B.C. Manion

Business Digest 01-07-15

January 8, 2015 By B.C. Manion

B Creative ribbon cutting
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce is having a ribbon cutting Jan. 8 from noon to 1:30 p.m., at B Creative Painting School, 6013 Wesley Grove Blvd., No. 103.

The studio is two doors down from the chamber’s office.

For more information about the business, visit BCreativePainting.com.

Wesley Chapel networking group
Networking for Your Success meets every Thursday at 8 a.m., at Lexington Oaks Country Club, 2615 Lexington Oaks Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Cost is $5, and annual membership to the group is $79.

Central Pasco Chamber lunch meeting
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will have a lunch meeting for members and guests on Jan. 13. Networking starts at 11:30 a.m., followed by a buffet. Sean McGarvey of the Pasco County Library System is the guest speaker.

Lunch is $20 if you reserve a space with the chamber by Jan. 9. Otherwise, it’s $25 at the door.

The chamber meets at Harbor Terrace Restaurant 19502 Heritage Harbor Parkway in Lutz.

Business workshops
Learn how to apply for a business loan at a session scheduled for Jan. 14 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the SMARTstart in Dade City.

At this workshop, Ken Nadler will focus on the individual requirements of the participants, including startups, mature businesses and purchasing of existing businesses. He’ll also discuss loan sources for amounts from $5,000 to $5 million.

For more information, visit PascoEDC.com.

Business development week luncheon
If you’re interested in finding out more about the economy’s outlook and how the markets are likely to perform in 2015, you may want to attend the Business Development Week Luncheon Jan. 30 at the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club, 11500 Old Tampa Bay Drive in San Antonio.

The event begins with networking at 11 a.m., followed by a buffet luncheon and presentation from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The Cox-Wilkins Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors is presenting the event.

For more information, contact or visit PascoEDC.com.

Kumquat Festival selling sponsorship packages
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce is now accepting reservation packages for the 2015 Kumquat Festival, set to take place Jan. 31.

Packages start at $500, and include logos and links on the KumquatFestival.org website, as well as booth space at the festival. Premier packages, which run from $1,000 to $5,000, include additional features.

The event is expected to draw 45,000 people from Florida, who live here seasonally, and who are visiting.

For information, call John Moors at (352) 567-3769, or email .

Volunteer tax preparers needed
United Way of Pasco County is looking for help this coming tax season with volunteer tax preparers.

Last year, more than 8,000 county residents used United Way’s tax preparation service, and received more than $8 million in total refunds.

Those interested in being a tax preparer does not require experience, and comes with comprehensive training.

For more information, visit UnitedWayPasco.org.

Business Link available monthly
Business Link, a monthly small business gathering hosted by the San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union, meets the second Wednesday of each month beginning at 7:30 a.m.

The meeting is designed to provide a networking and information-sharing platform for the business community.

For locations, details and to reserve a seat, email , or call (352) 588-2732, ext. 1237.

Jobs on the go
CareerSource Pasco Hernando has reintroduced its Mobile One Stop, a 38-foot bus retrofitted with 13 computer stations. It’s complete with satellite Internet, telecommunications, printing, copying and scanning — everything anyone would need to find a job. It provides service to more than 100 people every month with stops that include the New River Branch Library in Zephyrhills among others.

For details on where Mobile One Stop will be, visit CareerSourcePascoHernando.com.

East Pasco Networking Group
The East Pasco Networking Group has scheduled several speakers for the coming months.

The group meets every other week at the Village Inn at 5214 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills. Networking begins at 8 a.m., with the meeting starting at 8:30 a.m.

For information, call Nils Lenz at (813) 782-9491, or email him at .

Dade City chamber needs volunteers
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce is looking for some volunteers to help with the chamber event season.

With winter residents returning to the area, there are a number of activities the chamber needs help to staff. The chamber is looking for people who are friendly and outgoing, who have knowledge of the local area and activities, and are team-oriented.

For information, email .

Catholic Business Networking seeks members
The Catholic Business Networking group is looking for Catholic business owners, employees and supporters interested in joining it for regular meetings every Tuesday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, 2348 Collier Parkway, Land O’ Lakes.

The group has annual dues of $60, and there is a minimum attendance requirement of two meetings per month.

For information, call (813) 833-4737, or visit CBNTampa.com.

Native American veterans offered job help
Native Americans throughout Florida and Georgia who have served in the U.S. military have a resource that government officials say will help them become economically self-sufficient.

The Florida Governor’s Council on Indian Affairs has launched its Native American Veteran Resource Initiative designed to help Native American, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian veterans find the education, training, job resources and services they need to compete in today’s labor market.

