B.C. Manion

Spreading the word about Saint Leo

February 10, 2016 By B.C. Manion

William J. Lennox Jr., has been well-versed on the strengths of Saint Leo University for years.

Before assuming his current role on July 1, the retired U.S. Army three-star lieutenant general served on the school’s board of directors for nearly seven years.

But now, as Saint Leo’s president, Lennox is seeing the university from a new vantage point.

“When you’re on the board, you have the 60,000-foot view. And, I’m working my way down to the 6-foot view,” said Lennox, who was superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for five years.

Saint Leo University President William J. “Bill” Lennox Jr., former superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, said people have asked him how Saint Leo and West Point differ. He responds: ‘The similarities are more striking. The strong mission statement. The focus on teaching and small classes. The value system. The people.’ (Photos courtesy of Saint Leo Unversity) — Saint Leo University President William J. “Bill” Lennox Jr., former superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, said people have asked him how Saint Leo and West Point differ. He responds: ‘The similarities are more striking. The strong mission statement. The focus on teaching and small classes. The value system. The people.’
(Photos courtesy of Saint Leo University)

Now, Lennox, who prefers to be called Bill, said he sees firsthand both the strengths of Saint Leo’s people and of its mission. The focus on teaching, the small class size and the university’s clear set of values are key attributes, he added.

“You put that all together, you get quite a package,” Lennox said.

Given his background, the former military leader said: “People have asked me about the difference between West Point and Saint Leo.

“The similarities are more striking (than the differences). The strong mission statement. The focus on teaching and small classes. The value system. The people,” Lennox said.

Unlike West Point, however, Saint Leo’s story is not nearly as widely known.

“I think we’re the best-kept secret around here,” Lennox said.

He’s working to change that.

“We’re going to add a V.P., (vice president) for marketing. That is going to help us both with the targeted marketing, but also with the branding. I think a lot of people think we’re this sleepy little organization,” he said.

“Not many people understand that we’re the third-largest Catholic university,” he added.

With an enrollment of 16,000, the university has about 2,400 students at its campus in Saint Leo, and the rest take classes either online or in person at locations across seven states, in such cities as Atlanta and Savannah, and in the Tidewater area of Virginia, he said.

Saint Leo’s brand is very strong in the military, he noted. “People recognize Saint Leo and want to attend. And, I think that transfers out to the civilian populations in those areas, too.”

But, military cutbacks and security issues pose a challenge.

“Some of the posts are becoming very concerned about security. If you don’t have a military ID card, you might not be able to get on. So that cuts some of the civilians out and the young veterans, who may have only served three or four or five years, because they don’t get an ID card,” he said.

These members of the military walk across the campus of Saint Leo University in St. Leo. The university is widely known in military circles, but doesn’t enjoy the same familiarity in other circles, according to William J. “Bill” Lennox Jr., the university’s current president. ‘I think we’re the best-kept secret around here,’ he said. He wants to change that.

To address that issue, “we want to look at maybe a model like we have in Tampa, where we have a presence on MacDill (Air Force Base) and we have (a location in) Channelside,” he said.

The Channelside location has helped raise the university’s profile, he said.

Channelside is also situated in an area that Lennox expects to develop over the long-term.

“So, we’re well-positioned,” he said.

Besides raising awareness about the university’s existing footprint, Lennox wants to increase its responsiveness to student needs.

To that end, the university wants to offer students an opportunity to take classes face-to-face, take classes online, or do both, Lennox said.

“We want them to be able to go back and forth, very freely.

“We want to appeal to the student, and let the student be able to choose,” he said.

He also wants the university to foster stronger ties with corporations, enabling it to work out agreements to teach classes in corporate boardrooms or training rooms.

“Starbucks just signed with Arizona State University,” he said, and he doesn’t see why Saint Leo can’t work out similar arrangements.

“Why can’t we offer that as an advantage of coming to Tampa?” Lennox said.

He believes the university is quite capable of delivering such services.

“We’re pretty agile,” Lennox said.

“I’m tired of people asking me where Saint Leo is. I tell folks the answer is: We are where you want us to be,” he said.

He’s bullish on the university’s prospects, because he’s confident in what it has to offer.

“My take is that if you’ve got a great product and people want it out there, why not expand it? That’s what I’d like to do,” Lennox said.

Published February 10, 2016

Pasco seeks to fill hundreds of teaching jobs

February 10, 2016 By B.C. Manion

If you’re looking for a teaching job, Pasco County Schools would love to hear from you.

The district has teacher openings in language arts, math, science, social studies and special education areas. It also needs school psychologists, school social workers, and school counselors.

