The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Zephyrhills, Lutz rents on the rise

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Rents are on the rise in municipalities and counties in Tampa Bay, with Wesley Chapel the fourth most expensive rental area for one-bedrooms, according to a report from Zumper.

In April, the median rent for a one-bedroom was $1,140. That’s more than a 15 percent increase in a year.

Lutz was in the eighth slot for one-bedrooms, at $1,060. But, that was a slight dip of about 1 percent from a year ago.

Zumper is an online source for apartment and home rentals.

In April, Zumper looked at 20 cities in the Tampa Metro area and compiled a list of the most and least expensive cities, and cities with the fastest growing rents.

In Florida, the median rent in April was $1,185.

Wesley Chapel is more in the middle of the pack on two-bedroom rentals, at $1,290 – a modest 1.6 percent increase from last year.

Lutz almost matches Wesley Chapel on two-bedrooms, at $1,260. But, that is nearly an 8 percent increase from last year.

New Port Richey and Zephyrhills had the cheapest one- and two-bedroom rentals in April. Renters in New Port Richey paid $730 for a one-bedroom, and $860 for a two-bedroom. That was a nearly 16 percent increase on one-bedrooms, but more than a 2 percent decline in two-bedroom rentals from last year.

In Zephyrhills, a one-bedroom was $680, and a two-bedroom, $850. The one-year increase for one-bedrooms was 11.5 percent, and nearly 15 percent for two-bedrooms.

By comparison, a one bedroom in Tampa in April was $1,130, an increase of more than 14 percent year-to-year. A two-bedroom was $1,370, also about 14 percent higher than last year.

Dunedin, in Pinellas County, had the priciest one-bedroom for April, at $1,130. That was more than a 6 percent decrease from last year, but a nearly 5 percent increase month-to-month.

Two-bedrooms in Dunedin were $1,490, an 11 percent increase from last year.

The priciest two-bedroom rentals in April were in Clearwater, at $1,640; and in St. Petersburg, at $1,630.

For information, visit Zumper.com.

Published May 30, 2018

Donate new shoes and skate onto the Center Ice rink

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San Antonio resident Janet Chubinsky is skating her nonprofit Shoes4Schools onto the ice rink at Florida Hospital Center Ice.

The skating rink will be hosting a “SkateForShoes” fundraiser for the charity on June 1. The charity collects donations of new shoes every year to give to Pasco County schoolchildren who need them.

Thousands of new shoes are donated annually to help Pasco County schools who need them. The nonprofit, Shoes4Schools, began in 2013, and has given out about 7,000 shoes. (Courtesy of Shoes4Schools)

From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., and from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., individual admission to the rink will be the standard $10 fee, with discounts for seniors, veterans and active military. Anyone who donates a new pair of shoes, however, won’t have to pay the $5 charge for renting skates. Shoe sizes for children through adults are needed.

Volunteers with Shoes4Schools will have display tables. Cash donations also will be accepted. Prize drawings are planned.

On the same day, Pasco County school administrators, including principals and vice principals, also will be at the skating facility to kickoff a summer conference.

“This is the first event we’ve done as a (single) event for a charity,” said Morgan Novotny, of Florida Hospital Center on Ice.

Shoes4Schools has grown enormously over the years.

In total, the charity has distributed more than 7,000 pairs of shoes.

Chubinsky began the effort after she and her husband moved from Tennessee to Pasco County.

A quiet retirement wasn’t her style.

Her daughter suggested that she revive a shoe donation program she had initially started in Tennessee.

After a visit to Raymond B. Stewart Middle School in Zephyrhills, Chubinsky was off and running, or at least, tooling around in a 2000 model SUV.

She slapped a magnetic logo on the vehicle’s doors – a pair of sneakers. And, she delivered shoes, lots of them.

During Chubinsky’s first year, the charity gave away 36 pairs of shoes. By the second year, Shoes4Schools put 900 pairs of shoes on the feet of Pasco schoolchildren.

Chubinsky has been on the move ever since, and the shoes keep piling up.

“She’s a firecracker,” said Novotny. “She’s amazing.”

For information, visit Shoes-4-Schools.org.

