The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

‘First Friday’ food truck rally debuts this week

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People who want to grab a bite to eat can check out a new option this Friday at the Lutz First Friday Food Truck Rally.

The event will be he first Friday of every month, said Mike White, president and founder of the Lutz Citizens Coalition.

Food trucks like this will gather on the first Friday of each month at the Lutz First Friday Food Truck Rally. The idea is to provide a community gathering spot, while raising money for the Lutz Citizens Coalition and Lutz Preparatory School. (Photo courtesy of Tampa Bay Food Truck Rally)
Food trucks like this will gather on the first Friday of each month at the Lutz First Friday Food Truck Rally. The idea is to provide a community gathering spot, while raising money for the Lutz Citizens Coalition and Lutz Preparatory School. (Photo courtesy of Tampa Bay Food Truck Rally)

The coalition and Lutz Preparatory have partnered to put on the event, which will raise money for the school and the citizens coalition. It runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Dec. 6, at Lutz Preparatory School, 17951 N. U.S. 41.

“It’s just going to be a good time,” White said. “Come enjoy some good company and relax. It’s no cooking. No dishes. No hassles.”

He thinks the food truck rally will become part of a local tradition, as families who are headed to football games, ballet recitals and other events will stop to grab a bite to eat. The money raised from the event will go to support the U.S. 41 tree project, cleanups on Sunset Lane, and other efforts by the coalition to help protect the quality of life in Lutz, White said.

The food truck rally will offer patrons plenty of choices, said Michael Blasco, chief executive officer of Tampa Bay Food Truck Rally. It will feature a dozen food trucks offering such options as gourmet hot dogs, Cajun food, flatbread, cheesesteaks, pressed sandwiches, South American and Italian fusion, and, of course, desserts.

“It’s like traveling the world,” Blasco said.

The food truck rally is just one of the events happening in Lutz this month. The community will also have its final celebration to mark its 100th year: The Lutz Centennial Christmas Card Lane.

That is set to run from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Dec. 17 on the Train Depot grounds at the corner of U.S. 41 and Lutz Lake Fern Road.

Lutz and Maniscalco elementary schools will provide entertainment with Lutz Guv’na Suzin Carr acting as emcee.

The evening also includes the lighting of the Christmas tree and an appearance by Santa.

Organizers are encouraging attendees to bring a blanket and lawn chairs.

Any Lutz resident, business, club or organization that wants to display a Christmas card can make one using either a quarter-inch plywood or 10mm Corex, the material that is used to make white yard sale signs.

Anyone who would like to participate should bring the card to Lutz Memorial Park, which is across the street from the Train Depot, between 8:30 a.m. and noon on Dec. 14. Boy Scout Troop 12 will set up the card.

For more information about Centennial Christmas Card Lane, call (813) 949-1937.

For more information about the food truck rally, call Tampa Bay Food Truck Rally at (813) 464-5600.

Food pantry ‘blessed’ to provide for those in need

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The big red building on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard might not fetch more than a causal glance from some passersby, but many who step through the doors say it’s a place where blessings are granted regularly.

The nonprofit food pantry located just south of Ehren Cutoff has been helping feed area families in need since 1987. Although not always situated in its current 5514 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., home, the agency has grown through the years to meet the needs of the community.

Mike Head packs grocery bags for clients of Christian Social Services. (Photo by Sherri Lonon)
Mike Head packs grocery bags for clients of Christian Social Services. (Photo by Sherri Lonon)

Holding true to its Christian roots, the pantry has very few rules for those who receive assistance. Individuals or families in need just need to stop by during regular hours to receive emergency food staples. Help is given on an honor system, explained Jacquie Petet, the agency’s executive director.

While tons of food goes out of the agency’s doors each month to hundreds of families in need, Petet said the community always steps up to make sure the food doesn’t run out.

“We are blessed,” she said, noting that 12 area churches and their congregations assist in keeping the pantry’s shelves stocked. Area residents also lend a hand by donating nonperishable food items, money and extras, such as presents for children during the holidays and backpacks at back-to-school time.

