Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Widening on pace for early December finish 

By Kyle LoJacono

 

The most expensive road project in Pasco County history is just more than three months away from completion.

Pasco Chief Project Manager Robert Shepherd said the $105.2 million job to widen SR 54 in Wesley Chapel will be finished before Christmas.

“Everything is going well,” Shepherd said. “We’re approximately four months ahead of schedule.”

The project, which started last March, is making the highway six lanes from I-75 to Curley Road, a stretch of about 3.5 miles.

James Widman, Pasco chief engineer, said the reason for the early opening lies with the construction company, Pepper Contracting Services.

“Their people are really moving and have been from the start,” Widman said. “They’ve had everyone working at what I would call top speed since the beginning, and it has shown in the pace of construction.”

Shepherd said all the major hurdles, including moving utilities, are finished. He said the only obstacle that could slow things down would be an unusually wet end of the year.

“The only concern would be the weather during the next three months, but we are in good shape to handle the normal amount of rain that would be expected,” Shepherd said.

Shepherd also said all major traffic pattern shifts have already happened, so drivers will likely not see any big surprises while driving through the construction zone until the job is done.

“We will have three more traffic shifts, but the same amount of lanes will remain open during the remainder of the project,” Shepherd said. “No big surprises left. At least, we hope there won’t be any.”

Only $28 million of the project is for the construction, about 27 percent of the total cost. The majority of the money, $74.2 million, went to right-of-way land purchase, with another $3 million for planning and design.

Widman said the cost of right-of-way was so expensive because of the large number of businesses that had to be bought out in order to complete the job. He said there were about eight businesses that had to be completely removed, with most moving elsewhere within the county.

Pasco Commissioner Pat Mulieri said the county has established a new ordinance to make sure such hefty price tags for road widenings do not become a habit.

“We’ve learned from that and now we have a row-acquisition policy, so development has to be far enough away from roads for future widening,” Mulieri said.

Mulieri added she has been a big proponent of such road widenings and other infrastructure improvements during her 17 years on the county commission.

“It’s one of the best things we can do to bring more jobs to our county,” Mulieri said. “We need to have ways to move people and products.

“It is already bringing more jobs to the area,” Mulieri continued. “T. Rowe Price is bringing 1,600 jobs to the area and they told me it was because of the building of needed roads like (SR) 54.”

 

By B.C. Manion

As Saint Leo University students head to classes this week for the beginning of a new school year, the new building housing the Donald R. Tapia School of Business is the big news on campus.

The $12 million building, which exceeds 48,000 square feet, is the first new classroom building on the Saint Leo campus in decades.

It is designed to take full advantage of technological tools available to enhance teaching and learning, while at the same time it seeks to create an atmosphere that fosters collaboration among faculty and students.

University officials are jazzed.

“The opportunities really are limitless,” said Michael Nastanski, dean of the Donald R. Tapia School of Business. The dean said he tells faculty members that the university’s potential accomplishments “are only limited by our imagination and our willingness to commit to the outcome.”

On a basic level, the new structure provides space needed to accommodate burgeoning growth. It also brings everyone in the business school under the same roof.

The natural outcome of bringing students and faculty into the same building is the opportunity for more interactions. Taking that notion one step farther, the building has gathering spaces and breakout rooms designed to spur collaboration among students and between students and their teachers.

The idea is to encourage students to work in teams, chat about ideas that came up during class and confer with faculty members.

“The faculty are going to be much more closely intertwined with the students,” predicted Lynn Wilson, a professor of management, human resources and international business at the university.

He offers this example: The students are “in one of the breakout rooms working on a case and the instructor is (in an office) 40 feet away, 50 feet away, or maybe at worse – one floor up or down.”

Stepping down the hallway or riding an elevator up or down a floor is a whole lot easier than running across campus to talk to a professor who is three buildings away — especially when it’s raining, Wilson said.

“For the campus students, it’s going to create such an excitement,” said Phil Hatlem, an instructor in sport business. “Whether they’re business students or not, there’s a buzz on campus already.”

In addition to its spacious and attractive quarters, the new building has another big advantage: It is outfitted with cutting-edge technology.

The idea is to prepare students to be competitive in a global market place, Nastanski said.

“The 18-, 19- and 20-year-old coming in here is tech-savvy and totally connected to the Web. Now, we’re going to leverage that technology — what they’re comfortable with — to stimulate learning in the classroom. That is the ultimate goal,” Nastanski said.

The university also has been working with faculty members to help them take full advantage of the technology, said Claudia Ruiz, assistant director of instructional technology.

Some classrooms are equipped with four interactive screens, while others have two.

The interactive screens allow faculty members to involve students in various activities at the same time. For instance, some students can be reading a CNN report, while a small group is doing an exercise it will share with the class. At the same time, others can be putting together a spreadsheet or working on a particular formula.

