The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Celtic Festival announces last minute move to Dade City

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By Tammy Sue Struble

Issues with fencing at the Zephyr Park location of the annual Celtic Festival in Zephyrhills prompted a quick move to Dade City’s Pioneer Village location.

According to Celtic Festival organizers, the temporary, orange, plastic fencing used at previous Celtic Festivals at Zephyr Park in Zephyrhills was not sufficient. The event had problems with the fencing in that many people got into the event without paying. After checking into other types of fencing possibilities for the Zephyr Park venue, the cost of renting other types of fencing was expensive.

“Apparently … with cutbacks, (the City of) Zephyrhills couldn’t do it this year and we couldn’t do it either. We had to find a place that was fenced in,” explained Annette Kama, Celtic Festival Vendor Chair and general information contact.

Event organizer Steve Serneels stated that, “we almost didn’t make enough last year because of people not paying. The Pioneer Village location has a very large parking area and is fenced. It was cancel or move.”

Serneels explained that working with the City of Zephyrhills in the past was very good; the staff and park were nice and the location was good. He also said that working funds are lower this year — they do not have some sponsors for the festival that they had last year.

“It’s (Dade City Pioneer Museum) right down the road,” continued Serneels. “Hopefully we’ll get the crowds as in previous years and try to keep it at the same level as it was before.”

A regular Celtic Festival participant, Mayor Cliff McDuffie of Zephyrhills, was still in the process of making up his mind regarding attending.

“I have a lot going on that weekend,” McDuffie said. He expressed concern over it moving locations and said that he would miss it being in Zephyrhills.

The festival is set for March 5-6 at the Pioneer Florida Museum in Dade City.

For more information go to www.zephyrhillscelticfestival.com or call (813) 786-2724.

Raj Kedar has seen it all in radiology

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Tower doctor sees his profession in military terms

By Kyle LoJacono

During Dr. Raj Kedar’s 20 years in radiology, he has seen the technology change radically.

Dr. Raj Kedar (left) and Tower chief operating officer Frank Connelly stand next to the high-speed CT saner at the Wesley Chapel facility. (Photo by Kyle LoJacono)

When he started, doctors had to share one copy of an X-ray of a broken bone, but today dozens of doctors can see images from deep within a joint, of a heart pumping blood and the inner functioning of a brain at the same time.

“I enjoy every day,” said Kedar, 49. “I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Kedar’s passion is evident in how he speaks of radiology, also known as imaging.

“It’s like intelligence for doctors,” said Kedar, medical director of Tower Radiology Center Wesley Chapel. “We’re doctor’s doctors. We find the enemy in someone’s body and help doctors find the best way to get rid of it. Nothing can hide with the equipment we have today.”

Kedar estimated that 35 percent of the technology used at Tower today did not exist when he started two decades ago. What did exist was primitive by today’s standards.

“A CT (CAT) scan took about five minutes back then,” Kedar said. “Today we can do it in five seconds.”

One of the newest advancements in the field is physiology imaging, which uses a sugar solution injected into the patient. The solution moves through parts the body, such as the heart, to give doctors a view into how it is working. Most pictures taken in radiology are anatomical, looking at a part of the body that is not moving like a bone or joint.

Frank Connelly, Tower Radiology chief operating officer, said new physiology imaging just came online at the Wesley Chapel facility last week.

Kedar said he was taught that medicine has three important parts — diagnosis, treatment and prevention. He believes radiology involves all three aspects.

“Diagnosis is what people think of most when they think of radiology, but it’s a big part of treatment too,” Kedar said. “We let doctors and patients see what their treatment is doing for them and we can also catch little issues before they become a big problem, so prevention.”

Along with the technology now being used in the industry, new electronic records have also made treatment much faster. Once images are loaded at Tower’s Wesley Chapel, North Dale Mabry in Lutz or nine other locations, a patient’s primary doctor can instantly see the same picture. They can also listen to Kedar’s diagnosis.

“It cuts down on time and makes treatment better,” Kedar said. “I can get second opinions from other doctors when making recommendations.”

