The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Lutz News

On track for a wicked ride

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Amateur and first-time riders had a chance to experience the thrill of BMX during an open house on June 11 at Tampa BMX, a track located within Lake Park, in Lutz.

The track, one of the area’s top BMX tracks, has been operating since 1974 and is operated by Tampa BMX, a nonprofit organization.

Twelve-year-old Payton Wilson, of Wesley Chapel, readies for a run at Tampa BMX, the long-standing track located inside Lake Park in Lutz. Tampa BMX, as a track and organization, has existed since 1974 and hosts an annual open house to try out BMX. It also has produced some of the nation’s top professional riders. (Mike Camunas)

It provides a place for BMX riders, both amateur and professional, to practice and race weekly and it has produced some of the nation’s top riders.

“We’re a bit of a hidden gem,” said track operator Jason Aleman, a Land O’ Lakes resident. “We’ve been here a while and a lot of people don’t really know that we’re here. That’s why we hold an annual open house, so new riders can come check us out and the track.”

Aleman adds that once a first-time rider experiences the Tampa BMX track, they are usually hooked. That’s why full-time riders, who are required to have a USA BMX membership to regularly use the track for practice and races, can occasionally bring a friend or family member. 

Tampa BMX runs practices and holds races for its different motos, or divisions, based on age.

It’s why this track attracts some of the top riders in the area, the state and nation for races held year-round. It’s also why the track has produced some of the best BMX riders around.

“It’s like a family here, as in everyone helps out everyone else,” Aleman said. “You have riders of all ages, from 7 to 17, and those are here instead of out somewhere else being dumb and crazy, doing dumb and crazy stuff like I was when I was that age.

“Here, at Tampa BMX, everyone is here to help everyone ride.”

Tampa BMX
Where: 17302 N. Dale Mabry Highway, in Lutz
When: Wednesdays for practice; Fridays evenings and Sunday afternoons for practice and racing.
Details: Tampa BMX is a nonprofit organization and track located inside Lake Park in Lutz that hosts weekly practices and races for amateurs and professional riders. While the organization has an annual open house to try out BMX, riders with USA BMX memberships, which are required to use the track, can bring guests for a trial.
For more information, visit TampaBMX.com.

Published June 21, 2023

Colby Rolls, a 6-year-old from Wesley Chapel, awaits his turn at the top of the starting gate at Tampa BMX. The professional grade BMX track has been in Lake Park, in Lutz, since 1974.
Reed Bozatrh, of Fish Hawk, readies himself to ride down the Tampa BMX track at Lake Park, in Lutz.
Land O’ Lakes rider Lucas Aleman watches as other riders make their way toward the finish line of Tampa BMX in Lake Park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A portion of the Tampa BMX track reflects on R.J. Monreal’s goggles. The 17-year-old is from Land O’ Lakes.
Wesley Chapel residents Chad Wilson, left, and Brayden Wilson, take advantage of the open house at the Tampa BMX Track, inside Lake Park, on June 11.
Port Richey rider Karen Young, 63, stays true to her last name and takes a youthful ride around Tampa BMX track in Lutz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Several BMX riders get ready to head down the starting gate ramp during an open house event on June 11.
Fearless BMX riders rapidly make their way around the Tampa BMX track located inside Lake Park in Lutz.
Nine-year-old Chandler Davis, of Zephyrhills, comes down the finishing stretch at Tampa BMX.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Four-year-old Sebastian Sierra, of Wesley Chapel, is an avid BMX rider at Tampa BMX. The track is at Lake Park in Lutz.
Fearless BMX riders rapidly make their way around the Tampa BMX track located inside Lake Park in Lutz.
BMX riders head down the starting ramp at Tampa BMX, a track that has been inside Lake Park, in Lutz, since 1974.

 

First Baptist of Lutz makes progress on upgrades 

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Renovations to one of the oldest buildings in Lutz continues — with completion of the $3 million project expected later this year.

Renovation work at First Baptist of Lutz, 18116 U.S. 41 North, is slightly behind schedule, said Paul Vahue, the church’s administrative pastor.

First Baptist of Lutz, 18116 U.S. 41 North, is in the midst of a $3 million renovation, with tentative plans to be finished in late November or December. The steeple, installed in the late 1950s, was removed and will be repurposed into the new church’s sign. (Courtesy of Paul Vahue)

But one of the building’s most important elements was removed on June 2 and has been set aside for later use.

Workers gently and diligently took down the steeple cross that was installed at the church in the late 1950s.

The cross will be incorporated into the sign that will be installed on the new building, Vahue said.

The last overhaul of the church was in 1959, when the church was rebuilt.

The groundbreaking for this renovation was held in April 2022.

The First Baptist Church of Lutz was originally built in 1944 and then rebuilt after a fire.

The current renovations and upgrades include enclosing the entire front of the church and creating an entirely new look.

An atrium will be added, which will serve as the centerpiece and it will connect the sanctuary to the fellowship hall.

The atrium will be a large open space for welcoming guests, checking in children to the children’s wing, and hosting events.

There also will be new, larger, handicap-accessible restrooms at the front of the fellowship hall, on both the first and second floors.

