The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Cleaning up Zephyrhills’ neighborhoods

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When Gail Hamilton was hired to lead the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency about a year ago, she noticed an unsettling trend while patrolling the older, traditional city neighborhoods.

Scattered across several homeowners’ lawns were old appliances, rolled-up carpets, debris and fallen trees.

“I think nobody had done anything in a long time,” Hamilton said, regarding the condition of the historic Zephyrhills neighborhoods.

“The first thing when you start redeveloping an area is you look to clean it up,” she added.

To do so, Hamilton collaborated with several other city departments — Code Enforcement, Public Works, Police and Fire Departments—to create a so-called “Clean Team.”

Here is a map of some of the neighborhoods the ‘Clean Team’ is targeting for its neighborhood cleanup program. The red shaded area is where the crew’s third cleanup was on Feb. 27. They will focus on neighborhoods that fall within the green shade on May 21. (Courtesy of Gail Hamilton)
Here is a map of some of the neighborhoods the ‘Clean Team’ is targeting for its neighborhood cleanup program. The red shaded area is where the crew’s third cleanup was on Feb. 27. They will focus on neighborhoods that fall within the green shade on May 21.
(Courtesy of Gail Hamilton)

The “Clean Team” organizes neighborhood cleanups every other month, pinpointing a different geographical area within the city limits for each event.

The program offers an opportunity for city residents to get rid of unwanted junk, with public works crews and community volunteers lending a helping hand.

“We go in there…and clean up anything people can get out into their alley or curbside, because we don’t go onto private property and pick anything up,” said Shane LeBlanc, Zephyrhills Public Works director. “A lot of people will have roll-off construction dumpsters outside. A lot of people drop stuff off to us.”

“You can get rid of your junk, and you don’t even have to bring it to the site,” Hamilton said. “We have crews that are going up and down the alleyway within the area that we’re cleaning, and if you can just get it to the alley, we’ll pick it up. So for people that don’t have a truck or the means to get it to us, we’re trying to help them as much as we possibly can, so there’s no excuse that you don’t clean up your property.”

The third neighborhood cleanup, on Feb. 27, was labeled as the “most successful” yet, according to Hamilton. The cleanup encompassed the area between North Avenue and Sixth Avenue, covering neighborhoods all the way east to 20th Street.

Approximately 160 cubic yards of mixed debris, 24 televisions, 44 tires and one washing machine were hauled away.

Additionally, 39 residents dropped off their junk to the construction dumpsters at various staging areas set up by the clean team.

When cruising around town, Hamilton notices a sizable difference when she sees neighborhoods that have participated in the cleanup program.

“I think we’re beginning to turn a corner with the neighborhoods understanding what we’re trying to do, and appreciate the ability to bring their trash,” the redevelopment agency director said.

“We’re trying to attack it from each angle so nobody can say, ‘Well, it was too hard to clean up my yard.’”

The cleanups also serve as a warning for residents that may be in violation of the city’s code enforcement. Instead of immediately being issued a citation, residents have the opportunity to get rid of the trash in their yard without being fined, thereby being offered an amnesty of sorts.

Hamilton noted city officials are being as accommodating as possible with the program, saying, “We tell people, ‘this is your opportunity…to clean up your infractions or the problems you have on your property, but if you don’t, you will be cited for it.’ We’re still working on that, and getting through the neighborhoods and making people believe, ‘Yes, there will be consequences if you don’t clean up.’

“It’s the ‘carrot and the stick’ approach,’ Hamilton added. “The city will use the ‘stick’ from code enforcement to say, ‘OK, if you don’t clean it up, we’ll fine you.’”

Residents who receive a citation have 30 days to clean up their property.

The fourth neighborhood cleanup is set for May 21 from 8 a.m. to noon.

It will span from Gall Boulevard to 16th Street, generally encompassing the area between Fifth Avenue and South Avenue.

While the program was initially going to focus on the 520-acre CRA district, officials plan to eventually make their way through the entire city.

“We’re going to expand out,” LeBlanc said. “We’ve got other areas in the city that need attention as well.

“It’s a great service to people that can’t get rid of things,” LeBlanc said.

Published May 4, 2016

Commuters could get a faster ride

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Pasco County commuters understand the frustration of gridlock, as they head to and from work every day.

