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Charlene Ierna

Five Business Join IERNA’s Neighbors In Need Give-Away

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A local air conditioning company’s idea of giving a free air conditioning system to a deserving family resulted in a group of five local businesses coming together to make a huge difference in one family’s life.

It began last December when IERNA’s Heating, Cooling & Plumbing launched its newest charity, Neighbor In Need Give-Away, and asked local residents to nominate a person or family who selflessly helped others, while in need of help themselves.

Rhodes family and Neighbors In Need business partners, left to right: Pete Berberich, Carrier Enterprise; Rob Kress, IERNA’s Heating, Cooling & Plumbing; Charlene Ierna, owner of IERNA’s Heating, Cooling & Plumbing; Jase Rhodes, Cristine Rhodes, Sage Rhodes, Jason Rhodes; Chris Wirt, A-All Animal Control of Tampa Bay; Joshua Rector, Arry’s Roofing Services; and Mario Maffeo, Gulfside Insulation.

Owner Charlene Ierna committed to removing the winner’s old equipment, installing the new A/C unit and taking care of any permitting fees. And, Jeff Hoffman of Florida Carrier Enterprises agreed to help by donating a Bryant Coastal Air Conditioner.

This generous partnership allowed IERNA’S to kick off its Neighbor In Need Give-Away. Nearly 50 nominations were submitted, all with a written summary on why their nominee deserved the free A/C system.

To select the winner, Charlene assembled a panel of six judges to review the entries.

“It was a very difficult decision for our judges,” said Rob Kress, IERNA’S director of marketing and public relations. “Many of the stories of these selfless people moved our judges to tears. We truly wish we could have given every nominee a new A/C system.”

The Winning Family
Judges selected Jason and Cristine Rhodes of Spring Hill as the first winner of the Neighbor In Need contest.

“Jason was overwhelmed and nearly in tears when I called him with the news,” said Kress. “Their central heating and cooling system had stopped working three years ago, and this family of five had endured extreme summer temperatures and sometimes-frigid winter temperatures.”

The Rhodes are known in central Pasco for their work with The Inspire Foundation, a nonprofit music and arts program that uses the arts to help children with autism and other disabilities. Much of the work done by The Inspire Foundation is at no cost.

The Rhodes established their foundation after helping their autistic son become verbal by using music to connect and communicate with him. As professional music instructors, the couple wanted to share what they learned by helping their son with other families.

“The Rhodes family is constantly raising funds to keep their program going, and have forgone their own personal needs to help others,” said Kress.

The Prize Grows
IERNA’s sent its service manager, Rich Register, to the Rhodes home to evaluate its existing air conditioning system and to properly size their new equipment.

During the inspection, Register noted severe damage to the home’s existing ductwork, and saw that animals had gotten into the attic through holes in the roof.

Because of the poor condition of existing ductwork, IERNA’S decided to also donate all materials and installation for a complete new duct system.

But, first the raccoons living in the attic had to be removed. Kress reached out to Chris Wirt, an animal removal expert and owner of A-All Animal Control of Tampa Bay, who agreed to help.

At the Rhodes’ home, Wirt found that critters had entered through a severely damaged roof and soffits. The problem was so severe that it had to be resolved before the new air conditioning system could be installed.

So Kress contacted Matt Housh, owner of Arry’s Roofing Service of Tarpon Springs, who also agreed to help and, upon inspection, found the roof not reparable.

“Arry’s Roofing really stepped up,” said Kress. “A full roof replacement was the only option, and was a huge task. Arry’s team worked for three days at cost for materials only.”

With a new roof in place, Wirt returned to remove critters living in the attic and found that the attic insulation was saturated with animal urine and feces, and needed to be replaced.

So Wirt reached out to Mario Maffeo, owner of Gulfside Insulation, who agreed to donate his services and materials to safely extract and dispose of the contaminated insulation. Once extraction was complete, Wirt sanitized and disinfected the attic space, making it safe for HVAC technicians to do their work.

It took a lot longer than expected, but today the Rhodes family is enjoying the comfort of their new Bryant® Heating & Cooling system in a dry, critter free home, just in time for another sweltering Florida summer.

“We are proud to be a part of such an amazing community of people and local businesses,” said Charlene Ierna. “We’re grateful to Florida Carrier Enterprises, A-Animal Control, Arry’s Roofing Services and Gulfside Insulation for their kindness, generosity and willingness to be part of something that means so much to a family who lives to help others.”

