Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By B.C. Manion

When school bells ring this fall in Pasco County public schools, the campuses at Wiregrass Ranch High and John Long Middle School will feel more spacious.

That’s because the Pasco County School Board unanimously approved a plan recommended by a boundary committee to change attendance areas for the schools.

The new plan also sends students living in the Cox Elementary attendance area to Pasco Middle and Pasco High, instead of busing them to Weightman Middle and Wesley Chapel High.

In approving the changes, board members praised the work of a boundary committee made up of district administrators, district staff, school principals and parents.

In essence, the new boundaries will:

— Shift students in New River, Ashley Pines and an area near Morris Bridge Road from Wiregrass Ranch High to Wesley Chapel High

— Reassign students from New River and Ashley Pines from John Long Middle School into Weightman Middle School

— Shift students living in neighborhoods west of Morris Bridge Road into Stewart Middle School

— Assign students attending Cox Elementary in Dade City to Pasco Middle and Pasco High schools, instead of Weightman Middle and Wesley Chapel High.

Wiregrass Ranch High, at 2909 Mansfield Blvd., has 2,132 students, representing 127 percent of the school’s permanent capacity. It has 18 portable classrooms.

John Long Middle, at 2025 Mansfield Blvd., has an enrollment of 1,784 students, which represents 134 percent of the school’s permanent capacity. It has 23 portable classrooms.

In recommending the new boundaries, the committee considered such things as impacts to the district’s transportation and special education services, as well as the socioeconomic makeup of the schools.

It also attempted to avoid splitting neighborhoods and considered such things as school feeder patterns and future growth.

The boundary changes will not affect incoming seniors at Wiregrass Ranch High.

It will, however, affect all school choice students who attend a school affected by a boundary change, Williams said.

All of those students will have to reapply for the choice assignment, Hurley said. Even incoming seniors at Wiregrass will have to reapply for a choice assignment, she said.

The district now has less flexibility in choice assignments because of the state’s class size limits, Hurley said.

However, the board said if an 11^th grader had been approved to come into a career academy, that student will get priority when they apply for school choice.

Just one parent turned out to object to the changes.

Simone Lowery, who lives Ashley Pines, appeared before the board asking it to consider a plan she had drafted that would have shifted children from other neighborhoods.

Williams said Lowery’s proposal would have a negative effect on school feeder patterns and would merely delay an eventual redrawing of school boundary lines when future growth occurs in the area.

Lowery told the board that when drawing future boundaries it should reach out to include not only parents who have children in the district’s schools, but also those who live in the affected communities — even if their children are not enrolled in the district’s schools.

After the meeting, Lowery said she was not surprised by the board’s action because she thought they would support the committee’s work. However, she added, “I did everything that I had to do.”

By B.C. Manion

Pasco County’s legislation delegation heard about wide-ranging concerns from constituents at a delegation workshop on Friday at Mitchell High School.

Many of the speakers acknowledged the tough position that lawmakers are in, as they tackle a state budget with a $3.5 billion shortfall.

Just the same, they pleaded with lawmakers to avoid stripping their current funding and to make changes that will ease daily operations in various programs.

Pasco County Administrator John Gallagher said the county is trying to reinvent itself as a magnet for businesses and it needs state lawmakers’ help to make that happen.

Pasco wants to establish an urban service area in the areas of the US 19 corridor and the SR 54 corridor, Gallagher said. State planners rejected the idea, saying the development wasn’t dense enough, Gallagher said. But he thinks that decision puts the county at a disadvantage.

Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, agreed with Gallagher that getting legislation passed on urban service area issue is very important in the coming session.

Cliff McDuffie, mayor of Zephyrhills, said he appreciates the tough economy facing state and local governments. “We’re like everyone else,” he said. “We’ll probably be looking at some layoffs this coming year.”

He said he hopes the city will be able to make the cuts with retirements, but he didn’t sound certain that would happen.

There’s also a need for funding to pay for an emergency shelter on the east side of the county, McDuffie said. Thousands of residents live in mobile homes and need someplace to go if a hurricane threatens.

