Special to The Laker/Lutz News

They also offer some thoughts on Bin Laden’s death

By B.C. Manion

Members of the Lutz Patriots saluted as the body of Air Force Maj. Raymond G. Estelle II passed by in a white hearse along Bayshore Boulevard.

Estelle was one of eight airmen gunned down on April 27 at Kabul International Airport by a disgruntled air force pilot in Afghanistan.

Estelle’s body arrived shortly after noon Friday, May 6 at MacDill Air Force Base. After a brief ceremony there, it was escorted by a motorcade led by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office down Bayshore Boulevard en route to Ray Williams Funeral Home on North Howard Avenue.

To prepare for the procession, the Lutz Patriots gathered around 10:45 a.m. in northern Hillsborough County to make the approximately 25-mile trek toward a spot on Bayshore’s grassy median.

A steady rain fell from a gray sky, as members of the Lutz Patriots got soaked, while pounding pieces of pipe into the ground to support large flags and signs.

When they were finished posting their signs, one read:  “We Support Our Troops” on the top line, followed by “Thank You U.S. Military” on the bottom.

Another sign declared “Lutz Patriots.”

Shortly before the procession was set to arrive, they planted smaller flags, neatly along both sides of Bayshore Boulevard, in the lane leading toward downtown Tampa.

As they waited for the procession, others joined them. The Lutz Patriots and some others in the crowd talked about why they were there.

“He was serving his country. He gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country. The least that I can do is come out here and pay my respects to him and his family,” said Bruce Hockensmith, of the Lutz Patriots. “I want his family to know that we do care. We appreciate what he did.”

Marilyn Breton and Mike Breton, who live in Oldsmar, also turned out to watch the procession.

They didn’t mind giving up part of their day to show Estelle’s loved ones that they’re not alone as they grieve their loss. “Having people out here lets the families know that they don’t have to go through this by themselves,” Marilyn Breton said.

Johni Lamons, of south St. Petersburg, also made the trek to Tampa to offer her condolences.

“This is the least that I can do to show support to the families of soldiers who have given the ultimate sacrifice. It’s an honor for me, to be able to do it,” Lamons said.

While offering sympathy for Estelle’s family, Hockensmith expressed no remorse at the recent raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound and of the U.S. action to kill him.

“I was elated when I heard the news,” Hockensmith said. “We have the greatest military in the world. I’m really glad for them that they have accomplished this.”

“I’m glad they finally got him,” agreed Judy McCray, another member of the Lutz Patriots.

Kris Starr, another member of the group, said she heard the news about the al-Qaida leader’s death from her son, Nathan Hodge, a marine who has served in Afghanistan, but is currently stationed at Camp Lejeune. N.C.

She said when her son called, she flipped on the television said. “We rejoiced together, knowing that he’s (bin Laden) been taken out,” Starr said.

By B.C. Manion

Most area students are outperforming their state peers in writing, according to the first batch of Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores released last week.

In northern Hillsborough County, Martinez Middle achieved something no other area school can claim. All of its students posted a score of 4.0 or higher on the test.

The writing test is scored on a 1-6 scale, with 4 considered proficient and 6 the highest mark. It is administered to students in grades four, eight and 10, and the test results are factored in with math, reading and science scores to calculate a school’s grade.

The mean score at Martinez Middle was 5.1, well above the average of 4.2 among eighth-graders across Florida.

Other Hillsborough schools in the newspaper’s coverage area where at least 90 percent of the students scored a 4.0 or better on the writing test were Lutz, Maniscalco, McKitrick and Schwarzkopf elementary schools.

Ninety-one percent of Liberty Middle students attained a 4.0 or better. While the school is located in New Tampa, it draws some of its students from Lutz.

In central Pasco, the eighth-graders at Imagine School achieved the best results, with 92 percent scoring a 4.0 or better.

Overall, Hillsborough County fourth graders led Florida on FCAT writing scores. Ninety percent of the district’s fourth graders scored 4.0 or higher on the test, which was the best percentage in the state. Their average score of 4.4 earned the district was also the highest.

The county’s eighth graders’ average score was 4.4, with 86 percent of the students posting a score of 4.0 or higher.

The district’s 10^th graders had an average score of 4.0, with at least 75 percent of those students posting a 4.0 or higher.

