The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Church uses prayer to help find a building place

By

Grace Community of Wesley Chapel has completed its master site plan and a conceptual floor plan for the first phase of its main church campus, but it must raise additional funds before commencing construction.

The proposed 7,760-square-foot building will seat up to 200 worshippers, and will be constructed on a site of about 20 acres on Boyette Road, just south of Wesley Chapel District Park, said Pastor Jeff Olsen.

The property was acquired by the church in April 2014.

Pastor Jeff Olsen said Grace Community of Wesley Chapel prayed over several sites before finding the place where it will build its permanent home. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Pastor Jeff Olsen said Grace Community of Wesley Chapel prayed over several sites before finding the place where it will build its permanent home.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The church also will provide ample room for a full children’s program on Sunday mornings, and will host a Christian preschool and other programs during the week.

Dykes-Johnson Architects, of Brandon, designed the structure, which features a large cross in the middle of a glass entryway that will lead into the main gathering area.

Future phases have been planned, so the church will be able to grow along with the community surrounding it, Olsen said.

There will be space for fellowship events, outreach ministries, and recreation.

Plans call for a community park that would serve as a place not only for the church’s congregation, but also would be available for neighborhood use.

The building project’s theme is “Reaching Beyond Ourselves,” which reflects the desire to extend God’s love beyond the church walls and to make a difference in the local community, Olsen said.

The project is expected to cost about $1.2 million, in addition to the $430,000 the church already paid to secure the land.

The congregation currently meets at Wesley Chapel Elementary School, 30243 Wells Road, so its new home will be close by.

Its worship service includes traditional and contemporary Christian music, a Biblical message, and an interactive children’s program it calls “Grace Harbor” for children, from 3 months old to age 11.

Finding the site for the church was no simple feat, said Olsen, who has led Grace Community since its inception in April 2006.

Grace Community initially met at Kids R Kids preschool in Meadow Pointe, then moved to Wiregrass Ranch High School and now meets at Wesley Chapel Elementary.

“The hardest thing in a growing area, believe it or not, is finding places to meet,” Olsen said. “We asked 25 different places if we could meet,” he said, including restaurants, clubhouses and schools.

Although meeting in a temporary space has served the church, there was a desire to find a permanent home.

“Portable church — you know, setting up, taking down — is a great way to connect with people. You focus on ministry, outreach, community, in the early years. But over time, it creates some fatigue and some limits for growth,” Olsen said.

“So, we felt in order to set up something that was healthy and fruitful for the future, that we would look for a property.

“Boy, was that hard,” Olsen said.

The church began by praying for a new place to call home.

“We virtually canvassed every available plot,” the pastor said. “We had a 20-point checklist.

“This is what we want.: Ingress and egress. All utilities. No flood zones. High and dry. Clear and ready to build.

“This was the only one (site). We had looked for years and never found even five good acres on a paved road in Wesley Chapel.

“We held a prayer tour, where we went and prayed at various locations within the community, asking God, if he wanted our ministry to focus in a particular area that we would find a location.

“We prayed for property near the PHSC (Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch) property, if God wanted us to do college ministry.

“We prayed for property in Meadow Pointe, if God wanted us to do residential. We prayed for property on (State Road) 54, where there would be kind of the business (focus). I was involved in the chamber of commerce.

“And then we prayed for property up in the Wells Road and Boyette, where there were schools and a park,” Olsen said.

“That was the door that God opened. We prayed over a broad group of properties, and it was where we were meant to be,” Olsen said.

“We prayed. God provided a contract. We need to get it in cash. On our last day, we received $41,000, on the last day before we had to opt out,” Olsen said.

The building committee has cleared old agricultural fences and made the property usable.

“We’ve had prayer meetings. We’ve had some sports activities out there,” Olsen said.

The church hopes to raise $850,000 by Jan. 6, which is Epiphany, in order to have the first phase of the church ready for use by next fall.

“If we don’t have the money, we wait. If we have the money, we move forward.

“God is preparing a place for us, and he’s also preparing us for the place,” Olsen said.

For more information, call Pastor Jeff Olsen at (813) 994-9363, or visit ExploreGrace.com.

Published October 7, 2015

Teacher says technology is ‘great equalizer’

By

If Woodland Elementary teacher Bobbi Starling had it her way, every child would have access to the kinds of technology her students use.

