The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Land O' Lakes News

‘An Evening in Paris’ offers tender moments

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Hundreds turned out to ‘An Evening in Paris,’ a Father/Daughter dance, where fathers and their daughters danced the night away. (Randy Underhill)

Whether they were rocking it out, slow dancing, or shuffling to “The Cupid Shuffle,” the daughters and dads at “An Evening in Paris” Father/Daughter Dance were sharing some special moments.

Six-year-old Daniella Rodrigues, of Land O’ Lakes, received her first corsage.

Scott Hancock and his 4-year-old daughter, Amelie, shared a slow dance.

Zoli Summerville and her dad, Cory, of Wesley Chapel, played a game of bat the balloon.

Brooke-Lyn Warren, age 8, of Lutz, gazes up and smiles at her father, Benjamin Warren, as they partake in their first dance of the night.

Whatever they were up to, these girls and their fathers appeared to be enjoying each other, and having a good time.

More than 500 attended the event, on Feb. 16, at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, off Collier Parkway. It was the largest attendance since the tradition began nine years ago.

Besides dancing, the event included movies, formal father-daughter portraits, gift raffles, food and drink.

Numerous local sponsors were instrumental in helping to create the special night for daughters and their dads.

By Randy Underhill

Published February 21, 2018

Six-year-old Daniella Rodrigues, of Land O’ Lakes, receives her first corsage from her dad, Mark Rodrigues, at ‘An Evening in Paris.’
Eight-year-old Piper Osmanson, of Land O Lakes, and her dad, Ben Osmanson, rock out to one of many songs played during ‘An Evening in Paris.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scott Hancock, of Lutz, holds his 4-year-old daughter, Amelie, for a slow dance during ‘An Evening in Paris’ on Feb. 16.
The Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex was full of music and laughter during ‘An Evening in Paris,’ the ninth annual Father/Daughter Dance held there.

Jewish temple forms in Land O’ Lakes

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A new Jewish place of worship has formed in Land O’ Lakes, to welcome people of all ages.

Alan Stern and his wife, Nayda, saw the need to start their own conservative congregation that accepted families with young children.

So, in December, they formed the Family Friendly Temple of Pasco County at their Land O’ Lakes home.

“We wanted something middle-of-the-road for Jewish people in Pasco County to be able to go and meet people who are Jewish, to celebrate our heritage and just enjoy being with one another,” Stern said.

“The object is to have fun, to meet Jews, build relationships, and to educate children and grandchildren,” he added.

Stern himself grew up in a Reform Jewish household, while his wife was raised more Conservative/Orthodox.

They lived in Buffalo, New York, for more than 30 years, until moving to Florida in 2004.

When they weren’t able to find a synagogue in the Tampa area that offered what they were seeking, the Sterns decided to offer services of their own.

It also became a matter of convenience to be able to stay in the area, compared to trekking to conservative shuls in south Tampa.

Conservative Judaism, which is particularly prevalent in North America, seeks to preserve Jewish tradition and ritual, but has a more flexible approach to the interpretation of the law than Orthodox Judaism.

Family Friendly Temple has since been incorporated and will be renamed Congregation Beth Chavraim (“House of Friends”) once it becomes a 501c3 nonprofit.

Monthly Sabbath services have drawn about 20 people, said Stern, who stresses the group welcomes people of all ages, especially children.

“It’s always been about kids, as far as I’m concerned. Kids are the future of our religion,” Stern said.

The services typically run 30 minutes. A Kosher meal is served after, and usually includes homemade Challah and Kosher wine.

In addition to Sabbaths, Stern said services are planned this year for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, as well as Hanukkah. Meanwhile, a prayer book is being created to include Hebrew, its transliteration, and English.

Stern noted the group might track down an additional location for the Jewish High Holiday services, “because I think we’re going to have quite a few people.”

The next service will be Feb. 23. All community members are invited.

For more information, e-mail

Published February 21, 2018

Land O’ Lakes students strive for ‘green’ community

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For several years the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library has been plagued with massive energy consumption and a sizable electric bill.

A group of high schoolers is looking to change that.