Florida Department of Transportation officials believe the proposed construction of a project known as the Tampa Bay Express could make life easier for motorists traveling from St. Petersburg in Pinellas County to Wesley Chapel in Pasco County.

Nearly 50 miles of new toll lanes would be built adjacent to existing non-toll lanes along Interstate 275 and Interstate 4, in a project that state highway officials have pegged at initial costs of $3 billion, but said it could get as high as $6 billion.

If the project is approved, construction would be five or more years away.

The toll fees would vary depending on traffic volume —  with more expensive tolls applying at rush hour. SunPass would be the only accepted method of payment. The system will not allow billing by license plate.

The potential is there, too, for a rapid bus transit service that would operate within the toll lane system, but not pay tolls. A 44-foot “multimodal envelope” is included in the design. Park and ride stations would be built. including one in Wesley Chapel.

The project is stirring an intense struggle between those who support the TBX as a regional approach to easing traffic congestion and those who characterize the TBX as a boondoggle that will destroy historic Tampa neighborhoods, and do little for mass transit.

TBX-FDOT_system_map
The proposed Tampa Bay Express would add toll lanes to existing non-toll lanes along Interstate 275 and Interstate 4, creating a managed toll system linking Wesley Chapel in Pasco County to St. Petersburg in Pinellas County. (Courtesy of Florida Department of Transportation)

A coalition, including the Tampa Bay Partnership, now has The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce as a partner. The chamber’s board of directors approved a resolution on April 21 in support of TBX “as an essential foundation to pursue a variety of forward-thinking transit options” in the Tampa Bay area.

The day before the chamber’s vote, state transportation officials made a presentation to about 20 people who attended a public meeting on the TBX, sponsored by the chamber.

Kirk Bogen, the transportation department’s environmental manager engineer, said the Wesley Chapel presentation was the first one in the “outskirts” of the TBX project area.

“We’re putting out feelers, accepting invitations,” he said.

Hope Allen, president of the Wesley Chapel chamber, said the coalition’s goal is to inform people of what’s going on and “to make sure it’s the right fit for our commuters.”

The TBX and gridlock relief are key to the area’s future development, she said. Without the project, she added, “Wesley Chapel doesn’t look quite as appealing. We’re here to help you get this moving along.”

The toll express lanes also have strong support from Mayor Bob Buckhorn.

But, the project faces resistance within Tampa’s historic neighborhoods, including Tampa Heights, Ybor City and Seminole Heights. Community activists and a newly formed Sunshine Citizens coalition are working hard to block the TBX.

They have held a series of protest marches through neighborhoods that could lose about 100 businesses and homes to the road project. Among area businesses that could be torn down are Café Hey, the Oceanic Market and La Segunda Central Bakery, which has operated in Ybor City for more than 100 years. A public housing complex, Mobley Park apartments, also could be torn down.

Many in the neighborhoods remember past urban renewal projects that divided and devastated communities.

A crucial vote on the matter will take place on June 22 at 6 p.m., at the Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization in the Hillsborough County Commission Chamber, at 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., in Tampa.

Members of that board approved the project in 2015 as part of their Transportation Improvement Plan, but opponents are hoping to sway some members to vote against it now.

There is critical need for the project and for toll revenues that can “help maintain the roads into the future,” Bogen said. Otherwise, he said, “Your system basically will continue to fail.”

On any day during rush hour, Pasco residents chug south on I-275 at speeds well under highway limits.

“I spend so much time stuck on freeways or Bearss Avenue or downtown, I don’t know where the time goes,” said Tom Ryan.

Ryan is economic development manager for the Pasco Economic Development Council, but said he was speaking as a private citizen.

Greg Vinas, B2B sales manager in Wesley Chapel, said he also would like to see light rail as an option, but the TBX is needed to reduce congestion and create connections.

“It will make the community that much smaller,” he said.

With improved transportation, one trend he hopes to see is reverse commuting with Tampa area residents coming to Pasco for jobs, as the area attracts new businesses.

“I know people now (from Tampa) who won’t come up here,” Vinas said.

To find out more about the proposed TBX project, visit TampaBayExpress.com. To learn more about the opposition, visit StopTBX.com.

Published April 27, 2016

Making music under the stars

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Pine View Middle School is continuing its tradition of bringing the musical arts to the community of Land O’ Lakes, with its eighth annual “Night Under the Stars” music festival.

