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Zephyrhills/East Pasco News

Using food to fight aging effects

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They learned about ‘superfoods,’ and then they cooked with them.

Humana Zephyrhills hosted a nutrition talk and cooking demonstration for seniors on June 12, focusing on foods that may help fight the effects of aging.

Impacts from aging can include vision and memory loss, decreased brain function, and other chronic health problems such as heart disease and high blood pressure.

Jen Wead, a Zephyrhills-based caterer, exhibited the ease of preparing quick, superfood-based recipes from scratch. She used a compact culinary station to create a grilled tuna and bean salad, and strawberry-ricotta, whole-grain bruschetta. (Kevin Weiss)

During the interactive discussion, a roomful of guests studied the various health benefits of 10 types of superfoods, including, berries; cold-water, fatty fish; extra-virgin olive oil; dark, leafy greens; nuts and seeds; legumes; whole grains; sweet potatoes; plain yogurt; and, dark chocolate.

Superfoods, considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being, are usually rich in antioxidants — chemicals believed to help protect the body from the damaging effects of free radicals.

Antioxidants are present in foods in the form of vitamins, minerals, flavonoids and polyphenols.

Rhea Paul, a Humana health educator, offered numerous tips on incorporating superfoods into daily diets, while highlighting the importance of doing so.

Though impossible to completely stop aging, Paul noted superfoods can “help slow down the disease process.”

As a general rule, she said produce in “dark, deep, rich, vibrant colors” contains the most antioxidants.

Blueberries and strawberries, kale and broccoli, and sweet potatoes are some examples.

Spinach, turnips and mustard greens are others.

“You want a rainbow a day when you’re eating your food,” Paul said. “That’s really, really important.”

Paul explained fresh or frozen — opposed to canned or processed — fruits and veggies are the ideal option, to avoid added preservatives and other harmful substances.

“When you get your (fruits), don’t get the sweetened kind. You don’t want them to have the sugar added to it,” Paul advised.

“You have to be very careful about reading labels.”

From easy-to-make smoothies and salads, to topping off on cereals, Paul said, “the possibilities are endless” for incorporating fruits and veggies, daily.

Paul also went into detail about other superfoods, including plain, unsalted nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios) and legumes (beans, peas, lentils).

Each provide excellent sources of plant-based protein and fiber — which Paul noted is lacking in typical American diets.

They can seamlessly be supplemented to soups, salads, pastas and crockpot dishes.

They’re economical, too.

“It’s great if you’re on a budget,” Paul said, “because you can get a bag of dried beans, and it could last.”

Besides preventing age-related issues, the listed superfoods can help lower bad cholesterol levels and stabilize blood sugar levels, to maintain a healthy weight.

But, even with all the benefits, Paul warned foods should be eaten in moderation — especially high-caloric olive oil and dark chocolate, plus fish, whole grains and yogurt.

“You don’t need a lot,” she warned.

Paul suggests eating the smallest meal of the day in the evening, and drinking plenty of water to properly absorb vitamins and minerals.

She also recommends consulting a doctor regarding the right amount of certain nutrients, before making drastic dietary changes.

After the lecture, it was time to cook.

Chef Jen Wead, a Zephyrhills-based caterer, exhibited the ease of preparing quick, superfood-based recipes from scratch.

She used a compact culinary station — equipped with a George Foreman grill and toaster oven — to craft a grilled tuna and bean salad, and strawberry-ricotta, whole-grain bruschetta.

Both dishes were served in less than 45 minutes combined.

And, they were packed with nutrients.

Wead operates Catering by The Rose and teaches monthly healthy cooking classes for Humana community locations in Central Florida, including Kissimmee, Port Richey and Spring Hill.

She said cooking healthily can be done inexpensively, despite conventional belief.

Buying in bulk and purchasing seasonal produce helps keep costs down, she said.

The tuna steaks used in the salad recipe, for example, were purchased for less than $2 each.

“It’s not really accurate to say it’s more expensive to eat healthy,” she said. “If you do it correctly, it isn’t.”

Eating healthy can also be fun, by putting your own spin on recipes.

Wead, for instance, substituted brown sugar with honey and used skim milk ricotta cheese on the bruschetta.

She also substituted basil with mint.

“There are no rules,” she stated. “Get crazy with it.”

Wead, meanwhile, provided some tips on cooking for just one or two people.

She advises keeping it simple —using five ingredients or less per dish, and staying organized — keeping a list, and labeling freezer bags and Tupperware.

She also suggests following the FIFO (First In, First Out) principle. “Make things you don’t mind having leftovers the next day,” she said.

Those looking for healthy recipes, Wead recommends PickledPlum.com, Food.com and FoodNetwork.com.

Humana community locations are open to the public Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information on events, programs and activities at Humana’s Zephyrhills location, visit Humana.com/ZephyrhillsCommunity.

Published June 28, 2017

Zephyrhills SummerFest offers fireworks, fun

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It’s the only fireworks show in Zephyrhills.

And, it promises to offer wholesome family fun.

The 2017 Zephyrhills SummerFest is slated for June 24 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., at Zephyr Park, 38116 Fifth Ave.

Besides offering free admission and parking, the event is pet friendly, too.

However, alcohol sales will not be allowed.

The third annual Zephyrhills SummerFest features a 30-minute fireworks display over Zephyr Lake. It is the city’s only fireworks show. (Courtesy of Simply Events)

Entering its third year, Zephyrhills SummerFest is the only 4th of July celebration in the city, promoting “summer, families and our great country.”

