Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Joint venture of UCH and Adventist Health

By Kyle LoJacono

The Wesley Chapel Medical Center is more than 18 months from completion, but the plan for its construction is starting to take shape.

The facility, which will be located one half-mile north of SR 56 and the Shops at Wiregrass on the east side of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, is a joint venture of Adventist Health System and University Community Health (UCH).

Adventist, based in Winter Park, operates several hospitals under the Florida Hospital brand name, which includes Florida Hospital Zephyrhills and 36 other hospitals from Texas to Florida. The Adventist facilities are affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

UCH, based in Tampa, includes several facilities in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, which include University Community Hospital, UCH-Carrollwood and the Pepin Heart Hospital in Tampa.

While the date to break ground has yet to be set, it will likely be sometime this summer, according to Jan Baskin, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills assistant vice president of marketing.

“We are still waiting for the permits to be accepted before we can set the date to break ground,” Baskin said. “From that point it will take 18 months for the whole facility.”

The Agency for Health Care Administration is the governing body that will give final approval before the Wesley Chapel facility is built.

Agency spokeswoman Shelisha Durden said the preliminary approval for the facility came last December, but stated the agency has yet to receive the final plans for the project. She said project plans cannot be finalized until the local government approves the permits.

The original plans were for the facility to cost $121 million, but that number could change based on the final plans.

Once completed, the facility will have 80 beds and offer obstetrics, pediatrics, women’s and men’s services, general surgery, an emergency department with helicopter pad, a comprehensive medical fitness program, orthopedics and sports medicine.

“There may be more offered, but those will be there for sure,” Baskin said. “…It is being built in such a way to expand out and up as new services are needed for the community.”

The Wesley Chapel hospital will be a 200,000-square-foot facility on 52 acres of land. While renditions and virtual tours of the future Wesley Chapel hospital have been created, nothing was released for publication. No accurate artist projections can be made until the plans are finalized and approved.

Baskin said it was premature to say how the new facility would be staffed, but when it opens it will use natural elements to enhance the healing process.

“We will have healing gardens and it will be built to allow as much light as possible to enter the hospital,” Baskin said. “…It will be a beautiful facility.”

This joint venture may not be the only time the Adventists and UCH will join together. The two parent companies signed a nonbinding letter of intent to merge last month, according to a press release received one month ago.

The signing does not guarantee the two will merge, but if the companies do it would create the largest Protestant health care system in the United States according to the press release.

The press release did not go into detail as to why the merger was being considered and numerous interview requests to both companies’ corporate headquarters were declined.

By Suzanne Schmidt

When Alexis Bonilla, 11, and Emme Kuskin, 12, learned there were children in the world unable to go to school they decided to start a Pennies for Peace drive.

The change collected at Countryside Montessori in Land O’ Lakes will go to the Pennies for Peace foundation that builds schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan and buys school supplies. One penny can buy a pencil, two pennies can buy an eraser, 15 pennies can buy a notebook and $1 dollar will pay a teacher’s salary for a day.

Sue Grossman, upper level teacher at the school, said it started as a class project, but then Bonilla and Kuskin decided it needed to be a school-wide project. She said she originally chose the project because she liked what the foundation does.

“We saw the Pennies for Peace project and we were inspired,” Grossman said. “Everyone has change that is just sitting at home. We can collect all those pennies and make a difference in the world. I think that there is nothing more noble than children providing education for other children in the world.”

Every classroom in the school now has a collection bottle and the girls have opened it up to include all change, not just pennies. The girls’ goal is to raise $1,000 dollars or 100,000 pennies.

Bonilla of Land O’ Lakes said she was inspired to help because she thinks everyone deserves an education.

“I learned they don’t have education in Afghanistan and Pakistan like they do here,” Bonilla said. “Girls don’t get to go to school and I don’t think that is fair because everyone should be able to have an education. Everyone should be able to go to school.”

Pennies for Peace predominantly helps girls and some boys as well.

“The foundation uses the money to build schools and to provide money for education mainly for girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” Grossman said. “The culture does not revere women as much as boys so if anyone is going to go to school, it will be a boy.”

Kuskin of Land O’ Lakes said she likes helping girls get an education.

“I think getting an education is important to make good decisions,” Kuskin said. “By teaching one girl, you can teach a whole town, because she will teach her kids and everyone else in the community.”

Bonilla said she also thinks educating girls is important.

“They can learn to make better decisions in life like they can decide how their life is going to be,” Bonilla said. “If they have an education they can get better jobs and they can do more things.”

