Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Alex Pereira needs help to fix Lutz Cemetery

By Kyle LoJacono

Lutz 13-year-old and Academy at the Lakes seventh grader Alex Pereira wants to be the youngest Eagle Scout in Boy Scout Troop 12 history, but needs a little help finishing his project.

Alex’s plan is to fix the section of the Lutz Cemetery known as Babyland. The section is on the corner of one of the driving paths in the cemetery, located at the corner of US 41 and Fifth Avenue N.E. The section was surrounded by marble blocks, but during the years pieces have cracked, been lost or even run over.
“I want to clean up the baby section and make it nice because a lot of the Lutz babies are buried there and I think it should be in better shape,” Alex said. “…It looks like people are driving over one corner of Babyland and I don’t want people driving over the graves.”
Besides replacing the missing and cracked marble, Alex plans on installing a six-foot pole to mark the corner of the section so people cannot run over it any more. He will also be weeding the ground and doing some light landscaping.
“I think it’s a wonderful project,” Brenda said. “The cemetery needs a lot of help…When I saw the baby section it was heartbreaking to see that people have been driving over the graves.”

“I heard it would be a good project from Joey Vars,” Alex said.
Vars was the last scout from the troop to earn his Eagle Scout award and also did his final project at the cemetery. Each scout needs to complete a large service project in order to achieve the rank.
Of the 60 Eagle Scouts in Troop 12 history, Jack Herridge is the youngest ever for the Lutz troop at 14-years-old. Alex will turn 14 July 17.
“I keep track of the ages of the boys coming before our board in Tocobaga District,” said Bob Jackson, Tocobaga District Eagle Board of Review Chairman for the last eight years. “For the past four years right at 75 percent of the eagle candidates coming before the board turned 18 before their (Eagle Scout) board of review.
“The youngest we have seen was 13, and I think we have had three of those during my tenure as chair,” continued Jackson, who lives in Lutz.
The district includes scouts in all of Tampa and much of north Hillsborough County, including Lutz and Odessa. Scouts can be 18-years-old during their final board of review, which is an interview where the scout talks with district representatives to see if he is ready for the rank. Certain scout requirements make it nearly impossible to be an Eagle Scout younger than 13.
Alex said of trying to be the youngest Eagle Scout from the troop, “When I heard about the record I thought it would be a good thing to try and break. It would cool for people to say Alex Pereira is the youngest Eagle Scout from Troop 12.”
That competitive drive is in line with Alex’s character.
“He likes to stand out,” said Alex’s father Andrew. “His great-grandfather got his Eagle Scout in either 1931 or 1932 from (Troop 38) in Tampa. I hung his eagle certificate on his wall so he knew. I guess you could say he’s trying to compete within the family.”
Andrew said he was in scouting for a little more than a year, but did not go very far into the program.
While Alex’s drive is strong, he has hit a snag. He originally thought the project would cost about $800, but when he went to get estimates it was double that for the marble. Alex has been selling popcorn at the Publix Super Markets at the apex of US 41 and N. Nebraska Avenue in Lutz and near his school in Land O’ Lakes.
“He’s been one of our leaders from the start and we’d love to see him get the rank before he turns 14,” said Troop 12 scoutmaster Dan O’Dea. “There’s got to be people in the community who have people buried in the cemetery that might want to help with the expenses. We’d like to get him some community support.”

To send tax deductible donations
Make checks payable to Troop 12 Inc. and mail to:
Troop 12
504 Brooktree Court
Lutz, FL 33548
Indicate in the notes the check is for Alex’s Eagle Scout project

By Kyle LoJacono

Ronald E. Oakley has been on the Southwest Florida Water Management District governing board since 2007 and he was named the organization’s chair May 25.

