The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

B.C. Manion

Land O’ Lakes woman helps haul in big fishing trophy

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Tanya Michelle Arendes, who goes by Tanya Michelle, can barely remember a time when she didn’t have a fishing pole in her hand.

The Land O’ Lakes woman, who grew up on Deer Lake in Lutz, said her parents and grandparents nurtured her love for the sport.

“I started fishing when I was probably 3 or 4 years old,” said the angler, who is a third-generation Floridian. “My kids are fourth generation. We love this area.”

Tanya Michelle Arendes has a passion for fishing and she wants to encourage other women — with or without children, to give it a try. For her, the pursuit is therapeutic, and when there’s a fish on the line, it offers an adrenaline rush, too. (B.C. Manion)

During her growing-up years, she said, “we would fish all of the time. My dad was big into boating, so we always had the boat out in the lake, every weekend.

“Our house was the house — everybody came over to hang out on the lake.

“Every summer, my family would go to Ramble River Springs campground, in Dunnellon. We camped the whole trip. I didn’t leave the dock,” she said.

She is passing that love along to her children, 19-year-old Kelsey Albritton and 8-year-old Kason Meehan, who recently were out fishing with her at their neighbor Kurt Conover’s dock at Twin Lakes.

Over the years, Tanya Michelle’s fishing expertise has grown.

During this past summer, she and her teammate Terrie Huffmaster earned some impressive bragging rights by becoming the first females to win the ICAST fishing tournament.

Tanya Michelle Arendes, of Land O’ Lakes, can barely remember a time when she wasn’t holding a fishing rod. (Courtesy of Tanya Michelle Arendes)

They were joined on their team by Jackson Williams, a boat captain.

Team Lucky Go Fishing/Fish Bites broke the tournament’s record with a bag that weighed 25 pounds, 10 ounces, according to the tournament’s web page.

The acronym ICAST stands for International Convention of Allied Sportsfishing Trades. It was the first time in the tournament’s history that women were on the winning team.

Tanya Michelle explained how the international fishing tournament works.

“You have a five-fish limit. You can only keep five fish to weigh. In four hours, we caught about 40 fish,” she said.

The team knew it was in good shape before the weigh-in.

“We did our research. We knew that morning going into it that the biggest bag ever weighed for ICAST was only like 22 pounds.

Tanya Michelle credits the boat captain for taking them to a great fishing spot.

While winning the tournament was a thrill, the female angler said that for her, the joy of fishing lies in the pursuit.

“I don’t care if I come in last, I just love being out there and being involved in the sport, the camaraderie. I just love it. I love talking to people about all of their fish stories.

Terrie Huffmaster, left, and Tanya Michelle Arendes hoist the 2021 ICAST Cup trophy. The tournament took place at Big Toho Marina Kissimmee, on July 20. (Courtesy of Tanya Michelle Arendes)

“Of course, some of them aren’t true. But that’s part of it,” Tanya Michelle said.

While fishing can be a soothing pastime, that’s not the case in competitive fishing.

“Tournament fishing is pretty intense. A lot of people will have 10 or 15 rods already rigged,”  she said.

Whether competing for a trophy or out fishing on her own, Tanya Michelle simply adores being on or near water.

She has her own business that has flexible hours, so she can go fishing three or four times a week.

“If it’s not bass fishing, then I’m in the salt and I’m catching snook, redfish, trout. I actually have a hashtag online. My hashtag is TheCrazySnookLady. You click on that, you see nothing but me and fish.

“For salt (saltwater fishing), we go to St. Pete, Clearwater, (and the) Tierra Verde area. I hit all of the bridges,” she said.

Her biggest freshwater catch came in 2009, when she landed a 10-pound, 1-ounce freshwater bass, in Odessa.

“That’s still my biggest fish.

“My biggest saltwater catch —  that’s a different story. It was an 8-foot nurse shark. It was like a 2 ½-hour fight,” she said.

Over the years, she’s become knowledgeable about rods, reels, bait and tackle, and how to maintain her gear. She’s also picked up the ins and outs of when and where to fish.