The class is also reading “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson, the man who founded and runs the Pennies for Peace foundation. The story is about Mortenson’s attempt to climb Pakistan’s K2 and the promise he made to come back and build a school.

“It is interesting because he talks about building the school because he made that promise,” Kuskin said.

Donations will be accepted at the school, 5852 Ehren Cut-Off Road, between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Countryside Montessori is a charter school for first through sixth-graders with a hands-on Montessori curriculum. For more information, visit www.cmemontessori.com or call (813) 996-0991.

History of the annual charity campaign

By Kyle LoJacono

Most people in Lutz have heard of the Guv’na race, but few know the history of how the charitable campaign got its start.

“I learned about it as soon as we got here,” said current Lutz Guv’na Suzin Carr, who moved with her family to the town in 2003. “I first thought what’s that about? I didn’t understand it at first, but like most people I got the idea.”

The Lutz Guv’na race was started in 1991 as a way to raise money for area charities while bringing the community together. The first winner of the race was Jo Van Bebber, according to Phyllis Hoedt of the Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Women’s Club.

“It’s a great way to have a good time while bringing in money for important nonprofit groups,” said Eleanor Cecil, who has been a member of the Lutz Civic Association for 10 years. “The race is sort of a spoof and we say it is the only honest campaign in America. We tell people up front that the candidate who raises the most money wins.”

Each year the candidate who raises the most money by the Lutz Independence Day celebration at Bullard Park is declared the winner. The celebration this year is July 3 and all the money raised goes to local charities. Donations to potential guv’nas can be made right up until the winner is announced.

“That’s the most importance part of the race,” Cecil said. “These are wonderful organizations that do so much for others. It gives them a chance to do a little extra for the area by supporting people and kids they might not have been able to.”

The civic association is in charge of the Guv’na race and decides where the denotations are allocated, but the women’s club gives some support during the process. The women’s club also usually endorses a candidate.

The amount of money brought in from Van Bebber’s campaign was not available. The candidate who raised the most money ever during a campaign was Michele Northrup in 2007 when she managed to bring in $17,000, according to Cecil and Northrup.

“For me it’s been tremendous,” Carr said of being the reigning Guv’na. “It’s been great meeting zillions of people, attracting them to our local businesses and helping get the community excited about Lutz.”

Last year, the total brought in by the race was $11,786, but the exact figures from Carr’s campaign were not available.

“We considered running for (Guv’na) as a family,” Carr said. “We’ve drawn from the community to raise our son (Chandler). He goes to school in Lutz, we use the Lutz library and the parks and enjoy the events like breakfast with Santa at the old Lutz school and the parade in July.

“I thought I knew what it meant to be Guv’na from hearing about it for so many years, but the last year gave me a chance to see everything that goes into it,” Carr continued. “…It has been an experience and it’s been great. People have been so positive it’s been unbelievable. It has been a lot of work, but I chose to put that much into it. I guess you could say I became addicted to the Guv’naship.”

To be eligible for the position, Guv’na candidates need to either live or work in Lutz. People can run for the position even after winning, but there has never been a two-time winner.

“I had many people ask me to run for it again, but I thought it would be good to let someone else shine,” Carr said. “I might do it again later, but not this year.”

When asked what her plans were for her last few months as the Guv’na, Carr said, “I have some special things in store. I plan to blow out Lutz in my last three months as Guv’na.”

Past and present Lutz Guv’na winners

Year Name

2009 Suzin Carr

2008 Terri Burgess

2007 Michele Northrup

2006 Edwina Kraemer

2005 Liz Iaconetti

2004 Dean Rivett

2003 Joni Cagle

2002 Brett Montegny

2001 Helen Kinyon

2000 Vince Arcuri

1999 Danny Neeley

1998 Sandy Ruberg

1997 Earl Smith

1996 Ben Nevel

1995 Kay Dahman

1994 Lorraine Dabney

1993 Leslie Dennison

1992 Betty Neeley

1991 Jo Van Bebber

By Suzanne Schmidt

More kids will have a chance to be in the spotlight with the two spring productions of Arts In Motion.

Michelle Twitmyer, president of Arts in Motion, said the nonprofit performing arts group will present two plays with “Honk! Jr.” 7 p.m. May 7 and 2 p.m. May 8 and “Night at the Wax Museum” 7 p.m. May 8 and 2 p.m. May 9.

Both performances will be at the Eleanor Dempsey Performing Arts Center at Bishop McLaughlin High School, 13651 Hays Road in Hudson. Tickets will be $12 for adults and $7 for students at the door.

“For our spring production, we are trying to include everybody,” Twitmyer said. “When we choose our plays, we usually have to meet the needs of the older kids and the younger kids at the same time. In both productions almost everybody has a speaking role, which is really unusual.”