“It’s a very humbling position,” Oakley said of being elected chair. “It’s a great organization with great people and you get to work with the public to make things better for everyone. It’s very rewarding to be able to protect our natural resources.”
Oakley was elected unanimously by his peers on the 13-person board and will serve as chair until March 1, 2011, according to district spokesperson Robyn Felix.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist appointed Oakley to the board in 2007 to serve a four-year term. He has previously served as the board’s treasurer and vice chair. Oakley is also co-chair of the Withlacoochee River Basic Board, which is part of the district, according to Felix.
“Our biggest concern now is protecting our natural resources in the district,” Oakley said. “We want to protect our waterways and we oversee Tampa Bay Water, which provides water to most of Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
“We also set water restrictions during droughts,” Oakley continued,” We’ve been in a drought for the last 48 months. The water shortage is getting better with the wet winter we had, but it’s still a concern for the board.”
Oakley owns several citrus groves across east Pasco under the name Oakley Groves Inc., raises cattle in the county and owns a trucking company that transports liquid food. His experience growing food allows him see both the farmer’s and the public’s needs for water.
“One of the big issues we’ve been working with is pumping water to crops during freezes like we had this winter,” Oakley said. “There was the big concern in Plant City to protect the strawberries this year and all the pumping created a sink hole problem and people didn’t have water.
“It was 11 days of frost-freeze conditions, which is very strange and we are looking at how to deal with that problem if it happens again,” Oakley added.
The district covers all or parts of 16 counties from Levy and Marion counties in the north to Charlotte County in the south. It includes all of Hillsborough and Pasco and Oakley is the representative for his home county.
The Florida Legislature originally created the organization in 1961. Some of its duties include flood control, regulation of water use and wetland protection.
Oakley grew up in east Pasco and graduated from Pasco High. He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Carson-Newman College in Tennessee.
Members of the governing board are unpaid and “come from all walks of life,” according to Oakley. He said some of the members are in the real estate industry, others are city council members and some, like himself, are involved with agriculture.
“They are very representative of the public and are great people to work with,” Oakley said.
Oakley is also the director of Florida Traditions Bank in Dade City and is a licensed real estate broker.
“I’m excited to continue to work to protect our natural resources and water supply for all of Pasco County and the entire district,” Oakley said. “It’s not a position I take lightly and I will do my best at it.”

By Suzanne Schmidt

A music project at Pine View Middle School is helping deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students to feel like they belong.
Students in Steve Herring’s basic music class learned all the sign language to the song “We Are the World.” Since then, many of the students have been inspired to learn more sign language and use it to talk with the small group of deaf and hard of hearing students at the school.

Lou Clegg is one of four sign language interpreters at the school along with Nancy Harris, Serena Graves and Robin Fedon-Wille. Clegg taught the students sign language in the music class.
“We started teaching them signs in January,” Clegg said. “They have learned at least 40 signs so far. This is a charter school for the deaf and hard of hearing so having them know the signs allows them to speak with the other deaf and hard of hearing students. Students in the deaf and hard of hearing program get excited when they see another student their age and they can talk with them.”
The seventh and eighth graders in the class showed off their new skills at a recent honor roll assembly. Jennifer Mathews Crosby, principal, said she thinks learning sign language was good for the students.
“The kids were very proud of their performance at the assembly,” Crosby said. “It is a very different culture for the deaf and hard of hearing students. We typically expect to have them come into our world so it makes a big difference when we can come into their world.”
Clegg said students in the deaf and hard of hearing program enjoyed watching the students sign the words to the song at the assembly.
“Even deaf students can feel the vibrations from the music,” Clegg said. “They like to come to the music room because it makes them feel like they are a part of it.”

