The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Top Story

Working in tandem for 40 years

By

Bill Morissey is the mayor of Skydive City.

He doesn’t wear a sash to that effect, but it’s evident when the longtime, now retired, skydiving instructor walks the grounds at the adventure-seeking staple in East Pasco.

Even with an 82 Airborne hat pulled down low, and large Aviator sunglasses covering his face and distracting from his large, gray handlebar mustache —  everyone at Skydive City recognizes this 84-year-old Zephyrhills man.

Zephyrhills resident Bill Morissey isn’t just a fixture at the world-famous Skydive City — he’s a legend in the world of skydiving. He helped to develop tandem skydiving, a technique that allows an experienced skydiver to jump out of a plane, strapped to an inexperienced diver throughout the jump. Now, tandem skydiving, the standard for the recreational skydiving experience for novices, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. (Mike Camunas)

They stop what they’re doing — packing shoots or watching jumpers land — to greet a living legend.

Humbly, Morissey shakes their hands, or high fives them before a quick chat.

“Not a lot of people can say they’ve jumped with a legend,” said Chelsea Hylton, of Tampa, whom Morissey has taken a shine to. “And, when he does talk to me, it’s not even about jumps — it’s about what’s going on in my life. That means a lot that someone like him takes the time to ask.”

“I mean, I’ve known Bill since I was 6 years old,” said Cam King, manager of Skydive City. “To me, he’s just Bill, but, yeah, he’s a legend and he’s walking around here in Zephyrhills. It’s hard to put into words what he did for the sport.”

That’s because Morissey is one of the “fathers” of tandem skydiving.

An idea from the sky
It was 1975 and Morissey was talking to his friends, Gloria and Pete Chace.

They were recounting how they tried a tandem jump — a skydive from 15,000 feet out of a Cessna 206, with the two strapped together.

Bill Morissey, 84, stands in the landing field at Skydive City in Zephyrhills, watching as divers come in from a jump. Morissey, a resident of Zephyrhills, helped develop the tandem skydiving technique in 1983. He’s a retired longtime tandem instructor, but he still makes jumps and has tallied more than 7,300 jumps so far. (Mike Camunas)

Gloria wanted to jump, but had no experience. Pete didn’t have much more experience, but agreed to it by sharing the harness and Jerry-rigged a chest strap extender by cutting out a seatbelt from the plane.

It wasn’t the most pleasant of jumps, but the couple survived.

Gloria told Morissey all about it.

“I got so excited about (a two-person parachute apparatus) and I wanted to tell someone about it,” Morissey said. “Luckily, I knew Ted Strong.”

Strong was a parachute manufacturer and owner of Strong Parachutes Inc., based out of Orlando.

It would be seven years before the two friends would get together, after Morissey’s marriage ended in New York, in the early ’80s.

The two friends met at Chi-Chi’s Restaurant in Orlando, with Strong sketching an idea of the two-harness tandem system on the back of a placemat. The idea was to have an experienced instructor attached to a student jumper.

“He said, ‘As long as we have an instructor with a student in the harness, we’ll never lose another jumper,’” Morissey recalled. “And then he gave me a big hug because he was so excited.”

Strong, who Morissey called “a real genius” when it came to building rigs, put together the new harness.

Bill Morissey, left, and Ted Strong, right, gear up and strap together in one of the early tests of tandem skydiving in 1983. (Courtesy of Jen Sharp)

On Jan. 15, 1983 in Eustis, Florida, Strong completed a tandem skydive with Ricky Meadows, who helped sew together the parachute.

In October 1983, Strong took Morissey out on a couple jumps in his tandem rig, which was a work in progress. Strong then hired Morissey to be the first-ever tandem instructor and examiner — just after two tandem jumps.

“I really had to figure this (new system) out — on how we were going to do it,” Morissey said. “Because it was not as smooth (a jump) then as it is now, for pretty obvious reasons.”

Coming in drogues
Morissey learned the hard way that the tandem system still needed perfecting.

In November 1983, while at the Turkey Meet at Skydive City, in front of hundreds of other skydivers, Morissey made his third tandem jump, this time with Anibel Dowd, a licensed jumper

However, in the early days of the tandem rig, parachute openings were extremely hard due to the extra weight of the jumpers and faster freefall speeds. On this jump, Morissey and Dowd saw significant damage to the parachute, with all but two of the lines to the canopy breaking and attachment rings stretched into an oval shape.

Morissey had to pull the ripcord to the reserve chute.

“I’m not a religious person, even though I was raised Catholic, but here we are and the parachute exploded. So, I looked up to God and said, ‘If you get me out of this one, I promise to be a good boy,” he said.

Bill Morissey coming in from a jump at Skydive City in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of Jen Sharp)

A higher power must have been listening, because the reserve opened and both jumpers, while injured, still walked away from the hard landing.

“After that, Ted started putting drogues on the tandem rigs,” Morissey said.

A drogue parachute is designed to deploy from a fast-moving object, similar to what is seen to slow down large planes. Adding this to the tandem system proved to be another one of Strong’s genius moves.

In late 1984, after test after test now employing the drogue, Morissey did a test tandem jump with Jon Stark, another experienced jumper, who is now the director of aviation maintenance at Skydive City.

Jumping from 14,000 feet, Morissey and Stark had a freefall that felt as natural as it would be for a single jumper.

“We were blowing parachutes up and hurting people and it really wasn’t pleasant,” Stark said: “It was exciting, trying new things, but we didn’t know what was going to hurt us or kill us. It was all experimental at that time, but the drogue experiment proved to be the right one.”

Bill Morissey, center in black cap, stands with Skydive City crew and jumpers on Jan. 15, when the center celebrated the 40th anniversary of the tandem skydiving technique. (Courtesy of Brina Berge)

Jumping around the world
After other modifications, such as moving the handles for better access to the instructors, tandem skydiving was invented and, by 1986, it was gaining popularity.

Morissey became the go-to instructor for tandem. He traveled the world demonstrating and teaching it. He even became the person who decided that for someone to become a tandem instructor, it would require a 10-jump certification though the U.S. Parachute Association (USPA), the governing body that issues skydiving licenses.

“We would have discussions about how we should teach (tandem), and I’m not saying we just made it up as we went along, but thought that was a good number (of jumps) and that’s what USPA approved,” Morissey said.

Tandem skydiving would be a game changer in the industry. It would bring in hundreds of thousands of people to the sport, allowing an adventure seeker to jump from 13,500 feet, just like the many of the annual visitors at Skydive City.

Morissey would be one of the foremost tandem instructors until he retired from Strong Enterprises Tandem Jumping in 2000. During that time, he taught more than 650 tandem instructors and 113 tandem examiners, and made more than 3,300 tandem jumps.

Zephyrhills resident and retired tandem jump instructor Bill Morissey looks over a jump pack that is designed for a tandem jump, allowing for two jumpers to be strapped to each other for the entire descent. Morissey helped develop the technique 40 years ago. (Mike Camunas)

“Ted Strong deserves every bit of the credit,” Morissey said humbly. “But, yeah, I guess we did (change skydiving) to, a little bit, of what it is today and what you see here (at Skydive City). Certainly, when we started doing it back (in 1983), we weren’t thinking about how it would.”

