Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Sarah Whitman

When potential home buyers bought into the Connerton dream six years ago, they were promised a community like no other in Land O’ Lakes.  Then, the economy changed and so did the real estate business. Home sales plummeted and plans for Connerton came to a screeching halt.

Homes stopped being built. A proposed apartment complex was nowhere in sight. The neighborhood’s welcome center closed its doors and residents wondered if what they were promised would ever become a reality.
According to Connerton’s new owners, Dallas-based CoastOak Group, the dream is not dead.
“Our vision is similar to the original vision,” said Stewart Gibbons, president of the Southeast US Region for CoastOak. “We are in the process of speaking with builders now and should have models open by the end of the year.”
CoastOak purchased the 5,000-acre community from former owner Terrabrook for $5.6 million and intends to finish what was started in 2004. There are plans to complete the planned 8,500 homes, new businesses and a hospital. A new elementary school will open at Connerton in the fall and three more schools are planned for the area.
The plans are in sync with the original idea to make Connerton its own little community where people live, work, shop and eat. The neighborhood offers several amenities including parks, walking trails, conservation areas and Club Connerton, a community club with a café’, swimming pool, exercise room and tennis courts.

Gibbons, who also lives in Connerton and was formerly employed by Terrabrook, said the future of Connerton is looking up. The empty promises and possibilities left on the community’s website are in play once again.
“We should have new family homes in the community by spring of next year,” he said.
John Hagan of the Pasco Economic Development council said he is happy about Connerton’s new ownership.
“We’ve always thought the new urban vision Connerton represents is a really great concept,” Hagan said. “We’re excited the neighborhood is back on track and we hope to see more communities spring up with the live, work and play vision.”

Project brings new fields and sports to area

By Kyle LoJacono

A $3.9 million expansion of the Oscar Cooler Sports Complex means more fields, fresh facilities and extra room for even more Lutz, Odessa and Land O’ Lakes athletes.
The project is nearly complete and a grand opening will happen in time for the fall sports season after the complex passes final inspections.
“It will bring more recreation and athletic options for people in north Hillsborough County,” said John Brill, spokesman for Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation. “We’ve been working to expand the park for a few years now and it will be approved soon.”
The project adds 33 acres of land to the complex, located along W. Lutz-Lake Fern Road and Crooked Lane in Lutz. The expansion was originally planned for completion in April, but no sports programs were scheduled to use the new facilities until later this summer.
The project is adding more parking spots, a playground, more concession stands and restrooms, more football fields and also soccer fields for the first time.
“Really that area of north Hillsborough hasn’t ever had a soccer program,” said department director Mark Thornton. “People had to travel to New Tampa, Town ‘N’ Country or Pasco County to play competitive soccer. Now they will have fields near home and that’ll help soccer thrive in the area.”

There will be one soccer field for games and three practice fields for soccer and football at the complex. FC Tampa Rangers will be the competitive soccer program run out of the complex beginning later this summer.
The Rangers are part of the FC Tampa Soccer Club, the oldest youth soccer program in Tampa, according to club organizer and Lutz resident Mike Connell. The Rangers will have developmental programs for younger children and competitive seasons for older players.
“The new fields will be great for the area,” Connell said. “Kids have been waiting for competitive soccer in Lutz and Odessa for years and now they will have it.”
The new soccer program will play in the Florida Youth Soccer Association against such area clubs as Wesley Chapel Soccer Club and the Fusion Futbol Club in New Tampa.
“The real goal is to build soccer here in north Hillsborough County,” Connell said. “For me I’d like to think the kids will eventually bring success to our local high schools, which are Steinbrenner, Freedom, Gaither and Wharton here in Hillsborough.”
For more information on the Rangers, visit www.fctampalutz.com.
The expansion will also make the park one of the game sites for Tampa Bay Youth Football League (TBYFL), a Hillsborough youth football and cheerleading organization.
The Lutz Chiefs, which joined the 16-team TBYFL this year after spending nearly 30 years in the Pasco Police Athletic League, will play home games at the complex with such area teams as the South Pasco Steelers, Thonotosassa Giants and Carrollwood Cardinals.
Lutz Little League baseball and Lutz Leaguerettes softball also call the complex home. A future project will add another baseball field to the park, reconfigure another and add additional parking. Those improvements are scheduled for completion by the start of the next spring sports season.
“Oscar Cooler park is a great place for softball and baseball,” said Frank Zambito, coach of softball team 2 Hot 2 Handle. “The new fields and everything else they are adding will just make it that much better.”
For information on Lutz Leaguerettes, visit www.lutzleaguerettes.com.
Zambito’s team just won the pigtails division, for 10 and 13-years-old girls, last season. Girls in Lutz Leaguerettes are mostly from Lutz, Odessa and Land O’ Lakes.
The facility’s new lighting system is designed to prevent the surrounding neighborhoods from being disturbed during night events. Large trees were also kept in place to act as a sound barrier.

