The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Dade City seeks feedback on new park

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The City of Dade City is seeking community and resident input for its newest park — what’s being hyped as a downtown splash park/bike hub.

Public meetings to gather input on the project’s finer details are scheduled for March 5 at 5:30 p.m., and March 12 at 1:30 p.m., while a draft conceptual presentation is scheduled for March 16 at 6 p.m. Each of those meetings will be at the Dade City Commission Chambers, 38020 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.

Dade City has set several public meetings to seek input on a future multi-million dollar downtown splash park/bike hub. Shown here is an initial rendering of the project, which will be situated near the Hardy Trailhead on Church Avenue. (File)

The City Commission in October approved an $800,000 land purchase for a 2.23-acre parcel near the Hardy Trailhead on Church Avenue to be the site of the future park. (The contract sale price totals $1.3 million, but the property owners have agreed to donate the difference toward the park project.)

A preliminary concept plan for the park has called for a multi-use water splash pad, bike-share shelter, amphitheater, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-accessible playground, open space, a concession area and other amenities. Funding for the project is expected to come from city reserve funds, Penny for Pasco revenues and Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). Meanwhile, the Pasco County Tourist Development Council has allocated $250,000 for the recreational project.

After residents and city officials weigh in on the project, the next steps include finalizing a master plan, and then moving onto a final design and engineered site plan.

The park likely will be completed in phases over the next several years, officials have said, starting with the bike hub, which could break ground sometime this year, in partnership with the county’s tourism office.

City leaders have discussed building a splash park/bike hub the past few years, with the idea it could help revitalize the downtown business district, while offering another healthy recreational outlet for local youth, residents and visitors.

For more information, call the Dade City Planning Department at (352) 521-1493.

Published March 4, 2020

Political Agenda 03/04/2020

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Young Democrats meeting
The Young Democrats plans to meet on March 10 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Brick City Eatery, 16540 Pointe Village Drive in Lutz, according to the calendar on the Pasco Democrats’ website.

Wesley Chapel Republican Club
The Wesley Chapel Republican Club plans to meet on March 12 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Wesley Chapel Toyota, 5300 Eagleston Blvd., in Wesley Chapel. The scheduled speaker is Alexandria Suarez. For more information, contact Peter Cracchiolo at (813) 360-9813.

East Pasco Democratic Club
The East Pasco Democratic Club plans to meet March 16, at The Tavern, Southport Springs Country Club, 3509 Southport Springs Parkway in Zephyrhills. Brian Staver, president of the club, will speak on the implementation of the Pasco County Democratic party platform. All friends of the Democratic Party are invited to attend. Dining and socializing start at 5 p.m. The meeting starts promptly at 6:30 p.m. For more information call (813) 383-8315, or visit the club’s Facebook page.

East Pasco Republican Club
The East Pasco Republican Club plans to meet on March 17 at 6 p.m., at the Microtel Inns & Suites, 7839 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills. The scheduled guest speaker is Dr. Randall Stovall, according to the club’s Facebook page.

Bargain-hunters flock to the annual Lutz flea market

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The Fabulous Flea Market, hosted by the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, will offer patrons plenty of choices.

Collectibles are popular items at the annual flea market hosted at the Old Lutz School, in Lutz. This year’s event is scheduled for March 6 and March 7. (File)

The event will be held at the Old Lutz School at 18819 U.S. 41 in Lutz, and is set for March 6 and March 7, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day.

Classrooms will be stocked with items, including home décor, books, clothing, jewelry, linens, kitchen ware and appliances.

Outdoors, tents will house more items, such as seasonal decorations, florals, tools, children’s items and shoes.

Furniture will be sold, too.

If you’re hungry, you can indulge in items from a food booth, including various baked goods.

The local Woman’s Club, also known as the “Green Shirt Ladies,” will use proceeds toward causes that benefit the community.

For further information, call Pat Serio at (813) 948-4752, or visit GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org.

Fabulous Flea Market
When: March 6 and March 7, both from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Old Lutz School, 18819 U.S. 41, Lutz
Cost: Free admission; items for sale
Details: The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club is filling the indoors and outdoors of the school with various appliances, clothes and collectibles for the public to purchase.
Info: call Pat Serio at (813) 948-4752 or visit GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org.

