B.C. Manion

Primary elections over, now onto November

September 7, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Fewer than one-fifth of the registered voters in Hillsborough and Pasco counties decided the outcome of the primary elections on Aug. 30.

Some of the more notable races had Pat Frank defeating Kevin Beckner for the Democratic primary for Clerk of the Circuit Court in Hillsborough County, and Gary Joiner defeating Ted Schrader in the race for property appraiser in Pasco County.

Claude D. Brown, a Land O’ Lakes resident and poll deputy, has worked 22 elections at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center. (Fred Bellet/Photos) — Claude D. Brown, a Land O’ Lakes resident and poll deputy, has worked 22 elections at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center.
(Fred Bellet/Photos)

In other high-interest races, Marco Rubio handily defeated Carlos Beruff and other challengers in the Republican race for U.S. Senate, while Patrick Murphy won by a substantial margin on the Democratic side of the ticket in both counties.

Voters in both counties, and across Florida, overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment that extends to commercial and industrial properties a renewable energy tax break already enjoyed by residential property owners. The amendment also exempts all renewable-energy equipment from state tangible personal property taxes.

The amendment needed 60 percent approval from voters and still requires action by the Legislature to enact the changes.

Mary Deeny, of Lutz, was among the early-bird voters who trickled in between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., on Aug. 30, at the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, to cast their ballots.

Overall, voters in both Pasco and Hillsborough counties chose to stay home from the polls.

In Hillsborough County, of 812,359 registered voters, just 153,626 cast ballots, representing a turnout of 18.91 percent.

Hillsborough voters who showed up early at the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library seemed to share a singular motivation, while not always agreeing on candidates.

Lutz resident Mary Deeny said she hasn’t missed an election since age 18. Not voting is never an option, even if outcomes don’t always go her way.

The 51-year-old is puzzled about why more people don’t vote. Maybe she said, “They are not tapped in. It’s tunnel vision. I think they don’t understand the importance of local government.”

Carrollwood resident Jeff Jenkins, 63, considers voting a responsibility. He cast his first ballot at age 18.

“I think it’s an obligation to vote, plain and simple, whether it’s a primary or a general election,” Jenkins said.

One reason some might stay away from the polls is a belief that their vote won’t count, he said. “I think it’s a lack of engagement and a disconnect.”

Lewis Gray, husband of school board candidate, Lynn Gray, sets up a ‘Lynn Gray for School Board’ sign near the entrance to Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library.

Donna Trask was motivated to vote in a particular political contest.

“I definitely wanted to vote for Marco Rubio,” said Trask, 68, of Carrollwood.

Rubio also collected a vote from Kristen Mayer, who lives in the Lake Magdalene area.

Mayer thinks voting gives people a chance to choose who serves their communities. “We may not always like the choices, but we are the ones who are going to change the choices (by voting).”

Local races, especially for the Hillsborough County School Board, motivated Sherry Knox to go to the polls.

She arrived before 8 a.m., prepared to wait in line. It turned out she didn’t have to, because only a handful of voters were there. It took Knox just minutes to vote.

“I thought it would be more today,” Knox said. “To me, it’s important because it’s local government. It affects us directly. I don’t know why people don’t vote.”

She supported school board candidate Lynn Gray in the District 7, at-large race.

Meanwhile, in Pasco County, of 326, 937 registered voters, 60,943 cast ballots. That represents an 18.64 percent turnout.

Sherry Knox, who lives in the Lake Magdalene area, was especially interested in voting for her candidates in the school board races.

Voters trickled in at Alice Hall at Zephyr Park in Zephyrhills.

Those arriving felt a civic obligation, or wanted to support a particular candidate.

Sixty-one-year Laura Cotty, a retired insurance processor, wouldn’t miss an election.

“I always vote. Your voice doesn’t matter if you don’t vote. …The main reason I came out is to vote on the property tax (Amendment 4), so that renewable energy is not taxable,” Cotty said.

Fifty-four-year-old Susan Woods, who is self-employed, said she was mostly interested in that issue, too.

Eighty-three-year-old Robert Merchant also felt compelled to vote. “It’s our duty,” he said.

Seventy-seven-year-old Mary Merchant wanted to show her support for a candidate in the race for District 1 of the Pasco County Commission.

“I happen to like Mr. (Ron) Oakley. Out of all of the (stuff) on television, he was about the nicest and the most honest,” she said.

For for full results, visit PascoVotes.com and VoteHillsborough.org.

–Staff writers Kathy Steele and Kevin Weiss contributed to this report.

Published September 7, 2016

Accomplishing dreams is within our reach, author says

September 7, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Former insurance professional Barbara Brekke didn’t have an ideal childhood.

The Land O’ Lakes woman said she grew up in a small town outside of Chicago in a household rocked by domestic violence.

Barbara Brekke left a job she loved to pursue her dream of public speaking and writing. The Land O’ Lakes woman has written a book, ‘Dream Weaver, Goal Achiever,’ which provides inspiration and practical advice for people who want to change their lives. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos) — Barbara Brekke left a job she loved to pursue her dream of public speaking and writing. The Land O’ Lakes woman has written a book, ‘Dream Weaver, Goal Achiever,’ which provides inspiration and practical advice for people who want to change their lives.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

When Brekke was 15, her mother suddenly announced that in two days she would be leaving the family to go live with another family in Chicago.

The teenager felt heartbroken.

In retrospect, however, “that really was a good change,” Brekke said. “It just didn’t feel like it.”

She went on to secure a high-ranking position in the insurance industry, overseeing large projects. For the last 10 years of her job, she commuted between Florida, Chicago and other places — overseeing employees and projects.

