The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

B.C. Manion

Pasco to become home to ‘Let Us Do Good Village’

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The Pasco County Commission has cleared the way for the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation to create a neighborhood in Land O’ Lakes devoted to recipients of mortgage-free homes for catastrophically injured veterans, for surviving widows and children of fallen military and first responders.

“The Let Us Do Good Village, which is what we are calling our development, is a community created by our foundation, which is going to bring these families together,” said Matthew Mahoney, executive vice president of the foundation, at the county board’s June 8 meeting.

It will be the first development of its type in the country, created by a foundation that began 20 years ago, in the aftermath of Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The foundation is named after Stephen Siller, a firefighter who had finished his shift and was on his way home when the attacks occurred at the Twin Towers.

Instead of going home, the firefighter turned around and headed back toward Lower Manhattan.

When he wasn’t able to drive into the area because of the emergency, Mahoney said, “Stephen donned over 60 pounds of firefighting gear on his back and ran over 2 miles to the World Trade Center, ultimately losing his life that day at the South Tower.”

Siller was one of 343 firefighters who perished, of the 406 first responders lost that day, Mahoney said. He left behind five young children.

The foundation provides mortgage-free homes for recipients in its Smart Home, Fallen First Responders and Gold Star Family programs.

Typically, it either provides mortgage-free homes or pays off the mortgage, he said. By the end of this year, it will have paid off or provided 400 homes.

The Let Us Do Good Village will be created on about 75 acres, on the south side of Parkway Boulevard, about a half-mile east of Ehren Cutoff.

It will include specially adapted one-floor homes, on 100-foot-wide lots, for catastrophically injured veterans, the foundation’s Smart Home Program.

It also will provide two-story homes, on 60-foot lots, through its Fallen First Responders Program and through its Gold Star Family program.

The foundation believes that bringing these families together will help them to recover, Mahoney said.

“Their children are going to be able to grow up, where other children don’t have a dad, or other children don’t have a mom — because of their service,” the foundation executive said.

The county board’s unanimous approval came after the foundation agreed a number of concessions, which will be recorded through a deed restriction.

That deed restriction limits the development to 103 lots, said Cyndi Tarapani, a planning consultant representing the foundation.

The reduction in lots equates to an overall density of the development of about two homes per acre, she said.

The deed restriction also specifies that a 6-foot fence will be installed to separate the new neighborhood from the adjacent Panther Run and Dupree Lakes subdivisions, she said.

The development also will include a number of other amenities for its residents, including a clubhouse and neighborhood park, Tarapani added.

Mahoney said the foundation also plans to plant trees in backyards.

“We want to ensure privacy for our neighbors, and, of course, for our widows and children,” he said.

The foundation, technically, was not required to provide a deed restriction, according to the county’s legal staff.

However, neighbors in Panther Run had pushed back against the project, voicing objections based on concerns about compatibility and potential loss of privacy.

Pasco Planning Commission members also expressed misgivings about the compatibility, ultimately recommending denial of the application.

After the Planning Commission’s action, the foundation agreed to include additional concessions in its deed restriction — including reducing the number of lots on the Panther Run border, making most of those lots 100-feet wide and developing most of them with single-story homes.

“The foundation has made significant commitments along that common border with Panther Run to address their concerns. We believe we’ve gone above and beyond, in our efforts, to be good neighbors,” Tarapani said.

In general, some neighbors still voiced concerns about privacy issues and the intensity of the underlying zoning for the project.

But fewer residents expressed objections during the county board meeting than did at the planning commission meeting.

Panther Run resident Shelby Carrero, of 6448 Paw Place, thanked county commissioners for meeting with her to discuss the issue. She also thanked Tunnel to Towers Foundation for working with the neighbors.

“I think that we have finally come up with a compromise on both sides,” Carrero said.

Like many of the new development’s future neighbors, she supports the foundation’s work.

“I greatly, greatly appreciate that,” she said.

She’s also looking forward to the new community which the foundation will build.

“I think we couldn’t ask for better neighbors,” she said, adding, “we are excited to see what they are going to do.”

Pasco County Commissioners also expressed enthusiasm for the planned “Let Us Do Good Village.”

“I thank you for coming before the board with such a great project,” County Commissioner Jack Mariano said.

He also expressed appreciation to the foundation, for listening to the neighbors.

“I think you’re making yourself fit in real well,” Mariano said.

Commission Chairman Ron Oakley agreed: “You’ve all done a good job in answering the public  — the neighbors of that project.”

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey put it like this: “I’m  very proud that we’re going to have this in our county.”

Published June 16, 2021

New 122-house subdivision approved off Old Pasco Road

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The Pasco County Commission has approved a rezoning that will allow a new 122-home subdivision off Old Pasco Road, after delaying the request last month.

Commissioners approved the request from Life Church, LLC, with conditions, including a requirement for a 1.2-acre neighborhood park and that a tree be planted in front of every home in the development. Commissioners disagreed with a recommendation by the Pasco County Planning Commission that would have required fencing near retention ponds in the development.