“The technology in my room does not represent what is school-wide. The other classrooms have one iPad for the whole classroom,” said Starling, who earlier this year was named one of 100 teachers nationwide as a PBS Digital Innovator.

From left, Kaitlyn Gard, Isabelle Hicks, William Poe and Bryce Beson use traditional and digital tools during a science lesson about adaptation. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
From left, Kaitlyn Gard, Isabelle Hicks, William Poe and Bryce Beson use traditional and digital tools during a science lesson about adaptation.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

Woodland Elementary, which has an enrollment of roughly 1,000, is a Title 1 school, meaning that it serves children living in an area with high rates of poverty.

“The PTAs in communities with higher socioeconomics provide the equipment the schools can’t provide,” said Starling, who has been able to equip her classroom by securing grants.

She believes technology levels the playing field in education.

“I think it’s the great equalizer. They (students) get to experience a lot of things they normally would not have access to,” Starling said.

“We do virtual field trips,” said Starling, who also was selected by PBS as one of the nation’s 30 lead digital innovators.

Starling incorporates digital tools in every aspect of her teaching.

In science, for instance, the students use electronic notebooks as well as traditional notebooks.

Her lessons combine instruction from Starling, as well as information from videos that play on each student’s computer.

Children wear ear pods, as they listen to the videos to gather needed information to answer questions.

And, as they work through the lesson, students record what they’re learning in their science notebooks.

They cut and paste the old-fashioned way, using scissors to trim worksheets and glue sticks to paste them into their notebooks.

They move with ease, from traditional to digital.

Technology gives children access to a much broader frame of reference than traditional textbooks.

And, when there’s a glitch or a question, Starling is right there to help.

Besides engaging the students in the classroom at her Zephyrhills school, Starling also spends considerable time before and after school preparing to deliver instruction.

“I try to make it personalized for the kids. I try to figure out what they’re missing and then try to fill those gaps. They’re kind of like Swiss cheese, and I’m trying to fill the holes — and the holes are not the same for every kid in every subject. They are all so different.

“So, to really try to pinpoint what they need and then get something (to fill the gap), takes a long time,” Starling said.

Bryce Beson and Bobby Hilton listen to a video through their ear pods during a science class in Bobbi Starling’s class at Woodland Elementary. Starling wishes all children had the same kind of access to technology as the students in her classroom have.
Bryce Beson and Bobby Hilton listen to a video through their ear pods during a science class in Bobbi Starling’s class at Woodland Elementary. Starling wishes all children had the same kind of access to technology as the students in her classroom have.

She customizes instruction. Some children may be reading for one purpose, while others are reading for another.

“It depends upon what their goal is, and what they are working on at the time and what they need,” Starling said.

Besides obtaining grants, Starling’s classroom is involved in a district pilot of an engineering program called “Project Lead the Way.”

Her selection as a lead digital innovator by PBS enabled her to attend an all-expense paid summit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she enjoyed luxurious accommodations and great food, while enhancing her digital know-how.

She also had the opportunity to attend some sessions at the International Society for Technology in Education conference. And, she has access to premium content from PBS.

For “Project Lead the Way,” Starling went down to Florida Gulf Coast University, where she spent a week in the dorms, again, adding to her tech savvy.

Starling is obviously passionate about her work.

Her interest in becoming a teacher dates back to when she was just age 5.

“I had a teacher that I fell in love with in kindergarten,” she said. “I just loved being there.”

She believes that new educational standards, commonly referred to as Common Core, benefit both students and teachers.

“I think that it definitely helps them (students) to become college ready, and I actually think that it really focuses the instruction (for teachers),” Starling said.

Teachers can look at the standards children are expected to achieve and plan how they are going to get them there, she said.

The culture at Woodland Elementary promotes a college education for every child.

“They go to a different college campus every year, from the time they are in kindergarten,” Starling said. “For a lot of the kids at Woodland, they might be the first kid in their family to get to college.”

And, while the teacher believes that new education standards are beneficial, she also realizes that the transition may not be easy.

Children beginning kindergarten with the new standards in place will have an easier time than fifth-graders who are facing new expectations, she said.

For older students, she said, “not only do you have to teach that year of standards, but you have to go back and fill in, and make sure that they’ve got the standards that they missed before it became Common Core,” Starling said.

Starling applauds the idea of adding standards for speaking, listening and technology.

“Most of the jobs that these kids will be competing for have not even been invented yet. I definitely think that they need the 21st century learning skills. Collaboration is going to be big. They’re going to have to be pretty techie,” Starling said.