Instead of standing behind a podium, the professor can move about the room, stopping to ask questions, field queries and provide direction.

“It’s about collaboration, interaction, engagement and active learning. That’s what we’re aiming for,” Ruiz said.

The teachers will be able to use different modes of instructional delivery and students will be able to engage in different learning styles.

The technology also will allow distance learners to see what’s happening on all of the interactive screens in the classroom and to hear what the professor is saying, Ruiz said. And, students at the Saint Leo campus will be able to listen to lectures offered by experts in different locales.

The changes in technology will give faculty members more tools, but the university recognizes that faculty members will need some time and professional training to make full use of the tools.

To that end, a team of professors will be helping their colleagues to see how the technology can be harnessed for their day-to-day work.

“We know that the unknown sometimes is threatening,” Ruiz said, but those concerns may be lessened when peers are learning from each other.

Students will be using tools of technology that are commonly used in workplaces, Ruiz said. The technical skills they develop should give them an edge over other job candidates when they graduate, she said.

The new facility also has enabled the university to add a computer science program, Nastanski said. Students will learn how to write software, debug systems and to prevent cyber crimes, among other things.

University officials also consider the new building a draw for leaders in business, industry and economic development.

The building can accommodate receptions, board meetings and conferences.

The university isn’t wasting any time reaching out to business leaders.

“The first day here, we had 12 presidents and vice presidents from major corporations in here talking to us about how to take what we’ve built and help industry,” Nastanski said.

By B.C. Manion

Cynthia Floyd’s dream of opening a bookshop began when she was quite young.

Her love of reading began even earlier.

“When I was a kid, I read everything,” she said.

At one point, her school librarian at Carrollwood Elementary told Floyd that she’d read every biography in the school’s collection.

Over the years, Floyd’s reading tastes have changed. Now, she’d rather read fiction than biographies.

But her love for the written word has continued, unabated.

She reads for pleasure. She reads to learn. She reads to enlarge her world.

“I cannot do or visit or experience all of the things in life, personally, but reading takes me there,” said Floyd, owner of Book Swap of New Tampa, an independently owned used bookstore at the southeast corner of SR 56 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

Floyd, who also owns Book Swap of Carrollwood, said opening a second shop has been risky, especially in these tough economic times.

She is confident, though, that her New Tampa/Wesley Chapel store will attract enough business to keep it going.

She acknowledged that business is not where it needs to be yet.

Still, she believes that she has picked an excellent spot for her shop.

It’s just like deciding where to buy a house, she said: location, location, location.

The shop is at a highly traveled intersection and the store is directly across the street from the Barnes & Noble at The Shops at Wiregrass, which Floyd thinks will work in her favor.

The area’s potential is excellent, too, she said.

The Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard is slated to open next fall and Pasco-Hernando Community College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch is set to begin classes in 2014.

So far, the bookstore is attracting traffic and getting good reviews from patrons, she said.

“The bookstore has been really well received by customers. People tell me that they’re thrilled we’re here. I hope that translates into dollars,” she said.

But the recession has been a challenge, Floyd said.

Despite the challenges, she prefers to take the long view.

“I think it just comes to a point, where we all just have to be patient and look for a better future,” said Floyd, who used to be a government employee before becoming a bookseller.

About seven years ago, Floyd gave herself a $2,000 allowance and a year to research what it would take for her to open a bookstore.

“I went to bookseller conferences, I went to bookseller school. I did a lot of Internet research,” she said.

And, after all that, she decided to take the plunge – buying the Book Swap of Carrollwood.

Since then, of course, much has changed in the book world. For one thing, eBooks have become all the rage.

eBooks are available through Floyd’s website, but she believes there’s still a strong market for people who prefer hard copies.

Her store sells new and used books and can order anything for a customer if it is still in print. Unlike most shops, readers can bring in used books and trade them in for credits toward the purchase of other books.

“We give you store credit. We don’t pay cash for books. The store credit can be used for anything in the store, but you do pay a percentage,” Floyd said.

The store gives a 25 percent credit up to a maximum of $2 for paperbacks; up to $4 for hard covers; and up to $5 for audio books.

But it doesn’t accept every book that people bring into the shop, Floyd said. It grants store credits for books based on the condition, author and title. In essence, the store buys books that it thinks it can sell.

The store credits can be used to purchase anything in the store, but there’s a limit to how much can be used on each purchase. Those buying a used book can pay up to 50 percent of the price with a store credit; when buying something new, they can use pay up to 30 percent with a store credit.

If you purchase a book from the store and bring it back in good condition, after reading it, the store guarantees it will buy it back, Floyd said.