Instead, that fencing would only be necessary if the ponds fail to meet sloping requirements and thus trigger the land development code’s requirement for fencing.

The county board’s decision came after a delay last month based on concerns regarding the timeline for construction of the widening of Old Pasco Road.

Commissioners also wanted to know about trail and sidewalk plans along that portion of the Old Pasco Road widening project.

Tammy Snyder, of the county’s planning and development department, told commissioners that design work for the portion of Old Pasco Road near the subdivision is set to be done this summer with construction of the road widening expected by the end of 2023.

Snyder said that the road widening also includes a 6-foot-wide sidewalk on one side of the road, a 12-foot-wide multi-use path on the other side of the road and a bike lane on each side of the road.

Commissioner Mike Moore said that timing of the road widening seems to nearly coincide with the development of the subdivision.

The applicant previously had requested a reduction in the size of the subdivision’s neighborhood park, which planners had recommended.

But Commissioner Jack Mariano objected to the reduction during the last meeting and the applicant dropped that request.

The tree requirement was added at the board’s June 8 meeting, at the urging of Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

“For me to approve this project, it’s going to require a tree in front of every house. Not in the back. Not a queen palm,” she said.

Starkey said will continue to seek the tree condition on every master planned development until the county fixes its landscape ordinance.

“Right now, we can put the tree in the backyard,” she said.

She wants the county’s ordinance to require a shade tree in front of every house in every new master plan zoning approved by the board.

One woman spoke, on behalf of her son, during the public hearing portion of the meeting.

Her son lives behind the development site.

The woman told commissioners that the road is packed with school buses, dump trucks and cars every day. She also showed video she took near the subject rezoning.

But information provided to the commissioners about the timing of the widening of that portion of Old Pasco Road seemed to alleviate their concerns about adding another subdivision along the road.

Commissioners voted 5-0 to grant the request.

Published June 16, 2021

Pasco board moves ahead on jail expansion funding

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The Pasco County Commission has authorized county staff to secure funding from the county’s general obligation bonds to pay for expansion of the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center.

The expansion is funded through general obligation bonds that Pasco voters approved in November 2018. The board unanimously authorized an amount of nearly $108 million of those funds to pay for the work.

The project will add 1,000 new beds, plus major upgrades to the jail’s central services, including medical, laundry, kitchen, intake and administrative facilities to meet a larger capacity.

At completion, the 352,700-foot-facility will be about 200,000 square feet larger.

The current facility has 1,432 beds, but is operating above capacity.

Completion of the expansion will allow the facility, at 20101 Central Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, to house more than 3,000 inmates.

Commissioner Jack Mariano requested an update on the project for the board and County Administrator Dan Biles said he would schedule a presentation sometime in July or August.

On another matter, the board agreed to amend an ordinance, at the county administrator’s request, to permit greater flexibility in how the county spends it transportation tax increment funds.

Chief Assistant County Attorney David Goldstein told the board the proposed change would allow the funds to be transferred to the general fund for other public facilities and services — to the extent they’re not needed for mobility fee subsidies.

“The exact amount of this transfer will be determined yearly, as part of the budget process,” Goldstein said.

The change also will apply to the Villages of Pasadena Hills, which has its own tax increment financing district. Those funds also had been restricted to transportation-only related costs, Goldstein said.

No one from the public spoke either for, or against, the change.

In another item, the board appointed members to the Northeast Pasco Rural Advisory Committee.

The county’s planning and development department sought applicants for the 13-member volunteer board and received 22 applications.

The committee’s task will be to  evaluate policies and regulations related to the Northeast Pasco Rural Protection Overlay District, and to recommend commercial development design standards and guidelines to the Pasco County Commission.

The northeast rural area is bordered by Bellamy Brothers Boulevard, the Green Swamp, State Road 52 and the Hernando County line.

Those appointed to the committee are:

  • Area residents: Nancy Hazelwood, Anthony Midthun, Lisa Moretti, Mary Kaye Harrison and Diana Hughes Diaz
  • Area business owners: Craig Linton Jr., James N. Hancock, Paul Boetcher, Frank Greco and Ronnie L. Deese
  • Land-use attorney: G. Randall (Randy) James
  • At-large members: Cyndi Tarapani and Chris Williams

The board, at the suggestion of Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, also appointed Seth Weightman, one of the applicants, to serve as an alternate.

Commission Chairman Ron Oakley, whose district includes the area, said “the staff did a good job of selecting the 13 out of the 22.”

With Northeast Pasco’s growth, the board will be able to address issues regarding the need for workforce housing and other issues, he said.

Oakley said the board will provide an avenue for input.

“People will be able to voice their opinion,” the commission chairman said.

Advisory committee members will serve until a final recommendation is made to the county board and then the committee will disband.

On another issue, Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said she would like to pursue a board workshop on the issue of the county’s vacation rentals ordinance.

She said she knows that opinions are divided on the issue, but she thinks something must be done regarding the county’s current ordinance — which she said is not working.