As a teacher, Starling hopes her students will realize “that learning is fun — and that they should be lifelong learners, that every day they should be learning something new.”

She also hopes parents understand that they can turn to her if they need help in supporting their child’s education.

“Sometimes, I’m not sure that they’re aware of what’s available, or what’s out there, or how to help them (their children).

“I guess my message to them would be if they needed anything, whether it was resources, information or just extra time, that I could meet with parents and kids one-on-one,” Starling said.

While teachers do not command the kind of salary often enjoyed by those in other professions, Starling has not been tempted to leave teaching.

“The pay is there for me. It’s not monetary pay – but the pay you get in changing lives, making kids realize if they can dream it, they can do it.

“I am excited every day,” Starling said.

Published October 7, 2015

Yoga sessions for babies and adults

By

The sessions that Eric and Erin Wheeler lead at the New Tampa Regional Library are aimed at creating a safe space where children and adults can interact, and learn techniques to promote good health.

The couple, who operates Lucky Cat Yoga, based in Seminole Heights, leads yoga sessions throughout Tampa Bay.

At the New Tampa library branch, they lead a half-hour class, once a month.

The class includes baby massage, songs and dance, stretching exercises and other activities.

“It’s all about creating community,” Erin Wheeler said. “It’s about allowing a safe space for the caregivers to go to be able to meet other people with children around the same age.

“It’s the same opportunity for the children — to meet and socialize,” she said.

A group of 26 adults and children do a morning stretch at the beginning of the session. Erin and Eric Wheeler lead the Parent, Baby and Yoga class. Despite its name, the class is intended for babies and their caregivers, whether they are parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or others, Erin Wheeler said. (Steven C. Hollingshead/Photo)
A group of 26 adults and children do a morning stretch at the beginning of the session. Erin and Eric Wheeler lead the Parent, Baby and Yoga class. Despite its name, the class is intended for babies and their caregivers, whether they are parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or others, Erin Wheeler said.
(Steven C. Hollingshead/Photo)

And, both children and adults get a chance to learn from each other, she added.

It’s not a typical yoga class.

“We do song and dance, movement,” Wheeler said.

Most classes attract a mix of people. Some have been there before, while others are new to the class.

The class is paid for by The Friends of the New Tampa Regional Library, and is offered for free to participants.

The class offers children a chance to do something interactive and healthy, Wheeler said.

“It puts them on a track — that a lot of us didn’t have as children — for optimum health and wellness, through this kind of holistic art,” she said.

Wheeler said the class also is presented at the Lutz Branch Library once a month.

To find out when the next class will be at the New Tampa and Lutz libraries, visit the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library system’s website at THPL.org.

Published October 7, 2015

Local groups benefit from Guv’na cash grab

By

The candidates running for Lutz Guv’na spent months with their hands out.

The person who raised the most money was declared the winner of the ceremonial title, so they were all focused on filling their coffers throughout their campaigns.

Over the Fourth of July weekend, Jennifer Rankin was declared the winner and earned the Lutz Guv’na sash. But, the real winners were announced Oct. 1 at Learning Gate Community School, 16215 Hanna Road in Lutz.

After raising more than $18,000 over the course of the campaign, it was time to hand that money out to nearly 20 worthy organizations.

As candidates, KarenSue Molis, left, and Guv'na Jennifer Rankin helped raise more than $18,000 for area groups. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
As candidates, KarenSue Molis, left, and Guv’na Jennifer Rankin helped raise more than $18,000 for area groups.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

The funds raised went to local groups, and last week’s event allowed each of them to pick up a check to help them with their goals.

For the Lutz Patriots and Support the Troops, that means more care packages going to soldiers overseas.

For the Old Lutz School, it means continuing improvements, which include remodeled bathrooms and a new, lighted flagpole.

And, for the Lutz/Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, it means taking all of their money and helping out other local groups.

“We always give it away,” said Kay Taylor, president of the GFWC Lutz/Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club. This year the club’s Guv’na money went to Boy Scout Troop 12 and the Old Lutz School. The club spends much of the year raising its own funds to help others.

Being part of the Lutz Guv’na race is special for the group and for Taylor, who was a previous candidate herself.

“It’s a feeling of community. It’s a wonderful thing. You’re just thankful to be part of it,” she said.

The club runs its own Guv’na candidate each year, and even though KarenSue Molis didn’t win the title, she was all smiles at the distribution ceremony and happy to have been involved in the fundraising process.

