Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Tammy Sue Struble

“It’s all about family” seems to be the theme for Pasco High and local residents’ connections with the Bellamy Brothers from Darby. Not surprising, many from the Zephyrhills and Dade City areas have ties to or a story about the Bellamy Brothers, Howard and David, or David’s sons Jesse and Noah — who are also accomplished performers.

“I had a small record store in Zephyrhills back in the 70s called Canopy Records,” recalled Greg First of Dade City. “I remember Frances Bellamy, Howard and David’s mom, used to come in the store all the time. She would bring in 45’s (45 rpm vinyl records) of theirs to sell. It’s neat. She was their biggest promoter back then — then they turned out to be a huge hit!”

First continued, “I worked as a DJ (disc jockey) at WPAS 1400 radio in Zephyrhills, they played country back then. People would call in on the request line for “Let Your Love Flow” all the time.”

The big hit “Let Your Love Flow” went to the top of the pop charts in 1976.

An antique dealer, Janet Heartfill, who has a booth in Zephyrhills at B’s Antiques & Collectibles, lives on Bellamy Brothers Boulevard in the Darby area and says that Frances Bellamy was her godmother.

Josie Tomkow, a third generation Pasco High student, said her grandmother, Judy Clark Nicholson of Dade City, went to school with Howard Bellamy. Nisha Gupta, a student at St. Anthony’s Catholic school in San Antonio said her mom, Cheralyn Gupta, owns San Ann Market & Pizza Pub — and the Bellamys stop by there often. Josie and Nisha were excited they got their photo with Howard and David Bellamy.

The Bellamys are graduates of Pasco High in Dade City: Howard 1964, David 1968, Jesse 1996, and Noah 1998. While the Bellamys are on the road much of the time, they had no problems playing a benefit concert at their alma mater on Friday, April 15. Dr. Dan McBath spearheaded the Spring Pirate Invasion Benefit Concert.

“This is the third benefit the Bellamys have done in my 12 years at Pasco High,” explained Principal Patrick Reedy. “They set a great example of ‘don’t forget where you came from.’ Reedy went on, “It’s a great community. Their mom was a bus driver and worked in the cafeteria.” Frances Bellamy, who passed away in December of 2009, worked at Pasco High for 25 years and volunteered in the school system after retirement.

“They could have done something else with their time off; but, they’re here. It’s just great; it’s just great! We can’t thank them enough,” finished Reedy.

Turnout was good and concertgoers enjoyed perfect weather and a nearly full moon as the skies darkened. A big crowd pleaser was “You Ain’t Just Whistlin’ Dixie.” And, people were dancing on the field and in the bleachers to “Red Neck Girl.”

After “Get Into Reggae Cowboy,” Principal Reedy, Dr. McBath and Jim Ward, the athletic director, took the stage with a special presentation for the Bellamys in appreciation of the generous donation to perform at the fundraising event. All proceeds from the concert will go to help out the Pasco High school system.

Howard and David were presented with a framed, matted photo of them with their mom, a Pasco High letter, and the letters BB. A plaque of sorts — given from their Pasco High family to a Bellamy family that has continued to give and give back to their school — and remember their inspirational mother, Frances.

The presenters and Bellamys joked how Frances kept kids in line on the school bus and in line at home. “She kept us out of jail,” kidded David. Everyone had a little laugh; but, probably a little lump in their throats.

What a proud community network of friends and family — from a ranch in Darby.

By Kyle LoJacono

The Penny for Pasco sales tax will expire in three years, but county commissioners are already working to keep it around much longer than that.

The program was first passed in 2004 by Pasco voters and is expected to raise $437 million for school and road construction, environmental land preservation and public safety equipment.

The county is currently using revenue generated by the program for eight road projects and is in the process of designing 13 more, according to Pasco Engineering Services Program Administrator Deborah Bolduc. The Pasco School District has also opened 11 new schools — including Sunlake, Wiregrass Ranch, Anclote and Fivay high schools — since the program began. It has also paid for major renovations to Pasco middle and high schools.

