Local News

Burgess eyes Tallahassee, but path may not be easy

December 11, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Although there always was a chance he could run for re-election, Danny Burgess knew he had just a short time as mayor of Zephyrhills when he was elected unopposed earlier this year.

He will step down from that office in April with an eye on a much bigger prize: replacing Will Weatherford as the area’s state representative in Tallahassee.

Burgess has all the qualities of a strong candidate — a solid government service background, the ability to connect with just about anyone, and a winning smile that will look good on campaign posters — as well as the same youthful vigor Weatherford had when he was first elected to the House.

But the badge of the Republican Party, typically so strong that anyone who wore it could practically start picking office furniture at The Capitol soon after they win their primary, may not be what it once was.

And it might mean an uphill battle for Burgess, a registered Republican who has practically lived in the local public spotlight his entire adult life.

“I don’t concern myself with polls and how the federal government is doing,” Burgess said. “I’m going to focus on the election, getting to meet people, and to hear what those people are concerned about.”

Yet, what the federal government is doing could come back to haunt candidates, even ones at the state level.

“This is going to be a very nationalized election from the top of the ballot all the way down,” said Susan MacManus, a political science professor at the University of South Florida, who grew up in Land O’ Lakes. “People’s images of politicians at this moment are based on what’s happening in Washington, specifically the President and Congress, but most basically Congress.”

Weatherford originally won his House seat by more than 20 points in 2006, and despite raising more than $1.7 million through all of his elections, didn’t have to put up too much of a fight.

But next November is an election where many will use the ballot box to share their opinions of Washington, D.C. Although a lot can change in 11 months, current polls have rated the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives at some of its lowest levels in history. And there could be a real blowback on state-level races, including ones like Weatherford’s legislative seat.

“Americans right now don’t like either party,” MacManus said, meaning two things could happen at local races. “Some of the independent candidates, like a Libertarian candidate, could get a lot of protest votes, which can drain from both parties.

“The second is more frightful — turnout drops,” she said.

In Pasco County, independents have a real shot of tipping the political scale one way or the other. They make up more than 27 percent of the electorate, leaving just 39 percent for Republicans, and 34 percent for Democrats.

Two other candidates have already filed to seek Weatherford’s seat, including Republican Minerva Diaz and Democrat Beverly Anne Ledbetter. Diaz made news earlier this year when she told Pasco County Commissioners she wanted to see more stringent background checks on firearm buyers. Ledbetter is a former public school teacher who currently works at Saint Leo University, according to published reports.

Diaz has raised $1,960 in cash so far in the young election, with Ledbetter scheduled to file her first campaign finance report this week. New candidates have until July 28, just before the Aug. 26 primary, to file their paperwork if they want to run.

But judging by past elections in this district, the successful candidate is going to have to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars — far more than Burgess has ever needed running for city council or mayor in Zephyrhills. Yet, he feels that city-level experience gives him a significant leg up over anyone who might run against him.

“Having the opportunity to serve at a local level as a councilman has given me a keen understanding of municipalities and local government,” Burgess said. “And local governments are exactly what encompasses your district as a state representative. I am currently the mayor of the largest city in the district, and I feel like I have the opportunity and the understanding of what the district means to help make it better.”

While he wouldn’t get into specifics, Burgess said he is ready to serve, even if the governor after the next election isn’t Republican.

“I’m a team player, and I look forward to working with people on both sides of the aisle,” Burgess said. “I do what I am elected to do, but I also understand that there’s much stuff that gets done up there for whatever reason, so I hope to be a good positive change in Tallahassee, and hopefully, to get some good things accomplished.”

Timeline of Danny Burgess
2004 — Graduates from Zephyrhills High School.
2005 — Becomes youngest member of the Zephyrhills City Council in history at 18.
2006 — Faces scrutiny when it’s believed he spends more time living on campus at the University of South Florida. However, city attorney confirms his permanent residence remains in Zephyrhills, which is needed to remain on the council.
2007 — Re-elected to city council.
2008 — Graduates from USF and is elected council president; later resigns to attend law school in Orlando.
2011 — Graduates from Barry University School of Law, and later passes the Florida Bar examination to become a lawyer.
2013 — Elected unopposed as youngest mayor of Zephyrhills; joins Johnson Auvil Pratico & Chane P.A. of Dade City, practicing in commercial litigation; Announces run to replace Will Weatherford for the state House seat in District 38.

A decade of dedication from three employees

December 11, 2013 By Diane Kortus

We are a company of just 12 employees, myself included.

It is a small group, really, to take on the many steps needed to produce a unique community newspaper every week.

There is no cookie-cutter approach to what we do. Every story you read, every photo you see, every ad you review and every invoice we prepare is created new each week by our team of writers, artists, sales representatives and customer service folks.