Pasco School Board Chairwoman Joanne Hurley reminded lawmakers that funding is the school district’s primary issue.

The district is starting with a $47 million shortfall, and like state lawmakers, the school board will need to make painful decisions.

She reminded lawmakers that the district receives $540 per pupil less than it did in 2007-2008.

Besides reiterating the district’s dire financial straits, she requested: “When you are revisiting the issue of class size, please give us as much flexibility as you can.”

State Attorney Bernie McCabe also outlined the cuts his division has made. Five years ago, he had 485 authorized positions, he said. Now, he has a staff of 420.

McCabe said that he, too, has constituents that he serves and he wants to ensure they get quality service.

“We’re getting down to the quick,” McCabe said.

George Romagnoli, the county’s community development director, asked state lawmakers to restore funding for the State Housing Initiative Partnership. It allows the county to use a myriad of ways to  help people stay in their homes, he said.

Those funds are key “because they don’t have federal strings attached,” said State Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey.

Rev. Dan Campbell, president of the Homeless Coalition of Pasco County, Inc., said Pasco’s homeless population continues to grow and more must be done to address that.

Other issues brought to state lawmakers attention, include requests to:

–    Force pill mills out of business

–    Provide justice for fathers who are prevented from seeing their children because of false allegations of abuse

–    Address impacts from changes in funding for healthcare that will affect the quality and type of care available to senior citizens

–     Enact a patient protection act that would regulate registered nurse to patient ratios, and would protect registered nurses who report unsafe actions taken by care providers

–     Allow children attending private schools who want to play on public school athletic teams to have the opportunity to do so

By Kyle LoJacono

Everyone who is a part of building NuVista Care Communities at Lutz Center thinks it will change the way people perceive therapy in the area.

“There isn’t anything else like this anywhere,” said Michael Holzum, Palm Health Partners vice president of human recourses. “We’re a new company and what we’re going to offer is something that is lacking in healthcare today.”

Palm Health will operate the facility, which is being built at 19091 N. Dale Mabry, as one of three NuVista Care Communities in Florida.

“There’s a gap in coverage for those who couldn’t go straight home after a hospital visit, but didn’t need to go to a long-term rehab center,” Holzum said. “This will allow better treatment for those people.”

The 120-bed, 550,000-square-foot center is scheduled to open to the public by the end of May and will bring about 150 jobs to the area, according to Holzum. Residents will stay at the facility for three to six weeks.

“The kind of things we’ll be treating here are people recovering from falls or other physical injuries, heart-related problems, strokes or anything that requires some rehabilitation to get back to 100 percent,” Holzum said.

Holzum said one of the biggest problems with current rehabilitation care is patients having to be readmitted to a hospital. He said that usually happens because the patient has some change in condition, or their doctor becomes concerned and wants to give more direct care.

“We have several ways to reduce the chance that someone has to go back to a hospital,” Holzum said. “During the first 48 hours, we monitor them even closer because that’s when they are more likely to have a change in condition.

“Also, doctors will be able to check the current status of any patient they have here because everything we do is electronic,” Holzum continued. “When we take their temperature or blood pressure, it goes into the electronic file. Doctors can even see their patient through Skype. It will be like the doctor is at their bedside without having to be in a hospital.”

Additionally, Holzum said there will be about one registered nurse for every six patients to keep a close eye on everyone in treatment.

The technology that will be used does not end with Skype and electronic records. Everyone, including staff and visitors, will have badges so personnel can follow them in the building.

“That helps with security, but also so we know where all the patients are in case we need to find them,” Holzum said. “We can follow all our equipment the same way so we can see where something is if we need it to treat someone or if we need to order more because of demand.”

Those badges will also tell patients the name of anyone who enters their room on a television mounted on the wall.

Anthony Fago, vice president of development, said he has been in construction for decades and has not ever seen a facility like this one.

“Even just the center courtyard we’re building is amazing,” Fago said. “It’s 100 square feet and will be a beautiful area for the patients to see and enjoy. … We are also designing every room to let as much sunlight in as possible.”

Holzum said of using sunlight, “We know that sunlight and nature helps patients heal better and faster, so we are getting those elements into the facility wherever we can.”

