The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

B.C. Manion

Easter season filled with spiritual celebrations

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As Easter approaches, churches across The Laker/Lutz News coverage area are preparing for a host of spiritual activities.

Some churches will be hosting Good Thursday, Holy Friday and Easter Vigil services, while others will be focusing primarily on Easter Sunday services.

There will be community events, as well, to celebrate the season.

David Huff, pastor at Trinity Church of Wesley Chapel, released the doves at the end of last year’s Easter service. A dove release is again planned for Sunday’s service. (Photos courtesy of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills)
David Huff, pastor at Trinity Church of Wesley Chapel, released the doves at the end of last year’s Easter service. A dove release is again planned for Sunday’s service.
(Photos courtesy of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills)

In Zephyrhills, the Zephyrhills-Wesley Chapel Ministerial Association will be leading the annual Good Friday Walk of the Cross.

Adults and families are invited to the walk, which takes participants on a 1 ½-mile pilgrimage with stops outside seven Zephyrhills churches.

Along the way, individuals take turns carrying the cross to different churches, and at each stop, a scriptural verse and reflection is shared.

The first stop on the walk will be on March 25 at 5:30 p.m., at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, at 5316 11th Street. The walk concludes about 6:45 p.m., at the First United Methodist Church, 38635 Fifth Ave., where there will be a Good Friday service.

“This is such an amazing event, to have people from all different faiths and all different styles and denominations of Christianity, coming together for something in unity,” said Dennis Harmeson, president of the ministerial association. Until he participated in the walk, he said, “I had never seen anything like it,” regarding people’s willingness to lay aside the things they disagree about, in a show of unity about the things they agree on.

On Easter Sunday, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills will partner with the ministerial association to present an annual Easter sunrise service, on March 27, beginning at 7 a.m. It will be on the front lawn of the hospital’s campus at 7050 Gall Blvd.

The service will feature a message from Dennis Harmeson, pastor at Zephyrhills Wesleyan Church, and music by Craig Garrison, a pharmacy regulatory specialist and volunteer spiritual ambassador at Florida Hospital Tampa, who is also a resident of Zephyrhills.

Pastor Nick Deford of First Church of the Nazarene, Zephyrhills, delivered the Easter message in 2015 before a crowd estimated at around 1,500.
Pastor Nick Deford of First Church of the Nazarene, Zephyrhills, delivered the Easter message in 2015 before a crowd estimated at around 1,500.

An offering will be taken for The Good Samaritan Project of Zephyrhills and for the ministerial association, which both are nonprofit organizations, and the hospital will provide complimentary refreshments.

Because of limited seating, the hospital suggests that those attending bring a lawn chair. The event will be held, rain or shine.

The sunrise service at the hospital is a tradition that began around 1985, said Doug Higgins, chaplain at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills.

“It’s kind of a gift to the community from the hospital, to encourage this important celebration of the year,” he said.

One of the highlights is the release of a dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit, Higgins said.

“That’s a great symbol of Christ’s resurrection, and new life within us, as well,” he explained.

The service typically draws about 1,500 people, he said.

Harmeson, who will be the main speaker at the sunrise service, said he will be focusing on the resurrection of Christ and “how we react, moving forward with the knowledge Christ died for us.”

Scores of churches of various Christian denominations also are planning special services leading up to Easter and on Easter Sunday, and we have some of those services in our What’s Happening section this week. Many churches also have information about the themes and times for their services posted on their websites.

Published March 23, 2016

School shootings: What are we doing wrong?

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When it comes to mass shootings at school, there is one thing that most have in common, said Lisa Rapp-McCall, a professor in the graduate social work program at Saint Leo University.

“The vast majority end in the shooter’s suicide,” the professor told a crowd at a conference for social workers at Saint Leo University on March 11.

Rapp-McCall’s presentation, “Mass Shootings: What are we doing wrong? Where to we go from here,” provided conference-goers a deep look at the issue, using information the professor gleaned from FBI reports, Secret Service reports, other researchers’ information and studies.

Lisa Rapp-McCall discusses the seriousness of mass shootings at schools, and ways that schools, families and care providers can work to reduce potential incidents. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Lisa Rapp-McCall discusses the seriousness of mass shootings at schools, and ways that schools, families and care providers can work to reduce potential incidents.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The professor also drew on knowledge attained through her own experience when she worked with juvenile offenders and youth with mental health issues while she was a practicing social worker in Buffalo, N.Y.

The truth is that it’s difficult to research mass shooting cases that occur at school because they are rare events, and because the shooter is typically dead, Rapp-McCall said, beginning her presentation with the FBI’s definition of a mass shooting at school.

