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Choices abound for holiday fun
By Brian Fernandes bfernandes@lakerlutznews.com
The holidays are a traditional time for friends and families to gather, and to seek out ways to enjoy the lights, sounds and treats of the season. If you’re looking to have some old-fashioned fun, to be inspired, or relax, there’s likely an option in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area to suit your fancy. Here’s a listing of some of your options.
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Family Pictures with Santa & Mrs. Claus WHEN: Dec. 8 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. WHERE: Cypress Creek Church, 5585 E. County Line Road, Wesley Chapel COST: Free DETAILS: Guests will not only get to take snapshots with Santa and Mrs. Claus, but also engage in ornament making. Kids also will have classes designated for them. INFO: Call (813) 909-4080, or visit CypressCreekChurch.org.
Avalon Aglow WHEN: Dec. 14 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: Avalon Park West Community Center, 5227 Autumn Ridge Drive, Wesley Chapel COST: Free DETAILS: Guests can enjoy live performances, food trucks, vendors, and take a picture with Santa. INFO: Call (813) 783-1515, or visit AvalonParkWest.com/AvalonAglow2019/.
See HOLIDAY, page 19A
HelpingInjuredPeople.com Call Attorney
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INSIDE, PAGE 1B
CHRISTINE HOLTZMAN
Helping others, not only at Thanksgiving Jackie Smack, a five-year volunteer with the Neighborhood Care Center, 5140 Sixth St., Zephyrhills, sorts through a large donated pile of clothing, carefully inspecting each piece for defects, such as rips or stains. The center prides itself on making sure that decent quality items are available for their recipients. For more than 25 years, the Neighborhood Care Center has been helping Zephyrhills residents in need by providing free food, clothing, hygiene products, kitchen supplies, furniture and other items. See more coverage on 1B.
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Wiregrass Ranch grad leads by example Pasco School Board
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Peace, Love, & Funk Festival Land O' Lakes Heritage Park November 30 | 1-7 PM
•Bizarre Bazaar •DIY Flower Crowns •Butterfly Exhibit •Funky Music Beer & Entry Proceeds Benefit Local Charities
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The LAKER WESLEY CHAPEL/NEW TAMPA EDITION
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Auto Accident? Slip and Fall? FREE CONSULTATION
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FEBRUARY 3, 2016
The LAKER
LAKERLUTZNEWS.COM
Auto Accident? Slip and Fall?
By Kathy Steele
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The site is located at the corner of of heading toward a construction start Magnolia Boulevard and Wesley Chapel Amici Plaza in spring with an opening likely Boulevard, which is also known as County ksteele@lakerlutznews.com by the end of 2016. Road 54. Pasco County records show a conceptual Pasco County is moving forward with acOwners of Amici Pizza & Deli are planthe plan with about 3,000 square feet for Road ning to build a new stand-alone restaurant, for quisition of right-of-way along County restaurant, and about 1,800 square feet 54 to prepare for the expansion of the twowith additional retail space, on Wesley retail. the lane road into a four-lane road at Chapel Boulevard. “We’d like to have our own building and 54 junction of State Road 56 and State Road The new restaurant is a short distance a bigger kitchen,” said Andrea Mannino. from the existing Amici restaurant in Grand No decisions have been made on the adSee PIZZA, page 13A Oaks Square, at Wesley Chapel and Pet Lane. ditional retail space, he said. Andrea and Josephine Mannino, are
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18920 N. Dale Mabry Hwy Ste 101 Lutz, FL (Corner of Sunlake & Dale Mabry)
101 18920 N. Dale Mabry Hwy Ste Lutz, FL (Corner of Sunlake & Dale Mabry)
Walk-Ins Welcome
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FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL
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JANUARY 27, 2016
Pasco administrator to retire in
By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker expects to be very busy over the next year and a half. She’ll be crossing off a to-do list, one by one, before leaving in 2017 to go on a lengthy road trip with her husband. The couple will hit the road with their recreational vehicle and their motorcycles, on a tour of as many baseball parks and national parks as they can squeeze into a year. “That’s been our dream,” Baker said, so letting her contract lapse in July 2017 makes sense. But, don’t expect a lame duck administrator. “There’s no kicking back here,” Baker said.“This isn’t me slowing down. ” Baker has told Pasco County commissioners she won’t seek renewal of her current two-year contract, which makes her
2017
last day July 9, 2017. the jail and construction of new fire stations By then, Baker will • Relocating have worked 35 years central Pasco more government offices to in public service, 24 Baker also plans to fill vacancies for a of those years with few key leadership positions that remain, Pasco County. cluding an assistant county administrator infor Her to-do list, in public safety and administration. short form, includes: Progress has been made, Baker said, but • Completing mas- government services still could be more ter plans and updates customer-friendly. for storm water, solid A culture that was decades in the waste and tourism making is being changed, she said.“You don’t • Funding and building a diverging get to dia- turn a canoe.You’re turning mond road design to ease traffic congestion a ship.” Public service wasn’t Baker’s first at State Road 56 and Interstate 75 career choice. • Completing the State Road 56 extenOver the years she worked sion as a waitress, • Nurturing SunWest Park, the county’s flight attendant and a theater manager. She also served in the U.S.Air Force Reserve. fledgling aqua park Her undergraduate degree was in • Replacing and repairing aging busiinfra- ness administration. structure and roads damaged by the It wasn’t until she accepted a secretarial summer flooding • Making progress on the expansion of See RETIRE, page 11A Michele Baker
Kumquats reign supreme at area festival By Kathy Steele ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
®
Saturday, January 30, 2016 9 AM - 5 PM Historic Downtown Dade City
FREE ADMISSION KATHY STEELE/STAFF PHOTOS
©
WESLEY CHAPEL/NEW TAMPA
Amici Pizza plans stand-alone location
Mark Pizzurro, Joe Traina and Peter Abreut
anticipate opening their craft brewery
in Land O’ Lakes in spring.
