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2017 had it all: A sinkhole, Hurricane Irma, wildfires and floods

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But, it also was a year of significant growth, notable achievements and touching moments, too.

It’s not often that Land O’ Lakes makes the international news, but it did just that in July when a massive sinkhole swallowed two homes in Lake Padgett Estates.

This is an aerial view of a giant sinkhole that developed in Lake Padgett Estates, swallowing two homes and causing several others to be condemned. (File)

Then, just a few months later in September, the world’s attention turned to Florida as a potential category 5 Hurricane Irma appeared heading straight toward Tampa Bay.

The year also was marked by severe flooding and wildfires in Pasco County.

It also was a year for the changing of the guard, as Dan Biles was named Pasco County’s administrator to replace Michele Baker, who retired.

Scores of headlines during 2017 involved stories about the area’s congested roadways — and projects that are planned, underway or being discussed to improve traffic flow.

Major road projects that have begun or are planned include improvements to Interstate 75 and state roads 54 and 52. A four-lane extension of State Road 56, between Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills, is also under construction.

With its sustained wind speeds of 185 mph, Hurricane Irma was deemed to be one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the Atlantic. At one point, forecasters said it appeared headed toward making a direct hit on the Tampa Bay region.

Another improvement, known as the diverging diamond, is planned to improve traffic flow at I-75 and State Road 56.

And, discussions continue over the best ways to reduce congestion at U.S. 41 and State Road 54, an intersection that handles roughly 100,000 vehicles per day.

The county also appears to be making progress in its quest to secure a permit for the extension of Ridge Road, a project it has been seeking for nearly two decades. While the project can’t come soon enough for supporters, its detractors remain steadfast in their opposition.

Increasing traffic is a symptom of Pasco’s robust growth
Housing developments, retail projects, restaurants, businesses and medical facilities are sprouting up on land previously occupied by citrus groves, farms and cattle ranches.

New schools continue to pop up, or expand, too.

Zephyrhills now has a permanent venue for community events, such as the Z’ Hills BBQ & Blues Fest, a popular event, which features blues bands and tasty barbecue.

In August, Pasco County Schools opened Bexley Elementary, in the Bexley subdivision off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes and Cypress Creek Middle High School, off Old Pasco Road, in Wesley Chapel. In the coming year, it plans to begin construction of Cypress Creek Middle School.

Also, on the same campus, the school district and Pasco-Hernando State College plan to operate a new performing arts center. That center will be built by the college with $15.5 million in state funds, but both the school district and the college will use it as a teaching facility.

Meanwhile, the school district continues massive renovation projects at Land O’ Lakes High School and at Woodland Elementary School in Zephyrhills.

More public school projects are expected, as funding for school construction gets a boost from increased school impacts fees adopted by the Pasco County Commission that will begin being phased in on Jan. 1.

On the private school front, North Tampa Christian Academy is expected to begin operations in Wesley Chapel in the fall of 2018.

Roy Hardy, of Dade City, who died this year, was known for his perfect Kiwanis attendance and his fish fry fundraisers for the Hardy Benevolent Fund to help cover medical costs for others in need.

And, a charter school also has announced its intentions to open in Wesley Chapel in 2019, but has not identified its location yet.

The year also signaled changes on the spiritual scene across the region, too.

Van Dyke Church in Lutz changed its name to Bay Hope and expanded the scope of its mission. North Pointe Church settled into its first permanent home in Lutz, and the Episcopal Church announced its intentions to branch into Wesley Chapel.

The region also added to its list of amenities during the past year.

In Wesley Chapel, the 150,000-square-foot Florida Hospital Center Ice opened in January, with its Olympic-size rink, three National Hockey League-size rinks and one junior rink. Several rinks can easily be converted to accommodate basketball, soccer, lacrosse, volleyball and events such as corporate meetings, and parties.

In Land O’ Lakes, the Heritage Park Stage opened, off of U.S. 41. The project, which was years in the making, has already become a popular gathering spot for community events.

Starkey Park District Park also opened in Land O’ Lakes, off State Road 54.

