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Tampa Premium Outlets wants a 90-foot sign

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Tampa Premium Outlets won approval from a development review panel for a wide-range of internal signage that will brand the retail complex.

But a 90-foot pylon sign beckoning to motorists as they whiz down Interstate 75 is one landmark the mall’s developers might have to redesign or do without.

Developers of Tampa Premium Outlets want to build a 90-foot sign near Interstate 75 to catch the attention of passing motorists. (Courtesy of FRCH Design Worldwide)
Developers of Tampa Premium Outlets want to build a 90-foot sign near Interstate 75 to catch the attention of passing motorists.
(Courtesy of FRCH Design Worldwide)

It is well above the county’s 30-foot height limit. And Pasco Assistant County Attorney David Goldstein said the sign also wouldn’t meet regulations of the Florida Department of Transportation and could affect Pasco’s share of highway funds.

“Our office is going to object,” he said.

Goldstein did, however, suggest that developers explore a compromise of a smaller, clock tower.

It is not clear if that type of structure would clear state department of transportation hurdles or fit in with Pasco’s new ordinance to encourage developers to create unified signage for their projects that enhances architectural styles and establishes a sense of place. The outlet mall’s application is an early test of the county’s new sign plan.

The Pasco County Commission will have the final word.

Visibility is a critical issue for the outlet mall, said John Dionis, senior director of development for New-Jersey-based Simon Property Group.

“We’re looking to have a national advertising marketing campaign to draw people to the center,” Dionos said. “We like to dovetail that with visibility, with branding so people know how to get to the center from the outside.”

As a regional mall, about 75 percent to 80 percent of customers are expected to come from outside the area, Dionos said.

It is too easy for motorists, especially those unfamiliar with I-75 and State Road 56, to zip past the off ramps funneling traffic toward the mall, he said.

Developers are in the process of seeking the state transportation department’s approval for identifying signs at highway ramps, but Dionos said, “I don’t think that solves it entirely.”

Interstate drivers would have about two seconds to read the signs, he said.

“They’ll forego the trip and say ‘well, maybe next time’, “ Dionis said. “They’ll get generally frustrated.”

Members of the review panel were sympathetic to the developer’s concerns but skeptical about the pylon sign’s appropriateness.

“The overall plan, with the exception of the pylon, is attractive and is something we can be proud of,” said Carol Clarke, Pasco’s zoning administrator.

Dionos described the sign as “tasteful” and mimicking the Florida cracker style of architecture throughout the outlet mall.

County Administrator Michele Baker said the county wants to help developers find a path to success. But she also said, “If you haven’t gotten the gist yet, Pasco does not like pylon signs, and we don’t like billboards.”

Published April 1, 2015

Fear, flight and faith

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Author relives escape from Iraq

For most people, Iraq is a faraway place on a glowing computer or television screen.

It’s a place where we send soldiers and spouses and sisters, and pray for their safe return. It’s somewhere we forget as our work, softball practice, income taxes or other things absorb our attention, until the next news report pulls us back to images of desert and tanks.

Jwan Al Brwe will never forget the death that surrounded her family's escape to the United States. But now she focuses on life, including dancing the Argentine tango and documenting it in her art. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Jwan Al Brwe will never forget the death that surrounded her family’s escape to the United States. But now she focuses on life, including dancing the Argentine tango and documenting it in her art.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

For Jwan Al Brwe, Iraq isn’t a foreign country. It’s not just a trending topic on political talk shows. It is a place she once called home.

“In my country, there’s a lot of beautiful, simple stuff in life,” said Al Brwe, who now lives in Land O’ Lakes with her sister.

She recalls simple pleasures she enjoyed while growing up in Duhok, a town in Northern Iraq.

She recalls the warm bread, right from the oven, that her father brought them before the children left for school, and the fresh milk delivered daily to their doorstep by a farmer.

She has haunting memories, too: The threats of bombing and poisonous gas. Fleeing through the mountains on a dangerous trek to Turkey to escape. Seeing people starving and dying as they awaited permission to cross the border.

When they reached the border, Al Brwe recalls being rejected and forced to return to the family’s decimated town. She also recalls being jailed in Greece, after another desperate attempt to escape.

Then, after years of hoping, planning and praying, she remembers finally arriving in the United States.

Her memories are documented in her book, “Hope to the Last Breath: Flowers Among the Thorns in the Land Between Two Rivers,” released in December by CHB Media.

Besides conveying what happened in Iraq, she wants to bring attention to what’s happening there now.

Leaving Home
Al Brwe, now 32, and her family suffered in Northern Iraq as a result of war, but it’s not the one we’ve seen play out over the past dozen years.

Before that war and before Operation Desert Shield, Iraq and Iran were at war throughout most of the 1980s. Border conflicts were common and each side suffered hundreds of thousands of casualties.

After that war ended, the people in Northern Iraq faced more conflict — not from Iran, but from their own government. That part of the country is dominated by Kurds (an ethnic group found in several countries in the region) and was under constant oppression by the Iraqi regime led by Saddam Hussein.

