Profilespdf

Helen Anne Travis
Proﬁles

Sticky stuff takes on arty role
unknown why Monaghan
lost control, but it may be
related to a medical condi-
tion.

NEW PORT RICHEY
Founders Day
A Dade City woman uses 11 colors of duct tape to create her functional art.
rocking today
Founders Day is in full swing
today at Sims Park with live
music, carnival rides, the
arts and crafts village, Miss
Daisy boat tours and vari-
ous children’s activities. The
popular plant sale, hosted
by the Nature Coast Florida
Native Plant Society, is from
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dog owners
are invited to “Lunch on a
leash at the lake,” a gourmet
lunch for people and pooch-
es from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. near
Orange Lake. Live music
offerings include the classic
rock group Boneyard Dogs
from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., true
oldies artist Jonathan Cortez
at 6 p.m., 60s Groove from
7 to 8:30 p.m., and Eddie
Toye/Live and Let Die, a
tribute to the music of Paul
McCartney, from 8:45 to
10:45 p.m. Folk music will be
performed by various artists
from 1 to 5 p.m. in Peace Hall.

Correction
The name of the family that
owns Angelo’s Aggregate
Materials was incorrect in
a story Thursday about a
proposed Pasco landfill.
Angelo’s is owned by the
Iafrate family.

WEATHER WATCH
For complete weather
coverage, see 12C.
KERI WIGINTON | Times
Grace Grover cuts duct tape for a purse she is making Wednesday in her Dade City home, where the 18-year-old enjoys listening to Korn.
Dade City
90/62 (0.0)
Hudson
87/65 (0.0)
BY HELEN ANNE TRAVIS | Times Staff Writer
New Port Richey Zephyrhills
90/64 (0.0)
85/66 (0.0)

D
uct tape. fake roses. She reupholsters chairs with it and
As of 5 p.m. yesterday.
tr = trace of rainfall
It holds the batteries in when you lose painstakingly cuts tiny pieces into duct tape fin-
the cover on the back of the remote. It gers, faces and guitars.
seals leaky hoses. It patches torn tents. “I like different,” Grover, 18, said.
It also helped a woman in Dade City find her She dropped out of high school in ninth grade

ig shows calling. after she said a teacher accused her of being a
It all started six years ago when a Google search witch. Grover thinks it was her dyed black hair,
for crafts showed a bored Grace Grover how to dramatic eye shadow and facial piercings.

lock to
make wallets and fake flowers out of the silver “They put you in such a stereotypical box,” Gro-
sticky stuff. ver said.
She’s since gone through more than 500 rolls of She was never the mall type. She reads Shake-
11 various colors, and all friends and family mem- speare and listens to Korn. On her walls there’s a

heater bers have received a duct tape creation of some sort printout of the 91st Psalm and a list of countries
— portrait of a snook, red and black woven purse, she wants to visit. KERI WIGINTON | Times
Jamaican flag wallet. She hopes the duct tape will get her there. Grover created a frog mural for her 11-month-old
She spends hours in her bedroom, folding sticky Earlier this month, she took a risk and responded nephew, Elijah Hemmer, right, out of duct tape.
e Piscopo returns side to sticky side to create billfolds, purses and Grover has worked with duct tape for six years.
See DUCT TAPE, 7
.

5
R PAC St. Petersburg Times | Saturday, September 27, 2008 |

Pasco Times > tampabay.com for more Pasco County news

“To realize I could step out and say, ‘This is my work, let’s show it off,’
was amazing, That’s when I realized this could be my calling.”
Grace Grover, 18, duct tape artist

