The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kevin Weiss

Zephyrhills economic summit highlights industrial hub

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It may now be famous for its crystal clear water and skydiving but, someday, the City of Zephyrhills also wants to be known for its industrial offerings and high-wage jobs.

The third annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit, held earlier this month, focused on the need to maximize both the use of the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport and the development potential of adjacent industrial property.

The event, at Zephyrhills City Hall, was presented by the Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition (ZEDC) in partnership with the City of Zephyrhills and Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

The third annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit focused on the importance of developing an industrial corridor and cultivating high-wage jobs. Shown here speaking is Zephyrhills planning director Todd Vande Berg. (Kevin Weiss)

City officials are developing a 20-year master plan known as the Zephyrhills Industrial Corridor Plan.

The proposed industrial development hub encompasses approximately 9.76 square miles (6,248 acres) of land in the southeast portion of the city, around the Chancey Road corridor and municipal airport.

Roughly a third of the property is within city limits and the remainder in unincorporated Pasco County — representing the largest aggregation of industrial lands in the county.

Within that area is 442 divisible acres of what’s known as the Zephyrhills Airport Industrial Park, a build-ready site equipped with water, sewer and electric utilities, and accessible to natural gas.

While the corridor is still in preliminary stages, it ultimately will set the city up for long-term growth and economic sustainability, said Zephyrhills planning director Todd Vande Berg.

Possible targeted industries could include aerospace, aviation and defense; advanced manufacturing; light manufacturing; electronics and technology; logistics and distribution; life sciences and medical technology; telecom/data hosting centers; research and development; showroom; refrigeration/cold storage and other uses.

Vande Berg explained a built-out industrial corridor will yield more revenues for the city and create a better jobs-to-housing balance. He also noted industrial manufacturing uses less services — police, fire, water, sewer— compared to, say, residential or commercial land use.

All that, he said, will ultimately “raise the bar in quality of life” for Zephyrhills residents, allowing funds to be steered toward downtown redevelopment, recreational amenities and other community uses.

“We want to be economically diverse. We don’t just want to have family residential, we want to have a mix of uses,” Vande Berg said.

“If we bring in industrial, we’re going to be more fiscally solvent, and that ties in with being resilient. If we have the industrial there, we feel like we’re in a better position with the city.”

The city planner expressed confidence the corridor’s utility offerings and centralized proximity to Orlando, Lakeland and Tampa makes it an attractive spot for companies looking to relocate or set up shop.

“We’ve got a great location we feel like,” he said. “We have such an asset out there in the southeast quadrant of the city.”

The entire planning area is generally bound by Melrose Avenue to the north, the CSX Transportation railroad and U.S. 301 to the west, Pattie Road to the south, and Barry Road and the Upper Hillsborough Wildlife Management Area to the east.

Two CSX mainline railroads traverse the area and it is accessible to Port Tampa Bay and the CSX Central Florida Intermodal Logistics Center.

The local airport also is undergoing a $5.9 million runway extension and roadway improvements to accommodate larger commercial aircraft, and encourage aviation and industrial development.

Moving forward, Vande Berg said ongoing collaboration is vital between the city, county and state officials to have a coordinated plan on zoning and land use, and “to continue to improve transportation accessibility to this industrial corridor.”

He mentioned a more near-term priority is working with the Florida Department of Transportation to extend State Road 56 east of U.S. 301 to connect to Chancey Road. “Transportation’s huge, like anywhere,” he said.

Aside from transportation and infrastructure boosts to draw companies in, other speakers said the city needs more workforce development programs to develop skilled labor employees and then keep them in the area.

It’s already something holding back existing industrial businesses in the city, said Dr. Randy Stovall, president of the Zephyrhills chamber.

“They can’t find those people they want to hire,” Stovall said. “They want to hire them, but there’s not enough of them, so that is a challenge. We’ve had that (issue) for some time.”

Tom Ryan, economic development manager for Pasco Economic Development Council Inc.,  said having training programs and a baseline of skilled labor in place is “a huge component” for luring large companies to a particular area.

“We’ve got to have (workforce) inventory,” Ryan said. “We’ve got to have a plan to tell those companies, ‘Look, we want your jobs here, and we have a plan to help you bring those jobs here.’”

Pasco County Commission Chairman Ron Oakley pointed out that Zephyrhills and the East Pasco area are working to position the area to do just that.