Legend of the freefall
Tragically, Strong died in a skydiving accident in 2011.

When Morissey recalls his longtime, dearest friend, tears well up in his eyes behind those Aviator sunglasses.

“He was a beautiful, wonderful man,” Morissey says in a low, mournful voice.

However, nothing — not his friend’s death, retirement or age — has stopped Morissey from jumping out of planes.

With more than 7,300 jumps under his chute, Morissey jumped at Skydive City about a month ago and doesn’t plan to stop ever since getting hooked on it as an Army paratrooper in 1959.

Morissey, or D-516 — which is a skydiver’s license level and call number — estimates he still does nearly 100 jumps a year.

So, the 2016 International Skydiving Museum and Hall of Fame inductee will continue to be mayor of Skydive City, for as long as he can pack his own chute and get on a plane to take him thousands of feet above Zephyrhills.

“I can remember my first jump like it was yesterday,” Morissey said. “I still get a thrill out of (skydiving). A jump last week or last month is still as exciting as it was in 1959 or in 1983. I know that’s never going to go away.”

Published March 08, 2023

Pulling on heartstrings for Ukulele’s 

By

Ukulele Brand’s is known for being a lively place.

The Land O’ Lakes waterside dining staple that sits on East Lake Ellis has always been known for its live music, hearty food, drinks and late-night crowds. The restaurant, also known for its hometown feel, has been serving patrons for 25 years.

But it’s never been known for a drive-thru.

Ukulele Brand’s, the waterside dining and live music bar that has been serving Land O’ Lakes residents for 25 years, suffered damage to its kitchen when an SUV and food truck plowed into the restaurant’s exterior wall on Jan. 25, damaging the kitchen. The local staple plans to reopen in the coming weeks, but its 40-plus employees have not been working or receiving income because of the temporary closure. Local businesses and the Rotary Club of Land O’ Lakes stepped up to organize a ‘support-the-staff fundraiser.’ Food and drink were donated for staff and volunteers to serve to patrons in the parking lot. More than $20,000 was raised and given to the employees. (Mike Camunas)

Perhaps that’s why its regulars were so shocked to see an SUV and food truck plow through its exterior wall on Jan. 25, creating a large hole and damaging the kitchen. The destruction forced the restaurant, at 4805 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., to temporarily shut down.

Luckily, no one — diners and employees — were seriously injured.

“How no one died — I don’t know. No clue,” said Jennifer Fischer, Ukulele’s manager.

Even now, more than a month later, she’s flabbergasted by the sequence of events.

“Our dishwasher flew 10 to 15 feet into my kitchen area, where there were staff members — it was horrible. When I watched the video, my heart was in my throat, and I don’t know how it wasn’t worse.”

When the accident occurred, around 8 p.m., the restaurant was filled with patrons in the dining room and staff working in the kitchen.

The crash forced the restaurant to close down, while repairs are made. It also temporarily put the restaurant’s 42 employees out of work.

Hundreds of locals and Land O’ Lakes residents arrived at one of their favorite restaurants to support employees who were temporarily out of work because of a crash that damaged the kitchen at Ukulele Brand’s, on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

They weren’t let go, but many have been unable to find temporary work. They couldn’t quit because that would deny them from receiving unemployment.

But the community has stepped up.

Supporters, including the Rotary of Land O’ Lakes; Lucas, Macyszyn, & Dyer Injury Lawyers; and other local businesses, organized a ‘support-the-staff’ fundraiser, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting them, to help ease their financial strain.

The fundraiser was held Feb. 18, in the Ukulele parking lot, with staff serving food and drinks that had been donated. They also held drawings and took donations.

The event raised more than $20,000.

“It’s amazing that (the locals and regulars) are looking out for us, that Ukulele means something to them,” said MacKenzie Dadroga, a bartender and server with the restaurant since 2015. “We’re still here and people are still supporting us, because it’s not about the place — it’s about the people. They care about us.”

Suzanne Beauchaine, who handles marketing for Lucas, Macyszyn, & Dyer Injury Lawyers and is involved with the Rotary Club, said holding the event was a no-brainer.

She said donations poured in, even from people who didn’t attend the event.

As of Feb. 18, a GoFundMe had raised more than $1,000, and Florida Penguin Productions, which was holding the annual Pasco County Blues Festival down the road the same day, came by and donated $500, Beauchaine said.

Ukulele Brand’s cook Ron Weiss and bartender Lauren Wilson serve food to generous patrons and regulars during a fundraiser to help employees who were out of work, while restaurant repairs were made.

“This place is Land O’ Lakes,” Beauchaine said. “It’s a part of this community, has been for 25 years, and the love and support for it really shows by the turnout.”

“It’s been amazing,” Fischer added. “I wasn’t expecting this kind of response so early, but that it turned out to be so busy, it’s amazing — this community is amazing.

“And I’ve heard quite a bit that (locals) are missing us!”

The restaurant’s local support was evident, as hundreds attended the fundraiser, with some hanging out all day to enjoy the food, drink and music.

Some even had trouble finding a place to park.

“We were worried (when the accident happened) because our friends work here, like Lauren (Wilson), who is a bartender here,” Land O’ Lakes resident Patty Kremzer said. “Once we heard about the event, we were like, yeah, we’re going (laughs). We moved here six years ago, and Ukulele Brand’s was the first place we went to eat. We were starving, so we came on our first night. As soon as the moving truck pulled away, we were headed here.”

Her husband, Marco Kremser added: “We were shocked (by the accident). We’ve been coming here a very long time because we love the local feel to it. But these (employees), they depend on this place being busy, but they can’t get another job and they’re not really fired — it’s the least we could do.”

Fischer estimates that reopening will be within the next four weeks.

“Trust me,” she added, “we’re as anxious as everyone else to be back open.”

Ukulele Brand’s
Where: 4805 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.
Details: The popular waterside restaurant has been temporarily closed since Jan. 25, after an SUV plowed through an exterior wall and into the kitchen. It plans to reopen in coming weeks, so check its social media channels and website for updates. Meanwhile, if you’d like to help, a GoFundMe has been established to raise money for the employees awaiting the reopening.
To donate to the cause, visit tinyurl.com/yvy24p4x.
For updates on the reopening, visit Facebook.com/UkuleleBrands.com or UkuleleBrands.com.

Published March 01, 2023

New putt-putt pops up in Pasco County

By

PopStroke is ready to set a new course — with its state-of-the-art putt-putt experience.

PopStroke Tampa opened its doors to the public on Feb. 17, offering two 18-hole putting courses that feature synthetic grass, bunkers, rolling hills and undulated greens designed to challenge golfers of all ages.

PopStroke Tampa is a new 36-hole, state-of-the-art, putt-putt experience with its courses designed by Tiger Woods. The new golfing venue, at 25297 Sierra Center Blvd., in Lutz, opened on Feb. 17. It features an outdoor dining area with a full menu and craft beer, wine and signature cocktails. It also has an ice cream parlor, outdoor game area and a playground. (Mike Camunas)

PopStroke’s two courses — Tiger Black and Tiger Red — were designed by TGR Design, a golf course design company owned by golf legend Tiger Woods.