Arguably, its biggest attraction is a 30-minute fireworks show, which is set to begin  sharply at 9 p.m.

The vibrant display — by Patriot Fireworks—is set over Zephyr Lake, the park’s centerpiece pond.

Besides nighttime fireworks, there are loads of daytime activities aimed at keeping families entertained on the last Saturday in June.

Alongside dozens of food and business vendors, there’s a watermelon-eating contest and dance contest, plus a water balloon toss, couples’ relay race and sack race.

For youngsters, there’s a designated Kid’s Area featuring multiple bounce houses, waterslides and face painting.

Zephyr Park’s full playground and wet zone also will be open for children.

Between the family friendly entertainment, DJ Express will be spinning upbeat tunes all afternoon, at the Zephyr Park gazebo.

Patrons are advised to bring lawn chairs or blankets, and arrive early for prime parking spots.

Sponsored by the City of Zephyrhills, the festival is organized by Clearwater-based Simply Events Inc.

The company organizes several events in the city, including the popular Zephyrhills Pie Festival, Zephyrhills Artsy Farmer’s Market and Snowbird Palooza.

Drew Cecere, co-owner of Simply Events, said the idea for Zephyrhills SummerFest stemmed from the city not having a fireworks show for “many, many years.”

Entering its third year, Zephyrhills SummerFest has drawn thousands of attendees for its daytime activities and nighttime fireworks display.

“There wasn’t a whole lot that went on in the area for families when we started doing events out here,” said Cecere, who has relatives living in Zephyrhills.

“We make a full event out of it.”

While the festival still lacks major corporate sponsors, Cecere said attendance increased substantially last year, with thousands of people turning out —especially for the 30-minute firework display.

“The first year was good, the second year…was really amazing,” he said.

“A lot of people on Facebook videotaped it, and were just shocked by how long the fireworks show was.”

The event also benefits the Samaritan Project of Zephyrhills, a nonprofit organization that assists the short-term financial needs of people and families.

The local organization will get a portion of the funds generated through the festival’s bounce houses, and auctions and raffles.

The 2017 Zephyrhills SummerFest will be take place at Zephyr Park June 24, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. (File)

“We love to give back,” Cecere said. “In every event that we do, we have a local nonprofit involved. This event, we have to do fundraising because there’s no entry (fees), there’s no parking (fees), there’s no alcohol sales, and that’s normally the stuff that would go to a nonprofit.”

Should inclement weather arise, deciding whether to reschedule the festival will “be played by ear” between city officials and event organizers, Cecere said.

“We’re going take every effort to make sure it goes on (June 24),” Cecere said.

“If it’s a downpour that just lasts thirty minutes, we’ll just wait and do the fireworks thirty minutes later. But, if it’s like a long couple hours’ storm where we just can’t hold it, then we would have to get with the city and figure out a new date.”

Considering the expenses for fireworks alone, Cecere added the show “definitely would be something that would be rescheduled” in case of thunderstorms or heavy rain.

Regardless, the festival doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon, as its attendance increases and support from the city continues, Cecere said.

For information about Zephyrhills SummerFest, visit SimplyEventsFL.com.

Published June 21, 2017

Tree house tutoring blossoms in nature

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Teaching is not a profession that Sarah Christiansen expected to pursue.

As a child growing up in the Virgin Islands, she hated going to school.

“I had a difficult time listening and writing. I struggled with comprehension.”

She couldn’t picture herself as a teacher.

Times change.

Christiansen, these days, lives in rural Pasco County where she tutors students – usually working with them on mathematics – inside a tree house in her backyard.

Sarah Christiansen, left, owner of Yes You Can Tutoring service, enjoys a moment with former student, Alexis Sandoval, outside Christiansen’s tree house. (Kathy Steele)

A few yards away, a second tree house is nearing completion.

The treehouses are taking her Yes You Can Tutoring service down a new path.

For nearly 10 years, she has taught in her home, at 13050 Curley Road, near Dade City.

Students could enjoy window views of the woodlands and open spaces, and sometimes a walk in the woods for a timely break in studies.

Christiansen now is moving students even closer to nature.

“There’s something about a tree house that everybody loves,” she said. “You’re right in with nature. It’s a really nice feeling.”

Research has found there is a link between nature and learning, she said.

“Environment plays a key part in the learning process,” the tutor said. “Nature reduces mental fatigue. I know it did for me.”

In addition to one-on-one tutoring sessions, the tree house will be the setting for a summer math retreat for girls in July.

It’s her third summer camp, but the first all-girls camp.

There is a stereotype that women don’t do well in math, Christiansen said.

“It saddens me,” she said. “We have to empower our girls. I just want to let them know they can do this.”

The tree house in her backyard is life coming full circle.

Traditional schools and home-schooling were never the right fit for her in St. Croix. But, as a teenager, she connected with her teachers at an alternative school with outdoor classrooms, in gazebos.

Sarah Christiansen tutors students inside a tree house in her backyard.

Teachers usually instructed only five or six students. The largest class size was about 15 students, Christiansen recalled.

“I loved the outdoors,” she said. “I was able to excel.”

She earned her high school diploma, and went to the University of Virgin Islands for two years. Her father, who taught marine biology, insisted she was meant to be a teacher. She didn’t agree.

