The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Pasco expanding film production footprint

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Pasco County’s tourism office last year rebranded to Experience Florida’s Sports Coast with the idea of becoming a destination for youth and amateur sports.

But, the county doesn’t want to be pigeonholed simply as a playground for various athletics tournaments and festivals.

The county’s tourism department is now expanding its brand portfolio to include film production — aiming to further boost economic development.

From left: ‘Death Cast’ director Bobby Marinelli, Experience Florida’s Sports Coast program manager Consuelo Sanchez, and ‘Death Cast’ producer Melissa McNerney. (Courtesy of Travis Claytor)

The production of “Death Cast,” a feature horror film, showcases the potential for the county to become a filming hotbed.

“Death Cast” is about six young, hopeful actors who are looking to land roles in an experimental horror film.

Roughly 90% of the movie was filmed in Pasco, including Dade City. Filming took place with a 30-member crew within a two-week period in January 2018.

“Death Cast” writer and director Bobby Marinelli pins the picture as “a really unique take on a classic horror story.”

He added: “It’s essentially a horror slasher film, by the numbers, but pulled in like a found footage, reality television-style that we’ve been told that’s it’s not been seen before.”

The independent, low-budget movie is set to be premiered on the film festival circuit this fall. It’s run time is 75 minutes.

The film’s main set piece takes place at a two-story house on Hanlon Terrace in Dade City, which has since transformed into a cattle ranch and wedding venue.

Set on a large property accented with a long, gravel driveway and shadowy tree canopy, the home helped “establish the look and feel of the rest of the movie,” Marinelli said.

An added bonus — the property featured a mother-in-law suite adjacent to the house that became the production office and base camp for most of the film.

A home and property on Hanlon Terrace in Dade City was the main set piece of the independent horror flick ‘Death Cast.’ Production took place across a two-week period in January 2018. The movie is about six young, hopeful actors looking to land roles in an experimental horror film.

“It worked out really well for us,” the director said.

Another central location was Crews Lake Wilderness Park in Shady Hills, offering an “amazing rural landscape” for other scenes, he said.

“It was honestly another keystone to the film,” Marinelli said of the park, “because we needed just this vast-like endless piece of property.”

Marinelli, who grew up in Hudson, was well-acquainted with the county’s landscape beforehand.

The Hudson High graduate studied filmmaking at Florida State University.

Making a movie in his hometown county required less red tape than other counties and states, he said.

The filmmaker cited a streamlined permitting process and accommodating nature from county officials and local residents. He mentioned Crews Lake Park was all but “handed to us on a silver platter” for their use.

“When you shoot in other states, particularly like big production states, there’s a lot of hoops to jump through to have that kind of access to a piece of property like that,” Marinelli explained.

“Other places, if you were shooting something like that, it would be a big task to stop the regular traffic of the park. …These parks in Pasco County, there’s enough of them, and they’re so vast that our footprint doesn’t really inconvenience the operations of the park, and it gives the film the look and feel and accessibility that it needs.”

It’s those types of reviews that Experience Florida’s Sports Coast officials hope to hear more often to help it attract future films.

The agency has its own film commissioner, Gaby LaJeunesse, who assists movie producers and scouts by establishing a link between other cities, county parks, libraries, transportation and private destinations.

Crews Lake Park in Shady Hills was another major set piece for ‘Death Cast.’ The independent, low-budget movie is set to be premiered on the film festival circuit this fall.

The work includes facilitating permits and road closures, and even coordinating with the Pasco School Board, if a project calls for filming in and around a school.

Besides helping to arrange needed accommodations for full-length features, she also assists with short films, student films, documentaries, music videos, and commercials and infomercials.

“The more productions that come to our county, the better opportunity we’re going to be out there and known across the country,” she said.

To help spread the word about its film-friendly mission, the tourism agency is developing a dedicated film page to add to its website.

It will help inform potential filmmakers and film production companies that are considering the area. The page will feature a library of location options, permitting information and so on. The new tab is expected to  go live sometime this year, officials say.

Experience Florida’s Sports Coast officials highlight the economic benefit of film casts and crews staying at local hotels, and eating and shopping locally. Moreover, creating film sets oftentimes requires extensive use of local labor and materials.

LaJeunesse observed, “Everybody benefits from a production in our county.”

Marinelli speaks to that firsthand.

“When a film’s shooting in a one- or two-week period of time, there’s a lot of money spent in that area and a lot of attention brought to it,” he said.

Meanwhile, what makes Pasco attractive for filmmakers could go well beyond easing the production process for film executives.

Beyond being a receptive place to make films, Pasco also offers diverse “coast to country” geography — providing wide-ranging set locations in an hour’s radius. For instance, Anclote Key’s castaway island look is much different than the rural, rolling hills of historic Dade City.

Those variations “speak a lot to Pasco County and what Pasco County has to offer in terms of locations,” said “Death Cast” producer Melissa McNerney.

McNerney, who lives in Tampa, studied acting in New York and has landed small roles in television shows including “The Good Wife,” “All My Children” and “Boardwalk Empire.”

“Filmmaking in Florida doesn’t have to be about stories that take place in the most obvious locations like beaches and areas where there’s palm trees and water, and kind of these really traditional, iconic, recognizable Florida landscapes.

“Our film shows backwoods and areas you might think aren’t even in Florida, and I think there’s a huge opportunity for filmmakers to start writing different stories that take place in lesser-known landscapes, and then challenge themselves to finding unique locations that aren’t necessarily identifiable as Florida, because I think that makes filming here that much more of a creative endeavor,” she said.

For information on “Death Cast” and to watch the trailer, visit DeathCastFilm.com.

