By Joel Anderson, Times Staff Writer
Friday, August 27, 2010

BROOKSVILLE — During a contentious and riveting hour and a half on the witness stand Friday morning, a 35-year-old Brooksville man accused in the stabbing deaths of an elderly Masaryktown couple told jurors that he was merely a bystander to a horrible crime.

Robert Jardin testified that he accepted a ride with a man named "Rick" to find some cocaine one night in late October 2006. Jardin said Rick stopped to pick up another man named "Bub" along the way, and the trio continued to a secluded, beige stucco home near Masaryktown.

Rick and Bub went inside the home, leaving Jardin in the car, Jardin said. About 15 minutes later, Rick beckoned Jardin inside and, as Jardin told authorities, "into a nightmare."

"I could tell things were wrong," Jardin told jurors. "I freaked. I panicked more than anything."

Jardin, 35, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, armed burglary and grand theft in the grisly deaths of Patrick and Evelyn DePalma, ages 84 and 79. If convicted of murder, he could be put to death.

Though authorities have identified only Jardin publicly, court affidavits and hundreds of pages of documents reveal that other suspects still remain at large in the deaths.

Jardin's indictment from August 2008 alleges that he stabbed Evelyn DePalma "multiple times with a knife or other sharp-bladed instrument," but later mentions "others whose identity is currently unknown."

Jardin claims that he does not know the identities of other people who might have been inside the home.

That matters little to prosecutors, who spent a number of hours this week presenting evidence that Jardin was at the crime scene. A DNA analyst told jurors on Thursday that swabbings from a milk jug found in the DePalmas' kitchen showed that there was a 1-in-180 quadrillion chance that someone other than Jardin drank from the container.

Assistant State Attorney Pete Magrino questioned Jardin for more than an hour Friday, repeatedly asking him why he didn't tell authorities about the murder when given the opportunity. Magrino also pressed Jardin for the reason he lied about other people being involved in the murders.

Jardin responded that he told detectives the truth, but later changed his story when they kept asking him questions.

"Police didn't want to believe that story, and I gave them two other names," Jardin said, "hoping that they would leave me alone."

Defense attorneys rested their case after Jardin's testimony. After consulting with jurors, Circuit Judge Jack Springstead decided to send the jury home for the weekend. Closing arguments in the case will begin Monday morning, followed by jury instructions and deliberations.

Joel Anderson can be reached at joelanderson@sptimes.com or (352) 754-6120.

Nicole Hutcheson, Times Staff Writer
Friday, August 27, 2010

Times Staff Writer

TAMPA -- What can law enforcement do to deter prescription drug abuse? How can doctors tell the difference between an addict and someone in real pain? How can you treat pain on a more spiritual level?

More than 140 people gathered Friday morning at the Marriott Waterside to address these questions during a summit on drug abuse.

The event was hosted by Associates in Emergency Medical Education, a Tampa Bay company that trains medical professionals. The Alliance for Global Narcotics Training partnered with the organization. This is the event's second year.

Doctors, prosecutors, law enforcement and drug abuse counselors from across the country spent the morning sharing their expertise, stories and tips on dealing with prescription drug abuse. It is estimated that seven people die from prescription drug abuse every day in Florida.

"The goal is to come up with answers as a whole," said Sharon Kelley, executive director of Associates in Emergency Medical Education. "There is no one solution to this, you have to bring all the players together."

By Nicole Hutcheson, Times Staff Writer
Friday, August 27, 2010

Times Staff Writer

TAMPA — What can law enforcement do to deter prescription drug abuse? How can doctors tell the difference between an addict and someone in real pain? How can you treat pain on a more spiritual level?

More than 140 people gathered Friday morning at the Marriott Waterside to address those questions during a summit on drug abuse.

The event was hosted by Associates in Emergency Medical Education, a Tampa Bay company that trains medical professionals. The Alliance for Global Narcotics Training partnered with the organization. This is the event's second year.

Doctors, prosecutors, law enforcement and drug abuse counselors from across the country spent the morning sharing their expertise, stories and tips on dealing with prescription drug abuse. It is estimated that seven people die from prescription drug abuse every day in Florida.

"The goal is to come up with answers as a whole," said Sharon Kelley, executive director of Associates in Emergency Medical Education. "There is no one solution to this. You have to bring all the players together."

By Jessica Vander Velde, Times Staff Writer
Friday, August 27, 2010

TAMPA — Police call Luis Harris a rapist. They say he pretended to be a cop last month and abducted a woman along Bayshore Boulevard, before robbing her and sexually assaulting her.

Harris, in an interview with the St. Petersburg Times, disputes that account.

He acknowledges that he had sex with the woman and used her ATM card. But he didn't pretend to be a police officer, Harris said. And he didn't rape her, he said.

The sex, he said, was consensual.

"I will take a polygraph," said Harris, 31.

Even as he protests his innocence, police note inconsistencies in his story. This isn't the first time Harris has been accused of rape. And multiple witnesses have alleged that he posed as an undercover narcotics officer.

Tampa police say that about 10 p.m. July 29, Harris used a blue laser flashlight to pull over a 28-year-old motorist on Bayshore. She stopped, thinking he was a cop. He handcuffed her, took money from her bank account and then raped her in the back seat of his car, police reported.

He was arrested two days later, after police say he pistol-whipped a man in the parking lot of Pete's Place, a South Tampa bar. There, too, he pretended to be a cop, police said. He was charged with rape, armed kidnapping, grand theft and impersonating an officer, among other crimes. A judge denied him bail.

Harris has never worked in law enforcement in Florida, state records show. He attended a police academy in Lake County for five months in 1998 but did not graduate.

Speaking from the Hillsborough County jail — against the advice of his attorney, he said — Harris defended himself.

Tampa police are twisting evidence, he said. That picture of him in a police uniform that investigators found? He said it's from a photo album in his car, a memento of police academy days.

And the police "ID badge?" That was a calendar card, a keepsake from a shooting competition, he said.

