Michael Hinman

Local woman sees world through new lens

August 21, 2013 By Michael Hinman

For two years, longtime Lutz resident Linda Reynolds found her home in a country whose population is about the size of Hillsborough and Pinellas counties put together.

The Republic of Macedonia, formed in the early 1990s following the breakup of Yugoslavia, was never a place Reynolds thought she’d ever found herself in. But that trip changed her life.

Linda Reynolds makes her way across a rickety bridge not far from her host family’s house in the Kratovo area of Macedonia. Reynolds, a 34-year resident of Lutz, served two years in the Peace Corps. (Photo courtesy of Linda Reynolds)

“I was a business manager, and one of the original employees of Transitions Optical back in 1992,” Reynolds said. “I helped to grow the business from a very small company to a worldwide leader in optical lenses.”

But after 18 years on the job, Reynolds knew it was time for something different. It was exactly when she found the Peace Corps.

“It’s something that I wanted to do ever since I was a child,” said Reynolds, who turned 57 last weekend. “I truly believe that the way the world gets to be a better place is by people connecting, and I think the Peace Corps is a fabulous way to serve the country.”

It takes a village
After a lengthy application process and extensive training, Reynolds found herself on a plane to Eastern Europe in 2011. While traditional Peace Corps jobs are thought of as doctors and language teachers, Reynolds was taking a different path: community and business development.

She set up shop in Kriva Palanka, a small town in the northeastern part of Macedonia, not far from the Bulgaria border where more than 14,000 people live. Reynolds connected with community leaders there to find out what the small town needed, and how she could make a difference.

One of her first targets was a fire station that probably hadn’t been touched since the 1950s, Reynolds said. It was in desperate need of renovation, so with the help of a $4,000 grant she obtained, Reynolds worked with the firefighters to spruce up the place.

“I got board, and they made cabinets,” she said, “I got PVC pipe, and they built a bathroom. I bought laminate floor, and they laid it. At the end of all of it, these firefighters had a professional place to work and to live, and every single firefighter contributed their time to make it happen.”

Even more, Reynolds was able to gel a team of loosely affiliated firefighters separated by political and other social differences.

“We are just talking about 13 firefighters, but this project turned them into a real team,” Reynolds said.

The right stuff
Peace Corps volunteers like Reynolds are really diehard individuals, said Alethea Parker, public affairs specialist for Peace Corps in Atlanta.

“It’s a large commitment to be away from your family and friends for two years,” she said. “But from our perspective, it’s very rewarding and impactful … and it is important work.”

The only requirements to become a Peace Corps volunteer are being at least 18 years old, and a U.S. citizen. But getting selected, that is a much more daunting process.

“Our application process is quite competitive,” Parker said. “Most of our programs do require at least a bachelor’s degree, and we are typically looking at several years of full-time professional work experience.”

But the number of applications doesn’t mean the Peace Corps isn’t in need of good candidates. With a little more than 8,000 slots available around the world and an annual budget about the size of an oil company’s daily profits, the Peace Corps must be very selective. That means background checks, physicals, and various tests to determine what kind of skillsets an applicant has.

Yet, being a Peace Corps volunteer has its advantages beyond just helping out overseas. Medical expenses are covered at 100 percent, and a decent stipend is offered to cover day-to-day living expenses.

“I served in Cameroon, and my stipend there was $230 a month,” Parker said. “That was a pretty good salary for where I was, and as long as you live a modest lifestyle, that kind of money can cover a lot.”

Life back home
Reynolds had a small apartment in Kriva Palanka where she adopted two cats — not a very common pet in that part of the world.

“People thought it was very, very odd that I had cats in my apartment,” Reynolds said. “There, cats are outside animals. So it was very hard to go to the supermarket in my little town and find the supplies I was looking for to take care of my cats.”

Reynolds has only been back in the United States for about four months, and after 34 years living in Lutz, has now settled in Atlanta closer to her children. Reynolds hasn’t quite decided what she wants to do with her life now that she’s back, but she’s definitely a much different person than when she left two years ago.

