The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

B.C. Manion

The Laker/Lutz News wins 10 Florida Press Association awards

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The Laker/Lutz News received 10 awards during the 2017 Florida Media Conference on Aug. 11 at The Ritz-Carlton Naples.

The newspaper garnered three first-place, six second-place and one third-place prize in the Florida Press Association’s Better Weekly Newspaper Contest.

This image of 91-year-old Pat Caldwell competing in a billiards tournament at the Lutz Senior Citizen was one in a series of photographs that yielded top honors from the Florida Press Association for photographer Fred Bellet. Bellet is a regular contributor to The Laker/Lutz News. (Fred Bellet)

The contest drew 1,154 entries from 56 newspapers. Winners were selected by judges in Arizona, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and New York. Work receiving recognition was completed in 2016.

Fred Bellet, a regular contributor to the newspaper, received first place for a Photo Series in One Issue for “Cueing up for a good time,” a full page section front photo essay on a pool tournament at the Lutz Senior Center.

The judge noted that every photo showed expressions of emotion.

“Good photos deserve big play, and the deep page-width shot of the 91-year-old eventual tourney winner bending over to line up his shot qualified for that play. Laughs to grimaces to concentration displayed in the six photos told the story.”

Richard Riley, another regular contributor to the newspaper, received top honors for his Feature Photo entry, “Sister Helen Lange turns 103.”

“Moment captured. Emotion. Action. The picture is worth at least 10,000 words,” the judge wrote.

This prize-winning photo by Richard Riley shows paramedic John Ward helping Sister Helen Lange blow out the candles during her 103rd birthday celebration at Heritage Park in Dade City. (Richard Riley)

A column by Tom Jackson, a former contributor to the newspaper, received top honors in the Serious Column category.

The judge extolled the quality of Jackson’s entry, “Appreciating Joe Hancock’s Legacy.”

“Community columnist Tom Jackson is a master craftsman of the language and the ability to create impactful images,” the judge wrote. “His tribute to a local man killed when his bicycle was struck by a car begins at the burial ceremony at a cemetery, works backwards to show what kind of man the victim was, and concludes with this idea of a tribute to him: ‘And, near the spot of the crash, a suitable plaque, affixed to a German Focus (bicycle). So, we remember, always, and drive, or cycle, accordingly.’”

Staff writer Kevin Weiss received second place in the Sports Feature Story category for his entry, “Player returns to soccer, after 17 broken bones.” The story chronicled the impressive battle of Carrollwood Day School soccer player Spencer Peek’s to get back on the field after undergoing four surgeries and extensive rehabilitation following a serious car accident.

The judge summed up the entry this way: “Great story of overcoming the odds.”

B.C. Manion, the newspaper’s editor, received five second-place awards.

She was honored in the Community History category for her entry, “Telling Wesley Chapel’s Story.”

Photographs such as this one, of a car parked at the end of a cypress log in the 1930s, help tell the story of Wesley Chapel’s history. The car illustrates the enormity of the trees that were felled in the area. Large timber companies or trusts acquired vast tracts of land that were depleted of lumber. Many deserted the claims, once the limber was harvested and the properties were sold for tax deeds. (Courtesy of Madonna Jervis Wise)

The judge wrote: “The black and white pulled me in. The words kept me reading. Good use of photos.”

She also was honored in the Faith and Family Reporting category for her entry, “Finding Hope in the Heart of Darkness,” for a story about Immaculee Ilibagiza, a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Ilibagiza detailed her ordeal and the power of faith during two talks at St. Timothy Catholic Church in Lutz.

The judge remarked: “The details of this subject’s gripping story made for a compelling read.”

Manion’s other winning entries were for Education Reporting, “Guiding Pasco Schools is a Big Job;” Local Government Reporting, “Tampa Bay Express Aims to Address Region’s Congestion;” and Feature Story Profile, “Sister Helen’s Secrets to a Good Life: Work Hard, Love People.”

Staff writer Kathy Steele received third-place in the Business Reporting category for her entry, “Residential Building Momentum in Pasco.”

The judge described the entry this way: “Detailed story about a housing boom in Pasco County, with the additional touch of featuring one family who moved from Michigan for sunshine and a small-town feel. And one set of their parents will soon make the move as well. There were 116 homes being built in the subdivision in 2016. Bigger picture reporting showed 1,900 permits to contractors by mid-2016, matching all of 2015. Story contrasts current boom with 2005’s 7,252 permits and 2011’s 884. Story also notes that starter homes are in short supply, so apartments are taking over the market. Good information for those considering if and where to relocate and for those living there to assess the boom and what it might mean to them.”

The Laker and Lutz News are free community weekly newspapers delivered every Wednesday to homes and businesses in the suburban north Tampa communities of Lutz, Odessa, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, Dade City and San Antonio.

