The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

University of South Florida

Before ‘Edward Scissorhands,’ there was ‘Satan’s Children’

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Throughout the rich history of the Lutz area, one thing that’s never talked about is the Great Oatmeal Famine of 1974.

Anyone looking to restock their Quaker Oats back then found the shelves mysteriously empty. Was it a strike? A product recall? A sudden desire to change breakfast food?

The quicksand pit for ‘Satan’s Children’ was created on a farm in Lutz. It was only 3 feet deep, and was made entirely of oatmeal. (Courtesy of Something Weird)
The quicksand pit for ‘Satan’s Children’ was created on a farm in Lutz. It was only 3 feet deep, and was made entirely of oatmeal. (Courtesy of Something Weird)

Nope, it was a small independent horror movie filming in Lutz at the time called “Satan’s Children.” And the special effects wizard behind the film, John Mocsary, needed 50 cases of it so that he could create something Lutz has never had before — quicksand.

“We bought up every case of oatmeal we could find in the North Tampa area,” Mocsary said. “And we used every bit of it. I had to make a three-foot pit, and it had to look real.”

Except once the oatmeal was mixed and actors started falling into it, Mocsary realized there were two things he hadn’t anticipated. First, the nearby cattle on the ranch they were using were quite interested in eating the oatmeal up. And second: The Laws of Newton.

“We had a buoyancy problem,” he said. “So what we had to do was put cinder blocks in, so that after people went into it, they would hold on to the blocks to keep them under.”

The magic of movies, taking place right in Lutz, nearly two decades before Tim Burton would bring Johnny Depp and “Edward Scissorhands” to the area. And while the R-rated “Satan’s Children” was never a box office success, it’s being remembered Nov. 15 when many of the former cast and crew, like Mocsary, get together at Tampa Theatre for a special screening.

The event was Andy Lalino’s idea. He wasn’t part of the movie, but he’s a major horror fan, and discovered “Satan’s Children” when it was released as a home video.

“I first got to see it back in 2006, and even then, I noticed that it was made in Tampa,” said Lalino, a producer at WUSF-TV in Tampa, and horror aficionado. “That piqued my interest, since I’m from the Tampa Bay area, and I toyed around with some ideas on what to do about that.”

The event next Saturday will celebrate the early days of film in the area, and feature actors like Stephen White, Rosemary Orlando and John Edwards, who all appeared in the film, while many of them were students at the University of South Florida. None are household names today, but their inclusion in what they hope could become a local cult classic will put them in the spotlight they never got in 1974.

“The film was actually released in 1975, theoretically,” Lalino said. “I talked to a lot of people, and they can’t ever remember seeing ads for it in the newspaper, which was common back then. It might have hit a few theaters in New York City and maybe some other parts of the country, but it was nothing like what happened with ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre.’”

That film was released in 1974, and was a low-budget horror as well that found its way into the mainstream consciousness. It went on to gross $30 million at the box office, which adjusted for inflation, would be $140 million today.

Lalino suspects “Satan’s Children” cost $100,000 to make — a third of the cost of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” but those who invested money were probably lucky to get any return on their investment, let alone their investment itself.

Joe Wiezycki was a producer at WTVT-Channel 13 for three decades beginning in the 1960s. He and others from WTVT worked on the project in secret — they didn’t want their bosses to know they were doing it — and it took months to complete all the work with mostly nights and weekends.

Wiezycki met Mocsary when the latter was working as a makeup artist — in a funeral home.

“He had called me up and said, ‘I understand you do makeup,’” Mocsary said. “He said, ‘I got this project we’re working on, would you be interested in helping us out?’”

That project was a film called “Willy’s Gone,” and had a limited release in 1968, making no money. But that didn’t stop Wiezycki, who quickly started work on his next project that would end up surviving 40 years — “Satan’s Children.”

“It was a fun job to work on,” Mocsary said. “Working with Joe was always a good thing, and he was a great guy. I’m sorry he’s not with us.”

Wiezycki died in 1994.

But many of the cast and crew still remain, and Lalino hopes to help new audiences discover a film old audiences never did. But it was made as a B-movie, usually a film packaged with a wide-release, and society was much different then. There are major segments of the film that some may regard today as outright homophobic and sexist.

“This screening, I think, will elevate the status of this film,” Lalino said. “It will bring attention to it, not just for new fans, but for those who might have grown up in the ‘70s and ‘80s and never heard of the picture.

