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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Teen coach is all business on football gridiron

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On a rather hot day earlier this month, Zachary Cooper attended a football camp at Lutz Chiefs Stadium.

The 16-year-old did some conditioning, went through drills, and even participated in a scrimmage. Later, Cooper said it was a worthwhile event and the participants had a good time.

Zachary Cooper is a 16-year-old coach who takes his work seriously. He’s already coached at the youth football, middle school and high school levels, and has college and arena football in his sights. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Zachary Cooper is a 16-year-old coach who takes his work seriously. He’s already coached at the youth football, middle school and high school levels, and has college and arena football in his sights.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

But he wasn’t there to learn. He was there to teach. It was his camp, and he was the coach.

“I felt it went fantastic. The coaches really came out and they worked their butts off,” Cooper said. “We definitely had some kids that showed their talent and just showed that they are dedicated, and that’s what matters most is dedication. If you’re not dedicated you probably can’t play the sport.”

With some Steinbrenner High School football players to assist him, Cooper led around 50 middle school-aged attendees through a free two-hour camp, teaching them football basics as well as specific skills according to their position.

Cooper is already a recognized leader, serving as head coach for Martinez Middle School and an assistant coach for the junior varsity team at Steinbrenner. He’s also coached for the youth football Lutz Chiefs and been in touch with the Arena Football League’s Tampa Bay Storm about participating with their staff.

And Cooper is in discussions with a college in Georgia to continue his education — and his coaching career — once he graduates high school in 2015.

He might still be a couple of years away from voting, but Cooper’s already an experienced football coach who loves teaching the game.

“Being a coach, I really enjoy helping the kids out,” he said.

Cooper acknowledges it might sound strange to hear a teenager talk about “the kids,” especially considering he sometimes coaches athletes who are older than he is. But when teaching middle school players, he believes his age is an advantage.

Instead of having decades separate them, Cooper is just a few years older than they are, so the players relate to him and communicate with him easily. And while the older players might be skeptical at first, after a meeting or two, they’re on board as well.

“What I try and do is prove that I know what I’m doing and help these guys,” Cooper said. “After that, it’s full-on respect.”

That respect comes from the effort Cooper puts into his work. If he’s not guiding players on the field, he’s reviewing game film, or designing his own plays. Even though most of his coaching is for the defensive side of the ball, he has an offensive mind for the game as well. Cooper played offensive line as recently as his sophomore year.

That effort has paid off with players like Steinbrenner wide receiver Fernando Mallicote. The soon-to-be sophomore has learned a lot from Cooper from his time on the Steinbrenner junior varsity squad and the Chiefs.

Mallicote has made the jump to varsity for the fall campaign. Cooper played an instrumental role in helping him improve his game, he said.

“He cares,” Mallicote said. “He doesn’t just coach. He knows what the players are capable of.”

Mallicote helped Cooper with the football camp and said he enjoyed working with younger players, and even learned a few things himself at the event.

While he’s become friends with Cooper, Mallicote said that doesn’t mean anything when they take the field. The young coach will yell with the best of them, trying to wring the most out of his team on game day.

In fact, Cooper is as excited to participate now as he was when he was wearing a uniform.

“I’m probably just as hyped if not more,” he said. “When referees are making those bad calls like they always do, I’m definitely the first one out there to give them the what for.

“When my guys score, you’ll see me jumping up and down, hugging the guys just like I would if I was padded up.”

Cooper might still be padded up if not for a concussion that sidelined him earlier in his career. Coupled with other injuries, Cooper decided that playing the game wasn’t in his future and figured he’d give coaching a try. He didn’t expect to like it as much as he does, but coaching activities now dominate most of his time.

Due to the success of his camp on June 7, he wants to schedule another football-focused event in the future as well.

When he’s not in school or focused on his sideline duties, Cooper is producing the “Two Cents Radio Show,” a sports-related, Internet-based audio program. He also handles commentary for local wrestling shows, which are then streamed on the Internet.

But coaching is never far from his mind, and it’s something he expects will be a part of him for a long time to come.

“I tell my kids, I plan on doing it until my 60s or 70s,” Cooper said.

For more information about Cooper’s show or football camps, visit 2CentsSports.com.

Published June 18, 2014

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Business Digest 06-18-14

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Local RadioShacks could be spared
The odds are getting better that three local RadioShack stores will survive the budget knife as the national chain scales back its store closing plan.

After announcing in March that it planned to close 1,100 stores nationwide by spring, RadioShack Corp., instead is saying it will close 200 stores this summer, and will work to convert the remainder of their stores into a new concept it says will help bring it into the 21st century.

