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Land O' Lakes News

Sign Here: Local athletes commit to colleges

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High school seniors are used to writing.

On Feb. 4, though, a number of student-athletes did some writing that will change their lives.

Family members surround Mark Hutchinson, left, and Jaye Miner of Wiregrass Ranch High School as they sign their letters of intent to play college football. They're the first players in the school’s history to sign with NCAA Division I schools. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo
Family members surround Mark Hutchinson, left, and Jaye Miner of Wiregrass Ranch High School as they sign their letters of intent to play college football. They’re the first players in the school’s history to sign with NCAA Division I schools.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo

“It feels good,” said Austin Yeloushan, a senior at Sunlake High School. “Finally, I’m committed and ready to go play somewhere.” Yeloushan was one of thousands of athletes around the country who participated in National Signing Day, the first day that a high school football player can sign a binding letter of intent with a member school of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Yeloushan accepted an offer to attend Jacksonville University, where he’ll also play on defense for the Dolphins. In addition to the football opportunity, he was impressed with the school’s academic offerings and its location. He plans to study business.

He’s also working out several times a day and adding in a lot of running in order to get ready to play football at the collegiate level. Although he had a stellar high school career, Yeloushan knows that the level of competition is tougher in college, and he wants to be prepared.

“I feel like everyone that’s really good from their high school goes to college. So it’s just going to be like a big all-star game,” he said.

Jaye Miner, a linebacker from Wiregrass Ranch High School, feels the same way.

“In college it’s like an all-star team every game,” he said. “I know I can’t take anything easy. Everyone’s going to be bigger, stronger, faster.” Miner received 14 offers to play football at the next level, and chose Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton on National Signing Day. He plans to study photography, sports medicine or marine biology in the classroom, and learn from his more experienced teammates on the football field.

He might be getting some early experience himself when the Owls’ season starts. Due to a lack of linebacker depth at FAU, Miner said he has a good chance of starting games early in his career.

If he’s in the starting lineup when the Owls play Florida International University on Oct. 31, he’ll face off against a former teammate’s new school. Mark Hutchinson, a Wiregrass Ranch wide receiver, sat next to Miner on Feb. 4 and signed his own papers to play at the next level. He chose FIU and will attend on a full scholarship.

Not bad for a kid who was cut from his seventh-grade football team.

“It was my first year. I was scrawny. I was a skinny little boy,” Hutchinson recalled. “So I had to put in a lot of work, a lot of effort and focus. Because I knew this was something I wanted. I wanted to be an athlete in high school.”

Now that he’s completed a standout athletic career in high school, Hutchinson knows he’ll have something to prove when he enters college as a freshman. But working his way up is nothing new for Hutchinson. He started his freshman year on the junior varsity team before earning a promotion to varsity. He’s focusing on adding strength in the off-season to be prepared when they call his number.

Miner and Hutchinson are good friends and have been playing together for years. And even before they were seriously thinking about Division I college football and making big life decisions, this is a moment they considered.

“In Mark’s room right now, he has a chalkboard wall. It says ‘D-1 bound.’ We wrote that when we were in seventh grade,” Miner said.

Friends and family were in attendance at National Signing Day to congratulate the athletes, coaches praised their abilities, and the schools served cake to help celebrate the event. And while they’re proud of their athletes and have confidence in them at the next level, those athletes are leaving big shoes to fill on their football teams. When the new season comes around, the coaches will have to replace their talented athletes who have moved on from Friday night games to playing on Saturdays.

“You miss all your seniors. You really do,” said Sunlake coach Bill Browning at Yeloushan’s signing event. “And he’s been really successful here, so we’ll miss him.”

Published February 11, 2015

Land O’ Lakes to get its largest liquor store

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The Pasco County Commission unanimously approved a new liquor store in Land O’ Lakes, despite objections by a competitor.

Party Liquors & Fine Wines plans to open a store in the shopping center at the northeast corner of State Road 54 and Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

The 11,250-square-foot store will sell package beer, wine and liquor at the location, 2410 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

It would be the company’s third store, according to Nick Tanoukhi, the store’s owner.

Tanoukhi said he expects to hire 10 full-time and 15 part-time employees.

Joseph Nahas, of TJ Liquor, located on U.S. 41, objected to the proposed liquor store.