Terri Williamson, Mary Eberhard and Carolyn Bennett each have played important roles at The Laker/Lutz News for 10 years. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

To produce the 32-page newspaper you are holding, my staff was looking at 32 blank pages last Tuesday. They had just five business days — until Monday — to fill these pages with new stories, new photos and new advertisements. This is the equivalent of 15,000 words, 80 headlines, 30 photos, 140 display ads, 60 directory ads and 125 classified ads.

People are often surprised when I tell them there are only a dozen of us getting the paper out each week. Our group makes it happen week after week because we share a vision, and a commitment, to produce a newspaper with quality stories and effective advertisements that are important to our readers and local businesses.

This shared vision keeps us motivated and satisfied by our work. Employees are trusted to make decisions that are best for readers and advertisers, and know their decisions will ultimately be best for our company.

I credit our success to this culture of self-determination, and believe it is why eight of our 12 employees have worked here for more than six years. Even more remarkable is that three of these employees are celebrating 10 continuous years with our company.

Terri Williamson, our senior account manager, was the first to pass this milestone in November. In the business community, Terri is the face of The Laker/Lutz News, attending two or three chamber and community events most weeks.

I never fail to marvel at Terri’s ability to assess a business’ marketing needs and then recommend ideas to maximize its budget and exposure. Her goal always is focused on getting more people to buy products or services from the businesses she consults with, whether it’s through ads in our newspapers, by sponsoring a chamber event, or connecting the owner or manager to another business that targets similar customers.

Next up is Mary Eberhard, our accounting manager, whose anniversary was Dec. 2. Mary is the ultimate diplomat — the rare person who intuitively sees the other’s perspective. She brings a kind heart and level head to our accounting process, and manages her area with outstanding communication and accuracy.

And then there’s Carolyn Bennett, who celebrates 10 years on March 2. As our inside customer service rep, she is the person most customers work with to update their ads and sign off on their proofs. Carolyn also works closely with other departments in a position that is perhaps the most detailed in the company.

No matter what her responsibility, Carolyn handles it with incredible efficiency and finesse.

I single out Terri, Mary and Carolyn in this column because of the significance 10 years represents. But they would be the first to tell you they would not be successful at their jobs without the shared commitment of the rest of our team: Matt Mistretta, Stefanie Burlingame, Kathy Welton, Suzanne Beauchaine, Rachel Thompson, Mary Rathman, Michael Hinman, B.C. Manion and myself.

It is our appreciation and respect for each other that unites us at The Laker/Lutz News. We come together to produce a new newspaper every week with commitment and dedication because we know our newspaper is important to each other and to the communities we serve.

Tubas, euphoniums invade Zephyrhills for Christmas

December 11, 2013 By Michael Hinman

In a holiday world where trumpets and hand bells reign supreme, it’s about time tubas and euphoniums get their due.

And they will Dec. 21 when TubaChristmas returns to Times Square on Fifth Avenue in Zephyrhills.

The low brass instrumentalists will perform Christmas favorites from the gazebo, made up of players both locally and regionally. And all of them will play together as a single unit for the first time, just hours after their one and only practice.

You know it’s Christmas in downtown Zephyrhills when TubaChristmas — a national effort to bring tuba and euphonium players together for public performances — takes over downtown’s Times Square. (Photo courtesy of John Wheeler)

That just adds to the fun, said John Wheeler, a longtime TubaChristmas performer, who is organizing the Zephyrhills event for the seventh year.

“They tend to be musicians who have a good time,” Wheeler said. “They are low-key, and this is a bit of a come-as-you-are party.”

TubaChristmas has performances all over the country, each performance never conflicting with others so that players can attend as many as they want. In fact, some of the 25 or so musicians that show up for the Zephyrhills event have already done other events, like one last week in Lakeland.

And anyone with a tuba or euphonium, and a $10 registration fee, can join in. Those who would like to watch need only show up with lawn chairs at 7 p.m. to get a free one-hour show.

“The tubas and euphoniums are the lower brass instruments in the band, and it is a mellow rumbling sound that you get from it,” Wheeler said. “It gives people a chance to sing along.”

Euphoniums, which have a sound that’s a step higher than tubas, typically take on the melodic parts. And without the rest of the higher-pitch instruments, it gives these players — usually relegated to the background — a chance to stand out.

“You usually get buried by everybody else, and this is the one chance that we get to star,” Wheeler said.

The rehearsal for this performance will begin at 2 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 38635 Fifth Ave. Players not only get a chance to perform for the community, but they also receive a commemorative TubaChristmas button honoring their participation in the event.

The performers are all ages, and some of them even come from the local high schools, Wheeler said.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity, especially for the younger generations,” he said. “No one is judging them on playing right or wrong notes.”

