Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Land O’ Lakes teen Tiffany Reinhardt saves Lutz man from burning car

By Kyle LoJacono

Tiffany Reinhardt saw the overturned car on fire and heard a man pleading for help. The flames inched closer to the vehicles gas tank, which would have likely caused a deadly explosion in a matter of seconds.

Reinhardt didn’t care.

The Land O’ lakes teen was traveling on Leonard Road near Cot Road in Lutz at 9:30 p.m. on July 26. She was leaving a friend’s house with another friend and her younger sister Tosha when she saw the crash.

“I heard the guy yelling for help, so I jumped out of the car and ran over there,” Reinhardt said. “A lady was yelling at me to get away, but I knew I had time to get him out.”

Tosha remembers the fire being a lot closer to the gas tank.

“I was so scared because I saw the fire right by the tank and I thought it would explode at any second,” Tosha said. “She’s a miracle.”

Reinhardt estimates there were 15 to 20 people standing near the crash at the time.

“She was the only one who helped,” said Michael Simmerman, 35, who escaped with bruises and minor burns.

Reinhardt said there was never any question about what she had to do.

“I was scared, but I wasn’t going to sit there and watch him burn to death,” Reinhardt said. “I knew I could help him and had the time to do it before the fire reached the gas tank. I knew it could explode, but I wasn’t really thinking about that. I don’t really know how to explain it. I just thought if it explodes, at least I’ll die trying to save somebody.”

The Florida Highway Patrol report from the accident states Simmerman crashed into an electric fuse box, hit a tree and then flipped after the Lutz man lost control of his car. He was wearing his seatbelt and alcohol was not involved.

Simmerman was trying to crawl out of the passenger side when Reinhardt got to the car. She pulled him out through the window, which had broken out during the wreck.

“I got him to the other side of the road and tried to keep him talking so he didn’t pass out,” Reinhardt said.

Reinhardt has been in a car wreck before, but said she has never seen anything like what she saw that Tuesday night.

“To me it was like a movie,” Reinhardt said. “It seemed like it took hours, but it probably was only a couple of minutes.”

To add another element of danger, Reinhardt said the heat from the fire was causing glass and other parts of the car to fly off as if it was sizzling in a frying pan.

“That was the most nerve-racking part,” Reinhardt said. “I was on the phone with the cops, trying to pull him to safety and not get hit with the stuff flying.”

Reinhardt suffered first and second degree burns on both her hands as a result of patting out fire on Simmerman’s arms and legs after she pulled him from the car. She still has to wear bandages to prevent infection.

Reinhardt stayed with Simmerman until she saw paramedics arrive. She went with her mother Christine Lawrence to St. Joseph’s Hospital-North in Lutz to treat her hands.

Reinhardt turned 18 years old less than two weeks before the crash. She lost Medicaid insurance when she turned 18, so her mother sold some jewelry to pay for the treatment.

“And that’s OK,” Lawrence said. “I can replace those things, but I can’t replace my daughter. We don’t want anything from anyone because of what she did, because God will reward her for what she did.”

Reinhardt said there isn’t a lot of pain because of the burns, but her hands itch a lot and she cannot pick up or touch anything.

Despite the temporary pain and money needed to get well, Reinhardt said she would do the same thing again.

“That’s the way we raised our kids; to always help people if you can,” Lawrence said. “If you have the chance to save someone, you have to try. The thing is, she always tries and act all tough and like she doesn’t care about anyone, so sometimes I wondered if this child had a heart, but when it came down to it, she did what a lot of other people wouldn’t do. She’s my hero.”

Simmerman broke down several times when Reinhardt visited him in the hospital two days after the crash.

“There isn’t anything I can say to thank her enough for what she did,” Simmerman said. “I get to see my son again because of her.”

Reinhardt got a call from Simmerman’s 4-year-old, Michael Jr., thanking her for what she did.

“He said thank you for saving my dad,” Reinhardt said. She then added, “It made me feel proud of myself for what I did because he still has his dad.”