“All I can say is thank God for the penny,” said Commission Chairwoman Ann Hildebrand. “If our citizens look and see what this penny has done, they’d say it has been a bargain. We need to start planting the seed for 2014.”

The commissioners have already started that cultivation work by placing the program’s renewal into the long-term transportation plan. Its extension would help offset the revenue lost from proposed lower impact fees on new homes, but that tradeoff would still need to be approved by Pasco voters.

“I think that we’ve demonstrated that we have spent those dollars wisely,” said Commissioner Ted Schrader. He then added, the job of selling the proposal to voters will likely still be difficult given the current economic status, and also that tens of thousands of new residents have moved to the county since the program was passed in 2004.

“It’s even more important for us to continue to demonstrate to the citizens where the money’s coming from and how these improvements are being completed,” Schrader said.

In addition to demonstrating the productive use of the money generated, the commissioners will likely point out to voters the program also includes a reduction in property tax rates. Since its passage, Penny for Pasco has reduced property tax bills by $67 million.

Of the money generated, 45 percent goes to school projects, 45 percent goes to the county for road, environmental and safety projects and the last 10 percent goes to Pasco’s five cities, which include Zephyrhills, Dade City, San Antonio, New Port Richey and Port Richey.

The school district has spent $172 million during the first seven years of the program. Road projects have accounted for $27 million, which has paid for 10 completed and eight current jobs, but another $46 million are available for future work.

More money would have already been spent, but several projects were built below the original proposed cost, according to Pasco Administrator John Gallagher. He added that additional money came in from federal stimulus and the Florida Department of Transportation.

Gallagher said projects not originally slated for work from Penny for Pasco money will receive upgrades because there is so much money left over.

“I think we’re doing great with it, and I’m glad to see us taking advantage of outside money,” said Commissioner Jack Mariano.

County officials have also spent $12 million on new equipment of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and Pasco Fire Rescue. Most of that went to new vehicles, laptops and defibrillators.

An additional $10 million has been used to buy 1,300 acres of land for conservation purpose. Another $25 million remains in that fund.

By B.C. Manion

If a camera were panning this room, the close-up view would be eight or nine women sitting around a table, decorated with a cheerful centerpiece.

They would be talking and laughing, and enjoying a brunch.

The scene would be reminiscent of most baby showers — as the women socialize before opening the gifts.

The wide-angled view of the same room, however, would show scores of tables, with more than 160 pregnant women seated around them.

A motivational speaker is at the front of room, reminding the women they have a God who loves them, no matter what’s going on in their personal lives.

The raised stage at the front of the room and the floor below it are jam-packed with big-ticket items: strollers, cribs, dressers, car seats, pack-and-plays, high chairs, bouncies and bath tubs.

Along the room’s walls, there are tables stacked with toys, clothes, baby bottles, formula, diapers and breast-feeding bras, among other things.

Welcome to “Baby Share 2011,” a huge baby shower put on every year by the Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) of Victorious Life Church, 6224 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

An event program sums up Baby Share’s goal: “You are invited to sit back, relax and enjoy your baby shower,” it tells the expectant mothers. “It is our desire that today will provide you with hope, much-needed baby items and friendships that will last a lifetime.

“We hope that you will forget about any worries or stress and that you feel unconditional love and acceptance as we celebrate you and your new baby,” the program adds.

The event is geared the culmination of months of efforts by church volunteers, who solicit donations to provide the breakfast and to obtain brand-new presents and gently used items that the mothers will need.

The items are donated by local groups and by organizations all over the United States, said Debbie Heger, one of the key organizers.

About three dozen local restaurants donated food or gift certificates for the event, and countless others donated new or used baby items.

In addition to a goody bag filled with new gifts, the women also get to choose three big-ticket items from the front of the room to take home.

They get to do some free shopping, too, choosing items from tables that are stacked with gently used toys or clothes. They also can pick up some free baby formula, bottles and diapers.

The motivational speaker for the event was Jennifer Beckham, a woman who was once a Disney princess and whose life was changed by attending a Billy Graham crusade and accepting Jesus as her savior.