It is not yet known whether a workshop will be held.

In other action, the board:

  • Authorized the acquisition of 7.41 acres on State Road 54 for what will become Fire Station No. 5, and will serve central Wesley Chapel and communities within a 5-mile radius. A market value appraisal was completed on Feb. 8, using a sales comparison approach and it came in at about $3.1 million. The parcel is vacant and is zoned for commercial uses. The county’s purchase price is $2,450,000.
  • Approved a task order with Fleishman and Garcia Architects and Planners, AIA, PA (FGA) to perform architectural, engineering and related services for the design and construction of Fire Station No. 18 on Chancey Road in Zephyrhills in an amount not to exceed $261,230 for fiscal year 2021.
  • Accepted the donation of an electronic varsity scoreboard from the Dade City Little League, Inc. for John S. Burks Memorial Park. The 8-foot-by-4-foot LED scoreboard with wireless remote control, is valued at $3,090. It will be used for baseball games.

Published June 16, 2021

TECO to operate solar farm in unincorporated Zephyrhills

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Tampa Electric Company (TECO) has obtained permission to proceed with a solar farm generating up to 74.7 megawatts on a 576-acre site, east of Paul S. Buchman Highway, south of Jerry Road, west of Saunders Road and north of County Line Road, in unincorporated Zephyrhills.

The request is part of the electric company’s long-term strategy to build a grid that is reliable and meets its customer’s needs, according to background materials in the application file.

In approving the request, the Pasco County Planning Commission increased the buffering requirements to provide a better screen for residential neighbors to the site. To accomplish that, commissioners are requiring more trees to be planted to reduce visibility of the solar farm to neighbors living adjacent to the site.

Electric company officials hope to have the facility completed and producing energy by 2023, according to agenda background materials.

The solar farm will use film photovoltaic (PV) panels that absorb sunlight and directly produce electricity. It will be on a 576-acre site that includes the Palm River Dairy Farm and some single-family dwellings.

Conditions for approval included minimum setbacks, buffering requirements and noise regulations.

The solar farm will be located in the southeastern portion of unincorporated Pasco County.

The solar farm will consist of 133 acres of panels spread out over about 350 acres. The panels will be organized in arrays, and there will be grassy areas in between and beneath the solar arrays. Those grassy areas will be grazed by sheep.

The site is located next to Martin Marietta Materials, which uses are aggregate transfer facility, asphalt plant, rail spur, aggregate sorting and conveyance system, storage yard, sales and operational offices.

The solar farm will be unmanned and will be remotely monitored.

Under the conditions for approval, the applicant must  provide a decommission plan for the site, which may be reviewed and approved by the county administrator or his designee.

If the applicant ceases operations or the solar farm no longer works properly or is abandoned, the applicant is responsible for decommissioning the solar farm within 180 days.

The decommissioning shall include the removal and disposal of all material and equipment, in a manner that is consistent with industry standards and practices.

The site also must be restored to the condition that existed immediately following the initial site clearing and grading, according to background materials.

During the public hearing, one neighbor raised concerns about the potential impacts from the solar farm, including the potential for diminishing the value of his property, and the possible unknown health consequences.

Kristin Mora, an attorney representing TECO, cited research a research paper from the North Carolina State Clean Energy Technology Center, which concluded that solar farms are deemed a human health hazard.

She also cited research that determined that solar farms do not diminish property values.

Planning Commission Chairman Charles Grey, however, disputed the finding regarding property values.

“That’s my area of expertise. I’ve been in the business for 50 years,” Grey said. “I know what affects property values and what doesn’t. I don’t think anybody in this room could say, in all honesty, that they’d love to live next to a solar panel site.

“I know that we’re trying to develop them (solar farms). I know that we’re looking toward that type of energy, but if we’re going to do it, we’re going to have to pay the price to do it. I don’t think we should expect the neighbors to pay the price.

“Personally, I think, if it were up to me, they should have to be compensated for the amount of decrease in value their property may experience because I think they will experience it,” the planning board chairman concluded.

He also advocated for additional buffering to shield adjacent residential properties from the visual impacts of the solar farm.

Chief Assistant County Attorney David Goldstein said the planning board had the discretion to impose more substantial buffering requirements than recommended by planning staff.

“My personal feeling is that it should be not visible from the adjoining residence property owner. If I lived there, I certainly wouldn’t want to look out my backyard and see a bunch of solar panels,” Grey said.

Planning Commissioner Jaimie Girardi agreed, making a motion to approve the solar farm, but require more trees to be planted — to provide a greater degree of opacity.

Planning board members approved the motion, contingent on the conditions and the increased buffering requirement.

Published June 16, 2021

Pasco County’s budget picture is brighter than expected

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Pasco County has received its preliminary assessed values from Pasco County Property Appraiser Mike Wells, and the news is looking good for county coffers.

The preliminary numbers show that Pasco County has a $35 billion taxable assessed value, which represents a 10.8% bump over this year, according to Robert Goehig, the county’s budget director.

