The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kevin Weiss

Twice All-American

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(Courtesy of Academy at the Lakes athletics department)

Academy at the Lakes senior McKenna Smith was recently named to the 2019-2020 National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (NISCA) High School All-American team, for her marks in the 50 and 100 girls freestyle events. Her 50 free (23.05 seconds) ranks 32nd best in the nation, while her 100 free (50.11) is tied for 34th best nationwide. It marks the second consecutive year that Smith’s been selected to the All-American list. Last November, Smith earned bronze medals in both events at the Class 1A Florida High School Athletic Association state swimming and diving championships in Stuart.

1,000 digs and counting

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(Courtesy of Carrollwood Day School athletics

Carrollwood Day School junior libero Jessie Golden last month surpassed the 1,000 career dig mark, in a regular season game against Wharton High School. The 5-foot-6 team captain has been playing varsity volleyball with the Patriots since the eighth grade. In addition to 300-plus digs and counting this year, Golden registered 360 digs as a sophomore, 190 as a freshman and 246 as an eighth grader, respectively.

Cancer forces retirement of police dog

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A cancer diagnosis has forced the retirement of one of the Zephyrhills Police Department’s police dogs.

Zephyrhills Police Department K9 Oscar was recently diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma, a blood vessel cancer. The 4-year-old yellow Labrador is officially retired and now in the care of handler Officer Morgan Upchurch. (Courtesy of Zephyrhills Police Department)

It was a somber moment inside the Zephyrhills City Hall chambers when Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer on Oct. 12 officially retired 4-year-old K9 Oscar, amid what he called “an aggressive form of cancer, which is quickly spreading.”

The more technical term of K9 Oscar’s cancer is hemangiosarcoma, whereby malignant tumors are derived from the cells lining blood vessels.

“Unfortunately, he’s starting to exhibit signs of rapid decline in his health, and at this time we think it’s best for him to retire,” said Brewer, who was noticeably choked up.

With the retirement, ownership and care of the dog has been transferred from the city to his handler, Officer Morgan Upchurch.

K9 Oscar— a yellow Labrador from England— joined the city police department in 2018.

Brewer detailed how the canine in two-plus years completed 163 narcotics searches (yielding 134 findings) and 86 arrests. In those findings, K9 Oscar recovered methamphetamines, opiates, heroin, cocaine, fentanyl and other prescription pills.

Zephyrhills Police Department K9 Oscar with his handler, Officer Morgan Upchurch. The 4-year-old yellow Labrador was recently diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma, a blood vessel cancer. Oscar had been with the agency since 2018.

“His value to us is going to be well-missed,” Brewer said. “I just want to tell you how much Oscar has meant to all of us, and none more than Morgan (Upchurch), and it’s a shame that he’s only 4 years old, and already suffering these types of issues, and we’re going to miss him a lot.”

The law enforcement agency operates with three police canines, with a long-term goal of working with four. The police chief later told The Laker/Lutz the agency plans to find K9 Oscar’s replacement “as soon as possible,” but added there’s not yet a set timetable “because many factors go into purchasing a dog.”

A slew of law enforcement officials and K9 units attended the retirement proceedings as a show of support for the Zephyrhills Police K9 team. A video tribute of K9 Oscar also was played for the audience at the meeting.

“It’s heartbreaking that such a young dog has to go through this,” said Zephyrhills City Council President Charles Proctor. “My heart goes out to Officer Upchurch. I can’t imagine. Having to put down one of our beloved dogs is always incredibly hard, so my heart goes out to him and the entire police department for their loss.”

Published October 21, 2020

Improvements slated for County Road 54 in Zephyrhills

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A congested roadway in Zephyrhills is set to receive some long-awaited and seemingly much-needed improvements to ease traffic patterns and enhance safety overall.

The City of Zephyrhills and Pasco County have come to a cost-sharing agreement for upgrades to a portion of County Road 54 which crosses both city limits and unincorporated county areas.

Zephyrhills City Councilman Ken Burgess (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

The scope of the project calls for the following enhancements along a 1.31-mile stretch, east of U.S. 301 east to 23rd Street:

  • Additional signage and pavement markings
  • Left-hand turn lane at the Dairy Road intersection
  • Right-hand turn lane and new mast arms at Wire Road, turning onto 12th Street
  • Signalized intersection at 23rd Street
  • Pedestrian signals and ADA sidewalk ramps at the intersections of Wire Road/12th Street, 20th Street and 23rd Street
  • A 10-foot concrete multi-use path on the south side of County Road 54 adjacent to Zephyrhills High School, and a 5-foot to 6-foot path on the north side of the road, plus associated drainage

The Zephyrhills City Council on Oct. 12 unanimously approved an interlocal agreement with the county that calls for a 50/50-split on costs for the multi-million project.

An engineer’s estimate for the project’s entirety came in at $6,855,255.44, meaning the city and county each will have an estimated cost of $3,427,627.72.

The entire project will be constructed in one phase. How it’s actually funded will be handled a bit differently, however.

