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Foundation serves up tennis lessons to Pasco youth

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Since its October grand opening ceremony, the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Center in Zephyrhills has garnered widespread recognition for its breadth of racquet sports and other amenities.

The 10-acre athletic complex, located off Simons Road, is owned by the City of Zephyrhills, but privately managed and operated. It boasts 11 tennis courts, eight pickleball courts and four padel courts. It also offers a mix of peak performance treatments in the way of a state-of-the-art fitness center, cryotherapy, salt room therapy and sports counseling.

Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Foundation program director Nick Walton, left, with foundation ambassador Isaac Mitchell. Teen ambassadors, including Mitchell, volunteer in the afterschool programs and represent the foundation at other community events. For their efforts, ambassadors receive training and private coaching privileges at the new tennis center. (Courtesy of Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Foundation)

These features, among others, set the facility up as a regional, national and even international racquet sports destination, with potential to host world-class tournaments and professional players on-site for training.

But, beyond the scope of drawing tourism and big-money events to East Pasco, the sports facility also is serving up outreach opportunities for community youth.

That’s being done through the facility’s 501c3 nonprofit partner organization, called the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Foundation.

The foundation’s mission is “to provide tennis and education programming in Pasco County communities through character-building, physical activity, and mentoring.”

The foundation — and tennis center— is named in honor of the former Zephyrhills High School district champion who became a scholarship player on the University of South Carolina Upstate women’s tennis team.

Sarah Vande Berg, the daughter of Zephyrhills planning director Todd Vande Berg, died in an automobile accident at the age of 21 in October 2015.

Sarah Vande Berg Foundation program director Nick Walton and Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center CEO Pascal Collard provided updates about the nonprofit’s progress during a Zephyrhills City Council meeting last month.

Earlier this fall, the foundation launched a pair of free afterschool programs at both West Zephyrhills Elementary and Raymond B. Stewart Middle Schools. Programming had been set to begin at the schools in the spring, but was delayed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the new afterschool program, foundation coaches and volunteers are on-site at the schools twice a week for two hours each day, teaching introductory tennis fundamentals, nutrition habits and character education classes, for children in grades three through eight.

The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Foundation recently launched a pair of free afterschool programs at both West Zephyrhills Elementary and Raymond B. Stewart Middle schools. Coaches and volunteers from the foundation are on-site at the schools twice a week for two hours each day, teaching introductory tennis fundamentals, nutrition habits and character education classes, for children in grades three through eight. The program assists youth of all skill levels and backgrounds, including many low-income and minority youth with limited access to organized sports.

The program assists youth of all skill levels and backgrounds, including many low-income and minority youth who have limited access to organized sports.

Most of the approximately 30 youth players from each respective school had never picked up a racquet prior to joining the program.

In a nutshell, here’s how the afterschool initiative works: All participants are incentivized from the first day to show up to all classes, listen to their coaches, follow instructions, and try their best to improve. Students who handle these objectives diligently for four consecutive weeks are rewarded with a brand-new racquet for them to take home and practice.

“We want to break down barriers to the sport of tennis and access to equitable education services,” Walton said of the program. “Our vision is for all students to have personal growth and positive relationships through tennis.”

The foundation also has sponsored a teen ambassador program geared toward eighth grade and high school students. These ambassadors help volunteer in the afterschool programs and represent the foundation at other community events. For their efforts, ambassadors receive training and private coaching privileges at the new tennis center.

“We’re definitely more than tennis,” said Walton. “What we’re creating is a community of young people who will grow together, on and off the court.”

That happens, he said, through positive role models and mentors, a heavy emphasis on education and growth through sport and physical well-being.

The foundation also offers a college scholarship program, awarding multiple scholarships each year to graduating Zephyrhills High School student-athletes. Scholarship selection criteria include academic performance, leadership qualities, volunteerism, community engagement and sports involvement.

Athletes from all sports are encouraged to apply, not just those who play tennis.

Six scholarships have been awarded over the past three years, according to the foundation’s website. The deadline to apply is April 30 each year.

Zephyrhills City Councilman Lance Smith called the foundation’s varied efforts “a great thing for the whole community.”

“I’m just really excited because we’re in those schools where we need to reach these kids,” said Smith. “Introducing them to a sport and teaching them about what they need to do to become good people, creating good character in them, so I couldn’t be happier to be involved with them.”

The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Foundation has methodically built up its base since design plans and construction for the multimillion dollar tennis center were en route a few years ago.
The foundation’s first major fundraiser was held in October 2018, at Arbor Green in New Tampa.