The newspapers are independently owned by Publisher Diane Kortus, a resident of Land O’ Lakes. The Laker has been published in Pasco County since 1981. The Lutz News has been published in Hillsborough County since 1964.

Published August 16, 2017

Local man receives French Legion of Honor medal

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There were times during World War II when Francis Xavier O’ Connell wasn’t sure he’d live to see another sunrise.

To this day, the 93-year-old feels certain it was his mother’s prayers that kept him alive during dangerous times on the battlefield and through his captivity as a prisoner of war.

He still has the rosary beads she gave him, and some of the letters she wrote to him during the war.

Francis Xavier O’ Connell had just graduated from high school when he enlisted in the U.S. Army to fight in World War II. He was recently honored by the French government for his contributions during the war. (B.C. Manion)

Recently, he was inducted into the French Foreign Legion of Honor by the French government for his contributions during World War II.

The distinction is France’s way to express gratitude to American veterans who fought alongside France during the Second World War.

French Brig. Gen. Thierry Ducret presented the award to O’ Connell during a July 14 ceremony in St. Petersburg, said Carolyn Matthews, O’ Connell’s niece.

Ducret, France’s representative to MacDill Air Force Base’s Central Command International Coalition, was just one of several high-ranking military officers at the event, she said.

O’ Connell graduated from Brown University after his stint in the U.S. Army, and then rejoined in 1949, going on to have a lengthy military career.

The Lutz man was astounded when he heard the French government wanted to honor him.

Like so many others during World War II, O’ Connell joined the Army in 1943, right after graduating from high school in Cranston, Rhode Island.

It was the thing to do, said O’ Connell, the youngest in a family of six boys — four of whom served in the Army.

After enlisting, O’ Connell trained at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and then was shipped to Casablanca where he joined Company F in the 179th Infantry, the 45th Division.

From there, his division went by ship to Sicily to be part of an amphibious assault landing.

O’ Connell worked as a forward observer — scouting out enemy locations and reporting the targets he found.

After Sicily, the 45th Infantry moved into Salerno for another assault. His unit then was pulled offline briefly before heading to Anzio for another amphibious assault landing.

The Battle of Anzio was a bitter campaign — with fighting nearly all of the way to Rome.

Francis Xavier O’ Connell holds a medal he received as an expression of gratitude from the French government during a July 14 ceremony in St. Petersburg.

After a brief rest period, the unit was shipped to Southern France, where it went ashore at St. Tropez and fought its way inland to Meximieux.

In the heat of the battle, his unit relieved another forward observer group and got too far ahead of the battalion. They were captured.

Despite being a prisoner of war, O’ Connell considers himself fortunate. “Two-thirds of the regimen were killed,” he said, noting there are 1,800 in a regimen.

After he was captured, he and the other prisoners were moved in boxcars from Frankfurt Germany, over to Munich. And, while that was happening, he said, “our own (American) aircraft would bomb and strafe everywhere the Germans moved.”

They were taken to a prisoner of war camp in a town called Moosburg, about 40 some-odd miles north of Munich, he said.

In the morning, he and other prisoners would be trucked to Munich to fill in bomb craters in the railroads, he said.

The Germans would make sure the American prisoners saw the civilian casualties of war.

“They had their bodies lined up on either side of the street. Then they would march us through the streets to see them,” O’ Connell said.

He said he caught a lucky break when he and group of men were chosen to go to a work camp at Vilshofen, a small town in northern Germany, near the port town of Passau.

“We worked in a forest, cutting down trees,” O’ Connell said.

The prisoners slept on straw-lined mattresses in a barn, and there wasn’t much to eat.

“We ate boiled cabbage and potato dumplings. It was just two meals a day,” he said.

He was at the work camp for several months before the Germans forced the prisoners to begin marching toward Austria.

“They knew the Americans were coming,” O’ Connell said. “They were trying to clear us out of there and bring us somewhere else.”

They were liberated during that forced march.

“We were freed by the 16th armored division,” O’Connell said. “They were coming through southwest Germany.”

After being freed, O’ Connell and the other soldiers walked to Bremerhaven where they were processed at a tent city before catching a ship back to the United States.

At the time, O’ Connell weighed 80 pounds.

He was sent to a country club that had been converted to a medical facility, to recuperate. It was three months before the Army would allow his family to see him.

Reuniting with his mother is a moment that O’ Connell will never forget.

“You won’t believe how happy it was,” he said. “She almost fell over, when I put my arms around her.”

A plaque with this quotation hangs in Francis Xavier O’ Connell’s apartment in Lutz:
45th Infantry Division
“Whatever destiny may hold for our great country,
however long that great country’s military history may continue,
readers of the future will search long before finding a chapter
more brilliant than that written by the quill that was dipped in the blood of the Thunderbirds.”

