Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Lauren Garris doesn’t thrive on comfortable surroundings with zero challenges.

For the Steinbrenner No. 1 distance runner, her best performances come when she is being tested — the more daunting the trial the better.

The senior ran her personal record (PR) in a 5-kilometer race during the Class 2A state cross country meet as a sophomore, when she completed the course at Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City in 19 minutes 28 seconds.

“That was my favorite course,” said Garris, who finished 20th overall that year. “I love that everyone can see you the whole way, so you don’t want to slow down. Other courses you go through the woods and no one can see you, so you can take a break a little bit. There you can’t hide from anyone.”

If Garris is truly driven by obstacles and competition, then she should be completely fueled for her final high school season.

She was unable to qualify for states during cross country regionals last year after making it as an individual as a freshman and with her team the next year. What stung Garris even deeper was how close she was to advancing individually.

Garris crossed the finish line 16th (20:17.94). Only individuals in the top 15 earn a state spot.

“I really want to get back to states this year,” Garris said. “I just can’t even believe I missed last year by one place.”

Garris was also disappointed in her times, which were nearly a minute slower than the season before.

She had always considered herself someone who ran to get in shape for soccer, which is a winter sport following cross country, and admitted she didn’t put in the miles necessary to be at top form last year.

She has learned from her disappointment and rededicated herself to training this summer with the hopes of cutting her time to less than 19.

“I went to running camp, which I didn’t do last summer,” Garris said. “My freshman going into sophomore year summer I went to running camp, and my sophomore year was also my best cross country season. I didn’t do that camp last summer, and we all saw my times get worse. Hopefully going to camp this summer helps.”

Garris was thrown another hurdle 12 days before Steinbrenner’s opening season race.

…

She had an appendectomy on Aug. 28, the first surgery of her life.

“I was at school all day, and my stomach starting hurting in third period,” Garris said. “I went to coach (Ladd) Baldwin and said my stomach was hurting. After school I went home and it got worse. I told my dad I wanted to go to the emergency room. I was there until like 1 o’clock, they did a CAT scan and I had to go to the hospital downtown.”

Senior Caroline Murray said the news rocked the team.

“When we heard she was in the hospital it was like this isn’t real,” Murray said. “We had just been running together the day before.”

Garris was worried the extra work put in during the summer would be for nothing.

“Before I had the surgery my dad asked, ‘What if you can’t run?’” Garris said. “He was just joking about it, but then I started getting really upset. … I started to cry, and it was not good.”

Her stitches were removed on Sept. 11 and Garris started training with her team the next day.

“I’m just hoping I didn’t get any worse,” Garris said. “I want to be able to keep up with anyone. … I want to be good and go to states and be the top runner. I don’t want my school records taken.”

Those records include her 5:22 in the 1,600-meter (one mile), 12:02 in the 3,200 (two miles) and 2:25 in the 800 (half mile) along with her PR in the 5K. Garris knew the records from memory, which illustrates how far her thinking about running had changed.

…

Garris has no intentions of ever joining the cross country team. She was 100 percent a soccer player, a sport she picked up at age 10.

“When I was younger I’d see the Sickles team running on the streets and stuff, and I would say, ‘I’m never going to run cross country,’” Garris said. She added, “I don’t know why I decided to give it a try. I played soccer, so I knew the running would help.”

Baldwin, who has coached the girls cross country and track teams since Steinbrenner opened in 2009, saw Garris when her twin sister, Salina, was being dropped off for practice.

“She and her friends were planning on running,” Garris said. “I went out there, and I wasn’t going to go. I only had flip-flops, but coach (Baldwin) said to come out the next day and run.”

The next day Baldwin tapped into Garris’ competitive nature.

“She was running by me and we were behind four girls,” Baldwin said. “I told her that one of those girls was going to be the school record holder. She asked me, ‘Why does it have to be one of them,’ and my answer was that they were running up front. We kept going for awhile and she said she was going to run up with them. Ever since then, she’s been our best runner.”