Meanwhile, across the county, Zephyrhills added a permanent venue for community events, such as Pigz in Z’Hills, a popular barbecue and blues event.

A time of milestones and transitions
While new construction made the news, 2017 was also a year of big milestones, including R.B. Cox Elementary School’s 90th birthday, in Dade City, and the Dade City Garden Club’s 70th anniversary.

Andre Pamplona, general manager for Royal Lanes, said the closing of a bowling alley has an impact on the community. Royal Lanes, which opened in the 1970s turned off the lights for the final time in May. Lots of memories were made in that building, known for its bowling leagues and birthday parties.

But, it was also the year that Royal Lanes, a community fixture in Lutz since the 1970s for bowling leagues and birthday parties, turned out the lights for the final time in May.

On a more personal level, the region mourned the loss of some of its biggest champions, including Eddie Herrmann of San Antonio, Roy T. Hardy of Dade City and Ray Mason of Land O’ Lakes. All three men were known for their deep commitment to civic causes.

Others — who captured headlines for their excellence — included Margaret Polk, the Odyssey of the Mind team from Wesley Chapel Elementary School, and Courtney Urban, a volunteer for Gulfside Hospice who received a national award for her volunteer work.

Polk, a school nurse at Pasco High School, was named the Florida Association of School Nurses’ 2017 School Nurse of the Year.

Elaine Pittman, a Lutz gardener in her 80s, grows plants and sells them to raise money for Christian Social Services. She chose that cause because it feeds people who are hungry.

Wesley Chapel Elementary School’s “Catch Us If You Can” team, finished first in the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals held in May at Michigan State University. Members of the team were Jake Piller, Sam Cappelluti, Isabell Barrios, Mina Melaika, Rowan Heyman, Jason Sherman and Justin Acosta. Teachers Veronica Acosta and Janet Heyman coached the team.

And, Urban, who initially began volunteering at Gulfside’s Thrift Shoppe in Lutz so she could hang out with her grandmother, went on to serve the organization in a variety of roles.

And then, there were the people who simply extended themselves to help others.

There was Elaine Pittman, a Lutz gardener in her 80s, who nurtures plant cuttings to create plants, which she sells to raise money for Christian Social Services, an organization that provides food for people who are hungry.

And, there was Whitney C. Elmore, who oversees Pasco County Extension.

Elmore reached out to help Frogmore Fresh Farm, outside of Dade City, after Hurricane Irma uprooted and toppled about 100,000 blueberry bushes. Elmore got the ball rolling, but hundreds of volunteers responded — stepping forward to help the farm.

Two Boy Scouts also made a difference in the communities where they live.

Michael Valenti of Lutz and Gabe Vega of Land O’ Lakes each spearheaded Eagle Scout projects.

Cypress Creek Middle High School students make their way to their second class the first day of school on the new campus in Wesley Chapel. Bexley Elementary School also opened for the first time in August, for the 2017-2018 school year.

Valenti spruced up the Lutz Memorial Park in Lutz, and Vega created a Rosary Garden at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Land O’ Lakes.

And, then, there was a trio of Wesley Chapel Girl Scouts in Troop 1263 who gave new life to Karina’s Garden, behind the administrative offices of Sunrise of Pasco County, in their quest to earn a Girl Scout Silver Award.

The girls — Paige and Kaitlin Trabouley and Alyssa Duran — added flowers, plants, butterflies and statuary to create a place of repose and refreshment in the garden which honors the late Karina Abdul, a former shelter director.

The garden now provides a place to take a break and enjoy nature, according to Vicki Wiggins, director of development for Sunrise, which is a domestic and sexual violence prevention and services organization.

The garden had been choked with weeds and had fallen into disrepair.

The girls and the volunteers they enlisted changed all that.

“It’s beautiful. I’m so happy they did this. They brought it back to life,” Wiggins told The Laker/Lutz News, when the project was completed.

