Special to The Laker/Lutz News

 

 

By B.C. Manion

 

Cameron Perez had planned to spend part of his winter break from Gaither High riding along with a friend who was moving to Indianapolis.

They wanted to share the ride, have some fun and then fly back home before school resumed.

Instead, Cameron’s friend lost control of the car, slammed into a wall, went down an embankment and crashed into a tree.

The accident occurred around 3 a.m. on Dec. 26 on a stretch of Interstate 65 near Bowling Green, Ky.

The police report attributed the crash to a combination of the driver’s speed, the condition of the car’s tires and the weather, said Robert Perez, Cameron’s dad.

Cameron sustained 60 percent damage to his brain, cracked ribs, a punctured lung, a fractured clavicle and three fractured vertebrates, his dad said.

The young man was transported to Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville, Ky., before being transferred to Tampa General Hospital.

He was later taken to Sabal Palms of Largo, an assisted care facility, where he is staying now, but will return to Tampa General for intensive rehabilitation.

Despite the long road to recovery that faces Cameron, the family has been comforted by the kindness of both strangers and friends, Robert said.

“When that accident happened, there was a cop literally one mile behind the accident. He got there, and when he assessed it he could see that Cameron was having trouble breathing,” Robert said. The officer, Jeremy Smith, moved Cameron’s head and put a towel under it so the teenager could breathe.

The ambulance was two miles away and the fire department responded within minutes, Robert said.

Hospital staff had given his son a 15 percent chance of survival, his dad said.

But Robert knew that they didn’t know Cameron.

“I never once thought he was not going to make it,” Robert said. “I can’t explain how I knew. I just knew.”

When Cameron’s friend, Dean “London” Bousaid, heard about the accident, he began rallying the Gaither community to get involved.

The school turned its Multicultural Extravaganza on Jan. 23 into a fundraiser for Cameron. The event featured ethnic foods and performances by students wearing costumes representing the cultures of Africa, Asia, South America, the Caribbean and Europe.

Various school clubs also have had fundraisers, and Tanya & Matt’s Ice Creamiest Colonial Promenade, a school partner, stepped in to help out, said Marie Whelan, Gaither’s principal.

Gaither students also had a massive car wash and sold T-shirts and wristbands, Robert said.

The outpouring of kindness was unexpected.

“It was amazing — the love and support that that school gave a student who hadn’t even been there for a year,” Robert said. “It was very touching. Words don’t describe it.”

When he arrived at the car wash, he saw that about 50 kids had turned out to help. He said he couldn’t believe it.

“I sat in my car and cried,” he said.

Whelan has been impressed, too: “It has been totally student-driven. They continue to just amaze me every single day.”

It will be a long road back for Cameron, Robert said.

Before the accident, his son was strong, quick and flexible.

“He was a natural athlete,” Robert said. “He could walk on his hands. He could do back-flips. He could run up walls and back-flip off of them. He could do pushups. He could do splits.”

He was a free spirit, too. He enjoyed having fun and wasn’t necessarily known for having a strong work ethic, his dad said. One reason Cameron was living with him was to stay focused and finish high school.

Cameron’s parents are separated. His mom, Sherie Perez, lives in Plant City.

Robert said he and his wife have differences, but they are united in their commitment to help their son recover.

Before attending Gaither, Cameron was on the wrestling teams at Plant City and Durant high schools. He also played football for the Turkey Creek Trojans, his dad said.

The young man liked to skateboard, listen to rap music, hang out with his friends and go to the beach.

Now, he is slowly making progress.

During the first month after the car crash, it was mostly a matter of survival. During the second month, Cameron’s brain and other injuries were healing. Now, the young man is saying words and indicating he remembers people and how to do things, his dad said.

“It’s one miracle after another,” Robert said.

Beyond the kindness shown by hospital workers, emergency personnel and the Gaither community, Cameron’s dad is also touched by the way his son’s friends have rallied around him.

On his 18th birthday, which was Feb. 28, about 60 kids came to Largo to see him.

