The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Man vs. bull this weekend at Great Bull Run

By

For some people, nothing could make a weekend more complete than having a herd of bulls stampeding after them.

It takes a lot of courage, and maybe a touch of insanity, to jump into the path of a rampaging bull. But those are exactly the kind of people invited to do just that March 8 in Dade City. (Courtesy of The Great Bull Run)
It takes a lot of courage, and maybe a touch of insanity, to jump into the path of a rampaging bull. But those are exactly the kind of people invited to do just that March 8 in Dade City. (Courtesy of The Great Bull Run)

It’s been a way of life in Pamplona, Spain, for more than a century. And now that experience is coming to Dade City for The Great Bull Run on March 8.

It takes place at Little Everglades Ranch, 17951 Hamilton Road, just off U.S. 301.

The 10-city tour began last August in Virginia with more than 12,000 attendees, and organizer Rob Dickens hopes to make it an annual event here locally. Oh, and by the way, it is dangerous.

“That’s what draws people, the danger,” Dickens said. “If it was as safe as a walk in the park, there would be no reason to do it.”

Dickens said the idea to do a bull run in America came a couple years ago when he and his business partner tried to make the trip to Pamplona to take part in the famous bull run there. But it was impossible to attend — the average cost is around $3,000 a person to make the trip, giving up 10 days of work, all planned at least a year in advance. And that’s if they didn’t get injured.

“That’s when we realized, why don’t we just bring it here to the U.S.,” Dickens said. “There must be millions of other Americans like us who want to do this, but probably can’t afford all that.”

The Great Bull Run is a kinder, gentler version of the Spanish one. There are more safety precautions for both the runners and the bulls. There is track fencing runners can easily climb over and slide under if they get into danger, as well as nooks in the fence they can hide. Also, the bulls — which are brought in by a touring rodeo company — don’t have sharpened horns. That means less chance of goring.

The bulls are constantly monitored for their health and safety, and unlike in Pamplona, none of them are heading to the bullfighting ring afterward.

Yet, there are still dangers involved. Since the current tour started, two people have been injured, Dickens said. One had a broken wrist, the other a broken pelvis. However, the injury rate remains much lower than an average high school football game.

Even in Spain, there have been 15 deaths with the bull running, but that’s over a span of 102 years.

Still, the bull run is not just for the adventure seekers. Spectators also are welcome — at a much lower cost — and will be close enough to see the action, but far enough to stay safe.

It’s part of an all-day event that includes music, food, games and beer. The afternoon will feature the Tomato Royale, another Spanish tradition, where 30,000 pounds of tomatoes are trucked in for the sole purpose of participants throwing them at each other.

Tickets to run with the bulls are $65, with six total runs available throughout the late morning and mid-afternoon. For those who would rather throw tomatoes with no bull, the cost is $40.

Just want to watch? Tickets are $10 at the gate, with an additional fee for parking.

“We were looking for major metropolitan areas where we thought people would be interested in something like this, and we found a great venue just between Tampa and Orlando,” Dickens said.

“I’ve run with the bulls several times now at our own events, and the first time you do it, you’re absolutely scared out of your mind,” he said. “But the more you do it, the more you get comfortable with it. But it does take a certain type of person to do it in the first place.”

For more information, visit TheGreatBullRun.com.

Published March 5, 2014

Contest taps into region’s best-tasting drinking water

By

The rows of water-filled plastic cups were not at all daunting to Daniel Yeh. He would pick each one up, sniff the water, look at it, and then quickly take a sip before setting the cup back down and jotting some notes on a score sheet.

Water was judged on a number of criteria including taste — as demonstrated by Nick Makris of the Southwest Florida Water Management District — odor, and as fellow judge Rick Ratcliff shows, color. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Water was judged on a number of criteria including taste — as demonstrated by Nick Makris of the Southwest Florida Water Management District — odor, and as fellow judge Rick Ratcliff shows, color. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

“After a while, the samples run together,” said Yeh, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of South Florida. Narrowing it all down to a winner? “I do it scientifically,” he says with a smile before moving on to the next plastic cup.

Yeh was one of four judges tasked with finding the best-tasting tap water in the region last week, a title Hillsborough County was looking to defend, but many others wanted to wrestle away. Nearly 20 municipalities ranging from Sumter to Pinellas counties lugged in gallons of water to Lake Park in Lutz using containers of both the plastic and glass variety.