“I find myself less frantic,” she said. “I don’t have a job, but I’m not frantic about it. It’s too early for me to retire, and I’m too old to start a new career. But I would like to find something that will allow me to contribute to something in a meaningful way.

“I’m just trying to get my sea legs back and not rush into anything. And I’m fortunate that I don’t have to.”

The Peace Corps currently has 36 volunteers from the Tampa Bay area serving overseas, and more than 850 volunteers from the region have participated since President John F. Kennedy founded the program in 1961.

Right now, however, the Peace Corps needs 1,000 volunteers, and it is recruiting now. Details can be found online at www.PeaceCorps.gov.

“If a young person from any community could go and spend time in a village some place in the world and come back to use everything they learned, we would be a better country as leaders,” Reynolds said. “We would definitely have a more worldly viewpoint that would make us more sensitive in our roles as leaders of the world.”

Pasco adds new virtual school, while state sees its operations suffer

August 21, 2013 By Michael Hinman

They didn’t like it, but the Pasco County School Board earlier this month approved the application of a virtual charter school that was once under state investigation.

In a 3-1 vote, with Alison Crumbley dissenting, the board allowed the Southwest Florida Virtual Charter Board to open a virtual charter school in Pasco County — as long as the school meets stringent quality guidelines.

Science teacher Stephanie Carter prepares to give a virtual class through her laptop and tablet computer setup as part of the first day of school for Pasco eSchool last year. Joining Carter are, from left, Chinese language teacher Kim Giorgio, English and language arts teacher Heather Kline, and music and physical education teacher Kristi Duffy. (Photo courtesy of Pasco eSchool)

It turned a rather significant page in the evolution of virtual education with the expansion of such services in the county. But then the landscape shifted significantly when the state-run Florida Virtual School announced massive layoffs after an enrollment drop and changes to how the state funds it.

The future of educating students no matter where they are is at a precipice, and virtual education must find a way to not only survive, but thrive, says Pasco eSchool principal Joanne Glenn.

“It’s a great choice option for a variety of families in a variety of circumstances,” Glenn said.

Virtual schools are typically done through a computer and Internet connection, and were designed for students who were geographically challenged to get specific coursework from a bricks and mortar operation. Today, however, these types of schools are being used more and more by students looking to supplement what they’re already doing in an actual school classroom.

“Students in kind of a traditional setting began to supplement their instruction through virtual schools,” Glenn said. “They can take courses to recover credits, or even take courses that can accelerate their workload, to help them complete graduation requirements in their off time, so they can free up space to do a dual enrollment court or advanced placement.”

Pasco started its eSchool in 2009, and last year serviced 5,500 semester courses for 2,300 students. And that’s just for middle school and high school. The elementary eSchool has about 100 students — a smaller number because it requires not only the regular involvement of the student and teacher, but a parent as well.

Although interest in virtual schools continues to grow each year, the charter operation offered by the Southwest Florida Virtual Charter Board was met with so much skepticism from the board when it was first introduced last spring that they denied the request.

Southwest Florida Virtual appealed that decision to Florida’s Department of Education, prompting school board members to reconsider without risking a lengthy legal battle.

An investigation concluded Southwest Florida Virtual hired only certified teachers in Seminole County, but concerns remain.

“Student achievement, or the lack thereof, is something we are very worried about,” said Nancy Scowcroft, supervisor of charter schools for Pasco County. “Their school grades are not being posted on the Department of Education’s website, which means they are appealing. I don’t know what these scores look like, but apparently they are not where they want to be.”

The county maintains oversight of charter schools to make sure they are meeting specific criteria. With bricks and mortar schools, it means just traveling to different parts of the county when needed. However, to see what’s happening with Florida Virtual Academy of Pasco County, as this new school will be called, it will require regular trips to Daytona Beach.

“That means spending more money just to keep an eye on everything,” Scowcroft said.

Jeff Kwitowski, a spokesman for Virginia-based K12 Inc., which calls itself the “vendor” for the charter school operations in Florida, points to the fact that the previous claims against the school were unsubstantiated. And even if there was an issue of teachers lacking certification for their particular subject matter, it’s not against the law.