 

Book Swap

New Tampa, 1946 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., (813) 929-7490

Carrollwood, 13144 N. Dale Mabry Highway, (813) 963-6979

www.bookswapfl.com

By Zack Peterson

 

Some would-be stars packed their guitars and headed for Nashville this summer along with PrinWall Entertainment, a development and management company run by Susan Craig and her business partner, Marianne Prinkey.

“I wanted to be on the other side. I had done my performing, and been there, done that,” Craig said, explaining her decision to go into talent management. “It also helped me tremendously to have been a performer to understand the talent I was handling because I could be a little more caring and understanding when they come to me with a problem.

“We’re a little more attuned to that, because I know that I have heard the same responses as a singer.”

Together, Craig and Prinkey have a combined 60-plus years of experience in entertainment, music, theater, print, television, fashion and production fields.

According to Craig, “when you put all that together, it makes some qualities that are good for a manager.”

At PrinWall, Craig and Prinkey provide development and artist development alongside vocal training from Prinkey, who has been a vocal coach for more than 20 years.

More so, the contacts the two have built up from years in the business have allowed them to promote their clients in a successful manner to connections in New York, Nashville, Los Angeles and throughout Florida.

“We help them open doors,” Craig said.

This summer, a group of PrinWall’s talent had the opportunity to travel to Nashville and work with some country music professionals on singing, recording, writing and performing. Here is a look at some of Prinwall’s talent from the area.

 

Kathleen Blanco, Gaither High

When Kathleen Blanco first started singing with PrinWall five years ago, she was a silent muse.

“I was really shy and I hated performing in front of people,” Kathleen admitted.

Now Kathleen says that singing just comes “naturally” and has since worked to develop further proficiency in music.

“This year I started playing guitar and just a little bit of piano,” Kathleen said.

Kathleen also claims she has no specific artist influences, because the passion in music itself was enough to inspire her.

“I just really enjoyed singing and I love music,” Kathleen said. “It’s just fun.”

Kathleen was one of the Nashville travelers who experienced everything from performing in a bar with a backing band, to classes on writing.

“It was such a great experience seeing everything,” Kathleen said.

For now, Kathleen plans to work with an afterschool program known as Showcase at Gaither where participants work on live performances.

“In the future I just want to keep performing and doing what I love to do,” Kathleen said.

 

Samantha Blanco, Villa Madonna

Samantha Blanco, Kathleen’s 11-year-old sister, first started working with PrinWall when she was 7 years old, because she was inspired by her sister’s involvement.

Samantha is involved in many facets of show business, and has started singing, tried dancing and worked on acting.

When she had the opportunity to travel to Nashville she found the most fascinating portion of the trip to be performing at the Nashville Palace with all of the talent there.

But for Samantha, one of the advantages of singing and participating in the performing arts is working with her sister.

The two have sung duets with one another in the past. One moment Samantha recounts was the duet the two worked on together at Kathleen’s middle school graduation.

Currently, the two are collaborating again on a duet to a song entitled “Me, Myself, and Time” by Demi Lovato.

In the future, Samantha hopes to continue to grow as an artist and learn guitar. But for now, she is content to experiment with dancing, practice her singing and pursue further involvement in acting.

 

Hannah Knight, Centennial Middle

Although Hannah Knight only began working with PrinWall two years ago, she has been playing guitar for the past three. She first got started because she “listens to music a lot and really loves singing too.”

While at a talent show auditioning for Prinwall’s management, she first captivated her audience and became a part of its local talent.

“After that they came up to me and said, ‘We’d like to work with you,’” Knight recalls.

She has continued to work on improving as a musician as well as acting and dancing.

For the most part, Knight draws her inspiration from pop stars such as Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez and believes the best way to draw an audience’s ear is to get it involved.

“You’ve got to smile and get them to tap their leg and sing along,” she said.

So far, Knight has performed with fellow PrinWall talent, Makenzie Raye, at the Osceola County Fair and at various other venues like the Orange County Festival and at The Shops at Wiregrass for a festival.

In the future, Knight wants to pursue a career as a singer-songwriter. Thus far, she’s written five songs and likes to write the most about her “friends, family and everyday life.”

 

Makenzie Raye, King High

The first thing to know about Makenzie Raye is that she finds fairytales to be misleading.

A performer and a country singer at heart, Raye says she enjoys singing Rascal Flatts’ songs, and has written her own song, “Dang Fairytales,” which she had the opportunity to sing and record in Nashville when she traveled there this summer.

The inspiration for the song actually came while Raye was in a layover at the airport and coming from Nashville on a separate occasion. She happened to spot a little girl with her mother reading The Little Mermaid.

“Seeing that just reminded me that that stuff never happens!” she exclaimed. “So I just wrote ‘Dang Fairytales.’”

Never one to be a shy person, Raye has been singing since the age of 3 or 4 she says but decided to be managed by PrinWall four years ago.

