The Laker/Lutz News

Lakeland

COVID-19 pandemic revives drive-in movie theaters

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While 2020 is becoming known as the year of COVID-19, it also is being associated with a revival in the popularity of drive-ins.

Once a mainstay of entertainment for families, couples and friends, drive-in theaters have mostly fallen by the wayside over the years.

The Allen family, of Lutz, including, from left, Joshua, Hayley, Cannan and Taylor, enjoyed watching a movie together at pop-up drive-in at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park. (Kelli Carmack)

But, Joy-Lan Drive-in and Swap Shop, in Dade City, has held on.

For nearly 70 years, it has given locals a chance to watch outdoor movies on a giant screen.

“Drive-ins are so fun because each one you go to is very different… It’s a unique experience for everyone who goes,” said Chip Sawyer, president of Sun South Theaters, which owns Joy-Lan, and Silver Moon Drive-In, in Lakeland.

Sawyer, a drive-in enthusiast, took over the business in 2017, after his grandfather Harold Spears — the original owner — passed away.

From left: Paige Atkinson, Nicholas Hazivasilis, Delaney Young, Matthew Hazivasilis and Makayla Legrand like getting together at the Joy-Lan Drive-In, in Dade City.

He’s thrilled to see so many people coming out to drive-ins.

Joy-Lan Drive-In, which is Pasco County’s last remaining drive-in theater, presents a slice of nostalgia. Music from the ’50s plays, as movie-goers pull into the lot and get ready to view the film.

Paige Atkinson, one of those patrons, has been watching movies at Joy-Lan for years.

“It’s a nice get together for my big group of family and friends,” Atkinson said. “Plus, you get to stay in the comfort of your own car and bring whatever you want.”

Families can bring snacks, spread out on blankets or settle into their lawn chairs — to escape to the world of the movies, under a starry sky.

While Joy-Lan is maintaining a long-held tradition, other drive-in movie options have popped up during the pandemic.

The drive-in movie screenings at the Walmart Supercenter in Wesley Chapel were ‘sold-out’ for two nights in a row. Registration was free, but the store capped the number of vehicles allowed to attend the event. The screenings on Aug. 18 and Aug. 19 were part of Walmart’s traveling tour to bring drive-ins to over 160 Walmart Supercenters nationwide.

Walmart is conducting a nationwide traveling drive-in theater tour to 160 Walmart Supercenters.

The tour included a stop at the Walmart Supercenter in Wesley Chapel on the nights of Aug. 18 and Aug. 19 to screen the movies “Spy Kids” and “Selena.”

The movies were free, but required guests to register, and the store capped attendance.

To keep people safe, Walmart strictly enforced social-distance guidelines, social-distanced parking spaces, and required those attending to remain inside their vehicles.

At another local venue, Floodgates Church hosted a drive-in theater night on Aug. 15 at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park.

Tom and Lisa McConnell, teachers at River Ridge High School, had a fun date night at Joy-Lan. Besides celebrating Lisa’s birthday, they scratched an item off their bucket list: They’d been wanting to come to Joy-Lan for several summers.

“We wanted to give some love and outreach to our community, and give people who have been cooped up in their homes a chance to get out,” said Pastor Kenton Brake, who leads the Lutz church.

Families of all ages came out to watch the Disney film “Up.”

Whether sitting in their cars, on the roof of their vehicles, or spread out on the grass with their dogs — the event had a communal feel, as movie-goers shared laughter and experienced a sense of normalcy — during the midst of a global pandemic.

The pastor said the church team wasn’t sure what to expect, so it was greatly encouraging, when they saw the parade of cars that arrived.

“All the positive comments we got that night was very rewarding,” Brake said.

Will the movies ever be the same?
When the pandemic forced movie theaters to go dark in March, it was unclear when — or if — they would reopen. AMC Theatres reported a $2.17 billion loss in the first quarter, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The national movie chain began reopening on Aug. 20, charging patrons 15 cents, for that one day only. It remains to be seen whether movie-goers will return in vast numbers, or if concerns about potential spread of COVID-19 keep them away.

Joy-Lan Drive-in and Swap Shop, offers outdoor movies that attract families, couples and groups of friends.
Where: 16414 U.S. 301, Dade City
When: Screenings are Wednesday through Sunday, with the first movie starting at 8:30 p.m.
Cost: Tickets are $6 for adults, and $2 for kids ages 4 through 9, and are good for two screenings.
Info: JoyLanDriveIn.com

Published September 02, 2020

Frank Lloyd Wright on display at Florida Southern

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Ask most people to name a few famous architects and chances are they’ll say Frank Lloyd Wright. And no one else.