Each woman attending Baby Share 2011 received a number when they arrived.

The numbers were then picked at random to determine who would win brand-new grand prizes and the order in which they would choose the big-ticket items they wanted.

“Everybody gets three large items,” Heger said. “The number system is just to keep order.”

Most of the goody bags the women received included a handmade quilt, a book or CD and new gift items for their baby.

Victorious Life’s Diane Stickland, director of community development, said the event is characteristic of what the church wants to achieve in the community. It seeks, she said, to show God’s love in a practical way.

“A lot of these women don’t have their own personal baby shower,” Heger said. “Maybe this is the only baby shower they get.”

So, the church wants it to be special. Each table has a hostess, who almost becomes a surrogate mother for the day, Heger said.

It takes a large crew of volunteers and many willing givers, but the event has done well every year, Heger said.

“Everyone steps up. We never have any issues,” Heger said, crediting noting that Melisa Dean has spearheaded the efforts for several years.

She was at it again last week, acting as the emcee and ramping up the crowd’s enthusiasm, as she compared the give-away to a television game show.

“It’s like Supermarket Sweep,” she said, as she called out numbers for women to come on up, to choose a big-ticket item.

One woman claimed a stroller, and her way back to her seat she turned to a friend and proclaimed, “Oh, my God, I got chills.”

As other women made their way toward the stage, a patient Melanie Diaz waited. She held No. 1, meaning she was first to arrive that morning.

When her number finally was called, a cheer rose up from her table and the emcee observed: “This person had to arrive here very early to get No. 1.”

Megan Layton, an expectant mom from Plant City, was the first to win one of the grand prizes. She got a brand new stroller.

Layton gave the event high marks: “It seems really awesome, especially for young moms.”

By B.C. Manion

They donned fluorescent vests and stretched out across the natural preserve, focused on the task at hand.

Two were mounted on horseback. Another pair rode in a 4-wheel drive motorized scooter.

The search party stepped its way carefully through the woods, scanning the landscape, looking for any clue that might help them find the two “missing diabetic toddlers.”

They were mindful of gopher tortoise holes in the dense underbrush. They stepped around the weeds that often shot up over their heads. They peered beneath trees and bushes.

It didn’t take them long to find the first “child,” who was lying under a tree.

The second one was found a few minutes later, on the north side of the expansive property.

Searchers cheered at their success — but this was only an exercise, led by Bob Siwik, to help Keystone and Odessa residents learn how citizens can help when a real disaster strikes.

“Nowadays disaster planning is important,” said Siwik, who has written an emergency operations plan for the Keystone Civic Association. “You don’t have to be living under a rock to know that disasters like those in Japan could happen anywhere.”

Naturally, people’s first instinct is to tend to their own families, but if they’re not in the middle of the disaster themselves, they may be able to help others, Siwik said. That’s why the Keystone Civic Association decided to set up an emergency operations team.

“Given the physical nature of the landscape of Keystone, we have to have some way to respond to neighbors quickly,” said Tom Aderhold, president of the Keystone Civic Association.

“We have 56 lakes and 32 square miles to cover. A lot of wooded area,” Aderhold said.

Saturday’s training exercise was on Patterson Road, at the Brooker Creek Buffer Preserve.

It was the group’s first trial run.

Steve Morris, a member of the civic association’s board, said it was a good idea to do the mock exercise.

“What better way to find out what would happen if the real thing happened?” Morris said.

It gives the group a chance to figure out the logistics, identify people who would be willing to help and learn from experience.

“I think this is going to be one of these things that will evolve,” Morris said. Perhaps to be more effective, the volunteers will sign up to become part of a pool that would receive more advanced training — so they’ll be more effective if a true emergency arises, Morris said.

Although it was only a drill, organizers had thought of just about everything.

They had gathered equipment and personnel they might need during a real emergency. They had an RV for a command post. They had a first aid tent. They had water, insect spray and sunscreen. They had a food tent, with sandwiches, tangerines, boiled peanuts, chips and brownies.