Tampa police declined to discuss the evidence they've collected but said there wasn't a photo album in Harris' car.

Harris said he's worried that public opinion is already against him and that he won't fare well in court. This would be his second trial on sexual battery charges. He was acquitted of the first, filed in 1999 in Volusia County. Details are unavailable because the file has since been destroyed.

Harris denies that he pulled the woman over on Bayshore. He said they met at Tiny Tap Tavern, a South Tampa bar. After talking for a while, they had sex in the back of his car, he said.

The victim told police she's never heard of Tiny Tap, said Detective Lela Davis.

The Times spoke briefly with the victim, whose name has been withheld because of the nature of the crime.

She declined to comment for this story, other than to say she did not know Harris before the incident.

"I don't know him from anything in the world," she said.

Detective Davis said she's heard a lot of Harris' explanations, and they don't hold up against the evidence.

When he was first arrested, he told police he had never met the victim. Later, he said they had consensual sex.

"Now that the evidence is back, he's changed his story," said police spokeswoman Andrea Davis. "There are so many inconsistencies."

When rape defendants say that sex was consensual, police and prosecutors look for other signs of violence, such as bruising, cuts and dirt.

Police declined to discuss physical evidence in the case.

Harris said the woman was bruised before they met. He said she told him she had a medical condition that caused her to bruise easily.

Police said the victim's medical condition has not caused bruising in the past. They declined to name the condition.

Harris has his own theory for why charges would be filed against him in Tampa: He says Volusia County officials have a vendetta against him. He previously faced multiple charges there, including grand theft, for which he spent three years in prison.

He speculates that Volusia officials are bitter that he was acquitted of the 1999 rape charge.

Harris said his troubles started back in police academy days.

Lake County records show he withdrew from the Lake Tech Institute of Public Safety in 1998 for "other reasons."

But Harris said he wasn't allowed to graduate because he was a "whistle-blower." He claims to have exposed that law enforcement officials had sex with prostitutes before arresting them.

A Lake County Sheriff's Office spokesman said the agency was not affiliated with the technical institute before 2000 and has never allowed students to accompany investigators on stings.

He said no incident like the one Harris described has happened in Lake County.

"That would have been in the media, and there would have been an internal affairs investigation," said spokesman Sgt. Jim Vachon. "Nobody here has heard of anything like that."

Jessica Vander Velde can be reached at jvandervelde@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3433.

By Danny Valentine, Times Staff Writer
Friday, August 27, 2010

WESTCHASE — Two adults and two children were hospitalized for possible smoke inhalation early Friday after a fire at a single story residence, according to Hillsborough County Fire rescue.

The injuries were not considered life threatening.

"It was more precautionary than anything else," said spokesman Ray Yeakley.

Firefighters responded to 8533 Fawn Creek Drive at 5:30 a.m., finding smoke and flames coming from a rear bedroom.

The blaze was contained within 20 minutes to the bedroom and attic.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

All four people were transported to St. Josephs Hospital.

Follow This Just In on Twitter.

By Danny Valentine, Times Staff Writer
Friday, August 27, 2010

CITRUS PARK — Two adults and two children were hospitalized for possible smoke inhalation early Friday after a fire at a single-story residence, according to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.

The injuries were not considered life-threatening.

"It was more precautionary than anything else," said spokesman Ray Yeakley.

Firefighters responded to 8533 Fawn Creek Drive at 5:30 a.m., finding smoke and flames coming from a rear bedroom.

The blaze was contained within 20 minutes to the bedroom and attic.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

All four people were transported to St. Josephs Hospital.

Follow This Just In on Twitter.

By Rita Farlow, Times Staff Writer
Friday, August 27, 2010

CLEARWATER — A married couple who died in their apartment a day before their oldest son graduated from high school had lethal levels of prescription drugs in their systems, according to toxicology reports released Friday.

Susan and Eric Kinkead, both 35, were found dead in their bedroom on June 9. A family friend called police to check on the couple after one of their four children alerted another friend to say he had not seen his parents in more than a day.

Both husband and wife had taken oxycodone and methadone, according to toxicology reports. Eric Kinkead died from a methadone overdose. Susan Kinkead died from an overdose of multiple drugs.

Their deaths were ruled accidental.

By Rodney Thrash, Times Staff Writer
Friday, August 27, 2010

LARGO — Two teenagers were arrested early Friday after a string of auto burglaries and a chase, authorities said.

According to Largo Police Lt. Michael Loux, an unidentified resident saw Michal Gubco, 16, and Burak Sarioglu, 17, in the area of 7th Street and 1st Avenue NE just after 1 a.m.

The resident saw them inside a neighbor's vehicle and yelled at them. Startled, the pair fled on foot. The resident called 911, and officers set up a perimeter around the neighborhood.

An officer and his K-9 dog spotted the teens inside another vehicle and the boys fled again. After a short chase through the 700 block of 2nd Avenue NE, Gubco and Sarioglu were arrested.

They later admitted that they burglarized several cars, stole a loaded .38 caliber revolver and fired it.

By Rodney Thrash, Times Staff Writer
Friday, August 27, 2010

LARGO — Two teenagers were arrested early Friday after a string of auto burglaries and a chase, authorities said.

According to Largo police Lt. Michael Loux, an unidentified resident saw Michal Gubco, 16, and Burak Sarioglu, 17, in the area of Seventh Street and First Avenue NE just after 1 a.m.

The resident saw them inside a neighbor's vehicle and yelled at them. Startled, the pair fled on foot. The resident called 911, and officers set up a perimeter at the neighborhood.

An officer and his K-9 saw the teens inside another vehicle and the boys fled again. After a short chase through the 700 block of Second Avenue NE, Gubco and Sarioglu were arrested.

They later admitted that they burglarized several cars, stole a loaded .38-caliber revolver and fired it, according to police.

