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SERVING LUTZ/ODESSA
MARCH 30, 2016
Swimming against all odds By Kevin Weiss
kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
Thomas Casey will be making his 16th swim this year to raise money for people battling cancer. Casey, 57, flies to his hometown of Bridgeport, Connecticut each summer to participate in the annual SWIM Across the Sound — a 15.5-mile swim marathon stretching from Port Jefferson, New York to Bridgeport — helping to raise $2.5 million each year. It wasn’t until 2012, though, that he found out that he also is dealing with the disease. When he was diagnosed with Stage IV renal cell carcinoma — the most common form of kidney cancer — it came without warning. The Lutz resident said there was “no his-
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THOMAS CASEY
Lutz resident Thomas Casey was diagnosed with Stage IV renal cell carcinoma in 2012. The cancer spread from his kidney to the bones in both of his arms.
tory of cancer” in his family. He was diagnosed shortly before he was scheduled to make the trip to Bridgeport. “Six weeks before the event, I went to the doctor’s (office) because I was having pain in my left side, and I found out I had diverticulitis, and he said,‘Oh, and by the way, your left kidney is filled with cancer,’” Casey said.“Being told you have cancer, everybody says the same thing:‘It’s like you got hit by a freight train,’ and it’s true.” Casey acknowledges it’s a strange feeling — to know he is the only member of his family to be stricken with the disease. “I’ve got three brothers and a sister with no cancer,” he said.“I’m the only one...out of my family that does any kind of (cancer) fundraising, and I get it. But, I don’t take it that way, and I never say,‘Why me?’ I don’t See SWIMMING, page 11A
These women love to soar By B.C. Manion
bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
Whether they’re supporting young girls through scholarships to Space Camp, or honoring women pilots who served in World War II, there’s an organization of women that supports the joy of flying in all of its forms. The group, which calls itself The NinetyNines Inc., got its start in 1929. It began when some female aviators wanted to have to a long-distance race, said Marilyn Shafer, of Land O’ Lakes, who is a member of the Florida Suncoast Chapter of the group. “It was supposed to start out in California and go over the mountains,” Shafer said. “The men didn’t want the women doing that because it was too dangerous for women to be able to get over mountains safely,” Shafer said. The women decided:“We’re going to do it anyway.” Through the race, the women discovered how fantastic it was to have the support of each other, and they decided to form an organization of female aviators. “They sent out formal letters to every licensed woman pilot in the United States. I want to say there was about 129, and 99 of them replied,” Shafer said. They tossed around some names. In the end, they chose to honor the women who wanted to be part of the new organization. So, they called themselves The Ninety-Nines. Amelia Earhart was the group’s first president. Over time, the group has spread its wings — substantially. It’s now an international organization with about 4,900 members, Shafer said. “Our mission is advancement in aviation, through scholarship, education and support,
B.C. MANION/STAFF PHOTO
Marilyn Shafer is enthralled by the joys of flight. The Land O’ Lakes woman belongs to The Ninety-Nines Inc., an organization that supports women and the joy of flying, in all of its forms.
while we keep in mind where we started — our history,” Shafer said. The Suncoast chapter includes a wide swath of territory, including Pasco County
and going from Crystal River to Sarasota, from Ocala over to Winter Haven. See SOAR, page 11A
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Hot Rods Country BBQ, a Lutz landmark, closed in 2013, and now a dirt lot is all that remains. The restaurant recently was torn down to make way for a new, unnamed restaurant at Sunset Lane and Livingston Avenue.
New restaurant to take Hot Rods’ spot By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
A lawsuit shuttered Hot Rods Country BBQ in 2013. Two weeks ago, the quirky Lutz restaurant, locally famous for ‘swamp bat’ and hot sauces, met the wrecking ball. County records show the property changed hands in December 2015 when Sunset Livingston LLC bought Hot Rods from Champor Corp Inc., for $525,000. Winter Park-based Alton Lightsey is listed as the registered agent for Sunset Livingston; Lutz real estate broker Jerry
Shaw is manager. Plans are to build a new restaurant with an outdoor patio.The as-yet-unnamed restaurant will serve beer and wine, and could have a few barbecue items. Co-owner Jerry Shaw said,“It’s going to be home-cooked, family style food.” The beer and wine license received approval in January. Next comes settling on a restaurant name, drawing up construction plans, and getting the building permits, Shaw said. No ribbon cutting is set, but Shaw hopes to open the restaurant within six months or so.
“It’s a matter of getting the drawings completed and approved,” he said. Hot Rods became legendary in Lutz for its offbeat menu items and rustic décor. It opened in 1998. A lawsuit over debt led to the restaurant’s closure in May 2013. Rod Gaudin started Hot Rods with a barbecue pit, next to a country store he had at Sunset Lane and Livingston Avenue. He later converted a wood-frame house into the restaurant. Customers walked onto the porch and opened the front door with a water-spigot handle. See HOT RODS, page 11A