The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Honoring our local graduates

By

The Laker/Lutz News is once again honoring our local high school graduates by publishing their names in today’s newspaper.

Beginning on page 7A, we are recognizing more than 3,500 students from the 11 high schools in our distribution area. This is the 11th consecutive year we’ve published this edition, a popular keepsake for the families we serve.

It is an honor to acknowledge our community’s young people who have worked so hard to achieve this goal.

Graduating from high school is an accomplishment that sets our kids on a path to success as they enter adulthood, and one that is critical to their future.

We read and hear much today about how our youths are attached to their digital devices and out-of-touch with anything that does not directly involve them. But, I believe that perception is greatly exaggerated, and that today’s teens are no different in their interests, worries and aspirations than those of other generations.

Graduating from high school has always required commitment and perseverance. And, like the classes before them, the Class of 2018 consists of good kids who focused on their studies, listened to their teachers and parents, and worked hard to complete the many requirements needed for graduation. They dream, as other graduates before them — to live a fulfilling life and help make the world a better place.

High school graduation is also a testimony to parents, who kept their child focused on achieving this important goal. It was their support, encouragement and confidence in their son or daughter that kept their student going when they didn’t want to do their homework or go to school and, in some cases, had even considered dropping out.

Over the next few weeks, students will proudly walk across the stage and accept their diplomas as their parents watch from the stands. The emotional high both will experience is the culmination of 18 years of love between a parent and child, and the persistence, patience and prodding that comes with good parenting.

So, it will be with well-deserved pride that parents search the listings in our graduation section to find their child’s name. And, joining them in that search will be grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors, friends, and, of course, the graduate, too.

For most members of the Class of 2018, this edition of The Laker/Lutz News will be the first time that the graduate will see his or her name in print. There is something innately exciting and very tangible about having your name printed in a newspaper that is also read by your family, friends, neighbors and people you know through church, community groups, and sports and recreational activities.

Many of you reading today’s newspaper will circle or highlight the names you recognize, and will proudly put the section aside to save with your most treasured items.

Offering public acknowledgement of each student’s achievement and providing families a keepsake of this important milestone, are among the reasons we continue our tradition of producing an annual graduation section.

The names of the graduates are listed by school, in alphabetical order, in our eight-page section. In Pasco County, graduates are from Land O’Lakes, Pasco, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass and Zephyrhills high schools. In Hillsborough County, graduates are from Steinbrenner and Freedom high schools.

In your edition of the paper, will find graduate names from the two high schools closest to where you live, and also the names of valedictorians and salutatorians from these schools. In addition to graduates from our public schools, we also publish the names of graduates from three private schools in our community — Academy at the Lakes, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic and Land O’ Lakes Christian high schools.

We are proud to contribute, in some small measure, to the emotional excitement that graduation brings.

We hope that one day the graduates listed in this section will pull it out to share with their children and grandchildren — so that future generations will be able to see a physical reminder of their loved one’s accomplishment, as printed proudly in their local community newspaper.

Published May 16, 2018

Multiple myeloma group aims to provide support, information

By

Camille Wilson wasn’t sure what was wrong with her when she began experiencing pain in the front of her torso, and in her back.

She was sent to a spine surgeon, who did surgery, but also a biopsy, which revealed there was a problem with her blood.

Next, she saw a doctor who diagnosed her with lymphoma — but her son, who is a doctor, urged her to seek a second opinion, and when she did, she was diagnosed and treated for multiple myeloma.

She underwent stem cell transplant, using her own stem cells.

Jim and Camille Wilson host a monthly Multiple Myeloma support group in their home, to help patients who have been diagnosed with the disease. Their support group, which has members from Pasco and Hillsborough counties, is affiliated with the International Myeloma Foundation. (B.C. Manion)

“It was probably 85 percent satisfactory, for the remission,” she said.

She remains on a chemotherapy maintenance program, which does have side effects, she said.

“Sometimes they’re acute. Sometimes, they’re not so bad,” she said. The side effects include rash and itchiness, nausea, leg cramps and neuropathy.

She’s now a four-year survivor of multiple myeloma, a white blood cell cancer that is commonly found in the bone marrow.

“Having this disease is work — to try to keep yourself stable, to keep yourself on top of all of the new things coming out, drugs, therapies, who’s the best doctor to go to,” Camille said.

“I have a primary care physician. I have a primary oncologist, and then I have a myeloma specialist, and that’s what is recommended,” she said.

“The myeloma patient journey is very difficult and can be quite horrific at times,” she said, noting, because she has experienced the challenges, she and her husband, Jim, decided to set up a support group to help others fighting the battle.

“I’ve seen other patients, what they went through, and I felt it was time for me to give back, contribute,” Camille explained.