By Jamal Thalji, Times Staff Writer
Friday, August 27, 2010

RUSKIN — A large tar spill on northbound Interstate 75 has resulted in a massive back-up Friday afternoon in southern Hillsborough County, authorities said, reducing traffic to a crawl.

The Florida Highway Patrol said motorists should try to avoid the mess if possible. Northbound traffic is able to move on the right shoulder, according to Sgt. Larry Kraus, but it's slow going.

Traffic is backed up for as long as 10 miles, according to Bay News 9, and has reached the Hillsborough-Manatee County line.

The blockage was caused because a pick-up truck carrying the tar was involved in a crash with another vehicle, the FHP said, resulting in 50 to 60 gallons of tar being spilled onto the interstate. No injuries were reported in the crash. No other details were released.

The crash took place near mile marker 244. The construction company is cleaning up the spill, the FHP said.

But officials do not know when northbound I-75 will be re-opened.

Check tampabay.com for updates.

Follow This Just In on Twitter.

By Jamal Thalji, Times Staff Writer
Friday, August 27, 2010

RUSKIN — Authorities said they've cleaned up the tar spill that blocked northbound Interstate 75 on Friday afternoon and said the driver who was hauling the tar shouldn't have been driving.

Traffic is flowing again, but for a while it was backed up for miles, all the way to the Hillsborough-Manatee county line.

The crash that caused the blockage took place about 11:09 a.m. near mile marker 244. According to a Florida Highway Patrol report, a 1998 Chevy pick-up was towing a trailer containing the tar and headed north in the left lane when the driver lost control a mile south of Big Bend Road.

The pickup drove onto the left paved shoulder, the Highway Patrol said. But the driver overcorrected to get back onto the interstate, the patrol said. The truck spun clockwise, and the trailer came loose.

The trailer turned over in the center lane and spilled 50 to 60 gallons of tar across the roadway, the patrol said. The pickup ended up hitting a 2007 Buick.

The pickup was driven by William J. Metcmeier, 31, of Seffner. The Buick's driver was Elizabeth Council, 75, of Punta Gorda. Neither was injured.

Metcmeier was cited for careless driving and driving with a license suspended or revoked. The crash remains under investigation.

The Highway Patrol said the company that owns the pickup, E.B. Duraseal Asphalt Sealing and Paving, cleaned up the spill.

By Curtis Krueger, Times Staff Writer
Friday, August 27, 2010

LARGO — Tenesia Brown, the former St. Petersburg foster mother accused of shaking a baby to death, decided not to testify in her own behalf Friday afternoon.

Her defense rested its case, and prosecutors began their closing arguments.

Earlier Friday in Brown's murder trial, a neurosurgeon on the faculty of Georgetown and George Washington universities testified that he sees no evidence the baby, Lazon Gulley, was shaken or otherwise injured in the head.

"I don't know that this child was a victim of head trauma at all," Dr. Ronald Uscinski said.

He said the evidence he reviewed indicates that when the boy's heart stopped for several minutes on March 3, 2006, it caused his brain to shrink. This may have led to bleeding beneath the layer around his brain called the dura. Although this type of injury often occurs because of trauma, there is no evidence that happened in this case, he said.

Uscinski said studies have proven that a person cannot exert enough force to cause such injuries to a baby by shaking alone. He is among a group of physicians who don't believe in the "shaken baby syndrome" diagnosis.

Earlier in the trial, the medical director for Pinellas County's child protection team said the boy died from "abusive head trauma," which she said is now the preferred term for shaken baby syndrome. Brown, the foster mother, was with the child just before he was taken to the hospital.

By Curtis Krueger, Times Staff Writer
Friday, August 27, 2010

LARGO — Former foster mother Tenesia Brown looked ahead stoically for a full minute after a jury found her not guilty of murdering a baby in her care.

But then the verdict visibly sank in, as she tearfully hugged her attorney. Her husband, Marcus, on a bench just behind her, bowed his head and wept.

Fighting this charge for the past four years "was the toughest thing I've ever had to do because my wife was facing life in prison," Marcus Brown said after the verdict Friday night.

Not any more. Tenesia Brown walked out of the Pinellas County criminal courts complex facing no criminal charges for the first time since 2006.

Although there were no witnesses, prosecutors said circumstantial and medical evidence showed Brown had caused catastrophic brain injuries to Lazon Gulley, when he was 14 months old. They said Lazon suffered all the classic symptoms of shaken baby syndrome, went into a coma, and was unable to survive without life support. Even with it, he died within two years.

But defense attorney Ron Kurpiers attacked the very diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome during the four-day trial, and brought in experts who said the science behind the syndrome is faulty.

One of the experts was Ronald Uscinski, a neurosurgeon affiliated with Georgetown and George Washington universities, who said he saw no evidence of abuse.

"I don't know that this child was a victim of head trauma at all," Uscinski said.

Uscinski said he was paid $10,000 for Friday's testimony and $2,000 to review and analyze records, which brought sharp criticism from prosecutors.

"He's getting paid $10,000 to take the position that shaken baby syndrome or violent head trauma does not happen," Assistant State Attorney Holly Grissinger said in her closing argument.

The case dates back to 2006, when Brown was a new foster mother who had been given four children to care for in less than six months. She had not raised children of her own.

On March 3 of that year, Brown had to get off work early for the third day in a row because Lazon had diarrhea and vomiting. She picked him up from day care, and would later say the boy was conscious at that time.

Shortly after, something went wrong. At home with Lazon and his 3-year-old brother, Brown made a series of calls to her husband and to 911. The boy was taken to All Children's Hospital with severe medical problems.

"The defendant was alone with the victim for the last 29 minutes of his life. The fact is, when he got to the hospital, he was nonresponsive, he was in cardiac arrest and he had a subdural hemorrhage," Grissinger told the jury.

Grissinger's conclusion: "She killed him."

Prosecutors relied on testimony from physicians, especially Sally Smith, medical director of Pinellas County's child protection team. Smith said Lazon suffered from bleeding beneath a layer around the brain called the dura, and also in his retinas.