Published March 4, 2020

Under Construction 03/04/2020

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The Promenade of Lexington Oaks will feature a variety of retail shops. Construction for the Wesley Chapel site is scheduled for completion in July. (Courtesy of John Twomey/The Promenade)

Retail stores
The Promenade of Lexington Oaks is currently being built on Post Oaks Boulevard in Wesley Chapel. It consists of two buildings, holding a total of 12 suites. The larger structure will be 8,940 square feet, while the smaller one will be 6,000 square feet. Construction began in February and is expected to be complete in July.

 

This rendering gives an idea of how Wesley Chapel’s new Extra Space Storage facility will look once completed. Construction is scheduled to be completed by September. (Courtesy of George Murray/Extra Space Storage)

New storage facility
Wesley Chapel will be the home of a new Extra Space Storage depot, at 27545 Dayflower Blvd. The 116,000-square-foot building will have three floors, with an elevator. There will be built-in security cameras and air-conditioning, as well as units without air conditioning. There are plans to build a roundabout on Dayflower Boulevard, in front of the building, that will lead to Old Pasco Road. Construction for the storage facility is scheduled to be completed this September.

 

Sheriff’s complex
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is expanding its services with six new facilities on Lucy Dobies Court, in Land O’ Lakes. Several of the separate structures will include a training center, cyber building, forensic building and a depot to house a helicopter. The entire layout will be 64,300 square feet. No completion date has been given yet.

New gas station
A new Race Trac convenient store and gas station will be located at 29200 State Road 52 in San Antonio. The 5,411-square-foot building will be a hub for food and beverages. It is situated near the intersection of State Road 52 and Interstate 75. A completion date has not yet been determined.

Curious about something new that’s popping up in your community? Please send us the location — along with the address, if possible — and we’ll see what we can find out. Send your email to .

Pasco eyeing big changes to apartment mobility fees

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The Pasco County Commission has signaled it wants to end mobility fee incentives that it provides for new market-rate apartment construction within the county.

At the same time, commissioners are looking to waive mobility fees for builders of affordable housing — homes or apartments.

Commissioners also are eyeing a mobility fee waiver aimed to spur new construction in an area along U.S. 19, in West Pasco.

This apartment development, near Wesley Chapel Boulevard and State Road 56, is among many complexes built in Pasco County during recent years. The Pasco County Commission wants to take away its mobility fee incentive for new market-rate apartment developments. (File)

Transportation mobility fees are the charges that accompany new construction, with the intent of addressing the impacts that the new building causes on nearby transportation systems.

Pasco has used mobility fee incentives to encourage various types of construction, including apartments.

But, at a Feb. 25 workshop, commissioners indicated they want change —  and county staff indicated it will begin laying the groundwork to arrange public hearings on the issue.

Commissioners cannot take votes during workshops, and no public testimony is allowed.

While no public comment was taken, the proposed changes likely will draw considerable interest from apartment developers and their representatives.

Numerous high-end apartments have been built or approved along the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor in recent years — drawing the ire of Commission Chairman Mike Moore.

He voiced his displeasure, again, during the board’s workshop.

“If you look at surrounding areas, i.e. Hillsborough County, what they’ve done — i.e., Brandon — that’s what you’re turning my district into, on 54/56.

“We’re oversaturating this one area,” he said. “The people that live there can’t stand it.

“We’ve turned 54/56 into apartment row. That’s what it looks like. It’s ugly. It’s disgusting. It’s bad development. It’s bad for the future. It’s bad for this county. It looks ridiculous,” he said.

“You’re taking 54/56 frontage — that’s not what it should be. If anything, it should be employment sites,” Moore said.

He’s also concerned about long-term impacts.

“People are going to pay for it, 10 or 15, 20  years down the road. Our future commissioners are going to pay for it when you have all of these dilapidated old buildings that are going to be standing on 54/56 because we can’t keep up.”

Moore said he doubts the removal of incentives will stop apartment development in Pasco.

Pasco County Chairman Mike Moore has been a vocal critic of apartment development along the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor. (File)

“Why in the world are we incentivizing them? You can call it a subsidy all you want. It’s free cash,” Moore said.

