The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Legislature votes to grant in-state tuition for undocumented students

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Legislation adopted by the Florida Legislature — and signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott on June 9  — will make college more affordable for undocumented workers.

The governor’s signature signals the end of an 11-year effort to allow undocumented workers who have completed at least three years in a Florida high school the opportunity to attend Florida state colleges at the in-state tuition rate.

The students, however, must enroll in the postsecondary school within 24 months of graduation.

Margarita Romo, executive director of Farmworkers Self-Help Inc., is pleased that the state legislature has passed a bill that will allow undocumented students to qualify for in-state tuition at Florida colleges. (File Photo)
Margarita Romo, executive director of Farmworkers Self-Help Inc., is pleased that the state legislature has passed a bill that will allow undocumented students to qualify for in-state tuition at Florida colleges.
(File Photo)

Margarita Romo, executive director of Farmworkers Self-Help Inc., in Dade City, played a major role in advocating for the change, and is pleased by the Legislature’s action.

“We’re very happy that we got what we got. It’s been a long time coming,” Romo said.

For years, she’s been taking undocumented students to Tallahassee to meet with lawmakers to explain why it is so important to allow them to attend Florida colleges without paying out-of-state tuition. Throughout that effort, Romo has repeated this refrain: “You can pick enough oranges to pay in-state tuition, but you cannot pick enough oranges to pay out-of-state tuition.”

With the adoption of this legislation, Florida will become the 20th state to offer some sort of in-state tuition to students brought to the United States illegally, according to The New York Times. Romo credited state House Speaker Will Weatherford’s support for playing a key role in gaining the legislation’s passage.

“The speaker of the house really knocked himself out,” said Romo, who was inducted last year into the Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame for her work in advocating for the needs of migrant farmworkers and immigrants.

Romo took three young men in to meet the Wesley Chapel Republican to discuss the issue, and Weatherford told her that made an impression.

“I was actually in the hospital when the speaker of the house called me,” she said. “Of course, I didn’t answer the phone because I was in the hospital. I just had my fourth heart attack. He called and left a message saying he had a surprise.

“He said, ‘I just want you to know that I am really going to support in-state tuition.’ That certainly gave my heart a lift. And, he kept his word.”

When the legislation passed, Weatherford issued a statement that said lawmakers were making history.

“For many years, children who are here through no fault of their own have waited for the opportunity to fully realizing their dreams,” Weatherford said in the statement. “Today, the Florida Legislature put those dreams into reach.”

While pleased with the legislation, Romo would like to see an amendment in the future that would remove the provision that limits the in-state tuition to those who have graduated from a Florida high school within the past two years. The battle to make this change began more than a decade ago and the two-year limit leaves out too many people who simply will never be able to attend college, without the lower rate, Romo said.

Published June 11, 2014

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Business Digest 06-11-14

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Central Pasco chamber readying banquet
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce is recruiting sponsors for its upcoming awards and installation banquet, which will be June 26 at 6 p.m., at Harbor Terrace Restaurant at Heritage Harbor in Lutz.

Sponsorships range from a table placement at $200, to speaking opportunities and other amenities at $1,000.

Tickets for the event are $45 each.

For more information, visit ChamberLogin.com, or call (813) 909-0827.

Florida Hospital parent receives Gallup award
Employees at Adventist Health System — the parent company of facilities like Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel and Florida Hospital Zephyrhills — have been recognized by Gallup as one of the best-performing, most productive and engaged work forces in the world.

This is the fourth year in a row that the company and all of its hospital campuses have received the Gallup Great Workplace Award. The company was one of 36 chosen to receive the award.

Chamber quarterly meeting
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will host a quarterly membership meeting June 11 at 9 a.m., at the chamber office, 38550 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills.

Speakers at the meeting include chamber president Carolyn Sentelik on the value of membership, and Vonnie Mikkelsen on matching expectations to results.

For information, call (813) 782-1913, or visit ZephyrhillsChamber.org.

Pasco’s Griswold location sold
Birdsong Ventures Inc., is adding to its Tampa office of Griswold Home Care by acquiring Griswold’s Pasco office.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Griswold is a non-medical private pay home care company that recruits, screens and refers caregivers who provide companion and personal care services to homebound people.

Founded in 1982, Griswold has 200 offices in 35 states. Its Pasco office was started 10 years ago in Central Pasco, and covers the entire county.

The new principals are Arthur and Frieda Moseley. Arthur is a certified senior advisor and is vice chair of the Hillsborough Seniors and Law Enforcement Together Council. Frieda is a registered nurse with more than 30 years experience.