By comparison, Pasco County Public Schools reported that 76 percent of its fourth graders, 78 percent of its eighth graders and 73 percent of its 10^th graders met the standard for proficiency, at 4.0.

District officials were pleased with their students’ progress, noting in a news release that 94 percent of their elementary schools, 80 percent of their middle schools and 69 percent of their high schools either maintained or improved the percentage of their students scoring 4.0 or higher.

The Pasco district also reported that 302 of its students attained a 6.0 on the test.

FCAT Writing Scores

Here’s how area schools performed on the FCAT Writing test given in March. Students in Grades 4, 8 and 10 take the test, which is used to help calculate the school grade. The assessment is graded on a scale of 1-6, with 4 considered proficient and 6 the highest mark.

 

NORTH HILLSBOROUGH            Mean                        Percent  4.0+

Learning Gate                                    3.7                        63

Lutz                                                4.5                        90

Maniscalco                                    4.5                        95

McKitrick                                    4.8                        98

Schwarzkopf                                    4.6                        98

Buchanan                                    4.3                        86

Liberty                                    4.5                        91

Martinez                                    5.1                        100

Freedom                                    4.0                        74

Gaither                                    4.2                        83

Steinbrenner                                    4.2                        85

PASCO/LAND O’ LAKES

Denham Oaks                                    3.8                        70

Imagine School (4^th)                        4.0                        83

Lake Myrtle                                    4.0                        85

Oakstead                                    4.2                        88

Imagine School (8^th)                        4.2                        92

Pine View (4^th)                        3.9                        82

Rushe                                                4.1                        82

Pine View (8^th)                        4.2                        85

Land O’ Lakes                                    4.0                        77

Sunlake                                    4.0                        78

STATE AVERAGES (4.0 4^th; 4.2 8^th; 4.0 10^th)

 

 

 

By Zack Peterson

The Pasco County Animal Services Center proudly opened its latest addition on Friday, May 6, a new state-of-the-art animal adoption facility. Crowds of excited and dedicated volunteers gathered to witness the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony after their years of hard work.

Pasco’s Animal Services Center itself has been around since 1973, providing a place of refuge for all animals living without a home. But in 1993, the center strove to create a new building that further catered to the needs of strays everywhere — a building that could house a large number of animals in an organized manner that needed new homes.

“They began planning this building 20 years ago,” said Animal Services Center director John Malley. “It was the cost and construction that delayed it though. We were in the years of a ‘building boom’ and constructors and builders everywhere kept driving the costs of the project up.”

According to Malley, it was the “silver lining of the collapse of the building boom” that contributed to the building’s initial beginnings.

“It was finally dropped into a reasonable price range,” he explained.

Now, the Animal Adoption Services Center – known as building A in the blueprints of the overall facility – boasts a variety of new technological treasures thanks to its $3 million budget.

“It was a bonded building,” Malley said. “These funds were set aside for a long time so that it wasn’t taking tax dollars during a really bad financial downturn.”

Donations were rendered by those most faithful to the center, such as Tom Dobies and by organizations like Friends of Animal Services, whose sole goal is to help provide the needed funding for the materials necessary to animal welfare.

And with this surplus of help, the Animal Adoption Services Center flourished.

“We came up with the most state-of-the-art design,” Malley said. “The most advanced possible features.”

Malley estimates that the sheer size of the facility itself can also hold up to two times the amount of animals than the overall facility was previously able to house. Furthermore, many innovations were made regarding the cleanliness of the new building.

The plethora of new technology includes a brand new air conditioning system modeled specifically after those found in hospitals. Therefore, there’s no re-circulated air so that disease control can be maintained and held to a minimum.

There is also what Malley referred to as “the glazed block,” a sealed block within the system that doesn’t absorb disease-causing germs.

Alongside the installment of new stainless steel cage and raised flooring, the new building’s ventilation system is just one of the many benefits of the new center, the biggest being its impact on the community.

“I think the fact that it’s so beautiful, new and providing will really make people want to come and see the animals,” said Diane Koenig, a volunteer at the center. “Ultimately, that’s the goal.”

Thanks to the new work done at the Animal Services Center, stray animals desperately searching for a safe home now have a greater chance at finding just that. And to Malley and the multiple other volunteers who sacrifice their time to the well being of these animals, that’s what makes all the difference.