That tennis clinic and event gala was headlined by International Tennis Hall of Fame coach Nick Bolletti, renowned for grooming 10 world No. 1 players, including Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, Maria Sharapova and Dade City’s Jim Courier, among many others.

The gala helped raise more than $10,000, used to purchase tennis rackets and to subsidize tennis camps for youth.

Total donations have since reached $30,500, according to the foundation’s website. Supporting partners include the United States Tennis Foundation, Wilson Sporting Goods, Duke Energy and Zephyrhills Water.

The foundation mirrors a similar outreach program called Down The Line and Beyond, which Collard spearheaded while he was tennis director at The Merion Cricket Club, a private club in Haverford, Pennsylvania.

The Philadelphia-area nonprofit has grown to serve more than 1,600 underprivileged youths from ages 7 to 17, and facilitates positive character and education development through tennis lessons.

Some of those youths even went on to earn collegiate tennis scholarships as a result of their development in the program.

“None of them would’ve played tennis — none— without the foundation. We are going to do the same thing over here (in Zephyrhills),” Collard said in a prior interview with The Laker/Lutz News.

For more information, visit SVBTennisFoundation.com.

Published December 16, 2020

New auction venue to open in Zephyrhills

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Pasco County commissioners granted a conditional permit to Sierra Farms Inc., and Royal Auction Group for a public auction venue in Zephyrhills.

The venue will occupy about 23 acres in the southwest corner of a larger parcel at the intersection of Gall Boulevard and State Road 56.

Currently, DAX or Dealers Auction Xchange, and the 301 and 56 Flea Market operate on land in the northwestern portion of the property.

Sierra Farms and Royal Auction must submit a site plan to the county. Amplified music and a public address system are permitted only during the hours of 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The county commission rezoned the property in 1984 to allow uses such as a fairgrounds, auto show, flea market, and exposition hall.

The property’s future land allows for “major attractions” and residential uses. The auction venue is located in the major attractions portion of the site, and doesn’t encroach on the designated residential area.

Published December 16, 2020

Health officials recommend against traveling at the holidays

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As the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths continue to rise, health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are recommending against travel during the Christmas holidays.

Travelers and employees at Tampa International Airport are wearing masks because of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Courtesy of Tampa International Airport)

The CDC’s website warns: “Travel can increase your chance of spreading and getting COVID-19.”

It also advises: “Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.”

CDC health experts also note that even if you and your travel companions, including children, feel well and are not exhibiting symptoms, you can still spread COVID-19 to family, friends and community after travel.

“If you have a known exposure to COVID-19, you should delay travel, quarantine yourself from other people, get tested, and monitor your health,” the website advises.

If you do decide to travel, be sure to take these steps during your trip to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, the CDC recommends:

  • Check travel restrictions before you go
  • Get your flu shot before you travel
  • Bring extra supplies, such as masks and hand sanitizer
  • Do not travel if you or your travel companions are sick
  • Wear a mask to keep your nose and mouth covered when in public settings, including on public transportation and in transportation hubs, such as airports and stations
  • Avoid close contact by staying at least 6 feet apart, about two arm-lengths, from anyone who is not from your travel group
  • Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol).
  • Avoid contact with anyone who is sick.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

Traveling by air?
Here is some information that will prove useful to those traveling through Tampa International Airport:

  • Masks are required for all employees, passengers and visitors at Tampa International Airport. The airport will provide masks to passengers, if necessary, which can be found at the information kiosk, in the main terminal. Masks are available for purchase at the airport’s newsstands. Masks should be worn over your mouth and nose at all times, except for when you are eating or drinking.
  • There are social distancing stickers and markers throughout the airport, to keep passengers and employees at a safe distance from one another. Blocked seating exists at all gates, and there are plexiglass shields where passengers may interact with employees. Try to observe the CDC’s recommended 6 feet of social distance. As a point of reference, 6 feet is about the length of two rolling carryon bags.
  • Wash/sanitize your hands frequently. There are plenty of sinks and soap, and also strategically placed hand sanitizing stations throughout the airport. Hand sanitizer and wipes also can be purchased at newsstands, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) allows passengers to carry up to 12 ounces of hand sanitizer in carry-on luggage.
  • Go touchless. Use mobile boarding passes, fill a reusable bottle at water bottle-filling stations, and use touchless payment at shops and restaurants. All of the airport’s shops, restaurants and kiosks accept credits cards, and some allow you to swipe your card in front of sensors to pay without ever pressing a button. If you do have to exchange cards or cash with an employee, be sure to wash or sanitize your hands immediately after.
  • Carry on your luggage when possible; that limits the number of hands touching bags. It also allows passengers to bypass baggage claims areas, and streamlines your journey from curbside to the gate, and back.
  • Arrive early. For domestic flights, plan on arriving at least two hours early; for international flights, plan on arriving at least three hours early. That’s especially important, to avoid congestion at TSA checkpoints.

