The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

B.C. Manion

Celebration honors Diane Kortus’ lasting contributions

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Diane Kortus, recently retired publisher of The Laker/Lutz News, greeted new arrivals in a ballroom at The Plantation Palms Golf Club, in Land O’ Lakes.

Longtime advertisers, elected leaders, community volunteers, members of The Laker/Lutz News team, readers, family and friends gathered on Jan. 27, to wish her well in her retirement, and to honor her contributions to community life.

As Diane Kortus, publisher of The Laker/Lutz News for 21 years, departs to begin her retirement, she said she’s confident that Brian Calle, the new publisher, will build on the newspaper’s success. (Nicole Sanchez)

Kortus’ biggest reaction came when she saw her grandsons, Connor and Zachary, racing toward her — as her son Andy Mathes, entered the room. The trio surprised her by making a trip from Appleton, Wisconsin, to share in her special night.

Her daughter, Rachel Mathes, had traveled from Tallahassee and Diane’s longtime partner, Vic Anthony, of Land O’ Lakes, was there, too.

Terri Williamson, the newspaper’s senior account manager, emceed the event, which included heavy hors d’oeuvres, drinks, a cake and door prizes.

Williamson, Kelli Carmack, Trevor Lloyd and Nicole Sanchez handled the logistics of the event — which featured a slideshow of sweet  and funny moments through the years, and a series of video clips highlighting Kortus’ impact on local organizations, small businesses and the community, as a whole.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore — whose district includes Land O’ Lakes, where the newspaper is based — offered some remarks.

Diane Kortus holds the trophy that bears her name. She was the first recipient of The Diane Kortus Leadership Award, which will be bestowed annually by The Laker/Lutz News to a leader making a significant impact in the community.

He commented on the importance of having a quality source of local news and talked about the good that Kortus has accomplished through her leadership.

He concluded by telling her: “Congratulations to you, because you’ve made Pasco County a better place, you really have.”

Williamson recapped some of those accomplishments.

Under Kortus’ direction, the newspaper converted from a tabloid to a broadsheet, increasing the physical size of the paper by 25% and adding a B-section for expanded photo coverage, news and feature stories.

Kortus also expanded The Laker/Lutz News’ print circulation to include more communities. The current print circulation is 47,395; the newspaper also has a website, Facebook page and other social media channels, bringing its total weekly reach to 150,000 readers or viewers.

With Kortus at the helm, the newspaper also garnered recognition from community organizations and industry groups.

During the past two years, alone, The Laker/Lutz News received:

  • The Excellence in Integrity Award from the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce
  • Area Business of the Year from the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce
  • Twenty-seven awards in the 2021 Florida Press Association’s Weekly Newspaper Contest, capturing first place, overall, in the largest circulation division
  • Seven awards in the Florida Press Club’s 2021 Excellence in Journalism Competition

Kortus told those gathered that before arriving at the party, she was under the impression that the focus would be on Brian Calle, the newspaper’s new publisher and owner.

She talked about the difficulty in deciding to sell the newspaper and said she knew Calle was the right buyer because of his professional accomplishments, their shared passion for print journalism and his knowledge of new technologies, which will help The Laker to build on its success.

Calle told the crowd: “I am so excited about being in this community. I am so excited about the work and the legacy that Diane has left. I can assure you, we will build on the legacy of journalism that Diane has created.”

Then, he said, addressing Kortus: “This was never to be a party for me — you thought it was to be a party for me. But, it’s actually a celebration of you.”

In addition to the evening festivities, the newspaper also wanted to do something more permanent to honor Kortus’ contributions.

“We’re starting a new Laker tradition, a new annual award that is named after you:  The Diane Kortus Leadership Award,” Calle told her.

The annual award will go to a leader, who like Kortus, has made a significant impact in the community.

