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AUGUST 12, 2015
Sales tax holiday means savings By B.C. Manion
bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
Families gearing up for a new school year can get a little help from the state of Florida, during the 2015 Back-to-School Tax Holiday. During the tax holiday, which runs through Aug. 16, shoppers can purchase scores of items without paying state sales tax. For example, no Florida sales tax will be collected on sales of certain clothing, footwear, and certain accessories with a selling price of $100 or less per item. No sales tax will be charged on certain school supplies selling for $15 or less per item. And, no See SALES TAX, page 11A
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Greg Lenners, general manager at The Shops at Wiregrass, said that shop operators were expecting a good back-to-school shopping season. He said the state’s sales tax holiday is a plus.
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Following the yellow brick road to Oz By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Three Dorothys, a pair of witches, a pink munchkin and an acrobatic flying monkey adds up to a trip to the Land of Oz. That is, if the trip is imagined by instructors from Nicole’s Dance Center and 15 young performers, ages 6 to 14, at summer camp. The Tin Man, The Scarecrow, The Cowardly Lion and the “great and powerful” Wizard of Oz also traveled down the yellow brick road. And they were having fun — precisely what Nicole Bouchard wants her students to have. “It’s not only learning about dance but also about family,” said Bouchard, who opened her dance studio, at 3934 Lake Padgett Drive in Land O’ Lakes, nearly two years ago. “It’s not all about pointing your toe or how high your leg goes. You learn something in the process about yourself.” On July 31, Bouchard’s troupe of summer camp dancers performed for a standing room only crowd of proud parents, siblings and friends. They had worked for a week to learn their parts and build the scenery to create the imaginary world of Oz. Only three of the students had experience as stage performers. But Bouchard said, “They took ownership.They were all part of it.” In auditions, 14-year-old Tiffany Bassett tried out for the role of the Wizard. “He’s green,” said Bassett, costumed in a sparkly green dress and green streaked hair tresses.“I like green.” Behind the scenes, volunteers and moms, Leesa Fryer and Brandy Gold, applied finishing touches to makeup for Glinda, the Good Witch; The Scarecrow; a “flying monkey”; and a crew of pink, green, yellow and orange Munchkins. The women also were co-directors for the production. Gold and Fryer each have dance and musical theater chops. Fryer has taught dance; Gold was a musical theater major in college, and was the arts and cultural director for the Tampa Jewish Community Center in Tampa. “I have a blast as a mom,” said Fryer. “It’s a joy to be able to do this with my daughter.” But she added, “They are all like my babies.” Fryer’s daughter, DeLaney Fryer, was one of the three Dorothys. Gold’s daughter, Brilee Gold, was the loose-limbed Scarecrow. Other performers were Ashley Vandiver, Noelle O’Parka, Erin Vandiver, Tabitha Vinson, Elise Labutis, Emma Sarhaddi, KalynDay, Alice Stryker, Isabella Robbins, Margo Armstrong, Mia Campione and Neena Setia. Bouchard choreographed the 30-minute production.
KATHY STEELE/STAFF PHOTOS
Glinda, the Good Witch, far right, tells her fellow performers to ‘break a leg.’ It is a superstitious way of wishing ‘good luck’ right before actors take the stage.
Nicole Bouchard, owner of Nicole’s Dance Center, congratulates her dance troupe on its performance of the ‘Wizard of Oz.’
Kalyn Day, left, played the Wicked Witch. Here she puts makeup on Margo Armstrong, the pink Munchkin. Erin Vandiver, the Tin Man, watches.
Brandy Gold, a co-director of the ‘Wizard of Oz,’ applies makeup to her daughter, Brilee Gold, who will take the stage as The Scarecrow.
The studio is her dream-come-true. She went solo after more than 30 years of dance experience, and about two decades of teaching with other dance troupes including Florida Dance Masters, Dance Masters of America and New York Dance Alliance.
Enrollment at her studio has about doubled within two years. Bouchard currently is expanding a second room to accommodate about 100 students. “I’ve been really blessed,” Bouchard said. “I’m supported by imaginative people.”
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Priority highway projects focus on growth spots By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
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INSIDE, PAGE 1B
Growth is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to building, widening and re-aligning highways that crisscross Pasco County’s landscape. Most highways in the county move north and south. It is the east to west connections that are often missing or outKATHY STEELE/STAFF PHOTO of-date. County officials say traffic improvements are high priority The recently approved for the busy intersection of State Road 54 and U.S. 41. A 2015 Priority List of Highway Projects tapped into that sce- study is underway but no construction funds are available.
nario. The Florida Department of Transportation uses the list as a guide for its long-range planning, and in determining when and where to spend its state and federal dollars. Among 15 projects identified by Pasco’s Metropolitan Planning Organization, all but two are in central and east Pasco. The top choices take aim at State Road 52 from its intersection with U.S. 41 in central Pasco to Dade City in east Pasco. “It’s going to rectify a situation of having more direct east-west local connectors,” said James Edwards, Pasco County’s transportation planning manager. “It is going to be a See GROWTH, page 11A