The Kurds wanted self-rule. Hussein responded with genocide, by way of ground invasions, aerial assaults and chemical attacks.

When politicians in the United States criticized Hussein for “using chemical weapons against his own people,” they were referring to the region where Al Brwe and her family lived.

A particularly brutal attack occurred in the town of Halabja, a 90-minute drive from Al Brwe’s Duhok. When their town was rumored to be next, they knew it was time to leave.

Al Brwe and her family, as well as her uncle’s family, fled to the mountains. The group of 16 was among a million people clamoring to find safety.

They spent several days crossing the mountains to reach the Turkish border, where they begged for admittance. They stayed there for more than a month, suffering while awaiting an answer.

“We were melting snow to stay hydrated,” Al Brwe recalled.

They were forced to burn money to fuel the fire, and her father rooted around in the ground, seeking anything he could find they could eat.

Thousands died, many of them children and infants, and they were buried beneath piles of dirt because there were no tools to prepare a proper grave.

Al Brwe was 9. She was starving and dehydrated, and her hair began to fall out.

“When you’re young, when you live that kind of life, you’re not young anymore,” she said. “You think like an adult. That’s the sad part. They steal your childhood away.”

There are other painful chapters in her story, including being rejected by Turkey and returned in trucks to Duhok, which had been attacked. Aside from their beds, little remained of their home.

They stayed there for years, until they could save enough money for visas before trying to escape again.

As Al Brwe’s family lived through this period in Iraq, they technically weren’t part of the conflict.

Al Brwe is not a Kurd and her family is not Muslim, the dominant Kurd faith. Her family members are Chaldean Christians, affiliated with the Catholic Church.

But bombs don’t differentiate between religions, so the danger was as real for them as for anyone else.

“My faith was shaken,” Al Brwe said. “I’m like ‘God if you’re watching, how are you letting all these people die?’ You stop believing.”

She was angry at Turkey for rejecting them, angry with the Iraqi government for persecuting them and angry with the world community for ignoring them, even though it knew what was happening, she said.

“We felt abandoned,” she said.

A faith restored
Over time — through hard work, time and introspection — her faith became a source of strength again. And that renewed faith would help her through another trying time in her young life.

With temporary visas in hand, her family made it into Turkey this time.

They planned to escape by hiding on meat trucks, en route to Greece, but were caught and jailed. Al Brwe was 15.

But a change in the law during their incarceration allowed refugee families to stay. The family eventually reached the United States and was joined by her uncle’s family later.

Even that happiness was tempered by loss.

Within a year, her father, David, passed away from lung cancer.

It is no coincidence, Al Brwe believes, that her father held on until his family had settled into their new country.

“When you carry so much burden in your life, and you know that your children are safe, then you can let go,” she said.

While “Hope to the Last Breath” tells a story of horrific suffering, Al Brwe wants it to have a positive effect on its readers.

“Americans have this beautiful love that you guys give,” said Al Brwe, who became a citizen in 2005. “When you’re surrounded by kind people, it heals you. I got healed slowly. It took years.”

Besides describing incidents of the past, the book serves to remind people of the new threat facing the people of Iraq.

The Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, is terrorizing the region, she said.

“Today, everything that happened to me — it’s similar, but a different situation — is happening today, and the world is still not looking at them,” she said.

While Al Brwe is free now to pursue her passions, including art and dance, she continues to pray for her own healing, for the safety of her family in Iraq and for the world to take note of her people’s suffering.

She also gives thanks for being given the strength that has carried her through dark times.

Al Brwe hopes that her family’s fight for survival in Iraq decades ago, and their ultimate freedom, will help to encourage others who are facing struggles and challenges.

“Never stop hoping, no matter what you’re doing in life,” she said. “We can change the world by being kind. Kindness is contagious.”

“Hope to the Last Breath” is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, as well as in e-book format for Kindle. For more information, contact Al Brwe at .

Published March 25, 2015

Striking up some winning ways

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Donna Fernandez played soccer until she was forced to give it up because she had asthma.

She wasn’t too disappointed.

“I wasn’t very good at it anyway,” the 14-year-old said.

Her mother, Andrea Elbrecht, wanted her daughter to find a sport in which she could excel and have fun.

From left, Donna Fernandez, 14, of Land O’ Lakes; Jacob Kostoff, 15, of Trinity; Coach Lucy Sandelin; Alec Ballard, 16, of Land O' Lakes; and Chandler Carr, 14, of Lutz will compete in an upcoming state tournament. Fernandez and Kostoff also will compete in the Jr. Gold Championship this summer in Chicago. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
From left, Donna Fernandez, 14, of Land O’ Lakes; Jacob Kostoff, 15, of Trinity;
Coach Lucy Sandelin; Alec Ballard, 16, of Land O’ Lakes; and Chandler Carr, 14, of Lutz will compete in an upcoming state tournament. Fernandez and Kostoff also will compete in the Jr. Gold Championship this summer in Chicago.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

She had no idea that would turn out to be bowling.

“I didn’t know the first thing about bowling,” said Elbrecht, who lives in Land O’ Lakes.

