B.C. Manion

School year starts sooner for local students

November 18, 2015 By B.C. Manion

The 2016-2017 school year will ring in earlier for students in Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

Students in Pasco County will begin next school year on Aug. 15 and will finish it on May 26.

The Pasco County School Board approved the new calendar without discussion.

“The purpose for the earlier start date is to allow secondary students to complete semester exams before winter break,” according to Linda Cobbe, the Pasco County school district’s spokeswoman.

“It also lets us end the school year before June,” she noted.

The adopted calendar has six fewer days in the first semester than in the second semester. The third quarter has the most days, and the others all have roughly the same number of days.

Kenny Blankenship, president of the United School Employees of Pasco, said he thinks students do benefit from having the opportunity to take their semester exams and end of course exams before the winter holidays.

This school year, the end of the first semester in Pasco County is Jan. 14. Next school year, it will be Dec. 22.

Students’ first day of school in Hillsborough County next school year is Aug. 10. The district’s first semester will end on Dec. 16.

The last day in Hillsborough County for students will be May 26, 2017.

Published November 18, 2015

This coach is something special

November 11, 2015 By B.C. Manion

When Vicky King took her coaching job at Land O’ Lakes High School in the mid-1980s, it came with the duty of coaching athletes with special needs.

She embraced the role.

As time went on, she found herself becoming more and more involved.

Land O’ Lakes High School coach Vicky King is savoring the moment during the opening ceremonies at the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles. King recently was named Special Olympics Florida Coach of the Year. (Photos courtesy Pasco County Schools/Andy Dunn) — Land O’ Lakes High School coach Vicky King is savoring the moment during the opening ceremonies at the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles. King recently was named Special Olympics Florida Coach of the Year.
(Photos courtesy Pasco County Schools/Andy Dunn)

Her dedication — along with the efforts of the athletes she coaches — led to the selection of the Land O’ Lakes unified soccer team to represent Team U.S.A. at the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles, which yielded a bronze medal when the team defeated China, 2-1.

The team competed in a division that has seven athletes on each side of the ball. It is a unified team, which pairs athletes with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. Special Olympics athletes play alongside partners, who are there to provide support and help.

While members of the Land O’ Lakes came home clutching bronze medals, King, herself was in the spotlight on Sept. 26 when she was named the Florida Special Olympics Coach of the Year during a gala at Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando.

Sherry Wheelock, president and CEO of Special Olympics Florida, said King was singled out for the award because of her passion for athletes, both with and without disabilities.

“She’s been a driving force for the success of Special Olympics Florida unified sports in Pasco County, but she’s also provided and trained more than 50 other Special Olympics soccer coaches throughout the state,” Wheelock said.

“She’s also been responsible for introducing new schools to this unified competition format,” she added.

King also coaches a traditional team at her school.

She treats all athletes the same, Wheelock said. “She has high expectations for all of the athletes to perform at their top level.”

Lisa Eckel, whose daughter, Haley plays on King’s team, is delighted about King’s recognition.

“I think it’s a well-deserved honor. It couldn’t have been awarded to anyone better,” Eckel said.

“She (King) spends lots of time and effort with all of the kids in the community and in the school, and she just brings out the best in all of them,” Eckel said.

The Land O’ Lakes Special Olympics unified soccer team pose with their coach, Vicky King, and with the bronze medals they won at the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles. The team defeated China, 2-1.

“My daughter (a partner on the team) has been super fortunate to have these past three years with her (King), on and off, the soccer field.

Eckel traveled with her husband, her other daughter and her sister-in-law out to L.A., to attend the opening ceremonies and to watch the games.

“It was amazing. You can equate it to what we watch on TV for the Olympics,” Eckel said.

She was impressed by the camaraderie she witnessed between the teams from different countries, and was excited to hear the roar of cheers and applause for Team U.S.A. when the athletes walked out, she said.

The Land O’ Lakes team took part in an event that featured athletes from 170 nations competing for international medals. The games included 21 Olympic-style sports.

Getting to those games took a year of preparation and fundraising, with King playing a pivotal role in both.

“It was definitely a year of a lot of training, fundraising, spreading the word about Special Olympics, those kinds of things,” she said.

“We raised about $42,000,” King said. “It was hard work.”

But, it was rewarding in more ways than one, she said.

“We met new people through the fundraising,” she said. “The community really stepped up and helped us.”

When the team left for the games, there was a big send-off at Land O’ Lakes High.

“The day that we left was a year to the day that we actually found out that we were going,” King said.