Services remain in the main sanctuary, which is not being affected during the renovation.

The project will give the church a new, updated look.

In a previous interview with The Laker/Lutz News, Vahue said it’s a refresh that is needed.

“Many parents didn’t want to bring their kids to this aging building where it just looks like a blast from the past,” he said. “People like stuff that is new and we want to get modern here. The church isn’t going anywhere — it’s just going to get modern and new.”

Published June 21, 2023

An artist rendering of the $3 million update of the First Baptist Church of Lutz.

Guv’na candidates launch campaigns

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Campaign season has begun.

And, the three candidates vying to become Lutz’s newest Guv’na are revving up their campaign promises, their playful mudslinging and, of course, their fundraising skills in an effort to raise the most money to help various local causes.

The 2023 Lutz Guv’na candidates met at the Old Lutz School on May 13 for the annual ‘debate’ in a quest for the coveted Guv’na sash. The title of Lutz Guv’na goes to the candidate raising the most cash to help the community and local charities. This year’s slate includes Tim Davis, left, Jerome Smalls (not pictured) and Sharon Monahan, right. (Mike Camunas)

“It’s a community event that means so much to Lutz and is so much commitment and love for Lutz,” said Stephanie Ensor, who won the race in 2010 and is a committee chairperson for this year’s competition. “We can’t do it without it being all about the Lutz community and, each year, I think all the candidates, whoever ends up winning, really embodies what Lutz is all about.”

This year’s candidates are Tim Davis, president of the Lutz Chiefs Football and Cheer Organization; Sharon Monahan, a local exceptional education teacher; and Jerome Smalls, founder and owner of the Lutz-based soccer instructional academy, SoccerGemz.

The Lutz Guv’na Campaign Season kicked off May 13 with the annual “debate” at the Old Lutz School. Suzin Carr, the only two-time Guv’na winner, moderated the debate.

Atlas Cortecero, the reigning Guv’na, led the festivities.

The current crop of candidates answered over-the-top and somewhat topical questions which were passed around to the crowd — friends, family and members of GFWC Lutz-Land O’Lakes Woman’s Club. The questions are designed to elicit humorous responses and spoof actual politics.

The debate featured Davis, Monahan and Smalls’ daughters — Ivoryele, 14, and Anora, 9 — who filled in for their dad because he could not attend.

Impromptu Guv’na debate moderator Suzin Carr, the only Guv’na to hold the office twice, holds up ‘cryptocurrency’ made by the daughters of Jerome Smalls — Anora, 9, left, and Ivoryele, 14, right — during the Guv’na debate on May 13 at the Old Lutz School. On the left, fellow Guv’na candidate Tim Davis approves of the design. The girls were filling in for the dad, who wasn’t able to make it to the event.

The candidates answered questions to earn “points” or monies awarded to each’s cause. Candidates also competed to see who could fling a dried-out cow patty the farthest.

The whole process — the campaigns, the debates, the speeches and promises — is  tongue-in-cheek, mocking real-life politics that often flood the news cycle.

Despite beginning in the 1950s, the annual tradition has only been historically tracked since 1991 when the Lutz Civic Association began managing the annual contest.

Each campaign season, which begins May 1, candidates raise several thousand dollars for about 20 Lutz nonprofit beneficiaries.

Cortecero followed in the steps of his wife, Michele Northrup, the 2007 Guv’na.

He raised $11,919.11 in 2022, while his wife still retains the record of raising the most money in the history of the Guv’na — nearly $17,000.

In 2022, candidates raised a total of $25,079.07 used to help worthy causes.

Whomever is crowned Guv’na earmarks 10% of the proceeds to a Lutz charitable organization of his or her choice.

Davis and Smalls have yet to pick a specific charity for the 10%, but Monahan said hers will go to Lutz K-8, which is close to her heart because both of her children went to school there.

Cortecero gave money to several organizations, but his 10% went to the Old Lutz School, which benefited from several window replacements in 2022.

Now, Davis, Monahan and Smalls are working diligently on the campaigns and promises, such as Davis teaching everyone the “Lutz Song” or Monahan “looking forward to having fun” but also “refuting ridiculous claims by my opponents.”

“I’m very excited to run again,” Ivoryele Smalls said for her absentee dad, who has run previously. “(Speaking for myself), I’ve been here ever since I was a little girl and this area means a lot to my family and I.

“And we hope that second time’s the charm!”

After the debate, the candidates will be busy raising campaign funds by having raffles, car washes, lunches or other events. The candidates can even panhandle during the parade, in the final push to raise cash for the sash.

The campaign season culminates when the candidate with the most successful fundraising effort is announced as the winner. The announcement comes shortly after the community’s annual parade concludes. The swearing-in ceremony is held on the stage of the train depot building, at Lutz Lake Fern Road and U.S. 41.

At the debate, Cortecero, who is wrapping up his reign as this year’s Guv’na, expressed his gratitude for the experience.

“It’s been an amazing year, as Guv’na, with all the support of the Lutz community,” Cortecero told the crowd at the Lutz School. “I just want to say thank you for the beautiful results of the past year that went by so fast.

