The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Wesley Chapel/New Tampa News

Get close to the animals at ‘Barnyard Bash’

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Families looking for a close encounter with animals may want to check out the “Barnyard Bash” at the Home Sweet Home Animal Rescue in Wesley Chapel.

Valerie Burke’s affection for animals began when she was ‘knee-high to a grasshopper’ and has never waned. She now operates Home Sweet Home Animal Rescue in Wesley Chapel. (B.C. Manion)

Children and adults, alike, can meet Arnold the Pig, Ollie the Goose, Effie the Goat and other animals at the event on Nov. 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the rescue, 4129 Fox Ridge Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Besides getting a chance to meet the animals, there will be an education tent, food, a bounce house, games and other activities.

Those wanting to visit the barnyard will be required to wear sneakers or other close-toed shoes.

“We did this last year, and we had a ball,” said Valerie Burke, the founder of Home Sweet Home Animal Rescue.

About 100 people turned out and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, said Burke, who said her love for animals began when she was “knee-high to a grasshopper” and has stayed with her for life.

Last year, she said, “we had kids face-painting kids,” she said, which was fun for the kids and fun for adults to watch.

Ollie the goose, also known as Oliver, was rescued from a parking lot at a lawyer’s office in the Westshore business district in Tampa.

Burke began the barnyard rescue operation because she saw a need for it.

It began with one injured animal.

“One thing led to another,” Burke said. “People would bring me injured animals and sick animals, from as far away as the Panhandle. I’ve had several come from Gainesville.

“We do a lot of special needs animals here,” she said. Without the rescue operation, many of the animals would be euthanized, Burke said.

“One of our ducks is missing half her bill. I have a parrot missing his leg. Some are missing toes,” she said. “We try to make it comfortable for them.”

Currently, she has 40 ducks, three geese, seven goats, a pig, 20 or so chickens and some parrots.

They come to her in different ways.

Oliver, also known as Ollie, is her Chinese goose. He was dropped off at a lawyer’s office, off Westshore Boulevard in Tampa.

Valerie Burke knows how to make her goat, Effie, happy.

Ollie’s girlfriend, Greta, an African goose, was dumped with her mate in Safety Harbor. Her mate was killed by a predator.

“So, she came here; her and Ollie are best friends,” Walker said.

Harley, one of the ducks, is named for the Harley-Davidson dealership in Brandon that found her.

Burke said she has been the recipient of animals that were starved nearly to death, or were abandoned at apartment complexes.

“We take in the ones that are the forgotten ones,” she said.

The barnyard bash is a way for people to have fun, but also develop a greater understanding of animals, Burke said.

And, while visitors to the Barnyard Bash are invited to get closer to the animals, they are not permitted to chase them, Burke said.

“This isn’t a petting zoo. It’s all about respect. This is their home, so you have to respect them in their home. If they come up to you, great. If they don’t, well, they don’t,” Burke said.

She is looking forward to the event.

She’s confident that the adults and children will have a good time.

Plus, she added, “I’m going to have a great time.”

Barnyard Bash Family Event
Where: Home Sweet Home Animal Rescue, 4129 Fox Ridge Blvd., in Wesley Chapel
When:  Nov. 11, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: Free event, but donations are accepted.
Details: Kids and adults can meet barnyard animals, learn about caring for animals, enjoy games and refreshments. There will be take-aways, a bounce house, an education tent, an opportunity to take pictures, ask and answer questions, and win prizes. Sneakers or close-toed shoes are required in the barnyard.

Learn ways you can help by visiting HSHARTampa.org.

Published November 8, 2017

Development coming by Lexington Oaks

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New development is headed to vacant land fronting the Lexington Oaks subdivision.

The Pasco County Commission approved a change to the county’s comprehensive land use plan, and a zoning amendment, to allow for the development of a residential and commercial project at Lexington Oaks Boulevard and Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

The boulevard is within the wider Wesley Chapel area, at the epicenter of new growth in Pasco. Lexington Oaks Boulevard is the entry into the Lexington Oaks residential community.