Published February 02, 2022

Honoring decades of support

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(Courtesy of George Fotopoulus)

William Fotopoulus, founder and president of ABC Pizza and Pizza Villa, has been supporting Pasco County sports for 40 years. He was honored for his long-term involvement by the Land O’ Lakes Girls Soccer team, at Land O’ Lakes High, on Jan. 20.

Charter League Champs!

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(Courtesy of Meagan Smith)

Innovation Prep played in the Tampa Charter League Association (TCLA) basketball tournament against multiple charter schools around the Tampa Bay area. The team’s record was 5-1. It won in the championship game against Trinity Charter School, with the final score of 21-18. Coach Christopher Pierre-Charles led the squad to claim its first trophy.

Business Digest 02/02/2022

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The Miller’s Ale House team celebrates the opening of its new restaurant and bar off the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor, in the Cypress Creek Town Center, near Interstate 75. (Courtesy of Miller’s Ale House)

Miller’s Ale House opens
Miller’s Ale House, a sports-themed, casual dining restaurant and bar, recently opened at 25264 State Road 54, in Cypress Creek Town Center, next to Tampa Premium Outlets, in Lutz.

The 7,200-square-foot restaurant features seating for 239 with an indoor and outdoor bar.

The restaurant has more than 60 televisions throughout — making it easy for diners to watch their favorite team.

The restaurant chain has more than 90 locations, including 58 in Florida.

“We chose Wesley Chapel for our newest location due to the residential and retail growth over the last several years, in addition to the impressive growth planned in the years ahead,”  Miller’s Ale House President and COO Ray Holden said, in a news release. “This area is a go-to destination for dining and shopping, and we look forward to serving our loyal Miller’s customers in a new area.”

Chamber business breakfast
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will have its monthly business breakfast on Feb. 3 at 7 a.m., at 6851 Wire Road. The breakfast will be hosted by The Elks, and admission is $10.

GrowPasco
GrowPasco aims to equip entrepreneurs and executives for growth. An upcoming all-day event will feature 15 breakout sessions, as well as a keynote address by Peter Kageyama, author of “For the Love of Cities.”

The event is set for Feb. 26 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel, 26000 Sierra Center Blvd., in Lutz.

Registration for Pasco businesses and residents is $20 per person; for non-Pasco residents or businesses, it is $40 per person. The price includes registration, workshop materials, breakfast and lunch.

To register, visit the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc.’s website, PascoEDC.com, and click on the events tab.

Recovery of hotel industry
The hotel industry will continue moving toward recovery in 2022, but the path will be uneven and potentially volatile, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s 2022 State of the Hotel Industry Report. The report also predicts that full recovery is still several years away.

The report was created in collaboration with AHLA Silver Partner Accenture, and is based on data and forecasts from Oxford Economics and AHLA Platinum Partner STR.

Some of the key findings in the report include:

  • Hotel occupancy rates and room revenue are projected to approach 2019 levels in 2022.
  • The outlook for ancillary revenue, which includes food & beverage and meeting space, is less optimistic.
  • Hotels lost a collective $111.8 billion in room revenue alone during 2020 and 2021.
  • Leisure travelers will continue to drive recovery: In 2019, business travelers made up 52.5% of industry room revenue; in 2022, it is projected to represent just 43.6%.
  • Business travel is expected to remain down more than 20% for much of the year, while just 58% of meetings and events are expected to return; the full effects of Omicron are not yet known.
  • Changing traveler segments, including the rapid rise of bleisure travelers (those who blend business and leisure travel), are affecting the way hotels operate. One study of global business travelers found that 89% wanted to add a private holiday to their business trips in the next 12 months.

Grand openings/ribbon-cuttings
These grand openings and ribbon-cuttings were announced by the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce:

  • Woodie’s Wash Shack, 24749 State Road 54, in Lutz, Feb. 4, 10:30 a.m. until noon. Event will feature music, antique cars, the Buccaneers Street Team and more.
  • Stretch Lab had its grand opening on Jan. 27, at 1281 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.
  • Curaleaf had a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan. 25, at 19416 Bruce B. Downs, Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.
A look at the storefront for the new BurgerFi, in The Preserve Marketplace, in Odessa. (Courtesy of BurgerFi)

Marketplace adds BurgerFi
BurgerFi has opened a 2,030-square-foot restaurant at The Preserve Marketplace, at 16120 Preserve Marketplace Blvd, in Odessa, according to a BurgerFi news release.

