The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Club Mom offers women and kids a chance to relax, socialize

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When Megan Hendricks moved to Land O’ Lakes from Tampa, she was looking for a place to meet new friends and mingle with other mothers.

She decided to check out a meeting of Club Mom of Lutz/Land O’ Lakes. And now, just a few years later, she’s president of the group.

Grace Hendricks, 5, and Eden Hendricks, 3, enjoy a Halloween gathering put on by Club Mom of Lutz/Land O’ Lakes. (Courtesy of Megan Hendricks)
Grace Hendricks, 5, and Eden Hendricks, 3, enjoy a Halloween gathering put on by Club Mom of Lutz/Land O’ Lakes.
(Courtesy of Megan Hendricks)

“I didn’t know anybody,” Hendricks said. So, she went to a Club Mom meeting and immediately felt at home.

“Everybody was super nice and friendly. It’s casual. It’s laid back,” said Hendricks, 39, who has two daughters, Grace, 5, and Eden, 3.

There are lots of things to do, in lots of places, giving members plenty of options, she said.

Heather Hemberger, who moved to Land O’ Lakes from South Tampa, also was looking for a way to plug in with other new moms. She heard about the club and decided to check it out.

“I joined a year ago, when my son was five weeks old,” Hemberger said, noting she was attracted to the group’s laid-back nature. “I was looking for some friends for my little guy and it seemed like a really neat group of moms.”

Hemberger was a youth director and preschool teacher before she became a stay-at-home mom. And she’s glad she joined Club Mom.

“What’s different about our group is that we’re really flexible,” Hemberger said. “A lot of groups have lots of rules. We allow members to say, ‘Hey, I have an idea. Let’s do this.’”

There’s no pressure to be at gatherings, either.

“If you can come, come,” Hemberger said.

The group has 31 members, ranging in age from the 20s to 40s. Some are stay-at-home moms, some work part-time, and some are working moms, Hemberger said. Some moms have one child, and others have more.

The club meets frequently at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, but also meets at other locations, such as Wiregrass Wednesdays and club members’ homes.

“A typical group is someone will bring snacks and we’ll meet at the playground,” Hemberger said. “Very low-key.”

The club gives members a chance to socialize and gives their kids a chance to have fun. It also provides a forum for moms to share information about doctors, low-cost entertainment, day care options, and parenting advice.

“I wouldn’t say we all have one parenting philosophy, which is also refreshing because everyone has a different approach to parenting,” Hemberger said.

Hemberger has made some good friends through the group.

“It’s definitely fun,” she said. “For me and for a lot of the women in leadership, it’s a way to still have an outlet.”

The club specifically targets members in Lutz and Land O’ Lakes, but does have some members from New Tampa and Carrollwood.

Most of its get-togethers are in the Lutz and Land O’ Lakes communities for the convenience of club members, Hemberger said. Most of the events are in the day, for moms and their children. But there are occasional family events, in the evening or on the weekend.

The group also likes to celebrate holidays with special events, and also likes to help out various charities.

The club will host an open house Sept. 19, so potential members can find out more. It will be at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, and will feature crafts for the kids and some giveaways.

Hemberger encourages any mom who thinks she might want to join, to check it out.

“For me, I feel like it makes me a better mom to him, when I’m able to get out of the house, get a cup of coffee, meet up with friends,” she said.

If you go …
WHAT: Club Mom of Lutz/Land O’ Lakes is hosting an open house to introduce local moms to their group. The open house will feature crafts and giveaways.
WHERE: Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway
WHEN: Sept. 19 at 10 a.m.
COST: Event is free, but annual dues to join the group are $20
INFO: Meetup.com/momsclub or find ‘Club Mom of Lutz/Land O’ Lakes’ on Facebook

Published September 10, 2014

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Cyclists gear up to Spin the Suncoast in inaugural ride

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Cyclists looking for a new challenge may enjoy an event that’s debuting on Sept. 21 on the Suncoast Trail.

Spin the Suncoast is presented by DRC Sports and sponsored by Suncoast Trailside Bicycles, Pasco County Parks and Recreation and Southwest Florida Watershed Management District. It aims to appeal to all sorts of cyclists, said Chris Moling, the ride director.

A look at some cyclists involved in another ride organized by DRC Sports, the organizers of the inaugural Spin the Suncoast Ride, set for Sept. 21.
A look at some cyclists involved in another ride organized by DRC Sports, the organizers of the inaugural Spin the Suncoast Ride, set for Sept. 21.

Riders will be able to choose four distance options: nine miles, 28 miles, 50 miles and a Century Challenge of 100 miles.

