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Land O' Lakes Community Center
Symposium seeks addiction recovery solutions
A symposium is scheduled for later this month that will seek to create a blueprint for improving long-term substance abuse recovery efforts in Pasco County.
The Recover Out Loud Pasco Symposium is set for Sept. 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Calvary Chapel Worship Center, 6825 Trouble Creek Road in New Port Richey.
The symposium is being organized by Recovery Epicenter Foundation, a newly licensed and accredited recovery community organization operating out of Trinity.
The symposium will seek to engage individuals, stakeholders and community leaders in an effort "to grow community-oriented initiatives, cultivate community allies, and develop recovery peer-based programs," according to the event's flyer.
Its keynote speaker is Dona Dmitrovic, executive director of Las Vegas-based Foundation for Recovery and former National Director of Consumer Affairs for Substance Use Disorders at Optum, United Health Group.
Other noted speakers include:
Tina Levene, motivational speaker and published author on abuse and addictions
Pasco Sheriff's Office Lt. Toni Roach, who heads the agency's Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) and Mental Health and Threat Assessment (MHAT) teams
Sara Mollo, Sixth Judicial Circuit chief assistant public defender
Former Sixth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Lynn Tepper
Sarah Cobelli, Baycare Behavioral Health program manager
Ginny LaRue, Florida Alcohol & Drug Abuse Foundation recovery project director
Additionally, the symposium will feature interactive café conversations about which recovery-related services are working in the community and what needs more support, along with a series of panel discussions from people in recovery and existing recovery community organizations throughout Florida.
Thoughts and input gathered from the symposium will be incorporated into the Recovery Epicenter Foundation's visioning process in November to better define action steps for recovery-based programming, said Recovery Epicenter Foundation RCO director Rachel Starostin.
"The whole thing is we want to get the community together," said Starostin, who expects anywhere from 200 to 300 attendees at the symposium. "The community benefits when we all collaborate together."
Trinity-based Recovery Epicenter Foundation is hosting a symposium to help find ways to improve long-term substance abuse recovery efforts in Pasco County. The Recover Out Loud Pasco Symposium is set for Sept. 28. (Courtesy of Recovery Epicenter Foundation)
Starostin said the Recovery Epicenter Foundation's "ultimate goal" is to build a peer-run, recovery-oriented community center to facilitate programs in the way of employment assistance, transportation, health and wellness, recreational opportunities, independent support groups and so on.
"We're like building a shell out of something that needs to exist. We're building something out of nothing," she said.
"It's kind of an abstract concept, when you don't have a building and trying to plan out the future," she said.
Starostin emphasized the need for such a recovery facility to help people "rebuild their lives" once they get out of addiction treatment. That assistance may initially include assisting them with "locatable, tangible resources," such as basic medical care, living shelters, food stamps and more.
Starostin put it like this: "As a general rule, until you meet somebody's basic needs, they're not really receptive to listen. Like, how well do you focus when you're hungry and you haven't eaten in two days?"
Meanwhile, Starostin said the upstart recovery community organization is looking to mobilize more peer specialists to help with implementing various recovery programs. Peer specialists, or peer coaches, are people who have been successful in the recovery process who help others battling addiction through shared experience, understanding, respect and mutual empowerment.
Said Starostin, "There's something magical when one peer who's suffered from substance use works with another. You identify with them, you trust them, and it's not like a 12-step program, you help somebody kind of come up with their own plan."
Recovery Epicenter Foundation's recovery community organization operates as an independent, nonprofit entity — led and governed by representatives of local communities of recovery.
Its mission is to support recovery through advocacy, education and peer-to-peer support services, to improve outcomes for persons seeking drugs and alcohol addictions.
Guidance and technical assistance on the Recovery Epicenter Foundation recovery community organization's development process is coming from the Florida Recovery Project/Faces & Voices of Recovery, with collaboration from Florida Alcohol & Drug Abuse Foundation, Florida Department of Children and Families, and Peer Support Coalition of Florida.
An initial community listening session for the recovery community organization was held in February at the Land O' Lakes Community Center, followed by a symposium planning session.
The sessions have already brought together dozens of stakeholders, including persons in recovery and professionals in health care, criminal justice, faith-based organizations and others.
"When we started this process, there wasn't a whole lot of momentum behind it, but we're getting it; people are getting involved and they're starting to understand," Starostin said.
To register for the symposium, visit tinyurl.com/yygu9e3s.
For information, contact Rachel Starostin at
or (727) 255-2036.
Filed Under: Health, Local News Tagged With: Baycare Behavioral Health, Calvary Chapel Worship Center, Dona Dmitrovic, Florida Alcohol & Drug Abuse Foundation, Florida Department of Children and Families, Florida Recovery Project/Faces & Voices of Recovery, Foundation for Recovery, Ginny LaRue, Land O' Lakes Community Center, Lynn Tepper, New Port Richey, Peer Support Coalition of Florida, Rachel Starostin, Recover Out Loud Pasco Symposium, Recovery Epicenter Foundation, Sara Mollo, Sarah Cobelli, Tina Levene, Toni Roach, Trouble Creek Road, United Health Group
Local park's new name reflects its historic role
March 7, 2018 By Kevin Weiss
A park that has played a historic role in Land O' Lakes now has a name to reflect that fact.
Officials gathered on March 1 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the renaming of the former Land O' Lakes Community Center. The center and adjacent park is now known as Land O' Lakes Heritage Park.
On March 1, elected officials and community leaders gathered at the park for the site's renaming.
A new marquee has been unveiled near U.S. 41, which reflects the new name.
A new marquee sign with the masthead 'Land O' Lakes Heritage Park' overlooks U.S. 41. (Kevin Weiss)
Festivities included a presentation of colors by American Legion Post 79 and a variety of speakers, who detailed the history and significance of the park.
"We're thrilled about the renaming of this park," said Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore, who served as master of ceremonies for the event.
"It's important that we recognize the history of the area, and recognize the citizens that came forward and actually put a lot of effort into the park."
The name change has been known for some time. The Pasco County Commission adopted the new name of the community center and park in November, at Moore's request.
Moore consulted with members of the board of directors for the Heritage Foundation before making the suggestion. That was after the newly built Heritage Stage made its debut in August at the park.
The completion of the stage resulted from years of effort and partnerships between government, businesses and community volunteers.
For years, the Land O' Lakes Community Center has been located at 5401 Land O' Lakes Blvd., while the Land O' Lakes Recreation Complex, at 3032 Collier Parkway.
The similarity of names has been a source of confusion.
"It is not uncommon for folks to get mixed up with the two facilities," said Brian Taylor, Pasco County's parks and recreation manager.
Heritage Park Foundation president Sandy Graves acknowledged the community center and park probably should've been renamed "long ago."
"We always thought that it needed a name change because it needed branding on its own, and now it has it," she said.
Terri Dusek, of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, is credited with initially coming up with the "Heritage Park" moniker.
She said the name change marks "the final touch" on the park's recent upgrades.
Besides the new stage for community events, the park has undergone $2.3 million worth of improvements since 2015. Other additions have included new ball fields, a playground, a concession stand and restrooms, and a walking trail.
"Our community already has a very rich heritage, and I feel like now we're adding to it. For me the only fitting name was Heritage Park," Dusek said.
Filed Under: Land O' Lakes News, Local News Tagged With: American Legion Post 79, Brian Taylor, Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, Collier Parkway, Heritage Foundation, Land O' Lakes, Land O' Lakes Community Center, Land O' Lakes Heritage Park, Land O' Lakes Recreation Complex, Mike Moore, Pasco County Commission, Sandy Graves, Terri Dusek, U.S. 41
Holiday Pops concert creates a warm glow on a cool day
December 20, 2017 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News
Bill Mickelsen, left, on the tuba, Dwight Decker, middle, on the trombone, and Ken Brown, on the trumpet perform as part of The Florida Orchestra Brass Quintet on the Heritage Park Stage at Heritage Park in Land O' Lakes. Classical Preparatory School hosted the brass quintet for the concert. It was the first time that the quintet appeared in Land O' Lakes. (Randy Underhill)
Holiday music filled the air at the Heritage Park complex in Land O' Lakes on a cool, sunny afternoon on Dec. 10.
The Classical Preparatory School hosted The Florida Orchestra Brass Quint for its first-ever appearance in Land O' Lakes.
The Brass Quintet has been performing in the Tampa Bay area for more than 35 years.
The audience dressed in warm clothing for the concert, held at Heritage Stage, in the park formerly known as Land O' Lakes Community Park.
In addition to the brass quintet, entertainment also was provided by Phase III trio, the Stallion Singers and the iPad Band.
Children also were able to enjoy the Big Kahuna slide, a corn hole toss, food trucks, and a visit from Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus.
By Randy Underhill
The Phase III band performs at the opening of the Holiday Pops concert on Dec. 10 at the Heritage Stage in Land O' Lakes Heritage Park, formerly known as Land O' Lakes Community Park.
Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus give a casual wave, as they sit back and enjoy the music performed by The Florida Orchestra Brass Quintet. Of course, the holidays would not be complete without a visit from Santa.
A good-sized crowd turns out to enjoy the first appearance of The Florida Orchestra Brass Quintet at Holiday Pops on the afternoon of Dec. 10 at the Heritage Park Stage in the Land O' Lakes Heritage Park.
Two-year-old Kellan Weyna, of Lutz, enjoys The Florida Orchestra Brass Quintet along with his parents, David his father, and mother Emily, middle.
Filed Under: Land O' Lakes News, Local News Tagged With: Classic Preparatory School, Florida Orchestra Brass Quintet, Heritage Park, Heritage Stage, iPad Band, Land O' Lakes, Land O' Lakes Community Center, Stallion Singers
Looking for sinkhole solutions
November 15, 2017 By Kevin Weiss
Remedying a massive sinkhole in Land O' Lakes has taken a minor step forward, four months after it opened and swallowed two homes on Ocean Pines Drive in Lake Padgett.