Brig. Gen. H.J.D. Meyer, Dec. 7, 1945

Published August 16, 2017

CSX studying fix for malfunctioning crossing arms

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CSX Corporation is looking into how to repair the malfunctioning railroad crossing arms on State Road 54, at U.S. 41, said Kris Carson, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Transportation’s District 7 office.

Once a repair plan is developed, “the state will participate in funding the repair,” Carson said.

It is not known yet what will be required to fix the problem, how much it will cost or when it will be completed — but there’s no doubt the issue has generated calls for action.

Malfunctioning railroad crossing arms on State Road 54, at the intersection of U.S. 41, pose a public safety hazard and an inconvenience, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis. Efforts have begun to address the problem. (B.C. Manion)

Jeremiah Hawkes, of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, outlines the problem in a June 5 letter to Ellen M. Fitzsimmons, a vice president with CSX Corporation.

“The crossing arm has become a major safety concern as there have been 16 malfunctions of the crossing signal in the previous year,” wrote Hawkes, bureau chief in the management services bureau for the sheriff’s office.

“During each malfunction, the crossing bar lowers when there is no approaching train. These events frequently occur after a rainstorm, which is a frequent occurrence in this area.”

Hawkes also noted the importance that State Road 54 plays in Pasco County’s transportation network.

“State Road 54 is one of the only two existing east-west arterials traversing Pasco County,” he wrote. “State Road 54 also provides connections to several major regional north-south routes, including U.S. Highway 19, the Suncoast Parkway, U.S. Highway 41, U.S. Highway 301 and U.S. Highway 98.”

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, who represents Florida’s 12th congressional district, weighed in on the issue in a July 19 letter to Cindy Sandborn, chief operating officer of CSX Corporation.

“These roads (State Road 54 and U.S. 41) serve as an important hub for commuters with approximately 100,000 vehicles traversing the intersection on a daily basis,” Bilirakis wrote.

He also noted that State Road 54 “serves as one of only two existing east-west evacuation routes that carry the county’s over 218,000 coastal evacuation area residents to I-75 in the event of an emergency.”

Bilirakis also noted, “if these crossing arms were to malfunction during a severe weather threat, tens-of-thousands of Pasco residents could be trapped on the roads during an emergency evacuation.”

When the malfunctions occur, the sheriff’s office must respond to manage traffic until a repair can be made, Hawkes noted.

“I am sure you agree this is a serious safety concern for citizens traveling through this intersection and the surrounding area,” Hawkes added.

Both letters urge a swift response to solve the problem.

“The safety of our residents is of the upmost concern,” Bilirakis states.

Capt. Eric Seltzer, District 2 field operations commander in the sheriff’s office, noted other problems posed by the malfunctioning crossing arms.

They prevent the sheriff’s office from being able to respond to calls.

“It could be a crime in progress. It could be a crisis,” he said.

The malfunctioning arms also block first responders from reaching fires, accident victims and other medical calls, he noted.

“Our No. 1 priority is the safety of our citizens,” Steltzer said.

Beyond potential public safety issues, the malfunctioning crossing arms also pose an inconvenience to thousands of motorists who are using the roads, Seltzer said.

Garrick Francis, who works in federal affairs for CSX, responded to Bilirakis’ letter.

An internal CSX team coordinated a diagnostic review at the crossing on July 11 to determine what steps could be taken to correct the issues brought to CSX’s attention by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office letter, Francis wrote.

Representatives at that review included representatives from CSX, the Florida Department of Transportation, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, Pasco County’s Traffic Control, and RW Summers Inc. Railroad Construction.

Francis explained that a state project was done in July 2016 to install a new road surface using the TUB system, which is essentially 10-foot-long or 20-foot-long concrete panels that are installed to provide a suitable highway surface.

Prior to the installation of the TUBs, there were not false or partial activations of the crossing gates, Francis wrote.

The focus of the review “was to determine how to correct this crossing as quickly and reliably as possible, but also what could be done to mitigate the occurrences such as these at other locations on future installations,” Francis explained.

A team is working to find a solution, he wrote.

“We recognize the inconvenience that this problem has caused and are working collaboratively with the state and other key stakeholders to develop a permanent solution,” Francis wrote.

Published August 16, 2017 

Get your ‘Greek’ on in Tarpon Springs

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If you’re looking for a quick getaway that offers a chance to experience Greek culture without leaving the Sunshine State, you may want to check out Tarpon Springs.

This statue of a sponge diver provides a sense of history at the marina. (B.C. Manion)

Besides having a chance to sample sweets from Greek bakeries, or dine on more substantial fare at Greek restaurants, you can learn about the sponge-harvesting industry that played a starring role in this community’s history.

