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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Land O' Lakes News

Area Odyssey of the Mind teams qualify for world competition

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An Odyssey of the Mind team from Pine View Middle School will head to the OM World competition in Ames, Iowa, at the end of May.

This Odyssey of the Mind team from Land O’ Lakes High placed second at a state competition to qualify for the World OM competition, but they won’t be attending because of scheduling conflicts. Shown here, from left to right are Blake Lash, Raelynn Lewis, Jenny Huynh, Taylore Presta, Victoria Arriaga, and Rachel Granruth. Dalton Sihite is kneeling on the ground in front of the group. (Courtesy of Jenny Huynh)
This Odyssey of the Mind team from Land O’ Lakes High placed second at a state competition to qualify for the World OM competition, but they won’t be attending because of scheduling conflicts. Shown here, from left to right are Blake Lash, Raelynn Lewis, Jenny Huynh, Taylore Presta, Victoria Arriaga, and Rachel Granruth. Dalton Sihite is kneeling on the ground in front of the group.
(Courtesy of Jenny Huynh)

Another OM team from Land O’ Lakes High School also qualified for the international competition, but is not going because of the competition’s timing. All of the members on that team are graduating seniors and are busy with senior year activities.

A total of six of the 57 Pasco County teams that competed at the state level qualified for the international contest. The other qualifying teams are Mitchell and Gulf high schools, Deer Park Elementary and Seven Springs Middle schools.

Odyssey of the Mind is an international program that encourages youths to work together as teams to use their creative and analytical skills to solve problems.

The Pine View team, which placed second in its division, tackled a problem called “Not So Haunted House.”

The Pine View team — made up of Cameron Mitchell, Zachery Dahm, Tristan Wiles, Cody Schwartz, Caleb Leeb and Timmy Heuser — is psyched about competing at worlds. They’ll battle 67 teams from such places as Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mexico, India, Russia and Great Britain.

Some team members think they have a pretty good shot for a good showing at worlds. Others aren’t so sure. “It’s not necessarily about if we’re in the top or in the bottom. We made it to worlds. That says something,” said Tristan Wiles, whose mother, Stacy Wiles, coaches the team.

Schwartz is looking forward to the experience, no matter how the team does.

“I get to meet people from around the world,” he said.

When it came to solving the problem at state, the team had no trouble figuring out their theme, Heuser said. But agreeing to the approach to use was more challenging.

“Everybody wanted to do their own thing, and then nobody understood what the other person was saying,” Heuser said.

Leeb agreed, joking: “Success is 1 percent inspiration, 99 percent perspiration and 100 percent bickering.”

But they worked through it, Stacy Wiles noted.

“It was not an easy process and that’s what makes it so cool,” the coach said.

It’s a balancing act, Tristan Wiles said.

“We all have to come together to create a solution,” Tristan Wiles said. “We all have to be one team, in order to solve the problem. That’s the whole point of this. You need to learn how to work well with each other. You need to learn to listen to each other.”

The coach has confidence in them because they are funny, creative, resourceful and kind, Stacy Wiles said.

Each team member brings different strengths. Mitchell and Dahm are good at tackling logistics and engineering. Tristan Wiles is artistic. Schwartz places a key role in writing the script. Heuser helps keep things rolling and does considerable backstage work.

The team must cover its own expenses for the trip, but Pine View’s PTSA and Pasco County Schools both contributed $1,000 each to help cover the costs, the coach said.

Although the Land O’ Lakes team isn’t traveling to worlds, team members — Rachel Granruth, Victoria Arriaga, Dalton Sihite, Blake Lash, Raelynn Lewis, Taylore Presta, and Jenny Huynh — are delighted that they qualified.

They used an out-of-this-world approach to tackling their challenge, which was called “Driver’s Test.” The vehicle they made traveled through space, in their imaginary world.

Their skit included alien beings that worshipped Beyoncé and channeled Justin Bieber. They adapted songs from stage musicals such as “The Book of Mormon” and “Hairspray,” and they incorporated solar flares and shooting stars in their story line.

In short, they had a blast coming up with ideas and executing them.

They also spent a lot of time working together to prepare for the state competition.

“You learn some practical skills. I know how to sew now,” Sihite said.

“I know how to use power tools,” Huynh said.

“Everyone is good at something,” Arriaga said. “You build on each other’s ideas.”

Lewis thinks more students should get involved in OM.

“It’s a really interesting mix of sciences and arts,” she said.

Many members of the team have been doing OM for years, Lash said. He was even coached by Stacy Wiles when he attended Pine View.