Published April 22, 2020

Shift to online learning poses challenges

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When the state of Florida decided to shift to distance learning in March — parents, teachers and students found themselves facing a steep learning curve.

Julia O’Connor says the Pledge of Allegiance before beginning her lessons in her grandparents’ dining room. Her grandfather, George O’ Connor, is overseeing her online learning. (Courtesy of George O’Connor)

“This thing came on pretty quick. We’re all learning on the fly,” said George O’Connor, who is supervising his 7-year-old granddaughter Julia’s instruction, in his Wesley Chapel home.

Normally, Julia attends Sand Pine Elementary. Now, she’s beginning her school day by reciting The Pledge of Allegiance in her grandparents’ dining room.

“The first week was a challenge, getting all of the programs and things like that,” O’Connor said. “We started the second week off yesterday, and it seems to be going a lot better.”

“It’s a least four hours of scheduled work.

“The teachers are holding something on Zoom, like a teleconference with the students. They’re also offering tutoring over the phones, as to how to work the programs,” O’Connor said.

Their granddaughter is staying with her grandparents because her mom, Kim, is an officer with the Tampa Police Department.

Kim O’ Connor, an officer with the Tampa Police Department, waves to her daughter Julia, who is staying with her grandparents while school campuses are closed because of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. (Courtesy of George O’Connor)

Normally, Kim is assigned as a School Resource Officer at Benito Middle School, but while school campuses are closed because of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, she’s assisting the department’s patrol officers.

George said Kim is practicing social distancing, to avoid any potential spread of the virus.

Kim said she and Julia are communicating through texts, FaceTime and games they can play together on their devices.

Meanwhile, George’s other daughter, Meg Lewandowski teaches 10th grade Honors English at Freedom High School and her 6-year-old daughter, Margaret, attends Chiles Elementary in Tampa.

So, Lewandowski is experiencing online both as a teacher, and a parent of an online learner.

“I’ve been an educator for 15 years and this is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” Lewandowski said.

“Trying to reach students through a computer screen and keep them engaged has proven to be a new challenge,” she said.

Margaret Lewandowski and her mother, Meg, get ready for their first day of online education due to the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Margaret is in kindergarten at Chiles Elementary. Meg teaches 10th grade Honors English at Freedom High School. Both are getting used to a new routine. (Courtesy of Meg Lewandowski)

But, she added: “I’m finding that my students generally want to succeed, and they want to complete their work and continue with their learning.”

She said her daughter, who is kindergarten, is adjusting.

“We’ve kind of fallen into our routine,” she said. “Her teacher has been great about updating all of her assignments.”

But, she said her daughter misses going to school, and seeing her teachers and friends.

Lewandowski can empathize.

“I miss my routine of going to work and doing my job, a job that I really love,” she said.

On the other hand, she said, “it’s been a great opportunity to just kind of slow down a little bit. We tend to miss out on a lot of things when we’re in our normal rush of going to work and coming home, and doing activities.”

Being able to slow down some, she said, also provides more time to play with Margaret and learn some new games, she said.

Online learning has some advantages
Rowena Mendoza said that social distancing put a damper on Spring Break because her children are accustomed to being able to go somewhere during the break, but they couldn’t this year.

So, when online learning started, Mendoza said it helped her and husband, who are both working at home in IT.

Colin Mendoza, a freshman at Wiregrass Ranch High School, enjoys online instruction because he can get his work done faster, says Rowena, his mom. (Courtesy of Rowena Mendoza)

“It’s very relieving for me, as a mom. I know my kids have things to do during the day, and they’re very focused,” she said.

Plus, 12-year-old Kayla who attends John Long Middle School and 15-year-old Colin, who attends Wiregrass Ranch High, have enjoyed virtual learning because they can work at their own pace.

“My kids like to finish their work ahead of time, so the rest of the week they can do anything,” she said.

But, they do miss their friends and classmates, she said.

Kayla Mendoza, who attends John Long Middle School, enjoys online learning, but says sometime the system can’t keep up with her typing, says Rowena, her mom. (Courtesy of Rowena Mendoza)

Also, there have been some technical glitches. And, with so many users on the system, it is sometimes overwhelmed, she said.

Overall, she thinks the school system has done a good job — but it may need to upgrade its system, she said.

Things haven’t gone so smoothly for some other families.

Angel Shannon’s daughter, Shaylee, is a third-grader at Lutz Elementary.

Trying to help her daughter, while she’s doing her job at home, has been very challenging, Shannon said.

She doesn’t blame the school.

“It’s a fabulous school. We love the school, and I know they are trying very hard.

“The teachers are available, but the problem is, I have a 9-year-old and they’ve never taken instructions off a computer screen for every subject,” she said.

Besides that, they have to log in to different softwares, she said. “I have to sit, not only read the instructions, go over it with her — and it’s like six hours of me, sitting there with her, doing it with her,” said Shannon, a Medicare Advantage sales agent.

“I’m trying to talk on the phone. She’s trying to ask me questions. It’s causing a lot of stress. It’s not going well,” Shannon said.

Plus, she said, she can’t help Shaylee with her Common Core math work.

“This math, I don’t even understand what they’re asking, let alone how to help her.

“To me, it’s so ridiculous — and, I was an honors student. Between my husband and I, we read it, I get so frustrated I have to take a break.

“And then I think, I’ve only got one child. I couldn’t even imagine if there were more than one child in the home — trying to get their schooling done,” said Shannon, noting her husband works as a truck driver and when he gets home from work, she’s still trying to help Shaylee with her schoolwork.

It’s frustrating for both of them, she said.