Working in the office will be Alice Gilbert and Hilda Hellwig, who have a combined 30 years of experience in the caregiving field.

For information, visit GriswoldHomeCare.com.

USAA helps Florida win national award
The more than 1,200 new jobs affecting New Tampa’s USAA location didn’t go unnoticed by the company’s development peers at the national level, as the United Services Automobile Association has helped Florida win another Silver Shovel award for job creation.

The award, which is given by Area Development magazine, recognizes state economic development agencies that drive significant job creation through innovative policies, infrastructure improvements, processes and promotions that attract new employers and investments in new and expanded facilities, according to a release from Gov. Rick Scott’s office.

USAA is expanding its existing Bruce B. Downs Boulevard campus into Brandon, and will create an estimated 1,215 jobs through a capital investment of $164.3 million. Only Navy Federal Credit Union in Pensacola is bringing in more jobs — 2,200 after a capital investment of $206 million.

Store chain supports cancer research
HomeGoods in Lutz and New Tampa are supporting cancer care and research with its 13th annual “Helps Families Fight Cancer” campaign through June 29.

The program benefits Jimmy Fund, which supports pediatric and adult cancer care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Customers can make a contribution through the store, or purchase a reusable shopping bag for 99 cents featuring artwork by Jimmy Fund Clinic pediatric patient Aleah Smith, 7, of Massachusetts. HomeGoods will contribute 50 cents for each bag purchased to the fund.

HomeGoods is located at 17641 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz, and at 18061 Highwoods Preserve Parkway in New Tampa.

HART drivers honored for safety
The Tampa Area Safety Council has honored nine Hillsborough Area Regional Transit drivers with induction into the One Million Mile Club during its recent luncheon.

The drivers — Desmond Coulson, Demetra Jackson, Charles Evans, Rigoberto Oquendo, Luis Garcia, Thomas Palmore, David Gonzalez, Al Hughes and Antonio White — have careers with the bus system that date back to the late 1990s and early 2000s, and have completed an average of 14 consecutive years without a preventable accident.

The One Million Mile Club has been around since 1994, and now has 124 members. From that group, 24 of them are now inducted into the Two Million Mile Club, which requires 27 years of driving without a preventable accident.

Only one person, retired HART driver Samuel Baker, holds the title of a Three Million Mile Club member, a designation he earned in 2004 after driving 42 years without causing an accident.

Wesley Chapel chamber heading to Tuscany
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce is planning a nine-day trip to Tuscany, Italy.

The trip is planned to begin Oct. 20, and space is limited.

For information, call (813) 994-8534, or email .

Political Agenda 06-11-14

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Wilson endorsed by public safety group
Pasco County Commissioner Henry Wilson’s re-election campaign has received the endorsement of Pasco County Public Safety. That’s a group that includes the West Central Florida Chapter of the Police Benevolent Association, the Fraternal Order of Police Pasco County Sheriff’s Lodge No. 29, and the International Association of Firefighters Pasco County Local 4420.

Wilson also received the endorsement of the West Florida Women’s Conservative Republican Network.

Wilson is looking to return to his District 4 seat, but has a primary challenge by fellow Republican Mike Wells Jr., in August.

Wilson raised $200 for his campaign in April, bringing his total to $19,245. Wells, in his first month of campaigning, raised $20,700.

If no Democrat enters the race, Wells and Wilson will battle it out in an open primary Aug. 26.

Commission candidates to debate
The Conservative Club of East Pasco will host a debate between District 2 Pasco County Commission candidates Ken Littlefield and Bob Robertson June 16 at 6:30 p.m.

The two are racing against Mike Moore for the Republican nomination for the seat. Moore is not attending because he’ll be out of town, according to club secretary Nils Lenz.

The event will take place at the Zephyrhills Woman’s Club, 38549 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills. It will include introduction of new city leaders including Mayor Gene Whitfield, Councilman Alan Knight, and interim city manager Steve Spina.

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

Mike Wells fundraiser, endorsement
Mike Wells Jr., who is seeking the District 4 Pasco County Commission seat currently held by Henry Wilson, is holding a fundraiser June 17 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the home of Steve and Lynn Hickman, 37402 Church Ave., in Dade City.

As expected, Wells also received official public support from his father, Pasco County property appraiser Mike Wells Sr., who is encouraging supporters to either attend the June 17 fundraiser, or make contributions to him for his son’s campaign.

To RSVP, email .

Mobile hours for Ross
U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, will host mobile office hours July 8 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Lutz Library, 101 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road in Lutz.