Christian Social Services also is partially self-supporting thanks to an onsite thrift store that’s open to the public.

Even though support for the mission is strong, Petet said additional help is always welcomed and needed. The last few years especially have been difficult with the economy down and donations to regular food drives, such as the postal carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger drive, down with it.

Before the economy turned a few years ago, the postal drive brought enough food into the pantry to handle demand for months. That’s no longer the case, Petet said.

“The last few years, it’s been substantially down,” she said.

There are many ways area residents can help out, said Llurah Utt, a longtime volunteer at Christian Social Services. Not only can they donate food, money or even items for the thrift store, but volunteers are always needed as well.

“We always welcome people that want to volunteer,” Utt said.

Christian Social Services operates its pantry and community thrift store with the help of three full-time employees — including Petet — and two part-time workers. About 20 volunteers fill in the gaps to make sure shelves are stocked, items are sorted, and bags of food are prepared for those in need.

“Our volunteers are a hundred times better than most people’s employees,” Petet said.

Employee Mike Head said the agency has been a godsend to his family and he’s been “blessed” to help others in return. Head began working at Christian Social Services several years ago after he was laid off from a full-time cable installer job.

While Mike now works at the agency, his wife Bobbi and two children, Bianka, 8, and Bryan, 10, are often at his side volunteering to help other families facing difficult times.

“It’s nice to be able to instill that,” Head said of giving back.

Christian Social Services’ pantry and thrift store are open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit CSS-HelpingHands.org, or call (813) 995-0088.

— Sherri Lonon

Thousands expected at arts and crafts festival at Lake Park

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Every year, for the past three decades, the Lutz Arts & Crafts Festival has attracted thousands to this community north of Tampa.

Vendors display their wares at the annual Lutz Arts & Crafts Festival. (Photo courtesy of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club)
Vendors display their wares at the annual Lutz Arts & Crafts Festival. (Photo courtesy of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club)

The event, Dec. 7 and Dec. 8 at Lake Park, 17302 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz, features nearly 250 vendors offering paintings, photography, jewelry, woodcarving, ceramics, pottery, stained glass, quilts and food.

The event, co-sponsored by the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club and Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department, is free after a $2 per vehicle parking charge.

The art show is juried, with cash prizes awarded by the Woman’s Club.

A variety of foods will be available, with the Woman’s Club booth offering breakfast items, hot dogs and the club’s peach cobbler. Other food booths will offer barbecue, Cuban selections sausages, funnel cakes and other items.

The event gives shoppers a chance to peruse booths to find holiday gifts and décor. It also raises money for the Woman’s Club, which uses the proceeds to support many local organizations, said Phyllis Hoedt, co-chairwoman of the festival.

It’s a popular event, attracting as many as 30,000 visitors.

The show enjoys a good reputation, and vendor booths sell out shortly after applications become available each March, Hoedt said. Many of the event’s vendors come from other states to set up their tents at the festival.

Pulling off the annual event requires an army of volunteers, Hoedt said. The Civil Air Patrol, the Boy Scouts and the Woman’s Club itself provide dozens of helpers, and community volunteers pitch in, too.

For additional information, call Hoedt at (813) 949-1937, or her co-chairwoman, Shirley Simmons at (813) 949-7060.

 

Music icon Charlie Daniels making fundraising stop in Pasco

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Charlie Daniels may play a mean fiddle, but how is he with a shotgun?

The Grand Ole Opry legend is making his annual trip back to the Tampa Bay area, once again to raise money for The Angelus — a group home in Hudson. But this time, his fundraising tour is going to include Land O’ Lakes.

