The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Tree house tutoring blossoms in nature

By

Teaching is not a profession that Sarah Christiansen expected to pursue.

As a child growing up in the Virgin Islands, she hated going to school.

“I had a difficult time listening and writing. I struggled with comprehension.”

She couldn’t picture herself as a teacher.

Times change.

Christiansen, these days, lives in rural Pasco County where she tutors students – usually working with them on mathematics – inside a tree house in her backyard.

Sarah Christiansen, left, owner of Yes You Can Tutoring service, enjoys a moment with former student, Alexis Sandoval, outside Christiansen’s tree house. (Kathy Steele)

A few yards away, a second tree house is nearing completion.

The treehouses are taking her Yes You Can Tutoring service down a new path.

For nearly 10 years, she has taught in her home, at 13050 Curley Road, near Dade City.

Students could enjoy window views of the woodlands and open spaces, and sometimes a walk in the woods for a timely break in studies.

Christiansen now is moving students even closer to nature.

“There’s something about a tree house that everybody loves,” she said. “You’re right in with nature. It’s a really nice feeling.”

Research has found there is a link between nature and learning, she said.

“Environment plays a key part in the learning process,” the tutor said. “Nature reduces mental fatigue. I know it did for me.”

In addition to one-on-one tutoring sessions, the tree house will be the setting for a summer math retreat for girls in July.

It’s her third summer camp, but the first all-girls camp.

There is a stereotype that women don’t do well in math, Christiansen said.

“It saddens me,” she said. “We have to empower our girls. I just want to let them know they can do this.”

The tree house in her backyard is life coming full circle.

Traditional schools and home-schooling were never the right fit for her in St. Croix. But, as a teenager, she connected with her teachers at an alternative school with outdoor classrooms, in gazebos.

Sarah Christiansen tutors students inside a tree house in her backyard.

Teachers usually instructed only five or six students. The largest class size was about 15 students, Christiansen recalled.

“I loved the outdoors,” she said. “I was able to excel.”

She earned her high school diploma, and went to the University of Virgin Islands for two years. Her father, who taught marine biology, insisted she was meant to be a teacher. She didn’t agree.

Her life path included marriage, family and a home-based business as a clothes designer of sarongs. At one time, she had a kiosk at University Mall.

A life-changing event turned her life around.

Her son was diagnosed as borderline ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). She zeroed in on how to help him. She researched and studied the disorder, and then decided it was time to go back to school.

Christiansen enrolled in Saint Leo University in 2000, setting a goal of becoming a special education teacher. She worked in the Pasco County school system for nearly nine years.

Then, she returned to St. Croix to care for her father until his death.

While there, she taught at a small private school.

She was expected to teach subjects she wasn’t familiar with – health for one. And, administrators also tossed in drama.

“Because they said you’re dramatic,” Christiansen said. “I could sink or swim.”

She swam, and relied on some advice from her father.

“He told me always be kind to every child. You never know their background or what’s going on in their home.

“He treated every child with respect,” she said.

Back home in Pasco, Christiansen decided against going back into public schools. She wanted to do private tutoring.

Her attitude was: “Okay, God, I’m going to put this in your hands.”

“It was kind of a gamble,” she said.

Alexis Sandoval is one of her student successes.

She came to Yes You Can as a high school student before the tree house was built.

Sandoval appreciated the quiet rural setting of Christiansen’s home.

“I was failing, and I wasn’t going to graduate,” said Sandoval.

She gained confidence with one-on-one tutoring, and learned “to think for myself,” she said.

Today, she is at Pasco-Hernando State College where she makes A and B grades. “I was never like that in high school,” she said.

Long-range, Sandoval plans to open a restaurant.

Her older sister Karissa Sandoval, 25, also received tutoring from Christiansen after failing repeatedly to pass the reading portion of the FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test). It is a requirement to earn a high school diploma.

She has since passed the test, and is in school now to become a nurse, Christiansen said.

Helping children find direction and purpose is part of the tutoring process, she added.

“We’re put here on this Earth for a reason,” Christiansen said. “You have to have a purpose, what you’re meant to do.”

For more information, visit YesYouCanTutoring.com, or call (352) 585-6327.

Published June 21, 2017

New center could help Pasco’s homeless

By

Pasco County wants to open the county’s first homeless shelter as part of a comprehensive plan to help an estimated 3,300 homeless people.

There are about 100 camps across Pasco County where people live, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

The chosen location for what is proposed as a “one-stop navigation center” is in two county-owned buildings in west Pasco, formerly leased to the Boys & Girls Club.

Pasco County Emergency Services Director Kevin Guthrie spoke to a large crowd on June 14 in New Port Richey. The county had a public meeting to talk about a navigation center to help homeless individuals with housing, health care and jobs. (Kathy Steele)

The Pasco County Commission was set to vote on June 20 (after The Laker/Lutz News deadline) on two federal grants that would be used to rehabilitate buildings.

