The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Zephyrhills/East Pasco News

Connecting Overpass Road to I-75 now up to county

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Seven months might seem like a long time to await a decision. But when it comes to building major roads, time isn’t always on your side.

Florida Department of Transportation District 7 secretary Paul Steinman announced to Pasco County commissioners last week that the Federal Highway Administration has approved a new interchange that will connect Interstate 75 with Overpass Road.

Overpass Road will finally get its connection with Interstate 75, the first step toward what could be Pasco County’s new hot spot with sports fields, schools and a massive community that could help fuel growth over the next 50 years. (File Photo)
Overpass Road will finally get its connection with Interstate 75, the first step toward what could be Pasco County’s new hot spot with sports fields, schools and a massive community that could help fuel growth over the next 50 years.
(File Photo)

The project will add yet another entry into the county in an area where Wesley Chapel District Park already exists and a new high school is planned, and could even alleviate current and future congestion on State Road 52 to the north, and State Road 54 to the south.

“The exciting part of that is that it does open up the east side of the county for you once it gets developed,” Steinman said at the meeting.

The Overpass Road interchange will provide additional access in the Wesley Chapel area as well as East Pasco County, where several developments have been approved, or are in various stages of planning or construction, such as Pasadena Hills.

That is a 22,000-acre project that will create more than a dozen high-density villages that could help the area manage growth for that region over the next few decades.

To build the interchange, that portion of Overpass Road near I-75 will be expanded to four lanes with the possibility of expanding into six in the future. Eventually, the plans are to extend Overpass to connect Old Pasco Road and U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills.

The cost for the project will be more than $55 million, and while federal money will eventually be available to the county, officials have to show initially they’re able to fund the overall work on their own. Funds could come from an expanded gas tax, Penny for Pasco funds, and even mobility fees.

“Whether the state or federal government will put in any money, you can’t depend on that,” county transportation planning manager James Edwards told The Laker last January.

But the clock is ticking, county planning and development director Richard Gehring told commissioners.

“Whenever you get this finally inked and approved, you have eight years to construct,” he said. If the county fails to do that, federal approval of the project is withdrawn, and both the county and the state would have to apply all over again.

Population studies have shown the number of people who live in the area Overpass would serve will explode 400 percent to 218,000 people by 2035. Right now, just fewer than 60,000 people live in the area.

Capacity on I-75 also will increase through that area from the current 51,000 vehicles daily between State Roads 52 and 54, to 165,800 in 2040. That kind of volume would create traffic nightmares for existing interchanges in San Antonio to the north and Wesley Chapel to the south. It could even back up State Road 56 just north of the Hillsborough County line.

The county may have been waiting for months to hear back from Washington, D.C., but plans to improve Overpass Road have been afoot for more than a decade.

In 2003, county officials first looked at how the road could be improved between Old Pasco and Fort King roads, without looking at any potential connection with I-75. That changed with a new study in 2006 that gained favorable reviews from FDOT and federal highway officials.

Because the interstate is a federal road, any connections to it would have to be approved by the federal government. To show the viability of such a plan, the county produced a project development and environment study and a preliminary interchange justification report, officials said.

The county already has started to put some funds aside for this particular project to the tune of $15 million. Additional money could come from the renewed Penny for Pasco when those funds start to come in next January.

Published July 16, 2014

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When it comes to helping the homeless, she’s not too proud to beg

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In her previous role, Carol Scheckler delivered warm greetings to people when they dropped in at the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

But she stepped away from her job as administrative assistant at the chamber in May, and has since become president of The Samaritan Project, based in Zephyrhills.

Carol Scheckler, president of The Samaritan Project, said helping the homeless is her passion and mission. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Carol Scheckler, president of The Samaritan Project, said helping the homeless is her passion and mission.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The chamber job, she said, was her paycheck. The Samaritan job doesn’t pay Scheckler a dime.

“Now, I don’t have a paycheck, just a passion and a mission,” Scheckler told members of the East Pasco Networking Group at its July 8 breakfast meeting.

In fact, there are no paid positions in The Samaritan Project organization, she said.

“None of us get anything other than the reward of knowing we are helping some people,” said Scheckler, who became acquainted with the charitable organization when she was working for the chamber.

She learned about it through Tim Mitchell, who was president of the Zephyrhills chamber at the time, and president of The Samaritan Project as well.

“I met a lot of unique people, coming into the office, applying for assistance,” Scheckler said.

She felt compelled to get involved.

“My dad is a minister. I was raised that we were to help those less fortunate,” Scheckler said. “Not to turn our backs on them, not to stereotype them, but to help them.”

The Zephyrhills woman understands how it feels to struggle.

