Most Of Wesley Chapel Spared From The Worst Of Hurricane Irma’s Wrath

Scenes similar to this one in nearby Dade City were common across Pasco County, although Hurricane Irma inflicted less damage on Wesley Chapel than many other areas. (Photo: Brandi Whitehurst, PIO for Santa Rosa County Emergency Management.)

In the days leading up to the arrival of Hurricane Irma, one of the most devastating storms to ever threaten Florida, the frenzy was real.

Bottled water, plywood and food flew off the shelves at local stores, days before Irma touched down. Roads were clogged with evacuees heading for higher ground or, as the storm got closer, local shelters. Gasoline was practically drained from every station from Miami to Atlanta, GA.

“We were scared. Everyone was scared,’’ said Meadow Pointe III resident Inelia Semonick. “Waiting for it made everyone nervous.”

The waiting, as it turned out, was the hardest part for most Wesley Chapel residents.

After making landfall and devastating the Florida Keys and Naples as a Category 5 storm, Irma moved up the Florida peninsula and lost much of her power, hitting the Tampa Bay area as a Category 2 hurricane. It still delivered a blast of howling winds, rain and the snap, crackle and pop of tree branches breaking off, but did minimal damage to most of  our area, although plenty of clean-up remains and flooding continues to plague the east and west sides of the county a week after the storm.

“This is not over, we’ve got a long way to go,’’ said Kevin Guthrie, Pasco’s assistant county administrator for public safety. “I told our teams, when we go into recovery mode, that’s when we usually have problems with the community and neighbors. We are always judged by the recovery, not always by the response.”

The 26 shelters throughout Pasco County were able to release some of their 24,100 occupants the morning after the storm. Residents returned home to find trees uprooted, fences down and the power out.

While most power in Wesley Chapel was restored, even as the Neighborhood News went to press on Sept. 15, there were still hundreds of local residents still waiting.

The four power companies that service Pasco County — Duke Energy, Tampa Electric Company, Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative and Sumter Electric Cooperative — reported a high of 217,382 addresses without power, out of 261,000 total addresses, or 83 percent.

As of Sept. 14, that number was down to 51,847, or just 19 percent.

“While Hurricane Irma could have been much worse,’’ Pasco County administrator Dan Biles said, “she still left quite a mess across the county.”

(l.-r.) Meadow Pointe III residents Javier Casillas, Ernie Rodriguez, Gary Suris and Nick Casillas begin cutting up the second of three trees they removed on Beardsley Dr. (Photo courtesy of Inelia Semonick).

The county says that, at the peak of storm damage, 749 roads were closed, but that number was down to 126 by the end of last week.

County crews leapt into action to meet the demands of residents across Pasco.

“Awe-inspiring efforts,’’ said Biles, citing the work of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), the Pasco School District, local charities like the Salvation Army, the county’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and others. “Our partners throughout the community have really helped us through this and allowed to get us where we are today.”

The community also has been lauded for its response. As residents returned to homes, or opened their doors Monday morning to assess the damage, many immediately went to work checking on their neighbors and lending plenty of helping hands.

A Few Local Stories

Robert Castillo II rode out the storm in Westbrook Estates with his fiancé, Brittany Velez, and 10-month-old son Robert III. Castillo said that having a newborn to care for heightened the anxiety of the storm.

Like many, he was relieved when he opened his front door Monday morning.

“The anticipation was crazy,’’ said the Wesley Chapel realtor, “but we didn’t get the full brunt of the storm by any means.”

Robert turned to helping his parents, who live in Zephyrhills and had a tree downed, as well as neighbors who needed to clean up and dispose of sandbags.

In Meadow Pointe III, Ernie Rodriguez joined neighbors Gary Saris and Javier and Nick Casillas in clearing a fallen tree from busy Beardsley Dr., using a chainsaw to cut the limbs and move them to the side so traffic could pass. A few yards down the road was another tree, and after that, another tree.

“We did enough to clear the road,’’ Rodriguez said, who then returned home to check on an elderly neighbor. “That’s what people do, right? They help out in times like this.”