“Dawn or dusk are usually the best, first light or last light, because that’s when they’re hungry,” she said. The weather, the sun, the moon and tides all are important, she added.

“If I’m saltwater fishing, if it’s high tide, there will be more fish up in there,” she explained.

Besides being a great sport for women, fishing also is a great activity for families, she said.

“We’ll do dinner and go fishing.

“After work, I’ll come over to Kurt’s dock to fish. Or, I’ll run over to Bexley. Or, even up to Ballantrae. I have friends over there. They’ll come meet me at the lake with their golf cart and their kids,” she said.

Mostly, she fishes for sport.

“I’m strictly catch and release, when it comes to freshwater. I don’t eat freshwater fish. I throw them all back. And, most saltwater (fish), I throw back,” she said.

As a single mom, she said she finds fishing to be therapeutic.

“While I’m fishing, I don’t think about what bills are due, what problems are going on. I’m thinking about my line and what fish is going to hit it.

“It’s just freeing for me,” she said.

While relaxing on one hand, it also produces an adrenaline rush — when there’s a fish on the line.

“It’s like a drug-free drug. It can be addicting. People get addicted to it. All they want to do is fish,” she said. “I love it. I really do.”

When it comes to fishing, Tanya Michelle acknowledged, she’s hooked.

Published December 22, 2021

Pasco takes step toward banning retail sale of rabbits

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The Pasco County Commission has directed county staff to come back to the board with a recommendation regarding banning the retail sale of rabbits.

Pasco County outlawed the sale of kittens, puppies, cats and dogs from pet stores last year, and now animal advocates want a similar ban on the sale of pet rabbits.

Commissioner Jack Mariano said the board should consider a ban, and he and his colleagues voted to have county staff bring something back to the board on the issue.

The action followed emails received by commissioners and requests during the public comment portion of a meeting in September and also in December.

This bunny lived in a loving home and was well taken care of from the age of 6 months; unfortunately, rabbits often are ‘impulse buys’ and are abandoned on the streets shortly after their purchase, say some animal advocates who want to ban the retail sale of rabbits at pet shops. (Courtesy of Meagan Rathman-Urena)

During the Dec. 7 meeting, Dr. Betsy Coville, a veterinarian from Lutz, told commissioners that rabbits are the third most-surrendered pet.

“They require higher maintenance than dogs or cats and can live 10 to 12 years.

“Frequently dumped outside, when the rescues are full, they starve, become prey for coyotes, or are hit by a car.

Bunny mills are consistently the source for these bunnies that become unwanted.

They’re “no different from the puppy mills that we recognize as inhumane,” she said.

“There are currently three locations in Florida that have placed bans on retail sales of rabbits: Orange County, Desoto County and Key West.

“They have all placed rabbits, along with dogs and cats, in their retail sale ban.

“Petco and PetSmart stopped selling rabbits in 2007, and only work with rescues. They are the No. 1 and (No.) 2 retail pet supplies in the U.S., so obviously, a ban will not hurt these businesses financially. This ban will take the pressure off rescues and humane societies — removing the guilt of turning them away and negating the need for owners to dump them.

“Pasco County has been a leader in the state in protecting animals, with anti-tethering laws and pet sales bans.

“Now, as we are working to educate and change laws in neighboring counties, we hope you will be the trailblazer for the Tampa Bay region,” the veterinarian said.

Animal advocate Renee Rivard, who had appeared at both the Sept. 28 and Dec. 7 meeting, reiterated her concerns.

At the Dec. 7 meeting, she told commissioners: “The Tampa Humane Society has taken in 246 unwanted pet rabbits so far this year. That’s 100 more than last year.

“Hillsborough County commissioners are taking action, because the Tampa Humane Society is their partner in helping the county with unwanted pets,” she said.