Both are signs of shaken baby syndrome, although the preferred term for the condition is now "abusive head trauma," Smith said.

No one witnessed Brown when she purportedly shook Lazon — and critics complain that the lack of a witness is another hallmark of shaken baby cases that come to court.

Some of the defense's witnesses steered clear of commenting on shaken baby syndrome itself, and some of them acknowledged some of Lazon's symptoms could have come from abuse.

But the attack on the diagnosis was a centerpiece of Brown's defense. Uscinski said once Lazon went into cardiac arrest, his brain was starved of oxygen for several minutes. Uscinski pointed to images that showed the boy's brain shrank over time. This — and not shaking or other trauma — would have led to the bleeding around his brain, he said.

Kurpiers, the defense attorney, was a bit teary-eyed himself after the verdict, which came after about two hours of deliberation.

"It doesn't happen often," he said.

Curtis Krueger can be reached at ckrueger@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8232.

Times staff
Friday, August 27, 2010

ZEPHYRHILLS — A man accused of stabbing two people and himself Sunday night is now in the Pasco County jail.

Roger John Beckers, 30, stabbed a 20-year-old woman numerous times during a domestic dispute at 5th Avenue and 8th Street in Zephyrhills, according to the Zephyrhills Police Department. Beckers, a salesman at Big Lots in Dade City, is also accused of slicing a witness on the leg — and stabbing himself in the chest. All three were taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries, authorities said.

Beckers was booked into the Polk County jail Monday on a Pasco warrant on charges of attempted murder in the first degree and aggravated battery. He was transferred to the Pasco County jail Thursday.

Beckers, of Zephyrhills, is being held in custody in lieu of $550,000 bail.

Times staff
Friday, August 27, 2010

LUTZ

Man accused of taking catalytic converters

A felon who served two stints in prison for selling cocaine and fleeing the law found a new hobby: stealing catalytic converters off parked cars, according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.

Louis T. Hudson, 34, of Tampa, was arrested Friday after an undercover Tampa police officer saw Hudson using a saw to remove the converters and reported it to the Pasco Sheriff's Office, authorities said. The converters — which are used to reduce toxic emissions — are worth $400, a report states.

Hudson is accused of stealing converters from a parked car at an auto repair shop at 1913 Foggy Ridge Parkway in Lutz and two other stores along Land O'Lakes Boulevard in Land O'Lakes.

Hudson is being held at the Pasco County jail in lieu of $51,000 bail.

By Andy Boyle, Times Staff Writer
Friday, August 27, 2010

St. Petersburg Bicycle Club members prepare to stop Friday at an intersection where several bikers were ticketed Thursday.

ST. PETERSBURG — Kimberly Cooper had a question for the mayor.

During a breakfast meet-and-greet this week, she pressed Mayor Bill Foster on what he was going to do about bicycle safety.

Crack down on bicyclists who disobey the law, Foster told her. "When you see a stop sign, you stop.''

The next day, police ticketed 16 bicyclists for disobeying stop signs or riding more than two abreast. Only a handful of similar tickets had been issued since Jan. 1.

"Operation Share the Road," a city crackdown, was prompted by numerous complaints about bicyclists not following laws, Foster said.

Some bicycle enthusiasts wonder if the city's focus is misplaced.

"It's the people who are drugged up and drunk who aren't going to stop at stop signs," said Cooper, who has relied on a bike for more than 25 years.

In Tampa Bay and around Florida, bicycle regulation long has been the subject of spirited debate. With warm weather and a plethora of bike trails from Citrus County to south Pinellas, bicycle ridership has flourished. But controversy is never far away, usually provoked by tragedy, such as the horrific accident in July 2003 when a Lincoln Continental plowed into 20 cyclists on a St. Petersburg street.

"I figured it was just time to do some education to the biking community," Foster said. "Education as to the great facilities we have for them to ride freely . . . and also education that when you're on the street, the rules of apply to them as well."

City Council member Karl Nurse, whose district sees heavy bike riding on Third Street S, hopes the crackdown spreads the message.

"It would be a friendly gesture if they try to remember they're not the only people on the road," Nurse said.

Tim Butts, president of the St. Petersburg Bicycle Club, said he heard rumors that the city was going to increase enforcement but said no one in the city reached out to him about the enforcement action.

"We have no problems with the level of enforcement of traffic laws," he said. "I'm concerned, and I think all cyclists would be concerned, that they would be enforcing the traffic laws against cyclists and ignoring the much more prevalent behavior of motorists."

Butts was riding with a group of about 50 cyclists Thursday when he encountered the enforcement detail.

He said a police SUV blocked the bicyclists' path near Third Street and Sixth Avenue S. Some cyclists were corralled into a parking lot near the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and ticketed. Others, including Butts, were let go.

Holly Petrak, 33, of Tampa was riding alone in St. Petersburg on Thursday and saw a few police cars near USF St. Pete. She knew there was a stop sign, she said, so she slowed down. But she didn't stop completely.

Petrak, a professional fitness specialist who prefers cycling in St. Petersburg because it has less traffic, rode another block and stopped at a red light. A motorcycle officer pulled up behind her and gave her a $166 ticket for not stopping at the sign.

"I thought there was some dangerous person on the loose," Petrak said. "So I thought they were warning me."

Petrak said she knows she should obey stop signs, but clipping and unclipping her bike shoes slows her down and can make it dangerous when crossing intersections. More motorists would get mad if a group of 50 cyclists stopped at every stop sign, slowing traffic even more, Petrak said.

Foster said he loves the cycling community and wants to do more to promote bicycling. But bicyclists and motorists have to safely share the road, Foster said. "Cars and bikes don't mix."

Ninety-nine bicyclists were killed in Florida last year, including 10 in 2009 in Pinellas County, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. That's down from 199 in 2005.

City Council member Steve Kornell said he has received few complaints about bicyclists. But the law is the law, he said. And people should follow it, especially if it helps to make the streets safer.