The group meets on the third Saturday of the month at the Wilsons’ home, 6520 Yellowhammer Ave., in Tampa. The meetings are in the dance studio, Floortime Studio, which is attached to the house.

Meetings generally feature a guest speaker, who addresses issues, such as latest medications, resources that are available and medical questions. Patients, caregivers, family and friends are welcome and there is generally a free lunch, provided by pharmaceutical partners, Camille Wilson said.

The group is affiliated with the International Myeloma Foundation, and the couple travels each year to an annual meeting where they are brought up to speed on the latest information about the disease, and spend time with other support group leaders, sharing what they’ve learned along the way.

“With almost every meeting (we host), we do go around the group and each person gets a chance to speak about their journey,” Camille said.

“We share our experiences,” she said.

They also share information, such as news on medications, clinical trials, sources of financial help and other relevant data.

Newly diagnosed patients often are afraid and overwhelmed by their lack of knowledge about the cancer.

They need a place where they can talk with others who can share what they’ve learned and can relate to their feelings, Jim said.

“They need someone to talk to,” said Jim, the support group’s co-leader.

“Generally, when they leave, they feel so much better. They know they’re not alone. The roundtable sharing part of it is very effective,” Camille said.

Danny Scott, who lives in Wesley Chapel, has been attending the meetings for just about as long as Jim and Camille have been holding them. He goes to two other support groups, as well.

“You’re seeing and talking to other patients with active myeloma,” he said. “Myeloma is a disease where no two patients react, or are treated the same way.”

“You find out things that work for people, which the MDs or the oncologists don’t really know about,” he said.

There are often practical tips that others have discovered, Scott said.

The support is a good source of information from other patients about various approaches that can be helpful, Scott said. They are also can provide useful information for caregivers.

“You at least have the opportunity to seek out and find different opportunities for dealing with your disease,” Scott said, which can include things such as nutritionists, psychiatrists, psychologists and other sources of help.

Much more is known about multiple myeloma than was in the past, Camille said.

“There’s a lot of hope,” Camille added, noting there are many new treatment advances.

The support group draws members from Pasco and Hillsborough counties, Camille said. At its last session, there were 17 people, including members from Zephyrhills, Wesley Chapel and Lutz.

Eventually, Camille and Jim, would like to shift the meeting place to a new location — possibly to a meeting room at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North.

“My husband and I have to set up all of our tables. We’re getting older,” she said. “There might come a day when it won’t be that easy for us to do all of this lugging.

“I’d like to get into a nice meeting room in a medical establishment because we are an educational group for multiple myeloma,” she said. St. Joseph’s Hospital-North is a good location, she said. It has meeting rooms and a restaurant.

Multiple Myeloma support group
When: Third Saturday of the month, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Where: Floortime Studio, 6520 Yellowhammer Ave., Tampa
Cost: Free
Details: The North Tampa Multiple Myeloma Educational Group provides information and support to patients who have been diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Friends, family and caregivers are welcome. Generally, there is a program and a free lunch.
Info: Call Camille or Jim Wilson at (813) 624-3872, or email  .

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the bone marrow plasma cells, white blood cells that make antibodies. A cancerous or malignant plasma cell is called a myeloma cell. Myeloma is called ‘multiple’ because there are frequently multiple patches or areas in bone where it grows. It can appear as both a tumor and/or an area of bone loss, and it affects the places where bone marrow is active in an adult: the hollow area within the bones of the spine, skull, pelvis, rib cage, and the areas around the shoulders and hips. -Source: International Myeloma Foundation

Symptoms and signs of Multiple Myeloma
Symptoms:

  • Persistent or worsening tiredness due to anemia or reduced kidney function
  • Sudden pain due to a broken bone in the spine, ribs or elsewhere
  • Recurrent unexplained infections, such as pneumonia, sinus or urinary infection

Signs

  • Pain with movement and/or at night/rest
  • Pain tenderness/swelling of bone areas
  • Swelling, shortness of breath or evidence of heart or kidney failure

Source: International Myeloma Foundation

Published May 16, 2018

Hitting all the right notes — together

By

It’s a Monday evening at the Dade City Woman’s Club and vocal coach Alison Graham sits at a small round table, near a bank of windows.

Girls are sitting around her on the floor, listening as Graham reads through judges’ comments from their most recent competition.

It’s a routine the girls know well.

The singers, who are members of Graham Music Studios, are accustomed to performing, and also to being judged.

Alison Graham, of Graham Music Studios, uses a blend of constructive criticism, humor and kindness to help the singers under her direction to develop their voices. (B.C. Manion)

They make frequent appearances at local events, such as the Pasco County Fair, the Kumquat Festival, Church Street Christmas, the San Antonio Rattlesnake Festival, the Dade City Christmas Stroll, and the holiday show at The Shops at Wiregrass.