The county has agreed to fund all improvements east of 20th Street to east of 23rd Street, including a new signalized intersection. Any dollars leftover from their cost-sharing portion will be used to help Zephyrhills fund improvements from east of U.S. 301 to 20th Street, which is inside the city’s jurisdiction.

Also, under the agreement’s terms, the county will conduct construction engineering and inspections either by utilizing its workforce or contracting with a third party. The county has also agreed to be responsible for facilities maintenance after construction.

Initial plans outlined many years ago called for the stretch to be widened to four lanes. But, various infrastructure and logistical hurdles necessitated the project to instead feature turn lanes, traffic signals and adjacent multi-use trails.

Zephyrhills City Councilman Lance Smith (File)

Either way, any improvements to the roadway section are greatly needed, city leaders say.

Councilman Ken Burgess labeled the stretch “a nightmare to navigate for many, many years.”

Councilman Lance Smith similarly called it “probably one of the most congested areas, at times, in the city.”

“I think there’s some necessary segments that we need to do,” Smith said. “I’m a little disappointed that we couldn’t get the four lanes in there, but hopefully, this will help with the traffic.”

The project’s sizable price tag — and how to split funding — had been a snag over the last several months between the city and county.

That in mind, the city does have the option to terminate the agreement should receive bids exceed cost estimates for its funding portion.

Council members acknowledged it’s quite possible that project bids will come in higher than anticipated, but they said they likely still will move forward with project — unless bids come in excessively greater than the engineer’s initial projections.

Smith put it like this: “Nothing is getting cheaper to build. I mean, as much as it’s a bitter pill to swallow, I think it’s something we should go ahead and do.”

Bid opening for the project is anticipated for some time in December, with Pasco County commissioners expected to award the bid/contract in February or March.

Once that happens, Zephyrhills will make an initial payment of $1.1 million to the county within a month of the bid award. From there, the city will pay installments (estimated at $581,906.93, plus change orders) to the county each of the next four years, through fiscal year 2024-2025.

Purchase thresholds upped for small projects
In other business, the council unanimously approved a first reading ordinance amendment increasing purchasing thresholds for when quotes and sealed bids are required.

It’s part of a move to streamline smaller purchases and projects, officials say

In a staff memo, Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe and Zephyrhills Finance Director Ted Beason outlined how small projects have been stalled as they’re required to comply with lower, outdated thresholds ($2,500 for quotes; $20,000 for bids) instituted back in 2014.

To alleviate those issues, the altered ordinance raises proposed thresholds for quotes and bids to $5,000 and $50,000, respectively.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

As an example of the ongoing threshold issue, Poe explained how a somewhat routine purchase of a new city-operated pickup truck requires council consideration if it’s greater than $20,000 — which most new trucks are — even though it received prior approval in the regular budget.

The city manager outlined other examples, too.

A damaged handrail on Green Slope Drive cost about $3,600 to repair, but the project “took a while” to complete because the city was having trouble finding three separate quotes, Poe said.

Meanwhile, a pedestrian crossing on Simons Road estimated to cost slightly more than $20,000 is being delayed because it must go out to formal bid “as opposed to taking the plans and getting three prices, and getting the project done,” the city manager said.

“It’s just slowing things down a little bit,” Poe said of the current lower purchasing thresholds. “You know, staff does a great job of finding the most cost-efficient piece of equipment or tool as they can. This just helps…of reducing some of the search time.”

Council members expressed they are on board with the threshold changes. They added there’s still transparency in such purchases and projects, as they’ll still get listed as noted items in regular council meeting packets.

“I’m OK with what we’re doing here, because you don’t want to slow things down,” Councilman Ken Burgess said. “It’s just a formality of making sure that we’re aware of it.”

A second and final reading of the amended ordinance will be considered at an Oct. 26 regular council meeting.

Published October 21, 2020

Zephyrhills renews city attorney’s contract

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Matthew Maggard will continue serving as the city attorney for the City of Zephyrhills, for at least three more years.

The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously renewed an independent contract agreement with Maggard, which is effective Nov. 1 and runs through the end of October 2023.

The contract terms remain the same as the existing city attorney agreement.

The City of Zephyrhills has renewed its independent contract with City Attorney Matthew Maggard through October 2023. He has been serving the municipality since 2016. (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

Under those terms, the city is required to pay a minimum fee of $700 per month as a retainer, with attorney services rendered at $150 per hour, and staff services are $50 per hour. The city also will provide Maggard with health insurance on the same basis as it is provided to the council. Another perk: Maggard will be provided an education allowance to attend the Florida Municipal Attorney Association Conference, and an additional local government-related conference.

As city attorney, Maggard, 35, attends all council meetings and workshops, and provides legal counsel to the city council and city staff.

The lawyer represents the city in litigation, collects delinquent taxes, forecloses liens upon real property, prosecutes code enforcement violations, and is the legal advisor to the police and fire departments. He also prepares and reviews all resolutions, ordinances, contracts and legal agreements, too.

Recent undertakings have included: Overseeing consolidation of the city’s fire department with Pasco County; updating the public-private contract on the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center; and, helping the city facilitate a partnership with  a couple of litigation firms to seek damages in a massive federal lawsuit against companies who manufactured firefighting chemicals later found to contaminate some of the city’s groundwater, wastewater and water wells.