Residents of the Lake Padgett community were presented several preliminary solutions for fixing the sinkhole long-term, during a Nov. 8 meeting at the Land O' Lakes Community Center.
The audience also had the opportunity to ask questions and offer input to county officials.
Kevin Guthrie, assistant county administrative of public safety, led the meeting.
He offered up three possible solutions for "success" in the sinkhole's remediation:
Build a fence around the sinkhole with a cul de sac on each side (estimated cost of $1.7 million)
Connect the sinkhole to Lake Saxon while adding a cul de sac to each side of the lake (estimated cost of $2.5 million)
Rebuild the original road through the sinkhole (estimated cost of $800,000)
The first two options would require the county to purchase several properties, either to connect the sinkhole to Lake Saxon and/or develop a cul de sac.
The sinkhole opened on July 14 at 21825 Ocean Pines Drive, and swallowed two homes, a motorcycle and a boat. Five more houses on both sides of Ocean Pines have been condemned. Remediation costs are estimated anywhere from $800,000 to more than $2.5 million. (File)
The third option, meanwhile, requires the reconstruction of Ocean Pines Drive using a sheet piling methodology. Fences then would be placed around bodies of water on either side of the road — similar to how retention ponds have fences around them.
A fourth option consists of leaving the sinkhole "as is," adding a chain-link fence and signage around its perimeter. The option would cost about $50,000.
The Pasco County Commission will have the final say on how to proceed with long-term recovery efforts at the sinkhole site.
The sinkhole opened on July 14 at 21825 Ocean Pines Drive, and swallowed two homes, a motorcycle and a boat. Five more houses on both sides of Ocean Pines have been condemned.
On July 31, the county approved $1.3 million for an initial cleanup of debris, and stabilization of the site. That work has been completed.
Guthrie said additional geotechnical investigation is required before any remediation can be done, which would cost an additional $100,000 to $200,000.
The University of South Florida also is recommending a resistivity survey be completed to determine how the sinkhole interacts with underground surrounding areas. The cost would be another $15,000.
Dr. Lori Collins is a research professor at USF, and is a part of the team of geologists and postgraduate students researching the sinkhole since Day 1.
She explained further testing is needed to truly understand how the sinkhole penetrates the Florida aquifer and connects to the lake system.
"We want to make sure science tells us what the alternates should be first. Right now, we don't know…what's going on underneath the ground," Collins said.
The necessary prep work could take another 45 days, Guthrie said, before a final recommendation is presented to county commissioners.
"We want to do it right the first time and not keep coming back, time and time again," Guthrie said.
Kevin Guthrie, assistant county administrative of public safety, served up three possible solutions for 'success' in the sinkhole's remediation. (Kevin Weiss)
Since the sinkhole involves private property and a county road, the county is a stakeholder in the situation. Had the sinkhole never touched the roadway, it would've strictly been a private property issue, Guthrie said.
Regarding funding, Guthrie mentioned municipal service taxing units (MSTU) or municipal services benefit unit (MSBU) as options that have been used in the past.
Utilizing the county's general fund reserves is another possibility. However, the county is already "significantly dipping" into those reserves following Hurricane Irma, Guthrie said.
Assistance through grants and the state also will be vetted, he said.
"We're trying to get whatever we can," Guthrie said. "It's going to be very difficult…to help pay for this."
Terence Doohen was one of several sinkhole victims who attended the Nov. 8 meeting.
He said the public forum proved beneficial to affected homeowners and community members.
"I felt there was some good information there that had not been communicated to me," he said, "so I thought it was well worth my time and some other people's time."
The 44-year-old, along with his wife and 10-year-old son, in August had their lakeside property red-tagged by the Pasco County Building Inspectors Office.
Doohen said he's in favor of "whatever is the safest solution for everyone involved."
"I would go to bat for long-term, whichever is the safest option," he said.
Doohen also supports the county taking a thorough look at the sinkhole matter before making any major decisions.
"I'm fine with the time that's gone by," he said "I think it's fine, if everybody's dotting all the 'i's and crossing all the t's, and if it moves at a little bit slower pace than one expected; I think you've just got to kind of live with it and roll with it."
Several additional community meetings are expected over the next several months.
Guthrie acknowledged the sinkhole matter will be handled in a methodical fashion, likely extending well into 2018.
"We are at step one on a ladder that's probably about 10 stories long," Guthrie said.
Filed Under: Land O' Lakes News, Local News Tagged With: Kevin Guthrie, Lake Padgett, Lake Saxon, Land O' Lakes, Land O' Lakes Community Center, Lori Collins, Ocean Pines Drive, Pasco County Commission, Terence Doohen, University of South Florida
Land O' Lakes park and community center have a new name
November 15, 2017 By Kathy Steele
The Pasco County Commission has renamed the community center and park in Land O' Lakes as the Land O' Lakes Heritage Park.
Commissioners adopted the new name on Nov. 7, at the request of Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore.
"They are trying to have more of an identity in that area," said Moore. "I think they'll be excited by this."
Heritage Stage made its debut in August as community, school, business and civic leaders had a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Land O' Lakes park and community center also now have a new name – Land O' Lakes Heritage Park. (File)
Moore said he consulted with members of the board of directors for the Heritage Foundation before making the suggestion.
The word "heritage," it appears, is becoming a unifier in that effort.
A newly built Heritage Stage made its debut in August at the park.
And, the Heritage Park Foundation, is a longtime voice of advocacy for the community at large, as well as the park.
The foundation grew out of initial efforts to preserve the parkland, and later attempts to raise money to build a stage for community gatherings at the park.
The completion of the stage marked a major milestone for the foundation, which had long pushed for improving opportunities for community unity, through social gatherings in the park.
More is on the way as the foundation plans to install a story board to honor Land O' Lakes' history, and the park. "There's a history of the park being a community-built park," said Sandy Graves, who spearheaded efforts to get the stage.
She is working with local historian Susan MacManus on the story board.
The outdoor stage was built through a partnership between Pasco County, Pasco County Schools, the Florida legislature, local businesses and volunteers.
A Pops in the Park holiday performance, featuring the brass section of the Florida Orchestra, is planned for December.
The new name could have another benefit.
For years, the Land O' Lakes Community Center has been located at 5401 Land O' Lakes Blvd., and the Land O' Lakes Recreation Complex, at 3032 Collier Parkway.
"I can't tell you how many times I'd hear people say 'I thought it was at the rec center'," Graves said.
There was some discussion about renaming the park Heritage Park, but keeping the name of the community center intact.
Paula O' Neil, Pasco's clerk of court and comptroller, favored renaming the entire complex to create greater clarity. County commissioners and county staff also supported one name.
With the name change, that leaves a well-worn sign outside the community center, with the old name.
That's not expected to last long.
"You've renamed the park. So, get ready for a new sign," Moore said.
Filed Under: Land O' Lakes News, Local News Tagged With: Collier Parkway, Florida Orchestra, Heritage Foundation, Heritage Park Foundation, Heritage Stage, Land O' Lakes, Land O' Lakes Boulevard, Land O' Lakes Community Center, Land O' Lakes Heritage Park, Land O' Lakes Recreation Complex, Mike Moore, Pasco County Commission, Paula O' Neil, Sandy Graves, Susan MacManus
Funding and flexibility needed in substance abuse fight
September 6, 2017 By B.C. Manion
While President Donald Trump has declared opioid abuse to be a national emergency, local experts have urged U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis to remember that other substance abuse problems also remain to be a real concern in Pasco County.
Bilirakis paid a visit to the Land O' Lakes Community Center on Aug. 22 seeking to hear from people on the front lines of tackling substance abuse problems.
His visit came immediately following the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention's meeting.
Those gathered for Bilirakis' session included health care and social service providers, people recovering from drug addictions, family members of addicts and others interested in the topic of substance abuse.
"I wanted to hear directly from you," Bilirakis said. "The best ideas about how we can help will come from you. I'm here to listen and to take your feedback back to Washington with me.
The congressman said he expects Trump's emergency declaration to result in more funding to address the opioid crisis. And, Bilirakis said, there's no question action is needed.
"More people are dying each year from opioid overdose than from car accidents. The statistics are staggering and truly tragic," said Bilirakis, who represents Florida's 12th Congressional district.
"This is something that needs to be attacked. It transcends political lines,"
Bilirakis added.
Then, he asked the crowd: "Where is the need in the community?"
Those attending had plenty to say.
They told Bilirakis about the waiting lists for public beds and services, and the empty beds at private providers.
They told him there were too many strings attached to state and federal funding.
They said people who need mental health care can't get it, and that impedes the ability to help them in their recovery efforts.
They said doctors still prescribe too many pills, and that pill mills are still going strong — noting there can be lines of a hundred people or more waiting for their prescriptions.
Bilirakis also asked for opinions regarding whether parents should have access to their adult children's medical records.
Views varied.
The mother of a 27-year-old who has been addicted to drugs for 10 years said she wants to help in her son's recovery and to be his health care advocate.
But, others said that the patient should be the one to determine who is permitted access to his or her medical records.
Others in the audience said there needs to be more communication about support groups and low-cost services available to people struggling with addiction or recovering from substance abuse.
There are places where addicts can turn for help, but sometimes they don't know about them, speakers said.
Bilirakis asked the audience to weigh in on the topic of medication-assisted treatment.
Using medication in addition to behavioral health counseling can be helpful, but there seems to be a trend toward more money for medication and less money for mental health care, one speaker said.
People in the crowd also reminded Bilirakis that while the opioid crisis is getting significant attention, Pasco County also has a problem with people abusing meth, alcohol and Xanax, among other things.
Speakers told Bilirakis there needs to be more trust placed in health care professionals who can determine the best course of treatment for a patient.
That isn't happening, though, in an environment when issues tend to be "silo-d," and there are too many restrictions on funding, they said.
Filed Under: Health, Local News Tagged With: Donald Trump, Gus Bilirakis, Land O' Lakes Community Center, Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention
Land O' Lakes buses to roll out in May
March 22, 2017 By Kathy Steele
Land O' Lakes residents can soon step aboard buses on a special circular route through the community.