Garris remembers that conversation vividly.

“I’m really competitive, so I really like being the best,” Garris said. “When he said it was going to be one of them, I wanted to go catch them.”

It has taken three seasons, but Garris no longer thinks of herself as a soccer player running to stay in shape.

“I’m a runner,” Garris said. “I’m a runner first.”

She quit club soccer last year for a number of reasons, but does plan on trying out for Steinbrenner’s team in early October.

Baldwin said Garris was in the best shape to start a season before her appendectomy.

“She always runs her best at the end of the season, which is what you want as a coach,” Baldwin said. “She ran a PR by one minute at the state meet as a freshman. She just seems to always peak at the right time.”

Baldwin gave no bold predictions on what his top runner will do this year, but now he’s dealing with a fully motivated Garris.

“It’s taken more than three years, but we finally convinced her that she’s a runner,” Baldwin said. “She has tremendous drive, and when she sets her mind to something she’s the kind of person who goes and gets it.”

By Jeff Odom

From adopting miles of SR 54 to collecting 1,900 pounds of food for Metropolitan Ministries, Cub Scout Pack 72 has been volunteering hundreds of hours to give back to their community.

And very well known people are taking notice.

Pack 72, which has scouts ages 6 to 10, will receive personalized letters and medals from President Barack Obama and Florida Gov. Rick Scott for their volunteer work around their Zephyrhills community.

State Sen. Rhonda Storms, along with Zephyrhills Mayor Steve Van Gorden, will also be providing a ceremony at an upcoming city hall meeting, which will include a city proclamation.

Third-year Cubmaster Jerry Slagle said it’s amazing to see what his pack has recently achieved. When he took over the lead role, there were only eight kids in the pack. Now, there are 47.

“The presidential award is definitely a big deal to the kids,” Slagle said. “Throughout the years, our pack has had three strong values — family, community and faith. I believe big on giving back to the community, which is what our service projects come into.”

Outside of collections, the scouts have worked to clean up litter around Shepards and Zephyr parks while earning numerous badges and achievements. The various work helped them earn the Presidential Gold Volunteer Award.

“We put a request in to let them know what we’ve done, and the president got a hold of one of the secretaries to get a hand-signed letter for each boy,” Slagle said. “It’s all about how much you give back to your community, and from what I’m understanding we’re the only pack in the state of Florida that’s receiving this award.”

The award will not be the end of the scouts’ service. Slagle said the pack plans on partnering with Chester Taylor Elementary on the new Adopt a School program. There, the scouts will help with the landscaping and cleanup.

“I think it’s awesome to see kids succeed,” Slagle said. “We believe in what we call making more in our community, where we try to raise the boys to become better leaders. … We let them know they are important, and we want them to be good people when they get older.”

By B.C. Manion

Barely a day goes by without a headline revealing a violent act by someone who is mentally ill.

Those high-profile events capture the public’s attention.

But scant attention is paid to the day-to-day burdens carried by those connected to people who are mentally ill.

That’s where a support group in Wesley Chapel comes in. It aims to help people who have relatives or friends afflicted by some type of mental illness.

The first battle is eliminating the stigma mental illness has in society today, said Pat Scimone-Almasy, who leads the Wesley Chapel group.

People are ashamed to acknowledge their husband or wife, brother or sister, aunt or uncle, mother or father, child or friend is mentally ill, Scimone-Almasy said.

The support group tries to help its members by offering emotional support and practical help. It follows guidelines established by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), she said.

That national group seeks to destroy stereotypes and educate people about various mental illnesses and to help loved ones find places to turn for help.

NAMI’s website offers this simple definition: “A mental illness is a medical condition that disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning. Just as diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas, mental illnesses are medical conditions that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life.”

Serious forms of mental illness include depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder.

Myths abound about mental illness, Scimone-Almasy said. The stigmas hinder actions that could help those who are indirectly affected, she added.