“I look forward to being a part of it.”

If you go
WHAT: ‘Satan’s Children’ 40th Anniversary Screening and Reunion
WHEN: Nov. 15, 10 p.m.
WHERE: Tampa Theatre, 711 N. Franklin St.
COST: $11
INFO: TampaTheatre.org

Published November 5, 2014

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In Print: Martial arts, grief, and a horror movie

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Depending on your age, you have cheered either for Daniel Laruso or Dre Parker to bring home a karate championship. But that’s the movies.

In reality, for those living in Wesley Chapel, all eyes were on the Vo brothers — Derick, Jason and Andrew — who traveled all the way to Poland to represent the United States at the World Union of Karate-Do Federations World Karate Championship.

Derick Vo, left, battles an opponent from Portugal at the karate championship in Poland. His performance helped him earn bronze in the. (Courtesy of Duy-Linh Vo)
Derick Vo, left, battles an opponent from Portugal at the karate championship in Poland. His performance helped him earn bronze in the. (Courtesy of Duy-Linh Vo)

The three range in age from 11 to 16, and their luggage was a bit heavier with medals returning home to Florida.

“It was an amazing experience because it was the first time me and my brothers were all able to travel together and complete in the world championships,” Derick Vo, a Wesley Chapel High School junior, told reporter Michael Murillo.

The efforts of those brothers made their father, Duy-Linh Vo, proud. He traveled with his sons to Poland,which helped him appreciate the opportunities they have in America.

“In Vietnam, they were very limited in dojos (karate learning centers) in rural areas,” he said.

Want to hear all about the Vo family’s trip to Poland? Check it out in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available now. Or read it all online for free by clicking here.

While the Vo brothers’ trip to Poland may not have been the subject of a movie, there are parts of Lutz that was … well, 40 years ago.

It was a B-movie called “Satan’s Children,” and key parts of it were filmed on a farm in Lutz — complete with quicksand made out of oatmeal.

“We bought up every case of oatmeal we could find in the North Tampa area,” John Mocsary, one of the special effects people on the film, told reporter Michael Hinman. “And we used every bit of it. I had to make a three-foot pit, and it had to look real.”

Whether it did look real or not, that’s up to the viewer to decide. And sadly, in 1974, there weren’t too many viewers of this film, despite the work by a local television producer named Joe Wiezycki, and members of the University of South Florida drama department.

However, that film will get its due next weekend when the Tampa Theatre celebrates its 40th anniversary with a cast and crew reunion, including people like Mocsary, who still live in the area.

“I first got to see it back in 2006, and even then, I noticed it was made in Tampa,” said Andy Lalino, a WUSF-TV producer who is organizing the reunion. “That piqued my interest, since I’m from the Tampa Bay area, and I toyed around with some ideas on what to do about that.”

The reunion also will include some of the actors involved, like Stephen White, Rosemary Orlando and John Edwards.

To get all the details on the film, and why you should attend Nov. 15, pick up this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, or read it all online in our free e-edition, right here.

Finally, it’s November, and that means big holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. It’s a joyous time for many people, but not necessarily everyone, and bereavement counselor Dale Thien wants to help.

“Your grief is like you have a broken heart,” Thien told reporter B.C. Manion. “The thing is, we can’t really see that.”

How do you handle a friend or family member who might be struggling with their own loss this holiday season? Do you leave them be? Do you invite them out? Do you sit and listen? Or all of the above?

Thien, who works with HPH Hospice, shares her thoughts about all of it in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News. Find it on newsstands, or maybe by your front door. Or you can read it online for free by clicking here.

All of these stories and more can be found in this week’s The Laker/Lutz News, available in newsstands throughout east and central Pasco County as well as northern Hillsborough County. Find out what has your community talking this week by getting your local news straight from the only source you need.

If The Laker/Lutz News is not coming to your door, call us to see where you can get your copy at (813) 909-2800, or read our free e-edition by clicking here.

Dr. Christina Gomez is new OB/GYN in North Pasco

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Dr. Christina Gomez believes practicing medicine is truly a calling. Growing up in Tampa, she volunteered in nursing homes and hospitals as a teenager before attending USF.

My Gynecologist’s Pasco office staff are Kristina, Dr. Gomez and Doris.
My Gynecologist’s Pasco office staff are Kristina, Dr. Gomez and Doris.

