Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

When Danny Spence saw the reverence given to his grandfather during his military funeral, he knew he wanted to receive honor guard training.

“I fell in love with it seeing all the respect and honor given to him during the ceremony,” Danny said. “There was so much respect for every detail.”
That high regard made Danny apply for special training through the CAP at the National Honor Guard Academy in Westminster, Md. Only 140 cadets were accepted for the training nationally.
“I was amazed,” Spence said of being selected. “I wasn’t the best cadet applying in Florida, more like a mid-level cadet, so I was very surprised I was selected. When I heard I made it I was literally running through the house screaming.”
Cheryl Spence, Danny’s mother, could not have been prouder of her son.
“He was so happy with being selected that I couldn’t help but be just as thrilled,” Cheryl said. “He’s talked about trying to do something like this since my dad died, so it was very nice to see it come true for him.”
At the training Danny was taught how to perform various military ceremonies, while gaining the understanding that he is representing all military personnel while performing.
“What’s so great is he’s bringing back what he learned so the other cadets can see how to do the ceremonies too,” said Steve Lampasona, the squadron’s adult leader.
Danny’s family has a long tradition of military service. His grandfather, Edwin Wolski Sr., was a 31-year veteran and was in both the U.S. Army and Air Force. He fought in WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Wolski died of heart failure a year ago.
Cheryl and her husband, Dan, were in the Florida National Guard and reached the rank of major. Danny’s younger brother, Josh, is also in the squadron. Danny said he plans on joining the Army after high school.

Alec Lampasona member of the Blue Berets

Thousands of CAP cadets from around the country applied for Blue Beret training and only 130 were selected, 11 from Florida. Among those few was Wesley Chapel resident Alec Lampasona.

The training involved directing planes at the Experimental Aircraft airshow in Oshkosh, Wis.
“It was an amazing experience, especially with so few people being accepted,” Alec said. “We got to marshal the planes at the biggest air show in the county and even had to help during a crash.”
Jack Roush, owner of Roush Fenway Racing NASCAR team, crashed his Sesna Citation jet while at the event. Roush was OK after the crash.
“We went out around 11 at night and didn’t get back until after 1 (a.m.),” Alec said. “We had our uniforms set up like firefighters so we could put them on in a couple seconds in case something like that happened. We went out and secured a perimeter and made sure everyone was ok.”
Alec said the hardest part of directing the planes was how quickly they came up on him.
“They were so big and moved so fast,” Alec said. “They would be far off, I’d look away and then they’d be right on top of me.”
After completing the course, cadets are given a blue beret to show they have finished the training.
“Getting the beret is very cool,” Alex said. “I’ll be able to wear that with my uniform.”
Alec’s father, Steve, is the leader of the Wesley Chapel squadron. Steve said 7,000 cadets applied for the Blue Beret training.
“It was great. Just a terrific opportunity for him,” Steve said. “It was nice to see him selected and to get to go to such a large air show.”
Alec is the cadet leader of the squadron. His father and mother are also senior members of the group. Alec plans to join the U.S. Air Force after high school.

Civil Air Patrol cadets complete training
Cadet Tech. Sgt. Danny Spence and Cadet Capt. Alec Lampasona of the Wesley Chapel Cadet Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) recently returned from special training at different locations around the country. Thousands of CAP cadets applied for the slots nationally. Both cadets are 16 and attend Wiregrass Ranch High.
The Wesley Chapel squadron was chartered in November 2009 and currently has 34 cadets and 10 senior members. The group meets from 6:30-9 p.m. each Wednesday at the Tampa North Aero Park in Wesley Chapel. Those interested in joining can attend one of the meetings or visit www.wesleychapelcap.com for more information.

Procedure helps heart disease patients

By Kyle LoJacono

One of the things Marina Bainbridge most enjoys is going out to dinner with her daughters, but until a recent procedure, her heart made that virtually impossible.

