The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Lutz

Mattamy Home’s Fabulous Spring Sales Event

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With two new townhome communities opening in Lutz and Citrus Park, Mattamy Homes is offering families special savings on new, quick move-in townhomes for a limited time only, including paying closing costs.  A variety of three- and four-bedroom townhomes are available for move in this spring, at Avea Pointe in Lutz and Lakeview at Citrus Park.

New Models in Citrus Park
Mattamy Homes been selling in Lakeview at Citrus Park in August, and already has sold more than 30 townhomes. And now, with the opening of three new, professionally decorated models, Mattamy expects sales to move even faster in this gated community off Ehrlich Road and the Veterans Expressway.

Townhomes by Mattamy Homes offer spacious floor plans and two-car garages.

“Lakeview at Citrus Park is one of the prettiest and most convenient locations in the north Tampa area,” said Kathleen Dec, marketing manager for Mattamy Homes. “Our homeowners love being so close to Westfield Citrus Park Mall, and value their easy access to the Veterans and downtown Tampa.”

New models are beautifully decorated and furnished, and feel just as spacious and private as single-family homes. The Marianna (1,667 sq. ft.) and Ormond (1,888 sq. ft.) have 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and single garages. The Venice (2,574 sq. ft.) has 4 bedrooms, including one downstairs, 3 baths and a double garage. Prices begin in the mid $200s.

The community, which will have 124 townhomes when completed, overlooks Gant Lake at the end of Tom Fuller Road. Residents have access to the lake for fishing, kayaking and paddle-boarding from its community pier. Other amenities include a children’s playground.

Avea Pointe In Lutz
Avea Pointe is Mattamy Homes’ newest townhome neighborhood in Lutz, located off Van Dyke Road on Lakeshore Drive, and directly across from Lakeshore Preserve —a Mattamy townhome community that sold out in less than 18 months.

“The demand for our townhomes in Lakeshore Preserve was so incredible that we’re very happy to be offering families more townhomes in the same great location,” said Dec.

Avea Pointe’s first residents will be moving into their new homes this spring. The community’s amenities will be ready this fall, and include a resort-style pool, cabana and sun deck. At completion, Avea Pointe will have 224 homes.

This gated community offers three spacious floor plans designed to live like single-family homes, incorporating large open kitchens, optimized living spaces, covered lanais and 2-car garages.

Avea Pointe offers very distinctive plans— the Santa Rosa at 1,913 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths, with an owner’s suite on the first level; the Sebring at 2,230 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths; and the Venice at 2,574 square feet with 4 bedrooms (including a first-floor bedroom) and 3 baths. Base prices are from the low $300s.

“We offer some of the most spacious townhome floor plans in the area,” said Dec. “Their unique designs meet the needs of first-time homebuyers, families with children and empty-nesters.”

In-Demand Location
Mattamy’s Lutz communities are just minutes from St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, and are convenient to shopping, dining and entertainment in Carrollwood, Lutz, Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel. Located within two miles of the Veterans Expressway makes them an easy commute to Tampa, the airport and area beaches.

“This desirable location is one of the main reasons our homes at Lakeshore Preserve and Avea Pointe are selling so quickly,” said Dec. “Excellent schools are another reason — parents want their children to attend the area’s best schools.”

Children at Lakeshore Preserve and Avea Pointe attend Steinbrenner High, Martinez Middle and Schwarzkopf Elementary, all less than three miles away on Lutz Lake Fern Road. Also close-by is the Sunlake Academy of Math and Science charter school.

 Visit MattamyHomes.com, or call (813) 580-7303, to learn more about these communities, the Spring Sales Event, or to schedule a VIP appointment.

Published February 27, 2019

Earth Fare enters Pasco market

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Earth Fare, a North Carolina-based grocer, opened its 51st store with special deals and fanfare at Cypress Creek Town Center last week.

The 24,000-square-foot store, off State Road 56 and just west of Interstate 75, aims to promote the health and well-being of its customers by selling an assortment of healthy foods, said Frank Scorpiniti, president and CEO, in an interview with The Laker/Lutz News.

Earth Fare’s opening festivities included a ribbon cutting. Shown here, are the dignitaries involved in that ceremony. They are second from left, is store manager Mike Hall; President and CEO Frank Scorpiniti; North Tampa Bay Chamber President /CEO Hope Allen; and Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore; while others look on. (Christine Holtzman)

“We’re pretty enthusiastic that because we are a philosophy-guided company, when we look across the retail landscape, there are no other food retailers doing what Earth Fare does,” Scorpiniti said. Earth Fare plans to open a total of eight to 10 stores in the greater Tampa area.

The store which opened last week, at 25535 Sierra Center Blvd., in Lutz, has 107 employees. It is the fourth store that the company has opened in the general Tampa Bay area in recent years.

Earth Fare also has opened stores in Seminole, Oldsmar and Lakewood Ranch, and within weeks will open stores in Boynton Beach and downtown Orlando.