“When my husband and I moved up in 1982, we did it for a reason. We were losing everything,” she said.

Her husband, a semitrailer driver had been through two major gas wars.

“This was our fresh start,” Scheckler said. “That’s why this project is so important to me. I have been there. I know firsthand what it is to lose everything.”

The Samaritan Project has been helping people since 2008. It operates on donations and fundraisers.

“We assist people with past due rent and utilities,” Scheckler said.

The organization keeps its operational costs low.

“We do not pay rent. We have one overhead (cost), that is our Internet, because as you know in this day of technology, everything relies on the Internet.”

The project has spent more than two years in the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Education Building in Zephyrhills in 500 square feet of space, including the bathroom and air-conditioning room.

“My private office is the bathroom,” she said, noting whenever she has to make a private call to a landlord or utility company or somewhere else, she steps into the bathroom to do it.

But the organization is moving to much larger quarters at 5722 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills. Last week, the Samaritan Project signed a two-year lease, rent-free lease for the 1,400-square-foot home, thanks to the generosity of a local couple.

In addition to its own fundraising efforts, the organization received a $76,000 Emergency Solutions Grant earlier this year from the Florida Department of Children and Families and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“With this grant, we are able to get them into housing,” Scheckler said. “We can pay their first month’s rent, we can pay their electric deposit, water deposit, the security deposit.”

There is a drawback, though. The organization must raise matching funds for the grant money it spends, Scheckler said. The grant also requires applicants to fill out a form that’s about 20 pages long.

“We don’t make the rules. We strictly abide by the rules,” she said.

Still, the project is thrilled to be able to help more people, Scheckler said. The grant is aimed at preventing homelessness and getting people without housing back into homes.

Sixty percent of the grant is earmarked for getting people back into housing, she said, and the need is great.

“We had 151 homeless, registered students, just in Zephyrhills,” Scheckler said. At any given time, there are 1,500 to 2,000 registered homeless students in Pasco County.

One of the biggest challenges is finding a place for these people to live thanks to past evictions and credit issues, she said. “Landlords won’t step up.”

“If you know landlords who own property, ask them to trust us,” Scheckler said. “Our organization is backing these people. We follow them for six months. I do a case management every 30 days on everyone that we assist.”

Despite challenges, Scheckler said her volunteer work has moments of sheer joy.

“The biggest thing is, when you walk up to this client and you go, ‘Here’s your lease,’” she said, with her voice breaking and tears in her eyes, “I do get real emotional.”

A couple of weeks ago, the organization moved a young woman and her father into an apartment. The woman has special needs and the pair had been living in a truck.

“Habitat for Humanity stepped up and donated the furniture,” Scheckler said. “When I walked them in the apartment, I told (them), ‘This is yours. This is all yours. The furniture. The TV. Everything.’ How do you put a price on something like that?”

While many youths are couch-surfing to keep a roof over their heads, there also are elderly people who are in desperate need, Scheckler added.

“We have an 87-year-old woman who couldn’t pay her water bill. She was living off of pool water, drinking water out of a pool,” she said. “Did we step up and help her? Absolutely.”

After telling the group about The Samaritan Project’s mission, Scheckler went into her fundraising mode.

“Any of you women in here wear jewelry?” she asked, to set up a pitch for a fundraiser planned for Aug. 10. She also urged them to get involved in the Harvest Festival, another fundraiser on Nov. 1, or to hit the links on Feb. 7, at its annual golf benefit.

Scheckler frequently speaks at churches and civic organizations to drum up support for the cause.

“What we really, really, really need is support of the community,” she said. “Our motto is ‘Working together to make a better community.’ That’s what we want to do.”

And Scheckler said she’ll do whatever she can to make that happen.

“I am not too proud to beg,” she said. “I can cry. I can do whatever it takes.”

For more information
To help The Samaritan Project, based in Zephyrhills, or to get help from the organization, call (813) 810-8670.

Published July 16, 2014

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Horse rescue inspires Bavota to write, act in new film

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The fictionalized movie tale of a real dolphin helped make a Clearwater aquarium famous.

Michael Bavota made his career in the seafood business, but has always nurtured a love for writing. The Zephyrhills retiree’s words will finally come to life in a new independent film, ‘The DreamCatcher’s Ranch,’ which he’ll also star in as Grandpa Jim. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Michael Bavota made his career in the seafood business, but has always nurtured a love for writing. The Zephyrhills retiree’s words will finally come to life in a new independent film, ‘The DreamCatcher’s Ranch,’ which he’ll also star in as Grandpa Jim.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

But can another animal-based film do the same for an actual horse rescue ranch near Orlando? Michael Bavota says yes, and he’s not only the primary writer for the film “The DreamCatcher’s Ranch,” but he’s one of the stars as well.

