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North Tampa-Lutz Cadet Squadron

She has lofty goals, and the will to achieve them

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After a lifetime of preparation, Olivia Jenkins was ready to fly.

She boarded a Cessna 172 Skyhawk — and her instructor stayed on the ground.

She took off from Tampa North Flight Center in Lutz on Sept. 23 and flew her pattern, soaring to 1,000 feet, then she touched down flawlessly to begin a run of three landings.

Olivia Jenkins stands near a plane at the North Tampa Flight Center in Lutz. (Courtesy of Olivia Jenkins)

Her quirky goal was complete.

“I flew a plane solo before I drove a car solo,’’ she explained.

Jenkins, 16, has many more goals in mind (including getting her driver’s license — one day). On her birthday — Feb. 10 — she intends to take her last check ride and finalize her private pilot’s license. Then she can fly without restrictions and even take some passengers aboard.

She’s a member of Mitchell High School’s Navy ROTC program and will seek a congressional nomination to a military service academy. One day, she hopes to fly for the U.S. Air Force or perhaps fly helicopters for the Army.

“I would not put anything past Olivia,’’ said Robert Crews, her flight instructor. “For a 16-year-old, she approaches it so professionally. When you ask her to do something, she does it and she understands it.

“You know how 16-year-olds are? They say, ‘Yeah, I got it, I got it.’ Then they don’t have it. When Olivia says she’s got it, she’s got it.”

Jenkins, whose family lives in Trinity, has a 3.9 grade-point average. She has honed her skills and training through the North Tampa-Lutz Cadet Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary unit of the U.S. Air Force. As a cadet commander, she has taken advantage of the opportunity to participate in orientation flights, where cadets fly with instructors and take the controls themselves, while soaking up knowledge.

“Beyond the flight experience, the Civil Air Patrol has allowed Olivia to build a lot of character and leadership skills, as she has progressed through the ranks,’’ said Rich Jenkins, her father. “I think it has all shown her raw ambition. Whenever we set a goal for her, she has always outperformed that goal. She takes it on and masters it, whether it’s schoolwork or anything else.

Sixteen-year-old Olivia Jenkins recently took her first solo flight.

“But, clearly, she has a passion for flying. And, she had it from a very early age.’’

Jenkins’ father helped with that. As a private pilot himself, he took Olivia on flights when she was still in a car seat. She doesn’t remember much from those early days. But, the father recalls when they were at the top of the old Pier in St. Petersburg. She had a clear view of Albert Whitted Airport. She spotted the landing indicator lights and knew if the planes were coming in too low. Olivia was 4.

She attended the Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland annually with her father, but her flight interest really took off at age 10, when she participated in the Experimental Aircraft Association (EEA) Young Eagles program.

That’s when she set her goal. She wanted to fly solo before she could drive solo.

Mission accomplished.

“I just love the feeling of flying,’’ Jenkins said. “I always had an interest, I think, but the Young Eagles experience really showed me what it’s like to be in the air.

“I was a little nervous on my first solo flight, but I was prepared. I studied hard and was confident in what I was doing. When I flew the approach nicely and touched down nice and smooth, that was absolutely the best part. It’s like achieving a lifelong dream. I’m excited for what’s ahead,” she said.

Olivia Jenkins prepares her plane, at dusk.

Jenkins is nothing but prepared.

She served an internship last summer in the office of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, who represents the 12th congressional district in Florida.

Jenkins is back in Bilirakis’ office for occasional work, some of which involves helping organize students who are seeking nominations to military service academies. By next summer, with her connections firmly in place, Jenkins will be seeking her own nomination.

She also has maximized her experience with the Civil Air Patrol, taking five orientation flights (almost mini-flight lessons), getting accepted into a summer flight academy and securing most of her Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) examinations, the precursor to a private pilot’s license.

She has about 13 sessions remaining with Crews, her flight instructor, before the birthday flight that will make things official.

If the weather conditions are right, Jenkins can rent a plane at the Tampa North Flight Center for a brief flight. On a whim, she did that recently. It was after-hours, calm and quiet. Taking the plane up was a thrill. The landing was perfect.

“The sunset was amazing that night,’’ Jenkins said. “It was just awesome. I think I’m always going to love the feeling. I can’t wait for what’s ahead.’’