“It’s been a long journey to getting here in Pasco County,” PopStroke founder and co-owner Greg Bartoli said. “We first discovered this site (near the intersection of State Road 56 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard) about three years ago, and we have been welcomed with open arms from the Pasco community. 

“I spend a lot of time in Tampa, as my kids play youth sports here all the time,” he added. “So, I know the facilities and communities here are second to none, and that’s what put this place on the market for a PopStroke.”

Bartoli and others broke ground Feb. 2, 2022, and it took about a year for Stevens Construction to build the 10,000-square-foot building, which includes an open-air restaurant with multiple open decks and covered dining areas and bars. The venue also includes a covered playground, a beer garden, and lobby with retail space.

PopStroke founder and co-owner Greg Bartoli speaks to those in attendance at the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Feb. 16.

“We’re really glad to see PopStroke invest in Pasco County and Florida Sports Coast,” said Adam Thomas, the county’s director of tourism. “We’re excited of what’s to come because of PopStroke, as it just adds to what makes us a destination.

“This venue is going to serve not only those visiting Pasco and the Tampa area, but the residents, as well,” Thomas said.

PopStroke Tampa is the company’s fifth location in Florida, with others in Sarasota and Orlando. TGR Design provides options for different skill levels and its designs are unique to each PopStroke location.

Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman sends a putt down the ‘fairway’ of a hole at PopStroke. Commission Chairman Jack Mariano and former Commissioner Mike Moore watch Weightman’s shot, as the trio become some of the first golfers to try out the new putt-putt venue in Lutz.

However, Bartoli created PopStroke because “golf can be a very intimidating sport, but PopStroke is about breaking down those barriers and allowing people to enjoy the game without some of the stuffy traditions (of a high-end golf course).”

Bartoli wants this entertainment venue to be “equally enjoyed by a 3-year-old all the way up to a 90-year-old.”

“At the end of the day,” Bartoli added, “PopStroke is really about bringing friends and family together, whether you enjoy golf or like golf or not.

“Playing at PopStroke is not a 4½-hour, expensive experience — it is meant for everyone.”

PopStroke Tampa
This technology-infused entertainment venue features Tiger Woods’ TGR Design team’s one-of-a-kind golf experience with two 18-hole putting courses. Besides golfing, there’s an outdoor dining area with a full menu and craft beer, wine and signature cocktails; an ice cream parlor; an outdoor game area and a playground.
Where: 25297 Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz (in an area often considered to be Wesley Chapel)
When: Open Sundays through Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; open Thursdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to midnight.
Info: Visit PopStroke.com.

Other putt-putt options:

Plantation Palms Golf Club
18 holes of lighted mini-golf and a lively Irish pub.
Where: 23253 Plantation Palms Blvd., Land O’ Lakes
When: Open daily 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost: Adults $10; Children 12 and under $7
Info: PlantationPalms.net/driving-range

7th Street Mini Golf and Parlour
A family friendly, 18-hole, black-lit, indoor mini golf course featuring card and board games, light snacks and drinks.
Where: 13841 Seventh St., Dade City
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays, noon to 9 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sundays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Cost: $10.95 for adults, children under 13 are $6.95
Info: 7thStreetMiniGolf.com

Grove Mini Golf
18 holes with a tropical theme coming soon to The Grove at Wesley Chapel., 6201 Wesley Grove Blvd., Wesley Chapel
Info: GroveMiniGolf.com

Published February 22, 2023

Born to be ramblin’ vans

By

Home is where the van is.

That’s what it means to live the vanlife — or disconnect (mostly) from the grid and hit the open road — traveling all over the country and living within the tight quarters of a van.

It’s not an entirely new concept, however, it’s one that is becoming increasingly  popular.

Kristine Vaccaro chills in her van during the inaugural Florida Vanlife Gathering from Feb. 3 to Feb. 6, at Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City. Vaccaro, and hundreds of others who live the vanlife, gathered for three days of ‘peace, love and vans’ as part of the largest vanlife gathering on the East Coast. Vaccaro, an Air Force veteran from California, lives out of her van. It’s charmingly named ‘Duck Star’ due to her love of Star Wars and the decor in the van. She travels the country looking for places to explore and stay living the vanlife. (Mike Camunas)

So popular, in fact, that hundreds were attracted to the inaugural Florida Vanlife Gathering at Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City from Feb. 3 to Feb. 6.

The event gave vanlifers a place to hang and those curious about the lifestyle a chance to see it up close.

“We wanted a way to celebrate the nomadic and adventurous lifestyle (of vanlife) and also welcome the central Florida community who are van curious,” said Josh Theberge, the event organizer who also is co-owner of Vanlife Outfitters, a Sarasota-based, online store dedicated to vanlife that was the title sponsor. “Everyone has been very appreciative of the event, as we wanted this to be an educational event for people, too.

“We didn’t just want to have an event where people are trying to sell stuff.”

More than 300 vans arrived at the park, carrying more than 500 vanlifers. On top of that, others came with day passes to see the vans and take advantage of workshops on topics related to vanlife.

Vendors were on hand, as well. There were demonstrations to show off new designs or products, and there were “Talking Tree” sessions focusing on specific topics of vanlife. Small crowds would listen to those talks at the park’s large tree that dates back to the Civil War era.

Living the vanlife means basically getting off the grid and outfitting a van with a kitchen, bedroom and even a bathroom.

“They’re curious people,” said Scott Watson, a popular vanlifer who has a YouTube channel featuring his three-years-and-counting journey around the country in his Winnebago Travato 59GL.

“It’s a very curious lifestyle where you can go anywhere, park anywhere, maybe hook up anywhere, and just see and wander — that’s what a vanlifer does: wanders, looking for the beauty out there on the road,” Watson said.

When adopting the vanlife, a van — or school bus, or even an old ambulance —is converted to become a traveling home.

A vehicle that’s been decked out with all the bells and whistles, but for many vanlifers, this is a DIY project. They customize their van to their liking by installing a bed, a bathroom, a fridge, a kitchen and entertainment center — with their own personal flair.  

Hundreds of those living the vanlife gathered at Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City to attend the inaugural Florida Vanlife Gathering from Feb. 3 to Feb. 6.

“It’s not for everyone, for sure, but for those who can do minimalism, this is for you. I mean, everything I own is in my van,” Watson said.

“There’s not actually a blueprint when it comes to vanlife.”

In an even more minimal approach, some vanlifers will routinely go boondocking, or camping completely off the grid without hookup amenities of water and electricity. 

“The third van that I am almost done building is the Boondocker 3.0, and I can live out of it without hookups for about a week at a time,” Theberge said.

The gathering had rows and rows of vans and other larger vehicles, all of varying designs. Theberge and his partner, Zach Daudert, held a Best in Show contest and judged which van was the best DIY model. Categories that were considered were overall quality, style/aesthetic, use of space/layout, uniqueness/creativity, and the systems from power to cooling to plumbing.

Joe Scelfo, of Destin, shows off his do-it-yourself tricked-out van to Josh Theberge, organizer of the inaugural Florida Vanlife Gathering, during the judging of Best in Show DIY Van. During the event at Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City, hundreds of vanlife people showed up to hang out and show off their vans, which, in essence, are either their homes or mobile camping units. Theberge is the owner of Vanlife Outfitters, a Sarasota-based company that sponsored the event and provides people with the tools and trade to build a DIY vanlife vehicle.