Shoes4Schools fundraiser: “SkateForShoes”
Where: Florida Hospital Center Ice, 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Wesley Chapel
What: Fundraiser to collect donations of new shoes for Pasco County schoolchildren. Sizes children through adults needed.
Cost: $10 rink admission; $8 for seniors, veterans and active military, with valid ID; free skate rental for anyone who donates a new pair of shoes
Info: Call Florida Hospital Center Ice at (813) 807-7372, or visit FloridaHospitalCenterIce.com or Shoes-4-Schools.org.

Published May 23, 2018

Lutz teen named state winner for Doodle 4 Google contest

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An inspiration from nature — and a passion for learning — helped Lutz teenager Mark Thivierge craft an award-winning drawing.

Thivierge, 16, was recently named the Florida State Winner of the 2018 Doodle 4 Google competition — one of 53 state and territory winners whose work is displayed in an online gallery on the Doodle 4 Google website.

Lutz teenager Mark Thivierge was recently named the Florida State Winner of the 2018 Doodle 4 Google competition. He is one of 53 state and territory winners whose work is displayed in an online gallery on the Doodle 4 Google website. (Courtesy of Mark Thivierge)

The Doodle 4 Google competition, in its 10th year, is a contest open to kindergarten through 12th grade students across the U.S., to redesign Google’s logo. This year’s theme is “What Inspires Me?”

Thivierge’s doodle, “Inspiration,” features excerpts of his own poetry and music compositions, as well as example of scientific and mathematical innovations, surrounding a map featuring unique geographic landscapes from each of the 50 states.

Thivierge, who is home-schooled, incorporated several state landscapes of places visited into the piece, such as the Florida beach lines, the White Mountains in New Hampshire and the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.

The 10th-grader said: “I get inspired by seeing the nature. It motivates my love to learn and to explore, and to create. Some of the subjects that I’m really interested in were geography, science, mathematics, music and writing, which I all tried to incorporate into the doodle.”

In composing the doodle, Thivierge first outlined a U.S. map. He then filled in each scene from there.

The entire piece was designed using colored pencils and took about 1 ½ months to complete.

Besides notable national landmarks, some other surroundings of the piece were arbitrary. For instance, he penciled dairy farms and green fields across some Midwest states.

He also researched images of other regions and learned how to correctly draw mountains and stalactites.

Thivierge’s doodle, ‘Inspiration,’ features excerpts of his own poetry and music compositions, as well as scientific and mathematical innovations, surrounding a map featuring unique geographic landscapes from each of the 50 states. The piece was designed entirely using colored pencils. The project took about 1 ½ months to complete.

“The landmarks are one thing, but even with the simple things like little plants or fields are nice, as well,” Thivierge said of the types of nature that inspires him.

Though the project “took a long time,” Thivierge said he enjoyed the entire process and its challenges along the way.

Said Thivierge, “The most difficult one was (Montana) because I had to draw the snow in negative (drawing something by drawing around it). I’m proud of that one. I liked (drawing) Texas, as well, and Florida.”

Every year, children and teens from around the country submit illustrations to the Doodle 4 Google contest with the hopes of having their drawing end up on the homepage of the popular search engine.

An estimated 200,000 submissions were received nationwide by the March 2 deadline.

Doodles were judged on artistic merit, creativity and theme communication.

They were grouped and judged across five grade groups — kindergarten through third grade; fourth and fifth grade; sixth and seventh grade; eighth and ninth grade; and 10th through 12th grade.

Submitted pieces were voted on by a panel of judges and Google employees.

Google representatives informed Thivierge’s family in April that he was chosen as Florida’s winner.

He was then recognized with a surprise ceremony on May 3 at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, in Land O’ Lakes, where he is a member of the parish’s Life Teen and homeschool programs, and also serves on the Tech Team ministry and a lector.

A Google representative was at the ceremony, which attracted more than 100 people from the parish.

The Google representative presented Thivierge with a Chromebook, a tote bag and T-shirt imprinted with his doodle.

“It’s an honor,” Thivierge said of having the top doodle in the state. “It was out of sight a little bit. I hadn’t been thinking about it every day, but it came as a surprise.”

It’s the third year Thivierge entered the Doodle 4 Google contest, but fell short of a state award in his previous attempts.

“He didn’t give up. He persevered,” said his mother, Elena Thivierge.

“Hopefully it inspires others that if you want something to pursue it,” she said.

As the top doodle in Florida, Thivierge has advanced to the national finalists round of the Doodle 4 Google contest, where only five state and territory winners will be selected for the final round. Voting for that portion closed on May 18.

