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JULY 1, 2015
Getting food on families’ tables faster By B.C. Manion
Mantz said. It will be put to a different use, and that use will support A Feeding America Tampa Bay fathe organization’s overall miscility in Land O’ Lakes is being sion, Mantz said. repurposed, meaning it will no One possible use would be a longer be a place where local agenchophouse, where fruits and vegcies can pick up food for their etables would be chopped and pantries. bagged, to keep the foods fresh That will be an adjustment for for longer periods, Mantz said. local agencies — such as Daystar Sister Jean Abbott, who overHope Center of Pasco County Inc., sees Daystar’s operations, said she in Dade City — that have been would welcome arrangements picking up food from the Land O’ that allow her pantry to pick up Lakes facility to pack in bags and food items directly from local groboxes to give to people in need. cers. But Thomas Mantz, executive di“It eliminates them running B.C. MANION/STAFF PHOTO rector of Feeding America Tampa Sister Jean Abbott, who oversees Daystar Hope Center of Pasco their trucks all over the road. It Bay, said he believes the new sys- County Inc., said she hopes that changes being made by Feeding eliminates us running our trucks tem that will be used in Pasco will America Tampa Bay will allow her agency to pick up donations all over the road,” she said. help deliver more food to family from food suppliers closer to her food pantry. “We used to go to Sweetbay. dinner tables faster. We went there twice a week,” Under the new system, Feeding she said. We’d gladly do that America Tampa Bay will pick up food from going to feed the poor in Pasco County, again. That was a sweet deal for us. We loved suppliers and deliver goods to local agen- Mantz said.“We are invested in Pasco.” it,” she said. cies directly, or will facilitate arrangements In fact, when Kash’n Karry rebranded to In 2013, 3 million pounds of food was between local agencies and local food sup- distributed in Pasco. In 2014, the amount in- Sweetbay, it got rid of all of the stuff that pliers, Mantz said. said Kash’n Karry, Abbott said. creased to 4.5 million pounds of food. “We did this in Pinellas County two years “We had two or three truckloads of stuff Still, there needs to be more, Mantz said. ago,” he said, and the organization’s experi“There’s not enough food in Pasco — out of their freezers, off their shelves, packaged things,” she said. ences have demonstrated that the model County to feed everybody,” Mantz said. “Merciful heavens, we had stuff. It was works. The Land O’ Lakes facility will stop proThe change will not mean less food viding food to local agencies in early July, wonderful,” Abbott said.
bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
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By Michael Murillo
mmurillo@lakerlutznews.com
How do you celebrate the Fourth of July? Do you prefer an early event with food and a parade? How about a later celebration, complete with music and fireworks? Or maybe something family friendly, with activities geared specifically toward children? And even though July 4 falls on a Saturday, would you like to get a head start on the celebration? If you answered “yes” to any of those options, there’s a full schedule waiting this weekend. Several venues are planning on large crowds ready for patriotic fun that’s FILE PHOTO either free or low cost. Here’s a rundown of Bridget Richwine, second from right, helped her sons get into the Fourth of July spirit with some events happening Friday and hats she made for C.J., 11, at right, and Ben, 5. Grandmother Chloie Adkins, far left, looks Saturday: on. They were at the Fourth of July celebration in Lutz last year.
CELEBRATE JULY 4 ON JULY 3
You don’t have to wait until July 4 to start your weekend festivities. Get an early jump on the patriotic celebrations at The Shops at Wiregrass, 28211 Paseo Drive in Wesley Chapel. The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Freedom Festival will take place July 3 from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. More than 50,000 people are expected to attend this family friendly event, which includes a bike decorating contest, watermelon-eating contest and the annual Little Miss and Mr. Firecracker Pageant. And it will end with a special fireworks show. THE DETAILS: Opening ceremonies begin at 4 p.m. at Center Court. The pageants will be held at the Center Court stage from 4:30 p.m. until 6 p.m. A line dance will begin at 6:30 p.m. in front of the watermelon-eating contest at Buckle, located at No. 140. A parade will begin at 7:45 p.m., with fireworks to follow. The Little Miss and Mr. Firecracker Pageant has three separate age categories. For information and an application form, email Jennifer Cofini at jcofini@parksmotorgrp.com.