The rest of the time, vanlifers from all over the country just hung out around their or fellow participant vans, enjoying the nomadic, campy lifestyle.

“It’s all about what you can fit in about 19 feet of space, but this is a great event,” Orlando resident Ray Woo said. “It’s the first I’ve ever been to, and hopefully it can keep growing — not that there aren’t a lot of people here for the first one — and they’ll continue with the event so we can come out every year now.”

Theberge said vanlife is becoming more prominent on the East Coast, despite the lifestyle having a very distinct West Coast feel. That’s evident in the theme of the gathering, which paid homage to the 1960s and ’70s by including a lot of nods to the Grateful Dead.

“Oh, we’re big time Deadheads,” Theberge said with a laugh.

But this is why they gathered the vanlife here in Florida.

“This is us putting our flag in the ground and saying, come enjoy a weekend in Florida in February with (people) like you (vanlifers),” Theberge said. “And we’re looking forward to having it even bigger and better next year.

“And the vanlife is a true lifestyle change. It’s a lot of freedom and it’s about being out there and living life — and vanlife is a beautiful lifestyle.”

Vanlife Outfitters
Details: An online store that provides all the equipment, training, tips and more to DIY a recreational van.
Info: VanlifeOutfitters.com
To see Scott Watson’s VanLife YouTube, Go Small, Live Large, visit YouTube.com/@gosmall.livelarge.

Published February 15, 2023

Peggy Johnson, of Wisconsin, hangs out in front of her van with her dog, Buster, on Feb. 5 at the Florida Vanlife Gathering at Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City. The event attracted hundreds of vanlife people, and those curious about that life.
Mario Simachi, of Ocala, left, and Brian Swatts, of Bradenton, discuss the ins and outs of vanlife, and also about how Swatts continues to work on converting an old school bus into a recreational vehicle.
Vanlife doesn’t just mean to convert a van into living quarters. It also can mean converting an old school bus, or ambulance.

Celebrating a half-century of caring

By

Even though he’s a well-spoken politician, Wilton Simpson was at a loss for words.

“It was very … surprising,” the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture said. “This is all so … humbling.”

From left: Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson, Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley, CARES CEO Jemith Rosa, Pasco County Commissioner Gary Bradford, Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles and Dade City Commissioner Ann Cosentino take part in the ceremonial groundbreaking of the CARES Wilton Simpson Senior Center in Dade City. The new 6,000-square-foot senior center will replace the current senior center on Fourth Street, on land donated by Simpson. (Mike Camunas)

The Trilby resident, and former state senator, was in awe that the new CARES (Community Aging and Retirement Services) senior center coming to Dade City in 2024 will be named in his honor.

It made sense to name it the CARES Wilton Simpson Senior Center, since he can be credited with making it happen.

“I had to name it after him,” said Jemith Rosa, CEO of CARES. “It wouldn’t have happened without Mr. Simpson.”

About two years ago, when Simpson was still Senate president for the Florida Legislation, Rosa initially came to him looking for state funding for a new senior center. She was asking for $1.5 million to help build the $2 million, 6,000-square-foot facility, which will provide a one-stop senior facility with an adult day care facility for 60, multi-purpose, senior enrichment and recreation areas and administrative offices.

However, Rosa needed more and never expected Simpson to provide it.

“Well,” Simpson recalled, “Jemith visited me and said they wanted to build a new facility, and I’m familiar with the current one as I’ve lived here all my life. She said now she needed land, too.

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson addresses the small crowd that gathered on Jan. 31 to see the groundbreaking of the CARES Wilton Simpson Senior Center, which will be on 1.7 acres of land Simpson donated.

“And I was like, ‘Well, I’ve got some land right across the road from your building.’”

“It never dawned on me that this property was his, even though he has a lot of land in Dade City,” Rosa added. “I had about three minutes with him and asked him for the $1.5 million to build the facility. He said, ‘Jemith, I owe the land right behind (the CARES) building (on Fifth Street) – do you want it?’

“And we shook hands — done deal. Fastest deal I have ever made in my life.”

Fast forward about two years and Simpson, Rosa, city and county officials, and CARES board members all ceremoniously broke ground for the new facility on Fourth Street on Jan. 30.

The nonprofit organization has helped older adults stay at home, independent, connected and informed through health, social and support services for the past 50 years.

Ryman Construction will start work soon, with Rosa hoping for a grand opening of the new facility by late January 2024.

CARES CEO Jemith Rosa says that the CARES Wilton Simpson Senior Center in Dade City wouldn’t have happened without the namesake, Simpson, who not only donated the land where the 6,000-square-foot facility will be built, but also helped to secure $1.5 million in state funding for the project.

“Everyone and every city needs a Wilton Simpson,” Dade City Mayor James Shive said. “Just what he has done for this town and area is truly incredible. He definitely deserves his name on this facility.”

The new facility will double the capacity of seniors in adult day care, from 30 to 60, while CARES will sell off the old building on Fifth Street.

Simpson said the upgrades and additional space that are provided by the new facilities are needed.

“You need this type of facility to make your community complete,” he said. “Especially in Dade City, to handle the volume of seniors. A lot of times these things don’t happen until after the growth happens, when it’s well beyond the need of what the community is projecting.

“We’re very fortunate to get a little ahead of the curve, and this facility is really going to change the quality of life for many families and seniors,” Simpson added.

The CARES Crescent Center, 13906 Fifth St., will be replaced with a new, 6,000-square-foot facility that will have twice as much room for the adult day care program.

“The stars just aligned, and we were able to get it done for this community.”

CARES Wilton Simpson Senior Center
Where: On Fourth Street in Dade City, behind the CARES Crescent Center, which is on Fifth Street.
Details: A 6,000-square-foot center will be built on a 1.7-acre site donated by Wilton Simpson, who is now the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture. The facility will provide a one-stop senior facility with an adult day care facility for 60, multi-purpose, senior enrichment and recreation areas and administrative offices.
CARES (Community Aging and Retirement Services) has been providing services since 1973 to help older adults stay at home, independent, connected and informed through health, social and support services. For more information, visit CARESfl.org.
To receive state-based CARES in-home care services, seniors or caregivers must first apply through the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas at AgingCareFL.org.

Published February 08, 2023

Networking with nature

By

The Pasco County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Department is looking for the missing links.

Throughout the county, there are numerous trails in many parks, reserves and even natural areas, all which provide some connectivity, but there are gaps.

A detailed map shows the existing Greenway, Trails & Blueways Network in Pasco County. (Courtesy of Tammy Odierna)

The plan is to holistically study and understand the current and future opportunities for recreation such as walking, biking, hiking or paddling.

Although in its early stages, the Greenways, Trails, and Blueways Master Plan will cover all that, in the hopes to develop a county-wide network system of connected, recreational pathways that link parks and natural areas with neighborhoods, schools, shopping and more.

The plan builds on previous efforts to identify opportunities where the system can be expanded, or improved, as well as how to work within the public and private sectors to do so.

Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City features 406 acres of forested park with a river, trails, fishing, wildlife and an observation tower. It will be included in the Pasco County Greenways, Trails and Blueways Master Plan, which is a county-wide network that link parks and natural areas with neighborhoods, schools, shopping and other locations. (Mike Camunas)

“This is the first step of many,” said Tammy Odierna, program manager for park planning and development. “We’re connecting neighborhoods, parks, schools, stores to the trails, which there isn’t that much connection right now. It’s important because the county is blowing up with development, and we want to make sure we give citizens access to everything the county has to offer.”

“There are a lot of missing links in recreational trails, cause in the past we focused more on commuting,” added Chieh Yang, a parks planner. “They were overlooked, so we’re hoping with this plan, it’s an opportunity to identify those links and see what people want for those recreational trails.”

That is why the parks department is first turning to the public, looking to get feedback from county residents about how they’ll use the network, as well as what they would like to see in the future of recreational trails.

This isn’t just pathways, both paved and unpaved. The plan also includes blueways, or bodies of water — rivers and creeks, etc. — that are meant for non-motorized vessels and usually include an access point.

The Serenova Tract in Land O’ Lakes has approximately 21 miles of multi-use trails and various lakes and waterways that allow fishing. (Mike Camunas)

“Really, this is a long time coming and it’s needed with all the growth in this county,” Odierna said. “The county is looking to have a better integrated system of greenways, trails and blueways, and the idea is to get public input so we can put together an idea of what we want to see and what the public wants to see happen.

“After the master plan is finalized, we’ll work off that and see what’s feasible, and look at what’s priority and what the citizens think is important.”

The Pasco County Commission approved a task order on July 12 to develop the master plan. This effort is driven by requirements in the Recreation and Open Space Element of the Pasco County Comprehensive Plan, including those set by Objective REC 1.6, Policy REC 1.6.7, and Policy REC 1.6.8. The recreational network effort also complements the Active Transportation Plan effort.

Cypress Creek Preserve, which has approximately 5 miles of paved multi-use trails available from Pump Station Road and 11 miles of unpaved multi-use trails in Land O’ Lakes, is part of Pasco County’s Greenways, Trails and Blueways Network. (Mike Camunas)

Those bylaws state the Parks Department will work with the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization and the master plan citizen’s committee to form the map, as well as implementing a “wayfinding” signage program for regional and district parks and recreation facilities throughout the county as new parks and trails are developed.

Odierna said in the early 2000s, an advisory committee for trails was put together, but never carried through with a whole master plan. Then, with the growth explosion in the county in the past 20 years, any existing plan would need updates.

“We have a lot of really awesome trails and this will allow us to add even more awesome trails,” she said.

Conner Preserve in Land O’ Lakes features approximately 15 miles of multi-use trails, as well as grass and swamp lands, and a 25-acre site open for use by members of the Bay City Flyers Model Airplane Club. (Mike Camunas)

The master plan in no way affects the county’s plan to link Trinity to Trilby: the Orange Belt Trail. The county is still developing that as a separate project that will link communities such as Trinity, Odessa, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel and Dade City, and will provide both recreational and economic opportunities along the way.

That trail is expected to be a 12- to 14-foot-wide paved multi-use trail, but will, eventually, have connections to the current and other future trails that are or will be included in the master plan.

For now, the Parks Department is still receiving feedback through an online survey and public workshops, with another planned for late April. The hope is to get a master plan draft done by early summer.

As for the feedback already received?

“More shading, more benches, more parks connecting to trails,” Yang said. “Like on the Suncoast Trail, there are a lot of spots that could use more shading, and this will give us a chance to address more access points on the blueways.”

Yang added: “People want to be able to walk and bike to a nearby trail, so they don’t have to drive or walk a street without sidewalks.

“This is a great opportunity to see the kind of potential Pasco County can have when it comes to trails.”

The Pasco County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Department held a public workshop at Land O’ Lakes Recreation Center for locals to learn more about the Greenways, Trails and Blueways Master Plan. The department welcomed feedback and encouraged people to complete an online survey. (Mike Camunas)

Pasco County Greenways, Trails and Blueways Master Plan
The Pasco County Commission approved a task order on July 12 to develop a Greenways, Trails and Blueways Master Plan, which is a county-wide system of connected, recreational greenways, trails and blueways that link parks and natural areas with neighborhoods, schools, shopping and other locations. The Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department also is working with county residents to get feedback on how they’ll use the network, as well as what they would like to see in the future.

To complete the 10-minute survey before Feb. 17, visit SurveyMonkey.com/r/PASCOGTB.

What are Greenways, Trails and Blueways?
Greenway: Any linear facility (paved or unpaved) intended to provide a range of recreational opportunities (active and passive) including, but not limited to walking, running or jogging, biking, hiking, paddling or equestrian uses

Blueway: Any designated route (marked or unmarked) intended for use by non-motorized vessels propelled by paddles and often include an access point

Multi-use trail: Any wide, paved or natural-surface trail, located in its own exclusive right of way separate from a roadway, intended for shared use of people walking, bike riding or other related activities

Single-use trail: Any paved or natural-surface trail, located in its own exclusive right of way separate from a roadway, intended for a single primary use, such as hiking, off-road biking, equestrian and so on

Shared-use path: Any wide, paved surface, located directly along a roadway, intended for the shared use of people walking and riding bikes or related devices.

Published February 01, 2023

Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City has 5.2 miles of trail developed and maintained by Florida Trail (Mike Camunas)
Cypress Creek Preserve in Land O’ Lakes allows camping and fishing along and near its nearly 20 miles of trails and greenways.
The Serenova Tract off State Road 52 in Land O’ Lakes is part of Pasco County’s Greenways, Trails and Blueways Network and features some waterways that allow fishing, and 21 miles of trails.

 

Pasco planning board wants more input on public safety needs

By

The Pasco County Planning Commission — which makes recommendations related to the county’s growth — wants public safety agencies to provide more meaningful comment on proposed zoning and land use changes.

The planning board voted at its Jan. 19 meeting to ask for a discussion with representatives from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and Pasco County Fire/Rescue.

That request arose from the planning board’s consideration of a proposed land use change that would allow up to 158 townhomes on two parcels on Clinton Avenue, a quarter-mile west of U.S. 301.

The planning board recommended approval of that request, but not before some planning board members said they’d like the county’s public safety agencies to provide greater detail in their comments on a potential development and the increased public safety needs it will create.

Ladder 38 is located at Pasco Fire Rescue Station 38, at 7541 Paramount Drive, in the Watergrass subdivision of Wesley Chapel. (File)

Planning board member Jaime Girardi observed that he notices that many applications come in with “no comment” from public safety agencies.

County planner Doreen Roy told the planning board that when a request like this comes through, it is forwarded to the agencies for their review.

“I constantly have to send out an email, to see if we get comments and sometimes we just get an email back, ‘No comments.’”

Girardi continued: “But the sheriff’s department did respond back, ‘No comment’?”

Roy replied, “Correct.”

Planning board member Peter Hanzel added: “Just to springboard from that, what about the fire department?
Roy replied: “The fire department, I usually never hear from them.”

Hanzel responded: “I think it’s unfair to the public, as a whole, that these two departments that are extremely critical to safety of any county, do not respond, other than in a negative fashion.

