The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

B.C. Manion

Bilirakis looking for ‘Heroes Among Us’

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U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis is looking for nominations for the second annual Heroes Among Us event.

Nine-year-old Selena Schulz wrote a book about helping shelter animals. She was honored by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis in his ‘Heroes Among Us’ program.
(Courtesy of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis)

The event honors men and women who make communities within Florida’s 12th congressional district special.

It aims to recognize those who are dedicated to good deeds, volunteerism and going above and beyond to serve others.

“We all know that the Tampa Bay Area is a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family. It’s time we recognize the individuals who help make our community so special. If you know somebody who makes a positive difference for others, I encourage you to nominate them to receive a Heroes Among Us award,” Bilirakis said, in a news release announcing the call for nominations.

Last year’s honorees included:

  • Selena Schulz: This 9-year-old author from Pasco County wrote “A Bed, a Buck, a Buddy” about helping shelter animals. She raised $1,500 in donations to the Pasco County Animal Shelter.
  • Bob O’Brien and Vince Blancato: These teachers at Gulfside Elementary School in Holiday help students understand the benefits of growing and eating vegetables.
  • Susan Traylor: This registered nurse in Pasco County founded Wellness Ministries, a charity that helps provide local homeless or vulnerable individuals with health care, transportation, clothing, and job resources.
  • Marie Whitney and Lee Pagill: These were the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Unit Volunteers of the Year in 2015
  • Paula and Barry Cohen: These are the founders of the PACK Camp, a nonprofit summer camp for special needs children in Pasco County.
  • Nancy Crane and Sarah Page: These women work at Quantum Leap Farm in Odessa, a nonprofit that provides therapeutic horseback riding for adults and children with mental/physical disabilities, including Veterans.

Nominations for this year’s award must be submitted by March 31.

Marie Whitney and Lee Pagill, who were the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Unit Volunteers of the Year in 2015, were also recognized for their contributions by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis.

Submissions can be emailed to Tucker O’Brien at .

They should include the nominee’s name, email address, phone number and reasons why he or she should be recognized.

Last year, about 100 citizens were honored with a Heroes Among Us award at a ceremony in the district. The congressman will host a ceremony recognizing nominees later this spring.

Published March 8, 2017

A breakfast sandwich, with a side of nostalgia

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When Laura Lewis saw the Dunkin’ Donuts going up on U.S. 41, in Lutz, she couldn’t wait until it opened,

She wanted to enjoy a bite to eat there, and to reminisce.

So, once the shop opened, at 17514 U.S. 41, she and her friend Carolyn Smith headed over there for breakfast.

Laura Lewis, left, and Carolyn Smith enjoy breakfast and share memories of Laura Lewis’ dad, who once operated a real estate office on the spot now occupied by a new Dunkin’ Donuts, on U.S. 41 in Lutz.
(B.C. Manion)

The shop serves hot coffee, iced coffee, hot tea, iced tea, espresso-based drinks, sandwiches, donuts and other bakery items.

Alex DaSilva, director of operations, said the shop chose that location because the area is experiencing residential and commercial growth, and Dunkin’ Donuts likes to get in on the front end of new development.

“It’s an up-and-coming market,” DaSilva said.

Lewis said she knows her dad, George M. Lewis, who spent his final years in Lutz, would be happy to see how the spot where he had his real estate office is being put to use.

He’d be glad to see that a family-oriented business is operating there, Lewis said.

Her dad was originally from the Kansas/Missouri area, she said.

He did various kinds of work through the years, said Smith, who has been a friend of Lewis’ for more than 30 years.

“He worked for the shipyard first,” Smith said.

“Then, from the shipyard, he did dredging,” she said. The dredging work involved area canals, and dredging for pipelines in South America, Smith added.

He also got into ranching and real estate.

At one point, he had 1,000 acres in Tarpon Springs, Lewis said. He also had 10 acres on Gunn Highway, in Citrus Park.

Lewis recalls helping her dad, when she was young.

“I used to trail my dad around all of the time, handing him tools and driving the tractor,” she said.

When she was older, she went to work for Maas Bros., earning $28 a week, but decided that wasn’t the life for her.

