Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Willie the therapy dog spreads cheer each Tuesday

By Kyle LoJacono

Everybody at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills knows they will have a visitor on Tuesdays; he just happens to have a wet nose, fur and four legs.

Each Tuesday, Willie the therapy dog goes around the hospital to visit patients well enough to see him. People stop in the hallways to come and spend a few a minutes with the 9-year-old golden retriever and patients’ faces light up when he enters their room.

Jaimee Underwood, director of the intensive care unit (ICU) and progressive care unit (PCU) for the hospital, said she has seen a lot of benefits from Willie’s weekly visits.

“I think it’s very therapeutic for the patients,” Underwood said. “It adds in their healing. It puts the smile on the face of someone who is sick. The patients who have a long stay really look forward to Willie coming back each week. I think it definitely decreases the anxiety and it truly does help their healing.”

Underwood said they ask all the patients if they would like to visit with Willie before he shows up. He does not go into the emergency room or the ICU to protect the patient and Willie.

Willie is led each week by his owner Kay Hoffland of Ridge Manor, north of Dade City. She said Willie has been a therapy dog for almost a year, starting at the Hugh Embry Library in Dade City and then Heartland Rehabilitation Center in Brooksville.

“He had to go through six weeks of therapy dog training,” Hoffland said. “They learn to move forward, left, right and back up on command so they can move in a tight spot. They learn to ‘leave it’ on the floor. He had to learn to sit and stay with me walking away and him staying there.”

Willie also had to learn not to lick the patient for their comfort and to make sure no medication is transferred.

The pair get to the hospital, 7050 Gall Blvd. in Zephyrhills, at about 9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and they stay until all the patients who have requested a visit can see them. That sometimes takes until 2 p.m.

“I don’t have the heart to leave if someone signed up and know he’s coming,” Hoffland said. “We see everybody. Sometimes I’m in a room for less than five minutes, but sometimes it’s much longer. I stay as long as they want to see him.”

Hoffland said she wanted to train Willie as a therapy dog in hospitals because of the care her father Richard Wilson received.

“My dad came to emergency care at the hospital in December with congestive heart failure,” Hoffland said. “He was in ICU and PCU for a long time and hospice told us to take him home and make him comfortable because they thought he wasn’t going to make it.”

The care Wilson got helped him pull through and he recently left on a trip out West.

“I said I had to give back somehow and one day I saw a big sign on the back of an SUV that said therapy dog,” Hoffland said. “I jotted the number down and said, I have to do this. It’s extremely rewarding and the patients love it. I hear all the time that the visit made their day. If I can give them a minute to forget about their trouble, then it’s worth it.”

Eleanor Childs of Zephyrhills was at the hospital on June 7 and received her first visit from Willie that day.

“I think it’s so great,” Childs said. “It relaxes people and gets their mind off of whatever is going on. It’s something they should have everywhere. There are a lot of people who don’t have anybody who can come visit them and this will brighten their day. People sure would enjoy this.”

For more information on the hospital, visit www.fhzeph.org or call (813) 788-0411.

By B.C. Manion

Theoretically, the recession has been over for quite some time.

The people who keep track of such things for the federal government said the recession officially ended in June 2009.

But it sure doesn’t feel that way for millions of Americans who remain out of work – including thousands of government workers in schools, cities, counties and state offices who recently got their pink slips, or whose jobs are on the chopping block.

Foreclosures glut the housing market — undermining values and stalling a recovery.

And, rising costs of gasoline and groceries are crimping other kinds of consumer spending.

All in all, the picture seems pretty bleak.

But there are bright spots — some signs of life — on the horizon in the community. Here’s a look at some of them:

 

Medical projects

Medical Center of Trinity, a 400,000-square-foot center under construction at SR 54 and Little Road in Trinity, is set to open in November. The five-story project, estimated at $210 million, will replace the 40-year-old Community Hospital in New Port Richey. The project includes a 90,000-square-foot medical office. The 55-acre site has ample space for expansion.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is a $121 million project now being built on a 52-acre site on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, north of SR 56. The 200,000-square-foot facility will have three stories and will begin operation with 80 beds, with plans to expand to 300. Construction began in December and the project is expected to take 18-24 months to complete.

Pasco Regional Medical Center, based in Dade City, began an 8,400-square-foot expansion of its emergency department in February. The project, which is expected to take about nine months to complete, will add eight exam rooms and new imaging equipment. A renovation also will be done the 4,300 square feet of existing space.

