The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Lutz

If you enjoy pottery, this tour is for you

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People who are drawn to pottery are naturally attracted to the Tampa Tour De Clay, said Kim Wellman, of Wellman & Welsch Pottery in Lutz.

This tour offers so much more than the chance to add some unique pottery pieces to your collection, said Wellman, whose studio is one of four stops on the tour.

It also offers provides a closer look at what goes into the creation of ceramic art.

Adrienne Welsch peers into the center shelf of the large kiln where the work of her father, Harry Welsch, cools after being fired the evening before. (Fred Bellet/Photos)
Adrienne Welsch peers into the center shelf of the large kiln where the work of her father, Harry Welsch, cools after being fired the evening before.
(Fred Bellet/Photos)

Tour-goers can talk to nationally known ceramic artists, can see demonstrations, and can get a better idea of the techniques and processes used.

Taking the tour tends to deepen participants’ appreciation of pottery, said Wellman, who has been creating ceramic pieces since the mid-1970s.

“There’s all this stuff going on behind the scenes that you didn’t know was going on. When they realize how much is involved, then you begin to appreciate it more,” she said.

This year’s Tampa Tour De Clay features 24 nationally acclaimed ceramic artists.

Other highlights include pottery demonstrations, kiln openings, charity chance drawings, refreshments, and the opportunity to meet the artists and purchase handmade works.

“This tour is modeled after several artists’ tours around the country,” said Harry Welsch, who is Wellman’s husband.

Harry Welsch begins to form the clay, after it has been flattened with a press.
Harry Welsch begins to form the clay, after it has been flattened with a press.

“The four stops are what’s convenient for people to get to in one day,” Welsch said. “If they follow the schedule and spend a couple of hours at each, it just seems to be a good number.”

Wellman added: “We each have a few guest artists. So we tend to bring in people who are different from anything that you might have seen before.”

The kiln openings are one of the tour’s high points.

Each studio is planning a kiln opening on Dec. 10. The first will be at 9 a.m., at Pottery Boys Studio, 30 Bogie Lane in Largo. The next will be at noon, at Hidden Lake Pottery, 16705 Hutchison Road in Odessa. The third will be at the Wellman & Welsch Studio, at 17202 Whirley Road in Lutz, at 2 p.m. And, the last will be at San Antonio Pottery, at 11903 Curley St., in San Antonio, at 4 p.m.

As the kiln is emptied, Wellman said, those taking the tour will get a chance to hold a piece of warm pottery, and to learn more about the pieces.

Kiln openings are the time when ceramic artists get to see the results of their handiwork.

“You pull them out — and there are these beautiful colors,” Wellman said.

It can be a time of delightful surprises — or not.

Beautiful ceramic works fashioned by Harry Welsch and Kim Wellman have their start in a block of clay.
Beautiful ceramic works fashioned by Harry Welsch and Kim Wellman have their start in a block of clay.

Sometimes there are imperfections that need to be addressed before a piece can be sold. Other times, the flaws can’t be fixed.

“The way you stack a kiln matters,” said Welsch, who has a background in physics and chemistry, as well as a master’s in fine art. “It can affect the way the work comes out.

“In this kiln, it’s about a 16-hour cycle, from cold start, room temperature, to about 2,400 degrees,” Welsch said, describing the kiln at his studio.

“We control the amount of fuel and the amount of air. We prefer most of the time to have the atmosphere neutral, or not too much oxygen, not too much fuel.

“If you take out some of the oxygen, you get an incomplete burn. What happens is that the flame gets so hot, you’ve got to get oxygen somewhere. And, it comes out of the chemicals in the glaze,” he said.

“You can look in there and see it (the fire), kind of dancing around the work,” he said.

The shelves inside the kiln can be adjusted, and the number of pieces placed inside the kiln varies, Welsch said.

Generally, it takes about two weeks of work to fill the kiln for a firing, he said.

But, numerous steps precede the final firing.

“To make this body of the mug, without the handle, it’s less than a minute. And then, to make the handle, is less than a minute,” Welsch said. “The actual making of this thing is probably less than 5 minutes.”

But, then it has to air dry, then go into an electric kiln, at around 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit. Then the piece is glazed before it is fired in the hotter kiln, at about 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit, he said.

The couple’s involvement with pottery began when Wellman enrolled in a pottery class.

Welsch recounted: “It’s all her fault. She thought she might want to try it out. She was way too good.

“There are few people who are naturals. They sit down at that wheel and they center,” he said.

“She did.

“What was happening is that she was making work way faster than the lady that ran the class could fire it.

“I built our first wheel and kiln before I knew how to make pots. That’s what husbands do,” he said.

Wellman added: “This is what I was supposed to be doing. Every day, I want to come out to the studio. I still do, after 40 years.”

They began making pottery in Bradenton in 1975 and moved their studio to Lutz in 1991.

Their daughter, Adrienne Welsch, is also involved.

She grew up around pottery making.

She said she does prep work, creates some pieces and helps organize the work flow in the studio.

By doing that, she said, she saves her parents time, so they can focus on pieces that require a greater degree of mastery.

The arrangement seems to suit the trio just fine.

Tour De Clay
A self-guided tour of four local pottery studios, featuring 24 nationally known artists.
When: Dec. 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Dec. 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
What: The tour’s highlights include kiln openings, pottery demonstrations, entertainment, charity chance drawings, refreshments, the opportunity to meet the artists and to purchase unique handmade works.
How much: The tour is free. Those visiting all four pottery studios will have a free chance to win prizes.
Where: The tour stops are:

  • Pottery Boys Studio, 30 Bogle Lane, Palm Harbor, 34683 (Kiln opening Dec. 10, 9 a.m.)
  • Hidden Lake Pottery, 16705 Hutchinson Road, Odessa, 33556 (Kiln opening, Dec. 10, noon)
  • Wellman & Welsch Pottery, 17202 Whirley Road, Lutz, 33558 (Kiln opening, Dec. 10, 2 p.m.)
  • San Antonio Pottery, 11903 Curley St., San Antonio, 33576 (Kiln opening, Dec. 10, 4 p.m.) Please note: The San Antonio Pottery will be open until 8 p.m. on Dec. 10.