By Joe Potter

VIPs wearing pink hard hats and wielding a pink sledgehammer knocked down a wall as construction began Thursday on a comprehensive Breast Health Center at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills.

The $1.5-million, 11,000-square-foot facility is scheduled to open in mid- to late 2012. The Breast Health Center at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills will be a top-notch state-of-the-art medical facility that will offer lifesaving services to both women and men for generations to come said Gene Whitfield, chairman of the Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Foundation Board of Trustees.

Among those helping to knock down the wall were Whitfield; Doug Duffield, FHZ’s president and chief executive officer; Vonnie Mickelson, executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce; Wilton Simpson, Republican candidate for the state Senate seat for the 11th District; and Dr. Kimberly Apple, a general surgeon at FHZ.

In April, the Foundation’s Board unanimously approved releasing funds for the construction of the first phase of the BHC. “This is a positive and visible sign that we will soon be able to unveil this new service to our community. The BHC is now becoming a tangible reality and we couldn’t be more pleased about this important step in the building process,” Whitfield said.

The venue will make a significant difference to breast cancer patients because all of FHZ’s breast health services will be together, close to home and under one roof. Doctors from various disciplines – ranging from surgeons and radiologists to oncologists ­– will all have offices in the center.

This will enhance the treatment of breast cancer patient, Duffield said. Patients currently have to visit doctors at other locations for their initial diagnosis, for follow-ups after surgery, and for other reasons. Having all breast health services under one roof will mean patients don’t need to travel to different locations to receive care, Duffield said.

“I am very excited about the BHC program,” said Apple. “It’s going to really improve the quality and the coordination of the care that we are able to provide.”

She noted she has seen more cases of breast cancer in east Pasco County in the last few years. Breast cancer is more common in older women who are a significant demographic in east Pasco. Also, more women are now taking steps to detect breast cancer in its earliest stages than in the past.

“This is a wonderful project … very much needed for our community. All aspects of the breast care program – radiology, surgery and oncology – come together under the BHC,” said Dr. David Rippe, a radiologist at FHZ.

The Grandview Medical Tower on the FHZ campus at 7030 Gall Blvd. is being remodeled to make room for the Breast Health Center.

There are currently many “naming opportunities” for people or organizations to name rooms at the BHC in honor of or in memory of family members who have had breast cancer. The “naming opportunities” are very obtainable and the levels of contribution may easily be reached according to Carolyn Sentelik, the foundation’s executive director. “We would like to definitely put names on a lot of rooms,” Sentelik said. Information about “naming opportunities” may be obtained by calling Sentelik at (813) 783-6144 or e-mailing her at .

Established in 1985, FHZ has experienced more than 35 additions or renovations, growing to a present day capacity of 154 beds, 450,000-square-foot full-service healthcare facility.

Pasco works to prepare for major disasters

By Kyle LoJacono

Hurricane Katrina caused mass devastation when it smashed into New Orleans in 2005, and mismanagement of the aftermath may have added to the disaster.

Pasco’s Office of Emergency Management is preparing for the day the county is dealing with its own Katrina so recovery could happen faster.

“We don’t want Pasco County to be in the same situation in New Orleans,” said Assistant County Administrator Michele Baker.

Baker said both Katrina, which made landfall as a Category 3 storm, and Hurricane Charley, which hit Punta Gorda as a Category 4 in 2004, have put emphasis on disaster planning. In fact, Charley was originally projected to hit the Tampa Bay area, but turned and hit south at the last minute.

“When you look at the date, we are overdue for a big storm,” Baker said. “It’s just a matter of time before a big one hits close to home.”

Baker said the focus of the county’s planning involves how to get people out of the danger zone.

“New Orleans did not have a good evacuation plan,” Baker said. “That was clear by what happened at the Superdome. There were other problems too. They didn’t have any real post-disaster plan in place. That’s one reason the relief aid took so long to get there and redevelopment has taken so long.”

The department had planned to begin including the extension of Ridge Road to help get people from central Pasco to the Suncoast Parkway for quicker evacuation north.

However, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers put a stop to the project late last year because of environmental concerns. The job would have taken Ridge west to connect with the Suncoast and US 41.

“That project was only designed to help with evacuation during a storm,” said county Commissioner Pat Mulieri. “It would have been a limited access road, so no development along it. We’re still working to try and build it, but the Army Corps’ ruling has slowed the process greatly.”

In addition to evacuation, the new plan will include how to quickly and safely resume services after a disaster.

“This is an extremely important part of the plan,” said County Administrator John Gallagher.

Gallagher added the county is working to secure a federal grant to help lay out how to resume such services as garbage pickup, water and electricity.

Pasco is vulnerable to a variety of disasters, not just hurricanes and tropical storms, according to County Planner Smita Ambadi. It is especially vulnerable to flooding, as a quarter of the county’s roads are in floodplains.

There have also been two confirmed tornadoes in Pasco during the last three years, storms which are especially dangerous to those living in the 43,000 mobile homes within the county. Ambadi said the plan will include where to temporarily house if those displaced by a disaster.

Additionally, the plan will include how to clear rubble and open hospitals and schools.

Commissioner Jack Mariano said the new plan will allow for smoother recovery, but would also allow the local government to maintain more control during the cleanup.

Ambadi said the county will host several public meetings during October and November, where county commission will ask for residents and business input and involvement.

For more information on the county’s Office of Emergency Management or a detailed evacuation map, visit www.pascoemergencymanagement.com.

 

By Kyle LoJacono

Hillsborough County’s Health Department is the latest in a long line of government agencies feeling the brunt of budget cuts handed out by the state Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott.

The department will close six of its nine clinics, including the north Hillsborough site at 9827 N. Sheldon Road, and lay off 114 employees to meet its budget for 2012, according to agency spokesman Steve Huard.

The reductions are part of a larger goal to cut $22.3 million the Legislature spends on county health boards throughout Florida. The health department is under the jurisdiction of the state, not Hillsborough County.

Huard said most of the clients from the six closing locations are Medicaid recipients. The majority of those will be transferred to a pair of nonprofit healthcare providers — Suncoast Community Health Centers and Tampa Bay Family Health Centers. Both companies are federally qualified to care for low-income patients.

Last year, state lawmakers required the Florida Department of Health to review all operations to cut costs. The state agency decided it was best to eliminate 1,608 jobs from several county branches while shifting patients into private companies.

Charles Bottoms, CEO of Tampa Bay Family Health Centers, said his nonprofit can provide care less expensively than either the state or county.

“One reason is that our workers don’t get big benefits packages offered by the state,” Bottoms said. “We’re a nonprofit, so we keep our costs down wherever we can.”

A total of 114 doctors, nurses and other workers currently work at the six closing locations. Huard said those employees will not be transferred to the remaining three health department sites. However, he added many will be hired by the two nonprofit groups receiving a large number of the department’s former clients to help handle the increased demand.

“Those who wanted to come on board with us were offered positions,” Bottoms said.

Huard did say it is “very unlikely” all the workers would get jobs at the two nonprofits.

The six closing facilities mainly provided pediatric and maternal care.

“Those patients will notice a few changes in care or providers after the transition,” Huard said. “What we’ve been working toward is people coming in and seeing the same provider at the same location, and they really shouldn’t see a great change in their services.”

For additional information on the Hillsborough Health Department, visit www.hillscountyhealth.org or call (813) 307-8000 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

 

Locations closing

–North Hillsborough Health Center, 9827 N. Sheldon Road in Tampa

–University Area Health Center, 13601 N. 22nd St. in Tampa

–Sulphur Springs Health Center, 8605 N. Mitchell Ave. in Tampa

–Floyd Kelton Health Center, 4704-B W. Montgomery Ave. in Tampa

–Joyce Ely Health Center, 205 14th Ave. S.E. in Ruskin

–Plant City Health Center, 302 N. Michigan Ave. in Plant City

 

Sites staying open

–Hargrett Building Health Center, 2002 E. 26th Ave. in Tampa

–Downtown Health Center, 1105 E. Kennedy Blvd. in Tampa

–TB Clinic, 8515 N. Mitchell Ave. in Tampa

 

By B.C. Manion

The air was charged with a sense of excitement as children and adults gathered under a big tent last week at a site on Sunlake Boulevard to celebrate the groundbreaking of Imagine School at Land O’ Lakes.