Some players might just stay local, but others travel quite a bit.

“We have players from all over who’ll participate, and one time we had a guy who showed me on a back of an envelope where he had recorded the dates that he played in TubaChristmases all over the country that year,” Wheeler said. “He attended 84 of them.”

Because players can wait right up until the same-day practice to show up, Wheeler does admit as an organizer it can be a little frightening wondering if enough players will show up to play. The Zephyrhills event, however, has really taken root in the town over the last several years, which means only a little stress for Wheeler leading up to the concert.

“I lost a little sleep the first time out,” he said.

Wheeler has performed with TubaChristmas for 28 years, getting his start in New Hampshire and other parts of New England.

“I remember playing once in Maine with the snowflakes coming down and the valves (on his instrument) tend to freeze up,” he said. “We’re in Florida now, so we don’t have to worry about it. I’ve had the pleasure of playing in a variety of instances, and Zephyrhills is the most enjoyable one.”

For more information, call John Wheeler at (813) 788-7408.

McBride writes about ‘miracle’ in Lutz

December 11, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Karen McBride recalls the moment as if it were yesterday.

She was heading home from a computer class she was teaching in Tampa and had a million things on her mind. She was wondering how she could make the class better for her students. She was thinking about what she would make for dinner. And, McBride knew she’d have to make dinner fast because she needed to get her daughters to karate.

Karen McBride of Lutz shares her story of ‘Listening to our Angels,’ in ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miraculous Messages from Heaven.’ (Photo by B.C. Manion)

So, the Lutz woman wasn’t especially in the mood to wait for a long traffic light at the end of the Veterans Expressway, where it intersects with North Dale Mabry Highway.

“I was sitting at the red light,” McBride said. “I was getting impatient because it seemed like the light was never going to turn green.”

She couldn’t figure out what was taking so long.

“There was nobody coming,” she said. “As soon as the light turned green, I saw my grandmother sitting next to me. Right in the passenger seat. She said, ‘Wait. Just wait.’ And so, I waited. I did what my grandmother told me to do.”

Not a second later, a car speeded down Dale Mabry and roared through the intersection, running the red light.

“I had no idea how fast he was going,” she said.

McBride is sure she would have been in the path of the car, had she not followed her grandmother’s instruction. The thing is, her grandmother — Margaret Wilson of Cohoes, N.Y. — died in 1989, 13 years before this incident occurred.

Initially McBride didn’t tell anyone about her experience.

“Even now, I don’t know if people are going to believe me. Or, they’ll just think I’m crazy,” McBride said.

McBride, who is married and has three daughters, said she decided to share her story during a family reunion in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

“Somehow, somebody brought up the subject of guardian angels,” McBride said. “So, I told them my story.”

Since then, she has shared her story with her family and with friends in her Bible studies at Grace Family Church. And now it can be found under the heading of “Listening to our Angels” in the book “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miraculous Messages from Heaven.”

McBride, who said she was honored to have the story published, said it gives her comfort to know that others can watch out for us even after their death — and she hopes that her experience can help others feel that same sense of comfort, too.

Merry Makers use music as an instrument of joy

December 11, 2013 By B.C. Manion

If you’re looking for a bit of holiday cheer, there’s a new choral group in Wesley Chapel that wants to supply it.

The group, called Merry Makers and led by Edie Ledee-Finnerty, is a choir made up of children ages 6 through 13. And it will soon sing some holiday tunes at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, a Publix grocery store and Cobb Theatres Grove 16.

These are the members of the Merry Makers, a Wesley Chapel children’s chorus. They include, in front from left, Nuvini Wijesundara, Sandali Idippili, Sayuri Ranatunga, Yuthmi Gamage, Bianca Walker and Jasmine Mazard. In back, from left, Ravidu Idippili, Thevin Wijesundara, Yeran Gamage, Jeremiah Williams and Breonna Walker. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

The children couldn’t be more excited. On Saturday, they were at Ledee-Finnerty’s house, rehearsing the songs they will perform.

As they sang, the choral director periodically stopped them, offering feedback. Sometimes, she called for improvement. Other times she doled out praise.

She clearly had the kids in the palm of her hand.

At one point, they were singing “Silent Night.” Some of the children knew the carol, but were rusty. Others were still learning the song. The first run-through was a little bit rough.

After Ledee-Finnerty’s coaching, however, they excelled on the second attempt.

Ledee-Finnerty’s ability to inspire the kids comes as no surprise to the children’s parents.

“They adore her,” said Jinali Idippili, whose children Sandali Idippili, 8, and Ravidu Idippili, 11, are part of the group.

Parents feel likewise, Idippili said. “She’s wonderful.”

