The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mike Camunas

Seniors are strolling and striding

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The seniors are stepping on up.

The Senior Walking Club makes its way around the more than 2 miles of paved trails and pathways around the Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex. The group meets weekly. (Mike Camunas)

They are getting in their daily steps with the Senior Walking Club. It’s a new weekly activity at the Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex, 7727 Boyette Road, that meets in the mornings, stretches and walks more than a mile or 30 minutes, as a low-impact workout and a social meetup.

“We just thought it would be a good way to get in exercise in under an hour,” said Recreation Specialist Shannon Saracena, who leads the group each Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m. “We get a lot of walkers here at the park and we figured, why not get them together?”

The club will meet and stretch for a bit and then head out onto the more than 2 miles of paved pathways and trails at the district park.

Recreation Specialist Shannon Saracena, left, shares a laugh with Wesley Chapel resident Monica Locke, while leading the weekly meetup of the Senior Walking Club at the Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex. Several local seniors meet on Tuesday mornings at the pavilion, next to the gymnasium, to stretch, and then they walk on the complex’s paved trails for 30 minutes or more. It’s an easy, free way to get in a low-impact workout.

The club has walkers of all abilities and they come from various parts of Pasco County. They have this in common, though: They’re looking for a brisk walk and a nice conversation.

“It’s a great social aspect,” Saracena said. “I love that people come and meet new people and get to know one another better.”

The club has no real official members or memberships. All are welcome and so are leashed pets.

However, the best part?

It’s a free, great way to take a stroll with new friends.

“They can walk as much as they want with us, or go further without us, but we’re not restricting anyone or saying this is what we do each and every week,” Saracena added. “All we want to do is to provide a nice weekly get-together for residents and people who love this park to join in and have a great walk to get their steps in.”

Senior Walking Club
When: Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m.
Where: Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex, 7727 Boyette Road
Cost: Free
Details: A weekly meetup of seniors looking for low-impact exercise and some friendly conversations. Participants can walk as much or as little as they like throughout the complex’s paved trails. There will be 15 minutes of stretching, 30 minutes or more of walking and a 15-minute cooldown. Pets on a leash are welcome.
Info: Call 813-345-3145, or email .

Published February 01, 2023

Debbie Dyer holds her dog, Frankie, after the little pup became worn out during a session with the Senior Walking Club at the Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex.
The Senior Walking Club makes its way around the more than 2 miles of paved trails and pathways around the Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex. The group meets weekly.
The Senior Walking Club uses more than 2 miles of paved trails and pathways at the Wesley Chapel

Farming a great crop of students

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For the past 20 years, Academy at the Farm has put a lot of students out to pasture — which, in this case, refers to high school.

“Our focus has always been education,” said Ray Polk, the academy’s director for 13 years.

Soha Bajaj, a sixth-grader at Academy at the Farm, walks a cow during an agricultural learning session at the school in Dade City. Over the past 20 years, the school has grown tremendously, both in size and its participation in its award-winning 4-H and Future Farmers of America clubs. It also has become a much sought after school choice in East and Central Pasco County. The K-8 school focuses on six fundamentals: Responsibility, Fairness, Respect, Honesty, Citizenship and Caring. (Mike Camunas)

“We focus on our six traits and start that from kindergarten, right from the get-go. “We teach them life skills, which are our traits, and how they are responsible for their work, for themselves and even how they treat other people. We emphasize that,” he added.

“And we teach them that you’re the person that has to work on (those things), not the rest of the people in the school.”

Since Dr. Michael Rom opened the Dade City charter school in 2002, Academy at the Farm has grown leaps and bounds. The charter has become a sought-out educational institution for parents seeking an alternative, with empowered learning styles for their children.

At Academy at the Farm, every classroom has an instructor assistant (IA), which extends to the school’s four sections: Preschool/VPK, Primary (first and second grades), Intermediate (third through fifth grades) and Middle (sixth through eighth grades).

Each division has its own principal.

“We’ve been an A school for 18 years,” Polk said. “That’s not something that’s easy to keep, but we have been able to do that and we’re proud of that fact.”

Academy at the Farm, a Dade City charter school, has classrooms set up with alternative seating for grades K-8.

At Academy at the Farm, it all begins in kindergarten, with children learning these six character traits: Responsibility, Fairness, Respect, Honesty, Citizenship and Caring.

From the get-go, students learn to embody these attributes, which extend beyond the classroom.

Many of the school’s 650 students are members of the school’s 4-H Club and Future Farmers of America (FFA) program. And while every student will get agriculture education and lessons on the 35-acre property, those who join the clubs tend to be  heavily involved with the on-campus livestock, such as goats, hogs and cows.

“We see a lot of growth from kids who have been in our program a long time,” said Robin Carter, the school’s agriculture teacher. “Because we have high expectations of them in 4-H and FFA, and definitely set the bar higher for them than the rest of the general school population.

“And they rise to it, because they want to work with animals and want to do a good job because they find it important and — I don’t know, maybe they want to shovel poop all day, too! (laughs).”