The school uses the event to showcase its various music programs, to give local performers a musical venue, and to raise money for needed instruments and uniforms.

Pine View Middle Music Director Amarilys Barbosa said the event comes at a crucial time in the school’s history.

“Our school is going through a change,” Barbosa said.

Pine View Middle has begun a quest to become the first school in Pasco County to offer a Middle Years Programme, under the auspices of the International Baccalaureate Organization.

As a result, more students have enrolled in the school’s music programs, creating a shortage of instruments.

Volunteer Sue Castellano and Pine View Middle School Music Director Amarilys Barbosa stand near some band instruments and uniforms. The school’s music programs have grown, and it needs to add more instruments and band uniforms. (File photo)
Volunteer Sue Castellano and Pine View Middle School Music Director Amarilys Barbosa stand near some band instruments and uniforms. The school’s music programs have grown, and it needs to add more instruments and band uniforms.
(File Photo)

When the band puts on a concert, there’s a good chance it will be borrowing some of the instruments.

The school also could use some more band uniforms.

The upcoming benefit will help address some of those needs, but that’s not the only reason the school puts it on, Barbosa said.

“We could do many different types of fundraisers, and we could be successful. We chose to do this because there is a huge support for the arts in our community, and we want to continue to foster that and get everyone involved,” she said.

The school has a beginning band, intermediate band and advanced band. It also has a chorus, a show choir, a jazz band, a percussion ensemble, a drumline and a color guard.

All of those groups will be performing at the event, which is slated for April 30, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

Other local groups will be performing, too, Barbosa said.

“It’s not just to showcase us. It’s also to give an opportunity to the local bands to kind of get their name out,” she said. The three acts that will be performing that night are Crossing The Tangent, Eden Shireen and Beyond Chaotic.

“We’re really excited to have them. They’re going to be playing throughout the evening, at 6, 7 and 8 o’clock. They’re going to be the headliners,” Barbosa said.

Parking and admission are free, and food will be available for purchase. There’s also going to be a kids’ zone, which requires a $5 band for entry. The zone will feature bounce houses, slides, an obstacle course and outdoor laser tag.

Additionally, there will be door prizes, and people will be able to make bids on silent auction baskets.

There are about 30 auction baskets, said a volunteer Sue Castellano, who has organized the gift basket effort. “The students and the business community have donated all of the items in the baskets.

“She (Castellano) is my basket queen,” Barbosa said, obviously grateful for Castellano’s efforts.

Those attending will be able to bid on baskets of wide-ranging themes.

There’s a perfume basket, valued at around $250, and there are baskets with sports memorabilia. There’s a grill that people can bid on, too.

“We have something for girls. We have something for boys. We have a family adventure night out. We have a cat basket. We have a dog basket. We even have a baby basket,” Castellano said.

The value of the baskets ranges from around $50 to more than $500, she said.

Besides being a great way to raise money, it also gives the school a chance to show parents what it has to offer.

“If you have young parents that may come out, maybe they have children in elementary school that are starting to move up — it’s going to show them the different types of instruments, the different type of music that’s played and what their children will be able to learn,” Castellano said.

Even if they can’t make it to the event, there are other ways to help, Barbosa said. The school still needs more instruments.

Musicians or former musicians who have instruments to spare are encouraged to donate them to the school, the musical director said. The school needs clarinets, flutes and trumpets.

If the program receives donations of smaller instruments, it can focus on purchasing larger instruments, Barbosa said.

“We’re hoping to be able to buy a couple of more tubas,” she said.

‘Night Under the Stars’ music festival
Where: Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes
When: April 30, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
What: Performances by Pine View Middle School’s bands, drumline, color guard and choruses, plus appearances by local musical acts. There also will be a silent auction, food available for purchase and a kids’ zone.
How much: Parking and admission are free.

Published April 27, 2016

 

Keeping the church flock safe

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While many think of church as a place to lay down one’s burdens, gain spiritual refreshment and find inspiration — a house of worship is also vulnerable to potential violence.

Jim Howard, executive director of Trinity Security Allies based in Trinity, knows only too well about that possibility

When he was a teenager, living in Texas, his father shot and killed a deacon after church. Howard’s father was imprisoned, his family moved away, and Howard doubted his faith and left the church.

He subsequently went into a career in law enforcement and eventually returned to the church.

He also found a way to use his professional knowledge to serve his faith, first, by helping to protect a church’s collections and then by forming a church security team.

