Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Many from Tampa and other large places might describe Zephyrhills as a “sleepy little town” and a couple medical ventures are working to keep it that way.
Pasco Regional Medical Center’s Sleep Center has been treating multiple types of sleep disorders since it opened in 1998 and Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Sleep Center saw its first patients on Sept. 8.

Dr. Juan Cevallos, medical director at Pasco Regional’s Sleep Center, has been treating the problems since 1993 in east Pasco County.
“The technology for diagnosis has changed a lot,” Cevallos said. “When I started we did paper tracings of people’s sleep which were hundreds of pages long. Each page was 30 seconds of the eight hours someone slept. Then we had to review everything. Today it’s all on the computers and we can analyze it better.”
Cevallos said the center moved to its new location in Zephyrhills three years ago because it is a better facility to treat sleep disorders. He also worked with another sleep center affiliated with Florida Hospital Zephyrhills for about 4 years before joining Pasco Regional. It currently sees about 1,000 patients each year.
Dr. Amir Quefatieh is the medical director for Florida Hospital Zephyrhills new facility. He’s been treating sleep disorders for eight years and came to Zephyrhills from Delaware.
“You hear incredible stories about how problems sleeping were destroying people’s lives,” Quefatieh said. “People overlook sleep, but it’s very important to overall health to get quality sleep every day.”
Both doctors started their training in pulmonary medicine and Quefatieh’s pulmonary critical care facility is attached to the Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Sleep Center.
“Problems with sleep usually lead to problems with the lungs, heart and circulation,” Quefatieh said. “It was a natural thing to progress to because the two problems are so closely related.”
Quefatieh said many other conditions, like fibromyalgia and decreased immune systems are likely associated with poor quality of sleep.
Cevallos said about 30 and 40 percent of people have some kind of sleep disorder, of which there are many types. The three most common treated are sleep apnea, random leg movement and disrupted sleep caused by chronic pain. The latter two are treated with medications, while apnea is the most common and requires other techniques.
“Sleep apnea means people stop breathing while sleeping because the airway is blocked from the tongue or back of the throat, which wakes them up but can also cause death in rare cases,” Cevallos said.
Quefatieh said death from sleep apnea is not possible, but the strain on the heart from years of the problem can cause fatal heart attacks or strokes.
Other major problems associated with not getting enough sleep are not being able to remember things or concentrate, making more mistakes on normal tasks and falling asleep during daily activities.
Steve Conomy, technical director for Pasco Regional’s center, said some of the more scary stories he hears from people are when they fall asleep while driving. He said it most happens while stopped at traffic lights and usually lasts only a few seconds, but people can also nod off while actively driving.
“It’s really scary to think about.” Conomy said. “You can be driving and the next minute get into an accident without even knowing what happened.”
There are three ways to treat sleep apnea. Both doctors said the one they believe in the most is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). A device goes over the nose and/or mouth and blows air into the openings to keep the airway open. The testing and calibration of the CPAP can usually be done in one-two stays.
Other methods include surgery to remove unnecessary parts of the esophagus like the uvula and tonsils to open the airway. The last option is to use a mouthguard-like device to hold the jaw forward, which can also open the airway.
Both doctors said CPAP’s are the most effective method of treatment. Quefatieh said younger people also opt for surgery so they do not have to wear the device their whole life.
Both sleep facilities are set up to diagnose four people at a time, including rooms for handicapped and/or larger patients. Spouses can also stay with the patient to keep them calm at Pasco Regional’s lab.
“We’ve learned a lot of people can’t sleep without their spouse or partner with them, so we let them stay together to make them more comfortable,” Conomy said. “Also the rooms are set up so when the lights are off it is so dark you can’t see your hand in front of your face. That lets people fall asleep quickly.”
Things like wires that might scare some people are also hidden from the patient’s view. Cindy Higgins, administrator for Florida Hospital Zephyrhills’ center, said every step was taken to make the room feel like a hotel. They even fold towels in the shape of a swan and leave it on the patient’s bed.
“Anyone can have a sleep disorder, but it is a definitely a disease for people in their 40s or later,” Cevallos said. “We have an older population here in Zephyrhills and east Pasco, so it’s something that can really help people in the area.
Quefatieh said the kind of disorder common in younger people usually are caused by poor sleep hygiene, such as consuming caffeine or alcohol, exercising or working to late in the evening. For more information on sleep disorders or how to get a more restful night’s sleep, visit www.sleepfoundation.org.

