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Pasco supports local CareerSource

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The Pasco County Commission has passed a resolution requesting that CareerSource Pasco Hernando be kept in its current configuration.

The board adopted the resolution as part of its consent agenda on Dec. 6. Items on the consent agenda are approved in a single motion, without discussion, unless someone pulls an item off to be considered as a regular item.

The REACH Act, signed into Florida law in 2021, seeks to achieve a more coordinated approach in delivering and using workforce development resources and services through alignment and accountability, according to background material in the board’s agenda packet.

But Pasco is resisting any move for CareerSource Pasco Hernando to be absorbed into a larger workforce board.

The board’s agenda background materials assert that “the Pasco Hernando workforce region, region 16, is not only growing, but is thriving.”

The resolution asks state officials to allow CareerSource Pasco Hernando “to remain in its current form.”

It notes that “CareerSource Pasco Hernando has developed partnerships within the community that are not only essential to the growth and economic success of Pasco County, but are also an integral part of creating a business-friendly environment which promotes job creation.”

In its resolution, the board said it feels “it is of the utmost importance to maintain a locally developed and driven system where the local workforce board operates and performs its duties with the highest level of efficiency and effectiveness.”

As the state continues to evaluate the workforce system, Pasco is asking it to “give consideration to existing workforce regions that are functioning optimally.”

The county board does “not support a consolidation effort through realignment that would absorb Pasco County into a larger area and believes this will diminish the success and effectiveness of the local workforce board and will negatively impact Pasco County’s economy,” according to the resolution.

In other action during the Dec. 6 meeting, the board:

  • Selected Coastal Design Consultants Inc., to design bus shelters countywide, along with a related professional services agreement, for a three-year contract term and two optional one-year renewals.
  • Amended a lease agreement with Pasco Economic Development Council Inc., regarding office spaces in the Stallings Building, at 15029 14th St., in Dade City. The agreement is for an amount not to exceed $1 per year, plus Pasco EDC’s pro-rata share of utilities, which is $3,424.02 per year beginning Feb. 1, 2023 through Sept. 30, 2024. There are two remaining one-year renewal options, through Sept. 30, 2026.
  • Acknowledged and accepted United State Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Assessment Grant Funding for $500,000. The grant will be used to conduct Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop cleanup plans, conduct public health monitoring, and support community outreach activities. Assessments will focus on the main north/south commercial corridors, including U.S. 19, Community Redevelopment Areas and the Lacoochee-Trilby industrial area.

Brownfield assessments are expected to stimulate the cleanup and redevelopment of abandoned and underused sites along regional transportation corridors.

  • Approved spending $186.285 for annual dues for membership in the Tampa Bay Regional Council. The region’s six counties — Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco and Pinellas — are required by law to exercise regional cooperation through the membership of the Council, i.e., Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC). These counties and several other incorporated municipalities within the Tampa Bay Region are governments represented on the council by elected officials appointed by their local boards, and the governor appoints additional members representing the Southwest Florida Water Management District, the Florida Department of Transportation, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and Enterprise Florida.
  • Approved a bid award to Will-B Enterprises LLC, for debris and noxious materials removed, mowing and/or property cleanup for $36,000 a year for three years, for cumulative amount of $108,000.

Published December 21, 2022

Honors bestowed to those stepping up in Ian’s aftermath

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As Hurricane Ian headed toward Florida, elected leaders and government officials across Tampa Bay braced for what was predicted as a possible ‘worst-case scenario’ for the region.

Instead, Hurricane Ian veered south, making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 28, as the deadliest hurricane to strike Florida since the 1935 Labor Day hurricane.

Footage from national and local television coverage revealed the destructive forces of Hurricane Ian, as it traveled through areas including Fort Myers, Sanibel Island, Cape Coral and other places to the south of the Tampa Bay region, and then headed across the state of Florida, before entering the Atlantic Ocean and making another landfall in South Carolina.

Pasco County didn’t emerge entirely unscathed from Hurricane Ian, but the damages were relatively minor compared to communities to the south of the Tampa Bay region that were devastated by the Category 4 hurricane. As soon as they were able, first responders from Pasco County, as well as private citizens, sprang into action to help those who didn’t escape Ian’s wrath. (File)

News footage showed heroic actions, and search and rescue teams going house to house looking for survivors.