For more information: Visit TampaTourDeClay.com.

Published December 7, 2016

Fantasy comes alive at Zephyrhills art shop

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Sarah Hamilton has always been intrigued by the fantasy subculture.

From Harry Potter novels to Jim Henson-directed films (i.e. The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth), Hamilton acknowledges she’s “obsessed” with fairytales and magical creatures.

“I love dragons,” she said. “Really, creatures have been my inspiration.”

The Harry Potter series has been, too.

Sarah Hamilton is the owner of the Mad Dragon Studio, 5226 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)
Sarah Hamilton is the owner of the Mad Dragon Studio, 5226 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

“I definitely am a huge fan. I’ve read all the books, watched all the movies.”

In October, the Lutz resident opened the wizard-themed Mad Dragon Studio, 5226 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills.

The shop, located in the heart of the city’s downtown, offers handcrafted wizardry wands along with feather quills, and cosplay props and costumes.

Other vintage products like homemade bath bombs, wizard uniform aprons and non-alcoholic butterscotch beer are also featured throughout the mythical studio.

“It’s kind of the place to come if you want something different,” Hamilton explained. “I always want you to walk-in and feel like it’s magical in here.”

A former first-grade teacher, Hamilton said she’s had artistic leanings since she was a youth.

Sarah Hamilton uses a mix of polymer clay to craft each wand by hand. They range in price from $5 to $125. (Photos courtesy of Sarah Hamilton)
Sarah Hamilton uses a mix of polymer clay to craft each wand by hand. They range in price from $5 to $125.
(Photos courtesy of Sarah Hamilton)

“I’ve been making creatures since I was a little girl,” Hamilton said, “but, I had no idea I’d be doing this.”

In fact, her business started by happenstance.

About five years ago, Hamilton wanted to purchase small wands as party favors for her son’s wizard-themed birthday. But, when she discovered the price tag of a single wand was a minimum of $35, she opted to just make them herself.

“I just started messing around. I started sculpting with polymer clay, and I moved up to (larger) wands,” she explained.

Hamilton later sold handcrafted wands on Etsy, an online marketplace offering handmade and vintage goods.

“It just kind of kept evolving,” Hamilton said, “and then I thought it’d be fun to have my own actual brick-and-mortar (store).”

The wands, which also feature a wooden core, typically take Hamilton “a few hours to make.”

The wizard-themed shop offers handcrafted wizardry wands along with feather quills, and cosplay props and costumes.
The wizard-themed shop offers handcrafted wizardry wands along with feather quills, and cosplay props and costumes.

She, too, offers customized wands — one of which was recently used in a wedding proposal. As the story goes, Hamilton molded an engagement ring into a wand handle that could separate and reattach.

“That (wand) one was the hardest,” Hamilton said, “because it was like, ‘How am I going to get a ring on and off?’”

Though Hamilton’s wands are among the shop’s most prominent items, it’s her unicorn horn headbands that are the highest selling.

The popularity of the headbands exploded when they were featured on Buzzfeed in 2015.

“You don’t know what people are going to like until you put it out there,” said Hamilton.

She added the store’s most frequent customers are adult cosplayers and larpers (live-action role players).

“It’s people who, like me, have just really been obsessed with that (medieval) kind of world. That’s been an interesting thing to notice,” Hamilton said.

In her spare time, the local artist organizes ‘Fab Lab’ craft classes, where she teaches attendees how to make sugar scrubs, glitter wine glasses and other unique products.

“I’m all about people getting their hands into something creative and just trying it. That’s certainly how I got into it,” Hamilton said.

For more information, visit MadDragonStudio.com.

Published December 7, 2016

New arts and crafts show venue is a hit

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With a new venue in place, the 37th annual GFWC Lutz Arts & Crafts Show promised to be “bigger and better than ever.”

It delivered.

Cindy Bishop, of Tampa, browses one of the many vendor booths at the 37th annual Lutz Arts & Crafts Show, as decorative, hand-painted gourd birdhouses loom above. The festival was held at a new location, Keystone Prep High School in Odessa. (Fred Bellet/Photos)
Cindy Bishop, of Tampa, browses one of the many vendor booths at the 37th annual Lutz Arts & Crafts Show, as decorative, hand-painted gourd birdhouses loom above. The festival was held at a new location, Keystone Prep High School in Odessa.
(Fred Bellet/Photos)

The show — held for the first time at Keystone Preparatory High School in Odessa — drew rave reviews from attendees and vendors alike.

On Dec. 3 and Dec. 4, thousands of visitors swung by the 60-acre site, at 18105 Gunn Highway.

Once there, show-goers talked up the new venue’s amenities, including its additional space, U-shaped food booth layout and ample parking.

The comfortable weekend weather didn’t hurt, either.

The show, one of the largest annual events in Hillsborough County, typically draws 30,000 to 40,000 people.

It featured more than 350 vendors, about 50 more than two years ago.

“It’s huge,” said Cindy Bishop, of Tampa. “It’s much larger, I think, than it was up there (at Lake Park).”

Zoe Deimling, 4, of Odessa, just can't stop looking at the art on her face after having it painted at the Lutz Arts & Crafts Show. Deimling was along with her grandmother, Denise Alliston of Odessa, and her great-grandmother, Susan Corcoran of Lutz.
Zoe Deimling, 4, of Odessa, just can’t stop looking at the art on her face after having it painted at the Lutz Arts & Crafts Show. Deimling was along with her grandmother, Denise Alliston of Odessa, and her great-grandmother, Susan Corcoran of Lutz.

Last year’s arts and crafts show was cancelled due to a sinkhole at Lake Park in Lutz, forcing the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club to find a permanent location.

The club, in turn, signed a five-year contract with Keystone Prep to have the festival on the school’s property.