. DUCT TAPE continued from 1

Sticky stuff takes arty role
to a Craigslist ad calling for art-
ists.
Grover’s normally shy, but
she’s opened up since chat-
ting with customers at the few
flea market stands where she
tried to sell her wares. She grew
more confident after she hosted
an impromptu front porch duct
tape class for the neighborhood
kids a few summers ago.
She’s grown, but she still
freaked out when Jeff Henriquez
wrote back and said he liked her
stuff.
“What she did with the duct
tape is create a new function for
it,” said Henriquez, 34, resident
artist at the Ponce De Leon Hotel
in St. Petersburg. “That … by KERI WIGINTON | Times
itself is an accomplishment.” Grover’s duct tape art includes wallets, pens, flowers and purses.
She didn’t want to drive to
. FAST FACTS
meet him by herself. Grover Portugal is first on the list
wanted to do what she normally of places she wants to visit,
If you go
did — sit back and let Mom do followed by Spain, Italy and
the talking. But Mom told her Amsterdam. She taped the list Grace Grover will show her
daughter to go alone. to the wall by her pillow so she work at the Sound FX show,
“I thought it would be good for would see it every morning when 8 p.m. to midnight today at
her,” said Anna Grover, 45. “I told she woke up. ARTpool Gallery, 919 First
her, ‘I think this is something you She never thought of traveling Ave. N, St. Petersburg.
really want to do on your own before, but in the local art world Admission is $10 and
but you’re afraid to admit it.’ ” she’s met people who have seen includes food and drinks. All
Henriquez introduced her to a the world, and now, she’s hungry. proceeds go to the artists.
friend who ran the ARTpool Gal- “I just want to get over there
Grover’s prices start at $22
lery in St. Petersburg. Today, Gro- and touch it and see it,” she said.
for bifold wallets. Purses
ver will display, and hopefully She’ll get her GED by the end
range from $45 to $120 and
sell, her duct tape creations at of the year, and go to college
portraits run $35 to $65.
her first art show. eventually. Forensic photogra-
To learn more about Grover,
“To realize I could step out and phy sounds like a good career.
visit www.myspace.com/
say, ‘This is my work, let’s show it In the meantime, it’s duct tape.
ducktapecreations
off,’ was amazing,” Grover said. The more she sells, the sooner the
“That’s when I realized this could backpack trek through Europe. (Duck Tape is her favorite
be my calling.” Two months, maybe more, she brand of duct tape.)
Duct tape. said. She can sell wallets and cre-
“It’s really maturing her,” her ate portraits along the way for
mother said. “It opened her up extra money. Helen Anne Travis can be reached at
and made her more aware of all And if her backpack breaks, htravis@sptimes.com or (813) 435-
the art that’s around her.” she can easily fix it.
Grover wraps up one of her designs before her show at ARTpool Gallery in St. Petersburg today. 7312.

Big shows

>

MIKE PEASE | Times
Caretaker Mariarose Kussler, 46, thinks the Dade City Cemetery is beautiful. Every day, she looks at the stone and marble markers and thinks about life and time and death.

continued next slide...

MIKE PEASE | Times
Mariarose Kussler mows the grounds of the Dade City Cemetery on Thursday afternoon. She had to learn how to maneuver
a riding mower. In addition to mowing, weeding and trimming tree limbs, Kussler takes time to scrub the mildew off graves.

MIKE PEASE | Times
After some flowers at the cemetery were blown over by a brisk wind on
Wednesday afternoon, Mariarose Kussler stops to straighten them up.

leaves at 9 a.m.

Continuing their pattern
• April 7: Visit the antique
shops at Mount Dora, with
stops at Russell Stover’s
chocolate warehouse and
McDonald’s for lunch at
your expense. The cost is
$22. The bus leaves at 7:30
a.m.
• April 8, 14 and 29: Hard
Rock Casino. The cost of
$20 includes a $25 free
gambling voucher and a $5
free lunch voucher. The bus
leaves at 9 a.m.
• April 10: Seaport Adven-
ture, a narrated tour of
Tampa Bay. Lunch at your
own expense at the Spa-
ghetti Warehouse in Ybor
City. The cost is $20. The
bus leaves at 8 a.m.
• April 26: Oklahoma! at the
Eleanor Dempsey Perform-
ing Arts Center. The cost is
$17. The bus leaves at 1:45
p.m.
• May 10: Mother’s Day
Show at Palace Grand fea-
turing the New Dawn Sing-
ers and a buffet lunch. The
cost is $48. The bus leaves
at 10:30 a.m.
The pickup location for all
trips is the Elfers Center at
4136 Barker Drive. For infor-
mation or to register for any
trip, call the travel office at
(727) 848-3387.

LAND O’LAKES
Golf tournament
beneﬁts hospice
Break out your driver and KERI WIGINTON | Times
putter and golf for a good Marcia Swartz, left, talks with Luther Monkelien and Iris Burnell during a quilting meeting at Sundance Mobile Home Park in Zephyrhills.
cause. On April 18, Gulfside
Regional Hospice is holding
When his wife died, he lost his quilting partner but
its annual Golf Classic at
the Groves Golf & Country
not his desire to carry on their treasured tradition.
Club. Registration begins
at 7:30 a.m. with a shotgun
start at 9 a.m. The tourna- BY HELEN ANNE TRAVIS | Times Staff Writer
ment is a scramble format,
ZEPHYRHILLS
and prizes will be awarded

