Land O' Lakes News

Embrace medical growth, ditch old habits, experts say

October 16, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Nancy Reagan made the saying popular in the 1980s, and it’s time Pasco County learns it: Just say no.

That was the recommendation of the Urban Land Institute, the independent growth and development analytical group that has spent the past five years exploring the ins and outs of the county.

And in its first major presentation of its findings in a meeting last week, ULI officials said Pasco has approved enough residential and commercial development that would keep builders busy — until 2088.

If Pasco County wants to become a major player in the development and growth of the Tampa Bay area, it has to really focus on the medical industry. That means empty land like this surrounding Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel will need to be filled with supporting medical offices, officials said. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

“This condition presents tremendous challenges to the master planner,” said Dan Conway, an urban land economist from Denver who works with ULI. “Supply outpaces demand by a factor of 8-to-1.”

That number caught retiring County Commissioner Pat Mulieri by surprise.

“I think it’s interesting, the idea that we have to say no,” Mulieri said after the meeting. “We recently started not spreading (new development) like peanut butter, but I didn’t know we had enough for 75 years. I would be 150 by the time they had it all built.”

The oversupply shows growth management in Pasco is out of control, Conway said, and could also affect overall values. By not focusing on key geographic areas — especially those areas that are already set up for utilities and other services — the growth in Pasco could easily become more expensive than the county can bear.

Over the next decade, the Tampa Bay region will average about 25,600 new jobs each year, bringing 53,000 new people into the area annually. Of that, 3,600 jobs will be created in Pasco each year, causing population to grow by 11,000.

And a third of those jobs, not surprisingly, will come from health care, said April Anderson Lamoureux, an economic development expert who worked under Massachusetts governors Mitt Romney and Deval Patrick, who now lends her services to ULI.

“You need to review all your public expenditures throughout the county and think of new ways to drive those dollars,” Lamoureux said. “And 25 percent of that marketing should go exclusively to the health market. This includes going to health companies, pitching them to locate in Pasco, and developing tools specific to the industry that will entice them to pick Pasco over other viable opportunities.”

The health care market in Pasco has exploded, especially in the central part of the county, where two new hospitals have been built in recent years. Pasco has to ensure the appropriate supporting medical facilities and doctor offices surround the hospitals.

Not only does the county have to attract the right companies, but it also needs to provide the necessary infrastructure — like workforce housing, efficient public transportation, and the appropriate retail and pedestrian routes to support the employee base that would work on these expanded campuses.

“Career academies are a terrific resource, but we should be careful not to dilute the offerings,” Lamoureux said. Instead, the county could focus on specific medical disciplines.

County Administrator Michele Baker said she took 10 pages of notes throughout the ULI presentation, and would need some time to absorb all the information shared. She does agree, however, that it’s time to cast away some of the old habits — like approving new development without considering its future impact — and make room for some new ones.

“I’ve been here for 20 years, so some of those old habits might be mine,” Baker said. “I might have to do a little gut-check myself.”

The key to successful growth would be a stronger working relationship between the county and its incorporated towns, a relationship that has never been solid. Yet, consistency across the board is going to be necessary to get Pasco back on the right development track, and that means having cities like Zephyrhills and New Port Richey as partners will be key.

“We cannot do it alone,” Baker said. “It requires better dialogue between us and the cities, and us and the development community to seek out the opportunities for us to take advantage of.”

Obstacles facing Pasco County
The Urban Land Institute outlined the key areas that are holding Pasco County back. They include:
• Absorption and Projections — Approved growth far exceeds the county’s absorption capacity, meaning it will take decades for all the approved developments to actually be built.
• Sustainable Site Systems — Pasco needs to increase the priority for quality of life services, like affordable housing and transportation.
• Transportation Planning and Funding — Pasco needs to collaborate on regional transportation services, working with other counties to make everything connect.
• Economic Development — The biggest focus here must be on the medical industry as well as ecotourism.
• Shaping Strategies — County planners have to think further out with more effective plans to make future growth work.
• Leadership — Get rid of old habits. It’s holding the county back.
• Fiscal — The overall vision needs funding. That means reconsidering the gas tax, and possibly increasing the tourism room tax.

New festival celebrates the joys of flight

October 9, 2013 By B.C. Manion

A festival debuting in Lutz this year celebrates the joys of aviation.

The Festival of Flight, presented by American Balloons and Tampa North Flight Center, will feature hot air balloons, kite-flying demonstrations and aircraft ranging from vintage World War II airplanes to state-of-the art flying machines.