The goal is to open the navigation center in 2018.

Pasco County and the Homeless Coalition of Pasco had public meetings on June 7 and on June 14 in New Port Richey to explain the navigation center and get public input.

While most support the homeless shelter in concept, nearby neighbors in Crane’s Roost and representatives of a nearby mall object to the proposed location at 8239 Youth Lane, off Little Road in New Port Richey.

They worry about increased solicitation, crime and lowered property values.

Studies have shown the opposite, including decreases in crime, said Raine Johns, chief executive officer of the Homeless Coalition of Pasco.

“You’ll find this decreases dramatically,” she said.

However, a representative of Ridge Plaza, anchored by Hobby Lobby and a Walmart Neighborhood Market, said tenants have expressed concerns about impacts to their businesses. He also said no one had reached out to mall representatives to discuss the navigation center.

“It certainly merits that we get together,” he said.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano was the only commissioner to vote against the navigation center in November. He proposed putting the center in the Mike Fasano Regional Hurricane Shelter in Hudson.

He said the program could be operated cheaper, safer and quicker if the shelter were used.

Others said the hurricane shelter was in the “middle of nowhere,” with no bus service and few job opportunities.

“The last thing we want to do is institutionalize the homeless population,” said Johns.

The navigation center is modeled after one in San Francisco. It would be a one-stop shelter that would work to place people into housing. They also would receive help in finding jobs, job training and health care, and receive personalized case management.

The efforts would focus on one camp at a time, with as many as 75 single adult men and women housed an average of 90 days at the navigation center.

“Housing first. That’s the end goal,” said Cathy Pearson, assistant county administrator for public services. “A lot of partners are coming together. We believe in this.”

The count done by the sheriff’s office found homeless camps in all areas of the county, including west Pasco, Zephyrhills, Land O’ Lakes and Dade City.

“This is a serious topic. We know that,” said Pasco County Sheriff’s Capt. James Steffens. “We’re trying to do something other than put handcuffs on people and take them to jail.”

The sheriff’s office is one of the partners for the navigation center. Others include the United Way of Pasco, the Pasco County Housing Authority, and the Public Defender’s Office of the Sixth Judicial Circuit.

United Way will contribute about $100,000. About 50 housing vouchers will be dedicated to the navigation center. And, the public defender’s office plans to send its mobile medical unit to the center.

Pasco also plans to contribute about $50,000 for a program that would hire some of the homeless individuals for county labor. The goal is to help them learn skills and establish a work history.

The County Commission is expected to be asked in September to transfer the navigation center property to the homeless coalition.

As a nonprofit, the coalition has more access to additional grants.

Published June 21, 2017

Dade City Police gets a new K-9 team

By

The Dade City Police Department has a new K-9 team — with Officer Kevin Burns and his new partner Tyke.

Burns is a 12-year veteran of the Dade City Police Department. He hit the streets with Tyke on June 5.

The city had operated nearly 15 months without a K-9 team.

The team was introduced to the public at the Dade City Commission meeting on June 13.

The tandem is fresh off a demanding 16-week training course in patrol procedures and tracking, sponsored by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

Tyke is a 16-month-old German shepherd. Officer Kevin Burns, a 12-year veteran of the agency, is his partner. They hit the streets together on June 5, after a demanding 16-week training course.
(Courtesy of Dade City Police Department)

During the course, K-9s are trained to ascend obstacles, negotiate water bodies and follow their handler’s commands, among other tasks.

“It was a long 16 weeks of school — four months, 10-hour days, four days a week,” Burns said.

Tyke, a 16-month-old German shepherd, passed the state exam “with flying colors,” according to Dade City police chief Ray Velboom.

The new unit will become an integral part of the police department and the community, acting as a “force multiplier” capable of searching buildings and tracking suspects, missing children and vulnerable adults.

After a year on the beat, the K-9 unit will be sent to a narcotic detection school to receive dual-certification from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

“Overall, he’s going to be a good tracking dog. He’s going to be good for the city here,” Burns said.

The K-9 unit also offers protection and safety assurances for the police force, Velboom said.

“I had somebody ask me why we needed a dog, and we happened to be in a bank building, and I said, ‘Well, put yourself in an officer’s shoes when it comes to this bank building at 3 a.m., and that door is wide open and the alarm is going off. Do you want to go in by yourself, or do you want to send something in that’s got a better sense of smell?”

Tyke, imported from Slovakia, cost about $9,000. Supplies and equipment costs — kennel, vests and leashes, among other items — totaled another $1,500.

Since a police dog wasn’t included in last year’s budget, the agency sought outside assistance.

