The Christian Service Center is raising funds to help a local man with disabilities fix up his home.

IONIA The Christian Service Center is raising funds to help a local man with disabilities fix up his home.

Karl Homes is a Lyons resident who is in his 70s and lives on Riverside Drive. Dureen Leland is the president of Church Women United and manager of the Christian Service Center. She said the groups undertook the project after seeing his home needed help.

"My aunt and I went over to power wash his house, because it was in bad shape," Leland said. "Then we noticed that his wheelchair ramp, the rails were ready to fall down and the top they put plywood on top of it ... so if you stepped on it, it squished down like you were going to go right through."

After power washing and noticing the wheelchair ramp was in need of fixing, she said she noticed two trees that needed to be cut down. She said one was splitting down the middle, while the other looked like it would fall over and hit the home.

"Then we started trying to get money around for his trees to get them taken down and then three of us fell into a hole in his yard, so we went down to Piercefield's and he brought some dirt up, so we're going to spread that in his yard to get rid of his hole," Leland said.

Leland said she kept finding more to do and they plan to get some paint to fix up his shed and get more dirt if they need it. Someone also told her the roof looks like it could be repaired.

The Christian Service Center is collecting the money and hopes to raise $1,000 to cover all the expenses to cut the trees down, fix the ramp, paint the shed and fill the holes. Leland figured out that of the money Homes receives monthly, it just about covers his bills.

"The ramp and stuff, I don't know how much it will cost," Leland said. "A guy from the Lyons-Muir Church bought all the wood for it and sturdied up the rails and we just have to power wash the rails and it will be OK, so we saved some money there."

The center sells new and used clothes, kitchen items, shoes, movies, books, decor and many other things for less than $1 a piece. It's located at 301 W. Washington St. in Ionia and is open on Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

There are canisters to donate money at the Christian Service Center, Habitat for Humanity of Ionia County and the Lumbermill Inn in Muir. Leland said Habitat is trying to work with the organization to help out.

"We keep thinking of other things to do, if we have other money we can do this," Leland said. "He was happy about that. I think whatever money we have left we'll buy him some food, too, and stuff like that."

For more information, call 616-527-1530 or visit facebook.com/Christian-Service-Center-630223270502699.

The rest is here:
Christian Service Center to help repair home - Sentinel-Standard

A Seattle, Wash., councilman implied that a new effort to clean excrement off the side walk outside the local courthouse could be racist Tuesday.

The crime and smell of urine and excrement have gotten so bad outside a King County courthouse that two judges are scrambling to find ways to fix the situation,reports the Seattle Times.

Seattle councilmember Larry Gossett isnt a fan of one solution to power wash the feces sidewalks to tamp down on the smell. Power washing the sidewalks is too reminiscent of civil rights activists being hosed down, he said.

The area around the courthouse is surrounded by a homeless shelter and other social service organizations. Multiple assaults, harassment and drugs have been reported to the police in the area near the courthouse. Jurors have taken to asking judges to release them from jury duty and two jurors have been assaulted over the past two months.

When they come to this courthouse theyre afraid to come in, said King County Sheriff John Urquhart. Theyre afraid to walk down Third Avenue because what they see.

Urquhart is asking for an $8,000 increase in budget from the King County Council to have deputies patrol the street. There is public urination, defecation. Thats a crime, Urquhart said. There is smoking marijuana in public.

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Seattle Councilman: Cleaning Poop Off Sidewalks Is Racist - The Daily Caller

ANTIOCH For several weeks, there he was power-washing moss-covered benches, clearing weed-filled areas and painting faded sidewalks.

No paycheck and no directive; just the driving force of sense of community pride.At just 20 years old, Michael Pohl is a clear self-starter.

A 2015 Antioch High graduate, he already owns his business and is highly motivated to help better his native city.

Pohl is like the Little Engine that Could.

I believe in doing things 100 percent or not doing it all.

Becoming self-employed, though, wasnt really the plan. After graduation, he worked for a school photography company and quickly made his way through various departments. In less than a year, he filed paperwork for Michael Pohl Photography.

Ive enjoyed photography ever since I got my first camera in elementary school, he said. I really got serious about photography in high school (he was yearbook editor) and fell in love with portraits.

While hes building his business, he donates countless hours to photographing events, functions and his city.

And, at just 20 years old, Pohl is the youngest member of the Antioch Rotary Club, a Chamber of Commerce ambassador, and second chair for Antioch Highs Linked Learning Advisory Board.