“The FBI defines a school mass shooting as a first-degree multiple homicide involving four or more victims,” she said. By that definition, there have been nine school mass shootings in the past 20 years.

But, that doesn’t count the events where multiple people are shot, but fewer than four die, she said. By that broader definition, the number of mass shooting incidents would double.

Rapp-McCall also went over some myths about mass shootings at schools:

  • School violence is an epidemic
  • All school shooters are loners and alike
  • These are impulsive acts
  • Easy access to guns is the No. 1 contributor
  • School shooters are easy to identify

While not an epidemic, the incidents are serious and work needs to be done to reduce the potential for these occurrences, Rapp-McCall said. And, while some may think they’re impulsive acts, they tend to be carefully planned and scripted, she added.

While much more research is needed, there are some clues, including the risk factors for school shooters. Those include:

  • Seventy-five percent have attempted suicide
  • They have been rejected by peers; or, if they have friends, they’re engaged in unhealthy behaviors
  • They are disconnected from school and are withdrawn
  • They have been bullied, humiliated, gay-baited
  • They collect injustices, feel victimized, may be paranoid
  • They have access to weapons
  • They’re fascinated by weapons

There are also risk factors in families, Rapp-McCall said. There tends to be a lack of intimacy and cohesion in the home. The youth is allowed to be withdrawn. There’s access to weapons. And, the family often appears to be afraid of the youth.

There is no easy fix for the problem, Rapp-McCall said, noting it will take concerted and sustained efforts to address this complex issue.

Better coordination of services and more communication between providers would help, she said. In some cases, a problem could be spotted and addressed much earlier, if people were talking to each other, she said.

She’d like to see more social workers hired to coordinate multiple services.

“Parents shouldn’t be case managers. They don’t know how to be case managers,” she said.

“All of these families, at one point or another, sought help,” Rapp-McCall said. “They weren’t really given a lot of help.”

She also thinks parents need more guidance about what to do when their child is withdrawn.

“It is OK to get them out of their room?

“Yes. Please do.

“Is it OK to go looking in their room, when they’re not there?

“Yes. Please do,” she said.

She also said schools must do more to reduce the potential for incidents.

There are also risk factors at schools, she said. Those include a pecking order, where certain groups of students are favored; a code of silence, where kids know what’s going on but won’t tell anyone; and, a culture that allows bullying to occur.

To address those issues, schools must ensure that activities are inclusive, she said. The pecking order must be abolished. And, codes of silence must be broken.

Schools need ongoing teams to maintain a healthy climate and culture, she said. That team should meet regularly, and it should include students, teachers, staff, coaches, parents, guidance counselors, school nurses and social workers, she said.

Students must be taught that they can’t be bystanders when bullying occurs.

“With our technology, there certainly could be an anonymous number that you could text to say, ‘Someone is getting bullied behind the cafeteria right now’,” she said.

More research is needed, Rapp-McCall said, particularly in the arena of young male depression.

“Where is the data? Where is the research? Who’s studying this? Who’s talking about this?

“Little, very little, has been written or researched about male depression and male suicide,” Rapp-McCall said.

Published March 16, 2016

Porter to doubters: Raymond James is coming

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J.D. Porter said he knows there are a lot of people who doubt that Raymond James will ever have a location in the Wiregrass Ranch community of Wesley Chapel.

And, he said he knows that the decision by T. Rowe Price not to locate in Pasco County has helped to fuel those speculations.

But, at a March 10 meeting of the Pasco Alliance of Community Associations in Land O’ Lakes, Porter told the crowd: “I’ll tell you straight up, let’s dispel the myth right now: Is it going to happen? Are they going to close?

J.D. Porter, whose family owns thousands of acres in Wiregrass Ranch, talks about future plans for the area near The Shops at Wiregrass and Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
J.D. Porter, whose family owns thousands of acres in Wiregrass Ranch, talks about future plans for the area near The Shops at Wiregrass and Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

“It’s going to happen. Raymond James will close,” said Porter, whose family owns the sprawling Wiregrass Ranch, which includes thousands of acres of ranch land and citrus groves.

Porter expects Raymond James to get their permits within the next 45 days or so, and that will trigger closing within 30 days of that, he said.

“Once they close, you’ll start seeing dirt being moved to the site,” Porter said.

“It’s exciting. Right now, they’re in for permitting for a million square feet,” he said, estimating that the site will be occupied by 4,000 to 5,000 employees.

“I imagine we’ll have even more interest on the office side, once Raymond James closes,” Porter said.

“We’re currently talking with about four other office users that are Fortune 250 companies, anywhere from 400,000 square feet to another 1.2 million square feet of office,” said Porter, whose family has already sold the land now occupied by The Shops at Wiregrass and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, and donated 65 acres for Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.