The start, finish and registration take place at Suncoast Trailside Bicycles at 16216 State Road 54, in the Target Shopping Center, Moling said. The ride begins at the State Road 54 trailhead, with cyclists starting between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m.

Pasco County Sheriff’s deputies will be on hand to make sure riders make it safely across State Road 54 to get to the Suncoast Trail trailhead on State Road 54, Moling said.

Emergency crews will be on standby, in case any medical emergencies arise during the event, and there will be support and gear stops for riders along the route.

The event will take place rain or shine.

The paved state trail winds through Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties. The nine-mile ride will head north from the trailhead, take the shortest loop and enjoy a scenic ride to the trail entrance to the Starkey Wilderness Preserve.

The 28-mile ride includes a fully supported stop at Crews Lake Park, with food and beverages, as well as music and restrooms.

The 50-mile ride includes a support stop at the Anderson Snow Sports Complex with snacks and beverages.

The 100-mile ride, which attracts more serious riders, involves riding the trail to its north end, plus a ride toward the Starkey Wilderness Preserve, and then back. There are limited road crossings, giving riders plenty of space to spin their wheels.

Cyclists from as far away as Miami and Tallahassee already have signed up to join the ride, Moling said. More than 100 have registered as of last week, and organizers believe the number could climb to around 600.

The race was organized at the request of cycling enthusiasts, Moling said. They said, “Hey, there’s nothing really happening on the Suncoast, so to speak,” he added.

If there’s enough interest, the ride could become an annual event, Moling said.

Besides the support provided by ride organizers, cyclists also will get a T-shirt, a continental breakfast, and barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs after their ride, Moling said.

Trail support for riders will end at 3 p.m.

A portion of the proceeds will be used to help fund some cross-country scholarships in Hernando County.

If you go …
WHAT: Spin the Suncoast Century Challenge Bike Ride, an event aimed to attract all types of cyclists.
WHERE: Registration and check-in at Suncoast Trailside Bicycles at 16216 State Road 54, near the Suncoast Trail on State Road 54
WHEN: Cyclists can start their ride any time between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m.
COST: Early registration through Sept. 17 is $40. Registration on race day is $45.
INFO: Call (352) 637-2475, or email

Published September 10, 2014

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Local student finds trip to China enlightening

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When Darin Kilfoyl found out about the possibility of traveling to China to learn more about its language and culture, he seized the chance.

The 15-year-old, who attends Academy at the Lakes, is deeply interested in expanding his knowledge about the country and its language.

Darin Kilfoyl poses with a young boy from China during Kilfoyl’s two-week trip to learn more about the country’s language, culture and history. It turns out that much of the clothing worn by the people he encountered is similar to the clothing that Americans wear, he says. (Courtesy of Darin Kilfoyl)
Darin Kilfoyl poses with a young boy from China during Kilfoyl’s two-week trip to learn more about the country’s language, culture and history. It turns out that much of the clothing worn by the people he encountered is similar to the clothing that Americans wear, he says.
(Courtesy of Darin Kilfoyl)

His teacher, Wei Wang, told him about the two-week program sponsored by the University of South Florida and the Confucius Institute. Wang said she knew Kilfoyl’s desire to learn more about China and believed he would benefit from the experience.

Kilfoyl said the two weeks he spent in China gave him new insights about the country, and made him want to make a return trip when he has a better command of the language.

The program provided an expenses-paid experience, aside from airfare, which was slightly more than $1,000, said Kilfoyl, who lives in Lake Padgett. The daily routine included morning language, culture and history classes, and day trips to learn more about the Chinese way of life.

The group spent the first couple of days in Beijing, then went to Hangzhou, which is a little bit west of Shanghai.

“If you want to see the true identity of China, don’t stay in Beijing, but go to a province where there’s a lake similar to Hangzhou,” Kilfoyl said. “Or go to the mountain regions where it’s all nature.”

Beijing is very polluted, he added.

“It’s very modernized, but there are so many people that it’s polluted,” Kilfoyl said. “It’s a little hard to breathe, and it’s really difficult to see.”

The traffic is insane.

“People there are masters of driving. They come within an inch of another car. It was surprising how fast and how close they drove,” Kilfoyl said, but added, “I didn’t see a single accident.”

Because it has such a large population, Beijing prohibits 20 percent of the people who own cars to drive them within the city limits on workdays, Kilfoyl said. The government controls that by monitoring a numbering system on license plates.

The students studied at the Hangzhou Foreign Language School.

“It was a private school, where kids in China or from out of the country would study different languages from around the world,” Kilfoyl said.

The students in his group stayed in a guesthouse, which he said was similar to a dorm, with upgrades.