“This is just for the birds,” Shannon said.

Shaylee Shannon and her mom, Angel, are learning how to try to balance the new situation they’re in now: Shaylee trying to do her schoolwork, and her mom trying to do her job. (Courtesy of Angel Shannon)

She said the principal understands the parents’ frustration and sent home a note, suggesting they not do more than three hours a day, but she worries about her daughter falling behind.

Annaliese Reese, who has a child in middle school and one in high school, understands Shannon’s frustration.

Reese’s 18-year-old son, Dante, a senior at Land O’ Lakes High School does his work, no problem, Reese said.

But, it’s a different story for her 12-year-old daughter, Gabriella, who attends Pine View Middle.

“I think she feels like because she’s not in school, she doesn’t have to do it,” Reese said.

The fact that she and her husband are working makes it tougher, she said.

She also feels for her son, who is missing out on the traditions of senior year.

Clara Reynolds, the president and CEO of The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, said the shift to online learning has added to the stress and anxieties many are facing during this time of COVID-19.

She offered this guidance.

“I think it’s important for parents to remember, you need to set up routines, but you don’t have to try to recreate a classroom environment, where kids are in class for 6 hours a day, in front of a computer,” she said.

“I think you can build it into little bite-sized chunks. Make sure you’ve got some time for enjoyable activities and things like that, because otherwise everybody is going to be very frustrated and anxious,” Reynolds said.

Published April 15, 2020

Feeding the hungry through ‘pop-up’ food drive

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When Idlewild Baptist Church decided to hold a food drive recently — it had no idea the response would be so great that it would essentially create a traffic jam because so many church members showed up to drop off contributions.

Typically, the church takes weeks to plan big events.

In this case, it sprang into action.

The church’s Gatheria — a space used for church suppers and other events — looked like a food warehouse after contributions came rolling in to help others needing food. (Courtesy of Yerusha Bunag/Idlewild Baptist Church)

As medical and economic impacts of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) began ramping up, the church started fielding more requests for assistance, said Yerusha Bunag, director of local missions.

The church was hearing from schools it has been involved with in partnerships that began before the pandemic, she said. It also noted that the church food pantry, which has operated for years, was getting depleted.

Plus, Bunag said: “We had an increasing number of people needing help, from our own membership, but also an outpouring of people wanting to give help.”

So, as the week before the March 29 food drive wore on, the need to act became clearer.

“Just through prayer, through meeting with the leadership — virtually —  we said, ‘Let’s just trust God. He’ll work through our people to be generous at this time,” she said.

They decided they could use the church’s Gatheria area as a warehouse to hold the donations.

Bunag recruited youth volunteers to help collect the food.

She also put out the word about the food drive through an email on the afternoon of March 28, and a posting on Facebook.

Senior Pastor Ken Whitten made an appeal to help during the 9:15 a.m. livestream service on March 29, which was repeated at the 11 a.m. service.

The food drive was supposed to be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

By 1:30 p.m., when volunteers arrived, though, cars were already lining up to drop off their donations.

“We did not stop until 4:30 p.m.,” Bunag said.

Although the church did not count the cars that came, it was a steady stream, Bunag said.

Volunteers from Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz delivered boxes of food to three elementary schools, after the church held a somewhat spontaneous food drive.

At one point, about 2:30 p.m., one of the guys coordinating traffic flow radioed and told her: “‘I just got word that we’re backed up to (North) Dale Mabry (Highway). And, Van Dyke (Road) has started to get backed up.”

To help speed things up, some guys who had been directing traffic were reassigned to work an additional collection point.

“It was really hot,” Bunag said. But, no one was complaining.

The volunteers were so pumped up, they didn’t even want to take a break, she added.

“Everybody was on an adrenaline high,” Bunag said.

Pastors were out there sweating, too, she said.

It was work, but it was fun, too, she said. “Cars would go by and they would honk. ‘Hey, it’s great to see you.’”

All the while, the church practiced social distancing, with volunteers working in different parts of the campus, in groups of 10 or fewer — wearing masks and gloves, and keeping a safe distance apart.

And, nobody complained about having to wait.

After the volunteers left on Sunday, the church’s hallways and lobbies were filled with boxes and bags of foods.

Then, Bunag huddled with Nancy Reed, the church’s events coordinator; Tonya Sloan, its food service director; and Kirk Malone, its Benevolence assistant, to plan out the rest of the operation.

Bunag created an online signup sheet seeking volunteers. By midmorning, she’d met the need for 80 volunteers who would work in three shifts, at four locations.

“We were done sorting all of that on Monday.

“On Tuesday, we began making toiletry packets and food boxes,” she said, noting they filled hundreds of boxes and toiletry packets.

“So, on Wednesday, we began distribution. Again, volunteers from our church that had trucks or SUVs signed up to deliver to three different schools (Kenly, Just and Booker T. Washington elementary schools).”

The efforts, she said, are to share God’s love — and to let others see that love in action.

“It goes beyond, ‘Here’s a box of food,’” she said.

“We want to give people not just hope that we care for them and we love them, but we want to give them the same hope in God, that he’s in control of the situation, and he’s going to provide for our every need,” she said.

Published April 08, 2020

Government responds to COVID-19

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A $2 trillion relief package — the largest in U.S. history — has been passed in an attempt to stabilize the economy, in the wake of an economic and medical crisis posed by coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).

The package includes help for individuals, unemployment benefits, loans for small businesses, help for large industries and other types of assistance.

The stimulus includes a $1,200 check per person, or $2,400 married jointly, with an additional $500 per child, for those earning $75,000 or less, according to reporting by national news outlets.