The district expects to fill more than 400 vacancies for the 2016-2017 school year, including some positions that will be filled immediately, said Christine Pejot, human resources director for Pasco County Schools.

“We’re really excited because this is the earliest we’ve started recruitment for the following school year in quite awhile,” Pejot said.

The job fair will be on Feb. 25 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., in the gymnasium at Sunlake High School, 3023 Sunlake Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

The district plans to advertise its openings Feb. 19 through Feb. 23, so that will give people a specific idea of what’s out there and available, and what principals are going to be looking for at the fair, Pejot said.

Potential applicants have the opportunity to register early, and some interviews will be conducted during the fair, Pejot said.

“We also expect a lot of students who are in their final internships at the colleges of education, that are looking for an appointment that would begin in August,” she said.

Having the job fair early puts the district in a better position to compete for available candidates, she said.

“Our certification people are going to be on hand in order to vet people in terms of certification,” Pejot said.

Pejot said the district is able to hold the job fair earlier this year than it has in recent years, because it instituted an Intent to Return process very early this year, helping the district to have a better picture of its staffing needs. It also has been able to take a look at how retirements will affect openings.

“It’s just more strategic planning on our part, and knowing that the staffing and recruitment needed to be prioritized and talked about at the same time that we were doing things like budget and allocations this year,” Pejot said.

“We are always looking for employees in the critical shortage areas, like math and secondary science.

“In fact, for those particular areas, you don’t already have to be a teacher. We are looking for people who already hold degrees in those special areas. We also have a district sponsored PDPC program. It stands for Professional Development Certification Program, where folks who hold bachelor’s degrees in those target areas can do a cross walk into teaching.”

“We have a very robust PDPC program,” she said. “It is actually the model for several other programs throughout the state.”

Thirty-six schools are planning to attend, at all levels, including Pasco e-school and adult programs, with schools from throughout the district represented.

The schools will have tables situated throughout Sunlake’s gymnasium, and applicants will be able to head to schools they are interested in.

While the job fair is scheduled for two hours, it could go longer, if organizers sense there’s a need to extend the time.

People who are interested in becoming substitutes can also get more information at a table designated for substitute teachers.

The district’s salaries are competitive and it offers a generous benefits package, Pejot said.

For more information, visit PascoSchools.org, and click on the job fair banner at the top of the page.

To register, visit PascoSchools.org\HR.

Published February 10, 2016

Skilled laborers in high demand

February 10, 2016 By B.C. Manion

It’s no secret that when the economy tanked, construction companies and related industries were hit hard.

“When everything crashed, we all had to really pare down. Our staff went almost in half,” said Linda Cox, CEO of Cox Fire Protection Inc. “Construction just came to a screeching halt.”

The economy has been picking up, but there’s a shortage of skilled laborers, said Cox, whose company has been involved in numerous northern Hillsborough and Pasco county projects.

Now that construction is moving again, opportunities for work are increasing, Cox said.

Jimmy Roberts, an apprenticeship graduate, is shown here during a statewide competition during the final year of his apprenticeship. (Photos courtesy of Linda Cox) — Jimmy Roberts, an apprenticeship graduate, is shown here during a statewide competition during the final year of his apprenticeship.
(Photos courtesy of Linda Cox)

“Projects that had been put on hold, now have funding again,” she said. And, there are new initiatives, too, across the Tampa Bay region, she said.

“If you ride downtown (Tampa) and look at the tower cranes, that’s just a really good indication of how the industry is going. There’s a lot of really exciting stuff happening in Pasco County, too,” said Cox, whose company does sprinkler systems and alarm systems, primarily in commercial construction projects, including hospitals, schools and other large construction projects.

“We work primarily through general contractors, or directly for owners,” she said.

But now, companies like hers are facing a different problem.

“We’re just not replacing the skilled work force as quickly as people exited it,” Cox said.

After the economy crashed, she said, “a lot of Baby Boomers said, ‘Well, OK, I’m outta here’” and retired.

Others switched to different lines of work and haven’t re-entered the construction force, she said.

Johnny Dover, works on a ladder at a job site. The shortage of skilled laborers is creating issues for companies that are unable to pursue additional work, because they don’t have enough people to complete the work, says Linda Cox, CEO of Cox Fire Protection.

“Over the summer, we actually had to tell our sales team, don’t bid any more work, because we can’t staff it. We could have sold more work than we had crews to staff – which is a wonderful thing and a terrible thing,” Cox said.

The problem isn’t limited to the Tampa Bay region.

The Construction Labor Market Analyzer offers projected employment needs, by state, in numerous categories through October 2018.

