Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Pasco County had its first confirmed case of bacterial meningitis this year on Feb. 15. Deanna Krautner, a spokesperson for the county health department, confirmed there was a case of the disease in the Pasco School district.

Dr. David Johnson, director of the county health department, said all forms of meningitis are infections of the brain and spinal cord and is spread by very close person-to-person contact such as kissing and sharing drinks or utensils. He said it is possible for someone to spread the bacterial form by coughing or sneezing, but in rare cases.

“That would be if someone coughed right in someone’s face,” Johnson said. “Not from the other side of the room. It isn’t as contagious as a cold or the flu.”

The most common symptoms of bacterial meningitis are high fever, headaches, stiff neck, but can also cause vomiting, sensitivity to bright lights and sleepiness. The disease can cause damage to the brain and spine and Krautner said about 10 percent of those who get the disease die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Krautner said college students are usually more at risk because they tend to live in close quarters with others in dormitories. Also, pre teenagers and travelers are at a higher risk.

There is a vaccine for some forms of bacterial meningitis, but not all. Johnson said the recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a part of CDC, is for everyone between ages 11-18 get the vaccine.

The best treatment for the bacterial form is with antibiotics. Krautner said the sooner treatment begins, the better the outcome.

There is no preventative vaccine for viral meningitis, but the symptoms are much more mild with that form of the disease. While it is more common, most people with normal immune systems rarely die from the disease, according to Krautner.

Several viruses can cause viral meningitis, including mumps, measles, chickenpox and the flu, but it is rare for those to progress. Those who catch the virus usually recover in seven to 10 days with rest.

Krautner said the Pasco department investigates all confirmed causes of meningitis, but only the bacterial and two other rare forms are tracked. There were no confirmed cases of bacterial meningitis in the county last year, one each year in 2009 and 2008 and again zero in 2007. There were four cases in 2006. On the state level, 52 people had confirmed infections in 2009.

For more information on the disease, call the Pasco County Health Department at (727) 861-5250. In Hillsborough, call (813) 307-8015.

By Kyle LoJacono

Drivers who frequent SR 56 around Meadow Pointe and Mansfield boulevards in Wesley Chapel will have some relief in navigating the increasingly busy highway.

Robert Shepherd, Pasco County chief project manager, said the county is in the process of installing traffic signals at the intersections of SR 56 and Mansfield and also where the state road ends at Meadow Pointe.

“I think they should be finished on March 1,” Shepherd said.

Shepherd said private developers are putting in the lights at no cost to the county. He said signals usually cost about $180,000 each.

The county had hoped to have the lights installed when the extension of SR 56 opened, but problems developed with the original construction company. WDG Construction Inc. was removed from the job last year in part because it fell behind schedule.

Pasco replaced WDG with Ripa & Associates. County chief engineer Jim Widman said the replacement company got the road opened in time for the school year. Both Wiregrass Ranch High and John Long Middle are on Mansfield near SR 56.

“That helped because I’m told the school buses mainly use Mansfield to get to and from the schools.” Widman said. “The road let the bus drivers cut out miles from their routes, which saved the county money.”

The large concrete poles needed to hang lights across six lanes of traffic were not available until after the new year. South West Signal, a Tampa-based company, is installing the lights.

Also, the area where SR 56 ends at Meadow Pointe currently has a three-way stop. Shepherd said that intersection has become increasingly busy.

“People in Meadow Pointe are using it to cut down on their travel and people are also using it to avoid the construction to widen State Road 54,” Shepherd said. “When an area isn’t busy a three or four-way stop works fine, but when you get a lot of cars there tend to be more accidents.”

The Meadow Pointe light will also pave the way for the further extension of SR 56 all the way to US 301 in Zephyrhills.

“The long-term plan is to take 54 all the way out east to connect the county,” said Pasco Commissioner Pat Mulieri. “It’s many years off, but that’s the plan.”

Shepherd said the speed limit will be adjusted once the traffic signals open, but was not sure what the new limit would be. Currently the majority of SR 56 has a 55 mph limit, but that is reduced to 50 near the intersection with Mansfield and drops to 40 at the crossing.

By B.C. Manion

Kim Clarke is not the kind of woman who seeks to claim center stage — so the staff at Sand Pine Elementary was especially delighted when the Wesley Chapel woman received Pasco County Schools’ Adult Volunteer of the Year award.

Clarke has been volunteering at the school for seven years. She began when her daughter Katie was in kindergarten. Katie has gone on to middle school and her son, Christopher, is now in fifth grade.

