery, comedy and comic books,” Murphy said. “The most important thing is that they are in very good condition.”

Besides shipping books to military personnel overseas, some books are delivered to hospitals and nursing homes.

Because of military regulations, the organization cannot accept books about religion, the apocalypse or pornographic materials, Murphy said.

The effort is aided by an army of helpers, Murphy said, noting this year three Girl Scout troops from Land O’ Lakes are helping with the collection drive, and four scout troops from Lutz are helping, too.

“The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts come and they clean them and sort them by genre,” Murphy said.

Local civic groups and businesses also play a huge role in the effort. Many businesses help by putting out collection boxes. Wesley Chapel Kia, she noted, has been there from the beginning.

The storage unit for Books for Troop is at the 54 U Store in Lutz, which is a year-round collection site, Murphy added.

“All of the paperbacks get shipped to the troops,” she said. The hardbacks are delivered to nursing homes.

Any books that can’t be shipped or delivered because of their condition are recycled, so nothing is wasted.

Murphy has been amazed by people’s generosity.

“The first time I did it, I thought maybe I’d get 100 or 200 books,” she said. “But no, I ended up with over 5,000 at the first book drive.”

Murphy said the donation of books has outpaced her ability to raise money to ship them.

It costs $15 to ship a box of 30 books, said Murphy, noting her husband’s company, Psychological Assessment Resources, donates the shipping boxes.

While she can get enough books to satisfy requests, she can’t raise enough money to ship them.

Murphy thinks the books provide an excellent diversion for troops, when they have some down time.

“It is a really good way to get their mind off the heat, the bugs,” she said. When they’re staying in remote places, she added, “they don’t have television.”

The books go to war zones, but she’s also shipped them to such places as Japan, Germany and China. They also go to hospitals all over the country.

If anyone would like to volunteer, host a collection box, or make a tax-deductible donation, email Murphy at .

2013 Books for Troops Collection Sites
Carrollwood
Book Swap at13144 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa.

Land O’ Lakes
Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex at 3032 Collier Parkway
Stagecoach Clubhouse at 3632 Mossy Oak Circle
Ballantrae Clubhouse at 17611 Mentmore Blvd.
Oakstead Clubhouse at 3038 Oakstead Blvd.

Wesley Chapel
Country Walk Clubhouse at 30400 Country Point Blvd.
Lexington Oaks at 26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd.
Meadow Pointe III Clubhouse at 1500 Meadow Pointe Blvd.
Precision Kia Wesley Chapel at 28555 State Road 54
Saddlebrook Resort Clubhouse at 5700 Saddlebrook Way
Seven Oaks Clubhouse on Ancient Oaks Boulevard in the Seven Oaks subdivision

New Tampa
Grand Hampton Clubhouse at 8301 Dunham Station Drive in Tampa

Slutzky’s stage life proves he’s not a ‘boring’ lawyer

October 23, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Jerry Slutzky has had many auditions in his life. But none was more grueling than the one where he eventually found his future fiancée.

A lawyer and financial advisor who works right off State Road 54 on Sterlington Drive, Slutzky had maintained a profile on the website Match.com almost since the beginning of the site’s existence.

Helen Techler, an audiologist out of Dunedin, posted a profile, and received 100 responses. She didn’t want to go through it, and instead tasked her daughter to pick out three. One of them was Slutzky.

Acting has been a passion for Jerry Slutzky since he was a teenager growing up in Chicago. Here, he plays Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman with five daughters, in a 2006 production of the musical classic ‘Fiddler on the Roof.’ (Photo courtesy of Jerry Slutzky)

“I was nervous, but I would go into any meeting like this just looking for someone who enjoys doing things, and being someone who shares that interest,” Slutzky said. “With Helen, I got the rose.”

But he did have a bit of an advantage. Slutzky has been auditioning his entire life, finding a home on the stage for many popular productions like “Music Man” and “Kiss Me Kate.”

Slutzky was born into a family of Chicago lawyers, and would become one himself. But there was something about the stage that always fascinated him — and the theater bug was something he could never cure. So much that even today, with a busy work schedule and a full personal life because of Helen, he makes the time to appear on stage, like the starring role in the upcoming production of “La Cage aux Folles” in Largo.

“In high school, I played trombone, and our orchestra always played for the spring musical,” Slutzky said. “I would be in the pit orchestra, but it always looked like more fun to be on stage than in the pit.”

That prompted Slutzky to audition for the next play, hoping to make it into the chorus. Instead, he was cast as the lead — a trend that would continue for the next two productions as well.