Sixth-grader Miriam Fehir, left, and eighth-grader Liea Kautz hold onto some of the baby goats that are cared for at the charter school.

Carter said working with animals puts an emphasis on the character trait of responsibility.

They know that animals rely on them.

But those involved in the agricultural program also get to experience something that’s not common at many campuses.

“We have baby goats being born,” Carter added. “How many kids get to see baby goats being born at their school?…

“You’ll see it, as our principals will say that our FFA kids don’t get in trouble because they know that they have responsibilities and have to be out there for the animals. … They know that their personal responsibility is to be great — they’re expected to be great and to do great things.”

And part of being great is knowing, and learning, that these animals are not pets, but a way of farm life. The school breeds its livestock, including certain animals that are sold for meat.

“It’s Academy at the Farm, not Academy at the ‘Pet,’” Polk said. “Which can be tough for kids, but it’s a life lesson about where you get your food, from farms, and learning how much agricultural farming comes out of Florida.

“The kids learn that they’re not pets.”

So what’s in store for this charter school after 20 years? Well, more expansion.

Academy at the Farm includes an outdoor hockey rink for students to play on during P.E. classes and recess.

With a waiting list of nearly 2,000 students to be a lottery pick to join the student body (when there is space available), Academy at the Farm wants to go from three to four classrooms per grade.

But the big move is even loftier, and one Polk already has tried to make happen four times previously.

A high school at the Farm.

“You don’t get a 2,000-kid waiting list in Dade City without having a good reputation on what kind of charter school we are,” Polk said. “I want to be here to educate kids, even as the director, I want them to know I care about their education, even if I’m not doing any direct educating.”

Polk estimates adding a high school — grades nine through 12 — will cost up to $15 million. However, through federal funding provided by the state, the school was awarded $13.5 million back in September 2022.

Yet, just weeks later, Hurricane Ian devastated parts of Florida and that funding, as well as funding given to several other local government agencies and projects, was redirected to relief aid.

“We’ll reapply,” Polk said of getting grant or federal funding again. “A new public high school could cost anywhere from $80 to $100 million, and even though we raise about $200,000 in fundraising each year, it’s just not enough for the kind of education level we have here.

“To have an IA in every classroom, that’s $350 ($350,000) to $400,000 a year, right there.”

Academy at the Farm
Where: 9500 Alex Lange Way, Dade City
Details: In its 20th year, Academy at the Farm is a K-8 charter school that focuses heavily on higher education, but also has several agricultural aspects, such as a working farm, livestock, crops and more. Any parent can apply for their child or children to attend Academy at the Farm; however, there is a lottery list that resets every March, and that list has nearly 2,000 kids waiting on it.
Info: Visit AcademyAtTheFarm.com.

Published January 25, 2023

Supply chain issues delay grand opening of VA clinic

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Construction has been completed on a new veteran’s clinic in Zephyrhills, but the grand opening isn’t expected until late Spring or early Summer.

It’s been a long road for the new Zephyrhills veteran’s clinic; however, the end is in sight.

Officials at Tampa Veterans Affairs (VA) at James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, which oversees 16 clinics, including the one in Zephyrhills, said it’s just a matter of time before the 14,000-square-foot facility opens.

“The Zephyrhills team is working diligently to open by late Spring (or) early Summer 2023,” Tampa VA officials told The Laker/Lutz News. “We, at James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, are eager to provide expanded health care options to our Zephyrhills veterans.”

Construction has been completed on the new Veterans Clinic, at 37827 Eiland Blvd., in Zephyrhills, for some time. However, several other VA construction projects and national supply chain restrictions have delayed the grand opening until late Spring or early Summer. (Mike Camunas)

Like many construction projects nationwide, the clinic has been experiencing supply chain issues.

Additionally, the Tampa VA had unprecedented concurring construction activities that have swamped officials with a logjam of projects. The main hospital unveiled a Bed Tower of 240,000 square feet and 150 beds on Jan. 21, the VA clinic in New Port Richey expanded to serve up to 24,000 veterans and Lakeland broke ground on a new 93,000-square-foot facility in April 2022.

The new Zephyrhills clinic, at 37827 Eiland Blvd., broke ground on June 7, 2019 and cost $16 million to build.

It replaces the older clinic, which will help address the health needs of veterans in Zephyrhills, the county’s largest municipality.

“The new VA clinic in Zephyrhills will be a game-changer for veterans in East Pasco,” Zephyrhills native and executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs Danny Burgess said at the 2019 groundbreaking ceremony. “The expansion will provide increased access to quality health care. We are so excited for this commitment to our community by USDVA (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs); and FDVA (Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs) looks forward to growing our strong relationship with our federal partners.”

The clinic is designed to accommodate people with disabilities, and will offer new services such as Podiatry and Physical Therapy. Additional services offered include Hearing Aid Repair, Social Work, Food and Nutrition, and Tele-health Services.

Each patient will have an assigned patient-aligned care team that will consist of a physician, nurse, social worker and a mental health provider.

