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Land O’ Lakes soccer team gears up for the world stage

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The Land O’ Lakes Special Olympics soccer team recently traveled to Indianapolis to begin preparing for its appearance in the 2015 Special Olympics Summer World Games.

The soccer team claimed the gold at the Special Olympics Florida State Summer Games in May, and found out on July 21 that they would trek to represent Team USA at the games in Los Angeles.

Ordray Smith plays with intensity during a scrimmage in Indianapolis, as the Land O’ Lakes High Special Olympics soccer team prepares to compete in the 2015 Special Olympics Summer World Games. (Courtesy of Land O' Lakes High School)
Ordray Smith plays with intensity during a scrimmage in Indianapolis, as the Land O’ Lakes High Special Olympics soccer team prepares to compete in the 2015 Special Olympics Summer World Games. (Courtesy of Land O’ Lakes High School)

The team competes in Division 2 soccer, with seven athletes on each side of the ball. It is a unified team, meaning there are four Special Olympics athletes playing along with three partners, who are there to provide help and support.

The Land O’ Lakes team will join thousands of Special Olympics athletes from 170 nations to compete for international medals. The games include 21 Olympic-style sports.

To help prepare for the competition, the team headed to Indianapolis in early October to begin training for the games, and to get a feel for what the schedule will be like in Los Angeles, said Vicky King, the team’s coach. The training camp in Indianapolis included 352 athletes and 96 coaches from across the United States.

While there, the team received Team USA gear from Finish Line, practiced their soccer skills, scrimmaged against other teams, toured the NCAA Hall of Fame, attended the Circle City Parade and the Circle City Classic football game, and visited the Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

The World Games are scheduled from July 25 to Aug. 2.

While the team is gearing up for the competition, it’s also involved in fundraising efforts. There will be a Champions Breakfast Nov. 7 at the Academy of Culinary Arts building at Land O’ Lakes High School to raise money to support the team’s trip to the World Games. No tickets are available for this week’s fundraiser breakfast, but efforts are ongoing to raise the $35,000 the team needs to make the trip to Los Angeles, King said.

Anyone who has any questions can email King at .

Anyone who wishes to contribute can send a check payable to Special Olympics Pasco, attention Vicky King, Land O’ Lakes High School, 20325 Gator Lane, Land O’ Lakes, FL 34638.

Published November 5, 2014

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Downtown St. Petersburg offers attractions galore for visitors

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The holidays are approaching, and that means relatives may be visiting to share family traditions.

It’s also the season when Florida, with its sunshine and mild winters, attracts an influx of friends and family escaping bone-chilling weather in other locales.

The Museum of Fine Arts in downtown St. Petersburg boasts a collection of artworks dating from the antiquities to modern day. The collection includes a wide array of works from acclaimed artists such as Monet, Cezanne, Renoir, Gauguin, O’Keeffe and Wyath. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
The Museum of Fine Arts in downtown St. Petersburg boasts a collection of artworks dating from the antiquities to modern day. The collection includes a wide array of works from acclaimed artists such as Monet, Cezanne, Renoir, Gauguin, O’Keeffe and Wyath. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The prospect of finding something to do that will appeal to people of all ages and interests can prove daunting. But downtown St. Petersburg is a great place to go to find something to see or do for practically everyone.

Here’s a sampler of some the attractions awaiting you across Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg.

Just to note, before heading to any of these spots, be sure to pick up downtown guides and brochures, and check websites for potential discounts. The savings can be substantial.

Chihuly Collection presented by Morean Arts Center
If you enjoy beautiful glasswork, you’re likely to fall in love with this stunning permanent collection by Dale Chihuly.

The 10,000-square-foot setting located at 400 Beach Drive N.E., features Chihuly’s colorful glassworks ranging from a Persian Sunset Wall to a Ruby Red Icicle Chandelier.

Visitors can learn more about Chihuly’s life as an artist and about the creative process that yields the works on exhibit during a presentation, which runs continuously, in a small theater in the space.

The store, which does not require museum admission, offers a variety of related merchandise and original works for purchase.

It’s open daily, except Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Museum of Fine Arts
Located at 255 Beach Drive N.E., in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, this museum offers an art collection that extends from antiquity to the present day.

Highlights include works by Monet, Cezanne, Renoir, Gauguin, O’Keeffe, Wyath and other acclaimed artists.

Besides its collection, the museum offers an array of special events, has a museum store, and a café.

Museum admission is not required to dine at the MFA Café.

Open daily, except Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The Dali
Step into the surreal world of Salvador Dali at The Dali, the largest collection of Dali’s works outside of Spain.

The collection, located at 1 Dali Blvd., includes more than 2,100 Dali paintings, prints, sculptures and drawings.

Café Gala is inside the museum.

