The Greater Trilby News
Serving the Tri-Community Area

Bob Blanchard (right) spoke  to the TCA as President Herb Green looked on.

Conservation Easements

Keeping Land Forever Green

            Mr. Robert Blanchard, owner of the 2050-acre Little Everglades Ranch, assured TCA association members at its monthly general meeting on June 16 that there is a way to keep parcels of land in this area as beautiful as they are today.  In an entertaining speech, he explained the concept of conservation easements.  A conservation easement occurs when a public entity (in this area that entity is SWFWMD or “Swiftmud”) buys the development rights to a property.  The owner who sells the rights can continue to use the land, but that land can never be subdivided or made into a shopping center.  It will remain green forever.  The “Penny for Pasco” program helps purchase conservation easements in the county.

            Mr. Blanchard also spoke briefly about water conservation.  He is a part of a group called “Copower,” which encourages Tampa Bay Water District to search for better ways to conserve water.  Among the options his group is pushing are desalinization, reservoirs to capture floodwaters and better management of rainfall.  He wants water in an area to be a public asset of that area and not be harvested in wellfields and used to supplement the water resources in another place.  Such practices leave the residents in the water-rich area with little water.

            He concluded his talk with some information on the annual steeplechase held at his ranch.  Last year was the fifth year.  “The Blanchards don’t make money on the steeplechase,” Mr. Blanchard explained. “In fact, we have lost money so far.  It’s supposed to be a day of good family fun that anyone can enjoy.”  The general admission ticket is only $10 and allows the holder to enjoy the races and all the infield entertainment.  About 400 volunteers work hard at keeping the details of the day running smoothly, and the proceeds go to charities such as the Pioneer Florida Museum and Tampa Bay General Hospital.

            Those of you who missed this meeting also missed the preprogram picnic, held under a tent donated by Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative.  Folks enjoyed hot dogs, cooked (some would say burned) by the TCA Secretary Richard Riley, and all the fixings.

            Be sure to attend the next general meeting of the Greater Trilby Community Association on July 21 to learn all about how to protect yourself from identity theft.  F. J. Collura who is part of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office’s crime prevention unit will give you information about this growing problem and tips on how to keep it from happening to you.

September Awards Dinner in Planning Stage

At the June 13 meeting, the Board of Directors of the Greater Trilby Community Association began planning an awards dinner to be held on September 15^th at 6:30 p.m. in the Trilby United Methodist Church.  The dinner will celebrate the association’s one-year anniversary.

There will be many awards given at the dinner, including the Diamond Award for Excellence, the highest TCA award; and awards to the best board member, citizen of the tri-community, volunteer, business, club or nonprofit, youth, church, crime watch patrol officer and senior for the year.  Businesses that contribute from $100 to $2,000 or more to help the association with its community projects will be thanked at the dinner and memorialized on a Recognition Plaque to be placed in the community center.

There will also be a silent auction of donated items to raise money for association projects.  Pauline Hunt, Treasurer, is in charge of the silent auction.  Items for the silent auction will be stored in the office of the Trilby United Methodist Church and put up for bids on the evening of the dinner.

The board will soon be offering tickets to the public for this event for a donation of $25 per ticket.

I Can, You Can, We Can

        You may have missed it, but there is a new house in Trilby right across from the post office.  It’s a very attractive two-story, yellow house with a flower garden beside it enclosed by a picket fence.  The inhabitants, who are very quiet, except for an occasional rattle, invite you to stop by any time.

This “house” is the temporary home for aluminum cans collected by the East Pasco Habitat for Humanity.  This recycling program helps East Pasco Habitat for Humanity purchase the materials to build and rehabilitate homes for families who need them.  It is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry, and, like its parent organization, is not a giveaway program.  The future homeowners help build their homes and contribute at least 400 hours of their own labor to the project.  The houses are sold to these families at no profit and are financed through affordable, no-interest mortgages.

East Pasco Habitat for Humanity began in Trilby in March 1994 as the result of the work of Art and Audrey Jackson and several other couples.  By February 14, 1995, East Pasco Habitat had broken ground for the very first Habitat house on Tucker Avenue in Dade City, and at least eleven local churches and many businesses and civic organizations had joined the organization’s efforts.  Since that first home, East Pasco Habitat has built more over 30 homes and in 2005 is working on at least 6 houses.

You can help this organization build homes in this area.  When you go to the post office, take your aluminum cans with you and drop them into this special house.  Please put the cans in plastic bags before putting them in the house to make collection easier.