By May 22, Pasco County expects to begin the new route. A tentative ribbon cutting will be on May 18 at a bus stop at the Land O' Lakes Community Center, at 5401 Land O' Lakes Blvd.
The first buses would roll a few days later.
A Land O' Lakes circulator bus route is scheduled to begin by May 22.
(Courtesy of Pasco County)
The announcement came at a March 9 board meeting of the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization in Dade City.
Previously, county officials had hoped to begin the route in March.
"This is going to be another win for Pasco County," said Kevin Hoyt, the county's transportation operations manager. "We are all extremely excited."
The route will move north on U.S. 41 with bus stops that include the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, the Land O' Lakes Community Center, the post office, Land O' Lakes High School and the detention center.
A loop eastward along State Road 54 will have stops at Collier Commons and the Land O' Lakes Branch Library.
There also will be a stop at the Target Super Store on North Dale Mabry Highway, where riders can transfer to buses operated by the Hillsborough County Area Regional Transit system, known as HART.
The Land O' Lakes circulator route is one of three the county put on its 2017 list of capital improvement projects.
Estimated costs for the circulator route were about $300,000 a year for operations, and a one-time purchase of a bus at a cost of about $110,000.
Two other routes along State Road 54 and in the Moon Lake area of New Port Richey already are operating.
Filed Under: Land O' Lakes News, Local News Tagged With: Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, Collier Commons, HART, Hillsborough County Area Regional Transit, Kevin Hoyt, Land O' Lakes, Land O' Lakes Boulevard, Land O' Lakes Branch Library, Land O' Lakes Community Center, Land O' Lakes High School, Moon Lake, New Port Richey, North Dale Mabry Highway, Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization, State Road 54, Target Super Store, U.S. 41
Her career touched many lives
February 15, 2017 By B.C. Manion
Officially, Betsy Crisp's last day of work was Feb. 3.
But, based on her track record, it seems unlikely that the Land O' Lakes woman will merely kick back and relax.
Betsy Crisp and her friends, colleagues and family members celebrated her retirement with a buffet of finger foods and a beautifully decorated cake. The celebration was at the Land O' Lakes Community Center, on Land O' Lakes Boulevard.
(B.C. Manion)
Crisp retired after 29 years as the food and consumer sciences extension agent for the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences – Pasco Cooperative Extension.
She is the woman who crisscrossed Pasco County preaching the gospel of good nutrition. She helped people to navigate through bureaucratic systems. She used elbow grease when a job needed to be done.
Crisp helped nurses learn how to balance the demands of their work and daily home life.
She taught classes on cooking with herbs and spices.
She provided pointers for stretching a food dollar.
She helped launch Pasco County's first residential recycling program, and was on the ground floor 20 years ago establishing the Suncoast Harvest Food Bank, which is now part of Feeding Tampa Bay.
Over the years, Crisp's work drew attention.
She was named the southern region's Continued Excellence Award winner in 2013 for her many accomplishments on the job.
Colleagues, friends and family members dropped by to celebrate with Betsy Crisp, as she leaves a career spanning nearly 30 years as food and consumer sciences extension agent for Pasco Cooperative Extension. Crisp, center, laughs with her friends, as her brother, K.C. Nayfield (right), listens.
The licensed dietitian was honored for the nearly 150 programs she presented each year in the areas of food, nutrition, health and safety.
Her Family Nutrition Program also secured grant funding to support several program assistants and many volunteers, helping more than 136,000 people improve their eating habits.
That award was among numerous honors she picked up over the years.
She deserved the recognition because her work got results, said friends and colleagues who attended her retirement reception at the Land O' Lakes Community Center on Land O' Lakes Boulevard.
"Betsy has always gone above and beyond. She set high standards for herself and carried a very full workload," said Mary Chernesky, former director of the Hillsborough County Cooperative Extension Office.
A proposal Crisp co-wrote in 2007 for the USDA SnapEd Family Nutrition Program received funding for $160,000 a year, and the funding has since escalated to almost $400,000 a year, said Chernesky, who is now retired.
"Betsy has helped people, counseled them, shared her knowledge, made a difference in people's lives in the county and state," Chernesky added.
Crisp paid attention to what her peers were doing, and when she recognized a program of excellence, she nominated it for an award.
"Many extension agents across the state have received recognition and awards, over the years … because when Betsy found programs that were good enough to be considered for nomination, she did it. Sometimes we didn't even know it had been sent in," Chernesky said.
Kurt Conover, who spoke at Crisp's party, said he met Betsy about 30 years ago.
That's when Crisp suggested that Land O' Lakes get involved in the Coastal and Waterway Cleanup, Conover said.
He said Crisp told him: "Land O' Lakes should get involved in that. We've got lots of lakes here."
So, the pair became co-captains, and they organized the largest volunteer effort of any site in Pasco County, Conover said.
Conover said he handled the easy part: Getting donations of supplies and food for the cleanup crews.
Crisp took care of the logistics. She made sure that cleanup teams weren't duplicating efforts.
Besides cleaning up the community, the annual effort has encouraged community involvement, Conover said.
It has had a generational impact, too, he said.
"There were children who came to this event that grew up to be adults, and they had their children there, participating," Conover said.
He also noted that Crisp's husband, Paul, and the couple's children, Megan and Michael, were always there to pitch in.
Besides delivering at the professional level, Crisp is known for her personal touch, friends and colleagues said.
She remembers birthdays.
She asks about sick relatives.
She celebrates her colleagues' joys and helps them shoulder their sorrows.
Crisp said her achievements came because of the people she was able to work with throughout her career.
At her reception, she made it a point to go around the room calling out people by name and publicly thanking them for their help. She had a kind word for practically everyone — if not everyone — in the room.
Crisp said she loved every minute of her career — except when she had to cut her staff because of budget reductions.
"I cried," she said.
But, Crisp managed to keep her emotions in check at her retirement party.
One colleague, however, could not.
Her voice broke, as she bid farewell to Crisp — her trusted mentor and friend, someone she knows she will dearly miss.
Filed Under: Land O' Lakes News, Local News, People Profiles Tagged With: Betsy Crisp, Coastal and Waterway Cleanup, Feeding Tampa Bay, Hillsborough County Extension, Kurt Conover, Land O' Lakes, Land O' Lakes Boulevard, Land O' Lakes Community Center, Mary Chernesky, Suncoast Harvest Food Bank, UF/IFAS Pasco County Extension
Resolve to have fun in 2017
January 4, 2017 By B.C. Manion
Maybe 2017 is the year that you're going to have more fun.
But, perhaps you want to improve planning your activities, and to get a better handle on your spending, too.
The Laker/Lutz News is here to help.
Whether you're new to area, or have lived here for decades, this guide is intended to help you plan fun activities for you and your family, without breaking the bank.
Raising Cane, a sweet & spicy event
When: Jan. 14, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, 15602 Pioneer Museum Road, Dade City
How much: Admission: $5 per person
Details: Cane syrup making, cane syrup competition, chili cook-off, salsa competition, greased pole climbing, iron skillet toss, entertainment and vendors
This blues band is keeping the crowd entertained at the Pigz in Z'Hills BBQ & Blues fest. (File Photos)
Seventh annual Pigs in Z'Hills BBQ & Blues
When: Jan 21, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: 5200 Airport Road, at the new community venue
How much: Free admission; $10 parking
Details: Mouth-watering barbecue, blues music, classic car show, aircraft displays, World War II museum, beer and wine, gift vendors, business showcase, kids zone and more
For information, call (813) 782-1913, or visit ZephyrhillsChamber.org.
12th annual Suncoast Arts Fest
When: Jan. 21, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Jan. 22, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: The Shops at Wiregrass, 28211 Paseo Drive, Wesley Chapel
How much: Free admission and parking
Details: More than 125 fine artists and craftsmen; live entertainment; emerging artist booth, featuring work of area middle and high school students; street painting; roaming entertainers; and, free art projects for the kids
Dade City's annual Kumquat Festival
Where: Downtown Dade City
How much: Admission and parking are free; free shuttles for satellite lots
What: Local entertainment, antique cars, arts and crafts, activities for kids, vendors, health and wellness, kumquat pies, kumquat products, quilt challenge and more
Several events are held leading up to the festival, visit DadeCityChamber.org for information.
Farm Fest & Quilt Show
When: Feb. 4, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Feb. 5, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Florida Pioneer Museum & Village,15602 Pioneer Museum Road, Dade City
How much: $10 per day, or $15 for both days.
What: Draft horse pull on Feb. 4 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. (Bring your own lawn chair, limited seating); quilt show, activities, music and more
For information, visit PioneerFloridaMuseum.org.
Florida Ranch Days
When: Feb. 11 and Feb. 12
Where: Little Everglades Ranch, 17951 Hamilton Road, Dade City
How much: Free admission; parking, $10 for cars and $25 for RVs
Details: Live entertainment on multiple stages; guided ranch tours on hay wagons; swamp buggy rides; trading post; food roundup; children's area; and more
For information, visit RanchDays.com.
Third annual Snowbird Palooza
When: Feb. 11, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Zephyr Park, 38116 Fifth Ave., Zephyrhills
How much: Free parking and free admission
Details: Entertainment, speakers, coffee and donuts social, Bingo tent, live magician, art classes and more
For information, email
.s.
Pasco County Fair
When: Feb. 20 to Feb. 26
Where: Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36722 State Road 52, Dade City
Details: Midway, fair food, entertainment, competitions
For a schedule of events, admission charge and other information, visit PascoCountyFair.com.
Flea Market at the Old Lutz School
When: March 3 and March 4
Where: The Old Lutz School, 18819 U.S. 41 N.
How much: Admission is free.
Details: Thousands of items for sale to generate funds for causes supported by the GFWC Lutz-Land O' Lakes Woman's Club.
Second annual Land O' Lakes Music Fest
When: March 11, noon to 8 p.m.
