Local News

Young girl’s cancer touches community’s heart

March 6, 2014 By B.C. Manion

Before Natalia Sofia Ricabal began attending Lutz Preparatory School last fall, she worried about how she would fit in with her classmates.

Natalia Ricabal, front, her mom Amy Ricabal, and her grandmother Nydia Torres visit Lutz Preparatory School, discussing the challenges that Ewing’s sarcoma has posed for the 8-year-old and her family. The girl’s grandmother left her missionary work in the Dominican Republic so she could help the family. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — Natalia Ricabal, front, her mom Amy Ricabal, and her grandmother Nydia Torres visit Lutz Preparatory School, discussing the challenges that Ewing’s sarcoma has posed for the 8-year-old and her family. The girl’s grandmother left her missionary work in the Dominican Republic so she could help the family.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

It was her first year at the school, and naturally, she wanted to feel welcome.

Now, the 8-year-old’s concerns have become more serious: She’s not sure when she will walk again. She was diagnosed in August with Ewing’s sarcoma, a form of bone cancer.

Her illness came with little warning, Natalia’s Mom, Amy Ricabal, said.

The grade-schooler had been experiencing some leg pain, off and on, then a few days later a huge red bump appeared on her left leg, which came out of her femur and protruded into the soft tissue, Amy said.

Natalia required surgery, and the surgeon had a choice: Amputate the young girl’s leg or do a limb salvage surgery, Amy said. He did the limb salvage surgery, replacing Natalia’s femur bone with a cadaver bone.

“Thank God they were able to keep the growth plates,” Amy said.

Natalia started chemotherapy at the end of August and began radiation treatments in early February. She has lost her hair, has been nauseated and lethargic, has had low white blood counts, and has had blood transfusions, Amy said. She will require substantial physical therapy and it is unclear when she’ll be able to walk.

It has been difficult to see Natalia in pain, and to recall how only months ago she was doing cartwheels and chasing after her 10-year-old brother Gabriel, Amy said. But Natalia’s story isn’t just about illness. It’s also about faith and the community’s outpouring of love and kindness.

The Lutz Citizens Coalition, Lutz Preparatory School and Tampa Bay Food Trucks are combining to host a fundraiser for Natalia at this month’s First Friday Food Truck Rally. It will take place at Lutz Prep, 17951 N. U.S. 41, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., March 7 and will feature a band that has written a song for Natalia.

The Lutz Citizens Coalition is happy to help the Ricabals, said Sam Calco, the coalition’s vice president.

“It’s what Lutz is all about,” he said. “You think about what that family is going through.”

Lutz Prep has demonstrated generosity and warmth at every level, Amy said.

“We’re first-time parents here at the school, and I’m never here because it (Natalia’s health battle) started with the first day of meet and greet,” Amy said. “So, I’m a pretty invisible person.”

The school has embraced the family anyway, and has gone out of its way to support them, using the online voice and video communication service Skype, for instance, to stay in touch when Natalia can’t be in school.

Several students and a teacher also demonstrated their compassion by shaving their heads so Natalia wouldn’t feel conspicuous when returning to school.

The Ricabals have experienced financial challenges, too, as Amy had to step away from her job as an ultrasound sonographer to provide care for Natalia. The family always has relied on both her paycheck and her husband Isaias’s paycheck, Amy said. Her husband is a coach at a charter school.

Amy is not afraid because she knows God will see the family through.

“I just have to focus on my daughter. I can’t worry,” she said. “God is teaching me to just let it go and to rely completely on him, in him — not on my own understanding.”

God’s help has come in many forms, Amy said, like from her mother, who left her missionary work in the Dominican Republic to come help the family.

Natalia’s American Heritage Girl Scouts troop has been an enormous help as well. It was through the troop’s church, Christ Church of Lutz, that Seal Swim School adopted the family for Christmas. The church also provided 40 frozen meals for the family, and bought them a freezer.

Members of the Ricabals’ church — Exciting Idlewild Baptist Church — have stepped up, too. A group of church friends did a makeover on the family’s yard. They also pressure washed the driveway. When they heard the family’s water heater was giving out, they got them a new one.