The Sponge Docks, situated on Dodecanes Boulevard, is a great place to get a taste of what Tarpon Springs has to offer.

You can get a feel for the community’s history at the Spongeorama Sponge Factory, at 510 Dodecanese Blvd., which offers a free movie and museum about sponge diving.

Tarpon Springs offers plenty of opportunity for visitors to relax and chat with friends.

And, while the sponge industry isn’t what it once was, you can still see men tossing sponges on the docks, or take a boat ride to see a sponge diver in action.

For those with other interests, there are dolphin cruises available, and sport fishing, as well.

And, there are scores of specialty shops, too.

The Spiceman’s Kitchen, at 815 Dodecanese Blvd., for instance, offers more than 300 hot sauces, 50 barbecue sauces and marinades, and a variety of seasonings, rubs, pickled vegetable, jams, jellies and other items.

And, not far from there, you’ll find The Spice & Tea Exchange of Tarpon Springs, at 824 Dodecanes Blvd. It offers a selection of spices, custom blends, loose-leaf teas, sea and mineral salts, and other goods.

Sorting sponges at the Sponge Docks is a regular activity in Tarpon Springs.

There also are a number of shops selling soaps and skin care products, including Katherine’s Gifts Natural Skin Care, at 628 Athens St.

If you’re seeking spiritual refreshment, there’s St. Michael’s Shrine, at 113 Hope St., a small chapel built by a family in thanksgiving for the recovery of a young son who was near death.

Many linger in the serene setting, where they light candles for their intentions and gaze at the icons covering its walls.

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, at 36 N. Pinellas Ave., offers another sacred place in the city. It was designed as a replica of St. Sophia of Constantinople.

It’s easy to get around this Pinellas County community that’s situated off the Anclote River, and there are plenty of special events offered there throughout the year. For more information about upcoming events, visit SpongeDocks.net.

Land O’ Lakes High undergoes $29 million makeover

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When students arrive at Land O’ Lakes High School next week, they’ll see construction crews busy on a $29 million makeover that’s expected to take two years.

But, great care is being taken to ensure that students and staff are kept out of the path of work crews, and vice versa, said John Petrashek, director of construction services for Pasco County Schools.

This is what the new main entrance will look like at Land O’ Lakes High School, as a result of a major makeover. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

During a recent tour of the school, Petrashek and Marc Graham, project superintendent for Walbridge, explained what the project entails and how it has been scheduled to allow the campus to be occupied during construction.

“It’s a five-phase project,” Graham said, with areas being walled or fenced off, to allow students, faculty and staff to carry on their activities, while crews work to modernize and reconfigure spaces in the high school.

In addition to Walbridge’s crew, the school district has two inspectors onsite, Petrashek said, who will be monitoring code compliance and quality assurance.

“With 1,700, 1,800 students — working on an occupied campus, even with the exceptional record that Walbridge has for safety and the protection of their staff and the students, it warranted having two people keeping eyes on this, coordinating with the school, the staff, the principal, to make this happen,” Petrashek said.

The project’s $29 million price tag includes construction, furniture and equipment, permitting fees, design fees, relocating portables, fencing and other expenses.

Marc Graham, project superintendent for Walbridge, is overseeing the massive makeover of Land O’ Lakes High School. Here, he describes how the company is converting an old stage area in the school’s gymnasium, that was being used for storage, into two classrooms, which will be used for physical education classes. (B.C. Manion)

Petrashek said it wouldn’t be possible to do the project on an occupied campus without the close cooperation of Ric Mellin, the school’s principal.

“Mr. Mellin has really been exceptional to work with on this project. He’s innovative. He’s taken the attitude, ‘We do what we have to, to make this a success,’” Petrashek said.

Some of the adjustments for the coming year include creative scheduling to maximize the use of classroom space.

“The principal has figured all of that out,” Petrashek said.

About a quarter of the school will be shut down at a time, Mellin said, noting parents did not want their children moved to a different campus or on any kind of split session.

The school day has been changed from seven periods to six periods, and the break for lunch has been shortened to 30 minutes.

Mellin said he thinks some people may have had the wrong idea about the scope of the project, perhaps thinking it was just a cosmetic update.

It’s far more than that, Mellin said.

“This is a tearing down walls to the bare minimum, redoing plumbing, electrical, upgrades to technology,” Mellin said.

The commons area is getting a new look, as part of massive renovation project at Land O’ Lakes High School. The project’s design makes it easier to get around the campus. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

It also involves new walls, new floors and new ceilings, Graham said.

“The restrooms will be brought up to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant. They’ll be completely gutted and refurbished,” added Petrashek.

Doing such a substantial project while the campus is occupied requires a considerable amount of precaution, Petrashek said.

Mellin noted that parents wanted to be assured that the air quality will be protected.