“We want to be good neighbors,” Brill said.
Brill said there are no plans to expand either Nye Park or the Lake Park, both located in Lutz.
The Oscar Cooler Sports Complex dates back to 1975 when the facility had just three fields for baseball only. Before then the area was mainly orange groves. Cooler, a Lutz resident, worked with county officials and local volunteers to get the initial park built.

Expanded Oscar Cooler Sports Complex
Cost: $3.9 million
New facilities: one soccer game field, one football game field, soccer/football practice fields, parking spaces, playgroup, restrooms, concession stands, two maintenance buildings
New programs: FC Tampa Rangers soccer club, Tampa Bay Youth Football League teams

By Suzanne Schmidt

Whether it is a gold buyer or a hair cutter, many businesses are trying to capitalize on people’s shopping impulses by hiring “sign spinners.”
Some of the sign holders spin the sign while others will throw them in the air. Often they will be listening to music and dancing around. Regardless of the style, the purpose is always the same: to get drivers’ attention and, in turn, drive new business.
Jason Henke is one of the more animated marketers. Most weekends he can be found at the corner of US 41 and SR 54 holding a sign for Beazer Homes.

Henke, 29, said his father Terry Wilmering taught him to give every job his all, so that is what he does.
“When I get tired or weary, I just think of what my dad taught me,” Henke said. “My dad taught me to work hard. He taught me to give 110 percent and to go that extra mile. I work like I am working for God himself.”
Reactions vary, according to Henke, and not all of them are favorable.
“Some people laugh and giggle,” Henke said. “Sometimes I get honked at or a grumpy person will drive by. Many people say they think I am having too much fun when I am working. That is my stage out there, I love it.”
Henke said he likes to do tricks with the sign to attract people’s attention.
“I know how to twirl the big sign with one hand,” Henke said. “I like to do a vertical twirl or twirl it from one hand to the other. Sometimes I play hide and seek with the sign because it makes people laugh.”
Little research has been done to determine whether sign spinners are effective, but one area gold buyer believes in the program so much that he has hired twirlers for each of his 10 stores in the Tampa area, including one at 28107 SR 54 in Wesley Chapel.
“Every store I have has a sign holder every day of the week,” said David Mcintyre, owner of Top USA Gold Buyers. “If we take the sign twirler away, we only get half of the business. It is probably one of the key factors of my business because there is so much competition out there. I just count it as part of the advertising.”
He said he thinks sign holders are effective because they draw the attention of drivers.
“You see a person holding a sign and it catches your eye,” Mcintyre said. “It is not like billboards that are just up on the side of the road. I encourage them to listen to music and dance.”
Ryan Smith, the sign twirler for Samantha Taylor’s Pure Health Studios in Lutz, used similar techniques.
“He was so dedicated and he took it so seriously,” Taylor said. “He had a sign shaking technique where he would spin the sign to catch people’s attention. He was coming up with all these ways to be creative.”
Despite Smith’s efforts, Taylor said her weight loss and personal training business did not get the intended results after a month of roadside marketing.
“I think my business is too customized,” Taylor said. “I only got a few calls from it so I decided to stop. I don’t think it works for my type of business.”
Steve Weiss is not sure if the sign twirler is driving business to his Sport Clips Haircuts location in Wesley Chapel, but he has employed one for about nine months.
“The challenge for me is that it is not something I can measure,” Weiss said. “I do think it adds value to my store though. I think it helps because most people don’t even know what we do because we don’t have brand recognition. It helps get our name out there.”
Weiss said he originally hired a sign holder because they had attracted his attention to other people’s business.
“I started doing it because I would drive down Bruce B. Downs and see all the people holding signs,” Weiss said. “It really caught my eye and I was looking to attract attention from impulse buyers. I am right behind Sam’s Club so I am hoping people will see the sign on the way to Sam’s and learn that I am here.”
Sport Clips is at 27709 SR 56, where passing drivers are more likely to find a sign holder than a sign spinner.
“I don’t like it when people spin the sign,” Weiss said. “I can’t tell what they are selling so I just ask her to move a little bit. I tell her to listen to music, stay hydrated and use sun screen.”

