Local Martial Artist, 13, Raising Money To Return To World Games

By Benjamin Carter

Ethan Dillon, now 13, with his medals from the 2012 World Martial Arts Games.
Ethan Dillon, now 13, with his medals from the 2012 World Martial Arts Games.

A shy four-year-old sits on his motherโ€™s lap refusing to join the other kids because the martial arts class is simply too intimidating for the young boy. But, after some encouragement from his instructor, he is suddenly participating with the others. Within five minutes, heโ€™s hooked.

Today, Land Oโ€™Lakes resident Ethan Dillon, 13, studies a plethora of martial arts fighting styles. He has achieved high ranks in several different disciplines, including two second-degree black belts in karate and mixed martial arts, as well as a first-degree black belt in Krav Maga, the official self-defense training of the Israeli Defense Forces.

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Festival Of Flight Photo Gallery

Balloons lift off just after dawn at the inaugural Festival of Flight at the Tampa North Aero Park on October 19.
Balloons lift off just after dawn at the inaugural Festival of Flight at the Tampa North Aero Park on October 19. Photos: Gary Nager

The inaugural “Festival of Flight” was held this past Saturday and Sunday at the Tampa North Aeropark in Lutz. Click through for the photo gallery and keep your eyes peeled for a recap in our next issue, due out on October 26!

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Zephyrhills Woman Dies In New Tampa Crash

By Matt Wiley,

A woman is dead following an early-morning head-on collision in New Tampa.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriffโ€™s Office (HCSO), just before 4 a.m. on September 20, Kunjummen Arun Babu, 18, of Zephyrhills, was driving north on Morris Bridge Rd. near Pictoral Park Dr., about half of a mile north of Cross Creek Blvd. in his 2010 Honda Accord. At the same time, Rita Marie Sutliff, 68, also of Zephyrhills, was driving south on Morris Bridge in her 2012 Ford Explorer. Both vehicles were traveling at about 50 m.p.h.

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Leukemia Society Fund Raiser For Marlana Draws A Crowd At The Palms

Busch Gardens Tampa dance captain Marlana Lacivita was on hand to enjoy the Leukemia Society fund raiser held in her honor at Peabodyโ€™s Palms Lounge on Sept. 28.
Busch Gardens Tampa dance captain Marlana Lacivita was on hand to enjoy the Leukemia Society fund raiser held in her honor at Peabodyโ€™s Palms Lounge on Sept. 28.

By Gary Nager

It was a great night for Peabodyโ€™s Palms Lounge in Tampa Palms, and an amazing feeling that still lingers today, as the Deacon Blues Band performed for nearly three hours at a Leukemia &โ€ˆLymphoma Society of Tampa Bay fund raiser in honor of Marlana Lacivita, the Busch Gardens dance captain who refuses to let her own year-long battle with Hodgkinโ€™s lymphoma keep her from dancing โ€” or enjoying an amazing evening with great friends, some of whom she had never met before the event on Sept. 28.

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Energia Wellness Studio Offers A More Personal Approach To โ€˜Zenโ€™

By Lauren Saslow

 

Energia Wellness Studio owner Virna Lichter (right) puts fellow Energia dance class instructor Astrid Santiago through her paces during a personal training session at the studio located in Wesley Chapel.
Energia Wellness Studio owner Virna Lichter (right) puts fellow Energia dance class instructor Astrid Santiago through her paces during a personal training session at the studio located in Wesley Chapel.

Itโ€™s 6 p.m. on a Monday. You want to make it from October through the holidays without gaining weight or feeling the stress of the season. You slide into the studio after fighting rush hour traffic just in time for a yoga class and manage to find a tiny spot on the floor amidst a class of more than 20 students. This does not feel very relaxing. You are not feeling very โ€œZen.โ€

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