"I would hope everybody would be respectful of each other," Kornell said. "There's no reason we can't work together and be respectful and polite to one another."

Times news researcher Natalie Watson contributed to this report. Andy Boyle can be reached at aboyle@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8804.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Today

Suncoast WaterWorks Synchronized Swim Club will host a free "Back to Synchro" clinic and club registration. Following the clinic, find out more about team registration for our nationally recognized Suncoast Waterworks Club. Join now and learn all about the only Olympic-level sport that combines swimming, gymnastics, cheerleading, music and cool swim suits. 9 a.m. Free. Southwest Recreation Complex and Pool, 13120 Vonn Road, Largo. Sponsor: Robinne. (727) 669-4115.

Today

Annual Public Day Ticket Sale: Ruth Eckerd Hall announces its annual Public Sale Day, featuring discounts on tickets for the 2010-2011 season. The Tampa Bay Rays Street Team will be on site and the first 29 patrons in line will receive a free Rays T-shirt. There will be food available for purchase at the East Side Cafe and in the lobby, and free coffee and water. For more information or to view the entire 2010-2011 season, visit www.rutheckerdhall.com. 8 a.m.-1 p.m. $29 tickets on nearly every performance. Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 N McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater. (727) 791-7400.

Practice SAT for Teens: Palm Harbor Library and Huntington Learning Center will offer a practice SAT exam for teens at a much reduced price, with all proceeds benefiting teen library materials and services. Test results will be given, with an optional free consultation with Huntington Learning Center staff. Registration is in-person at the library only. Due to limited space, only 10th- through 12th-graders may participate. 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $25, due at sign up. Palm Harbor Library, 2330 Nebraska Ave., Palm Harbor. (727) 784-3332, ext. 3006.

Guided Hike at Brooker Creek Preserve: Get up close to the environment in this 7-mile guided nature hike. See how the land has changed over time and discuss the ecological footprints left by those changes. Wear close-toed shoes, bring water and a hat. Best for ages 6 and up. 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Free, but registration required. Brooker Creek Preserve, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs. (727) 453-6800; brookercreekpreserve.org.

Indoor Fresh Market: The air conditioned mall corridors house a market with fresh produce, prepared foods, multi-cultural and specialty food, greenery, arts/crafts, music and plenty of seating for people watching. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Free (items individually priced). Seminole Mall, 11201 Park Blvd., Seminole. Sponsor: Scott. (727) 776-7261.

I Like It Hot Festival: The 10th annual I Like It Hot Festival and BBQ will feature hot and fiery foods and sauces to sample and purchase, a pepper eating contest, and amateur hot sauce and salsa competitions. Free parking. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $5 for adults; free for children 12 and younger. Minnreg Building, 6340 126th Ave. N, Largo. (727) 423-8433; www.ILikeItHotFestival.com.

Day in the Park: The Family Network on Disabilities hosts a day to honor families, providers and professionals of the disability community. Check out the latest services and products, enjoy children's games, free lunch, snacks and drinks. Also, participate in the dedication of a Dr. Martin Luther King seedling in the park. The seedling is from a tree that shades the church from which King began his march from in Selma, Alabama. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Safety Harbor City Park, 940 Seventh St. S, Safety Harbor. (800) 825-5736.

Habitat for Humanity Showcase Home Open House: Take an exclusive tour of a LEED-certified townhome built by Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County in its first "green" subdivision. Habitat volunteers and homeowners are needed. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Habitat for Humanity Home, 501 Howell St., Dunedin. (727) 536-4755.

Block Party Bash: Highland Recreation struts their stuff at this event with class demos, food, music, games and a meet and greet with Largo Recreation's mascot Captain Play. 12-3 p.m. Free (admission to Aquatic Center not included). Highland Recreation Park, 400 N Highland Ave., Largo. (727) 518-3016.

Nature Arts and Crafts: Bring your creativity and get a jump on your holiday gifting and decorating at this nature craft workshop. Each family member can choose a nature craft to complete and take home. Space is limited. Recommended for families with children age 6 and up. 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. $3 per person. Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs. (727) 453-6800; brookercreekpreserve.org.

Suncoast Genealogy Society: Suncoast Geneology Society will be offering an 8 week course on Beginning Genealogy at the Palm Harbor Library, 2330 Nebraska Ave, Palm Harbor. The course will be offered on Saturdays and begins on Aug. 14, from 2-4 p.m. The registration fee of $35 includes materials and handouts. Contact Howard Smith, (727) 669-7220, to register or for more information. 2-4 p.m. $35 registration fee. Palm Harbor Library, 2330 Nebraska Ave., Palm Harbor. Sponsor: Howard Smith. (727) 784-3332.

Macy's Spelling Bee: Kids ages 8-10 who think they know their way around a dictionary are invited to participate in this event. Macy's fifth annual Spelling Bee awards spellers from each local competition a year of online learning from Kaplan Tutoring, a $150 Scholastic online gift card and a trip to New York City to compete in the finals at Macy's Herald Square on Sept. 26. There also will be games and contests from Radio Disney and all contestants will be entered in the Golden Ticket Competition — a special insider's pass to play in the Glazer Children's Museum before opening day. 2 p.m. Free. Macy's at Westfield Countryside Mall, 27001 U.S. 19 N, Clearwater. (727) 724-7208; macys.com.

Hippie Fest III: Check out this national touring festival including Jack Bruce of Cream, Rare Earth, War, Mitch Ryder and Badfinger featuring Joey Molland. The event also features a hippie marketplace in the air-conditioned grand concourse with era-inspired vendors offering tie-dye items, beads, vintage merchandise and more. Starts at 5 p.m. $51.50 to $88. Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 N McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater. (727) 791-7400; rutheckerdhall.com.

Murder Mystery Dinner Show: Murder on the 19th Hole: Interactive murder mystery dinner show presented by MurderS She Wrote, Inc. 6 p.m. $47.50 dinner and show. Grand Hotel Clearwater, 20967 U.S. 19 N, Clearwater. (813) 727-7012; murdersshewrote.com.