Besides volunteering in the classroom, Clarke has held various offices on the school’s Parent Teacher Association board. She has served as president, treasurer, hospitality chairwoman and historian. This year, she’s second vice president.

Fifth-grade teacher Candi Suarez said Clarke helps in all sorts of ways.

“She is definitely deserving of the honor,” Suarez said.

When the children were reading chapter books that they’d chosen, “she read along with them and coached them through,” Suarez said. She was “very, very, very encouraging. It really made them value literacy.”

Clarke typically volunteers in the school once a week, in addition to her PTA activities.

She’s happy to do whatever the teachers need, she said. For instance, on Friday, Suarez asked her to make some shamrocks and then to put some limericks on them.

No problem. The volunteer got to work.

That’s how she always is, according to the nomination.

“Mrs. Clarke’s quiet, unpretentious demeanor enables her to work well with others and allows for seamless involvement in the classrooms,” the nomination says.

“Mrs. Clarke is a wonderful volunteer and PTA officer and can be counted on in any situation. She works well with students and enjoys being with them.

“She is supportive, caring and helpful.”

On one occasion, she helped a teacher while groups of children read a recipe and followed the directions to make salsa. At the end of the day, Clarke took home the teacher’s dishes to clean them so the teacher wouldn’t have to.

Clarke said she enjoys helping.

“I think if you can, you should,” said Clarke. “My job is flexible, so I can. I know there are a lot of moms who would like to, but they can’t,” said the woman, whose work involves investigating workplace grievances.

Clarke said she comes from a family of teachers and understands that teachers can use as much help as they can get. She knows how much of their personal time they devote and how much of their own money they put into teaching.

“I think my children, especially when they were young, liked having me around.”

School staff members like having her there, too.

“She’s always smiling,” said Judy Griffith, the front office secretary.

“We love her,” said Pat Friz, who handles data entry. When Clarke became the school’s PTA president, Fritz said, “She had big shoes to fill.”

She rose to the challenge, Fritz said. “She did an outstanding job.”

Dr. Jo Ann Daniels wants to inspire others to support the cause

By Elizabeth Gwilt

When Eugene Storch received a phone call last June, he wasn’t expecting the shock of his life.

Storch was informed by his nephew that his San Antonio home had caught on fire, and by the time he had reached the scene, his thoughts went immediately to his three dogs: Peewee, RJ and Lil Jack.

His nephew had managed to snatch one of his dogs off the porch, and fortunately Pasco County Fire Rescue was able to rescue the other two. But when Storch finally got to see his pets, it looked like a tragedy at first.

“I got there and I saw my dogs on the lawn, and they weren’t moving. They looked like they were dead,” Storch said.

The heavy smoke had caused problems for the dogs, but the firefighters were equipped with oxygen masks specially designed for animals, and they were able to resuscitate them before taking them to a veterinarian.

“It was just a day full of surprises for me,” Storch said. “Those masks definitely saved my dogs, and I really appreciate the bravery of the fire department and vet.”

Storch doesn’t see his dogs as just pets, but as part of his family. Since he lives alone, Storch brings along Peewee, a Sharpei, and RJ, who is an unknown mix. The third dog, a Jack Russell named Little Jack, died last year after the rescue from an unrelated incident.

“I bring them hunting with me and they hop in my truck whenever I go anywhere. Those dogs are just really special to me.”

Storch’s dogs might not be here today if it wasn’t for the efforts of Dr. Jo Ann Daniels of Pasco County Veterinary Care on SR 54 in Lutz.

It’s been Daniels’ mission for the past year and a half to raise enough money to buy oxygen masks for animals and donate them to fire departments across the county. Besides funding the masks, she also teaches first responders how to use the oxygen masks properly.

Battalion Chief Brian Rieder of Station 37, who was on scene at the Storch fire, applauds Daniels’ work.

“A dog could absolutely be like a family member or child to several people — and that’s what we are here to do: protect lives,” Rieder said. “We appreciate what Dr. Daniels is trying to accomplish; those masks will make our jobs easier.”

So far, Daniels has responded to a couple of house fires and motor vehicle accidents, and she said the masks are needed at every fire station.

“The specialized oxygen masks are crucial because if you look at a dog’s head versus a human’s head, you’ll notice they aren’t the same shape, and human oxygen masks don’t fit on a dog’s face,” she said. “Also, depending on the breed, the oxygen flow needs to be adjusted to fit their needs.”