He characterized the increase as “an astounding figure.”

Goehig gave the Pasco County Commission an overview of the budget projections and a list of some potential expenditures during the board’s June 8 meeting.

County Administrator Dan Biles told commissioners: “The general goal today is to give you a high-level overview in respect to where we are with revenue, and some required expenses. But also to kind of give you an idea of some of the business plan initiatives in the various funds that we are recommending, and then get your feedback, as we go through.”

The increased valuation is expected to generate about $24.7 million in additional property tax revenues, Goehig said.

“We have an informal agreement with the sheriff, in which we split any new property tax revenues,” Goehig said. So, of the $24.7 million, $12.36 million would go to the sheriff’s budget.

The other $12.36 million would go to the county board’s spending plan, and to the Pasco County Property, Pasco County Tax Collector and to the Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller.

Of the $12.36 million, $4.92 million would be deducted off the top because it will go to the community redevelopment agencies and the tax increment financing area, Goehig said.

That leaves a total of $7.44 million available and the county has identified a number of “must spends” for a portion of that money, the budget director added.

Those must spends include:

  • Increasing the general fund reserve to 16.7%
  • Bringing Fire Station No. 3 and Fire Station No. 9 online.
  • Covering about $600,000 in additional expenses relating to employee retirement, for general and public safety employees
  • Meeting contractual obligations with Starkey Park and Gulf Harbors
  • Providing additional funds for the county’s contributions to state Medicaid, typically that increases $300,000 to $400,000 a year.

Other spending proposals include a 4% raise for county employees and firefighters; some IT hardware and software purchases; the construction of a road to lead to the Fire Training Facility in the central part of the county; an athletic field renovation program; a trails, blueways and greenways master plan; a library master plan; and some dredging, permitting and design work.

Additional staff also is being recommended to meet the county’s growing needs.

For instance, the county is putting together a technical team and a zoning team to help clear the bottleneck in its planning and development department, with the positions being paid primarily through fees.

The county also wants to beef up its code enforcement staff.

Goehig highlighted some factors contributing to the increased revenues.

For instance, the new construction figure was just over $1 billion last year and is almost $1.4 billion this year, he said.

“Anyone who has spent any time in Pasco County driving around would understand this new construction value of $1.38 billion,” Goehig said. In fact, that category has experienced an increase in values every year since 2014, he added.

The value for reevaluations — which are properties that have had significant improvements — nearly doubled this year, from about $1.1 billion to about $2 billion, he said.

Next, the county will receive a final assessed taxable value figure by July 1 and the board is expected to set the Truth in Millage (TRIM) tax rate at its July 6 meeting.

Once that rate has been set, it can be lowered, but cannot be increased, Goehig said.

The budget will be produced and distributed to the board before the public budget adoption hearings in September.

Pasco County Budget projections
Fiscal year 2022
Base Taxable Value:: $31.6 billion
New construction: $1.4 billion
Reevaluations: $2 billion
Total taxable value: $35 billion
Source: Pasco County

Next Steps
July 1: Property Appraiser sends final assessed taxable value figures to county
July 6: Pasco County Commission is scheduled to set the Truth in Millage tax rate, which can be lowered, but not increased before the budget is adopted.
September: County board adopts final budget, after public hearings.

Published June 16, 2021

Business Digest 06/16/2021

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New meeting place for ENPG
The East Pasco Networking Group is moving its meetings to a new location. It will begin meeting at the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, in the Ron Oakley Room, at 7:30 a.m. on July 13. The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will make the move official by having a ribbon cutting that day. Pasco County Clerk and Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles will be the featured speaker at the meeting. The center is located at 6585 Simons Road, in Zephyrhills. For more information, call Nils Lenz, at 813-782-9491 or Vicky Jones at 813-431-1149

Carrollwood Cultural Center hires engagement director
The Carrollwood Cultural Center has hired Ashley Lord to be its director of community engagement.

She will serve as the center’s liaison with other community organizations and will manage the volunteer program

Lord has spent most of her career as an educator, performer, and artist. She is the former program coordinator for the Kids on the Block educational puppetry program that served all the Hillsborough County elementary schools. She also holds credentials to teach music for kindergarten through 12th grade and drama for sixth through 12th grade. She also has expertise in expressive arts, dance, dramatic play and sound circles.

The Carrollwood Cultural Center is an arts-based nonprofit located at 4537 Lowell Road in Tampa.

Lord can be reached at 813-922-8167 or at .

Volunteer with Pasco Hernando SCORE
By volunteering with Pasco Hernando Score, you can share your business expertise with local entrepreneurs, expand your professional network and meet other experts in various fields. You can also develop new skills through training. To find out more, email: , or call 727-842-4638.

New director for Pasco Fine Arts Council
Lianna Tatman has been named the new director for the Pasco Fine Arts Council. She is an arts administrator with a specialty in cultural programming and community relations. She holds a master of arts from the University of Buffalo, in Arts Managements. She also has presented internationally on the role of the arts in global issues.