400 Beach Seafood & Tap House
Visitors to downtown St. Petersburg will find plenty of places to enjoy a meal and relax. This restaurant, at 400 Beach Drive N.E., serves coastal cuisine, has indoor and outdoor dining, and serves lunch and dinner daily.

It also has valet parking and is pet friendly.

Parkshore Grill
This restaurant at 300 Beach Drive N.E., also features indoor and outdoor seating. It serves lunch and dinner, offering fine food, wine and spirits.

It has a Saturday and Sunday brunch.

The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club
If you enjoy interesting architecture, this 1920s Mediterranean Revival hotel at 501 Fifth Ave. N.E., provides plenty to ponder.

The structure is on the National Register of Historic Places. For those visiting the area for just a day, it provides a nice photo op.

Others, spending more time in the area, may want to stay at the resort and partake of its 18-hole golf course and 12-court tennis complex. It also boasts a private marina.

North Straub Park
Visitors can find a place to relax on park benches and enjoy scenes of the waterfront, The Vinoy resort hotel, a marina and beautiful trees in this park at 400 Bayshore Drive N.E., which sits between The Vinoy and The Museum of Fine Arts.

Other nearby attractions:

  • Florida Craftsmen Gallery, 501 Central Ave. — A statewide nonprofit gallery and retail shop that represents fine craft artists from Florida.
  • Morean Arts Center, 719 Central Ave. — Home to studio art classes, jewelry making, photography and more.
  • Morean Glass Studio & Hot Shop, 719 Central Ave.: — Working artists create glass pieces and explain the process, as spectators watch. Those who are interested can book their own hot shop experience to work with an artist to create their own blown glass.
  • Morean Center for Clay, 420 22nd St., S. — Pottery enthusiasts can see the largest working pottery center in the southeast in this historic train station.
  • Haslam’s New and Used Books, 2025 Central Ave. — Florida’s largest new and used bookstore with more than 300,000 volumes available for purchase.
  • Florida Holocaust Museum, 55 Fifth St., S. — The museum features the history of the Holocaust beginning with the history of anti-Semitism and life before World War II, followed by the rise of Hitler and the Nazis and anti-Jewish legislation. The exhibition culminates with sections about concentration camps and killing centers, and a boxcar that was used during the Holocaust.
  • Sunken Gardens, 1825 Fourth St., N. — A 100-year-old botanical garden with more than 50,000 tropical plants and flowers.
  • Craftsman House, 2955 Central Ave. — Gallery and café in a historic bungalow, with more than 300 national and local artisans.

Trolleys are available in St. Petersburg.

For more information, visit PSTA.net and VisitStPeteClearwater.com.

Published November 5, 2014

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Success in Szczecin: Wesley Chapel brothers excel in karate

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There’s a little more gold, silver and bronze in Wesley Chapel thanks to the Vo brothers. But they had to go to Poland to get it.

The brothers — Derick, Jason and Andrew — were part of a team representing the United States at the World Union of Karate-Do Federations World Karate Championship in Szczecin, Poland, last month. All three had strong showings at the karate event, which is designed for juniors and children.

Derick Vo, left, battles an opponent from Portugal at the karate championship in Poland. His performance helped him earn bronze in the event. (Courtesy of Duy-Linh Vo)
Derick Vo, left, battles an opponent from Portugal at the karate championship in Poland. His performance helped him earn bronze in the event. (Courtesy of Duy-Linh Vo)

And even beyond bringing home medals, it’s a trip oldest brother Derick, 16, won’t soon forget.

“It was an amazing experience because it was the first time me and my brothers were all able to travel together and compete in the world championships,” he said.

Derick, a junior at Wesley Chapel High School, trains with his brothers at Keiko Shin Karate Academy in Wesley Chapel.

Derick won second place in kata, which involves being judged on choreographed movements. He took third place in individual and team kumite, which is a form of competitive sparring.

When he was younger he didn’t enjoy kumite as much, Derick said. But in his 10 years in karate, he’s come to appreciate both forms of competition, and enjoys excelling in both disciplines.

At just 5-foot-4, Derick had to face opponents who were several inches taller than he is. He made up for reach deficits by using his own strengths to his advantage.

“I really concentrate on speed, and I also rely on counter-attacking,” he said.

Middle brother Andrew, 12, also performed well, but admitted to some pre-competition jitters.

“I was nervous,” he said. “I just didn’t think about it and did what I had to do.”

When he calmed his nerves, he defeated opponents from countries like Romania, Belgium and Italy to claim the gold in kumite.

Having his brothers with him was an advantage, Andrew said, as they provided support and advice to help him succeed. The experience was hard work, but also fun because he could share it with family.

That included youngest brother Jason, 11, who finished outside the top three in kata and kumite, but overcame more challenging odds to succeed. He had to compete against some opponents who were 12 years old, meaning they often had a significant size and height advantage.

Still, Jason finished fourth in kata and fifth in kumite, proving his skill in two categories while facing around two dozen competitors from all over the world. And he recognizes the significance of his accomplishment.

