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Learning Gate Community School

Time capsule unearths memories in Lutz

June 9, 2020 By Kathy Steele

A 60-year-old time capsule unearthed at Learning Gate Community School will be a teaching moment for at least one third-grade teacher.

The battered metal box held items buried on July 18, 1948 during a ceremony to lay the cornerstone for the First United Methodist Church of Lutz.

The congregation now resides in a new church off West Lutz Lake Fern Road.

The former church site came into ownership of Learning Gate in 2014.

The time capsule came to light as workers demolished the old church building. Learning Gate plans to build new administrative offices in its place.

Linda Fuerst, a third-grade teacher at Learning Gate Community School, takes a cellphone shot of a 1948 newspaper found in a time capsule. (Kathy Steele)

Inside the box, school officials found a few, water-logged items, namely: A July 18, 1948 edition of the Tampa Sunday Tribune with full comic section, a Bible, a hymnal and a round glazed window panel.

Using the Tribune issues as a guide, Linda Fuerst foresees a timely history lesson for her third-graders.

One headline captures the connection between then and now: “New Links Found, May Aid Polio.”

In the 1940s and 1950s, polio was a crippling disease that could cause paralysis. The virus frequently attacked children, but it also affected one famous figure, President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Today, the world is battling COVID-19 and is waiting for a vaccine.

Another news item is on “meat rationing,” a part of the Depression and World War II familiar to older generations.

“I talk about my parents a lot,” said Fuerst. “They grew up in the Depression and World War II.”

Learning Gate teachers got a laugh out of one story, in particular, about teachers’ salaries being lower than that of craftsmen. Salaries ranged from a low of $2,812 to a high of $3,150.

Advertisements from Maas Brothers highlighted fashionable clothing on sale at the iconic Tampa department store. The store closed in 1991 and was torn down in 2006.

The comics and some language in the 1948 newspaper reveal some outdated views on race and women.

A brief news item notes the importance of the day for the Lutz church members – a cornerstone ceremony for the then-new church construction.

An aging hymnal from the First United Methodist Church of Lutz was found inside a 1948 time capsule.

The congregation traces its beginnings back nearly 100 years through church mergers and other church locations.

The article described a concrete block building plastered with stucco, an auditorium measuring 30-by-50 feet, and a rear addition of about the same size.

The total cost? Thirty-five thousand dollars.

When Learning Gate bought the property, the vacant church was adjacent to the campus of Learning Gate’s middle school, at 207 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road.

School officials considered keeping the aging structure. But, Learning Gate Principal Michelle Mason said, “It was in a complete state of disrepair, unsalvageable. The financial cost of it was enormous.”

In addition to new offices, Learning Gate also is renovating existing school buildings to upgrade air-conditioning and to enlarge classrooms.

Work is expected to be complete by the start of the new school year.

The discovery of the time capsule was not unexpected.

“They had been told to be on the lookout,” Mason said.

Water had seeped into the box.

It took a while to dry out the newspapers and books.

Mike Reid, the worker who found the time capsule, said about 40 people stopped by to view the church before the demolition.

“A lot of people who came by were married here,” he said. “I think it was pretty cool.”

Victor Alonso remembers his wedding there, and the years he and his family attended the church.

“It was a sweet time,” he said. “It will be sad whenever we drive by and it’s gone.”

But, he added, “I feel better that it’s being acknowledged.”

Mason hopes to pass on the artifacts to church members, and has reached out to church officials.

Now that the word is out, Mason said, “I’ve had so many people reach out who want to see if they can come by and see it.”

Published June 10, 2020

Charter sports league enjoying growth

October 9, 2019 By Kevin Weiss

The Tampa Charter Athletic League (TCAL) started with just five middle schools when it launched in 2013.

In a few short years, the league has ballooned to 22 schools and nearly 5,000 athletes throughout Hillsborough and Pasco counties.

Ten-year-old Agustin Aljure of Plant City, center, cheers on his older sister, Sophia, as she runs the track for the Tampa-based Trinity School for Children. His friend, 11-year-old Tyler Faucett of Tampa is on his right. (Christine Holtzman)

Of those schools, seven are in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area: Carrollwood Day School, Imagine School Land O’ Lakes, Learning Gate Community, Lutz Preparatory, North Tampa Christian, Sunlake Academy and Union Park.