Ribbon Cuttings
This ribbon cutting was presented by the North Tampa Bay Chamber and the Carrollwood Area Business Association:

  • Momentum Chiropractic, June 10, 224 E. Bearss Ave.

This ribbon cutting was presented by the North Tampa Bay Chamber:

  • Valentino’s Fine Jewelers, June 3, 2300 Grand Cypress Drive, Suite 828, in Lutz.

Celebrating local heroes
The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce is celebrating the community’s healthcare workers, first responders and other local heroes for their significant efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. The celebration will be June 23, at Spartan Manor, 6121 Massachusetts Ave., in New Port Richey. The event begins with hors d’oeuvres at 5:30 p.m., follow by dinner and the program at 6:30. Tickets are $50 per person but if you purchase your ticket before 5 p.m. on June 16, you receive a $5 discount. Purchase your tickets online at GreaterPasco.com or call 813-909-2722 or 727-842-7651.

Pasco EDC entrepreneur education series
Overcoming the Summer Slump: Learn how to market in slow season. The slow season is a great time to focus on creating valuable content to attract new and existing customers, as, during the busy sales season, you probably don’t have enough time to engage with your audience, expand your brand’s name and grow your reputation in multiple groups of people. This free session is set for June 23, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

To find out more, go to PascoEdc.com.

Greater Pasco Chamber names new board members
The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce has announced new board members. Their three-year terms begin on July 1. The new board members are:

  • Kirsty Churchill, director of public relations, Gulfside Healthcare Services
  • Nick Carideo, manager/operations, Morton Plant North Bay Hospital
  • Elle Rudisill, attorney/owner, Elle Rudisill Law Firm
  • Julie Rogers, general manager, Progressive Air Systems, Inc.
  • Crystal Lazar, president and CEO, Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco County

Electric cooperative donates $400,000 to Kirkland Academy

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The Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative (WREC) has donated $400,000 to help Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation to purchase equipment for the school, now under construction off Curley Road, in East Pasco.

The donation “represents an investment in the next generation of engineers, IT professionals, electrical linemen, and entrepreneurs,” according to a news release from Pasco County Schools.

This is an aerial view of ongoing work at the Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, a new high school that will help to prepare students for a wide variety of career paths. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

The school district plans to open the new school in the fall of 2022. It will offer programs aimed to equip students “with 21st-Century employability skills and entrepreneurial experiences to enhance their long-term career prospects,” the release says.

The school is expected to have an enrollment of 1,000 students.

Its programs will include digital technology, engineering, biomedical science, transportation, building technology and others, the release adds.

The donation from the electric cooperative will go toward buying the equipment needed to prepare Kirkland Academy students for high-skill, high-wage careers.

“With technology rapidly changing particularly in the utility sector, WREC felt it essential to invest in an educational program that focuses on the latest in technology and innovation,” said Billy Brown, the electric cooperative’s chief executive officer.

The 184,000-square-foot school is within the electric cooperative’s five-county service area.

Having one of the largest employers in Pasco County partnering with the school district will help to ensure the success of Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, Pasco School Superintendent Kurt Browning said in the release.

“We have big plans for the Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, and it’s great to see that Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative is as excited about it as we are,” Browning said. “This generous donation will enable students to have the kinds of cutting edge, hands-on educational experiences that will be a distinguishing feature of Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation.”

At a school board meeting last year, the team working on the design and construction of the school provided details about the site and plans, as well as offering a glimpse of its planned programs.

The 104-acre school site is about 3 miles due east of Interstate 75.

The campus is projected to cost approximately $70 million, according to district officials. And, the school will not have an attendance zone. Like Wendell Krinn Technical High School, the new Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation will attract students based on interest in its varied programs.

It’s at the northwest edge of Kirkland Ranch, on Curley Road, at the eastern edge of Wesley Chapel. It’s about 3 miles north of Watergrass Elementary School.

The site is at more than 40 feet of elevation, and includes an existing pond and oak trees.

A number of career and technical education labs are planned, including those designed for digital media, engineering robotics, biomedical and patient care.

Automotive, diesel, welding, construction, electrical and cybersecurity programs are planned, as well.

The diesel program will be one of a few in the state.

Those programs are in addition to core academic classes and electives.

Students will be able to learn about entrepreneurship and business, as well as foreign language, math and science.

In addition to the high school, the school district is planning for the future. A large portion of the property, east of the high school, has been maintained for a future kindergarten through eighth grade school.

Published June 09, 2021

Speakers address mental health needs

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Suicide prevention and partnerships between law enforcement and mental health providers were the focus of talks delivered in a Zoom Session, on May 11, hosted by Saint Leo University’s East Pasco Education Center.

Sarah Shirina, licensed supervisor of behavioral health with BayCare Behavioral Health, shared her expertise on the topic of suicide prevention, while also discussing local services that are available to help people struggling with mental illness.