Many others across the area joined in, swapping generators, providing their homes to those without power who might just need a shower, and teaming up to clear away debris. Local businesses rushed to re-open so power-free people could eat, with many offering ice to their fellow residents.

District 2 Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, who lives in Seven Oaks, said he was moved by the outpouring of support in the area he represents.

“It’s been a joy to watch how the community has come together and answered the call,’’ said Moore, who used social media to rally people to Wesley Chapel High to help load wheelchairs, beds, oxygen tanks and other equipment into trucks to help those with special needs, especially the elderly, return to their homes.

“I’ve been getting calls, texts and messages on Facebook, from people asking what can I do, what do you need?,’’ Moore said five days after the storm ventured north of our area. “It’s never ending.”

Wesley Chapel Nissan, which already was organizing a drive to collect supplies for Hurricane Harvey victims in Texas before Irma hit, ended up diverting a large portion of those non-perishable foodstuffs, water and more to the National Guard soldiers who were stationed on S.R. 54 in the parking lot of the former Target store near the Suncoast Pkwy.

“We had local people in need,” said WC Nissan’s Troy Stevenson. “And, so many people pitched in to help,” including Comm. Moore and Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce president Hope Allen.   

For the most part, there seems to be relief that the most dangerous storm — and certainly the most hyped storm — in more than a decade seems to have only grazed an area that was forecasted at various times to be directly in the path of Irma’s eye.

The Norlands, who live in Quail Hollow, didn’t realize just how much damage Hurricane Irma did to their home until the day after the storm. (Photo: Cristy Norland)

But, the relief and rosy post-hurricane outlooks are hard to read for some residents, especially those in the Quail Hollow and Angus Valley areas of Wesley Chapel, which traditionally experience flooding after storms.

In their preparation for Irma, Cristy and Josh Norland, who run the Bacon Boss food truck and live on Quail Hollow Blvd. just past Cypress Creek, piled sandbags two feet high to protect the home they rent from expected flooding. Inside, Cristy put her more valuable and treasured items, like her dining room table, up on bricks.

The Norlands, including daughters Bria (13), Cassi (11) and Anni (7), weathered the storm at her mother’s house 10 minutes away, and were surprised that the storm passed by without doing nearly the damage they had expected.

When they returned to their home the next morning, however, their relief was quickly washed away by what they saw.

“I just about a had a heart attack when I turned the corner and saw what is now a lake,’’ Cristy says. “It was like a bad scene from a movie. There was water all around the house, two feet deep. I knew right away the sandbags hadn’t done any good.”

Inside, however, the water was only two inches deep, and hadn’t yet breached the surface above the bricks, providing the Norlands with some relief.

“I thought, ‘Thank God we had the precaution to put some things on bricks,’’ says Cristy, who returned to her mother’s house to call her landlord.

When she returned to her house four hours later, another shock: the water in Cypress Creek had continued to rise. The water was up to her thighs in the driveway, it had risen past her windows, and those bricks she had perched important items on? “Comical,’’ she says.

She adds that she saw tadpoles swim by and earthworms float through as she waded through her kitchen. While the food truck was safe, moved before the storm to her mother’s house, the Norlands run their business out of their home and stored much of their commercial equipment in the garage.

The waters, which Cristy says “turned little old Cypress Creek into a raging river,” were devastating.

“A total loss,’’ she said. Her church helped them salvage what they could, but Cristy says ¾ of the house went to the dump.

The Thursday after the storm (Sept. 14), the Bacon Bus food truck had its first gig in two weeks in Lakeland.

The forecast called for rain.

Pipeline Swimming Growing Into One Of Tampa Bay’s Biggest & Best Swim Clubs

Swimming has always been a part of Rene Piper’s life.

She was in the pool at age 4. She swam competitively in her youth, starred on her high school team in her native Indiana, and earned a scholarship to college. She cut her coaching teeth in Sarasota, where she was a successful club coach who also started the swimming program at Lakewood Ranch High, leading it to three high school county championships. Her daughters also have been college swimmers.

So, when she was asked to take over a loose collection of swimmers in New Tampa who couldn’t seem to keep a coach longer than six months, Rene jumped at the challenge.