By Suzanne Schmidt

This year’s The American Dream Congress focused on fighting poverty in east and central Pasco County.
Presenters from all different organizations attended the congress including Anna Fulk of Projects of Pasco, Tim Mitchell of The Samaritan Project, Herb Roshell of Unwrap a Smile, Margarita Romo of Farmworkers Self Help, Gregg Hilfering of Boy Scouts of America and David West, president of the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce. The congress was at the Zephyrhills City Hall June16.
Bob Loring started the congress nine years ago and continues to host it annually in hopes of helping the community work together to solve local issues. For more information or to contact Bob Loring with an idea, e-mail him at .

“I am very pleased,” Loring said. “The congress was well-attended. This is the perfect demonstration of how the government, public and private organizations can come together. I always say we need to close the ranks between public, private and faith-based organizations to face the future.”
Through his work as the coordinator for East Pasco Toys for Tots, he said he is always working with people from all sides.
“All the people here one way or another work with me for Toys for Tots,” Loring said. “We all need to talk about what we see in the community and talk about what is needed. I want everyone to trade cards and talk with each other.”

Margarita Romo, executive director of Farmworkers Self Help
Romo attended the event to share her expertise on poverty through her experiences with Farmworkers Self Help. Her organization helps migrant farm workers living in Dade City.
“I am here today because there are all different kinds of poverty,” Romo said. “It is not just a lack of food and people tend to forget this. There is not just poverty from hunger but also from spirit.”
She said she was at the meeting to network with people.
“I am hoping I can talk with the folks here about the unauthorized immigrant children that are here and how they fit into the American Dream,” Romo said. “I am hoping people here will understand the issue clearly and make a good judgment. It is our town; we have to decide how we want it to look. I think we all have to take part in that.”

Herb Roshell, co-founder of Operation Unwrap a Smile
Roshell said he wanted to attend the event to let people know about what he is doing. The organization he runs with his wife Stephanie helps children living in foster care in the area.
“Our main thing today is to bridge the gap between the secular and faith-based organizations,” Roshell said. “We do need each other in order for this program to work.”
Roshell said he feels people have lost sight of what the American Dream really is.
“We need to get all these organizations together so we can help children live the dream,” he said.

Gregg Hilferding, scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 72
Hilferding said he wanted to attend the event to explain how the Boy Scouts work to combat hunger and poverty.
“My main message is to explain the true goal of scouting as it relates to character development and leadership training,” Hilferding said. “I wanted to share with everyone all the work Boy Scouts does to combat hunger and poverty. I am also hoping to find new opportunities for the scouts to help other worthwhile organizations.”
He said Boy Scouts of America is helping to break the cycle of poverty.
“From a business point of view, we do a lot of services that help with situational poverty,” Hilferding said. “We expose them to new opportunities that they wouldn’t have normally. They are learning goal setting and leadership skills that they are going to need.”

David West, president of the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce
West discussed what he considers to be the true face of poverty.
“I want to address the true roots of poverty,” West said. “I think for too long we have been hacking at the leaves instead of chopping it at the root. I am going to be the bad guy and say that I think most poverty is self inflicted by bad choices.”
He said there are three things he thinks contribute to poverty.
“There are three things people can do to stay out of poverty including finish in high school, wait until marriage to have children and get a job and keep it,” West said. “92 percent of poverty would be eradicated by those three things. I think most poverty is not something someone is doing to you, it is from the choices you make.”