I th
The first kumquat tree in St. Joseph took root more than 100 years ago, when C.J. Nathe planted it in his backyard. He added a few more, and soon he had small grove on an acre of fertile ground. a The kumquat king, as Nathe was later dubbed, transformed a quiet back road community into the Kumquat Capital of the World. An open house will take place on Jan. and Jan. 29 at the Kumquat Growers 28 packi h d
Margie Neuhofer and her h
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KATHY STEELE/STAFF PHOTO
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adopts new school boundaries
By Kevin Weiss kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
At Wiregrass Ranch High School, Carly Norman was a senior team captain and standout defender on the varsity girls lacrosse team — helping the program to a 14-2 mark during the 2019 season. She also graduated in the top 10% of her class, with a 4.0-plus GPA. But, it’s her contributions off the field and outside the classroom that proved to be most rewarding. Carly was involved in as many as 10 extracurricular activities. In one of those, she was president of the school’s Key Club, the oldest and largest international student-led service program for high school students. Through that, she spearheaded volunteer efforts at Feeding Tampa Bay, Bay Chapel Food Pantry, Humane Society of Tampa Bay and Habitat for Humanity, among others. One definitive moment occurred in 2017, when Carly helped organize a weekend neighborhood cleanup in downtown Tampa, following Hurricane Irma. The Wiregrass Ranch graduate recalled a local woman came up to her volunteer group and began sobbing. The woman thanked them for picking up trash and debris the devastating tropical storm had left behind. Moments like that make volunteering all the more worthwhile, for Carly. “It was just so touching to see how much my little effort, just taking some time off on Saturday morning for a couple hours to pick up trash made her feel so good,” Carly, now a freshman at the University of Central Florida, said. The young woman’s efforts to serve have not gone unnoticed. Earlier this year, she received the Congressional Citizen Award from U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis. The honor was bestowed for Carly’s exemplary volunteerism and community service. She was Wiregrass Ranch’s first-ever recipient of the honor, which goes annually to select graduating seniors in Bilirakis’ district. Though she wasn’t seeking recognition, Carly said she was “really touched” to be chosen for the award.
SEEING THE VALUE OF GIVING BACK
Some volunteers who are Carly’s age may view helping others as a necessary chore to obtain needed service hours. But,
By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
in high school, Carly began embracing the opportunity to help others who are less fortunate. The 18-year-old put it like this:“I kind of just grew to love volunteering. It became almost like fun for me. It’s a great way to give back to my community and have fun with my friends while doing it. …If you just take some time to find it fun, it really is amazing.” Carly said her mother, Kathy Norman, instilled in her the value of volunteering. “When I grew up, my mom always taught me, ‘You give back to others. You help others,’” Carly said. She began at an early age by writing personalized holiday cards to military members. It blossomed from there. “When I did get older and had more opportunities to help, I really did jump at that,” Carly said. Since then, she has gone on to become a member of UCF’s Circle K International service club, the college and university counterpart of the Key Club. That, plus a demanding undergraduate physical therapy program, keeps her plenty busy. As she watches her daughter juggle multiple responsibilities and still make time to serve others, Kathy Norman is “beyond proud” of her Carly. “She works really hard and balances a
The Pasco County School Board unanimously approved school rezonings for the 2020-2021 school year — primarily affecting students living in the Seven Oaks subdivision in Wesley Chapel. Board members approved the boundary shifts that are aimed to relieve crowding at Wiregrass Ranch High School and John Long Middle School, and to fill seats available at Cypress Creek High School and the new Cypress Creek Middle School, which is expected to open next fall. The boundary shift does not apply to Wiregrass Ranch students, living within the rezoned area, who will be entering their junior or senior years. Seniors can ride district buses. Juniors cannot. Board members supported Superintendent Kurt Browning’s boundary recommendations, despite requests by parents to allow current freshman at Wiregrass Ranch to have the option to remain, if their parents provided transportation. There also was a request to allow rising eighth-graders from John Long Middle to be allowed to attend Wiregrass Ranch High. In advocating for incoming sophomores, Mike Schulze, a Seven Oaks parent, said “this group is just as important as all of the others.” Other parents expressed their displeasure with the boundary shifts, citing concerns about disrupting their children’s lives, traffic issues and the greater distance from the Seven Oaks neighborhood to the Cypress Creek school complex, which is on Old Pasco Road. Board members said Pasco County’s rapid growth continues to force the district to shift boundaries to accommodate growing enrollments. Board member Allen Altman applauded Browning’s recommendation to grandfather in both rising juniors and rising seniors at Wiregrass Ranch High, which is on Mansfield Boulevard. “I think based on the numbers and projections. That was generous and accommodating,”Altman said. Board member Cynthia Armstrong said
See GRAD, page 19A
See BOUNDARIES, page 19A
COURTESY OF KATHY NORMAN
Wiregrass Ranch High School graduate Carly Norman became the school’s first recipient of the Congressional Citizen Award, for volunteerism and community service. Norman was president of the school’s Key Club service organization.