“I feel great because not many people (finish) that high,” Jason said.

While the brothers often faced different opponents and brought different levels of skill to the competition, they all felt the advantage of having their father, Duy-Linh Vo, with them on their trip.

“My dad has always been there for me from when I first started until now,” Derick said. “He’s always right there helping me, encouraging me and giving me tips.”

Andrew agrees. “He always helps me and he’s always there for me, cheering me on,” he said.

For Duy-Linh, traveling with his sons was about supporting them and giving them opportunities he didn’t have growing up. A Vietnam native, Duy-Linh wasn’t able to study the Japanese art of karate in his home country, even though it interested him.

“In Vietnam they were very limited in dojos (karate learning centers) in rural areas,” he said.

So when the boys had an opportunity to represent the United States, Duy-Linh made sure they were able to participate. He estimates the trip cost around $20,000 for the family, with donations from friends and relatives helping fund expenses.

The end result was not only success and recognition for his children’s karate skill, but validation for the work they put in at their dojo, and at home. And when he saw Andrew claim gold, he was overcome with emotion and pride for all three of his sons.

“I pushed my tears back so I would not let people see I was crying,” he said. “My children, they work so hard.”

Published November 5, 2014

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Business Digest 11-05-14

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(Courtesy of Mike Ossola)
(Courtesy of Mike Ossola)

Thirsting for knowledge
Community members, local government officials and employees at Zephyrhills water enjoy a day of family fun and water education at the Zephyrhills community open house on Oct. 25. The day included a tour of the bottling facility, and a visit to the kid-friendly, educational WaterVentures Learning Lab.

Allstate premier agent in Lutz
Lisette Fernandez has been named an Allstate Premier Agency for 2014.

The designation for the Lutz agent is given to less than half of Allstate’s 10,000 agency owners across the country. Fernandez received it because of what the insurance carrier described as her outstanding business performance and commitment to putting customers at the center of her work.

Fernandez’s agency is located at 4935 Van Dyke Road, and can be reached at (813) 269-5707.

Upcoming meeting for Women-n-Charge
Women-n-Charge will meet Nov. 7 at 11:30 a.m., at Pebble Creek Country Club, 10550 Regents Park Drive in Tampa.

The meeting includes lunch, a feature speaker, and networking.

Cost is $15 for members, and $18 for guests.

For information, visit Women-n-Charge.com, or call (813) 600-9848.

Award winners and officers at Dade City chamber
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce recently honored some of its top members during its annual banquet Oct. 16 at the Tampa Bay Golf and Country Club.

Winners included:

  • Business Leader of the Year — Bonnie Krummen, vice president and branch manager of CenterState Bank
  • Large Business of the Year — CenterState Bank
  • Small Business of the Year — Dade City Animal Clinic
  • Civic Association of the Year — Restored Hope
  • Citizen of the Year — Salvador Jaurequi and Joey Wubbena
  • Ambassador of the Year — Kelly Sinn of Sunrise Pasco County
  • Chamber Member of the Year — Cliff Martin of Jarrett Ford
    • Richard Tombrink Lifetime Achievement Award — Billy Brown of the Withlacoochee River Cooperative
  • President’s Award — Jimmy Adcock of Teco

Also during the banquet, the chamber installed its new board, including Bob Van Allen of Farm Bureau Insurance as president, Randy Stovall of Pasco-Hernando State College as president-elect, Randy Surber of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills as second vice president, Steven Hickman of First National Bank of Pasco as treasurer, Kelly Sinn of Sunrise of Pasco County as secretary, and Bonnie Krummen of CenterState Bank as the past president.

Zephyrhills water donated $50,000
Nestle Waters North America, the corporate producer of Zephyrhills bottled water, donated $50,000 in honor of its 50th anniversary Oct. 25 that help support cleanup and education events at parks along the Hillsborough River.

Splitting the donation were Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful and Tampa Bay Watch.

The donation was supported by a social media campaign conducted by Nestle that invited consumers to share their favorite things about Florida. More than 23,700 items were shared, which Nestle donated a dollar for each, and then rounded up to the $50,000 donation.

The Zephyrhills plant, located at 4330 20th St., in Zephyrhills, employs 250 people locally, and 900 throughout the region. Nestle bought the brand in 1982, part of a company that was originally founded in 1964.

Upcoming SCORE seminars
The Pasco-Hernando Chapter of SCORE, which historically stands for Service Corps of Retired Executives, will host the following upcoming free seminars. For information, visit SCORE439.org.