The Annie Pfeiffer Chapel on Florida Southern College’s campus in Lakeland is one of 12 buildings Frank Lloyd Wright designed there. The college boasts the most concentrated number of Wright-designed buildings in the world. (Karen Haymon Long)

His masterpiece home, Fallingwater, 70 miles east of Pittsburgh, his circular Guggenheim Museum in Manhattan, his desert gem Taliesin West, outside of Phoenix, and his charming prairie homes in the Chicago suburb Oak Park, are all far from Florida.

But, the most concentrated number of Wright-designed buildings in the world are on the Florida Southern College campus in Lakeland. And, they are open to the public.

Wright designed and oversaw the construction of 12 buildings between 1938 and 1958 on the campus he called “Child of the Sun.’’

All on the west side of campus, near Lake Hollingsworth, the buildings include a library with a circular reading room, and two chapels, side by side and both featuring concrete walls with colorful glass inserts that Wright said reminded him of Florida flowers and butterflies.

Red, green, blue and yellow – the inserts sparkle like sea glass in the Florida sunshine.

Colorful cast glass inserts in the concrete block walls of the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel shine in the sunlight. Frank Lloyd Wright, who designed the chapel, said they reflected Florida’s flowers and butterflies.

One of Wright’s trademarks was to always incorporate buildings in their natural settings and to use local materials when he could. He did this in Lakeland, where he nestled buildings into natural berms and along slopes, then included whole walls of glass windows that open onto nature.

He liked mimicking nature, too. The concrete columns on esplanades, or covered walkways, that connect many of his campus buildings are shaped like orange trees – and are spaced 18 feet apart, the same distance that orange trees are spaced in nearby groves, says Carol Hall, who leads tours of Wright’s buildings.

At the Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center, visitors can go into a Usonian House, designed by Wright, that was built in 2013.

Wright created the blueprints for it in 1939 and envisioned professors living in his Usonian homes in neighborhoods across from campus. He figured the 1,300-square-foot homes would cost $20,000 each, which he thought was affordable – in 1939.

That never happened.

His plans were resurrected for this one, and construction – because of the craftsmanship and materials – cost $1.3 million.

Like many Wright homes, it features low ceilings in the entranceway, then soaring ceilings in a large gathering place, with a fireplace, built-in dining table and couch, other Wright hallmarks.

Soaring toward the ceiling, these thunderbird designs adorn the sanctuary of the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel, which Frank Lloyd Wright designed on the Florida Southern College campus in Lakeland.

The house also features his signature Cherokee red poured concrete floor, floor-to-ceiling windows looking out toward the yard and built-in bookcases. And, like in many of his campus buildings, colorful cast glass sparkles from tiny indentations in concrete walls.

Across the street, on campus, visitors can see his other creations, starting with his Water Dome, a 160-foot-diameter fountain that was renovated in 2007 and sprays water 45 feet in the air at full blast. Wright called it “the fountain of knowledge.”

Then, there’s “Mister Wright’s Library,” as Hall calls it, built from 1942-1945 to house books and a circular reading room, but now used for meetings and lectures. It still has Wright’s beautiful wood desks, examples of his chairs and another looming fireplace.

Nearby, a newer library, designed by one of Wright’s students, blends with Wright’s creations.

A wall of colorful glass in the William Danforth Chapel is typical of expansive windows designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Two of his most picturesque buildings are chapels – the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel and the William H. Danforth Chapel, both still used for services, weddings and other special events.

Both have low-slung entranceways that make you feel as if you have to bow to enter, roofs soaring skyward and lots of glass windows.

The Annie Pfeiffer Chapel has a wall of windows similar to those in Fallingwater, a home Wright designed over a waterfall in 1939 that’s now opened to the public as a museum.

It also has soaring concrete designs in the shape of thunderbirds and a door at each of the chapel’s four corners instead of a central front door, which makes it challenging for brides to make a grand entrance, Hall quips.

The Danforth Chapel is smaller and features a wall of red, yellow and clear glass behind the lectern. Like in the larger chapel, Cherokee red cushions pad wooden benches.

The Polk County Science Building has other Wright touches: the columns on the organic sciences side of the building are concrete shaped like orange trees, like those on the covered walkways. Those on the industrial sciences side are all straight lines made of aluminum. Hall said Wright tested them in his shower to be sure they’d withstand rain and heat.