Festivities begin at 7 a.m. on Oct. 19, with a hot air balloon launch and wrap up that day with a night hot air balloon glow at Tampa North Aeropark, 4241 Birdsong Blvd. in Lutz.

A hot air balloon operates over Land O’ Lakes. (Photo courtesy of American Balloons)

Activities will resume at 7 a.m. on Oct. 20, with another hot air balloon launch and activities will conclude around noon.

Those wanting to watch the balloon launches are advised to arrive early and should bring chairs to sit on, according to the event’s website.

“There will be balloons flying in and out,” said Jessica Warren of American Balloons, a company based at the flight center.

Besides the hot air balloons and airplanes, Kiting Tampa Bay will also be there flying kites. And children will be able to make kites, Warren said.

Other plans that are pending include paratroopers dropping in and tethered balloon rides, Warren said.

The event celebrates the renovation of the private airport and the grand opening of The Happy Hangar café.

Various vendors will also be there, offering wares for sale or dispensing information about their businesses. Live music is planned, too.

“We’ve been trying to bring the balloon festival in here for a really long time,” Warren said. “We really need something local. We want to share our love of aviation.”

The Pasco County area is fortunate to have hot air balloon flights, Warren said. The only other place in Florida that offers hot air balloon rides is Orlando. Many people come from around the world to go for rides in her company’s balloons.

“There are only about 5,000 hot air balloonists in the United States,” Warren said, and while they’re spread out around the country, their shared interest in aviation makes them a tight-knit community.

Chuck Norris, a flight instructor at the Tampa North Flight Center, said aviation enthusiasts will have a chance to see some interesting aircraft. They can also purchase rides on a 1942 Boeing Steerman.

Norris is excited about the event.

“This airport has been a very sleepy airport for years. We want to wake it up,” he said.

Organizers intend to make this an annual event, Warren said. In fact, planning for that already has begun, she said.

For more information about this year’s festivities, visit FestivalOfFlightWesleyChapel.com.

Fire inspires priest to transform ministry

October 9, 2013 By B.C. Manion

It happened more than a decade ago, but the Rev. Garry Welsh said the event was a turning point in his life as a priest.

“I woke one night to the sound of wood burning,” recalled Welsh, then pastor of St. Ludger Catholic Church, a parish in the small town of Creighton, Neb. “The rectory caught on fire.”

Welsh descended from his second-floor bedroom to search out the source of the fire.

“I saw a kind of a glow at the end of the hallway, and when I walked down toward it, I discovered the kitchen was on fire,” he said.

Father Garry Welsh is on loan to the parish of Our Lady of the Rosary in Land O’ Lakes. He says a fire that destroyed the rectory where he was living in Nebraska transformed his ministry. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

The black smoke was so thick that Welsh became disoriented. He suffered burns on both of his hands and feet.

“They tell me — I don’t remember much about the night — that I did walk across a floor that was on fire. It was a laminate floor, so it was hot and it burnt the bottom of my feet,” Welsh said. “I was in the hospital for quite a while. I had to learn how to walk again.”

Investigators traced the cause of the fire to a candle that Welsh had left burning on the stove, he said. The rectory had just been renovated, and it and all of its contents were destroyed.

Recovering from his injuries kept Welsh away from full-time ministry for quite some time. Now, however, he’s on loan to Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Land O’ Lakes. And despite the fire’s destructive nature, Welsh said it held lessons for him.

“I think what it gave me, as I look back now, is that it gave me a better appreciation of the struggles people go through,” Welsh said. “I was in a wheelchair for quite a while. I think it made me understand (the impacts of) when people start to lose their mobility.”

The experience gave him a greater appreciation of being able to do things independently and changed his perspective on life, people and the priesthood, he said.

“It changed my outlook on ministry, entirely,” Welsh said.

Before the fire, Welsh said he was a priest that was driven by a schedule. The experience of the fire, and recovering from it, however, softened and mellowed him. Welsh became more aware of the value of savoring the gifts that God bestows.

“Before when I would visit with people, it was very much an in-and-out, I’ve got other things to do,” he said. “Now, I take more time. I’m more liable to sit with people and listen to people a little bit more.”

Before the fire, Welsh said he was an ambitious priest. That changed, as well.

