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Florida Aquarium showcases wildlife in a fun way

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The diverse beauty of sea life can be marveled up-close when visiting The Florida Aquarium.

Roger Germann, president and CEO of The Florida Aquarium, is all about educating the public on aquatic life with lots of exciting activities. (Courtesy of The Florida Aquarium)

Since its opening in 1995, the Downtown Tampa attraction has given tourists a glimpse into the aquatic world, while offering them a chance to learn and have fun at the same time.

The venue attracts 800,000 visitors annually.

“The aquarium is set up to take you on a water journey,” explained Brian Gallaher, digital media manager at the aquarium. “We want to educate, inspire and entertain all at the same time.”

Home to an estimated 8,000 plant and animal species, the facility is divided into seven main galleries:

  • Wetlands Trail
  • Journey to Madagascar
  • Bays and Beaches
  • No Bones Zone
  • Coral Reef
  • Dragons Down Under
  • Waves of Wonder

Native Floridian wildlife can be explored while strolling through the Wetlands Trail.

“A lot of animals here are rescues, especially the birds,” Gallaher said.

The Florida Aquarium’s Mosaic Center features an array of bird portraits by photographer Jim Gray. Here a roseate spoonbill is seen ascending from a pond in Sarasota. (Brian Fernandes)

One such bird is the Great Blue Heron in the trail’s Mangrove Forest.

The aquarium serves as a rehabilitation center for animals such as one heron who was transferred from an animal sanctuary after suffering an injured wing.

The furry North American river otters can also be spotted above water. During winter season, kids can interact with them in an open area layered with snow to provide even more fun.

A White Gar shark, with its protruding teeth, as well as the red drum and snook fish, also can be viewed, too.

If visitors hear a rustling in the leaves, perhaps it’s the spotted Burmese python, slithering from limb to limb.

While the python is not native to the Sunshine State, it has adapted and thrived, growing as long as 13 feet.

For those looking for a sample of African wildlife, check out the aquarium’s Journey to Madagascar. That offers a glimpse of animals that are indigenous to the region.

Why observe wildlife from outside the tank, when you can swim alongside it? The Florida Aquarium grants tourists the chance to get a more up-close view of the sea’s inhabitants. (Courtesy of The Florida Aquarium)

Geckos, reef fish and giant clams can be viewed in that gallery.

And, if you’ve never heard a cockroach hiss before, you’ll have your opportunity here.

This gallery also brings awareness to such endangered species as lemurs, radiated tortoises – and even coral reefs.

“Coral is an animal,” Gallaher explained. “A lot of people don’t realize that.”

A small-scale nursery houses diverse coral, which are threatened by pollution and rising water temperatures in their native seas.

The No. 1 priority there is to provide a safe environment to allow the reproduction of more coral – which eventually will be integrated back into the wild.

The Bays and Beaches area is home to one of the aquarium’s eldest members – Cleatus, the Goliath grouper.

His namesake serves him well: He is 5-foot-10 and weighs nearly 300 pounds.

Cleatus is not only one of the eldest members of The Florida Aquarium, but one of the largest as well. This goliath grouper weighs almost 300 pounds – and is said to be continually growing. (Brian Fernandes)

And, Cleatus is still growing, Gallaher said.

Other expert swimmers found in this gallery include stingrays, spiny lobsters and upside down jellyfish, to name a few.

More colorful marine life with elongated, prickly bodies can be found in the No Bone Zone.

Often associated with clownfish, sea anemones can be mesmerizing to watch — as their numerous tentacles float about.

Diverse color also illuminates the water with the presence of sea cucumbers, sea urchins and sea stars.

In addition to more turtles and stingrays, the Coral Reef gallery showcases various sharks, barracudas and eels, while Dragons Down Under has some of the smallest sea creatures – sea dragons, seahorses and pipefish.

The aquarium’s newest gallery, Waves of Wonder was unveiled last year. It houses the center’s second largest exhibit – Heart of the Sea.

The Splash Pad is one of the outdoor amenities at The Florida Aquarium where kids can soak themselves with water on a hot day. (Brian Fernandes)

The exhibit offers guests a chance to learn about the aquarium’s conservation efforts to rehabilitate endangered sea life — using multi-camera technology and live programs to explain that work.