Country music star Charlie Daniels stops to visit a moment with Gene, one of the residents of The Angelus. Daniels is making a stop in Land O’ Lakes this weekend to help raise money for the nonprofit. (Photo courtesy of The Angelus)
Country music star Charlie Daniels stops to visit a moment with Gene, one of the residents of The Angelus. Daniels is making a stop in Land O’ Lakes this weekend to help raise money for the nonprofit. (Photo courtesy of The Angelus)

The Charlie Daniels Sporting Clay Shootout is scheduled for Dec. 7 at Tampa Bay Sporting Clays, 10514 Ehren Cutoff. It will not only include Daniels, but some of his other celebrity friends like the stars of Discovery’s “The Deadliest Catch,” as well as R.J. Molinere Jr., and Jay Paul Molinere from “Swamp People” on History.

And a former Tampa Bay Buccaneer player or two could show up as well.

“It’s just going to be a lot of fun,” said Tammy Williams, who has helped organize events like this for The Angelus for more years than she cares to share. “All of this is for an amazing cause, as we can use every dollar we raise this weekend.”

The residential facility set on 17 wooded acres in Pasco County was designed for the severely handicapped — all 32 of its residents are wheelchair-bound. It has five group homes, a day program, a wood shop, a pool, miniature horses, and even a rustic log cabin known as “Charlie’s Lodge” after Daniels himself.

“Everyone has a different story,” Williams said. “We have quite a few whose parents are just too old to take care of them anymore, and others who just need specialized care they couldn’t get anywhere else.”

The facility has operated on some government subsidies, but that has dwindled over the years to where private donations are more crucial than ever. And while the number of residents might seem low, it takes up to 80 employees to keep The Angelus functioning, providing much-needed around-the-clock care.

“While the state is cutting your money, they are continually raising their standards on what you have to do as a facility,” Williams said. “We have no problem giving our residents the best care, but all of it costs money.”

Daniels, who is probably best known for his songs like “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” first learned about The Angelus 23 years ago. He was asked to help raise a little bit of money for the facility, and he just never stopped.

Skip Schaer had the same problem. He owns Schaer Development of Central Florida Inc., a site development company located on Hunt Road, just off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes. It started with his son volunteering for the organization more than 16 years ago, and the next thing he knew, Schaer himself had become involved — working his way right up into the organization’s board of directors.

While it was always nice to know Daniels would make the trip to Florida to help The Angelus each year, it wasn’t until Schaer saw him in action during a Sunday service on one of his visits that he truly understood the singer’s devotion to the organization.

“He brought some of the celebrities with him, and everyone was waiting for him at Charlie’s Lodge,” Schaer said. “He walked in the door, and without saying a word to anybody, he went to each one of the kids to speak with them. They would take his face into their hands, and he would just continue, one after another, talking with every single one of them.”

Charlie’s Lodge was built in 1999 with the help of more than 600 volunteers, and has been a quiet refuge for residents and employees alike at The Angelus.

Although the Charlie Daniels event originated in Pasco County, in recent years it has moved south to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa. That’s where Daniels and others will perform Saturday night.

But with The Angelus and the weekend fundraiser roots in Pasco, Schaer looked for an opportunity to bring it back. And shooting clays in Land O’ Lakes seemed like the perfect opportunity.

“We are hoping that we have a lot of local folks who will come out and support us here in their own backyard,” Schaer said. “Charlie and everyone else will be there, and they are all very hands-on. They never have a problem posing for pictures or signing autographs.”

But shooting slots are already filling up, even at $150 for an individual or $600 for a four-person team.

For more information on the shootout or any of the other events planned around Daniels’ visit, go to TheAngelus.com, or call Tammy Williams at (727) 243-8293.

 

East Pasco students to have more educational options

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Students on the county’s east side will have a broader range of educational options beginning next school year as Pasco County Schools initiates Cambridge education programs at Pasco Middle and Pasco High schools.

An international program that offers students the opportunity to earn college credits is being introduced at Pasco Middle and Pasco High schools next year. A large crowd of parents and students turned out to find out more about the program at a recent information meeting. (Photo by B.C. Manion)
An international program that offers students the opportunity to earn college credits is being introduced at Pasco Middle and Pasco High schools next year. A large crowd of parents and students turned out to find out more about the program at a recent information meeting. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

The programs, which are known for their academic rigor, will be housed at those two schools, but will also be open through school choice to students from Zephyrhills and Wesley Chapel high schools, and also to students from Centennial, Stewart and Weightman middle schools.