“We trained all year. During the summer, we trained three days a week for two hours, from the end of school until we left in July.

“They (team members) spent practically the whole summer together. They got closer and closer the more that we were together. The bonds became stronger,” King said.

The experiences were equally enriching for both the Special Olympics athletes and their unified partners, King said.

“They both did things they never have experienced before,” she said.

“For everyone, it was being away from home for two complete weeks and living with people you hadn’t lived with,” she said.

They also were living on a schedule beyond their control.

They would rise at 4 a.m., have breakfast at 5 a.m. and board buses at assigned times. They also had to make scheduled appearances, King said.

It was busy, but exciting, too.

The team and three coaches went to Disney Studios and rode through Hollywood and Beverly Hills.

They went to a four-day training camp in Riverside before arriving in L.A., and while in Riverside, they marched in a parade, King said.

The players were treated like celebrities.

People who didn’t know them, wanted to pose for photos with them, King said. They wanted to meet the athletes that were representing Team U.S.A.

“Young kids wanted balls signed, shirts signed,” King said.

Being part of the World Games and winning the bronze medal were exciting experiences, King said.

But, she added: “The biggest reward was to see the accomplishments of the athletes, have them gain confidence in themselves, self-esteem, being able to travel, meet other people, make lifelong friendships,” she said.

No doubt the World Games were a highlight in King’s coaching experience, but she also enjoys the day-to-day work that she does.

She said she coaches to win, but also teaches other things along the way, such as sportsmanship, fair play and rules of the game.

Published November 11, 2015

Antiques store is repository of memories

November 11, 2015 By B.C. Manion

Johnny Herrmann’s business card boasts that his antiques business, in San Antonio, is “not your grandma’s antiques store.”

But, there’s no doubt that the shop where his business operates is steeped in his family’s history.

The store is in the 1946 Herrmann Building, at 11853 S. Curley St.

Johnny Herrmann enjoys being surrounded by items he’s purchased at estate sales, other antiques stores and from individual sellers. He has a particular weakness for paintings. He just loves having them around. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — Johnny Herrmann enjoys being surrounded by items he’s purchased at estate sales, other antiques stores and from individual sellers. He has a particular weakness for paintings. He just loves having them around.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The building is one of a collection of structures on Curley Street, south of State Road 52, constructed by the Herrmann family, beginning in the 1920s.

“People used to refer to this part of town as Herrmann-ville, because there were so many buildings that my grandfather and father built,” said Johnny, whose grandfather moved to the area in the 1920s, according to published reports.

The collection of businesses is now called the South San Antonio Arts and Antiques District, or s.o.s.a for short. The businesses, as well as San Antonio Pottery, are part of that district.

Step inside San Antonio Antiques, and you’ll find a place chock full of unusual items — purchased from estate sales, other antique shops and individual sellers.

A few years ago, the place was vacant, and it had been that way since the mid-1970s, Johnny said.

Now, it houses the antiques shop, Tangerine Hill and Red Dog Designs & Home, and A Healthy Convenience. Upstairs, there’s a yoga studio and a place for martial arts classes.

Beyond its current role, the building is a physical reminder of a family that has played a considerable role in San Antonio.

Johnny lives in the house that belonged to his grandfather, Lucius, who was a baker by trade.

His business is in the space that was once occupied by his father’s business.

Indeed, the gleaming terrazzo floor near the front door is emblazoned with the logo for Saf-T-Gas, the business that Joe Herrmann ran from the building.

Joe Herrmann arrived in San Antonio when his father, Lucius, moved there and set up a bakery.

Lucius Herrmann left the area, but Joe and his wife, Rose Ullrich Herrmann, stayed, raising nine children there.

Joe and Rose were deeply involved in community life.

These are the buildings that were built by Johnny Herrmann’s grandfather, Lucius and his father, Joe. At one point, the area was known as “Herrmannville.” (Courtesy of Johnny Herrmann) — These are the buildings that were built by Johnny Herrmann’s grandfather, Lucius and his father, Joe. At one point, the area was known as “Herrmannville.”
(Courtesy of Johnny Herrmann)

Joe played a role in so many different ventures and organizations there, he was called “Mr. San Antonio,” according to news accounts.

He was entrepreneurial from a young age.

He delivered newspapers and fresh bread. He set up a radio store. He caddied at a golf course, too.

News accounts and historic documents detail Joe’s involvement in politics, banking, business and civic life.