Pasco County Schools plans to build a technical high school by 2022 near the intersection of Curley Road and Kiefer Road in Wesley Chapel that will hold nearly 900 students.

Meanwhile, Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative (WREC) plans to construct a 4,000-square-foot facility for AmSkills to teach manufacturing jobs.

Also, local business owner Kevin Bahr of Bahr’s Propane Gas & A/C is starting a teaching school to train propane service and HVAC technicians.

“The county is working very hard for jobs,” Oakley said. “Our county’s growing. We need jobs, and we need to teach them (the necessary skills).”

Elsewhere during the summit, State Rep. Randy Maggard commended Zephyrhills “for thinking ahead of schedule” in regards to its future and planned industrial hub.

Maggard, a Republican representing District 38, specifically applauded city leaders for this year putting a $2 million septic to sewer project at the top of their state appropriations request list.

The project includes decommissioning existing septic tanks to a residential subdivision and homes along Sixth Avenue and Armstrong Street, with potential for sewer expansion to additional properties in the future.

The project aims to prevent springs from dying because of nitrates from septic tanks.

“At the end of the day, if we don’t have water, none of this matters,” Maggard said. “We can talk about infrastructure, we can talk about a lot of things, but if we can’t provide water, it doesn’t matter at all.”

The elected official also gave this piece of advice for the city going forward: “You need to tell us where you want to go, and we need to help you get there in the long-term planning, funding, whatever it takes for us to be able to do that.”

Other summit speakers included Mohsen Mohammadi, chief operations officer for American Infrastructure Development; David Gwynn, District 7 secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT); and Danielle Ruiz, economic development manager for Duke Energy.

Published October 23, 2019

Youth league blends football, life lessons

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In this youth football program, life lessons are just as important as fundamentals of tackling, blocking or catching.

Winning is nice and all, but the Keystone Bills youth football and cheerleading organization is more about developing tomorrow’s leaders, officials say.

Coach Jermaine Clemons shares pointers on blocking techniques with several of his offensive players during a recent practice at Keystone Park in Odessa. In addition to coaching, Clemons also serves as the current athletic director for the Keystone Bills Youth Organization. (Christine Holtzman)

“We’re really trying to build young men and young women,” said Bills president/athletic director Jermaine Clemons, who’s in his fourth year with the group.

“It’s bigger than just football,” said Bills U14 varsity coach Juan Long, who’s been with the organization for 13 years.

That theme is emphasized in the organization’s three pillars — respect, community development and education.

The Bills offer flag football, tackle football, and cheerleading for ages 5 through 14. The organization was established in 1976, serving northwest Hillsborough County and Odessa.

It currently has about 160 players across five youth divisions, plus dozens of cheerleaders.

The organization has enjoyed its share of success in recent years, especially at the higher levels.

Under Long’s watch, the Bills won Tampa Bay Youth Football League (TBYFL) varsity titles in 2013 and 2017.

The team of 13- and 14-year-olds is enjoying another solid season, with a 6-2 mark.

While holding onto a roster, Coach Dave Saunders observes his offense players run individual drills, as they perfect their deep routes. Saunders was an all-conference receiver at West Virginia University in the late 1990s who went on to play nine years of arena ball. He is currently the varsity wider receiver coach for Gaither High School in Tampa.

“Juan really coaches it,” Clemons said. “He coaches his players up, and he’s very detail-oriented. He runs a defense almost like a college team. They run an offense almost like a college team. It’s not, ‘Line up and run right, run left.’ There are small details.”

But Long, also an assistant at Steinbrenner High, isn’t out there simply to win ballgames.

“I really don’t care about a trophy,” he said. “I care about if (kids) want to come back because they had a great experience, a great time with us.

“Every year I tell the parents, ‘My job is to make them better brothers, better sons, better husbands for the future.’ That’s the main goal, to establish more of the characteristics of these kids, as opposed to just being a football player. I know if we’ve done the other things correctly, we’ve done our job.”

Parent volunteer Jennifer Green witnesses it first-hand with her three sons, who each play for the Bills.

Green explained Bills coaches stay on players about their schoolwork and even offer tutoring sessions before regular Tuesday and Thursday night practices at Keystone Park in Odessa. Coaches also require players to face their teammates if they miss a practice or game due to a behavior or off-the-field issue.

“They’re 100% not just here to make your child a better football player,” she said, “They’re here to build men.”

It’s something 14-year-old Tre Wilson has grown to appreciate.