The department received several thousand dollars in donations from a number of local organizations and businesses, including the Kiwanis Club, the Rotary Club and many private donors. It also led to the formation of the Dade City Police Foundation, a private 501c3 nonprofit organization.

“Because this dog was purchased through the generosity of the community, I want him to be much more visible to everyday citizens than teams in the past. He will not only be used on patrol, but will be seen interacting downtown and in the schools,” the police chief said.

For Burns, joining the K-9 unit and handling Tyke has been “life-changing.”

“We still have a lot to go and a lot further to see and do, but just in the four months that we’ve had training, he’s not only my partner, he’s an officer of Dade City and he’s a family member, too,” Burns explained.

“When he comes to work, he works. When he comes home, he’s a house dog — he lies down, relaxes, plays, whatever he needs to do. But, when he comes to work, he knows what to do,” the police officer said.

Even in a decade-plus law enforcement career as a patrol officer, Burns didn’t realize the undertaking of a K-9 team — from intensive training to daily tasks.

“Mentally, it’s challenging,” he said, “because you have to be able to read him.

Tyke gets up close and personal with Dade City council members. Tyke and his handler, Officer Kevin Burns, were formally introduced to the public on June 13.
(Kevin Weiss)

“He’s the one doing the work, we just train him. Learning how to read him, (the job) is probably 80 percent mental and probably 20 percent physical.”

Choosing Burns as Tyke’s partner was likewise arduous.

The police chief received a handful of applicants inside the department, and collaborated with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office to conduct interviews, along with background checks, performance reviews, physical assessments and home assessments.

“It was a long, exhausting process,” Velboom said. “We wanted to make sure we had the right fit.”

“We sent a team out to his house…to make sure the family’s okay with it and the house is okay,” he added.

For over a year, the Dade City Police Department operated without its own K-9 unit.

Chris Stone, a 14-year law enforcement officer, and his K-9 partner, Ryko, worked together for eight years before retiring as a team in March 2016; Stone now works for Pasco County Fire Rescue.

Meantime, the agency received K-9 assistance from both the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and the Zephyrhills Police Department.

“The county provided a K-9 service for us whenever we needed it, but it’s always nice to have your own dog,” Velboom said.

Velboom acknowledged a second police dog could be added at some point, dependent on budget and fundraising efforts.

Police dogs are typically retired after nine or 10 years, due to hip issues.

“It’s a tough job — riding in a car for 12 hours a day, jumping out and running,” Velboom said.

Published June 21, 2017

Serving the community is Rosie Heim’s motto

By

When Rosie Heim decided to toss her hat into the ring to run for honorary mayor of Land O’ Lakes, she had a purpose in mind.

She wanted to raise the profile of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club in the community of Land O’ Lakes.

She wants the club to become “a household name in Land O’ Lakes.”

Gloria Dale and Rosie Heim worked a booth at Land O’ Lakes Music Festival, as Heim made an effort to drum up support for her bid to become the new Honorary Mayor of Land O’ Lakes. Dale is the deputy honorary mayor, a title she’s been given for life. (File)

She explained: “We are very well-known in Lutz because we do the parade, we do the art show. “But, Land O’ Lakes didn’t know the ladies in the green shirts. I wanted some of the businesses to know who we are, and some of the community to know the wonderful work that we do,” she said.

The club is active in many ways.

It pitches in at the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans’ Nursing Home in Land O’ Lakes.

It sponsors the annual Lutz Arts & Crafts Show.

It has an annual flea market, supports survivors of domestic abuse, helps to plant trees, decorates graves of veterans, packs boxes to ship to troops stationed overseas, and does all sorts of other things to support the communities of Lutz and Land O’ Lakes.

It uses the money it raises to help local community groups, and support scholarships.

So, Heim has learned a thing or two about fundraising.

In her quest to become the honorary mayor, she hosted eight events.

When she began the race, she was competing against Andre Pamplona. But, he needed to divert his energy to his family when owners of Royal Lanes decided to close the bowling center that Pamplona managed, Heim said.

That didn’t slow her down, though.

The woman’s club will get a portion of the money she raised, she said. “The chamber will get the rest for the community services that they do.”

Heim said she doesn’t have a clique that she hangs out with, but she has loads of connections.

Besides the woman’s club, she’s involved with Women-N-Charge, which is a networking group. She’s also involved with AARP, churches and other groups.

Heim said she wants to recruit more ladies to be involved with the woman’s club because more help is needed.

“There is a need in the community to help with community services,” Heim said.

Many of the women in the club are getting older and aren’t able to do as much as they once could, she said.

“Not all of the ladies are physically able to move tables and set up crafts,” she said. “We would love younger people with better backs.”