It was a job she loved and didn’t want to leave.

But, she knew she would never be able to pursue her other dreams, if she stayed in that job.

So, she spent a year finishing projects and training her replacement, then she set off to pursue new ventures in Florida.

Namely, she wanted to be a public speaker and a published author.

But as time went on, she also discovered the desire to become a certified life coach.

Brekke, who lives with husband Mark Dewlow, is already a public speaker.

She has written one book, “Dream Weaver, Goal Achiever,” and still aims to write a memoir and children’s books.

Her “Dream Weaver” book offers a step-by-step approach to help people convert their dreams into reality.

But, it’s not just about helping people’s dreams come true, Brekke said. It’s also about helping people who feel stuck to dislodge themselves from whatever is weighing them down.

This is the cover of Barbara Brekke’s book. The Land O’ Lakes woman said writing the book turned out to be a lot harder than she thought it would be.

Throughout her 15-chapter book, Brekke combines inspiring thoughts along with practical suggestions.

For instance, she urges readers to be true to themselves: “Honor and respect your dreams, regardless of the thoughts and opinions of others,” she writes.

She also helps them to set their priorities.

“If you only had six months to live, what would you spend those six months doing? What if it was one month? Even just a day? Make a list of everything that you would do and who you would spend time with. This will give you a picture of what is important to you right now — it will tell you what your priorities are today. You will also want to think further into the future at least three years.

“Be sure the things most important to you are respected in your planning and addressed in your goals, to ensure the most positive outcome,” she writes.

She also urges readers to take a page from the corporate handbook, and to write a mission statement for themselves.

“Creating a personal mission statement will help you organize your thoughts, priorities, direction and time. Make your mission statement short, clear and important so that is easy to focus on,” she writes.

It’s also wise to be realistic in setting a new direction, according to Brekke.

“Explore the risks, challenges, and obstacles that are currently interfering with your dream of living the life you want to live. Write all these down honestly. Include fears you haven’t faced and obstacles you haven’t overcome.

“Could a negative attitude be holding you back? Do you need to work on enhancing your health and getting rid of bad habits?”

“List specifically everything you want to be, have, do and share over the next three years. This will help you create goals, large and small,” she writes.

It’s also important to recognize that change often means giving up one thing, to pursue something else — like she did, when she left the job she loved to pursue desires she’d had for years.

“Sometimes, in order to grow, there are people, habits and things we must leave behind,” Brekke said.

For more information about Brekke’s book, or to line her up for a speaking engagement, call (813) 751-5420, or visit GoBeyondYourDreams.com.

Barbara Brekke’s tip for handling papers
Handle papers only once:

Read it.
If it’s not important, put it in the recycling immediately.
If action is required, put it in your Action Folder to keep for the time you scheduled to work on those items.
Determine if someone else can handle it, and if so, delegate.
Consider the information. If it’s important, file it appropriately for later reference when you will be easily able to access it when needed. Keep in mind the majority of things filed for reference are later never looked at again. Do you really need it for future reference? If so, maybe it’s best to keep it in an online file. Scan it in, if necessary.

Published September 7, 2016

Kids share kindness, through cookies, around Tampa Bay

August 31, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Eleven-year-old Angel Rosas and her 6-year-old brother, Ronaldo engaged in a somewhat unusual project over the summer.

They baked 1,500 cookies and delivered them around the Tampa Bay area.

It was their way of spreading kindness, and unconditional love, to those they encountered.

Their mom, Christine, came up with the idea for the project.

Christine Rosas and her children, Rolando and Angel, dispensed kindness, unconditional love and 1,500 cookies across Tampa Bay this summer. Here, they are making a stop at Trinity Café, which feeds homeless people. (Photos courtesy of Christine Ross) — Christine Rosas and her children, Rolando and Angel, dispensed kindness, unconditional love and 1,500 cookies across Tampa Bay this summer. Here, they are making a stop at Trinity Café, which feeds homeless people.
(Photos courtesy of Christine Rosas)

But, the kids were involved in everything from coming up with a tagline, designing a graphic and shooting a YouTube video.

They called the project Kookies 4 Kindness.

They wore T-shirts emblazoned with the logo.

They created a label for the plastic bag holding the cookies. It read: “We baked these cookies with love. It it is our hope that you share the same unconditional love with at least one person. Love, Angel and Ronaldo Rosas.”

The kids also baked the cookies, made from store-bought dough, in the kitchen of their Seven Oaks home in Wesley Chapel.

That’s where they bagged them up, too.

Then, they made deliveries to Tarpon Springs, to the Waffle House in Wesley Chapel and to Ybor City and the fire station there.

They also visited two Trinity Cafés, the Dade City Police Station, The Well, Corpus Christi School, and recruiting stations for the Navy, Air Force and the Marines.

They dropped by a Hillary Clinton campaign office. They tried to visit a Donald Trump campaign office, but they couldn’t find it.

They gave cookies to all kinds of people. Some were young; others, old.

Some wore military uniforms; others, tank tops.

One wore a cowboy hat; another, a baseball cap.

They gave cookies to men, women and children. Some were white, others black, Hispanic or Asian.

As the kids approached people, some were friendly and readily accepted their offering.

Others were warier.

Some thought there was some sort of catch, Angel said.

She attributes their suspicion to the clipboard her mom was carrying around.

These cookies are ready to pack into plastic bags and deliver across Tampa Bay.

Christine had the clipboard because she wanted to get the email address for anyone wanting a link to the YouTube video they planned to post about the project.

