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Ice welcomed at new sports complex By Michael Hinman mhinman@lakerlutznews.com
By the end of next year, State Road 56 will be more crowded than ever. A new Mercedes dealership.A long-awaited outlet mall and the different stores it will bring. Yet another hotel, this time 120 rooms. Not bad for a road that, just a little more than a decade ago, didn’t even exist. Joining all that, however, is an ice and sports complex so big, it might make existing facilities in Ellenton, Oldsmar and maybe even Brandon a bit jealous. Apartment developer Gordie Zimmermann and his colleagues Z Mitch LLC, closed on 13 acres of land last week on
Cypress Ridge Boulevard for $2.6 million, where they plan to build a 155,500-squarefoot ice and sports complex complete with four pads of ice, a restaurant, and room for other sports in the community. Zimmermann’s development team is investing more than $20 million in the project, all so that Zimmermann’s hockey team — and other teams like it — won’t have to travel so far anymore to find a sheet of ice in Florida. “I was operating down in the Brandon facility, and I noticed that the adult hockey program had taken over,” Zimmermann said of Ice Sports Forum, a two-pad complex he also owns. “The kids had limited ice time See ICE, page 16
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Land O’ Lakes graduate names reprinted this week
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Lutz Guv’na candidate Jerome Smalls started Soccer Gemz with his wife, Marchele, to provide a sports curriculum that could be enjoyed by children like his daughter Ivoryele, 5. They have programs for children as young as 18 months, so daughter Anora, 10 months, isn’t far behind.
Smalls makes big contributions to Lutz beyond Guv’na campaign By Michael Murillo mmurillo@lakerlutznews.com
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What makes Jerome Smalls want to be the next Lutz Guv’na? Part of it is encouragement from the current one. “We went to the same high school in Philadelphia,” said Smalls of himself and the current Guv’na, Suzin Carr.
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This is the first in a series of stories profiling the candidates for Lutz Guv’na.
When they met a couple of years ago in Lutz, they realized they both attended Roxborough High School in Philadelphia, alSee SMALLS, page 16
The names of Land O’ Lakes High School’s Class of 2014 are reprinted in this week’s Laker, along with advertisements from businesses who support this annual graduation section. Unfortunately, last week’s Laker published the names of 2013 graduates from the high school.This occurred because an incorrect file was sent to The Laker, and the mistake was not discovered until after the wrong list was published. Thankfully, names and photos of Land O’ Lakes valedictorians and salutatorians were correct, and are published again today next to the names of their fellow graduates. We are reprinting this correct list of graduates in both The Laker and Lutz News because many Lutz readers are friends with Land O’ Lakes students and their families. Land O’ Lakes seniors received a fourpage reprint of this special section in time for their graduation ceremonies last Thursday at the University of South Florida Sun Dome.This reprint was included in the envelope with their diploma, and also distributed with the commencement program. I want to thank Ric Mellin, principal at Land O’ Lakes High, for his prompt assistance in getting the word out to students and their families that the correct list would be republished in this week’s paper.
Morningstar Fishermen seed library promotes good health By B.C. Manion
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Gordie Zimmermann, from left, is joined by Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano and retired Tampa Bay Lightning star Dave Andreychuk last week in a presentation unveiling a new four-pad ice sports complex just off State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel. The new arena is expected to open by late next year.
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It’s a wooden cabinet with several drawers, the index cards inside reminiscent of the kind used when libraries still had card catalogs. But this cabinet doesn’t hold cards telling visitors where to find books. Instead, it holds cards separating packages of seeds. These aren’t just any seeds, however. They’re called heirloom seeds, and some of them had their start back in the 1800s, said Ara McLeod, who works at Morningstar Fishermen, a business in Dade City that promotes sustainable living.
Unlike most seeds that are planted in today’s fields and gardens, these heirloom seeds have not been genetically altered. Instead, they have been saved and passed along for generations. And now, through Morningstar Fishermen’s new seed library, they are available to seed library members for free. There is a catch.Those joining the seed library must agree to use only organic fertilizer on the vegetables and flowers they grow with these seeds. And they are asked to let some of their plants go to seed, so they can help to restock the seed library. McLeod, who oversees the seed library, is thrilled that she’s leading this new venture,
which aims to help people produce their own food. “Here at Morningstar, we are about teaching people about sustainability,” McLeod said. The company, located at 3336 Old St. Joe Road, has been teaching people about aquaponics for years. Aquaponics is essentially the marriage between hydroponics and aquaculture, allowing people to raise fish, veggies and plants at the same time. It decided to branch out to help people become sustainable in other ways, too. “We wanted to start a seed library here See SEED, page 16