The services, although through the U.S. Department of Labor, are administered in ways that are consistent with the traditional cultural values and beliefs of the people they are designed to serve.

For information, call (800) 322-9186.

A collection of cool spots

January 2, 2015 By B.C. Manion

If you’re looking to have a good time, want to see some of Florida’s beauty or maybe just learn a thing or two, there are plenty of wonderful places within a short drive to give you a break from life’s routine.

We showcase these kinds of getaways in our Worth the Trip feature, which typically appears once a month on our B Section front.

Here’s a look at some spots we featured during 2014. Search on our website, LakerLutzNews.com, to get the full version of these stories, and then hit the road and enjoy yourselves.

These soldiers are hiding in the Vietnam bush, in an exhibit at the Armed Forces Military Museum in Largo.

The Armed Forces History Museum, 2050 34th Way, Largo
This museum contains a treasure trove of more than 100,000 war artifacts and military memorabilia. It features displays that create the sense of walking through war zones.

The museum also has oral histories, sound recordings, black-and-white footage, and display cases that contain artifacts from various wars.

For more information, call (727) 539-8371, or visit ArmedForcesMuseum.com.

Tampa Theatre, 711 N. Franklin St., Tampa
Designed by theater architect John Eberson, The Tampa Theatre was once described as the finest achievement of its kind, south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

The theater opened in 1926 as Tampa’s first air-conditioned building. During its glory days, uniformed ushers guided patrons to their seats.

The movie palace gives ticket holders a chance to enjoy an architectural treat as well as a film or concert all for the price of admission.

For more information about the theater, tickets or prices, visit TampaTheatre.org.

Bok Tower Gardens, 1151 Tower Blvd., Lake Wales
When Edward W. Bok created his sanctuary in Lake Wales, his goal was to provide a place of refreshment, where people could get away from the grind of the world.

The gardens offer visitors a chance to see a diverse mix of common Florida plants, along with exotic varieties with beautiful blooms. The centerpiece of the gardens is a 205-foot bell tower, which plays daily concerts.

There’s also an interesting visitor center, which offers details about the Pulitzer-prize winning Bok, a short film about the Florida attraction, and displays that explain the construction of the bell tower and gardens.

For more information, visit BokTowerGardens.org.

Honeymoon Island State Park, No. 1 Causeway Boulevard, Dunedin
Honeymoon Island State Park attracts more than 1.1 million visitors a year.

Just a 20-minute ferryboat ride away is Caladesi Island — a tranquil spot that was rated as America’s No. 1 Beach in 2008 by Stephen P. Leatherman, also known as Dr. Beach.

Both islands give visitors the chance to splash in the surf, search for shells, and savor nature’s splendor.

There are boating, fishing and kayaking options, too, for those who enjoy being out on the water. There also are places to buy refreshments, and shady picnic areas to gather with family and friends.

For more information, call (727) 469-5942.

Haslam’s Book Store, 2025 Central Ave., St. Petersburg
Book lovers will rejoice when they peruse the thousands of volumes stocked at Haslam’s Book Store, Florida’s largest bookstore, which is located in St. Petersburg.

In addition to new and used books, the store also has collectible and rare books.

The size of the bookstore, a St. Petersburg institution for decades, can’t be fully appreciated until you step inside and begin exploring its wide-open spaces and small rooms. People from around the world have been known to stop in at the store to check out its selection.

For more information, call (727) 822-8616, or visit Haslams.com.

Downtown St. Petersburg, mostly along Beach Drive
For those looking for a destination that offers something for everyone, downtown St. Petersburg should fit the bill.

Highlights in the downtown area include the Chihuly Collection presented by the Morean Arts Center, the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club, The Museum of Fine Arts, North Straub Park, and the Dali Museum.

Many of these attractions offer discount tickets.

For more information, go to VisitStPeteClearwater.com.

Published December 31, 2014

Panelists identify gaps in mental health system

December 24, 2014 By B.C. Manion

Participants in a recent mental health panel at Rasmussen College in Land O’ Lakes didn’t have any easy solutions for problems plaguing the delivery of mental health care to the nation’s most vulnerable people.

A mental health care panel at Rasmussen College in Land O’ Lakes noted many issues that need to be addressed to improve the quality of mental health care in this country. (Courtesy of Gus Bilirakis)

But they did point out several areas where changes could be made to help improve the level of care for those with mental health conditions, and to improve support for their families and loved ones.

The panel, convened by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, focused on mental health and substance abuse issues. It featured U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania, a clinical psychologist and author of H.B. 3717, otherwise known as the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act.

Bilirakis is among the co-signers on Murphy’s bill.

