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Land O' Lakes Branch Library

Seminars aim to empower Pasco women

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The first of a three-part series aimed to advance the interests of Pasco County women took place on March 4 at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, on Collier Parkway.

All of the meetings, being presented by the Pasco County Commission on the Status of Women and the Pasco County Commission, are being held at the library, and are free and open to the public.

The theme of the first part of the series was “Health and Wellness.”

Sarah Cobelli, of BayCare Behavioral Health, was one of the speakers who took part in a presentation on ‘Health and Wellness’ hosted by the Pasco County Commission on the Status of Women, on March 4 at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, on Collier Parkway. (Brian Fernandes)

Guest speakers Mike Napier, of the Florida Department of Health in Pasco County, and Sarah Cobelli, of BayCare Behavioral Health, shared pertinent information relating to women’s health issues.

“Virtually everything we do at the health department is in partnership with someone else,” explained Napier, administrator for the Florida Department of Health — Pasco County.

The department works with Moffitt Cancer Center, Premier Community Healthcare Group and other partners.

They work to bring awareness to issues such as cervical and breast cancer, and provide information about treatment options.

The department also receives government funding, which is used to provide screenings.

Efforts also are being made to prevent the spread of Hepatitis A, and the health department is receiving assistance in this effort from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, Napier said.

Through this collaboration, vaccinations are offered in the jail system, Napier explained.

“The good news is, it’s almost 97 percent – after you’ve had those shots – that you’ll be immune to any Hepatitis A,” Napier said.

Napier also advocates child vaccination for Hepatitis A and for the human papillomavirus (HPV).

Napier dispelled the notion that HPV is always linked to physical intercourse, stating that the stigma makes parents hesitant about vaccinating their children.

Teenage pregnancy, however, is a reality that the department addresses through its family planning program.

“It’s very difficult when we see moms coming in at 16-17 [and] trying to get them to finish school,” Napier said. “We’ve got to do something about that.”

The program offers testing, counseling and various contraceptive methods.

It also works in conjunction with schools to make sure students are well-educated and have a resource to call for help.

Tobacco use is another area of local concern, Napier pointed out.

“Unfortunately, Pasco County continues to have some of the highest smoking rates in the state,” the administrator said.

As of last year, 21 percent of adult Pasco residents were chronic smokers, according to the health department.

It also noted in a 2013 study that 22 percent of women in the county were smokers – significantly in the 18 to 44 age range.

The health department is working with medical institutions to distribute and collect health surveys.

The effort allows hospitals and other health care facilities to share medical information, and to better identify health trends based on demographics.

“It’s going to be consistent with all the hospitals and the health industry, to be able to say, ‘We all see the same data and now we’re going to try to act on that data,’” Napier stated.

The administrator also noted that providing mental health care to women who need it remains challenging.

Cobelli provided a presentation focused on behavioral health and substance abuse among women.

As a program manager for BayCare, she oversees community-based services for both children and adults.

“One of the newer additions to BayCare – within the last couple of years – is behavioral health integration, that especially females find comfort in,” Cobelli said.

This program is a convenient means for women to see their primary care physician and speak with a mental health counselor within the same office.

Another outreach program allows nurses, with a mobile medical unit, to go outdoors informing the homeless about medical resources and housing that may be available to them.

There’s also outreach to teenage mothers.

With the help of case managers, another state-funded program provides intervention for pregnant or postpartum women struggling with substance abuse.

For the 2018 fiscal year, Cobelli stated: “About 65 percent of the women that are enrolled have a primary diagnosis of an opioid disorder.”

There are also services available to women outside the program to help with essentials, such as car seats, strollers and baby formula.

BayCare encourages women with substance abuse, who are coming out of jail, to attend its group meetings three times a week.

With the Alternatives to Incarceration Pasco program, BayCare works with the Sheriff’s Office to establish special services for those with substance disorders.

The second part of the series, focused on Economic Prosperity, will be held on April 8.

The third part of the series, focused on Safety and Access, will be presented on May 6.

For more information visit, PascoCountyFL.net/2662/Commission-on-Status-of-Women.

Women’s lecture series presented by the Pasco County Commission on the Status of Women and the Pasco County Commission
Where: Land O’ Lakes Library meeting room, 2818 Collier Parkway, Land O’ Lakes
When: Upcoming sessions are planned on Economic Prosperity on April 8 and Safety & Access on May 6. Both sessions start at 2:30 p.m.
Cost: Free to public
Details: A series of presentations from guest speakers will discuss educating and advancing Pasco County women
Info: Visit PascoCountyFL.net/2662/Commission-on-Status-of-Women. 