Off she goes into the wild blue yonder. She’s ready to fly.

By Joey Johnston

Published October 21, 2020

Organizers cancel Lutz Fourth of July festivities

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COVID-19 has claimed another victim.

The traditional Independence Day festivities in Lutz will not be held this year.

For decades, the community, north of Tampa, has attracted thousands of people to its annual Fourth of July parade, and associated activities.

But, this year, organizers decided it was just too risky to stage the annual event.

This cake, which was titled ‘The Ultimate Lutz Candy Celebration Cake,’ was one of the entries for the Youth 11- to 18-year-old category during the Cake Bake Competition last year. (File)

“We mulled it over for many, many weeks. It wasn’t a decision made lightly, I can assure you,” said Annette Bellingar, president of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club.

Ultimately, said Pat Serio, a club board member: “We had to choose the safe route.”

Bellingar said: “When we thought about it, we thought there is just no way that we’re going to get people to be doing the proper social distancing at an event such as this.

“Can you imagine having all of those people there and saying, ‘You’ve got to be 6 feet apart?’” Bellingar said.

The close quarters between people raised concerns, Serio said. Plus, she noted: “In the usual extreme heat we have on Fourth of July, even mask-wearing could be difficult.”

Still, canceling the festivities was not an easy choice, Serio said.

The event has been an annual tradition for many families.

Generally, the parade featured widely known local organizations, such as the  GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, the Little Women of Lutz, the Lutz Civic Association, Boy Scout Troop 12 and the North Tampa Lutz Cadet Squadron.

Local businesses, churches, law enforcement agencies, schools, military organizations politicians and candidates for the honorary Lutz Guv’na are mainstays, too.

It’s been a parade that features antique cars, fire trucks, sheriff’s patrol cars, belly dancers, martial arts groups, churches, military jeeps, tiny dancers and kids riding bicycles.

It’s also a parade where it’s not unusual for someone in the parade to break ranks and rush out to hug someone in the crowd.

Traditionally, once the parade ends, a new Lutz Guv’na is sworn in over a copy of Dr. Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Ham,” and the bidding war begins over baked goods that were entered into the annual Cake Bake Competition.

But, none of that will happen this year.

“It really is heartbreaking because we know how important it is to the community. People love it. It’s a throwback to all of our childhoods, small-town America,” Serio said.

Ultimately, the event had to be cancelled, organizers said.

“Sad as it is, I know, I really, really know, that we’ve done the right thing,” Bellingar said.

“It would be so sad that if something like this was held this year and then following that, it brought to the surrounding area a huge spike in people coming down with the virus and maybe even passing from it,” the club president said. “We just thought that would be the most atrocious thing, ever, to happen.

“Next year, we are hoping that everything would be truly wonderful, and it would be bigger and better in 2021,” Bellingar said.

Published June 03, 2020

Lutz celebrates July Fourth in grand fashion

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People who like to run, enjoy mingling with friends or are attracted to an old-fashioned, small-town parade found all that and more at the Independence Day celebration on the Fourth of July in Lutz.

The community, just north of Tampa, is known for its traditional Independence Day celebrations, and once again, it delivered.

Clint Randles, from Tim’s Church in Lutz, helps to entertain the early arrivals at the Lutz Fourth of July festivities. The Land O’ Lakes resident performed on the deck of the old Lutz train depot. (Fred Bellet)

Carmen Rairigh, of Lutz, was there with a group of about 40 people, including family members and friends.

They settled in at the corner of First Avenue N.W. and Second Street N.W.

It’s a prime spot because it’s at a turn in the parade route, and is a great place to catch candy, beads, cups and other parade swag.

“A lot of us go to First Baptist (Church of) Lutz,” Rairigh said, adding they thought it’d be fun to watch the parade together.

There were kids in the group who attend Lutz Preparatory School, Steinbrenner and Freedom high schools, Terrace Community Middle School and Learning Gate Community School. Some of the kids are home-schooled, too.

“We’re here to celebrate America’s birthday,” Rairigh said, adding it’s especially fun to go to the Lutz parade.

The wind-blown American flag covering his face did not throw this scout from Boy Scout Troop 12 off course, during the annual Lutz Independence Day celebration.

