Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Central Pasco United Soccer Association (CPUSA) normally focuses on developing talented young players, but for a few weeks the club put some of its efforts toward a greater goal.

CPUSA’s U14 team organized two fundraising events for Jordan Harris, the older brother of one of its players, Dyllon Harris. Jordan, 16, was diagnosed with primitive neuroectodermal tumors, a rare brain cancer.

“We really wanted to help this family with medical expenses, especially during the holiday season,” said Jennifer Nelson, manager of CPUSA’s U14 squad.

The first event was Dec. 9 at the Beef O’ Brady’s near Sunlake High, which brought in $4,000.

The club followed up by putting together a technical and agility camp on Jan. 8 with the help of Eddie Oyakhilome and his EJJE Soccer Academy. The event included 70 campers and raised another $3,000 to help the New Tampa family.

The $7,000 gift was a big surprise for Jordan, especially because he has never played for the Land O’ Lakes-based club.

“It was so nice of everyone and it really helped me and my family a lot,” Jordan said.

Dyllon, 14, added, “It made me smile how so many people came out to support Jordan and our family.”

Dyllon himself had only been with the club for a few weeks when CPUSA organizers started talking about having the fundraisers.

“They have been more than amazing with all the work and effort they have put into these events,” said Jordan’s mother Kim. “I thought the Beef O’ Brady’s was incredible, but then to hear that Eddie Oyakhilome was going to hold a 3-hour clinic and donate all of the proceeds to Jordan was unbelievable. CPUSA is a great place to be with so many caring people.”

The pair of events brought the family some cheer after having their lives turned upside down since discovering Jordan’s ailment last April. Jordan, a junior, had to give up playing soccer for Freedom High’s team. He also had to withdraw from school and is enrolled with Hillsborough County’s hospital/homebound program.

“It has been hard for him not going to school and he really misses his friends and being able to just be a normal, healthy 16-year-old,” Kim said.

The diagnosis has had a profound impact on family life.

“My husband and I both work full time and it has been extremely challenging to continue to work while going through treatment,” Kim said. “I work for USF College of Medicine and they have been very supportive through this. I have used 600 hours of sick leave to date. It has been very tough trying to juggle work and caring for my other son while trying to keep Jordan as happy as possible through all of this. I spend every day and night with him while he is hospitalized, which is four days a month for chemo.”

Things have been looking up for Jordan in recent weeks and he just completed his last scheduled round of chemotherapy last Friday, Jan. 13.

“He had such a hard time with dehydration and malnutrition during the beginning of his treatment that he had to get a feeding tube surgically placed in his stomach in June,” Kim said. “He had it removed two months ago and has been doing very well recently. He is definitely ready to get done with treatment and back to being a normal 16-year-old.”

 

By Kyle LoJacono

A little more than 20 months ago the most expensive road project in Pasco County history began — the widening of SR 54 through Wesley Chapel.

The $105.2 million job was recently completed months ahead of schedule and brings with it the promise of a more connected county.

“It’s just part of what we’re trying to do to bring opportunities home,” said Pasco Commissioner Pat Mulieri. “We’ve been working to improve the roadways to get more people and goods moving from either side of the county. We’ve had businesses like T. Rowe Price who told us they’re coming to Pasco because of road projects like this one.”

Pasco Chief Engineer James Widman said all the actual construction was completed about a week ago.

“All that’s left is a little bit of cleanup and removing cones and things like that,” Widman said. “Really it’s faster than we expected and there weren’t any major issues with the job.”

The county’s Chief Project Manager Robert Shepherd added, “They got ahead of schedule fast and stayed ahead of schedule. It was as smooth as a major road job can be.”

The project was completed by Pepper Contracting Services, the same company that performed the widening of West Lutz-Lake Fern Road in front of Steinbrenner High in Lutz. Pepper had until April to finish the widening, but Widman said their people wanted to finish before then as they just received a contract for another job in Hillsborough County.

The newly improved roadway is now six lanes from I-75 to Curley Road, a stretch of about 3.2 miles.

The overall construction and planning/design was only $31 million, but cost to buy land along the state road cost Pasco an additional $74.2 million. Mulieri said the land was very expensive because several businesses had to be bought out to complete the job.