Published March 20, 2019

Pasco readies for big building program

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Voter approval of four general obligation bond issues in November has set the stage for a major building program in Pasco County.

The bond revenues will go to expand the Pasco County Detention Center; to update and expand fire rescue facilities; to upgrade libraries; and, to spruce up and improve park and recreational facilities.

Pasco County staff members briefed commissioners on the timing for various projects that will be done, and commissioners offered some suggestions during the meeting.

This is Pasco Fire Rescue Station No. 23, at 21300 State Road 54 in Lutz. The county is planning to add several new fire rescue stations, using revenues from general obligation bonds approved by voters in November. (Christine Holtzman)

In a typical year, the county is involved in about $21 million in projects, according to Andrew Baxter, the county’s facilities management director. The workload over the next few years will average about $45.5 million, he said.

The biggest single project, under the approved general obligation bonds, involves the expansion of the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center, at 20101 Central Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

That bond issue is for $128 million, and it will be used to pay for a 1,000-bed addition and an upgrade to all of the jail’s central services, including medical, intake, the kitchen and support services.

The design is expected to be done during fiscal years 2019 and 2020. The construction will begin in 2021, with completion in fiscal year 2023.

As the county gets ready for that project, Commissioner Jack Mariano suggested county staff visit Charlotte County to see how they’ve handled medical services at the jail.

“They may have a better way, and a better result at the end. The successes that they say they’re having is probably worthy for us taking a look at.” Mariano said.

Commissioner Mike Wells also said the services that are provided need to address mental illness and addition.

“If we can help these folks, it’s not a revolving door,” Wells said. “ The numbers should go down.”

The county also will be making significant improvements regarding its fire and rescue services.

Projects in the Central Pasco and East Pasco areas will be:

  • Adding Station 42, at Suncoast Parkway and State Road 52. The $6.1 million project involves the construction of a new one-story, four-bay station. Construction is expected to be completed in fiscal year 2021.
  • Replacing Station 22, in Land O’ Lakes. The $6.9 million project calls for replacing the existing one-story, four-bay station near the detention center in Land O’ Lakes. Construction is expected to be completed by fiscal year 2022.
  • Adding Station 44, at State Road 54 and Meadow Pointe Boulevard. The $6.5 million project calls for a new one-story, four-bay station. It is expected to be completed by the end of fiscal year 2023.
  • Adding Station 45, in Bexley, a subdivision off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes. This $7.3 million project calls for a new one-story, four-bay station. It is expected to be completed by the end of fiscal year 2023.
  • Adding a Rescue Training Center in Land O’ Lakes. This $5.8 million project is expected to be completed in fiscal year 2023.

The county received $20.2 million in bond funding for parks and recreation projects.

Projects in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area include:

  • San Antonio Maintenance Building, $100,000, to be completed in fiscal year 2020
  • Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, pool pump room, $10,000, to be completed in fiscal year 2021
  • Wesley Chapel District Park, replace air conditioning, $53,000, to be completed in fiscal year 2020
  • Heritage Community Center, roof, $45,320, to be completed in fiscal year 2020.

Across the county, there are some fairly pricey concession stand building projects, which drew the attention of Commissioner Mike Moore.

He urged county staff to see if there are ways to trim those costs.

“Any savings allows you to do more. Maybe you need another concession at another park,” Moore said.

Wells also suggested looking at the possibility of using the same design firm for projects, to potentially lower costs.

“I’m just trying to save everybody time and money,” Wells said.

Libraries will be modernized, using revenues from general obligation bonds. Planned projects in East and Central Pasco are:

  • New River Branch Library, 34043 State Road 54, Wesley Chapel: Nearly $2 million in improvements. The project is in the design phase and is expected to be completed in 2020.
  • Hugh Embry Branch Library, 14215 Fourth St., in Dade City: Nearly $1.8 million in improvements are planned. Completion is expected in 2021.
  • Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, Land O’ Lakes: Approximately $1.7 million in improvements are planned. The county is working with Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley to be sure there is no conflict with election needs, said County Administrator Dan Biles. This project is expected to be completed in 2021.

Biles said the plan is to close the libraries during the renovation, with outreach efforts to serve patrons.

“If we close the libraries, we can give the contractor the entire footprint, so construction can be faster and less expensively than if we try to phase it through those facilities. It gets us in, gets the construction done and out of there.”