On the field, Wilson about has it covered, as a versatile athlete who can play running back, receiver, quarterback and returner. The Gaither High freshman also has the bloodlines, as father Eugene Wilson II is a two-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots who also played for the Houston Texans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers during an eight-year NFL career between 2003-2010.

But, it’s the mentorship from coaches that sticks out most to the younger Wilson.

Cheerleaders with the Midget Cheer Squad practice an extension pyramid, under the direction of Midget Head Coach Melissa Lindstrom. The squad is made up of girls, ages 11 and 12.

“They’ve shown me experiences about life, as I’m growing up,” he said. “Over the years, they’ve taught me not only about football, but being the best on and off (the field).”

Aside from life lessons of course, Bills coaches impart their fair share of football advice.

They’ve got the pedigree to do so.

Clemons was a running back at the University of South Florida in the late 1990s under head coach Jim Leavitt.

Long was a linebacker at Mississippi State University in the early 1990s, and had a brief stint in the NFL and played several years in the Arena Football League.

Another coach, Dave Saunders, was an all-conference receiver at West Virginia University in the late 1990s who has the third-most receiving yards in school history. He went on to play nine years of arena ball, including four season with the Tampa Bay Storm (2002-2005).

The experience resonates with players and parents alike, said Green, whose boys spent time in other youth football leagues in the Tampa Bay area.

“We’ve been drawn here by the level of coaching that is available,” she said. “The level of coaching here is a lot more intense. To have that level of experience out there, not every person can bring that out.”

The diverse and decorated football backgrounds help get kids to heed coaches’ principles, Long explained.

“You don’t need to be a former player in order to get credibility,” Long said, “but, at the same point in time, especially with today’s generation, you do at least get their attention.”

“We have that experience, so we can relate to the kids from that standpoint. They know, ‘Hey, these guys have been there and done it, they’ve seen things at the highest level, then maybe we should listen to them, because they’re trying to steer us in the right direction.’”

Published October 23, 2019

Sunlake XC sweeps conference championships

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(Courtesy of Sunlake High School Athletics)

The Sunlake High varsity cross-country program swept the Oct. 12 Sunshine Athletic Conference East Championship meet, claiming top team finishes and individual champions in both the boys and girls 5K races.

The Sunlake boys tallied 20 points and were paced by top individual finisher Colby Robbins, a sophomore (16:09.91), while the girls tallied a perfect 15 points (school’s top five runners place one through five) behind senior Liina Winborn (18:55.10).

Sunlake, which hosted the meet, defeated six other East Pasco County high schools, which included Land O’ Lakes, Wiregrass Ranch, Cypress Creek, Zephyrhills and Pasco.

Both Seahawks teams are presently ranked among the state’s top three in Class 3A.

Local athlete shines in Florida Special Olympics

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(Courtesy of Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School)

Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School sophomore Arielle Jonas earned silver medals in the

50-meter freestyle and 50-meter butterfly at the Florida State Special Olympics Swim Meet, held Oct. 5 and Oct. 6 at North County Reginal Park in Sebastian.

Jonas has participated in Special Olympics swimming and rhythmic gymnastics for the last four years. She also is a cheerleader and participates in musical theatre at Bishop McLaughlin.

The Special Olympics event was hosted by Indian River County Recreation Department and Treasure Coast Sports Commission.

Local commitment

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(Courtesy of Mark Perry)

Carrollwood Day School senior shooting guard Maliyah Perry verbally committed to play collegiate basketball at NCAA Division II Rollins College, in Winter Park. The 5-foot-5 Perry, a Wesley Chapel resident, averaged 9.1 points and 3.2 assists per game for a Patriots team that went 27-2 and finished Class 4A state runner-up. Perry, right, stands alongside Rollins College women’s basketball coach Glenn Wilkes Jr.

At the intersection of law enforcement, mental health

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An ‘All hands on deck approach’ is needed to address the nation’s mental health crisis.

That means greater levels of state and federal funding, and enhanced collaboration between law enforcement and behavioral practitioners.

At least that was the message delivered by a group of experts during a recent criminal justice panel discussion titled “The Intersection of Law Enforcement and Mental Health.”

Speakers focused on the broad array of challenges facing today’s criminal justice professionals and the current trends, as well as future initiatives that shape law enforcement’s engagement when dealing with mental health issues.

Panelists underscored the significance of the problem on a national scale.