Although the discussion of dropping the incentives began with discussion of apartment development along the 54/56 corridor in urban service area, County Administrator Dan Biles asked commissioners if they also wanted to end the incentives in the rural and suburban zones, as well as the urban zone.

They indicated they do.

Meanwhile, in a separate presentation on affordable housing during the same workshop, commissioners were asked to consider granting mobility fee waivers for construction of affordable apartments and homes.

Board members indicated they would support that request.

Commissioner Jack Mariano also asked if the county could waive a 25% mobility fee for construction on vacant land in an area of West Pasco that needs an economic boost.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey also called for the county to do more to spur development in that area, noting efforts to date have not been effective.

County staff said the additional revenues from ending the multi-family incentives would generate enough to cover waiving mobility fees for new affordable housing and for waiving the 25% fee on the development vacant land in the specified area of West Pasco.

The proposed changes will be prepared for consideration by the Pasco County Planning Commission, which will make a recommendation to the board.

The Pasco County Commission then will take final action on the issue during a public hearing.

Any changes would likely take at least 90 days to go into effect.

Published March 4, 2020

Pasco property values expected to grow

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Pasco County is projecting a 8.5% to 9% increase in assessed values, Robert Goehig, said Pasco County’s budget director, during a recent county workshop.

“We’re going to budget to 8.5%, and then if the property appraiser comes in with more, we’ll make adjustments,” County Administrator Dan Biles said, during the Feb. 25 workshop with commissioners.

That would generate an additional $17 million of property tax revenue; that would be $8.5 million available to the sheriff; and, $8.5 million to the board and the other constitutionals, the budget director said.

Goehig also talked about indicators that help predict changes in the economy. He characterized those indicators as “canaries in a coal mine.”

For instance, “permit activity begins to drop three years before impact is seen on assessed values,” Goehig said.

That’s not happening in Pasco, though.

“As you’re well aware from driving around the community, the number of single-family homes is increasing,” Goehig said.

“The number of building permits continues to increase,” he added.

Sales tax revenue also is a leading indicator of economic health.

“Our half-cent sales tax revenue has been increasing 5% to 6% the past few years,” he said, and that is expected to continue this year.

Another indicator of economic health is the amount of trash that’s discarded, Goehig said.

“As the economy wanes, people hold on to things longer, there’s less trash. As the economy booms, people start throwing things away,” he explained.

In putting together the budget, the county plans to add to its reserves, he said.

“Last year at this time, the board had instructed us to try to increase the general reserve to try to get it to that 16.7% of budgeted expenditures over a three-year period,” Goehig said.

“In fiscal year 2020, we increased it to 11.1%; we’d like to increase it again, another 1.5% in fiscal year 2021.

Reserves for the general fund is at 11.1% and all of the other major funds are at the recommended 16.7%, he said.

The recommended figure of 16.7% represents two months’ of expenditures, Goehig said.

Commission Chairman Mike Moore said the county needs to make the money it plans to set aside a line item in its budget.

“Let’s put a line item there, so we don’t have hands grabbing it,” Moore said.

When the county had its workshop, it was still early in the week.

The stock market crashed because of concerns about the coronavirus — and it continued its downward spiral through the rest of the week.

“We don’t expect that there’s going to be a long-term impact from the coronavirus. We know that governmental agencies and non-governmental are starting to take this seriously,” Goehig  said.

The hope is that the coronavirus will not have a long-term impact on the economy, the budget director said.

But, he added: “If there is a long-term impact, we will adjust our revenue projections accordingly.”

Pasco expects that the growth of population and tourism will continue to drive the local economy.

Tourism development tax revenues are expected to increase, as the county brings on new hotels, he said.

Sale tax revenues also are expected to go up, as well.

And, the county’s population has grown and continues to do so.

Pasco County’s estimated population is 557,000, a 16% increase since the 2010 census, Goehig said.

Published March 4, 2020

To celebrate Pi Day, let’s make some pie

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You might have heard that March 14 is Pi Day — in honor of the math constant ?.

Perhaps you recall from your middle school days that Pi (?) equals 3.14, hence, March 14 is the day set aside to celebrate Pi Day, or in the case of this column — to celebrate pies.