“In the morning, we’d eat breakfast at the cafeteria, then we’d normally have a class, where we’d practice learning Chinese or about the culture or something about China’s history,” Kilfoyl said. “Then we would go on a trip, somewhere within the province. Normally, we went to two places during the day.”

They visited the Xi Xi Wetlands, a museum that described the role water has played in the development of Chinese life. They also visited pagodas around the lake and heard Chinese folk tales.

As they made their way about the country, Kilfoyl noticed that most of the people he encountered were wearing modern clothing, which was similar to American styles of dress. When he arrived in China, he wasn’t sure what the food was going to be like and he also wasn’t sure about proper etiquette, he said.

The Chinese food he ate was substantially different than the fare served at Chinese restaurants in America. For one thing, he said, “not much of it is fried.”

“They eat a lot of white rice and vegetables,” Kilfoyl said. “If they had meat, it was just a little bit, just for taste.”

There were far fewer choices on television, he said. There was the government television channel, a channel that showed a Chinese version of “The Voice” reality competition show, and a channel that aired dramatic programming.

Before making the trip, Kilfoyl wasn’t sure whether the people would be cordial.

It turns out he had nothing to worry about.

“When we were there, everybody was very friendly,” Kilfoyl said.

Published September 10, 2014

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Twins set to become second-generation Eagle Scouts

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Last year, only 7 percent of all Boy Scouts achieved the organization’s highest honor — the Eagle Scout rank. Yet, fraternal twin brothers Joseph Nystrom II and Jonathan Nystrom will officially earn that final badge — even though they’ll only be able to wear it for six days.

“The ceremony is on Sept. 20, but our birthday is on Sept. 26,” said Joseph, who is two minutes older than his brother. “Once we turn 18, we won’t be able to wear it.”

Twin brothers Jonathan Nystrom, left, and Joseph Nystrom II, will be awarded Boy Scout of America’s highest honor Sept. 20, when each receives the Eagle Scout rank. Jonathan created a portable storage container for a fishing camp in Lakeland, while Joseph did landscaping work, including shrubbery like they’re posing with at St. Rita Catholic Church. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Twin brothers Jonathan Nystrom, left, and Joseph Nystrom II, will be awarded Boy Scout of America’s highest honor Sept. 20, when each receives the Eagle Scout rank. Jonathan created a portable storage container for a fishing camp in Lakeland, while Joseph did landscaping work, including shrubbery like they’re posing with at St. Rita Catholic Church.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

The Nystrom brothers will actually become second-generation Eagle Scouts, following in the footsteps of their father, Dr. Joseph Nystrom, a family practice doctor in Zephyrhills. They each earned at least 21 merit badges, served six months in a troop leadership position, and planned a project that will leave a lasting legacy in the community.

Joseph wrapped up his project a few weeks ago, constructing a landscaping project, volleyball court and a bench at his family’s church, St. Rita Catholic Church in Dade City. Jonathan got his project going much earlier, building a portable fishing storage unit for the Teneroc Youth Conservation Center in Lakeland late last year.

“This summer camp program had 260 fishing rods in a shed that just wasn’t organized at all,” Jonathan said. “They wanted me to build some way to hold all of them, and store them, and be transportable. It took me three months, but it’s made out of steel, and that thing is going to last 20 years.”

Joseph’s project kept him a little closer to home, paying close attention to a neighboring religious school building that needed some attention.

“Surrounding the CCD building is a whole bunch of shrubbery, and it didn’t look very good,” Joseph said. “I decided I wanted to redo it. But then the church’s Life Teen group wanted something for kids to do while they waited for their families at church, and asked for volleyball posts and stuff, so I built that, too.”

Both decided to wait for the official Eagle ceremony so that they could do it together. The brothers are part of Boy Scout Troop 311, which meets in San Antonio. They both started as Cub Scouts, working their way up.

“We made really good friends in the troop, and there are a lot of good people there,” Joseph said.

“You are responsible for helping the troop grow, and you want to help out and make it a better troop,” Jonathan said. “You really appreciate the skills you learn in Scouts.”

Since joining the Boy Scouts in 2008, Jonathan has earned 29 merit badges, and was admitted to the Order of the Arrow — the national honor society of Boy Scouts — in March 2013. Joseph also has a place in Order of the Arrow, and earned 21 merit badges.

They both have stories for each one of their badges — but not all of them are good.

“My personal management badge was the worst,” Joseph said with a laugh. “That was three months of keeping track of receipts and money. I am just horrible at paperwork, so it was the last thing I wanted to do.”

But there are some fun badges as well, including ones that allowed the two to go whitewater rafting in North Carolina.

“We went down all these different rivers, and some were super dangerous, which made it 10 times more fun,” Joseph said. “A couple of times, they had to shut down parts of the Chattooga River because it was that bad.”