“Welcome to what we thought would never happen,” said Principal Kathy Helean, recounting efforts that began in 2005 to create a charter school and build a home for it.

“It’s a glorious day, isn’t it?” said another speaker, Rod Sasse, executive vice president for Imagine Schools in Florida.

Helean compared the school’s efforts to create a school, find a site and line up a contractor to the children’s story, “The Little Engine That Could.”

“In the beginning, there was only the idea of having students with a seat on this train. The engine was filled with our school’s governing board, a few parents and Imagine.”

“Once we got our charter approved by the school board of Pasco County, we started loading children on this train. We still hadn’t found a permanent home.

“Imagine (at) Land O’ Lakes opened in 2008, with 424 students on board, and teachers, parents and community members supporting – as we continued searching for a place for our school.

“Parents started telling other parents about Imagine and more students got onto the Imagine train, but still we needed to get these students into a permanent school building.

“We had several locations appear promising, but they didn’t work out. Some families became disheartened, but most decided to stay on the train.”

“And then we found Sunlake Boulevard and we found Ryan (Companies US Inc.); it seemed too good to be true, but we hoped this would be the one. This is the one, we made it,” she said, to an enthusiastic crowd.

It took four tries to find a site that would work, Helean said. The others did not work out because of traffic issues.

Imagine at Land O’ Lakes is a publicly funded charter school, operating under the authority of Pasco County Schools. Students are selected for the school through a lottery process.

Helean said she began writing the charter application for Imagine Land O’ Lakes in 2005 because she believed “all families deserve to have a choice in their child’s education.”

At Imagine at Land O’ Lakes, “the philosophy is that the parent is the one that knows the child best. We’re here to assist the parent.

“We focus not only on academics, but on character development and parent involvement.”

The school has a 95 percent re-enrollment rate.

The new 43,000-square-foot school will have a capacity for 728 students, but it is only authorized currently for 584 under its charter agreement with the school district.

The school will have 38 classrooms and a 6,000-square-foot multipurpose room, for lunch, gym and other activities. The site has ample play spaces, including a 1.2-acre play field.

Amanda Battistoni, president of the school’s board, said the new school “gives parents the security of knowing we are a permanent fixture in this community. We’re not leaving.”

Besides helping children who attend Imagine, the school also lessens the potential for overcrowding at other area schools, Battistoni said.

Pasco County Commissioner Pat Mulieri was among the dignitaries attending the July 29 groundbreaking ceremony.

The commissioner, a former professor at Pasco-Hernando Community College, said she had visited Imagine and liked what she saw there.

The school has a child-centered curriculum, Mulieri said. “I was also impressed with the joy of learning on the children’s faces.”

As an educator, she’s pleased that Imagine is getting a beautiful new facility, Mulieri said.

“As a commissioner, I am delighted to see jobs in Pasco County. I’m delighted to see a new building come in.”

Liska Garcia Rovi, who teaches middle school Spanish at the school, she’s excited about the notion of having a permanent school home.

“Right now, we’re in an office building and there’s a little bit more separation between one thing and another,” she said.

Christine Gegan, whose 7-year-old son, Quintin, attends the school, said she’s happy that families attending the school will have a place “to plant our feet and solidify the children’s education. Being in the temporary building, it felt a little uncertain.”

Gegan said she’s thrill with the education her son is receiving.

Students work with teachers in clusters, working with the same teachers for three years, Gegan said.

The teachers really get to know the children.

“They focus on each individual child,” Gegan said. “The families that go there are just a delight. There’s a real sense of community. Most of the parents that go there want to be involved with their children’s education.”

By Kyle LoJacono

The Pasco Commission unanimously approved an outright ban of panhandling on all county roadways, except on Sundays.