The Land O’ Lakes High School Green Club, which addresses environmental issues in the community, wants to help the library achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) status — the most widely used ‘green’ building rating system in the world.

The Land O’ Lakes High School Green Club has started a fundraiser to help the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library to reach LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) status and significantly reduce its utility bill. Among the desired upgrades are UV window shading, LED lighting, motion sensing light switches, and programmable timers, to help decrease the library’s carbon footprint. From left: Green Club co-founder Sparsha Muralidhara, Green Club founder Camellia Moors and faculty club sponsor Michelle Starr. (Kevin Weiss)

To do so, the Green Club has partnered with Friends of the Pasco Library System on a fundraiser to purchase and install several energy-saving capital improvements to reduce the library’s carbon footprint.

The library’s annual electric bill is $48,500, according to a Duke Energy audit performed last year.

The goal is to eventually cut that figure in half.

Initial desired upgrades include UV window shading, LED lighting, motion sensing light switches, and programmable timers.

The Green Club has set a fundraising goal of $25,000 by May 1. As of Feb. 9, $220 has been raised. In addition to organizing a GoFundMe page, the club also plans to apply for local, state and federal grants.

If enough cash is raised, the group will then look to tackle more expensive tasks such as air-conditioning upgrades, solar panels and added insulation at the library.

Duke Energy recommended many of those upgrades in its audit as a measure to improve the overall efficiency of the facility and decrease overall energy consumption.

County funds cover the library’s maintenance each year. However, there’s been little in the way of large-scale improvements to save on electricity since it opened on Collier Parkway in 1999.

Green Club founder and senior IB (International Baccalaureate) student Camellia Moors is the driving force behind the library energy-savings initiative.

She created the student organization during her junior year believing there wasn’t strong enough awareness on pressing environmental issues — including climate change and conservation — at the school or community level.

Moors decided a high-trafficked, public space — such as the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library — was the best place to start.

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) status is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. According to the United States Green Building Council, LEED ‘provides a framework to create healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings.’ (Courtesy of the United States Green Building Council)

“I figured that if you were going to do some sort of environmental change where you wanted people to see the change, you need to do it where they’re going to see it,” Moors said.

A longtime patron of the library, Moors correctly guessed it had a sizable electricity bill after noticing its fluorescent lights, untinted windows and outdated air conditioning system. “If you walk in the library, it’s pretty evident…they’re constantly running and having a huge energy consumption rate,” Moors said.

The Green Club, which has a handful of active members, has facilitated other activities, including recycling drives and environment-based educational classes. They’ve also planted a garden in front of the high school’s Academy of Culinary Arts building.

Green Club co-founder and member Sparsha Muralidhara said every little bit helps when it comes to preserving the environment.

“Change doesn’t have to be a national sweeping movement in one go. You can start in your own backyard and then work it up to your neighbors, and then your communities and from there,” she said.

Muralidhara’s passion for environmentalism harkens back to her family’s Indian roots and learning about rapid urbanization of the South Asian country. “Seeing a lot of our own natural parks and everything torn down to make way for urban blight and development was always disheartening,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library ‘greening’ project was embraced by library officials from the start, said Bob Harrison, public communications specialist for the Pasco County libraries, adding he’s been impressed by Moors’ activism and involvement.

“Anything that we can come up with obviously to reduce not only our carbon footprint but also to get that electric bill down is a win-win for everybody. We try to be good stewards of the taxpayers’ money, and if we can cut expenses on something like a giant utility bill then we’re definitely all for that,” Harrison said.

If the fundraiser’s successful, Land O’ Lakes would become the first Pasco branch library to earn LEED status. The county may also explore energy-saving upgrades to its six other branches, Harrison said.

Moors hopes the project will inspire other environmentalists at the grassroots level.

“It’s up to everybody who does have some basic awareness of the environment — and knows the importance of the environment — to continue that and stretch it out further and actually apply that knowledge more,” Moors said.

Want to help?
To donate, visit GoFundMe.com/land-o-lakes-library-greening. For information on the club, email .

Published February 14, 2018

Del Webb moves into Bexley

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Pulte Group broke ground on an 850-home, age-restricted Del Webb Bexley community in Land O’ Lakes on Jan. 31.