Florida Medical Clinic is adding a 30,000-square-foot administrative building that will be its new corporate headquarters in Land O’ Lakes. The $3.5 million facility is under construction on SR 54, near Livingston Road.  Florida Medical Clinic also will see at least three major additions to its healthcare offerings in Zephyrhills this year – expansions to its same-day surgery, clinical rheumatology and urgent care facilities. The same-day surgery will grow by 12,000 square feet, rheumatology will increase by 7,500 square feet and there are tentative plans for a 7,000-square-foot addition to urgent care.

BayCare Outpatient Imaging Center opened in December next to St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, a project that opened in 2010 on Van Dyke Road, adding 500 jobs to the local economy.

NuVista Care Communities at Lutz Center, 19091 N. Dale Mabry Highway, scheduled to open soon with 120 beds, will serve people who are undergoing rehabilitation. The 550,000-square-foot center is expected to bring about 150 jobs to the area. Patients are expected to have stays at the facility ranging from three to six weeks. The center has 16 private rooms and 52 shared rooms.

Road projects

Pasco County is in the midst of widening SR 54, in the most expensive road project the county has ever taken on. The $105 million project involves widening SR 54 to six lanes from I-75 to Curley Road in Wesley Chapel, a distance of about 3.2 miles. Work is expected to wrap up in 2012.

Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, also known as CR 581 or SR 581 recently was widened, between SR 54 and SR 56.

W. Lutz-Lake Fern Road is being widened from two to four lanes in an area that’s just east of the Suncoast Parkway to the Boulevard of Roses. The next segment of the road’s widening will continue to North Dale Mabry Highway, but that portion of the project is not fully funded.

Improvements also are being made on I-75, with 32.6 miles of highway being widened between SR 56 and the Hernando County line.

Two new rest stops also are being constructed on I-75, between SR 54 and SR 56, to replace outdated facilities. The rest areas, which are on both sides of the interstate, are expected to open by year-end. The estimated cost of the project is $25.1 million.

Education projects

Rasmussen College opened a 25,000-square-foot building in May at Sunlake Boulevard and SR 54. The campus has schools of nursing, health science, tech and design, business education and justice studies. At full capacity, the campus is expected to serve about 1,000 students and will have 50-60 staff members.

Saint Leo University is in the midst of building a new $11 million school of business building at its main campus in Dade City. The 50,000-square-foot structure will house the Donald R. Tapia School of Business. Classes are set to begin in the new building on Aug. 23. The building includes nine classrooms, a large lecture hall which doubles as a boardroom, computer labs and a broadcast technology suite.

Pasco-Hernando Community College expects to begin construction this summer on the $52 million Porter Campus at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel. College officials are hoping to begin classes at the campus in January 2014. The college expects to have about 30 employees at the campus, which will have an estimated enrollment of an equivalent of 700 full-time students. The campus will be built on a 60-acre tract at 2727 Mansfield Blvd., just off SR 56, next to Wiregrass Ranch High.

Pasco County Schools expects its new $6 million Academy of Culinary Arts, now under construction at Land O’ Lakes High, to open this fall at the high school, 20325 Gator Lane. The 18,000-square-foot center will include three kitchens, commercial kitchen equipment and video feeds throughout the center so cooking demonstrations can be shown throughout the building.

Gaither High, 16200 N. Dale Mabry Highway, is undergoing a $17.3 million makeover. The project began in January and is expected to take about 18 months to complete. The school is closed this summer, to accommodate renovations.

Commercial projects

Wal-Mart is planning a 196,150-square-foot store along with a 21,372-square-foot garden center with four outparcels on the south side of SR 54, near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, according to Pasco County records.

MINI of Wesley Chapel! a new dealership specializing in Mini-Coopers, is expected to open this summer on SR 56, about one-half mile from I-75. The dealership expects to draw customers from across the Tampa Bay region.

The Dance and Gymnastics Academy of Tampa recently opened a new 12,000-square-foot facility at 33633 Venezia Drive, near the corner of SR 54 and Livingston Road.  The $1.8 million project had its ribbon cutting to signal its opening on May 26.

Down the road?

T. Rowe Price, a global investment management firm, already has acquired a 72-acre site SR 54 and Sunlake Boulevard, across from Rasmussen College. It plans to open a corporate campus there that could employ up to 1,600 workers, although that may not be anytime soon.