Published December 27, 2017

Area teenager bowls perfect 300 in North Carolina tournament

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Chandler Carr, who got his start bowling at Royal Lanes in Lutz, shot his first sanctioned perfect 300 in the Randy Pedersen 4 Game Sweeper in Shallotte, North Carolina.

He achieved the perfect score on Oct. 7 at Planet Fun, helping him to take fifth place in the competition.

Chandler Carr recently shot a perfect 300, while he was in Shallotte, North Carolina. (Courtesy of Suzin Carr)

Carr — whose mom is Suzin Carr, the only person to win the Lutz Guv’na race twice — has done a substantial amount of volunteer work at the Old Lutz School in Lutz, and in various Lutz activities.

The family moved to Citrus Park in November.

Besides this most recent accomplishment, Carr is one of 25 finalists for the Positive Coaching Alliance-Tampa Bay Chapter “Triple-Impact Competitor Scholarship.”

The 17-year-old will be the Athlete of the Week in partnership with Casper’s Company on 860AM radio on Oct. 14.

Carr is a senior at Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High School. Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate Charter School is the only public school in Hillsborough County which has a bowling team.

Published Oct. 11, 2017

Royal Lanes prepares to turn off the lights for good

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It’s a place where leagues have battled for cash prizes and bragging rights, and little kids have had birthday parties.

For some, it’s been a gathering spot with friends after work to bowl a few games and enjoy a few pitchers. For others, it was where they hung out when they were kids.

Andre Pamplona, general manager for Royal Lanes, said the closing of a bowling alley has an impact on the community.
(B.C. Manion)

Soon, however Royal Lanes bowling center, at 1927 Brinson Road in Lutz, will welcome its final bowlers and pack up its pins for good.

The last day of operation will be May 21, said Andre Pamplona, the bowling center’s general manager.

The bowling alley has been owned for a quarter-century by Sandy and Neville Woolf, of Canada, but they’ve decided to sell, Pamplona said.

“My group was trying to purchase it. That’s what we came up to do, to try to salvage it and keep it a bowling center, but we got outbid. And, that’s it,” Pamplona said.

“I knew of a potential sale to the other group. We were doing our best to try to finalize our deal. The numbers just wouldn’t work,” Pamplona said. “The land just got overvalued.”

He’s not sure what the future use of the site will be, but he has heard that the building will be renovated for another use that has something to do with the automotive industry.

He’s sorry to see Royal Lanes go, not just because he worked there, but because the community will miss it.

“One of the things that owners don’t calculate is the impact to the community,” Pamplona said.

Soon this sign will be replaced by a new business occupying the site on Brinson Road, just off North Dale Mabry Highway, in Lutz.

But, he said he understands that the owner is making a business decision

Still, Pamplona said, “Land O’ Lakes will suffer. Land O’ Lakes will hurt. People will have to drive out of their way to go to bowling centers.”

Plus, bowlers are losing a gathering spot where many have been coming for decades.

“There’s such a value … it’s intangible, you can’t put a dollar to it,” Pamplona said.

Royal Lanes had 437 bowlers in five full adult leagues and two youth leagues. One of the youth leagues was purely youths and the other was a youth-adult league, where kids bowled with their parents, he said.

“Most of the leagues are going to stay together,” he said, and most have already decided to go another bowling center,” he said.

The closest bowling alleys are at Old State Road 54 and Little Road; on Hillsborough Avenue, across from Tampa International Airport; on Armenia Avenue, south of Hillsborough Avenue; and on U.S.301 in Zephyrhills.

Ultimately, some bowlers may choose to join different leagues at bowling centers that are more convenient for them, he noted.

This is the exterior of Royal Lanes, in Lutz. Lots of memories have been made within this building, which opened during the 1970s.

Most of Royal Lanes’ 18 employees also have relocated to another alley, Pamplona said, although he’s not sure what he’s going to do.

“I’ve got some options in the industry. I’ve got some options out of the industry,” he said.

When Royal Lanes ceases operations, it will no longer be a place where the clatter of bowling pins competes with memories of days gone by.

“Our Wednesday morning league is called The Lakerettes,” Pamplona said. “They’ve been bowling here, since basically the beginning.”

