Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By B.C. Manion

Pasco County officials are upping the ante in their bid to keep the Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions, a national lacrosse tournament, in Wesley Chapel.

The competition, staged annually over the Christmas holidays, draws roughly 80 teams from across the United States and Canada. It rings up an estimated $3 million impact on the local economy, said Eric Keaton, communications manager for Pasco County.

The tournament has been held in Wesley Chapel since 2008, but is now being courted by IMG Academies, an elite athletic training facility in Bradenton.

IMG is offering a number of enticements, including $40,000, compared to $25,000 in Pasco County’s current agreement, Keaton said. IMG also has 17 fields at one location, compared to 14 fields at two locations in Wesley Chapel, he added.

From the tournament organizer’s perspective, it is more convenient to stage the event at one location, Keaton said. IMG also has security and the ability to broadcast games to the Internet.

On the plus side, Wesley Chapel is home to Saddlebrook Resort, an internationally known destination with tennis, golf and spa facilities, a popular choice among many families traveling to the tournament, Keaton said. Wesley Chapel also is closer to Tampa International Airport and attractions in Tampa and Orlando.

Wesley Chapel has extensive experience with the tournament, Keaton added. The Wesley Chapel Athletic Association and the county’s athletics department have been involved with the tournament since its inception.

“IMG would have to start from scratch,” Keaton said.

Keaton said he has been in talks with NDP Lacrosse, which operates the tournament, trying to keep the national event in Wesley Chapel.

“I think they’re very receptive,” Keaton said.

Frank Britton, secretary of the Wesley Chapel Athletic Association, is concerned about local lacrosse players having a chance to be seen by college coaches if the tournament relocates. He’s also worried about the negative impact on the local economy.

Members of the business community are calling on the county to do what it can to keep the tournament in Wesley Chapel.

“If they’re going to spend hotel tax dollars keeping something here, spend it keeping this,” said Todd Patrick, sales director for Hampton Inn & Suites Tampa-Wesley Chapel, 2740 Cypress Ridge Blvd.

Patrick said losing the Tournament of Champions could lead to losing the Derek Pieper Memorial Cup, a significant loss because the Derek Pieper contest is the only Florida qualifying tournament for the Tournament of Champions, and also brings in significant business.

Patrick believes IMG will be able to make a case for the Derek Pieper tournament, if it is able to secure the Tournament of Champions.

Britton said he thinks it is more likely that the Derek Pieper tournament would continue in Wesley Chapel, but that IMG would host an additional qualifying tournament, which would reduce the number of teams participating at Derek Pieper.

Patrick said his hotel does about 300 room nights for the Derek Pieper tournament and about 400 room nights for the Tournament of Champions. The impact goes beyond losing those bookings, though, Patrick said. Losing that business would lower the room rate the hotel could charge, he said, noting the effect of supply and demand.

Patrick said his hotel wants to do what it can to help keep the tournament, including offering rebates to hotel guests in town for the tournament.

The county needs to work out an enticing package, Patrick said. “These guys (tournament organizers) don’t really care where it is, they’re just looking for the better deal.”

Hotels aren’t the only losers if the tournaments relocate, Patrick added. Many local businesses will suffer as well, he said. Team parents often ask him: “Where’s the Publix? Where is the Walgreens?

“We sent one entire team to Cobb Theatre. We sent many teams to Hungry Harry’s (Family) Bar-B-Que and many teams to Texas Roadhouse.

“Almost every team made a team trip to Wiregrass mall,” Patrick said.

Greg Lenners, general manager for The Shops at Wiregrass, said there’s no doubt the regional mall at SR 56 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard picks up business from people attending the annual tournaments. Mall retailers pick up foot traffic but Lenners suspects mall restaurants would suffer the biggest blow if the tournaments move.

“If there is something TDC (Tourist Development Council) can do, I would strongly encourage it,” Lenners said.

Jeff Miller, chairman of the Wesley Chapel Economic Development Committee, has written county commissioners urging them to do what they can. The impact goes beyond the spending by visitors, Miller said. It also affects the community’s ability to reach a national audience, leading to long-term consequences, Miller said.

Pasco County Commissioner Pat Mulieri agreed with business leaders that the county must address the issue.

“We need to match the money,” Mulieri said, via email. “It is being worked on.”

 

 

Gaither counselor honored

The Hillsborough Counseling Association has named Becky Belanger the Senior High Counselor of the Year.