“I went out at lunchtime and joined the Army,” she said. She enlisted for three years, but had to stay longer because of the Korean War.

After that, she used her G.I. Bill to get her education and then became an industrial arts teacher, teaching woodshop in New Jersey for 35 years before retiring to Lutz.

Smith, whose mother was Lewis’ mother’s best friend, has been a close friend for more than three decades. The women share a home in Lutz.

Lewis’ mother, Smith said, “was like my mother’s sister.”

Both women were enjoying a trip down memory lane during their recent Dunkin’ Donuts visit.

At one point, Lewis’ dad had a huge sign in front of his real estate business on U.S 41, Smith recalled

People would pay him to use the sign for advertising.

“It was 20 (feet) to 30 feet high,” Smith said. “When they would come and put an advertisement on it, he would tell them: ‘No alcohol, no tobacco, nothing offensive,’” Smith said.

“He went to Lutz Baptist, right down the street, and he said, ‘My people see that and I want something nice on the sign,’” she explained. “One time they put up a cigarette ad. He called, and they came and took it down right away.”

When Dunkin’ Donuts was under construction, they had to keep the sign on the property — it was planted too deep into the ground for them to remove it, Smith said.

“I was here when they put it in. It has to be cemented in about 15 feet deep. It’ll never come out,” Smith said.

“They tried to get it out of the ground and they couldn’t, so they just built the Dunkin’ Donuts sign around it,” she said.

“A piece of him is always here,” Smith said.

Published March 8, 2017

New elementary option offers rigor

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Pasco County Schools has expanded its list of educational choices for elementary school children living east of U.S. 41 by adding the Cambridge Programme at San Antonio Elementary School.

The program is an advanced academics program, which means it has a more rigorous curriculum and is taught at a faster pace.

This brochure, available from Pasco County Schools, offers an overview of the Cambridge Programme, a new option at San Antonio Elementary School.
(B.C. Manion)

The district is adding this program, which will help prepare students who are entering the Cambridge Secondary 1 Programme, already offered at Pasco Middle School, and the Cambridge Secondary 2 and Cambridge Advanced programs, already offered at Pasco High School.

The University of Cambridge began the Cambridge Programme more than 150 years ago, with 370 candidates in seven English cities.

Since then, the program has expanded to include more than 8 million candidates in 160 countries.

The program seeks to develop learners who are reflective, confident, engaged, responsible and innovative, according to a PowerPoint presentation shown to interested parents at a meeting on Feb. 23 at Wesley Chapel Elementary School.

Applications for the programs at Pasco Middle and Pasco High are already closed for this year, but the elementary program is accepting applications, said Kimberly Anderson, principal of San Antonio Elementary School.

Anyone interested must complete the application by March 16. A timed writing test will be given at the elementary school on March 17. The times for the test will vary, based on the student’s age.

The program has made provisions to ensure that academically gifted students will work with academically gifted teachers. Gifted certified teachers will work with Cambridge teachers, and gifted teachers will meet monthly with students to monitor their progress toward their goals.

Pasco County Schools will provide transportation to children who will be transferring to San Antonio Elementary, through the use of satellite bus stops. Stop locations haven’t been determined yet.

Cambridge’s mission statement, in part, reads: “We prepare students for life, helping them develop an informed curiosity and a lasting passion for learning. Our programs and qualifications set the global standard for international education.”

A brochure distributed by Pasco County Schools says the Cambridge approach supports schools to develop learners who are:

  • Confident in working with information and ideas – their own and others
  • Responsible for themselves, responsible to and respectful of others
  • Innovative and equipped for new and future challenges
  • Engaged intellectually and socially, ready to make a difference

By adding the program at San Antonio Elementary, students on the east side of U.S. 41 will now have an opportunity to pursue the Cambridge Programme at elementary, middle and high school levels.

Cambridge advanced level courses are considered to be equivalent to the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate program classes, and Cambridge students can earn up to 45 hours of college credits.

Students receiving an AICE diploma through Cambridge and completing 100 hours of community service qualify for the maximum Florida Academic Scholar tuition scholarship.