Chulani Wijesundara said her children — Thevin and Nuvivi — have been taking piano lessons from Ledee-Finnerty for years. The teacher offers piano lessons at very reasonable prices, Wijesundara said. “Chorus is free.”

Both Ledee-Finnerty and her husband, Eugene Finnerty, are involved.

“While Ms. Edie is teaching kids, her husband, Mr. Eugene, gives her full support,” Wijesundara added.

Ledee-Finnerty said she appreciates having a group of parents who are involved.

“Each person offers their particular talent — making dresses, buying props, offering rides, making capes and costumes,” she said. “We all work together and it’s very rewarding.”

One of the moms, Katrina Williams, is the group’s choreographer. She enjoys helping the children make the right moves.

Ledee-Finnerty sees music as a powerful force for good, offering a bridge between people of diverse cultures.

“You can bring very different people together and have them learn the same song,” she said. “I particularly love music from around the world because we learn so much about each other through our music.”

It can be fun, too. As the kids sang “The 12 Days of Christmas,” they were going through the motions of milking, leaping, dancing and other actions contained in the Christmas carol.

The choir is made up of Yuthmi Gamage, 6; Sayuri Ranatunga, 7; Nuvivi Wijesundara, 7;

Bianca Walker, 8; Jasmine Mazard, 8; Sandali Idippili; Jeremiah Williams, 9; Breonna Walker, 9; Yeran Gamage, 9; Ravidu Idippili and, Thevin Wijesundara, 13.

Every member of Merry Makers said they enjoy singing.

Sandali Idippili, who attends Wesley Chapel Elementary School, put it this way: “When my voice is going high, I think of the blue sky and the birds are coming down and singing with me.”

The children are memorizing all of the words to the songs they will be performing, and Sandali Idippili believes they’ll be ready. She credited the choir director, noting, “She’s very talented.”

She offered another reason, too: “We practice a lot.”

Merry Makers performance schedule:
• Dec. 13, 6 p.m., Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, 2600 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
• Dec. 14, 2 p.m., Publix at Shoppes of New Tampa, 1920 County Road 581
• Dec. 15, 1:30 p.m., Cobb Theatres Grove 16 & CineBistro, 6333 Wesley Grove Blvd.

A stroll to remember

December 11, 2013 By B.C. Manion

With its decorative gingerbread woodwork, distinctive minarets, chrysanthemum windows and wrought iron balconies, the University of Tampa is an interesting place to visit any time of the year.

At the holidays, however, the National Historic Landmark — originally opened in 1891 as the Tampa Bay Hotel — becomes even more special. That’s when visitors to the Victorian Christmas Stroll can get a look at 14 rooms dressed up for the holidays in the Henry B. Plant Museum.

This tree, with its ‘Babes in Toyland’ theme, offers a look at the kinds of toys that children enjoyed during simpler times. (Photo courtesy of Henry B. Plant Museum)

Museum staff takes great care in creating rooms that offer a sense of walking into the era when winter visitors came from all over the world to experience the opulence of the grand hotel.

“We really want you to feel that you’re stepping back in time,” said Sally Shifke, who handles museum relations.

The structure, built by railroad tycoon Henry B. Plant, graces a plot of land on the western edge of the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa. It took more than two years to build the grand hotel, at the cost then of $2.5 million. Another $500,000 was needed to purchase the hotel’s European furnishings and artwork.

Visitors to the Victorian Stroll, now in its 32nd year, will have a chance to walk the same grounds Teddy Roosevelt did when he commanded the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War. They also will be able to claim they’ve been to the same place as famous visitors who stayed or performed at the hotel, including John Phillips Sousa, Sarah Bernhardt, Clara Barton, Booker T. Washington, Thomas Edison and Babe Ruth.

Of course, there are those who are not particularly interested in history or architecture, and for them, the stroll offers a chance to see plenty of old-fashioned ornaments, garland and twinkling lights. And, in a gesture of true Southern hospitality, strollers are invited to conclude their visit by relaxing on the hotel’s vast verandah to enjoy a complimentary cookie and cup of spiced cider.

Like its name implies, the Victorian Christmas Stroll aims to give visitors a chance to slow down and breathe in the beauty and magic of the holidays. One room in this year’s stroll, called “Toys, Then and Now,” features toys from the days of the hotel — from the 1890s to the 1930s and from the present day — including Lincoln Logs to Legos, Raggedy Ann to Barbie.

“We feel that this exhibit will really provoke conversation. The fact of the matter is that all children like toys and they use their imagination,” Shifke said, noting the room will likely evoke pleasant memories for older visitors and prompt questions from younger guests.

One thing that patrons may notice is that the toys of today are made from synthetic materials, while those of the past are made from metals, woods and natural fibers, Shifke said.

