The LAKER
ee r F
LAKERLUTZNEWS.COM
Auto Accident? Slip and Fall? FREE CONSULTATION
No Fees Or Costs Unless You Win HOLLIDAY KARATINOS LAW FIRM, P.L. HelpingInjuredPeople.com Call Attorney
JIM HOLLIDAY 813-868-1887 “I Will Aggressively Fight To Protect Your Legal Rights” 18920 N. Dale Mabry Hwy Ste 101 Lutz, FL (Corner of Sunlake & Dale Mabry)
Walk-Ins Welcome
LAND O’ LAKES/LUTZ EDITION
JUNE 3, 2015
Wildlife corridors on agenda By Kathy Steele
meeting at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library for an “informational” presentation that outlined the goals and routes for seven A mandated but long-delayed ordinance proposed corridors. to create wildlife corridors is again winding The county has been slow to act on this its way through public meetings, hearings issue. and possible adoption by the Pasco County A proposed 2008 ordinance was postCommission. poned. Two public meetings were held in New A second deadline of 2010, included in Port Richey and Land O’ Lakes in May. the county’s land use plan, came and went There will be a final meeting June 4 at 6 without county action. p.m., at the Dade City Courthouse. It is important to the county’s conservaThe next steps will include two public tion efforts to adopt an ordinance, said Keith hearings, and by late summer, a scheduled Wiley, program manager for the vote by commissioners. Environmental Lands Acquisition and About 10 people attended the May 28 Management Program, also known as ELAMP.
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
“Development is coming. We know it happens,” he said. “If we don’t do it (preserve wildlife corridors) now, we’re going to miss the opportunity.” Conservation brings a host of benefits, including clean air and water, flood control and carbon storage,Wiley said. But it also has economic benefits from increased property values and revenues from eco-tourism, he added. “It’s not about moving bugs and bunnies from one area to another,” said Wiley. To date, the county has acquired more than 3,000 acres through ELAMP. Some of those See WILDLIFE, page9A
Going the extra mile to express gratitude By B.C. Manion
bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
A Christian Garage Door Company
Proudly Serving Local Communities 10% OFF ANY REPAIR
S REP PRING LAC – LI EMEN F T WAR ETIME RAN TY
when you mention this ad
Licensed - Bonded - Insured • Lic# GDI-09484
GARAGE DOOR REPAIR & NEW INSTALLS
813-447-3874 www.TrinityGarageDoorService.com
CALL TODAY FIXED TODAY!
SEE INSIDE FOR GREAT COUPONS! A/C LICENSE #CAC1816647 PLUMBING LIC. #CFC1428982
Winner 2012, 2013, 2014
Air Conditioning • Heating • Plumbing
CornerstonePros.com
813-949-4445
B INSIDE, PAGE 1B
Pat Gavros set off on a journey last month, in a personal show of gratitude to the nation’s veterans and first responders. It was a 21-day trip that took her through 19 states, with stops at veterans’ homes, police and fire stations, and memorials. Along the way, Gavros handed out plaques and cards, thanking the men and women she met for their service. She made the trip alone. She ate inexpensive meals and carried apples, bananas, yogurt and water in the car. She had scheduled many of the visits she made during her travels, but there were spontaneous stops, as well. Gavros is a 67-year-old woman who lives in Dade City. She said she made the trip because when it comes to patriotism, she considers the word to be more of a verb than a noun. “Talk is cheap,” Gavros said, adding, in matters of gratitude, actions are what count. “I just am passionate about honoring our veterans. I thought, why don’t I drive to different states and visit different veterans’ homes and bring some kind of a little token
B.C. MANION/STAFF PHOTOS
Pat Gavros, who lives in Dade City, spent 21 days on the road delivering a message of gratitude to the nation’s veterans and first responders during her Gratitude Journey in May.
of my gratitude. “Then, when I started thinking about it, I thought, ‘You know what? Our first responders – those people in uniform — they’re part of our patriotic fabric. The people that keep us safe. They allow us to live the lifestyle without ever giving it a thought. You never think, ‘Oh, if my house burns, who can I call?’ ” she said. Gavros began planning the trip in
January, choosing a path that included important memorials and was compact enough she could make it happen. And, she began seeking supporters. “My biggest supporter, who gave me a beautiful 2015 RAV 4 to drive, was Wesley Chapel Toyota. They saw the vision, and they supplied a nice, safe car for me,” said Gavros, See GRATITUDE, page 9A
Diverse ensemble is making music in the night By B.C. Manion
bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
They come strolling in, carrying instrument cases. They settle themselves in — around the band room at Thomas Weightman Middle School — and begin tuning up. As more musicians arrive, the practice glides into full gear. This is a group that calls itself the Wesley Chapel Wind Ensemble, and they’re rehearsing for a performance called “Broadway Comes to Pasco” which is scheduled for June 13 at 7 p.m. In addition to medleys from Broadway musicals, the program includes special guest Dana P. Rowe, who is a Broadway composer. The evening will include the debut of an original arrangement of Jeremy Silverman, former professor of music at Saint Leo University. June Hammond, an associate professor of music at Saint Leo University, directs the ensemble. During a recent rehearsal, she put the musicians through their paces. She coaxed and cajoled the musicians as they rehearsed — urging them to hit proper notes with precise timing. Hammond has directed the group for about a year-and-a-half. “One of my goals has been to grow the musicians. Challenge them mentally. Challenge them physically. Teach them new things. I’m always looking for pieces that are going to push them, not only musically, but intellectually,” Hammond said. At the same time, she said, “you have to temper that with pieces that are going to keep their interest.” When people hear the ensemble perform, she said, they “are usually quite surprised by the wide range of music that we play,” she said. Besides challenging the musicians, Hammond also enjoys sharing tidbits of her musical knowledge. She may share a fact about Baroque music history, or tell the group about Beethoven’s habit of counting the coffee beans in his grinder, she said. Or, maybe she’ll tell them that Beethoven’s favorite food was macaroni and cheese, or that he routinely enjoyed fish
B.C. MANION/STAFF PHOTOS
Jack Kurlychek, Jim Burton and Kay Kleinhample play saxophones in the front row, while Michele Wilson and Dr. Sandra Lamphier play French horns behind them. The musicians are part of the Wesley Chapel Wind Ensemble.
Lee Brenn gives his trumpet a blast during a recent rehearsal of the Wesley Chapel Wind Ensemble.
and potatoes on Fridays. The Wesley Chapel Wind Ensemble began in 2007, when Glenn Weatherly, a newcomer from Michigan, decided to try to form a brass quintet. “It actually started as a church outreach program,” said Weatherly, who was then attending the former Crossroads United Methodist Church. Over the years, the group has evolved.
Caitlin Smith plays flute during a rehearsal of the Wesley Chapel Wind Ensemble, a group of musicians who gather weekly at Thomas Weightman Middle School to rehearse for occasional public performances.
In the beginning, it rehearsed in a backroom of the Hyundai dealership in Wesley Chapel and then at the church. It has been meeting regularly at Weightman, which is located on Wells Road in Wesley Chapel, since 2012. The ensemble, which now has roughly 40 members, has grown mostly through word of See ENSEMBLE, page 9A