Royal Lanes is also the place where the Betty Strickland, who has since passed on, developed a reputation for her bowling prowess and her kindly nature.

Chances were, if you were looking for Strickland on a weekday, she’d be over at Royal Lanes.

Some days, she was known to roll as many as 10 games, but typically, she threw four or five.

One of Strickland’s biggest moments at the bowling alley came on Jan. 9, 2006, when she bowled 300 — a perfect game.

At the time, Strickland was the nation’s third-oldest woman to bowl a perfect game, according to a report published by The Tampa Tribune.

It’s also a place that figures prominently into the memory of Rachel Thompson, who worked at the bowling alley when she was young and now works at The Laker/Lutz News.

Thompson threw her perfect game at Royal Lanes. Her big moment came on Nov. 9, 2012.

Published May 17, 2017

Rubber ducks create a splashing success

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The crowd cheered.

The loudspeaker broadcast a quacking-good tune – “Disco, Disco Duck.”

And, with a quick dumping of about 2,000 rubber ducks into Lake Padgett, the flock of ducks floated off, with a push from a high-pressure fire hose squirted into the water.

The rubber ducks, numbered on their underside, were adopted through donations. The owner of the duck that floated to first-place also won a bonus of $2,500. Some 68 prizes were awarded to the first ducks that floated to the finish line, out of a field of more than 2,000. (Fred Bellet/Photos)
The rubber ducks, numbered on their underside, were adopted through donations. The owner of the duck that floated to first-place also won a bonus of $2,500. Some 68 prizes were awarded to the first ducks that floated to the finish line, out of a field of more than 2,000.
(Fred Bellet/Photos)

Prizes went to donors whose ducks were among the first 68 to hit the finish line. But, the true winners were the community organizations that will receive donations from the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon.

More than 100 people came to the service club’s Duck Derby on May 21. Held for the first time this year, it is intended to become an annual event.

The all-day affair brought out families that shared shady spots on the lawn behind Hungry Harry’s Family Bar-B-Que, off Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

They enjoyed live music and dined from a buffet of Hungry Harry’s barbecue, beans, chicken, and macaroni and cheese.

Ducks could be adopted at prices ranging from $5 for a single duck to $100 for a flock of 25.

The inflatable Rotary International sign is reflected in the sunglasses of Geoff Kranich, a member of the Rotary Club of Trinity. Kranich helped Erin Meyer, president of the Wesley Chapel Rotary, install the inflatable sign at the entrance to the Duck Derby.
The inflatable Rotary International sign is reflected in the sunglasses of Geoff Kranich, a member of the Rotary Club of Trinity. Kranich helped Erin Meyer, president of the Wesley Chapel Rotary, install the inflatable sign at the entrance to the Duck Derby.

Marcey Knight, 16, and Abri Woods, 17, worked at a drink table, taking tickets and handing out cool refreshments.

The Wiregrass Ranch High School students are members of Interact, a school-sponsored club that provides opportunities for community service.

Children bounced in the bouncy house, slid down an inflated slide or played carnival-like games for prizes.

Sales of the rubber ducks, barbecue and drinks went toward community projects, organizations or student scholarships.

“We support a variety of charities every year,” said Erin Meyer, club president.

Local and international projects and groups that receive the club’s donations include Pasco Education Foundation, Everyday Blessings, Farmworkers Self-Help, Habitat for Humanity, Sunrise Women’s Shelter and installation of water filters in third-world countries.

Jimmy Mason, in the foreground, of the Wesley Chapel Rotary goes after an errant rubber duck that jumped the floating lane during the Duck Derby.
Jimmy Mason, in the foreground, of the Wesley Chapel Rotary goes after an errant rubber duck that jumped the floating lane during the Duck Derby.

In all, 68 prizes were handed out including a $2,500 grand prize to Brian and Isabelle Dunleavy. Other prizes included a fishing trip for five with a charter boat captain, two nights at Saddlebrook Resort, a $250 certificate for automobile repairs from TWA Firestone, a wine basket, pet grooming, and bowling games from Royal Lanes.