Students who do not attend a Pasco County public school or charter school are asked to have the main office at their school send a grade history (transcript) and standardized assessment score history to:

Ms. Kimberly Anderson, principal of San Antonio Elementary School, 32416 Darby Road Dade City, Florida 33525.

The school will send out acceptance notifications in April.

If there are too many qualified candidates, a lottery system will be used.

Deadline for applying is March 16. Applications are available on San Antonio Elementary School’s website, SAES.pasco.k12.fl.us.
Applicants also must complete a timed writing sample on March 17 in the media center at San Antonio Elementary, 32416 Darby Road in Dade City.
The timed writing samples will be done for incoming first-graders at 9:30 a.m., and incoming second- through fifth-graders at 12:30 p.m. The writing sample is not something that requires study or preparation by students.
Extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration, and alternate writing dates are available by contacting Principal Kimberly Anderson at (352) 524-5300.
While students are completing their writing sample, parents are invited to enjoy complimentary refreshments in the school’s cafeteria.

Published March 8, 2017

R.B. Cox Elementary celebrates 90 years

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A lot of notable things happened during 1926.

Queen Elizabeth was born. A.A. Milne published Winnie-the-Pooh, and Tampa Theatre opened Tampa’s first air-conditioned building, in downtown Tampa.

Calvin Coolidge was in the White House at the time, and people could buy a dozen of eggs for 56 cents, a dozen oranges for 34 cents, or a porterhouse steak for 29 cents a pound.

It’s also the year that Dade City Grammar School opened.

The structure, built in the Collegiate Gothic style of architecture, was later renamed to honor Superintendent R.B. Cox, a former principal, who lost his battle with cancer in 1973.

With its Collegiate Gothic architectural style, R.B. Cox Elementary has offered a dignified presence in Dade City for nine decades.
(B.C. Manion)

The school, at 37615 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., in Dade City, is hosting a 90th birthday celebration on March 5.

The event features a dinner of baked ziti, salad and dessert, with tickets selling for $7 each.

Besides the meal, there will be music by the Pasco County High School jazz band, and a video of interviews of students and teachers, with connections to the elementary school, said Principal Claudia Steinacker.

Visitors also will be able to walk down memory lane, perusing historic photographs and reading “Did you know?” factoids, gathered from people associated with the school through the years.

The event will serve as a fundraiser to help pay for some projects at the school, which serves 465 children from Early Head Start through fifth grade.

For instance, the school would like to makeover a space between the main building and the media center — converting it into a courtyard where students and families can gather, Steinacker said. Other ideas include purchasing picnic tables, to give visiting parents a place to eat lunch, and buddy benches out near the playground.

The school also would like to turn a space near the primary classrooms into a play area for the children.

“We’ll prioritize what we want to start with, based upon the funds, and then we’ll just continue moving forward as we try to raise those funds,” the principal said.

Besides the dinner, the school will be raising money through a baked goods auction, and it has sold vendor spaces to vendors who will be selling items at the event.

“We chose to do it on a Sunday, so we could make it a little bit special,” Steinacker said, noting she didn’t want people to feel rushed.

The idea is to give people a chance to gather, to reminisce and to recognize the school’s special role in the community — where it has been the focus of education for generations of children, she said.

“Even if they don’t want to come necessarily to eat, even if they just want to come to be able to walk, and see and visit — we just really want everyone to have the opportunity to see our amazing school and learn about the history that this school has,” Steinacker said.

“It’s a great opportunity to say, ‘Come celebrate.’

“If you have time and you want to support us, you want to volunteer, the door is open. We need that.”

“This is a special place. We want people to be able to celebrate what a special place it is,” Steinacker said.

Dade City’s motto is “Proud Heritage, Promising Future,” the principal said.  “We definitely are striving to give our kids that promising future,” she added.

This will be the school’s second celebration to mark its ninth decade of operation. It had a celebration in the beginning of the school year, and it plans to have another one at the end of the school year, when it plans to bury a time capsule.

R.B. Cox Elementary 90th birthday party
Where: 37615 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Dade City
When: March 5, 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Cost: $7 per plate for lunch of baked ziti, salad and dessert (To-go containers will be available)
Details: R.B. Cox Elementary is hosting a party to celebrate the school’s rich heritage in Dade City. The event includes a luncheon, music, a baked goods auction and a chance to see historic photographs,
More information: Call (352) 524-5100, or visit the school’s website, RBCES.Pasco.k12.Fl.us.