Once the clipboard was kept out of sight, people dropped their guard, Angel said.

There were some that turned down the cookies, Angel said. “Some people said they had allergies,” she said.

“Some people thought they had to pay for them,” Angel added. “We said, ‘No. No. We’re just passing them out. Their faces just kind of lit up, and they said, ‘Oh, thanks.’”

While they didn’t come up with the project themselves, the kids had ideas about where they should go.

Rolando wanted to help the poor and to make a stop at Corpus Christi, where he’s in first grade.

Angel, a sixth-grader who attends the same school, wanted to be sure to deliver the chocolate chip cookies to people who serve in the military and work in law enforcement.

“To find police officers was tricky. They were all out,” Christine said. Finally, they just dropped off some cookies at the Dade City Police Department.

And, the department acknowledged the kindness by sending a thank you note.

Christine hopes that the project will leave an impression on her kids.

She knows, in some ways, it already has.

“After the first day we went out, she (Angel) said, ‘You know mom, the people with all of those tattoos and piercings — they’re softies.’”

The whole idea is to introduce some kindness into a world that obviously needs it, Christine said.

“We have traveled a lot. We’ve lived in Australia and Saudi Arabia. We just came back to the U.S., in January,” she said.

She didn’t realize how many places in public continually play the news, she said.

“They’re constantly seeing all of this violence on the news and on the TV, and it makes them fearful,” Christine said.

“I just feel that there’s so much noise going on with a lot of different situations. We don’t need to be treating each other this way.

“I wanted them to see and experience positivity,” she said.

See the YouTube video of two kids sharing 1,500 cookies to spread kindness in Tampa Bay at tinyurl.com/hmlbuhl.

Published August 31, 2016

Concerns about Zika on the rise, poll says

August 31, 2016 By B.C. Manion

The level of unease about the Zika virus is on the rise in Florida, according to a new poll conducted by the Saint Leo University Polling Institute.

The online poll, which was conducted Aug. 14 to Aug. 18, surveyed 1,500 adults in Florida, according to a news release from Saint Leo University.

The Zika virus is spread through bites of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is the same mosquito that spreads the dengua and chikunguna viruses. (File Photo) — The Zika virus is spread through bites of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is the same mosquito that spreads the dengua and chikunguna viruses.
(File Photo)

Polling ended a day before Gov. Rick Scott announced that mosquitos are spreading the virus in the Miami area and five days before the governor announced a non-travel related case of Zika was found in Pinellas County, the release says.

The university’s August poll found that 79.3 percent of respondents say they are “very” or “somewhat” concerned about the virus. Of those remaining, 1.1 percent say they are “somewhat unconcerned,” 7.5 percent indicate they are “not at all concerned,” and 2.1 percent say they are unsure or do not know enough to answer.

The poll had a plus or minus margin of error of 3.0 percent.

The polling institute’s June survey of 500 adults in Florida showed 71.2 percent of respondents expressing concern.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control describes the ailment as being caused by the Zika virus, which is spread mainly through the bite of an infected mosquito (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus).

The virus can be passed from an infected pregnant woman to her fetus. The CDC also confirmed that the virus is responsible for severe defects, including microcephaly, in unborn children. When delivered, such babies have abnormally small heads and often, brain defects.

The disease also can be spread through sexual contact, according to the CDC.

Many of those infected with the virus have no symptoms or only mild symptoms, according to the CDC. The symptoms can include fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis (red eyes). There is no specific medication for the virus.

In general, people who are healthy and are not thinking of having children anytime soon have little to nothing to worry about from Zika, Dr. Cheryl Clauson, Saint Leo University assistant professor of biology said, in the release.

“There may be an association between Zika and Guillain-Barré syndrome, however, this only occurs in a very small number of people who contract Zika,” Clauson said.

But, she continued, “pregnant women need to be very careful about traveling to the affected areas of Miami. Pregnant women should avoid the area altogether if possible, postponing non-essential travel as needed. If a woman who is currently pregnant lives in these areas of Miami, she should talk to her health care provider about getting tested for Zika during her pregnancy. Her partner would need to use condoms throughout the pregnancy to prevent possibly passing Zika to her.”

The Saint Leo biologist advised couples who are considering having children to wait at least eight weeks after returning from a Zika-affected area before trying to get pregnant, even if the woman does not have a confirmed case. “Men who did not have a confirmed Zika infection should also wait eight weeks. However, if he had a confirmed Zika infection, he should wait six months before trying to get pregnant with his female partner,” Clauson said.

Florida’s counties are taking steps to get rid of mosquito breeding grounds and prevent the spread of the Zika virus. The Aedes species are “aggressive daytime biters,” according to the CDC, but also can bite at night.

Clauson recommends using insect repellants with particular active ingredients: DEET, IR3535, oil of eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol or picaridin. “Because many people who use repellant may also use sunscreen, the repellant should be applied after sunscreen is applied,” she said.

Floridians also should empty anything outside their houses that could hold standing water—planters, small boats, pet bowls—to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs in those containers.

Protect yourself from the Zika virus
To help protect yourself, the CDC recommends people:

Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants
Stay in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens to keep mosquitoes out
Sleep under a mosquito net if you are outdoors or unable to keep mosquitoes out
Use repellents registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Follow product label instructions
Reapply as directed

The CDC also offers these additional tips: Do not spray repellent on skin under clothing, apply sunscreen before applying insect repellent and do not apply insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months.

To protect your child, dress him or her in clothing that covers the arms and legs. Also, do not apply insect repellent onto a child’s hands, eyes, mouth, or cut or irritated skin.