People have provided gift cards for groceries and have shopped for them, too, Amy said.

One recent day, Natalia was at Lutz Prep with her mom, grandmother Nydia Torres and her Chihuahua, Beatrice. The child was sitting in a wheelchair with a big cast on her leg, but she was smiling and talking about how special she feels because of the kindness of classmates and friends.

Amy said she’s been trying to teach her daughter to see the blessings that are hidden within the challenges they face.

“I tell her, ‘Look, Praise God that we still have a leg. Period,’” she said.

Amy also reminds herself to remain positive, telling herself, “This is something you’re going through. You’re going through the valley right now.”

But with God, she added, “there’s always a purpose and there’s also a plan.”

WHAT: First Friday Food Truck Rally fundraiser for Natalia Sofia Ricabal
WHO: Lutz Preparatory School, Lutz Citizens Coalition, Tampa Bay Food Trucks
First Friday Food Truck Rally
WHEN: March 7, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
WHERE: Lutz Prep, 17951 N. U.S. 41
Lutz Preparatory School, the Lutz Citizens Coalition and Tampa Bay Food Trucks are sponsoring a fundraiser for Natalia Sofia Ricabal on Friday, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the school, 17951 N. U.S. 41.

Published March 5, 2014

Special Olympics athletes shine in Wesley Chapel

March 6, 2014 By Michael Murillo

Before any ribbons were handed out. Before any competitions. Before the Special Olympics Summer Games began at Wesley Chapel High School on March 1, every athlete enjoyed rousing cheers and applause.

Athletes at the Special Olympics Summer Games at Wesley Chapel High School wave to the crowd as they take an introductory lap during opening ceremonies. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo) — Athletes at the Special Olympics Summer Games at Wesley Chapel High School wave to the crowd as they take an introductory lap during opening ceremonies.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

The opening ceremonies included a lap around the track for the approximately 475 athletes who participated — walking, waving and proudly representing their respective schools. The actual attendance was much higher, with parking filled to overflow, families and friends in the stands and volunteers helping everyone get organized for the day’s activities.

But it was the athletes who were soaking up the fun and support.

“It feels amazing,” said Carlos Ortiz, who has participated in the Special Olympics since 2008. “You get to have fun and talk to your friends.”

Ortiz also serves as a global messenger for the organization, which enables him to speak to groups and individuals about the benefits of the Special Olympics.

While the athletes were socializing and preparing for their events, their parents were enjoying the moment as well. Denise Peeks, whose daughter Tiffany competes in cycling, said the community support means a lot.

“I’m just glad to know that, not only are the parents supporting them, but they are embraced by the community,” she said. “The business community and the volunteers come out and they get so much support that they so desperately need. I think it’s fantastic.”

Tiffany is a previous gold-medal winner in her event and looks forward to competing and having fun, Peeks added.

Jennifer Lynch agrees about the importance of community support. Her son, Alex, also has won gold in cycling, and said that the Special Olympics is a much-needed day of inclusion for students and parents dealing with intellectual disabilities.

“I think it helps him to feel like he’s part of a community,” she said. “There are so many things he is excluded from and so many activities he can’t do. But this is one that he can, and everyone can rally around and support him.”

In addition to cycling, Lynch said that Alex also participates in basketball when it’s a designated sport. At the Summer Games, athletes compete in cycling, bocce, track and field, soccer skills and tennis.

The volunteers also enjoyed themselves, including Wesley Chapel High freshman John Margetis. A special-needs student himself, Margetis is a high-functioning participant and thought it would be best to volunteer and let others have their moment at the games. He also participates in the school’s Wildcat Wings club, which is a social inclusion group designed to help special needs students interact with other students.

Margetis relates to the athletes and their needs.

“I felt like I should be a part of this,” he said. “I feel like they feel.”

The winners at the events earned ribbons, and many will continue competing in the area games for a chance to participate in the state games. But the goal was for everyone involved to have a good time and give proud parents like Peeks and Lynch an opportunity to cheer while their children show what they can accomplish with some guidance and support.

“It gives us an opportunity to allow our babies to showcase their skills and their talents,” Peeks said.

