Local News

On your marks, get set, wobble

October 2, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Runners who enjoy starting their Thanksgiving Day with a Turkey Trot will have a new option this holiday season.

Instead of driving to the Turkey Trot in Clearwater or the FishHawk Turkey Trot, area runners will be able to do a 5-kilometer or a one-miler at the first Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel. The race will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 28.

A look at some of the participants of a weekly Thursday night run at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel. The Thursday night runners inspired the idea for the Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot, scheduled for the first time this coming Thanksgiving. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

Brian Brink, the race director, came up with the idea for the Wiregrass Wobble. However, he credits his wife Erica with coming up with the name and dreaming up the prize that winners will receive — an engraved carving board for use at their holiday gatherings later in the day.

Besides giving runners a new race, the event is raising money for Feeding America Tampa Bay and the New Tampa YMCA.

Brink, who is general manager of Fitniche at The Shops at Wiregrass, said the idea for the event came out of the weekly run he organizes at the mall every Thursday night.

There are two groups of runners who run at the mall with one heading out at 6 p.m., and the second at 6:30 p.m., Brink said.

Since they always meet on Thursdays, they decided to do a morning run last Thanksgiving.

They announced that plan about a week before Thanksgiving, Brink said. Much to his surprise, roughly 150 people showed up.

Brink figured if that many people turned out with just a week’s notice, the event could draw substantially more runners with more lead time. Thus began the planning for this year’s event, which Brink believes will attract at least 1,000 runners.

“We have Seven Oaks and Meadow Pointe and all of these giant neighborhoods within a few miles of here that are (homes to) young families,” Brink said.

He expects runners to come from such communities as Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, Zephyrhills, Dade City, Land O’ Lakes and Lutz.

Lutz resident Jonathan Bosque, 18, said he plans to be there. The Freedom High student has run at the Turkey Trot in Clearwater for the past three years.

“I just love running,” Bosque said. “This is a great community place for running.”

Brink said he expects the Wiregrass Wobble to become a premier event for the area because the other Turkey Trots are so far away.

“The Clearwater one is the biggest one. They have about 15,000 people doing four different races,” Brink said. “To get down there, to get parking, to get registered, everything like that, it’s going to take over an hour to do all that.

“There’s so many people in the North Tampa area that have no desire to wake up that early on Thanksgiving morning. So, really the area needed something like this. I think we’re going to have a huge turnout,” Brink said.

He also noted that once the county gets a planned park built on adjacent land in Wiregrass Ranch, organizers can add a 10k run.

The route of the Wiregrass Wobble’s 5k will go around the mall and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, ending to the top of the mall’s parking garage.

“Doing 3.1 miles takes some maneuvering,” Brink said, noting the idea is to keep the race off busy roads. “Luckily we have a really big parking garage over there — that will give us some distance.”

The race director thinks the event will be a popular choice for families who want to take a walk or run before settling down later to their Thanksgiving meals. He also thinks it will be a nice option for people who are having family in for the holiday.

“People are traveling on Thanksgiving to be with family. They’re looking for something to do together,” Brink said.

Runners who register early enough will receive a T-shirt that’s designed to keep them dry and cool while they race. The 5k will also be a chip-timed event, Brink said. The chip ensures that racers are timed from the start line to the finish.

Registration is $25 for the 5k and $20 for the one-miler.

Runners who sign up in person at any Fitniche location or the New Tampa YMCA can get a $5 discount if they donate five nonperishable goods for the food bank, Brink said.

Registrations are also being accepted online at signmeup.com.

Runners will also be able to register on race day.

City to decide future of Main Street parking in October

October 2, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Parking may soon be at a premium for visitors of Zephyrhills’ downtown businesses. That is unless city officials decide to pay up to keep some private parking lots open to the public.

Leases signed in 2003 have expired on three lots in and around the city’s Fifth Avenue business district. Whether they will be renewed or not could depend on if those lot owners will go from free leases to paid leases.