“Honk! Jr.” is for the elementary school children and “Night at the Wax Museum” is for the middle and high school kids.

Honk! Jr., a musical, is a witty and charming re-telling of the ugly duckling story.

“

Ugly runs away and he meets up with a cat,” Twitmyer said. “The cat sings a song about how you should play with your food and Ugly doesn’t realize he (the cat) is planning to eat him. Then he meets some geese that help him get back to his farm. At some point he meets the swans and meets a girl swan. Along the way, he realizes that he is just different and that is one of the great things about him.”

Ivan Cano is a recent graduate from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s degree in theater arts. He is the stage manager for “Honk! Jr.”

“I like working with kids because they are such an energetic bunch,” Cano said. “I can tell this is going to be a great production because the kids are putting so much energy into it. It is a feel good musical with a nice message to accept people even if they are not the same as you.”

Land O’ Lakes resident Shane Lefebvre, 11, is playing the part of Ugly.

“I am excited because I expected a smaller part,” Lefebvre said. “I am psyched I got it. There are a lot of scenes where I have to act sad or depressed so I am just focusing on my body movements and my facial expressions. I like being in the spotlight.”

Dade City resident Jessica Twitmyer, 10, is playing Ida, Ugly’s mother. She said she watched how ducks move to prepare for her part.

“My character is very motherly and protective of Ugly because he is picked on,” Jessica said. “I love performing and I love seeing all of my friends. Being able to perform has made me more outgoing.”

“Night at the Wax Museum” is a slapstick comedy. A teacher gives her struggling history students a chance for extra credit by helping her and a few older ladies from a historical society catalog a wax museum full of historical characters like Cleopatra and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Eventually, through the power of an old Egyptian bracelet belonging to Cleopatra, all the wax figures come to life.

Megan Lamasney recently graduated from USF with a bachelor’s degree in theater arts. She is the director and stage manager for the wax museum play.

“It is a very funny play with a lot of stage combat and jokes and laughs,” Lamasney said. “It is a great opportunity for people to learn about history as well as have some fun. I let the kids research their own characters. It gives them a chance to see how to work on a play from the ground up. They got their own ideas of how a character walked and acted and talked.”

Wesley Chapel resident Kathleen White, 18, plays the part of Hazel, an older lady in the Cultural Historical Society. She is helping to catalog the items because her society is taking over control of the wax museum. White said she would like to see more kids join Arts in Motion.

“I googled how to be an old lady then I looked at my lines and figured out my character’s personality,” White said. “She is a grumpy old lady that is easily frustrated. I love it here. I always tell other kids to check it out and maybe try acting because this is the best time to do it.”

Dade City resident Madeline Kender, 16, is playing Anne Bonny, a pirate.

“They had a special on the History channel and I watched the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ movies,” Kender said. “She uses her femininity but she is not afraid to be tough. She asserts her dominance and doesn’t let the men keep her down.”

Wesley Chapel resident Devin White, 16, plays the part of Pancho Villa, the rebel general of the Mexican Revolution. Devin is not related to Kathleen.

“This is my first play and I think it is awesome,” White said. “To figure out my character, I just basically took my personality and turned it up from a two to a 10.”

At the event, Twitmyer said the organization will also have an art gallery at the performances to showcase the artwork from children in the area.

“This is good for the kids who are more confident with the visual arts than they are with performance art,” Twitmyer said. “People will be able to see and buy the artwork.”

For more information, visit www.ArtsInMotionPasco.org or call (352) 834-1246.

By Suzanne Schmidt

To most people a bunch of leftover signs would just be a bunch of trash, but to Marcus Price it is an opportunity.

Price, co-owner of Goin’ Postal and Life Size Greetings in Zephyrhills, ended up with lots of scrap material while making signs through his company, Life Size Greetings.

One night he and one of his business partners, Bob Stephens, decided it would be a great idea to build an airplane out of those scrap pieces.

“We had all of this spare plastic and we were looking for a way to use it,” Marcus Price said. “I originally drew the plan on a napkin and then Bob went through and put the pieces together and fixed the design as we went along.”

Now the airplane is almost complete and he plans to fly it to see how well it works.

“I know how an airplane works and what shape they should be,” Marcus Price said. “When we have an engine the idea is to be able to fly at about 20 miles per hour. We figured all of that out on a napkin too.”

About 99 percent of the plane is made up of the recycled plastic signs including the wheels, the body of the plane and the wings. PVC piping is used to make the controls and to reinforce some of the structure of the airplane.