Published March 1, 2017

 

Revving up for a good time in Land O’ Lakes

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Live music, interesting cars, corn dogs and kids’ activities — those are just a few of the offerings expected at the second annual Land O’ Lakes Music Festival set for March 11.

Stonegrey, which just released its second album, ‘Voice of Reason,’ is among the musical acts on tap for the second annual Land O’ Lakes Music Festival.
(Courtesy of Suzanne Beauchaine)

The festival, presented by the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, is being held at a new venue this year.

David Gainer, event chairman and president-elect of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce thinks the new location — at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center and Park — will benefit the event because of its high visibility off Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

The festival was moved because organizers believed that a new stage, that’s now under construction, would be completed.

“We thought the stage would be ready this year, but you know how construction goes. It was delayed,” Gainer said. “Ultimately, once the new stage there is completed, that is going to be our new home.”

So, instead of using the new stage, musicians will perform on the park’s football field, Gainer said.

Soul Circus Cowboys will bring their modern rockin’ country sound to the headline act of the second annual Land O’ Lakes Music Festival, set for March 11.

Festival-goers can bring their own lawn chairs and blankets, or can purchase reserved seating, which is $15 in advance, or $20 at the gate.

The event kicks off with the Al and Ida Silver Memorial Car Show, which is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for the top 30 cars.

“We’re expecting to have 40 to 60 cars there, of all kinds, not just classic,” Gainer said.

Meanwhile, the music festival will be on the football field, where people will be able to bring lawn chairs and blankets, to listen to the bands.

The music will begin around 12:30 p.m., with entertainment running through the event’s conclusion, around 8 p.m.

This year’s musical lineup includes:

  • Tim Serdynski
  • The Higgins Brothers
  • City Groove
  • Stonegrey

Shalyah Fearing, a singer from Hudson who will be familiar to fans of the television show, “The Voice,” is expected to perform around 3 p.m., Gainer said.

And, Soul Circus Cowboys, the headline act, will perform around 7 p.m., Gainer added.

Food will be available for purchase, including barbecue meals, corn dogs, hamburgers, sliders, and funnel cakes. Beverages for sale include beer, wine, water and soft drinks.

There also will be plenty for the kids to do, including games, bounce houses and obstacle courses, Gainer said.

The event gives the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce a chance to provide an event that local residents will enjoy, Gainer said.

“It’s a good thing, all around, for the community,” Gainer said.

Second annual Land O’ Lakes Music Festival
Where: 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes
When: March 11, with car show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; other festival activities, noon to 8 p.m.
Cost: Free general admission; preferred seating, $15 in advance and $20 at the gate; $10 parking. (Tickets are available at EventBrite.com)
Details: Car show, music festival, business and arts & crafts showcase, children’s activities and food.
For information: Visit CentralPascoChamber.com.

Published March 1, 2017

Strong opinions continue to surface on health care reform

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It wasn’t an overflow crowd for U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis’ third listening session, but there were plenty of people with strong opinions on the issue of health care reform.

There were also more people in this crowd who spoke in favor of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, than did at the previous session that Bilirakis had in New Port Richey.

Hundreds of people have been showing up to U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis’ listening sessions on healthcare reform. The sign shown here claims that in Bilirakis’ district alone, there are 43,000 people insured under the Affordable Care Act.
(File)

Opinions at the session, at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel High School, varied widely.

“I beg you to keep something, either the ACA or something like that for pre-existing conditions,” a woman from Land O’ Lakes said. “I will lose my husband, if you don’t keep something.”

But, another woman said Obamacare has not worked.

“I know several friends — they need insurance, and they can’t afford Obamacare. It’s not the Affordable Care Act, period,” she said.

A woman priest told Bilirakis that the current uncertainty about health care is frightening people.

“I have many parishioners, friends and family members, and I just want to tell you that I’ve never seen people so afraid,” she said. “This is real fear, this is not fake fear,” she added.