Bianca Sifuentes, 11, is a sixth-grader in the deaf and hard of hearing program. She said she likes to be in the music class.
“I like music,” Sifuentes said. “I like the sounds, they make me happy.”
Upstanding students with good grades with an interest in learning sign language have the option to apply to be a student peer. Clegg said the student peer helps the students in the deaf and hard of hearing program feel more like they are a part of the school.
“They can assist the students with whatever they need with signing,” Clegg said. “It is nice for the deaf and hard of hearing students because they see other students learning their language.”
Only a few students are selected as peer volunteers each year like seventh-grader Valeria Renta, 12, who will be a student peer next year. Renta is originally from Puerto Rico making sign language her third language.
“I want to learn more sign language and I want to help people,” Renta said. “I will get to know people who are deaf and we can become friends. I have already learned 50 signs.”
Seventh-grader Sarah Epplin, 13, said she did know some sign language when she was younger but now she is happy to be learning it again.
“One of my cousins lost some of her hearing and so I learned some words when she was little,” Epplin said. “I think it has been a lot of fun learning sign language. I have been making new friends. If I don’t know how to sign, I can just spell it out and they can tell me the sign. It has been really cool.”
Eighth-grader Amber Snyder, 13, learned sign language when she was friends with a deaf student in the third grade. She said she did not talk to him for a long time until she saw him recently.
“I am glad because I can talk with him now,” Snyder said. “I think the deaf and hard of hearing students are sad because they don’t have as many students to talk to. It is nice to be able to talk to them. I learned that when you can communicate with someone in another language you feel triumphant. Learning a language and being able to talk in it is very rewarding.”
Stacy Reddic, DHH resource teacher, said she would like to see more students learn sign language.
“It is great for our deaf and hard of hearing students so they can feel like they are part of the school,” Reddic said. “It builds their self esteem and knowledge of the hearing world so when they do go out into the world they will not be as shy.”
Clegg said she agrees.
“I wish there was more promotion of American Sign Language in schools so the hearing children can work with the deaf and hard of hearing students,” Clegg said. “It would be nice if everyone at least learned the alphabet so they could communicate with them.”

By Sarah Whitman

The new assistant pastor at Zephyrhills Wesleyan Church has a familiar face. Jonathan David, 23, is the son of senior pastors Dan and Patty David. Jonathan recently earned a Bachelor’s degree in church ministries from Southeastern University and is pursuing a Master’s in contemporary theology. He is excited to be interning at his home church where, he said, learning from his parents is the best education he’s had yet.

It seems the call to ministry runs in the family.

Q: Dan and Patty, what is your background? Where did you grow up and did you grow up in Christian homes?
Patty: Dan grew up in a Christian home in Michigan. I grew up in New Jersey. My parents weren’t saved until I was 18. Soon after, I gave my heart to the Lord.

Q: When did you first feel led to pursue a career in ministry?
Patty: I went to college to study math and chemistry and I felt God calling, so I transferred to United Wesleyan College in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Dan: I was an electronics and engineering major but I was really involved in church activities and youth ministry. I felt called to finish school to become a pastor. I went to United Wesleyan my last two years.

Q: How did you two meet? When were you married?
Patty: We met on a group date to Pizza Hut. We were married in 1982.

Q: Where did life take you after graduation?
Patty: Our first year out of college, we spent a year interning in Iowa. Then we went to Wisconsin and were pastors at a small church that had 11 members including the two of us. We were pastors at a couple other churches in Michigan and then we came to Florida.

Q: What brought you to Florida?
Patty: We felt our hearts pulling us here to Zephyrhills. The people here needed us and we needed them. We love living here.

Q: When was Jonathan born? Do you have other children?
Patty: Jonathan was born in 1987. We also have a daughter. She was born in 1988.

Q: Jonathan, growing up in the church did you always see yourself going into ministry?
Jonathan: No. Growing up I saw what goes on and how much work it takes to be in the ministry. When you’re a pastor, your life is not your own and I didn’t think I wanted that life for myself. When I was 18, I felt the call and it was hard for me to make the choice, but I definitely felt God calling me to be a pastor. God was persistent and I submitted.
Patty: Going into ministry isn’t really something you decide to do. It’s something on your heart and it can be a painful choice because you give up other things, but in the end you get so much more than you are giving up.

Q: Jonathan, how did you end up back at Zephyrhills Wesleyan?
Jonathan: I graduated from Southeastern University last May and then I did an internship in Texas. When I came back home, I hadn’t found another job yet and my parents said they could put me to work. I started here in April.

Q: What are you learning from your parents?
Jonathan: I’m learning everything they know and that’s quite a bit. I’m learning what it takes behind the scenes to run a church.