Cameron’s grandparents, Carlos and Shirley Perez, have been visiting him daily, a fact his dad appreciates because he can’t get there every day.

While Robert is confident his son will recover physically, he’s not sure how Cameron will be affected mentally or if the injuries will affect the young man’s personality.

He’s also concerned about how he will provide the things Cameron needs. He was already struggling financially before the accident. Expenses he had not expected have compounded those challenges.

“I’m on a long journey,” Robert said.

But he’s determined to do what he can for his son.

“The only thing you have is faith and time,” Robert said. He added, “This is the hand that was dealt to me, and I have to play it. I will not stop until I get him back 100 percent. A happy life for him — that’s all I want.”

 

Want to help?

 

 

By B.C. Manion

 

When it opens for classes in January 2014, the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch is expected to have the tallest building in Pasco County.

The college campus is also projected to one day have about the same number of students as Pasco-Hernando Community College’s West Campus — its main campus located in New Port Richey.

And, the new Porter campus is aiming to offer two bachelor’s degree programs.

Those were just a few highlights about the campus now under construction that officials from Pasco-Hernando Community College (PHCC) shared with the audience at the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Committee meeting on March 28.

Because it is preparing to add bachelor’s programs, PHCC is also considering a name change, said Randy Stovall, provost for the college’s East Campus in Dade City.

The college’s board of trustees is considering four names that have been recommended and are also accepting suggestions from the public, said Stovall, who personally favors the name Pasco-Hernando State College.

Stovall said the community colleges that offer four-year degrees tend to change their names because “community college” has the connotation of being a place that does not have such programs.

As the new Porter campus continues to emerge from the landscape, the college is also preparing for the academic programs it will be offering there.

Stan Giannet, provost at the North Campus in Brooksville, has been named to the same position for the Porter campus, Stovall said.

Ken Burdzinski, PHCC’s vice president of administration and finance, provided an overview of the construction activity at the site, which is near the intersection of SR 56 and Mansfield Boulevard next to Wiregrass Ranch High in Wesley Chapel. He estimated the project’s cost at around $57 million.

Environmental issues were a challenge, Burdzinski said. The site had more than 60 gopher tortoise burrows, soil had to be brought in to raise it up to meet floodplain requirements and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had to get involved because a slough runs through the property.

Building the structures on top of the parking required thoughtful design, Burdzinski added.

There are many things people take for granted when a building is designed from the ground floor up, including being able to move enough people at a time, being able to bring equipment in and get it to higher floors and being able to work in a building that doesn’t have too much vibration from cars and trucks moving below.

“We’re going to have a nursing program, so we’re going to have gurneys and we’re going to have hospital beds,” Burdzinski said. That means the structure’s elevators must be large enough and strong enough to handle those types of demands.

Careful thought is also going into designing for sustainability, he said.

“We have built things to sustainable design standards in the past, but we never sought the actual certification that goes with that. We’re going Green Global,” Burdzinski said.

Because the site is on virgin land, the college must provide the necessary infrastructure, such as water, sewer, roads, drainage and parking.

All of the runoff will be kept on-site.

The parking garage will have 500 spaces and will use ramps similar to those used at Tampa International Airport, Burdzinski said. There’s also a surface parking lot with 189 spaces.

The site has been master-planned to ensure infrastructure built now — such as the chiller and the plant operation center — can be expanded for future needs, Burdzinski said.

Additional structures built in the future will also have parking on the lower floors and buildings on top, he said.

The campus will have a classroom building, a library and student development and administration building.

The project was about 30 days behind schedule because of rain. Crews have made up some of that time by working at night.

“Our highest priority for January ’14 is to have that classroom building built and to have the library,” Burdzinski said.

With recent concerns about sinkholes, Burdzinski assured the crowd that great care has been taken to ensure the building has a sound foundation.

The college researched various foundation designs. They went with one that involves drilling into the ground, dropping in rebar cage and filling that with concrete. In some cases they drilled down 120 feet.

“We have 1,017 of those pilings underneath that building. Hopefully it’s not going anywhere,” Burdzinski said.

