The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kevin Weiss

Wiregrass Ranch High girls golf wins conference tourney

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The Wiregrass Ranch High girls golf team won the Pasco County Girls’ High School Golf Conference tournament on Oct. 3. From left, assistant coach Tyler Finn, Alexa Cunningham, Alexis Lane, Morgan Powers, Lexy Frenchko, Loryn Finn, Karlye Finn and head coach Jeremy Calzone. (Courtesy of Meg Merritt)
The Wiregrass Ranch High girls golf team won the Pasco County Girls’ High School Golf Conference tournament on Oct. 3. From left, assistant coach Tyler Finn, Alexa Cunningham, Alexis Lane, Morgan Powers, Lexy Frenchko, Loryn Finn, Karlye Finn and head coach Jeremy Calzone.
(Courtesy of Meg Merritt)

The Wiregrass Ranch High girls golf team won the Pasco County Girls’ High School Golf Conference tournament on Oct. 3 at The Groves Golf and Country Club in Land O’ Lakes.

The Bulls shot a combined 343, defeating Land O’ Lakes High by two strokes (345). Pasco High’s Kacie Huber (76) won individual medalist honors; Wiregrass Ranch’s Morgan Powers (77) was the tournament runner-up. Eleven Pasco high schools participated in the event. There were a total of 52 players.

Lake Park reopens; sinkhole remains

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A popular 589-acre park in Lutz has reopened, despite the existence of a sinkhole that opened about a year ago and remains unfilled.

Lake Park, at 17302 N. Dale Mabry Highway, officially reopened on Oct. 8.

The park, which annually draws about 300,000 users, was closed on Dec. 2 because of a sinkhole that spans 6-feet wide and 90-feet deep.

Lake Park reopened on Oct. 8. It had been closed since last December after a sinkhole formed. (File Photo)
Lake Park reopened on Oct. 8. It had been closed since last December after a sinkhole formed.
(File Photo)

The sinkhole, which formed along a park roadway last October, has since been secured with $4,900 worth of heavy fencing and locked gates.

Forest Turbiville, Hillsborough County’s director of conservation and environmental lands management, said there are no immediate plans to fix the sinkhole.

“We’re going to continue to monitor it,” he said, “and, if we see there’s a change of conditions in that area, then we’ll potentially revaluate it at that time.

He said the area is “more than adequately secured.”

A recent geophysical study by Ardaman & Associates Inc., found the overall risk of future sinkhole activity to be “low” at the park. However, the report did not definitively rule out possible future sinkhole activity.

“We’ve monitored the entire park now since December,” Turbiville said, “and there’s been nothing at all that’s popped up. Our park staff is out there on a daily basis, so if we see any change in the area, we’ll get the county’s consultant back out there.”

While most normal park activities have resumed, the sinkhole “might potentially affect” the park’s archery range, Turbiville said. As a precaution, the range may be temporarily relocated to the Northwest Equestrian Park, 9400 South Mobley Road in Odessa.

Beyond the sinkhole, other issues, too, persist at Lake Park.

Recent heavy rains have created high watermarks, which has limited access in some areas of the park, including its central road.

The sinkhole, which spans 6-feet wide and 90-feet deep, has been secured with $4,900 worth of heavy fencing and locked gates. (Courtesy of Hillsborough County)
The sinkhole, which spans 6-feet wide and 90-feet deep, has been secured with $4,900 worth of heavy fencing and locked gates.
(Courtesy of Hillsborough County)

The three-quarter-mile stretch of road — which Turbiville said is currently under a few feet of water — links the park’s front and back entrances. “It almost divides the park into two halves,” Turbiville said.

To access the park’s front picnic area and main playground, park-goers now have to enter via Dale Mabry Highway. Conversely, users will have to enter off Worley Road in order to access the park’s BMX and radio-controlled car tracks.

“We’re basically having two entrances into the park,” said Turbiville.

The road—which typically experiences flooding issues most of the year—will eventually have to be repaved and elevated, Turbiville said.

That undertaking, he said, may take several years.