Too often people have thrown some money at the mental health care problem, added a program, and then walked away without making any real difference, Murphy told a crowd of about 100.

“We have to stop pretending that we can just wish this away,” Murphy said.

Like Murphy, Bilirakis said the time has come to find real solutions. The Palm Harbor Republican has learned from constituents that “we have a broken system with too many individuals falling through the cracks and not receiving the help that they need.

“We put a Band-Aid on it, but we don’t fix it,” Bilirakis said. “Enough is enough.”

Murphy said he’s heard from thousands of families across America, and their constant refrain is that there’s not enough help for people who are mentally ill. Under the current system, mentally ill people often can’t get help they need unless they go to jail.

“On any given day, half-a-million people in this nation are in jail with a mental illness,” Murphy said.

The problems of mental illness spill into other arenas, too, he added. The nation’s homeless population continues to swell, its suicide rates have increased, and many people with mental conditions have little or no prospect of work.

Panelists at the Dec. 16 session represented high-ranking officials from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, the Pinellas-Pasco Public Defender’s Office, Operation PAR, Baycare Behavioral Health, Medical Center of Trinity, the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention, the Pinellas chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Pasco County Schools, the Trinity Pain Center and an advocate representing veterans needing mental health care.

Themes that emerged during the discussion included the need for:

Better hand-offs between various providers to ensure a continuum of care for people with mental health conditions
Short-term residential treatment centers to provide greater support for the mentally ill
Additional crisis intervention team training to help police and first responders better assist people with mental conditions
Help teach school district employees how to identify symptoms that may indicate mental illness in its earliest stages
Less bureaucracy in the way programs are administered and funded, so that people can be receive treatment when and where they need it
Additional research to find effective ways to treat mental conditions
Increased support to help families coping with the challenges posed by a family member’s mental condition

Some panelists pointed out specific areas that need reform. Pasco County sheriff Chris Nocco, for example, believes changes are needed in the state’s Baker Act, which governs how long a person can be detained for a mental evaluation. The current maximum is 72 hours.

That, Nocco said, “is not long enough,” likening it to putting a bandage on a gushing wound.

Murphy agreed with that assessment.

“Who came up with 72 hours for mental illness?” he said, adding that the time limit “doesn’t make clinical sense.”

Medical Center of Trinity chief executive Leigh Massengill said she finds it shameful that, for many patients, the first introduction to the hospital’s behavioral care unit often is by virtue of the Baker Act.

One of the biggest frustrations is the lack of hand-offs in the community after these patients have been stabilized and released from the hospital’s behavioral care facility, Massengill said.

“That absolutely guarantees that they’re going to come back to us, or come back to somebody else, or wind up dead,” she said. “That’s unconscionable in my mind, in this day and time.”

Saybra Chapman, clinical coordinator for Pasco County Schools, noted that a primary issue that keeps surfacing is access to care and timely care.

“The problem for us is when students are waiting for care and not able to get ready services,” she said. “They are trying to function in the school setting, which is a challenge for everybody.”

While panelists discussed the gaps in services and funding issues, Roy Gifford reminded them hope remains for people with mental conditions. The 38-year-old has suffered from schizoaffective disorder for most of his life.

“I have been on almost every kind of medication possible since childhood,” Gifford said.

He’s lived in assisted living facilities, foster care homes, jails, and on the street.

“I often thought there was no hope for me,” Gifford said, acknowledging it was so bad at some points he tried to end his life.

He’s on a new medication now, and has accepted the fact he likely will be on medication the rest of his life.

“Remember, there is hope and recovery,” Gifford told those gathered. “I know it can be done. I am living proof.”

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Some oppose planned Quail Hollow school boundaries

December 24, 2014 By B.C. Manion

When Pasco County School Board members consider proposed boundary changes for Quail Hollow Elementary School in January, they’ll likely hear from parents who oppose the idea of shifting their children from Wesley Chapel Elementary to the reconstructed school.

Buses will line up once again next school year when the massively remodeled Quail Hollow Elementary School reopens its doors. It was closed to create more traditional classroom spaces to replace its former ‘open’ design. (File Photo)

About three-dozen parents and students turned out for a Dec. 8 community meeting to discuss Quail Hollow’s proposed boundary, and some parents made it clear they don’t want their children transferred out of Wesley Chapel Elementary, Pasco County Schools planning director Chris Williams said.

Quail Hollow, at 7050 Quail Hollow Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, has been closed for a massive reconstruction project, and will reopen next fall. When it does, the school will have classroom doors and walls, unlike its previous “open design,” and will have updated technology.

A committee has been working on recommending proposed boundaries, which the school board is expected to consider at its 6 p.m. hearing on Jan. 20. A second and final vote is expected at the board’s Feb. 3 meeting.