Besides working to increase the woman’s club’s ranks, Heim hopes she can attract more members to the Central Pasco Chamber, too.

She plans to be an ambassador for the organization — reaching out to new businesses and giving them a warm welcome from the chamber.

“I’ll do the ribbon cuttings,” she said.

She’ll also be participating in the Lutz Fourth of July Parade.

“They’re going to get me a convertible,” said Heim, who joined the woman’s club 10 years ago, after retiring from her job as a special needs school assistant at Denham Oaks Elementary.

She said she’s happy to be the face of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, and will do what the chamber would like her to do to spread its goodwill.

“If any of the schools asks me to come and speak and give awards to the kids, I’m available to do that,” Heim said.

Being involved is rewarding, said Heim, noting she was overwhelmed during a recent pasta dinner fundraiser she had.

Ninety-six people turned out.

“I was just so honored and overwhelmed by the love shown in that room,” she said. “They were chanting my name, ‘Rosie. Rosie.’”

It was incredible, Heim said. “When you give, it’s always returned to you 10-fold.”

Published June 21, 2017

Dade City Garden Club is a community mainstay

By

The Dade City Garden Club took root in the home of Thelma Gilbert, on May 9, 1947 — and the organization has been part of the civic and social glue of the city ever since, based on scrapbooks compiled by club members through the decades.

Some members of the Dade City Garden Club wore 1940s’ attire to the club’s 70th anniversary celebration at the Garden Club on May 15. (Courtesy of Richard K. Riley)

Club member Madonna Wise, who happens to be a local historian, gained an appreciation for the role the club has played in community life, as she paged through the volumes that were faithfully compiled through the years.

It has been involved in nearly every civic event during the past 70 years, said Wise, an author who has written a book about Dade City’s history.

One example of that involvement, she said, was when there was a send-off for troops leaving for Afghanistan. The garden club was there, providing desserts for the event.

“They’re just an integral part of Dade City’s fabric,” Wise said.

Gail Stout, the club’s outgoing president, said “the greatest impact we have are our partnerships with the community.”

It was Gilbert’s love of gardening that led to the club’s creation, Stout said.

“She heard that this organization in Florida (The Florida Federation of Garden Clubs) existed and was growing, and that’s what she decided to pursue,” said Stout, who recently helped to organize the Dade City Garden Club’s 70th anniversary celebration.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez, left, reads the proclamation honoring the Dade City Garden Club, while Gail Stout, club president, listens.
(Courtesy of Madonna Wise)

Within a year, the Dade City club was accepted for federation with the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs. And, less than a year later it had its first flower show, based on the theme, “The Spirit of Spring,” according to club records.

Through the years, the club has had the twin goals of beautification and advocacy.

“Early on, they’re saving the trees at the courthouse,” Wise said. “They started a junior garden club at the elementary school.”

They also have advised Dade City commissioners on decisions regarding landscaping, Wise added.

During its heyday, the club had a radio show, Stout said.

It had a column in a local newspaper, too, Wise added.

In the beginning, the club met in its members’ homes and then later, at civic locations.

In 1959, it purchased 2 acres on South Fifth Street for $9,000. By 1966, the club had paid it off.

Soon after that, the organization sought to build a clubhouse.

“Our building story is unique,” Stout said.

“Somehow, St. Rita’s Catholic Church, which is up by Old Dade City Grammar School, offers to donate the building,” Wise said. “That building (which was St. Rita’s mission church) dates back to 1913. It was quite the thing when they moved this building all across town.”

The structure was near what is now Cox Elementary School. Movers took the structure down Seventh Avenue and had to get the power company to move power lines so they could get the building through.

“It was really quite a move that they orchestrated,” Stout said.

A contractor named Michael Giella advised the club on how to renovate the building and held the $35,000 mortgage. Giella’s contributions were recognized during the 70th anniversary celebration, when a paver dedicated to his memory was presented to his widow.

This is a current view of the Dade City Garden Club building. The club has been a community mainstay for 70 years. (Courtesy of Madonna Wise)

The club had its first meeting in the building in September of 1977 and hosted an open house later that year — attracting members of garden clubs from Tampa, Lakeland, Clearwater and across Pasco County.

There were 57 charter members of the garden club.

“The last charter member was just deceased,” Stout said.

The club officially has 113 members, but there are some older members who are too frail to attend meetings, she said.

Through the years, the garden club has fostered leadership opportunities for women, and has helped to build connections throughout Dade City, Wise said.

It also has provided a forum for members to learn “the political ways of trying to influence legislators and local government for environmental purposes, that type of thing,” Stout observed.

“Two years ago, we had a fracking (hydraulic fracturing) seminar, to talk about the pros and cons of fracking, mostly the cons. We were leaning toward that,” Stout said.