Nahas noted there are nine liquor stores within a 5-mile radius and said there’s not enough of a market to support the additional store.

Nahas said the new store might not add anything to the community, but could harm his business.

An area resident also questioned the location of the new liquor store, noting it was within 1,000 feet of a school and a church.

But county planners, who recommended approval of the request, said the distance requirement previously had been waived for another business in the shopping center. So, that provision does not apply in this case.

Tanoukhi said Land O’ Lakes residents will benefit from the store because it will offer better prices.

Pasco County attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder told commissioners that the county’s criteria for granting conditional use permits does not address the issue of competition.

“Generally, the way the code works is, it’s a free market system,” Steinsnyder said.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said she has a bias against big corporations wiping out mom and pop operations. But in this case, she said, the new liquor store is not a large corporation.

Starkey said the best way that competitors can retain their business is to offer excellent customer service.

Published February 4, 2015

Pasco attracts company through incentives

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The Pasco County Commission approved an $85,000 incentive to a Land O’ Lakes company that plans to create 17 jobs, with an average wage exceeding $107,000.

The company Retail Process Engineering LLC operates at 20537 Amberfield Drive in Land O’ Lakes.

It offers a range of strategic, functional and technical retail supply chain consulting focused exclusively on retail.

The company, which is known as RPE, works with leading midsize retailers across the United States and Canada.

Some of its clients include Boy Scouts of America, Dollar Tree, Fifth & Pacific, Francesca’s Collections, It’Sugar, KatzGroup, Kipling, Mark’s, Michael Kors, Newfoundland Labrador Liquor, Papyrus, Rexall, rue21, Spencer’s, The North Face, VF Corp, vineyard vines, and XS Cargo.

In addition to approving the economic incentives for this company, commissioners heard a 2015 progress report from John Hagen, president and chief executive officer of the Pasco Economic Development Council

So far, in 2015, the county has attracted five companies and created 154 new jobs.

It also has had 64 new leads so far this year, compared to a total of 205 last year.

Those new opportunities include a plastic injection molding company, a distribution facility and support office, a medical product manufacturer, a medical service provider, a medical product supply and distribution company, and an aerospace technology firm.

The economic development council has made 29 company visits and presentations, attended trade shows and development conferences. and used social media and news releases to traditional media to tell Pasco County’s story.

It also uses contractors’ roundtables and developers’ roundtables to encourage growth and stability, and has several upcoming events planned to help stimulate growth and share information regarding job creation, site selection and other economic topics.

Published February 4, 2015

Big competition: Students prep livestock for fair judging

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Land O’ Lakes High School has nice football and baseball fields. But if you go past them, you might see something unusual.

Like a barn with livestock, and students training them.

Stephanie Dahm, a junior at Land O’ Lakes High School, works with Dixie, a 700-pound heifer at the school’s barn. Dahm and Dixie will compete at the Florida State Fair and Pasco County Fair. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Stephanie Dahm, a junior at Land O’ Lakes High School, works with Dixie, a 700-pound heifer at the school’s barn. Dahm and Dixie will compete at the Florida State Fair and Pasco County Fair.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

“People think we’re crazy,” said sophomore Augusta Browder. “They think we’re just out there rolling around with them (the animals). They don’t think we’re being serious about it.”

But they’re not being crazy; they’re being competitive. The school’s members of Future Farmers of America, now known as the National FFA Organization, are prepping their livestock to be judged along with other animals at the Florida State Fair and Pasco County Fair next month and other competitions throughout the year.

Some of the animals stay on school property. Other students own their animals and have homes that can maintain them, so they live on their land.

But wherever they stay, caring for them is hard work.

Browder gets up around 5:30 a.m., every morning, to feed her animals at her home, and does it again at the end of the evening. She can’t take extended time off, and she also has to practice with them so they’ll perform well when the time comes to be judged in categories such as appearance and showmanship. She’ll show a heifer and a steer this year, and she has a bull named Buster that she’s already planning to show next year.

Actually showing them only comes after getting the animals, caring for them and learning their behaviors and traits. The students often are showing large animals that are several times their weight, so developing a strong relationship is important.