Another trip took the two to Minnesota where they rowed 132 miles in a canoe.

Joseph and Jonathan are seniors at Pasco High School, where Joseph is on the swim team, and Jonathan a right fielder with the baseball team. Both are in dual enrollment, taking classes with Pasco-Hernando State College, and neither has really started to look at colleges yet.

“We’re thinking about the University of South Florida,” Jonathan said. “We’re still trying to plan things out.”

“Yeah,” Joseph said. “We need to start applying fast.”

The Eagle Scout ceremony will take place in the St. Anthony of Padua parish hall in San Antonio Sept. 20 at 2 p.m.

Published September 10, 2014

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Bikers honor first responders with annual Gratitude Ride

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Wayne Mancarella knew it would be a long day on his motorcycle, beginning with a trip from his home in Largo to the Quail Hollow Golf & Country Club in Wesley Chapel.

Local roads between Wesley Chapel and Dade City welcomed hundreds of motorcycles on Sept. 6 as the 9/11 Gratitude Ride commenced, honoring the local heroes of Pasco County Fire Rescue. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Local roads between Wesley Chapel and Dade City welcomed hundreds of motorcycles on Sept. 6 as the 9/11 Gratitude Ride commenced, honoring the local heroes of Pasco County Fire Rescue.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

But there was nowhere else Mancarella wanted to be. He joined hundreds of other bikers for the 9/11 Gratitude Ride, raising money for the Pasco County Fire Rescue Benevolent Fund to make sure families of fallen first responders were well taken care of.

“Sometimes we take both the cops and our firefighters for granted,” Mancarella said. “I’m glad there are people out there like them willing to do all the things we need them to do. There’s no one else like them.”

The 9/11 Gratitude Ride is now in its fifth year, settling in at its home at Quail Hollow through the work of Land O’ Lakes Realtor Dan Turner. The Sept. 6 event not only pooled together money to help who Turner called local heroes, but to honor the men and women who died trying to rescue people during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

“Make no mistake about it, this is a 9/11 event,” Turner told the crowd on Saturday. “We call it the Gratitude Ride because we can’t go to New York, we can’t go to Pennsylvania, we can’t go to Washington, to express our gratitude to the emergency workers there. So what better way to express our gratitude to the local men and women who protect us every single day.”

The parade of motorcycles traveled more than 50 miles from Quail Hollow that morning to visit Pasco County Fire Rescue stations in Dade City and Zephyrhills. There, bikers met with firefighters and paramedics, learning more about what they do, and the dangers they face every day.

“As the events of Sept. 11, 2001, unfolded, these men and women ran into those two buildings, they ran into the Pentagon, they ran out to the grass site in Pennsylvania,” Turner said. “It was all to do one thing — to save people like you and me. That is what they do. As we are running from danger, what are they doing? They are running into it.”

After the visit to the fire stations, crowds returned to Quail Hollow for an afternoon event that included food, vendors, and live music from The Greg Billings Band.

Final numbers from the recent event were not available, but past Gratitude Rides have raised more than $6,000 for the benevolent fund.

Published September 10, 2014

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Wiregrass, Pasco high schools chart big enrollment gains

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Hordes of Wiregrass Ranch High School students head to portable classrooms each morning, as the school copes with an enrollment of 2,255.

Students stream toward their classes at Wiregrass Ranch High School, which has 30 portable classrooms to accommodate its burgeoning enrollment. The school must have four lunch periods to feed its hungry masses. (Courtesy of Wiregrass Ranch High School)
Students stream toward their classes at Wiregrass Ranch High School, which has 30 portable classrooms to accommodate its burgeoning enrollment. The school must have four lunch periods to feed its hungry masses.
(Courtesy of Wiregrass Ranch High School)

The school now has 30 portable classrooms, and must have four lunch periods to accommodate its swelling enrollment, said its principal, Robyn White. The high school, at 2909 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, had 165 more students this year than last, as of the 10th day of classes, according to Pasco County school district figures.

Some of that growth was anticipated because of a larger freshman class, White said. But the school picked up about 70 more students than it expected.

She attributes that growth to an increase in the construction of new homes and apartments in the area.

The school added 10 portable classrooms this year, enabling it to reduce the number of teachers floating between classrooms, White said. Last year, there were 11 teachers who floated between classrooms. This year, there are four.

Pasco High School’s enrollment grew by 182 students — the biggest increase among the district schools within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

As of the 10th day, Pasco’s enrollment was 1,575.

“We weren’t shocked,” said Pasco principal Karin Kadlub. “We were ready for those numbers.”

The school, at 36850 State Road 54 in Dade City, keeps a close pulse on enrollments at its feeder schools, Kadlub said. Because the number of eighth-graders was up at Pasco and Centennial middle schools last year, Kadlub knew there would be more freshmen at Pasco High this year.