Porter is also enthused about progress being made for a performing arts center on the state college’s campus. The project received $15. 5 million in funding last year from the Florida Legislature and there’s $11 million earmarked for the project in this session’s proposed budget.

It could be vetoed by Gov. Rick Scott, but Porter doesn’t think it will be. If that money comes through, about half of the funding needed for the first phase of the project would be available, he said.

Porter envisions a facility that can seat between 5,000 and 8,000 people and could be a venue for plays, concerts, graduations and other events.

With the performing arts center, Pasco County high school students would be able to have their graduation ceremonies within the county instead of having to use venues elsewhere, Porter said.

He also talked about other projects that are under way or being planned in the Wiregrass Ranch development. Those include high-end apartments, a hotel, an assisted living facility and a specialty grocer, although he didn’t name which one.

Porter said his family entertains many proposals coming from people who want to open restaurants, gas stations and other uses.

The area’s demographics are enticing, Porter noted.

“You’ve got a median age that’s about seven years younger than the Florida average and about 11 years younger than the national average. You’ve got a median income that’s about $11,000 more than what the national average is and about $14,000 to $17,000 more than what the Florida average is,” he said.

When the family sells land, it’s more interested in how the sale affects the overall quality of the community than whether they can get top dollar, Porter said

The specialty grocery store is an example of this, he said.

“We’re going to take a price hit on that,” Porter said. “But, I think it’s something that will have value. I think it is something that will flourish within the community.”

“You can’t play the short game. You’ve got to play the long game,” he said.

Published March 16, 2016

 

Hospital shows off its new cath lab

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Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel had an open house to show off its new cardiac catheterization lab on March 13, unveiling the first completed project in the hospital’s $78 million expansion.

About 100 people registered to take the guided tour through the new lab and to learn about the technology that will be used to help treat patients at the hospital.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is in the midst of a $78 million expansion that will add 111,993 square feet of new construction and 10,834 square feet of renovation. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)
Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is in the midst of a $78 million expansion that will add 111,993 square feet of new construction and 10,834 square feet of renovation.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

After seeing the equipment and hearing about its capabilities, James R. Carner was impressed.

“You guys have got a great lab,” said Carner, who is an account executive for Central Payment Corporation.

“I love technology,” he said. “I’ve got no problem with coming in and letting them take care of me – with all of this.

“At least I could rest easy knowing I’d be taken care of, if anything did ever happen to me. That’s awesome,” said Carner, who is also an ambassador for The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce.

Providing high-quality care within the community is the hospital’s aim, said Denyse Bales-Chubb, president and CEO of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

“I think it’s wonderful to be able to provide the state-of-the-art technology here in Wesley Chapel, for our community and for the people who live here,” she said.

Michael Baird, from Medtronic, is holding a cryoballoon, used for freezing during an AFib ablation.
Michael Baird, from Medtronic, is holding a cryoballoon, used for freezing during an AFib ablation.

“No one wants to have to travel to get care. They want it right in their backyards.

“You can just have that comfort that you can come here and get taken care of; you don’t have to travel clear downtown,” Bales-Chubb said.

The opening of the new cath lab signals just the beginning of the hospital’s new facilities.

The expansion will be opening in stages, Bales-Chubb said. As a wing or a suite is finished, the state inspectors will be coming in to inspect, so that portion of the expansion can be opened.

“We’re very excited about that. Everything is still on schedule to have everything completed by December 2016,” the hospital executive said.

The expansion includes 62 additional inpatient beds, 17 additional emergency room beds and 18 observation beds.

The expansion involves adding three floors to the hospital’s center wing, and constructing an additional three-story wing that connects the south and center wings.

The expansion involves 111,993 square feet of new construction and 10,834 square feet of renovation.

Besides the additional rooms, the hospital is adding more emergency rooms, surgical suites and shelled space for future growth.

Kevin Webb, of Saint Jude Medical, is running an Ensite Velocity machine, which is Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel’s 3-D mapping machine. In essence, it allows a second set of eyes to watch what is going on during a procedure, Webb says.
Kevin Webb, of Saint Jude Medical, is running an Ensite Velocity machine, which is Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel’s 3-D mapping machine. In essence, it allows a second set of eyes to watch what is going on during a procedure, Webb says.

When fully completed, the expansion will yield about 200 more full-time equivalent jobs, Bales-Chubb said.

Besides the tour, there was also a ribbon cutting ceremony with representatives from The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce and the Trinity Odessa Chamber of Commerce.

The hospital also hosted the MEGA Heart Exhibit, giving the community a chance to learn more about heart health in a portable walkthrough heart exhibit.

Those stepping inside the exhibit, could learn about cardiovascular functions, observe examples of various types of heart disease, and see information about some of the latest medical treatments for heart problems.