Dunedin Blue Jays: Junior Jays Saturday

Fan Appreciation Night 7 p.m. $6. Dunedin Stadium, 373 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. (727) 733-9302; dunedin.bluejays.milb.com.

Sunset Cinema @ Pier 60: The Sunsets at Pier 60 Festival organizers have added a Sunset Cinema to their lineup of fun. You can bring your blankets, low lawn chairs or towels to plop on the beach, and concessions will be available. (As always, no alcohol is permitted on the beach.) The shows start around dusk. Insider tip: There are five lots within walking distance, but if you time it right, you can park in Lot 43 across from the Wings store for free after 6 p.m. says a festival organizer. The others will cost you by the hour. Seems like "Creature from the Black Lagoon," which plays this Saturday, rolls through about once every month, doesn't it? Still, there's no denying it's a bit of local lore, since the cheesetastic 1954 flick was filmed just north of here. 8 p.m. Free. Pier 60, 10 Pier 60 Drive , Clearwater Beach. (727) 434-6060.

Paul Cotton Band: The last concert in the Cultural Center's Summer Concert Series features Paul Cotton, formerly in Poco, and a special guest: '80s pop singer Robbie Dupree. 8 p.m. $35 advance; $40 VIP; $40 day of show. Largo Cultural Center, 105 Central Park Drive, Largo. (727) 587-6793; www.largoarts.com.

A Little Off Broadway and A Few Blocks South: A two-act, fast-paced musical comedy about show business, from auditions to opening night, with a new twist on backstage life. 8 p.m. $18. Francis Wilson Playhouse, 302 Seminole St., Clearwater. (727) 446-1360; franciswilsonplayhouse.org.

Sunday

Youth Triathlon Event: The Greater Palm Harbor Branch YMCA will host a Youth Triathlon event for participants ages 5 to 15. Packet pick up will be Saturday at the same location from 3-5 p.m. If participants cannot make it on this date, they can still register the morning before or online at www.iamathlete.com. 7 a.m. Cost is $40; $35 for YMCA members with proof of valid number. The Greater Palm Harbor Branch YMCA, 1600 16th St., Palm Harbor. (727) 787-9622 ; www.suncoastymca.org/palmharbor-youth.htm?id=l.

Indoor Fresh Market: The air conditioned mall corridors house a market with fresh produce, prepared foods, multi-cultural and specialty food, greenery, arts/crafts, music and plenty of seating for people watching. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Free (items individually priced). Seminole Mall, 11201 Park Blvd., Seminole. Sponsor: Scott. (727) 776-7261; www.seminolemall.net.

I Like It Hot Festival: The 10th annual I Like It Hot Festival and BBQ will feature hot and fiery foods and sauces to sample and purchase, a pepper eating contest, and amateur hot sauce and salsa competitions. Free parking. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $5 for adults; free for children 12 and younger. Minnreg Building, 6340 126th Ave. N, Largo. (727) 423-8433; www.ILikeItHotFestival.com.

Wedding Tasting: Brides and one guest can check out what the Marriott has to offer them for their weddings and receptions. Event includes champagne toast, cuisine tastings, fashion show by Athenas Bridal Boutique, music and dancing. 12-3 p.m. Free (bride and one guest). Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, 12600 Roosevelt Blvd., St. Petersburg. (727) 456-1348.

A Little Off Broadway and A Few Blocks South: A two-act, fast-paced musical comedy about show business, from auditions to opening night, with a new twist on backstage life. 2 p.m. $18. Francis Wilson Playhouse, 302 Seminole St., Clearwater. (727) 446-1360; franciswilsonplayhouse.org.

SPC Faculty Art Exhibit Reception: Full-time and adjunct faculty from the Clearwater and Tarpon Springs campuses represented in the SPC exhibition, which includes paintings, photographs, ceramics and mixed media pieces, will introduce visitors and students to their works on view in the South Gallery. 3-6 p.m. Free with museum admission. Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, 600 Klosterman Road, Tarpon Springs. (727) 712-5762; spcollege.edu/museum.

Rockabilly's For The Birds: This 21 and older event features a classic/vintage car show, a concert featuring Rockabilly by 6 Volt Rodeo, The Taints and The Cadillac Bombers, contests for best tattoo and hottest pin-up girl, raffle and a vendors market. Benefits the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary. 4 p.m. $10. Blur, 325 Main St., Dunedin. (727) 210-2783; www.myspace.com/blurdunedin.

Freedom Days Celebration: Belleair Towers retirement community invites the public to a live concert by Michael Jayne and a chef-prepared dinner. Call to RSVP. 4-7 p.m. Free. Belleair Towers, 1100 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Clearwater. (727) 581-6540.

Monday

LiveStrong Exercise for Cancer Survivors: Ongoing gentle exercise class for cancer survivors and those currently in treatment. Mondays. 5-7 p.m. Free admission. YMCA (North Pinellas), 4550 Village Center Drive, Palm Harbor. (727) 772-9622.

Bingo: Early bird bingo at 6 p.m., followed by regular bingo at 7. Smoking allowed outside on covered deck. 6-9 p.m. Free admission. VFW Post 10304, 724 Tuskawilla St., Clearwater. (727) 443-7473.

Singing is Life: The Palm Harbor Crystal-Aires Men's Barbershop four-part harmony chorus invites all male singers to come and see if this hobby might appeal to you. 6:45-8:45 p.m. Palm Harbor Community Activity Center, 1500 16th St., Palm Harbor. Sponsor: Wes. (727) 784-8052; crystalaires.com.

Auditions for Little Shop of Horrors: Needed are 10 cast members, both men and women, and a puppeteer for the role of Audrey II. Actors are needed who can sing 1950s style music and dance. Come prepared with a song and sheet music. Wear clothing appropriate for dance auditions. Production dates are Nov. 6-14. 7 p.m. Tarpon Springs Heritage Museum, 100 Beekman Lane, Tarpon Springs. (727) 937-0686; ci.tarpon-springs.fl.us/tourism/heritage.htm.