The conference center and the plant operations building are being built to hurricane shelter standards. The conference center will be used for Pasco’s first responders. The plant operations building will provide a space for a secondary Emergency Operations Center for the county, Burdzinski said.

 

 

By B.C. Manion

 

The Dade City Business Center and Dade City Office Plaza was once the site of one of the largest juice processing plants in the world, teeming with more than 2,000 employees.

It fell into disrepair through the decades, but, in recent years, it has been roaring back to life with myriad companies setting up shop.

Now, plans call for launching Pasco County’s first business incubator at the site.

The incubator will help small companies and startup businesses by providing expert assistance in tackling the various challenges that entrepreneurs face, said John Walsh, vice president of the Pasco Economic Development Council (PEDC), a key player in the initiative.

Locating the incubator at the Dade City industrial park and office plaza is ideal because of its proximity to expert help from Saint Leo University, the Small Business Development Center and to veteran business people who belong to the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, Walsh said.

When companies are getting off the ground, they often need help on issues ranging from tax law to exports to personnel matters, Walsh said. A business incubator provides technical assistance and a way to connect businesses with people who can offer the kind of expertise they need.

In the long-run, the aim of a business incubator is to create jobs, encourage growth of innovative companies and help Pasco County and Dade City enhance their reputation as a place that can make these kinds of things happen, said John Moors, executive director of the chamber.

The owners of the business center and office plaza — JDR Properties of Pasco — offered attractive rates to help make the incubator affordable to small businesses, Walsh said.

The initiative fits in with the office and industrial park owners’ visionary thinking, said Bobby Van Allen, general manager of the 355-acre site.

The incubator is a combined effort of the PEDC, Saint Leo University, the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, the Small Business Development Center, Pasco County and the Dade City Business Center. It is funded with $50,000 from the PEDC, $50,000 from the city of Dade City and $100,000 from the county.

“This is a great collaboration,” Moors said. Everyone involved in the effort wants the incubator to be successful, he said.

Walsh said the hope is the incubator becomes a model for a couple others in Pasco.

Moors said the industrial park and office plaza was selected to house the business incubator because it has available office space, a common lobby, a common boardroom and ample parking.

Having office and industrial space available is a plus because it allows the incubator to serve a mixture of companies, Walsh said.

It also offers an opportunity for synergy as new companies can benefit from the experience of other tenants at the office and industrial park, Moors added.

“It’s already a major employment center for the county,” Moors said.

The site has a diverse list of tenants, including specialty recyclers, fuel production, decorative and specialty concrete business, furniture refinishing, beverage production and distribution, heavy equipment repair, accounting professionals, financial consultants, freight brokerage, logistical companies, a screen printer and embroiderer, marketing firms and a wheel manufacturer among others.

The park has heavy industrial zoning, a CSX main rail line flowing through it and daily water rights of 3.5 million gallons, Van Allen said. It also has its own wastewater treatment plant and access to six-lane US 301, as well as a central location in relation to Tampa, Orlando and Lakeland, Van Allen said.

Other benefits of the site include easy access to Florida’s major highways, regional and international airports and deepwater ports.

A selection committee will choose the companies that will be allowed to participate in the incubator, Van Allen said. It will be looking at a number of factors, including the company’s business plan and its exit strategy, he said.

Van Allen, who grew up in Dade City, said the site he manages has undergone a systematic rehabilitation with its current ownership.

“This property was very blighted. To be nice, it needed a lot of renovation,” Van Allen said.

Details for the business incubator are still being worked out, but Walsh expects it to begin operating in April or May.

For more information call Walsh or Krista Hakes at the PEDC, (813) 926-0827.

 

 

By Jeff Odom

 

Kelsie Buller stood humbly in front of the group gathered for Shoresh David Messianic Synagogue’s annual community Passover Seder March 30.

As a hush fell over the crowd, Rabbi Larry A. Johnson motioned for Buller to open the Seder with the playing of the shofar, a large wind instrument shaped like a ram’s horn.