And, if looking through a glass window doesn’t satisfy your curiousity, you can even swim with sea life.

Under the supervision of a trained diver, guests can view animals up-close and be apart of the exhibit, too.

Roger Germann, president of the aquarium, said these offerings bring more awareness to the plight facing aqautic life — and aim to motivate people to be more conscious about keeping oceans litter-free.

With an educational tutorial, guests can sit in the 4-D theater room wearing three-dimensional glasses, feeling just inches away from underwater spectacles.

The newly renovated Mosaic Center has several ballrooms, which can be used for meetings, birthday parties and other special events.

The diverse color of sea life can add to the awe of the ocean, as seen here with blue jellyfish floating by. (Brian Fernandes)

It also houses an art gallery showcasing images of various birds by photographer Jim Gray.

There’s also a gift shop, a café and an outdoor bar, where adult beverages can be purchased.

Kids can get soaked at the Splash Pad water park, and there’s a Wild Dolphin Cruise available, too.

The aquarium aims to promote recreation and education, Germann said.

“We think that one of the best ways to get people to make change is through inspiration and entertainment,” the aquarium president said.

“Animals here serve as ambassadors, educators and as science.”

To learn more on the aquarium or to purchase tickets, call (813) 273-4000, or visit FLAquarium.org.

The Florida Aquarium
Where: 701 Channelside Drive in Tampa
When: Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: Ticket prices vary daily
Details: As one of Tampa’s hotspots, The Florida Aquarium has several galleries featuring aquatic wildlife to view and even swim with. A theater, diner, gift shop and water park also add to the entertainment factor.
Info: To learn more about the aquarium, call (813) 273-4000, or visit FLAquarium.org.

New turtle rehab opens in Apollo Beach
The Bay Area has a new, safe haven to nurse wounded and malnourished turtles from various coasts off the United States.

The Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center officially opened on Jan. 23, taking in its first batch of turtles two weeks later.

The Apollo Beach rehab is a branch of The Florida Aquarium, and has been at least a decade in the making.

“There was a moment where we started seeing more and more turtles that needed helped,” said Roger Germann, president and CEO of The Florida Aquarium.

Once a plan was set in motion for the $4.1 million center, the project received funding from the state, as well as donors, Germann said.

The first group of sea critters arrived on Feb. 4. It included a half-dozen green turtles and one loggerhead turtle.

They were rescued off the U.S. East Coast from freezing waters due to the harsh weather of this past winter.

Physical therapy also plays an important role in regaining health, as the two-story center offers several rehabilitation pools. One of those pools is an 11-foot turtle dive tank, the deepest one in Florida.

While the rehab is in full operation, a date has not been set to open it for public viewing.

Published April 03, 2019

Pasco lifts ban on dock roofs on freshwater lakes

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Debate goes on over allowing dock roofs in coastal communities

A longstanding quest to permit roofs on docks on Pasco County’s inland lakes succeeded last week, when the Pasco County Commission voted unanimously to lift the ban.

It remains, uncertain though, whether that same privilege will be extended to owners of waterfront property in coastal communities. The issue will be coming back for additional discussion at a future board workshop.

A look at Bell Lake that has some docks with roofs, which were a part of life in Central Pasco, until they were banned in the county. Now, they’re allowed again on freshwater lakes. The debate continues over whether roofs should be allowed over docks in coastal communities. (File)

Meanwhile, people such as Joe Steffens, who lives on Bell Lake in Land O’ Lakes, can build a roof over his dock.

Steffens, who is in the marine construction business, also will be able to build them for other lakefront property owners, too. He had been forced to work in Hillsborough County because of Pasco’s ban.

The owners of Ukulele Brand’s restaurant, in Land O’ Lakes, also can proceed if they want to replace their waterfront dock without having to worry about whether they can replace the roof.

County Commissioner Mike Moore made the motion to amend the county ordinance to remove the restriction, seconded by Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

“I’ve been in office since 2014,” Moore said, noting that’s pretty much how long he’s been working with people in Lutz and Land O’ Lakes who wanted to put roofs on their docks.

“I have not had one person on a lake in that area say they’re against it, so I would obviously like to see this move forward,”  Moore said.  “It doesn’t impede the neighbors’ views at all.”