Denise Alliston, an Odessa resident and first-time attendee, was delighted to discover the event relocated to Keystone Prep long-term.

“I love it,” Alliston said. “I’m glad that they put it out here; there’s a lot of room.”

Some longtime arts and crafts show attendees — like Zephyrhills resident Doreen Coursey — were just ecstatic to finally see the arts and crafts festival return after its absence in 2015.

“We missed it last year — it was a bummer,” Coursey said.

The festival’s revamped digs, though, quickly put a smile on her face.

“It’s very nice,” she said.

Victor Brown, of Valrico, navigates his way through the woodworking and hand-painted lawn art ornaments, crafted by his father, Vick Brown. Brown's work was among the many colorful displays along the festival route of booths and tents.
Victor Brown, of Valrico, navigates his way through the woodworking and hand-painted lawn art ornaments, crafted by his father, Vick Brown. Brown’s work was among the many colorful displays along the festival route of booths and tents.

One man, Lutz native Tom Benson, admittedly didn’t want to see the popular arts show leave the place he was born and raised.

“I’m homegrown…so I have a little bit of a favor to the park,” said Benson. “It’s sad that sinkhole erupted.”

Compared to Lake Park, Benson said the Odessa venue has less shade, but acknowledged “there’s a lot more parking.”

For most, the two-day arts and crafts show provides a boost for holiday shoppers looking for gifts.

There’s a lot to choose from, with vendors typically offering such items as paintings, photography, jewelry, woodcarving, ceramics, pottery, stained glass, quilts and more.

Tampa resident Glenda Melching took advantage of that opportunity by purchasing Christmas ornaments for each of her 11 grandkids.

“We always buy (ornaments) for presents,” Melching said. “We get them every year.”

As if she did not have enough to carry, Mita Garga (right), of Lutz, holds her daughter Nena's lemonade as the two get ready to snack on a funnel cake while at the Lutz Arts & Crafts Show.
As if she did not have enough to carry, Mita Garga (right), of Lutz, holds her daughter Nena’s lemonade as the two get ready to snack on a funnel cake while at the Lutz Arts & Crafts Show.

Besides arts and crafts booths, the U-shaped food court, too, was an instant hit.

Situated at the festival’s entrance were a vast array of grub offerings — Italian fare, BBQ, comprehensive breakfasts and homemade treats.

“This is nicer that you have a little more,” said Suzanne Hatfield, an Orlando resident and regular attendee. “Last time, it was just one (food) line.”

She noted, however, the food court “could use more tables” in the future.

Vendors, meanwhile, were delighted by the constant foot traffic over the course of the two-day occasion.

“Look at all the people here — it’s a good show,” said Bob Platt, who was promoting a line of Orlando-based Honey Bee Skin Healing Cream.

Vick Brown, a first-year vendor who creates and sells wooden yard designs, likewise was amazed by the festival’s magnitude.

“It’s great,” said Brown, 45, of Valrico. “A lot of people are out, and everybody’s friendly.”

He added: “It’s a little different from the other crafts shows we’ve been attending —we didn’t have this traffic flow.”

The show even drew out-of-state vendors, like Tony Kassebaum, a Nevada-based goldsmith who produces and sells exotic handmade jewelry.

For Kassebaum, the festival is an annual stop on his cross-country art show circuit that leads him throughout Florida and Michigan.

“I’ve always enjoyed the show,” Kassebaum said. “Many of my customers are repeats. People have seen my stuff at the (Bay Area) Renaissance Fairs or at other shows.”

The arts and crafts show is the largest yearly fundraiser for the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, which gives provides college scholarships and donations to local charities. Figures are not yet readily available.

Published December 7, 2016

There are plenty of ways to help this season

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If you would like to help someone else during the holidays, there are plenty of ways you can do that.

Here’s a look at some of the efforts underway that could use more support.

Donate a Bicycle
This effort, spearheaded by Caroline Contractors LLC, is seeking donations of money, bicycles or helmets. Those wishing to donate bicycles or helmets can drop them off at these locations:

  • Caroline Contractors LLC, 18039 U.S. 41, Suite B, Lutz, 33558
  • Hungry Harry’s Family BBQ, 3116 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes, 34639
  • The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, 2810 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes, 34639
Todd Caroline of Caroline Contractors LLC gets ready to deliver new bicycles during a Christmas Bicycle Drive. Caroline and his wife, Cindy, began giving new bikes to children from less fortunate families several years ago. (File Photo)
Todd Caroline of Caroline Contractors LLC gets ready to deliver new bicycles during a Christmas Bicycle Drive. Caroline and his wife, Cindy, began giving new bikes to children from less fortunate families several years ago.
(File Photo)

Bicycles must be dropped off by Dec. 10. If you can’t drop off your donation, Caroline Contractors will pick it up. If you don’t have time to shop, Caroline Contractors will be happy to take your cash donation and do the shopping for you. For more information, call (813) 931-4611.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tax collector helps Toys for Tots
Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano is collecting Toys for Tots at the county’s five tax offices. The Toys for Tots program is run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve. It seeks new, unwrapped gifts for children and teenagers.  Bring your donations to these locations by Dec. 22.

  • West Pasco Government Center, 8731 Citizens Drive, Room 120, New Port Richey, 34654
  • Gulf Harbors Office, 4720 U.S. 19, New Port Richey, 34652
  • Central Pasco Government Center, 4111 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. (U.S. 41), Land O’ Lakes, 34639
  • Wesley Chapel Office, 4610 Pet Lane, CIOI, Wesley Chapel, 33559
  • East Pasco Government Center, 14236 Sixth St., Room 100, Dade City, 33523

Home builder helps Toys for Tots
CalAtlantic Homes is hosting “The Great Toy Drive” for the Toys for Tots program. Participants can make a donation of a new, unwrapped toy to any CalAtlantic community through Dec. 11. For locations, visit CalAtlanticHomes.com.

Auto repair shop helps Toys for Tots
Ice Cold Air Discount Auto Repair is trading free oil changes and tire rotations, or $20 in auto repair services, for a new unwrapped toy to benefit Toys for Tots. To find a list of locations, visit IceColdAir.com.

