The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
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Sanders Elementary School

LOL Swampfest returns with carnival fun

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The fall Swampfest will celebrate its 10th annual event at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., from Nov. 1 through Nov. 4.

The Land O’ Lakes High School Athletic Booster Club is hosting the event, and invites the public to come and enjoy the festivities.

Swampfest, from Nov. 1 to Nov. 4, will have 24 carnival rides for all ages to choose from at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park. (File)

Twenty-four carnival rides will be set up on the premises by Arnold Amusements Inc.

A one-night armband for unlimited rides — for all ages — can be purchased online for $15, or at the fair for $25.

Pre-sale tickets can also be purchased at these Land O’ Lakes locations: Sanders Elementary School, 5126 School Road; Pine View Middle School, 5334 Parkway Blvd.; and, Sugar and Spice Day Care, 3508 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

They can also be picked up at Beef O’ Brady’s at Wilderness Lakes, 7040 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., and the Lutz Beef O’ Brady’s at 18835 State Road 54.

Food vendors will be selling refreshments, and JT Curtis, The Big Bong Theory, and the Suncoast Dance Academy will be among the groups offering entertainment.

“I like the idea of having a place where everybody in the community can go have a little festival,” said Doug Hutchison, founder of Swampfest. “We try to make it a family-type affair.”

Proceeds benefit the Land O’ Lakes High School Athletic Program.

Admission is free, however, there is a $5 parking fee. Only service pets are allowed on the premises.

For additional information, contact Doug Hutchinson at (813) 293-3684 or .

Swampfest
Where: Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.
When: Nov. 1, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Nov. 2, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Nov. 3, noon to 11 p.m.; Nov. 4, noon to 6 p.m.
Cost: Free
Details: Four nights of carnival rides, games and live performances on the field of Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park.
Info: Contact Doug Hutchinson at (813) 293-3684 or . To purchase armband tickets online, visit LOLSwampfest.com.

Published October 31, 2018

Land O’ Lakes’ Heritage Stage makes its debut

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It was an occasion to mark the completion of Heritage Stage in Land O’ Lakes, and it had all of the trappings of a traditional small-town celebration.

The American Legion Post 79 presented the colors.

Sanders Elementary students led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Sunlake High School Seahawks band played a few numbers.

Elected officials, business owners and volunteers stepped up to cut the ribbon at Heritage Stage in Land O’ Lakes. (B.C. Manion)

And, public officials and staff members were there from Pasco County, Pasco County Schools, the Clerk and Comptroller’s Office, and the San Antonio City Council.

Others attending the Aug. 17 event included members of The Heritage Park Foundation, the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, the Land O’ Lakes AARP and other organizations.

The ceremony, held at the park at 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., honored efforts that began more than two decades ago by the Heritage Park Foundation, seeking to create a community gathering space in Land O’ Lakes.

The outdoor stage project finally reached fruition through an agreement between Pasco County and Pasco County Schools, funding from the Florida Legislature, and contributions from local contractors, local businesses, various organizations and other community partners.

As Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning put it: “This band shell is certainly the result of a community coming together.

“This theater is a place for families, the community to come together,” he said.

From left, Pasco County School Board Chairman Allen Altman, School Board Vice Chairwoman Cynthia Armstrong, Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore, Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning, Assistant County Administrator Cathy Pearson, Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley, Pasco Schools Deputy Superintendent Ray Gadd and Pasco County School Board member Colleen Beaudoin stand near the plaque that names public officials holding office at the time of the Heritage Stage dedication. (B.C. Manion)

“We look forward to having our schools, and the community, use this facility to highlight the great talents of the kids, the families, the community members,” Browning said.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore, who served as master of ceremonies at the celebration, described the stage’s physical attributes.

It measures slightly more than 1,000 square feet and spans 31-by-31 feet. It also has a green room, extra storage, power and lights, he said.