What started as 11 swimmers in 2013 is now 111 strong as the Pipeline Swimming Club — which has its largest of three training locations at the pool at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club, has become Tampa Bay’s fastest-growing swim club.

It was a tragedy that originally brought Piper to Tampa Palms, as previous coach Alex Richardson left to take over at Westchase after its popular director of aquatics Kelley Allen was murdered, devastating the Tampa-area swimming community.

“They just wanted me to help,” Piper says. “There were four or five hundred swimmers (in Tampa) that were just in shock. Some of what we did was grief counseling.”

At the time, Piper was an assistant at St. Petersburg Aquatics under head coach Fred Lewis. Lewis had close ties to the Tampa club swimming community, and asked Piper if she wanted to head north and start the biggest and best swimming club in Tampa.

That may have seemed ludicrous, considering at the time there was some doubt about whether the club would even survive. Piper moved to Tampa Palms, just a half mile from the pool at the country club, and got to work.

“I really felt at home (in Tampa Palms),” Piper says. “They welcomed me in and after they’d gone through four coaches in three years. I saw it as a challenge to grow the team.”

Now, four-and-a-half years later, the club boasts 240 swimmers training at three different facilities in Tampa Palms, New Port Richey and Eastlake Woodlands.

Piper, who swam for legendary coach Doc Councilman at Indiana University in Bloomington, has brought in top coaches to help build the program and develop swimmers, like Peter Banks, former head coach and director of aquatics for the Brandon Swim & Tennis Club (BSAC) and the Blue Wave Swim Team. One of his former students, three-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist Brooke Bennett, is also on the staff at Pipeline, as well as former FSU and South African National Team swimmer Jared Pike.

With that kind of instruction, Pipeline is shooting high.

“They had four coaches who all stayed around for six months and said there was no talent in Tampa Palms, and I thought that was absolutely not true,’’ Piper says. “We think we’ll have 6-8 kids going to Olympic trials in Omaha in 2019.”

West Meadows resident Vanessa Goldblum is one of the assistant coaches, and one of the rising stars in the Pipeline program is Goldblum’s daughter McKaley.

Goldblum swam for Banks’ Blue Wave swimming program for 11 years, starring for Durant High in Plant City and at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. McKaley is a sophomore on Freedom High’s swim team.

“The first time I brought McKaley here, she just loved it,” Goldblum said. “The sport is a huge part of our lives and having Peter (Banks) here is fantastic. The staff at Pipeline is amazing and it’s like we’re one, big, happy family.”

McKaley, unlike Piper, wasn’t in the pool at four years old. Rather, she was a volleyball player much of her young athletic life, and only came out for swimming this past January. However, her rise has been meteoric. Piper projects McKaley will be a finalist (in the top 8) at the high school state meet in either the 100m or 200m freestyle distances, or both.

At McKaley’s first high school meet of the season, she won both the 200m  freestyle and the 100m backstroke.

“At that first competition, I was scared,’’ McKaley says. “But I talked with the coaches and they made me feel comfortable. They push me, but I have a lot of support from them. They make me want to get up in the morning.”

Abigail Leisure, McKaley’s teammate at Freedom, also is a member of Pipeline. Leisure is particularly strong in the breaststroke and Piper thinks she’ll be in the top three in the state in the event. Pipeline also has swimmers competing for Wharton, King, all three Wesley Chapel high schools and others.

Carly Joerin, a 14-year-old Liberty Middle schooler, was one of the original 11 swimmers that Piper inherited at Tampa Palms. Her mother Tibbie Farnsworth says that without Piper, the program would have never survived, and because of Piper, her daughter has thrived.

“I think its their approach,’’ Farnsworth said. “They are involved in the kids’ lives. And they make it fun for the kids. It’s competitive, but it’s fun. They work hard because it’s fun. They brought in a great coaching staff that has the same philosophy.”

It’s the little touches, Farnsworth says, like noticing when someone has had their braces taken off, asking about a test in school or even having nicknames for the swimmers. When Carly showed up for 5 a.m. practice on Aug. 31, her 14th birthday, the coaches were there with a cake.