The coverage also captured the human emotion of people being rescued, and others dealing with the loss of their homes and businesses.

Floodwaters spilled into houses. High winds sheared off roofs.

Boats were stacked up in marinas, or tossed blocks away. Roads turned into rivers. Cars and trucks floated down streets. Trees toppled. The power was out, water systems weren’t working and pumping stations were damaged.

But, as soon as they could get there, Pasco County emergency responders and private citizens went to the hurricane-ravaged areas, to help.

The Pasco County Commission took a few minutes out of its Dec. 6 meeting to express appreciation for those leaving their families here, to help others suffering in Ian’s aftermath.

One resolution cast a spotlight on the Pasco Sheriff’s Office Deployable Emergency Response Team for its search and rescue efforts in Lee County.

Another resolution highlighted the donations collected and delivered, as well as the volunteer work done by members of Rotary District 6950, Pasco residents, Maus Nissan and Big Storm Brewery.

A third resolution recognized Pasco Fire/Rescue first responders, and a fourth resolution highlighted the efforts of employees in the county’s emergency management division.

The sheriff’s Deployable Emergency Response Team deployed canines and drones to help people who were trapped under debris and damaged structures.

“As everybody knows, that storm was focused here, first,” Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco told the county board. “We got the call from Gov. DeSantis, Sen. Rick Scott, everybody saying, ‘What do you need?”

“Other sheriffs were calling, ‘As soon as that makes landfall, we’re there.’

“And then, within a matter of hours, it shifted.

“I want to thank our deputies who went down there — the women and men who went down there — their families were here.”

“The Rotaries, the businesses, everybody who went down there to support our members — that is so heartwarming. That, to them, means so much,” Nocco said.

If Ian hadn’t turned, the story would have been much different, the sheriff and others said.

“If that storm would have hit us, everything west of (U.S.) 19 would have been rocked.

“When you see sand piled up above your head and you see the water,” Nocco said. “The amount of water that came in, it was unbelievable.”

Pasco organizations, businesses and residents also stepped forward to help.

Rotary District 6950 organized a collection drive, with its 49 clubs delivering donations to Mau Nissan, which opened its Bay area locations to accept the donations.

The Rotary district delivered supplies to the sheriff’s Deployable Emergency Response Teams stationed in both Fort Myers and Bonita Springs, and also raised $85,000 for additional hurricane relief efforts in Lee County.

The volunteers filled four 26-foot box trucks with collected donations and delivered them to the residents of Lee County.

Big Storm Brewery also opened its doors to collect donations and supplies to take to Lee County residents.

Private citizens also helped, including a group including Alison Crumbley, a member of the Pasco County School Board.

The group delivered supplies to the area to help people in need. They knocked on doors to see how they could help.

In the midst of their efforts, the U-Haul stocked with items to help Ian victims broke down and it took seven hours to get back on the road, Crumbley said.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey told the helpers how impressed she was by their efforts.

“What I heard what you guys did, I was just floored,” Starkey said.

Crumbley responded: “We’re humbled. We’re just Florida folks who saw other Florida folks really hurt. It could have been us, and it looked like it was going to be.”

Pasco County Fire/Rescue sent several teams down to help in the aftermath and several employees from the county’s emergency management division also went to help.

“One thing we noticed is that the emergency management team, quite a few of them had lost their homes,” said Laura Wilcoxen, Pasco’s assistant director of emergency management.

“So, while they were serving their community, allowing us to come in, they trusted us and turned over their EOC (Emergency Operations Center) to us, to let Andrew Fossa (Pasco’s director of emergency management) and myself be the incident commander, and run their EOC for them, while they were able to take a break, to be able to take care of themselves and their home.”

The county’s team saw catastrophic damage, with watermarks that were 25-feet high, Wilcoxen said.

“If it came over here, everything west of (U.S.) 19 could have been lost,” she added.

County board members expressed appreciation for county staff members who helped out, particularly the first responders.

Commissioner Gary Bradford told them: “You guys are the tip of the spear. When duty calls, you go. I’m personally very proud of you.”

Published December 21, 2022

Santa Parade brings holiday cheer to Lexington Oaks

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Santa, also known as John Kostialik, made his annual stop in Lexington Oaks on Dec. 10 — starring in a parade aimed at bringing seasonal spirit to Central Pasco community.

