The Laker/Lutz News

Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel

Avalon Park Applauds the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel

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Congratulations to the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel for being applauded by Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.

This nonprofit organization helps support local and international causes. The club has helped raise money for high school seniors, first responders, families in need, and even an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) park in Wesley Chapel.

The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel has committed to devoting its efforts over the next three years to raise $500,000 to build a therapeutic home at the Bridging Freedom campus for young girls who are victims of sex trafficking.

According to the club’s website, the Bridging Freedom campus is at a secure location in the Tampa area, and it has approval for a total of seven homes. Two of these homes have already been built with the support of the Lazy Days Employee Foundation and the Chuck Sykes Foundation. The club’s goal is that the Rotary House will be the third home.

“Raising money for the home is a huge project. But when the club heard about the human trafficking issue, we made it our mission,”  says Charane Groeller, current president of the Rotary club.

If you or someone you know is a roofer, electrician, plumber, landscaper, and/or general contractor, or has building materials, Groeller encourages you to reach out to the Rotary club to donate your time/services for this project.

The main way the Rotary club is able to help support organizations like Bridging Freedom is through fundraising events.

The club’s next big event is at the sixth annual Pasco Blues Fest Benefit Concert, which is happening this Saturday, March 12, from noon to 8 p.m., at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. Tickets are $20 at the gate, and 100% of the profits will go to the fundraising of the therapeutic home for sex-trafficking victims.

The Rotary club meets every Wednesday at Lexington Oaks, in Wesley Chapel, at noon. Meetings usually last about an hour and a half. The club currently has 78 members.

“We are a fun and vibrant club,” says Groeller. “We have bankers, realtors, insurance agents, accountants and lawyers just to name a few. We all get along pretty well. I think it’s because we all have one mission: to help the community.”

Groeller welcomes anyone interested to join. There is an application fee and quarterly dues.

For more information, go to WCRotary.com, email , or call 813- 493-1329.

Honoring the 20th anniversary of a tragic day in America

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Thirty-two-year-old Tim Read, of Wesley Chapel, is flanked by his black Labrador retriever, Shadow, and his wife, Anhdu Read. The veteran served in Afghanistan twice and received two Purple Hearts after losing his leg to an improvised explosive device, while on patrol. Shadow is a retired bomb dog the Reads adopted. (Fred Bellet)

Hundreds turned out for a special event held to honor those who perished on Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes, leading to the deaths of 2,977 killed in the attacks, as well as the 19 hijackers.

The planes were crashed into the North and South towers of the World Trade Center, and into the Pentagon. A fourth was headed toward Washington D.C., when passengers on the airplane overtook the hijackers, crashing the plane into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon’s 1-mile Memorial Run/Walk was held on the morning of Sept. 11, at the Tampa Premium Outlets. It was followed by a ceremony, which began at 8:46 a.m. — memorializing the time when the North Tower of the World Trade Center was struck.

Two plaques also were unveiled that day, recognizing the sacrifices of Deputy Michael Magli, of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and Master Police Officer Jesse Madsen, of the Tampa Police Department, who both died in the line of duty. The officers were Pasco residents.

The event also included the unveiling of a new wall to remember those who have served and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the nation’s armed forces.

Proceeds raised by the walk/run go to support scholarships for graduates from Pasco County high-schoolers, who intend to pursue careers as first responders.

To see the video of the full ceremony, visit https://www.facebook.com/rotaryclubofwesleychapel/videos/203479018382523

Published September 15, 2021

Diana Marcum, of Wesley Chapel, holds her hand over her heart, as she holds her 5-month-old dachshund, Chikuis, during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner. Diana was there with her husband, Reyes Marcum.
Looking over the new mural dedicated to our fallen heroes, U.S. Army Colonel Peter Quinn, left, shows it to World War II Veteran, Tom Dempsey, right. The new unveiled mural was dedicated to the memories of those who gave some and some who gave all. It’s in the food court area at Tampa Premium Outlets.
There were many somber moments during the 9/11 Memorial held at The Tampa Premium Outlets. Here, from left, are Fainery Spelman, 12-year-old Matthew Spelman, 9/11 responder Stephen Spelman (a former New York City fire department EMT) and Chris Casella (a former police officer with the Queen’s South Taskforce). Casella, a witness to the 9/11 tragedy, was emcee at a 20th anniversary remembrance event on the morning of Sept. 11, at Tampa Premium Outlets.