Specialty Restaurants Corp., proposes to build up to 200 apartments or condominiums and retail, north and south of Lexington Boulevard at Wesley Chapel Boulevard. The road is the entry into Lexington Oaks subdivision. (Kathy Steele)

The California-based developer, Specialty Restaurants Corp., proposes to build up to 200 apartments or condominiums and 300,000 square feet of retail. An assisted living or independent living facility could be constructed, too.

Developers worked with the Lexington Oaks Homeowners Association on issues related to interconnections with existing roads, and roads internal to the proposed development.

This proposal replaces one previously considered by Specialty Restaurants that did not include a residential component.

“It would have been pretty much a straight retail project,” said Clarke Hobby, the attorney representing the developer.

Development will happen north and south of Lexington Boulevard, under the names of Lexington Oaks Plaza North and Lexington Oaks Plaza South. An approximately 5-acre parcel in the southern portion was carved out of the project to potentially be developed separately.

The southern parcel is about 46 acres; the northern parcel about 23 acres.

Internal roads and driveways within the south parcel and the separate 5-acre parcel will have connectivity to Lexington Oaks Boulevard. There also will be access to Progress Parkway at Wesley Chapel Boulevard, which has a traffic signal.

This would just be the latest new development in the area.

Wesley Chapel Boulevard is dotted with subdivisions, such as Stagecoach, Cypress Estates and Grand Oaks.

It is a major corridor linking to State Road 54 and State Road 56 to the south, and the rapid commercial and residential development at that intersection.

Tampa Premium Outlets and Cypress Creek Town Center are adding to the retail sector. New hotels are open or are under construction. An apartment and retail development called Brighthouse Crossings is under construction behind the Walgreens drugstore, near the same intersection.

As more development emerges, Pasco is preparing to widen Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

Cypress Creek Town Center developers recently completed road widening immediately north of the State Road 54 and State Road 56 intersection.

Future county plans call for widening Wesley Chapel Boulevard to a six-lane divided roadway, with additional traffic signals. Some segments of Wesley Chapel Boulevard to the south are two lanes, but the roadway at Lexington Oaks is four lanes.

The widening will extend to just north of Magnolia Boulevard.

Bike lanes, a median, sidewalks on the eastern side of the boulevard and a multi-use trail also are included in the road design.

Published November 1, 2017

Video production class: Seeing life through a different lens

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Students in the first period class in the Academy of Digital Video Production program at Wesley Chapel High School seem to have a clear idea of what they need to do, and when they need to do it.

Jillian Choinski is acting at technical director, switching between camera shots. (B.C. Manion)

They take their spots in the control room, behind the cameras, seated at the anchor’s desk, or standing near a wall — to film that day’s WCAT daily morning news.

Occasionally, there’s a problem with a camera, or they need to reread line, but the students are focused, and, within a few minutes they’re done.

Filming the daily newscast is just one of the myriad ways these students get to learn the ins and outs of video production, according to Stephanie Bertig, who oversees the program — which is the only one of its type in Pasco County Schools.

The Academy aims to teach students how to property frame and shoot video, as well as become certified on either Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro editing software, Bertig said.

Those skills will have value to the students, regardless of the profession they pursue, she noted.

Besides the daily news, students also get to create music videos, commercials, public service announcements and short films, said Bertig, now in her third year at Wesley Chapel High.

During the recent filming, 17-year-old Justin Taylor was acting as senior producer, ensuring the production team and anchors were on track.

He said he initially enrolled in the program to get a fine arts credit out of the way.

“I ended up just loving it, so I’ve been doing it ever since,” said Taylor, who is now considering a career in the film industry, either in directing or editing.

The program has taught him how to analyze what he’s seeing on television, or in a film.

Steven Richardson and Amelia Defilippis work in the control room during a recent taping of the WCAT daily news show.

He’s learned in the class, for instance, how “most shots will change every 3 (seconds) to 7 seconds.”

He explained: “You change shots to keep it fresh.”

He enjoys creating videos, and said the most challenging aspect is deciding what kind of video to shoot.

“Really the difficult part is not creating a video, it’s planning a video. Writing the script, writing the storyboard. The pre-production is kind of the difficult part,” he said.

He said he knows how to complete those tasks. The challenge is deciding what to feature in a video, given the vast array of possibilities.