“We were completely inspired by the ranch,” Bavota said of DreamCatcher Horse Ranch and Rescue, a large piece of property in Clermont that boards more than 60 rescued horses. “The director and executive producer, Ricky DiMaio, got this idea that he wanted to do a film about what life would be like on the ranch with fictional characters.”

And DiMaio found Bavota, a retired seafood distributor now living in Zephyrhills, to craft that story. Bavota, in turn, drafted actress and writer Kaylea Grace, and the two spent more than 140 hours writing what would become the story of a family struggling to secure the future of their ranch that’s directly in the way of a major highway project.

“We worked seven 20-hour days doing this,” Bavota said. “We would stay at the director’s house in Orlando, starting in the morning, and not finishing until the next morning at 5. We wrote day and night, and it just came out beautiful.”

Bavota and Grace fell in love with two characters they created, Grandpa Jim and Kelly, and decided the film couldn’t go forward unless they could play those roles — something DiMaio had no hesitation agreeing to. Yet, until a few years ago, Bavota never imagined himself ever working in front of a camera lens.

While he was living in Boston, Bavota learned through a member of his church that a local production of “Arsenic and Old Lace” was casting.

“I had no experience, but I was told I should audition anyway,” he said. Bavota’s work impressed the stage director, who cast him not only as Lt. Rooney, but Mr. Gibbs as well.

It was working in film, however, that really appealed to Bavota. There was a freedom of not having to be at the theater each day, and only being allowed to focus on one project at a time. So he worked closely with the Orlando film school Full Sail University, and has appeared in a number of other productions as well, such as “The Business Card,” which appeared on the Christian Television Network.

The usually clean-cut Bavota is sporting stubble and long hair as he gets ready to start filming “The DreamCatcher’s Ranch” this week. The entire production is budgeted for $50,000, small even by independent film standards. But that’s because the crew not only has full access to DreamCatcher Ranch, but many of the primary people — especially the actors — have different crew jobs as well.

“What we did is kind of unique,” Bavota said. “Everybody on the film got a job to act, and everybody got an extra job to fill in holes wherever we needed it. This is a way to ensure everyone feels they have ownership of what we’re doing here.”

Although the film is fiction, the stories of some of the various rescued horses on the ranch are real. Bavota has fallen in love with one mare, Blac, that the ranch won in an auction for $10 just minutes before Blac was headed off to a meat-packing plant.

Others have heartbreaking stories of abuse or abandonment, finding a home in Clermont when no others were available.

The ranch itself spends $3,000 a year to care for each horse, Bavota said, with most of those funds recouped by riding lessons and donations. The hope is the film will connect with younger audiences, especially girls, who typically have a fondness for horses, and could help champion the cause of caring for rescued animals.

“We want to help the ranch to attract more volunteers and more funds,” Bavota said. “We want to attract people who can help the owners expand the ranch, so that they can take care of even more rescue animals. And we want to give them a story that will make them stop and think.”

The cast and crew of “The DreamCatcher’s Ranch” are still raising money for the production through the online crowdfunding site Indiegogo. And the hope is to have the film completed by winter so that it can start appearing in film festivals as early as Christmas.

To donate to the project, visit tinyurl.com/DreamCatcherRanch. And to learn more about the actual horse rescue ranch in Clermont, visit DreamCatcherHorses.com.

Published July 9, 2014

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Volunteers find that a clean city is a happy city

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M.J. Price has to deal with a lot of garbage.

That’s not a problem for the longtime Zephyrhills resident. In fact, the more garbage she handles, the happier she is.

The I Heart Zephyrhills monthly community cleanup will set its sights on Zephyr Park on July 28. Volunteers always are welcome. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
The I Heart Zephyrhills monthly community cleanup will set its sights on Zephyr Park on July 28. Volunteers always are welcome.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

Her monthly I Heart Zephyrhills community cleanups are designed to clear out as much garbage as possible from a designated location on the last Saturday of every month between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. A group of approximately 15 to 25 volunteers joins Price each month to pick up around 15 kitchen-sized garbage bags’ worth of wrappers, cans, fast-food containers and other trash.

In the past year, the group has visited places such as Krusen Field, Tangerine Drive and Veteran’s Memorial Park.

Price decided to launch the monthly cleanup more than a year ago when she volunteered to clean up an area where she didn’t even live.

“We did a community cleanup with some friends from Zephyrhills down in Tampa, and I thought, ‘Well, this is so crazy that all these folks are driving all the way down to Tampa to clean up Tampa, when we live right in Zephyrhills,’” she said.