Petrashek said the district will be on top of the issue. “We’re going to test on an ongoing basis, so we can respond,” he said.

The project will add capacity, but involves little new construction.

The school initially was constructed for 1,200 students. Over time, portables and additions increased its capacity to 1,700. At completion of the renovation, the capacity will exceed 2,000, Petrashek said.

A five-classroom addition is being made to the science wing, replacing an area that previously was occupied by portables.

“The other addition is the administration addition, which is going to be out front,” Graham said. That will be done in a later phase.

“There’s going to be inconvenience every day that this project goes on,” Petrashek said.

“But, anytime the contractors are doing work that is noisy, that will cause any type of disruption, they have to move that work to the swing shift, after school dismisses,” he said.

The project also will require adjustments from students and staff, as classes are moved from one part of the campus to another.

“Year two takes on a lot more classrooms,” Mellin said, noting, “we’re going to have to be a little more creative with our scheduling Year 2.”

But, the principal hopes that by then people will have adjusted to the idea that the school renovation is a work in progress.

The project must be completed by August 2019.

Meeting that deadline isn’t optional, Graham said.

“The seasons of the school are what they are,” he said, adding if construction crews run into some sort of delay, they’ll need to make up for lost time.

“Sometimes we have to run two shifts. Sometimes we run Saturdays and Sundays — that’s the extra time we have available,” Graham said.

Published August 9, 2017

Changes afoot, as school bells ring in a new year

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School bells are summoning students back to classes in Hillsborough and Pasco counties — and some students will be attending classes on entirely new campuses.

Sunlake Academy of Math and Science, a new public charter school in Hillsborough County, begins its inaugural school year on Aug. 10. It is located at 18681 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz.

Sunlake Academy of Math and Science, at 18681 N. Dale Mabry Highway, is opening this year as a new public charter school in Hillsborough County. The school, located in Lutz, will serve elementary and middle school students. (B.C. Manion)

Meanwhile, Pasco County is opening Bexley Elementary, at 4380 Ballantrae Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, and Cypress Creek Middle High School, in Wesley Chapel.

Students arriving at Land O’ Lakes High School will find reconfigured spaces, to accommodate a $29 million makeover.

At Sunlake High School and Rushe Middle School, there will be a new traffic pattern for student drop-off and pickups, and at Wiregrass Ranch High, the school will be back to operating on a seven-period day.

Those are just a few of the changes in store for the new school year, which begins in Hillsborough County on Aug. 10 and in Pasco County on Aug. 14.

Some changes, which are state mandates, affect public school students in both counties.

Other changes affect students at a particular school or within a specific county.

For instance, the Pasco school district is revising its crisis plans to give students and staff a better chance to survive an active threat on campus.

Meanwhile, Principal Vicki Wolin will lead the new Bexley Elementary School, in the Bexley subdivision off State Road 54, in Land O’ Lakes. That school was built to ease crowding at Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools.

Bexley is also part of the school district’s feeder pattern for the Aviation Academy at Sunlake High School.

As such, Bexley will have drones, flight simulators and robotics. Its STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) lab is situated in its media center, which it calls its REC Center, which stands for Research, Engage and Collaborate.

Cypress Creek Middle High School, at 8701 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel, will serve students previously assigned to Wiregrass Ranch, Wesley Chapel and Sunlake high schools and John Long, Weightman and Rushe middle schools.

Principal Carin Hetzler-Nettles, previously principal at Wesley Chapel High, will recognize many of the students streaming onto the campus for their first day.

But, there will be many unfamiliar faces, too.

The school has been hosting events ahead of opening day to help students get acquainted with the school and to find out what it has to offer.

Cypress Creek Middle High will serve sixth- through 11th-graders its initial year and will add a senior class its second year.

The new high school’s curriculum runs the gamut from ballet to digital design to American Sign Language. It offers several certification programs, including Microsoft Office, QuickBooks and Autodesk Inventor.

Cypress Creek’s middle school curriculum includes Criminal Justice and Engineering academies, plus core classes.

The new schools aren’t the only places where Pasco County students will have a chance for new experiences.

The district also is expanding its Cambridge Programme to San Antonio Elementary School.

And, Zephyrhills High School is adding a new academy of Building Construction Technology and Public Safety Telecommunications 911 certification for the Academy of Criminal Justice.

A new public charter school also has opened in Pasco County, too, bringing the district’s total number of charter schools to 11. The new charter is called Pasco MYcroSchool and is located in New Port Richey.

Besides new schools and programs, Pasco County also has shifted some principals since last school year and promoted an assistant principal to the top post.

Those changes are:

  • Principal Scott Atkins has moved from Sand Pine Elementary School to West Zephyrhills Elementary School.
  • Christine Twardosz has transferred from Centennial Elementary School to Sand Pine.
  • Gretchen Rudolph Fladd has moved from Veterans to Centennial.
  • Melissa Bidgood, who was an assistant principal at Watergrass Elementary, has been promoted to the principal’s post at Veterans.