The county is anticipating the bonds to be issued in April.

“In order to accomplish these projects, we’re probably going to need some surge staffing, just to manage these projects, and ensure the quality we expect is achieved,” Baxter said. “We’re basically doubling our workload for the next few years.”

Additional discussion is expected at a later board meeting over those staffing needs and how to pay for them.

Published March 13, 2019

Guardian ad litem volunteers advocate for children

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One of the greatest opportunities a child can have is to be raised in a safe, caring foundation, surrounded by those they know they can trust.

According to the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), there are more than  400,000 children in the United States living in foster care — many without any understanding of what it is to have a permanent home.

Abuse and neglect are the primary reasons why youths are removed from their homes, and CASA is a nationwide organization which assists children through the court system to be placed in homes.

Guardian ad Litem is a child advocacy group, operating under the auspices of CASA, which offers services across the 20 judicial circuits of Florida.

Larnelle Scott, left, and Mariela Ollsen, of the Guardian ad Litem Sixth Judicial Circuit, work on behalf of children in Pasco and Pinellas counties placed in foster care. (Brian Fernandes)

Guardian ad Litem is made up of a team of volunteers, attorneys and child advocate managers whose sole purpose is tending to the needs of foster children.

Guardian ad Litem, of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, which covers both Pasco and Pinellas counties, was established in the early 1980s.

This year the circuit has the second highest rate of abused and neglected youth in and out of home care – with more than 2,000 reported cases.

Larnelle Scott and Mariela Ollsen both work for Guardian ad Litem in the Sixth Circuit.

While there are different factors for why the rate in this circuit is so high, both women attribute much of it to the rise in the opioid epidemic, which has also plagued the country at large.

With adult supervision hindered by drug use, it can lead to child neglect in a big way said Ollsen, circuit director for Guardian ad Litem.

That void can be filled by volunteers of the organization, who come from all walks of life. The volunteers check in on foster kids and establish a good rapport with them.

However, they first must go through a thorough training and vetting process to ensure they are suitable for the task.

A report of abuse, whether by a family member, teacher or the police, is relayed to an abuse hotline, which in turn gets the court system involved – then Guardian ad Litem is appointed.

The Sixth Circuit in Pasco County holds hearings at two courthouses, the one in Dade City and in New Port Richey.

Guardian ad Litem doesn’t have any say in whether a child is removed from the home or where they are placed, but they can make recommendations based on their case studies and interactions with the children.

While they are ultimately trying to provide security for those in foster care, sometimes the kids don’t see it from that perspective.

“Court can be a scary thing for kids,” explained Ollsen. “There’s a lot of trauma involved with the kid when you remove them. Even in a dysfunctional environment, for most of our kids, that dysfunction is their norm.”

This makes it all the more important for Guardian ad Litem volunteers to form trusting relationships with these children, offering counseling, as well as considering their academic and medical needs.

Once removed from home, children are placed in either a licensed foster home or group home, if there is no extended family with whom they can stay.

Scott and Ollsen said they would prefer that foster care be a last resort if a child can stay with someone who is not only trustworthy but a familiar face.

Ollsen acknowledged that the biggest reward for a Guardian ad Litem volunteer is when a child has found a sense of “permanency” – an environment that is stable and not constantly changing around them.

Educating the public on foster care is also something that Guardian ad Litem is committed to whether it be at Rotary Clubs, churches or schools.

“I do community information sessions a couple times a month in the libraries,” said Scott, who is a regular at both the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library and the Hugh Embry Branch Library.

Parents concerned about their child’s well-being sometimes reach out to her, as they know she will advocate for what is in their child’s best interest.

As the community outreach coordinator, Scott has become a familiar confidant in the children’s lives as they sometimes divulge their deepest feelings.

She affirmed that: “The foster home placement might change, the case manager may change, the schools might change, but the Guardian ad Litem is usually that one anchor that they know is going to be in their corner.”

If interested in becoming a volunteer, visit GuardianAdLitem.org.

Weekly information sessions are every Tuesday at the New Port Richey office at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Dates for the monthly sessions at Land O’ Lakes Library and Hugh Embry Library can be found at HeroToAChild.org.

Want to help?
If interested in becoming a Guardian ad Litem volunteer, visit GuardianAdLitem.org.
Weekly information sessions are each Tuesday at the New Port Richey office at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Dates for the monthly sessions at Land O’ Lakes Library and Hugh Embry Library can be found at HeroToAChild.org.