Santa’s Tree
The San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union is partnering with local children’s charities to help make the holidays brighter for children. This year’s effort benefits the youth of the Thomas Promise Foundation.

Stop by any of the credit union’s offices in San Antonio, Dade City, Zephyrhills or Wesley Chapel to pick a gift tag from Santa’s Tree. Purchase the item listed. Return the gift tag and unwrapped gifts to the credit union by Dec. 16 before 6 p.m.

The credit union will do the wrapping and distribution, along with its partners at Thomas Promise.

Blanket Tampa Bay
New or “gently used” blankets are needed for Blanket Tampa Bay’s second annual Blanket Drive. The blankets will be passed out to Tampa’s homeless on Dec. 24 at the Trinity Café in downtown Tampa. For more information, call (813) 300-9277.

Published December 7, 2016

There’s no shortage of holiday cheer here

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The Thanksgiving turkey and all of the fixins’ — and all of the leftovers — are gone.

The lighted entryway at the Florida Botanical Gardens sums up the sentiment of many holiday events in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area and the Tampa Bay region. (File Photo)
The lighted entryway at the Florida Botanical Gardens sums up the sentiment of many holiday events in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area and the Tampa Bay region.
(File Photo)

Lucky for you, you’ve got a whole month of holiday happenings available for your enjoyment.

Here’s a look at just some of the free and low-cost options being offered in the The Laker/Lutz News coverage area, with a few other regional events tossed in that we thought would give you some holiday pleasure.

 

Lutz

  • 37th annual Lutz Arts & Crafts Show, on Dec. 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Dec. 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Keystone Preparatory High School, 18105 Gunn Highway in Odessa. The event is free, but there will be a $5 parking charge to benefit the school. Event organizers expect about 355 vendors, and between 30,000 to 40,000 festival-goers.
  • 20th annual Christmas at the Old Lutz School, on select evenings from Dec. 8 through Dec. 27 at the school, 18819 N. US 41 in Lutz. Hours are 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., on Dec. 8, Dec. 10, Dec. 11, Dec. 13, Dec. 15, Dec. 17, Dec. 18, Dec. 20, Dec. 22, Dec. 26 and Dec. 27. Admission is free, but there will be barrels to collect nonperishable food items and toys for families that are less fortunate. The building is decked out for the holidays, and there will be entertainment, too.
  • Breakfast with Santa at the Old Lutz School, on Dec. 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., at the school, 18819 N. US 41. There is a $4 charge for breakfast, and a visit from Santa Claus.
  • Handbells & Friends, a free holiday concert on Dec. 14 from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., at First United Methodist of Lutz at 960 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road. The public is welcome to this concert which will feature handbells, vocals and other instruments.
  • Tampa Bay Tour De Clay, a free family friendly, self-guided tour of four local pottery studios, Dec. 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Dec. 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The tour includes: Pottery Boys Studio, 30 Bogle Lane in Palm Harbor; Hidden Lake Pottery, 16705 Hutchinson Road in Odessa; Wellman & Welsch Pottery, 17202 Wirley Road in Lutz; and, San Antonio Pottery, 11903 Curley St., in San Antonio. (San Antonio Pottery will be open until 8 p.m. on Dec. 10). For more information, visit TampaTourDeClay.com.

North Tampa

  • CABA tree lighting, Dec. 3 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Elmcroft at Carrollwood, 2626 W. Bearss Ave.
  • Build a Toy with Santa at the Museum of Science & Industry, 4801 E. Fowler Ave., in Tampa. Children will be able to come to the museum’s Idea Zone creativity lab to make a toy to take home. Santa Claus will drop by the workshop to share pointers on holiday cheer. The workshop will be open through Jan. 3. It is included in the normal museum admission charge. For more information, visit MOSI.org.
  • Christmas in Song, free concert on Dec. 18 at 7 p.m., in the sanctuary at Lake Magdalene United Methodist Church, 2902 W. Fletcher Ave., Tampa. This free, family friendly concert features the church’s chancel choir, orchestra and handbells.
  • “Simply Christmas,” Christmas Eve services at Lake Magdalene United Methodist Church, 2902 W. Fletcher Ave. The evening will include a Spontaneous Christmas Pageant at 5 p.m.; a contemporary Christmas service at 6:30 p.m.; lessons and carols at 8 p.m.; and, traditional communion services at 11 p.m.

Land O’ Lakes

  • Christmas Holiday Bazaar at Harvester United Methodist Church, 2432 Collier Parkway, Dec. 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free to this event, which features a free photo with Santa, a bounce house village, a candy trail, holiday shopping, food trucks, giveaways and games. Those attending also will have a chance to meet the Mascot “Blue” from the Tampa Yankees. Plus, there will be resources for families affected by autism, including sensory-friendly activities for children.
  • Heritage Holiday Card Walk, sponsored by the Wesley Chapel Land O’ Lakes Satellite Rotary, from Dec. 3 to Jan. 7 at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, at 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

The event will have around 30 full-size cards on display, ranging in size from 6 feet by 4 feet to 8 feet by 4 feet. Cards can be placed on Dec. 3 between 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. For information, call (813) 996-3011.

  • 23rd annual Flapjack 5k and 1-mile run, on Dec. 11, at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway. The 5k starts at 8 a.m., and the 1-mile starts at 8:45 a.m. A flapjack breakfast follows the race for each runner; non-runners can donate $5 for breakfast. Santa will be there for photos, too.

Wesley Chapel

  • CalAtlantic Homes presents Symphony in Lights, with shows on the hour between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., through Dec. 31 at The Shops at Wiregrass, at State Road 56 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in Wesley Chapel. The show features snow, sparkle and sounds of the season. For more information, visit TheShopsAtWiregrass.com.
  • Movies under the stars, Holiday Movie Marathon at Tampa Premium Outlets, 2300 Grand Cypress Drive in Lutz. See TampaPremiumOutlets.com for dates and times. The outlet center also will have community holiday entertainment, on select days and times through Dec. 24, and also will have a Community Gift Wrap through Dec. 24, with local organizations benefiting from donations.

