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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Land O' Lakes News

Pasco County Commission approves cell tower in Angeline

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The approval of a cellphone tower on the campus of Angeline Academy of Innovation has again raised issues over the proper placement of such towers and whether more care should be taken when deciding where to locate them.

The Pasco County Commission approved the request for a conditional use request, clearing the way for a 154-foot above-ground monopole wireless communications tower on the northeast side of Angeline School Way, about one-half mile north of Ridge Road.

The site is owned by Pasco County Schools, and the applicant for the cell tower request is Vertex Development LLC.

The board’s 3-0 approval came despite a parent’s request to move the tower a greater distance away from the Angeline magnet school, which is at 8916 Angeline School Way, in Land O’ Lakes.

The Pasco County Commission has approved the request for a cellphone tower on the campus of Angeline Academy of Innovation. (Mike Camunas)

The magnet school ultimately will have sixth- through 12th-graders on the campus.

Robin Patel, who described herself as a parent, scientist and community member, said her primary concern is the health risk such towers can pose to people from prolonged exposure to radiofrequency (RF) radiation.

In this case, students will be exposed for six hours per school day, for up to seven years, she said.

“I have two children in the school district. One in elementary school and one currently at Angeline.

“I’m also interested because I’m a scientist. I have my PhD in biomedical sciences, and while my expertise is not in wireless communications, I have about 15 years doing research on human health, disease and biological systems.

“It should be noted that Angeline is a very tall, four-story building, with student classrooms on all levels. The upper floors are significantly closer to the antennas, compared to the ground level,” she said.

She also noted that “the strength and type of radiation that will be coming from this tower is not known. Proper cellphone tower placement is necessary to limit possible health effects and liability.”

“In the current research, cellphone towers would be cautiously placed 500 meters or about a third of a mile away from schools,” Patel said, but in the case of the Angeline tower, it is about 100 meters away from student classrooms.

Patel also pointed to a statement on the American Cancer Society’s website that says most expert organizations agree that more research is needed on the issue, especially for any long-term effects.

Patel did not request that the cell tower be eliminated, but simply relocated.

“Cellphone towers are a way of life and coverage is needed in the Angeline area, I agree.

“But we need to be thoughtful about where those cell towers are placed to achieve that coverage.

“Until we are sure there are no negative health effects on children’s growing bodies, we should not be placing cellphone towers near student areas,” she said. “Instead, place towers along roadways, fields or other unpopulated areas.”

Mary Solik, an attorney representing Vertex Development, told the county board: “I understand the sincerity of Miss Patel’s comments, but we meet all of the siting requirements that are set forth in your code and the (federal) Telecommunications Act has determined that local governments are preempted on the issue of the health effects of the towers. The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) regulates that and you’re not allowed to approve or deny or regulate the placement of towers based on their health effects, no matter how sincere Miss Patel’s comments may be. The FCC has just taken that away from you and they regulate it.”

Solik also noted that the distance between the corner of the school building and the tower location is 389 feet.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey acknowledged that the board is preempted from considering health concerns. But she added: “I just want to say something to the school district. You know, we keep hearing this and I think it’s part of the 5G scare that’s out there, that people say they didn’t test enough.

“It would be better for us, if you would, when you start laying out your school sites, if you plan for your cell tower site. It could have been on the other side of that pond.”

Commissioner Ron Oakley agreed with Starkey’s suggestion that the school district plan for cell towers on its campuses to be farther away from its school buildings.

Published November 01, 2023

A SHINE-y new paint job

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Tracey “Artist” Jones ended up painting a whole building.

Well, a ticketbooth, actually. But the 41-year-old Land O’ Lakes graphic designer, mom and artist was just glad her new mural in downtown St. Petersburg wasn’t higher off the ground.

