The Shields Painting Difference: Perfection with Every Brush Stroke
Many painting companies in Florida rely on flashy marketing and big promises to try and attract new clients. But when it comes time to work, they fall short of their promises. This is often due to a lack of experience, qualified painters, and a drive to overachieve. At Shields Painting, we do things a little differently than other painting companies in Citrus County. We believe that a professional paint job should be as close to perfect as possible. Our goal is to leave you 100% satisfied, whether we're touching up an old residential paint job or performing a complex commercial project. It might sound simple, but we achieve that goal through honesty, hard work, beautiful results, and reasonable pricing.
As a family-owned and operated painting company in Masaryktown, FL, we strive to provide personalized, professional, and friendly service. Shields Painting has been in business since 1968 for a good reason. Whenever possible, we go the extra mile to make sure our customers are happy. Unlike some of our competition, we want to know all about your house or business painting project: your vision, your preferences, your challenges, and your goals. When we understand your needs, we can present you with a fantastic final product - one that you're proud to show off to friends and neighbors.
At Shields Painting, we combine our extensive experience with time-tested, meticulous painting processes, resulting in the highest quality painting results around. As a painting contractor in Citrus County, we can take on a variety of residential, commercial, and industrial projects in Florida.
A few of our most popular painting services include:
- Interior Painting
- Exterior Painting
- Residential Painting
- Commercial Painting
- Cabinet Painting
- Ceiling Painting
- Fence Painting
- Sign Painting
- MUCH More!
Our commercial, industrial, and residential painting contractors take the proper steps to protect your property and belongings while we work. Our team will clean up after ourselves, so your property is left clean and free of debris when we're done. After all, we think there's only one way to do a job, and that's the right way.
Painting Services
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Eco-friendly & clean work area.
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PDCA Certified Member.
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Your Go-To House Painting Company in Masaryktown, FL
Your home is a haven of relaxation and solitude. It is uniquely you - a place where you can express who you are through style and design. Whether you need interior touch-ups for your crown molding or a new exterior coat of paint, hiring a reliable painting contractor is the best way to get quality results.
At Shields Painting, we know how important it is to have a home that highlights your tastes and personality. That's why we offer an extensive array of residential painting services in Citrus County. As tempting as it might be to try a DIY paint job, without the proper skills and experience, there is a good chance that the results will turn out less than satisfactory.
High-quality painting requires skill, experience, and patience. If you're a homeowner who needs residential painting services but doesn't have the time, patience, or skills to handle the job, look no further than Shields Painting. We offer accuracy, precision, and longevity with each paint job we perform. Our customers choose Shields Painting for their home because they receive:
- Free Quotes with Detailed Project Breakdowns
- Affordable Pricing
- Expert Painting Contractors
- High-Quality Paint Products
- Combo of Traditional and Modern Techniques
- Well-Maintained Tools
- Unmatched Craftsmanship
- Friendly, Personalized Service
- Good Old-Fashioned Hard Work!
The majority of our house painting services come in two forms: interior and exterior.
Interior Residential Painting
As an interior painting contractor with decades of experience, our expert technicians have developed an interior painting process that maximizes quality and emphasizes customer satisfaction. We understand that interior painting goes beyond aesthetics. It protects your ceilings and walls and helps you sustain a healthier place to live for your family. When only the finest craftsmanship will do inside your home, Shields Painting is here for you.
Our seasoned team of painting experts and craftsmen is dedicated to respecting your space and providing you with the look and feel you're craving inside your home. Whether you bought a new house and want to make it your own or need minor touch-ups but have no time, Shields Painting is ready to tackle the job, no matter how small or large.
Unlike some painting companies, our interior house painters take the time to get the details right, every time. For instance, color is only one aspect of your interior paint job. The paint sheen or finish is just as important. Certain finishes are better for living rooms and bedrooms than in kitchens and bathrooms. We'll help you find the right finish and paint colors for your home, so you don't have to worry about touch-ups or repainting.
Some of our most popular interior house painting services include:
- Ceiling Painting
- Popcorn Ceiling Removal
- Living Room Painting
- Bathroom Painting
- Basement Painting
- Color Consultations
- More
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Cabinet Painting
Citrus County cabinet painting deserves its own section on this page because it requires more time, skill, and quality paint than most sections of your home. If your home's cabinets are built into its woodwork, replacing them can be obnoxiously expensive. Compared to the cost of installing new cabinets, painting your kitchen cabinets is much more affordable.