Frank Lloyd Wright designed what he called ‘Geometric Butterflies’ into the registrar’s building at Florida Southern College. The building is now used as an administration building.

A theater in the round in Wright’s Ordway Arts Building has such excellent acoustics that an actor standing in the center of the circular space can say lines in a normal voice and they’ll be heard by everyone in the room.

Whispers from the entrance of the theater distinctly carry all along the circular wall to someone standing halfway around the circle. This is the only theater in the round Wright designed.

Surrounding the Ordway Arts Building and other Wright buildings are ponds, orange trees, flowering bushes, a rose garden, smaller fountains, hedges and lawns, typical of Wright’s “harmonious union of art and nature.”

“We have lots of gardens and lots of green space, and that’s all Wright’s influence,” Hall says.

And, thanks to Wright, The Princeton Review named the 3,000-student  Florida Southern College campus the most beautiful in America, she says.

Wright himself wasn’t shy about bragging about his creations. When the then-college president refused to tear down the perfectly attractive red brick buildings that pre-dated Wright’s, the architect told him that was fine, that they’d just be “ugly bridesmaids to my beautiful brides.”

Tips for the trip
Florida Southern College in Lakeland is home to 12 Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. The Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center, Frank Lloyd Wright’s campus headquarters, is at 750 Frank Lloyd Wright Way, across from campus, next door to a Wright gift shop.

Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., daily; closed major holidays.

Tours start at the gift shop. Guided hour-long tours are $20 and are given Monday through Saturday at 10 a.m.; 2 1/2-hour, in-depth guided tours are offered daily at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., and cost $35. A 10-percent discount is given for reservations made online at FlSouthern.edu. Hit “About” at top of screen, scroll down to Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture, and look for the reservations button.

Reservations can also be made by calling (863) 680-4597.

Self-guided tours are another option. Those brochures are sold at the gift shop.

Chapel Poem
William H. Danforth, who paid for the chapel on campus named for him, asked Wright to feature this poem within it somewhere. On a wall in an alcove by the entrance, it says:

“DEDICATED TO

THE WORSHIP OF GOD

WITH THE PRAYER

THAT HERE

IN COMMUNION WITH THE HIGHEST

THOSE WHO ENTER

MAY ACQUIRE THE SPIRITUAL POWER

TO ASPIRE NOBLY

ADVENTURE DARINGLY

SERVE HUMBLY’’

By Karen Haymon Long

Published October 10, 2018

Sunlake falls short of state title bid

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They were just one win shy from reaching the Class 7A state tournament.

Yet, as the performance in their first-ever region final would indicate, Sunlake’s varsity girls basketball team still has some work to get there.

The Seahawks (17-9) — the last girls hoops squad standing in Pasco County — suffered a devastating 66-24 loss to Orlando Edgewater (16-14) on Feb. 17 at Wiregrass Ranch High School.

Sunlake fell one win shy of reaching the Class 7A state tournament. However, they return all but one player for the 2017-2018 season.
(Kevin Weiss)

A sizable Seahawks crowd — loud and proud in pre-game warmups — was quickly silenced as Edgewater roared to a blazing 24-0 start, less than 7 minutes through the opening quarter.

The Eagles attacked Sunlake’s 2-3 zone, mostly by hitting 3s, drawing fouls and getting second-chance opportunities.

Edgewater’s well-rounded athleticism and on-ball traps, too, proved a problem for the Seahawks throughout the contest.

The first Sunlake points finally came with 51 seconds left in the first quarter — a three-point play by 5-foot-10 junior guard Elizabeth Moran, who led the team with eight points.

It was far from enough, though.

By halftime, Edgewater’s lead grew to 53-16.

A running clock ensued in the second half.

For the game, Edgewater made 18 three-pointers, and out-rebounded the Seahawks 27-12.

Edgewater, which has won four state championships since 2007, is now playing in the state tournament for the sixth time in 10 years.

Despite the lopsided defeat, Seahawks coach Reesa Hendrix Pledge remained upbeat.

“Sometimes you’re just not ready,” Hendrix Pledge said, honestly. “But, we’ll be ready next year. We’ll be back.”

There’s a solid chance of that, considering Sunlake has just one senior— guard Cheyenne Yucatonis — graduating from a team that returns five juniors, two sophomores and three freshmen.

“They’re babies,” Hendrix Pledge said. “There’s two of them that started last year, and the rest of them are just now playing.”