Maggard started working for the city in 2016, taking over for then city attorney Joseph Poblick, who held the position for over a decade until he was appointed a Pasco County Court judge.

Maggard also runs private practice in partnership with Danny Burgess, former executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs and currently a candidate for Florida Senate District 20.

The Dade City-based law firm, Maggard & Burgess P.A., handles most aspects of Florida law, including injury, family, business, real estate, banking and foreclosures, criminal defense and traffic, and landlord-tenant, as well as wills, trusts and probate.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe, who often works closely with the city attorney, expressed his appreciation for how Maggard goes about his duties.

Poe explained, “If ask him a question and he doesn’t know the answer, he doesn’t try to make something up. He says, ‘Give me a few minutes, let me go figure it out, let me go look it up,’ and he comes back with the right answer. …He goes and finds the answer and gets it to me.”

Council members similarly shared overwhelming positive reviews of Maggard’s performance thus far.

Council Vice President Jodi Wilkeson praised Maggard’s responsiveness, whenever a need arises.

“I feel like we have a great working relationship with all of our staff, particularly (Maggard), and I’m hoping for many more years of success,” she said.

Added Councilman Ken Burgess: “I think he’s doing a really great job for us and we made the right decision there (to initially hire Maggard).”

Councilman Lance Smith acknowledged he was initially “a little concerned” about Maggard’s limited legal experience when the city brought the young attorney aboard several years ago. But, those concerns alleviated over time, Smith said, noting the attorney has “fit in well” with the city.

Maggard has some deep ties in public office.

He is the nephew of both Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley and State Rep. Randy Maggard.

The city attorney is a graduate from Florida Coastal School of Law and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2013.

Published October 21, 2020

Upgrades coming to Zephyrhills CRA area

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The Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board has approved a budget of $578,244 for fiscal year 2020-2021 — and identified a number of priority projects.

The project is an increase of $91,234 over last year’s $478,010 budget.

The Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has approved a budget of $578,244 for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. That’s an increase of $91,234 over last year’s budget of $478,010. The CRA district includes more than 500 acres —generally encompassing the center spine of the city, between Hercules Park to C Avenue, and from Zephyr Park to 17th Street. (File)

The increase is primarily due to greater revenues collected from ad valorem taxes from the city and Pasco County. Those revenues came in at $426,470, compared to $319,031 last year.

The remainder of the CRA budget is made up of reserves for future projects ($150,174) and miscellaneous revenue ($1,600) from interest and reimbursements from Zephyrhills Main Street Inc.

The CRA board unanimously approved the budget, which then was passed through the Zephyrhills City Council. (Although it is a separate board, the CRA board is made up of members of the Zephyrhills City Council.)

Funds will be allocated to projects within the city’s 500-plus acre CRA district, which generally encompasses the center spine of the city, between Hercules Park to C Avenue, and from Zephyr Park to 17th Street.

Priority projects include:

  • Hercules Park upgrades
  • Sidewalk improvement, in partnership with the city’s public works department
  • Lake Necessity improvements
  • Installation of public artwork and artistic connections, such as murals, from Fifth Avenue through downtown side streets
  • Incentives for development opportunities and growth in the CRA

Meanwhile, the budget funds existing grant programs and incentives, such as residential grants (façade, paint, homeownership) and commercial grants (façade, signage).

Zephyrhills CRA Director Gail Hamilton detailed the success of assorted grant programs, noting the agency last year distributed seven homeownership grants, which set a record for new homes purchased within the district in any given year.

The homeownership grant provides $5,000 to new homeowners in the district. It requires a homeowner to apply before purchasing and closing, and file for the homestead exemption for five years.

Funding also is allocated to continue the Saturday neighborhood clean-up improvement program, which was shuttered for much of this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff expects to restart the program in 2021, Hamilton said.

Downtown landscaping and public artwork opportunities are just some of the initiatives funded in this year’s Zephyrhills CRA budget. (Courtesy of Main Street Zephyrhills)

Elsewhere, the agency has multiple outstanding approved projects budgeted from 2019-2020 that simply will be rolled over to the new budget year.

That includes installing signage posts and frames along Fifth Avenue, from Zephyr Park to Ninth Street. The CRA initially struggled getting bids for the project, as manufacturers shut down or scaled back amid the pandemic.

“Factories are up now, so we can get that project finished,” Hamilton said.

In conjunction with that, the CRA agency currently is consulting with Kimley-Horn planning/engineering firm on developing concepts and modifications for gateway signage, hammering out desired styles and exact locations, such as the prime U.S. 301/Fifth Avenue intersection.

The idea is to give residents and visitors directions to shopping and dining “to draw people down Fifth Avenue,” Hamilton said.

The gateway signage requires the approval of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), as it falls under CAF (Community Aesthetic Features) installed in or on the right of way, Hamilton said.

Sprucing up downtown landscaping is another ongoing project that shifted into this year. It involves tidying up circular medians and installing pots, benches and chairs that match existing light poles and trash cans throughout.