Parents wanting to know more about the upcoming school year should check out their school’s website.

School websites can provide a wealth of information. They generally list important upcoming dates for school activities, such as cheerleader tryouts, booster club meetings, school spirit nights and parent-teacher events.

The websites also often let parents know how they can get involved at school and how they can help their children at home.

Most schools also have Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, and some post videos to YouTube, too.

Websites maintained by the Hillsborough and Pasco school districts can also provide useful information, too.

Free breakfasts
Pasco County Schools will serve free breakfasts to all students at these sites in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area during the 2017-2018 school year:

Elementary schools

  • Centennial Elementary
  • Chester Taylor Elementary
  • Lacoochee Elementary
  • Pasco Elementary
  • Quail Hollow Elementary
  • Rodney B. Cox Elementary
  • West Zephyrhills Elementary
  • Woodland Elementary

Middle schools:

  • Centennial Middle
  • Pasco Middle
  • Stewart Middle

High schools:

  • Pasco High
  • Zephyrhills High

 

Meal prices for Pasco County Schools
Reduced-price meals

Reduced-price breakfast: .30
Reduced-price lunch: .40
Full-price meals
Full-price breakfast
Elementary: $1.35
Secondary: $1.50
Charter, K-8: $1.50
Charter, high school: $1.60
Full-price lunch
Elementary: $2.50
Middle: $3
High: $3.25

Published August 9, 2017

Atmosphere is upbeat on teacher move-in day

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Volunteers and teachers were busy on teacher move-in day last week at Cypress Creek Middle High School.

Pasco County School Board members, the superintendent of schools, Rotary Club members, members of The Greater Wesley Chamber of Commerce, the Pasco Education Foundation and other community volunteers joined in with teachers to help them get ready for Day 1 at the new school at 8701 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

They hauled boxes from the parking lot.

Cypress Creek teacher Jenny Burton was busy last week, unpacking and storing supplies for her middle school art classes. She is thrilled with both the size of her classroom and the supplies she has to work with. (B.C. Manion)

They pushed carts down corridors filled with classroom stuff.

They stood in line, awaiting the elevator to carry their load to the second floor.

They unpacked boxes. Put together bookcases. They stamped books and put away supplies.

Some teachers began decorating the walls in their classrooms, adding their personal touch.

They were working, but there was a friendly banter. The atmosphere was upbeat, with an undeniable sense of excitement in the air.

Jenny Burton, a middle school art teacher, is thrilled to be teaching at Cypress Creek.

“This is like absolute heaven,” Burton said, as she organized her art supplies.

“I’ve never worked in a space like this before. I’ve worked in rooms that were a quarter of this size,” she said.

She’s also impressed by the supplies that have been provided for her class and can’t wait to begin working with her students to find out which materials they’ve used before, and which ones will be new to them.

Her next-door neighbor is Sara Connolly, a middle school social studies teacher.

First-year teacher Sara Connolly wants to bring her social studies lessons to life for her students. She’s already chosen a playlist for the first day of school, featuring music from different eras of American life.

“I want kids to realize that history is not just a book, and it’s not just someone standing up and lecturing to you, and memorizing a bunch of dates,” said Connolly, a first-year teacher, whose mother is a retired teacher and whose father teaches at Land O’ Lakes High School.

She’s been preparing for that first day.

“I already have a playlist set up of American historical music through the ages,” she said, noting the students will hear snippets of American Colonial music, the Civil War, the jazz age and other eras.

She’s also planning to have students break into teams on that day, to do a scavenger hunt in the classroom.

Burton and Connolly are already thinking about ways the two of them can collaborate to do cross-curricular lessons.

Meanwhile, down the hall, Dani Sauerwein who teaches sixth-grade language arts is equally enthusiastic about the new school year.

“It’s always exciting for a new school year to start, but this is just a whole new level of excitement,” she said, noting she’s thrilled to be part of the team opening a new school.

“We’re trying to create a community,” Sauerwein said.

She also expressed gratitude for the volunteers who were at the school, helping teachers get set up for the new year.

“Honestly, I could not do it without them. This would have taken 10 times longer if it weren’t for everyone who came out to help,” she said.

The value of such volunteer efforts goes beyond the benefit of providing help with the physical labor, said Colleen Beaudoin, a school board member.

The interactions can help build community spirit and foster greater understanding, she said.

“A lot of community members want to help, but they don’t really know what’s needed,” said Beaudoin, who was there volunteering alongside her 14-year-old son, Bryce.

When members of the community spend time inside schools, they gain greater insights into what’s needed or desired, and they can help school personnel connect with resources available through businesses or organizations, Beaudoin said.