Land O’ Lakes resident Tracey ‘Artist’ Jones works on her mural for the Ninth Annual SHINE St. Petersburg Mural Festival, in which her work of art is painted on all four walls of a closed PTSA ticketbooth at Williams Park, 350 Second Ave. N., in St. Petersburg. Jones’ artwork and 13 other artists and their murals will be on display all around downtown St. Petersburg, as through the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, SHINE has created nearly 150 murals throughout downtown and the surrounding arts districts since 2015. (Mike Camunas)

“I can’t believe they gave me a whole building, but they did!” Jones said. “I’m just glad it’s close to the ground because a lot of the other (artists), they’re going higher up than I had to!”

Jones was asked to paint a brand-new mural as part of the ninth annual SHINE St. Petersburg Mural Festival, which brings a diverse collection of public art from renowned local, national and international mural artists. During SHINE, 14 new murals, plus a series of Bright Spot community mural projects, were added to the art districts and surrounding neighborhoods of St. Petersburg’s downtown. The SHINE Mural Festival is an event of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, a nonprofit, 501(c)3 dedicated to advocating for the arts and driving arts-related economic impact.

Jones spent about 80 hours, finishing up on Oct. 20, painting a closed PTSA ticketbooth located in Williams Park, 350 Second Ave. N., in St. Petersburg. She painted over all four walls, incorporating bright colors, but also honoring African themes, such as Kente fabric patterns.

Her mural includes a portrait of John Donaldson, the first black man to own property in Pinellas County. Donaldson bought 40 acres of land on what is now 22nd Avenue S., between 31st and 34th streets S., for 90 cents an acre, according to a 1997 article in the then St. Petersburg Times.

Land O’ Lakes resident Tracey works on her SHINE St. Petersburg Mural Festival piece, which is on display at Williams Park in downtown St. Petersburg.

Jones said it was important to her to include some history in her newest mural, which is now her fifth in the Tampa Bay area. She has three others in Tampa and another at Brookwood Florida, a girls group home in Pinellas.

“With (one of the walls) facing the street, I knew I really needed to bring it,” Jones said. “I needed, and wanted, to make it so people want to get out of their car and take pictures of it and, hopefully, just cause some wows and surprises. Just the idea of all the fabric swatches all jumbled together I’m hoping is really attractive to people riding by.

“When I started it, I wanted to tell important stories, from history, and put it into my artwork — about the history we don’t learn much about,” Jones added. “John Donaldson was the first black man to be able to live in St. Pete, he was well-respected and his family was able to integrate because of that, so I just wanted to put in some history here that maybe was lost in St. Pete, so every day they’ll pass it and learn about the history and John.

“And I know, for sure, that it won’t be painted over.”

While SHINE has been adding murals to St. Petersburg for nearly a decade, Jones says most murals — and definitely hers — won’t be painted over. Murals bring a fresh look — and coat of paint — plus vibrance to the community, Jones said, adding she wished there were more public mural opportunities in the Central Pasco area.

“I would love that — to paint a mural in Land O’ Lakes or Lutz!” said Jones, who has been painting for about 10 years and whose work also is featured in galleries and restaurants. “I’m more connected to the Tampa and St. Pete art alliances, with there being a lot of opportunities in Tampa and St. Pete, so I would love to see Pasco’s grow and give us artists out that way opportunities to put up our art publicly like this.

Tracey ‘Artist’ Jones’ mural encompasses the PTSA ticketbooth at Williams Park, 350 Second Ave. N., in St. Petersburg.

“As far as I know, we don’t have those programs in Pasco, and I would love to see those, and our art, start popping up.”

Tracey “Artist” Jones’ Mural
Where: PTSA ticketbooth at Williams Park, 350 Second Ave. N., in St. Petersburg
Details: Returning for its ninth year, the SHINE St. Petersburg Mural Festival brings a diverse collection of public art from renowned local, national and international mural artists. During SHINE, 14 new murals plus a series of Bright Spot community mural projects will be added to the art districts and surrounding neighborhoods of St. Petersburg’s downtown. The SHINE Mural Festival is an event of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, a nonprofit, 501(c)3 dedicated to advocating for the arts and driving arts-related economic impact.
For more information and the location of the other murals, visit StPeteArtsAlliance.org/shine-2023.
To see more of Artist Jones’ work, visit her website at TraceyRJones.com or her Instagram account @theartistjones.