The state department of education reports more than 8,700 teachers in Florida’s schools are teaching courses outside their subject certification, Kwitowski said in a statement. He added that Seminole County, which made the complaint, admitted to having 100 teachers without proper certification in the 2011-12 school year alone.

“K12 had only three teachers whose certifications were ‘out-of-field,’ and they were quickly corrected,” Kwitowski said.

Some of the demand for virtual schools will now be shared by both Florida Virtual Academy and Pasco eSchool. And that alone could very well create a strong future for this newer type of learning, eSchool principal Glenn said, especially since taking at least one virtual course is a graduation requirement for the Class of 2015.

“This is the way a lot of employers are delivering on-the-job training now and professional development, and it’s also something that is happening more and more in post-secondary schools, colleges and universities,” Glenn said. “This gives all of our students a chance to have that first experience in a supported environment. So once they get out there in the real world, they’ll be ready.”

Watch for bikers: They’re honoring local heroes on Sept. 7

August 21, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Firefighters and first responders are known for making house calls when they’re needed the most. But on Sept. 7, they’ll get some visitors of their own: Hundreds of motorcycle riders, just wanting to say thanks.

Pasco County Choppers are hitting the road once again for its annual Gratitude Ride, a 50-mile trek from station to station honoring the heroes that don’t get thanked enough. At the same time, these more than 300 bikers raise money for the Pasco County Fire Benevolent Fund, which helps families of firefighters when they need a helping hand of their own.

Motorcycle riders from Pasco County Choppers and other groups line up to take off on its Gratitude Ride last year, visiting firefighters and first responders, to thank them for their service. (Photo courtesy of Dan Turner)

It’s no coincidence this ride happens around the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that killed 412 emergency workers in New York City alone. Local Realtor Dan Turner is originally from New York, and visited the World Trade Center towers many times before the tragedy. While that fateful day is now 12 years in the past, Taylor wants to make sure it’s always remembered.

“Some people have forgotten about 9/11; the whole thing has worn off a bit,” said Turner, who is now in his fourth year organizing the event. “We try to bring as much attention to it as possible.”

For the second year, the Gratitude Ride goes beyond just a gathering for hog enthusiasts. It’s expanding into a public afterparty at the Quail Hollow Country Club beginning at 1 p.m. There, visitors can enjoy the many motorcycles on display, eat food, enjoy drinks, and hear music from the Greg Billings Band.

Funds raised through a raffle and 50-50 will go to the Benevolent Fund.

“We’ll be passing some boots around to try and raise a little bit more money,” Turner said, referencing the boot campaigns conducted by firefighters to raise money for the New York City victims on street corners immediately following the terrorist attacks.

While the party begins at 1 p.m., the chopper riders will be up much earlier, gathering at the government center at 4111 US 41 in Land O’ Lakes around 9:30 a.m. There, Turner will host a dedication ceremony, and just after 10 a.m., the bikes will start heading out to their first destination.

This year’s stops begin with Station 15 at 11538 Trinity Blvd., in New Port Richey. Station 14 follows at 7800 River Ridge Blvd., also in New Port Richey, before wrapping up the trip at Station 20 at 15900 Little Ranch Road in Brooksville.

“We remember the events and honor the lives that were lost,” Turner said of the terrorist attacks. “Closer to home, I wanted to make sure that we recognized our own emergency services, not just after the fact, but all the time. They are the ones that always say it’s just a job, but we all know that they run into danger as we are running away from it.”

While there might be stigmas assigned to large groups of motorcyclists thanks to portrayals of them in the movies, the chopper community is actually quite the opposite.

“It is a community that gives back,” Turner said. “There’s always some kind of benefit we’re participating in, a lot of toy runs and food drives and things like that. It’s a broad spectrum of people that ride, and they always have an eye for doing something special.”

The rain date for this year’s event is Sept. 8. For more information, visit www.PascoCountyChoppers.com.