She also knew that the school would pick up students from Academy at the Farm, a public charter school that doesn’t have a high school program.

Increased development in the area also is boosting Pasco High’s enrollment, Kadlub said.

John Long Middle School, at 2025 Mansfield Blvd., also experienced an uptick in its enrollment. Its 10th-day count was 1,659, up 116 students over last year at the same time.

Seven Oaks Elementary School, 27633 Mystic Oak Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, grew by 96 students, bringing its total to 1,009.

Most of the public schools within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area had enrollment fluctuations of fewer than 50 students, plus or minus. Some exceptions were Sand Pine Elementary School, down by 64; Centennial Middle School, down by 62; and Weightman Middle School, down by 87.

Pasco Middle School was up by 62, Watergrass Elementary School was up by 60; and Sunlake High School also was up by 60.

Published September 10, 2014

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An era ends: Cash tolls go extinct on Veterans

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Toll roads have been a part of American life since the first such paths opened for business in Pennsylvania and New York in the late 18th century.

From the very beginning, passage on these roads required horse riders — and later vehicle drivers — to come face-to-face with a toll collector. But not anymore.

The Sugarwood toll plaza on the Veterans Expressway is undergoing construction as tollbooths are removed and electronic sensors read the vehicle’s prepaid SunPass. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
The Sugarwood toll plaza on the Veterans Expressway is undergoing construction as tollbooths are removed and electronic sensors read the vehicle’s prepaid SunPass.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

Last week, the Veterans Expressway parted ways with its last toll collector when the Florida Department of Transportation officially closed the Sugarwood plaza just south of the Pasco County line. It’s the end of an era, as drivers no longer need to rummage for loose change in their car. Instead, SunPass transponders and license plate scanners will help drivers pay the required toll as cash itself becomes obsolete on the Veterans.

“Unlike the old days, back when we first built the Florida Turnpike in the 1950s, most of the people who use roads like this are not people on a leisurely vacation drive,” said Christa Deason, public information officer for Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise. “Now they are commuters, and they are on a fast track to get to work in the morning, and get home at night. They want to keep driving.”

Sugarwood accepted its last cash toll around midnight Sept. 4. By late Friday afternoon, drivers heading north or south on the Veterans no longer had to stop. Technology had won.

When the Veterans Expressway first opened in 1994, traveling the 15-mile stretch was possible only by cash or a rarely used prepaid card that required a hefty cash balance. FDOT introduced SunPass on the Veterans in 2001 after a successful rollout two years earlier on the Florida Turnpike.

At first, SunPass was embraced by a select few, but that has changed over the years, Deason said. Now a third of Florida’s drivers are SunPass users, and 84 percent of travelers on the Veterans and the Suncoast Parkway have a transponder in their car.

“This is just a logical evolution of the road,” Deason said. “Fewer and fewer people were paying cash, and we’ve been phasing out collectors ever since.”

The introduction of the Suncoast in 2001 has caused traffic to explode on the Veterans, especially Pasco residents looking to get to jobs in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, Deason said.

In its first year, more than 19,500 cars drove through the Anderson toll plaza each day, while 8,600 ventured past Sugarwood. Now, Anderson welcomes 59,400 cars each day, while Sugarwood deals with 44,200.

That prompted the state to spend $380 million to not only convert the Veterans to cash-free tolling, but to expand the roadway to six lanes. It’s created a mess along the road, with commuters having to navigate through construction cones. But this could be the last major construction project on the Veterans … ever.

“We don’t have any more room to expand the road,” said Tracie Rose, a Lutz-based project engineer with Jacobs Engineering, the firm contracted by FDOT to complete the work. “This will be as wide as we get. So it’s going to have to last us.”

Now that the toll conversion is complete, work crews can fully concentrate on widening the road. But even with that focus, the project won’t be completed until 2016.

Deason didn’t have an exact count of the number of toll collectors the Veterans employed at its peak, but did say that the state has been winding down hiring new collectors over the past several years. The few that were left up to last week have either moved on, or are getting help from the company that managed the toll collectors.

“We had some long-term employees,” Deason said. “We even had one or two that started out on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge back when they accepted tokens. Some of them took this opportunity to finally get that chance to retire.”
The tollbooths located along the Suncoast, including the one between State Road 54 and State Road 52, will remain the way it is. Cash tolls are still collected in those main plazas, with the option of using a full-speed express lane around the plaza for those with SunPass.

Just so you know …
Michael Hinman, the reporter for this story, spent a little bit of time as a toll collector himself. He worked at both the Anderson Road and Sugarwood toll plazas in the mid-1990s, not long after the Veterans Expressway first opened.