The 2016-2017 season, she noted, was more about “coming together as a team.”

“The greatest thing,” Hendrix Pledge said, “is they love each other more, and they fight for each other.”

Sunlake’s final basket of the season, fittingly, was scored by Yucatonis. The senior was subsequently pulled out of the game as a show of gratitude for her contributions to the program.

“She’s meant everything,” Hendrix Pledge said. “She’s worked hard, she’s been the first one to practice, she’s been the one that helps clean up, she’s (taught) them what it takes to work year-round and to get better.

“That’s what we needed this year — that leadership — and she showed it.”

Prior to the setback to Edgewater, Sunlake won four consecutive playoff games, defeating Springstead twice, Land O’ Lakes and Brandon high schools.

Elsewhere in our coverage area, the Carrollwood Day School’s varsity girls basketball team advanced to the state tournament for the first time in school history. Under first-year coach Karim Nohra, the Patriots (27-2) are heading to Lakeland to play in the Class 3A state semifinal, following a 51-43 victory over Orlando Christian Prep in the region final on Feb. 14.

Nohra previously guided Academy at the Lakes to the final four in five of his six years before departing to CDS in October.

The Patriots enter the state tournament with youth — and lots of it. The roster of 10 players includes just two sophomores, six freshmen, an eighth grader and a seventh grader. Additionally, all five starters are freshman, including top player Tiasia McMillan, a guard who averages 15.8 points and 7.6 rebounds.

Key returnees for Sunlake in 2017-2018

  • Andrea Wallace, junior center: 11.9 PPG, 13.0 RPG, 2.2 blocks per game
  • Mary Moran, junior guard: 9.6 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2.5 steals per game (SPG)
  • Kasia Ramirez, junior guard: 8.3 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 2.1 SPG

Published February 22, 2017

Residents share ideas for improving Zephyr Park

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Refurbished tennis courts, state-of-the art playground equipment and an increased presence of law enforcement officers are just a few examples of the many requests local residents have for the redevelopment of Zephyr Park.

Dozens of people gathered to offer their ideas for improvements at Zephyr Park, during a May 12 open house at the Alice Hall Community Center.

The Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency organized the public session to solicit public participation in developing the park’s master plan, which will be presented to the Zephyrhills Parks & Recreation Board and the City Council in August.

Zephyrhills CRA director Gail Hamilton, left, speaks with residents during an open house at the Alice Hall Community Center on May 12. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photos)
Zephyrhills CRA director Gail Hamilton, left, speaks with residents during an open house at the Alice Hall Community Center on May 12.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photos)

Representatives from Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. — the park’s design team — also were present to answer residents’ question on the planning process.

Residents were able to see several graphics featuring possible park amenities, such as various types of pavilions, public art displays, water splash pads and playgrounds.

Attendees also could fill out comment cards and provide priority rankings on park changes they’d like to see.

“What I really want to do is get an idea of what the residents want — to get a concept of it,” said Gail Hamilton, CRA director for Zephyrhills. “The citizens of Zephyrhills deserve an urban park as good as anything you would find in Tampa or in St. Pete.”

Shown is an aerial map of Zephyr Park and surrounding streets.
Shown is an aerial map of Zephyr Park and surrounding streets.

Hamilton said it’s critical for the city to have a “great park system” to help increase the value within the CRA district, which is a 520-acre area that essentially encompasses the center spine of the city, generally between Hercules Park to C Avenue, and from Zephyr Park to 17th Street.

“We are competing with Wesley Chapel, we are competing with every city in central Florida, so…by improving the park, people who live in this neighborhood, their homes become more valuable,” she explained.

“We could entice someone to build homes nearby that’s market rate, not low-income. So, we’re really looking to not only build a park, but also improve the surroundings around it,” Hamilton said.

She also said she’d like to see a few water features added to the park’s master plan to accentuate Zephyrhills’ branding as the “City of Pure Water.”

“We want to create this natural environment of what a creek in ‘real Florida’ or ‘natural Florida’ would look like…and return a portion of the park to its natural state,” Hamilton said, adding a children’s water park would be a nice addition, too.

The most popular topic, however, was the resurfacing of the park’s five tennis courts.

Open house attendees filled out comment cards listing what additions they’d like to see improved at Zephyr Park ‘today’ and in the ‘future.’
Open house attendees filled out comment cards listing what additions they’d like to see improved at Zephyr Park ‘today’ and in the ‘future.’