Pies comes in so many varieties.

A pastry blender, also called a pastry cutter, on right, is used to mix solid fats into flour to make dough. (Shari Bresin)

There’s apple, pumpkin, sweet potato, blueberry, kumquat, cherry, chocolate, and that’s just to name a few.

If you delve into the history of pie, you’ll realize that these flavors are considered modern.

The word “pie” is thought to derive from the magpie bird, known for collecting random items in its nest.

Early pie makers would put anything into their pies — beginning with the early Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, and up through the Medieval period in Europe.

In the days before pies were considered primarily as a sweet finish to a meal, pies were typically filled with meat and served as the main course.

But, these were not the kind of meat pies that are popular today, such as Shepherd’s pie or chicken pot pie. Rather, they were filled with rabbit, crow or mussels.

There was no delicious flaky crust, either.

To get to the meat filling, you had to crack open the top. The hard shell wasn’t meant to be consumed, nor was the bottom crust. They were simply intended to contain the filling.

In fact, the crust wasn’t called the crust until after the American Revolution. Before that, it was called a “coffyn,” referring to a basket or container.

If the pie wasn’t filled with meat, then likely it was filled with cheese or honey.

So, how did pie become dessert?
Going as far back as the 1300s, there were tarts, which were similar to the pies we know today.

But, these tarts didn’t have any sugar.

In those days, sugar was a rare commodity. It was a sign of wealth and was out of reach for most people.

By the 1700s, though, the British set up sugar colonies in the Caribbean, making sugar more accessible.

At that time, however, pies continued to be meat or cheese dishes.

The idea of making tarts sweet didn’t catch on until the tarts arrived in the United States.

While it was technically a sweetened tart, the colonists started calling it pie — to deepen the divide between the colonists and the British.

With the abundance of sugar also came the idea to make the coffyn into an edible crust.

So, there’s a short history of pies, to help you celebrate Pi Day.

You’ll probably notice on March 14 that many restaurants, food retailers, and bakeries offer special deals on pie, for Pi Day.

Perhaps you’ll mark the occasion by making a pie of your own.

After all — like many things in life — math is more fun when paired with dessert.

By Shari Bresin

Shari Bresin is the Family & Consumer Science Agent for the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension Pasco County.

Recipe for blueberry pie
Since blueberries will begin ripening soon, up until the end of May, here’s a recipe for blueberry pie. The recipe comes from the Natasha’s Kitchen website: https://natashaskitchen.com/blueberry-pie-recipe/.

Tools: You will want a rolling pin, a 9-inch pie pan, and either a food processor or pastry blender.

Ingredients for crust:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus a little extra for dusting
½ Tbsp granulated sugar
½ tsp sea salt
2 sticks of cold butter, diced into ¼-inch pieces
6 Tbsp to 7 Tbsp of ice water

Directions for crust:
Put flour, sugar and salt in food processor and pulse a few times.
Add butter and pulse again until you see coarse crumbs/pea-sized shapes.
Mixture should be dry and powdery.
Add water and pulse until you see moist clumps or small balls.
To see if you have enough water, press a piece of dough between your (clean) fingers and make sure the dough sticks.
If it doesn’t, add more water, a teaspoon at a time.
Transfer dough to a work surface and divide in half.
Flatten with rolling pin, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for one hour prior to making filling.

Ingredients for filling:
6 cups blueberries, rinsed and drained
1 tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 ½ Tbsp all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg
1 Tbsp water

Directions for filling:
Roll one half of dough into 13-inch circle and place in 9-inch pie pan.
Roll other half into 12-inch circle and use a pizza cutter to make 10 one-inch strips for lattice top.
Combine blueberries, zest, lemon juice, flour, sugar and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl, and then transfer to dough in pie pan, with berries slightly higher in center.
Create a lattice crust on top of filling using the 10 one-inch strips of dough, and pinch the edges to seal (if you’re not familiar with making this crisscross style of top crust, there’s a tutorial on NatashasKitchen.com that shows this: https://natashaskitchen.com/how-to-make-a-lattice-pie-crust/).
Beat egg and water, and brush over lattice crust and edges.
Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes to 60 minutes.