Other dates in Lutz include Aug. 12, Sept. 9, Oct. 14 and Dec. 9.

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

 

Liberty eighth-grader earns ‘primer lugar’ at Spanish spelling bee

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An eighth-grader at Liberty Middle School tied for first place in a recent spelling bee. To get there, however, she had to spell words like “piel” — that’s “skin” in Spanish.

From left are students Jack Richardson, Tania Sexauer and Catherine Weng, with their teacher Katie Smith. The students vied with competitors from 16 schools at the May 15 Spanish spelling bee. Weng won in the Spanish I category for non-native speakers. (Courtesy of Liberty Middle School)
From left are students Jack Richardson, Tania Sexauer and Catherine Weng, with their teacher Katie Smith. The students vied with competitors from 16 schools at the May 15 Spanish spelling bee. Weng won in the Spanish I category for non-native speakers.
(Courtesy of Liberty Middle School)

Catherine Weng shared top honors at the Spanish spelling bee held May 15 at the Roland Park magnet school. Roland Park was one of 16 Hillsborough County schools that participated in the event, which featured categories for beginners and second-tier Spanish speakers in both native and non-native divisions.

But this isn’t the first time Weng has found success in the spelling bee. She won first place last year while taking introductory Spanish classes.

Weng competed in the Spanish I category for non-native speakers this year, and earned the tie when she and another student exhausted all the words prepared for the bee.

“It’s really great getting to go back to school and say, ‘Hey guys, I won first!’” Weng said.

Weng’s first language is English, but she also speaks a little Mandarin at home. Being familiar with another language helps her acclimate to learning a new one, she said. And because Spanish words often are spelled the way they sound, Weng found success easier in the Spanish spelling bee.

But that doesn’t mean it’s a matter of just sounding out words and collecting a trophy. To spell Spanish words in the competition correctly, Weng also had to mention a letter’s accent mark by declaring “con acento” — or “with accent” — after that particular letter. Failing to designate the proper accents meant the spelling would be considered incorrect.

And, like all languages, some words don’t follow the expected protocol. For a non-native speaker, the challenge is knowing the foreign words well enough to recognize when to go with how the word sounds, and when the spelling is somewhat different.

According to Katie Smith, one of the Spanish teachers at Liberty Middle School, the Spanish spelling bee benefits students who are trying to grasp Spanish for the first time.

“The spelling bee itself helps the kids really recognize some of the nuances of the language,” she said.

By understanding where the words have accents, for example, they can improve their pronunciation and speak the language properly.

But it also helps those students who are native speakers, Smith said. Many children who come from Spanish-speaking households don’t necessarily get to write it. They grow up learning both Spanish words and English spelling rules, which can be confusing. The competition allows them to recognize the spelling protocol for Spanish, and helps keep the rules for both languages separate.

Weng joined fellow schoolmates Tania Sexauer and Jack Richardson, who competed in the beginning Spanish category. And while they didn’t finish as high as Weng, Smith said they should be very proud to have advanced through Liberty’s difficult internal competition to compete at the final event.

“That’s the thing I kept stressing to them,” she said. “Even though you may not have made it to the top five (in the spelling bee at Roland Park), it’s really OK, because the fact that you were able to go and represent the school is a big accomplishment in and of itself.”

The beginning Spanish classes are particularly large, with Weng, who has only been learning Spanish for a couple of years, plans to continue studying the language when she enters high school. But for now she’s excited that her studying paid off with another first-place finish, and the Spanish spelling bee has helped her learn a new language.

“I had done it last year so I knew it was coming up again this year, so I really made sure I knew how to spell the words correctly when we were learning them,” Weng said. “I think it’s a great experience. I think it really helps me focus on Spanish.”

Published June 4, 2014

School sends eighth-graders out to discover the world

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A dozen eighth-graders at Countryside Montessori Charter School have experienced something few, if any, of their peers have in the Land O’ Lakes area.

The soon-to-be-graduates were among the first to take on the task of interning at local businesses throughout the week of May 19. They spent several hours of their day at a variety of businesses in the local area, from schools to pet day care centers.

Ashley Schrader, an eighth-grader at Countryside Montessori Charter School in Land O’ Lakes, chats with The Laker/Lutz News senior account manager Terri Williamson, during her recent internship at the paper. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Ashley Schrader, an eighth-grader at Countryside Montessori Charter School in Land O’ Lakes, chats with The Laker/Lutz News senior account manager Terri Williamson, during her recent internship at the paper.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

The students developed their own internship preparation while their teacher, Bobbianne Grant, implemented the idea of gaining real-world experience in a range of professional settings.