The 5-0 vote came on July 26. The ban prevents people from asking for money or selling anything, and it includes nonprofit groups. The Sunday exemption was put in place as a compromise for those who sell newspapers roadside.

“We didn’t want those people to lose their part-time jobs,” said Commission Chairwoman Ann Hildebrand. “Something like 200 people could have been out of work if we didn’t have the exemption.”

Commissioners say the ban is needed as a safety measure to try and reduce the risk of panhandlers and those hawking products from being hit or causing accidents.

“With social media today and the distractions of drivers, I think we’re trying to look out for the safety of citizens,” said Commissioner Ted Schrader.

Assistant County Attorney Kristi Wooden said the commissioners were given data showing traffic is 45 percent less heavy on Sundays versus the rest of the week.

“That really eased my mind on voting for it,” said Commissioner Pat Mulieri.

The ban does not bar everyone from the roadside as long as they do not ask drivers for money. It does not prevent people from giving out fliers or holding signs for businesses, commonly known as sign spinning or twirling.

Pasco is one of several county and city governments that have recently put some type of ban on panhandling. Both Hillsborough County and the city of St. Petersburg have passed outright bans without the Sunday exemption.

New Port Richey also banned panhandling in May. That city ordinance states it is, “unlawful for panhandlers to express implied threats of physical injury or property damage, attempt to maintain extended contact after receiving a negative response or impede a person’s movement.”

The Tampa City Council narrowly voted against a similar ban and is planning several workshops to further discuss the issue. It is scheduled to have more discussion about passing a ban at its Sept. 8 meeting.

Additionally, Zephyrhills City Manager Jim Drumm and Dade City City Manger William Poe Jr. say they expect to discuss a possible ban later this summer in the east Pasco municipalities.

Several Pasco citizens voiced their concern of seeing an increased number of panhandlers during the last few years. However, Devon Dougherty, assistant pastor at Victorious Life Church in Wesley Chapel, cautioned against the tactic of pushing the needy away.

“We do not find (the ban) to be addressing the situation of the homeless population,” Devon Dougherty said. He then added, “This is just sweeping the problem under the rug.”

Mulieri also did not like the fact that the ban prevents charities and civic groups like firefighters, Rotary clubs or the Knights of Columbus from collecting funds six days a week.

“If you’re going to take a stand, you have to take a stand,” Mulieri said to members attending the commission meeting representing such charities. After the vote she acknowledged the likelihood of the county being challenged legally on the new ordinance.

Language in the new ordinance protects the ban if the Sunday exemption is overturned on the legal grounds of it being selective enforcement, according to Wooden.

“If that happens, the ban would stay as a seven-day ban,” Wooden said. “The only two options are for it to be a six or seven day ban.”

Pasco has 10 days to submit the new ordinance to the state after its passage. The ban will go into place after that date.

 

Club helps speakers build confidence

By Zack Peterson

The timer light just turned bright green. Micah Richeson has been talking for a minute now about the number five.

Yes, anything and everything related to the number five is open to Micah’s oral assessment.

Another 30 seconds later, the timer light flashes yellow, signifying to the audience that Micah has 30 minutes left to finish his speech.

Micah exhales with relief, wraps up his final sentiments and flashes a brief smile of accomplishment before receiving a round of applause.

His speech ranges everywhere from the number of years he lived in Gainesville (five), to the number of organs the body has (five) and finally to the number of toes and fingers human beings possess on each hand and foot (also five).

Though seemingly arbitrary, here at the Wesley Chapel Speaks Toastmasters Club, Micah has been encouraged to take a leap of faith, take the stand and speak about whatever topic he draws for one to two minutes during what’s known as the Table Topic portion of the meeting.

Here at the Wesley Chapel Speaks Toastmasters Club, it’s not about proficiency at first; it’s about building confidence.

Although the club has a specific schedule they keep to for each meeting, during the Table Topic portion, members draw from a basket of potential speech topics, dwell upon the topic for a couple seconds and then approach their fellow members with a spontaneous speech about what they selected.

