The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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New putt-putt pops up in Pasco County

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

First family moves into new ‘Village’

By

Danielle Thornton and her kids will be home for the holidays.

They’ll be in their brand-new, mortgage-free house in Land O’ Lakes.

Retired Army Staff Sgt. Danielle Thornton, center, with the help of numerous family members, her two children Jaylen and Kinsley, and Tunnel To Towers CEO Frank Siller, cuts the ribbon to her brand-new, mortgage-free home in the Let Us Do Good Village, a community that’s in development in Land O’ Lakes. Tunnel To Towers created the village to provide homes to catastrophically injured veterans and the families of fallen military members and first responders. (Mike Camunas)

Retired Army Staff Sgt. Thornton and her two children, Jaylen, 9, and Kinsley, 5, received the very first house given away by the Tunnel To Towers Foundation in the new Let Us Do Good Village on Dec. 17. The nonprofit is creating a new 96-home community, off Parkway Boulevard, in Land O’ Lakes.

The mortgage-free homes are being given to catastrophically-injured veterans and the families of fallen first responders and military members.

“I’ll never forget the call from Tunnel To Towers, and I had never heard of that (foundation),” Thornton told a crowd of hundreds, many of which were first responders and veterans. “I mean, who wants to give you a mortgage-free home for nothing? No one does that, no one wants to just give you a home. But it was real. It was really real.

“Just being able to start all over again, in a brand-new house in a brand-new community, and we’ll have neighbors that’ll be families just like us — it’s a great opportunity for us and … I’m at a loss for words.”

Danielle, left, and Robert Thornton, left, met in college and enlisted in the Army together, however, Robert died in 2017 from complications of an undiagnosed enlarged heart. (Courtesy of Tunnel To Towers)

In 2017, her late husband, Army Sgt. Robert Thornton, was going through physical training at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. He would collapse, and later it was determined he suffered from an undiagnosed enlarged heart. 

Robert, assigned to the 528th Sustainment Brigade and a decorated soldier, died, leaving behind his young wife, 5-year-old son and newborn daughter.

“There was a knock at the door, and it was odd because I was trying to call him, and he wasn’t answering,” Danielle recalled. “Being in the military, when you get a knock at the door, it’s usually not good — I ended up closing the door in their face.

“From that day to this day, I’ve tried to figure out what am I going to do with these kids? It was very scary for me.”

Five years later, things got less scary for Danielle and her children after receiving the new house on Do Good Way in Land O’ Lakes. As the Thorntons entered the house for the first time, escorted by Tunnel To Towers CEO Frank Siller, they were overjoyed and overwhelmed. The house came with rooms for each member of the family, including a master bedroom for Danielle that includes a big closet and a walk-around shower.

Retired Army Staff Sgt. Danielle Thornton, center, hugs her daughter, Kinsely, left, while also hugging Frank Siller, CEO of Tunnel To Towers Foundation. The nonprofit organization is building the Let Us Do Good Village, a brand-new, 96-home community in Land O’ Lakes that will provide mortgage-free homes for catastrophically injured veterans, Gold Star families and the families of fallen first responders. The Thorntons, having lost their patriarch, Army Sgt. Robert Thornton, in 2017, were awarded the first fully built home in the community during a Dec. 17 ribbon-cutting ceremony. (Mike Camunas)

“Why did she get this house?” Siller asked. “Because of her sacrifice. She gave to this country, more than many have or ever will. And it is our responsibility to give back to these people, whose families were taken from them, who sacrificed their families for this country. We want to take care of these families who have sacrificed everything for this country.”

At the moment, the Thorntons are the only residents in the Let Us Do Good Village. But other houses already are in progress, as is the state-of-the-art community center that will include a pool, courts, movie theater and more. Once others move in, Danielle is looking forward to having neighbors that are very relatable.

“Even five years later,” she said, “there’s still a lot of pain, but just being able to turn to others in the same situation will help a lot.

“All I could do is cry (when entering the house), because — and I say this all the time — even though my husband’s not here, he still takes care of us.

“He’s saying, “It’s finally all coming together for us … that … that it’s going to be OK.”

Danielle knows her late husband can rest easy now, with the knowledge that his family has been taken care of and a place to call their own.

“He’d tell the kids, ‘Go jump on the bed, go mess up something,’” Danielle said with a laugh. “He’d want to go cook something — he would enjoy every part of this. 

“He would love it — absolutely just love this house.”

Let Us Do Good Village by Tunnel To Towers Foundation
Details: The Let Us Do Good Village is a new, 96-home community in Land O’ Lakes that will provide mortgage-free homes to catastrophically injured veterans and the families of fallen first responders and military members. The community also will include a state-of-the-art community center with an ADA-compliant gym and pool, a movie theater, basketball and pickleball courts, meeting rooms and playgrounds. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation is dedicated to honoring the sacrifice of FDNY Firefighter Stephen Siller, who laid down his life to save others on Sept. 11, 2001.
For more about the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and its commitment to DO GOOD, please visit T2T.org.