But, commissioners are split on whether waterfront property owners in coastal communities should be allowed to put roofs over their docks.

Some waterfront property owners asked commissioners to allow them to have roofs over their docks, to protect their boats.

“Most people have a significant investment that is sitting behind them on their waterfront property and they would like to have a dock to protect their vessel,” said Nicholas Mudry, who lives at 5415 JoBeth Drive in Gulf Landings, in New Port Richey. Some vessels cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, he said.

Jeromy Gamble, 7309 Islander Lane in Sea Pines in Hudson, said he owns Coastline Boatlift Covers.

“Since the beginning of the year, we’ve sold over $100,000 worth of boatlift covers in Pasco County. I’ve got 78 people who want to order boatlift covers, right now. There’s a massive demand.

“People all over Pasco County on the waterfront — fresh and saltwater — want to be able to protect their investments. As new people move into the waterfront communities — both fresh and salt, they’re investing in their dream of living on the water. Part of that is owning a vessel. “We offer a solution that doesn’t block the neighbors’ views. It has a removable top. It does not impede the boatlift whatsoever. It’s a clamp-on design,” he said.

“There are ways to solve this problem, if looked at properly,” he added.

But, Skip Geiger, director of public relations for the Gulf Harbors Civic Association, urged commissioners to keep the prohibition intact.

“Gulf Harbors prohibits covered docks, covered boatlifts and other covered structures on the water,” he said.

“This ordinance was originally passed to ensure that no hazards to navigation are constructed along the canals, that would interfere with the boaters’ view of the canals and docks, and allow a mix of boats, of all sizes, from kayaks to baby yachts to operate and remain clear of each other,” he said.

He told commissioners he doesn’t object to dock roofs on lakes. But, he went on: “What we do have a problem with is slipping in any sort of covered docks in that area again. It’s a safety hazard, it’s an issue not only for views but for safety of residents, and we do not want it.”

Commissioner Starkey, who lives in Gulf Harbors and is also a boat owner, opposes allowing dock roofs in coastal communities.

“We don’t want a roof. My neighbors don’t want a roof. The majority of folks there don’t want a roof. We don’t want our views to be impeded.

“You can put a cover on your boat.

“I do a lot of boating on the East Coast of Florida. Those are very, very expensive boats and there are no roofs,” she said.

County Commissioner Jack Mariano asked County Attorney Jeff Steinsnyder if the county could allow the roofs in some communities, but allow other communities to use deed restrictions to ban them.

Steinsnyder responded: “If you’re going to allow it, you’re going to have to allow it along the entire Gulf front. Your land development regulation needs to treat everybody the same.”

“You can’t carve out neighborhoods that are similar in fashion.”

Ultimately, the board agreed to lift the ban on lakefront properties, and to have a workshop regarding the issue in coastal communities. That workshop is expected in May.

On a related issues, the board approved changes to county regulations that include docks and seawalls in building permit requirements, require maintenances of docks and seawalls; and provides a provision for when the county can make repairs when the condition of the dock or seawall presents a threat to public safety.

Published April 03, 2019

Saint Leo offers new scholarship program

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Saint Leo University has launched a new scholarship program to make higher education more accessible to Catholic high school students in Florida.

Available for students beginning in the fall, the Catholic Promise Scholarship will award Florida students, who have attended four years at a Catholic high school, with an annual scholarship of $14,000 toward their tuition at Saint Leo’s University Campus.

The scholarship will be renewable each year, for up to four years — amounting to a cumulative total of up to $56,000 in financial aid by the time the student graduates.

When combined with the Florida Effective Access to Student Education (EASE) grant of $3,500 per year and an annual $5,500 to $7,500 in Stafford Loans, Saint Leo University’s annual tuition will be significantly reduced for recipients of the Catholic Promise Scholarship every year.

“As the first of its kind in Saint Leo history, the Catholic Promise Scholarship will effectively bring the cost of a high-quality, private, liberal arts education within the reach of many Catholic high school students across the state of Florida,” said Dr. Senthil Kumar, Saint Leo University vice president for University Campus Admissions & Center for Global Engagement, in a release.