  • Using the Internet in Your Business — Nov. 6 at 5:30 p.m., at Regency Park Branch Library, 9701 Little Road, in New Port Richey; Nov. 12 at 10 a.m., at SmartStart New Port Richey, 6345 Grand Blvd., New Port Richey; Nov. 12 at 5 p.m., at West Hernando Branch Library, 6335 Blackbird Ave., in Brooksville. After reviewing the various roles a website can support in enhancing a business, participants will be walked through an eight-step process of key activities needed to quickly leverage this technology in many businesses.
  • E-Marketing Concepts —Nov. 10 at 5:30 p.m., at New Port Richey Library, 5939 Main St., in New Port Richey; Nov. 13 at 5:30 p.m., at New River Branch Library, 34043 State Road 54, in Wesley Chapel. Attendees can obtain an understanding of e-marketing technologies and how they may help to enhance the ability of a small business to reach customers and communicate their brand, products and services.
  • Introduction to QuickBooks — Nov. 12 at 1 p.m., at Hugh Embry Branch Library, 14215 Fourth St., in Dade City. This is a basic hands-on introduction to the QuickBooks software, but is not designed for advanced users.
  • How to Apply for a Business Loan — Nov. 12 at 5 p.m., at South Holiday Branch Library, 4649 Mile Stretch Drive in Holiday; Nov. 18 at 5:30 p.m., at Centennial Park Branch Library, 5640 Moog Road in Holiday. This workshop focuses on the individual requirements of the participants, including startups, mature businesses and purchasing of existing businesses. Loan sources for amounts ranging from $5,000 to $5 million will be covered, as well as business plans to accompany loan applications.

On The Agenda 11-05-14

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Doctor speaking at Democratic Women’s
The Democratic Women’s Club of Pasco County will have its regular meeting Nov. 8 at 11 a.m., at the Jasmine Lakes Civic Club, 7137 Jasmine Blvd., in Port Richey.

Guest speaker is Dr. Lawrence Floriani, an educational lecturer on the Affordable Care Act. He is a member of Doctors for America.

For information, call (727) 372-9321.

Library board to meet in Land O’ Lakes
The Pasco County Library Advisory Board will host its annual library supporters meeting Nov. 13 at 7 p.m., at the Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, in Land O’ Lakes.

At this informal meeting, the Library Foundation and other groups will present information about activities going on at the individual cooperative branches, as well as within the overall library system.

It is open to the public.

Workshops planned for transportation plans
The Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization is looking for public input on its 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan.

This plan includes highway, transit, bicycle and pedestrian projects over the next 25 years. A formal 30-day comment period extends through Nov. 23, with a draft of the plan available at PascoMPO.net.

Two workshops are planned for Nov. 18 and Nov. 19. The Tuesday gathering will be at the West Pasco Government Center, 8731 Citizens Drive in New Port Richey.

The second will take place at Alice Hall Community Center, 38116 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills.

Both workshops begin at 5:30 p.m.

For information, visit Mobility2040Pasco.com.

Hillsborough government office to close
The majority of Hillsborough County offices and facilities will be closed Nov. 11 in observance of Veterans Day.

Closed facilities include the administrative offices county government, all libraries, recreation centers, Head Start/Early head Start centers, and senior citizen centers and nutrition sites.

Collection of garbage, recyclables and yard waste will continue on a normal Tuesday schedule in the unincorporated areas of Hillsborough County. That service area includes Tampa Palms, Hunter’s Green and New Tampa. All disposal facilities also will be open.

Additional county facilities that will be closed on Veterans Day include:

  • The Pet Resource Center — A limited number of animal safety and enforcement officers will be on duty for emergencies only at (813) 744-5660. The Pets-For-Vets adoption special will be offered throughout November, with more information at HillsboroughCounty.org/Pets.
  • Hillsborough County’s Information and Service Center line at (813) 272-5900
  • All county recreation centers, skate parks, the Bakas Equestrian Center, and the administrative offices of the Parks, Recreation and Conservation department.
  • The Sunshine Line transportation service
  • All social service community resource centers
  • The call center for the Public Utilities Department, and water/wastewater customer service centers in Northdale and Brandon. Emergency water calls can be directed to (813) 744-5600.

All regional parks as well as the Southeast County Landfill and transfer stations will remain open.

Growth at The Grove may depend on traffic light

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Hiring has begun at a Chuck E. Cheese’s store now under construction at The Grove at Wesley Chapel, a shopping center opened at the height of the recent housing boom, which is now growing again.

How much the shopping center bordering Interstate 75 will expand, however, depends on the cooperation developers get from Pasco County officials.

Future growth at The Grove at Wesley Chapel depends on help from the county to keep traffic moving in and out of the shopping complex off County Road 54. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
Future growth at The Grove at Wesley Chapel depends on help from the county to keep traffic moving in and out of the shopping complex off County Road 54. (Fred Bellet/Photo)

“The challenge we have with all the major future development out of The Grove centers around the fact that the project lacks a traffic signal at the main entrance,” Jim Mazzarelli, managing director at Genesis Real Estate Advisers — the company working with The Grove developers — told members of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce last week. “As our engineers say, we don’t have an ingress problem, we have an egress problem. You can get in, but you can’t get out.”