“That is honestly going to be a long-term project,” said Turbiville. “You can’t just go in and build up the road — you’ve got to have design plans; you have to have permits. Of course, you have to have the money to pay for that work…so it’s not a small project by any means.”

Turbiville noted the county wouldn’t repair the main road until another long-term lease agreement is reached with the City of St. Petersburg, the owners of the park.

The existing lease agreement for Lake Park expires on June 3, 2019. Under that deal, Hillsborough County pays just $1 per year to the City of St. Petersburg to operate the park.

In a third draft of a new 10-year lease agreement, the City of St. Petersburg is requesting $3,000 per month, or $36,000 per year from Hillsborough County.

If approved, county staff expects to bring a recommendation to the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners sometime in 2017. Meanwhile, Lake Park will operate under the current lease agreement.

Based on figures from 2014-2015, the park typically nets about $10,000 per month in revenue from park-goers.

Also of note, St. Petersburg is requesting $2,000 per month from the county to lease Lake Rogers Park, 6016 Gunn Hwy in Odessa. The most recent lease agreement expired on Sept. 30, but the city has extended it through Dec. 31, as negotiations continue.

Lake Park
Where: 17302 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz
Fall hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Entrance fee: $2 per vehicle. Up to 8 people per vehicle. Rentals are extra.
Facilities: Rodeo, BMX track, playground, youth group campsite
Activities: Biking, bird watching, hiking, horseback riding, and canoeing/kayaking
Other features: Five lakes, cypress swamps, pine flat woods and hardwood hammocks
For information, call (813) 264-3806.

Published October 12, 2016

 

Zephyrhills’ website getting upgrade

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The Zephyrhills City Council has approved a considerable upgrade to the city’s website.

Council members unanimously approved a $22,848 contract with CivicPlus — a
government website design company— to revamp the city’s website. Ongoing maintenance costs for the new website will be $10,000 per year.

The contract also includes a 3 percent maximum increase to the annual maintenance cost over 10 years.

The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously approved a $22,848 contract with CivicPlus to revamp the city’s website. (Courtesy of Civic Plus)
The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously approved a $22,848 contract with CivicPlus to revamp the city’s website.
(Courtesy of CivicPlus)

“In today’s society, it’s just more and more demanding with technology at the forefront,” said Kenneth Compton, the council’s president.

“A website is a gateway for the city,” he said, during the council’s Sept. 26 meeting.  “If someone wants to see what’s going on…they’re going to look at the website first.”

CivicPlus works with over 2,000 local governments nationwide, including Pasco County and the City of Safety Harbor in Pinellas County.

The refurbished website is expected to be easier to use and more technologically current.

Key features will include greater storage capacity, faster upload times and enhanced security.

“It’ll be much more reliable,” said Mike Panak, IT director for the City of Zephyrhills.

The CivicPlus-hosted site, Panak added, should also be easier for city employees to use.

“Each department will be able to update their portion of the website. If they have an issue, they can call CivicPlus,” explained Panak. “They will help us with the content, whereas right now we’re on our own to do it.”

Panak acknowledged in his 10-plus years working for Zephyrhills, the city’s website hasn’t received much attention.

“What I’m (currently) using is an off-the-shelf program that’s basically free,” Panak said. The CivicPlus website will allow the city to integrate with social media and expand the city’s capabilities of interacting with citizens.

City staff including Panak, Gail Hamilton and Sandra Amerson reviewed several website designs and interviewed other cities, before determining that CivicPlus had the best designers and training program for Zephyrhills.

Published October 12, 2016

Independent Catholic church forms

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An independent Catholic church is forming in Wesley Chapel.

Services at Spirit of Light Synodal Catholic Church will begin Oct. 23.

A Mass will be celebrated every Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m., inside the meeting room at the Rodeway Inn, 5642 Oakley Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

A typical communion Mass is expected to last about an hour.