“It was really fun,” she said. “The camaraderie was great.”

A portion of her funds will go to groups such as the Lutz Branch Library, the Old Lutz School, and Canine Companions, which provides assistance dogs to people in need.

Attendees such as Bruce Hockensmith of the Lutz Patriots appreciate the funds they received.

“It’s been phenomenal, the support that we continue to get,” he said.

The Lutz Patriots works with Support the Troops, and the money will go toward postage costs to send the care packages across the globe, which can run around $55 each. It’s a lot of money, but Hockensmith said the feeling soldiers get when they see a package — and know they haven’t been forgotten — is worth every penny.

And, they remember where it came from, too.

“There are troops all around the globe that have heard the Lutz name,” he said.

For Rankin, winning the title meant handing out the money, shaking hands and taking photos with grateful recipients. It also meant, like all candidates, designating 10 percent of what she raised to the cause of her choice.

Rankin picked the Steinbrenner High School cheerleaders, noting her stepdaughter was a part of the group when she attended the school.

This was Rankin’s way of giving back to them, and helping them fund a trip to their national competition if they qualify.

The third candidate, Cheryl Lynn Ayres, wasn’t at the event, but it was announced that Boy Scout and Cub Scout Troop 212 would be the recipient of her designated funds.

Now that the money has been distributed, the reigning Guv’na will go about her ceremonial duties, which includes attending events, cutting ribbons and spreading Guv’na good cheer when she gets an invite from a local group.

And, Rankin hopes it will be a busy year.

“I am so excited. I hope that people ask me to come to stuff. I hope they invite me to be there to represent what we all worked hard to achieve by raising money,” she said.

Published October 7, 2015

Planting seeds for food policies

By

TreeCommunity gardens, backyard chickens, food deserts and agricultural tourism are on a short list of future policy ideas a citizen’s advisory council will tackle in Pasco County.

The Pasco County Food Policy Advisory Council met on Sept. 30, in its second meeting since the Pasco County Commission appointed nine panel members in June.

Pasco County is the only county with an active food policy council in the Tampa Bay region, according to county officials.

Statewide, similar councils exist only in Duval, Miami-Dade and Orange counties.

The group’s first goal is to complete a food assessment to identify resources, needs and challenges within Pasco’s food production and delivery system. Members also are working on a draft of an urban agricultural ordinance to recommend to Pasco County commissioners.

Regulations for community gardens, backyard chickens and beekeeping could be part of the proposed ordinance.

“It gives an opportunity for citizens to have a voice, and a powerful voice,” said Dell DeChant, who encouraged county officials to create the advisory council. “They (food policy councils) are at the cutting edge right now of agriculture in the nation.”

Others who helped establish the council were Kathryn Starkey, a member of the Pasco County Commission; Todd Engala, a planner for Pasco County; Deanna Krautner of Pasco County Department of Health; Travis Morehead, a farmer and business owner; and Whitney Elmore, director of Pasco County Extension.

In the past, agriculture meant big corporate farms, but there has been a shift in recent years to agricultural activities that are small, local and often urban, said DeChant, a professor at the University of South Florida.

As the council moves forward, the long-range goal is to develop policies to improve access to “culturally appropriate, nutritionally sound and affordable food produced in Pasco County,” according to a mission statement.

The council will have a public workshop on Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. until noon, at the West Pasco County Government Center in New Port Richey. Council members will review five urban agricultural ordinances including ones adopted by New Port Richey, Dade City and Boston, with a goal of recommending a draft ordinance for adoption by Pasco County commissioners in 2016.

General meetings will be held quarterly.

Members have a range of issues to review.

Some municipalities, including Tampa, allow residents to raise backyard chickens, with restrictions on how many can be kept.

The idea of having chickens in residential neighborhoods may not appeal to everyone, but it is an idea that Morehead hears frequently.

“There’s more people looking for backyard chickens than anything in this area,” he said. “I think it’s important to at least present it, even if it gets shot down.”

The issue of backyard chickens could be crafted as a stand-alone ordinance.

The issue of food deserts also will be addressed.

Food deserts are areas where residents lack access to grocery stores, farmers’ markets or places where fresh, healthy food choices are available.

Lester Cypher, chief executive officer of The Volunteer Way, provided the council members with a map locating 10 food deserts in Pasco. He founded his nonprofit food bank more than 20 years ago.