This particular program was the first time the school has allowed students to participate in internships with a goal of achieving a better feel for their future professions.

Based on its success this year, Countryside plans to continue the internship program next year for seventh and eighth graders.

“The internships give the eighth-grade students the opportunity to experience the work force before going into high school,” said Grant, the Countryside teacher leading the project.

Grant gave these students, including this writer, the ability to successfully experience different work atmospheres and assist in each company’s needs.

Many students said they had a positive experience and learned a great deal of work skills. Their feedback has given the school valuable input to help its students in future internship programs in high school and college.

The students who participated in the program said they appreciated the opportunity that was given to them, and hope they will be able to engage in a similar task in their futures.

“Internships are like an opportunity for us to see the real world,” said Devyn Dacus, 13, one of a dozen students that participated in the internships. “Since we are not yet adults, internships are one of the few chances we have to see the work force.”

Dacus interned at Countryside Montessori Academy, one of two preschool and kindergarten divisions related to the Montessori program. It’s located on Carson Drive, a few miles from the main charter school campus at Ehren Cutoff.

“At the preschool I was interning at, I had a great experience,” Dacus added. “It made me realize how tedious it actually is to care for toddlers.”

Her classmate, Abby Kuskin, did her internship at Grace Family Church in Lutz and Black Saddle Stables in Odessa and Land O’ Lakes. She said the experiences were cool and interesting, and it could help her achieve a dream of owning her own nonprofit children’s ministry home.

The school’s seventh graders also were allowed to participate in internships by shadowing the elementary school teachers at Countryside and experiencing a school day from the teacher’s point of view.

“The shadowing was a great experience,” said Julia Leck, one of the participating seventh graders in the project.

The program — led by Grant and her colleagues at Countryside — allowed the interns to gain experiences and memories they can apply to their own future careers.

Ashley Schrader spent a week as an intern at The Laker/Lutz News as part of Countryside Montessori Charter School’s careers project.

The businesses that participated in the Countryside Montessori Charter School internship program, and the students who interned, included:

• A Perfect Smile, Natalia Estrada
• Victory Lane Motorcars, Dinah Miranda
• Central Bark Doggie Day Care, Jayden Trenchik and Katie Champion
• Countryside Montessori Academy, Devyn Dacus
• On Your Toes, Brianna Lusk
• MediTech Medical Center, Sam Talero
• Grace Family Church and Black Saddle Stables, Abby Kuskin
• Quality Pet, Owen Robison
• The Laker/Lutz News, Ashley Schrader

By Ashley Schrader

Published June 4, 2014

Deployed on Veterans Day, home by Memorial Day

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Sometimes things happen in life that work out better than one could ever plan.

If you are a regular reader of my column, you know that my son, Andy Mathes, was married on a beautiful autumn day last November in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Erin Mathes welcomes her husband, Andy, the day he arrived home from Afghanistan. (Courtesy U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Neil Roselli)
Erin Mathes welcomes her husband, Andy, the day he arrived home from Afghanistan.
(Courtesy U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Neil Roselli)

At the time, Andy was a first lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. He and his new wife, Erin, had just one week together after they married before Andy deployed for Afghanistan.

Andy and the other Marines in his unit left Camp Lejeune on Veterans Day. I remember thinking it odd they were leaving on that holiday Monday because I assumed our military would honor its troops by making it a day of rest for all servicemen and women, except those actively engaged in war.

When I asked Andy why they left on Veterans Day instead of waiting until later in the week, he laughed and said I obviously did not understand how the military worked. Having heard that before from my son, I thought no more of it — at least not until now.

Andy’s deployment was expected to last eight or nine months, and we were looking forward to his homecoming by the end of the summer. So we were elated when Andy told us that his company’s mission was going well and there was talk about his unit coming home sooner.

In early May, Andy called and said their departure from Afghanistan may happen before the end of the month, but asked Erin and me not tell friends and family in case things changed, as they frequently do in the military.

But then, another week went by and Andy called with news that he was almost certain he’d be home before the end of the month.

And thankfully, he was. Andy was back in North Carolina on May 22 — just in time to celebrate a long Memorial Day weekend with Erin and their dog, Patch.

So how’s that for karma — deploy on Veterans Day and get back in time for Memorial Day? It’s such a glorious coincidence that I can’t help but believe there was some divine intervention, or at the very least, a lot of power behind the many prayers said for my son’s safe return.

It’s been three weeks since Andy has been home and I have yet to see my son. Andy was quite clear that he wanted to spend his first few weeks back alone with his bride — and with no surprise visit from his mother.