Her life path included marriage, family and a home-based business as a clothes designer of sarongs. At one time, she had a kiosk at University Mall.

A life-changing event turned her life around.

Her son was diagnosed as borderline ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). She zeroed in on how to help him. She researched and studied the disorder, and then decided it was time to go back to school.

Christiansen enrolled in Saint Leo University in 2000, setting a goal of becoming a special education teacher. She worked in the Pasco County school system for nearly nine years.

Then, she returned to St. Croix to care for her father until his death.

While there, she taught at a small private school.

She was expected to teach subjects she wasn’t familiar with – health for one. And, administrators also tossed in drama.

“Because they said you’re dramatic,” Christiansen said. “I could sink or swim.”

She swam, and relied on some advice from her father.

“He told me always be kind to every child. You never know their background or what’s going on in their home.

“He treated every child with respect,” she said.

Back home in Pasco, Christiansen decided against going back into public schools. She wanted to do private tutoring.

Her attitude was: “Okay, God, I’m going to put this in your hands.”

“It was kind of a gamble,” she said.

Alexis Sandoval is one of her student successes.

She came to Yes You Can as a high school student before the tree house was built.

Sandoval appreciated the quiet rural setting of Christiansen’s home.

“I was failing, and I wasn’t going to graduate,” said Sandoval.

She gained confidence with one-on-one tutoring, and learned “to think for myself,” she said.

Today, she is at Pasco-Hernando State College where she makes A and B grades. “I was never like that in high school,” she said.

Long-range, Sandoval plans to open a restaurant.

Her older sister Karissa Sandoval, 25, also received tutoring from Christiansen after failing repeatedly to pass the reading portion of the FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test). It is a requirement to earn a high school diploma.

She has since passed the test, and is in school now to become a nurse, Christiansen said.

Helping children find direction and purpose is part of the tutoring process, she added.

“We’re put here on this Earth for a reason,” Christiansen said. “You have to have a purpose, what you’re meant to do.”

For more information, visit YesYouCanTutoring.com, or call (352) 585-6327.

Published June 21, 2017

Dade City Police gets a new K-9 team

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The Dade City Police Department has a new K-9 team — with Officer Kevin Burns and his new partner Tyke.

Burns is a 12-year veteran of the Dade City Police Department. He hit the streets with Tyke on June 5.

The city had operated nearly 15 months without a K-9 team.

The team was introduced to the public at the Dade City Commission meeting on June 13.

The tandem is fresh off a demanding 16-week training course in patrol procedures and tracking, sponsored by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

Tyke is a 16-month-old German shepherd. Officer Kevin Burns, a 12-year veteran of the agency, is his partner. They hit the streets together on June 5, after a demanding 16-week training course.
(Courtesy of Dade City Police Department)

During the course, K-9s are trained to ascend obstacles, negotiate water bodies and follow their handler’s commands, among other tasks.

“It was a long 16 weeks of school — four months, 10-hour days, four days a week,” Burns said.

Tyke, a 16-month-old German shepherd, passed the state exam “with flying colors,” according to Dade City police chief Ray Velboom.

The new unit will become an integral part of the police department and the community, acting as a “force multiplier” capable of searching buildings and tracking suspects, missing children and vulnerable adults.

After a year on the beat, the K-9 unit will be sent to a narcotic detection school to receive dual-certification from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

“Overall, he’s going to be a good tracking dog. He’s going to be good for the city here,” Burns said.

The K-9 unit also offers protection and safety assurances for the police force, Velboom said.

“I had somebody ask me why we needed a dog, and we happened to be in a bank building, and I said, ‘Well, put yourself in an officer’s shoes when it comes to this bank building at 3 a.m., and that door is wide open and the alarm is going off. Do you want to go in by yourself, or do you want to send something in that’s got a better sense of smell?”

Tyke, imported from Slovakia, cost about $9,000. Supplies and equipment costs — kennel, vests and leashes, among other items — totaled another $1,500.

Since a police dog wasn’t included in last year’s budget, the agency sought outside assistance.

The department received several thousand dollars in donations from a number of local organizations and businesses, including the Kiwanis Club, the Rotary Club and many private donors. It also led to the formation of the Dade City Police Foundation, a private 501c3 nonprofit organization.

“Because this dog was purchased through the generosity of the community, I want him to be much more visible to everyday citizens than teams in the past. He will not only be used on patrol, but will be seen interacting downtown and in the schools,” the police chief said.

For Burns, joining the K-9 unit and handling Tyke has been “life-changing.”

“We still have a lot to go and a lot further to see and do, but just in the four months that we’ve had training, he’s not only my partner, he’s an officer of Dade City and he’s a family member, too,” Burns explained.

“When he comes to work, he works. When he comes home, he’s a house dog — he lies down, relaxes, plays, whatever he needs to do. But, when he comes to work, he knows what to do,” the police officer said.

Even in a decade-plus law enforcement career as a patrol officer, Burns didn’t realize the undertaking of a K-9 team — from intensive training to daily tasks.

“Mentally, it’s challenging,” he said, “because you have to be able to read him.

Tyke gets up close and personal with Dade City council members. Tyke and his handler, Officer Kevin Burns, were formally introduced to the public on June 13.
(Kevin Weiss)

“He’s the one doing the work, we just train him. Learning how to read him, (the job) is probably 80 percent mental and probably 20 percent physical.”