Dade City has since banned fracking from within the city limits.

Although membership has declined, the club has staying power. It has several second- and third-generation members, and many come from families that have played an influential role in the life and development of Dade City, Wise noted.

The club is divided into smaller groups, called circles, which are named after flowering trees or plants.

The Dade City Commission presented a proclamation to the Dade City Garden Club on May 9, commemorating the garden club’s 70th anniversary. Commissioners, garden club members and Mayor Camille Hernandez are pictured here. (Courtesy of Madonna Wise)

“We had seven circles at the height of our glory,” Stout said.

Now, it has these six circles: Azalea, Poinsettia, Magnolia, Holly Hock, Hibiscus and Dogwood.

The club has traditions, too.

It decorates the Pioneer Museum at Christmas and also hosts “Uncorked,” a wine-tasting fundraiser.

It helps keep the memory of the community’s history alive, too, by creating an ornament each year to honor a local place or organization. Proceeds from the ornament sales help support the garden club’s upkeep and help pay for club projects.

The club also hosts a flower show every other year — which is a popular event, and which garden club members view as their gift back to the community, Stout said.

Members join the club for different reasons.

Stout became a member after she bought a 1925 bungalow that came with more than 90 camellias.

Stout decided she needed to join the club so she could learn everything she could about camellias.

Later, she learned that Gilbert had obtained camellias from Georgia.

Quite likely, Stout said, some of those camellias can be traced back to the garden club’s original founder.

Now, that’s what some would call coming full circle.

Published June 21, 2017

Fort De Soto Park: A recreation destination

By

The Tampa Bay area has all sorts of places to escape and feel like you’re on vacation without having to drive very far or fly off somewhere.

A fisherman in Mullet Key Bayou in Fort De Soto Park is so intent on his task he doesn’t seem to know that two kayakers are sliding past him. (Karen Haymon Long)

And, when you get company from afar, there’s always someplace wonderful like Fort De Soto Park to take them. Here, all in one place, are a world-class beach, views of both the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay, two fishing piers, boat launches, a historic fort, a ferry ride to Egmont Key, nature trails, kayak rentals, picnic shelters and the chance to see dolphins, manatees and more than 300 species of birds.

If you like to camp, the park – Pinellas County’s largest, with 1,136 acres – offers 238 camp sites for tents, pop-ups and RVs.

When my niece, Katie, visited recently from Georgia, we spent the day at the park soaking up sun, touring the fort and its museum, and strolling on Gulf Pier, where we saw five dolphins leaping from green, choppy water.

I had promised she’d see dolphins around the pier, attracted by thousands of tiny bait fish that always seem to be around.

A British rapid-fire rifle, built in 1890, once protected Egmont Key when it was home to Fort Dade and was later moved to Fort De Soto so more people could see it. The fort within Fort De Soto Park is open to the public.

And, there they were, cruising close to the pier and arching out of the water in pairs – perfect for a picture she sent to her mom.

All sorts of fishermen – from regulars with their wheeled carts overflowing with fishing gear to sunburned tourists – try their luck on the 1,000-foot-long pier, so it’s a good place to people watch.

A friendly fisherman, obviously a regular, helped us spot dolphins, while a younger man, who looked like a spring-breaker, hung his rod over the railing, trying hard to catch bait fish clustered under the pier. A cheering section – probably his family – rooted him on.

We saw all sorts of birds that day – seagulls soaring over the pier, pelicans in the bayou fronting the campgrounds, great blue herons and snowy egrets keeping watch at the beaches and curlews, which we call “chickens,” pecking around the camping and picnic grounds.

At the campground, we watched a man fishing in Mullet Key Bayou, water up to his thighs, oblivious to kayakers slipping silently behind him. Many sites line the bayou, with open views of water. We liked the fact that tents – which we prefer – and smaller pop-ups have their own area, separate from spots that allow RVs, which are known to run noisy generators, even at night.

Campers with dogs have yet another area – far from campers who prefer to travel without pets. The opposite was true at Jonathan Dickinson State Park on the east coast when we visited recently. Giant RVs overshadowed tiny tents and lots of campers had dogs in the campground we saw.

The Gulf Pier in Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County is a great place to fish, and to see dolphins and freighters heading out into the Gulf of Mexico. In the background is Egmont Key and its lighthouse. A ferry from the park goes out to Egmont Key.

Fort De Soto’s campsites also offer lots more shade: most are nestled among trees that provide a natural barrier between sites. Bathhouses – some recently updated – were clean on our visit. A camp store sells everything from food to camping supplies and Florida souvenirs.

And, it’s a bargain to camp there at right around $40 a night for tent or RV.