T
to the foursomes that place
hey started quilting 15 years ago. ¶ Luther Monkelien would
first, second, third and last
measure, cut and press the tiny fabric squares and triangles.
by gross scores. The cost is
$75 for individuals and $300
His wife, Myrtle, pieced them back together on her sewing
per foursome and includes
machine. They made about 30 quilts together before she died.
a morning snack, lunch
and goodie bag. There will
be skill contests, a silent Family members received the couple’s summer of 2001. Luther was left with a
auction and a $10,000 hole- work as gifts. Stacked on Luther’s cof- bag of fabric.
in-one prize. All proceeds fee table are photo albums devoted to the Their last quilt was two-thirds of the
benefit Gulfside Regional quilts and their new owners. In each pic- way done. Luther had cut all of the
Hospice to help patients and ture, the heads of Myrtle, Luther, nieces windmill blade-like pieces of sky blue
families facing life-limiting ill- and grandchildren poke out from behind fabric, but Myrtle wasn’t there to sew
nesses. Sponsorship oppor- the geometric swirled fabric draped across them back together. He decided it was
tunities are still available. For their shoulders. Everyone is smiling. time to learn how to use the sewing
“He has a smaller stitch than most women I know,” says Deb Hite,
information or to register, Myrtle had the heart attack during the
owner of Calico Cupboard in Emmetsburg, Iowa. See QUILT, 3
.
call Jennifer Kirkland at

be tough.”
Other board mem
veyed similar sentim
ing a recent worksh
trict policy. Studen
director Lizette Alex
she’s working to fur
Margo Cavness talks with Luther Monkelien during a recent quilting meeting at Sundance Mobile Home Park, where he is a winter
the proposal.
resident. He has made one quilt every year since his wife’s death.
One idea is to e
phone ban from the

Quilter is continuing the pattern
ing room to all roo
testing is under way.
Of equal importan
is the need to tackl
problem, Alexander s
machine. For Myrtle’s sake. every year since his wife’s death. on Main Street in Emmets- Try to press Hite on who has “The issue of d
“Every time I stick my finger, He cuts and presses the pieces burg, Iowa. During the summer, the better sense of color and has always been wi
I think of her,” Luther, 79, said in Iowa. In the clubhouse of his Luther stops in her store for fab- composition and she can’t make said. “Technology fa
last week in the living room of Zephyrhills community, he has ric and lessons. The staff still a decision. I think what we ha
the couple’s Zephyrhills winter to push six tables together for a misses Myrtle. “I think they spent enough work on academic ho
home. surface big enough to baste the Hite could only think of one time together when they quilted,” The code of condu
Almost everything on the colorful top layer to the backing. other male customer and “his she said. “They have a similar also adds a few other
mobile home’s walls was made It takes him more than 300 stitches weren’t anything like eye.” Hazing — define
by his wife. Myrtle cross-stitched hours to hand quilt the patterns Luther’s.”
the Santa Claus by the dining that swirl through each piece. Myrtle used to pick out the fab- Helen Anne Travis can be reached at
room table and the schoolchil- Good luck trying to maneuver rics for their quilts. Now that’s htravis@sptimes.com or (813) 435-
dren playing in the snow framed his living room during that time. Luther’s job. 7312.
outside the kitchen. The teddy Three years ago, Luther
bears she and Luther stuffed started submitting his quilts to
and stitched line the top of their county fairs and shows.
cream couch. He wins every time.
Luther doesn’t use air-condi- The quilts — which have been
tioning or celebrate his birthday. appraised at more than $2,000
His fingers, worn from years of — nab first-place ribbons at the
working in a grain elevator, are fairs. Last month, one of his
too big for thimbles. It’s hard to pieces took a people’s choice
get him to say how he felt in the award at Dade City’s Pioneer
months after Myrtle died, but he Florida Museum & Village quilt
freely admits that he still talks to show.
her on the 1,600-mile drive from “It was just gorgeous,” said
Zephyrhills to their other home Susan Bayes, the museum’s office
in Pocahontas, Iowa. manager.
“She never says a word,” he “He has a smaller stitch than
said. most women I know,” said Deb
Luther has made one quilt Hite, owner of Calico Cupboard

Business digest
Financial adviser announce the addition of online
bill pay. This new service will
earns Gold Elite status give patients the convenience
Doreen Scott, vice president of paying their bills quickly and

to do and
She is Shel- yearlong research and presentation project “meaningful,” down from 71.6 technology use and oral presentation ing and orally has value, whether the
don Nicks’ project is a chance to discover some- percent the year before. — with the high school curriculum teens go to college or to work.
that’s it.”
niece. thing new while honing important “That’s a concern,” superintendent standards. “We emphasize that it is to help
“I couldn’t skills. Heather Fiorentino said after review- The group then looked for ways them and let them know it’s not Steve Knobl,
principal at
talk when But he sees all around him class- ing the report. “It could be a blip or to make the project guidelines something we do just to make them
Gulf High
the lieuten- mates who don’t take the assignment, the start of a trend. We want to make and expectations more consistent do it,” said Margaret Deurosie, Mitch-
Nicks
School.
ant told me,’’ which counts as part of their senior sure this is only a blip.” throughout the district, and for ways See PROJECT, 8
.
she said. “I was crying.’’
Lt. Mike Schreck heads up
the honor guard for the Pasco
County Sheriff’s Office and
since May has been consider-
ing a compelling argument
by Mrs. Mallett and Gulf High
School math teacher/amateur
historian Jeff Miller. They said
Sheldon Nicks should be hon-
ored along with the other six
Pasco lawmen killed in the
line of duty, the first in 1922.
The Sheriff’s Office is now
making plans to include Nicks
at its annual memorial cere-
mony on the steps of the his-
toric courthouse in Dade City
on May 1. Nicks was murdered
on May 8, 1909.
Mrs. Mallett, still precise in
her research and recollections
with the West Pasco Historical
Society, will lay a rose on the
new marker.
In addition to the local rec-
ognition, Schreck has begun
the process of getting Nicks’
name on memorial walls in
Tallahassee and Washington,
D.C. And the honor guard will
clean and maintain Nicks’
headstone, which has weath-
ered badly over the years at
the Brooksville Cemetery.
So why did it take so long?
Unraveling history can be
a painstaking process, but it’s
Miller’s passion. You can tell
when you visit the Web site he
created some years ago, www.
fivay.org, which is packed with
fascinating stories and old
photos, many from Mrs. Mal-
lett’s personal collection.
She knew that Sheldon had KERI WIGINTON | Times
been killed while his father, Alexzander Newberry, 3, hugs Santa at Discovery Point in Wesley Chapel recently. Vic and Fran Sitmer of Land O’Lakes make jolly appearances year-round.