Future rgb

“The single most used thing in this park is the tennis courts,” said Fred Hall, who lives in East Pasco. “There’s not a thing on any of (the image) boards relating to the tennis courts. That’s the only thing I would use at this point. That’s what’s keeping this park alive is those tennis courts, and nobody even addresses that in this survey that they’re doing, which is sad.”

Hall added the courts are currently almost unplayable due to the number of “lumps and cracks” that have popped up over time.

“We spend our money in this town,” he said. “If they get much worse, all the people that are playing here, they’ll go spend all their money going someplace else.”

That’s what one Zephyrhills family already does.

Brad Bricker said he regularly takes his four children to Common Ground Park in Lakeland, referring to that park as a “destination to go to.”

“Common Ground is such a fun park because the adults are playing, the kids are playing, there’s stuff where everybody wants to get on the equipment and play,” Bricker said. “Their tennis courts actually have a pro shop and a place where they can actually have tennis events. I see something like that happening, where there’s actually tennis competitions happening and more new-age, modernized-type equipment.”

He continued, “(Zephyr Park) has tennis courts, but there’s not really anything happening with them in that sense. If there was a stadium-style tennis court here, you could bring in events…and have a park where people want to drive from other areas to come to.”

Bricker added the park “definitely needs” some new features, whatever they may be.

“It is pretty much outdated,” he said. “Even the newer equipment they’ve put in over the years is kind of…fading and dilapidated.”

Another Zephyrhills resident, Lani Prilliman, is glad the city is finally getting around to improving the park. She said she’d like to see to more law enforcement and lighting at night to curb suspicious activity she’s witnessed.

“There’s been some issues in the evenings,” Prilliman said.

However, Prilliman sees the park’s long-term potential.

“It is a diamond in the rough,” she said. “The park just needs some updating and some sprucing up. I’ve been here a long time, and the park seems to not get much attention.”

While the CRA and park’s design team will consider the residents’ suggestions, Hamilton emphasized that a park with significant amenities could attract hundreds of people into Zephyrhills every day.

“I’m trying to do a great urban park and not just a park for 20 people,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton said she plans to seek state grants, corporate sponsorships and find out what kind of funding the city can provide, to determine a budget for the master plan.

Published May 25, 2016

These women love to soar

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Whether they’re supporting young girls through scholarships to Space Camp, or honoring women pilots who served in World War II, there’s an organization of women that supports the joy of flying in all of its forms.

The group, which calls itself The Ninety-Nines Inc., got its start in 1929.

It began when some female aviators wanted to have to a long-distance race, said Marilyn Shafer, of Land O’ Lakes, who is a member of the Florida Suncoast Chapter of the group.

“It was supposed to start out in California and go over the mountains,” Shafer said.

Marilyn Shafer is enthralled by the joys of flight. The Land O’ Lakes woman belongs to The Ninety-Nines Inc., an organization that supports women and the joy of flying, in all of its forms. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Marilyn Shafer is enthralled by the joys of flight. The Land O’ Lakes woman belongs to The Ninety-Nines Inc., an organization that supports women and the joy of flying, in all of its forms.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

“The men didn’t want the women doing that because it was too dangerous for women to be able to get over mountains safely,” Shafer said.

The women decided: “We’re going to do it anyway.”

Through the race, the women discovered how fantastic it was to have the support of each other, and they decided to form an organization of female aviators.

“They sent out formal letters to every licensed woman pilot in the United States. I want to say there was about 129, and 99 of them replied,” Shafer said.

They tossed around some names.

In the end, they chose to honor the women who wanted to be part of the new organization. So, they called themselves The Ninety-Nines.

Amelia Earhart was the group’s first president.

Over time, the group has spread its wings — substantially. It’s now an international organization with about 4,900 members, Shafer said.

“Our mission is advancement in aviation, through scholarship, education and support, while we keep in mind where we started — our history,” Shafer said.

The Suncoast chapter includes a wide swath of territory, including Pasco County and going from Crystal River to Sarasota, from Ocala over to Winter Haven.

The chapter has roughly 60 members, including commercial pilots, military pilots, general aviation pilots and student pilots.

The group sponsors two scholarships a year for girls, in grades four through six, who would like to attend Space Camp. This year’s deadline for applications is April 2.

The chapter also is involved in other educational activities.

“We just finished a Girl Scout Aviation Day over at Clearwater Air Park. Girl Scouts came in. We had different stations. They got to build an airplane. They got to set off rockets,” Shafer said.

The girls also had a chance to learn about experimental airplanes and to see how an airplane is built.