Bainbridge also could not do daily activities like washing and hanging up clothes, cleaning, cooking and shopping.
“I’d have to stop at the first bench and rest when I was shopping,” Bainbridge said. “One of my daughters had to get everything and I’d only get up when they went to check out. I just got so weak that I couldn’t move. When I was hanging wash I had a chair close by so I could sit down.
“I was never really in pain,” Bainbridge continued. “I just felt weak like I couldn’t get enough oxygen to my heart.”
Even simple phone conversations were a chore. Bainbridge’s daughters, Carol Rehrig and Linda DeRanek, also saw the decline in their mother’s health.
Her physician at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, Dr. Sunil Gupta, suggested a procedure called external counterpulsation (ECP). Bainbridge thought it was worth a try.
“It’s used for people who are not candidates for stents or other surgeries either because they’ve had one before or their health won’t allow it,” said Dr. Ketul Chauhan, who is Gupta’s partner with the hospital.
“A lot of people who have stents still have pain after, or in Ms. Bainbridge’s case get very tired,” Chauhan continued. “That’s about 10 percent of people who have that kind of procedure.”

The ECP machine attaches to a patient’s legs. It then inflates and deflates like a heartbeat, which forces more blood to the heart. This causes the body to form more capillaries, or small blood vessels, around the heart.
Those who opt for ECP commit to using the machine for one hour a day, five days a week for six weeks. The procedure is completely noninvasive and done in the doctor’s office area.
ECP has been used for 34 years and is approved by the American College of Cardiology, according to Chauhan. He also said it has been used at the two doctor’s practice for three months, making it the only East Pasco County facility to offer it.
“I think it’s a great thing for those with pain, weakness or can’t have other procedures,” Chauhan said. “I had another patient who couldn’t mow their yard and now they can walk three miles. That’s the typical kind of response.”
Bainbridge has lived in Zephyrhills for 36 years. Both of her daughters also live in the city. Her trouble with her heart started four years ago when she had triple-bypass surgery.
Bainbridge then had two stents and a balloon was used in April to clear blockages. Her doctors recommended the treatment, which she started June 1 and completed July 13. Chauhan said the procedure can relieve the problem for one to three years.
“It gently helped me get stronger,” Bainbridge said. “I didn’t notice for about two weeks, but then it got so much better.
“I’ve always had problems with my lungs and breathing since I was a girl,” Bainbridge continued. “My other doctor says I only use about half of my lungs. I couldn’t swim two strokes without having to stop. If I didn’t have that problem with breathing I’d say I feel perfect now. I feel I have the energy to do anything.”
To Rehrig it was very apparent when Bainbridge was getting better.
“I called to check in on her and she told me she was doing great,” Rehrig said. “She told me she just finished two loads of laundry, so I knew she was much better.”
DeRanek said of the improvement, “She is doing so much better. She’s getting up earlier and can do the normal things everyone is used to doing. It’s a complete change. It’s really given her a lot of her life back.”

By B.C. Manion

If you’re in the mood for a pulled pork sandwich, spare ribs or smoked salmon, you may want to check out the barbecue stand on the east side of US 41, just north of Crystal Lake Road in Lutz
At the small shack, the sweet smell of barbecue fills the air and smoke billows out, as spare ribs cook on a primitive grill over aged oak wood.
The secret to great barbecue is patience, said Todd Whaley, owner of Whaley’s Blazin’ BBQ, who operates the stand with the help of Ralph Johnson and Randy McKracken.

The three men put in about 150 man hours every week, cooking and serving ribs, chicken, pork sandwiches, brisket and salmon.
The meat is seasoned with a blend of 14 spices and is grilled on a fire at a heat of less than 300 degrees for several hours, said Whaley, who used to prepare the barbecued meats sold in the deli at Whaley’s Market in South Tampa.
One secret he shares with barbecue enthusiasts is this: About halfway through the smoking, take the meat out, wrap it in foil and puts it back on the grill. That way, it continues to cook, but is not overwhelmed by smoke flavor.
When his smoked pork is done, he pulls it apart by hand to make sure he can feel any fat or tough parts – which he removes before generously coating the meat in a sauce, that’s sweet with a bit of a kick.
Before the Whaley family lost its lease at its South Tampa store, it had been a fixture there — selling fruits, vegetables, meats and grocery items for decades. When the store closed, Todd Whaley decided to set up his shop in Lutz, in a community where members of his family have lived since the 1970s.
“It was just a no-brainer to come up here where we live,” he said.
“My customer base is local people who live in the area that have known the family name and are familiar with it, and people who are driving through that live in Land O’Lakes and, actually, even in Hudson.
The family’s Carrollwood store, which operated for decades, also made people living north of Tampa aware of the family’s reputation, he said.
“With the name recognition, people are stopping,” Whaley said. “Because the product is good, they keep coming back.”
The bulk of its business is walk-up trade, with the lunchtime crowd dropping by between 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and dinnertime customers stopping by between 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Whaley said he’s not sure how long he will be at his current location, since he rents on a month-to-month basis. But with the economy still struggling, he doesn’t anticipate being forced to move any time soon.
When he does move, he said he’ll find another spot in Lutz, and eventually, he hopes, stands in Westchase, Tampa Palms and Odessa.
The barbecue chef said those locations would be stands; he has no aspirations to own a restaurant.
“Having worked in the produce-meat market for 30 years and having to work with up to 30 employees, I like to keep it simple,” he said.