With no reindeers in sight, Santa (John Kostialik) rides from stop to stop, in a golf cart driven by his elf helper, Addison Jones. (Courtesy of Steve Vinik)

The annual Santa parade, sponsored by the Lexington Oaks Security Patrol, including appearances by Santa (Kostialik) and Mrs. Claus (Julie Kuhn), fire trucks, a marching band and decked-out golf carts.

This elf is certainly not on a shelf! Lincoln Luna was busy during the parade in Lexington Oaks, distributing Santa’s candy.

Each year, the parade wends its way along Lexington Oaks Boulevard and stops in front of the village entrances to greet families with good Christmas cheer and candy.

This year, Fire Rescue Station 13 supplied some red plastic fire helmets to give out to kids.

Stacey Russo, a parade spectator, recapped some observations on Facebook.

She said this year’s event “was my favorite parade so far.”

Russo loved seeing “all the fire trucks, Santa and Mrs. Claus, Frosty, all the golf carts decked out,” an “amazing decorated jeep,” she wrote on Facebook.

She also enjoyed seeing the kids getting fire hats and candy and watching the marching band featuring members from Wesley Chapel and Cypress Creek high schools.

“How many smiles were made,” Russo commented.

Santa said the toughest part of getting ready for the parade is allowing his beard to grow during Florida’s hot summers.

He was pleased by this year’s event.

“Thank you to all who helped and all who came to watch,” he said. “See ya’ll next year!”

Published December 21, 2022

Mrs. Claus (Julie Kuhn) hands out goodies —helping to raise spirits high, during the Lexington Oaks Santa Parade.
Fire Rescue Station 13, led by Capt. David Garofalo and firefighter Kessler Dixon, provided lots of noisy excitement, and plastic firefighter hats for the children.
Aly Jacinto gives Santa (John Kostialik) a hug, in a tender moment during the parade.

Pasco Schools to start a few minutes earlier after winter break

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Pasco County Schools is adjusting schedules again — planning to start the school day four minutes earlier each day, once students return to school for the second semester.

The district had planned some cushioning into its schedule, but lost four days due to Hurricane Ian and then lost another one because of Hurricane Nicole.

To make up for instructional time lost because of Hurricane Ian, the district already has scheduled two student makeup days. One will be on Jan. 3 and the other on Feb. 20.

It also has had to convert all of its second-semester Early Release Days into full student contact days.

But it didn’t have any other options left, when it came to making up for time lost because of Hurricane Nicole.

So, the district has decided to make up that time by starting a little bit earlier each day.

The Pasco County School Board approved the revised bell times as part of the board’s consent agenda at its Dec. 13 meeting.

Items on the consent agenda are voted on in a single action, without discussion.

Published December 21, 2022

Teddy Bears for TPD aims to comfort children in crisis

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Members of the Tampa Police Department (TPD), including Interim Chief Lee Bercaw, Deputy Chief Calvin Johnson, and members of the Behavioral Health Unit, received donations of nearly 300 stuffed animals in the second Teddy Bears for TPD collection conducted by Saint Leo University, according to a university news release.

Interim Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw, Saint Leo University Tampa Education Center Director Rod Kirkwood, Saint Leo University staff and faculty, and Tampa Police Department (TPD) officers hold teddy bears donated to the university’s Teddy Bears for TPD drive. (Courtesy of Renee Gerstein/Saint Leo University)

The university’s Tampa Education Center spearheaded the effort, and the teddy bears and stuffed animals were loaded into TPD vehicles at the education center at 1403 N. Howard Ave., in West Tampa.

Students, faculty, staff and the public donated the items, bringing them to the education center and to Saint Leo’s main campus, in St. Leo.

The nearly 300 teddy bears and other stuffed animals will be used by the unit and TPD officers to help children in crisis situations and during scary times.

Officer Gig Brown has his arms full of donated teddy bears at Saint Leo University’s Tampa Education Center. The bears were donated by students, faculty, staff, and the public to create a ‘comfort squad.’

This is the second year for the project, which was led by the Tampa Education Center and supported by faculty, staff, students and the public. Saint Leo’s Student Government Union and student groups also collected animals at its residential campus in Pasco County and at the East Pasco Education Center locations. This year’s collection drive yielded 300 stuffed animals.