Published September 10, 2014

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Business Digest 09-10-14

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ME Hobbies opens in Lutz
ME Hobbies has opened a new store at 1904 Oak Grove Blvd., in Lutz, and will host a grand opening and ribbon cutting on Sept. 13.

“We’ve enjoyed hobbies our whole lives, and want to share that with the community,” said Edward Karpoich, the chief executive of ME Hobbies, in a release.

The grand opening will be Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with music by Koss Music, face painting by Fuentes Fantabulous Facepainting, balloons, free train rides, and free food, ice cream and drinks provided by Sam’s Club in Wesley Chapel.

The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will host the weekend event.

CareerSource offering employee training
CareerSource Pasco Hernando is offering assistance through the Employed Worker Training program to help businesses stay on the cutting edge of the current, growing economy.

Trained business service consultants are helping companies increase skilled labor productivity and become more competitive in today’s market, the agency said, in a release. The program also provides financial assistance to employers who wish to invest in their employees.

The program also provides up to 50 percent of the employers’ direct training costs to be reimbursed through the agency. Last year, the local CareerSource office helped provide 150 certifications.

For additional information, visit CareerSourcePascoHernando.com, or call Sunnye Fredia at (352) 247-0761.

Mixer, luncheon with PHHCC
The Pasco Hernando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will host a mixer Sept. 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at BB&T, 26644 Silver Maple Parkway in Wesley Chapel.

The chamber will host a luncheon Sept. 16 at 11:30 a.m., at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 20735 Leonard Road in Lutz.

WC Chamber mixer
The Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce will host a mixer Sept. 11 at 6 p.m., at Hyundai of Wesley Chapel, 27000 Wesley Chapel Blvd.

The event includes food, beverages, music, prizes and on-site chair massages.

Wesley Chapel networking group
Networking for Your Success meets every Thursday at 8 a.m., at Lexington Oaks Country, 2615 Lexington Oaks Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Cost is $5, and annual membership to the group is $79.

For information, call (813) 073-1657.

Dade City chamber wants award winners
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce will host its annual awards banquet Oct. 16. With that, it’s seeking nominations for various awards.

Typically, awards are open to members who have been a part of the chamber in good standing for at least a year. Some of the categories include Business Leader of the Year, Large Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Civic Association of the Year and Citizen of the Year.

To learn more about how to nominate, contact Jo Uber at the chamber office at (352) 567-3769, or email her at .

Nominations sought for business awards
Bright House Networks and local chambers of commerce are seeking nominations for its second annual Regional Business Awards.

The awards honor companies, organizations and people who have made an impact with their products, services and thought leadership in the business community.

Nominations are currently being accepted through Sept. 26 in four categories ranging from small business to large business, including a category for start-ups.

Bright House will award prizes including commercial television production, airtime, customer newsletter and cash, with a total value of more than $1 million.

Those interested in applying can visit tinyurl.com/BrightHouseAwards.

The winning businesses will be honored at a dinner Feb. 5 at the Tampa Convention Center.

The $100 application fee is waived for members of local participating chambers of commerce.

Bank stands up to cancer
Fifth Third Bank has returned its “Pay to the Order Of” campaign that earlier this year raised more than $2.3 million for Stand Up to Cancer.

The campaign was first launched in January and leverages new checking accounts to help drive donations that support collaborative cancer research programs, the company said in a release. For each new customer who opens a checking account with direct deposit, and makes three online bill payments, Fifth Third will give $150 to the customer and donate $150 to the cancer organization, more commonly known as SU2C.

The campaign runs through Oct. 17.

Bank offers student sweepstakes
Fifth Third Bank has launched its annual Student Banking Sweepstakes.

Through Sept. 30, students who open a checking account will be automatically entered into a sweepstakes offering $10,000 toward college tuition.

Last year’s winner was Tre’ Watson, a rising football star at Tampa Catholic High School.

For more information, visit 53.com/students.

Kumquat Festival selling sponsorship packages
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce is now accepting reservation packages for the 2015 Kumquat Festival, set to take place Jan. 31.

Packages start at $500, and include logos and links on the KumquatFestival.org website, as well as booth space at the festival. Premier packages, which run from $1,000 to $5,000, include additional features.

The event is expected to draw 45,000 people from Florida, who live here seasonally, and who are visiting.

For information, call John Moors at (352) 567-3769, or email .

Upcoming Rotary Club of Lutz meetings
The Rotary Club of Lutz meets every Tuesday at 7 a.m., at Heritage Harbor Golf & Country Club, 19502 Heritage Harbor Parkway in Lutz.

Cost is $10 and includes a continental breakfast, juice and coffee. Visitors are welcome.