Sarah Shirina addressed suicide prevention during a speaker series hosted by Saint Leo University. (Courtesy of University of Saint Leo)

Shirina is the supervisor over BayCare Behavioral Health’s mobile response team in Hernando County.

She’s also an adjunct professor for Saint Leo University, with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in social work from the university.

She began by sharing national suicide data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Suicide, unfortunately, is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. It is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, claiming over 48,000 lives.

“Suicide was the second-leading cause of death in individuals, between the ages of 10 and 34, and the fourth leading cause of death, among individuals between the ages of 35 and 54,” she said.

“There were actually 2½ times as many suicides in the United States as there were homicides, in 2018.

“So, what does that look like for our state? In 2019, Florida had a total of 3,427 deaths by suicide.

“In Florida, suicide is the eighth-leading cause of death,” Shirina said, adding the age group of 55 to 64 is most affected.

Shirina shared information derived from a research project by BayCare Behavioral Health and the University of South Florida, focusing on suicide in the Tampa Bay region.

Hot spots have been identified in all five counties in the Tampa Bay area, Shirina said.

“Hernando, Pasco and Pinellas, unfortunately, are all ahead and have higher averages of suicide deaths than the state of Florida.

“You’ll see that all of Florida had a total of 15 deaths per 100,000. And Hernando, Pasco and Pinellas are all in the 20s (per 100,000),” she said.

“Suicide affects men at a much greater percentage than it does women.

The study found that from 2010 to 2016, the suicide rate for men was twice as great as it was for women, she said.

“As our age groups increase, our military population is at a greater risk to be affected by suicide,” she added.

One of the big conclusions of the research was that Pasco, Hernando and Pinellas bear a disproportionate burden of death by suicide, in comparison to the state and surrounding counties, Shirina said.

Another conclusion: These are the same counties that bear the burden of the opioid addiction crisis.

She also noted that “80% of people who died by suicide had never had an involuntary examination, also known as the Baker Act.

“This, to me, was an alarming statistic,” Shirina said.

Among those who had undergone a Baker Act examination, 60% of those who died by suicide did so one or more years after their involuntary examination.

The study also found that middle- and older-aged white men had the highest rates of suicide, and among those who died by suicide, many had military backgrounds.

The research showed that guns were the most common method of suicide by men in all five counties.

By comparison, in Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties, more women died by overdose than did by guns, Shirina said.

“So, what can we do to help those who may be struggling?” Shirina asked.

Safety planning can help.

“When we’re safety planning with someone, we’re identifying their warning signs, their triggers and their stressful events that could lead to a crisis. We’re discussing with that person what they can do, what coping skills they can use to feel better.

“We’re discussing their support network. Who can they call when they need help? Who can they lean on?

“If possible, we often use that support network, when we’re creating these safety plans,” she said.

“We talk about what they look forward to in the future. What is important to them and what is worth living for? This is a great reminder, when someone is having these deep thoughts, that there are things in their future that they look forward to, and really, what is worth living for?

“We give a copy of this plan to them and to their support system, if possible, and we encourage them to keep it somewhere safe, so they can use it when they’re feeling upset,” Shirina said.

Dawn Wever addressed efforts being made to help mentally ill people get the help they need, instead of being locked up in jail.

Dawn Wever, the second speaker during the session, is a practicing mental health counselor.

She’s been an instructor in Crisis Intervention Team training for a number of law enforcement agencies. She’s also been a presenter on the topic at state conferences, is a former board member for National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Hernando and has done considerable research on collaborations between law enforcement and mental health professionals.

One in five Americans are affected by mental illness in any given year, according to statistics from NAMI, Wever said. That equates to approximately 57.7 million Americans living with mental illness. Of those, just 41% will receive treatment in any given year.

Research also shows that the average length of time from initial diagnosis to the onset of treatment is 10 years, she said.

She shared the story of the Memphis Police Department Crisis Intervention Team, which in later years came to be known as the Memphis Model.

The model stemmed from a 1987 incident in which police officers were called to an area of public housing in Memphis, where a young man was threatening with a knife, she said. Police officers ordered him to put down the knife. He refused. Eventually, police opened fire and the man was killed, she said.

“The mayor of Memphis turned to local advocates from NAMI and enlisted police, community mental health professionals, university leaders, hospital administrators, church officials to find a new approach to working with persons with mental illness, who are in crisis,” she said.

The approach involves a 40-hour, weeklong training for officers, deputies, detention personnel and dispatch, as well, regarding the recognition and understanding of signs and symptoms of mental illness, and focuses on verbal, de-escalation techniques, said Wever, who holds a master of arts/psychology from Saint Leo University.

Encounters between police and the mentally ill began increasing after the deinstitutionalization of psychiatric facilities began happening in the 1980s and 1990s, she said.

The expectation was that community-based mental health care facilities would provide treatment to those individuals released from psychiatric hospitals. Instead, county jails have become the largest mental health facilities in the country, added Wever, who has been in private practice since 2012.

The Rand Corporation estimated in 2020 that 15% of the men and 31% of the women incarcerated across the country have a serious and persistent mental illness, Wever said.