“The next three shows after that, however, I didn’t get the part,” Slutzky said. “That brought me back down to where I needed to be. Otherwise, who knows, I may have skipped law school to pursue acting, and I may have ended up as your waiter somewhere. The concept of a starving actor is just not for me.”

“La Cage aux Folles” is probably more familiar to audiences through its comedy film adaptation “The Birdcage,” which starred Robin Williams and Nathan Lane in 1996. Slutzky plays Georges, a character similar to Williams’ Armand Goldman, the owner of a gay nightclub, who suddenly finds himself entertaining a visit from the very conservative family of his son’s fiancée.

“The storyline is the same as the movie, but it’s a totally unique experience,” Slutzky said. “People will laugh until their sides hurt.”

Slutzky openly invites friends and clients alike to his performances, but still gets surprised looks from some when they realize who’s on stage.

“People think that because I’m an attorney, I must be conservative, quiet or boring, but that’s not the way many of us are at all,” Slutzky said.

Performing in shows is a huge time commitment, so great that Slutzky limits himself to one production each year. But even with a grueling schedule, the stage is where he feels he belongs.

“You know that feeling you get when you’ve worked inside in a freezing cold air-conditioned office all day, and your car has been outside baking in the sun?” he said. “You get in, and you get that wonderful feeling of heat that warms you down to the bone. That’s the feeling I get when the spotlight hits me.”

Slutzky’s all-time favorite role is Harold Hill in “The Music Man,” but now that he’s 60, he’s not exactly the right age to play the part anymore. That has opened the door for other characters, including Tevye, the Jewish father and milkman who sings his way through oppression in “Fiddler on the Roof.”

“You experience every emotion in that role, and that’s particularly meaningful for me,” Slutzky said. “My heritage is Russian Jew, and at the time the story is set, that could’ve well been my family being thrown out of Russia.”

After more than 40 years on the stage, Slutzky said he’s still excited to see younger people in the audience. Newer generations have so many ways to be entertained, and going to the theater usually isn’t high on the list.

“I was worried a few times that it was a dying art form,” Slutzky said. “But now I see a whole new generation who do have a love for Broadway musicals, and I am very happy.”

The power of the printed word

October 23, 2013 By Diane Kortus

I first considered writing a column about the demise of Patch last August when AOL Inc. announced it was shutting down most of its community websites.

I mentioned this to a couple friends not in the newspaper business, and each gave me a puzzled look. “Patch?” they said. “Never heard of it.”

One thought it was a website for people who liked to quilt; another was sure it had something to do with rabbits.

Just in case you, too, never heard of Patch, it was a network of 900 or so websites around the country that posted local stories written by employees and viewers, including local Patch sites in Land O’ Lakes, Lutz and New Tampa.

The Patch concept piggy-backed what we do best at The Laker/Lutz News — giving readers stories about local people, events and issues that are only found in their weekly community newspaper. We call this hyperlocal news.

Patch offered this same hyperlocal formula, but in a digital format. And while Patch’s stories, photos and video clips were often very good, most of its websites never drew enough viewers to justify selling ads to local businesses.

Patch failed not because of poor content, but because not enough people went to its website. There was never enough traffic to create the momentum needed to generate advertising dollars to cover its expenses, much less make a profit.

So why was Patch unable to pull people like you to its websites when its content was much like the stories you’re reading in this week’s Laker or Lutz News?

We believe the answer is so simple that it has been overlooked.

The stories Patch covered and we write about are not urgent enough for you to search for them online. You’re just fine getting your community news in a weekly newspaper delivered to your home.

We know from several research studies in our industry that only 25 percent of regular readers of community newspapers go to their paper’s website. And when they do, it’s just once a month on average.

This means if you’re reading this column, you have probably never visited our website at www.LakerLutzNews.com. And my staff and I are OK with that because we never stopped believing in the power of the printed word.

I believe egos get in the way of many publishers and journalists who incorrectly assume their stories are so important that they must be posted on their websites as soon as they are edited. They believe readers are as consumed as they are with getting news 24/7.

Here at The Laker/Lutz News, we accept what the research verifies — that you like getting your community news the traditional way — in a newspaper delivered to your driveway that you can read when you choose.

Those of you who do visit our website mostly go there to get digital links to stories you’ve already read in print. Or, you may be a seasonal resident wanting to keep up with the news here when you’re back north. Or, you may want to share it with relatives who live elsewhere.