Published March 16, 2016

Seeking national glory, one contest at a time

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They may be too young to know the ways of the world, but they certainly know their way around it.

Several area students have qualified to be semifinalists in the 2016 Florida National Geographic State Bee, earning the right to compete at Jacksonville University on April 1.

Area semifinalists and their schools are:

  • Reece Kaplan, Carrollwood Day School
  • Hirsh Kabria, Charlie Walker Middle School
  • Riju Datta, Corbett Preparatory School
  • Ethan Rampersaud, Dr. John Long Middle School
  • Noah Pearlman, Hillel Academy
  • Samuel Glickman, Martinez Middle School
  • Shlok Patel, Raymond B. Stewart Middle School
  • Landry Samuels, St. Anthony School
  • Rishi Nair, Williams Middle Magnet School

The semifinalist competition is the second level of the National Geographic Bee competition, now in its 28th year.

School Bees took place in schools with fourth- through eighth-grade students throughout Florida, to determine each school champion.

School champions then took an online qualifying test.

bee_logo_blue-NEWThe National Geographic Society has invited up to 100 of the top-scoring students in each of the 50 states, District of Columbia, Department of Defense Dependents Schools and U.S. territories to compete in the state Bees.

Each state champion will receive $100, the National Geographic book “The National Parks: An Illustrated History” and a medal, and will journey to Washington D.C., to represent their state in the National Geographic Bee Championship at National Geographic Society headquarters, from May 22 through May 25.

The national champion will receive a $50,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. The national champion will also travel (along with one parent or guardian), all expenses paid, to Alaska’s coastal wilderness, including Glacier Bay National Park, in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.

The 2016 National Geographic Bee Championship final round will be moderated for the first time by journalist and humorist Mo Rocca.

Test your knowledge
How would you fare as a National Geographic Bee contestant? Here’s a sampling of the type of questions the Bee includes:

  1. To fish in Lake Winnipesaukee [wi-neh-peh-SAW-kee] and ski near Franconia Notch, you would travel to which state – New Hampshire or South Dakota? (New Hampshire)
  1. Visitors to Biscayne National Park in Florida can go fishing and lobstering along the shore of which kind of habitat – mangrove or desert? (Mangrove)
  1. Sea kayakers can explore hundreds of islands off the Dalmatian coast of which European country south of Slovenia? (Croatia)
  1. For centuries, the Chinese emperors lived in seclusion in the Forbidden City, which is located within what present-day city? (Beijing)

Published March 16, 2016

 

 

Retracing her grandfather’s steps

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Betty Lowe Phelps finally had the chance to mark an item off her bucket list last fall, when she climbed to the top of the Loggerhead Key Lighthouse in the Dry Tortugas.

As she made her way to the top, she was making the same climb as her grandfather — Benjamin Howard Lowe Sr. — did when he was an assistant lighthouse keeper there during the 1930s.

Visiting Loggerhead Key Lighthouse has long been on Betty Lowe Phelps’ bucket list. She finally visited the lighthouse last fall. She was accompanied on the trip by her sister, Toni Lowe Clinger, left and by Clinger’s husband, Bryon. (Photos courtesy of Betty Lowe Phelps)
Visiting Loggerhead Key Lighthouse has long been on Betty Lowe Phelps’ bucket list. She finally visited the lighthouse last fall. She was accompanied on the trip by her sister, Toni Lowe Clinger, left and by Clinger’s husband, Bryon.
(Photos courtesy of Betty Lowe Phelps)

The Land O’ Lakes woman now has been inside, or boated around, all four of the lighthouses from which her grandfather worked.

Phelps had been aware that her grandfather worked in lighthouses, but didn’t know many details.

She began doing more research after she visited the Sanibel Lighthouse in 1999.

That’s where she discovered that even though she knew her grandfather had worked there, his name wasn’t in the records.

She set out to find out more.

She began talking to relatives to find out what they knew and also began searching for records.

She now has a binder full of photographs and documents she’s collected. She also has another source: 20 hours of recordings of her grandfather’s recollections.

A profile on her grandfather is included in the 2006 book, “Lore of the Reef Lights: Life in the Florida Keys,” by Thomas W. Taylor.

Taylor gleaned much of the information for the profile from Phelps and other members of her family.

Taylor’s account says Lowe grew up as the son of a boat captain, and worked for his father on a vessel called The Magnolia, until the ship was lost in a hurricane in 1919.

Over the years, Lowe worked on various boats, according to Taylor’s book.

Phelps said her grandfather went to the waterfront whenever he needed work.

“He was a cook on a lot of the crews. They did shrimping. They did lobstering. They did turtling. They did sponging,” Phelps said.

In essence, he would do whatever kind of work he could find, she said.