Sixteen-year-old Montel Roundtree, a junior, delivered the sports and lunch news during the recent taping.

Roundtree, who lives in Land O’ Lakes, said he enrolled in the program because he’s interested in stop-motion animation.

“That’s what I plan to do,” he said.

He attends Wesley Chapel High on school choice and is glad to be in the Academy.

“I think it’s an amazing program. I have certainly learned a lot, and it’s fun, really fun,” said Roundtree, who said he’s not related to Reginald Roundtree, the anchor on WTSP 10 News.

Seventeen-year-old Peter Politano, of Land O’ Lakes, handled the floor manager duties during the taping.

He gives the Academy high marks.

“I feel like it’s one of the backbone programs of the school,” said Politano, who is glad to be part of it.

“I like being creative. I like expressing my thoughts through videos. No other class does that except for TV production,” he said.

Junior Jillian Choinski hopes to pursue a field that will allow her to use the skills she’s developing.

“I want to do something behind the scenes, not in front of the camera,” she said.

Seventeen-year-old Billy Criqui, of Wesley Chapel, was working one of the cameras during the taping.

He enjoys being part of the program. “It’s so different from everything else that they have here,” he said.

Peter Politano, is floor manager and Billy Criqui works a camera during taping of the WCAT daily morning show.

Sixteen-year-old Christabel Yonly, of Wesley Chapel, was in charge of the weather report that day.

She enjoys the class, but doesn’t expect to pursue a career in video production. However, she does want to get her certification in the Adobe products.

Like some others in the program, 16-year-old Steven Richardson originally wanted to get a fine arts credit.

“But then I started to really like it because I get to express my creativity,” said Richardson, of Wesley Chapel.

Seventeen-year-olds Austin Edwards and Ricky Perez are both interested in careers that are related to what they’re learning now.

“Every time I watch TV now, all I can think about is what shot they have. The rule of thirds they have. Their head room. What they did to get the shot,” Edwards said.

“I’ve been told a lot, ‘If you do what you love, then you never have to work a day in your life.’ So, hopefully, I can start doing something like this,” he said.

Perez is interested in a career that involves shooting news packages.

He enjoys being part of the Academy.

“I think it allows you to be creative with your decision-making. It allows you to work with a team,” he said.

Perez also enjoys his classmates: “You can make friends here. It’s awesome.”

Seventeen-year-old Amelia Defilippis has been taking television production since middle school. She thinks the program instills important traits, such as self-reliance and responsibility.

For 17-year-old Ariana Shiwbalak the program is just the beginning of reaching her goal to be a broadcast journalist.

She said she knows that the media has been labeled as purveyors of fake news, but she wants to help change that.

“I love it with a passion,” she said.

Being an anchor makes her nervous, but she said that’s OK.

“You know how when you’re at the top of a roller coaster? You’re scared to go down. But, once you go down, it’s a really good feeling. That’s basically how it is,” Shiwbalak said.

Award-winning videos:
Pasco County Sheriff’s 2017 competition: Colton Bierly and Robby McLaughlin
2016 Kinder Vision — The Greatest Save — Teen PSA: First Place, ‘Gone’ by Amelia Defilippis and Sean Portillo
McDonald’s of Tampa Bay’s Classroom FUNds 2016 Contest: Emily Lorentsen and Faith Mercer

Published November 1, 2017

Planning underway for new Wesley Chapel charter school

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The Pasco County School Board has approved the charter application for Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel, a charter school that plans to open in that community.

Now that the school board has approved the application, work is underway to develop a contract with the charter school applicant, said Jeff Yungmann, coordinator for charter schools in Pasco County Schools.

The new charter school is expected to open in 2018-19, or 2019-2020, Yungmann said.

The application identifies that the school would open with a maximum of 652 kindergarten through sixth grade students, Yungmann said. In the second year, it would add seventh grade and would have a total enrollment of 900; in Year 3, it would add eighth grade and would have 1,134 students; in Year 4 and thereafter, it would have 1,200 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

“The mission of Pinecrest Academy Inc., is to provide individualized instruction, in a nurturing environment ensuring college and career success, using rigor, relevance, and relationships to empower students to become tomorrow’s global leaders,” according to a school board document.