Where: Land O' Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O' Lakes Blvd.
How much: Early bird $10 general admission, $15 at the gate; Early bird $25 reserved seating, $30 at the gate; $5 parking.
Details: Live music, car show, bounce houses, obstacle course, video games, food and drink vendors, business and arts & crafts showcase. No outside food or coolers allowed. Event will be held, rain or shine.
Founders' Day Parade in Zephyrhills
When: March 11, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Main Street Zephyrhills District
How much: Free admission
Details: A parade to celebrate Founders' Day in Zephyrhills. This year's theme is classic board games.
For information, visit MSZI.org.
Savage Race
When: March 18 and March 19
Where: 17951 Hamilton Road, Dade City
Details: Twenty-five obstacles, mud in your underwear, chip timing, T-shirt, beer, action photos, camaraderie, memories
For information, visit SavageRace.com.
Dogs Day in Dade City
Where: Agnes Lamb Park, in downtown Dade City
Details: Dog wagon parade, dog costume contest, canine got talent, ice cream/yogurt eating contest and more
Zephyrhills Pie Festival
Where: 38116 Fifth Ave., Zephyrhills
How much: Free admission and parking; $10 all-you-can-eat pie buffet, from noon until 3 p.m.
Details: Pie bakers and vendors, slices of pie and whole pies for sale; pie-eating contests, a pie buffet, local business showcase, kids' area, DJ entertainment and other activities
Gran Fondo Florida
When: March 26, start time 8 a.m.
Where: San Antonio
Details: Bicycle road race through the rolling hills of Dade City and San Antonio. Cyclists can choose to ride three distances: 30 miles, 60 miles or 100 miles, and are timed on certain stretches of the race.For information, visit GranFondoNationalChampionshipSeries.com.
Jelly Bean Fling
When: April 8, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: 15602 Pioneer Museum Road, Dade City
Details: Easter bunny, Easter bonnet parade, egg hunt, face painting, bounce house and more
Where: Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, 7050 Gall Blvd., Zephyrhills
When: April 16, 6:45 a.m. to 7:45 a.m.
Details: Live Christian music, an inspirational message, a live dove release and free refreshments. Seating is limited and lawn chairs are encouraged.
Wesley Chapel Boat Show
When: April 21 to April 23
For information, visit TheShopsatWiregrass.com.
Third Annual Zephyrhills SummerFest
When: June 24, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
How much: Free admission, free parking
Details: Live entertainment; bounce houses, slides, a rock wall, trampoline and other kids' activities; vendor village of arts & crafters; pet friendly; fireworks at sunset
For information, contact
What: Lutz Fourth of July
When: July 4, parade starts at 10 a.m. (There's a race and other festivities before and after the parade). More details will be available closer to the event.
Where: Downtown Lutz, near the Train Depot
How much: Admission and parking are free.
29th annual Florida Bug Jam
When: Nov. 11 and Nov. 12
For details, visit FloridaBugJam.com.
Lutz Arts & Crafts Show
When: Dec. 2 and Dec. 3|
Where: Keystone Preparatory High School, 18105 Gunn Highway in Odessa
Details: Hundreds of arts and crafts vendors and food booths in an annual show that draws tens of thousands of shoppers
When: Traditionally held on the first Sunday in December
Where: City Park, 12202 Main St., in downtown San Antonio
How much: Free admission, free refreshments
Details: Annual lighting of giant Christmas cards, old-fashioned carol singing and other nostalgic touches.
Tampa Tour de Clay
When: Dec. 9 and Dec. 10
Where: Stops at area pottery studios
How much: The tour is free.
Details: Those making the tour will have the chance to watch kiln openings, talk with nationally known ceramic artists and perhaps do a bit of shopping.
For details, visit TampaTourDeClay.com.
Church Street Christmas
When: Traditionally held on select dates in December
Where: Historic Church Avenue in Dade City
How much: Admission is free
Details: Enjoy carolers, musicians and other entertainers along a street where the sidewalks are lit by luminaries and the houses are brilliantly decorated.
Old Lutz School Christmas House
Where: 18819 U.S. 41 N.
How much: Free admission; donations of toys and nonperishable foods are encouraged
For details, visit OldLutzSchool.com.
Festival of Lights on Main Street
When: Traditionally held on the first Saturday in December
Where: On Fifth Avenue, from Seventh to 10th streets in downtown Zephyrhills
Details: The event includes food, entertainment, holiday activities and a Christmas parade.
These events are beyond The Laker/Lutz News coverage area, but may be of interest to our readers.
Gasparilla Parade of Pirates
When: Jan. 28, 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Where: The parade goes from Bay to Bay and Bayshore boulevards, and continues on a route through downtown Tampa, ending at Cass Street and Ashely Drive. (People begin gathering hours before the parade begins; parking can be difficult to find).
Details: The parade includes 130 units, including floats, marching bands, pirates and more.
Florida State Fair
When: Feb. 9 through Feb. 20
Where: Florida State Fairgrounds, 4800 U.S. 301 N.
Details: Fair foods, midway, entertainment, competitions
For information, visit FloridaStateFair.com.
Bay Area Renaissance Festival
When: Weekends, Feb. 18 through April 2
Where: 11315 N. 46th St., Tampa
How much: $17.95 adults, $9.95 children; free parking
Details: Step back to medieval times, with live jousting, and old time foods and shops.
For information, visit BayAreaRenFest.com.
Strawberry Festival
When: March 2 through March 12
Where: 303 N. Lemon St., Plant City
Details: Strawberry shortcake, entertainment, festival rides, contests, fair foods, competitions and more.
For information, visit FlStrawberryFestival.com.
Chasco Fiesta
When: March 24 through April 1
Where: Downtown New Port Richey
Details: Chasco Fiesta is a nine-day festival with events ranging from a Native American Pow Wow, to a street parade, to a boat parade to shows, a carnival, a fiesta and more.
For information, visit ChascoFiesta.com.
Florida Blueberry Festival
When: April 22, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and April 23, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Historic downtown Brooksville
How much: $10 for adults (over 18); $5 for ages 13 to 17; free for those 12 and under; $5 in designated parking areas. The event is pet friendly.
Details: Entertainment, fresh blueberries, kids zone, arts and crafts, beer, wine, food and more
For information, visit FloridaBlueberryFestival.org.
Tampa Bay International Dragon Boat Races
When: April 29, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Contachobee Fort Brooke Park, 601 Old Water St., Tampa Bay
Details: Rowing teams compete
For information, visit PanamDragonBoat.com, and click on "Events."
GeckoFest
When: Sept. 2, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Where: 3101 Beach Blvd. S., Gulfport
Details: The theme of the 17th annual GeckoFest will be Geckostock, a celebration of the 1969 Woodstock Festival, as was hippies and the "Peace and Love" generation.
Filed Under: Local News Tagged With: 46th Street, Agnes Lamb Park, Airport Road, Ashley Drive, Bay Area Renaissance Festival, Bay to Bay Boulevard, Bayshore Boulevard, Beach Boulevard, Brooksville, Cass Street, Chasco Fiesta, Christmas in the Park, Church Avenue, Church Street Christmas, City Park, Contachobee Fort Brooke Park, Dade City, Dogs Day, Farm Fest & Quilt Show, Festival of Lights, Fifth Avenue, Florida Blueberry Festival, Florida Bug Jam, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, Florida Ranch Days, Florida State Fair, Florida State Fairgrounds, Founders' Day Parade, Gall Boulevard, Gasparilla Parade of Pirates, GeckoFest, Gran Fondo Florida, Gulfport, Gunn Highway, Hamilton Road, Jelly Bean Fling, Keystone Preparatory School, Kumquat Festival, Land O' Lakes, Land O' Lakes Boulevard, Land O' Lakes Community Center, Lemon Street, Little Everglades Ranch, Lutz Arts & Crafts Show, Main Street, Main Street Zephyrhills, New Port Richey, Odessa, Old Lutz School, Old Water Street, Pasco County Fair, Pasco County Fairgrounds, Paseo Drive, Pigs in Z'Hills BBQ & Blues, Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, Pioneer Museum Road, Plant City, Raising Cane, San Antonio, Savage Race, Seventh Street, Snowbird Palooza, State Road 52, Strawberry Festival, Suncoast Arts Fest, Tampa Bay International Dragon Boat Races, Tampa Tour De Clay, Tenth Street, The Shops at Wiregrass, U.S. 301, Wesley Chapel, Wesley Chapel Boat Show, Zephyr Park, Zephyrhills, Zephyrhills Pie Festival, Zephyrhills SummerFest
Harvey's Hardware fills a niche in Land O' Lakes
December 21, 2016 By Tom Jackson
Christmas is upon us again, and with history as our guide, an appreciable number of your neighbors are about to be grateful for the existence of a locally owned hardware store in their midst.
Paul Harvey points to a photograph of the original Harvey's Hardware building.
(Tom Jackson/Photos)
"The saddest time of the year," says Emma Lou Harvey, "is when somebody is trying to put something together on Christmas Eve and they don't have all the parts, or the parts don't fit.
"And then, they come in the day after Christmas, looking for what they needed."
Emma Lou, 86, is the grand dame of the venerable Harvey's Hardware in the heart of Land O' Lakes, and she has a secret: Desperate parents in the role of Santa's elves not only have been known to seek out the Harveys after closing time Christmas Eve, they've also been rewarded for their efforts.
This is the sort of thing that happens when you run a hardware store as a public trust, the way a small-town doctor treats his practice.
"It's nothing for people to come to the house," Emma Lou says. "It's what people did back then." It's sometimes what people do now. "If people had a problem…"
"… We helped them out," continues Dee Dee Amodio, the store's longtime clerk.
This is what Harvey's, established — no foolin' — April 1, 1961, does.
Guide a single mom through the intricacies of replacing the guts of a failed toilet tank? Check.
Dee Dee Amodio, a clerk at Harvey's Hardware, and Oatie, the high-fiving cat.