There’s also $350 billion of loans for small businesses.

The package also includes increased unemployment payments, and unemployment benefits extended to self-employed workers and contractors, the reports say.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis issued a statement after the passage of the CARES Act.

In part, he noted the relief act will “help keep us safe, protect jobs and prevent financial devastation for millions of Americans.

“We must get people working again, as soon as it is safe to do so,” he said, adding the stimulus checks will provide immediate relief to individual taxpayers who need it most.

He also noted “the expanded unemployment benefits will provide support for those who have lost their jobs or seen their hours reduced through no fault of their own.”

And, “the bill provides loan programs to help every type and size of business, including: sole proprietors, independent contractors, and nonprofits. If small business owners continue to pay their rent and employees, they can have their loans forgiven.”

Also, on March 29, President Donald Trump called for extended national guidance on social distancing guidelines be extended through April 30. In part, the guidelines call for individuals to stay at least 6 feet apart from others and that gatherings be limited to 10 or fewer people.

Locally, Hillsborough County has adopted a Safer-At-Home Order, to help prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

The order applies to all residents within Hillsborough County, including the cities of Plant City, Tampa and Temple Terrace, and became effective at 10 p.m., on March 27.

The order means that all residents are directed to stay at home as much as possible, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

However, there are many exceptions to the Safer-at-Home Order, according to Hillsborough County’s website. Those include:

  • People seeking medical treatment, transporting people seeking medical treatment, or caregivers assisting another person with medical or caregiving needs
  • People whose residences are unsafe or have become unsafe, such as for victims of domestic violence
  • People who are preparing or delivering food and drinks
  • People commuting to and from their jobs
  • People walking pets, as long as social distancing guidelines are observed
  • Parent or guardians transporting children because of a custody-sharing agreement or order

The order also defines essential businesses/services, including:

  • Establishments including grocery stores, farmers’ markets, farm and produce stands, supermarkets, food banks, convenience stores and liquor stores
  • Gas stations, auto and recreational vehicle supply and repair shops, and auto dealerships
  • Farming, livestock, and fishing
  • Businesses that provide food, shelter, social services, and other necessities
  • Hardware, gardening, and building material stores
  • Firearms and ammunition supply stores
  • Media services and journalists

In Pasco County, meanwhile, a virtual meeting of the region’s leaders was set for March 31, with invitations issued to the chairs of the Hillsborough and Pinellas county commissions and mayors of the region’s three largest cities.

The county also has posted a video on its website, featuring County Commission Chairman Mike Moore, County Administrator Dan Biles and Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco.

Moore reminded viewers that “a healthy community begins with you. Personal responsibility and accountability translate into real results.”

He encouraged viewers to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Department of Health’s guidance on social distancing.

“Don’t gather in groups of 10 or more, actually, if you don’t have to, don’t gather in groups at all.

“Wash your hands often and, please, if you’re sick, stay home,” Moore said.

Biles said the county is encouraging its employees to work from home, if they can.

“We’re making decisions based on real data, that applies to our community.

“Pasco doesn’t have the high density areas or multi-generational concerns that are driving stay-at-home orders in other communities.

“Our goal is to continue to safely provide essential services and to keep our economy moving,” Biles said.

Nocco reminded viewers that “we’re all in this together” and urged them to use common sense.

“Common sense is stay away from others, keep your social distance. Common sense is that you’re sick, stay inside.”

“We’re all in this together and together we will get through this crisis,” he said.

In terms of government services, Pasco County has closed these buildings until further notice: The Historic Pasco County Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., Dade City; Guardian Ad Litem Office West and Guardian Ad Litem Office East; Elderly Nutrition East, 13853 15th St., Dade City; Elderly Nutrition Central, 6801 Wisteria Loop, Land O’ Lakes; and, Elderly Nutrition West, 8600 Galen Wilson Blvd., New Port Richey.

Pasco County also has closed its libraries and its parks recreation complexes, and community and education centers.

All Pasco County beaches are closed. Parks and natural preserve areas also were closed, effective 8 p.m., on March 30.

Parks-sponsored large events and mass gatherings are canceled until further notice, and these facilities in and near The Laker/Lutz News coverage area are closed: Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex; Heritage Park Community Center; Starkey Wilderness Park Education Center; James Irvin Community Center; and, Odessa Community Center.

Pasco County Public Transit is providing free ridership until further notice, and limiting the number of riders on a bus to 10 to 15 riders at a time.

The county also will be increasing the number of buses on it busiest routes and temporarily suspending services on its least-used routes.

All Pasco County Senior Centers are closed, and all senior programs, activities, classes and meetings are canceled until further notice. For more information, call (727) 834-3340 with any questions.

Numerous public meetings have been canceled until further notice, including meetings of the Pasco County Commission and the Pasco County Planning Commission.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley was out of the country and returned home to do a 14-day self-quarantine.

He said the county is finding ways for people to work without being in groups, and he noted he’s been on conference calls with county staff.

“By doing what we are doing, this will probably all come to an end, sooner,” Oakley said.

“You take it one day at a time.

“You have to adapt. These are uncharted waters,” Oakley said.

Published April 1, 2020

Helping one another

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Coronavirus disease 2019, otherwise known as COVID-19 has upended life as we know it.

It remains unclear how bad it’s going to get, or how long it’s going to last — and that’s causing stress and anxiety.

Still, in the midst of the illness and deaths, shutdowns, cancellations and lay-offs — we know that our communities are filled with good-hearted people.

We have witnessed, for years, how these kind and generous souls have helped others in myriad creative and wonderful ways. We know this is happening now.

Please help us tell those stories. Email us a synopsis of the particulars, along with contact information, to .