He also manages two Facebook pages: The Beauty of Antioch Project and the Antioch Photography Group.

Hes spurred to volunteer because he wants the place I live and work to be a better place. Im so tired of hearing: Well, this is Antioch. What do you expect? And I cant wait to leave.

Back to all that downtown curb appeal.

City Manager Ron Bernal is grateful to Pohl.

After meeting with the Downtown Merchants to discuss ways to improve the riverfront area, the response was very positive.

(Michael) really took things to heart and decided he would do what he could to make downtown shine, Bernal said.

What I appreciate most is hes the type of leader who gets out there and does the job at hand, whether anyone joins him or not. He does it with enthusiasm, energy and a huge smile. Hes not looking for recognition, but goes about (the work) with the attitude of service and just trying to do his part to make things a little bit better.

Rotary Club member Milanka Scheiderman is also a fan.

Michael has always been a positive person, who is helpful to others when asked. He is willing to take pictures at no charge for our club, and volunteers frequently in this capacity.

He embodies the Rotary concept of service above self, (and) has been a valuable member of our club and the entire community. City Manager Ron Bernal and Mayor Sean Wright both mentioned Michael in their State of the City speeches. We couldnt be prouder of our youngest member for making a difference in so many ways.

Pohl feels everyone can help in a variety of ways.

If everybody did a little, nobody would have to do a lot. Pick up trash on your walk. Imagine if all 114,000 people picked up one piece of trash each day versus one person picking up 114,000 pieces

A long-distance runner in high school, Pohls in it for the long haul.

I get a strong sense of community pride from my efforts. In 50 years, I want to know I did everything I could to make (it) a better place and know I played a part in helping the Antioch become just a little bit nicer.

Reach Trine Gallegos at TrineG@att.net.

See more here:
Young Antioch photographer cleans city, builds business - East Bay Times

Laura Seitz, Deseret News

Brent and Majorie Castle stand in front of their Ogden home on Friday, July 7, 2017. Their home was recently painted and repaired by volunteers from the Washington Heights Church.

OGDEN After her husband's death, Kathy Hanks didn't know if she would ever repaint the faded, colorful fish-scale shingles that cover the gables of her home.

The 72-year-old has lived in Ogden for more than 40 years, and her house hasn't been painted for at least three decades. The Victorian-style home was built in the 1890s and sports more than eight colors, including washed-out yellow sun bursts under the eaves.

"I've wanted to get it repainted for so long. And yet how can I find somebody who can do it?" Hanks said.

Members of the Washington Heights Church came to her rescue recently as part of a weeklong service project. Volunteers painted the house using paint colors Hanks had picked out years ago with her husband.

"I have a swing on the front porch and I could just sit there even in the winter time and just stare and look at the colors and enjoy them," Hanks said. "For them to come volunteer and provide everything is just amazing."

The church volunteers fixed up 19 homes and yards in Ogden during a community service week at the end of June. More than 750 members and friends worked from dawn to dusk to repair and repaint the exterior of houses.

"We had so many great people that showed up. They treated this house as if it were theyre own," said volunteer Ron Eikenberry. "The house is absolutely stunning now."

He and his wife, Terri, led the team that fixed up Hanks' home. The couple began working on the house a few days before the service week, power washing the outside and getting it ready to paint.

"The detail work was absolutely perfect. I couldnt be more pleased to be a part of a church community like the Washington Heights," Ron Eikenberry said.

Brent and Marjorie Castle live next door to Hanks. Their house was also picked for the service project.

"It obviously needed a paint job. It was pretty sad looking," Marjorie Castle said of their house. "They put all the right colors in all the right places. We absolutely love it."

The couple is celebrating 49 years of marriage in August. They've lived in their Ogden home since 1971. Marjorie Castle said the volunteers let the couple pick out the paint colors for the house.

"We wouldve been grateful for a good whitewash, but to be able to (paint it) like we really wanted to was unbelievable," Marjorie Castle said. "I can feel that the house loves it."

Ogden city officials and Pastor Jimi Pitts selected the houses through an application process, and none of the homeowners belong to members of the Washington Heights Church. Hanks and the Castles are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"Our goal has been to just demonstrate Gods love in practical ways," said lead Pastor Roy Gruber. "To not just exist as a church community on our location, but also to be engaged in the community that we care about thats all around us."

The church budgeted $35,000 to buy supplies to revamp the 19 homes.

