Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Pasco County Fire Chief Anthony Lopinto finds himself in an unusual situation — his department can’t afford not to hire new staffers.

The strange budget situation is a result of cutting positions three years ago. Since then, Lopinto’s employees have been working more overtime to fill the staffing gap.

The additional hours depleted the department’s entire $450,000 overtime budget midway through May, draining the pot four months before the end of the fiscal year.

Lopinto has requested the county commissioners to add 11 new firefighters, which will cost $690,000.

“We’re not asking for an increase in staffing,” Lopinto said. “We just want to be back at the level we were at a few years ago. This would bring us back to that number.”

Lopinto has been using what he called “residual salary” funds to pay for overtime the last few weeks. That money is available because his department has unfilled positions. He said he doesn’t want to cut emergency responders from three to two per call, but that may be needed if there is no solution.

“We always want at least three responders on every call because it reduces the risk of accidents with two people watching everyone’s back,” Lopinto said. “It would be the last resort.”

County Commissioner Pat Mulieri said she and the other four board members “support adding staff” to Lopinto’s department.

“We have to do something,” Mulieri said. “Adding what he’s asking for is the right move.”

Mulieri said the county would spend about $200,000 less on overtime by hiring the 11 staffers.

The department needs 117 staffers to cover the entire county, Lopinto said. Overtime would come into play if anyone calls in sick or is on vacation. The fire chief said it will take about six months to train any new employees.

The fire department originally lost 33 positions in 2009, seven of which were vacant. The county allowed Lopinto to hire 15 in 2010.

The fire service’s budget comes from property value taxes, which has been dropping since 2009.

Mulieri said they would likely increase the rate by 8 percent. County residents would pay an additional $12 per year for every $100,000 of taxable value, which is the price of an estate minus the homestead exemption.

 

 

By Kyle LoJacono

Zephyrhills business leaders have postponed a summit meant to shape the economic future of the East Pasco County community.

The decision to push the meeting to July 11 will allow the Economic Development Task Force, which includes representatives from Main Street Zephyrhills, the Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce and business owners, along with city Mayor Steve Van Gorden, to consider the options.

Vonnie Mikkelsen, chamber executive director, said her organization wanted extra time because of the long-lasting impact the committee will have on the economic vitality of Zephyrhills.

“It is a significant move for all parties concerned, and as stewards of the organization, the board of directors is responsible for ensuring a deliverable product backed by necessary resources,” Mikkelsen said.

The topics up for discussion will be the same as what was planned for the original meeting, one of which is the possibility of creating a private-public partnership under the guidance of the chamber with the goal of pursuing economic development opportunities.

Another major subject is how the city’s airport can help create more economic opportunities, such as attracting flights from corporate jets, as companies look to tap into an expanding market to the west in Wesley Chapel.

The third highlight is boosting Zephyrhills’ industrial corridor by increasing train traffic. Another option is expanding city roadways to help become a hub for business.

Mikkelsen said the exact time and location for the summit are not set. For more information, call the chamber at (813) 782-1913 or visit zephyrhillschamber.org.

 

By Kyle LoJacono

Colton Larson wasn’t sure why he needed to be at the year-end banquet for Pasco County Special Olympics. He just knew he had to attend.

It was an evening well spent.

The Larsons were named the organization’s family of the year because of what Colton and his sister, Kelsee, have done with the program at Land O’ Lakes High.

“It was pretty cool,” Colton said. “I wasn’t expecting it.”

Vicky King, who started the school’s Special Olympics soccer program in 1986, said the Larsons are the first Land O’ Lakes High family to earn the county honor.

Colton, 23, started playing with Special Olympics while in sixth grade at Pine View Middle.

“I still remember my first game at Pine View,” Colton said. “That year we were second in the state and I scored. That was a lot of fun and I didn’t want to stop… It’s great playing soccer. It’s fun playing with other people with similar ability.”

The Gators’ program is in the masters division, which allows school graduates to play along with current students. The teams are also unified, which allows traditional athletes, such as Kelsee, to play with Special Olympics participants.

“That was probably the best experience I’ve ever had,” Kelsee said. “I love working with them. They’re so much fun.”

Kelsee, who recently graduated from Land O’ Lakes, started with the program three years ago, which has helped her relationship with Colton.

“Before, we never got along,” Kelsee said. “We kind of found our common ground with soccer. We still argue because we’re brother and sister, but it’s brought us closer.”

Kelly Larson, Colton and Kelsee’s mother, added, “She never really thought of Colton as anything but her big brother. She didn’t really think of him as disabled. By watching her brother play, it’s helped her see him in a different way… She didn’t give him any slack before, but now she does. It’s so cool to see them together now. She’s more patient and it’s a great thing.”

Kelly has also seen both grow away from the field because of Special Olympics. She told a story about how Kelsee helped a disabled girl who was being picked on in the cafeteria this year.

“She went up and defended her,” Kelly said. “That’s the kind of thing she’ll do now because of Special Olympics.”