Students who successfully pass the examinations attached to the Cambridge program can earn up to 45 college credits at Florida public universities. Those achieving the Cambridge diploma will qualify for the highest award available in the state’s Bright Futures Scholarship program.

Pasco educators believe that students who complete the Cambridge course of study will be better prepared to succeed in college.

The University of Cambridge launched the program more than 150 years ago, beginning with 370 candidates in seven British cities. Now it has more than 8 million diploma candidates in more than 160 countries.

A large crowd of parents and students attended a recent information session at Pasco Middle to find out more about the programs.

“We wanted to bring a rigorous program to these kids in the east side of the county,” Pasco Schools superintendent Kurt Browning said. “This is an established program.”

Students have the opportunity to earn college credits that will result in substantial savings in tuition costs, but they’ll have to apply themselves to make that happen, Browning said.

“They’re going to have to work. They’re going to have to work hard,” he said.

Another information session about the Cambridge option is scheduled for Dec. 5 at 6 p.m., in the media center at Wesley Chapel High, 30651 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel.

The program, known formally as Cambridge International Examinations, offers the opportunity to earn an Advanced International Certificate of Education. It is offered through the University of Cambridge International Examinations, a division of the Cambridge, England, school.

The program seeks to develop learners who are confident, responsible, reflective, innovative and engaged.

To apply for the Pasco programs, students must:

• Have a score of Level 3 or above on reading and math on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

• Submit two teacher recommendations.

• Have an unweighted grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

• Complete a 300- to 500-word essay.

The application deadline is Jan. 31.

Pasco Middle will house the Lower Secondary Program, which is designed to prepare students to continue onto Cambridge course work at Pasco High.

“We were very impressed with the Cambridge schools that we went to go see,” Kim Anderson, principal at Pasco Middle, told the audience at the recent information session. “The students that we saw in these programs were outstanding. They were thinking, at times, far above some of the adults in the room.”

The program offers academic rigor, much like the district’s International Baccalaureate program offered at Land O’ Lakes and Gulf high schools, but offers students more flexibility, district officials said. The program requires students to pass six exams to receive a diploma. Three of those exams must be in each of the program’s study areas, but the student gets to choose the other three.

In the IB program, five of the six required exams must be taken in specific study areas.

Because of its flexibility, students should have no problem taking electives and participating in extracurricular activities, such as band, officials said.

Students are also able to get college credits for single courses, if they pass the exams, even if they do not take enough of the courses to get a diploma.

The program will begin next year, with students entering sixth grade through 10th grade eligible to take part. The district will provide transportation to students in participating schools.

District officials said they’re going to wait until the applications are in before determining how large the programs will be.

To learn more about the Cambridge program, contact:
Jenny Borders at Pasco Middle School:

Business Digest 12-04-13

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Sponsors sought for barbecue event
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce is still seeking sponsors for January’s Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues event, which raises money for local youth leadership and education programs.
The event itself takes place at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, 39450 South Ave., in Zephyrhills, Jan. 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It includes food, music, a car and motorcycle show, a business expo, and more.
For more information on how to sponsor by Dec. 5, call the chamber at (813) 782-1913.

 

Ryland Tampa named Builder of the Year
The Tampa Bay Builders Association recently honored the Tampa division of Ryland Homes with its Homebuilder of the Year award.
The award is based on sales and marketing practices, as well as year-round civic, community and charitable work. The winner is selected from the TBBA’s membership.
Ryland Homes in Tampa currently builds new homes in 15 communities around Tampa Bay.

 

Wesley Chapel chiropractor partners with Gainesville MC
Gainesville Medical Centers is now working with Cypress Creek Chiropractic & Wellness in Wesley Chapel, adding the local venue to other locations around the state.
The medical centers test for Florida’s top 60 environmental allergens, as well as up to 300 items, including food, chemicals, pesticides and medicines. They also offer immunotherapy, which helps desensitize patients from environmental allergens.
For more information, call (386) 283-4991, or (352) 505-9355.