Dade City

  • Country Christmas Open House, at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, on Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event offers free admission to the attraction, with the donation of an unwrapped toy that will be given to a local Dade City charity. The event starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. This is a great opportunity to come out and visit the museum’s charming history, do some holiday shopping with its vendors, listen to some Christmas music and hear the Solid Gold Barbershop Quartet. Bring the kiddos out to see Mr. Tommy Presents. He will have two performances at 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m. Santa & Mrs. Claus will be here from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and we will offer complimentary photos by photographer Christina Strong. The barrel train also will give rides, and there will be a train show in the Mable Jordan Barn. The museum will serve punch and cookies, and hot dogs and hamburgers will be available at the concession stand. For more information, call (352) 567-0262 or (352) 206-8889, or visit PioneerFloridaMuseum.org.
  • Country Crafters third annual Arts and Crafts Fair, Dec. 3 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Country Aire Manor Clubhouse, 10249 U.S. 19 in Dade City. This event features a wide assortment of locally produced items, which are available for purchase.
  • The Market Place, on Dec. 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Seventh Street and Bougainvillea Avenue in downtown Dade City. The market will feature unique holiday presents, the jazz band from Pasco High School and musician Derrick Tucker. Vendors will be offer homemade cookies, honey, jams, handmade soaps, jewelry, garden accessories, fresh produce, Scentsy, Thirty-One, handmade baskets/gourds, hand-designed coasters, artwork and more. The Market Place is free and pet friendly. It is sponsored by the Dade City Youth Council.

Zephyrhills

•   Festival of Lights on Dec. 3 from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., in downtown Zephyrhills. Free photos with Santa will be offered at 38439 Fifth Ave., courtesy of Goin’ Postal. Santa will take a brief break at 6 p.m., to appear in the lighted nighttime parade.

  • Jingle Bell Boutique & Bake Sale, on Dec. 3 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the GFWC Woman’s Club of Zephyrhills Clubhouse, 38545 Fifth Ave., in downtown Zephyrhills. In addition to the customary bake sale, this will be the first year for the Jingle Bell Boutique, which will feature several women’s home-based businesses or showcase their handiwork of hobbies gone wild, and will give shoppers a chance to buy local. Proceeds from the bake sale and vendor fees will support the woman’s club’s projects.
  • Tampa Bay Tour De Clay, a free family friendly, self-guided tour of four local pottery studios, Dec. 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Dec. 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The tour includes: Pottery Boys Studio, 30 Bogle Lane in Palm Harbor; Hidden Lake Pottery, 16705 Hutchinson Road in Odessa; Wellman & Welsch Pottery, 17202 Wirley Road in Lutz; and, San Antonio Pottery, 11903 Curley St., in San Antonio. (San Antonio Pottery will be open until 8 p.m. on Dec. 10). For more information, visit TampaTourDeClay.com.

Downtown Tampa

  • Free screening of the movie “Elf” at Tampa Theatre, 711 Franklin St., in downtown Tampa on Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. Doors will open at 6 p.m., for a cocoa and cookies social in the theater’s lobby. A big announcement will be made at 7 p.m., followed by the movie. Admission is free and open to the public; however, guests are asked to visit TampaTheatre.org/events/Elf and click on the “Buy Tickets” link to print their complimentary Eventbrite ticket for guaranteed entry.

West Pasco

  • River Lights Boat Parade and holiday festival. The West Pasco Business Association is joining New Port Richey Main Street on Dec. 2 and Dec. 3 in Sims Park, near downtown New Port Richey, for the free “River Lights Boat Parade” and a holiday festival. The movie “Polar Express” will be screened on Dec. 2 in the park. The boat parade begins at 7 p.m., on Dec. 3.
  • Sixth annual “How the Grinch Saved Christmas” will be on Dec. 9 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., at the Spartan Manor, 6121 Massachusetts Ave., in New Port Richey. The West Pasco Business Association is hosting this event, which includes members of the association and the community.

Tickets are available online at WPBA.biz for $45. For more information contact Maria Johnson at (727) 934-0940 or "> .

Largo
More than than 750,000 lights have transformed the Florida Botanical Gardens, at 1250 Ulmerton Road in Largo, into a holiday wonderland. Visitors can stroll through the gardens from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., nightly through Dec. 31. A donation of $4 is suggested for those 13 and older, while children 12 and under, and parking, are free.

For more information, call (727) 582-2117 or visit, FBG.Org.

Published November 30, 2016

Local vet named ‘Pet Industry Woman of the Year’

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A Lutz veterinarian has been named the “Pet Industry Woman of the Year” by the Women in the Pet Industry Network.

Dr. Dani McVety is the co- founder of Lap of Love, a company based in Lutz that is made up of a national network of veterinarians who provide hospice and in-home euthanasia for pets.

Besides winning the the network’s overall award, McVety also received the “Advocate” award for 2016 from the national group at its conference in Portland, Oregon.

McVety, who grew up on a horse farm in Odessa, didn’t set out to earn national acclaim.

Dr. Dani McVety, a veterinarian specializing in end-of-life care and in-home euthanasia for pets, recently was named ‘Pet Industry Woman of the Year’ by the Women in the Pet Industry Network. She also was awarded the ‘Advocate of the Year’ award. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Dr. Dani McVety, a veterinarian specializing in end-of-life care and in-home euthanasia for pets, recently was named ‘Pet Industry Woman of the Year’ by the Women in the Pet Industry Network. She also was awarded the ‘Advocate of the Year’ award.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

She said her company began as a sideline to help her pay off her student loans.

She hopes, however, it will help lead to a paradigm shift in the way veterinarians work with pet owners in the last days of a pet’s natural life.

“We are trying to change how end-of-life care is done,” she said.

She recently recounted how her company began.

“This woman came in with a Chihuahua,” she said.