The set of three different sized masks will help any breed from Boston terriers to German shepherds. Even cats, ferrets, hamsters and virtually any domesticated animal can use the masks as well.

“It’s rewarding to help animals in distress. I’m a vet, and that’s what we do, but I want the community to get involved too. Right now it’s just my staff and I working on this project, and we really need support,” Daniels said.

She hopes her project will expand, and she’s in the process of making an oxygen mask training DVD so she can distribute them to all the fire departments. Daniels’ goal is to buy 30 more sets of masks, which cost about $100 for a set of three. Currently there are 18 sets in Pasco County.

“We all love animals, and I hope that sponsorships will start coming in once the community realizes the need for these masks,” she said. “I’m willing to volunteer all my time and put in all my effort, but we still need outside help in order to achieve this goal.”

How to help

To learn more about the oxygen masks and how you can help, visit www.centralpascovetcare.com or call (813) 926-1126.

By Kyle LoJacono

New national food standards for public schools may be causing some school districts to radically change their menu options, but Pasco County students have already been sitting down to healthy choices for years.

“We first had bottled water and salads at lunch 10 years ago,” said Emily Mark, one of three dietitians with Pasco County School’s Food and Nutrition Services Department. “We have four or five fruit and vegetable options each day. When I came to the district about eight years ago, I was amazed because here it’s not like the stereotypical school nutrition department.”

Food nutrition manager Suellen Smith has been at Zephyrhills High for 11 years and worked at Pasco High for 11 years before that. She said it is very important for her school to offer nutritious food because some of the children do not get a lot to eat at home.

“We are at more than 55 percent of our kids on free or reduced priced lunches,” Smith said. “Fortunately I’m blessed to have people who work for me who love what they do and the kids here.”

The new guidelines were released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in January and called for, among other things, significant reductions in fats, sugar and salt while increasing whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said his department understands the financial and operation implications of the new rules are great, but thinks the positives outweigh the negatives.

“Raising a healthier generation of kids will require hard work and a commitment of a host of partners,” Vilsack wrote in an e-mail. “We understand that these improved meal standards may present challenges for some school districts, but the new law provides important new resources, technical assistance and flexibility to help schools raise the bar for our kids.”

The new rules start going into place for the 2011-12 school year and will slowly take effect during the next 10 years, but Pasco will not have to make any changes in many areas.

Stephanie Packroll, the department’s nutrition specialist, said Pasco already uses at least 50 percent whole grain flours when making breads, pizza crusts and other starches. The cookies and other sweets also meet the standards for sugar and fat and they also offer fresh fruits and vegetables.

In some cases, Pasco has been doing more than required in the new law.

“Our three dietitians look at our menus every week and analyze the nutrition,” Mark said. “Parents and students can check online each week and see the nutrition of the menu and make choices based on that.”

Mark said the county has always looked to upgrade the nutrition for the students, even if it costs a little more.

“We feed about 60,000 students each day and because the price of fresh fruits and vegetables change all the time, it usually costs more to give them the healthy options,” Mark said. “… We also got rid of a large chocolate chip cookie about four years ago that was a big money maker, but after reviewing it and what we’re trying to do with the department, we decided it wasn’t the best thing to have.”

There is one hurdle that will not be as easy. The reduction in salt is something the county is not already meeting, but it is more a factor of being able to get low-sodium options.

“It’s a 10-year plan and the food industry isn’t ready yet,” Mark said. “We are constantly looking for better choices for the kids, but right now this is the greatest challenge. The industry will adjust and we’ll be able to meet the guidelines.”

While making the food healthy is important, Mark said it also has to taste good. To ensure this, the department has frequent tasting of current menu items at the schools and of new options. The most recent testing was at Zephyrhills, where the students sampled chicken patties, pulled pork and other items that may soon be finding their way onto Pasco school menus.

“The students really liked the chicken patties and the pulled pork was good too,” Mark said.

Another tasting was during the Great American Teach-in this year, when Mark visited her daughter Sydney’s second-grade class at Pine View Elementary.

“I still get letters from Sydney’s class with suggestions,” Mark said. “The one I see the most is spaghetti tacos. We’re actually looking at giving it a try in tasting sometime soon.”

People can also suggest new menu options at the department’s website, www.pasco.k12.fl.us/nutrition.

Vegetarians have it easy in Pasco schools

Two years ago, Pasco County School’s Food and Nutrition Services Department was named in the top-five school districts in American for vegetarian food options.

The award was given by peta2, the youth branch of PETA, and it validates something the department strives for.