According to NAMI estimates, at least 400,000 currently behind bars in the United States suffer from some type of mental illness, Wever added. The organization also estimates that 25% to 40% of all mentally ill Americans will be incarcerated at some point in their lives.

She told Zoom listeners about a mental health unit operated by the San Antonio (Texas) Police Department .

“That’s regarded as one of the best law enforcement-based mental health units in the country,” she said.

“It was established in 2008 and to date, they have maintained zero use of force in a mental health call for service,” Wever said.

Shirina and Wever gave the final two presentations during a Social Services Speaker Series, which began on April 13.

Besides being informative, the series was intended to give participants exposure to a wide range of career opportunities in the helping professions.

To find out more about Saint Leo University’s East Pasco Education Center, email Derek Saunier, center director, at  or call 352-588-7451.

Warning signs of suicide

  • Increased alcohol and drug use
  • Aggressive behavior
  • Withdrawal from friends, family and community
  • Dramatic mood swings
  • Impulsive or reckless behavior
  • Collecting and saving pills or buying a weapon
  • Giving away possessions
  • Tying up loose ends, like organizing personal papers or paying off debts
  • Saying goodbye to friends and family

Suicidal behaviors are a psychiatric emergency. If you or a loved one exhibits these behaviors, seek immediate help from a health care provider or call 911.

If you are unsure, a licensed mental health professional can help assess.

Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness

Suicide Myths
Sarah Shirina, licensed supervisor of behavioral health with BayCare Behavioral Health, discussed some myths about suicide during a recent Zoom presentation hosted by the University of Saint Leo.

Here’s an excerpt from what she shared:

Myth: Talking about suicide or asking someone if they feel suicidal will encourage suicide attempts.

Fact: Talking about suicide provides the opportunity for communication. Fears that are shared are more likely to diminish.

Myth: People who talk about suicide never attempt or die by suicide.

Fact: Talking about suicide can be a plea for help, and it can be a late sign in the progression toward a suicide attempt. Those who are most at risk will show other signs, apart from talking about suicide.

Myth: If a person attempts suicide and survives, they will never make a further attempt.

Fact: A suicide attempt is regarded as an indicator of further attempts. It is likely that the level of danger will increase with each further suicide attempt. Just because someone has attempted suicide previously does not mean they are no longer at risk of attempting in the future.

Myth: Once a person has suicidal intent, there is no way of stopping them.

Fact: This is so far from the truth because suicides can be prevented. People can be helped. Suicidal crises can be relatively short-lived. Immediate practical help, such as staying with the person, encouraging them to talk and helping them build plans for the future can avert an intention to attempt or die by suicide. Such immediate help is valuable at the time of a crisis, but appropriate counseling also will be needed.

Need help?
Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255.
Call 2-1-1 for additional resources.

Want to help?
BayCare offers free Mental Health First Aid Training. To find out more, call 800-878-5470.

Published June 09, 2021

The play’s the thing — and it’s in their backyard

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As the old saying goes, “Necessity is the Mother of Invention.” So when COVID-19 put the brakes on indoor performances, aspiring actor Rhett Ricardo, of Dade City, had an idea.

This 32-foot stage, with changeable scenery, is behind the Missouri Avenue home of Jill and Jason Ricardo in Dade City. It provides a venue where students and some recent graduates have put on plays, to pursue their interests in theater. In this scene, 18-year-old Connor Mirrop, of Dade City, left, a recent graduate of Pasco High, takes on the role of Max, and 16-year-old Zachary Trenkle portrays Mr. Saunders, in ‘Lend Me a Tenor.’ (Fred Bellet)

He formed a “Shakespeare in the Yard” company, and offered performances in the family’s Dade City backyard.

He organized performances of “Much Ado About Nothing,” in November and of a “Midsummer Night’s Dream” in January.

And, when the Arts in Motion (AIM) Pasco program couldn’t find a suitable venue, Rhett’s parents — Jill and Jason Ricardo — offered up their backyard as the setting for smaller AIM plays — where young actors would have a place to perform and the audience could remain socially distanced.

Jill Ricardo is vice president of production for the AIM Pasco program — which gives youths a chance to pursue their interest in theater.

Eva Weiss, seated, played the role of Maria, a home-schooler, in ‘Lend Me a Tenor.’ She is flanked by Connor Mirrop, who performed the role of Max, and Zachary Trenkle, who played the role of Mr. Saunders.

Typically, Arts in Motion puts on two large musicals each year.

The productions usually involve 50 to 60 performers, and each child that auditions gets a role, Jill Ricardo said.

When the organization shifted to smaller productions — to keep things going — she said she was surprised by the level of interest the young actors displayed.

“In a musical, you can rely on the big, flashy numbers to get you through,” she said.

In the plays staged in the Ricardos’ backyard, the actors had to develop completely different skill sets, she explained.

They performed “The Laramie Project,” “Greater Tuna,” “Snow White Rap,” “The Diary of Ann Frank,” and “The Lend Me a Tenor.”