 

Marine Cpl. Ryan King, of Tampa, taps the bell signifying times on 9/11 when America was attacked. Chris Casella assists in the task. The bell was tapped once at various times for a moment of silence, for those who gave their lives to save others.
Some walkers and runners begin their trek outdoors, at the Tampa Premium Outlets. There were 240 registered participants.
Madison Lembo, of Land O’ Lakes, listens to Gary Bradford, of the Florida Police Benevolent Association, during remarks by dignitaries and guest speakers.
Pasco County Fire Rescue provided a 15-by-30 American flag for the event.
Looking over the new mural dedicated to our fallen heroes, U.S. Army Colonel Peter Quinn, left, shows it to World War II Veteran, Tom Dempsey, right. The new unveiled mural was dedicated to the memories of those who gave some and some who gave all. It’s in the food court area at Tampa Premium Outlets.

‘Stuffing the bus’ for a good cause

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Florida Penguin Productions, the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel and the Tampa Premium Outlets teamed up for a ‘Stuff the Bus’ event on Aug. 8, at Tampa Premium Outlets. The idea was to gather supplies for Pasco County Schools. A number of vendors also were there, in the courtyard of the outlet mall, and some lucky kids walked away with backpacks and other freebies.

An event to collect school supplies to help others was organized by Drew Cecere, of Florida Penguin Productions, along with the Tampa Premium Outlets and the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club. (Fred Bellet)
It wasn’t all about backpacks as Tim Crandall, a member of the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club, prepares to ‘stuff the bus’ with pens, colored pencils and various other classroom items that teachers need.
The Florida Kid Care booth bustled as the organization distributed backpacks filled with school supplies, to those attending the Stuff the Bus event.
With the Pasco County Schools’ bus reflecting in her sunglasses, Charane Groeller, president of the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club, waits with other members for walk-ups delivering school supplies to the ‘Stuff the Bus’ event.
Charane Groeller, president of the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club, sits near the cash donation jar on the table of the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club’s tent in front of the Tampa Premium Outlets.
Making his way down the narrow aisle in a school bus made for children, Drew Cecere, owner of Florida Penguin Productions, carries donated items into a Pasco County school bus.
Nine-year old Anthony Clemente emerges from the crowd carrying a free backpack he received from the Florida Kid Care booth, one of 30 vendors and businesses in the courtyard of the outlet mall. He was at the event with his parents, David and Araceli Clemente, of Clearwater.

 

 

Rotary Club wants to help the underdogs

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The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel is accepting nominations for its Community Underdog Awards.

The club wants to hear about deserving Wesley Chapel residents that go above and beyond. The nominees can include a coworker that loves his or job and routinely puts in 100% effort. Or, it could be a school custodian or mailman, a cashier at the grocery store that always greets you with a smile. Other nominees might include an outstanding parent or caregiver, or anyone else who deserves special recognition.

Awards will include gift certificates, baskets and services.

High school seniors also can be nominated for a scholarship. Feel free to submit a nomination for a hardworking, scrappy student with good character that plans on attending a vocational or traditional college.

The club also is on the lookout for residents who need help, with a yard cleanup or house painting — even if the need is a temporary circumstance.

To submit a nomination, visit WCRotary.com, and click on the Nominate Your Underdog link.

Published May 05, 2021

A festive trail leads to surprises

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Frosty the Snowman, known as Collin Stewart, 14, of Wesley Chapel, came to life and waved at children as they stopped for stocking goodies from Budget Blinds. Colton Mays, 6, and his mom, Jenafer Mays, were among the hundreds that attended the Stuff Your Stocking Drive Thru event, hosted by Wesley Chapel Rotary. (Fred Bellet)

The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel sponsored a Stuff Your Stocking Drive Thru event on Dec. 20, at Wesley Chapel District Park on Boyette Road.

Families were encouraged to wear their pajamas and bring their stockings to drive through a trail of vendor tents, and a sudsy blizzard.

The dreary weather didn’t stop an estimated 400 cars (approximately 1,200 people) from cruising through the line, for kids to have their stockings filled with goodies.

Frosty the Snowman made an appearance, and drive-thru pictures with Santa were offered, too.

A portion of the donations support the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club’s sponsorship of foster children, as well as the Underdog Fund and local scholarships.