You can imagine how hard it has been for me to honor this request, regardless how reasonable it probably seems to everyone but his mother.

My wait got even harder last week when Andy was promoted to captain. Erin was at the ceremony to pin the captain’s bars to her husband’s uniform. Of course, I would have loved to been there, too.

I imagine most mothers with newly married sons go through what I’m feeling these days. After almost 26 years of being Andy’s mother, I’ve been trumped.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Erin and couldn’t be happier with Andy’s choice. Erin is a smart, caring, thoughtful and beautiful young woman who obviously adores my son as much as he adores her.

I understand that she is the other woman in my son’s heart, and the one who now takes top ranking. I also know this is how it is meant to be and, in time, I will fully acclimate to the notion that Andy has a wife and I have a daughter-in-law.

In the meantime I’m learning that being a mother-in-law has some perks. Erin sent me a handwritten note for Mother’s Day with this wonderful message:

“I’ve heard when you want to know how a man is going to treat you, you look at the way he treats his mother. I knew Andy would be a wonderful husband from the way he talked about your relationship. He could openly communicate with you, ask for advice, engage in meaningful conversation with you. I knew this could easily translate to a successful marriage together.”

Erin’s Mother’s Day note made me cry. But it also made me happy because my young daughter-in-law already understands that the bonds between a mother and son will someday transfer to the bonds between a husband and wife.

I know that if Erin is blessed with a son, she will raise him with love, trust, honesty and empathy. She already is aware that the love she has for her son will one day pass to another woman. And like her, this woman will value and respect all that she did as a mother to make her husband the kind of man that my son has become for her.

Published June 4, 2014

Sandy Graves balances home of today, yesteryear

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There’s a lot someone can say about Sandy Graves that people in the area might not know already. But that’s what happens when you live in the same house you grew up in, in an area you watched grow from a population counted in the hundreds to one now tracked by the tens of thousands.

Sandy Graves, left, makes no secret about her political work. She’s been heavily involved in the Republican party over the years, including work on campaigns for Gov. Rick Scott, center, and former state Sen. Mike Fasano. (Courtesy of Sandy Graves)
Sandy Graves, left, makes no secret about her political work. She’s been heavily involved in the Republican party over the years, including work on campaigns for Gov. Rick Scott, center, and former state Sen. Mike Fasano.
(Courtesy of Sandy Graves)

Sandy’s community work is well known. She helps with a puppet ministry with Van Dyke Church of Lutz. She’s very active politically with the Republican Party. And she is putting in a lot of hours trying to redevelop Heritage Park at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center that would include an outdoor stage.

But one thing these same people may not know about Sandy Graves is that she spent 11 years as a flight attendant with Eastern Airlines.

“I was going to Auburn University, and I had a sorority sister that had graduated the year before,” Sandy said. “When she came back, she was a flight attendant. And it sounded good to me. It was exciting, and I wanted to travel.”

Back then, Eastern Airlines dominated the travel market between New York and Florida, all during a time when luxury and convenience were staples of the flight industry — no matter how long the trip was.

“It was not as glamorous as some people might think,” Sandy said. “Especially when you had an hour-long flight, and had to throw out a meal to everyone, clean it up and throw it all away before we landed.”

Sandy left Eastern not long before the company folded in 1991. But instead of returning home to Land O’ Lakes, Sandy instead stayed in Atlanta where she lived during her time with Eastern, and became a youth minister there.

By 1995, however, Sandy and husband Steve decided it was time to move home, and did — eventually ending up in the same 1950s house she grew up in. But that took some adjusting.

“It’s strange at first, because this was my bedroom, but now this is my bedroom,” she said. “But we remodeled it and put our stamp on it. It has a different personality, because now it represents the grown-up me.”

Family remains important to Sandy, especially when it comes to siblings. She spends as much time as she can with her nieces and nephews, many times taking them camping at a place she and Steve maintain in North Carolina. With the horseback riding and canoeing, it reminds her an awful lot of life in Land O’ Lakes before the boom.

“I used to ride horseback all where Lake Padgett is now, and back where Pine View Elementary is now, as well as lots where Connerton and Avila are now, too,” Sandy said.

Harvey’s Hardware on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard was where Sandy and her family would get soft drinks and even gas. Grocery shopping was done at the beginning of Ehren Cutoff where LOL Transport & Moving Inc., is now.

Anything else required a trip to Tampa, and since Interstate 75 hadn’t been built yet, that meant a long trip down U.S. 41.