Published March 5, 2014

Bayonet Point trauma center still fighting for life

March 6, 2014 By Michael Hinman

More than two years ago, Pasco County got its first trauma center when Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point expanded its emergency care operations. But how long it will stay is completely up to government officials from the courts, to the Legislature, and especially the Florida Department of Health.

The Bayonet Point hospital, owned by HCA’s West Florida Division, is fighting to keep its trauma center despite the objections of nearby facilities like Tampa General Hospital and BayCare Health System’s St. Joseph’s Hospital. Both already have trauma centers, and believe adding more will dilute a costly service to one that no longer can be sustained financially.

Dr. Scott Norwood, the trauma medical director at Bayonet Point, believes in the exact opposite. To him, it’s not that Florida has too many trauma centers. In fact, it doesn’t have enough — and dealing with traumatic injuries comes down to how quickly a victim can get to a hospital that can treat it.

“Trauma is a time-sensitive disease,” Norwood recently told members of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce. “It’s just like heart disease or a heart attack, the quicker you can get to a facility to deal with the problem, the more likely you are to survive. And that’s reflective of what’s happening in Florida right now.”

Before the trauma center opened at Bayonet Point, anyone hurt in a fall or accident would have to be transported south to Hillsborough or Pinellas counties, a distance that could exceed 100 miles and tick precious time off the clock.

“We call it the ‘golden hour of trauma,’ that if you can get into a trauma center or to a facility that can manage your problem within 60 minutes of your injury, your likelihood of survival goes way up,” Norwood said. “If you get in a wreck and are out in the middle of nowhere, your odds of surviving are not really good already.”

Since 2011, when Bayonet Point opened its trauma center, mortality rates have dropped across the state — especially in Pasco and Hernando counties, which saw rates plummet 21 percent and 15 percent respectively, Norwood said.

Yet, the more trauma centers there are in the state, the larger the strain on existing resources to serve those people, say representatives from other hospitals with older trauma centers. The more centers there are, the harder it will be to find the best doctors and medical teams trained in trauma.

At the same time, available money for these trauma centers would be spread out, making it difficult for any of them to stay open, opponents said. Although insurance carriers and patients themselves typically fund trauma centers, there are public pools of money available. They include $2 million from a vehicle registration tax, more than $12 million from red-light cameras, and $46 million in federal funds, according to a report last year by the American College of Surgeons.

Lawsuits have flown back and forth, and judges have sided against the new trauma centers like Bayonet Point’s, saying the Department of Health used an invalid rule to green light them, according to published reports. Since then, state health officials have been working around the clock to streamline department rules, and find common ground between the older trauma centers and the new ones.

State health officials started hearings in January and February to work out the trauma center issues, and have developed a plan that would allow at least one trauma center in each of the state’s 19 designated trauma areas, according to published reports. If the rule moves forward as planned, it would keep all of the new trauma centers, including Bayonet Point, in place.

This rule, however, would most likely end up in the courts as well. That’s been made clear by increased lobbying efforts by both sides, including bringing in the conservative-leaning 60 Plus Association to spend $250,000 on television advertising supporting the efforts of hospitals like Bayonet Point.

And now the Florida Legislature is looking to weigh in. State Sen. Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring — and a registered nurse — filed S.B. 1276 last week that, among other things, would limit the number of trauma centers in each of the 19 regions.

However, it’s a limit that would be in favor of hospitals like Bayonet Point, since Grimsley is asking that Pasco and Pinellas counties be limited to three centers, while Hillsborough would get only two. It also removes the ability for other hospitals to protest the addition of more trauma centers.

Including pediatrics at All Children’s Hospital, the Pasco and Pinellas region would have three trauma centers, Bayonet Point joining Bayfront Medical Center on the list.

Still, the entire trauma center system would be reviewed each year under the bill, with a final report heading to state officials at the beginning of February. It also sets expectations that trauma centers like Bayonet Point would be able to treat a minimum of up to 1,000 patients each year.

That’s something the hospital already is doing, Norwood said.

“When we started this thing, we thought we would probably get 800 patients each year,” Norwood said. “In my first year, we had 1,456 patients. In our second year, we got 1,685 patients.”

