The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Lutz News

Brushing up on a children’s book

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Kurt Weber fought tooth and nail to finish his children’s book.

While it took nearly a decade to complete and get published, the 63-year-old longtime Lutz resident and dentist knew he wanted to finish writing it before neck surgery in 2016. Even if he did end up rewriting in 2018.

He meticulously drew every illustration on every page.

Tooth Buddy and the Golden Toothbrush by Kurt Weber, DDS, is on display at his St. Petersburg and Seffner practices and available for purchase on Amazon. (Mike Camunas)

“I really just wanted to make Charlie Brown, but as a tooth,” Weber said. “I wanted him to tell a story, I wanted him to have adventures and an interesting life that children will want to read about, and if he teaches us a few lessons along the way, all the better.

“You want a simple message for children and sometimes that’s incredibly difficult to do, but I also feel very strongly that you don’t talk down to children,” he added. “They’re not going to listen to a lecture, but if it’s a cute story, and they see the pictures of him brushing or flossing, that will stick.”

That is how Weber invented his Charlie Brown.

In his book, “Tooth Buddy and the Golden Toothbrush,” Tooth Buddy and his new friend, Dentina Decay, teach lessons not only of the importance of brushing and flossing, but of respect toward others.

“I feel it is a very unique children’s book,” said Weber, who has dental practices in St. Petersburg and Seffner. “I really like the indirect message, but you have to distill down those lessons for oral care and for life to the bare minimum because if you say too much, eyes will glaze over — kids won’t pay attention.

“They’re not going to absorb dentistry if it’s too complicated.”

After years of writing and drawing and discussions with his wife of 39 years, Karen, an administrative medicine physician at James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, Weber’s book was published on Dec. 6, 2022.

Weber, who was an award-winning editorial cartoonist at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and has always been “a doodler” since he was a kid, said both writing and illustrating were quite the task.

When it came to writing, Weber knew he couldn’t be too complicated with story and lessons, even if the book introduces many of the top 250 vocabulary words children need in the book’s 3 to 8-year-old age range.

“There are people in their 80s and terrified of the dentist or adults who are not educated on how to care for their teeth,” he said, “so the importance of teaching these (dental) skills early was my goal.”

As for drawing the illustrations, Weber said each picture, or page — such as the one of Tooth Buddy flossing with the caption, “Tooth Buddy flossed every day to keep cavities away, his breath fresh, and his smile healthy,” — took about 20 hours.

Lutz resident Kurt Weber, DDS proudly displays his book, ‘Tooth Buddy and the Golden Toothbrush,’ at his St. Petersburg practice, where he has been treating patients for more than 30 years. Weber spent nearly a decade writing, and meticulously illustrating, his children’s book featuring Tooth Buddy, who he calls ‘Charlie Brown, but as a tooth.’

“Children’s books are incredibly complicated to look simple,” Weber added.

Which is remarkable since Weber, while a father to his kids, Kurt II and Katarina, isn’t a pediatric dentist. He does see a few kids, but his practice isn’t solely for child patients.

“If you teach a child to break up that colony bacteria that’s on their teeth at least every 48 hours, you’re not going to have issues getting older,” Weber said. “Just trying to teach them to get that brush or floss in there about once a day, that will work.”

Weber knew this message would need to be straight to the point, especially since the rule of thumb is children’s books should not be more than 500 words.

Tooth Buddy and the Golden Toothbrush is 498 words.

And so, with good reviews and online sales, including in Australia, Canada, Asia and Europe, a sequel is already in the works: “Tooth Buddy and the Magical Lost Tooth Adventure.”

“I’m happy with the response to it,” Weber said. “Kids don’t buy these books though, grandparents do. They see them in the lobby, and one lady bought five and then sent them all over the place, so that’s great, especially when you hear that one of my friends, her grandson is carrying the book around the house or another who said her son named her toothbrush ‘Tooth Buddy.’

“That’s really cool! I like that — a lot! (laughs).”

Tooth Buddy and the Golden Toothbrush by Kurt Weber, DDS
Synopsis: A fun adventure involving Tooth Buddy, his soon-to-be friend, Dentina Decay and, of course, the Golden Toothbrush. They teach four important lessons for children, ages 3 to 8. These include the importance of brushing and flossing, as well as the unstated larger-than-life lessons of nonviolent conflict resolution and respect for others and their property. Eventually, there will be a companion website to the book, which will include an interactive section for kids.
Cost: $18.59 for hardback on Amazon, Target, and Barnes and Noble

Published February 01, 2023

Fishing for a better quality of life

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Out on the water, they’re just anglers.