Besides all of that, they were able to climb into an airplane, put on the headphones and have their photo taken while they were sitting at the controls, Shafer said.

Every year, the chapter honors members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, also known as WASPs, at the annual Fun ‘n Sun International Fly-in & Expo, an event in Lakeland.

The number of WASPs is dwindling, Shafer said.

“They were the women who served during World War II. They flew airplanes, trailing a target for the men on the ground to practice live ammunition training in shooting things out of the sky,” she said.

They delivered newly built airplanes to the East Coast, so men there could use them in Europe,” she said.

“We have very few left. We try to bring each of them that are interested, and a companion, and put them on Sun ‘ N Fun Radio. We have a luncheon for them, where they field questions,” she said.

This year the luncheon is on April 7.

Besides supporting female aviators, members of The Ninety-Nines have been involved in creating air markings — to help pilots in the air to know where they are.

“They divided themselves up into different sections of the United States, and they would climb up on barn roofs and paint the name of the town on the barn roof.

“Or, they would put up something on the ground with a mark, to denote their location, if you saw it from the air,” she said.

They still do that kind of work at airports, she said.

“Our big thing is our compass rose. We will do (paint) a compass rose with the cardinal points, North, East, South and West. It’s painted to magnetic north. It has to be approved. It has to be gridded by the airport authority,” Shafer said.

Shafer’s own fascination with aviation began very early.

“My dad was a Navy pilot and was killed when I was 5. He was taking up a plane for a test, and it crashed on takeoff.

“I’ve always been enthralled with airplanes,” she said.

She wanted to learn how to fly, but usually she didn’t have the time or money, or both, to pursue it.

“It’s not cheap to get a pilot’s license. It’s $5,000 or $6,000, depending on how dedicated you are and how fast you want to get your hours in,” she said.

At age 50, though, she decided to go for it.

She’s delighted she did.

“It’s absolutely wonderful. When you fly, it’s so freeing. You have your headphones on, and yes, you have contact with the ground. But, you don’t have that cellphone ringing, and ‘Oh, I should be doing housework …

“All you do is think about flying,” she said.

She does regret one thing.

She wishes she had joined The Ninety-Nines sooner.

“I thought I had to have my pilot’s license first to be able to join. And, that’s wrong.

“You can join the Ninety-Nines as a student pilot, and there are scholarships available,” Shafer said. “The Amelia Earhart Scholarship from our International Office in Oklahoma — if you get that, it pays for everything.”

More information about The Ninety-Nines Inc., and the Space Camp scholarship, can be obtained on the chapter’s website.

Published March 30, 2016

Mixed local reaction to new defense spending bill

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The U.S. House passed the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act during a lame-duck session, but not all lawmakers are in support.

U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, said the bill presented a “troubling dilemma for me and my colleagues.”

“After speaking with local veterans and military leaders in my community, I cannot vote for reduced benefits and a reduction in a pay raise for our service members,” Ross said, in a statement. “There needs to be a proper balance of military compensation, training and equipment, but this NDAA does not meet that requirement.”

Instead, Ross said, it decreases the military pay raise Ross voted for earlier this year, and increases the cost of prescription drugs.

“We already ask our military to make incredible sacrifices for the security of our nation. We must look at other areas of the budget before we put more of a financial burden on our war heroes.”

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, however, highlighted the $7.7 billion that will go to MacDill Air Force Base. It also provides $26 million in additional funding for behavioral and psychological health programs and initiatives, specifically for special operations forces.

“We are concerned about higher suicide rates among special forces compared to (the) military overall,” the Tampa Democrat said in a statement. “Additional resources for behavioral and psychological health for special forces will build upon our community efforts to seek solutions in military and veterans suicides.”

The vote, which took place through a motion to concur on a amendment to H.R. 3979 written to address protections to volunteer firefighters and emergency responders. It passed 300-119, with 87 of the House’s 201 Democrats voting against it.

Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, the only other local Congressman in Washington, joined Castor in voting for the bill.

Military museum remembers Pearl Harbor Dec. 7

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History is filled with dates schoolteachers want their students to remember. But there is one that no one can forget — Dec. 7, 1941.

That’s when Japanese forces conducted a surprise air raid on American military installations at Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor. At the time, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said the date would live in infamy, and 73 years later, it’s still being remembered, including Dec. 7 at the Zephyrhills Museum of Military History.