Raymond James, a financial services company is eyeing a potential site in Wesley Chapel. The company has signed a letter of intent to purchase land in Wiregrass Ranch, according to Rep. Will Weatherford, who successfully pushed through legislation for $4 million in state road money to build access roads to a Wiregrass Ranch site.

By Kyle LoJacono

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) members have closed a $3.3 million budget shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year.

HART agreed to a preliminary $61.2 million budget for 2011-12 and $63.7 million for 2012-13. The board lost $1.9 million from local property taxes and a $1.4 million reduction of federal money, but averted major service cuts by increasing the millage rate up to 0.5 cents per $1,000 in property value.

HART suffered a funding blow in November when Hillsborough voters voted against a 1-cent sales tax increase on every dollar spent within the county, which would have, in part, added money for bus routes. The new budget needs to be adopted by September to go in place in November and the two most likely options to plug the budget hole are cutting services or raising fares.

“We knew we were going to go in this direction if the sales tax failed,” said HART board member and Hillsborough Commissioner Mark Sharpe referring to voters rejecting the sales tax increase.

Sharpe said he would rather look at which bus routes are used the least and cut from those instead of increasing fare. If a hike did happen, he said it would likely be 25 cents per ride, but predicts that would drive people away from using the services.

“When you raise fees like that, people tend to stop using them,” Sharpe said. “We’d have the same problem next year and the next year, if we go down that route.”

HART is proposing reductions to 10 routes starting in November, which would reduce ridership by 1.8 percent.

The millage rate increase will cost the average household in the county — valued at $92,820 —  an extra $1.61 each year to a total of $46.41.

Other possibilities for saving money include:

–Eliminating a proposed 3.2 percent salary increase for drivers and mechanics.

–Cutting the percentage of health benefits HART pays for family members.

–Rejecting a planned $2,046 trip for HART Chairwoman Alison Hewitt to a national transit association meeting in New Jersey.

–Reviewing employee salaries.

–Have interim HART director Philip Hale keep running the organization. Hale is paid $149,427 compared with $185,338 for David Armijo, who was fired in April.

At this point, HART is looking at almost any option that prevents layoffs.

“We want people to have jobs,” Sharpe said.

HART is aware of a proposal made by Sen. Jack Latvala, R-St. Petersburg, chairman of the Florida Senate Transportation Committee, to merge the organization with Pinellas County’s bus service, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA). The radical change could  save money by consolidating overhead costs. Latvala said the idea would not eliminate any bus services.

HART already operates a bus route that takes people from Tampa to Clearwater, while PSTA runs two buses between Pinellas and Tampa.

HART spokeswoman Marcia Mejia said her agency has invited Latvala to speak at an upcoming board meeting.

Currently, HART operates 197 buses and 36 vans that transport people along 32 routes. The total ridership for the agency was 12.8 million last year. For more information on HART, visit www.gohart.org.

Lutz-area HARTline route

20X – Express service originates at First Baptist Church of Lutz

Ridership in May 2010: 1,264

Ridership in May 2011: 1,558, increase of 23 percent

Ridership in 2010 year to date: 10,862

Ridership in 2011 year to date: 12,176, increase of 12 percent

Overall, HART bus ridership increased 16 percent in May 2011 compared to the same month last year.

By Kyle LoJacono

The Pasco Commission approved a preliminary law on June 7 to ban all panhandling within the county on all days except Sundays.

The ordinance bans any form of panhandling in unincorporated Pasco on all county and state roadways, which includes selling anything or asking for donations. The one-day exception was mainly given because of the large volume of newspapers that are sold on Sundays.

Representatives from The Tampa Tribune and the St. Petersburg Times argued the outright ban would have cost nearly 200 people their part-time jobs selling newspapers while walking on the medians of the roadways.

Those representatives showed the commissioners the traffic volume is significantly lower on Sundays, as much as 55 percent of the typical levels during the week. The ban has been framed as a safety issue, so the statistics helped push the board toward the concession.

Assistant county attorney Kristi Wooden said the numbers presented are accurate and gave the commissioners assurances that groups would be unlikely to challenge the legality of passing the ban with the Sunday exception based on safety. Wooden added accidents involving pedestrians are 31 percent less likely on a Sunday.

“We heard from people who sell the papers on Sunday that they depend on the money to keep their homes,” said Pasco Commission Chairwoman Ann Hildebrand.

Hildebrand said she regularly buys a Sunday newspaper from roadside vendors.

The ordinance states anyone selling anything on the roadside must be at least 18 years old and is required to have photo identification while wearing reflective vests. Nonprofit groups would be required to register with the state before soliciting donations.