Tim Mitchell of the Samaritan Project
Mitchell, pastor of Chancey Road Christian Church, said he wanted to attend the congress to provide encouragement.
“I want to encourage people to work together because we are all trying to help improve people’s lives,” Mitchell said. “I want to encourage people to get out of poverty and to become solid citizens so that they can give back to the community.”
Mitchell said the most important thing at the congress is for people to work together.
“We can’t do it alone but together we can make a difference,” Mitchell said. “The Samaritan Project is the perfect example of how the faith, public and private communities can come together. We need to focus on the long-term and not just help them get out of their current situation.”

Anna Fulk, founder of Projects of Pasco
Fulk said she was at the congress to encourage people to donate school supplies to Projects of Pasco for the low-income children in the area.
“I would like to see people come together,” Fulk said. “All the community organizations and churches need to come together to help us.”

Getting to know president Edwina Kraemer

By Kyle LoJacono

Edwina Kraemer has been a member of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Women’s Club for about five years and will be the organization’s president for the next two.

Kraemer was the club’s second vice president before being elected as the group’s leader in May. She was also elected Lutz Guv’na in 2006. Kraemer and her husband, David, have been married for 31 years and moved to Lutz six years ago from Carrollwood.
The club was created March 4, 1960 and currently has 86 members. The group meets at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 US 41 in Land O’ Lakes, from 10 a.m. to noon the second and fourth Thursday of each month.
The Laker and the Lutz News recently talked with Kraemer about her time in the club, her goals and her impressions of the area she calls home.

Q: Why did you want to join the club?
A: It’s genuinely determined to serving the community.

Q: What is the best part about being a member of the club?
A: It’s serving the community while enriching yourself and others. Of course you also make a lot of great friends in the club…There are a lot of very special women dedicated to helping the community and I love being around them.

Q: What was your reaction to being elected president?
A: I’m very humbled by it. It’s a very select group of women in the club who show tremendous community service. It’s an honor to serve as their president.

Q: Marilyn Wannamaker was the previous club president. What are your thoughts on her time as the group’s leader?
A: Marilyn has achieved great things with the club. It was a privilege to serve as her second vice president. I’ve got big shoes to fill with all the things she’s done.

Q: What do you think of the Lutz/Land O’ Lakes community?
A: Lutz and Land O’ Lakes have this old town flavor. I grew up in a little old town in Brevard County (Cocoa) so it takes me back to my youth. There are a lot of great traditions in this area.

Q: What is the women’s club’s role in maintaining those traditions?
A: It has always been involved in the Lutz Fourth of July Celebration with the cake contest and the parade, so we want to continue that. We also give scholarships to individuals in the community to maintain people’s ties of localness.”

Q: Some of the biggest events the group is involved in are the craft show at Lake Park each December, the Independence Day event and until last year Christmas in the Park. How will you maintain those and bring back the holiday celebration?
A: There was all that mess with the fees to use the park by the train depot that cancelled that and we are working to bring back Christmas in the Park while keeping those other traditions alive and well. We are also planning on bringing back Market in the Park, but instead of at the park by the depot it will be at the Old Lutz Schoolhouse. That’s like a mini Lake Park craft show tentatively scheduled for the first Saturday in October. We’ll be selling crafts and plants and other vendors will have crafts and food for sale.

Q: Do you have other goals as the president?
A: We’re trying to get back our old meeting place at the Lutz Community Center by the library. The (Hillsborough) County Parks and (Recreation) Department allows nonprofit groups like us to us the building for free, but the department has to be the co-sponsor of everything. GFWC and our bylaws don’t allow us to have a co-sponsor, so we’re still looking to see how we can move back to our old home.

Q: Are there any other things you’d like to see happen during the next two years?
A: We want to start a junior club. That’s for women who are college age. We have the Little Women of Lutz for girls in high school or younger and the regular club, but we want to expand to bring in more women between those two groups. We’re very interested in recruiting more of those people and anyone interested in the club should come to one of our meetings the second or fourth Thursday each month or send us a letter with how to get in touch with them.

Q: Where should women send their information to?
A: To P.O. Box 656 Lutz, Florida 33548.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
A: Yes. We’re planning on keeping all the old traditions and making them better while adding some new traditions to Lutz and Land O’ Lakes. We’ve got some big plans, so watch out for them in the coming months.