At Shields Painting, we specialize in transforming old cabinets into new, gorgeous features that are just as usable as they are beautiful. Each step of our cabinet painting process is meticulous and thorough. And we'll take care of the entire job, from cleaning, prep, and sanding to priming, painting, and reassembly. This unique service lets you enjoy a brand-new look in your kitchen without having to go into debt by replacing your cabinets.
Whether your cabinets are new, but you want to change their color or you'd like to transition wood cabinets to a painted finish, Shields Painting has the expertise and experience to give you a new look you'll love.
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Exterior Residential Painting
Your home - it's a place that not only keeps your belongings safe. It protects your family and loved ones, too. It's one of your largest investments, and like anything else of value, it should be protected. However, Florida weather can take a toll on your home's structure and paint, lowering your home's value and even putting your family at risk.
While it's true that a beautiful exterior affects your house's value, it shouldn't take thousands of remodeling dollars to make a positive change to your home. There's a fine line between reasonable pricing and top-quality painting, and that sweet spot is what Shields Painting aims for. If you want to transform how your friends and neighbors see your home, never underestimate the power of a professional paint job.
Our exterior residential painting services are designed to boost curb appeal, give your home a fresh look, and help it stand up to Florida's unique weather. But we provide more than that. When you hire Shields Painting for your outdoor painting project, you will enjoy peace of mind in knowing that your home is in truly capable hands. Our goal is to exceed your expectations and help bring out the best in your property, whether you need to re-stain your deck or remove old, peeling paint from your siding.
If you're on the hunt for the very best exterior painting contractor in Masaryktown, FL, look no further than Shields Painting.
Some of our most popular exterior house painting services include:
- Vinyl Siding Painting
- Deck Painting and Staining
- Stucco Exterior Painting
- Wood Exterior Painting
- Porch Painting and Staining
- Soffit Painting
- Fascia Painting
- Window Painting
- Front Door Painting
- Thorough Painting Prep
- More
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The Premier Commercial Painting Company in Masaryktown, FL
When it comes to first impressions, your businesses' appearance plays an important role. Your commercial property's paint job factors into its overall aesthetics. A great-looking, well-maintained paint job can mean the difference between a customer walking in your storefront and passing by. Conversely, an old, worn-out commercial paint job can send the wrong message to prospective customers. If you can't take the time to keep up your property's appearance, why would a customer spend their hard-earned money on your products?
The same goes for your businesses' interior paint. Would you want to do business with a company that has peeling paint or unsightly crown molding? At Shield's Painting, our goal is to create a beautiful environment that your customers and employees will love inside and out. When you work with our business painters, you can rest easy knowing we treat your business like it were our own. We always clean up after ourselves and know that operations cannot come to a halt just because we're painting. As such, we'll work with your busy schedule to ensure the job gets done right the first time without disrupting your day-to-day commitments.
With decades of commercial painting experience, we know the demands of a commercial painting project necessitate a disciplined and focused approach from the start. Our team of business painters is committed to delivering quality, on-time results on every project, every time - no excuses
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We offer professional business painting services to a variety of building types, including:
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01
Industrial Painting
A high level of care and finesse are required to effectively paint an industrial property. At Shields Painting, we know that industrial paint jobs involve much more than aesthetics. That's why our industrial services are customized to your specifications, using industrial-grade materials that stand up to heavy-duty operations.
02
Retail Store Painting
Our commercial painters apply effective, yet appealing interior and exterior paint that stand up to the daily rigors of busy retail environments.
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03
Small Business Painting
Do you own a restaurant franchise? Have a small "mom and pop" location that needs a fresh coat of paint? Shields Painting has the resources and reliability to efficiently get the job done the first time. That way, you can focus on serving your customers, not having your business repainted.
04
Healthcare Location Painting
From walk-in clinics to long-term care facilities, Shields Painting is sensitive to your patients' needs. We know you must protect your patient's privacy while maintaining productivity. Our approach to healthcare location painting centers around your schedule to avoid disruptions in care.