The restaurant specializes in burgers, fresh-cut fries, beer-battered onion rings, the VegeFi (its take on a veggie burger), the CEO Burger (made with premium American Wagyu beef), chicken, frozen custard, and local craft beer and wine.

The Odessa location opened in December 2021.

Get free business help
Pasco-Hernando SCORE offers free individual, confidential small business mentoring. Volunteer experts provide the assistance to help small business owners to solve their problems and grow their business. To find out more, visit PascoHernando.score.org.

Union leader urges kindness and respect, during trying times

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Celebrating excellence is a routine part of Pasco County School Board meetings.

Outstanding teachers are singled out.

Special achievements are acknowledged.

“We hear of wonderful accomplishments by students and teachers, remarkable things that have been done despite all of the obstacles of COVID, and related issues being thrown at them.

“This is truly awesome, and we should be proud and recognize those people and those situations,” said Don Peace, president of the United School Employees of Pasco.

“However, I’m going to ask you to focus for a few minutes on the other side — that is equally prevalent, at our worksites.

“We recently heard that in a “Thought Exchange Survey,” parents, students, the community and staff all had mental health as a Top 5 priority.

“Employees are being mentally taxed, to the utmost, in trying to perform their jobs.

“Staff shortages showed up as (No.) 1 and (No.) 2, by both groups.

“We can’t get enough individuals to fill all allocations, so others are being asked, and expected, to do more.

“Substitutes are not available to fill in for all those out for illness or for quarantine.

“Students are being shuffled, to meet the needs for supervision, often at the expense of quality instruction.

“This all affects morale and performance.

“Employees have given and given, until — in some cases — there’s no more to give,” the union leader said.

“Your recent Gallup Survey showed 56% of the district’s employees are either not engaged or actively disengaged. That’s an astounding number of people just going through the motions.

“Forty-four percent of those surveyed said they haven’t (received) praise or recognition for their work.

“Where’s our compassion for those who are front-line workers in an ongoing medical crisis?

“Forty-one percent say they don’t necessarily feel their opinion is important.

“Why is it so difficult for us to perform temperature checks, if you will, to see where people are at?

“Thirty-four percent of the employees surveyed expressed little, to no, satisfaction with their job.

“Sixty-five percent of our schools, according to the survey, fell into the two lowest levels of the survey results.

“These numbers indicate that we need to do more,” Peace said.

Salary improvements in the district, although better — are not keeping up with surrounding counties, the union leader continued.

“When will we take the next step and put together a ballot initiative to help hire and retain quality employees?” Peace asked.

Rising number of resignations, retirements
Peace also noted that the union tracks the number of district hires and the number of employees who leave.

“To date, according to our records, the district has hired almost 1,400 new employees this year. In the board packets, there are two to four pages, sometimes more, of retirements or resignations. In tonight’s board packet alone, there are 101 retirements or resignations, with only 10 of those being 15-plus year employees.

“We have got to do a better job of taking care of people to retain quality individuals working with our students.

“We need to do a better job of standing up for all employees. Every job in this district is important and plays an integral part in the students’ educational opportunity. Take away any of those positions, and students will suffer.

“Therefore, every individual should be treated with kindness, respect and compassion — especially in these trying times,” Peace said.

He urged those listening to take a moment for introspection.

“Please, take a step back and look where you are — and where we all need to be,” Peace said.

His words stirred a response from the district’s elected leaders.

School board member Megan Harding said she’s heard the word “burnout” being used by district personnel.

“It’s very real now, in our district, and really, in our nation,” Harding said. “Our teachers and staff are really feeling alone and overwhelmed.