Published March 25, 2020

Coronavirus poses dangers, disrupts daily life

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This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. (Courtesy of the CDC)

The ever-evolving threat posed by coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has forced schools across Florida to shut down, blocked visitors from nursing homes, caused wide-ranging travel and event cancellations, and stripped grocery aisles — especially of toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

Locally, parents of students in the Pasco and Hillsborough county school districts are bracing to prepare for an extended state-ordered spring break.

The Diocese of St. Petersburg also closed schools and early childhood centers through March 20. The diocese already had scheduled March 16 and March 17 as days off for students. Virtual learning will be conducted March 16 through March 20, according to a Diocese news release.

The additional school closures have left thousands of families scrambling to arrange child care, although the impact may be lessened to some degree as many companies are asking workers to work at home, if possible.

The World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 a pandemic; President Donald Trump has declared a national state of emergency. Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state emergency, and Hillsborough and Pasco counties have declared local states of emergency.

As of the morning of March 16, there had been four deaths reported in Florida linked to COVID-19, according to the Florida Health Department, which is the lead agency responding to the threat.

The health department also reported 684 negative test results and 514 pending tests. Also, there were 442 people being monitored for the virus and 1,573 had been monitored.

Health officials are trying to limit the spread of the virus — to avoid overloading hospitals — by urging people to avoid large crowds and wash their hands frequently.

The virus can spread person to person, through small droplets from the nose or mouth, including when a person coughs or sneezes. The droplets may land on objects and surfaces.

Other people may contract COVID-19 by touching these objects or surface, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.

Symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough and shortness of breath — and may appear as early as two days or as many as 14 days after exposure.

Most people recover from COVID-19 without requiring special treatment, but people with underlying medical conditions are at greater risk.

Impacts from the virus are being felt from Wall Street to Main Street. The stock market has plunged repeatedly, and local businesses are losing revenues because of the uncertainty created by the pandemic.

Huge events have been cancelled or postponed.

On the local front, cancellations include:

  • The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce’s Land O’ Lakes Music Festival, March 21
  • Dog Days in Dade City, March 21
  • The North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce/Pasco-Hernando State College Distinguished Women’s Leadership Breakfast, March 24
  • The fourth annual Family Friendly Summer Camp Expo (Pasco/New Tampa), March 28
  • The Taste of North Tampa Bay, March 29
  • The North Tampa Bay Chamber monthly membership breakfast, April 7
  • The North Tampa Bay Chamber membership luncheon, April 8
  • All SCORE chapters across the country have suspended in-person events, including mentoring sessions and workshops, until further notice.

Attractions also have temporarily ceased operations, including Disney World and a number of regional venues. They include:

  • ZooTampa, through March 29.
  • Tampa Museum of Art, through March 29
  • The Glazer Children’s Museum, through March 29
  • Henry B. Plant Museum, through March 29
  • The Florida Aquarium, through March 29
  • The Museum of Science and Industry, through March 29
  • Tampa Theatre, through March 31

The Knights of Columbus, at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, in Land O’ Lakes, have cancelled until further notice, their meetings, their Lenten Fish Frys, their doughnuts on Sunday and soccer, both games and concessions.

The Savage Race, which was set for March 14 and March 15, at Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City, was postponed.

And, a Spring Market Day, planned for March 21 at the Old Lutz School, was cancelled because vendors were concerned about setting up, because of the threat of COVID-19.

Both the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce and North Tampa Chamber have announced they would be holding off on varied activities, pending future decisions, in light of the evolving nature of the coronavirus threat.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning has been keeping parents and staff informed about the district’s response to the ever-changing landscape of the COVID-19 threat through a series of videos posted on the district’s website.

“I know that everyone remains concerned about the possibility of an outbreak,” Browning said, and the district is taking steps to attempt to limit the spread.

It also has conducted a brief phone survey to evaluate its capacity to provide distance learning, the superintendent said, noting the district needs to be prepared.

The district also has announced a plan to provide meals to students at seven designated sites, beginning on March 23. The food will be offered on a drive-thru basis at specific sites. The pre-packaged meals are for children under 18 years old and will include lunch as well as breakfast for the next day. Information about the program can be obtained by going to the school district’s website, Pasco.k12.fl.us, and click on the coronavirus information link.

Impacts also are being felt by colleges.

Schools within the state’s university system were instructed to make plans to transition to remote instruction as soon as possible.

Saint Leo University suspended classes for its university campus students, in St. Leo, from March 16 to March 20, to allow its faculty to prepare to deliver all classes online beginning March 23, according to a university news release.

All residential students are being asked to return to their permanent residence following spring break, rather than returning to campus and to remain at home during this period of online instruction.

The university also has suspended all fall and winter sports, indefinitely. And, is canceling all large, group events.

The virus is affecting churches, too.

Concerns about potential spread of the virus also prompted the Diocese of St. Petersburg to take these steps, effective March 12, until further notice:

  • End the distribution of communal wine from a common cup
  • Remove Holy Water fonts, including the baptismal font
  • Avoid physical contact, including during the Sign of Peace

Bishop Gregory Parkes also granted dispensation from Sunday Mass in the Saint Petersburg Diocese through the end of March, to those wishing to avoid large gatherings.

Prevent the spread
To help prevent the spread of COVID-19:

  • Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily.

Source: Florida Department of Health

For the latest updates on COVID-19, visit:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/COVID-19/

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Published March 18, 2020

Therapy dog helps address mental illness

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The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has added a therapy dog to expand its efforts to better serve the needs of people facing significant mental health and substance abuse issues.