We think of our website as a service to readers who want to link our stories to their websites or Facebook pages. We’ve made it easy to navigate with a searchable archive of local stories going back to 2009.

Our stories are posted Thursday morning, the day after you get The Laker or Lutz News at your home. I’ve never understood why most newspapers do the opposite —post stories to their websites before their readers have a chance to read them in their printed product. From my perspective, it’s like competing against yourself and cannibalizing your primary product.

Which takes me full circle back to Patch. I believe Patch faced a daunting challenge from its beginning because AOL ignored what research has told us for years — that people seldom go online to seek hyperlocal news.

It’s not that news websites are never viable. Certainly national websites for newspapers like USA Today and the Washington Post attract readers because they break important national and international stories. Even daily newspapers can have a strong Web following, especially for sports coverage where fans demand the immediacy of game results.

But the kinds of stories Patch posted and we write about are not crucial to your daily routine. Most of our stories are not things you need to know about immediately. Rather they are stories you enjoy reading about when you have the time.

Much has been written about newspapers being dinosaurs — that our industry is on its way to extinction because of the Internet. The Patch experiment proves that prediction false.

The Laker/Lutz News has never been as well read as they are today. People have an innate yearning to know what’s happening in their community, and will forever get a thrill when they see the name or photo of someone they know in the newspaper.

And there’s a good chance when they do, they will likely cut the story out, stick it on their refrigerator and mail a copy to friends and relatives.

Try doing that with a digital version.

PEDC earns international award for business enterprise network

October 23, 2013 By Michael Hinman

The International Economic Development Council had reason to recognize Pasco County earlier this month, bestowing its Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award to the Pasco Economic Development Council.

PEDC had established an unconventional, collaborative entrepreneurship program called the Pasco Enterprise Network. From that, a new business incubator, as well as a microloan fund for small businesses, was formed.

“These awards are meant to honor the organizations and individuals who are dedicated to making a positive change in their communities,” IEDC chair Paul Krutko said in a release. PEDC “uses creative solutions and inventive ideas, and offers other regions a wonderful example to learn and benefit from.”

The enterprise network, recognized as the best of the best for communities with populations of between 200,000 and 500,000 people, is a one-stop resource for finding guidance and assistance for new businesses, according to the PEDC’s website. It’s a collaborative effort of nonprofit groups that provide consulting, counseling, education and technical assistance.

“Basically, this was all put into place because there was a lack of capital for startup businesses and small businesses in the county,” said Krista Covey, the PEDC’s economic development manager. “We are about job creation and about supporting our local economy to help our businesses grow and be prosperous. The hindrance was capital.”

The microloan program has put capital back on the market, especially during a time in the recent past when banks weren’t exactly lending to small businesses. With a pool of $320,000 thanks to investments from Saint Leo University, various banks and other groups, nine loans of up to $35,000 have been distributed so far with low interest rates and terms of no more than six years.

The loans themselves have created 24 jobs in the county, Covey said, and this past summer, even had its first payoff when 301 Designs Inc. paid back its loan 17 months ahead of schedule.

An online retail apparel company, 301 Designs started in the home of its founder, Gil Gauthier, and is now operating out of a 2,400-square-foot warehouse space.

“If a company comes in and has a good business plan in place, that’s great,” Covey said. “Even if they don’t have a business plan, we automatically refer them to the small business development center and they’ll be walked through the whole process.”

Even if a company qualifies for money under the microloan program, the help doesn’t stop there.

“We offer ongoing technical assistance along with the other help they’ll receive from the PEDC,” Covey said. “We want them to be successful, and we want them to be a viable business.”

Joining Saint Leo as financial contributors to the microloan program are Pasco County, Wells Fargo Bank, Bank of America, CenterState Bank, Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union, local entrepreneur Tim Tangredi, and Rubber Resources owner Dale Hawker.

Its incubator at the Dade City Business Center is the first of its kind in Pasco County. The SmartStart incubator is an overall partnership that includes the help of Dade City government officials, the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, Florida High Tech Corridor Council, Saint Leo, the Florida Small Business Development Center, and the University of South Florida’s USF Connect.

The IEDC has more than 4,000 members around the world, and its excellence in economic development awards recognizes the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and most influential leaders.

This award is the sixth state- or national-level accolade in the last three years for the PEDC.

“We know that a successful economy depends on small businesses and the support of entrepreneurship,” said PEDC chief executive John Hagen, in a release. “Working together as a support network, entrepreneurs will be more likely to succeed.”