Published August 31, 2016

Memory keeper preserves Trilby’s past

August 31, 2016 By B.C. Manion

When Scott Black tools around the community of Trilby in his white pickup truck, the place becomes alive for him with the people and businesses from its past.

As he drives along the community’s roads, he’ll point out where the old railroad depot stood, the bank, the store, the hotel and other local landmarks.

Scott Black, who grew up in Trilby, has such an intense interest in preserving Trilby’s history that it borders on obsession. He has spent countless hours tracking the community’s history through public records and newspaper accounts, and has a large collection of photographs and postcards, too. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — Scott Black, who grew up in Trilby, has such an intense interest in preserving Trilby’s history that it borders on obsession. He has spent countless hours tracking the community’s history through public records and newspaper accounts, and has a large collection of photographs and postcards, too.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

He also notes the community’s segregated cemeteries — a vestige of the past, and he talks fondly about people who once lived in Trilby and made their final resting place there.

The Dade City commissioner understands that, for those unfamiliar with Trilby or its history, it takes a bit of an imagination to see the place the way he does.

But for him, preserving Trilby’s story, is important.

Black is a native of the community, and his father was born there, too.

He knows the pivotal role that the railroad played in shaping the community’s history.

The people who made their way to this settlement, north of Dade City, and who chose to make their life there, fascinate him.

He finds romance in the sounds of trains rumbling by.

“I did grow up in Trilby, so trains were very much a part of our life. I can remember lying in bed at night and watching the strobe light of the engine, from across the pasture, on the ceiling and listening to the trains,” Black told members of the Pasco County Historical Society in March.

He recalls a time when he was riding with his dad, and his dad had to stop for a train. His dad wasn’t perturbed. “He rolled down the window and said, ‘Isn’t that a wonderful sound?’”

Black said his interest in Trilby’s history dates back to when he was in middle school, and he won an essay contest sponsored by the West Pasco Historical Society.

As he gathered information for his essay, he went around the community, recording interviews with some of its oldest residents.

Black recalls how his mother stayed up with him until midnight, as he made the final touches on his entry.

The interest in community history that was piqued in his youth, lives on.

The railroad played a pivotal role in shaping the development of Trilby, according to Scott Black, who has devoted considerable time to researching the community’s history. (Courtesy of Scott Black) — The railroad played a pivotal role in shaping the development of Trilby, according to Scott Black, who has devoted considerable time to researching the community’s history.
(Courtesy of Scott Black)

He also recalls being inspired by an article he read about a reunion of descendants of family members who had lived in New Salem, Illinois, where Abraham Lincoln had owned a store.

He thought it would be fun to do the same thing in Trilby.

So, he began looking for old families with ties to Trilby, and he found quite a few. Then, 11 years ago, the community began having its annual Trilby homecoming that’s held on the third Saturday of March every year.

There was a time when the community was a bustling place, at the crossroads of railroad lines. It had depot buildings, hotels, restaurants, boarding houses, a bank, stores and other businesses.

“As you come into Trilby, there’s not much left anymore, and not too many that remember, either,” Black said.

But, he’s taken on the task of being the memory keeper of the place that was, and the people who once lived there.

Named after a novel?
Railroads played an enormous role in shaping the community’s life, he said.

Peter Demens, who built the Orange Belt Railroad, didn’t initially intend to build his railroad all of the way to St. Petersburg, but he did.

“So, along the path of his railroad was the community of Macon, and that forever more changed what we now know as Trilby,” he said.

“Someone else who came along and changed Trilby was Henry B. Plant. His north-south railroad that came through intersected with Peter Demens’ Orange Belt Railroad. That made Trilby very important as an intersection, in fact, any train that went to St. Petersburg, it went through Trilby. People would make that connection there.

“It helped the commerce at Trilby — restaurants and everything else, of the rail passengers going south.

“Henry B. Plant was a key part of Trilby’s success,” Black added.

It is said that Trilby’s name was suggested by Plant’s wife, Margaret, who asked him to name the next town he platted after a popular novel of the day, “Trilby,” written by George du Maurier.

When Plant platted Trilby, in June 1896, he named the streets after characters in the novel. The depot was built around Svengali Square.

Black said he’s not aware of any those streets ever being built.

Over the years, Black has tracked the history of Trilby and its inhabitants through newspaper accounts, public records, grave stones, census records, photographs, post cards, interviews and artifacts.

“When I was a child growing up, my pastor out in Trilby, we’d plant a garden out there, and we’d plow things. There’s a pond that’s there, and it would recede and things would surface from the old town site,” Black said.

He estimates that Trilby’s population today is around 600 and was probably around the same as its peak.

Black acknowledges that his fascination for Trilby borders on obsession.

“Sometimes my wife wonders a little bit,” he admitted.

But, he feels a sense of urgency to collect as much information as he can, so that the history is not lost to the ages.

“I let so many people slip past me,” Black said.

Published August 31, 2016

Land O’ Lakes High will stay open during renovations

August 24, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Land O’ Lakes High School will remain open during a massive renovation project that is scheduled to begin next June.

Superintendent Kurt Browning had planned to shift the Land O’ Lakes High students to a new high school, known as “GGG”, being built on Old Pasco Road.

Land O’ Lakes High School will stay open during a massive renovation project that is set to begin next June. By keeping students on campus, the project will take two years to complete rather than one. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos) — Land O’ Lakes High School will stay open during a massive renovation project that is set to begin next June. By keeping students on campus, the project will take two years to complete rather than one.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

But, he changed his mind after opening-day enrollment figures at Wiregrass Ranch High School revealed that 2,478 students showed up to a school built for 1,633 students. John Long Middle School’s opening enrollment was 1,810 students, at a school built for 1,327. Both school’s opening day enrollments exceeded district projections for the entire year.