“We’re looking for areas to expand (food delivery),” Cypher said. He has had discussions with Publix representatives about purchasing boxes of food that the grocery store chain could deliver for distribution.

Another possibility would be mobile food pantry trucks if county regulations allowed that, he said.

Farmer’s markets also are likely to get attention.

Trina Messano, marketing director for M.O.M’s Friday Night Market in New Port Richey, told council members about the obstacles people face when trying to get permits to have farmer’s markets.

The county doesn’t have a category for them, and they can end up classified as flea markets.

“We need more clear guidelines,” Messano said. “There are no real guidelines for what they need to do.”

Published October 7, 2015

Sharing the tradition of southern cooking

By

I grew up with southern cooks.

My mother hailed from Maysville, Georgia, and my father was born in Fort Myers, with a maternal side hailing from the Panhandle.

My father always claimed to be “more southern” than my mother, because he was born farther south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Sandy Graves, a resident of Land O’ Lakes, is active in numerous community efforts, including the push to bring an outdoor stage to the Land O’ Lakes Community Park. The stage is expected to be built in 2016.
Sandy Graves, a resident of Land O’ Lakes, is active in numerous community efforts, including the push to bring an outdoor stage to the Land O’ Lakes Community Park. The stage is expected to be built in 2016.

One of the things I observed through the years is that much southern cooking doesn’t involve using a recipe. Instead, it is passed down, as one cook shows another how to make a dish.

In my family, that’s true of such things as collard greens, dumplings, cornbread — and anything that’s fried.

Of course, there’s no such thing as a southern vegetable without including a ham hock, ham bone or some salt pork.

Indeed, every part of the hog can find its way into southern cooking.

My great-grandmother made some of the best “cracklin’ ” (fried pork skin) cornbread you’ve ever tasted, and I could go on and on with stories about our family’s southern culinary delights.

One of my favorite southern meals includes collard greens and ham hocks.

I am fortunate to have a neighbor who grows collard greens in his backyard, and every year we have the mandatory New Year’s Day meal of ham, collard greens, rice, black-eyed peas and stewed tomatoes. The collard greens and black-eyed peas are for luck and money.

Here’s my recipe for collard greens and ham hocks.

Collard Greens and Ham Hocks

4 pounds collard greens (best if cut fresh from the garden)

2 precooked smoked ham hocks (a Honey Baked ham bone is a nice substitute, if cooking more collards)

2 teaspoons sugar

Salt and pepper, to taste

Water

Rinse your greens several times under cold water to remove dirt or sand. After cleaning the greens, remove the leaf from the stem in strips — using your hands or kitchen scissors.

Place collards in Dutch oven and cover with water. Add sugar.

If all of the greens do not fit, just add more greens, as they boil down.

Place ham hocks on top and heat water to boiling, and then reduce to simmer.

Cover greens and continue to simmer for about 1 hour, until greens are tender.

Stir your greens often, and keep sufficient water level, so all the collards simmer.

About halfway through cooking, add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with ham, rice and black-eyed peas and cornbread.

(Those who like additional seasoning can add some pepper sauce, to taste, once the meal has been served).

By Sandy Graves

Published October 7, 2015

Reaching out to help a friend

By

They are unlikely friends.

She is 63 and he is 24.

She lives in New Tampa, and he lives in Roatan, Honduras.

But Sally Hillman and William Brown-Santos have a friendship that transcends their ages and backgrounds, and now, Hillman is trying to help her friend.

Hillman and her husband, Dave, met Brown-Santos about seven years ago when the couple was taking a shore excursion off a cruise ship at the port of Roatan, Honduras.

They had visited a park to see the monkeys and parrots, and Brown-Santos was their tour guide.

Hillman felt an instant connection.

“He was so pleasant, and knowledgeable and funny,” she said.

Sally Hillman and William Brown-Santos pose behind Hillman’s New Tampa residence. Hillman is trying to help Brown-Santos find treatment to restore as much movement as possible to his right arm and hand. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Sally Hillman and William Brown-Santos pose behind Hillman’s New Tampa residence. Hillman is trying to help Brown-Santos find treatment to restore as much movement as possible to his right arm and hand.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

At the end of the tour, Hillman approached Brown-Santos to let him know she would like to stay in touch. He gave her his contact information, but since he’s in the habit of shortening his last name to Brown, the letter she sent didn’t reach him.

About six months later, Hillman and her husband made the same cruise, this time taking the trip with her son and his friend.

