Special to The Laker/Lutz News

/By B.C. Manion

When Weightman Middle School opened two decades ago, there wasn’t a whole lot happening nearby.

There were a few cows and a couple of houses on Wells Road, and the road, which was dirt before the middle school opened, was only paved to the edge of the school’s parking lot, Freda Abercrombie.recalled.

In those days, the area now occupied by the Bridgewater subdivision was just pasture, Abertcrombie said.

Those were the days before the school’s enrollment peaked – at more than 2,000 students – because of Wesley Chapel’s building boom. During those days, before John Long Middle School opened, Weightman had 32 portables to accommodate the crowd.

Over the years, the middle school has had its share of accomplishments. The trophy case in the front office is filled with trophies, a championship basketball and other mementos of glory days.

The school, at 30649 Wells Road, has the distinction of being the first professional development school affiliated with the University of South Florida.

Weightman still enjoys the status of having the longest running relationship in this capacity with USF and is the only middle school currently operating in that role for USF, Abercrombie said.

The school, which bears the name of former Pasco County Schools Superintendent Thomas E. Weightman, resulted from collaboration between the public school district and educational leaders at USF.

The idea was to use the school as a training ground for future teachers and a place where experienced teachers could experience professional growth.

The school continues to serve those needs today, Abercrombie said. It has played a part in preparing thousands of classroom teachers, Abercrombie said.

Aspiring teachers have spent time at Weightman doing everything from observing classrooms to serving as intern teachers. There have been times when as many as 10 interns have been on the school’s campus at once, Abercrombie said.

The middle school provides an excellent venue for student teachers and university personnel to see what it takes to teach today’s student, Abercrombie said. They deal with “real kids, real issues,” she said.

Over the years, Weightman’s students have come from as far away as Dade City, but now they come primarily from Wesley Chapel.

The school has about 1,100 students made up of a variety of cultural and economic backgrounds.

It also has had the distinction of winning athletic championships over the years, in sports such as basketball, football and volleyball, Abercrombie said.

Abercrombie isn’t the only school employee with long-time ties to Weightman.

Cinthia Holton Wolden, a secretary in the front office, attended seventh-grade at the school in 1991, its inaugural year.

Sharon Morris, one of the school’s guidance counselors, interned as a language arts teacher at the school.

When Morris graduated, there weren’t any language arts openings, but she had some experience in marketing and landed a job teaching that.

She later became a language arts teacher and while doing that, she encountered students writing about some very dark themes. “I didn’t know what to do,” she said, so she decided to pursue a master’s degree to learn more. She later became the school’s behavior specialist before assuming her current position.

Morris, who is helping to organize the school’s 20th anniversary celebrations, said the first event was a football game held two weeks ago. School alumni were encouraged to attend, she said.

Next, the school will be inviting USF staff, former principals and administrators and the school’s charter staff members and current staff members to an event on Thursday, Nov. 10.

Displays will be set up around the perimeter of the cafeteria to showcase the school’s history and refreshments will be served.

Rob Aguis, director of the school district’s Community, Career and Technical Education department, is one of Weightman’s former principals.

He has fond memories of his tenure there.

“It was one of my very favorite stops along my professional development. There was a lot going on at the school. It was very much the hub of the community,” Aguis said. “The community did nothing but support the school.”

In addition to its other celebrations, the school will have an event on Thursday, Nov. 17 for students achieving the school honor roll and their parents. Former superintendent Weightman will be on hand to offer a few remarks.

The sixth-graders and their parents will assemble at 6 p.m., followed by the seventh- and eighth-graders and their parents at 7 p.m.

The school also is initiating a new award at the end of the school year. The award will be called “The Spirit of Weightman Award” in honor of the man who had the vision for creating a school where educators and students labor together in a quest to deepen their knowledge.

By Kyle LoJacono

Pasco County has been trying to get federal approval to extend Ridge Road into Land O’ Lakes for the last 13 years, and the county now has another chance to push for the project.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has consistently denied the permit for an extension to take Ridge from where it stops in New Port Richey to connect with US 41 in Land O’ Lakes. The proposed project, which would also add an interchange with the Suncoast Parkway, has always been deemed too problematic to the wetlands in the area.