Other schools in Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel also exceeded projections, Browning said, in an Aug. 16 letter sent to parents of Land O’ Lakes High and Pine View Middle students.

The district had been considering three options relating to the Land O’ Lakes makeover.

One option was for students to stay at Land O’ Lakes High, the second was to put Sunlake High School on double sessions and the third was to send the students to “GGG.”

Browning said he now believes “that the least disruptive solution is to keep students at Land O’ Lakes High School during the renovations.”

That being said, Browning noted “it still will not be ideal.”

Keeping Land O’ Lakes High open during renovations will delay the project’s completion by a year and will reduce the scope of work to account for the added cost of extending the length of the project by a year, Browning wrote.

The Land O’ Lakes High School Culinary Academy will be able to continue operations, while Land O’ Lakes High School undergoes a makeover. The massive remodeling project is set to begin next summer.

“The school will be a construction zone, and we will have to place dozens of portable classrooms on and around the campus. We won’t have practice fields and will reduce the number of parking spaces. There will be utility disruptions and construction dust,” Browning added.

There are some bright spots, though, the superintendent noted.

The school’s students will stay together on one campus, culinary students will be able to use their culinary academy and agriculture students will be on the same campus as their animals, Browning wrote.

He also noted that sporting events will take place at the school.

Browning said the district “will take every precaution to ensure that the construction project does not impact student safety.”

The superintendent also assured parents “this decision was not made lightly and was not made without significant input from staff.”

Pasco County school board member Cynthia Armstrong said the decision to keep the students at Land O’ Lakes High School during construction is the best choice available to the district at this time.

“It’s not the ideal situation, but it seems like with the choices we had, it was just the best solution that we could come up with,” Armstrong said.

Wiregrass Ranch High School needs relief, and double sessions at Sunlake High was not a good option because the school day would have to start too early and end too late.

Armstrong also noted: “I think the community, the parents and the students are going to be happy with this solution.

“The Land O’ Lakes students are going to get to stay together as an intact unit. They’re going to get to be Gators their senior year. They are going to get to play in their own stadium. It’s not going to disrupt the culinary arts,” she said.

Plus, the school’s agriculture and child care programs will be able to continue, she noted.

To accommodate construction, half of the school will be in portables one year, and then half will be in portables the next year.

“That, at first was not a preferred method because essentially it was going to cost more money and more time. That wasn’t one that we were really excited about,” Armstrong said.

A parent meeting will be set this fall to discuss the details of the plan. Meanwhile, the district also will post updates at Pasco.k12.fl.us/renovations and on the district’s social media sites, and Land O’ Lakes High School will keep parents informed on its website and social media sites.

Published August 24, 2016

Veterans enjoy ‘honor flight’ at home

August 24, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Hundreds of people turned out to the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Nursing Home on Aug. 20 to bring “Honor Flight” to veterans unable to travel to Washington D.C., to enjoy the whirlwind experience.

U.S. Army veteran Bob Edward, who served in Vietnam, becomes emotional during ‘Honor Flight at Home,’ an event at the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Nursing Home on Aug. 20. (Fred Bellet/Photos) — U.S. Army veteran Bob Edward, who served in Vietnam, becomes emotional during ‘Honor Flight at Home,’ an event at the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Nursing Home on Aug. 20.
(Fred Bellet/Photos)

Instead of boarding airplanes, these veterans walked down the nursing home’s corridors, or were wheeled down — receiving hearty applause and cheers from well-wishers.

“This is your big day,” one woman told a vet, as he rode by.

“Are we ready to have some fun?” another woman asked.

The nursing home was awash in patriotic colors.

Red, white and blue balloons bobbed near the ceiling. There were sprays of stars. Red, white and blue bunting decked the walls.

Family members snapped photos, and people who had lined up along the corridor’s walls, approached veterans, to thank them and shake their hands.

A Navy veteran stands and salutes, as Fred Still, 90, sings along with music that designated each branch of the military.

As the veterans made their way toward the dining room — where the main event was staged — they were entertained by a band playing a medley of military tunes. There was also music from the World War II-era and other popular hits.

The veterans also had a chance to stop and have their photograph taken in a pose with a woman wearing military apparel.

Once the vets arrived in the main dining room, they were honored by individual military branch, entertained by singers and had a visit from Santa’s Drill Team Honor Guard.

They also heard remarks from the keynote speaker, U.S. Brig. Gen. Richard K. Sele.

Then, they watched a video, which offered a virtual tour of the war monuments in Washington D.C. — the same tour they would have had, if they’d been able to make the trek to the nation’s capital.

The heartfelt event brought tears to the eyes of Karen Burgos, of Spring Hill, as she holds hands with nursing home resident Henry Burgos Jr. He was a paratrooper with the U.S. Army while serving in Korea.

Some veterans at the nursing home, however, couldn’t even make the trip to the facility’s dining room.

Those veterans were given the opportunity to watch the event via a live-streamed, closed-circuit broadcast, in their rooms.

There were also too many people to fit into the dining room. But, they could watch it via big screen TVs in the nursing home’s common areas.

It took two years of preparation to organize the event, which was spearheaded by Operation Patriot and Honor Flight of West Central Florida.

In addition to family members of the veterans, more than 200 volunteers showed up to help get the veterans from their rooms to the dining room and to attend to them during the event.

Each veteran received a white Honor Flight shirt and a ball cap. They also received a goody bag containing several gifts, and a manila envelope filled with letters and other items during mail call.