The therapy dog is the newest member of a Behavioral Health Intervention Team (BHIT) the law enforcement agency established last year.

The team’s primary task is to keep tabs on individuals who have been held involuntarily in a mental health treatment facility for up to 72 hours, through a state law known as the Baker Act.

Pasco Sheriff’s Office Det. Pedro Leos with new animal assisted therapy dog K9 Charlie. Charlie will be used with the agency’s Behavioral Health Intervention Team to provide a calming presence to those that may be experiencing a mental health crisis. (Courtesy of Pasco Sheriff’s Office)

They focus on approximately 500 people who are Baker Act repeats — through a proactive approach that includes frequent visitations, welfare checks, expedited behavioral health resources and criminal justice diversion programs.

Now, K9 Charlie, a 1-year-old pitbull-mix, has joined the team, to aid and comfort those who are struggling.

Charlie came to the local law enforcement agency by way of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office’s Paws and Stripes program.

That program trains dogs from local animal shelters, preparing them to become PTSD dogs,  therapy dogs, and child victim advocate dogs.

Charlie was rescued from the streets in October.

The new animal assisted therapy dog program strives to better “build a connection” between law enforcement and the mental health community, said Cpt. Toni Roach, who oversees the 15-member BHIT, which includes a captain, two sergeants and 12 detectives.

Charlie helps “to comfort and ease some anxiety and build that stress relief,” when the sheriff’s office comes knocking on the door for visitations and welfare checks, Roach explained.

“Law enforcement and people with mental illness, there’s that stigma that we’re there to take them into custody or arrest them for a crime,” Roach said.

But, Charlie’s calming presence for someone facing a mental health crisis could break the ice, Roach said. And, that can help to open lines of communications, so responders can get to the root of problems and identify ways to resolve them.

The Pasco Sheriff’s Office Behavioral Health Intervention Team (BHIT) recently added animal assisted therapy dog Charlie to the team. Charlie is partnered with BHIT Det. Pedro Leos, and aims to provide a calming presence for those that may be experiencing a mental health crisis.

An individual struggling with addiction may be referred to outpatient substance abuse treatment, for instance. Or, someone undergoing financial struggles may be referred to Pasco County Human Services and the county’s homeless coalition.

Roach said the idea is to help bridge the gap for services and shorten the time it takes to receive them.

A therapy dog can help in that process, she said.

Charlie’s handler, Det. Pedro Leos, agrees.

Leos said the therapy dog was needed to “better help me make contact with those people in need, break down those barriers between law enforcement and the community, and open up conversation.”

Leos has been with the sheriff’s office in 2014. He said he joined the BHIT “because there’s a stigma with mental illness and I want to break that cycle.

“I want to be there to help people in need, and give them the resources they need to have a better quality of life in order to continue on with their daily activities,” the detective said.

When approached a few months ago to become a therapy dog handler, Leos, who loves pets, said he “was all for it.”

Leos noted there was an immediate connection between him and Charlie during the eight-week Paws and Stripes training program.

“When I met him, I absolutely loved him,” Leos said. “It was like we clicked. He listened to me. We started doing obedience training, and he was awesome. It was just one of those things where we both bonded very quickly.”

The detective said every time he puts on his uniform — a black polo and green spruce pants — Charlie knows it’s time to go to work “and help people in the community.”

Though still a young canine, Charlie has already settled into his role, Leos said.

The detective described Charlie’s demeanor this way: “He’s awesome with kids, awesome with people, awesome with the community. He loves hugs and he loves kisses. He loves to make people happy, and he knows that’s his main goal, to make people happy. He understands it, and he’s out there doing what he needs to do, to help fulfill this desire to help people in need.”

The sheriff’s office plans to add additional therapy dogs at some point, so that at least one can be available seven days a week, officials say.

Published March 11, 2020

Simulation teaches a real-life history lesson

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Second-graders at McKitrick Elementary School had a chance to gain a greater understanding of what life was like for immigrants arriving at Ellis Island during the early 1900s.

The school, at 5503 Lutz Lake Fern Road, created an event that allowed children the chance to walk through the paces that immigrants faced when they arrived in America.

Volunteer Deanna Okun, left, administers a medical exam inside the Medical Detainment room, to student Jyles Morales. Students were asked such questions as, ‘Have you been sick lately? And, ‘Do you have any allergies?’ The exam and questions asked were the same ones used at Ellis Island in the early 1900s. (Christine Holtzman)

The Feb. 27 simulation involved 180 second-graders and 68 volunteers, many dressed in period clothing.

Bilingual volunteers spoke to the students in Turkish, Russian, Greek and Arabic, to show students how it would feel to arrive in a new country without knowing its language.

Students prepared for the experience by taking virtual trips to Ellis Island, where they listened to audio recordings of interviews from people who actually came through Ellis Island.

They also had a chance to video chat with a museum curator, via Skype.

To prepare for their trip, students were asked to construct a cardboard suitcase and use it to hold five prized possessions, such as family photos, a favorite book or other treasured items.

Each student remained in character as they completed the activity, which took two hours to three hours to complete. They carried out the steps that were taken by actual immigrants: They waited in long lines for customs, upon departure and arrival. They were crammed into a boat. They were sprayed with ocean mist and doused with water, to simulate delousing measures taken when immigrants arrived.

They provided fingerprints at the registry, were subjected to searches at baggage claim, and forced to undergo medical and psychological exams.

After arriving by boat, students are seen standing in the long line at the customs area of McKitrick Elementary School’s Ellis Island. The students had the chance to find out what it may have felt like for immigrants who experienced long waits just to gain entry into Ellis Island. From left: Wyatt Montgomery, Zion Karp, Eric Vargas and Ben Friedman.