The Charter Application Review Committee conducted a rigorous evaluation process utilizing the Florida Charter School Application Evaluation Instrument, including the capacity interview on August 17, 2017. In its comprehensive evaluation, the Committee concluded that 21 of the 22 sections of the Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel’s application “met the standard of review.” One of the 22 sections of the application “partially met the standard of review.” There were no sections rated as “did not meet the standard of review,” according to the backup material for the board agenda item.

The applicant has not yet identified a specific location for the school, other than indicating it will be in Wesley Chapel, Yungmann said.

Yungmann characterized the applicant’s submittal as an “outstanding application” and called it one of the best he’s reviewed. “They had a good solid plan,” he said.

The charter school operators have locations in other parts of the state, but this would be their first location in Pasco County.

Yungmann said the charter has a strong governing board and a good track record.

“We hope they’re going to do well,” he said.

Published October 25, 2017

Gearing up for Cypress Creek Middle School

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A new middle school is expected to open next to Cypress Creek Middle High School, allowing the existing school to focus on high school only.

The new middle school will accommodate 1,675 students on a 15-acre site, just north of the current school, which opened in August at 8701 Old Pasco Road, for students in grades six through 11.

The estimated construction budget is $43.5 million.

Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2018, with opening planned for August 2020.

The Pasco County School Board has approved an agreement with architects Harvard Jolly, to reuse the design of the 1,400-student station Innovation Middle School in Orange County, for the new middle school, according to school board documents.

Pasco school district staff members recently toured Innovation Middle School and found that the school “to be cost effective, attractive and extremely safe and a school that will successfully meet the educational needs” of the district, according to district documents.

“Many of the preferred features of this school are already found in a number of our educational facilities,” the document added. “Our version of the school will be expanded to approximately 1,600 student stations to accommodate future growth in this region of the district.”

Cypress Creek Middle High is slated to add a senior class next school year.

When the school opened, it affected boundaries for Rushe, John Long and Weightman middle schools, and Sunlake, Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass high schools.

The district initially had hoped to open Cypress Creek as a high school only, but was forced to use it for more grades because it lacked sufficient construction funds.

Published October 25, 2017

The Shops at Wiregrass sold to QIC

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The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel is among 10 regional malls that will be sold by Forest City Realty Trust, Inc., for a total of about $3.2 billion, according to an announcement by Forest City.

The buyer is Australia-based QIC, an investment partner of Forest City. QIC currently owns about 49 percent of the Wiregrass mall, with Forest City holding 51 percent ownership, according to Greg Lenners, the mall’s general manager.

The Shops at Wiregrass is being sold, along with nine other regional malls, but it will be business as usual for shoppers and merchants. (File)

QIC has been a partner with Forest Realty for about two years, Lenners said.

“As far as merchants at Wiregrass and customers, nobody will notice anything different,” Lenners said. “You’re not going to see any changes other than ongoing improvements at center court.”

In other words, it’s business as usual.

The sale of six of the malls, including Wiregrass, is expected to close by the end of the year for about $1.24 billion. No information was provided on the value of the individual malls.

The remaining four malls will be sold for about $1.93 billion as Forest City “secures replacement assets,” according to a news release about the sale.

Many of the malls are in California, with others in Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, Nevada and West Virginia.

Per the agreement, Forest City will transfer its retail operations, including most of its personnel, to QIC.

So far, leasing, marketing, tenant coordination, legal and human resources have been transitioned to QIC. Accounting, property management and other functions will transfer as closings are completed.

“We view the U.S. real estate market and the retail sector in particular as a strong investment opportunity,” said Steve Leigh, in a written statement. He is QIC’s managing director of global real estate.

QIC began its partnership with Forest City in 2013.

Once the sale of the 10 malls to QIC, and the company’s New York specialty retail centers to Madison International is complete, Forest City will no longer have shopping centers in its portfolio.

“We are very pleased to achieve this key milestone with our partner,” said David J. LaRue in a written statement. LaRue is Forest City president and chief executive officer. “This transaction is a win-win for all parties, as we continue to focus our business on urban residential, office and mixed-use assets, and QIC acquires full ownership of a U.S. retail presence with high quality regional malls in strong markets.”