Florida Hospital Zephyrhills’ Sleep Center
Opened Sept. 8
7209 Green Slope Drive in Zephyrhills
(813) 788-0705
www.fhzeph.com

Pasco Regional’s Sleep Center
6233 Abbott Station Drive in Zephyrhills
(813) 783-1866
www.pascoregionalmc.com

By Kyle LoJacono

At the start of the new school year Girl Scout and Boy Scout organizations actively recruit new members at all levels of the programs.

The organizations take new scouts throughout the year, but make a push during the start of the school year.
Both organizations have been around for some time. Girl Scouts was founded in the United States in 1912, while Boys Scouts of America was established 100 years ago this year. Despite that age, the two groups are finding ways to stay as relevant as ever.

GIRL SCOUTS
Girl Scouts of the USA was founded by Juliette Gordon and her organization has grown to include 3.4 million girls and adults. Each year the Suncatchers Service Unit in East Pasco County celebrates the founder’s birthday, which is on Halloween.
“It’s one of the fun things we do each year,” said Michelle Barbour, the unit’s manager. “We also go camping trips, have dances and other fun trips. We also participate in the Dade City Christmas Parade each year.”
Suncatchers has 20 troops within it that are from mostly Wesley Chapel and San Antonio, but also extreme east Land O’ Lakes and west Zephyrhills. Barbour’s three girls — Deysha, Sadye and Lyric — are in the program. She was also a member of Girl Scouts as a child.

“It definitely gets them involved with things other than themselves,” Barbour said. “They volunteer at the Joshua House, the pregnancy centers and domestic violence shelters. It teaches them everything isn’t about them.”
The Suncatchers also collect books to donate to the Academy at the Farm in Dade City and participate in the Coastal Cleanup. Barbour said doing so helps the girls take ownership and builds pride in the area.
The service unit is going to the various area schools to let parents and children know more about the program and will also have an ice-cream social in October for the public to further explain what girl scouting is about. For more information about the unit or for the date of the event, call Barbour at (813) 215-3287 or e-mail her at .
Suncatchers are part of Girls Scouts of West Central Florida (GSWCF) that includes all service units in the Tampa Bay area including Pasco and Hillsborough counties. Susan Barnes, spokesperson for the organization, was also in the program as a child.
“As an Army brat, Girl Scouts helped me adjust to the places I’d move every three years or so,” Barnes said. “In addition to making friends, some of whom I’m still in contact with today, I believe being a part of Girl Scouts helped me discover the sense that I can do whatever I set out to. There are no barriers that I can’t overcome.”
Barnes also said Girl Scouts is reaching out to the growing Hispanic population in the area by increasing the number of staff members who can speak Spanish while looking at ways of embracing the culture with traditional programs.
For more information on GSWCF, visit www.gswcf.org or call (813) 281-4475.

BOY SCOUTS
Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has three types of organizations: Cub Scouts for children in first to fifth grade, Boy Scouts for those 11 to 17 years old and Venture Crews for boys and young men ages 14 to 20.
It is the Cub Scout packs that do much of the recruiting of new members.
“Getting them into the program at a young age I think helps keep their interest in the program,” said Bryan Gifford, Cub Scout roundtable commissioner for the Allohak District covering east and central Pasco County. There are 30 BSA groups of all levels in the district.
The district is part of the Gulf Ridge Council, which is the BSA organization that covers all of the Tampa Bay area including Pasco and Hillsborough counties.
As the roundtable commissioner, Gifford helps get information from the district and council to the various Cub Scout packs in the area.
Gifford is also the Scout Master for Pack 323, which meets at Myrtle Lake Baptist Church, 2017 Reigler Road off SR 54 in Land O’ Lakes, each Monday at 7 p.m. The group has children from both Lutz and Land O’ Lakes. His two boys, Skyler and Dakota, are in the pack and he also was in the scouts.
Pack 323 will have a recruiting night at Lake Myrtle Elementary at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 9. Anyone interested in joining should attend.

Also in Land O’ Lakes, Tom Harrison, assistant scout master for Pack 3, is planning a day to teach the community about scouting at Tibbetts Lumber. He said children from all areas a welcome and is not specifically for Pack 3. It is only to spread the word about scouting, including Girl Scouts.

“For me scouting is a great way to teach kids the right values,” Gifford said. “It also shows them they can accomplish anything they want to if they put their minds to it and lastly it’s a great way for parents to spend constructive time with their kids.”
Gifford said the younger age for the kids in Cub Scouts means parents have a more direct role in the meetings, but when they move on to Boy Scouts the boys take more control.
The next step in the program is Venture Crews, which was added in 1998 to the program to keep older kids interested. Scouts do not have to join a crew to progress in the program.
The crews tend to go on more high-adventure trips like mountain hiking, white-water rafting and scuba diving. Also, unlike other levels of boy scouting, girls are allowed in the crews.
“The venture program is really interesting and I wish we had it when I was in scouts,” Gifford said. “It’s part of how Boys Scouts is staying new and interesting as time changes.”
For more information about Boy Scouts in Pasco and Hillsborough, visit www.boysouting.com.