The age 55 and older community is the first “active-adult” project built by Pulte in the Tampa Bay area since 1960, according to a press release from Pulte Group.

“We feel the Tampa area is underserved for baby boomers looking to live in a place that is designed specifically for them,” said Sean Strickler, in a written statement.

Strickler is division president for the west Florida region for Pulte Group.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, left, Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Wells Jr., Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano, Hunter Booth, Toxey Hall, Aaron Baker, Kelli Bailey and Sean Strickler, division president for west Florida region for Pulte Group broke ground on the 850-home, age-restricted Del Webb Bexley community in Land O’ Lakes. (Courtesy of Boardroom PR)

Strickler attended the ground breaking along with executives from Pulte Group and Newland, Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Wells Jr., and commissioners Kathryn Starkey and Jack Mariano.

The homes are under construction at Sunlake Boulevard and Tower Road on about 490 acres within the master-planned Bexley by Newland Communities, off State Road 54. The gated community will be built in four phases, with the first homes expected to be move-in ready by spring 2019.

In a telephone interview, Strickler reported a construction start on model homes in October, with completion in January or February, 2019.

Already, about 2000 people have expressed an interest in moving there, he said. Some homes could be sold before the model homes are finished, he added.

“Del Webb always has a high degree of interest,” Strickler said. “But, this has exceeded our expectations because we haven’t done much advertising, except on the website.”

Del Webb’s last active-adult community was built in the Ruskin area in the early 1960s. Plans were underway for a Wesley Chapel community before the housing bust in 2009. “Obviously the market got in the way,” Strickler said.

But, it’s a different market today, and the Tampa Bay area is a magnet for baby boomers, he added.

Pulte also is one of the builders at the master-planned community of Epperson, which features the Crystal Lagoon. There are no current plans to build a Del Webb community there. But, Pulte has about 250 lots available, and has sold 11 homes. “We anticipate them going quickly,” Strickler said.

The Del Webb Bexley community will offer six single-family home designs, of two- to four-bedrooms and two- to four-bath rooms. There will be two- to three-car garages.

Home prices will start in the low $200,000 range.

Residents will have a 17,000 square-foot, multimillion dollar clubhouse that features a large social room; a café with snacks, beer, coffee and wine; a fitness area; a resort-style swimming pool; and, recreational activities overseen by a full-time lifestyle director.

Del Webb residents also can enjoy a lakefront club and café as part of the larger Bexley community. And for an additional fee, they can purchase access to Bexley’s “all-ages” amenities, which include 10 miles of multi-use Avid Trails, parks and playgrounds, a soccer field, dog park, two resort-style pools, a bike park and many social events.

For information, call (866) 230-6089, or visit DelWebb.com/bexley.

Published February 14, 2018

Local Boy Scouts and their parents help food pantry

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A group of men and women gathered recently at Harvester United Methodist Church, off Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes, to lug bags and boxes of food from a room in the church to their SUVs and mini-vans in the church parking lot.

Megan Backhus, a sister of a scout, Kenneth Huffman, a Cub Scout with Pack 323 and Boy Scouts from Troop 707 Nikolaus Lappe, Jared Backhus, Owen Lowry, Sawyer Spiegel, Iain Lappe and Lawrence Huffman helped collect food during a recent food drive at Publix. (Courtesy of Boy Scout Troop 707)

They made numerous trips carrying all sorts of items, including potato chips, granola bars, Goldfish, pasta, Little Bites, pudding cups, bottled water, Gatorade, and canned fruits and vegetables, among other things.

The adult volunteers chatted and laughed, as they worked.

There was so much stuff that they found themselves putting down seats to make more room in their vehicles.

Ultimately there were enough groceries to fill five cars.

They never expected such a bounty from the two-day food collection campaign conducted by Boy Scout Troop 707, of Land O’ Lakes.

“We were flabbergasted,” said Kay Svendgard, a mom volunteer with the troop.