Students must meet the following requirements:

  • Complete four years at a Catholic high school
  • Have an unweighted 3.0 GPA
  • Be a U.S. Citizen and Florida resident
  • Attend Saint Leo at University Campus
  • Live on campus all four years
  • Maintain a 2.5 GPA and full-time status while earning a degree

This commitment to promoting accessibility and affordability of Catholic higher education demonstrates Saint Leo’s Benedictine core values, both as an institution and pillar of the Catholic community, according to university officials.

Saint Leo University will host a Catholic Promise Scholarship Open House on April 7 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., on its main campus, 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo. Prospective students and their families, school counselors, and the public can attend, at no cost. Mass will be celebrated as part of the open house events at the Saint Leo Abbey Church at 10 a.m.

To register for the open house, call (352) 588-8283.

Published April 3, 2019

Club encourages a love for reading

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The GFWC New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club was looking for a way to support the GFWC Florida Director Project, ‘Book Heroes,’ and decided to make a Little Free Library, a “take a book, return a book” free book exchange, for the community.

Little Free Libraries, like this one, can be found around the world in 91 countries. (Courtesy of Raequel Tomsich)

Little Free Libraries are a global phenomenon. The small, book exchanges number more than 80,000 around the world in 91 countries, according to LittleFreeLibrary.org.

The woman’s club found plans for the project and received a GFWC Focus on Literacy grant provided by Proctor & Gamble Company, to help with expenses.

Armed with his woodworking knowledge, Mike Tomsich, the spouse of a club member, helped turn the club’s vision into a reality by building the charming library.

In the meantime, the woman collected books for both adults and children and searched for a location for the library.

The New Tampa YMCA, at 16221 Compton Drive, agreed to allow the library to be placed on its property. On March 15, the GFWC New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club Little Free Library, Charter No. 84210, was installed and is now open to the public.

Members of the GFWC New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club proudly show off their Little Free Library now available to the general public at the New Tampa YMCA.

The Little Free Library works on the honor system and anyone can contribute or borrow books. Although the hope is that the community will actively add books to the library, the club is the steward of the library and will ensure that it is maintained, and will restock it, as necessary.

The library is registered and can be found at LittleFreeLibrary.org/ourmap/. The website is also the tool to find additional Little Free Library locations.

The New Tampa installment appears to be the first Little Free Library in the area that is open to the general public.

The club hopes that this library will encourage literacy and put books in the hands of those who might not otherwise have them at home.

Published April 3, 2019

Commissioner suggests making use of ‘on hold’ time

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When callers to Pasco County are placed “on hold” they hear music playing, but Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey would like to change that.

Kathryn Starkey

“I would much rather hear us talk about our story, when I’m on hold,” Starkey said.

“We could talk about our satisfaction survey, or we’re opening up a new park, or things to do this weekend,” she suggested.

Her colleague, Commissioner Jack Mariano, loves the idea.

“I think you’re onto something,” Mariano said.  “I think it would be a good thing for us — each one who wanted to — to do those voice-overs.”

After all, Mariano added, when visitors to Tampa International Airport are traveling between the main terminal and airside terminal, they hear a recording from Mayor Bob Buckhorn.

So, if there comes a time when you’re on hold with Pasco County and you hear a voice-over, instead of music — you’ll know county staff listened to Starkey’s idea.

Published April 3, 2019

Know the dangers of secondhand smoke

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The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County and Tobacco Free Florida are working together to reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke, according to a news release.

Most people may not be familiar with the dangers posed by secondhand smoke. (Christine Holtzman)

Most people are aware of the dangers associated with using tobacco products like cigarettes, but may not be as familiar with the dangers posed by secondhand smoke.

Here are some facts about secondhand smoke:

  • It poses dangers whether you’re in confined spaces or outdoors.
  • It contains more than 7,000 chemicals, of which at least 250 are toxic and around 70 can cause cancer.

Secondhand smoke is known as environmental tobacco smoke. It includes smoke that is exhaled by a smoker, and also smoke that comes directly from a burning tobacco product, according to the release.

For people with a heart condition, being exposed to secondhand smoke can even trigger a heart attack, the release adds.

When a nonsmoker is exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work, their risk of developing a heart condition increases by 25 percent to 30 percent.

Wait staff and diners on a patio who are exposed to secondhand smoke for long periods of time are at risk of being exposed to fine particulate matter pollution at levels that exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency limit.