Q: Now that there are three qualified pastors, who speaks on Sundays?
Patty: Well, the way we pastor is Dan and I both preach every Sunday morning. We do a tag-team approach where I’ll preach the first point and then Dan will preach the second. Jonathan preached Mother’s Day when we were away. He’s there to fill in for us.

Q: What is it like having Jonathan working at the church?
Patty: It’s exciting. He’s a great kid. He’s good natured and easy to work with. He’s younger so he brings some fresh insight and ideas. Now, we all bounce ideas off one another.

Q: Jonathan, what are your goals?
Jonathan: I’m up for a paid position in Lakeland and we’re praying about it, that God will take me where I’m supposed to be. We know God will provide.

Zephyrhills Wesleyan Church is at 38924 Central Ave. Service times are 8 and 10:30 a.m. Sundays, with a special evening service at 6 p.m. For information, call (813) 782-7510.

By Sarah Whitman

These days, everything seems to be about going green. Everywhere I look there are people carrying reusable bags and talking about what not to buy to put in them. There are countless reasons to live green and to eat green.
Apparently, the way we’ve been living all these years is a ticket to certain death.
The whole thing can be a little stressful for the average person who is used to trusting that what’s for sale at the grocery store is good for people and the environment, or at the very least not terrible. Lately I’ve caught myself with a reusable bag in hand, asking questions like, “Should I buy organic?” “Should I eat meat?” “Will these donuts eventually kill me?” “Is white bread the enemy?”
I’ve come to the conclusion that the key to surviving the transition to living green is balance.
I now buy primarily organic. My favorite organic brand for frozen foods is Amy’s Organic, which offers everything from pizzas to rice bowls. I buy organic fruits. My husband and I are growing our own vegetables, which do taste way better than regular store bought. The lack of pesticides used buying organic or growing your own is also good for the environment.
The thing is, it can be expensive, so I mix it up and buy some non-organic. I figure, my dad’s grandfather lived well into his 80s and never even heard the word organic. He just didn’t eat a ton of garbage, like hot dogs and French fries.
Should I eat meat? Well, I tried going vegan 10 years ago and it resulted in malnutrition, so avoiding it entirely makes me nervous. I try and stick to chicken and fish, but then I heard how chickens are treated while kept in coops. So, I am trying to purchase free-range meats, though I recently read on a website that it doesn’t really mean anything when a package says free-range. It has to have a USDA organic seal. Seriously? I am doing the best I can.
Will these donuts eventually kill me? Is white bread the enemy? I don’t think a donut every now and again is the end of the world. I have splurge foods like soda and the occasional sweet I know contains processed ingredients. If this is wrong, I’m in trouble, because I don’t think I’ll go the rest of my life and never eat a cupcake.
For me, the key is not eating processed foods all the time. I eat whole grains as much as possible, which does make me feel better. They also taste great, but whole grain isn’t always an option when I’m on the go.
There are people out there capable of adapting fully to the green lifestyle without it causing a panic. I applaud those individuals because I think eventually we’ll all go in that direction. Me, I’ve decided I need to make a gradual transition.
I recycle most everything. I use the right light bulbs. I water my plants responsibly. Can’t I still hang onto a few bad habits? After all, my first word was Pepsi.
To help me with my transition, I’ve found a great website, GoingGreenTampa.Com. The website’s creator was nice enough to answer a few questions about what it means to go green.
Website offers helpful tips for go green

Land O’ Lakes resident Lisa Custer recently launched the website GoingGreenTampa.com, a one-stop information tool with connections to all that’s green in the Tampa Bay Area. Here’s what Lisa had to say about the green lifestyle.

Q: What inspired your interest in the green lifestyle?
A: I have always enjoyed living a simpler lifestyle, which to me is what a green lifestyle is. I think it goes back to my childhood of growing up in Land O’ Lakes. Living on a lake I was able to see and hear the wildlife everyday and appreciate our ecosystem for how great it is. That just makes you want to do your part to protect it so that your children can have the same experiences. What you do really does count. Whether it’s recycling, cutting down on your water usage, planting native plants or being mindful not to waste.