During her residency at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Dr. Gomez gravitated toward obstetrics and gynecology. “It’s what I loved best during rotations,” she said.

Gomez approaches patients by focusing on their overall health and well-being. She believes patients should be educated about their health and be their own advocates. She encourages patients to ask questions about any and all health issues.

Before opening her new office on State Road 52 close to the Suncoast Expressway, the closest My Gynecologist office for Land O’ Lakes residents was in Spring Hill. Now, patients have convenient access to annual exams, contraceptives, menopause management and obstetrical care.

“I live three minutes away from my office,” said Dr.Gomez. “I shop here, work here and play here. I understand why it’s so important for women to have convenient access to the medical care they need.”

My Gynecologist provides patients with access to an online portal where medical information is available to them 24 hours a day. In addition, a medical liaison is available to answer any questions. These services set My Gynecology apart from other medical providers and allow patients to become their own health and well-being advocates.

My Gynecologist’s north Pasco office is staffed by Dr. Gomez and two assistants, and has the full support of the practice’s main office in Spring Hill. Tests and procedures can be performed at either location. Dr. Gomez has privileges at Bayfront Health Spring Hill.

“I feel like I’m fulfilling a need in the community, while doing what I truly love,” said Dr. Gomez.

Whether riding on the Suncoast Parkway Bike Trail,or visiting Lowry Park Zoo with her young son, Dr. Gomez enjoys living in the community where her patients also live.

“This is home. Getting to work so close to home is great. I love taking care of people, especially helping women understand the importance of good health.”

My Gynecologist accepts most major insurance plans, including Medicare. The Pasco office offers open extended hours during the week.

My Gynecologist is located at 14751 State Road 52, Suite A105, in Hudson, in the Hays Road Town Center. Learn more at MyGYN.net.

– Jenny Timms

This story is a feature of the advertising department.

Medical marijuana, Common Core gaining statewide support

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More often than not, elections become about people: Not the ones politicians are trying to represent, but the politicians themselves.

The latest release from the University of South Florida’s Sunshine State Survey, however, is trying to shift that focus a bit back to issues, including those affecting the state as a whole.

USF’s School of Public Affairs department, under the direction of Land O’ Lakes native Susan MacManus, worked with television audience aggregator Nielsen to ask 1,875 Floridians what they thought about a variety of issues over the first two weeks of August. And while many of the results were expected, there were a few surprises.

The biggest was whether the state should pass stricter gun laws. The issue of gun control has become a Red State/Blue State debate for some time, but in Florida, 55 percent of those surveyed support the idea of making gun laws more strict, while 34 percent were against it.

Marijuana also is gaining support in the state, with 50 percent supporting the legalization of the drug for medicinal purposes, while 32 percent opposed. But there was less support for legalizing same-sex marriage, which was much more split with 40 percent in support, 31 percent against, and nearly just as many with no opinion.

The most divided issues, according to the survey, is whether Florida should allow for offshore drilling for oil and gas. In the survey, 44 percent supported such a move, while 39 percent were against. Oil drilling got its biggest support from men and residents older than 65, while younger people between 18 and 34 were mostly opposed.

Last year, many people across the country were still talking about George Zimmerman, who was acquitted in the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin, and whether Florida’s Stand Your Ground law was an effective law or not.

It seems the debate on that law remains quite divided with 41 percent opposed to repealing the law, 33 percent supporting a repeal, and 26 percent undecided.

African-Americans and people living in the Miami and Palm Beach areas were overwhelmingly for a repeal, while men, Caucasians, and those living in the northern part of the state want to keep the law the way it is.

Implementing a form of Common Core education standards, as developed by the National Governors Association, has earned 42 percent support and 28 percent opposition. However, about a third of those surveyed are still undecided, which means this is an issue that could shift in support in later years.

More than half of the parents surveyed with a child in school supported Common Core, while those with higher income and a college degree felt it was the wrong direction.

The survey sample was pulled from 120,000 randomly drawn phone listings, and has a sampling error of plus-2.2 percentage points.

To get more results from the annual survey, visit SunshineStateSurvey.org.

Where Florida stands
The latest results from the University of South Florida’s Sunshine State Survey showed issues such as offshore oil drilling, repealing the Stand Your Ground law, legalizing same-sex marriage and implementing Common Core educational standards still divide people in Florida.

But what do they agree on?