He was appointed by the governor to fill a seat on the Pasco County Commission, upon the death of Arthur Schrader. He served as San Antonio’s mayor.

He helped establish the Traveler’s Rest community and was one of the founding fathers of the San Antonio Credit Union, the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village, and the Pasco County Fair Association.

He also championed the San Antonio Rattlesnake Festival and the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce.

Before he died, Joe made it known he would like to see the former Saf-T-Gas building revived, Johnny said.

Now, it’s a showcase of the items Johnny has accumulated through years in the antiques business.

In the past, Johnny and a partner had stores in Seminole Heights and Ybor City, and then Johnny traveled thousands of miles each year, going to shows in cities from New York to Miami.

He still has a passion for collecting and selling. He enjoys the thrill of finding an unusual item, or a great bargain, and he continually seeks to broaden his knowledge.

He enjoys being surrounded by interesting objects and paintings in his shop.

And, it’s nice, he said, to be able to walk to work from the house that his grandfather built to work in the building that his father constructed and to do business in a community that he calls home.

Published November 11, 2015

Changing the conversation on substance abuse

November 11, 2015 By B.C. Manion

There’s a powerful tool that could help reduce substance abuse, but it’s rarely considered, according to Monica Rousseau, coordinator for the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention.

“In order to reduce substance abuse, we must change the way we think about it,” Rousseau said, during a presentation on substance abuse prevention at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.

While addiction is viewed as a choice, other medical problems that could be the viewed the same way, generally aren’t, Rousseau said.

Sonia Thorn, an associate dean at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, said a series of seminars this fall is on prevention, including such topics as suicide and substance abuse. In the spring, the series will focus on preventing chronic diseases. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos) — Sonia Thorn, an associate dean at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, said a series of seminars this fall is on prevention, including such topics as suicide and substance abuse. In the spring, the series will focus on preventing chronic diseases.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

“We think about them extremely differently. We think of addiction as something demonic, as a moral hazard. And we think of other things, as ‘That person needs medical care.’ ”

In reality, people with addictions and other medical conditions often require a lifestyle change, may need some type of medication, should consult with their doctor and need social support to help them change their behavior, she said.

Not only do people think of the issues differently, but funding for help is different, too, she said.

While an attitude shift may be one of the best ways to help reduce substance abuse, there are other ways to tackle the issue, Rousseau said.

For instance, her organization helped implement a local ordinance to reduce access to synthetic marijuana.

“How many of you remember Spice? How many of you knew people who were impacted by Spice?

“When Spice came out, I was in college. I was 20. Spice was a really, really big deal. I had a lot of friends who had a lot of complications from Spice.

She had friends who wound up in the hospital and flunked out of school.

“I have one friend, at the moment, who has been in a severe depression for a few years and has tried to commit suicide a few times,” she said.

Pasco County did such a great job with its ordinance that it became the standard for the state and was referenced in national documentaries, she said.

“The way we did this is by changing the ability of people to market it. The composition of Spice can change every year, so if you just banned the components of it, the drug manufacturers would change one component of it. In Pasco County, we restricted the way it was able to be marketed and the packaging.”

Her organization also has also been involved in efforts to reduce driving under the influence.

Statistics show that drunk driving arrests are down, she said.

“Immediately you want to say, ‘Yes. This is great. This is awesome.’ However, we also know that our budget for our drug enforcement patrolling has gone down,” Rousseau said.

Monica Rousseau, program coordinator for the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention, said one way to reduce substance abuse is to change our attitudes about it.

When drivers are cited for DUI, they are given a survey, which asks drivers where they were when they had their last drink and if anyone encouraged them not to drive.

It turns out there are 10 restaurants in Pasco County where most drivers report having their last drink before their DUI, Rousseau said.

Her organization has targeted those restaurants with public awareness campaigns, to help reduce the problem.

Rousseau’s talk was part of a series of speakers arranged by PHSC’s Porter Campus, in an effort to support its academic programs and provide community outreach, said Sonia Thorn, associate dean at the Porter campus.

“I think it’s two-fold. Sometimes, people need information, and a lot of these agencies need assistance,” Thorn said.

“For this fall semester, we’re focusing on prevention,” she said. “We did domestic violence last month. We had 150 people.

“In September, we did suicide prevention.

“In the spring, we’ll be working on chronic disease prevention. We’ll be having seminars on that from February to April.”

“In April, even though we’re doing a chronic disease series for the spring time, we’re going to work with Sunrise of Pasco and also do a sexual awareness assault month in April.”