“We see an opportunity for our brand to fill a void in the marketplace,” Scorpiniti said.

“Americans, just generally, are seeking healthier alternatives to feed their families and their children,” Scorpiniti explained. “We have found that there is a lot of need of what we bring to communities.

“We don’t want to be preachy. That’s not our mission here. Our mission is to make health and wellness easy to come by, at Earth Fare,” he said.

“Our first litmus test is whether or not what we sell is healthy,” he added. If it’s not, it doesn’t make the cut.

The grocery chain’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Angela Hind helps assure that Earth Fare  meets that commitment, Scorpiniti said.

“She and I have become very close colleagues in helping refine Earth Fare’s assortment, and understanding that this is a journey. We’re all learning still. But, when we look across North America, no one else is doing this,” Scorpiniti said.

Earth Fare offers a wide assortment of local, fresh and organic vegetables.

Reading labels not required
Earth Fare pledges that its foods are free of:

  • Added hormones
  • Antibiotics
  • Artificial fats and trans-fats
  • High fructose corn syrup
  • Artificial preservatives
  • Bleached or bromated flour
  • Artificial colors or flavors

The grocer also maintains a Boot List on its website, listing all of the food ingredients it has banned from its stores.

Besides the groceries it sells, the store has an organic juice bar, a  salad bar, a hot foods bar, a pizza station, a sandwich counter and packaged meals-to-go. It also has a café.

People might not view pizza as being healthy, Scorpiniti said. But, Earth Fare’s version is made with organic dough. It uses sauce with tomatoes from Italy, when the tomatoes are at their sweetest — foregoing the common practice of adding sugar to the sauce.

The cheese comes from Italy, too, and the pepperoni has no nitrates or nitrites, Scorpiniti said.

“Dare I say, it’s an amazing-tasting pizza,” he added.

On opening day, customers appeared to be enthusiastic about having a new grocery option.

“It’s proximity is really great,” said Lynn Pabst, who is retired and lives in Lutz. “To be able to get things that are fresh and healthy, and to promote that kind of style of living is very important, and it’s nice to have in our community.”

C. Walker, who lives in Wesley Chapel, likes the choices that the store offers.

“I’m a plant-based eater, and they have everything I need in this store,” she said, adding that now she won’t have to drive out her community to get what she wants.

Interest in the store was apparent in the early afternoon on Day 2, when it buzzed with customers. Shoppers perused shelves. They added fruits, vegetables, rotisserie chickens and other items to their carts. Others took a break to grab a bite, and ate it on the patio.

Earth Fare has come a long way since it debuted in Asheville, as a 1,200-square-foot store called Dinner for Earth. It was the city’s first health food store, and it offered a modest selection of organic dried bulk goods and wellness process.

Many varieties of apples, peaches and pears offer a bouquet of colors in the produce section of the Earth Fare supermarket.

Over time, it has opened locations from Portage, Michigan to Palm Beach Gardens.

Its assortment has evolved, but its commitment to healthy food has not wavered, Scorpiniti said.

The grocer promises its customers that they can shop in every aisle of the store without ever needing to read a label, and they can be confident that their food selection will be healthy, the executive added.

He also touched on what he considers to be a misperception when it comes to the price of healthy foods.

“I think health and wellness eating has sometimes created this connotation that you have to pay a lot more to be healthy in the food you buy,” Scorpiniti said.

Earth Fare thinks it can provide, with a curated assortment in a 24,000-square-foot store,

“a nice, bright, shoppable, friendly store,” and do it efficiently, in order to sell a 98-cent, non-GMO, baguette, every day, and a $5 rotisserie chicken, every day, Scorpiniti said.

As a newcomer to the area, the company also has reached out to learn what the community needs from Earth Fare, he added. It has a 19-member community advisory panel, which provided  suggestions regarding items to stock on store shelves, and offered input on what local cause the store should support. In this case, it is the New Tampa YMCA, which received a $3,000 check from the grocer.

When Earth Fare opens a new location, it’s a big day for the company, the president and CEO said.

He said he typically gives the new team a pep talk.

In essence, his message to them is this: “This is a different mission. It looks like we’re selling groceries, but we’re changing lives.”

Earth Fare, a 24,000-square-foot healthy food supermarket
Where: 25535 Sierra Center Blvd., in Lutz
When: Hours are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., daily
Details: The store offers a wide selection of healthy fruits, vegetables, meats, fish and other foods. Its services include delivery and catering.
Earth Fare’s Lutz/Wesley Chapel location opened last week. It has 107 employees.

