Kevin Weiss

New hangar coming to Zephyrhills Airport

July 13, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

A new hanger is being constructed at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport for the first time in 16 years.

The 10,000-square-foot hangar, located on the northwest portion of the airport property, broke ground on June 22.

Canco General Contractors expects to complete the hangar by late October.

The new hangar is owned by Thomas and Keith Morrell of TKM Aviation.

The new business hangar broke ground on June 22. From left, Keith Morrell, John Prahl, Scott McBride, Melonie Monson and Thomas Morrell. (Photos courtesy of TKM Aviation) — The new business hangar broke ground on June 22. From left, Keith Morrell, John Prahl, Scott McBride, Melonie Monson and Thomas Morrell.
(Photos courtesy of TKM Aviation)

They recently signed a 30-year lease with the City of Zephyrhills for roughly $360 per month to use the land where the hangar is being constructed.

The hangar will primarily house the company’s small piston aircraft mechanic, maintenance and inspection shop, Thomas Morrell said.

“One of the primary reasons we picked Zephyrhills to open a business was there was no real maintenance on the field — there was not really a shop there that could be on-call if needed where pilots could come in if they had an issue,” Morrell said. “There wasn’t really anybody (at the airport) that could take on that work, and we noticed that there was a need,” he added.

Morrell continued: “Zephyrhills has the lowest fuel prices in the region, so they get a lot of traffic from people flying their airplanes, and you never know what’s going to happen; you try to take off, something breaks and, ‘Hey, you need a mechanic there,’ and that’s what we can offer.”

Nathan Coleman, deputy airport manager, called the new hangar a “big advantage” for the city’s airport going forward.

TKM Aviation is building a new business hangar on the northwest portion of Zephyrhills Municipal Airport’s property. It will house the company’s small piston aircraft mechanic, maintenance and inspection shop.

“Each airport is very beneficial when they have a maintenance facility down on the field,” Coleman said. “When commuter traffic or transit traffic comes in, if they have a problem, they’ll actually have a facility to go to.”

Coleman believes the economy is the main culprit for why a new business hangar hasn’t been built at the airport since JJ Aeronautics came aboard in 2000. He noted most of the hangars at the airport are city-owned and rented out by private airplane owners.

“It is exciting, to get a new business hangar here,” Coleman said.

TKM Aviation has been operating out of the airport’s Aerocenter, where they’ve leased space since Aug. 2015.

“We (always) intended to build a hangar, but there wasn’t a whole lot of available property or available hangar space at that point…so we went ahead and got our business rolling,” Morrell said.

TKM Aviation has been operating out of the Aerocenter at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport since August of 2015.

“We’ve just been in the process of getting contractors secured, getting permits and doing all the things it takes to build (the hangar),” he added.

While the new facility will mainly serve as a small plane maintenance shop, Morrell didn’t rule out the possibility of also subletting any unused space.

“If once we’re established in there, and we realize we can utilize some of the space for hangar rentals, then we will be open to doing that,” he said.

The company also is looking to open an Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic School at the airport, and is considering adding more mechanics to its staff of two full-timers.

“If we start getting an increase in traffic and appointments, and we get more airplanes coming in with clients, then we’ll definitely have to add more mechanics,” Morrell said. “If we get to the point where we can start the mechanic school like we are pursuing, then we’ll definitely have to hire several more people to help run and facilitate that.”

Published July 13, 2016

Draped in gold

July 13, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Nine-year-old Malike Campbell won gold medals in sparring and forms at the 2016 Sunshine State Games 2016 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm. Campbell trains at Wesley Chapel Tae Kwon Do.

Volleyball players sign letters of intent

July 13, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Alan Sherman (Photos courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College) — Alan Sherman
(Photos courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

Pasco-Hernando State College sophomore volleyball standouts Alana Sherman and Danielle Deterding each have signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball for Middle Georgia State University in Macon, Georgia. Sherman, a middle blocker, and Deterding, an outside hitter, helped lead the college’s women’s volleyball team to two consecutive District P Championships and two consecutive National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II national tournament appearances. The team had an 11th place national finish in 2015 and an eighth place finish in 2014.

Sherman posted a .294 hitting efficiency and had 152 kills this past season, while Deterding led the team in both kills (360) and hitting efficiency (.241).

“We are so proud of Alana and Danielle for earning these scholarship opportunities. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors,” head volleyball coach Kim Whitney said in a release.