This parking lot near Village Inn is a popular place for cars to park during special events in the downtown area of Zephyrhills. This particular parking lot used to be shuffleboard courts just 20 years ago. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

“We’ve talked to some of the property owners (of the parking lots), and I think they would like to see the city purchase them,” said Todd Vande Berg, director of development services for Zephyrhills. “They had been free before, but now I think the owners would like to get some money.”

The three lots are scattered in key spots around the downtown district. They include:

• The southeast corner of Fifth Avenue and Sixth Street not far from the First Baptist Church.

• A larger parcel owned by the neighboring Village Inn restaurant on the west side of Seventh Street south of Fifth Avenue where the Tourist Club used to operate shuffleboard courts.

• A third lot just south of City Hall between Fifth and Sixth avenues, on the west side of Eighth Street, controlled by the owners of the former Wachovia Bank location on Fifth Avenue.

No matter what the city decides to do with those leases, downtown can’t afford to lose valuable parking, especially when special events take place on Fifth Avenue, said Marvin Matteson, an owner of K&M Travel.

“I would hate to see the city give them up, but I would also hate to see the city get ripped off in a lease,” said Matteson, who has operated his business on Fifth Avenue for more than 15 years.

Some residents already complain that parking is difficult in the downtown section, even though parking a block or two away is still closer than most people can park in front of Walmart on the north side of town, Matteson said. Still, his employees and others use the leased lots to free up on-street parking in front of the businesses.

“That would be upsetting to our people, and I know it would really tick some of them off,” he said.

Most of the leased parking is used for special events downtown, like the homecoming parade put on last week by Zephyrhills High School, said Main Street Zephyrhills executive director Gina King Granger.

“On a day-to-day basis, the parking that we have downtown, I think, is fine,” she said. “But these additional parking lots, they are critical when it comes to having all the events we put on downtown. And we do put on a lot.”

Granger said city officials have to be sure to think long-range about parking, and not just the needs of today. There are two large buildings in the heart of downtown that remain vacant right now, but if they were to become occupied, it could create a shortage of parking spaces depending on what kind of businesses can be attracted there.

“Sometimes, the lack of parking down here can be a deterrent,” Granger said. “Even if there is parking available off the street, if people don’t see it, they may not want to stop and shop at the businesses that we already have here.”

Vande Berg is completing his report in the next week, and expects to bring the results to city council at some point in October. Either way, it will be hard to ignore the bigger picture in all of this — especially as the city plans to expand its downtown offerings to include Gall Boulevard once it reverts from the Florida Department of Transportation to the city.

“That has really been the spine through the city for all these years, but because it was under the control of DOT, there wasn’t much we could do with it,” Vande Berg said. “But now we are looking at all kinds of options along Gall Boulevard, maybe even on-street parking, so we might have some options when it comes to parking.”

City council meetings this month are scheduled for Oct. 14 and Oct. 28, beginning at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

Jeffries leaves Zephyrhills as lost, returns a hero

October 2, 2013 By Michael Hinman

The seconds leading up to the explosion are moments U.S. Army Spec. Tyler “T.J.” Jeffries will never forget. The 50 minutes after, from the time he was pulled from the Afghanistan ground and loaded into a helicopter, are ones he likely wishes he could erase from his memory.

Tyler ‘T.J.’ Jeffries makes his first trip home to Zephyrhills since before his tour in Afghanistan where an improvised explosive device cost him part of both legs. He currently resides at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., while he undergoes rehabilitation. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Since that day in October last year, Jeffries — a 2007 graduate of Zephyrhills High School — has pushed himself through physical rehabilitation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He now uses prosthetics where he lost parts of both legs in the attack. And Jeffries showed the progress he’s made on them in his first trip back to Zephyrhills since before his deployment to Afghanistan.

“The first step is getting over the pain of walking,” Jeffries said. “It hurts when (the prosthetic) hits the end of your legs. You have to learn to deal with that and keep your balance.”

For Jeffries and other soldiers with similar injuries from IEDs — improvised explosive devices — it’s about learning how to walk all over again.

Jeffries was one of 1,744 soldiers injured by IEDs in 2012, according to the Pentagon. And that was just in Afghanistan alone. While that is an improvement over the 3,542 injured in 2011, it’s still one of the top dangers soldiers face in the war zone.