She asked the Pasco board to do the same: “There is no facility in Pasco County that takes in unwanted rabbits. Suncoast House Rabbit Rescue is your partner with unwanted pet rabbits here in Pasco County. Suncoast House Rabbit Rescue has told you that they are overwhelmed. In September alone, they had to turn away 66 unwanted pet rabbits.

“It is extremely difficult to find fosters and homes for rabbits. Rabbits are a high-maintenance pet,” Rivard said. “They need specialized veterinarian care, which is expensive,” she added.

She also explained that the majority of rabbit sales are impulse buys at retail stores. That especially occurs around Easter, when children tell their parents they want a bunny rabbit.

Rivard told commissioners: “You have roughly 45 pet stores in Pasco County; 36 of them survive, without selling rabbits.”

The argument that Petco and PetSmart haven’t sold rabbits in years seemed to resonate with Mariano.

He mentioned that and noted that in addition to hearing from speakers, he’s received emails on the issue.

He made a motion to have county staff look into the issue and to report back to the board, which received unanimous support from his colleagues.

Published December 22, 2021

Road dispute stalls zoning request until January

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The Pasco County Commission has delayed until Jan. 25 a request for a 108 single-family subdivision in Land O’ Lakes — to give the developer a chance to work out a solution for addressing area traffic concerns.

The rezoning is being requested by Darrell A. and Karen J. Renner.

It calls for changing the zoning on 50.5 acres of agricultural land to allow a master-planned unit development (MPUD), on the south side of Bexley Road, about a mile west of the intersection of U.S. 41 and Wisteria Loop.

Both the Pasco County Planning Commission and county planners recommended approval of the rezoning, providing a number of conditions are met — including the construction of a new road.

But the applicant has balked at constructing a new road, because of the cost.

Attorney Shelley Johnson, whose clients are seeking the rezoning, said they are willing to improve Wisteria Loop, to bring it up to county standards  — a condition that county planners required in their original recommendation for approval.

The applicant also has offered to improve a nearby intersection into a safer configuration, Johnson said.

Area residents, however, continue to push for the new road to be built.

Speakers including Ray Gadd, Chris Nocco and Jeremy Couch urged the county board to take action to prevent existing neighborhoods from being flooded by traffic, not only from the future 108-home development, but others that are being, or will be built in the area.

Gadd, who is deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools, and Nocco, who is the county’s sheriff, both made it clear that they were speaking as private residents, not in their official capacity.

At the initial planning board meeting, Johnson said her client would be willing to build the new road or improve the existing one and county planners subsequently changed the conditions to require the new road.

But when the issue came back to the planning board for further discussion, Johnson said constructing the road would be too costly. Instead, she said, her client was willing to bring the existing road up to standard.

Published December 22, 2021

Let Us Do Good Village breaks ground

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The patriotism was palpable at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Let Us Do Good Village, a first-of-its kind community in the nation — where mortgage-free homes will be provided for catastrophically injured veterans, and for surviving widows and small children of fallen members of the military and first responders.

The subdivision of more than 100 homes is planned off Parkway Boulevard, in Land O’ Lakes, on 75 acres donated by the Esther and Harold Mertz Foundation to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

Tunnel to Towers Foundation Chairman and CEO Frank Siller expressed gratitude for the work that’s already been done and encouraged everyone to do what they can in the quest to thank the families of those who have given up their lives, or sacrificed their bodies in order to keep others safe. (Fred Bellet)

Tunnel to Towers, established 20 years ago after Stephen Siller perished on Sept. 11, 2001, will provide the mortgage-free homes.

“The Tunnel to Towers Foundation was started in memory of Stephen Siller, a New York City firefighter who laid down his life while saving others on Sept. 11, 2001,” said Bradley Blakeman, who served as master of ceremonies for the groundbreaking event.

“Stephen, with 60 pounds of gear strapped to his back, raced by foot through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the Twin Towers, where he gave his life, saving others,” he said.

Blakeman was working on the White House staff on 9/11, as a chief scheduler for President George W. Bush.

Blakeman also had a nephew who died in 9/11, after rushing to Ground Zero to help others.