“The extension is expected to permanently impact 44 acres of wetlands and temporarily impact 3.5 acres of wetlands,” said Southwest Florida Water Management District spokeswoman Robyn Felix. “The Suncoast interchange with Ridge Road is expected to impact 12 acres of wetlands.”

The latest blow to the extension came last December, when the Corps of Engineers rejected Pasco’s plan to convert 221 acres of land along the Pithlachascotee River into a nature preserve, along with buying 804 acres from a ranch to act as a linkage between the Conner Preserve and the Cross Bar/Albar Ranch.

The Corps of Engineers ruled the plan for the extension would go against federal environmental laws. It proposed widening either or both SR 52 and SR 54 instead of extending Ridge.

“Widening either state road won’t get the job done,” said Pasco Commissioner Pat Mulieri. “Those roadways in west and central Pasco are wide enough for the traffic, but they are in the far north and south of the county. Ridge Road is in the middle of Pasco. That’s where the roadway is needed.”

The county recently gave its new plan for the extension to the Corps of Engineers, but no details of changes from previous plans were released.

Donna Cardellino, a real estate agent, has been working to convince the Corps of Engineers to approve the new plan.

Cardellino said extension is needed as a matter of safety. She recalled it taking firefighters 30 minutes to respond to a fire at a neighbor’s home in the Rosewood community because of road connectivity problems, but she added there are many other benefits from an extended Ridge.

“The Ridge Road extension will ease traffic congestion, save fuel by providing more direct routes across the middle of the county, contribute to public health and safety by providing evacuation access in the event of flood or fire especially for people living in Rosewood, Sablewood and for River Ridge High School and of course contribute to economic development and job creation by linking the US 19, Suncoast Parkway and US 41 corridors,” Cardellino said.

The county has always maintained the greatest reason for the extension is to allow people from central and west Pasco to more easily reach the Suncoast to evacuate in case of a hurricane or other disaster.

State Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, has been a supporter of an extension. He wrote a letter to the Corps of Engineers last November pushing for approval.

Mulieri has also been outspoken about the “snail’s pace” of the project.

“Two years ago there was a belief that if we did certain things the issuance of the permit was imminent,” Mulieri said. “However, that did not happen. It has been frustrating because it appears that when staff accomplished what is asked for, something else is added.”

Critics of an extension have said it is only a ploy to open more land for development.

“An important aspect is that it will be a limited access road similar to the Suncoast,” Mulieri said. “The board supported this concept a number of years ago to allay the concerns that this was just being built to open up more land for developers.”

While the road seems unable to open additional development, it would likely be a positive to area businesses and Pasco-Hernando Community College’s New Port Richey campus located on Ridge.

“The road would definitely be a plus for PHCC,” Mulieri said. “Also Connerton and the commerce park would benefit.”

The Corps of Engineers is currently taking comment to see if the public wants a hearing about any Ridge extension.

Those interested in voicing their opinion about the extension schould call (813) 769-7063 or do so by mail to:

Tracy Hurst, Biologist

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

10117 Princess Palm Ave., Suite 120

Tampa, FL  33610

By Kyle LoJacono

The newly approved district lines for the Hillsborough commission have not even taken effect yet, but the county is discussing an overhaul of how the board is structured.

Currently, the seven-member commission includes four people elected to represent specific geographic areas, and only residents within a district are eligible to vote for that representative. The final three seats are filled by at-large selections picked by the entire county.

Commissioner Les Miller, whose District 3 includes most of central Tampa, proposed having five people represent specific areas and two at-large members.

“I think this county has grown to a point where we need to make some changes,” said Miller, one of two Democrats on the commission.

Miller said there have been two major changes in the county during the last 30 years, when the current structure was established, that make a different setup needed.

The first is the explosive population growth in Hillsborough during the last decade. U.S. Census data shows Hillsborough gained 230,278 residents since 2000, up to 1.2 million. Each commissioner that represents a geographic district now speaks for about 307,000 people.