Chance — and a friend’s birthday party at a bowling alley — settled the matter. Fernandez found her niche.

The teenager has had the highest average score in Hillsborough County in her age group for the past two years.

She currently is topping her own previous records with an average 180 points a game.

She and 15-year-old Jacob Kostoff, who lives in Trinity, will test their skills against hundreds of bowlers this summer, when they head to Chicago to compete at the national Jr. Gold Championship.

Kostoff eased into bowling naturally by watching his father play in a local league.

He rolled his first ball toward the tenpins when he was just 8. The ball was so heavy, he lifted it with two hands. Seven years later, he is a rarity, a left-handed bowler with a two-handed bowling style.

Fernandez and Kostoff competed in a tournament in DeLand to secure their tournament spots.

Their coach is Lucy Sandelin, a Hall of Fame bowler who is a two-time winner of the United States Bowling Congress Senior Queens title. She hopes to win a third title this year. Sandelin also is a former member of Team USA. She coaches with World Cup Bowling Academy, based in Tampa.

Practice sessions in coming weeks will focus on gaining real-time experience in bowling on lanes with different oil patterns.

Bowling alleys have “lane machines” that put down varying amounts of oil over parts of the width and length of each lane.

Sandelin is focusing on five of 24 recognized patterns, each named after a city that has hosted the Olympics. The patterns aren’t visible to the eye, but they make a huge difference in game strategies, she said.

Competitors in Chicago will learn a week before the tournament start what pattern will be applied to the lanes.

One of the most challenging patterns is the Los Angeles pattern, said Sandelin.

“It’s their (bowlers’) nemesis,” she said because it forces bowlers to roll their balls close to the gutters to avoid the heaviest amounts of oil.

Her students make detailed notes.

The notes offer explicit instructions: “It tells them ‘I stand here. I look here. I use this hand position. I use this ball speed,” Sandelin said.

Fernandez and Kostoff have very different styles.

“His two-handed style is phenomenal,” Sandelin said. “People look at him and go ‘wow.’”

His goal is to attend college on a bowling scholarship and then to turn pro.

He gave fleeting consideration to switching to a more standard one-handed bowling style, but decided to stick with his approach.

After all, Australian bowler Jason Belmonte is a two-handed bowler.

“Right now, he’s the best bowler in the world,” Kostoff said.

Fernandez is laid back and doesn’t give in to distractions or pressure.

“A lot of things don’t bother her,” Sandelin said. “That’s going to be to her advantage (in Chicago).”

Her calm demeanor may be disarming.

“She’s a fierce competitor,” Sandelin said.

Both youths play in three bowling leagues and practice three to four days a week at bowling alleys in Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

On a recent Thursday night, they were at Royal Lanes in Lutz, along with 14-year-old Lutz resident Chandler Carr and Land O’ Lakes resident 16-year-old Alec Ballard.

The foursome will compete later this year in a state tournament.

Carr, who has been playing baseball since he was 4, is relatively new to bowling. He just started last year.

“Now all he wants to do is bowl, bowl, bowl,” said his mother, Suzin Carr. “He finally found something he really likes. It is something you can do as an individual. You are part of a team, but you also enjoy it as an individual sport.”

He’s gone from 43 points a game to a high of 265. “He’d do it every day of the week, if I let him,” she said.

When bowling, teammates often high-five each other.

“They want to win, but they are also supportive of one another,” Carr said.

Sandelin, 58, started bowling at age 6.

Bowling is a sport open to everyone, she said.

“A lot of these kids don’t have other sports they can play,” she said. “They have asthma. They can’t run. But in bowling, you don’t have to be tall or strong. You need eye and hand coordination.”

Bowling offers so many life lessons to students, Elbrecht said. That’s why she is disappointed that public schools in Pasco and Hillsborough – with one exception – don’t offer it in school athletics.

In Hillsborough County, Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate Charter School is the only public school with a bowling team, according to the school’s website. Boys and girls compete on a coed team.

Schools are missing out on opportunities to include more students in athletics and also in giving students a chance at winning scholarships, Elbrecht said.

Through its SMART (Scholarship Management and Accounting Reports for Tenpins) program, the United States Bowling Congress helps student bowlers secure scholarship money for college.

Students can earn scholarship dollars based on the number of pins they knock down, Elbrecht said. “It’s a fantastic sport. I’ve known a lot of kids who funded their college educations.”

Her daughter has her scholarship money waiting in a USBC account and hopes to attend college on full scholarship. Long-range, she wants a career in the medical field.

But bowling will be a lifelong passion.

“You can control what you do,” Fernandez said. “You can sort of show off in an independent game, and you can improve.”

And, she likes her chances in Chicago.

“I have a mental game. That’s what most bowlers don’t have,” Fernandez said.

Sandelin’s advice to her students is this: “Enjoy the journey … Make friends. Enjoy the process.”

Published March 18, 2015

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel plans big expansion

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It’s not even three years old, and the Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is already planning a significant expansion that will increase the number of patient rooms, operating rooms and emergency rooms.

Hospital officials announced the expansion in a news release on March 6.

The $78 million project, expected to begin construction this year, is responding to a demonstrated need.