Sports offerings include basketball, cross country, flag football, soccer, street hockey, track and field, and volleyball.

Other sports are on tap, with baseball and softball possibly next.

The upstart league is chaired and founded by Lutz Preparatory athletic director/physical education teacher Chad Mollick.

In designing the league, he envisioned something that would create more extracurricular activities for students and also foster some healthy competition.

The message spread quickly.

Simple “word of mouth” among other Tampa Bay area charter schools has grown the league where it is now, he said.

“It’s amazing to see just the massive amount of growth. I honestly never thought it would get to being this big,” Mollick said.

The league generally follows the rules and regulations of the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) “with a couple of small twists,” Mollick said.

For instance, the TCAL allows schools to field multiple teams for a sport, so that a large group of students that try out don’t have to get cut. Another wrinkle different from traditional public schools — fifth graders are grouped in as middle schoolers, so they can join teams and get in on competitive play earlier on.

“The biggest thing for me is just having more opportunities for the kids,” he said. “We pretty much added one or two (new) sports every other year.”

Before the league formed, Mollick said there really weren’t any organized leagues for charter middle schools. A couple schools would scrimmage some Tampa Bay area private schools, but that was the extent of it.

“Six years ago, no one did anything. There was nothing, really,” he said.

A recent cross country meet at Lutz Preparatory School underscored the league’s expansion and reach.

Holding on to his megaphone, Coach Chad Mollick jokes around with one of the parents in the crowd, after the start of the Boys cross country race. Mollick is the athletic director and physical education teacher at Lutz Preparatory School, as well as chairman of the Tampa Charter Athletic League.

Roughly 300 boys and girls runners across a dozen schools (and at least another 100 spectators and volunteers) turned out for a regular season meet on a steamy Friday afternoon in September.

Mollick was on the front lines, working out race logistics with a walkie-talkie and golf cart and, setting up the course, corralling volunteers and getting everything else in order.

It’s the TCAL chairman pulling events together like that, which has impressed other charter middle school athletic directors.

“He does an incredible job,” said Bill Martin, athletic director/coach at Imagine School. “We all are really thankful that he’s able to do so much and really be able to keep things organized and everybody engaged. Every season’s always been successful. We make it work one way or another.”

Trinity School for Children athletic director/coach Kara White added this: “Chad puts in so many hours. I mean, we all do as athletic directors, but that man goes above and beyond, and if it wasn’t for him, this wouldn’t happen. We help, but he doesn’t get enough credit for what he does. I don’t think there’s anyone in the league who’d step up to do what he’s doing, and, teaching. It’s not easy. It’s a full time job.”

White, who’s been at Trinity for nearly two decades, also mentioned the league’s competition level “has come a long way” in the last few years.

“The schools that have been in it long enough now are understanding what they need to do to be competitive,” she said. “In different sports it varies, but I think it’s a pretty high level for middle school sports in Hillsborough County; I think we’re pretty far ahead.”

With the added competition, natural school rivalries have formed, also.

Lutz Prep and Imagine School is one of the more notable.

“We’re always battling for first or second place in two or three sports throughout the year,” Mollick said. “When you start seeing the competition in the championship games, it gets pretty intense.”

Meanwhile, Mollick said the “biggest issue” for the expanding league is finding enough gym and field space to put on events.

The league chairman said most charter schools don’t have their own gyms, so they have to go about renting county facilities which he said can cost anywhere from $50 to $150 per hour to put on sporting events.

“The hardest thing for us is facilities are hard to find,” he said. “These schools, every game they play, they’re paying to play.”

Aside from the league as a whole, Mollick has gone about increasing athletic participation within the Lutz Prep student body.

Mollick said roughly 90 percent of the school’s middle schoolers, or about 250 students, are now involved in some type of athletics.

Mollick also has developed an intramural sports program at Lutz Prep — including a running club for the school’s elementary student body, or grades one through four.

It’s something Lutz Prep parent Shelly Walsh appreciates, in getting students to take pride in the school and ingrained in sports programs.