Earth Fare’s sustainable stores
Earth Fare:

  • Uses the heat generated from cooling its freezers and refrigerators to heat its water
  • Has polished concrete floors to eliminate the need for harsh cleaning chemicals
  • Is built with a reflective roof to reduce cooling costs in warmer months
  • Uses LED bulbs, which consume 60 percent to 75 percent less energy
  • Uses pure water, filtered through reverse osmosis, throughout the store — including in its produce misters

Christine Holtzman contributed to this report

Published February 27, 2019

Congestion relief on way for 54/41

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A project is set to begin in mid-March that’s aimed to improve traffic flow at the intersection of State Road 54 and U.S. 41.

Lanes are being modified to provide more room for motorists who are turning left off State Road 54 to head north on U.S. 41, and those turning right off State Road 54 to go south on U.S. 41.

Efforts are underway to lengthen eastbound turning lanes on State Road 54. The project, set for mid-March, will provide more lane room for motorists turning onto U.S. 41. (File)

“There is no widening involved with this project, just lane modification to help alleviate congestion turning north and south onto U.S. 41,” explained David Botello, public information specialist for the Florida Department of Transportation.

Motorists heading east on State Road 54, who intend to turn right or left onto U.S. 41, are sometimes blocked from entering their turning lanes.

That’s because the traffic builds up at the intersection’s traffic signal.

During the first phase of construction, pavement will be removed and new pavement will be installed.

“No lanes will be closed during the day, so traffic should not be significantly impacted,” Botello assured.

No lane closures are expected, but if any do occur, they would be done at night to avoid impacts during peak traffic hours, he said.

Sidewalks and crosswalks are to remain open, and the CSX railway company will provide a railroad crossing flagger at the intersection.

The project also includes reconfiguring the median at State Road 54 and Hunt Road.

The new median will have a separator — which will allow eastbound motorists to turn left onto Hunt Road, and left turns off of Hunt Road onto State Road 54.

U-turns will no longer be permitted for westbound traffic at this median.

The project is expected to cost an estimated $1.1 million, with completion set for this coming summer.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey has been an adamant supporter of the project, which has been in planning for several years.

“This is a temporary solution, but it’s something that won’t take long to implement,” she remarked. “I do believe people will see some relief.”

The commissioner also credits Pasco County Attorney David Goldstein with helping her make the proposal come to fruition – stating it was a team effort.

In addition to being a part of the Metro Planning Organization’s Long Range Transportation Plan, the project is one of the first implementations of Vision 54/56.

The Vision program considers long-term improvements on the State Road 54 and State Road 56 corridor – spanning from U.S. 19 to Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

For current updates and visual schematics, visit tinyurl.com/yyzangk9.

Published February 20, 2019

BayCare continues quest for Wesley Chapel hospital

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BayCare Health Systems is pushing forward in its quest to open a new hospital in Wesley Chapel, despite a challenge filed by AdventHealth’s hospitals in Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and Dade City.

Speaking on BayCare’s behalf, Todd Jones recently outlined the health care system’s plans for a 60-bed hospital that would be built on a 111-acre site at the northeast quadrant of Interstate 75 and Overpass Road.

He shared BayCare’s vision for the hospital with about 120 businessmen and businesswomen at the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce’s monthly breakfast, at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel.

BayCare wants to put a new hospital along the I-75 corridor because of the dramatic population growth, and an increased demand for health services, said Jones, who is vice president of ambulatory experience and operations for BayCare Health System.

Todd Jones, vice president of ambulatory experience and operations for BayCare Health System, outlined the provider’s vision for a new hospital in Wesley Chapel during a breakfast meeting of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce. (B.C. Manion)

“Anytime you have population growth, there is going to be an increased demand for health services,” he said.

“We want to recruit new primary care and specialty providers to the community.

“One of things that’s frustrating for patients — and this is the thing that affects your health — is when you can’t gain access to the care that you need in some way.”

Beyond recruiting the professionals to work at the hospital, there will be a ripple effect — with providers opening up offices nearby, Jones predicted.

BayCare also wants to provide additional services that would not be based at the hospital, Jones added.

BayCare also plans to do community outreach, and to provide wellness and education activities, Jones said.

It plans to partner with education providers to help provide a path forward for both high school and college students, Jones added.

The construction of the hospital is expected to create 300 jobs, and once it becomes fully operational, BayCare anticipates needing about 300 team members, Jones said.

The proposed services at the hospital include:

  • Emergency services for adults and children
  • Intensive care unit
  • Obstetrical care services
  • Diagnostic lab imaging
  • Physical rehabilitation
  • Behavioral support services

Jones told the audience, people often want to know: “What’s it going to look like? How’s it going to function?”

It will be similar in appearance to BayCare’s St. Joseph’s Hospital-South, which opened in Riverview in 2015. That hospital used the template from St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, which opened in Lutz in 2010.

“We will use the same architects,” Jones said, using whatever was learned during the St. Joseph’s Hospital-South project, much like that project used what was learned at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North.

“The goal is, you  always want to improve upon yourself,” he said.

It typically takes about three years from the time a hospital is approved, until the physical structure is operating.

The hospital has received preliminary approval from the state for a Certificate of Need, but that has been challenged, so the process will take some time to work through.