For more information, visit Forestcity.net.

Published Oct. 11, 2017

 

Light rail is top Tampa Bay choice for transit

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A light rail system running beside Interstate 275 is the top choice for transit in a study that identifies potential projects in the Tampa Bay region, according to rankings from the Regional Transit Feasibility Plan.

The route would link Wesley Chapel to Tampa and St. Petersburg, with a stop at the University of South Florida.

The second choice would follow the same route but rely on “rubber tires” in a dedicated lane, most likely buses or self-driving vehicles.

The results are part of an ongoing study, which has included workshops, meetings and social media responses.

The study focused on the urban areas of Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties.

Light rail, alongside Interstate 275 or the CSX rail line, is a popular option for a transit project, according to a regional study. (File)

The approximately $1.5 million cost is being funded by the Florida Department of Transportation, with support from local governments and agencies, including the three county governments and their transit agencies.

The study considered rail and rubber tire modes of transportation including express bus, bus rapid transit, light rail/modern streetcar, and commuter rail. A total of 15 projects were ranked based on technical merit, and public opinion.

The study’s findings were presented by HART on Sept. 29 at a meeting attended by the Tampa Bay Transportation Management Area (TMA) Leadership Group. The group includes members from Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties.

Previously, the study identified five potential transit corridors. They are Wesley Chapel to USF, Tampa, and St. Petersburg; downtown Tampa to USF; Westshore to Brandon; south Tampa to downtown Tampa; and Clearwater and Gateway to St. Petersburg.

No funding sources have been identified. The study is scheduled to conclude in September 2018 with a recommendation for a specific project that can attract funding and is “forward thinking.”

Other projects with top rankings in order are:

  • Light rail along the CSX rail line between downtown Tampa and USF
  • Rubber tire in a dedicated lane along the rail line, also between downtown Tampa and USF
  • Commuter rail along I-275 linking Wesley Chapel, USF, Tampa and St. Petersburg – tied for fifth
  • Commuter rail along CSX linking downtown Tampa and USF – tied for fifth

Commuter trains generally operate with heavier train cars at higher speeds, more passengers and fewer stops than light rail.

Light rail is closer to a modernized street car with quicker starts and stops, and fewer passengers than commuter trains.

The study also provided a county by county breakdown on preferred choices for transit based on public opinion.

Light rail along I-275 for Wesley Chapel, USF, Tampa, Gateway and St. Petersburg ranked first in Hillsborough and Pinellas.

In Pasco, the same route with some type of bus or self-driving vehicle placed first. Light rail ranked in third place.

For information, visit Tbregionaltransit.com.

Published Oct. 11, 2017

Labor shortage delays debris removal

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Those piles of Hurricane Irma debris could be sitting near homes for as long as a couple of months, Pasco County officials have said.

That’s because there’s a shortage of work crews.

Pasco County homeowners may need to exercise patience, while they wait for debris from Hurricane Irma to be removed by subcontractors working for Pasco County. County officials say there’s a shortage of subcontractors available to get the job done. (Mary Rathman)

Officials hope that residents will be patient, as the county struggles to pull together enough work crews.

Pasco County Utilities, Solid Waste and Resources Recovery Department set the start of debris collection for Sept. 18. But, finding and keeping subcontractors who can do the work is proving difficult.

The problem is, Hurricane Irma took a swing through the entire state, stretching local government resources.

Financially, subcontractors are finding more lucrative contracts in South Florida, where Irma did the most damage. That has made it difficult for Pasco to secure and hold onto subcontractors.

“I’ve got a lot of complaints that we’re not getting anything picked up,” said Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano.

Working with the county’s consultant, Ceres Environmental Services, Pasco had hoped for 16 work crews. By Sept. 25, that number fell to eight. Then, one day later, the county could only count on four crews.

“There’s just not that many resources,” said John Power, the county’s solid waste facilities director. “At the rate we’re going now, we’re talking about a couple of months.”

Even as Pasco works to find its own crews to supplement county efforts, Power said other counties were calling Pasco to ask for manpower.

On Sept. 26, county commissioners approved inter-local agreements to allow Ceres Environmental Services to aid in securing cleanup services for Dade City, San Antonio and the Town of St. Leo.