They had equipment including radios, a whistle, an aerial map, a rope, an axe, a shovel and a fire extinguisher.

They had a mounted rescue team, a motorized scooter, a fire truck standing by and a helicopter that circled overhead.

The rescue party conducted a grid search.

“We’ve got nine grids,’’ Siwik said, with a team assigned to each. “We’re going to start and stop, mostly by visual signals. If that doesn’t work, we’ll use a whistle,” Siwik told the search party. “One whistle means stop and two whistles means go.

“Move slowly, cautiously,” he instructed. “I don’t want you going into any heavily vegetated areas. We haven’t seen any snakes, but you never know. We haven’t seen any insect hives, but you never know.”

As they walked, the teams were told to remain in a straight line, stretching across the wide expanse. Keeping visual contact is important, to ensure the safety of the rescue team and to keep the lines of communication open, Siwik said.

“We want to keep the line intact,” Siwik said. “You don’t want to get out of sync.”

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Capt. Andy Ross said keeping the search organized is critical.

“Zone integrity and team integrity are vital,” he said. The search commander is counting on people to stay on their team, searching their assigned zone.

“If you switch teams, it seems insignificant to you. To the incident commander, it’s a big deal. It’s not just you that’s done that, there’s six other people who did that, too, and now you have a team that’s falling apart.”

It’s also important to concentrate on your assigned zone, he said. “Stay in your zone,” he said. Otherwise, there’s a chance that a search that organizers thought was being searched will be overlooked.

It’s also important to be thorough, Ross said.

“Forget about looking for the children,” he said. “Pretend you are looking for a paper clip. What is just as important to find is evidence of where they have been.”

Searchers must be mindful of any clue that might help: Tire tracks. Disturbed grass. A piece of clothing. Footprints.

It may seem insignificant to the search team, but could yield vital information, Ross said.

Kelley Rexroad, of Odessa, was there documenting the event through photos.

“We believe in neighbors taking care of neighbors and that is what this is really about,” the volunteer said.

Mike Jackson, an emergency expert from Sun City Center, was there to observe the event and to offer feedback. He said the exercise generally went well.

However, he did note that the team rescuing the first child should have consulted with emergency personnel before moving the child.

That’s important because the child could have been injured, and emergency personnel need to assess whether a stretcher or other precautions are needed before the patient is moved, Jackson said.

Siwik said an assessment will be made to determine what went well and what can be improved.

He said the group also hopes to recruit more volunteers and could use some more radios.

Overall, though, he was pleased by the turnout, which exceeded 60 participants, including emergency personnel, members of the American Legion, Boy Scouts, a doctor, nurses and civic association members.

“We have already succeeded,” he told the crowd, “by each and every one of you being here today.”

The sheriff’s department’s Ross also applauded the residents for being so willing to help.

“I’m impressed that so many people would come out,” Ross said. “It really shows a lot of community cohesion.”

If you are interested in getting involved or would like more information, call Siwik at (813) 926-8378.

By Tammy Sue Struble

Charles Proctor took his seat on the Zephyrhills City Council this week, replacing incumbent Manny Funes.

At a special council meeting on Monday, April 18, City Clerk Linda Boan, administered the oath of office to newly elected Proctor, along with incumbents Kenneth Compton and Lance Smith, who ran unopposed for their seats.

Only 376 registered city voters cast their choice in the Funes-Proctor race on April 12.

Proctor received 214 votes to Funes’ 162 votes.

Also at the Monday meeting, the council elected Jodi Wilkeson as president while Compton earned another term as vice president.

Proctor arrived early for the meeting dressed neatly and greeting everyone with a smile and handshake. The owner/operator of a car detailing business and coin buying and selling trade, Charlie’s Auto Detail and Charlie’s Coins, was ready to get started in his new council position.

“I have my own ideas; but, I know we need to work together,” Proctor described. “We need to get with the city manager and mayor and get their input. We also need input from all department heads,” he explained of the impending budget crisis faced by the City of Zephyrhills.

With a shortfall of around a million dollars going into next year, Proctor was concerned.