Published October 25, 2023

Pasco MPO discusses road projects and long-range planning

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Anyone who has spent any time in Central Pasco is all-too-familiar with the frequent traffic backups at State Road 54 and U.S. 41.

The intersection marks the coming together of two major roads.

State Road 54 carries east-west traffic through Pasco County and U.S. 41 is a north-south thoroughfare.

The roads get congested — forcing motorists to frequently wait through multiple light cycles before they can get through the U.S. 41/State Road 54 intersection.

The traffic quagmire has been a source of irritation for commuters for years, and the District 7 office of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has been studying potential solutions.

Traffic backs up heading east on State Road 54, waiting at a traffic signal at State Road 54 and U.S. 41. (File)

At the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Oct. 12 meeting, Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey asked for an update on what’s being done to address the issue.

Brian Hunter, an FDOT transportation planning manager, told Starkey: “So, we’re still in the evaluation process, figuring out what the final configuration of that is going to be.”

Starkey responded: “Why are we evaluating for years? Why aren’t we moving to action?”

Hunter replied: “There are a lot of environmental concerns that we have to look at, make sure we’re accommodating.”

The state transportation agency planning manager also noted that Pasco’s significant growth in the past couple of years has caused FDOT to take a closer look to be doubly sure that whatever it does, it will be the right solution.

“We don’t want to propose something that in five years, we look at it and say, ‘There were this many extra residents that came into the area. So, we’re just making sure. We’re going back through and reevaluating and making sure we’ve incorporated all of the growth.

“I don’t think any of us could have seen three years ago, when we started really looking at it, the growth that has happened here in Pasco County. It’s been immense in the last couple of years.

“When we go back to our office down U.S. 301 and turn on (State Road) 54, you can see all of those houses that are going to be popping up, and when we came off of (State Road) 52, off the interstate.

“We’re just making sure that we’ve got the appropriate solution out there.

“Because once we do it once, it’s going to be a really long time before we go back and make it better,” Hunter said.

Starkey responded that once the evaluation is done, she hopes there will be fast action.

“I hope we do get moving on something,” she said.

The county board member also alerted her colleagues on the Pasco MPO board that there’s no time to waste on making improvements to Tower Road.

A recent cooking oil spill on State Road 54, which closed down the state highway between Gunn Highway and the Suncoast Parkway, underscored the need.

A valve broke spilling cooking oil on State Road 54, she said.

“(There were) cars slipping and colliding into each other,” Starkey said, forcing the State Road 54 closure.

“That is the only east-west road we have. We have one road. We are doing a study now on Tower (Road), which we’re going to call Rangeland,” she said.

The shutdown of State Road 54 immediately “escalated” the importance of improving Tower Road, in Starkey’s view.

She said Tower Road currently goes from the edge of Starkey Ranch, but FDOT is studying an on-ramp onto the Suncoast Parkway.

“And, I hope we do that,” she said. It would create another option for east-west traffic other than heading south into Pinellas County or Hillsborough County, to get around.

On another issue, Dade City Commissioner Scott Black and Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley told Hunter that it’s important to keep traffic flowing in both directions at an intersection of River Road, near the U.S. 98/U.S. 301 improvement.

There were plans to eliminate the capability for left turns, Black said. That would be a hardship on the area and something must be done to preserve the ability to go both ways, he said.

Hunter said one option would be to just allow right turns, but then provide a nearby opportunity for U-turns that would accommodate trucks.

Oakley reiterated that a solution must be found.

On another item, Scott Ferry, a Pasco MPO planner, briefed the board on the status of an update to the 2050 transportation plan.

He said that Kimley-Horn, general consultant to the Pasco MPO, has been assigned the job of developing the 2050 socioeconomic forecast data for the plan.

That task aims to establish accurate base year population, dwelling units, employment, hotel/motel units and school enrollment data, and then to use that data as well as future land use data to develop a reliable county socioeconomic forecast for 2040 and 2050, Ferry said.

That data “will be incorporated into the regional travel demand model, which will be used to enable us to forecast future transportation needs in the county,” Ferry said.