Bercaw said that the bears can help start a conversation in a difficult situation.

“They can get a child smiling,” Bercaw said, in the release.

The stuffed animals will be used primarily by TPD’s Behavioral Health Unit officers, but also will be available in TPD offices. The officers in the Behavioral Health Unit help those who are vulnerable and those in crisis, and help to keep situations from escalating, the release says.

Dr. Christine Picot, assistant professor of education, and Officer Lucas Lucchini of the Tampa Police Department’s Behavioral Health Unit, load donated teddy bears into a police vehicle.

“Community support — such as that provided by Saint Leo University — is what we really need,” Bercaw said. “Saint Leo is a great partner for us and we appreciate the support.”

The idea of donating teddy bears was sparked by one of the Tampa center’s social work instructors, who discussed how children experience traumatic events, according to the release.

In late 2020, Saint Leo moved its Tampa location to the historic former Berriman-Morgan Cigar Factory building, 1403 N. Howard Ave.

“We really wanted to support our local community and give back,” said Rod Kirkwood, area director of Saint Leo’s Tampa Education Center. “Being able to partner with and support the Tampa Police Department is important, and we want interactions with the police to be positive for children, even if it’s a scary situation.”

Many of the university’s degree programs align with this project, including criminal justice and social work.

Bercaw is one of Saint Leo’s most recent graduates. He earned his Doctor of Criminal Justice degree earlier this year.

Published December 21, 2022

Keeping in mind health-conscious guests at the holidays

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So, you’re hosting a holiday dinner — and some of your guests are on the health-conscious list.

How are you going to handle it?

Will you make them some special foods of their own?

Or, will you compromise and make foods that appeal to everyone so you don’t have to do as much cooking?

While traditional mashed potatoes with milk and butter can have up to 237 calories and 9 grams of fat in a single serving, mashed cauliflower has only 39 calories and less than 1 gram of fat in a serving (with a serving size equal to about one-fifth of the accompanying recipe). (Courtesy of Andrea Nikolai, University of Florida Extension)

Or maybe your health-conscious guests will bring a dish of their own to share.

Of course, not everyone has access to a kitchen, as holiday gatherings can require long-distance travel and stays at hotels.

And, sometimes a person’s diet isn’t just a matter of preference, but is based on medical issues, such as diabetes or hypertension.

So, what’s your game plan?

First, be sure to  communicate in advance with your guests so you don’t have to guess what they want.

The holidays are filled with traditional foods that are creamy this, or buttered that, and, of course, there’s the endless array of desserts, too.

It can be downright difficult to avoid surrounding people with calorie-heavy, high-fat, sodium-filled foods.

But there are ways to make the meal a little bit easier for your guests with special dietary requests.

First, remember that when you alter recipes, be sure to do a practice run. You want to be sure that the changes you make don’t drastically affect the flavor.

You also can make accommodations that reduce calories and fats, without substantially affecting the flavor.

For instance, with full-fat anything — milk, cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, mayo, dressing and so on — consider using a reduced-fat version.

There are 9 calories in a gram of fat, so if you cut back on fat, you instantly cut back on calories.

Instead of using salt to add flavor, consider using herbs and spices, lemon juice, or vinegar.

(This University of Florida publication provides pointers on which herbs and spices pair well with certain foods: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FS225.)

Also, if you cut back the salt by half, you likely won’t notice a difference in taste.

However, if yeast is in the recipe, don’t alter the amount of sodium you use.

It’s also safe to cut back on sugar by baking with cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla or almond extract instead. But, again, don’t remove all of the sugar in yeast breads.

You also can replace sugar with equal amounts of sucralose (Splenda) and add ½ teaspoon of baking soda for each cup of sucralose you use.

Keep in mind that baking time is usually shorter and the final product is smaller. Aspartame can be used for food that is not baked, according to Ohio State University Extension.

To increase fiber, use whole grains: whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole wheat flour, whole wheat pasta and so on.

Fiber helps to maintain blood sugar levels.

For a meatless option, use beans, peas, legumes or lentils instead.