And 65 percent of those patients come right from Pasco County, he said, and nearly 90 percent come from Pasco or points north of Pasco.

“We are not stealing patients from anywhere,” Norwood said. “This is not happening.”

State health officials said they could move the department’s new rule forward later this spring.

By the Numbers
94.66 — Florida’s trauma center survival rate

95.56 — Survival rate of Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point’s trauma center

27 — Number of trauma centers in Florida

715,500 — Average population each Florida trauma center serves

$2.2 million — Average local, state, federal funding for each trauma center

Published March 5, 2014

Gators, Warriors girls hoops teams reach new highs

March 6, 2014 By Michael Murillo

When a high school team makes the playoffs, it’s an impressive achievement. But they also know that, unless they win the state title, their entire season and postseason will end with a loss. It’s just a matter of time.

The Steinbrenner Warriors reached the regional finals for the first time, falling to Harmony in a close game. (Photo courtesy of Josee Briere)

Often a school measures success not just by reaching the postseason, but how far they get in the tournament.

In that regard, two girls basketball teams are holding their heads very high.

The Steinbrenner Warriors (26-4) and Land O’ Lakes Gators (23-5) both closed out the year on the losing side of a playoff game, but they each went far beyond any other team in school history.

For Steinbrenner, that was the Class 7A regional championship game, where they fell to the Harmony Longhorns, 44-40.

For Land O’ Lakes it was a step farther: The Gators lost in the state semifinals for Class 5A to the Southeast Seminoles, 49-24.

Land O’ Lakes trailed for most of the game in a contest that didn’t turn out to be very close. But Southeast, from Bradenton, lost just one game all year and finished the season with a 27-game win streak and the state title.

Coach Phyllis Crain said her team didn’t play a perfect game, but they played a team they knew would provide a big challenge.

“They’re a very good team,” Crain said about the Seminoles. “Yes, we could have done things differently, but I don’t know if it would have made the result better. Bradenton Southeast is a very good team.”

Land O’ Lakes proved they’re also a good team themselves this season, and Crain attributes the school’s first regional title to a commitment to teamwork and playing well together. The Gators were considered underdogs headed into the postseason — they finished as district runner-up to the Gulf Buccaneers — and had to come from behind in two of their three playoff victories.

But Crain saw their confidence build and is proud of how far their teamwork took them.

“I’m very pleased with the season and I’m very proud of my girls,” she said. “They played well together.”

Steinbrenner also is proud of their accomplishments, but the end of their playoff run is more bittersweet because they were very close to advancing to the state semifinals. The Warriors had a sizeable lead in the second half, but a run by Harmony evaporated that advantage, and they lost by four.

“We had everything you could want for a team that was trying to get to a Final Four: Hosting a regional final, having a nine-point lead going into the fourth quarter and playing a great game for the first 24 minutes,” Coach J.R. Allen said. “Unfortunately, the last eight minutes of the game we weren’t true to who we were the whole season.”

But Allen also admitted that before the season started, he thought Steinbrenner would be hard-pressed to get anywhere close to the regional final. For each of the four years the team has been in existence (led by Allen since the beginning), the Warriors have gotten better. But after last season, the team lost their main offensive weapons and it looked like they might struggle.

Allen challenged the girls to live up to the success of the previous group, even telling them he wasn’t sure they would be as tough as their predecessors. He hoped they would respond in a positive way, and was pleased when he got his answer.

“They bought in. They really bought in and they responded to the challenge well,” he said, noting the team took on a strong defensive identity he plans to carry over into next season. In addition to taking another step forward in the playoffs, Steinbrenner also had their first holiday-season success this year, taking the Indian Rocks Christian tournament back in January.

Both coaches are pleased with their respective campaigns, and can look back on the year with pride. Plus, they understand that the last game has to be put in context of the entire season, since almost all good teams end the year on a sour note.

“The only person who’s not going to hurt at the end of the season is going to be the champion,” Crain said.

Published March 5, 2014

Founders’ Day honors pure water city with rich history

March 6, 2014 By Michael Murillo

The annual Founders’ Day celebration is March 8. There will be a parade, a 5-kilometer race and a one-mile fun run. And for some folks, that’s all they need to know.

