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APRIL 20, 2016
Brunchies set to open this summer By Kevin Weiss
be available, too. With relatively sparse brunch options in Lutz, Kranich believes the area A new brunch restaurant is exis an ideal fit for opening the eatery’s pected to open this summer in second location. Lutz. “One thing is, we live out there,” Bill Kranich and Janet Folsom, the restaurateur said.“There’s just upowners of Brunchies of Tampa, at side potential with all the growth, and 14366 N. Dale Mabry Highway, are plus, there’s a definite need for a really opening a second location of the quality breakfast place up there.” popular eatery, at 24400 State Road According to Kranich, the 3,50054 in Lutz. square-foot restaurant will have about KEVIN WEISS/STAFF PHOTO Kranich hopes to open the 120 seats, smaller than the 190 seats The owners of Brunchies of Tampa are opening a second brunch spot by Aug. 1, adding the at the original Carrollwood-based lotiming depends on the completion location in Lutz. The restaurant will replace the former cation, which opened in 2004. of Pasco County’s building permit Stage Left Bar & Kitchen, at 24400 State Road 54 in Lutz, However, the Lutz location will have a shown here. process. pet-friendly patio, which expects to The restaurant will replace the seat up to 30 patrons. now-closed Stage Left Bar & Kitchen, across Brunchies, which prides itself on “good Deemed as serving “upscale quality the street from Ferman Chrysler Jeep Dodge food and good service,” will be open daily See BRUNCHIES, page 11A Ram of Tampa. from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Catering services will
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By B.C. Manion
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An effort that began seven years ago on the Hanna Road campus of Learning Gate Community School, in Lutz, has morphed into an event expected to draw thousands to Tampa’s Lowry Park on April 23 in a festival that pays homage to protecting Mother Earth. EcoFest is an annual event aimed at raising awareness about the principles of sustainability — ecology, equity and economy. Learning Gate Community School, the University of South Florida’s Patel College of Global Sustainability and the City of Tampa have joined forces to present the festival, also dubbed as Earth Day Tampa Bay, near the park’s band shell at 7525 North Blvd., in Tampa. Michele Northrup, who has been event coordinator of EcoFest since its inception, has watched it grow and evolve. There were 40 vendors and about 500 attendees at the first EcoFest, she said. This year, there are 158 vendors, plus a waiting list of 20. More than 4,000 people are expected to attend. Parking and admission are free, and there are plenty of free activities, too, Northrup said. There are plenty of opportunities to learn and have fun, too, she said. There will be live music, workshops, costumed superheroes, demonstrations, informational booths, green living products and services. Local artists, green businesses, environmental organizations, alternative health practitioners, renewable energy specialists, and people from organic farms and gardens will be there, too. “We have some unique vendors. We’ve got some really cool artisans, craftsmen,” Northrup said.
FILE PHOTO
Lots of people did a double take when they saw Amanda Renaud, of Topsy Turvy — an entertainment troupe — towering above them on stilts at the 2015 EcoFest at Lowry Park.
Most of the vendors are local, coming from such communities as Tampa, North Tampa, Wesley Chapel, Carrollwood and South Tampa. Last year, the festival was set up deliberately to mimic a marketplace, and it’s going to be set up the same way this year, Northrup said. “Everybody loved that,” Northrup said. Another highlight will be an agility course, designed by a competitor from the
Seventh annual EcoFest WHERE: Lowry Park, 7525 North Blvd., in Tampa (in the band shell area and across the street) WHEN: April 23, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. More than 150 vendors, speakers and activities, in a festival aimed at promoting earth-friendly living.
See ECOFEST, page 11A
Scholarship budget slimmer this year By Kevin Weiss
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Cancellation of the Lutz Arts & Crafts Festival last December has resulted in a dip of $16,000 in the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club’s scholarship budget, compared to last year. The club has a tradition of awarding scholarships to Lutz and Land O’ Lakes students. But this year, it can only bestow two $1,000 scholarships, according to Barbara Nicholson, the club’s scholarship chair. Last year, the club awarded 12 scholarships of $1,500 each. The club would still like to add another scholarship or two, so it is seeking contributions from local businesses and members of the community. Through donations, Nicholson has already raised about $600 to put toward a third $1,000 scholarship. “I encourage any businesses to feel free to donate to us,” Nicholson said. “We’re a 5013c (nonprofit) organization, so anything that is donated is tax-deductible. It’s going to help the future of Lutz and Land O’ Lakes.” “I haven’t discussed it with the other committee members, but...say we raised $800, I would ask the club for another $200
to bring it up to $1,000. That way, we can give another $1,000 scholarship,” she said. The woman’s club scholarships are typically awarded in late August, and take into account students’ fiBarbara Nicholson nancial needs, as well as their grade point averages and letters of recommendation. Nicholson had hoped the club would be able to provide more scholarships this year than it did last year, but a sinkhole that developed at Lake Park put a dent in those plans. If not for a “banner year” from the club’s flea market in March, Nicholson acknowledged there might not have been enough funds for the two $1,000 scholarships. The $1,000 scholarships are a separate delineation from the club-administered Lutz Volunteer Fireman’s Memorial Scholarship Fund, which is invested and used for students with Lutz addresses. Nicholson said the club will award two memorial scholarships for $5,000 apiece this year. The woman’s club took over the $260,000 endowed scholarship fund in 2014, after the Lutz volunteer firehouse was decommis-
sioned and replaced by Hillsborough County firefighters. Nicholson notes “it’s not possible” to transfer money from the endowment fund to supplement additional $1,000 scholarships. Next year, the organization expects to meet similar budget projections from 2015, especially with the arts & crafts festival’s location moving to Keystone Prep High School in Odessa, starting this December. “I would certainly hope to meet what we did last year. I’d really like to see it increase,” the scholarship chairwoman said. About one-half of previous festival vendors have already applied for the annual event, according to Pat Serio, head of public relations for the women’s club. Serio added the new venue most likely will be able to accommodate additional vendor spaces compared to prior years at Lake Park. Nicholson acknowledged there may be a learning curve for handling the logistics at the new location, but ultimately will be beneficial for the festival’s future. “I think there’ll probably be some confusion and traffic issues...this being the first year, but after that, everybody will become accustomed to it, and there shouldn’t be any issues,” Nicholson said. “I understand that it’s going to be a very friendly site for the event.”