ee r F
The LAKER
LAKERLUTZNEWS.COM
Auto Accident? Slip and Fall? FREE CONSULTATION
No Fees Or Costs Unless You Win HOLLIDAY KARATINOS LAW FIRM, P.L. HelpingInjuredPeople.com Call Attorney
JIM HOLLIDAY 813-868-1887 “I Will Aggressively Fight To Protect Your Legal Rights” 18920 N. Dale Mabry Hwy Ste 101 Lutz, FL (Corner of Sunlake & Dale Mabry)
Walk-Ins Welcome
WESLEY CHAPEL/NEW TAMPA EDITION
JANUARY 27, 2016
Pasco administrator to retire in 2017 By Kathy Steele ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker expects to be very busy over the next year and a half. She’ll be crossing off a to-do list, one by one, before leaving in 2017 to go on a lengthy road trip with her husband. The couple will hit the road with their recreational vehicle and their motorcycles, on a tour of as many baseball parks and national parks as they can squeeze into a year. “That’s been our dream,” Baker said, so letting her contract lapse in July 2017 makes sense. But, don’t expect a lame duck administrator. “There’s no kicking back here,” Baker said.“This isn’t me slowing down.” Baker has told Pasco County commissioners she won’t seek renewal of her current two-year contract, which makes her
Michele Baker
last day July 9, 2017. By then, Baker will have worked 35 years in public service, 24 of those years with Pasco County. Her to-do list, in short form, includes: • Completing master plans and updates for storm water, solid
waste and tourism • Funding and building a diverging diamond road design to ease traffic congestion at State Road 56 and Interstate 75 • Completing the State Road 56 extension • Nurturing SunWest Park, the county’s fledgling aqua park • Replacing and repairing aging infrastructure and roads damaged by the summer flooding • Making progress on the expansion of
the jail and construction of new fire stations • Relocating more government offices to central Pasco Baker also plans to fill vacancies for a few key leadership positions that remain, including an assistant county administrator for public safety and administration. Progress has been made, Baker said, but government services still could be more customer-friendly. A culture that was decades in the making is being changed, she said.“You don’t get to turn a canoe.You’re turning a ship.” Public service wasn’t Baker’s first career choice. Over the years she worked as a waitress, flight attendant and a theater manager. She also served in the U.S.Air Force Reserve. Her undergraduate degree was in business administration. It wasn’t until she accepted a secretarial See RETIRE, page 11A
Kumquats reign supreme at area festival By Kathy Steele ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Saturday, January 30, 2016 9 AM - 5 PM Historic Downtown Dade City
FREE ADMISSION
Come enjoy music, food & family fun!
www.KumquatFestival.org
CALL TODAY FIXED TODAY!
The first kumquat tree in St. Joseph took root more than 100 years ago, when C.J. Nathe planted it in his backyard. He added a few more, and soon he had a small grove on an acre of fertile ground. The kumquat king, as Nathe was later dubbed, transformed a quiet back road community into the Kumquat Capital of the World. An open house will take place on Jan. 28 and Jan. 29 at the Kumquat Growers packinghouse and gift shop. The 19th annual Kumquat Festival is set for Jan. 30 in downtown Dade City. More than 40,000 people are expected to stroll through the historic town square during the festival, which will feature more than 425 vendor booths.There will be arts and crafts, a car and truck show, a health and wellness area, live entertainment, a farmer’s market, the Kumquat Kids Corral, a quilt challenge, and kumquats in pies, cakes, salsas, jams, jellies and chutneys. No one imagined nearly two decades ago the drawing power of a tiny citrus fruit from Asia, sweet on the outside and tart on the inside. “The biggest thing that made it a success was people didn’t know what a kumquat was.There was the curiosity of it,” said Frank
KATHY STEELE/STAFF PHOTO
Margie Neuhofer and her husband Joseph Neuhofer are among founding growers of Kumquat Growers Inc. Neuhofer manages the gift shop. She and Frank Gude show off kumquat products sold at the shop.