While there, she overheard Brown-Santos’ voice, and they reconnected. This time, the connection stuck.

They began corresponding, then texting and sending messages via Facebook.

A couple of years later, Hillman went to Honduras again, this time with her daughter. They had the chance to spend time with Brown-Santos’ family.

All along, Hillman felt that Brown-Santos had been put in her life for a reason.

Then, on Feb. 9, she received a frantic call from Brown-Santos’ mother.

He had been driving his motorcycle at a high rate of speed, had skirted around a car parked on a curb, and ran head-on into a motorcyclist.

At the scene, he was choking on his own blood, until a friend intervened.

Brown-Santos’ injuries are severe.

He still can’t move his right arm and can barely move the first three fingers in his right hand. He lives with excruciating pain.

Hillman felt compelled to help.

She reached out to Dr. Michael Craven, a long-time chiropractor in Land O’ Lakes, where she used to live and who had treated her in the past.

She said she knew Craven to be a good man.

Craven said she talked to his wife and asked her if he would help, as a humanitarian, Christian gesture.

Craven agreed to help.

“When you see something in the community that touches your heart, and you have the opportunity to reach out and do something about it, that’s pretty much why we got involved,” Craven said.

So, Hillman set out to bring Brown-Santos to the United States.

That turned out to be much more complicated than expected. It took six months for Brown-Santos to get a visa.

He arrived on Aug. 18.

The next day, they went to see Craven.

After examining Brown-Santos, the chiropractor knew that there wasn’t a simple treatment plan for the injuries.

“It was just discouraging from that moment,” Hillman said.

Craven ordered an MRI from Rose Radiology, who discounted the rate for the case, and Craven picked up the rest of the expense, Hillman said.

They got the MRI results. The result was a torn labrum. It’s called a SLAP lesion, which stands for superior labrum, anterior, posterior.

Next, they went to Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

“I told them the whole story,” Hillman said.

They examined Brown-Santos and consulted with the orthopedic surgeon on call.

Hillman and Brown-Santos did a follow-up appointment with the orthopedic surgeon.

“He’s fearful that this is permanent. He’s referred us to a neurologist,
Hillman said.

That news hit her hard.

“I’m crying in the doctor’s office,” Hillman said. “I didn’t walk away with an optimistic view. That’s why I cried.”

The appointment with the neurologist, which was Sept. 25, involved another test to find out the extent of the damage.

“That will help to determine how severe the injuries are, and what possible steps could be taken,” Hillman said.

If surgery is required, Craven hopes an orthopedic surgeon will step forward to volunteer to handle the case. He doesn’t think a Go Fund Me account will raise a sufficient amount to cover those costs.
Brown-Santos is grateful for the help he’s received so far, and he’s prepared to face any outcome.

“It’s a blessing. It’s the first time in life somebody tried to do something nice for me,” Brown-Santos said.

“If I can get better, I’ll be the happiest man in the world. If not, that’s God’s plan, and I just have to live with that. I really truly believe in God. So, I’m just going to keep praying and have faith that everything can work for the good.

“If he doesn’t heal me, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t love me.

“I’m going to just leave it in God’s hands,” Brown-Santos said.

Want to help? Go to William’s Recovery Fund at GoFundMe.com/mj3g9k7h.

Published September 30, 2015

Still no answer for sky-high water bills

By

Some residents with unexplainably high water fees will have to wait a bit longer to learn what, if any, adjustments will be made on their bills.

Pasco County commissioners first must decide how to amend existing rules regarding how the county issues credited refunds in cases involving a sudden spike in water usage that defies explanation.

The county’s water department has recommended that customers in these cases would receive credits of as much as 50 percent, as a one-time only adjustment.

But, some commissioners wanted to slash bills even more after hearing from upset customers at their Sept. 22 meeting.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells was ready to “zero out” at least one customer’s bill for more than $3,300. “We have an opportunity to do it right.”

However, Pasco County Attorney Jeffery Steinsnyder reminded commissioners that the county is banned from giving away the water it buys from Tampa Bay Water Authority.

Chairman Ted Schrader said the rules should be changed for all before granting relief in any one case. “You’re asking ratepayers to subsidize their bills,” he said.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano said the water department’s plan fell short.

“I’d like to see them brought down to what a normal bill would be,” Mariano said.

In the next weeks, county officials plan to set a public hearing for adopting a revised ordinance.