Fifteen-year-old, Elias Deoliveira, of Plant City; Daniece Croy, 13, of Zephyrhills; and Darrion Croy, 11, of Seffner, ride in the tailgate of the family car while inspecting their stocking contents.
Members of the all-female krewe, Sirens of the Golden Sabre, were on hand for the Stuff Your Stocking Drive Thru. The group usually can be seen each year in the USF Homecoming Parade, the City of Tampa’s Santa Fest Parade, Children’s Gasparilla Extravaganza Parade, Gasparilla Piratefest Parade of Pirates, Sant’ Yago Knight Parade, Rough Rider’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the Tampa Pride Parade. They say their main goal is to assist in charitable endeavors.
From the Culver’s vendor tent, Connor Zuba, of Tampa, fills the stockings of 4-year old Jeremiah Gaghan and 10-year-old Kaleb Gaghan. The children were there with their parents, Dawn and Peter Perez, of Wesley Chapel.
Cathy Dileo, of Dileo Design and Staging in Wesley Chapel, wore a unique mask at the Stock Your Stuffing Drive Thru. Dileo said she bought the mask locally.
Four year-old, Joseph Fonseca, 4, was no different than many of the other kids who collected goodies while waiting in the car window. Joseph and his dad, Joseph Fonseca, from Wesley Chapel, were among the many that attended the Stuff Your Stocking Drive Thru event, hosted by Wesley Chapel Rotary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stepping forward to help, in time of need

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These are not normal times and the community is responding to surging needs in light of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel and Firefighters Charities of Pasco joined together to purchase $10,000 of nonperishable food items, as well as toilet paper, tissues and paper towels — to help Pasco County seniors.

Helpers in a food drive effort sort out food. (Courtesy of Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel)

The two groups collaborated with Pasco County Senior Services’ center based in Land O’ Lakes, to ensure seniors in the Central Pasco community are helped during this unique time in the history of the United States.

The Land O’ Lakes senior center serves 84 seniors, Monday through Friday.

The food drive organizers also partnered with a local food pantry operated in the Angus Valley community of Wesley Chapel, by Life Church. The pantry is located at Life Community Center.

The donated food bags include pasta, yellow rice, black beans, fruit cups, applesauce, tomato sauce, cereal, oatmeal, tuna, fruit snacks, animal crackers, white kidney beans, chewy bars and cookies.

The pantry items, which are in large bulk, include tuna, pasta, animal crackers, fruit cups, ravioli, beans, cereal and pasta sauce.

Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel and the Firefighters Charity of Pasco teamed up to feed the hungry, to help ensure that elderly people and those suffering from financial hardships have access to food during these trying times. (Courtesy of Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel)

Goodwill Industries Suncoast Inc., also is stepping forward to help collect food during this record time of unemployment. They are collecting food for Feeding Tampa Bay’s community food outreach program.

All Goodwill-Suncoast retail stores in Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties will be collection points for nonperishable food donations.

Items most needed include canned fruits and vegetables, peanut butter and canned chicken.

Those wishing to help are asked to leave donated items in carts outside of the stores.

The food drive is being conducted April 15 through April 30. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m., on Sunday. For store locations, visit Goodwill-suncoast.org/store-locations/.

While some groups are focusing on food needs, volunteers from the GFWC Wesley Chapel Woman’s Club are making masks for first responders.

Numerous members are involved with picking up and dropping off supplies they can find, to allow the mask production to continue.

Meanwhile, employees of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office are making a point to purchase items at local businesses to help them weather the financial blow the pandemic has caused, and Sheriff Chris Nocco and members of his team are featured in department videos, offering suggestions intended to help people through the crisis.

Volunteers with the GFWC Woman’s Club of Wesley Chapel are working around the clock to make masks for first responders. Shown here are some of the masks they made. (Courtesy of GFWC Woman’s Club of Wesley Chapel)

“We don’t know how long this will last. I know people are frustrated being at home. They’re frustrated by being on the couch, and especially for parents having those little ones constantly running around.

“But, please continue to follow the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines. Stay at home. Keep social distancing. If you’re sick, stay inside and quarantine yourself,” Nocco said. “We have to do this to flatten the curve because it’s not going to be over next week. It’s an extended period of time.

Nocco also informed the public that they will be seeing deputies wearing masks.

“They have the option, like you, to follow the CDC guidelines. Please understand, it doesn’t mean they have symptoms of COVID-19, nor the person they are interacting with has symptoms of COVID-19.