“It’s spending time with them. If you don’t spend time with them, they’re not going to do what you want,” said Stephanie Dahm, who’s showing a 700-pound heifer named Dixie at the Florida State Fair and Pasco County Fair.

While Dahm said that Dixie is a calm heifer with a good demeanor, she still has to spend a lot of time with her. That means at least an hour or two each day during the week and then more time on the weekend.

Dahm has shown animals before, and had a Florida White rabbit that won Best of Breed at the Florida State Fair and the Pasco County Fair last year.

The jump to livestock is good practice for her; she plans to study livestock management and ranch management when she goes to college.

Browder, who wants to be a large animal veterinarian, also has a lot of experience raising and showing animals. And while she wants to win when she competes, it’s the experience and the friendships that make it worthwhile.

“I actually met one of my best friends at the Pasco County Fair two years ago,” she said. “We all realize that we’re doing this for responsibility, for leadership, to do something,” she added.

In order to do something special with their four-legged partners, they have to practice quite a bit. On many afternoons, FFA members will be out with their livestock, going through movements and practicing techniques. Even if some people at the school don’t even know they’re out there.

A lot of people at our school, when I say we have a barn, they’re like ‘We have a barn?’ Not many people know about this,” Browder said.

But for around 30 members of the school’s FFA program, it’s an important part of their high school experience. They learn how to handle different animals, they learn time management skills, and they get to spend time with both schoolmates and show partners.

“I love being out there with my friends, and I love being out there in the ring. Some people do sports, and I do cows,” Browder said. “I love it.”

Dahm agrees.

“There’s something about cows,” she said.

Published January 28, 2015

Wanted: Donations for the Woman’s Club annual flea market

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The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club is putting the word out that it is seeking donations for the annual Woman’s Club Flea Market at the Old Lutz School.

The annual sale is a great way for people to clear out closets, attics, garages, patios and sheds — and to help good causes at the same time, according to Pat Serio, co-chairwoman of the flea market.

Verna Johnson helps out during a recent Flea Market at the Old Lutz School and does a bit of shopping, too. This year it will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., on March 6 and March 7 at 18819 N. U.S. 41 in Lutz. (Courtesy of GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club)
Verna Johnson helps out during a recent Flea Market at the Old Lutz School and does a bit of shopping, too. This year it will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., on March 6 and March 7 at 18819 N. U.S. 41 in Lutz.
(Courtesy of GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club)

While residents can clear some of their clutter — others can benefit from a bargain, Serio said, noting the items at the flea market are priced to sell quickly.

“We have the best prices,” Serio said.

As always, the flea market will feature a wide range of goods. There will be items for the home, such as linens, lamps, china, and pots and pans.

Big pieces of furniture will be under tents outdoors, and plants will be sold, too, Serio said.

There also will be a room called Trinkets and Treasures that will feature higher quality and higher priced items, Serio said.

In previous years, the club has had a half-price sale the weekend after the flea market, but has decided not to do so this year, Serio said. Any items that are left over after the flea market will be distributed to a variety of charitable organizations, she said.

Putting on the flea market is a big project, Serio noted.

Generally, about 60 club members volunteer to help receive donations, to sort through them and get ready for the sale.

“We also rope in husbands and children and significant others,” Serio said, with a laugh.

Proceeds from the sale support local charities and the club’s scholarship fund.

It’s the club’s second largest fundraiser of the year, Serio noted. It’s second only to the club’s annual Arts and Crafts Festival at Lake Park.

To prepare for this year’s sale, club members will accept donations at the Old Lutz School on Mondays and Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to noon, through the month of February.

Besides helping the club, the flea market also serves a community need, Serio said. Many people are in the market for affordable furniture and house goods, she said.

It’s also fun to look through the assortment of items that turn up every year at the market, she added.

The club also can arrange to pick up large items, but appointments must be made, Serio said.

The club is unable to accept large appliances or items that are heavy, such as sofa sleepers.

For more information about the woman’s club, visit GFWCLutzLandoLakesWomansClub.org and like them on their Facebook page.

For more particulars on flea market donations, please call Phyllis Hoedt at (813) 949-1937 or Pat Serio at (813) 948-4752.