 

If you go

The Animal Adoption Services Center is at 19640 Dogpatch Lane  (formerly Lake Patience Road) in Land O’ Lakes. Animals are available for half-price adoption ($20 for cats; $35 for dogs) through June 4.

 

By B.C. Manion

A Pasco County company is working on a website that will provide relevant information about the development potential of industrial land throughout the county.

The website is being created by Insight Mapping Systems Inc., for use by the Pasco Economic Development Council, said Kevin Mazur, president of Insight Mapping Systems, a spin-off of Florida Design Consultants.

Although it will allow PEDC to use the website for free, the company is hoping the site will serve as a model of the kind of websites it can develop for paying customers such as economic development councils in other parts of the country.

The website will provide detailed information for all of Pasco County’s Master-Planned Unit Developments and Developments of Regional Impact that have industrial entitlements, which means they are ready to build on, explained Elizabeth Lyon-Hall, senior planner with Florida Design Consultants.

Industrial businesses are often targeted by the PEDC because of their potential for creating jobs in the county, said Lyon-Hall, who serves on the PEDC’s board of directors.

For each of the industrial sites listed on the website, there are layers of detailed information that can be turned on or off. Those layers will include data in categories including flood zones, land use, soils, topography and wetlands.

The website would provide useful technical information for prospective buyers, which can be available on their portable computer, as they’re walking a lot, Lyon-Hall said.

They also could preview a number of sites online and narrow down the list of sites they want to visit, she said.

The website also will enable PEDC to focus its efforts on targets that appear to be more serious about a potential move here, Lyon-Hall said.

“It helps them track whose looking at it and how serious the inquiries are. They’re not fielding 500 calls, now they’re targeting 200, but they’re more serious calls. So, it really helps them be more efficient with their time and focus on the more targeted inquiries,” she explained.

The website is just one example of the kinds of services the mapping company can provide, Mazur said.

It also can do customized searches for developers, builders or people who just want to buy land, he said. The information it provides may help companies to locate the property they want themselves, thereby potentially reducing the commission they’ll need to pay a real estate agent, he said.

The customer provides the criteria for the kind of site they need and Mazur’s company does a search to match that criteria, to the extent possible.

For instance, someone may tell his company they want a site that is within three miles of a school, two miles of a major intersection and is of a certain size, Mazur said.

These custom searches may be particularly useful to a company that lacks the resources or expertise to handle this kind of work on its own, Mazur said.

The company also offers an asset management service, he said.

“A lot of banks have no idea what they’ve foreclosed on. They have no system for tracking those, mapping those, marketing those properties,” Mazur said.

His company can map the properties and marry that database into a bank’s internal database or the information can be used for external marketing, or a client might want a combination of both, he said.

The company can also help to keep track of available and sold inventory in a new subdivision, Mazur said.

Instead of pushing color-coded pins into a map, the company can use color-coded digital maps, which are updated in real time as sales are closed.

“We’re trying to create a system that is always up to date,” he said. “It’s very new. Nobody that I know of has done that yet,” Mazur said.

Providing the industrial land website for the PEDC isn’t the company’s first contribution to the county’s economic development efforts.

Florida Design Consultants also donated a giant full-color topographical map hanging in the PEDC’s conference room.

The map shows the county’s topography, but also provides a visual of its relationships to other markets, such as Tampa and Orlando and the location of transportation systems, such as roads, rail, port and airports.

It’s a significant improvement over the old laminated street map that used to hang on the wall, Lyon-Hall said.

She said her company was pleased to provide the map.

“We always try to bring new opportunities to the county,” Lyon-Hall said.

For more information about Insight Mapping Systems, visit insightmappingsys.com or call (727) 569-0566.

By B.C. Manion

The small group of women sat around the table at Rapscallions, a restaurant in Land O’ Lakes, talking about issues that are important nationally to women.

It’s the kind of conversations these women often have, and they are particularly mindful of the need to continue working on issues such as pay equity, equal opportunity and women’s reproductive rights as they prepare to help Tampa host the National Organization for Women’s national conference June 24-26.

Eleanor Cecil of Lutz, one of the chief organizers for the conference, met recently with Doris Rosen, the committee chairwoman and president of Pasco NOW; Bonni Axler, vice president of Pasco NOW; and Helen Wall to discuss the upcoming event.