The secret life of Santa
H.R. Nicks, was attempting
to arrest a man in the rough
turn-of-the-century lum-
ber mill town of Fivay, which
lasted for eight years where
these days Little Road meets
State Road 52. What Mrs. Mal-
lett didn’t know, until Miller
found old newspaper articles
in Tampa and Gainesville, was
that Sheldon was described as

S
a deputy.
More on the elf himself
H.R. Nicks, Mrs. Mallett’s anta and Mrs. Claus had to
grandfather, was the chief law move to the side for Frida the To see more of Santa in an
enforcement officer in west- Airedale terrier’s portrait. online audio slideshow visit
ern Pasco, having moved to It was picture day at Dog links.tampabay.com.
continued next slide...
the coast from Spring Lake Lovers, a pet supply store in Tampa.
in Hernando County. He took A pair of yipping terriers had already when his Jewish grandmother was
his 23-year-old son with him posed with Vic and Fran Sitmer, a around, but his family also celebrated

which has weath-
over the years at
ville Cemetery.
id it take so long?
ng history can be
ng process, but it’s
sion. You can tell
isit the Web site he
e years ago, www.
hich is packed with
stories and old
ny from Mrs. Mal-
al collection.
that Sheldon had KERI WIGINTON | Times
while his father, Alexzander Newberry, 3, hugs Santa at Discovery Point in Wesley Chapel recently. Vic and Fran Sitmer of Land O’Lakes make jolly appearances year-round.

The secret life of Santa
was attempting
an in the rough
-century lum-
n of Fivay, which
ight years where
Little Road meets
52. What Mrs. Mal-
now, until Miller
ewspaper articles
nd Gainesville, was
n was described as

S
More on the elf himself
ks, Mrs. Mallett’s anta and Mrs. Claus had to
r, was the chief law move to the side for Frida the To see more of Santa in an
t officer in west- Airedale terrier’s portrait. online audio slideshow visit
aving moved to It was picture day at Dog links.tampabay.com.
om Spring Lake Lovers, a pet supply store in Tampa.
o County. He took A pair of yipping terriers had already when his Jewish grandmother was
-old son with him posed with Vic and Fran Sitmer, a around, but his family also celebrated
909, to arrest an believable Santa and Mrs. Claus. Christmas with trees and presents.
nvict named Henry But Frida’s owner was Jewish, and He wasn’t raised in any particular
en confronted, this was a Hanukkah present for him religion, though one tenet has held out
led a pistol and from his roommate. Having Santa in the past eight decades.
on jumped in front the picture would not be appropriate, “I believed in Santa, and I still do,”
r and was killed the roommate explained. Sitmer said. “Probably more so than
Vic Sitmer, 81, just smiled. most.”
, 1909, article in He didn’t say a word, even though That is a requirement to be a good
ille Sun identi- this Santa impersonator is Jewish. Santa, Sitmer said. Along with a real
n as a deputy and Well, sort of Jewish. Half, if you want beard, a real belly and a convincing KERI WIGINTON | Times
at Pasco County, to get technical. Mrs. Claus. Fran, 76, helps Vic, 81, get ready before they head to a holiday portrait
Gilchrist and H.R. As a boy, Sitmer spun the dreidel session at Dog Lovers, a pet supply store in Tampa, on Dec. 4.
See SANTA, 3
.
offering a $1,025
information lead-
rest. The killer was
ght to justice.
iff’s Office began