Published January 28, 2015

New twist to holy wafer

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Our Lady of the Rosary offers low-gluten hosts

A pivotal moment during the celebration of the Catholic Mass occurs during communion, when believers come forward to receive the Body of Christ.

But some members of Our Lady of the Rosary were choosing to stay in their pews, because they have Celiac disease, which means they cannot ingest gluten, a protein found in wheat.

The Rev. Ron Aubin displays a silver ciborium and a gold ciborium. The silver one is used to hold the gluten-free communion hosts, and the gold one holds the traditional hosts. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
The Rev. Ron Aubin displays a silver ciborium and a gold ciborium. The silver one is used to hold the gluten-free communion hosts, and the gold one holds the traditional hosts.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

“There are different levels of intolerance to gluten and wheat products,” said the Rev. Ron Aubin, pastor at Our Lady of the Rosary Church at 2348 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes. “Apparently, some people react severely and can be quite sick. So, they bypass the host — receiving the Body of Christ.”

When one woman asked if there anything the church could do about it, the church decided to look into the issue.

Church doctrine requires there be at least a trace of gluten, in order to be considered valid matter for the Eucharist, according to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“So, we did a little research and we discovered there are low-gluten hosts,” Aubin said.

The church is now using low-gluten wafers made by the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, in Clyde, Missouri. The sisters have been baking communion hosts for generations and spent 10 years working to develop a low-gluten host.

The host the sisters produce contains .01 percent gluten.

Our Lady of the Rosary began serving the hosts about a month ago.

“What we did, was, we have reserved one small part of the church — a small section. We’re calling that our low-gluten section,” Aubin said.

It uses slides on a giant screen to inform those attending its weekend services where to sit if they would like to receive a low-gluten host.

Anyone is welcome to sit in the section, Aubin said, but those sitting there will receive the low-gluten host during communion.

Aubin described what it’s like: “It’s a little smaller and thinner. It basically has no taste.”

“If you object to that,” the pastor said, “Go to the other line.”

The church also is taking care to avoid any cross-contamination when people drink from the chalice during communion.

“To help us not get them confused, we use a silver chalice (for the wine) and a silver ciborium for the low-gluten (hosts),” he said. In other sections, the church uses a gold chalice and gold ciborium.

Some people are now asking if they can have a smaller piece of the low-gluten host, Aubin said.

“The low-gluten hosts don’t break easy. I told the Sacristan to go buy a scissors and designate it for only cutting the low-gluten hosts,” he said.

The church wants to encourage participation in the Eucharist. It also wants to be as accommodating as possible.

“We’re responding,” he said.

Members of the congregation appreciate the effort, he added.

“Several people have come out of their way just to thank me. (They told me) ‘Thank you for considering us.’”

Published January 28, 2015

Court presence: Land O’ Lakes basketball preps another playoff run

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When the Land O’ Lakes girls’ basketball team bowed out of the Class 5A playoffs last year, they had many reasons to be proud. The Gators were beaten in the state semifinals by eventual-champion Southeast High School from Bradenton, and they completed their third-straight winning season under coach Phyllis Crain. Since they had gone farther than any girls’ basketball team in school history, students and fans might wonder if they could repeat that success and possibly claim a state title this year.

Land O' Lakes coach Phyllis Crain has guided the girls’ basketball team to another season with more than 20 wins. Now she'll try to guide them back to the state tournament, where they reached the semifinals last season. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
Land O’ Lakes coach Phyllis Crain has guided the girls’ basketball team to another season with more than 20 wins. Now she’ll try to guide them back to the state tournament, where they reached the semifinals last season.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

But with the playoffs starting, the coach isn’t focused on anything but the next opponent.

“We don’t look any further than we have to. We look at one game at a time, and we take it from there,” Crain said. “If you overlook an opponent, they can sneak up behind you.”

Very few teams have snuck up on Land O’ Lakes this season. They finished their regular season campaign with just three losses, fewer than last year. They ran the table in Class 5A-8 with a perfect 14-0 record. And according to Crain, they enter the postseason with even more confidence after last season’s accomplishments.

While senior Jhade Hayes has paced the team as both leading scorer and rebounder, the coach believes it’s the other players doing their jobs and playing important roles that allow skilled players like Hayes to shine, and the team to succeed in each game.