Published October 21, 2020

Zephyrhills celebrates tennis center grand opening

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The grand opening celebration of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center was serenaded in maybe the most Zephyrhills way possible — with a slew of skydiving parachute landings on the nearly 10-acre property, at 6585 Simons Road.

The new Sarah Vande Berg Wellness and Tennis Center hosted its grand opening celebration. A gym, various wellness treatments, and opportunities for instruction are offered at the new facility, at 6585 Simons Road in Zephyrhills. (Fred Bellet)

If the Oct. 17 event is any indication — even amid the COVID-19 pandemic — the state-of-the art tennis complex may put the city on the map not unlike how the airborne extreme sport has for decades.

Over 400 mask-wearing visitors turned out to get a firsthand look at a finished product five years in the making — accomplished through myriad partnerships between city, state, and private investment and donations.

The $4.9 million tennis complex is labeled, “Tampa’s first boutique-style racquet sports and wellness club.”

It lives up to the billing through:

  • 11 regulation-sized outdoor tennis courts (nine clay surface, two hard surface)
  • Eight outdoor pickleball courts
  • Four outdoor padel courts
  • Outdoor multipurpose turf field
  • The nearly 8,000-square-foot indoor clubhouse, featuring a full-service restaurant/cafe, fitness center, salt room, yoga room, cryotherapy chamber and pro shop
Pascal Collard, president & CEO of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Center, wipes away tears of joys, as he described the dedication and sacrifice of the center’s staff to make the vision a reality.

Aside from showing off wide-ranging amenities, the grand opening celebration was filled with entertainment and people congregating to partake in music, food, drinks, dancing, giveaways and conversation.

The three-hour event was climaxed with the unveiling of a life-size bronze statue of Sarah Vande Berg, making a tennis serve. It overlooks the facility’s exhibition show court.

Speaker after speaker heaped praise on the complex, which, as well as being a public asset, is expected to draw regional, national and international amateur and professional tournaments in tennis, pickleball and padel.

Though membership-based, guest users are encouraged to make court rentals and partake in other frills. Meanwhile, the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Foundation will provide tennis memberships and lessons at the facility to underprivileged kids in the area.

At the unveiling of the Sarah Vande Berg statue, her father, Todd Vande Berg, transfers a kiss off his fingers on the memorial statue of his daughter.

Sarah’s legacy lives on
The facility opens five years after the tragic death of Sarah Vande Berg, a former Zephyrhills High School district champion and three-time state qualifier who died in an automobile accident in South Carolina at the age of 21, on Oct. 11, 2015.

She was a member of the University of South Carolina-Upstate women’s tennis team at the time of her passing. Those closest to her described Sarah as a fierce, but gracious competitor, both on and off the court. She was widely known for her infectious laugh and love for life.

It was shortly after Sarah’s death when local real estate developer David Waronker donated the property adjacent to Dean Dairy Road/Eiland Boulevard, to be earmarked for a community tennis facility “to ensure Sarah’s name and legacy would live on.”

Those visiting the facility during its grand opening were greeted by a portrait of Sarah Vande Berg, for whom the facility is named.

“We got off easy. All we had to do was donate the land,” said Waronker, humbly minimizing his role.

Sarah’s father is longtime Zephyrhills Planning Director Todd Vande Berg.

At the ceremony, he expressed his pleasure regarding how the final product shaped out.

The tennis center named in his daughter’s honor is a “game-changer” and “raises the bar” for the community, he said.

“You know, I’ve been at a lot of facilities throughout the state and I’m not aware of any that compares with what we’ve built here in Zephyrhills,” he said. “I know Sarah’s looking down on us from heaven, smiling, amazed at what we’ve been able to create here.”

A lengthy, collaborative project
The project was quite an undertaking.

The vacant piece of land was bereft of waterlines and powerlines, and had limited access through a dirt road even when a groundbreaking ceremony took place some 15 months ago.

Todd Vande Berg’s emotions are apparent, as he recounts the death of daughter, Sarah, who was killed in an automobile accident in South Carolina, at the age of 21. She had been a former Zephyrhills High School district champion and three-time state qualifier.

The facility originally was expected to open in the spring, but the pandemic, combined with weather issues and other logistical hurdles, pushed back completion.

DeLotto & Sons was the general contractor for the tennis center, with assistance from Fleishman-Garcia Architects, Cornelson Engineering and Central Florida Landscaping.

“In my brief 48-year construction career, I can tell you I’ve never worked on a project quite like this one,” said DeLotto president Craig Lamberson.

He highlighted: “The emotional journey we experienced, while making sure every detail would be worthy of Sarah’s legacy, and the wide range of friendships that have blossomed through the entirety of this challenging venture.”

Three-year-old Tali Sinatra has the perfect vantage point to watch the unveiling of the Sarah Vande Berg statue. The little girl is sitting on her father Jason Sinatra’s shoulders. She also took the opportunity to take a mask break.

Added Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe: “It has not been a smooth road, but we’re here. It was longer than anticipated, but look where we are.”

The city manager described the facility as “the beginning of an exciting future for sports and wellness in Zephyrhills.” He also noted the facility “will serve as an economic driver for our region.”

Poe said Zephyrhills is already known for its pure water and skydiving, and now will be known for its tennis, too.