Planners are expecting around 600 members of NOW to converge on Tampa for the conference, which has the theme of “Daring to Dream: Building a Feminist Future.”

The event will be at the Embassy Suites on the University of South Florida campus.

Conference speakers will include national, state and local women, including actress Lynn Chen, political strategist Celinda Lake, slam poet Katie Makkai and Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor.

Organizers of the conference are pumped.

“We are very excited,” Rosen said. “It’s the first time that it has been in the Tampa Bay area. The last time it was in Florida was in Miami in 2001.’’
Rosen said national NOW officials encouraged Florida to bid for the conference after visiting Florida’s state NOW conference at the TradeWinds in Clearwater.

The national conference will touch on a wide range of issues that pertain to all facets of women’s lives, Rosen said. A final lineup has not yet been determined, but the list of workshops at last year’s conference in Boston offers an idea of what conference-goers might expect.

Workshop topics at Boston’s conference last year included: “America the beautiful, are we obsessed with beauty?” “Young feminist leaders, effectively engaging and organizing young activists,” “Women warriors: Issues confronting service women and women veterans,” “Moving beyond abuse: The journey from victim to survivor.”

Although it is called the National Organization for Women, NOW’s membership includes a fair number of male members. Rosen estimates that 20-25 percent of the members are men.

She notes that many men share concerns about equal treatment and support NOW’s efforts to help guarantee a level playing field for their wives, sisters, mothers, daughters, aunts, grandmothers and friends.

Inequalities still exist, Cecil said.

“Women are still only making 76 cents for every dollar a man makes, and there’s still the glass ceiling, Cecil said.

“Our rights are being taken away as we speak,” Rosen said.

Many people equate NOW with abortion rights, the women said. The organization is adamant about reproductive rights, they said. But NOW also advocates on a much broader spectrum of issues that are important to women.

For instance, “Title IX is not just about being able to play sports in college. Title IX covers everything that relates to women on college campuses,” Cecil said.

Axler said she joined NOW decades ago, but remains a member of the organization not only for herself but for future generations of women.

“Nothing has changed. If anything, we’ve gone backwards,” Axler said.

“The recent tirade against Planned Parenthood” offers a good example about why the fight for women’s rights must continue, Axler said.

“When I was in college, I didn’t have health insurance. I was between my parents’ policy and working on my own. I used Planned Parenthood as my primary physician.”

That’s still true for many women today, she said.

Wall, who has about a half dozen granddaughters and numerous great-granddaughters, said “somebody has to make sure that we keep the rights that we’ve worked so much for.”

One of her granddaughters was told in high school that she couldn’t go to the shop class because it was for boys, Wall said. “She couldn’t go to the bodybuilding class because it was for boys.”

That sounds like the dark ages, Wall said, but it wasn’t all that long ago.

This year, NOW is making a special effort to reach out to young women, to encourage them to attend the conference, Cecil said. Some scholarships are available for young women in high school and college, who want to come to the conference, Cecil said.

Not all women share NOW’s positions on various issues, but when the group fights to establish or preserve rights, it seeks to protect rights or expand opportunities for all women, Rosen said.

“When we do something to better women, it’s to better all women.”

Besides updating attendees on various issues, the conference also provides a great forum for personal growth and inspires members of the organization, the women said.

It also fosters connections and deepens friendships, they said.

“You go home feeling energized. It’s a wonderful feeling being around people who are so serious and so heartfelt about the issues. There’s a lot of good conversation. You feel very empowered when you come home,” Rosen said.

It also helps women remain in the loop about issues that must be addressed, Cecil said.

Despite much progress through the years, the work continues, Cecil said.

“There are still issues that are out there. We haven’t arrived,” she said.

For additional information about the conference, contact Eleanor Cecil at .

 

After school program may get axed

By Kyle LoJacono

The once popular after school program offered by the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department appears to be on its last legs.

The program costs Hillsborough residents $7 million each year, despite the fact the number of kids enrolled has plummeted by more than one-third in the last three years.

The elimination of the program was part of a plan by parks and recreation director Mark Thornton to cut $7.5 million from the department’s budget for the next fiscal year. Other parts of his proposal include layoffs and outsourcing athletic field maintenance activities.

“The bottom line is, we are trying to put ourselves in the direction of strong financial sustainability,” Thornton said. “We’re not there now. We have not been there. We’ve been patching things year to year.”