“Even in this environment, we are making progress in our turnaround strategy,” RadioShack chief executive Joseph Magnacca said, in a release. “We are building a pipeline of new products that will bring differentiation and newness to our stores in the form of high-margin private brand and exclusive items, including those from new partnerships like Quirky and PCH.”

RadioShack operates three locations locally, including at 23012 State Road 54 in Lutz, at the Shops at Pebble Creek in New Tampa at 19416 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., and at 7248 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills.

Kentucky investor buys Dairy Queen, Tuffy lots
The land under the Dairy Queen and a Tuffy Service Center in Wesley Chapel has a new owner from Kentucky.

An acre of land at 27329 Wesley Chapel Blvd., sold June 1 for $2.35 million to Monticello Properties LLC. That company is connected to real estate developer and bank chairman Jack Sheidler.

Its previous owner, J & J Wesley Chapel LLC, had originally bought the land in 2006 for $1.8 million. The buildings, according to county property records, were built in 2002.

The land is an outparcel of the former Sweetbay supermarket location in Wesley Chapel, which has since concerted to Winn-Dixie.

Sheidler has developed real estate since 1984, according to published reports. He is the chair of Citizens First Bank Inc., which operates primarily in the Bowling Green area of Kentucky.

Scott, USAA break ground on new facility
Gov. Rick Scott joined United Services Automobile Association last week to break ground on the company’s new Tampa campus.

USAA has hired 130 employees in the Tampa area since January, and is continuing to hire more, according to the governor’s office.

“I applaud USAA’s commitment to growing jobs in Florida, and supporting our active duty military, veterans and their families,” Scott said of the insurance provider, in a release.

“For more than 40 years, Tampa has been a critical part of our success as an association,” said Shon Manasco, an executive vice president of USAA, in a release. “USAA’s expansion in this vibrant city marks an important step in broadening the impact that this community, and our employees who live and work there, will have as we continue in the pursuit of our mission to serve even more military families.”

USAA will continue to remain in New Tampa off Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, but will use the new campus as part of its plan to create up to 1,215 new jobs and $164.3 million in capital investment by 2019.

Arbor Woods opening new phase
Taylor Morrison has opened a new phase to its Arbor Woods community in Wesley Chapel.

This new phase will have 48 additional lots, with frontage between 55 and 75 feet, and will include a new floor plan.

The Elmhurst III is a four-bedroom single-story home with 2,329 square feet of space.

Arbor Woods is located on 423 wooded acres — 338 of them set aside for conservation — near Cypress Creek. It includes more than 200 single-family homes.

For information, call (813) 280-7976, or visit ArborWoodsTM.com.

Political Agenda 06-18-14

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MacManus to speak at Republican Club
The Republican Club of Central Pasco will host University of South Florida professor and political analyst Susan MacManus June 25 at 6:30 p.m., at Copperstone Executive Suites, 3632 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

MacManus is a Land O’ Lakes native, and has written two books on the history of the area, including “Citrus, Sawmills, Critters & Crackers” in 1998, and “Going, Going, Almost Gone: Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Pioneers Share Their Precious Memories” in 2010.

For information, call Steve Graves at (813) 996-3011.

Remsberg qualifies, picks up endorsement
Erika Remsberg, a Land O’ Lakes resident seeking to replace the retiring Pasco County commissioner Pat Mulieri, has picked up an endorsement from the West Central Florida Federation of Labor.

That endorsement came soon after she officially qualified as the only Democratic candidate for the seat. Remsberg says her experience as a social worker has provided extensive knowledge of the problems suffered by families in the community.

“I seek to provide a voice for our community’s working families on the commission,” Remsberg said in a release. “My perspective as a working mom and community advocate puts me in a unique position to represent the voice of the people who live in Pasco.”

Remsberg has raised just $553 so far in her campaign, including nothing in May. Unless any other Democrats enter the race, she will not have a primary, and will face off against the winner of the Republican primary that currently involves former state Rep. Ken Littlefield, entrepreneur Mike Moore and financial analyst Bob Robertson.

Moore has raised more than all his competitors — more than $80,500 — including $7,650 in May. His top donors include Royal Investments and SB General Partners, both operating from the same location in Tampa, each writing $1,000 checks.

Robertson raised $953 in May, bringing his total to just under $12,400. However, $600 of the money raised came from outside Florida, most of it through a $500 donation from a case manager in Pennsylvania.

Littlefield picked up $600 in May, $100 of it from a Trinity donor, and the rest as a loan to himself. Littlefield has now loaned his campaign $1,500.