Poe went on: “We have a World Series champion in (former New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals pitching coach) David Eiland. We have a Super Bowl champion in (former Green Bay Packers defensive lineman) Ryan Pickett. No pressure, but hopefully we’ll have a Grand Slam champion who can say they got started here.”

Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center CEO Pascal Collard, too, served up his experience on the venture, since his management firm partnered with the City of Zephyrhills three-plus years ago.

Collard and his team were responsible for leveraging connections and forging partnerships with individuals and organizations to bring aboard some of the facility’s splashier features — such as the salt room, cryotherapy, and restaurant. The city — with the help of a state appropriation and other impact fees — funded the tennis portion of the facility.

Collard brings a wealth of tennis experience to the table, having founded 33 academies in his native Belgium, and being the former tennis director at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel and The Merion Cricket Club, in Haverford, Pennsylvania.

Preparing to return a serve by his coach, former tennis pro Thomas Grinberg, Bautista Durrells (foreground), 13, of Wesley Chapel, tries out one of the new tennis courts at the Sarah Vande Berg Wellness & Tennis Center. Grinberg is head tennis coach a SVB.

His coaching includes working with several widely known tennis pros, including Younes El Aynaoui and Martin Verkerk, both of whom coincidentally ranked as high as No. 14 in the ATP Tour rankings back in 2003.

Collard had broader and more meaningful aspirations though.

One of them was wanting to help create a top-of-the-line public tennis facility in the United States, welcome for all.

“I always wanted to create something different and something unique…and we did, and it’s right here,” said Collard.

He continued, “Our goal is to create a place of gathering. Our mission is to foster excellence to cultivate a safe and inclusive community, and put a smile on everybody’s face, regardless of age, gender, race or belief.”

For more information, call (813) 361-6660, email , or visit SVBtenniscenter.com.

Published October 21, 2020

Local chiropractor keeps Lightning fit for ice

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Dr. Timothy Bain dreamed of someday hoisting the NHL’s Stanley Cup, as he grew up in the Northeast and played and watched hockey.

Little did he expect, however, to actually get that rare opportunity.

“Who knew at 53 (years old) that this would happen? I thought it’d happen at like 23,” Bain quipped, in reference to hoisting the Cup, after the Lightning’s Stanley Cup win after six games against the Dallas Stars.

The Wesley Chapel resident has been the Lightning’s team chiropractor since 2011.

Tampa Bay Lightning team chiropractor Dr. Timothy Bain celebrates the organization winning its second Stanley Cup in franchise history. The Wesley Chapel resident spent 65 days with the team in the NHL playoff ‘bubble’ in Canada from late July through late September. (Courtesy of David Miles)

He also runs his own practice, B3 Medical, with locations in Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, Carrollwood and Riverview, and works with a sports performance facility at Saddlebrook Resort & Spa designed for elite-level athletes.

Bain assists Lightning players on injury prevention and body maintenance.

The scope of work includes neurological-based adjustments, post-concussion therapy, craniosacral therapy, plus other exercise therapies to help improve muscle tissue on extremities, such as feet and ankles.

“Ultimately, it’s about getting the athlete better,” Bain said, describing his role with the team.

The chiropractor’s work to enhance players’ bodies for the ice was deemed so critical that he was included in the team’s 52-member traveling party (including players and coaches) to the NHL’s quarantine “bubble” for the postseason tournament in Canada.

“They were really great at saying, ‘We need you there, we want you there, you’re a big part of our team,’ and it made me feel really good and proud of that,” Bain said.

The traveling party spent a combined 65 days at hotels in Toronto and then Edmonton through the team’s lengthy title run, from late July through late September, where all games were played without fans in attendance. The great measures were put in place to safely complete the NHL playoffs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Bain and other Lightning personnel, being away from family and home for so long was quite challenging. So, too, was being cooped up in a hotel room, ice rink or training room.

The Wesley Chapel physician made the best of it, however.

He approached it as a valuable bonding experience, particularly when the club shifted to Rogers Place in Edmonton for the conference finals, where rinks and hotels are intertwined.

He likened it to a kid’s summer camp, where everyone bunks together on the same floor and is around each other seemingly at all times.

“We lived on basically one floor, and we walked to the rink and walked back to the floor,” Bain said. “We had a really small, little treatment room, and all the guys kind of came in there and hung in there while they were getting treated, or waited to get treated, so we became a real close-knit group through this whole bubble process.

“I never want to have to leave my family again for that long, but it was a really great experience,” he said.

Boredom might’ve set in for some on non-game days, but Bain kept busy all throughout.

He worked with each of the 25-plus active players on various therapy regimens and body maintenance, all while keeping tabs on his medical businesses back in Tampa.

“Me, I really didn’t have a lot of downtime,” Bain said. “All of us therapists were extremely busy from sun up to 12 a.m., 1 a.m. We had guys working on different things and keeping them on track. You may have had an hour here or an hour there to grab a sandwich, but you really didn’t have a ton of downtime.”

Circumstances aside, seeing the Lightning win the Cup for the first time since 2004 ranks among his life’s most special moments.