Part of an annual event at the museum, 39444 South Ave., a few of the remaining Pearl Harbor survivors make the trek to share their stories, and give visitors a chance to directly touch history.

“It gets harder and harder for them to get going in the morning, so we keep pushing back the time,” said Ted Johnson, a volunteer and vice president of the board that runs the military museum. “But that doesn’t stop them. They look forward to this every year, and are right here, even though they are pushing their 90s.”

This year’s event will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is free to the public, although donations also will be accepted. It will make it a full weekend for the museum, which normally is open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Age is now taking a lot of the veterans from that great war, yet interest remains strong in the world’s battle against Nazism and fascism. A good portion of the military museum — itself in barracks that were used by U.S. Army pilots during World War II — is dedicated to that.

Yet, it’s tough to beat talking to actual eyewitnesses of a major historical event like Pearl Harbor.

“These guys love to tell their stories about what happened that day,” Johnson said. “It never gets old to them, and it never gets old to me to see it.”

This is one of a series of events the military museum has throughout the year, including special observances of D-Day and other historical milestones. It not only brings people together with history, but also introduces others to the museum that has been at the barracks for more than a decade.

“People still come up to us and tell us they didn’t even know the museum was here,” Johnson said. “That surprises me, but I’m glad that we’re finding ways to let everyone know what we stand for.”

The museum is free to the public on Saturdays, and will open for special visits from schools and other groups during the week, and keep expanded hours during Lakeland’s Sun n’ Fun weekends in April.

So much has happened since that day where the United States was drawn into a world war — the assassination of John F. Kennedy and 9/11 just to name a couple — yet, Johnson said the Pearl Harbor attack is something that must be remembered.

“History does have a way of repeating itself, and it happens regardless of whether we learn the lessons before or not,” Johnson said. “It’s kind of scary to say that, but unfortunately, it’s going to happen again. But if you don’t remember the story, you’re most certainly doomed to repeat it again.”

If you go
WHAT: Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
WHEN: Dec. 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WHERE: Zephyrhills Museum of Military History, 39444 South Ave., Zephyrhills
COST: Free
INFO: Call Cliff Moffett, (352) 206-1819

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Local reaction split on president’s immigration plan

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The debate on whether President Barack Obama has the authority to enact his own immigration reform without the help of Congress extends beyond Washington, D.C., and is drawing both criticism and praise from lawmakers here at home as well.

But which side each congressman takes depends on what side of the aisle he or she is on.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis waited until Obama’s presidential address from the White House Thursday night to speak out against the planned executive action that could leave up to 5 million illegal immigrants safe from deportation, if they meet certain criteria.

President Barack Obama works on his immigration speech with speechwriters Cody Keenan, left, and David Litt in the Oval Office ahead of the president's Nov. 20 remarks on immigration reform. (Courtesy of Pete Souza)
President Barack Obama works on his immigration speech with speechwriters Cody Keenan, left, and David Litt in the Oval Office ahead of the president’s Nov. 20 remarks on immigration reform. (Courtesy of Pete Souza)

“As a second generation Greek American, I have a firsthand understanding of the importance and power of the American dream, as well as the sensitivity and passion surrounding immigration reform,” the Palm Harbor Republican said in a statement. “There is no doubt our immigration system is broken, but President Obama cannot act unilaterally and refuse to work with Congress. In the president’s own words: ‘That’s not how our democracy functions.'”

However, in his address to the nation, Obama said he and Democrats have tried to work with Congress to pass reform, and a bipartisan bill actually made it through the U.S. Senate in 2013. But the bill never came to a vote in the U.S. House, and such reform has remained stalled ever since.

“It wasn’t perfect. It was a compromise,” Obama said, according to his prepared remarks. “But it reflected common sense. It would have doubled the number of border patrol agents while giving undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship if they paid a fine, started paying their taxes, and went to the back of the line. And independent experts said that it would help grow our economy and shrink our deficits.

“Had the House of Representatives allowed that kind of bill a simple yes-or-note vote, it would have passed with support from both parties, and today it would be the law. But for a year and a half now, Republican leaders in the House have refused to allow that simple vote.”

Obama got support from a fellow Democrat in Congress, Kathy Castor of Tampa.

“Republicans who control the U.S. House failed to act, failed to allow debate on the floor, and blocked a vote — even after two-thirds of the U.S. Senate voted to pass a bipartisan reform bill a year and a half ago,” Castor said in a statement. “Speaker (John) Boehner said many times that the House would act, but it never did.”

