The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mike Camunas

Dade City to add splash pad in budding park

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A new amenity is on its way to Dade City.

The Dade City Commission on March 28 approved the designs for a splash pad that will be featured at the start of the Hardy Trail, next to the town’s visitor center.

City Manager Leslie Porter told The Laker/Lutz News construction will begin in mid-April for the fun and family friendly splash pad, which is expected to be completed by next January.

The Dade City Commission voted on March 28 to approve the final design for the splash pad (rendering shown here) that will be built next to The Spoke Visitor Center at 37800 Church Ave. (Courtesy of City of Dade City)

“I am thrilled to see the splash pad moving forward,” Porter said. “This is a great opportunity to provide a family friendly activity. It’s vital the city provides avenues for children to engage with each other and have fun in a safe environment.

“Currently, there are limited opportunities in Dade City for youth to expend their energy,” she added. “The community looks to neighboring areas for similar amenities and soon this will be right next door.”

The splash pad will be located next to The Spoke, Dade City’s Market Place and Visitor City, which sits at the start of the Hardy Trail, at 37800 Church Ave.

The splash pad project is budgeted at $1.2 million, using American Rescue Plan Act funding.The projected cost of the splash pad is $800,000, while $557,720.16 has been earmarked to build the adjoining restroom/mechanical room.

The Hardy Trail is a paved, multi-use recreational trail in Dade City. The mile-long path is 12 feet wide. It follows the alignment where a portion of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad line ran through Dade City. (Mike Camunas)

At roughly 2,500 square feet, the project will be built by Borregard Construction and include such water features as Aqua Dumping Bucket, Aqua Water Castle, aqua features such as jellyfish, a crab and butterfly and even an Aqua Kumquat Tree, as a nod to the city’s fruit — celebrated in its annual festival.

Prior to a final design, the City Commission asked residents to vote on water features.  

“We placed display boards in the lobby of City Hall for voting,” Porter said. “Over one hundred second graders from Pasco Elementary voted as part of a field trip. The overwhelming favorite features are the dump bucket and the crab.”

Porter said she expects the splash pad to get a more formal name — and possibly a sponsorship.

She said care was taken in choosing where the splash pad should go.

“This location was chosen because of its proximity to downtown and the Hardy Trail,” Porter said. “The park is large enough to accommodate the splash pad, inclusive playground, amphitheater and more.

“The splash pad will be the first of several new amenities the city plans to build in the new park in the future to create an active community space,” she added.

“But the splash pad has been an anticipated amenity for many years here in Dade City and we are very excited to see it finally come to be.”

Published 05, 2023

Their field of dreams

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They built it because it was time.

But now, after two decades, Academy at the Lakes finally has an outdoor sports field at its campus, off Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

The Academy at the Lakes softball team hosted its very first home game on campus, on March 28, making it the school’s first varsity team to be able to play on the school’s home field. The school’s outdoor teams, for years, have been hosting home games at remote locations. The Wildcats’ arguably most successful sports program has been awarded a field, nestled just off Collier Parkway and behind Myrtle Lake Baptist Church off State Road 54. More amenities will be coming, such as additional stands, dugouts, a scoreboard and eventually restrooms and a concession stand. For now, though, it’s the home of the Wildcats softball team, whose record includes state titles in 2018 and 2019. Academy at the Lakes broke in the new field by defeating Hernando Christian, 16-1. (Mike Camunas)

The new field belongs to arguably the longstanding private school’s most successful sports program: the Wildcats softball team.

“I’ve been here since I was a freshman,” junior pitcher Sydney Klein said, “and everyone has always talked about not having sports fields here, and to be the first to get it is an honor.

“I also feel like we’re a very successful sport at this school, so it feels like an accomplishment — like this team and program has earned it.”

The softball team makes a strong case, especially when it’s not too far removed from winning back-to-back state championships in 2018 and 2019.

Also, this isn’t exactly a new field. It’s been a team practice field and is technically on loan from the adjacent Myrtle Lake Baptist Church and L.Y.F, an adult center for individuals with special needs.

Throughout the school’s history, its teams have always hosted “home games” remotely. For example, the Wildcats baseball team now hosts its games at Wendell Krinn Technical School, which was formerly Ridgewood High.

The soccer teams and 8-man football team host games up the road, at the fields at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex.

Academy at the Lakes senior infielder Nidgi Schnaeidr celebrates the opening ceremony of the Wildcats’ first-ever home game on campus.