Similar agreements are possible with New Port Richey and Port Richey.

Zephyrhills is the one city that has been able to do its own debris pickup.

Adding to Pasco’ cleanup task are suspicions that some residents are putting out more than storm debris curbside.

“A lot of people are using it for spring cleaning,” said Power, who said he was also waiting for debris at his home to be picked up.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore wasn’t so sure.

“We need to be careful about making determinations,” he said.

The furniture and other goods being tossed onto residents’ piles could be from actual storm damage, he said. “It’s a delicate situation.”

Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles said the county likely will follow with a second county sweep after completing the initial pickups over the next weeks.

Pasco County officials have issued guidelines for debris pickup:

  • All debris materials must be brought to the curb or roadside.
  • Do not block fire hydrants, mailboxes, electrical boxes or other structures.
  • Do not bag debris.
  • Contractor generated debris won’t be picked up.
  • Refrigerators should be empty, with the doors secured or removed.
Piles of debris from Hurricane Irma may be a common sight around Pasco County, possibly as long as a couple of months. The county is struggling with a shortage of work crews to remove the debris. (Kathy Steele)

Debris must be separated into the following categories:

Furniture: Mattresses; couches, sofas, chairs; dressers; lumber, if not pressure treated; particle board; laminated flooring; dry insulation (if wet, pile with construction); carpet and padding

Construction: Drywall, plasterboard, ceramic tile, concrete, lumber (pressure treated), wet insulation

Vegetation: Tree cuttings (must be no more than 5 feet in length, and all branches must be bundled)

White Goods: Appliances, metal furniture, metal shelving, bicycles, items that are more than 75 percent metal

Hazardous Waste – Delayed Pickup: Any household chemicals; oil, gas, flammables; lawn and garden chemicals; televisions; computer monitors, computer towers (CPUs)

Contractor-generated debris won’t be picked up.

Requests for debris pickup must be submitted to Pasco County Customer Service Center by emailing ">, providing the address where the debris is located.

Residents also can call customer service at (727) 847-2411.

Pasco County now has a map, an interactive tool to track hurricane-related storm debris pickup, available at arcg.is/2wSHdN5.

Yellow boxes on the map indicate the areas in which crews are working.

Published Oct. 4, 2017

Quail Hollow golf course set for redevelopment

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Plans to close Quail Hollow Golf Course and redevelop the land are moving into the next phase.

Pasco County commissioners voted 5-1 in July to rezone the property, with Chairman Mike Moore dissenting.

A pre-application meeting was set for Aug. 14 between Pasco County planners and representatives of golf course owner Andre Carollo.

The owner of the Quail Hollow Golf Course is moving ahead with plans to replace the golf course with houses, retail, offices and a day care center. (File)

That meeting is a preliminary step before additional documents and a detailed site plan are submitted for county review.

Plans call for 388 single-family houses, according to the pre-application form filed with the county.

The approved rezoning allows up to 400 single-family houses, 30,000 square-feet of office/retail and a 10,000-square-foot day care center.

The project was approved despite stiff opposition from Quail Hollow residents during public hearings.

Opponents said the redevelopment would devalue their properties, harm the neighborhood’s residential character, cause flooding and add more traffic to inadequate roads.

Attorney Barbara Wilhite, representing Carollo, said the course was not profitable, and Carollo’s request for rezoning was for redevelopment that would be less intense than the site’s existing zoning allowed.

The debate often centered on property rights of Carollo.

Area residents countered that their property rights were being ignored.

They noted that developers marketed their homes, years ago, as part of a golf course community.

But, Wilhite said the golf course was built first, and that the Quail Hollow subdivision was separate from the golf course.

Published September 6, 2017

Girl Scouts rejuvenate Karina’s Garden

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Step into the garden behind the administrative offices of Sunrise of Pasco, in Dade City, and you’ll find a place where flowers, plants, butterflies and statuary offer a place of repose and refreshment.

You’ve arrived at Karina’s Garden.

Those visiting Sunrise of Pasco’s office in Dade City have a chance to spend a little time behind the building in Karina’s Garden, which has been rejuvenated by Girl Scout Troop 1263. (B.C. Manion)

The garden initially was established in 2008 to honor Karina Abdul, a former shelter director for Sunrise of Pasco who died unexpectedly at the age of 29.