Treasures, given freely
fficers killed Hunter King,
er Sheriff’s Lt. 3 ¹⁄ , already
’’ Harrison was knows he
th in 2003. The is getting a
rohibition Agent Pekingese-
Freecycle.org’s community believes it’s better to give than to trash.
s and Constable Pomeranian
ece’’ Crenshaw puppy for
uty William Henry mean to her three young chil- sitting there and being upset,”
Christmas. BY KAREN LACHENAUER
Times Correspondent
(1926), Deputy dren. said Athena Tanner of Hudson,
His mom,
ert’’ McCabe (1948) A young mom needed help. Within about a day, Heather who read King’s post and invited
Heather
Highway Patrol She had brought home a stray King of Port Richey had more mother and son to take their pick
King of Port
es “Brad’’ Crooks dog, then gave the pet to a friend. than she had bargained for: a of her dogs’ litter.
Richey, got

. SANTA continued from 1

Santa and the missus are jolly year-round
Sitmer has all three.
Sitmer lives in Land O’Lakes,
but appears as Santa all over the
bay area. His sidekick is wife No.
3, Fran, 76.
They met after his second wife
died under hospice care. Fran Sit-
mer, now retired, worked at the
hospice center and was a widow.
They married in 1999.
“I certainly never dreamed
about doing this type of thing,”
Fran Sitmer said. She wore a
homemade red suit with fuzzy
white trim down the middle. “I
decided I wanted to join him
rather than fight him.”
By the time Fran entered the
Santa scene, Vic Sitmer had
played the role for decades. He
started out ho-ho-hoing with his
kids and grandkids.
In 1991, he stood in for an
absent Santa at a now defunct
department store in Tampa.
“I just sat there in amazement
that I did what I did, had fun
doing it, and there I was getting
paid for it,” Vic Sitmer said.
The couple won’t share how
much money they make, but they
say it’s enough for the occasional KERI WIGINTON | Times
Caribbean cruise. Claudia Beaulieu fixes the set behind Vic and Fran Sitmer, who hold Max and Zoe for a holiday
They stay pretty busy. There portrait session at Dog Lovers, a pet supply store in Tampa. The beard and the joy are both real.
are regular visits to children
under hospice care with the vol- summer, he trims the fluffy hair let them know that he is Santa a ticket, but would you please
unteer group Santa America. down, an agreement he made and gives out a business card,” watch your speed,’ ” Fran Sitmer
(Those are Mrs. Claus’ favorite.) with his wife. she said. recalled.
The couple also maintains a “I like a break from it here and “You can be anywhere, out in “I told him I’d put him in my
steady string of gigs at retirement there, but he does not want to the middle of the boonies camp- ‘nice’ book,” said Vic Sitmer.
homes, churches and stores. let go of that beard,” Fran Sitmer ing, and he’ll be pushing that Back at Dog Lovers, Frida the
“Over the years, we’ve devel- said. he’s a Santa professional,” Lind- Airedale terrier’s photo shoot
oped good Santa–client relation- It’s the beard that gets him sey Sitmer said. was over and there was a pause
ships,” Vic Sitmer said. recognized as Santa in Home Vic and Fran Sitmer’s bed- in the action. Mr. and Mrs. Claus
Most of their gigs are in Depot, where people in the room has a year-round portrait rested on some North Pole photo
November and December. They checkout line insist on taking of Santa on the wall and a shelf props while the next dog was
also make occasional appear- pictures of him with their cell dedicated to Santa, nutcracker outfitted in a colorful scarf for
ances at Christmas in July phones. and reindeer figurines. his glamour shoot.
events. “We can be waiting in a restau- They sleep on a — wait for it — The couple talked about their
But even during the down sea- rant 20 miles from the house and king size sleigh bed. Christmas Day plans. Santa and
son, Sitmer has a hard time men- someone will recognize him as a Sometimes the Santa shtick Mrs. Claus would visit the grand-
tally leaving the North Pole, his Santa Claus, even when he’s not comes in handy. children in costume.
family said. in costume,” said his son, Lind- On the day before Thanksgiv- When it comes to entertaining
“Santa doesn’t ever want to sey Sitmer, 57. ing this year, they were en route kids, Vic Sitmer considers him-
stop being Santa,” said Fran Sit- There’s always candy in Santa’s to a gig, in full costume, when self the real thing, not an actor.
mer. “There are times when I pockets. And every encounter is flashing blue lights showed up in “I don’t see me as ‘playing’
think, ‘Christmas is over, Santa, a marketing opportunity. the rear view mirror. Santa,” he told his wife.
let’s just let it rest for a while.’ ” When Fran Sitmer needed an Mrs. Claus was driving 68 in “That’s just because of who you
The long white beard is now operation earlier this year, her a 55 mph zone. A Florida state are, dear,” Fran Sitmer replied.
a permanent facial fixture. He daughter Sally Williams, 49, trooper appeared at the car win-
started growing it a few years accompanied her parents to a dow. Helen Anne Travis can be reached at
after retiring from his previous medical consultation. “He said, ‘You know, I just htravis@sptimes.com or (813)
life in the banking world. In the “The first thing (Vic) does is couldn’t feel right giving you 435-7312.