These are some of the volunteers from the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel and the Firefighters Charity of Pasco who helped in the food drive to feed the hungry. (Courtesy of Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel)

“They’re just taking precautions like they want to, like you can, following the CDC guidelines.

The sheriff also encouraged parents to keep a close eye on the social media their children are using.

“Be nosy. Get involved,” he urged parents. “Unfortunately, we’ve found incidents where young girls, under age, were meeting up with adult males. So, please get on those social media sites. Know what they are doing.”

The sheriff’s office also has videos featuring department employees talking about the issues of maintaining mental health and de-escalating stressful situations during these difficult times.

To find out more, visit the department’s Facebook Page and click on the videos tab.

Local sources of help include:

Feeding Tampa Bay
Visit the website to find a pantry: FeedingTampaBay.org/find-a-pantry/

Life Community Center, 6542 Applewood Drive, Wesley Chapel
Services available include:

  • Laundry and showers for the homeless by appointment. Call (813) 994-0685.
  • Drive-thru hot meal Tuesday, from noon to 1 p.m.
  • Limited access to printing and faxing as needed. Call (813) 994-0685.
  • Food ministry/pantry drive-thru, Friday from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Emergency food boxes on case-by-case basis. Call (813) 994-0685.

TelePals

  • Free program that provides telephone reassurance to seniors
  • If you enjoy, value and love our seniors, if you love listening to their great stories or heartfelt advice, if you love engaging in conversation and knowing that you are bringing happiness to a senior simply by listening and caring on the phone – this may be just the volunteer opportunity you’ve been seeking.
  • Go to TelePalNow.org to apply to be a TelePal (A person who makes a phone call) or a TeleClient (A person who receives a call).
  • Training, a background check and monthly crosschecks are required for all participants.
  • Volunteers must be at least 18 for this program, which operates in Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.

Want to help?
A new effort has started in Pasco County that’s part of a national initiative.

The Pasco chapter of the Frontline Appreciation Group, FLAG2020Pasco, is raising money to hire local restaurants to prepare meals for frontline employees working in intensive care units in hospitals.

“You know it brings a smile to our frontline workers and it helps our local restaurants in these challenging times,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, who is calling attention to the effort.

To find out more, check the Facebook Group, FLAG2020Pasco.

Published April 15, 2020

Chance conversation leads to permanent memorial

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What began as an idea to host a  9/11 Memorial Mile, quickly turned into something bigger because of a chance conversation.

Penelope Bastidas, the widow of 9/11 first responder Lt. Mario Bastidas, uses large scissors during the ribbon cutting to unveil the first permanent 9/11 memorial in Pasco County. Bastidas flew in from New York to attend the event. (Christine Holtzman)

In recent years, the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel has been honoring the anniversary of Sept. 11 by serving breakfasts to area first responders and by passing out American flags at Tampa Premium Outlets.

This year, the club decided to stage its first run to commemorate Sept. 11.

But, that idea morphed into something bigger during planning stages for that run.

Chris Casella, president of the Rotary Club, recalled that during a discussion, Rhonda Clark, the mall’s director of marketing and business development, mentioned that a guy had dropped by Tampa Premium Outlets recently, wanting to donate a piece of metal from a New York Fire Department truck destroyed in the terror attacks.

Rotarian Arlene Brooks belts out her rendition of the National Anthem before the start of the inaugural 9/11 Memorial Mile. (Christine Holtzman)

Casella asked Clark: “Is his name Steve?”

Clark answered yes.

“That’s my old partner!” Casella exclaimed.

From that point on, the conversation shifted beyond discussing the run.

The mall offered to donate 25 linear feet of wall space inside the food court for the first permanent 9/11 memorial site in Pasco County.

And, the event expanded to include a dedication ceremony for the new memorial.

The memorial commemorates a day that is seared into the nation’s collective memory.

Penelope Bastidas, of New York, left, and Stephen Spelman, of Wesley Chapel, support each other with a hug, during a moment of silence before the ceremony to unveil a permanent 9/11 memorial at the Tampa Premium Outlets. Bastidas’ husband, Lt. Mario Bastidas, was a paramedic with the New York Fire Department. He passed away in 2017 from a 9/11-related cancer. Spelman was an EMT with the NYFD and is a 9/11 survivor. Also pictured: Spelman’s 10-year-old son, Mathew, second from right, and Rotarian Eric Johnson. (Christine Holtzman)

On Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners — resulting in 2,977 deaths in New York City, Washington D.C., and outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Remembering the day is deeply personal for Casella.