More than 100 students, faculty, law enforcement officials and community members gathered for the Oct. 7 discussion, hosted by Saint Leo University.

There’s no question, the challenges are far-reaching.

Dr. Jeffrey D. Senese introduces an Oct. 7 criminal justice panel discussion at Saint Leo University. Panelists, from left: Dr. Christopher Cronin, professor of psychology; Dr. Moneque Walker-Pickett, associate department chair of criminal justice and professor of criminal justice; Michelle Allen, instructor of criminal justice; Kim Senger, social work professional; and, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco. (Courtesy of Mary McCoy, Saint Leo University)

Approximately 43.8 million adults in the United States experience mental illness each year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

The organization also reports 46% of Americans will suffer a mental illness in their lifetime.

Panelist Dr. Christopher Cronin, a Saint Leo professor of psychology, cited an American Psychological Association report that shows there are now 42,000 suicides annually in the U.S. That marks the highest rate in 28 years, and is up 24% percent since 1999.

“This is clearly an epidemic,” Cronin said.

For law enforcement, it has made a tough job even tougher, as officers work the frontlines of the mental health crisis.

One study shows that a quarter of the people shot by police are in a mental health crisis at the time when the use of force occurred, Cronin said.

However, Cronin added, law enforcement is not necessarily to blame.

“They have been forced to do a job — become mental health professionals — for which they have not been trained,” the professor said. “Officers are trained to take control of a situation and to give lawful commands, however, a person in a mental health crisis cannot conform their behavior and a situation escalates.”

Some noted incidents have included “suicide by cop.”

This phrase refers to a situation in which an individual deliberately behaves in a threatening manner, with intent to provoke a lethal response from a public safety or law enforcement officer.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, another panelist, understands the challenges facing his deputies.

Law enforcement seeks to mitigate threat situations with bullhorns and less lethal devices, but encounters quickly can escalate, when a person who is suicidal attacks or threatens to attack police or citizens, Nocco said.

“Law enforcement officers are being put in a tough position,” the sheriff said. “We always say, ‘The safety of the citizens around that person and the deputy has to be paramount,’ because if they’re charging at you…the reality is — we have families, we want to go home, too.”

Michelle Allen, a Saint Leo criminal justice undergraduate instructor, reiterated points raised by her fellow panelists, Cronin and Nocco.

“How are you as an officer supposed to recognize that this person is suffering from mental illness? How can you look at somebody in the five seconds and say, ‘Oh, he’s mentally ill…’ He’s fighting you. What do you do, because you want to go home, too,” Allen said.

Before venturing into higher education, Allen spent two decades in Georgia, working for the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office and Smyrna Police Department, respectively.

Many arrests occur when people are in a mental health crisis or breakdown, and have either gone off their medications or have not yet been diagnosed, Allen said.

Pasco Sheriff’s Office estimates as many as 20% of its calls for service are mental health-related.

In an initiative to “get ahead of the curve,” the agency has established a specialized Mental Health and Threat Assessment Team (MHTAT). That team is trained to keep tabs on the county’s residents who have been referred on repeated occasions for involuntary evaluations, under the state’s Baker Act.

However, Allen noted, if a crime has been committed, the mentally ill still must be treated like other suspects, in the interest of officer and public safety.

“These people are not necessarily violent, not necessarily criminal,” she said, but she added,  “you want to definitely get that person in handcuffs…and then determine what’s going on with them.”

More frequent encounters between police and the mentally ill can be traced to the deinstitutionalization or closing of mental health hospitals in the last 60 years or so, according to Dr. Moneque Walker-Pickett, another panelist, who is the associate department chair of criminal justice and a criminal justice professor at Saint Leo.

The number of available psychiatric beds has plummeted, according to data cited by Walker-Pickett.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that today there is roughly one psychiatric bed for nearly 3,000 Americans, while in 1955, there was one bed for every 300 Americans, Walker-Pickett said.

Facility closures have resulted in an increase of people with mental illness winding up in America’s jail and prison systems, she added.

She explained: “It resulted in putting a lot of these people on the streets, it resulted in having people at home who weren’t getting the treatment that they needed, and as a result, sometimes there were interactions with law enforcement. You see that happening more and more — these interactions with law enforcement.”

Walker-Pickett also pointed out alternative treatment wasn’t appropriately provided in lieu of the closing of mental health facilities, particularly in low-income communities “who don’t have access to affordable or appropriate health care.”