The long, loud hum of the horn echoed off the walls of Trinity Church’s Fellowship Hall in Wesley Chapel, which hosted the event and signaled the beginning to a celebration of life, family and faith.

The Passover Seder is a yearly Jewish ceremony and meal that features each of the 15 steps found in the Haggadah, a Jewish text that sets forth the order of the Seder. According to Johnson, it acts as an annual memorial to the period when God passed over the houses of the Jews to prevent the slaying of the first-born of Israel while they were slaves in Egypt.

The service starts with what is known as Kadeish, or the blessing and first cup of wine. That leads into traditional Passover songs, eating of bitter herbs such as parsley and horseradish called maror to symbolize struggle and the consumption of charoseth, an apple and walnut mixture that denotes mortar for bricks.

Then, the maror and charoseth are put together in a mixture on a matza cracker for a Korech Hillel sandwich before the start of the traditional meal that includes a salad, matzo ball soup, green beans, lamb and sliced potatoes.

“Passover began in Exodus, and it was a very significant time because it’s when the most dynamic of the plagues was fulfilled, which was the death of the first-born children,” Johnson said. “After the 10 plagues, which we demonstrated here, were passed, it was probably the only time in history where God came into humanity and presented himself so miraculously and helped save these people from their oppression.”

Aside from the meal, the Seder is also a time for the group to sing traditional Jewish songs and participate in Maggid, which is recounting the story of the Exodus as well as reciting the 10 plagues, as a reminder that God does not tolerate sinful behavior.

Johnson said it is imperative to continue these customs to keep the Jewish faith alive.

“This is hugely important, and that’s actually why we have a community Seder,” Johnson said. “It might not be on the exact night that Passover would have been, but we want to invite the community, because once it’s out of sight and out of mind, we forget it. … Once we forget together, we forget there’s God, and it just gets lower down the line of our priorities and it becomes nothing.”

One of the main focuses during the middle of the Seder meal is the children in attendance.

As part of tradition, the rabbi takes a piece of a matza cracker known as the afikomen, or that which comes after, and tucks it into a piece of cloth and hides it somewhere in the room for a young child to find after finishing their meal. The child who finds it is rewarded with a special prize.

When the final glass of wine has been finished to signify praise for God, the Seder is completed and the afikomen is split for all in attendance to enjoy as they say together “L’shanah, habaha bi Y’rushalaiyim,” which means a new year in Jerusalem.

“For the generation that is coming up, it’s even more significant to keep these customs alive because every generation down the line is more responsible to the one after them,” Johnson said. “We have to make sure they understand not just their knowledge, but who they are and what they are and why they are here. And faith continues to proceed them and go after them, because once it’s dead, it’s dead.”

 

Pasco Regional names CEO

Pasco Regional Medical Center has appointed Shauna McKinnon as its chief executive officer.

McKinnon brings more than 17 years of hospital-based administrative and nursing experience to Dade City. She joined Health Management Associates in 2004 and in 2011 was named chief operating officer at Spring Hill Regional Hospital.

She received a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Saint Francis Xavier University in Antigonish Nova Scotia, Canada and a master’s degree in business and health care administration from Baker University in Flint, Mich.

 

Tips for lowering your tax bill

The National Society of Accountants (NSA) advises against stretching the truth, but does encourage taxpayers to ensure they are claiming all legitimate tax deductions they are entitled to.

Common expenditures that may be taken as deductions and credits on a personal tax return include:

—Owning a home. Interest paid on mortgages for primary and secondary residences is deductible, as are property taxes on a home if they’re based on the assessed value of a home and purchase points when securing a mortgage or refinancing.

—Mileage. Allowable deductions are 24 cents per mile for medical or moving purposes and 14 cents per mile for serving charitable organizations.

—Medical expenses. Deductions for medical expenses if the total qualifying medical costs exceed a certain percentage of adjusted gross income. The expenses can include bills or co-pays, ambulance rides, prescriptions, glasses, hearing aids, prosthetics and crutches.

—Charitable contributions. Be sure to have receipts for cash donations and written documentation from charities that describes noncash gifts, their market value and the date they were donated.