Consider these meal swaps to go on the healthier side:

  • Instead of traditional mashed potatoes, make creamy mashed cauliflower.
  • Instead of green bean casserole, simply make sauteed green beans with toasted walnuts.
  • Add vegetables to the mac and cheese, such as pureed carrots, butternut squash and cauliflower.
  • Instead of creamy vegetable casserole, have roasted Brussel sprouts with balsamic vinegar.
  • Instead of apple pie, make baked apples stuffed with cranberries and nuts.
  • Swap the chocolate cake for a chocolate mousse made with Greek yogurt.

Also, be sure to have healthy snacks or appetizers available in case there is a delay in dinner.

For those with diabetes that need to manage their blood sugar levels, a delayed meal may cause a low blood sugar reaction. Almonds, cheeses, and a variety of fruits and vegetables can help bridge the gap before dinner.

Of course, we all know the other variable of the health equation: exercise.

Make it a tradition to take a family walk around the block to help burn off all those calories, while simultaneously enjoying the neighborhood lights and decorations.

To get more menu ideas, not only for the holidays but for healthier eating throughout the year, check out recipes on the American Heart Association’s website, or the American Diabetes Association site.

Extension Universities have information, too.

So, gather your family and friends to celebrate the holidays — and keep your guests in mind, when planning your menu.

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2023

Shari Bresin is the Family & Consumer Science Agent for the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension Pasco County.

Recipe
Here’s a recipe on Creamy Mashed Cauliflower from University of Florida Extension:

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:
16 ounces frozen cauliflower (or 1 head fresh, chopped)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth or milk
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese (optional)
Seasoning to taste: 1 teaspoon dried parsley, herb seasoning blend such as Mrs. Dash
Salt and pepper

Instructions:
Prepare and cook the cauliflower until tender (or a fork can be inserted), according to type of vegetable and cooking method:

For fresh cauliflower

  • Wash, trim and cut into florets. Place in a microwaveable bowl with 1 Tablespoon to 2 Tablespoons of water. Cover and cook on high for 7 minutes to 8 minutes.
  • For stovetop cooking, place florets in a saucepan and add enough water to cover. Boil for 6 minutes to 7 minutes or until fork is easily inserted. Drain.

For frozen cauliflower

  • Place in a microwaveable bowl with 1 Tablespoon to 2 Tablespoons of water and cook on high for 5 minutes to 6 minutes.
  • For stovetop cooking, combine frozen florets and one cup of water in a saucepan. Cover and cook on medium heat for 6 minutes to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain.

For steam-in-the-bag cauliflower

  • Follow the package instructions for cooking on the bag. Let cool slightly.

Once the cauliflower is cooked, add raw minced garlic and 1 Tablespoon to 2 Tablespoons of broth, or milk, to a food processor or a bowl.

Use a food processor, or hand mixer or potato masher, to blend ingredients until smooth. Add broth as necessary to make it creamy.

Stir in plain yogurt and seasoning to taste.

Turn into a medium serving bowl and serve hot.

Recipe serves four to six.

Published December 21, 2022

Utility bill assistance for low-income households in Pasco

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Pasco utilities customers may be eligible to receive up to $1,000 in payment assistance for water and wastewater payments through a new federal program operated by Pasco County Utilities, according to a county news release.

The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program offers up to a $1,000 voucher to those who qualify.

Eligibility is income-based, and funding is administered by Mid Florida Community Services (MFCS). If a customer is approved, MFCS will provide the voucher and funding directly to Pasco County Utilities.

“Customers experiencing financial crises are encouraged to connect with MFCS and contact Pasco County Utilities to set up a payment plan,” Utilities Customer Information & Services Director Sandra Anderson said, in the release. “Discussing a payment plan before services are disconnected provides an opportunity to continue services while addressing each customer’s unique circumstance.”

Those interested in apply can:

The program assists with the restoration of household water services and reduces delinquent or late payments for low-income households. The payment assistance will be available until Sept. 30, 2023, or until funding runs out.

For more information, visit PascoCountyUtilities.com.

Saddlebrook request to get extra public hearing

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The Pasco County Commission wants the community to have another chance to hear about proposed changes at Saddlebrook Resort, in Wesley Chapel, and to have the opportunity to weigh in on them.

The county board voted to continue the request to the public hearings portion of its Feb. 7  meeting, in Dade City.