Parades have been a part of the annual Founders’ Day celebration in Zephyrhills practically from the beginning. It’s a chance to bring the whole community together, celebrating a vision from more than a century ago to provide a relaxing community in Central Florida. (File Photo)

And that’s a shame, because Founders’ Day is about more than floats and a race. It’s about history (this is the 104th incarnation of this event, so that should tell you something). It’s about Zephyrhills — not Tampa, not Dade City, and not other areas close to Zephyrhills, although the weekend events will attract people from all over.

Whether you were born here (and a lot of you were) or you moved here (that number is growing all the time, too), you have a stake in this area. Even if you’re one of our seasonal residents, you make this your home. And that means you should dig into its history, because there’s a lot of interesting things to be found.

Before you pack up the family and head out to Founders’ Day and its related events, here are a few things you should know:

• Zephyrhills used to be called Abbott. But that was more than 100 years ago, so no need to worry about updating your address labels or anything.

• Zephyrhills used to be a colony. The Zephyrhills Colony was envisioned as a location for Civil War veterans (on the Union side) to relocate and get involved in farming and manufacturing. In fact, the first newspaper was the Zephyrhills Colonist.

Now, what’s the difference between a small town and a colony? Not too much, but it’s a neat part of history, isn’t it?

• The name was a little unclear in the beginning. Don’t be too hard on your out-of-town family members if they don’t know whether you live in “Zephyrhills” or “Zephyr Hills.” It confused people right from the beginning.

It was called both of those, and occasionally “Zepherhills,” too.

Newspaper articles sometimes referred to the company that purchased the land as the “Zephyr Hills Colony Co.,” and at other times the “Zephyrhills Colony Co.”

• Zephyrhills has always had a rich military history. In addition to attracting Civil War veterans, special land deals were granted to veterans of the Spanish-American War. How’s that for history?

And during World War II, the airport was used as a training base.

Zephyrhills might not have been front and center during wartime, but the military always has been welcomed and honored here. That’s important.

• Zephyrhills celebrates its history. If you’ve lived in several different places during your life, you’ve probably realized that not every city marks its anniversary. Some don’t acknowledge it at all, some have a leader give a short speech, and others slap a plaque on a landmark and are done with it.

But you live in Zephyrhills, there’s a parade. It’s not Mardi Gras, and it’s not even Gasparilla, but it’s a real parade that gets people excited — and it’s ours.

The 5k race is a tradition, too. Even if you don’t run in it (I get tired just driving 5k in my car), it’s a big deal. People go just to show support and cheer.

And really, that’s Founders’ Day in a nutshell. People going to show support and cheer — for the runners, for the city and for its history. It’s a fun time, but it’s more than just your average let’s-have-a-race morning or parade based on fictional history.

It’s Founders’ Day. So enjoy it.

Published March 5, 2014

Local man offers spiritual help at Sochi Olympics

March 6, 2014 By B.C. Manion

The 2014 Olympics in Sochi may have been half a world away, but a chaplain from Lutz was there, offering spiritual support to athletes.

Scott Hamilton autographed a sign that Asif Shaikh held up at the ‘Today Show’ set at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Shaikh’s wife Leaha saw the sign on television. (Courtesy of Asif Shaikh)

Asif Shaikh, who pronounces his name “Ah-sif Shake,” traveled more than 30 hours, with stops in Chicago, Dusselfdorf, Germany, and Moscow before flying over the opening ceremonies to land in Sochi.

But it wasn’t his first Olympic experience. He and his wife Leaha tended to the spiritual needs of athletes at the Olympic games in London in 2012 as well.

This time, however, Shaikh traveled alone to Sochi and said his ministry work there involved prayer and Bible studies with hockey players and speed skaters. One of the athletes he prayed with was Jessica Lutz, a hockey player who was born in the United States, but because her father was born in Switzerland, was able to play on the Swiss team.

Lutz — who pronounces her name the same way as the northern Hillsborough County community — already was familiar to Shaikh.

He and his wife met the hockey player during a summer program they worked at in Colorado in 2009. Shaikh’s wife was Lutz’s advisor.