This rendering shows what Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel will look like after its $78 million expansion is completed. (Courtesy of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel)
This rendering shows what Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel will look like after its $78 million expansion is completed.
(Courtesy of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel)

“Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel was originally designed with the ability to grow with the needs of the community,” Dr. Robert Rosequist, chief medical officer of the hospital, said in a release.

“Since opening less than three years ago, the hospital has experienced extremely high volumes of patients seeking care,” he added.

The 200,000-square-foot hospital opened on Oct. 1, 2012.

At that time, it had 83 patient rooms, 18 emergency rooms, a catheterization lab and five operating rooms. It cost $161 million to acquire the land, and build the hospital and adjacent medical office building, according to hospital officials.

Denyse Bales-Chubb, president and CEO of the hospital, said “the community has overwhelmingly shown us both the need for the hospital, and their confidence and appreciation for the high quality care our staff delivers every day.”

“We are so blessed by their faith in us,” she said. The hospital knows it needs to grow “to meet both the current demands and future growth of the community,” Bales-Chubb added, in a release.

The expansion calls for three additional floors to the hospital’s center wing and an additional three-story wing that will connect the south and center wings.

Altogether, it involves 111,993 square feet of new construction and 10,834 square feet of renovation.

The expansion includes added additional emergency rooms, inpatient rooms, surgical suites and related surgical services, Heart Catheterization Lab, and recovery/observation rooms as well as shelled space for future growth.

Construction is expected to begin this summer, with the expansion opening at the end of 2016. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Aug. 5 at 10 a.m.

Maintaining the care and comfort of its patients during the construction is the hospital’s top priority, Tracy Clouser, marketing director said, via email.

It expects to be able to do that because the hospital was built with expansion in mind, Clouser said, noting the patient care areas have a sound muffling system to help reduce disturbance from noise, and there are no air handlers on the roof, to make expansion easier and less intrusive.

Since opening, the hospital has continued to add new programs and services, Clouser added.

“The addition will allow us more opportunities to do that. One example of this is in surgery. With additional operating rooms, we will be able to add additional physicians and expand the types of surgery we can perform,” she said.

Additionally, “the renovation will include moving the caesarean section operating room to the third floor, expanding areas like pre-admission testing, waiting rooms and sterile supply. It will also include an expansion of our central energy plant to support the larger facility,” Clouser said.

Services at the hospital include an emergency department, cardiac care, vascular surgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, women’s services and gynecology, obstetrics, urology and nephrology, outpatient imaging, outpatient physical and occupational therapy, The Center for Women’s Health and a freestanding Health & Wellness Center.

The hospital’s Wellness Plaza also houses offices for primary care and specialty physicians.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is part of the Adventist Health System, a leading nonprofit health network that has 23 hospitals throughout the state.

For more information, visit FHWesleyChapel.org.

Ice rink skates into Pasco County

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The traditional gear of hard hats and shovels gave way to hockey sticks and the whack of slap shots at the groundbreaking ceremony for the largest ice and sports complex in the southeastern United States.

The 150,000-square-foot sports facility in Wesley Chapel is expected to become a major tourism draw.

Roughly 100 people attended the Feb. 24 groundbreaking festivities to celebrate the $20 million project.

Molly Flanagan, 14, sets up her slap shot at the groundbreaking ceremony for the largest ice and sports complex in the southeastern United States. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Molly Flanagan, 14, sets up her slap shot at the groundbreaking ceremony for the largest ice and sports complex in the southeastern United States.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

The facility is expected to be popular with youth hockey leagues and to attract international hockey tournaments. But other sports including figure skating, basketball, soccer, lacrosse and even curling will be possible in a chameleon-like facility that can accommodate a variety of playing fields and sports.

It’s a dream come true for Canadian-born Gordie Zimmermann, managing partner of Z Mitch LLC and former general manager at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon. He and business partner George Mitchell are the project’s developers.

“I really love hockey,” Zimmermann said. “We saw a lack of ice in the area. Kids can’t practice enough.”

The as-yet unnamed facility will open in fall 2015 at 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., off Interstate 75 at the State Road 56 interchange in Wesley Chapel.

It will have four full-size rinks including one Olympic-size hockey rink. There also will be a removable ice rink pad that can be converted for multiple uses including non-sports activities such as dog shows and graduation ceremonies.

Florida Hospital officials announced a 10-year partnership with the ice and sports complex. The hospital, which purchased naming rights for the complex, will provide educational programs on sports performance and injury prevention.

Zimmermann and the hospital are sponsoring a contest to name the ice and sports complex. Suggestions can be made through March 10 at WesleyChapelIceCenter.com.

Molly Flanagan, 14, and her sister, Abby Flanagan, 11, can’t wait for the new ice rink to open. They play for the Lady Vipers hockey team and practice at a rink in Oldsmar.

“It’s good to be able to be close to an ice rink,” said Molly. “It’s going to be a good facility.”

And, she can hone skills that might one day land her a spot on the U.S. Olympics women’s hockey team. “It would be a dream come true,” she said.