Lash has been involved, he said, because it’s fun. Other teammates agreed.

Andrew Southwick, the OM sponsor for the Land O’ Lakes team, is a former OM competitor. He was impressed by the team’s performance.

“Their personalities are a little bit intense,” Southwick said, but they worked well together. “It’s good to see that creativity isn’t dead.”

Published May 14, 2014

New community could create traffic chaos for Silver Lakes residents

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While a development review committee headed by Pasco County administrator Michele Baker was focused on how fast boats should travel on a private lake, Bobbi Smith had a much bigger concern about a proposed new community near Caliente Resorts in Land O’ Lakes.

More agricultural land in northern Land O’ Lakes could be history if Pasco County approves the rezoning of more than 68 acres just off Fletch Road south of Caliente Boulevard. Southern Crafted Homes wants to build 100 homes there off Curve Lake. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
More agricultural land in northern Land O’ Lakes could be history if Pasco County approves the rezoning of more than 68 acres just off Fletch Road south of Caliente Boulevard. Southern Crafted Homes wants to build 100 homes there off Curve Lake.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

“The thing is truly the safety issue of getting in and getting out,” said Smith, who lives on a small rural road just off U.S. 41 in the community of Silver Lakes. That street, barely wide enough to hold a single car, could carry traffic from another 100 houses if Southern Crafted Homes is allowed to build on more than 68 acres around Curve Lake.

The land is owned by John and Theresa Edwards, and is filled with old orange groves at the gravel end of Fletch Road. About 40 homes are currently located near the lake on Fletch and Barcellona roads, which all exit to a busy, four-lane Land O’ Lakes Boulevard. And even with the smaller number of homes, there’s no traffic light, so cars typically back up on Barcellona as traffic looks to get out on the busy thoroughfare.

“There’s no way you can have all those homes, and have just one road to get out,” Smith said.

But if Southern Crafted Homes is going to build homes, they’ll also have to build upgraded streets along Fletch and Barcellona that will accommodate higher traffic loads, Baker said during a recent development review meeting. Upgrades would include two distinct lanes of traffic, and even curbs.

The new community also could be required to consider building roads across neighboring properties, known as interconnects, which would link the new Edwards community to Caliente Boulevard to the northwest and Ehren Cutoff to the east. However, those roads won’t happen until neighboring parcels are developed into homes, and Smith and others already living in Silver Lakes say that development there could be decades off, if ever.

That brings the focus back to Fletch Road, which was partially paved in the late 1990s when the Silver Lakes community was built. A traffic analysis says Fletch is in good shape, county officials said, so Southern Crafted wouldn’t have to do anything with the paved portion of the road.

Baker, however, was concerned that a 15-year-old road shouldn’t be ignored in an upgrade, especially if traffic is going to increase significantly on it.

“That is going to be their only access point,” Baker said during the development review meeting.

When the road does require repaving, Silver Lakes residents would have to carry the cost burden and not the new community, she added.

Southern Crafted already would be responsible for upgrading roads at no cost to the existing residents, so they would pay their fair share, assistant county attorney David Goldstein said.

The development is “paying to bring the entire road” up to standards, he said. Silver Lakes residents are “getting a new road basically for free from these people, so why should they have to pay more in the future when they are paying to upgrade it now?”

How that would be resolved will have to wait until the next step in the review process, however. Baker and the rest of her development review committee agreed to pass that issue to the construction plan review committee, which would consider the proposal if the county commission approves rezoning to allow the new community.

Smith, who attended the meeting, said she’ll be back to address her traffic concerns again.

“The community has a right to safety and transportation in and out, otherwise none of this would be a big deal,” Smith said. “Everyone has the right to build, but we also have a right to come and go safely.”

Published May 14, 2014

Land O’ Lakes art student wins a trip to Washington

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There’s a lot more to the portrait of Kris Keppel than meets the eye.

No doubt the pencil drawing is an excellent likeness of the Land O’ Lakes coach, who has led the high school’s track and cross-country teams for more than two decades.

Trevor Nichols won Best of Show in Gus Bilirakis’ Congressional Art Competition for this pencil drawing of Land O’ Lakes High School coach Kris Keppel. (Courtesy of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis)
Trevor Nichols won Best of Show in Gus Bilirakis’ Congressional Art Competition for this pencil drawing of Land O’ Lakes High School coach Kris Keppel.
(Courtesy of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis)

The quality of the work is so good that a professional artist judging U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis’ Congressional Art Competition deemed it best of show.

By winning the competition, Nichols will get to travel to Washington, D.C., with one of his parents. They’ll get a tour of the White House and Capitol building, and will get to have lunch in the Congressional dining room. His art will be in the Capitol building for the next year.

