Category: NEWS CHOICES

Pioneers Honored By County

The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) recognized Bill Smith and his sister, Ruth Smith Adams, two members of a Wesley Chapel pioneer family, for their contribution in preserving the area’s history, at the historic Dade City Courthouse.

Pasco clerk and comptroller Dr. Paula O’Neil read the extensive resolution on June 7 presented by District 2 county commissioner Mike Moore. The resolution spoke of the contributions of the Smith family to east Pasco with the settlement of Wesley Chapel by their great-grandfather, William R. Smith, in 1867.

Bill and Ruth were instrumental in preserving the history of Wesley Chapel. Their family donated the 1894 cracker home of Daniel Smith to the hands-on Cracker Country museum at the Florida State Fairgrounds in 1979. Bill and Ruth’s father was instrumental in the delivery of electricity to Wesley Chapel from the Rural Electric Administration.

The Smiths had been previously honored in 1998 in a re-dedication of the historic Pasco County Courthouse as one of the “Pioneer Founding Families of Pasco County.”

The Smiths, along with many others, played important roles in helping local author Madonna Wise put together her book, Images of America: Wesley Chapel. Wise has spoken glowingly of Bill and Ruth’s contributions to Wesley Chapel’s history at the Pasco-Hernando State College History Fair and at other book signings. The Smiths also lent a number of photos to Wise that appeared in her book.

News Briefs

The Rotary Club Of New Tampa Caps Off Its Fiscal 2015-16 Year

Rotary_Service_Project — Members of the Rotary Club of New Tampa and the USF Rotaract Club did an international service project in Costa Rica for the third time in four years.

At about the same time this publication arrived in mailboxes on June 17, the Rotary Club of New Tampa was holding its weekly breakfast meeting at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club. This particular meeting had special guests, representing the 19 charities that each left the breakfast with a check in hand, as they were this year’s selected nonprofits receiving donations from the club as it closed it 2015-16 fiscal year.

The process of vetting 501(c)(3) organizations to determine which ones are most deserving and in need of the New Tampa Rotary’s support culminates each year at the annual event, where the checks are presented to the charities.

“We invite the organizations we support to have breakfast with us so we can present them with the contributions we are giving them for the year,” says Karen Frashier, who will be installed as the 2016-17 president-elect of the club later this month. She says it’s an exciting time for the original New Tampa Rotary, as they provide money to these nonprofits, “so they can continue doing their good work in the community.”

The installation banquet for the club’s incoming officers was held Friday, June 24, 6 p.m., also at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club. Current club president Lesley Zajac passed her gavel on to incoming president Brice Wolford, and New Tampa Rotary member Joyce Gunter was be installed as the new Governor of District 6890, West Central Florida USA.

District Conference In Orlando

Twelve members of the New Tampa Rotary also recently attended the Rotary District 6890 Conference, held in Orlando on May 20-21.

Rotary_District_Conference — The twelve New Tampa Rotary members who attended made up one of the larger contingents at this year’s Rotary District 6890 annual conference in Orlando.

At the conference, the club was recognized by the current Rotary District 6890 Governor Tom Wagner for its leadership in building an accessible playground at Rotary’s Camp Florida, along with Kaboom!, the MetLife Foundation (headquartered in New Tampa) and other clubs in the district. The New Tampa Rotary was awarded the “Governor’s Choice Award-Local Project” and the “Club Communications Award” for large clubs (it currently has 65 members), along with the 2015-16 Rotary International Presidential Citation Gold Level “for helping Rotary make a difference in the lives of people all over the world.”

“I love working side-by-side with all of these wonderful friends!” says Zajac. “We all have fun together, and we are working hard to make Tampa a better place to live for everyone.”

Service Project In Costa Rica

A group of 15 people from the New Tampa Rotary Club and the University of South Florida Rotaract Club it sponsors visited Alajuela, Costa Rica, for six days in May. For the third time in four years, the New Tampa club visited this area to support the efforts of the Rotary Club of Alajuela.

While there, the group painted a local public school and visited its previous projects in the area, including a playground and a butterfly garden. They also visited an active volcano, ziplined the rainforest canopy, and toured local sights.

International Convention In South Korea

Four New Tampa Rotary Club members also joined tens of thousands of other Rotarians at the Rotary International Convention in Seoul, South Korea, May 28-June 1. The members who attended include Joyce and Gary Gunter, and Steele Olmstead and Pamela Jo Hatley, who went to visit their son, Joe Olmstead. Joe, a Rotary Youth Exchange student, is completing one year of cultural study in South Korea, where he lived with a family, went to school and learned the language.

For more information about the Rotary Club of New Tampa, and to register for upcoming events, visit NewTampaRotary.org.

Justin Zabinski — A Working Model Known For His Model Behavior

When we first told you about model and longtime Wesley Chapel resident Justin Zabinski, it was more than a decade ago. And, while a lot has changed for the 25-year-old Wesley Chapel resident, a lot has stayed the same, too, as Justin continues to be a blessing not only for his father — well-known local resident Leo Star — but for homeless men, women and families and disabled children, among others.

“Whenever Justin flies in from a modeling shoot,” Leo says, “no matter what time he gets in, he’s up at 6 the next morning to help serve in local soup kitchens. He has thousands of fans (nearly 8,000 at our press time), but he always volunteers his time to help others.”

Leo says that Justin even helps put on events where the host charity can charge admission, and all the proceeds are donated to that charity. “He never takes anything for himself,” Leo says.

I was happy to catch up with Justin and his dad a couple of weeks ago, before he flew off to New York City and then Los Angeles for modeling shoots.

Justin, who certainly looks and acts the part of the “laid back surfer dude,” says he is still in search of “the perfect wave, although I have gotten to surf on some amazing beaches in Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and California.”

Among his many modeling credits are AllAmericanGuys.com, Rugby and Polo by Ralph Lauren, APC (France), Tony Meliilo fashion show in NYC, Bruce Weber, GQ Magazine (Germany) JC Penney, Hang Ten, American Living and Levis. He also has been featured in At Large magazine, which calls itself, “The definitive magazine for contemporary culture, art entertainment and men’s style.” Justin also been featured in People magazine and he is currently working as a cover model.

“I love all of the messages I get from fans,” Justin says. “Even though there are always some haters, too. I just don’t let any of it affect me.”

As for his love life, Justin says he’s simply too busy right now to worry about finding the right girl to settle down with, although he admits he would like to find that certain someone “someday.”

In the meantime, Justin hopes to see a lot more of the world, especially more of the world’s best surfing beaches, from Fiji to Australia and anywhere else he can chase the big water. “I do like hanging here at home, too,” he says.

But, being home also means serving, cleaning up and helping out any way he can in many local soup kitchens, especially in Pinellas County, where he actually graduated from high school while splitting time between Pinellas Park and Wesley Chapel.

“I know I can’t do this type of work forever,” he says. “So, I’m just enjoying the opportunity I have now and will always take the time to give back to help others who aren’t as fortunate as I’ve been.”

For additional information about Justin Zabinski, or to book him, visit his “Official Fansite” on Facebook.com.

Your First Neighborhood News Show: WCNT-tv, Episode 1

Thursday night at the offices of the Neighborhood News, the first episode of WCNT-tv was shown to a select crowd of more than 100 at the launch party. Now it’s your turn.

The new YouTube-based video news show is a partnership between Full Throttle Intermedia and the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News, and also is the exclusive webcast partner of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce. The program will come to you from the Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Studio, and will be released bi-monthly, featuring local news, businesses and restaurants.

Enjoy!

Video Premiere of WCNT-tv: Episode 1