Though not officially members yet, Micah and his wife, Mitze (who had to talk about the number 13), wanted to experience what the club had to offer. The couple moved to the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area about two years ago when they heard about the club.

“We wanted to get a feel for what this was like,” Micah said. “I do some speaking on the side and she’s (Mitze) been interested in her speaking skills. Being new to this community still, we hope it’ll be a good way to connect with more people.”

And connection is what the club strives to teach, particularly when it comes to connecting individuals with speaking skills they never knew they had.

“I was once terrified of speaking,” said David West, president of the Wesley Chapel Speaks Toastmasters Club. “My legs would shake and everything.”

West originally became interested with public speaking at the age of 15 when he delivered his first sermon. By the time he was 19, he began preaching full time and has moved throughout Dade City, Trilby and now, preaches at The Church of Wesley Chapel.

“I like starting things,” said West, and that’s why, a little over a year and a half ago, West helped found the club with intention of getting his fellow community members more comfortable with public speaking.

The Wesley Chapel Speaks Toastmasters Club meets on the first and third Monday evenings at the Hyundai of Wesley Chapel (27000 Wesley Chapel Boulevard), and then on the second and fourth Monday mornings at the St. Petersburg Times’ Wesley Chapel office on 26240 Golden Maple Loop.

“We want to get you comfortable with speaking,” West said. “And I think a key part to that is thinking, ‘It’s not about me, it’s about the message I’ve got to give.’”

That’s why West starts out newcomers to the club with their first public speech known as the “Ice-breakers,” which has members delivering a speech about themselves.

“When you’re asked to speak, you’re asked to speak because you’re an expert on the topic,” West said. “No one’s more of an expert on you than you are.”

Currently, between the two meeting sessions, the club has about 15 members, but West is confident that by September the club will be home to 35-40 members.

According to West, when the club first launched, “it did in six months what most clubs couldn’t do in a year.”

“We received all kinds of awards, distinctions and had great numbers,” West said. However, the next year, West stepped down from his position as president.

Though the club “dwindled” the following year, West took the initiative to reassume his former position and build the club back up to its former numbers.

Presently, West has spoken to 40-50 people who are interested in becoming members.

“I think it’s mostly the economy that keeps the Toastmasters numbers low,” West said. “People don’t have as much time for personal development; they’re just trying to get by.

“But this could be just the thing you need. If you want a good job, communication skills are critical. Now’s a great time to join; there’s always room for you.”

Members are required to pay a fee of $50 twice a year, but all of the proceeds go back to whatever supplies the club may need.

“Anything we put in all goes back to the members,” West explained.

But according to West, the greatest experience he takes out of working with Toastmasters is seeing the individual change.

“In six months, you won’t even recognize yourself,” West said. “There’ll be that much visible improvement.”

Group to celebrate its 20^th anniversary

By B.C. Manion

When Pasco County residents hop into their cars to make a trip, chances are good they aren’t traveling east or west, but instead are heading north or south.

Because of those travel patterns, there’s a good likelihood that people living and working on the east side of the county are out of touch with the issues affecting the west side, and vice versa.

Since its inception, Leadership Pasco has tried to develop leaders who take a broad view of the county – and consider it as a whole, not two distinct parts, said Cynthia Armstrong, who served on the group’s founding board.

“Leadership Pasco has done an excellent, excellent job of bringing people from both sides of the county together,” Armstrong said.

The organization is marking its 20^th anniversary with a celebration on Thursday, Aug. 11, at the Seven Springs Golf & Country Club in New Port Richey.

Armstrong, now a member of the Pasco County School Board, said Leadership Pasco has good reason to celebrate.

“I’m very proud of how it has evolved,” Armstrong said. “I think it has done exactly – and more – of what we originally envisioned,” said the woman who was serving on the board of the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce when Leadership Pasco was born.

Since the beginning, the organization has been devoted to helping develop leadership in Pasco County. It also has aimed to give its members a deeper understanding of the county’s physical makeup, its social issues, its strengths, weaknesses and potential.

At first glance, its members may seem to have little in common: They are bankers or lawyers, educators or marketing experts. Some work in agriculture, others in industry. Some do charitable work.