Derby sponsors included Fun Services of Land O’ Lakes, Sam’s Club, Cash 4 Gold, The Laker/Lutz News, and Hungry Harry’s Family Bar-B-Que.

The Wesley Chapel Rotary Club Noon hosts fundraising events annually to aid local community organizations or projects. The duck derby is expected to become a yearly tradition.

“Things like this allow us to have fellowship as a club and also to give back to the community,” said Kelly Mothershead, past president of the club.

Mike McDonald, of Trinity, was one of the performers at the Duck Derby held behind Hungry Harry’s Bar Family Bar-B-Que on U.S. 41. Held for the first time in Land O’ Lakes, it is expected to be an annual event.
Mike McDonald, of Trinity, was one of the performers at the Duck Derby held behind Hungry Harry’s Bar Family Bar-B-Que on U.S. 41. Held for the first time in Land O’ Lakes, it is expected to be an annual event.

Events like the duck derby create a presence in the community, said Rebecca Smith, chairwoman of the club’s foundation.

“We kind of touch everybody, and the more the merrier,” Smith said.

The Webelos of Cub Scout Pack No. 149 in Wesley Chapel helped build the duck derby course. They practiced their skills in tying square knots to link together the colorful noodles that marked the course’s boundaries.

“It was fun,” said 6-year-old Andrew Holliday.

His family bought a few ducks the day of the race, and enjoyed a picnic lunch.

“We just wanted to see what it was like,” said Brian Holliday, Andrew’s father.

Brother Connor, 5, sat in a lawn chair, with a plate piled high with his favorite food – mac n’ cheese.

At the shoreline, children waded into the lake, splashing and tossing small pebbles into the water. Or, they wandered over to climb inside the cab of the fire truck parked nearby. Pasco County Fire Rescue provided the hose and water to get the duck derby moving along.

At the derby’s finish line, club members plucked the winning ducks from the water and popped them into plastic bags for identification. Each duck had a number printed on its belly.

The disco dance tune “Disco, Disco, Duck” kept the festivities bouncing along.

“Wasn’t that adorable?” said Smith, who is already ready to join in the fun next year.

Published May 25, 2016

Striking up some winning ways

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Donna Fernandez played soccer until she was forced to give it up because she had asthma.

She wasn’t too disappointed.

“I wasn’t very good at it anyway,” the 14-year-old said.

Her mother, Andrea Elbrecht, wanted her daughter to find a sport in which she could excel and have fun.

From left, Donna Fernandez, 14, of Land O’ Lakes; Jacob Kostoff, 15, of Trinity; Coach Lucy Sandelin; Alec Ballard, 16, of Land O' Lakes; and Chandler Carr, 14, of Lutz will compete in an upcoming state tournament. Fernandez and Kostoff also will compete in the Jr. Gold Championship this summer in Chicago. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
From left, Donna Fernandez, 14, of Land O’ Lakes; Jacob Kostoff, 15, of Trinity;
Coach Lucy Sandelin; Alec Ballard, 16, of Land O’ Lakes; and Chandler Carr, 14, of Lutz will compete in an upcoming state tournament. Fernandez and Kostoff also will compete in the Jr. Gold Championship this summer in Chicago.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

She had no idea that would turn out to be bowling.

“I didn’t know the first thing about bowling,” said Elbrecht, who lives in Land O’ Lakes.

Chance — and a friend’s birthday party at a bowling alley — settled the matter. Fernandez found her niche.

The teenager has had the highest average score in Hillsborough County in her age group for the past two years.

She currently is topping her own previous records with an average 180 points a game.

She and 15-year-old Jacob Kostoff, who lives in Trinity, will test their skills against hundreds of bowlers this summer, when they head to Chicago to compete at the national Jr. Gold Championship.

Kostoff eased into bowling naturally by watching his father play in a local league.

He rolled his first ball toward the tenpins when he was just 8. The ball was so heavy, he lifted it with two hands. Seven years later, he is a rarity, a left-handed bowler with a two-handed bowling style.