Colton, who has cerebral palsy, became a better teammate because of soccer.

“He kind of looked at handicapped people as lesser than he is when he started,” Kelly said. “He was kind of a ball hog, but now he wants to work with the team. He doesn’t see himself in that category yet, but he’s now trying to help everybody instead of doing it all himself.”

Kelsee, a defender, also plays for the Gators girls soccer team. One thing that surprised her was how difficult the Special Olympics games are.

“Honestly, the games for Special Olympics were really hard, probably because I was trying to help the players think ahead, so it was more than just playing,” Kelsee said. “I got more winded in those games than in the actual high school games. It was hard. There are some good athletes in the Special Olympics.”

The Larson duo helped the LOL Blue team win the state level three championship the last two years. Colton said getting to win a pair of titles with Kelsee has been the best part of playing.

“It’s great getting to play with her,” Colton said. “A lot of times when I’d score it’s because she got the play started from the back. It’s been a lot of fun.”

 

Chabad at Wiregrass dedicates new Torah

By Cameron Valdez

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

The local Jewish community gathered on June 10 at the Chabad at Wiregrass to celebrate the completion of a new Torah.

The Torah, to the Jewish community, is more than a Bible. It is what teaches its followers everything they will need to know about life.

“(The Torah) is everything to the Jewish community,” said Jewish community member Herzl Zoock. “It’s a code of life. It’s the way you live. It teaches us right from wrong. It teaches us everything there is to know about life.”

The new Torah costs roughly $40,000 and takes a little more than a year to complete.

“It takes a scribe about a year to write because it is handwritten with a feather on actual parchment which is cowhide, skin from a kosher animal,” said Rabbi Yochanon Klein, who wrote the last few letters of the new Torah.

The completion of the holy book is extremely vigorous. The Torah is handwritten by a professional scribe in Israel. In order for the Torah to be usable, the scribe must follow more than 400 laws, such as the type of ink and thread used. If any of the laws are broken during its creation, the book cannot be used.

“What goes into writing is tremendous,” said Rabbi Mendy Yarmush.

After the Torah was completed, the community celebrated.

“When we complete a Torah, it is similar to a wedding,” Yarmush said. “A wedding is a time for people to unite and make a lifelong commitment to each other. The Torah is the same thing. When we finish the Torah, we are renewing our vows to the Torah and saying that this Torah is valuable and important to us. Therefore, we celebrate it similar to the way we celebrate a wedding.”

The Chabad at Wiregrass is located at 2124 Ashley Oaks Circle in Wesley Chapel. For more information, call (813) 642-3244 or visit .

 

By Jeff Odom

More than $502 million dollars are at stake, and it will all be decided based on the outcome of a penny.

The proposed penny sales tax extension could add more than $502 million in increased county revenue and numerous employment opportunities, according to Pasco’s Chief Assistant Administrator Michele Baker.

Baker, who discussed the details during a Pasco Alliance of Community Association meeting June 14, said if voters approve the Penny for Pasco sales tax extension in November, nearly $100 million more will go toward funding for roads, schools, environmental conservation and infrastructure starting in 2015.

“We’re currently levying a penny tax to pay for transportation improvements, environmental land acquisition and public safety,” Baker said. “Going forward, if the voters choose to renew that penny and continue it, we would still be spending funds with those areas, but we would be adding to that an allocation for jobs and economic development.”

Under the current tax, which was passed by voters in 2004, 10 percent of the funding goes to the county’s cities, with the most money going to the most populated municipalities. The school district received 45 percent; the remaining 45 is allocated by the county commissioners for transportation, public safety and environmental projects.

The new allocation will keep the same percentage for the cities and school district, but the 45 percent the commissioners get will be steered in different directions. Road projects and other transportation needs will get 40 percent, while the remaining 60 percent will be evenly split to fund economic development/job creation, environmental land purchases and improving public safety.

Baker touted the tax extension as a way for public services to receive replacements to outdated or broken equipment while bringing businesses to the county.

“(Economic development is) an important part of the penny,” Baker said. “When we do our annual citizen engagement meetings, we asked how would you want us to spend the penny and jobs and economic development was No. 1. … I do think job creation is on the forefront of everybody’s mind.”

If citizens vote not to renew, the current penny tax will expire in December 2014.

Finding the money to support these projects will need to come from another source, Baker said. She added numerous road projects would be stalled because of an end to the funding.

“Right now for transportation projects we don’t use property tax dollars,” Baker said. “So those planned transportation projects and trails wouldn’t happen until some other revenue source was found. In terms of the public safety projects, those services still have to be delivered. So if we’re not paying for equipment replacements with the penny, we will have to pay for them with property taxes.”

Baker believes there is plenty of support for the extension heading into the November election cycle and said the transparency that the county Commission has with its constituents is always key for communicating where tax dollars are going.

“I think this ensures voters are educated before heading to the polls,” Baker said. “That is the job of the government. To be honest and efficient with the dollars that are entrusted to us by the citizens. … There is really no better way to do it.”