mile fun run, flag-raising ceremony and cake auction. And, the parade, of course. Afterward, trophies will be handed out and the winner of this year’s Lutz Guv’na race will be announced. THE DETAILS: The parade setup begins Friday at 10 a.m., at the Train Depot, and volunteers are welcome. Cake entries can be dropped off on Friday between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., at the Lutz Senior Center, 112 First Ave., NW. The final cake registration ends Saturday at 7:30 a.m. The 5K race begins at 8 a.m., with the fun run beginning at 8:45 a.m. The flag-raising ceremony begins at 9 a.m., with the parade starting at 10 a.m. The cake auction, trophy presentation and Guv’na announcement begins at 11 a.m. For more information, call Phyllis Hoedt at (813) 9491937.
FOURTH AT THE FAIRGROUNDS
The annual Sparklebration event will be July 4 at the Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36722 State Road 52 in Dade City. There will be watermelon and hot dog eating contests A LUTZ TRADITION (and food trucks for everyone else, serving What would the Fourth of July be with- up churros, barbeque, bacon specialties and out the Lutz Independence Day celebration? other treats), live entertainment including This year’s event (themed Lutz Heritage: Dennis Lee, the Red, White & Blue baby pagProudly We Serve) includes a 5K race, one- eant, a watermelon spitting contest and
skydivers. And, of course, fireworks to cap off the day. There are plenty of special activities for children as well, including bounce houses, pony rides and a petting zoo. THE DETAILS: Gates open at 3 p.m. The baby pageant begins at 3:30 p.m., with entertainment on two stages starting at 4 p.m. Admission is $5 per person (children ages 12 and younger are free), and parking is $5. Attendees are welcome to bring blankets and chairs, but pets, alcohol and personal fireworks are prohibited. For more information and to register for contests online, visit PascoCountyFair.com.
SPECIAL FOR MILITARY FAMILIES
In addition to all the local celebrations, it’s a good weekend for military families to visit Lowry Park Zoo, 1101 W. Sligh Ave. During their Red, White & Zoo celebration, active duty personnel, retirees and veterans get in free July 3 to July 5 with valid military identification, as well as up to three direct dependents. The dependents can participate without the military member as long as an adult with valid military identification accompanies minors. For more information, call (813) 935-8552 or visit LowryParkZoo.com.
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B INSIDE, PAGE 1B
New restaurants planned for Cypress Creek Town Center By Kathy Steele
Panda Express both had scheduled sit-downs with Pasco County planners within the past BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse week to discuss their applicaand the Panda Express are eye- tions, according to county ing retail space at the Cypress records. Creek Town Center. Conceptual plans also are The proposed mall is located filed for both restaurants. off State Road 56 at the The restaurants join a growInterstate 75 exchange. Adjacent ing list of retailers that have filed to the site, the shops at Tampa plans with Pasco County as part Premier Outlets are taking form of the town center including and shape for an anticipated Kohl’s, Chick-fil-A, Costco’s, October opening. Cheddar’s Casual Café and Representatives for BJ’s and Culver’s.
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
BJ’s is planned as a 7,500square-foot restaurant with a menu that offers the eatery’s signature deep-dish pizza, as well as salads, pastas, steaks, baby back ribs and a kid’s menu. The California-based restaurant was founded in 1978, and added its own handcrafted line of beers in the mid-1990s, according to its website. Plans on file with the county show Panda Express as a 2,600square-foot restaurant, located within Cypress Creek Town
Center at Grand Cypress Drive and Sun Vista Drive. The family-owned restaurant also got its start in California in 1973, first under the name Panda Inn. Nearly a decade later, the Cherng family changed the name to Panda Express and now have more than 1,700 restaurants in the United States and Puerto Rico, according to the restaurant’s website. Company representatives for Panda Express and BJ’s were not available for comment.