“We’ve learned from that mistake and now we have a new row-acquisition policy,” Mulieri said. “Development has to stay farther away from roads to account for future widenings.”

County workers and citizens alike can now smile at the freshly improved roadway, but several strange turns happened along the way to completion.

The project for a week closed the entrance to Curley from SR 54, one of the main routes toward Wesley Chapel High.

Another twist in the construction was the closing of all the gas stations within the 7-mile span of SR 54 from Morris Bridge Road/Eiland Boulevard in Zephyrhills to I-75 in Wesley Chapel.

Two of the stations had to be permanently shut down because of the widening, while the Hess near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and Citgo on Boyette Road had to close for several months because of the safety hazard created by the large construction equipment near the gas tanks.

The project also caused the reduction in the speed limit on SR 54 from 50 to 35 mph through most of the construction zone, along with the general slowing of traffic during the last year and a half because of barricades, heavy equipment and stop/slow signs carried by workers.

Residents may be pleased to see the last cones and workers exiting the construction site, but more work is on the horizon for SR 54.

Mulieri said there are plans to widen the state road to six lanes all the way to US 301 in Zephyrhills. She said that project would likely cost much less because there are fewer businesses that would have to be bought out, but the actual size of the job could cause it to take longer than its recent predecessor.

“It’s about 10 miles, so our people have said it would just be a larger project to finish,” Mulieri said. “It is needed to continue that goal of making Pasco a bigger player economically in the region and the state.”

By Kyle LoJacono

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis can’t stand the idea of military veterans becoming homeless after serving and has introduced legislation to help protect their jobs when they return from deployment.

Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, is co-sponsoring a bill to keep troops out of unemployment statistics. H.R. 3670 would guarantee anyone called to active duty be given their job back when they return home, regardless if the position is in the public or private sector.

“When our National Guard and reservists are called to duty, it is our duty to ensure that they have the peace of mind of knowing that their jobs are secure when they return,” Bilirakis said.

There is already legislation, Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), which protects soldiers’ jobs, but certain professions are currently exempt. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is one of those not required to follow USERRA.

The bill would likely be especially helpful to those in Pasco County, which currently is home to 54,000 veterans and their families, just less than 12 percent of the county’s population.

Bilirakis, whose ninth congressional district covers Lutz, Odessa, New Tampa and portions of northern Pinellas County and west Pasco, is the vice chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. He said he has been working toward adding protections like this for about a year.

“This legislation is a necessary step in supporting those who sign on to protect our nation and ensure our freedoms,” Bilirakis said.

Bilirakis never served in the military, but one of the bill’s co-sponsors is a 24-year Army National Guard veteran. Tim Walz, D-Minn., said protecting soldiers’ employment is something that crosses political party lines.

“The unemployment rate among our service members is already far too high,” Walz said. “Protecting the jobs they already have should be a top priority.

“A critical part of the obligation we have to support the troops includes ensuring a stable economic condition when they return from military service,” Walz continued. “When Americans are deployed with the armed forces, they should not have to worry that they might be fired simply for being away on duty. This bipartisan legislation protects the jobs of American service members by ensuring that a call to serve doesn’t amount to a pink slip for officers of the Transportation Security Administration.”

The bill specifically mentions the TSA.

“The TSA employs thousands of veterans, reservists and members of the National Guard who should not have to worry about losing their jobs when called to active duty,” Walz said. “They have earned and deserve this simple protection.”

The Military Officers Association of America and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) have already supported the measure.

Raymond Kelley, legislative director of the VFW, released a statement stating, “This much-needed change in TSA policy sets a new standard in the federal government’s full support of our Veterans. The VFW was adamant about working towards this legislative fix after helping to discover this loophole.”

The TSA also released a statement stating it already complies with the legislation voluntarily. However, Bilirakis points out that at least two transportation security officers did not receive such protection during the last few years and lost their jobs while deployed.

“That has to stop,” Bilirakis said.

By B.C. Manion

 

A crowd of more than 200 jammed into Chancey Road Christian Church last week to weigh in on a church proposal for a 120-bed homeless shelter.

The vast majority of those attending the meeting support the church’s request.

Two additional meetings are set on the request for a conditional use permit. The Planning Commission will take up the issue on Wednesday, Feb. 8; and, the Pasco County Commission on Tuesday, March 6.