In the next couple of weeks, Price and Stephens plan to build the control surfaces and then at some point they will take it for its maiden voyage. Since the plane will not have an engine, it will be towed behind a truck just to see if it is able to fly.

“For the first flight, it should only be about six or seven feet off the ground,” Marcus Price said. “If anything happens, it should be OK since we won’t be that high up.”

Stephens said over the last couple months, he and Price have spent about 24 hours total building the plane.

“I am normally the Devil’s advocate to his ideas, but when he came up with this one I was all for it,” Stephens said. “It was a no brainer, he must do it. I am just jealous we built it for him and I can’t fly it. Over the years, we have done so many fun things. We both love to fly and we have loved creating the plane.”

Marcus is no stranger to flying. He is actually a multiple engine commercial instrument rated pilot, which means he can fly commercial airplanes.

“He has always been an aviation enthusiast and so have I; we actually met sky-diving,” M. J. Price said. “He could apply for a job at a place like Delta Airlines and get a job. He was in the top of his class at Airline Training Academy in Orlando.”

Marcus’s Dad, Tony Price, was his original inspiration to learn how to fly.

“My Dad was an old-time pilot,” Marcus Price said. “He flew real airplanes and he once built an airplane in our living room when I was 7-years-old.”

Price said he is looking for a sponsor to buy an engine for the small plane so that he can try to fly it independently.

“We built it so that it can support an engine,” Marcus Price said. “We are looking to get an MZ313 cc, which is a racing bike engine. Anybody could sponsor the engine.”

The future plans if the plane works, is to sell kits on eBay and then to move on to make a catamaran and a tank with a potato gun on the turret all out of recycled plastic signs.

Marcus and his wife M. J. and Bob Stephens all started Life Size Greetings in 2003. The business has grown now to create signs for such big names as Danica Patrick, Estee Lauder, NASA and McGruff the Crime Dog.

“We do everything from making stand ups for weddings to school fundraisers,” M. J. Price said. “We can also make great big holiday cards and greetings and we do enlargements for the courtroom to make an impact on a jury.”

For more information about Life Size Greetings, visit www.lifesizegreetings.com.

A princess, a watchdog, a lover, a baby and a gentle giant

By Sarah Whitman

Senior Staff Writer

A smile stretches across Garret Van Zanen’s face the moment he sees Bubbles, a friendly chihuahua, stretched out across the front desk at West Winds Assisted Living Facility in Zephyrhills.

“She’s beautiful,” Van Zanen said. “Just like the people who work here.”

Bubbles belongs to Kelly Irish, West Wind’s business director, and Kasey O’ Keefe, executive director at the senior home. The couple has five dogs, all of which are used as therapy dogs.

“The animals bring comfort to the residents and brighten their day,” Irish said. “They all help the residents in different ways.”

Bubbles is the princess. She loves attention, doting and being pampered. She has more than 40 doggie outfits to show off to residents and visitors. Most have a touch of pink and frills.

She makes the residents laugh.

“Bubbles is the official greeter,” Irish said. “She sits up front and welcomes everyone who comes in, so we dress her up. She loves it.”

Bubbles was actually the third dog to melt hearts at West Winds.

Carrie, a rat terrier, was the first. She moved in two years ago, after O’ Keefe rescued her as a pup. She’s been the resident watchdog ever since. Her bark sounds whenever she senses danger.

“If there’s a stranger in the building, Carrie lets everyone know,” Irish said. “The residents know if they hear her it means something is different.”

The second dog to arrive at West Winds is a little more relaxed. Tinkerbell, a 15-year-old fox terrier, is a lap dog and loves to snuggle. She will spend hours hanging out in residents’ rooms.

“If a resident is sick, we’ll bring Tinkerbell to their room and she’ll just curl up in bed next to them and go right to sleep,” Irish said. “She brings them peace.”

Resident Jean Lawrence loves Tinkerbell but is most fascinated with the fourth dog to call West Winds home, a more than 100-pound great dane named Shadow. He is a gentle giant with a big heart and a slightly shy disposition.

“Shadow is just gorgeous,” Lawrence said. “All I have to do is look at him and he makes me smile.”

Shadow was rescued from the Citrus County pound after being found abandoned on the side of the road.

“He had been traumatized by abuse and was afraid of people,” Irish said. “The pound was excited about him coming here because they thought the residents would help him as much as he would help them.”

West Wind resident Thomasine admires Shadow from a distance but loves to play with the little dogs. When she first moved to West Winds, she spent most days alone in her room. Then, she met Bubbles and started venturing down the hall to spend time with the dogs.