By B.C. Manion

It’s billed as an industry appreciation banquet – but it’s more of an occasion for people who are interested in economic development in Pasco County to network and mingle with others of a like mind.
About 600 business and community leaders typically attend the Pasco Economic Development Council’s annual banquet, which will be held this year on Sept. 9 at the Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel.
“This is probably the premiere business event in Pasco County,” said John Hagen, who was named president and chief executive officer of the economic development council earlier this year.
Awards will be presented in seven categories at the event which will be co-emceed by ABC Action News anchor Brendan McLaughlin and Taking Action Reporter Jackie Calloway.
This year’s awards will honor recipients who have distinguished themselves in various categories, including service and distribution, manufacturing and technology. A special recognition award will be bestowed, and a special contribution will be acknowledged.
The $65-a-plate dinner begins at 7 p.m., but it is preceded by a trade show and networking session which begin at 5:30 p.m. About 40 to 45 businesses typically take part in the trade show, including companies involved in healthcare, publishing, education, social services and financial services.
Tickets for the banquet are available but must be reserved by Sept. 1. To make a reservation call (813) 926-0827 or go to the website at It’s billed as an industry appreciation banquet – but it’s more of an occasion for people who are interested in economic development in Pasco County to network and mingle with others of a like mind. About 600 business and community leaders typically attend the Pasco Economic Development Council’s annual banquet, which will be held this year on Sept. 9 at the Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel. “This is probably the premiere business event in Pasco County,” said John Hagen, who was named president and chief executive officer of the economic development council earlier this year. Awards will be presented in seven categories at the event which will be co-emceed by ABC Action News anchor Brendan McLaughlin and Taking Action Reporter Jackie Calloway. This year’s awards will honor recipients who have distinguished themselves in various categories, including service and distribution, manufacturing and technology. A special recognition award will be bestowed, and a special contribution will be acknowledged. The $65-a-plate dinner begins at 7 p.m., but it is preceded by a trade show and networking session which begin at 5:30 p.m. About 40 to 45 businesses typically take part in the trade show, including companies involved in healthcare, publishing, education, social services and financial services. Tickets for the banquet are available but must be reserved by Sept. 1. To make a reservation call (813) 926-0827 or go to the website at www.pascoedc.com The PEDC, funded through a combination of public and private funds, was created in 1987 to promote the common good of Pasco County through economic development, with the aim of alleviating unemployment, relieving poverty and reducing the need for public assistance.">www.pascoedc.com
The PEDC, funded through a combination of public and private funds, was created in 1987 to promote the common good of Pasco County through economic development, with the aim of alleviating unemployment, relieving poverty and reducing the need for public assistance.