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05
Apartment Complex Painting
Erase signs of wear and make your apartment complex or multi-family building a more desirable place to live with a stunning, professional paint job.
Florida's Most Trusted Painting Contractor
Shields Painting has been in the business since 1968. In a world where so much has changed, we are proud to uphold the ideals that make us successful: hard, honest work, getting the job done right, and excellent customer service. Providing you with trustworthy, quality work will always take priority over rushing through a project to serve the next customer. That is just not the way we choose to do business.
As professionals dedicated to perfection, we strive to provide a unique painting experience for every customer - one that focuses on their needs and desires instead of our own. Whether you need residential painting for your home or commercial painting for your business, we encourage you to reach out today to speak with our customer service team. Whether you have big ideas about a new paint project or need our expertise and guidance, we look forward to hearing from you soon.
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Latest News in Masaryktown, FL
You’re saying it wrong: Commonly mispronounced Florida cities
Dylan Abadhttps://www.wfla.com/news/florida/youre-saying-it-wrong-commonly-mispronounced-florida-cities/
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida natives may be familiar with the long list of unusual names bestowed to land across the Sunshine state, but to many newcomers, some names may stand out as much as the state’s renowned “Florida man” head...
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida natives may be familiar with the long list of unusual names bestowed to land across the Sunshine state, but to many newcomers, some names may stand out as much as the state’s renowned “Florida man” headlines.
The following is a list of cities that locals have hotly debated to be the hardest for new Floridians to say. Let’s start off with a relatively simple one:
While your head may spin just sounding it out, this city, located in the southwest region of Franklin County and the northwestern part of the state is actually not too hard to say correctly. The city is situated at the mouth of the Apalachicola River and lies approximately 59 miles away from Panama City and 75 miles from Tallahassee, the state capital.
So how do you pronounce it? Locals will tell you it’s mostly how it sounds: “A·puh·la·chuh·KOW·luh“
Let’s try another one.
This city is located between Cape Coral and Sanibel-Captiva on Pine Island and is said to be the home to one of Lee County’s first pioneer families, the Padillas, who came by way of Cayo Costa.
You pronounce it “BO-keel-yuh.”
Those local to the Tampa Bay area may be familiar with this one. This city is located between Clearwater and Palm Harbor and is known for its beaches, pine forest, and ospreys of Honeymoon Island State Park.
At one time, Dunedin became an important trading center amassing the largest fleet of sailing vessels in the state.
It’s pronounced, “duh-NEE-dn.”
Immokalee is a small town in Collier County boasting just under 25,000 residents, according to a 2020 census. Immokalee means “your home” in the Mikasuki language.
Its pronunciation is “uh-MAA-kuh-lee.”
This central Florida city lies just south of Orlando in Osceola County. It’s defined by its proximity to Florida’s array of renowned amusement parks, including the Walt Disney World Resort.
So how do you say it? “Kuss-IM-mee,” with the emphasis in the middle.
Lutz, which lies approximately 15 miles from the City of Tampa, is located in northwestern Hillsborough County. It also makes up a portion of south Pasco County and is bordered by Land o’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel.
Some may be quick to think the city is pronounced “luhts,” but locals will tell you the actual pronunciation is “loots.”
This “Old Florida” fishing village is known for its many brightly colored art galleries, island boutiques, seafood restaurants, and traditional Floridian cottages.
If you ever visit, make sure to pronounce it, “mat-la-shay.”
This Hernando County town, founded in 1924 by a group of 60 Slovaks and one Czech, was named after the first president of Czechoslovakia, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk.
The correct pronunciation is “muh-ZER-ick-town.“
This small town encompasses 1.03 square miles near the Alachua-Marion County line in rural north-central Florida. It’s located between Gainesville and Ocala.
It’s pronounced “mik-I-NOH-pee.”
The population of this city in Orange County grew after the American Civil War when Confederate soldiers and their families settled into the area. It now has a population of 48,263 according to 2019 US Census population estimate.
While many believe it’s pronounced “Oh-SEW-ee,” it’s actually pronounced “Oh-KOH-ee.”
This city in Putnam County is well known for its local festivals, most notably the Florida Azalea Festival and the Blue Crab Festival. It also boasts a population of approximately 11,000 residents.
Pronounce it “puh-LAAT-kuh.”