The county transportation planning agency also assigned Kimley-Horn to develop the public involvement plan for developing the 2050 transportation plan.

Kimley-Horn’s plan will guide public involvement activities, including public workshops, meetings with Pasco MPO committees, key stakeholders and the board.

“The schedule for the completion of the plan is on a very accelerated schedule,” Ferry said, noting the work is being done on an eight-month timeline, rather than the usual 18-month process.

The deadline for adoption is Dec. 11, 2024, he said.

The Pasco MPO is made up of elected leaders from Pasco County, Dade City, New Port Richey, Port Richey and Zephyrhills. It is the lead transportation planning agency for Pasco County. 

Published October 25, 2023

Compromise approved for house in Lake Padgett Estates East

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At one point it wasn’t clear what was going to happen to the house at 4537 Victoria Road, in Land O’ Lakes.

The home was built with improper setbacks, which sparked neighborhood disputes, led to lengthy public hearings and made the house impossible to sell without securing a variance from county requirements.

The Pasco County Commission has overturned the county planning board’s decision to reject a variance request for the house at 4537 Victoria Road, in Land O’ Lakes. The approval requires the applicant to take some additional steps to improve the property’s drainage and landscaping. (Mike Camunas)

SoHo Builders sought a variance from county standards, but that request was denied on a split vote by the Pasco County Commission.

The applicant then appealed the planning board’s action to the Pasco County Commission.

The county board took up the issue on Sept. 5, but delayed the request until its Oct. 10 meeting, to give SoHo Builders a chance to work out issues with a neighbor, make some improvements to its plan and seek approval from the Lake Padgett Estates East Property Owners’ Association before bringing it back to commissioners.

Those actions were taken, and the county board overturned the planning board’s denial of the variance.

Under the approved variance, the house can have a 20-foot front yard setback — instead of 25 feet — and it can have 8.5-foot side yard setbacks, instead of 10 feet.

The board’s action also requires the applicant to:

  • Provide gutters/downspouts to direct the water to the front culverts to correct drainage flow and install an underground advanced drainage system
  • Install a culvert
  • Plant two additional trees, bringing the total number of trees to three

SoHo Builders also has agreed with the homeowner’s association to complete an improvement project at the community playground, but that is a private agreement and the county cannot enforce private agreements.

During the Sept. 5 public hearing, Patrick Plummer, representing SoHo Builders, also mentioned he had worked out an agreement with a neighboring property owner.

For its part, the property owners’ association did not require any added architectural features or a reduction in the size of the garage, according to the backup materials in the county board’s Oct. 10 agenda packet.

Published October 18, 2023

A splashy, and spooky, ski show

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The Tampa Bay Water Ski Show Team performed a Halloween-themed show on Bell Lake in Land O’ Lakes on Oct. 7 while entertaining those around the lake, but also those packing the outdoor and dock dining and seating at Stonewater Grill, 4422 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. (Mike Camunas)

The Halloween spirits wanted to ski — and make a splash for the crowd.

The Tampa Bay Water Ski Show Team performed a “spooky” ski performance, fully dressed in Halloween costumes while passing by Stonewater Grill, the Land O’ Lakes eatery on Bell Lake.

The water ski show team entertained eager diners, as they noshed on a late lunch on Oct. 7.

As “Gomez and Morticia” — the patriarchs from ‘The Addams Family’ — led the narrating, the ski team made several passes, while music played, and dozens of patrons watched from the outdoor and dock seating at the restaurant.

The team made several trips, as well as costume changes, but also did some of their traditional acts, such as a three-tier pyramid and a nine-person line, in which the skiers held the handle with just one foot.

This is the second time Stonewater Grill has had a ski show on a Saturday afternoon, and restaurant management said that based on the turnout and anticipation for each show, a third one will be planned.

Stonewater Grill is at 4422 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

To learn more about the Tampa Bay Water Ski Show Team, visit TampaWaterSki.com or the team’s Facebook page.