Gude, president and founding partner in Kumquat Growers Inc., the country’s largest producer and shipper of kumquats, and kumquat products. Phyllis Smith, Roxanne Barthle and Carlene Ellberg organized the first festival on the lawn of Dade City’s historic courthouse with only a few vendors. “We started slow, and then it built,” said Gude. Gude’s family traces its history with kumquat farming to those early plantings decades ago. The Gudes were one of five original growers who founded the packing cooperative in the early 1970s. Others were Charles
Barthle, Joseph and Paul Neuhofer and Fred Heidgerken. But, kumquat groves dotted the rural landscape for decades before then. “Every family out here had a little block of kumquats,” said Gude. It didn’t take much to produce an abundant crop.“Depending on how many kids they had (to do the picking), they could have enough to ship kumquats (up north).” Nathe gets historical credit for starting it all. The Michigan native had been an employee of nearby Jessamine Gardens nursery See KUMQUATS, page 11A
Band has big dreams and bold ambitions By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
SEE INSIDE FOR GREAT COUPONS! A/C LICENSE #CAC1816647 PLUMBING LIC. #CFC1428982 ELECTRICAL LIC. #EC0001103
Winner 2012, 2013, 2014
Air Conditioning • Plumbing • Electrical
CornerstonePros.com
813-949-4445
B INSIDE, PAGE 1B
They haven’t had many big gigs yet, but the band that calls itself Beyond Chaotic hopes that will change soon. In fact, the six-member band is planning to travel to Orlando next month to audition for “America’s Got Talent.” Band members say they know it’s a big stage, and they admit they’re a bit nervous, but they want to go for it. After all, they’re trying to build their fan base. That sounds like a lot of the acts that appear on the popular television program. But, Beyond Chaotic is not exactly a typical band. It’s a rock group, and its six members are all age 12 or younger. The members are Max Karafilis and his sister, Alex; Colin Mendoza and his sister, Kayla; Devon Bilek and Dominic Fusco. They live in Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel. Two are homeschooled, two go to Seven Oaks Elementary, one attends Lutz Preparatory School, and the other attends John Long Middle School. All of them love music, and they’re willing to work hard to improve their musical chops. Max is the band’s lead singer.Alex plays violin and keyboard, and sings, mostly backup, too. Devon is the bass player. Dominic plays leader guitar. Colin is the drummer, and Kayla is on keyboard. Five of the band members met during the Bigel Music Rock Band Camp last summer. They’ve all been playing instruments longer, and they practice together two to three times a week — in addition to their private lessons. Like many bands, they’ve already had
B.C. MANION/STAFF PHOTO
Dominic Fusco plays lead guitar, in the foreground, while Kayla Mendoza plays keyboard in the background. Fusco said he enjoys performing in front of crowds, once he gets past the stage fright.
one player drop out. She had a conflict with church and Sunday school. Colin’s sister stepped up to fill the gap, because the 8-year-old has been playing keyboard since she was around 4. So far, their biggest crowd was during shows they played at The Shops at Wiregrass during the holidays. They played three sets, of 40 minutes each, to hundreds of people, according to Cindy Karafilis, Max and Alex’s mom. They have a play list of roughly 20 songs, ranging from “The Phoenix” by Fall Out Boy to “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragon to “Seven Nation Army” by White Stripes. They’re also beginning to write their own music. Being in a band has its demands and its rewards, they said. “It’s hard, but it’s fun,” said Alex, who handles the vocals. Twelve-year-old Devon put it like this:“It makes me feel accomplished that I can play music really well, when I hear the crowd getting excited when we’re playing.” They may be young, but they have big dreams. Alex wants to go on tour and wouldn’t mind getting a record deal. Devon wants to build the band’s fan base. Max wants to play a bigger venue, so more people can see them and spread the word about the band. They have some gigs lined up. They’re on the schedule for Feb. 5 at the Carrollwood Cultural Center, they’ll do a few numbers at the Valentine’s Dance at Seven Oaks Elementary School, and they’re scheduled to play April 16 at Journey for a Cure 5k at Al Lopez Park to benefit St. Joseph’s Children Hospital. See BAND, page 11A