Q: Why do you think it is important to live green?
A: I think it is important because we do live in such a vulnerable state, which is even more evident with the oil explosion in the gulf. Our choices do have a ripple effect and I don’t think we should be so concerned with the, I want it now attitude, but instead think of will this effect more than just me?

Q: How can people eat green?
A: By choosing to buy from local farms, learning to grow your own and not over consume or be wasteful. Think of how much food gets thrown away. People just want to buy and buy, but they should stop and think about if it will actually get eaten.
We belong to Rabbits, etc. Farm in Masaryktown. They have a CSA (community supported agriculture) program and you pick up your food once a week. We pay $22 and get lots of fresh, local vegetables, free-range eggs, meat, strawberries and olives all grown with no pesticides. You can’t beat it. I only have to go to the grocery store for milk and bread basically. There are several CSA’s or food co-op’s all around Tampa.

Q: What services, eating establishments, etc. would you recommend?
The Refinery is a new restaurant I can’t wait to try. They buy as much local food as possible and tailor their menu every week around what is available. There are also chains like Chipotle that offer “food with integrity.” They seek out farmers who don’t use hormones and are offering a naturally-raised product.

Q: Does living green mean giving up everything we’re used to?
A: It doesn’t mean giving anything up, it just means being more mindful. You can still buy bottled water, just recycle the bottle. Better yet, buy a reusable bottle and save your self the money of bottled water. Just because we are used to being a throw-it-away society, doesn’t mean we should continue to be. It’s really only been the last couple generations who think that way. My grandparents were able to happily raise 6 kids because they reused things and didn’t over consume. What’s wrong with learning the value of something and respecting that? I firmly believe that is how we should raise our kids and live our lives.

By Suzanne Schmidt

For years Pauline Atkinson worked as a secretary at the University of South Florida, until one day she decided to leave that job to be a full-time artist.
For the last eight years, the Zephyrhills resident has been living her dream making unique glass bead jewelry and traveling to about 20 art shows a year all over the southeast.

It all started when she was attending art shows with her sister Delores Fawkes of Atlanta.
“I fell in love with going to art shows,” Atkinson said. “I like meeting people and getting to know other artists. I have made a lot of friends. I am always working on pieces and getting ready for the next show.”
Originally she started sewing children’s clothing because she loves to sew but while at art shows, she was always fascinated by the glass bead jewelry. She decided to give it a try and after a lot of practice and a few workshops she started to get the hang of it.
“I started practicing and I took workshops,” Atkinson said. “The workshops helped me to learn new tricks. Even though I took the workshops, I feel like I pretty much taught myself everything.”
Atkinson said she is inspired to create her one-of-a-kind pieces by what she sees and what the current trends are.
“I like to experiment with different colors,” Atkinson said. “I try to make things that are simple and wearable pieces but I do have some that are not as simple.”
Making glass beads by hand is not as easy as some people might think. First she has to heat up the glass rod. Then she has to wrap the hot glass around a small mandrel or stick that is coated with bead release, or liquid clay. Atkinson continues to build the glass bead on the mandrel until she is happy with the end result. She then sticks it in a hot kiln to cool over night.
“Sometimes one bead can take as much as 45 minutes,” Atkinson said. “Simple beads can take as much as five minutes. You have to be really careful when adding glass to the bead. Because the beads cool off slowly in the kiln they will not break.”
After the beads have been cooled, Atkinson then strings them together with other beads and Swarovski crystals to create bracelets, necklaces, earrings and watches.
“So much that I do is one-of-a-kind,” Atkinson said. “I can use the same colors but because of the way I make the bead, no two usually look the same. Every piece I make is an original.”
Some artists grow too attached to their pieces to sell them, but Atkinson is just the opposite.
“I am happy to sell my pieces,” Atkinson said. “It doesn’t do any good to me to just keep them in my house in a box.”
In addition to making jewelry, Atkinson has also started making clothing and purses with her sister Delores Fawkes.
“I love to sew,” Atkinson said. “I have some vests and some sweatshirts. I like to make them with bright colors.”
Atkinson has two adult children Katie Gaddis and Jack Behring and two grandchildren from her daughter Gaddis named Lily, 9, and Spencer, 5.
Katie Gaddis of Raleigh, North Carolina said she loves that her mother is creating jewelry.
“I am a happy owner of many of her pieces,” Atkinson said. “I like that it makes her happy doing it. It is nice for her to have a creative outlet. I like working her booth with her at art shows and seeing the people drawn to her jewelry. Her jewelry is so bright and sunny.”
For more information, e-mail .