Patients will be referred to and treated at the James A. Haley hospital for surgeries and extensive therapy.

Ten rooms are devoted to primary care, while six rooms are used for treating mental health, which is part of the VA’s efforts to provide more access to psychiatric care services.

Those without transportation will be able to take advantage of a service that will provide free rides to their appointments.

“I’m excited about the new clinic because it’s going to enhance the patient experience for our veterans,” Chief Medical Officer of Zephyrhills Community Based Outpatient Clinic Dr. Scott Knoeppel said in a statement to The Laker/Lutz News. “The new clinic will be nearly triple in size, so we now have the capacity to add some high-demand specialty care services, such as Physical Therapy, Podiatry and Hearing Aid repair. Additionally, our Mental Health providers will be seeing patients in the new building, as well. Offering these services in one building will be of convenience to our veterans. Lastly, we will be expanding parking capacity, which had been a challenge at the previous location.”

Published January 25, 2023

Isn’t it iconic?

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You’ve seen it.

If you’ve driven past or through Orlando, if you’ve visited any of the areas around Disney or Universal or SeaWorld, it’s highly unlikely you would have missed the giant marker indicating ICON Park’s location.

The centerpiece of ICON Park is The Wheel — the 400-foot-tall observation ride — that provides stunning views of Orlando, Kissimmee, Lake Buena Vista and beyond. One rotation will take about 18 minutes, giving riders plenty of time to snap picture after picture after picture. (Mike Camunas)

We’re talking about The Wheel, of course. It’s a giant Ferris wheel, as well as one of the tallest attractions in the outlying Orlando, Kissimmee and Lake Buena Vista tourist areas.

But there’s more to ICON Park than just a Ferris wheel. In fact, there’s enough to do there to entertain you, and the whole family, for the better part of a day.

Which is what makes it Worth The Trip.

Free wheelin’
Without a doubt, The Wheel is the main attraction.

A view from the top of The Wheel at ICON Park, which is a stunning 400-foot high observation that gives 360-degrees angles of the surrounding areas of Orlando, Kissimmee and Lake Buena Vista.

As soon as you step into ICON Park, it’s hard not to immediately start snapping smartphone pics of the Ferris wheel. It’s huge, it’s a monument, it’s beautiful and it’s iconic.

Standing at 400-feet-tall, the ride moves at 1 mph, giving riders plenty of stunning views in 360 degrees. You’ll be able to see Spaceship Earth (a.k.a. EPCOT’s giant silver ball, as well as Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World, Volcano Bay (Universal’s water park) and more. There are 30 air-conditioned passenger capsules, each with a capacity of 15 people, and the rotation takes about 18 minutes. During the ride, there will be facts played over the intercom and passengers are welcome to bring drinks along.

The views alone make this worth the trip. However, as previously mentioned, it lasts just 18 minutes.

Luckily, there is a lot more at ICON Park.

Waxing the sea life
In all, ICON Park actually has a handful of attractions. There is also Sea Life Aquarium, Madame Tussauds Orlando, Museum of Illusions, a carousel, a small train and the 7D Motion Theater, which has a mirror maze and virtual reality experiences.

Sea Life Aquarium is an interactive, ecological experience that lets patrons view varying sea creatures, through the 360-degree ocean tunnel and touch tanks.

The Wheel has 30 air-conditioned passenger capsules, each of which can carry up to 15 people. The ride’s rotation speed is about 1 mph, so it makes for a seamlessly stable ride, unless one has a fear of heights.

Madame Tussauds is just like its other locations worldwide: a plethora of likenesses of famous people, from celebrities to musicians to athletes and presidents.

The Museum of Illusions is as if M.C. Escher opened an interactive, hands-on experience. Visually stunning and mind-boggling illusions are around every nook and cranny, but make sure to take a walk through the spinning tunnel, if your stomach can handle it.

Finally, younger kids will probably enjoy the carousel or the train that goes through the park, similar to the kind you see at our local outdoor malls.

Spin right round
But it’s not all fun and games.

ICON Park also boasts an incredible 40-plus restaurant options, from local fare to your nationwide chain favorites. Plus, there are plenty of stores to pursue while waiting for your turn on The Wheel or during a date night.

So, head over to ICON Park and take a spin on The Wheel, at the very least.

And, as you step off the slow moving ride, be sure to cherish those iconic views.

ICON Park
Where: 8375 International Drive, in Orlando
When: Open Sunday through Thursday, noon to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 11 p.m.
Details: Entertainment park featuring rides, museums, an aquarium, restaurants, shops and more. Attraction combo packages available. The Wheel rides start at $24 for adults, $19 for children.
Info and tickets: Visit IconParkOrlando.com.

Published January 25, 2023

Zephyrhills seeking artist for next mural

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Main Street Zephyrhills issued a call for artists for the city’s ongoing mural series that is meant to brighten up, beautify and even modernize the constantly transforming historic downtown district.