From there, a national winner will be decided and will receive a $30,000 college scholarship, a $50,000 technology grant to a local nonprofit organization, a trip to Google headquarters in California, and the opportunity to have the doodle featured on the Google homepage for one day.

The four national finalists who do not become the national winner will receive a $5,000 college scholarship and a trip to Google headquarters, among other prizes.

Published May 23, 2018

Proposed homeless shelter for families stirs passions

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Efforts to aid Pasco County’s homeless population are shifting from a homeless shelter for single adults to a shelter for families only.

The goal is to place homeless families in permanent housing as soon as possible. That is a significant change from the initial focus one year ago on a “navigation center” with wraparound services for single men and women.

The effort now has a new name, too. It’s no longer being called a navigation center. Instead, it will be called the Housing Services Center.

Whatever it is called, some area residents still don’t want any shelter in their neighborhood. Others are unhappy with the change in focus.

Don Anderson, chief executive officer of The Homeless Coalition of Pasco County (File)

And, some are ready to welcome the shelter as a first step in the right direction.

About 100 people attended a public meeting on May 16 in New Port Richey to learn more about the new concept, and to offer comments.

Cathy Pearson, Pasco’s assistant county administrator for public services, and Don Anderson, chief executive officer of The Homeless Coalition of Pasco County, led the discussion.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey also attended.

She said she came to listen and learn. “This is not a subject I know a lot about,” she said.

Anderson defended the decision to operate a families-only shelter.

“We believe families are highly motivated to get into housing because of the number of children,” said Anderson.

The shift also would save the expense of hiring 24/7 security guards, he said.

The goal would be to place families in permanent housing within 30 to 60 days, with an average stay at the shelter around 45 days.

An additional six to 12 months of services would be provided after families leave the shelter.

Families are defined as one or two adults, with at least one child under age 18.

A year ago, another public meeting was held to discuss the initial proposal for a homeless shelter for adults.

“We felt it was time to update our citizens,” Pearson said.

The shelter, if approved, would be housed in one of two buildings at 8239 Youth Lane, off Little Road in Port Richey. The second building would become the offices of the homeless coalition, which currently operates in a mixed residential and commercial neighborhood on Pine Street.

The Youth Lane address formerly was home to the Boys & Girls Club, which vacated the site in 2016.

The updated presentation included a video and a power point slide show. As many as 70 social service agencies and organizations are partners with the homeless coalition, and support the Youth Lane shelter.

Passions ran high
More than 40 people spoke during public comment.

Opponents who live near the shelter site said they worry about increases in crime and a loss of property values.

Ann Archer Corona found it troubling that the shelter plan seems to change “minute-to-minute. We all feel threatened. I find it to be a big threat.”

She said housing values would drop significantly, if the shelter was to open.

Some who supported the initial plan to aid single men and women objected to the new focus on families.

“We are losing out on all those opportunities for the chronically homeless who are at risk of dying on the street,” said Kassie Hutchinson. “We’re ignoring a huge part of our population. Once again, we’re reneging on something we promised.”

Anderson said the coalition and its partners planned to increase outreach efforts for homeless adults. While no single adults could stay at the shelter, he said efforts would be made to find housing resources for them. But, he added, “There are limits to what we can do.”

A two-building campus on Youth Lane in Port Richey is the proposed site for a homeless shelter for families.

Pearson said it is still a goal in the future to fund a homeless shelter for single adults. “They won’t be forgotten,” she said.

Other members of the audience supported the new concept as a step in the right direction.

“Housing is the only known cure for homelessness,” said Daniel McDonald.

Every homeless person is someone’s son or daughter, sister or brother, he said. Leaving people homeless, he added, costs taxpayers money for providing public services.

“This (the shelter) is a bargain for taxpayers,” McDonald said. “It’s money well spent.”

The homeless coalition’s new proposal also found support from a once skeptical source – owners of an adjacent retail plaza, anchored by Hobby Lobby.

Sarasota attorney Robert Lincoln, who represents the shopping center’s owners, said, “We’ve been concerned about the project since it started moving forward last year.”

The budget for the initial plan didn’t seem adequate, and the space at the site too small to handle up to 75 adult men and women, Lincoln said.

Housing families seems to address most issues, including public safety, he said. “We’re continuing to work with the leadership (at the homeless coalition) to make sure we know who the families are,” Lincoln said. “They have been very responsive. We will continue to work with them.”

Starkey said the county should be compassionate but also tough on some issues, such as panhandling.