Published April 3, 2019

State Road 56 extension to Zephyrhills is progressing

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Pasco County’s efforts to extend State Road 56 from Meadow Pointe Boulevard to U.S. 301 are advancing, as construction is now in the latter phases of development.

“The main thing is the local connection between Zephyrhills and Wesley Chapel,” stated Gregory Deese, resident engineer for the Florida Department of Transportation.

The project, which began two years ago, will offer motorists a direct route between the two communities.

Construction for the new State Road 56 extension is advancing as the road is set to be paved in the near future. Also, traffic lights will be set up where State Road 56 intersects with Morris Bridge Road and U.S. 301. (File)

This will be a new alternative to traveling on Old State Road 54 further north.

Deese noted that it may also be beneficial in serving as a new hurricane evacuation route for those distancing themselves from coastlines.

Currently, State Road 56 ends at its intersection with Meadow Pointe Boulevard.

The road’s future extension, heading east, is barricaded from public use as roadway is still being constructed.

There’s about ½-mile of roadway that remains to be built, at which point the 6-mile stretch will be paved with asphalt, Deese said.

Traffic lights will also be installed where State Road 56 intersects with Morris Bridge Road and as it intersects with U.S. 301.

That work will require some daytime lane closures on both Morris Bridge Road and U.S. 301.

Flaggers will signal motorists as opposing traffic will have to share lane space.

“We’ll have stop signs and ‘slow’ signs to make sure that [the] operation is safe,” the engineer said. “You’ll stop traffic in one direction to allow the opposite direction to go through.”

Closures are expected to take place before and after morning traffic peak hours, Deese added.

In addition to the lights where it meets State Road 56, Morris Bridge Road will undergo an expansion.

This will accommodate a northbound and southbound left-turning lane – both heading east and west onto State Road 56 respectively.

U.S. 301 will be expanded to include a right-turn lane, and re-striped to provide a left-turn lane – both heading westbound onto State Road 56.

The project also will provide easier access to the Zephyrhills Correctional Facility on U.S. 301 (Gall Boulevard).

A northbound left-turn lane and a southbound right-turn lane on U.S. 301 will be added as a convenient entryway onto the premises.

Also, a 10-foot-wide trail will be added on the south end of State Road 56 for pedestrians.

“The multi-purpose trail on [State Road] 56 is basically a path that rollerbladers or walkers will be able to use,” Deese explained.

Also included is a 5-foot-wide sidewalk on the north end, and two 7-foot-wide bicycle lanes – on both shoulders of the road.

These amenities will run the entire course of the 6-mile project.

The $59.2-million development is set for completion as early as this fall.

Published March 27, 2019

Sheriff’s Office adds innovative fitness program

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The Land O’ Lakes Detention Center has been outfitted with a state-of-the-art, 24-hour fitness facility equipped with top-of-the-line resistance machines, exercise bikes, ski machines, adjustable weights, kettlebells, plyometric boxes, battling ropes, medicine balls and more.

Known as the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office Resilience Center, it’s the initial phase of the agency’s newly formed Human Performance Program.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco unveiled the agency’s new Resilience Center and Human Performance Program at the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center, during a March 18 news conference. The state-of-the-art, 24-hour fitness facility is equipped with top-of-the-line resistance machines, exercise bikes, ski machines, adjustable weights, kettlebells, plyometric boxes, battling ropes, medicine balls and more. The sheriff said the program gives the agency ‘the best tools possible to be successful.’ (Kevin Weiss)

The program aims to improve law enforcement officers’ career longevity, injury prevention and overall fitness for on-the-job tasks.

The Resilience Center opened last month in partnership with EXOS, a worldwide human performance company that primarily services professional athletes, the military and corporations.

The Human Performance Program is eventually expected to staff dietitians, physical therapists, a sports psychologist, and strength and conditioning coaches, to better address the specific needs of members.

The sheriff’s office is using grant money to fund the wellness program, which is free to its members. It is believed to be the first time EXOS has partnered with a law enforcement agency.

At the Resilience Center,  the physical training regimen utilizes “functional techniques,” such as Olympic lifts and quick, explosive movements, said Chris Jacquard, who’s contracted by EXOS to serve as the sheriff’s office human performance advisor.

