By Kyle LoJacono

Drivers who frequent the I-75/I-275 split at the Hillsborough/Pasco county line have seen the beginning of the multi-stage, multi-million dollar project to widen the interstates.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is expanding the roadways from Bearss Avenue in Hillsborough to the Pasco/Hernando county line north of SR 52. Expected completion is 2015.

The overall idea to widen the interstates will relieve high traffic volume due to increasing population in northern Hillsborough and central and east Pasco counties.

“It’s been on the radar for a while,” said John McShaffrey, FDOT Public Information Officer. “The Tampa interstate study goes back to the 1980s. It wasn’t needed back then, but they could see there’d be a need for a widening in the future.”

FDOT statistics from 2010 show that as many as 75,550 vehicles drive on the two interstates through the project zone.

“The interstate is being widened according to the master plan for the interstate system in the Tampa Bay area, which calls for at least three lanes in each direction to reduce congestion and improve safety,” McShaffrey said. “Finishing this section will complete I-275 widening north of downtown and will also work in conjunction with the coming widening of I-75.”

The southern end of the project is already underway. It started in fall 2009 and includes improvements to the SR 56 exit ramps from both I-275 and I-75. That portion comes with a $29.9 million price tag and is scheduled to be finished in the fall of 2015.

Additionally, construction crews began the $20.5 million widening of I-275 from Bearss to where it splits with I-75 from four to six lanes, a stretch of 5.7 miles. New lanes will not be added in the 2.3-mile stretch where the Hillsborough and southern-most Pasco projects meet.

“In that location the new exit ramps are very long and will act as the widened lanes,” McShaffrey said.

The remaining widening in Pasco is not yet fully funded and parts are still about a year from starting, but FDOT spokeswoman Kris Carson said it will happen.

The first step is to take the 4.3-mile stretch of I-75 from just south of SR 56 to north of SR 54 from four to eight lanes at a cost of $22.5 million. That job is fully funded and began in March. It will also improve drainage and add overhead signage and high-mast lighting. There will be periodic lane closures from 8 p.m.-5 a.m.

The project will be complicated near the Tampa North Aero Park in Wesley Chapel, as that facility is very close to the existing lanes. The new roadway will shift slightly east, which will avoid the small airport and reduced the price of right-of-way land purchase.

The widening from SR 56 to SR 54 is scheduled for completion by fall 2012, but McShaffrey said the job is well ahead of that pace.

“It is likely this project will finish around eight months ahead of schedule,” McShaffrey said.

The next step is to take I-75 from four to six lanes from SR 54 to north of SR 52, a stretch of about 16 miles. It will also include resurfacing the existing lanes, lengthening of the interstate’s bridge over SR 52 to accommodate the state road’s future widening and building a new loop ramp to allow more drivers facing west on SR 52 to enter I-75.

Very little of the SR 54 to SR 52 widening is funded, with only $6 million allocated toward funding.

The northern portion will expand I-75 from four to six lanes from just north of SR 52 to the Hernando County Line, a distance of about 10 miles. FDOT has allocated $13.8 million for right-of-way land purchases and $3.3 million for design, but the actual construction is not yet funded.

 

Steinbrenner flag football, boys track also impress

By Kyle LoJacono

The Steinbrenner High athletic department is fast becoming a powerhouse both on the field and in the classroom.

That is illustrated by the Warriors capturing the 2011 Vernon Korhn Award, given annually by the Hillsborough Athletic Department to the top school. County athletic director Lanness Robinson said the judges factor in academic achievement, athletic success and sportsmanship.

“We had the third highest overall GPA for our athletes the whole year,” said Steinbrenner athletic director Eddie Henderson. “We also had our girls soccer team win a state championship, a girls track athlete (Alexis Wright) win an individual state title and our boys cross country team was state runner-up, but what pushed us over the edge was we had no coach or student ejected from a competition this year.”

Henderson said there was one ejection to a player in 2009-10; one too many for his tastes.