Over the years, plants became sparse and weeds took over.

So, when Troop No. 1263, of Wesley Chapel, was looking for a way to complete the requirements for a Girl Scout Silver Award, giving new life to the garden seemed to be an ideal project.

The trio of Girl Scouts — Paige and Kaitlin Traboulay, and Alyssa Duran — heard about Karina’s Garden from Kelly Mothershead, of the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel, who has worked with the girls on other projects.

“They decided they wanted to come in and transform this space. That’s what they did,” said Vicki Wiggins, director of development for Sunrise.

Follow the mulched path to find a relaxing seat on a newly installed bench, in Karina’s Garden. (B.C. Manion)

The Girl Scouts, their parents and other volunteers rolled up their sleeves and got busy. They ripped out weeds, built mulch paths, added pavers, painted fences, installed benches and added plants.

They celebrated the garden’s completion at a gathering in August. Besides the volunteers, friends and Sunrise staff members, local members of Karina’s family were there, too.

“The family was thrilled,” Wiggins said.

Wiggins is impressed by the volunteers’ commitment.

“They’ve been raising money for about a year. They came out. They took pictures and designed it all,” she said.

“Apparently, Karina loved butterflies, so they made sure they incorporated a lot of plants (that attract butterflies),” Wiggins said.

“They did a really great job picking out things. I think the parents worked as hard as the kids.

Paige Traboulay paints some of the detail work on a door, which creates an inviting focal point in the garden. (Courtesy of Roger Traboulay)

“They started the weekend after July Fourth,” Wiggins said. “Everything that you can see that’s not a weed, they’ve added.

“They put the pavers in. They put this structure here that has the birdhouse on it. They added the fencing here. They repainted the wall. They added the butterflies (decorations).”

Local artist Lisa Tesla volunteered her talents to give a new look to a dilapidated wooden door in the garden that had been covered in weeds and vines. Her artistry transformed the door into an inviting focal point.

Chris Wirt, of A All Animal Control of Tampa Bay, cleared the garden of two black racer snakes before the trio of scouts got to work.

Sunil Mohammed, of Totally Blu H2O, stepped up to provide garden tools.

A colorful birdhouse invites feathered friends to drop by and stay awhile in Karina’s Garden. (B.C. Manion)

Another volunteer, Karen Weiss, made the sign that credits the people who helped on the project.

Paige Traboulay said the girls began planning the project at the end of last year.

“We walked in the garden, and we saw how big it was and how much needed to be done,” said the 12-year-old, who attends John Long Middle School.

“We asked them what Karina liked. They said she liked butterflies, so we tried to focus on that. So, there’s a butterfly on the door, and there are butterflies on the fences.”

There are butterfly plants in the garden, as well.

Kaitlin Traboulay, who attends Land O’ Lakes High School, said the work was mostly done by her family and Alyssa’s family over the course of two weekends.

Thirteen-year-old Alyssa, who attends John Long Middle School, said it was hard work, and it was hot.

When they finished, she said, “I was especially happy because that meant no more bug bites.”

Alyssa Duran works on a planter in a garden at Sunrise of Pasco in Dade City. (Courtesy of Roger Traboulay)

Paige added: “After the project was done, there was these butterflies flying around to each station. We thought it was her (Karina).”

The garden now provides a place to take a break and enjoy nature, Wiggins said.

“Sometimes the office can generate anxiety and a lot of stress for folks. This is a place where they can de-stress. They can just sit and watch the butterflies, and relax.

“It’s beautiful. I’m so happy they did this. They brought it back to life,” Wiggins said.

 

Garden Restoration and beautification
Girl Scout Troop 1263 Silver Award Project July 2017
Troop members: Kaitlin and Paige Traboulay, and Alyssa Duran

Made possible with the help of:

  • Andrew Abdul, donor
  • Suni Mohammed of Totally Blue H20
  • Chris Wirt of A All Animal Control of Tampa Bay
  • Lisa Tesla, artist
  • Families and close friends
  • T’Weiss as Nice

Published September 6, 2017