Published December 12, 2018

Hugh Embry Branch Library now open again on Mondays

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A ribbon-cutting was held at Hugh Embry Branch Library on Oct. 29 to celebrate the fact that, once again, the library is open on Mondays.

The facility, at 14215 Fourth St., is one of four libraries across Pasco County where Monday hours have been restored.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley is joined by others during the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 29 to celebrate the restoration of Monday hours at Hugh Embry Branch Library. (Brian Fernandes)

The others are the Hudson Branch Library in Hudson, the Regency Park Branch in New Port Richey and the Land O’ Lakes Branch in Land O’ Lakes.

Pasco County Commissioners voted in 2010 to reduce library operating hours because of plummeting revenues during the Recession. Gradually, it has been adding hours back to libraries.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley, who represents District 1, did the honors of cutting the ribbon during the festivities at the Hugh Embry Branch.

He also shared his thoughts about the vital role that libraries play in community life.

“You see not only older people in there, but young people and families – that’s very important to me,” Oakley said.

Many people need the services the library offers, said Angelo Liranzo, the Hugh Embry Branch manager. People visit the library to check out books, but they also come to work on school assignments, conduct research for job searches, or join in the library’s recreational programs.

With the restoration of funding, the Hugh Embry Branch is now open on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The additional hours allow increased access to the amenities that the library provides.

For instance, patrons can use a program called Freegal — implemented this year — to stream and download music legally onto their personal devices.

Films and e-books also can be conveniently transferred to laptops, tablets and smartphones with software like Kanopy and Hoopla.

There are also launchpad tablets that kids can use to play games, which help teach subjects, such as math and science.

“One of the great things about libraries is that we try to find ways to make learning seem like fun,” Liranzo said.

After Oakley concluded his remarks, those attending the celebration were able to enjoy refreshments and live music.

Published November 7, 2018

Library hours restored for patrons

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Pasco County Libraries has restored Monday hours at the Hugh Embry and Hudson branches, as of Oct. 15. Patrons will now have four libraries to choose from to visit on Mondays.

The restoration of hours at more locations was a priority of the Pasco Board of County Commissioners for the fiscal year 2018-2019 budget.

In October 2017, the Regency Park and Land O’ Lakes branches were the first to restore hours, with the addition of Monday hours and some evening hours.

The Pasco County library locations that are now open on Mondays are:

  • Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, 2818 Collier Parkway
  • Hugh Embry Branch Library, 14215 Fourth St., Dade City
  • Regency Park Branch Library, 9701 Little Road in New Port Richey
  • Hudson Regional Library, 8012 Library Road

All libraries will remain closed on Sundays.

According to Bob Harrison, libraries public communications specialist, the restored hours give patrons on both the east and west sides of the county more access to everything they love about the libraries.

For information on hours of operation for all seven branches in the Pasco County Library System, visit PascoLibraries.org.

Information on the library catalog, e-content, programs, events and links to all the branches also can be found on the website.

Published October 24, 2018

Green Dot program teaches violence prevention

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Central Pasco Huddle hosted a community discussion and learning session at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library on violence prevention.

The huddle is a locally organized group of the Central Gulf Coast chapter of the Women’s March Florida.

Its members, who come from Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes, and Lutz, meet monthly in Land O’ Lakes, said huddle member Charity Henesy-Brooks.

The goal is to find activities “to make Pasco better for people,” she said. “We’re going to do more events like this for Pasco’s women and children.”

Green Dot coordinator for Sunrise of Pasco County, Aubrey Hall, led discussion on violence prevention at Land O’ Lakes Branch Library. The workshop was sponsored by the Central Pasco Huddle of the Women’s March Florida. (Kathy Steele)

Aubrey Hall, Green Dot coordinator with Sunrise of Pasco County Inc., led the recent workshop – “Embrace Your Voice.”

Combatting violence in all its forms “is daunting,” she said. “How do we change something that is so ingrained?”

Cultural change isn’t something that happens quickly, she added.

She said, though, that she’s encouraged by the #metoo movement, which is prompting people – mostly women – to come forward to tell their stories.

Green Dot is a violence prevention program that seeks to enlist the help of bystanders — who witness violence in everyday situations.

Green Dot provides educational awareness, training and actions that can reduce sexual assault, dating/domestic violence and stalking.

Green Dot serves more than 300 colleges and universities across the country.

Sunrise at Pasco works with students at Saint Leo University.

“To stop violence, we first have to recognize what it is,” Hall said.

Examples of violence include physical, sexual, verbal, economic and psychological assaults where one person has real or perceived power over another person.