In 1929, Lowe joined the United States Lighthouse Service as an assistant keeper and was assigned to work at Fowey Rocks Lighthouse, according to Taylor’s account.

After his wife experienced complications while giving birth, Lowe moved the family back to Key West, to be closer to a support network. He then became an assistant keeper at the Loggerhead Key Lighthouse in the Dry Tortugas, Taylor notes.

American Shoal Lighthouse, off Sugarloaf Key in the Florida Keys, is the third lighthouse where Betty Lowe Phelps’ grandfather worked as an assistant keeper.
American Shoal Lighthouse, off Sugarloaf Key in the Florida Keys, is the third lighthouse where Betty Lowe Phelps’ grandfather worked as an assistant keeper.

“During the summer months, when school was out, the entire family would voyage out to the Dry Tortugas to spend the summer with their father at the light station, living on the second floor of the station’s duplex dwelling,” Taylor adds.

He’d make regular trips to Key West, Phelps said.

“There were three men at a time. Every 28 days, one of them came in. They would spend a month with their family,” she said.

When they returned to the lighthouse, they brought fresh provisions, such as fruit, vegetables and fresh meat, she said.

Next, Phelps said her grandfather went to work at American Shoal Lighthouse, off of Sugarloaf Key, which was closer to the family.

And finally, in 1939, he took a lighthouse post in Sanibel.

“His wife begged him to take that job because there was a cottage, and the family could all stay together,” Phelps said.

Phelps has been a member of the Florida Lighthouse Association since 2000, and is delighted she finally had the chance to see the view from top of the Loggerhead Key Lighthouse.

It was a trip she’d planned to make back in 2003, with a half-dozen members of her family, as part of the Florida Lighthouse Association’s trip to the Dry Tortugas.

But, those plans were dashed due to mechanical problems with the boat.

“That was a tremendous disappointment, as we had all traveled from various parts of central Florida for the rare opportunity to visit the island and climb the most remote of our grandfather’s lighthouses,” Phelps said.

Now, she’s finally replaced that disheartening memory with a happy one.

Published March 16, 2016

Stage is set for another music fest next year

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Doreen Armillei and her husband, Ron, were grabbing a bite to eat as they waited for things to get started at the Land O’ Lakes Spring Music Festival & Expo, presented by the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

The Land O’ Lakes couple came out to the concert for a simple reason.

“I wanted to see Taylor Hicks,” Doreen said.

“I like his personality very much,” Doreen added, noting she became a fan while watching Hicks compete and ultimately win Season 5 of American Idol.

Concert-goers seemed to be enjoying themselves at the concert featuring Taylor Hicks, winner of Season 5 of American Idol. The concert was performed at the Fraternal Order of Police Pasco Lodge 29 property at 21735 YMCA Camp Road, in Land O’ Lakes. (Fred Bellet/Photos)
Concert-goers seemed to be enjoying themselves at the concert featuring Taylor Hicks, winner of Season 5 of American Idol. The concert was performed at the Fraternal Order of Police Pasco Lodge 29 property at 21735 YMCA Camp Road, in Land O’ Lakes.
(Fred Bellet/Photos)

Karen Twilla, another Land O’ Lakes resident, came to the concert with her husband, daughter and a couple of friends. She, too, appreciates Hicks.

“I’ve seen him in Tampa. I’ve seen him in New York City, when he was in ‘Grease.’ We’ve seen him in Las Vegas and here,” she said, noting she also watched him on American Idol.

She enjoys Hicks’ music, but is even more impressed by his character.

“He’s just a fine gentleman. He just loves his music. I love his heart,” Twilla said.

They weren’t the only ones attracted to the March 11 concert. People were waiting in line before the gates opened at 6 p.m.

And, when they got in, there was plenty of room to spread out blankets and set up lawn chairs on the spacious grounds at the Fraternal Order of Police Pasco Lodge 29 property at 21735 YMCA Camp Road.

While some settled onto blankets, or claimed seats in the reserved section, others stationed themselves on boats — on Bell Lake, which borders the property — to take advantage of the spring concert.

The aroma of barbecue filled the air, and there were vendors selling Cajun food, funnel cakes, fried Oreos and other foods.

The evening concert enjoyed “chamber of commerce weather,” in the words of Elayne Bassinger, president of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

Although the March 11 concert was sold out, attendance was lighter than expected. Apparently those purchasing tickets gave them to people who decided not to use them, Bassinger said.