Right after the explosion, Jeffries thought he was going to end up as part of a different statistic — 300 soldiers were killed by IEDs in the last two years.

“At first, I didn’t really feel much of anything,” Jeffries said. “Your body has so much adrenaline pumping through it. But 15 to 20 minutes later, you start to feel everything. My armor had caught on fire, my legs were gone, it was a terrible sight to see yourself in. I thought I was going to die.”

Luckily, no one else was injured in the explosion, and Jeffries’ platoon members were talking to him about his favorite beer, and what they wanted to do that evening. It was all to help keep his mind off of what was happening while they awaited help.

“Your life doesn’t really flash before your eyes, but I did think of all the stuff I didn’t do, and all the things I wanted to do,” Jeffries said. “I started to think about the regrets in my life, and that I was going to die on this ground in Afghanistan.”

One thing he absolutely did not regret was joining the Army in the first place. Jeffries made the decision to enlist when he was 19 and not quite sure what he wanted to do with his life.

“I was one of those teenagers who made the wrong decisions and did stupid things,” Jeffries said. “I wasn’t going anywhere in my life, I wasn’t going to school, and I knew that the military would make my life better.”

Jeffries never feared going to Afghanistan or Iraq, and in fact, joined the infantry so he could end up on the front lines.

He arrived in Afghanistan in early 2012, and was shot at within hours of touching boots to the ground.

“Anybody who says they are not a little scared once they arrive (is) probably lying,” Jeffries said. “But after your first firefight, where you really have to defend yourself, all that fear and stuff goes away. It’s almost like you’ve practiced all this for so long, all this training is embedded in your mind, and all the fear goes away.”

Jeffries has been at Walter Reed since soon after the attack, and while many family members and friends visited him in Washington, he didn’t want to return to Zephyrhills until he could manage for himself.

“I didn’t want everyone to see me in such a horrible state,” Jeffries said. “I didn’t want to be reminded of all the stuff I couldn’t do.”

But with rehabilitation and his new prosthetics, Jeffries is finding life is going back to normal. Once his stay at Walter Reed is done early next year, Jeffries will leave the Army and embark on a future he almost didn’t have.

He plans to attend a gunsmith trade school and open his own gun range either here in Florida, or possibly in North Carolina. Jeffries grew up around guns, has always been fascinated by guns, and feels it’s a great way to combine his personal passions and a career.

However, if he could have it his way, Jeffries would do something much different.

“I would be back in Afghanistan right now,” Jeffries said. “I have some unfinished business.”

Activities picking up at Grand Horizons

October 2, 2013 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

I understand that many people are starting to come back from their adventures up north and settle in at Grand Horizons, and therefore, enjoying the different activities.

From speaking to some of my friends, I recognize the fact that traffic is starting to be a little heavier and, therefore, more time is needed to get to different places.

One of the activities was the connoisseur lunch. True, they try to hold it once a month, but September found 32 people enjoying the lunch buffet at Ling’s Buffet hosted by Judy Ellsworth. From what Judy mentioned, they not only had a very enjoyable time with good food to eat, but once the lunch was ended, the women went shopping at Hobby Lobby.

If you know the women from Grand Horizons, they love to shop and any excuse for this, well, they pounce on it. The idea that Hobby Lobby was not far from the restaurant, and the fact that there are many items of interest, is enough for the women to decide to go shopping.

Also, I spoke with Marie Paolantonio and she mentioned that the Ladies Lunch Bunch took advantage of a new restaurant that recently opened. I do not know the exact date of the opening, but on Sept. 10 they went to Panera Bread. I realize that I had mentioned that they were going here in my last article, but at the time I sent in the news, I never realized what a good time everyone had.

I read in our newsletter that it was hosted by Joyce Bell, who said 13 people attended. Joyce also mentioned that they put the tables close together so everyone could enjoy the rest of the company. From what I heard, the sandwiches and the soups are simply terrific.

If it is anything like the Panera Bread that we have in Connecticut, then I know the food is delicious, and Marty and I will be going there quite often.