The facility will have 16 private rooms and 52 shared rooms where two patients will be separated by a curtain. Each bed will have a harness to lift patients when he or she needs to get up to avoid accidental falls.

“People falling while moving around are one of the most common ways they can be forced back to a hospital,” Holzum said. “This eliminates any chance of that.”

Holzum said the harness systems also protect caregivers, who usually have shoulder, back and other chronic pain problems from lifting and supporting patients.

The center’s exercise room will also use a harness to help with rehabilitation.

“It will have this thing that will let the caregiver allow them to walk with just 10 pounds, 15 pounds or whatever amount of weight on their legs to help them get used to walking again,” Fago said. “They also won’t be able to fall, and caregivers won’t have to support them because the harness is impossible to fall out of.”

Rehab also involves doing everyday things like laundry, cooking and cleaning with special appliances.

Holzum said the center is in the process of reaching out to area hospitals, such as St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, University Community Hospital and University Community Hospital-Carrollwood. He said as soon as they open they will likely be full because, “There is a demand for us right now.”

The center will also work with area universities, including the University of South Florida, to teach medical students and give them hands on training.

“We hope to be a part of this community in Hillsborough and Pasco counties for a long time,” Holzum said. “We want to help new medical caregivers and they will also educate us on things they learn at the universities. It will help everyone.”

NuVista Care Communities at Lutz Center

Located at 19091 N. Dale Mabry in Lutz

550,260 square feet, 120 beds

Will employ 150 people

Set to open in May

By Tammy Sue Struble

The Dade City Chamber of Commerce will host its “most popular and unique event” this weekend, the annual Kumquat Festival.

The event begins with an open house on Thursday, Jan. 27 and Friday, Jan. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kumquat Growers, 31647 Gude Road. The event then moves on Friday night to the Pasco County Fairgrounds, with a barbecue chicken dinner from 5-7 p.m. at Clayton Hall. The dinner is take-out or eat-in, with tickets available at the chamber office at 14112 Eighth St.

Festivities then shift into downtown Dade City for the actual festival, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 29. The event is the chamber’s largest fundraiser of the year, and it’s packed with things to do for all ages.

Start out by going to the Armory at 38017 East Live Oak Ave and pick up a map of the event. It will list locations of food, entertainment, and activities. There will be vendors, an antique car show, a kids’ corral, family fun walk, Relay For Life 5K race and a no-K race, entertainment and food.

The Kumquat festival Family Fun Walk is sponsored by the Suncoast Sandpipers Volkssport Club. They will have a 5K and 10K walk rated “easy” through historic Dade City and the Kumquat Festival.

The Relay For Life of San Antonio is sponsoring a 5K race and a no-K race. Their “Race for Hope” is in honor of Jack Jones, a Marine Corps veteran, and all U.S. military with a portion of the proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.

Earlier in January, a Kumquat Recipe Contest revealed several interesting kumquat dishes. In the category of Breakfast and Beyond, Alison Graham of Dade City took first place with a kumquat cake roll. For dessert, Jo Uber of Zephyrhills created a drink called kumquatcello for first place, and Bill White of Trilby won second place with deep dish kumquat pie. The new edition of the Kumquat Recipe Cookbook from 1998-2011 is available at the chamber for $10.

For more information contact the Dade City Chamber at (352) 567-3769 or www.dadecitychamber.org and click on Kumquat Festival.

What is a kumquat?

Kumquats have been called “the little gold gems of the citrus family.” They are believed to be native to China. There are four varieties.

Kumquats have a very distinctive taste. It is the only citrus fruit that can be eaten “skin and all.” The peel is the sweetest part and can be eaten separately. The pulp contains the seeds and juice, which is sour. When eaten together, you get a sweet and sour taste. The seeds, however, should not be eaten. They are similar to the seed of the orange and have a distinctive green color. The seeds also contain pectin, which can be removed by boiling for use in making jams and jellies.

-Kumquat Growers Inc.

By B.C. Manion

Organizers of the first Al and Ida Silver Memorial Classic Car Show are delighted by the number of cars that entered the show, the number of vendors who participated and the hundreds of spectators who turned out.