Substance abuse awareness event
What: Learn how to recognize addictive behavior and address risk factors that may lead to substance abuse.
Who: All are welcome
How much: Admission is free.
When: Nov. 18 at 4 p.m.
Where: Pasco-Hernando State College, at its Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Published November 11, 2015

School for grades six through 12, under way

November 11, 2015 By B.C. Manion

Drive down Old Pasco Road, and there’s not a lot of traffic to contend with — yet.

That’s likely to change when the combination high school-middle school being built by Pasco County Schools opens, slated for August 2017.

Crews have cleared the trees and prepped the land for a school now known as High School GGG, but it will actually serve students in grades six through 12.

Crews are doing earthwork at the new site, which will be home to a Pasco County school for grades six through 12. (B.C.Manion/Staff Photo) — Crews are doing earthwork at the new site, which will be home to a Pasco County school for grades six through 12.
(B.C.Manion/Staff Photo)

The district needs to relieve crowding at Wiregrass Ranch High School and Wesley Chapel High School, and may even send some students from Pasco High School to the new high school, once it opens, said Ray Bonti, assistant superintendent of support services.

But, it also needs to reduce crowding at John Long and Weightman middle schools.

Since the district can’t afford to build a new high school and a new middle school, it has decided to share the facilities at the new school, which will be located on the west side of Old Pasco Road, near Overpass Road.

The school is being built for 1,900 students and carries a price tag of $62 million.

A committee will be meeting in about a year to recommend boundaries for the new school.

The district has a couple of hundreds of acres at the site, so it has plenty of room to build a middle school there, once it has the money.

Crowding is so significant at Wiregrass Ranch High that it went to a 10-period day this year, to manage the number of students who are on campus at the same time.

Published November 11, 2015

Traditions on the Green needs vendors

November 11, 2015 By B.C. Manion

The Heritage Park Foundation and the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce are gearing up for this year’s “Traditions on the Green.”

The event will feature a pancake breakfast with Santa, concerts on “the green” by local high school and middle school bands, and performances by elementary school choirs.

It also will offer crafts for kids and cookie decorating.

The award-winning teen puppet team from Van Dyke United Methodist Church will perform, too.

Live musical entertainment always plays a big role in the annual ‘Traditions on the Green’ event at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center. This year, the event is planned for Dec. 12. Sponsors and vendors are needed. (File Photo) — Live musical entertainment always plays a big role in the annual ‘Traditions on the Green’ event at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center. This year, the event is planned for Dec. 12. Sponsors and vendors are needed.
(File Photo)

Vendors will sponsor a Holiday Scavenger Hunt, with the winner receiving a $50 Walmart gift card, said Sandy Graves, of the Heritage Park Foundation.

The event is slated for Dec. 12 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and will be at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5402 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

While planning efforts are in full gear, organizers are looking for vendors and sponsors to help pull it off, Graves said.

This is the first year the event will be able to take advantage of the upgraded park, which has undergone a $2.4 million renovation.

Next year, Graves hopes that the planned outdoor stage at the park will be available for the annual event’s performing groups.

“Traditions on the Green” aims to be fun, inexpensive, community event, said Graves, who wants to revive the old-fashioned fun she had while growing up in Land O’ Lakes.

Anyone would like to participate in “Traditions on the Green” should call Tina Gibbons at the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce at (813) 909-2722 or Sandy Graves, with the Heritage Park Foundation, at (813) 817-3011.

Published November 11, 2015

Cybersecurity opportunities expand at Saint Leo

November 4, 2015 By B.C. Manion

In a world where new cyber threats constantly emerge, a new agreement between Saint Leo University and (ISC)²will expand opportunities at the university in the arena of cybersecurity.

(ISC)² is a nonprofit organization that primarily focuses on education and certification in the field of cybersecurity.

Saint Leo University has recently joined (ISC)²in a Global Academic Partnership.

USF and Polk State College are other institutions in the region that also joined (ISC)²’s Global Academic Partnership.

Students are busy during a cybersecurity class at Saint Leo University. The field of cybersecurity requires technical skills, but is both financially and professionally rewarding, said Dr. Vyas Krishnan, of Saint Leo University. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — Students are busy during a cybersecurity class at Saint Leo University. The field of cybersecurity requires technical skills, but is both financially and professionally rewarding, said Dr. Vyas Krishnan, of Saint Leo University.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

“This is one of the largest and most respected organizations that operates in this field,” said Dr. Vyas Krishnan, assistant professor of computer science at Saint Leo University.