East Coast Swing Dance: You, too, can dance, and we will show you how! Join us for a night of East Coast Swing Dance to the music of the 1940s and '50s. The evening begins with a group lesson followed by the social dance. All ages welcomed and no partner is required. 7 p.m. $7 per person. Dr. William E. Hale Senior Activity Center, 330 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. (727) 298-3299.

By Andrew Meacham, Times Staff Writer
Friday, August 27, 2010

PINELLAS PARK — The elderly woman didn't know guns. But she needed to sell one that had been a family heirloom.

She went to a dealer, who offered her $300. That sounded about right.

Just to be sure, she took the gun to Wain Roberts Firearms.

"Ma'am, your gun is worth $800," a tall man told her. "I'll give you $600."

"That's too much," the woman protested. Wain Roberts convinced her otherwise, and she left with the cash.

The transaction was typical of Mr. Roberts, who died Aug. 17 at 66. He had cirrhosis, despite being a lifelong teetotaler.

"A few years ago, he had the market," said lawyer Joe Ciarciaglino, a longtime friend. "All you had to do was say 'Wain Roberts,' and everybody who knew guns knew who that was."

An employee repairs guns behind the counter at Wain Roberts Firearms, a boar preserved by taxidermy lurks around the corner, and a red-nosed pit bull named Max on a short chain greets visitors with sniffs and slobber.

Vintage autographed Tampa Bay Buccaneer T-shirts line a narrow hallway by his former office, now overflowing with rifles in trash containers.

Local and national media often called Mr. Roberts about the many issues surrounding guns and their ownership.

Is there a gun-buying season? (Yes, the Christmas season, for gifts, and the hunting season.) Should women buy guns? (Sure, as long as they are willing to use them.)

How did he feel about military-style rifles, such as the SKS semiautomatic carried by cop killer Hank Earl Carr in 1998?

"We used to sell them, but we don't any more," Roberts said the week after Carr killed two Tampa police detectives and a state trooper. "There are legitimate collectors for the SKS, but it also attracts an element of people I just didn't want to deal with."

He later backed off that stance. Daughter Pam Roberts, who runs the store where all four of Mr. Roberts' children work, attributed her father's initial reaction to the fact that he knew many police officers, including Carr's victims.

"I think he was just very upset at the time," she said. "We have sold a ton of SKS since."

But of all the hot-button issues that defined Mr. Roberts — and sometimes set him apart — none surpassed his approval of mandatory background checks for gun buyers, or a county's right to impose three-day "cooling-off" periods between purchasing and possessing a handgun.

"Wain's thing was, if you make some people obey the rules, then everybody should obey the same rules," Ciarciaglino said. It rankled him that unregulated gun shows and private "collectors" were able to avoid restrictions he had to abide by.

Born in Michigan, he moved to the Pinellas Park area in 1955 and graduated from Northeast High School. In 1967, he married Barbara, his high school sweetheart, who made him sell his red Pontiac GTO to start a family.

He was an administrator and co-owner of Parkway Nursing Home and Roberts Home Health Services. But his career took a turn in the late 1960s, when he failed to find a Colt AR-15 rifle.

In frustration, Mr. Roberts declared he would start his own gun store. He got his license in 1972 and opened Wain Roberts Firearms near the nursing home. The store moved to its current location on Park Boulevard in 1978.

Guns have factored into high and low points at the store. In 1976, while making a night deposit at the former Southwest Bank, Mr. Roberts and an employee foiled a robbery in progress. Though he was packing a .36 Smith & Wesson in each pants pocket, Mr. Roberts didn't fire a shot. The employee did, hitting the robber in the face, while Mr. Roberts clotheslined his female accomplice as she tried to blast her way out of the bank.

Then in 2005, a Tampa mortgage broker killed his two children and himself with a gun he had bought at Wain Roberts Firearms. Robert O'Mara had passed a background check and waited three days, as required by law.

"It happens. It's the nature of the beast," his daughter said. "But it hurts when that happens, it really does."

The landscape has changed in recent years. There were 113 licensed firearms dealers and pawnshops in Pinellas County in 2009 and 99 in Hillsborough, a total of 212. That's down from 388 in the two counties in 1998, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives. (Pasco County has 55 licensees, Hernando County 13.)

"Today it's a different business," Pam Roberts said. "They just go online, do their research and buy the cheapest thing."

Meanwhile, the number of gun owners increases. According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the number of background checks for prospective gun buyers was 532,094 in 2009, up from 189,236 in 1998. Of those, 8,276 were denied.

Like other gun shops, Wain Roberts Firearms remains a bellwether of the national mood. Over the last decade, the store has run out of ammunition three times: after the Sept. 11 attacks, during and after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and upon the election of President Barack Obama, whom customers regarded as an enemy of gun rights, Pam Roberts said.

"What did Wain do?" Ciarciaglino said. "He lived the way you're supposed to. That's a lot to be said for a guy."

Times researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this story. Andrew Meacham can be reached at (727) 892-2248 or ameacham@sptimes.com.

By Jean Hayes, Times Staff Writer
Friday, August 27, 2010

Dr. Zack Kalarickal, in the black shirt, gives the bull-horn salute with the Wiregrass Ranch High School Bulls football team. Kalarickal and his Wesley Chapel dental practice provided free mouthguards to football players at Wiregrass Ranch and Wesley Chapel high schools.

Who's news

Dr. Michael A. Pikos, a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon and founder of Coastal Jaw Surgery and the Pikos Implant Institute, recently attended the Academy of Osseointegration's Silver Anniversary Summit: Impact of Biological and Technological Advances on Implant Dentistry.

This invitation-only summit had about 100 clinicians in attendance. Participants were broken into four subsections: bioengineering, stem cell research, nanotechnology, and growth and differentiation factors. Pikos' subsection was growth and differentiation factors.