The Grove has two entrances off County Road 54, using Oakley Boulevard less than 1,000 feet from the I-75 interchange, and Gateway Boulevard, located another 800 feet or so from there, where customers can find a traffic signal.

Getting to Gateway is not easy, however. Shoppers have to leave The Grove, turn onto Dayflower Boulevard, and then turn onto Gateway on the other side of an Econo Lodge. Anyone wanting to drive just straight out on Oakley either has to make a right turn, or journey across three lanes of traffic to make a U-turn at Gateway.

“It’s a really awkward work-around,” Mazzarelli said. “It might work for everyone who is there now, but it doesn’t work for the big anchors who are going to come in and invest millions in a store. That’s a hurdle we’ve been working to overcome for the better part of three-and-a-half years. We’re getting there, but it’s a long road.”

One 17-acre piece of land on the southern end of The Grove property, for example, is set up for a large box store, like a Lowe’s or Target, Mazzarelli said. The land has been vacant since The Grove opened in 2007, but developers are in negotiations with a large department store “with a well-known name.”

Such a deal, however, is contingent with adding a traffic light for the Oakley connection to County Road 54. The Grove developers already have spent more than $250,000 in studies and other work to get that light in, but it still hasn’t happened.

“We are not taking this lightly by any means,” Mazzarelli said. “It is a critical element to the center as it stands today, especially right now when it’s only half built-out.”

Although 54 is now a county road, there are still Florida Department of Transportation restrictions in place since it controls the traffic lights for vehicles looking to access I-75. Generally DOT wants 1,260 feet separating traffic lights, and by adding one on Oakley, that would put three traffic lights in a stretch of road totaling a little more than 2,000 feet.

“If you put in another stop light, that and the other two stop lights already there creates the possibility of traffic backing up into the off-ramps of the interstate,” county spokesman Douglas Tobin said. “We are reviewing that, but one solution might be if you put a stop light in there, we have an agreement that, in the future, if it backs up, we’d be able to remove it.”

Other hindrances to expansion are restrictions The Grove had to negotiate through when it signed leases with some of its big tenants, like Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Old Navy. That was what stopped the Pasco County Tax Collector’s office from opening a new location at the center, and also kept the Pepin Academy charter school from considering some space.

“We had an idea to create this nice little educational court that could’ve been sealed off” from the rest of the complex, Mazzarelli said. “We went to the anchors and did a great deal of negotiating with them, but we couldn’t get the anchors to sign off on it.”

However, those restrictions could change in the near future. Many of the anchor leases are up for renewal, and since some stores would like the chance to upgrade their facilities, that gives The Grove a little bargaining power at the negotiation table.

“In addition to giving the anchors some money so they can refurbish their stores, we are getting a lot of these restrictions relaxed,” Mazzarelli said. “That will have obviously long-term benefits for the center, because the fewer restrictions we have, the more flexibility we will have, and the most success we’ll have in this space.”

Published October 29, 2014

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Bamboo canes soar above 70 feet at Dade City sanctuary

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“I’m not so much a nurseryman. I’m more of a collector of bamboo,” said Leonard Daszkiewicz, who has a bamboo farm and garden off U.S. 98 in Dade City.

“When the latest ones come out of quarantine in China, I usually add one or two to my collection,” he said, leading a tour group from the Land O’ Lakes Garden Club around his property.

These towering canes of Bambusa chungii, also known as tropical blue bamboo, shoot skyward at Greenbelt Nursery & Bamboo Gardens on U.S. 98 east of Dade City. Members of the Land O' Lakes Garden Club recently toured the farm to check out Leonard Daszkiewicz’s 10-acre garden sanctuary that includes his impressive collection of bamboo plants. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
These towering canes of Bambusa chungii, also known as tropical blue bamboo, shoot skyward at Greenbelt Nursery & Bamboo Gardens on U.S. 98 east of Dade City. Members of the Land O’ Lakes Garden Club recently toured the farm to check out Leonard Daszkiewicz’s 10-acre garden sanctuary that includes his impressive collection of bamboo plants. (Fred Bellet/Photo)

Daszkiewicz’s collection boasts more than four-dozen stands of bamboo, with some canes soaring more than 70 feet. As he led the group around his property, Daszkiewicz told the garden club members about the various kinds of bamboo in his collection.

The avid gardener also told the group about the multitude of plants and trees on his 10-acre plot.

The pride and joy of his collection is a tropical blue bamboo that he bought for $90 in 2003. At the time, it was in a pot and it was 2 feet tall.

Now, it towers skyward.

Bamboo is a resilient plant, Daszkiewicz informed the group. In 2004, he thought he’d lose his bamboo because of the three back-to-back hurricanes that hit the state.

“The river was in flood stage for six weeks,” Daszkiewicz said. “I thought I was going to lose my bamboo. I didn’t lose a one. (But) it killed every laurel oak tree.”