Marie went on to mention that from Panera Bread, they went to Bob and Luella Wheeling’s home to help celebrate Bob’s 90th birthday. This is also something that I read was going to take place, but I didn’t know what a lovely time many people had when they celebrated Bob’s birthday until I spoke to Marie. So, Marie, thanks for the update.

Also, thanks goes to Joyce Bell who did attend the celebration and informed me that Bob received at least 45 cards. She said all who attended really enjoyed themselves, and the day was perfect.

Also, at Grand Horizons, there is a new and exciting activity. Rich Wagner, who is relatively new to the development, opened up his home for any of the residents that care to come to see films. Some of the movies shown are old-type picture shows, but there are also new ones, plus musicals and foreign films.

I had the opportunity to speak to Rich and he mentioned that after the movie, they sit around and discuss it. Rich went on to say that he loves to do this, and sometimes he enjoys a movie so much that he goes out to find the book.

It definitely sounds like a winner to me, and I hope to participate several times when I get to Florida. It sounds ideal to me.

Thanks to Rich for taking the time out to tell me all about it.

A fashion show is coming up on Nov. 2 and will be presented by Bon Worth. Kathy Cribbs is in charge of getting the models and seeing that all runs smoothly. Good luck Kathy!

I realize that in the past few years we had a fashion show and it always fell on a day that I couldn’t be present as we had previous plans. I am so glad that enough notice has been given so I can hold this date open.

Grand Horizon residents are also getting ready for Nov. 16 when they will have a yard sale. It will be at individual homes, plus there will be a book sale, bake sale and lunch will be served in the community center.

Who knows what you will find at this yard sale, maybe something that you have been looking for and almost gave up trying to locate. So, keep this date in mind and circle it on your calendar.

By Helene Rubenstein, Grand Horizons

Zephyrhills honors its own for community, commercial service

October 2, 2013 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

A dozen awards were handed out during the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce annual banquet Sept. 19, honoring community and business leaders who made a difference over the past year.

John Scott of Gulf Coast Financial Strategies ‘passes the gavel,’ so to speak, to incoming Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce president Carolyn Sentelik during the chamber’s annual dinner Sept. 19. (Photo courtesy of Gary Hatrick)

Goin’ Postal, and founders Marcus and M.J. Price, each were honored for Innovative Business of the Year (for the company), and the Community Service Award (for the couple) during the event at Scotland Yard Golf Club. They were nominated alongside companies like Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, The Commons on Pretty Pond and the Quiet Zone and The Home Theatre.

Large Business of the Year went to CF Industries for its reputation, services, growth and leadership for a company with 25 or more employees. It was nominated alongside Goin’ Postal, Humana Marketpoint, Ryman Construction and Sonny’s Real Pit BBQ.

The Diamond Award, which honored nonprofit organizations that helped the community, was given to Eastside 7 Rotary Clubs. Also nominated were Main Street Zephyrhills, Planned Pethood, The Samaritan Project, and Town Ark/The Thomas Promise.

Gary Hatrick, who also served on the business and community awards selection committee, earned two awards — Citizen of the Year and Chamber Member of the Year. Also nominated for those awards were Kevin Bahr, Linda Boan, M.J. Price, Wade Thomas, CenterState Bank, and Jon Dearolf of YMCA of East Pasco.

Winning Small Business of the Year was the Zephyrhills Free Press, while Katy Boyd of Saint Leo University was named Ambassador of the Year from a pool that included the newspaper, John and Diana MacDiarmid and Stephanie Stephenson.

Other winners included:

Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, for Zephyrhills Economic Development Champion

John Kinsman for Leadership in Youth Involvement

Zephyrhills City Council president Lance Smith for Leadership in Government Affairs

Carolyn Sentelik of the Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Foundation was named the new chamber president, with John Scott of Gulf Coast Financial Strategies as vice president and treasurer. Hatrick, of High Road Photography, was named secretary.

Pumpkins and scarecrows and face paint, oh my!

October 2, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Thousands of people are expected to head to The Grove at Wesley Chapel during the weekend of Oct. 12 and Oct. 13 to check out the live music, food beverages, entertainment and vendors at The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce’s 2013 Fall Festival.