In the field of oral implantology and implant dentistry, Pikos is both a clinician and educator. He has offices at 4372 Commercial Way, Spring Hill; 2711 Tampa Road, Palm Harbor; and 8845 Hawbuck St., Trinity. Call (352) 596-6804, (727) 786-1631 or (727) 375-0469.

Events

The West Pasco Chamber of Commerce's Hudson Networking Group will have its business card and brochure exchange from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at the IHOP restaurant, 12426 U.S. 19, Hudson.

The event is sponsored by Wells Fargo Advisors and will feature Derek Pontlitz, financial adviser. The cost is $10 per person.

To RSVP, call the chamber at (727) 842-7651 by Monday.

• • •

The Pasco Hernando NPI Networking Group will meet at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday at Boulevard Beef & Ale, 6236 Grand Blvd., New Port Richey. Call Rob Marlowe at (727) 847-2424.

• • •

The BNI Revenue Source, a referral-based networking group, will meet from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Wednesday at Heritage Springs Country Club, 11345 Robert Trent Jones Parkway, Trinity.

Visitors are welcome. The cost of the meeting, which includes breakfast, is $10. Call David Randall, president, at (727) 842-7744.

• • •

The new Free Networking International group will meet from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at Cantina Laredo restaurant, 2000 Piazza Ave., Building 4, Suite 170, Wesley Chapel (at the Shops at Wiregrass).

The group's corporate sponsor is the Theater Doctor, and its host is Cantina Laredo. The group's director is Martine Duncan, co-owner of the Theater Doctor.

There is no fee to join this networking group. The meeting is structured using the FNI format. Attendees can order lunch off the menu at their own cost. Call Duncan at (813) 929-6816.

• • •

BNI Eagles will have a networking event at 7:30 a.m. Thursday in the Palm Room at Springs Golf and Country Club, 3535 Trophy Blvd., New Port Richey, off Little Road, north of State Road 54. RSVP to (727) 967-1418.

• • •

A fashion show and luncheon fundraiser, presented by Dillard's, will begin at 10 a.m. Sept. 11 at Seven Springs Golf & Country Club, 3535 Trophy Blvd., New Port Richey.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Calusa Business & Professional Women's scholarship program. The guest of the day will be Bay News 9 reporter Melanie Snow. Two auctions (live and silent) will be held.

BPW/Calusa is an alliance of local business, professional and retired men and women dedicated to improving the professional, personal and economic outlook of the business community and the community at large.

Tickets are $25 per person in advance and $30 at the door. Tables of eight are $200. The deadline for tickets is Thursday. Call Joanne Grassi at (727) 856-9595.

If you have business announcements you would like to share with our readers, mail the details to Jean Hayes, Business Digest, Pasco Times, 11321 U.S. 19, Port Richey, FL 34668. You may also e-mail items to pasco@sptimes.com or fax them to (727) 869-6233. Items may be edited for length and clarity. Photos are published as space permits; they will not be returned.

Times staff
Friday, August 27, 2010

SPRING HILL

Show Benefits kids, adults with Autism

"Unlocking Autism for a Cause," a benefit auto show and concert, will take place on Sunday at the Palace Grand, 275 Della Court. The car, truck and motorcycle show will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; food and beverages will be available. Doors open at 4:45 p.m. for the Tommy Mara Unplugged concert. A buffet dinner will be at 5:15 p.m.; showtime is at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $35. A portion of the proceeds will help fund social events and specialty camps for children and adults on the autism spectrum. For information, call Kathleen at (727) 375-3235.

Bring a cat home from adopt-a-thon

Home at Last Pet Adoptions will host a "Kitten Palooza" adopt-a-thon from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. today at Petco, 7223 Coastal Blvd. Adopt-a-thons are conducted weekly. Although Home at Last specializes in Siamese cats, other breeds and kittens will be available. All are spayed or neutered, have had age-appropriate vaccinations, have tested negative for feline leukemia and AIDS, have microchip implants and have been treated for parasites. Fees vary and are tax-deductible. Visit the website at halpetadoptions.petfinder.com. Requests for certain pets to be brought to an adopt-a-thon may be made. Call (352) 476-6832 or send e-mail to halpetadoptions@yahoo.com.

WEEKI WACHEE

Students to raise funds for teacher

A fundraiser for Springstead High School teacher Steve Davey will be conducted by his students from 10 a.m. to noon today and Sunday in front of Weeki Wachee Springs, 6131 Commercial Way. Several students will accept donations for Davey, who needs a liver transplant. The 59-year-old English and speech teacher and girls volleyball coach is suffering from sclerosing cholangitis, a rare liver disease. The Mayo Clinic has top-listed him as a liver recipient candidate. Funds raised will be sent to the National Transplant Assistance Fund. Those who can't make it to the fundraiser may make tax-deductible contributions at ntafund.org. Click on "name of patient" and write in "Steve Davey."

BROOKSVILLE

Vendor spaces available at fair

Vendor spaces are available for the Sonshine Arts and Crafts Festival, which will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 6 at Christ Lutheran Church, 475 North Ave. W. Vendor pay $15 for an indoor table or outdoor space. Proceeds benefit youth group projects. For information or vendor reservations, call (352) 382-7332.

Correction

County Administrator David Hamilton's proposed reorganization plan would save the county about $507,588. A story in Friday's edition gave a different figure, based on a document supplied by a county official.

Today's picks

'Get Out Get Active Saturdays': 7-7:45 a.m., Anderson Snow Park, 1360 Anderson Snow Road, Spring Hill. Free. (352) 754-4031.

Dragonfly Walk and Talk: 9-11 a.m., Chinsegut Nature Center, 23212 Lake Lindsey Road, north of Brooksville. Free. (352) 754-6722.

St. Joan of Arc's Ethnic Festival Kickoff Dinner: Doors open at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m., parish hall, 13485 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill. $15. If not sold out, tickets will be available at the door. (352) 666-3063.