Having a diverse membership is deliberate, said Kurt Conover, marketing director for the Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point.

The idea is to bring people together from different walks of life so they can learn from each other, he said.

Therefore, each class of Leadership Pasco is made up of members who bring knowledge to the table about distinct community issues and who have diverse professional perspectives.

During the course of two decades more than 600 people have completed the training offered through Leadership Pasco.

Each Leadership Pasco class devotes the better part of a year to educational activities and learning sessions designed to help them develop a deeper understanding of Pasco County.

Class members begin their education by taking two daylong bus tours, devoting a day to each side of the county.

On the east side, for instance, they get a better sense of what’s happening on the agricultural scene. And, on the west side, they gain a better grasp about some of the urban challenges facing the county.

Harold Sample, who has been conducting the bus tour for about 18 years, said he tells each new class of Leadership Pasco that he will buy anyone on the bus a lunch if they don’t learn something new about the county during the bus tours.

So far, he hasn’t had to buy a single lunch, said Sample, now with Workforce Housing Ventures Inc.

Besides the bus tour, the organization has monthly programs, emphasizing different themes each month. Those topics include criminal justice; business and industry; government and the media; infrastructure and growth management; healthcare; education; and leadership in action.

On issues of criminal justice, for instance, they may tour the jail, learn about weapons and hear from the sheriff, attorneys and judges, Conover said.

In the healthcare arena, they cover the continuum of healthcare issues – from birth to death, he said. They’ll also tour healthcare facilities and will hear from nonprofit groups that provide healthcare on the community level.

Class members also take part in an overnight activity, where they live in a simulated society of haves, have-nots and people in between.

“I was in the have-not (group). You couldn’t go anywhere. You couldn’t do anything,” Conover said.

The experience helps participants develop a greater appreciation regarding the impacts that economic status can have on people’s choices, opportunities and experiences, Conover said.

Besides having a chance to increase their knowledge, each leadership class also identifies and completes a community service project.

The Leadership Pasco Class of 2011 raised funds for a K-9 shelter and shower for the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. The previous year’s class raised money for two portable showers for homeless people.

Prospective Leadership Pasco members fill out an application, which is reviewed by a selection committee.

The program has a $700 fee, but there are partial and full scholarships available, Conover said.

 

What: 20^th Anniversary Celebration

Where: Seven Springs Golf & Country Club, 3535 Trophy Boulevard

New Port Richey

When: Thursday, Aug. 11, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Enjoy Hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer and mingling with 20 years of Leadership Pasco graduates

Ticket prices are $35 for the general public and $50 for members, which includes access to the group’s database of 600-plus members, or $75, which includes access to the database and a nice shirt that commemorates the 20^th anniversary.

For more information, contact Glenn Hanff at (727) 457-6375.

By B.C. Manion

She isn’t sure where her path in life will take her, but Erica Boehm, a young woman from Wesley Chapel, will be spending the next year of her life working as a missionary.

Boehm will soon travel to St. Paul, Minn., to spend five weeks in preparation for her role in Net Ministries.

Net Ministries is an international Catholic youth ministry that provides training in youth evangelization and leads more than 1,000 retreats annually.

The organization’s acronym stands for National Evangelization Teams. The organization began in 1981, as an outreach from a retreat program of the St. Paul Catholic Youth Center, in St. Paul, Minn.

The center’s first team traveled around Minnesota, conducting youth retreats.

Since then, the program has evolved to include teams in the United States and other countries that fan out to lead retreats, do community service work and share the gospel.

After completing five weeks of intense training, Boehm will join one of the teams. She is one of 120 young men and women selected to take part in the ministry program this year.

She said she’s not sure what her assignment will be. She could join a team that travels around the country. Boehm may be assigned to work at a specific parish. Or, she could be assigned to work out of the headquarters in St. Paul.

“Wherever I end up, that’s where God wants me,” Boehm said.

Although she grew up Catholic, Boehm said her true spiritual awakening didn’t occur until she was in high school and she began helping with her youth group at St. Mark the Evangelist Church in New Tampa.