Longtime athletic director Tom Haslam said the softball team did play a game on the field tucked behind Crunch Fitness, at the corner of Collier Parkway and State Road 54. But that was 13 years ago.

And, it was a disaster.

“There was no fence, just a backstop and an infield,” Haslam said. “It was such a dust bowl. … So we’ve built a pretty good (softball) program for not having a home field. I mean, two state championships without your own field — no matter who you are, that’s impressive.”

Bringing the field to life took work, according to Haslam and fourth-year softball coach Elizabeth Munn. After back-and-forth negotiations with the friendly church and adult center neighbors, Haslam says it was all hands on deck for about a month and a half to get the field ready for the March 28 game.

“It really was a team effort to get it done,” Munn said. “We’ve been talking about it since last year, but we needed to do a lot of renovation to make it playable at the high school level.

“It was important to get this when I came on (as coach),” she added. “The parents of the girls have had the best interest of them and the program to make sure we had our own field.”

Academy at the Lakes junior pitcher Sydney Klein, left, and junior shortstop Juliana Ries cheer for their teammate at bat during the Wildcats first-ever home game on the school’s first-ever outdoors home field on campus.

Haslam said the parents — such as Klein’s family and the family of outfielder Ava Parry — were instrumental in helping get the field ready for hosting games, especially since “It’s not a budget field, it’s not a cheap field,” adding it is “also done right and the way we want it, which was important, too.”

However, the way they want the field is not complete. Haslam says there is a “laundry list” of add-ons, improvements and just basic work still ahead. 

For starters, they want to build proper dugouts and scoreboard, as well as improve the fencing, the foul poles and redo the backstop. Eventually, needed amenities such as restrooms and a concession stand will be added.

“We can’t wait to make it even better,” Klein said.

And the Wildcats christened their home field the right way: a 16-1 drubbing of Hernando Christian.

Klein struck out seven and allowed just a walk and no hits through three innings, when the game ended because it was mercy ruled. Juliana Ries and Kiana Wright each drove in two RBI, while Katie Ferguson, Alina Ries, Adelaide Aliano and Klein all drove in a run apiece.

Shannon Kendall’s three-run homer sealed the game as it was the first homer on the home field — a bragging right she was trying to get, too.

“It was kind of a goal of mine, since Molly (Blackwood) is out and she’s our other power hitter,” Kendall said. “Well, a couple of my friends were like, you need to hit one for her at the first game at our own field and break it in for everyone.”

“And, we hope everyone who came out and supported us enjoyed themselves at the very first outdoor home game at Academy at the Lakes.”

Published April 05, 2023

Academy at the Lakes softball coach Elizabeth Munn celebrates the Wildcats 16-1 win over Hernando Christian on March 28. It was the team’s first time playing on their own home field, and they won it in style.
Players on the Academy at the Lakes softball team look on in excitement and happiness during the opening ceremony of the Wildcats’ new softball field.
Wildcats’ eighth-grader Kiana Wright listens to her coach following the team’s first home win on campus on March 28.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wildcats junior shortstop Juliana Ries heads home during the Wildcats’ 16-1 over Hernando Christian on March 28.
Adelaide Aliano runs through a team gauntlet when lineups were called during the opening ceremony on March 28.
Academy at the Lakes softball coach Elizabeth Munn happily throws out the first pitch on March 28 to commemorate the first game at the Wildcats home field. The school’s varsity outdoor teams, for years, have been hosting home games at remote locations, but the softball team now has the first on-campus field.

Steinbrenner pitcher throws no hitter

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(Courtesy of Jason Gordon)

Warriors junior softball pitcher Saige Sampson threw a no hitter vs. St. Petersburg Northeast on March 24, during the annual Palm Harbor University Invitational.

Sampson would allow no hits over seven innings while striking out nine and walking four, and Steibrenner’s offense was led by Kenzie Reynolds, who went 5-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored in the game.

Additionally, Steinbrenner came in second in the tournament, losing to Bartow 5-4 in the championship game on March 25. Senior Paige Bergen led the way with a 3-for-4 game with two RBI, while Lily Holtje and Makenzie Reynolds each recorded an RBI.

Crews Lake Park shows off new observation tower

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The new 25-foot-high, three-story observation tower at Crews Lake Wilderness Park in Shady Hills opened in mid-February and offers incredible views over the water, gardens and marshlands on the 113-acre park. The roughly $600,000 tower was funded through a Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program grant and the Go 4 Pasco General Obligation Bond. It can withstand hurricane-power winds of up to 143 mph and is accessible by a 330-foot sidewalk. (Mike Camunas)

Crews Lake Wilderness Park just got a new amenity — and this one is towering.