The event will include a Little Miss Pumpkin Patch 2013 and Little Mr. Pumpkin Patch 2013.

Festivities will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 12, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 13 at The Grove at Wesley Chapel, 6105 Wesley Grove Blvd. in Wesley Chapel.

On that same weekend, the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village in Dade City is hosting its first Scarecrow Festival on Oct. 12. The event, which previously was in downtown Dade City, is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Organizers are hoping to attract about a thousand people to the event, similar to what the downtown festival drew in previous years, said Jessica Budin, front office manager for the museum.

Children will be able to play games, visit a pumpkin patch and ride behind a tractor. There will also be a tractor-pull event for spectators to enjoy, she said.

Other highlights include a petting zoo, crafting and other vendors, as well as refreshments for sale.

Those attending will also be able to stuff scarecrows, Budin said. People can bring their own clothes from home to make into a scarecrow, or they can buy clothes to stuff at the event. Admission is $3 for those over age 3.

Veterans Elementary School, 26940 Progress Parkway in Wesley Chapel, will be the setting for a fall festival hosted by the school’s PTA. The festival, dubbed “Owl at the Moon,” will be on Oct. 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The event will include carnival games, inflatables, a dunk tank, a photo booth, a pumpkin decorating contest, disc jockey and music, marketplace vendors, and concessions.

To keep the fall festival affordable for families in the community, the PTA is seeking donations and sponsorships from businesses in the community.

For more information, contact , or visit www.veteranspta.com.

A number of regional events are also planned for the Halloween season, including ZooBoo at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, “A Nightmare on Franklin Street” at Tampa Theatre, Guavaween in Ybor City, and Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens.

Local filmmaker finds his own Batman story

September 25, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Will debut documentary this weekend

Just as a movie franchise alone, Batman has grossed more than $3.7 billion at the box office worldwide, and has touched millions of people.

Yet the character of The Dark Knight is giving back in so many different ways beyond the movie screen and the pages of a comic book. It’s touching people’s lives, and making a positive difference in society. Something one Land O’ Lakes resident has put together in a new documentary premiering this weekend in Tampa.

Land O’ Lakes filmmaker Brett Culp poses with Kye Sapp, a young boy diagnosed with leukemia who finds strength during his treatments through the character of Batman. (Photo courtesy of Brett Culp)

“This character has been around since 1939, and multiple generations have experienced Batman,” said Brett Culp, a wedding videographer turned independent filmmaker. “I wanted to create a film that expressed how people do things for others, and I was looking for a way to do that. Batman was really an ideal way to do that, with a story that has been a powerful and constant part of our culture for a long, long time.”

Culp used his own money mixed with a little more than $50,000 raised through crowdfunding websites like Indieogogo and Kickstarter to produce “Legends of the Knight.” In this film, Culp traveled around the country finding out how the Caped Crusader influenced our culture today with a range of people as young as 5, and as old as retirement age.

The stories surprised him, but the people behind those stories amazed Culp even more.

“This one guy we featured is 19 years old, and is one of a kind,” Culp said. “He is a junior college student, and when he puts on his Batman mask, no one knows who he is. He raises $50 here and there for different organizations, and then he’ll go downtown and do pretend fights with bad guys just to entertain people. He’ll then go to places like the Boys and Girls Club and take pictures with the kids there.”

On the other end of the spectrum is a retired businessman who, once he sold his company, decided he was going to live the life of Batman, right down to creating his own $200,000 replica Batmobile from the 1960s television series. He drives around to children’s hospitals, and makes that his full-time mission.

“It is really beautiful, interesting, connectable and inspiring,” Culp said. “The connection that it has to Batman, it’s just so fun to watch people interact with the character.”

“Legends of the Knight” was a two-year project for Culp, the grandson of former Tampa mayor Lloyd Copeland, and a fourth-generation native of the area. When Culp and his wife Tricia get together with friends for dinner, they spend the time sharing stories with each other, many on how popular culture has impacted the world.

