The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Learning how to police the ‘teenage brain’

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Jeff Golden
Jeff Golden

When it comes to de-escalating aggressive behavior — different methods are needed for juveniles than the ones that work on adults, said Jeff Golden, who teaches criminal justice classes at Saint Leo University.

Golden and other experts in law enforcement and criminal justice will be sharing their knowledge in a Summer Institute Course on juvenile aggression at Saint Leo University, May 5 through May 7.

In addition to Golden, other experts who will be leading instruction are Lt. Tim Enos, who currently works for the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office; Norm Miller, an investigator assigned to gang prosecutions; and Deputy Dave Cappel, a school resource officer for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

The class is being offered both for credit and for noncredit. Those who are not seeking credit can attend for free, provided there are still seats available.

Besides exploring issues involved with policing the teenage brain, the experts will cover:

  • Tools for de-escalating and preventing juvenile aggression
  • Techniques for communicating with troubled youths and building trust
  • Youth gangs and violence, impacts and opportunities
  • Crisis intervention teams and school resource offices, and what they do
  • Federal and Florida laws and agencies relating to juvenile
  • Causes of juvenile aggression and schools and solution
  • Bullying, harassment, violence and cyber bullying

The vast majority of police academies spend little to no time training patrol officers on effective techniques for policing juveniles, Golden said.

Most patrol officers have been taught restraints that work well on adults, but that can actually escalate aggression in juveniles, said Golden, who teaches graduate and undergraduate classes in criminal justice, juvenile justice and law at Saint Leo University.

“Most law enforcement agencies rely on some type of pain-inducing restraint to control someone physically,” he explained. “Adults understand: Stop what you’re doing and the pain will stop.

“Their rational thinking will take over and they generally will comply,” he said.

Not so for juveniles.

“Pain for a juvenile — and on a teenage brain — is like throwing kerosene on a fire,” Golden said. “The pain is going to make them scream louder, fight harder, and they are not going to listen.”

If there are other juveniles nearby, they’ll become more hyperactive.

“Juvenile aggression is contagious,” Golden said, “so we need to isolate it as quickly as we can.

If parents are watching and their child becomes more agitated in response to an officer, the parents may get upset and tensions could ratchet higher.

Proper training can help officers de-escalate tense situations, Golden said.

“When juveniles are screaming, we need to speak softly. We need to say things that distract them or that cause them to no longer focus on their anger.

“Anger takes an incredible amount of energy to maintain. Aggression takes an enormous amount of energy to maintain.

“The sooner we can teach officers to de-escalate a juvenile by diverting their attention from that anger or aggression, the faster the juvenile is going to de-escalate.”

At the same time, there’s no instant solution.

“I can’t flip a switch and turn them off, but I can definitely dial them down. We teach officers how to do that,” Golden said.

Police officers need to learn to distinguish between different kinds of aggression. Is the youth being aggressive deliberately, or is the youth displaying emotional aggression?

It’s important to understand the distinction because the tools to de-escalate the behavior are dramatically different, Golden said.

“Every incident an officer is called to — it’s an opportunity to reach out and help a youth.

“The more they know how to identify potential problems, real problems, and actually get through to the youth and establish a connection … Once we’ve got them calmed down … we can begin to communicate with them,” he said.

The real answer to root out what’s causing the juvenile’s behavior and to address that, Golden said.

“This isn’t some kid acting out for no reason whatsoever,” he said.

In some cases, the anger and aggression may stem from a juvenile not getting the medications that they need, he said.

“I’m not asking officers to become social workers,” Golden said, but addressing this issue requires a multifaceted response.

“We try to prevent things from escalating, or exploding. We’re not going to arrest our way out of this,” Golden said.

To register for the class, contact Karin May by email at .

Published April 29, 2015

Young golfer hits links, brings home hardware

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Kailey Kleinatland is 9 years old, and she already loves golf.

Besides practicing and playing, she loves what comes afterward.

“The fun part is you get trophies,” she said.

Kailey Kleinatland took up golf when she was 7. Two years later, she has a shelf full of trophies and is a member of the USA Junior Team program. (Photo courtesy of Howard Kleinatland)

Not everyone wins trophies when they hit the links, but not everyone has Kleinatland’s skills.

In just two years, the Lutz resident has won tournaments at places like Westchase Golf Club, Carrollwood Country Club, Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club, Belleair Country Club and Crescent Oaks Country Club.

And her prospects are looking even better since she has been accepted into the USA Junior Team program.

While golf is a challenging — and potentially lucrative — sport, it’s also quite expensive.

After getting off to a great start with her first coach, Bill Monical, it became clear that Kleinatland would benefit from high-level training that can cost hundreds of dollars per session.

Because her family isn’t wealthy, making the junior team was the only way she’d be able to get that training.