Published October 16, 2019

Note: See more on this panel discussion in first story, below.

Panelists suggest solutions

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Panelists at a discussion at Saint Leo University had some thoughts for ways to divert some offenders from the criminal justice system to mental health courts, instead.

That way they could get treatment for their issues, rather than jail or prison time.

Dr. Moneque Walker-Pickett, a panelist during an Oct. 7 session called “The Intersection of Law Enforcement and Mental Health,” advocates increased federal spending to expand available mental health treatment options.

Other panelists agreed more resources are need to provide mental health services.

Members of the law enforcement, social work, mental health, and education communities joined Saint Leo University students, faculty and staff for a panel discussion on the intersection of law enforcement and mental health. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

Florida’s mental health spending ranks 49th of 50 states, at approximately $40 per capita annually, said Dr. Christopher Cronin, a psychology professor at Saint Leo University.

“It’s hard to get a good dinner at a restaurant for $40,” Cronin said.

“So when you vote—and you should — find out what your candidate thinks about the mental health crisis and their record on funding for mental health.”

Cronin specifically called for an expansion in crisis intervention and de-escalation training, to better prepare law enforcement agencies to tackle mental health crises.

Some of these mental health training programs are offered by behavioral health volunteers pro bono, Cronin said.

“It’s a good start, but we need more funding,” he said.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, also a panelist, expressed confidence that the county could  receive more funding from an ongoing multibillion dollar civil lawsuit against five opioid manufacturers.

He suggested those dollars be used to help set up “mental health ERs,” or quasi walk-in clinics, to serve people facing a mental health crisis.

Nocco put it this way: “If you broke your arm or twisted your leg, you know where to go. If you have a mental health crisis, what do you do? You call 911, but that’s not providing help.”

The sheriff also called for increasing both awareness and resources regarding mental health issues in law enforcement circles. He thinks it should be similar to the way the military has brought about a more open dialogue regarding post-traumatic stress.

“Nobody ever talks about that in law enforcement,” Nocco said. “The law enforcement officers will not readily say, ‘Hey, I need help, I need to talk to somebody…’”

Panelist Kim Senger, a masters level social worker who’s worked as a therapist in both Canada and Florida, said law enforcement and social workers need to become more effective partners to help at-risk youth and troubled students in school systems.

He emphasized the need for more youth intervention and counseling, to deal “with issues before they get out of hand.”

“We have to look at is as a holistic approach,” he said. “If you can’t find them, if you can’t connect to them, there’s going to be trouble, they will be troubled.”

The experts also had ideas for how average people can play a role to help reduce the nation’s mental health crisis.

“You do not need to be a mental health professional to have a significant impact on someone,” Cronin said.

“Find someone who looks like they need a friend. The person having lunch alone, the classmate who never seemed to quite fit in, the colleague who doesn’t seem to blend.

“What I would tell you to do is befriend them, go out of your comfort zone, join them for lunch or ask them to join you. No one should eat alone if they don’t want to,” Cronin said.

Published October 16, 2019

Note: See more on this topic in the featured story, above.

Local fisherman enjoys trip of a lifetime

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An August saltwater fishing adventure to the Mississippi River Delta in Louisiana marked “a once in a lifetime trip” for Wesley Chapel’s Keven Barber.

Even better yet, it was all caught on national television.

Barber was featured as part of the Union Sportsman’s Alliance “Brotherhood Outdoors” television series on the Sportsman Channel.

Keven Barber hauled in a number of 40-inch long to 50-inch long redfish native to Louisiana. ‘Every fish I caught was a personal best,’ he said. (Courtesy of Union Sportsman’s Alliance)

The episode premiered on Oct. 8 and re-aired several times during that week. It can now be viewed anytime on MyOutdoorTV.com.

“Brotherhood Outdoors” is described as “a unique TV series that tells the stories of hardworking union sportsmen and women, and takes on them on the hunting or fishing trip of a lifetime.”

The Union Sportsman’s Alliance each year selects a handful of union members for the show. Selections are based in part on passion for the outdoors, union membership and involvement, volunteer efforts and more.

Barber, an ironworker affiliated with Tampa Bay-based Ironworkers Local 397, fit the profile of what showrunners were looking for.

The avid outdoorsman said he’s been fishing, well, “since birth.”