The school will have more capacity than it did before. The proposed boundaries call for shifting some students there from Wesley Chapel and Veterans elementary schools. The Veterans students would come from an area that includes the Pasco Woods apartments, Williams said.

The area that would shift Wesley Chapel to Quail Hollow includes the neighborhoods of Wesley Pointe, Villages at Wesley Chapel, Citrus Trace and Saddleridge Estates.

There are 62 students living in the area that would be reassigned from Veterans to Quail Hollow, Williams said. There are 100 students living in the area that would be reassigned from Wesley Chapel to Quail Hollow.

Veterans has a capacity of 762 students, but currently has 828, including pre-kindergarten. So, Williams said, Veterans already is over capacity and could use relief.

Wesley Chapel Elementary has a capacity of 613 students, but will have far fewer students when children who attended Quail Hollow return to their school. However, Quail Hollow has space to accommodate a greater number of children, so the committee recommended reassigning students from Wesley Chapel to Quail Hollow to provide room for growth that is expected to result from the development of Epperson Ranch South near Overpass Road.

Some parents at the community meeting voiced concerns about shifting the communities north of State Road 54 and west of Interstate 75, Williams said. Quail Hollow is a little more than a mile farther away, but parents are concerned about the traffic congestion they could encounter along State Road 54 through Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

Another concern raised at the meeting relates to the difference in Wesley Chapel and Quail Hollow’s performance. Wesley Chapel is an A school, based on the state’s criteria. Quail Hollow was a C school.

Beyond boundary changes, the district still needs to name a new principal for Quail Hollow. Superintendent Kurt Browning had intended to recommend Lane Morris, assistant principal at Gulfside Elementary School, as Quail Hollow’s principal. But Browning put that recommendation on hold after Gulfside principal Chris Clayton was placed on administrative leave pending investigation of reports he violated school district policy.

District officials do not anticipate Clayton returning to Gulfside, said Pasco County Schools spokeswoman Linda Cobbe said.

The Pasco County School Board is scheduled to take an initial vote on proposed boundary changes affecting Quail Hollow, Wesley Chapel and Veterans elementary schools at the board’s 6 p.m. meeting on Jan. 20.

The final vote is expected at the board’s 9:30 a.m. meeting on Feb. 3.

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An act of kindness rekindles my Christmas spirit

December 24, 2014 By B.C. Manion

I have always looked forward to Christmas.

Except for one year.

My sister Anne Marie was very ill, and I just couldn’t feel the joy of the season.

This Walgreens tree will always remind me of Heather and Bob’s act of kindness to restore my Christmas spirit.

So, instead of going to get a freshly cut tree from a lot and decorating it with my friends, Bob and Heather, I decided not to put up a tree.

When I told Heather that I was skipping our annual tradition, she invited me to come to their place and help them to decorate their tree. As I put ornaments on their tree’s branches, I knew the decorations evoked memories of happy events, important places, and special moments for my friends.

And, I thought to myself: I have a fine collection of ornaments, too.

So, on my way home, I bought myself an artificial tree from Walgreens. It wasn’t very tall or full, but putting my ornaments on its branches — and remembering special times with family and friends — restored my Christmas spirit.

That was Anne Marie’s last Christmas.

Her legacy lives on, though, through the lives of her children and grandchildren, and in the happy memories of her that I carry around in my heart.

I especially feel her presence each year, as I hang ornaments that she gave to me on my smallish Walgreens tree — celebrating Christmas and all that it means during Anne Marie’s favorite season.

B.C. Manion is community editor of The Laker/Lutz News, joining the paper in 2010. She writes news and features, takes photographs and edits the work of her colleagues.

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Miscarriage: Often a hidden grief for families

December 18, 2014 By B.C. Manion

Reina Flores-Robinson said she and her husband had not been trying to start a family when she learned she was pregnant. But as soon as they found out, they began making future plans for their baby.

The infant’s due date was Dec. 24, but Flores-Robinson had a miscarriage last June.

Reina Flores-Robinson says that despite the support of her husband, family and friends, going through a miscarriage is ‘one of the loneliest feelings.’ She’s holding a candle that she and her husband plan to light on the anniversary of their child’s due date each year, and a sonogram picture of the baby. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

There had been complications early in her pregnancy, Flores-Robinson said, but she’d been to the emergency room and had checked out OK.

Because of those previous complications, though, Flores-Robinson was nervous when she and her husband, Tim Robinson, went in for their first scheduled ultrasound in June.

It was a supposed to be a happy occasion. Her mom and her grandmother came along and waited outside, while Flores-Robinson and her husband made sure everything was fine.