Published March 4, 2020

inPrep charter school to open this fall

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When Innovation Preparatory Academy, a new charter school in Wesley Chapel, opens this fall, it will usher in new opportunities in technology and innovation for students, according to officials at the groundbreaking ceremony last week for the school.

“It would be easy just to throw another school building up here. That’s not what you’re going to see,” said Jonathan Hage, the founder, chairman, president and CEO of Charter Schools USA.

Greg Singleton, CEO of Metro Development Group, shared details of Innovation Preparatory Academy, or inPrep for short, that is set to open this fall in Wesley Chapel. (B.C. Manion)

“You’re going to see a learning environment that’s truly on the very cutting edge of what is the best in the country,” said Hage, whose organization will be operating the school, under a partnership with Metro Development Group.

“This is actually one of the most innovative school projects we’ve ever been a part of, in our 22 years of building and operating charter schools around the country,” the education professional said.

“We’re going to be looking at the technology in a wholly different way because we have the 5G network,” Hage said. “They created a project from the ground up that’s designed to ensure that parents have amazing options and choices for their children.

“I’ll tell you, it’s a testament of the work that’s been done on the ground here, by an innovative team that wanted to make sure that we put the kids first in this county and make sure that the families had something that was unique for them,” Hage added.

Greg Singleton, president of Metro Development Group, told the crowd: “We’re super excited about what’s going on here. The goal here is to make this one of the best educational facilities in this particular region.”

The K-8 school, which will be called inPrep for short, will have a capacity for 765 students.

It will open this fall as a K-6 school, adding seventh grade in its second year of operation, and eighth grade the year after that.

“We’re going to use a curriculum called the WISH model, which stands for Wellness, Innovation, Science and Health. And, also, the science courses will be based on the STEM model, which is used to kind of motivate kids to get interested in science and technology, and engineering and math.

“Also, for the gifted and high-achieving students, inPrep is going to offer programs that are designed by England’s University of Cambridge to meet the needs (of those students.)

“Obviously, it took a Herculean effort to pull this off,” Singleton said, thanking the Metro team involved in the effort, as well as Red Apple Development, Charter Schools USA, Pasco County Schools, the Pasco County Commission and Pasco County government.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley was there to celebrate the groundbreaking.

He praised the progress being made in Connected City, which encompasses two Metro Places communities — Epperson and Mirada.

Each of those communities has a multi-acre Crystal Lagoon and Metro’s exclusive ULTRAFi high-speed Internet technology.

Pasco School Board member Alan Altman noted, “this is extremely rare to have such a cooperative partnership arrangement between a private developer and the county and the school district, and see an innovative charter school come in.”

He touched on the variety of academic programs the school district has added, to provide more choice for parents and students, and this charter school offers another new option.

“The more I learn about other school districts around the state, the more appreciative I am of Pasco County, and our board and our superintendent who have stepped out and said, ‘We want to provide choice. We want to provide opportunities.’

“The families and the citizens of this community will benefit for years to come because of the cooperation that has allowed this to be another opportunity for learning for our students,” Altman said.

Hage, too, marveled at the partnerships involved in the project.

The future is bright, he said, “when people still care about education this much and in this way.

“You see families and kids and business people and elected leaders all coming together, and doing what’s right for families and kids, that’s a unique thing.

“You don’t often see that,” Hage said.

Singleton encouraged parents who are interested to sign up soon.

“I think this is going to fill up immediately because this is something really special,” he said.

For more information, visit inPrep.com.

Published February 26, 2020

Objections continue to proposed townhomes

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Residents living near Lake Thomas continue to oppose an increase in the density of development in their Land O’ Lakes community.

A proposed land use change would increase the maximum density from three dwellings per acre to six dwellings per acre, on a 42-acre site, on the west side of U.S. 41 about one-half mile north of Ehren Cutoff.

The Pasco County Commission signaled its support for the increased intensity, in a 4-0 vote to transmit the land use request for a review by state agencies. Commission Chairman Mike Moore was out ill.

Once the state completes its review, the request will come back to the county board for final action.

At that point, commissioners also are expected to consider a rezoning request on the same site that would allow 218 townhomes.