In order to qualify for protection from deportation under the executive action, illegal immigrants would have to meet a series of conditions, including having children here who are American citizens or legal permanent residents, have been in the country at least five years, pass a background check, and pay taxes.

“Most of these immigrants have been here a long time,” Obama said, according to his prepared remarks. “They work hard, often in tough, low-paying jobs. They support their families. They worship at our churches. Many of their kids are American-born or spent most of their lives here. And their hopes, dreams and patriotism are just like ours. As my predecessor, President Bush, once put it: ‘They are a part of American life.'”

But U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, believes Obama is taking the wrong approach, and had not “heard the voters’ message” who gave Republicans majority control of Congress during the mid-term elections.

“I have repeatedly stated that the best way to address immigration reform is with incremental steps, with the first critical step being to secure our borders,” Ross said in a statement issued ahead of Obama’s address. “Instead, the president is headed to Las Vegas to gamble away our national security by granting massive amnesty rights while failing to secure our border. The president’s go-it-alone attitude will cause irreparable harm to any effort to reform our immigration system, and ruin any chance of having a positive working relationship with Congress during his final two years in office.”

Obama, however, stood behind his claim that the reform he has proposed is not amnesty.

“I know some of the critics of this action call it amnesty,” Obama said. “Well, it’s not. Amnesty is the immigration system we have today — millions of people who live here without paying their taxes or playing by the rules, while politicians use the issue to scare people and whip up votes at election time.”

Bilirakis reminded the president that leaders like himself and others in Washington “have an obligation to preserve the promise of the American dream for future generations.”

“To do so, we must uphold the rule of law and ensure its equal application,” Bilirakis said. “This means that we must enforce current immigration laws, strengthen the borders, and ensure all visas are enforced properly. This is an issue that impacts all Americans, and we must unite to solve this problem.

“In doing so, we can ensure the American dream remains alive and well for future generations.”

Kauffman Tire planning new store in Wesley Chapel

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Central Pasco County is set to get its first Kauffman Tire location with plans to build a 7,600-square-foot location on vacant land along Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

Developers are eyeing a 2.3-acre parcel around the area of 28225 Wesley Chapel Boulevard, located next to the Walgreens near where Wesley Chapel Boulevard connects with the northern portion of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

The land was purchased in June 2012 by 54 & 581 LLC for $350,000, and appears to have never been developed. It changed hands a few times since 1998, according to Pasco County property records, including a $790,000 transfer in 2005 at the height of the housing boom.

The current landowner is affiliated with Mitchell Rice and Michael Leeds, part of the ownership team of RMC Property Group in Tampa.

John Weaver, who works with the corporate office of the Atlanta-based company, is spearheading the project with Sarah Case of Gadd Case & Associates of Lakeland as project manager.

It would be the second Kauffman Tire location in Pasco, the first opening on Little Road in New Port Richey. However, this new location wouldn’t be too far from the Kauffman Tire at 17325 Dona Michelle Drive in New Tampa, located less than 10 miles to the south.

Kauffman Tire started in Ohio in 1936, according to the company’s website, but didn’t begin to expand until the late 1960s, primarily in the south. Kauffman Tire now has 55 locations throughout Florida and Georgia, and 14 wholesale distribution centers in seven states.

The company is meeting with Pasco County officials for the first time Nov. 25, and no timeline is available yet on when construction might begin.

Foreclosures falling in Florida

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For far too long, Florida led the nation when it came to residential foreclosures. But no more.

Maryland saw its foreclosure filings explode in October by 30 percent compared to the previous year, and its 5,943 properties in limbo made it the worst in the nation, pushing Florida to No. 2.

Yet, one in every 444 properties are in foreclosure, according to Florida Realtors and RealtyTrac. That is down 2 percent from September, and 25 percent from a year ago — and it did mark the 15th consecutive month Florida had a year-to-year decrease.

The Tampa area is down 23 percent from a year ago, but it was still the third highest metropolitan foreclosure rate in the country with one in every 395 properties facing a filing. Miami was the worst for cities with a population of 200,000 or more, jumping 11 percent from the previous month, but down 27 percent from a year ago.

Orlando was just behind with one in every 394 housing units in foreclosure. Other areas in Florida also made the national list including Jacksonville at fourth, Cape Coral-Fort Myers at sixth, Lakeland at eighth, and Pensacola at 10th.

Some of the drops in foreclosure came from a bump in auction activity, with Orlando up 23 percent in auctions, while other places like Cape Coral-Fort Myers were as high as 170 percent.