The bamboo didn’t die, because it’s technically not a tree, but a giant grass.

“It can take flooding,” he said.

In another spot in the garden, Daszkiewicz has a stand of running bamboo. This bamboo lives up to its name, he said, unless steps are taken to keep it from running too far.

He has enclosed his stand in a barrier that runs more than 2 feet into the ground. Even so, he keeps an eye on it just to be sure it doesn’t escape its confinement.

“You can’t ignore it,” Daszkiewicz said. “It’s invasive.”

Besides being beautiful, bamboo canes also are musical. When the wind is blowing around 15 to 20 miles an hour, he said, “The canes bonk together and make musical sounds.”

Daszkiewicz’s wife Noreen is impressed by her husband’s handiwork.

“It’s fantastic,” she said. “It’s a sanctuary.”

Daszkiewicz’s extensive garden sits on a plot that is part of the acreage his grandparents homesteaded during the 1930s, after moving here from Chicago.

As the garden club members made their way around the property, Daszkiewicz — a Pasco County master gardener — pointed out his extensive collection of trees and plants. Some yield beauty for the soul. Others, food for the body.

He grows okra, kale, onion, beets and sweet potato, among other things. He also grows giant stalks of sugar cane.

“In December, I’ll cut it down,” Daszkiewicz said. Then he’ll take it to a processor, who will turn it into syrup.

“Last year, I got about three gallons of syrup,” he added

Daszkiewicz uses the syrup on everything from pancakes to rice. He also grows camellias, which add color during the cooler months.

Marie Woody, president of the Land O’ Lakes Garden Club, said the club goes on field trips to see beautiful gardens, and to learn new gardening techniques. The group has 15 members, coming primarily from Land O’ Lakes, but also from Zephyrhills, Tampa and other areas, too.

It is open to men and women, she said, and welcomes new members.

The club meets on the first Tuesday of the month at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, from September through April. It ends the year with a celebration dinner in May.

Annual dues are $10.

For more information about the Land O’ Lakes Garden Club, call (813) 961-2697.

Published October 29, 2014

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First-hand challenges provide new perspectives on disabilities at Saint Leo

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Caitlin Carter struggles as she tries to maneuver her wheelchair while holding a tray. She reaches down to pick up a pen, and spills her water.

Across the room, Jamie Ray — who doesn’t have full use of her hands — is having trouble opening a simple piece of candy. Only after a long, deliberate process is she able to finally open the wrapper.

Caitlin Carter has trouble keeping her tray balanced as she picks up objects while in a wheelchair. She was a volunteer participating in Saint Leo University’s annual challenge experience on Oct. 23, which gives able-bodied students and faculty an opportunity to learn about physical and learning challenges first-hand. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
Caitlin Carter has trouble keeping her tray balanced as she picks up objects while in a wheelchair. She was a volunteer participating in Saint Leo University’s annual challenge experience on Oct. 23, which gives able-bodied students and faculty an opportunity to learn about physical and learning challenges first-hand. (Fred Bellet/Photo)

A few minutes later, Carter gets out of the wheelchair and Ray takes the socks off of her hands. Neither is disabled. They’re students who participated in Saint Leo University’s Challenge Experience on Oct. 23 as part of the school’s recognition of National Disability Awareness Month.

The challenge gives able-bodied students and faculty a chance to experience a small part of the challenges that some people face in their everyday lives. Carter learned the difficulties of multitasking while using a wheelchair, while Ray’s challenge simulated coordination challenges associated with muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy.

Other activities included making a sandwich while blindfolded to simulate sight difficulties, identifying items in a bag based only on feel and smell, and tracing a shape while looking at a projection of an image, which replicates some challenges of dyslexia.

The challenges were part of a week of events at the university. A guest speaker and a table filled with information were other aspects of the program.

Paige Ramsay-Hamacher, director for multicultural and international services at Saint Leo, said simulating the challenges that some people face enables able-bodied people to get an inkling of what it’s like to have a very different daily experience.

“The purpose is really to give students an idea to walk in somebody else’s shoes who deals with challenges that they might not have to deal with on a day-to-day basis,” she said.

The annual event has been going on for several years at the university. It allows people to help those with disabilities by recognizing their challenges in a more personal way, Ramsay-Hamacher said.

In the sandwich-making experiment, for example, people will move the ingredients while the subject is trying to make a sandwich. They learn that moving items around can be detrimental for someone with a sight disability, since they often memorize where items are.

For Ray, the disability challenges already had a personal connection for her. Her stepmother suffers from multiple sclerosis, and trying to open the candy gave her an even better understanding of the challenges she faces.

“She’s always been complaining that she had trouble holding stuff, gripping stuff,” she said. “I never really understood it until I was not able to use my hands.”

Student volunteers guide each participant through the stations, but that doesn’t make the challenges easy when they try it themselves.