Moore, Littlefield and Robertson will battle it out in a primary Aug. 26, with the winner facing off with Remsberg in November, if no one else files to run.

Chambers get together to host forums
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will host two forums to introduce members to candidates facing off in primary and general elections.

The first forum takes place Aug. 4 beginning at 7 p.m., at East Pasco Adventist Academy, 38434 Centennial Road in Dade City. That event will include candidates ranging from the state House to the Mosquito Control Board.

The second event will be Oct. 20 beginning at 7 p.m., in the same location, once again including the same races.

The chambers will provide two moderators to ask questions. Candidates also will have a chance to set up tables and meet voters beginning each night at 6 p.m.

Wilson experiences county work first-hand
Pasco County commissioner Henry Wilson, who is defending his seat against political newcomer Mike Wells Jr., spent 24 hours shadowing fire rescue workers at Pasco Fire Station No. 11.

“It was an eye-opening experience,” Wilson said, in a release.

It’s all part of Wilson’s work since being elected in 2010 to experience different offices first-hand.

“Working in each of the departments has been very beneficial,” he said. “I believe it has helped me make a more informed decision when it comes budget time.”

Wilson, however, is well behind Wells when it comes to fundraising. Wilson had his best month since January when he raised $4,715 in May. His biggest donors were real estate-related companies where NISSI Inc., Trinity Club Apartments and Forty Nine Acres of Tarpon Springs each donated $1,000.

Wells, however, topped his first big month of campaign donations with a bigger one. The son of Pasco County property appraiser Mike Wells Sr., picked up just under $25,000 in May, bringing his two-month campaign war chest to almost $45,600.

Wells received a number of $1,000 checks from developers as well, including Forty Nine Acres, NISSI and Trinity Club Apartments. Nearly $7,000 of his donations came from outside Pasco County, however.

Unless a Democrat or other type of candidate enters the race, Wells’ and Wilson’s race could be decided in an open primary Aug. 26.

Clay shoot for Mike Moore
Mike Moore is looking to raise more money for his Pasco County Commission campaign with a clay shoot June 21.

It will take place at Tampa Bay Sporting Clays, 10514 Ehren Cutoff in Land O’ Lakes, with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. The cost would be $125 per person, or $500 per team of four. All payments would be considered political donations.

For more information, email .

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

Poll workers are needed for both the primary election Aug. 26 and 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 both the primary and general elections.

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

Land O’ Lakes teen is an artful entrepreneur

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Izzie Brown’s foray into the business world began with an assignment from her eighth-grade art teacher at Rushe Middle School.

The teacher asked her to create a portrait of the Jamaican singer Bob Marley, which Brown did — using the titles of Marley’s songs to form his image.

Izzie Brown, 14, creates portraits of famous personalities using words or, in the case of Albert Einstein, numbers. She also creates commissioned works, including this surrealistic piece called ‘Consummation.’ (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Izzie Brown, 14, creates portraits of famous personalities using words or, in the case of Albert Einstein, numbers. She also creates commissioned works, including this surrealistic piece called ‘Consummation.’
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The teacher liked the work so much she asked if she could keep it.

Brown posted an image of the work on Facebook and people told her that’s something they would buy. And her uncle was so impressed, he encouraged her to launch her own business.

So, she did.

She calls it Word Tangles. She sells portraits and T-shirts on Etsy — an online retail outlet for artists —  as well as on a Facebook page and at local markets.

Besides her Marley portrait, she’s created likenesses of Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Albert Einstein.

The Jackson and Presley images are crafted from song titles. The Monroe portrait is made up of song and movie titles, and her Einstein uses the first 222 digits of pi.

She created Einstein’s image to celebrate Pi Day, which was March 14.

“My Algebra II teacher wanted us all to do a little project for Pi Day. The first thing that came to my mind was to do Albert Einstein,” she said.

The 14-year-old also does custom work. She did a commissioned portrait of the musical artist Sting, and is working on a large-scale surrealistic work called “Consummation” that her uncle hired her to do.

She also used her artistic skills to “zentangle” an entire wall in the upstairs bathroom in her Land O’ Lakes home. Zentangle is an art form that involves drawing structured patterns.

She’s young, but she has savvy business instincts.

“I really have to play to my audience,” Brown said. “At first, it was just doing what I wanted to do. But now, it’s kind of like I have to listen to what people want me to do. On my Facebook page, I’ll ask my viewers, ‘Hey, what color should I do for the background for this one?’”

She sells merchandise at kids’ markets affiliated with Tampa Fresh Markets.