A walking, biking trail leads to the boat launch area, with 11 floating docks, where we saw kayakers heading out for a ride. The trail also goes to the beach, and to the Gulf and Bay piers, the fort, picnic areas and shelters, and to a concession/snack bar/souvenir shop next to the fort.

After checking it out, we decided to eat there, since it would have taken too much time away from the park to drive to eat lunch somewhere else. We were happily surprised to find that the food was very good – fresh and cooked right there by a short-order cook. And, the price was good, under $10, for an excellent Caesar salad with grilled chicken. We ate at picnic tables just outside the concession with mostly British tourists on holiday.

It was an easy stroll to the fort, built in the late 1800s to protect the Tampa Bay area during the Spanish-American War. We walked around the remaining fortifications and studied the two British rapid-fire rifles built in 1890 that once protected Egmont Key, when it was home to Fort Dade and later moved to Fort De Soto so more people could see them.

Many campsites at Fort DeSoto Park face Mullet Key Bayou, making them perfect for launching kayaks. Some campers head out just before sunset to watch the sun go down and the sky light up.

And, we checked out the last four 12-inch M 1890-MI mortars remaining in North America. The only others are in the Philippines. Surprisingly, very little signage – or historical information – is available at the fort. But, we later discovered a free history museum that offers all sorts of information about the fort in a building next to the Gulf Pier’s parking lot.

A park brochure online at PinellasCounty.org (select Fort De Soto Park) also features a historic walking tour of the fort with pictures and lots of good information.

It’s best to go the museum, or check out the brochure, before visiting the fort. We wish we had.

The park’s beach is among the best in the country, with powdery white sand, and on weekdays there are large areas with few people.

Fort De Soto Park – Pinellas County’s largest park – boasts one of America’s best beaches. It’s not even overcrowded on some weekdays.

The beach deserves its accolades. Stephen Leatherman, known as Dr. Beach, crowned Fort De Soto’s beach as No. 1 in the nation in 2008 and as one of America’s best in 2005. (He never picks the same beach for the top spot more than once). And, Trip Advisor, the popular online travel site, picked it as the nation’s top beach in 2009.

Two designated swim centers – East Beach and North Beach – have plenty of parking, picnic shelters, restrooms, showers and playgrounds. A dog beach area is between the Gulf and Bay piers.

On the beach, a warm breeze blew softly and white billowy clouds danced across a clear blue sky. Sea oats sprung from the sand and kids played under royal blue beach umbrellas. It was a picture postcard day in Florida.

We had one more nice surprise before heading home. We drove south along the beach, past the giant American flag near the park entrance station, and at the end of the road saw kite-boarders soaring above the water, their colorful kites against the sky with the Sunshine Skyway Bridge looming behind them.

It was windy, the perfect day to fly. And, their pleasure was ours.

TIPS FOR THE TRIP
How to get there: Fort De Soto Park is at 3500 Pinellas Bayway South in Tierra Verde. From St. Petersburg, take I-275 south, then exit 17 onto Pinellas Bayway/FL 682 west. After 3 miles, turn left onto Pinellas Bayway (FL 679). Go 6.6 miles to the park. Park entrance is $5.

For information on the park, maps, camping and picnic shelter reservations, see PinellasCounty.org/parks, and choose Fort De Soto Park. For reservations for the ferry to Egmont Key, call (727) 398-6577.

Where to eat: We liked the concession snack shop next to the fort in the park. On another visit, we enjoyed lunch close to the park at the Island Grille & Raw Bar, 210 Madonna Blvd., Tierra Verde. It has good seafood, friendly service and a signature marlin mounted over the entrance.

See IslandRawBar.com.

Fun fact: The park stretches over five keys: Mullet Key, St. Jean Key, St. Christopher Key, Madelaine Key and Bonne Fortune Key.

By Karen Haymon Long

Published June 21, 2017

Pasco gives boost to community gardening

By

Pasco County could soon be the first in the state with a countywide ordinance to permit residents to grow community gardens.

The proposed ordinance also would be the first countywide ordinance of its kind for Pasco.

At a June 6 Pasco County Commission meeting in Dade City, county staff members explained what a community garden is and how it would operate.

More community gardens could result if Pasco County adopts a new ordinance intended to make it easier for a community to create a garden. Shown here, marigolds fill the foreground as Judy Curran checks the variety of plants, vegetables and flowers planted in the gardens of the New River Library. (File)

Commissioners are scheduled to vote on the proposed ordinance at a July 11 meeting in New Port Richey.

“This not only helps our agriculture in Pasco County, but this could be a big tourism thing, too,” said County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey. “There are so many cool benefits this can bring.”

Community gardens are gardens where crops and ornamental plants, including flowers, are grown and harvested, as described in the proposed ordinance.

Daily vehicle trips to tend the gardens generally are more than 14 per day but less than 100, with limited use of heavy vehicles, the county estimates.