“We want to give our students choices and good choices,” said Emily Mark, a dietitian in the department. “We always have vegetarian options for the kids above and beyond just a salad and apple for them to eat.”

Mark said almost every food option can be made as a vegetarian alternative, including hamburgers, chicken nuggets and corndogs.

“We do have a variety of salads and sides of fruits and vegetables each day for the kids,” Mark said. “We weren’t even expecting the award, but we weren’t really surprised either because we do everything we can to give the kids options for their lunches.”

Mark said the increase in vegetarian items started many years ago.

“We have a very diverse student population and there was a demand for vegetarian options,” Mark said. “Not just food that didn’t have meat, but vegetarian meals. We always do what we can to accommodate people and I think we’ve done a good job with it.”

One of the vegetarian options is so popular, Mark hesitated to say that it was meatless.

“Our barbecued sandwich, I mean our regular barbecued sandwich is vegetarian,” Mark said. “It is one of our most popular items and I don’t think most of the students know it is vegetarian. We put a lot of time into making it taste good and I think it’s better than any barbecued meat sandwich out there.”

For more information on vegetarian options in Pasco, visit www.pasco.k12.fl.us/nutrition.

By Tammy Sue Struble

A workshop this month will give Zephyrhills residents another chance to review and discuss plans for changes to US 301 through the city.

The Feb. 28 meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. at City Hall.

This is part of a series of quarterly meetings where the Florida Department of Transportation and Zephyrhills city officials, businesses and residents come together to discuss changes to US 301 through town.

FDOT’s project manager, Gordana Jovanovic, said they would be bringing their latest information to the meeting. On drastic changes to 301’s route through Zephyrhills proposed by the FDOT several years ago, Todd Vande Berg, Zephyrhills director of development states, “It is still an important issue. People need to keep up to date on what’s going on (with the 301 proposed changes), especially those individuals and businesses along 301. It should be of importance to them.”

The original plan would have turned a portion of US 301 into two one-way roads using the current roadway for northbound lanes and the existing Sixth Street as southbound lanes.

The Zephyrhills community reacted to that original plan and wanted other alternatives.

Jovanovic stated that they are “working closely with the city to incorporate their desires into our design.” She quoted the FDOT’s motto, “The department will provide a safe transportation system that ensures the mobility of people and goods, enhances economic prosperity and preserves the quality of our environment and communities.”

The FDOT had to make proposals to the Federal government regarding the project changes. “Our ideas are being changed at the request of the city and people,” Jovanovic explained.

At the City Hall meeting on Feb. 28, “Discussion will be on the FDOT alternatives verses the City of Zephyrhills’ alternatives,” explained R.J. Keetch, assistant city planner. “They will present the re-evaluation of their findings at the meeting. We need a showing to present Zephyrhills’ public opinion.”

“Hopefully they (FDOT) have completed the majority of their re-evaluation and we will get an updated status. They should have a really good idea of the City’s Preferred Alternative,” said Vande Berg. The CPA is less drastic, planning for improvement in looks and functionality without the speed from six lanes.

Keetch said that several years ago businesses were very much opposed to the original proposal, “We would like to get everyone involved.” He was concerned that those opposed to the original plan should remain involved to keep it from reverting back to that plan.

According to Vande Berg, the FDOT has evaluated the city’s alternative and it looks positive that they would possibly change their original plans if there is enough community support.

Middle school students get early look at career choices

By B.C. Manion

The students in Jennifer Warren’s “Exploring Communications Technology” class get a chance to do fun stuff  like launching rockets and programming robots while being exposed to a broad range of career choices.

The class, which Warren teaches at John Long Middle School in Wesley Chapel, includes 12 learning modules, covering such areas as audio communications, laser technology, computer-aided drafting, energy and power, research and development, flight technology and robotics.

It typically takes 2.5 weeks to complete each module. The semester is 18 weeks.

Initially, they spend time learning about the lab, rules and procedures.

Warren said she tells her students such things as: “it is better to wear goggles for 5 minutes than to be blind for the rest of your life,” and “if you walked in with 10 fingers, than we want you to walk out with 10 fingers.”

She also gives them specific examples of incidents she has seen in the past and pointers on how to avoid accidents.

Besides completing modules, the students complete team-building exercises because working well with others is important in the workplace.

“I tell them your first boss isn’t going to ask you who you want to work with,” she said. Indeed, the boss “will tell who you need to work with and you need to figure out a way to get along.”

The class also covers such topics as scholarships vs. loans, various educational opportunities and ways to get student loans forgiven. It also covers the possibility of having an employer cover the cost for an employee to seek an advanced degree.