“The school district had a positive coach’s alliance training before the school year,” Henderson said. “Myself and Principal (Brenda) Grasso attended that and we put the word out to the coaches. We stressed class on the field.”

In addition to the sportsmanship and state championships, the Warriors also scored big by winning seven team district championships and finishing as district runner-up in five sports this school year.

Two of the Warriors spring sports teams also received top academics honors.

Steinbrenner’s flag football team’s 3.460 and boys track and field’s 3.385 were the highest combined GPA of any other county program. It is the first time any Warriors team has received the award in the school’s two-year history.

“It’s a great honor and I’m very pleased that two of our teams placed so high academically,” Henderson said. “Our football team finished second in the fall to Plant, but this is the first time we’ve been first.”

Warriors flag football coach Jennifer Graham said her team had study hall every game day, twice a week during the season.

“We’d have our pregame meal and then quiet study hall,” Graham said. “That means no cellphones or iPods with books out. My thought was even if you don’t have any assignments due, you can study.”

She gave credit to math teacher Marie Puskas and science teachers Gregory Puskas and Cathy Tintera for helping students during study hall.

“They were a big help and so were the older girls on the team,” Graham said. “They would take the younger girls under their wing and help them with anything they needed for school. They have been very self motivated, but the great thing is we have very strong athletic programs at Steinbrenner. That’s a carrot for the players because they know if they struggle in the classroom, there is someone just as good who could replace them. It keeps them focused.”

Graham was a volleyball assistant for the 2009 and 2010 seasons and was recently named the program’s head coach. She said the study hall policy is the same for the fall sport.

“A lot of the kids talk about playing in college, but 99 percent of them won’t get that chance, so we make sure they know how important grades are,” Graham said. “That’s something that our administration has stressed since the school opened.”

One of the leaders on Graham’s squad this year was junior defensive back Cary Anne Bame, who was also the volleyball team’s libero. She had never played flag football before this season, but recorded 27 flag pulls, 13 interceptions and six passes defensed. She was named to the All-Laker/All-Lutz News flag football and All-Western Conference first team for her efforts.

Bame was also a standout in the classroom, posting a 5.48 weighted grade point average, the fourth highest at Steinbrenner through her first five semesters. Graham said she remembers seeing Bame pulling out flash cards during water breaks in the volleyball season to grab a little more study time.

“We weren’t shocked we won because of the work we put in, but we were all excited too,” Bame said. She then added. “It was more about setting a good example for the younger girls. The other thing is there is a lot of competition to be a good student at Steinbrenner. The top five kids in the class all know it and want to stay there.”

Newsome also took home two team academic awards, in baseball and girls track and field, while Plant has the top overall GPA for the entire year.

“We had some friendly competition going with Newsome and Plant,” Henderson said.

Hillsborough School Board members and Superintendent MaryEllen Elia attended the award ceremony and Henderson said that made the event even more special for Steinbrenner’s student-athletes.

“It showed them they care about athletics,” Henderson said. “They have a lot to take care of at the end of the school year, and for them to take time out of their day to support the student-athletes was a treat.”

For more information on the Hillsborough awards or the county’s athletic department, visit athletics.mysdhc.org.

Betmar plays host to summer doubles event

By Kyle LoJacono

Walt Shine and Chuck Brayman had never played as a shuffleboard team before, but the two managed to take home the Summer National Championship Any Doubles title at Betmar in Zephyrhills June 7.

Shine, of Zephyrhills, usually plays with Jerry Brandon, but the latter could not play because of kidney problems. Brayman, of Leesburg, generally pairs with Gary McLaughlin, but he returned to New York for the summer.

It is the first national championship for both players, making the late combination somewhat of a surprise.

“My partner couldn’t play, so Earl Ball helped the two of us come together,” Shine said. “Chuck agreed, so here we are. I always expect to win when I play, but it doesn’t always happen. I play to win, but win or lose I have fun.”

Ball also lives in Zephyrhills and won the tournament last year. While he does not like losing, he was happy someone else had the opportunity to win the title.