Plantation Palms Golf Club reopens, but questions remain

August 21, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Ownership team denies management changes

After a dramatic and highly publicized shutdown Aug. 10, Plantation Palms Golf Club is back in business, reopening its links to golfers Aug. 16. Yet what caused the golf course to shut down in the first place continues to linger in some minds.

“It was just a culmination of a lot of things that led up to the closing, but mostly the economy,” said Jason Ray, who co-owns the golf club with Mitch Osceola and Steve McDonald through MJS Golf Group LLC. “It’s been too hot, and it’s been raining, and the culmination of all that, just resulted in not a lot of people playing golf. “Summertime is always tough for all the golf courses.”

The perfectly manicured greens of Plantation Palms Golf Club await arrivals of its first golfers after reopening last week from a brief hiatus. Despite rumors to the contrary, all three owners are still in charge of the golf course, according to its management team. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Ray and the other owners purchased the golf club in May 2011, using a $2.18 million mortgage through Native American Bank of Denver. The 5-acre course features 18 holes, a driving range, a clubhouse and a lounge.

The course is the nucleus of the Plantation Palms community that surrounds it just off Collier Parkway near Parkway Boulevard, said Steve Pitts, who owns the golf pro shop at the course.

“For the homeowners there, their best shot is to have these guys who are owners work this thing out,” said Pitts, a Land O’ Lakes resident who owns Steve’s World of Golf in Hudson. “It needs to be a positive, positive business in the center of that great community. And yeah, it’s going through some tough times between the owners right now, but I can tell you from being on the inside, those problems are just about done.”

Pitts had pulled his pro shop out of Plantation Palms earlier this year, despite it being his top sales location out of his 18 shops around the southeast.

“The bills weren’t getting paid, and we had to pull out,” Pitts said.

Since Friday, however, Steve’s World of Golf is slowly moving back in because he’s encouraged by what he said was a management shakeup that would reduce the ownership team from three to either two, or possibly even one.

David Brooks, an avid golfer and Plantation Palms resident, said he heard the same reports of management changes during the golf club’s down time.

“I did talk with one of the owners, and there’s been a kind of shakeup in management there,” said Brooks, who played 18 holes on the course after it reopened on Friday. That followed up on a promise he made while the golf course’s future was uncertain that he would return to Plantation Palms, but he might not necessarily pay for membership well in advance.

“I think everybody would like to enjoy the golf course, and you need an ownership team that makes viable business decisions and have the right cash flow to keep the place open,” Brooks said.

Ray, however, denies there’s been any management shakeup, and that all three owners are still active with the golf course.

“There are no ownership changes,” Ray said. “A lot of rumors went around about what was going on, but no one knew the full story except us.”

Ray said he’s working to make up for the downtime, and understands how frustrated many of the members were.

“It’s understandable,” he said. “They put up money to make sure they could play on a golf course, and you can’t play on a golf course that’s not open.

“To them, it was almost a disaster. But we were basically closed for seven days. That’s usually what we’re closed for when we overseed the greens.”

Golfers are slowly coming back to Plantation Palms as word of mouth spreads the golf club has reopened. Many should find out by the end of the week when the Oasis grill there serves prime rib and tilapia as part of its regular Friday night dinner, Ray said.

“I’m one of the members here, and I live in the community,” Brooks said. “I want all the businesses in the area to be successful, because it’s good for our community. And I certainly want our golf course to be successful, because we need it here for our community.”

Casino night will make one charity a lucky winner

August 21, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Forget reality television. The Pasco Hernando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has developed a competition that gives four solid charities a chance to raise a lot of money, but only one can win.

Havana Casino Night is slated for Aug. 29 beginning at 6 p.m. at Quail Hollow, 6225 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel. Presented by Rivera Chiropractic, the evening will include hand-rolled cigars, a cash bar, casino games, and music from Jorge Laureano & His Fiesta Orchestra.

The biggest event of the night, however, is who will walk away with half the casino night jackpot: Will it be Big Brothers Big Sisters? Helping Hands Food Pantry of Wesley Chapel? The Wesley Chapel Lions Club? Or, the Oasis Pregnancy Care Centers?