By B.C. Manion

There’s a place off the beaten path in Lutz where patrons can check out enormous beets, fresh leaf lettuce, avocados, sugar cane and other organic fruits and vegetables.

The shop, called Cheyenne’s Country Thangs, 19319 Holly Lane, is open only on Saturdays and represents a love of gardening that dates back to when Lisa Hunt was just 5 and was learning how to grow things from her Native American grandfather.
“He knew the natural way to fertilize. He didn’t call it organic, but he knew the natural way,” said Lisa, who is now passing along her love of cultivating fruits and vegetables to her 5-year-old granddaughter, Cheyenne.
The little girl was at the shop last weekend, nibbling boiled peanuts, drinking lemonade and eating a nectarine. After she finished the fruit, she planted its pit beneath a pile of mulch.
That’s just like her, her grandmother said. Cheyenne was just a year old when she started scattering seeds. She was growing flowers by herself by the age of 4. Now, she’s a big fan of the garden – especially of the many treats that grow there.
Over decades of organic gardening, Lisa has given away many of the fruits and veggies she’s grown to family and friends.
The Lutz woman decided to turn her passion into a business earlier this year, however, after the family’s other business Suncoast Directional Inc. fell into hard times.

The slump in construction hurt the directional boring company, which, at one point had 16 employees and is now down to five, said Darrel Hunt, the company’s president.

“We take care of both of our parents,” Lisa said. “We had to find some other means to try to continue to help them. This helps some.”
The garden shop is a family affair. Lisa and Darrel are there every week, and Cedric – who is Cheyenne’s dad – pitches in twice a month.
Besides helping the family’s income, the shop also provides Lisa a venue for sharing her love of organic gardening with others.
As she walks around her outdoor shop, she points out some of the organic herbs she’s grown – including lemon grass, garlic chives, lemon basil, oregano, thyme and dill. The herbs sell for $3.
She also brags about the shop’s produce. She grows some herself and buys the rest from a certified organic supplier based in Sarasota.
At her place, buyers need not beware of the fruits and vegetables she sells: If they want to taste something, she’ll gladly rinse it, slice it and give them a sample.
She also stands ready to offer advice for planting success and to suggest natural ways to battle bugs in the garden. She plans to begin offering gardening classes soon.
When potting a plant, Lisa recommends a potting mixture of two-thirds potting soil and one-third peat moss.
She also offers a recipe for natural pesticide and encourages the use of ladybugs to combat unwanted pests in the garden.
Although her shop is not visible from any main road, patrons seem to be finding it and seem to like it, too.
“It’s really cute,” said Melissa Grantham of Odessa, who was visiting the shop for the second time.
Ruth Riggins of Lutz was there looking for herb plants and produce.
She was impressed by the selection and prices of the veggies, and by the condition of the plants at the shop.
Ginger gold apples go for 50 cents each; green leaf lettuce is $2.75 a head; garnet yams go for $1.25 each and blood red beets go for $2.50 for a bunch of three.
The plants are very healthy, especially for being grown organically, Riggins said. “It is real hard to do organic here in our state,” she said, adding she knows because she’s tried. “I failed many times,” Riggins said.
Aside from the shop, which is at the front of the property, there are fruit trees galore growing on the 2.5-acre tract. There’s also a shade house and a garden out back, as well as a place where Lisa nurses sick plants back to good health.
Fruits grown on the property include tangerines, kiwis, figs, peaches, pears, mangos, kumquats and bananas.
Darrel said his wife has been crazy about gardening for decades.
“We’ve been married going on 29 years. We dated five years. Ever since I’ve known her, she’s liked plants,” he said.
He recalls frequent shopping trips with Lisa and her mom, and the women’s enthusiastic purchase of plants on nearly every trip.
“We’d come home with a back seat full of plants. I hardly had room to sit,” he said.
The couple wants to pass along that same love of gardening to their granddaughter, Cheyenne.
“Who knows what good it could do for her,” Darrel said.
For more information, go to www.cheyennescountrythangsinc.com.
Lisa’s recipe for organic pesticide

Ingredients
1 small piece of soap
1 dried chili, crushed
1 tablespoon garlic, crushed
12 cups of hot water

Directions
Mix all ingredients into a spray container, then let stand for two weeks – except for an occasional shaking of the container. Once the concoction is ready, spray it on your plants once they reach about 8 inches to 10 inches, as a preventative.