The Zephyrhills Public Library, and its crosswalk in front of the building on Eighth Street, will be the site of the city’s next mural and is tentatively scheduled to be finished by the end of May 2023. (Mike Camunas)

The next mural is slated to be painted on the crosswalk in front of Zephyrhills Public Library, 5347 Eighth St. All local artists are welcome to apply to be awarded the project, which will not exceed a budget of $5,000.

Those interested must submit an application demonstrating experience in the execution of art projects from concept to completion; meeting a specific budget and time frame; and, working in the public realm with public agencies. A combination of experience and creative design also will be considered.

Deadline to apply is March 17 at 3 p.m.. The artist will be selected by March 31.

The artist will then propose and finalize concept artwork by April 28, then given a month to complete the project by May 31.

The artist(s) are responsible for all arrangements and site preparations, including pressure wash of surfaces and applying primer and final sealant, costs, including delivery of equipment, and tools, as necessary to provide a completed and installed work.

All installations must be able to withstand Central Florida subtropical weather conditions. Safety is crucial for the artist and general public. Artists are responsible to ensure a safe environment while their work is in progress.

This mural will serve dual purposes of adding flare to a traditional crosswalk and being an identifier of a safe place for pedestrian crossing.

Applications must include:

  • Application cover sheet
  • Itemized budget clearly defining costs associated with the project. The total cost cannot exceed $5,000.
  • Professional resume, previous work on display and location, current gallery affiliations, documented exhibits and so on.
  • Links to digital portfolios including examples of work, news articles, accolades, etc.

Artists must deliver their package to: Main Street Zephyrhills, Attention: Erin Beasley, 5335 Eighth St.

Zephyrhills, FL 33542.

Additional questions can be emailed to .

 

Players display skills at local tourney

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D.J. Ward, of Wesley Chapel, drives the basketball through two defenders during the Adult 3-v-3 Basketball Tournament on Jan. 21. (Mike Camunas)

Sometimes the calls went a certain way, just like the ball would fall through the hoop a certain way.

All in all, dozens of local basketball players laced up sneakers on Jan. 21 to play in the Adult 3-v-3 Basketball Tournament at the gym at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex. They had a blast and showed off hoops action for each other and spectators who attended.

Teams, made up of up to five adults all over 18, competed. The games began in the morning and went into the afternoon. Each team was guaranteed two games.

Play was relegated to a half-court. Scoring was reduced to one point for a regular basket and two points for a shot made beyond the three-point line.

Snacks and beverages were provided, including some from Aroma Joe’s, which was handing out A.J.’s Rush energy drinks.

Overall, the play was intense and competitive.

When they weren’t playing, however, the players enjoyed watching other games — and rooted for the competitors on the courts.

P

David Senyak, of Tampa, makes a pass during the Adult 3-v-3 Basketball Tournament at the gym at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex on Jan. 21.
Temple Terrace player Chris Gaines engages in a little keep-away during one of his games in the 3-v-3 basketball tournament.
Land O’ Lakes referee Richard Bolack makes a fun call during the Adult 3-v-3 Basketball Tournament at Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex on Jan. 21.
Land O’ Lakes resident Justin Pipes, left, is defended by Lutz resident Andy Luaces, during the Adult 3-v-3 Basketball Tournament at the gym at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex. Teams could have up to five players for subs and were guaranteed two games, as fans, and players on the other teams, would stand by to watch some good recreational basketball.
Land O’ Lakes player Dante Cannon drives past Lutz player Andy Luaces, as Cannon heads to the basket for a layup in the Adult 3-v-3 Basketball Tournament at the gym at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex.
Nick McElroy, of Tampa, takes a shot from well beyond the line on Jan. 21.
Clearwater player Herwick Pressoir readies to run a play while dribbling the ball at the top of the court.
Basketball action was on full display at the gym at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex on Jan. 21.
Andy Luaces, of Lutz, takes a long shot during the Adult 3-v-3 Basketball Tournament on Jan. 21.
New Tampa player K’Vaughn Joyner, left, and Wesley Chapel player Peter Schnidmiller take a breather on the bench during the Adult 3-v-3 Basketball Tournament at the gym at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex.

 

 

 

 

Sending coupon sales overseas

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Freedom isn’t free — even with coupons.

But that doesn’t mean military families have to pay full price.

At least that’s how the Auxiliary Unit for American Legion Post 108 sees it.

Members of the Auxiliary Unit from American Legion Post 108 in Land O’ Lakes work diligently to sort through and clip coupons, as part of an initiative to send overseas, so military families can use them in commerce areas. The newly formed Auxiliary Unit for Post 108 has been clipping away for only a few months, however, as the women collect coupon ads from local publications, they also are allowed to send expired coupons, which commerce areas will accept for up to six months. They are about to send the first batch of coupons, estimated to total more than $10,000 worth of savings. (Mike Camunas)

The auxiliary, which serves Lutz and Wesley Chapel and is based in Land O’ Lakes, has launched a coupon-clipping initiative to help military families overseas.