“When I’m singing I can really just be myself,” Raye said. “When I’m out on stage I enjoy it so much.

“It’s all so exciting,” Raye said. “It’s so different actually being there.”

Even if professional singing doesn’t work out, Raye wants to be involved in music for the rest of her life.

 

Contact PrinWall Entertainment at (813) 385-0634.

By Kyle LoJacono

 

In 1988, registered nurse Carol Springer founded Gulfside Regional Hospice as a way to help treat people with end-of-life care in New Port Richey.

The fledgling organization was lucky to help 50 people a year in the early stages, but today the nonprofit treats 300 patients a day — more than 15,000 a year — from all corners of Pasco.

Gulfside’s efforts were recently recognized by the Pasco County Commission with a special resolution honoring it as one of the top charitable groups in the area.

“By winning this award, we hope hospice awareness in the community will increase,” said Gulfside chief executive officer Linda Ward. “Our team and staff are dedicated end-of-life professionals providing very essential care to all of our patients and their loved ones.”

Pasco Commissioner Jack Mariano presented the resolution to Gulfside.

“It’s a special group,” Mariano said. “All they do is help people in their hardest time. I congratulate them for everything they do.”

Ward said she was “overjoyed” with the resolution.

“The interdisciplinary approach to hospice is the core of what we do,” Ward said. “Our doctors, and nurses, and chaplains, aids, volunteers and everyone work together. The mission is to serve patients who have chronic illness and life-threatening situations. The crux of hospice care is to alleviate pain and provide comfort while assisting in the quality of life. Everyone here believes in that and it’s a very heart-felt approach to serving our population.”

The care extends past the patient.

“It’s the family and loved ones as well,” Ward said. “It’s a holistic approach and it takes a lot of coordination to handle all that. Listening to all the needs and alleviating stress and pain so they can spend the rest of the time they have left with the people they love. It’s really wonderful to watch.”

Ward has been with Gulfside for seven years and has seen the organization grow into what it is today.

“When I started we had just 50 patients and just the New Port Richey center,” Ward said. “At that time, hospice really started to grow as did our understanding of everything it takes to help our patients. People needed more training to understand those clinical approaches we use. We started partnering with the hospitals and nursing homes and then started building our own free-standing in-patient facilities for intense care.”

The newest free-standing site was the Zephyrhills location, which opened in February 2010. Today, Gulfside has six locations for hospice and bereavement services, along with five thrift shops designed to raise money to pay for care provided.

 

Ward said it’s the more than 250 employees and 550 volunteers who make Gulfside’s efforts possible.

“It’s not always easy working in hospice care,” Ward said. “My job is to nurture our staff because there are days when we may have 10 deaths, but on the other end there are the people they help each day.”

Ward said the future of Gulfside is learning how to continue offering end-of-life care in a changing healthcare industry.

“The goal is to keep the hospice industry stable because a lot of things are changing with new regulations starting up,” Ward said. “We’re at a really crucial time. We’re being audited and looked at very strictly by all the Medicare and Medicaid services. Some of the scrutiny is getting more intense, so we’re preparing for the future of care. The second goal is to continue to partner with more and new hospitals and retirement homes to offer more people this kind of care.”

For more information about Gulfside Regional Hospice, call (727) 845-5707 or visit www.GRHospice.org.

 

By Kyle LoJacono

Breastfeeding infants may be healthy for both mother and child, but many new moms find mastering the technique somewhat daunting.

Pasco County Health Officer Dr. David Johnson said breastfeeding is very natural, but is a learned behavior and not something that comes instinctively to mothers.

“Support is a major component of successful breastfeeding and helping mothers to overcome obstacles creates a strong foundation for a baby’s health,” Johnson said. “Current research shows that when mothers receive help and support from those surrounding them, including their family, employer and healthcare providers it ultimately leads to a more successful breastfeeding experience.”

August is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month and the state health department is offering support to help mothers, especially new ones, through its county chapters. It has created a program called Women, Infants and Children (WIC) to offer additional support for breastfeeding.

One mother in Pasco who has received help from WIC is Miriam Gatian, who has a 4-month-old daughter named Alyssa. Her consultant, Teresa Del Negro, helped remove any doubts in her mind about the benefits of breastfeeding while teaching proper techniques.

“I am so thankful for the (WIC) breastfeeding peer counseling program,” Gatian said. “I have gone through some pretty rough times in the beginning with breastfeeding where I was doubting myself and really needed to talk to someone about breastfeeding. Being able to talk to Teresa Del Negro really gave me the boost I needed to have the confidence in my ability in being a good mom to my baby.”

Breastfeeding moms who participate in WIC receive face-to-face meetings with a trained lactation specialist, peer counseling and breastfeeding support groups.

In Hillsborough, the county health department has partnered with St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital to raise awareness about breastfeeding.