While battling waves and some big fish, there is no talk of injuries or paralysis or other medical issues, or even the grueling but essential rehabilitative therapy.

This is their therapy.

Recipients of Tighten The Drag Foundation, a Lutz-based 501(c)3 nonprofit that helps better the quality of life for those with spinal cord injuries, get a fully-paid fishing weekend through the foundation’s annual fishing tournament in Safety Harbor.

Robert Tramontana, right, seen here out fishing with his brother, Matt, suffered a spinal cord injury in 2012 and has been wheelchair-bound since. Through Tighten The Drag Foundation, a Lutz-based nonprofit that helps improve the quality of life for those that have suffered a spinal cord injury, he and several others are afforded a yearly fishing tournament, as well as money to pay for rehabilitation therapy, which is not covered by any insurance. (Courtesy of Sheila Tramontana)

But, it’s more. The foundation helps those that have come for assistance participate in adaptive sports and enjoy recreational activities. It also raises money that will help pay for that therapy, which, shockingly, is not covered by any insurance.

“A lot of people don’t know that,” the foundation’s lead volunteer, Sheila Tramontana, said. “A spinal cord injury, it’s like your thumbprint, in that every injury is specific to that person. … So, there’s not one special treatment. It’s a special treatment per patient because every injury affects everyone differently. 

“So, insurance companies don’t cover therapy because, most likely, someone with a spinal cord injury won’t walk again. While this therapy is necessary and worthwhile, it’s deemed this way by insurance companies because you just don’t know what kind of recovery each person will have.

“And my family, and son, quickly realized this the hard way.”

Sheila’s son, Robert Tramontana, was paralyzed 10 years ago, suffering a spinal cord injury while out on Crystal River. Robert, now 40, was scalloping with friends and decided to dive into the water to cool off. Robert isn’t sure what he hit — possibly a manatee — but his head hit it first and he became one of the 17,500 people in this country who suffer a spinal cord injury every year.

As Robert spent 87 days in the hospital, Sheila soon found out insurance would not cover the rehab therapy. It would have to be paid out of pocket and those sessions can run up to or more than $100 an hour, and, most likely, the therapy’s location is not nearby. Meaning, transportation also factors into this uncovered cost.

“It blew my mind,” Sheila recalls. “Just how little resources there were for helping this kind of injury. There weren’t places to go, nor is there an advocate for someone in a hospital who is looking for help for paralysis.

“Every person has to deal with it themselves, but they need support, and we’ll help. If you need therapy, we’ll pay — just go. If we can help get them through the door, it’s up to them and we’ll help how we can.”

Tighten The Drag doesn’t try to solicit new recipients. Most of the time, it will be through word of mouth because now, 10 years later, Sheila and the foundation have been able to let it be known that they can help those who suffered spinal cord injuries.

There are only two requirements: the person must be a Florida resident and the paralysis was caused by an accident.

Tighten The Drag’s group of volunteers who tirelessly work events and help out behind the scenes year-round. The Lutz-based charity raises funding that helps improve the quality of life for those with spinal-cord injuries.

From there, the foundation supports its recipients, from getting them the fully paid fishing tournament excursion, to other supplies they might need, to doing something special for them on their birthday and other recreational outings.

Sheila says the foundation fronts about nearly $3,000 in the first month and that each person who participates in the fishing tournament can cost up to $2,200. This, of course, all comes from fundraising and donations, such as getting money from the Lutz Guv’na campaign, for example, or the GTE Federal Credit Union in Lutz, which is the fishing tournament’s title sponsor.

“Someone like me, my goal isn’t to walk again,” Land O’ Lakes native and foundation recipient Aaron Lopez said. “That would be nice and great, but $100 an hour is actually on the lower side and it needs to be cash money every week.”

Lopez suffered a spinal cord injury in a motorcycle accident in 2014, but after nearly 10 years of therapy, this is built into his everyday life. He moves enough that the therapy, which the foundation helped him pay for, works in a seamless, but meaningful way.

Tighten The Drag recipient Sam Scribner, left, and his professional guide, Captain Ryan Amaturo, hold up a fish hauled in during the foundation’s Fall 2022 Tournament in Safety Harbor.

“The tournament, and foundation, is fantastic,” Lopez added. “To get injured people back on the water, forget about all the wheelchair and injury stuff for a little bit, and just feel like a person again.