Commissioners supported the transmittal despite passionate objections by area residents.

Eight speakers appeared in opposition to the request.

They cited concerns about setting a dangerous precedent.

Ed Bly, of Little Lake Thomas Road, told commissioners, “today’s vote is not about 218 townhomes in Land O’ Lakes.

“In fact, 99% of Pasco residents have no idea the ramifications of today’s vote and its impact on the older, established communities throughout the county.

“Today’s decision will allow developers to bundle properties together in the old, established communities and then request to double the density of said properties. This will create a trend that will affect all of the older, established communities in Pasco County whether they are in Shady Hills, New Port Richey, Dade City or Zephyrhills,” he said.

“Today, I appeal to think of the older established neighborhoods in your districts and to think of the impact that today’s vote will have on them. Because it is these communities that make Pasco an appealing place to live and they deserve to be protected from this type of rezoning.”

Shirley Schmidt, who lives on Marsh Hawk Drive, urged commissioners to deny the request.

“This proposal should be rejected because it is not consistent with the neighborhood in type, density, surrounding land and stakeholder impact. The Pasco residents must be able to rely on FLU (future land use) maps.”

Joe Seidle, who lives on Lake Thomas Road, noted, “the applicant’s plan is incompatible with the neighbors. But less apparent, the applicant’s plan is incompatible with the rest of our community.

“Please don’t ignore this community’s heritage because some of out-of-towners from Pinellas want to turn a big profit.

“It has taken decades to build this community, but please realize you could be destroying it in just a matter of minutes.

“This place is unique and it deserves some special attention,” he told commissioners.

“Land O’ Lakes is a gem.

“Generations of nature-loving families have raised their kids here. Please resist this constant pressure to build, build, build. It’s times to protect, protect, protect,” Seidle said.

Other speakers raised concerns about traffic hazards and a potential for flooding.

“There’s got to be a left-hand turn out of this development,” said John Lann, of Marsh Hawk Drive. Forcing motorists who want to head north from the project to make a U-turn at Ehren Cutoff is dangerous, he said. “We’re just waiting for the accidents to happen.”

Barbara Wilhite, an attorney representing the applicant, told commissioners that 98 people attended the two neighborhood meetings regarding the development.

As a result of concerns raised by area residents, her client purchased additional acreage to provide direct access onto U.S. 41.

The townhomes will be clustered internally to limit impact from the buildings on adjacent single-family residences. The units will be limited to four-unit townhomes and will be two stories, and there will be substantial buffering.

The conditions for the proposed rezoning also address concerns about boat access to Lake Thomas, she said, noting her client intends to build a passive boardwalk, which will prevent access to Lake Thomas.

Wilhite said the proposed project is consistent with the county’s vision for infill development in areas where there are water, sewer, schools and roadways to serve it.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey noted that the request is in keeping with the county’s desire to direct growth up the U.S. 41 corridor.

“I see it as a transitional piece, and I am in support. I think the buffering is excellent,” she said.

Commissioner Jack Mariano said he believes the concessions being offered will minimize the impact of the proposed development.

“They’re protecting the lake dramatically,” Mariano said.

Published February 26, 2020

Seminar focuses on youth drug use, suicide

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When Heather Sefton, of Wesley Chapel, began losing close friends to suicide, she didn’t know how to cope with the trauma.

The untimely demise of one in the Bay Area was preceded by six others in Sefton’s native New Hampshire.

From front left to back right: Yahkaira Borbosa, Imam Hassan Sultan, Teresa Daniels, Eddie Williams, Jesse Varnadoe, Al Hernandez and Emery Ailes were participants at a Feb. 17 health seminar. The program was hosted by Pasco-Hernando State College to address the issues of mental health and substance abuse. (Brian Fernandes)

“I really didn’t understand what was going on,” the 19-year-old said. “They all just kind of kept hitting me.”

She too, began having suicidal thoughts as a result of her own family issues and having struggled with her self-identity, she recalled.

Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) has been active in providing resources for those like Sefton, seeking help.

One of its programs — Linking in Faith and Education (LIFE) — seeks to help improve mental and behavioral health by encouraging communication with group support.