 

Grand opening for Suncoast Schools
Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union recently hosted its grand opening of what it’s describing as an environmentally friendly branch at 32745 Eiland Blvd., in Zephyrhills.
It is the second branch to focus on being environmentally friendly, including light-emitting diode lighting throughout, high-efficiency windows and insulation, geothermal air-conditioning and heating, and 40-kilowatt solar power panels to offset electricity.
The Zephyrhills branch also is expected to use half the electricity of other branches, and the exterior is outfitted with drought-resistant landscaping with drip irrigation where possible.
This is the credit union’s second branch in East Pasco County, joining the one at 12510 U.S. 301 in Dade City.

 

Women-n-Charge meets in December
Women-n-Charge will meet Dec. 6 beginning at 11:30 a.m. at the Pebble Creek Country Club, 10550 Regents Park Drive in Tampa.
The meeting includes lunch, a feature speaker, and networking.
Cost is $15 for members in advance, and $18 for guests and any member not buying in advance.
Register at www.Women-n-Charge.com.
For more information, call (813) 600-9848, or email .

 

KNOW luncheon in Dade City
The Knowledgeable Network of Women from the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will host its next KNOW luncheon Dec. 4 beginning at 11:30 a.m.
Guest speaker is Joy Hampton, district legislative assistant to Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel.
The luncheon will take place at Scotland Yard Golf & Country Club, 8900 Wire Road, in Dade City. Cost is $15 for members, and $20 for guests.
For more information, call (813) 782-1913, or email .

 

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.
Here’s the group’s slate of upcoming speakers:
• Dec. 10: Rev. Scott-Eric Lindner, pastor of Atonement Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel
• Jan. 14: Christopher Payne, managing partner of Ryder Payne Capital Inc.
• Jan. 28: Carol Johns, president and chief executive of GIM Associates LLC
• Feb. 11: Cheryl Pollock, business development director for Premier Community HealthCare Group Inc.
• Feb. 25: Regina Etheridge, retired IRS revenue officer

 

Christmas celebration at East-West Animal Hospital
East-West Animal Hospital, 1524 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Lutz, will host its Christmas celebration Dec. 14 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The hospital’s mascot, Barley the Opossum, will pose for photos as “Barley Claus.”
A calendar and T-shirts featuring Barley will be sold to help local animal rescue organizations. There also will be food and giveaways.
Barley was the only survivor of a car accident when he was just two weeks old. A former employee of the animal hospital rescued him, and tube-fed him until he could eat on his own.
For more information on the event, visit EastWestAnimalHospital.com, or call (813) 948-6534.

 

Donations earn spa time
The Planet Beat Contempo Spas in New Tampa, Seven Oaks and Westchase are celebrating the holidays by offering “12 Days of Spa” certificates to anyone who donates a toy valued at more than $10, or canned goods for families in need for Christmas.
Current members will receive a free lotion sample or spa service for their donation.
The “12 Days of Spa” certificate is valued at more than $129, and entitles the bearer to 12 consecutive days of spa services through Jan. 31. The certificates are transferable.
For more information, call (813) 971-9337, or (813) 991-4433.

 

Dealership helps soldiers for the holidays
Parks Ford, 28739 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, recently wrapped up its Support the Troops drive, which collected items for the military between October and November at the dealership.
Once the drive was over, a Parks Ford team delivered all the items collected, volunteered to help pack boxes, and donated $2,500. The funds help the group with its biggest challenge — paying for shipment of donated items overseas. This particular donation will allow Support the Troops to send up to 70 boxes to military personnel this holiday season.
For more information on how to support the troops during the holiday season, visit OurTroopsOnline.com.

Saint Anthony School builds on optimism

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There was a time, not many years ago, when the future appeared uncertain for Saint Anthony School in San Antonio.

Attendance had dwindled to 153, and there was talk of shutting down the elementary school.