“Isn’t that awesome?,’’ Farnsworth says.

Pipeline isn’t just a club for competitive swimmers, Piper says. The club offers mommy-and-me swim classes for toddlers. There is a Scare D Cats program for adults who are non-swimmers. There are active Pipeline members from five years old to 64.

“Youth swimming programs are a perfect place to find an identity,” Pike said. “Being part of a club became my identity and I stuck with it. It teaches dedication, discipline, life lessons and there’s benefit to the social aspect of it. A swimming friend is a friend for life.”

Pipeline holds tryouts every Monday and Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club pool at 5811 Tampa Palms Blvd. For more information, visit PipelineSwimming.com, or call 941-737-4455.

Tampa Palms Resident Is FBLA’s New National President!

You’d probably expect the president of an international organization with more than 250,000 members to be professional, articulate and passionate about his role and vision for his organization.

What you might not expect is that he would be just 17 years old, and still in high school.

Max Michel is all of the above, having recently been elected as president of the national Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) organization.

“I serve our 250,000 members and work with other officers to create programs for our members,” Max explains. “I also work with the national board of directors, comprised of educators, CEOs, industry representatives and other professionals, to help steer the long-term strategies for the organization as a whole.”

Max has lived with his family in Tampa Palms since 2005, before he entered kindergarten at Chiles Elementary. He then attended Liberty Middle School. When it was time for high school, he chose the magnet program at Middleton High, located on N. 22nd St. in Tampa.

It was through his FBLA chapter at Middleton that Max pursued the chance to lead the national organization. He was elected president during the group’s National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, CA, on July 2, and immediately began his one-year term.

The National Leadership Conference comes after the District and State conferences. “FBLA gives students the opportunity to compete on District, State and National levels in 65 different events that cover everything from public speaking to healthcare,” Max says. “It allows students to find their niche.”

He adds that every year, the national competition is “awe-inspiring. There are about 13,000 people there, and you see diverse faces and cultures and backgrounds and how hard they all work to have made it that far.”

In 2016, Max placed second in FBLA’s national computer problem solving competition. This year, he didn’t compete so that he could focus on campaigning for national president.

First, he had to qualify on the state level, where he was chosen to be the candidate for president from the state of Florida. He went up against candidates from Oregon and Arizona for the national honor.

While Max only campaigned during the conference itself, he did a lot to prepare, including writing the speech he would give at a general session in front of all of the attendees.

As a freshman, Max had run for District office and, when it was time to give his speech in front of a much smaller crowd, he says he completely forgot it. “I blanked out,” he says. “It was so embarrassing.”

But, that was one of the things that spurred him to work on his public speaking and other skills.

“I grew a lot because of the leadership skills I’ve learned through FBLA,” says Max. So much so, that he says his school’s FBLA chapter adviser, Tayo Akinrefon, recommended that Max run for national president going into his senior year. “I thought he was joking, but he was super serious,” Max says. “That inspired me.”

“I worked on my public speaking a lot,” he adds. “Despite me not being the best speaker, I can connect with people on a genuine and authentic level, and I definitely have that desire to connect, regardless of culture or race or background.”

So, Max worked to make those connections with people at the conference, and this time, he was able to give the speech he had prepared without freezing or forgetting it.

When the voting was over, Max had won.

He says that has a specific goal for his time in office.

“I want to reach out to urban communities, which are currently underserved by FBLA,” he says. “Our end goal is to reach as many students as possible. We partner with other leadership programs and we want to offer resources for schools that are harder hit by issues such as poverty.” In the long-term, he says, that would mean allocating funds to charter chapters in those currently underserved areas.

He says that across the nation, there are some large cities that only have one or two FBLA chapters. Even his own school has room to grow in that area. “Most of our membership comes from the magnet program, and we want to diversify,” he says.

A Born Leader

Max comes from a large family, one of seven siblings, and he and his older brother are close enough in age that they both will graduate from high school this year. Alejandro, whom Max calls Alex, is currently a senior at Freedom High. Max says he and Alex are hoping to both attend Florida State University in Tallahassee next year. The two high school boys have two older sisters and an older brother, as well as two younger brothers, ages three and five.