BayCare has received word that a hearing is scheduled Aug. 13 through Aug. 22, according to Tiffany Scalone, media relations coordinator for St. Joseph’s Hospitals.

Jones told the North Tampa Bay Chamber crowd: “We will work through the process for the Certificate of Need. We anticipate it will be resolved by October.”

BayCare understands the value of the state Certificate of Need process, Jones said, noting it is intended “to protect the community, so that you don’t overbuild services and you do something the community actually can afford.

“We support that process. We feel like it challenges us to make sure that all of the things that we thought through actually do support the community,” Jones said.

Beyond its plans for the hospital, BayCare also anticipates bringing in some other services.

“We feel like we can get to the community faster with some of the diagnostic services that are needed in the community,” he said. “We’re looking at another location for our outpatient services. Right now, the things that we have identified immediately are around laboratory and imaging, and also urgent care.”

Licia Tavalaiccio, a real estate broker who lives in the area, said she’s excited about the prospect of the hospital coming into the area.

But, she noted: “My concern is traffic. Do we have a plan?””

Jones said the hospital will reach out in the community to involve them, as the hospital planning progresses.

“We would like you to participate. We want you to have input,” Jones said, noting that community participation also extends to helping to identify the community’s needs.

“We try to provide service for the patients where they need it,” Jones said. “We come to you.”

Published February 13, 2019

$75 million hospital expansion expected to open in 2020

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Motorists driving near St. Joseph’s Hospital-North may wonder why there’s a massive crane towering over the medical center.

The answer’s simple: The hospital is undergoing a $75 million expansion that will double its capacity and will support additional services.

An aerial view of the $75 million construction expansion underway at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North. This photograph was captured by a drone. (Courtesy of St. Joseph’s Hospital-North)

Construction crews already have built four additional operating suites in shelled spaces that were included during the original construction, and the work continues on a two-floor expansion.

“We recently celebrated our topping out, which is tradition in the construction world when that final beam of steel goes up,” said Sara Dodds, operations director at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North.

Each of the new floors in the hospital will have 54 patient rooms, Dodds said.

The expansion is expected to be finished and ready for use in early 2020, roughly a decade after the hospital opened , at 4211 Van Dyke Road in Lutz.

Enlarging the facility was always part of the long-term plan, but area growth prompted the work to be done sooner than originally expected, Dodds said.

And, population growth continues within the hospital’s primary service area, which is within a 5-mile radius.

Between 2018 and 2023, the expected growth within that area is about 7.5 percent, which is more than double the 3.5 expected growth rate of the United States during that period.

Sara Dodds, the operations director at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, is overseeing an expansion that aims to address needs in an area that’s growing at twice the pace of the rest of the United States. (B.C. Manion)

Plus, more than 25 percent of that growth is expected to be people who are 65 and older, and 11.4 percent is ages 55 to 64, age groups which tend to have a greater need for health care services, Dodds said.

The expansion aims to respond to those growing needs.

“We’re doubling our inpatient bed capacity. So, currently we have 108 beds, and we’ll be going to 216 beds,” she said.

Other elements of the expansion include adding to the hospital’s intensive care unit, its progressive care units, and its area for physical and respiratory therapy.

The hospital also will have a dedicated hemodialysis unit, enabling it to expand its outpatient infusions.

When the expansion is completed and the patient rooms are full, the hospital expects to add around 200 positions, including clinical staff and support services.

Unless there are unforeseen circumstances, the competition of the project will roughly coincide with the hospital’s 10-year anniversary.

At the time of its opening, St. Joseph’s Hospital-North was the first new hospital that had been built in Hillsborough County for 30 years. Before that, area residents had to drive for miles to get to the nearest hospital.

In another change, the hospital installed metal detectors in November.

“I often get the question: Did something happen? The answer is no. It’s just our organization’s commitment to add another layer of safety for our patients, our team, our physicians, our visitors,” Dodds said.

St. Joseph’s Hospital-North
By the numbers – 2018
Discharges: 8081 (Inpatient only); 16,498 (discharges with observation patients)
Births: 429
Total Surgeries: 3,953
Total Endoscopies: 3,345
Total Cardiac Catheterizations: 790
Emergency Department Visits: 41,316
Team Members: 809

Published February 06, 2019

Lutz teen and her service dog are off to college

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Leigh Dittman knew she’d need some help when she got to college.

After all, the Lutz resident lives life from her wheelchair.

She was born with a rare genetic disorder called osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease.

The disease prevents her body from absorbing needed calcium levels due to a collagen deficiency.

Lutz resident and University of Tampa freshman student Leigh Dittman with her service dog, Nerf. Dittman suffers from a rare genetic disorder called osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease, which makes her bones weaker than normal and more prone to fractures. Nerf responds to more than 40 commands, including retrieving dropped items for Leigh, pulling her wheelchair, carrying her backpack, and other tasks that enable her to lead a more independent life. (Courtesy of Canine Companions)

Simply put, the condition makes her bones weaker than normal and more prone to fractures.