Jacquie Petet, executive director of Christian Social Services in Land O’ Lakes, was all smiles when the crew of adult volunteers for Boy Scout Troop 707 showed up with five vehicles full of food. (B.C. Manion)

The boys stood outside the Publix store at the Shoppes at New Tampa, off of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. They collected donations on a Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and a Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Others helped, including siblings of the scouts, their parents and some members of Cub Scout Pack 323, which feeds into Boy Scout Troop 707.

As shoppers walked into the store, the volunteers would hand them a Publix flyer and tell them they were collecting food for Christian Social Services, which has a food pantry in Land O’ Lakes, Svendgard said.

“They would point out some of the Buy One, Get One Free, and would ask them, if they would like to come out and give us food,” she added.

During the first shift alone, there was enough food donated to fill the back of a truck, Svendgard said.

Kay Svengard fills a grocery cart with some of the goods collected by Boy Scout Troop 707 in a food drive for Christian Social Services.

“I was like ‘Holy Moly, that’s unbelievable.’,” she added. “Every shift, we had the same result. Not only food, but cash donations.”

Troop 707 does a variety of community service projects each year, including the most recent food drive.

“One of the things that the boys learn from scouting is that you need to give back to your community,” Svendgard said.

“The church itself does not have a food pantry,” she added, so it supports Christian Social Services, which does help the hungry.

Troop 707 — which by the way signifies LOL (Land O’ Lakes) flipped upside down — is made up of 36 boys.

Christian Social Services has a good supply of food to help people in need because of generous holiday donations, said Jacquie Petet, the organization’s executive director. Come summer, it will be very grateful for the additional donations brought by Boy Scout Troop 707, she said.

The troop gets a lot of support from parents, Svendgard said.  “We have a great group of adults that help make Troop 707 great,” she said.

Some of them showed up to help deliver the groceries to Christian Social Services.

Among them were Dan Backhus and Steve Koenig, who are both assistant scout masters.

The two men have a couple of other things in common, too. For one thing, both of them are Eagle Scouts. For another, their sons, who are now freshmen in high school, have been scouts together since first grade.

Doreen Perez, who also is active with the troop, and Mike Thors, a volunteer parent, were also on hand to help deliver the groceries.

“I did not expect this much,” Perez said, surveying the room inside the church that was piled with bags and bags of groceries.

Steve Koenig, himself an Eagle Scout, enjoys being involved with Boy Scout Troop 707. He is an assistant scout master.

She was pleased by the kindness of strangers.

“On the first shift, there was a woman who came in. She was so excited she went in and bought an entire cart full of vegetables,” Perez said.

Backhus, who works at that Publix, also was delighted by the community’s generosity.

“I was just super-impressed. It was so uplifting. Everybody — they were so nice,” Backhus said.

When the volunteers arrived with their cars full of food, Jacquie Petet, executive director of Christian Social Services, offered this response: “Holy Cow! We are blessed.”

The charitable organization has food left from its holiday donations, but knows that the supplies will dwindle.

“Come summer, we’ll be so grateful,” Petet said. “This is wonderful.”

Published February 14, 2018

Sinkhole response: Fence and landscaping?

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Pasco County likely will opt to close off a sinkhole that swallowed two houses in Lake Padgett Estates with a fence and landscaping, to mimic, as much as possible, the appearance of a retention pond.

Consultants say that other options, including rebuilding Ocean Pines Drive, would risk additional environmental damage.

Consultants also recommend against building cul-de-sacs near the sinkhole, which Pasco County officials had hoped garbage trucks and emergency vehicles could use.

Instead, the county will determine if a “hammerhead” turn-around would be feasible if it is placed on an easement next to a residence, but at a safe distance from the sinkhole.

A sinkhole on Ocean Pines Drive in Lake Padgett Estates opened up in July 2017 and swallowed two houses. (File)

Kevin Guthrie, assistant county administrator for public safety, outlined those recommendations at a recent workshop with the Pasco County Commission.

No decision has been made yet, and Guthrie plans to meet with area residents to review the consultant’s report.

If the county installs the fence and landscaping, Ocean Pines would remain closed off at the site of the sinkhole.

On one side of the sinkhole, it would retain its current name. The other side would be renamed.