Another room, known as the Men’s Reading/Writing Room, is the most authentic room in the museum, Shifke said. It features two trees, with masculine themes. One tree is decked out in playing cards and cigar boxes.

“When men came to the Tampa Bay Hotel, they played cards. There was a card room and they would smoke cigars,” Shifke said.

The other tree sports a baseball theme.

“They always talk about Babe Ruth hitting his longest home run on the grounds of the Tampa Bay Hotel,” Shifke said.

Another room on the stroll features a tree, standing nearly 14 feet tall, decorated with peacock feathers. That tree pays homage to the peacocks that once strolled about in a garden that the hotelier had built for his guests.

In addition to the dressing up the trees, the museum staff pays attention to the small details.

“We do try to pretty much decorate every nook and cranny,” Shifke said. They add miniature antique Christmas trees and other holiday accessories to mantles, cabinets and curios, using items of interest from the days when the Tampa Bay Hotel attracted affluent visitors to winter there.

In other places on the tour, visitors can see Santa climbing a stairwell, a vintage goose-feather Christmas and an exhibit featuring sock monkeys, paying tribute to the monkey house that was once on the hotel grounds. John Herrmann of Pasco County loaned the museum the goose-feather tree and 23 of the sock monkeys, Shifke said.

When strollers want to take a break, they can settle in to watch a movie about the hotel’s history.

Besides getting a glimpse of the life that was at the hotel, Shifke believes the stroll prompts visitors to conjure personal memories of Christmases gone by.

“If you weren’t in the Christmas spirit before you got here, you certainly will be in when you leave,” Shifke said.

If you go
WHAT: The Victorian Stroll
WHEN: Dec. 1-23, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with carolers performing nightly. The stroll is also open from Dec. 26 through Dec. 31 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
WHERE: Henry B. Plant Museum, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd., in downtown Tampa.
COST: $13 for adults; $11 for senior citizens (65 and older); children, ages 4-18 are $7, until Dec. 23; after that, $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and students, and $5 for children, ages 5 through 12. (There are no carolers, cider or cookies after Christmas)
INFO: PlantMuseum.com

‘Barley Claus’ is coming to town

December 11, 2013 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Move over Santa. There’s a new jolly elf in town.

That’s the message the folks at East-West Animal Hospital in Lutz are trying to get out as the date draws near for “A Very Barley Christmas Party.”

Barley and his ‘mom,’ Lea Murray, will make an appearance at ‘A Very Barley Christmas Party’ Dec. 14. (Photo courtesy of Lea Murray)

The holiday-themed celebration is a fundraiser with a twist. Proceeds will benefit a variety of animal rescue groups, including Second Chance Boxer Rescue, Kitty City and the National Opossum Society. Instead of a visit from St. Nick, attendees can meet “Barley Claus,” an opossum that’s become quite a local celebrity since he was rescued and nursed back to health nearly two years ago.

Barley was involved in a car accident as a baby. That accident killed his mother and siblings, explained hospital spokesman Dennis Costantino. With some tender, loving care from East-West’s staff and his new “mom,” Lea Murray, Barley survived.

Since his rescue, Barley has become the hospital’s mascot of sorts, but more importantly he’s “an ambassador for these very misunderstood animals,” Costantino said. While some people think opossums are mean and others brand them nuisances, Costantino said those perceptions are false.

“They are very solitary and quiet,” he said.

Opossums tend to avoid people and only hiss when they’re cornered and scared. They don’t carry rabies, but they do play an important role in Florida’s ecosystem.

“They’re basically the garbage men,” surviving off carrion and bugs, Costantino explained.

Opossums are highly resistant to poisonous snake and spider bites, and tend to keep areas where they live free of such pests as roaches, Costantino said.

They’re also quite photogenic — or at least Barley is. That’s why the locally famous marsupial plans to pay a visit to the hospital’s celebration dressed as “Barley Claus.” Attendees can get their holiday pictures taken with him during the event for a donation to the animal rescue groups.

Proceeds from the photos and chance drawings will be split among numerous rescue groups, explained Jade Sceusa, the hospital’s office manager. Fifty percent will go directly to the opossum society, while the other half will benefit a host of other groups.

Although the celebration is meant for fun, it does have a serious purpose.

“We wanted to do more for the species,” Sceusa said. “We are so passionate about rescue.”

Why has Barley become such a celebrity?

“Everyone has just fallen in love with Barley,” Sceusa said. “He’s the cutest little guy.”

A Very Barley Christmas Party takes place Dec. 14 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., at East-West Animal Hospital, 1524 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. The event features food from Uptown Pizza & Subs, Panera Bread, Publix and The Breakfast Nook.