If you thought this city in Martin County was a gimme, think again. Rio is pronounced locally as if it were spelled “Rye-owe.”
Out of the 19 names on this list, this town of about 1,050 people in Taylor County is one of the easier ones: “STEEN-hatch-ee.”
The name Thonotosassa comes from the Seminole-Creek words ronoto “flint” and sasv “some”, meaning the town was at one point a source of valuable flint.
So how is it pronounced? “Tho-no-ta-SASS-a.”
Wausau is another small town located in Washington County and had a population of 383 in 2010. Here’s how to pronounce it: “WAA-saa”
This city is best known for two of its unique assets; the Dead Lakes and Tupelo Honey. The city’s Seminole Indian name means “water eyes”, and a view from the sky above reveals why. Two almost perfectly round lakes add to the community’s relaxed charm and make a special backdrop to the city’s downtown area.
It’s pronounced “wee·wuh·HICH·kuh.”
Wimauma was founded by Captain C.H. Davis in 1902 and named using the first few letters of the names of his daughters Will, Maude, and Mary.
You pronounce it “WHY-mama.”
The name is taken from the Creek we, ‘water,’ thlako, ‘big,’ and chee, ‘little,’ or “little big water,” since one of two Florida rivers going by the same name flow through Pasco and Hernando Counties.
How do you say it? “with-la-KOO-chee.”
Last but now least, Ybor City. This city is known for its boutiques and vintage shops. It also hosts several Cuban and Latin American eateries. Indie fast food, bars, and a cinema are also staples.
Newcomers may think it’s pronounced “WHY-bor,” but locals say it’s actually “EE-bor.”
See the Crop Mazes at Sweetfields Farm in Masaryktown
visitflorida.comhttps://www.visitflorida.com/travel-ideas/articles/florida-tours-corn-maze-fields-in-masaryk-town-fl/
Ted and Lisa Kessel create two labryinths a year on their Sweetfields Farm on the Hernando-Pasco county line.Masaryktown, FL – Ted Kessel walked into the four-acre cornfield with a drawing of a butterfly-shaped maze and a T-shaped tool of PVC pipe he called "Mr. T.". The Masaryktown Florida corn maze.Kessel, who owns Sweetfields Farm with his wife Lisa, spent the next 36 hours wielding Mr. T against nature, carving a life-sized labyrinth through the stalks of corn. Then came the moment of truth: Kessel we...
Ted and Lisa Kessel create two labryinths a year on their Sweetfields Farm on the Hernando-Pasco county line.
Masaryktown, FL – Ted Kessel walked into the four-acre cornfield with a drawing of a butterfly-shaped maze and a T-shaped tool of PVC pipe he called "Mr. T.". The Masaryktown Florida corn maze.
Kessel, who owns Sweetfields Farm with his wife Lisa, spent the next 36 hours wielding Mr. T against nature, carving a life-sized labyrinth through the stalks of corn. Then came the moment of truth: Kessel went up in an airplane to see his creation from the sky.
"I left off part of the ‘t' (in Sweetfields Farm)," Kessel recalled with a smile. "We had to re-plant and hope for the best. I'm starting to get the hang of it."
Kessel has perfected the art of the crop maze in Florida since that fall 2008 initiation. Now he does two a year: a corn field in the fall, a sunflower field in the spring, each time with a different design. A cow. A goat. A pumpkin.
The mazes have become a staple of the seasonal festivals that bring thousands of visitors to the organic farm off U.S. 41, just north of the Hernando-Pasco county line.
People can sample freshly made lemonade and apple cider, climb hay bales, compete in the bean-bag toss and potato sack races, and visit with the goats, pigs and Rosie Moo Moo the cow. Visitors can also buy farm-fresh squash, zucchini, cucumbers, green beans and pinkeye peas or simply take an amazing walking tour through the farm and maze.
But everyone comes for the corn maze.
Transforming the field into a maze is no easy task, and Kessel admits he sometimes gets turned around in there. The stalks are seven, eight, nine feet tall and cover up to five acres. Some maze masters swear by herbicides, rototillers and mowers in their labyrinth-making arsenal. But the Kessels are sworn to secrecy on their techniques at Sweetfields Farm.
"Mr. T still makes an appearance every now and then. It's a trade secret," Lisa Kessel said. "We do get some help from Batman. Oh, and the aliens have always been there for us."