“I have to bring a hammer and I have to bring a heart,” she said.

Anderson said the cost to remodel the two buildings on campus would be about $700,000. The coalition has about $680,000 from a federal neighborhood grant, with an additional $100,000 from Pasco County’s United Way.

Annually operating costs are estimated at about $350,000. All but $145,000 is already funded, Anderson said.

Additional grants and private donations will be sought, he added.

The Pasco County Housing Authority has pledged 50 housing vouchers, which can be used anywhere in the county as part of the Section 8 housing program.

Pasco has about 2,600 homeless people, based on the most recent count. More than 700 are individuals, with more than 1,800 in family relationships.

Shandi Vargas was among a handful of people who put a face to the plight of Pasco’s homeless population. She escaped an abusive marriage, but ended up homeless. She currently lives in a rented room and has found an internship.

She is working toward living again with her three children.

“I’m a single mom trying to fight for her children,” Vargas said.

A homeless shelter for families probably would have kept her family intact, she said.

Even as she struggles with her own situation, Vargas said she volunteers to help other homeless people, and people at risk.

“Let us come together and figure out a solution, and stop thinking all homeless are criminals,” she said.

The Pasco County Planning Commission, which makes recommendations on land use issues, will review the proposal on June 6 in New Port Richey.

The final decision is up to the county commissioners, who will hold a public hearing on the matter June 19, also in New Port Richey.

Published May 23, 2018

Turning dirty trash bins into a thriving business

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Jennifer Trudel takes her work seriously.

If that means crawling inside a trash bin to scrape off that last bit of grunge, she’s there.

In fact, on first-time service calls, that extra scrubbing is a take-it-to-the-bank guarantee.

“I just want to get it clean,” she said. “I’m an A-type personality.”

Wesley Chapel resident Jennifer Trudel owns Scrub A Dub Bin Cleaning, which provides trash and recycling bin cleaning services that are eco-friendly. (Kathy Steele)

She also is an entrepreneur in a cleaning service that’s so new that many people have never heard of it.

Her business, Scrub A Dub Bin Cleaning, got rolling about four months ago. She has more than 120 clients who signed up to get their trash and recycling bins cleaned with an eco-friendly technique.

She rides up to the curbside in her blue truck, pops the bins onto rotating nozzles that jet sprays 190 degrees of very, hot water, and deposits the bins back onto the curb.

“That more than kills everything,” she said, except on first-time cleanings when bins can be a tougher challenge. Gum is the worst, Trudel said. But, she has a spray that freezes the sticky wads and that gets it off every time.

Her truck carries more than 500 gallons of water. It also has a storage container for the dirty water that is later recycled to the county’s sewer system for processing at a wastewater treatment facility.

As a final step, Trudel sprays a biodegradable disinfectant and deodorizer, and leaves a fresh, clean bin.

It’s a much more efficient, sure-fire method that uses less water than a garden hose, and doesn’t wash dirty water into storm drains, she added.

Word of mouth is helping her build a customer base in Wesley Chapel, New Tampa and Land O’ Lakes.

Trudel also sets up displays at community events, and is available to meet with neighborhood or homeowners’ associations to explain her service.

“A lot of people sign up because they see the truck driving by or when a neighbor sees me cleaning someone else’s bin,” Trudel said.

She also has a Facebook page and a website.

Scrub A Dub Bin Cleaning came as a surprise to Trudel and her family.

She moved to Pasco County when her husband got a job promotion and transfer in 1996. The couple has four children. The youngest is heading to college.

Trudel had been a pharmacist for nearly three decades, but decided as empty-nest time approached that it was time to find something else.

“I didn’t enjoy it anymore,” she said. “I wanted to own my own business.”

Bin cleaning didn’t spring to mind.

Then, a Facebook friend bragged about her clean bins from a service in South Florida and posted a photo.

“It was this crazy-looking truck,” Trudel said. “We were all intrigued.”

Trudel dived into the research.

She found out that the city of London, some 20 years ago, mandated that residents keep their bins clean. Rodents were overrunning the city — feasting on a steady diet of smelly, household garbage.

Companies emerged in London to clean the bins, and developed the self-contained system of water storage and disposal.

Trudel said similar services are provided in South Florida and south Tampa, but she appears to be the first in Pasco County.

She ordered her truck from a company in Miami. After a four- month wait, she drove it up to Pasco.