It was easy to see that biggest fan of Taylor Hicks in this row of audience members. Karen Twilla, center, of Land O’ Lakes, is flanked by Fred Twilla, her husband, left, and Kelli Actis, right, of Tampa, as they wait for the show to start at the Land O’ Lakes Spring Music Festival & Expo, presented by the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce. Karen Twilla said she has seen Hicks perform in Las Vegas, in the Broadway production of Grease, and in Tampa. She was looking forward to adding Land O’ Lakes to that list.
It was easy to see that biggest fan of Taylor Hicks in this row of audience members. Karen Twilla, center, of Land O’ Lakes, is flanked by Fred Twilla, her husband, left, and Kelli Actis, right, of Tampa, as they wait for the show to start. Karen Twilla said she has seen Hicks perform in Las Vegas, in the Broadway production of Grease, and in Tampa. She was looking forward to adding Land O’ Lakes to that list.

But, the chamber president was pleased by the event’s organization, led by Suzanne Beauchaine and David Gainer.

“It’s a lot of pieces to put together,” Bassinger said.

“We had an excellent turnout of volunteers,” she added. And, generous sponsors made the event a success, despite the empty seats, she noted.

Bassinger said she also heard positive feedback from people who attended the concert, who told her that it’s the kind of event that Land O’ Lakes has been needing.

She believes the event will grow every year, and that it will become a signature event for Land O’ Lakes.

“That’s our plan, to bring in different entertainment each year,” Bassinger said.

She also offered some kind words about Hicks.

Solar Exposure guitarist Kevin Calhoun plays a solo during the opening act’s performance at the music festival.
Solar Exposure guitarist Kevin Calhoun plays a solo during the opening act’s performance at the music festival.

“He is such an awesome, kind person. You could not ask for someone to be a nicer person. He’s all about his fans,” she said. “He’s handsome, on top of that,” Bassinger said.

On March 12, the event featured local musicians, food vendors, activities for the kids and a business expo, with scores of local businesses offering information about their goods and services.

Besides adding music this year, the event also involved a new location for the business expo, which previously was at the Land O’Lakes Recreation Complex.

Event co-chairs Beauchaine and Gainer said they will be analyzing what worked and what didn’t.

“We’re using this as a learning experience,” Beauchaine said. “We want this to be an annual event. We’re going to take what we learn from it, and make it bigger and better.”

Gainer added: “Honestly, we were hoping we just got people to come out the first year and see what this was about. It takes a little time to build momentum.”

Published March 16, 2016

Local couple shares passion for fossils

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Seina Searle will never forget the first time she and her husband, Mike, went to what was then called Fossil Fair.

“We walked around with our jaws open,” Seina said. They were in awe of what fossil hunters could find in Florida.

Seina and Mike Searle get a thrill out of finding fossils to help unravel the mysteries of the prehistoric past. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)
Seina and Mike Searle get a thrill out of finding fossils to help unravel the mysteries of the prehistoric past.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

The Searles had already begun their amateur quest to find old bits of bone and teeth in a desire to learn more about Florida’s prehistoric past, but when they got to Fossil Fair, she said, they were blown away by the possibilities.

That was 1993, and the Searles immediately joined the Tampa Bay Fossil Club.

Flash forward 23 years. Mike is now president of the club, which boasts around 600 members and Seina is on the board of directors. She’s coordinating a team of about 140 volunteers for the 29th annual Tampa Bay Fossil Fest, set for this coming weekend at the Florida State Fairgrounds.

They hope the event will spark an interest in others that will lead them to join a community devoted to unearthing clues about the creatures that roamed the earth millions of years ago.

The couple’s passion for fossils is obvious.

An entire room in their Lutz home is filled with shelves of fossils they’ve found while diving in rivers and exploring mines. They have stuff in their garage and out back, too.

Mike and Seina Searle spend much of their free time hunting for fossils. The shelves in a room in their Lutz home are filled with items they’ve found. They have more in their garage and in a patio area out back.
Mike and Seina Searle spend much of their free time hunting for fossils. The shelves in a room in their Lutz home are filled with items they’ve found. They have more in their garage and in a patio area out back.

There’s one section in their fossil room devoted to finds from vacations to Nebraska to go fossil-hunting. They’ve made the trip 19 times and are planning to go there again this year.

Their passion has evolved through the years, Mike said.

At first, they just wanted to find stuff, he said.

“Then we wanted to find good stuff. Then, we wanted to find the most stuff,” he said.

“Sometimes you get wrapped up in what the value of your collection is worth and what you find. We’ve completely gone through all of those emotions. Now, our goal is to find stuff that’s scientifically valuable, that will help unravel the picture of what was in Florida,” he said.

Seina is fascinated by what Florida was like millions of years ago.

“It was a lot like Africa now,” she said. “You had the mammoths. Mastodons. Rhinoceros. Huge Bears. Lions.”

There were armadillos the size of Volkswagens, Mike said.

Seina has had a penchant for unearthing buried treasures since her childhood.