A new 25-foot-tall, three-story observation tower, completed in February, offers stunning views of Crews Lake and the 113-acre park’s gardens, forest and marshlands.

The project took six months to complete and cost roughly $600,000. The project’s funding came from Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program grant and Pasco County’s voter-approved general obligation bond.

The tower is accessible from a 330-foot sidewalk, leading to it from the park’s parking lot. The tower’s base is 32 feet by 30 feet, its first-story platform is 16 feet by 30 feet, and its second-story platform is 8 feet by 30 feet.

The structure can sustain hurricane-power winds of up to 143 mph.

The park, at 16739 Crews Lake Drive, Spring Hill, is open seven days a week, from dawn to dusk.

Painting with a little bit of paws

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It’s hard to paint with cuteness running around.

Luna Ortiz, of New Tampa, tightly grips a cute puppy while trying to decorate a dog bowl, at the first Painting with Puppies adoption event at B Creative Painting Studio at The Grove at Wesley Chapel on March 23. The Mercy Full Project, a nonprofit dog rescue out of Tampa, brought puppies to run around while participants painted dog bowls and strongly considered taking one of these puppies home. (Mike Camunas)

But that’s what people tried to do at B Creative Painting Studio at the Grove at Wesley Chapel on March 23, when they came to paint dog bowls, but were easily distracted by the throng of cute puppies running around and playing at their ankles during Painting with Puppies.

The Mercy Full Project, a nonprofit dog rescue out of Tampa, brought puppies to run around while participants painted dog bowls and strongly considered taking one of these puppies home. It was the first time the studio hosted the cuteness-overload event, and it doesn’t sound like it will be the last.

“I mean, they are so cute,” B Creative owner Bernadette Blauvelt said. “Of course we want to do it again — how could you not want to take them all home with you?

“We might need to adopt one for a studio dog!”

The Mercy Full Project was founded in October 2019 as a nonprofit that takes in helpless animals from all different situations, such dogs facing euthanasia at shelters, behavioral cases that need longer and special training sessions, owner surrenders, emergency cases of injured or abused animals, and strays from all over the state.

“We get a lot of people from Pasco (County) and this area about adoption,” Mercy Full Project Founder Heydi Acuña said. “We come out to the KRATE (at the Grove) a lot and work with Pasco Animal Services a lot, too. It’s all to help the animals.”

Mercy Full Project always has animals to adopt, both young and old, and is always looking for volunteer help.

To learn more about the Mercy Full Project or inquire about adoption or volunteering, visit MercyFullProjects.org.

Published March 29, 2023

A rescue puppy stands over his brothers to absolute cuteness during Painting with Puppies, a dog adoption awareness event at B Creative Painting Studio at The Grove At Wesley Chapel.
Tampa resident Nery Leon finishes up her designs and paint work on a bowl for her dog, Max, at Creative Painting Studio at The Grove At Wesley Chapel.
From left: Beth Alfonso, Jen Jones and Bernadette Blauvelt hold puppies they might just not let go of, during Painting with Puppies on March 23.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A rescue puppy lovingly enjoys the attention from Wesley Chapel residents Brandy Poblete-Scaglione, left, and Jen Poblete-Scaglione at B Creative Painting Studio at The Grove At Wesley Chapel, during Painting with Puppies.
Stella Cirillo, of Wesley Chapel, just won’t let go of a cute puppy from the Mercy Full Project, a nonprofit dog rescue out of Tampa, at B Creative Painting Studio at The Grove At Wesley Chapel, during Painting with Puppies.
A couple of older rescue pups pose for pictures during Painting with Puppies at B Creative Painting Studio at The Grove At Wesley Chapel.

Steinbrenner band headed across the pond

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It’s time to pack the passports inside their instrument cases.

For members of Steinbrenner High’s band, The Marching Warrior Brigade, they’ll need to have their international travel affairs in order come Dec. 27 when the band heads across the pond to England.

Duncan Sandys, the great-grandson of Winston Churchill, came to Steinbrenner High on March 22 to invite The Marching Warrior Brigade to perform in the 2024 London New Year’s Day Parade. (Mike Camunas)

The 136-member band has been invited to be in the massive 2024 London New Year’s Day Parade, which will feature nearly 10,000 performers.

