The Laker/Lutz News

Ponte Vedra

Land O’ Lakes girls reach state soccer finals

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The Land O’ Lakes girls soccer team might have surprised some people by reaching the Class 3A state finals. But it didn’t surprise their coach.

“I said at our parent meeting (last October) I have high expectations. I expect to be in the state finals in February,” said coach Vicky King.

The Land O' Lakes girls soccer team reached the state finals with an attacking offense and stifling defense. (Courtesy of Vicky King)
The Land O’ Lakes girls soccer team reached the state finals with an attacking offense and stifling defense.
(Courtesy of Vicky King)

And if King believes something, there’s good reason to take her at her word. After 28 seasons coaching the team, including a state title in 2003, King has established herself as a good judge of talent. And King was right on the money last October, leading the Gators to a perfect 8-0 record in Class 3A-8, a 1-0 victory over Matanzas in the regional final and a close 2-1 victory over Ponte Vedra in the state semifinal that ended with penalty kicks to determine the winner.

Land O’ Lakes eventually fell in a 2-1 overtime loss to defending state champion American Heritage. But they were right where King said they’d be in February and finished with a 24-2 record.

King knew early on she had the talent to go far in the playoffs. In fact, she said this was the most talented Land O’ Lakes team that she’s coached. And they weren’t just dominant in one part of the game.

“It’s a very well-rounded team,” King said. “We’ve always been very good defensively, but we produced a lot more off this year and had a lot of offensive threats.”

There were a few minor setbacks along the way, King said. Late buses, rescheduled games and a late start to pre-season tryouts were just a few obstacles they overcame. But they had some good luck, too, like avoiding major injuries. All 22 players who started the season were available in the state final.

Throughout the season, they played the same attacking style regardless of opponent, and it served them well. Although they were ahead most of the time, they did come from behind in a couple of games during the year. Those comebacks showed perseverance, King said, and an ability to work through difficulties as a team without pointing fingers and blaming each other.

The coach credits the team’s juniors and seniors for keeping expectations high and teaching the program’s philosophy to the younger players. It’s up to them, King said, to be leaders and take ownership in their success on the field.

“I coach them, but it’s their team,” she said.

One of those players is junior Tori Cannata, who has already committed to playing at the next level for the University of Arkansas. She believes that even though the players are the ones on the pitch, the coach is a big part of the team’s success.

“What makes coach King special is the way she runs the program,” Cannata said. “Everyone just respects her completely.”

To show that respect, players give their best effort to prove they belong on the team, and practice hard so as not to let up on the program’s momentum.

This year’s momentum also meant some well-deserved accolades for the coach, as well. King won the 2015 Florida Dairy Farmers Girls’ Soccer Class 3A Coach of the Year award.

While she said it’s an honor to be recognized and appreciates the award, it’s clear she doesn’t like too much attention directed at herself, but instead thinks it should be on the team. She’s won awards before, but when asked for details she preferred not to elaborate on her personal accomplishments.

“If you really need it, I can tell you how many times (she’s won coach of the year awards), but whatever,” King said.

Instead, she likes to focus on the team and maintaining a quality program. She’ll lose four seniors (two of whom are starters), so most of the team should remain intact. And with good depth to help replace the players they’re losing, they should continue to be a competitive team.

While they fell just short of a state title, King can look back on this past season as one of the best.

“We have to consider it one of our most successful seasons as far as level of play, the dominance, going it to the final four, winning the semifinal on (penalty kicks),” she said. “Those were all great deeds.”

Published April 8, 2015

Politicians talk local, but don’t spend local

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Ever wonder how much $324,000 can buy?

It could supply ribs and sides for 25 families at Hungry Harry’s Family Bar-B-Que for an entire year.

It could feed a complete Thanksgiving dinner from Publix to nearly every person living in Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes.

Denny Esber got some local political work for Pasco County Commission candidates like Henry Wilson Jr., and Mike Moore, but said he could feel the pinch of hundreds of thousands of dollars leaving the county. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Denny Esber got some local political work for Pasco County Commission candidates like Henry Wilson Jr., and Mike Moore, but said he could feel the pinch of hundreds of thousands of dollars leaving the county. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

It could hire 15 people for an entire year at $10 an hour, with enough money left over to add a part-timer at the same rate.

In three local political races that ended Nov. 4, six candidates spent $324,000 — to people and businesses outside of Pasco County. In fact, of the more than $455,000 these Pasco County Commission and state House candidates spent since Nov. 1, 2013, only 29 percent of it stayed local.

Beverly Ledbetter, who ran as a Democrat for Florida House District 38, had the worst local campaign spending, with less than 10 percent remaining in Pasco County. However, when it came to total dollars, new Pasco County commissioner Mike Moore sent the most money outside the county — nearly $109,000, or 66 percent of his expenditures.

“Our campaign bought local services when available, such as some printing supplies and materials,” Ledbetter told The Laker/Lutz News in an email. “I used a local Dade City printer for some work, and a local company for the T-shirts. Unfortunately, East Pasco — including Wesley Chapel — does not have any commercial mailing operation that I was aware of, and that comprises the bulk of my out-of-district purchases.”

Since the end of the primary, Ledbetter spent just $1,800 of the more than $28,000 she received locally, according to an analysis of campaign finance records by The Laker/Lutz News. She paid nearly $15,600 to Sonic Print in Tampa in the last reporting period alone, for what were described as mailers. Another $440 went to a company called Parkway Strategies in Tallahassee for what the campaign said was “strategic communications.”