Attending a four-day conference in Atlanta was a turning point in her life.

“It was just so beautiful. Since then, every day is a new experience,” Boehm said.

Each missionary must raise $4,200 to support his or her work, said Boehm, who is raising her money by giving talks, through word of mouth and by sending out letters asking people to support her financially and through prayer.

She also will seek financial support from those attending masses at her church during the weekend of Aug. 20-21. She’ll be talking about her upcoming work during each of the weekend’s masses.

Boehm has belonged to the church for six years and has been active as a peer minister in the youth group.

Boehm is excited about spending the better part of a year in her life sharing her faith with others.

She isn’t sure where her faith journey will take her, but she knows she wants to continue working in youth ministry.

“I wait for God to direct me where I’m going. This year, it’s going to be a lot of discerning,” Boehm said.

To find out more about NET Ministries, follow the organization on Twitter or Facebook, call (651) 450-6833 or visit www.netusa.org

To find out more about Boehm’s upcoming ministry you can contact her at .

 

Seeking missionary support

What: Erica Boehm will be discussing her upcoming ministry and seeking financial support for it.

Where: St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church, 9724 Cross Creek Boulevard, in New Tampa.

When: During the 5 p.m. mass on Saturday, Aug. 20 and during the 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. masses on Sunday, Aug. 21.

 

 

WHAT’S IN A NAME

By Kyle LoJacono

This week will look into how Lutz got its name.

LUTZ was first settled as a Catholic mission in the late 1880s by Luxembourg priest Francis Stemper.

Stemper bought many acres of land in the area west of Lake Bruing, now Lake Stemper, to start the mission. Those who settled in the Stemper colony were primarily from Luxembourg.

The heart of the Stemper colony was located along present day US 41 south across from the First Baptist Church of Lutz.

The first structure Stemper built was the church, which doubled as the school, on the northwest end of the former Lake Bruing. Houses sprang up around the church. The first cemetery was on what is now Cypress Cove Road off Sunset Lane.

The Stemper post office was established on Nov. 17, 1893 with the namesake priest as the postmaster. The post office was ordered closed in February 1899, but reopened on April 13, 1899.

In 1907, the Tampa Northern Railroad was built. It ran from Tampa, through Stemper and further north.

The old wood-burning train engines required frequent stops to take on more wood, which were called wood rack stops. The stop just north of Stemper was named Lutz, after early Tampa Northern engineer William Lutz. William was a young engineer from West Virginia; his brother Charles ran a sawmill in what is now Odessa.

Charles built a tram track in 1909 to carry his lumber 10 miles east, connecting his sawmill to the Tampa Northern line at brother William’s Lutz station.

The Gulf Coast Railroad, which ran east-west toward Tarpon Springs, opened soon after the Tampa Northern line. The two tracks crossed at the Lutz station. The wood stop and two rail lines helped put the fledgling town on the map, but with the name North Tampa.

The joining of the railroads at the Lutz station prompted the stop to be renamed Lutz Junction. The replica of the old Lutz train depot now stands at U.S, 41 on the north side of W. Lutz Lake Fern Road. The original station was on the south side of Lutz Lake Fern.

During that time, North Tampa residents got their mail from the Stemper post office, located about three miles south. Early in 1912, they petitioned the U.S. government for their own post office, but were turned down.

Instead of asking for another post office, North Tampa residents signed a petition to have the Stemper location moved to North Tampa.

On Jan. 27, 1913, the U.S. Post Office granted the petition. However, the department feared North Tampa Post Office would be confused with the Tampa site.

The department chose to name it the Lutz Post Office after the Lutz Junction train depot. The town has been known as Lutz ever since.

For additional information on how Lutz got its name, visit www.fivay.org.

*The Laker and the Lutz News series on how historic places were named will continue throughout the summer. Information is provided by interviews with Pasco County historian Jeff Miller of Fivay.org and the West Pasco Historical Society. See how Wiregrass and Zephyrhills got their names next week, which will be the final edition of What’s in a Name.