Here are some of the projected needs for Florida:

Boilermaker, 15,349
Carpenters, floor covering: 17,933
Carpenters, scaffold builder: 16,897
Concrete finisher: 19,097
Electrician: 18,841
Plumber: 15,485
Roofer: 18,147
Pipefitter, sprinkler system: 8,211

To help address the labor shortage, there’s a push on to try to increase apprenticeships, Cox said.

Cox said her husband, Ron, recently has been appointed by Gov. Rick Scott, to sit on the Governor’s Apprenticeship Council.

The Associated Builders and Contractors is very active in the apprenticeship arena, running a large program that involves apprenticeships available in areas such as electrical, plumbing, masonry, heating ventilation and air conditioning, and fire protection, Cox said.

There’s also a need to raise awareness about opportunities available for skilled laborers, she added.

To that end, “The Associated Builders and Contractors is working with local districts to ensure our industry is represented as a valuable career path for students entering the work force,” Steve Cona III, president/CEO of Associated Builders and Contractors, Florida Gulf Coast, said via email.

It’s a message that needs to be reiterated, Cox said.

“In our generation, a lot of kids just sort of followed along in the family footsteps, and construction was just sort of a viable option for a lot of young men,” she said. “And then, the trend really in high school began to be, ‘If you are a bright student, college is the right pathway for you.’”

But, the message that needs to be shared now — with young men and young women — is that college isn’t the only path to a bright future, Cox said.

“There are some other equally lucrative, professional kind of avenues that don’t require four years of college and $100,000 of student debt,” she said.

Published February 10, 2016

Telling Wesley Chapel’s story

February 10, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Writing about local history is nothing new for Madonna Jervis Wise.

The Zephyrhills woman traced the history of Zephyrhills, and also of Dade City, for books published by Arcadia Publishing, of Charleston, South Carolina.

Now, she has written another book for the publisher’s Images of America series. This one focuses on Wesley Chapel.

Gator hunting was done at night in the swamps of Wesley Chapel. Lonnie Tucker, at far left with a light on his head, guides two visitors through the swamp. (Photos courtesy of Madonna Jervis Wise) — Gator hunting was done at night in the swamps of Wesley Chapel. Lonnie Tucker, at far left with a light on his head, guides two visitors through the swamp.
(Photos courtesy of Madonna Jervis Wise)

When the publisher asked her to do the Wesley Chapel book, Wise knew it would be challenging.

Unlike Zephyrhills and Dade City – which both have city governments, historic buildings and established town centers, Wesley Chapel offered no clear place for Wise to begin her research.

So, Wise relied on her background in genealogy to help her track down descendants of families with deep roots in Wesley Chapel.

She began her quest by tracking down Marco Edward Stanley, of Gainesville, who arranged for Wise to interview his mother, 95-year-old Lillie Sapp Stanley.

The historian met with members of the Stanley family, and that interview led to others.

When she interviewed David Brown, Michael Boyette, Bill Smith or members of the Stanley family, she discovered the families shared deep bonds.

Ranches were a significant part of Wesley Chapel’s history. An outstanding Texas Longhorn-Ankole bull was 15 years old and had a horn span of 54 inches, when he died at K-Bar Ranch in Wesley Chapel.

“There was this cohesiveness among the settlers,” Wise said. “They would talk about each other in this real, deep caring way.”

Putting together “Images of America: Wesley Chapel,” meant interviewing scores of pioneer descendants, culling through land records, visiting properties and even putting together a map to get a sense for what it used to be like.

Through U.S. Census records and interviews with primary sources, Wise learned the names of the families of many early settlers, including Asbel, Barnes, Boyette, Bradley, Cooper, Ellerbee, Geiger, Gillette, Godwin, Hill, Kersey, O’Berry, Overstreet, Ryals, Smith, Stanley, Strickland, Thomas and Tucker.

Some of those names, she discovered, had various spellings, such as Stanley and Standley.

She also discovered that the community was known by various names through the years. Those names included Godwin, Double Branch, Wesley, Lemon and Gatorville – and finally, Wesley Chapel.

A car parked at the end of a cypress log in the 1930s illustrates the enormity of the trees that were felled in the Wesley Chapel area. Large timber companies or trusts acquired vast tracts of land that were depleted of lumber. Many deserted the claims, once the limber was harvested and the properties were sold for tax deeds.

One surprising discovery, she said, was that women have long been acknowledged for the prominent role they played in the community.

“Pioneer women of Wesley Chapel were revered for their tireless days of toil, with a nurturing spirt and the skill to raise large families,” Wise wrote.