Tower, which is owned and operated by doctors, has 32 radiologists within its system. They are all specialists within the field, ranging from heart, women’s health or physical medicine as Kedar is.

“Having specialists allows for better treatment,” Connelly said. “It makes it more efficient when we have people who know everything about their part of the field.”

Tower has had the Wesley Chapel facility, 2324 Oak Myrtle Lane, for about two years and is located less than two miles from the future Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

The North Dale Mabry facility, 17503 N. Dale Mabry in Lutz, is slightly newer at about 1.5 years old and is less than one mile from St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, which opened a year ago. Kedar said the proximity to the hospitals was an important factor in picking their locations.

“It was definitely a factor,” Kedar said. “Patients want an imaging center like these to be close to their hospital for convenience. Also, we believe these areas are growing and we want to be here for those people. Once you get a place like this with all the equipment it’s hard to move, so we’re in it for the long haul right where we are.”

Additionally, Tower is actively involved with new clinical research. They were part of the testing of an Alzheimer’s treatment drug that just came on the market less than a month ago. Patients who were given the drug were tested for its effectiveness at Tower.

“It helps us advance the technology and treatment for everyone,” Connelly said.

Each of Tower’s locations offers various imaging options. For a list of procedures at the sites, visit www.towerdiagnostic.com.

Florida Hospital Zephyrhills makes heart treatment faster

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New catheter method offers speed, comfort

By Kyle LoJacono

Betty Theademan went home less than two hours after receiving a cardiac catheter test at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Heart Institute, something she would not have been able to do a year ago.

Betty Theademan with Dr. Sunil Gupta (left) and Dr. Ketul Chauhan. Theademan received a cardiac catheter treatment through the wrist from the doctors instead of the traditional method through the groin. (Photo by Gary Hatrick)

Until about six months ago, the institute used the traditional catheter method, going through the groin to check for blockages in someone’s blood vessels.

“It’s much easier for the doctor to do it that way, but it’s not as easy on the patient,” said Dr. Ketul Chauhan, who treated Theademan. “With the old method, patients had to lay down in a bed for six to eight hours as still as possible to make sure they don’t bleed. The newer way, they can walk out much faster.”

The newer method is called radial catheterization and goes in through the wrist. Theademan, who winters in Zephyrhills with her husband Pete, had never been to the hospital for treatment before.

“I’d been having chest pains the last couple weeks, so I thought I should get checked out,” Theademan said. “They said I should have a catheter and I was thinking about how long and uncomfortable it would be.”

Theademan had a traditional catheter about 10 years ago and was pleased to hear the new method went through the wrist. She had the test done on Jan. 24 and said she was on the road home feeling fine soon after.

“When I had it done the first time it was so uncomfortable,” Theademan said. “They put pressure on the area for six hours and I stayed overnight. This time they taped the area tight with some gauze and told me to take it easy for a couple days. They said don’t lift anything that is more than 10 pounds. Two day later I took the gauze off and it was like it never happened.”

Chauhan said bleeding was always the main concern with traditional catheterizations, especially with older people.

“We have an older population here in Zephyrhills and east Pasco County,” Chauhan said. “We knew we wanted to have this treatment because it’s not only safer, but faster and just as effective at finding blockages.”

Gwen Alonso, the hospital’s vice president of cardiac services, said offering treatments like radial catheterization fits into the overall goal at the facility.

“We thought the new catheterization would be an upgrade to our care,” Alonso said. “We already have awards for the speed of our care and the outcomes of our treatment at the Heart Institute and we’ll continue to bringing the best new techniques and technologies available. The goal is for our patients to have a great experience when they come here.”

Alonso stressed that not everyone is a candidate for the new treatment and people should discuss the option with their doctor.

As for Theademan’s diagnosis, the catheter found no significant blockages in her body. She said her doctors recommend she live an overall healthy lifestyle with regular exercise and a good diet to treat the slight chest pain.

“It’s good news,” Theademan said. “You don’t want to have to do anything too major. The catheter was easy and so is the treatment. I’m very happy with how everything turned out.”