At stake were bragging rights for the region, and the chance to put their water head-to-head with the best in Florida next month.

“We are blessed with such a good source of clean, high-quality water in Florida — water that exceeds state and federal standards for quality — and this is all just some friendly competition to showcase it,” said Steven King, vice chair of Florida’s Region IV in the American Water Works Association.

In a society that consumes millions of bottles of water, contents like the best-tasting contest are designed to give a positive spin to tap water — something people typically only talk about when something goes wrong, like the recent pollution of the water supply in West Virginia.

“That’s when you think about water, when something like that happens,” King said. “There’s already this preconceived notion that tap water is bad, but really it’s not. It’s regulated probably more than bottled water, and it’s just high quality all around.”

Hillsborough County hosted this year’s regional contest, since it won this level last year. But Pasco County also was there, looking to defend its state title from 2006. And Zephyrhills, Dade City and other area communities were invited as well.

Judges were not told where their water samples came from, but were tasked to check for odor, color and taste.

The competition is highly subjective, King admits, where one person’s like may be someone else’s dislike. But most of the way through the taste-testing, one judge said one sample really stood out.

“It’s nice and smooth, and it’s almost tasteless,” said Nick Makris, a water supply specialist and project manager for the Southwest Florida Water Management District. “It’s hard to tell if some of these would stand out, because a lot of them feel to be the same. But yeah, I think one of them stands out in a good way.”

While Makris didn’t know where his favorite water came from, the day ended with a clear winner. Dunedin, which actually won the regional contest in 2011, was champion once again.

Water officials there will head to the Florida Water Resources Conference in April in Lake Buena Vista to find out how they compete against other regional winners in the state.

But in the end, all of these municipalities are winners, King said.

“No one writes about high-quality drinking water that everyone drinks 365 days a year and no one gets sick from,” King said. “We’re just trying to shed some light on the industry, because for too long, it’s been sort of a hidden industry. Generally, if you ask people on the street where their water comes from, they’ll just say it’s from the tap.

“But there’s a lot that happens to that water before it gets there, and this is our way to honor the hard work of those people who ensure the best water coming from the tap every day.”

Published March 5, 2014

Political Agenda 03-05-14

By

Commission candidates to debate
The Pasco Federated Republican Women’s Club will host a debate for Republican Pasco County Commission candidates March 7 at 11:30 a.m. at Fox Hollow Golf Club, 10050 Robert Trent Jones Parkway in Trinity.

The forum will include Ken Littlefield, Mike Moore and Bob Robertson. All three are campaigning to win a primary election set for Aug. 26, with the winner set to face Erika Remsberg — or the winner of a Democratic primary if one is needed — in the general election.

Cost is $15.

For more information, call Fran Scerbo at (727) 597-3727, or email .

Mobile hours for Ross
U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, will host mobile office hours March 11 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 April 8, May 13, June 10, July 8, Aug. 12, Sept. 9, Oct. 14, and Dec. 9.

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

Business Digest 03-05-14

By

(Courtesy of OurTownFLA.com)
(Courtesy of OurTownFLA.com)

Local business leaders recognized
Terri Williamson, an advertising representative for The Laker/Lutz News, accepts the newspaper’s award for Medium Business of the Year at the annual Pasco Hernando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce awards banquet at Heritage Harbor. She’s joined by, from left, John Jaay, Darla Sarhaddi, Elayne Bassinger and Harland Henry. Other winners including OurTownFla.com as Small Business of the Year, and its owner Tony Masella as Volunteer of the Year. Ierna’s Heating & Cooling was Large Business of the Year and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay was the Non-Profit of the Year.

 

SmartStart gets new member
Computers Etc., an information technology company providing complete IT management, support and training, has joined the SmartStart Dade City incubator.

As an offsite member, Computers Etc. has around-the-clock access to the facility, which includes free WiFi, parking, co-working space, a post office box, and meeting rooms.

In addition, Computers Etc. will receive one-on-one mentoring and get assistance from SmartStart’s intern from Saint Leo University’s master of business administration program.