The streets of London, from Piccadilly Circus to Downing Street, will be packed with more 500,000 spectators. It also will be broadcast to millions, including viewers in the United States, on PBS.

“This is the biggest trip this band has probably done in a while, at least since COVID,” said sophomore Will Gilleland, who plays the clarinet. “In my time in the program, the furthest we’ve gone on a trip is Orlando, so going to a crazy, new place we’ve never been before — it’s incredible!”

Marcos Aquino, left, and Connor Wood, right, cheer during the assembly where Steinbrenner High’s band was invited to perform in the 2024 London New Year’s Day Parade.

This is the second time the Brigade has been invited to this particular parade, as the band was invited to the 2021 edition, though that was canceled due to COVID.

On March 22, Steinbrenner was reinvited, this time with a lively ceremony.

Bob Bone, founder and chair of the parade, came to the campus in Lutz, accompanied by Duncan Sandys (pronounced Sands), who is the great-grandson of Winston Churchill.

“I know there is a parade you have here on Thanksgiving, which I think is named after a department store,” Bone told the band, tongue-in-cheek, eliciting laughter from the crowd. “They’re half as big and think they’re a big deal, but we take a look at Macy’s every year to get an idea of what NOT to do!”

Sandys, who now resides in Georgia as ambassador to the parade, told the band about the history and expansiveness of London. He also went over the parade route and briefly talked about his great-grandfather, the United Kingdom’s legendary prime minister in World War II.

“Enjoy every sight you can while there,” he said. “There is just so much history on every corner.”

The Marching Warrior Brigade, Steinbrenner High’s band, listens in excitement as Duncan Sandys, the great-grandson of Winston Churchill, invites the ensemble to perform in the 2024 London New Year’s Day Parade on Jan. 1. The band will travel to London in late December and perform in front of a crowd of hundreds of thousands.

Chip Wood, Steinbrenner’s director of bands, said the international band trip is an exciting and huge undertaking. To help avoid any last-minute disappointments, he’s making sure everyone who is traveling is getting their passports now.

“It’s an extremely well-attended parade,” Wood said. “I wanted to give these kids, and my own son, who is a junior in the band, an epic event with some travel — and I’ve never been to London! … But (passports), the process takes way longer than it used to, so I want to make sure everyone has theirs or updated so they can pack it and go!”

Wood has previous experience leading a band to large-scale events, including taking a band twice to the Rose Bowl Parade in California, the Macy’s parade in New York and even being part of the taping of the Disney World Christmas “parade” in Lake Buena Vista.

At the ceremony, junior piccolo player Meghan Betancourt, was “awarded” being the ceremonial keeper of the official British umbrella. Sandys gave her a small, white umbrella.

Anniak Futo, left, and Katie Cozie anxiously watch a video presentation about the annual London New Year’s Day Parade in which their band, The Marching Warrior Brigade, will perform on Jan. 1.

It’s a relatively new tradition of the parade, but Bone and Sandys present the umbrella to one lucky band member, who must keep the umbrella in his or her personal custody until the parade.

Failure to do so could result in it raining on the parade.

Betancourt’s fellow band members and friends are encouraged to help her be vigilant in protecting the umbrella —  through the threat of an Instagram post, if she slips up on her duty.

“I will feel bad if it rains on the parade,” Betancourt said. “I think they’re all ready to blame me (laughs), ready to post on instagram, if it rains because of me.

“(But) I’m super excited, because I love traveling and I really like playing in front of people,” she added. “Playing in a big parade makes me really happy because I like seeing other people get happy from our performances. And we get performance experience without competition experience — we just get to perform and that will be really good for our program.”

As for what the band’s musical set will be, that decision is an ongoing process.

But one thing is certain, the band leader said. “Whatever it is, they’ll be playing it in London!”

London New Year’s Day Parade
Details: The parade first took place in 1987 as the Lord Mayor of Westminster’s Big Parade, but was renamed in 1994, and for 2000 only it was called the Millennium Parade. More than 500,000 spectators attended the 2023 parade, with even more expected in 2024. Performances from the nearly 10,000 musicians and artists will be screened live on network television on PBS.
For more information on the parade, visit https://lnydp.com/. For more information on the Steinbrenner band, visit HillsboroughSchools.org/steinbrenner.

Published March 29, 2023

Making a pact to act

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World Autism Awareness Day is April 2.

But Land O’ Lakes High International Baccalaureate students Sydney Crenshaw and Sajni Shah have been raising awareness about autism throughout the school year.