Those surveyed say these will take the state in the right direction:

  • Do more to take care of returning military veterans — 91 percent
  • Make it easier for people to create new businesses — 87 percent
  • Pass stricter water quality regulations — 67 percent
  • Develop a high-speed rail system — 58 percent
  • Implement affordable health care exchanges — 55 percent

And this is where the state would head in the wrong direction:

  • Give more rights and assistance to undocumented immigrants — 58 percent
  • Start to collect sales tax on Internet purchases — 49 percent
  • Repeal the death penalty — 48 percent
  • Allow law enforcement to use drones — 45 percent
  • Allow more casino gambling — 43 percent

Mariano to BP: Settle oil spill lawsuit

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Jack Mariano has one thing to say to BP: Enough is enough.

In a letter addressed to the British petroleum conglomerate, the Pasco County Commission chairman is urging company officials to drop its appeal of a potentially $18 billion verdict in a federal Clean Water Act lawsuit. Instead, Mariano pled BP to finalize claims from Pasco businesses, and allow all involved to finally move forward.

“The Tampa Bay region and Pasco County cannot afford a further delay in its recovery efforts,” Mariano wrote. “BP’s decision to appeal the ruling, and thus continue to delay the outcome of the trial, will result in yet another time delay in correcting and addressing the damage that occurred because of the spill.”

The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico near Louisiana on April 20, 2010. Oil continued to spill into the water for nearly three months, in what the government estimated was 4.9 million barrels making its way into the ecosystem before the well was officially sealed in September 2010.

BP reportedly settled billions of dollars worth of claims, including $6.6 million worth in Pasco, according to The Legal Examiner. However, that’s just based on nearly 70 claims while a total of more than 1,100 exist in the county, demanding $105 million.

BP did not return a request by The Laker/Lutz News for comment, but released a statement last month saying it disagreed with the court decision that the company was grossly negligent for what happened on the Deepwater Horizon, and that evidence at the trial did not support the judge’s conclusion.

“The law is clear that proving gross negligence is a very high bar that was not met in this case,” BP said in its statement. “BP believes that an impartial view of the record does not support the erroneous conclusion reached by the district court.”

In the meantime, people and wildlife that call the Gulf home continue to suffer from the spill, Mariano said. He cited a University of South Florida study that found “injurious fish skin lesions” on animal life, which he said resulted from the spill.

“For a region that relies on its natural resources to help drive its tourism industry, such delays can have disastrous effects for us in the Tampa Bay region,” he said.

Good grief! New Tampa Players prepare Charlie Brown musical 

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One of the good things about performing the “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” musical is that the audience is familiar the characters. Everybody knows the “Peanuts” gang.

Everybody, that is, except the actress who plays Lucy.

Brooke Stinnett, 21, of Lutz, will play the role of Lucy in the classic Charles Schulz stage production, ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.’ This is Brooke’s first lead part with the New Tampa Players, a stage production company based out of CrossPointe Church. (Fred Bellett/Photo)
Brooke Stinnett, 21, of Lutz, will play the role of Lucy in the classic Charles Schulz stage production, ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.’ This is Brooke’s first lead part with the New Tampa Players, a stage production company based out of CrossPointe Church.
(Fred Bellett/Photo)

“I’m very unfamiliar with Peanuts, unfortunately,” said Brooke Stinnett, who plays the unpopular character in the New Tampa Players production, which runs for two weekends beginning Oct. 10 at CrossPointe Church of the Nazarene, 919 Debuel Road in Lutz. “I’ve seen the Christmas movie, and that’s it.”

To be fair, the Lutz resident is just 21, so she was born well after the comic strip’s heyday in the 1960s, when a series of television specials — and the original version of the musical — began to add to its popularity. Stinnett had to do some catching up for the role, learning Lucy’s bossy attitude and crabby behavior, she said.

But she thinks that not knowing Lucy too well allows her to add something fresh to the character, and the musical gives Stinnett an opportunity to show Lucy’s sensitive side.

According to director G. Frank Meekins, Stinnett brought a lot to the table when she joined the cast.

“She’s a very talented actress with an amazing voice,” he said. The two worked together in the New Tampa Players’ production of “The Sound of Music,” and he thought she’d be a great fit for the Charlie Brown musical.

With just seven cast members, chemistry and camaraderie is important, Meekins said. He feels like everyone fits in properly, with the singing and acting talent necessary to cover the challenges of each role.

