The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Express route to downtown Tampa in jeopardy, HART says

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The number of people who depend on HART’s Route 51X connecting Pasco County to downtown Tampa is dwindling. And so is the organization’s money.

So it’s probably no surprise to some of the remaining riders that officials with Hillsborough Area Regional Transit want to make some significant changes to the route, possibly removing the express route altogether. But at the very least, adding some local stops to finally bring such mass transit service to the New Tampa area.

Park-and-rides like this one at CrossRoads Community United Methodist Church on County Line Road attract maybe six cars a day, HART officials say, while costing riders $24,000 a year. That could change soon for Route 51X. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Park-and-rides like this one at CrossRoads Community United Methodist Church on County Line Road attract maybe six cars a day, HART officials say, while costing riders $24,000 a year. That could change soon for Route 51X.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

“It is important as an agency that we consider the needs of the current riders,” HART interim chief operating officer Ruthie Reyes Burckard told concerned riders during a recent meeting at the New Tampa Library. “There is no transportation along Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. We have been looking at this area, and are trying to get some service into this area, whether it’s local or some kind of hybrid option” of both express and local service.

Right now, the express bus takes workers from Pasco County and New Tampa into downtown Tampa early workday mornings, and returns them late in the afternoon. HART is looking at three options to change its service, all of them at least coming with a name change for the route: 51LX.

All the new options include local stops along Bruce B. Downs in places like County Line Road, Tampa Palms Boulevard, and even one route that would make its way to the University of South Florida. However, to add the university to the stops, HART would have to give up on its express service.

But that’s not the only change HART is considering. The transit company says it plans to close two park-and-ride lots in Pasco County that it’s paying nearly $24,000 a year to maintain at Victorious Life Church on Old Pasco Road, and CrossRoads Community United Methodist Church on County Line Road.

“Yes, we are considering closing both, but not until a suitable replacement is found,” HART spokeswoman Sandra Morrison told The Laker/Lutz News. “We are trying to find sites closer to Bruce B. Downs.”

But it’s not just 51X that will have park-and-rides replaced, HART wants to make adjustments to parking situations on other routes like 25LX in the Brandon area, and 47LX in SouthShore.

“We are always looking at more cost-effective locations for park-and-rides on all express routes,” Morrison said. “As a rule, private business and organizations provide parking as a public service at no cost.”

Paying for the Pasco lots eats up nearly half the $3 cash fare, Morrison said. The route carries about 17,000 passengers a year, but the lots average only about six cars per day.

One rider who attended a recent public hearing said HART should focus more on the quality of service it’s providing customers of the 51X to help stem declining ridership, not spend time changing the routes.

“The buses are just in horrible shape,” said Beth Derby from Heather Sound Drive. “We get rained on inside the bus. There is no air-conditioning, and we are lucky that we get downtown in time to get to work.”
Buses, she said, are typically running behind schedule, and riders miss connections at the Marion Transit Center in downtown Tampa.

“If this is your only mode of transportation into town, then you don’t have a choice,” Derby said. “But you know a lot of us do, and if it comes between taking a bus that risks my job because I can’t make it on time to work, then I’ll drive. I’m not going to lose my job because HART can’t get its act together.”

HART is struggling with funding, hampering its efforts to replace aging buses, said the organization’s senior manager of service planning Steven Feigenbaum. And some of the problems keeping the buses on schedule are actually outside of HART’s control.

“The synchronization of the (traffic) lights, and the engineering of the lights, are the responsibility with the city of Tampa,” Feigenbaum said. “I’ve been in contact with them time and time again to be more liberal on their timing, but we have not had a lot of luck.”

Without the lights being in sync to help move traffic, buses are getting stopped at multiple lights in a short road span, he said.

What changes, if any, will be made to Route 51X now depends on HART’s board of directors, a group of 13 people representing local and state governments. They are scheduled to hear the presentations on the various options in a September meeting, as well as input from riders of the service. While the board could implement changes as early as November, Feigenbaum said it’s more likely riders won’t see any changes to 51X until March at the earliest because of manpower shortages.

State Rep. Mark Danish, D-Tampa, attended HART’s public hearing on Route 51X earlier this month, and said he favored keeping the express route with local options.

“In this state, we are trying to increase mass transit, and (options) two and three (removing the express route) are going in the opposite direction,” Danish said. “A lot of people here already have been using it to go downtown, and it seems kind of strange to basically kill that bus route now.”

Published July 23, 2014

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Land O’ Lakes resident wants return of Flapjack Festival

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For nearly 30 years, Mark Ballard had a routine when it came to the Land O’ Lakes Flapjack Festival.

“The kids would go to eat the pancakes in the morning, then we would go and spend pretty much all day on the rides,” he said. “Then we could go home and come back again at night.”