Nelson Ryman continues to help island nation

By Kyle LoJacono

National attention may have shifted from helping Haiti to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, but Zephyrhills resident Nelson Ryman is continuing the fight to rebuild homes on the island.
“We’ve got six houses pretty well completed now since the earthquake,” Nelson, 71, said. “Some of them are totally finished and others are at least 65 to 70 percent done.”

Ryman has received thousands of dollars through people donating to the Jesus in Haiti Ministries. Much of the money came through a boot drive conducted by the noon and daybreak Rotary clubs of Zephyrhills. The drive brought in $7,083.50 in just two days on Jan. 22-23.
“Different clubs and people really helped us in the rebuilding with donations, but it is still slow going,” said Ryman, who is a member of the daybreak club. “It takes about $3,000 to rebuild a house down there. The homes are smaller, usually one or two rooms because they spend more time outside than we do.”
Ryman, who owned H&R Interstate Mobile Homes, has been to the island twice since the 7.0 earthquake devastated that nation Jan. 12. He returned June 1 from his most recent trip, which was four-days long. While he was happy with the progress of the homes, he is still concerned with the number of homes especially with the 2010 hurricane season already here.
“The rain is the biggest problem,” Ryman said. “There are too many families outside and they can’t live that way with the weather and sun on them all the time. There are thousands of tents and tarps set up where old towns were and they are starting to disintegrate from the rain and sun. They need something to protect them from the elements.”

The American Red Cross last estimated there are 1.1 million homeless survivors in Haiti. The organization also estimates between 200,000 and 250,000 deaths related to the disaster and $7.2 to 13.2 billion in damages.
Despite the amount of devastation to the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Ryman’s resolve has not been shaken, according to his son Kevin.
“He is trying to do whatever he can down there,” Kevin said. “There’s still a lot of chaos and government corruption, but he’s still doing everything he can to rebuild. I don’t think he’ll ever stop helping.”
Ryman’s connection with Haiti started many years ago when some clients of his were looking at developing part of the island. He had been to other Caribbean and Central American nations, such as Honduras, Guatemala and Jamaica, for similar reasons. However, the level of distress in Haiti touched the 40-year Zephyrhills resident.
“I’ve never seen such poverty as what is in Haiti,” Ryman said. “I’ve been to the Dominican Republic and while there is a lot of poverty there it is nothing like in Haiti. I’d say the Dominican is 10 times better off than Haiti, which are on the same island. Other places have pockets of poverty. Haiti is almost completely poverty stricken.”
Ryman started funding an orphanage called Tytoo Gardens in the village of Simonette, located several miles north of the capital of Port-au-Prince. He was visiting the orphanage in January when the earthquake hit. It took Ryman three days to leave the island after the earthquake and he wasted little time in organizing the boot drive.
In the future Ryman may not be the only one in his family making the trip to Haiti. Kevin said he would likely join his father to help with the rebuilding this summer. Kevin operates Ryman Construction and his construction skills will be valuable in the rebuilding process.

“A lot of people have helped with donations,” Ryman said. “Of course we could use some more help if anyone is willing and able to donate whatever amount they can.”
To help Ryman rebuild some of the homes in Haiti, send checks made out to Jesus in Haiti Ministries to CenterState Bank, 6930 Gall Blvd. in Zephyrhills.

Incumbent Allen Altman is running unopposed for the School Board Member District 1 seat. His district covers all of East Pasco including Dade City, Zephyrhills, San Antonio, Lacoochee and parts of Wesley Chapel. He spoke with Laker staff writer Suzanne Schmidt. For more information, visit www.pascovotes.com.

Q. How has the first term been going?
A. It is very challenging but also very rewarding. I like seeing the results of what goes on in our schools everyday when I go to the Turnaround Awards banquet and the Take Stock in children signings. It is great to listen to the students at graduation when they talk about how they have overcome adversity because of some teacher connecting with them and encouraging them. It is inspiring to hear success stories of the students whose lives have changed.

Q. How do you feel about running unopposed?
A. I am humbled and so appreciative for the many encouraging words I have heard. To know my efforts are appreciated by the community is very heartwarming. I am hopeful that people have recognized that I have poured my heart and soul into this.