“I never had a dog before,” she said, grinning from ear to ear. “I love all of them.”

Irish said the dogs help many residents interact better socially.

“Some residents had dogs in the past and the dogs remind them of those experiences, so they start talking about it,” she said. “It’s a wonderful thing for them to open up and talk about the things that have brought them joy.”

The newest canine at West Winds fits in the palm of most residents’ hands. Gizmo, known as the baby of the bunch, is half chihuahua and half pomeranian.

“Everybody wants to hold the fur ball,” Irish said. “Gizmo is smart and full of energy.”

Gizmo will be the first West Winds dog to attend training and become an official therapy dog. To enroll in training, dogs must be 6 months to a year. So, he still has a couple months to wait.

Still, Irish doesn’t think of her dogs as being less qualified than certified therapy animals.

“You can just look and see you don’t need a certificate to be a dog that makes someone’s day better,” she said.

For information on West Winds, 37411 Eiland Blvd., call (813) 783-8100.

Cheval instructor to coach USF team

By Sarah Whitman

Lauren Barth is most at home surrounded by the loves of her life, healthy happy horses.

Barth owns Cheval Equestrian Center in Lutz, where she teaches riding lessons and boards 20 horses, three of which are hers. She was recently selected as the new coach for the University of South Florida equestrian team.

Barth’s longtime student and USF team member, Megan Vaglia, recommended her for the position.

“Lauren has such a love for teaching,” Vaglia said. “I had a feeling she’d make a great coach.”

The 2010 to 2011 school year marks the USF equestrian team’s third season. The team, made up of 10 girls, will begin preparing this summer for a challenging type of competition. College team members ride a different horse at each show and do not meet the horse until it’s time to ride. To understand the horses needs and temperaments, riders are given a printout sheet listing each animal’s characteristics.

“It can be intimidating,” Vaglia said. “I know Lauren can help us a lot so we’ll be ready.”

Barth will work with the team to teach skills needed for college style riding.

“I’m going to make sure they learn to ride as many different horses as they can while at home,” she said. “Then, when they go to competitions they’ll be on their own.”

Barth believes great riders are born with a gift.

“You have to have a natural ability to get along with the horse,” she said. “Then, you need a basic foundation of skill and when you put it all together, it works.”

Barth saddled her first pony at 6-years-old. She grew up around horses in New York and by high school knew she wanted to pursue riding professionally.  She found success as a junior rider but longed to own her own farm.

Looking for change and warmer weather, she moved to Florida in 2001. Three years later, she took over Cheval Equestrian Center. The former owners left the facility with few customers and a dwindling reputation. Barth went straight to work.

“Having my own farm has always been a passion,” Barth said. “Since I took over, I’ve been working to build this farm into a business from the ground up.”

Barth teaches lessons to riders ages 4 and up. She has about 20 students, from beginners to advanced competitors. Many of her students own their own horses and board them at the farm. There are also four lesson horses on site.

Parent Adrianna Johnson brings her son Sam, 5, and daughter Ella, 6, to lessons each week.

“What Lauren has done with the farm is wonderful,” Johnson said. “It’s just a wonderful place to be and Lauren is a wonderful teacher. I trust her completely. I’ve watched my son fall off a horse and just stood back because I know he is in good hands.”

Barth said a good rider has to be willing to commit. Horse ownership is an even bigger responsibility.

“Owning a horse is a full-time job,” she said. “You have to take care of them, keep them clean and exercise them regularly.”

Barth teaches her students to treat their animals with love and care.

Many of her students compete in shows. They take trips around Florida, to Atlanta and to New York. Barth, who is single and lives in Lutz, travels two to three times a month for up to four days at a time.

“Anywhere a customer wants to go to a show, I pack up and go with them,” Barth said.

Young Ella and Sam recently competed locally in the Pinellas County Hunter Association Show at the fairgrounds. Sam finished in 3^rd and Ella took home 1^st place.

Johnson was excited to see her children succeed.

“It amazes me to see what they can do,” Johnson said. “Sam just started doing shows and I’m already seeing a difference in him. He’s learning to ride and he’s also learning responsibility and values.”

Success and blue ribbons come with effort, Barth said.

“With horseback riding, it’s about what you put into it,” she said. “If you put in the time and build a good relationship with your horses, they will be good to you.”

Vaglia said Barth taught her to respect each horse she meets.

“It’s a type of teamwork,” Vaglia said. “Each horse is different and when you ride, you get to know them.”

For information on Cheval Equestrian Center, visit www.chevalequestriancenter.com.

Lessons are $45 an hour and open to anyone age 4 and up.