The Kessels offer some help to people navigating the maze. Visitors receive a list of farm-based trivia questions that correspond to numbered checkpoints inside the corn labyrinth. One answer takes you left. The other right. And when you hit a dead end, you discover you didn't know as much about goats as you thought.
Sweetfields Farm staff members patrol the maze to ensure that this family-friendly experience remains, well, friendly. Some frustrated maze visitors have tried to create their own paths.
The Kessels have no plans to leave the maze business anytime soon. The couple started the farm in 2008, buying an oak-shaded tract used for hay and horses and laying the irrigation and electricity themselves.
Growing fresh, healthy food was as important to them as creating a welcoming place for families to play and learn. The Kessels rely on their own extended family and an ever-growing group of friends to throw their farming celebrations twice a year. They also hold "u-pick" events where visitors can pluck their own produce.
"We are so excited to be a part of family traditions," Lisa Kessel said. "We host field trips where kids can learn about crops and seed production."
The Kessels try to get the most out of every part of their farm, even selling some of their watermelons to a nearby winery that creates watermelon wine. The additional income from all their ventures has helped afford their family a better lifestyle.
"Farmers have been doing corn mazes for years," Lisa Kessel said. "You have to do it in order to compensate for crop issues."
The Kessels said they work around the clock in preparation for the fall and spring celebrations.
"Farming is not easy at all," Lisa Kessel said. "There's always something new that's going to jump up and bite you."
The couple stands at the entrance of their farm, near the grassy lot filled with cars, as hundreds of visitors arrive for the first or 10th time. The hours of toil and sweat fade and the Kessels' own meandering journey comes into focus.
"This is why we do this. We are making memories," said Ted Kessel. "We love the people who have been with us since the beginning. That success is more rewarding than the financial success."
Sweetfields Farm 17250 Benes Roush Road Masaryktown, Fl 34604 Telephone: 352-279-0977 Email: Updates@SweetfieldsFarm.com
For this and other tips on Florida tours, go to VISIT FLORIDA's official tours guide.
A family farm’s record books: Life recorded on a Masaryktown farm in the 1950s
Judy Warnockhttps://www.hernandosun.com/2021/04/21/family-farms-record-books-life-recorded-masaryktown-farm-1950s/
I am a pretty good record keeper but I think my notes are nothing compared to my Dad. I treasure his three green farm record books. They are a real trip back in time. They cover his early years as a poultry farmer from late 1950 to January 1953. For that time period, my Dad kept meticulous records of his income and expenses, including details on building a house from scratch. Flipping through the pages you see a month-by-month record of their new life as farmers in Masaryktown.I wish he was here now to answer some of my questions. How...
I am a pretty good record keeper but I think my notes are nothing compared to my Dad. I treasure his three green farm record books. They are a real trip back in time. They cover his early years as a poultry farmer from late 1950 to January 1953. For that time period, my Dad kept meticulous records of his income and expenses, including details on building a house from scratch. Flipping through the pages you see a month-by-month record of their new life as farmers in Masaryktown.
I wish he was here now to answer some of my questions. How did it all come about? In 1950 my parents left behind Illinois and drove to Florida. Why Florida? Because my grandparents had moved there a year or so before. It was a necessary move for my grandma’s health to get away from the cold, wet northern winters. So Mom, Dad, and my 3-year-old brother Lou packed up the car and traveled south to join them. I was not even in the picture yet. Where would they go? They would settle like my grandparents in a small Slovak community south of Brooksville called Masaryktown. I’m not sure how my grandparents found out about the town. They were of Slovak descent as were most of the residents in this small community which was established almost 100 years ago.