As it turns out, Shaikh was able to watch Lutz’s Swiss team play against the American team in a contest where the Swiss were soundly defeated. But he also saw Switzerland defeat Sweden in the bronze medal game, where Lutz scored the winning goal.

The idea of interacting with world-class athletes is nothing new for Shaikh. Besides providing spiritual guidance in London, he also had daily chapel gatherings for athletes competing to be part of the American team during the 2012 U.S. Olympic track team trials in Eugene, Ore.

Before that, he was a chaplain to the U.S. soccer team at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, and served in the same capacity at the track and field International Association of Athletics Federations World Championship in Daegu, South Korea and the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Because of those experiences, Shaikh is familiar with the types of security precautions taken at international events. Despite reports of potential security threats leading up to the games, Shaikh said he felt completely safe while there. He rated the quality of the security as “off the charts.”

“There was no issue. They were ready,” Shaikh said.

The hotels, however, were another matter. Although he stayed in a private home, Shaikh said media reports about some of the hotels not being ready were true.

The trains, on the other hand, were fantastic and they were beautiful, he said.

While he was able to pray with some athletes, Shaikh said the most important part of his trip this year was making connections for future Olympics. He got to know people involved with the U.S. Olympics Committee and with people within the Procter & Gamble Co., who sponsored the P&G Family Home in Sochi.

There the company offered moms, Olympians and their families a home away from home during the Olympics. It served as a place to hang out and be pampered, he said.

The USA House also served as a gathering place for members of the U.S. Olympics Committee, for Team USA, for corporate partners, sponsors, suppliers and licensees.

Shaikh hopes the connections he made during his time in Sochi will lay the groundwork for him to volunteer his spiritual help at the USA House, the P&G house or both during a future Olympics.

“I’m trying to get established. I think the next step would be, ‘How can I help, in the sense of volunteering my time,’” Shaikh said. “They don’t have any spiritual leaders. They don’t recognize that as something that’s important.”

The chaplain said he’s found that athletes often welcome spiritual support. Many of them travel to the competitions by themselves and some of them are facing personal crises, even as they prepare to compete on a world stage.

Besides praying with athletes in Sochi, Shaikh said he was lucky enough to get free tickets from Procter & Gamble for several events. He was able to watch American skaters Meryl Davis and Charlie White win the gold medal in ice dancing. He also watched bobsled, ski jumping, speed skating, curling and the half-pipe.

While there, Shaikh also had his own fleeting taste of fame. On Valentine’s Day, he went down to the set for NBC’s “Today Show” onsite at the Olympics carrying a sign that Lutz had made for him to hold, wishing his wife a happy Valentine’s Day.

“Scott Hamilton signed an autograph on it and it was on TV,” Shaikh said. “Leaha saw it, so it was really neat.”

Man vs. bull this weekend at Great Bull Run

March 6, 2014 By Michael Hinman

For some people, nothing could make a weekend more complete than having a herd of bulls stampeding after them.

It takes a lot of courage, and maybe a touch of insanity, to jump into the path of a rampaging bull. But those are exactly the kind of people invited to do just that March 8 in Dade City. (Courtesy of The Great Bull Run)

It’s been a way of life in Pamplona, Spain, for more than a century. And now that experience is coming to Dade City for The Great Bull Run on March 8.

It takes place at Little Everglades Ranch, 17951 Hamilton Road, just off U.S. 301.

The 10-city tour began last August in Virginia with more than 12,000 attendees, and organizer Rob Dickens hopes to make it an annual event here locally. Oh, and by the way, it is dangerous.

“That’s what draws people, the danger,” Dickens said. “If it was as safe as a walk in the park, there would be no reason to do it.”

Dickens said the idea to do a bull run in America came a couple years ago when he and his business partner tried to make the trip to Pamplona to take part in the famous bull run there. But it was impossible to attend — the average cost is around $3,000 a person to make the trip, giving up 10 days of work, all planned at least a year in advance. And that’s if they didn’t get injured.

“That’s when we realized, why don’t we just bring it here to the U.S.,” Dickens said. “There must be millions of other Americans like us who want to do this, but probably can’t afford all that.”