“They go around to Carrollwood, Wiregrass, Hyde Park, Seminole Heights,” she said. “It’s free if you’re under 17.”

Brown also uses the events to get a pulse on what people would like her to produce.

“People will go by and they’ll say, ‘Oh, my gosh, do you have Jim Morrison?’”

She doesn’t. But she plans to do his portrait in coming months. Brown also expects to create images of Jimi Hendrix, and possibly Audrey Hepburn.

There are limits on what she will produce, however. She needs to feel a degree of respect for the subject of her portraits, she said, to get into the right creative mindset.

“Over the summer, I’m going to do the Beatles, all four of them,” Brown said. “I am going to have them on square canvases. I’m going to do all of their faces out of Beatles songs. I’m going to put all four of the Beatles together, and I’ll have them on a shirt.”

When she’s ordering T-shirts that display her portraits, she considers marketing issues.

“When I did Marilyn, I thought I should get some feminine-fit shirts because all I had done was unisex,” Brown said. “I was just thinking about my audience.”

When her Michael Jackson T-shirts weren’t selling that well, she decided to get some smaller, feminine-fit T-shirts, and after that, her sales picked up.

She sells her canvas works for $125 each, and her T-shirts for $12 for solid colors and $15 for the Bob Marley, featuring the Rastafarian colors of green, yellow and red.

Brown also is selling a T-shirt she designed to benefit autism research. She plans to donate 20 percent of the profits from those sales to the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at the University of South Florida.

She’s also planning to do a T-shirt with a breast cancer ribbon in October, sharing a portion of those proceeds as well.

Brown, who attends the International Baccalaureate program at Land O’ Lakes High School, has ambitions to attend business school at Harvard University.

She’s not entirely sure where her career path will lead, but she enjoys being in a leadership role. Ultimately, her primary goal is to accomplish something of significance, she said.

“I just want to be remembered for doing something great,” Brown said. “I want to have that kind of credential.”

To find out more about Brown’s work, check out her Etsy shop listing at Etsy.com/shop/wordtangles. Or her Facebook business page at Facebook.com/ wordtangles.

Published June 11, 2014

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Documentary could encourage a nude German invasion

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The end of the Cold War may have spelled the destruction of the Berlin Wall, but a culture war continues between what was once West Germany and East Germany over one simple thing: being naked.

Monique Liliensiek, center, oversees filming of her German documentary ‘World of Nudism’ last week at Lake Como from the perspective of her travelers, Luise and Peter Krause. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Monique Liliensiek, center, oversees filming of her German documentary ‘World of Nudism’ last week at Lake Como from the perspective of her travelers, Luise and Peter Krause.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

With nowhere to go anyway, East Germans found comfort and freedom from leaving their clothes at home. Being nude was a way of life, until their neighbors from the west arrived and told them to put those clothes back on.

Nudism doesn’t have the popularity it once had in the European country, but it’s prompted one film crew to travel the world to see what being naked is like in other countries. And they ended up in the American heart of nudism, Pasco County, this past week.

“The people in the east were definitely raised naked,” said Bjorn Buck, the husband of documentary producer Monique Liliensiek, who both made the trans-Atlantic trip to Land O’ Lakes. “All the Baltic Sea beaches were naked beaches, and that was absolutely normal to them.”
Liliensiek found Pasco’s nudist community thanks to a Google search, which introduced her to Caliente Resort. A phone call later, she was in touch with retired firefighter and nudism champion Pam Oakes, who introduced the entire film crew to the rest of the local community, setting up stops in a variety of places including Lake Como and Paradise Lakes.

“This has been a niche kind of tourism for Pasco all these years,” Oakes said. “There was an opportunity to reach out to Europe where there are 50 million naturists alone, and they speak English.”

The documentary is tentatively called “World of Nudism,” and is set to air on Germany’s Vox network next month — a channel typically home to American shows like “CSI: Miami” and “Burn Notice.” Liliensiek and her crew from Runge.TV already have visited places like Turkey and Austria, but plan to make Pasco’s nudism community a primary focus of their two-hour exploration into nudism.

Pasco County commissioner Pat Mulieri has represented the area where most of the nudist communities are centered for the past two decades, and said even she had to have a little time to adjust.

“I’ll never forget the one day at the beginning of my term, I was speaking at the Butt Hutt (at Lake Como), and I was thinking, ‘I got this made,’” Mulieri said. “All the guys there had shirts on, and was fine, until they stood up.”

The communities, however, are one of the key components to Pasco’s tourism, and also to other services like charity, said county tourism director Ed Caum.