“Insurance … doesn’t cover rehab, and I understand because why pay for something if it doesn’t make you walk again — that’s just the black and white way to put it, but the foundation gets that.”

Even more, the foundation acts like a reunion. It gets anglers back together, as a group of not just paralyzed people, but people still trying to live their best lives.

“It’s sad to see that insurance doesn’t cover it,” said New Smyrna Beach resident and the foundation’s social media manager, Sam Scribner, who fell out of a hammock in a freak accident in 2016 and broke his C5 vertebrae. “People don’t have the money and suffer because they can’t afford it, while the therapy, obviously evidentially, does wonders.

“But the biggest thing people get out of the foundation is getting people with spinal cord injuries together and talking. They exchange the how to’s of figuring out how to live this life that no amount of Googling will get you. We share experiences. …  And we get back out on the boat, with the wind on our faces, just forgetting about the everyday life of spinal cord injuries and wheelchairs. It’s feeling like a person again, and I hope others feel the same.”

Tighten The Drag Foundation
Details: A Lutz-based nonprofit foundation helping improve the quality of life for those that have suffered a spinal cord injury. The name comes from competitive tournament anglers using the term “tighten the drag” as a reference to bearing down on a fish to overpower, take control and be successful at achieving the goal of landing the fish. Each year, the foundation hosts a fishing tournament that fully pays for its 25 recipients that have come to the organization to get out on the water and fish. Funds raised through events provide scholarships for Florida residents with spinal cord injuries to attend activity-based exercise therapy rehabilitative and recovery programs either in home with a personal trainer or in licensed facilities, participate in adaptive sports and enjoy recreational activities.
For more information or to donate to the foundation, visit TightenTheDragFoundation.org.

Published December 28, 2022

Housing a Christmas wonderland

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Christmas won’t be canceled this year.

Especially at the Old Lutz School House.

After a two-year COVID hiatus, Christmas at the Old Lutz School is back, celebrating its 26th year with a display of lights, trees, trains, nutcrackers and many more decorations for local residents to view.

Once again, a massive collection of nutcrackers will be on display, all from owner Phyllis Hoedt, longtime chairperson of the Old Lutz School Building’s nonprofit foundation. (Mike Camunas)

“Like everything else we’ve done in the Lutz community, we’re glad to be getting back and having our annual traditions — especially Christmas at the Old Lutz School,” said Stephanie Ensor, community liaison for the Old Lutz School Building’s foundation. “From the (Lutz) Guv’na Campaign to the Fourth of July Parade and now being able to host people inside the School House again, it’s just so great to finally be able to do the things we do every year here in Lutz.”

Since the school house is a Hillsborough County facility on county property, it had to adhere to pandemic restrictions, which prevented having events and gatherings in indoor spaces. Now that those are lifted, Citizens for the Old Lutz School Building, the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that maintains the building through volunteering and fundraising events, was able to bring back the annual tradition.

Volunteers began decorating the house before Thanksgiving.

The display once again will feature the Tree Room, which will have various trees decorated by people and organizations from Lutz; the Snowy Railroad Room: a massive model train display assembled by Wally Hoedt; and even breakfast with Santa, on the morning of Dec. 10.

“So many people are looking forward to the comeback,” Ensor said. “Definitely grandparents, who love bringing their grandchildren up here, who just love seeing the trains and Legos.”

Back on display for the first time since 2019 will be the Lego town, assembled brick-by-brick by Jason Burkett, who vows it will be five times bigger than last time it was at Christmas at the Old Lutz School House.

Returning also will be an impressive Lego town, assembled brick-by-brick by Jason Burkett.

The display includes a mishmash of Lego assembly kits from fan-favorite movies and TV shows, but with some fun nods, such as how certain Lego people are displayed throughout the town.

“2019 was my first year at the Old Lutz School, and COVID gave me three years to plan,” Burkett said. “So now, in 2022, it is (going to be) five times bigger than last time! I am excited for kids and adults to come back and see everything that we have been so eager to share with them.”

Also back on display will be the incredible massive nutcracker collection from longtime school house chairperson and supporter Phyllis Hoedt. Her collection takes up nearly half of one of the bottom floor rooms at the school house, and features a nutcracker with just about every theme imaginable.

“Phyllis has been collecting those nutcrackers for a long time,” Ensor added.

As always, coming to select evenings in December when Christmas at the Old Lutz School is open to the public, is free of charge. The school house will always take donations, but will also put out barrels to collect nonperishable food items and toys to donate to charity.