“I think there should be some pressure applied that they indicate that, ‘Yes, we have reviewed this and we do not concur, or we concur, or we have comments,” he said. “I think that needs to be a positive response, rather than no response.”

Chief Assistant County Attorney David Goldstein told the board: “The problem with saying that they have to provide comments, is that it has the potential of slowing down an otherwise meritorious application for months and months simply because the department doesn’t want to focus on it.

“Applicants were put in limbo for months and months because staff was waiting on comments from affected agencies and not getting any,” Goldstein said. “At some point, it becomes a fairness to the applicant issue.”

Hanzel said he has no desire to slow the process down.

But planning board member Derek Pontlitz asked if the Pasco County Commission can compel the agencies to respond.

The county has jurisdiction over Fire/Rescue, but not over Sheriff Chris Nocco, who is an independent constitutional officer.

However, Goldstein added: “We also don’t have the authority to compel the school board to do it, either, but they do. They recognize the value of being able to participate in the planning process.”

Goldstein added: “At one point, I thought the sheriff recognized the value, too, because at one point he asked for a seat on the Planning Commission.”

But the Pasco County Commission turned down that request.

Goldstein said that county staff responded by involving the sheriff’s office more in the pre-app and application process, but he doesn’t know why the sheriff’s office isn’t more actively involved in the process.

The attorney continued: “The school board actively participates and probably gets certain developer concessions that they otherwise wouldn’t have gotten, had they not participated in the process.”

Even when the county is planning very large projects, it doesn’t get much feedback from public safety, Goldstein added.

“For example, the Villages of Pasadena Hills has sites allocated for parks, sites allocated for schools, roads, utilities. To the best of my knowledge, there’s no specific sites allocated for fire stations or sheriff substations.

“Probably the same thing in Angeline. So, it is a problem. I’ve raised this concern in the past, but I don’t have a solution,” Goldstein said.

Planning board member Chris Williams, who represents the school board, agreed with Goldstein’s assessment.

With the master-planned unit developments coming to Pasadena Hills, fire station sites likely will be needed, Williams said.

Pontlitz noted: “Public safety appears to be a little bit more reactive, than proactive.

“We could get away with being more reactive when there wasn’t a whole lot of growth going on. But there’s a lot of growth going on,” he said.

It’s an issue, he added “because it takes time to actually purchase assets and hire a staff. In the case of fire/rescue, to buy new trucks and ambulances, it has to be budgeted well in advance. That could be a couple years process right there.

“So, the earlier in the planning process this gets addressed, with some substance, the better,” Pontlitz said.

The planning board’s comments follow repeated appearances by union representatives for Pasco’s Fire/Rescue responders urging the county board to provide additional resources to reduce their emergency response times. Sheriff Chris Nocco also has appeared before the board to highlight the law enforcement agency’s significant manpower needs.

Published January 25, 2023

Pasco Board wants better design

By

Pasco County Commissioners are eyeing the future and they want to make sure that the county’s burgeoning growth today doesn’t create a multitude of problems later.

County board members are pushing for tighter controls in residential development.

It’s not a new discussion, but two new members recently joined the board and they appear to be keenly interested in these issues.

During commissioner comments at the board’s Jan. 10 meeting, all five commissioners shared thoughts of how the county should proceed, as new residential zoning requests roll in.

Key desires board members expressed include:

  • Eliminating 40-foot-wide and 50-foot-wide lots in new residential developments
  • Requiring stronger development standards for Built-to-Rent housing communities
  • Improving connectivity between neighborhoods
  • Proving greater certainty about the county’s regulations and expectations
  • Providing more visible public notice posting master-planned unit developments (MPUD) requests

Chairman Jack Mariano and Vice Chairman Ron Oakley don’t want to approve 40-foot-wide and 50-foot-wide lots in new residential developments.

They want yards to be large enough for kids to play and driveways to be long enough, to keep sidewalks clear.

The Pasco County Commission has signaled that it wants to ensure that the county takes the long view, when it considers current requests for residential rezonings. (Mike Camunas)

Recently elected Commissioner Seth Weightman said the Build-to-Rent single-family housing communities should follow the same development regulations as new owner-occupied single-family subdivisions.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey wants greater connectivity between neighborhoods.

More connections will provide more options, helping to alleviate congestion on major roads, she said.

She also wants more trails, to provide safe ways for people to get from place to place and to offer more recreational options.

Commissioner Gary Bradford wants the county to provide certainty to developers and residents about the county’s regulations and expectations.

Mariano is calling for larger, double-sided signs to alert the public to new MPUD requests. He also wants them to be posted in highly visible places.

The board chairman also wants county staff to hold applicants accountable, as they make their way through the county’s process.

“If you don’t have the paperwork (from the applicants) the way it’s supposed to be done, you put the brakes on until it’s done the way it’s supposed to be done. If it’s not done the right way, then it’s got to wait until it is done the right way, then it can proceed,” Mariano said.

The board’s discussion came during the board member comments’ portion of the meeting.

Weightman raised the issue involving standards for Build-to-Rent communities and Bradford asked what design standards are currently being used by county staff.

Nectarios Pittos, director of planning and development for the county, recapped the history of  residential standards being applied to MPUDs.

“Last year, the board of county commissioners worked with the development community to craft a memo, a policy memo, that would direct staff to include conditions of approval within a master plan unit development zoning district that would regulate the appearance, or at least establish architectural monotony controls for single-family detached houses.

“This was particularly related to a case involving 40-foot-wide lots and also 50-foot-wide lots.

“Since March or April of last year, we’ve been implementing those conditions of approval in the MPUDs.

“Then, there was a discussion with the Aug. 24 board of county commissioners’ meeting, which I think was the first time the Built-to-Rent question rose from the (county board’s) dais. And, so, a similar draft memo has been worked on since then,” he said.

The memo:

  • Creates a definition of what constitutes Built-to-Rent
  • Establishes similar architectural and monotony controls for that Built-to-Rent product. These standards include how these communities should be designed, what kind of landscaping is needed, parking standards and so on.

Pittos said that memo has been circulating with stakeholders since November.

“In various conversations we’ve had with developers, the question has been raised about the appearance of the Built-to-Rents and the general concerns, as Commissioner Starkey has noted — the tensions between parking and landscaping and these product types.

“And so, they have acquiesced to certain types of demands and/or cautionary statements from the planning and development department to change their products a little bit to make sure that what they build is not going to be monotonous or what they build is going to include a healthy amount of landscaping.

“However, there isn’t a clean directive to do that,” Pittos said.

Bradford said the sooner the county can get to a place of certainty, the better.

“The sooner we get this done, the better it’s going to be for our county. I think we really need to make this a priority,” Bradford said.

County Administrator Mike Carballa said county staff can work on that memo, with an aim of coming back to the board for further discussion at its first meeting in February.

It’s unclear, however, how soon the board will be pursuing changes, if any, to minimum lot sizes, length of driveways and other issues that were discussed.

It appears certain, however, that the board wants greater control over the appearance and livability of future residential developments.

“With two new commissioners, it’s time to say: OK, what do we want to see, for the long run?” Mariano said.