A Wesley Chapel man asked Bilirakis: “Are you going to keep your campaign promise, to repeal Obamacare?”

Bilirakis responded: “I will vote to repeal Obamacare,” which was greeted by both boos and applause from the crowd.

“I want a replacement,” Bilirakis said.

He also assured the audience that people will not be cut off from their insurance without another option.

“By the way, we will have a transition period … I’m arguing for three years. Some people are saying two years,” Bilirakis said.

A Pinellas County man said he’s with Bilirakis: “This was a change election. We stand behind you, to repeal and replace.”

Another man urged Bilirakis to find a way to make health care more affordable.

After being laid off, the man said he purchased Obamacare, but the premiums were expensive, and the deductible was $6,200.

He told Bilirakis that he stopped paying his premiums so he could afford to see his doctor, then he was billed by the federal government for his “shared responsibility” because he doesn’t have insurance.

Another speaker said the cost of Obamacare has caused a family member’s business to lay off employees and to close a location, reducing the company’s profits and costing employees their jobs.

“I’m in favor of repealing and replacing Obamacare,” the woman said.

One man asked Bilirakis point-blank: “Are you going to make it less expensive?”

Bilirakis responded with one word: “Yes.”

Still others want to see universal health care, so that no one is left out in the cold.

As one Vietnam war veteran put it: “If you can look into yourself and say, ‘Why not universal health care for all people?

“If we can spend $20 trillion to try to kill people, how about a few trillion dollars for wellness of the American people?” he said.

A woman from Quail Hollow assured Bilirakis that she wasn’t a paid activist, and like the vast majority of Americans, she wants to see members of Congress reach across the aisle to solve problems.

Many speakers praised Bilirakis for meeting with his constituents rather than ducking them, as other members of Congress have done.

“You are my constituents,” Bilirakis told the crowd. “I have an obligation to listen to you. The best ideas come from the people.”

One Wesley Chapel woman urged Bilirakis, when he goes back to Washington, to turn to a higher power for guidance on the health care issue.

“Get on your knees and ask God’s help to make the right decision,” she said.

Bilirakis issued a statement following his third listening session, noting that he will continue to seek common ground and constructive exchanges with people from his district.

“But, the Affordable Care Act in its current state is unsustainable, and it’s only going to get worse — costs are going up, while choices and flexibility are dwindling. We need a health care system that is truly patient-focused, and I will use the input from my recent meetings to shape my work on replacement legislation.”

Published March 1, 2017

Principal provides an overview for high school students, parents

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As future high school parents and students arrived at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel, they were greeted by upbeat music and a slideshow featuring progress made so far on Cypress Creek Middle High School.

Parents and students had plenty of questions, and Principal Carin Hetzler-Nettles, who hosted the evening session on Feb. 15, was ready.

Before fielding the questions, though, Hetzler-Nettles took the audience on a pre-recorded virtual tour of the school, now under construction off Old Pasco Road.

Wearing a white construction hat, Nettles stepped through the school, offering details about the physical plant and future plans.

After the tour, she provided additional information through a power-point presentation, covering everything from what time school is expected to start, to what types of academic and athletic programs will be offered.

During the upcoming school year, there will be students in grades six through 11 on campus.

Projections show an estimated 840 middle school students in the coming school year, and 650 high school students, the principal said.

There are two large two-story classroom buildings on the campus, and an administration building with classroom space on the second floor, Hetzler-Nettles said.

The current plan is to house the middle schoolers in one of the large classroom buildings, with the overflow being on the second floor of the administration building, Hetzler-Nettles said.

The high school students will be housed in the other large, two-story classroom building, which is closer to the student parking lot.

A full array of academic and elective courses will be offered to high school students, and there will be three high school academy programs: Business Management, Criminal Justice, and Engineering and Robotics. Students in the academies will have the opportunity to earn certifications, too, the principal noted.

Courses offered will be dictated by student demand. If a course isn’t listed on a course card, students should write it in, the principal advised. If there’s enough demand, it will be added.

The high school athletics program will include the slate of sports available at other district high schools.

And, according to an update on the school’s website, it also will be offering lacrosse — for high school girls and boys. It will be a pay-for-play program, Nettles said.