The Great Bull Run is a kinder, gentler version of the Spanish one. There are more safety precautions for both the runners and the bulls. There is track fencing runners can easily climb over and slide under if they get into danger, as well as nooks in the fence they can hide. Also, the bulls — which are brought in by a touring rodeo company — don’t have sharpened horns. That means less chance of goring.

The bulls are constantly monitored for their health and safety, and unlike in Pamplona, none of them are heading to the bullfighting ring afterward.

Yet, there are still dangers involved. Since the current tour started, two people have been injured, Dickens said. One had a broken wrist, the other a broken pelvis. However, the injury rate remains much lower than an average high school football game.

Even in Spain, there have been 15 deaths with the bull running, but that’s over a span of 102 years.

Still, the bull run is not just for the adventure seekers. Spectators also are welcome — at a much lower cost — and will be close enough to see the action, but far enough to stay safe.

It’s part of an all-day event that includes music, food, games and beer. The afternoon will feature the Tomato Royale, another Spanish tradition, where 30,000 pounds of tomatoes are trucked in for the sole purpose of participants throwing them at each other.

Tickets to run with the bulls are $65, with six total runs available throughout the late morning and mid-afternoon. For those who would rather throw tomatoes with no bull, the cost is $40.

Just want to watch? Tickets are $10 at the gate, with an additional fee for parking.

“We were looking for major metropolitan areas where we thought people would be interested in something like this, and we found a great venue just between Tampa and Orlando,” Dickens said.

“I’ve run with the bulls several times now at our own events, and the first time you do it, you’re absolutely scared out of your mind,” he said. “But the more you do it, the more you get comfortable with it. But it does take a certain type of person to do it in the first place.”

For more information, visit TheGreatBullRun.com.

Published March 5, 2014

Contest taps into region’s best-tasting drinking water

March 6, 2014 By Michael Hinman

The rows of water-filled plastic cups were not at all daunting to Daniel Yeh. He would pick each one up, sniff the water, look at it, and then quickly take a sip before setting the cup back down and jotting some notes on a score sheet.

Water was judged on a number of criteria including taste — as demonstrated by Nick Makris of the Southwest Florida Water Management District — odor, and as fellow judge Rick Ratcliff shows, color. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

“After a while, the samples run together,” said Yeh, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of South Florida. Narrowing it all down to a winner? “I do it scientifically,” he says with a smile before moving on to the next plastic cup.

Yeh was one of four judges tasked with finding the best-tasting tap water in the region last week, a title Hillsborough County was looking to defend, but many others wanted to wrestle away. Nearly 20 municipalities ranging from Sumter to Pinellas counties lugged in gallons of water to Lake Park in Lutz using containers of both the plastic and glass variety.

At stake were bragging rights for the region, and the chance to put their water head-to-head with the best in Florida next month.

“We are blessed with such a good source of clean, high-quality water in Florida — water that exceeds state and federal standards for quality — and this is all just some friendly competition to showcase it,” said Steven King, vice chair of Florida’s Region IV in the American Water Works Association.

In a society that consumes millions of bottles of water, contents like the best-tasting contest are designed to give a positive spin to tap water — something people typically only talk about when something goes wrong, like the recent pollution of the water supply in West Virginia.

“That’s when you think about water, when something like that happens,” King said. “There’s already this preconceived notion that tap water is bad, but really it’s not. It’s regulated probably more than bottled water, and it’s just high quality all around.”

Hillsborough County hosted this year’s regional contest, since it won this level last year. But Pasco County also was there, looking to defend its state title from 2006. And Zephyrhills, Dade City and other area communities were invited as well.

Judges were not told where their water samples came from, but were tasked to check for odor, color and taste.

The competition is highly subjective, King admits, where one person’s like may be someone else’s dislike. But most of the way through the taste-testing, one judge said one sample really stood out.

“It’s nice and smooth, and it’s almost tasteless,” said Nick Makris, a water supply specialist and project manager for the Southwest Florida Water Management District. “It’s hard to tell if some of these would stand out, because a lot of them feel to be the same. But yeah, I think one of them stands out in a good way.”

While Makris didn’t know where his favorite water came from, the day ended with a clear winner. Dunedin, which actually won the regional contest in 2011, was champion once again.