“I wanted to say thank you to our naturists and all you do,” he told a crowd that gathered at Hungry Harry’s Lake House last week to welcome the film crew. “They are great volunteers. I’ve never seen so many people without clothes do such a great job of collecting clothing to give to other people.”

Buck spoke on behalf of his wife, who did not know a lot of English, but said he and his crew were welcome from the minute they stepped off the plane.

“We come from the second-largest network, and we have a little budget, but nobody cares about that,” he said. “We were told that you’re a family and you’re a friend, and that is quite overwhelming.”

This exposure on national television may not be the last time Pasco County ends up in German living rooms in the near future, either. While Liliensiek and her crew headed back to Europe last weekend, Buck stayed behind, and will explore other areas that might get a more in-depth look from the crew. That’s especially true for Caliente, which Buck says could warrant a feature of its own.

“This isn’t only for the naked community in Germany, but for everyone there,” Buck said. “In the end, I think what people will realize is that nudism is something good, or at least it’s not bad.”

Published June 11, 2014

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New Tampa Players prep Dr. Seuss musical with local talent

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The Grinch lives in Lutz.

Cameron LeVine, a freshman at Blake High School, has been cast as the iconic Christmas villain in the New Tampa Players’ musical production of “Seussical.” The play is based on the characters and stories created by popular children’s author Dr. Seuss.

From left, McKinnley Nelson, Darby Spiegel, Alicia Spiegel and Cameron LeVine go over songs at an early rehearsal of the New Tampa Players’ production of ‘Seussical.’ LeVine will play Yertle the Turtle and the Grinch in the play, which debuts in August. (Courtesy of New Tampa Players)
From left, McKinnley Nelson, Darby Spiegel, Alicia Spiegel and Cameron LeVine go over songs at an early rehearsal of the New Tampa Players’ production of ‘Seussical.’ LeVine will play Yertle the Turtle and the Grinch in the play, which debuts in August.
(Courtesy of New Tampa Players)

LeVine will play both the Grinch and Yertle the Turtle when the play gets under way this August. For now, he’s excited to tackle the roles and start rehearsing.

“I’m so honored. The Grinch is my favorite out of the Dr. Seuss stories,” LeVine said. “I love how over the top mean he is, but not in a bad way.”

LeVine is just one of 50 performers in the cast. His sister, Madison, also is part of the play as an ensemble performer. In all, “Seussical” has more than a dozen actors from Lutz and Land O’ Lakes, and director Craig Hartfield said there was no lack of talent when they had auditions late last month.

“This audition process was terribly difficult, not because of (problems) finding talented people, but rather juggling them all,” he said.

Hartfield went into auditions thinking he wanted around 35 for the production, but expanded it when he saw the potential among those who auditioned. In most versions of “Seussical,” many actors take on dual roles, so it was easy to split them up to make room for more performers, he said.

Hartfield hasn’t seen any performances of the Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty creation, and he prefers to keep it that way. Watching it could influence the New Tampa Players’ production, and it’s important to simply read through the script and assemble the play based on his own vision, Hartfield said.

He is, however, very familiar with the stories the musical is based on, and was attracted to the play partially due to growing up with the popular characters that will be represented on stage. Hartfield also is familiar with LeVine’s work, and chose him due to the versatility he’s displayed in previous plays.

“I’ve seen him in shows and been impressed with his ability to really change himself to take on different roles,” Hartfield said. “I saw him recently in a show where he played two different characters, and he did them so differently that I think a lot of people wouldn’t have recognized him as the same guy. He changed his whole physicality.”

LeVine is ready to do the same for this production. Even though he also hasn’t seen any versions of “Seussical,” he already has an idea of how he wants to approach the Grinch.

“I feel that, as a character, he’d be very loose so he’d walk around goofy,” LeVine said. “And he would have this very distinct, mean face that’s cringing all the time at everything.”

Yertle the Turtle is a very different character, so he plans to approach that portrayal as an older animal with a more distinguished presence.

While this is LeVine’s first play for New Tampa Players, he’s already performed in nearly 30 productions. There are many opportunities to sing and act in the area, and community theater is alive and well, with actors he’s met from nearby communities like Dade City and Fishhawk Ranch in Lithia coming here to perform, he said.

He also gets to work with actors he knows very well. Since his younger sister also is in the play, LeVine will have an opportunity to share the overall experience with Madison as he prepares for his roles.

While they don’t get to perform together on a regular basis, he appreciates having a sibling with the same mindset during the run-up to opening night.

“It makes it so much easier, because now someone in the family understands my craziness when I’m talking about stuff about ‘Seussical’ or any other show we’re in together,” he said.

