Dec. 15-22, 2011 Front Page

INDEXChurch 5A

Classifieds 9B

Clubs/Parks 5B

Crime Reports 10B

Commentary 11A

Community Calendar 2A

Legals 10B

Sports 1B, 6B, 7B & 9B

T.V. Guide 11B

Crossword Puzzle 9A

Weather 3A

Zephyrhills News

SPORTSFor the second

time in four years, unbeaten

Pasco earned a berth in the state football

tournament. The Pirates, who lost in the 2008 state semifinals, visit Crawfordville

Wakulla Friday. Zephyrhills

drops its season-opening wrestling

match to rival Pasco. Bulldogs

place 17 male and female athletes

on the All-Sunshine Athletic Conference lists.

PAGE 1B

Thursday, December 8, 2011 100th Year - No. 11 Y o u r H o m e t o w n n e w s pa p e r s i n c e 1 9 11 50¢

ONLY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN ZEPHYRHILLS, “CITY OF PURE WATER”

I’m For A Friendlier Florida

Festival of Lights festivities make downtown brighter for many

Zephyrhills kicked off the Christmas season with an all-day event that featured games, elephant rides, food and fun.

All of that was culminated with the Annual Festi-val of Lights Parade that brought nearly 3,000 people to 5th Avenue in the historic district.

Ò This is the biggest parade and the most people IÕ ve seen in years,Ó said Nora Davis, who has been coming to the Zephyrhills event for six straight years. Ò I remember when the parade was over pretty quick.

Ò This year was absolutely wonderful. ItÕ s a great way to bring everybody together for the holidays.Ó

The event was presented by Zephyrhills Main Street and sponsored by GoinÕ Postal, The Zephyrhills News, Pasco Times, City of Zephyrhills, Progress En-ergy, CF Industries, Walmart, CraddockÕ s Air Condi-tioning and Heat and San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union.

Main Street events are to give back to the commu-nity while attracting people to the businesses in the downtown shopping district.

Main Street accomplished both as people milled around 5th Avenue all day taking in shopping and family fun until the parade started at 6 p.m. When the parade concluded, the crowds didnÕ t thin out very much.

’Tis the season in Zephyrhills

Handpick your own Christmas tree at Ergle’s

Ergle Christmas Tree Farm makes for wonderful holiday memories

Bringing home a sweet-smelling tree is only the half of it at the Ergle Christmas Tree Farm. Train rides, barnyard animals, Christmas cactuses and strawber-ries also are part of the memorable experience.

Rick and Ann Denz, a couple from Saint Leo, re-cently made their annual visit to ErgleÕ s to purchase a Christmas tree. Their children are grown now, but the DenzÕ s fondly recollected family trips there with daughters Eliza, now 22, and 21-year-old Rebecca when both were little.

Ò We love it,Ó Ann said. Ò It supports local busi-ness and the trees are always fresh and beautiful.Ó

Annual Tree decorating and lighting is enjoyed by thousands at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills

Mayor Cliff McDuffie and several thousand others counted down from 10. When they collectively hit zero, the lights of 53 Christmas trees glowed and the skies over Florida Hospital Zephyrhills lit up with fireworks Sunday.

The joyous occasion was the 27th Annual Tree Decorating and Lighting at Florida Hospital. Trees representing all 50 states along with an international tree, a Canada tree and a tree honoring our troops were decorated by local groups and individuals.

Ò IÕ ve been honored to do this nine times and it just kicks off the season in Zephyrhills,” McDuffie said. “It is a very valuable part of Zephyrhills and I am proud to be a part of it.Ó

For some it is a labor of love.Charlie Grigelevich and her friends

took their love for their home state of Rhode Island and put it into the Rhode Is-land Christmas Tree.

Ò Most of us lived in Rhode Island and others were from nearby Connecticut and Massachusetts. Last year we saw many

FHZ flips switch for Christmas season

➤TREE LIGHTING: See Page 6A

➤FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS: See Page 10AThree of Santa’s Elves -- Cynthia Binka, Kaylin Miller and Madison Rogers -- marched in the downtown parade. DAVE WALTERS

By Dave WaltersNews Reporter

Four-month-old Mia Rose Summers meets Santa Claus for the first time at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Sunday afternoon. DAVE WALTERS


COMMENTARYColumnist Dave Walters echoes

the sentiments of many Christians and other folks

when he wishes a Merry Christmas, instead of happy

holidays, to everyone.