Estimates on fencing and landscaping were pegged at about $50,000 during an October workshop to review options.

According to consultants, rebuilding the roadway with sheet piles driven underground would create strong vibrations and risk unsettling the sinkhole and surrounding areas.

At any time, even 20 years into the future, the road could collapse, Guthrie said.

“We may put people in danger by doing so,” he said. “Even to put a cul-de-sac, we may do more harm to the environment.”

The sinkhole opened on July 14, 2017, at 21825 Ocean Pines Drive. It eventually swallowed two houses, a motorcycle and a boat.

Seven additional houses have been condemned as unsafe.

The county approved $1.3 million for initial cleanup and stabilization of the site.

At an October workshop, county commissioners had reviewed a range of options.

  • Build a fence around the sinkhole with a cul-de-sac on each side, at an estimated cost of $1.7 million
  • Connect the sinkhole to Lake Saxon with a cul-de-sac to each side of the lake, at a cost of $2.5 million
  • Rebuild Ocean Pines Drive, which runs between the sinkhole, at a cost of $800,000

Published February 7, 2018

An underpass for U.S. 41/State Road 54?

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Talk of solving traffic jams at U.S. 41 and State Road 54 often centers on building elevated lanes to ease massive numbers of vehicles through the intersection.

But now, Pasco County’s Metro Planning Organization wants to toss in a new solution – an underpass that would tunnel under the intersection.

Pasco County will consider an underpass as a solution to traffic gridlock at U.S. 41 and State Road 54. (File)

Consultants with Tindale-Oliver will complete a $15,000 study to determine if the underpass would work, and what the potential costs would be. The study, which will also consider an underpass at Little Road and State Road 54, is expected to take 60 days to 90 days.

“We should be able to see every possible option that is available,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey agreed.

“I think we should see if it’s an option or not,” she said.

The study’s answers will determine whether to add the underpass to a list of recommendations already produced by a volunteer task force. The task force for “Vision 54/56” has spent about two years on the matter.

They whittled 18 recommendations to four recommendations. Their choices included a system of parallel frontage roads at-grade level and elevated express lanes at major intersections. No build also is an option, but underpasses weren’t in the mix.

Task force member Sandy Graves said digging underground raises concerns about sinkholes. “How would that work?” she asked.

The MPO board, which reviews transportation matters, is composed of Pasco County commissioners, and elected officials of the county’s cities. David Gwynn, secretary of District 7 for the Florida Department of Transportation, is a nonvoting advisor.

The board unanimously approved funds for the study at the Jan. 11 meeting in Dade City. Board members tabled a review and vote on the recommendations from the task force.

If the underpass is deemed feasible, the county could ask the task force to reconvene. The cost of the study initially was $35,000, which included the consultants facilitating a task force meeting with documentation and additional analysis.

MPO board members balked at the additional $20,000 of cost, choosing instead to explore holding a future task force meeting with county staff members.

Trinity resident and commercial real estate agent Charles Puccini spoke during public comment and urged the board to carefully consider their final recommendations. He said the roadwork on U.S. 19 has made area businesses less visible and accessible.

“Make sure the solutions do not effectively block and damage the economy of Pasco County,” he said.

Regarding the task force, Puccini said: “It’s a great idea what you’re doing here.”

Published January 24, 2018

Ballantrae Village is adding more shops

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Taco Bell is the newest tenant at the Shoppes of Ballantrae Village.

The Mexican fast-food restaurant joins DQ Grill & Chill and Circle K in a retail shopping plaza that is almost fully constructed, off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes.

Within 30 days, Dunkin’ Donuts is expected to open in a spot between Taco Bell and DQ Grill & Chill.

Taco Bell is open for business at the Shoppes of Ballantrae Village. The fast-food restaurant joins Circle K and DQ Grill & Chill. (Kathy Steele)

In March, more shops, a spa, a dental office and a Japanese restaurant will open, said David McComas, chief executive officer of European Equities Corporation. His firm is handling tenant negotiations for the plaza.

The list of tenants includes Domino’s Pizza, T-Mobile and Hungry Greek.

Dentist Lisa Brooks also will occupy one suite, and Casablanca Spa will be in another.