While rehearsals have just begun, Hartfield said the process has gone so well that he can shape the production to his liking without any singing or acting deficits in the cast.

“Honestly, in community theater, there’s often a role or two that you are still looking to fill after you’re done with auditions because there was nobody who showed up who was exactly right for this character. That happens more often than not,” he said. “But in this case I came out of this going, ‘I should have no problem having all the right sounds I need and all the actors are really great for what they’re going to be doing.’”

“Seussical” will be performed at CrossPointe Church of the Nazarene, 919 Debuel Road in Lutz, on the weekends of Aug. 1-3 and Aug. 8-10.

For more information about New Tampa Players, call (813) 386-6687, or visit NewTampaPlayers.org.

Published June 11, 2014

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County roads could get boost through gas, property tax hikes

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Henry Wilson was dead set against an additional tax on a gallon of gas last year, and he’s not changing his mind now.

However, the Pasco County commissioner could be alone in his convictions this time, as commission chair Jack Mariano hinted he might support raising that tax by 2 cents per gallon.

With county roads needing repair, Pasco County commissioners seem poised to add at least another 2 cents to its county gas tax. (File Photo)
With county roads needing repair, Pasco County commissioners seem poised to add at least another 2 cents to its county gas tax.
(File Photo)

That would all but ensure the gas tax in Pasco County would go up, as four of the five commissioners are required to support it. Mariano had joined Wilson in opposition of it last year, which many — including their fellow commissioners — have blamed for continued deterioration of county roads this past year.

“When I went through this last year, I was asking how much do we really need, and how much do we really want,” Mariano said at a commission workshop last week. “I didn’t want to put in a tax that was going to keep reoccurring if we didn’t need it.”

A 2-cent gas tax raise would alone generate about $3.2 million. However, the county is looking to increase revenue by at least $5 million to stay at the same level of road work as last year, or even as much as $8 million to fully get the county back on track.

The only other way the commission could raise that kind of money is by levying additional property tax to homeowners in the county. Supporters of the gas tax say it’s more fair because the people using the roads are the ones paying for it, whether they live in the county or not. Opponents fear the additional tax would be passed to consumers, and that drivers will wait to get to a neighboring county with cheaper gas before stopping at the pump.

Mariano, however, isn’t convinced that a property tax increase would be needed to raise an additional $5 million or even $8 million. Instead, he wants to use reserve funds — the county’s financial fallback in case it runs out of money — to wipe out the shortfall instead.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey didn’t like that idea at all. “I don’t see how you do operation and maintenance out of your piggy bank,” she said.

But Mariano believes the reserve fund is not following its original purpose, which he says is to keep tax rates low during tough economic times by using saved cash sitting in the bank.

Starkey wanted nothing of it, citing her past experience on the Pasco County school board, and how she saw business being done with neighboring districts.

“We did not go into that,” Starkey said of the reserved funds. “I saw other school boards get into that, and they expected the state to bail them out when they got in trouble. Those school board members were not making a hard vote to have a balanced budget by going into their reserves, and they got into trouble. To me, that is very bad fiscal policy.”

Commissioner Ted Schrader was ready to do more than that, willing to commit to a 3-cent gas tax, and to limit raising property taxes to as small a number as possible.

“You raise the millage rate, you may not hear it, but I hear it,” Schrader told Mariano. “It’s even higher for non-homestead property, and higher for business and retailers.”

The commission would raise more than enough money to meet its needs by increasing the gas tax to as much as 5 cents. However, that move would not have the support of either Mariano, who says he’s limited to 2 cents, and Wilson, who is against a gas tax increase at all.

A 2-cent increase would cost motorists an additional $15 annually, or 29 cents a week assuming they filled the tank weekly and gas stations pass those increases to motorists. To hit the $8 million mark, commissioners would have to raise property taxes at least 0.25 mills, which would have an additional financial impact of $12.66 on a home valued at $100,000 that also carries $50,000 in exemptions.

Commissioners will have to come to some kind of a consensus before the end of the month. County Administrator Michele Baker said she starts putting together next year’s budget just after the July 4 holiday.

Commissioner Pat Mulieri, who supports raising the gas tax, said it’s important to get this issue decided before work begins on the budget.

“You’re never going to make everyone happy in this world,” she said. “You just have to do what you believe is the right thing to do.”

Published June 11, 2014

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New farmer’s market opens on U.S. 41 in Lutz

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For months, it was hard to figure out what was going on at the lot the east side of U.S. 41 just north of Newberger Road.

First, the field was empty. Then, the land was cleared.