“I was hoping to win a Stanley Cup since I can remember, and so this is a way to have that dream come true,” Bain said.

Like other staff members of the Lightning — Bain has since enjoyed some personal time with the Cup, like hugging it during the team’s plane ride back to the United States.

He’s partaken in other Cup traditions — kissing it, sharing drinks out of it, and otherwise marveling at it in the training room and lunchroom at team headquarters.  “We really had a lot of great time to spend with the Cup,” Bain said.

As a hockey lifer, Bain appreciates the significance of the moments.

The Tampa Bay Lightning won its second Stanley Cup in franchise history after downing the Dallas Stars in six games in the NHL finals last month. The NHL playoffs were played in Canada without fans.

Aside from playing hockey as a youth and working for the Lightning, Bain’s also been a longtime referee in the sport’s minor leagues.

The Cup is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America. Part of its lore is being the only trophy in major sports not reproduced each year.

When a team wins the Cup, they are allowed to hold on to the trophy for one year, and the name of every player, coach and front-office employee is inscribed onto it.

With that, it’s widely considered bad form for players and hockey fans to touch the Cup if their team didn’t win it in a particular year.

Naturally, Bain had never touched the Cup until now.

“There’s no trophy in the world like it, right?,” Bain said. “There’s only one of these things, and part of that joy is being able to spend some time with it.”

 

Talent, grit, leadership carried Lightning

The Lightning had its fair share of opportunities to claim an NHL championship since Bain began working for the club nearly a decade ago.

Before this banner season, Bain was sure the 2018-2019 team would win the Cup following its 62-win regular season — which tied the 1995-1996 Detroit Red Wings for most by a team in the regular season in NHL history.

That squad, however, was shockingly swept in four games by then No. 8 seeded Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round.

Bain had a front row seat to that squad’s April 2019 playoff meltdown.

“We had the superstars,” he said, “(but) we didn’t necessarily have the grit and the determination and the size to get through the way that the game is (loosely) officiated and played differently throughout the playoffs.”

Bain also viewed the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 teams capable of winning a title, until key injuries to goalies and others hit at the wrong time.

This year was different though. A couple circumstances gave Bain unwavering confidence the Lightning would finally pull off a Cup win.

He credited the organization’s respective acquisitions of forwards Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow and defensemen Zach Bogosian, Pat Maroon and Luke Schenn.

Those players, Bain said, “changed the culture enough” by bringing some toughness to the club to complement its offensive-minded skill players.

The team chiropractor singled out Maroon for his leadership in bringing the team together during a critical weeklong trip to Sweden back in November.

“Where there may have been cliques before, Pat Maroon changed that,” Bain said of the 32-year-old defenseman who also won the Cup in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues, becoming the third player in the NHL expansion era to register back-to-back titles with different teams.

Another watershed moment, Bain said, came when the team was exacting revenge over Columbus in a five overtime 3-2 victory in Game 1 in the Eastern Conference first round on Aug. 11 — the fourth-longest game in NHL history.

“When we won that game, that’s when I thought, ‘This is gonna happen,’” Bain said of the possibility on the Lightning winning the Cup.

Besides the outright win, it was the team’s composed locker room between each period that opened his eyes: “When the guys were coming out or going in, they were all laughing and having fun, and there was not a guy in there that was nervous, and they kept it that way through five overtimes.”

He added: “Everybody was on the same page, they all bought into a system and put aside their own personal stuff to win a goal, and it was an amazing thing to be a part of.”

Now that he’s hoisted the Cup, Bain already has a new goal — defending the Cup in 2021, hopefully at Amalie Arena, in front of 20,000 or so screaming Lightning fans.

“That would be nice, wouldn’t it? That was the hardest part, is we weren’t able to do that with all the fans,” Bain said.

Published October 14, 2020

Halloween Howl canceled; smaller event planned

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While it likely won’t generate quite the level of fanfare as Halloween Howl, Main Street Zephyrhills Inc., is working to salvage some type of celebration for the holiday.

The full-on Halloween Howl has fallen victim to a concern for safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Typically, Halloween Howl features about 100 vendors, trick-or-treating along all the downtown shops, haunted house, hay ride, costume parade, carnival and more.

The Historic Jeffries House, 38537 Fifth Ave., will be decorated for family picture taking opportunities, in lieu of the canceled Halloween Howl event. Candy bags also will be given out around the property on Halloween night. (File)

The event generally attracts more than 6,000 people, including 3,000 kids who went through the haunted house last year.

“It’s a busy day,” said Gail Hamilton, director of the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency.

When people found out that Halloween Howl had been canceled, they expressed their displeasure, Hamilton said during a recent meeting of the Zephyrhills CRA Board, which is made up of members of the Zephyrhills City Council.

“When we said we weren’t doing anything at all, the community was not happy, so we’re trying to come up with something that is safe for the kiddos and the parents — something to be happy that you live in a small town,” Hamilton said.

So, the organization has proposed an alternative.

It includes decorating the front of the Historic Jeffries House with a “tasteful” Halloween theme to allow families to use it as a backdrop for photos, either standing in front of the house or sitting on the front porch. Additionally, on Halloween night, Main Street volunteers will hand out bags of candy to families that drive along Fifth Avenue; a pull-in parking space for candy bag distribution also will be made available.