The SmartStart Dade City incubator is the first of its kind in Pasco County, giving companies the opportunity to work in a collaborative environment with other small businesses, gain access to technical support, and network with other business leaders and community partners.

SmartStart is located at 15000 Citrus Country Drive in Dade City. For more information, visit SmartStartPasco.com.

Community Business Expo coming
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will host its 2014 Community Business Expo March 14 and March 15 at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

The event runs from 4 p.m. to 7 pm., March 14, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., on March 15, with the theme “The Price is Right – Shop Local.”

Sponsorships and booth space remain available, but are limited.

For more information, visit CentralPascoChamber.com, or call (813) 909-2722.

March meeting for Women-n-Charge
Women-n-Charge will meet March 7 beginning at 11:30 a.m., at Pebble Creek Country Club, 10550 Regents Park Drive in Tampa.

Speaking is Debra Lombardozzi, who will talk about how to identify personality types so that people can communicate more effectively.

Cost is $15 for members ahead of the meeting, and $18 for all guests and those who haven’t prepaid by March 5.

For more information, call (813) 600-9849, or email .

RPE passes SSAE 16 audit
RPE Outsourcing LLC of Land O’ Lakes, has completed a Service Organizations Control 1 Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements No. 16 Type 2 examination, known more commonly as SSAE 16.

The audit was developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants to provide a uniform method of disclosing independently assessed information about the design and operation of internal controls. RPE is a retail cloud computing consultant and an information technologies management service provider.

“Retailers today are more aware than ever of data security and compliance issues, and having confirmation a data center meets the highest standards is critical,” said Cliff Epstein, president of RPE, in a release. The audit helps support the company’s commitment to “safeguarding sensitive information” and keep its data operations secure.

Providing food, clothing, hope is Daystar’s mission

By

The workers in this place are downright cheerful. They poke fun at one another, with gentle affection.

They get along so famously that one might think they’d work there for free — and, indeed all of them do, except for Sister Jean Abbott, who oversees Daystar Hope Center of Pasco County Inc.

Volunteer Lorraine Tedder says she grew up with 10 sisters and three brothers. Her family was poor and the nuns at her Catholic school gave them clothing after school. (Photo by B.C. Manion)
Volunteer Lorraine Tedder says she grew up with 10 sisters and three brothers. Her family was poor and the nuns at her Catholic school gave them clothing after school. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

The center provides food and clothing for those in need. It got its start more than 20 years ago as an outreach of St. Rita’s Catholic Church, Abbott said. At the time, Sister Helen Wilxman was teaching religion classes to the young children, and realized the youngsters were too hungry to pay attention to the lessons, Abbott said.

So, Wilxman received permission from the pastor to set up a food pantry. As time went on, the pantry needed more room, so it moved to a new locale, and its volunteers moved along with it.

Just last week, the center celebrated its 20th year of operation as a Florida nonprofit corporation. Over the years, Daystar had a couple of temporary homes before moving to its current location, a humble building at 15512 U.S. 301 in Dade City.

“We’re here five days a week,” Abbott said, adding the store opens at 8 p.m., but they’re there until 1 p.m.

In the back of the building, there’s an office where people needing help register for assistance and receive slips of paper that entitle them to food, clothing and household items, Abbott said.

“If they’re hungry, we don’t care if they’re documented or not,” Abbott said, adding the center will provide food.

In the past, the center occasionally has helped people who needed assistance with rent or utility bills, to pay for prescriptions, or get a car repair, but it can’t do that now, Abbott said.

“Right now, we’re only doing food and items from the thrift shop,” Abbott said. The center is buying so much food, it has to stick with its primary mission.

Those meeting income requirements receive food and clothing vouchers, said Abbott, who is affiliated with the Benedictine Sisters of Florida. Those needing clothing can shop at the thrift store, choosing four complete outfits for each family member.

“They can get shoes and they can get jackets,” she said. “They can come back every three months for clothing. It works out well for people with children.”

Some people need household items, too.

“Some are coming out of a shelter and they need dishes and silverware and sheets and all that stuff,” Abbott said.

The thrift store receives donations, and it sells items to the public to help raise money for Daystar’s operations. The charity also receives food from Feeding America Tampa Bay-Suncoast Branch, from the government, and from other sources, which it distributes to those who qualify for assistance.