Nichols, who is a senior at Land O’ Lakes High, is pleased by the recognition, and excited about getting to see Washington. When he began drawing the portrait, however, he had another goal in mind.

“I really wanted to give my coach something as a gift, something he could have to remind him of me,” said Nichols, who, along with his twin brother Travis, has been on Keppel’s track team for four years and his cross-country team almost as long.

The coach also is a neighbor of the Nichols, and a family friend.

The gesture is particularly poignant because Keppel has been battling pancreatic cancer, a fact that has inspired athletes and friends to rally behind him.

“After everything he’s been going through with the cancer, I thought it was something I should do,” said Nichols, who based his portrait on a photograph that his mom took at the state track meet in Tallahassee.

Trevor-coach keppel image

Nichols credits his art teacher, Cynthia Smith, for helping him develop his ideas and pushing him to keep him on track.

Keppel was flattered by the portrait and impressed by the amount of detail. He said it’s not the first time that Nichols has used his artistic talents on behalf of others, noting the youth has designed two T-shirts used by the team.

Keppel is recovering from a surgery known as the Whipple procedure, which involved cutting into his stomach, taking out his gallbladder, and removing about one-third of his pancreas.

He knows the survival statistics are grim for patients with pancreatic cancer, but he’s keeping an optimistic attitude.

“Remaining positive is the most important thing,” Keppel said.

Nichols is the son of Lynn and Penny Nichols. He plans to attend the University of South Florida and pursue a degree in architecture.

Published May 14, 2014

Pasco lacks incentive to create filmmaking destination

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Years of filming low-budget shorts in and around Pasco County finally paid off for Christopher Leto when investors offered $250,000 to fund his biggest movie yet, a horror thriller called “The Ritual.”

Land O’ Lakes filmmaker Christopher Leto shot his independent film ‘Die Die Delta Phi’ in Pasco County, but his first larger-budget film, ‘The Ritual,’ moved to Sarasota County because of the financial incentives in place there. (Courtesy of Chris Leto)
Land O’ Lakes filmmaker Christopher Leto shot his independent film ‘Die Die Delta Phi’ in Pasco County, but his first larger-budget film, ‘The Ritual,’ moved to Sarasota County because of the financial incentives in place there.
(Courtesy of Chris Leto)

Yet when filming starts later this month, it won’t happen anywhere near his Land O’ Lakes home. Instead, Leto and his crew are heading south to Sarasota County where he can take advantage of film incentives like a 20 percent rebate on certain purchases, and waived costs for government services.

“I met with the film commission there, and they were amazing,” Leto said. “Everything I asked them to do, they would bend over backward to help me get what I needed.”

But if he had a choice, Leto would’ve much preferred to stay right in Pasco County.

“I didn’t want to go to Sarasota to shoot my movie,” he said. “But they have incentives that are really nice.”

Pasco has what officials here call a simple permitting process with no fees, and a requirement to carry an insurance rider that costs around $85. But don’t expect too much help beyond that, because Pasco County not only lacks incentives for filmmakers, it lacks an actual film commission.

The work instead is handled through Pasco’s Office of Tourism Development, a department led by Ed Caum, who admits he is forced to wear so many hats, the film industry is almost an afterthought. Which is probably why the county’s website still links production companies to the closed mailbox of Eric Keaton, who hasn’t been with the county since last year.

“I’m not making any excuses, but I’m probably one of the only people on my staff trained to” update the website, Caum said. “And I’m always sitting in on meetings and doing other work, that I can’t seem to get to it.”

Pasco has never been ignored by filmmakers, which can offer a little bit of everything when it comes to locales. It has beaches on the west side of the county. It has historic structures throughout Dade City. It has virtually untouched forests.

However, it’s been a long time since a major production dug in roots in Pasco County … almost 25 years, when a rather unknown director named Tim Burton brought Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder here to film “Edward Scissorhands.” And it could be even longer before something else follows, especially after the Florida Legislature last week decided not to renew statewide incentives to attract major productions.

That leaves smaller, independent productions. But even they may be endangered, as the infrastructure for busy filmmaking markets will likely migrate to states that offer financial incentives to lure major films.

That could be troublesome for Kelly Mikes, an independent film producer who lives in Lutz. She worked with writer R. Presley Stephens to film “You Will Love Me,” which included some exterior shots in Pasco. Without the skilled crews available to work on set or location, filming here could become difficult, if not impossible.