Jim Howard guides churches to help ensure they have a place ‘where people can come to worship, without fear.’ (Courtesy of Jim Howard)
Jim Howard guides churches to help ensure they have a place ‘where people can come to worship, without fear.’
(Courtesy of Jim Howard)

Besides serving on the security team at Generations Christian Church, on Little Road, he is the executive director of a nonprofit organization that helps churches that need guidance in creating and preserving a safe place to worship.

“Our motto for the church ministry is: ‘Have a place where everybody can come and worship God without fear.’

“Once a person doesn’t feel safe at church, then they’re not going to come to church,” said Howard, who also has a private security consulting business.

When a white man opened fire on June 17, 2015 during a prayer meeting in a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina, killing nine people, it captured national headlines.

But, the issue of church violence is nothing new, Howard said.

In 1999 — the same year as the killings at Columbine High School in Colorado — there was a shooting at a church in Texas were seven people were killed, he said.

This past Easter Sunday, at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, a man was taken into custody after entering a church armed with a .40-caliber Beretta in his pants pocket and a 300 Blackout rifle in his backpack, according to news reports.

Trinity Security Allies provides presentations to help church leaders learn about precautions they can take to help keep their churches safe, and to create plans for responding to violence, if it occurs.

“We go in and educate,” Howard said.

When he gets called to do a church assessment, he tours the church and its grounds.

In the children’s ministry area, he said, “The first thing I do is to look to be sure the doors will lock.”

That’s rarely an issue where the musical equipment is kept. Typically, he said, he discovers “it’s locked behind a door that Fort Knox would be proud of.”

He said churches should have a check-in, check-out zone for their kids’ ministry. Some churches issue a set of matching badges — one for the child and the other for the parent. The badges must match, or the child won’t be released, he said.

Churches also need to vet their volunteers, he added, especially any that have contact with children.

Security team members must pay attention to people approaching and entering the church.

Look for anything unusual: Someone talking to himself; someone who appears agitated or angry; someone wearing a long coat or heavy jacket when it’s warm outside.

His church has a policy of being especially friendly to newcomers.

They are welcomed by church staff or volunteers, and when people don’t respond, the security team lets someone else at the church know, so they can try to engage them, he said.

While the church isn’t interested in gossip, it needs to know of potential issues, Howard added.

“People who are coming into church are broken,” he said. The church is there to help, but should also take steps to protect itself and those gathered.

All sorts of people walk through a church door, Howard noted.

“We’ve had people with mental illness that have disrupted the church service. We’ve had domestic issues that caused us concern. Injunctions,” he said. “We’ve had thefts.”

When it comes to having guns on a church campus, that’s an issue that a church should address, Howard said.

An active shooter can kill or injure numerous people much faster than law enforcement can respond to the scene.

“If you don’t have someone on your campus that can respond to it, that’s something to really pray about and consider,” he said.

“Our church has a policy, if you have a concealed weapons permit and you want to carry, that’s fine. If you’re on the safety team, with us, if you have a concealed weapons permit, I ask you not to carry — I’m a firearms instructor — unless you and I go out and we do some shooting, so I can see how you handle the gun.”

“Because of my background, I understand what police officers are going to be facing if they come into a church in a scenario like this,” he said.

“I don’t fear a person walking into church with a gun. I fear the gun battle.

“Inside a crowded church, there’s a good possibility that somebody that you know is going to get hit,” he said, noting that two out of three shots typically miss their intended target.

It’s also a good idea to practice what to do, in the event an active shooter ever shows up at the church, Howard said, noting that’s something his church has done.

Church Safety
When: May 7, registration at 8:30 a.m.; meeting starts at 9 a.m.
Where: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 20735 Leonard Road, Lutz
Who: Open to anyone
How much: Donations accepted for refreshments.

Published April 27, 2016

Lutz resident creates ‘Hot Date Tree’

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At first glace, Catherine Tucker’s new gadget doesn’t look like a useful kitchen tool. It looks like a metal cone, or the top of a missile, or maybe something the Tin Man from “The Wizard of Oz” would wear.

In reality, it’s carefully designed to provide a better cooking surface and presentation for dates and other appetizers.

For Tucker, it was her dates wrapped in bacon, a frequent hit at parties, that needed to be prepared differently.

“I was getting tired of cooking those on a sheet tray and transferring them to a platter,” she said.