By Suzanne Schmidt

Once upon a time two people fell in love but a wall separated them, and then when it came down the couple was able to get married.
To the casual observer this story just might sound like a fairytale, but it was actually part of a school assignment where high school students had to write about topics from the Cold War on a kindergarten level.
Students in Tanner Schmitz’ American History class at Wiregrass High School had to really learn the subject matter in order to write the books for the younger students.

“They split into groups and they each chose a topic from the Cold War,” Schmitz said. “They had to explain the topic in a way the kids would understand.”
The assignment helped the high school students to better learn the material. He compared it to being able to explain McCarthyism without using the word McCarthyism.
“If you can explain something without the using the words, then that shows mastery of the subject,” Schmitz said. “They had to create a child’s story based on the topics.”
For two weeks, juniors in Schmitz class worked on the picture books before Tanner Schmitz showed them to his wife Amanda Schmitz, a kindergarten teacher at Veterans Elementary, to pick the top three. The students who wrote those books were invited to come to read to the kindergartners in Schmitz’s class.
The students in the class were allowed to pick their favorite book, but the best part was for the kindergartners to see the high school students in person.
“Seeing the high school kids is like seeing rock stars for them,” Tanner Schmitz said. “It was really nice because my students are coming to read to the kindergartners on their own free time.”
Students wrote about topics like the Berlin wall coming down and the Space Race.
“Upper level topics don’t have to be complicated,” Schmitz said. “That is the great thing about history. Everything can be broken down into a story. Even the most complicated topic can be told as a story. While they were working on the books, they had to demonstrate how their story fit with the topic.”
Spencer Gould, 16, Brennan Moore, 17, and Brittany Gonzales, 17, wrote “The Disaster of Brie and the Story of Me.”
Gould, Moore and Gonzales decided to tell the tale of the Berlin wall through a tragic story of two lovebirds separated by a wall, which eventually comes down allowing the couple to marry.
“It took a lot of time but it was well worth it, because it came out so good,” Gonzales said.
Gould said writing the book was a lot of fun.
“We had to bring the vocabulary down to their level but still tell the story of the girl and the wall,” Gould said. “It was nice to read to them and get a thank you from them.”

Joy Benson, 16, Brooke Ridgeway, 17 and Helena Marlin, 16, wrote “The Space Race.”
“The best part was getting to see them look at you with their big eyes,” Marlin said.
Amanda Schmitz said her students enjoyed meeting the older kids.
“They are ecstatic about the high schoolers visiting,” Amanda Schmitz said. “I think it helps them to feel important because they see the kids care about them and want to share with them.”
She said she thinks her students learned something to aspire to.
“They don’t understand the full historical relevance,” Amanda Schmitz said. “It was great for them just to see the older kids writing and their level of work. It sets the expectations for them to look forward to.”
Sophia Horn, 6, said she really liked hearing the older kids read stories to her class.
“I want to be a big kid so I can write lots of stories,” Horn said. “They were nice stories with pretty drawings.”