The auxiliary is made up of women who are spouses, daughters and granddaughters of veterans, living or deceased. They are rounding up discarded or unused coupons from local publications, including The Laker/Lutz News.

They take the coupon sheets, books and inserts, and painstakingly clip away at the deals. Then, they bundle and package them to send overseas for military families to use at the bases’ commerce areas.

“It’s a low-budget way to give back, to do things for our military and their families,” said Barbara Bird, leader of Auxiliary Unit 108. “We can do so many things, but sometimes it costs a little more to do things, but this is a way to do something and save them money.

Post 108 Auxiliary Unit leader Barbara Bird sorts through hundreds of coupons clipped from local publications. The coupons eventually will be bundled and shipped overseas to military families to use at commerce areas.

“We get a lot of them from The Laker, and I’ve asked my neighbor to save her Laker, and I’ve been trying to find where I can find extra Lakers and newspapers that are left over, but we’ll take any newspaper we can with coupons that people don’t use.”

Post 108’s Auxiliary Unit is relatively new, with it just starting in mid-2022 and getting its charter approved in December. However, Bird and about a half-dozen other women — including one Air Force veteran herself — have been gathering coupons out of newspapers and clipping since about September.

The women meet once a month and clip, or clip at home on their own time. Over time, they have sorted and put aside thousands of coupons.

They are about to send out their first batch that will go to a base in either Germany or Poland, and, in total, the coupons are valued at more than $10,000 in savings.

Commerce areas will also honor expired coupons of up to six months.

“Well, it’s definitely a labor of love, that’s for sure,” said Post 108 Chaplain Don Hinst, whose wife, Linda, also does a lot of coupon clipping. “It’s free money — there’s 10 grand right there of free money, and they pass them out to the families because it’s the non-commissioned officers and their families that are struggling.

American Legion Auxiliary Unit District 15 President Eileen Wilson cuts through a coupon sheet to help out Post 108’s unit collect coupons to be used by military families overseas.

“The dollar value of all the coupons in the newspapers, when the ladies are clipping, they can get anywhere from $80 to $120 per coupon insert. Why not put that to use for our military members?”

The key has been finding unused coupons, which has meant the women rounding up newspapers and other publications that have been discarded. Several of the women, such as Bird, have been seeking out old newspaper issues in bins, as well as asking their neighbors for their newspapers, if they’re not going to use the coupons.

“I just moved here and I live with my daughter,” Bird said, “and I’m trying to get out, walk around and get to know more people, and if they don’t want their coupons or their Laker, I’ll take them.”

Lutz resident Sandi Uhl intently searches for a hot deal while clipping coupons to send overseas. She’s helping in an initiative organized by Post 108’s Auxiliary Unit. Uhl, whose husband is a Vietnam veteran, is checking the expiration date on some coupons because commerce areas will accept expired coupons.

The Auxiliary Unit also invites people in the community to donate newspapers, which can be dropped off at Harvester Community Church in Land O’ Lakes.

Bird, who was instrumental in starting Post 108’s Auxiliary Unit to honor her late husband, a Vietnam veteran who died in 2020, admits most of her free time, as of late, has been spent clipping coupons.

“It’s really gratifying to know how much it has added up to,” she said. “Just the other night, I go, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s $9,000! So, the other night, I said, ‘Let me round this up to 10. And my daughter comes in and is like, ‘What are you doing? Oh, don’t tell me — it’s clipping coupons again! (laughs)’”

“We are so excited to get them the coupons,” Hinst, a Navy veteran, added. “I am so excited to see how much we can help them save, and to see the piles and bags of coupons that were clipped and put together finally get mailed out.

“We would’ve loved to get coupons. We could’ve used that when I served, for sure.”

Linda Hinst, whose husband, Don, is Post 108’s chaplain, pitches in during the Auxiliary Unit’s clipping session.

Bird agrees, knowing full well that if militaries can use anything, it’s discounts on the essentials.

“How great would it have been to get coupons?” Bird asked. “It was just the thought of someone doing something so nice, thinking about military families who do their shopping at commerce areas, and I just know that it is difficult as the price of everything rises, but their salary and pay doesn’t, I can identify with that.

“It’s going to be great when we send them over,” she added. “I hope they’re excited when they get them because I’m excited for them to use all the coupons.”

Coupon Clipping with Post 108’s Auxiliary Unit
American Legion Post 108 serves Wesley Chapel and Lutz, but is based out of the Plantation Palms community in Land O’ Lakes. It recently was granted the charter for its Auxiliary Unit. The unit is composed of spouses, daughters and granddaughters of veterans in the Post. The Auxiliary meets the fourth Monday of each month at 5 p.m. for a social gathering and then at 6 p.m. for a meeting, at the Plantations Palms Golf Club, 23253 Plantation Palms Blvd. The Auxiliary welcomes new members who have a veteran in their family. For more information, visit AmericanLegionPost108.org/index.php?id=20.

The Auxiliary welcomes coupon donations and volunteers to help clip them. The coupons can be dropped off at Harvester Community Church, 2432 Collier Parkway. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Barbara Bird at 206-735-0597 or .