WHAT’S IN A NAME

By Jake Bittle

Originally opened in 1984, Gaither High is one of the most significant landmarks on Dale Mabry Highway. With an enrollment of over 2,000 students and an established suite of sports programs, the high school has already made a name for itself in Hillsborough County, despite being relatively new.
However, its namesake comes from a different high school, one with more than a hundred years of history and heritage — Hillsborough High.
Lutz resident Laura Novy graduated from Gaither in 1986 and has been living in the area for more than 20 years.
“I think he was on the school board … I’m not really sure,” Novy said when asked what she knew about the namesake of her alma mater.
Vivian Gaither, for whom the school was named, was born in a small town called Tallassee, not to be confused with Tallahassee, in the heart of Alabama.
Raised on a farm, he grew up as one of eight boys and learned the value of discipline and diligence. At first Gaither wanted to be a lawyer, and took a teaching job while saving the money needed to enter law school.
He found he liked teaching so much he gave up law and pursued education, later becoming principal of a school in Catula, Ga. and received his bachelor’s degree in education from Peabody College.
In 1925, Gaither moved down to Florida to accept a teaching contract, acting as principal of Woodrow Wilson Junior High. During his five-year tenure there, he visited Columbia University in New York during the summer until he earned his master’s degree in education in 1930.
After short stints at Benjamin Franklin Junior High and Plant High, a choice that devoted Hillsborough students thought to be a slight bit of heresy, Gaither became principal of Hillsborough in 1933.
Hillsborough, the oldest school in the county, has a robust alumni association and much of the information about Gaither comes from that group’s newsletter.
During his 33-year stay at Hillsborough, according to the alumni association, Gaither earned the unwavering respect of all his students, embodying the spirit of the school and acting as a fair and efficient principal.
He was known to regularly attend the school’s sporting events in full Terrier regalia. In 1937, he married a Hillsborough graduate, Jacqueline Bettis.
During his career, Gaither was named an Honorary Doctor of Education by the University of Tampa. He was heavily involved in the First Baptist Church, and was a high-ranking member of the Hillsborough Masonic Lodge.
Out of a list including Dale Mabry High, Carrollwood High, Northdale High and Odessa High, Vivian Gaither was chosen to be the namesake of the newly opened school, paying homage to Gaither.
That decision led to another name change — for the football stadium named at Hillsborough. School leaders there removed the Gaither name, not wanting to have a stadium named for a rival school. Still, Gaither remains an honored presence at Hillsborough — a prominent oak tree shades the courtyard and his desk is on display in the media center.

Have a suggestion for a historic name we should profile in a future issue? E-mail it to .

Cutting positions to make ends meet

By Kyle LoJacono

The proposed Pasco County budget would trim 76 full-time jobs and raise property tax rates for the second straight year after it was decreasing for nearly a decade.
It would also close a library and make a lot of transactions paperless as the county works to balance its $1.023 billion checkbook.
“Based on the economy, government must get smaller,” said Pasco County Commission Chairwoman Pat Mulieri. “Government cannot be everything to everyone. We will concentrate on essential services.”

“For the past two years we have been examining the way government works,” Mulieri continued. “The board had the urban land institute study, developed a strategic plan and used the elements to put together a business plan.
Part of that plan was the county’s LEAP program, or Lean Efficient Accountable Pasco. The program looks for ways to downsize government by combining departments and increasingly utilizing technology to make government more cost efficient.
Cutting the 76 positions is a continuation of a trend that started about two years ago in Pasco. Since 2008, 271 positions have been cut, a reduction of more than 12 percent. Some of those jobs were already vacant.
“Other things we’ve done during the last two years is now more services will be paid
online, some permits can be downloaded and inspections can be checked on smart phones,” Mulieri said. “Each department was looked at and found they were replicating some services. Reorganization was done.
“Each constitutional officer was asked to cut their budget 5 percent,’ Mulieri continued. “Based on a criteria established in our strategic plan, each department had to validate their programs and depending on how it was justified there could be from 5-12 percent cuts.”
The chairwoman also said the county has been working to meet the budget while listening to what residents want from their government.
Also on the proposed chopping block is Centennial Library in Holiday. Other library hours will remain the same.
While several positions are proposed for cuts, the county’s budget is projected to be larger than the last two years in part because of federal stimulus money, according to Office of Management and Budget assistant director Mike Howard. The current budget is $950 million and it was $1.021 billion in 2008-09.
Another change for this year will be an increase in the millage rate. The tax rate will increase from $1.20 to $1.43 for every $1,000 of assessed property value, which will mostly go to fire rescue services. That increase would mean $34.50 more taxes on a home taxed at $150,000.
The need to increase the rate was mainly because property values in the county have dropped since 2007. The loss of taxable value reduced the Pasco general fund by $2.7 billion for this year.
Increasing funding to fire rescue was a factor of listening to public opinion.
“With our stakeholder meetings we found what services our residents felt were essential, which were mainly public safety — sheriff and fire rescue.”
In addition to those meetings, the annual Pasco residents survey indicated the most important thing to county residents is fire rescue, followed by law enforcement and emergency medical services. Those surveys were conducted online and by in person interviews with 1,825 people in the county.
Another place Mulieri said was a focus in stakeholder meetings was veterans services.
“There is also a large contingency of veterans (54,000) in the county, so keeping veterans services is important,” Mulieri said.
The proposed budget is recommending the elimination of one veteran service counselor. In order to keep that position, $37,320 will need to be found from somewhere else in the budget.
Howard emphasized this is only the proposed budget and nothing is set in stone. The 2010-11 fiscal budget needs to be in place by Sept. 21 and will go into effect Oct. 1. The commission will have several more workshops and public meetings before that date.
While Mulieri believes government needs to get smaller to meet its budget, she predicts good things for the county’s future.
“This said, I believe Pasco will be in good shape when the economy rebounds,” Mulieri said. “We are putting in needed infrastructure, restructuring the permitting process and working to bring in new industries and help local ones. Jobs are a top priority. Pasco is working to bring opportunities home.”