Disabled veteran Bret Jacob Menard received some unexpected news that he will be a Tunnel to Towers beneficiary. Menard’s life coach and friend, Gil D’Amore, of Dade City, left, lifts Menard’s arm in thanks. Menard’s father Bret Menard, of New Tampa, right, applauds the announcement.

Like Stephen Siller, Blakeman said his nephew’s body was never recovered.

“The Siller family didn’t want to stay consumed in the darkness and tragedy of that day, but chose instead to honor heroic sacrifices that were made by all 2,977 who lost their lives that day in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

“The Tunnel to Towers Foundation promised to never forget,” Blakeman said.

“This Let Us Do Good Village is just one example of the many good works that Frank Siller and the foundation has done all over our country.

“This village, the first of its kind, will create a community of families who will share a special bond together, who understand better than anyone what it takes to keep our nation and our communities free,” Blakeman said.

“It will be more than houses. Along with over 100 brand new mortgage-free homes, the Let Us Do Good Village will feature world-class amenities, will have an indoor basketball court, a pool, a tennis court, an ADA-accessible gym, a theater, an outdoor playground, a game room and so, so much more,” he said.

Frank Siller speaks to Bryan Dilberian, 35, of Staten Island, prior to taking the stage for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation ceremony. Veterans were honored for their service and in this case, their sacrifice. Dilberian is the first recipient of a Smart Home in the Let Us Do Good Village.

Another speaker, James S. “Hammer” Hartsell, drew an enthusiastic response from the crowd, when he said: “I feel bad for the rest of America who’s not here today, right here, right now. I feel sorry for them. This is where we need to be as Americans, right here, right now, today.”

Hartsell, who is the executive director of the Florida Veterans Administration, extended his thanks to the many veterans and active service members at the event.

“Thank you for these motorcycle riders over here who are protecting our flag and protecting our nation’s honor,” Hartsell said.

“Thank you for that color guard that drove up here from MacDill.

“I want to thank the moms and dads, aunts and uncles, grandparents — who brought kids here today. They need to see this and what we’re doing today because this is what makes America great. They won’t forget what they see and hear here today,” said Hartsell, a veteran of 37 years in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Recipients of Tunnel to Towers’ help also spoke.

One of those speakers was JoAnne Campbell, who was visibly emotional. Her husband died from a 9/11-related illness.

“We’ve lost people that we’ve loved so dearly, and we felt the pain of losing them and the grief that follows. But through that despair, Tunnel to Towers has helped remove some of the financial strain from me and my family.

From left, retired U.S. Marine Corps Major Gen. James S. ‘Hammer’ Hartsell, Tunnel to Towers CEO Frank Siller, and Nancy Close pose for pictures after the groundbreaking for the Let Us Do Good Village. Close, representing the Mertz Foundation, was among several donors who are making the development of 100-plus homes on 75-acres, a reality in Land O’ Lakes.

“The gratitude that I feel for what they have done cannot be put into words,” said Campbell, whose mortgage was paid off by Tunnel to Towers.

U.S. Army Sgt. Bryan Diberian, who will receive the first Smart Home in the Let Us Do Good Village, spoke, too.

He sustained injuries when he was on patrol in Afghanistan and stepped on an improvised explosive device in July 2011.

“The Siller Foundation was pretty much there by my bedside,” he said. “They sat me down for lunch one day and they told me they’re going to build me a house. It changed my life. It really did.”
Another speaker John B. Grandoff III is on the board of directors for the Esther and Harold Mertz Foundation, which donated the land.

“St. Francis of Assisi is the enduring inspiration for Stephen’s foundation, and he was the guiding light to the Siller family in their times of need and sorrow.

“St. Francis truly inspires the Esther and Harold Mertz Foundation in its mission,” Grandoff said.

Bolts fan and U.S. Army veteran P.J. Gray, of Dade City, stands with other flag-bearing veterans at the groundbreaking event for the Let Us Do Good Village.

Frank Siller, CEO and chairman of Tunnel to Towers, greeted the crowd by expressing his gratitude for being together to celebrate the beginning of the Let Us Do Good Village.