They compete at Spotlight on Talent, a local showcase and also every year at Access Broadway in Orlando, which has regional and national contests.

Graham’s groups have been competing in Orlando for about 10 years.

Last summer, her middle group won the national competition and this spring, her oldest group took the top prize in regionals.

Graham’s groups compete in regionals every year in Orlando, and at nationals when they’re held there. The nationals rotate between Orlando, New York and Las Vegas.

While her groups and individual members in the groups have a good track record at competitions, Graham said that’s not her focus.

“It’s not about the trophy,” she said.

She’s far more interested in the individual development of each of her singers.

Amelia Collins awaits her part during a practice on a Monday evening at the Dade City Woman’s Club.

Her groups also aim to foster teamwork and camaraderie.

After a singer performs, Graham said she tries to talk to her before the awards are announced.

She wants to know how the singer felt about the performance. Sometimes the singer will acknowledge that she hadn’t prepared enough; other times, she’ll say she gave it her all.

“I don’t care what place you got. I care about: ‘Did you do well for you?’ Did you do your best?’,” said Graham, who has been coaching vocal groups and giving private voice lessons for more than 20 years.

Striving to reach their potential
She wants her singers to make the most of their ability and to continue the quest to improve.

“One of the things I say all of the time is, ‘Good is the enemy of great.’ If you’re OK with good, you are not going to be great,” she said.

Sometimes, the judges won’t see a performance the same way that Graham sees it.

When, for instance, the judge gets it wrong in Graham’s opinion, she’ll tell the singer: “We both know you got ripped off.”

Georgia Piersall dons an apron for a practice session of ‘Opening Up,’ from the Broadway show, ‘The Waitress.’

In the same breath, though, she’ll remind them: “You can’t control the judges. You have to focus on what you can control.”

Graham has three singing groups.

In general, Showtime is made up of elementary students; Showbiz is made up of middle school students; and Showstoppers is made up of high school students. Occasionally, a younger girl may be part of an older group.

And, because there are three different age groups, Graham has set up a system: “There’s a big sister, a middle sister and a little sister, and they look out for each other,” she said.

They bond with each other and validate each other, too, she said.

“If a girl kills it and still comes in fifth, the other girls will support her,” the vocal coach explained.

Graham’s weekly group lessons are 45 minutes long, beginning at 6 p.m., for the youngest singers; then at 7 p.m., for the middle group; and at 8 p.m., for the oldest group.

It costs $50 a month for the group lessons, but that doesn’t include expenses for costumes or entry fees for competitions. Most of her older singers also take private voice lessons with her.

Graham began her career as a music teacher at Hunter’s Green Elementary School, but decided to offer private lessons when her son was born, more than two decades ago.

The waiting list for her private lessons grew so long that she decided to form groups.

Most of the singers at Graham Music Studios come from Dade City, but some come from other areas, including Zephyrhills and Sumter County.

Graham said the success of her program is a result of the dedication of her singers, and the support of both their parents and the community, at large.

“I have a lot of people say, ‘Is your job like Dance Moms? I bet it is.’

“Honestly, it’s the opposite of Dance Moms.

“When I came to Access Broadway, one of the moms had Starbucks for me. Another mom ran and got my lunch for me.

Showbiz, the middle group from Graham Music Studio, rehearses a number from ‘Wicked.’

“They are just: ‘Whatever those girls need.’

“That’s why they’re successful,” Graham said.

Occasionally, though, something will come up, and she’ll have to have a chat with a parent.

She’ll say: “My job is to do what’s best for the group, and your job is to what’s best for your kid. Sometimes, those things don’t overlap.”

Ultimately, though, “they all have to understand that I’m the one who is going to pull the trigger in the end,” the vocal coach said.

The community of Dade City provides welcome support, Graham added.

“If we were from a large town, like Tampa, you just don’t know them. But in Dade City, people know these girls,” she said.

Having the girls look out for each other is essential when they are performing at a large event, Graham said.

At The Shops of Wiregrass, during the holidays, for instance, “when those little girls come off the stage, the big girls are waiting there for them,” she said.

The girls grow attached to each other and to Graham, and the vocal coach also bonds with the singers.

There’s a lot of affection and laughter, but a good deal of focus and effort, too.

Offering criticism and kindness
Catherine Beard, a relatively new singer in the oldest group, said belonging to the group requires commitment. “It takes a lot of hard work. We all have to practice over and over, until we get it right,” she said.

She thinks the singers are in good hands.

“Mrs. Alison is absolutely wonderful. She’s kind and supportive. She’s experienced. She knows what she’s doing,” Beard said.

Some girls in the oldest group have been singing with Graham for a dozen years.