Published January 18, 2023

Recycled Christmas trees give trails new life

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Even after Christmas, these trees are still presenting gifts.

The Pasco County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Department sets up its Trees to Trails Program each year, with residents dropping off Christmas trees at various parks around the county.

The program, which runs three weeks and ended on Jan. 11, aims to encourage residents to recycle their trees instead of tossing them in the garbage or, even worse for the community, burning them.

Pasco County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Department has its annual used Trees to Trails Program for residents to drop off Christmas trees for recycling, which results in them being chipped into mulch for the county’s parks. At Wesley Chapel District Park, one of two of the drop-off locations, drop-off was available through Jan. 11. (Mike Camunas)

The annual effort typically yields a big haul for the parks department.

The county asks participants to remove the tinsel, if there was any. Then the county chips the trees to provide free mulch at the parks where the trees were dropped off.

“It’s a great program — it’s a great tax-funded program,” said Brian Taylor, the county’s Parks & Recreation Manager. “It actually saves the taxpayers money because it gives the parks some much-needed mulch for landscaping.

“Plus, it smells good (laughs).”

The county set up drop-off sites at Wesley Chapel District Park and Veterans Memorial Park in Hudson.

Peter Grayling, a park operator with the county for 28 years, says the turnout for drop-off was good, especially right after Christmas and at the beginning of 2023.

And, as good as residents were about bringing trees to be recycled, several residents were just as good about hauling some away for personal use.

Those trees weren’t usually taken for mulch.

“The reason why is, well, kind of funny,” Taylor added.

Some residents took a tree or two to create a reef, or new habitat for fish in their ponds or lakes.

Trees are placed upright in parts of the pond that are at least deep enough to cover the trees. That is an approved disposal method by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Conservation Biologists.

Once submerged, sunken trees are great for creating natural fish habitats in local ponds and lakes. Recycled Christmas trees become havens for a variety of freshwater wildlife, including small insects, snails and mussels.

These tiny organisms attract fish who feed on them, like minnows and crawfish, who in turn, attract such species as bass, bluegill and crappie.

One tree can become an entire ecosystem with an estimated lifespan of up to 10 years, which is not only great for lake life, but for fishing enthusiasts, too.

“We don’t discourage them from not taking them,” Grayling said. “We know that’s what they’re for, so it’s OK if they do, but we’re not going to be out here stopping them or monitoring.

“If they’re putting them in lakes, that’s recycling them, too.”

In the past, the county used to have more drop-off sites, but scaled back to have two centralized locations: one for East and Central Pasco and another for West Pasco.

It wasn’t, however, because the county saw a decrease in tree piles, not from people using them in lakes, but from people switching to artificial trees.

“We really haven’t seen a difference in the time we’ve been doing it, even going back how many years we can go back,” Taylor said. “Every year, there are plenty of trees brought to us, and every year we end up with plenty of mulch.

“From the county’s point of view, we’re just glad we can do our part and recycle the trees, in an environmentally friendly way, every year.”

Published January 18, 2023

Dinking in the dark

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It was fun while it lasted.

And even after — because as the lights came on, the pickleball players were still enjoying themselves.

They had gathered to play Cosmic Pickleball — a fun, new twist to the incredibly popular sport. In this version, players were encouraged to wear neon colors and then played with neon balls under black lights, with laser light displays and music amping up the atmosphere.

Neon pickleballs were used during Cosmic Pickleball at Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex on Jan. 14, allowing players to see them glow under the black lights. (Mike Camunas)

The three-hour event, at Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex on Jan. 14, was a new take on a sport that’s taken the recreation world by storm.

After about an hour of playing in the dark, many players asked to switch back to normal lighting.

Even so, event organizers were pleased with the turnout and the different spin on pickleball.

“Well, now we just have a dance party, huh?” joked Shannon Saracena, the Pasco County recreation specialist that organized the event. “It’s kind of sad we had to turn the lights on, but it was a good turnout and everyone still played, so that’s all that matters.
“We’re just glad everyone had a good time.”

Saracena said they got the idea for Cosmic Pickleball from a regular pickleball player that played in a similar event in North Carolina. That one, however, was outdoors and only featured three courts.

Cosmic Pickleball at the complex in Wesley Chapel was indoors, allowing for the black lights and laser displays, as well as featuring six courts in the gym.

Ann McHugh, of Wesley Chapel, returns the ball during a round of Cosmic Pickleball at the Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex on Jan. 14. Recreation specialists at the park decided to try a different spin on the very popular game, encouraging players to wear neon colors that would show up under the black lights, with laser light displays and music playing during the three-hour event.

“We also encouraged everyone to wear bright or neon colors,” Saracena said. “And some people didn’t disappoint, as those were some bright pickleball outfits (laughs).”

To aid match play, neon balls were used, as they would light up under the black lights. Additionally, some balls had glow sticks inserted inside the middle, or even had some glowing material from inside the glow sticks painted on the balls.