While the daily newspapers were satisfied with the concession, those most in need are devastated.

Wendi Burruss was at the commissioners meeting when the ordinance was passed and said she supplements her income by selling bottled water on the roadside. She said the extra money she earns has allowed her to stay off the street.

“Sir, ma’am, in God’s name, give (the homeless) some way to earn a living, or they will starve,” Burruss said.

The ban does not apply to Pasco’s five cities, Zephyrhills, Dade City, San Antonio, Port Richey and New Port Richey. Those city councils have the authority to pass their own panhandling policy.

New Port Richey already banned panhandling in May. That 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.”

Zephyrhills City Manager Jim Drumm and Dade City City Manger William Poe Jr. said they expect to discuss a possible ban later this summer.

To the south, Hillsborough County and the city of St. Petersburg have passed outright bans without the Sunday exception. 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 Aug. 4 meeting.

The Florida Legislature also considered an outright ban of some types of panhandling throughout the state, but a decision was not reached before the recent recess.

The issue has taken center stage as the down economy forces more people out of their homes on onto the streets. Hildebrand admitted the ban has a lot to do with the image panhandling creates for the county.

Commissioners have scheduled a public hearing for July 26 at the West Pasco Government Center, 7530 Little Road in New Port Richey, before the final adoption of the ordinance.

Kids learn how to ride and care at WCM Horse Camp

By B.C. Manion

When the kids arrive at WCM Horse Camp in Odessa, they troop over to check out a board to find out what horse they’ll be riding that day, then the group heads out to raise the flag as part of the daily routine.

Then it’s back to the barn, where they get an idea of what it takes to take care of a horse, such as brushing the animals and cleaning their feet.

Some of the time, they’re out with a camp counselor, learning how to handle a horse.

Other times, they’re doing arts and crafts or playing games near the barn.

Other parts of the regular schedule include lunch, a time for snacks and water activities at the end of the day.

“When they go home, they’re happy, wet and tired,” said Diane Tanguay, who runs the arts and crafts sessions during the summer camp.

The horse camp hosted by West Coast Morgans, a house barn at 17126  Boy Scout Road, offers campers a close-up look at the life of a horse, said trainer Valarie Siemer.

“So many kids, especially the young girls, are so horse crazy. I think this helps them focus a little more on the reality of it,” she said. “They learn good stuff here. They learn the reality of taking care of the horses.”

They also learn that horses offer more than just a chance to have fun while riding on them, said 16-year-old Taylor Ekovich, a counselor who began riding at the barn when she was 7.

“It gives them something to be close to – away from the kids and the drama of students, especially middle school.”

Alix Fiorino, the horse camp’s director, said she grew up riding horses in Ft. Lauderdale.

“I went to camp my whole life, every summer. I met my best friends through the camps I went to.”

“I learned that this was more of a lifestyle, not just a sport,” said Fiorino, who is attending an equestrian school in Missouri and majoring in equestrian administration.

Horses are excellent teachers, Fiorino said. They require care but offer valuable lessons, she said. “You have to learn that old saying, “If you fall off, you have to get back on.”

Much of horseback riding is mind over matter, Fiorino said.

“It’s not rocket science,” she added. “Everything that’s holding you back is your own emotions and your own mental state.”

Lisa Skidd was at the barn last week, dropping off her three daughters, 11-year-old Shelby, 8-yar-old Jackie and 5-year-old Kailey.

It’s the third year her girls have gone to the camp.

“The kids absolutely love it,” said Skidd, who lives in Twin Branch Acres.

“They learn all about horses, how to saddle, how to care for them, how to groom. They learn horsemanship. They learn safety. They learn the basics,” said Skidd, who went to horse camps when she was a girl.

She thinks the camps teach children how to appreciate animals and offer a fun way for them to learn about compassion and responsibility.

Faith Graves of New Port Richey, was at the camp for the first time last week. But she’s no stranger to horses, she’s been riding for seven years – since she was 4.

“I love it,” she said. “I love being outdoors and hanging out with horses. It’s relaxing.”

At the camp, she said, “you learn to position the reins properly.”

The campers come from all, Tanguay said, including Land O’ Lakes, South Tampa, Odessa, Lutz, Westchase and other communities.

The campers learn about a horse’s body parts and about riding techniques.

Instruction varies from camper to camper based on experience level, Tanguay said.

“We start our first day of camp evaluating everyone,” once they know the rider’s level, they go from there.