Published January 18, 2023

Giving a piece to keep a family whole

By

Aaron Barnes really doesn’t want this kidney.

But he does need it.

“I just didn’t want it this way,” Barnes said. “I didn’t want it from her because what scares me the most is both parents going under the table, and if the kids lose both of us, boy, that brings tears to my eyes right now, and that’s why I didn’t want it to be her.

“If something happens to me, fine, they have another parent, but something happens to both of us … wow … and that’s why I wanted the kidney to come from someone else.”

Barnes, a 50-year-old Wesley Chapel resident, has been dealing with chronic kidney failure (CKF) for decades. Only in 2022 did it deteriorate his health so rapidly that while he was planning to get a kidney transplant, the need for the procedure was expedited.

Wesley Chapel resident Aaron Barnes is hugged by his wife of 20 years, Andrea, at Tru U Fitness in Lutz, where she is the co-owner. Aaron has been suffering from kidney failure for decades and as his health rapidly declined in 2022, it was time for a kidney transplant. It hasn’t been an easy process, including dozens of tests, lots of unsuccessful waiting, a monthlong hospital stay and even dialysis three times a week. However, Aaron finally found a donor: Andrea. (Mike Camunas)

He is on the national transplant list, but it’s a waiting game to be awarded a kidney or for someone to donate a kidney directly to him.

That is, until he found the perfect donor.

His wife of 20 years, Andrea.

In sickness and in health
Andrea is scared.

“Oh yeah, very scared., I’ve never had major surgery — well, c-sections — but never had an organ taken out,” the mother of three said. “We’re constantly trying to figure something out, but we’ll get through it. We’ve done it together and we’ll continue to do it together, quite literally.”

Sometime in February, Andrea will give her husband one of her kidneys. It will extend and better his life, one filled with dialysis sessions three times a week and a year of health deterioration that has taken its toll on the family of five.

The couple will travel to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville and be there more than a month. Each will have a procedure, with Andrea undergoing a nephrectomy, or removing of the kidney. Aaron, on the other side, will receive the kidney, which will be placed in his lower abdomen, near his hip and the renal artery.

Aaron’s doctor also decided to remove his left kidney, as it was found to have a hematoma and is not functioning properly enough, even with dialysis.

It’s a process that has taken well over a year to get to, and it all started with a sharp decline in Aaron’s health in late 2021.

“I’m just 1 out of 39 million with CKD (chronic kidney disease),” Aaron said. “As a guy, they don’t tell you everything you go through, with kidney failure or a transplant. It just happens and you start going through all this and it takes everything from you: job, energy, your drive — it’s bad, but I always try to look at the positives and that it could be worse.”

It hasn’t been easy on Aaron and his family.

For years, Aaron had been dealing with CKD through kidney-sensitive diets and other healthy ways of living. However, once his glomerular filtration rate (or GFR, the way to test how well kidneys are working) fell below 20, that’s when dialysis began and it required an immediate life change.

Each session zaps Aaron of any energy and he’s done for the day less than a half hour afterwards. He couldn’t work. He couldn’t help around the house. He couldn’t do things with his kids.

That’s when the depression set in.

Lowest of lows
It hit Aaron hard.

Yes, dialysis took its toll on him, but not as much as the depression. And while going through this health crisis and major change in life would bring anyone down, the dialysis did cause a lot of it.

Aaron Barnes, 50, spent September of 2022 in AdventHealth in Wesley Chapel due to extreme kidney failure. His weight dropped to 139 pounds. During his hospitalization, he had surgery to place a hemodialysis port in his chest to aid with his dialysis sessions, which he receives three times a week. (Courtesy of Andrea Barnes)

He would be in a fog, which can occur to patients who receive dialysis and then feel depressed.

“When this happened to me, I finally experienced depression for the first time and it was way worse than the health crisis I am experiencing,” Aaron said. “(The depression) scared me more than anything else.

“When you’re that depressed, when you’re emotionless, you get to that point where you’re that down, you’re that depressed and no one can help you, not even your family — that scared the hell out of me, man.”

“I didn’t consider myself to be suicidal, but the lack of caring, the lack of desire to eat or get out of it, I might as well have been.”

For most of 2022, it was just dialysis and depression. Eventually, it was time to tell the kids: A.T., 15; A’saph, 13; and Azalea Barnes, 9.

“We kept them in the dark a little bit, but then it got really bad, and I had to have that hard conversation with them,” Aaron said. “I am OK with my fate, but then what it does to the whole household can be miserable. It impacts the whole family, and that’s what bothers me the most.”

“It did bring us closer together, a little,” Andrea added. “He was in a lot of pain, so the boys would come in and rub his head or we would all sleep together in the same bed when he first started dialysis at home.

“And it’s a lot, and they’re also trying to live regular lives, as teenagers, and they come home to our house and chaos!”

The chaos would get more chaotic. When Aaron’s GFR got too low (3), he was admitted to AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, staying there over a month.

His weight loss was dramatic, dropping to 139 pounds. Doctors opted to place a hemodialysis port in his chest to aid with his dialysis sessions. He had a low platelet count for four days after surgery, leaving him at extreme risk.

“It took me a long time to get out of depression,” Aaron said. “And getting critically ill, it helped in that, on this journey, it’s a fight. You have to fight, so I did.”

“And it’s a fight,” Andrea added, “that never ends.”

Connected together
As Aaron, Andrea and their children move forward, it will, again, be another life-altering change for the family.

As long as the surgeries are successful, both Aaron and Andrea will recover, but in very different ways. Andrea will need up to a week to recover, however, it will take some time to get back to her job as co-owner of Tru U Fitness Studio in Lutz.

Aaron and Andrea Barnes with their three kids: A.T., A’saph and Azalea. (Courtesy of Andrea Barnes)

“And I have to be his caregiver,” said Andrea, who went through the six-month process to get approved as a match to donate to Aaron. “Then we need someone to stay with the kids for about a month — it’s a lot.”

Aaron’s recovery will be more extensive, including starting an intense daily regimen of anti-rejection medication.

“Transplant is not a real solution — it’s a work-around,” Andrea said. “So it’s partly a solution, then it’s still work, it still changes everything and you adapt.”

The alternative is staying on dialysis, which isn’t a solution either. Dialysis raises a patient’s blood pressure to extreme levels. In fact, Aaron’s high blood pressure was delaying the surgery, as it needed to come down. So, Andrea would shoulder the burden of two parents.

Andrea wouldn’t necessarily tell Aaron everything happening with their teenagers, to keep Aaron from stressing out.

Soon, Aaron and Andrea will be closer than ever. Because an actual piece of his wife will help him live.

“No, not anymore am I scared,” Aaron said of the impending procedure. “After being in critical condition four times and almost dying four times, I’m not scared anymore.

“At this point, I can’t be scared anymore because this is what I need not to die.”

Becoming a Living Kidney Donor
While a kidney donation can come from someone who is on the organ donor list — someone who passes and has been allowed to be harvested to aid others — there is the option to become a living kidney donor. However, this is a lengthy process that involves several aspects.

For starters, it takes about six months from start to finish, with numerous tests to determine if one is healthy enough to donate — meaning a donor must be free of uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, HIV, hepatitis or acute infections. Then there will be psychiatric tests to determine mental stability, plus one has to be a nonsmoker and can’t be pregnant.