Hamilton labeled it a “smaller version of Halloween, just something for the kids.”

The CRA Board offered support for the proposal. “I think it’s a great idea. I’m all for it,” said CRA board member Charles Proctor, also president of the Zephyrhills City Council.

Also, on the topic of festivals, Main Street Zephyrhills’ next major event is its annual Christmas Parade, tentatively scheduled for Dec. 5.

The event remains a go for now, although celebrations in other municipalities have been canceled.

Of note, last year’s Christmas parade drew about 15,000 people to downtown Zephyrhills, Hamilton said.

Main Street Zephyrhills is a 501c3 nonprofit that generally facilitates new business and organizes large events within the historic downtown district. The organization works in coordination with the Zephyrhills CRA.

For more information, visit MainStreetZephyrhills.org, or call (813) 782-1913.

Published October 14, 2020

Saint Leo Athletics adds to Hall of Fame

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While meaningful competition has halted on Saint Leo University athletics fields this fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s still some positivity coming out of the athletics department — in its announcing of the 2020 Hall of Fame inductee class.

The class features seven individual honorees and one team.

The Saint Leo University athletics department recently announced its 2020 Hall of Fame inductee class, which features seven individual honorees and one team. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University Athletics Department)

The inductees for the Class of 2020 are:

  • Kit Gardner, baseball, football, basketball, track and field
  • Daphne Washington, women’s basketball
  • Pat Bowen, baseball
  • Hannah Beard, women’s soccer
  • Marcus Ruh, men’s basketball
  • Matt Obermeyer, men’s lacrosse
  • Jaclyn Mailoto, volleyball
  • The 2005 men’s soccer team

“This is a really great class of Hall of Famers,” Saint Leo athletics director Fran Reidy said, in a release. “We have inductees who are at the top in the records books, others who helped propel their teams to NCAA postseason play, and the 2005 men’s soccer team that earned the first SSC title in school history, and in doing so, set the tone, which has led to 23 additional SSC Champions.

“This class not only excelled during competition, but in the classroom too, as evidenced by the diversity of the recognition they received during their careers for the Green and Gold,” he said.
Reidy continued: “We are disappointed we can’t get them officially into the Hall of Fame until next Fall, but the Saint Leo community looks forward to providing the Class of 2020 with an event matching their exceptional achievements.”

The addition of the 2020 Class brings the number of inductees up to 145 and three teams.

The Hall of Fame was organized by the Saint Leo Alumni Association and Athletic Department in 1986-1987, to honor former students, coaches and administrators who excelled in Saint Leo athletics in the prep school, junior college or senior college.

Its purpose is “to perpetuate the memory of those persons who have brought distinction, honor and excellence to Saint Leo athletics, and familiarize the entire campus community and alumni with the university’s rich athletic history.”

Here’s a closer look at this year’s inductees:

  • Kit Gardner

    Kit Gardner, Class of 1960

Kit Gardner from 1957 through 1960 excelled as a four-sport athlete at what was then Saint Leo Prep, from competing in football, basketball, baseball, and track and field.

He served as both the kicker and quarterback for the football team while starting as a guard on the hardwood. He patrolled shortstop for the baseball team while competing in the hurdles on the track. He was a two-time “The Yankee Clipper” award winner at Saint Leo, the highest athletic award given out during the Saint Leo Prep era.

Gardner went on to serve in the United States Air Force and served as a golf professional at the Columbia Country Club in Columbia, South Carolina.

  • Pat Bowen

    Pat Bowen, Class of 1993

Pat Bowen is a prime example of the maxim, “It’s not how you start, but how you finish.”

He joined Saint Leo program as a walk-on in 1995, but etched his name into the record books by the time he graduated in 1999, also penning that into a short-lived pro ball career.

Bowen ranks second in career strikeouts with 266, behind only Dave Garcia (303, 1993-1996). The 6-foot-3 pitcher also posted a 20-8 career mark including five saves; those 20 wins ranked him third all-time at the end of the 1999 season.

Meantime, Bowen ranked seventh among all NCAA Division II pitchers in strikeouts per nine innings (11.9) his junior season.

Also, he was part of a pair of NCAA postseason appearances (1996, 1999), an All-South Region honoree in 1999, and a two-time All-SSC selection.

Following a storied Saint Leo career, Bowen was drafted in the 34th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Anaheim Angels, where he spent a few years playing in rookie-level ball and the independent circuit.

Bowen later began coaching youth sports beginning as an assistant varsity baseball coach and head junior varsity coach at Greensboro Day School (Greensboro, North Carolina).

He went on to become the head softball coach at Bishop McGuinness Catholic School (Kernersville, North Carolina) before landing in his current role as the school’s head baseball coach, as well as the offensive coordinator for the football program.

  • Daphne Washington

    Daphne Washington, Class of 1993

Daphne Washington had a celebrated four-year career on the court between 1989 through 1993, and remains one of the women’s basketball program’s most productive scorers and rebounders.