“Many of them are leaving the profession or moving schools (transferring),” she said.

She noted that district pay is brought up frequently, but added she couldn’t talk about that because the district and union are in the midst of negotiations.

However, Harding added: “I just want to reiterate that I really hope we’re working on a plan that will pay our employees a wage that they truly deserve.

“My heart can’t take another teacher, bus driver or staff calling me, or emailing me that they aren’t making enough to pay their rent or their child’s day care.

“I’m tired of seeing our highly effective teachers leaving Title 1 schools, and I’m sad seeing and hearing my peers getting burned out,” Harding said.

Harding also requested that a closed-door workshop be scheduled soon, so board members can discuss issues that are subject to negotiations.

School board member Colleen Beaudoin raised a concern about how staff are being treated, as they go about performing their jobs.

“They’ve all been working hard and doing a tremendous job,” Beaudoin said. “Particularly challenging has been the increase in anger directed at them.

“I want to thank our teachers, our leaders, our bus drivers, all of our staff for continuing to remain focused on our students and I want to thank the parents, who are supportive and respectful in communicating with our employees.

“I hope that in 2022 we can bring back civility to our schools and community,” she said.

Beaudoin also mentioned an initiative she read about that’s being done elsewhere. It involves a business owner who stepped forward to help the school district by providing paid time off for his staff, so they can provide volunteer help in the district.

She asked Pasco school district leaders to look into reaching out to local companies and service clubs to see if a similar program can be initiated here.

School board chairwoman Cynthia Armstrong empathized with Peace’s message.

“Just to put it in simplistic terms: COVID, the flu, colds — are really kicking the butt of the whole community, especially in the school system where we’re in close quarters of all of our students.

“We really are working hard to do whatever we can.

“We really appreciate everyone — from teachers to administrators to the people in cafeterias, the bus drivers, the maintenance people — that play such a vital role in everything we do.

“We’re having to work through these issues,” Armstrong said.

“My heart goes out to them because I know how frustrating it is — not to feel that you’re able to do your job like you’re used to doing it, because of all of these demands.

“As Mr. Peace said, ‘Do that temperature check with your colleagues: How are you doing today?’

“See if there is not something, or a word, that we can say to make the situation better and help each other out in these trying times,” the board chairwoman said.

Published January 26, 2022

Bus driver shortages continue

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Pasco County Schools changed its school starting and ending times at the beginning of the second semester because a bus driver shortage was causing many students to arrive to school late.

Now, despite those shifts, the district is facing the same problem for a different reason — now the bus driver shortage is largely due to drivers calling out — because they are ill, or can’t work because of some other reason.

Betsy Kuhn, the district’s assistant superintendent for support services, explained the situation during the Pasco County School Board’s Jan. 18 meeting.

Buses continue to arrive late to Pasco County schools, despite a major shift that changed started and ending times across the school districts. Officials cite a high number of bus drivers calling out from work for the current issue and noted the problem would be worse, if the district had not made the scheduling shift. (File)

“Under last semester’s three-tier system, we had 424 routes and we were 59 regular drivers short. We had 40 relief drivers,” Kuhn said.

By changing its system, the district cut the number of routes it needed to cover by 57.

“We’re now short 39 drivers and were able to add four relief drivers, bringing our total up to 44 relief drivers,” Kuhn said.

“We have six new drivers coming out of class this Friday and we have another class starting on Jan. 31,” Kuhn said.

The district continues to seek additional drivers.

“I actually spoke with a parent today about a late bus situation and she ended up becoming a recruit for us, for a part-time driver position,” Kuhn said. “So, we’re continuing to work with HR, to get the word out about opportunities in transportation.”

The district also is focusing on retention, Kuhn said.

“If you look at the numbers on paper, we are in a good position,” she said.

The problem is the high number of call-outs.

“We should be able to cover the open positions with relief drivers and office staff; unfortunately, our call-outs started at 23 on Jan. 4, the first day back.”