“It makes sense to split that up a little bit,” Miller said. “It’s getting to the point where it’s impossible to fairly represent each district.”

The other change is an increasing number of Hispanics living within Hillsborough. In 2000, 18 percent of county residents were Hispanic versus 24.9 percent now.

Miller said having a fifth zoned district would allow it to be drawn in such a way to make its residents primarily Hispanic, which he said would make it more likely to have more minority representation.

Miller, who is black, is currently the only minority on the county commission. His District 3 is designated as a minority district by the federal Voting Rights Act and must maintain at least 58 percent minority population to be in compliance.

The Census reports 16.7 percent of Hillsborough’s population is black versus 24.9 percent that is Hispanic.

Several Hispanic civic groups called for the new county district primarily composed of such voters but were unsuccessful and the new alignment was approved this summer.

“We’re definitely not happy, and we won’t be happy until we get some fair representation with a Hispanic member on this board,” said Victor DiMaio, president of the Hillsborough County Hispanic Democratic Caucus. He added his group is planning to formally challenge the new district lines with the U.S. Department of Justice.

At-large Commissioner Mark Sharpe said it would have been impossible to have a so-called “Hispanic district” and not break other laws.

“We couldn’t create four districts while staying in compliance with the Voting Rights Act and keep the districts similar in population,” Sharpe said. “A fifth geographic district might have changed that.”

The members voted to explore changing the structure by getting public input. At-large Commissioner Ken Hagan warned against making any drastic changes so soon after agreeing to the new district lines, which take effect for the 2012 voting cycle.

“I just think we need to go cautiously and move slowly on this,” Hagan said.

At-large commissioner Kevin Beckner, the only other Democrat on the board, also wants people to remember why the current structure was set up 30 years ago.

At that time, three of the then-five commissioners, who were elected only by the people living within a district, were arrested for attempting to sell votes to various groups within their boundaries.

The current system allows all residents to vote for four of the seven members, which was thought to ensure that a majority of the commissioners will consider all county residents and not just those within a certain district.

Neighboring Pasco County’s commission differs in that it has five members who represent certain districts. However, all residents are able to vote for who makes up the board regardless of where they live.

In order for the idea to move forward in Hillsborough, five of the commissioners would have to vote for changing the structure. If approved, county residents would have the final say on their ballots next year. The new format could not take effect until 2014.

By B.C. Manion

If billboards, balloons, banners and signs are any indication, then building activity is increasing in northern Hillsborough, central Pasco and east Pasco counties.

Drivers along thoroughfares throughout those areas will see plenty of homebuilders vying for their attention.

Just a few of the builders with something cooking include:

–Lennar, with new homes at Concord Station, off SR 54 in Land O’ Lakes

–Southern Crafted Homes, with homes in Stonegate in the $170s to $500s and villas at Devonwood in the $150s

–D.R. Horton, with homes on the north side of SR 54, east of Livingston Road and a The Greens at Hidden Creek off Eiland and Championsgate boulevards

–Cardel Homes, in a new phase in Country Walk off Meadow Pointe Boulevard

–Ryland Homes and William Ryan Homes, with homes in Ashton Oaks off SR 54

–Seven Oaks has new models and builders in its community, off SR 56.

–Ashton Woods Homes, with luxury semi-custom townhomes at Crenshaw Reserve on US 41 in Lutz

Billboards tout homes being offered by other builders, too, including Arthur Rutenberg Homes and Mercedes Homes, and there are multiple builders sending out news releases about their latest offerings.

The signs of activity are more abundant than in recent months – and this comes despite a housing market that has taken a beating for the past couple of years.

High unemployment and poor investments triggered a record rate of foreclosures – and an oversupply of inventory — coupled with foreclosures and short sales — caused prices and values to plummet.

The apparent uptick in activity may reflect an expectation that many have that housing prices will stabilize within the next six months, said Mario Polo, a broker associate for Keller Williams, who compiles a monthly sales report of new and existing homes sold in Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

“If they’re putting them in the ground now, they’ll be ready for spring. That’s the selling season,” Polo said. It takes four to six months to put a home in the ground, he said.