Choosing Burns as Tyke’s partner was likewise arduous.

The police chief received a handful of applicants inside the department, and collaborated with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office to conduct interviews, along with background checks, performance reviews, physical assessments and home assessments.

“It was a long, exhausting process,” Velboom said. “We wanted to make sure we had the right fit.”

“We sent a team out to his house…to make sure the family’s okay with it and the house is okay,” he added.

For over a year, the Dade City Police Department operated without its own K-9 unit.

Chris Stone, a 14-year law enforcement officer, and his K-9 partner, Ryko, worked together for eight years before retiring as a team in March 2016; Stone now works for Pasco County Fire Rescue.

Meantime, the agency received K-9 assistance from both the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and the Zephyrhills Police Department.

“The county provided a K-9 service for us whenever we needed it, but it’s always nice to have your own dog,” Velboom said.

Velboom acknowledged a second police dog could be added at some point, dependent on budget and fundraising efforts.

Police dogs are typically retired after nine or 10 years, due to hip issues.

“It’s a tough job — riding in a car for 12 hours a day, jumping out and running,” Velboom said.

Published June 21, 2017

Dade City Garden Club is a community mainstay

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The Dade City Garden Club took root in the home of Thelma Gilbert, on May 9, 1947 — and the organization has been part of the civic and social glue of the city ever since, based on scrapbooks compiled by club members through the decades.

Some members of the Dade City Garden Club wore 1940s’ attire to the club’s 70th anniversary celebration at the Garden Club on May 15. (Courtesy of Richard K. Riley)

Club member Madonna Wise, who happens to be a local historian, gained an appreciation for the role the club has played in community life, as she paged through the volumes that were faithfully compiled through the years.

It has been involved in nearly every civic event during the past 70 years, said Wise, an author who has written a book about Dade City’s history.

One example of that involvement, she said, was when there was a send-off for troops leaving for Afghanistan. The garden club was there, providing desserts for the event.

“They’re just an integral part of Dade City’s fabric,” Wise said.

Gail Stout, the club’s outgoing president, said “the greatest impact we have are our partnerships with the community.”

It was Gilbert’s love of gardening that led to the club’s creation, Stout said.

“She heard that this organization in Florida (The Florida Federation of Garden Clubs) existed and was growing, and that’s what she decided to pursue,” said Stout, who recently helped to organize the Dade City Garden Club’s 70th anniversary celebration.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez, left, reads the proclamation honoring the Dade City Garden Club, while Gail Stout, club president, listens.
(Courtesy of Madonna Wise)

Within a year, the Dade City club was accepted for federation with the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs. And, less than a year later it had its first flower show, based on the theme, “The Spirit of Spring,” according to club records.

Through the years, the club has had the twin goals of beautification and advocacy.

“Early on, they’re saving the trees at the courthouse,” Wise said. “They started a junior garden club at the elementary school.”

They also have advised Dade City commissioners on decisions regarding landscaping, Wise added.

During its heyday, the club had a radio show, Stout said.

It had a column in a local newspaper, too, Wise added.

In the beginning, the club met in its members’ homes and then later, at civic locations.

In 1959, it purchased 2 acres on South Fifth Street for $9,000. By 1966, the club had paid it off.

Soon after that, the organization sought to build a clubhouse.

“Our building story is unique,” Stout said.

“Somehow, St. Rita’s Catholic Church, which is up by Old Dade City Grammar School, offers to donate the building,” Wise said. “That building (which was St. Rita’s mission church) dates back to 1913. It was quite the thing when they moved this building all across town.”

The structure was near what is now Cox Elementary School. Movers took the structure down Seventh Avenue and had to get the power company to move power lines so they could get the building through.

“It was really quite a move that they orchestrated,” Stout said.

A contractor named Michael Giella advised the club on how to renovate the building and held the $35,000 mortgage. Giella’s contributions were recognized during the 70th anniversary celebration, when a paver dedicated to his memory was presented to his widow.

This is a current view of the Dade City Garden Club building. The club has been a community mainstay for 70 years. (Courtesy of Madonna Wise)

The club had its first meeting in the building in September of 1977 and hosted an open house later that year — attracting members of garden clubs from Tampa, Lakeland, Clearwater and across Pasco County.

There were 57 charter members of the garden club.

“The last charter member was just deceased,” Stout said.

The club officially has 113 members, but there are some older members who are too frail to attend meetings, she said.

Through the years, the garden club has fostered leadership opportunities for women, and has helped to build connections throughout Dade City, Wise said.

It also has provided a forum for members to learn “the political ways of trying to influence legislators and local government for environmental purposes, that type of thing,” Stout observed.

“Two years ago, we had a fracking (hydraulic fracturing) seminar, to talk about the pros and cons of fracking, mostly the cons. We were leaning toward that,” Stout said.

Dade City has since banned fracking from within the city limits.

Although membership has declined, the club has staying power. It has several second- and third-generation members, and many come from families that have played an influential role in the life and development of Dade City, Wise noted.

The club is divided into smaller groups, called circles, which are named after flowering trees or plants.

The Dade City Commission presented a proclamation to the Dade City Garden Club on May 9, commemorating the garden club’s 70th anniversary. Commissioners, garden club members and Mayor Camille Hernandez are pictured here. (Courtesy of Madonna Wise)

“We had seven circles at the height of our glory,” Stout said.