“No one wants to talk about it,” she said.

If the stigma was removed, people would come forward and acknowledge they have a mental illness, or are connected to someone who does and more would be done to help, Scimone-Almasy said.

The group in Wesley Chapel offers a safe and completely confidential space to seek information, share experiences or simply vent, Scimone-Almasy said.

“If they are angry and want to say something that may be (viewed as) horrific to someone else, it may be of benefit to them,” the Wesley Chapel woman said.

Everyone who attends the meeting is treated with dignity and respect, Scimone-Almasy said. Members gather to discuss “here and now” issues.

“Two of the women expressed the fact their marriage was on the rocks because of their children,” Scimone-Almasy said. A couple attending the meeting shared some of the strategies they use to help keep their marriage intact.

Three women came to one meeting seeking advice about how to help their mother, who is a hoarder. They told the group the woman’s home had boxes from floor to ceiling.

Those women left with information about home health care and about an attorney who may help them intervene on their mother’s behalf, Scimone-Almasy said.

Children with mental illness are often labeled as having behavior problems when they need help, Scimone-Almasy said.

She understands what it is like to have family members who are mentally ill.

She had two brothers. One overdosed and died. The other died after being shot in 2010 by police in Suffolk County, New York. He was bipolar and was holding an unloaded antique rifle at the time he was shot, she said.

Scimone-Almasy said Pasco County is lucky because Sheriff Chris Nocco sets aside a week twice a year to educate his staff about mental illness. The training helps them be more effective in assessing behavior and getting help for those who are mentally ill, she said.

The crisis intervention training has resulted in having officers who can respond immediately to crisis calls on an ongoing basis. It has also established a partnership with mental health consumers, health providers and NAMI, Scimone-Almasy said.

This alliance helps achieve a more intelligent, understandable and safe approach to crisis events, she said.

Scimone-Almasy, who gives presentations during the training sessions, believes her brother would still be alive if the Suffolk County police had received similar training.

Besides being involved in the training programs offered by the sheriff’s office, Scimone-Almasy does presentations for community organizations to help bust mental illness stigmas.

She wants to also reach out to schools and clergy to increase understanding of the issues. She is especially interested in talking to clergy about the need to speak openly about mental illness and about the need to tend to those who are directly and indirectly affected.

Scimone-Almasy has also begun working to build a library of resource materials to lend to people attending the group sessions, to help them develop deeper knowledge of mental illness issues and to help them build better coping skills.

For more information about mental illness, visit NAMI.org and NAMIPasco.org.

Help is available

The Wesley Chapel support group meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. It meets at the Branch of Christ Ministries, 23604 SR 54. For more information, call Pat Scimone-Almasy at (813) 918-3205 or email her at .

NAMI banquet

Judge Steven Leifman will be the keynote speaker at the sixth annual NAMI Pasco County Mental Illness Awareness Education and Awards Banquet. The event is from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Oct. 7 at Spartan Manor in New Port Richey. Singer and songwriter Mindy Simmons will present a musical tribute to Peggy Lee. The event is open to the public and tickets are available until Sept. 20 by calling (727) 992-9653.

Sidebar

NAMI notes these important facts to keep in mind about mental illness and recovery:

—Mental illnesses cannot be overcome through will power and are not related to a person’s character, intelligence, racial or ethnic background or income.

—Mental illness falls along a continuum of severity.

—Even though mental illness is widespread, the main burden is concentrated in a much smaller proportion. About one in 17 Americans lives with a serious mental illness.

—Without treatment, the consequences of mental illness for the individual and society are staggering: unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, suicide and wasted lives.

—The best treatments for serious mental illnesses today are highly effective; between 70 and 90 percent of individuals have significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life with a combination of pharmacological and psychosocial treatments and supports.

—Early identification and treatment is vital. Ensuring access to the treatment and recovery supports that are proven effective, recovery is accelerated and further harm related to the course of illness is minimized.

—Stigma erodes confidence that mental disorders are real, treatable health conditions.