People often overlook economic issues, Hall said. But, she noted: “Economic abuse is present in 98 percent of domestic violence abuses.”

She also explained that stalking can go beyond physically shadowing another person.

“You can be stalked by someone you never see now because of social media,” Hall said. “It’s so normal to like and follow.”

Hall led the workshop participants through a series of activities to identify early, immediate and after signs of sexual assault, stalking and dating/domestic violence.

She also addressed bullying.

Participants watched videos that had no sound to help them learn how to recognize body language cues, in different scenarios, of stalking and domestic violence. The videos show bystanders reacting to each situation.

“Being able to identify behavior, that’s going to be key,” Hall said.

Working in two teams, the workshop participants came up with ways that bystanders could choose to intervene, either directly or indirectly, to stop or calm down volatile situations.

They also discussed the barriers that often prevent bystanders from becoming involved.

Sometimes those barriers are the fear of becoming a target, or of being retaliated against, or of being uncomfortable, or not knowing where to seek help.

The Green Dot program offers the “three Ds” as guidelines to follow.

Those are:

  • Direct action: Asking someone to stop his or her behavior.
  • Delegating action: Calling 911, human resources or the school’s campus police. (The key is “making sure it’s someone who can do something,” Hall said.)
  • Distraction or delay: This can be done by possibly asking a question. “Do anything that allows the tension to break,” Hall said.

The Green Dot program launched at the University of Kentucky in 2006, as a sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking prevention program. It was funded with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The program was adapted for high schools, and expanded to other colleges. A nonprofit, known as Green Dot, etc Inc., was established, and its headquarters moved from Kentucky to Washington D.C.

In 2017, it also got a new name – Alteristic.

For information, visit SunrisePasco.org/green-dot-rev.

For information on Central Pasco Huddle, email .

Published May 2, 2018

Land O’ Lakes students strive for ‘green’ community

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For several years the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library has been plagued with massive energy consumption and a sizable electric bill.

A group of high schoolers is looking to change that.

The Land O’ Lakes High School Green Club, which addresses environmental issues in the community, wants to help the library achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) status — the most widely used ‘green’ building rating system in the world.

The Land O’ Lakes High School Green Club has started a fundraiser to help the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library to reach LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) status and significantly reduce its utility bill. Among the desired upgrades are UV window shading, LED lighting, motion sensing light switches, and programmable timers, to help decrease the library’s carbon footprint. From left: Green Club co-founder Sparsha Muralidhara, Green Club founder Camellia Moors and faculty club sponsor Michelle Starr. (Kevin Weiss)

To do so, the Green Club has partnered with Friends of the Pasco Library System on a fundraiser to purchase and install several energy-saving capital improvements to reduce the library’s carbon footprint.

The library’s annual electric bill is $48,500, according to a Duke Energy audit performed last year.

The goal is to eventually cut that figure in half.

Initial desired upgrades include UV window shading, LED lighting, motion sensing light switches, and programmable timers.

The Green Club has set a fundraising goal of $25,000 by May 1. As of Feb. 9, $220 has been raised. In addition to organizing a GoFundMe page, the club also plans to apply for local, state and federal grants.

If enough cash is raised, the group will then look to tackle more expensive tasks such as air-conditioning upgrades, solar panels and added insulation at the library.

Duke Energy recommended many of those upgrades in its audit as a measure to improve the overall efficiency of the facility and decrease overall energy consumption.

County funds cover the library’s maintenance each year. However, there’s been little in the way of large-scale improvements to save on electricity since it opened on Collier Parkway in 1999.

Green Club founder and senior IB (International Baccalaureate) student Camellia Moors is the driving force behind the library energy-savings initiative.

She created the student organization during her junior year believing there wasn’t strong enough awareness on pressing environmental issues — including climate change and conservation — at the school or community level.

Moors decided a high-trafficked, public space — such as the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library — was the best place to start.

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) status is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. According to the United States Green Building Council, LEED ‘provides a framework to create healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings.’ (Courtesy of the United States Green Building Council)

“I figured that if you were going to do some sort of environmental change where you wanted people to see the change, you need to do it where they’re going to see it,” Moors said.

A longtime patron of the library, Moors correctly guessed it had a sizable electricity bill after noticing its fluorescent lights, untinted windows and outdated air conditioning system. “If you walk in the library, it’s pretty evident…they’re constantly running and having a huge energy consumption rate,” Moors said.