Published October 18, 2023

Members of the Tampa Bay Water Ski Show perform a nine-person, one-footed line as they entertain those watching from Stonewater Grill on the shore of Bell Lake in Land O’ Lakes.
The Tampa Bay Water Ski Show makes a pass by the dock and outdoor seating at Land O’ Lakes restaurant, Stonewater Grill, on Bell Lake on Oct. 7.
The Tampa Bay Water Ski Show donned various costumed characters during its show, which included passes in front of Stonewater Grill in Land O’ Lakes on Oct. 7.

U.S. 41 now four lanes in north Land O’ Lakes

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After more than two years of reconstruction, U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes has more, much-needed lanes.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) removed construction barrels off the highway in early October, opening the new lanes on U.S. 41, also known as Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

U.S. 41 has been widened north of Connerton Boulevard, creating a four-lane divided highway heading north to State Road 52. (Mike Camunas)

The widening project, which expanded U.S. 41 to a four-lane divided highway, begins at Connerton Boulevard, heading north to State Road 52. Now, U.S. 41 is a four-lane divided highway from north of Ehren Cutoff and ending at State Road 52.

The $16.9-million project began March 12, 2021 and added nearly three miles of new lanes that go past northern Land O’ Lakes subdivisions such as Tierra Del Sol and Asbel, and AdventHealth Connerton. The project also included drainage improvements, and roadway signage and markings.

A shared-use path was constructed on the east side of U.S. 41 and connected to the paved path that ends just south of the Wilderness Lake Preserve subdivision.

Also about two years ago, an extension of Asbel Road was added to the east side of U.S. 41 and connected to Central Boulevard — the road that leads to Pasco County Jail. The road also wraps around the new Fire Station 22, which is now under construction.

The addition of this extension led FDOT to install a new four-way stoplight.

The new four-lane U.S. 41 will come in handy, as the county and FDOT readies to extend the Ridge Road Extension even further, bringing it from Sunlake Boulevard to U.S. 41 and Connerton Boulevard.

That project, which is Phase 2 of the Ridge Road extension, is slated for completion in late 2025.

As for State Road 52, the widening to a six-lane divided highway from the Suncoast Parkway to east of U.S. 41 and approximately one-mile total of widening on U.S. 41 approaching the State Road 52 intersection in each direction is still underway. According to the FDOT website, completion on that $49.9-million project is tentatively set for early 2024.

Following that in 2026, the county and FDOT will then widen State Road 52 headed east even further, expanding it to a four-lane divided highway up to Ehren Cutoff.

Published October 11, 2023

Besides widening U.S. 41, the project included adding a shared-use path north of Connerton Boulevard, on the east side of the highway.
Motorists will have more room now on U.S. 41, north of Connerton Boulevard, because a lengthy reconstruction project is now complete.
Aerial shot of U.S. 41 headed north from Connerton Boulevard in Land O’ Lakes and the new expanded four-lane highway. (Courtesy of FDOT)

This program reminds you, ‘You are not alone’

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Sue Shea, the office administrator at the First United Methodist Church of Land O’ Lakes, understands the challenges of having a child with a substance addiction.

There are feelings of fear, anger and hopelessness that can lead to a host of problems for all concerned, she said.

It was her firsthand experiences that have played a role in the formation of a new group at the church called “You Are Not Alone,” or YANA, for short.

Sue Shea, office administrator at the Land O’ Lakes United Methodist Church, spearheaded the formation of You Are Not Alone (YANA), a group that aims to provide support for people whose loved ones are experiencing substance abuse disorders. (Courtesy of Land O’ Lakes United Methodist Church)

Pastor Kevin Grills said the ministry is one that addresses a widespread need.

“I believe that things that need to happen within the church are naturally born.

“We walk through the doors that God opens,” Grills said.

Right now, the program is very small.

But Grills said, the need is very big.

The problem, Grills said, is there’s a high likelihood that the people who need YANA the most, won’t respond.

Parents of children with addictions often feel conflicted, Shea said.

“They’re adults now, but we gave birth to these babies. We’ve loved them from the very, very beginning and we still love them. But they’re not only hurting and destroying themselves, but they’re eroding relationships around them,” she said.