Denny Mihalinec and Jeremiah Fink stand next to the new Habitat Can Collection site

If this arrangement isn’t convenient, cans may be taken to Pasco Recycling at 15640 Highway 301 in Dade City or Zephyrhills Recycling at 9150 Highway 301 where the cans will be processed and your donation will be credited to East Pasco Habitat.  If you need more information, call Rachel Wright, Recycling Program Chair, at 813-715-0803, Michelle Bonner, Recycling Coordinator, at 321-960-5272 or the East Pasco Habitat Office at 352-567-1444.

Remember:  I can, you can, we ALL can help the environment, our community and East Pasco families in need by filling this house to the roof with our aluminum cans.

 

FOR SALE 1968 APACHE CAMPER. It sleeps 6- It has a new canvas worth 800 dollars, new wheels and rims. Asking $1,100 but will entertain an acceptable offer.  Contact Denny Mihalinec--352-518-0980--Great for hunters and avid campers on the go-

Lacoochee Boys and Girls Club

By Richard Riley

There are many resources for families and youth in our tri-community area, and one of the most active and visible is the Abraham Boys and Girls Club (BAGC) in Lacoochee.  Richard Someillan, a Club director out of Tampa, attended our TCA general meeting in June and we asked if we could come and talk to him and his staff in Lacoochee.  We were invited to visit, photograph and chat with him and the local Director, George Jarosik. 

 The Center is impressive.  It is clean, newly painted, comfortable (some of the rooms are air conditioned) and most importantly, it is occupied.  When we arrived, some boys were cleaning the leaves and minor trash in the parking lot and then got the leaf blower and started doing a thorough job.  Students were on the computers in the education center, and some kids were playing games in the recreation room. 

“It is all about the kids,” stated Jarosik.  “We want this to be a positive place for kids.  This is not a day-care, but we are here to help with education, values, manners and standards.  We want to help the kids as they grow up to be adults.”

“One of our priorities is to convince these young people that education is the most important part of their future,” continued Jarosik.  “They all have a good work ethic.  They want to work, but we want them to get the most education that they can get.  With more education, they can help bring up the community out of the existing standards.”

Someillan added, “We need for the public to know that we are here.  We want to expand beyond the 40 to 50 active kids we have here right now and increase our programs for them.”  The Club is not a county activity and encourages youth from adjoining counties and communities to attend.

The club building is also the home office for John Dragneff, the local “Officer Friendly” Sheriff Deputy who is responsible for the housing development and surrounding area.

About a year ago, the Tampa BAGC took over the administration of the club.  The Boys and Girls Club is in the middle of the Community of Lacoochee and in the middle of the County Housing Development.  Another community center, which is providing services to the area residents, is funded by the Sarasota YMCA and is administered by Isa Blanford.  The two organizations are separate but cooperate in many ways.

Someillan concluded that he was impressed with the interest and activities of the Greater Trilby Community Association and looked forward to working together with us when the opportunity presents itself.

The Club building is open 8 to 5:30, Monday through Friday during the summer and on all school holidays.  It is open from 2 to 8:30 on school days.  Peer and staff tutors are available to help with homework.  “We are pushing education,” states Jarosik.  “We give them what they want and sneak in what they need.”

 

Joey Reyes

Xisto Zapata

In the Education Center

 

Desrey Padila

Richard Someillan

Playing pool in the Game Room

 

From the Chairman’s Desk

Denny Mihalinec

 

The Trilby United Methodist Church was recently designated as an American Red-Cross shelter.  This shelter is offered AFTER any hurricane, not during.  Also The Greater Trilby Association was asked by the County to distribute food, ice and water if needed during the 2005 hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30, 2005.

Last year the association helped some 2,000 tri-community residents who received food, ice, and water, distributed by about 10 volunteers at the community center, and counseling from area pastors who are on the TCA board of directors.

The GTCA needs more folks who are willing to answer the call of duty after a storm hits.  If you are interested in helping your community, please call the TCA leadership at 518-0980 or 583-5936.

 

Bio: Bernadine King, Board Member

I've lived in the Trilby Manor area for over 14 years.  I love children, as I'm blessed with four of my own.  I moved here from the Sarasota, Florida area.  My father is the Bishop of Mt. Moriah Christian Church(s), where I attend faithfully and hold various leadership positions.  I believe that one goes out to serve.  Give and it shall be given.  I've worked in the Pasco County Schools since coming into this area in the 1990s.  I was President of Lacoochee Elementary School for two years, a substitute teacher, a member of various school district committees, and a Certified Florida State Counselor for the WIC Program.  Presently, I am working at Pasco High School, in the Business Dept., instructing for Henkels & McCoy.  For the past four years, I have also been the Coordinator for a Summer Work Program for the youths of the Dade City/Tri-Community area.

Success is reaching back with a helping hand.