When terrorists flew into New York’s Twin Towers, Casella was an officer with the New York Police Department.

Because of a work-related injury, he was on limited duty that day, so wasn’t part of the chaos at Ground Zero, he said. He has, however, suffered deep personal losses.

On the day of the attacks, he lost his friend, Brian McDonald, a fellow officer who dressed just three lockers down from him.

Now, 18 years later, he has lost several friends who died from cancer — resulting from exposure to hazardous conditions at Ground Zero.

The permanent display at the mall includes a piece of metal salvaged from the New York Fire Department’s Ladder Truck 18. (Mary Rathman)

The permanent display at the mall includes a piece of metal salvaged from the New York Fire Department’s Ladder Truck 18. The truck became known as Fort Pitt because its entire crew survived by diving beneath it during the North Tower’s collapse.

Metal from the truck was donated by Stephen Spelman, whom Casella met during the late 1980s, when they worked as EMTs on an ambulance in New York.

Spelman, now retired, lives in Wesley Chapel.

He narrowly escaped death, when the North Tower began collapsing. He ran one way, while others ran another — and he never saw them again.

(Mary Rathman)

Spelman was invited to the Motts Military Museum in Groveport, Ohio, to share his story of survival. But, with Hurricane Irma in the forecast, he wasn’t able to make it.

Even though he didn’t make the appearance, the museum gave him the piece of metal that’s now on display at the mall.

Spelman said he tried for two years to find a permanent home to display the piece, until someone suggested that he approach Tampa Premium Outlets. As a result, he said, what initially felt like a burden, has turned out to be a great gift.

Last weekend’s event began with a memorial run, but there were a great number of walkers, too.

When a Pasco County Fire Rescue Truck blew its horn, signifying the start of the run,
participants raced off in high gear from the starting line. (Christine Holtzman)

There was a moment of silence before Stephen Spelman’s 10-year-old son, Mathew, rang a bell, at 8:46 a.m., to mark the time when the North Tower was struck.

Another high point of the day was a “Missing Man” flyby maneuver performed by a Pasco Sheriff’s Office helicopter.

Scores of Rotarians, elected leaders and members of the public attended the memorial dedication.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, Pasco County commissioners Mike Moore, Jack Mariano and Mike Wells, and other speakers, including Casella, offered remarks.

Seven-year-old Cole Roberge Pierce (in blue shirt), a member of Cub Scouts Pack 149, hands out flags to runners, as they cross the finish line. Boy Scouts Troop 149 members also were passing out flags. (Christine Holtzman)

“As a New York City Police officer, I feel it’s my obligation,” Casella began, before being overcome with emotion. He composed himself, then added, in a softer voice, “to keep their memories live.”

Others were at the event, to pay tribute to the fallen, including several family members of New York City first responders.

Penelope Bastidas, the widow of Lt. Mario Bastidas (a paramedic with the New York Fire Department), flew in from New York to cut the ribbon at the ceremony. Her husband passed away in 2017 from a 9/11-related illness.

Now that the permanent memorial is in place, the Rotary Club plans to create a perpetual wall of heroes, each year honoring a  local hero from the community.

Published September 11, 2019

Attend a Kentucky Derby party, and help local groups

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Celebrate the Kentucky Derby and raise money for area rotary clubs and the Pasco Education Foundation.

The event, which is open to the public, is set for May 4 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Guests will have a chance to roll cigars and dance to music by the Strictly Bizness band.

Those who enjoy donning fancy attire can also compete for awards for the best hat or best dressed contests.

Among many fun activities at the Kentucky Derby Party, guests can try their luck at the casino table. This year’s event will be on May 4 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Courtesy of Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel)

Winners will be able to take home bragging rights, and prizes.

“The nice thing is everybody can get dressed up in their derby finest,” said Rebecca Smith, member of the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel.

There will be a southern cuisine buffet, and drinks available at the bar.

Two auctions will be offered as well. Commemorative items, such as sports memorabilia, will be sold at the live auction, while the silent auction will offer an array of items donated by the community.

And, of course, those attending can cheer on their favorite horses and jockeys, as the Kentucky Derby will be broadcast on numerous television screens.

The function is being hosted jointly by the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel and the Rotary Club of Dade City.

It will be held at the Waller Ranch, at 17307 Powerline Road in Dade City.