"I went there because I belong to a church community that is so much more about reaching out into the community and sharing what we have with others," said Terri Eikenberry. "We do this out of a love for Jesus."

Olivia Brown, another volunteer, teaches fifth grade at Farr West Elementary School. She said she attended the service project instead of going to a teachers' activity.

"I dont want to leave. I love these people Im serving with, and Im so dedicated to this project. I want to see it all the way through," she said.

The Washington Heights Church holds a community service week every other year. Next year, members are planning to work on construction projects in Haiti, India, Peru and Mozambique.

"We just do it because we think its the right thing to do and because we have the capability and the resources to do it," Rev. Gruber said.

Continue reading here:
Repainted, repaired and revamped: 19 Ogden homes fixed up by ... - Deseret News

CONNEAUT Tony Rose of Conneaut hopes to clean up in his new retirement job.

Rose is owner of NorthSide Soft Wash, a business he launched this year. Its a power wash system that blends environmentally safe products and dialed-down power to provide an effective scrubbing experience while reducing the risk of damage to surfaces, he said.

It will not etch siding, fencing or decks, Rose said. It gets better results. (Soft Wash) kills algae and doesnt just blow it away.

Rose has power washed houses in the area as a sideline for years. When he recently retired from Farrell Insulation, he decided to make his pastime a full-time venture.

Ive got to keep busy, he said. Ive been power-washing homes for a long time. I thought maybe there was a little market for it. So few people were doing it.

Plenty of study preceded the decision to embark on a new business, Rose said.

I put a lot of thought and research into it, he said. I already had half (the equipment) I needed.

Born in Kentucky, Rose said he has lived in Conneaut pretty much all of my life. City residents are supporting one of their own, helping to keep the fledgling business busy.

Im booked up for the next two or three weeks, he said recently.

So far, his calendar has been completely occupied with Conneaut-area clients.

Conneaut has been very good to me, he said. Ive never had to leave the city (for work).

To date, NorthSide has tackled only residential projects. That will change soon, when he gives the Hampton Inn in Austinburg Township his first commercial customer a good cleansing.

Rose generally works alone, but if necessary he can count on a friend and a grandson for help.

On average, Rose says he needs only two or three hours to make a small, ranch-style home sparkle.

I try to book two homes a day, he said.

NorthSide Soft Wash is fully insured, provides free estimates and stresses customer service, Rose said.

I will walk around the house with the homeowner to make sure they are satisfied, he said. I charge an honest, fair price.

Ideally, people should have their decks and siding power washed every two years, Rose said. Looking at a house or fence every day, owners dont see their property getting dirty and dingy.

They get used to it, Rose said.

Recently, windows have been added to the NorthSide repertoire.

It has worked out perfectly, he said.

Wendy DuBey, Conneaut Area Chamber of Commerce executive director, said she was excited to see NorthSides start-up.

The Chamber was happy to welcome NorthSide Soft Wash as a new member this year, she said. Before opening his business, Tony did extensive research to find the best results to clean home exteriors, businesses, fences, decks, driveways, sidewalks, trailers, and campers affordably.

Rose considers himself fortunate, offering a service that is personally satisfying.

I enjoy doing what I do, he said. I take a lot of pride in my work.

For more information, contact Rose at 440-265-6407.

Originally posted here:
Rose turns sideline hobby into a full-time business - The Star Beacon

NORTHAMPTON >> Troop 5, which is chartered by North & Southampton Reformed Church, has added four new Eagle Scouts to their aerie. Nicholas Verrecchio, Charles Gwynn, Tyler Andre and Matthew Lyons, who each earned the highest rank in scouting, bring the total number of Eagle Scouts from Troop 5 to an impressive 159.

Nicholas Verrecchio completed his Eagle Scout Service Project at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church in Ivyland. He led a team of volunteers in a restoration of a gazebo on the church grounds. The project included power washing, shingling and staining the structure as well as installing newly-built planters in the surrounding garden.

Nicholas began his scouting career as a Cub Scout with Pack 145 in Richboro before crossing over to Troop 5. He served his troop as an Instructor and Assistant Senior Patrol leader before being elected Senior Patrol Leader which is the highest youth leadership position within a troop. He is a Centurion, Troop 5s award for those who have camped over 100 nights. Highlights of his scouting career include a canoeing trip along the Juniata River and camping at The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve.