There will also be a variety of local vendors present, goodie bags given away and opossum fans can pick up their Barley calendars and T-shirts.

For more information, visit www.EastWestAnimalHospital.com.

By Sherri Lonon

Business Digest 12-11-13

December 11, 2013 By Michael Hinman

New massage therapist at Cameo Salon
Kiki Young has joined Cameo Salon & Spa as a licensed massage therapist.
Using a unique combination of Lomi Lomi techniques and traditional massage, Young develops individualized therapeutic treatment plans for every client. Her massages include sports, Swedish relaxation, customized deep tissue, prenatal and trigger point.
Cameo is located at 1817 Collier Parkway in Lutz.
For more information, call (813) 948-7411.

Connerton’s $1,000 Grand Tour
Connerton, the planned community of 8,000 homes in central Pasco County, is offering visitors a chance to win $1,000 by taking part in its grand tour of homes. But anyone looking for a chance to win will need to hurry, as the drawing is set to take place Dec. 15.
Builders taking part in the tour include Ryland Homes, Taylor Morrison, M/I Homes, and Homes by WestBay. Each offers different types of homes ranging in price from the higher $100,000, to more than $700,000.
Ryland can be reached at (813) 996-1800, or at Ryland.com. Taylor Morrison is at (866) 495-6006, or at TaylorMorrison.com. M/I is at (813) 388-6836, or at MIHomes.com, while WestBay can be reached at (813) 428-5973, or at HomesByWestBay.com.
Since the community’s grand re-opening in May, more than 75 homes have been sold in the community.
Connerton is located west of Interstate 75 on U.S. 41, five miles north of State Road 54.
For more information, visit Connerton.com.

Kirk speaking at chamber breakfast
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce will host a business breakfast Dec. 17 beginning at 8 a.m., at the Hornbuckle Room of the Dade City Business Center, 15000 Citrus Country Drive in Dade City.
The guest speaker is Arthur Kirk Jr., president of Saint Leo University.
Cost is $5 per person.
For more information, and to RSVP, call (352) 567-3769.

New community phase opens at Connerton
Ryland Homes recently opened a new phase for single-family homes beginning at $190,000 in Connerton. It’s located at 8641 Savory Walk Drive in Land O’ Lakes.
Mike Finley, vice president of sales and marketing for Ryland Homes in the Tampa Bay region, said the homebuilder has released 32 conservation and water view lots in the new phase.
Connerton is a master-planned, designated “New Town” community with a theme park-style pool, community center, restaurant, and a highly rated elementary school within the community.
For more information, visit www.Ryland.com/Tampa.

Cross Insurance comes to Lutz
Douglas Scribner is helming the newest office for Cross Insurance from his Lutz location.
The office is located at 1423 Kensington Woods Drive in Lutz. Scribner will become Cross’ head of Southeast Surety Operations, and will be responsible for handling the bonding and risk management needs for a diverse group of construction companies and businesses within Florida’s surety marketplace.
“With Florida poised to become the third largest state in the nation, we feel there’s room in this marketplace for a strong player to duplicate Cross Surety’s successful Northeast business model in the Southeast,” said Michelle Orlando, president of Cross Surety Inc., in a release. “Doug’s knowledge of the surety industry in Florida makes him the perfect choice to lead our new office.”
A native of Maine, Scribner has worked in Florida’s surety industry for the past 24 years. Prior to joining Cross Insurance, he has served as an account executive and officer for Travelers Casualty and Surety’s Construction Surety Division in Tampa. Scriber also worked with ProSure Group, Aon Risk Services and Amwest Surety.
Cross Surety is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cross Financial Group, and currently has offices in Massachusetts, Maine and New York.

Chamber hosts quarterly membership meeting
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will host its quarterly membership meeting Dec. 11 beginning at 9 a.m. at the chamber office, 38550 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills.
Scheduled to speak are Krista Covey from the SmartStart Business Incubator, chamber president Carolyn Sentelik, and chamber executive director Vonnie Mikkelsen.
For more information, call (813) 782-1913, or email .

New home style introduced at Grand Hampton
ICI Homes recently hosted a grand opening to showcase its new Salerno luxury model home at New Tampa’s Grand Hampton.
The homes, according to ICI’s vice president of sales and marketing Rosemary Messina, offers contemporary styling and an open floor plan with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and an optional bonus room and additional full bathroom in a little more than 3,400 square feet of space.
Prices for the building style begins at just under $440,000, with plans to build 35 of them at Grand Hampton, located in New Tampa between Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and Interstate 75, just south of East County Line Road on Dunham Station Drive.