Traveling by car? These tips from AAA’s newsroom may prove useful:

  • Plan ahead: Check with state and local authorities where you are, along your route, and at your planned destination to learn about local circumstances and any restrictions that may be in place.
  • Follow public health guidance. Also, be sure to pack face masks, disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer and a thermometer to help protect and monitor your health. Also pack water and extra snacks to reduce the need to stop along your trip.
  • Before any hotel stay, call ahead to ensure your hotel is open and ask what precautions they are taking to protect guests. Ask about social distancing protocols, such as capacity reductions in common spaces, hotel staff requirements to wear masks at all times and if all amenities are available, such as restaurant dining.
  • Car rentals – If renting a car, ask what has been done to clean the vehicle. For extra peace of mind, use disinfecting wipes to wipe down door handles, steering wheels, shifters and control panels.

Published December 16, 2020

Mask mandates continue in Pasco and Hillsborough

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At one point, it appeared that Pasco County might be on the verge of dropping its mask mandate — but that looks unlikely for at least the foreseeable future.

“When I stood before you in September, we were looking at 29 cases a day. We’re up to 207 cases,” Mike Napier, the health officer for the Florida Department of Health — Pasco County told Pasco County commissioners at their Dec. 8 meeting.

(File)

“Back in September, when we were looking at 29 cases per day, that was considered a very low case rate. However, we’ve gone in the wrong direction.

“We’re now in the environment where we have what is considered a high case rate, and no end in sight at the moment,” Napier continued.

“Pasco County has the highest positivity rate in the region.

“At 200 cases a day, we could double our total cases from 16,000 to 32,000 in the next three months, if we don’t do anything else. That’s startling. That means 400 cases a day, instead of 200 cases a day.

“We’re not seeing any indicators that these rates will slow until the vaccine is widely available in the spring.

“The recommendation at this point is to continue the emphasis of the importance of social distancing, hand hygiene and face covering,” the public health officer said.

Napier shared some statistics and trends with the board.

“As of this morning, we’ve had 16,544 positive cases. Something that’s a little bit startling is that 9.5% of those total cases — 1,578 — happened in the last seven days. So, we are seeing a spike in numbers,” the public health officer said.

“Our 14-day rolling average is up from 5% to almost 10%, so we’ve seen a similar doubling in numbers in positivity rate, as well,” Napier continued.

The county also had 305 deaths related to COVID so far, with a slight increase in the number of deaths occurring during the previous three-week period, Napier said.

“Many of us were concerned back in late June, early July about our cases and our percent positive. We’re surpassing that now.

“Our positivity rate is not equal to what we had during the spike, but has been consistently above 10%.

“Most people are being tested, therefore we’re getting more numbers,” he said. “The concern that I have, honestly, is that we’re getting to the maximum of our ability to test people, currently, to diagnose people with COVID.”

He also told board members the increasing number of cases do not appear to be tied to students being back in school.

“We are seeing very limited transmission within the school system,” the Pasco health officer added. “It’s really when the kids go home to their parents, and activities after school.”

Napier said he understands COVID fatigue: “People are just over it at this point.” But he added that vigilance to health protocols remains necessary to reduce potential spread.

Hillsborough County’s state of local emergency enacted in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has been extended until at least Dec. 17. The county also has extended its mask mandate to at least that date.

The Hillsborough County Commission is expected to discuss its local emergency declaration on Dec. 16.

Hillsborough survey on vaccines
Hillsborough County is conducting an opinion survey to find out how residents feel about the forthcoming COVID-19 vaccines and to understand what obstacles the community might have to taking a vaccine.

The anonymous survey, offered in English and Spanish, is designed to help County leadership understand respondents’ attitudes and trepidations about the COVID-19 vaccines, according to a Hillsborough County news release.

The survey is intended to help county leaders better plan and execute distribution logistics and campaigns to maximize the number of residents who choose to get vaccinated.

Visit HCFLGov.net/COVIDVaccine to participate in the survey. To participate by text, text “vaccine” to 73224 or “Vacuna” to 73224 to participate in Spanish.

COVID-19 Cases (As of 8 a.m., Dec. 14)
United States: 15,932,116 cases; 296,818 deaths
Florida: 1,125,931 cases, 19,866 deaths
Pasco County: 17,628 cases; 318 deaths
Hillsborough County: 64,967 cases; 986 deaths

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Florida Department of Health

Published December 16, 2020

Wetlands’ impact costs $2.7 million

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Pasco County will pay about $2.7 million to buy wetland mitigation credits related to construction of the Ridge Road extension.