Upcoming speakers include:

• Sept. 16 — Jessica Spencer on Amendment 2

• Sept. 23 — Dr. Paul Bowman on skin cancer prevention and treatment

• Sept. 30 — Kim Thompson on the secret behind nutrition labels

• Oct. 7 — Maj. Ruth VanDyke, an author discussing her book on women in the military

• Oct. 14 — Diane Kortus, president and owner of The Laker/Lutz News

• Oct. 21 — U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis

• Oct. 28 — Michael Walters on water management

• Nov. 4 — Byron Poore on what successful investing and salsa have in common

For information, call (813) 857-7089.

East Pasco Networking Group
The East Pasco Networking Group has scheduled several speakers for the coming months. The group meets every other week at the Village Inn at 5214 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills. Networking begins at 8 a.m., with the meeting starting at 8:30 a.m.

Upcoming speakers include:

• George Swatzbaugh of Emerald Home Inspection Service LLC, Sept. 23

• Bob Hatfield from U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis’ office, Oct. 14

• Jack Mariano, Pasco County commissioner, Oct. 28

Also, the group will have its early fall mixer Sept. 16.

Political Agenda 09-10-14

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(Courtesy of Erika Remsberg)
(Courtesy of Erika Remsberg)

A moment with Crist
Beverly Ledbetter, the Democratic candidate for Florida House District 38, poses with Democratic gubernatorial candidate, and former governor, Charlie Crist during the West Central Florida Federation of Labor/United School Employees of Pasco Labor Day event.

Lieutenant governor coming to Zephyrhills
The Conservative Club of East Pasco will host Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera on Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m., at the Zephyrhills Woman’s Club, 38549 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills.

Lopez-Cantera was born in Madrid, Spain, and graduated from Miami-Dade College before receiving his MBA at the University of Miami.

He’s a former majority whip in the Florida House of Representatives, and was elected the property appraiser of Miami-Dade County in 2012 before earning the appointment as lieutenant governor following the resignation of Jennifer Carroll.

For information, call Nils Lenz at (813) 782-9491, or email .

Audit comes up perfect for Pasco
A random check of three precincts by an elections canvassing board resulted in perfect marks for the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections office during last month’s primary election.

The audit conducted manual counts of select races at those precincts, and compared them to the totals aggregated by computer on election night, looking for any count discrepancies.

The canvassing board checked precincts at Trilby Lodge on Old Trilby Road in Dade City, Betmar Acres on Apache Street in Zephyrhills, and Shady Oaks on Castle Drive in Zephyrhills.

Pasco housing committee to meet
Pasco County’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee will have its first meeting Sept. 15 beginning at 9 a.m., at the Central Pasco Government Center, 4111 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

For information, email

East Pasco Democrats to meet
The East Pasco Democratic Club will meet Sept. 15 at 7 p.m., at The Commons, 38130 Pretty Pond Road, in Zephyrhills.

Speakers will be Beverly Ledbetter and Erika Remsberg. Ledbetter is the Democratic Candidate for Florida House District 38, while Remsberg is the Democratic candidate for Pasco County Commission District 2.

Landscaper at PACA meeting
Chris Dewey, the Florida Friendly Landscaping program coordinator for the Pasco County Cooperative Extension office, will be the guest speaker at the Pasco Alliance of Community Associations monthly meeting Sept. 11 at 7 p.m., at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

PACA is a not-for-profit organization whose members include 70 of Pasco County’s homeowners associations, community development districts and condominium associations, as well as individuals residing in Pasco County.

For information, call Ron Litts at (813) 475-4561.

Burgess to hold barbecue fundraiser
Danny Burgess, the Republican candidate for Florida House District 38, will host a barbecue fundraiser Sept. 20, beginning at 6 p.m., at the Nathe barn, 16530 Jessamine Road in Dade City.

For information, call Patsy Nathe at (352) 588-3107, or Jean Nathe at (813) 783-4364.

Poll workers needed for November elections
Energetic? Service-oriented? Then the Pasco County supervisor of elections may be looking for you.

Poll workers are needed for the general election Nov. 4. Positions are paid, but potential candidates will need to be able to stand, bend, stoop, lift approximately 30 pounds, and have normal vision and manual and physical dexterity.

Applicants also need to write and read English, have an email address, and be able to work the entire day from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

All positions receive mandatory paid training the month preceding the election.

For information, call (800) 851-8754, or visit PascoVotes.com.

Moore fundraiser
Mike Moore, the Republican candidate for Pasco County Commission District 2, will host a fundraiser Sept. 24 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Beef O’ Brady’s, 14136 Seventh St., in Dade City.

For information, email .