Parents of children with addictions often feel like they’ve failed their children, Shea said.

They also get caught up in a cycle of shame and guilt that prevents them from seeking help for themselves, Grills said.

But YANA hopes to help people lower their guard and seek the support they need.

Pastor Kevin Grills, who leads the Land O’ Lakes United Methodist Church, estimates there are thousands of people who need the help that You Are Not Alone can provide, but he’s not confident that a single person will step forward to take advantage of the program.

The program provides a confidential setting, where people facing similar circumstances can gather.

“There’s a great level of comfort when we get together on Tuesday evenings. We bring comfort to each other, even though we’re not solving the problems that our children – our adult children, in this case, have,” Shea said.

She added: “It sometimes lightens the load, lightens the stress level, so we can actually look at our addictive loved one through different eyes.”

“We do not do a lot of cross-talking, and we certainly don’t say, ‘Well, what you need to do is this. And, what you need to do is that,’” Shea said.

The church wants to spread the word about the program, and asked The Laker/Lutz News to help raise awareness.

“I would not be shocked if there were not 10,000 people (living within the newspaper’s circulation area) who have this exact same struggle. I also would not be shocked if we don’t hear a peep from this,” Grills said.

The group doesn’t promise magic solutions.

“This is not a, ‘Hey, how do we solve the problem of our addict?” Grills said.

It’s more of an “I’m baring my burdens and I’m recognizing that I’m not alone,” the pastor added.

Shea said has come to realize that: “My loved one’s addiction doesn’t define me.”

And, she added: “For me, this helps keep the guilt at bay.”

The church’s prayer is that people who most need YANA will respond.

YANA is the acronym for a program at the Land O’ Lakes United Methodist Church whose members aim to support each other, as they care for themselves and their loved ones who are experiencing substance abuse disorders.

Grills said he wants to encourage people to overcome that voice in their heads that is discouraging them from doing what they need to do.

He hopes they will walk through the door, to have these conversations.

The first step, the pastor said, is taking that first step.

For more information about YANA, call the church at 813-996-3533, or email Shea at .

You Are Not Alone (YANA)
A program at the Land O’ Lakes United Methodist Church aims to allow its members to support one another as they care for themselves and help — but avoid enabling — loved ones who are experiencing substance use disorders.
The group, called You Are Not Alone, is based on biblical principles coupled with 12-Step guidance. It is working to build a community of people who want to be there for their loved ones, but also take care of themselves along the way.
The free group, which abides by confidentiality, meets from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., on Tuesdays, in Room 103, at Land O’ Lakes United Methodist Church, 6209 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

Published October 11, 2023

 

Dancing, touching tributes mark Sunlake special occasion

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It’s a longstanding tradition, so the weather wasn’t about to stop it.

Sunlake High mom Kristin Satin performs a dance in a shirt with her son’s face on it during a showcase for Seahawk Seniors during Homecoming Week. Satin and dozens of other senior moms (and a few dads) boogied down at the football fields at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex on Sept. 20 to entertain hundreds in attendance, including their senior students and friends. (Mike Camunas)

As part of Sunlake High’s Homecoming Week festivities, each grade plans skits and performs them on the school’s football field.

Parents — mostly the moms of the senior students — also join in, coordinating dances to popular music to entertain (and possibly embarrass) their kids.

Hundreds of Sunlake High students, parents and family members came out to the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex on Sept. 20 to see skits, parents dancing and touching tributes from both kids and parents, as part of the school’s Homecoming festivities.

Closing out the fun showcase, parents and family members walk the field holding giant posters, with one side showing the students’ senior portrait and the other a baby picture.

As a final act, the senior students will then line up and walk toward the parents, this time holding touching thank you and tribute posters they made, all before being sent off to their final Homecoming — which was held this year on Sept. 23.

“The school has been doing this a long, long time,” one senior mom, Kristin Satin, said. “The rain postponed it, but we were able to get to this field and make a quick pivot and it all worked out.

“This is always a lot of fun.”

Rain and bad weather had Sunlake parents shifting the venue to Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex on Sept. 20, where hundreds crowded the football fields, and the showcase kicked off with each grade performing its respective skits.

