The LAKER
ee r F
EAST PASCO EDITION
LAKERLUTZNEWS.COM
DECEMBER 2, 2015
Cigar lounge opens in Dade City By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Discover an ER designed with seniors in mind.
Rolando’s Cigar Lounge is a place where people pause and enjoy leisure time with friends. A glass of wine or beer, and if desired, a hand-rolled cigar, awaits. In the evening, a disc jockey plays music for listening and dancing, from salsa to jazz. There are friendly games of pool or billiards, too. And, on football nights, a flat screen television is on view. On some occasions, there might be a sighting of Stogie, the family dog and mascot for owner Rolando Reyes Jr. The lounge is a transformation from the Quaker Bar that shut down last year in downtown Dade City. Reyes knew he want-
Introducing the Senior-Friendly ER at Bayfront Health Dade City. Learn more at
BayfrontDadeCity.com/SeniorER.
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911. Bayfront Health Dade City is directly or indirectly owned by a partnership that proudly includes physician owners, including certain members of the hospital’s medical staff.
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Guide
holiday
2015 gifts, eats and entertainment
INSIDE, PAGE 6A
See CIGAR, page13A
COURTESY OF RICHARD K. RILEY
Rolando Reyes Jr., center, holding red scissors, cuts the ribbon for Rolando’s Cigar Lounge at a celebration with family, friends and the Dade City Chamber of Commerce.
Getting up close and personal with potters By B.C. Manion
bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
If you’re curious about the art of pottery, you can satisfy your desire for knowledge during the 2015 Tampa Bay Tour de Clay. This is the eighth Tour de Clay, which is always held during the second weekend in December. It’s an event that gives visitors a chance to see potters in action at four pottery studios and the opportunity to experience a kiln opening at each. “It creates a situation where people can come in and talk to the artist,” said Jack Boyle of San Antonio Pottery, owner of one of the studios on the tour. All four of the studios are hosting their kiln opening on Dec. 12. The first kiln opening is at 9 a.m., at Pottery Boys Studio, 30 Bogie Lane in Palm Harbor. The next opening is at noon at Hidden Lake Pottery, 16705 Hutchison Road in Odessa. Then, there will be an opening at 2 p.m., at Wellman & Welsch Pottery, 17202 Whirley Road in Lutz. And, finally, there will be a 4 p.m. opening at San Antonio Pottery in San Antonio, at 11903 Curley Street. PHOTOS COURTESY OF TOUR DE CLAY “It is rare that people get a chance to see Glenn Woods demonstrates the skill involved in carving work on a piece of pottery. a kiln opening,” said Glenn Woods of Pottery Boys in Palm Harbor. “Potters work for weeks to create enough pieces to fill theirkiln. When it’s finally time to open the kiln, passed around to those gathered, so they after days of firing, it’s always exciting to can see and feel it. Sometimes, the newly see, because the artist never knows exactly fired piece is still warm. how a piece will turn out, or how a glaze “We talk about the results,” Woods said. will look, until the kiln is opened.” Sometimes, the effects are intentional; someHe likens the experience of opening a times, they’re a surprise. kiln to that of opening presents on The tour gives people a greater underChristmas morning. standing of the art of pottery,Woods said. “Sometimes you get a shiny new bike, “I think it’s really important to see that a and other times you get socks and under- piece of handmade pottery isn’t just anothwear,” he said. er pot sitting on a shelf, that’s been made in After a piece is taken from the kiln, it is a factory. These are all individually made, hand-crafted items,”Woods said. At left, a couple of finished works by Jack To encourage people to visit all four stuBoyle, of San Antonio Pottery. See more about Boyle on page 1B.
See POTTERS, page13A
Wish list for the holidays: Food, blankets, toothbrushes By B.C. Manion
bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
Helping children who are in need is nothing new for the staff members at Centennial Middle School – they’ve been doing that for years. But, in recent years, Marty Pekarek, who chairs the Dade City school’s Assist, Believe and Care program, has noticed that children are asking for life’s essentials. “They ask for food and clothing,” she said. Their families need blankets, too, said Pekarek. Children in homes without heat have told school staff that they pile clothes on their bed to stay warm on cold nights. Sometimes, a child’s request can be heartbreaking, Pekarek said. “I think the saddest one I had one year was a little boy who said he just wanted toothbrushes, because all five family members were using the same one,” said Pekarek, a learning coach at the school. Like other Pasco County schools, the ABC program at Centennial Middle, 38505 At left, Marty Pekarek lays out angels for Centennial Middle School staff members to pick up, as the school gears up to brighten the holidays for students in need at their school.
B.C. MANION/STAFF PHOTOS
Centennial Middle School helps families in need during the holidays, and also at other times of the year. This is some of the food in its pantry.
Centennial Road in Dade City, is funded by voluntary contributions from school district employees. “It’s to help needy families. Sometimes during the holidays and sometimes other times when families have issues — they need food or clothing or something for children,” Pekarek explained. “It’s not a government-funded program. It’s just teachers and staff members that donate money to it,” Pekarek said. In previous years, teachers and staff members would “adopt” a child for See HOLIDAYS, page13A