Players were given glow sticks to wear, as well.

Moving forward, Saracena says they will host another Cosmic Pickleball event, but this time for youth players. They figure kids might play the whole event in the “dark,” as the one kid who was there — 12-year-old Rey Gonzalez Jr., who played with his dad, Rey Sr. — was disappointed when the lights came on.

“Oh, yeah, we think the youth will really like Cosmic Pickleball,” Saracena added. “So, we’re looking forward to having that event and keeping it cosmic the whole time.”

Michael Vizza, of Wesley Chapel, hits a pickleball under the black lights and laser light displays at Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex.

How to play Pickleball
Pickleball is played on a court that is 44 feet by 20 feet, with a net that’s 36 inches tall. The game features a non-volley zone often referred to as “The Kitchen.” It is played with a paddle and a plastic ball with holes (similar to a wiffle ball).

The game starts with the “Two Bounce Rule,” meaning the serving team serves cross-court to the returning team and the ball must land past the kitchen in the box diagonal from the server to be a valid serve. Any serve that lands in the kitchen or on the kitchen line is a fault.

The returning team returns the ball off of a bounce (bounce 1) and now the serving team also has to let the ball bounce before hitting it (bounce 2). From there, play is open, meaning everyone is now allowed to hit balls out of the air.

Balls can only be hit out of the air when standing outside the kitchen. If a player hits the ball out of the air while in the kitchen or standing on the kitchen line, a point is lost. If the ball bounces inside of the kitchen, a player can move into the kitchen to hit the ball off of a bounce, but the players must reset their positioning and get out of the kitchen before hitting the ball out of the air.

Scoring is called out in a three-number sequence: the server’s score, the returner’s score and whether server 1 or 2 is serving. For example, if the server calls out a score of 2-1-1, that means their team has two points, the returning team has one point, and they are the first server.

Only the serving team can score points. A side out is when the service switches teams. Matches are best two out of three games format, and games are played to 11 points, win by two.

Published January 18, 2023

Giving a piece to keep a family whole

By

Aaron Barnes really doesn’t want this kidney.

But he does need it.

“I just didn’t want it this way,” Barnes said. “I didn’t want it from her because what scares me the most is both parents going under the table, and if the kids lose both of us, boy, that brings tears to my eyes right now, and that’s why I didn’t want it to be her.

“If something happens to me, fine, they have another parent, but something happens to both of us … wow … and that’s why I wanted the kidney to come from someone else.”

Barnes, a 50-year-old Wesley Chapel resident, has been dealing with chronic kidney failure (CKF) for decades. Only in 2022 did it deteriorate his health so rapidly that while he was planning to get a kidney transplant, the need for the procedure was expedited.

Wesley Chapel resident Aaron Barnes is hugged by his wife of 20 years, Andrea, at Tru U Fitness in Lutz, where she is the co-owner. Aaron has been suffering from kidney failure for decades and as his health rapidly declined in 2022, it was time for a kidney transplant. It hasn’t been an easy process, including dozens of tests, lots of unsuccessful waiting, a monthlong hospital stay and even dialysis three times a week. However, Aaron finally found a donor: Andrea. (Mike Camunas)

He is on the national transplant list, but it’s a waiting game to be awarded a kidney or for someone to donate a kidney directly to him.

That is, until he found the perfect donor.

His wife of 20 years, Andrea.

In sickness and in health
Andrea is scared.

“Oh yeah, very scared., I’ve never had major surgery — well, c-sections — but never had an organ taken out,” the mother of three said. “We’re constantly trying to figure something out, but we’ll get through it. We’ve done it together and we’ll continue to do it together, quite literally.”

Sometime in February, Andrea will give her husband one of her kidneys. It will extend and better his life, one filled with dialysis sessions three times a week and a year of health deterioration that has taken its toll on the family of five.

The couple will travel to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville and be there more than a month. Each will have a procedure, with Andrea undergoing a nephrectomy, or removing of the kidney. Aaron, on the other side, will receive the kidney, which will be placed in his lower abdomen, near his hip and the renal artery.

Aaron’s doctor also decided to remove his left kidney, as it was found to have a hematoma and is not functioning properly enough, even with dialysis.

It’s a process that has taken well over a year to get to, and it all started with a sharp decline in Aaron’s health in late 2021.

“I’m just 1 out of 39 million with CKD (chronic kidney disease),” Aaron said. “As a guy, they don’t tell you everything you go through, with kidney failure or a transplant. It just happens and you start going through all this and it takes everything from you: job, energy, your drive — it’s bad, but I always try to look at the positives and that it could be worse.”

It hasn’t been easy on Aaron and his family.

For years, Aaron had been dealing with CKD through kidney-sensitive diets and other healthy ways of living. However, once his glomerular filtration rate (or GFR, the way to test how well kidneys are working) fell below 20, that’s when dialysis began and it required an immediate life change.

Each session zaps Aaron of any energy and he’s done for the day less than a half hour afterwards. He couldn’t work. He couldn’t help around the house. He couldn’t do things with his kids.