“It’s a great way to get the kids to love it,” said Walsh, who has two sons at Lutz Prep. “They do a little bit of it in P.E., but not as much as coming after school, they get that feeling of, ‘This is fun, I like staying after.’”

That’s the way Lutz Prep sixth-grader Eva Hsi sees it. She plays flag football and soccer, and runs cross country for the school.

“I have fun,” Hsi said. “To get to meet the older kids and play with them, and not just stay with my grade, I enjoy it.”

So, too, does fellow Lutz Prep sixth-grader Declan Heuman, who runs cross country and track for the school, and plays baseball outside of it.

He said Lutz Prep “is really fun with all the sports we have here.”

He added cross country is his favorite because “I like how you get to run and meet all your friends doing it.”

Tampa Charter Athletic League schools

  • Avant Garde Academy
  • Carrollwood Day School
  • Classical Preparatory
  • Community Charter
  • Hillsborough Academy
  • Henderson Hammock Charter
  • Imagine School Land O’ Lakes
  • Learning Gate Community
  • Legacy Prep
  • Lutz Preparatory
  • New Springs
  • North Tampa Christian
  • Pepin Academy – Hillsborough
  • Pepin Academy – Pasco
  • SLAM Tampa
  • Sunlake Academy
  • Tampa Day School
  • Terrace Community
  • Trinity School for Children
  • Union Park
  • Village of Excellence
  • Woodmont

Published October 09, 2019

Imagine School captures girls soccer title

April 17, 2019 By Kevin Weiss

Caidee Sumner and Bella Wood were determined to end their middle school soccer careers on a high note.

The eighth-grade team co-captains did just that — leading the Imagine School of Land O’ Lakes Dragons to the 2019 Tampa Charter Athletic League (TCAL) girls soccer championship title.

“It’s our last year here and we wanted to go out as a champion,” Wood said.

The Dragons (9-2) entered the TCAL playoffs as a No. 3 seed, after losing its only regular season contests to Learning Gate Community School and Lutz Preparatory School, respectively.

The Imagine School of Land O’ Lakes girls soccer team won the 2019 Tampa Charter Athletic League championship. It marked the middle school team’s second title in three seasons. (Courtesy of Sam Koleduk)

In each of those defeats, the Dragons were without one of those team captains.

But, with its top two players fully available for the playoffs, the Dragons were poised to claim its second TCAL title in three years.

Sumner’s presence was undoubtedly felt in the games that mattered most.

In the semifinal game against the No. 2 seed Learning Gate, Sumner scored an unheard of four goals in the team’s 5-3 win.

She followed that performance in the title game, scoring the lone goal in the 1-0 win against No. 1 seed Lutz Prep.

It was par for the course for the Dragons forward, who led the team with 42 goals.

Said Sumner, “It’s really nice just to know that my last year here, I get to score the last goal. The ball got up the field by our team for me to score, so I mean it’s a team effort.”

She added: “Every goal I scored, I was thinking for our team, ‘I have to score. I’m the scorer. I have to score for us to win.’ Every goal was for this team, which was really nice just to score to know that like we’re going to win, and the team’s behind me.”

As the one-nil score would indicate, Lutz Prep was the Dragons’ toughest test all season long.

The Dragons figured as much heading into the game.

“We were fighting the whole time, until we scored the goal,” Wood said.

“We had that drive just to win,” Sumner said. “I told them (teammates) before, ‘We have to fight hard if we want to win this game, and we did. We came through.”

The victory added extra meaning as it marked the third straight year the two local charter schools have matched up in the title game. The Dragons lost to the Bolts in last year’s championship, but won in 2017.

“Those are our rivals. We always want to beat them,” Sumner said.

Such familiarity helped the Dragons’ game plan for the Bolts, Sumner said.

She explained: “Over the years, we learned that they had a few of their stronger players we have to watch out for, so we just focused on them, marking them, blocking them, like putting them down so they just didn’t get the ball much.”

The championship put a bow on a season where the Dragons posted seven shutouts and outscored opponents 75 to 9.

It was also a proper sendoff for a quartet of eighth-graders moving on to the high school ranks, made up of Sumner, Wood, Natalie Magharus and Trinity Slone. The rest of the team’s fifth-, sixth- and seventh-graders are expected to return next season.