Dade City eatery has new owner
Tropical Café in downtown Dade City has opened its doors under new ownership.
Luis Rivera said he will keep the name and same style of cuisine that has been a part of the restaurant since it opened.
He purchased the restaurant from Ivelisse Martes, who was recently hospitalized and then advised by her doctors to step away from the restaurant business, according to a release.
Tropical Café is located at 14249 Seventh St., in Dade City.

Acts of kindness abound, and not only at the holidays

December 4, 2013 By B.C. Manion

It’s that time of year again when efforts begin revving up to provide holiday meals and gifts for those who need help, and lots of groups and individuals are stepping up to help out.

But the season of giving expands far beyond the holidays in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

On any given day, the newspaper receives emails detailing the good works being done. Requests pour in, too, seeking help to put the word out for a wide array of charity events.

The communications are telling. They paint a picture of a community that cares.

Noah Schultz gets a look under the tire of a 1998 Honda Prelude that he’s helping to repair for Matt Feldhouse, a member of the military who was deployed at that time to Kyrgyzstan. (Photos by B.C. Manion)

Here’s a look at just a few of the dozens of charitable acts performed in recent months, by young and old residents of Central Pasco, East Pasco and Northern Hillsborough counties.

In response to Typhoon Haiyan that killed thousands in the Philippines and rendered others without food or shelter, the Rev. Federico Agnir of Wesley Chapel had a charity benefit on Nov. 24 at Atonement Lutheran Church. The concert was free, but donations were collected for the Pacific Typhoon Response Fund of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

The Zephyrhills Historical Association also had a recent fundraiser at Ruby Tuesday in Zephyrhills. The restaurant donated 20 percent of diner proceeds for the fundraiser to support the Rosemary Trottman Scholarship Fund. The scholarship goes to a qualified Zephyrhills High School graduate.

Other examples of the community’s giving nature abound.

Nearly 600 hikers turned out for Hike for Hospice, on Nov. 10 at the Land O’ Lakes campus of Rasmussen College on State Road 54. The event raised more than $56,000 to support programs at Hospice Houses and bereavement centers from Gulfside Regional Hospice, as well as to help patients and their families facing life-limiting illnesses in Pasco County, according to a news release.

The GFWC Lutz-Land O’Lakes Woman’s Club routinely stages events to raise money, which in turn, benefits groups ranging from scout troops, to domestic violence survivors, to the homeless.

Woman’s club members Joan Collins and Pat Serio recently delivered a truckload of infant and toddler clothing to Alpha House of Tampa. It helps homeless pregnant women and mothers with young children by providing a safe place to live and equipping women with tools to become self-sufficient.

Throughout the year, Gloria Dale, another woman’s club member, signs cards that are shipped during the holidays to military personnel overseas, and delivered to residents at local nursing homes.

Other groups also work all year long to show their support for the troops.

Support the Troops in Wesley Chapel ships boxes including microwaves, refrigerators, televisions, snack foods, coffee and other items to military personnel overseas. The Lutz Patriots sends care packages, including snacks, personal hygiene supplies and other items to the troops, too.

Patricia Murphy of Land O’ Lakes enlists local businesses and volunteer groups to help her organization, Books for Troops. The books are distributed to military personnel and at local nursing homes.

Members of the men’s group at Grow Life Church in Wesley Chapel performed a personal act of support for a member of the military. They decided to restore a 1998 Honda Prelude owned by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Matt Feldhouse while he was deployed in Kyrgyzstan.

The car broke down before Feldhouse went overseas. While he was gone, the men’s church group rallied local businesses and others to help support the project and made the needed repairs.

They surprised Feldhouse at an event at The Shops at Wiregrass, a popular venue for many community events, which often are coupled with fundraising efforts for local charities.

In this age of tweets and texts, Gloria Dale uses an old-fashioned way to send holiday cheer to veterans and troops. She writes each of her greeting cards by hand.

For instance, this year The Shops will host a new event called The Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot, with proceeds from the Thanksgiving morning race going to Feeding America Tampa Bay and local charities through New Tampa Rotary Foundation and the New Tampa YMCA.

Local chambers of commerce also commit acts of kindness, often sponsoring student of the month celebrations and scholarships and getting involved in cleanups and other community projects.

The Lutz Civic Association drums up support for community organizations through its annual race for Lutz Guv’na. This year’s candidates raised $12,596, which was distributed to support various community organizations.

The race for honorary mayor in Wesley Chapel also raises funds, which are used to support the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce and local causes.

Some networking groups also get into the act.

The Christian Business Connection, a Central Pasco group, hands out a number of checks each year. Recently, the group donated $250 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, using funds from the networking group’s membership dues.

Women-n-Charge, a women’s networking group, presents an annual fundraising tea to raise money to support two $1,000 grants to help women advance their business goals. This year’s fundraiser went so well the group raised extra money, so they also contributed $1,000 to A Woman’s Place, a ministry devoted to providing free help to women facing unplanned pregnancies.