Now she has a different system altogether.

She invented the Hot Date Tree, a stainless steel cone with small holes that are a perfect fit for anything an inspired cook can put on a toothpick. Tucker cooks the dates and displays them for eating using the same device.

She now sells it to the public as well, both on her own website and online retailer Amazon.com.

Catherine Tucker takes her bacon-wrapped dates out of the oven in her Lutz home. She cooks and serves them using her invention, the Hot Date Tree. Michael Murillo/Photo
Catherine Tucker takes her bacon-wrapped dates out of the oven in her Lutz home. She cooks and serves them using her invention, the Hot Date Tree.
(Michael Murillo/Photo)

Tucker, who was a postal worker in Lutz and has lived in the area for more than 35 years, said that her Hot Date Tree has uses that go beyond its name, or even appetizers.

It’s a suspension steamer that allows a host to cook shrimp or vegetables using the provided skewers. It’s also a vertical chicken roaster, which keeps the meat away from the grease and fat that accumulates in a pan.

Having multiple uses is an important characteristic for her invention. One of her cooking idols, television star Alton Brown, prefers cooking devices that serve multiple purposes, she said.

As a self-described “foodie,” Tucker wants to market something that would please some of the famous culinary people she’s met over the years, such as Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck and Julia Child. She even keeps photos of them in her kitchen, where she not only cooks, but also found the inspiration to create the Hot Date Tree.

Even though she created the device a year ago, it’s a new business for her.

Just a couple of months after she received her first shipment of Hot Date Trees, Tucker suffered a serious accident when the cable snapped in her home elevator, and she fell the length of one floor.

She realizes the injuries could have been life-threatening.

Still, she shattered several bones, spent two months in the hospital, and weeks afterward in a nursing home and rehabilitation.

Nearly a year later, she still attends therapy several times a week, and uses a wheelchair, walker or cane to get by.

The recovery process has been a difficult one, especially for a woman who was an active letter carrier and used to restore homes as well. Now, even basic tasks like getting around the house can be a challenge.

“I’m just trying to walk. Simple things like that,” Tucker said.

Now that she’s improving and can drive again, she’s trying to focus on marketing her invention.

Starting a business can be expensive, with thousands spent on inventory and pursuing the necessary patent.

But, the end result is a device that not only makes life easier when she creates and displays her bacon-wrapped dates, but also could be the beginning of a valuable business.

It’s a device that shows off her creativity, and she hopes it would make her cooking heroes proud.

“It makes me feel like Julia Child, on the next wall over there, is looking over me,” Tucker said.

The Hot Date Tree retails for $29.95 and includes two skewers. For more information, visit HotDateTree.com, or contact Tucker at (813) 245-3968.

By Michael Murillo

Published April 27, 2016

Land O’ Lakes teen preps for first Muay Thai fights

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Fifteen-year-old Stephanie Whipple didn’t know anyone when she moved to Land O’ Lakes from Aurora, Illinois, last December.

While Whipple, now a sophomore at Land O’ Lakes High School, was saying goodbye to the freezing Midwest winters in favor of the more enjoyable subtropical climate, she would also leave behind her childhood friends and family members.

To help her transition with her new Florida surroundings, her mother, Jenni, encouraged her to enroll in classes at Koh Muay Thai, 6450 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

“I actually didn’t even know what it was,” Whipple said. “A friend back home did boxing for fun, and I was like, ‘Oh, that seems cool,’ but I never actually thought I’d do anything like it.

“I was really, really nervous to start. I was like, ‘Oh no, this is going to be terrible, I’m going to be terrible,’ and then once I started, it was like a click.

“I automatically was in love with it.”

Stephanie Whipple was named Koh Muay Thai’s Athlete of the Month for April. She is undergoing her Level-1 Blue Shorts testing and is gearing up for two sanctioned fights over the summer. (Courtesy of Jenni Whipple)
Stephanie Whipple was named Koh Muay Thai’s Athlete of the Month for April. She is undergoing her Level-1 Blue Shorts testing and is gearing up for two sanctioned fights over the summer.
(Courtesy of Jenni Whipple)

As opposed to boxing or (MMA) Mixed Martial Arts, the concept of ‘respect’ within Muay Thai intrigued her.

“You respect your trainers, you respect your opponent, you respect your peers, and that’s really the thing that got me,” Whipple said.