The Land O’ Lakes Swamp Fest doesn’t have a parade, but it does have rides, games and entertainment for area residents, as well as providing fundraising opportunities for local organizations. (File Photo)
The Land O’ Lakes Swamp Fest doesn’t have a parade, but it does have rides, games and entertainment for area residents, as well as providing fundraising opportunities for local organizations.
(File Photo)

Ballard lives on what was once the festival’s parade route, and he would take his children — and later his grandchildren — outside with chairs to see it every year.

For more than three decades, even before Ballard moved to Land O’ Lakes, the Flapjack Festival was a community event that included a parade, pageant and rides. Businesses had booths, food trucks served customers, and children played games.

And everyone ate flapjacks.

Over the years it became an annual staple in the community and was a popular destination for area residents. In a way, it was too popular: The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce decided to move the festival from the Land O’ Lakes Community Center on U.S. 41 instead to a place that could accommodate its growth and parking needs. In 2008, the Flapjack Festival flipped over to the Pasco County Fairgrounds in Dade City.

But the public didn’t support the festival at the new location. A year later, it shut down for good. And Ballard still isn’t happy about the move that ended an annual tradition.

“If somebody came down there and took the Gasparilla parade away from Tampa and said they were going to move it to New Orleans, people would say ‘what’s going on there?’“ he said.

The Flapjack Festival was more than a community event. It was a community fundraiser, with local schools and churches benefiting financially.

The year after the festival left Land O’ Lakes, one of the recipients of those funds decided to fill that gap in the schedule. The Land O’ Lakes High School Athletic Booster Club began an event that’s now known as the Land O’ Lakes Swamp Fest, held at the same location and also with rides, games and an opportunity for local organizations to make some money.

But there’s no parade and no flapjack theme. It’s a smaller event as well. But according to coordinator Doug Hutchinson, that’s the way they want it.

“Swamp Fest is more like a community fair, more so than the Flapjack Festival,” he said.

Hutchinson believes that a smaller event can still be a fun destination for residents, but not get so big that it might grow out of its current location. Hutchinson, a member of the booster club for decades, was also a coordinator with the Flapjack Festival during its heyday. And like Ballard and others, he didn’t want to see it moved to Dade City back in 2008.

“In my opinion, you can’t have a community event and not have it in the community,” he said.

But now that it’s gone, Hutchinson feels Swamp Fest maintains a strong area presence like its predecessor.

Ballard believes that others share his desire to see the Flapjack Festival return, even if it means just seeing the name and theme make a comeback. But Hutchinson said they’ve worked to create something the community could embrace, the event is growing, and they never considered adopting the Flapjack Festival name.

“Flapjack was Flapjack. We wanted our own identity and our own little event,” he said.

Ironically, Swamp Fest itself is in jeopardy this year, and the venue is again the issue. Scheduled to begin Oct. 31, that timeframe could coincide with much-needed improvements to the Land O’ Lakes Community Center the county has budgeted and planned.

While the upgrade should be good for Swamp Fest and other area events in the future, Hutchinson isn’t sure if it will go on as planned this year, possibly facing cancellation until the work is completed. His organization should have a clearer picture of the county’s plans next month, he said.

Ballard has attended Swamp Fest, and said many elements of the Flapjack Festival are still there. But it’s not the same to him, and even though it’s been several years and a replacement is in place, the loss of the Flapjack Festival has left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“It just seems like the identity was stolen from the community,” he said.

Published July 23, 2014

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Dade City hospital readies $3M surgical expansion

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With a new owner and a new name, change has been a constant for Bayfront Health Dade City.

But while some may say too much change is bad, Shauna McKinnon knows that what the Dade City hospital has experienced in recent months will only make it better. And that includes planned major changes coming up this winter.

Change has been the order of business at Bayfront Health Dade City over the past year, but hospital chief executive Shauna McKinnon feels the community has embraced all those changes as positive, including the recent announcement to expand surgical services. (Courtesy of Bayfront Health Dade City)
Change has been the order of business at Bayfront Health Dade City over the past year, but hospital chief executive Shauna McKinnon feels the community has embraced all those changes as positive, including the recent announcement to expand surgical services.
(Courtesy of Bayfront Health Dade City)

McKinnon, who has led the hospital as its chief executive since January 2013, has been making stops around the community sharing news of a $3 million expansion planned to start later this year that will expand the five existing operating rooms, and make some much-needed updates to the pre-operation area and recovery rooms as well.

“We have five rooms there right now, but they are quite small,” McKinnon said. “Everything in the medical field evolves over time, and it creates more of a demand for space. We’re simply responding to that demand.”

The renovation and expansion could take close to a year to complete, but McKinnon is not anticipating any interruptions in service. Enough space will still be made available during construction to keep surgeries going, and the hope is that seeing contractors will build excitement instead of creating any inconvenience at the 13100 Fort King Road facility.