“My words to them were I could win the tournament with either one of them, so I’m sure the two of them would win the whole thing,” said Ball, whose 15 national titles are tied for the most all time.

The newly crowned champions do have some playing history.

“We played against each other in Lakeland a couple months ago,” Brayman said. “He actually beat me, but we haven’t played with each other before. It just kind of happened and I certainly would play with him again.”

Shine, 72, agreed that the two may team up in the future.

“We thought we’d be good,” Brayman said. “He plays to ‘put them in the kitchen’ and so do I, so we play the same way.”

“Putting someone in the kitchen” means hitting an opponent’s disc in a spot on the court that subtracts 10 from his score.

The two defeated the combination of Mickey Henson and Bob Sempolinski in less than one hour 75-(40), 75-22. Brayman followed his normal game plan and put Sempolinski in the kitchen four times in the first game and another two times in the second. Shine scored 81 points for his team during the match, including 45 in the decisive game.

Shine is in his first year as a professional player and really enjoyed the opportunity to win his first national title on his home court.

“It’s been a wonderful couple of days,” Shine said. “We’ve had some matches that lasted a couple hours, and that takes a lot out of you, but we managed to prevail. A lot of it has to do with luck; you can see that in the final match. Our opponents had some bad luck and we had some good luck.”

Brayman has been playing since 1991, but had to fight through pain to win his first U.S. championship. He has been suffering from four bone spurs in his neck for the last few months and will be having surgery to remove them shortly.

The tournament was played June 6-7 and had 32, two-player teams, seven women and 25 men pairings. The event has been played at Betmar the last four years, but it will be moving to Lakeland and played in May next year.

For more information on shuffleboard in Florida, visit the Florida Shuffleboard Association’s website at www.fsa-shuffleboard.org.

By Zack Peterson

Engstrom constructs future as military officer

Ever since he was a young boy, Daniel Engstrom has loved taking things apart and building them back up.

“Engineering’s always been a hobby of mine,” he said.

Now, as a recently graduated senior from Land O’ Lakes Christian, he plans to build a powerful future at West Point, the prestigious military development institution where great leaders have all studied in the past and gone on to become critical figures in our nation’s armed forces.

“It means a lot and it’s all a very big honor,” Engstrom said. “About only 1,215 kids are getting in and it’s a big honor to serve my country in this way.”

For Engstrom, it all started last year when a close friend recommended the programs West Point had to offer.

“I went to a Summer Leaders Seminar program this past summer and when I was there – being at the campus and seeing all its history – it all hit me square in the head,” Engstrom said.

What came next was the long, rigorous process designed to find the best of the best. First, Engstrom had to initially be accepted to the school.

“It’s really similar to any other college application process,” he explained. “You make a profile and so on. Where it differs is the nominations.”

Candidates to U.S. military academies must gain nominations from senators and members of Congress from their particular area or state. After applying for these nominations, candidates are then judged by three areas of criteria: scholarship, athletics and leadership.

For a candidate to gain acceptance from a lawmaker, they must be well rounded and stand out to the reviewer’s scrutinizing eye.

After applying, “you pray they like you and hope you get a nomination to the academy,” Engstrom said.

To prep himself to shine before leadership, Engstrom involved himself in a myriad of activities over the years. As an active member in his school’s student government, Engstrom served as secretary, treasurer, vice president and president throughout his four years of high school. As an active captain of the soccer team, Engstrom collected the athletics requirement. And as a hard-working student, Engstrom landed himself in the top of his class.

However, Engstrom also displayed interest in the Air Force. He also pursued the rigorous requirements they held and even had two nominations to the Air Force Academy. Not hearing any additional word from West Point, he left it alone, mentally accepting the fact that he would have to move on.

Then, West Point made an exception, offering Engstrom an appointment even though he had no nominations to the Academy.

“It seemed totally out of the blue,” Engstrom recalled. “To me it was a sign from God.”

“As a Christian, I believe that God orchestrated the entire thing; I hadn’t talked to anyone from West Point in four to five months; I hadn’t done anything with my profile. In my eyes, he [God] opened the door to West Point and closed the one to Air Force. The whole time I would pray to him, asking for guidance with my decision. With this sign, I know he cares and listens.”