Proceeds will help raise money for both rotary clubs, and will benefit the Pasco Education Foundation.

Tickets can be purchased online for $75 or at the door for $100.

For additional information or tickets, visit HatsAndHorses2019.eventbrite.com.

Rebecca Smith may also be contacted at (307) 851-4312 or at .

Hats and Horses – Kentucky Derby Party
Where: Waller Ranch, 17307 Powerline Road, Dade City
When: May 4 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost: $75 online or $100 at the door
Details: Come celebrate the Kentucky Derby with a buffet, contests for the best dressed and best hats, and auctions.
Info: For tickets, visit HatsAndHorses2019.eventbrite.com. For further inquiries, contact Rebecca Smith at (307) 851-4312 or at .

Published May 01, 2019

Girl Scouts rejuvenate Karina’s Garden

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Step into the garden behind the administrative offices of Sunrise of Pasco, in Dade City, and you’ll find a place where flowers, plants, butterflies and statuary offer a place of repose and refreshment.

You’ve arrived at Karina’s Garden.

Those visiting Sunrise of Pasco’s office in Dade City have a chance to spend a little time behind the building in Karina’s Garden, which has been rejuvenated by Girl Scout Troop 1263. (B.C. Manion)

The garden initially was established in 2008 to honor Karina Abdul, a former shelter director for Sunrise of Pasco who died unexpectedly at the age of 29.

Over the years, plants became sparse and weeds took over.

So, when Troop No. 1263, of Wesley Chapel, was looking for a way to complete the requirements for a Girl Scout Silver Award, giving new life to the garden seemed to be an ideal project.

The trio of Girl Scouts — Paige and Kaitlin Traboulay, and Alyssa Duran — heard about Karina’s Garden from Kelly Mothershead, of the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel, who has worked with the girls on other projects.

“They decided they wanted to come in and transform this space. That’s what they did,” said Vicki Wiggins, director of development for Sunrise.

Follow the mulched path to find a relaxing seat on a newly installed bench, in Karina’s Garden. (B.C. Manion)

The Girl Scouts, their parents and other volunteers rolled up their sleeves and got busy. They ripped out weeds, built mulch paths, added pavers, painted fences, installed benches and added plants.

They celebrated the garden’s completion at a gathering in August. Besides the volunteers, friends and Sunrise staff members, local members of Karina’s family were there, too.

“The family was thrilled,” Wiggins said.

Wiggins is impressed by the volunteers’ commitment.

“They’ve been raising money for about a year. They came out. They took pictures and designed it all,” she said.

“Apparently, Karina loved butterflies, so they made sure they incorporated a lot of plants (that attract butterflies),” Wiggins said.

“They did a really great job picking out things. I think the parents worked as hard as the kids.

Paige Traboulay paints some of the detail work on a door, which creates an inviting focal point in the garden. (Courtesy of Roger Traboulay)

“They started the weekend after July Fourth,” Wiggins said. “Everything that you can see that’s not a weed, they’ve added.

“They put the pavers in. They put this structure here that has the birdhouse on it. They added the fencing here. They repainted the wall. They added the butterflies (decorations).”

Local artist Lisa Tesla volunteered her talents to give a new look to a dilapidated wooden door in the garden that had been covered in weeds and vines. Her artistry transformed the door into an inviting focal point.

Chris Wirt, of A All Animal Control of Tampa Bay, cleared the garden of two black racer snakes before the trio of scouts got to work.

Sunil Mohammed, of Totally Blu H2O, stepped up to provide garden tools.

A colorful birdhouse invites feathered friends to drop by and stay awhile in Karina’s Garden. (B.C. Manion)

Another volunteer, Karen Weiss, made the sign that credits the people who helped on the project.

Paige Traboulay said the girls began planning the project at the end of last year.

“We walked in the garden, and we saw how big it was and how much needed to be done,” said the 12-year-old, who attends John Long Middle School.

“We asked them what Karina liked. They said she liked butterflies, so we tried to focus on that. So, there’s a butterfly on the door, and there are butterflies on the fences.”

There are butterfly plants in the garden, as well.

Kaitlin Traboulay, who attends Land O’ Lakes High School, said the work was mostly done by her family and Alyssa’s family over the course of two weekends.

Thirteen-year-old Alyssa, who attends John Long Middle School, said it was hard work, and it was hot.