“It’s like a sponge,” Leigh said. “It doesn’t matter how much milk I drink; my body can only handle so much.”

The number of people affected with osteogenesis imperfecta in the United States is unknown.

Estimates range from as few as 20,000 and as many as 50,000, according to the Osteogenesis Foundation.

Throughout her school years leading to college, Leigh had a one-on-one aide who would help get her to and from class.

As she geared up for her freshman year at the University of Tampa, though, she wanted more independence.

Leigh put it this way: “With college, I’m training to be an adult, and I can’t be a successful adult if I’m relying on another adult.”

That’s where Nerf enters the picture.

The 3-year-old, black Labrador/golden retriever mix is a highly-trained service dog that responds to more than 40 commands.

He retrieves dropped items like pencils and water bottles for Leigh. He pulls her wheelchair around campus. He carries her backpack. He can even close doors, and turn light switches on and off.

In certain cases, Nerf doesn’t even need to be told what to do.

“He reads what I need,” said the freshman nursing student.

“At home, I’m notorious for dropping my socks when I put my clothes away, so at this point, I don’t even tell him to pick it up. He just sees it and he’s like, ‘I know what you need.’”

The bond between owner and dog goes beyond helping with everyday tasks.

Nerf is always there, at her side
Besides providing practical support, Nerf adds emotional support and companionship, too, when times are stressful, and when Leigh is feeling overwhelmed from her class load and final exams.

“He’ll curl up right next to me, and he’ll just stay there while I get work done; it’s just nice to reach over and have him sitting there,” she said.

Nerf came to Leigh by way of Canine Companions, a nonprofit organization that breeds, trains, and places assistance dogs for people with disabilities.

The organization provides dogs and related services free of charge.

It presently has more than 2,300 active graduate teams nationwide.

Fourteen of those teams — including Nerf and Leigh— are based in Hillsborough and Pasco counties.

Leigh came across Canine Companions a few years ago and decided to apply to the organization’s wait list.

Her family had never had a dog, let alone a pet of any kind.

Naturally, it took a bit of persuading to get the go-ahead from her parents for her to apply for the program. But, they eventually relented.

“I was like, ‘It’s a pet, but it’s a helpful pet,’” Leigh joked.

Since they were matched last summer, the two have been inseparable.

Leigh had to wait about three years after applying to be selected for a service dog.

Nerf and Leigh paired following a rigorous two-week training session at Canine Companions Southeast Regional Center in Orlando.

During training, Leigh learned all of Nerf’s commands and how to properly care for him.

She worked with several other dogs during the training stay, but Nerf proved to be the best to meet her unique needs.

Leigh recalls Nerf being goofy and energetic when they first met. At the same time, he was gentle and sweet, she said.

“I loved him from the beginning; he just fit,” Leigh said.

From the outset, even before training began, Canine Companions trainers had an inkling Nerf would be Leigh’s choice, said Jen Hanes, participant program manager at the Canine Companions Southeast Regional Center.

Hanes said Nerf had the ideal temperament and skills for someone with Leigh’s disability.

Nerf is calm, responsive and loves to work, yet isn’t so high energy that he requires more management on Leigh’s part, Hanes explained.

“There’s more than one dog that could work with Leigh, but we felt like Nerf was just the perfect match for her,” Hanes said.

The match has been life changing, Leigh said, noting it’s now impossible to imagine not having Nerf at her side.

Sometimes, the college student will leave Nerf at home to go to a concert or friend’s house. When she’s without him, she feels “very untethered” and “like part of me is missing.”

“It’s weird if don’t have him,” Leigh said. “I mean, it’s like as if I didn’t have my wheelchair; I don’t leave if I don’t have it.”

The bond they share goes both ways
Leigh depends on Nerf and Nerf depends on Leigh.

“He’s so well-trained and he can do so many things, but at the same time he is a pet. He does need to be cared for and loved, and made sure that he is healthy and things like that,” Leigh explained.

Nerf is a magnet for attention when the two are out and about.

People come up “all the time” to try to pet Nerf, as the two of them the University of Tampa campus, she said.

“I definitely had quite a few people in my classes last semester asking me questions,” Leigh said. “It can be a good conversation because it can be a good education for people that don’t have service animals.”

Meanwhile, Leigh doesn’t ask for special treatment from others.

“I never expect people to make accommodations or to treat me differently,” Leigh said. “I just may need to take the ramp instead of the stairs.”

She prides herself on being an achiever; poised to accomplish many of the same goals of able-bodied people.

At Gaither High School, Leigh graduated at the top of her senior class.

She played in the school’s Chamber Orchestra.

She was president of the American Sign Language Club.

She went to football games and enjoyed hanging out with friends.