“We didn’t want to be the ones that said let’s choose, so we decided to leave that up to the public,” said John Jay, president of PHHCC, and owner of Finest DeeJays in Wesley Chapel. “Staying with our casino theme, everyone will place their bets on who will win half the proceeds.”

The decision will be made by who ends up with the most poker chips by the end of the night. Those poker chips will come from each person attending the casino night, encouraging all four organizations to bring as many potential supporters as possible.

The other half of the proceeds will go toward PHHCC’s scholarship fund, which will help three students this year seek out a college education.

Even if they don’t take home a bucket of quarters, each charity will have a chance to share what they do — and what they need — with the community, Jay said.

For instance, Big Brothers Big Sisters always has a need for Latino and Latina mentors. Helping Hands feeds hundreds of people throughout Wesley Chapel every week. And the Lions Club is raising money to build a park especially for handicapped children.

Oasis supplies food and other needs for pregnant women who have nowhere else to turn to.

“These four organizations all give back to the community,” Jay said. “Our main goal is to give back to the community as well, and to give these organizations a helping hand. And this way, we can bring a light to each and every one of them.”

For more information on tickets, visit www.PHHChamber.com, or call John Jay at (813) 298-3232.

Private school lays the groundwork for its future

August 14, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Academy at the Lakes, central Pasco County’s private school that hugs both sides of Collier Parkway off SR 54, is getting a lot larger, growing by more than 46 acres.

The school has purchased a large chunk of land near its existing campus that has belonged to the pioneer MacManus family for decades, with an eye toward a major campus expansion in the coming years.

Dr. Lou MacManus, right, shares stories about growing up on the land she recently sold to Academy at the Lakes, with former Academy board chair Cynthia Martin and current headmaster Mark Heller. MacManus’ childhood home looms in the background. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

The land grab is four times larger than the school’s existing campus, and allows Academy at the Lakes to extend its reach to 20 Mile Level Road with a total of nearly 60 acres of land.

“About six years ago, my sister and I, and our brother, started talking about what we wanted to do with this land,” said Dr. Lou MacManus. A retired surgeon who lived for decades in Ohio and Tennessee, MacManus grew up in a modest house built a year before she was born on the property now owned by Academy at the Lakes. She shares many memories of her childhood on the land with her sister, University of South Florida professor Susan MacManus, as well as her late brother, Dr. H. Cameron MacManus, who was killed in a plane crash last spring.

“There’s been a lot of changes here since we were kids, and many of them good changes,” MacManus said. “But we didn’t want to see a bunch of homes on this land.”

MAKING IT WORK
Academy at the Lakes had plans to expand for the last two years, but the deal to purchase this piece of MacManus land came together only recently, thanks to the work of the MacManus family, as well as the Academy’s head of school Mark Heller and then board of trustees chair Cynthia Miller.

“The MacManuses have been very interested in seeing the future of their parents’ and grandparents’ land used for something productive and positive for the community,” Heller said. “They could’ve easily sold this land to a developer for a lot more money. But instead, decided that they should take a philanthropic route, and dedicate this land to the same thing they have always dedicated their lives to: education.”

Academy at the Lakes is paying slightly more than $2 million for the land, equating to a little less than $44,000 per acre. MacManus set up a charitable remainder annuity trust, which holds the 16-year mortgage for the property. Excluding any interest or other fees, that will cost the growing school approximately $10,500 per month on average.

While it might seem high, Heller sees it as an investment in the future for a school that is key to the economic growth in central Pasco County.

“The north side of the county is growing so fast, certainly now that construction and homebuilding is picking back up again,” Heller said. “The north side is going to be burgeoning again, just like it did 10 years ago, and we’re going to be able to grow with that community, and provide resources to that growing community.”

There are no immediate plans to build on the land, but it is something the school expects to do at some point to accommodate student needs, Heller said. In the meantime, some of the older students will tend to the land and learn how to grow oranges and take part in other agricultural activities. Food raised will be donated to local charities.

