Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Snake expert explains what to do if bitten

By Ashley Reams Dunn

News Editor

LAND O’ LAKES — Trent Spanos walked along a concrete path in his Ballantrae neighborhood off SR 54, his miniature lab, Minnie, on a leash ahead of him.

Minnie walked along the edge of the grass and stopped suddenly. She didn’t yelp, but Spanos said he could tell something was wrong.

As he took a closer look at Minnie, he noticed a bite mark on her snout. Something in the grass caught his attention. It was a 5-foot cottonmouth water moccasin.

“The moccasin also had ideas of striking me, as it stayed in the reared-up striking position,” Spanos said.

He quickly got himself and Minnie away from the snake, and then looked down at Minnie’s snout again.

“The blood just started flowing,” he said.

According to the Pasco County Cooperative Extension, cottonmouth moccasins are found throughout Florida in wetlands and waterways. They occasionally wander far from water, and have been found in bushes and trees.

The snake’s bite can be extremely dangerous, according to the Extension. Anyone — person or animal — who is bitten should get immediate medical care from a doctor or veterinarian experienced in treating snakebites.

“Immediate attention — that’s key,” said Jim Mendenhall, a Spring Hill snake expert, who owns Squamata Reptiles and travels around the state giving educational lectures on snakes. He puts on a snake show every year at the San Antonio Rattlesnake Festival.

A venomous snakebite is extremely painful, Mendenhall said. Anyone bit by a water moccasin would feel an immediate burning sensation and see immediate swelling and discoloration around the bite. Then, the tissue starts to dissolve.

If a venomous snake bites you, your child or your pet, the first thing you should do is stay calm, Mendenhall said. This will slow the spread of venom through the body.

“Keep them as quiet as possible, keep them relaxed,” he said. “Try to keep that adrenaline down.”

Then, call a physician or veterinarian immediately to see if they have anti-venom available. It’s the best way to treat a bite, but there’s currently a shortage, Mendenhall said.

Spanos rescues and fosters dogs on a regular basis. He’s had 3-year-old Minnie since she was a puppy.

“She’s a good dog,” he said.

But the 23-pound pooch was fading fast after being bitten on Dec. 21. She was bleeding heavily, and her face and head were beginning to swell.

Spanos carried Minnie into his house and called a local veterinarian, who referred him to an emergency room doctor. Fortunately for Minnie, anti-venom was available. She has also been taking Benadryl, steroids and an antibiotic. She couldn’t open her mouth for a while because it was so swollen.

“She’s doing extremely well now, but it was touch and go for a while,” Spanos said.

“I prayed hard for her, and that was like a little Christmas present,” he added.

Now, he said he’s hoping to raise awareness about the presence of snakes near local homes. He said his neighbors have also seen water moccasins around their houses.

“There’s certainly a watch out here,” Spanos said. “People in the neighborhood need to know, and it’s not just this neighborhood.”

What to do if you, your child or your pet is bitten by a venomous snake:

1) Stay calm. Keeping the adrenaline down helps slow the flow of venom through the body.

2) Seek medical help immediately. The sooner the bite is treated, the better the recovery.

Source: Jim Mendenhall, Squamata Reptiles, (352) 683-9827 or (352) 200-9611

Public meeting is Jan. 6

By Steve Lee

Staff Writer

NEW TAMPA — As if it were not crowded enough, the main thoroughfare through New Tampa, which connects Pasco County commuters to residential and commercial developments in northern Hillsborough, is about to get a whole lot busier.

Construction delays and shifts in traffic patterns will soon be the norm on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard thanks to a road-widening project from four to eight lanes that is expected to last through the spring of 2013.

Funded by state and federal grants, the first two (B and C) of four phases begin soon after a public meeting on Jan. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Wharton High cafeteria. The school is located at 20120 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

“We’re coming out just to provide an update for the project and to let (the public) know what to expect during construction,” said Patrick Murray, of the Hillsborough County communications department.

Public Works spokesman Steve Valdez said traffic counts currently are at 60,000 daily vehicle trips. That road was widened from two to four lanes in 1988 with numerous turn lanes and an overpass at I-75 added since.