Megan Phillips joined Graham’s group 11 years ago.

She was delighted when Showstoppers received the top honor at Access Broadway’s spring regional competition. The group put in extra practices to prepare and faced quality competitors, she said.

Phillips appreciates Graham.

Members of Showstoppers rehearse ‘Opening Up,’ a song from the Broadway show, ‘Waitress.’

“Mrs. Alison is a second mom. I’ve known her almost my entire life, and she’s a great person. She’s supportive and nice, but she’s not afraid to tell us what we’re doing wrong and what we need to improve ourselves,” Phillips said.

She values the other girls in her group, too.

“We really are a family here, and I love everything about Showstoppers,” Phillips said.

Mikayla Mauradian, a member in the middle group, appreciates Graham’s candor and high standards.

“Miss Allison is truly a great teacher and we love her, and she always pushes us to do better, no matter the rating,” Mauradian said.

Georgia Piersall, a member of the oldest group, said the bond between the singers helps them perform well together.

“It definitely helps to have a group of girls who are as close as sisters to work with,” Piersall said.

Plus, she added: “Mrs. Allison is so incredibly dedicated to what she does, it amazes me. She treats us like her own and is always proud of us, no matter what.”

Graham feels connected to the girls, too.

It’s always emotional when one of her singers graduates and moves on, Graham said. “I cry every year. I just sit there, and bawl and bawl.”

The girls may leave, but they tend to come back to visit.

Many show up at the end-of-year performance and pitch in backstage, Graham said.

The vocal coach believes that being part of the group gives the girls something they wouldn’t have independently.

“Something, at some point, is going to go wrong for you,” Graham said.

The friendship and support the girls get from one another, helps cushion them for life’s blows.

“It’s having a safe place to land,” Graham said.

Members of Showstoppers: Catherine Beard, Mackenzie Ferrell, Analiese Gallagher, Maitlin Hart, Chase Hemphill, Kiersten Herman, Megan Phillips, Georgia Piersall, Shelby Surratt and Haley Sanders.

 

Members of Showbiz: Bailey Bardin, Amelia Collins, Haley Collins, Isabella Como, Emma Crist, Lyndsey Furtado, Lyra Lacson, Emily Loyed, Mikayla Mauradian, Kassie Miller, Mackenzie Robinson, Payton Rodgers, Emma Shireman, Analee Tomkow, Marlee Tomkow and Macy Whisnant.

 

Members of Showtime: Carly Bowling, Katarina Carroll, Ellie DeLoyed, Sally Harper, Larkin Mainwaring, Lacey Miltner, Emeley Poblick, Sophia Poblick, Shyleigh Reeher, Mackenzie Trenkle and Keaton Ward.

Published May 16, 2018

Calls being made to widen Old Pasco Road

By

Some Pasco County commissioners are now calling for the widening of Old Pasco Road before a proposed business park is built on the road.

“I don’t want to see anything built until the road is widened,” Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said during the board’s May 8 meeting.

“We need to make sure the entire road is widened. It will be a nightmare for a lot of residents who live across from the site or near it,” he said.

The intersection of Old Pasco Road and State Road 52 is scheduled for improvements. Some Pasco County commissioners want Old Pasco Road to be widened. (Kathy Steele)

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley also supported the road’s widening. “We realize…we have to look at the road and make sure (the widening) is built sooner rather than later,” he said.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano suggested that county officials apply for a federal transportation grant from the TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) program.

Moore and Oakley revisited the issue on May 10, at Pasco County’s Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting in Dade City.

Moore said the widening project was removed awhile ago from the county’s long range transportation plan and should be put back on the list.

Commissioners have already approved a plan to spend $2.2 million to improve the intersection at Old Pasco Road and State Road 52. That project is scheduled for completion in late 2019.

Work includes pavement reconstruction starting about 1,450 feet south of State Road 52, a sidewalk, storm water, pond construction, signage and turn lanes.

The Florida Department of Transportation currently is widening State Road 52, and installed a traffic signal at Old Pasco Road a few months ago.

When the business park proposal initially came up in March, area residents opposed the project. They said there were too many uncertainties about the businesses that would open there and how Old Pasco Road would handle the increased traffic.

County commissioners previously expressed general support for the business park, but have twice postponed a final vote. Initially named the Vibrant Sun Business Park, county commissioners asked for a name change to Overpass Business Park.

County officials cited the name change as reason for the most recent postponement. The public hearing will be re-advertised with the business park’s new name.

The new public hearing is set for May 22 at the board’s meeting room in New Port Richey. Board meetings begin at 10 a.m.

The Florida Department of Transportation currently is widening State Road 52, and installed a traffic signal at Old Pasco Road a few months ago.