Fernandez and Kostoff competed in a tournament in DeLand to secure their tournament spots.

Their coach is Lucy Sandelin, a Hall of Fame bowler who is a two-time winner of the United States Bowling Congress Senior Queens title. She hopes to win a third title this year. Sandelin also is a former member of Team USA. She coaches with World Cup Bowling Academy, based in Tampa.

Practice sessions in coming weeks will focus on gaining real-time experience in bowling on lanes with different oil patterns.

Bowling alleys have “lane machines” that put down varying amounts of oil over parts of the width and length of each lane.

Sandelin is focusing on five of 24 recognized patterns, each named after a city that has hosted the Olympics. The patterns aren’t visible to the eye, but they make a huge difference in game strategies, she said.

Competitors in Chicago will learn a week before the tournament start what pattern will be applied to the lanes.

One of the most challenging patterns is the Los Angeles pattern, said Sandelin.

“It’s their (bowlers’) nemesis,” she said because it forces bowlers to roll their balls close to the gutters to avoid the heaviest amounts of oil.

Her students make detailed notes.

The notes offer explicit instructions: “It tells them ‘I stand here. I look here. I use this hand position. I use this ball speed,” Sandelin said.

Fernandez and Kostoff have very different styles.

“His two-handed style is phenomenal,” Sandelin said. “People look at him and go ‘wow.’”

His goal is to attend college on a bowling scholarship and then to turn pro.

He gave fleeting consideration to switching to a more standard one-handed bowling style, but decided to stick with his approach.

After all, Australian bowler Jason Belmonte is a two-handed bowler.

“Right now, he’s the best bowler in the world,” Kostoff said.

Fernandez is laid back and doesn’t give in to distractions or pressure.

“A lot of things don’t bother her,” Sandelin said. “That’s going to be to her advantage (in Chicago).”

Her calm demeanor may be disarming.

“She’s a fierce competitor,” Sandelin said.

Both youths play in three bowling leagues and practice three to four days a week at bowling alleys in Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

On a recent Thursday night, they were at Royal Lanes in Lutz, along with 14-year-old Lutz resident Chandler Carr and Land O’ Lakes resident 16-year-old Alec Ballard.

The foursome will compete later this year in a state tournament.

Carr, who has been playing baseball since he was 4, is relatively new to bowling. He just started last year.

“Now all he wants to do is bowl, bowl, bowl,” said his mother, Suzin Carr. “He finally found something he really likes. It is something you can do as an individual. You are part of a team, but you also enjoy it as an individual sport.”

He’s gone from 43 points a game to a high of 265. “He’d do it every day of the week, if I let him,” she said.

When bowling, teammates often high-five each other.

“They want to win, but they are also supportive of one another,” Carr said.

Sandelin, 58, started bowling at age 6.

Bowling is a sport open to everyone, she said.

“A lot of these kids don’t have other sports they can play,” she said. “They have asthma. They can’t run. But in bowling, you don’t have to be tall or strong. You need eye and hand coordination.”

Bowling offers so many life lessons to students, Elbrecht said. That’s why she is disappointed that public schools in Pasco and Hillsborough – with one exception – don’t offer it in school athletics.

In Hillsborough County, Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate Charter School is the only public school with a bowling team, according to the school’s website. Boys and girls compete on a coed team.

Schools are missing out on opportunities to include more students in athletics and also in giving students a chance at winning scholarships, Elbrecht said.

Through its SMART (Scholarship Management and Accounting Reports for Tenpins) program, the United States Bowling Congress helps student bowlers secure scholarship money for college.

Students can earn scholarship dollars based on the number of pins they knock down, Elbrecht said. “It’s a fantastic sport. I’ve known a lot of kids who funded their college educations.”

Her daughter has her scholarship money waiting in a USBC account and hopes to attend college on full scholarship. Long-range, she wants a career in the medical field.

But bowling will be a lifelong passion.

“You can control what you do,” Fernandez said. “You can sort of show off in an independent game, and you can improve.”

And, she likes her chances in Chicago.