The Green Club, which has a handful of active members, has facilitated other activities, including recycling drives and environment-based educational classes. They’ve also planted a garden in front of the high school’s Academy of Culinary Arts building.

Green Club co-founder and member Sparsha Muralidhara said every little bit helps when it comes to preserving the environment.

“Change doesn’t have to be a national sweeping movement in one go. You can start in your own backyard and then work it up to your neighbors, and then your communities and from there,” she said.

Muralidhara’s passion for environmentalism harkens back to her family’s Indian roots and learning about rapid urbanization of the South Asian country. “Seeing a lot of our own natural parks and everything torn down to make way for urban blight and development was always disheartening,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library ‘greening’ project was embraced by library officials from the start, said Bob Harrison, public communications specialist for the Pasco County libraries, adding he’s been impressed by Moors’ activism and involvement.

“Anything that we can come up with obviously to reduce not only our carbon footprint but also to get that electric bill down is a win-win for everybody. We try to be good stewards of the taxpayers’ money, and if we can cut expenses on something like a giant utility bill then we’re definitely all for that,” Harrison said.

If the fundraiser’s successful, Land O’ Lakes would become the first Pasco branch library to earn LEED status. The county may also explore energy-saving upgrades to its six other branches, Harrison said.

Moors hopes the project will inspire other environmentalists at the grassroots level.

“It’s up to everybody who does have some basic awareness of the environment — and knows the importance of the environment — to continue that and stretch it out further and actually apply that knowledge more,” Moors said.

Want to help?
To donate, visit GoFundMe.com/land-o-lakes-library-greening. For information on the club, email .

Published February 14, 2018

Monday hours at Land O’ Lakes library a hit

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Residents are counting the ways that make Monday visits to the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library special.

They are using computers and taking wood shop lessons; reducing stress with tai chi and yoga; learning techniques for light painting photography; clicking needles in knitting classes; and just using the extra time to browse the bookshelves for a favorite read.

Gail Fowler is just one of the library patrons who is enjoying the restored Monday hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Volunteer Tom Cassidy, left, helps Gene McDaniel learn the woodworking techniques of making a bowl. (Kathy Steele)

She’s a fan of the library’s Internet access. She said she and her family use library computers for “just about everything,” including emails and searching the Web.

Before the hours were recently restored, library hours had fallen victim to the 2008 economic crash, and the ensuing shrinking budgets in the county.

Now, over the next three years as budgets allow, the goal is to restore library hours countywide to the 2008 standard of 40 hours a week per library.

It has taken a decade to begin reversing previous cuts.

The fiscal year 2018 budget, which began on Oct. 1, restored Monday hours for the Land O’ Lakes library and the Regency Park Branch Library in New Port Richey.

As word spreads, “we’re starting to increase the number of people that are coming,” said Kathleen Rothstein, Land O’ Lakes branch manager. “It’s great to offer additional night hours and a day.”

The library also is open on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

On a recent Monday, teenagers did homework or got tutoring in the three study rooms at the library.

A teen photography class on how to do painting with light launched on Monday, and quickly filled up.

Ash Paudel, 13, works on a Christmas-themed sketch at a painting class for children taught by his mother, Anjana Thapa Paudel. About a half-dozen children came to the class, held on a Monday evening at Land O’ Lakes Branch Library.

“We’re hoping to turn it into a club, where they can acquire some fun skills,” said Danielle Cram, teen services librarian.

Artist Anjana Thapa Paudel volunteers to teach painting and drawing skills to children.

About a half-dozen students worked on a Monday night on a Christmas-based theme sketch.

Thapa Paudel also teaches knitting at the library’s Foundry.

“We made Santa pants this month,” she said.

Volunteer Tom Cassidy helped library patron, Gene McDaniel, make a bowl, on a Monday morning in the library’s makerspace, in the Foundry room.

It can get tricky to get the finer points right, Cassidy said. Sometimes, bowls end up with holes in the bottom and become funnels, he added.

McDaniel is a “snow bird” from Ohio, but when he’s in Pasco County, he likes to hang out at the Land O’ Lakes library and make things.

The library’s Monday hours means that he can do that more often.

“Now, I just come here and have fun,” McDaniel said.

His wife comes sometimes, too. McDaniel said she’d probably like to make a fancy French rolling pin.

Ray Penn worked on a couple of wood toys he planned to give as Christmas presents.

“I did this in high school,” said the retired truck driver. “It works out. I come here and kill three or four days.”