Water officials there will head to the Florida Water Resources Conference in April in Lake Buena Vista to find out how they compete against other regional winners in the state.

But in the end, all of these municipalities are winners, King said.

“No one writes about high-quality drinking water that everyone drinks 365 days a year and no one gets sick from,” King said. “We’re just trying to shed some light on the industry, because for too long, it’s been sort of a hidden industry. Generally, if you ask people on the street where their water comes from, they’ll just say it’s from the tap.

“But there’s a lot that happens to that water before it gets there, and this is our way to honor the hard work of those people who ensure the best water coming from the tap every day.”

Published March 5, 2014

Political Agenda 03-05-14

March 6, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Commission candidates to debate
The Pasco Federated Republican Women’s Club will host a debate for Republican Pasco County Commission candidates March 7 at 11:30 a.m. at Fox Hollow Golf Club, 10050 Robert Trent Jones Parkway in Trinity.

The forum will include Ken Littlefield, Mike Moore and Bob Robertson. All three are campaigning to win a primary election set for Aug. 26, with the winner set to face Erika Remsberg — or the winner of a Democratic primary if one is needed — in the general election.

Cost is $15.

For more information, call Fran Scerbo at (727) 597-3727, or email .

Mobile hours for Ross
U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, will host mobile office hours March 11 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Lutz Library, 101 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road in Lutz.

Other dates in Lutz include April 8, May 13, June 10, July 8, Aug. 12, Sept. 9, Oct. 14, and Dec. 9.

For more information, call (863) 644-8215, or (813) 752-4790.

Business Digest 03-05-14

March 6, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Local business leaders recognized
Terri Williamson, an advertising representative for The Laker/Lutz News, accepts the newspaper’s award for Medium Business of the Year at the annual Pasco Hernando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce awards banquet at Heritage Harbor. She’s joined by, from left, John Jaay, Darla Sarhaddi, Elayne Bassinger and Harland Henry. Other winners including OurTownFla.com as Small Business of the Year, and its owner Tony Masella as Volunteer of the Year. Ierna’s Heating & Cooling was Large Business of the Year and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay was the Non-Profit of the Year.

SmartStart gets new member
Computers Etc., an information technology company providing complete IT management, support and training, has joined the SmartStart Dade City incubator.

As an offsite member, Computers Etc. has around-the-clock access to the facility, which includes free WiFi, parking, co-working space, a post office box, and meeting rooms.

In addition, Computers Etc. will receive one-on-one mentoring and get assistance from SmartStart’s intern from Saint Leo University’s master of business administration program.

The SmartStart Dade City incubator is the first of its kind in Pasco County, giving companies the opportunity to work in a collaborative environment with other small businesses, gain access to technical support, and network with other business leaders and community partners.

SmartStart is located at 15000 Citrus Country Drive in Dade City. For more information, visit SmartStartPasco.com.

Community Business Expo coming
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will host its 2014 Community Business Expo March 14 and March 15 at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

The event runs from 4 p.m. to 7 pm., March 14, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., on March 15, with the theme “The Price is Right – Shop Local.”

Sponsorships and booth space remain available, but are limited.

For more information, visit CentralPascoChamber.com, or call (813) 909-2722.

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

Speaking is Debra Lombardozzi, who will talk about how to identify personality types so that people can communicate more effectively.

Cost is $15 for members ahead of the meeting, and $18 for all guests and those who haven’t prepaid by March 5.

For more information, call (813) 600-9849, or email .

RPE passes SSAE 16 audit
RPE Outsourcing LLC of Land O’ Lakes, has completed a Service Organizations Control 1 Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements No. 16 Type 2 examination, known more commonly as SSAE 16.

The audit was developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants to provide a uniform method of disclosing independently assessed information about the design and operation of internal controls. RPE is a retail cloud computing consultant and an information technologies management service provider.

“Retailers today are more aware than ever of data security and compliance issues, and having confirmation a data center meets the highest standards is critical,” said Cliff Epstein, president of RPE, in a release. The audit helps support the company’s commitment to “safeguarding sensitive information” and keep its data operations secure.