Set to report to West Point for basic training on June 27, Engstrom admits that he is “a little nervous, but overall, mostly excited.”

“I’m the first person from my school to ever go to an academy like this,” Engstrom said. “I think it’s encouraging to others to see how far a classmate can go and for them to try and do the same. It’s been a real thrill.”

 

Steinbrenner graduate Keith prepares to lead

Also attending West Point from the local area is Ryon Keith, a recently graduated senior from Steinbrenner High.

Keith was inspired to pursue West Point after sitting down and questioning his future career during his junior year.

“I sat down and looked at what I wanted to do with my life,” Keith said. “I wanted something that would push me physically and mentally.”

Originally, Keith looked at participating in ROTC programs at a college, but after extensive research, he decided otherwise.

“I realized I wanted to be more prepared to lead,” Keith recalled, figuring an Academy appointment would give him further credentials with the Army.

Like Engstrom, Keith first searched for nominations to the academy. He found success with U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, who had Keith interviewed by a panel of specific people he chose.

According to Keith, each congressman can only have five nominees in the academy at one time period. Keith attributes his success as a nominee to his “well-roundedness.”

Judged by the same three characteristics as Engstrom – scholarship, athletics and leadership – Keith said his stand-out attributes were the various positions and school-related activities that dotted his resume. Not only did he serve as the swim team’s captain, he also played varsity football and served as the captain of the wrestling team.

Furthermore, Keith held memberships in the National Honor Society, Science National Honors Society and the Beta Club.

Lastly, Keith said his “high test scores” helped catch the eye of Bilirakis and his panel of hand-picked judges.

Although Keith hasn’t always attended Steinbrenner — he was once a Sickles student until Steinbrenner was opened in 2009 — he found the transition there to be filled with supportive figures everywhere.

“The administration and everyone at Steinbrenner were extremely helpful,” Keith said. “Everyone was really interested and eager to provide assistance.”

Though he’s slated to leave June 24 for basic training, Keith admits that the new lifestyle was definitely going to be “a big change.”

“I’m definitely nervous,” Keith admitted. “But overall I’m really looking forward to the entire experience.”

Had he not decided on West Point, Keith planned to study at either Auburn or Embry-Riddle and participate in ROTC. Now, everything’s about to change.

“My goal is to do well at West Point and do the best with whatever the future has in store,” Keith said. “I felt I’ve had a calling to serve. My vision of what’s to come will be clear with my time at West Point.”

By B.C. Manion

One day, she’s picking up trash in a community cleanup.

Another day, she’s out trick-or-treating for UNICEF.

On other days she’s helping at Special Olympics events, walking in Relay for Life, building a fence for Habitat for Humanity or helping elementary school children with homework or crafts.

Shelby Thompson, 16, has logged thousands of volunteer hours – and really can’t recall a time when she wasn’t pitching in.

“It’s what I like to do. It’s practically my life,” said the young woman from Wesley Chapel, who credits her mother for inspiring her to help others.

“I used to take her down to Metropolitan Ministries with me,” said Sandy Thompson, Shelby’s mom. “We used to do big baskets for the corporation I worked for,” she said. “I’d go off to Wal-Mart and load up 30 turkeys,” she said.

“We’d have three carts full,” said Shelby, who will be a senior at Wesley Chapel High.

Over the years, as Sandy volunteered at schools, Shelby helped, too.

“You name the event, I probably have been there,” Shelby said.

She’s helped to assemble bags of candy, to count T-shirts, to hand out forms on registration day.

She loves it.

“It’s important to me. I like knowing that I’m making a difference in someone’s life. I like helping people,” Shelby said.

Her efforts to help others have not gone unnoticed.

She’s garnered a number of awards for her good works.

Most recently, she was one of the recipients of the Anne Frank Humanitarian Award bestowed by the Florida Holocaust Museum to students “who make a conscious decision to spend their time improving the lives of others.”