While the first community cleanup drew more than 200 volunteers more than a year ago, it’s settled into a smaller, core group. But there are some new faces, though Price said she hopes for more involvement from groups and civic organizations. She mentioned Crossroads Pentecostal Church as one congregation that has attended several cleanups.

There are benefits to the monthly events aside from helping to keep Zephyrhills looking nice, Price said. The group tries to keep them fun, promoting a contest for the strangest piece of trash collected. Previous winners include a hairpiece and seats for a boat.

An hour’s worth of exercise also is a positive, she said. And volunteering could have even longer-term benefits for an individual who might be looking for work or trying to make new contacts.

“You never know who is going to be picking up trash next to you,” Price said. “It might be somebody who is looking to employ someone. It might be someone who knows someone else. You never know. There are a lot of good connections that have been made.”

I Heart Zephyrhills also would write letters of recommendation for students looking to boost their college resume to confirm that they’ve done volunteer work for the group, Price said.

The city does a very good job of keeping things orderly, she said, and Price’s group aims to simply help clean up where they can. Unfortunately, people can get accustomed to a certain amount of trash. One or two wrappers might not seem like a big deal, but they impact the community appearance, and can soon grow into a problem.

“It piles up pretty quickly,” she said.

As a permanent resident since 1998, Price has organized more than 300 community events, from the monthly cleanups to an annual flag exchange and replacement program. She said it is part of her nature to get involved in her community.

“It’s just my thing,” Price said. “I was just raised that way — that you’re always trying to better the place where you live. It’s just kind of what I do, and I really love it.”

I Heart Zephyrhills works on the last Saturday of every month except December. Volunteers will head next to Zephyr Park, 38116Fifth Ave., west of U.S. 301 on State Road 54. The July 28 event begins at 9 a.m.

Volunteers should wear a pair of work gloves, closed-toe shoes and long pants. I Heart Zephyrhills will provide water, garbage bags and a method of hauling away the trash.

For more information, contact Price at (813) 782-1500, ext. 104, or email her at .

Published July 9, 2014

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Gulfside Hospice celebrates a quarter-century of care

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In the beginning, it was known as Central Gulfside Hospice, serving only patients in New Port Richey.

Now, a quarter-century later, it’s known as Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care, with about 1,500 admissions a year across Pasco County.

Linda Ward, president and chief executive of Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care, will be among those celebrating the care provider’s 25th anniversary at a Founder’s Day Breakfast on July 8. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Linda Ward, president and chief executive of Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care, will be among those celebrating the care provider’s 25th anniversary at a Founder’s Day Breakfast on July 8.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The organization has 14 locations, including a corporate resource office in Land O’ Lakes, clinical branch offices in New Port Richey and Dade City, four inpatient care centers, five thrift shops, a bereavement center, and outreach counseling center.

It has about 265 employees, plus contract employees.

No matter where it delivers services, Gulfside has the same goals in mind, said Linda Ward, its president and chief executive officer.

“A lot of people think that hospice is a place,” Ward said. “Hospice is a concept. The concept is really comfort and quality, peace, dignity.”

Across the country, about 90 percent of hospice patients choose to receive their care at home, Ward said.

Gulfside delivers its hospice care in a wide array of settings including retirement homes, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, apartments, or other residences, standalone hospice centers — wherever the person lives, Ward said. Gulfside’s team manages the patient’s pain and symptoms, and assists the patient with the emotional and spiritual aspects of end-of-life issues.

It provides necessary medications as well as medical equipment and supplies. Its team coaches families in caring for patients and dealing with a wide array of issues that arise.

When Gulfside was preparing to open a residential care center in Zephyrhills, it took great care in making sure the center was designed with its patients and their loved ones in mind, Ward said. That center opened four years ago, with a goal to create a special environment.

When visitors arrive there, they walk through a space that has the feel of an Italian piazza. Natural light pours through the skylight in the courtyard’s high ceiling. A collection of tables offers visitors a place to sit and relax. A decorative fountain is the focal centerpiece of the room.

Before residential architect Peter Horstman designed the center, Gulfside told him what they were trying to achieve.

“We basically painted a picture of what it was that we wanted patients and families and visitors to experience as soon as they walk through the door,” Ward said.

People are walking into the center with a lot on their minds and the goal is to make the surroundings pleasant and relaxing, Ward said.

Besides spacious patient rooms, the center has a family room that looks out over a pond, a place where visitors and patients can play board games, a children’s play room, and a chapel, complete with stained glass windows.

Providing a quality environment is just one part of the equation, Ward said.

“You can have the most beautiful environment ever, but it’s not everything. It’s really not the most important thing,” Ward said.