While price stability may be coming, Polo predicts that values will decline in the short term as foreclosures flood the market during the next 30 to 60 days.

“Lenders will be releasing foreclosed properties they have been holding,” Polo wrote in his report, which uses data from the Greater Tampa Association of Realtors Mid-Florida Regional Multiple Listing Service.

The job market is another major issue, Polo writes. “Unemployment is still our No. 1 problem,” he notes. Tougher lending standards and appraisals are hindering sales, too.

Despite those issues, Jim Deitch, chief operating officer for Southern Crafted Homes expects his company to continue to fare well.

“We’ve continued to defy the market, if you will,” Deitch said. “Our sales are up 26 percent.”

The company is building homes in Stonegate, Devonwood in Land O’ Lakes and The Preserve at Quail Woods in Wesley Chapel.

Deitch said the homebuilder’s customers tend to be empty nesters, doctors, military personnel, nurses and people who work in the financial services industry.

A good portion of the company’s buyers is doctors who have relocated because they will be working at the new Trinity Hospital on SR 54 when it opens. Nurses have been attracted to the homebuilder’s offerings, too, particularly in Devonwood, because they don’t want to have to worry about maintaining their property, Deitch said.

Southern Crafted Homes aims to fulfill its customers’ desires, Deitch said.

“We will pretty much do any change that the customer wants. That includes adding square feet, customizing the space and meeting the individual needs.”

In one case, it meant changing the design of the garage to accommodate a customer who has a passion for cars; in others, it has meant customized media or billiard rooms.

Deitch said he has seen tremendous changes in the Pasco market, since he came into the area. “When we started in 1990, there was nothing up here,” he said.

While Polo expects prices to slide in the short term because of an increased number of foreclosed properties on the market, Deitch expects housing prices to increase long-term as the costs go up for land, concrete, shingles and other materials.

Homebuilders cannot put themselves in a position of trying to compete with short sales and foreclosure, Deitch said. “It’s not a sustainable business model,” he said.

By B.C. Manion

As the holiday season approaches, Keystone Community Church in Lutz and Heritage Ford in Wesley Chapel are stepping forward to help others in need.

Keystone Community Church will hold its third annual Metropolitan Ministries Holiday Collection Tent and Heritage Ford is having its first Boxes of Hope campaign.

Both efforts will benefit Metropolitan Ministries of Pasco County, which in turn will help families in need at the holidays.

Heritage Ford, at 28739 SR 54 W., has already begun accepting food donations in its Boxes of Hope campaign.

The goal is to collect enough food to provide Thanksgiving meals for 50 local families, said Jennifer Cofini, community relations manager for the car dealership.

“If we get more, that’s great,” Cofini said. “I figured 50 (food boxes) was a good place to start,” she said.

The dealership will contribute a turkey for every box of food it collects, Cofini said.

Those wishing to help can bring their food donations to the dealership’s showroom.

Items that are needed include canned fruits and vegetables, stuffing, mix, rice, beans, canned yams, gravy mix, cookies and Jello pudding.

Those contributing items also are invited to enter a drawing for a free deluxe vehicle detail valued at $149.95, Cofini said. It’s the dealership’s way of showing appreciation to the community for taking part in the food drive, she said.

The dealership’s food drive began on Oct. 26 and runs through Friday, Nov. 18. Contributors are invited to drop by the dealership’s showroom with their donations anytime between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Cofini said.

While Heritage Ford’s food drive is well under way, Keystone Community Church is just gearing up for its third annual Metropolitan Ministries Holiday Collection Tent.

The church will kick off its annual effort by having a Holiday of Hope Tent Blessing at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11.

Those attending are asked to bring a canned food item to donate, representing their “first fruits,” which refers to terminology used in the Bible.

The event will be at the church, 21010 SR 54 in Lutz, near the intersection of US 41 and SR 54.

The donation tent will begin operation on Nov. 12 and will receive donations through Nov. 22. It will reopen on Dec. 10 and remain open through Dec. 21 to accept additional contributions for Christmas.