“When you walk in here, there’s a feeling that people will accept you…even if you’re fighting against somebody. It’s not like if you were to do dirty fighting or boxing or something, where they kind of bad-mouth you.”

Her immediate embrace of the combat sport helped skyrocket her development as she begins testing for her Level 1 Blue Shorts, a process that typically takes most fighters nine months to a year.

“Stephanie is incredible,” said Melisa Male, operations manager of Koh Muay Thai. “All she does is she works. She comes in here, she focuses, she trains. Every day, she’s pushing herself to be better and perfect her skills.

“Stephanie has put in so much work that she has fast-tracked and has become the fastest developed student since we opened.”

To reach Level 1-status, Whipple must undergo a rigorous fitness test that combines strength, endurance and toughness.

The fitness test entails 10 minutes of continuous jumping rope, 60 pushups, 60 half-spring ups, 200 skip knees (kneeing a free-standing punching bag) and 10 pull-ups.

She will also have to sustain two rounds in the ring with her Kru (trainer) and perform the Wai Khru, a traditional Thailand dance performed before fights as a show of respect.

“It’s a pretty tough test, but what’s awesome is once they pass, they can start sparring,” Male said. “You don’t just come in and start sparring — you have to earn it. That gives them the opportunity to try their skills out with somebody else in the ring.

“The strength and conditioning of Muay Thai training is probably the most intensive, rigorous strength and conditioning you can get,” Male added.

In preparing for the test, Whipple trains at Koh Muay Thai six days a week, working with head trainer Ben Marrs anywhere from two to four hours in a session.

The dedication and extra training has paid off, as she’s transformed her body, packing on 10 pounds of muscle to her 114-pound frame.

“She’s gained muscle, she’s stronger. It’s come very quickly to her,” Male said.

“I never had abs before, and now I have them, which is super cool,” said Whipple, a former competitive swimmer. “It’s helping more than just physically, it’s helping emotionally.”

As Whipple prepares for the Level 1 assessment, the Land O’ Lakes High sophomore is also gearing up for her first two sanctioned fights this summer.

She’s slated to compete in the Amateur Fight Night 29 full-contact kickboxing and MMA event in St. Petersburg on June 18, and the 2016 IFK (International Kickboxing Federation) World Classic Muay Thai-Kickboxing Championship from July 22 to July 24 in Orlando.

While a bit nervous at the prospect of fighting so quickly after starting the sport, Whipple is looking forward to the opportunity to display her in-ring skills.

“I know because of Ben — he’s a really great trainer — and he knows when I’m ready or if I’m not ready. He wouldn’t put me in the fights if I was not ready,” said Whipple, whose nickname is ‘The Human Torch’ because her skin “turns red” when she spars with others at Koh Muay Thai.

While Whipple has been told that she could one day fight professionally in Thailand, she has another career path in mind.

“I want to go into science and become a forensic science technician, but I actually love (Muay Thai) and want to do it, too,” she explained. “I really do want to fight, but I don’t want to go the professional (route), I’m fine with staying (as an) amateur.”

Published April 27, 2016

Gearing up for primary elections

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Even though the primary election isn’t until Aug. 30, Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley is reminding voters to be sure they are ready to vote.

Florida has a closed primary system, so voters must be sure they are registered in the party in which they wish to vote, Corley said.

It’s also essential to be sure you are registered and that your registration has the proper address, Corley said.

Many voters who have been inactive for years may not realize that their names are removed from the list, when they have not been active, Corley said. Your registration also must reflect your current address to avoid running into paperwork problems or the possibility of not being able to get to your proper polling place on time to vote, he said.

Voters should remember there are three ways to vote, Corley said. They can request a vote by mail ballot, they can vote early or they can vote on election day.

Also, the list of acceptable forms of identification was expanded during the most recent session of the Legislature, Corley said. The House and Senate unanimously approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Danny Burgess, of Zephyrhills, and State Sen. John Legg, of Lutz, that expanded the acceptable forms of ID to include a Florida concealed weapon or firearm license, a Veteran Health Identification Card issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and an employee identification card issued by any part of the federal, state, county or municipal government.

If you wish to vote by mail, contact your local supervisor of elections office.

Published April 27, 2016

 

Timing on traffic signals tweaked

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Motorists cruising through the intersection of State Road 54 and U.S. 41 might have noticed some differences in the timing of the traffic signals.