“There aren’t a lot of outside resources in this area, because there just isn’t any competition,” Mikes said. “Those who are here are charging exorbitant amounts, and not everyone can afford to pay that.”

Keeping film production locally cannot only keep jobs in the area, but can also provide a much-needed boost to the economy. The Motion Picture Association of America claims that for every dollar in incentives offered by government officials to attract film, the return on investment is, at the very minimum, $5.60.

Sometimes, that return could be as high as $20.

That means even $5,000 in incentives could generate an economic boost of between $28,000 and $100,000. Incentive packages generate revenue for businesses like retail outlets and hotels. They provide paychecks for workers who make their home here.

But that can’t help Pasco quite yet, Caum said. Implementing such a program, maintaining it, and getting the word out to filmmakers it exists, requires a full-time commissioner. And there’s no money for one of those.

“That is a sophistication level we need to get to,” Caum said.

He hopes he can start sharing some ideas with Pasco County commissioners about promoting film production around September. However, the tourism department will still have to find revenue sources to pay for it.

Still, even without statewide incentives, there’s no reason why Pasco couldn’t eventually find its legs in the film industry to keep up with Hillsborough County for now, and maybe even someday reach the levels of Pinellas County, which has churned out films like “Dolphin Tale” and “Magic Mike,” Caum said.

It couldn’t come soon enough for Leto, who would like to keep productions from his Reaper Films company right at home.

“It’s a beautiful place to film,” Leto said. “But more importantly, it’s close to home, and I want to stay here.”

Published  May 7, 2014

Plantation Palms Golf Club closes down once again

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Unless you’re a resident, a guest or a vendor, anyone thinking about trying to get into the Plantation Palms community off Collier Parkway should think again.

The community is on lockdown, even during the day. And it’s all because the golf course has shut down … again.

It’s closed again. Plantation Palms Golf Club has shut down the course, and once again it’s not clear when it will reopen. (File Photo)
It’s closed again. Plantation Palms Golf Club has shut down the course, and once again it’s not clear when it will reopen.
(File Photo)

Nine months after closing for a week, Plantation Palms Golf Club has shuttered its links once again, and this time there’s no telling when it might reopen.

That’s forced the homeowners association at Plantation Palms to act swiftly to protect not only its residents, but the private golf course as well.

“While not our property and not our legal responsibility, (the golf course) is a critical component of our neighborhood,” the board, led by president David Gunsteens, said in a written statement to The Laker/Lutz News. “Many of our residents purchased their homes here because of the excellent golf course. Not only that, but one of the benefits all of us enjoy in living in a golf course community, whether golf enthusiasts or not, is the strength in property value.

“So when the golf course is impacted negatively, it has a detrimental effect on all of us.”

The golf course is not maintained by the HOA, but instead by a private group, MJS Golf Club LLC, which has struggled to keep the 156-acre course open. Golf swings stopped for a week last August in what one of the owners, Jason Ray, described at the time as a perfect storm of bad luck.

“It was just a culmination of a lot of things that led up to the closing, but mostly the economy,” Ray said at the time. “It’s been too hot, and it’s been raining, and the culmination of all that just resulted in not a lot of people playing golf. Summertime is always tough for all the golf courses.”

But it’s not summertime now, and what happened this time, no one is sharing. Ray, who is part of MJS Golf Club with Mitch Osceola and Steve McDonald, did not return calls on Monday before The Laker/Lutz News went to press.

One thing is for certain: Bills were racking up for the golf course. Several liens against Plantation Palms have been filed in recent months, according to county records, including a $2,915 claim from Omega Field Enterprises for trimming 83 palm trees.

Pasco County filed two liens of its own last month totaling $5,300 for solid waste disposal, and Lake Masters Aquatic Weed Control won a judgment against the golf course last January for more than $9,000.

MJS Golf did have some good news last week, however. A proposed $13,000 penalty issued against it by the Southwest Florida Water Management District last September was reduced to $2,000. The agency, more commonly known as Swiftmud, had originally claimed the company overpumped water in 2012. However, officials later determined that there was a leak in the reclaimed water system, and MJS simply failed to notify Swiftmud it had to switch to the potable water system.

Ray, Osceola and McDonald purchased the golf course at 23253 Plantation Palms Blvd., in May 2011 through a $2.18 million mortgage from Native American Bank of Denver. The three have Native American roots, according to a 2012 story published in Indian Country Today. The trio was one of the first non-tribal groups to get a guaranteed loan from a company who specifically serves Native Americans.

The 875-home community’s HOA is not only keeping outsiders away, but also is working to make sure its residents know they can’t use the golf course.