PAGE 11A

By steve leeNews Reporter

➤ERGLE: See Page 2A

PUSH-UP FUNDRAISERWrestlers from

Zephyrhills High do push-ups for pledges to raise

money for Special Olympics and the school wrestling

program.

PAGE 8B

Dade Cityparade becomes a Magical Night

Thousands turn out to kick off the Christmas season

The Dade City Annual Magical Night Christmas Parade had it all Friday night.

Horses, dozens of floats, elves, monster trucks and Santa Claus made their way down 7th Street where thousands cheered through-out the 90-minute parade.

Stacked 10 deep along the sidewalks and intersections, the crowd was estimated to be nearly 7,000.

Frank VanScoyk was one of many who had a front row seat for the festivities that helps Dade City kick off the Christmas season.

Ò We got to see all of this stuff going on


➤DADE CITY PARADE: See Page 7A

COLORING CONTEST

Hey kids, do your best in

the Christmas Coloring Contest

for a chance to receive a prize.

PAGE 8A

FEAST OF REMEMBRANCE

The Gulfside Regional Hospice

Bereavement Program recently

held a Feast of Remembrance for East Pasco

residents.PAGE 2B

Bentley Linville has yet to turn 2, but he already has helped pick out the family Christmas tree. The child and his family are among many folks who handpick their trees at Ergle’s. JAN LINVILLE

INDEXChurch 5A

Classifieds 9B

Clubs/Parks 5B

Crime Reports 10B

Commentary 11A


Legals 10B

Sports 1B, 6B, 7B, 8B & 9B

T.V. Guide 11B

Crossword Puzzle 9A

Weather 3A

Zephyrhills News

SPORTSThe Pasco PiratesÍ

quest for a state championship falls one game shy of a title game after a

triple-overtime state semifinal loss to a team in FloridaÍ s panhandle. Reutimann

Charity Golf Tournament is SilveradoÍ s

signature event. Stewart and Centennial clash in a

middle school girls basketball

matinee.PAGE 1B

Thursday, December 15, 2011 100th Year - No. 12 Y O U R H O M E T O W N N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 11 50¢


I’m For A Friendlier Florida

Charity auction, golf tournament and race brings community together

for a cause

Although David ReutimannÍ s NASCAR future is uncertain, community organizations that provide for others in Zephyrhills and central Florida will have a bright 2012.

The David Reutimann Foundation raised $62,000 through a charity auction, golf tournament and race to be distributed to primary charities Camp Boggy Creek in Orlando and All ChildrenÍ s Hospital of St. Peters-burg along with several local charities in Zephyrhills.

Reutimann was released from Michael Waltrip Racing after the 2011 season and is in search for a ride for the 2012 season, but that setback hasnÍ t stopped him from continuing his efforts with his foundation to help local charitable organizations.

This was the seventh year for the event which has been held at Silverado Golf and Country Club.

Reutimann Foundation raises $62,000

Warm hearts of Betmar Acres residents help West Zephyrhills

Elementary students

A longstanding tradition of seasonal giving took place Dec. 6 at Betmar Acres. For residents of that community and 60 West Zephyrhills Elementary students, the December get-together was mutually benefi cial.

Under the direction of school mu-sic teachers Jessica Van Dyke and Rebec-ca Hines, students from the fourth and fi fth grades sang Christmas carols dur-ing coffee hour at the main clubhouse. Afterward, they lined up to receive hats and mittens, along with gift bags of fruit, crackers and candy donated by several Betmar Acres residents.

ñ ItÍ s fabulous. You couldnÍ t ask for a fi ner group of people to help with these chil-dren,î said Becky Bishop, parent involve-ment coordinator at West Zephyrhills.

Mutual benefi ts for retirees, students

�BETMAR: See Page 6A

�REUTIMANN CHARITY: See Page 7A

Members of David Reutimann’s NASCAR team made a surprise appearance at the David Reutimann Charity Auction Friday night and presented him with a hood signed by the team.

DAVE WALTERS

BY DAVE WALTERSNews Reporter

Local schoolchildren sing Christmas songs for residents of Betmar Acres as part of a longstanding winter tradition. STEVE LEE

BY STEVE LEENews Reporter

COMMENTARYColumnist Steve Lee commends Dade City and

Zephyrhills for supporting PascoÍ s playoff

run. Student columnist

Rachel Wise tells of changing Christmas wish

lists.PAGE 11A

SCOUT HELPS CHURCH

Zephyrhills church reaps

benefits of local scoutÍ s community

efforts.