Now, it has these six circles: Azalea, Poinsettia, Magnolia, Holly Hock, Hibiscus and Dogwood.

The club has traditions, too.

It decorates the Pioneer Museum at Christmas and also hosts “Uncorked,” a wine-tasting fundraiser.

It helps keep the memory of the community’s history alive, too, by creating an ornament each year to honor a local place or organization. Proceeds from the ornament sales help support the garden club’s upkeep and help pay for club projects.

The club also hosts a flower show every other year — which is a popular event, and which garden club members view as their gift back to the community, Stout said.

Members join the club for different reasons.

Stout became a member after she bought a 1925 bungalow that came with more than 90 camellias.

Stout decided she needed to join the club so she could learn everything she could about camellias.

Later, she learned that Gilbert had obtained camellias from Georgia.

Quite likely, Stout said, some of those camellias can be traced back to the garden club’s original founder.

Now, that’s what some would call coming full circle.

Published June 21, 2017

Artist wins contest with her portrait of unknown soldier

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When Clare Hernandez set about to create her award-winning piece of art, she wasn’t thinking of entering it into a contest.

“I didn’t do it for this competition. I was actually working on it for my brother. I was doing it for a graduation present for him, but then I just decided I was going to enter it into the contest,” said Hernandez, who just won the 2017 Congressional Art Competition sponsored by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis.

Being one of nine children, Clare Hernandez said she has grown accustomed to working while there’s a fair amount of background noise. In fact, she said, she prefers it. She’s shown here in a schoolroom in her family’s Dade City home. (B.C. Manion)

The winning art was selected by a panel of judges with the Pasco Fine Arts Council, according to a news release from Bilirakis’ office. There were more than 30 entries from high school students across Florida’s 12th congressional district.

Hernandez entered a pencil drawing of an unknown Confederate soldier. It was based on a photograph of an 1860s tin-type that the young woman from Dade City found through an online search.

The portrait combines two of her interests.

“I’m really interested in history; that’s what I want to study in college, particularly U.S. History, particularly war history — like the (U.S.) Civil War, the Revolutionary War,” Hernandez said.

And, she loves art, too — enjoying it since she was around 5 years old.

Hernandez said it took about 15 hours to complete the portrait of the soldier.

Clare Hernandez drew this portrait of an unknown Confederate soldier based on an image of an 1860s tin-type she found while doing a search online.
(Courtesy of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis)

“I tend to be a perfectionist. Even though I feel like something is finished, I’ll come back the next day and I’ll be like, ‘No.’ And, I’ll work on it some more,” she said.

Getting the shading on the Civil War soldier’s coat was particularly challenging, she said.

“I love to do faces and portraits, but I have a harder time with fabrics — in the folds and things like that,” Hernandez said.

The portrait is “pretty much an exact drawing of the photograph. It’s a little awkward in some places because tin-types often are awkward in the way the people in the photos are positioned,” Hernandez said.

“When you look at my drawing, it doesn’t seem to be completely realistic — his form. But, that’s really because that’s what that looks like. It looks awkward,” she said.

She was taught at home through her early years by her mother, Cheryl, who also happens to be an artist. Beginning in her middle school years, Hernandez has increasingly studied more independently, and in recent years she has taken some dual enrollment classes at Pasco-Hernando State College.

Next, she plans to attend the University of Dallas, in Texas.

Hernandez said she feels ready and is excited about what lies ahead.

Clare Hernandez holds a plaque and a blue ribbon, while standing with U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis. Hernandez won first place in the 2017 Congressional Art Competition in Bilirakis’ 12th congressional district

She chose the University of Dallas after falling in love with the college during several visits to see her sister, who recently graduated from there.

“It’s a good size. I love the students, and it’s got a really good history program,” Hernandez said.  Plus, “It’s a Catholic school. That’s important to me, too.”

Hernandez plans to pursue a degree in history, with a possible minor in art. She also will be part of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (R.O.T.C.) program, which provides a four-year scholarship, and she’ll be entering the U.S. Army when she finishes college.

Because her portrait was the winning entry, it will be displayed for a year along with outstanding work by other students around the nation in the U.S. Capitol, often referred to as the Capitol Building.

There will be an awards ceremony, but she won’t be able to attend because she’ll be on a mission trip to Ecuador.

However, she will receive two airline tickets, and she’s hoping she and her mom can make the trip together to view the portrait on display.

Having her work on exhibit in such an important building is an honor, Hernandez said.

And, for those who were wondering — she still plans to give the portrait to her brother.

Indeed, she already has. He just hasn’t seen it yet.

Published June 6, 2017

Retirement ‘bittersweet’ for Zephyrhills police chief

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After 25 years of service, former Zephyrhills Police Chief David Shears is settling into retirement life.

Throughout a respected career, Shears at some point worked every hour of the day, every day of the week and every day of the year.

Now, he gets to relax.

His last day in uniform was May 31.

To Shears, stepping away from law enforcement altogether is “bittersweet.”

David Shears retired as Zephyrhills Police Chief on May 31. He spent 25 years in the department, moving up the ranks from patrol officer to detective, sergeant and captain. (Kevin Weiss)

“You enjoy the job, and enjoy doing the work and everything,” he said, “but, also I think with veteran officers there comes a point it’s time to move on and let the next generation come in.

“For me personally, my goal was to get my 25 years in here at the police department.”

He’ll most cherish memories of his time on patrol.