Finally, as they were guided back to their rooms, the veterans were greeted with a warm round of applause from those gathered for a “Welcome Home” receiving line.

Published August 24, 2016

Nursing home resident Jack Kincella looks for familiar faces in the standing-room-only crowd during the ‘Honor Flight at Home’ event. Kincella said he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

Veteran resident, Leo Rodgers, 94, of Port Richey, clutches an envelope of mail he received during mail call. His daughter, Sue Williams, of Homosassa, was at the event, too.

Now serving chicken pilau, with a side of nostalgia

August 24, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Fifty-six-year-old Richard Christmas cannot recall a time in his life without chicken pilau.

The dish, which has been served for decades at events in San Antonio and Dade City, features chunks of chicken and white rice, which have been seasoned with garlic, onion, salt and pepper.

Although the name of the dish is spelled p-i-l-a-u, it’s pronounced per-loo, which rhymes with purview.

Christmas’ earliest childhood memories include his Uncle Hugh Dunne’s chicken pilau.

“He’d cook it for the (Pasco County) fair. He’d cook it for the Rattlesnake Roundup (now known as the Rattlesnake Festival). And, then he would cook it for the Knights of Columbus,” Christmas said.

Now mayor of the Town of St. Leo, Christmas said, until he was an adult, that when people talked about fair food — they weren’t talking about chicken pilau, but instead were talking about corn dogs, or elephant ears or funnel cakes.

“My fair food was pilau,” he said, or beef from back in the livestock area.

His uncle was widely known around San Antonio — which the locals call San Ann — for his special touch with chicken pilau.

After his uncle passed on, Jack Jones picked up the tradition.

And now, the torch has been passed back to Christmas and Sam Sessa, both members of the Knights of Columbus Council 1768.

The council has 198 members who come from three Catholic churches, Sacred Heart in St. Joe, St. Rita’s in Dade City and St. Anthony’s in San Antonio.

They hold about three chicken pilau dinners a year to raise money for various causes.

Generally, they help local causes, such as buying winter coats for children in need.

But this time, they’re raising money to enable some girls in Tanzania to go to school, Christmas said.

The fundraising dinner will be on Aug. 27, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the council’s hall, 11549 Curley Road in San Antonio.

Diners often arrive early, around 4:30 p.m., Christmas said.

He and Sessa arrive much earlier — about 10 a.m., to begin preparing the pilau.

They start by putting pots of water on to boil.

They slice up the onions and garlic, while bringing the water to a boil.

Christmas admits he can get a little “teary-eyed” while chopping up the onions.

Once the vegetables are ready, they’ll add them and chicken pieces to the boiling water and let them cook, periodically adding salt and pepper to taste.

“You cook it until it falls off the bone,” Christmas said.

About 1 p.m., the “bone pickers” will arrive to help debone the chicken, before returning it to the pot. Finally, the long-grain white rice is added — to the right amount of broth — about 45 minutes before serving time.

Christmas said he’s not really sure where his uncle got the recipe, or where the recipe for chicken pilau originated.

He does know it’s a versatile dish.

“It’s a rice meal that you could add whatever meat you choose to add. Most people add chicken, but you could add squirrel. You could add possum, I suppose.

“Typically, it’s a warm-blooded meat, but I guess it could be gator, but I’ve never seen anybody do that,” said Christmas, whose uncle was named for Capt. Hugh Dunne.

Capt. Hugh Dunne played an important role in the history of St. Leo, San Antonio and other communities that are part of the original Catholic colony established by Edmund Dunne, and Christmas’ family heritage traces back to the colony’s founding.

So, besides being based on a recipe that’s been a tradition for more than a half-century, the person serving it up comes from a family that reaches back to St. Leo’s beginnings.

Those coming by for the dinner will get chicken pilau, plus coleslaw, sweet peas, bread, water, sweet tea, unsweetened tea, or coffee and dessert.

Diners are welcome to eat in the hall, or purchase meals to carry out.

Tickets are sold in advance, but most of the meals are sold to those dropping by, Christmas said.

“Some people come and take it out. Some people sit and eat. We encourage people to sit and eat,” he said.

“For us, it’s a good way to get a lot of people together,” he said.

It’s not just a chicken dinner, It’s a chance for people to mingle.

In other words, it’s chicken pilau served with up with camaraderie.

“I think it’s a pretty good deal,” Christmas said.

Knights of Columbus Pilau Dinner
When: Aug. 27, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., or until the pilau runs out
Where: Knights of Columbus Hall, 11549 Curley Road, San Antonio
Dine-in or take-out
Cost: $8 for adults; $5 for children under 12

Knights of Columbus Council 1768 Chicken pilau recipe:
3 gallons of water
3 whole chickens
6 large onions
1/3 bulb garlic, peeled
6 pounds Uncle Ben’s converted rice
2 tablespoons salt, to taste
2 tablespoons black pepper

Pour water in a huge pot, with a lift-out colander, if available. Use a marker to mark the water level outside the pot. Place chickens, onions and garlic into the colander, and lower it into the water. (If you don’t have this kind of pot, be prepared to strain the broth into another pot when the chicken is fully cooked.) Add the salt and pepper, and bring the contents of the pot to boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is tender.

Lift out the chicken, onions and garlic. Discard the onions and garlic (optional). Put the broth back into the original pot and add/or remove broth to the original measured mark.

Keep the broth hot, while you carefully remove the bones from the chicken.