There’s also a sidewalk and power outlets, “so, as events happen here, there will be an opportunity for vendors to line up around here and gather around the stage area,” Moore added.

He foresees it being a busy place.

“It’s going to host cultural events, events such as school band assemblies, concerts, plays, cookouts, pageants and various other presentations throughout the years,” Moore said.

“This is a special day,” Moore said. “As a county, we’re proud of this. I know that people from the Heritage Park Foundation are proud of what we’re seeing here today,” Moore said.

Browning credited Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of schools, for guiding the project to completion.

“Ray has the uncanny ability of contacting contractors, skilled tradesmen, different individuals and getting them to do a lot of things, if not for free, on the cheap.

Several members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club were at the Aug. 17 ceremony to celebrate the completion of Heritage Stage. The club has donated three benches, which will be placed in the area that’s near the stage. (Diane Kortus)

“Ray was able to leverage the dollars that we were able to get for this project and really make it work,” Browning said, noting that many contractors donated their labor.

Gadd credited Humberto Gonzalez, senior project manager, and John Petrashek, director of construction services, for playing pivotal roles.

“They are really the guys that need credit for helping this project come to fruition, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for this building here today,” Gadd said.

Gadd also noted: “We actually put out a bid on the street, and we said we need somebody to manage this project, and we need them to do it for free.”

Walbridge stepped up.

“When we started this project, the estimate was it would cost us $485,000, and we brought this project in for $250,000,” Gadd said.

Local contractors and friends of the community made that happen, Gadd said.

The final speaker at the celebration was Sandy Graves, of the Heritage Park Foundation. She’s been pushing for the stage — to anyone who would listen — for years.

“Heritage Park began almost 20 years ago with a mission to revive this park and make it truly a community center,” Graves said, noting the community created the original community center in 1962.

“I grew up with a father who loved this community. He also loved musicals. He had all of the musical albums,” said Graves, a Land O’ Lakes native.

She then injected a note of joy to the occasion, singing excerpts from “Oklahoma,” (‘Oh, what a beautiful morning, Oh, what a beautiful day, I’ve got a beautiful feeling, everything’s coming my way.’).

And, “The Sound of Music,” (‘Climb every mountain, ford every stream, follow every rainbow til you find your dream).

And finally, “My Fair Lady.” (I could have danced all night, I could have danced all night and still have begged for more. I could have spread my wings and done a thousand things I’ve never done before …)

Like the other speakers, Graves expressed gratitude to a lengthy list of people for helping to make the dream of a community stage come true.

She added: “We have a few finishing touches, such as historical markers that Dr. Susan MacManus is helping us with that tell our community story, and three benches that will be placed that were donated by the (GFWC) Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club.”

But, she said, the stage is ready for action, and an act has been booked for December.

The Florida Orchestra will be bringing its brass section for a Pops in the Park holiday performance in December.

Published August 23, 2017

A good week to be a newspaper publisher

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Some weeks being the publisher of a weekly newspaper is more fun than others. And, the past week was one of them.

Let’s begin with the recognition we received at the annual meeting of the Florida Press Association. Led by editor B.C. Manion, our news department received 10 statewide awards for outstanding photography, news stories and feature writing.

These awards convey the quality of work my staff does reporting about issues, new developments and people in our community.

Awards also give our readers outside validation that our stories meet high standards, as compared to our industry peers.

Because we print a lot of papers every week — nearly 45,000 —  our entries compete in the largest circulation category of this competition. This means we are up against entries from large, corporate-owned newspapers with budgets and staffs that are much bigger than ours.

Here at The Laker/Lutz News, we have just four journalists, editor B.C. Manion, staff writers Kathy Steele and Kevin Weiss, and news assistant Mary Rathman. Working alongside our staff are freelance photographers Richard Riley and Fred Bellet, who are regular contributors to our papers.

It is significant that our small newsroom receives journalism awards every year, because it shows we consistently do good work. This year we had an especially strong showing, making us one of the best newspapers in the state. My staff is thrilled, and I couldn’t be prouder.