“It’s a great thing to drive,” Trudel said.

She offers various pricing plans from one-time-only cleaning to special offers for quarterly, bi-monthly or monthly cleanings.

Trudel is having the time of her life.

“This to me is not a job,” she said. “This is my life. I’m so engrossed in it.”

For information, visit ScrubADubBins.com or Facebook.com/scrubadubbins/, or call (844) 727-8229.

Published May 23, 2018

Cancer survivor wins scholarships, offers prevention advice

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Cailyn Ruff was a senior at Sunlake High School, in Land O’ Lakes, when she felt an odd bump on her head.

That was about a year-and-a-half ago.

“It was like a big mole,” the 19-year-old said. “I saw it through my part line. It looked funny. It would bleed.”

As it grew, she became concerned and brought it to the attention of her dermatologist.

Next, came a biopsy.

Cailyn Ruff, who lives in Lutz, was a senior at Sunlake High School when she found out she had a rare form of melanoma. She underwent a successful surgery and is cancer-free, but she wants to remind others of the importance of wearing sunscreen and hats to protect themselves from too much sun. She wants to become a pediatric nurse practitioner and recently received some scholarships to help pay for her studies. (B.C. Manion)

“It was a good three weeks before we got the first results, saying they were inconclusive. It was not something they were used to seeing. So, they actually sent it to the USF (University of South Florida) doctors.

“The dermatologist said ‘You better get a second opinion.’

Her mom, Kim Carpintier, recalled how scary that was.

It took two weeks to get her into Moffitt Cancer Center, and when they did, they were told that the young woman needed surgery immediately.

“They were worried that it had spread to her lymph nodes,” Carpintier said.

If more time had passed, Ruff would have faced chemotherapy.

As it was, surgery was performed to remove the melanoma, the surrounding area and six of her lymph nodes.

“Moffitt told her that she’s one of two kids that they’ve ever seen with this form of melanoma,” Carpintier said.

After the surgery, Ruff said, “I was in pain for a long time.”

It took her about two months to regain full mobility in her head and neck.

Still, she knows how lucky she is.

“Nothing got infected,” she said. “By March, I was 100 percent myself.”

While they do not know what caused the melanoma to form on her head, Ruff and Carpintier suspect it could have been a result from being exposed to the sun for long hours, when Ruff was a cheerleader and when she ran cross-country.

Both mother and daughter said that schools may want to suggest that students who are out in the sun for hours wear a hat and protect themselves with sunscreen.

“No one thinks to wear sunscreen and a hat during school events because you get out of school and you change, and you go and do what you have to do,” said Ruff, who is now a student at the University of South Florida.

She plans to pursue a career as a pediatric nurse practitioner, and said that’s partially due to the excellent care she received from nurses at Moffitt.

Her career choice also has been influenced by her current job as a vision therapist at Walesby Vision Center, on State Road 54 in Lutz.

She has worked with both children and adults, both for both everyday issues and various disorders, she said. She works primarily with children, performing vision therapy with children experiencing challenges such as visual-motor and/or perceptual-cognitive deficiencies. Many of the children she serves have autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or other medical conditions.

Ruff began working at Walesby to earn volunteer hours, but she was so good with children she was offered a job, Carpintier said.

Recently, Ruff received a $5,500 scholarship through an essay contest sponsored by Panera Bread and the Children’s Cancer Center. The awards were presented at the Palma Ceia Country Club in south Tampa.

Ruff’s mom was impressed by the event.

“It was beautiful. They went above and beyond,” Carpintier said. It honored youths who have dealt with cancer, ranging from 16 to 20 years old.

The stories that were shared were touching, she said.

Ruff also has received two other scholarships, one from a Greek organization, and another from an Italian organization.

She hopes to continue her education in USF’s nursing program, but realizes that it’s very competitive, so will be applying elsewhere, too.

Her goal is to work at Tampa General Hospital in the pediatrics unit, or at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital or at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital.

Ruff lives with her mom, Kim, her dad, Don Carpintier, and her sister, Meghan Ruff, in Lutz.

She’s grateful for all of the help and support she’s received.

Besides the scholarships, she also has received support from her grandparents, Carol and Bill Little, and her aunt, Lois Zapert, who all live in Lutz and her grandmother, Michele Carpintier, who lives in St. Petersburg.