“Christmas at the Old Lutz School is part of what makes Lutz so great,” Ensor said. “I know for a fact the community is happy to have it back during this time of year in the holiday season.”

26th Annual Christmas at the Old Lutz School
Where: Old Lutz School House, 18819 U.S. 41, Lutz
Dates: Dec. 8, Dec. 10, Dec. 13, Dec. 15, Dec. 17, Dec. 20, Dec. 22, Dec. 26
When: 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Cost: Free. Donations are welcome.
Details: Back on display and open to the public is the School House’s annual celebration of Christmas, with the building decorated outside and the bottom floor’s room filled with Christmas trees, nutcrackers, a Lego town, an extensive model train display and other Christmas decor. There also will be Breakfast with Santa on Dec. 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Cost for that is $4, cash only.
Info: Visit Facebook.com/oldlutzschool.

Published November 30, 2022

Keystone Park reopens, bigger and better

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Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation Department recently reopened Keystone Park & Recreation Center, 17928 Gunn Highway, in Odessa.

The project included $2.6 million in upgrades to the center and 26-acre park.

The recreation center improvements included an expansion and renovation that features a larger multipurpose room, kitchen and new restrooms. The 1,820-square-foot expansion brings the total size of the center to 7,494 square feet.

The park has added a new playground, refurbished the tennis courts and new pickleball courts, as well as a lighted walking trail, shaded benches and upgraded parking.

A walkway from the recreation center leads to the Austin Davis Public Library next door. The library, however, is currently undergoing renovations. It is tentatively set to reopen in late May or early June.

The recreation center construction costs came in at $1,619,600, while site improvements including new sidewalks, shelters, new playground and a proposed event pavilion were $1,030,000, according to county officials.

The renovation was part of the department’s Capital Improvement Program.

Keystone Park averages about 4,500 monthly visitors.

Published November 30, 2022

Keystone Park & Recreation Center, 17928 Gunn Highway, in Odessa, recently reopened after Hillsborough County gave it $2.6 million in upgrades, including an expanded rec center and new playground. (Mike Camunas)

Pump-king of the compost hill

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They posted about compost.

Students at Learning Gate Community School in Lutz held a competition to see who could collect the most discarded Halloween pumpkins, and then they composted them with soil.

Learning Gate Community School students unload the discarded pumpkins they helped collect from the community as part of a composting project. (Steve Warrener)

Led by Environmental Science Teacher Steve Warrener, the project set up five drop-off locations around Lutz where locals could donate pumpkins.

Warrener then held a Tik Tok competition, posting videos each day. He competed against “Farm Boy James” — a popular composting personality over in St. Johns County.

“He and I posted several videos calling each other out, but the kids really got into seeing what Farm Boy James would say next and how our totals were stacking up,” Warrener said.
The competition ended in a tie: Farm Boy collected 2 tons of pumpkins, as did Warrener and his students.

“The main premise for us was to inspire and educate people to the benefits of dealing with the 100 billion pounds of food wasted annually,” Warrener said. “And why not start with a food that is about 99% wasted? — pumpkins!

“If we do it again next year, I want the county involved. We could do 20 tons by having locations to drop off at every library. That could be really fun.”

Warrener set up five drop-off locations, starting with one at Learning Gate’s campuses: the main one on Hanna Road and its sister site on Lutz Lake Fern Road; other locations included Sunlake Academy of Math and Science, Al’s Lawn Care and Happy Farm.

Warrener and the students picked up pumpkins from these locations between Nov. 1 and Nov. 15. One pickup involved a bulk donation from Watermelon Swim School that had unsold inventory from its annual pumpkin patch.

About half of the pumpkins were composted at Learning Gate’s Hanna Campus, while the other half were composted at Happy Farm.

Learning Gate Community School students proudly stand atop a pile of pumpkins that was part of the 2 tons they collected from the Lutz community for a composting project.

To compost the pumpkins, students smashed them with shovels and mixed it with soil and mulch from the school’s last tree-trimming job.

“Then we let our class chickens dig through it and spread it around — the chickens are mixing it for us — and then we can pile it back up and let it turn into better soil for our little farm,” Warrener said.

“It ended up being a much bigger project than I had planned thanks to the community involvement and the help from (Learning Gate’s) Michele Northup and The Laker/Lutz News getting the word out.”

In the end, the project taught the students a lot about the importance of composting and recycling.