Once the technician got started, though, Flores-Robinson knew something was wrong. The technician confirmed there was no heartbeat.

“I just tell people, ‘It’s one of the most painful silences you’ll ever hear,’” Flores-Robinson said.

The couple had pictured this Christmas Eve as a joyous time, celebrating the holiday with their new baby, she said. Instead, they found themselves faced with enormous grief.

“At first, it was just hard to even understand, just the initial shock,” she said. “I have an amazing doctor. He told me, ‘You’re going to recount every step you took because you’re going to try and figure out what you did wrong.’ He said, ‘I’m going to tell you there’s nothing you could have changed and nothing you could have done differently. You’re never going to find an answer to it.’

“That, I have to remind myself time and time again,” Flores-Robinson said.

She has gone through various emotions, including sadness, guilt and anger. While some people never talk about it, Flores-Robinson said she and her husband wanted to share their story. They want to help others who are suffering in silence.

Flores-Robinson said she found help at her church, Exciting Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz. She has talked with women there — her age and older — who have experienced miscarriages.

They understand the sense of loss, Flores-Robinson said. As one put it, “Once women find out they are pregnant, they already have that baby in their arms.”

The same is true for men, Flores-Robinson said.

“It’s very easy to forget that men also grieve,” she said. Her husband also had pictured their future life with their child.

And, Robinson has been a source of strength for her.

“My husband is an amazing, Godly man,” she said. “He was that rock for me for several weeks. He stayed strong.”

When he finally broke down, Flores-Robinson was relieved that he could release his feelings. Having experienced a miscarriage has given her new insight about the questions she asks to married couples.

“I know myself, before I miscarried, I may have been one of those women who asked the question. ‘Are you guys going to have kids?’” Flores-Robinson asked.

Now, she realizes that may be a sensitive subject. She recalls her response to a woman who had experienced a miscarriage shortly before she had her own. She told the woman: “I can’t even imagine.”

That turned out to be true, Flores-Robinson couldn’t imagine the pain and grief she would feel.

“Going through a miscarriage, I can say, is one of the loneliest feelings,” Flores-Robinson said.

She said a booklet she received from Peter Castellani, executive director of Oasis Pregnancy Care Centers, was a big source of help. Called “Embracing Hope: Comfort & Encouragement After Miscarriage,” it was produced by Focus on the Family.

The booklet “goes through how to handle the hurtful comments that come up, and the clichés that people say, well-meaning things that people will say,” said Debbie Hamby, client services director at Oasis.

People who have suffered a miscarriage are hurting, Castellani said.

“I’ve had a lot of people confide in me that they’ve had miscarriages, and it’s very difficult to deal with,” Castellani said. “I’ve had at least a half a dozen people or more — through the Christian Business Connections or the (Central Pasco) Chamber, or just when I’m networking.

“We want them to heal,” he said.

Besides the booklet, his office has a DVD that can help people who have experienced a miscarriage to process their grief.

Some people who have received help at the pregnancy care center are reluctant to come back to a place they associate with their baby, Hamby said, to receive help for processing their grief from a miscarriage.

One of the things that the Focus on the Family booklet discusses is the idea of creating a memento box that may include items such as a sonogram picture, the results of their pregnancy test, or other items, Hamby said.

Flores-Robinson and her husband have kept the sonogram picture and a small stuffed bear they bought shortly after learning they were expecting. They plan to light a candle every Dec. 24 to remember the baby they lost.

As difficult as it has been, the loss also has yielded blessings, Flores-Robinson said.

“My husband and I have grown so much in our marriage,” she said. “We literally would hold each other and cry. Both of our walks with God grew tremendously.

“When the miscarriage happened, we stood in that parking lot and said, ‘All glory go to God, in the good times and the bad.’”

December has been a tough month, she said. “Once it hit Dec. 1, I was just thinking about Dec. 24.”

“I think about Dec. 24, and I think about how I’m going to be that day,” Flores-Robinson said. “Am I going to be OK? I think about the baby I wanted to have in my arms.”

But then, she also thinks about the true meaning of Christmas.

“It’s so special to think about what that does mean, with a savior being born,” Flores-Robinson said. “That image in my head is what I have been clinging to.”

Published December 17, 2014

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Contract proposal includes pay raises, more planning time

December 18, 2014 By B.C. Manion

Negotiators for Pasco County Schools and the United School Employees of Pasco have hammered out a deal that includes pay raises and increased instructional planning time. But it also calls for the end of smoking on all district properties and for the end of a district early retirement program.

Teachers and school-related employees, on average, would receive a 3 percent increase under the proposal, union president Kenny Blankenship said.