“I always loved archeology as a kid. I was always digging in the backyard, hoping to find something. I always had that interest,” Seina said.

The couple has traveled to Nebraska 19 times to hunt for fossils and plan to make a 20th trip there this year.
The couple has traveled to Nebraska 19 times to hunt for fossils and plan to make a 20th trip there this year.

“I never really thought so much about fossils, until he (Mike) took me looking for shark’s teeth in Venice,” she said.

Mike said he became interested in fossils after a kid showed him some shark’s teeth he had found.

“My favorite fossil, I think, is shark’s teeth,” Mike said. “What I quickly came to appreciate was the time involved. “Most people can’t conceive the time.

“You pick up a shark’s tooth on the beach,” he said. “It’s from a 5 million-year-old animal.

“Some of the fossils we dig out west are 30 million years old. You cannot conceive that kind of time frame,” he said.

The Searles have built their knowledge of archeology and paleontology through years in the field, listening to experts and sharing discoveries with other club members.

The Tampa Bay Fossil Club meets monthly at the University of South Florida, featuring presentations from experts. Club members bring items to the meetings for help in identifying the specimens.

The club also goes on field trips, has an annual campout and organizes other activities.

“I’m certain we’re the largest amateur club in the country,” Mike said.

There’s camaraderie among club members, the couple said.

When fossil hunters get together, he said, they tend to talk about things like the newest sloth that’s been found, or why diving is off limits in certain areas, Mike said.

“Everything else seems like it doesn’t matter,” he said.

29th annual Tampa Bay Fossil Fest
When: March 12, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; March 13, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Florida State Fairgrounds, intersection of Interstate 4 and U.S. 301, just east of Tampa
How much: $7 for adults, free for children 12 and under
Details: Paleo enthusiasts will find plenty to see and do at Florida’s largest prehistoric show. There will be fossils, artifacts, minerals, shells, workshops, silent auctions, door prizes, and activities for kids.
For more information, visit TampaBayFossilClub.com.

 

North Tampa Behavioral Health set to expand

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North Tampa Behavioral Health is preparing to embark on a $9 million expansion, with 24 additional beds expected to open in January 2017 and another 24 beds to open a year later.

The center, at 29910 State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel, opened on Oct. 1, 2013. It has 75 beds and offers services for people with mental health needs including depression, addiction, anxiety, bipolar, psychosis, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder and other disorders. It has inpatient, outpatient and partial hospitalization programs.

North Tampa Behavioral Health offers acute mental health care and longer-term treatment. It has inpatient, outpatient and partial hospitalization programs. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
North Tampa Behavioral Health offers acute mental health care and longer-term treatment. It has inpatient, outpatient and partial hospitalization programs.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The majority of the center’s patients come from Pasco and Hillsborough counties, but the facility also draws patients from 11 counties, and from out-of-state, said Abbey Brown, director of business development for the facility, which is owned by Acadia Healthcare.

The first phase of the expansion will enlarge the center’s military program, which goes by the acronym C.O.R.E., which stands for Challenge, Overcome, Restore and Empower.

No decision has been made yet about how the other 24 beds will be used, said Jameson Norton, CEO of the facility.

The center has 175 employees in its 24/7 operation, and expects to add 50 more, said Norton, who is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.

The military program that is being expanded is geared to the mental health needs of veterans and active members of the military, Brown said.

It’s a program the facility has built from the ground up, said Brown, who is a 10-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

“It’s a very different, unique population, with a very different and unique set of needs. Their (post-traumatic stress disorder), or depression or substance abuse might look very different than the normal civilian who hasn’t had the same experience. It just makes them different,” Brown said.

Jameson Norton, CEO of North Tampa Behavioral Health, said the facility is planning to launch a $9 million expansion, which will include 48 beds. (Courtesy of North Tampa Behavioral Health)
Jameson Norton, CEO of North Tampa Behavioral Health, said the facility is planning to launch a $9 million expansion, which will include 48 beds.
(Courtesy of North Tampa Behavioral Health)

“All of us have military experience, but not only military experience, but military mental health experience,” Brown said. “We’re able to offer an amazing structure, and then within that structure, tailor the program to the individual and their needs.

“We are partnering with all of the local installations, a lot of the VA (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs), and other local installations, and we also get referrals nationwide,” she said.

“We are using all of the modalities,” Brown added, including cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive processing therapy and/or accelerated resolution therapy.

“We’re using all of the ones that the Department of Defense is saying are the best practices,” Brown said.

The center provides treatment for patients 18 and older. It is organized into three units. One unit treats patients who need a higher level of acute care. Another unit focuses more on mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety. The third unit focuses on longer-term patients. Some are in the facility’s 28-day substance abuse program, and others are in the C.O.R.E. program, Brown said. Patients in the military program tend to stay 30 to 90 days.