The son of Lisa and Anthony Verrecchio of Ivyland, Nicholas is a 2017 graduate of Council Rock High School South. He participated in the schools High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware program and is employed by Walgreens. Nicholas will study engineering at The Pennsylvania State University Abington campus in the fall.

Charles J. Gwynn chose St. Andrew Catholic School in Newtown as the beneficiary of his Eagle Scout Service Project. Charles and his team of volunteers created a 1,000-square-foot outdoor classroom and viewing area in which students can learn academic subjects and explore the outdoors. The project included clearing the space, adding topsoil and mulch as well as installing railroad ties.

Before crossing over to Troop 5, Charles was a Cub Scout at Pack 28 before moving to Pack 200 where he earned the World Conservation Award and Arrow of Light. Charles served his troop as Instructor, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader and as Den Chief to Pack 5 were he mentored 10 cub scouts as they crossed into his troop. Charles took advantage of training opportunities offered by the BSA completing Den Chief, National Youth Leadership Training and Powder Horn. He currently holds the position of Junior Assistant Scoutmaster in his unit.

Charles is the son of Christopher and Andrea Gwynn of Upper Southampton. He attends both William Tennent High School and Middle Bucks Institute of Technology where he studies web design. He has earned two Distinguished Employee Awards for his work at Anns Choice in Warminster and spends summers working as a computer technician assistant at St. Andrew Catholic School. After graduation, he plans to attend college where he will study history.

Living Streams Fellowship was the beneficiary of Tyler Andres Eagle Scout Service Project. Tyler led a group of volunteers in a hardscaping and landscaping project that included the removal of river stones around the building and redistribution beneath the wheelchair ramp, mulching garden beds and planting trees at the church in Huntington Valley.

Tyler began his scouting career with the Scout Association of Trinidad and Tobago before coming to the U.S. with his family and joining Troop 5. He has held several leadership positions within the troop including Quartermaster, Instructor, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader and Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. Tyler is a Troop 5 Centurion and member of Order of the Arrow Ajapeu Lodge No. 2. Along his Trail to Eagle, Tyler participated in three high adventure trips with his troop- Maine, the Juniata River and the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve.

The son of Kathy Ann Andre of Upper Southampton, Tyler is a 2017 graduate of William Tennent High School where he participated on the Track, Cross Country, Indoor Track Teams. He is a member of the Living Streams Fellowship Chapel where he assists with the audio/visual for the Sunday services. He is employed by Blue Sage Vegetarian Grill in Southampton where he has worked his way from bus boy to host. Tyler has joined the Pennsylvania National Guard and is currently stationed at Fort Jackson in South Carolina for basic training.

Matthew Lyons completed his Eagle Scout Service Project at Davis Elementary School where he led a group of volunteers in the construction of planters for an outdoor classroom. Working with Jennifer Bergin of the school, Matt designed planters which allow students to interact with the soil and plants at eye level.

Matt began his scouting career as a boy scout when he was recruited by fellow scout Jimmy Murray. Despite a late start in scouting, Matt earned his Eagle Rank with sufficient time to earn Eagle Palms before he turns 18. He served his troop as Chaplains Aide, Patrol Leader, Den Chief, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader and most recently as Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. He is a Troop 5 Centurion and member of Order of the Arrow Ajapeu Lodge No. 2. Highlights of Matts scouting career include trips to Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve and Horseshoe Scout Reservation; he will travel to Florida National High Adventure Sea Base this summer.

The son of Helena and Peter Lyons of Southampton, Matt is a senior at William Tennent High School where he is a member of the robotics team and the schools anti-bullying committee. He plans to study computer science or software engineering after graduation.

Original post:
Four Boy Scouts from Troop 5 in Northampton Township advance to the rank of Eagle - Bucks Local News

By Robin Williams Adams Your Health correspondent

LAKELAND Sitting back in a wheelchair designed to support his small frame, Parker McAdoos eyes sometimes moved from side to side as his parents talked about a local hospices role in his medical care.

At other times, he looked straight ahead, his lips open slightly, making an occasional humming sound as he held two soft stuffed animals. When a visitor stood beside him to say goodbye, he moved one hand slightly toward her but he couldnt speak.

Parker's parents, Jennifer and Colin McAdoo, must interpret what he wants.

The McAdoos learned Parker has a rare neurological condition, called Alexander disease, when he had a seizure weeks after his first birthday. Its part of a group of disorders, leukodystrophies, that lead to the destruction of insulation covering nerve fibers in the brain.