Quality of care is vital, and that means having a capable staff that is committed to serving patients, Ward said.

Even though hospice has been around in the United States since the 1970s and has grown substantially since Medicare started covering it in the 1980s, some people still do not understand what it is, Ward said. Some health care professionals remain hesitant to make a hospice referral because they have been trained to try to heal patients, and for them, hospice feels like an admission of failure.

Some patients are even reluctant to accept a hospice referral.

The term “hospice” can provoke fear, Ward explained. “They (patients) think, ‘Oh, my gosh, they’ve called in hospice, that’s it.’”

Some doctors understand the value of referring patients to hospice when there’s still time for the patient to benefit from the available services, Ward said. During those final stages, hospice can help not only the patient, but the patient’s loved ones, too.

Many patients, by they are referred for hospice, may only have a few days to live, Ward said. “That’s when a disservice has been done to the person. The hospice experience is so much more than just the pain and symptom control for the patient. That’s the primary initial first goal — get the person out of pain, immediately. That’s our No. 1 immediate task.

“But then, it’s a holistic approach,” she said, involving a team that includes a social worker, a chaplain, a certified nurse, a physician and a certified nurse’s aid. They help the patient with everything from pain relief to personal hygiene, as well as such issues as spiritual guidance and family dynamics.

“In the world in which we live, families are really having tough times,” Ward said. “The recession was so hard on people, and they’re still trying to come out of it. And so you’ve got those financial factors and psychosocial issues, and now you add terminal illness on top of it, and that’s such a high-stress situation.

“And so, our social workers and chaplains – they are so highly involved in helping people through these things,” Ward said.

Medicare benefits can be used to reimburse hospice providers for patients who have a prognosis of six months or less, Ward said. Many patients, however, outlive their prognosis and can continue to qualify for the services.

Many hospice providers, including Gulfside, also have a separate palliative care program, which aims to provide pain relief for patients who are not hospice-appropriate yet, but ultimately will be, Ward said.

Those patients do not qualify for hospice benefits, but can qualify under Medicare Part B, which has benefits for people who have chronic illness, Ward said.

As it celebrates its 25th anniversary, Gulfside is planning for its future.

“Right now, we’re looking at continued partnerships with other health care providers, to diversify us and grow our business,” Ward said.

Gulfside has an active palliative program with Medical Center of Trinity, she said, noting it does about 30 palliative consults a month with the hospital. Gulfside also has a close relationship with Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

Gulfside’s residential center in Zephyrhills has strong ties to Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, Ward said. “Ninety-nine percent of all of our patients who come to this care center come from Florida Hospital Zephyrhills.”

Published July 2, 2014

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Three days of fireworks: Local events display patriotic spirit

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Local residents wanting to see fireworks to celebrate the Fourth of July can enjoy them before, during and after the actual holiday.

The third annual Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Freedom Festival at The Shops at Wiregrass features a fireworks display on July 3 at 9 p.m. (Courtesy of Tony Masella/OurTownFla.com)
The third annual Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Freedom Festival at The Shops at Wiregrass features a fireworks display on July 3 at 9 p.m.
(Courtesy of Tony Masella/OurTownFla.com)

Multiple venues will host fireworks shows as part of special holiday celebrations July 3-5, along with a number of other activities to help celebrate Independence Day in Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes.

Those who want to celebrate early can visit The Shops at Wiregrass, 28211 Paseo Drive in Wesley Chapel, on July 3. The shopping complex, home to around 100 different retailers, is the site of the third annual Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Freedom Festival. Last year’s event drew around 30,000 people.

The free event begins at 5 p.m., and includes a watermelon-eating contest and a bicycle-decorating contest. But one of the highlights is a patriotic-themed pageant to crown Little Miss and Mr. Firecracker across several age groups.

The pageant was a favorite in 2013, and should be bigger this year, said Debbie Detweiler, director of marketing for The Shops.

“It’s grown so much that we’re having it hosted up on the center court stage this year,” she said. “It was a really popular part of the event last year, and we want to make more room for it.”

Winners will be announced for participants in three separate categories: Ages 3 months to 1, ages 2 to 4, and ages 5 to 8.

The fireworks show begins at 9 p.m., with approximately $9,000 worth of pyrotechnics on display.

On July 4, the annual Sparklebration event will be held at the Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36722 State Road 52 in Dade City. It includes a watermelon-eating contest, a hot dog-eating contest and bounce houses.

Gates open at 3 p.m.  The fireworks begin at 9:15 p.m. The cost is $5 per person, with children younger than 12 admitted free. Parking also is $5.