Work with a hobbyist as he spreads out a project in the middle of the electronics aisle? Check.
Readily produce the part the big box retailers didn't have, then smile knowingly when the relieved customer gasps at the low price? Check and double-check.
I mean, proof that Harvey's does things differently is manifest in its shop mascot, a bob-tailed Siamese cat — Oatie — that dispenses high fives.
All anyone who works at Harvey's asks is you think before you blurt, "I've been all over town looking for this!" Telling the folks who just bailed you out you tend to shop elsewhere is not a compliment.
Nonetheless, much as they want to, none of them — not Dee Dee, not Emma Lou, and not even Paul, Emma Lou's plainspoken, 60-year-old son, will reply with what's patently obvious: You should have come to them in the first place.
Lots of Harvey's clients figured that out a long time ago. In fact, it's pretty much why Ted Harvey — Emma Lou's late, lamented husband — got the family into the business in the first place.
It's not like the Harveys weren't constantly occupied. She taught home economics at Gulf High School. Ted worked for Sheriff Leslie Bessenger. There was young Paul to rear, of course, and they had an egg farm with 10,000 free-range chickens. "We stayed busy," Emma Lou says.
But, Land O' Lakes, at the turn of the 1960s, was miles from the nearest retail center — "You had to go to Sulphur Springs if you wanted anything," Emma Lou recalls — and, unbeknownst even to his wife, Ted Harvey had an itch to change that.
Dee Dee Amodio, Oatie the cat, Paul Harvey and his mom, Emma Lou Harvey, are familiar faces at Harvey's Hardware, a shop that's become a mainstay in Land O' Lakes.
So when Charles W. Johnson, the store's founder, asked Ted to look after the place while he was on jury duty, it was as though a bolt found its ideal nut. He spun into place, and held fast until he died in February 1994.
Once in charge, Ted quickly upped the store's offerings, adding milk, eggs, ice, live fishing bait and fuel-oil delivery … none of which the store carries today.
Indeed, Harvey's Hardware is, in many ways, as notable for what it no longer carries as for the odd treasures it does. Guns and ammunition, for instance, are off the menu, Emma Lou says, because, "They attract bad actors. Besides, there's all kinds of paperwork and special insurance."
Similar reasons related to bureaucrats account for how they chucked their fuel-oil operation. There is a limit, she says, to how many visits from EPA staffers any one small business can endure.
Instead, Harvey's found a niche in knives, especially those designed and handcrafted by Bradford, Pennsylvania-based W.R. Case. "Biggest Case dealer in the Southeastern United States," boasts Paul.
Now we're 55 years on, and Harvey's has stubbornly hung on, as history has gone on around it — like the Olympic torch passing through in 1996 en route to the Olympics in Atlanta, and ball fields and the Land O' Lakes Community Center blooming in the former swamp, where Paul used to explore.
It's not easy. Emma Lou reports they lose more suppliers every year, and there's that whole internet competition thing. But — to answer the question that's always dangling — she has no plans to quit the place.
Paul endorses her fixedness. "We need her," he says. "She jump-starts us." As Harvey's does her.
"Retail is interesting to me," she says. "You never know when you open the door that day what's going to happen."
Someone might come in completely unaware that what he needed most in the world was a set of Allen wrenches on a ring. Someone else — on Pearl Harbor Day — might bring his father, a World War II veteran, just to say hello, and that would trigger a memory.
Emma Lou's family, who lived then in Seminole Heights, spent that infamous 1941 weekend at their Land O' Lakes home. But, she dropped her little plastic box radio getting out of the car Saturday morning, and it shattered. They had no idea what had happened until neighbors rushed to greet them when they returned home Sunday night.
She was only 11 at the time, but she remembers the moment like it was yesterday: "The world had changed."
It always does, of course. Which is why it is reassuring when some worthwhile, likable institutions resist, Harvey's Hardware not least among them.
Tom Jackson, a resident of New Tampa, is interested in your ideas. To reach him, email
Filed Under: Land O' Lakes News, Local News Tagged With: Charles W. Johnson, Dee Dee Amodio, Emma Lou Harvey, Gulf High school, Harvey's Hardware, Land O' Lakes Community Center, Leslie Bessenger, Paul Harvey, Ted Harvey, W.R. Case


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ABA Annual Meeting 2016: The Current State of the Supreme Court
Joe Patrice talks with Rachel Moran and Nicole Austin-Hillery about the current state of the Supreme Court.
Nicole Austin-Hillery
Nicole Austin-Hillery is the first director and counsel of The Brennan Center's Washington, D.C. office and serves as the...
Rachel Moran
Rachel F. Moran is Dean Emerita and Michael J. Connell Distinguished Professor of Law at UCLA School of Law....
Joe Patrice
Joe Patrice is an Editor at Above the Law. For over a decade, he practiced as a litigator at...
This time On the Road at the 2016 ABA Annual Meeting, host Joe Patrice talks with Rachel Moran, Dean Emerita and Michael J. Connell Distinguished Professor of Law, and Nicole Austin-Hillery, Director and Counsel of The Brennan Center's Washington, D.C. office, about the current state of the Supreme Court. Rachel reviews the gap left by Justice Scalia's passing and states that she's not sure if there is a clear heir to his seat but there are several justices who are aligned with him philosophically and jurisprudentially. Nicole notes that there seems to be a "lightness" to the current court without Scalia and that the justices appear to now share more of the decision making and influence in terms of the cases. The persistence of this climate, Nicole continues, really depends on who fills the vacant seat since the justices' personalities have a huge bearing on the Court's tenor and operation. Both guests contemplate Chief Judge Merrick Garland's presumptive confirmation to the Supreme Court and the potential larger implications of Justice Sotomayor's written dissent in the Utah v. Strieff case. They close the interview with a discussion of Justice Kennedy's recent, uncharacteristic vote on affirmative action and upcoming court cases that attorneys should be on the lookout for.
Rachel F. Moran is Dean Emerita and Michael J. Connell Distinguished Professor of Law at UCLA School of Law. She received her A.B. in psychology with honors and with distinction from Stanford University and her J.D. from Yale Law School. Following law school, she clerked for Chief Judge Wilfred Feinberg of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and worked for the San Francisco firm of Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe. Prior to her appointment at UCLA, Professor Moran was the Robert D. and Leslie-Kay Raven Professor of Law at UC Berkeley School of Law.
Nicole Austin-Hillery is the first director and counsel of The Brennan Center's Washington, D.C. office and serves as the organization's chief liaison to Congress and the Administration. She practiced with the law firm of Mehri & Skalet, PLLC as part of the firm's civil rights employment class action practice and as the George N. Lindsay Civil Rights Law Fellow at the national office of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Washington, D.C. Nicole is a graduate of the Howard University School of Law and Carnegie Mellon University.
Podcast: On the Road
Category: Legal News
Recorded on the conference floor, "On the Road" includes highlights and interviews from popular legal events.
Clio Cloud 2020: Building Trust on Social Media
Lawyer and speaker Mitch Jackson explains how building meaningful relationships builds trust and leads to referrals and increased business.
Clio Cloud 2020: How E-Payment Systems Helped Law Firms Weather the Pandemic
Tom West shares the importance of using online payment systems in law firms to keep pace with the increasing virtualization of the practice of...
Clio Cloud 2020: Bryan Parker on Driving Innovation with Data & Diversity
Legal Innovators CEO Bryan Parker shares why it's important to make diversity and inclusion a business imperative rather than a nice-to-have.
Clio Cloud 2020: Resilience in Teams with Paula Davis-Laack
Paula Davis-Laack shares tips for helping law firm teams communicate well and to develop a culture of resilience.
Clio Cloud 2020: Lawyer Forward with Mike Whelan
Mike Whelan shares tips on how to think through problems in your law firm and create purpose-driven solutions.
Clio Cloud 2020: George Psiharis on Legal Trends Data
Clio's COO shares the three things law firms did to succeed during the pandemic, making 40% more revenue per lawyer than their competitors.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
In this section: Vaccines, Blood & Biologics
Allergen Extract Sublingual Tablets
Allergen Extracts - Injectable
Allergen Patch Tests
Antigen Skin Tests
The Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) regulates allergenic products. There are currently three types of allergenic products licensed for use: allergen extracts, allergen patch tests, and antigen skin tests.
Allergen Extracts
Allergen extracts are used for the diagnosis and/or treatment of allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis ("hay fever"), allergic sinusitis, allergic conjunctivitis, bee venom allergy and food allergy. Currently, there are two types of licensed allergen extracts:
Injectable allergen extracts are used for both diagnosis and treatment and are sterile liquids that are manufactured from natural substances (such as molds, pollens, insects, insect venoms, and animal hair) known to elicit allergic reactions in susceptible individuals. Injectable allergen extracts for food allergies are used only for diagnostic purposes. Among the injectable allergen extracts, some are standardized; for these products there is an established method to determine the potency (or strength) of the product on a lot-by-lot basis. For the other injectable allergen extracts there is no measure of potency, and these are called "non-standardized."
Sublingual allergen extract tablets are used for treatment only and are also derived from natural substances known to elicit allergic reactions in susceptible individuals, and are intended for the treatment of allergic rhinitis with or without allergic conjunctivitis.
Allergen patch tests are diagnostic tests applied to the surface of the skin. Patch tests are used by healthcare providers to determine the specific cause of contact dermatitis, and are manufactured from natural substances or chemicals (such as nickel, rubber, and fragrance mixes) that are known to cause contact dermatitis.
Antigen skin tests are diagnostic tests injected into the skin to aid in the diagnosis of infection with certain pathogens.