“The biggest thing I am going to miss is actually being out there working with the community as a cop on the street; that was something I enjoyed,” he said.

Shears, 54, exits the department satisfied, with what he considers a job well done.

“I can walk out with my head up high, feeling good about the agency and everything that we did here,” he said.

Zephyrhills leaders agree.

City Manager Steve Spina shared his appreciation for Shears’ service, during a May 22 city council meeting.

Spina said, “Chief Shears led his department — and the men and women working there — with quiet resolve, moral integrity and high ethical standards. While every department and every organization experiences turbulence and some level of discord, never in his tenure as chief were there any ethical or moral lapses that compromised or embarrassed his coworkers, the city of Zephyrhills or his community.”

Other councilmen expressed similar sentiments.

A portion of Eighth Street—from North Avenue to Henry Drive—has been renamed Chief Shears Way, an honorary designation for the outgoing Zephyrhills Police Chief. The council unanimously approved the measure May 22.

“He has been a leader, and he has taken this city and molded it into a safe, protected city,” Council president Alan Knight said. “He’s really just somebody that I want to tip my hat to.”

“He’s just been a tremendous part of this city,” Councilman Charles Proctor said. “He’s helped transform our police department into the modern police department that it is today; he’s left it in great hands.”

Shears is often described as ‘a cop’s cop.’

A native of Flint, Michigan, Shears relocated to Florida in 1982.

Prior to joining the force, Shears worked in internal security, and then became an electrician.

Law enforcement, however, was his true passion.

“I always wanted to be a police officer,” Shears said. “I was blessed that my parents paid for my academy.”

Shears joined the Zephyrhills Police Department in 1992 as a patrol officer.

He wasn’t the only one in his family to don the badge, either.
His older brother served in the Tampa Police Department, while his younger brother was an officer at the New Smyrna Beach Police Department.

In Zephyrhills, Shears moved up the ranks to detective, sergeant and captain, before being named the city’s ninth police chief in 2008. He replaced former chief Russell Barnes, who resigned after accusations he created a “flex time” policy that allowed employees to receive time off instead of overtime pay for extra hours worked.

Over the years, Shears worked with and trained scores of numerous veteran officers; supervised patrols and actions; oversaw the civilian side of the department; provided for records and evidence, communications and dispatch, volunteer services and operating equipment; and equipping the department.

His first year as acting chief was a “learning experience,” he acknowledged.

“It was a little bit more of a difficult process for myself,” Shears said. “I had to learn the administrative side rather quickly, and also I had to put together a budget, which is very tough on someone that’s never done one before.”

But, the most challenging aspect, he said, “was getting a mindset that you’re responsible for everybody in (the) police department. Decision-making that affects not only the police department, but the community — that was something that you better learn real quick.”

He preserved two key citywide streaks: all of the city’s homicides were solved, and no Zephyrhills police officer was killed in the line of duty.

There were other highlights, too.

In 2015, starting officer wages increased to $43,000.

Training opportunities, such as in-house de-escalation instruction, also ramped up.

Shears also helped modernize the department’s property room, instituting bar coding.

“I believe that we have made this a better agency than it was when I took over,” Shears said. “We have made improvements throughout the years that had really bettered this police department.”

Shears also emphasized high standards in ethics and integrity.

“Transparency has got to be a big thing in this line of work,” he said. “Whether we’ve made a mistake or we’ve done good, it needs to be out there so people understand that you’re doing the right thing, and sometimes the right thing isn’t always the most pleasant.”

Meanwhile, efforts to make Zephyrhills safer are still needed, Shears said.

Addressing the city’s drug problem is one approach.

“The majority of crimes that are committed—in any community—is generally drug-related,” Shears explained. “I think combating that situation, but also having the backing of our State Attorney’s Office, is something that needs to be looked into and firmed up, because that’s what’s going to deter a lot of crime that is committed here with thefts and all the burglaries and property crimes that are being committed by people addicted to drugs.”

In hindsight, the police chief role was burdensome, at times.
Besides navigating the city’s budget crunches around 2010 and 2011, Shears prepared for countless retirements and defections inside the police department –often to higher-paying agencies.

Around that period, he battled two bouts of colon cancer, and underwent an assortment of surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation.

Dealing with cancer, Shears said, was “very difficult.

“I had to keep a positive mindset that we could handle anything, and that’s the way I looked at it. I’m just thankful that I had a staff to step up.”

He’s been cancer-free since 2012.

With new-found free time — and less stress — Shears plans to take a family vacation, with visits to North Carolina and West Virginia.
House repairs and fishing are on his initial retirement agenda, too.

“I’ve got to learn how to fish again,” Shears said, jokingly.

Zephyrhills police Capt. Derek Brewer is serving as interim chief, until the city fills the position permanently.

Besides losing Shears to retirement, the department is also losing another long-time veteran. Zephyrhills police Capt. Robert McKinney, a member of the department for 15 years, retired, effective June 2. He had been in law enforcement for 25 years.

Published June 6, 2017

Firm selected to manage planned Zephyrhills tennis center

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The Zephyrhills City Council has selected a firm to run the city’s proposed tennis complex, the latest step in guiding the ambitious project forward.

During a May 22 meeting, council members unanimously agreed to enter negotiations with Pennsylvania-based firm Tennis P.R.O. LLC, to operate and manage the proposed tennis facility.

Construction could begin by year’s end.