Published May 23, 2018

Public meeting set on roadway connection study

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The city of Tampa, Hillsborough County and Pasco County remain at odds over whether Kinnan Street in New Tampa should connect to Mansfield Boulevard in Wesley Chapel.

A 450-page draft report, known as the Wesley Chapel Roadway Connection Study, looks at that road project, as well as two other potential intra-county road connections in the Wesley Chapel and State Road 56 area.

The study says that Pasco County will face substantial costs to address traffic increases — with or without potential roadway connections.

Estimates for intersection improvements in the area, with no road connections, would be about $13.8 million. With road connections, the cost would be about $15.4 million.

A public meeting to discuss the study, and get public input, will be held on May 29 at the Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, at 2727 Mansfield Blvd.

This is part of a multiphase process taking place over several months.

The focus of the meeting is to get comments on the study, not to get a consensus on what should or shouldn’t be connected, said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore.

“We want to hear from people if something is missing and should be added,” Moore said, noting the study is quite detailed.

A power-point presentation will be made at the meeting. Afterward, people will be able to look at maps, and ask questions one-on-one with consultants and county staff members.

Residents can go online now to peruse all 450 pages, and make comments through June 15. An online survey will be posted in the future to get a consensus on which road projects residents want to see completed.

No decision on recommendations is anticipated from the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization until September. A final decision would be left to Pasco County commissioners, who also will need to identify funding sources for future projects.

The issue of establishing a connection between Kinnan and Mansfield resurfaced recently when developers of K-Bar ranch filed an application with Tampa to build more than 700 new homes, south of Mansfield.

The Tampa City Council postponed a vote on the project until June in hopes that an agreement could be reached regarding connecting Kinnan and Mansfield.

Hillsborough and Pasco have been at odds over the connection for more than a decade.

In 2017, the Hillsborough County Commission approved $250,000 to pay for the project.

The study presents four alternatives, including a no-build choice.

Potential road projects include linking Kinnan Street and Mansfield Boulevard, and building extensions of Meadow Pointe and Wyndfields boulevards from Pasco County into Hillsborough County.

If Pasco and Hillsborough elected officials are divided on where to link up their roads, so are area residents.

Nearly 140 people attended a public meeting in April 2017 to discuss opening roadways that divide the counties.

Oral and written comments gathered through the meeting showed Pasco residents split on joining Kinnan and Mansfield, with 36 people against it, and 37 in favor.

However, Hillsborough residents overwhelmingly supported the connection by a count of 63 for and two against.

Pasco looked with more favor on extending Meadow Pointe by a count of 40 to 6, and Wyndfields by 28 to 4. Hillsborough residents favored Meadow Pointe by 67 to 8, and Wyndfields by 50 to 18.

The study also took note of an agreement between the K-Bar ranch developers and the city of Tampa that says Wyndfields can’t be extended until Pasco allows Kinnan and Mansfield to be linked.

For information, and to view the study, visit PascoMPO.net.

What: Meeting to discuss the Wesley Chapel Roadway Connection Study
When: May 29, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel
Cost: Free
Info: Visit PascoMPO.net.

Published May 23, 2018

Making a difference through Special Olympics

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For these teachers, Special Olympics is a longtime passion.

With nearly 15 years combined as volunteer coaches, Connerton Elementary’s Jean Howey and Jenna Moore have experienced the positives of the world’s largest sports organization that serves people with intellectual disabilities, and strives to “transform lives through the joy of sport, training and competition.”

Together, the teachers run Connerton’s Special Olympics Unified sports program, which pairs special needs athletes with nondisabled peers, or ‘partners.’

Connerton Elementary School physical education teacher Jean Howey has been actively involved in Special Olympics since joining the school in 2014. She also helps facilitate various school inclusivity campaigns such as ‘Best Buddies’ and ‘Spread the Word to End the Word.’ Courtesy of Jenna Moore)

Athletes and partners compete year-round against other unified programs across Pasco County and Florida — in everything from basketball, bocce and bowling, to track and field and cycling, and more.

The Connerton educators estimate the school features about 40 coed athletes and “at least that many on campus who are partners.”

Howey, a physical education teacher, and Moore, who teaches special-needs students, coordinate times for the athletes and partners to practice together in gym class, at recess and other planned times at the end of the school day.

Beyond that, the educators help facilitate various school inclusivity campaigns such as “Best Buddies” and “Spread the Word to End the Word.”