Before that, Pasco County Public Schools named her the volunteer of the year in the youth category, and she went on to be named by the Florida Department of Education as one of the state’s seven regional finalists.

For years, she trailed her mom to various volunteer functions and did her part to chip in, but then she began branching out on her own.

She has been a Special Olympics volunteer for years, working at local, regional and statewide events. She’s done the Autism Walk twice. She raised $70 by trick-or-treating in her neighborhood for UNICEF.

She has gotten down and dirty during Pasco County road cleanups. The grossest things she’s found? “Bottles filled with weird liquids” and a toddler’s potty-chair.

She helped direct traffic for Hike for Hospice and collected underwear, pajamas and toothbrushes for Toys for Tots.

She’s also solicited money – in person and by mail – for Relay for Life.

In some cases, she’s been recruited or recruited others, to help.

For instance, she joined her mom, her dad Alex and her 15-year-old sister, Lynzie, in taking part at Wesley Chapel’s Relay for Life events.

She turned to her grandma (Betty Border) whose nickname is NeNe, to help her collect items for Toys for Tots.

And, she persuaded some friends to help her collect donations for the American Cancer Society in front of a Publix store. She collected the contributions on Valentine’s Day, using the slogan “A Sweet Day for A Cure.”

She’s also president of her Interact Club, which is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Sunrise, and she’s a member of Wesley Chapel High’s National Honor Society.

Her favorite volunteer work has involved helping children at Watergrass Elementary where she pitched in three days a week helping children with homework, crafts and music events.

“I just go after school. I make time,” said Shelby, who racked up 360 hours of volunteer work during her freshman year and thinks she did about the same during the following two years.

She gets a sense of satisfaction from getting involved, particularly with school children.

“It feels really nice knowing that they’re smiling because I helped them.”

The volunteer work also has helped her to cement her career plans.

She knows exactly what she wants to do with her life: “I want to teach elementary school,” she said.

And, to be a volunteer, of course.

 

By B.C. Manion

When it comes to baking and decorating cakes, Noemi Carambot has a clear focus.

She wants the cake she makes for customers to be the kind of cake she’d want to present at special occasions for family and friends.

After all, that’s how this woman from Puerto Rico got her start in cake decorating: She began by making cakes in her kitchen to celebrate special times with her loved ones.

Before launching her business, Carambot was a school teacher. She routinely made cakes for her students and for birthdays, baby showers and the like.

She was in the midst of decorating one of those cakes one day when a neighbor dropped by her house and told her: “You should sell your cakes.”

Carambot thought her friend was crazy and she didn’t give the notion another thought until she was out shopping for a baby shower a few months later and ran across the opportunity to take a cake-decorating class.

She decided to go for it.

Suffice it to say, a lot of flour, sugar and eggs have come into Carambot’s life since then.

After taking the class, she began creating custom-made cakes part-time. That was in 1994. Over time, it became a full-time pursuit as her family moved from Puerto Rico to Tampa Bay.

In recent years, she worked out of a commercial kitchen at the Tampa Scottish Rite Masonic Center on Memorial Drive, in Town ‘N Country.

Just a few months ago, the company called, L’Artisan Cake Atelier, set up its first storefront at 131 Flagship Drive, off US 41 in Lutz.

It’s a family affair, with Carambot, daughter Merli Rodriguez and son-in-law Jaime Miranda making and decorating the cakes.

Carambot’s husband, Francisco, helps wherever he’s needed and her son, Francisco “Tony” Rodriguez, does chores around the shop and handles marketing and public relations.

Carambot said her daughter is a masterful decorator who got an early start in learning the art: “She grew up watching me, working on this.”

The shop is open by appointment only.

“We like to have time with our clients,” Carambot explained.

The goal is to give the customers the cake they desire, while paying attention to the customer’s budget, Carambot said.

“Sometimes they come for a wedding and they have less than 50 guests. We try to work the cake to be three tiers. If it is not possible, they use two tiers. Sometimes we suggest they use a dummy cake to make it look bigger,” Carambot said.