“Can you believe it? You tell me that God doesn’t work in wondrous ways. Is this not a day that God has made?

“This is a day that brings the goodness of America together. Think about it. Think about it,” he said.

Siller reminded the crowd: “We live in this country because there’s such a tremendous sacrifice for us. Not just our military, but our men and women who protect us every single day, our police officers and our firefighters.”

Beyond providing mortgage-free homes, the Let Us Do Good Village will create a unique sense of community.

Wearing his favorite vest, U.S. Army veteran Jack Fair, of Hudson, stands by as (left) Pasco County Sheriff’s Cpl. Arthur Madden chats with attending veterans at the Tunnel to Towers Foundation groundbreaking in Land O’ Lakes.

“This village will be a safe haven for the people who are going through the same thing in life,” Siller said.

A 10-year-old who lost his mom or dad will be able to talk to another 10-year-old going through the same thing. The same is true for a husband or wife, whose spouse sacrificed his or her life, he said.

“You know how important that is, to be able to sit with somebody that’s going through the same thing?” he said.

Siller said his parents died when Stephen was only 10, and he recalled his youngest brother telling him he wished he had not been born.

He told him not to say that, that someday he would do something really special.

“I think Stephen’s destiny was 9/11. I think he was put on this earth to run through that tunnel, to save people’s lives, so that we could start a foundation, so that we could help the greatness of America — those who are willing to die for you and I every day,” he said.

While the groundbreaking was a day of celebration, Siller reminded the crowd: “We have a lot of work ahead of us.”

He also encouraged those gathered to follow this teaching, of St. Francis of Assisi: “While we are here, while we have time, let us do good.”

Revised December 16, 2021

After decades of waiting, Ridge Road extension to open this month

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It has been more than two decades in the making — but the first segment of the Ridge Road extension is expected to open this month.

Don’t expect great fanfare to accompany that opening, though.

“The plan is, the second it can open to traffic, it will open to traffic, and we will have a big event at some point, after that day,” Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles told the Pasco County Commission on Dec. 7.

“Now, we may do some kind of small parade that day, but nothing big,” Biles added.

Biles explained that he’s not going to delay opening the road simply to schedule a celebration. It takes time for those things because it involves coordinating “a ton of different calendars,” he added.

The first leg of the extension will carry traffic from Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey to the Suncoast Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

The second leg, which is slated for completion in 2025, will extend Ridge Road to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes.

The completion date for the second leg might be accelerated, if the Florida Legislature provides additional funding for the project.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore recently announced that he had asked State Rep. Ardian Zika and State Sen. Ed Hooper to sponsor legislation seeking $14 million for the project, adding they both have agreed to do so.

County officials have pushed for the extension for decades, justifying the need for it to provide an additional east-west hurricane evacuation route.

The new 9-mile extension, once completed to U.S. 41, also will relieve traffic on State Road 52 and State Road 54, the only two through east-west roads that carry traffic across the county.

The extension also will support the area’s burgeoning growth.

A huge development known as the Angeline community will be rising on thousands of acres, south of State Road 52 and west of U.S. 41.

The future growth includes a 775-acre Pasco campus planned by Moffitt Cancer Center, near the Ridge Road and Suncoast Parkway interchange.

Moffitt’s campus is expected to become a magnet for life sciences research.

The county’s elected leaders and economic development experts also expect Moffitt’s development to have a transformative effect on the area’s future development and to generate thousands of jobs.

Leadership from Pasco County Schools and Moffitt already foresee great possibilities of working together when the district builds its planned 6-12 STEAM school on land near Moffitt’s planned campus. The acronym STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

Published December 15, 2021

State Road 54 work expected to resume this month

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Work on a project to widen State Road 54 — from Curley Road to Morris Bridge Road — is expected to resume on Dec. 20, according to Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District Seven Secretary David Gwynn.

Gwynn recently updated the board of the Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization regarding the status of three construction projects that were stalled this summer, when the contractor handling the work defaulted.