Heller talked about expansion in August 2011 when he said Academy at the Lakes should explore ways that would set it up for the next 100 years.

“This is something that could absolutely transform the footprint and the presence of the school,” Heller said at the time.

What happens is up to the school’s board of trustees, but there are many possibilities. One could include integrating the entire campus into one site, instead of having the younger and older students divided physically by Collier Parkway. The land could also become a sports complex center, among other things.

“There’s just so much that we can do that we haven’t really even talked about yet,” Heller said.

NEVER FORGET HISTORY
The matriarch of the MacManus family had always pushed education on her children, explaining why Lou MacManus and her siblings all reached doctorate levels in their schooling. Knowing that the farm she worked so hard to build would now be used for educating hundreds of young people — not just three — would make her mother proud, MacManus said.

“Education was so big for us growing up, and we were always out learning everything,” MacManus said. “We spent a lot of times outdoors, and didn’t watch much TV. We were doing sports, riding bicycles, and I even had a horse.”

The 2,200-square-foot house that served as the MacManus home for more than half a century still stands on the property. There are trees in front where the young MacManus children would hang their wet clothes after swimming in the nearby lake.

“We were together and outside from dawn until dusk,” MacManus said. “We spent our days swimming in the lake and roaming around the orange groves.”

And while the lake may no longer be a place where young people can just jump in, the land will be there to help educate many generations to come.

Much-needed supplies head to schools before Aug. 19 opening

August 14, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Pasco County Schools is set to approve a budget valued at more than $1 billion. Yet, the hundreds of teachers who lead classrooms in the district regularly find themselves without much-needed supplies as simple as notebooks and pencils.

And that’s where United Way of Pasco County steps in.

Cindy Greyard, right, a teacher at Fox Hollow Elementary School, helps unload boxes of school supplies at Pine View Middle School last week as part of the annual Stuff the Bus for Teachers event organized by Pasco County Schools and the United Way of Pasco County. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

The charity and service group collected more than 10,000 school supply items recently as part of its annual Stuff the Bus for Teachers campaign. The effort is designed to bring the community together, stocking classrooms and giving a helping hand to the men and women responsible for ensuring the education of our young future leaders.

“Teachers spend between $400 and $1,000 out of their own pocket to supply their classrooms,” said Stefanie Pontlitz, director of development for the local United Way office. “After hearing that, we really wanted to try and assess their needs, because it not only helps the teachers, it helps the students, and it helps learning. And that helps keep the focus on the classroom.”

This year, United Way and Pasco County Schools will reach out to 770 teachers in 80 of its schools to help supply their classrooms with essential items. They’ll use supplies collected from 14 buses parked at Publix and Walmart locations throughout the county during Florida’s annual tax-free holiday.

With school ready to start on Aug. 19, the district is looking for everything they can to help. That includes $1,000 thanks to a small church congregation in Trinity that took a bit of a unique approach.

“If you see someone in need, and it’s within your power to help them, let’s do so,” said Pastor Clayton Bell, who leads Trinity New Life Church at Trinity Elementary School on Duck Slough Boulevard.

For the second year in a row, Bell interrupted his regular Sunday morning sermon at the young church to convince his flock to get in their cars and head straight to the nearby Walmart. There, the church shopped together, leaving with several carts full of supplies.

“Pasco is a very heavy-education county, and we have a lot of teachers and home-school moms in our church,” Bell said. “Teachers have to do so much out of their own pocket, and we wanted to do something that would help them.”

The effort also got support from local Rotary clubs, as well as teachers themselves, volunteering at drop-off points around the county. Moving company Two Men and a Truck will deliver supplies to west Pasco schools, while the United Way will take care of the eastern side of the county.

Among the volunteers was Pasco Schools superintendent Kurt Browning, who not only donated his own box of supplies, but also worked tirelessly to help organize everything as they were brought into the Pine View Middle School gymnasium.

“It’s a great partnership, and the United Way has been a catalyst to really lead the effort,” Browning said. “But my thanks goes out to all the people that contributed their hard-earned dollars to make sure our kids have what they need to start school here.”