The school will have four separate locker rooms. There will be one for high school girls and one for middle school girls. There will be one for high school boys and one for middle school boys.

The locker rooms will be separated by a coach’s office, the principal said.

The gym also will have a screen that can be pulled down to divide it so that high school and middle school physical education programs and practices can be held separately, she said.

The school also plans to have separate band programs for the high school and the middle school.

And, it plans to have a competitive marching band — an issue of apparent concern to some parents. They urged Hetzler-Nettles to hire a teacher who will not be afraid to seek out difficult competitions merely because the school will be in its first year of operation.

The principal said she got their message, loud and clear.

High school and middle school students will ride the bus together — something that already occurs at a number of district schools, the principal said. Middle school students will ride in the first 10 rows of the bus and high schoolers will ride in the back.

The school day will start and end at the same time for both middle and high school students, she said. Right now, it’s looking like school will start at 7:25 a.m. or 7:30 a.m., and will end at 1:50 p.m. or 1:55 p.m., but that is subject to change.

That concerns some parents who anticipate a traffic nightmare, as so many people arrive and depart from the campus at the same time.

The road has been widened near the school entrance, but Hetzler-Nettles said she’s not aware of any plan to widen Old Pasco Road beyond that point.

The principal also told the crowd that high school and middle school students also will eat in the same cafeteria and will use the same media center, but at different times, the principal said.

The principal has advertised half of the positions she expects to be able to fill, but can’t advertise the rest until she has firmer numbers — which likely won’t happen until at least sometime in April, she said.

While acknowledging that making the transition to high school can be difficult and that it can be tough to adjust to a new high school, too, Hetzler-Nettles told the audience that she’s excited about the new possibilities that Cypress Creek Middle High will offer. She also invited parents and students to get involved to help make the school all that it can be.

“Parents if you’re interested in volunteering, we’re going to need a lot of help. I would love it if you would reach out to me.

“Just let me know what you’re interested in helping with, or if you have no idea what you’re willing to help with, you’re just willing to help. I’m going create a list, I’m going to keep all that information, and then we’re going to be calling you up when we need help.”

She urged students to share their ideas with her.

She wants the school to be a place they enjoy and where they can thrive.

Students will help determine the school’s traditions, she said.

“The most important thing at a school is the student voice. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. School is what you make it, just as life is what you make it. I want to hear your thoughts and your opinions. You can tell me the things you want to see at your school and the things you’d really like to have,” the principal said.

Cypress Creek Middle High School
Mascot: The Coyotes
School colors: Green and yellow
For information: Visit CCMHS.pascok12.fl.us
If you have questions, suggestions or want to volunteer, call Principal Carin Hetzler-Nettles at (813) 346-4401 or email her at .

Published March 1, 2017

Fair offers a full slate of fun

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Kathy DeVane, performing as Sadie Mae, and Kristin Jenkins, performing as Sara Jane, strolled among the fairgoers playing country music. The pair is from Polk County.
(Richard Riley)

The Pasco County Fair has provided fun to fair-goers for seven decades, and it just wrapped up this year’s event, which delivered on the theme of “70 years of Homespun Fun.”

Fair-goers could watch acts ranging from the Axe Women Loggers of Maine, to Robinson’s Racing Pigs to a Barnyard Review to Lizzy the Dream Girl’s Hypnosis Show.

There were plenty of livestock shows, a celebrity milk-off and hay bale creations on display.

And, there were rides.

Five-year-old Maddie Samanka, of Blanton, and 7-year-old Lily Briscoe, of San Antonio, show off their rabbits.
 

People could amuse themselves by going on rides that spun them high in the air, or just gave them a great view of the fairgrounds.

They also could step right up to try to win prizes at various games on the midway.

There were musical acts, including “Matt’s Family Jam,” “The Triumphant Quartet and The Rob Mills Family Gospel Music,” and entertainers who strolled through the fairgrounds.

And, of course, corn dogs, boiled peanuts, fresh lemonade and other fair foods.

Published March 1, 2017

Rattlesnake fest not hiss-tory after all

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New organizers have stepped forward to take over the management of the San Antonio Rattlesnake Festival & Run, an event that had appeared to be headed toward extinction.