When students posed questions to one another, each had a unique take on the experience.

Michael Bishop asked, “Why is composting beneficial?” and Colton Ownby replied, “Instead of throwing it away, we put it into the soil.”

Seannah McCarty said, “I learned that you can make very good soil from composting.”

Amy Cook added, “We are going to help the soil (and) to build a garden with it.”

Students agreed, when asked about their favorite part of the project.

“Smashing the pumpkins!” Max Perez said, excitedly.

Ella Couture agreed: “I loved smashing the pumpkins.”

Published November 23, 2022

From left, Learning Gate Community School students Ava Klein, Charlotte Schoeman and Kamryn Whitmore take turns smashing pumpkins for a composting project. Students reached out to the community and collected 2 tons of discarded Halloween pumpkins.
Learning Gate Community School Environmental Science Teacher Steve Warrener shows off the piles of discarded pumpkins he and students collected to compost.

Banded together, for the birds

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The birds are calling — and these kids are answering.

At Learning Gate Community School in Lutz, students have been participating in bird banding.

The work is led by environmental resource teacher Jim McGinity, who uses mist nets to capture birds and band them with tiny tracking nodules. For five days a month each fall and each spring, McGinity and some volunteers take students, of all grades, out into the 30 acres of woods on the campus, at 16215 Hanna Road, to look for birds in the nets.

Learning Gate Community School first-graders Jocelyn Stewart, left, and Sadie Kruz smile but also lean away from a common yellowthroat bird that teacher Jim McGinity holds out for them to observe after banding it. McGinity has set up safe nets for 11 years to catch birds on the school’s 30-acre wooded campus. He then bands them to track migratory patterns. He also brings out students from kindergarten through sixth grade to show them actual fieldwork. (Mike Camunas)

They’ll collect the birds, bring them back to a small learning center, band the birds and then safely release them.

Over a dozen years of doing this project, McGinity has banded more than 900 birds.

The exercise provides a unique opportunity for students to witness, first-hand, how real scientists conduct fieldwork.

“It is hard to measure the value of the students seeing science in action,” McGinity said. “They can read about science in a book, but to watch it live is something completely else and, usually, they learn more this way.

“The hands-on — to an extent — experience of seeing the entire process of actual fieldwork is perfect for them, and, as they get older, we’re recapturing some of the birds from a couple years ago or even four years ago, so tracking the migratory patterns — it’s working! It’s proving the fieldwork is working.”

McGinity emphasized the birds are not harmed in any way, nor do the students handle the birds out of the net or when they’re banded.

McGinity is a fully licensed and trained bander, which required substantial training and experience to become completely certified to run the program and handle birds.

Learning Gate Community School first-graders Norianna Marquez, left, and Ava DiPallo closely examine an indigo bunting that environmental resource teacher Jim McGinity just banded and soon will release.

“We are one of hundreds of banding projects in the country, but also one of the few, if maybe the only one that is a bird-banding project on a school campus,” McGinity added.

Once a bird is safely removed from a net, McGinity will identify its species, measure it, weigh it, determine the gender if possible, and band it.

The wooded area on campus is a stopping area for the birds during migration. During the fall, the birds are headed even farther down south and to other countries.

“We’re contributing to the greater knowledge of the migration of these birds,” he said.

The information is valuable, but the teacher said there’s a low percentage of birds that return. Of the thousands of birds he’s banded, only two of his have been found — at a different location where McGinity bands (Dunedin). One was found in Massachusetts and another in Minnesota.

However, at Learning Gate, it’s a well-received, extremely fun project for the students, especially when they hike out into the woods to search the nets.

Learning Gate Community School environmental resource teacher Jim McGinity holds up a common yellowthroat to show to students, after he banded the bird.

“I really like bird banding because you get to learn about new birds,” fourth-grader Yza Blanco said. “It’s just really fun, and we get to spend time with our nature teacher (Mr. Jim).”

“Sometimes,” added fellow fourth-grader Kealan Cooke, “the birds go to one place and then go back to the same place they were before, and they keep repeating that over and over again.”

In the end, the students are more than happy to release the birds back into the trees. In fact, it’s their favorite part, one meticulously supervised by McGinity who places the bird on students’ outstretched hands, allowing the birds to happily fly away.

They fly away — back and banded — to the call of nature.

“(I’ve learned) that when they migrate, they have to rest in order to keep going to Brazil or Mexico, and that you have to be a professional in order to touch a bird,” Blanco said.