Land O’ Lakes High International Baccalaureate students Sydney Crenshaw, left, and Sajni Shah started Action For Autism, a yearlong project aimed at increasing awareness regarding those on the autism spectrum or with special needs, as well as raising money for Special Olympics. (Mike Camunas)

They began their project, Action For Autism, as members of the school club HOSA – Future Health Professionals, which is an international competition based on medicine and health care related topics.

The duo is competing in the Community Awareness Division, which means they set forth to educate the community on a topic of their choice. They chose Autism Spectrum Disorder because they are passionate about embracing neurodiversity and contributing to the awareness of this “disorder” that still comes with a stigma.

“In my experience, when I meet autistic people or children, I treat them like anyone else, but that’s not always the case,” said Crenshaw, who is a junior. “It’s not a visible condition, so most people don’t even know this person has autism because they can act in a variety of ways when they’re on the spectrum.

“Not a lot of people show they have autism, and we’ve seen that a lot, but autism isn’t something you should treat differently,” Crenshaw added. “Autistic people are people.”

Shah says people on the autism spectrum should have the same chances and opportunities as their “neurotypical counterparts.”

That’s why Shah is working to increase awareness about autism.

“A lot of people with autism don’t receive accommodations they need to thrive in society the way you or I might,” said Shah, who is a senior. “That’s frustrating to see because they are very smart people.

“I hope to make these kids feel seen and important and raise awareness that autism is not a stigma and never has to be,” she added. “These kids, given the same chances and opportunities, can be productive and live great lives.”

Sajni Shah and camper Layla Gile make tie-dyed shirts at Dream Oaks Camp in Bradenton. (Courtesy of Sydney Crenshaw)

So far, the students, through Action For Autism, have organized multiple events, interviewed an autistic person and occupational therapist for their YouTube channel, and received $600 in grant money. Using that money, they created other fundraisers, such as selling Autism Awareness bracelets and bags, as well as created posters and fliers with autism facts and hung them around the school and community.

They also have worked with the Light The Torch Campaign, which helps raise money for the Special Olympics.

“Mainly speaking of autism, I’ve seen how it affects children, and adults, in all very different ways,” Shah said. “There is not one way it affects people, so we just want to understand the patterns and more about it, that way if more people are aware and understanding, then people will understand autism better.”

Both students work with several organizations that help with special needs people, including Special Olympics and Council for Exceptional Children.

Shah also worked at Dream Oaks Camp in Bradenton, which works with children with special needs and chronic illnesses from the ages of 7 to 17.

“Working at Dream Oaks Camp inspired me to work with more people with special needs and autism,” Shah said. “What started as a part-time job grew into a project and something more that I want to continue to do.”

Dr. Louis Florence, the teacher who oversees the HOSA club, isn’t overly familiar with the duo’s project or its specifics — there’s 108 members in HOSA and Florence’s job is just to manage the kids and be as hands-off as possible — but he does know that students such as Crenshaw and Shah will bring their very best to their projects.

“We’re talking about some of the smartest people around that are interested in working or serving in the medical field,” Florence said. “They’re really self-starters, which is amazing, and they’re students who are excited about the medical field, but can become anything, from doctors to other health care professionals.”

Crenshaw and Shah’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.

“Sanji is awesome and the vice president of the group,” Florence said. “Sydney is awesome, too. Two very high-quality individuals that already have the drive to go out and make a difference in the medical field, and in this case, helping autism awareness.

“These two are great, shining examples of the type of kids who join this club and love to see all the work they do for their yearlong projects.”

Plus, the students’ devotion to autism awareness is prodigious.

“I know just how much I love these kids — they’re so much fun,” Crenshaw said. “I personally do it because autistic people are still people — I’ve said that a lot, but it’s true!”

Action For Autism
Details: Land O’ Lakes High International Baccalaureate students Sydney Crenshaw and Sajni Shah created this program as part of an international competition through the school club, HOSA – Future Health Professionals. The students chose to educate the community on the topic of autism spectrum disorder. They are passionate about embracing neurodiversity and contributing to the awareness of autism. Their campaign included organizing multiple events, interviewing an autistic person and occupational therapist for their YouTube channel, receiving $600 in grant money and raising additional money for the Special Olympics.
To donate, email or Venmo @sajni_shah12.
For more information or to follow Action for Autism on social media, visit https://linktr.ee/actionforautism.