The intervals between green lights and red lights have changed there and also in front of Lowe’s home improvement store off State Road 54.

Not everyone is happy with the change, especially motorists who say they sit through more than one light interval to make a left turn heading south on U.S. 41 to go east on State Road 54.

On the plus side, though, motorists crossing the railroad tracks at the apex where North Dale Mabry Highway and U.S. 41 intersect may be experiencing a clearer path for merging, as they approach State Road 54.

Those observations are correct, according to Florida Department of Transportation officials who explained the changes, via email.

The road officials tweaked traffic signals in an effort to enhance traffic flows and improve safety for motorists navigating through or near State Road 54 and U.S. 41.

About 100,000 vehicles a day go through the intersection.

(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo) Motorists turn left from southbound U.S. 41 onto eastbound State Road 54. State highway officials tweaked the timing of traffic signals to improve traffic flow, but some motorists say they don’t like having to wait through more than light interval to turn left.
Motorists turn left from southbound U.S. 41 onto eastbound State Road 54. State highway officials tweaked the timing of traffic signals to improve traffic flow, but some motorists say they don’t like having to wait through more than light interval to turn left. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

State traffic engineers noted a higher than average number of fender-benders, side swipes and rear-end crashes in recent years as motorists leave North Dale Mabry Highway to merge onto northbound U.S. 41.

Since 2010, a total of 98 accidents occurred in the area where the two roads converge. The most accidents were recorded in 2013, when there were 37 crashes. That was 14 crashes more than the previous year. The number dropped in 2015, but state road officials still recorded 20 wrecks.

With a traffic signal adjustment, vehicles from North Dale Mabry Highway now are less likely to merge at the juncture at the same time as motorists who stop at the light on U.S. 41, outside the Walmart, but otherwise have a long stretch of roadway with no stops.

State engineers also focused on improving traffic flows through State Road 54 and U.S. 41.

They studied signal timings for peak traffic in the morning and afternoon, and at midday. Changes were based in part on higher traffic volumes for westbound traffic versus left turns from U.S. 41.

Complete cycle periods at the intersection generally range from 140 seconds to 190 seconds, depending on peak and off-peak hours. Signals also have sensors that can tweak timing a few seconds based on current traffic conditions.

While some motorists now might wait longer to make a left turn onto State Road 54, they likely will have smooth sailing past the signal at Lowe’s. And, with tweaks, motorists exiting Lowe’s heading west are more likely to get the green light at U.S. 41 where previously they would have been forced to stop.

Looking at midday data, state transportation officials found eastbound traffic could slow because vehicles arrived at Lowe’s just prior to the signal turning green. Now, both eastbound and southbound left turns flow more quickly through the light at Lowe’s.

Published April 27, 2016

 

Converting caps into love, through service project

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The culmination of donations over eight months was quite a sight at Saint Leo University recently.

Dozens of students, faculty and staff gathered on April 18 at the university’s northeast campus parking lot to witness 14 pallets — containing 8,000 pounds of plastic bottle caps — being loaded onto a 53-foot trailer, and sent to Bluegrass Recycling in Kentucky.

This school year, the university collaborated with Caps of Love, a Florida-based, nonprofit organization that recycles three grades of plastic caps and lids that are sold to the Kentucky-based recycling company.

All proceeds from the recycling are used to purchase new and refurbished wheelchairs that are donated to children in the United States with mobility disabilities.

(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo) Students gather to see pallets full of bottle caps loaded onto a 53-foot truck that will send them to a recycling center in Kentucky. They have been collecting caps since August.
Students gather to see pallets full of bottle caps loaded onto a 53-foot truck that will send them to a recycling center in Kentucky. They have been collecting caps since August. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

Since 2014, Caps of Love has provided 32 wheelchairs to people under the age of 21, that are in need.

The charitable organization was founded over nine years ago by Valerie Mathieu of West Palm Beach, and it received its 501 (c) (3) status about four years ago.

After learning about a similar charity overseas, Mathieu figured she’d bring the program to the U.S. She was impressed by both its environmental and humanitarian components.

“It’s primarily an environmental charity and educating children on how to recycle properly—how to identify what is recyclable,” Mathieu said. “Our country is not really good at recycling, so this is an easy way to learn how to recycle and identify the different grades of plastic. …At the same time, we have the humanitarian side where we’re providing wheelchairs for handicapped children in the U.S.”