Then it was the parents’ turn, as dozens of senior moms — and a few dads, some dressed as Taylor Swift — danced to songs and even had a costume change. The moms danced in matching Senior Family ’24 shirts, but then switched to shirts with their kids’ faces all over them.

“It’s a Sunlake tradition!” Satin said. “We weren’t about to miss out on tradition because of the weather. It always rains in Florida — we won’t always have our (kids’) senior (year).”

Published September 27, 2023

Sunlake High dad Rob Lamkey — or is that Taylor Swift? — performs with dozens of senior moms during a skit and showcase event at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, as part of the school’s Homecoming Week festivities.
From left, the Mixon family — Lisa, Alyssa and Dave — honors their senior student during a Sunlake High showcase and skits as part of the school’s Homecoming Week festivities at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex.
Sunlake seniors, from left, Remley Velde, Kaitlyn Schwartz, Ashley Ridgway and Reese Meckfessel walk down the field at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex on Sept. 20, holding signs thanking their parents and families with tributes from their young lives and high school memories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunlake High mom Kelly McGauran, left, poses with her daughter, Ciara, for a photo following a Senior Showcase at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex on Sept. 20. Parents and families walked the field with posters that had both the student’s senior portrait and baby photo on opposite sides.
Dozens of Sunlake High senior moms — and a few dads — danced away to pop songs as a fun way to entertain, and possibly embarrass, their kids at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex in connection with the school’s Homecoming festivities.
Parents of Sunlake High seniors were more than happy to dress up and dance to a few tunes at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex on Sept. 20, all to send off their kids to the Homecoming Dance, which was held Sept. 23.

Dayspring Academy breaks ground on Angeline Campus

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Here they grow again.

Dayspring Academy, with its five other locations in Port Richey, once again is expanding — this time coming to Central Pasco. The charter school broke ground on Sept. 14 on its PreK-5 Angeline Campus in northern Land O’ Lakes.

Dayspring Academy Angeline Campus Principal Diana Greenier could not contain her excitement seeing the dozens who came out to the official groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 14. (Mike Camunas)

The school will be operating in a partnership with Pasco County Schools and with the newly opened Angeline Academy of Innovation.

“It really is ‘Here We Grow Again’ because that’s always our goal and then we always ask, ‘Where is our next project or school?’” Angeline Campus Principal Diana Greenier said, following the groundbreaking ceremony. “We are just making sure that any child, no matter what their background is, they have that opportunity to have an education. We’re not better or worse than any other school, but we have the niche — we have the arts infused with character infused with the content and maybe it’s not for everybody, but it is for those people that want a different opportunity that some other school can’t provide.

“It’s not a competition. We’re not out to be better — we’re just out to provide another option, a different niche and something a little bit different.”

For 24 years, Dayspring Academy has been an A-rated institution providing education through a fusion of arts and technology. It focuses on providing students with a holistic education with essential academic knowledge through creativity, critical thinking and digital literacy.

Now, they have partnered with Pasco Schools to provide a tuition-free charter school, at 9371 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. It will be situated on 20 acres of land in front of the Tierra Del Sol community, as the property is under construction for the athletic fields to Angeline Academy of Innovation.

Dayspring Academy board members and officials, and Pasco County Schools representatives and construction representatives lift up the official groundbreaking dirt on Sept. 14 for the charter school’s Angeline Campus, which will be located at 9371 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., next to Angeline Academy of Innovation’s athletic fields. The PreK-5 school was made possible through $25 million in financial backing from Pasco County Schools impact fees and will open August 2024.

Dayspring Academy CEO John Legg told The Laker/Lutz News the new campus would not have been possible without the $25 million that Pasco County Schools is using from the impact fees it collects from new residential development.

Dayspring Academy will own the Angeline Campus and the 50,000-square-foot building, which will include a full-kitchen cafeteria that can also double as a black box theater, or a performance space with black walls and a flat floor.

Greenier added the charter school also will have full access to the athletics fields.