This year slightly less than $40,000 in donations came in, topping last year’s total of around $35,000, and the increase was needed since 80 more names were added to the teacher list.

“This is our county’s future,” Pontlitz said. “We want to support the future, and we want to support our teachers.”

Pasco conference proves education is worldwide concern

August 7, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Dominic Mukwaya arrived in Pasco County ready to learn. When he left his village in Uganda a month ago, more than 30 members of his extended family joined him at the airport — nearly all of them watching a plane take off for the very first time in their lives.

Not only was it his first plane ride and his first trip to America, but it was also the first time Mukwaya has ever left the Kyotera region of his country, where running water was just introduced last spring, and electricity is still a future goal.

Mark Xing, center, of the Nanshan School District in Shenzhen, China, works with Susan Sanger-Miller from Connerton Elementary, left, and Alissa Lamorand from Anclote Elementary, on some administrative exercises at the International Leadership Fellows Institute in Land O’ Lakes last week. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Despite that, Mukwaya has schooled more than 650 orphans whose families were ravaged by the HIV epidemic there. He has pushed for more adult education as well — especially for women, who traditionally did not go to school when they were younger.

“Some of the people in my district went to school and were not doing good, and others could not afford to pay for the school fees,” Mukwaya said. “We started a sustainability project where, in the long term, we can help those who might not be able to learn otherwise.”

Mukwaya returned home last weekend after his two-week trip to Land O’ Lakes, participating in the annual International Leadership Fellows Institute from the National Educator Program. That program, based in Denver, chose the Pasco County Schools out of more than a dozen national applicants to host this institute. It’s designed to empower teachers to become strong leaders, and give students equal access to success.

The seminar itself, which also included 20 hand-picked Pasco educators, lasted two weeks. It’s part of the overall institute program designed to operate for the next year, connecting participants not only with face-to-face visits, but also technologically through online communication services like Skype. It’s meant to be a give and take, where these administrators learn from each other, and take all of it back to incorporate into their own classrooms.

“What we have found so far that whether you’re teaching in a major metropolitan area or the jungle by the lake, it’s remarkable the similarities on how schools and classrooms operate,” said Mark Thompson, executive director of NEP. “We found much more in common than we thought.”

The recent conference in Land O’ Lakes was led by Diane Varano, principal of the Cultural Academy for the Arts and Sciences in Brooklyn. She makes the trip each year to help form new bonds among the education leaders, giving them tools to reinvigorate classrooms.

It’s a much-needed wakeup call for many teachers, who in recent years have complained about being forced to teach to state-mandated tests like the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Instead, the learning process must be more experiential, said Mark Xing, who is the director of teaching affairs for a 2,000-student school system in Shenzhen, China. Located just north of Hong Kong, Shenzhen is a city of more than 10 million people that was an early adopter of capitalism in the traditionally communist country. Because of that, the school there has been working to include both Chinese and American curriculums.

“In China, a lot of parents would like to send their children to study in the United States,” Xing said. “They want their children to know more about American culture, and we actually started this program to meet the parents’ needs.”

There was some concern that requiring both Chinese and American studies for elementary school-aged students might be too much. Instead, Xing has found his students embracing both equally, and that will give them an edge as technology continues to shrink the world and China plays an ever-expanding role in world economics.

Mukwaya’s curriculum also is experience-based, but not quite the same way. In his region, English is being taught as a third language — behind the local Luganda and the regional Swahili. But while math and reading are essential in the learning process for both children and adults, so are vocational skills that will help not only make money for his students, but save money as well.

“We started with writing and reading, and now they are going up to do more functional things like how to weave mats from palm leaves and make bags from banana fibers,” Mukwaya said. “We’re also teaching many of our women how they can save money, and how they can be sustainable financially.”

Both Mukwaya and Xing will return to Land O’ Lakes next year to share progress on changes they’ve instituted because of the program and report back on how well they have worked, with the goal of helping the district’s program to grow and evolve.