Kenny Blankenship (File Photo) — Kenny Blankenship says the pay raises in the proposed contract between Pasco County Schools and the United School Employees of Pasco are ‘among the best in the state.’ (File photo)

Kenny Blankenship says the pay raises in the proposed contract between Pasco County Schools and the United School Employees of Pasco are ‘among the best in the state.’

“That’s one of the best in the state,” he said.

The proposed contract also calls for increasing teachers’ instructional planning time from the current 100 minutes a day, to 150. The increased planning time probably is the most significant item in the agreement, Blankenship said.

“Our teachers really need it with all of the changes that we’ve been going through,” Blankenship said.

The proposed contract also calls for the end of smoking on district properties, effective July 1, 2016. It’s a provision Superintendent Kurt Browning says is important to the school district.

“We want a healthier work force, and we felt very strongly that that was a way to at least move in that direction,” Browning said.

There’s time between now and when the policy takes effect that will give employees a chance to participate in smoking cessation programs, the superintendent added. Beyond employee health, the district thought that allowing smoking at its sites sent a mixed message.

The ban on smoking is in keeping with similar bans in public places across the nation, Blankenship said.

“That’s probably an idea that’s come to its time,” he said.

Another portion of the proposed contract calls for eliminating new entrants to the district’s early retirement program, effective June 30, 2018.

By having that program phased out, Browning said, the district can use the $1.6 million typically spent there for other purposes.

The people currently participating in the program will not be affected,” Blankenship said. Those who qualify and opt to take advantage of the program still have some time to do so.

Both sides have agreed to create a compensation task force that will talk about proposed changes to how teachers are paid. The options being considered are teachers receiving 20 paychecks during the 10-month teacher work year, with five checks paid on the last teacher work day, and a last check two weeks later; or teachers receiving 26 equal paychecks, paid out every two weeks year round.

Another plus of the proposed contract, Blankenship said, is that there’s still a free health care plan option available for employees.

All together the district is providing almost $12 million of new funding toward employee compensation and benefits, according to a district news release.

A general settlement explanation meeting open to all bargaining unit members is scheduled for Jan. 13, where union building representatives will vote whether to recommend the settlement to the full bargaining unit. A ratification vote has been scheduled for Jan. 14.

Provided that the settlement is ratified, the Pasco County School Board is schedule to vote on Jan. 20.

Any applicable retroactive pay should be reflected in paychecks by the end of February.

Published December 17, 2014

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If you’re looking for holiday cheer, check this out

December 18, 2014 By B.C. Manion

There are plenty of local holiday happenings to appeal to young and old, but there’s a wide assortment of regional attractions to help brighten the season as well.

Experience the charm of an old-fashioned Christmas at the 33rd annual Victorian Christmas Stroll at the Henry B. Plant Museum. (Courtesy of Henry B. Plant Museum)

If you’re looking for something fun and affordable to do, here’s a list of possibilities.

TAMPA
The 33rd annual Victorian Christmas Stroll at the Henry B. Plant Museum, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd. — Beneath the towering silver minarets of the former Tampa Bay Hotel, visitors have the chance to peek at 14 rooms decked out in 19th century themes for the holidays.

Carolers sing in the evenings in front of a 15-foot tree, and visitors are invited to sing along. Complimentary spiced cider and cookies are served on the veranda.

The stroll is being offered daily through Dec. 23, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Admission is $15 for adults, $13 for senior citizens, and $9 for kids between 4 and 18.

Wild Wonderland at Lowry Park Zoo, 1101 W. Sligh Ave. — Enjoy a holiday stroll around the zoo and see a dazzling display of lights synchronized to holiday music, see lighted animal figures and possible snow flurries, enjoy rides, and see some penguins.

Admission is $15 for adults,  $13 for children between 3 and 11, and free for children younger than 3.

Ice Palace at International Plaza, 2223 N. West Shore Blvd. — The mall transforms into the Ice Palace, a 30-foot dome with snow, a light show, and interactive snow globes depicting scenes from the Disney movie “Frozen.”

Entertainment includes an icy handprint experience, size comparisons with Sven and Olaf — characters from the movie — and photos with Olaf on an ice throne.

The attractions run through Dec. 24 during mall hours.

For information, visit ShopInternationalPlaza.com.

Tampa’s Downtown on Ice at Curtis Hixon Park, 600 N. Ashley Drive — Skaters can enjoy an outdoor rink in the park. Each 90-minute session, including skate rental, is $10.

DOVER
Nights of Shimmering Lights at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds, 215 Sydney Washer Road — Drive through two miles of dazzling displays, illuminated tunnels, and dancing light-emitting diodes, while listening to holiday tunes on your radio.

The attraction includes more than 2,000 sculpted light displays.