“We’re so excited about the athletic fields because we’ve never had a field or a gym or anything that even resembled that,” Greenier said. “We’ve never even had a little area for the PE teacher to go inside, and, as hokey as that sounds, it’s true. “It’s the little things like that people don’t realize that give our kids those little extra things that we never had.

“I even think that the district underestimated the gift that they have given us,” she added. “We’re a Pasco County charter public school. To get the financial backing from the district, to hear we believe in you guys — it’s the biggest compliment and opportunity to get something like this that we wouldn’t be able to do without the district and their faith in us.”

Greenier, who has been with Dayspring Academy as an employee and the parent of a former student for 20 years, said it has been a goal for the institution to expand out of the Port Richey area for a while, aiming for a campus in the East and Central Pasco areas.

She added many of Dayspring’s buildings have been donated or procured through funding. And as a longtime Dayspring employee, she’s not only honored to be the new principal, but overjoyed to see the Angeline Campus from the ground floor up.

Dayspring Academy will be adding a new PreK-5 school in Land O’ Lakes. It already has five campuses.

“When we saw the (building) forms there (on the property in Land O’ Lakes), once that hit us, it was the real deal,” Greenier said. “This real particular moment (at the groundbreaking), to see kids who have been through our schools and employees come back after leaving, that’s crazy — it made me emotional to see them, to see the commitment to Dayspring and it’s a big deal to see something Mr. and Mrs. Legg started way back — and it’s here to stay.

“To be able to take our program and be able to expand it to so many people in Pasco County, that has been a huge goal for us to finally see come to life.”

DaySpring Academy Angeline Campus
Where: 9371 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes
When: Opening August 2024; enrollment begins Feb. 1, 2024
Details: A learning institution dedicated to high-quality education through a fusion of arts and technology in a collaborative environment to prepare students for high school, college and the workforce. Dayspring Academy has five other locations located in Port Richey.
For more information, visit Dayspring.academy/angeline.

Published September 20, 2023

Suzanne Legg, CEO of Dayspring Academy, speaks to dozens in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Angeline Campus, coming soon to Land O’ Lakes.
Decorative cookies featuring the Dayspring Academy Angeline Campus logo were provided to those attending the groundbreaking festivities.
Construction is underway for the Dayspring Academy Angeline Campus, as well as athletic fields that will be shared between the charter school and Angeline Academy of Innovation.

Lutz Church of God gains approval for Land O’ Lakes location

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The Lutz Church of God has been granted a special exception from the Pasco County Planning Commission, allowing it to locate a church on 8.50 acres, on the west side of School Road, at the northernmost intersection of Land O’ Lakes Boulevard and School Road.

The planning board approved the request, with conditions. Planning board Peter Hanzel voted no, saying he doesn’t think the proposed church is compatible with the surrounding development.

Lutz Church of God has been granted a special exception from the Pasco County Planning Commission, allowing it to locate a church on 8.50 acres, on the west side of School Road, at the northernmost intersection of Land O’ Lakes Boulevard. (Mike Camunas)

In granting the request, the planning board stipulated that the future church be prohibited from allowing access to the lake by motorized boats.

The church’s pastor said that won’t be a problem.

It may have an observation deck at some point, so people can view the lake, but has no plans for a boat launch, he said.

Three neighbors spoke against the request.

They said they were worried that the church could create an access to the lake, which already suffers from water quality issues, posing an ecological threat to the lake.

They said if that access was granted, there’s no way of knowing how many members of the congregation would use that access.

They also said the church’s traffic and other impacts would just be another thing they’d have to live with, in an area that already has traffic from nearby Sanders Memorial Elementary School, a church and Christian school on School Road, and Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park.

Planning board members told opponents of the project that the church would not be able to add a boat dock without environmental clearances, which would be unlikely to occur.

The site is flanked on the north by Edmonson Electric; on the east by School Road, vacant property and Land O’ Lakes Boulevard; on the south by wetlands and vacant land; and on the west by Lake Thomas and wetlands.

The site currently has a single residential dwelling, which will remain on the property to be used for church purposes, according to the church’s pastor.

Published September 20, 2023