PAGE 4A

City to improve airport

Ailing runway could seeimprovements to support more traffi c

In an effort to increase safety on a run-way that has seen better days, Zephyrhills City Council made a move Monday to formally des-ignate that runway as the primary for which air traffi c uses to help get funding to repair it.

The city was presented three options from its Airport Consulting Engineer AVCON to pick one of the two runways as the primary and the city chose to go with the fi rst option which would designate runway 04-22 as the primary

allowing the city to be eligible for Federal Avia-tion Administration and Florida Department of Transportation funds to rehabilitate it.

City manager James Drumm told council that it is imperative that the city move forward in order to start securing funding.

Airport manager Nate Coleman reported that runway 04-22 is currently used by 90 per-cent of the airport traffi c, while runway 18-36 services just skydive planes and recreational gliders.

ñ Runway 04-22 is in need of desper-ate repair right now,î Coleman told members of council. ñ ItÍ s possible weÍ re at the point of structural failure, which indicates that in time, the runway could face closure.


�COUNCIL: See Page 2A

COLORING CONTEST

Hey kids, do your best in

the Christmas Coloring Contest

for a chance to receive a prize.

PAGE 8A

PEARL HARBOR REMEMBRANCE

Veterans from Pearl Harbor

are remembered and honored

through exhibits at the Zephyrhills Military History

Museum.PAGE 10A

Jonathan Winn of the Zephyrhills Utilities Department is presented his Water Plant Operator certification from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection by Mayor Cliff McDuffie and Utilities Director Dave Henderson. DAVE WALTERS

ZHS studentsmourn classmate

Popular student-athlete Brandon Carvalho

perished in car crash

Students and faculty at Zephyrhills High School are saddened this week by the death of Brandon Carvalho, a popular senior basketball player.

The bright young student with an outgoing nature was involved in a head-on collision Monday night on U.S. 98 as he drove to Polk County to see his mother shortly after basketball practice. Carvalho was 17.

According to a Polk Coun-ty SheriffÍ s report, CarvalhoÍ s Saturn swerved into oncom-ing traffi c and collided with a Hyundai driven by Lauren Hindman. The 21-year-old from Howey in the Hills sur-vived and was treated at Lake-land Regional Medical Center.

ñ ItÍ s a tough day,î prin-cipal Steve Van Gorden said Tuesday as news spread throughout the high school. ñ A lot of people are upset, a lot of people are grieving. He was a great kid; a very positive young man.î

ñ ItÍ s a somber day at Zephyrhills High School,î

said assistant principal An-dressa Williams, who worked with Carvalho in student ser-vices. ñ He was just a friendly young man. He loved to run errands for us.î

Senior guidance counsel-or Julie Moore, who worked closely with Carvalho, along with his relatives, teachers Tammy and Troy Hostetler, were not in school Tuesday.

The basketball team, which was scheduled to play at Pasco Tuesday night, was in no condition to play, said coach Dustin Rowe. All ZHS athletic events were cancelled that evening.

Students, faculty pay respects to Zephyrhills High senior.


�STUDENT: See Page 11A

INDEXChurch 5A

Classifieds 9B

Clubs/Parks 5B

Crime Reports 10B

Commentary 11A


Legals 10B

Sports 1B, 6B, 7B, 8B & 9B

T.V. Guide 11B

Crossword Puzzle 9A

Weather 3A

Zephyrhills News

SPORTSFormer

Zephyrhills standout football

player Ryan Pickett, who is in his 11th NFL

season, was sidelined as

his Green Bay Packers lost for

the first time this season. The

Zephyrhills High basketball team

rallies in support of a teammate who recently

passed away. The Bulldogs continue

to struggle in girls basketball.

PAGE 1B

Thursday, December 22, 2011 100th Year - No. 13 Y O U R H O M E T O W N N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 11 50¢


Over 1,000 local children will fi nd something under the tree for Christmas

Christmas will be a lot brighter for over 1,000 Zephyrhills-area children after Toys for Tots of Pasco opened its heart to provide toys and other gifts during the annual distribution event at Alice Hall Communi-ty Center Saturday.