Brown rice lightens sushi at Rice and Roll

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By Samantha Taylor

Pure Health Studios

I don’t know much about sushi, but what I do know is that when I get a sushi roll, I prefer brown rice instead of white.  A sushi place that offers brown rice? That’s going to be hard to find.

I like choosing brown rice because it’s more nutritious than white rice. Brown rice doesn’t tend to spike the blood sugar levels as much because it has three grams more fiber, more nutrients and five grams more protein per serving.

My search led me to Rice and Roll in Lutz on Dale Mabry at the corner of W. Lutz-Lake Fern Road, by Publix.  It is an adorable, quaint place that is owned by sushi chef Jack Yip, who is meticulous about the restaurant and its food.

He is a real nice guy and takes pride in sourcing only triple A-Grade fish, which is the highest-quality fish in the market, but also the highest quality rice available. He oversees the preparation of their fish and other dishes to ensure that it is always the cleanest and freshest possible.

I tested out two kinds of sushi, the Philadelphia roll and the omega roll.

The Philadelphia roll consists of smoked Norwegian salmon, cucumbers and cream cheese. You can tell them to go light on the cream cheese; it would still be yummy even if you cut out a few calories.

Whenever I have sushi, I like dipping it in low-sodium soy sauce with spicy wasabi – a surefire combination to give my sushi a great kick. The Philadelphia roll has a great balance of healthy, tasty and some fat from all its components.

The omega roll is Yip’s source of pride as he came up with it himself, knowing that omega-3s are very good for the body. It is sushi made out of smoked Norweigen salmon, tuna, avocado and cucumber, but brown rice — make sure you get it, too. The omega roll looked almost too beautiful to eat, but I’m glad I tried it, as it was really delectable.

If you want to be the most cautious about your calories, order their miso soup or a small salad, eat half the omega roll and save the rest for later. Make sure though that you refrigerate your leftovers immediately and remember that sushi needs to be eaten within one to two days of purchase.

I was really impressed with how hands-on Yip is with his restaurant. He puts in time and effort into where he gets their fish and rice and also into preparing it.  More than that, as Yip himself said, all of this care comes from really putting his heart into his business.

In addition to Rice and Roll’s food and owner, the atmosphere is also commendable. It is adorably laid out with great décor and the booths are spaced in a way to give a private feel to it. Oh, and they play great music that makes it all the more enjoyable. Yip has done a great job of putting this place together and I’ll be visiting often!

In year two, Steinbrenner makes final four

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By Zack Peterson

Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

All season, the Steinbrenner High girls soccer team strove to achieve its lofty vision reaching the Class 4A state tournament. The Warriors met their goal with a 1-0 victory against Naples Barron Collier Feb. 4.

“It was a physical battle,” Steinbrenner coach Teresa Patterson said. “But in just year two (as a program), it’s amazing.”

Cici Gonzalez

Despite a rough, physical match-up from Barron Collier, the Warriors (19-2-2) persevered, outshooting the Cougar’s 14-3 with the one and only goal coming in the 38th minute. Cici Gonzalez took a free kick that ricocheted off the cross bar that barely missed the net, but teammate Danielle Eule was there with the header to knock it in.

“We really wanted to attack down the sideline a lot to pull the keeper out,” Eule said. “Our goal was to keep pushing downhill and win the 50/50 balls.”

Along with the intense offensive push, the Warrior’s cracked down on defense as well. With their dual keeper approach, Steinbrenner managed to anticipate Barron Collier’s offensive scheme, and combated it effectively. It was just a matter of playing to their strengths.

“We feel really comfortable with our two great goalies Stephanie Hirsch and Courtney Keene,” Patterson said. “Steph plays great at outside balls and that’s what we expected.”

The shutout was Hirsch’s 20th of the year, and was crucial in the victory. In a second half that included furious, rough play and yellow cards, the solid defense was monumental.

When the clock finally dwindled to zero, the Warriors earned a spot in the final four.

“This is one of the biggest things for us,” Eule said. “But we knew that if we worked hard, this would happen.”