Phases B and C call for widening to take place from Palm Springs Boulevard to Pebble Creek Drive. They are part of a plan to convert the road into eight lanes from Bearss Avenue to SR 54 in Wesley Chapel.

“We’ve got a four-lane divided highway that we’re going to be widening,” said Valdez, adding that the project “will last for approximately 1,000 days.”

Aside from the roadwork, plans call for landscaped medians, various turn lanes, bus bays, a sidewalk on the west side of the road and an asphalt path on the east side.

The first two phases of the project will cost $30 million, which came in about $10 million under budget.

“We came in under the estimate, and we can thank the economy for that,” Valdez said.

Similar costs below estimates are expected for phases A and D, Valdez noted.

Phase A, which will cover Bearss Avenue north to Tampa Palms, is currently projected at $104 million.

Phase D will extend from County Line Road to SR 54 in Wesley Chapel. Valdez said that part could cost closer to $30 million than the projected $40 million.

Main Street Zephyrhills has big plans for the centennial celebration

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

ZEPHYRHILLS — A city can only turn 100 years old once, and Zephyrhills is making the most of its chance.

“I think its something you need to celebrate,” Zephyrhills Mayor Cliff McDuffie said of the anniversary. “One hundred years is special. That goes back to even before I was born.”

McDuffie was born in 1934 and has been the mayor for eight years.

While events will be happening all year to celebrate the centennial, Main Street Zephyrhills Inc. has planned several major events for the occasion.

“The city was founded on March 10, 1910,” said Brenda Welcher, executive director for MSZI. “We will be unveiling a logo to the public on Jan. 11, which will be hung on lampposts in downtown Zephyrhills after that. We’ll also be having an even bigger Founder’s Day Celebration then ever before.”

The celebration will be March 13 and 14 in downtown Zephyrhills. There will be music, a memory wall with newspaper articles and pictures from the past, an archeological dig at one of the first houses built in Zephyrhills, and a flyover by airplanes from the Zephyrhills Airport. The highlight of the event is the parade on March 13.

“The theme this year is ‘Celebration of Generations,’” Welcher said. “Each float will feature a decade from 1910 to now. Floats are still available and people can sign up for them at www.mainstreetzephyrhills.org. All the rules about float sizes are there too.”

Welcher said the public can nominate people as the parade’s grand marshal by e-mailing her at . Nominations should include the nominees name, phone number, e-mail address and why they should be the grand marshal.

There will also be a tour of Stewart Middle, the original high school in Zephyrhills, on March 13. Those interested in the tour can take a hayride from the celebration and back.

After the celebration on March 13, which runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., people can to walk to Zephyr Park, where there will be fireworks and skydivers from Skydive City.

Zephyrhills’ first name was Abbott, named after Dr. J.M. Abbott who owned a drugstore in town. The name was changed to Abbott Station after two railroad depots were built in town.

The founder of Zephyrhills was Howard Barth Jeffries, a retired Union Army soldier. Margie Partain of the Zephyrhills Historical Association said many Union soldiers moved to the area because Army pensions were small and many wanted to supplement them as farmers.

“Jeffries bought about 35,000 acres of land and first planted it in 1910,” said Partain, who has lived in Zephyrhills for more than seven years.

Partain, who has been with the association for more than six years, said the name of the city likely came from one of two stories. The first comes from when Jeffries bought the land from James Lee Greer, who owned Greer Sawmill. The two signed the contract for the purchase on Letteup Hill in Zephyrhills on a very windy day. Zephyr actually means breezes, so the name Zephyrhills was born.

The other scenario is the first person to survey the city had either a first or last name of Hill.

“I think the first story seems more likely and it’s just a better story,” Partain said.

The Greer Sawmill produced most of the lumber that built the first houses of Zephyrhills. Partain said as many as 400 homes from the 1910s are still standing in or around town.

While Zephyrhills will take time to look back this year, the city is keeping its eyes on the future.

“It’s important to look at what the city is trying to do to stay relevant,” McDuffie said. “We aren’t just trying to maintain our place in Pasco County and Florida, but we want to grow as well. I believe the city is doing a great job with city planners and the City Council. We will keep Zephyrhills a viable place to live for another 100 years.”