Before it became Daystar, the building was a furniture store, Abbott said. That’s why it has so much floor space and large delivery doors. After the organization scraped together enough money for a down payment, a couple made a donation to cover the rest of the purchase, Abbott said. Then, volunteers swarmed in, to renovate the building.

That was in 1996.

Donors have been generous in other ways, as well.

“All day long, people are dropping stuff off,” Abbott said. “People have food drives and clothing drives for us, too. We have mobile home parks that do drives for us. Most of the schools do drives for us. Businesses do drives for us, from time to time, depending on how the economy is.”

But the types of people who donate can be surprising sometimes.

“It’s interesting, though, is the most help we get is from the people who have the least because they know what’s it’s like not to have,” Abbott said. “We get a huge amount of food from Pasco Elementary. They do contests in classrooms.”

Some people lug donations in, then do a bit of shopping on the way out.

The volunteers keep things running. Some have been at it for up to 19 years. Helpers like Pat Gessert live in Florida just during the winter. Others have lived in the area for decades.

John Shoppa, who helps out in the food pantry, said he enjoys volunteering.

“This is kind of payback for all of the good things,” he said said.

Lorraine Tedder, who is about to turn 80, has volunteered for 19 years.

“I love it,” Tedder said. “My husband passed away, and I decided there’s no use sitting around home.”

She also recalls being on the receiving end of help when she was young.

“I came from a large family,” she said. “I had 10 sisters and three brothers. We were poor. We used to go to Catholic school and sister would keep us after school and used to give me clothing.”

Volunteer Deborah Smithberger is there every day.

“My husband and I had donated to Daystar, and I was a frequent shopper,” she said. One day, she decided to help out. She’s been doing that for a year.

“It makes you feel like you’re giving back to the community. I never knew what that meant until I started volunteering,” Smithberger said.

Isabel Wirth, who manages the shop, said helping out is rewarding. She recalled how she got involved.

“My husband had passed. I used to go to mass every day,” Wirth said. “Sister Helen would say, ‘Isabel, come one day.’ I came because she wouldn’t get off my back. I said, ‘I’m going to give you one day a week. That was 14 years ago.”

Now, she works five days a week.

It isn’t just people who need food and clothing who find help at Daystar.

Wirth knows this from personal experience. When she was reeling from the loss of her husband, getting involved at Daystar helped her get back on track.

“It was kind of my savior at the time,” Wirth said.

Published Feb. 26, 2014.

Torch arrives in Wesley Chapel for Special Olympics

By

The Winter Games in Sochi have ended, but a different set of Olympic athletes are gearing up for opening ceremonies in Wesley Chapel this week.

There are many activities those who participate in Special Olympics can take part in every year, like bowling. Sam Whitacre, left, Stephanie Varnes and Andy Faulk from Wesley Chapel High School are among those students who compete at the lanes. (Photo courtesy of Bridget White)
There are many activities those who participate in Special Olympics can take part in every year, like bowling. Sam Whitacre, left, Stephanie Varnes and Andy Faulk from Wesley Chapel High School are among those students who compete at the lanes. (Photo courtesy of Bridget White)

Special Olympics competitors in a variety of sports are expected to participate in the Pasco County Summer Games on Friday at Wesley Chapel High School. The games are affiliated with Special Olympics Florida, the state’s chapter of Special Olympics Inc., which organizes athletic competitions for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Florida’s counties and regions host local games, with winners advancing to state, national or even international competitions.

Wesley Chapel will host athletes from Central and East Pasco County. West Pasco athletes will participate in games at River Ridge High School in New Port Richey.

Wesley Chapel High is ready for the games to begin, said Bridget White, a special education teacher and one of the school’s coordinators for the Special Olympics.

“We feel very honored to host this type of event, and we just love that it keeps getting bigger and bigger every year,” she said. The school has hosted the Summer Games for at least the past four years, and it expects around 475 athletes to participate this year.

That’s a big jump from when the Special Olympics first started in Pasco County decades ago, according to county co-director Valerie Lundin. In 1975, the local Special Olympics had just 175 athletes.

Between the two locations for the Summer Games this year, more than 1,100 athletes are expected to participate, and total attendance at Wesley Chapel High alone could top 1,000 when factoring in family, volunteers and other spectators. The high school was chosen to host the games due to its ability to accommodate the crowds and the buses, which bring students in from different schools.