In other words, it’s not the conventional workout routine you’d find at your local gym, whether it be jogging on the treadmill or throwing up some weights.

Pasco Sheriff’s Office deputy trainees go through workouts at the agency’s new Resilience Center at the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center. The Resilience Center is one aspect of the agency’s new Human Performance Program that aims to improve law enforcement officers’ career longevity, injury prevention and overall fitness for on-the-job tasks.

Instead, many of the prescribed workouts are designed to best translate to the everyday environment of a law enforcement officer, said Jacquard, who offers one-on-one wellness consultations and organizes group trainings for the agency at the Resilience Center.

That includes, for instance, exercises that strengthen lower backs and lower legs — important for deputies who wear burdensome gun belts and bulletproof vests throughout the course of a 12-hour shift.

Jacquard explained of the fitness program: “Running 5 miles, you’re not going to do that on the job (as a law enforcement officer). You’re going to sprint a quarter-mile as fast as you can and then non-lethally subdue a suspect. How do we train for that type of task? That’s really what we’re going to try to mirror in our approach.”

The Resilience Center also features a body composition scanner, so users can track muscle development, fat levels and so on.

Jacquard noted the machine “is definitely not cheap,” but “mirrors the investment of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office in terms of the health and well-being of their members.”

Pasco Sheriff’s Office Human Performance Advisor Chris Jacquard, pictured right, coaches a deputy trainee on the proper execution of a split squat at the agency’s new Resilience Center at the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center. The Resilience Center opened last month in partnership with EXOS, a worldwide human performance company that primarily services professional athletes, the military and corporations.

Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said the Resilience Center and Human Performance Program is all about giving the agency “the best tools possible to be successful.”

Said Nocco, “This is a physical job. You know, we’re expected to jump over fences, to chase people down, to run in somewhere to save somebody, have to get into a fight sometimes, and so, we have to be in the top physical performance, so this is going to help our deputies in the fact that we’ll be in a better performance to go out there and save people.”

He continued, “When you have a good regimen, when you’re exercising the right way, sleeping the right way, drinking plenty of water, and physically exercising, you’re performing at a much higher level.”

The sheriff said about a quarter of the agency has already begun to utilize EXOS programming and the Resilience Center in the short time it’s been around.

It’s been well-received thus far.

“The reaction we’re getting is they’re very excited about it,” Nocco said. “As the word spreads, as success spreads, people want to get involved in this.”

“We’re seeing a lot of interest,” Jacquard added. “The deputies, for the most part, have been highly receptive. You look at an opportunity to perform better, and accessing resources like this that (you) wouldn’t typically see in a civilian setting. We’ve had a lot of participation in the program so far and we’ve really only been around for four weeks.”

The Resilience Center was instituted at the Land O’ Lakes jail, Nocco said, because of its centralized location in the county and because it features “the largest amount of members we have at the sheriff’s office congregated at one place.”

The agency, however, plans to add similar training facilities and related wellness programming to its other district offices in Dade City, Trinity and New Port Richey.

Published March 27, 2019

Sister Helen Lange’s life comes to a close at age 105

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Sister Helen Lange, a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida, was remembered last week at two masses at Holy Name Monastery, in St. Leo, and at a reception at St. Anthony Parish Hall.

She was 105 at the time of her death.

Sister Helen, formerly known as Laurina Lange, was still a teenager when she traveled by train from Texas to Florida to pursue the religious life, according to a memoir she wrote, called “Kicking the Habit.”

A look at Sister Helen Lange, before she shed her religious habit. She later wrote a memoir, entitled ‘Kicking the Habit.’ (Courtesy of Benedictine Sisters of Florida)

The year was 1930, and she was accompanied by four of her cousins — Irma Multer, Pauline Block, and Rosaria and Rosanna Matthiesen, who also had decided to answer God’s call.

In her memoir, Sister Helen described growing up on a farm in Olfen, Texas.

She grew up in a family that prayed often, enjoyed making music, and had frequent gatherings with friends and relatives, the account says.

She enjoyed shopping days with her mother. Once the necessary household items were purchased, she and her mother would stop by the drugstore for an ice cream soda, which only cost 25 cents back then, the account adds.