Abby Flanagan revels in the physical nature of the game and breaking down stereotypes. “It’s doing what people say we (girls) can’t do,” she said. “They think it’s a man’s sport. I like showing we girls can do what a man does.”

The sisters have received instruction from Anne Schleper, a silver medalist on the U.S. women’s hockey team in 2014. Schleper, 25, is preparing for world championships next month in Sweden.

The complex could become an optional training site for athletes of all ages and all levels of play, potentially from all over the country, Schleper said.

“It’s going to be a great facility for us to use,” she said.

She grew up in Minnesota but lives now in Pasco County. To some a warm weather state might seem an unlikely choice for ice hockey training, but Schleper said, “The hockey fan base is huge here. They are dedicated fans.”

The Tampa Bay Lightning organization plans to use the facility for some of its “on ice” programs including clinics and camps for youth and young adults.

“We look forward to working with the ice complex in growing the game of hockey across the Tampa Bay region,” said Jay Feaster, executive director of the Lightning’s community hockey development.

Jeff Novotny, immediate past president of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, has a personal reason to welcome the arrival of the ice and sports complex. His 13-year-old daughter, Madison, plays for the Lady Vipers.

Recently, a hockey tournament in Tampa drew 66 teams that had to play at four different locations. Almost 40 percent were from outside the Tampa Bay area, and Novotny said some teams had to stay at hotels at great distances from the game sites.

The complex will allow consolidation of locations and where people stay, giving Pasco County’s economy a boost, he said. “They need hotels and restaurants,” he added. “People have to fill up with gas and find things to do at night for entertainment. It’s a dream engine for giving people something to do. It’s all related to the economy.”

Published March 4, 2015

Carville’s remarks at Saint Leo are provocative, snappy

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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is almost certain to be the Democratic nominee for president in 2016, according to political strategist James Carville.

Her chances of winning are “no worse than 50-50,” said Carville who was keynote speaker on the opening day of the sixth annual International Business Conference at Saint Leo University. This year’s conference theme was “Best Practices in Global Organizations.”

James Carville talks about the presidential contenders for 2016. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
James Carville talks about the presidential contenders for 2016.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

Before an audience of about 200 people, Carville entertained with funny anecdotes and blunt remarks on the dysfunctions of national politics.

The ‘ragin Cajun,” as he is sometimes called, was the Democratic strategist who led Bill Clinton’s successful presidential campaign in 1992, popularizing the slogan – “It’s the economy, stupid.” Clinton defeated incumbent President George H.W. Bush who, months before the election and in the aftermath of the first Gulf War, enjoyed more than 91 percent popularity in polls.

“I think (Hillary) has a good chance,” he said. “But running for president is enormously difficult.”

She will have to show how she is “substantively and stylistically” different from President Obama. “Whatever you may think of Obama, people are kind of looking for something different. They always are,” Carville said.

And the Republican candidate will be?

“I give (Chris) Christie no chance,” he said. “I give Jeb (Bush) less of a chance than most handicappers…and Ted Cruz a little more of a chance.”

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney recently backed away from a third presidential run. But Romney is waiting and watching, Carville said.

“I think Mitt is doing his knitting on the sideline. If anybody is looking for Jeb Bush to lose in New Hampshire, he is.”

Carville tagged Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker as a must-win candidate in Iowa, or he will be out of the race. But like Romney, he also is counting on a Bush loss in New Hampshire’s primary.

Carville was a counterpoint to conservative pundit Tucker Carlson, who was last year’s keynote speaker at the business conference.

“It’s great for students,” said Frank Orlando, political science instructor at the university. “I want kids to pay attention to different issues. It’s important to know them.”

Emily Mincey, 21, a junior majoring in history, is focused on a career as a political strategist.

“Politics is where I want to go,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to know what was going on. I want to look for candidates who are smart. We can’t function without good politicians.”

Mincey said she doesn’t agree with Carville on every issue, but he is an example of how to be successful in politics.

Dade City resident Lex Smith also doesn’t always agree with Carville. But he said, “I always respect his opinions. I always enjoy hearing what he has to say.”

Carville’s remarks were provocative and snappy.

The country is divided, he said, with Democrats clustered in cities and Republicans in rural communities. A check of the election map in Pennsylvania in 2012 is a stark picture of the political landscape, he said.

President Obama carried the state by 5 percent of the total vote. But within 18 Congressional districts, he carried only five. It is an example of why Democrats are better positioned to win presidential elections and Republicans Congressional elections.

“Because of clusters, we don’t interact in the way we used to do,” Carville said. “Everyone is comfortable with their own coalition.”

Florida will be ground zero for Republicans in the presidential election because the state has 29 of the 270 electoral votes needed to capture the White House. “If you win Florida, you bust the numbers,” he said. “You cannot draw a map that Republicans can ever win the presidency without Florida.”

Democrats, however, can pursue strategies in swing states, such as New Hampshire, Virginia and Ohio, to create a path to win, he added.

Carville credited boxer Mike Tyson with inadvertently making the smartest comment ever about politics when Tyson said “Everybody’s got a plan until they get hit in the mouth.”