Students also complete a number of projects. For instance, at the moment, students are building a bridge that is 10 inches long, 2 inches wide and 1.5-inches wide. They are constructing the bridge using 60 toothpicks and glue.

A weight will be placed on the bridge to test its strength. The bridge that can support the most weight will be judged as having the best design.

The class also recently finished a software program called Building Homes of Our Own. It took the students through the process of building and selling a home.

They have to look for clues, solve the problems on the lot after they purchase it, apply for a permit, build a home sticking to the theme of the community, select and place landscaping, write an ad, and then sell the house for a profit from a qualified buyer.

Other activities include completing interest surveys and doing career research.

As they work their way through each module, they learn about the history of that particular topic and complete associated lessons in mathematics, science, technology and reading, Warren said. They also keep a journal.

On one recent day, 13-year-old Rebecca Pierce watched as Warren guided a block of wood beneath the blade of a whirring saw.

Then the eighth-grader gave it a shot.

She followed the pattern as if she’d been using power tools for years.

The girl was obviously in command and, she was enjoying herself.

“I like it because it’s stuff you don’t get to do in a normal classroom,” she said.

Besides working with a band saw, a drill press and a belt sander, the students get to do all sorts of things with computers and other tools.

They get to learn how to use AutoSketch to design a two-bedroom house with furniture; how to measure bore and stroke;  how fiber optics travel through water; and, how to create beams and trusses out of balsa wood and test them for their efficiency.

During one recent class, 13-year-old Josh Spence and 14-year-old Julian Leon were testing out a beam.

“We just got done testing a beam,” Leon said.

“To see how much force it takes to break the beam,” Spence explained.

At a different pair of desks, 14-year-old Tyler Courtney and 14-year-old Kyle Johnson were learning about electricity.

“It’s definitely interesting,” Johnson said. “It’s hard, though.”

Warren, who began her teaching career as a woodshop instructor a dozen years ago, said the class gives students an early look at lots of career possibilities.

Each module has at least eight associated career options, she said.

For instance, people interested in structural engineering might find careers as architects, chemical engineers, contractors, surveyors, civil engineers, or building inspectors.

The class is short on lectures and long on learning through doing.

And, that’s right up Warren’s alley.

“I love hands-on,” the technology teacher said.

By B.C. Manion

As surgery centers and medical practices make the conversion from paper records to electronic medical records (EMRs), a Wesley Chapel company offers a service that combines both technical and medical expertise.

The company, Anaseed, gets its name from the word “Ana” which means bringing together information and “seed,” representing the start of new growth, said James Johnson, chief information officer for the company.

Two couples with deep roots in Wesley Chapel led the company that began operating last fall.

James Johnson is married to Vonnie Johnson, the company president. She is a former surgical assistant and has front-office medical experience, too.

The other couple is Diane Levin and her husband, Dr. Stephen Levin.

Diane is a registered nurse with many years of experience in the emergency room, as well as experience in implementing electronic medical records at University Community Hospital on Fletcher Avenue. Her husband, who has a private practice, is Anaseed’s consulting physician.

Anaseed provides health information technology solutions — including hardware and software, but also brings its wealth of medical knowledge to the table, said James Johnson, who is certified in health information technology.

The company uses Dell hardware and a Microsoft EMR program called gloStream.

“We are the only EMR on the market that is Microsoft-based,” James Johnson said, and Anaseed is the Central and North Florida platinum vendor of the software.

Offices that know how to use Microsoft will have little trouble making the transition to the new system, James Johnson said.

The company also offers a service called Practice Project Management that involves observing the current routine at a surgery center or medical office — and helping that team convert to a new system that makes sense for their operation.

The system can be customized for any size office, Vonnie Johnson said.

“That’s the beauty of our business model and our flagship product. It has the capability to be customized in any size environment,” Diane Levin said.

“We talk their talk. We know where the offices are coming from and why they are not using the EMRs the way they should be used,” Diane Levin said. “They’re not using them at all, or they’re only using parts of them, or they’re not tapping into all that the EMR can offer.”

They also talk with the doctors to learn their sources of frustrations and offer solutions to address them, Vonnie Johnson said.

The system they sell can be used in a wide range of environments, Vonnie Johnson said.

“That’s the beauty of our business model and our flagship product. It has the capability to be customized in any size environment,” Diane Levin said.

Because of their technical and medical expertise, the company is able to get the systems up and running more quickly — minimizing disruptions to medical offices and enabling the company to compete favorably in term of price, James Johnson said.