An audit by the county’s inspector general’s office recently reviewed more than 300 cases where customers were billed for higher than average water usages. They could qualify for refunds in cases of billing errors or leaks. But the county’s rules don’t cover the rare situations where the high water usage is a mystery.

Louise Gritmon, who received that bill for more than $3,300, would be satisfied with paying her usual amount of around $40 a month.

Under the water department’s recommendation, her bill would only be cut to about $1,600.

“I’m going to keep fighting this,” Gritmon said.

Ramona Nelson also challenged her bill for more than $562. Her monthly bills also run about $40, or slightly higher.

Nelson said there were no broken pipes or leaks, and no repairs needed at her home. “I want my money back,” Nelson said.

She has gotten a partial credit from the county, but still owes more than $360.

The county billed Gritmon and her husband in July 2014 for using 614,000 gallons of water over 18 days when their house was vacant.

Gritmon maintains no leaks were found, and engineers have told her it is impossible for that much water to flow through her water meter in that time frame. It would be the equivalent of consuming about 5 million plastic bottles of water, Gritmon told commissioners.

“I don’t disagree that it’s mind-boggling,” said Pasco County Utilities Director Bruce Kennedy after the commissioners’ meeting. But, he added, “I don’t know that there were any mistakes.”

He pointed to the audit’s findings that the county’s water meters were tested and found accurate. Kennedy also said he had to apply existing rules in determining refunds.

It was Gritmon’s complaint last year that prompted the eight-month audit.

While the audit found the meters worked properly, the report also found deficiencies in the county’s meter reading and billing procedures. There also were problems with software for a new automated system, inaccessible meters and inconsistent readings.

The audit looked at water bills issued between June 1, 2014, and April 15, 2015. Of 337 accounts reviewed by the county, 317, including Gritmon’s and Nelson’s, had from one to six bills that exceeded 120 percent of the annual average charge.

Following the commissioners’ meeting, Kennedy walked over to Gritmon and offered an apology for the drawn-out process.

Gritmon said she appreciated the gesture.

“Better late than never.”

Published September 30, 2015

Vision still needed for Wiregrass sports complex

By

Pasco County commissioners were introduced to a study that recommends building a multi-use indoor sports complex on parkland near The Shops at Wiregrass.

But a more in-depth review between the Tourism Development Council and the commissioners will have to wait for a public workshop slated for late October or early November.

At the Sept. 22 commissioners’ meeting, Charlie Johnson, president of Chicago-based Johnson Consulting Co., spent a few minutes going over the firm’s report, officially released in August.

“Economically, you’re healthy,” Johnson told commissioners. “I think it’s (indoor facility) very positive and trends are very supportive of this.”

In addition to the indoor complex, ball fields also would be built outdoors, but the focus, at least initially, would be on such indoor sports as volleyball, basketball, wrestling, cheerleading and martial arts.

Johnson cited facilities in Round Rock, Texas, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, as examples of municipalities with successful indoor facilities.

The Porter family donated more than 200 acres near the Wiregrass mall in 2012 with a stipulation that if a sports complex didn’t happen, then a park would be developed.

But, just what to put on the land has eluded the county ever since.

Last year, a proposal from Pasco Sports LLC, a partnership between James Talton and former major league baseball player Gary Sheffield, fell apart over financial issues. The project would have included a youth baseball camp, with 20 ball fields and on-site dormitories.

The feasibility study, however, dismisses baseball as a good option.

“This site is very attractive. The market is robust enough to support some type of facility.” Johnson said. “But, baseball and soccer are really quite built-out throughout the state.”

The study suggests that Pasco would be competing, for instance, with a $27 million complex proposed in Seminole County. The complex would include 15 ball fields for baseball, softball, soccer and lacrosse.

Within the past week, a proposal to build an Atlanta Braves training facility in St. Petersburg has emerged. The project also would include a youth baseball component. The Gary Sheffield Sports Foundation is one of the partners in the project with the Atlanta Braves.

Some commissioners have suggested that the Porter family has concerns about the feasibility study.

“I think there is going to be some negative feelings on this by the Porters,” said Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano.

Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker said she had spoken with family members, and they would be invited to participate in the upcoming workshop.

“We’re committed to a very engaged and active dialogue,” Baker said.

Published September 30, 2015

Stepping into the world of dementia

By

The tourists sat waiting for instructions.

They filled out forms. They answered questions. Then, they began putting on special equipment.

They put ridged plastic insoles into their shoes.