That’s when the depression set in.

Lowest of lows
It hit Aaron hard.

Yes, dialysis took its toll on him, but not as much as the depression. And while going through this health crisis and major change in life would bring anyone down, the dialysis did cause a lot of it.

Aaron Barnes, 50, spent September of 2022 in AdventHealth in Wesley Chapel due to extreme kidney failure. His weight dropped to 139 pounds. During his hospitalization, he had surgery to place a hemodialysis port in his chest to aid with his dialysis sessions, which he receives three times a week. (Courtesy of Andrea Barnes)

He would be in a fog, which can occur to patients who receive dialysis and then feel depressed.

“When this happened to me, I finally experienced depression for the first time and it was way worse than the health crisis I am experiencing,” Aaron said. “(The depression) scared me more than anything else.

“When you’re that depressed, when you’re emotionless, you get to that point where you’re that down, you’re that depressed and no one can help you, not even your family — that scared the hell out of me, man.”

“I didn’t consider myself to be suicidal, but the lack of caring, the lack of desire to eat or get out of it, I might as well have been.”

For most of 2022, it was just dialysis and depression. Eventually, it was time to tell the kids: A.T., 15; A’saph, 13; and Azalea Barnes, 9.

“We kept them in the dark a little bit, but then it got really bad, and I had to have that hard conversation with them,” Aaron said. “I am OK with my fate, but then what it does to the whole household can be miserable. It impacts the whole family, and that’s what bothers me the most.”

“It did bring us closer together, a little,” Andrea added. “He was in a lot of pain, so the boys would come in and rub his head or we would all sleep together in the same bed when he first started dialysis at home.

“And it’s a lot, and they’re also trying to live regular lives, as teenagers, and they come home to our house and chaos!”

The chaos would get more chaotic. When Aaron’s GFR got too low (3), he was admitted to AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, staying there over a month.

His weight loss was dramatic, dropping to 139 pounds. Doctors opted to place a hemodialysis port in his chest to aid with his dialysis sessions. He had a low platelet count for four days after surgery, leaving him at extreme risk.

“It took me a long time to get out of depression,” Aaron said. “And getting critically ill, it helped in that, on this journey, it’s a fight. You have to fight, so I did.”

“And it’s a fight,” Andrea added, “that never ends.”

Connected together
As Aaron, Andrea and their children move forward, it will, again, be another life-altering change for the family.

As long as the surgeries are successful, both Aaron and Andrea will recover, but in very different ways. Andrea will need up to a week to recover, however, it will take some time to get back to her job as co-owner of Tru U Fitness Studio in Lutz.

Aaron and Andrea Barnes with their three kids: A.T., A’saph and Azalea. (Courtesy of Andrea Barnes)

“And I have to be his caregiver,” said Andrea, who went through the six-month process to get approved as a match to donate to Aaron. “Then we need someone to stay with the kids for about a month — it’s a lot.”

Aaron’s recovery will be more extensive, including starting an intense daily regimen of anti-rejection medication.

“Transplant is not a real solution — it’s a work-around,” Andrea said. “So it’s partly a solution, then it’s still work, it still changes everything and you adapt.”

The alternative is staying on dialysis, which isn’t a solution either. Dialysis raises a patient’s blood pressure to extreme levels. In fact, Aaron’s high blood pressure was delaying the surgery, as it needed to come down. So, Andrea would shoulder the burden of two parents.

Andrea wouldn’t necessarily tell Aaron everything happening with their teenagers, to keep Aaron from stressing out.

Soon, Aaron and Andrea will be closer than ever. Because an actual piece of his wife will help him live.

“No, not anymore am I scared,” Aaron said of the impending procedure. “After being in critical condition four times and almost dying four times, I’m not scared anymore.

“At this point, I can’t be scared anymore because this is what I need not to die.”

Becoming a Living Kidney Donor
While a kidney donation can come from someone who is on the organ donor list — someone who passes and has been allowed to be harvested to aid others — there is the option to become a living kidney donor. However, this is a lengthy process that involves several aspects.

For starters, it takes about six months from start to finish, with numerous tests to determine if one is healthy enough to donate — meaning a donor must be free of uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, HIV, hepatitis or acute infections. Then there will be psychiatric tests to determine mental stability, plus one has to be a nonsmoker and can’t be pregnant.

As living donors, they can make a directed donation to a specific person — family member, friend, acquaintance, etc. — or a non-directed donation to an anonymous patient on the waiting list.

Every 10 minutes, another person is added to the national transplant waiting list — and 82% of patients waiting are in need of a kidney. On average, a living donor kidney can function anywhere between 12 years to 20 years, and a deceased donor kidney can improve quality of life for 8 years to 12 years.

Additionally, the average wait time for an organ from the deceased donor list is 3 years to 5 years, while getting a living donation, a patient may be able to receive a transplant in a year or less.

For more information about becoming a living kidney donor, visit Kidney.org/transplantation.

Published January 11, 2023