Sharon Monahan

“I absolutely loved being your Guv’na.”

MEET THE CANDIDATES 

Sharon Monahan
Bio: As a teacher of exceptional education for 26 years, Sharon Monahan has taught at Tim’s preschool, Maniscalco K-8 and Gaither High, and she now serves as a district resource teacher with Hillsborough County Schools. Her husband of 21 years is a local photographer with James Monahan Photography. The couple have a son, who is a U.S. Marine and an Eagle Scout from Troop 12. They also have a daughter, who is a junior at Gaither High School and a member of the school’s cheerleading squad.
Quotable: “Don’t be alone-a; vote for Sharon-a!”

Jerome Smalls
Bio: Jerome Smalls, who moved to Tampa in 2005, opened SoccerGemz in 2012. The program teaches the basic skills and fundamentals of soccer for children 18 months to 8 years old in the Lutz community. Smalls was aided by his two daughters, who filled in for him at the Guv’na debate on May 13. He’s a very active member with Lutz First Baptist.
Quotable: “This is my second time running for Guv’na so hopefully second time’s a charm!”

Tim Davis

Tim Davis
Bio: Tim Davis is the president of the Lutz Chiefs Football and Cheer Organization and a partner at McNary Bergeron and Associates, an engineering firm specializing in construction of complex bridges. The entire Davis family is active at the Lutz Chiefs and have also played Lutz Baseball and Rangers Soccer. The candidate acknowledges that his wife, Anne, does all the work at the Chiefs, while he gets all of the credit. Their kids play football, cheer, hockey, wrestle and occasionally work concessions.
Quotable: “I don’t know — I just live here!”

Past Lutz Guv’nas
2022 – Atlas Cortecero
2019 – Amy Lancaster
2018 – Domenic Difante
2017 – Kori Rankin
|2016 – Greg Gilbert
2015 – Jennifer Rankin
2014 – Dr. Cindy Perkins
2013 – Suzin Carr
2012 – Karen D’Amico
2011 – Kevin White
2010 – Stephanie Ensor
2009 – Suzin Carr
2008 – Teri Burgess
2007 – Michele Northrup
2006 – Edwina Kraemer
2005 – Liz Iaconetti
2004 – Dean Rivett
2003 – Joni Cagle
2002 – Brett Montegny
2001 – Helen Kinyon
2000 – Vince Arcuri
1999 – Danny Neeley
1998 – Sandy Ruberg
1997 – Earl Smith
1996 – Ben Nevel
1995 – Kay Dahman
1994 – Lorraine Dabney
1993 – Leslie Dennison
1992 – Betty Neeley
1991 – Jo Van Bebber

Published May 31, 2023

Using playtime to reach milestones

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Jerica Detsch is in her own zone.

That’s because this Land O’ Lakes resident is most comfortable running around without shoes — chasing, playing and interacting with little kiddos at her newly opened indoor playground and sensory gym in Lutz.

Zeke Detsch takes a ride on the swing pushed by his mom, owner and operator of MilestoneZone, an indoor playground and sensory gym in Lutz. (Mike Camunas)

MilestoneZone opened Feb. 6 at 18455 U.S. 41 and has since been providing a place to play, to learn, but especially for local youngsters to reach milestones.

“That’s why I named it that,” Detsch, who has worked in occupational therapy since 2011 and also has worked previously with children with autism. “We want them to hit milestones in their own ways and help them reach them here. I just saw a need to help parents and create a safe place for them (children) to come play and receive sensory input.”

“(This playground and sensory gym) is different, because it’s owned by an experienced pediatric occupational therapist assistant — one that saw there was no sensory place nearby for kids to go.

“And now there is,” she said.

When Detsch opened the doors, a steady influx of parents showed up — seeking an affordable, indoor and all-inclusive local playdate spot.

Zuriya Booker, 7, plays in the ball pit at MilestoneZone in Lutz.

However, her original intent was to have an autism sensory gym — and that remains the goal because the closest gym of that kind is in Brandon.

“It includes everything that makes it all-inclusive — swings, slides, rock climb wall, ball pit — there’s not another indoor playground like this except We Rock The Spectrum, but that’s not around here,” Detsch said. “Parents are really happy (with this place). Now, they don’t have to drive all the way to Brandon — this is closer to home.”

The gym is full of features such as a pool-noodle rainforest, trampolines and other interactive and sensory-friendly amenities geared toward those on the autism spectrum and with other special needs. However, so far, there are more kids using it who are not on the autism spectrum and don’t have special needs.

“I haven’t really reached out to therapy clinics to help bring the kids here, but one thing I’m noticing is when I offer special-needs times, parents (of special-needs kids) would rather them come during busy times and let them socialize,” Detsch said. “So we’re talking about verbal and non-verbal kids, during our busy time, learning socialization, communication and interaction.”

Phoenix Booker, of Wesley Chapel, takes a swing at MilestoneZone, an indoor playground, sensory gym and birthday venue that provides daily play for young children that includes swings, slides, rock climb wall, ball pit and more. The facility is at 18455 U.S. 41, in Lutz. The gym is the area’s first indoor sensory gym geared toward those on the autism spectrum and with other special needs.