“They find it’s much, much harder than they expect it to be,” Ramsay-Hamacher said.

Carter is one of those volunteers, and admitted to struggling with the experiments.

“I’ve done this the past two years, and I still can’t do the whole wheelchair part,” she said.

Participating in the challenges has given her a better understanding regarding how to interact with people who have disabilities. If someone is in a wheelchair, Carter doesn’t see them as incapable or as an object of sympathy. But she would be better aware of their challenges, and be in a position to make their path easier or remove obstacles they might face.

And even though the experiments are short and everybody knows the challenges are temporary, Carter believes people leave with a more honest appreciation for what other people face on a regular basis.

“I’m a psychology major, so I learn about different disabilities,” she said. “But actually doing it and seeing how hard it actually is for them, it gives you a deeper respect for them.”

Ray agrees about the benefits of participating in the annual challenge.

“It’s really weird,” she said. “But it’s really awesome to be able to experience something like that because you never really know what someone is going through until you actually at least try to experience it.”

Published October 29, 2014

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Pet shelter changing way animal owners think

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Out of sight, out of mind.

Pat Mulieri wasn’t part of the decision that built Pasco County’s animal shelter well off the beaten path inside the Lake Patience community and behind Oakstead Elementary School, but there are times she wishes she was.

Adult cats have some of the hardest times being adopted, since kittens are in such high demand. Last year, more than 800 cats came to the shelter, but less than 75 percent found homes. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Adult cats have some of the hardest times being adopted, since kittens are in such high demand. Last year, more than 800 cats came to the shelter, but less than 75 percent found homes. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

The shelter is 2 miles off Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, requiring a little bit of navigation along Lake Patience Road to Dogpatch Lane. Locals know exactly where to go when they need to deliver a pet, or adopt one, but the thousands of new residents calling Pasco home each year are surprised to learn Pasco even has such a facility, and that sometimes makes it difficult to get the word out.

“I came to this shelter years ago when I had lost a pet,” Mulieri, a 20-year member of the county commission, said. “My husband didn’t lock the screen door for our two little dogs. One came back, and the other didn’t.”

What Mulieri found at the shelter, however, was something she was not ready for.

“They let me in with the place closed, when they only had one building out here, and that’s when I saw the dead cats,” Mulieri said. “They had killed so many cats a day, and I didn’t even realize it. I couldn’t come back.”

It would actually take years for Mulieri to return, but when she did, she was there to stay. Now Mulieri is a common face around the halls of the shelter’s administrative offices, and has been a major proponent in helping to build the shelter’s profile, and find homes for hundreds of pets each month.

Promoting the shelter and finding ways to attract adopting families has fallen on the shoulders of Andrea Ciesluk, the assistant education coordinator at Pasco County Animal Services. Ciesluk joined the staff there earlier this year, and almost immediately, the shelter was getting noticed.

“We want to advertise and get the word out so that people know who we are and where we are,” she said. “That’s not as easy as it sounds.”

Ciesluk is doing it using a much different approach than what the shelter has done in the past. While animal services have typically worked with newspapers, television and radio to spread the word about the shelter’s needs, Ciesluk is reaching deep into the business community to find corporate partners willing to lend a hand — even if it’s simply through a new way of promoting events and specials the shelter has on a monthly basis.

“What we are doing is getting new businesses and local businesses to sponsor an animal,” she said. “In return, every time we post that animal’s picture, people will see their involvement too.”

Those businesses also have helped to reduce adoption fees for many families who might want to take a dog or cat home, but balk when they find out how much they have to pay in order to do it. Business donations, Mulieri said, have helped reduce those costs to as low as $20.

“That’s neutering and spaying, immunization and microchipping all in the same package,” Mulieri said. “That’s the best buy in town, and it’s the only way we’re going to cut down on euthanizing.”

In 2011, less than 40 percent of the animals boarded at the shelter left it alive. But in 2012, the live release rate grew to 55 percent, and last year, had reached 81 percent.

The shelter’s goal is to find homes for 90 percent of the dogs and cats brought through its doors, Mulieri said, but it’s going to require more work than just adoption specials.

“You’ll never be able to adopt them all out, and you’ll never be able to cut down on the pet population until you change people’s ideas,” Mulieri said.

Despite animal overpopulation, many families with pets shy away from spaying or neutering, feeling their pets need to have litters. A typical cat can have up to six kittens in a litter and can have three litters a year. That means one cat couple and their offspring, according to one animal group, can result in 420,000 more cats in seven years.

And it’s not easy to find them homes. Last year, the Pasco shelter put down 27 percent of the cats it received.

New shelter manager Mike Shumate realized that mindset needed to change. Before he arrived, qualifying families who fixed their cat or dog could send their bill to the county, and be reimbursed up to $40.

“That rarely covered those costs,” Mulieri said. “People couldn’t afford to do it, so they wouldn’t do it. And the number of animals coming into the shelter was just getting out of control.”