The pet was wrapped in a little gray blanket, and the woman knew she was euthanizing her dog that day.

She asked McVety: “Can you leave him on my lap? I don’t want him on the cold sterile table. I don’t want him to touch anything but my lap.”

That approach went against her training, the veterinarian said.

“We’re taught, ‘You take him in the back, you place an IV catheter, and you bring him back in the room.’ That’s the most acceptable way of doing it,” she said.

But, McVety decided to honor the woman’s wishes.

“I’m looking at this woman, and I’m going: ‘Why not? Why can’t we do what she wants me to do?”

“I said, ‘Sure. I’m going to do that.’

“So, I sedated him through the blanket, which is something that we normally would not do.

“I gave him the second one.

“It was beautiful. It was perfect. I remember thinking, that’s what all pets deserve. They all deserve to be on your lap, the whole time. That’s what they want. That’s where they’re most loved,” McVety said.

She decided to create her own business and to call it “Lap of Love.”

A friend and veterinarian — Mary Gardner — joined her to take the business nationwide, through a network of veterinarians.

Initially, McVety thought she’d be doing more hospice work.

“What I discovered early on was that people wanted in-home euthanasia. Really, what they want is a really good conversation before giving permission to step into that space — and then a really, nice peaceful euthanasia.”

McVety estimates that about 30 percent of the 2,000 calls that come in each week are for hospice consultations. Of those, she said, about 90 percent result in an in-home euthanasia.

McVety said her background in ER veterinary services helped her realize that she has a knack for helping people who are facing a difficult time with their pet.

“I really enjoy working with the people who love their animals.

“In ER work, that translates into helping somebody understand what’s happening in a very short amount of time. They don’t have a lot of time to make decisions.

“Sometimes it is the first time that they’ve heard that their pet is dying, and they need to decide in the next 15 minutes whether or not they want to go to surgery or whether we’re going to euthanize (the pet).

“I started gravitating toward end-of-life cases, the ones that weren’t going to make it, that were difficult euthanasia cases,” she said.

“I don’t want it to be their choice—  to do this or that. I want to guide them based on what I feel they want, and within the medical boundaries that I have.

“Instead of saying, ‘Which one do you want?’ It’s ‘Here are the two options, and I need to learn more about what you think is the best thing to do, so I can guide you on which decision we’re going to make,” McVety said.

When she works with pet owners, she said, she takes this approach: “Instead of ‘You are making the right decision,’ It’s “We are making the best decision.’

“I feel like there’s so much guilt that gets put on people, where you’re the owner and I’m saying, ‘You just tell me what’s best for you.’”

She thinks it’s also important for pet owners to learn to “look at this is the natural progression of biology,” she said.

“There’s a subjective period of time when euthanasia is an appropriate decision. It’s not your only decision, but it’s an appropriate decision. Before which, I am not going to euthanize because a quality of life exists, and after which, I’m insisting on euthanizing because there’s sustained suffering,” McVety said.

Sometimes, the pet is absolutely ready in her medical eyes, but the family is not yet ready.

“Your first pet, people usually push the boundaries because they don’t know any different. The second pet, people make the decision sooner and sooner, and sooner.

“They know what’s going to happen. And, it doesn’t get easier,” McVety said.

Published November 30, 2016

Lutz library display honors 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor

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One day after the Japanese bombed the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress and announced a declaration of war against the Empire of Japan.

Lutz resident Davis Gandees put together a showcase of history commemorating Pearl Harbor Day at the Lutz Branch Library. (Fred Bellet/Photos)
Lutz resident Davis Gandees put together a showcase of history commemorating Pearl Harbor Day at the Lutz Branch Library.
(Fred Bellet/Photos)

The surprise attack on Dec. 7, 1941, was a “date which will live in infamy,” said Roosevelt in one of the most remembered speeches in the nation’s history.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the attack, which cost the lives of more than 2,400 people, including 68 civilians. Half of those killed were crewmembers of the battleship USS Arizona.

“It’s kind of like a 9/11,” said Lutz resident Davis Gandees.

It is an anniversary that is important to remember and honor for the sacrifices of the military and civilians, said Gandees. “Americans need to be respectful of what they went through.”

Lutz resident Davis Gandees placed items in a showcase at the Lutz Branch Library. He spent hours constructing replicas of Japanese and American planes used during the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
Lutz resident Davis Gandees placed items in a showcase at the Lutz Branch Library. He spent hours constructing replicas of Japanese and American planes used during the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

Through Dec. 10, visitors to the Lutz Branch Library, 101 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road, can step back into history through a display put together by Gandees.

He is an avid historian and a long-time builder of model airplanes flown during World War II.

In a glass showcase, there are three replicas each of Japanese and American fighter planes, and bombers, flown on Dec. 7, 1941.

Gandees also provides brief histories of the pilots who flew those planes, and photos, maps and a brief history of Pearl Harbor.

The library also added a display of suggested books to read, such as “Voices of Pearl Harbor” and “The Road to Victory.”

A photo in a display at Lutz Public Library honors the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor and recalls the heroic action of American pilot George Welch.
A photo in a display at Lutz Public Library honors the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor and recalls the heroic action of American pilot George Welch.

Gandees’ fascination with planes dates to his childhood in South Florida when he lived near a naval base.

“They tell me my first word was ‘airplane’,” Gandees said.

The retiree is a third generation Floridian who worked as a teacher, solar panel contractor and a Florida higher education manager. He also is a master modeler, a member of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library Board, and published author of magazine articles on modeling and aviation.

Gandees is a detail man. He spent as many as 50 hours on each plane model.

To get the facts about the planes and their construction just right, he researches archives, maps and history books.

He said he can complete about one plane per month.

Davis Gandees is a history buff on World War II and builds model replicas of fighter planes used at Pearl Harbor. A display by Gandees at the Lutz Branch Library honors the 75th anniversary of the Dec. 7 attack on Pearl Harbor.
Davis Gandees is a history buff on World War II and builds model replicas of fighter planes used at Pearl Harbor. A display by Gandees at the Lutz Branch Library honors the 75th anniversary of the Dec. 7 attack on Pearl Harbor.