Parents love the interaction seen through their kids, plus the location has drawn plenty of patrons from communities in Pasco County.

“It’s crazy that in (the surrounding areas in Pasco County) there aren’t too many places like this, if any at all besides here now,” said Tiffany Booker, a Wesley Chapel mom. “There needs to be more places like this — indoor playgrounds — and more places that are all-inclusive, for the kids and for the parents.”

MilestoneZone has given Booker and other parents a place to have Mom Meetups, allowing them to discuss parenting while giving their young kids a place to play.

“The kids love it (here), and I just love what Jerica is doing here,” Booker added.

Local parents, such as Tonia Gegenfurtner, a Land O’ Lakes mom, love the new indoor playground and it has become a new staple in her kids’ routine.

“Anything else like this is like a 35-minute drive somewhere,” she said. “It’s nice to have a place for them to play indoors, and I can open my laptop and get some work done while they do. … They really haven’t taken to things like mom coffeetime or mom meetups — they want nothing to do with that, but not here. They keep asking me when we’re going to come back here now!”

MilestoneZone
Where: 18455 U.S. 41, in Lutz
When: Open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for Tuesdays and Sundays, when it’s closed.
Details: An indoor playground, sensory gym and birthday venue that provides daily play for young children that includes swings, slides, rock climb wall, ball pit and more. It also provides an atmosphere for parents to socialize, as well as daily zone activities such as story, music or painting sessions. Open play prices start at $5 for babies/crawlers and $16 for walkers/toddlers. Grouping rates are available.
Info: Visit Milestone.Zone online, or call 813-922-9717.

Published May 10, 2023

Land O’ Lakes mom Tonia Gegenfurtner reads a children’s book to her 2-year-old son, Shane, at MilestoneZone, an indoor playground and sensory gym in Lutz.
MilestoneZone, a Lutz-based, indoor playground, sensory gym and birthday venue provides daily play for young children both with and without autism and other special needs.
MilestoneZone owner and operator Jerica Detsch, of Land O’ Lakes, holds Miles the Bunny, the mascot of the indoor playground, sensory gym and birthday venue she opened in Lutz in February.

Boy scouts sell mulch for fundraising

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Troop 339, based out of Lutz, has been organizing a mulch fundraiser since 2019 and selling the bags to local homes in Land O’ Lakes and surrounding areas.

What started out with just five homes has grown to nearly 50 homes, averaging 15 to 25 bags per house, with one house even needing nearly 100 bags.

Troop 339 delivered and spread mulch in The Groves community in Land O’ Lakes. (Courtesy of Gilberto Brooks)

The troop sells mulch by the bag, based on what the homeowner needs, and on a designated day, the troop delivers and spreads all the mulch in one day.

Besides individual homes, the troop also sold and spread mulch in common areas in a single community with about 3,000 bags of pine bark nuggets. In addition to the pine bark, the troop offers premium shredded hardwood mulch in varying colors.

Proceeds of the fundraiser go to the Scouts’ annual dues, equipment refresh and camping fees, such as when the troop used the monies raised during the fundraiser to camp at the Florida Caverns State Park in Marianna in the Panhandle in the last weekend in March.

The fundraiser is held twice a year: March and September.

This March, Troop 339 delivered and spread mulch in The Groves community in Land O’ Lakes, as well as took mulch to Asbel Creek and Estates, Connerton, Wilderness Lakes Preserves, Tierra Del Sol, Lake Padgett Estates, Lake Talia, Willow Bend, Indian Lakes and a home in Cheval in Lutz.

Common areas of an entire community can be done any time of the year.

For more information on the troop and its mulch fundraisers, contact the troop’s leadership at , or visit http://www.troop339.net.

Published April 26, 2023

Playing the game for a spell

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They are a few moves ahead of everyone else.

At the Dungeons & Dragons Club at Steinbrenner High School in Lutz, members have been playing for years. Not just in the after-school weekly meetups, but on their own, for personal fun and pleasure.

And they’re not playing just because a TV show has made it culturally acceptable by raising its popularity to the mainstream. Or because there’s a blockbuster movie now playing in theaters that’s based on the game.

Peyton White, the Dungeon Master (DM) in Steinbrenner High School’s Dungeons & Dragons after-school club, is seen here during one of the weekly gaming sessions at the school in Lutz. The club is open to anyone who wants to play, from newbies to experienced players. (Mike Camunas)

The game’s popularity, and the club, have grown because of the global hit Netflix series, “Stranger Things,” said Branden Lingerfelt, a Steinbrenner social studies teacher, who is the club’s adult sponsor and monitor.

But he added that he believes the popularity goes beyond “Stranger Things,” which began airing in 2016.

“It’s amazing to see kids come to this club,” Lingerfelt said. “Maybe they didn’t have a lot of friends before, but now they do, and maybe that was or wasn’t their intent or maybe they just wanted to play D&D, but I love seeing both of those from kids who have come to this club.

“They just want to have fun playing Dungeons & Dragons.”