Culp is a lifelong fan of Batman, fascinated by the character’s ability to solve problems with only his superior intellect and innovative technology, not through a need for superpowers. Batman also is much more relatable to fans since he was born out of tragedy (his parents being killed in front of him as a young boy), and his commitment to never turn his back on the people of Gotham City.

Movies based on comic books are dominating theaters, but comic books themselves still haven’t earned the respect they deserve, Culp said.

“Comic books are perceived as irrelevant, stupid, or something just for kids,” he said. “We all had that experience growing up, where nobody takes us seriously and think our ideas are stupid.”

Yet, these characters have been a part of many lives for decades, covering generation after generation after generation. And more than 70 years after its creation by Bob Kane, Batman is still finding his way into the hearts of young people. That includes Kye Sapp, a 5-year-old in Arlington, Texas, diagnosed with leukemia. It took a character like Batman to inspire him to continue on.

“He is part of a home with a single mom who has two other kids, all younger than Kye,” Culp said. “It was a really difficult time in their lives, and it was also a time when they felt a lot of weakness and vulnerability. But that was until Kye adopted Batman as part of his own identity.”

Kye would check in to the hospital as Batman. He would wear Batman pajamas to his chemotherapy sessions. When he would feel sick, he would stay strong, because he said Batman wouldn’t whine, and he won’t either.

There have been documentaries about Batman in the past, but never one that explored how Batman has affected the real lives of people who enjoy the character. That made “Legends of the Knight” a passion project for Culp, keeping him going despite the thousands of miles travelling, the long hours planning, and countless sleepless nights stressed about how he can make the project a reality.

But now it is real. After months of talk, film trailers, interviews, and a small promotional tour that included one of the nation’s biggest comic book conventions in San Diego, Culp is ready to premiere “Legends of the Knight” at Tampa Theatre. The family-friendly event will take place Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the theater, located at 711 N. Franklin St., in Tampa.

Along with the 12 stories, Culp also conducted more than 60 interviews with Batman “experts,” including producer Michael Uslan, the man who owns the Batman movie rights, and is responsible for the Dark Knight’s rebirth on the silver screen in 1989.

But what happens to “Legends of the Knight” after this screening is anyone’s guess. Culp said he’s working with his team to figure out the next step, which most likely will include finding a distributor to take it to theaters, or direct-to-DVD.

“This is a grassroots film,” he said. “It was not made with Hollywood connections, or funding from a major studio or anything like that. It doesn’t have any big names in it, just everyday people.”

So Saturday’s event might be the only time in the near future they’ll get to see Culp’s hard work.

“For the path we have gone down so far, I just feel so overwhelmingly blessed,” Culp said. “I don’t have any doubt that this whole project is just special, and that something really cool is going to come out of it.”

For more information on the film, how to get tickets, and even to watch a teaser trailer, visit www.WeAreBatman.com.

Wesley Chapel hospital, Focus on Fitness win top awards

September 25, 2013 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

There were smiles and tears as the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce honored businesses and volunteers at its annual banquet Sept. 14.

Kelly Mothershead, the owner of A Focus on Fitness, accepts the Small Business of the Year award at the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce annual banquet at Hunter’s Green. (Photo courtesy of Tony Masella, OurTownFla.com)

The awards acknowledge the accomplishments of small businesses, larger businesses, volunteers, civic organizations and business leaders for the contributions they make to the regional economy. They are nominated and voted on by their peers.

This year’s winners were:

• Small Business of the Year: A Focus on Fitness
• Large Business of the Year: Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel
• Business Leader of the Year: Greg Lenners, The Shops at Wiregrass
• Volunteer of the Year: Cathy Bickham, Chapel Home Health
• Civic or Non-Profit of the Year: Oasis Pregnancy Care Centers
• President’s Award: Dean Smith, Quest National Services
• Board Member of the Year: Maureen Moore, Saint Leo University

Bickham of Chapel Home Health was elected the 2014 honorary mayor of Wesley Chapel, and won through a fundraising competition. Mary Ann Yaney will serve as the deputy honorary mayor.

The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1998, and now has nearly 500 members.