“As a priest, I used to try to be the best,” he said. “I discovered that when I try to be the best, it’s all about me. What I try to do now is that I try to be the priest that people need today. So, when someone comes to me, my prayer always is: ‘What do you need from me as your priest, now?’

“That might be a listening ear. That might be some advice. It might be a pat on the back to say you’re OK. It might be that you need me to sit and listen to your joke and laugh at it, even if it’s bad.”

Welsh said he asks himself: “What does this person, or these people, or this group – what do they need from me, now?”

“They don’t need me to be the best priest. They need me to be their priest, their priest who loves them,” he said.

Welsh was born in England to Scottish parents, but grew up in Ireland. He came to the United States in 1998, and was ordained three years later in Nebraska. Welsh said spiritual needs are universal, to know that spiritually, they’re loved.

When fellow priests and brothers are struggling, Welsh reminds them that “we make priesthood difficult because we think it’s about doing,” he said. “It’s more about being.”

“When we’re ordained, we’re ordained to be in the image of Christ. And we forget that and we’re lost in our own image,” Welsh said. “And we get disappointed, and the people get disappointed. We don’t get fulfilled, and the people don’t get fulfilled. And we all end up in this bad place.”

Instead it should be more about the image of Christ. “What did Christ instruct us to do?” Welsh said. “He said, ‘Love one another, as I have loved you.’”

“That’s the key, I think, to all faith,” he said. “No matter what we do, we have to do it with love. People will respond to love.”

When Welsh officiates the mass, he begins with a reminder that those present are on a journey together. As such, they are bound to stumble and fall. But they are there to help each other and to continue together on the journey, he said.

When he prepares his homilies, he consults a number of sources and draws on his personal experiences.

“As a priest, I struggle like you struggle,” Welsh said. “I have good days and bad days. I have high moments and low moments. We’re journeying together.”

When others hurt him, he said, he realizes he is unable to forgive them. “I ask God to forgive them,” he said.

Like commentator Bill O’Reilly, he enjoys being pithy.

He also recalls this bit of advice offered by a professor when Welsh was learning to write homilies: “In three minutes, you’ll move hearts. In 10 minutes, you’ll freeze butts.”

Welsh, who has been an associate and a pastor at several churches in Nebraska, said he has never requested a particular assignment, trusting the Holy Spirit will lead him to the right place to use his skills.

Currently, he is on loan to the Diocese of St. Petersburg, from the Archdiocese of Omaha. He’s not sure how long this assignment will last.

“When I came down here, my archbishop said, ‘This is for three years.’ And, I said, ‘Well, let the Holy Spirit decide that.’”

Government shutdown could soon victimize poor children, infants

October 9, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Lacy White followed the latest news from Washington, D.C. closely over the past few weeks as Congress and the President haggled over spending measures that led to a federal government shutdown.

Not only was her husband a civilian contractor at MacDill Air Force Base who would lose his paycheck if a shutdown were to occur, but both were eight weeks into caring for an infant they’ve fostered since she was born, and were depending on the government to help pay for the baby’s needs.

“This is a double whammy for us, and it’s frustrating,” the former Land O’ Lakes resident said. “We need the checks to help with the baby’s formula, and without those, we’d have to pay out of our own pockets. But if my husband is working without pay, too, then we really have to dig to get the money.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture website, which is the home for information on the federal government’s WIC program to help support women, infants and children, shows only an error page to anyone trying to visit. The federal government shutdown has created a potentially serious problem for poor families, who depend on government assistance to feed their children.

White receives support through WIC, the federal assistance program more formally known as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. Individual states like Florida administer the program using federal dollars — money that is now missing because of the federal government’s inability to keep the financial coffers open.

Communication between the government and WIC recipients has been nonexistent. Even visiting the website of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs the federal program, brings up a page telling visitors that “due to the lapse in federal government funding, this website is not available.”

So, White and others like her have to turn to the news.

“As far as I have read, WIC is shut down, and we will no longer be getting her formula checks,” White said of her foster baby. “No one has contacted us. No one has let us know. We have to go by word of mouth.”

But checks are continuing to be cut, even as federal dollars stop, said Deanna Krautner, a spokeswoman for Pasco County. She referred more detailed questions to the state level, who in a statement said Florida Department of Health “continues to monitor the situation in Washington, D.C., and the department will be able to continue WIC services for the foreseeable future.”

When pressed further about where those dollars are coming from, Department of Health spokeswoman Denishia Sword said the state has put together temporary operating dollars, including reallocated federal funding, USDA contingency funds and infant formula rebates.