Another project is slated for 2019 at Old Pasco Road and Quail Hollow Boulevard.

Published May 16, 2018

Political meetings set; endorsement given

By

Republican club meetings
The Republican Club of Central Pasco and the Pasco Federated Republican Woman’s Club will host a joint meeting on May 21, beginning with a social at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will feature a meet and greet with Pasco County School Board candidates Allen Altman, Cynthia Armstrong, Megan Harding, Heide Janshon and Tara O’Connor.

The meeting also will be a potluck dinner, so bring your favorite dish.  The club will supply the beverages.

The meeting is open to the public, and the club encourages anyone that seeks to be involved in the political process to attend.

The club meets at Copperstone Executive Suites, 3632 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes. For more information, call (813) 996-3011.

Democratic Club meeting
The Trinity Democratic Club’s May upcoming meeting will feature Ryan Torrens, candidate for Attorney General and Roy David Walker, candidate for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture.

The May 23 meeting starts at 6:30 p.m., at Fox Hollow Golf Club, 10050 Robert Trent Jones Parkway in Trinity. Doors open at 5 p.m., for dinner and happy hour, self-pay, with food and beverages available for purchase throughout the meeting.

For questions, call (415) 609-3633, or email .

Endorsement
Pasco County Clerk and Comptroller Paula S. O’ Neil has endorsed Mike Moore in his re-election bid for the District 2 seat on the Pasco County Commission, according to Moore’s campaign.

Published May 16, 2018

Plans call for aquatics center in Land O’ Lakes

By

Conceptual drawings have been done for the Christopher N. Chiles Aquatic Center in Land O’ Lakes that could become a magnet for swimming tournaments, and would provide a wide range of services for swimmers of all ages and abilities.

It would cost about $8 million for the facility, without a complete roof system, said Scott Sutek, executive director for the envisioned aquatic center.

Backers would prefer a building with an indoor pool, but that would cost between $12 million and $15 million, Sutek said.

This rendering shows the proposed Christopher N. Chiles Aquatics Center in Land O’ Lakes. (Courtesy of Scott Sutek)

Efforts began last July to develop a plan for the aquatics center, Sutek said.

The swimming facility at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, off Collier Parkway, is operating at maximum capacity, prompting the need for a larger facility, Sutek said.

Five teams train at the current pool, and the teams from Sunlake and Land O’ Lakes high schools compete there.

Lorin Macdonald, the facility’s head coach, said the new center ideally would have eight 50-meter lanes that can be transferred over to 20 to 22 short-course lanes.

The center would be able to accommodate long- and short-course competitions, and would give Olympic hopefuls a good place to train, Macdonald said.

The facility also would be able to accommodate hundreds of additional swimmers, Sutek said.

It also would be able to offer water aerobics, synchronized swimming, scuba lessons and training programs for lifeguards, law enforcement officers and public safety, military and CPR.

Practitioners could write prescriptions for aquatic therapy, Sutek said, because the center would have an aquatics therapy room, with a therapy pool.

The new facility also would make it possible to attract competitions, Sutek said.

“We’ve already gotten interest in having events here – local, state and semi-regional events.

“We have the capacity to hold up to the Pro Series events. So, we’ll have local high school and local club swim events that host anywhere from 300 to 1,200 swimmers,” Sutek said.

Local teams currently travel to meets in Largo, South Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Fort Myers, Orlando and Stuart, Macdonald said.

Plans call for building the facility on land donated by Academy at the Lakes, an independent private school.

Academy at the Lakes operates two campuses on Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes, but plans to expand to a third location, off Twenty Mile Level Road, off State Road 54. The aquatics center would become part of that campus, on land the school purchased from the MacManus family. The high school from Academy at the Lakes will be using the new facility.

Promoters are ready to get started on pursuing the swimming complex, as soon as they raise the necessary funds, said Sutek, who is serving as the center’s executive director on a strictly volunteer basis.

“When we’re at 50 percent (funding), we’ll go through with the design, and start talking about construction budgets and times, so that we’re ahead of the ballgame when 100 percent costs come in,” Sutek said.

“With this facility, the public will have more use of the pool, all of the time,” Sutek said.

The facility also would create some job opportunities for lifeguards, coaches and operations staff, Sutek said.

The aquatics center will be a nonprofit operation, Sutek said.

“We will focus on a minimum of two charitable organizations right now. One is the Make-A-Splash. The other is the Special Olympics.

Make-A-Splash is part of USA Swimming Foundation.

The aquatics center would like to partner with them, to remove the economic barrier that sometimes prevents children from learning how to swim, Macdonald said.