“This isn’t just about someone coming here and learning things. We are learning a great deal from them,” Thompson said. “We can teach them some of our best practices when it comes to education, but they are not just learning ours, they are teaching us theirs, too, and that’s the kind of dialogue we want to have.”

Taxes in Zephyrhills, Dade City to remain steady

August 7, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Property taxes are not expected to rise in either Zephyrhills or Dade City after governments in both cities put together 2014 budgets.

The rate in Zephyrhills was tentatively set at 6.1415 mills ahead of its Sept. 16 meeting, where the city council there will make a final decision on taxes. The rate remains the same as last year, and despite recent property value declines, will actually generate a little more revenue for the city.

That’s because the council was aggressive this past year in annexing areas along Fort King Road, as well as the Silver Oaks area. While annexing areas might cost more to service, the tax revenue annexed areas bring in typically more than offsets those expenses.

In Dade City, commissioners approved a millage rate of 7.2, up from 7.1 last year. However, the city — which has not raised taxes since 2009 — has the option to lower it back to 7.1 ahead of its September budget meeting. Once the commission sets the tax rate, it is allowed to only lower it, not raise it. By starting it higher, it gives the commission some wiggle room in case taxes do need to go up.

One mill represents $1 of tax on every thousand dollars of taxable property value. For example, in Zephyrhills — based on a Zillow-reported average home value of $73,400 — the tax would be $297.25 after standard homestead exemptions. In Dade City, the average home valued at $67,000 would carry a tax of $302.40 after the homestead exemption.

Both cities have taken a long, hard look at annexation in recent years to try and make up for potential budget shortfalls plaguing other municipalities because of property value declines. However, recent news in the housing market showing significant gains in home values may change that need.

A new CoreLogic Case-Shiller report shows that home prices increased 10.2 percent in the first quarter compared to a year ago, the first double-digit increase since the peak of the housing bubble, according to the Florida Association of Realtors. Home price increases are generally followed by property value increases, which means more tax revenue for cities like Zephyrhills and Dade City without the need to raise taxes.

Nothing expected to change at Pasco Regional after takeover

August 7, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Pasco Regional Medical Center in Dade City is now under new ownership after a $7.6 billion buyout of its parent company.

Health Management Associates Inc., the Largo-based company that owns Pasco Regional and 22 other hospitals in Florida, was sold to Community Health Systems Inc., in a deal announced July 30.

For the first time in 13 years, Pasco Regional Medical Center — soon to become Bayfront Health Dade City — has a new owner. But the deal is not expected to finalize until the end of the year. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Once completed, Community Health Systems will own 25 hospitals in Florida, and 206 nationwide. Before the takeover, Nashville, Tenn.-based Community Health had just two hospitals in Florida, with the closest in Lake Wales.

“We are pleased that this combination will create an even stronger organization for the benefit of our patients, physicians, associates and the communities we serve,” said William J. Schoen, chairman of the board for Health Management, in a release.

The purchase will likely not affect the upcoming name change for the local hospital, which will become Bayfront Health Dade City, according to a Community Health Systems spokeswoman. Tomi Galin referred questions to Health Management spokesman Eric Waller, but added that the acquisition won’t be completed for “several months.”

Waller released a statement about the acquisition that didn’t address any previously announced name changes for the hospital. Instead, he made it clear that no immediate changes were planned for the Dade City hospital in light of the purchase.

“The combination of Health Management and CHS is not expected to impact local hospital operations,” he said. “Our deep commitment to providing the highest quality patient care will not change.”

Pasco Regional announced the name change early last month, before the deal to purchase the hospital chain was finalized.

The Dade City hospital has been through several name changes over the years. It was originally founded in 1973 as Community General Hospital, but was renamed Humana Hospital-Pasco in 1982, according to the facility’s website. In 1993, after the Columbia network of hospitals purchased it, the name was changed to Dade City Hospital.

Five years later, the name was changed again to Pasco Community Hospital, and then was renamed Pasco Regional Medical Center not long after Health Management purchased the hospital in 2000 for $17 million.

The 120-bed acute care hospital is at 13100 Fort King Road in Dade City.