“It’s teamwork, not an individual that’s going to win the championship. They really believe in each other,” she said.

The school has good reason to believe in Crain, who has built a strong program in her four seasons at the helm. After nine seasons as an assistant at the University of Tampa, she came to Land O’ Lakes High School wanting to create a team that consistently has both experienced players and younger talent who can contribute and take on leadership roles later in their careers. This season’s team has a good mix of returning starters and reserves (the starting five consists of three seniors and two juniors), as well as newer players who are looking to help continue the team’s forward progress.

As a result, Crain believes the team is at least as good as the one that was one step away from the state championship game.

“I would say as good, and maybe a little bit better,” Crain said. “We have a little bit more rebounding presence inside.” A lot of that increased presence can be attributed to junior Gabby Mills, which makes the team more dangerous when she’s on the court. But as they head to the playoffs, the coach wants to see better team rebounding and tighter defensive play from the Gators.

While Crain has created a perennial contender in just a few short years, it’s not her only goal when it comes to coaching. She’s aware that many of her players might not continue their basketball careers in college, so she wants them to get the most out of their high school experience.

“I went into it thinking that I really want to teach these girls the game of basketball, and I really want to teach them some life lessons, too,” Crain said. “Don’t get me wrong. We all want to win. But I really think it’s an experience.” The coach follows their academic progress and believes that learning lessons like not being late to practice, working hard and believing in yourself will help them off the court.

But the team is performing well on the court, too. Another season with more than 20 wins is already secured, and another playoff berth is looming. And while Crain believes the team has the ability to make another deep run, she doesn’t want players to think about anything but the hard work that got them this far, and about the next opponent they face.

“We want to win the district championship. We want to get back to Lakeland (where the state championships will be held). That’s our main focus,” she said “But to do that, we need to focus on the little things and take it game by game,” she said.

Published January 28, 2015

Story time: Grandmother’s comforting book gets published

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The first story Aleda Reilly wrote wasn’t designed to launch a writing career, sell a lot of copies or even get published.

All she wanted to do was comfort her grandchildren.
“(It was) just to help them through a really emotional, tough time,” said Reilly, who lives in Land O’ Lakes.

Aleda Reilly combs through copies of of her children's story, ‘Angel Balloons,’ which has been published in a variety of formats. She wrote it to help her grandchildren cope with the loss of their great-grandmother. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Aleda Reilly combs through copies of of her children’s story, ‘Angel Balloons,’ which has been published in a variety of formats. She wrote it to help her grandchildren cope with the loss of their great-grandmother.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

Following the death of her mother, Gladys Soldato, Reilly’s grandchildren were confused and upset at the loss of their beloved Bama. They were close to their great-grandmother, and adult explanations weren’t doing the job for Isabella and Katie, ages 4 and 2. As their grandmother, Reilly wanted to console them and describe complicated feelings in a way they’d understand.
So she sat down and wrote them a story.

“Angel Balloons” describes the two girls spending time with Bama until she passes away right after Christmas. They’re told she didn’t get to say goodbye because she was tired, and now lives with the angels in Heaven. The girls send Bama drawings and stickers tied to balloons so she can receive them and share them with the angels.

When Reilly showed the story to the girls, it wasn’t illustrated or published. It was just a story written by their Avia, a term for grandmother. But they got the message.

“I read it to (Olivia) and in an exasperated attitude she said, ‘Well you know, Avia, if anyone had told me this, I wouldn’t have been so upset at the time,'” Reilly recalled.

She decided that other children might benefit from “Angel Balloons,” and she self-published it. Tate Publishing, a family-owned Christian-based publisher later picked it up, turning it into a fully illustrated publication, a 3-D book with glasses, coloring book and audio download.

Reilly appreciates any format that conveys the story to more children.

Parents can be reserved when it comes to serious subjects with children, she said, and aren’t always sure how to address new feelings. She wrote this story to tackle a serious topic in a positive way that young readers can understand. She’s pleased it can now reach more children than her initial audience of her two grandchildren.

Although this is the first story she’s written, Reilly’s background gives her a good foundation for penning children’s stories.

Reilly spent time as a psychiatric social worker. She approached the work with the belief that children are resilient and smart, and can grasp serious topics if presented properly.