More coverage
ON THE WEB: More scenes from Palin’s visit can be found at
tampabay.com
WILLIE J. ALLEN JR. | Times
IN TODAY’S PAPER: For more on Alaska Gov. Palin’s speech,
gns and pompoms at the rally Saturday morning. Early risers had been see Tampa Bay.
he gates opened at 6 a.m. Palin took the stage at 9.

ers redrawing Energetic spin grabs attention
ctions picture This “sign waver extraordinaire” puts on a show to promote his ads.
ctrifies an electorate bloc. BY HELEN ANNE TRAVIS
Times Staff Writer
voters are growing. Jonas Jones dragged a plas-
Since the last presidential elec- tic sign along the grassy side of
ley will tion, the number of black voters bustling State Road 54.
e first in Pasco has increased 78 per- The 4-by-2 sign — embla-
cent, from 5,422 to 9,650, while zoned with the words “Your Ad
Land the total number of voters only Here” and Jones’ cell number —
r Sen. went up 9 percent, from 269,642 weighed less than a pound, but
nt. to 294,677. In that time the local he pretended it was more like a
ican, I black population grew 66 per- thousand. Jones’ face strained
t’s not cent. under the tie-dyed bandanna
I’ve lis- Not only are more blacks reg- holding back his dreadlocks.
it’s not istered to vote, but so far a much A semi honked. Teenagers
says it. larger proportion of them are cheered out the windows of a
ptivat- participating. Nearly 43 percent silver BMW. A man on his way
have voted early this year, com- to the post office decided Jones BRENDAN FITTERER | Times

I think the biggest thing going against me is
rge of pared with only 8 percent who must be nuts.
ipating voted early in 2004. “I think the biggest thing
people don’t understand what I do.
Black residents say their moti- going against me is people don’t
, about vation this year is two-fold: They understand what I do,” said Jonas Jones, above, shown rocking out to Korn on his
voters are inspired by a black candi- Jones, 24. headphones as he gets motorists’ attention
h early date, and they believe Obama They’re called “human direc-
will bring change to the nation’s tionals,” the folks who sit out-
s, how- economy. side the pizza parlor with “buy technical term. He is a “sign tree. (Horticulture is another one
nearly Sandy Wright, 56, of Hudson, one slice, get one free” signs. spinner extraordinaire,” which of his many passions, along with
said she supports Obama’s plans Business owners believe they is better than your typical sign drumming, guitar and Native
minor- to help seniors on fixed incomes can bring in more customers holder, he said. American cultures.)
ust 3.8 and improve the country’s health with a living, waving sign rather “We get noticed more,” Jones “We interact more with peo-
n. But care system. But she is also than a stagnant poster. explained as he took a break from ple. We can do tricks with the
stered But Jones doesn’t like that spinning in the shade of a loquat
See BLACKS, 6 See SIGN WAVER, 10
. .

than $1.3-million. Mitchell has police officer before retiring. He to end American dependence North Pinellas, west Pasco and
raised $141,000. But he has cam- now is a shop owner. Richard O. on foreign oil, supports tax cred- suburban northern and eastern
paigned at breakneck speed, a Emmons, 57, is a member of the its for companies that don’t out- Hillsborough.
strategy that helped him win the Term Limits for Congress Party source jobs. He also opposes uni-
Democratic primary in August, and the owner of a magazine versal health care. Rita Farlow can be reached at far-
beating former Plant City Mayor subscription agency in New Port Emmons supports term lim- low@sptimes.com or (727) 445-4162.