Place the chicken back into the broth, and then add the rice. Carefully stir the contents of the pot a few times after adding the rice. Taste the broth, and add salt and pepper to taste. Lower the heat, and cover the pot. Simmer until the rice is fully cooked.

Published August 24, 2016

Setting the stage for community gatherings

August 24, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Someday when the crowds gather to enjoy a school recital, or attend a concert, or watch a play — the stage at Land O’ Lakes Community Park will just be a fixture, a venue for events.

But last week, the yet-to-be built stage was the star of the show.

Elected leaders, government workers, business partners and community activists join together to toss dirt signifying the groundbreaking for a stage to be built at the Land O’ Lakes Community Park. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos) — Elected leaders, government workers, business partners and community activists join together to toss dirt signifying the groundbreaking for a stage to be built at the Land O’ Lakes Community Park.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

That’s when local politicians, community activists and interested residents gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking for the stage, which will be built on a grassy area west of the park’s fenced-in ball field.

The ceremony signaled the end of a quest for a stage that began decades ago.

The construction of the stage follows a $2.3 million project to breathe new life and expand amenities at Land O’ Lakes Community Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

Construction of the stage is expected to begin in October and to be completed by January.

The idea for a stage was nothing new, but funding for it was elusive.

Everything finally came together, in what Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore described as a “public, public, public, private, private, private, private, private, private partnership.”

By all accounts, it took a $250,000 grant from the state, the cooperation of local governments, the generosity of local partnerships and the involvement of community activists to make the vision a reality.

And, of course, there was Sandy Graves.

“I can tell you that this doesn’t exist but for Sandy Graves,” said Richard Corcoran, Speaker-designate of the Florida House of Representatives.

Corcoran helped secure the grant from the state’s Division of Cultural Affairs for the stage, but he credited Graves’ passion for making it happen.

“Sandy — she just dogged it, day in and day out,” Corcoran said. “The perseverance is something I’ve never seen.”

Sandy Graves, a native of Land O’ Lakes, has been pushing for years to get a stage built at Land O’ Lakes Community Park. She envisions all sorts of gatherings to draw the community together. Construction is set to start in October.

Corcoran said Graves told him: “I want to bring to my community something that’s great, something that’s beautiful, and where children can learn about arts and culture, and have this great asset to the community,” he said.

“I’m pretty conservative — but if there’s ever a project that belongs in a budget, it’s when it’s an individual who is fighting for something beautiful for her community. She doesn’t have a lobbyist. She doesn’t have power. She doesn’t have any of that stuff, but a heart, and a passion and a vision,” Corcoran said.

Graves, who declares herself a proud “Laker,” said anyone who has ever met her knows within a couple of minutes that she’s a native of Land O’ Lakes.

It’s a place that’s known for its community spirit, she said, pointing to the Land O’ Lakes Community Park as a prime example.

“It was built in the 1960s, after fish fries and donations, from loads of Lakers,” she said.

“This was before the county had a parks and recreation department, and before red tape was invented.

“So, in keeping with that tradition, Heritage Park (Foundation) was created,” she said.

The foundation has aimed to keep the park alive and has dreamed of adding a stage that could serve as a focal point for community events.

“Heritage Park Foundation has a motto: Building a better community by building a better community center,” she said.

The construction of the stage is the result of many, many people who have come together to help make it happen, Graves said. She named off dozens of people and organizations that have been involved through the years. She also remembered those who help carry the torch, but have since passed on.

“I want to thank the members of our organization (Heritage Park Foundation) that are not here today,” she said. “We hope they’re smiling down on us and saying, ‘Job well done.’”

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent for Pasco County Schools, also took to the podium to thank the business partners who are either providing their services for free, or at cost, in order to bring the project in within budget.

The result will make a difference, said school board chairwoman Joanne Hurley, who recalled selling turkey legs at the Flapjack Festival years ago, to help raise money for a stage.

Hurley praised the partnerships that came together to make the vision a reality. She expects generations of people to enjoy events at the park.

The stage will be used for plays, recitals, concerts, pageants and other presentations, Moore said.

“This stage is actually going to be a cornerstone of future cultural events here in Land O’ Lakes,” Moore said.

Recognitions galore!
The list of people, companies and organizations that had a hand in bringing the stage project to life at the Land O’ Lakes Community Park is long.

These are the people and organizations that got a mention during speakers’ remarks at the stage’s groundbreaking on Aug. 16:

Members of the Heritage Park Foundation, especially Kurt Conover, Tim Hayes, Lee Cannon, John Mitchell and Joanne Hurley, and newer members Terri Dusek, Helen Rodriguez and Stefanie Bracciale. Also, members of the foundation who have passed way.
Longtime supporters: The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, the GFWC Lutz Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, the past Land O’ Lakes Rotary, Lonnie and Bobby Piper, Susan MacManus, Hungry Harry’s, Keystone Community Church and the Candlewood Community Church
School bands and choirs that performed in the park, with the hopes that one day there would be a stage to showcase their talent.
Pasco County Schools
Pasco County
Pasco County Parks and Recreation
Humberto Gonzalez, Rick Buckman, Brian Taylor, Mike Walcott and A.J. Fernandez
Richard Corcoran, speaker-designate for the Florida House of Representatives
Sandy Graves
Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools
Peter Gottschalk, architect
Coastal Design Consultants, Paul Manuel
Walbridge, Richard Marshall, Tim Sewell, Mary Layton
DC Johnson & Associates Inc., Dan Johnson and Andy Getz
Copperstone Executive Suites, Mary Lynn and Gary Gorsline
Ervin Bishop Construction Inc., Sonny Bishop
Schaer Development of Central Florida, Skip Schaer
RIPA and Associates, Frank Ripa
Quality Roofing Inc., Rick Jenkins
JN Electric of Tampa Bay, John Narcisi
Door and Hardware Openings Inc., Mike Gonzalez
Accurate Signs on Time, Amy Daigrepont-Calkowski

Published August 24, 2016

Looking for tools to help patients help themselves

August 24, 2016 By B.C. Manion

When it comes to treating patients with behavioral health issues, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Dr. Laura Bajor is always on the lookout for new tools that could help.