Although his local spending was much better than Ledbetter’s, Danny Burgess — who eventually would win the House seat — was still behind all four county commission candidates tracked. He spent more than $35,000 locally, but sent $96,000 away.

Not having services available locally shows the need for such services to be developed, Ledbetter said. But there are still many services available locally which candidates looked outside of Pasco for, especially printing. And companies like Point to Point Printing in Land O’ Lakes feel it when money isn’t spent here.

“There are plenty of people here,” said Point to Point’s owner Denny Esber. He saw about $10,000 worth of work this election cycle from candidates like Moore and former county commissioner Henry Wilson Jr. But there was still more he and other business owners missed out on.

“With jobs like this, the money comes back and then I can re-spend that money in this community,” Esber said. “It just keeps going and going and going and going.”

A lot of money leaves the county for advertising and consulting. In the last two weeks of his campaign, Burgess spent $61,500. However, just $4,000 of that — less than 7 percent — stayed local. Instead, nearly $57,000 was paid to a pair of Jensen Beach companies for advertising.

In all, Burgess spent $81,500 with that company, or 63 percent of his total expenditures. That’s enough alone to create four full-time jobs at $10 an hour.

Ledbetter on the other hand spent $22,209 with Sonic Print, or 69 percent of her total expenditures, sending all that money to Tampa’s Carrollwood area.

But the commission races weren’t much different. Moore only kept 34 percent of his spending local, but his opponent — Erika Remsberg — didn’t do much better at 39 percent. Since the end of February, both candidates sent $115,000 out of the county, some $30,000 more than what they wanted taxpayers to pay them each year in salary as a commissioner.

“First, I was disappointed my local spending amount was so low,” Remsberg said in an email. “Must be because the Tarpon union printer I used was just over the border. Secondly, I think reporting the amounts donated is more important than the percentages. Given the vast difference in amounts donated to our contributions, I think percentages do not paint the picture as well as the dollar amount does.”

Twice in October, Moore spent more than $20,000, but less than 6 percent remained local. Instead, he spent $37,323 with Majority Strategies in Ponte Vedra for advertising, and nearly $3,000 with Allegra Marketing in Tampa for printing.

Even food preparation was not something Moore could find locally, spending $2,224 for food at a fundraiser supplied by Catering by the Family in Tampa.

Moore did not respond to a request for comment.

Published November 12, 2014

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Moore, Remsberg spending money outside Pasco

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Bringing money into the county is something politician after politician has brought to campaigns and local government for years, and the Pasco County Commission race between Mike Moore and Erika Remsberg has been no different.

In fact, both have ideas on how to attract more jobs and higher wages to the area, as well as bring in an influx of money to help businesses grow and prosper. Yet, when it comes to their own spending habits, some might scratch their heads on how much they are willing to spend with local businesses and local people.

Since the end of February, the District 2 race to replace the retiring Pat Mulieri has raised $135,000 between the two candidates, with nearly $169,000 already spent in that period. Yet, Moore only devoted 32 percent of his total expenditures inside Pasco, while Remsberg wasn’t much better at 39 percent.

Those numbers got far worse for Moore after his primary victory over Ken Littlefield and Bob Robertson, where of the $53,500 he spent, only about $13,000 — or 19 percent — went to help Pasco businesses. Remsberg stayed consistent after the primary, $2,240, or 37 percent, locally.

Since the end of February, both candidates have sent $115,000 out of the county. That’s some $30,000 more than they want taxpayers to give them each year in salary for sitting on the dais, and enough to fund five full-time and one part-time jobs that pay $10 an hour.

“First, I was disappointed my local spending amount was so low,” Remsberg told The Laker/Lutz News in an email. “Must be because the Tarpon union printer I used was just over the border. Secondly, I think reporting the amounts donated is more important than the percentages. Given the vast difference in amounts donated to our contributions, I think percentages do not paint the picture as well as the dollar amount does.”

An early Monday morning request to Moore for comment was still pending return.

Twice in October, Moore had a week where he spent more than $20,000, with less than 6 percent of that going to local businesses. Instead, during those two periods, he spent $37,323 with Majority Strategies in Ponte Vedra for advertising, and nearly $3,000 with Allegra Marketing in Tampa for printing.

Even food preparation was not something Moore could find locally, spending $2,224 for food at a fundraiser, supplied by Catering by the Family in Tampa.

Remsberg also had a bad week in October where nearly 95 percent of her spending was done outside of Pasco. It was there she spent nearly $1,100 with Image Media in Tarpon Springs for printing. Before that, she had taken some of her printing work to Tampa, where she spent more than $925 with Gunn Printing in July.

Since the end of February, Moore has raised more than $123,000 in cash, far more than the $11,600 Remsberg raised over the same time. However, more than half of Moore’s donations have come from people and groups associated with real estate, development and construction.

To date, those groups have given Moore nearly $63,000 in contributions, with more than $40,000 of it coming since the primary. At the same time, Remsberg has picked up just $350 from contributors like that, all of it coming from an operating engineer union. That accounted for 3 percent of her total contributions.

“A campaign mostly financed with money from developers creates a conflict of interest when the candidate will be ruling on issues affecting those developers,” Remsberg said. “Pasco County loses significant revenues on incentives for development causing Pasco County residents to pick up the bill. We do not have enough money to fix our roads in Pasco, but we can spend money helping developers pay for the roads they are building for their own projects.”

Voters will have a chance to decide between Moore and Remsberg on Nov. 4.