“I’ll miss everyone because it was so fun,” said Wood, who’s moving on to Land O’ Lakes High School with Sumner. “We were a family, and it’s going to be hard to leave them because we’ve known them for three years.”

The season likewise couldn’t have ended any better for Dragons first-year coach Henry Cheung, who coaches the team alongside Saint Leo Hall of Famer Sam Koleduk.

“Overall, it’s a good season. I am proud with the girls for what they did, and I’m happy my first year coaching I got a championship,” Cheung said.

He added: “The girls are hardworking. They gave everything they had.”

Coaching chops aside, Cheung credited the team’s talent level and ability to play together as reasons for the on-field success.

“We’re united,” he said, noting the team knows how to play well together.

And, despite the exodus of Sumner, Wood and the others, the coach has high hopes for next season.

“I’m looking forward to next year,” Cheung said. “Under coach Sam (Koleduk) and all the other girls, we’ll do good next year, too.”

2019 Imagine School girls soccer roster

  • Abigail Courtney
  • Madalyn Courtney
  • Lilie Shen-Dale
  • Ava Folkman
  • Emily Folkman
  • Angelisse Force
  • Natalia Magharus
  • Aurora Nelson
  • Julissa Novillo
  • Siena Pena
  • Madylena Perez
  • Annelisa Russo
  • Trinity Slone
  • Mya Smith
  • Caidee Sumner (co-captain)
  • Gabriella Suppa
  • Payton Webster
  • Bella Wood (co-captain)
  • Keeley Yarbrough
  • Coach: Sam Koleduk
  • Coach: Henry Cheung

Notable performers

  • Caidee Sumner — 42 goals, 13 assists, 97 points
  • Bella Wood — 15 goals, 17 assists, 47 points
  • Annelisa Russo — 13 goals, 9 assists, 35 points
  • Julissa Novillo — 3 goals, 12 assists, 18 points
  • Madylena Perez— 4 goals, 7 assists, 15 points
  • Lilie Shen-Dale— 2 goals, 4 assists, 6 points
  • Keeley Yarbrough — 7 shutouts

By the numbers

  • 9-2 overall record
  • 75 goals scored
  • 9 goals allowed
  • 7 shutouts

Game-by-game results for 2019 season

  • New Springs School (13-0 win)
  • Sunlake Academy (15-0 win)
  • Henderson Hammock (10-0 win)
  • Trinity School (7-0 win)
  • Learning Gate (1-0 loss)
  • Lutz Prep (5-4 loss)
  • Hillsborough Academy (7-0 win)
  • Classical Prep (6-1 win)
  • Terrace Community (7-0 win)
  • Tampa Charter Athletic League Semi-Final: at No. 2 seed Learning Gate (5-3 win)
  • Tampa Charter Athletic League Championship: at No. 1 seed Lutz Prep (1-0 win)

Published April 17, 2019

Annual Autumn Day event set at Old Lutz School

October 17, 2018 By Brian Fernandes

If you want to learn about butterfly migration, visit an old-time school or purchase some items from vendors, you’ll have your chance at Autumn Day on Oct. 20, at the Old Lutz School in Lutz.

The event will be held on the historic school’s grounds, at 18819 U.S. 41, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Ginny Grantham will make a return with her Ginny’s Gems for Autumn Day on Oct. 20. (File)

Lynn Barber of the UF/IFAS Hillsborough County Extension will offer a class at 10 a.m., to explain butterfly migration.

The course will also count toward community hours for parents with students attending Learning Gate Community School.

A variety of vendors will be selling food, crafts, jewelry and other items.

Those attending the festival can also go inside the school where they can tour its museum, which displays items collected from the community over the years.

A scavenger hunt will be held, to move visitors around the school and help them learn about its history.

“A lot of people don’t know that the schoolhouse is a historical landmark and it’s run by volunteers and donations,” said Stephanie Ensor of the Citizens for the Old Lutz School. “This is a good opportunity to educate people on that.”

Proceeds will go toward the Citizens for the Old Lutz School, which is hosting the event. The organization uses community funds to keep the two-story building intact as a local monument.

The event will have free parking and is pet-friendly.

For additional information, contact Stephanie Ensor at (813) 244-2256 or at .