For instance, Francis Asbury Barnes’ granddaughters, Martha and Vida, played pivotal roles in Barnes’ ranching operations. The women, Wise wrote, were “industrious managers of land and cattle.”

Photographs and anecdotes in the 127-page volume paint a portrait of a place where people worked hard and cared about their neighbors. It was a community where the church was the central gathering place.

“This was a haven for the Singing Convention,” Wise said. “That’s something that occurred a lot in the South, but it was really, really prominent here.

“It occurred any month that had a fifth Sunday,” she said.

It was described by one descendant as Wesley Chapel’s ‘Grand Ole Opry.’

“It was hosted usually at the Double Branch Church (now known as the First Baptist Church of Wesley Chapel), and people came from everywhere,” Wise said.

“When I interviewed Cullen Boyette, he said these barbershop quartets that were on the radio would come here. Mostly, it was gospel music,” she said.

“They would have music nearly the entire day, and then they had (what they called) ‘dinner on the ground,’” she said.

They spread blankets out on the ground and enjoyed a potluck feast, Wise explained.

Around 1931, 19-year-old Lonnie Tucker watches for revenuers. He is pictured in Wesley Chapel with his moonshine still.

She also noted that Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church, for whom many believe the community was named, operated only from 1890 to 1892, at the corner of State Road 54 and Boyette Road.

Besides its church life, Wesley Chapel was known for its moonshining, gator hunting and turpentine stills, Wise said.

The timber and turpentine industries also played a significant role, she said. And, many ranching operations were founded on land where timber had been depleted, and the land was sold off for for tax deeds, Wise wrote.

Over time, many of Wesley Chapel’s ranches and citrus groves have given way to shopping centers, homes, schools, churches, a state college and other developments.

Of all of the changes through the years, Wise thinks the construction of Interstate 75 had the biggest influence on the community’s growth.

“I think that’s the most significant change. Wesley Chapel would not be what it is today without that. It really did change the landscape,” she said.

Two teachers and 33 students are in this photograph taken in the early 1920s at Wesley Chapel School.

As she conducted interviews, tracked down records and gathered photographs, Wise developed a wealth of knowledge about Wesley Chapel.

Despite her prodigious research, though, there were some questions that she could not answer.

For instance, she couldn’t pinpoint the exact boundaries of the community – an issue still debated today.

And, she couldn’t determine precisely how the community got its name.

Some said it was named after an early settler. Others, claimed it was after John Wesley, founder of the United Methodist Church.

As for Wise?

She’s content, for now, to leave those questions open.

Upcoming book events

Feb. 16 at 2 p.m.: Talk at the Hugh Embry Library, 14215 Fourth St., in Dade City. It will include both “Images of America: Dade City” and “Images of America: Wesley Chapel.”
Feb. 25 at 12:30 p.m.: Book signing at the East Campus of Pasco-Hernando State College, 36727 Blanton Road in Dade City
March 4 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Book signing at the Zephyrhills Library, 5347 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills.

For more information about the book or events later this year, email Madonna Wise at .

Published February 10, 2016

Names being sought for Elem W

February 3, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Pasco County School Board members are seeking suggestions for a formal name for a new school being built in the Wiregrass Ranch area of Wesley Chapel.

Crews are bustling around the site, as construction work continues on the school, which has been known generically as Elementary W.

The school board is asking the public, district staff and students to suggest names so that it can select one before the structure opens.

Classes are scheduled to begin at the new elementary school in August.

Crews are bustling around the site of Elementary W, off Mansfield Boulevard in the Wiregrass Ranch area in Wesley Chapel. The Pasco County School Board is seeking suggestions for a permanent name for the school. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — Crews are bustling around the site of Elementary W, off Mansfield Boulevard in the Wiregrass Ranch area in Wesley Chapel. The Pasco County School Board is seeking suggestions for a permanent name for the school.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The structure is being built on Mansfield Boulevard, across from John Long Middle School, and down the street from Wiregrass Ranch High School and Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.

When it opens, it will give Wesley Chapel students the opportunity to attend kindergarten through college, along the same road.

School board policy encourages the community, educators and students to suggest names for district schools.

The school board prefers to name schools after the general location, features of the area, or historical information about the school’s location, and the suggested name must be descriptive and brief, according to a school district news release.

If the name of an individual is submitted, it should be of a person of prominence, recognized for his or her outstanding civic or educational contribution, the news release adds. The board will only consider naming a school after an elected official or school district employee has been deceased for two or more years, or has left public office or district employment more than two years ago.