Published March 29, 2023

Local teams compete during Spring Break

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Spring Break typically is a time for beach trips or relaxing, but not for everyone. Several high school baseball and softball players skipped working on their tan — at least for a few days — so they could compete in annual tournaments in March.

Here are the results of teams and individual performances of players in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

2023 Saladino Tournament
It was the 42nd edition of the prestigious tournament started by Tony Saladino and now run by his family and foundation. This year, the tournament expanded to have more divisions, from Gold, Silver and Bronze. Steinbrenner, Gaither and Wharton competed in the Gold Division, while Freedom played in the Silver. Each team was guaranteed four games.

  • Freedom: The Patriots, coming off a historic season in 2022, are struggling this season, including going winless in Saladino’s Silver Division. Freedom dropped games to King, Hillsborough, Leto and East Bay, respectively, while only scoring runs in the 9-7 loss to Hillsborough. In that game, Joey Wey drove in three runs, Brayden Nanns two runs, and Tommy Bradley and Ryan Acord both had an RBI.
  • Gaither: The Cowboys went 1-3 in Saladino play, with the only win being 10-3 over Wharton on March 11. Losses to Plant, Plant City and Jesuit (the eventual Saladino champion) were by a combined score of 16-6. In the win over Wharton, Jackson Mirza and Scout Simpson both drove in two RBI, while Josh Choe, David Pina, Nico Lopez and Jeffery Cavicchi all drove in a run apiece.
  • Steinbrenner: The Warriors went 1-3 in their Saladino games, losing to Bloomingdale 7-2 on March 11, 14-4 to Strawberry Crest on March 14 and 5-0 to Jefferson on March 15. The team’s lone win came in a close 5-4 win over Newsome on March 13. Dominic Sardegna drove in three RBI over those four games, while Joshua Stephens went a combined 4-for-11 with a two-run homer vs. Strawberry Crest. Bryce Andrews picked up a save in the win over Newsome.
  • Wharton: The Wildcats also went 1-3 in the tournament, losing to Gaither, Jesuit and Robinson, but then trounced Plant City 15-7 on March 14. Senior David Ascano went 7-for-11 with five RBI over the four games, while Caden Long drove in four in the blowout vs. Plant City. Justis Meadows and Jariel Garriga both drove in two RBI in that game, as well.

2023 Farm Bureau Classic
The annual baseball tournament featuring Pasco and Hernando county teams came down to a couple of Pasco County teams, with the Land O’ Lakes Gators walking away as runner-up and Mitchell, once again, taking the crown. The Mustangs won the championship game, with a score of 6-3 on March 17, which may very well foreshadow how the Class 6A-District 5 shakes out the rest of the season and into the postseason.

  • Bishop McLaughlin: The Hurricanes, coming off a stunning upset of nationally ranked Clearwater Calvary Christian on March 9, went 1-2 in the Classic, topping Fivay on March 14, but dropping matches to Hernando and Nature Coast on March 13 and March 15, respectively. In the 11-1 win over Fivay, Logan McGann went 3-for-5 with three RBI, while Tyler Pizzo, Keither Jacobs and Christopher Rodriguez all drove in two RBI apiece. Freshman Zorre Wright notched the walk-off hit vs. Springstead, while vs. River Ridge, senior Jake Carrillo drove in two RBI.
  • Cypress Creek: The Coyotes went 1-2 in the tournament, and while they grabbed a big 13-1 win over South Sumter, they dropped back-to-back games to Land O’ Lakes and Hernando by a combined score of 22-0. In the Coyotes win, sophomore Evertt Burgess went 3-for-3 with three RBI and a triple, while Ryan Maggy, Max Menendez and Braden Alexander all drove in two RBI each.
  • Land O’ Lakes: The Gators, the aforementioned runners-up, dominated in their wins on the way to the final vs. Mitchell, outsourcing Weeki Wachee, Cypress Creek and Wesley Chapel, respectively, a combined 25-8. In those wins, William Colon drove in five in two of the games, Gavin Jusino drove in two vs. Cypress Creek, and Brad Bloxsom and Dylan Makowski both drove in two RBI vs. Wesley Chapel. Anderson Gutierrez struck out 11 in the Cypress Creek game. 
  • In the championship game vs. Mitchell, the Gators grabbed a quick 2-0 lead, but saw it slip away throughout the game despite six hits, an RBI by C.J. Chalk and pitcher Sutton Christie striking out seven over four innings.
  • Wesley Chapel: The Wildcats were able to go 2-1, including facing Land O’ Lakes in the semifinals, though dropped that game 10-5. In their back-to-back wins, the Wildcats eked out a couple of one-run wins: first 7-6 over Springstead in nine innings and then 8-7 over River Ridge.