“I did a lot of modifications, especially the color of the planes. The Japanese history of camouflage was very interesting,” he said.

The research gives him as much, if not more, satisfaction than building the models.

Individual stories of the men and women who heroically fought back against the Japanese attack are highlighted in the display.

Lt. Phillip Rasmussen of the 46th Pursuit Squadron was among the first pilots to engage the invaders in one of the few P-36A Mohawks not disabled by Japanese bombs.

Still in his pajamas, Rasmussen strapped a pistol to his waist.

“I’m not sure what he had in mind with that,” Gandees said.

But, Rasmussen shot down a Japanese fighter plane before his plane was damaged, and he flew under attack back to the airbase.

Gandees said one Japanese fighter plane got shot out of the sky, but on its descent hit a palm tree and killed eight American servicemen on the ground.

A photo of 2nd Lt. Phil Rasmussen shows the airplane pilot in his pajamas with a pistol strapped around his waist. Rasmussen shot down a Japanese Zero during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
A photo of 2nd Lt. Phil Rasmussen shows the airplane pilot in his pajamas with a pistol strapped around his waist. Rasmussen shot down a Japanese Zero during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Nearly 30 Japanese planes were shot down, and about 60 of their crewmembers were killed.

On a memorable trip to Hawaii in 2006, Gandees visited the USS Arizona Memorial, which rests above the sunken battleship, and the final resting place of 1,102 sailors and Marines who died there on Dec. 7, 1941.

Japanese and Americans who fought there often attend Pearl Harbor anniversaries and form friendships despite the history of conflict, he said.

“It was quite an interesting experience,” Gandees added.

Though Gandees has done other World War II and Pearl Harbor displays, this is his first at the Lutz library.

“I didn’t want it to be forgotten,” he said.

For more information on the exhibit’s hours, call the library at (813) 273-3652.

Published November 30, 2016

Fundraiser set for local teacher battling ALS

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Students and staff at Steinbrenner High School have banded together to help raise money for one of their own.

Mike Leist, a history teacher at Steinbrenner, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS, last spring. His wife, Liz, is a math teacher at Steinbrenner. Their three daughters also attend the school.

The condition, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, affects the nervous system. It weakens the muscles and reduces functionality.

Steinbrenner faculty members show their support for Mike Leist by wearing ‘Kick it for Leist’ T-shirts. Leist is a history teacher, who’s battling ALS. (Courtesy of Steinbrenner High School)
Steinbrenner faculty members show their support for Mike Leist by wearing ‘Kick it for Leist’ T-shirts. Leist is a history teacher, who’s battling ALS.
(Courtesy of Steinbrenner High School)

Slightly more than 6,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with ALS each year, according to the ALS Association. The average life expectancy of a person with ALS is two to five years from time of diagnosis, the association reports.

In an effort to aid Leist’s family and treatment, Steinbrenner High has organized a kickball game fundraiser, “Kick it for Leist.”

The event, set for Nov. 18 from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., will pit 20 students and 20 teachers against one another in a friendly game of kickball, at the school’s football stadium, 5575 West Lutz Lake Fern Road in Lutz.

Optional donations will be collected at the door, and various clubs will be selling food and drinks to the entire student body. All proceeds raised will benefit Leist and his immediate family.

The event was the brainchild of Beverley Jarrett, an Advanced Placement psychology and social studies teacher, who works in the same department as Leist.

“It hit me really hard when Mike told me last spring,” Jarrett said, adding, “it dawned on me one day, ‘Why don’t we have an event?’

“I thought a kickball game would be funny between students and teachers,” Jarrett said.

There was immediate interest, from students and teachers.

“Faculty members were fighting, trying to get on the team,” she said. “When the word got out that we were having a faculty team, they came out of the woodwork.”

Meanwhile, students playing in the game were voted on by their peers, and represent each of the school’s four grade levels.

“The kids were so excited about trying to be on this team,” Jarrett said.

Jarrett noted both students and faculty have consistently rallied around the event, even purchasing “Kick it for Leist” T-shirts.

Nearly 500 shirts have been purchased, she said. Monies used to purchase the shirts also go into the fundraiser account.

“It’s been a whole Steinbrenner effort,” Jarrett said. “The faculty all wore the shirts one day last week, just to get the kids talking about ‘Kick it for Leist.’ The administrators were wearing them, and they never wear T-shirts.”

School officials describe Leist as a teacher who “carries a happy and positive energy with him every day.”

“He’s a formerly very athletic, active man,” Jarrett said.

Yet, she acknowledged that her colleague’s voice has gotten worse “almost by the week” due to ALS.

“His speech — that’s what being affected the most,” she said.

Jarrett, who has had family members affected by the disease, said Leist originally requested all proceeds to be donated to the ALS Association.

But, she persuaded him to allow the effort to benefit his family.

“It’s a tricky, tricky horrible disease,” Jarrett said. “There are so many costs that nobody thinks about.”

For any additional information, donations, or questions regarding the event, contact Steinbrenner High School at (813) 792-5131.

Published November 16, 2016

Tracing the development of early Lutz

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Once one of the most active stops for wood-burning locomotives, Lutz was settled with just a handful of homesteaders.

William Paul Lutz was a railroad engineer. He and his brother, Charles, played a pivotal role in the history of Lutz, a community north of Tampa. (Photographs courtesy of Susan A. MacManus)
William Paul Lutz was a railroad engineer. He and his brother, Charles, played a pivotal role in the history of Lutz, a community north of Tampa.
(Photographs courtesy of Susan A. MacManus)

There was a store and a couple of houses there in 1907, and once the Tampa Northern Railroad was extended from Brooksville to Tampa that same year, the Concord Stagecoach Line went out of business.

But, that news didn’t discourage two brothers from West Virginia — William Paul Lutz and Charles Henry Lutz.

That’s because one of the largest sawmills in northwest Hillsborough County was the Gulf Pine Lumber Company — which was south of Odessa and owned by Charles Lutz.