“It’s sort of a gold standard,” he added, noting the organization boasts a membership of more than 110,000 cybersecurity professionals worldwide.

“They also offer some of the most highly respected certifications in the field of cybersecurity,” Krishnan said.

The university benefits because the partnership provides Saint Leo students access to educational modules and certification opportunities that (ISC)² provides for professionals, he said.

“Since we are a Global Academic Partner, our faculty, ourselves would be providing workshops, seminars and training for some of those certifications,” Krishnan said.

That will enable Saint Leo students to work with the same faculty that they’ve been taking classes from at the university, he noted.

Additionally, the partnership will give students a chance to interact with working professionals, Krishnan said.

The cybersecurity field is constantly evolving, and it’s a field that offers significant employment opportunities, Krishnan said.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 37 percent increase in demand for cybersecurity specialists in the next 10 years, he added.

Jobs in this field pay well. Experts can earn from $75,000 to $125,000, with five to 10 years of experience, and the proper certifications, Krishnan said.

Many of the certifications required in job postings are certifications provided by (ISC)², he noted.

Through the agreement, (ISC)² will provide thousands of students and professionals across the states of Florida, Virginia and Georgia, and online students from across the country with the opportunity to gain knowledge, skills and certifications.

(ISC)² also sees a benefit by partnering with Saint Leo, because working professionals must earn continuing professional education credits to keep their certifications current.

Another benefit is that through interactions between the university, the working professionals and the (ISC)² consortium, knowledge can be shared in the evolving field, Krishnan said.

The interactions will provide a broad view, and raise awareness about emerging threats and new ways to mitigate them.

Cyber criminals are constantly coming up with new ways to steal data or stymie systems.

“The frequency is going up. Cyber criminals are becoming more sophisticated,” Krishnan said.

At the same time, companies and organizations recognize that steps must be taken to ensure that data is protected.

“Upper management has fully realized the gravity of the situation, how important it is to protect the assets because there could be legal implications and there could be financial implications, reputation hits, things of that nature,” Krishnan said. “The ramifications are huge.”

The cybersecurity profession is highly technical, Krishnan said. But he added: “It’s also challenging and exciting.

“It’s a lot of cat-and-mouse kind of games.

“You can see the tracks that they leave behind. You can see how they’re impacting your network, but you cannot see the person. A lot of times, you may not even know where they’re located.”

Published November 4, 2015

Loan program aims to attract Pasco jobs

November 4, 2015 By B.C. Manion

Pasco County has earmarked $15 million for a revolving loan program ultimately aimed at creating more jobs.

The program seeks to encourage investors to prepare sites for development, or build shell buildings for office or industrial use, thus speeding the process for companies that want to set up shop in Pasco County.

The deadline for applications for this new loan program is Nov. 13.

The revolving loan program stems from a demonstrated need in the county, said John Hagen, president and CEO of the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc.

“We have kind of a product shortage here,” Hagen said. The lack of ready office or industrial space has resulted in missed opportunities for Pasco, he said.

“We’re getting these companies that are coming to us that are looking for a building, or they’re looking for a piece of land that they can go build something on immediately, and it’s not there,” Hagen said.

When there’s not something available in Pasco, they go looking elsewhere, he said.

“It’s really about speed to market,” Hagen said.

Investors may be willing to take the risk, but they have a hard time getting credit unless there are known tenants for the office or industrial space, Hagen said.

There also are sites that may be entitled for industrial uses, but they don’t have the proper infrastructure – such as a road leading to it, or proper utilities — to support it.

The revolving loan program is designed to offer terms that would encourage private investment.

Hagen believes there’s demand for this product, once it is demonstrated that inventory is available.

Ideally, as buildings go up or sites are prepared, new business ventures will step forward, which will allow the loans to be repaid and new loans to be issued, Hagen said

“We don’t know what the private sector ultimately will do, until somebody submits an application, but I think it’s a great tool for us. If we do a couple of them, it will hopefully stimulate other development, but also it will get revolved into other projects.”

The creation of the loan program is a result of combined efforts between Pasco County and the Pasco EDC’s Competitive Task Force.

Melanie Kendrick, acting program director for Pasco County’s Office of Economic Growth said the revolving loan program aims to set the stage for private investors to step forward.

“We know that the holding costs are going to be expensive for the property owners or the developers, and they don’t want to take the risks right now because they’re not sure whether or not that the market is going to support it, or they’re not going to be able to get somebody in there quickly enough to recoup their costs as quickly as they’d like to have a return on their own investment,” she said.