By Shannon Edinger

Area residents see more in the sky than just the sunrise in the morning.  Hot air balloons are a common sight, especially on clear, calm mornings.

There are a few hot air balloon businesses in the area, but American Balloons is the only one with a storefront location.  Jessica Warren and her husband, Tom Warren, have owned the business for 12 years, but just recently opened the location because it gives customers a place to meet. American Balloons is located at 4906 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., just north of Hale Road.
“Typically we will meet the passengers at 6:15 in the morning and be off the ground by 7:15,” Jessica Warren said.  “The flights last about an hour, then we land and passengers can head back to our office location for brunch and champagne mimosa.”
American Balloons hosts a dozen weddings a year.  Custom wedding flights start at $500.  Other popular flight occasions include birthdays, anniversaries and sweetheart flights.  Sweetheart flights cost $475.  All other flights cost $189 for adults over 12 and $125 for children 4-12. Children 3 and under ride free.
“The longest flight I ever took was two and a half hours with a couple,” Tom Warren said.  “We were at the point where fuel was low and it was time to land.”  He has landed on many different properties. Most people welcome the landings, especially the kids.  “No one realizes how massive these balloons are until they see them up close,” Tom Warren said.  The balloons reach eight stories high.
Tom Warren said that his company is unique because most others do not allow children to fly. The Warrens request that kids come in before the flight to experience the sights and sounds of the balloons and ensure that they feel comfortable enough to fly.  The Warrens have three children who have all flown before their first birthdays.
“I wouldn’t allow kids to fly if I thought it was dangerous,” Tom Warren said.  “I wouldn’t put my own children at risk if I thought it wasn’t safe.”
The baskets are made from wicker and can carry four to five passengers, including the pilot.  “It’s the most durable material for a basket,” Tom Warren said.  The baskets are inspected once a year to ensure safety.
There have been no incidents of injury since the Warrens opened the business 12 years ago.  “I remember I had a man go into diabetic shock during a flight, so I had to land on 54 to get him on the ground and get him the help he needed,” Tom Warren said.  “You have to take the same emergency precautions you would on any other form of air travel.”
Wind is an important factor in determining the overall flight experience.  The Warrens have cancelled scheduled flights due to high winds and inclement weather.  “Early mornings in the summer are the best times to fly,” Jessica Warren said.  “The winds are calmest in the morning.”  Tom Warren says the clear mornings allow passengers to see for 30 miles.  Balloons reach altitudes of 3,000 feet in Central Pasco but the view from above is the same whether it is 1,000 feet or 3,000 feet.
American Balloons was featured on the local news for granting the dying wish of a woman in hospice care to take flight in a hot air balloon.  The Warrens are happy to give people the ability to float away from the stress of everyday life.
American Balloons can be reached at (813) 243-9507.

By Tom Chang

After a busy summer, the Xtreme Adventures Family Fun Center in Lutz is adjusting to changing schedules that accompany the return of students to school.

“Summer was great,” said regional manager Leila Kroll.  “September seems to be a little slower with the start of school.  So we try to let people know about our fundraisers that we do for the schools, youth group, athletic club and still have fun.”
Opened in June 2009, Xtreme Adventures features a state-of-the art, 6000-square-foot, two-level laser tag arena where customers can play up to three games. Pricing for a single game is $8, two for $14 and three for $19. Wednesday and Thursday special features unlimited play from 4-10 p.m. for $15.  Friday’s special includes unlimited play from 4-11 p.m. for $25.
According to Kroll, laser tag is the most popular among the adults during corporate events. The facility also offers an array of food and drinks (including a bar) similar to other franchises like Gameworks and Dave & Busters.  Complementing laser tag is laser frenzy, a unique timed obstacle course where score is rewarded on speed and precision. The attraction costs $3 a game.
Kroll describes the experience like Mission: Impossible.
“When you go into the room, lasers pop up everywhere and you kind of have to crawl, duck and dive in between them,” Kroll said.

Other prominent attractions at the facility include Hwy 66 Bowling for younger kids with smaller lanes and smaller/lighter balls, which Kroll describes as “miniature bowling.” There’s also the Rock, where people can take the challenge of scaling up a wall. Both are $3 a game.
Xtreme Adventures also boasts a huge arcade facility full of parlor games, shooters and classics.
“We have a lot of amenities,” Kroll said. “There are a lot of different things around.  I think people need variety.”
Xtreme Adventures Family Fun Center is located on 24810 SR 54 in Lutz. For more information call (813) 949-3866 or go to http://www.xtremeadventures4fun.com.