They put on plastic gloves for protection and a different outer glove for each hand.

Then, they stepped up a few steps into a dim room, where they donned special headphones and glasses.

Next, they were asked to perform a list of tasks.

People wait to experience ‘The Virtual Dementia Tour.’ When taking the tour, they wear gloves, headphones and glasses, and walk on ridged plastic insoles in their shoes in an experience that simulates impacts of dementia. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)
People wait to experience ‘The Virtual Dementia Tour.’ When taking the tour, they wear gloves, headphones and glasses, and walk on ridged plastic insoles in their shoes in an experience that simulates impacts of dementia.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

Through the headphones they heard recordings of chatter and continual noises. The glasses obscured their vision.

It didn’t take long to discover that the experiences on this “Virtual Dementia Tour” were disorienting and frustrating.

“I felt lost. I really felt lost,” Grace Walker said. “You can’t see, you can’t hear. You’re mixed up,” said the woman who works in housekeeping at American House Zephyrhills, on Pretty Pond Road.

That’s understandable, said Glen Scharfeld, a senior care specialist and owner of Senior Helpers, based in Spring Hill.

His company brought a mobile Virtual Dementia Tour to American House Zephyrhills last week.

The Virtual Dementia Tour was created by P.K. Beville, a geriatric specialist, as her postgraduate work. It is a scientifically proven method that builds sensitivity and awareness in individuals caring for those with dementia by temporarily altering participants’ physical and sensory abilities.

The tour is designed to simulate:

  • Loss of auditory interpretation and increased confusion
  • Loss of central and peripheral vision
  • Loss of sensory nerves and fine motor skills
  • Onset of arthritis and neuropathy

Beville donated the program to Second Wind Dreams, which has provided the experience worldwide.

An estimated 44.4 million people worldwide, including 5.2 million Americans, are living with dementia, the Second Wind Dream’s website reports.

This mobile unit is rigged to give people an opportunity to experience the impacts of dementia. The idea is to promote greater awareness, sensitivity and empathy for caregivers of people experiencing dementia.
This mobile unit is rigged to give people an opportunity to experience the impacts of dementia. The idea is to promote greater awareness, sensitivity and empathy for caregivers of people experiencing dementia.

“The Virtual Dementia Tour is designed to emulate mid-level dementia,” Scharfeld said.

“We provide this education to the community, to families, family caregivers. The reason we’re here is that there are caregivers here who deal with dementia every day. It’s designed to promote empathy and for people to understand what people are going through,” he added.

The experience helps people step inside the shoes of individuals who are living with dementia.

“We’re here to help you empathize with them and be patient with them,” Scharfeld said, as he chatted with some staff members from American House Zephyrhills, who had just completed the tour.

“We age. We get older. Our senses start to diminish. With dementia, it’s a whole different ballgame. What you’ve got to realize is that the brain, the brain cells are depleted in the different areas of the brain,” Scharfeld said.

“It takes the most recent memories, and they’re gone.

“People don’t remember stuff that just happened. They may remember their daughter as 30 years ago.

“They may think that they’re 30 years younger than they are. They won’t believe when they look in the mirror. It’s like, ‘Who is that? Who is that?’ You say, ‘That’s you.’ And they’ll say, ‘That’s not me. That’s an old lady,” he said.

Scharfeld is a retired law enforcement officer, who worked in Hillsborough County. He used to encounter people with dementia when responding to calls.

“I didn’t know that when I was running code to a burglary in progress, (it was) because a lady saw herself in the slider. She thought there’s somebody out there.

“Or, they’ll think the people on the TV are actually in the house,” Scharfeld said.

The sounds coming through the headphones enable those on the tour to experience the kind of confusion that people with dementia have in processing information.

“The person is sitting there. They’re confused. Some caregivers think, if I talk louder, they’re going to get it.

It’s not the hearing. It’s the processing,” Scharfeld said.

“They hear bits and fragments. That’s why they do crazy stuff. You ask someone to something, and they wind up doing something else,” he said. “The caregiver gets mad and frustrated.”

“We’re here to promote to you, empathy,” Scharfeld said.

The Virtual Dementia Tour has spread to 17 different countries, he said.

“What we did is, we took it mobile,” he said. “We basically have a house on wheels. We’re independently owned. This is our rig.

“I wanted to bring it to the community,” he said.

To find out more about future stops on the tour, call (352) 835-7191.

Published September 30, 2015