A line snaked out of the door and throughout the parking lot as parents waited patiently for their chance to get their children gifts to open Christmas morning.

Retired Marine Ken Keith, the East Pasco Toys for Tots coordinator, had the distribution of the toys run-ning like a well-oiled machine thanks to the 35 volun-teers helping fi ll bags for parents.

Stuffed animals, toy trucks, games, dolls and a plethora of other items suitable for a Christmas morn-ing smile were stacked on tables and divided by age group and gender.

For Keith and his band of volunteers, the hard work for the entire year it takes to put the event together

Toys for Tots makes Christmas brighter for many local children

Ensemble performs holiday concert to over 200 in

Time Square

Just when you thought a tuba could only play marching band music and pol-kas, Tuba Christmas is performed at Time Square in downtown Zephyrhills Satur-day night before a crowd of over 200 peo-ple with the Christmas spirit.

An ensemble of volunteer tuba and euphonium players amazed the crowd who brought their own chairs and enjoyed the interesting sound of Christmas carols. The concert was an outreach for the First United Methodist Church music program.

Tuba Christmas isnÍ t new to Zephy-rhills, according to event organizer and musician John Wheeler. This is the sev-enth year for the event.

Group wishes crowd a Merry “Tuba”

�TUBA CONCERT: See Page 6A

�TOYS FOR TOTS: See Page 7AToy trucks stood ready on tables ready to make a child’s Christmas complete. DAVE WALTERS


Lynn Postel of Hudson sports his Santa hat and all of his pins from previous Tuba Christmas performances. DAVE WALTERS

BY DAVE WATLERSNews Reporter

Webelos tour The Zephyrhills NewsCub Scouts get fi rst-hand look at

local newspaperÍ s operation

Seven of nine local Cub Scouts from Troop 77 re-cently toured The Zephyrhills News, and the well-be-haved boys came armed with plenty of questions.

They were informed about the newspaperÍ s op-eration and history primarily from editor Jan Lin-ville, who served them and their accompanying fam-ilies milk and cookies afterward.

ñ This is the best part of the trip,î some said, while sitting on the fl oor to eat their snacks in the page design room.

One scout, however, disagreed.ñ Nah, learning is the best part of the trip,î said

Dylan Price as his mother, Debbie Collins, smiled knowingly at her inquisitive son.

Other questions centered on where the news-paper is printed „ at the Lakeland Ledger „ and about content of the newspapers when they perused through old newspapers in heavy binders. They mar-veled at the older issues, which have been worn to a yellow color due to their age.

Some scouts even mentioned seeing the old lino-type machine used by The Zephyrhills News, which is currently on display at the Pioneer Florida Museum in Dade City.

The local group of Webelos, which the boys said stands for ñ WeÍ ll be loyal scouts,î decided to take the tour of the areaÍ s oldest weekly newspaper to help with the completion of their communication activi-ties badges, according to assistant den leader Amy

Christopher.ñ WeÍ re a pretty small den, but this is the perfect

size for what we need,î den leader James Stitt said.Troop 77 consists primarily of boys in the fourth

and fi fth grades, most of whom attend local elemen-tary schools Woodland, West Zephyrhills and Ches-ter W. Taylor Jr.

Webelos is the highest rank of Cub Scouts, which

ranges from fi rst through fi fth grade. After being We-belos, typically for 20 months, boys advance to Boy Scouts.

The boys toured the local newspaper offi ce as part of a prerequisite for their communicator badge. For Stephen Church, it marked his second tour of the


�WEBELOS: See Page 2A

SKID ENDSThe Zephyrhills

High boys soccer team finally gets

a win to halt a two-year losing

skid.PAGE 9B

XMAS GIFTSFOR

STUDENTSEagles Aerie 3752 donates

gift packages for students at Chester

W. Taylor Jr. Elementary

School.PAGE 8A

Cub Scouts from Troop 77, along with their den leaders and several parents, were informed about The Zephyrhills News by editor Jan Linville (at right). The Webelos recently toured the offices as part of their pursuit of communicator badges. STEVE LEE

COMMENTARYColumnist Dave Walters, taking

on his traditional role of ñS anta

Claus for aweekî b estows gifts and well wishes on his co-workers,

local coaches and community

leaders.Are you on SantaÍ s list?

PAGE 11A

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Dec. 15-22, 2011 Front Page