Anyone who runs for president will get hit in the mouth a lot, Carville said.

On Hillary Clinton, he said there is an understanding among Democrats that it is her turn to run for president. That is why Sen. Elizabeth Warren won’t get into the race, Carville said.

President Obama is a different kind of politician. “Most of them are in politics because they like people,” Carville said. “It’s kind of odd for someone to be in politics to not be as concerned with what people think about them as he does. It’s like being a banker and you don’t like money.”

In recent years Carville, 70, has taught political science at Tulane University in New Orleans and consulted for candidates in international elections. He is a friend of the Clintons, but said he has no plans to take on another national campaign. “I don’t want to be in centerfield with fly balls hitting me in the head,” he said.

Still, Carville said he went into politics knowing it was a contact sport.

“Didn’t nobody have more fun doing what he did than James Carville,” he said.

Published February 25, 2015

Meet Saint Leo’s new president: William J. Lennox, Jr.

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When Saint Leo University began the search for its next president, it knew it was looking for a star.

Instead, the search committee found three stars.

William J. “Bill” Lennox, Jr. addresses the audience at the Feb. 6 announcement of his selection as the next president of Saint Leo University. He'll start work later this summer. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)
William J. “Bill” Lennox, Jr. addresses the audience at the Feb. 6 announcement of his selection as the next president of Saint Leo University. He’ll start work later this summer.
(Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

William J. “Bill” Lennox, Jr., a retired United States Army three-star lieutenant general, has been named as the ninth president in the university’s history. He was introduced at a campus news conference on Feb. 6. He assumes his new post this summer.

“It feels great,” Lennox said about taking on his new job. “I think it’s an amazing institution.”

Lennox is familiar with Saint Leo University. He served on the school’s board of trustees for six years before deciding to take on the president’s role.

Lennox has been part of the selection process from its inception, but not always in the role of a candidate for the job.

As a member of the search committee, he had turned down consideration before they began exploring other options.

The search committee found very qualified candidates out of more than 100 applications, Lennox said, but when they couldn’t reach a consensus, he was asked to reconsider. This time he said yes.

While running a college is no easy task, Lennox comes to the job with plenty of experience. He previously served as Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point for five years, an institution where he also received his bachelor’s degree in 1971. As superintendent, he performed similar duties to a president at a civilian college. Lennox believes that experience will help him in his new challenge.

In fact, Lennox sees similarities between the famous military academy and Saint Leo.

“Both of them are very interested in education, but education with an intent in mind, and a values system that backs that intent,” he said. A strong focus on students and a supportive faculty are also characteristics of both institutions, he said.

While Lennox comes to Saint Leo with plenty of accolades, he also has some pretty big shoes to fill.

Outgoing president Dr. Arthur F. Kirk, Jr. is retiring at the end of the academic year after serving in that role since 1997.

Under Kirk’s leadership, the university has more than doubled its student body, more than doubled its degree programs, renovated many facilities and added new land and buildings to its campus.

Lennox steps into the role with admiration for his predecessor’s success.

“I’ve been very impressed with the work Art Kirk has done,” he said. “Art’s a tough guy to follow.”

While he’ll be spending the next few months becoming more familiar with the institution’s financials and other details, Lennox has already identified potential challenges he’ll face when he steps into his new position.

Saint Leo, which has been at the forefront of higher education online programs, is facing stronger competition as more schools increase their presence on the Internet, Lennox said. And, as an institution with a strong military presence with learning centers at various military bases and community colleges, government budget cutbacks will provide new challenges as they serve that market.

Lennox also knows that the university has overcome obstacles in its history, so he won’t have to face them alone. Lennox plans to tap into his staff’s talents to help find solutions together.

“The strength of St. Leo is a culture that the faculty and the staff have come up with some great solutions to those problems in the past, and I want to encourage that and take advantage of that,” Lennox said. “There are some real experts out there and I want to capitalize on their knowledge and their strength in these different areas, and see what we can do.”

Lennox, 65, is at an age when many people consider slowing down, and with three children and five grandchildren he could spend his days in leisure. But it’s not in his nature to be idle. His spouse of 43 years, Anne, is used to him taking on engaging work and putting in considerable energy to ensure his endeavors are successful.

And, he’s ready to continue Saint Leo’s successful path and meet its future challenges head-on.

“I’m going to quote Art,” Lennox said of the university’s retiring president. “He says ‘Our best years are in front of us.'”

Published February 18, 2015

Aiming to touch the sky at new skate park

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The first skateboarder to roll through the new Zephyrhills Skate Park earned his sweet ride.

Dalton King, 10, dropped his board’s wheels onto the concrete surface as dozens of skateboarders gathered to christen the city’s skate park, said Shane LeBlanc, public works director for the city of Zephyrhills.

Skateboard enthusiasts can hone their riding skills at every turn at the Zephyrhills Skate Park. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
Skateboard enthusiasts can hone their riding skills at every turn at the Zephyrhills Skate Park.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

A crowd of more than 400 people turned out for the grand opening on Jan. 31, according to city estimates.