After the opening ceremonies, athletes will start competing in the different sports represented in the Summer Games: track and field, bocce, soccer skills, cycling and tennis. There also will be an Olympic Village, with games and activities for the athletes and their friends to enjoy while they wait to compete.

While event winners will earn ribbons, it’s not necessarily the end of the competition for any of the athletes, regardless of their finish. Each competitor in the county games is allowed to participate in the area games, which includes athletes from Pasco, Pinellas, Citrus, Sumter and Hernando counties. From there, only qualifiers will move on to state competition.

The Special Olympics always has a great turnout of volunteers and supporters to help the event succeed and cheer on the participants, White said. And for the athletes, it’s a chance for them to enjoy the spotlight and showcase their skills.

“It’s an opportunity for our kids with disabilities to have something that’s all about them and that’s catered to them,” she said. “So instead of going to their brothers and sisters’ events all the time, they get to come to their events and they get to be the superstar.”

While the Special Olympics is able to consistently promote awareness and celebrate the skills of their student-athletes, Lundin would like to see the organization attract more adult participants as well. Athletes of any age are welcome.

“I know there are a lot of adults in Pasco County who qualify but are not participating at this time, and we’d love to really focus on that population and getting them more involved,” she said.

The opening ceremonies begin at 11:30 a.m., Friday at the school, located at 30651 Wells Road. The event is free and open to the public, with concessions available. Proceeds benefit Special Olympics.

For more information regarding the Summer Games or to inquire about participation, visit SpecialOlympicsFlorida.org, or call (352) 243-9536.

Published Feb. 26, 2014.

Movies aren’t the only attraction at Tampa Theatre

By

When patrons arrive at Tampa Theatre on March 2 to watch the 86th annual Academy Awards, they’ll receive a red-carpet welcome.

Tampa Theatre offers red carpet treatment for special events, such as its Hollywood Awards Nights, held annually to provide a live telecast of the Academy Awards. (Photo courtesy of Tampa Theatre)
Tampa Theatre offers red carpet treatment for special events, such as its Hollywood Awards Nights, held annually to provide a live telecast of the Academy Awards. (Photo courtesy of Tampa Theatre)

Airing the Oscars on the theater’s big screen has been a tradition for 16 years, generating support for the historic movie palace. But creating a buzz for the movie-going public is nothing new for Tampa Theatre, which has entertained crowds for generations.

There was live radio coverage and spotlights, as people arrived in their elegant attire when Tampa Theatre had its grand opening on Oct. 15, 1926, according to an account published in The Tampa Tribune. Moviegoers couldn’t wait to see the handiwork of John Eberson, a preeminent theater architect in his day.

Eberson was an innovative pioneer who developed a reputation for creating “atmospheric” theaters, which aimed to transport people to another place and time, said Jill Witecki, director of marketing and community relations for Tampa Theatre.

The lobby in the theater, at 711 N. Franklin St., in downtown Tampa, is decorated with what appears to be stone gargoyles, wooden beams and tile.

In reality, those items are made of molded and painted plaster, Witecki said, adding that it probably didn’t hurt that Eberson happened to own a plaster company.

The theater’s auditorium is decked out with a replica of a Spanish villa, and the domed ceiling resembles a night sky, complete with clouds and twinkling stars.

Eberson characterized Tampa Theatre as his “favorite Mediterranean atmospheric (theater), and one of his most intimate,” according to author David Naylor, in his book, “American Picture Palaces.”

When Tampa Theatre opened, it was considered to be so grand that it was hailed by The Tampa Daily Times as perhaps “the finest achievement of its kind south of the Mason-Dixon Line.”

Beyond its beauty, the theater had a practical appeal. It was the city’s first air-conditioned public building — an attractive quality on sweltering summer days. It also had uniformed ushers and a 21-piece band to accompany silent films of the era.

A deck now covers the orchestra pit, but the theater’s mighty Wurlitzer plays on.

When movie patrons arrive early enough, they can generally hear an organist perform some tunes before both he and the organ descend below the stage, just in time for the previews to start.

Over the course of its history, the theater has had its glory days and its dark times.