The award came shortly before Belanger retired, effective Feb. 28, from her post as a guidance counselor at Gaither. Nominations on Belanger’s behalf extolled her many contributions.

Myla Uppercue, guidance department chair at Gaither, said she will miss Belanger.

“I have worked in four high schools, and I strongly believe that Becky Belanger is in the top 1 percent of counselors in the county,” Uppercue wrote in her nomination of Belanger.

Gaither Principal Marie Whelan added: “There is definitely going to be a void in our guidance department upon her departure. I definitely feel Becky is a worthy recipient of this long overdue recognition.”
Donna Cason, Gaither’s assistant principal of curriculum, noted: “The thing that impresses me most about Mrs. Belanger is her commitment to making students a top priority and her belief that all children can succeed.”

Sand Pine barbecue

The Sand Pine Elementary Parent-Teacher Association is hosting its first family barbecue catered by Dickey’s Barbecue on Friday, March 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the school’s cafeteria. The event includes dessert, a DJ, line dancing, a balloon artist, and games. Tickets are $5 and must be purchased in advance. For more information, contact Chrystal Mueller at .

 

New River wins grant

New River Elementary has received a $3,944 grant from the Dairy Council of Florida to support its involvement in Fuel Up to Play 60, a national in-school health and wellness program. The wellness initiative encourages children to eat low-fat and fat-free dairy foods, fruits, vegetables and whole grains and to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. For more information visit www.fueluptoplay60.com or the Dairy Council of Florida’s website at www.fueluptoplay60.floridamilk.com and www.floridamilk.com.

 

Voting boundaries approved

The U.S. Department of Justice has approved the Hillsborough County School Board’s revised single-member voting district boundaries. The board is required by Florida law to revise districts the year after each decennial census, based on shifting patterns of population. For more information on the revised districts, the process, or the report sent to the Department of Justice, go to sdhc.k12.fl.us, and look for “Board Redistricting” under “Important Links.”

 

Students make dean’s list

Austin Schonbrun, of Lutz and Sarah Myers, of Odessa, have achieved the dean’s list at Wake Forest University.

Jennifer Majcher, of Lutz, has been named to dean’s list at the University of Delaware.

Cailynn West, of Lutz, has been named to the dean’s list for the fall term at Centre College, in Danville, Ky.

 

Saint Leo University appoints new center director

Abraham Peck is the new executive director for the Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies at Saint Leo University.

The center was established in 1998 as a collaboration between Saint Leo University and the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the oldest human relations organization in the United States. The Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies is in DeChantal Hall and is the only center of its kind in the Southeast.

Peck is a distinguished scholar in Holocaust studies and human rights. He has been involved in programs promoting constructive dialogue and social justice, working with American and international communities involving Christian, African-American, German and Polish populations. He is the son of survivors of the Holocaust and was born in a displaced persons camp in Germany.

 

Moore Mickens honors students

These students were named Moore Mickens Education Center’s students of the month for January: Tiuska Diaz, Sofia Torres, Joevanny Lorenzo, Elisa Rubio.

These students were named to the principal’s honor roll by achieving a 4.0 grade point average: Jaonsha Hayes, Jessica Leopold, MacKenzie McAnallen, Danielle Shaw, Stephanie Stanley and Wesley Rivera.

 

PHCC Cheerleaders are state champions

The Pasco-Hernando Community College Cheerleading Team won the Florida State Cheer and Dance Championship competition in College Level 6 Co-ed.

Besides winning its division, the team achieved the highest applied total score of the competition. It received 82.52 out of a possible 104 points—scoring 9.10 in performance, 9.60 in pyramid, 9.80 in tosses, and 8.90 in formations and transitions, out of a possible 10 in each category. Lisa Fairbanks, PHCC senior office assistant in the disabilities services office, is the cheerleading team coach.

The contest was held at the Florida State Fairgrounds amphitheatre on Saturday, Feb.11. To view a video of the cheerleaders in action, visit www.phcc.edu/athletics/cheerleading/.

Hearing set this week for public comment

 

By B.C. Manion

 

Residents and business owners can weigh in on two very different alternatives at a public hearing this week to discuss the fate of proposed improvements for US 301 in Zephyrhills.

One alternative proposed by the state Department of Transportation could have a harmful effect on the city’s redevelopment goals and could threaten commercial activity along the highway corridor, said Jim Drumm, city manager.

The other alternative, proposed by the city, could handle additional traffic without adversely affecting local businesses, Drumm said.