Saint Leo adds assistant

July 13, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Saint Leo women’s basketball head coach Anthony Crocitto has added Megan Dzikas to his coaching staff.

Megan Dzikas (Courtesy of Saint Leo Athletics) — Megan Dzikas
(Courtesy of Saint Leo Athletics)

Dzikas, a 2012 graduate of Florida Southern College, spent the past three seasons coaching for St. Catherine College in Spring Field, Kentucky.

“I am very happy that Megan has joined our family here at Saint Leo,” Crocitto said in a release. “Megan will assume a large share of duties, as she is well-versed in working in a basketball office and on the court as well.”

During her playing career, Dzikas helped lead Florida Southern to back-to-back conference championship seasons; she ranks second in all-time career assists and 10th in all-time career points in the program’s history.

The Bradenton native said she’ll use both her playing and coaching experience in her new role at Saint Leo.

“Being familiar with the region, along with playing at Florida Southern, will help me fill this role, not only on the coaching side, but on the recruiting side as well,” Dzikas said. “I already have connections within the state with high school and AAU coaches, and I hope to use my network to our advantage.

Saint Leo athletes join athletic honor roll

July 13, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

A total of 112 Saint Leo student-athletes were named to the Sunshine State Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the 2016 spring semester, according to a June 30 announcement by SSC Commissioner Ed Pasque.

The Lions also had 12 individuals with a perfect 4.0 grade point average.

The Saint Leo men’s lacrosse team boasted 18 honorees, followed by women’s lacrosse and softball each having 14 student-athletes honored; women’s swimming added 13.

To be eligible for the spring semester Honor Roll, a student-athlete must post a minimum grade point average of a 3.20 on a 4.0 scale. Participants in men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s swimming, women’s rowing, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s lacrosse were eligible for the spring honor roll.

Saint Leo student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA for the spring semester:

Women’s swimming: Isabella Bains, junior; Stephanie Martinez, senior; and,

Nicole Weber, junior

Women’s tennis: Marine Beugre-Guyot, junior, and Pauline Helgesson, senior

Men’s tennis: James Defusto, sophomore, and Guillaume Vanelven, senior

Other sports: Brittany Creamer, sophomore (softball); Allie Sheftall, senior (women’s lacrosse); Evan Jacob, senior (men’s swimming); Marie Coors, junior (women’s golf); and Colby Tyler, sophomore (men’s golf)

More signings, commitments

July 13, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Here are some more signings and commitments:

Gaither High School basketball standout Trevor Blackmon has signed a letter of intent with Walters State (Tennessee) Community College. The 6-foot-4 combo guard averaged 27 points per game for the Cowboys during his senior season.
Wesley Chapel High School shortstop Zach Ghelfi has committed to play baseball at Pasco-Hernando State College next season. Ghelfi led the Wildcats in batting average (.400) and hits (28) as a senior in 2016. He also was tied for the team lead in doubles (7), triples (2) and stolen bases (8).
Land O’ Lakes High School all-purpose back Rashawn Kindell has committed to play football at Angelo (Texas) State University, a Division II school. Kindell rushed for 526 yards (5.7 yards per carry) and also caught 22 passes for 310 yards as a senior last season.
Land O’ Lakes High shortstop Max Law has committed to play baseball at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. The rising senior led the Gators in batting average (.387), hits (29) and stolen bases (7) in 2016.

Offers keep rolling in for Zephyrhills star

July 13, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Despite an injury setback, Zephyrhills High School running back Antwione Sims’s college scholarship offer list continues to grow. Sims tore his anterior cruciate ligament, more commonly called ACL, in March. He recently received offers from the U.S. Naval Academy on June 30 and the University of South Alabama on June 23. The 5-foot-11, 193-pound back also has scholarship offers from Boston College, Bryant (Rhode Island) University, Mercer (Georgia) University, North Dakota State University, Presbyterian (South Carolina) College, University of South Dakota, Southern Illinois University, Troy (Alabama) University and Wofford (South Carolina) College. Sims ran for a school-record 2,093 yards and 24 touchdowns last season. He is expected to miss several games in 2016 due to the ACL injury.

“He’s going to get on the field as fast as he can,” first-year Bulldogs coach Nick Carroll said in April. “I know he’s very, very motivated.”

Various football-recruiting services list Sims as either a two-star or three-star recruit.