“My favorite part is releasing the birds,” Cooke said, “and I got to release one back in kindergarten!”

Published November 09, 2022

Lincoln Maynard, left, and Jude Elliot prepare to release a common yellowthroat as environmental resource teacher Jim McGinity looks on. The teacher had just banded the bird after catching it in nets set up in the woods on Learning Gate Community School’s campus in Lutz.
First-graders Rae Oates, left, and Liam Graham take a close — but not too close — look at an indigo bunting as part of Learning Gate Community School’s bird-banding program that has been tracking migratory bird patterns for 11 years.
Jim McGinity has just placed a small band on a common yellowthroat, to track the bird’s migratory patterns.
Jim McGinity measures the length of the wing of a tufted titmouse. He also will try to determine the gender of the bird and to weigh it.

 

Full services are back at tax collector’s office

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New and improved, the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office in Wesley Chapel now offers additional seating and windows for the customers’ convenience. (Courtesy of Greg Giordano)

The Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office in Wesley Chapel as of Oct. 31 has relocated back to its original address at 4610 Pet Lane, Suite C-101, after a temporary move for renovations, according to a news release.

The key improvements include additional windows and more seating in the lobby for the customer service area, making the office more efficient and better able to serve its visitors.

“Our goal as an organization is to make a visit to our office as easy and as simple as possible,” said Tax Collector Mike Fasano, in the release.

“The changes made during this remodel will make the customer experience even better than before. We appreciate the understanding of residents who live in Wesley Chapel, Lutz, and surrounding communities over the past few months,” said Fasano.

The office, which has a Lutz post office address but is commonly considered to be in Wesley Chapel, again will be full-service and will offer the entire range of services expected.

For more information, contact the centralized call center at 813-235-6076, 727-847-8032 or 352-521-4338.

Published November 02, 2022

This project is lit

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On the 27-acre acre campus at Learning Gate Community School, in Lutz, sixth-graders have built solar panels that power and charge electrical devices.

Learning Gate Community School environmental science teacher Steve Warrener, right, looks on as Ryan Khalfouni, left, and R.J. Akers work on connecting plugs and wires that will connect to the solar panel field the sixth-graders built. (Mike Camunas)

So, why did they do that?

They gave several reasons for taking on the challenge.

They wanted to create clean energy, to stop CO2 emissions, to educate themselves and others about solar power and, last, but not least, to impress Elon Musk.

Working with solar panels was a new experience for sixth-grader Harvey Lemieux.

He said the project was fun and informative, teaching students a lot about creating clean energy.

Learning Gate Community School sixth-graders Mya Stapleton, right, and Hattie Pham-Yancey, left, use a karaoke machine that is powered by a solar panel farm the students built by hand. The panels can power appliances and devices, as well as charge an electric car and a rebuilt electric go-kart. It even powered a house during a power outage caused by Hurricane Ian in September.

It took the first quarter of the school year to build the solar panels and wire them so the power can be converted into electricity. Once they had the power, the students — supervised by environmental science teacher Steve Warrener — were able to plug in devices such as a power drill, as well as a karaoke machine speaker to listen to some of their favorite tunes.

They also were able to charge a modified and rebuilt go-kart.

The kart is aptly named “Edmond” — after Edmond Becquerel. He’s the French physicist credited with the discovery of the photovoltaic effect, the operating principle of the solar cell. The student’s kart is fully electric and runs on recycled batteries from a front loader.

“Learning Gate is a pretty special school. I don’t know of any other school that’s building solar power stations, but I sure hope there will be more,” the teacher said.

The project is more than just building solar panels. The students worked out how the panels would work, even preparing a professional presentation they would use, if approaching a company seeking a solar-power solution.

The students had to research every part and component, Warrener said.

In addition to building a solar panel field, sixth-graders at Learning Gate Community School also restored a go-kart, converting it to electric. The kart, which can be charged with the panels, is named ‘Edmond’ after Edmond Becquerel, the French physicist credited with the discovery of the photovoltaic effect, which is the operating principle of the solar cell.

That showed them “why they have to do it that way and why it would be the most efficient way,” Warrener said.

Annabelle Avant, a sixth-grader at Learning Gate Community School, connects plugs and cords from the solar panels that will power things such as a karaoke machine and power tools.

“What the project really did was show that it’s not hard to use solar power and go with clean energy,” the teacher added. “In fact, it’s easily accessible and that it can be done, it can be made affordable and it can be built — even by kids!”