After the Florida Press awards, I thought things couldn’t get much better. But, they did.

At last week’s dedication of Heritage Stage at the Land O’ Lakes Community Park, The Laker/Lutz News was honored again by having our name engraved in the building’s dedication plaque.

Our part in this community project was small, especially when compared to that of the Heritage Park Foundation and its leader, Sandy Graves.

Throughout the years, The Laker/Lutz News has written many stories about the Foundation’s efforts to raise money for the stage. And, we’ve regularly reported on the group’s diligence to influence public officials to provide the money, property and construction oversight to build the stage.

Today’s story on the front of our B Section reflects on the 20 years it took for this stage to become a reality. The Laker/Lutz News has kept the community aware of the Foundation’s fundraising activities, and its ultimate success.

We were just one of many business owners and community leaders whose names are memorialized on the Heritage Stage dedication plaque. Many of us attending the ribbon cutting had an emotional high as we listened to the amazing sound of the Sunlake High School Band, and were led in the Pledge of Allegiance by students from Sanders Elementary. The stage’s acoustics were superb, and it’s exciting to finally have a place in Land O’ Lakes for people to gather for community events and concerts.

I believe there is a connection between these two recognitions. Both occurred because we want our newspaper to be a valuable resource in our community, documenting the happenings of Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and Dade City.

It is gratifying to receive accolades from our peers in journalism and from the communities we serve, but we recognize that the real prize comes from the satisfaction we derive from delivering stories and photographs that are important to you and your neighbors.

Published August 23, 2017

SwampFest gearing up for community-based fair

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SwampFest, hosted by the Land O’ Lakes High School Athletic Booster Club, gives kids and adults a chance to have fun — but also helps raise money to benefit the high school and other local organizations.

This year, the event will feature a new carnival company, said Doug Hutchinson, SwampFest coordinator.

SwampFest will feature 24 rides, a magic act, bands, a DJ, other entertainers, food and carnival games. It’s a local event that offers fun for people of all ages, said Doug Hutchinson, SwampFest coordinator. (File Photo)
SwampFest will feature 24 rides, a magic act, bands, a DJ, other entertainers, food and carnival games. It’s a local event that offers fun for people of all ages, said Doug Hutchinson, SwampFest coordinator.
(File Photos)

“It’s going to be Arnold Amusements. They’re a family oriented, family owned, carnival company. Right now, they’re doing the Hillsborough County Fair down in Brandon,” Hutchinson said.

“Last year, we had a little disappointment because the operator that brought the rides, brought just the rides. We didn’t really have a full complement of games … where it makes it more like a fair,” Hutchinson said.

Arnold Amusements will bring a full Midway, with games, rides and amusements.

The event will last four nights, from Nov. 3 through Nov. 6. Highlights include 24 rides, a magic act, and performances by Stonegrey, Vincent Randazzo, Nunes at Night, DJ Carlos, Nicole’s Dance Center, Show on the Road Tampa and Suncoast Dance.

Hutchinson said the organizers talked to teenagers to find out what they’d like, and they suggested a DJ because they want to dance, Hutchinson said.

The event will be at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

SwampFest is an offshoot from Flapjack Festival, a popular Land O’ Lakes event that shifted to Dade City, and then was suspended.

After the Flapjack Festival moved, a group got together to organize SwampFest, said Hutchinson, who was the coordinator for the Flapjack Festival in Land O’ Lakes.

Tickets for Midway rides will be sold individually, or event-goers can purchase armbands for unlimited rides.
Tickets for Midway rides will be sold individually, or event-goers can purchase armbands for unlimited rides.

“We started having it the same weekend as Flapjack used to be. It’s not as big. Our goal is to try to make it more of a community-based fair,” he said.

The event raises money for the Land O’ Lakes High School Booster club, but it also raises money for other groups who sell pre-sale tickets.