For anyone who missed the events on July 3 and July 4, or wants to celebrate a little longer, there are a couple of local options the following day. Avalon Park West, 5227 Autumn Ridge Drive in Wesley Chapel, will host its free Independence Day Festival on July 5.

According to Kristin Muslin, marketing and events coordinator for Avalon Park West, it’s more important for the community to schedule an event when people can attend than to make sure it falls on the Fourth of July.

“Having an event during the week is a little bit more difficult for a lot of people to attend,” Muslin said, noting that July 4 falls on a Friday this year. “So it’s kind of important for us to make it a little bit easier for families to be able to spend time together on the weekend.”

Avalon Park West also wants to use the event as an opportunity to showcase its neighborhood, which has around 70 occupied homes. With future planning allowing for 4,800 homes to be built, the Independence Day Festival allows the community to learn a bit more about them, Muslin said.

Avalon Park West’s town center will serve as the focal point of the festival.

The event includes bounce houses, giveaways, community performances and food trucks. More than 50 vendors are expected to be in attendance. A bicycle parade starts at 5:30 p.m., and the fireworks begin at 9 p.m.

That same day, Connerton, a community located on U.S. 41 about seven miles north of State Road 54, will host a free Fifth of July event starting at 5 p.m. Its celebration also is a chance to show off the 8,000-acre community, which includes a 3,000-acre nature preserve.

The celebration includes live music, games, prizes, and bounce houses. Food trucks and refreshments will be available, and guests are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets. The fireworks start at 9 p.m.

For more information about the Freedom Festival at The Shops at Wiregrass, visit TheShopsAtWiregrass.com.

For more information about Sparklebration at the Pasco County Fairgrounds, call (352) 567-6678, or visit www.pascocountyfair.com.

For more information about Avalon Park West’s Independence Day Festival, call (813) 482-5361.

For more information about Connerton’s Fifth of July event, visit Connerton.com.

Published July 2, 2014

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Zephyrhills hospital delivers big changes, more babies

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There is a baby boom hitting Florida Hospital Zephyrhills so large, even administrators are struggling to understand it.

Jennifer Wesolowski and Freddy Santiago welcomed their new son, Joseph Santiago, into the world at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills last weekend. Joseph, who was born in the late-night hours of June 18, is part of a boom of babies being born at the hospital. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Jennifer Wesolowski and Freddy Santiago welcomed their new son, Joseph Santiago, into the world at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills last weekend. Joseph, who was born in the late-night hours of June 18, is part of a boom of babies being born at the hospital.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

Over the past six months, the hospital on U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills welcomed 258 babies into the world, well above projections of just 100 for this point. And they’re not expecting it to let up anytime soon.

“There’s a sense that we’re doing a lot here at the hospital, and it’s creating some excitement in the community,” said Dr. Annette Williams, medical director for The Baby Place, the obstetrics unit at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills. “We’re making a lot of positive changes, and that means people are staying right here in town, and are not going somewhere else instead.”

Just a few weeks ago, The Baby Place moved out of its old unit home at the hospital and into temporary quarters on the second floor. That’s because the maternity unit is getting a complete overhaul that includes significant equipment upgrades, new beds, and even an aesthetic refresh.

The finished product, expected to open in August, will increase the number of labor rooms from five to eight, and postpartum rooms from seven to nine. And even that might not be enough to handle the uptick in babies.

The Zephyrhills hospital did anticipate at least a small rise in births at the hospital after Bayfront Health Dade City announced last year it was closing its maternity unit. One of the contributing factors was a 33 percent decline in births at the hospital between 2008 and 2012, according to published reports.

The Baby Place got ready, however, by calling various doctor offices in the area, and trying to get a count of the number of expecting mothers who were likely to choose Florida Hospital Zephyrhills. The results convinced the hospital to increase its maternity staff, but the baby census was actually on the low end.

“Even with all the calling we did, we had even more people come in than we thought we would,” said Catalina Sierra, who manages The Baby Place with Williams. “We had a lot of people just walking in, saying they were supposed to go to Tampa, or they were supposed to go to Brooksville, but instead, ‘Here I am.’”

The upgrades to The Baby Place also gave the hospital a chance to centralize many of its women’s health services, including mother/baby, gynecology, breast care, heart care, and health and wellness. At the same time, the hospital also changed how the department was managed, going to one led by a physician instead of the more traditional nurse-led department.

The biggest advantage to that is much stronger communication between the nursing staff, who work the front lines, and the physicians.

“There’s always that gap between the physicians and the nurses, and it’s difficult sometimes,” Williams said. “By having a physician in charge, it’s a lot easier to talk to the physician and make your case for the nurse. Communication is such an integral part of health care, and we’re trying to make it easier for that communication to happen, and not put the stress on the nurses.”