Report of Scientific and Medical Literature
Federal Register Notice: Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Report of Scientific and Medical Literature and Information on Non-Standardized Allergenic Extracts in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Allergic Disease; Extension of Comment Period
Federal Register Notice: Center for Biologic Evaluation and Research Report of Scientific and Medical Literature and Information on Non-Standardized Allergenic Extracts in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Allergic Disease, September 26, 2011
Panel on Review of 'Allergenic Extracts Category IIIA Reclassification, Final Report, December 1983 (PDF - 3.4MB)
Allergenics Advisory Review Panel Reports
Federal Register Proposed Rule: Biological Products: Allergenic Extracts; Implementation of Efficacy Review, January 23, 1985 (50 FR 3082)
Allergenic Products Advisory Committee
Allergenics Guidances
Allergenics Research
Consumers (Biologics)
Healthcare Providers (Biologics)
Industry (Biologics)
About the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER)
Recalls (Biologics)
CBER-Regulated Products: Shortages and Discontinuations
Report a Problem to the Center for Biologics Evaluation
Approvals & Clearances
Biologics Products & Establishments
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As any seasoned entrepreneur will tell you, customers are the lifeblood of your business. As such, they must be the top priority when approaching business operations and management.
When it comes to customer care, each retail business will likely differ in their approach, but the core principles remain the same, aiming to keep customers satisfied and coming back to your business again and again.
Here are three golden rules regarding customer care in retail.
Perhaps one of the most important aspects of customer care is the relationship you build with your customers, which is crucial in gaining their loyalty and repeat custom.
Building a relationship with customers involves making sure that their needs are always met, and going the extra mile for them to boost their faith in your service. It also means getting the basics right every time, such as appearing friendly and approachable and answering any queries promptly.
Once you've built a good relationship with a loyal customer base, you should notice a significant increase in repeat custom and business growth.
While trying to make sure your customer care is the best it can be, it is also crucial that you look at what others are doing to please those same customers.
Whilst you may want to get ahead of your competition, remember that you can also learn a great deal from their approaches and processes. What are they doing brilliantly, and (importantly) where do they fall down? Spotting these gaps shows you where your opportunities are to shine.
Bear in mind that there are laws in most countries (such as Wettbewerbsrecht, or competition law, in Germany) which protect competition in certain markets - so be sure to pay attention to these to avoid legal altercations with your competitors.
When your business is large enough, it's worth investing in a dedicated customer service team. They should be able to deal with standard enquiries, as well as being a friendly first point of contact for customers.
Having such a team will help save your business time and resource, as well as improving the overall customer experience. This will lead to better online reviews, and not only generate repeat custom, but also encourage satisfied customers to recommend you to friends and family.
As such, it's a worthy investment when your business is ready to take customer care to the next level.
These are just some of the customer service methods which have been tried and tested in retail businesses. Be sure to tailor your approach to your overall business image, and remain adaptable and flexible to ensure that you always have the best measures in place.


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Q: What does topology RLS restrictions in a limited relationship model mean? Limited relationships: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/transform-model/desktop-relationships-understand#limited-relationships

Enforcing RLS has topology restrictions.

What does topology RLS restrictions mean?

A: The short answer is RLS has some limitations in DirectQuery mode.
In the note, Enforcing RLS has topology restrictions, topology is referring to the infrastructure that the model resides on.  i.e. the power bi service or self-hosted servers, in the case of DirectQuery.
Limited relationships are created in two cases:

*

*With Many to Many relationships

*and DirectQuery Mode

With RLS (Row Level Security), you can't use the test as role or view as role features in DirectQuery Mode when using SSO.
More about limited relationships:
https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/strong-and-weak-relationships-in-power-bi/
More about RLS:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/enterprise/service-admin-rls#considerations-and-limitations

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text:
Home / Research Paper / What Can Be Learned From the History of the Marshall Plan About the Importance of the United States, Research Paper Example
What Can Be Learned From the History of the Marshall Plan About the Importance of the United States, Research Paper Example
After the ending of the Second World War in 1945 Europe was changed forever and began a transformation of re-construction of buildings, culture and government. The impact was particularly significant in France and Germany where the brunt of the transformational changes took place. It ultimately reshaped the landscape between East and West and resulted in a cold war between different political ideologies i.e. that of Communism in the East with Russia and its newly annexed countries and the Western democracies affiliated with the USA.
The main elements of the 2nd World War took place in Europe between 1939-1945. Adolf Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany on 30th January 1933. The Nazi (NSDAP) became the ruling party in the German Parliament (Reichstag). Under Hitler the German army was rebuilt and subsequently Germany was rearmed repudiating the Treaty of Versailles, after the defeat in World War 1. The world war began in earnest in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland and Britain declared war on Germany. Because of the UK Commonwealth this automatically brought in many other countries to the conflict e.g. Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. The USA entered the war after Japan (German axis alliance partner, attacked Pearl Harbour in 1941). The Germans continued on and eventually occupied a large part of Europe and North Africa. The ensuing liberation by the allies created huge waves of destruction by aerial bombardment and invading troops supported by tanks and artillery. The Soviet Union were particularly brutal in their attack on Germany infrastructure and committed an extreme act of revenge for the Nazi attack on Russia. Immediately after the surrender of Germany in 1945 Europe was transformed forever. The Cities of Berlin and Vienna were split into occupation zones by Britain, USA, France and Russia. Poland was re-annexed by Russia together with most of Eastern Europe including that of East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary; together with communist dictatorships in countries like Bulgaria, Romania and Yugoslavia.
The stage was set for the building of a new European Union and the emergence of two new super powers i.e. the USA and Russia. George Marshall would be the architect of this new plan that would be called the Marshall Plan.
George C Marshall appears as a Soldier and Statesman in numerous books and periodicals and specifically in the American Journal of Military History. His most famous contribution being the organizing of the D-Day landings under the Commander in Chief President Roosevelt. Numerous works cover the 'Marshall Plan' the plan covering the restoration of Europe after the destruction of the Second World War.
Marshall viewed the Russians as the main barrier to peace in Europe and equally divisive in helping to bring about the reformation and rebuilding of Europe as part of the Marshall Plan. He reported to the United Nations clearly identifying Russia as a major stumbling block towards the road to reconciliation and peace in Europe ""In place of peace, liberty and economic security, we find menace, repression and dire want." (Marshall, 1948). Marshall called for UN intervention in preventing Russia from repressing Europe.
1947 | In 1947 the Special Ad Hoc Committee of Washington DC requested an interim report – a survey of the world-wide situation post the ending of the Second World War in Europe in 1945. The paper examined US security considerations and the situation in Europe. The report pointed out that that the US was not dictating policy in Europe and the main issues resided in the Western European countries making up deficiencies that they had incurred during the war. They simply cannot make the transition alone and they need to accept that will require the help of the US. The Marshall program will need to be focused upon bring stability to Europe and meeting the basic needs of the people i.e. food, shelter and clothing. There will be a need for a considerable amount of integration and joint co-operation between the European nations. At the time of the report the crisis is already with the USA with France, Italy, Austria and the UK being in most urgent need of assistance. At this point the report has determined that the problem is deeper and more complex than originally envisaged. As such there is an urgent need for an interim program to Europe (Anon, Foreign Relations in the United States)
1948 | In 1948 the Senate passed a bill to support the European Market Program (ERP) to supply essential commodities to Europe; in order to prevent a regression into a financial slide that would cause starvation and other hardships. The ERP is one of the main strategic objectives in order to facilitate recovery in Europe. There is still a need however for strong cohesion between the nations in Europe. In economic terms this means the free flow of goods between nations and the lifting of any restrictive barriers. The report stated that the US needed to assign high calibre staff to positions in Europe in order for the European nations to take ERP seriously and equally provide high portfolio people to engage with the program. There is also a significant problem with the determination of how funds will be apportioned between member states. Britain is a particular issue in the determination of its position in Europe. As the head of a commonwealth of nations. In addition, Britain was not an occupied country in the Second World War and therefore needs greater freedom and flexibility in the determination of its own problems. (Anon)
1949 | With the Economic Co-operation Act of 1948 the US will support Europe by releasing trade and payment barriers within the OECC countries. Britain has stated because of their commitment to sterling, and those other nations that use same, they are reluctant to enter into any negotiations of reduction in trade barriers within the OECC. The US held talks with Bevin in the UK concerning their disappointment over the lack of progress in European integration and particularly the lack of co-operation between European nations. Bevin stated that the UK integration with Europe would be disastrous for the Commonwealth and bring about an immediate decline in Britain as a world power which in turn might create issues for the US and the entire Western World. It was Hoffman who in 1950 alluded to the creation of a single large European market where restrictions, tariffs and movement of goods will be removed. A reference to the future formation of the European Community (EEC). (Anon, Foreign Relations of the United States).
1950 | In 1950 Charles Bohlen in Paris stated that the US would look at the Continent of Europe with no distinction between Great Britain and the other European countries. He made the point that it was Britain who was instrumental in the formation of OECC. Speculation was being made elsewhere that Canada, Britain and the USA would forge an alliance that would preclude Europe. Bohlen stated that if Britain were to remove itself from Europe the concept of an integrated European community would collapse. The British are instrumental in helping to forge the European alliance. Harrison stated that Britain had violated their commitment under the Marshall plan via lack of co-operation with the other European nations. Many at the Paris meeting felt that Britain was nervous about the dissolution of its empire and their loss of sovereignty over their dominions. This hampered progress on the negotiations for European integration. (Anon, Foreign Relations of the United States)
Essence of the Marshall Plan
The basis of the Marshall Plan was on the American conviction that the recovery of Europe was vital to homeland security and the longer term interests of the USA. Europe was essential as a balance to the expanding interests of the Soviet Union in the East. American interests dictated that they maintain an active interest in the redevelopment of Europe. It was the difference between the US and the Soviets that Secretary of state George C Marshall met with British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin and proceeded with the plan for the reformation of Europe. The idea of European integration remained hugely popular as a concept with the politicians in Washington. (Hogan).
In the spring of 1948 Congress approved Marshalls Economic Recovery Act and by 1952 the US had transferred $13 billion in aid to Europe (today's equivalence would be $100 billion). This was one of the largest aid packages in history, which the British described as a supreme act of generosity. The Marshall Plan saw the mandate of regional authorities in the distribution of aid. Marshall was acclaimed by Winston Churchill as the architect of peace and laid the foundation stones for a modern integrated European union.