For much of its existence since the game was first published in 1974, this fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson has been considered part of the “nerd culture.” The game is sometimes viewed as played by people who lack a social life or spend all of their time playing the game in a basement or garage.

Junior Mikie White, the president of Steinbrenner’s club, said he never set out to change that image when he founded the club two years ago.

Mikie White, middle, is president and founder of the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) after-school club at Steinbrenner High. He watches as the 20-sided die rolls an outcome during a recent gaming session of the fantasy role-playing game. He said he wanted to start the D&D club at Steinbrenner to have a safe space for players to get together and just have some fun going through the story labyrinth set up by the Dungeon Master.

He’s always loved the game — even before ‘Stranger Things’ — and wanted to have a safe space for players to get together and either learn the game, to improve at playing it, or just have fun going through the story labyrinth set up by the Dungeon Master.

But “Stranger Things” has had an impact. About 50 people showed up at the club’s first meeting this school year.

“Basically, before ‘Stranger Things,’ it wasn’t like that,” he said, “and with most clubs, it whittles down after the first day. When you get one of the most famous TV shows in the world basically promoting it and it becomes mainstream, then you see the new players.

“But a lot of people don’t know how to play it or get into it. So if you have a club at school, it’s about, ‘Come join us, come learn how to play,’ — because this is an easy way to find out how.

“This isn’t really about competing — you don’t really win D&D. You’re getting together with friends and having a great time — that’s what you really want.”

The club meets once a week, for about an hour or so of play, as Lingerfelt keeps a watchful eye.

Lingerfelt says he’s not an avid player and doesn’t play with the students, but he’s more than happy to sit back and watch much better players at work.

The minimum number of dice to Dungeons & Dragons is a seven-dice set, which can include one of each die that is four-sided, six-sided, eight-sided, 10-sided, 12-sided, and finally, a 20-sided that is generally used for important or critical outcomes to the story.

“What I like is that they’re just hanging out at a place and time to meet,” Lingerfelt said. “It’s lowkey — like a kid isn’t here and in this club for his or her (college) resume. He or she is here to play D&D, and I think that’s great.

“They want a space and time to play with fellow students? I am here for them.”

Of course the club has more experienced players, such as Mikie White or the club’s vice president, senior Peyton White (no relation). Which, as leaders of the club, is perfect, as they are the go-to experts for rule clarifications and playing advice.

“What I try to do with new players,” Peyton White said, “is get them with more experienced Dungeon Masters. I’m very anti-gatekeeping, so no matter how you found out about tabletop dice games — ‘Stranger Things’ or the movie or some podcast or TV show or friend — if you want to play it, play it! If you want to do it, do it! Come join us or a game or find a game and have fun!

Sophomore Diego Campos has a good laugh with his Dungeons & Dragons comrades and club friends during a recent gaming session at Steinbrenner High in Lutz.

“I care about it a lot, that’s why I encourage it, and not everyone stuck with it, but I’m glad to have those who did stick with it and I’m glad to have this club at my school until I graduate because it can be very hard to find games anywhere, especially outside a school setting at our age.

“It’s so much fun and anyone can play!”

Mikie White agrees, knowing first-hand the fun of playing the elaborate game, but also that the game isn’t just for “nerds.”

“There’s a few athletes in (the club),” he said. “It’s not a dorky thing anymore, and whether it’s ‘Stranger Things’ or something else that got you into the game, Dungeons & Dragons is for everyone.”

Dungeons & Dragons
Details: This fantasy tabletop game, created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, was first published in 1974. The role-playing game (RPG) has evolved and gained popularity through the years, even now after it has been published by Wizards of the Coast (a subsidiary of Hasbro) since 1997.
The game departs from traditional war gaming by allowing each player to create their own character to play instead of a military formation. These characters embark upon adventures within a fantasy setting. A Dungeon Master (DM) serves as the game’s referee and storyteller, while maintaining the setting in which the adventures occur, and playing the role of the inhabitants of the game world, also referred to as non-player characters (NPCs).
During the game, players describe their characters’ intended actions to the DM, who then describes the result or response. Trivial actions, such as picking up a letter or opening an unlocked door, are usually automatically successful. The outcomes of more complex or risky actions, such as scaling a cliff or picking a lock, are determined by rolling dice. Different polyhedral dice are used for different actions, such as a 20-sided die to see whether a hit was made in combat, but an eight-sided die to determine how much damage was dealt. A single session of Dungeons & Dragons can last anywhere between three hours to an entire day.
For more information about the Steinbrenner D&D club, email Branden Lingerfelt at .

Published April 12, 2023

Sophomore Aiden Webber, a member of Steinbrenner High’s Dungeons & Dragons Club, watches his die as he tries to make a calculated roll.
Steinbrenner High’s Dungeons & Dragons Club meets weekly on campus and features about 20 members who gather in a safe space to have friendly sessions of the fantasy role-playing game.
Senior Dungeons & Dragons player Zachary Gondelman hopes for a good outcome on his roll of a 20-sided die during a recent gaming session.

 

Students get plugged into EVs

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They’re trying to change climate change, one electric vehicle at a time.