Some of the campers have never been on a horse. Some are a bit apprehensive.

They work with the children to help them feel comfortable, Tanguay said.

“You’d be surprised how quickly we can get them up on a horse,” she said.

Safety is emphasized at the camp.

Each camper must wear a helmet and shoes or boots with heels.

The helmet protects their head, of course. The heel keeps their feet from slipping all of the way through a stirrup, when they point their feet down.

“Each horse is accompanied by a counselor. We do not turn children loose with horses,” Tanguay said.

They also learn barn safety rules. For instance, campers shouldn’t stick their fingers into a horse’s stall. The horse might confuse it for a carrot and bite it.

Also, when a horse is coming through the barn, they yell, “Hug the wall,” so people can clear the way for the horse, which in most cases will weigh about 1,000 pounds.

The 30-acre facility, owned by Anne and Glenn Winograd, has a 30-stall barn and 27 acres. In addition to its summer camps, it offers lessons for people of all ages. It also boards and leases horses.

Each week of the summer camp has a different theme.

Parents drop their children off between 9-9:30 in the morning and pick them up between 4-4:30 in the afternoon.

The cost for the week long camp is $300, but the farm is willing to make arrangements for half-days or fewer days.

“We are very flexible,” Tanguay said.

She thinks dropping by the camp is the best way for parents to find out if the camp would be a good fit for their child.

“We welcome visitors,” Tanguay said. “Come and visit us. See what we’re all about.”

For more information call (813) 920-9870 or visit www.westcoastmorgans.com.

 

 

WHAT’S IN A NAME*

By Kyle LoJacono

When Samuel Pasco first set foot in Florida in 1859, he probably did not think there would someday be a county named after him with nearly half a million residents.

Pasco was born in 1834 in London and lived until age 83 before his death in 1917. He immigrated to Charlestown, Mass. in 1846, where he graduated from Harvard College.

Pasco moved to Monticello in Florida’s panhandle in 1859, where he was the principal of Waukeenah Academy, now Aucilla Christian Academy, until 1861.

He left the high school to join the Confederate Army after the Civil War started as a private in the Third Florida Volunteers. He was wounded and taken prisoner at Mississippi Ridge in 1863 and remained imprisoned until March 1865, when he was paroled as a sergeant.

Pasco returned as the principal of Waukeenah in 1865 for one year before leaving to becoming the clerk of the circuit court of Jefferson County from 1866-68.

Pasco worked as a lawyer and eventually became a judge in Monticello until 1880, when he became a member of the Democratic National Committee. He also was president of the Florida constitutional convention in 1885 and a member of the state house from 1886-87, serving as speaker his final year. He was elected as a U.S. senator in 1887.

At that time, Hernando County was split into three separate counties because of growing population. The center portion remained Hernando, the northern section became Citrus County and the southern third was shortly called Banner County, which was unpopular with others in the state Legislature.

The name Pasco County was first proposed by Richard Bankston, a member of the legislature at the time. Bankston recorded some of the discussion about the fledgling county in a letter:

—From 1881 to 1887, Hernando county, especially the southern end, rapidly filled with a high type of settlers, many of whom I knew and remember pleasantly. We all were weary of traveling the sand trails of Brooksville, the county seat, to attend court, or transact other business of varied nature, and when we would meet, as neighbors will, at our community post office and stores, comment was loud and complaint vigorous and prolonged against the hardships of the trip. Such conditions aroused sentiment in favor of county division as a means of relief.

Enthusiasm was spontaneous and hope ran high. The result was a mass meeting which was attended by nearly all our male citizens, and was very representative, there being present people from every precinct in the southern end of the county. Unanimous sentiment was for division —the proper steps to take to attain that result was the issue for discussion. After deliberation, it was resolved that a committee of two be named to go to Tallahassee in the interest of the desired end, the Hon. J. A. Hendley and myself being the committee selected. Mr. James Grady moved that we be instructed to call our county “Banner” county.

While working on it we interviewed right and left, trying to work up sentiment in our favor, but when we would tell them we wanted our county to be called “Banner County,” from the immediate change of countenance we could see that we had thrown a damper upon their favorable interest.

As we learned that nearly every member thought he came from the Banner County, we began to seek for an unobjectionable name. At that time the body was in joint session, voting for United States senator, and very enthusiastically elected Judge Samuel Pasco of Monticello to the position. It struck me as an inspiration to call our county “Pasco.” I immediately went to the committee room, where I had a desk and changed our bill making the name Pasco instead of Banner.