He says being one of seven siblings has helped his leadership skills, whether it’s dividing up chores for the week or taking turns babysitting. “Being part of a big family, I’ve learned things like how to speak up for myself and being ready to help when needed,” he adds.

While he doesn’t yet know what career he’ll pursue after college, he’s sure of one thing. “Whatever job I have,” he says. “I want to make a lasting influence on people’s lives and do whatever I can to help others.”

Special: 2017 WESLEY CHAPEL AREA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Last year was a banner season for high school football in Wesley Chapel. Wiregrass Ranch High went 7-3 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2010, while Wesley Chapel High went 7-2 and just barely missed the postseason. There’s a new kid on the block this year, Cypress Creek Middle High, so expect things to get even more interesting in local “Friday Night Lights.” |  STORY and PHOTOS By Andy Warrener and John C. Cotey

WCH’s Isaiah Bolden is a lockdown CB and playmaker at QB.

WESLEY CHAPEL HIGH (7-2 last year, 5-2 in Class 5A, District 8)

If you had to rank the three teams in Wesley Chapel to start the season, the Wildcats would have to be No. 1. They have lots of experience, and while they will likely feel the effects of losing players to Cypress Creek in the coming years, it won’t be this season.

WCH is locked and loaded. The Wildcats lost their two biggest games last season, key district meetings against Zephyrhills and River Ridge in back-to-back weeks, but still won seven games in 2017, or, one more game than they had in four previous seasons….combined!

Head coach Tony Egan enters his second season at WCH with some holes to fill on the offensive and defensive lines, but has some prime talent at key positions.

Oregon and Florida State recruit Isaiah Bolden, a top DB prospect, will also play QB this year. Bolden’s ability to run makes a rushing attack that accumulated more than 2,200 yards and 32 touchdowns on the ground even more dangerous.

But he can throw a little too, and completed all of his spring passes to WR Justin Trapnell, including a 58-yard touchdown.

RB Dexter Leverett, a 1,249-yard rusher last season, could repeat or improve upon his 2016 numbers, though he may not have to, with Bolden and backfield mate Malik Melvin, who also has 1,000-yard potential.

Junior OL Seth Petty, senior LB Austen Wittish and Melvin, who also plays DB, were all All-Sunshine Athletic Conference performers last year.

The icing on the cake, however, could be DE Chaz Neal, a transfer from Armwood, arguably the best high school team in all of Tampa Bay. A 6-foot-9, 270-lb. FSU recruit, Neal will force teams to gameplan around him.

River Ridge and Zephyrhills will again be the teams to beat in Class 5A, District 8, but they have to travel to Wesley Chapel this year; in other words, we wouldn’t be surprised if the Wildcats beat them both of them!

Kwesi Littlejohn

WIREGRASS RANCH HIGH (7-3 last year, 5-1 in 7A-8)

In the spring, WRH looked like a team well on its way to repeating, if not exceeding, last year’s breakout season. But, the transfer bug took a big bite out of the team during the summer.

The Bulls saw a trio of key players depart — Shamaur McDowell, a DB that has orally committed to the University of Minnesota, transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton; last year’s leading rusher, Da Da McGee (1,063 yards, 11 TDs), transferred to Hillsborough High; QB/S Raymond Woodie III, who has 20+ Division I offers, moved to Oregon with his father, who is the Ducks linebackers coach.

Between the three players, that’s a ton of multi-position talent to lose. But, head coach Mark Kantor thinks he has the pieces to fill in the puzzle for the Bulls.

Senior RB Kwesi Littlejohn will take over for McGee, after carrying the ball five times for 100 yards in limited action last year. Paxon High (in Jacksonville) transfer Mason Buie also will get some touches.

FB/LB Chase Oliver, a 5-9 210-lb. wrecking ball, ran for 82 yards in the spring game and broke off some big runs, but is also effective as a third down/short yardage option. And, production at LB can help make up for the loss of McDowell.

Senior WR/DBs Dorien Green, Jacob Hill and Adrian Thomas are expected to rotate in at safety in Woodie’s absence.