Autumn Day
Where: Old Lutz School, 18819 U.S. 41, in Lutz
When: Oct. 20, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Cost: Free
Details: Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the school museum, take part in a scavenger hunt and do a little shopping, too.
Info: Contact Stephanie Ensor at (813) 244-2256 or .

Published October 17, 2018

Lutz families will have more middle school options

March 7, 2018 By B.C. Manion

Lutz, Maniscalco and Pizzo elementary schools will begin converting to pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade schools beginning this fall.

The change will start with each of the elementary schools adding sixth grade in the fall. The following year, seventh grade will be added, and the following year, eighth grade.

The idea is to make the transition gradually.

Students living in those attendance zones will have the option of attending their zoned middle school, or staying in their current schools, under the district’s School Choice option.

Lori Branham, Monique Helms, Remi Helms, Riley Silkworth, Bryce Henry, David Henry, Tammy Reale and Joshua Phillips stand in front of a photograph of Mary Maniscalco, for whom Maniscalco Elementary School is named. The Lutz school is transitioning to a pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade campus. It will begin by adding sixth grade there this fall. (B.C. Manion)

Priority will be given to students who currently reside within the school boundary, followed by students currently attending the school via the choice process, then students who live outside the boundary and are not currently enrolled at the school.

Applications are available at each school office or on the schools’ websites and will be accepted daily at the schools through March 23.

Each of the schools will be able to accommodate 110 sixth-graders.

Reaction to the new option has been positive, said Tammy Reale, principal at Maniscalco Elementary, and Lori Branham, principal at Lutz Elementary, during a joint interview with The Laker/Lutz News.

During the interview, parents and students from Maniscalco Elementary, 939 Debuel Road, expressed positive feedback about the plan.

Monique Helms, who lives in Carrollwood, said her daughter, Remi, already attends Maniscalco through School Choice.

A lot of kids from Kiddie Campus University (KCU) attend Maniscalco, Helms explained.

She’s delighted that Remi will be able to stay at Maniscalco for middle school.

“I love the culture here. The teachers here are amazing. And, so are Mr. (Joshua) Phillips (assistant principal) and Miss Reale (principal).  We’ve just been very fortunate,” she said. “I used to be a middle school teacher many, many years ago, and it’s a really tough transition. So, we were happy that they’re adding sixth grade.”

David Henry, whose 10-year-old son, Bryce, attends Maniscalco, is enthusiastic about the new option, too.

“This is a great environment for Bryce,” Henry said, noting his son also is from KCU. “He’s been here since kindergarten and has thoroughly enjoyed it. And, we look forward to him being here as a sixth-grader,” Henry said.

Henry, who attended a K-8 school when he was young, likes that approach to education.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for the kids. I think the transition, from eighth to ninth grade, is much easier than from fifth to sixth, and from seventh to eighth,” he said.

Ten-year-old Riley Silkworth, a current fifth-grader at Maniscalco, is happy that she’ll be able to stay there next year.

“I like that Maniscalco is going to do K-8 because it’s way closer for me. I live 3 minutes away,” she said.

“We are going to know most of the people who are already going to be here, because most of the people are going to stay. We’re still going to have the same teachers around us,” she added.

Remi and Bryce also had good things to say.

“We’re going to be able to stay with our friends,” Remi said. “The only thing I don’t like about it is that it’s going to be even sadder when we have to leave in eighth grade.”

Bryce said he likes knowing his way around campus. He said he can’t think of anything that would be a downside from the school’s transition to a K-8 campus.

Helms said the only concern that she’s heard expressed was whether students leaving a K-8 environment would make a smooth transition into high school.

She’s confident that Remi will.

District officials say that the curriculum offered will be consistent with other K-8 schools and there will be after-school activities, but there won’t be athletic teams until there are students in grades six through eight on the campuses.

Traditional middle schools in Hillsborough County are scheduled to begin the school day at 9:25 a.m. next year, but these K-8 schools are expected to start their days at 7:40 a.m., which is on the same schedule as the district’s middle schools.

All three also will continue to offer pre-K programs.

The schools are able to transition to a K-8 program because they are currently operating under capacity.

Although Lutz has experienced some residential growth in recent years, there are also other educational options available nearby, including Lutz Preparatory School, Learning Gate Community School, Sunlake Academy of Math and Science, and Imagine School of Land O’ Lakes.