“We will have educational materials available, including the Hillsborough County Task Force’s Resource Guide for new moms and families who might be interested in breastfeeding support,” said Walter Niles, manager of the Hillsborough County Health Department’s Office of Health Equity.

St. Joseph’s lactation specialist Jessica Gordon adds, “Breastfeeding can be one of the most enjoyable experiences for a new mother, and the health benefits are significant in both mother and baby.”

Gordon said most of the benefits happen if a child is breastfed exclusively for the first six months of life.

Benefits include:

–Breastfeeding encourages the best brain growth and development in babies and helps babies reach their full intellectual potential.

–Breastfed babies are one-third less likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS.

–Breastfed babies have fewer illnesses, are less likely to be hospitalized in the first year of life and have milder effects when illness does happen.

–Breastfed babies are less likely to develop respiratory infections, ear infections, childhood diabetes and certain types of cancers.

–Breastfed babies are less likely to grow into overweight children.

–Breastfeeding helps to reduce the risk of breast and ovarian cancer for women.

–Breastfeeding provides a bonding connection for mother and baby.

–Breastfeeding releases the hormone prolactin, which decreases anxiety and helps people feel calmer.

–Breastfeeding an infant during a natural disaster reduces the potential risk for feeding contamination from toxic materials.

Women interested in more information on local WIC programs should call (877) 942-2329 or visit www.FloridaWIC.org.

To learn more about Hillsborough’s program, call (813) 307-8000 or visit www.hillscountyhealth.org. For more information on St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital’s services for breastfeeding mothers, call (813) 879-4730.

 

 

 

By B.C. Manion

 

The Pasco County school district is betting that a $6 million investment at its Land O’ Lakes High campus ultimately will be the special ingredient that contributes to thousands of students finding their niche in life.

When a new school year rings in Aug. 22, the district will launch its Academy of Culinary Arts, a four-year program that aims to prepare its graduates to work in nearly any aspect of the food service industry.

The district wants academy graduates to be able to ply their skills in all sorts of settings, from neighborhood bistros to high-end restaurants, said Rob Aguis, director of Community, Career and Technical Education for Pasco County Schools.

The academy seeks to prepare its graduates to enter the workforce seamlessly, to continue their education or both, he said.

District officials want students to be thoroughly schooled in the art and science of food.

“We want them to understand heat and gases, and things like that,” Aguis said.

When students complete the four-year program, they’ll be ready to handle all sorts of industry roles, said Rich Batchelor, an assistant principal at Land O’ Lakes High who is overseeing the academy.

The 18,000-square-foot center includes three kitchens. It also has a 60-seat theater-style classroom with a demonstration station. And, there are video technology feeds throughout the building, enabling students in different parts of the center to watch the same demonstration simultaneously.

Other features in the building include a baking oven that is big enough to stand in, a walk-in freezer, a cooler, an ice-sculpting room, areas for shipping and receiving, a secure room for knives and equipment and a dining room that is slated to have restaurant-style furniture. (The tables and chairs had not yet arrived last week).

The center’s largest kitchen is designed for beginning students. A smaller, more specialized kitchen is intended for more advanced students. A third kitchen — equipped with special temperature controls, as well as marble and wood counters — is intended for training bakers and pastry chefs.

Having a separate baking kitchen makes a difference, Batchelor said.

“You’d be surprised how the smell of a meat can get into a piece of bread because they’re cooked in the same kitchen,” he said.

The center’s design was based on recommendations from industry experts and from research gathered by visiting other culinary arts centers, Aguis. The idea was to learn from the experience of others regarding what to do, or what not to do, he said.

The district will welcome visitors to observe what they’re doing, too, Aguis said. “Our doors will be open to any school district, any business, any community member who wants to come visit, to see what we’ve done, to see what we’re doing.”

While the academy is intended for the education of the district’s students, it’s also meant to play a role in the community, Aguis said.

Students will be able to earn culinary industry certifications, potentially saving them substantial amounts of money. Beyond that, though, the academy will also help set students on any number of career paths, Aguis said.

The curriculum covers the ins and outs of the restaurant industry, Batchelor said. Students will work in the front of the house and the back of the house.

They’ll be trained on all sorts of equipment, so they’ll be able to feel at home if they’re working at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, or at Bern’s Steak House, Aguis said.

They’ll learn important skills such as how to manage inventory and how to set up catering events, as well as practical skills such as how to work a hostess station, how to bake pastries and how to work as a line cook.

The culinary classes will be infused with academic content, Batchelor said. For example, culinary academy students will take agriscience instead of a general physical science class.

Plans call for having a herb garden and to grow a variety of fruit trees, although judging from the fruit trees that have been planted, it may take awhile for the trees to yield fruit.