Once a name is adopted, it is considered permanent unless the facility or its use changes.

If you would like to suggest a permanent name for the school now known as Elem W, submit your suggestions with a brief explanation for each school name by Feb. 29.

Email submissions using the Subject “Elementary W” to , fax them to (813) 794-2716, or mail them to: Linda Cobbe, Communications & Government Relations Department, 7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes, 34638.

Published February 3, 2016

Food, quilts and horse pulls on tap this weekend

February 3, 2016 By B.C. Manion

The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village is gearing up for its 26th annual Farm Festival and Quilt Show.

This quilt is an example of a Hoffman challenge quilt. (Courtesy of The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village) — This quilt is an example of a Hoffman challenge quilt.
(Courtesy of The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village)

The two-day event features a Southern Draft Horse Pulling Competition on Feb. 6, and a quilt show and other activities on both Feb. 6 and Feb. 7.

The event is very popular, said Brenda Minton, the museum’s event coordinator.

“It usually brings in about 2,500 to 3,000 people. We expect more than that this year, because we have heavily promoted it,” she said.

Quilt lovers will be able to see quilts on display, and also will be able to buy supplies and take part in a raffle to try to win a quilt, provided by Quilts of Plum Lane in Dade City.

“Each year it (the quilt) is donated by someone different,” Minton said, noting the proceeds from the two-day event, including the raffle, benefit the nonprofit museum.

The museum relies on admissions and rentals to provide the revenue needed for its operations, she said.

Other highlights of the Farm Festival and Quilt Show include cane grinding and syrup making on Saturday, and arts and crafts show, traditional crafts and festival vendors.

There also will be a number of children’s activities.

No coolers or pets are allowed, and no food or beverage can be brought on-site, but there will be a concession stand.

On Saturday, festivalgoers will be able to buy a fried chicken dinner or a pulled pork dinner. The organizers decided to offer both to be sure they don’t run out of food, Minton said.

There also will be live entertainment. The lineup features The Dulcimer Connection, ColdIron, and the Sarah Rose Band.

The New River Poets will also be providing entertainment, Minton said. They’ll be doing skits in the schoolhouse.

Festivities take place at the museum, 15602 Pioneer Museum Road, 1 mile north of downtown Dade City, just off U.S. 301.

Event hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Feb. 6, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Feb. 7.

Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children, ages 6 through 12. Admission is free for children under age 5.

Published February 3, 2016

Forgiveness brings freedom, genocide survivor says

February 3, 2016 By B.C. Manion

There was a time when Immaculee Ilibagiza didn’t think she’d live to see another day.

Now, she rejoices for each new day because it gives her a chance to share her faith.

Ilibagiza, author of “Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust,” was at St. Timothy Catholic Church on Jan. 27 and Jan. 28, sharing her story of survival — which she attributes to God’s immense love.

The church invited her to speak, as part of its celebration of the Jubilee year of Mercy.

Immaculee Ilibagiza signs copies of her book, ‘Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust.’ (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — Immaculee Ilibagiza signs copies of her book, ‘Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust.’
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Pope Francis has declared a Jubilee of Mercy, which began Dec. 8 and runs through Nov. 20, 2016, according to the National Catholic Reporter. The pope has called on Catholics around the world to use the ongoing Jubilee year of mercy to “open wide” the doors of their hearts to forgive others and to work against social exclusion.

Ilibagiza’s message fits perfectly with that theme.

She grew up in a small village in Rwanda and had been attending the National University of Rwanda to study electrical and mechanical engineering.

She was home on Easter break in April of 1994 when the assassination of the Hutu president sparked months of massacres of Tutsi tribe members throughout the country.

To spare his daughter from rape and murder, Ilibagiza’s father told her to run to the home of a Hutu pastor, who was a family friend. The pastor hid her and seven other women in a cramped 3-foot-by-4-foot bathroom for 91 days.

“We stayed in that bathroom three months. We never spoke to each other those three months,” she said.

During that time, her faith was crushed and challenged.

She knew that any tiny noise could lead to her death.

The Hutu killers stormed into the pastor’s house and searched through it. They looked on the roof, under the beds and in the ceiling.

As she feared for her life, she asked God to give her a sign. She asked him to keep the intruders from finding the bathroom door.

In a 60 Minutes interview, the pastor said one of the intruders put his hand on the doorknob, but didn’t turn it.

That’s when Ilibagiza said she knew, without doubt, that God is real.

It took her quite some time, though, to reach a point where she could forgive the murderers.

She said she used to pray the “Our Father,” but couldn’t sincerely ask God “to forgive” those who had trespassed against her, so she skipped that part of the prayer.