Steinbrenner pitcher makes national trial team

July 13, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

The accolades are piling up for Steinbrenner High School’s right-handed pitcher CJ Van Eyk.

He’s led Steinbrenner to its first state baseball title.

He’s been crowned the Florida Dairy Farmers’ Class 8A Player of the Year.

And now, the rising senior has achieved another prestigious accomplishment: pitcher on the USA Baseball 18U National Trial team.

Steinbrenner High’s CJ Van Eyk was one of 40 prep players selected to the USA Baseball 18U National Trial team on June 26. Six other players from Florida made the team. (Courtesy of Steve Fiorindo) — Steinbrenner High’s CJ Van Eyk was one of 40 prep players selected to the USA Baseball 18U National Trial team on June 26. Six other players from Florida made the team.
(Courtesy of Steve Fiorindo)

Van Eyk, a Florida State commit, was one of 40 players nationwide selected to the roster on June 26 following a scouting and evaluation period in Cary, North Carolina.

“It was definitely surprising, but I thought I had good shot,” Van Eyk said about his selection.

It wasn’t much of a shock for Van Eyk’s high school baseball coach, John Crumbley.

“He’s right up there with some of the top pitchers that I’ve coached in my career,” said Crumbley, who’s amassed four state titles and over 700 wins in his 25-plus year coaching career at Jesuit and Steinbrenner high schools.

“If he stays healthy, his upside is so high.

“Now, this is just going to put him in the national spotlight,” Crumbley said.

The trial games run from Sept. 11 to Sept. 15 in Houston, Texas, when the 20-man 18U National Team roster will be finalized. If Van Eyk makes the 20-man roster, he will participate in the COPABE Pan Am “AAA” Championships in Monterrey, Mexico, from Sept. 23 to Oct. 2.

Last season, Van Eyk proved to be one of the most dominant pitchers in the entire state. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound flamethrower ranked first in Class 8A in strikeouts (130) and wins (12), and fifth in earned run average (0.77).

With a four-pitch repertoire that includes a 92 mph fastball, high school opponents often left the batter’s box bewildered by Van Eyk’s pitching dexterity.

“When you’re throwing in the 90s, that usually gets attention,” Crumbley said. “His fastball has gotten more velocity as his career at Steinbrenner has gone along — I think the first thing that people see is his velocity that he has.”

Moreover, his other three pitches were just as demoralizing to opposing hitters, his high school coach said.

“They are all plus pitches that he’ll throw at any time,” Crumbley said. “Sometimes, he’ll get out more (batters) with his splitter or changeup. And, his curveball is devastating.”

Crumbley added Van Eyk’s competitiveness, too, is a key reason for his massive successes on the mound.

“He’s just goes at it and gets it done.”

With a goal of one day playing high-level professional baseball, Van Eyk is constantly honing his craft — he’s currently striving to throw his fastball in the mid-90s by the 2017 season.

“I’ve been working to get my velocity up, and keep commanding my pitches better,” Steinbrenner’s ace pitcher said. “There’s always room for improvement, no matter who you are or what you want to do.”

According to Crumbley, Van Eyk always showed flashes of potential, but said he really emerged toward the end of his sophomore year, when he finished 7-0 with a 0.16 ERA in 44.1 innings.

“As a ninth-grader he had a good arm, but I think he just needed to understand how to harness what he had because he was a little more inconsistent,” Crumbley said. “As a sophomore, we brought him along where he was pretty much the guy at the end after we used him more in relief (at the start of the season). We didn’t have to hurry him along — he was able to play infield and develop as a pitcher without being thrown to the wolves early on, so I think all that helped.”

Though the start of the 2017 high school baseball season is more than seven months away, Crumbley said his team is already eager to defend its state title, especially with its best player returning.

“This is the most returning pitching that got us to a high level, and more returning starters than we’ve ever had, so we’re excited,” Crumbley said. “We know the target will be on us.”

Van Eyk is also bullish on the Warrior’s 2017 prospects, and believes the team can repeat as state champs.

“I’m pretty confident in (the team), and I think we can do it again,” he said.

CJ Van Eyk
Pitching stats
Junior year: 12-1, 0.77 ERA, 130 strikeouts in 91 innings pitched
Sophomore year: 7-0, 0.16 ERA, 64 strikeouts in 44.1 innings pitched

–Stats compiled from Maxpreps.com

Published July 13, 2016

Ceremony honors Vietnam veterans

July 6, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

It was a day set aside to honor veterans of the Vietnam War, and their loved ones.