All the hard work culminates in the finals tournament that will take place at University of Tampa (UT). Up first for the Warriors is Harmony High, a team from the Orlando area.

The Warriors will look to use the 80-foot-wide field at UT to their advantage.

“We’re a really technical team and we like to pass,” Patterson said. “The wider fields will help our own play.”

And according to Patterson, it will help with the pressure too.

“I told the kids we’ve gone one step further than last year,” Patterson said. “This was the goal and now that we’re here I just told them to play free and do their best.”

Eule summed it up: “We’re going to continue practicing hard, going in strong and giving it everything we’ve got.”

Set pieces put stop to Wiregrass Ranch’s season

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By Kyle LoJacono

The Wiregrass Ranch girls soccer team came up one game short of the final four, dropping the Class 4A regional finals 4-0 to Harmony High Feb. 4.

The Longhorns (18-1) scored all of their goals off set pieces, including cashing in the first three corner kicks of the contest.

“We did well in open play, but the set pieces just killed us and not being able to put it in the back of the net ourselves wasn’t helpful either” said Wiregrass Ranch first-year coach Erin Dodd.

All season, the Bulls (23-3-2) had been able to set up their speedy forwards with on target passes from midfielders, but Wiregrass Ranch seemed to be just a half step off all evening.

Sierra Monday was one of the seniors who helped the Bulls go further than any other team in program history.

“That’s really what it seemed like,” Dodd said. “I don’t feel like we played our best soccer. I felt like Harmony played with a little more intensity then we did, and we just couldn’t get it done.”

Dodd also said Harmony was the first team that was able to match their speed, shutting the Bulls out for only the second time this season. The Longhorns held A.J. Blount and Berlin Waters, who had 61 goals combined this year, to just three shots total.

“Their team was fast, and maybe just one step faster,” Dodd said.

The Longhorns got on the board in the 10th minute when Kaley Ward sent a corner kick from the left side that was headed in by Payton Leffew. Less than five minutes later, Ward set up Caitlin Beam on a nearly identical play.

Ward added the third tally herself off a corner kick in the second half that bounced off Bulls goalkeeper Dayton Wetherby and the crossbar before going in. Kendall Pollock added the final goal off a free kick from 40 yards out.

In the regional semifinals three nights before, Wiregrass Ranch defeated district revival River Ridge High 2-1. Blount scored both goals in the contest.

Despite coming up short in the regional finals, the Bulls had their first 20-win season, won their first game in a district tournament en route to the Class 4A-District 8 championship and won two games in regionals.

“Everything has just been happening so fast and I don’t think any of us have had an opportunity to sit down and realize what we’ve accomplished,” Dodd said. “They’re upset now, but once they have some time off and they look back on the season, they’ll realize they need to hold their heads high and be proud because it was a great season.”

As a sendoff, Dodd subbed in all six of her seniors to close the game. She said she wanted to make sure they all got a chance to end their playing time on the field.

Gaither’s season ends in regional finals

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By Kyle LoJacono

The Gaither High girls soccer team reached a regional final for just the second time in the school’s 26-year history, but could not get past Seminole High.

The Cowboys (12-6-2) dropped the road matchup in the Class 5A regional finals 3-0 Feb. 4. The Warhawks (22-2-1) got on the board in the 20th minute and added the two insurance goals in the second half.

Kelly Cuppett (right) celebrates with teammate Lauren Moore just after Cuppett scored the game-winning goal in the regional semifinals.

In the semifinals, Gaither got past Naples Gulf Coast 1-0 on a penalty kick in the final minute of the second overtime. Junior Kelly Cuppett took the shot and found a hole just off the fingertips of the Shark’s goalkeeper to give the Cowboys the sudden-death victory.

“I was just so happy that I could do that for the seniors,” Cuppett said. “They’ve meant a lot to me this year and we’re really close. I was just really glad that I could be the one to keep it going.”

Gaither had several chances in the second half to get on the scoreboard, including hitting the crossbar and the left post. Cowboys second-year coach Trevor Scott said he was proud the team shook off those near misses and kept fighting.