Sixth-graders in Environmental Science class at Learning Gate Community School in Lutz recently took seven broken mini EVs and rebuilt them.

It was an ambitious undertaking, led by the school’s Environment Science teacher, Steven Warrener.

He wanted his students to see what sustainable transportation looks like, how electric vehicles are made, and to experience, firsthand, how the vehicles can be fixed easily and cheaply.

Learning Gate Community School in Lutz and its sixth-graders took seven broken mini electric vehicles (EVs) — in this case, scooters — and rebuilt them as part of a project in Environmental Science Teacher Steven Warrener’s class. The goal was to show the kids what sustainable transportation looks like, how electric vehicles are made, and see firsthand how the vehicles can be fixed easily and cheaply. (Courtesy of Steve Warrener)

“It ended up being pretty fun,” Warrener said. “I wanted the kids to learn the ins and outs of sustainable transportation.

“We basically got seven broken mini EVs and rebuilt them — and I thought it was pretty a fun project in part because I ride some of them around school whenever I have an excuse and I hear the younger kids say, ‘I can’t wait to get to sixth grade’ and that is a big part of why I do it.”

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), ​greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation account for about 27% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, making it the largest contributor. Between 1990 and 2020, GHG emissions in the transportation sector increased more in absolute terms than any other sector.

With that in mind, it was easy for the students to see how important it was to find alternatives to combustible-engine vehicles and implement EVs more into daily use.

As Teresa Gallegos put it, “(EVs are) a form of sustainable transportation that is very much needed,” while Cam Kirouac added about the project, “Hopefully, we can be one step closer to stopping climate change.”

Warrener said he “trolled Facebook Marketplace and local pawn shops and negotiated for very cheap — and occasionally free — used and broken electric scooters, trikes and motorcycles” and ended up with four scooters, two motorcycles and a drift trike.

Learning Gate Community School Environmental Science Teacher Steven Warrener sits on one of the seven mini EVs he and his students saved and rebuilt.

After pairing students in groups, Warrener had the kids research and experiment with their group’s vehicle to figure out what was broken and repair it. Through a multi-week process, they learned how electricity and motors work, how to test voltage and identify problems, and then made the repairs themselves with parts Warrener had purchased.

The students were allowed to customize the paint job and clean up the EVs for their second life.

“We were successful with six of the vehicles,” Warrener added. “Two we put in an auction fundraiser, two will be giveaways and one will stay for next year’s class.

The remaining motorcycle is a work in progress, as efforts are made to see if a record can be set for the fastest Razor MX350, Warrener said.

They will attempt this by taking the motor from the electric go-kart built earlier this school year. That will produce about eight times the power of the original motor, in hopes to top the unofficial speed record of 34 mph, the teacher said.

Because of the project, students were able to easily grasp the important lessons Warrener set out to teach.

“I learned that EVs can help the world because they don’t require gasoline,” Elijah Bossio said. “That’s really important right now.” 

Added Alexander Bailey, “I learned how to make an electric vehicle and you can buy a broken thing for a cheap price and fix it for a profit. I think more people should do that.”

Warrener agrees.

“EVs are really just a motor, throttle, controller and battery,” he said. “There are so few pieces and they are so simple (that) gas cars really have no chance of competing in the future.”

Published April 12, 2023

Lutz author wants to preserve stories of industrial America

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Jim Kissane began writing stories decades ago, but he didn’t publish his first book until last year.

Now, the Lutz man is wrapping up a second book and is planning to write a total of 13 books in his independently published series called “The Story of Industrial America, 1850s to 1950s.”

The first book, “Railroad Stories Volume One,” is a collection of short stories covering a broad range of topics.

(Courtesy of Jim Kissane)

The accounts range from the exploits of a gentleman train robber, to the creation of Swanson TV dinners.

He shares poignant stories. One tells the tale of a young mother and her baby, who froze to death after getting off at the wrong stop. Another shares the desire of a repentant criminal who wants to return to his mother, but can’t because law enforcement is looking for him.

The historical fiction book is arranged by stand-alone chapters.

The stories offer a human touch — while mixing in facts from the news of the day. Many stories provide descriptions of equipment found on trains and in rail yards and paint a picture of the overall role trains have played in moving people and freight.

One story offers a detailed account in the crucial role the milk trains played in bringing fresh milk to market. Another describes the meticulous nature of the work of a trail walker — who walked miles each day seeking out any potential hazards to keep the tracks safe.

Kissane said the stories aim to preserve a part of history he doesn’t want to be forgotten.

His planned series of books on Industrial America is also motivated by keeping alive stories that he heard in his youth from relatives and family friends, who often did dangerous work in railroads, mining, steel mills and construction.

He plans to include 13 books in his industrial America series, plus another book on America’s westward expansion.

He’s loved railroads since he was a kid
Kissane grew up in Elmira, a city in upstate New York that was a hub for five major railroads.

His dad worked for the Delaware Lackawanna & Western (DL&W) and his grandfather worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR).

They took Kissane to visit the rail yards, giving him an up-close view of the railroad life.

Because of his dad and grandfather’s connections, Kissane enjoyed rides in the cabs of steam and diesel locomotives, and got to ride in cabooses. He met conductors and brakemen on the trains, and hobos in the rail yard.