Lionel Repasky is the pastor at Spirit of Light Synodal Catholic Church. Masses will be held each Sunday at 10:30 a.m., inside the meeting room at the Rodeway Inn, 5642 Oakley Blvd., in Wesley Chapel. (Courtesy of Lionel Repasky)
Lionel Repasky is the pastor at Spirit of Light Synodal Catholic Church. Masses will be held each Sunday at 10:30 a.m., inside the meeting room at the Rodeway Inn, 5642 Oakley Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.
(Courtesy of Lionel Repasky)

According to the church’s website, synodal Catholicism strives to express the Catholic faith in a more accepting manner.

Lionel Repasky, the pastor at Spirit of Light, said the church is “all-embracing” and “inclusive to all.”

“The easiest thing to say is that we’re a Catholic church that’s not Roman,” said Repasky, who was ordained last November. “We have both male and female priests — married and single.”

The Mass, the pastor said, will be quite similar to that of other Catholic churches.

“We have the same seven sacraments, the same saints, essentially the same history,” he said, “it’s just we’re approaching it with a more modern interpretation of welcoming all.”

The synodal church believes the sacraments “are outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ to the Church.”

It recognizes the following sacraments: baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, marriage, holy orders, reconciliation and anointing of the sick.

According to the church’s doctrine, “sacraments are not restricted to any individual or group, by gender, sexual orientation, marital state or other conditions.”

Repasky serves at the discretion of the church’s community. “If they don’t like me, they can fire me,” he said.

He said the traditional Catholic church has become “bound up in their own rules and regulations” over the past 2,000-plus years.

“We’ve gone back and looked at how the ancient church was much more community oriented…as opposed to simply following and doing whatever the clergy members said,” Repasky explained.

The Communion of Synodal Catholic Churches operates in Florida, California, Pennsylvania and Washington.

The Diocese of Florida is headed by Bishop Steven Rosczewski.

Including Spirit of Light, there are three other synodal Catholic churches in the Tampa Bay area: Christ the Servant Catholic Church, 12703 N. Florida Ave., in Tampa; Community of Divine Mercy in Riverview; and Holy Spirit Synodal Catholic Church in Safety Harbor.

The church welcomes former Catholics or those who have been hurt by the church.

Repasky expects the church will have a core group of “six to eight” members to start.

“We would hope that you would give us a chance,” Repasky said. “We want to be a trusting, open community, and we want to feel mercy to all…”

Additional Masses may be scheduled, as Spirit of Light’s congregation grows, Repasky said.

“As we expand out and get into the Christmas season, we’ll have other Masses,” he said.

By next year, the pastor hopes to at least include a schedule of holy day Masses.

For more information on Spirit of Light, contact Repasky at (813) 679-1883 or .

Published October 12, 2016

Cattlewomen prepare for 2016 Savage Race

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A group of Florida cattlewomen are gearing up for one of the most challenging endurance competitions around.

Cattlewomen Beth Hunt, Reyna Hallworth and Ashley Hughes have joined forces with others to create “Team Beef.”

A group of Florida cattlewomen have formed Team Beef to complete the 2016 Savage Race. From left: Reyna Hallworth, Ashley Hughes and Beth Hunt. (Courtesy of Florida Cattlewomen Inc.)
A group of Florida cattlewomen have formed Team Beef to complete the 2016 Savage Race. From left: Reyna Hallworth, Ashley Hughes and Beth Hunt.
(Courtesy of Florida Cattlewomen Inc.)

The goal: Complete the 2016 Savage Race, and encourage others to join the challenge.

The race — set for Oct. 22-23 at the Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City — is grueling. The 7.5-mile course features 25 military-style obstacles scattered throughout a humid, swampy terrain.

The event, in its third year in Dade City, is expected to attract 10,000 racers and 3,000 spectators from all over Florida.

Hughes, executive director of the Florida Beef Council, completed the race— “a huge physical challenge”— in 2012. Her advice: Push through and finish strong.

“Your adrenaline runs so high,” Hughes, 32, said, “because you know it’s going to be challenging, and you know it’s going to be hard, and you just pray that you have the stamina to be able to make it through.”

She added: “It really is an awesome opportunity for Team Beef to show that we completed this.”

Though the women are training individually, their objective is to stay together throughout the course, and finish as a unit.