“It will be nice. It will create some balance,” McComas said. “I think it will have a lot of curb appeal. Everything is coming out tastefully.”

The current list of shops and restaurants aren’t all that will open.

Three additional parcels are currently under negotiations, McComas said. And, another outparcel on the opposite side of Aprile Drive, across from Taco Bell, likely will have a day care center, he said.

One access point into the plaza is at Aprile Drive, a new road that intersects with State Road 54, by the Taco Bell on the eastern boundary. Entry also onto Aprile Drive and the plaza can be made at the entrance into Ballantrae subdivision, farther west at Ballantrae Boulevard, by Circle K.

The area is bustling with new development, spurred in part by about 50,000 vehicles that drive along the state road daily. And, new residential is bringing more customers to the area.

The Ballantrae community is built on about 436 acres, has six villages and about 970 homes.

To the south of Ballantrae, Long Lake Ranch homes are under construction. Northward, Bexley Ranch and Asturia are adding new subdivisions, with single family homes and apartments.

And, Mystic Pointe is a new apartment complex under construction at Meadowbrook Drive.

Published January 10, 2018

Two award-winning teachers create ‘safe’ places to learn

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Drop by Hannah Trapani’s mathematics classroom and chances are the teacher will be helping her students figure out a complicated mathematics problem by literally drawing it out.

Trapani has been known to have students cut dyed spaghetti into specific lengths and glue the pieces to a graph, to help drive home a lesson.

“If they can start visualizing what they’re doing, I think that helps a lot,” Trapani said.

And, she’s always on the lookout for new ways to deliver instruction.

Hannah Trapani, who teaches Algebra II Honors and Advanced Placement Statistics, has been singled out for her outstanding work as a mathematics teacher.
(B.C. Manion)

“I’m constantly on Pinterest. I’m constantly on any website I can find — to try to make it easier for the kids to understand things,” the Land O’ Lakes High School teacher said.

She encourages students in her Advanced Placement Statistics and Algebra II Honors classes to risk failure because, by overcoming a fear of not knowing, they gain deeper understanding.

Meanwhile, Terry Stanley, a science teacher at the same school, also realizes that to truly learn, students must be willing to initially miss the mark.

One recent day, there was a steady hum of activity, as Stanley moved about the classroom. She helped some who were peering into microscopes, checked in with others about their observations and answered questions as they came up.

When they completed their task, she instructed her students to compare their work against published results. She directed them to offer reasons for why their results were similar or different.

As Stanley engages her Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate students, she isn’t seeking only to prepare them to perform well on tests. She has a higher aim: She wants them to develop critical thinking skills that will serve them throughout life.

While their subject matter is different, Trapani and Stanley have much in common.

For one thing, they are each recipients of a Barrett Family Foundation Excellence in Science/Mathematics Teacher Award, which recognizes outstanding teachers of mathematics and science.

Three sections of seniors taking an International Baccalaureate Biology course taught by Terry Stanley made skeletons during their muscle unit. The students took information they’d heard in the classroom, as well as information they’d read, and translated that into a three-dimensional model.

The award is provided by a nonprofit charity, based in Clearwater. It honors teachers who share their energy and enthusiasm for science or mathematics through creative and innovative methods. It carries a $10,000 prize for each recipient.

While they share many professional characteristics, they came into teaching on different paths.

Stanley said she knew from an early age that she enjoyed teaching others.

“I remember in first grade, I would do my work as effectively and as efficiently as I possibly could, so that I could be awarded to go help the next-door kindergarten teacher,” Stanley said.

Trapani, on the other hand, initially was interested in becoming a physical therapist. When she got one B, though, she dropped that idea. She knew the acceptance criteria was stringent, and didn’t think she’d be selected over others who had achieved straight As.

So, Trapani turned to something else that felt like a natural fit.

“I grew up teaching my younger brothers and sisters,” explained Trapani, who comes from a family of six children.

“In high school, the teacher would teach and I would sit next to a couple of people, and they would say: ‘Explain that to me again.’ I would help people,” Trapani added. “I knew I was always good at explaining things to other people.