“I was very active,”  Leigh said. “I had that drive and the attitude of, ‘I’m going to do well, therefore I will do well.’”

She’s taken that same approach with her to college, with a goal of becoming a neonatal intensive care unit nurse.

With Nerf at her side, of course.

Published February 06, 2019

Local residents will soon be able to Live Longer with Earth Fare

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If you’ve driven by Cypress Creek Town Center lately, you might have noticed the newest addition coming soon: natural supermarket Earth Fare.

Terms like “healthy” and “natural” are authentic at Earth Fare. In fact, they’ve been leading the mission to bring healthy food to everyone for over 40 years.

It starts with its Food Philosophy, a guide to what is and isn’t allowed on its shelves, and the roots of that philosophy that started more than 40 years ago in Asheville, North Carolina. It was the city’s first natural food store, and it had a mission to let people take control of their health with real food.

In 1993, when artificial ingredients were on the rise, Earth Fare wanted to better define “real food,” and started its food philosophy by banning hydrogenated oils from its shelves. The philosophy has continued to evolve, and banned ingredients now include high fructose corn syrup; artificial fats and trans-fats; synthetic growth hormones; artificial sweeteners; bleached and bromated flour; antibiotics; artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors. Now, Earth Fare reads the labels, so you don’t have to.

Earth Fare made headlines two years ago when it challenged Americans to take control of their health through their food choices and Live Longer With Earth Fare®. To further that commitment, Earth Fare launched its healthy lifestyle magazine, The Clean Plate — a guide to eating clean and living a healthier, longer life.

Page by page, The Clean Plate walks the reader through why the Earth Fare difference matters by examining every category of the store, outlining Earth Fare’s approach to meat and seafood, pantry staples, prepared foods, bakery, specialty, wellness and beauty.

Earth Fare stores offer more organic produce than anyone in the industry, and its commitment to organic and non-GMO can be seen throughout the entire store. In fact, all Earth Fare private brand products are made with only non-GMO ingredients. The meat and seafood department carries everything from organic grass-fed beef to sustainably sourced seafood, while the bakery uses old world techniques for the freshest, cleanest breads and pastries.

The store also includes an Heirloom Juice Bar, complete with crafted juices, smoothies and coffee. For meals on the go, its extensive prepared food department boasts an organic salad bar, a fresh hot bar and ready-to-go packaged meals.

For local residents who want the convenience of their groceries delivered, the store will have online grocery delivery powered by Instacart. With one click, shoppers will be able to place a grocery order online to be delivered to either home or office.

And, to bring healthy food to everyone at an affordable price, more savings are available through the store’s Healthy Rewards loyalty program and weekly email flyers.

The Earth Fare Wesley Chapel location is hosting a grand opening celebration on Feb. 20 at 6:45 a.m., with a ribbon cutting ceremony and mystery gift card giveaway to the first 500 people in line, as well as demos, special deals and fun for the whole family the entire week.

Learn more at Earthfare.com/wesleychapel, and follow along with them on social media Facebook.com/earthfarewesleychapel for grand opening updates and events. Earth Fare’s address is 25535 Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz.

A New Year’s Eve home fire sparks a community’s compassion

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A $10-a-plate pasta dinner benefit is planned this week to help a family who lost nearly all of their possessions when a New Year’s Eve fire raged through their Heritage Harbor home in Lutz.

The fundraiser also will include raffles, a  50/50 drawing and games  — with 100 percent of the proceeds going to help Steve Dorsett, his wife, Maggi, and their children, 20-year-old Austin and 16-year-old Becca.

During a recent interview with The Laker/Lutz News, Steve Dorsett recounted the course of events, on what began as a quiet New Year’s Eve — with the family at home, along with Becca’s two best friends, who were spending the night.

Residents of Heritage Harbor help the Dorsett family, in the aftermath of a destructive New Year’s Eve fire. Kelley McHale is wearing red and Cynthia Lamb is in black. A crew of helpers turned out in force on New Year’s morning. (Courtesy of Lisa Novorska)

The family had just returned that day from a trip to Fort Worth to see Steve’s mom, for Christmas.

“We were just hanging out in the backyard,” Steve said, noting he’d grilled chicken that evening and was just finishing his meal.

“I was going to walk back outside in the front, and just see if there was any fireworks,” he said, noting his son, Austin, who is autistic and nonverbal, loves fireworks.

As Steve was walking out front, he noticed smoke coming out of a door.

He thought: ‘What the heck is that.’

“I flipped the handle and pushed. The garage was already lit up,” he said.

When he saw that, he started yelling at everyone to get out of the house.

Becca and her two friends had just come down to grab a bite to eat, Steve said.

He thought everybody was out, including the family’s two goldendoodles, Lucky and Sophie.

But then, he said:  “Maggi, she looked at me, and said: ‘Where’s Austin?’