Learning the science behind the foods will help students understand how to marry flavors, when combining ingredients to prepare a dish, Batchelor said.

Fifty-one students make up the inaugural crop of freshmen in the four-year academy. They gained admission to the program, via an application process.

About 150 other students at the high school are expected to take advantage of the academy’s sophisticated cooking and instructional technology. There will be two culinary arts teachers at the program’s launch.

“We’re doing a soft opening for this first year,” Batchelor said. “We wanted to work all of the kinks out, make sure the academy is exactly how we want it. We then will roll in about 100-125 (freshmen) for the following year. Within four years, this building will be housing 400-500 students.”

The beauty of this type of program is that students get to apply what they’re learning, which helps them gain a deeper appreciation of what they’re learning and why they’re learning it, Aguis said.

While officials are confident the center has the ingredients to prepare students a world of new opportunities, they also note that this is only the beginning.

They expect to tweak the program as they go along — adding this, subtracting that — always with an eye toward improvement, kind of like what old cooks do, to perfect a recipe.

Teachers are already back and students return Aug. 22-23 to schools in Hillsborough and Pasco counties

 

By B.C. Manion

 

As students head to their first day of classes at schools across Lutz and Land O’ Lakes, they’ll find plenty of changes afoot.

The first day of classes in Pasco County Schools is Aug. 22 and school begins in Hillsborough County Public Schools the following day.

Some changes the students will encounter are countywide. For instance, public school students will be learning science from new textbooks in Pasco County. Meanwhile, their  Hillsborough County counterparts will be getting out of school an hour earlier on Mondays to give teachers time for planning.

On the Hillsborough County side of Lutz, a new charter school called Lutz Preparatory begins operation this year at 17951 N. US 41, in the former home of Berean Academy. Lutz Prep will serve pre-kindergarten through fifth-graders initially, but eventually plans to serve students through high school.

Berean ceased operations last year, but some Berean families have formed the nucleus of a new school, called Trinity Preparatory School, which is set to begin classes in September at 125 Country Club Drive in north Tampa.

Learning Gate, another charter school in Lutz, plans to expand its program into high school, beginning with a freshman class this year.

Along those lines, it has leased a building at 15316 N. Florida Avenue, where it will house grades seven through nine this school year. In the coming years, it plans to add a high school campus.

Plenty of changes also are happening in Land O’ Lakes, where construction has begun on the new Imagine School at Land O’ Lakes at 3020 Sunlake Boulevard. The school, which opened in 2008, is slated to operate at 17901 Hunting Bow Circle until mid-year when school officials expect to make the move to the school’s new 43,000-square-foot home.

Meanwhile, at nearby Charles S. Rushe Middle School, 18654 Mentmore Blvd., students will see a new face on campus, as Assistant Principal Ron Bruno joins the administrative team led by Principal David Salerno.

Rushe officials are emphasizing the need to stay positive, despite an economy that’s been tough on families, said Assistant Principal Ron Michalak. “We’re trying to keep as upbeat as we possibly can.”

The pressures are real, Michalak said. “You can feel it in the air.”

The school wants to do its part to counter the stress.

“We’re trying to keep as upbeat as we possibly can,” Michalak said.

Academy at the Lakes, a private independent school on Collier Parkway for pre-kindergarten through 12^th grade, expects to have a record attendance this year – with an anticipated enrollment exceeding 400.

Meanwhile, Connerton Elementary at 9300 Flourish Drive in Land O’ Lakes, will continue its quest to embed the use of technology in its daily delivery of instruction, said Principal Anna Falcone.

The kids love it, she said.

“The students are very savvy,” she said.

In fact, they are so tuned in that when a substitute teacher doesn’t know how to use a particular technological device, the kids often step in to help.

On another front, the school is eager to open its new playground this year, Falcone said.

At Pine View Elementary, 5333 Parkway Blvd., more students will get a chance to become Student of the Month this year, said Principal Judith Cash. This year, each teacher will get to name a student of the month.

The school also is launching a new Patriot Pride program, which recognizes students for exhibiting the character traits of being positive, respectful, inspired and dedicated to excellence.

And, the school plans to have a Principal Pride Wall, honoring students for excellence in academics, social behavior and work habits.

Pine View Elementary students will probably have a bit more fun this school year, too, as new cement squares have been poured – to accommodate hopscotch and four square.

At Pine View Middle School, 5334 Parkway Blvd., teachers will benefit from a technology upgrade, said Principal Jennifer Crosby. “We put in new overhead projectors.”

In Odessa, on the Hillsborough side of the community, Walker Middle School has been transformed into Walker Middle Magnet for International Studies, where enrollment is based on a lottery system.

The school, at 8282 N. Mobley Road in Odessa, is working toward gaining authorization as an International Baccalaureate Studies Middle Years Program, a process that takes three years.