How to apply
Pick up an application at the schools or download one from their websites
Lutz: 202 Fifth Ave., S.E., or Lutz.mysdhc.org
Maniscalco: 939 Debuel Road or Maniscalco.mysdhc.org
Pizzo: 11701 USF Bull Run or Pizzo.mysdhc.org

Published March 7, 2018

Building the community, one check at a time

October 11, 2017 By B.C. Manion

After the race for the Lutz Guv’na wraps up every year, the money raised is doled out to local groups and causes.

Kori Rankin is the 2017 winner of the Lutz Guv’na’s race and she has the plaque to prove it. She’s shown here with Paul Vahue, emcee of a celebration held to pass out checks from the annual race’s proceeds. (B.C. Manion)

This year the race drew candidates Greg Gilbert of Beef O’ Brady’s Lutz, Jessica Sherman with Pinch A Penny, and Kori Rankin, of Kori Rankin Photography. Ultimately, Rankin won the Guv’na’s sash. Her stepmother, Jennifer Rankin, won the sash in 2015.

The 2017 campaign for the honorary title generated more than $7,000 in contributions and the checks to local groups were handed out in a ceremony on Oct. 3 at the Old Lutz School.

This year’s recipients included the Old Lutz School, the Lutz Chiefs, the Lutz Cemetery, Girl Scout Troop 2717, Boy Scout Troop 12, Books for Troops, the Lutz Patriots, the Little Woman of Lutz, The Lutz/Land O Lakes Women’s Club, Steinbrenner High School Student Ambassadors, and Martinez Middle School, Learning Gate Community School, and the North Tampa/Lutz Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol.

Suzin Carr, a two-time Lutz Guv’na, said the good that the funds help to generate goes beyond sheer dollars.

“All of these little nonprofits, we’re keeping them healthy and whole,” Carr said.

“A candidate gets to decide where 10 percent of their money goes,” she said.

“The Girl Scout Troop, for instance, this year they were recipients of Jessica Sherman’s 10

Paul Vahue hands a check to representative of the North Tampa/Lutz Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol. The group received a portion of this year’s proceeds from the Lutz Guv’na’s race. (B.C. Manion)

percent,” she said.

“That group can also apply for more money,” Carr noted.

“That scout group is going to go for an overnight at NASA. That’s something they could not afford, if this had not happened,” she said.

“You don’t know the impact that that will have, even if it’s just on one of those girls, what their future could be as a result of that trip,” Carr added.

The Civil Air Patrol cadets were there and they talked about their mission, she said. When a disaster hits, they’re among the first people on the ground to analyze what’s needed in an area, she said.

“It’s a tremendous feeling to be able to watch the money come in one hand, and immediately within a matter of a month or two go right back to the community,” Carr said.

The night the funds were being distributed a group from Learning Gate Community School arrived early, Carr said. “They helped set it up.

“This is a night to celebrate them, and here they are setting up tables and chairs, bringing stuff in from the cars to get it ready for everyone else,” she said.

Published Oct. 11, 2017

Annual photos are like tiny time capsules

August 30, 2017 By B.C. Manion

Taking a “first day of school” photo is a tradition many families observe.

After all, it marks an important moment.

Baylor Frisco, a junior at Sunlake High School in Land O’ Lakes, gets ready to drive his little brother Cannon Frisco, an eighth-grader, to Rushe Middle School. Baylor can give Cannon a ride because now they start school around the same time. (Courtesy of Tammy Frisco)

For some kids, like Ryland Green, this year’s photo signifies not only the beginning of a new school year at a new school, but also in a new county.

For others, like Liam Perkins, the first day of school comes with another tradition. When he returns home, there’s a giant cookie awaiting.

Some kids, like Andrew and Aubrey Deneau of Land O’ Lakes, enjoy posing with the family dog.

And, for Betsy Murdock, that old adage rings true: If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

She didn’t get a photo of her daughter Kate before the fourth-grader had her first day at Learning Gate Community School in Lutz. So, she took a photo of her daughter after school.

Then, to remedy the situation, she took a photo of Kate on Day 2, in front of the school’s sign.