By Sarah Whitman

Summer vacation is just around the corner. For some, it’s already started. Parents looking for something fun for their kids to do this summer may want to look into one of the vacation bible schools in their area. Local churches are busy planning and preparing for an exciting VBS season. Each school offers something unique at an affordable cost or free of charge.
Heritage Christian Center, 21418 Carson Dr. in Land O’ Lakes, will put on its first ever vacation bible school this year. Hero Headquarters, an event where kids join forces with God to become everyday heroes, is scheduled for June 21 to 25. Volunteers will work with kids to convey a valuable message.
“We’ll be learning about different less-known characters in the Bible who were heroic and teaching the children how they can step up and become heroes in their own lives,” said Deanna Porter, Heritage youth pastor.
The event is $5 per child and open to ages 5 to 11. The kids will learn through play and also have time just to cut loose.
“There will be fun, games and snacks,” said the pastor’s wife Natalie Bamberry. “It’s a great way for kids to see that learning about God is fun.”
More fun is just down the road. Myrtle Lake Baptist, 2017 Riegler Road in Land O’ Lakes, invites kids to saddle up for Saddle Ridge Ranch, a vacation bible school themed after the old west. The school runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon June 14 through 18 and is also open to children grades Kindergarten through 6. Kids will have Bible study, worship, playtime, crafts corner and music time.
According to Myrtle Lake event manager John Berti, the event will help kids answer questions like, “What is God’s plan for me?” and “How can I be like Jesus?” in a care-free environment.
First Baptist Church of Land O’ Lakes, 5105 School Road, will offer two summer programs. SeaQuest: Diving for God’s Treasure, an event for elementary school kids, is from 9 a.m. to noon June 21 through 25. The Truth Alive, an outdoor competition event for teens, will take place at the same time. Both events are free.
“We’ve been doing vacation bible school for more than 20 years,” said church secretary Sharon Booth. “What makes our program unique is that we offer something for older kids too.”
In Lutz, Van Dyke Church, 17030 Lakeshore Road, is offering a sports camp for kids June 20 through 24. The camp will be divided so there is a 4-year-olds program, a 5-year-olds program, an elementary program and a special needs program. Sports offered include football, soccer, softball, cheerleading, gymnastics, karate, baseball, hockey, basketball and volleyball. For kids less into sports, art, sewing and chess classes will be offered indoors. The cost to register is $50.
“It’s a high energy camp that teaches kids to give their best to God and give their best in everything they do,” said children’s minister Bryce Du Mont.

In Eastern Pasco, Victorious Life Church, 6224 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel, is making costumes and getting ready for Toy Stories, a vacation bible school themed after the hit film “Toy Story.” This one-of-a-kind event is from 6 to 8:30 p.m. July 19 through 23. It is free, snacks and all.
“There are a lot of pre-packaged vacation bible schools out there but for the last couple years we’ve been writing our own,” said children’s pastor John Formby. “We’ll have skits with costumed characters Buzz, Woody and Mr. Potato Head. We’re also having a contest where the kid who brings the most visitors will win a family 4-pack to Disney.”
To finish the summer, Zephyrhills First Nazarene Church, 6151 12th St. in Zephyrhills, will host a late-season children’s bible camp August 2 through 6.
“Vacation Bible School gives kids something fun to do that’s different than their normal summer routine,” children’s pastor Laura Barker said. “It gives them a safe environment to go to.”
For information or to register, call Heritage Christian Center, (813) 909-4080; Myrtle Lake Baptist, (813) 949-5516; First Baptist Church of Land O’ Lakes, (813) 996-2651; Van Dyke Church, (813) 968-3983; Victorious Life Church (813) 973-2230 and Zephyrhills First Nazarene Church, (813) 782-7032.

By Sarah Whitman

Speech pathologist Jill Vought has a passion for helping children with speech and developmental delays. This summer, while school sponsored speech programs are no longer in session, Vought is accepting new clients at her office, More Than Words Speech Therapy, Inc. in Wesley Chapel.
“Without proper speech and communication skills a child can fall behind, develop learning disabilities and start showing behavioral problems,” Vought said. “It’s important to catch speech problems early on.”