Besides helping physicians’ offices to become more efficient, the electronic records also enable information about patients to be shared with other care providers.

That’s extremely important when an unconscious patient is brought into the emergency room, Diane Levin said. Medical personnel will be able to see what kind of prescriptions the patient is using, will know if the patient has any allergies and will know, for instance, if the patient has any kind of metal implant. Patients who have metal implants can’t have MRIs, she explained.

While information can be shared, it also is protected, James Johnson said. The systems comply with federal health privacy laws, he noted.

“Everyone is very concerned about making sure that their information doesn’t get shared with the wrong people. Every piece of what Anaseed does, going from hardware, to going with Internet connectivity with firewalls, our EMR is all HIPAA-compliant (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act),” he said.

The company presently has 10 employees, serving an area that’s within a four-hour radius of Wesley Chapel.

The founders think there is tremendous growth potential in their field, and ultimately they envision having numerous satellite locations operating on the same premise as their Wesley Chapel location.

Regardless of how large the company becomes, however, they plan to keep its headquarters in Wesley Chapel.

“This is our home. We’re very happy to bring this high-tech industry to the Wesley Chapel area,” James Johnson said.

By Kyle LoJacono

A Pasco County program started during the high inflation of the late 1970s has been suspended because of the most recent economic downturn.

The county commissioners voted Feb. 8 to stop any new projects in its residential street paving program. The suspension was deemed necessary because homeowners in the program are not paying for the paving as they once did.

That, combined with a tight county budget, forced the move.

“It’s affected our cash flow,” said Pasco finance director Mike Nurrenbrock. He went on to say payments from citizens have gotten slower and slower as the economy has gotten worse.

The program, called the Paving Assessment Program, began in 1977. It allows residents in neighborhoods along certain county-maintained streets to petition Pasco to repave them. The job is funded and the homeowners pay for the project slowly during the following five to 15 years at a low interest rate.

Since the program was approved, the county has finished 467 projects and another two jobs involving drainage improvements at a total cost of $64 million. In the last 10 years, Pasco has done $38.9 million in similar construction, $1.7 since 2010.

All projects currently being done and those awaiting approval are not affected by the move, but homeowners planning to file for the program will be out of luck until the economy turns around. Those projects being done or awaiting approval total $7.5 million.

County commissioner chairwoman Ann Hildebrand said she does not want the program to end, but felt it was in the short-term best interest of the county.

“There are a lot of people who would like to see their road be done,” Hildebrand said. “To say after next year we’re going to eliminate this program, I guess that disturbs me a lot.”

Fellow commissioner Jack Mariano said what upsets him is county residents are almost always pleased with the work done.

“I can’t think of a single project we’ve done where we haven’t had a happy citizenry after were done,” Mariano said.

Both commissioners and Nurrenbrock said the suspension is a temporary way to save money during the budget cycle. If the program goes away for good, the county would have to increase its own public works programs to fix potholes and other issues on the roadways.

“We understand homeowners are more willing to pay their water and heating bills right now than the one for their roads,” Hildebrand said. “We’re hoping things get better, people start paying the bill again and we can go back to the old program.”

By Kyle LoJacono

A late compromise by Pasco County Sheriff Bob White and county commissioners prevented a hearing with Gov. Rick Scott and his cabinet.

White was appealing the commission’s decision to not raise the budget for his department for the current fiscal year, part of a long-running feud between the two offices. The Pasco Sheriff’s Office received $85.5 million in funding, but White was asking for a $4 million increase to pay for 28 new deputies and offset the rising cost of pensions and retirement for those already on staff.

The commission rejected White’s counter offer of a $2 million increase to bring on 21 new officers because they are projecting as large as a $10 million shortfall next year.

“We won’t have the money to keep new officers on board,” said Pasco Commission Chairwoman Ann Hildebrand.

The commission voted 4-1 at an emergency meeting Feb. 12 to offer White an increase of $945,000 to pay for the rising cost. He called Hildebrand the following day to accept the proposal.

“He said his department was in the red and needed the money to level his costs,” Hildebrand said. “He still wanted to hire new officers, but said this was more important right now.”

The new deputies were slated to bolster law enforcement presence in west Pasco.

The meeting in Tallahassee was to take place on Monday, Feb. 14. Hildebrand said Scott’s office was pressuring the two sides to come to an agreement before the hearing.

“The commissioners decided this was the only way to work this out,” Hildebrand said. “No one really wanted to take it to the governor.”