“Best Buddies” pairs basic-education students and kids with disabilities. “Spread the Word to End the Word” aims to eliminate hurtful language when talking about people with disabilities.

The teachers even formed an afterschool running program for boys and girls.

In addition to the unified sports, these initiatives have helped eliminate misconceptions that some may have about students with physical or intellectual limitations, the teachers said.

Additionally, it has fostered tight-knit bonds and lasting friendships between basic-education student and their special-needs peers, from prekindergarten up through fifth grade.

“They see they’re more alike than different and they become friends. They want to come play with each other and visit with each other,” said Howey, who’s been at Connerton since 2014.

Moore added, “there’s just something so pure and natural about their friendship and how they care for each other.”

It shows up in different ways, the teacher added: “Just the little things that they do to encourage each other — it’s a really special thing.”

While Special Olympics offerings have been available at the Land O’ Lakes school since it opened in 2010, the more inclusive unified program was newly introduced this year.

New Port Richey’s Longleaf Elementary is the county’s only other elementary schools that also offers a unified program.

According to Special Olympics Florida’s website, unified programs enable Special Olympics athletes to not only learn and play new sports, but also experience meaningful inclusion. Each athlete is ensured of playing a valued role on the team.

Opening the door to new friendships, experiences
The teams also provide a forum for positive social interaction.

All participants are of similar age and ability, and unified teams are constructed to provide training and competition opportunities that meaningfully challenge and involve all athletes.

The educators advocate for more unified programs to be introduced at other elementary schools, suggesting it teaches kids at a younger age the importance of social inclusion and breaking down stereotypes about people with disabilities.

In some cases, the athletes prove better at a particular sport or activity than their unified partners, to their partners’ surprise.

That signals a pleasant moment for both the athletes and their partners alike, the educators said.

Connerton Elementary School teacher Jenna Moore has been a Special Olympics volunteer coach for more than a decade. 

Said Moore, “I think one of the cool things is (partners’) realization like, ‘They can do this! They can do it!’ They’re realizing like they have this preconceived notion about what someone can do and it’s like, ‘They’re blowing me away, they’re blowing me out of the water.’”

Added Howey: “You get partnered with someone who might be deemed ‘normal’ and you’re better at something than they are? That’s a really cool feeling.”

The program also creates opportunities for special experiences.

This coming weekend, Howey and Moore will be taking eight students (six athletes, two partners) to the Florida State Summer Games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, in Lake Buena Vista.

The event, which runs from May 18 to May 19, is the culmination of athletes’ training and competition cycle for a specific sports season. In order to compete in a State Championship event, athletes and teams must have completed eight weeks of training, and compete at county and area level competitions.

Connerton students will participate in such events as bocce, cycling, a unified relay, and soccer skills. (While all grade levels can compete in Special Olympics, children must be at least 8 years old to participate in area and state games.)

During the stay, students will also partake in a dance and pizza party, and other activities led by Special Olympics, such as a free health examination, and opening and closing ceremonies.

For some athletes, State Summer Games marks the first time they’ve ever stayed the night away from family.

In essence, the weekend is wholly dedicated to the kids.

“It’s really exciting for the kids,” said Moore.

“It’s a big deal, and you can’t go there and not be happy. It’s impossible to not be happy,” she said.

Published May 16, 2018

Pasco County’s outlook is bright, panel says

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Panelists speaking at a real estate conference in Wesley Chapel last week said Pasco County has been making strides and is expected to continue to do so.

For decades, Pasco County has been considered a bedroom community — with residents making a daily commute to jobs in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

That picture is changing, said Heidi Tuttle-Beisner, an expert in commercial real estate.

“The excellent thing for Pasco County is that we now have jobs being created right here. We have big national companies that have chosen to build their developments here and hire the people that we have living in our community.

“Whoever thought companies like Mettler Toledo would be here?” Tuttle-Beisner said.

“Lots of people are paying attention to Pasco County,” she said.

She also gave high marks to the Porter family for the work they’ve done to manage the development of Wiregrass Ranch, in Wesley Chapel.

“People like the Porters have really done an incredible job of keeping the quality up. I don’t think we’re ever going to see (State Road) 54 be (like) U.S. 19. They set the standard,” she said, noting they have been strategic not only in building relationships. But also “building buildings that are attractive.”

Mark Metheny, division president of Lennar, said he spends a lot of his time trying to find locations for new Lennar communities.