She noted the number has steadily climbed, from 23 to 33 to 41 to 45, during the first week of school in the second semester. The second week it was 43, 41, 49, 40 and 47.

On Jan. 18, the district had 48 driver call-outs and 23 assistant driver call-outs, Kuhn said.

She added: “So, that is very, very high and has resulted in buses that are later than we would like.”

The current situation has meant that while we have seen some positive results in some parts of the county that were previously hit hard, we are now seeing issues in other parts of the county.

“For example, buses served by Southeast Garage over in the Zephyrhills area have had a very difficult last few weeks due to those illnesses and call-outs.

“And so, we’ve had coverage that has been very difficult to cobble together and maintain,” Kuhn said.

“Many of our issues with late buses will not resolve, if we continue to have this high number of call-outs.

“I’ve spoken to my counterparts in other districts and they, too, are facing similar issues.

“One of them, in particular, said to me, it’s like September all over again. It does feel like that,” Kuhn said, but she added, the shift in start and end times did provide some relief.

“I want to thank our drivers, assistants, garage staff, schools and, of course, students and families for their patience,” Kuhn said.

“We have garage staff who are working to improve and work through any routing issues, but we do have a very high number of call-outs right now and we’re hopeful that that number will decline quickly, so that we can make this system work.”

School board member Alison Crumbley expressed her appreciation for teachers and other district staff, “and, in particular, right now, our bus drivers.

“It’s a tough time for them. I just want everybody to just hang in there a little bit longer.

“I wish I was at liberty to say things we are working on, but I’m not at this time,” Crumbley said, making an indirect reference to items that must be negotiated between the school board and the United School Employees of Pasco, the union representing district employees.

Crumbley added: “They (bus drivers) are so vital and so important to us right now. If we can’t get them (students) to school, there is no school.”

Published January 26, 2022

Economy expected to grow, about twice as fast as normal, expert says

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What’s the economy likely to do this year?

It’s likely to grow about 4% — about twice as fast as normal, according to Nicholas Lacy, the chief portfolio strategist for Raymond James Financial.

On average, the economy has grown about 3% for the past 50 years, Lacy, the featured speaker, told the crowd during the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc.’s Economic Forecast Luncheon on Jan. 20, at Hyatt Place Tampa Wesley Chapel.

Nicholas Lacy, chief portfolio strategist for asset management services at Raymond James Financial, shared his expertise, while mixing in some history lessons and humor at the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc.’s Economic Forecast Luncheon. (B.C. Manion)

“What’s it going to do going forward? Depends on who you ask.

“Don’t ask a politician.

“If you ask an economist, they’re going to give you stuff all over the place. So, you ask the Fed.

“Why the Fed? Because they kind of control interest rates — so, good people to ask.

“They say long-term, the U.S. should be able to grow its economy by 1.8% to 2% a year.

“Historically, that’s lower. And why is that? It’s labor force. We have a labor force that’s not growing as fast as the prior 50 years,” Lacy said.

Lacy is bullish on Florida’s prospects.

“There are so many good things happening in Florida,” he said. “If you look at our level of unemployment, it’s fantastic.

“Florida has benefited because what do we have that most other states don’t, other than sunshine? More people.

“What’s important when it comes to the economy?” he asked. “It’s jobs. That’s where I think the economic growth is going to come from. It’s the creation of jobs and getting people back into the job market.”

Pasco and Hillsborough counties are in a good position because they are getting such an influx of people, their growth has outpaced Florida’s growth rate, he said.

He touched on a number of economic issues, including inflation, interest rates and the impacts of COVID-19.

“What is everybody talking about today? Inflation.

“Is inflation important? Absolutely. Is inflation going to be with us for a while? Absolutely. We just have to change the definition of transitory.

“It’s no longer a quarter. It might be a year. It might be a couple of years.

“If you take a look back through history at all of the inflationary periods — you look at the bottom to the top of inflation cycles and you annualize what various parts of the market did, what ended up working?