This rendering of the Zephyrhills Tennis Center shows 10 courts (eight clay, two hard surface), three mini-courts and one exhibition court. The tennis center is also expected to feature a pro shop, a multifunctional community room, and two office spaces. A second level, if added, will contain an observation deck, players lounge and concessions.
(File)

The council also considered Tennis Management Partners and Net Results, before making its choice.

Tennis P.R.O. is owned by Pascal Collard, the director of tennis at Saddlebrook Tennis Academy in Wesley Chapel from 2003 to 2006. He currently serves as the tennis director at The Merion Cricket Club, a private club in Haverford, Pennsylvania.

Once finalized, the public-private partnership agreement will first call for Tennis P.R.O. to offer input to the facility’s final engineered site design and architectural plans.

Elsewhere, the firm will be responsible for local tennis operations, and facilitating other elements such as membership and fundraising.

City Manager Steve Spina said the arrangement mirrors the one Zephyrhills has with the East Pasco Family YMCA, in which the city owns the building property, but outsources programming and facility management.

Councilman Lance Smith was enthusiastic about the concept.

“Having a professional firm that knows what they’re doing and can operate it properly is the way to go, in my mind,” Smith said.

The planned Zephyrhills Tennis Center will be located on 4.7 acres of donated land at The District at Abbott’s Square, a new real estate development situated north of Dean Dairy Road and west of Simons Road.

Renderings unveiled in November show the estimated $2.19 million project includes 10 courts — of which eight are clay and two are hard surface. Plans also show three mini-courts and one exhibition court, built to U.S Tennis Association (USTA) professional standards.

The planned tennis facility is expected to be named the Sarah Vande Berg Memorial Tennis Center, after the former Zephyrhills High School district champion who became a scholarship player on the University of South Carolina Upstate women’s tennis team. Vande Berg, the daughter of the Zephyrhills planning director Todd Vande Berg, tragically died in an automobile accident at the age of 21 in October 2015.

The complex also is expected to feature a pro shop, a multifunctional community room, and two office spaces.

Recreation impact fees from The District at Abbott’s Square and other developments will be used to finance most of the the facility’s construction costs, city officials say.
But, additional frills — such as a clubhouse and observation deck — would likely need to be financed by the city and other funding sources, including, USTA grants, Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP) grants, Penny for Pasco, and partnerships with Pasco County Parks and Recreation, and Pasco County Tourism.

Once operational, memberships will be required to access the facility.

However, Zephyrhills residents will get a price break.

Officials believe the tennis center could become a national draw for college and USTA-sanctioned events.

Meantime, the facility is expected to be named the Sarah Vande Berg Memorial Tennis Center, after the former Zephyrhills High School district champion who became a scholarship player on the University of South Carolina Upstate women’s tennis team.

Vande Berg, the daughter of the Zephyrhills planning director Todd Vande Berg, died in an automobile accident at the age of 21 in October 2015.

Earlier this month, the council voted unanimously to send the proposed tennis center name to a committee made up of city staffers who will vote on an official recommendation to the council, which is standard procedure under a city resolution that governs the naming of city facilities.

In other action, Zephyrhills City Hall will permanently close June 9, to make way for construction of a new city hall complex, at 5335 Eighth St. The temporary quarters will be housed at 5344 Ninth St.

Beginning June 12, city council meetings will be at the Zephyrhills Public Library, 5347 Eighth St., for approximately one year.

Board meetings, including airport authority and planning commission, will also be at the library, during that period.

Published May 31, 2017

‘Cow Palace’ attracted music greats

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The block structure was built in 1957, without heat or air conditioning, according to records kept by the Pasco County Property Appraiser’s Office.

It was located in Carver Heights, a predominantly black neighborhood where many people lived hard-scrabble lives.

Scott Place, left, and Al Brown are hoping planned restorations can save the historic Cow Palace in Dade City. (Courtesy of the Chitlin’ Circuit Preservation Society)

And, during the next 20 years, the building attracted performers who would become some of the biggest names in soul-blues and R&B music.

Each of those musicians would travel down Bull Road — still a dirt lane southeast of Dade City. They would go past Ferguson Lake to make their way to the stage, inside the block structure.

It was a venue with a spacious dance floor and ornate Spanish-tiled bar.

And, that’s where bar-goers, who could get rowdy, had the chance to see performances by B.B. King or Ray Charles.

More often than not, people could hear the loud music outside as they passed the open pastures, as they did on the night that James Brown played.

Despite its remote location and wild weekends, this block structure became a juke joint variously known as “Rabbit’s Place,” “Jake’s Lakeside Tavern” and the “Cow Palace.”

It was part of the so-called “Chitlin’ Circuit,” which the National Public Radio defines as “a touring circuit that provided employment for hundreds of black musicians and brought about the birth of Rock ’n’ Roll.”

Glenn Thompson, secretary of the Pasco County Historical Society, said the circuit’s name “derives from the soul food item chitterling” which is made from stewed pig intestines.

Thompson is a big fan of the local Chitlin’ Circuit Preservation Society, co-founded by Scott Place, which is seeking funding to restore and save one of Florida’s historic blues clubs.

“We want to be like the Bradfordville Blues Club in Tallahassee,” Place said. That juke joint was shuttered for nearly 20 years before it reopened in the 1990s.

The dance floor and bar at the Cow Palace as it looked in April 2016.