“We need to stay together,” said Hunt, president Florida Cattlewomen Inc.

“The accountability factor is huge,” added Hallworth, a former beef extension scientist for the University of Florida.

To prepare for the race, Hallworth — now a stay-at-home mother of three — is following a six-week conditioning program that incorporates jogging, sprints and an assortment of body-weight exercises.

“Sometimes, I can work a workout into my daily routine, sometimes I have to do it on the side of a soccer field during (youth) soccer practice,” Hallworth explained.

“It’s not easy for any of us, but it is a priority.”

Finding the time, Hunt said, is key.

The 2016 Savage Race is set for Oct. 22 to Oct. 23 at the Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City. The 7.5-mile course features 25 military-style obstacles scattered throughout a humid, swampy terrain. The event is expected to attract 10,000 racers and 3,000 spectators from all over Florida. (Courtesy of SavageRace.org)
The 2016 Savage Race is set for Oct. 22 to Oct. 23 at the Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City. The 7.5-mile course features 25 military-style obstacles scattered throughout a humid, swampy terrain. The event is expected to attract 10,000 racers and 3,000 spectators from all over Florida.
(Courtesy of SavageRace.org)

Hunt, who’s participated in several 5K runs and obstacle races, said incorporating daily 45-minute workouts helps build endurance for the looming event.

“Even if it’s getting outside and walking a couple of blocks,” said Hunt, “and working in some other strength training or air squats.”

“Getting out the door is step No. 1,” Hughes agreed. “If you can get your shoes on and get your running clothes on, you’re halfway there.”

She continued: “You have to train hard to be able to accomplish that (race), but always make sure to listen to your body…if something doesn’t feel right.”

Yet, perhaps the Savage Race’s largest obstacle isn’t even physical.

“I think the biggest aspect,” Hallworth said, “is getting over the mental hurdle.”

Hallworth, who suffers from bursitis in her left foot and also broke her shoulder a few years ago, added: “My circumstances aren’t going to define whether or not I can do this.”

To fuel — and replenish — their bodies, the group turns to none other than lean beef during meal times.

“Protein is such an incredible recovery,” Hughes said, “because you’re literally burning your muscles as you’re training.”

“You get 50 percent of your daily recommended (protein) value from 3 ounces of beef, and at a low caloric cost,” she added.

Although the lengthy trek is intimidating, Hughes said the Savage Race is “acceptable to everyone.”

“Even though the Savage Race is hard, you can do it at your pace. You can do it slowly, you can walk it if you need to, you don’t have to come out there like an elite athlete,” Hughes explained.

But, she noted prospective race-goers need ample preparation time.

“If you’re doing a straight-from-the-couch kind of program, give yourself a good couple of months, or a good eight weeks,” explained Hughes. “For people who are already in shape, (give) at least four to six weeks.”

For more information on the Florida Cattlewomen, visit FloridaCattlewomen.org.

For information on the 2016 Savage Race, visit SavageRace.com.

Published October 12, 2016

Big South Conference honor

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Former Wiregrass Ranch football standout Shane Bucenell is the starting quarterback at Charleston Southern University in South Carolina. (Courtesy of Charleston Southern University)
Former Wiregrass Ranch football standout Shane Bucenell is the starting quarterback at Charleston Southern University in South Carolina.
(Courtesy of Charleston Southern University)

Shane Bucenell, a former Wiregrass Ranch High School quarterback, was named the Big South Conference Freshman of the Week for his performance in Charleston Southern’s 59-58 double-overtime victory over Coastal Carolina on Oct. 1. In his second career start, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound signal-caller threw for 149 yards and four touchdowns. Bucenell was a three-year starter at Wiregrass Ranch, where he holds the school record for career touchdown passes (17).

CDS Prep names Karim Nohra new girls basketball coach

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Karim Nohra is Carrollwood Day School’s new girls varsity coach. (File Photo)
Karim Nohra is Carrollwood Day School’s new girls varsity coach.
(File Photo)

Karim Nohra, a longtime girls basketball coach in the Tampa area, has been named the new girls varsity basketball coach at Carrollwood Day School.