“We don’t give children enough credit for how much they really do retain, even at a young age,” Reilly said. “I don’t ever talk down to children.”

“Angel Balloons” was written five years ago when Reilly was 60.

That first story was not her last. It has turned into a continuing series featuring Sunshine and Ladybug, Reilly’s nicknames for her grandchildren. She has new stories written and waiting for publication. “Sunshine and Ladybug Share Christmas” is a holiday-themed story about helping those who are less fortunate, while “We Don’t Eat Grass” addresses healthy eating. She’s working on a fourth book about blended and extended families, and as the girls have gotten older she’s introducing a new grandchild, Nola, into the stories.

Reilly’s stories contain a mixture of actual events and fiction to get her message across to children. But she admits that while “Angel Balloons” was written to help the young girls process a death, it also had benefits for the author.

“The genesis of this was all just to try to get them through it, but then I realized it was very cathartic for me as well,” she said.

Reilly also admits she is surprised by the attention and interest she has received from her publisher.

It may have started as a hobby, but Reilly takes the writing process seriously. When it’s time to write, she heads upstairs to the computer. When she’s finished or hits a snag, she simply puts it away and does something else.

She wrote “Angel Balloons” in about a week and is now preparing some promotional activities for her books.

Despite those activities, Reilly has never lost sight in what started her down their new career path or what drives her to continue writing.

“It was for the girls,” she said. “My family is absolutely the most important thing in the world to me.”

For more information about “Angel Balloons” and Reilly’s other books, visit TatePublishing.com.

Published January 14, 2015

Sanders magnet deadline is approaching

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The Jan. 15 deadline is approaching for applications to Sanders Memorial STEAM Magnet School – Pasco County’s first magnet school.

So far, the district has received around 1,400 applications for the school, at 5126 School Road in Land O’ Lakes. It is scheduled to open in August.

Considerable progress is being made on the construction of Sanders Memorial STEAM Magnet School – Pasco County’s first magnet school. Applications for the school, which are being accepted from across the district, must be filed by Jan. 15. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Considerable progress is being made on the construction of Sanders Memorial STEAM Magnet School – Pasco County’s first magnet school. Applications for the school, which are being accepted from across the district, must be filed by Jan. 15.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The school — which will emphasize science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics — is being built to accommodate 762 kindergarten through fifth-grade students.

As a magnet school, there are no attendance boundaries. Any elementary school student throughout the school district is eligible to apply.

A weighted lottery system will be used to select students. Pupils from nearby Connerton and Oakstead elementary schools, as well as children of Sander’s staff members, will have a higher priority for admission because Connerton and Oakstead are overcrowded.

Siblings of students accepted to Sanders also will be given extra weight in the lottery.

Once accepted, a student will be able to attend Sanders through fifth grade.

The district expects to notify parents of their child’s acceptance by email before Feb. 6.

Although the standards for the students will be the same, the learning approaches will be different.

The design of the school also will foster a greater degree of collaboration between students, and between students and teachers. A wetlands area with a boardwalk also will give students a chance to get up close with nature, creating opportunities for outdoor learning.

Sanders will use materials that are similar to those in traditional schools, except there will be a greater emphasis on technology, collaborative learning and independent thinking.

Sanders students will have some type of device allowing them to use technology to help solve problems and enhance learning. They also will have the arts infused into a curriculum that aims to create independent thinkers and learners.

Sanders’ design aims to encourage collaborative learning. When construction is completed, the school will have individual classrooms flanking both sides of a large space where students can work together on projects, where groups of children can work with teachers, and where larger presentations can be given.

Classrooms will have wireless technology. They also are set up to accommodate experiments. Space also will be provided within the school to allow students to store projects they are working on.

The school district also plans to send buses through neighborhoods within a five-mile radius to pick up students for Sanders. Those living farther away will use transportation hubs at Veterans, Moonlake and Trinity elementary schools, where they can catch a bus in the morning to Sanders and return there after school.

In a news conference that was held when the application period opened, Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning said the district is committed to the success of its first magnet school.

He also made it clear that the district recognizes its need to compete for students and will be adding more educational choices in the future.

For more information, and a virtual tour, visit PascoSchools.org, and click on the Sanders banner at the top.