“A lot of the kids who end up being drowning victims, end up being drowning victims because they come from families who can’t afford swim lessons. It’s important to us that we start getting the entire community involved in swim lessons, so that everybody can swim and help reduce that drowning rate,” she said. “We would also give scholarships to kids to participate on our swim teams and to do team travel,” she added.

Macdonald sees a larger facility as a way to reach more people in the community.

“We want to make sure they have someplace safe where they can come and swim, somewhere where they have programs that are geared toward making sure the community is water safe,” she said.

The new facility also would make it possible to attract world-class competitions, Sutek said.

Swim coach Robin Hilgenberg is a Special Olympics swimming coach.

“We want to be able to train more Special Olympics kids of all ages, instead of the handful we have,” Sutek said. “We would love to host a Special Olympics swim meet, of large magnitude, here in this area.”

Organizers have shared their plans to the Pasco Economic Development Council and received support, Sutek said. A discussion with Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore also was positive, he added.

Next, proponents will be making the rounds to the county’s municipalities and local civic organizations to talk about their vision.

Published May 9, 2018

Pasco Schools seeks to address students’ mental health needs

By

Pasco County Schools is searching for additional ways to better serve its students’ mental health needs.

As part of that effort, the school system brought together student services staff and community mental health providers on May 4 for the district’s first-ever Mental Health Symposium. The seminar’s aim was to raise awareness of students’ mental health, build capacity of staff to respond, and increase collaboration between schools and mental health providers.

The daylong event featured a panel discussion on mental health, plus a series of breakout sessions, which covered such topics as eating disorders, anxiety, school-based violence prevention, trauma reduction and supporting recovery, non-suicidal self-injury, connecting mental health services, and so on.

Pasco County Schools’ first annual Mental Health Symposium featured a panel discussion and breakout sessions concerning eating disorders, anxiety, school-based violence prevention, trauma reduction and supporting recovery, non-suicidal self-injury, and connecting mental health services. (Kevin Weiss)

About 280 student services staff — school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, school nurses and dropout prevention teachers — participated in a morning or afternoon session, said Dave Chamberlin, Pasco Schools student services supervisor.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning kicked off the event with a brief introduction, during which he underscored the necessity of the district to provide quality education and to meet students’ mental health needs.

“We have got to be singularly focused on meeting those social and emotional needs of our kids,” Browning said, “before they can even learn to do mathematics or science.”

The symposium, which coincided with Mental Health Awareness Month, was at the district’s offices. Planning for it began in September.

In the aftermath of the Valentine’s Day school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland that left 17 dead, Browning noted there’s been a renewed emphasis on mental health, and student and staff well-being.

Offering one possible solution of his own, Browning stated he’s a “huge proponent” of trauma-informed care, an organizational structure and treatment framework that involves understanding, recognizing and responding to the effects of all types of trauma.

“We’ve got to get out and educate our teachers — training our teachers and school-based staff about trauma informed care,” the superintendent said.

That suggestion, among many others, was presented during the hour-long panel discussion featuring community mental health providers, a student, and a parent with experience interacting with the system of care.

Access, awareness and availability of mental health services seem to be ongoing barriers, panelists suggested.

Helping younger children
There’s a great need for more pediatric psychiatrists and pediatric bed space in the county, said Craig Leech, program manager for the Land O’ Lakes-based Morton Plant North Bay Hospital Recovery Center.

Leech explained the recovery facility is only able to utilize 20 of its 25 pediatric beds at a time, and there’s oftentimes a waiting list of several days for children to get the mental services and treatment. “At any given day, we are full and do not have bed space. We are the only pediatric receiving facility in Pasco County,” he said.

Another panelist, Doug Leonardo, senior vice president of Chrysalis Health, said more flexibility is needed in providing mental health services for children.

He advocates conducting school behavioral health screenings to flag potential mental health problems with students at a younger age.

“We need to do a better job at getting upstream of these issues. We have universal screenings in schools for hearing and speech…I don’t know why we would not want to do the same things for mental health issues,” he said.

Leonardo, who’s helped provide mental health and substance abuse in Pasco County and other areas for more than 20 years, also supports creating more community partnerships among schools, law enforcement and mental health professionals.

He emphasized the importance of encouraging parents to be unafraid to seek help for their children who may suffer from mental illness.

“We can treat the kids but, if we don’t have the parents engaged and bought in and helped, it doesn’t really work, so we really need that family system to be involved,” the health professional said.

While health experts described some of community resources available to youth, many students are unaware of what’s available to them, Anclote High senior Emily Leopardi said.

Leopardi overcame a broken home and dysfunctional family life, and is on track to graduate high school and attend Hillsborough Community College in the fall. Growing up, she was fortunate to receive counseling and assistance from Youth and Family Alternatives Inc., and Baycare Behavioral Health.