Florida Blood Services will be on site during the opening day, so those wishing to donate blood will be able to do so.

Angela Hobson, the church’s outreach coordinator, said the intersection of US 41 and SR 54 is an ideal spot to gather donations because it is in such a central location in Pasco County.

She said the founders of Keystone Community Church have had a longstanding relationship with Metropolitan Ministries.

When the church was established at such a prime location, it decided it wanted to do its part to help Metropolitan Ministries of Pasco County — formerly known as Joining Hands Community Mission, Hobson said.

The church wants to do what Metropolitan Ministries in downtown Tampa does, at a smaller scale, Hobson said.

“We’ve scheduled dates throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays” to collect donations of food and new toys, Hobson said.

After the church collects the items, it delivers them to Metropolitan Ministries, which then distributes the items to families in need.

Hobson said she’s trying to get additional churches and community organizations to help out by providing volunteers to help at the collection site.

First United Methodist Church of Lutz has stepped up, Hobson said. Their volunteers are going to cover a day at the collection tent.

Middle school and high school students that need to earn community service hours can pitch in, and so can community groups, the outreach coordinator said. The church is not encouraging groups of young children to help because the site is in a high-traffic area and they don’t want to take any chances of anyone getting hurt, Hobson said.

Contributors are encouraged to donate canned fruits and vegetables, spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, cereal and other nonperishable items. Frozen turkeys are also welcome because the church has freezers it can use to store them, Hobson said.

The church is also collecting gift items, especially gifts for teenagers. Items that are in high demand include board games, jewelry, makeup, hair accessories, footballs, basketballs, DVD and CD players, journals, sketchbooks and gift cards.

New items for infants also are in great need, Hobson said.

By Kyle LoJacono

Each month Laura McKnight waits until the third Wednesday for her $668 Social Security check to arrive.

For the 74-year-old Zephyrhills resident, getting the monthly check doesn’t let her buy something special for herself or indulge in a nice meal out. For McKnight, it is what she uses to pay her electricity and water bills, buy food and make other ends meet.

“I’m a widow and my 401(k) went right down the tubes when the economy crashed,” said McKnight, who worked for about 20 years as a waitress and another 20 years in customer service. “That check is basically all I have to feed myself and stay in my house.”

McKnight and the 60 million recipients of Social Security will have a little more in those checks starting in January — 3.6 percent more to be exact.

The additional $24.05 a month in McKnight’s check may not seem like a lot, but she said it would make a “world of difference” in how she lives.

“Well for one thing I wouldn’t have to keep my lights off for the last couple days to make sure I can pay the electric bill when I’m waiting for (the check),” McKnight said. “I would be able to go to the Village Inn in town without a friend buying my dinner too.”

The average Social Security check would get a slightly larger boost of $39 each month, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Recipients have not seen an enhancement in their payouts during the last two years to account for inflation or an increase in cost of living.

McKnight said she remembers the money from the checks going a lot farther with her bills just a couple of years ago.

“I only really started having to watch every penny for the last year, year and a half,” McKnight said. “Before that it was OK. I have neighbors who say the same thing.”

Betty and Paul Brown, McKnight’s neighbors, have a similar story.

“Oh we had to get rid of the cable a year ago and only take the car when we really need to so we save the gas,” said Betty, 69. “Anything we can do to save a little because Social Security doesn’t go as far for us anymore.”

Paul, who is a registered Republican, said he believes the government should watch what it spends, but not when it comes to Social Security.

“So many people rely on that money just to live,” said Paul, 71. “There is so much money wasted. They should give some back to the people who have worked for years.”

Paul said he worked in steel manufacturing in Pittsburgh before he and Betty came to Zephyrhills about five years ago.

Those who rely on Social Security will have to account for a new cost early next year, as Medicare premiums will be going up by 1 or 2 percent, according to projections from Department of Health and Human Services.

“Well I guess as long as the Social Security is going up more than Medicare, then it will be better,” McKnight said, who spends about $50 every month on blood pressure medication.

For additional information on Social Security, visit www.ssa.gov. For information on Medicare, visit www.medicare.gov.