State Department of Transportation (DOT) officials will answer questions and field comments on both alternatives from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23 at First Church of the Nazarene, 6151 12th St. in Zephyrhills.

Both alternatives are intended to accommodate future traffic needs along the US 301/SR 41 corridor, known locally as Gall Boulevard.

The DOT’s study limits are from SR 39 south to CR 54, a distance of about 2.6 miles. The portion of the project from the beginning of the study limits going to C Avenue is within the county, and the rest is within the city.

Gall Boulevard is a two-lane undivided road, with traffic moving in both directions within the study limits. Sixth Street is currently a two-lane, one-way road, with traffic flowing to the south; and Seventh Street is a two-lane, one-way road, with traffic flowing to the north.

The proposal that the city favors is referred to as the Sixth Street and Seventh Street One-Way Pair Alternative.

In essence, it calls for:

–Keeping US 301 a two-lane road, flowing in both directions, from A Avenue to North Avenue.

–Expanding US 301 (Gall Boulevard) to a three-lane, one-way northbound roadway south of A Avenue to Corey Street, connecting to Seventh Street.

–Widening Sixth Street to three lanes, with southbound traffic heading from Corey Street to 16^th Avenue.

–Seventh Street would be widened to three lanes, with the one-way, northbound roadway beginning at A Avenue and ending at the US 301/Fort King Road intersection.

This alternative passes through segments of the historic district between Fourth and Fifth avenues and would eliminate a number of parking spaces. The design speed would be 40 miles per hour, with an anticipated posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour.

The other alternative is called the Sixth Street and US 301/SR 41 (Gall Boulevard) One-Way Pair Alternative.

In essence, this alternative calls for:

— Converting US 301 (Gall Boulevard) from a two-way, two-lane road, into a one-way, three-lane road for northbound travelers, from Corey Street to Geiger Road/North Avenue.

–Converting Sixth Street to a three-lane, one-way southbound road from Corey Street to 16th Avenue.

–Leaving Seventh Street as it is.

The design speed would be for 40 miles per hour, with an anticipated posted speed of 35 miles per hour.

Or, the third option would be a “no build” alternative, which would mean leaving the roads as they are, and doing only safety improvements or maintenance repairs.

Gordana Jovanovic, a project manager for DOT, said the state transportation agency is interested in hearing public reaction to both alternatives being presented for roadway improvements. She said no money has been budgeted for construction yet, but money has been allocated in the DOT’s five-year plan to acquire right-of-way.

Drumm said both improvement alternatives would do the job of moving traffic.

“The city’s concern is: ‘How will it affect the business district?’” he said.

Three-laning Gall Boulevard (US 301) and making it one-way would reduce potential business for commercial properties lining the highway commercial corridor, he said.

“Our concern really is for the business district that will be caught in the middle. Right now, traffic is slower. People can pull off in parking lots and go to Wendy’s or go to the bank. Our concern is that these businesses will be caught up, almost in the median, of a high-speed freeway,” Drumm said.

If the city’s alternative is selected, the city would dedicate its rights-of-way for Sixth and Seventh streets to the state, and the state would dedicate its right-of-way for Gall Boulevard to the city.

Another advantage of the city’s plan is that some businesses would have the opportunity for double frontage, such as Wendy’s which has frontage on Gall Boulevard, but owns property all of the way to Seventh Street, Drumm said.

The city would like to expand its Community Redevelopment Area to include the highway area, near its historic downtown, to support its vision for revitalization. But it will have to reconsider those ideas if the highway becomes a one-way road in that area, Drumm said. Residents and business owners have offered strong support at previous public meetings  for the city’s approach, but it is important they

voice their opinions during this week’s public hearing to make it part of the state’s official record, Drumm said.

“They’re going to make a decision soon after that. They want to see how much public support there really is from business, citizens and travelers,” Drumm said.

 

 

Open House

Thursday, Feb. 23, 5-7 p.m.

Department of Transportation staff will be on hand to field questions at 5 p.m.; a formal presentation and public comment will occur at 6 p.m., after that more questions will be answered until 7 p.m.

The meeting will be at First Church of the Nazarene, 6151 12th St., Zephyrhills.

 

No way, this crowd says

 

By B.C. Manion

 

Facing a deficit that could reach $40 million, the Pasco County School District is looking at the possibility of shortening its school week to four days – an idea that drew an avalanche of protests at a public meeting last week at Rushe Middle School, in Land O’ Lakes.