Then a building that looked like a barn was built. Then, the earth was plowed.

Angela Madonia and her mother, Josephine Argento, own The Family Farm on 41, a business that wants to provide fresh vegetables and fruits to encourage healthy eating. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Angela Madonia and her mother, Josephine Argento, own The Family Farm on 41, a business that wants to provide fresh vegetables and fruits to encourage healthy eating.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

In mid-May, it became abundantly clear what was up — a new farmer’s market was opening on the Lutz site, not far from Land O’ Lakes.

The business, called The Family Farm on 41, opened May 23. It is co-owned by Angela Madonia and her mother, Josephine Argento.

The market has a diverse selection of fruits and vegetables, as well as a few flowering plants. Besides the old standbys of corn, potatoes, apples, melons, onions, zucchinis and tomatoes, there also are more interesting choices such as Italian squash, tomatillos, Hungarian wax peppers, specialty squash and jicama.

Beyond produce, the market stocks milk without hormones, farm fresh eggs, honey, cakes, jam, cheeses, ice cream and juices.

“The concept is providing the freshest and healthiest fruits and veggies to our customers,” Madonia said. “We will be growing strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peppers, carrots, corn, radishes, pumpkins and okra. We will start harvesting in late August or early September.”

The market and the field where the fruits and vegetables will be grown are on an 8-acre plot on the north side of Newberger Road. Just across the street, on the east side of Newberger Road, the family is planning a pumpkin patch and hayrides on another 8-acre tract.

The family chose the location because it is ideally situated between Tampa and Land O’ Lakes, on a road traveled by thousands of people.

They chose to get into the fresh food business because they understand that people are becoming more interested in leading a healthy lifestyle, Madonia said. The business also fits her family’s personal goals. Madonia and her husband have two small children, and they want to teach them how to eat properly to maintain good health.

Eventually, the business will offer a “U-pick” option for customers.

The market’s hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., every day. At some point they plan to close one day a week, but they haven’t determined which day yet. That will depend on customer demand, Madonia said.

Published  June 11, 2014

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Pay it forward saves my dog

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The “pay it forward” concept isn’t a new one; indeed some sources say it dates back to the days of ancient Greece.

But it has a much more immediate meaning for me.

I live in Land O’ Lakes in the Lakeshore Ranch community. My children are grown and I’m gone a lot for work and travel. Because of that, I’ve met just a few neighbors since moving here a year ago.

Jonas, shown, caused his owner Diane Kortus to panic when she couldn’t find him, after Jonas got loose after she forgot to close the sliding glass door that leads to her backyard that borders a lake, where Kortus has seen gators swimming.
Jonas, shown, caused his owner Diane Kortus to panic when she couldn’t find him, after Jonas got loose after she forgot to close the sliding glass door that leads to her backyard that borders a lake, where Kortus has seen gators swimming.

I’m content here with my 9-year-old dog, Jonas, a handsome Airedale terrier. He is a dear dog, and just a month ago, he completed chemotherapy treatments for a cancer common in large dogs.

After a rough few months of surgery and then chemo, Jonas is doing amazingly well now.

So, imagine my panic when a few days after his final chemo treatment, Jonas went missing.

When I left in the morning, I was running late for a breakfast meeting and I raced out of my house without realizing that I’d left the sliding glass door wide open to my backyard. After breakfast, I dropped by my house before heading to work to check on Jonas.

I came in through the garage door and immediately saw the open sliding glass door. As soon as I saw that, I knew that Jonas was gone.

Fear set in as I looked into my backyard, which borders on a lake. The yard doesn’t have a fence, and I’ve seen gators in the lake. To make things worse, I had taken off Jonas’ collar before I left. So, even if anyone found Jonas, they wouldn’t know where to call.

I had no idea where to look first. Jonas had a two-hour head start.

I drove up and down the streets of my neighborhood, calling out for Jonas. A couple colleagues came out to help in the search.

I showed a picture of Jonas to the people I saw and asked them to call me if they found him.

When the search turned up empty after an hour, I was feeling frantic.

Then, Suzanne Beauchaine, a co-worker and fellow dog owner, decided to walk my street again, this time carrying a leash. About halfway down the block a woman saw Suzanne holding the leash and asked if was looking for a dog.

It turns out that another neighbor, Diana Gonzalez, had seen Jonas wandering in her backyard not long after I had left home, and had put him in her lanai. Diana took a picture of Jonas and posted it on her Facebook page, asking friends if anyone knew who owned the dog.