Make a choice to stay alive, speaker says

September 25, 2013 By B.C. Manion

“I’d like you to imagine the most important person in your life,” Cara Filler told the crowd in Gaither High School’s auditorium.

“With your eyes closed, imagine what your life would be without them.”

That’s how Filler began her talk during a motivational speaking appearance in front of Gaither’s senior class.

The most important person in Filler’s life was her twin sister, Mairin Johnston. But she died the day after they shared their 18th birthday, not long after they graduated from high school.

It was a car accident just three miles away from the mall where both had just been hired to work at a Disney store. Mairin left the mall with her boyfriend driving, allegedly hitting speeds of 110 mph in a 35-mph zone. He lost control of the car and crashed.

The boyfriend sustained some minor injuries. He paid a $150 speeding ticket and spent 15 days in jail. Mairin lost her life.

This was Filler’s best friend. The person who was going to be her maid of honor. The one who would be hanging out with her when they were in their 80s.

Now Filler shares her story through the “Drive to Save Lives” tour, talking about the importance of making smart choices to stay safe.

She made similar stops at Wharton and Steinbrenner high schools, too, which were among the 10 schools in Florida she visited to spread her message.

Students Against Destructive Decisions, better known as SADD, and the Florida Department of Transportation sponsored Filler’s appearances.

“FDOT, for the first time, has put teen safe driving as part of their strategic plan,” said Danielle Branciforte, SADD’s state coordinator. These kinds of presentations remind students “that there are consequences for every action,” Branciforte said.

At times during Filler’s hour-long talk, one could hear a pin drop in the auditorium. At other times, the place rocked with laughter. In the end, students gave Filler a standing ovation.

Many said they appreciated her candor, her humor and her practical advice.

Filler, who grew up in Vancouver, B.C., now lives north of Portland, Ore.

She travels around the country, coaxing audience members to keep themselves safe and avoid becoming statistics. She gives about 150 talks a year and has been doing that for 18 years.

“I can tell you the second my sister died,” said Filler, who was driving behind her sister and witnessed the crash. She could only watch as emergency workers at the scene were unable to save her. “She died because she made a bad choice.”

Filler said she continues to give the talks because she wants her sister’s death to have meaning.

“I’m sick and tired of car crashes being the No. 1 killer of youth,” Filler said. “I watched them rip the car apart to try to get my sister out. There was nothing they could do for her.”

While recounting her sister’s death was dramatic and poignant, Filler’s talk also painted a portrait of the joys and hassles of life as a twin.

She used self-deprecating humor to build connections with the audience, believing that if she can make the kids laugh, she can also make them listen.

Gaither principal Marie Whelan told students that she is always concerned about their safety, and she encouraged them to look out for themselves and their friends. She wants to see them walk across the stage on graduation day next June.

“I want you to be able to be that maid of honor or best man in your best friends’ weddings,” Whelan said. “I want you to be there for them, when their children are born and all of those special moments in life.”

Sharon Hall, program manager for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, knows too well the depth of Filler’s pain.

State troopers knocked at Hall’s door at 11 one night five years ago to tell her that her 26-year-old son, Louis B. Hall, was killed in a wreck on the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway. He was a passenger.

“The driver was speeding, and impaired, and lost control,” Hall said.

Some members of Gaither’s SADD chapter said they think Filler’s comments will hit home with their peers.

“I think she gave great tips on how to prevent accidents,” said Autumn Riedy, 17. “Every day teenagers go to parties and you can prevent stuff (from) happening.”

Brad Smith, 17, said he thinks Filler’s talk “really opened the eyes of a lot of students who think, ‘It’s not going to happen to me.’

“We’re all going to college next year. This is a good message to keep in the back of your heads, to make good decisions. Sometimes just saying, ‘No,’ is all you have to say,” Smith said.

It’s also important to intervene, to help friends avoid foolish actions, Smith said.

“If you don’t say something and something happens, you’re going to regret it,” he said.

Distracted driving is a big issue, said Brittany French, 17.

“My dad is always telling me not to text and drive,” she said. “You’re looking down. You’re not really paying attention.”

French connected when Filler asked the crowd to imagine the person closest to them.