Steve Luikart, the school board member chairing the district’s Four-Day School Week Task Force, told a crowd of more than 100 people that a 36-member committee is examining the issue from every angle.

“We are still in the information-gathering stage. This is not an information-sharing stage. We want to make sure you’re part of the information that’s going to the board,” Luikart emphasized, before launching into a Powerpoint presentation.

The presentation contained facts about the school district’s budget, the committees that are working on the task force and information about four-day school weeks, including potential merits of the approach.

If the Powerpoint was meant to inform, however, it only seemed to inflame.

“I came here having an open mind,” said Ian Boyle, of Wesley Chapel.  “I was hoping to listen to some pros and cons.

“You gave me the positives of a 4-day week,” Boyle said, adding he was disappointed by the district’s lack of specifics about the potential impacts of a four-day school week.

Angie Johnson, of Odessa, told Luikart that she was sure he sincerely believed the Powerpoint was a good presentation. However, she said, its tone “feels very positive.” She offered to lend her expertise to future presentations, to assure a more balanced approach.

“I thank you for looking outside the box,” said Dawn Chiarenza, of Trinity. However, she suggested the district consider some other cost-cutting ideas. “Maybe we should look at putting the offices on a four-day work week,” she said.

Several speakers mentioned practical concerns, such as providing childcare when schools are out, fitting in extracurricular activities with a longer school day and trying to help their tired children with homework after such a long day.

Several people shared Peggy D’Alessandro’s concerns about potential negative impacts on student learning. “Missing that fifth day of school every week is detrimental,” said the woman who described herself as being very active in her school’s PTA.

Two women said that school bus drivers, kitchen workers and other support personnel would take a financial hit from a shorter work week.

One woman said she’s worried about children whose only meals are the breakfast and lunch they eat at school.

Luikart said the issues raised at the forums are being researched by the task force, which will present its report to the school board. He told speakers the purpose of the three public forums was to give people the opportunity to raise issues.

There are hundreds of school districts operating on a four-day week, Luikart said. But none of them are quite like Pasco County, he added.

“Pasco County is the biggest district in the United States that’s even looking at this,” he said.

Of dozens of speakers, just one offered outright support.

“I’m a huge proponent of the four-day school week,” said Dana Livesay, of Land O’ Lakes.

Luikart told the crowd that additional public forums would be held if the school board decides to pursue a four-day week.

The task force is scheduled to present its report at a school board workshop at 4 p.m. on March 20. The public is welcome to attend, but these sessions generally are not open for public comment.

Walmart and Auto Zone will build next door

 

By B.C. Manion

 

Wells Fargo plans to open a 5,000-square-foot branch on SR 54, south of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard by the fourth quarter of this year.

The branch will be built using green energy standards, including ATMs that accept stacks of cash or checks without envelopes or deposit slips, according to Christina Smotryski, vice president and corporate communications manager for the bank’s Florida region.

The branch will have an open layout, five drive-through lanes and an online banking station, she said.

The branch will be built on one of four outparcels at a site that Pasco County has approved for a 196.150-square-foot Walmart Supercenter and 21,372-square-foot garden center.

It is unclear when Walmart plans to proceed with construction, said Dawn Sutton, a planner for Pasco County. Walmart officials did not respond to several requests for information by The Laker.

An access road to the site will be constructed off Wiregrass Ranch Boulevard, which is a new north-south road that ultimately will run from SR 56 to SR 54.

“Walmart is required to construct a portion of Wiregrass Ranch Boulevard,” Sutton said.

A typical Walmart Supercenter has about 300 employees, according to Walmart’s website.

AutoZone also has submitted a site plan to the county for one of the other outparcels, but company officials from AutoZone could not be reached for comment.

 

 

By B.C. Manion

David Broome was just 19 when the Humvee he was driving rode over an improvised explosive device, causing a blast that forced him to spend months undergoing surgeries and recovering from shrapnel injuries.

John Kozlowski retired on medical leave last year from the Air Force, but hasn’t left his wartime experiences completely behind him. He constantly scans the roads, looking for things that, “now that I’m home, aren’t there.”

Both Land O’ Lakes men spent last Friday and Saturday among roughly 30 cyclists taking part in Soldier Ride, an event that brings together veterans wounded in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Riders of all ability levels make the rounds on adaptive hand cycles, trikes, and bicycles.

The Tampa Bay area two-day ride covered 44 miles, starting with a 17-mile loop that began and ended at Fort De Soto Park in Tierre Verde on Friday and was followed by a 27-mile loop that began and ended at State College of Florida at Lakewood Ranch in Sarasota on Saturday.