“It was the end of July when DAB  (Contractors) defaulted, more or less put us on notice that they were not financially able to continue to complete the projects,” Gwynn said.

The FDOT notified the surety, which provides the bond on the project, that is responsible for bringing in a replacement contractor to complete the work.

It typically takes two to four months to bring a replacement contractor on board, Gwynn said.

In addition to the State Road 54 project, work also was stopped on the diverging diamond interchange project at State Road 56 and Interstate 75; and on the State Road 52 project, on State Road 52, from the Suncoast Parkway to U.S. 41, including a portion of U.S. 41.

Work has resumed on the diverging diamond project, with Superior Construction handling the job. That’s the same company that’s building the realignment of State Road 52 in East Pasco.

“They jumped onto the diverging diamond. One thing they just recently did, it wasn’t really required of them in the contract, but for the Christmas holiday season, opened up an additional lane on State Road 56 to try to help with the merchants in the area and be able to provide a little better service during the shopping season,” Gwynn said.

The contractor expects to have the new configuration completed by summer 2022, Gwynn said.

The State Road 52 project is being handled by a company called PCS (previously known as Pepper). The work has begun, but there’s still about two years left on that project, the FDOT officials said.

“The one that’s given us the most challenge has been State Road 54, for a variety of reasons,” he said.

That work will be completed by Cone & Graham, which is the company that is building the county’s Ridge Road project and that built the State Road 56 extension, Gwynn said.

Gwynn also noted there are some traffic issues at the new leg of an intersection at Meadow Pointe Boulevard and State Road 54, which has to do with an equipment issue. He said that is expected to be corrected in coming weeks.

The Pasco MPO — made up of representatives of Pasco County, Dade City, Zephyrhills, Port Richey and New Port Richey — is the lead transportation planning agency in Pasco County.

Published December 15, 2021

New 410-home subdivision approved in Land O’ Lakes

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The Pasco County Commission has approved a new subdivision in Land O’ Lakes, on the north side of Wisteria Loop, approximately 2,100 feet west of U.S. 41.

The development, known as the Clark master-planned unit development (MPUD) has been approved for up to 410 single-family attached and detached residences.

The request was submitted by the Robert J. Clark Jr. Trust and the John M. Clark Revocable Trust.

The land previously was zoned for agricultural residential, estate residential and rural density mobile home zoning.

The approved plan calls for a mixture of lot sizes.

Conditions also include a requirement for architectural details to prevent monotony in the design and a requirement for trees within the development.

The subdivision will have access to Causeway Boulevard to the north. It will not have vehicular access to Bexley Road/Wisteria Loop except during emergencies.

The upland portions of the project in the southeast and southwest shall be preserved for open space/stormwater/mitigation, as depicted on the Master Plan, and shall not be developed for residential uses as they would not have direct access to the project’s internal roadways/Causeway Boulevard, according to materials contained in the county board’s agenda packet.

The master plan also shows pedestrian/sidewalk access to Land O’Lakes High School on the northeast and to the conceptual/planned Bexley/Wisteria Trail, the agenda materials show.

Published December 15, 2021

Higher density approved near Zephyrhills

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The Pasco County Commission has approved a land use change that will allow greater density on about 30 acres near Zephyrhills.

The change increases the allowable density from three units per acre to six units per acre and lays the groundwork for a future rezoning.

The rezoning, which is being pursued, will accommodate the expansion of the Forest Lakes Estates community, a 1,000-home manufactured housing community for people age 55 and older.

Clarke Hobby, an attorney representing Equity Lifestyles, said his client owns the existing 1,000-unit manufactured housing community, which is on the east side of Gateway Drive, and wants to add about 90 additional units on the 30-acre property, on the west side of Gateway Drive, south of County Road 54.

During the Dec. 7 county board meeting, Hobby said the land use change makes sense.

“There’s Res-6 across County Road 54 from us, and there’s a large swath of I-L (light industrial) that’s immediately to our west. So we don’t feel that the change from Res-3 to Res-6 is a big issue, from a land use planning perspective.”