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By Kyle LoJacono

Each year thousands of children, parents and friends pile into Oscar Cooler Sports Complex to watch youth athletics. All those people walk by the park’s sign, including Oscar Cooler himself.

Cooler, 81, has lived in Lutz since 1963 and was instrumental in bringing the first version of the park to Lutz in 1975.
“I think kids need to have a safe place to learn about teamwork,” Cooler said. “That’s why I worked to get the first park built all that time ago.
“If kids don’t have something like this then they usually get into a lot of things they shouldn’t be doing,” Oscar continued. “I think the most important thing for a community are its athletic fields for the kids. I’d say the park has helped keep thousands of kids, if not millions of kids, off the streets.”
Now the current park will be 33 acres larger after the grand opening of the $3.9 million expansion at 9 a.m. Aug. 14.
“That’s great that the new part of the park is opening,” Cooler said. “Now we can get more kids into our programs.”
Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department spokesman John Brill said the expansion will allow more than 500 additional athletes to participate in sports programs at the park. A future project will improve the existing football and baseball facilities as well as adding more parking.
Hillsborough County bought the land for the expansion five years ago and construction began last September. The expansion adds several new fields, facilities and parking spaces to the facility.
The park, located along W. Lutz-Lake Fern Road and Crooked Lane in Lutz, opens just in time for the Lutz Chiefs youth football season. The Chiefs’ first home game is Aug. 28.
“All the construction has been done for more than a month now, but we are now opening the expansion to the public,” said Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department spokesman John Brill. “(Hillsborough) County added a football game field and several other practice fields for football and soccer.”
The Chiefs joined the Tampa Bay Youth Football League (TBYFL) for this season.
“It’s going to be one of the best field locations in our league,” said TBYFL president Scott Levenson. “The county really went above and beyond making the park a great place for youth football and cheerleading.”
Also part of the expansion was adding a soccer game field for the first time. The new soccer program is called FC Tampa Lutz Rangers, which will have competitive and recreational soccer for children ages 4-18.
The park was originally built in 1975 and had three baseball fields only. Before it was built, the area was mainly orange groves. Lutz resident Oscar Cooler, 81, was one of the key people in getting the first park built. He and worked for about two years to convince the county to buy the land and build the park.
Brill did not know when the park was renamed after Cooler, but said it was given the name because, “He was a major player is getting the original park put in the area as a place for the Lutz community kids to play.”
Cooler has been a big supporter of the youth sports programs at the park during the last 35 years. He was the Lutz Little League president for 15 years and still goes to the games when he can.
Cooler continued by saying he wished he had a park like the complex while he was growing up. He said after the county bought the land more than three decades ago he got local people to volunteer to do as much of the building as possible. This allowed the first park to open much sooner than was originally anticipated.
Brill said he has invited Oscar to the opening of the expansion, but does not know if he will make it for the ribbon cutting. Oscar himself said he would like to if he has the energy.
The event is free and open to the public. Those in attendance will get to see the Chiefs’ players and cheerleaders practice for the first time on their new fields after the grand opening.