With many wheelchairs ranging from $5,000 to well over $22,000, the expense is often a financial burden for families with special needs children, Mathieu said.

“Insurance gives them a basic wheelchair, and they only receive wheelchairs every couple of years, so they outgrow it, and it’s up to the parents to just purchase a new one,” Mathieu said, noting her organization will soon give out 70 more wheelchairs. ”We also have a lot of families in this country that do not have insurance, and their children do not get wheelchairs, so that’s where we come in,” Mathieu said.

The program’s simplicity and purpose made it an ideal fit for the university to participate in the philanthropy project, satisfying its ‘community’ core value, said Heidi D’ Ambrosio, senior coordinator for Residence Life.

“We’d have competitions at the (residence) halls of who could collect the most caps,” D’ Ambrosio said. “We’d have sorting events, and we’d spend hours sorting them, because they have to be in three different grades.”

The three grades of plastic caps they recycled were polypropylene No. 5, and polyethylene No. 2 and No. 4 plastic caps, which are valuable in bulk.

“The most important thing is getting the three different grades collected correctly,” Mathieu said. “All three grades have about the same value and are sold by the pound, but when they’re mixed together, they have no value.”

With over 14 collection sites throughout the Saint Leo campus, the program quickly spread through word of mouth, as Greek Life organizations and student affairs staff members got involved.

“It (became) a constant thing that when you have a bottle cap, you put it in the basket,” said Ashley Montas, a freshman criminal justice major. “It’s pretty easy.”

Ryliegh D’ Ambrosio, a freshman psychology major, said the program helped unite the university.

“I feel that it brought sororities and (other) departments all together on campus for a good cause,” she said. “I didn’t realize how many (caps) it was until we finished.”

Community service hours were calculated based on the number of caps brought in. For example, if a student brought in 100 caps, they were rewarded with one service hour, and if they brought in 200 caps, they received two service hours.

“We’d like to continue this because we have so many people now that want to get involved with it,” D’ Ambrosio said.

For more information about Caps of Love, visit CapsOfLove.com.

Published April 27, 2016

Celebrating health care services in Lacoochee

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The Lacoochee Family Health Center, a Premier Community Healthcare Group satellite location, hosted an open house on April 20 to celebrate the location’s first anniversary.

The event was at the Stanley Park Lacoochee Community Center in Dade City.

The center served nearly 400 patients during 2015, according to a news release.

The Lacoochee health center opened in response to a need expressed by the community, said Cheryl Pollock, director of business development for Premier.

Cheryl Pollock is director of business development for Premier Community Healthcare Group, which provides quality, accessible medical care to underserved communities in Pasco County.
Cheryl Pollock is director of business development for Premier Community Healthcare Group, which provides quality, accessible medical care to underserved communities in Pasco County. (Courtesy of Cheryl Pollock)

Premier is dedicated to providing high quality, affordable, accessible medical care to Medicaid/Medicare recipients, uninsured and underserved communities of Pasco County.

Premier provides a full range of comprehensive primary care medical services that include family medicine, pediatrics, dental, behavioral health, obstetrics and gynecology.

The center in Lacoochee was opened in response to the community’s request for more accessible health care, Pollock said. Most of its patients walk to the clinic.

It provides a wide range of services, and it can provide bus passes to help people who need to go to other locations for services it doesn’t provide, Pollock said.

The center in Lacoochee is not funded with grant money, so its operations must be paid for through fundraising efforts, she added.

Statistics for the first year of operations show that 47 percent of patients were on Medicaid, 31 percent were uninsured or opted to self-pay, 12 percent were classified with private insurance, 6 percent were on Medicare, and 4 percent were classified as “other.”

Of those served, 24 percent were under age 17, and the rest were adults.

Also, 37 percent of all patients received services through same-day appointments.

The 600-square-foot clinic is staffed by a nurse, a provider and a clerical worker, Pollock said.

The equipment and furnishings were provided by the Florida Medical Clinic Foundation. The clinic space is also provided for free, through a coalition of community organizations.

The anniversary celebration was held to help draw attention to the center and to encourage more people to take advantage of the availability of primary health care services in the area.

Those attending had a chance to pick up information about health care services and enjoy some refreshments.

Premier Community Healthcare has eight offices throughout Pasco County.

Published April 27, 2016