Mobile hours for Ross
U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, will host mobile office hours Oct. 14 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Lutz Library, 101 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road in Lutz.

The final date for mobile hours after this will be Dec. 9.

For more information, call (863) 644-8215, or (813) 752-4790.

Free rides to the polls
Pasco County Public Transportation will do its part to help get out the vote by offering free rides to the polls on election days for the upcoming cycle.

The deal was worked out between PCPT and county elections supervisor Brian Corley, and was approved by the Pasco County Commission last week.

On election day Nov. 4, voters who present their voter information card will ride free to their local polling location. The goal is to encourage and promote participation in the election process, while also introducing public transportation as a viable option for travel throughout the county, said PCPT director Michael Carroll.

In return, Corley’s office will use available media advertising and respective websites to inform potential riders and voters how to access and navigate the transit system.

Labor Day domination: Travel ball team wins Fort Myers tourney

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When a baseball team goes to a tournament and scores 40 runs while only giving up five, you’d expect them to win the tournament handily.

Ryan Glass, left, C.J. VanEyk and Cam Coakley were part of the Carrollwood Gators’ 6-0 run at the Perfect Game Labor Day Classic in Fort Myers. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Ryan Glass, left, C.J. VanEyk and Cam Coakley were part of the Carrollwood Gators’ 6-0 run at the Perfect Game Labor Day Classic in Fort Myers.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

And when the Carrollwood Gators competed in the Perfect Game’s World Wood-Bat Association Labor Day Classic in Fort Myers, that’s exactly what happened.

The Gators’ 16U team — for athletes graduating high school in 2017 — went through the tournament with a perfect 6-0 record, claimed the title, and earned Most Valuable Player and Most Valuable Pitcher honors as well.

Performing well at a Perfect Game event is a big deal, according to Danny Rodriguez, general manager and founder of the Carrollwood Gators.

“It’s the organization to go to in order to get your boys seen on a college and a pro level,” he said.

In addition to the victory at the recent 16-team Perfect Game tournament, the Gators also finished in the top 16 of the organization’s 100-team Memorial Day tournament, and in the top eight of its 86-team Fourth of July tournament.

While the Gator athletes also play on their high school teams — several attend Steinbrenner High School, and most live in Lutz or Land O’ Lakes — the travel ball team offers them extra opportunities to get noticed by college scouts. The Perfect Game system is extremely competitive, Rodriguez said, and good performances in tournaments will get the club — and its players — noticed by colleges around the country.

The 16U team should have a national ranking after the victory; the general manager is hoping for a top 10 spot when they’re released in a couple of weeks.

That kind of recognition is essential for players looking to extend their careers beyond high school, Rodriguez said. In addition to playing in high school, a quality travel ball team experience is essential to helping athletes take that next step.

“It’s a must,” he said. “If they want to go to the next level, they need to go to the college showcases that they want to go to, and they need to be a part of something that’s going to get them seen, that’s going to be right there in front of the college coaches.”

Rodriguez tries to help get his athletes noticed by colleges, and said the tournament win will only increase the stature of the program. Athletes playing for the Carrollwood Gators have gone on to play in schools like Pasco-Hernando State College, the University of Florida, the University of South Florida, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Alabama State University. Some students attend on full scholarships as well.

While all the teams in the Perfect Game system are talented, the Gators do things differently. Instead of large-scale tryouts that draw athletes from different cities, or even states, and multiple teams representing each club, the team prefers to draw from local talent, mostly hand-selected athletes who play different positions.

That keeps the traveling team small: The Gators brought just 11 players to the recent tournament. And according to head coach Pete Mocny, there are significant benefits to their philosophy.

“They all know each other from previous travel teams,” Mocny said of the players. “The team chemistry is big in helping us do a little extra to beat the sometimes more-talented teams. We can still really compete, and many times beat them.”

C.J. VanEyk, a Steinbrenner student whose pitching was instrumental in the team’s only close game at the tournament, a 5-3 semifinal win, agrees.

“Everybody knows each other really well. We have good chemistry and everybody gets to play more with a smaller team,” he said. “We hit the ball really good, and we had the pitching to back it up. And when you do that, you can’t really be beat.”

Strong fundamentals were another reason why the Gators weren’t beaten at the tournament, Mocny said. The team committed no errors in the first five games, and shut out their opponent in the final by a score of 7-0. As a result, it was one of the best performances the coach has seen from the team.

“It’s easy to coach them,” Mocny said. “I’m proud of them. They did a great job out there.”

And Rodriguez believes the team that achieved so much is full of players who can achieve even more in college.

“Every single one has the talent,” he said. “If they play it right and they keep their grades (up), there’s a place in college for each one of those players.”

Published September 10, 2014

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