Saddlebrook Resort includes a hotel, spa, tennis and golf complex. It also is home to Saddlebrook Tennis Academy, Saddlebrook Golf Academy, Saddlebrook Preparatory School and two 18-hole, Arnold-Palmer designed golf courses. Some big changes are being proposed to the resort and the Pasco County Commission wants to be sure that residents understand those plans before the issue is brought to the county board for a vote. (File)

In the interim, though, it directed its staff to arrange for the issue to go before the Pasco County Planning Commission for another hearing on Jan. 5, before returning to the county board in February for a vote on the request.

Both meetings will begin at 1:30 p.m., and be held in the board chambers at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, at 37918 Meridian Ave., in downtown Dade City.

Jack Mariano, the newly elected chairman of the Pasco County Commission, urged his colleagues to send the issue to the planning board for a hearing, to ensure that the community has an opportunity to hear the proposed plans and to voice any concerns.

The applicant did hold community meetings within Saddlebrook, but those were organized by individual homeowner associations, said Barbara Wilhite, the applicant’s attorney.

Mariano said he wants anyone who is interested to be able to hear the same presentation and he wants that to happen before it reaches the board for a decision.

Based on documents in the planning board’s Sept. 22 agenda packet, the request calls for amending the county’s future land use map on about 420.5 acres on a site that is south of State Road 54, east of Service Road.

Saddlebrook has an existing master-planned unit development (MPUD), which has existing entitlements, development and infrastructure.

But a substantial modification has been requested to add acreage to the existing MPUD and to convert one existing golf course and the driving range into commercial/retail, multifamily, single-family, dorm rooms, clubhouse and restaurant uses, according to documents in the planning board’s Sept. 22 agenda packet.

Saddlebrook Resort includes a hotel, spa, tennis and golf complex that opened in 1981 and is home to Saddlebrook Tennis Academy, Saddlebrook Golf Academy, Saddlebrook Preparatory School and two 18-hole, Arnold-Palmer designed golf courses.

Saddlebrook currently contains a number of different uses including commercial/office, multi-family, single-family, recreational and hotel/convention center uses.

The proposed use calls for converting the area that is the golf driving range into the town center for Saddlebrook, the background materials say.

The request must gain approvals from the county board, to clear the way for the proposed project.

At the initial planning board meeting, the request had been included on the consent agenda — meaning it could be approved without discussion, but planning board member Jon Moody pulled the item for discussion.

Moody doesn’t believe that large-scale projects should be included on the consent agenda.

He also expressed concerns about the county’s public notice requirements for such requests.

“My particular concern in Saddlebrook is that a great number of the property owners, adjacent to the golf course, to which this comp plan amendment applies, live out of state, many of them live out of country, so they didn’t see the sign posted,” Moody said during the planning board meeting.

Mariano said the planning board needs to take up the issue again because “I don’t feel that the planning commission got a good hearing,” he said.

Wilhite said her client had a series of public hearings and has been listening.

“We have been making changes,” she said.

But Mariano said: “The Planning Commission, I feel, needs to hear a complete presentation.”

“I think it should be all at once, everybody hearing the same thing,” he said.

Mariano said he knows that Saddlebrook residents want more communication.

“They feel that their voices weren’t heard from the get-go,” Mariano said.

Wilhite responded: “We have been making changes. We have been listening,” she said. “I’m very confident that the things that my client is doing, that we’ll have a lot of buy-in, actually, as we go forward.”

Published December 14, 2022

Trying to solve a mystery involving a Purple Heart

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Do you know James W. Varden of Zephyrhills?

Purple Heart, No. 9415, with the name of James W. Varden, has been found at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village in Dade City. (Courtesy of Doug Sanders)

Purple Heart, No. 9415, with his name has been found at the History Center at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village in Dade City.

The medal was donated to the center by M. R. Shaffer on Aug. 4, 1994, but no other information is known, including whether Varden was wounded or killed in battle.

Purple Hearts Reunited—a Vermont-based nonprofit organization—says the famous medals have been found in retirement homes, storage lockers, flea markets, abandoned houses, in old furniture and in vehicles.

As the nation’s oldest military medal, the Purple Heart was originally introduced as the Badge of Military Merit by George Washington.