Pre-sale armband tickets for unlimited rides are $15 each. On-site armband ride tickets are $25.

Locations selling the pre-sale tickets are: Land O’ Lakes High School cheerleaders, Sunlake High School (guidance office), Sanders Elementary School, Pine View Middle School, Sugar and Spice Daycare and Beef O’ Brady’s at Village Lakes, Wilderness Lakes and Sunlake.

The event has free admission, and generally attracts between 2,000 and 3,000 people, Hutchinson said.

This will be the second year that the event will be at the upgraded Land O’ Lakes Community Center Park.

Hutchinson can’t wait until the park gets its stage, which will be in time for next year’s SwampFest.

“It’s not easy getting some of the entertainment to come out there and play under a tent,” he said. With the stage, it will be easier to persuade musicians to come out to play.

The event was initially held at Land O’ Lakes High, but the community park offers a greater degree of visibility, creating a better opportunity to attract people who are traveling past the event, he said.

Proceeds from SwampFest are used by the booster club to benefit students at Land O’ Lakes High.

“For the first five years, we put pretty much all of our money that we made off of SwampFest into upgrading the weight room,” Hutchinson said.

The boosters also paid for the school’s blue and gold marquee sign.

“That’s a nice sign, and it was definitely overdue,” he said, estimating its cost at about $12,000.

The event is now in its seventh year, having skipped one year because of construction at the park.

It’s the kind of event that brings people together, Hutchinson said.

“The year that we didn’t have it, everybody was complaining because that’s kind of their annual alumni get-together,” he said.

For more information about SwampFest, visit LOLSwampFest.com.

SwampFest
What: A community festival featuring games, rides, entertainment and food
Where: Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.
When: Nov. 3 through Nov. 6 (See LOLSwampFest.com for more details)
How much: Free admission; pre-sale unlimited ride armbands, $15; on-site unlimited ride armbands, $25.

Published November 2, 2016

 

Big changes in store for Pasco schools

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A lot of change is in store for Pasco County Schools during the 2015-2016 school year.

Students arriving at Sanders Memorial Elementary STEAM Magnet School will find not only a new campus, but a new way of learning, too.

Wiregrass Ranch High School is expecting nearly 2,500 students this year. To reduce crowding, the school will operate on a 10-period day, with some students arriving earlier and leaving earlier, and others arriving later and leaving later. All of the student body will be on campus during three periods a day. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Wiregrass Ranch High School is expecting nearly 2,500 students this year. To reduce crowding, the school will operate on a 10-period day, with some students arriving earlier and leaving earlier, and others arriving later and leaving later. All of the student body will be on campus during three periods a day.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

They’ll be attending classes in the Pasco school district’s first magnet school program, with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.

Students arriving at Quail Hollow Elementary School, will find a school that’s undergone a massive makeover — replacing the formerly “open” space with traditional classrooms, with doors and windows.

The school’s makeover isn’t entirely complete, but district officials don’t expect the work that’s yet to be done to disrupt the opening of school.

At Pine View Middle, students and staff will be embarking on a quest to become the first school in the district to be designated as a Middle Years Programme by the International Baccalaureate Organization.

It typically takes a candidate school about three years to meet the requirements to receive the designation.

Across the United States, there are 45 private and 538 public MYP programmes, including 65 in Florida and four in the Tampa area, including Carrollwood Day School and Corbett Preparatory School of IDS.

Pasco County Schools are set to begin classes on Aug. 24. (File Photo)
Pasco County Schools are set to begin classes on Aug. 24. (File Photo)

At Wiregrass Ranch High School, the school district is using a 10-period day to cope with soaring enrollment.

The school was built for 1,675 students, and its projected enrollment in 2015-2016 is 2,438.

To alleviate crowding, the district is having students arrive and depart from campus in two shifts.

Sophomores through seniors will begin and end the school day at the same time they do now, 7:25 a.m. and 1:56 p.m., respectively. Freshmen will begin at 10:25 a.m., and end at 4:50 p.m.