“Over time, the things that tend to work during inflationary times are stocks because companies have the ability to adjust, gross earnings, gross sales, raise prices, all of these things.

“Big question: What will the Fed do?

“They’re going to raise interest rates. There is a zero percent probability that the Fed will not raise interest rates.

“That’s what the data tells us today: Zero percent probability.

The questions are: When and by how much, he added.

“The Fed has been very clear that it is going to be very slow, methodical, and they’re going to watch the data.

“The Fed believes they can raise rates to 2%. That’s their target. How long it’s going to get there? I don’t know. If it takes them two years to get there, I think that’s problematic because I think the market will probably not like that. It’s too fast,” Lacy said.

He also explained the impacts that higher mortgage rates have on the growth in housing value.

“If you think about the real estate market, the real estate market is very, very, strong. (In) Florida, especially, but it’s all those Sunshine States in the United States, where people are leaving cold areas and coming here.

“Great taxes here. Great people. Great environment. All of these things. But it has pushed property prices up,” Lacy said.

However, he added, if mortgage rates go up, “we should see housing price growth slow, because higher (interest) rates means you can no longer afford that house.”

Lacy also touched on the pandemic’s impacts.

“COVID is still an issue,” Lacy said, but based on the level of traffic he encountered on the way to the luncheon, things apparently are improving.

He also noted that a much smaller percentage of people who are infected by the virus are getting seriously ill and becoming hospitalized, or dying.

But beyond illnesses, the pandemic also has had impacts on business operations and employment trends, Lacy said.

“You probably took a decade of change and pushed it into a two-year period. And, you’ve seen businesses fail, very quickly.

“Don’t wait for things to go back to normal.

“We’re not going back to normal. We’re going to go to new normal. You have to be able to identify, how do you fit in that new normal and what does that mean to your business?

“And not all businesses are going to succeed,” Lacy said.

The pandemic also has affected how people work.

“What the pandemic has taught us is, unless you have to be there in person, unless you absolutely have to be there in person, you can probably do your job from anywhere,” Lacy said.

Published January 26, 2022

Work is moving ahead on area road projects

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Construction has restarted on a widening project on State Road 54, from east of Curley Road to east of Morris Bridge Road.

Cone & Graham has been awarded the contract to complete the project.

It began work on Jan. 10. Activities in the first few weeks will involve cleanup, surveying, and other tasks needed to safely resume construction, according to the Florida Department of Transportation’s District 7 website.

The $42.5 million project involves widening the existing two-lane road to a four-lane road with medians, the website says. A sidewalk will be built on the north side of the road and a 10-foot wide multi-use trail will be built on the south side.

The work stopped after the original project contractor notified FDOT on July 28, 2021, that it was stopping work on the project. The FDOT declared that contractor in default on Aug. 3.

FDOT projects have contract bonds issued by a surety company, which is a contract requirement. The surety company was required to obtain a completion contractor, which is Cone & Graham.

In other transportation-related news, a 4.2-mile section of the Ridge Road extension is now open, from Moon Lake Road to the Suncoast Parkway.

The other two lanes of the initial segment are expected to be finished later this year, and the second leg of the extension will extend the road to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes.

That is expected to be completed in 2025, but could be done sooner if efforts by Pasco County leaders to seek $14 million in state funding during this legislative session are successful.

During the county board’s Jan. 11 meeting, Commissioner Mike Moore told his colleagues that he’d been up to Tallahassee to advocate for support for the funding and said he would be making another trip there to continue the push.

At the same meeting, County Administrator Dan Biles told the board that the northbound ramps onto Ridge Road should be open in February.

“We’re working on getting some equipment in place. As soon as the southbound ramps were open, we wanted traffic on it. So, that’s why there’s a different timeline for both of those,” he said.

He expects that segment of the road project to be completed in either late summer or the fall.

Biles said he hopes the county will be able to go out to bid for the extension over to U.S. 41 later this year.