With 2 million Purple Hearts bestowed to those wounded or killed in battle, “it’s easy to see how some of them are misplaced or lost over time,” according to a spokesman for Purple Hearts Reunited.

When a medal is found, this organization helps veterans to enroll in the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor.

When Purple Hearts Reunited finds a missing medal from its Lost Hearts Database, it conducts a return ceremony if possible.

The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States, wounded or killed, while serving in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Services.

If you have any information about the Purple Heart awarded to James W. Varden, of Zephyrhills, please email Doug Sanders at or Purple Hearts Reunited at .

Estimated Number of Purple Hearts
World War I: 320,518
World War II: 1,076,245
Korean War: 118,650
Vietnam War: 351,794
Persian Gulf War: 607
Afghanistan War: 12,534
Iraq War: 35,411

Source: National Geographic, 2009

Published December 14, 2022

Unearthed drawings reveal life from a century ago

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Susan Maesen, a volunteer at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, was thrilled when she stumbled upon a gray box containing a collection of hand-drawings dating back to roughly a century ago.

“I could not believe my eyes when I found them!” Maesen said.

Winnie Bridge Latham’s depiction of a horse and buggy. (Courtesy of Florida Pioneer Museum & Village)

The drawings were found amidst boxes stacked with newspaper clippings, albums filled with black-and-white photographs and a purple heart belonging to James W. Varden, of Zephyrhills (see related story).

The drawings were created by Winifred “Winnie” Bridge Latham, a beloved local elementary school teacher and artist. She lived next door to Maesen’s grandparents on Church Avenue.

Latham, known locally as “Miss Winnie,”  died on April 14, 1963.

Maesen speculates the Miss Winnie’s drawings were donated to the museum by the Dayton family of Dade City.

One of the Daytons — George — was a former state senator. He served as a pallbearer at “Miss Winnie’s” funeral.

“Miss Winnie’s” artistic skills were widely known, in her community.

Winnie Bridge Latham drew this portrait of herself with her parents.

“Her favorite subjects were her parents, self-portraits and shots with animals,” Bill Dayton told The Tampa Tribune, in a story published in 1980.

When she died, at age 81, she was living alone in a frame house that was surrounded by an overgrown garden, directly across from the First Presbyterian Church.

Dewey Hudson, of Dade City, told The Tampa Tribune, that “Miss Winnie” was his second-grade teacher in 1906.

“She was an excellent teacher and an elegant lady,” Hudson recalled.

“Miss Winnie” received her teacher’s certificate in 1903 and taught elementary school for 20 years.

Winnie Bridge Latham drew this portrait of Virginia Sistrunk and Sistrunk’s son, Floyd. Sistrunk, the wife of Dr. R.D. Sistrunk, was Latham’s neighbor.

Her work in the classroom was “characterized by fidelity, patience, duty in every detail,” according to a local newspaper report.

Much of her influence stemmed from her father, Fred Bridge, who came to Pasco County after serving as a captain in the Union Army during the Civil War.

He was a well-read, educated man.

However, the Bridge family’s connection to the Union Army meant they weren’t always well received by their new neighbors in the former Confederate States of America.

Miss Winnie’s drawings and diary entries offer a glimpse of life in Dade City, during the days when a horseless carriage was first spotted on the city’s streets.

Winifred ‘Winnie’ Latham holding Dan Sistruck, who later served as a pallbearer at her funeral in 1963.

“Yes! There was an automobile in town today… Papa saw it. But I didn’t!” she wrote in her diary.

She memorialized her views on the adoption of the 19th amendment, giving women the right to vote: “The reason for the women’s movement, as for all great movements, is social advantage.”

Her father died in 1922 and her mother died a few years later.

“This is all very hard,” she wrote in her diary. “I’m afraid I’m losing control of my mind.”

In 1933, she married the Rev. C.W. Latham, a Presbyterian minister. She was 52.

He died in 1936, and after that, she mostly stayed inside her home.

The box of old drawings, though, offer a reminder of a woman who touched the lives of schoolchildren and used her artistic talents to help chronicle the life and times of Dade City, of nearly a century ago.

Doug Sanders has a penchant for unearthing interesting stories about local history. His sleuthing skills have been developed through his experiences in newspaper and government work. If you have an idea for a future history column, contact Doug at .

Published December 14, 2022