Whether the kids strike the same pose every year, or do something entirely different — these annual photographs serve as miniature time capsules, tracking the child’s changes, as they switch up fashions and hairstyles, and grow up.

They offer a visual window into the evolution of a child’s life.

Published August 30, 2017

Andrew and Aubrey Deneau had their first day of school on Aug. 14 at Pine View Elementary in Land O’ Lakes. Andrew is a fifth-grader and Aubrey is in kindergarten. Maycie is their Airedale Terrier, who said goodbye to Andrew and Aubrey as they headed off to school.
(Courtesy of Catherine Deneau)
Liam Perkins, a fifth-grader at New River Elementary in Wesley Chapel, celebrates Day 1 by returning home to enjoy his traditional giant cookie. (Courtesy of Amanda Perkins)

Lutz celebrates July Fourth in grand fashion

July 12, 2017 By B.C. Manion

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Published July 12, 2017

Festivities set to honor Earth Day

April 19, 2017 By B.C. Manion

Finding ways to celebrate Mother Earth and to recycle, upcycle and preserve its precious resources are the themes of Earth Day celebrations planned around the region.

One of the largest area events planned for Earth Day, known as Earth Day Tampa Bay, got its start as EcoFest at Learning Gate Community School in Lutz.

One shopper can collect 500 bags in a year, according to this depiction of the concept that was seen walking around at last year’s Earth Day Tampa Bay, also known as EcoFest, at Lowry Park.
(Courtesy of Learning Gate Community School)

Now, in its eighth year, the event has become Tampa’s signature Earth Day event, and it has grown into a collaboration between Learning Gate, the University of South Florida Office of Student Affairs and the City of Tampa.

The event is set to take place at the Lowry Park Zoo Bandshell area, at 7525 N. Boulevard, in Tampa, on April 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission and parking are free.

Thousands of people typically attend the event to learn the latest in earth-friendly practices and products, and to check out the fun activities offered for kids.

The event celebrates the principles of sustainability: Ecology, Equity and Economy. This year’s sponsors are Tampa Bay Water and Tampa Electric Co.

Planned highlights include a parkour agility course created by a participant in American Ninja Warrior, a kid-friendly Yoga Zone with classes, crafts, games and other fun activities.

Costumed superheroes will be roaming around; bands will be performing, and there will be plenty of chances to pick up some pointers on sustainable living.

Michele Northrup, organizer of the event, has been involved since the beginning.

“It’s going to be exciting this year,” said Northrup, noting “we have over 138 vendors.

“We have sustainability experts … We’ll have hybrid and electric vehicles. We have one vendor … who will demonstrate wind power,” she said.

The Owl Sanctuary will be bringing the beautiful owls that it protects, Northrup said.

There also will be interactive booths and chances for people to purchase everything from local honey to handmade soap to all sorts of other eco-friendly items, she said.

While EcoFest is expected to draw thousands to Lowry Park, Pasco County also is hosting an Earth Day celebration.

The family friendly event will take place at Crews Lake Wilderness Park, 16739 Crews Lake Drive in Spring Hill. It is scheduled for April 22, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“We’re excited that the event will actually fall on Earth Day this year,” Lottie Kelley, event chair for Earth Day, said in a release. “This year, we’re adding the Suncoast Trail Earth Day Ride and Rick’s Raptor Rescue,” she said.

Other planned activities include:

  • Children’s crafts and education displays
  • An Interactive Water Ventures Learning Lab
  • A Florida native plants sale
  • Pet adoptions
  • A ladybug release
  • Upcycle vendors
  • An appearance by Spike, the 10-foot alligator from Croc Encounters
  • Household hazardous waste collection
  • Electronics recycling
  • A pill take-back program (for unwanted or expired medications)

Concessions will be sold by Mary Giella Elementary School as a PTA fundraiser.

Also, the University of Florida’s IFAS/Extension will offer two workshops: Rain Water Harvesting at 10 a.m., and Composting at 12:30 p.m. Preregistration is required for both workshops. Sign up online at Pasco.IFAS.ufl.edu/events_calendar.shtml.

To sign up, click on April and scroll down to event 1 of 2.

For more information about the festival, contact Keep Pasco Beautiful Coordinator Kristen King at (727) 856-7252 or kking@@pascocountyfl.net.

