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The LAKER EAST PASCO EDITION
LAKERLUTZNEWS.COM
MARCH 9, 2016
Zephyrhills projects on the way looks at the city limits and they look at...slum and blight conditions. ...You look at different The Zephyrhills CRA aspects of the community and you (Community Redevelopment decide that the private sector, the Agency) has several projects on tap market, is not going to bring up the for its 30-year master plan. conditions within that defined disGail Hamilton, in her first year as trict,” Hamilton explained. CRA director for the city of “One of the things the CRA Zephyrhills, gave an overview of does is look at the conditions, and what’s expected during the Greater try to come up with KEVIN WEISS/STAFF PHOTO incentives...for people to invest Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce’s Zephyrhills CRA director Gail Hamilton spoke to the Greater monthly meeting on March 3. and make the conditions better The CRA oversees a 520-acre de- Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce on March 3. She outlined within the district, and therefore, fined district that essentially several projects for the CRA’s 30-year master plan. increase the property values.” encompasses the center spine of the Hamilton cited the Silver Oaks city, generally between Hercules Park to C pending priorities—neighborhood cleanup, community as an example for the type of Avenue, and from Zephyr Park to 17th restoration of dilapidated homes and the de- area the CRA is working to clean up. Street. velopment of Zephyr Park. See PROJECTS, page 11A Hamilton talked about the agency’s im“The idea behind the CRA is that the city
By Kevin Weiss
kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
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Gun safety class for kids aims to keep them safe The Laker/Lutz News Staff Report
Fifteen local children — ranging in age from 5 to 15 — attended Feb. 27 free gun safety course taught by taught by National Rifle Association instructors Terry and Tony Mohler.The instructors used the Eddie Eagle curriculum. The young people learned that even if they think a gun is a toy gun that it is never safe to point it at a living thing, a theme repeated throughout the class. The students also learned Eddie Eagle’s safety message by heart: “Stop! Don’t Touch. Run away. Tell a grown-up.” After a question and answer period and the sharing of several stories, the children were shown the differences between various types of guns and how they work. After a safety briefing and a discussion about gun range rules, the children and their guardians were given the opportunity to practice on the outdoor gun range with the benefit of one-on-one instruction from the NRA instructors. Upon completing the class, each child received an Eddie Eagle coin and sticker, and a gun safety coloring book and crayons to further drive home the gun safety rules they had been taught. The children’s guardians received a handy reminder card with tips for reiterating the highlights of the class to help the children remember what they learned. For more information about gun safety for children, visit EddieEagle.nra.org, and watch the video with your children. Because of the positive feedback from this class, another gun safety class for kids will be available over the summer months. For more information, email M.J. Price at drmjpricegp@gmail.com.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF M.J. PRICE
National Rifle Association instructor Terry Mohler points out how toy guns often resemble real guns. From left, Mohler, Dakota Chandler, NRA instructor Tony Mohler, Bodhi Price, Noah Ringeissen, Jolie Wise, Joshua Wise, Connor Hunter and Olivia Woodring.
After a safety briefing, instructor Terry Mohler helps Olivia Woodring.
Joshua Wise gets one-on-one attention from instructor Tony Mohler on the range.
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Documentary filmmaker Charles Mattocks hopes to inspire a social movement to help people suffering from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and other rare diseases. Mattocks — who is the nephew of famed reggae artist Bob Marley — has produced “Trial by Fire,” a documentary that tells the story of his mother’s eight-year struggle Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, called CPRS for short. It’s a rare condition that is not widely understood, Mattocks said. “I was totally confused, really, on what this thing was,” Mattocks said.“I used to tell my mother,‘Mom, you’ve got to walk it off. You’ve got to go to the gym.’” Mattocks said while he didn’t initially know what CRPS was, as he delved into the topic and observed his mom, he knew something must be done to give people suffering from the condition a voice. “It’s agony,” Mattocks said. The key symptom is prolonged pain that may be constant and, in some people, extremely uncomfortable or severe, according to information published on the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke’s website. The pain can spread through the body, the pain can travel from limb to limb and there often is increased sensitivity in the affected area, such that even light touch or contact is painful, the website says. People with CRPS also experience con-
B.C. MANION/STAFF PHOTO
Fifteen-year-old Natalia Rijos has been diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. It’s a condition that is characterized by prolonged pain that may be constant and, in some people, extremely uncomfortable or severe.
stant or intermittent changes in temperature, skin color, and swelling of the affected limb, the website says. Other common features of CRPS include: • Changes in skin texture • Abnormal sweating • Changes in nail and hair growth patterns • Stiffness in affected joints • Problems coordinating muscle movement
• Abnormal movement in the affected limb Fifteen-year-old Natalia Rijos, who is also featured in the film, is quite familiar with CRPS. There’s a clear line of demarcation in her life. One day, she was a typical 12-year-old, enjoying the normal activities of girls her age. But, that changed on Dec. 15, 2012. That was the day she was horsing around with her dad, showing off some karate moves. Her dad grabbed her leg, she began to fall, and as she went to brace herself from the fall, she injured her left hand. Initially, her mom, Myrna Concepcion, thought it was just a sprain. But, the girl’s hand became swollen and discolored, and didn’t heal properly. In ensuing months, the pain became unbearable and doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong. It took three months to get a diagnosis. According to Concepcion, in one sense, the family was lucky. In can sometimes take years to get a proper diagnose. In Rijos’ case, the situation was complicated by an accident. She suffered additional injuries when she was riding in a school bus and a car plowed into it. The teenager, who lives with her family in Lutz, has been living out of wheelchair for two years. She is fed through a feeding tube. Rijos attends Steinbrenner High for some classes, but is educated by telephone at See FIRE, page 11A