The project was so successful, it will allow Learning Gate to lower its electric bill and carbon footprint.

It also was used to charge up a teacher’s electric car — and, also used to power a house, Warrener said.

During Hurricane Ian, some houses in his neighborhood lost power. Warrener offered to bring over the panels. In one case, the energy was used to keep a fridge running to avoid spoiling food and also to run other devices, the day after the storm.

“I don’t even know how that happened (powering a house),” Lemieux said. “Just taking the power of the sun and turning it into electricity for a house — that’s just crazy to me.”

“That was pretty cool and amazing that it was able to power a house,” sixth-grader Ellis Brodski added. “We had just been using it to charge the kart or power the (karaoke machine), so to see it have a big use like that was pretty cool.

“I thought we were able to make these solar panels that work pretty easily, so I think others should do it, too.”

Lemieux agrees.

“It could save so much money and energy, so yeah, I think that those solar farms that people build, I think people take it for granted and that more people should use solar power,” he said. “Maybe more schools can get students to do what we did and build it as a project and then it helps the school save money.”

Published October 26, 2022

A burning desire for history

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It started with a truck.

A Class B fire engine.

Museum vice president Lois Ressler, center, welcomes two retired firefighters: Pat Cotter, left, a former fire truck driver, and Wayne Garrett, a former battalion chief. The museum gets lots of visits from current and former firefighters, but also has become a hub for firefighters to meet up and reminisce about their careers. (Mike Camunas)

It was the fire engine that volunteer firefighters in Hillsborough County rode on, during the 1970s and 1980s.

In 2017, four dedicated individuals bought it, looking to restore it.

They did, and because of that, the Hillsborough Fire & EMS Museum was born — not out of fire and ash, but out of a respect for preservation and history.

“After they bought the truck, well, they said, ‘Let’s make a museum,’” said Beth Nevel, museum president.

The Hillsborough Fire & EMS Museum, 15961 N. Florida Ave., in Lutz, is home to artifacts and memorabilia from former firefighters, their families and from the county itself. The space is small, but the museum also has thousands of additional items in storage.

Then, the donations started coming in.

“People would call, and tell us, ‘I’ve got patches’ or ‘I’ve got a first aid box full of stuff’ or ‘I’ve got a helmet and a coat,’ and as our firefighters are dying, their husbands and wives are saying, ‘What do I do with all this stuff from their careers as a firefighter?’,” Nevel added.

Indeed, all the items displayed at the small nonprofit museum at 15961 N. Florida Ave., in Lutz, have been donated by friends or family of, or even current or retired, firefighters.

The donations have been pouring in for about five years, Nevel said. It’s to the point where the museum’s board had to get storage space.

Nevel estimated the museum has thousands of items, from helmets to masks to used tanks to axes and other tools to patches to even toys and memorabilia. However, because of its limited rented space, it can only display some of the collection.

The visitor sign-in book at the Hillsborough Fire & EMS Museum in Lutz sits under a seal of the Hillsborough County Fire Department. It’s been signed by many visitors, including retired firefighters.

The items on display are impressive, but Nevel would love to see the museum expand into a larger space.

“We are bursting at the seams here,” Nevel said. “We started a savings account to get a bigger space and that’s the dream, for now.”

And, like many museums, especially small ones, this one also relies on contributions from “Friends of the Museum.”

Nevel encourages visitors to come take a look.

“Just come by and say hi!” she said. “You just have to contribute — we don’t care. Send us 10 bucks, give us 100 bucks, donate 1,000 bucks (laughs). People are our biggest contributors.”

With an all-volunteer staff and board of about 10 people, the museum relies on contributions — such as receiving $10,000 from Seminole Hard Rock or money from the Lutz Guv’na — but also through its three fundraisers: a car show, a golf tournament and a clay shoot.

Those monies go to keeping the lights on at the actual museum, but also to its three-pronged mission.

Education. Preservation. Restoration.

The museum aims to educate not only visitors, but also seniors and children through virtual classes that teach fire safety and more.

It wants to preserve all the artifacts that are donated, that way they are kept in pristine condition to be shared with whomever may visit the museum.

And, finally, to restore the truck — fix up and bring back to impeccable life the fire engine that’s on a Ford truck chassis, but was transformed into a fire engine by the late Chief Mechanic Ross Macaluso.