The early resistance to the Marshall Plan was mainly based upon European nations not wishing to be dependent upon the USA. With France they emerged from being an occupied nation and they were desperately trying to re-establish their identity in a fragmented country. There was also the fear of communism spreading from Eastern Europe. The Marshall plan is a lesson from history based upon the identification of an impending doom scenario where immediate action is required. The ability to act in a quick and expedient manner with the power of money transfers. The plan worked because the war was over and the dawning of the atomic age prevented the immediate threat of any new wars. As such it was instrumental in success at a moment in time where the conditions were unique to facilitate the rebuilding of nations. (Sorrel).
Joseph Goebbels stated in 1945 that if Germany was to lose the war then the Soviet army would occupy Eastern Europe and a large part of Germany, this despite any treaties made between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin. An 'iron curtain' would fall over Europe. This will create special conditions for those countries that border Russia like Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Yugoslavia. The Marshall plan was focused upon the restoration of Europe and took into consideration a potential cold war between the USSR and the USA that may be played out in a European theatre of operations. The USSR was annexing nations in Eastern Europe and essentially creating buffer states between Western Europe and the USSR. Austria became a pawn in the game having established strong trading relationships with Eastern Europe during the period of the third Reich. It continued these trading links whilst trying to forge new links with the west and found itself at the cross-roads of conflict between East and West Europe "the Marshall Plan and its counterpart, the embargo against Eastern Europe, contributed to the rise of the iron curtain. (Günter Bischof)
The Marshall plan is considered unique in its place in history and it is considered that it is unlikely that such a plan can be replicated on this scale again. It is unique in the sense that it occurred in a moment in history where unique conditions existed that enabled the rebuilding of nations to take place. Even this was a fragile peace and took many years for the solution to work. Despite the effort the cold war was virtually inevitable leading to the formation of Eastern and Western Europe and later resulted in further conflict in the Balkans. Germany became a divided nation for many years and reconstruction was slow owing to differences of opinions between nations. One of the big issues being for nations in Europe to see themselves under the banner of one flag as ' Europeans' as opposed to the pure allegiance to their own countries like Italy, Spain, Portugal, Dutch etc. Despite some of the setbacks with the Marshall plan it had achieved virtually all of its goals. It accomplished this saving some $4 billion against the $17 billion budget that was set aside. As such this is considered to be one of the most successful foreign aid packages of all time. A testimony to the vision, leadership and dedication of George C Marshall.
Anon. "Foreign Relations in the United States." Foreign Relations in the United States (1947): Vol 3 204-251, 356-375, 397-405, 446-450.
—. "Foreign Relations of the United States." Foreign Relations of the United States (1947): Vol 3 : 204-251, 356-375, 397-405, 446-450.
—. "Foreign Relations of the United States." Foreign Relations of the United States (1949): Vol 4 419-429, 435-447, 448-450 , 456-458, 469-482.
—. "Foreign Relations of the United States." Foreign Relations of the United States (1950): Vol 3 617-622, 629-630, 638-642, 646-652.
Günter Bischof, Anton Pelinka, Dieter Stiefel. The Marshall Plan in Austria. New Jersey: Rutgers, 2000.
Hogan, Michael J. The Marshall Plan: America, Britain, and the reconstruction of Western Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987.
Marshall, George C. "George C. Marshall." Time Magazine (1948).
Sorrel, Eliot. The Marshall Plan: lessons learned for the 21st century. Paris: OECD, 2008.
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Lesbian Educator Comes Out At End of Twenty Year Career in Catholic Education
August 3, 2015 /3 Comments/in Employment Issues, Schools & Youth /by Robert Shine, Managing Editor
Joan Grundy with her new book, A Deepening Life
After nearly twenty years in Catholic education, Joan Grundy is coming out as a lesbian in her just released autobiography. In the book, A Deepening Life, she tells of being a lesbian employee in Canada's Catholic schools and shares the quiet ways she helped create change.
Grundy has been a vice-principal at St. Mary's Catholic High School in Kitchener, Ontario before retiring this year in pursuit of other interests and greater authenticity. In a CTV report, Grundy is clear that working for a Catholic school kept her fearful of being out, but decided to make the revelation at age 54:
" 'I'd been peeking out of it for quite a while, and it was good to kick that darn door open, right off its hinges…I probably would have been a little bit more vocal earlier, it's safe to say, had I not been in the Catholic board.' "
Grundy said she could never been "openly gay in a public way" to students, co-workers, and even her parents for fear of losing her job, even as she privately supported LGBTQ students. In fact, Grundy is clear it took her until she was already teaching and 33 to come out to herself. This situation is tough for church workers she said:
"I talk in my book about walking a tightrope, and I think many senior administrators in Catholic boards walk those same tightropes, because, again, we're contracted and we need to abide by the official teachings of the church, and it's not always easy."
Being in the closet brought shame for Grundy, shame which is "not of God" but rather is "quite suffocating for the soul." It also "haunted" her that she was encouraging students to be themselves and not doing the same, reported the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Still, the former vice-principal decided she could not abandon the LGBTQ youth in Catholic schools according to The Hamilton Spectator:
"I went into teaching to make a difference in kids' lives and to turn my back on them didn't feel right…These students resonate with me. We have a shared experience of pain and hurt. . .
"I have never doubted that God loves me and created me as a gay woman. That is foundational for me…My spirituality is pivotal in how I live. And for those young people, I want them to know they are loved by God, celebrated by God and accepted by God."
Her biggest push for these students came in 2012, after the regional government mandated all schools, including religious ones, to support LGBTQ students. Grundy came out as gay in a meeting of Catholic school administrators, emphasizing the tremendous harm, sometimes leading to suicides, happening to too many teens.
At St. Mary's H.S., she introduced the Kindness Matters program to promote fair treatment and helped bring gay alumni back to speak to current students. She also helped by counseling youth.
In this next step of her life, Grundy hopes to help expand teacher training around inclusivitiy, while at the same time supporting LGBT educators, whom she describes as "wounded healers." She hopes that by opening discussion will encourage more LGBT educators to be out and make students feel safer in schools, particularly Catholic ones where "there's a lot of fear, a lot of vulnerability."
Joan Grundy's story is one that is simultaneously laudatory and similar to so many LGBT church workers who quietly come to the aid of marginalized groups in Catholic schools, parishes, and other institutions. Her fears of being fired for her sexual identity or for having a same-gender relationship exposed are as real. And perpetuating such fear is antithetical to the Gospel.
Grundy's journey is also a reminder of Scripture's wisdom that there is an anointed time for all things and that each of us must live our journey to authenticity on our own time, faithful to God's call for us in each moment.
What is resoundingly clear now is that, for our church, the time has come to end these firings and for schools to say "no more" to discrimination, instead valuing more and more the contributions of church workers like Grundy. Our church is greatly indebted to them, so to Joan and to all who faithfully serve, we say thank you!
Tags: Canada, Catholic, Gay, LGBT
https://www.newwaysministry.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/logo_nwm-1.png 0 0 Robert Shine, Managing Editor https://www.newwaysministry.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/logo_nwm-1.png Robert Shine, Managing Editor2015-08-03 01:00:192015-08-03 01:00:19Lesbian Educator Comes Out At End of Twenty Year Career in Catholic Education
poolgirl2 says:
jono113 says:
Not to argue, but curious about the Canadian school system. My understanding is that many Canadian schools are operated by the Church and teacher salaries are paid by the government. Are the teachers employees of the Church or of the government? Do non-discrimination laws that generally protect employees not apply to teachers? Can the Church fire an employee whose salaries is paid by the government because the teacher's private life does not comport with Church doctrine?
newwaysministryblog says:
I do not know all the intricacies of the Canadian system, but you are correct that the government does fund Catholic schools (and I assume other religious schools, as well). I do know that the schools are overseen by Catholic boards of directors who make decisions. How much their decisions must conform to Canadian law, I do not know.
Are there any Canadians among our readers who might shed a little more light on these questions?
Jamie Manson: Catholic Schools Must Say "No More" in Firing of LGBT... Bishop Accused of Hate Speech in "Death to Gays" Controversy


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Acta Non Verba Knives A200 Review
I'm going to take a wild guess and say that unless you live in the Czech Republic or you're a mega-knife nerd (like me) you haven't heard of Acta Non Verba Knives. The name is a Latin phrase that means "actions, not words" and the company, which I will henceforth refer to as ANV, started making knives in 2018. Their headquarters is in Prague, Czech Republic, which has a long history of weapons manufacturing, going back to at least the 1400's.
Disclaimer: this knife is a pre-production version of the A200 that was given to me by ANV knives for this review. They gave it to me because I was watching Rick And Morty (Season 3, episode 7, "The Ricklantis Mixup") and noticed the words "ACTA NON VERBA" written on a classroom chalkboard. I sent a still of it to them on Instagram, we got to chattin', I bought one knife I'd had my eye on for a while (the ANV Z400) and they gave me this pre-production A200 to review. I have done my very best to not let this affect the review.
The ANV A200 has a 3.6" (88mm) long drop-point blade, and is 8.3" (210mm) open. That's a little on the long side for some people, but I personally prefer larger knives that I can get a full four-finger grip on. I rarely buy anything smaller than this unless the blade has a large, safe-to-use choil, like on my old Massdrop Tashi Bharucha Prism pictured below.
The A200's angular drop-point blade shape puts a subtle modern twist on an old blade style, and it's steel does the same thing: it's Sleipner steel, which is a modern upgrade to the very widely-used D2 tool steel, which was patented in 1927. In a nutshell, for a semi-budget steel, Sleipner has very good hardness (edge retention) and pretty good toughness (resistance to chipping). Sleipner's two claims to fame are 1) it has a finer grain structure than D2, which theoretically makes it less prone to chipping under hard use, and 2) it's named after Sliepnir, the mythological eight-legged horse ridden by the Norse god Odin. Odin, of course, is known throughout the modern world as being the father of Chris Hemsworth.