Sister Alice Ottapurackal is the principal of Saint Anthony School. She is optimistic about its future growth. (Photo by B.C. Manion)
Sister Alice Ottapurackal is the principal of Saint Anthony School. She is optimistic about its future growth. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

“At that point, when the enrollment was really low, a group of parents rolled up their sleeves and went to work in every way they could (to) get the word out about the school,” said Will Plazewski, whose son represents the fourth generation of his family to attend Saint Anthony. “It was amazing that even though the school has been here for 129 years, how many people in East Pasco County had no idea that it existed.”

Parents spread the word, and a 15-second commercial at the Cobb Grove 16 in Wesley Chapel also helped attract students, he said.

Sister Alice Ottapurackal, the school’s principal, attributes the turnaround to a higher power.

“The enrollment went up — God’s special blessing,” she said. “Truly, I believe, it’s the power of prayer.”

Now, enrollment stands at 213, and prospects for future growth are so bright that ground was broken on Nov. 17 for a new building. The new structure will accommodate 270 students.

Instead of lamenting the closure of a school that enjoys a rich heritage, Saint Anthony School is now celebrating a new chapter in its history. About 200 people turned out for the groundbreaking festivities, Plazewski said.

Construction on the new 17,905-square-foot building is expected to begin Dec. 1, and be ready for use by next fall. The new three-story brick structure will be situated on a space now occupied by five portable classrooms.

Even with the new building, the school will continue to emphasize academic excellence while teaching the Catholic faith, the principal said.

“All day long, we are teaching them about Jesus,” Ottapurackal said. “It is so important, especially nowadays, when you don’t see a lot of support in society about faith.”

Helping children form their faith is fundamental, the principal said.

“Once you have God in you, the other things will come,” Ottapurackal said. “Our focus is on whole child education, not only intellectual, but spiritual, moral, social, (and) emotional aspects of the children.”

Teachers know their students well, the principal added.

“Our teachers are well-connected with them because of the family atmosphere we have here,” she said.

Saint Anthony School serves kindergarten through eighth grade. Tuition is $4,375 for practicing Catholics and $5,075 for others. Since 2000, the school has produced 14 valedictorians and salutatorians at area high schools, Plazewski said.

Parents who are interested in pursuing a Catholic education for their children should not be discouraged by the tuition, Ottapurackal said. Assistance is available in various forms.

“Catholic education should be for any group of people, whether they are rich or poor, regardless of race,” the principal added.

Unlike previous buildings that were constructed on the school campus, this one will be an additional building, not a replacement. The existing brick structure, built in 1922, will remain and will be used for some school functions.

The new building will be the fourth in the school’s history. The current building replaced a two-story structure built in 1899. The original building was a 12-by-24-foot structure constructed in November 1884.

Not only is Saint Anthony School the oldest parochial school in the diocese, it’s also one of the oldest Catholic schools in Florida, Plazewski said.

“It is by far the oldest school in Pasco County of any kind,” he said. “The only thing that’s close to it is Saint Leo University.”

San Antonio was founded in 1882 as a Catholic colony. The following year, a widowed woman named Cecilia Morse moved into the community with her six children.

When she inquired about the school, she was told it could wait until there were more settlers, Plazewski said. Morse reportedly responded that the “minds of the children now here, can’t wait.”

With that, the widow began teaching 14 children, including six of her own, in her kitchen.

Today, Saint Anthony School draws students from San Antonio, Dade City, Zephyrhills, Brooksville, Land O’ Lakes, New Tampa and other communities.

And, its new building sends a clear signal that the school intends to be there for many years to come.

Local synagogue merges Thanksgiving with Hanukkah

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The Jewish celebration of Hanukkah predates Christmas by at least a couple centuries. But for the first time since 2002, the “festival of lights” is being mentioned in the same breath as a different holiday, Thanksgiving. And that likely won’t happen again until people travel in flying cars and live on Mars.

The first night of Hanukkah begins at sunset Nov. 27. And because November started on a Friday, Thanksgiving doesn’t take place until Nov. 28. And that’s not very common.