“You have to play with heart to keep going and, luck of the draw, we got a PK and got it,” Scott said. “The team has worked so hard to this point. They practice hard and we were already ready to take PKs again if we needed. They all want to keep going. No one is thinking I’ve had enough.”

Freshman goalkeeper Amanda High kept the Sharks (14-4-3) off the scoreboard, recording 10 saves on the night.

“I was just hoping for no PKs,” High said. “I didn’t want it to get to that point.”

Despite coming up one game shy of the final four, Gaither reached the regional finals for the first time since the 2003-04 season.

The Cowboys have only four seniors on their roster. Among those graduating are Lauren Moore and Caity Chandler, who were first and third on the squad with 13 and 10 goals respectively. Gaither is likely to return second-leading scorer Taylor Meek, who had 12 scores, and Kaycee McGuire who had a team-high 10 assists.

“It’s been an amazing season,” Scott said after the semifinals win. “We feel like we’ve got things turned around here and we want to make this a more regular thing. I’m hoping we don’t take five or six years to get back to regionals.”

Pasco takes defensive struggle against Land O’ Lakes

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By Kyle LoJacono
Pasco and Land O’ Lakes high school boys soccer teams entered the Class 4A regional quarterfinals with only three combined losses, and the fourth ended the Gators year.
Pasco’s Dillon Dunbar shields off Land O’ Lakes’ Nicholas Kempton during the Pirates 1-0 win in the regional quarterfinals.

The Pirates (21-2) took the game against Land O’ Lakes (23-2) 1-0 in Gator Stadium Feb. 3.

“We came with a game plan and it worked,” said Pasco coach Berry Grayling.
That plan – frustrate Land O’ Lakes with lock-down defense and capitalize on mistakes.
“They played very well defensively,” said Gators coach Mark Pearson. “They shut down a lot of our angles and space. We didn’t create as many opportunities as we could.… It wasn’t the most attractive soccer, but obviously effective.”
Effective enough to shutout Land O’ Lakes for the first time all season.
“We weren’t generating enough opportunities,” Pearson said. “It was too few and far between. I don’t want to make excuses, but it’s two years in a row we’ve lost our best players. Nathan Dalton we missed so badly tonight. He is our engine and he’s been our motivator. He’s done so much behind the ball and created so much for other players. We struggled for the last week to try and find a way to replace that.”
Dalton was out with a concussion, while Ryan Bowen was missing because of a broken bone in his ankle.
“All of a sudden a lot of our options got limited,” Pearson said. He then added, “I give Pasco a lot of credit. They did a great job defensively.”
While the Gators were suffering through those injuries, the Pirates got back Daniel Corona and Eric Garcia, who missed Pasco’s upset loss to Hudson High in the district finals.
The lone tally came off the head of junior Dillon Dunbar. The goal found its way past Gators goalkeeper Kody Parker. Dunbar said Grayling moved him into the middle of the Pasco attack to take advantage of his height.
“I’m the tallest on the team and it meant there was someone there in the middle for the passes,” said Dunbar, who is 6-foot-2.
Pasco lost to the Gators 3-2 in January, giving Land O’ Lakes the Sunshine Athletic Conference title. Grayling said he thinks that loss actually put more pressure on the Gators.
“We were the underdogs,” Grayling said. “All the pressure was off us a little bit this time. The boys said they had nothing to lose.”
Dunbar said it was very rewarding to get the win because, “It was the hardest game of the season.
“It’s really tough playing in a game like this,” Dunbar continued. “I’ve been on varsity for three years and I’ve never gotten past the first game of regionals before. I’m just happy to get a win in regionals.”
The Gators had several chances late in the contest, including a deflection off a throw-in by Jake Frahm that went just wide.
“I was worried,” Dunbar said. “They’re all taller than us. Their No. 12 (Frahm), his throw-ins are like corner kicks. He throws them so far. I was just hoping to clear the ball out on the first chance. Thankfully we did.”
The Pirates will host the regional semifinals at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 8 against Sunlake High. Pasco defeated the Seahawks 2-0 earlier this year.