Published January 7, 2015

MPO keeps elevated road on county transportation plan

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A group that spent months successfully fighting a privately built elevated toll road through the heart of Pasco County got a bit of a setback last week. But its members seem to be OK with it … for now.

Jason Amerson, second from left, will fight any elevated road planned to run near his home off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes, but won’t challenge the county’s current long-range transportation plan as long as elevated roads don’t come up as a viable option. He was one of the leaders of a local protest group, Pasco Fiasco, that included, from left, Patrick Knight, Brian Narcum and Kristine Narcum. (File Photo)
Jason Amerson, second from left, will fight any elevated road planned to run near his home off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes, but won’t challenge the county’s current long-range transportation plan as long as elevated roads don’t come up as a viable option. He was one of the leaders of a local protest group, Pasco Fiasco, that included, from left, Patrick Knight, Brian Narcum and Kristine Narcum. (File Photo)

Pasco County’s 2040 Long-Range Transportation Plan is on its way to both federal and state authorities, highlighting the county’s plan for roads, transit and sidewalks over the next 25 years. And among the various needs the county’s Metropolitan Planning Organization included in that transportation plan are elevated roads along the State Road 54/56 corridor.

“We knew the (transportation plan) would still contain the elevated toll road,” said Jason Amerson, a Land O’ Lakes resident who was one of the key players in the elevated toll road protest group, Pasco Fiasco. “It’s not something we are worried about unless they start actively discussing it again at MPO meetings.”

Pasco Fiasco came together last year after some homeowners who live just off State Road 54 learned about a proposal by a private company, International Infrastructure Partners LLC, to build a 33-mile elevated toll road, stretching from U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills to U.S. 19 in New Port Richey. The company had said initially it would fund the estimated $2.2 billion project on its own, but then lost its negotiating power with the Florida Department of Transportation after it requested the state help finance it.

That killed the private project, but an elevated road option remained in the county’s transportation plan. While then Pasco County commissioner Henry Wilson Jr., vowed to help Pasco Fiasco and others against an elevated road down State Road 54 remove such projects from the plan, Wilson was defeated in an open primary election last October by Mike Wells Jr.

“It’s not a simple task getting it removed,” Amerson said. “Probably even a harder task now that Wilson is gone.”

The elevated road remains an option for the county between 2020 and 2040 along the State Road 54/56 corridor as an “alternative improvement.” That could include “premium transit improvements” like toll lanes, overpasses like those used on U.S. 19 in Pinellas County, and elevated lanes.

The elevated road stayed in the plan, but the MPO did make more than 30 other changes to the documents after two months of public hearings. The MPO conducted a 30-day comment period through Nov. 23, as well as public workshops throughout November. It concluded with a public hearing on Dec. 11 where the new transportation plan was adopted unanimously.

Many adjustments to the plan were minor, like name changes of some roads at Bexley Ranch near the Suncoast Parkway, and Mitchell Boulevard near the Little Road area.

But there also were some larger changes as well. They included:

  • Moving up the six-lane expansion of State Road 52 from Interstate 75 to Pasco Road from 2040 to 2019.
  • Delaying another 10 years to 2040 projects like Livingston Avenue from State Road 54 to Collier Parkway, Eiland Boulevard from Handcart to Dean Dairy roads, Curley Road from Wells Road to Clinton Avenue, and Lake Patience Road from Sunlake Boulevard to U.S. 41.
  • Keeping the State Road 56 expansion from Meadow Pointe to U.S. 301 two lanes instead of four by 2019, but possibly expanding it to four lanes by 2030.

That last proposal angered city leaders in Zephyrhills, who wanted four lanes leading into one of its key commercial areas, the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. Lawmakers like new state representative and former Zephyrhills mayor Danny Burgess said they would work with the city to try and restore funding for a four-lane segment.

The MPO also made a number of changes to Tower Road, which runs primarily east to west in Pasco, just north of State Road 54. They include developer-funded improvements like a two-lane stretch from Bexley Ranch to Ballantrae Boulevard, and an expansion to a two-lane road from U.S. 41 to Ehren Cutoff by 2040, paid for by the county.

The Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, and the Florida Department of Transportation will now review the plan, and work with the county to help implement it.

To read the complete plan, visit Mobility2040Pasco.com.

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