Community gardens may be any size.

Applications will provide information such as location, operating hours, the number of parking spaces and a designated garden manager.

Members of the Pasco County Food Policy Advisory Council spent about two years discussing and gathering public opinions on community gardens before submitting the ordinance for review.

The council is one of only three in the state.

“It’s really exciting to see it really coming together,” said Travis Morehead, the council’s chairman. “I think we have something here that is very powerful.”

Three to four community garden requests have been stalled because the county didn’t have a process for community gardens to take root through the permit process.

A permit process would be an easier and less expensive route than having to rezone property to allow the gardens, Morehead said.

Some community gardens already are flourishing, including ones in New Port Richey, which approved a city ordinance. In 2016, a community garden sprouted on land owned by Florida Hospital Zephyrhills.

The Pasco County Extension Office has discussed a community garden as part of its proposal to relocate from the Pasco County fairgrounds to the Stallings Building in downtown Dade City.

The proposed ordinance also defines other types of gardens.

For instance, a market garden primarily sells and buys produce grown on-site or off-site, and is less than 5 acres.

Dwarf Fire bush blooms in the garden add color to the greenery in front of the New River Library in Zephyrhills.

A community farm grows produce, including fruits, vegetables and other edibles, for sale off-site. Farms may be any size.

Discussion on community gardens in Pasco began several years ago.

A master marketing and redevelopment plan for The Harbors district in west Pasco included community gardens and the concept for a food policy council.

Starkey also gives credit to another community movement.

“The food policy council’s history began with emails from residents who wanted to have backyard chickens,” she said.

She is a proponent of permitting the backyard fowl, but no ordinance has been drafted as yet.

The emails and community activism led to discussion of how to use public space and Starkey said, “All these people came out of the woodwork to start the food policy council. This is just the first ordinance that has come out of the council.”

Published June 14, 2017

They’re off to learn the ins and outs of leadership

By

While some kids are heading to the beach or to a theme park this summer, a trio of girls who just wrapped up fifth grade at Lutz Elementary are gearing up for a trip to Washington D.C.

Kylie Flynn, Kaitlyn Britton and Alice Mooneyham will be participating in the Junior National Young Leaders Conference.

The students were nominated by their former teacher, Cindy Morrissey.

The girls can’t wait to check out the nation’s capital.

This trio of girls are heading to Washington D.C., to find out a few things about leadership. They are, from left, Alice Mooneyham, Kaitlyn Britton and Kylie Flynn. They’ll be participating in the Junior National Young Leaders Conference. (B.C. Manion)

“I’ve never been to Washington D.C., and I’ve wanted to go there,” said Alice, who is 11. “I think it’s going to be a really cool experience.”

Eleven-year-old Kaitlynn shares her enthusiasm.

“It’s going to be fun. My sister went in eighth grade. She got a lot of really cool photos. It was really pretty there.”

Plus, Kaitlyn added: “It will be fun to learn all about the statues.”

Ten-year-old Kylie is eager to make the trip, too.

“I can’t wait for the experiences to go to the different places,” she said. “I was really happy that I was nominated.”

Alice is particularly interested in visiting the Lincoln Memorial, while Kylie is looking forward to visiting Harper’s Ferry. Kaitlyn is looking forward to an activity-packed schedule.

“There’s going to be a lot of stuff to do in the day,” Kaitlyn said. “You’ll get to learn the history behind the monuments.”

The conference includes sessions on leadership traits and historic topics, as well as visits to national memorials, museums and a sleepover at the Maryland Science Center, amid mummies, dinosaurs and space exhibits.

Kaitlyn thinks the conference will be a good experience, but she’s not sure if it will help her with her future career. She wants to be a chiropractor when she grows up.

Alice wants to be a teacher.

Kylie wants to be a teacher, too. But, she said: “If that doesn’t work out, I want to be a lawyer. I want to be a lawyer that helps people get custody of their kids.”

Both Kylie and Kaitlyn live in Lutz, and Alice just moved from Lutz to Land O’ Lakes.

Kaitlyn will be attending Terrace Community Middle School in Temple Terrace. Kylie will be attending Buchanan Middle School in Tampa, and Alice will be attending Cypress Creek Middle High in Wesley Chapel.

Alice’s mom, Michelle Milone, is thrilled that Alice was nominated for the program.

“All three of you should be so super-duper proud of yourselves,” Milone told the girls, during a recent interview with The Laker/Lutz News.

“I think it’s really, really great,” Milone said.

“When I was in high school, I went to something called GHP, the governor’s honors program. It was paid for by the state. It was a big deal. I learned a lot.

“I went to law camp, one year,” she added. “I went to Spanish camp.”

“I met people. I learned things,” Milone said. She’s glad the girls can take advantage of this opportunity.