In 1909, Charles Lutz built a tram track to carry his lumber 10 miles to the east, connecting his sawmill to the Tampa Northern Railroad at what is now Lutz Lake Fern Road and U.S. 41.

William Lutz — Charles’ brother — was the railroad engineer.

Most of the area was “nothin’ but sand,” according to the recollections of Dorothy Lutz Jones, stepdaughter of William Lutz.

“Then from there on to Tampa, there was nothin’ until you got there, down to the city,” Jones is quoted in an account published by local historian Susan A. MacManus, a professor at the University of South Florida.

First Lutz United Brethren Church was built in 1914. Before that, church members met at Lutz School.
First Lutz United Brethren Church was built in 1914. Before that, church members met at Lutz School.

MacManus and her mother, Elizabeth Riegler MacManus, wrote “Citrus, Sawmills, Critters and Crackers: Life in Early Lutz and Central Pasco County.

William Lutz is reported to have witnessed “strange events” as he engineered his train through such a remote countryside.

“It was not uncommon to come across public hangings and to see some unfortunate soul with his neck still in the noose,” the local history book notes.

According to his wife’s journal, William Lutz sold cars on the side and would take orders for a vehicle, and then strike one on the tracks with his locomotive.

“The railroad would pay for the damaged car, Lutz would buy it, have it repaired, and then sell it to his customer,” according to a published account.

William Lutz exhibited a better side of his nature to the family of Ella McDowell in December 1912. Ella had received a handwritten note thrown from the train by Lutz inviting her to ride with him to Tarpon Springs and spend Christmas with his family.

Trains like these helped pave the way to Florida’s future. (Courtesy of Tampa Bay History Center)
Trains like these helped pave the way to Florida’s future.
(Courtesy of Tampa Bay History Center)

The year — 1912 — was also a memorable year for the local residents demanding their own post office.

That was largely because the investors of the North Tampa Land Company.

C.E. Thomas, the company’s president, had been busy marketing “…a vast settlement where folks could buy tracts of land to farm and raise orange groves,” according to the MacManus’ book.

Thomas would eventually build the new post office, and donate land for the wood-frame schoolhouse, cemetery and church. He even provided jobs with his nursery.

But, when postal officials named the new post office “Lutz” on March 27, 1912, they helped cement the memory of the contributions of the two Lutz brothers, in an area still generally known today as North Tampa.

Doug Sanders has a penchant for unearthing interesting stories about local history. His sleuthing skills have been developed through his experiences in newspaper and government work. If you have an idea for a future history column, contact Doug at .

Published November 9, 2016

 

Local author is inspired by mysterious phenomenon

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The notion of writing about “things that go bump in the night” is not a new idea for novelists.

Many authors have used the presence of unexplained sounds to help create a sense of suspense for their readers.

But, in the case of Alicia White, an author who lives in Wesley Chapel, it was a sound that she actually heard — similar to a sonic boom — that sparked the the idea for her first novel, “The Roar.”

A.M. White was inspired to write her first novel by a mysterious booming sound she has heard in Wesley Chapel. She called that novel ‘The Roar.’ She has finished a sequel and expects the third book in a three-part series to come out next spring. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
A.M. White was inspired to write her first novel by a mysterious booming sound she has heard in Wesley Chapel. She called that novel ‘The Roar.’ She has finished a sequel and expects the third book in a three-part series to come out next spring.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

White has lived in the Tampa area since 1991, but she didn’t hear the sound until she moved into Wesley Chapel about a year ago and, since then, she’s heard it about five times.

“It rattles things, kind of like a sonic boom would,” she said.

She quickly learned that she was not alone.

“There have been reports within a 15-mile radius,” said White, who uses the pen name A.M. White.

“People make note on social media to get reassurance that they’re not going crazy,” she notes. So far, there’s no explanation for the phenomenon.

The author said she’s heard the sound, and so has her husband, Mark, and their 8-year-old son, Landon. Their 4-year-old Grayson hasn’t heard it, but White’s dad, Gary Orchard, who lives in Lutz, also heard it once while sitting in White’s living room in Westbrook Estates.

“It’s not just this neighborhood. People have reported hearing it in Lexington Oaks, up near Quail Hollow, over to Meadow Pointe,” White said.

The author, who expects to release her second novel, “Into the Roar,” on Nov. 17, said she’s wanted to be a writer since she was young, but never seriously pursued it until last year.

“Last spring, I kind of had a brush with my own mortality. I had a health scare,” she said.

That motivated her to stop thinking about trying her hand at writing and to start doing it.

The second-grade teacher said she finds windows of time for writing after her boys are in bed. She squeezes in about four hours a night for her writing.

She envisions a third book in the series, which she describes as a dystopian novel, in the vein of books like “The Hunger Games” and “Divergent.” She expects her third book to be released in the spring.

White thinks she has an unusual writing process, which she describes as a “reverse-movie” approach.

“I see it playing out in my head, and it just comes out,” she said.

Since she sees what’s happening to her characters — and it can be violent at times — it can be an emotional experience, said White, who teaches at Turner/Bartels K-8, in New Tampa.

In addition to writing her books, White also designed the covers and does all the marketing, through social media, such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

By publishing her own work, she owns the rights, but White would like to find a publisher to pick up her books because she’d love a wider audience.

White said she’s encouraged by the feedback she’s been receiving.

“There’s a lot more to it than the money,” she said, noting “The Roar” has attracted readers as young as 12 and as old as 91, and has appealed to both genders.

And, while she’s never stepped foot out of this continent, her book has been read by people in six of the seven continents and by people in 10 different countries.

Reviews on Amazon.com for “The Roar” characterize the novel as “fantastic” and say it deserves five stars. It is described by one reviewer as a “great read.” Another said, “couldn’t put it down.” Another reader summed it up by saying, “Wow!”

Copies of “The Roar” are available through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. The paperback sells for $11.99 and the Kindle version is $2.99.

Published November 9, 2016