“Sometimes, I think, that is that missing link — that connection,” the school board member said.

Published August 2, 2017

He offers humor, nostalgia and old-fashioned value

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If you’ve ever driven through the parking lot near the McDonald’s at U.S. 41 and State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes, you’ve probably seen a sign leading to Fred Wilsky’s shop.

“Sharpening Service” the sign proclaims, pointing east onto Carson Drive.

Sparks fly as Fred Wilsky sharpens the edge of a lawn mower blade in his Land O’ Lakes shop. (B.C. Manion)

If you head east on Carson Drive, you’ll see a series of signs — each getting you closer to the shop where Wilsky has been plying his trade for the better part of four decades.

You’ll go a mile or more before turning left onto a winding road. You’ll discover that Wilsky’s shop is well off the beaten path.

Inside the shop, it’s like taking a step back in time.

Wilsky is in the business of sharpening stuff.

He gives lawn motor blades a fresh edge.

He makes steak knives sharp again.

He’ll give a second wind to a saw blade, a new lease on life to a chainsaw and will make garden tools work as good as new.

“I sharpen almost everything — except a dull wit,” said Wilsky, who set up his shop in the late 1970s, after retiring from selling insurance.

While selling insurance, he said, he had several customers who were in the sharpening business. He thought to himself: “That’s something I would like to do.”

So, he went to a school in Minneapolis to learn how, then bought some used equipment and set up shop.

Now 90, he only does occasional jobs. But, he still has high standards.

“I try to never turn out a job that isn’t as good or better than the original,” he said.

“There are some things that I don’t sharpen because I don’t have the equipment to do it well enough that I am willing to do it for someone else,” he said.

For instance, he said, “I will sharpen my own router blades, but I’m not going to sharpen them for someone else because the finished job is not like it should be,” he said.

Most of his business comes from word-of-mouth, or referrals from local hardware or lawn mower shops, or from passersby who see his signs, he said.

Fred Wilsky is 90, but he still does occasional work in the shop behind his Land O’ Lakes home that he shares with his wife, Hilda.

He charges per the piece, and he generally needs to see the piece to determine if he can do it and how much it would cost.

Lawn mower blades, for instance, are normally around $3.50 each. But, sometimes they are too bent to repair, he said.

Many jobs can be handled on the spot, he added.

“To do a carbide saw would take 15 to 25 minutes, depending upon the size and the configuration of the carbide,” he said.

Generally, he said, it’s more economical to sharpen a tool, than to replace it.

“Almost always my price would be less than half than buying a new one. I can feel good about that,” he said.

He also gets satisfaction from helping people extend the life of a favorite tool.

Often, they are unaware, Wilsky said, “that it can be sharpened and be better than it was new.”

He likes to keep his shop open, he said, because “I’m helping myself a little bit. I’m also helping people take care of their tools.”

He recalled an instance when the owner of a lawn business — who had been sharpening his own blades — brought one into Wilsky’s shop.

Later, the man returned and asked Wilsky how he got such good results.

Wilsky responded: “No. 1, I’ve got the right piece of equipment. No. 2, I know what I’m doing with it. No. 3, cutting grass is your job, sharpening blades is mine.”

Over the years, Wilsky said he’s heard some common questions.

For instance, people ask: “Is this worth sharpening?”

Wilsky’s standard response: “Are you going to use it? If you’re going to use it, it’s worth sharpening, and it certainly will be a lot easier to use, after I sharpen it.”

People also want to know how often to sharpen steak knives.

“The answer is, ‘When they get dull,’” Wilsky said.

By the same token, a good set of steak knives can last a long time, he said.

“It’s not at all unusual to see a set of steak knives 50, 60 years or older,” Wilsky said. “I’ve got a knife in there that I believe is at least 80 years old.”

And, when it comes to steak knives, it’s the quality of the steel — not the name brand — that matters, Wilsky said. If the steel is soft, it won’t hold an edge, he explained.

There comes a point when a piece of equipment won’t benefit from sharpening, he said.

“The limit is how much steel there is,” Wilsky said.

If someone needs his services, Wilsky said, it’s best to call ahead.

“If I’m not here, there’s nobody to help them,” said Wilsky, whose shop is behind the home he shares with his wife, Hilda.

He also noted that he doesn’t work on Sundays.

If you would like to reach Wilsky, his number is (813) 949-4851.

Published August 2, 2017

Partnerships may yield ‘community farm’ at Moore-Mickens

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Efforts have begun to lay the groundwork for a “community farm” on the property now under the supervision of the nonprofit Moore-Mickens Education Center and Vocational Center Inc.

Whitney C. Elmore, director of the Pasco County Extension Office, said she has been talking to the Moore-Mickens nonprofit about the possibility of establishing the farm, which would involve the help of several other community partners.