Local experts share tips on being successful

By Ashley Reams Dunn

News Editor

DATELINE — The New Year is traditionally a time to reflect on the past and look toward the future.

Many people set goals that they hope to achieve as the year progresses. Resolving to reach an objective is easy, but following through and realizing that objective is where some people fall short.

In order to successfully attain your goal in 2010, you first have to be very specific about exactly what you want to accomplish, according to Dr. John Loblack, PhD, a life and career coach with Goalmind Coaching and Consulting LLC in Wesley Chapel.

For example, he said, if you want to save a lot of money, come up with a dollar amount. If you want to lose weight, come up with the amount of pounds you want to shed. Set a deadline — when must this goal be achieved? Creating a detailed goal helps to hold you accountable.

Make sure you are able to measure your progress toward your goal, Loblack said. If you want to run a marathon by the end of 2010, you can figure out how many miles you have to run each week or month in order to build your strength and endurance. If you want to lose 100 pounds by December, figure out how much weight you need to lose each week or each month in order to attain that goal.

Ensure your goal is attainable. Can you really run a marathon? Can you really drop 100 pounds?

“A lot of people have too high aspirations,” said Nancy Perdue Griggs, a life coach and counselor/therapist with Land O’ Lakes-based Life Improvements LLC. A goal should be challenging but not impossible.

Make certain that your goal is relevant and something that you really want, Loblack and Griggs both said. Does your goal fit into your lifestyle? If you want to exercise for an hour a day but work full time and take care of a family, working out for 30 minutes a day might be more realistic.

Be able to write your goal in one sentence in the present tense and include the deadline, Loblack said. For example, if your goal is to save $1,000, write: “I am saving $1,000 by Dec. 31, 2010.” This will make your goal very clear.

Think about how your life will be different once you achieve your goal, Griggs said. If you want better cooperation with your children or spouse, think about the rewards, such as increased communication, more time spent together or less stress. Conversely, also think about what will happen if you don’t reach your goal. If cooperation doesn’t improve, you might have a total loss of control or a change in your living environment.

“When people are seriously setting up a resolution, what is the pain if they don’t complete it, and what is the benefit if they do complete it,” Griggs said.

Also, think about three obstacles you might encounter that would prevent you from reaching your goal, and then decide what you can do to overcome these obstacles, Loblack said.

Rewarding yourself on your way to reaching your goal is also helpful, Loblack said, because rewards can keep you motivated. If you’ve gotten to the gym like you planned to all month, go see a movie or do something else that you enjoy. Be careful not to sabotage yourself though.

“If you want to lose weight, don’t reward yourself with ice cream,” Loblack said.

On the other hand, think about what you’re going to do if you don’t get to the gym like you planned, for example.

“You have to be disciplined to do the things that you have to do to reach your goal,” he said. “You must take ownership.”

Having an accountability buddy, or someone who will hold you responsible if you don’t meet your goal is also helpful, he said.

“A goal is a promise,” Loblack said. “You make a promise to yourself. You should keep it.”

//BOX:

What is a life coach?

A life coach is a person who helps his or her clients achieve their personal goals and overcome obstacles that may arise during the process of attaining those goals.

Dr. John Loblack, PhD, is a life and career coach who owns Goalmind Coaching and Consulting LLC in Wesley Chapel. He has his doctorate in organizational leadership and said he enjoys helping people realize there is more to life than what they have accepted.

“I always wanted to help people move from where they are,” he said.

Reach him at (813) 994-6558 or (813) 751-6458.

Nancy Perdue Griggs is a life coach and counselor/therapist who owns Life Improvements LLC in Land O’ Lakes, and helps clients around the country via phone. She is a Board Member for the Tampa Bay Professional Coaches Association and for the Suncoast Mental Health Counselors Association. She said she likes that coaching is action-oriented and helps people make positive changes in their lives.

“If all else fails, then you can always collaborate with a good coach,” she said.

Reach her at (813) 390-9245 or ">.

Bob Loring attacks poverty in Pasco and Hillsborough head-on

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

PASCO COUNTY — Toys for Tots of East Pasco has given tens of thousands of toys to needy children in central and east Pasco County since it started in the early 1990s.