“Sometimes they have huge weddings, 300 or 400 guests, but they don’t have the budget ….We offer them our 100-guest cake that actually feeds 120. They work the rest with sheet cakes.”

They offer wedding cake in various flavors, including vanilla, amaretto, chocolate, cream cheese, marble and a red velvet they developed themselves.

Wedding cakes start at $3.75 per slice, but can cost as much as $8 a slice, depending on how much styling the customer desires.

The shop offers various fillings, as well.

It lends out its cake stands instead of renting them, but the stands must be returned to the shop.

Throughout the years, the business has built a customer base of more than a thousand clients, attracting most through bridal shows, the Internet or word of mouth.

Unlike many businesses, this one has done well during the recession. It expects to be even busier when the economy improves.

In fact, Carambot said the shop is already starting to see an uptick in large weddings.

Carambot’s calendar is filled with notations of upcoming events. “We have weddings already for next year,” she said.

Typically, the family needs advance notice of about a week for a special occasion cake and a couple of months’ notice for a wedding cake, Carambot said.

But is has been known to handle rush orders on occasion.

“Our cakes are all made from scratch,” Carambot said.
“Our fondant is made from scratch. It is made of sugar, marshmallows and vanilla. We melt the marshmallows. We add the sugar and the vanilla and then we knead it.”

Kneading the fondant is a big job that falls primarily to Carambot’s son-in-law, who spends most Mondays working on it.

Many people don’t like the taste of fondant, Carambot said, but she suspects that’s because they’ve never tasted fondant made from scratch.

The cake shop makes some cakes with buttercream frosting, but it recommends fondant be used for wedding cakes. “That way, you get a perfect look,” Carambot said.

“There are some types of decorations that can only be done on fondant,” she explained.  “There are kinds of drapings, kinds of lace,” she said.

The family prides itself on its handmade sugar flowers, which look so authentic that they could have come directly from a garden or a florist’s shop.

They achieve that look by creating each flower by hand. It is painstaking work. It can take four hours just to create a single tiger lily. They also make roses, peace lilies and other flowers.

“We use a powder that comes from South Africa. It lets us make a flower that looks just like a real flower,” Carambot said.

One of her favorite moments comes when a customer sees one of their decorated cakes and exclaims: “The flowers are real,” to which the cake decorator proudly responds, “No, they’re made from sugar.”

When someone buys a cake from her shop, most of the price is based on how much labor was required to create it, Carambot said.

Running a cake shop keeps the family hopping.

“Last week we got here at around 9 a.m. Friday and we ended up getting home at around 9 p.m. the following night,” Tony Rodriguez said.

They had to finish five wedding cakes and deliver them to Ruskin, West Tampa and South Tampa.

The business has even delivered cakes to foreign lands, such as the Philippines, Austria and China.

The shop’s busiest months for weddings are May, June, July, October and November.

The company also makes cakes for baby showers, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, birthday parties, retirement parties and other special occasions.

The decorators keep up their skills and develop new ones by attending seminars and conferences.

At one of those seminars, Carambot took lessons from Nicholas Lodge, who made the cake for Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding.

Getting a storefront location has been one of the company’s ambitions. Some day, it hopes to have its own stand-alone building.

Carambot also wants her company to compete some day in a Food Network challenge.

In the meanwhile, she’s content to focus on the orders at hand.

The size of her kitchen has changed, but Carambot sticks to her original premise: She wants to make cakes that make others happy.

For more information, call (813) 789-8407 or go to www.lartisancakeatelier.com.

 

 

By Kyle LoJacono

Wounds have nowhere to hide in east Pasco County.

For the third consecutive year, the Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine in Zephyrhills has earned the Center of Distinction award in recognition of its high patient satisfaction, exceptional healing results and outstanding clinical outcomes. The center was also given the Robert A. Warriner Center of Excellence Award for delivering high wound healing results.

The center, part of Pasco Regional Medical Center in Dade City, has exceeded the clinical requirements for these awards with a current healing rate of 97 percent and 24 days to heal and patient satisfaction rating of 94 percent. The current national average is a healing rate of 92 percent and 28 days to heal.