Eventually, though, she realized that the prayer was instituted by Jesus, so she had to find a way to forgive the people who brutally killed her family, friends and other members of the tribe.

That’s when she began praying for the ability to forgive.

She then realized that would require true surrender. So, she prayed for that.

The words that Jesus spoke, as he was dying on the cross, provided guidance, she said.

During his agony, he uttered, “Forgive them Father, they don’t know what they do,” she said.

And, it occurred to her that the people wielding machetes were like the people who killed Jesus.

“They have been blinded by hatred, selfishness, all of those things have taken over, blinded them,” she said.

And, it also reminded her that everyone is capable to choosing the wrong path.

“All of us we become blind, when we go into hatred, when we become selfish,” she said.

Forgiveness, however, frees those who have been harmed to move away from the hatred and to choose peace, she said.

Her change of heart did not come overnight and did not come easily, she said.

When she went into that bathroom, she said, she weighed 115 pounds and when she came out, she weighed 65 pounds.

“Every bone was out,” she said. “People were running away from me when I came out, ‘Look at her, she became a skeleton.’

But, that wasn’t her only or most important transformation.

“Inside my heart, I felt so beautiful. Inside my heart, I was smiling,” she said.

“I knew who I was. I’m a child of God. I’m not going to hate. I’m going to pray.”

February 3, 2016

Joke books raise money to help families

February 3, 2016 By B.C. Manion

They’re little books, but they’re packed with jokes.

The idea is to make readers laugh, while raising money for a good cause.

One book offers riddles.

The other features knock-knock jokes.

Both books have been written by kids and are intended for kids.

These little joke books are meant to entertain and help raise money at the same time. The books help families in need to take care of a variety of medical expenses. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — These little joke books are meant to entertain and help raise money at the same time. The books help families in need to take care of a variety of medical expenses.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The “Little Book Big Laughs Knock-Knock Book” has more than 350 jokes. The “Little Book Big Laughs Riddle Book” has more than 500 riddles.

Proceeds from book sales support medical grants for the United HealthCare Children’s Foundation.

Since 2007, the foundation has awarded 10,000 grants, totaling more than $29 million. The grants go to children and their families across the United States.

The grants typically are used to help pay for medical services, such as physical, occupational and speech therapy, counseling services or surgeries; for prescriptions; and for equipment, such as wheelchairs, orthotics, eyeglasses and hearing aids.

The books include jokes and riddles written by children all over the country. There’s even one from Bryant H., a boy from Zephyrhills.

Here’s his riddle:

What type of bull doesn’t have horns?

A bullfrog.

Here are some more excerpts from the Riddle Book:

From Gage T., Cheyenne, Wyoming:

Where do sheep like to vacation?

The Baaaaaahamas. –

Varnika L., Maplegrove, Minnesota:

Where did the elephant put his clothes?

In his trunk.

Sawyer G., St. Louis, Missouri:

How did the broom manage to get a great girlfriend?

He swept her off her feet.

Brady C., Fort Sill, South Carolina:

How did the egg get up the mountain?

It scrambled.

And now, a few selections from the Knock-Knock Book:

Lyla B., Princeton, Minnesota:

Knock-knock.

Who’s there?

Baby bee.

Baby bee, who?

Baby bee a doll and bring me a snack.

Johnny B., New Richmond, Wisconsin:

Knock-knock.

Who’s there?

Dewey.

Dewey who?

Dewey have to eat liver and onions for dinner?

Hunter T., Port Ewen, New York:

Knock-knock.

Who’s there?

Woo.

Woo who?

Don’t get so excited, it’s just a knock-knock joke.

Ethan E., Big Lake, Minnesota:

Knock-knock.

Who’s there?

Handsome?

Handome who?

Handsome candy through the keyhole and I’ll tell you.

The joke books are available at Amazon.com, for $5.99 each.

“The inspiration behind these books is to bring smiles and laughter to children, whether in a hospital, in the car, or just hanging out with friends and family,” Matt Peterson, foundation president, said in a news release.

The first Little Book-Big Laughs joke book was released April Fools’ Day 2014 and was a Mom’s Choice Gold Award recipient for juvenile books. The success of the first book propelled the idea to create two additional books for a joke book series.

For more information about UHCCF, visit UHCCF.org.

Published February 3, 2016

Finding hope, in the heart of darkness

January 27, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Immaculee Ilibagiza boards an airplane nearly every week to travel to a speaking engagement, where she shares her message of hope and forgiveness.

That’s the primary theme of her book, “Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust.”