TFTEP distributes the toys to kids in all of central and east Pasco, and to children in Hillsborough County if their zip code crosses into Pasco.

Bob Loring is the coordinator for TFTEP and is known as the head elf. The Laker and Lutz News recently talked with Loring about the 2009 toy drive and other groups that help needy families in Pasco and Hillsborough.

The Laker and Lutz News: How many children were helped during the 2009 Toys for Tots drive in east Pasco?

Bob Loring: We now count 4,313 registered children fully served. And that, sir, is a new record for TFTEP.

LLN: What do Pasco families need most now?

BL: Jobs! Until I see new jobs created here in east and central Pasco, I can only assume the number of families needing toys next year, and in future years, will continue to grow.

LLN: Did you receive toys for TFT as a kid?

BL: No, but we were poor. My father was a teacher…I always thought we were middle class. I got involved with TFT when I was in the Marine Corps Reserve between 1963 and 1969. I was a fetch and carry leatherneck for our Miami Reserve Unit, Fourth ANGLICO.

LLN: What is Food for Tots?

BL: I helped start this program in 2002. It’s run by two great guys: pastor Johnny Strickland, a local minister, and Ron Miller. When we met, they wanted to feed the hungry children living across our country. Privacy issues kept them from getting the names of families needing help, so I told them “set up next to my toy distribution…and you’ll be helping families with children in need.” They’ve been with me every year since. And, sir, they’ve never run out of food for our families — never.

LLN: What other programs are you involved with that help the needy?

BL: I chair the Citizens’ Advisor Committee for the Salvation Army in Dade City, and I started The Samaritan Project in Zephyrhills. I founded The American Dream Congress. I helped start Projects of Pasco Inc., a nonprofit that helps start new community efforts. Currently, I’ve submitted a proposal that will create a Center for Community Studies for Pasco County, (which) will provide research support for community leaders and will train students to become involved with community issues.

LLN: Why is helping children important to you?

BL: Our children are the future of our great republic. To ignore them is to gamble away all that America stands for — to us and to the world. We ignore them at our peril.

LLN: Are Pasco children better off or worse off than when you started 10 years ago with TFT?

BL: As you know, I took over the program in 1999. We assisted 400 kids that year. This year there was a crying need to help 10 times that number. I expect things to get worse in the next several years. No question we have more children in poverty than I’ve seen in my lifetime.

LLN: How will you and TFT proceed in 2010?

BL: To start, we need to energize the communities. Each (of the) east and central Pasco communities of Dade City, Zephyrhills, Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes and the poverty bound folks in the Lacoochee area. In 2010, we will continue to engage these communities in the effort to support and level the playing field for the at risk children living among them.

LLN: How can people help?

BL: I find people respond to a good idea and, if we can make it easy for them to help, they will. All anyone has to do to join our effort is to buy a toy and affix it to their mail box on the appointed day during our post office toy drive. We also need to get our youth involved early and often. They have abundant energy, and they will to become involved. We need to maximize their energy.

LLN: Anything else to add?

BL: Heck yes. Like John Paul Jones said, “We have not yet begun to fight.”

For more information on TFTEP or to help, visit www.toysfortotspasco.org. For more information on other ways to help, e-mail Loring at or call him at (352) 588-4230.

Scott Leahy revitalized Stewart Middle’s band program

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

ZEPHYRHILLS — Just four years ago, the Stewart Middle band program had only 64 students and was struggling to compete with other schools.

Then Scott Leahy became the Bulldogs band director and turned the program into one that regularly receives superior ratings in both group and solo performances. The program now has more than 160 students, 17 of whom were named to the All-County Band team.

For his effort, Leahy will receive the annual Tom Bishop Award for District Five, which includes all of Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties, on Jan. 9.

“When I was nominated for the award, I was very honored,” Leahy said. “It is truly special when you receive recognition from your colleagues.”

Band directors in each district can nominate someone for the award. There are 21 districts in Florida, but not every one selects someone for the award each year.

The award will be presented to Leahy at the Florida Music Educators Association Clinic Conference at the Tampa Convention Center, which runs from Jan. 6 to 9. Leahy will be given a plaque at the conference.

“That plaque will go right up in our band room the next week,” Leahy said. “The students should get to see it too because they are the ones who really deserve the credit. If they don’t listen and learn then none of this would be possible.”