Published April 29, 2017

Learning Gate dishes up a garden party

November 9, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Learning Gate Community School threw a garden party and invited its friends.

More than 80 parents, local garden club members and community leaders shared a luncheon feast in a glade beneath the branches of an ancient oak tree.

A short stroll away, fifth-graders guided lunch guests on a tour of the school’s working garden.

Anna Mitchell, 10, in headband, and Emily Slean, 10, explain Ceylon spinach to Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan and Principal Michelle Mason. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)
Anna Mitchell, 10, in headband, and Emily Slean, 10, explain Ceylon spinach to Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan and Principal Michelle Mason.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

Kindergarteners through fifth-graders also entertained at the luncheon with songs about nature and Mother Earth.

The annual event, in its third year, brought the school family and the community together to take a peek at what Learning Gate is all about.

“It’s so nice to see people come into our world and see what we’re doing here,” said Principal Michelle Mason.

Learning Gate abides by the motto, “Nature is our best teacher,” and has received a national award for its EcoFest, held each year at Lowry Park Zoo.

“It’s kind of like a secret, a hidden jewel here,” said Michelle Northrup, marketing and parent involvement facilitator. “Our students work in the garden everyday. We do a lot of projects, based on hands-on learning.”

The charter school for kindergarten through sixth grade is tucked away in a wooded area off Hanna Road in Lutz. A school campus for seventh and eighth grades is on Lutz Lake Fern Road.

The school’s hands-on approach can help students build confidence.

Gabrielle Cruz and Alejandro Armstrong and cherries Gabrielle Cruz, 10, and Alejandro Armstrong, 10, got a cool assignment to talk about a Jamaica cherry tree on a warm day at the Learning Gate garden party.
Gabrielle Cruz and Alejandro Armstrong and cherries
Gabrielle Cruz, 10, and Alejandro Armstrong, 10, got a cool assignment to talk about a Jamaica cherry tree on a warm day at the Learning Gate garden party.

“We provide an atmosphere where they are able to explore who they really are,” said Adam Wolford, assistant principal. “This is something that really sticks with them.”

Ten-year-olds Anna Mitchell and Emily Slean said they tend small gardens at home.

They said the school garden offers a fun way to learn.

“We don’t just have to look it up in a book,” Mitchell said.

“We’re always ready to get our hands dirty,” Slean said. Besides, she added, “I love the things that are eatable.”

The classmates gave luncheon guests the rundown on Ceylon spinach, which they explained has medicinal uses and also can be used in soups and salads.

Ten-year-olds Griffin Vazquez and Ezekiel Udozorh handed out samples of freshly brewed hibiscus tea to guests touring the garden. They also took turns giving a plant lesson on the hibiscus acetosella, which can be found in the Dominican Republic and Zambia, and can lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

“They see how the world works, how food is put on the table,” said Wolford.

Chayton Martin and Kiersten Stevens, also both 10, handed out mint leaves, which smell nice, but aren’t good to eat. The plant does have eatable tubers, however, they explained.

Eighth-graders Preston Fischer, left, and Caleb McAllister perform as guests dine under an oak tree at the Learning Gate garden party.
Eighth-graders Preston Fischer, left, and Caleb McAllister perform as guests dine under an oak tree at the Learning Gate garden party.

Ten-year-olds Alejandro Armstrong and Gabrielle Cruz drew a cool assignment on a warm day under a Jamaica cherry tree.

Evan Hill and Cole Vakil, both 10 years old, handed out Seminole pumpkin seeds.  The pumpkin can be used in many recipes, they said.

“This is a really weird one – mac n’ cheese,” Hill said.

Ten-year-olds Kaylie Gagne and Skye Sharpe stood under the shade of a moringa tree, whose tiny leaves are filled with vitamins and make great additions to salads.

“It’s very healthy for you,” Gagne said.

D.J. Rivera and Jacob Koenig, both age 10, handled the “star fruit” tour.

Parents Jamie Meyer and Nicole Rametta sampled the sweet tasting fruit, cut into stars.

“I think it’s wonderful,” said Rametta. “It gives the community members a chance to see how knowledgeable the kids are.”

Published November 9, 2016

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