The Thomas Promise Foundation will be taking over reins of running the festival, that has been a mainstay in the City of San Antonio for a half-century.

A Bay News 9 reporter gets a first-hand feel for this creature at the Croc Encounters’ alligator pen, a popular attraction at the San Antonio Rattlesnake Festival & Run.
(File)

The San Antonio Rotary Club had been the festival’s primary organizer and had announced on Feb. 1 that 50th festival, which was held in October, would be its last.

In announcing that decision, Betty Burke, festival chair, said the club decided to step away from the festival because it was too much for the small club to handle.

After that announcement, however, five organizations stepped forward, expressing interest in taking over the event.

Club members talked about those willing to take over the festival during the club’s Feb. 21 meeting, and after discussing the various pros and cons of each of the interested groups, they reached a consensus, deciding that Thomas Promise would be the best fit for the festival’s original mission.

Burke then headed to the San Antonio City Commission meeting to share the news.

This isn’t the first time the festival has had a new organizer.

Burke recapped the festival’s history, in her announcement about the festival’s demise.

The festival originally was conceived by founders Eddie Herrmann and Willy Post, as a rattlesnake roundup — to replace the San Antonio Junior Chamber of Commerce’s Fun Day, which was being discontinued.

The Jaycees presented the first Rattlesnake Roundup on Nov. 4, 1967, in City Park, in San Antonio, according to a history compiled by Burke. Its aim was to entertain and to give funds back to the community.

The event continued for nearly a decade with few changes, until the Jaycees, gave up their chapter. That prompted Herrmann and other members to form the Rattlesnake and Gopher Enthusiasts (R.A.G.E.) group to carry on the tradition.

In 2013, R.A.G.E. announced it could no longer manage the event due to a lack of new volunteers to help.

That’s when the San Antonio, Dade City Sunrise, Wesley Chapel, Wesley Chapel Sunrise, Zephyrhills and Zephyrhills Daybreak Rotary clubs stepped in and assumed leadership, under the banner of the East Pasco Rotary Charities.

After that, the San Antonio Rotary Club took over in 2014, assuming full leadership for the festival.

In choosing to hand the festival off to Thomas Promise Foundation, club members noted that the organization seems in line with the original intent, to help the local community.

Thomas Promise Foundation provides backpacks full of food complete with three meals and snacks for underprivileged children in Pasco County. The meals help feed children through the weekend when they would otherwise go without.

The charity’s Operation Backpack began after Brooke Thomas gave her lunch money to classmates she saw going hungry. When she asked her mom for more lunch money, her mom asked why, and Brooke said she just wanted to help.

Thomas Promise Foundation began with that young girl’s compassion.

Now, the organization will bring new life to the Rattlesnake Festival & Run.

Published March 1, 2017

Principal offers overview for middle school parents, students

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The vibe was upbeat as music played and a slideshow offered images of Cypress Creek Middle High, a new school under construction off Old Pasco Road.

This aerial shows the progress being made on construction of Cypress Creek Middle High, which is scheduled to open this fall for students in grades six through 11. A senior class will be added the second year of operation.
(Courtesy of Carin Hetzler-Nettles)

Parents and students filed into the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel High School, filling much of the auditorium.

They were there to find out what to expect for middle schoolers at the new school, and Principal Carin Hetzler-Nettles was ready.

The principal held back-to-back information sessions on the evening of Feb. 15. One was tailored to middle school students and their parents; the other, for high school students and their parents.

Both sessions were well-attended.

Some of the information was the same for both, but some was tailored to the specific age group.

In both presentations, members of the audience were taken on a pre-recorded virtual tour of the new school, with Nettles leading the way.

Wearing a white construction hat during the video, Nettles stepped through the school, offering details about the physical plant and future plans.

During the virtual tour and in her live presentation, Hetzler-Nettles provided a detailed account of how many students are expected, where they will be housed, and what types of academic and athletic programs will be offered.

During the upcoming school year, there will be students in grades six through 11 on campus.

Projections show an estimated 840 middle school students in the coming school year, and 650 high school students, she said.

There are two large two-story classroom buildings on the campus, and an administration building with classroom space on the second floor, Hetzler-Nettles said.