Place also points to other success stories on the old Chitlin’ Circuit, such as the Jackson House in Tampa, the Manhattan Casino in St. Petersburg and the Cotton Club in Gainesville.

Place, a Dade City blues musician who performs under the name “Howlin’ Buzz,” hopes future generations will have a chance to know more about the Cow Palace and its historic links to stars like King, a relatively unknown artist who brought a Chitlin’ Circuit tour to the Cow Palace in the late 1950s.

Buddy Guy played at the Cow Palace early in his career and was later inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Eric Clapton and B.B. King on March 14, 2005.

Writing on his Facebook page, Guy said: “The tone (B.B. King) got out of that guitar, the way he shook his left wrist, the way he squeezed the strings…Man, he came out with that, and it was all new to the whole guitar-playin’ world.”

The Cow Palace attracted stars and fans to a very poor neighborhood.

“There was nothing like that anywhere in Tampa Bay,” recalled George Romagnoli, in a news report published 25 years ago.

First subdivided in 1946 by Stanley Cochrane, the subdivision where the Cow Palace sits likely was named after the renowned botanist George Washington Carver, according to Bill Dayton, a member and former chairman of the Dade City Historic Preservation Advisory Board.

“Maybe he had an admiration for Carver,” Dayton told The St. Petersburg Times in 1998.  “Or maybe he just thought it was an appropriate name for a black subdivision,” Dayton added.

No regularly hosted events have been held at the Cow Palace since the mid-1970s, but a jam session there two years ago drew approximately 100 musicians and guests.

“We found out there was no commercial zoning, and that’s what we need for live entertainment in the future,” Place said.

Even with rezoning issues and the challenges of restoration, Place believes people would stand in line to enter the Cow Palace as they did 50 years ago.

“They would admit as many people as possible (back then). But, there was only one way in — or out,” Place said, with a smile.

To find out more about the Cow Palace and efforts to restore it, email .

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 May 24, 2017

Zephyrhills Police to have a changing of the guard

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Zephyrhills police chief David Shears is hanging up his uniform following 25 years of service.

His retirement, effective May 31, was announced during the Zephyrhills City Council May 8 meeting.

Zephyrhills police chief David Shears is retiring after 25 years of service. Shears has been the city’s police chief since 2008.
(Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

The council then unanimously approved City Manager Steve Spina’s appointment of Zephyrhills police Capt. Derek Brewer to interim chief, effective June 1.

The city now will undergo a hiring process—expected to take several months—to fill the position permanently.

Shears, now 54, had 16 years on the force when he replaced former chief Russell Barnes in 2008.

Barnes resigned after accusations he created a “flex time” policy that allowed employees to receive time off instead of overtime pay for extra hours worked.

Brewer, like Shears, is a longtime member of the Zephyrhills Police Department. Hired as a patrol officer in 2002, Brewer served as a field training officer, patrol sergeant and lieutenant, before his promotion to patrol captain in 2014.

Brewer, 44, earned an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Hillsborough Community College, and attended the senior leadership training program at the Southern Police Institute in Louisville, Kentucky and the Florida Police Chiefs executive leadership training in 2014.
He also is slated to graduate from the Command Officer Management Program and obtain a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Saint Leo University this year.

Zephyrhills police Capt. Derek Brewer has been appointed interim chief, effective June 1. He’s been on the force since 2002. In 2015, Brewer won the City of Zephyrhills Employee of the Year award.
(Courtesy of Zephyrhills Police Department)

Besides regular law enforcement duties, Brewer is a member of several committees and organizations: Transportation Exception Plan Committee; Pasco-Hernando State College Technical Advisory Committee; Pasco County Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Task Force; Zephyrhills Code Enforcement Task Force; Zephyrhills Police Department Homeless Initiative; Zephyrhills Site Plan Review Committee; Florida Police Chiefs Association; and, Noon Rotary Club of Zephyrhills.

Additionally, Brewer has received numerous honors during his 15-year law enforcement career, including:

  • Pasco County Crisis Intervention Team Officer of the Year (2010)
  • William B. Eiland Officer of the Year Award (2012)
  • Tampa Police Department Appreciation Award (2013)
  • City of Zephyrhills Employee of the Year Award (2015)

In March, Brewer outlined the city’s 2016 crime statistics to the Zephyrhills city council.
The report — generated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation — found overall crime and arrests decreased in Zephyrhills last year, but violent crime and domestic offenses went up.
According to the report, the city’s total crime rate, which incorporates violent and property offenses, decreased 4.7 percent in 2016.

The city of Zephyrhills will undergo a hiring process to permanently fill the police chief vacancy. The search is expected to take several months.
(File)

Violent crimes rose 3 percent (a total of 51 offenses), while property crimes fell 5.2 percent (a total of 879 offenses).
The report also revealed a significant jump in citywide domestic-related offenses.

Those incidents, which include simple battery and assault, skyrocketed 27.6 percent, with 125 actual offenses in 2016.
Total arrests, however, decreased 12 percent (832 total) in 2016.

At that meeting, Brewer indicated that Zephyrhills Police is taking a more proactive approach toward narcotics arrests, using a special response team for surveillance and intelligence gathering “to attack the problem at a broader level.”

He also said the department is looking to take “a stronger approach to domestic violence cases.”

Brewer noted that addressing code enforcement and the homeless rate within Zephyrhills are some of the department’s other major focuses.

Published May 24, 2017