They also participated in interviews and had to pass a citizenship test.

And, they faced real dilemmas, such as being separated from family members or having to pawn their possessions for money.

After each group finished, they were sworn in as American citizens — by a judge, portrayed by McKitrick Principal Allison Cline.

The event, now in its third year, is the brainchild of former second grade teacher Liisa DiTarando, who is now the school’s Social & Emotional Learning Resource teacher.

It takes about three months to organize the annual production.

In addition to great content, the activity teaches kids critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which allows them to rise to the occasion, DiTarando said.

Every year, she said, she receives emails from parents that tell her how their child could relate a connection in their own lives to the content that was taught in this program. Parents also share that it has given their child the ability to empathize with what their relatives may have gone through.

Published March 4, 2020

Volunteer Carine Pyree, left, administers a simulated medical exam to student Olivia Ebel. Using actual examples from Ellis Island, Pyree asked Ebel to walk in a circle with her eyes closed.
After waiting in a long line, second-grade students Gabriel Gonzalez, left, and Rosie Vona, arrive to the customs area, at McKitrick Elementary School’s simulated Ellis Island. The pair, along with all the other arrivals, had to present proper documents before being permitted inside the registry office.
Second-grade student Giulia Longo, left, comes to collect the baby (a doll) that is under her care, that was found unattended inside the Citizenship and Testing room, by Gary Camacho, the McKitrick Elementary School’s security officer. Longo played a young girl whose uncle forced her to come to America, so she could care for his child, because his wife died. The woman behind this event, Liisa DiTarando, is on the right.

Saint Leo University to lease 176-unit apartment complex

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Since welcoming its largest incoming class ever last fall — and anticipating continued growth —Saint Leo University will lease the Sweetwater apartment complex in Dade City, to serve as residential housing for upperclassman and graduate level students.

In August, Saint Leo will begin leasing all 176 units on the property owned by Beachwold Residential LLC, which sits about 2 miles northeast of the main university campus along State Road 52. The planned agreement was first reported by Bay News 9.

Facing growing enrollment, Saint Leo University this fall will begin leasing the nearby 176-unit Sweetwater apartment complex in Dade City. Leases will not be renewed for Sweetwater’s non-student residents. (Kevin Weiss)

The university’s decision means that residents living at the property now — except for Saint Leo students — will need to move, and that has sparked criticism of the university by some of the current tenants.

When Saint Leo takes over, Sweetwater will become more than just run-of-the mill residence halls.

In an interview with The Laker/Lutz News, Saint Leo vice president of student affairs Dr. Jen Shaw said the property will be transformed into a “career-focused learning community,” whereby its clubhouse/community center will regularly host job fairs, workshops, alumni panels and so on. In addition to hosting employers to recruit Saint Leo students, workshops will have themes on job interviewing skills, salary negotiation, social media branding and more.

Shaw added that Saint Leo student activities staff will organize events at Sweetwater so students there “feel like they’re getting the same residential experience as students (on campus).”

Saint Leo will make a number of upgrades to the property, such as installing more security cameras, 24/7 security, card-only gate access, daily bus shuttles to campus, new, fully furnished living quarters and more.

“It’s a real neat, living, learning experience for students. We’re excited about it,” Shaw said.

The decision to lease the property comes as Saint Leo enters a student housing crunch.

The university this past fall welcomed its largest incoming group of students in the university’s 130-year history (1,001 new students). The school now has about 2,100 students on campus, plus more than 700 faculty and staff.

The record-breaking incoming class filled all of the university’s available on-campus housing this year, Shaw said. Since then, officials have scrambled to find more housing opportunities for students, looking at nearby hotels and other properties. She noted it takes about two years to build new on-campus residence halls, something she said the university plans to move forward with this summer.

After vetting several other housing options for the near-term, Shaw said leasing Sweetwater was “the best one for our students.”

“We can keep them safe and engaged, and it’s super close-by,” she said.

Sweetwater residents forced to move
As a result of Saint Leo’s action, apartment management will not renew leases for non-student residents.

Sweetwater resident Kori Warriner received a notice in her door a few weeks ago that informed her of the impending arrangement.

Warriner said she hadn’t intended to renew her lease, but she said many of her friends who have lived at Sweetwater for a long time did not plan to move, and there are others who are just starting families with newborns on the way — including one that just moved into the complex less than two months ago.

Warriner described the entire situation as “really rotten and wrong” and added that “a huge injustice (is) being done.”

“I can deal with it, but all these other people are going to be really, really put out,” she said.

That’s how Blane and Bronwyn McCullough feel. They’ve lived at the apartment complex almost six years and planned to stay a couple more years until retirement.

Instead, they have to move when their lease ends in September.

Bronwyn called that “really heinously unfair.”

“Everybody feels like the rug has been pulled out from under them,” she said. “I’m more disappointed than anything.”

Bronwyn said there’s a lack of available housing in Dade City, where her husband Blane works and where her mother is on home hospice care.

“Are we supposed to move to Wesley Chapel, New Tampa?,” Bronwyn questioned. “We’re Dade City people. There’s no other places in Dade City for us to rent from.”

Sweetwater residents question why Saint Leo had to take on such an influx of students, knowing it didn’t have sufficient available on-campus housing.

They suggest the university should have planned better — building additional student dorms before increasing enrollment.

Warriner put it like this: “They’ve got acres and acres and acres of land. They can wait two years (to enroll more students) for new dorms to be built. They do not need to kick a whole bunch of people out, with very little notice, that have lived (at Sweetwater) for years and planned to probably stay there forever.”