Like Milone, Andrea and Kiel Flynn are delighted that the girls were nominated.

They estimated the conference cost for each of the girls to be around $3,000, and that doesn’t count the expenses that Flynn, Milone or Dave and Melissa Britton will incur because they’ll be on their own.

While it’s pricey, Milone and Flynn think its worthwhile because they believe the experience will have a lasting impression.

Published June 14, 2017

Respecting ‘Old Glory’ throughout the year

By

While the nation sets aside June 14 to celebrate Flag Day, a local group of U.S. Marine Corps veterans wants to honor local residents and business owners who respect Old Glory every day of the year.

The Marine Forever Detachment No. 1440 has established the American Patriot Award to do just that.

A local group wants to honor residents and businesses who fly Old Glory all year long, not just for special occasions such as Flag Day, June 14, Memorial Day or Veterans Day. The Marine Forever Detachment No. 1440 has established the American Patriot Award to show appreciation to those who truly respect Old Glory. (File)

The group, which meets in Land O’ Lakes, recognizes that it takes time and care to properly maintain the flag, and it already has bestowed awards to selected individuals and business owners in northern Hillsborough County and Central Pasco County.

The award goes to the business or resident/homeowner displaying the American Flag in new or like-new condition and must be visible, day or night.

So far, more than 100 awards have been presented, said L. David Kirk, the detachment’s commandant.

“We’re getting such reception from this, you won’t believe it,” Kirk said.

He said he received a call from an Army veteran in Land O’ Lakes who said the award “lifted his spirits” and that a widow of a veteran who lives in Oakstead broke into tears when she received the award.

“The businesses like it, too. They’ve been flying a flag all along, religiously,” Kirk said. They appreciate the recognition.

To nominate your business or residence for an award, send your request to .

To find out more about the group, call L. David Kirk at (813) 956-2469.

To see a list of the recipients, visit Marine4Ever.com, or check the organization’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/MarineForeverDetachment1440MarineCorpsLeague.

NOTE:
Flag day was established officially by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30, 1916, according to the website USFlag.org.

Although Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for years after Wilson’s proclamation, it wasn’t until Aug. 3, 1949 that President Harry S. Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14 as National Flag Day.

Published June 14, 2017

In the Loop wants more hours, live music

By

Owners of In the Loop Brewing want to expand the hours of operation and bring live music performances to their outdoor beer garden.

It’s about staying competitive in the local market and building on their success, they say.

Members of the Pasco County Planning Commission approved both requests at its June 7 meeting in New Port Richey.

In the Loop Brewing owners Mark Pizzurro, left, Peter Abreut and Joe Traina stand by the outdoor serving window at their Land O’ Lakes brewery.

The Pasco County Commission, which has the final word, is likely to consider the matter at its July 11 meeting in New Port Richey.

In the Loop opened in 2016 at 3338 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in a restored two-story home, with an on-site brewery, tap and tasting room. A landscaped beer garden, with a deck, overlooks Lake Padgett and its lakefront residences.

As approved by the planning commission, In the Loop could operate from 7 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. Live music would be allowed from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday through Friday; and, from noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Noise levels which currently apply to recorded music would remain the same, and also would apply to live music. Those levels are equivalent to conversational speech, background music or an air conditioner, according to comparative decibel charts.

“We want to be able to offer the same hours of other breweries,” said In the Loop co-owner Joe Traina.

The live music would be “acoustic guitar playing” – typically on weekends – that suits the relaxed atmosphere of In the Loop, he added.

“We want to be good neighbors,” Traina said.

A wooden deck in the beer garden of In the Loop Brewing overlooks Lake Padgett.

County staff members had recommended an increase in operating hours, but not as many as the planning commission.

County staff recommended against live music.

No one spoke against the proposal at the June 7 public hearing.

In the Loop started with a friendship and a home-brewing hobby in a garage on Cherbourg Loop.

In 2016, Traina, Mark Pizzurro and Peter Abreut took the leap and opened their brewery.

Traina said they want In the Loop to be a catalyst for redevelopment in Land O’ Lakes, along U.S. 41.

“We want a nice, classy place like in Seminole Heights, in Tampa,” Traina said.

In the Loop is a destination on beer bus tours organized by Tampa Bay Brewing Tours, with headquarters on Florida Avenue in the Seminole Heights’ neighborhood.

Yoga classes are held every other Sunday in the beer garden.

Chambers of commerce and other organizations want to use the business for breakfasts, parties and special events, Traina said. Current operating hours can’t accommodate that, he said.

At present, In the Loop is closed on Monday and Tuesday. It opens at 4 p.m. on Wednesday through Saturday, and, at noon on Sunday. Current closing times are 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Published June 14, 2017