In an interview last week, Broome was preparing to make his second Soldier Ride. He completed his first one in Boston last year. Broome, now 25, said he was inspired by the company he kept at the Boston ride, and was pleased to take part in another ride so close to home.

The 42-year-old Kozlowski – who served in the Air Force from 1987 until 2011 — was eager to board a trike to join Soldier Ride.

“I’m looking for ways to get more involved with people I share a common bond with,” Kozlowski said.

Sometimes his emotions overwhelm him, he said. “I go through bouts of severe depression where I just want to pick up and run away, leave friends, family, leave everybody behind,” he said.

Soldier Ride aims to help wounded warriors restore their physical and emotional well-being. It also seeks to raise awareness of wounded veterans, who still battle the physical and psychological damages of war.

The event dates back to 2004 when Chris Carney, a bartender from Long Island, decided to make a coast-to-coast bicycle ride to support the Wounded Warrior Project, said Nick Kraus, a co-founder of Soldier Ride.

During the trek, Carney met two injured warriors, Heath Calhoun and Ryan Kelly in Colorado, and they joined him on the ride, Kraus said.

“The only problem was that they only had one leg between the two of them,” recalled Kraus. “We found a handcycle and an adapted bike and they rode with us.

“And then Ryan and Heath decided they wanted to ride all of the way across the country like Chris did the next year, and they did, and they got Chris to do it again. Along the way, they were joined by other wounded warriors who heard about what they were doing,” Kraus said.

Over the years, the event has evolved.

“Now, it’s a rehabilitative program that takes place all across the United States and overseas, in Germany, England, France, Israel. We ride with their injured soldiers,” Kraus said.

The cyclists’ expenses are covered by the Wounded Warrior Project and its supporters, and donations are always welcome, Kraus said.

But Soldier Ride is not about raising money, he said.

“This is about these guys. It’s important to know what’s going on and the heavy price that these young men and women have paid,” Kraus said.

“It’s a way for people, either walking down the street or driving by, to give their thanks or appreciation for these wounded warriors,” he said. It also lets the wounded combat veterans “see that the American public cares about them,” he added.

Broome said the event gives veterans a chance to support one another.

It doesn’t matter whether a fellow cyclist has more severe or less severe injuries – the ride brings them together, Broome said. They may have just met, but there’s a sense of deeper connection.

Soldier Ride is a demonstration of the human spirit, Kraus said. “You could lose an arm or you can lose a leg and you can still go out and do things you used to do, differently –what we call the new normal.”

For more information about Wounded Warrior Project, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org

School’s former leader takes on district role

 

By B.C. Manion

 

There’s a new leader at the helm of Freedom High, filling a vacancy created by the promotion of the school’s former principal.

David Sheppard was appointed principal of Freedom High effective Feb. 20.

Sheppard said he has aspired to become a principal for the past five or six years and is pleased to have the opportunity to assume the leadership post.

That said, he also knows that high school principals today face daunting challenges. The biggest one, he said, is to engage a wide variety of students in a manner that makes all of them want to come to school.

Freedom has more than 2,000 students, drawing from a range of economic backgrounds. The school, at 17140 Commerce Park Blvd. in Tampa, draws from Lutz and New Tampa, as well as the University Community area and areas to the south.

Some students are motivated and have a plan for their education, including which colleges they would like to attend, Sheppard said. Others are less motivated, the principal said.

The key is to have adults with the skills and personalities to engage students and to give them a desire to come to school, Sheppard said.

The new principal said his first order of business will be to listen and observe.

“I have a lot to learn about those important people who are already here,” Sheppard said. “That will take a little bit of time,” Sheppard said.

The educational leader, who lives in Lutz, is the former assistant principal for curriculum at Wharton High. He joined Hillsborough County’s public school district in 1992, as a teacher at Leto High. Sheppard then transferred to Wharton in 1999, continuing as a teacher until 2004, when he was promoted to assistant principal for student affairs. He served as assistant principal for curriculum at Wharton beginning in 2006.

He filled a vacancy created by the promotion of Chris Farkas, who will become area leadership director. In that role, Farkas will be working with principals at a number of schools in the district’s Area VII.

Farkas began his district career in 1999 as an alternative education/dropout prevention teacher. He came to Freedom as principal in 2006, moving from an assistant principal spot at Tampa Technical High.