And, most thankful of all is the Rhodes family.

“We are so honored and blessed to have been chosen by Charlene, Rob and the rest of IERNA’S team to receive a new air conditioner,” said Jason Rhodes. “This is a huge relief for us, and we plan on paying this kind deed forward in many ways. Thank you so much.”

Rhodes Nominations
“They work to help children in their community, raise money to buy instruments, provide free in-home music instruction for children with disabilities, and do all of this selflessly. Through hardships that were unavoidable, they have been unable to afford a replacement A/C unit for the past two years. They are proud people and don’t ask anyone for financial help.”

-Donna Israel

“This family (kids included) works very hard running their nonprofit organizations, The Inspire Foundation and Inspire Studios. Many kids and people on the autism spectrum need art, theater and music to express their emotions. This family is a blessing! Always giving their time and effort to others, never asking for a thing themselves in their personal lives.”

-Joan Gunther

Published July 18, 2018

Central Pasco and Hispanic chambers unite

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Two chambers of commerce can be better than one.

In the next weeks, Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce and the Pasco Hernando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will unite into a single organization.

“We are so excited to join forces, making our chambers and our communities stronger and more diverse,” Charlene Ierna, president of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce wrote in a letter sent to chamber members in May.

The two chambers have hosted joint social mixers recently, and the Pasco Hernando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is creating a Hispanic business group, known as Hispanic Business Leaders.

“Leaders from both organizations worked hard to determine what would be best for our members,” John Jay also said in the letter to chamber members. Jay is past president of Pasco Hernando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

A team of board members from both organizations is finalizing the transition that likely will be completed by June 26. On that date, Central Pasco will celebrate its 40th anniversary at its Annual Awards and Installation Banquet.

“We will literally become one,” said Mary Lynn Gorsline, the incoming president for Central Pasco. “We’re pretty excited about it. There’s a huge Hispanic population in this area.”

There is more strength and efficiency in joining the two organizations, she said.

“There is a lot of duplicate work,” Gorsline said.

Published June 17, 2015

Central Pasco and Hispanic chambers unite

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Two chambers of commerce can be better than one.

In the next weeks, Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce and the Pasco Hernando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will unite into a single organization.

“We are so excited to join forces, making our chambers and our communities stronger and more diverse,” Charlene Ierna, president of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce wrote in a letter sent to chamber members in May.

The two chambers have hosted joint social mixers recently, and the Pasco Hernando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is creating a Hispanic business group, known as Hispanic Business Leaders.

“Leaders from both organizations worked hard to determine what would be best for our members,” John Jay also said in the letter to chamber members. Jay is past president of Pasco Hernando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

A team of board members from both organizations is finalizing the transition that likely will be completed by June 26. On that date, Central Pasco will celebrate its 40th anniversary at its Annual Awards and Installation Banquet.

“We will literally become one,” said Mary Lynn Gorsline, the incoming president for Central Pasco. “We’re pretty excited about it. There’s a huge Hispanic population in this area.”

There is more strength and efficiency in joining the two organizations, she said.

“There is a lot of duplicate work,” Gorsline said.

Published June 10, 2015

Wanted: New bikes to spread Christmas cheer

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What began as one couple’s attempt to teach their daughter about the struggles that many families are faced with has broadened into an effort to bring new bicycles to children who have little prospect of ever owning a new set of wheels.

Todd and Cindy Caroline of Lutz began providing new bicycles to children from less fortunate families about six years ago. They wanted their daughter Zoye, now 9, to understand that not all families are as blessed as theirs has been, Cindy Caroline said.

Todd Caroline gets ready to deliver new bicycles during a previous Christmas Bicycle Drive. Caroline and his wife, Cindy, began giving new bikes to children from less fortunate families six years ago. (Courtesy of Cindy Caroline)
Todd Caroline gets ready to deliver new bicycles during a previous Christmas Bicycle Drive. Caroline and his wife, Cindy, began giving new bikes to children from less fortunate families six years ago. (Courtesy of Cindy Caroline)

Over time, the effort branched out.

At first, the Carolines simply asked people attending their annual Christmas party to bring a new bike to help brighten a child’s holiday, Caroline said. Then, they decided to shift the effort over to their company — Caroline Contractors LLC — so they could reach out to their suppliers, business associates and other members of the community to help.

This is the fourth year that the company has had its Christmas bicycle drive. Each year, it collects at least 100 new bicycles, or the family makes up the difference.