“I would like to see more support in the schools that focus on mental health, and resources for students like myself who’s family life is challenging. …Without the help of these providers, students like myself can fall through the cracks,” she said.

Other panelists, including moderator Monica Rousseau, said reducing the stigma associated to mental health problems must remain a focus.

Rousseau, coordinator for the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP), referenced a study that more Americans are starting to understand mental illness is very much a chronic illness, like any other physical illness; yet more and more people are associating mental illness with violent tendencies, she said.

“We have shootings, we have a lot of big news stories that are really skewing the way people view people with mental illness, so it’s really important to be stomping out that stigma,” Rousseau said.

Some issues related to children’s mental health services might soon be mitigated with the recent passing of Senate Bill 7026 (“Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act”).

Besides its various school safety mandates, the new law creates mental health assistance allocation for every school district in Florida.

It also requires school districts to deliver a plan focused on delivering evidence-based mental health treatment, assessment, diagnose, intervention services and so on.

For school districts like Pasco, it marks a “big sea change,” Leonardo said.

“We’re going to start asking school districts to do things that I think, historically, they haven’t focused on doing. It probably happens sporadically, but now it’s being mandated,” Leonardo said.

With a solid foundation and framework, and an influx of funds from the new law, Leonardo noted the district and county as a whole is “in a really good position to make some meaningful changes.”

Published May 9, 2018

Take a free garden tour, learn about sustainability

By

People who enjoy learning more about gardening and getting a better understanding about sustainable practices may want to check out the Rosebud Continuum open house.

The free event is set for May 12, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 22843 Hale Road in Land O’ Lakes.

Jerry Comelias holds two white carrots planted by Academy at the Lakes students at the Rosebud Continuum in Land O’ Lakes. (B.C. Manion)

Jerry Comelias, site and educational director for the 14-acre Rosebud Continuum, said the open house is the first full-fledged attempt to let the public know about the project. There was a smaller open house last year, but that was a soft launch, he said.

The upcoming tour features a sustainability farm, a wildflower meadow, friendly goats, aquaponics, hydroponics, Florida native plants, beekeeping and biodigesters.

Tours through the Florida Native Plant Trail feature a Florida Native Wildflower Meadow, with the tours being led by Dr. Craig N. Huegel and Lisa Boing. Tours will be offered at 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m., noon and 12:30 p.m.

Visitors also will be able to learn about biodigesters from Dr. Thomas Culhane, a National Geographic Explorer professor at the Patel College of Global Sustainability and a world traveler. Culhane will explain how biodigesters can take waste and turn it into energy.

Visitors can also check out the hydroponics and aquaponics area, where they can learn how to grow plants without soil. And, they check out the apiary at 10 a.m., to learn how to be a beekeeper.

They also can see a small chicken coop, called a chicken tractor, that is moved around the property, Comelias said.

“We put chickens in it, and they will prepare the ground for growing food. They pull the roots and eat the bugs. It’s really great,” he said.

And, there’s also a petting zoo where children can pet goats.

Jerry Comelias shows off a water heater made from copper pipes that have been painted black, enclosed in plastic wrap.

Comelias, a graduate of the Patel College of Global Sustainability at the University of South Florida, said the project grew out of a partnership between the Patel College, and Sonny and Maryann Bishop family that owns the 14-acre site.

Sonny Bishop, a former National Football League player, also is Lakota Sioux.

The project expresses the Bishop family’s desire to kind of recover some of the indigenous practices previously used in Florida, Comelias said.

A trail leads through a wildflower meadow, which is near the property’s lake.

“We want it to be a place where people can come and reflect, think or pray, or just enjoy being out in nature,” Comelias said.

The open house includes the chance to learn more about biodigesters, which convert food waste into fuel and fertilizer.

The gas that’s produced can be used to fuel a grill, and the liquid fertilizer it yields can be used in gardens and in hydroponic systems, he said. The fertilizer is so highly concentrated, “you can take beach sand, and put that in it, and grow food,” he said.

Beyond the wildflowers, the site features all sorts of ways to grow fruits, vegetables and herbs.

There are hydroponics, aquaponics and traditional garden beds.

Students from Academy at the Lakes and Blake High School are involved with the project.

Lettuce thrives in the greenhouse at the Rosebud Continuum.

Fruits and vegetables being grown at the site include white carrots, strawberries, okra, cabbage, onions, celery, pineapple, tomatoes, Seminole pumpkins, collards, kale, beans, radishes and lettuce. There are all sorts of herbs, as well. And, there’s a variety of trees.

The project aims to look at using natural approaches and keeping the big picture in mind.

The idea is to use systems-thinking when approaching problems, Comelias said.

That means being mindful of potential consequences. For instance, “If we come up with a solution for fuel, is it going to create a problem for food? Is it going to create a problem for water?” he said.