Easter season was one of her favorite times of the year.

“Holy Week was truly Holy Week. There were no radios, no running around, no dancing or partying,” her memoir says.

“On Holy Saturday, all of us kids were sent out to pick flowers to build Easter nests for the bunny to come. While we were out hunting the flowers, little did we know that mom was busy dying the eggs — which we never saw until Easter morning.

“We made small nests with the wildflowers we picked out in the fields.

“On Easter Sunday morning, we all tumbled out of bed to see what the Easter bunny had brought. There were eggs of all colors neatly laying in our nest of flowers. What a beautiful day!”

Over the years, Sister Helen would be a teacher, a band director and a principal. She would oversee a hostel for visitors from other countries. And, later, she would work in elder care.

Paramedic John Ward helps Sister Helen Lange blow out the candles during her 103rd birthday celebration at Heritage Park in Dade City. (File)

She also moved around quite a bit. Her first assignment took her back to Texas, but she also worked in New Orleans and Slidell, Louisiana, and in various parts of Florida, including San Antonio, Venice, Sarasota, North Miami, Ocala and Jacksonville Beach.

Most recently, she was living at Heritage Park Health and Rehabilitation Center in Dade City.

That’s where Sister Helen celebrated her 105th birthday on Sept. 28, surrounded by 75 guests.

Besides other sisters from her community, guests included friends and relatives. Sister Helen’s cousin, Joan Schmidt, from Brandon, was there, as well as her niece, Monica “Shotsie” Keyes, who traveled from Salem, Virginia, and Keyes’ daughter, Stefanie Martin.

In a 2016 interview with The Laker/Lutz News, Sister Helen said one of the hardest things she had to do during her religious life was to leave one assignment for the next, because she had always developed deep attachments to the people where she was.

But then, she said, she’d form new attachments in her next assignment.

Ultimately, she wound up loving each of her assignments, whether she was teaching kindergarten or sixth grade, or working as a principal.

“The sixth grade was the most joyful. There were a lot of boys in the class. I loved teaching boys,” said the nun, who described herself as a tomboy at heart.

During that Laker/Lutz News interview, which occurred when she was 102, Sister Helen said she had “no regrets” about boarding that train to go join the Benedictine Sisters of Florida — to follow her spiritual call where it led her.

“I’d do it all over again,” Sister Helen said.

Donations in honor of Sister Helen may be made to the Benedictine Sisters of Florida, P.O. Box 2450, St. Leo, FL 33574-2450.

Published March 27, 2019

Workshops aim to boost your financial literacy

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If you’ve ever wanted to improve your knowledge when it comes to money, a financial literacy expo being offered by Pasco County Schools may help get you started.

The school district has assembled a number of financial experts to provide the free information sessions.

Two upcoming free financial seminars being offered by Pasco County Schools can help you to make the most of your money. (Christine Holtzman)

The first one is scheduled for April 1 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Marchman Technical College, 7825 Campus Drive in New Port Richey.

The second one will be on April 4 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Wesley Chapel High School, 30651 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel.

Parents, guardians, employees, community members and students are welcome to attend either, or both sessions, to learn about financial planning.

There will be an expo-style event in the dining room, featuring various financial experts. And, there will brief informational sessions, which those attending can sign up for in advance.

Topics that will be covered include information on college scholarships, college funding, retirement planning, careers in personal financial planning, applications for federal student aid, estate planning for business owners, budgeting, financial planning 101 and more.

Presenters include:

  • The University of South Florida Stavros Center
  • Financial Planning Association of Tampa Bay
  • State Farm Insurance
  • Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company
  • Jacksonville Federal Treasury
  • Everfi
  • Tampa Electric Co.
  • Pasco-Hernando State College

Anyone can attend, and it’s not necessary to preregister, but those wishing to attend specific sessions should preregister. Once you have decided on which sessions you wish to attend, print out a copy of the schedule and bring it with you because schedules won’t be available on campus during the events.

To register for the Marchman event, go to FinancialLiteracyExpoWestsi2019.sched.com/.

For Wesley Chapel High, go to FinancialLiteracyExpoEastsi2019.sched.com/.

If you’re having any trouble signing on or making your schedule, call (813) 794-2027.

Published March 27, 2019