By Kyle LoJacono

The New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club has lost a familiar member from its board of directors.

Patricia Murphy, the club’s public relations chairwoman, has resigned her position citing actions by new members on the board.

“I have donated over 3,000 hours to the club, and I assumed the new board would be loyal to my projects,” Murphy said.

Kim Rothman, president of the New Tampa organization, said the decision to direct money in other directions is in keeping with the 16-year-old club’s current vision.

“This current administration’s focus is mainly geared to children’s and women’s health, safety and education issues, and GFWC’s signature project, domestic violence awareness,” Rothman said. “Additionally, the presidents at the state and national level spearhead projects, and our club will be utilizing our fundraising efforts to support those two chosen projects in addition to our many others.”

Murphy, a Land O’ Lakes resident, said she joined the club in 2009 because she “wanted to work together with other woman to improve the community.”

Murphy said her main focus has been with the Books for Troops project that collected 6,500 books last October to send to U.S. soldiers serving abroad.

Murphy said the New Tampa club awarded the project $1,000 in February, but the board rescinded that offer while announcing that it would not give any financial support to Books for Troops in 2012.

“I couldn’t believe the finance committee didn’t provide any financial support for the project this year,” Murphy said.

Murphy said the club had $8,000 in unallocated funds, but stated the “beginning of the end” of her time with the board was when she learned a past president gave $300 to the wait staff at Stonewood Grill & Tavern in New Tampa.

“The $300 was a catering cost for monthly meetings that we have at Stonewood,” Rothman said. “We have a great partnership with Stonewood, and they are very generous to our club. However, the $300 was taken from our administrative/operating budget, not from our special projects/fundraising budget.”

Murphy said she will maintain her club membership in order to work as an advisor with the Juniorettes, the branch of the General Federation of Woman’s Clubs (GFWC) for girls ages 12 to 18.

“It’s unlikely I will be providing any assistance to the Juniors this year,” Murphy said. “Fortunately, there are several other GFWC clubs in Tampa that support Books for Troops, so I will still be very busy.”

Murphy has received several honors for her work with GFWC organizations. She is the current Junior Volunteer of the Year and has received the Gail Hill Smith Marketing Award from the Florida GFWC on behalf of the New Tampa Juniors for her work on the Books for Troops project.

“I am committed to volunteer service and proudly donate at least 1,000 hours a year,” Murphy said. “It was humbling to be recognized by my peers for my volunteer service and commitment to community.”

Rothman said she and the board appreciates Murphy’s volunteer service and commitment to Books for Troops.

“We continue to support other military-related advocacy programs and GFWC partners, such as Sew Much Comfort, United Services Organization and also provide funds for the men and women at our local VA hospital,” Rothman said. “We remain committed to serving the needs of the communities and GFWC adopted partners, not the individual member.”

Murphy said the Books for Troops drive is on track with the help of the Lutz-Pasco Juniors and the Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s clubs.

Book collection sites will be in set up in New Tampa, Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes, Lutz and Carrollwood. Locations will be announced later this month. To participate, call (813) 991-6152.

Land O’ Lakes High reunion

The Land O’ Lakes High class of 1977 will have its 35th reunion festivities on Oct. 19 and 20.

The cost is $20 per person, if paid by Sept. 30 or $25 after that. The fee includes dinner on Saturday. Mail the check to Land O’ Lakes High School Reunion, P.O. Box 1831, Land O’ Lakes, FL 34639.

Reunion festivities will include attending the football game at Land O’ Lakes High for the dedication of John Benedetto Stadium, for a cost of $5 per person.

Class members will also meet for a tailgate before the game at Beef O’ Brady’s on US 41. After the game, class members will gather at Mosquito Grill and Bar, which is located where Rapscallions and The Lakeside Inn used to be.

Other activities are planned for Saturday and Sunday, with separate costs.

For more information, email or join the Facebook group Land O’ Lakes Class of 1977 Alumni.