One of his early jobs involved working for the General Railway Signal Company, a 100-year-old manufacturer of railroad signaling and switching equipment — used by all of the railroads.

Later on, as a volunteer with the Railway Historical Society, he had a chance to help restore vintage locomotives and rolling stock.

He was involved, as well, in the restoration of an abandoned rail line running through the heart of Pennsylvania’s historic Oil Creek Valley, which culminated with the creation of the Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad (OC&T).

Plus, he and his wife, Nancy, served as conductors on steam locomotive excursions, helping people to enjoy a railroad experience that in today’s world, is not easy to find.

All of this serves as a backdrop, to explain Kissane’s deep desire to preserve the history of those early railroad days, as well as share stories about other industrial sectors that influenced the shape of America.

He began working on his books before he realized what he was doing.

“I’m a first-time author. I really didn’t know what it was that I was setting out to do,” Kissane said.

Nevertheless, when the pursuit began to publish a book, he’d already written hundreds of stories.

“Several years ago, I started writing a little collection of anecdotes and short stories, and I felt this was information that was too important to let pass after my lifetime,” he said.

“I wanted to record it for posterity, exposing some of the amazing and interesting people and events and ideas that occurred during that period, 1850s to the 1950s,” Kissane said.

Of course, writing the accounts was just a start.

The work also involves editing and rewriting, deciding which stories should go in which book, additional research and so on.

He praised his wife, Nancy, for being vital in his writing pursuits.

He expressed that gratitude in the introduction to Volume One, when he wrote: “I could not have created this book without her guidance, encouragement and assistance in editing it and putting it together.”

He credited Robin Moore, a self-publishing consultant, who helped put him on the pathway of publishing for a worldwide readership, on the Amazon platform.

The twin goals of Kissane’s work are to share history and to create human connections.

He said he wants his stories “to make you laugh, or cry, or make you say, ‘Oh, my!’” 

He also hopes to stimulate readers’ imagination, encourage conversations and activate people to talk about things they hadn’t realized before, he said.

The accounts he writes welcome readers into a bygone era — revealing what people were like at that time, and offering a look into what they were doing.

“A lot of this is based on the stories that are still very memorable to me, that I heard when I was younger,” Kissane said. Other stories involve people he’s met along life’s path, or that he learned about during his research.

If you want to be a writer, write
Kissane is new to publishing, but he’s no stranger to hard work.

He belongs to a writing accountability club — where writers help each other keep focused. He estimates he writes 4,000 words  to 6,000 words every week.

When it comes to marketing though, well, he put it this way: “I will be the first person to admit, I am the world’s worst marketer.

“This is a whole new venture for me. I am just throwing myself on the mercy of the market and hoping that by word of mouth, people want to have me show up for museum events, or historical societies, or things of that nature,” Kissane said.

His measure of success won’t be the number of books he sells.

“I have had in my heart the desire to have my work published, ever since I was a kid,” Kissane said.

“I’ve always wanted to be a storyteller. I always wanted to write a book.”

If it’s not the number of books he sells, how does Kissane define success?

“It is the reality that I undertook something that’s been sitting on my heart for a long time, and I accomplished it and I did it well,” he said.

Author Jim Kissane is engaged in writing a series of books about Industrial America, from the 1850s to the 1950s. He set about the task because he was worried this history would be forgotten and lost forever, and he wants to do his part to be sure it isn’t.
The series is titled “The Story of Industrial America, 1850’s – 1950’s.”
The first volume, (Railroad Stories, Volume One) is available on Amazon.com. It costs $15 for paperback and is also available on Kindle.
Kissane is  planning 12 other books in this series, plus one about America’s westward expansion.
Kissane welcomes the opportunity to share stories about Industrial America, about his path to independent publishing, or both, for clubs or organizations seeking a guest speaker.
You can reach him at .

Published April 05, 2023

A new church has been planted in Odessa

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A new church has been planted in Odessa, and Pastor Tony Owens has faith that it will grow into a flourishing place for worship, spiritual growth and community involvement.

Church Experience Odessa has been operating for about a month, through small get-togethers in the pastor and his wife’s apartment.

Efforts have begun to find a larger meeting place, so the church will be able to accommodate those joining the church, as it continues to create a new worship experience in the area, Owens said.

Currently, Church Experience Odessa meets on the first and third Saturdays of the month at 7 p.m.

Owens expects to continue operations as they are for about the next year, but then expects to have  a big grand opening for the church.

The church isn’t just about a worship experience, Owens said.

“Sometimes, we’ll have a movie night or a game night, just different small events,” he said.

It also will get involved by volunteering in community projects, he said.

Owens said he was involved in planting a church in Brandon and also has been involved in advising church planners and other pastors.

Church Experience is based in Dunedin, but has churches that are affiliated with it in Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, he said.

He said he belonged to the church in Dunedin, helped with the church planting in Brandon and then came back to the central church in Dunedin.

Next, he and his wife moved to Orlando, but then returned to the Tampa Bay area.

“I felt the tug by God to plant a church in Odessa,” he said.