Parker, now 10, and his family have gotten services through Good Shepherd Hospice since he was 2.

The help theyve received includes nurses staying with Parker at home when he was ill, rather than putting him in a hospital, and arranging other assistance to cover medical equipment his parents insurance didnt.

A social worker spends time with his 8-year-old sister to make sure she copes with the impact of his illness on the family and doesnt feel neglected. When his condition grew worse in the past year, preventing him from returning to elementary school, a home health nurse began staying with Parker while his parents work.

His mother is a nurse at Tampa General Hospital. His father does painting, pressure washing and other home improvements.

In addition to work and Parker, the Lakeland couple need to look after their other three children: Peyton, 8; Paxton, 2; and Piper, 6 months.

Eight years isnt a length of time people typically associate with hospice organizations. Hospice is for people expected to live six months or less.

Since the 1990s, however, the concept of palliative care for patients whose illnesses arent so immediately life threatening has gained momentum.

Hospitals, doctors, hospices and others recognize that patients with chronic, severely limiting illnesses often need services beyond traditional hospital and doctor care before their illness is so advanced they meet time guidelines for traditional hospice.

What we really want to do ultimately is keep people out of the hospital, said Judith Skretny, director of palliative care for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in Alexandria, Va.

Chronic obstructive lung disease or congestive heart failure are examples often cited by supporters of expanded adult palliative care.

Large hospitals, among them Lakeland Regional Health, have created in-hospice palliative care units.

Hospices interested in doing expanded palliative care, beyond their usual constraints, sometimes partner with hospitals palliative care or create their own community-based palliative care.

Compassionate Care Hospice of Central Florida has that type of program, which it calls Advanced Care Connections, in Sebring, said Rana McClelland, executive director for Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties.

It helps patients with chronic illnesses who are expected to live longer than six months.

She expects the palliative program to become available in Polk County sometime this year. Its also in Lake, Sumter and Miami-Dade counties.

A lot of patients out there are in that gap where there arent a lot of services in the community, McClelland said.

Compassionate Care already has hospice services in Polk County.

Understanding the difference between traditional hospice care and community based palliative care can be difficult.

Partly thats because hospices give palliative care to their traditional patients; services like pain control, symptom management, counseling, emotional and spiritual support and other comfort aimed at enhancing quality of life.

A community-based or purely palliative care for people with longer than six months to live does a lot of the same.

All hospice is palliative care but not all palliative care is hospice, Skretny said.

One key difference:To access palliative care, you dont need that diagnosis (of six months or less.) And you can be getting curative treatment.

She estimates about half of her national organizations members have some form of palliative care program.

In another change from times past, some hospices are more receptive than others to letting traditional hospice patients get more aggressive treatments like radiation to alleviate their symptoms, said Dr. Ron Schonwetter, chief medical officer for Chapters Health System, parent company of Good Shepherd.

Children with ongoing conditions that arent likely to let them live into adulthood, but that will continue longer than six months, are another group needing palliative care.

Parker and about 50 other Polk County children with severe, chronic, disabling illnesses get care from Good Shepherd through its participation in Partners in Care: Together for Kids. Partners in Care is a program allowing palliative comfort care along with therapies to cure childrens illnesses or prolong their lives.

We focus on the whole family, trying to provide support and services, Schonwetter said.

Thats definitely true for their family, the McAdoos said.

The Lakeland couple discovered the wheelchair Parker needed consumed all the yearly amount their insurance would pay for durable medical equipment. Yet Parker, on a feeding tube for eight years now, needed other expensive medical supplies.

Jennifer McAdoo, not yet a nurse, went online to look for medical items at a cheaper price. She and Colin also were concerned with whether they were doing everything he needed, so they contacted Good Shepherd in September 2009.

We needed some help in making sure his quality of life was being considered and maximized, she said. We were having a difficult time.

Parkers frequent medical crises put a strain on his family, but equipment Good Shepherd provides allows him to recover at home now from illnesses that once sent him to the hospital.

Florida has some quality community palliative care programs, Skretny said. In Polk County, however, getting them has been slow.

Cornerstone Hospice and Palliative Care and Good Shepherd Hospice, two large nonprofits, have provided hospice care in Polk for years. Neither has a purely palliative program here for adults with serious illnesses who arent ready for hospice.