“Oh, my God,” Steve said. “I went back in the house. I was just looking for anything that moved. I couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t see 10 feet in front of me. I couldn’t breathe. I was walking through the house. I had a flashlight. It didn’t help.”

Within a few minutes, though, he heard someone yelling from outside that they’d found Austin and he was OK.

“That’s when I came back out,” Steve said. “I collapsed when I got out. The EMT guys came and grabbed me. My arm was all burned.”

The fire broke out around 10:20 p.m. It was unrelenting.

At one point, its flames shot so high they could be seen for miles away, Steve said.

He knows that because a former neighbor, who now lives several miles away, took a photo of the blaze, not knowing whose house was on fire.

Firefighters weren’t the only ones who responded.

“The neighborhood was amazing. Absolutely amazing. We probably had 100 people (that night).

“Everybody came over. (Senior) Pastor Ken Whitten came over, from Idlewild (Baptist Church). “That’s the church that we go to.

“From the story I heard, he didn’t know what was going on, he just saw a bunch of fire trucks and figured ‘I’d better follow.’

“It was maybe a spirit-led thing,” Steve said.

Among the most treasured items lost in the fire was a display that honored Austin and Becca’s dedication ceremonies at Idlewild.

Nearly everything was destroyed by the flames, or smoke or water.

Firefighters were there until the early morning hours, making sure the fire was out.

Steve was up late, trying to report an insurance claim.

“I fell asleep at 4:30 or 5. I woke up about 8.

“I went and put my nasty clothes back on. I walked outside and there were at least 25 to 30 of our neighbors. They were out there, in gloves and boots, and wearing their masks,” he said.

They had trash bags and they were sorting through the rubble, to see what could be saved.

One neighbor secured Maggi’s jewelry.

There have been countless acts of generosity, Steve said. One friend loaned the family a truck. Another is taking care of their dogs.

This image of the garage offers a glimpse of the devastation. (Courtesy of Beth Gaddis)

Others have provided meals and comfort.

And now, their friends and the community are organizing the pasta dinner fundraiser.

The cause of the fire is not 100 percent certain, Steve said. He knows it wasn’t fireworks because there weren’t any nearby. The insurance company’s private inspector told Steve it was most likely an electrical fire in the attic.

Whatever the cause, the family carries on.

Becca, an avid softball player, is gearing up for a new season.

Austin continues to attend the exceptional education program at Steinbrenner High School.

Maggi is a nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North.

Steve, who is self-employed, is focusing on the family’s needs and making sure they can rebuild the house — right where it is.

“Heritage Harbor is unique and I use that term specifically because unique is supposed to mean ‘one of a kind.’

“As tragic as it is for us, it (the fire) has been a very positive thing in a lot of ways —not just bringing our neighbors back together, but also, old friends that we haven’t seen. People I don’t even know.

“It’s amazing,” Steve said.

Want to help?
What: $10-a-plate Pasta Dinner
Where: Heritage Harbor Club House, 19502 Heritage Harbor Parkway, in Lutz
When: Feb. 1, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Details: This fundraiser will benefit the Dorsett family, of Heritage Harbor, who lost nearly all of their possessions, including their home, two cars and the contents of their home from a New Year’s Eve fire.
Besides the food, there will be a 50/50 drawing, raffles and games.
All of the proceeds will go to the family.
RSVP by Jan. 30 at tinyurl.com/yajpjq2s.
Those who want to help, but can’t attend, can contribute online at GoFundMe.com/friends-lost-home-in-new-years-eve-fire.

Published January 30, 2019

Lutz church offers help in dealing with divorce

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The process of divorce, let alone the aftermath, can be challenging, and the St. Timothy Catholic Church offers a program that aims to help.

The church’s Surviving Divorce program begins on Feb. 7.

The Lutz church began the program more than four years ago when it was suggested by parishioners from Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Land O’ Lakes.

Brian Smith and Gina Gawienczuk will help facilitate the upcoming Surviving Divorce Program at St. Timothy Catholic Church starting Feb. 7. (Courtesy of St. Timothy Catholic Church)

St. Timothy was accustomed to offering marriage and grief counseling, but divorce was a new field for the church.

“The program is designed to slowly move you in a way of healing and it builds every week,” explained Gina Gawienczuk, ministry resource specialist at St. Timothy.

The 12-week course is led by trained facilitators who address issues associated  with divorce, such as anger, depression, learning to forgive, finances and annulments.

Those attending the sessions are at various stages. Some are considering divorce, some are in the process, and other are already divorced.

Brian Smith had been divorced for more than a year, when he joined the program. Hearing other people’s stories helped him realize he wasn’t alone and helped him heal emotional wounds.

While open to those of any faith, including non-believers, the program does address the issue from a Catholic perspective and offers an approach that involves bringing God into the situation.

The class begins with a video, followed by small group discussions.

Besides discussing their thoughts on the video, group members are encouraged to share their experiences with each other.

By Week 11, the topic of annulment is addressed through a 20-minute talk, followed by questions.