The weather was spectacular, said Lonnie Piper of A-OK Trophies LLC. Her parents, the namesake of the event, ran the trophy shop for decades and were known for their civic work.

Piper was thrilled by the community’s response to the event.

Sixty-seven cars entered and the event raised more than $1,000 for the Heritage Park Foundation, organizers said.

Larry Broga, who judged the cars for the contest, said it was difficult to choose the winners because the cars all were in such excellent condition, Broga said.

The “Heritage Park Best of Show” award went to Danny Green of Riverview, who received the top prize for his  “Bonnie and Clyde Era” car.

Broga said the organizers should be pleased with the number of entries for a first-time event. He predicts the show will continue to grow and will become a big draw for car show competitors and enthusiasts.

There’s no doubt that the event will become an annual event, said Sandy Graves of the Heritage Park Foundation.

Graves said the event was hosted by the Heritage Park Foundation, LOL Saturday Market and the Pasco County Parks and Recreation.

Event sponsors included ABC Pizza, Alan’s Automotive, A-OK Trophies, Amalfi Pizza, Anytime Fitness, Bank of America, Encore Boutique, Golf Cart Depot, Heritage Bank, Republican Club of Central Pasco, Land O’ Lakes Marine, NAPA Auto Parts, Land O’ Lakes Rent-A-Car, McDonald’s, Meredith’s Tire and Auto, Papa John’s, Commissioner Pat Mulieri, Rapscallions, Robin Whittemore-Personal Chef, Rock Auto, Rose Nail, Scent Monster, SunTrust Bank, Tires Plus of Lutz, Warehouse Wine and Liquor.

Broga said organizers should consider adding a swap meet, where people can trade and sell parts. That will add to the event’s appeal, Broga said.

He also thinks they should keep the event an open class competition because that invites people with all kinds of cars. He said many younger car enthusiasts enjoy cars that are personalized and fast, while older car buffs, like himself, enjoy the nostalgia that comes from restoring a car from an earlier era.

Broga was impressed by the number of vendors who participated and the number of spectators who turned out.

Many car shows draw mostly people who are part of the subculture of people who are into restoring cars or enhancing their performance.

This event drew spectators from all walks of life.

The proceeds from the show will help pay for improvements at the park, which is just behind the Land O’ Lakes Community Center on US 41.

Anyone who would like to know more about the Heritage Park Foundation can call Graves at (813) 996-3011.

By Tammy Sue Struble

About three weeks ago, Donna Grimm-Widner was cleaning up around the cardboard recycling dumpsters outside her part-time job at Meals on Wheels in Zephyrhills.

The two dumpsters had been filled to capacity, so residents had been piling cardboard in-between the dumpsters. Finally, the dumpsters were empty and it was her chance to pick up. Something shiny under all of the cardboard caught her eye; she picked it up, tucked it into her pocket — and forgot about it.

Several days later as she prepared her laundry, Grimm-Widner pulled a beautiful ring out of her pocket. She imagined that it must be valuable and that someone was really missing it. She sat it up on a shelf until she could get it into work.

“We find lots of things out there,” she said of the recycling area at the Meals on Wheels at 38145 15^th Ave. “We took it to Nabers Jewelers and they confirmed that it was a ‘very nice’ ring of some value,” she continued. Grimm-Widner thought it was probably a man’s or large woman’s ring that may have been custom made.

Besides their cardboard dumpsters, the Meals on Wheels facility also has a very long dumpster that takes all kind of paper — newspaper, phone books, shredded paper, and even spiral notebooks. They also collect aluminum cans.

“The money from the newspapers and cans helps keep the place going,” Grimm-Widner explained. “About 40 percent of our funds come from the paper and cans; the rest is from donations.” Grimm-Widner said that in the summer they deliver 70-90 meals a day; in the winter it jumps to 90-100 meals per day. They also provide meals for the shelter at Chancey Road Christian Church. The meals are prepared and delivered from their facility.

If you have lost a precious ring of some value and believe the one found might be yours, stop by Meals on Wheels or call (813) 782-7859.