Growing up in East Pasco, Barber would fish with his father and grandfather on lakes throughout Land O’ Lakes and Zephyrhills. He hasn’t stopped angling since.

“I’ve always loved fishing,” Barber said, in a recent interview with The Laker/Lutz News. “When you go fishing, you get time to spend with your family. It’s innocent, quiet. You never know what you’re going to catch. You never know what you’re going to see.”

Barber conveys the same level of enthusiasm about fishing as he does in giving back to the community.

The father of four boys is a scout leader, and longtime area youth and high school football coach.

This year he launched the Wesley Chapel Coyotes Youth Football and Cheerleading League, with the Wesley Chapel Athletic Association.

He also was one of 65 labor volunteers who in May helped build a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk and fishing pier at the Suncoast Youth Conservation Center in Apollo Beach.

The $800,000 project took nine days and 2,300 volunteer hours, and was the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance’s largest conservation project to date.

Barber said he hopes the new fishing pier indoctrinates a new generation of fisherman. The volunteer program also will include the donation of 500 fishing poles to youth at a Nov. 2 pier dedication ceremony.

Barber underscored the importance of fishing and getting outdoors for youth: “It definitely keeps them out of trouble, plus it gives them a hobby to do the rest of their life.”

He added: “The kids just need to be given a chance and opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, and (for) some of them, this will be the first time they’ve ever been out fishing — and hopefully they enjoy it and continue to do it throughout their life.”

As for Barber’s televised venture to Louisiana, it really couldn’t have gone better.

He joined Union Sportsman’s Alliance Conservation and Communications Director Forrest Parker for two days of redfishing and a night of bowfishing in the untamed marshes and swamplands of Venice, Louisiana. He celebrated his 40th birthday out on the waters, too. “I was like, ‘Man, this is awesome,’” Barber recalled.

Barber caught a number of Louisiana redfish that measured 40 inches to 50 inches long — considerably bulkier than the 15-inch to 20-inch redfish he often snags at the Skyway and Fort DeSoto fishing piers in St. Petersburg.

Louisiana is the natural habitat of redfish, he noted, hence the larger hauls.

“Every fish I caught was a personal best. It was unbelievable,” Barber said. “We used the popping rigs, and we were catching monsters in 8-foot of water that was murky. The water wasn’t even clear at the time.”

Besides landing giant redfish, Barber said fishing in Louisiana is “totally different” compared to the Florida’s Gulf Coast, noting there’s more inlets, canals, marsh and swamps.

“It was pretty neat. There’s a lot of good fishing out there,” he said.

Navigating Louisiana water wasn’t the only new first-time experience for Barber. Being in front of omnipresent television cameras for multiple days was another.

“I was kind of nervous at first with the camera, but after a while, it just becomes natural,” Barber said. “They said, ‘Do whatever, act normal, and we’ll edit out whatever we need to.’ I said, ‘I hope so, because there might be some bleeps in there!’”

“Hopefully, I didn’t embarrass myself too much,” he joked.

Published October 16, 2019

Youth golfer serves as ambassador

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(Courtesy of Shriners Healthcare for Children)

Lutz teenager Zoe Spanos high-fives PGA Tour professional Bryson DeChambeau during the 2019 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 15-year-old Spanos, who has cerebral palsy, was one of 22 patient ambassadors throughout the country to represent the health care system at the Oct. 2 through Oct. 6 golf tournament, where she served as a Courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

standard bearer and pro-am participant. The avid youth golfer was only 10 days old when she developed encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain. The brain swelling resulted in two strokes and cerebral palsy. Spanos today has residual left-sided weakness, mostly in her foot, and some loss of muscle control.

Stone crab season opens

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Stone crab claws must be at least 2.75 inches in length to be harvested. (Courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

Florida’s recreational and commercial stone crab claw harvest season is now open through May 2020 in state and federal waters, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced.

To be harvested, stone crab claws must be at least 2.75 inches in length when measured from the elbow to the tip of the lower immovable portion of the claw.

Harvesters are encouraged to take only one claw, even if both claws are of legal size, so the released crab will be better able to defend itself from predators. There is a recreational daily bag limit of 1 gallon of claws per person or 2 gallons per vessel, whichever is less.

Recreational harvesters who are age 16 and older and fish with traps are required to complete an online, no-cost recreational stone crab trap registration and place their registration number on their traps before using them. To register, visit GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.

For more information in recreational stone crab harvesting, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater Fishing.”