Bishop McLaughlin golf tournament

Bishop McLaughlin is accepting registration for the fourth annual Blake Rahman Memorial Golf Outing on Oct. 13 at Beacon Woods Golf Club, 12507 Clock Tower Parkway in Hudson.

Registration begins at noon and the shotgun start is at 1:30 p.m. All levels of golfers are welcome. Foursomes are $300 and single golfers are $75.

Registration forms available at www.bmchs.com. For more information, contact Joe Jasinski at (727) 857-2600 or via email at . Proceeds will benefit students at Bishop McLaughlin.

Carrollwood Day School open house

Carrollwood Day School is having an open house at 1 p.m. on Sept. 30 for students and parents of prospective students entering grades six through 12.

The event, at 1515 W. Bearss Ave., will include a short presentation about the school. There will also be breakout sessions for the International Baccalaureate (IB) programs and different grade levels.

Current students and faculty members will be there to talk about their experiences at the school. Reservations are appreciated and can be made by calling Michelle Cáceres at (813) 920-2288 or emailing her at .

Lutz man graduates from Youngstown State

Joshua Lee of Lutz graduated from Youngstown State University in August with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree in general administration.

PHCC team honors fallen service members

Members of the Pasco-Hernando Community College (PHCC) faculty and staff running team joined 2,700 runners for the fifth annual Run for the Fallen in Riverview.

Each runner from the eight-member team successfully completed the 5- or 10-kilometer course to pay tribute to the more than 350 Florida service members killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

PHCC team members, Laura Kelly, advisor; John Whitlock, dean of arts and sciences; Bobby Yancy, computer/network support specialist; Wendy Villa, financial aid assistant II; and Bob Bade, associate dean of student activities & engagement each completed the 10K (6.2 miles).

Other PHCC staff, Ahmy Arca, coordinator of student activities; Ana Lopez, associate director of libraries; and Julia Mea, senior office assistant Teaching-Learning Center, completed the 5K track (3.1 miles).

Which is right for you? The SAT or the ACT?

Most colleges accept either the SAT or the ACT.

Find out which is best for you by taking a practice test that features a mix of questions from both the SAT and ACT.

Princeton Review will administer the test at the Wesley Chapel High cafeteria, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 29. The cost is $20 per student.

Preregistration is preferred, but walk-ins are welcome. Please arrive by 8:45 a.m. with a calculator and No. 2 pencils.

Test-takers will receive a detailed score report providing a side-by-side comparison of their projected test scores. A follow-up session will be from 1 to 1:55 p.m. on Oct. 18 in the school media center to discuss the strengths and weaknesses on the score report, and to share basic test-taking techniques to raise scores on both the SAT and ACT.

For more information, call Kelly Davey at (813) 794-8833.

Seeking sponsors for ‘Pumpkin Palooza’

Veterans Elementary School’s Parent Teacher Association will have “Pumpkin Palooza” in October.

The school’s fifth annual Fall Festival will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 12.

The fundraiser will include carnival games, inflatables, a dunk tank, photo booth, a pumpkin decorating contest, marketplace vendors and concessions.

Proceeds will help the PTA provide programs and services for the school.

To keep the fall festival affordable for families in the community, the PTA is seeking donations and/or sponsorships from businesses in the community. For more information, contact or log on to www.veteranspta.com.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage

The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative is celebrating Hispanic heritage with three popular annual contests.

Contest entries are being accepted through Sept. 30. Winners will be announced and prizes will be given at the Our Hispanic Heritage Awards Ceremony at the Town ‘N Country Regional Public Library, 7606 Paula Drive, Suite 120, in Tampa at 2 p.m. on Nov. 18.

Students in kindergarten through fifth may enter the Our Hispanic Heritage Bookmark Contest.

Students in grades 6 to 12 may enter the Our Hispanic Heritage Poster Contest.

Adults age 18 and older may enter the Our Hispanic Heritage Poetry Contest.