All of the school’s students will be on campus for three periods each day, but that is manageable because roughly 500 kids are at lunch at any given time, according to Robyn White, the school’s principal.

Wiregrass Ranch has had four lunch periods each day, but is adding a fifth one because of the anticipated enrollment increase.

Besides changes in facilities and programming at some schools, students also will be greeting new administrators at several Pasco schools.

Jason Petry is leading Sanders Elementary in Land O’ Lakes, and Kara Smucker is the principal at Quail Hollow in Wesley Chapel.

Angie Stone, the new leader at Zephyrhills High, is returning to the place where she began her career in Pasco County Schools.

Students attending Pasco Middle School in Dade City will be greeted by Principal Jeff Wolff, and those arriving at San Antonio Elementary School will be welcomed by Principal Kim Anderson.

In another big change, district employees will be heading into a new school year with a settled contract.

The contract, which has not yet been ratified, calls for an average 3 percent raise for district employees.

While details are still being finalized, the district’s plan is for district employees to receive their raise in their paychecks beginning Sept. 4, which is the first pay date for teachers.

The contract also calls for no increases in the employee contribution in the single employee health plan. The district is one of the few districts in Florida that offers a fully paid single employee health option.

A new benefit in this year’s contract is a Voluntary Sick Leave Donation program, set to begin in October. This program allows district employees to donate their sick leave to other district employees who are experiencing a documented major medical emergency, illness, accident or injury (or whose spouse, minor child, or dependent child under legal guardianship has a document major medical emergency, illness, accident or injury).

Helpful info
Transportation issues?
Pasco County Schools has set up a special Transportation Call Center during the first week of school.

If you have a problem, call the numbers listed below, on Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

(813) 794-2500; (727) 774-2500; or (352) 524-2500

Want to buy breakfast or lunch?
The current meal prices are:

Reduced price breakfast: 30 cents

Reduced price lunch: 40 cents

Full price breakfast: $1.35 (elementary) and $1.50 (secondary)

Full price lunch: $2.25 (elementary) and $2.60 (secondary)

Want to register?
Students entering a Florida public school for the first time need:

  • Current immunization records
  • Proof of a physical examination, dated and signed by a licensed health professional within the last 12 months
  • Evidence of age, such as a birth certificate
  • Social Security Number, if available
  • Proof of Florida residency, such as a water bill, electric bill, gas bill, or an executed lease agreement
  • A copy of the student’s last report card, if applicable
  • Legal guardianship records, if applicable

Note: Students entering kindergarten for the first time must be 5 years old on or before Sept. 1 to attend kindergarten. Pre-Kindergarten and Head Start/Early Start programs are available to students who will not make the deadline.

Published August 19, 2015

The power of friendship revealed through barrel racing event

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Lots of people don’t know a thing about barrel racing. There are probably even fewer who have heard of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

But even if those who don’t have a clue about either of those, chances are they’ve had a friend or two in life that has made them feel special. And, along the way, if that friend were in trouble, they have wanted to be there to help.

Kristy Bryant Flynn, front, and Tanya Dadez enjoy Busch Gardens during Flynn’s healthier days. (Courtesy of Tanya Dadez)
Kristy Bryant Flynn, front, and Tanya Dadez enjoy Busch Gardens during Flynn’s healthier days.
(Courtesy of Tanya Dadez)

That’s what motivated San Antonio resident Tanya Dadez to organize Kristy’s Can-Cer Vive Benefit Barrel Race. She hopes the event will ease some of the financial burdens the disease has caused to Kristy Bryant Flynn, her lifelong friend.

Part of the event’s name is a play on the words “can survive.”

Slated for Saturday, the barrel race is expected to draw at least 100 competitors. It’s a timed race, and those clocking the fastest finish — by racing through the course without hitting a barrel — will win cash awards.

In addition to the races, spectators can see riders and their horses checking out the arena in exhibitions that begin a couple of hours before the competition kicks off.