2023 Bay Made Fastpitch Elite Invitational
In just its second year, the popularity and competitiveness of this tournament has already grown. Organizer Will Turner hosted three days of games at Greco Softball Complex in Temple Terrace, but also returned all but one of the competitive teams from last year’s inaugural tournament, while expanding the field to 16 teams.

  • Gaither: The Cowboys, at 9-2 this season, picked up the team’s first loss in the tournament, coming at the hands of Bloomingdale 7-2, as well as a second loss: 12-2 to Parrish Community. On March 17, Gaither had back-to-back wins over Lakeland George Jenkins and Palmetto, respectively. The Cowboys are led by seniors Mimi Gooden and Alexsandra Wilkes, who have a combined 20 RBI through nine games.
  • Land O’ Lakes: The Gators went winless in their four games at the Invitational, losing to Hernando, Sickles, Palmetto and George Jenkins. The Gators managed 15 runs in two of the losses, but were shut out 22-0 in losses to Hernando and Palmetto. Against Sickles, sophomore Jaila Mitchell went 3-for-3 with two RBI, while vs. George Jenkins, junior Kiersten Stevens went 4-for-4 with seven RBI and two runs scored. 
  • Steinbrenner: The Warriors made it to the semifinals, one of the four teams left in the Gold Bracket, with wins over George Jenkins 8-3 and River Ridge 3-2. The Warriors lost the semifinal match vs. eventual champ Clearwater Calvary Christian 9-2, and the Gold Bracket Consolation game vs. Hernando 8-3. In the Warriors’ two wins, Lily Holtje drove in four RBI, while in the team’s two losses, Saige Simpson drove in two runs. Emma Kindle also had a two-RBI game in the win over George Jenkins and Jaily Bellamy had an RBI on a 2-for-3 game vs. River Ridge.

Published March 29, 2023

Bridging the gap — using Popsicle sticks

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William Bryan searched the internet.

That was a no-brainer for the senior at Saint Leo University, who is majoring in cybersecurity.

William Bryan, a Saint Leo University senior majoring in cybersecurity, won the Ninth Annual Bridge-Building Competition on March 9. The contest involved students building bridges using nothing more than 200 Popsicle sticks and Elmer’s glue. Bridges were judged on their strength, aesthetics of design and other factors. Bryan’s bridge, Bridge-It, supported a record-breaking 93.8 pounds. (Mike Camunas)

But his search didn’t yield the answers he was seeking.

“I did look online, but it’s not as easy as going online and finding something because there is no right way to build a Popsicle stick bridge,” Bryan said. “Each competition has different parameters, from the amount of sticks you can use to specific dimensions.

“I really don’t know that much about engineering, but I knew that I needed triangles — and to get as much glue on the surface area as possible. The rest surprised me”

His biggest surprise, however, came in the way that he won Saint Leo University’s Ninth Annual Bridge-Building Competition on March 9.

In a record-breaking rout, his bridge — Bridge-It — held 98.3 pounds. He had expected his bridge would support about 40 pounds. When he shattered the record, spectators in Shelby Auditorium erupted with applause.

His bridge was among 10 in the contest, in which teams ranging from one to three members, sought to build the strongest possible bridge using only Elmer’s glue and no more than 200 standard Popsicle sticks.

The entries had to bridge a 1.2-meter span. 

Ebony Rolle, left, and Asha Burns watch as their bridge, Doja, collapses before they added barely any weight to it.

To test the strength, a bucket was hooked to the bottom of the bridge and contestants added bags of rocks until the span broke.

Bryan eventually ran out of rocks, so he placed a large heavy bucket on top of the bridge, which broke under the weight.

“When I was in middle school, there was a Popsicle (stick) bridge competition, but I wasn’t able to do it because I wasn’t invited,” said Bryan, who was accompanied by his wife, Jacquelyn.

“So this was a bit of redemption (laughs).”

Saint Leo has been hosting this competition for nearly a decade and it has always been open to all students, not just the ones who know more about physics, which is a requirement of biology majors. Many of those competing are biology majors.

Popsicle stick bridges were built, and then broken, during Saint Leo University’s Ninth Annual Bridge-Building Competition March 9.