Within minutes, a neighbor told Diana said she knew where the dog lived, and Diana left a note on my door, letting me know she had found him. I didn’t see that note, though, because I’d gone into my house through the garage.

This story’s happy ending relates back to the concept of paying it forward. When I was talking to Diana after I got Jonas back, she told me her husband initially didn’t want her to get involved because Jonas is a large dog and he wasn’t wearing tags.

Understandably, Diana’s husband was concerned for her safety.

But Diana said seeing Jonas reminded her of an occasion when her dog, Rocky, a 13-year-old golden mix, was lost shortly after they moved to Lakeshore Ranch.

“We were out of town and my sister was taking care of Rocky when he wandered off,” Diana recalls. “She was looking for Rocky and we were so worried. Then a neighbor saw her searching and told her that another neighbor had put Rocky in her lanai.”

So, when Diana saw Jonas, she told her husband it was their turn to “pay it forward” for someone else.

To those of you who are pet owners, I’m sure you realize how grateful I am to the Gonzalez family for their kindness. They protected my pet, who I nearly lost to illness, and then nearly lost again because I forgot to close the door.

Now, Jonas is back where he belongs.

And, the power of paying it forward lives on.

Published June 11, 2014

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Guv’na candidate Cindy Perkins makes charity work a habit

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Chiropractor Cindy Perkins hails from Browns Valley, Minnesota, a city of about 800 people. And perhaps for that reason, she feels right at home in Lutz.

“The Lutz area drew me in because it’s a nice area,” she said. “It still kind of has that small-town feel, but you still have a lot of accessibility to city things. And it’s a nice place to raise a family.”

When Chiropractor Cindy Perkins isn’t treating her patients at the Back in Health Wellness Center, she’s vying for the ceremonial title of Lutz Guv’na. (Courtesy of Cindy Perkins)
When Chiropractor Cindy Perkins isn’t treating her patients at the Back in Health Wellness Center, she’s vying for the ceremonial title of Lutz Guv’na.
(Courtesy of Cindy Perkins)

Perkins has a son, Lyndon, 7, who wasn’t born when Perkins first moved to Florida. That happened a decade ago, and she has spent the past five years in Lutz.

Her practice, Back in Health Wellness Center, 18942 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Suite 102, is located in Lutz as well. And if all goes well during her campaign, she hopes to be the next Lutz Guv’na.

The ceremonial title is given to the candidate who raises the most money for charity during the “campaign,” which concludes over the Fourth of July weekend. Armed with a number of fundraisers, Perkins hopes to raise the biggest total and come away with the title. But either way, she wants to be part of an effort to help area organizations.

The money raised by all the Guv’na candidates goes to local groups.

“It really appeals to me that the money that’s raised through the Guv’na campaign goes back to local schools or local nonprofits or the library,” Perkins said.

Helping charities already is part of her regular regimen. Perkins has been a team captain and served on the executive planning committee for Carrollwood Relay for Life benefiting the American Cancer Society. She also participated as the chiropractor for the sports medicine team at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk in St. Petersburg, a 60-mile trek to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer.

Aside from chiropractic services, Perkins’ practice also provides massage therapy, exercise rehabilitation and acupuncture. She performs most of the services herself, and said she enjoys working closely with different patients, treating a variety of issues and providing them with education regarding how to live healthier and resume enjoyable activities.

And while that education often includes specific and detailed treatments, the Guv’na hopeful has a quick tip regarding back health: Don’t stay in that chair too long.

“Our bodies weren’t designed to be sitting for four, six, eight hours a day, and it leads to bad things to your neck and for your back,” Perkins explained. “Get up and move around and stretch just a little bit every hour or two.”

Perkins has decided to be active when it comes to her campaign, with plenty of events designed to draw in the dollars. She has a Bunco event scheduled for June 13, a quarter auction on June 21 and a potential bowling event with the other candidates in the works as well.

In addition, Perkins is having a drawing for a one-year massage membership and offers “flamingo flocking,” where a person can have a friend’s yard decorated with lawn flamingoes for a donation. The recipient can then donate to have them removed and order their own flocking for someone else.

But even though she’s going all out to take the title, Perkins said she’s built a strong camaraderie with the other candidates, since they’re all active participants in the community and share a common goal of raising funds for needy local causes.

“It’s all in good fun. We’re all doing it for the same reason, to try and raise money for the community and try to make a difference in the community,” she said.

For more information about the Back in Health Wellness Center, call (813) 909-0961 or visit BackinHealthWellness.com.

For information regarding Perkins’ Lutz Guv’na campaign, or visit tinyurl.com/GuvnaPerkins.

Published June 11, 2014

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