The project aims to help others to learn about sustainable practices.

“We kind of try to do everything in a natural way and help people learn how to do that,” Comelias said. For example, “we hope to do sustainability summer camp for kids and teach them how to turn 2-liter bottles into hydroponic systems.”

There are also some visitors there this week, who traveled from Haiti, to learn about practices they can use at home, Comelias said.

Published May 9, 2018

Pilot code enforcement program yields results

By

A more proactive approach to reducing blight in Pasco County appears to be working, and the Pasco County Commission wants the efforts to continue.

Commissioners approved a pilot program in April 2017, described as “high return enforcement.”

The focus was to become more aggressive in pursuing the worst of the county’s code violators through the use of fines and court actions.

A pilot program to take proactive actions to reduce blight in Pasco County resulted in demolition of about 50 mobile homes in the former Lazy Breeze Mobile Home & RV Park, outside Dade City. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

A partnership of county departments, including the county attorney’s office, Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, code enforcement and building inspections have worked together, using existing staff members and resources.

The program has received no dedicated funding.

Assistant County Attorney Kristi Sims presented a progress report during a recent workshop in New Port Richey.

“The idea was to use what we had and to reorganize to take on more than what would normally have been taken on,” said Sims.

The program focused on repeat offenses, danger to health and public safety, and violations with serious impacts to the community.

Highlights from the past year include:

  • 63 blighted structures were demolished by property owners
  • 55 blighted structures were demolished by Pasco County
  • 17 demolitions are pending
  • 10 nonconforming signs have been removed or converted to monument signs
  • 46 signs have been repaired
  • More than 8,500 illegally stored tires were removed from five sites, as a result of lawsuits
  • Lawsuits are pending against five owners of vacant, dilapidated commercial buildings

One court case, settled in 2017, led to the removal of about 40 mobile homes and as many as 15 recreational vehicles at the Lazy Breeze Mobile Home & RV Park, off U.S. 301, outside Dade City.

“We’ve done a lot with a little,” Sims said. “It’s up to the board to decide if they want us to continue doing it.”

The program won praise from county commissioners.

“I think the public really notices,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

More than 8,500 illegally stored tires were removed from several sites as a result of a pilot program to take proactive actions to reduce blight in Pasco County.

In her district, Starkey said no one has a problem with removing blight because “it’s keeping their property values down. It’s keeping commerce and business out.”

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Wells Jr., also complimented the program’s results.

He had one cautionary caveat.

“We shouldn’t be overregulating and hurting small businesses,” said Wells. But, he did favor demolitions, and other actions that address matters of life and public safety.

The county’s priority is “not to go out and bust people’s chops about a sign or bushes,” he added.

Sims said the program relies on a scoring system to prioritize the worst offenses, including factors such as safety risks.

“Our goal is to strategize enforcement based on the board’s goals,” she said.

“Commercial blight is an expressed priority of this board,” Sims said.

She also noted that the county is flexible in scheduling a timetable to complete repairs.

“Our goal isn’t to eradicate a business or use, if it can be fixed,” Sims said. “What we’re looking for is compliance, and progressing toward fixing it.”

One of the challenges is to balance an employee’s everyday workload with the additional duties required by the new enforcement efforts, Sims said.

A lot of time is taken up with clerical work, and the need for up-to-date communications on work done by multiple departments. Additional staff for clerical work and building inspections is needed, Sims said.

County commissioners seemed to be receptive to the idea of including funds in the 2019 budget to address some of these issues.

Published May 9, 2018

Pasco elementary schools to get safety guards

By

The Pasco County School Board approved Superintendent Kurt Browning’s proposal to hire a director of safety and security, and to add up to 50 school safety guards for the district’s elementary schools, according a district news release.

The school board’s action was in response to a 2018 bill that the Legislature passed and the governor signed into law. It requires all school districts to provide security at all schools beginning in the 2018-2019 school year.

The Legislature provided funding in the bill and districts were given three options:

  • Provide school resource officers (SRO) at each school,
  • Provide school safety officers for each school, or
  • Participate in the school guardian program requiring certain school personnel to be armed.

The law also requires each district to appoint a school safety specialist, which is the director of school safety and security position approved by the board.

During a recent school safety workshop, Browning told school board members he would prefer to have an SRO on each of the district’s school campuses, but the district could not afford that option.

The advertisements for the jobs have been posted on the district’s website and its Facebook page.

The district is hosting two recruitment and interview events for the school safety guard positions. They will be on May 10 and May 21, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., in Building 2 of the district office complex, at 7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes. The interviews for the director position will be on May 10 and May 11.

The district’s middle schools and high schools will continue to be staffed by SROs through the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and municipal police departments.

Published May 9, 2018