What would Dad do now? He had worked for International Harvester back in Illinois. Among other things, the company sold farm machinery. I can’t imagine leaving a steady job, adjusting to your life after WWII, and then starting something new and different. Dad was 36 years old. What did he know about farming and raising chickens? And there was no house yet. According to Dad’s green book, they paid a rent of $25 per month and put their furniture in storage. Grandpa’s house was much too small for them to share so they must have found something nearby. They would rent for a year until October 1951. Meanwhile, Dad had ideas for his own place. He bought blueprints from a company called Weyerhaeuser 4-Square. They offered detailed plans for models of homes in the 1950’s. All sorts of models and styles. I don’t think Dad had any building skills but he located a friend for carpentry work and another farmer who knew electrical. The three of them took most of a year to build the farmhouse which still stands today. They added a porch to the original 7 room plan. The cost of material and labor ended up nearly double the original estimate of $5,500. It would cost $9,000 in all. I had Dad’s green book to prove it. He used up most of his available cash on expenses for the house and then took out a $3,000 private loan. I’m sure he put any farm profits back into the house. I could imagine them all moving in the unfinished shell by the end of 1951. When I was born the house was done and brand new. See the February 1952 notation of $110 under health expenses. That’s me! $55 went to the doctor. That was Dr. Harvard. He practiced in Brooksville from the 1930s to 1964. He is honored in a mural of town physicians on the rear wall of the Hogan Law Firm downtown. Another $55 went to the hospital. This building is long gone. It’s just an open patch of land on the big curve we all take on our way north into town. That same month $3.55 went for candy and $3.75 for cigars. Right away Mom got a $28 rocking chair. In November they purchased a $16 stroller. Every expense is noted, carefully done in Dad’s own handwriting.
Like many farmers in Masaryktown Dad bought chickens. He read books on the poultry business and learned from other farmers. He started raising laying hens and then selling their eggs. We started with 500 chickens, then we had 1,000, and so on. He cleared land and built four large chicken coops. We would have several thousand chickens when all was finished. It was not a huge farm but enough to keep us busy. A 24/7 job. There were eggs to pick, wash, and grade. Washing was done by sending the eggs through a machine— squirting water and bristle brushes. You had to stand there and feed them in and take them off the other side. Grading was done with another machine. Eggs would go up a belt and then roll down little slides according to size, small to large. Someone had to watch the machine. And the picking of eggs was a daily chore, not once but two or three times. Morning, mid-day, and a small pickup in the afternoon. And you had to count what you picked. I would leave full baskets outside the chicken houses for Dad to carry back to the egg room. In memory, I can see my Dad or my grandma smiling with a full basket of eggs on each arm. That egg room was our main hub for processing, washing, and sorting. Flats of eggs went in cases, then the cooler, and were eventually picked up for market. We would sell some eggs privately and keep others for the stores. People would just drive up the driveway and want to buy eggs. Word of mouth got around that there were eggs to be had for a bargain. Cracked eggs, perfectly good to eat, were just 25 cents per dozen. Store eggs sold for 50 to 60 cents per dozen. People would buy a case of cracked eggs and split them up with all the neighbors. We would take a case to my uncle in Tampa every month. Same thing, it’s for them and their neighbors. My guess is a case contained about 30 dozen eggs.
A. G. Mazourek, a Masaryktown farmer, organized the Hernando Egg Producers in the 1950s. At one time this was possibly the largest egg cooperative in the southeastern United States. Many of our eggs went to Publix Supermarkets. Our farm was not that large but it sure seemed like we had plenty to do. Our chicken houses had openings to fenced outside yards. The chickens could come and go as they pleased during the day. Their wings were clipped to prevent flying over the fence. They were locked up tight at night. We had never heard of free-range chickens but that’s what they were. I still remember going to check on the nests at night with a flashlight. I had to make sure all the chickens went to bed on the inside roosts and stayed out of the nests. Kind of a spooky job on a dark moonless night. Occasionally I would have to summon Dad to take care of an opossum or even a skunk. Not too many animals got away with a meal from our raw eggs. We would keep the farm going until my parent’s retirement in the early 1980s.
From citrus to vegetables to chickens, historic Masaryktown celebrates its 90th
Beth N. Grayhttps://www.tampabay.com/things-to-do/events/from-citrus-to-vegetables-to-chickens-historic-masaryktown-celebrates-its/2256295/
MASARYKTOWN — Grand Avenue didn't achieve its dream. It remains a sand path defined by double tire tracks through ankle-high grass. Jackson Street appears carved out of a pony pasture. Stefanick, Garfield and Kollar — all unassuming lime rock. Lincoln Avenue comes as a paved surprise.But, inviting they all are: bucolic and lined by woods, primarily live oak, perhaps the tallest cedars in Hernando County bowed over Lincoln, rustic home lots nestled unobtrusively and tended with pride along their ways.The vision antic...