In the beginning, Witecki said, the sheer novelty lured crowds.

“The fact that you were seeing a moving picture on the screen really kind of trumped what the movie was,” she said. “These movies would play over and over and over again through the day, and it was not uncommon to come in, in the middle of a movie, sit through the end of it and sit through the beginning of it — maybe watch it two or three times, if you wanted.

“In 1929, you got your first talkie, so the movie-going experience started to change. All of a sudden, you didn’t have a need for a 21-piece orchestra,” Witecki added.

Before the arrival of television and more recent forms of entertainment, people were in love with the silver screen. By the end of the 1930s, more than 90 million Americans were heading to motion picture houses each week, Witecki said.

“Going to the movies was the communal experience for entertainment,” she said.

But then, a series of things happened that hurt the film industry.

The advent of television and the flight to the suburbs caused downtown movie theaters to suffer. The Tampa Theatre limped along in the 1950s and 1960s, but then it went dark in the early1970s, Witecki said.

It came back to life when Tampa City Councilman Lee Duncan championed efforts to save the theater. Duncan — who took his wife Anna to Tampa Theatre for Friday night dates during their courtship — told The Tampa Tribune at the time that he wanted not only to save a jewel of a movie palace, but to preserve a part of the city’s collective memory, too.

The theater reopened in January 1977.

Tampa Theatre was lucky because, unlike many movie palaces, it never went through a period of neglect, Witecki said.

“We were only closed for a three-year span. Cities all over the country lost theaters like this,” she said.

Tampa Theatre recently installed a digital projection and audio system, and offers its patrons a mix of movies, including first-run, independent, foreign and silent films.

Over the years, the theater also has been a venue for performers such as Annie Lennox, Ray Charles, B.B. King, Joan Baez and Harry Connick Jr. Comedians who have entertained crowds include Louis C.K., Jimmy Fallon, Roseanne Barr, Carrot Top and Sandra Bernhard.

Nobel Prize-winner Elie Weisel and scientist Jane Goodall also have graced the stage, as have a number of politicians and authors.

Theater staffers and patrons have claimed to be spooked by another famous character — the ghost of a former projectionist, Foster “Fink” Finley, who worked at the theater from 1930 to 1965. Reportedly, he still likes to make his presence known.

Whether or not Finley roams the theater, the movie palace has other verifiable claims to fame.

In 2007, Life magazine called it “One of America’s 21 Wonders,” and three years later, Delta Sky Magazine included it on its list of “Top 10 Iconic Show Palaces in the World.”

Just last year, it added two other impressive accolades. The BBC deemed it among the “Top 10 Most Beautiful Cinemas in the World” and the Motion Picture Association of America named it among the “10 Best Movie Theaters in the World.”

Published Feb. 26, 2014.

Artificial turf moves big step closer at Wesley Chapel park

By

Although the move is controversial, a Tampa company is expected to take on the planned artificial turf expansion project at Wesley Chapel District Park that is expected to cost just under $1.9 million.

Grass would help ease the overcrowding at Wesley Chapel District Park, one Pasco County commissioner says, but artificial turf fields — which could attract tourism dollars — are likely on the way instead. (File photo)
Grass would help ease the overcrowding at Wesley Chapel District Park, one Pasco County commissioner says, but artificial turf fields — which could attract tourism dollars — are likely on the way instead. (File photo)

If accepted by the Pasco County Commission, Mainstay Construction Services will build two artificial turf fields in Wesley Chapel, each spanning 81,000 square feet, and also will construct additional parking areas. The commission was expected to make a final decision at its Feb. 25 meeting, after The Laker/Lutz News went to press.

The artificial fields are intended to help bring some additional tourism dollars to the county by making the Wesley Chapel fields more attractive to regional or even national tournaments, Ed Caum, who works in the county’s office of tourist development, told commissioners last October.

“I cannot market grass fields,” he said at the time. “We have had field problems out there before for overuse.”

Some people who have used Wesley Chapel District Park, located just off Boyette Road, have complained about overcrowding and the need to build more fields. Some have even started traveling farther away to play soccer and other sports in places such as Zephyrhills.

Commissioner Jack Mariano highlighted those problems in October, suggesting the county look to serve local demands first before seeking to attract teams from elsewhere.