As living donors, they can make a directed donation to a specific person — family member, friend, acquaintance, etc. — or a non-directed donation to an anonymous patient on the waiting list.

Every 10 minutes, another person is added to the national transplant waiting list — and 82% of patients waiting are in need of a kidney. On average, a living donor kidney can function anywhere between 12 years to 20 years, and a deceased donor kidney can improve quality of life for 8 years to 12 years.

Additionally, the average wait time for an organ from the deceased donor list is 3 years to 5 years, while getting a living donation, a patient may be able to receive a transplant in a year or less.

For more information about becoming a living kidney donor, visit Kidney.org/transplantation.

Published January 11, 2023

New ‘Angeline’ school to offer unique options for Pasco students

By

Angeline Academy of Innovation is set to open in the fall, ushering in new education choices for middle and high school students in Pasco County Schools.

The magnet STEM program is scheduled to open in August 2023. Initially, it will serve grades six through 10, but the school will add grades 11 and 12 in coming years.

JoAnne Glenn, the school’s inaugural principal, provided details about the school in a video carried on Pasco County Schools’ YouTube channel.

She explained the school’s philosophy and mission, while also providing some nuts-and-bolts details about what to expect.

JoAnne Glenn is the first principal of Angeline Academy of Innovation, a new magnet school slated to open in August 2023. (File)

“Angeline Academy of Innovation represents our district’s realization of our theory of action,” Glenn said in the video. “The theory of action says that if we move as a system to create an environment where our students and our schools have the support that they need, then we can expect to see the best outcomes for our students.

“Angeline Academy represents a new approach to realizing this theory of action, and we’re excited to change and test some of the new ways that we can deliver education,” she continued.

The school’s planning will be intentional, to make its “learning experiences exciting and engaging, and connected to the real world to prepare our students for their lives after high school,” Glenn said.

“Our key levers to support this work include rigorous instruction; a compassionate school environment that ensures that our students feel cared for and supported; equitable instructional practices, meaning we believe in having an open door; and, allowing students to feel supported in taking academic risks and trying new things,” she said.

“These three levers are actually the foundation that we believe are essential to ensuring that our students leave our system prepared for college, career and life,” she added.

Beyond talking about the philosophical underpinnings of the new campus for middle and high school students, which is at 8916 Angeline School Way, Glenn showed renderings of what the new building will look like.

The floor plan includes workspaces for each of the school’s career academies, as well as collaboration spaces for students and teachers.

The high school will feature four primary career academies and will offer opportunities for students to merge some fields to create a more personalized track, Glenn said.

It will have a Biodesign Academy; a Computer Science and Applied Cybersecurity Academy; an Engineering and Applied Robotics Academy; and, an Entrepreneurship Academy, which will be woven through the other pathways to enable students to leave to become their own bosses and open their own businesses.

At the middle school, there will be two primary magnet pathways that are broad and intended to support the work in each of the high school pathways, Glenn said.

“From ninth through 12th grade is a highlighted progression of coursework that emphasizes engineering. These are the courses that define the engineering path, and an exciting thing about these courses is that each one of them offers the opportunity for students to earn an industry certification and/or college credit, as they go,” Glenn added.

“In our Biodesign Pathway, we will begin with emphasis on biomedical applications. That is growing, in part, because of the partnership that will be forged with the Moffitt Cancer complex that will be across the street. We’re excited about the opportunities for our students to be able to do internships, externships there, as that complex develops, and the opportunities for them to be able to work directly with practicing experts, scientists and doctors, and learn about some of the ways that Moffitt is tackling the challenge of cancer.

“Our high school Cybersecurity Pathway, you can see, is a pretty solid course of study here, and represents not just cybersecurity, but a strong grounding in computer science, as well. 

This is a rendering of what Angeline Academy of Innovation will look like. The new magnet school, being built in Central Pasco, is expected to provide a wide array of new opportunities for students. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

“So, you’ll see that there are many courses tailored to students building their cybersecurity knowledge, as well as their computer science or programming skills, along the way.

“Additionally, we have an Applied Robotics Pathway, which includes a significant number of courses that are shared with the engineering and/or cybersecurity track, and so, our students will have a sequence of robotics courses and the opportunity to plug in courses in either the Engineering or Cybersecurity tracks, depending on where their interests lie and what future course of study or work they would like to pursue,” she said.

“As a district, we’ve made a decision to brand our elementary STEAM schools, with that label, emphasizing arts.

“As a secondary administrator, I believe the arts actually power innovation in our secondary STEM programs. Angeline will have solid arts offerings. However, as a magnet school, one of the things that we try to do is bring something new, or innovative or unique that helps distinguish our programs from other schools. So, you’ll see the emphasis on more technology-grounded experience in our visual arts and music offerings.

She also said that the actual high school course offerings may vary from the presentation.

“In high school, our courses are driven by what students sign up for and what they are interested in,” Glenn explained.

Initially, no sports program had been planned for Angeline, Glenn said. However, she said, the community made it clear it felt that students would be best served if the district included athletics.

Angeline’s site isn’t large enough to accommodate an athletics program, but the district plans to partner with some other organizations and to provide a shuttle service from the school property to a piece of land the district owns at U.S. 41 and Tierra del Sol. There are plans for an athletic facility there.

At this point, Angeline is expected to have these athletic offerings: boys and girls cross country, boys and girls swimming and diving, boys and girls golf, girls volley, boys and girls wrestling, competitive cheer, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, girls weightlifting, boys and girls track and field, boys and girls lacrosse, boys and girls tennis, and boys weightlifting, according to Pasco County Schools’ information page about Angeline.

There are no plans for football and sideline cheer, baseball or softball.

The school selection process for middle school students will be based on a lottery system. High school students will need to meet some entry requirements, established for magnet and innovative programs, Glenn said.

Those who are interested in attending Angeline can make their interest known during the School Choice window, which opens on Jan. 9 at 8 a.m. and runs through Jan. 20 at 4:30 p.m.

Glenn noted: “It is possible through the School Choice Portal in My School to select three options. Families may choose all three options to be different academic programs at Angeline.

“For example, one could submit a first choice request for Cybersecurity, a second choice request for Engineering and Applied Robotics and a third choice request for the BioDesign Academy.

“So that would be something to know, so you don’t feel like you can only select one option at Angeline,” Glenn said.

The notification and acceptance window is from Feb. 27 to March 8.

To learn more about Pasco Pathways and school choice, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us and click on the Pasco Pathways tab.

School Choice opening soon
What: Pasco County Schools’ school choice application window for all school choice options will be open from Jan.  9 at 8 a.m. through Jan. 20 at 4:30 p.m.
Applications will be accepted for all choice programs: STEM and STEAM magnet schools, Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, Wendell Krinn Technical High School, Angeline Academy of Innovation, International Baccalaureate (IB) and the Cambridge Programme.
Applications for the Pasco Pathways Innovative Programs and School Choice application are available via the school district’s myStudent parent portal.
The notification and acceptance window is from Feb. 27 to March 8.
To learn more about Pasco Pathways and school choice, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us and click on the Pasco Pathways tab.

Published January 04, 2023