Bigger organizations get involved, too.

For example, Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point recently kicked off its “Connected in Times of Need” campaign. This four-week effort is aimed at raising money to provide emergency funds to help Hospital Corporation of America employees and their families when they face extreme financial hardships. Those difficulties can arise from a natural disaster, an extended illness or another kind of tragedy.

More than $15 million has gone to help more than 14,000 employees and their families since the fund was established in 2005, according to a hospital news release.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel also is involved in various community events. In August, for instance, it sponsored a seminar to help educate parents, coaches and athletes about the dangers of concussions, and steps to reduce the risks of concussion injuries.

The list of charitable acts through The Laker/Lutz News’ coverage area goes on and on. Perhaps it is best represented, however, by Jack Buttafuoco, 9, who took it upon himself to conduct a summer food drive to help fight hunger locally.

The Seven Oaks resident collected canned foods, pasta, peanut butter and other items from friends, family and neighbors to help stock the pantry at Feeding America Tampa Bay-Suncoast Branch. He even pitched in $26 of his allowance.

Buttafuoco said he decided to do the food drive because it makes him feel sad when he thinks of others who are hungry.

Local official on elevated road: It’s when, not if

December 4, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Pasco County Commissioners are being asked to give an early blessing to a proposed elevated road project along the State Road 54/56 corridor … and they just might do it.

A nonbinding resolution about the unsolicited proposal was part of the commission’s Tuesday meeting, which took place before The Laker/Lutz News press deadline. The goal was to help Florida Department of Transportation officials get a clear look at where commissioners stand on the project that could exceed $2 billion. That is, even though the commission’s approval is not necessary for it to move forward.

“What DOT wants to know is if we’re still onboard doing this thing,” said Richard Gehring, the county’s planning and development administrator. “The DOT and the county have a lot of partnering history in putting this together and working on it. And basically, we already have $1 million out there in the corridor with detailed studies we’ve done there.”

International Infrastructure Partners Inc. brought the idea of building a 33-mile elevated road — similar to what was constructed over the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway in Hillsborough County — earlier this year. It would be primarily a private venture, with IIP earning long-term profits through tolls.

FDOT had originally set a deadline of last October to receive competing proposals on such a project, but delayed it just ahead of the deadline until Dec. 9 after IIP asked for more time.
Part of that reason was because the Urban Land Institute, the independent growth and development analytical group that is studying the future of Pasco County, had reportedly advised against the project.

Yet, ULI’s recommendation may have been a bit premature, Gehring said.

“They raised the question, wondering if we’ve exhausted all alternatives, and they raised a bunch of study issues,” Gehring said. “But what they didn’t know is that we already had two-and-a-half years of efforts already underway.”

ULI leans toward the development design structure of “New Urbanism,” Gehring said, which emphasizes pedestrians and de-emphasizes vehicle traffic. But what IIP has proposed is much different — allowing the corridor to maintain localized traffic while providing viable options for those trying to traverse the region.

“They said that some communities were taking down their elevated roads, but those were specialized circumstances,” Gehring said. “They were one-, two- or three-mile sections in downtowns that were built years and years and years ago. This is nothing like that.”

Whether the elevated road is the way FDOT and the county goes or not is not going to change the fact that something has to be done to move traffic, Gehring said. Intersections like U.S. 41 and State Road 54 already see 100,000 vehicles each day, and that’s only going to grow as the corridor grows.

“At some point, 140,000 or 150,000 cars per day are going to need to be in that corridor, and that’s going to be both a blessing and a curse,” Gehring said.

The Metropolitan Planning Organization developed a long-range transportation plan in 2008 that warned the State Road 54/56 corridor could require up to 20 travel lanes to accommodate future vehicles in a little more than 20 years. The group later earmarked $800 million for improvements to the corridor that could include toll-based roads and elevated sections.

The resolution considered by the commission also shared an FDOT study completed earlier this year that looked at 18 highway and transit improvement alternatives for the corridor, eliminating anything additional built at the same level as the existing road. Its recommendation was to go up, possibly with four elevated lanes.

Commissioner Pat Mulieri, who has been a proponent of the elevated road, told The Laker/Lutz News last week she planned to support the resolution. By passing it, FDOT and other agencies will get the support it needs for more studies that would define the concept’s revenue potential costs, environmental impacts, explore more possible private-public partnerships, and seek out more public input.

Although IIP has not provided any cost projections for the project, using the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway elevated road as a model from 2004, construction could cost more than $70 million per mile. That would put the total price tag well over $2.3 billion.

The question is no longer if to build something like this elevated road, but when, Gehring said.

“If someone out there has another way to solve this, we would be very glad to listen,” he said.