“I am extremely proud of this clinical team,” center program director Paige Myers said in a release. “The nurses and physicians are excellent clinicians. They put in a lot of emphasis on continuing education and providing the best care to our patients. It’s an honor to work with this team.”

In 2009, the center saw 579 new patients, according to Pasco Regional spokeswoman Katie Bryant. In 2010 the total was 583.

Nonhealing foot wounds are considered one of the most significant complications of diabetes, representing a major worldwide medical, social and economic burden that affects patient quality of life.

Almost 24 million Americans — one in 12 — are diabetic and the disease is causing widespread disability and death at an epidemic pace, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those with diabetes, 6.5 million are estimated to suffer with chronic or nonhealing wounds.

The center generally admits wound patients immediately, working with physicians to determine the most effective course of treatment. This outpatient comprehensive service offers advanced healing therapies often unavailable in primary care offices.

The services use an interdisciplinary approach to treatment involving a variety of therapies and techniques, including debridement, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, dressing selection, special shoes and patient education. When wounds persist and resist conventional treatment, a specialized approach is required for healing.

The center is located at 6215 Abbott Station Drive in Zephyrhills. For more information, visit www.PascoRegionalmc.com.

By Ayana Stewart

Jane Robb sits in a PetSmart store next to a cage filled with dogs up for adoption. A homemade photo book sits in her lap, filled with pictures of adopted dogs and their families. Her eyes are filled with emotion as she flips through and reminiscences.

“This one died of a brain tumor.”

“Those two were blind.”

“These people have adopted four dogs from us.”

Robb is a part of Small Dog Rescue, a rescue group that specializes in saving abandoned animals. Robb has been involved with animal rescue for 15 years but has been taking in disadvantaged animals since she can remember.

“It’s born in you,” she said. “Some people love children. I’ve always loved animals.”

Jane and her husband, Hugh, have dedicated their lives to finding neglected dogs loving homes. They spend many weekends holding open adoptions at PetSmart stores in the area. Unlike many shelters, Small Dog Rescue doesn’t euthanize.

“What doesn’t get adopted, we keep,” she explains.

While the Robbs have impacted countless animals, their influence extends beyond dogs. Monica Pollan was new to the Bay area when she read an article in the newspaper about high euthanasia rates in animal shelters and was moved to action.

“I was overwhelmed with sadness and anger,” Pollan said. “I met Jane and Hugh and saw what fabulous, wonderful, kind, selfless people they are. I have three dogs and they’re all rescue dogs. It’s shameful what goes on (in some shelters). These are the lucky ones. Jane and Hugh rescue these animals out of the jaws of death.”

Some of the stories that Jane shares are heartwarming. “When we bathed one dog, the water ran blood from her fleas. She was 6 years old and blind. We were at a PetSmart store in Wesley Chapel and a man that had just lost his dog saw her and fell in love.”

Other stories are heartbreaking.  Jane points to a little black and white dog that is sitting quietly in her cage. “Susie is a 3-year-old Shiatsu who can’t bark because the breeder cut her vocal cords. The breeder had 19 dogs and didn’t want to hear any of them bark so all of their vocal cords were cut. We’ve had dogs found at elementary schools, outside of a pharmacy on the street.”

Pollan is enraged over the cruelty that some of the dogs have endured. “There are a lot of petitions that push legislation to stop puppy mills because the animals have no voice. We need tighter restrictions and we need to stop cutting funding.”

Along with Small Dog Rescue, several other animal rescue groups spend their weekends at PetSmart stores in the area. St. Francis Society Animal Rescue is one of them.

Jim Martinelli is the adoption center coordinator with St. Francis, an organization that helps abandoned and abused dogs and cats. “It’s time consuming but very rewarding,” he said. “It’s a labor of love. It feels good to get them in homes and raise awareness.”

“We can track adoptions with the economy. When the economy is doing well, adoptions go up. When the economy goes down, so does the adoption rate,” he said.