She ranks second in program history in career scoring (1,495 points) and fifth in rebounding (704 rebounds). Meanwhile, her career field goal percentage (54%) and single-season field goal percentage (58.8% in 1991-1992) are tops in program history, while total free throws made (297) ranks second in the books.

As for other accolades, Washington was Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Freshman of the Year in 1989-1990, and went on to be a two-time Honorable Mention All-SSC selection and a Second Team All-SSC performer as a junior.

  • Hannah Beard

    Hannah Beard, Class of 2009

Hannah Beard is unquestionably one of the most decorated women’s soccer players in Saint Leo history.

The four-time All-Sunshine State Conference (SSC) selection has her name plastered throughout the program’s record book — tops in career assists (31) and games played (76), second all-time in points (123) and fourth all-time in goals (46).

Beard, too, holds other notable marks — including the single-season record for assists with 12 in 2008 and tied for most goals scored in a single game, with four against Clearwater Christian College in 2008. (Casie Poyssick also achieved the feat twice, during the 2003 season.)

The list of awards for the striker runs deep.

Beard was a two-time NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America) Scholar All-American and three-time NSCAA All-Region honoree, and was named an NSCAA All-American as a junior. She also was honored as the SSC Offensive Player of the Year as a junior and was named to a pair of SSC All-Tournament teams.

Also notable: As a junior, Beard helped lead Saint Leo to its first conference tournament championship in program history.

Following her time with the Lions, the Liverpool, England native played professionally in both the United States and Australia.

  • Saint Leo University men’s basketball.

    Marcus Ruh, Class of 2013

Marcus Ruh only spent two years donning a Green and Gold uniform, but his impact was felt the first time he laced up his sneakers and hit the hardwood.

A junior transfer from Wisconson-Eau Claire, the 6-foot-4 guard went on to score 859 points from 2011 through 2013 — a combined 14.8 points per game —pacing the Lions to two NCAA berths and the school’s first-ever Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Championship.

His senior year, Ruh was named 2012-2013 SSC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 16.5 points and 5.3 rebounds, while leading the squad to a then school-record 22 victories. He shot 45.8% from the field, 45.9% from three-point range, and 79.6% at the free throw line that season.

Ruh not only excelled on the court, but also in the classroom — posting a 4.0 grade-point average in business administration and graduating summa cum laude.

For that, he was named NCAA Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year and CoSIDA Capital One Men’s Basketball Academic All-American of the Year, the highest academic honor bestowed in the sport.

Ruh went on to pursue a professional hoops career in Australia, spending one season with the Ringwood Hawks. He also spent time as a coach with the Green Bay Storm on the AAU circuit before moving into his current role as a sales representative for Cintas.

 

Jaclyn Mailoto

• Jaclyn Mailoto, Class of 2014

Playing under former Saint Leo head volleyball coach Sam Cibrone from 2010 to 2013, Mailoto was tasked with running the team’s offense as a setter from the time she was a fresh-faced freshman to a wily senior.

Her top-level play was underscored throughout the years, as she was named to the Sunshine State Conference All-Freshman Team in 2010, then recognized as a senior with First Team All-Conference and AVCA All-South Region First Team honors.

Mailoto led the conference in both assists (1,366) and assists per set (11.78) her senior year, the single-season assists per set mark is a program record, too.

Meantime, her 3,222 career assists currently rank second in the Saint Leo career record book, while her career average of 8.57 assists per set comes in at fourth.

Mailoto has since gone onto coach club volleyball for 850 Elite Volleyball Academy, in Valparaiso.

  • Matt Obermeyer

    Matt Obermeyer, Class of 2014

A dynamic playmaker during his four seasons on the Saint Leo men’s lacrosse team, Obermeyer is still the program’s all-time leading goal scorer (135) and fourth in career points (158).

The 5-foot-10 attacker made an instant impact as a freshman in 2010, charting 33 goals and five assists, which earned him Deep South Freshman of the Year.

Accolades continued the ensuing three years, earning First Team All-Conference honors from 2012 through 2014; Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-District in 2012 and 2013; USILA Scholar All-American honors in 2014; and Deep South Player of the Year in 2013.

Since graduating with a marketing degree, Obermeyer is currently director of operations at SpotX, a global video advertising platform.

  • 2005 Saint Leo men’s soccer team

Led by head coach Joel Harrison, the 2005 Saint Leo men’s soccer team became the first program in school history to capture a Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Championship after a notable 7-1 run in conference play and a 15-1 regular season mark.

Unforeseen circumstances prevented what could’ve been an even more memorable season, however.

Because of Hurricane Wilma, the team was unable to compete for an SSC Tournament Championship, but earned the right to host the 2005 NCAA South Regional. Saint Leo had a 14-day layoff before competing in the regional final against Lynn, falling 3-1.

The team was led by All-American and Saint Leo Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2017 member Asmir Pervan along with four others who earned All-SSC honors, including Brent Stanze, Matias Pereze, Saint Leo Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2018 member Eusebio Herrera-Montoya, and Giancarlo Conte. Pervan was named SSC Player and Offensive Player of the Year, while Montoya brought home Freshman of the Year honors. Harrison was named the SSC Coach of the Year for his efforts, as well.

Published October 14, 2020