We gave the finished bill to Senator A. S. Mann, who at once introduced it in the Senate, and it passed unanimously. It was expedited to the House and sponsored by F. Saxon, where it passed unanimously. The governor was favorable and signed it. Having accomplished all we purposed, we returned home, able to report the complete success of our mission.—

Edward Perry, Florida’s governor at the time, signed the bill to create Pasco and Citrus out of portions of Hernando, making sure Samuel Pasco’s name would live on in state history. Interestingly enough, there is no documentation of Pasco spending any time in the county.

Today, Pasco County is 745 square miles and has 471,709 people, according to U.S. Censure statistics. For additional information on Samuel Pasco and the county, visit www.fivay.org.

 

*This summer, we will take you on a tour of how historic places earned their names. Information is provided by interviews with Pasco County historian Jeff Miller of Fivay.org and the West Pasco Historical Society. If you know the history of an interesting place, call us at (813) 909-2800. See how Blanton, Dade City, Darby, Denham, Drexel and Ehren got their names next week.

By B.C. Manion

The young women stood in a circle, outside in the parking lot, tossing soft, colorful balls at one another.

They called out each other’s names as part of an icebreaker aimed at helping them learn each other’s names during the first of 10 sessions this summer at the Sunrise Domestic and Sexual Violence Center’s administrative office in Dade City.

The teenagers are taking part in a Summer Youth Leadership Initiative aimed at helping them to develop skills to combat sexual violence, domestic violence, gender discrimination and other forms of abuse.

The group will meet weekly in three-hour sessions to devise a campaign to help raise community awareness about these social problems and to try to enlist others in a quest to create a community where all people are valued, honored and respected.

Jackie Bavin, the primary prevention coordinator for the center, is leading the sessions. She said one hour will be devoted to teaching leadership skills, an hour will go to education and the third hour will be devoted to creating a community project to raise awareness about these issues.

Bavin said she’s trying to help these youths develop leadership skills so they can be “active bystanders.”

“One of the things that we know is that when we stand up for other people, when people know how to handle situations — violent situations, bullying, — it tends to stop them.

“Youths don’t have those skills. A lot of adults don’t have those skills,” Bavin said.

By educating these youths about violence, domestic violence and other forms of abuse and by helping them to develop leadership skills, the hope is that they know how to respond when any of these issues touch their lives, or the lives of people they know.

“Leaders naturally know when to step in, or how to handle situations,” Bavin said.

They have the skills to assess situations and to know where to turn if a situation is beyond their control, she said.

The program will cover a number of topics, Bavin said. It will cover healthy relationships and discuss the topic of sexual abuse within relationships, she said.

Statistics show that one in three teenagers will experience dating violence in some form, physical, emotional, sexual or emotional, Bavin said.

“We’re covering sexual harassment. We’re covering gender issues,” she said. And the class includes learning how to discern the messages that often are conveyed through the media, such as what roles men and women “are supposed to play,” she said.

Schools have a limited time to deal with these kinds of issues because they’re focused on academics, said Bavin, who has given talks at schools about preventing bullying and other types of violence.

It’s impossible to deliver a comprehensive message, though.

“Some of the schools, we get 30 minutes. Some of the schools, we get 50 minutes,” she said. There also are issues with scheduling and transportation conflicts.

This program gives students a much better opportunity to learn about the issues and be involved in raising community awareness to combat the problems. The youths taking part chose to do so, Bavin said.

Besides her presentations, Bavin will bring in community leaders to share their knowledge with the youths.

She thinks it is important for both the youths and adults in leadership roles to learn to work with each other and develop mutual respect.

Araceli Tijerina, of Dade City, is pleased that her daughter, Tati, has the opportunity to attend the program.

“I think it is a good idea for them to have a program like this,” she said. “It helps them to distinguish if they are ever in a violent relationship. It’s good education.”

Another parent, Janet Acevedo, of Lacoochee, agreed: “I think it’s a great thing.”

Janice Acevedo, 14, said she’s glad to be able to earn community service hours for participating in the leadership training.

“I wanted to do something over the summer, rather than staying at home,” she said.

Tati Tijerina, 12, said she thinks the program will give her better skills to tackle issues if they arise. “If I ever have a problem, I would know what to do.”

In addition to Bavin, others from the Sunrise Center who are involved in the project are Laura Farley, a program assistant and Christina Bates, social change community coordinator.

Dade City teens Nia Henderson and Christina Williams, both 17, and Michele Cruz, 15, also are glad to be part of the program, they said.