Q. What are some of the accomplishments you have achieved since taking office?
A. Through the board working together we have accomplished a lot. We have been using our resources to build new buildings just to keep up with the growth in Pasco County. During that time, many of the older schools were neglected. We have been working on bringing our facilities up to standards.
Additionally we have been working on creating our career academies in all of our high schools. We are seeking to partner with businesses in the community to make sure when the students graduate they leave with the proper skills. We want them to be able to find employment and become productive citizens with good paying steady jobs. It is a work in progress though. We will continue to explore other opportunities and communicate with business leaders to ensure we are providing outstanding training and skills they will need.

Q. What do you plan to do about the budget?
A. It is a tremendous concern and one I deal with on a daily basis. Unfortunately the news continues to get worse. We have some very difficult choices that will have to be made as we go forward. Saying that, I also believe very strongly that we will survive this. We will make it through the difficult times. It is a challenge, but the community has to not lose sight of the reason we exist, which is to educate the children. We need to make sure they have the skills they need to be proud citizens. While we grapple with out financial challenges, these students will still be showing up in the fall and they deserve nothing but the best.
The budget projections we are working with from the state of Florida do not take into account the recent projected decline of state revenue due to the oil spill. There are some in Tallahassee who are anticipating a reduction in sales tax revenue which will cause additional funding cuts by mid-year. So we are treading cautiously now to try to make decisions that are sustainable for two to three years.

Q. Why did you become a board member?
A. I have been a volunteer in the Pasco school system for 25 years. I served on the school advisory board at my daughters’ school and since then I have been very active in the community. When the previous board member left, she told me I should consider serving. Within 48 hours, I had 15 people contact me and tell me I should run. I talked with my family and prayed and talked with people throughout the county. I decided to do it because I thought I could make a positive difference. I never envisioned myself running for office.

Q. What do you consider to be the biggest issue facing voters?
A. I want parents and citizens to read up and understand the class-size amendment on the ballot this year. We must comply with class-size amendment in the school. If the class size is not amended this year then next year we will be forced to comply with the class size on a class by class basis instead of as a school average. What that means is that if you have a class that is already full, then if a new child moves into the neighborhood, the child will have to be bussed to another school miles away.
There are many ramifications from the class-size amendment that will impact the students and their families. I just want people to read and fully understand the amendment so they can see the amendment we are proposing will allow common sense and flexibility in the school.

Q. What are your future plans?
A. I want to expand our opportunities at all grade levels for our advanced students. We want to make sure we have course work that is rigorous and allows the students to reach their goals. We are exploring starting an IB (International Baccalaureate) program in East Pasco. It is a goal we have already been working on.

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Pasco School Board races
Candidates had until Friday to qualify for local races. While Altman is running unopposed, three other board members drew multiple candidates.
–Cynthia Armstrong, Mike Ryan, Sallie Skipper and Anthony Terranova are running for School Board Member District 3.
–Alison G. Crumbley, Billie Ann Stamatis Kaleel, Steven Kanakis, Karen King and John Tracy are running for School Board Member District 4.
–George Brazier, Steve Luikart, and Mark Swartsel are running for School Board Member District 5.

By Suzanne Schmidt

Zephyrhills elementary students walked the woods, sifted through owl pellets and learned about science and the environment last week at a hands-on learning camp.

The School District of Pasco County provided the camp for about 25 students from each of the 21 Title I elementary schools. Title I federal funding targets support to low-income schools.
Students visited The Energy and Marine Center, Starkey Environmental Education Center, Safety Town’s Environmental Center, Crystal Springs Preserve and the Florida Aquarium.
Laura Hill, supervisor of science at the District School Board of Pasco County, said the students are making connections.
“They will be talking about the environment and what is affecting the environment,” Hill said. “They learn ways to help the environment. They all have science notebooks where they are writing down their lessons. Through the week they will be visiting different places like the Energy Medical Center. There they will be learning about actions they can take to help with the oil spill. It is a good academic experience.”
Carol Pigeon, teacher at Chasco Middle School, is working at the camp to teach children about the environment.