Hobby also told board members: “Gateway Drive runs from County Road 54 down through the eastern part of the project.

“Our plan is to swap right of way and build the neighbors a new road on our western side, so we’ll be able to ultimately join our projects, and we’ve agreed, in a private agreement to — in addition to that, at our own costs, to give our neighbors enough money to resurface the entirety of Marx Avenue and Frontier Drive to the south, which approximately is a mile or so, in addition.

“So, my client has made a big commitment to help with the betterment of this area,” he said.

Area resident Cindi Buckel objected to the change.

She urged commissioners to reject the request, citing concerns about area traffic and increasing traffic fatalities, as the county continues to allow new subdivisions along two-lane roads.

She also noted the difficulty motorists face, as they attempt to get around in an area that’s growing increasingly congested.

“The roads have not been looked at, as the subdivisions just keep growing, and growing and growing,” Buckel said.

She noted it already takes a long time — even without the new houses — to get out onto County Road 54, from Gateway.

“You have construction trucks, nonstop, heading in both directions towards Polk, towards Zephyrhills,” she said, while also noting a double fatality accident that recently occurred — involving a construction truck and a RAV-4 on Chancey Road.

Commissioner Ron Oakley applauded the developer’s plan to build the additional road.

“The real bonus was when they decided to build a new road for the residents behind it. It keeps from splitting that park up and it joins it together. And it makes it a lot better for the residents that are on larger tracts, right in behind them,” Oakley said.

Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey asked if the new development would have landscaping requirements.

Hobby said it will.

Hobby also noted that County Road 54 has been rated at a Level of Service B.

The land use change was approved on a 5-0 vote.

In a separate action, related to the same property, the county board has set a public hearing for Jan. 11 at 1:30 p.m., to consider the advisability of closing a portion of Gateway Drive, from County Road 54 to Marx Avenue.

Hobby’s client has proposed constructing a new alignment to connect County Road 54 to Frontier Drive, which then connects to Marx Avenue, and, upon completion of the Frontier Drive Extension, to exchange the newly constructed Frontier Drive Extension with the Gateway Drive parcels.

Published December 15, 2021

Selection of planning board members to change

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The Pasco County Commission has approved a new process for selecting members of the Pasco County Planning Commission.

Under the new process, each county board member will be able to choose someone to sit on the planning board.

There also will be one at-large member, who will be selected collectively by the county board.

There’s also a representative for the Pasco County School Board on the planning board and that will not change.

County board members approved the process change during their Dec. 7 meeting.

They had discussed their desire to change the selection process during previous meetings and directed county staff to pursue changes to the county’s land development code to effectuate the change.

The amendment required public hearings, and no one stepped forward to speak in favor or in opposition.

The proposed terms of the planning board members would coincide with the term of the county board member who selected him or her.

The new process will take effect on Feb. 22.

Although each county board member will appoint one member of the planning board, there are no restrictions on where the planning board members live.

Three of the current planning board members live in County Commissioner Mike Moore’s district and three live in County Commissioner Christina Fitzpatrick’s district. No planning board members live in the districts represented by Kathryn Starkey, Jack Mariano or Ron Oakley.

In previous discussions, Oakley said he didn’t see a need for the change since the planning board members serve the entire county, but Starkey and Mariano said they wanted a greater say.

Published December 15, 2021

Pasco schools want state to reconsider special ed rule

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The Pasco County School Board and district officials are asking state officials to take another look at a state rule change they believe could have negative consequences on students with significant cognitive impairments.

Changes in the state rule, which took effect this school year, impact the district’s ability to deliver a modified curriculum to teach students with severe cognitive impairments and to evaluate them using an alternate assessment.

The rule change essentially eliminated the ability to use that approach for all severely cognitively impaired kindergartners, and severely restricted the option for all students who have an IQ of 68 or more.