“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” is both a familiar and different challenge for Meekins. He performed in the play in high school, and has directed it several times. But in those cases, it was the original 1967 version.

This play is based off the 1999 revival version, and Meekins chose that one because it has more exciting songs with a Broadway feel to them, while retaining the character warmth from the original that people have come to expect from a “Peanuts” production.

Stinnett also brings an acting pedigree to the stage. Her mother, Victoria, has performed for New Tampa Players, and her father, Scott, was in a production as well. Younger sisters Reagan and Eva have had roles with the company, too. In fact, when New Tampa Players performed “The Sound of Music,” grandfather Earl Myers joined Brooke, Victoria and Eva in the production.

“It definitely runs in the family,” Stinnett said.

While singing is almost second nature for her, being outgoing doesn’t come naturally at all. Stinnett admits to being a shy person in her everyday life. But acting and singing allows her to take on a character’s traits and become that persona during the performance.

“I’m a different person when I’m on stage, and it’s always been that way,” she said. “There’s something different about being on stage where I can open up more.”

Stinnett attends the University of South Florida, where she doesn’t do theater but instead studies computer science. While she admits that might sound like a better fit for a shy personality, Stinnett also doesn’t stray too far from her theatrical roots. She volunteers at her alma mater, Wharton High School, where she serves as musical director.

Stinnett will have plenty of scenes to show off her portrayal of Lucy to the audience, and it provides some challenges for her. The hardest part about playing the character is her demeanor. She’s simply not that mean or opinionated in real life.

The best thing about playing Lucy? “I guess it would be the same exact thing,” Stinnett said. “I get to be someone completely different than I normally am, and interact with other actors in different ways than I’m used to.”

“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” features the “Peanuts” personalities people know in a series of stories, Meekins said, with musical numbers that add depth to the characters in a way the audience will appreciate.

“They can expect an evening of musical comedy,” he said. “I would say it’s a series of comic strips that are sewn together.”

If you go …
WHAT: ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown’ from the New Tampa Players
WHEN: Oct. 10-11, Oct. 17-18 at 8 p.m., Oct. 12 and Oct. 19 at 2 p.m.
WHERE: CrossPointe Church, 919 Debuel Road, Lutz
COST: $15 for adults, $14 for senior citizens and students
INFO: (813) 386-6687, or NewTampaPlayers.org

Published October 1, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

Cancer journey chronicled through ceramic busts

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People facing a life-threatening disease have different ways of coping.

Some join prayer groups. Others keep journals. Some write blogs.

Land O’ Lakes resident Jan Tucker decided she wanted to keep a physical record of what her breasts looked like before she began cancer treatment.

These three ceramic busts, created by artist Paul Phillips, chronicle Jan Tucker’s journey through cancer. The bust on the left shows Tucker’s upper torso before she began cancer treatment. The one in the middle shows her at her lowest point in the battle. The bust on the right shows her upper torso after breast reconstruction. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
These three ceramic busts, created by artist Paul Phillips, chronicle Jan Tucker’s journey through cancer. The bust on the left shows Tucker’s upper torso before she began cancer treatment. The one in the middle shows her at her lowest point in the battle. The bust on the right shows her upper torso after breast reconstruction.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

She knew that her brother, Paul Phillips — who does ceramics and other kinds of art — could make the ceramic bust because he’d done body castings for women who were pregnant.

She also knew that her brother might feel strange about applying the material to make the mold to her body, so she asked him to teach her husband Ben how to do the first layer, to avoid potential embarrassment.

Tucker initially just wanted a physical reminder of what she looked like before she was diagnosed with invasive ductile carcinoma — an aggressive, fast-growing cancer.

Being a private person, she didn’t expect others to see it. But those plans changed, and now three ceramic busts — chronicling her journey through cancer — will be on display at an art exhibit and sale to help raise money for the American Cancer Society and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute.

One bust shows her upper torso before treatment began. The second records her at her lowest point in her cancer battle. The third shows her torso after reconstructive surgery.

The story of Tucker’s fight for her life began like many other stories about breast cancer: She found a lump in her right breast during a routine monthly self-exam.

Ironically, it appeared at a time in her life when she’d never felt healthier. She was 46, and she and Ben routinely worked out.

When she found the lump, Tucker made an appointment with her doctor to check it out as part of an annual exam. That exam, as well as a mammogram, showed it was a cyst, which didn’t surprise Tucker because she’d had cysts before.