Besides providing care for patients, the center also wants to be a community resource, Brown said.

It has an internship program involving 15 students who are attending Saint Leo University or Pasco-Hernando State College, Brown said.

The center is also planning to offer more continuing education courses to area professionals.

“All of the administrators here have moved from somewhere, so they have a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and we want to bring that to the community. We’re building, as part of this, a state-of-the-art teaching area, so people will be able to come in, and we’ll offer different CEU (Continuing Education Unit) trainings, different community events,” Brown said.

The facility also aims to help raise awareness and increase understanding about mental health issues, both Brown and Norton said.

“We all probably have a friend or a family member who are very affected by a mental health condition. It really takes that team effort to make sure that we can provide the best care possible,” Norton said.

Published March 9, 2016

No shortage of ideas for school name

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Pasco County School Board members have plenty of names to consider for Elementary W, a new school set to open in Wesley Chapel in August.

Forty-one names have been submitted for the board’s consideration. It is scheduled to vote on the issue at its March 15 meeting at 6 p.m.

Several of the names are variations on the same name.

For instance, there are three variations for a school to be named after the Godwin family, or a member of the family — a family with deep roots in the Wesley Chapel area.

Construction work continues on Elementary School W. The school is scheduled to open in the fall. The Pasco County School Board is expected to name the school at its March 15 meeting, at 6 p.m. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Construction work continues on Elementary School W. The school is scheduled to open in the fall. The Pasco County School Board is expected to name the school at its March 15 meeting, at 6 p.m.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

There’s also a couple of suggestions relating to the Porter family, one being Porter Elementary and the other, Porter Ranch Elementary. And, there’s a suggestion for Wiregrass Elementary, which relates to the name of the Porter family’s ranch, which is also the namesake for Wiregrass Ranch High School and Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. The high school and state college are just down the street from the new elementary school.

There are also suggestions to name the school after the nation’s current president Barack Obama Elementary, or to call it Challenger Elementary, in honor the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger’s explosion.

Other suggestions call for naming it for people who have contributed to community life, education or society. Those include naming it for: Dave Estabrook, a retired educator; Greta L. Adams, a retired educator; Harriet Hemenway, a  founder of what would go on to become the National Audubon Society; Heather Fiorentino, former superintendent of Pasco County Schools; the late Mike Olson, former county tax collector; Sandra and Max Ramos, retired educators; the late Wendell Krinn, former principal of Ridgewood High; and Susan Jordan, the Indiana educator who died while pushing children out of the way of a speeding school bus.

A couple suggestions submitted — Dempsey Elementary and Nancy Browning Elementary — were not accompanied by any details.

Some submissions suggest giving the school a name it could live up to, such as Acceleration Elementary, or Bright Future Elementary, or Growth Elementary, or Hope Elementary, or Love Elementary, or New Horizons Elementary, or Unity Elementary, or Whole Child Elementary, or Wonderful Elementary, or World Change Elementary.

One suggests Yankees Elementary. Another, Galaxy Elementary.

Others want to name it after places, or at least to give it a name that sounds like a place. Those suggestions are Chapel Falls Elementary, Gatorville Elementary, Long Ranch Elementary, Mansfield Elementary, Meadow Pointe Elementary, Ridge Elementary, Wilderness Elementary and Woodside Elementary.

Of course, board members could also come up with a few ideas of their own.

The board meets at the school district’s office complex, Building No. 3 North at 7205 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

School name suggestions
–Acceleration Elementary
–Barack Obama Elementary
–Bright Future Elementary
–Brown Elementary
–Challenger Elementary
–Chapel Falls Elementary
–Dempsey Elementary
–Estabrook Elementary
–Galaxy Elementary
–Gatorville Elementary
–Jacob Godwin Elementary
–Godwin Elementary
–E.L. Godwin Elementary
–Greta L. Adams Elementary
–Growth Elementary
–Harriet Hemenway Elementary
–Heather Fiorentino Elementary
–Hope Elementary
–Long Ranch Elementary
–Love Elementary
–Mansfield Elementary
–Meadow Pointe Elementary
–Mike Olson Elementary
–Nancy Browning Elementary
–New Horizons Elementary
–Porter Elementary
–Porter Ranch Elementary
–Ramos Elementary
–Ridge Elementary
–Susan Jordan Elementary
–Unity Elementary
–Wendell Krinn Elementary
–Whole Child Elementary
–Wilderness Elementary
–Wiregrass Elementary
–Wiregrass Ranch Elementary
–Wonderful Elementary
–Woodside Elementary
–World Change Elementary
–Yankees Elementary

Published March 9, 2016