“We do get a lot of people — we get everyone who wants to stop by and see some history,” Nevel said. “Just a few weeks ago, we had a retired battalion chief from New Jersey that was down here and just saw us (online) and asked if he could come by. It is a lot of former and retired firefighters, which is great, because they’re interested and have stories, and are more than welcome to come by here and visit or hang out.”

Hillsborough Fire & EMS Museum
Where: 15961 N. Florida Ave., Lutz
When: Tuesdays, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Details: Founded in 2017, this nonprofit organization and museum restores and preserves the history of the fire department and EMS in unincorporated Hillsborough County. The small museum relies on donations not just of monetary value, but also of any and all artifacts and souvenirs from current and former firefighters, as well as their families.
Info: Visit HillsboroughFireMuseum.org, or to schedule a visit, call 813-269-3459 or email .

Published October 19, 2022

The Hillsborough Fire & EMS Museum calls Lutz its home and has fire rescue artifacts on display, such as helmets, masks, air tanks, axes and more.
A well-used mask, worn by a firefighter, is one of the items on display at the museum.
An old radio unit that was used in Dover is one of the items on display at the Hillsborough Fire & EMS Museum.

Pasco approves new office building on North Dale Mabry Highway

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The Pasco County Commission has approved a rezoning that will clear the way for Tampa Civil Design to build a new 10,000-square-foot office on about 8.5 acres, on North Dale Mabry Highway, about 1,900 feet north of the Hillsborough County line.

The action came after some area residents appeared before the county board, seeking assurances, on the public record that the new development would not be using a private road known as Preston Lane for access to the office, either during construction or after the building opens.

The county board’s action was in keeping with recommendations for approval by Pasco County planners and the Pasco County Planning Commission.

Jeremy Couch is the applicant on the request. He often appears before the county board in his professional capacity, on zoning issues.

The proposed site of a new 10,000-square-foot office sits on 8.5 acres on North Dale Mabry Highway, about 1,900 feet north of the Hillsborough County line. (Mike Camunas)

His attorney, Barbara Wilhite, told board members that the application is a straight-forward request for an office in an area that’s been designated for retail, office and residential development.

She also noted its access is off of North Dale Mabry Highway.

But area residents wanted to be absolutely certain that the office won’t use the private road they live on.

John Calamari, who lives on Preston Lane, reiterated concerns he raised at the planning commission’s public hearing on the request.

He told the county board members: “I am a professional engineer. I’ve been licensed in multiple states for over 40 years and in the state of Florida since 1998. Prior to that, I was in construction. I’ve made my living that way for 50 years. I’m not opposed to construction and expansion. However, there are some items that need to be clarified.

“Mr. Couch just stated that he will not use Preston Lane for construction purposes, meaning as a haul road for heavy equipment and materials.

“However, he did not make it clear that it will not be used as a means of entry and exit for the occupants of his building, so that needs to be clarified.

“Secondly, it has been established that Preston Lane is a substandard drive.

“Preston Lane is only 10-feet wide.

“The paved surface does not allow passing of two vehicles. Somebody has to back down 500 feet, 900 feet, or they have to pull off on somebody’s driveway or a lawn. So, we would need to absolutely establish that it would not be used for vehicular traffic from the proposed office.”

Philip Passintino, another resident of Preston Lane, told commissioners: “We’re talking about protecting Preston Lane as a private road.”

He then showed board members a photo of a mail truck driving down the road, to help them visualize the road’s width.

“As you can see, a mail truck has to do a K-turn just to turn around to do the other side of the street.”

“Why do we care? Because we had to pay for a resurfacing awhile back for $35,000. We need to do that again. We were assessed $14,000 to make the corrections to Lake Como Drive, which is a feeder road to ours,” he said.

Area residents want to be sure that the road is protected.

They also wanted assurances that the buffering requirements will be met.

Wilhite assured the county board that her client will meet the county’s buffering requirements for the property.

Because of questions raised by the residents, Pasco County Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey asked: “Will the applicant be using a private road to access his property?”

Commissioner Ron Oakley added: “I had the same question.”

Couch responded: “I swear, occupants of the building will not use Preston Lane for ingress and egress. I’m going to fence it off. I have no interest in using Preston Lane for anything. I’m going to put a fence on the perimeter and there will be no access to Preston Lane.”

He also told the board that the property is on North Dale Mabry Highway and he wants his business to have a North Dale Mabry Highway address.

After the board approved the rezoning, Commissioner Mike Moore remarked: “It is great to see more office, and congratulations on expansion because that means another Pasco County business is doing awesome things.”

Published October 12, 2022