The Pasco County Commission approved a resolution for the payment to EIP (Ecosystem Investment Partners LLC) and the Old Florida Wetland Mitigation Bank during the county board’s Nov. 17 meeting.

The resolution described the payment as due to “unavoidable wetland impacts.”

Ridge Road is under construction but remains embroiled in a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club against the United States Army Corp of Engineers. The federal agency approved the road’s permit after a controversy spanning more than two decades about its construction.

The Sierra Club alleges that the Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service relied on a faulty, outdated environmental report that omitted impacts to some endangered and threatened species.

County officials describe the road as a necessary addition to the county’s emergency evacuation routes.

Environmentalists have said the county wants the road to accommodate additional  development along the road’s pathway.

The road extension is intended to provide an east-west pathway from Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey, to U.S. 41, also known as Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, in Land O’ Lakes.

Published December 16, 2020

Pasco names director of support services

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Pasco County commissioners approved the appointment of Paula Baracaldo for the newly created position of director of support services, effective Jan. 1.

Baracaldo will receive an annual salary of $105,000.

The position results from a county departmental reorganization, prompted by Pasco’s growth over the past years. COVID-19 also is adding to the demands for services.

Baracaldo’s new position is part of the public services branch. She currently serves as chief of staff for Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles.

Baracaldo primarily will have oversight of the veterans services and the fiscal services divisions, formerly part of the community services department.

She also will support other executive functions within the public services branch.

Baracaldo is a public certified manager. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida in political science and international studies, and a master’s degree in public policy and administration from Northwestern University.

Published December 16, 2020

Safety first, when viewing holiday lights

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A great way to get into the holiday spirit is to enjoy holiday lights from your car, while maintaining social distance.

As you visit a community display or check out decorations in your neighborhood, though, remember to stay safe on the road to avoid unnecessary risks behind the wheel.

“Drive-thru events and activities have been a go-to for family fun throughout 2020,” Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA-The Auto Club Group, said  in a news release.

“Personal vehicles can help you safely share in the joys of the season, but combining driving with other activities could land you on the naughty list,” Jenkins said.

The Auto Club reminds offers these safety reminders, to help you keep safe when you are viewing light displays, while driving:

  • Watch for pedestrians, especially in residential areas. People on foot may be more interested in the lights, than oncoming traffic.
  • Remain seated and buckled, even while parked on the roadside.
  • Pull over if you need to program your navigation system, check a map, take pictures, or do anything that will take your attention off the task of driving. You can also delegate those tasks to a passenger.
  • Do not come to a complete stop in a traffic lane. If you encounter someone who has stopped, only pass if it is safe and legal to do so.
  • If you visit a drive-thru event and are asked to turn off your headlights, remember to turn them back on when you exit the display.

As always, check weather and roadway conditions before you go out.

Published December 16, 2020

Commission fights human trafficking

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The Pasco County Commission has re-established and expanded the functions of the Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking to “more robustly serve the community,” based on an action at the board’s Nov. 17 meeting.

Since 2014, the human trafficking commission has received regional, statewide and national recognition for its advocacy on behalf of human trafficking victims and survivors, according to the board’s agenda materials.

Under its expanded mission, the commission’s goals are to promote awareness of the problem in Pasco, Tampa Bay and Florida; to establish educational programs within the community on how to recognize human trafficking and procedures for reporting trafficking; to advocate strategies, including financial assistance, that will aid rescued and surviving victims; and, to support other individuals and programs that have similar goals.

As part of its public awareness efforts, the commission will continue its media campaign. The group also will make scholarships or other financial support available to students or individuals who want to expand their knowledge of human trafficking by attending educational programs.

Published December 16, 2020

Efforts being made to prevent wildfires

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The Southwest Florida Water Management District plans to set some fires deliberately to reduce the risk of fires getting out of control, according to a district news release.

The technique, known as setting prescribed fires controlled settings, reduces the chance of wildfires that can cause extensive damage, as well as threatening lives and property.

These are flames from a previous wildfire in Starkey Park. Prescribed fires controlled settings reduce the chance of wildfires causing extensive damage. (File)

Many Floridians witnessed the devastation that wildfires can create when the state was under a wildfire emergency in 2017.

Although the acreages may sound large, the release explains that the burns will be done in small, manageable units.