Pasco did have its own amenities, however, and Sandy has lots of memories when it comes to Quail Hollow Golf Course.

“My dad would join a bunch of his friends there to play golf, and he would drop me, my brother and my sister off at the pool,” Sandy said. “It was always so exciting, because we could go inside, then, and run tabs for things like hamburgers. We felt like royalty doing that.”

Land O’ Lakes is no longer the community off a small two-lane road connecting Tampa and Brooksville. It’s a bustling community of its own, which can’t seem to stop growing.

Sandy Graves, however, still has that small-town attitude. And she works hard to ensure the identity of Land O’ Lakes is never lost.

“Everybody knew each other growing up, and I could name all my grade school teachers,” Sandy said. “It’s not like that anymore, but now we have a chance to turn it into something special.”

Getting to know Sandy Graves

What song on the radio will make you sing out loud?
“Happy” from Pharrell Williams. I think everyone is listening to that song right now. But another one I actually love and used to play a lot is “Radioactive” (by Imagine Dragons) because sometimes I feel like people aren’t returning my calls because I’m radioactive.

If you were elected President of the United States, what is the first thing you’d do?
I’d cut every single department in the United States by about 5 percent. When they did the sequester thing, they said they had to close down the Grand Canyon, but how do you close down the Grand Canyon? Do you throw a sheet over it?

If you could fly anywhere you’ve never been?
Portugal and Spain. I would love to see the Mediterranean.

If you could appoint someone locally as President, who would it be?
Our county clerk, Paula O’ Neil. But I would make me vice president.

Published June 4, 2014

Smalls makes big contributions to Lutz beyond Guv’na

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What makes Jerome Smalls want to be the next Lutz Guv’na?

Part of it is encouragement from the current one.

“We went to the same high school in Philadelphia,” said Smalls of himself and the current Guv’na, Suzin Carr.

Lutz Guv’na candidate Jerome Smalls started Soccer Gemz with his wife, Marchele, to provide a sports curriculum that could be enjoyed by children like his daughter Ivoryele, 5. They have programs for children as young as 18 months, so daughter Anora, 10 months, isn’t far behind. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Lutz Guv’na candidate Jerome Smalls started Soccer Gemz with his wife, Marchele, to provide a sports curriculum that could be enjoyed by children like his daughter Ivoryele, 5. They have programs for children as young as 18 months, so daughter Anora, 10 months, isn’t far behind.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

When they met a couple of years ago in Lutz, they realized they both attended Roxborough High School in Philadelphia, albeit at different times. They struck up a friendship, and Carr encouraged him to run for the ceremonial title, given to the candidate who raises the most money during the race. The funds collected by the candidates go to local charities and civic organizations.

Smalls declined to run last year against Carr — who earned her second stint as Guv’na — but now that her term is almost over, he’s thrown his hat into the ring.

Smalls is one of five candidates vying for the position, and even though he’s lived in the Tampa area for around eight years — Smalls and his family live in Town ‘N Country and are relocating to Westchase — he’s always been struck by the friendly and welcoming nature of Lutz residents.

“The people are probably the No. 1 thing. The people are really friendly and outgoing,” he said.

Smalls first got to know the people of Lutz when he started up his family business, Soccer Gemz, which uses the fields by Lutz First Baptist Church, 18116 U.S. 41, where his family also attends church. His wife, Marchele, played soccer at the University of Tennessee, and they decided to create a soccer program for children ranging in ages from 18 months to eight years.

The inspiration came from feedback from Smalls’ daughter, Ivoryele, when she started playing soccer at a young age.

“She enjoyed the practices and was having fun. But when it came to the games, she didn’t really care too much for them,” Smalls said. “And we noticed that that’s what a lot of kids do. They’re not into it at all.”

Soccer Gemz operates under a curriculum that eliminates what they believe isn’t enjoyable, while retaining what is considered fun.

The organization’s focus is based on teaching skills through positive reinforcement, and playing games that are really just exhibitions where they don’t keep score and don’t have an actual winner. The program allows children to learn the fundamentals of soccer without competitive aspects they might not enjoy at a young age.

Soccer Gemz also touts a “mommy and me” class where a mother or father can participate in lessons with their children as early as 18 months. At that age they might just be socializing and learning to kick a ball, but it allows for a unique bonding experience for a family and provides a basic introduction to sports.

For Smalls, a successful class isn’t necessarily one where a child becomes the next soccer star or flashes superior skills. It’s when he receives feedback from parents that their child enjoys participating and has a good time on the field.