“It is important that we continue to respect the golf course as a private property,” the board said in a statement. “None of us have the right to free golf or to use the course as an additional to our backyards. We encourage all homeowners to pull together during this time, and do whatever we can to promote and protect the integrity of the golf course property.”

Published May 7, 2014

AARP launches initiative to help defeat scammers

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When it comes to being scammed, virtually everyone is at risk, said Claudette Henry, the featured speaker at a recent Land O’ Lakes AARP chapter meeting.

Claudette Henry
Claudette Henry

Because identity theft and fraud are so pervasive, the AARP has launched the Fraud Watch Network to combat the problem. Last year, an estimated 12.6 million Americans were the victims of identity theft, Henry said, citing AARP materials.

AARP’s Fraud Watch Network aims to help people of all ages, not only members of the AARP, Henry said.

“We’re trying to protect you against phone, email and mail scams,” Henry said. “If you receive a phone call or email from anyone saying that your checking account or bank account or credit card or PayPal, or anything that you do has been compromised, and you need to respond, do not.”

Instead, contact the company that sent the communication to make sure it is legitimate, she said.

“If it is from the bank, they’ll address you by name, not just your email account, or say, ‘Dear Member,’ or anything like that,” Henry said. “If you receive a phone call and it says, ‘To verify your account, press 1.’ Do not do it.”

Another common scam involves messages that say someone won a lottery.

“Anytime you receive information that you’ve won a lottery, you’ve won a prize — if you have to pay taxes up front, or a qualification fee, or a document fee — it’s a scam. Don’t fall for it,” Henry said.

Con artists attempt to get people emotionally involved because that makes them more vulnerable, Henry said. One common ploy involves an email or a call that claims to be from a relative needing help. It’s best to hang up the phone and verify that information from another source.

There are other scams that claim to offer investment opportunities, such as oil and gas stock options, she said. One victim lost $40,000.

“It can happen to anyone,” Henry said.

Some criminals use threats and intimidation to try to get what they want. “The latest scam involves calls or emails that claim they’re from the IRS,” she said. “They’re not going to call or email. They’re going to send you a letter. Don’t be fooled.”

A caller attempted the IRS scam on Steve Dierking of Lutz, who was at the AARP meeting.

“I had the IRS call me a month ago and they said they had audited me over the last seven years. I owed $3,400,” Dierking said. “I had one hour to give it to them. And, if I didn’t, they were sending the sheriff out to pick me up.

“So, I said, ‘I have to get back to you, because I don’t have that cash.’ I called the sheriff,” Dierking told the crowd.

There are persistent scammers, who use harassment to try to get their way.

“The best thing you can do is get on the phone with the authorities,” Henry said. “Put an answering machine on your phone or block your phone calls. If all else fails, change your phone number. Don’t let this happen to you.”

Keep your credit cards and Social Security number in a place where others can’t get to them, she added. Check your credit reports to be sure they are accurate.

“Be real careful about your mail and how you handle your mail. You don’t want to throw stuff out in the trash with information from credit card companies, offers or even your name and address,” Henry said. “Shred the information. Don’t put it out there. People go through your trash trying to get information.”

Also, be careful in returning calls when you don’t recognize the numbers, she said.

“If you don’t know who’s calling you, don’t call them,” Henry advised.

Ginny Sibley, a bank officer for American Momentum Bank, offered this advice: “When you’re traveling, please use a credit card, not your debit card.”

Scammers can do serious damage once they get someone’s checking account number, Sibley said.

“What they do, is they set up an exact time throughout the whole United States and they compromise your number,” she said. “At that moment, they use the cards, the plastic into the machine. You could have five, six transactions at the same time.”

When buying gas, be sure to click the clear button after your transaction, Sibley added.

Robert Brown took that advice a step farther.

“Any time I use my debit or credit card when I get gas, I go inside and swipe it,” said Brown, a independent associate of LegalShield. “I always go inside.”

Protect yourself with these tips from AARP
• Don’t carry your Social Security card
• Shred sensitive information
• Limit the number of credit cards you carry
• Keep copies of your credit cards, front and back, in case they are stolen
• Watch for missing bills
• Monitor your accounts carefully
• Do your homework before making investments
• Review your free credit report once a year
• Do not carry your check card codes or passwords
• Do not choose obvious passwords, such as a birthdate, phone number, consecutive numbers or the like
• If you receive a suspicious email, do not respond to it
• Avoid conducting personal or financial business on shared or public computers or over wireless hotspots
• Protect your mail
• Do not give out personal information to telemarketers
• Check out a charity before donating by going to CharityWatch.org or CharityNavigator.org

Published May 7, 2014

Lowe’s, Marshalls bring new jobs in heart of Central Pasco

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Plans for a home improvement store left for dead three years ago is now being resurrected as Lowe’s gets ready to finally come to Land O’ Lakes.