They tossed out plenty of ideas when Bavin quizzed the group about the types of violence and talked about potential causes.

Dakota Yonkey, 17, of San Antonio, said she hopes one day to make a true difference.

“I want to incorporate horses with the rehabilitation of children who have been abused,” she said.

 

 

By B.C. Manion

What do autoharps, solar-powered water heaters, pet caskets and gate openers have in common?

At least one thing: They are among the products sold by an Odessa-based online retailer called Web Direct Brands Inc.

The company specializes in consumer goods that aren’t typically found in a local store.

They’re the kind of things that people tend to search for on the Internet, which turns out to be exactly the audience this company is after. That’s because beyond selling a vast array of items, the company has a dedicated website for each of its product lines.

For instance, say you want to buy an auto harp, but you’re not really sure where to get it or what kind to buy. Chances are you’ll turn to Google and find an ad from AutoHarpStore.com at the top of the list.

“We’ve been the largest autoharp dealer for probably about four or five years running now,” said Matt Raab, vice president of Web Direct, located at 13100 SR 54, in a stand-alone building set back from the highway.

“We probably sell about 15 percent of all autoharps sold worldwide,” added Anthony Gaeto, the company’s president and founder.

In a nutshell, this company combines the power of the Internet and deep product knowledge to sell its goods.

“The key is to become an expert on what you are selling,” Gaeto said, and then to share that information with customers. “We focus on bringing quality content to somebody who is interested in buying one of the products that we sell,” he said.

“If your website is focused enough and it becomes an authority on that very focused item, you can have a very successful website,” Gaeto said.

The website has an online selector, Raab said. This allows customers with specific needs to select the features of the autoharp they desire. For instance, perhaps a musician wants a particular type of wood because of its specific resonance and maybe they want a different number of chords because of the kind of music they play. They can use an online selector to design the autoharp they desire, Raab said.

The company has numerous websites. They include: DIYGateopeners.com, DIYPoolFence.com, DIYHurricaneSupply.com, DIYReverseOsmosis.com, DIYPatioDeck.com, TomatoMilling.com, ArtisticGateConcepts.com, WaterTechSolar.com, PetsinRemembrance.com, YouthChairStore.com and others.

The company operates in an open warehouse-type building, where employees work at desks in small open areas, interspersed with inventory for online customers.

Stepping through the warehouse offers a peak of the company’s niche markets.

There’s fitness equipment, child-sized chairs, pet caskets, reverse osmosis water filtration systems, solar water heaters, computer server racks, meat slicers and youth chairs, which Raab described as a step between a high-chair and a regular chair.

And that’s just a smattering of what’s available today.

“We always have in the pipeline anywhere from 50 to 100 ideas,” said Gaeto, whose company has grown every year since it began operations in 2002.

It hasn’t always been smooth sailing, Gaeto said.

“There was a big blip there, when the economy went bad,” he said. However, the company has grown every year and some years by quite a bit.

“In normal times, we’re growing 30 percent,” Gaeto said. And, the economy is improving, he said. “We’re starting to see good growth.”

He expects the company to do $7 million in sales this year.

The company got a boost recently when it was awarded a $250,000 loan through the state’s Economic Gardening Loan administered by The Black Business Investment Fund for the state of Florida.

The loan was granted to increase the company’s manufacturing capacity and expand its marketing and IT departments.

Gaeto said the loan was at least partially responsible for the company’s hiring of 10 employees, bringing its total work force to 35. Without the loan, Gaeto said, he probably would have expanded his work force by just three employees.

“The problem we have in this business is that we have all of these great ideas, we’re just not able to act on them. The loan was purely giving us the opportunity to act on more product lines that we had ideas about,” he said.

“It’s a good loan program. It certainly gets you moving. The first year is the only year that you’re interest only. Then you’re paying back principal over a three-year period. You have to know that you can get that money.

“It’s a pretty aggressive payback. If you’re not able to generate the additional business, it could be crippling,” Gaeto added.

The company has an optimistic outlook.

Gaeto is predicting “significant, steady growth.”

It is so confident about its potential that it has purchased the property next door in December. “We knew that we were growing fast enough that we were going to outgrow this building,” Gaeto said.

On its website, company officials explain Web Direct Brands’ philosophy: “Our stores are built around the premise that a well-informed buyer makes the best customer for a mutually beneficial relationship.”

“We feel that we’re there to give the information and let the customer make an informed decision,” Raab said.