. SIGN WAVER continued from 1

Energetic roadside routine grabs attention
. FAST FACTS
signs. We don’t just stand — Jones moved to New Port said.
we’re always moving.” Richey from Dallas three years Marc Brown saw Jones one
To learn more
Well, not always moving. A ago. He worked in the new con- day on a lunch break trip to the
good sign spinner knows to hold struction division of a land sur- bank.
For more information on
the sign still long enough for veying company for two years “The first thing I thought is,
Jonas Jones, visit myspace.
passersby to read. before being let go in March. ‘Wow, he’s taking this thing seri-
com/spinality.
“You always have a pause in Blame the housing market. ously,’ ” Brown said. “Someone’s
there,” Jones said. “No homes, no surveys,” he getting a good $8 to $10 an hour
Michelle Ketterman, an assis- said. employee.”
tant community manager at the Restaurants and retail stores or any kind of ‘in the Zen’ type Back on the side of the road,
Columns at Bear Creek Apart- weren’t hiring. A gig at a tele- thing.” Jones pretended to hammer the
ments, bought Jones’ pitch and marketing agency failed to stir Between sign spinning, teach- sign embossed with his phone
hired him for a Saturday after- his soul. ing guitar lessons and selling number into ground.
noon. Nine people came into He eventually got work wav- homemade Hula Hoops and jug- The light turned green. The
the New Port Richey office that ing signs for a few talent agen- gling sticks, Jones makes enough driver of a jacked-up white Lin-
day, as opposed to the one or cies. Now, he’s trying to start his money to eke out a humble liv- coln honked. Jones’ cell phone
two who trickled in on previous own spinning business. ing of rent, a few beers, music rang.
Jones-free weekends. “I’m just tired of working for festivals and kayak rides through A woman who saw his act told
“He was able to generate traf- the man,” he said. “Every job I do Anclote Key. Jones’ voicemail she’d like him to
fic for us,” she said. “Even if they I am one of the best employees. I He struggles to convince busi- promote her small business.
weren’t people who leased apart- am easy to get used up.” nesses that he deserves more “One phone call makes it
ments, he brought them in.” He likes the freedom of set- than what they pay a normal worthwhile,” Jones said. “It’s bet-
“The guy has a ton of energy,” ting his own hours as a spinner. sign waver — usually $8 to $10 ter than staying at home. I’d be
said Steve Amos, a real estate There’s the sun, the exercise, the per hour. He believes a “sign doing something goofy and stu-
agent at Madison Oaks in Palm challenge of catching a 5-foot spinner extraordinaire” deserves pid anyway. I might as well try to
Harbor, which employed Jones sign after flipping it behind his twice that. make something of it.”
earlier in the year. “He’s enter- back and over his head. “They don’t understand what
taining. He definitely gets peo- “It’s therapeutic,” Jones said. kind of attention I can attract Helen Anne Travis can be reached at
ple to look in our direction.” “It’s like yoga, karate, crocheting or how hard of work it is,” Jones htravis@sptimes.com.

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Norman ‘Ehren’
slam Fasano’s
SAN ANTONIO — Inside the sanc- special operations training near Fort He studied psychology, film and
tuary it feels bare and clean, the walls Bragg, N.C. anthropology at the University of Flor- He was 20 years old
and high, arched ceiling white and Murburg — a 6-foot, 4-inch chiseled ida and joined a fraternity. by his mother, Karen

view on gulf seamless, washing turmoil from your Adonis with blond hair and green eyes But Murburg wasn’t happy and, at Clearwater, and his f
mind and soul. It is a quiet blankness. — grew up in Dade City and graduated the beginning of his sophomore year Murburg and sister, E
On Thursday morning, hundreds of from Pasco High School in 2005. He last fall, he dropped out and enlisted in both of Dade City. He

oil drilling mourners sat in the wood pews of St. wanted to join the military but instead the Army without consulting his family Thursday at Florida N
Anthony of Padua Catholic Church went to college, as was expected in his first. They were upset, but also proud etery in Bushnell.
in San Antonio. They were there educated family — his father, Michael of him. This was his purpose and his
for the funeral of Norman “Ehren” Murburg, is an attorney and his sister, See MURBURG, 6
.
“Boneheaded” is the
blunt assessment of
the senator’s support

Owner of bur
Teach a man
for offshore drilling.

to grow ﬁsh … home found b
BY DAVID DECAMP
Times Staff Writer
NEW PORT RICHEY —
Already targeted by the state
Democratic Party this campaign
Hans Geissler sells catamarans to The woman, found behind th
season, state Sen. Mike Fasano
drew a blunt
the rich so he can help the poor. teenager, was murdered, say
rebuke Thurs-
day for his sup-
port in allow- old The
BY HELEN ANNE TRAVIS BY NOMAAN MERCHANT
Times Staff Writer Times staff writer
ing oil drill- in the h
ing off the Gulf DADE CITY — Hans Geissler, 67, fancies himself HOLIDAY — Firefight- old son.
DANIEL WALLACE | Times
Coast. as a Robin Hood of sorts. ers arrived at 4635 Darling- murdere
Hans Geissler has built more than 100
“This is a But instead of stealing from the rich and giving ton Road at about 3 a.m. Tues- The b
aquaponic tanks that have fed thousands.
boneheaded to the poor, Geissler wants to sell high-rollers eco- day to put out a blaze engulfing Jones’ b
move on the friendly catamarans and use some of the profits to In a typical setup, a large reservoir is filled with the house. They found no one home to
Sen. Mike
part of Fasano,” teach the less fortunate to feed themselves. tilapia and the water is filtered by vegetables that inside. he was b
Fasano says
said Democrat- Fifteen years ago, Geissler left his profession as thrive on the fish waste. More than 36 hours later, accordin
his critic
ic Party spokes- a boat builder to start Morning Star Fishermen, a When the fish grow into delicious 2-pound fil- a 13-year-old boy who lived Maureen
is “out of
man Mark Bu- nonprofit on a mission to fight world hunger with lets, they’re eaten — with a side of aquaponic- nearby came to the house. He Inste
touch.”
briski, noting aquaponics. grown vegetables. found a body lying under a aside so
estimates that it could take 10 years His organization has built more than 100 aqua- The tanks are easily refilled with tilapia from fresh patch of dirt in the back back ya
for gulf-drawn fuel to reach con- ponic tanks throughout the Caribbean and Latin local rivers and streams. yard, with flies circling above. toes, he
sumers’ gas tanks. America. In Haiti alone, Geissler said that one tank Geissler runs an aquaponic training center On Thursday, authorities said.
feeds thousands of children each month. identified the body as 46-year-
See FASANO, 3 See GEISSLER, 6 See BO
. . .