It’s a sentiment Saint Leo University sophomore Jalyssa Grajales sides with.

The student doesn’t live at Sweetwater, but thinks her university should have leased a portion of the Sweetwater complex to begin with, instead of the entire property.

Grajales said she feels bad for the families who live at the apartment complex, noting that’s their home and they don’t want to be “kicked out” to make room “for a bunch of students.”

Shaw said she understands Sweetwater residents’ frustration, but emphasized Saint Leo would not deny the opportunity to increase its enrollment like it has this year — which included a diverse population of different races, out-of-state and international students, first generation college students and so on.

“As an institution of higher learning and in the Benedictine tradition, we want to educate everybody that we can educate,” Shaw said.

She also observed: “I don’t know if we’d ever not grow if we had the opportunity to grow.”

The university official also said the leasing arrangement makes sense from a financial standpoint, pointing out some of Saint Leo’s values are “just to be fiscally responsible and just be smart about our students’ time and their safety.”

Shaw also said that Saint Leo’s growth has a positive impact on the area, as students commit to “hundreds of thousands of hours” of community service. There’s a lot of community people that come and benefit from our campus,” she said.

The university also has asked a Realtor it works with to assist Sweetwater residents to find new apartments or homes to rent in the area. Sweetwater’s community manager also has begun to assist with housing opportunities in Zephyrhills and along State Road 54, Shaw said.

Published February 26, 2020

Edward Scissorhands’ screening coming soon

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If you’re a local and a fan of the movie, “Edward Scissorhands,” you may already know that much of the movie was filmed in the Carpenters Run neighborhood of Lutz.

Of course, Carpenters Run no longer boasts the bright pastel-colored homes or topiaries featured in the film, but Kenny Caperton, of On Set Cinema, plans to bring elements of the movie to life in a special event planned for the evening of April 25.

Caperton, who created On Set Cinema, describes himself as a “cinema dork.”

Kenny Caperton stands in front of his home in Hillsborough, North Carolina. The house is a life-size replica of the house used in the movie, ‘Halloween.’ He’s the guy in the T-shirt and the other guy is a friend of his who dressed up as Michael Myers, the star of ‘Halloween.’ (Courtesy of Kenny Caperton)

He’s been visiting filming locations for about 20 years, and a couple of years ago, he said: “I got this fun, crazy idea: Wouldn’t it be cool to show movies where they were actually filmed?“

He knows that’s not an original idea, but he said, “as far as I know, there’s never been a film series that exclusively does this.”

So, over the past two years, he’s arranged a couple of dozen screening events at filming locations for movies.

“I’ve had the opportunity to do some absolutely incredible screenings,” Caperton said, noting he’s had events for “The Shining,” “Halloween,” “Beetlejuice” and others.

To hold a screening, Caperton must secure rights to screen the film, make arrangements with the property owners and organize the event.

Most of the movies he’s screened are from the horror genre, and they attract fans from all over, he said.

“I’m used to getting a lot of out-of-towners and not so many locals.

“I do about one a month, and I do them in different states.”

“I did “Twilight” in Oregon, and I had people that came from five different countries,” he said.

“The Shining — that one made national news,” he added.

Some screenings take on a life of their own, he said.

For instance, at the screening of the remake of “The Blob,” in Abbeville, Louisiana, people approached him and said, “Oh, I have pieces of the Blob.”

“When that movie came in there and they filmed, it was very big deal for that town, and it did a lot for that town,” Caperton explained.

“People brought out pieces of the actual Blob. They gave me pieces,” he said.

The movie, “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” had some incredible scenes shot at a department store, he said.

A guy at the department store went up in the attic and unearthed some big signs that had been used in the movie.

The signs hadn’t seen the light of day for 20 years but the guy put them back on the building, so the fans could enjoy them, Caperton said.

“Really cool stuff like that, happens,” said Caperton, who’s such a die-hard horror film lover that he lives in a house he had built that’s a life-size replica of Michael Myers’ house from “Halloween.”

Caperton, who lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina, is excited about the upcoming screening of “Edward Scissorhands.”

He loves the Tim Burton film that stars Johnny Depp, Dianne Wiest and Winona Ryder.

Caperton has long wanted to visit the house where scenes were filmed in Lutz, but just never made it into the area.

Now, that he’s secured permission to have a screening at the house, he plans to make the most of it.

This will be the first time that fans are officially sanctioned to visit the house, take an interior tour of the home and hang out in the backyard for a barbecue.

Other highlights will include a limited number of haircuts being done by a stylist in the backyard, and a walking tour of the neighborhood, where Caperton will describe scenes shot in those locations for the movie.

Caperton surmises the neighborhood must have been fairly new when the movie was filmed because that would explain how Burton “was able to get ahold of all of these houses and paint them.”

Tickets for the “Edward Scissorhands” event are $60, which includes neighborhood and home tours, as well as the screening.  There will be an additional charge for food and beverages from the barbecue.

Only 50 tickets will be sold, because of the size of the backyard.

He’s not expecting to rake in substantial revenue from the event.

“At the end of the day, I’ll probably just break even,” Caperton said.

That doesn’t bother him.

“It’s going to be really fun,” he said. “I love movies. I kind of create events that I would want to go to.”

“Edward Scissorhands” screening event at filming location in Lutz
When: April 25
What: Event includes neighborhood walking tour, interior tour of home, backyard barbecue, haircuts in the backyard and outdoor movie screening.
Cost: Tickets are $60 (only 50 will be sold); additional charges for food and drink from barbecue and haircuts.
To order tickets and for more specifics, visit https://www.myershousenc.com/.

Published February 19, 2020