“Personally, mine would be my little sister,” French said. “She’s my everything. I couldn’t imagine my life without her.”

There are times when teenagers know it’s not safe to get in a car with friends, but might not know how to say no. Motivational speaker Cara Filler offers these four approaches:
• Don’t get in the car — There are always other options, Filler said.
• If you’re already in a car, and it’s dangerous, get out of the car — “Speak up for yourself,” Filler said. “My sister didn’t. That’s why she’s dead.”
• Lie if you have to — “Tell the driver you have to pee,” Filler said. Or tell the driver “you think you’re going to puke.”
• Call your parents — Not popular, Filler said, but it’s a move that can save lives.
Teenagers not driving can also volunteer to be the “designated texter,” to make sure the driver doesn’t do that.
And if all else fails? “Hide the car keys,” Filler said.

— B.C. Manion

Seifert cultivates gardens, artistic talent

September 25, 2013 By B.C. Manion

It doesn’t take long to see that something unusual is going on at this 5-acre spread in Dade City.

The topiaries at the front of the property are a dead giveaway that creativity has found a home here.

There’s a horse with a mane made of vines. Three mushrooms squat beneath giant oaks. A dolphin leaps in mid-flight. And a baby elephant, complete with a water-hose trunk, serves as a giant planter.

These are just a few tangible examples of Cindy Seifert’s imagination at work.

Cindy Seifert poses with her topiary horse, one of many pieces she plans to have at her home in Dade City. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

Walk out behind the artist’s home and you’ll find a butterfly garden, with plenty of winged creatures hanging out.

She’ll show you where the herbs used to be, before the butterflies gobbled them up. And, she’ll guide you to a bush, where caterpillars are munching away — preparing for the time when they’ll become cocoons and later emerge as winged beauties.

Glance to the rear of her yard and you’ll see a garden shed that looks like an old-fashioned wood-plank building.

Ah, but appearances are deceiving — Seifert’s shed is made of plywood, painted to look like planks.

Step inside her office and you’ll find more examples of Seifert’s works of whimsy. There’s a carousel figure and some caricature sculptures.

And, poke your head into the basement and you’ll find a classroom, where Seifert has begun offering classes for women and children.

“What they learn to do is think like artists. They learn to identify shapes,” she said.

Her students learn to recognize how objects of everyday life are made up of various shapes.”

“Everything,” according to Seifert, “is made of shapes.”

The artist is also passionate about nature and teaches people how to design their own butterfly gardens.

Her classes are $20 an hour. It typically takes four one-hour classes to learn how to design a butterfly garden, said Seifert, who is actually self-taught.

“I’ve been creating art ever since I was a very small child,” said the woman who grew up in Ohio. “My first paying job, I was in third-grade. My girlfriend’s father commissioned me to paint a picture for their dairy farm, a cow’s picture. After that, the dairy farmers hired me to paint pictures.

“I was able to make a sizable side income.”

She later worked as a commercial artist. Now, she creates sculptures, murals, portraits and other works. She does much of her business online.

Seifert became interested in creating topiaries after making carousel figures about 15 years ago.

“There was an art show at the Northdale Library, the original location down in Tampa, and I brought one of my carousel figures in,” she said. “The response was overwhelming.”

As a result of that show, Seifert was commissioned to build some carousel figures for the children’s area at the library.

“The topiaries are actually built off the blueprints I created to build the carousel figures,” Seifert said, adding she doesn’t use pressed molds or prefabricate her works. “Everything is handcrafted. I design everything, blueprint everything.”

Seifert decided to start offering lessons so she could share her knowledge and her love for art and gardening. She calls her classes “Lessons from Cindy Seifert Art Gardens.”

At the moment, she has just five students, but she believes she’s been called to create the program.

“I think that God puts us here for a reason — to share our knowledge, and I think that it is a privilege,” Seifert said. “God has given me stewardship of all of these things here in my life, — to be able to not just cultivate a garden, but to cultivate minds.”

For more information about Cindy Seifert, her art and her classes, visit www.CindySeifertArt.com, or call (352) 588-3832.