In July, Nohra stepped down from Academy at the Lakes after six seasons, where he led the program to five state final four appearances.

Nohra’s other coaching stops include varsity teams at Cambridge Christian School, and Tampa Catholic and Wesley Chapel high schools. He’s amassed a coaching record of 534-159 in 24 seasons.

Nohra’s teams often play an up-tempo style, utilizing various defensive pressure systems to score in transition.

Carrollwood Day finished 5-14 last season. They compete in Class 3A.

Saint Leo runner earns national honor

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Saint Leo University junior Colett Rampf was named the Division II Women’s Cross Country National Athlete of the Week on Oct. 3 by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Saint Leo’s Colett Rampf (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)
Saint Leo’s Colett Rampf
(Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

Rampf, a Premnitz, Germany native, is the first Saint Leo women’s cross country athlete to earn the award.

Rampf is coming off a record-setting performance in the 43rd Annual Lehigh University Paul Short Run on Oct. 1. She finished 10th overall in the 6K College Gold race with a time of 20:23, slashing 31 seconds off the Saint Leo 6K record she set a year ago at the same event.

It was fastest time of any non-Division I runner.

“Colett has definitely earned it,” Saint Leo cross country coach Kent Reiber said, in a release. “She set very high goals coming into this season, and has hit every benchmark along the way. We’re very blessed to have her work ethic and leadership on our team, and I’m incredibly proud of her.”

Jewish community prepares for Yom Kippur

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Yom Kippur, considered to the most important holiday in the Jewish faith, runs from sunset on Oct. 11 until nightfall on Oct. 12.

Yom Kippur runs from sunset on Oct. 11 to nightfall on Oct. 12. It’s considered to be the most important holiday in the Jewish faith, and is observed with a 25-hour fast and a special religious service. (Courtesy of Chabad.org.)
Yom Kippur runs from sunset on Oct. 11 to nightfall on Oct. 12. It’s considered to be the most important holiday in the Jewish faith, and is observed with a 25-hour fast and a special religious service.
(Courtesy of Chabad.org.)

Yom Kippur, meaning “Day of Atonement,” marks the culmination of the 10 Days of Awe, a period of introspection and repentance that follows Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

Yom Kippur is observed with a 25-hour fast and a special religious service.

Observance: The Torah (Jewish bible) commands all Jewish adults (apart from the sick, the elderly and women who have just given birth) to abstain from eating and drinking between sundown on the evening before Yom Kippur and nightfall the following day. The fast is believed to cleanse the body and spirit, not to serve as a punishment. Religious Jews observe additional restrictions on bathing, washing, using cosmetics and wearing leather shoes. The prohibitions are intended to prevent worshippers from focusing on material possessions and superficial comforts.

Traditions & Symbols of Yom Kippur:

  • Pre-Yom Kippur feast: On the eve of Yom Kippur, families and friends gather for a bountiful feast that must be finished before sunset. The idea is to generate strength for 25 hours of fasting.
  • Breaking of the fast: After the final Yom Kippur service, many people return home for a festive meal. It traditionally consists of breakfast-like comfort foods such as blintzes (pancakes), noodle pudding and various baked goods.
  • Wearing white: It is customary for religious Jews to dress in white — a symbol of purity — on Yom Kippur. Some married men wear kittels — white burial shrouds — to signify repentance.
  • Charity: Some Jews make donations or volunteer their time in the days leading up to Yom Kippur. This is seen as a way to atone and seek God’s forgiveness. One ancient custom known as kapparot involves swinging a live chicken or bundle of coins over one’s head while reciting a prayer. The chicken or money is then given to the poor.

Yom Kippur services

Where: Congregation Kol Ami, 3919 Moran Road, Tampa
Services:
Oct 11: Kol Nidre at 7 p.m.
Oct. 12: Yom Kippur/Yizkor at 9 a.m.; Mincha at 5:45 p.m.; and, Neilah at 6:45 p.m.
For information, call (813) 962-6338, or visit KolAmi.org.