After you drive through the light tunnels, stop at Christmas Village, where you can drink hot chocolate, watch holiday movies, and have a picture taken with Santa.

Admission is $15 per car Monday through Wednesday evenings, and $20 per car Thursday through Sunday evenings.

LARGO
Holiday Lights in the Gardens at the Florida Botanical Gardens, 12520 Ulmerton Road — Every evening through Dec. 31, visitors can stroll through the gardens from 5:30 to 9:30, enjoying laser lights, flora and fauna displays, decorated trees, a 7-foot gingerbread house, and more.

There’s free entertainment, and visits from Santa Claus.

Admission is $4 for those 13 and older

WESLEY CHAPEL
Symphony in Lights at The Shops at Wiregrass, 28211 Paseo Drive — The shopping center offers nightly synchronized music and light shows on the hour, from 6 p.m. through 9 p.m., through Dec. 31.

The free attraction features a 55-foot tree with more than 250,000 lights and snow flurries.

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH
Holiday Lighted Boat Parade at the Holiday Inn Harbourside, 401 Second St. — Come watch a parade of all kinds of boats decked out for the holidays.

The parade is open for all kinds of boats, including canoes and rowboats. It begins at 7 p.m. on Dec. 20, and starts and ends at the Holiday Inn at Harbourside.

SPRING HILL
The Celebration of Lights, at Safety Town 15325 Alric Pottberg Road — Drive along a mile-long route to see a dazzling display of animated lights.

The event was the vision of Dave Parrish, a community leader in West Pasco County, who died before his vision could come to life.

The event is open at dusk through Jan. 4. Entry fees are $20 per car, and $40 for a 14-passenger van.

Published December 17, 2014

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Bringing history to life: Dade’s Battle

December 18, 2014 By B.C. Manion

Those who enjoy history and the spectacle of re-enactments may want to make their way to Bushnell in early January to watch the dramatization of a battle that sparked the beginning of the Second Seminole War.

Re-enactors will take to the Historic Dade Battlefield to assume the roles of Seminole warriors and American soldiers during the 32nd annual commemoration of Dade’s Battle.

U.S. troops charge during Dade’s Battle, an annual re-enactment that occurs at the Dade Battlefield Historic State Park in Bushnell. (Courtesy of Dade Battlefield Historic State Park)

The actual battle took place on Dec. 28, 1835 — 10 years before Florida even became a state, said Bill Gruber, park manager at the Dade Battlefield Historic State Park.

While the re-enactment is a condensed version of the actual battle, it is authentic in many respects, Gruber said. The re-enactors wear uniforms and clothing that resemble those used during that period, and many fire blank cartridges from weapons that are reproductions of the kind that were used in the battle.

Re-enactors from throughout Florida and beyond gather in Bushnell to dramatize the conflict, Gruber said, and a couple of thousand people typically watch.

About 100 re-enactors take part in the dramatization, said Paul Remis, president of the Dade Battlefield Society Inc. Re-enactors come from all over the country, as well as from Canada and overseas.

The event is the largest Seminole re-enactment and has been taking place longer than any other Seminole re-enactment, Remis said.

The annual event began as a small memorial service at the site, which includes a portion of the historic battlefield, Gruber said, and has evolved over time into a major re-enactment.

The event marks an important historic battle that many people know little or nothing about, the park manager said. The Dade Battle sparked the longest, costliest and deadliest war between the United States and Native Americans.

When Florida became a U.S. territory and settlers began moving here, the Native Americans were forced to move south, according to the DadeBattlefield.com website.

By the 1830s, there was significant conflict between Seminoles and white settlers. The conflict intensified because of the Seminole practice of giving refuge to fugitive slaves, the website says.

When the Treaty of Payne’s Landing was signed in 1832, some chiefs agreed to move to territory west of the Mississippi River. But there was widespread opposition to this treaty, led by a Seminole chief named Osceola, and that resulted in the outbreak of the Second Seminole War.

In December 1835, more than 100 U.S. troops and officers were marching from Fort Brooke in what is now Tampa to reinforce Fort King, Gruber said, which is in present-day Ocala.

At the site where the park now stands, 180 Seminole warriors ambushed the U.S. troops, killing all but three, Gruber said. One died a short time later, leaving only two survivors.

The soldiers had expected to be attacked during their march, but had believed it would come earlier, Gruber said, so they had let down their guard.

Remis agreed that the soldiers thought the danger was behind them.

“They figured if they’re going to get us, they’re going to burn a bridge and we’re going to be trapped, we’re not going to have anywhere to go,” Remis said.

Visitors to the 80-acre state can stop by the visitor center to see displays about the historic battle, Gruber said, and watch an informative 12-minute video about it, called “This Land, These Men.”