One of the more radical elements to Thornton’s cost-cutting plan would consolidate programs now offered at many parks throughout the county at a few large sites. Right now 42 of the department’s 180 parks are permanently staffed. The plan would be to have only 30 with workers all the time.

“The problem right now is, we have some parks way over capacity and others that are hardly being used,” Thornton said. “The latest figures I saw is some are at 130 percent capacity and others are as low as 30 percent. It doesn’t make sense to continue to staff the parks that are hardly being used instead of moving them to the more popular sites.”

Thornton wants the smaller parks to have staffing only during community meetings and other gatherings. He predicts this would free up money to let the department build gymnasiums, pools, skate parks and other facilities to better serve the public while cutting the overall budget. On average, the larger parks would have 15,000 square feet of indoor space.

One of these larger regional parks would be a new 40-acre site in Odessa/Keystone. The commission is currently debating if they should take $1.6 million allocated for a community center in Citrus Park to help buy the land, which includes a 22,000-square-foot building and a pair of indoor basketball courts.

“We’ve gotten a lot of complaints from people in Citrus Park who want the community center built, but those community centers are part of the funding problem we have right now,” said Commissioner Ken Hagan. “We build these centers and then we can’t afford to staff them. … I don’t think we would ever be able to build a Citrus Park center in the current economy.”

Thornton said a park in Odessa/Keystone could have soccer and other athletic fields, which could play host to regional tournaments.

“That would generate money for the department and the county,” Thornton said.

Thornton said all locations would still have its athletic fields and courts open as they are now, even if they lose its staffing.

Thornton’s master plan could only go into place if the after school program, such as the one at Nye Park in Lutz, was eliminated. Parents and guardians of kids in the course started paying $48 a week two years ago, up from $20. The numbers of children attending the parks dropped from 6,000 to 1,800 since then.

The program costs $7 million a year to maintain and has not dropped with the reduction in kids participating because of fixed costs like insurance and staffing, according to Thornton.

Thornton said most of the kids who left the program were moved into the similar one through Hillsborough School District. Linda Cobbe, a school district spokeswoman, said the school program could immediately take in those 1,800 kids.

Additionally, 64 full-time and 33 part-time department employees would see their jobs eliminated. They would mainly be from the after school program and from maintenance crews.

County administrator Mike Merrill said any county works near retirement would likely receive a buyout. However he did say it would be impossible to do it for everyone as Hillsborough will need to cut about $65 million from its budget for the 2012 fiscal year.

“We need to make sure the kids in these programs have a place to go while staying economically sound,” Merrill said. “It’s going to be one of a long line of difficult cuts facing the commissioners.”

 

Meetings set for after school program

The Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department will have several public meetings to get citizen’s opinions about the proposal to eliminate its after school program.

In addition to providing comment on the recommendations, those attending will learn about other options and changes to the county’s program, how to apply for financial assistance and what to look for in quality after school or summer programs.

Meetings schedule includes:

–Wednesday, May 4 at the Northdale Recreation Center, 15550 Spring Pine Drive in Tampa

–Wednesday, May 11 at the Ruskin Recreation Center, 901 Sixth St. S.E. in Ruskin

–Saturday, May 14 at University Area Community Center, 14013 N. 22nd St. in Tampa

–Wednesday, May 18 at the Gardenville Recreation Center, 6219 Symmes Road in Gibsonton

–Wednesday, June 1 at University Area Community Center, 14013 N. 22nd St. in Tampa

–Saturday, June 4 at All People’s Life Center, 6105 E. Sligh Ave. in Tampa

–Wednesday, June 8 at the Brandon Community Center, 502 E. Sadie St. in Brandon

All information presented will be the same at each meeting so parents and community partners have the option to attend any of them. For more information on meeting dates and locations, call (813) 635-8110.

*Wednesday meeting are from 6-7 p.m. Saturday meetings are from 10-11 a.m.

 

 

By Kyle LoJacono

Pasco County has a new library director, seven-year department veteran Nancy Fredericks.

Fredericks replaces Linda Allen, who helped found the system 24 years ago. Allen retired Feb. 4.

Fredericks started working with the Pasco Library System in 2004, the last three years as the E-government services manager. She lives in Port Richey, but has worked at libraries in central and east Pasco as well.