Cornerstone does outpatient and inpatient palliative care with oncology patients at Orlando Health. They also provide consultations in Lake County and look forward to expanding to Sumter County in the near future, said Dr. Michael Shapiro, its chief medical officer.

They work collaboratively with Lakeland Regional Healths palliative care unit in providing services to their hospice patients, such as bereavement and counseling, he said.

Chapters Health partners with some pediatric palliative care programs in the Tampa Bay area.

Both medical officers said they support the idea of having greater access to community based palliative care programs if finances and staffing would allow it.

Medicare has an established hospice benefit package, but expanding palliative care to a wider group means more complicated billing and reimbursement, Skretny said. Programs often need to raise community funds for services Medicare wont cover.

Her organization is working with the federal government in an effort to get established funding for more open access to palliative care. The growing number of baby boomers with chronic conditions is likely to give the movement more leverage.

Robin Williams Adams can be reached at robinwadams99@yahoo.com.

See the original post here:
Some hospices want to expand traditional boundaries - The Ledger

Posted: 9:54 a.m. Friday, July 07, 2017

JetSurf Academy ATX sells, rents and trains people to ride the boards, which are powered by a tiny engine.

The boards are independent; riders arent towed by a boat.

For those who want to surf but cant find a wave to catch comes a new option motorized surfboards.

Sound weird? Well, were Austin, landlocked surf capital of the universe.

Weve already got NLand Surf Park, and head to the lake any hot summer weekend and youll find people surfing the wakes behind motorboats. Now, thanks to JetSurf Academy ATX, you can hop on a surfboard with a tiny gas-powered engine tucked inside it and zoom around the lake like someone from a water-themed episode of the Jetsons.

Think personal watercraft crossed with a wakeboard, add a hint of dirt-slinging, engine-buzzing motorbike, and youve got the idea. JetSurf boards which look more like wakeboards than surfboards can attain top speeds of 35 miles per hour.

Wakeboarders and water-skiers have to hold onto a tow rope attached to a boat. Wake surfers can let go of that rope, but they still have to stick close by because they catch the wave it kicks up. Jet surfers, though, are independent. They can go wherever they want, no boat needed.

If you like water sports, its a combo of wakeboarding, wakesurfing, regular surfing and snowboarding and throw in motocross because you have an engine with power, says Kyle Ray, who recently opened JetSurf Academy ATX, where you can rent, buy and learn how to ride one.

I recently donned my bikini and life jacket and drove to Lake Travis so I could check out this latest alternative to driving to the Gulf Coast with a surfboard strapped to the roof of my car.

Ray, who operates a residential power washing business in Houston called Geek Home Services, moved to Austin two years ago. He heard about jet surfing, flew to Miami to visit the only JetSurf factory shop in the United States, tested one out, loved it, bought five and opened a business here in December. Now hes out at Lake Travis every Thursday through Sunday showing people how to ride them.

Its just exhilarating, he says. You control how fast you go and where you want to go.

JetSurf boards, which contain a hide-away removable gas tank and high-performance miniature engine, were developed in the Czech Republic in 2010. Four models are available, and theyre not cheap. Prices start at about $10,000, and racing versions will set you back more than $15,000.

A regular, non-motorized surfboard, on the other hand, can be had for $1,000 easy. (Of course, then you have to get the ocean and the waves, which might up your travel costs.)

The boards weigh about 30 pounds and are considered personal watercraft. That means you must be 18 or older to ride one.

When Jamie Naugle, a lead instructor for the academy, showed me how to fire up a motorized surfboard, it made me a little nervous. What if it got away from me? What if I face-planted? Could it run me over? Were there spinning blades ready to turn my shins into mincemeat?

Naugle jumped into the water while I stood on the dock. She inserted a magnetic key attached to a leash around her wrist into a hand-held throttle. After a five-second lag, the engine, which is encased inside the board and therefore cant cut you, buzzed to life. She scooched belly-first onto it, stood up quickly, placing first her back foot, then her front foot, into the foot cups.

Voila smooth, graceful and lickety-split, like a penguin popping out of the ocean and onto an iceberg. She zoomed around a cove near Anderson Mill Marina, cutting smooth arcs in the glassy water. Then she returned to the dock and stepped off into the water.

My turn.

Speed is your friend, Ray told me. The faster you go, the more it will plane out.

Ive tried surfing in an ocean exactly once, while on vacation in Hawaii. Ive also surfed the manufactured pond at NLand Surf Park east of Austin twice. I love watersports, though, and water-ski, scuba dive and swim regularly.