 

By Zack Peterson

Last year, Michael Davis had a vision of a place where the community could have something active to do. His vision culminated in X-treme Indoors, the newest activities center in Wesley Chapel.

Along with two others, fellow neighborhood friends Glen Samuels and Jermaine Perkins, Davis opened X-treme Indoors on May 9.

“It took us about a month and a half to build,” Davis said. “But we’d been thinking about the concept for about a year.”

Davis explained that he, Samuels, and Perkins all live in the neighborhood and have little ones.

“There’s typically nothing to do in the area but go to the movies or travel elsewhere to do something,” Davis said. “We built what we think is something good for the community.”

Now that it’s completed and open for business, X-treme Indoors offers a variety of activities.

Upon first entering the building, adventure seekers will see the batting cages that allow both baseball and softball players to practice their hitting.

“The speeds go as low as 20 miles an hour and as high as 85 to 90 miles an hour,” Davis said. “It accommodates for all skill levels starting with Little League and traveling all the way up to semi-pro ball.”

Where X-treme Indoors takes a turn is with its state-of-the-art racing simulators.

“We were looking to do a different venture with our project, saw a racing simulator at a trade show and thought it would go over well,” Davis said.

The racing simulators are single seating race cars that plant the driver in a virtual setting where they can race other opponents or friends.

But according to Davis, they can offer another dimension of game play.

“The race simulators allow you to race against someone with you or with others elsewhere across the country,” Davis said.

Wired to the Internet, the simulators allow for global game play. Someone may just be sitting in X-treme Indoors, but in the simulator they’re the driver of an Indy car, a stock car or Rally Racing, a form of auto racing that spawns over a large course with multiple checkpoints instead of a traditional circuit-style race.

Someday, Davis and his business partners also want to see X-treme Indoors serving as something more than just game play, something inspiring even.

“Honestly, most business people will tell you that they want to make a lot of money. We’d like to do the same and survive the economic crisis,” Davis said. “But it’d be real nice if one day we hear someone say to a camera, ‘ the time I spent in the cages at X-treme Indoors really helped my career.’ With the racing simulators I’d like it to be an activity where people get other people to do virtual racing as a big friendly, family activity.”

“In a way, I’d like to give back to the community through this.”

For those interested in the activities at X-treme Indoors, prices are set according to the blocks of time that can be spent on either virtual racing or in the batting cages. The batting cages are measured in 15-, 30- and 60-minute time blocks starting at $15 and ranging up to $50. Virtual racing is measured in the same increments at $8 to $29.

Discounts are available for customers who become members of the organization.

For more information, call X-treme Indoors at (813) 929-7254.

 

X-treme Indoors

27233 SR 56, Wesley Chapel

Monday through Thursday 2-10 p.m.

Friday 2-11 p.m.

Saturday 8 a.m.-11 p.m.

Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

 

By Kyle LoJacono

Even though only $950,000 of the $615 million vetoed from Florida’s budget by Gov. Rick Scott was from Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA), it came as a shock to the organization.

The portion of the budget cuts could be crushing for the regional board, which has had an annual budget of $1.75 million since it was established in 2007 by the state Legislature. It was created to plan transportation strategies for the seven counties that make up the Tampa Bay area, which includes both Pasco and Hillsborough.

“The transportation needs of the region have not changed; traffic congestion has not diminished,” TBARTA officials said in a statement responding to the cut. “We need a vision for the long term and solutions for the short term.”

TBARTA spokeswoman Amy Ellis added, “Our funding and revenue vary year to year and some are multi-year contracts. Other dollars may make up the shortfall. It’s too early to know. We are still reviewing and will budget accordingly.”

TBARTA has yet to release its own budget, but one would have to be in place by the start of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1.

Ellis said TBARTA members are using information gathered during six recent telephone town hall meetings, which drew involvement from 60,000 people.

Pasco Commission Chairwoman Ann Hildebrand is her county’s representative on TBARTA’s board and was disappointed with the cut.

“I think we’ve done a lot with the small budget we had,” Hildebrand said. “We’ll continue to do everything we can with the money we have for the growing region.”

TBARTA estimations show traffic congestion is expected to double by 2035 in its region and triple by 2050.

TBARTA currently has a staff of 13. Of those positions, three are vacant. It oversee the planning and operations of the Bay Area Commuter Services, a ride matching program including car and van-pooling alternatives in TBARTA’s five northern counties.

For more information on TBARTA or to read its entire response to the budget cut, visit www.tbarta.com.