—Education costs. Taxpayers may qualify for the maximum annual credit of $2,500 per student. Full credit is available to individuals with a modified adjusted gross income of $80,000 or less, or $160,000 or less for married couples filing a joint return. For the tax year, you may be able to claim a Lifetime Learning Credit of up to $2,000 for qualified education expenses paid for all students enrolled in eligible educational institutions.

—The Child Tax Credit can cut your federal income tax by up to $1,000 for each qualifying child younger than 17.

—The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is designed to supplement wages for low-to-moderate income workers, but many individuals and families previously classified as middle class are also eligible.

To find a qualified tax preparer in your area, visit www.nsacct.org.

 

Free financial guidance

Hillsborough County residents can receive free, one-on-one financial guidance on basic personal financial management from the Florida Master Money Mentors.

Mentors meet at a community location and time that fit an individual’s needs.  Individuals and families who meet with a mentor will receive guidance on how to develop a spending and savings plan, build a good credit history, and achieve financial goals. The mentor will provide continued guidance for as long as needed to help with the essentials of personal financial management.

To arrange an appointment, call (813) 744-5519.

 

North Tampa Chamber meetings

Upcoming North Tampa Chamber of Commerce gatherings:

—April 9, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., After Hours Mixer hosted by Bennett Chiropractic Northdale, 3903 Northdale Blvd. Suite 100 W. in Tampa, along with co-host Ameriprise Financial-Laura Rehbein. RSVP to Dr. Bennett at or call (813) 341-7227.

—April 11, 11:45 a.m., general meeting at the Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, 2701 E. Fowler Ave. The program is How to Use the Chamber’s Communication Tools: Yahoo! Groups, Facebook, LinkedIn, E-Blasts and Business & Community Guide. Bring your computer so you can see how to use the tools. Doors open at 11 a.m. Buffet lunch at 11:30 a.m. Early bird registration is $17 by contacting the chamber office by 5 p.m. April 9. Reservations after that are $22. The charge applies for lunch, whether you eat or not. Call (813) 971-4710 for more information.

 

East Pasco Networking Group

The East Pasco Networking Group has scheduled the following speakers for upcoming meetings. The group meets at the Village Inn in Zephyrhills. Networking begins at 8 a.m. with the meeting beginning at 8:30 a.m.

—April 9: Jerome Salatino, CEO of Pasco-Hernando Work Force Alliance

—April 23: Clestine Herbert, The Purpose Coach Speaker, Transformation Coach, author

Divine Discipline

—May 14: Dr. Eric Mitchell and registered nurse Carmen Hayford

 

Annual Zephyrhills Scramble

The eighth annual Zephyrhills Scramble is May 3 at the Silverado Golf & Country Club. The event has a 1 p.m. shotgun start.

The tournament is being presented by the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce and The Rotary Club of Zephyrhills Noon.

Proceeds from the event will benefit programs offered by both organizations including Z-Kids Scholarships and Student Citizen of the Month.

 

Florida Association for Women Lawyers

The Florida Association for Women Lawyers has launched a new student chapter in Florida. The new student chapter will serve the Thomas M. Cooley Law School Tampa Bay Campus (Cooley). Thomas M. Cooley Law School is a private, nonprofit, independent law school accredited by the American Bar Association and the Higher Learning Commission.

 

Congressman Bilirakis’ Employment Fair

Congressman Gus Bilirakis is hosting an employment fair from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the gymnasium at Pasco Hernando Community College’s East Campus, 36727 Blanton Road in Dade City.

All are welcome to attend this free employment fair. Those attending are advised to dress professionally and bring plenty of resumés.

Please preregister at bilirakisemploymentfair2013.eventbrite.com. For additional information, contact the Bilirakis district office at (866) 773-2871 or log on to www.bilirakis.house.gov.

 

Ryland Homes names VP

Ryland Homes has named Mike Finley as its vice president of sales and marketing for its Tampa division. He replaces Tony Crimi, who was recently promoted.