Where: Congregation Mekor Shalom, 14005A N. Dale Mabry Highway
Services:
Oct. 11: Kol Nidrei at 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 12: Yom Kippur at 9 a.m.; and, Minha, Ma’ariv, Neilah & Shofar Blast at 7:45 p.m.
For information, call (813) 963-1818, or visit MekorShalom.org.

Where: Congregation Beth Am, 2030 W. Fletcher Ave.
Services:
Oct 11: Kol Nidre at 8 p.m.
Oct. 12: Yom Kippur morning service at 10 a.m.; and, Yom Kippur afternoon, Yizkor, N’eila Final Shofar at 4:30 p.m.
For information, call (813) 968-8511, or visit BethAmTampa.org.

Where: Chabad at Wiregrass, 2124 Ashley Oaks Circle in Wesley Chapel
Services:
Oct 11: Yom Kippur at 7 p.m.
Oct. 12: Yom Kippur morning service at 10 a.m.; Yizkor memorial service at 12 p.m.; Afternoon & Neilah closing service at 5:30 p.m.; and, Shofar Blast at 7:38 p.m.
For information, call (813) 642-3244, or visit ChabadAtWiregrass.com.

Published October 5, 2016

School shooting threats now a felony

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The consequences just got tougher for Florida students who threaten to shoot up a school.

The Anti-Terroristic Threat and Public Servant Protection Law. The law, which went into effect Oct. 1, makes false reports about using firearms in a violent manner a second-degree felony. Bomb threats have carried a second-degree felony, but only charges of “disrupting a school function”—a second-degree misdemeanor — could have been brought against someone making a gun threat.

Pasco County Superintendent Kurt Browning address the new Anti-Terroristic Threat Law during a Sept. 30 press conference. The law, which took effect Oct. 1, makes false reports about using firearms in a violent manner a second-degree felony. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)
Pasco County Superintendent Kurt Browning address the new Anti-Terroristic Threat Law during a Sept. 30 press conference. The law, which took effect Oct. 1, makes false reports about using firearms in a violent manner a second-degree felony.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

The law also makes it a first-degree misdemeanor to threaten with death or serious harm a law enforcement officer, state attorney or assistant state attorney, firefighter, judge, elected official or any of their family members.

In the Pasco County School District, there already have been three incidents of students making gun threats through the first six weeks of the 2016-2017 school year.

Pasco County Superintendent Kurt Browning described such threats — regardless of the degree of seriousness — as being “incredibly disruptive” to the community.

“When someone makes what they consider a joke to shoot up the school, people panic,” Browning said during a Sept. 30 press conference. “I’ve pleaded with students, and I’ve asked their parents to plead with them, to think before posting an idle threat on social media, or to make any kind of verbal threat to carry out a shooting at any of our schools.”

He added: “When kids and their parents see these things, the fears spread quickly.”

Such threats, Browning said, often cause Pasco schools to become “half-empty” the following day.

“Students and parents are not going to take any chances when they hear rumors or see the posts on social media,” the superintendent said.

“It means that students who do show up are not going to learn much that day. It means that some teachers may decide not to teach the lesson that they had planned, because half the class will miss it,” Browning said.

Ava Cahoon, a junior at Land O’ Lakes High, said fellow classmates oftentimes become “very scared” when they hear such threats.

“We have to go into lockdown, and we don’t learn at all,” Cahoon said. “We have to sit in the dark, and the teachers don’t get to teach at all.”

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said many of the threats are discovered via social media, including Twitter and Facebook.

“The sad reality,” Nocco said, “is a lot of times these are kids that are just playing a game or just messing around.

“If the kids in our own community realize they’re now going to have a felony charge…they’re not going to play with this game anymore.”

State Rep. Jimmie Smith, the house sponsor of Senate Bill 436, said the rise of social media has created a “sad state of affairs” for making terroristic threats.

“This legislation is going to ensure that those people who make these threats are properly punished,” Smith said.

Browning’s message to students: “Think before you act.”

“It has long-term consequences,” Browning said. “Your chances of getting into college almost disappear, chances of getting jobs almost disappear.”

“It can ruin your future,” Nocco agreed.

Published October 5, 2016