MASARYKTOWN — Grand Avenue didn't achieve its dream. It remains a sand path defined by double tire tracks through ankle-high grass. Jackson Street appears carved out of a pony pasture. Stefanick, Garfield and Kollar — all unassuming lime rock. Lincoln Avenue comes as a paved surprise.
But, inviting they all are: bucolic and lined by woods, primarily live oak, perhaps the tallest cedars in Hernando County bowed over Lincoln, rustic home lots nestled unobtrusively and tended with pride along their ways.
The vision anticipated by the first Czechoslovakian settlers in 1925 still exists in many endearing ways as Masaryktown celebrates its 90th anniversary this weekend. It brought to the New World lasting pride in the first president of their newly democratic homeland, Tomas Masaryk.
Founded on Dec. 5, 1925, just north of the Hernando-Pasco county line, Masaryktown has ranged through the status of community, then town and city, and now simply a place name where many passing through on U.S. 41 might pause and think: "Ought to check out what's back there one of these days."
About 900 residents is what. While the school and library and post office are no longer there, the community center remains and boasts a membership of more than 400.
Still beckoning motorists along U.S. 41 is the Masaryktown Cafe, erected as a three-story hotel the same year Masaryktown debuted, still serving food, though now Cuban-themed instead of Slovak.
In the last 12 to 15 years, Masaryktown's population has become dominated by retirees, said Larry Dodson, 64, who likely would be mayor if such a post still existed. He married into the community in 1974. At the time, he said wryly, "I thought I walked back in 50 years of Florida history. It was 100 years."
Many of the old-timers have moved away or gone into nursing homes, Dodson said recently.
"The younger ones learned technology and moved away," he said. "The population was no more than a thousand at any one time. Less than a dozen old-timers are still around."
The latter include Irene Alexsuk, 89, and Josephine Voscinar, 96, along with the not-so-old but historically knowledgeable Lydia Kovarcik Dodson, 63, and John Kovacs, 68.
"I came here in 1928 as a 3-year-old, and I've been here ever since," said Alexsuk.
The family — her parents Czechoslovakian immigrants — moved from Pittsburgh, among early pioneers from the Northeast urged initially by the editor of an upstate New York Czech newspaper to establish a community in much warmer Florida.
Her parents bought an orange grove, sight unseen.
"He put all his money in that orange grove," Alexsuk said of her father. "Then, two years it froze out and we went to planting vegetables on the land. (Dad) went to Tampa once a week to sell produce.
"Then one man (in the neighborhood) started a chicken farm," the octogenarian continued. "That panned out. Then we all went to chickens."
Such was early Masaryktown: citrus to vegetables to chickens, the latter endeavor prominently stamping the town on Florida's map by the 1940s.
"Out of 10 eggs produced (in Florida), we'd produce seven," said Lydia Dodson, offspring of Masaryktown chicken farmers.
While Alexsuk remembers a busy childhood with her five siblings building chicken houses for a family flock ultimately reaching 75,000 laying hens, Lydia Dodson less fondly recalls moving chickens at night, when they were groggy.
"I'd take five chickens in one hand by one leg, the same in the other hand. That's how we moved them from one house to another," she said.
Baby chicks arrived as 1-day-olds from out-of-town hatcheries until Domenik Voscinar purchased the first egg-hatching incubator shortly after the end of World War II. His daughter, Josephine Voscinar, now thought to be Masaryktown's oldest native resident, remembers her entire family working at the chicken farm, as did others.
"I could gather eggs with both hands," boasted Alexsuk. "People came to the farm for fresh eggs. They loved them. You couldn't get fresher than that."
She sometimes worked at the cooperative, which the farmers eventually formed, washing and packing eggs.
"I never ran out of a job," she declared with satisfaction.
Alas, the commercial poultry business trickled to an end in the 1990s, when the cost of producing an egg outweighed its price in the marketplace.
"Even though I worked that hard, I enjoyed it all," Alexsuk maintained, but said her fondest memories in the community were from "going to dances, dancing the beseda."
Lydia Dodson also danced the folk dance of the old country in native costumes known as kroj, "elaborately embroidered, lace, puffy sleeves, everything handmade," she said. "If you had a lot of embroidery, you were wealthy."