The college also hosted a recent seminar – LIFE, Spirit, Wellness: Combating Substance Abuse and Mental Health Issues in Youth.

The Feb. 17 event, at PHSC’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, focused on the issues of mental health and substance abuse.

Panelist Teresa Daniels, a volunteer for the Tampa Bay branch of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, spoke about her son, Tristen, who took his life over five years ago.

“We had no idea that he was having any thoughts, or that anything other than what we believed to be normal high school stressors, [were] going on,” she said.

Daniels said she thought her son might be having issues coping with the loss of his  grandmother, as well as working odd hours and lack of sleep.

But, there were no serious signs of depression, she said, adding that Tristen was the class clown.

He may have been “masking” his true feelings, Daniels said.

In other words, he may have been hiding his personal issues, while in the company of others.

Likewise, Sefton said there were no obvious signs that her friends were suffering.

Panelist Eddie Williams, a PHSC mental health counselor, provided some advice.

“One of the things I would say the youth is missing usually [is] socialization,” he said. “Having a peer-to-peer support group, or another youth there to talk with, could break the mold. Talking is healing.”

Williams is trying to implement these kind of groups across PHSC’s five campuses.

When it is apparent that someone is doing the opposite of their usual routines, or interests, it’s best to consult them to find out if there’s underlying issues, Williams advised.

The college’s LIFE program also encourages a religious component to be used in offering help, as well.

It aims to educate faith leaders on how to rally around and support those within their community who have mental concerns.

It was Sefton’s growing attendance at Wesley Chapel’s Life Church that helped change things for the better, she said.

“I was found by Jesus,” Sefton said. “That’s really what got me through – my relationship with him.”

And, with finding therapy, she has begun to offer it, as well.

“I’m very vulnerable and open about my story now,” Sefton noted. “I feel like that’s led a lot of people to talk to me about how they feel.”

Johnny Crowder was present at the seminar to offer to those in need, another outlet – with Cope Notes.

This texting service sends multiple messages a day, to its users, consisting of inspirational words and questions.

Cope Notes asks questions for recipients to voluntarily respond to, or just to reflect upon.

The intent is to help others consistently focus on the positive, as their mood may change throughout the day.

Crowder founded the service as a result of his own background.

“I’m a suicide and abuse survivor,” he said. “I spent 10 years in treatment for mental illness.”

He said there wasn’t a specific catalyst that led him to suicidal tendencies.

Besides experiencing domestic violence at home, Crowder said he did not find a sense of community in school and felt isolated.

“It was a childhood full of trauma and neglect that eventually snowballed,” he explained.

Crowder said that he began to find solace in singing, painting, writing and playing the guitar.

This, coupled with socializing and gradually building trust, is what helped him through his pain, he added.

Another speaker, Rachel Starostin, provided a presentation on substance abuse, an issue in which she has struggled with.

She had lived an independent life as a nurse, raising three children before she was hit by a drunk driver.

As a result, she was placed on pain medication to cope with her injuries.

However, Starostin became hooked on her prescription medicine and found it difficult to maintain her daily life.

“I functioned for a long time — until I didn’t,” she said, adding that she gradually transitioned to crystal methamphetamine.

She began neglecting her responsibilities as a mother and eventually lost her home, having to move her children from one hotel to another, Starostin recalled.

A brush with the law resulted in her arrest and her children being taken in by their grandmother.

“When I got out, they didn’t want to come home,” Starostin said. “They didn’t want to look me in the eye.”

Elizabeth Statzer, of the Medical Center of Trinity, took part in Starostin’s class, noting “substance use disorders are something that effects all ages, all races, all genders.”

The Medical Center of Trinity offers selective programs to help users overcome their addiction, she said.

Services include in-patient mental health services. There also is an outpatient program at the hospital where an addict can come by for group therapy three days a week.

Family support groups and family-to-family education classes also are provided to assist loved ones.

Starostin went through a 12-step program for recovery.

She currently is a public speaker, educating others on the dangers of substance abuse.

She also plans to help open a faith-based recovery home for women.

For free treatment referrals and information, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at (800) 662-4357.

To learn more about, or to try Cope Notes for free, text COPE to 33222, or visit CopeNotes.com.

Published February 26, 2020