The church’s goal “is to help more people experience a full life in Jesus, not just a Sunday worship experience.”

To find out more about Church Experience Odessa, you can reach out to the pastor by calling 813-474-0665 or emailing .

Published April 05, 2023

Steinbrenner band headed across the pond

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It’s time to pack the passports inside their instrument cases.

For members of Steinbrenner High’s band, The Marching Warrior Brigade, they’ll need to have their international travel affairs in order come Dec. 27 when the band heads across the pond to England.

Duncan Sandys, the great-grandson of Winston Churchill, came to Steinbrenner High on March 22 to invite The Marching Warrior Brigade to perform in the 2024 London New Year’s Day Parade. (Mike Camunas)

The 136-member band has been invited to be in the massive 2024 London New Year’s Day Parade, which will feature nearly 10,000 performers.

The streets of London, from Piccadilly Circus to Downing Street, will be packed with more 500,000 spectators. It also will be broadcast to millions, including viewers in the United States, on PBS.

“This is the biggest trip this band has probably done in a while, at least since COVID,” said sophomore Will Gilleland, who plays the clarinet. “In my time in the program, the furthest we’ve gone on a trip is Orlando, so going to a crazy, new place we’ve never been before — it’s incredible!”

Marcos Aquino, left, and Connor Wood, right, cheer during the assembly where Steinbrenner High’s band was invited to perform in the 2024 London New Year’s Day Parade.

This is the second time the Brigade has been invited to this particular parade, as the band was invited to the 2021 edition, though that was canceled due to COVID.

On March 22, Steinbrenner was reinvited, this time with a lively ceremony.

Bob Bone, founder and chair of the parade, came to the campus in Lutz, accompanied by Duncan Sandys (pronounced Sands), who is the great-grandson of Winston Churchill.

“I know there is a parade you have here on Thanksgiving, which I think is named after a department store,” Bone told the band, tongue-in-cheek, eliciting laughter from the crowd. “They’re half as big and think they’re a big deal, but we take a look at Macy’s every year to get an idea of what NOT to do!”

Sandys, who now resides in Georgia as ambassador to the parade, told the band about the history and expansiveness of London. He also went over the parade route and briefly talked about his great-grandfather, the United Kingdom’s legendary prime minister in World War II.

“Enjoy every sight you can while there,” he said. “There is just so much history on every corner.”

The Marching Warrior Brigade, Steinbrenner High’s band, listens in excitement as Duncan Sandys, the great-grandson of Winston Churchill, invites the ensemble to perform in the 2024 London New Year’s Day Parade on Jan. 1. The band will travel to London in late December and perform in front of a crowd of hundreds of thousands.

Chip Wood, Steinbrenner’s director of bands, said the international band trip is an exciting and huge undertaking. To help avoid any last-minute disappointments, he’s making sure everyone who is traveling is getting their passports now.

“It’s an extremely well-attended parade,” Wood said. “I wanted to give these kids, and my own son, who is a junior in the band, an epic event with some travel — and I’ve never been to London! … But (passports), the process takes way longer than it used to, so I want to make sure everyone has theirs or updated so they can pack it and go!”

Wood has previous experience leading a band to large-scale events, including taking a band twice to the Rose Bowl Parade in California, the Macy’s parade in New York and even being part of the taping of the Disney World Christmas “parade” in Lake Buena Vista.

At the ceremony, junior piccolo player Meghan Betancourt, was “awarded” being the ceremonial keeper of the official British umbrella. Sandys gave her a small, white umbrella.

Anniak Futo, left, and Katie Cozie anxiously watch a video presentation about the annual London New Year’s Day Parade in which their band, The Marching Warrior Brigade, will perform on Jan. 1.

It’s a relatively new tradition of the parade, but Bone and Sandys present the umbrella to one lucky band member, who must keep the umbrella in his or her personal custody until the parade.

Failure to do so could result in it raining on the parade.

Betancourt’s fellow band members and friends are encouraged to help her be vigilant in protecting the umbrella —  through the threat of an Instagram post, if she slips up on her duty.

“I will feel bad if it rains on the parade,” Betancourt said. “I think they’re all ready to blame me (laughs), ready to post on instagram, if it rains because of me.

“(But) I’m super excited, because I love traveling and I really like playing in front of people,” she added. “Playing in a big parade makes me really happy because I like seeing other people get happy from our performances. And we get performance experience without competition experience — we just get to perform and that will be really good for our program.”

As for what the band’s musical set will be, that decision is an ongoing process.

But one thing is certain, the band leader said. “Whatever it is, they’ll be playing it in London!”

London New Year’s Day Parade
Details: The parade first took place in 1987 as the Lord Mayor of Westminster’s Big Parade, but was renamed in 1994, and for 2000 only it was called the Millennium Parade. More than 500,000 spectators attended the 2023 parade, with even more expected in 2024. Performances from the nearly 10,000 musicians and artists will be screened live on network television on PBS.
For more information on the parade, visit https://lnydp.com/. For more information on the Steinbrenner band, visit HillsboroughSchools.org/steinbrenner.

Published March 29, 2023