“The Laramie Project” explores the story of Matthew Shephard, a gay University of Wyoming student who was beaten and left to die.

“That was a really powerful show for us,” Ricardo said.

Eighteen-year-old Jadyn Mills, of Dade City, right, plays the role of Maggie, exchanging lines with Max, performed by 18-year-old Connor Mirrop.

They also did “The Diary of Anne Frank,” based on a journal kept by a young Jewish girl who chronicled two years of her family’s life in hiding during German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II.

Her diary was published two years after the girl’s death in a concentration camp.

Ricardo was moved by the work done by the cast, describing it as “a really, really beautiful show.”

“Greater Tuna” and “Lend Me a Tenor” are comedies, and “Snow White Rap” gave the younger children a chance to perform.

“Each play we did, there were four performances,” she said. “It was busy around here.

“My husband and I were exhausted in the end,” Ricardo said.

Artists in Motion is finished for this season, but expects to audition in August for its next show.

From left, 19-year-old Roman Ricardo, of Dade City, operates the light board, 17-year-old Jayden Parsons, of Dade City, cues the music and 15-year-old Amelia Hesting, of Hudson, runs the sound board for ‘Lend Me a Tenor.’ Capria Pitchette directed the play.

By then, Ricardo hopes they will be able to find an indoor venue for their performances.

However, she’s not opposed to continuing to have some plays in the family’s backyard.

She’s a huge believer in giving youths a chance to get involved in the theater.

“I think art allows them to express their feelings in a way that’s productive, and they can explore their feelings, and they explore the world, in a safe space,” Ricardo said.

The young actors also get a chance to develop teamwork and experience “building something from nothing — the act of creation,” Ricardo added.

Arts in Motion is a nonprofit community youth theater and arts education organization. For more information, check the website ArtsinMotionPasco.org.

Published June 09, 2021

Saying goodbye to a challenge-filled school year

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Some Pasco County School board members and the president of the employee union took a few moments during the board’s June 1 meeting to reflect on efforts made during this previous school year — to cope with challenges posed by COVID-19.

Don Peace, president of the United School Employees of Pasco, summed up the last school year this way:

“Well, we made it. A most inconvenient, challenge-filled year is now finished.

“We didn’t make it without cost. We lost a few pretty special people along the way.

“There were some students who never really connected, and the mental taxation to all of us was monumental.

“Despite all of this, I thought we planned and executed a pretty remarkable year.

“Compared to districts and states around the country, who never returned to school, Pasco is light years ahead in giving our students the best educational opportunity to move forward, under extraordinary circumstances,” Peace said.

School board member Cynthia Armstrong agreed with Peace’s assessment.

“It was a tough year. I don’t think any of us ever want to go through anything like this again.

“We still were able to accomplish some amazing things.

“A lot of life lessons were learned by everyone, including the students,” Armstrong said.

“I really want to thank all of the students and staff at all of the schools for everything they did to help keep our students safe this year, (and to) make sure that learning and extracurricular activities continued,” Armstrong said.

Peace echoed that appreciation, giving kudos to teachers, support personnel, district staff, community partners, parents and grandparents for their help during a difficult year.

School board member Colleen Beaudoin also expressed gratitude for the flexibility demonstrated by school leaders, in light of changing circumstances.

“I know it’s not easy, but they have adapted,” Beaudoin said.

Peace said he knows the coming year will be challenging on the financial front, particularly because much of the state money coming to the district must be spent in specific ways.

The union leader also formally requested that USEP be included in discussions over how federal money, provided in COVID-19 relief, is spent in the district.

Regarding district spending, Beaudoin asked if the district can seek to reduce paper costs.

“Can we move more toward using less paper?” Beaudoin said, noting that during the pandemic, the district has increased its use of an electronic learning management system called CANVAS.

Superintendent Kurt Browning said the district has spent more than $10 million on CANVAS, so he’s a big proponent of using that system.

In conversations, he said, he has asked: “Why should we not, and I use the word, mandate, CANVAS in our schools. And, I still have some pushback. Right, wrong or indifferent. But with a district our size — we’re talking about ninth, 10th largest district in the state — we consume a great deal of paper.”

Browning said he wouldn’t favor going to a paperless system, but agrees the district could use less paper.

Beaudoin agreed: “I’m not advocating for not using any paper. Especially in math, I think it’s really important that kids be able to write on their tests. I wasn’t saying, ‘I don’t want any paper.’ I was just thinking there are some things that you can post.

“I remember in elementary school, my kids coming home with tons of things that could have been in an email, or could have been (on) a half a sheet of paper,” she said.

Browning said the district is making progress on that front. “We’re getting there. Every year, we’re getting better.”

The district is “very sensitive to the amount of materials,” the superintendent said.

As a matter of fact, Browning said he would be meeting with district staff about department budgets following the board meeting to address cuts that will be needed to avoid a deficit in the coming year’s spending plan.

Published June 09, 2021