However, Biles noted: “That will depend on whether or not we get part of the legislative ask, to help accelerate that piece.”

Published January 26, 2022

Arts center deemed ‘jewel’ in community

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It’s grand-opening celebration may have been delayed, but enthusiasm for Pasco-Hernando State College’s (PHSC) Instructional Performing Arts Center was riding high during a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony at the facility.

Pasco-Hernando State College Dr. Timothy L. Beard, along with Celyse Dahdal, president of the PHSC Student Government Association, share the over-sized scissors during the Instructional Performing Arts Center (IPAC) ribbon-cutting. Marilyn Pearson-Adams, center, chair of the PHSC District Board of Trustees, Dr. Kevin O’Farrell, provost Porter of Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, and Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore were among other dignitaries and special guests. (Fred Bellet)

The performing arts facility, at 8657 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel, opened quietly in the summer of 2021.

It provides opportunities for students to prepare for careers in the performing and technical arts. It also offers a venue for performances and creates a new place for the community to enjoy the arts.

The center’s grand-opening celebration was held on Jan. 7 — belatedly because of COVID-19 concerns.

The event included a ribbon-cutting, a reception and tours of the facility.

It also featured remarks from numerous speakers, including Dr. Timothy Beard, president of Pasco-Hernando State College; Mike Moore, the District 2 representative on the Pasco County Commission; Cynthia Armstrong, chairwoman of the Pasco County School Board; Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools; Dr. Kevin O’Farrell, provost at PHSC’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch; Celyse Dahdal, president of PHSC’s student government; and, Lauren Murray, executive director for the Instructional Performing Arts Center.

Bringing the project to fruition involved the efforts of many people.

Armstrong, however, singled out college leadership and the school district’s deputy superintendent Gadd for “thinking out of the box.”

An obviously happy Lauren Murray, executive director for the Instructional Performing Arts Center, makes her way to the microphone to talk about the important role that IPAC will play in students’ lives.

Gadd was persistent in the pursuit of the project, she said, noting he wanted to know: “How can we make this a reality? How can we find a place to build it? How can we incorporate it into our school system?”

For his part, Gadd recalled the supersized role played by former Florida Speaker of the House Will Weatherford.

Gadd recalled: “Speaker Weatherford called me on the phone one day and he said, ‘Ray, we need some kind of performing art theater or arena in Pasco County. Can you help me out?’”

The Instructional Performing Arts Center is an eye-catching sight.

Gadd said he went about collecting floor plans from various performing arts venues and estimating costs.

He gave Weatherford a breakdown: “This is what we can get for $20 million. This is what we can get for $30 million, this is what we can get for $60 million…”

In the end, Pasco County Schools donated a 6-acre parcel to PHSC, on the campus shared by Cypress Creek High School and Cypress Creek Middle School.

And, the state college covered the cost of the $20 million project, and PHSC also is responsible for the facility’s operations.

Gadd praised Harvard Jolly and Creative Contractors for using their combined talents and expertise to create a facility that he calls “a beauty.”

“This is a jewel in this community,” Gadd said.

Wiregrass Ranch High School students Marissa Adams, 16, and Alieah Diaz, 15, both members of the Principal’s Quartet, listen to Dr. Timothy Beard, president of Pasco-Hernando State College, as he addresses the crowd.

The deputy superintendent added: “This is an example of what happens when government works together.”

Armstrong told the crowd she toured the building last year and left feeling impressed.

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools, played a key role in bringing the vision of the performing arts center to fruition. He described the facility as a ‘jewel’ in the community.

The design is both creative and cost-efficient, she said.

“You walk into the classrooms, and you see how they convert into dance studios and music studios and bigger practice areas. It is just truly amazing that the students that go here can get all of their education, including their specialties, right in one building.

“And then, the theater itself is just amazing,” she said, referring to the 444-seat Weatherford Theater.