At that stage, if someone wants to proceed with annulment, they can set up an appointment at the church.

For those seeking one-on-one counseling beyond the program, St. Timothy will refer them to either a spiritual advisor or an organization such as Life Connections Counseling Center.

Surviving Divorce Program
Where: Parish Hall at St. Timothy Catholic Church, 17512 Lakeshore Road in Lutz
When: Starts Feb. 7, on Thursdays, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost: $30 registration
Details: St. Timothy Catholic Church offers a program to help people who are struggling with the different aspects of divorce.
Info: Email Gina Gawienczuk at . Registration can be done at the church office or online at SaintTims.org/Surviving-Divorce/.

Published January 30, 2019

Discover Your Dream Community With Cardel Homes

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If your New Year’s dream is to build a new home on a beautiful conservation lot in a small, private community with no CDD fees, Cardel Homes gives you two exceptional choices.

The first is Oakwood Reserve in Lutz on Clement Road, located just 10 minutes from USF and 25 minutes to downtown Tampa. Clement Road is one of Lutz’s most idyllic rural roads, tucked between Livingston Avenue and Hannah Road. This unique community has magnificent, mature trees and will be home to just eight families, with lots ranging from 1 to 1.55 acres.

The Enclave at Lake Padgett is a secluded, gated community of just eight Cardel homesites off U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes.

Land O’ Lakes is home to another unique Cardel Homes community—the Enclave at Lake Padgett. This secluded, gated community of just eight Cardel homesites has convenient access off Land O’ Lakes Boulevard (U.S. 41), just two miles north of State Road 54.

All homes in the Enclave will back on to a natural lagoon that flows into Lake Padgett, and can be permitted for docks that are large enough for fishing, waterski or pontoon boats.

“It’s almost unheard of to find new home construction on Lake Padgett,” said Brian Phillips, vice president of sales and marketing at Cardel Homes. “This is an incredible opportunity for families wanting waterfront living on one of Pasco’s largest lakes known for fabulous water skiing and excellent fishing.”

Home prices begin in the low $500s at both Oakwood Reserve and the Enclave at Lake Padgett. Because of the limited number of lots available, Phillips expects both communities to sell out quickly.

One home site at Oakwood Reserve has already been sold, and an inventory home is being built on a second site, leaving only six remaining homesites in this unique community.

This inventory home will be a 3,939-square-foot Henley model, with 5 bedrooms, 4 baths and a 3-car garage. Features and upgrades include a 26 x 23 great room with 12-foot ceiling, 16-foot sliding glass doors that open to an extended covered lanai, upgraded kitchen cabinetry, quartz countertops, upgraded wood plank tile, tray ceiling in the master bedroom and foyer, coffered ceiling in the master bathroom, mosaic master shower floor tile, and an upper level with a large bonus room and fifth bedroom.

Priced in the low $700s, Oakwood Reserve’s inventory home will be ready this Spring for a family looking to move, before the start of the 2019-2020 school year.

Minimum homes sizes in Oakwood Reserve begin at 2,507 square feet, and at 3,000 square feet in the Enclave at Lake Padgett. The Henley plan is available in both communities, and is Cardel’s largest and most popular floorplan.

“The Henley offers our biggest great room and bonus room,” said Phillips. “At almost 4,000 square feet, it’s a lot of house for the money, and one of the best values we offer.”

For those wanting to build their home and select their options, interior colors and finishes, Cardel Homes is currently offering a 50 percent discount at its design center, up to $50,000.

“This is one of our most generous discounts ever, and we’re excited to be offering it to welcome in the New Year,” said Phillips.

Cardel also has an inventory home at the Enclave at Lake Padgett — the elegant one-story St. Lucia, which is 3,336 square feet with 4 bedrooms, 3 baths and a 3-car garage.

This one-story beauty boasts 12-foot ceilings, a den off the entry, formal dining room with coffered ceiling, expansive great room, huge bonus room and a master suite with a sitting area and private lanai at the back of the house. Interior features include white cabinetry, quartz countertops, wood-plank tile throughout and tray ceilings in the foyer, bonus room and master bedroom.

The home sits on a private wooded lot, and features a large front porch and covered lanai in the back. An oversized dock is just steps away from the backyard, and is perfect to dock a boat and enjoy the natural waterfront view. This fabulous inventory home, including its waterfront dock, is selling for $679,000.

“This St. Lucia is the best of both worlds,” said Phillips “You can enjoy all the recreation that Lake Padgett has to offer, without the boat noise and traffic directly in your backyard.”

The unique communities of Oakwood Reserve and the Enclave at Lake Padgett offer families the most desired locations in suburban Tampa. Residents can enjoy beautiful conservation and waterfront views, acre-plus homesites and privacy in exclusive communities without CDDs. Be sure to call Cardel Homes to make an appointment to tour these communities before its best kept secrets are gone.

Published January 23, 2019