“Due to all his fundraising efforts, we knew (Dalton) was going to be the first kid to skate at the park,” LeBlanc said.

King made the rounds of local car dealerships in search of donations to pay for the new skate park.

But, he also had a lot of help.

The $251,000 cost of constructing a modern, up-to-date skate park became a community effort that paid off.

It began when young skateboarders took a petition to the Zephyrhills City Council asking that the city replace an aging asphalt skate park that opened more than a decade ago at Krusen Field.

“It was deteriorating,” LeBlanc said.

Upgrading the existing one would take a lot of money.

Building a state-of-the art skate park seemed the better route, the public works director said, even though that alternative was pricey, too.

Private donations from individuals and businesses made the skate park a reality. The Tony Hawk Foundation also kicked in $7,500, and a private donor contributed $5,000, LeBlanc said.

Enough money came in that the skate park grew from a planned 7,500-square-foot facility to 9,000 square feet in size, said Tito Porrata of Team Pain, a company based in Winter Springs that designed the skate facility.

“It’s a perfect example of a small community park,” Porrata said.

Two community meetings were held to find out what everyone wanted from the skate park. The final design has two elements, a street course and a surfer-style bowl.

Skateboarders weren’t the only ones who weighed in on the plans.

And, the skateboarders who participated weren’t all young, either, Porrata said.

Most boarders are age 7 to 17, he said. But many 40-year-olds, or older, who grew up skateboarding still ride, he said.

Skateboarding took hold in the 1950s when California surfers slapped roller skate wheels to wood planks and invented “street” surfing. Skateboarding today is an action sport enjoyed by 10 million to 11 million people in the United States.

“Every year you get a fresh crop of skateboarders,” said Porrata. “It’s ever, ever growing.”

LeBlanc stopped by one afternoon soon after the ribbon-cutting and found about 50 people either skateboarding or watching on the sidelines.

City officials hope the skate park will have an economic benefit. “We want to hold amateur events,” LeBlanc said.

The city council plans to name the park after its longest-sitting council member, Clyde Bracknell, who retired in 2009. He learned of the honor shortly before opening day.

“I was thrilled. I’m very excited. It’s not something I ever expected,” Bracknell said. “It’s a gorgeous park, and it’s up to date.”

At Zephyrhills High School, Bracknell played on the basketball team that won the state championship in 1962. He also played baseball, ran a “little track”, and was a Special Olympics coach for about 25 years.

While on city council, he got behind a plea from young skateboarders to build the city’s original skate park.

But skateboarding isn’t a sport that he’s tried.

“I only watch it on TV,” Bracknell said.

His son did have a skateboard, Bracknell added.

“I stood on it one time,” he said.

Published February 11, 2015

 

Coach Kris Keppel exhibits grace to the end

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The impact that Joel “Kris” Kristan Keppel’s life had on those who knew him was exhibited in all sorts of ways last week in Land O’ Lakes.

Keppel, a revered cross-country coach at Land O’ Lakes High, lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on Jan. 25.

Coach Kris Keppel was known for motivating athletes to push for excellence, while also being a mentor to help them with other issues in life. (File Photo)
Coach Kris Keppel was known for motivating athletes to push for excellence, while also being a mentor to help them with other issues in life.
(File Photo)

Land O’Lakes High Principal Ric Mellin notified the school’s staff and students with this recorded message:

“It is with a heavy heart that I am calling this evening to inform everyone of the passing of Kris Keppel. I was informed that he passed at 4:32 p.m., this afternoon, while in hospice care.  Kris Keppel spent more than two decades as the coach of the Land O’ Lakes High cross-country team, as the school’s media specialist, and as a teacher.

“Mr. Keppel was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer over a year ago. Despite the exhausting treatments, he continued to be a member of our staff and attend as many cross-country practices and meets as he could up until his retirement this past fall. He is survived by daughters Meredith and Morgan, and wife Dar.”

Keppel’s coaching skills were widely known. He coached the boys’ cross-country team to Sunshine Athletic Conference championships in 1986, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014; and District and Regional championships in 2013.

He also was nominated and became a finalist in the Brooks Running Most Inspirational Coaches of the Year competition.

But Keppel’s influence went far beyond helping athletes reach their potential, students, who were coached by Keppel, said in videotapes recorded by the school district after Keppel’s death.

He was more than a coach, they said.

“He was a friend and a mentor,” said Maddie Toth, who ran for him. “You could go to him for anything — from boy trouble to grades.”

After a moment of silence to honor Keppel, which can now be viewed on a YouTube video, Assistant Principal Jeff Morganstein described a man who was “sort of a fixture in our building for over 20 years.”

Keppel was involved and he made a difference, Morganstein said. “These students really are his legacy.”

Members of the Land O’ Lakes cross-country team honored the coach by covering the school marquee with purple construction paper — symbolizing the continuing fight against pancreatic cancer.

They wrote messages on yellow ’Gators, representing the school’s mascot, and posted them on the marquee.

One simple message seemed to convey the collective mood: “I’m going to miss you,” it says.

Hundreds turned out to pay their respects to the coach at his funeral Jan. 31 at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, in Land O’ Lakes.