Between now and the end of the year, the water management district is planning prescribed burns on these Pasco County properties:

• Cypress Creek Preserve, east of Ehren Cutoff and south of State Road 52: About 300 acres

  • Conner Preserve, west of Ehren Cutoff and south of State Road 52: About 500 acres
  • Starkey Wilderness Preserve, east of New Port Richey, west of the Suncoast Parkway, north of State Road 54 and south of State Road 52: About 600 acres
  • Upper Hillsborough Preserve, south of the County Road 54 and east of Chancey Road in Zephyrhills: About 550 acres
  • Weeki Wachee Preserve, north of Hudson, west of U.S. Highway 19 and includes the Aripeka Sandhills tract: About 100 acres

Some trails may be temporarily closed during prescribed burn events.

Major benefits of prescribed burns include:

  • Reducing overgrown plants, which decreases the risk of catastrophic wildfires
  • Promoting the growth of new, diverse plants
  • Maintaining the character and condition of wildlife habitat
  • Maintaining access for public recreation

The District conducts prescribed fires on approximately 30,000 acres each year.

Published December 16, 2020

Learning options go on, in Florida

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Parents will continue to have the choice of keeping their children at home for remote learning through the second semester of the school year.

Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran made that announcement during a joint news conference on Nov. 30.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning also discussed the state’s new executive order during the Pasco County School Board’s Dec. 1 meeting.

The order “does allow for the continuation of the mySchool Online learning model,” Browning said. “It also does hold school districts harmless, financially, and I would add, with some caveats. We are still working through the details of the order, as it relates to the financial matters.”

The district must submit a plan to the state by Dec. 15, which outlines how it will identify struggling students and provide learning supports.

“Needless to say, staff is working feverishly to not just submit a report, or a plan, but submit a plan that represents how we’re going to support all of our students, and especially the struggling students,” Browning said.

“The plan will require specific steps for progress monitoring,” the superintendent added.

The plan will cover how the district plans to take “even more aggressive steps” in identifying students that are not having success, Browning said.

The district will be making contact with those parents, who then will have a choice between sending their student, or students, back to the traditional brick-and-mortar model, or to continue on with mySchool Online.

If they want to continue remote learning, they must make that affirmative choice.

“That is going to add another level of complexity,” Browning said.

“I will tell you, there will be a district-wide approach to this. There will not be different procedures in different schools,” the superintendent said. The procedure for identifying struggling students and notifying parents will be the same, he explained.

School board member Colleen Beaudoin asked the district to provide additional support for secondary teachers who are in schools where a significant number of notifications will have to be made.

Browning responded: “That is one of the issues that we’re trying to figure out.”

The district also is working on the best approach for notifications to parents.

“Do we send a certified letter home to moms and dads, with a return receipt, so we have written confirmation that they received it. Do we make phone calls? Who makes those phone calls? What information are we sharing with them? What is the measure of success?

“Those are all issues that we’re having to deal with, with guidance from Tallahassee,” Browning said.

While the district works this out, some other district tasks are being put on hold, he added.

Beaudoin said her perception of the press conference was that the state would like to get students back into traditional classrooms.

Browning agreed: “We do know that the Commissioner (Corcoran) was pretty clear yesterday, in his assessment about kids that are struggling: They need to be back in bricks-and-mortar environment.”

But, Browning said he’s pleased the state is continuing to give parents the choice.

“I will tell you that I understand, with where we find ourselves with COVID, particularly on Dec. 1, 2020, I understand why there are parents that do not want to come back into a bricks-and-mortar environment,” he said.

The superintendent went on: “The numbers, because of the measures and steps that we’ve taken as a district, have been relatively low.”

In fact, the number of positive cases among students is about ½ of 1%, he said.

In large part, the cases on campus are not resulting from spread at school, but are originating elsewhere, Browning said.

At one high school, for example, about a dozen students were sent home that were directly tied to a birthday party, he said.

“You go to parks and ballfields, and you will see full parks and ballfields — and I might add, with no masks, or very few masks,” the superintendent said.

Browning also noted that he’s been in constant contact with Mike Napier, the health officer for the Florida Department of Health — Pasco County.

“He’s concerned about the direction that we’re headed — not we, as a district, but we, as a community, are headed with COVID cases,” Browning said.

Board member Beaudoin urged parents to help ensure their children’s success.

Browning said the district needs to give assurances to Tallahassee that it is adding additional supports, and those supports, he said won’t be cheap.

“Miss (Olga) Swinson (chief finance officer), and I, and others — we talk about the funding piece and how we are going to be able to get the dollars that we’re going to need to have in order to provide these supports that the department expects us to provide to these students,” he said. “It’s a sticky wicket.”

School board member Alison Crumbley said the district needs to analyze why students are struggling. “We need to break it down,” she said.

Published December 09, 2020