Renovating the surgical areas was next on McKinnon’s list once a $3.5 million expansion of the hospital’s emergency room was completed in 2012. McKinnon, however, didn’t lay out the plans with her parent company until after Community Health Systems Inc. completed its $7.6 billion buyout of previous hospital owner Health Management Associates last year.

“When I talked to them about it, they agreed that we need to be able to respond to the needs of our community and our patients,” McKinnon said. “We had a huge expansion of our ER a couple years ago, and the OR was the next obvious step.”

For McKinnon, it’s hard to believe sometimes how much has happened to the 120-bed hospital in just the past year, with the new name, new owners and expansion. But one thing she’s been proud of is how the community has embraced those changes, especially putting “Dade City” back in the hospital’s name for the first time since the 1990s.

“One of the benefits that we have in going through a rebranding is to be able to retain the name which the hospital has been recognized for in the community,” McKinnon said. “Lending ourselves to the Bayfront name in brand recognition has been wonderful. And to be able to retain the name Dade City was very welcomed by our community.”

Upgrades to the surgical units won’t finish McKinnon’s wish list for future improvements. There is still a lot more she’s looking to do to help Bayfront Health Dade City keep up with the ever-changing medical environment.

“We already have a lot of ongoing projects, like the redesign of our patient rooms, and the redesign of our orthopedic joint center,” she said. “We need to be prepared for more growth and how we’re going to respond to that. And because we care about our patients and the community, we’re prepared.”

Published July 23, 2014

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Lutz girl’s prize-winning photo is in Ranger Rick magazine

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Sarah Robison took a prize-winning photo last fall when she was visiting a park in Rochester, New York.

The 11-year-old was admiring some Canada geese when she noticed a young deer just a few feet away. The young shutterbug knew that she had only an instant to react, and she took advantage of that moment. She took out her iPad and captured the shot.

Sarah Robison, 11, of Lutz, is one of six national winners in a photo competition sponsored by Ranger Rick magazine. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Sarah Robison, 11, of Lutz, is one of six national winners in a photo competition sponsored by Ranger Rick magazine.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The result was a prize-winning image in Ranger Rick magazine’s “Your Best Shots” photo competition. As a winner, her photograph captured one of six spots in a photo display in the August issue of the children’s magazine, published by the National Wildlife Federation.

Other photos in the spread include a swamp scene in the Everglades, a polar bear taking a plunge at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio, a hummingbird in a backyard garden in California, some wild mushrooms in the woods, and a giant mola fish off the coast of New Hampshire.

Robison is thrilled that her photo was selected.

“I love taking photos. That’s my hobby,” she said.

Her parents, Randy and Deborah of Lutz, are delighted by Sarah’s achievement, and couldn’t be more proud. Her grandmother, Gloria Russell of Land O’ Lakes, said Sarah has been interested in photography for years.

“Even when she was small, she used to take pictures with my camera,” Russell said.

She’s also had an interest in nature since she was quite young, said Deborah Robison, who homeschools Sarah.

Sarah Robison recalls her mother reading her Ranger Rick stories when she was small. Now that she’s older, Robison thumbs through the magazine herself, learning facts about animals.

Robison loves animals and wants to become a veterinarian when she grows up. She also plans to continue pursuing photography, which she intends to keep as a lifetime hobby.

Robison takes her iPad wherever she goes, in case she sees a good photo opportunity. The iPad has its limitations because she can’t zoom in and get clear shots.

That’s why capturing the photo of the deer was so special, she said.

“I really couldn’t believe he was standing right there,” Robison said.

She kept thinking the deer would run away. But he didn’t, she said.

The photo competition is an ongoing contest, with winners selected three times a year from hundreds of entries, said Mary Dalheim, editorial director of children’s publications for the wildlife group. The judges select photos that fill the frame well and don’t have a cluttered background.

They also seek out images that are interesting and use the proper lighting, she said.

“We’re also looking for an interesting perspective,” Dalheim said. “If you look at the picture of this deer, she’s got him head-on. It’s sort of as if she met eye-to-eye with this deer. We were amused by that.”

The photo contest is intended to encourage children to get outdoors and to observe nature.

“You know how some people say, ‘It takes a village to raise a child?’” Dalheim said.
“At National Wildlife Federation we say, ‘It takes a backyard, or a playground or a park.’”

Being outdoors has many benefits, Dalheim said, noting studies show it helps children grow lean and strong, enhances their imagination and attention span, and improves their classroom performance.

It also helps them to become better stewards of the environment, Dalheim said.

Any child younger than 13 is eligible to enter the contest. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/RangerRickPhoto.