If you go
What: Oscar Cooler Sports Complex grand opening
Where: 19045 Crooked Lane in Lutz
When: 9 a.m. Aug. 14

By JOE POTTER

Two cities in eastern Pasco County both face property tax increases this year if ways can’t be found to trim their budgets for the new fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.
Zephyrhills and Dade City officials have notified the Pasco County Property Appraiser’s Office of increased proposed millage rates.

The Property Appraiser uses the rates the cities and other taxing authorities provide to prepare the Truth in Millage (TRIM) notices that will be mailed to property owners Aug. 23.
Zephyrhills is considering using a rolled back rate of 6.1437 mills.
A mill equals $1 per $1,000 of taxable value. Zephyrhills’ millage rate for the current fiscal year – ending Sept. 30 – is 5.57. The proposed rate would be an increase of 57 cents per $1,000 in taxable value, so a person paying taxes on a $100,000 property would face a $57 tax hike.
A rolled back rate is defined as that millage rate which provides the same ad valorem tax revenue for each taxing authority as was levied during the previous year.
The millage rate has not been increased in Zephyrhills for several years.
Dade City officials notified the Property Appraiser’s Office the city’s millage rate could be as high as 7.635 compared to the current rate of 7.1. Dade City City Clerk Jim Class said Dade City’s proposed maximum rate is lower than a rolled back rate.
Zephyrhills or Dade City may lower the proposed rates they have reported to the Property Appraiser’s Office. However, if either city needs to raise its millage rates, every affected property owner would need to be individually notified by mail.
Zephyrhills City Manager Steve Spina has prepared a budget report that is scheduled be presented at the Monday, Aug. 9, City Council meeting.
The report says the city has been able to realize some savings in the past two weeks in the amount it will have to pay for health insurance, animal control services and other budget items. The report also recommends using some of the “rainy day” fund Zephyrhills has from its sale of a city-owned nursing home several years ago.
Also, the elimination of three city staff positions is being considered.
If all these steps are taken, the millage rate could likely be reduced from 6.1437 to 5.999, Spina’s report said.
Meanwhile, Jim Class, Dade City’s Clerk, said City Commissioners have instructed staff to try and find ways to keep the millage rate at 7.1.
Both Zephyrhills and Dade City will hold public hearings in September before adopting their budgets.

By Maggie Schiller

A year ago, George M. Steinbrenner High School was preparing to open its doors for the first time. However, as hundreds of students streamed through the entrance on that first August morning, there was a noticeable group missing – a senior class.

Not wanting to pull students away from their high school alma mater right before their final year, brand new high schools in Hillsborough County opened without a senior class.
Now a year later, Steinbrenner is preparing to serve a senior class of more than 400 people, according to Kelly King, assistant principal for curriculum.
“We are excited as an administration and faculty to have seniors finally, because it was one of the noticeable differences last year,” she said. “Without having them, you lack a little bit of leadership that first year because they set the tone and the ninth and 10th graders really look up to them. It gives something for the younger kids to aspire to be like, so we didn’t have any of that the first year.”
Along with the administration getting ready for the new school year, King said that many rising seniors have recognized the fact that it is important for them to represent the students in their class.
“We’ve got a really good leadership group in our senior class,” she said. “We’ve got some men and women who are going to go on to do great things and they are excited about getting the opportunity to take the lead.”
But what are the students most excited about?
Senior Alyson Agemy said she is looking forward to being the “big girl” on campus.
“When I think about how far I have come since my first day of high school, it makes me realize just how close I am to the finish line, and that makes me that much more excited to get the year started,” she said. “I am looking forward to that important feeling that I hope I’ll get when I step on campus for the last year.”
Senior Monica Guirguis said being in the first-ever graduating class is going to be amazing.
“It is about being the older ones, and showing them that we are the seniors,” she said.
While some students are excited about being head honcho, senior Chris Groner said he is most looking forward to all of the good things that are to come.
“Being able to have all the senior privileges,” he said. “Things like getting out of school earlier, grad night, prom. It’s just exciting to know that I’m that much closer to moving on into my life and my future.”
King said that she is hoping the senior class will set the tone for the rest of the students.
“We are all about academics. Being able to talk about the accomplishments of the kids and getting into colleges and universities and then even more importantly, once they graduate and they come back to visit, that’s very powerful for the kids to see it’s not just getting in, its actually finishing school,” she said. “Students like to hear it from their peers more than from adults.”
One order of business for the senior class will be to establish new traditions that the school can carry on for years to come.
Groner said that he wants his class to come up with a tradition that demonstrates school pride.
“We haven’t really established any sort of tradition yet, but as long as it sets the standard high for those that follow us I wouldn’t have a problem with it,” he said. “We had a burning of shirts last year from all of our former schools to try and get school spirit in our blood and to vanquish all of our old ties to Sickles High School and Gaither High School. I think that we could hold that every year but make it for the incoming freshman.”
Aside from the setting the standard for all classes to come at Steinbrenner, Agemy said that being the first graduating class means making history.
“I don’t think we all realize how cool it is to be the first graduating class. It’s not life changing or anything, and we won’t get into a better school because of it, but it does hold importance,” she said. “Maybe in 30 years when we open that yearbook and remember we were first, we will realize the small number of people that had that opportunity.”
However, just as important as it is to the rising seniors that they set the right example for those below them, it is just as crucial to the younger students.
Junior Haley Jeziorski has a message for all incoming seniors – this is your year to make it.
“Seniors, what you guys can do is get more involved. That is pretty much all I can tell you, because if you are involved, then freshman are going to look up to you and get involved. It just works,” she said. “Make an imprint on it, do something that no other school has ever done before, no other senior class. You can practically do whatever you want. Seniors make the school. This is your year to make it. Make it your school.”