There are two parts to the county’s program.

The Pasco Accelerate Development Sites (PADS) program gets the site as close to development-ready as possible.

The PORS (Pasco Occupant Ready Shells) program provides buildings to shorten the time it takes for a company to set up in Pasco.

“They would build the building. It doesn’t have to be finished on the inside. It can be just the four walls and the roof. They can have a tenant build-out. It can be multi-tenant or single tenant,” Kendrick said.

Both programs have the same goal.

“They can get up and running quicker than if they had to start from scratch,” she said.

“The real end game here is that we want employers to move into a building and create some jobs,” Hagen said.

Pasco County officially distributes solicitation documents through the Florida Online Bid System. Solicitation documents may be downloaded at no cost.

Documents also may also be obtained from the county’s purchasing department in accordance with Florida Statutes that pertain to public records.

Published November 4, 2015

It’s a small world, after all

November 4, 2015 By B.C. Manion

Richard and Juanita Wirth, of Lutz, have been traveling to Germany for years, to join in Oktoberfest festivities.

This year, though, when they stopped in Tutzing, Germany, they were surprised to find a butcher shop called Lutz, Metzgerie.

Juanita and Richard Wirth, at their comfortable home in Lutz, recount running across another place called Lutz during their recent visit to celebrate Oktoberfest in Germany. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — Juanita and Richard Wirth, at their comfortable home in Lutz, recount running across another place called Lutz during their recent visit to celebrate Oktoberfest in Germany.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

“We stopped and shared that we lived in Lutz, Florida,” Juanita Wirth said. “They were delighted to find the name had made it all of the way to Florida,” she said.

The shop is a popular place to eat lunch, and that’s where the Wirths grabbed a bite on their final day there.

They thought it was fun to find a place so far away, which shares the same name as the place that they call home.

Their Lutz got its name from two brothers, William and Charles Lutz, who both had connections with railroads that met and joined at Lutz Junction, according to research done by Elizabeth Riegler MacManus and Susan A. MacManus, co-authors of two local history books detailing the early days of Lutz and Land O’ Lakes.

Richard Wirth poses with a sign for Lutz, Metzgerie, a butcher shop in Tutzing, Germany. The couple thought it was fun to come across a place that shares the same name as the place where they call home. The Germans they met there thought it was neat, too. (Courtesy of Juanita Wirth) — Richard Wirth poses with a sign for Lutz, Metzgerie, a butcher shop in Tutzing, Germany. The couple thought it was fun to come across a place that shares the same name as the place where they call home. The Germans they met there thought it was neat, too.
(Courtesy of Juanita Wirth)

And, the Oktoberfest that the couple so thoroughly enjoys has its roots in history, too.

The popular German festival traditionally starts in the third weekend of September. It began with the Royal Wedding, which took place on Oct. 12, 1810, when Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen.

As for Juanita, a retired teacher and Richard, a retired postal worker and former plant nursery owner, visiting Germany is all about enjoying the festivities, admiring the country’s beauty, interacting with its people — and, of course, having some beer.

Published November 4, 2015

Pasco County is seeking to fill teacher shortages

November 4, 2015 By B.C. Manion

Pasco County Schools is hosting a job fair in an effort to fill teacher shortages in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The job fair will be on Nov. 12 from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., in the gymnasium at Wiregrass Ranch High School, 2909 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, according to a district news release.

The district is inviting college graduates and soon-to-be graduates to attend the job fair, and it also is extending the invitation not only to education majors, but also to people who have degrees or are seeking degrees in the shortage areas identified.

The district has a Professional Development Certification program, which allows individuals who possess a bachelor’s degree, and who qualify for a temporary certificate under Florida law, to receive professional preparation and experience required to earn the Florida Professional Certificate.

The district’s benefits and certification staff will be at the event to give candidates a better understanding of the process, the news release says.

To make the event even more enticing, those attending the job fair also will be eligible to win a pair of tickets for a Tampa Bay Buccaneers football game and an iPad Mini.

The district has cast a wide net, specifically inviting students from these universities:

Barry University
Bethune Cookman University
Florida A&M University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida International University
Florida Memorial University
Florida State University
Saint Leo University
St. Petersburg College
St. Thomas University
University of Central Florida
University of Florida
University of Miami
University of North Florida
University of South Florida
University of Tampa
University of West Florida

For more information, visit PascoSchools.org, and click on the job fair banner at the top.

Published November 4, 2015