But this year, it has a substantially more ambitious goal. It wants to collect 1,000 new bikes.

Caroline knows that that’s more of a dream than a goal, but she’s open to miracles.

In the past, the couple has given the bicycles to other charitable groups, Caroline said, and those groups have distributed the bicycles primarily to children living in East Tampa communities.

This year, the focus has shifted to helping local children, Caroline said. She attributes the switch to a conversation she had with Suzanne Beauchaine, an account manager for The Laker/Lutz News.

Beauchaine had asked her why the new bikes didn’t go to local children, and Caroline responded it was because she didn’t have a local event. That prompted the Lutz woman to consider staging a local event to give away the bikes.

Buoyed by Beauchaine’s encouragement, Caroline began making telephone calls. First she contacted local schools — Schwarzkopf Elementary in Lutz and Myrtle Lake, Pine View, Connerton, Oakstead and Odessa in central Pasco — to see if they could help identify children from families in need.

Then, she began calling around to local organizations and businesses to see if they could help.

Caroline called Chad Hudson at Hungry Harry’s Family Bar-B-Que, who stepped up in a big way. The popular Land O’ Lakes restaurant is providing food and the use of its Lake House for a party on Dec. 21 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Charlene Ierna of the Lutz-based Ierna’s Heating & Cooling is providing a bounce house for the party. The kids will get free haircuts, too, courtesy of Star’s Organic Spa as well as Cameo Salon & Spa.

Caroline still is trying to line up live entertainment, but at the very least, she said she will have holiday music over a loudspeaker system.

She’s also trying to collect turkeys and other holiday foods to give to each family.

“We just want to be able to bless these families because life is very hard every day for them,” Caroline said. “They struggle. I’d really like to be able to give the families a Christmas dinner.”

Besides the local groups that already have stepped up, Caroline said she’s reached out to members of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce and is hoping they come through to help ensure there are enough bikes for each child to take one home.

“Our office used to be right next to the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, so our heart is Land O’ Lakes,” Caroline said. “My husband grew up here. He went to Land O’ Lakes High, so he’s homegrown here.”

She’s also looking for a source that can provide free or discounted helmets, worrying about the children being safe as they ride their bicycles.

Donations from the general public also are gratefully accepted, Caroline said. It typically costs $50 to $80 for a new bike, depending on the size.

“If I can get a bike for every child that comes, I’ll do it,” she said. “If I can’t, I’ll do a lottery-type system.”

Some people may wonder why the focus is on providing new bikes, instead of food or other items.

“You go out on a bike and you forget all about whatever the troubles at home,” she said. “I want them to have fun.”

Ways to help
Here are four ways you can help to make a child’s Christmas special:

  • Drop off a new bicycle at Caroline Contractors, 19003 Apian Way, Lutz; or Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, 2810 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes.
  • Purchase a bicycle and have it picked up.
  • Order a bicycle online from Walmart or Target and have it shipped to Lutz, where it will be picked up.
  • Contribute money to purchase a bicycle, which range in cost from $50 to $80, depending on size.

For more information, or to schedule a pickup, call Cindy Caroline at (813) 931-4611, or email her at .

Published December 10, 2014

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The power of friendship revealed through barrel racing event

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Lots of people don’t know a thing about barrel racing. There are probably even fewer who have heard of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

But even if those who don’t have a clue about either of those, chances are they’ve had a friend or two in life that has made them feel special. And, along the way, if that friend were in trouble, they have wanted to be there to help.

Kristy Bryant Flynn, front, and Tanya Dadez enjoy Busch Gardens during Flynn’s healthier days. (Courtesy of Tanya Dadez)
Kristy Bryant Flynn, front, and Tanya Dadez enjoy Busch Gardens during Flynn’s healthier days.
(Courtesy of Tanya Dadez)

That’s what motivated San Antonio resident Tanya Dadez to organize Kristy’s Can-Cer Vive Benefit Barrel Race. She hopes the event will ease some of the financial burdens the disease has caused to Kristy Bryant Flynn, her lifelong friend.

Part of the event’s name is a play on the words “can survive.”

Slated for Saturday, the barrel race is expected to draw at least 100 competitors. It’s a timed race, and those clocking the fastest finish — by racing through the course without hitting a barrel — will win cash awards.

In addition to the races, spectators can see riders and their horses checking out the arena in exhibitions that begin a couple of hours before the competition kicks off.