Ilibagiza grew up in a small village of Rwanda and had been attending the National University of Rwanda to study electrical and mechanical engineering, when she came home during an Easter break.

Immaculee Ilibagiza survived the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and believes she was spared to share a message of faith, hope and forgiveness. (Courtesy of Immaculee Ilibagiza) — Immaculee Ilibagiza survived the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and believes she was spared to share a message of faith, hope and forgiveness.
(Courtesy of Immaculee Ilibagiza)

That’s when the April 1994 assassination of the Hutu president sparked months of massacres of Tutsi tribe members throughout the country.

To spare his daughter from rape and murder, Ilibagiza’s father told her to run to the home of a Hutu pastor, who was a family friend.

The pastor hid Ilibagiza and seven other women in a 3-foot-by-4-foot bathroom for 91 days.

“My faith was crushed and challenged, when I was in that bathroom,” said Ilibagiza, who will be giving two talks at St. Timothy Catholic Church in Lutz this week.

“I felt there’s nothing out there. I’m dying and life is over, and how can this be?”

“Any tiny noise could have been the end of our life,” Ilibagiza said.

The Hutu killers heard that some Tutsi women had been seen near the pastor’s house, so they stormed in and searched through it.

“They went in the ceiling of that house. In the roof of the house. Under the beds.

“Every reasonable thing said, ‘It’s over,” Ilibagiza said.

She held onto the rosary her father had given her, and had her Bible, too.

As she feared for her life, she prayed God: “If there’s anything beyond this, please give me a sign. Don’t let them find the door, just today, in this house.”

In a 60 Minutes interview, the pastor said the intruders put his hand on the doorknob to the bathroom, but didn’t turn it.

Ilibagiza recalls that moment: “You are literally counting, on the grace of God, for them not to open that door,” she said.

She believes they were saved by God’s grace.

When she went into hiding, she weighed 115 pounds. When she emerged, she weighed 65. “We were like bones,” she said.

When she was able to escape, she learned that her family, with the exception of a brother who was abroad studying, had been murdered.

She said the faith that she discovered through prayer during her ordeal, enabled her to let go of the anger, resentment and hate, and to instead feel hope, forgiveness and peace.

She emigrated to the United States in 1998 and shared her story with some co-workers at the United Nations, who encouraged her to write it down, she said.

Just a few days later after she finished writing her story, she said she met internationally known Wayne Dyer at a conference and book signing.

That meeting led to Dyer’s involvement in the publication of her book.

The two became friends, frequently sharing the stage during Dyer’s inspirational talks.

The story of Ilibagiza’s life is expected to be made into a movie, with filming slated to begin this year.

“Realistically, my prayer has been, I hope they do a good job — something that will inspire people. I don’t just want a movie to make noise,” Ilibagiza said. Rather, she hopes the movie will help people to have better lives.

Her talks on Jan. 27 and Jan. 28 at St. Timothy Catholic Church, 17512 Lakeshore Road, will be “sharing from one human heart to another,” she said.

“I will share what I have lived,” she said. “I will speak about forgiveness.

“I want to share with people with the way I met God, how I came closer,” she said. She also wants to help people embrace “forgiveness, prayer and the power of prayer.”

She wants to encourage people to get closer to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

“Talk to her as a mother,” she said.

Ilibagiza said she also wants to share the lesson that her life and faith have taught her: “If you love one another, if you forgive one another, you will have peace.”

What: Immaculee Ilibagiza speaks on “Faith, Hope and Forgiveness.”
Where: St. Timothy Catholic Church, 17512 Lakeshore Road in Lutz
When: Jan. 27 at 7 p.m., and Jan. 28 at 10 a.m., a Mass will precede each talk
How much: Admission is free

Published January 27, 2016

Neonatal services now available in Pasco County

January 27, 2016 By B.C. Manion

The Medical Center of Trinity has opened a neonatal intensive care unit, providing a service that previously was unavailable in Pasco County.

The $7 million project is an expansion of the existing obstetrics program at the hospital, at 9330 State Road 54, in Trinity.

Leigh Massengill, CEO of Medical Center of Trinity, left, stands with Cheryl Sherrill and Lynn Smith in the new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the hospital. Sherrill is the hospital’s director of women’s and neonatal services, and Lynn Smith is neonatal services manager. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — Leigh Massengill, CEO of Medical Center of Trinity, left, stands with Cheryl Sherrill and Lynn Smith in the new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the hospital. Sherrill is the hospital’s director of women’s and neonatal services, and Lynn Smith is neonatal services manager.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The unit, which opened on Jan. 4, is commonly called a NICU. It serves a market area including Pasco and Hernando counties, and the northern portions of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.