When they finished, she said, “I was especially happy because that meant no more bug bites.”

Alyssa Duran works on a planter in a garden at Sunrise of Pasco in Dade City. (Courtesy of Roger Traboulay)

Paige added: “After the project was done, there was these butterflies flying around to each station. We thought it was her (Karina).”

The garden now provides a place to take a break and enjoy nature, Wiggins said.

“Sometimes the office can generate anxiety and a lot of stress for folks. This is a place where they can de-stress. They can just sit and watch the butterflies, and relax.

“It’s beautiful. I’m so happy they did this. They brought it back to life,” Wiggins said.

 

Garden Restoration and beautification
Girl Scout Troop 1263 Silver Award Project July 2017
Troop members: Kaitlin and Paige Traboulay, and Alyssa Duran

Made possible with the help of:

  • Andrew Abdul, donor
  • Suni Mohammed of Totally Blue H20
  • Chris Wirt of A All Animal Control of Tampa Bay
  • Lisa Tesla, artist
  • Families and close friends
  • T’Weiss as Nice

Published September 6, 2017

Land O’ Lakes site aims to improve forensic research

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Pasco County had a dedication ceremony for a 5-acre field that will be used to advance forensic research and aid in criminal investigations.

The “body farm” is next to the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center, off U.S. 41. A separate forensics and training facility also is being planned near the body farm site.

A monument sign was unveiled on May 12 at a dedication ceremony for the Adam Kennedy Forensics Field. The ‘body farm’ is part of a project to build a forensics research and training center next to Pasco County’s jail.
(Courtesy of Pasco County Sheriff’s Office)

The field has been named the Adam Kennedy Forensics Field, in honor of the former principal of Crews Lake Middle School, who died in a car accident while driving to work in January.

His body was the first one donated to the body farm.

“There is so much bittersweet about this,” said Abigail Kennedy, the principal’s wife, as she spoke during a May 12 ceremony.

Officials from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, county commissioners, and Dr. Erin Kimmerle of the University of South Florida’s Institute of Forensic Anthropology & Applied Science (IFAAS) also were there, as the sign for the field was unveiled.

Adam Kennedy wanted to leave his body to science, Abigail Kennedy said, noting that before her husband died, the couple had discussed possible options, including donating to a medical school.

She said her husband wanted to do something “dedicated to making people’s lives better.”

She contacted USF about the plans underway for the body farm and forensics facility to ask if her husband’s body could be the first donation.

“All I could think was this couldn’t be more perfect,” she said. “This is so cool. This is so Adam.”

The campus of the Florida Forensics Institute for Research & Tactical Training, or F.I.R.S.T., is expected to become a national and international hub for research in the field of forensic science.

The body farm and forensics facility will be the seventh in the nation to study body decomposition as a tool in solving crimes, and identifying victims of murder or other trauma.

The University of Tennessee, in Knoxville, opened the first facility of this type during the 1970s.

The former principal’s body will be buried and later exhumed for research.

So far, about 30 people have preregistered with USF for body donations.

Project partners include the sheriff’s office, Pasco County, Pasco-Hernando State College and the IFAAS.

Kimmerle and USF are well-known for their work in identifying bodies found in unmarked graves at the former Dozier School for Boys in Marianna.

The forensics building at F.I.R.S.T. will be the Thomas Varnadoe Forensic Center for Education and Research. Varnadoe’s body was among those recovered and identified at the grave site at the Dozier school.

Pasco’s campus will include a laboratory, classrooms, a morgue and evidence storage. Virtual autopsies with 3-D scanning and chemical isotope analysis will be done. Other activities will focus on legal medicine, forensic intelligence, aviation reconstruction and cyber forensics.

A tactical training facility for the sheriff’s K-9 unit and the Pasco Unified SWAT team also is planned.

About $200,000 in funding for this facility is being aided through a local campaign spearheaded by the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel.

State funds of about $4.3 million for the forensics and research facility are included in the 2018 budget approved by Florida legislators. But, as of The Laker/Lutz News’ publication deadline, Gov. Rick Scott had not yet decided whether to sign the budget bill.

Scott has expressed displeasure with the budget and could opt to use his line item veto, veto the education portion of the budget or veto the entire budget.

The project will go forward whatever the decision, according to sheriff’s office officials. If the appropriation isn’t approved this year, another request will be made in the 2019 state budget or other sources of money will be sought, they said.

Published May 31, 2017