When she qualified, her father, Howard Kleinatland, saw it as a sign that their faith continues to reap dividends for their family.

“It just seems like whenever she needs something provided, God has always provided it for her,” he said. “She’s very strong with her faith and involved with our church.”

In addition to attending Revolutionary Life Church in Lutz, Kailey does a lot of volunteer work and hopes to get involved with Special Olympics, Howard explained.

Her older brother, Codey, has a disability, making that area of volunteering a personal one for her family.

If the Kleinatlands were unsure if Kailey would qualify for the USA Junior Team, they shouldn’t have worried. Her new coach, Brad Brewer, saw something in her immediately.

“She’s just a natural,” Brewer said.

And with decades of coaching experience, specifically with golf academy programs, Brewer is an expert at knowing what to look for in a young golfer.

She had to go through profile testing on a series of skills, and Kailey qualified for the “junior stars” category in most of them. In the others, she was closer to the higher “elite” category, despite being younger than a lot of the other students.

In addition to her physical abilities, Brewer said he also is impressed with her mental approach to the game.

Some children put unhealthy pressure on themselves, but Kailey takes the good — and the bad — in stride.

“She’s like a kid just having fun, just trying to do the best she can, and I love that about her,” Brewer said.

Kailey said having fun was the reason she began playing golf in the first place. Her best friend, Jaida, started playing, so Kailey wanted to join her.

It’s still fun, Kailey said, but she also now has a more rigorous schedule.

Mondays are a combination of volleyball and golf after school.

On Tuesdays, she travels to Orlando for a 90-minute session with Brewer. Wednesdays are taken up by church and more golf, Thursday means another trip to Orlando, and Fridays are reserved for dance lessons.

And the weekends?

She often competes in two-day tournaments, and she often comes home with a trophy.

She often has to do homework on the drives to Orlando, but she enjoys learning from Brewer. He provides advice and makes sure she grasps the lesson.

“When he gives us the information and we don’t understand it, he’ll repeat it in a new way,” Kailey said.

The coaching skill might be rubbing off on Kailey.

Her dad said he began swinging clubs after he saw that Kailey had a knack for it.

After studying her dad’s swing, Kailey observed that he still has a way to go before he’ll bring home trophies of his own.

“Since he’s a little older, he’s not as flexible as the younger kids. So he can’t turn his shoulder all the way around,” Kailey observed.

Kailey’s mother, Tracy, is not a golfer, so it looks like Kailey may be the one member of the family who might make waves in competitive golf.

Brewer, who has been working with Kailey just a short time, would not put limits on what the 9-year-old may be able to accomplish as she develops as a golfer.

“I’ve helped players get all the way to the tournament. I’ve worked with major champions,” he said. “Certainly nothing is out of possibility with someone like this.”

Published April 22, 2015

Lowe’s celebrates Land O’ Lakes opening

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Lowe’s, of Land O’ Lakes, is ready to throw open the doors to its new home improvement store on State Road 54. Work crews busied themselves last week with last-minute details to spruce up the landscaping and sweep clean what has been an active construction site.

The Lowe’s home improvement store at 21500 State Road 54 has scheduled a host of activities to celebrate its opening, beginning with a Pro Services Day set for April 16, which will also serve as the store’s ‘soft opening.’ (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
The Lowe’s home improvement store at 21500 State Road 54 has scheduled a host of activities to celebrate its opening, beginning with a Pro Services Day set for April 16, which will also serve as the store’s ‘soft opening.’
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

A week of celebrations will kick off with a Pro Services Day on April 16, to highlight the services and products that Lowe’s can provide business owners and their field representatives.

The community also is welcome to this “soft opening,” with store hours from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Food, demonstrations and a mystery gift card giveaway will be featured during the day.

“It’s a great opportunity for business owners to learn about the options Lowe’s has,” said Meredith Kleker, president of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a gracious way to extend the opportunities to help the business community feel part of the growth of this area.”

The 152,000-square-foot store is located at 21500 State Road 54, across from the Village Lakes Shopping Center. It is Pasco County’s third Lowe’s location.

Motorists will find new traffic signals at the entrance to Lowe’s that are meant to ease traffic in and out of the home improvement store, and the shopping center, as well.

Ongoing festivities will include a preview night on April 22, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with giveaways, a scavenger hunt, guided tours and refreshments from Benedetto’s.

A grand opening on April 23 will feature dignitaries from county government, the honorary mayor of Land O’ Lakes and representatives of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

The more traditional ribbon cutting will be given over to a “board cutting.”

“We’re really, really excited about the partnership (with Lowe’s),” said Kleker. “They’ve made a concerted effort to partner with businesses in our community.”

A Lowe’s Fest on April 25 will be an “all-out celebration,” according to a Lowe’s press release announcing the special opening events.