Dr. Harsha Perera, assistant professor of physics and physical sciences in the College of Arts and Science, said that is part of the appeal of watching the competition.

“We even had someone from psychology sign up, so it’s for everyone. I believe this event sparked the enthusiasm for all the students regardless of their age or their major to learn engineering techniques on designing and building a bridge with the given material.”

For biology major Alex Keeler, she was just looking for a little fun during midterms.

She and her teammates, Juan Jimenez and Hannah Evers, dubbed their bridge,  “Jahkeg” — their initials. It was named Most Aesthetically Pleasing.

“I’m not going to lie,” Keeler said. “The extra-credit component definitely played into (entering the competition). … But we know just the bare minimum of physics, so we also went with what we found on Google.”

Perera added the competition will remain open to the public, not just Saint Leo students.

“We would love for high school students or middle schoolers to come and try the competition, especially if they’re interested in physics,” she said. “We welcome the public, and hopefully one day they’ll take us up on it.

“We’re pretty sure they’ll enjoy it as much as our college students did.”

Published March 22, 2023

Local author fair helps boost literacy awareness

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It was a look at local books.

When the Dade City Heritage and Cultural Museum had its inaugural Local Author Fair on March 11, it provided a place for writers to show off and sell their books, connect with readers and to promote literacy.

Steve Altier, from Valrico, smiles as he talks about some of his books, such as ‘Lizardville’ and ‘The Ghost Hunter’ series during the Local Author Fair at the Dade City Heritage and Cultural Museum on March 11. (Mike Camunas)

For all the festivals and events that are held throughout town during the year, there wasn’t one focusing solely on reading.

Until now.

“We just noticed there was a need for it in this community — we noticed that this town has a lot of festivals and family friendly events, but nothing for literacy,” said Museum Volunteer Director Jayde Archbold, who organized the author fair. “But it worked out great, and I think people are having a great time, so, yeah, we’re going to want it to be a yearly thing now.”

The event was held in the old Atlantic Coastline Train Depot, which is the museum’s home.

Janet Watson, of Wesley Chapel, autographs her book for a fan and customer at the Local Author Fair at the Dade City Heritage and Cultural Museum on March 11. The inaugural event hosted more than 25 local authors from Pasco County, but also as far as from Brandon to Sarasota to Hernando County. The event gave authors the opportunity to promote themselves, their books and reading.

More than 25 authors — from Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Polk counties — were there to display books they’ve written and to sell them, discuss them and even do readings from them.

“We didn’t have a specific geographic area that we targeted authors, just a general area near to Dade City,” Archbold said. “We were just happy that when we put it out there, promoting it for authors to sign up, that we had such a great response that we had to stop because of our limited space. We accepted as many (authors) as we could, but we might need a bigger space — or maybe do it outside next year.”

The event was sponsored by Dade City booksellers, Lighthouse Books and The Book Shack, as well as American Pizza Oven.

Local authors in attendance included Janet Watson and J.L. LaPointe.

Shelby Mander, a Dade City native and teacher at nearby Centennial Elementary, was there, too, promoting her children’s book, “Petunia the Piccolo Player.” It tells the story of a musical elephant, Petunia Pachyderm, and her journey to make it to a big show.

Shelby Mander, a Dade City native and elementary school teacher, wrote her children’s book, ‘Petunia The Piccolo Player’ and promoted it at the Local Author Fair at the Dade City Heritage and Cultural Museum on March 11.

“I think (the fair) is the little push I need to start getting sales of my book,” Mander said. “This was a great way to meet other authors and see their works, see their set up and see how they do it, too.

“It’s been a great turnout from authors and from potential readers,” she added. “And I’ve really enjoyed hearing the stories, too. Not just hearing authors read excerpts from their books, but their stories about what they went through to get published, from beginning to end, to get their books made.”

Archbold is a librarian at Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center in Odessa and has worked for Pasco County Libraries for five years. For her, the event is about bringing literacy and local author awareness to Dade City, as well as the rest of Pasco County.

“There are local authors out there, making waves with their books, so we want to promote them,” she said. I think people underestimate the value of libraries to the community, or think that libraries are just for children now. Libraries, and this (fair), bring together local authors to show people what is out there, that people in the community, maybe even their neighbors, are out here writing, reading and promoting books that are good.

“People need to know who is around them that is contributing positive things in their community, so they can support them,” she added. “It’s always, ‘Support your local business, support your local artist, support your local events in the community.’

“So why not support your local authors, too?”

Published March 22, 2023