The facility not only enhances the school district’s performing arts programs, Armstrong said, but also gives students who are interested in those pursuits an opportunity to remain local, if they wish to continue their education in the arts.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore took a little trip down memory lane, as he addressed the crowd.

“This hits home with me because I was a communications major at Polk Community College, which is now Polk State College.

“I actually interned at a facility very similar to this. I spent my time learning how to work lighting, do the soundboard, being a stagehand and helping those performers behind the scenes.”

Saying there is no other facility like IPAC in the immediate area, Moore thanked area lawmakers for helping to secure the funding for the project.

Speakers from PHSC also shared their enthusiasm about the opportunities that IPAC presents.

The facility offers three Associate in Arts (AA) performing arts curriculum pathways for students who plan to transfer to a Florida public university to complete a bachelor’s degree in dance, theater or music.

It also offers an Associate in Science (AS) degree in digital media and multimedia technology with six college credit certificates.

The 36,000-square-foot facility includes a fully digital system, with the latest in lighting and sound support.

Freelance photographer Fred Bellet contributed to this report.

Published January 26, 2022

Federal government offers free COVID tests through the mail

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As questions persist over whether the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is peaking, or already has, leading to a decline in infections — President Joe Biden has announced a new federal program that provides four free COVID-19 tests per household.

Tests are available for every residential address in the United States, including U.S. Territories and overseas military and diplomatic addresses (APO/FPO/DPO), according to the government’s website.

To order the tests, go to COVIDTESTS.gov.

To place an order, all you need is your name and residential address. No ID, credit card, or health insurance information is required. You also may share your email address to get updates on your order.

All tests distributed as part of this program are FDA-authorized at-home rapid antigen tests, and instructions will be provided on how to use them.

The website also provides information on when you should use the tests.

It reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you take an at-home test:

  • If you begin having COVID-⁠19 symptoms like fever, sore throat, runny nose, or loss of taste or smell
  • (Or) At least five days after you come into close contact with someone with COVID-⁠19
  • (Or) When you’re going to gather with a group of people, especially those who are at risk of severe disease or may not be up to date on their COVID-⁠19 vaccines

Those who don’t have access to the internet or need additional support placing an order, can call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489).

Tests were scheduled to begin shipping the week of Jan. 24.

Meanwhile, according to a CDC interpretive summary for Jan. 21, the current seven-day moving average of daily new cases across the nation was 744,616, a decrease of 5% compared with the previous seven-day moving average of 783,922.

A total of 68,671,563 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the U.S., as of Jan. 19, the report says.

“Currently two variants, Omicron and Delta, are classified as Variants of Concern (VOC) in the United States,” the summary says.

The national proportion of Omicron, as of Jan. 15, was put at 99.5%  with 0.5% for Delta.

As of Jan. 19, a total of 856,288 COVID-19 deaths has been reported in the United States.

Florida’s community transmission rate is considered high, according to the CDC’s COVID Data Tracker.

The number of cases in Florida, according to the seven-day rolling average, was 262,773, with a positivity rate exceeding 25%. The seven-day rolling average for new hospital admissions was 1,863 and the number of deaths, 75.

In Hillsborough County, the seven-day change, showed 18,267 cases, a positivity rate exceeding 26%; there were 1,297 new hospital admissions and 12 deaths.

In Pasco County, the seven-day change, showed 7,098 cases, with a positivity rate exceeding 30%; There were 332 new hospital admissions and 10 deaths.

Meanwhile, Pasco County Schools’ report for Jan. 21, 2022 showed the district had 223 student cases and 26 staff cases, bringing the year’s total to 9,582 student cases and 1,842 staff cases.

In Hillsborough County Schools, there were 122 staff cases and 393 student cases, reported on Jan. 21. During this school year, the district has reported cases involving 3,981 staff members and 18,993 students.

Want to order four free COVID tests?
Every residential household is eligible to order four free COVID tests, being provided for through the federal government. Order the free tests at COVIDTESTS.gov.

Published January 26, 2022