“I think it (becoming a teacher) was always meant to be. I don’t think it was one defining moment. It was more like giving in to your fate,” Trapani said.

Removing barriers to learning
While both educators now teach in Land O’ Lakes High School’s International Baccalaureate program, their experience also includes teaching students of wide-ranging ability levels.

Trapani said she thinks she is a better teacher because she personally struggled as a learner and because she has taught struggling students.

“I know what it’s like to work really hard, and to finally be able to understand,” Trapani said.

Plus, she said, students at every ability level can find themselves struggling at times.

“You get these kids that are gifted and because they are so smart, they have never struggled. “And then they get to your class, and Algebra II is really the first time they see really new math.

Terry Stanley recaps a lesson and her expectations at the end of a class period during a recent class at Land O’ Lakes High School. She has been honored for being an outstanding science teacher.

“Those kids who have never had to study, who have never struggled, never hit that wall (before),” she said.

Trapani helps students by teaching them how to study for her classes.

She also makes it abundantly clear that she’s available to help students who need it.

She makes an effort at getting to know her students.

“When I go around and I check homework, I make eye contact with every person,” she said.

“I try to really connect with the kids; I think that makes a huge difference. I think if they feel you are there for them, then they’ll be there for you,” Trapani said.

“I try to help them understand that their self-worth is not wrapped up in whether or not they’re perfect at this problem, and whether or not they have an A. In the end, are they going to be a good person? Are they going to weather the storm?

“The fact that they failed my test, I’m not heartbroken about it,” Trapani said. And, she said a student who fails a test shouldn’t be heartbroken, either. Instead, her attitude is: “Let’s find a way to overcome this.”

Learning the course content is important, Stanley said, but when students leave her classroom she wants them “to know how to think, how to observe, how to ask questions.”

Stanley believes teachers must find ways to reach their students.

Teachers need to understand their audience, each individual,and then tailor-make their lessons to bring their students to the place they need to be, Stanley said.

“If they’re not interested, I try to find commonality with them. I try to find an entry point, if you will, for conversations outside of the content area.

“They understand that they have to perform in the class, but it’s a journey, and we’re going on this journey together.

“How are we going to get you to that point where you need to be?

“I’m here to help you. I’m your coach. I’m here to help you get where you need to be,” said Stanley, who teaches Advanced Placement Biology and IB Biology.

Some students are stymied by a lack of confidence, she said. Some just want to regurgitate what they’ve read in a book.

Stanley recalled that a student once told her: “I know everything I need to know about biology.”

She told the student she was happy for him, but to let her know if that perspective changed.

A few weeks later he came back to her and said: “I realize that what I know Miss Stanley is what I read in a book, and superficial. I can’t think through these problems that you’re putting on this test.”

It’s moments like those — when an obstacle to learning has been removed or overcome — that are especially gratifying, both teachers said.

Both Stanley and Trapani were pleased by the recognition they received from the Barrett Family Foundation award, and enjoyed celebrating their success with their families.

And, they have another thing in common, too.

“I absolutely love what I do,” Trapani said.

Stanley added: “I always was drawn to teaching. I just always had a passion for explaining things, observing, questioning.”

Kudos for Hannah Trapani and Terry Stanley
Hannah Trapani and Terry Stanley are each recipients of a Barrett Family Foundation Excellence in Science/Mathematics Teacher Award. Trapani teaches mathematics and Stanley teaches science, both at Land O’ Lakes High School.

Here are some excerpts from letters of support submitted on each teacher’s behalf in their nomination packets for the award.