“They are exploring plants and learning about leaves,” Pigeon said. “We went on a walk (at Starkey) and the kids collected plants and leaves. They were figuring out what type of plant they are and what type of environment they live in. You can read all you want, but doing hands-on work is what makes a difference.”
Kapil Patel, 11, a fifth-grader at West Zephyrhills Elementary School, said he loved the camp.
“I learned about orienteering, which is how to use a compass,” Patel said. “I also learned about how to tell whether water is good or bad. If the water is bad then there are leeches in it but if there are sensitive bugs in the water, then it is good.”
For Ryen Ramnauth, 10, fifth-grader at West Zephyrhills Elementary, the trip to Safety Town was his favorite.
“I like that we get to go to different places,” Ramnauth said. “I learned a lot about the different kinds of skulls and insects at Safety Town yesterday.”
Joe Kurtright, a teacher at Hudson Middle School, led an owl lab during camp at Starkey.
“They are getting an introduction into skulls, bones and owls,” Kurtright said. “They are dissecting owl pellets to identify the bones. This is helping them to connect book knowledge to hands-on learning. This is an experience they will never forget.”
The owl pellets were especially fascinating to Chester W. Taylor Elementary School fourth-grader Hunter Hall, 9.
“I learned that it takes 20 days for an owl to make a pellet,” Hall said. “It has bones from its prey in it. I liked looking through the pellet and finding bones, it was fun.”

The camp taught Destiny Jordan, 10, a fourth-grader at Taylor Elementary about the environment.
“I learned about owls and bones,” Jordan said. “I learned that owls have sharp beaks and big eye sockets. I like the camp because I learned about stuff I didn’t know. It was fun.”
Kendra Williamson, 10, a fifth-grader at West Zephyrhills Elementary, said she learned more about animals.
“I learned that we need to take care of the animals, because they need to stay alive,” Williamson said. “We should be treating the animals better.”
Stacie Reese, 17, will be a senior at Zephyrhills High School next year. She was volunteering at the camp to help teach children about science.
“I wanted to volunteer so I could help out and because I love kids,” Reese said. “I think it is good for them to learn this stuff. It gives them the experience of getting out in the Florida habitat.”
Christine Altenes, bus driver and instructional assistant for Pasco County School District, said she loves getting to teach the children about the environment.
“A lot of these kids have never been on this side of the county and seen this type of environment,” Altenes said. “They are learning so much and they don’t even realize it because they are having so much fun.”
The district will continue to host the summer camps for another week and a half. For more information, call (813) 794-2312.

By Suzanne Schmidt

Women are helping to empower other women and promote their businesses through the new networking group Women of Wesley Chapel.
The group recently had its first meeting at Cosi at the Shops at Wiregrass.
Debbie Yoerg, independent marketer for the Trump Network, is working with Vicki Hamilton of Smart Health and Carol Goeble of Trail Wind Travel to run the group.
“The networking group is important because women in Wesley Chapel are really looking to connect with each other,” Yoerg said. “We are working to come together and network for businesses as well as to support each other. Our motto is to empower, encourage, embrace and educate the women of Wesley Chapel so they can become all they can be on the inside and the outside.”
Even though the meetings are not rigidly structured, at every meeting women will be given one minute to talk about their business. Since one purpose of the group is to educate its members, Yoerg said they will have various female guest speakers who will talk about what makes them successful.
“We are going to bring in women who have succeeded in different areas who can be a role model,” Yoerg said. “They will be speaking about how they have overcome different obstacles.”
Women attending the group will also learn useful skills.
“We will have women speaking on different topics like social networking, blogging, leadership skills and recruiting,” Yoerg said. “They will learn how to grow their business and important skills like time management and stress management.”
Hamilton co-owns Smart Health with her husband (Capt.) Rob Hamilton. She said she thinks networking is one of the best ways to grow a business.
“I want to educate women on how to network and build their business,” Hamilton said. “The key to networking is to step outside of your business and learn how others have built their business in order to help your own. When you are running a business you are so busy you don’t have time to recognize what other people are doing.”
Hamilton said a woman-only group is exactly what many women need in order to feel comfortable.
“Traditionally women are in the background of their organization,” Hamilton said. “They may need more prompting than men to get their voice out. In our group we are encouraging women to talk as much as possible. We want the group to be just women because we want women to really open up. We want women to feel comfortable enough to come in and just ask questions.”
Yoerg said she is hoping the group will also help women find balance between work and their lives.
“Sometimes women feel defeated or tired because they are running around in all directions,” Yoerg said. “They have their children and they are trying to run a business. They end up not feeling their best. We want this to be a safe place to talk things through that they might be struggling with.”
The Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce had the woman-only networking group previously and David West, chamber president, said he is glad it is back.
“I am excited about them starting the WOW group,” West said. “The power of networking and marketing is what we are trying to deliver to our members. It is a great benefit to our members that they don’t have to pay extra for.”
He said there will also be several other new networking groups starting soon or that have just started.
“We also have several other networking groups starting with a facilitative networking group and a business builders coffee group,” West said. “They will be focusing on bringing in successful people to talk about how to run a successful business. There will also be a CEO roundtable that will meet quarterly.”
Women will be allowed to visit the group three times as a visitor. Then they will have to join the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce in order to stay in the group.
“It is nice because people can visit a couple times and decide if it is a good fit for them,” Yoerg said. “We hope women will come out and check it out.”
The group only meets once a month now, but in the future the plan is to meet every other week.
“Building relationships from a monthly meeting is harder,” Hamilton said. “It is better if we could see each other more often in order to build better relationships. We want to make sure we are having more one-on-one interaction between the members.”
The next meeting will be 7:30 a.m. July 9 at Cosi at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel.  Typically the group will meet on the first Friday of the month, but with the holiday weekend, the meeting was pushed back.
For more information or to attend a meeting, call (813) 994-5399 or e-mail .