The difference in the new system has already been felt, Sierra said, and it’s a positive one where she enjoys working with Williams.

“She’s such a great doctor. She knows the physician’s mind, and she knows the nurse’s mind. That way, she can relate to the doctors and relate to the nurses, and that’s just what we need.”

The maternity market is highly competitive, especially as more and more hospitals open within driving distance of East Pasco County, creating plenty of choice for mothers. While proximity might play a strong role in the selection of a hospital, other issues such as quality of care, level of equipment sophistication, and even how comfortable and calming the rooms are, are important considerations.

Florida Hospital Zephyrhills says it is experiencing an influx of moms, even before renovations are complete.

Serving women who are having babies is an excellent way to introduce the hospital to younger people, especially for many mothers who are spending their first night in one delivering a child.

“For a lot of women, this is their very first encounter with a hospital,” said Cheryl Kennison, the marketing director at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills. “When people are choosing to stay here when they could’ve easily gone somewhere else, it says a lot about the team, and what everyone is doing here.”

Published June 25, 2014

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Southport Springs honors veterans with new memorial

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There has always been a strong connection between Zephyrhills and veterans who have served their country, dating right back to when its first cornerstone was laid as a retirement community for aging Civil War veterans.

The tradition of honoring the men and women who served continues to this day, now in Southport Springs off Chancey Road just outside Zephyrhills, where veterans — including more than 200 who live in the community itself — were honored with a new memorial.

A granite stone near the Southport Springs clubhouse says that ‘this place is dedicated to those men and women who have served honorably in the armed forces of the United States of America. May we always remember.’ (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
A granite stone near the Southport Springs clubhouse says that ‘this place is dedicated to those men and women who have served honorably in the armed forces of the United States of America. May we always remember.’ (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

Summer rains held off just long enough June 14 for local dignitaries and more than 300 people to dedicate the memorial, located next to Southport Springs’ clubhouse, that recognize the people who served both abroad and even at home over a century’s worth of conflicts.

“Thank you for your sacrifice,” said U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, who attended the dedication ceremony. “We owe you so very much, our true American heroes.”

The memorial includes six service flags representing various branches of the military, as well as the American flag, and a second flag remembering prisoners of war. It is supported by a large brick wall with two benches, as well as flowerbeds to represent the red stripes on the nation’s flag.

“Look around, and you’ll see representation of the U.S.A. — past, present and future,” said Douglas Baulch, one of the people who led the way to build the memorial. “The wall was done for all conflicts of America. It will be a living memory for all of us.”

The monument is designed to recognize those who served in the armed forces, as well as those who supported the war effort from home.

“It’s really an honor and a privilege to represent this county,” Bilirakis said. “We all care so much, and I appreciate that very much.”

The memorial is located at 3737 Southport Springs Parkway in Zephyrhills.

Published June 18, 2014

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WWII memorial ready for rededication Saturday

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When war broke out in Europe and Asia in the 1940s, Pasco County was nothing more than a small farming and citrus group of communities.

The Pasco County World War II Memorial has been a part of Dade City’s downtown attractions since it was first dedicated in 1954, and has been a part of many ceremonies there, including the recent Fallen Officers memorial for law enforcement personnel killed in the line of duty. A restored memorial will be rededicated on Flag Day, June 14. (File Photo)
The Pasco County World War II Memorial has been a part of Dade City’s downtown attractions since it was first dedicated in 1954, and has been a part of many ceremonies there, including the recent Fallen Officers memorial for law enforcement personnel killed in the line of duty. A restored memorial will be rededicated on Flag Day, June 14.
(File Photo)

But the people loved their country, and showed it by signing up and heading to war. In fact, one in eight Pasco residents would serve in the military during World War II, including Frank Ashbrook, the father-in-law to Pasco County commissioner Ted Schrader.

“He was captured during the invasion of Normandy, and spent 18 months in a prisoner war camp in Germany,” Schrader said.

Ashbrook’s name is one of 1,855 county residents listed on the Pasco County World War II Memorial at the Historic Dade City Courthouse. This weekend will mark the 60th anniversary of the memorial’s dedication, and Schrader will lead a rededication ceremony June 14 that will include the official unveiling of a new, more permanent granite memorial.

The granite slabs replace the original wood panels that have deteriorated significantly since the memorial’s first dedication in 1954.

“The courthouse is where my office is, and I would come in every day to hear we had some vandalism or a skateboarder hit it, and we had to call (the facilities department) to come and make the necessary repairs,” Schrader said. “It was really just that it was time we did something different.”