Marshalls will open this summer with space at Village Lakes Shopping Center that used to be home for Walmart. It’s strategically located in the same plaza as its primary competitor, Ross Dress for Less. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Marshalls will open this summer with space at Village Lakes Shopping Center that used to be home for Walmart. It’s strategically located in the same plaza as its primary competitor, Ross Dress for Less.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

Crews are now clearing trees and other foliage from a 42-acre tract of land on State Road 54 just east of Land O’ Lakes Boulevard where they expect to have a 152,000-square-foot Lowe’s by winter, according to company spokeswoman Natalie Turner.

The store will bring 125 jobs, and the hiring process could begin later in the year.

“We’re excited as all get-up,” said Dennis Esber, president of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, and owner of Point to Point Printing. “What’s happening is that people are starting to recognize that the Lutz and Land O’ Lakes area is a great area to be in.”

The North Carolina company purchased the land between Winter Quarters Pasco RV Park and the Pasco County fire station there in 2005 for $2.7 million, and had hoped to open the store by 2009. However, Lowe’s abandoned those plans in 2011, with reports the company would try to sell the land.

The new Lowe’s will have a 103,000-square-foot sales floor and a 31,300-square-foot garden center, according to the site plan submitted to Pasco County officials. It also would have enough parking for nearly 525 cars.

Its primary entrance would be on the east side of the property, creating an intersection with the Village Lakes Shopping Center across the street, where a new Marshalls location is just weeks away from opening.

Officials with the Framingham, Mass.-based discount clothing department store chain said they’re not ready to release any details, but Marshalls stores are typically 31,000 square feet, and the newest location hosted a job fair for prospective employees last week in Port Richey.

Marshalls will now be in the same plaza as one of its primary competitors, Ross Stores Inc., which operates a Ross Dress for Less there. The draw of all three stores, along with several others in Village Lakes and surrounding shopping centers, should continue to help draw more and more people to Central Pasco County. It’s also a boon for Village Lakes, which suffered tremendously in the years after losing its Walmart anchor, only to bounce back and be a major player in the area’s growth.

“The county had finally got involved to get things corrected in that little shopping center, and turned it into something real good,” Esber said. “If you have an eyesore, people start grumbling and then start thinking the worst about the area. But now you see a nice change in people’s mentality, and I like to see the positive atmosphere.”

And that includes how people outside of Central Pasco think of the area.

“People have been negating this area for quite a long time, but that’s really starting to change,” Esber said. “They’re finding out there is a lot more here, and a lot of history. And we’re ready to keep growing.”

Published April 23, 2014

Teacher uses technology to open new worlds of learning

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There’s no doubt about it. Language arts teacher Aimee Nadow is tech-savvy.

Aimee Nadow uses a combination of technical skills and a personal touch to make her classes engaging. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Aimee Nadow uses a combination of technical skills and a personal touch to make her classes engaging.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

On any given day, the Academy at the Lakes teacher uses technology to help her students enhance their reading, writing and creativity. On one day, for instance, she’ll set them loose on AutoCAD computer design software to create the balcony scene from “Romeo and Juliet.” On another day, students use PicMonkey photo editor to design book covers for the manuscripts they’re writing.

They’re also frequent users of Pinterest to digitally “pin up” work that they’ve done, and they know how to edit digital clips.

Harnessing technical tools in her classes is all in a day’s work for Nadow, whose mother was a children’s librarian, and her father ahead of the crowd when it came to technology.

Nadow has a deep appreciation for the power of language, and a clear understanding of how traditional and modern tools can enliven lessons. She sees the value of being able to skim information, but also knows the importance of being able to delve deeply into subjects to gain knowledge.

The independent private school where she teaches has long understood the quality of Nadow’s teaching skills, middle division director John Pitcairn said. And, Academy at the Lakes is delighted that Nadow has received national recognition.

The middle division teacher recently was named a 2014 PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovator. It’s a distinction bestowed to just 100 educators nationwide.

As a member of that select group, the Land O’ Lakes woman will take part in a yearlong professional development program.

She is excited by the prospect of being able to learn from other educators who share her enthusiasm for using technical tools to enliven instruction. During a recent class, Nadow used a giant touch-screen television to display images and to foster discussion regarding a Holocaust art project the students will create.