6 | Friday, June 20, 2008 | St. Petersburg Times PAC

From the front page > tampabay.com for more Pasco County news

. GEISSLER continued from 1 . MURBURG
continued from 1

Man sells boats so he can help the poor ‘Live your
life,’ says
at his home in Dade City. Stu-
dents from around the world

father
come and learn to build the
tanks in their communities.
But for the past year-and-a-
half, Geissler has split his time
between home and a 5,000- dream and he had the guts to
square-foot warehouse in the change course, to go against the
Dade City Business Center predictable current and take the
across town. leap he felt called to him.
There, he has designed and And there, in the military, Mur-
built the prototype for a 36-foot burg found peace and strength.
catamaran that he hopes will be He changed in the way people
the start of a “green” boat busi- do when they know they are ful-
ness, proceeds of which will help filling their purpose. Erica said
Morning Star Fishermen build the Army made her brother into
more aquaponic tanks around the man he always wanted to be,
the world. but didn’t know how. After years
“Everything I am doing of being withdrawn because of
over here is for Morning Star,” his parents’ divorce, Murburg
Geissler said Monday as he opened again — he wanted to be
toured the unfinished cabin of part of the family and called and
his catamaran. cared.
Geissler is short, strong and Last week, he and other Green
tan with salt and pepper hair. Beret candidates set off for a
He grew up poor in a small town 10-hour training exam. They
outside Frankfurt, Germany. would be left in the woods, with
After World War II, food was only a map and compass and had
scarce for Geissler and his nine to reach certain targets. When
siblings. Murburg didn’t check in at a
His parents had a garden and post midday on June 9, a massive
slaughtered their own rabbits search by 500 soldiers began.
and chickens. Their self-sustain- They looked for him that day
ing ways during his childhood and night and found his body the
are the reason he wants to edu- next morning. He had not used
cate the poor and hungry about his emergency equipment and
aquaponics. he had water in his canteens. The
“You can give a man a fish Army is investigating his death
and he eats for one day,” Geissler and won’t have results for at least
DANIEL WALLACE | Times
said. “Teach him how to raise a month, if not more. Murburg’s
John Terry, 46, left, and Vaughn Moore, 58, secure a catamaran built by Hans Geissler to a trailer for transport from the Dade
fish, and teach him to use the father spoke at the funeral and
City Business Center to a marina in Tarpon Springs. Geissler wants to sell catamarans to finance his help for the poor.
waste from the fish to raise veg- said, from what he heard, his son
etables, you become a part of a His new boat, the Green Cat, lons per mile,” said Geissler. “I’m going to hang out with tral America, rather than flying died quickly and without pain.
solution.” as he has named it, has the same Eventually, he wants to get the rich and famous so I can tell them to the United States. “We hope that is the case,” said
He and his wife, Sigrid, came thin hulls and needs only two even greener with solar panels them about the poor and needy,” Next week, he’ll test the Green Maj. Sonny Leggett, of U.S. Army
to America when he was 23. 60-horsepower motors. and hybrid boat engines. Geissler said. Cat’s gas mileage and sea-wor- Special Operations Command.
After hopping around the county Geissler hopes it will get The Green Cat will run about Once hurricane season is over, thiness in open water. If all goes “His family is in our thoughts.”
a bit, the Geisslers landed in St. about three times the gas mile- $400,000. Geissler plans to take the Green well, he hopes to build one boat The Army sent several soldiers
Petersburg, where he opened a age of traditional catamarans, His target audience: “People Cat to Nicaragua, where he is per month. to the service. Some were Green
catamaran shop and developed which have larger motors and with money,” Geissler said. building another Morning Star Berets, what Murburg wanted to
the G-Cat, a catamaran with use more gas. A German customer, he said, training center. be more than anything. Speak-
Helen Anne Travis can be reached
thinner hulls than traditional “We’re asking how many miles is already interested in purchas- The new center will make it ing at the end of the service, Mur-
at htravis@sptimes.com
models. per gallon, not how many gal- ing three. easier to train people from Cen- burg’s father tried to make sense
or (352) 521-6518.
of his son dying so soon after
doing what he always wanted.
But maybe that’s the point
we’re supposed to take, he said.
His son died doing what he
loved and what he believed God
wanted him to do. He died, his

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