A good example of the range of Lennar’s offerings can be found in Wiregrass Ranch, he said. Estancia is a multigenerational community, with a number of product lines, he said. There are homes exceeding $1 million, but there are also high-end townhomes coming in, he said.

“It’s really exciting to see the growth that’s going on in Pasco County,” Metheny said.

Clarke Hobby, a land use attorney based in Dade City, said his family has deep roots in Pasco County.

“We are very interested in the long-view of the county — building a great community, great places to live for our families and for many generations beyond us,” Hobby said.

“We’ve watched the Porter family and have seen their vision play out. It’s a wonderful thing they’ve done at Wiregrass – more than anything else, they’ve tried to create a balanced community. It’s so easy to just focus on the residential.

“The harder part is to bring the employment side and the institutional side, making sure that places like the building we’re in today, are here. Without their guidance, that wouldn’t have happened,” Hobby said.

He’s optimistic about the outlook in Pasco County.

“There’s a bright, bright future ahead of the county,” said Hobby, who has been involved in the effort to extend State Road 56 from Wiregrass Ranch over to Zephyrhills.

The four-lane extension, which covers 6.7 miles, is expected to open up within a few months.

He expects that extension to generate new activity, leading eventually to the construction of about 10,000 houses and millions of square feet of development.

J.D. Porter, another panelist, told the crowd that he, too, anticipates continued growth — as well as new employment.

He expects the long-awaited Raymond James office park to “start turning dirt by the end of the year.”

“It’s very exciting to have one big user like that, and we are waiting for somebody to come out of the ground,” Porter said.

That being said, he noted, “we are talking to two names that are bigger than Raymond James right now, in the immediate area adjacent to that.”

“The Raymond James announcement, once they finally go, that will be a drop in the bucket versus what actually comes down the pipeline shortly after.”

Porter also noted the family wants to be sure to have a mix of development, so the community doesn’t become too reliant on big users.

Published May 16, 2018

Ending one chapter, starting a new one

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They are members of the Class of 2018, and they will be marching — by the thousands — into their futures.

Students from across Lutz, Odessa, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, San Antonio and Saint Leo are donning caps and gowns, and are leaving their high schools behind.

These are students who have grown up in the age of technology. They’ve mastered Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. They’re experts at posting to Facebook and YouTube. Their Smartphones are their constant companions and texting comes second-nature to them. And, someday, perhaps not in the too distant future, they’ll be riding in driverless electric-powered cars.

They’ve been witnesses to history.

They’ve seen the election of Barack Obama, the nation’s first African-American president, and also of President Donald J. Trump, a real estate mogul and reality television celebrity.

They’ve seen activism grow, and in many cases, have been a part of it.

After the Feb. 14 slaying of students and faculty at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, students — both locally and across the nation — organized demonstrations to pressure lawmakers to make changes to gun laws.

They’ve also seen or have played a role in other growing movements, including the #MeToo Movement, Black Lives Matter and the Women’s March on Washington.

Soon, these graduates will be assuming a larger role in making their own mark on history, both in their personal lives and in the world, at large.

Some will head off to the University of Florida, Emory University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology, Florida Institute of Technology, Boston College, New York University, Duke University, Florida Atlantic University, University of Central Florida and Florida State University.

Of course, others will be staying closer to home, attending Saint Leo University, the University of South Florida, Rasmussen College, Pasco-Hernando State College and Hillsborough Community College.

Their major fields of study include aerospace engineering, computer science, pre-medical, environmental engineering, biology, health science, nursing, biochemistry, engineering, chemical and biomolecular engineering, chemistry, communication sciences and disorders, business administration, international business and Japanese.

Others will be studying to work in skilled trades, or heading directly to the workforce.

Before beginning a new chapter, though, these graduates are pausing to celebrate their accomplishments so far.

They will gather at events with friends and family to savor this milestone in life.

Some commencement ceremonies will be in intimate settings; others, in huge auditoriums.

And, while the world around them remains unpredictable, it’s likely most of these gatherings will include the time-honored traditions of pomp and circumstance, caps and gowns, speeches, music and photos.

Of course, the big moment comes, for all of those assembled, when the name of their particular graduate is announced.

After the ceremonies come the post-commencement celebrations — as unique and varied as the graduates themselves.

As they head in their myriad directions, to decide their own paths in life, please join The Laker/Lutz News in saluting members of the Class of 2018, and congratulating them on their accomplishments.

Published May 16, 2018