Dan Johnson, assistant county administrator, said of Fredericks’ promotion, “She has shown she can handle almost anything thrown at her during her time with the library system. She has worked in various roles all over the county. I’d say there is no one else who knows more about our libraries than she does.”

Fredericks recently talked with The Laker/Lutz News about becoming the system’s director.

Q: What is it like for you to take over the library system in Pasco?

A: It is very exciting! We have a great library system, and I am looking forward to offering more programs and services to Pasco County residents.

Q: When did your love of books start?

A: I love reading and have since I was a child; however, it was emerging technologies that drew me to librarianship.

Q: What are your favorite books of all time?

A: That is a very difficult question. My favorite books change over time, depending on what I am reading and my interests at any given time. One of the first books I fell in love with while in high school was Watership Down. Currently, I’m reading Freakonomics.

Q: What goals do you have with the department?

A: My goal for Pasco County Library System is to provide excellent services to Pasco County residents.

Q: How does technology fit into providing those services? Electronics seem to be the way libraries are going today.

A: I hope to build a strong and cohesive library team that is flexible and adaptable, which will effectively cope with constantly evolving information technology.

Q: I understand you recently received an award from Library Journal Mover and Shaker for your innovation with technology.

A: I was one of nine from around the country to get the award for technology. That is a tremendous honor for me to be recognized in that way. Not only to be honored by Library Journal Mover, but for technology use especially as that’s the way of the future for libraries.

–For more information on the Pasco Library System, visit pascolibraries.org.

By Kyle LoJacono

In a few years, the land that once raised cattle may serve as a nature park and the critical link between two of Pasco County’s largest wetlands.

The area includes 384 acres of land between US 41 and the Suncoast Parkway just north of SR 52 in Land O’ Lakes. The area is part of the Morsani Ranch and will help connect Starkey Wilderness and Cross Bar nature preserves.

“The purchase was OK’d by the board on April 19,” said Pasco Commissioner Pat Mulieri. “A major portion of the land includes a wildlife corridor and provides open space, protects environmentally sensitive land and owning this allows us to eventually utilize it for activities such as bird-watching.”

The land comes with an $800,000 price tag, or about $2,083 per acre, paid for by Penny for Pasco money. County assistant administrator Michele Baker said 45 percent of the funds generated from the penny program goes to Pasco’s government, and 25 percent of that is used for environment purposes.

“This land was identified in our updated regional environmental strategy in 2000 as one of the critical linkages between preserves,” Baker said. “The strategy recommends connecting these areas to protect the environment in the county. It is one of seven critical linkages we want to eventually buy and make into preserves.”

The Morsani purchase is just the beginning of the process to link Starkey’s 18,000 acres to Cross Bar’s 12,500. The county will still need to buy about 30 miles of land to complete the connection.

“This is the longest of the critical linkages in the county and we’ve got a long way to go,” Baker said. “It is a first step and we’re very lucky to have people like the Morsanis who allowed us to buy the land.”

The Morsanis live in Lutz and nominated their land for the purchase. They have raised cattle and grown hay on the land for many years, but felt selling it for environmental purposes was the right thing to do.

While there are no set plans for the land at this point, Baker said a nature park with boardwalks and other elements to allow people to see the wetland is not out of the question.

“We have to make sure anything we do doesn’t interfere with the connection of the preserves themselves, but there shouldn’t be any problem putting in facilities to allow people to see the natural beauty,” Baker said. “If we fast forward several years, I bet bird-watching could be a popular activity where the ranch is now.”

Other critical linkages in central Pasco would connect Cross Bar with the Connerton Preserve, as well as Connerton with Starkey. The shortest linkage is between Connerton and the Cypress Creek Flood Detention Area in Wesley Chapel. Another would link Starkey with the Brooker Creek Preserve in northern Hillsborough County.

In east Pasco, there is a critical linkage identified between the Green Swamp Wildlife Management Area and the Upper Hillsborough Park, and the last helps connect portions of the Cypress Creek.

For more information on environmental efforts in Pasco, visit the county’s Environmental Lands Acquisition and Management Program’s section of portal.pascocountyfl.net.

 

Bike trail temporarily closed

The Pasco County Parks and Recreation Department has closed Starkey Wilderness Park’s bike trail until May 6 due to repairs being made by Tampa Bay Water. The trail is set to reopen the next day. For more information, call (813) 929-2760.