More than 100 veterans of the Vietnam War, and their families, gathered inside the East Pasco Adventist Academy’s gymnasium on June 27 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

Veteran Air Force Sgt. Robin McIntosh, of Zephyrhills, shows off the lapel pin acknowledging service during the Vietnam War. (Photos courtesy of Richard K. Riley) — Veteran Air Force Sgt. Robin McIntosh, of Zephyrhills, shows off the lapel pin acknowledging service during the Vietnam War.
(Photos courtesy of Richard K. Riley)

Veterans at the ceremony received lapel pins acknowledging their service. Tribute was paid, as well, to the 58, 307 service members who died in the war, as well as the 1,167 still considered missing in action.

In his remarks to the audience, U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis thanked the veterans for their service and for their sacrifices.

Bilirakis, who represents Florida’s 12th District and is vice chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, said two lessons learned from the controversial Vietnam War continually stand out to him: To leave no one behind and to honor the commitment to support war veterans.

“The members of the armed services who faithfully served with courage and honor were caught in the crossfire of public debate regarding the nation’s involvement, and did not receive the welcome home that they deserved,” Bilirakis said.

“Our veterans are our heroes — not our movie actors, not our athletes and certainly not our politicians; Americans need to continue to thank veterans on a daily basis,” Bilirakis said.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis thanks veterans for their service. Others at the ceremony, included Jack Mariano, a Pasco County commissioner; Frank Jones of the Pasco Veterans Center; Arthur Hibbard, a U.S. Marine Corps corporal; and, Danny Burgess, a member of the Florida House of Representatives.

Within the past three years, Bilirakis has introduced two pieces of legislation (COVER Act, PROMISE Act) to help veterans get better access to primary medical care and to address the prevalence of mental health issues amongst veterans.

Estimates show that 22 veterans a day commit suicide, with many suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

A survey conducted by the Veterans Administration revealed that some 500,000 of the 3 million troops who served in Vietnam suffered from the condition.

Rates of divorce, suicide, alcoholism and drug addiction are also markedly higher among veterans.

“It’s awful; we must do something about it,” he said about the staggering suicide figures. “Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our country that it is up to us to provide them with the care and benefits they need, and have earned and deserve.”

The congressman said that serving veterans will continue to be his top priority in office.

The ceremony’s featured speaker was U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Art Hibbard, who served in the war from 1968-1969.

Hibbard choked up with tears as he reminisced the moment when all U.S. troops were withdrawn from the war in 1973 and the subsequent negative treatment they received upon arriving in America.

Jim Shultz, Rod Rehrig, Trevor Gray, all of Zephyrhills, and Tom Conely, of Dade City, listen to a speech by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis.

“There were no ticker tape parades, no triumphant marches as it were in the first two World Wars,” Hibbard said. “American Vietnam veterans returned home to silence, or worse,” he said, for having served their country during a controversial war.

Hibbard said he often gets asked about when he served in Vietnam. His response is the same each time: “Man, I was there just last night.”

For Hibbard, not a day goes by where he doesn’t think about his experiences in the Vietnam jungles.

“Every day for the past 40 years,” he said, “I wake up with it. I go to bed with it. I can’t stop thinking about it; I never will.”

The pungent odor of the bloodshed of war still haunts him, too.

“I’ll never forget the way blood smells,” he said. “You didn’t want to make a lot of friends when the possibility of dying is that real; we were in the business of death, and death was with us all the time,” Hibbard said.

Vietnam War (1954-1975)
U.S. Troop Statistics:
8,744,000 – Total number of U.S. Troops that served worldwide during Vietnam
3,403,000 served in Southeast Asia
2,594,000 served in South Vietnam

The total of American servicemen listed as POW/MIA at the end of the war was 2,646.

Death Toll
58,307- Total U.S. Deaths (Average age of 23.1 years old)
1.3 million – Total military deaths for all countries involved
1 million – Total civilian deaths
–Figures compiled by the U.S. Dept. of Defense

Published July 6, 2016

Freedom standout commits to Tennessee Tech

July 6, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Freedom High girls basketball standout Megan Clark committed to Tennessee Tech University on June 27. The rising senior averaged 14.7 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game in the 2015-2016 season. The 5-foot-8 shooting guard is Freedom’s top returning scorer and rebounder from last season. TTU hired Kim Rosamund as its new head coach in March.