“We will be looking at trying to balance the budget. It’s really important we work with a balanced budget. I have ideas.”

By Kyle LoJacono

A month ago, Phil Minden thought he was leaving Pasco Regional Medical Center. Fast forward a few weeks, now he is the Dade City hospital’s CEO.

He first heard of the opening on March 28, when former CEO Gary Lang left to pursue other opportunities, according to hospital spokeswoman Susan Frimmel.

“I was out the door leaving to go work with another hospital,” Minden said. “I was excited the board wanted to keep me here. I love this community and I want to stay here.”

Minden, 33, is the youngest CEO for Pasco Regional, which opened in 1973. He was working as the chief operating officer.

Minden was born in Arkansas and earned a master’s degree in health care administration from the University of Oklahoma. He started working with Health Management Associations, Pasco Regional’s parent company, in 2004 with Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Missouri. Minden moved in 2006 to Sebastian River Medical Center in Sebastian and then to Pasco Regional in 2008.

“The area was completely new to me when I came to Pasco Regional,” Minden said. “I’d never even been to Tampa. It was actually shocking to see the topography and the rolling hills. It kind of reminds me of Arkansas. I feel at home here.”

Minden said the two things he is most proud of in his time with Pasco Regional is working to bring a new cardiac catheterization lab and, most recently, an expansion to triple its emergency department’s size.

“I want to be able to provide all the wonderful technology and services at Tampa General and larger facilities here,” Minden said. “We’ve made great improvements to our cardiac catheterization lab and we have other things planned for the future.”

Part of the future is getting accreditation as a chest pain center, which means patients start receiving treatment within 90 minutes of when they experience a heart attack or similar problem.

“Who wants to wait to get treatment?” Minden said. “It’s our obligation to make sure they’re seen as soon as possible. We want to make sure they have the best care, but we want to be considerate of their time.”

The average time a patient is at Pasco Regional is between 2-2.5 hours from when they are discharged or admitted to a hospital room. The national average is 3.5-4 hours.

“Imagine what we can do with more space for more patients,” Minden said. “There are going to be times when it’s going to be longer because a major case comes in. We do our best, and it’s a big part of what we believe in.”

The hospital is already an accredited stroke center, meaning people can start receiving treatment within an hour of a stroke beginning.

“We’ve identified certain areas of need in the community,” Minden said. “Through research we’ve looked at what to provide to best serve our residents. I encourage people to let us know what we can do better.

“The ER is a prime example of us listening to the community,” Minden continued. “They’ve asked for years that we renovate or expand the ER. It’s built to handle 10,000, but we see just less than 20,000 each year.”

Minden said the hospital sees patients from not just Dade City, but also Zephyrhills, Wesley Chapel and the other cities and towns in east Pasco County.

“The demographics of Dade City are changing,” Frimmel said. “Wesley Chapel is mainly families, Zephyrhills still has an older population, and Dade City used to be that way. We’re seeing younger people and more families in Dade City. So we’re caught between Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, Dade City and into Sumter County.”

The influx of retired people from the north each winter is still present, which creates a different set of challenges for a hospital.

“The biggest strain for us is in staffing,” Minden said. “We bring in temporary labor and other contingency plans every year so we can continue to offer the best care. We even have some seasonal nurses who come down with the influx and work a few months.”

Another challenge is the large number of hospitals in the Tampa Bay region.

“We want to build up this facility,” Minden said. “I think through renovations, expansion and hiring the right staff we can be the top choice. There are many healthcare options in Tampa Bay, and I want our community to think of us first and foremost of care.”

Minden serves on the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and is a member of the Dade City Kiwanis Club. He plans to get involved with more community groups in the future, but he has not adopted one part of the culture.

Instead of cheering on the University of Florida Gators, University of South Florida Bulls or Florida State Seminoles, Minden is loyal to the team of his youth.

“I’m an Arkansas Razorbacks fan, so woo pig sooie,” Minden said. “We’ve got Tyler Wilson coming in at quarterback next year and we’ll be all right.”