Published December 28, 2022

Danielle Thornton, right, and her son, Jaylen, are blown away by the master bedroom of their new mortgage-free home in Let Us Do Go Village in Land O’ Lakes. (Mike Camunas)
Retired Army Staff Sgt. Danielle Thornton, sitting on the couch in her new Land O’ Lakes home with her 5-year-old daughter, Kinsely, reflects on how overwhelmed she was to receive a mortgage-free house from Tunnel To Towers. She becomes choked up while discussing her late husband, Army Sgt. Robert Thornton.
Retired Army Staff Sgt. Danielle Thornton was overwhelmed on Dec. 17, when she had her first look at her new, mortgage-free house in Land O’ Lakes. Thornton, and her two children, Jaylen, 9, and Kinsley, 5, were the first recipients of a house in the Let Us Do Good Village being created by Tunnel To Towers. The 96-home community will provide mortgage-free houses to catastrophically injured veterans and the families of fallen military members and first responders.
Danielle Thornton, while standing in front of her new mortgage-free home in Land O’ Lakes, chokes up while addressing the crowd of hundreds gathered to see her receive the first house in the Let Us Do Good Village and discussing her late husband, Robert.

Making a splat, in Sunlake

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These students are going to get unruly.

At Sunlake Academy of Math and Science in Lutz, the public charter school has brought in a new learning tool, one that is gaining popularity and proving, through fun and games, to be quite productive and valuable.

Ann Louis, a fourth-grader at Sunlake Academy of Math and Science in Lutz, stomps on an Unruly Splat floor button, making it light up and keep a score on a nearby iPad. Students at the school are using the first STEM learning tool that combines coding with active play, as students code the rules to create games like whack-a-mole, relay races and dance competitions.

“Just sitting down and learning, that can sometimes be boring for them,” Sunlake STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) Program teacher Manjiri Jakhadi said. “So, it’s nice to get them something that is pretty engaging and fun. Movement is a big thing for them, but the goal is to get more technology in lessons, and that’s the focus of the school and the STEAM lab.

“Getting them up and moving as a way to learn is working out great so far,” the teacher said.

Sunlake recently invested in Unruly Splats, which are programmable floor buttons students can code to light up, make sounds and collect points when stomped on. Using block-based coding on an iPad, students code the rules to create games such as whack-a-mole, relay races and dance competitions.

Brandy Lee, the school’s EdTech coach, brought in the new “toys” about a month ago and is slowly implementing the 24 splat pads into different classes including math, reading and others.

“At first, it was kind of like, ‘What is this?’ and once I saw how it put them in front of the iPad and using the program, it was pretty cool,” Sunlake fourth-grade teacher Amber Hicks said. “Plus, it gets them out of their seat, gets them moving and that can work better than them just sitting there and reading and trying to get them to comprehend what they are learning.

“They are learning this way 10 times better than the traditional way of learning. This is a whole new way of getting them to learn and engage in the material than they would be just reading it to themselves or out loud to the class,” Hicks said.

For sure, students are having fun.

In fact, Unruly Splats’ goal is “to build ridiculously fun learning tools that empower teachers to incorporate STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) into any classroom.”

Which is exactly what Lee and Jakhadi are trying to do with STEAM classes at Sunlake Academy.

“We want to expand it across campus and get teachers excited about it,” Lee said. “And it’s really going to be focused on the coding part, but it is so engaging with the students, who are so excited about it and to use the Splats.”

Sunlake Academy of Math and Science STEAM Program teacher Manjiri Jakhadi, right, is surprised to see how well Kaylianis Beltre did while using a program she and her fellow students coded with Unruly Splats and an iPad.

“We just showed it at the last faculty meeting to the teachers and how it can be used for a multitude of lessons,” Jakhadi added. “The students keep experimenting and learning more each time, learning how to improve its usage and the coding each time, so it’s been pretty obvious from the start that it’s been a great learning tool for them and for us.”

Lee added: “And, they pick up on tech very easily! We practiced five to ten times before we got it, but they got it right away, so maybe we should just let them show us how to teach the lesson! (laughs)”

The students appear to be completely engaged when using the new technology, and they’re learning more than coding.

“I think it’s really fun and it’s a good way to cooperate with other kids,” 9-year-old Leila Dehoyos said. “I like being able to jump around and stomp on them. We have learned to code and let other kids take a turn and not get mad.

“We’re learning a lot by working together as a team.”

So, in the end, the students are keeping to the rules of Unruly Splats.

“I like it a lot,” said 9-year-old Hudson Faedo. “We’re learning how to cooperate and take turns, which is important, because if someone didn’t get a turn, you can make sure they get a turn and share (using the splats) with them.

“Plus, we’re learning to code by stomping on them — a lot! — which is pretty cool.”

Unruly Splats
Details: Programmable floor buttons that students code using an iPad or Chromebook to tell Splats when to light up, make sounds, or collect points when stomped on. Using block-based coding, students code the rules to create games like whack-a-mole, relay races and dance competitions.
Info: Visit UnrulySplats.com.

Published December 21, 2022