“It’s like a small-town feel. You always, always, always see people you know. You can’t necessarily say you can do that at the Gasparilla Parade (in Tampa).

“We see people every single time,” she said.

Parade participants ranged from scouts carrying flags, to kids riding bicycles, to belly dancers shimmying down the street.

Lots of people in the parade were clearly having a great time, including Rosie Heim, the newly elected honorary mayor of Land O’ Lakes.

Heim waved to friends and onlookers from the back of a convertible being driven by Suzanne Beauchaine, of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

Both women smiled broadly, as they made their way down the parade route.

Some parade watchers stood under the blazing sun. Others settled on lawn chairs, shaded by ancient oaks.

Three-year-old Benjamin Field, of Land O’ Lakes, sits on his dad, Matt Field’s shoulders. It’s the perfect perch for parade watching.

Wendi Meyers, of Land O’ Lakes, came to see her dad, Maj. Steve Gay, squadron commander of the of the North Tampa-Lutz Cadet Squadron of the civil air patrol. He was marching in the parade.

Meyers and her 5-year-old daughter, Ayla, had to wait quite some time to see Gay, but when they did, he flashed them a huge smile and a wave.

As people passed by throwing beads, Linda Voyton, of Lutz, encouraged them to toss them a bit farther.

“Get an arm, get an arm. You’ve got to throw harder than that,” Voyton said.

“Big arm. Big arm. Throw hard. Throw hard,” she urged another bunch of bead throwers.

Voyton, who was at the parade for the first time, was accompanied by her 7-year-old grandson, Jayden Beezer, and her daughter, Nina Beezer.

Three-month-old Braylen Moore had a great viewing place for the parade, sitting on her mom’s — Emily Moore of Lutz — lap at the parade.

As a group of U.S. Army Retired veterans rode by on motorcycles, Voyton expressed her appreciation. “Thank you for your service,” she shouted.

The parade attracted most of the crowd’s attention, but there were other aspects of the event, as well, including a baking competition and auction, a train show, races before the parade, vendors and the election of a new Lutz Guv’na.

Twenty-one-year-old Kori Rankin raised the most money, winning the title of Lutz Guv’na for 2017.

She defeated Lutz Guv’na incumbent Greg Gilbert, of Beef O’ Brady’s, and Jessica Sherman, of Pinch A Penny Lutz, to win the title.

All together, the candidates raised $7,000, which will be used to support Lutz community groups.

Rankin isn’t the first member in her family to win the coveted sash. Her stepmother, Jennifer Rankin, won the honorary title in 2015.

Published July 12, 2017

Lutz celebrates Independence Day

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Lutz was awash in red, white and blue, during the community’s Independence Day celebration.

Tributes to Old Glory showed up on T-shirts, hats, shorts and skirts. There were patriotic socks and headbands, too.

Runners took part in a 5K or a one-mile fun run, and bakers showed off their skills in a cake and pie contest.

From left, Debbie Sumbury, of Lutz, and her granddaughters, 2-year-old Amelia Donovan, and 3-year-old Stella Donovan, beckon for beads along the Lutz Fourth of July parade route. Hundreds turned out for the event, despite the blazing heat. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
From left, Debbie Sumbury, of Lutz, and her granddaughters, 2-year-old Amelia Donovan, and 3-year-old Stella Donovan, beckon for beads along the Lutz Fourth of July parade route. Hundreds turned out for the event, despite the blazing heat.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

Entries in the baking contest included cakes from 10-year-old Maddox Foreman, a veteran competitor and his 3-year-old sibling, Raider, entering for the first time. There was a Samoa cookie cake, too, baked to honor the late Ron Gashler.

Other points of interest included a flag raising, conducted by members of Boy Scout Troop 12, with a quartet of North Tampa-Lutz Cadet Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol marching in precision —lending a dignified air. Cristine Hundley added to the day’s patriotic theme through her rendition of The National Anthem. After the parade, Greg Gilbert was sworn in as the new Lutz Guv’na.

The real stars at this celebration were the people.

They put up with sweltering heat to march or ride in the parade, or lined the route to cheer them on and to chase after beads, candy and other swag tossed generously to the crowd.

They were there to enjoy an old-fashioned Fourth of July in Lutz, a community that takes the word “community” seriously — especially on Independence Day.

Published July 13, 2016