Alexsuk will watch the beseda dancers on Sunday. One of them will be her son, Keith Alexsuk, 61, who still lives on the family farm.
That farm, early on, had no electricity, Irene Alexsuk remembers. Her mother baked strudel and nut-filled pastry rolls in the backyard brick oven.
In addition to pastries, Lydia Dodson kneaded and rolled dough for homemade noodles, her mother spreading a cloth over the dining room table, covering its entirety in rolled, egg-rich dough.
Their recipes and those of other traditional dishes are immortalized in the 1974 community cookbook, Home Cooking Secrets of Masaryktown.
The year 1974 is also remembered for the fire that burned down the original Masaryktown Community Hall, built on the site of the 1927 Kominsky School, grades 1 through 12, itself reduced to ashes in the early '40s.
Thus, Lydia Dodson went by carpool — one neighbor's van holding all of the community's school-age children — to Brooksville Elementary.
"I didn't know English till I was 5," she said. At home, her Slovak immigrant parents spoke the native language.
Public schooling, as well as an influx of U.S.-born residents, brought more American ways to the community, including governance, which established the town as a dedicated city.
Kovacs, a newcomer in 1984, served as mayor for nine years, following in the earlier steps of Alexsuk's father. During Kovacs' tenure, the City Council established the community park with playing fields and courts.
Masaryktown remains, he said, "nice and quiet and peaceful," adding, "I'd like to see many more years of it. We'd like to see more growth. But, then again," he mused, "we don't want to lose what we have."
Contact Beth Gray at graybethn@earthlink.net.
Up next:Christmas fests, boat parades and other Things to Do on the North Suncoast
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Man charged with dealing drugs from home in Masaryktown
Hernando Today staffhttps://www.suncoastnews.com/crime_crashes_fires/man-charged-with-dealing-drugs-from-home-in-masaryktown/article_5f4e4654-2a30-11ed-840c-1b5e4419570d.html
The Hernando County Sheriff's Office Vice and Narcotics Unit was recently made aware of a possible drug dealer who was selling cocaine within Hernando County.Subsequent investigation revealed that James Mequia, 25, residing at 16170 Hurban St. in Masaryktown, was the individual who was dealing narcotics out of a camper on the property.An undercover operation was initiated which resulted in purchases of cocainefrom Mequia at this residence. All of this activity occurred within 1,000 feetof First Baptist Church at 2...
The Hernando County Sheriff's Office Vice and Narcotics Unit was recently made aware of a possible drug dealer who was selling cocaine within Hernando County.
Subsequent investigation revealed that James Mequia, 25, residing at 16170 Hurban St. in Masaryktown, was the individual who was dealing narcotics out of a camper on the property.
An undercover operation was initiated which resulted in purchases of cocaine
from Mequia at this residence. All of this activity occurred within 1,000 feet
of First Baptist Church at 269 Roosevelt Ave. in Masaryktown.
Probable cause was developed for a search warrant of the camper. The search
warrant was executed on Aug. 31, where the search of the residence revealed
the following items:
Mequia has previous arrests for the offenses of Fleeing to Elude Law Enforcement, Possession of Marijuana over 20 grams, Carrying a Concealed Weapon, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, two counts of Failure to Appear, and Violation of Probation. Detectives requested Mequia's bond be increased based on him being a flight risk.
As a result of the items located during the search warrant, Mequia was arrested on charges of:
Mequia's bond was set at $50,000.
Mequia was also charged for the following offenses relating to the sale and
distribution of narcotics:
2022-21694 -- Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Place of Worship,
Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Sell, Possession of a Structure for the
Purpose of Sale of a Controlled Substance, Unlawful Use of a Two-Way
Communication Device, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Bond $50,000.
2022-22183 -- Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Place of Worship,
Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Sell, Possession of a Structure for the
Purpose of Sale of a Controlled Substance, Unlawful Use of a Two-Way
Communication Device, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Bond $50,000.
2022-24501 -- Sale of Cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Place of Worship,
Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Sell, Possession of a Structure for the
Purpose of Sale of a Controlled Substance, Unlawful Use of a Two -Way
Communication Device, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Bond $50,000.
Mequia was transported to the Hernando County Detention Center, where he is
being held on a total bond of $200,000.
Further investigation is forthcoming.
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