Vought has a Masters degree in communication disorders from the University of Miami in Ohio. She began working as a speech pathologist in 1996 at The Children’s Hospital in Columbus and later worked at All Children’s Hospital in Ft. Myers. A move due to her husband’s job brought her to Florida and eventually to Tampa in 2006.  She opened her own business Talking Tots that year. The business grew and grew until she was able to open her Wesley Chapel office. It was then she decided to make a name change.
The name More Than Words came from her belief that communication affects a person’s overall life and happiness.
“I’ve always known I wanted to work with children and that I wanted to help families,” Vought said. “When I first started college, I sat in on a speech therapy session and I knew it was what I wanted to do. Speech therapy can make such a difference.”
Vought works with people of all ages but most of her clients are in the pediatric age range. She currently has 32 clients.
“I work with adults who have had a head injury or strokes, and with infants on feeding and swallowing,” she said. “Mostly I work with children who have a speech, language or reading disorder.”
When Vought first meets a client, she does an evaluation to determine the child’s level of functioning and what services are needed. The evaluation includes a verbal assessment and standardized testing.
“It depends on the disorder what we need to work on,” Vought said.
Clients meet with Vought once or twice a week for 30 minute or one hour sessions.
Land O’ Lakes resident Leslie Church- Robinson brings her son Lance to weekly appointments.  Lance is 4-years-old and struggles with a severe speech deficit. Robinson said he’s improved greatly since beginning therapy at More Than Words.
“Working with someone like Jill, who does a fantastic job every week, has made a world of difference,” Robinson said. “His personality is different. He communicates better and because of it, his behavioral issues are improving.”
Vought has two daughters, ages 6 and 4, so she can relate to worried mothers.
“I became a better therapist after becoming a mom,” she said. “Now, I really get it.”
Vought has open appointments available throughout the summer. She hopes anyone who suspects their child may have a problem will call. She said the key to success is to seek help as early as possible.
“If you can fix the problem at age 3 or 4 why wait until the child is 6 or 7,” she said.
More Than words is located 26908 Foggy Creek Road, building 23, suite 102. For appointments, call (813) 862-8692.

By Suzanne Schmidt

When Julian Reis of Odessa opened S & N West Indian Store a little more than a year ago, he found many people from the Caribbean living in the area.
He decided to open Calypso Bay Restaurant, 24832 SR 54 in Lutz, because he had so many people request it. Reis is originally from Guyana, a state in the Caribbean.

“Ever since I opened the market, people were asking for food,” Reis said. “We have the Caribbean spices and Indian spices because there was nowhere to go to find those products here in the area. We also have a selection of meat that is hard to find like goat, lamb, oxtail, pig tail and assorted fish from the Caribbean at the restaurant and at the market.”
Reis opened the restaurant with co-owner Eman Tanchoosing to cater to the local Caribbean community.
“We have a huge Caribbean community in the area,” Reis said. “We created the menu at the restaurant to cater to the majority which is the Jamaicans. The food is kind of like a Mardi Gras in your mouth with a mix of a lot of spices. It wows you. We make food fresh everyday. We don’t put food in the fridge to reuse the next day.”
Richard Trotz, cook at the restaurant, is originally from Guyana as well.
“A lot of people from Jamaica come here,” Trotz said. “The food has a lot of spices like garlic, curry, onions and hot peppers. We also have some more traditional foods like oxtail stew and jerk chicken and red snapper.”
He said there are a variety of dishes on the menu due to the variety of food available on the islands. There are a number of curry dishes, Guyana Chinese style dishes, and jerk dishes with sides like Dholl puri and roti which are two types of bread and peas and rice which is made with steamed rice, kidney beans, coconut milk and cinnamon.
“There are so many islands in the Caribbean,” Trotz said. “Everybody in the Caribbean cooks a little differently according to their region, but we try to cater to all the islands. We have food that is actually like back home”
Vladimir Larse of Land O’ Lakes eats at the restaurant once a week. His parents are from the Caribbean.
“I like to eat the beef patties,” Larse said. “I like that I don’t have to go all the way to Tampa anymore.”
Steve Boyle of Land O’ Lakes tried the Guyana Chinese style chicken with lo mein noodles.
“There was a lot of food and it was good,” Boyle said. “I have never had Jamaican food before. I like the spices and the chicken is actually sweet.”

Jimmie Keene of New Tampa also enjoyed his first time eating Jamaican food.
“I like that they use real chicken,” Keene said. “I didn’t know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. It is really good food. I will definitely be back.”
For more information, visit (813) 406-4412.