Published July 23, 2014

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Coin club offers chance to learn about history, politics, investing

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Richard Schmetisch’s fascination with coins began when he was about 8 years old.

His dad took him to a flea market, and as they browsed through tools and lawn mowers, Schmetisch spied a coin dealer. And so his passion began.

Richard Schmetisch developed a fascination for coins when he was 8 years old, and he’s been collecting ever since. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Richard Schmetisch developed a fascination for coins when he was 8 years old, and he’s been collecting ever since.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

“I just went, ‘Wow!’” the now 51-year-old Land O’ Lakes man said. “I think coins interest a lot more kids than adults.”

Schmetisch began by collecting wheat pennies, buffalo nickels and Mercury dimes, but has branched into more sophisticated collecting since then.

“You could still get buffalo nickels in your change back then, and Mercury dimes in your change,” he said.

Schmetisch remembers the weekend ritual he shared with his dad.

“Every Saturday when I would go to the flea market, my dad would let me buy one coin,” Schmetisch said.

He passed his love for coin collecting along to his son, Kyle, who began coming with him to coin club meetings when he was 7. Now 25, Kyle and his dad were both at a recent meeting of The Tampa Bay Coin Club, which draws members from throughout Tampa Bay.

The coin club meetings are useful, both men said.

“They have guest speakers who teach you about coins and collecting and what to look for, what to be careful of,” Richard said. “A lot of the interest in coins is going to be the history. If you start collecting a certain coin, you start finding out about that time in history and why were certain dates rare and other ones not. What was going on? Was there a war? Was there a Depression?”

There are even coins from countries that no longer exist.

“You learn a lot about geography and history from foreign coins,” the older Schmetisch added.

Collecting coins and currency also is a great way to learn about politics and the economy, he said.

“There’s no end to it. And, I love that about coins. It keeps you learning.”

His son, Kyle, said coin collecting has been a fun hobby, and “extremely profitable.”

“There are a lot of coins I got when I was a kid for $5 and $10 that are easily worth $50 now,” said Kyle, a New Tampa resident. In less than 20 years, he’s made a return that’s tenfold the investment.

Kyle said his dad loves learning as much as he can about coins.

As for him?

“I love trading things back and forth. I like trading up,” Kyle said. “I like getting this bag of coins for $10 and trading that for a coin that’s worth $15 and selling that coin for $20.”

Attending the Tampa Bay Coin Club meetings is very informative, Kyle said.

“There’s more knowledge in these meetings than you can possibly imagine,” he said, noting some club members have been collecting coins for more than a half-century. The knowledge they have is phenomenal.”

Anyone interested in coin collecting should feel free to attend a club meeting because members are welcoming and enjoy sharing their knowledge, Kyle said.

Many people who inherit a coin collection have no idea what it is worth, he said. So, it’s a good idea to show it to members of the coin club to help assess its value.

“A coin club like this one, you can get 20 second opinions in 20 seconds,” Kyle said. “Lots of times they’ll put you in touch with a collector.”

Rudy Valentin is one of those people who has stored up decades of knowledge about coins and currency. The Land O’ Lakes resident was 8 when he bought his first coin, and that was 61 years ago.

“A friend of mine found this Spanish coin, of Isabella II. I bought it from him for eight cents. I still have that coin,” he said.

Initially, it was a mild interest, Valentin said, but he became more serous about it during the 1960s. He’s collected coins from the United States, Spain, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Germany.

“I have a beautiful German coin collection,” said Valentin, who has published articles in Numismatist, the magazine of the American Numismatist Association.

Valentin is humble about his knowledge. “You stay along long enough, you’re going to be an expert.”

The coin club aims to be a fun place for coin and currency lovers to gather, said Joseph Crespo, the club’s president. Crespo, who lives in Wesley Chapel, said he began collecting coins when he was 8.

His interest began when his mother gave him some coins she had saved from his grandmother’s store. That sparked his interest, so he went to the bookstore and bought a catalog.

The 40-year-old said he’s most interested in U.S. coins, especially between 1850 and 1899. He favors coins that were minted in San Francisco and New Orleans.

For those who are interested in learning the values of coins, Crespo recommends they join coin clubs, read publications, attend coin shows and surf the Internet.

It’s important to know what coins are worth before buying or trading, he said. If people realize you lack knowledge, they’ll charge you too much or pay you too little, Crespo said. “Learning is power.”

Coin collectors can invest substantial amounts of money, but they don’t have to, Crespo said. It’s possible to enjoy the hobby without spending a fortune.

“You don’t have to be Donald Trump,” he said.

If you go
WHAT: Tampa Bay Coin Club
WHERE: Forest Hills Park Community Center, 724 W. 109th Ave., Tampa
WHEN: Second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.
COST: $10 annual dues
INFO: TampaBayCoinClub.org

Published July 23, 2014

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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.