Many riders will compete with more than one horse, Dadez said.

Admission is free, but barbecued meals will be available for purchase, at $7.50 a plate, including drinks. There also will be vendors and a silent auction, with bidders vying for about 50 different items.

Planning for the event began months ago when Dadez began discussing the idea with Dennis and Tammie Rogers, owners of Double R Arena in Dade City. They generously agreed to host the event, Dadez said.

Ierna’s Heating & Cooling, Chandelle Veterinary Associates and Embroider Too all stepped up to contribute funds to sweeten the purse for the barrel race winners.

Charlene Ierna was quick to help out, Dadez said. She’s also been a dear friend of Flynn’s for years as they both played on the same softball team when they were kids.

Ierna also asked Hungry Harry’s Family Bar-B-Que to get involved, Dadez said. The popular barbecue restaurant agreed, donating meals and drinks, with proceeds to benefit Flynn’s family.

Dadez said she felt compelled to find a way to help.

“Kristy and I have been best friends since kindergarten. We went to Sanders Elementary, Pine View Middle and we both graduated from Land O’ Lakes High School,” she said.

Flynn began noticing symptoms she didn’t understand when she was in her 20s. She couldn’t take hot showers, for instance, because they nearly knocked her out. She frequently dropped dishes and other items, because she couldn’t get a tight grip on them.

And then, when she bent over to pick up the items, she felt nauseous when she began to straighten up.

Flynn was diagnosed with her condition in 2008. The disease is a form of blood cancer, and there is no known cure. It is especially rare for someone as young as Flynn to have the condition, according to medical websites.

There has been progress in developing medications, but so far Flynn has not responded well to drugs now available for long-term treatment.

Dadez, who is a barrel racer herself, said she knew that barrel races sometimes are hosted for charitable causes, so she decided to organize this one. She hopes the fundraiser will lessen the financial pressures that Flynn, her husband, Scot, and the couple’s children have faced since Flynn had to stop working.

“She’s just the epitome of innocence and wholesome and everything good that you could possibly imagine,” Dadez said. “She never says an ill word about anybody. She’s an angel, really. I just love her to death.”

Dadez said Flynn wanted to pitch in when she heard about the fundraiser.

“She said, ‘I feel really bad. I feel like I need to be doing something,’” Dadez said. “I said, ‘This is for you and your family. I want you to come out and enjoy, have a good time. This is all about you. You don’t have to worry about anything. We’ve got everything covered.’”

Even though Flynn wants to help, she acknowledges she probably wouldn’t be able to do much. On some days, just making breakfast is about all she has the energy to do. On other days, she runs out of breath just walking out to the family’s mailbox.

Flynn would like to work, but she can’t because she never knows from one day to the next how much energy she’ll have. When she has done a few hours of work, she has found herself wiped out for days afterward, she said.

Despite the challenges, Flynn remains upbeat.

Besides helping to raise money for Flynn, Dadez said she thinks the event will be fun for the entire family. Those attending will have a chance to see horses up close, watch competitive races, eat a nice meal, check out the vendors, and bid on items at the auction.

Spectators should be sure to bring lawn chairs to the event, Dadez added.

Initially, Dadez was hoping to raise at least $3,000 for her friend.

“I do believe, and I’m pretty hopeful, that we’re going to be able to exceed that,” she said.

If you go:
WHAT: Kristy’s Can-Cer Vive Benefit Barrel Race, featuring about 100 racing around barrels, vying for the fastest time and cash prizes
WHERE: Double R Arena, 32640 Amberlea Road, Dade City
WHEN: Aug. 16, exhibitions begin at 4 p.m., show begins at 6 p.m.
COST: Admission for spectators is free. Entry fee for riders is $40 a horse. Event also features barbecued dinners, vendors and a silent auction.
INFO: Tanya Dadez, (813) 787-6448

Published August 13, 2014

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Terri Dusek Central Pasco’s new honorary mayor

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The votes are in, and so is the money. Pasco County has a new mayor, and it’s Terri Dusek.

Dusek, a local real estate agent, ran a campaign of “Paying it Forward Through Music.” She was one of several people and businesses honored at the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce annual dinner last week. Dusek also won Ambassador of the Year.

The dinner included the installation of the new chamber president, Charlene Ierna, of Ierna’s Heating & Cooling. She succeeds Denny Esber, who also is retiring from board along with director Gary Loman. Before he left, Esber handed out his President’s Award to Tony Masella of OurTownFla.com for his outstanding service to the chamber and the community.