Hannah Trapani
“Mrs. Trapani told her students that she would always be available after school … Mrs. Trapani’s devotion of her time to offer one-on-one help to me and other students who would stay after school was crucial to my success.” – Land O’ Lakes High student Ashley Kupferman

“Hannah gives freely of her time to students who struggle. She will help them during her lunch hour, before and/or after school. If a student is having difficulty with a standard, she will approach them and offer extra help and guide them to websites that provide assistance as well.” — Land O’ Lakes High mathematics teacher Amy Smith

“Hannah directs every ounce of energy towards helping all students learn. She accomplishes this by looking at each student as an individual with unlimited capabilities.” – Land O’ Lakes High Principal Ric Mellin

Terry Stanley
“… the abundance of laboratory experiments, which far exceeds my previous classroom experience, causes students to genuinely comprehend and understand the importance of the work they are doing. Ms. Stanley’s class looks to confront head-on that quintessential high-schooler question of ‘Who cares?’ and silence it with a simple answer: ‘Me.’”— Land O’ Lakes High student Camellia Moors

“To teach is to light a fire in the mind. If our role as educators is to guide students to explore the unknown, then Terry Stanley has accomplished this thousands of times over.” — Land O’ Lakes Assistant Principal Jeff Morgenstein

“Although it has been several years since I have walked the halls of Land O’ Lakes High School, I can safely say that my experience in Ms. Terry Stanley’s classroom changed my life in ways I am still realizing to this very day. Each day in her classroom was a chance to learn new and exciting things about the world around me. Going to class wasn’t just a boring lecture, it was interactive research, it was working together, and it was putting what we learned to the test.” — Land O’ Lakes High School graduate Blake Lash, now a research scientist

Published December 27, 2017

Monday hours at Land O’ Lakes library a hit

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Residents are counting the ways that make Monday visits to the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library special.

They are using computers and taking wood shop lessons; reducing stress with tai chi and yoga; learning techniques for light painting photography; clicking needles in knitting classes; and just using the extra time to browse the bookshelves for a favorite read.

Gail Fowler is just one of the library patrons who is enjoying the restored Monday hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Volunteer Tom Cassidy, left, helps Gene McDaniel learn the woodworking techniques of making a bowl. (Kathy Steele)

She’s a fan of the library’s Internet access. She said she and her family use library computers for “just about everything,” including emails and searching the Web.

Before the hours were recently restored, library hours had fallen victim to the 2008 economic crash, and the ensuing shrinking budgets in the county.

Now, over the next three years as budgets allow, the goal is to restore library hours countywide to the 2008 standard of 40 hours a week per library.

It has taken a decade to begin reversing previous cuts.

The fiscal year 2018 budget, which began on Oct. 1, restored Monday hours for the Land O’ Lakes library and the Regency Park Branch Library in New Port Richey.

As word spreads, “we’re starting to increase the number of people that are coming,” said Kathleen Rothstein, Land O’ Lakes branch manager. “It’s great to offer additional night hours and a day.”

The library also is open on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

On a recent Monday, teenagers did homework or got tutoring in the three study rooms at the library.

A teen photography class on how to do painting with light launched on Monday, and quickly filled up.

Ash Paudel, 13, works on a Christmas-themed sketch at a painting class for children taught by his mother, Anjana Thapa Paudel. About a half-dozen children came to the class, held on a Monday evening at Land O’ Lakes Branch Library.

“We’re hoping to turn it into a club, where they can acquire some fun skills,” said Danielle Cram, teen services librarian.

Artist Anjana Thapa Paudel volunteers to teach painting and drawing skills to children.

About a half-dozen students worked on a Monday night on a Christmas-based theme sketch.

Thapa Paudel also teaches knitting at the library’s Foundry.

“We made Santa pants this month,” she said.

Volunteer Tom Cassidy helped library patron, Gene McDaniel, make a bowl, on a Monday morning in the library’s makerspace, in the Foundry room.

It can get tricky to get the finer points right, Cassidy said. Sometimes, bowls end up with holes in the bottom and become funnels, he added.

McDaniel is a “snow bird” from Ohio, but when he’s in Pasco County, he likes to hang out at the Land O’ Lakes library and make things.

The library’s Monday hours means that he can do that more often.

“Now, I just come here and have fun,” McDaniel said.

His wife comes sometimes, too. McDaniel said she’d probably like to make a fancy French rolling pin.

Ray Penn worked on a couple of wood toys he planned to give as Christmas presents.

“I did this in high school,” said the retired truck driver. “It works out. I come here and kill three or four days.”

For information on dates and times for scheduled library events at Land O’ Lakes and other branch libraries, visit PascoCountyLibraries.org.

Published December 27, 2017