The All-State Band team will play at the conference on Jan. 9, and one of Stewart Middle’s own will be performing. Zachary Winters is a percussionist for the Bulldogs, and his mother, Pam, is the president of the band’s booster club.

“I can’t say enough about Scott because he does so much for the kids,” Pam Winters said. “He helps the kids with their school work just as much has he does with their playing. He knows what is important and doesn’t neglect those things.”

Leahy has the textbooks for all three grade levels, sixth to eighth, of the students he teaches so he can give them extra help if they need it. Leahy has a table called the “homework table,” where he helps his students with schoolwork or projects before or after school.

“The students only have six class periods, so they can’t fall behind and still take band,” Leahy said. “If they struggle in their core classes, like math, science and English, then they usually have to take intensive classes to catch up. That leaves no time for band, and I don’t want the kids to miss out on playing because they don’t have enough help.”

Leahy’s diligence with the students’ academics has paid off just as much as it has with their playing skills. Of his roughly 160 students, 90 made the honor roll in the first quarter of the current school year.

“I try and get the kids to constantly reach for higher goals, whether it be in band, academics or any other part of their lives,” Leahy said. “Some think it’s being tough on them, but I believe kids will surprise you with how much they can

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

ZEPHYRHILLS — Kaylie Caraway is not like most 11-year-olds.

She likes science fiction novels, plays piano and can speak Spanish, but how she acts is the most different.

“She has spent most of her life around adults, so she has a high level of thinking,” said Cindy Roberts, Caraway’s grandmother. “She can hold her own in conversations with adults.”

Caraway lives with Roberts and her grandfather, Lamar Roberts, in Zephyrhills. She recently won the Patel Conservatory at the David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts Center’s essay contest.

The contest was called “Find your Wonderland: What Makes Your Family Wonderful,” which ran from October to November. Essays were 500 words or less and had to focus on what made the writer’s family special.

The conservatory promoted the program in Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas county schools in fifth- to eight-grade language arts classes.

There were winners for each grade level, and Caraway was the sixth-grade winner.

“I started crying because I was so happy,” Caraway said about winning the contest. “I really wanted to win, and I was so happy when I did.”

Pasco County had another winner in seventh-grader William Dugan, of New Port Richey.

Caraway attends the Lee Academy for Gifted Education in Carrollwood, a private school for children 3 years old through 12th-grade. She learned about the contest from her teacher, Melissa Tramel.

Tina James, conservatory education program manager, said 641 children entered the contest. She said judges looked for creativity in telling what makes the writer’s family special and also for grammar and spelling. James did not judge Caraway’s essay but oversaw the entire contest.

“We did the contest to both promote the performances of ‘Wonderland’ at the Starz Center and also to help kids learn how to write,” James said. “That’s why we promoted it through the school system.”

James said “Wonderland” tells the story of how Alice learns her wonderland is her family, which sparked the idea for the contest.

“My family is so special because they’ve made me believe anything is possible,” Caraway said. “They’ve taught me it’s OK to do something wrong and to not give up…So they’re very supportive of whatever I choose.”

Caraway’s mother, Allison Adams, lives in Tampa with her 7-year-old sister, Maryellen.

One of the focuses of Caraway’s essay is her family spends quality time with each other. It begins by saying they always have dinner together with the television turned off to promote family discussion. Nothing can interrupt their meal, not even their dog, Frosty.

“I read the essay after it was done and it made me cry,” Roberts said. “I’m so proud of her.”

Sadie is two years old. She is the best listener and loves to swim. Sadie does everything her owner tells her, and Bethany’s mom always says she listens better than Bethany! Sadie is loved by her owner, Bethany Rae Berry, of Wesley Chapel.

Josie is a five-year old Wheaten Terrier mix adopted from Orlando Animal Services by Mari Mather when she was a student at UCF. Josie and Mari moved to Boston for graduate school, then Josie retired to Florida to live with Mari’s parents, Ken and Paula Loosemore of Lutz. Josie loves walking in all the parks, chasing tennis balls into the ocean, and playing with the new rescued kitten. She looks forward to Mari’s annual Christmas visit every year!