For information on dates and times for scheduled library events at Land O’ Lakes and other branch libraries, visit PascoCountyLibraries.org.

Published December 27, 2017

Caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients don’t have to go it alone

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When someone learns that a loved one is afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease, it can seem overwhelming.

Phyllis Bross, a retired attorney from Land O’ Lakes, understands the feeling. Her mother and aunt were both Alzheimer’s patients, and she now runs the Alzheimer’s Association/Caregiver Support Group that meets monthly at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, 2818 Collier Parkway.

Based on her own experiences, Bross said, generally, when a caregiver learns about the diagnosis, he or she feels lost.

Phyllis Bross, a retired attorney, runs a monthly Alzheimer’s Association support group at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library. It’s a monumental challenge for caregivers, she said. In short, she recommends: ‘Try to get as much information as you can. Try to get as much support as you can. Try to get things rolling.’ (B.C. Manion)

“You’re worried about your future finances, and providing medication, and other kinds of support and help for your loved one.

“You know you don’t have a medical background, so you’re wondering: Should someone else be taking care of him or her? Or, should I do it because of the familiarity and the love for the person?” Bross said.

Because they don’t know what to do, most people begin sorting things out by turning to a support group for help.

“I think that’s a great place to start,” said Bross, who, in addition to her legal experience, has an undergraduate degree in social work. There are all kinds of support groups available, offered by the Alzheimer’s Association and other groups, she added.

There are definite steps that caregivers can take to help themselves, Bross added.

While the loved one is competent, it’s important to ask: “Do you believe you can trust me … to take care of you, to take care of your money/the family money, to take care of your health, to make end-of-life decisions for you?” Bross said.

If the answer is yes, the next question would be: “Can we go to an attorney, an elder law attorney and discuss you’re possibly providing me with a durable power of attorney?” Bross said.

Taking that action will simplify later decisions that will need to be made, she said.

She also suggests organizing a family meeting, so you can find out their level of support and if they can help you make decisions.

It’s also important to start asking questions early, Bross said.

For instance, when visiting an elder law attorney, ask about the possibility of your loved one qualifying for Medicaid, in case the family ends up not being able to afford all of this care that’s going to be needed.

It’s also important to become aware of long-term care facilities that may become necessary at some point.

“Look at facilities. Even if you’ve promised your loved one you won’t put them in a facility, you don’t really know how sick they’re going to get,” Bross said.

Sometimes, no matter how much a caregiver wants to keep his or her loved one at home, it becomes impossible.

In short, Bross recommends: “Try to get as much information as you can. Try to get as much support as you can. Try to get things rolling.”

Beyond needing help with feeding, bathing and other physical needs, Alzheimer’s patients sometimes become difficult to handle.

“Their temperament changes very often. They might become abusive,” Bross said.

She advises to prepare for “the worst-case scenario.”

Bross also recommends a book called, “The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementias, and Memory Loss,” by Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabins.

“People in my Alzheimer’s care group call it their Bible,” she said.

It is important to provide support to caregivers, Bross said. In addition to the physical, medical and financial challenges they encounter, there’s an emotional toll, as well, Bross said. “It’s a terrible disease.”

It’s important to provide support to help caregivers through “their sadness and depression,” Bross said.

“It’s such a hard job,” she said.

Alzheimer’s disease
Memory loss and confusion are the main symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, but those also can be symptoms of other health conditions. A medical diagnosis is necessary to pursue appropriate treatment and to rule out other possible, sometimes reversible, conditions.

People with Alzheimer’s may experience these types of symptoms:

Cognitive: mental decline, difficulty thinking and understanding, confusion in the evening hours, delusion, disorientation, forgetfulness, making things up, mental confusion, difficulty concentrating, inability to create new memories, inability to do simple math, or inability to recognize common things

Behavioral: aggression, agitation, difficulty with self-care, irritability, meaningless repetition of own words, personality changes, restlessness, lack of restraint, or wandering and getting lost

Mood: anger, apathy, general discontent, loneliness, or mood swings

Psychological: depression, hallucination, or paranoia

Other common symptoms: inability to combine muscle movements, jumbled speech, or loss of appetite

Source: Google fact sheet

Practical tips for caregivers:

  • Join a support group.
  • Attend summits and seminars to learn about financial resources and research studies.
  • Create a binder to keep track of medical information, financial information, legal information and questions.
  • Be aware there are all sorts of potential sources for funding and research, including federal, state, county, local, universities and nonprofits.
  • Ask family members how they would like to help and divvy up the tasks, accordingly. Someone may be willing to handle providing transportation, while another provides financial support. Someone else may be able to do practical chores, such as cooking, cleaning, yard work and so on.
  • Observe the patient’s status and record it in a journal — to help keep track of the patient’s changing condition.