So, Tucker went about her daily life, working as an online business professor and developing online courses.

As time went on, though, the lump grew. It was right at her bra line and was becoming uncomfortable. She also felt two smaller lumps.

Still, she had no plans to go back to the doctor before her annual check.

“My husband kept nagging me,” Tucker said. “‘You need to go get this checked.’”

But she didn’t until he hurt his foot, and now it was Tucker urging him to see a doctor. They made a deal: He would go for his foot, if she went for her breast.

On the return visit, the doctor said the lump was larger, but was still a cyst. But after Tucker told the doctor it was bothering her, the doctor referred her to a breast surgeon to get the lump drained.

The breast surgeon – Dr. Kimberly Apple – wanted an ultrasound. That led to additional diagnostics, a core biopsy, and a needle biopsy on six cancer tumors.

The doctor told Tucker she would call her with the results, either way. That call came on a Friday morning, April 26, 2013.

“When I picked up the phone, I hear her say, ‘I’m sorry.’ I hear her voice crack,” Tucker said. Then she starts with the doctor jargon.”

She heard the doctor talking, but couldn’t process what she was saying.

“Everything kind of stops in your world,” Tucker said. “It was so surreal.”

The doctor asked Tucker if she had any questions. Tucker had one: “Is it treatable?”

Yes, but it would require extensive treatment.

Tucker’s cancer was so advanced that she had to undergo chemotherapy before surgery. That’s when she decided to have her brother do the ceramic bust.

“I called him and I said, ‘I want to remember how I am today,’” she said.

A week later, she was undergoing chemotherapy.

“It’s awful. There’s no way to sugarcoat it,” Tucker said, noting she went through five rounds of chemo in six months.

Next, she had a nipple-sparing bilateral mastectomy.

She planned to do reconstruction, but lost so much blood she had to have a transfusion, which led to an infection.

“I was down to 95 pounds,” Tucker said. “I’m bald at this point. I have no eyebrows, no eyelashes. My skin is sagging, and I was extremely depressed. I was in a really, really dark place.

“I called Paul and said, ‘I want to do another casting.’

“He’s like, ‘Really?’”

She said she wanted to remember this stage of the battle, too. That casting was done on Feb. 26.

When she got over the infection, she pursued reconstruction again. After that was done, Tucker did another body casting to show her upper torso after reconstruction. That casting was done on Aug. 16.

“It just kind of brought the whole thing together,” Tucker said.

She still had no intention of making the ceramic busts public. But that changed after her brother, who had exhibited some of his art works at Alchemy Art Lounge in Tarpon Springs, told the owner about the castings he’d done for his sister.

“The owner got real quiet and said, ‘My mother has breast cancer,’” Tucker said.

Then the owner suggested having a Pink Party in October, and to donate the proceeds to the American Cancer Society and Moffitt. Tucker agreed to have her ceramic busts on display because they help convey the stages she has been through.

“There really is no better way to illustrate the story than that,” said Tucker, who is now 48.

She and her husband have two sons, Van — who just graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in chemical engineering — and Adam, a sophomore at USF, who is pursuing the same degree.

Tucker said she never would have chosen to walk the path, yet she knows it has yielded new insights.

“I am a different person today because of this,” Tucker said. “I am much more focused on what’s important in life, and it’s not chasing a promotion.”

If you go …
WHAT: Alchemy Art Lounge and Hard Bodies Yo present a Pink Party, featuring an art show and sale, a silent auction and a chance drawing for prizes.
WHERE: 25 Dodecanese Blvd., Tarpon Springs
WHEN: Oct. 9, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
DETAILS: Proceeds will benefit cancer charities
INFO: Paul Phillips at (386) 334-5943

Published September 24, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

Economy still plagues Floridians, but politics in way

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The biggest issue facing Floridians today is the economy. And the biggest obstacle to fixing that is government partisanship.

Those were the primary findings of this year’s Sunshine State Survey, a collaboration between the University of South Florida and the A.C. Nielsen Co. It’s based on 1,875 telephone interviews conducted between July 30 and Aug. 15, compiling a random sample of adults 18 and older who reside in Florida.