“Kids are having fun. That’s the No. 1 principle that we decided to build our business on, is making sure that the kids are having fun while they’re learning,” Smalls said.

The format seems to be working, as Soccer Gemz also has added a location in Ruskin. But Lutz is special to Smalls, so he’s making a push for Guv’na with a series of fundraisers.

Smalls recently had a pancake breakfast, he has an event planned with other candidates at Mekenita Mexican Grille on June 5, and an ice cream social at the Tampa Community of Christ June 13 at noon.

And while he hopes to raise the most money and earn the title, it’s the charitable aspect of the race that appeals to him. Smalls participates in church drives and enjoys being able to give back to Lutz groups and help raise funds for worthy organizations. He wants to win the race, but will continue participating in area events either way.

His goals? “Not only now, but after the race is over, to be able to get around and do things in the community and bring a little bit more awareness to things that are going on in the community,” Smalls said.

For more information about Soccer Gemz or to contribute to Smalls’ campaign, call (813) 421-5203, or visit SoccerGemz.com.

Published June 4, 2014

Wesley Chapel welcomes ice in new $20M sports complex

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By the end of next year, State Road 56 will be more crowded than ever.

A new Mercedes dealership. A long-awaited outlet mall and the different stores it will bring. Yet another hotel, this time 120 rooms.

Gordie Zimmermann, from left, is joined by Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano and retired Tampa Bay Lightning star Dave Andreychuk last week in a presentation unveiling a new four-pad ice sports complex just off State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel. The new arena is expected to open by late next year. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Gordie Zimmermann, from left, is joined by Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano and retired Tampa Bay Lightning star Dave Andreychuk last week in a presentation unveiling a new four-pad ice sports complex just off State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel. The new arena is expected to open by late next year.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

Not bad for a road that, just a little more than a decade ago, didn’t even exist.

Joining all that, however, is an ice and sports complex so big, it might make existing facilities in Ellenton, Oldsmar and maybe even Brandon a bit jealous.

Apartment developer Gordie Zimmermann and his colleagues Z Mitch LLC, closed on 13 acres of land last week on Cypress Ridge Boulevard for $2.6 million, where they plan to build a 155,500-square-foot ice and sports complex complete with four pads of ice, a restaurant, and room for other sports in the community.

Zimmermann’s development team is investing more than $20 million in the project, all so that Zimmermann’s hockey team — and other teams like it — won’t have to travel so far anymore to find a sheet of ice in Florida.

“I was operating down in the Brandon facility, and I noticed that the adult hockey program had taken over,” Zimmermann said of Ice Sports Forum, a two-pad complex he also owns. “The kids had limited ice time there, and had to drive 60 to 70 miles to an ice practice.”

Zimmermann, in his off-time, coaches the Wiregrass Ice Hawks, a youth team that includes his son, incoming Wiregrass High School junior Luke Zimmermann. The Ice Hawks finished as one of the top youth hockey teams in the state, second only to Mitchell High School.

The long drives and fighting for time on the ice limits the younger Zimmermann’s practice time to just a few days a week. But having a sports complex within walking distance of his Seven Oaks home could actually get him out on the ice much more frequently.

“I’d probably be going there every day,” Luke Zimmermann, a center for the team, said.

Although the facility is tentatively called the Cypress Creek Ice and Sport Complex, Gordie Zimmermann said he’s not opposed to finding a corporate sponsor to buy the naming rights. But even if that happens, it would probably be hard for people not to refer to the facility based on where it is geographically, like Cypress Creek or even Wesley Chapel.

And that’s exactly what Jeff Novotny wanted to hear. Not only is he president of American Consulting, which helped with the Zimmermann project, but he’s also president of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, which has been working tirelessly on branding new development along State Road 56 in the name of Wesley Chapel.

“I can tell you that the Tampa Bay area has a shortage of ice availability for all age levels,” said Novotny, whose American Consulting headquarters is literally next to the site where the ice complex will be built. “I can count on one hand the number of ice arenas in a one-hour drive. And thanks to the Tampa Bay Lightning, it is better than what it was 15 years ago.”

The Lightning was represented by Stanley Cup winner Dave Andreychuk who, coincidentally, went to high school with Zimmermann in Hamilton, Ontario. Andreychuk stood behind Zimmermann last week during a news conference where the new facility was unveiled, and lent his support to the facility.

Although there are plans to build a two-pad ice sports complex near The Grove in Wesley Chapel, Zimmermann seemed to dismiss the possibility that the local market could become too saturated with ice.

“I think we’ve done our homework,” he said. “I come from an area that has 200 rinks — eight-plexes and six-plexes, and it’s kind of the way of the world to build a minimum of four.”