Jane agrees. “We usually keep the dogs a few weeks, but in the recession, it’s been a lot longer. We’ve only had three adoptions this year.”

Community Concern for Animals (CCFA) is another organization that focuses on saving animals and holds adoptions at area pet stores.

“We do all breed rescues from newborn puppies to senior dogs,” said volunteer Tara Pisano. There’s definitely need for a lot of rescue. We’re actually getting ready to help the displaced animals in Alabama (from the April tornado),” she said.

For these volunteers, raising awareness and creating happy endings for animals that have had hard lives is enough.

Pollan succinctly summed up the mission of those involved with animal rescue groups. “If one person gets together with another person and is aware, it can make a difference.”

How to help

For more information about Small Dog Rescue, call (813) 237-1401.

For more information about St. Francis, call (813) 830-7251.

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One school closes, two new schools to open

By B.C. Manion

When classes recently ended at Berean Academy in Lutz, it wasn’t just for summer break.

The private school, which prided itself on its classical Christian educational approach, closed its doors for good.

“It’s been sad,” said Eric Taylor, president of the school’s board.

Parents were notified in March that the school would cease operations, Taylor said, attributing the school’s demise to the tough economic times.

“I think everyone had hopes about the continuing development of the area,” he said, but the crash of the housing market and the ripple effects on the overall economy hurt enrollment and donations, he said.

Berean Academy got its start in 1995 as a one-room school with 11 students in kindergarten through third grade. It graduated its first senior class in 2006.

It moved into its spacious, multi-million home at 17951 N. US 41 in 2008, but was unable to sustain itself through the recession.

On its last day — May 27 — it had 170 students and 30 employees, Taylor said. The property will be turned back to the mortgage holder, he said.

Although Berean is closing, some of its families have banded together and plan to begin a new school, Taylor said.

Hal Brunson, headmaster at Berean, said many of the students at Berean will attend Trinity Preparatory School, a school that plans to begin its first school year in the fall at 125 Country Club Drive in Tampa.

Brunson said a new board of trustees has been established and the plan is for the board to hire him to lead the new school. Like Berean, it will have a classical Christian curriculum. Students will read the classics, study classical languages including Latin, French, German and either Spanish, Greek or both. They also will be schooled in the fine arts of drama, music and visual arts.

The tuition will be around $11,000 a year and scholarships are available, Brunson said. For more information about the school, call (813) 918-3174.

While many students from Berean are moving to Trinity, the Berean building will become the new home of Lutz Preparatory School.

Lutz Prep, a new charter school in Hillsborough County, is gearing up to begin its first school year in the fall. It plans to move into Berean’s former home by July 1, said Tom Murray, president of Lutz Prep’s board of directors.

Lutz Prep will begin the 2011-12 school year for kindergarten through fifth grade, but the school ultimately aspires to be a K-12 school, Murray said.

Its future growth will be contingent on approval by the Hillsborough County School Board, and will be based on a record of economic and educational success, Murray said. Lutz Prep’s philosophy is to offer education that addresses the academic needs and abilities of every single student, Murray said. Each student will have an individual education plan and teachers will work with students individually to be sure that they are achieving their academic goals or to make adjustments when needed.

While it waits to begin operations, Lutz Prep is laying the groundwork for its inaugural year. It has appointed Jessica Clements to be its first principal. It has already reached its approved enrollment of 224 students.

“We’re small. We’re full,” Murray said.

Hand in Hand Academy, another Lutz school, is expecting changes in the coming year.

Hand in Hand has been operating at two sites, but next year will just be at one, said Wendy Alexander, the school’s founder. It also will be scaling back its elementary program. Next year, it will offer preschool instruction and one combined class for kindergarten and first graders, Alexander said.

Learning Gate Community School, another charter school in Lutz, also will be making some changes for the coming school year. It has leased a building at 15316 N.Florida Ave., where it plans to hold classes for grades seven through nine next year.

For more information about Lutz Prep, visit www.lutzprep.org or call (813) 618-1142.