They also can walk a short battlefield trail, which actually follows a stretch of the historic Fort King Military Road. It displays interpretive labels, along with monuments to Dade and his command.

Besides its historic significance, the park also offers visitors a chance to see a variety of wildlife such as white-tailed deer, gray squirrels, gopher tortoises, eastern cottontails, red-shouldered hawks and pileated woodpeckers.

In addition to the annual re-enactment of Dade’s Battle, there are other special events during the year, Gruber said. The park also features picnic areas, a playground and other amenities.

If you go
WHAT: Dade’s Battle
WHY: A re-enactment of the battle that sparked the Second Seminole War, as well as period soldier, Seminole and civilian camps, historic arts and crafts demonstrations, full-scale firing, tree cutting, barricade building, 19th century games and activities for children and vendors.
WHEN: Jan. 3 and Jan. 4, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Re-enactment of Dade’s Battle each day at 2 p.m.
WHERE: Dade Battlefield Historic State Park, 7200 County Road 603, Bushnell
COST: $5 per person, with children younger than 6 free. Parking is $3.
INFO: (352) 793-4781, or FloridaStateParks.org

Published December 17, 2014

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Applications pouring in for Pasco’s first magnet school

December 11, 2014 By B.C. Manion

Pasco County Schools received more than 860 applications within the first four days of finding students for its first magnet facility, Sanders Memorial STEAM Magnet School.

Applications for Sanders — a school that focuses on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics — will be accepted through Jan. 15.

Pasco County Schools superintendent Kurt Browning says that Sanders Memorial STEAM Magnet School, Pasco’s first magnet school, is evidence the school district knows it needs to expand its educational choices. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Lindsey Davis submitted the first application at 12:01 a.m., on Dec. 1, in hopes of securing a space for her 7-year-old son, Grant, to attend the school at 5126 School Road in Land O’ Lakes.

Davis and her husband, Quentin, were at a news conference later that day where Superintendent Kurt Browning talked about the need for the school district to expand its educational options.

“As a district, we know that we must compete for the students we serve,” Browning said.

Davis believes that Sanders would be a good fit for her son.

“This is more his niche,” she said. “He loves science. He loves math. He loves basically everything this school is going to offer.

“I’m crossing my fingers that he gets picked.”

The school is set to open in August for the 2015-16 school year. It will serve 762 students in kindergarten through fifth grade, including a mix of children from throughout Pasco County reflecting the diverse nature of Pasco’s public schools.

The school district plans to provide bus transportation within a five-mile radius of the school. For those living farther away, the district will establish transportation hubs at Veterans, Moonlake and Trinity elementary schools where the kids can board a bus to ride to Sanders in the morning and will return to their hub after school.

Students will be selected through a weighted lottery system, with pupils from nearby Connerton and Oakstead elementary schools as well as children of Sander’s staff members given additional weight. Connerton and Oakstead are both operating with enrollments well beyond capacity.

Siblings of students accepted to Sanders also will be given extra weight in the lottery.

Once a student has been accepted, he or she student will be able to attend the school through fifth grade.

Although the standards for the students will be the same, the learning approaches will be different.

The design of the school also will foster a greater degree of collaboration between students, and between students and teachers. A wetlands area with a boardwalk also will give students a chance to get up close with nature, creating opportunities for outdoor learning.

Sanders will have materials that are similar to those in traditional schools, but there will be differences. For one thing, each student will have some type of device allowing them to use technology to help solve problems and enhance learning. They also will have the arts infused into a curriculum that aims to create independent thinkers and learners.

Sanders’ design aims to encourage collaborative learning. When construction is completed, the school will have individual classrooms that are flanked on both sides of a large space where students can work together on projects, where groups of children can work with teachers, and where larger presentations can be given.

Classrooms will have wireless technology. They also are set up to accommodate experiments. Space also will be provided within the school to allow students to store projects they are working on.

Jason Petry has been named the school’s principal, effective Jan. 6, and he’s excited about leading the district’s first magnet school. He said Sanders will emphasize collaboration, critical thinking and communication.

It will encourage children to “pose and answer questions for themselves,” he said.

Teachers and staff should be hired by early summer.

The construction is taking place on a site that was previously occupied by Sanders Memorial Elementary School. Four new buildings are being added, and three old buildings are being reconstructed at the site.

When it opens, Sanders will have a wall showcasing its history, which dates back to 1948. The display will include plaques from the original building, as well as historic photographs.

Correction
Sanders Memorial Elementary School opened in 1948. The Dec. 10 issue of The Laker/Lutz News reported an incorrect year.

Published December 10, 2014

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