Practical ways to help caregivers:
If you’d like to help a caregiver of someone afflicted by Alzheimer’s disease, here are some ways you can help:

  • Offer to give them a break by volunteering to watch over the patient, while the caregiver does shopping, goes to a hair appointment or does errands. (This may not be possible based on the patient’s condition or willingness to accept your care. If that won’t work, another option would be to provide a gift of paid-for respite care.)
  • Bring over dinner or provide gift certificates for meals.
  • Watch a movie at the caregiver’s house.
  • Take some nice photographs of the caregiver and their loved one, so the caregiver will have them later.
  • Provide emotional support, through a poem or a loving letter.
  • Step in to help in practical ways, such as yard work, house work or other chores.

Source: Phyllis Bross, facilitator of the monthly Alzheimer’s support group that meets at Land O’ Lakes Branch Library

 

Other sources of help include:

  • The Alzheimer’s Association: 24-hour hotline: (800) 272-3900; or visit ALZ.org
  • The Florida Department of Elder Affairs: (800) 963-5337; or visit ElderAffairs.state.fl.us

Published November 29, 2017

Land O’ Lakes library is open on Mondays again

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Pasco County is experiencing rosier days for its 2018 budget, which began Oct. 1.

So, the good old days when Pasco County libraries were open on Mondays are on the way back.

Two libraries, including the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, had ribbon cuttings on Oct. 16 to celebrate a return to the tradition of Monday library hours.

“We’ve been advocating and advocating,” said Elayne Bassinger, who serves on the library board. “We cannot tell you how grateful we are. This is exciting.”

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore cut the ribbon to celebrate the restoration of Monday hours at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library. He was joined by Pasco County library officials, volunteers and library staff members. (Kathy Steele)

In addition to the restored hours, the Land O’ Lakes library will add five additional full-time staff members, and more activities to its monthly calendar.

Budget cuts in past years axed Monday from all library schedules.

The situation was so dire, county commissioners in 2013 considered closing two libraries: the New River Branch Library in Zephyrhills and the Centennial Park Branch Library in Holiday.

All libraries still remain closed on Sundays.

However, over the next three years, all of the county’s libraries are expected to open again on Mondays, as the county’s budget allows.

The goal is to restore library hours to the 2008 level of 40 hours a week for each library.

Land O’ Lakes restored hours on Mondays are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

It’s an extra day of the week to be open, but also adds a second day of evening hours. The library also is open the same hours on Tuesday.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore joined Bassinger, Library Administrator Nancy Fredericks, Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles and library staff members for the ribbon cutting.

After years of deep cuts to library budgets, county commissioners approved a budget for fiscal year 2018 that added in more money for libraries, and also for parks.

Libraries are valuable to communities, Moore said. In addition to books, they also provide innovative technology, including Land O’ Lakes makerspace, to help people learn.

Plus, they facilitate connections between people.

“It’s a great meeting place,” Moore said.

In addition to the Land O’ Lakes library, at 2818 Collier Parkway, the county restored Monday hours to the Regency Park Branch Library, in New Port Richey. That library also will get new staff members.

“Those are the county’s busiest libraries,” Fredericks said.

To celebrate the restored hours, Land O’ Lakes library patrons were treated to special activities, including pen turning, a silly dance party, a visit from “creepy” reptiles and invertebrates, yoga and Tai Chi.

Looking ahead, Mondays now can be filled with additional activities on a regular basis on the library’s monthly calendar, said Kathleen Rothstein, Land O’ Lakes branch manager.

Yoga and Tai Chi will be offered on alternating Monday nights. There will be a Monday Movie Matinee. The library’s Foundry, or makerspace, will be open at various times on Monday.

The Foundry has a variety of new technology including 3-D printers, state-of-the-art Computer Aided Design (CAD) equipment, an Oculus Rift virtual reality system, and an audio recording studio.

It also offers opportunities to work with traditional hand and power tools, as well as crafting tools and supplies, including yarn and thread.

Other programs scheduled on Mondays include an introduction to knitting, Autumn Candle Holder, Essential Oils, woodworking and Pumpkin Planter.

For more information on dates and times for scheduled library events at Land O’ Lakes and other branch libraries, visit PascoCountyLibraries.org.

Published October 25, 2017