Instead, the goal is to partner with local veterinarians to offer discounts that would make such procedures affordable. On top of that, the shelter has partnered with Spay Pasco with the Trap Neuter Return program that allows for the trapping of feral cats that are then fixed for $10, and returned to their habitat.

“We need to do this,” Ciesluk said. “And we’re going to keep working to expand it even more.”

For more programs and specials at the shelter, visit PascoCountyFl.net/PAS.

Published October 29, 2014

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International athletes ‘swoop’ in for world championships

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Imagine hurling toward the Earth at nearly 90 mph, then negotiating your way over land and water while you skim across the surface, before landing back on solid ground and tumbling to an abrupt stop.

Now imagine doing it on purpose, over and over again.

Florida resident and reigning national champion Tommy Dellibac will be among the competitors vying for gold at the World Canopy Piloting Championships in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of Randy Swallows)
Florida resident and reigning national champion Tommy Dellibac will be among the competitors vying for gold at the World Canopy Piloting Championships in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of Randy Swallows)

Canopy piloting, also known as swooping, is a form of skydiving where jumpers maneuver through a course upon their descent as they make contact with the ground. And it isn’t just a growing activity. It’s a full-fledged competitive sport, with international championships and competitors from dozens of countries vying for gold.

The 5th World Canopy Piloting Championship will be Nov. 4-6 at Skydive City, 4241 Sky Dive Lane in Zephyrhills. It’s the first time the world championships have been held in the United States, and is expected to attract more than 100 competitors representing nearly 30 countries.

Swooping is more than just a competition of rare skills, said T.K. Hayes, president and general manager of Skydive City. It’s the most audience-friendly form of skydiving around.

“All the action happens in the last 10 seconds of the skydive, close to the ground,” Hayes said. “It is totally a spectator sport.”

For the November event, a tent close to the swoop pond, where athletes will make contact, will have visitors just 50 feet from the action.

The World Canopy Piloting Championship is held every two years and is sanctioned by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, the international governing body that covers aviation competitions, including skydiving, ballooning and even airplanes.

Following the last championship, Hayes heard that nobody had yet applied to host the 2014 event. He threw his hat into the ring, then fended off a bid from a city in Russia to host it.

Afterward, the Pasco County Tourist Development Council chipped in $15,000 for advertising and promotion for the event, which Hayes estimates will cost around $100,000 to put together from start to finish.

While athletes will travel across the globe to compete at the event, one of them will enjoy a bit of home-field advantage. Tommy Dellibac, a Florida resident who lives in DeLand, trains regularly at Skydive City. He’s also the reigning national champion after this year’s competition, which also was in Zephyrhills.

Dellibac is looking forward to competing with the world’s best near his own backyard.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “It’s going to be nice just to be able to drive an hour and 45 minutes to be there, versus having to travel to a different country in a different time zone.”

In the past, Dellibac has competed in places like Australia and Dubai, the latter which was the site of the last world championships two years ago.

Athletes will compete in three separate types of events, measuring speed, distance and accuracy on the course. The best will earn gold, silver or bronze in each event, and the one with the best combined score will earn the title of overall champion.

Dellibac, 34, has 14 years of skydiving experience and more than 15,000 jumps on his resume. He even coaches other canopy pilots and works with the military as part of Flight-1, which provides courses to those who enjoy and can benefit from the sport.

For the world championships, he’s been training for the accuracy portion to improve his overall game, but considers speed his favorite part of the competition, and skydiving in general.

“There’s nothing like jumping out of an airplane, when you leave that plane for the first few seconds and you’re just free before you open the canopy and just falling through the air,” Dellibac said. “Riding a motorcycle fast, or going fast in a car, none of that compares.”

While the athlete’s abilities are impressive, their equipment also is considered among the best in the industry. The main parachutes used at this event can cost nearly $4,000, Hayes said. After adding in the harness, reserve parachute and other equipment (often custom-designed and custom-built), the total cost can run more than $8,000.

But the end result is a visual demonstration of skill and competition that Hayes said will leave spectators amazed.

“The first time they see it, they think these guys are going to crash at 80 or 90 mph,” he said. “They’ll see this stuff and go, ‘Oh my God, I had no idea these people come in so fast. How do they control these things? How do they do that?’”

The World Canopy Piloting Championship is free and open to the public. Hayes suggests arriving sometime after 7 a.m. each morning, and bringing a chair and hat to shield the sun.

For more information, call (813) 783-9399, or visit CPWorldZHills.com.

If you go
WHAT: World Canopy Piloting Championships
WHEN: Nov. 4-6, beginning at 7 a.m.
WHERE: Skydive City, 4241 Sky Dive Lane, Zephyrhills
COST: Free
INFO: (813) 783-9399, or visit CPWorldZHills.com

Published October 20, 2014

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