“They would rather have five grass fields than two artificial fields,” Mariano said at the time.

When the project was first put to bid last year, only one company — QGS Development Inc., of Lithia — responded, and they priced it $500,000 over budget. County Administrator Michele Baker, however, felt the request the county sent out was too broad, and that re-bidding it would get them closer to their budget.

Six companies responded this time, with QGS staying close to its original $2.2 million bid, higher than everyone else. The lowest bid actually came from JCT Development of Dunedin. However, the company was disqualified after failing to submit necessary final paperwork on bonding.

None of the bids came from Pasco County companies. Bids also came in from companies based in St. Petersburg, Atlantic Beach and St. Augustine.

Work could begin as early as late spring.

Published Feb. 26, 2014.

Award-winner says custodians are often ‘invisible’

By

Every day around 2 p.m., Karen Zummo begins her rounds as a custodian at Weightman Middle School.

She picks up papers and pens with a grabber, and then glides through the room with a vacuum to get the smaller scraps. She dumps wastebaskets, wipes down walls, does paint touch-ups and completes other chores to return the school to the neat appearance it had when the school day began.

CustodianYear-Karen Zummo with grabber1
Karen Zummo, winner of the School-Related Employee of the Year award for Pasco County Schools, uses a grabber to pick up large items as she makes her daily rounds. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

Zummo is part of a team of custodians at the middle school in Wesley Chapel who handles typical cleaning chores, and also do set up and breakdown work for meetings, dinners and other special events. They also serve as the painting crew, when a fresh coat of paint is in order.

It’s all part of the routine for Zummo, recently named the School-Related Employee of the Year for Pasco County Schools.

The honor is gratifying, but its significance goes beyond her personal satisfaction, Zummo said.

“A custodian has never won it,” Zummo said of the award. “It’s always a very visible person — an office worker or a teacher’s aide.”

She believes that’s because people tend to underestimate the value of custodians.

“The stereotype is that we’re uneducated, invisible people,” Zummo said.

The truth is that custodians make a significant contribution on a school campus. “It’s more important than anybody gives us credit for,” she said. “It’s our responsibility to get everything clean. By being clean, you’re promoting the health of everybody.”

A messy environment has a subconscious effect on people, Zummo said. She cited a training session she attended where the trainer deliberately made the room messy before the workshop began.

“There were a few papers on the floor,” Zummo said. “I came in and saw it and I thought, ‘Whoa, somebody’s going to get in trouble for this.’”

But the trainer was making a point. He asked the custodians, “What do you think of the room?” Zummo told him that “somebody missed something.”

“How does that make you feel?” he asked. “I don’t like it,” Zummo responded.

Research has shown that students who take a test in a clean environment perform better than those who take a test in a messy room, the trainer explained.

“Nobody realizes this,” Zummo said.

While some staff members appreciate the work that custodians do, others are oblivious, Zummo said. She recalled a time when she went in to clean a classroom and two teachers were discussing personal issues.

Zummo cleared her throat to let them know she was there. They kept talking.

Then she began bumping into desks, on purpose. The teachers kept discussing personal matters.

As a last resort, Zummo revved up her cleaning pace.

“I did a quickie and I got out of there,” the custodian said.

While she understands the importance of the routine parts of her job, Zummo enjoys going beyond that.

Sometimes, she goes beyond the basics by paying attention to small details. If she sees on a whiteboard that a teacher is planning to do a lab, for instance, she’ll ask the teacher if she’d like an extra trash can that day.

Zummo is active in the union. She also pays close attention to safety issues. When she noticed that the carpet in the media center posed a tripping hazard, she reported it and it was replaced. When she saw the need for ladders in every building, they were supplied.

Custodians see everything and can offer helpful suggestions, Zummo said.

When she noticed that new teachers were struggling, for instance, she asked administration if they could work with veteran teachers to learn some tricks of the trade. She also suggested that Wesley Chapel High School students be recruited to pair them with Weightman students who needed tutoring help.

Administrators saw value in both of Zummo’s ideas and implemented them.

The custodian also has worked with students who were assigned to work detail or were earning community service hours. Sometimes their help can lead to more work, but Zummo still likes to work with these students.

She recalls one instance when she was working with four students at the same time and one of them was particularly difficult. But he ended up making the biggest turnaround.