Junior Grant Sessums inherits the starting QB job, and he’ll have tall, skilled targets to throw to, like 6-1 Penn State recruit Jordan Miner (featured in our last issue) and 6-3 Daniel Biglow, both seniors. Miner is one of the most explosive players in the Tampa Bay area, and his big-play ability is a huge plus.

CYPRESS CREEK HIGH (First season)

There’s little doubt that you are going to take your lumps in your first year of varsity high school football. The seven most recent public schools to open in Pasco County went a combined 4-61, and WRH and WCH both started out with 1-9 records.

Keith Walker will see an increased role in 2017 at Cypress Creek.

That said, the Coyotes need to focus on one game at a time, says coach Mike Thompson.

“Start small,” Thompson says. “In game one, let’s get one first down,’’ he says. “Then, let’s get one touchdown. Then, let’s win a half — baby steps. It’s important to show we’re progressing.”

Thompson is excited about sophomore QB Jehlani Warren, who the coach says has been “soaking up the playbook.” He will have some solid targets to throw to between Tim Ford-Brown, Devin Santana and Trevor Maxwell.

Though the team will have no seniors, guys like Santana and RB Keith Walker have varsity experience. Santana played four games for Wesley Chapel last year as a sophomore and had 158 yards receiving and a touchdown, and Walker, a budding star, ran for 136 yards and two scores as a freshman.

PLAYERS TO WATCH IN WC

Nkem Asomba

Nkem “Kim” Asomba (WRH Sr.) DL/OL: The 6-5, 265-pound Asomba is new to the sport and still raw but if he develops quickly, he’ll be a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the football. Asomba was very disruptive in the spring game against Tampa Catholic.

Isaiah Bolden (WCH Sr.) QB/WR/CB/KR/PR: Bolden will be everywhere this year. Teams will not be able to gameplan around him anymore since the ball will be in his hands every play.

Jordan Miner (WRH Sr.) WR/CB/QB: Miner will get some reps in at Wildcat quarterback, as well as line up on the outside on both offense and defense. The Bulls will look to tap Miner’s skill set and versatility, and he is their most dangerous player.

Jehlani Warren

Keith Walker (CCH So.) TB/WR: Walker comes over from Wesley Chapel after having a breakout game in the spring for the Wildcats.

Leverette (WCH Sr.) RB/S: Leverette was the featured guy in the offense last season. With Bolden under center and Malik Melvin lining up alongside him, it will be hard for defenses to key in on Leverette in 2017.

Chase Oliver (WRH Sr.) LB/RB: Oliver is a bulldozer of a player, and a menace to both ball carriers and would-be tacklers. Oliver joined the 1,500 Club in 2017 (combined bench press, power clean, squat and dead lift weights).

Chaz Neal (Sr.) DE/RT: You won’t miss him, as he stands 6’-9” and towers over teammates. He might be the best player in the county that no one has seen. He’s a huge (pun intended) X-factor for the Wildcats and his impact on the field will be immediately felt.

Jehlani Warren (CCH So.) QB: As Warren’s fortunes go, so go the fortunes of the Coyotes. If Warren and the offense can find rhythm early in the season and adjust to game speed, the Coyotes could have a productive season.

Chaz Neal

Austen Wittish (WCH Sr.) LB/FB: Wittish is the centerpiece of the Wildcats’ defense. He led the team with 94 tackles a year ago and will also contribute at FB.

Kwesi Littlejohn (WRH Sr.) RB/S: Littlejohn will be the guy most asked to step into the void left by McGee. If Littlejohn can bring some consistency to the position, the Bulls will be in great shape.

GAMES TO WATCH

WRH’s Jordan Miner leaps for extra yards during the spring game.

Tonight: Gulf at Cypress Creek

Welcome to high school football, Coyotes. Oh, and mmmmm, gotta love that brand new stadium smell. The Coyotes are young and ready to go, and they couldn’t have found a better opponent for a first-ever game in Gulf. The Bucs typically are one of Pasco County’s smaller teams up front, although they often have a few great athletes, but they are also riding a 21-game losing streak. Dare we say it?