Formerly known as the Leadership Florida survey, these are the first results released since USF and Land O’ Lakes native Susan MacManus took over the process earlier this year. Of those surveyed, 30 percent said the biggest issue facing Florida right now is everything involved in the economy, including jobs and unemployment. Well behind it, at 12 percent, was public schools and education, with crime and immigration tied at 5 percent.

However, while the concern about the economy may seem high, it’s down significantly from the 44 percent it scored during the 2012 Leadership Florida survey, which pollsters says reflects the state’s gradual economic recovery from the Great Recession.

But how should lawmakers address those issues? The first thing might be for politicians to stop fighting based on which political party they belong to. The poll shows that 28 percent feel the battle between Democrats and Republicans represents the biggest stumbling block to achieving Florida’s goals. The divide between elected officials and their constituents was cited by 17 percent of those surveyed, while the divide between rich and poor was the main issue for 16 percent.

The survey showed that 45 percent of those polled believe politics is creating the largest roadblock to progress in the state, more than race, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, or even citizenship status.

A telephone sample of 120,000 listings was randomly drawn from, and did not include known businesses, cell phones, or numbers listed on the Do Not Call registry. It has a sampling error of plus-2.2 percentage points.

For more information on the survey, and other results, visit SunshineStateSurvey.org.

 

Local student finds trip to China enlightening

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When Darin Kilfoyl found out about the possibility of traveling to China to learn more about its language and culture, he seized the chance.

The 15-year-old, who attends Academy at the Lakes, is deeply interested in expanding his knowledge about the country and its language.

Darin Kilfoyl poses with a young boy from China during Kilfoyl’s two-week trip to learn more about the country’s language, culture and history. It turns out that much of the clothing worn by the people he encountered is similar to the clothing that Americans wear, he says. (Courtesy of Darin Kilfoyl)
Darin Kilfoyl poses with a young boy from China during Kilfoyl’s two-week trip to learn more about the country’s language, culture and history. It turns out that much of the clothing worn by the people he encountered is similar to the clothing that Americans wear, he says.
(Courtesy of Darin Kilfoyl)

His teacher, Wei Wang, told him about the two-week program sponsored by the University of South Florida and the Confucius Institute. Wang said she knew Kilfoyl’s desire to learn more about China and believed he would benefit from the experience.

Kilfoyl said the two weeks he spent in China gave him new insights about the country, and made him want to make a return trip when he has a better command of the language.

The program provided an expenses-paid experience, aside from airfare, which was slightly more than $1,000, said Kilfoyl, who lives in Lake Padgett. The daily routine included morning language, culture and history classes, and day trips to learn more about the Chinese way of life.

The group spent the first couple of days in Beijing, then went to Hangzhou, which is a little bit west of Shanghai.

“If you want to see the true identity of China, don’t stay in Beijing, but go to a province where there’s a lake similar to Hangzhou,” Kilfoyl said. “Or go to the mountain regions where it’s all nature.”

Beijing is very polluted, he added.

“It’s very modernized, but there are so many people that it’s polluted,” Kilfoyl said. “It’s a little hard to breathe, and it’s really difficult to see.”

The traffic is insane.

“People there are masters of driving. They come within an inch of another car. It was surprising how fast and how close they drove,” Kilfoyl said, but added, “I didn’t see a single accident.”

Because it has such a large population, Beijing prohibits 20 percent of the people who own cars to drive them within the city limits on workdays, Kilfoyl said. The government controls that by monitoring a numbering system on license plates.

The students studied at the Hangzhou Foreign Language School.

“It was a private school, where kids in China or from out of the country would study different languages from around the world,” Kilfoyl said.

The students in his group stayed in a guesthouse, which he said was similar to a dorm, with upgrades.

“In the morning, we’d eat breakfast at the cafeteria, then we’d normally have a class, where we’d practice learning Chinese or about the culture or something about China’s history,” Kilfoyl said. “Then we would go on a trip, somewhere within the province. Normally, we went to two places during the day.”

They visited the Xi Xi Wetlands, a museum that described the role water has played in the development of Chinese life. They also visited pagodas around the lake and heard Chinese folk tales.

As they made their way about the country, Kilfoyl noticed that most of the people he encountered were wearing modern clothing, which was similar to American styles of dress. When he arrived in China, he wasn’t sure what the food was going to be like and he also wasn’t sure about proper etiquette, he said.

The Chinese food he ate was substantially different than the fare served at Chinese restaurants in America. For one thing, he said, “not much of it is fried.”