The problem, according to the Pasco County School Board and the district’s administration, is that children who began kindergarten this year may have already been receiving a modified curriculum while enrolled in programs since the age of 2, but are not provided that option this year.

And, older students who had been receiving the less rigorous coursework — with the goal of helping them achieve to the best of their potential — can no longer qualify, except in extraordinary circumstance, if they have an IQ of 68 or higher.

Melissa Musselwhite, the district’s director of student support and services, laid out the district’s concerns during a Nov. 16 school board meeting.

During the session, school board members also expressed concerns and authorized school board member Colleen Beaudoin to work with Musselwhite to write a letter that will be sent to Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, members of the state board of education, and legislative leaders. That letter is expected to be sent this week.

Musselwhite briefed the board on the background leading up to the current situation.

Years ago, the Florida Legislature recognized there’s a barrier with educating students with significant cognitive disabilities using standardized curriculum and assessments, Musselwhite said.

So, a state rule sets the eligibility criteria for students to be taught using a modified curriculum and evaluated through an alternate assessment.

But a state rule change that took effect this year removes the alternative option for all kindergartners, Musselwhite said. Now, they must be taught and tested using general education curriculum and standards.

That change does not take into account the severity of the child’s cognitive disability or the child’s IQ, she said.

Musselwhite said she’s concerned “that these students will start their educational career off struggling, which will impact them not only educationally, but socially and psychologically, as they progress through the educational system.

“For many of them, they will likely spend the rest of their education struggling, trying to catch up for what could be seen as a lost year of educational opportunity,” she said.

To force districts to comply with the rule change, the state deleted the kindergarten access courses from its course code directory — allowing only general education courses as an option for scheduling, Musselwhite said.

The state rule change also requires students to have an IQ of 67 or below, regardless of grade level, to qualify for the modified curriculum and alternate assessment, Musselwhite said.

That strict cutoff applies, except in extraordinary circumstances, she said.

The rule doesn’t take into account “other exceptionalities that may impact that student’s ability to learn or demonstrate mastery of the educational concepts taught to them,” she said.

For instance, she said, a student who has severe autism, language deficiencies, hearing impairment, orthopedic disabilities and an IQ of 68 would not qualify, while a student with an IQ of 67 and no other impairments would.

In essence, the rule bars the district’s staff and its Individual Education Plan teams from using their professional judgment in planning for and educating students, Musselwhite said.

She’s concerned that students who don’t meet the IQ standard, but have a multitude of co-existing disabilities, could be destined for frustration and failure.

Another big concern is that the rule change could affect students in any grade — meaning they could be going down one educational path for years and then suddenly be shifted.

She expressed it to school board members this way: “The arbitrary and capricious decision to impact a student’s education based solely on IQ score, without considering the student as a whole, and without taking into account that student’s individualized needs, is completely contrary to the underlying concepts of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).”

That act was created to protect students with disabilities and ensure they are treated fairly through the provision of a free and appropriate public education, she said.

Under IDEA, students with disabilities are entitled to an educational plan that is specifically tailored to their individualized needs and abilities.

The new rule permits an exception to the 67 IQ  limit, in extraordinary circumstance, but the Florida Department of Education would need to approve the process the district would use and, so far, no guidance has been provided on what a permissible process would be, Musselwhite said.

Musselwhite noted that the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) permits the usage of alternate assessments, but limits that to 1% of the total student population.

The problem, Musselwhite said, is that the actual need for the approach in any particular school system could exceed 1%.

Musselwhite said the state is currently seeking comment for a waiver to exceed the 1% requirement.

School Board Chairwoman Cynthia Armstrong said she thinks the results of this year’s state rule change may be an unintended consequence of trying to comply with the ESSA 1% rule. She said the district should pursue legislative action in the coming session to address the issue.

In later interviews, both Beaudoin and Musselwhite said they hope parents — whose children could face significant impacts — will express their concerns to legislators.

Beaudoin also said it’s important for the district to act on behalf of the students who could face negative impacts because of the change.

“If this was my kid, I would be up in arms,” Beaudoin said.

Published December 08, 2021