Many riders will compete with more than one horse, Dadez said.

Admission is free, but barbecued meals will be available for purchase, at $7.50 a plate, including drinks. There also will be vendors and a silent auction, with bidders vying for about 50 different items.

Planning for the event began months ago when Dadez began discussing the idea with Dennis and Tammie Rogers, owners of Double R Arena in Dade City. They generously agreed to host the event, Dadez said.

Ierna’s Heating & Cooling, Chandelle Veterinary Associates and Embroider Too all stepped up to contribute funds to sweeten the purse for the barrel race winners.

Charlene Ierna was quick to help out, Dadez said. She’s also been a dear friend of Flynn’s for years as they both played on the same softball team when they were kids.

Ierna also asked Hungry Harry’s Family Bar-B-Que to get involved, Dadez said. The popular barbecue restaurant agreed, donating meals and drinks, with proceeds to benefit Flynn’s family.

Dadez said she felt compelled to find a way to help.

“Kristy and I have been best friends since kindergarten. We went to Sanders Elementary, Pine View Middle and we both graduated from Land O’ Lakes High School,” she said.

Flynn began noticing symptoms she didn’t understand when she was in her 20s. She couldn’t take hot showers, for instance, because they nearly knocked her out. She frequently dropped dishes and other items, because she couldn’t get a tight grip on them.

And then, when she bent over to pick up the items, she felt nauseous when she began to straighten up.

Flynn was diagnosed with her condition in 2008. The disease is a form of blood cancer, and there is no known cure. It is especially rare for someone as young as Flynn to have the condition, according to medical websites.

There has been progress in developing medications, but so far Flynn has not responded well to drugs now available for long-term treatment.

Dadez, who is a barrel racer herself, said she knew that barrel races sometimes are hosted for charitable causes, so she decided to organize this one. She hopes the fundraiser will lessen the financial pressures that Flynn, her husband, Scot, and the couple’s children have faced since Flynn had to stop working.

“She’s just the epitome of innocence and wholesome and everything good that you could possibly imagine,” Dadez said. “She never says an ill word about anybody. She’s an angel, really. I just love her to death.”

Dadez said Flynn wanted to pitch in when she heard about the fundraiser.

“She said, ‘I feel really bad. I feel like I need to be doing something,’” Dadez said. “I said, ‘This is for you and your family. I want you to come out and enjoy, have a good time. This is all about you. You don’t have to worry about anything. We’ve got everything covered.’”

Even though Flynn wants to help, she acknowledges she probably wouldn’t be able to do much. On some days, just making breakfast is about all she has the energy to do. On other days, she runs out of breath just walking out to the family’s mailbox.

Flynn would like to work, but she can’t because she never knows from one day to the next how much energy she’ll have. When she has done a few hours of work, she has found herself wiped out for days afterward, she said.

Despite the challenges, Flynn remains upbeat.

Besides helping to raise money for Flynn, Dadez said she thinks the event will be fun for the entire family. Those attending will have a chance to see horses up close, watch competitive races, eat a nice meal, check out the vendors, and bid on items at the auction.

Spectators should be sure to bring lawn chairs to the event, Dadez added.

Initially, Dadez was hoping to raise at least $3,000 for her friend.

“I do believe, and I’m pretty hopeful, that we’re going to be able to exceed that,” she said.

If you go:
WHAT: Kristy’s Can-Cer Vive Benefit Barrel Race, featuring about 100 racing around barrels, vying for the fastest time and cash prizes
WHERE: Double R Arena, 32640 Amberlea Road, Dade City
WHEN: Aug. 16, exhibitions begin at 4 p.m., show begins at 6 p.m.
COST: Admission for spectators is free. Entry fee for riders is $40 a horse. Event also features barbecued dinners, vendors and a silent auction.
INFO: Tanya Dadez, (813) 787-6448

Published August 13, 2014

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