The Rev. Ron Aubin presided over the Mass, joined by other priests on the altar.

Aubin spoke of Keppel as a dedicated servant of the church, and as a man he’s known for 21 years.

At the conclusion of the funeral Mass, the Rev. Lynn Nichols — a friend and neighbor of the Keppel family­— delivered a eulogy.

He began at the beginning, describing the man who was born on June 6, 1961 in Indianapolis, Indiana as the youngest son of the Rev. John and Mildred Keppel.

He noted that Keppel was very close to his mother, who was a high school medial specialist — a career path that Keppel would also follow.

He told those gathered that Keppel met his wife, Darlene, on a blind date on Feb. 29, 1984 —forever changing his life.

They went on to have two daughters, Meredith and Morgan.

“Dar said he was a hands-on dad. He’d get up with them (the girls) in the morning and feed them, get them dressed and take them to school. They rode with him to school their entire lives,” Nichols said.

“He believed talk is cheap,” Nichols added.

When the Keppels were married, Darlene was Catholic and he was not. But he told the priest they would raise their children as Catholics and they did, and he later converted to the faith.

“His coaching was how he changed the world,” said Nichols, whose sons ran for Keppel.

“It was his ministry. He built a great team and a legacy at Land O’ Lakes. He used the discipline of cross-country — its training and perseverance and focus — to give direction and aid to kids.

“He went beyond coaching. He provided transportation, bought shoes, provided tutoring, counseled kids through difficult family times, helped them get into college, gave dating advice and shared his faith with them.

“He was also committed to his community,” Nichols added.

He was involved in Rotary and was the Interact sponsor at Land O’ Lakes High for more than a decade. He also took part in events helping Metropolitan Ministries, the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots and the American Cancer Society Relay For Life.

He was an active member of the LifeTeen Band for Our Lady of the Rosary Church for 15 years.

When Keppel asked Nichols to do his eulogy, he wrote a few words that he asked Nichols to share.

“When you find that cancer is a part of your life,” Keppel wrote, “you have the benefit of saying goodbye to friends and family members.

“You get to share special moments …”

“Kris knew he wouldn’t be here for many of Meredith and Morgan’s big days,” Nichols said. So, earlier in the year, he recorded two songs to be played at their weddings.

“One was the song he sung to Darlene at their wedding,” Nichols said.

Published February 4, 2015

 

New twist to holy wafer

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Our Lady of the Rosary offers low-gluten hosts

A pivotal moment during the celebration of the Catholic Mass occurs during communion, when believers come forward to receive the Body of Christ.

But some members of Our Lady of the Rosary were choosing to stay in their pews, because they have Celiac disease, which means they cannot ingest gluten, a protein found in wheat.

The Rev. Ron Aubin displays a silver ciborium and a gold ciborium. The silver one is used to hold the gluten-free communion hosts, and the gold one holds the traditional hosts. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
The Rev. Ron Aubin displays a silver ciborium and a gold ciborium. The silver one is used to hold the gluten-free communion hosts, and the gold one holds the traditional hosts.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

“There are different levels of intolerance to gluten and wheat products,” said the Rev. Ron Aubin, pastor at Our Lady of the Rosary Church at 2348 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes. “Apparently, some people react severely and can be quite sick. So, they bypass the host — receiving the Body of Christ.”

When one woman asked if there anything the church could do about it, the church decided to look into the issue.

Church doctrine requires there be at least a trace of gluten, in order to be considered valid matter for the Eucharist, according to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“So, we did a little research and we discovered there are low-gluten hosts,” Aubin said.

The church is now using low-gluten wafers made by the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, in Clyde, Missouri. The sisters have been baking communion hosts for generations and spent 10 years working to develop a low-gluten host.

The host the sisters produce contains .01 percent gluten.

Our Lady of the Rosary began serving the hosts about a month ago.

“What we did, was, we have reserved one small part of the church — a small section. We’re calling that our low-gluten section,” Aubin said.

It uses slides on a giant screen to inform those attending its weekend services where to sit if they would like to receive a low-gluten host.

Anyone is welcome to sit in the section, Aubin said, but those sitting there will receive the low-gluten host during communion.

Aubin described what it’s like: “It’s a little smaller and thinner. It basically has no taste.”

“If you object to that,” the pastor said, “Go to the other line.”

The church also is taking care to avoid any cross-contamination when people drink from the chalice during communion.

“To help us not get them confused, we use a silver chalice (for the wine) and a silver ciborium for the low-gluten (hosts),” he said. In other sections, the church uses a gold chalice and gold ciborium.

Some people are now asking if they can have a smaller piece of the low-gluten host, Aubin said.

“The low-gluten hosts don’t break easy. I told the Sacristan to go buy a scissors and designate it for only cutting the low-gluten hosts,” he said.

The church wants to encourage participation in the Eucharist. It also wants to be as accommodating as possible.

“We’re responding,” he said.

Members of the congregation appreciate the effort, he added.

“Several people have come out of their way just to thank me. (They told me) ‘Thank you for considering us.’”

Published January 28, 2015