“They eat a lot of white rice and vegetables,” Kilfoyl said. “If they had meat, it was just a little bit, just for taste.”

There were far fewer choices on television, he said. There was the government television channel, a channel that showed a Chinese version of “The Voice” reality competition show, and a channel that aired dramatic programming.

Before making the trip, Kilfoyl wasn’t sure whether the people would be cordial.

It turns out he had nothing to worry about.

“When we were there, everybody was very friendly,” Kilfoyl said.

Published September 10, 2014

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Labor Day domination: Travel ball team wins Fort Myers tourney

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When a baseball team goes to a tournament and scores 40 runs while only giving up five, you’d expect them to win the tournament handily.

Ryan Glass, left, C.J. VanEyk and Cam Coakley were part of the Carrollwood Gators’ 6-0 run at the Perfect Game Labor Day Classic in Fort Myers. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Ryan Glass, left, C.J. VanEyk and Cam Coakley were part of the Carrollwood Gators’ 6-0 run at the Perfect Game Labor Day Classic in Fort Myers.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

And when the Carrollwood Gators competed in the Perfect Game’s World Wood-Bat Association Labor Day Classic in Fort Myers, that’s exactly what happened.

The Gators’ 16U team — for athletes graduating high school in 2017 — went through the tournament with a perfect 6-0 record, claimed the title, and earned Most Valuable Player and Most Valuable Pitcher honors as well.

Performing well at a Perfect Game event is a big deal, according to Danny Rodriguez, general manager and founder of the Carrollwood Gators.

“It’s the organization to go to in order to get your boys seen on a college and a pro level,” he said.

In addition to the victory at the recent 16-team Perfect Game tournament, the Gators also finished in the top 16 of the organization’s 100-team Memorial Day tournament, and in the top eight of its 86-team Fourth of July tournament.

While the Gator athletes also play on their high school teams — several attend Steinbrenner High School, and most live in Lutz or Land O’ Lakes — the travel ball team offers them extra opportunities to get noticed by college scouts. The Perfect Game system is extremely competitive, Rodriguez said, and good performances in tournaments will get the club — and its players — noticed by colleges around the country.

The 16U team should have a national ranking after the victory; the general manager is hoping for a top 10 spot when they’re released in a couple of weeks.

That kind of recognition is essential for players looking to extend their careers beyond high school, Rodriguez said. In addition to playing in high school, a quality travel ball team experience is essential to helping athletes take that next step.

“It’s a must,” he said. “If they want to go to the next level, they need to go to the college showcases that they want to go to, and they need to be a part of something that’s going to get them seen, that’s going to be right there in front of the college coaches.”

Rodriguez tries to help get his athletes noticed by colleges, and said the tournament win will only increase the stature of the program. Athletes playing for the Carrollwood Gators have gone on to play in schools like Pasco-Hernando State College, the University of Florida, the University of South Florida, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Alabama State University. Some students attend on full scholarships as well.

While all the teams in the Perfect Game system are talented, the Gators do things differently. Instead of large-scale tryouts that draw athletes from different cities, or even states, and multiple teams representing each club, the team prefers to draw from local talent, mostly hand-selected athletes who play different positions.

That keeps the traveling team small: The Gators brought just 11 players to the recent tournament. And according to head coach Pete Mocny, there are significant benefits to their philosophy.

“They all know each other from previous travel teams,” Mocny said of the players. “The team chemistry is big in helping us do a little extra to beat the sometimes more-talented teams. We can still really compete, and many times beat them.”

C.J. VanEyk, a Steinbrenner student whose pitching was instrumental in the team’s only close game at the tournament, a 5-3 semifinal win, agrees.

“Everybody knows each other really well. We have good chemistry and everybody gets to play more with a smaller team,” he said. “We hit the ball really good, and we had the pitching to back it up. And when you do that, you can’t really be beat.”

Strong fundamentals were another reason why the Gators weren’t beaten at the tournament, Mocny said. The team committed no errors in the first five games, and shut out their opponent in the final by a score of 7-0. As a result, it was one of the best performances the coach has seen from the team.

“It’s easy to coach them,” Mocny said. “I’m proud of them. They did a great job out there.”

And Rodriguez believes the team that achieved so much is full of players who can achieve even more in college.

“Every single one has the talent,” he said. “If they play it right and they keep their grades (up), there’s a place in college for each one of those players.”

Published September 10, 2014

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