“His whole demeanor in class changed,” she said, noting he even started getting on other kids when they were making a mess on campus.

That’s just one example.

Mimi Cass Clark, a retired mathematics teacher who has known Zummo for years, noted Zummo’s ability to work with students has made an impression.

“Her calm and steady influence has worked wonders on many students, from my observation,” Clark wrote in a letter recommending Zummo for the district award.

“A lot of these kids, they just want somebody to listen,” said Zummo, who has lots of experience listening to kids.

She and her husband Joe have raised 14 boys and one girl. They also have been foster parents, opening their home to 231 teenagers and three younger children over eight years.

While having a busy home life, Zummo has remained dedicated to her job, according to letters written on her behalf.

“Karen’s work ethic is a model for those around her,” wrote Cassandra Pedersen, who met Zummo when she joined Weightman’s staff as a science teacher in 2007.

“When Karen Zummo identifies a problem, she kicks into full Karen mode and searches for a solution. This often results in her bringing creative answers to those who need them,” Pedersen said. “The resolutions benefit the entire school, district and community.

“How often do you meet someone who you can truly say is an asset to everyone?”

Zummo, who has always considered herself to be a “behind-the-scenes” person, is pleased by the district’s recognition of not only herself, but by extension, of other custodians.

“It puts us in a good light for a change,” Zummo said.

Published Feb. 26, 2014.

Why I write this column

By

As regular readers of this paper know, I write an occasional column on topics that I hope you will relate to.

There have been columns about my children as they graduate from high school and college, fall in love and marry. Columns about brothers and sisters whose bonds grow stronger the older we get. Columns about dogs, why we love them and how hard it is to say goodbye.

I write these musing not to impart on you my personal history, but because I hope that sharing my stories give you a bridge to reflect on something similar in your life that allow my words to touch your heart.

While I mostly write about matters of the heart, at times I comment on my role as publisher of The Laker/Lutz News. Writing a column gives me a forum to congratulate and recognize my staff when they receive awards for writing and design, to thank employees for years of service, and to boast when our annual audit reports that our readership scores are better than the year before and top industry norms.

A few weeks back, I deviated from these themes and used my column to explain why we did not cover the shooting at Cobb Theatres/Grove 16 & CineBistro in Wesley Chapel — the story everyone was talking about in our community and across the country.

I wrote that it was not our role to regurgitate news that had been covered by other news outlets 24/7. I said there was little we could add to the discussion of what happened and why, that we all felt horrible that this shooting happened in our community, and because it did, it felt especially personal and haunting.

This column must have resonated with readers because I have received more feedback from it than I have any other column. People still stop me weeks later while I’m out to lunch and at chamber of commerce events to tell me how much they agreed with our decision not to add to the chatter.

And we even got some written response. One reader emailed a few days after the column published with this message:

“Put me down for agreeing with you to give limited coverage to the Cobb shooting.  You are entirely correct in stating everything that could be said has already been said.  While I don’t say that we should keep our heads in the sand regarding local ‘problems,’ I prefer to read basically all the good and local events happening in my backyard.”

This past week I received a handwritten note from a reader in Lutz.

“Please know how much it meant to our family that you and your staff elected not to run a story on the horrible tragedy that occurred at the Cobb theater. On behalf of our family, who has also been greatly impacted by this tragedy, we thank you. It is not only the Oulson family that is suffering; many families were impacted by this. I just appreciate the fact that you all let other stories take the place of this incident.”

Just as I try to touch readers’ hearts with my column, you touched my heart that you care so much about how we cover (and apparently don’t cover) the news to reach out to me with personal notes and comments.

It gives me confidence about the direction we take with our news coverage. Some days I wonder if our focus on mostly positive stories about people in our community who do amazing things pursuing their hobbies and helping their neighbors is really what you want to read.

Some days I wonder if we’re disappointing you by not reporting more on fatal traffic accidents and who was arrested over the weekend. But then I write a column like the one on the Cobb shooting, and I only hear positive comments.  And I check out our news rack at the Publix close to my home on Saturday morning and see that the 200 papers we dropped there Wednesday are all gone.

And I feel good and confident that we are doing a lot of things right, and that you value and appreciate what we do.

Published Feb. 26, 2014.