They have been assigned to demonstrate their understanding of the book, “Night,” by Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor. They’ll show the teacher what the book means through an art project of their choosing, and they’ll describe their artistic intentions in accompanying text.

Besides preparing students for that assignment, Nadow also guided them through software called ETS Criterion that analyzes writing to identify grammatical and sentence structure issues that should be addressed. As students navigated through the program, Nadow moved about the classroom, responding to their questions and helping them stay on track.

She offered extra help outside of class, if anyone needed it.

Nadow clearly is in command of her technical skills, but she also has an obvious rapport with students. She said she has a secret weapon: It’s called respect.

On the first day of classes she tells her middle division students that she will treat them as adults, unless they behave as children — in which case, they’ll face the consequences.

“I try to afford them as much dignity as possible, because I remember situations when I was in middle school and I would see a student that would be treated unfairly, or would be embarrassed in front of the classroom,” Nadow said. “That is absolutely not the way to teach. You lose so much time if you’re focused on classroom management, rather than learning.”

“Seventh and eighth grade is my perfect fit,” she said. “I really enjoy their (students’) sense of humor, their creativity, their willingness.”

Nadow also appreciates their trust, and believes in using a personal touch with her students.

As they file into her classroom, she greets each student by name and shakes each hand. As the kids make their way to their places, there’s a low-level rumble as they chat.

The teacher uses a simple routine to settle them down. She counts — 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 — and by the time she finishes, students are focused on her.

It’s easy to see that Nadow strives to create an environment where students are engaged and want to learn. When she poses questions, they are eager to respond and share their ideas.

While she obviously is technically competent, Nadow also possesses other important skills that equip her to be effective, Pitcairn said.

“It’s her enthusiasm, her positivity, her joy, her human qualities that are a critical part of making her the very valuable teacher that she is today,” Pitcairn said.

Posters in her classroom reveal that Nadow has high standards, but a kind heart. One sets out the class rules. Of course, it has such things as “Always tell the truth. Work hard. Listen to your parents. Keep your promises.”

But it also includes these instructions: “Laugh out loud. Be grateful. Use kind words. Try new things. Dream big.”

Another poster offers this message from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Be silly. Be honest. Be kind.”

Finally, a sign above the classroom door proclaims “Carpe diem,” or “seize the day.”

That seems to be Nadow’s motto, and one she wants to pass along to her students.

Published April 23, 2014

Winery wants to add its label to local make-it-yourself market

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It used to be the location of a shipping and printing company. But if all goes as planned, 3901 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., will soon be a place to find merlot, not mailing supplies.

Land O’ Lakes Winery needed county approval to open its business, which will include the manufacture of wine and consumption of alcoholic beverages. With those hurdles cleared, the company hopes to open in a few months. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Land O’ Lakes Winery needed county approval to open its business, which will include the manufacture of wine and consumption of alcoholic beverages. With those hurdles cleared, the company hopes to open in a few months.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

Land O’ Lakes Winery is making final plans to move into the location this week, and should be up and running in a few months. And after about a year of planning and permits, the owners are excited to start filling bottles.

“We’re pretty psyched,” said Sue Hardy, who owns the new winery with her business partner, Corey Kempton. “We’re getting so much positive feedback. The buzz is getting out there. I think it’s just one of those things where people want something like this, and there’s just nothing like it out here.”

More than just a place to purchase adult beverages, Land O’ Lakes Winery will feature do-it-yourself services where friends or families can come in and actually make their own wines under professional supervision and guidance. The company also will create several wines under its own label, and offer an area on-site where people can socialize and have a glass of wine or beer along with some food pairings.

The goal is to make the location a place where people can make, buy and try different wines while supporting a local business.

While Hardy is pleased with the company’s progress and eager to get the doors open, she admits that the business wasn’t automatically a shoo-in to get approved. Starting a business that includes the manufacture of wine and consumption of alcoholic beverages on-site meant getting conditional use approval from the Pasco County Commission, which they picked up late last year.

That decision clears the way for the company to offer what Hardy believes will be a unique and fun experience for area residents who might want to make wine, then gather for a wine tasting.

Creating their own wine might not be a common activity for wine lovers, but Hardy, who enjoys making her own, said it’s a rewarding one. Utilizing a community room, the kits provided will allow a group to make approximately 30 bottles of wine from a process that takes between six to eight weeks. And the wine they’ll create will not only be cost-effective when compared to buying similar quality from a traditional retailer, but should have a more prominent taste than they might find in store-bought wine.

“The quality of the wine you make is so much better. There are less sulfites,” Hardy said. “There’s a very distinct bite to store-bought wine, and it has to do with the preservatives that they have to use so that is has a longer shelf life.”