Crowds gather, ready to light the menorah for a recent Hanukkah celebration at The Shops at Wiregrass. Chabad at Wiregrass will do it all again Dec. 1 in front of Dillard’s, which will include food, face painting, and games. (Photo courtesy of Rabbi Mendy Yarmush)
Crowds gather, ready to light the menorah for a recent Hanukkah celebration at The Shops at Wiregrass. Chabad at Wiregrass will do it all again Dec. 1 in front of Dillard’s, which will include food, face painting, and games. (Photo courtesy of Rabbi Mendy Yarmush)

“It’s quite rare for Hanukkah and Thanksgiving to overlap, but it’s not really rare for it to start in November,” said Rabbi Mendy Yarmush, who leads Chabad at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel. Hanukkah “started on Nov. 28 in 1994, and it will again in 2032. The only thing different is that Thanksgiving is a lot later than it usually is.”

The last time Hanukkah started on the Thanksgiving eve was in 1899, according to ReformJudaism.org. And it will only happen once more — in 2089.

That means Jews will celebrate Hanukkah the same time they’re sitting down to watch football. And it opens the door to merge some of the traditions of both holidays.

The rabbi’s wife, Chanie Yarmush, recently shared some recipes with her women’s group that provide the best of both worlds. For example, instead of the traditional potato latkes, Chanie Yarmush suggests sweet potato latkes. Instead of applesauce, families could try cranberry-applesauce.

“That’s what Chabad is, a place to be traditional and still be contemporary with what’s going on throughout the world,” Mendy Yarmush said.

Chabad at Wiregrass, which started in 2008 and is part of the international Chabad movement, is staying out of the way of traditional Thanksgiving celebrations, but has still scheduled a pair of events to help celebrate the holiday.

The first is a Hanukkah party on Nov. 27 where teens will load a stretch limousine to first attend the grand menorah lighting in Tampa, and then continue their celebration at the Tampa Bay Lightning game at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Then, on Dec. 1, Chabad at Wiregrass will host its sixth annual Hanukkah celebration at The Shops at Wiregrass. That will include a menorah lighting in front of the Dillard’s store, and a number of other activities including music, food, face painting, and even a giant Jenga game.

Both events start at 5:30 p.m.

“I didn’t want to challenge people to choose between Thanksgiving and Hanukkah,” Yarmush said. “This way, they have the first night to light their menorah, to heat their turkey, and maybe even play a little with the dreidel.”

Chabad at Wiregrass is not affiliated with any particular Jewish movement, although the international group has roots in the Hasidic community. Its congregation, which pulls from North Tampa and central Pasco County, meets at 2124 Ashley Oaks Circle in Wesley Chapel.

For more information, visit them online at ChabadAtWiregrass.com.

Ancient miracle at root of Hanukkah
Probably best known for the menorah, a candelabrum with eight candles used to observe each night, Hanukkah is a Jewish celebration dating back to the final centuries before what has become known as the “common era.”

The Greek king Antiochus IV Epiphanes invaded Judea, where Jerusalem and the Second Temple were located. The king looted the city, and banned many Jewish practices.

This created a revolt that would eventually be led by Judah Maccabee. Once the Greeks were run out of the city, Maccabee took possession of the temple, and worked to purify it from the invasion. A menorah was required to burn throughout the night every night, but there was only a day’s supply of olive oil available — and it would take a week to produce more.

Yet, the oil somehow lasted eight days, creating a miracle that has been celebrated ever since.

Hanukkah is celebrated toward the end of the Jewish month Kislev, which usually falls in November or December of the common calendar. It typically features fried foods like pontshkes and latkes (jam-filled doughnuts and potato pancakes), to recognize the importance of oil, and includes small gift exchanges.

Hanukkah observances also are a time for kids to play games with a dreidel, a four-sided spinning top with a Hebrew letter on each side.