Schrader reached out to then assistant county administrator Dan Johnson, and they were able to secure seed money of $25,000 from Pasco County officials, and another $15,000 from Dade City. The rest of the $40,000 cost would be made up from private donations that Johnson would gather.

In the end, however, the memorial cost less than the estimate, and the final price tag was an even split between public money and private donations.

The rededication ceremony will begin at 11 a.m., Saturday in front of the courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City. Schrader will emcee the event, and will be join by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, who will present a special flag.

Of all the people who served, a vast majority of them did return home, including Ashbrook. Just under 40 soldiers from Pasco County died in the line of duty.

However, seven decades is a long time, and many of the returning veterans from World War II have been lost over the years.

“Unfortunately, they are reaching an age where they are not going to be with us much longer,” Schrader said. “It was important for those who are still alive and for their family members that we make sure this memorial is here forever.”

Joining Schrader in the bandstand the memorial adorns are Florian Gude and Stanley Burnside. Both have their names on the wall, and still live in the area.

“I think Florian just turned 90,” Schrader said. “It’s really gratifying to be able to commemorate their service and reflect back on the sacrifices they made for our country.”

WHAT: Rededication of Pasco County World War II Memorial
WHEN: June 14 at 11 a.m.
WHERE: Historic Dade City Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., Dade City
COST: Free
INFO: PascoCountyFl.net

Published June 11, 2014

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Morningstar Fishermen seed library promotes good health

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It’s a wooden cabinet with several drawers, the index cards inside reminiscent of the kind used when libraries still had card catalogs.

Ara McLeod oversees the new seed library at Morningstar Fishermen in Dade City. The library allows people to check out heirloom seeds to grow in their gardens, with the hope that they’ll bring back more seeds to share. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Ara McLeod oversees the new seed library at Morningstar Fishermen in Dade City. The library allows people to check out heirloom seeds to grow in their gardens, with the hope that they’ll bring back more seeds to share.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

But this cabinet doesn’t hold cards telling visitors where to find books. Instead, it holds cards separating packages of seeds.

These aren’t just any seeds, however. They’re called heirloom seeds, and some of them had their start back in the 1800s, said Ara McLeod, who works at Morningstar Fishermen, a business in Dade City that promotes sustainable living.

Unlike most seeds that are planted in today’s fields and gardens, these heirloom seeds have not been genetically altered. Instead, they have been saved and passed along for generations.

And now, through Morningstar Fishermen’s new seed library, they are available to seed library members for free.

There is a catch. Those joining the seed library must agree to use only organic fertilizer on the vegetables and flowers they grow with these seeds. And they are asked to let some of their plants go to seed, so they can help to restock the seed library.

McLeod, who oversees the seed library, is thrilled that she’s leading this new venture, which aims to help people produce their own food.

“Here at Morningstar, we are about teaching people about sustainability,” McLeod said.

The company, located at 3336 Old St. Joe Road, has been teaching people about aquaponics for years. Aquaponics is essentially the marriage between hydroponics and aquaculture, allowing people to raise fish, veggies and plants at the same time.

It decided to branch out to help people become sustainable in other ways, too.

“We wanted to start a seed library here to help our community to have access to good, quality food,” McLeod said. “It’s really, really important for communities to have access to good seeds. With it being free, it really doesn’t matter what your economic status is.”

So far, fewer than a dozen people have signed up for the seed library. But McLeod’s enthusiasm for the program has not dimmed.

“We have to start somewhere,” she said, clearly passionate about the project. “Seeds are life. The soil is life. Without good quality seeds, our food is not of good quality, so, when we eat it, it doesn’t sustain our bodies.”

She estimates about 200 varieties of seeds in the library, mostly donated by Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek Seeds and some local families.

When people come to Morningstar Fishermen’s shop, they can look through the cabinet drawers to choose seeds.

“All of the drawers are divided out into families. In gardening, there’s nine different families,” McLeod explained. “In each family, you have the different types of vegetables or flowers.

“You just see what type of plant you want to grow. You open the drawer and you thumb through it. You can see the bean that you want to grow. There’s a little packet behind it. There’s the growing information on the back of it.”

Once they find their packet, they bring it up to a desk, fill out a form, and head home to start planting.

“You grow it. Save some of the seeds for yourself and some for the library and bring them back,” McLeod said.

Some people may have no earthly idea how to begin, but there are books, online information and low-cost classes that can help, she said.

Nobody should feel intimidated.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t know anything,” McLeod said. “The only thing that you need to start is a desire.”

To find out more about the seed library, email , visit MorningstarFishermen.org, or call McLeod at (352) 523-2722.

Published June 4, 2014