The facility will be two stories tall, complete with two National Hockey League-level ice pads, and one meeting Olympic specifications. A fourth smaller ice pad, which can double as a non-ice sports court, could be made available when needed for young kids just getting their start, or even to help goalies learn position playing, Zimmermann said.

A restaurant would be situated on the second floor, with a clear view of all the rinks.

“During tournaments, some people’s children’s games might be an hour or two apart, an they can go up and grab a quick snack,” Zimmermann said. “Others might have six- or seven-hour gaps, and they can go to Wiregrass mall, and maybe to a restaurant.”

Coming right behind it is a planned 120-room hotel expected to close on 3 acres of land this summer, developers said. It would complement offerings already in that area, including an existing Hampton Inn & Suites.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano joined other government leaders at the presentation in endorsing the project, calling the project a crowning achievement to what the county is trying to accomplish in the State Road 56 and Interstate 75 corridor.

“Two rinks would’ve been great, three rinks is phenomenal, but with four, everyone is going to want to come here and play this from all around the world,” Mariano said, highlighting potential interest to travel here from groups outside Florida, and even outside the United States. “If you had to go to Canada or down here to play hockey, where would you want to go?”

Published June 4, 2014

Morningstar Fishermen seed library promotes good health

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It’s a wooden cabinet with several drawers, the index cards inside reminiscent of the kind used when libraries still had card catalogs.

Ara McLeod oversees the new seed library at Morningstar Fishermen in Dade City. The library allows people to check out heirloom seeds to grow in their gardens, with the hope that they’ll bring back more seeds to share. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Ara McLeod oversees the new seed library at Morningstar Fishermen in Dade City. The library allows people to check out heirloom seeds to grow in their gardens, with the hope that they’ll bring back more seeds to share.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

But this cabinet doesn’t hold cards telling visitors where to find books. Instead, it holds cards separating packages of seeds.

These aren’t just any seeds, however. They’re called heirloom seeds, and some of them had their start back in the 1800s, said Ara McLeod, who works at Morningstar Fishermen, a business in Dade City that promotes sustainable living.

Unlike most seeds that are planted in today’s fields and gardens, these heirloom seeds have not been genetically altered. Instead, they have been saved and passed along for generations.

And now, through Morningstar Fishermen’s new seed library, they are available to seed library members for free.

There is a catch. Those joining the seed library must agree to use only organic fertilizer on the vegetables and flowers they grow with these seeds. And they are asked to let some of their plants go to seed, so they can help to restock the seed library.

McLeod, who oversees the seed library, is thrilled that she’s leading this new venture, which aims to help people produce their own food.

“Here at Morningstar, we are about teaching people about sustainability,” McLeod said.

The company, located at 3336 Old St. Joe Road, has been teaching people about aquaponics for years. Aquaponics is essentially the marriage between hydroponics and aquaculture, allowing people to raise fish, veggies and plants at the same time.

It decided to branch out to help people become sustainable in other ways, too.

“We wanted to start a seed library here to help our community to have access to good, quality food,” McLeod said. “It’s really, really important for communities to have access to good seeds. With it being free, it really doesn’t matter what your economic status is.”

So far, fewer than a dozen people have signed up for the seed library. But McLeod’s enthusiasm for the program has not dimmed.

“We have to start somewhere,” she said, clearly passionate about the project. “Seeds are life. The soil is life. Without good quality seeds, our food is not of good quality, so, when we eat it, it doesn’t sustain our bodies.”

She estimates about 200 varieties of seeds in the library, mostly donated by Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek Seeds and some local families.

When people come to Morningstar Fishermen’s shop, they can look through the cabinet drawers to choose seeds.

“All of the drawers are divided out into families. In gardening, there’s nine different families,” McLeod explained. “In each family, you have the different types of vegetables or flowers.

“You just see what type of plant you want to grow. You open the drawer and you thumb through it. You can see the bean that you want to grow. There’s a little packet behind it. There’s the growing information on the back of it.”

Once they find their packet, they bring it up to a desk, fill out a form, and head home to start planting.

“You grow it. Save some of the seeds for yourself and some for the library and bring them back,” McLeod said.

Some people may have no earthly idea how to begin, but there are books, online information and low-cost classes that can help, she said.

Nobody should feel intimidated.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t know anything,” McLeod said. “The only thing that you need to start is a desire.”

To find out more about the seed library, email , visit MorningstarFishermen.org, or call McLeod at (352) 523-2722.

Published June 4, 2014