Not too far away, students at Odessa Elementary in Trinity will be studying the habits of ospreys, said Principal Theresa Love. A pole has been installed and the ingredients of a nest have been collected in an attempt to entice an osprey to locate there. She thinks the project could turn out to be very educational for children.

Meanwhile, as children gear up for the first day of classes, Jason Petry, the new principal at Lake Myrtle Elementary is eager to experience being in the leadership role in a new school year.

Petry said his excitement has been growing daily, as teachers return to the school and share their ideas with him. He said he is fortunate to have followed an excellent principal.

“There’s an awesome culture at this school. It’s a family-oriented culture,” Petry said.

Across the county, when Pasco Middle School students return to school next week, they’ll be heading back to a campus that has a brand new feel, thanks to a massive makeover.

The reconstruction project, funded by Penny for Pasco, has involved renovating existing classrooms, constructing a new main building and courtyard and making wide scale improvements, said Kim Anderson, principal of the school at 13925 14^th St. in Dade City.

The auditorium, which has been closed during construction, has been renovated and is available now for school and community use.

Anderson said everywhere she goes around the community she runs into people who are excited about her school’s new look, and the reopening of the auditorium.

Pasco High, at 36850 SR 52, also is putting on the final touches in a total renovation of the campus, said Principal Patrick Reedy. It, too, was paid for with Penny for Pasco funds.

The high school also is initiating a new program aimed at helping ninth-graders make the transition into high school. The program is called “Navigating the Ninth-Grade Nation,” Reedy said, noting it helps students feel at home.

“It’s a tough year, moving from middle school to high school,” Reedy said.

The high school also has added a program that aims to help students who are “kind of on the bubble of being” in honors programs, Reedy said. That program is called Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) and it seeks to help students build self-confidence and to develop skills they need to be successful in honors programs.

The school, known for doing a good job of preventing high school dropouts, also will continue to emphasize the need to engage students in activities outside of the classroom Reedy said.

When that happens, students tend to be motivated to perform better academically, he said.

“We push a connection,” Reedy said, whether it be through athletics, agricultural, or other programs.

Reedy said he appreciates the extra efforts of his staff.

“I have so many people (staff members) who are involved on so many levels,” Reedy said.

Pasco Middle and Pasco High are just two of many schools throughout the community where public school students will encounter changes as they return to school in Pasco County Schools on Monday.

At Rodney B. Cox Elementary, Principal Yvonne Reins said the school will continue to emphasize the development of its students’ writing skills.

The school has been successful with its students, which Reins said is a result of professional development for teachers at every level, starting in kindergarten.

“We do a lot of analyzing of the students’ papers,” Reins said. After analyzing the papers, the teachers have conferences with students and give them feedback on their writing.

There’s a new leader at the helm of San Antonio Elementary, with Principal Kay Coe assuming that role.

The principal said she plans to focus on grade-level collaboration and also will encourage students to take advantage of the school’s new walking trail. “We’re instituting a walking club.”

Coe said she’s pleased to be working at a school, where the community is so welcoming.

At West Zephyrhills Elementary, students will be working with new technology, said Principal Emily Keene.

The school was retrofitted over the summer, creating a much greater potential for integrating technology with daily instruction, Keene said. Now, teachers have the world at their fingertips, when it comes to tapping into a rich supply of educational materials that can help bring lessons to life.

At Chester W. Taylor Elementary, another Zephyrhills school, a “Boo Hoo” breakfast will be held on the first day of classes for parents and their children who will be attending their first day of school.

The idea is to help make that separation a bit easier for them, said Assistant Principal Kathy Kaburis.

The principal at Woodland Elementary, another Zephyrhills school, is initiating a new them this year with an emphasis on preparing students for college.

“Every one of my students, regardless of what their current situation is now, they can go to college. It is possible,” said Principal Kimberly Poe.

Roughly three-quarters of her students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.

She wants to make sure they know that they, too, can go to college.

It’s never too early to begin exposing children to that possibility, said Poe, who was the first in her family to graduate from college.

There’s no need to wait until middle or high school to begin talking up college, Poe said.  “I think it starts now.”

Zephryhills High, which remains under the direction of Principal Steve Van Gorden, will be initiating a dropout prevention program that provides intense help to a group of about 60 students.

At the other end of the spectrum, the school continues to aggressively push its Advanced Placement program, Van Gorden said.

Additionally, it will increase its emphasis on helping ninth-graders make the transition into high school, by assigning them to teams.

Research has shown that students are more successful in school when they learn in an environment that fosters stronger relationships.

The school also is expanding its health academy to include an emergency medical responder component, in addition to its certified nursing assisting program.

The idea is to help students get a head start and to increase their earning power throughout their career, he said.

“We’re really being aggressive in our AP program. We have a 2-3 year plan.”