By Kyle LoJacono

The project to make US 41 a four-lane highway to Connerton Road in the north has passed the halfway point and residents will feel its benefits by spring of next year.
The project is slightly ahead of schedule and should be completed by May as originally planned, said Dick Kane, spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation, which is managing the project.

“The construction started August of (2009) and was much needed to help with traffic flow in the area,” Kane said. “Things look good for finishing on time.”
The $15 million project will make the three-mile stretch a four-lane divided road from Tower Road to Connerton. The project is paid for by federal stimulus money and will also add center turning lanes, a grassy median and a concrete sidewalk on the east side of the highway.
Kane said the plan to widen 41 had been in the works for years. A large section of the highway was widened to six lanes in and around SR 54 south into Hillsborough Lutz more than 10 years ago to also help with traffic.
The project is being completed by R.E. Purcell Construction, a Largo-based company. Purcell  vice president Scott Williams said he has heard few complaints phoned into the company about construction and added those working on the site have reported the same.
Williams said most of the work has been on the southern end of the project zone and construction will work its way north.
Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce’s executive director Kathy Dunkley said she too has heard little grumbling from businesses or people in the area.
“There really hasn’t been much complaining,” Dunkley said. “The workers have been doing as good a job as they can to not affect businesses by letting them know what’s going on and putting the blue signs up to show people how to get to businesses. Some people have told me they learned about businesses for the first time by seeing those signs.”
Dunkley remembers when 41 was widened near SR 54 and said there was a lot more complaining and problems with that project. She understands some companies are being hurt by the project, but believes the wider road will bring more people and business to central Pasco County.
“It needed to be done,” Dunkley said. “It’s a bottle neck there where it drops to two lanes near (Land O’ Lakes) High School. There are a lot of reasons it will make things better once it’s done.”
Also near Land O’ Lakes High is the Pasco School District’s administrative office. The Long Term Acute Care Hospital at Connerton and Land O’ Lakes Detention Center are both north of the project zone and will not be affected by the widening. Kane said there are no set plans to continue the widening further north.
Gloria Hamilton lives near where the construction is happening in Land O’ Lakes and agrees the project is needed. However, she remembers early problems with construction.
“I know some people who own businesses in the area and there was a lot of flooding when it started,” Hamilton said. “They’ve told me things are better with that now, but there is always a lot of dust and dirt in the area from the machines.”
The flooding was a result of water line work originally being done by Kearney Construction. That is a Pasco County project. Kearney was replaced because it fell behind on deadlines, broke several pipes causing the flooding and eventually filed for bankruptcy.