The 4,718-square-foot NICU offers advanced levels of care for babies born as early as 32 weeks and weighing at least 1,500 grams.

The project is the latest addition to Medical Center of Trinity, which opened four years ago.

“As this facility was being planned, all along it was contemplated to add neonatal intensive care unit services,” said Hospital CEO Leigh Massengill.

Even before the resurgence of residential growth along the State Road 54 corridor, and the young families that will come along with it, the hospital saw the need for the services, she said.

The hospital saw how many infants and mothers had to be transferred out of the facility for a higher level of care, and it knew it could create a safer and more satisfying visit, if it could manage those services in-house, she said.

“Sometimes pregnant women would come in at 32 weeks, and they weren’t in active labor, but they required in hospital services, and we had to transfer them out because delivery could occur at any time,” Massengill said.

In the past, if a baby arrived at around 32 weeks, it was better for it to be in a facility where the care the baby needed could be immediately provided, said Lynn Smith, neonatal services manager. “The sooner you can get them to definitive care, the better,” Smith said.

Before, Massengill said, the baby had to be transported, which was not ideal.

“It really kind of breaks your heart when you take a newborn baby and pack him up in this scary-looking transporter, and stick him on a helicopter to go flying off to another county, and leaving mother and family, and the rest of the extended family behind, worrying,” she said.

Now, the CEO said, “they either go one way, to the newborn nursery, or they come in for more intensive care.”

Cheryl Sherrill, director of women’s and neonatal services said: “It is a wonderful service to the community, to keep these families together.”

The Medical Center of Trinity has opened a neonatal intensive care unit to provide services to newborns as young as 32 weeks and weighing as little as 1,500 grams. This is a look at one of two NICU bays. (Courtesy of Medical Center of Trinity) — The Medical Center of Trinity has opened a neonatal intensive care unit to provide services to newborns as young as 32 weeks and weighing as little as 1,500 grams. This is a look at one of two NICU bays.
(Courtesy of Medical Center of Trinity)

The new NICU expansion includes 12 Level II NICU beds and an overnight room for families transitioning to taking their babies home.

“We understand, that for us, the birth experience is an event. It’s not like acute care. People have been planning this event for a very long time, and we want to make sure we do everything we can to make this a special event for them,” Sherrill said.

“When sometimes things happen, and babies come a little bit earlier than they were planning on, then, that’s why we have this beautiful NICU down here,” Sherrill said.

The hospital has a relationship with All Children’s Specialty Physicians from All Children’s Hospital, who are providing neonatology services, Massengill said.

“So, they’re always on call to support us. They’re in the facility on a daily basis. They take care of our babies. They interface with the families, with the pediatricians, with the obstetricians, to make sure those babies get the best care possible,” she said.

When there’s enough notice, Sherrill said, “We get the neonatology team involved and the NICU charge nurse, and we start that relationship from when the mom is hospitalized.

“The neonatologists work with the OBs (obstetricians) for the best plan of care, of when to deliver this baby, so we can be prepared, and the team and the family is comfortable, already knowing kind of what’s going to happen at the time of delivery. So, it doesn’t become such an emergent event when it happens,” Sherrill added.

The center uses a family centered approach to care.

“We want to make sure that the family is included in everything,” Sherrill said.

Along those lines, the hospital has extended visiting hours. Two approved visitors are allowed at bedside at all hours, except for 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., and 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

“We want the family to be here more often than not, because we know that with giving family centered care, they are an important team member in promoting this baby’s growth and wellness,” Sherrill said.

She’s excited about the hospital’s new services. “I came here specifically for this project,” said Sherrill, noting she moved to the area from Austin, Texas.

The hospital pulls together numerous services that will help premature babies and their families, Sherrill said.

“We have our own speech pathologist, we have our own dietitians, we have our own NICU pharmacists, so we have a lot of support services that you traditionally find in much larger facilities,” Sherrill said.

The hospital also has a licensed clinical social worker dedicated to NICU babies and families, and a family centered care committee. It has educational opportunities for parents and siblings, too.

In addition to its relationship with All Children’s neonatologists, the hospital has registered nurses who are experienced in neonatal intensive care.

By choosing to use a family centered model, the hospital puts the mom in contact with her baby as much as possible, Sherrill said.

“We let the baby tell us what they’re ready for, then us trying to make the baby be ready for,” Sherrill added.

The hospital also works with All Children’s network of providers to help families plug into care in the community after they leave the hospital, helping families to make a smooth transition once they leave the hospital, Sherrill said.

Published January 27, 2016