RELATED: Whats Pam LeBlancs perfect day of fitness?

I inserted the key, revved the throttle and suddenly it stopped. Id accidentally flooded the engine. Ray plopped a different board in front of me. I revved the engine and the board dragged me down the lake a little ways, like a dog with an old towel. I managed to lug myself onto the board, wobbling a lot. Still, I stayed on it for at least 10 seconds, until the board bucked me off like a horse with a burr under its blanket.

Naugle, following alongside on a Jet Ski, glided up to make sure I was OK. I was. After that, I had no trouble getting on the board and buzzing slowly around the cove. After 20 or 30 minutes, I could manage wide left-side turns. Right-side turns took more practice.

After a while Ray climbed on one of the boards and we whizzed around the cove together. He leaped over waves and kicked up a spray as he cut sharp turns. He and Naugle both want to go pro and compete in the MotoSurf World Cup, where racers are timed as they weave through a buoy-marked course.

My verdict? Fun stuff. No men in gray suits (sharks), no stinging jellyfish. But no wide open ocean, no waves and no luscious salt spray, either.

Just dont think of it as surfing, and it makes a little more sense.

IF YOU GO

For more information about JetSurf Academy ATX or to make reservations, go to jetsurfatx.com. Cost is $125 for first-time riders and $85 for repeat riders and includes onshore education and training for new riders, one hour of ride time and support from a supervised trainer on a Jet Ski ($60 for a 30-minute discovery session). Sessions are available starting at 9 a.m. Thursday through Sunday.

The rest is here:
Next wave of watersport adventure? Jet surfing! - MyStatesman.com

TAMPA Both men killed Thursday at the Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach were using pressure washers moments before lava-like slag gushed out of a tank and burned them, according to preliminary reports released Saturday by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner.

The reports do not list an official cause of death for either man, but both were "covered in slag," the reports said.

Molten slag can reach temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees. Officials for Tampa Electric said workers were trying to unplug the clogged tank when the accident occurred.

RELATED: In an instant, molten slag gushed over workers at Tampa Electric power plant

Both Michael McCort, 60, a senior plant manager, and Christopher Irvin, 40, a contract employee, died at the scene. Five others were transported to Tampa General Hospital.

Pressure washing is one of two common ways to clean out the inside of a slag tank, said Walter Godfrey, the president of Fire/Reconstruction Consultants Inc. in Cape Canaveral, which investigates fires and explosions.

"It's like using a sandblasting unit, except you're using water instead," he said.

McCort's family declined to speak with reporters. His daughter, Heather McCort, posted on Facebook Saturday morning that her father lost his life "helping others and being a hero."

"The world lost such a wonderful man, husband, grandfather and friend," she wrote.

Irvin's family also declined to speak with a reporter Saturday, saying they were in mourning. Irvin was never married, but was a father to one child and was expecting another, the medical examiner wrote. He worked for Gaffin Industrial Services in Riverview, one of Tampa Electric's contractors at the plant.

In 2007, a Gaffin employee was killed in White Springs while using a power washer to clean the inside of a hot-well tank, according to an investigation by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The worker accidentally clipped his leg with the stream of water, which was so powerful that it cut his femoral artery. Gaffin was fined $35,000.

Four workers injured at the Tampa Electric plant remained in the hospital Saturday with life-threatening burns: Antonio Navarrete, 21, and Armando J. Perez, 56, both of Wimauma; and two Tampa men related by marriage, Frank Lee Jones, 55, and his stepson, Gary Marine Jr., 32.

RELATED: Father and stepson both severely injured in Tampa Electric Co. accident>

Marine and Jones worked for Gaffin, like Irvin, the Times reported Friday. Navarrete and Perez worked for BRACE Industrial Group, the Times reported, along with an unidentified fifth worker, who was treated at the hospital and released.

McCort was the only worker who was a Tampa Electric employee.

Family members for the surviving workers could not be reached or declined to comment Saturday.

Tampa Electric spokeswoman Cherie Jacobs said the company could not release new information about the accident Saturday. "This is a very complex investigation and we are unable to provide updates," she said.

Two investigators from OSHA have started an investigation that could last six months.

Times staff writer Taylor Telford contributed to this story. Contact Sara DiNatale at sdinatale@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8862. Follow @sara_dinatale.Follow @sara_dinatale.

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Report offers glimpse of deadly accident at Tampa Electric power plant - TBO.com

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