Hungry Harry’s Bar-B-Que was the Large Business of the Year while All Smiles Tampa Bay won Small Business of the Year. A Focus on Fitness was New Business of the Year, while Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco was Non-Profit Member of the Year.

If honorary mayor and the chamber’s top ambassador wasn’t enough, Dusek topped a successful season as Chamber Member of the Year.

The Community Service Award was a tie between April Saland of A.L. Saland Insurance Solutions, and Pam Oakes of Pasco International Tourism.

Finally, the Central Pasco Chamber honored the lifetime service of Larry Delucenay, and retiring Pasco County commissioner Pat Mulieri.

To learn more about the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, visit CentralPascoChamber.com.

Woman vs. gator: A sport and food source going mainstream

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She arrived to the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce mixer last week at the recently reopened Beef O’ Brady’s at the Village Lakes Shopping Center with long blonde hair, perfectly manicured nails and an inviting smile – to represent her family’s heating and cooling company.

The trophy table is lined with heads and skins of what were once fierce reptiles in Florida’s waters. The gators are hunted, but are then used for not only their hides, but for food as well.
The trophy table is lined with heads and skins of what were once fierce reptiles in Florida’s waters. The gators are hunted, but are then used for not only their hides, but for food as well.

But that’s just touching the surface. Charlene Ierna might help service and sell air-conditioning units during the day, but her off time is filled with a much different passion: gator hunting.

While it might not be the most common form of game hunting in Florida, alligator hunting attracts many adventure-seekers looking to come face-to-face with the state’s largest native reptile. And these hunters don’t use guns. Instead, they stalk their prey with weapons like spear guns or crossbows.

“A lot of people still do consider it a little dangerous,” said Ierna, who is vice president of Ierna’s Heating & Cooling in Lutz. “Having been around them my whole life when I would hunt them with my dad as a kid, I’m still not going to say that I’m comfortable with them. You can never be comfortable with something that is more powerful than you are.”

Ierna captured her first gator this past Easter during a professionally guided hunt just south of Bartow. Her gator measured 13 feet and 4 inches, and weighed 800 pounds. She lured it close to her with an alligator call, and then while it was still in the water, hit it with her crossbow.

A giant bobber, that was part of the arrow she shot, kept the alligator afloat. She finished it off later with a second arrow.

“They’re dinosaurs essentially,” Ierna said. “One bow and arrow is not going to do the job, unless it’s a perfect shot hit in the perfect place.”

But hunting an alligator is not just for the trophy head. Fully processed gator hides can run for as much as $100 a foot, according to Shane Smith, a Lutz resident who owns The Hungry Gator Meat Market in Plant City.

Alligator meat, while not quite ready to replace beef or chicken in most people’s diets, is still quite popular with various eateries, including Hungry Harry’s on US 41, which serves a popular gator sausage sandwich.

“Alligators, especially wild alligators, are found only in the Southeast, and there are few other alligator farms outside of there,” Smith said.

The alligator meat industry as a whole has grown 500 percent in the past year alone, Smith said. That’s due in large part to cable television shows like “Swamp People” and “Gator Boys” that have whet the nation’s taste buds to alligator steaks and alligator sausage.

“Trappers in Florida used to only sell to local restaurants. Now they’re shipping to restaurants all over the country,” Smith said. His meat processing company, open only a year, already is distributing more than 450 pounds of gator meat a week to restaurants, including Charley’s Steak House and Market Fresh Fish in Tampa.

For the uninitiated, gator meat tastes a bit like chicken, believe it or not, and has a texture probably best described as those found in certain types of fish. But it does have some significant health benefits.

“It’s a very lean meat, low in cholesterol and high in protein,” Smith said. “It has a higher protein count than in chicken or tuna.”

Ierna, in the meantime, is already gearing up for her next alligator hunt. She’s heading to St. John’s River in September with the hopes of picking up two more gators to add to her collection.

This time, Ierna will be without a professional guide. She’ll be hunting an animal with heightened senses of smell and sight that could turn the tables on a hunter in an instant.

“My personal opinion, and I even tell my kids this,” Ierna said. “They are far more intimidated by you than what you think. They don’t want anything to do with us.”

But still: “You have to be wise and be alert, and you certainly can’t be relaxed. You can’t just sit and look and just hope everything goes well. You have to be attentive to what’s going on.”