— Michael Hinman

In Thanksgiving, for brothers and sisters

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I spent last weekend with my two brothers in Vilano Beach, an island just north of St. Augustine, in a house that fronts the Atlantic Ocean.

The house is battered grey by years of sun and wind; its décor a step back to the 1970s with foil wallpaper, macramé wall hangings and avocado-colored pots and pans.

Tom, left, and Jimmy Kortus — brothers of publisher Diane Kortus — at Vilano Beach.
Tom, left, and Jimmy Kortus — brothers of publisher Diane Kortus — at Vilano Beach.

In many ways this weathered house with its ’70s feeling was a perfect setting for a weekend away with my brothers. The three of us last lived together in the 1970s, when I was in college and the boys in high school.

We were middle children in a large Minnesota family. We grew up close in age (my parents had 10 children in 14 years), and most of us never moved farther than a few hours from our father’s home in St. Paul.

Jimmy and I were the only ones to leave the area, moving to Florida in our 20s. But the 1,500 miles separating us from our brothers and sisters never changed how we felt about them. That was especially true for Jimmy and Tom, who have always remained close.

Over the years, Jimmy and I have looked forward to visits from our brothers and sisters. In the beginning, when we were all young and Florida still a novelty, three or four siblings would visit each year.

That pace slowed as we married, had children, and our work commitments grew. Time off became precious, and visits from brothers and sisters slowed to just once or twice a year.

So when brother Tom announced a few weeks back that he and his wife Sue were coming for a visit, it was a wonderful surprise, and we planned the weekend together in Vilano Beach. It was not long after the dinner plates were pushed aside and the carrot cake served that we began to reminisce about our childhood in the 1970s. The house by the sea, with its furnishing so much like our family home, was a perfect setting. The conversation was fast-paced and reflective. We shared wonderful memories from our childhood, as well as painful times. But no matter what was said, there was never a doubt about the love and commitment we felt for each other.

Like most families, it does not matter how long it has been since we were last together. We can go weeks, even months, without seeing or talking to each other. Yet when we next connect, it’s as if we had been together the day before.

I suppose it’s the bond we have as siblings that makes this so. The love we have for our brothers and sisters is ingrained in our souls. It allows us to accept each other for all that is good, to believe in each other despite challenges, and to forgive the things that are best forgotten.

And, as I pause to reflect on my blessings this Thanksgiving, my heart is filled with gratitude to have shared my life with brothers and sisters whose love remains constant, despite the time between our visits, and the miles that keep us apart.

Wiregrass Wobble is drawing young and old

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It’s an inaugural race, but already the Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel is expected to draw as many as 1,300 runners.

The race already had registered 991 runners by Nov. 21, said race director Brian Brink. He expects as many as 20 percent of the race’s participants to register on race day, which is on Thanksgiving.

The 5-kilometer event, which is a walk or run event, begins at 7:30 a.m., and the one-mile fun run and walk begins at 8:15 a.m.

So far, runners from 30 states have signed up, said Brink, who is general manager for Fitniche at The Shops at Wiregrass. The oldest runner registered so far is 83. He thinks the youngest in the one-mile fun run and walk will be about 3.

Fitniche is putting on the race, in conjunction with the New Tampa Rotary and the New Tampa YMCA. Besides giving runners a new race, the event is raising money for Feeding America Tampa Bay and the New Tampa YMCA.

The inspiration for the Wiregrass Wobble came from a running group established by Brink that regularly runs on Thursday nights at The Shops, located at 28211 Paseo Drive.

Last year, members from the group decided to run on Thanksgiving morning and Brink put out the word about a week before the holiday. Much to his surprise, about 150 people showed up.

Brink figured if that many people turned out with just a week’s notice, the event could draw substantially more runners with more lead time. When planning began, Brink predicted there would be at least 1,000 runners. Now, he’s upped that projection to 1,300.

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

Runners can register on race day. It costs $25 for the 5k and $20 for the one-miler.

Parking will be available in mall parking lots near State Road 56 and lots off of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. The parking garage and areas nearby, however, will be closed off for the race, Brink said.