The blade is finished with a dark gray DLC (diamond-like coating), and is pretty slim at 3mm thick. The whole knife is full of interesting modern touches, starting with the harpoon-ish swedge towards the tip of the blade.
This was accomplished by removing material from the sides of the blade only and doesn't impact the clean visual flow from tip to clip. Behind the swedge, the blade's spine isn't just chamfered, it's slightly rounded- which I find to be a classy touch.
The blade's spine, when studied from above, has a spear-shaped flow to it that has become my favorite detail on this knife. And that level of detail is all over the place on the A200 if you take the time to notice it.
The design is modern and interesting with lots of really well-thought-out touches. When seen from beyond arm's length, however, it's a little plain looking, but I think that's deliberate. According to the ANV website, the A200 is designed to be a discreet EDC knife with non-reflective surfaces and a minimalist clip, and I think that philosophy continues into the knife as a whole being not "scary" looking to the general public. Speaking of knives that might offend the delicate sensibilities of the world's Karens, here's a shot of my ANV Z400 folder, which is the knife that made me notice ANV Knives in the first place.
The Z400, along with ANV's fixed blade knives are generally a bit more flamboyant than most of their folders, especially their Anthropoid – yikes! That Fairbairn Sykes dagger shape scares even me. But generally, the ANV brand's design language is about clean, modern lines and elegant profiles.
The A200's handle is simply two pieces of machined G10 held together with two red aluminum backspacers in the rear, and the pivot in the front.
Semi-fun fact: In the above picture, to the left of the lock mechanism, you can also see the silver cylindrical magnet that I use to raise the knife off the background in most of the pictures in this review.
The inside face of the scales have been milled to reduce weight and to make room for the ANV "ALOCK" mechanism, which I'll cover in the Deployment and Lockup section below. The handle is 4.7 x 1.1 inches (121 x 28 mm) long, and a quite slim .6 inch (15 mm) wide, including the width of the ALOCK sliders. The handle is long enough to provide a stable four finger grip for my my medium-large-ish hands. The handle is also wide and tall enough to fill my hand in any grip I can come up with.
The handle doesn't have the curvy finger grooves that my mind automatically associates with ergonomic comfort, but it is indeed pretty comfortable. I attribute this mainly to ANV rounding off every single sharp corner on this knife. My ANV Z400 is the same way. I really appreciate this when I find it, mainly because not every knife maker seems to care a lot about that, regardless of price point. After reading this review of the Spyderco Matriarch here on BladeReviews.com, I snapped one up, and as a purely defensive tool, it's awesome.
But dammit, Spyderco, every corner of the blade and lock mechanism are crazy sharp.
I don't want to be a dick, but not bothering to round off sharp, non-cutting edges is a really clear example of why Spyderco is losing market share to high-quality knifemakers like Reate, Bestech, WE Knife Co, and perhaps now Acta Non Verba.
But I digress… the pocket clip of the A200 is a simple wire clip that's SO deep-carry that the knife body doesn't even peek out from my pocket.
By the way, the knife in this review is a pre-production version with a slightly wonky clip. From pictures I've seen online, it looks like the final version of the clip is perfectly symmetrical. The clip also appears to be reversible for left-handed carry, as does the thumbstud. Coupled with the ambidextrous locking mechanism, this knife can be configured to be full-blown lefty. I appreciate that ANV was able to ambi the knife with only one extra, empty hole drilled into the handle, unlike the typical Benchmade 3 extra holes, or the dreaded Spyderco 9 extra holes, as shown on the Spyderco Matriarch, three pictures above.
The wire clip has a pronounced dip near the tip.
When drawing the knife out of my pocket, I've found that my middle finger naturally slips into that dip, giving me good vertical pulling leverage. The clip's dip is also perfectly placed for my index finger when I hold the knife in an upside-down stabby grip, which is how I hold the knife 0% of the time.
The ANV Z400, which is an older design than the A200, also has a wire clip, but without the dip, and it's not nearly as easy to pull from my pocket. The Z400 also has texturing underneath the pocket clip, which tears up the inside of my pocket. I consider that to be a rookie mistake which was corrected on the newer A200 – the textured G10 that the handles are made of are machined relatively smooth under the clip. I can see a bit of wavy texture on the smooth areas, which I understand to be another pre-production quirk, since the pictures on the ANV website and the pictures on Blade HQ do not have that wavy-ness.
The handle design has a jaunty little racing stripe of rough texture running down the middle, and the rest of the G10 has been polished smooth, but still has a bit of grip to it. The stripe motif is echoed in several other ANV designs, and I think it adds to the overall modern look.
There's another subtle touch on the handle that I really like: If you look at the two TORX screws at the butt end of the handle, they're on the textured stripe, and are domed and uniformly stick out of the G10 about a millimeter.
There's also a small TORX screw on the smooth part of the handle, but it's flat topped and perfectly flush with the handle scale. That's how much ANV pays attention to detail, and I dig it.
How does the A200 feel in the hand? Surprisingly light, but not at all flimsy. The A200 weighs 3 ounces (84 grams) which makes it by far the lightest knife I've owned since the Gerber LST my mom bought me for my 14th birthday. That thing was cutting-edge revolutionary back in 1984, lemme tell ya… Anyway, the idea of a thin, lightweight, knife that disappears into your pocket is once again really popular, and that's the A200 was designed to be. It was also seemingly designed to be a direct competitor to the Benchmade Bugout.
The A200 fits squarely into a pretty specific market segment: lightweight, rugged, minimalist knives with synthetic handles that use some variation of the Benchmade AXIS lock, which saw its patent expire in 2018. The A200's main competition is the Benchmade Bugout, the Spyderco Manix 2, and the Hogue Deka. They generally cost between $115 – $160 with the A200 running at $160 retail. Apologies to the real-deal knife nerds who just bristled up when I said that the Spyderco Caged Ball Bearing lock is like the AXIS lock- I understand it's not the same, but to the end user its pretty much the same. Nonetheless, ANV Knives calls their version of the AXIS lock the ALOCK (Hogue calls theirs the ABLE lock) and it feels exactly the same as the genuine AXIS lock on the Benchmade Adamas pictured below.
To open the A200, you can rock the blade open through a relatively light detent using the thumbstud, or you can pull back on the spring-tensioned locking disc and let the knife freely swing open until the blade locks into place. With a little practice, it's easy and pleasurable to swing the knife back and forth, using on/off pressure on the locking disc to effortlessly snap the blade open and closed. It's fun, and annoying to anyone else in the room. Either way, the action is smooth, despite pivoting on old-school washers instead of tiny ball bearings, as has become very popular in the last several years. When the blade is locked open, there's zero blade play in any direction and I would feel confident abusing this knife beyond it's intended medium-use design.
There is one thing that I really don't like about the A200- the placement of the thumbstud.
The thumbstud itself isn't the problem: it's comfortable, its concave shape feels great under my thumb, and it has a neat little dab of glow-in-the-dark paint in the center. The problem is that my love of knives has a lot to do with aesthetics, and specifically the "flow" of a knife's lines.
Below are some of my knives that I consider to have particularly elegant profiles.
Anything stick out (or up) to you about the A200?
Why in the name of Rugiaevit would these detail-obsessed Czechs totally blow the superb profile of the A200 by having the thumb stud stick up above the blade spine like this? To show they prioritize function over form? To deliberately, personally, confuse me? I don't know, and it's certainly not a dealbreaker, but it bugs me.
Acta Non Verba Knives A200 Review – Final Thoughts
So why would anyone in the market for a lightweight, rugged knife drop $160 on the ANV A200 over a similarly featured and priced Benchmade Bugout (check out the super fun 3D custom configurator!), a Hogue Deka, or a Spyderco Manix 2? Those brands have generally good reputations and premium cachet compared to ANV, which seems to be basically unknown in the United States. The answer for me is that I've handled all the knives named above, and although they're all good knives, I like the A200 better because of its subtle refinements.
ANV did a bunch of stuff they didn't have to – like the flush screws on the body of the grip, and rounding the corner of the blade that's exposed when the knife is closed (circled below).
On the Spyderco Matriarch, you can cut yourself on that corner. I said that ANV doesn't have to do all that stuff, but maybe they do- maybe as a new company they understand that to get a slice of the pie they have to do some things better than the heavy hitters in the industry. Or maybe they're just super OCD about chamfering.
Either way, I'm happy because I have a well-made piece of functional art that I can flick open and closed all day without annoying anyone while I work remotely in my covid Fortress Of Solitude (aka my garage), editing silly reality TV shows.
Acta Non Verba Knives A200
Editor: I recommend purchasing the Acta Non Verba Knives A200 at BladeHQ. Thank you for reading.
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Sleipner
About John Burridge
John Burridge is a Los Angeles-based lover of knives and other dangerous toys. He spends his days trying to make the world a better place by slipping subversive humor into reality TV shows. And playing with cats. He can be found on Instagram as @bunrudge.
Jazz1 says
Great photos of the knives! Thanks for introducing this brand to me!
Re: your complaint about Spyderco " not bothering to round off sharp, non-cutting edges"
I also complained about this years ago. Sal was kind enough to explain that the Japanese find these very crisp edges as a sign of high quality machining. He also said that the issue is easily resolved with a Sharpmaker rod.
Henry says
I would like one to review on my YouTube channel .never heard of them I do reviews for dulo out of Bulgaria.
Thanks straight edge reviews
Clayton says
Glad you dug my Matriarch review! Love the write-up and the photos of the A200. Acta Non Verba was getting on my radar as a brand to take seriously, and this one looks like one to pick up. Love that faux-harpoon point created by the inletting on the blade, and the texturing and weight seems right on. It'd be interesting to see if popping out the torx screw on that thumbstud would allow the A200 to work with something more low-profile, like any of the Flytanium studs that seem commonly available for a lot of Benchmade's lineup.