By Sarah Whitman

In recognition of National HIV Testing Day June 27, Spirit of Life Metropolitan Community Church in New Port Richey and the Pasco County Health Department will offer free confidential testing.
Rodney Leifheit, administrator for Spirit of Life and treasurer for the Pasco World AIDS Day Committee, said getting tested is just as important today as it ever was.
“People may not realize it but HIV is still prevalent regardless of a person’s sexual orientation,” Leifheit said. “There’s a whole new generation coming along that may or may not be aware of the risks out there.”
As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are approximately 700 people living with AIDS in Pasco County. The county is currently ranked 16th in HIV/AIDS cases statewide behind Hillsborough, which is ranked fifth with a reported 5,841 cases. While there still is no cure, advanced drugs and treatments have made it possible for patients to live long relatively healthy lives.
Unfortunately, according to the Pasco County Health Department, less than 50 percent of Pasco adults less than 65 years of age have ever been tested.
The health department and groups like the Pasco World AIDS Day Committee work to educate the public. World AIDS Day traditionally falls in December but efforts to promote awareness are ongoing.
“We have an HIV/AIDS prevention team that goes into the community for education and outreach,” said Teresa Waterman, director of disease control for Pasco. “There are a number of community partners working to promote awareness.
Leifheit became involved with the cause after losing several friends to AIDS. When Spirit of Life asked him to help, he immediately said yes.
The Pasco World AIDS Day Committee and the health department recently visited the New Port Richey campus of Pasco Hernando College to hand out information and offer free testing.
The response was overwhelming.
“There were lines of kids waiting to be tested,” Leifheit said.
Waterman said surveillance data allows for prevention efforts to focus on high-risk populations and those most impacted by the disease. The fastest growing group affected by HIV/AIDS in Florida is African-American and Hispanic women. Among African-Americans age 25 to 44, AIDS is the leading cause of death.
The disease, of course, does not affect only one specific group. Anyone who practices unsafe sex or who uses IV drugs is at an elevated risk for contracting HIV/AIDS.  The key is to get tested.
Spirit of Life will offer testing from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 24 at the church, 4133 Thys Road. The Pasco County Healthy Department clinic will offer testing from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. June 25 at its clinic, 10841 Little Road. For information, call (727) 861-5260 ext. 162.
The Hillsborough County Health Department will offer free testing from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 20 and 27 at St. James AME Church, 1436 Madison Ave. For information, call (813) 363-2226.

Should you get tested?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the following behaviors or situations increase the need for immediate HIV testing.

*Unprotected sex with men or women who’ve had multiple or anonymous partners

*Sharing needles or injected drugs with others

*A previous diagnosis of hepatitis, tuberculosis or a sexually transmitted disease

*Are pregnant or planning to get pregnant