The school also plans to expand its weight room.

At Wesley Chapel High, still under the direction of Principal Carin Nettles, the business and Diversified Cooperative Training programs were cut because of a lack of student interest in the programs.

The school’s highly acclaimed television production classes and its automotive classes are popular choices with students, Nettles said.

Wiregrass Ranch High is adding an Academy of Medical Professions, which will include the Certified Nursing Assisting Program and the Emergency Medical Responder program.

The Pasco-Hernando Community College campus which will be built next to Wiregrass High and the Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, now under construction, are expected to open the door to many new possibilities for students when those facilities are opened.

 

 

By B.C. Manion

 

Chris Jordan thought he was pretty good at playing  “Family Feud,” after all he did rack up five wins and his family walked away with a brand new car.

Of course, that was when he was playing the Wii version of the game in his Land O’ Lakes home.

When the family played on the actual game show, taped at Universal Studios in Orlando, the outcome was a bit different.

“We did two shows. We won the first game and lost the other,” Jordan said.

“We won $149,” Jordan said. That’s a $1 a point.

“We missed the grand prize by two questions,” said Jordan, who, of course, would have loved to win big, but enjoyed himself just the same.

The game show pits two families against each other in a quest to see which has a better pulse on America’s answers to a series of survey questions. Contestants can win up to $100,000 and a new car, too.

It’s easier to play on Wii than in real life, Jordan said.

For one thing, the game gives players more time to answer than they get on the actual game show, he said.

There’s also a lot more riding on the outome, he said.

“You are kind of nervous. “What can it be? What can it be?” You don’t think about the obvious thing.”

The Jordans’ appearance on “Family Feud” started with an email that Jordan sent in response to an announcement on the show that it was seeking families to audition.

The family was selected to audition and then chosen again for the show.

“We were nervous at the audition,” Jordan said. But the show’s staff put them at ease.

“It was very informal. It was in a hotel conference room,” he said. At that point, it wasn’t about winning or losing, it was more about chemistry. Show personnel was scouting for families that have charisma and are cohesive, said Jordan, team captain.

Members of Team Jordan consisted of Chris, an insurance agent who served in the Air Force; his wife, Marisa, a healthcare administrator; his sister, Chrystal, a customer service manager; his mother, Rosetta, a customer service manager; and his sister-in-law, Tosha.

When the family auditioned for the show, Chris and Marisa were living in Land O’ Lakes, and Marisa was six months pregnant. The rest of the family competing on the team lived in Columbia, S.C.

By the time the show was taped, Marisa was nine months’ pregnant, Jordan said.

Both shows have aired, one as recently as Aug. 9, but the shows didn’t air consecutively or in order, Jordan said. Because of that, family members and friends didn’t know the Jordans won a game on the show.

Jordan said the people at the “Feud” told him they don’t control the television stations’ run dates.

Besides winning their cash prize, the family also had their travel expenses paid by the show, Jordan said.

Perhaps best of all, they got to chat with Steve Harvey, one of the original Kings of Comedy, the “Family Feud’s” host.

That was cool, Jordan said.

By the way, the Jordan Family has a new member, now. William Chancellor Jordan.

Who knows, maybe he’ll be the next generation in the family to give it a go on the game show.

By Kyle LoJacono

 

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) 20X express route has been a way for Hillsborough Lutz riders to travel across the region and a recent change will let more Pasco residents do the same.

The 20X route had originated at First Baptist Church of Lutz on Crystal Lake Road, but now begins at the Target Superstore on County Line Road in Lutz.

HART spokeswoman Marcia Mejia said the route was extended north in July based on increased demand. The growth also allows HART to plan for future linkage with Pasco County Public Transportation (PCPT).

“This now gives riders a Pasco connection on the west side of I-75,” Mejia said. “51X provides a bus connection into Pasco County on the east side of I-75.”

Michael Carroll, Pasco public transportation manger, said PCPT and HART have been looking for ways to use each other’s services for some time to help increase connections between the neighboring counties. He said there are no definite plans to stretch Pasco routes into Hillsborough, but PCPT already has routes that connect with the HART lines that come north of the county line.

The 51X express route starts at Victorious Life Church in Wesley Chapel, with several stops in the Pasco town and New Tampa.

PCPT route 33 has a stop at the end of the 51X line that takes people east as far as Zephyrhills. Residents can also take lines north to Dade City and other east Pasco communities.

Mejia said HART’s board looks at adding new stops on its routes, even if that takes the buses into neighboring counties, to best help alleviate traffic and improve public transportation. She added if the need arises, the 20X route could be taken even further north into Land O’ Lakes and other central Pasco communities.

“We always look at how to make the service better,” Mejia said.

For more information on HART, visit www.gohart.org. To learn more about PCPT, visit portal.pascocountyfl.net.