She sees the potential of emerging technology.

But Bajor, who is medical director for the CORE program at North Tampa Behavioral Health, 29910 State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel, isn’t into technology for technology’s sake.

Organizations that engage in that approach, she said, “tend to create a ‘flavor of the month’ atmosphere.’”

Dr. Laura Bajor, medical director of the CORE program at North Tampa Behavioral Health, is always looking for new tools to help her patients help themselves. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — Dr. Laura Bajor, medical director of the CORE program at North Tampa Behavioral Health, is always looking for new tools to help her patients help themselves.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Ultimately, that’s counterproductive, Bajor said, because “that actually ends up alienating folks from trying new things, because they’ve lost faith in the actual benefit of new technology.”

Instead, Bajor believes that “technology and research are most useful when they improve a patient’s investment in their own health, and their quality of life.”

She’s constantly on the lookout for new tools, or collaborations, to help her find the best ways to help the patients she’s treating.

“In my opinion, one of the absolute worst conversations to have with a patient is to have to sit across a desk from them and say ‘We’ve run out of treatment options for you, and we’re not working on anything new. Good luck.’

“The real aim of health care is not that they remain our patients, it’s that they function well on their own without us. So, we can move them toward that,” Bajor said.

Along those lines, “we’re using technology to assess sleep, activity level, change in heart rate throughout the course of the day, and a few other parameters,” she said.

This permits a more focused approach to prescribing medication and planning treatment, she said.

The idea is to be able to show patients evidence regarding their progress or lack of it, which helps save time and reduces frustration, she said.

Technology also is used to help patients learn how to control their own stress and anxiety levels, which helps them regain a sense of control and self-confidence, she said.

Bajor said she began using emerging technology about four years ago, with a series of small innovation grants in a clinic at the VA in Boston.

She was able to pilot the use of different kinds of fitness, sleep, and stress trackers with her staff and patients. That eventually spread into a partnership with the Basis division of Intel, who worked to equip patients from about 15 different clinics and programs with their gear.

She believes part of the reason she was recruited to become the medical director of the CORE program at North Tampa Behavioral was because of those experiences and skills.

Sleep plays a significant role in a patient’s health, Bajor said.

“The first paper I ever published was about tracking sleep first rather than hitting people with very high-caliber meds,” Bajor said.

This monitor tracks activity levels and can help determine if a patient is having problems with sleep. The quality of one’s sleep can have significant impacts on health, according to Dr. Laura Bajor, medical director of the CORE program at North Tampa Behavioral Health in Wesley Chapel.

When someone comes into the clinic and sleep is part of their problem, they are put on a tracking system for a couple of days before any medication is prescribed, she said.

“Is the problem that they’re not going to bed until 3 in the morning? Is the problem that they can’t fall asleep? Or, is it that they’re waking up 10 times?

“We would actually use different treatment approaches, depending on which or all of those problems they have,” she said.

“A person, once they’ve been sleeping, you can probably use much less medicine,” she said. That helps to avoid prescribing medication that can affect their functioning during the day, and reduces potential for side effects.

“All of these things have side effects,” she added.

While in Boston, Bajor said she worked with top-notch researchers and clinicians from the Harvard and Boston University systems, she said.

“I worked mainly in Ann Rasmusson’s lab at the National Center for PTSD, where there is a major focus on using exercise, cognitive therapy, and other novel approaches to calm down the neuroendocrine system, get folks’ frontal lobes back on line, and in doing all that, help PTSD patients get back in control of their anxiety,” she said.

“Ann and her crew have continued to be generous in providing advice about how to translate these ideas into our CORE program,” she said, where exercise, yoga, diet and other approaches are being used to treat veterans.

“There’s an emerging parameter called heart rate variability,” Bajor said. “It’s kind of the newest thing in physiologic tracking. It’s the rate at which a heart rate changes.

“We’re watching that with guys who are doing PTSD therapy,” she said.

“We can tell: Should we back off a little, or should we try harder?

“There’s actually NFL coaches and Olympic coaches that are using the same HRV (heart rate variability). They’ll say, ‘Well this guy should take a day off from weightlifting.’ Or, ‘We should push this guy harder, he’s not going hard enough.’’’

“We can kind of do the same thing,” she said.

Bajor also noted she’s received help from a number of other experts in the areas of research methods, dissemination of innovation and day-to-day management of new ideas in a clinical setting.

“The trajectory of my medical career has been a little unorthodox,” Bajor said.

She went from being a student at the Naval Academy, to becoming a search and rescue pilot, to being a Department of Defense engineer. She left that job to attend medical school.

In addition to her current work, she also belongs to “Tampa Hackerspace,” a group she describes as an eclectic group of brilliant folks who have pooled their resources into a space where members have access to things like 3-D printers, laser cutters, full metal and wood shops, and the expertise of leaders in their various fields.

She just joined the group in the summer and already has ideas that will be used in her clinic, she said.

“Making those connections and sharing knowledge. There’s no way to measure that. It’s just invaluable,” said Bajor.

She welcomes opportunities for collaborations that will lead to better care for patients.

Published August 24, 2016