Whitney C. Elmore, director of the Pasco County Extension Office, is working with community stakeholders on an effort to establish a community farm on the property now under the supervision of the nonprofit Moore-Mickens Education Center and Vocational Center Inc. (File)

“We do have a lot of support from the community and the nonprofit, itself, also folks like Camille Hernandez, the mayor of Dade City.

“We have support from the school board and from Farm Bureau, which is very important to us.

“We bring in a lot of different partners from many aspects in the community,” Elmore said.

“We do have folks from the agricultural community in Pasco, that are interested in helping, as well. Helping us break ground. Helping us move forward, as far as installing and utilizing irrigation,” she added.

“We hope to have that up and running this fall,” she said, explaining that she’s the go-between between the nonprofit and the University of Florida (UF).

“The decision (regarding the Extension Office’s involvement) basically rests with our dean at UF,” Elmore said.

She’s excited about the prospects.

The community farm will grow things for the community, she explained. But, it also would give people an opportunity to learn about gardening.

It would be a place where master gardeners could both teach and learn, Elmore said.

And, it will enable “folks in the community to come in and work with our family and consumer sciences agent for money matters, nutrition courses,” she added.

Elmore’s vision also includes involving the community garden program assistant in the initiative.

“We’re hoping we can even bring the (Pasco County) Sheriff’s Office into play here and bring some of the inmates out to do some of the heavy lifting — but, also give them job skill development and training, as well,” she said.

At this point, the ideas are conceptual, but she hopes they become reality.

“We’re showing a lot of community support,” she said, noting that numerous partners are interested in making this happen.

“We’re going to keep pushing ahead,” Elmore said. “There’s a groundswell that’s taking
place here. This is a win-win for this entire community.”

Published August 2, 2017

A conference where bromeliads are the stars

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There’s an extravaganza set for this coming weekend aimed at celebrating bromeliads — plants that can be grown indoors or out, and often feature long-lasting flower displays, colorful foliage, or both.

A look at a bromeliad from one of the yards that will be featured on a tour during the Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies Extravaganza, Aug. 4 through Aug. 6 The bus tour has been filled, but conference registrations are still being accepted. (Courtesy of Carol Wolfe)

People who are seriously into bromeliads may want to register to attend the conference, but others may want to simply check out two bromeliad plant sales that are being held as part of the event.

The Tampa Bromeliad Extravaganza is being presented in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies. The conference is at the Clarion Hotel, 2710 E. Fowler Ave., in Tampa.

There are 11 bromeliad clubs around the state that make up the Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies, said Tom Wolfe, of Lutz, general chairman of the Tampa Extravaganza.

The clubs take turns hosting the statewide gathering every other year, he said.

This year, as of last week, the conference had 160 registered to attend.

The event features a chance to hear from bromeliad experts and to hang out with other bromeliad enthusiasts. There’s a chance to purchase some plants for your garden, too.

The plant sales also are open to the general public, Wolfe said.

“On Saturday morning (Aug. 5), the entire ballroom will be filled with bromeliads for sale. Most of the bromeliad vendors in the state will be there,” he said. That sale will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

That evening, around 7:30 p.m., a rare plant auction will be held, giving collectors a chance to purchase some interesting plants. Proceeds from that sale will be used to support research to battle a weevil (Metamasius callizona) that’s been attacking 12 of Florida’s native bromeliads.

So far, more than $97,000 has been raised and donated, and organizers hope this rare plant auction will raise at $3,000 to put it over the $100,000 mark.

The local and state bromeliad organizations are working closely with Teresa M. Cooper, Ph.D., with the “Save Florida’s Bromeliads Conservation Project,” SaveBromeliads.com.

For more information about the conference, call (813) 391-1542, or go online to FCBS.org and click on the link to 2017 FCBS Extravaganza Information.

If you go
Bromeliad Extravaganza
Where: Clarion Hotel, 2710 E. Fowler Ave.
When: Aug. 4 through Aug. 6
Cost: Registration is $100, which includes two meals
Details: Event celebrates the Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies’ 40th anniversary.
Information: Call (813) 391-1542, or go online to FCBS.org and click on the 2017 FCBS Extravaganza Information.

Bromeliad sale events
Bromeliad lovers will have plenty of plants to choose from at these two sales events.
Where: Clarion Hotel, 2710 E. Fowler Ave., in Tampa
When: Aug. 5. The first sales event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the second event is a rare plant auction, also on Aug. 5, beginning around 7:30 p.m.
Details: These bromeliad sales are in conjunction with the Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies ‘Extravaganza.’ Proceeds from the rare plant auction will be used to support research aimed at stopping a weevil that is destroying native Florida bromeliads.

Published August 2, 2017