The current plan is to house the middle schoolers in one of the large classroom buildings, with the overflow being on the second floor of the administration building, Hetzler-Nettles said.

The high school students are expected to be housed in the other large, two-story classroom building, which is closer to the student parking lot, she said.

On the academic side for middle schoolers, there will be a full array of academic and elective courses. There also will three Middle School Academy Programs: Business Management, Criminal Justice, and Engineering and Robotics.

Courses offered will be dictated by student demand, she said. So, if a course isn’t listed on a course card, students should write it in.

Students entering the new Cypress Creek Middle High School, being built off Old Pasco Road, have chosen The Coyotes, as their mascot.
(Courtesy of Carin Hetzler-Nettles)

If there’s enough demand, it will be added, she said.

Regarding athletics, the middle school will offer the same athletics as offered by other middle schools, she said.

The school will have four separate locker rooms. There will be one for high school girls and one for middle school girls. There will be one for high school boys and one for middle school boys.

The locker rooms will be separated by a coach’s office, she said.

The gym also will have a screen that can be pulled down to divide it so that high school and middle school physical education programs, and practices, can be held separately, she said.

The school also plans to have separate band programs for the high school and the middle school.

From a logistics point of view, the high school and middle school students will ride the bus together, which is something that already occurs at a number of district schools, the principal said. Middle school students will ride in the first 10 rows of the bus and high schoolers will ride in the back, she said.

The school day will start and end at the same time for both middle and high school students, she said. Right now, it’s looking like school will start at 7:25 a.m. or 7:30 a.m., and will end at 1:50 p.m. or 1:55 p.m., but that is subject to change.

High school and middle school students also will eat in the same cafeteria and use the same media center, but at different times, the principal said.

The principal said she’s not sure how many positions she will be able to fill because she won’t have that information until around April. For now, she has advertised half of the position she expects to be able to fill.

The principal also fielded numerous questions from the audience, ranging from why the school will not offer self-contained gifted classes, to whether there will be uniforms, to whether the school will have agri-science classes.

The school will not have self-contained classes for gifted students, but instead will have an inclusion model, Hetzler-Nettles said.

As a high school principal, she said she’s seen students in self-contained gifted classes have trouble making the transition to high school, where there are no self-contained gifted classes.

As far as requiring uniforms for students, Nettles had this answer: “No way!” — prompting laughter from the audience.

The answer to the agri-science question was less clear. The school doesn’t plan to start out with it, but if enough students want it, it could add it, the principal said.

The principal also emphasized that although middle school and high school students will share the same campus, they will be in separate buildings and will be using common facilities at different times.

Hetzler-Nettles also assured the crowd that she understands that making the transition from elementary to middle school, and from middle school to high school, is challenging.

Fifth-graders who are anxious about coming to middle school don’t need to worry, she said.

“We’re going to help you out. It’s going to be fine. You’re going to love it,” she said.

She also noted that making the transition to a new school can be difficult, too, and she and her staff are committed to making it a positive transition for students and their parents.

She told the audience that she’s excited about the new possibilities that Cypress Creek Middle High will offer, and she encouraged parents and students to get involved to help make the school all that it can be.

“Parents, if you’re interested in volunteering, we’re going to need a lot of help. I would love it if you would reach out to me. I’m it, right now.

“Just let me know what you’re interested in helping with, or if you have no idea what you’re willing to help with, you’re just willing to help. I’m going create a list, I’m going to keep all that information, and then we’re going to be calling you up when we need help,” she said.

She also urged students to share their ideas with her.

She wants the school to be a place they enjoy and where they can thrive.

“The most important thing at a school is the student voice. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. School is what you make it, just as life is what you make it. I want to hear your thoughts and your opinions. You can tell me the things you want to see at your school and the things you’d really like to have,” the principal said.

Cypress Creek Middle High School

Mascot: The Coyotes

School colors: Green and yellow

For information: Visit CCMHS.pasco.k12.fl.us

If you have questions, suggestions, or want to volunteer, call Principal Carin Hetzler-Nettles at (813) 346-4401, or email her at .

Next week, we’ll present the principal’s session for high school parents and students.

Published February 22, 2017