The church, at 34931 Chancey Road, has eventual plans to build a 7,600-square-foot structure to house the homeless shelter, said Clarke Hobby, the attorney representing the church.

The church has been operating a homeless shelter for about two years, with about 30 to 40 people staying there each night, including some families with children. It is the only homeless shelter on the east side of the county.

Tim Mitchell, pastor at Chancey Road Christian Church, said the church provides an “overnight, emergency, hand up, not hand out.”

A handful of neighbors voiced concerns at last Thursday’s meeting, but the overall tone was one of compassion for those needing the community’s help.

Lea McKenney, who lives in Lake Bernadette, said she walks her dog at Zephyr Park, where she has encountered people who stay at the shelter.

“I walk my dog every morning. One day, when I saw a family and some others huddled around a little barbecue that had fire going, to get warm, I felt I needed to talk with them.

“It was about 40 degrees, so I got some hot coffee and some hot chocolate for the four little kids, ages 2, 5, 8 and 15.

“I’ve interacted with those people every day since. They are, except for the grace of God, me. Every one of them.”

Kelly Lewis, who lives on Appaloosa Trail not far from the church, said she supports the shelter but is concerned about potential negative impacts on her neighborhood.

She said her mail has been stolen and she has seen drunken people walking down the block.

“I just want to make sure that it’s not going to spill over into our neighborhood,” Lewis said. “I have young children.”

Another woman, who said she lives nearby, characterized the church’s efforts as a noble cause. However, she said she is concerned attracting undesirables into the neighborhood.

That comment drew a retort from another woman, who chastised the speaker for labeling anyone as being undesirable.

The pastor acknowledged that the church gets lots of traffic from people needing help.

“There’s a lot that happens here,” Mitchell said. “We’re giving them groceries, we’re giving them hygiene products, we’re giving them job referrals, we’re helping them pay the rent, we’re helping them pay their phone bill.

The Samaritan Project has an office at the church, providing assistance with rent, utilities and job referrals, Mitchell said.

“People are hurting. Honestly, it could be anybody in this room. You could be next,” the pastor said.

Carol Scheckler, a board member on the Samaritan Project, has watched the evolution of the church’s mission to help the homeless.

“Back in ’09, when Tim first opened the cold-weather shelter, my husband and I did some volunteering. We had one person show up.”

The next time, she walked through a homeless tent city and invited people living in about 40 tents to come to the church for a warm dinner, warm bed and warm breakfast.

No one took her up.

“The ones that you are seeing, that are walking the streets drunk, are stealing and are doing all of the damage, are not the people in this shelter,” Scheckler said.

“You need to stop stereotyping homeless,” she said. “These children did not make this decision to be homeless. It was the hand that they were dealt.”

Doyle Springfield, who lives on Pinto Lane, applauds the church’s efforts.

“The problems that we’re having on Appaloosa Trail and Lanier aren’t coming from this church,” he said. “I’m a retired police officer. I’m a very nosy neighbor.

Some of the problems that people are witnessing stem from neighborhood residents, Springfield said.

“I’m not one of those, ‘Not in My Backyard,’ because, folks, this is my backyard. My hat’s off to the pastor,” Springfield said.

Hobby said the church wants to be a good neighbor.

“For those of you all that have concerns, please contact me, please email me, please call me at my office. I do want to hear specifics from you all. We may come up with a great idea, talking together, that will help alleviate some of your problems that you’ve had in the past or that you might have in the future,” Hobby said.

The attorney said church officials did not realize a conditional use was needed for its shelter until it began drawing plans for the new 120-bed facility. That’s when a county staff member informed the church’s engineer that the permit was required, Hobby said. The church didn’t realize a government permit was needed because it considers helping the homeless part of its core mission, he said.

The county first received complaints about the church operating a homeless shelter in June, according to county records.

The county issued a cease-and-desist order to close the shelter in December, after fielding complaints, but county staff did not enforce the order after Commissioner Pat Mulieri asked staff to look into the issue.

Mulieri said the shelter is being allowed to continue operating until the county considers the conditional use permit.

Mulieri, who chairs the county’s Homeless Advisory Board, also said she plans to push for a change that would allow cold-weather shelters to operate without permits when the temperature dips below 50 degrees. Currently, that standard is 36 degrees.