Marco’s Pizza, Pepe’s Cuban Café, Hungry Harry’s Family Bar-B-Que, and a dessert truck will provide food. Activities include interactive demonstrations, giveaways, a photo booth, a magician, a children’s craft station, a community hand print banner and a petting zoo.

There also will be a special safety demonstration.

Store hours will be 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., with festivities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The regular store hours for this Lowe’s location will be Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Lowe’s opening events

Pro Services Day
Where: Lowe’s, 21500 State Road 54
When: April 16, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
What: Pro Services Day is dedicated to business owners and their field representatives, but anyone is welcome.

Breakfast will be provided by Panera Bread at 7 a.m. Lunch will be from Hungry Harry’s Family Bar-B-Que from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Manufacturing representatives will do product demonstrations, there will be giveaways and Lowe’s in-house specialists can help set up business accounts. Giveaways include mystery gift cards ranging from $5 to $500.

From here on, the store will be “soft opened.”

Regular store hours for this Lowe’s location will be Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Preview Night
When: April 22, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
What: A scavenger hunt, project starter giveaways, guided tours and refreshments by Benedetto’s.

Formal grand opening ceremony
When: April 23, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Who: Dignitaries from Pasco County, the honorary Mayor of Land O’ Lakes and members of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will celebrate the store’s opening.

Lowe’s Fest
When: April 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
What: An all-out celebration featuring food from Marco’s pizza, Pepe’s Cuban Cafe, Hungry Harry’s Family Bar-B-Que and a dessert truck. Activities will include interactive manufacturing demonstrations, giveaways, a photo booth, a magician, balloon art, face painting, a Build & Grow workshop, mystery gift card giveaways, a kids’ craft station, community hand print banner, a petting zoo and a demonstration by a fire safety inspector.

Published April 15, 2015

Musicians, fans celebrate old time music in Dade City

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When people listen to songs from the 1960s, they might consider it “old” music.

The upcoming Florida Old Time Music Championship also features music from the ’60s.

The 1860s, that is.

Erynn Marshall and Carl Jones will perform at the Florida Old Time Music Championship on April 10 and April 11. (Courtesy of Jackson & Moser Photography)
Erynn Marshall and Carl Jones will perform at the Florida Old Time Music Championship on April 10 and April 11.
(Courtesy of Jackson & Moser Photography)

“It’s the kind of music that people who lived during pioneer times in early Florida would have actually played,” said Jessica Budin, office manager for the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, where the event will be on April 10 and April 11.

Old time music is a genre of North American folk music that contains elements from the European countries from where the settlers came. It is characterized by acoustic string instruments such as the fiddle, guitar or banjo and can be instrumental or include vocals. Listeners might hear some similarities with bluegrass music, but old time music actually pre-dates that genre.

The Florida Old Time Music Championship is an opportunity to bring performers together and celebrate historic music, and the event itself is getting up there in years. Now in its 33rd year, it continues to bring musicians and fans of this style of music from across Florida, and even some from out of state as well.

The event began at the museum, but relocated after about a decade. A few years ago it moved back, and the creators of the competition are happy to see it return to such an appropriate venue.

“It’s been great,” said Jim Strickland, who still runs the event with Ernie Williams. “They love having us, and we love being there. Our stage is the front porch of the Overstreet House (on display at the museum). It’s a beautiful setting.”

Playing old time music on a front porch is especially authentic, since that’s often where it was performed. Another popular venue for this kind of music was church, Strickland said.

The music brought people together and was a main source of entertainment, he said.

While the Florida Old Time Music Championship will have competitions across many categories, Strickland said it’s not a high-pressure event.

When they’re not onstage, performers might get together for an impromptu jam session.

Groups also form on the spot to enter a contest. There’s even a chance a musician may perform as a backup player for a competitor.

“It’s a very friendly, non-threatening atmosphere for a contest,” Strickland said.

The event will also feature music professionals as special guests.

Recording artists Erynn Marshall and Carl Jones, a married couple known for their old time talents, will perform three sets over the two-day event. Jones will also host a guitar workshop on Saturday morning.

While the music naturally appeals to fans of old time, Budin said that the event will also appeal to people who aren’t familiar with the genre. The songs performed are authentic to the time period, but have been passed down from generation to generation and still exist even in today’s culture. It might be a melody or a beat from a commercial, or perhaps something heard as a child, but elements of old time music will be familiar to many listeners.

“Really, anybody who enjoys music will find something that they like to listen to out here,” she said.

The Florida Old Time Music Championship
Where: The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, at 15602 Pioneer Museum Road in Dade City
When: 7 p.m. on April 10, and 10 a.m. on April 11. The banjo and fiddle finals will be at 7 p.m., April 11
The cost is $5 on April 10, and $10 on April 11. Parking is free.
For more information, call (352) 567-0262 or visit FOTMC.org.

Published April 8, 2015

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