While the wines still contain sulfites as they have antioxidant and antibacterial properties, having a smaller amount leads to a smoother taste.

That taste also means a shorter shelf life: The wine people buy at retail outlets can be stored for decades, but Hardy said that wine made in a community room is best when consumed within about five years.

Customers also will be able to purchase the company’s own wine as well. While details have not been finalized, Hardy said they’ll probably begin with around 20 wines of their own, as well as other brands from other manufacturers.

The name of the company and the street on which it will be located are not coincidences. While opening day is still a few months away, Hardy wants to forge a strong identity with Land O’ Lakes in the minds of customers, and let them know that they’ll be supporting a local business with strong local ties.

“I think it’s a pride thing,” she said. “I think Land O’ Lakes has come a long way, and I don’t think it’s getting the notoriety it deserves.”

Published April 16, 2014

Holocaust survivor shares his story at Land O’ Lakes High

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As the speaker wrapped up his talk, Land O’ Lakes High School students streamed down to the front of the auditorium to shake his hand and pose with him for photos.

After his talk, Philip Gans showed students his concentration camp tattoo, shook hands with students and posed with them for pictures. The students seemed eager to have a personal encounter with someone who had survived one of history’s most horrific chapters. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
After his talk, Philip Gans showed students his concentration camp tattoo, shook hands with students and posed with them for pictures. The students seemed eager to have a personal encounter with someone who had survived one of history’s most horrific chapters.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

They wanted a personal encounter with Philip Gans, a man who survived the horrors of the Holocaust during World War II. Gans was at the high school to share his story, so others won’t forget the atrocities committed by the Nazis.

“Your children will never have a chance to see a concentration camp survivor,” Gans said, speaking to teachers and students from U.S. history, world history and several other classes.

Social studies teacher Whitney Miller arranged the visit, saying it’s important for students to use the most primary source of information they can receive.

Gans, now 86, said his life in Amsterdam began as a happy one.

“We had a good life,” he said. “Dad had his own business. We had people working for us. We had domestic help. We even had a car.”

But Gans and his family were Jewish, so when the Nazis invaded they went into hiding beginning in August 1942, moving from place to place for nearly a year to avoid detection. On July 24, 1943 — the evening of his father’s birthday — they were arrested. Gans was 15 at the time.

The family was taken to a detention camp, where they remained a month before being sent to Auschwitz III, a slave labor camp. They loaded more than 1,000 people into cattle cars and carted them to the concentration camp, jamming 50 to 60 people in each car, Gans recalled.

There were no bathrooms. Those who needed to relieve themselves were forced to do so in a pail, in full view of others, Gans said.

“They had no respect for humanity. As a matter of fact, they were savages. They were brutal,” he said.

When they arrived at the camp, they separated the men and older boys from the women and children.

He never saw his mom, sister or grandmother again.

Once Gans he arrived at the camp, he was known as No. 139755. It’s tattooed on his arm and on a replica of the shirt he wore at the concentration camp.

“The conditions were unbelievable,” Gans said.

During his time of confinement he never saw a toothbrush or toothpaste. He showered about once every 10 days, he said.

Besides the physical hardships, prisoners endured mental abuse, he said.

“They did everything to make life miserable for you,” Gans said. “They were brutal.”

Workers kept trying to work, even when they were deathly ill, he said. They knew the consequences if they didn’t.

“Everybody knows if you’re too weak to work, you’d wind up in the gas chamber,” Gans said.

Despite the hardships, Gans considers himself one of the lucky ones.

“I survived,” he said. “There were many people who did not survive. My dad, for instance, he was the only (one) of the 21 members of his family that did not die in the gas chambers. He died in a death march April 1945, a month before the liberation.”

Gans said he, too, walked in the death march — long brutal hikes used by the Nazis when moving prisoners from one concentration camp to another — before being liberated by the American Army on April 23, 1945. He was 17.

Besides using his message to remind people of the atrocities of the Holocaust, Gans also spreads another message. “Erase hate,” he urged the audience.

“When you go home tonight, take out your dictionary and cross out the word ‘hate.’ Hate is corrosive,” Gans said.

He also encouraged students to never give up hope and to take action when they witness something wrong going on.

“Don’t hate and don’t be a bystander, especially in this day and age when so many kids are being bullied and then the next day in the newspaper (you read) that kid committed suicide,” Gans said.

Those who stand by idly and let the bullying happen, he said, “are partly to blame.”

“If you see something that’s being done wrong, even if you have no interest, speak up,” Gans said.

Published April 9, 2014