Freedom takes district championship against Sickles

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Patriots survive scare in semifinals from Hillsborough

By Kyle LoJacono

It was almost a repeat of last year when the Freedom High girls basketball team suffered an early exit in the Class 5A-District 9 tournament.

The Freedom girls basketball team with the district championship trophy.

With 2.7 seconds left in overtime in the district semifinals Feb. 2, Patriots senior point guard Kaitlynn Pacholke stepped to the line and nailed a free throw, giving her squad a 53-52 lead against Hillsborough High.

Freedom (20-5) held on to win by the same score, avenging a loss to the Terriers (9-13) in last year’s district tournament that ended its season. The Patriots went on to defeat Sickles High 68-65 in the finals Feb. 4.

“That wasn’t a very pretty game for us,” said Freedom coach Laurie Pacholke after the semifinals. “We missed a lot of free throws and let them hang in there. I was having visions of last year.”

The Patriots were the No. 1 seed in the tournament at Gaither High, going 9-1 in the district during the regular season. However, the No. 2 seed Gryphons entered the event winning eight of their last nine contests and as a much more explosive squad than the one Freedom defeated 69-32 in December.

The Gryphons (16-10) had some injuries to starters this year, including leading scorers Amber Henson and Bre Crum.

“They have some good players in Henson and Crum, but I think we have more options and work together better as a team,” Laurie said, who coached at Land O’ Lakes two seasons ago.

Kaitlynn, who is Laurie’s daughter, helps create that balanced team attack with her passes. She averages 8.6 assists per contest, the fourth most in Florida, while adding 15.4 points and 5.6 rebounds.

In the title game, Kaitlynn had 26 points, while senior Lindsay Taggart and junior Shade Williams added 14 and 17 respectively.

Henson led the way for Sickles in the finals with 31 points and Crum added 23, but the Gryphons got only 11 points from other players.

Freedom will next host Punta Gorda Charlotte at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 10.

Land O’ Lakes brings home district gold

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By Kyle LoJacono

Shanel Sweet

Despite having two new starters and a new coach, the Land O’ Lakes High girls basketball team brought home the Class 4A-District 8 championship with a 58-53 win against Citrus High Feb. 5.

The Gators (23-2) were led by sophomore Simone Brown, a Wesley Chapel High transfer, who poured in 27 points including 15 in the fourth quarter. Senior guard Julia Della Penna added 14 to the scoreboard, nearly double her season average.

“It’s been a learning experience for us all,” said Land O’ Lakes first-year coach Laurie Fitzpatrick. “I had to learn what the girls did well and how to make all the pieces fit together. We had some injuries early, which didn’t help that, but by the end we were really clicking and I think that showed.”

Fitzpatrick said most of her girls were sick during the tournament.

“Simone had to run to the trashcan during timeouts because she was getting sick,” Fitzpatrick said. “They weren’t going to let that stop them.”

The Gators took down Wiregrass Ranch 55-49 in the semifinals. Senior point guard Shanel Sweet, a Gaither High transfer, had 17 points in the contest and sunk her last six free throws in the closing minutes to keep her squad ahead.

“It was two games that came down to the very end,” Fitzpatrick said. “I was nervous. I was biting my nails in both games. The girls stepped up big time on a big stage.”

Land O’ Lakes will now host Mitchell High at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 10.

Wildcats get first district title

The Academy at the Lakes girls basketball team has come a long way from the squad that finished 0-15 last year

Karim Nohra was brought in to coach the Wildcats and installed a pressure defense that helped them defeat Keswick Christian 42-31 in the 1A-9 title game Feb. 5. The academy caused 25 turnovers in the contest.

Marjorie Rivera, an eighth grader, led the academy in scoring with 16 points while adding six assists.

In the semis, the Wildcats defeated one of Nohra’s former squads Cambridge Christian 54-32 thanks in large part to their defense, which held the Lancers to just one field goal in the first quarter.

The academy will next host Sarasota Christian at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 10.