Sept. 1: Wiregrass Ranch at Wesley Chapel

It’s a shame the big rivalry game got cancelled due to inclement weather a year ago, with both teams in the midst of their most successful seasons in years. The wait should add a little charge to this year’s showdown. There will be a Fox 13 pep rally that morning and Spectrum Sports will televise the game.

Oct. 20: Zephyrhills at Wesley Chapel Some key injuries early in the game and miscues on special teams opened the door for the Bulldogs to steal a game that Egan felt his squad had under control.

Oct. 27: River Ridge at Wesley Chapel

A banged up Chapel team hung with the eventual district champion for most of the game last year. This year, the Wildcats host Egan’s former team, and a district title could be on the line.

Oct. 27: Plant at Wiregrass Ranch

It’s always worth a trip to check out the four-time state champion Panthers, who are once again loaded. This game should be ripe with playoff implications.

PRESEASON RANKINGS

Here’s how PascoCountyFB.com has the teams ranked for 2017 in its Super 7.

1. Wiregrass Ranch

2. Wesley Chapel

3. River Ridge

4. Zephyrhills

5. Sunlake

6. Mitchell

7. Zephyrhills Christian

Planned ‘Sensory Park’ Close To Viera’s Heart

Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera hosted a town hall meeting at the New Tampa Recreation Center in Tampa Palms that attracted roughly 75 local residents who came to discuss a number of issues., especially those related to the traffic in our area.

District 7 Tampa City Council member  and Hunter’s Green resident Luis Viera has championed many causes since being elected last December, from starting a veteran’s council to creating a New Tampa Council to taking a hands-on approach to tackling issues at the New Tampa Recreation Center.

But, Mayor Bob Buckhorn’s proposed Fiscal 2018 Tampa city budget has now given him another one. With $90,000 in the proposed budget earmarked for the design and study, it appears that a new “sensory-friendly” park could be in New Tampa’s future, to be located behind the BJ’s Wholesale Club on Commerce Palms Dr. in Tampa Palms.

For Viera, whose older brother Juan has autism, creating parks for special needs children and adults is an issue that hits close to home.

“It’s a big issue for me,’’ Viera says. “This park will be the first of its kind in Tampa. Frankly, this is the kind of stuff, that helps people, that you run for City Council for.”

A number of sensory-friendly attractions are being added across the country as more and more children and adults are identified as having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 3.5 million Americans live with ASD. Roughly one in every 68 children has been identified with ASD, and it is 4.5 times more common in boys (1 in 42) than girls (1 in 189). The prevalence of autism in U.S. children has increased by nearly 120 percent since the year 2000.

Those on the autism spectrum take in information from their five senses just like everyone else, but cannot process it the same way and become overwhelmed. Being overwhelmed leads to those within the spectrum being unable to communicate and interact, leading to anxiety and, in parental parlance, meltdowns.

A sensory-friendly park, then, would stress serenity. Sometimes, it is subtle and barely noticeable changes — like the addition of gardens and artwork, different walking surfaces, more comfortable swings — that can distinguish these parks from others but still keep them accessible to everyone.

“I think it would have a huge impact for many families who can’t participate in a typical park,’’ says Mindy Stevens, M.S., the program director for USF’s Center for Autism & Related Disabilities (CARD). “It will definitely lead to (these affected) families being able to access their community more.”

Because so many don’t understand what those on the autism spectrum go through, it often leads to bullying. Viera said his family still has painful memories of middle and high school, when Juan, who is now 46, was bullied.

“It’s something I grew up with, it was part of my life,’’ says Viera. “We have a lot of work to do. I’ve certainly seen changes. You still see lots of bullying out there, but it is getting better.”

Stevens said her staff has already met with Mayor Buckhorn about the park, as well as many within the city’s Parks & Recreation department. CARD will help train the proposed park’s staff and volunteers, while also providing technical support.

While the groundbreaking for the park is a ways off, Viera says he hopes the see it open within two years, adding that it will be one of his big priorities over the next 12 months.“The first sensory-friendly park in Tampa, to have it here, that’s a big deal,’’ he says.