“I have a mental game. That’s what most bowlers don’t have,” Fernandez said.

Sandelin’s advice to her students is this: “Enjoy the journey … Make friends. Enjoy the process.”

Published March 18, 2015

Late bowler struck hearts with kindness

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If somebody wanted to track down Betty Strickland on a weekday, it was a safe bet she’d be at Royal Lanes in Lutz.

Betty Strickland was a fixture at Royal Lanes in Lutz. She was known not only for her bowling prowess, but also her kindly nature. (File Photo)
Betty Strickland was a fixture at Royal Lanes in Lutz. She was known not only for her bowling prowess, but also her kindly nature. (File Photo)

The Land O’ Lakes woman, who died on Jan. 29, was a fixture at the bowling alley since it opened in the 1970s.

On busy days, she bowled as many as 10 games. But normally, Strickland bowled around four, according to a feature story about the bowler published in The Laker/Lutz News in 2010.

Strickland enjoyed bowling with her friend, Cat Carson, and the two women played in scores of tournaments – including national tournaments – for several years.

One of Strickland’s biggest moments at Royal Lanes came on Jan. 9, 2006, when she bowled 300 — a perfect game.

Rachel Thompson, who herself bowled a perfect game on Nov. 9, 2012, said that besides being a terrific bowler, Strickland radiated kindness. Thompson works in classified sales at The Laker/Lutz News.

Before meeting Strickland, Thompson said she felt a bit intimidated. After all, Strickland bowled with the Brooklyn Strikers, known as the team to beat at Royal Lanes.

But it didn’t take Strickland long to put Thompson at ease.

“She right away was giving me five and telling me how good I was,” Thompson said, adding that Strickland was “super sweet and really supportive. She didn’t even know me.”

Carson, a retired schoolteacher, also remembers Strickland’s warm welcome. The Land O’ Lakes woman said she was pretty rusty at the time, and Strickland noticed.

“She looked at my old ball from 1960. She said, ‘I think you need some help,’” recalled Carson, who became fast friends with Strickland. “She took me under her wing and started teaching me all of these things. She worked hours and hours with me. We started bowling shortly after that, almost five times a week.”

Their friendship went beyond the bowling alley. They went scalloping together and to country music concerts at the Strawberry Festival in Plant City.

“She liked baseball, too. We were big (Tampa Bay) Rays fans. She’d watch every game, every night,” Carson said.

After games, the women would chat on the telephone about how the players performed.

Carson said she treasures the friendship she and Strickland shared.

“I never had a friend quite like Betty,” Carson said.

She recalls an instance when Strickland called her at midnight and said, “Oh, my cactus flower opened, come see it.”

Carson jumped in her car to go see it.

On another occasion, Strickland was chatting on the telephone and told Carson, “Oh, look, a baby deer was born in my bushes.”

So, Carson jumped in her car once again, and drove to Strickland’s house.

Carson credits Strickland for playing a large role in influencing the welcoming ambience at Royal Lanes.

“Our whole bowling alley is very friendly — the majority of the people there — and I really think Betty had a big thing to do with that,” Carson said.

She was beloved by people of all ages, Carson said. She pointed out that a good number of those in attendance at her memorial service were decades younger than Strickland.

Strickland is survived by her daughters, Brenda Barno (Pete) and Robyn Davie Geiger (John); her four grandchildren, Andrew Barno, Brenna Barno Longmier, Dennis Davie Jr., Wendy Jo Davie; and numerous great-grandchildren.

Robyn Geiger said her mother enjoyed the camaraderie of the bowlers at Royal Lanes. “She liked the people,” Geiger said.

Besides being an avid bowler in her later years, Strickland was a hard worker in her younger years, Geiger said. Sometimes Strickland would work two or three jobs, to make sure she could provide for her daughters.

Thompson, who only knew Strickland from the bowling alley, said the woman left an indelible impression.

“It was great to bowl with her. She made sure to let people know she cared,” Thompson said, adding Strickland was “sweet as cotton candy.”

Published Feb. 19, 2014