Yet, those contingency funds won’t last long. Bruce Alexander, communications director with the USDA, told Forbes magazine that if the shutdown is not resolved before October ends, there may not be sufficient money to keep the program going.

The USDA typically receives $7 billion to run programs like WIC nationally, but the program’s contingency fund is just $125 million — enough to run the program for six days.

White’s family, luckily, has put money away for a rainy day, and only collects WIC because she has a foster baby. Yet, families that solely depend on WIC won’t have those options, and she fears children not just in the Tampa Bay area, but across the country, will suffer.

“We would typically spend $100 a month on formula, and that’s just to feed her,” White said. “There are a lot of expenses involving children, and families who live in poverty would not be able to do this on their own.”

If her family ran into problems, White said her church will be available to help. But there may be only so much charity groups can do — especially if so many families end up in need, said Thomas Mantz, chief executive of Feeding America Tampa Bay. While the organization does not necessarily provide the same services as WIC, if families have to suddenly pay for items like formula, they may have to make cuts in other areas — like food.

“Any time there are challenges in the economic environment, one of the choices people will often make is the choice of food,” Mantz said. “They have to pay a medical bill, or they have to get their car running to get to work, or they have to pay for their lights or rent. Any time those choices have to be made, these folks have to go without food, and seek food assistance elsewhere.”

Feeding America will move 40 million pounds of food in its 10-county service area this year, but that is still not enough, covering less than 50 percent of the need. And if the government shutdown continues, that will be even more assistance the group will have to be ready to supply.

Congress and the President getting back on the same page couldn’t come too soon, White said. The government needs to get back to work, and start paying for these much-needed social programs.

“My husband has to get up every day to go to work without a paycheck, yet these guys are up there still paying themselves while we are all just waiting,” White said. “Something needs to be done.”

They are coming, will Pasco be able to build it?

October 9, 2013 By Michael Hinman

For decades, the population center of Pasco County has been on its western, coastal side. Areas surrounding Port Richey and New Port Richey have always been the focus of activity thanks to their proximity to Pinellas County.

But by 2025, that could all change. The southern portion of Pasco County, which as late as 1990 had population rivaling only the northern rural parts of the county, will not only overtake the New Port Richey area, but will become the most populous in Pasco.

The population of Pasco County is shifting from the western side, which officials have called ‘The Harbors,’ to the southern side. By 2040, areas like Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass Ranch could have 309,000 people, a population jump of more than 900 percent since 1990. (Image courtesy of Pasco County)

The area, which includes Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass Ranch, could reach as high as 309,000 people by 2040, putting Pasco on the path to 1 million residents. And the county will have to be ready.

“We have a big responsibility in the Tampa Bay area,” Melanie Kendrick, senior planner in Pasco County’s economic development department, told members of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce late last month. “As companies are looking to come to this area, and companies in Hillsborough and Pinellas are expanding, they don’t have the room. And great cities grow north.”

In 1990, the southern portion of the county — which officials are calling “Gateway Crossings” — had just 30,500 residents, compared to the nearly 142,000 on the western side. In 2010, Gateway Crossings expanded to a little less than 120,000, a jump of 293 percent, while the western side grew just 28 percent to 182,000.

By 2025, Gateway Crossings is expected to grow to 214,000 people compared to 194,000 on the western side, according to numbers provided by Pasco County officials.

Already, 94 percent of Pasco’s population resides in the unincorporated areas.

“If the Pasco County Commission were a city commission, we would be the 12th largest city in the state,” Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said at the chamber meeting. “It’s an interesting challenge for us as commissioners as we have to act like a city commission, while other commissions like the one in Pinellas actually controls very little with so many incorporated areas there.”

Pasco is one of the fastest growing areas in the state, but still exports 90,000 people a day to Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, while importing just 40,000.

“If we could get people to work here in the county, we could bring our wages up,” Kendrick said.

To make that growth work, planning had to start a long time ago, and the county is getting its act together, Starkey said. One of the first major issues the commission had to address once Starkey arrived was the permitting process, which she described as a “disaster.”

“We were known as a difficult place to do business,” Starkey said. “We still are, but we are working on that.”

Permitting has been streamlined, removing a lot of red tape that existed before, with the hopes that smart growth will be encouraged by the private sector. That does mean, however, building up rather than out. Density is going to be key, but Pasco will need the infrastructure to support it.

Already, key areas like U.S. 41 and the Suncoast Parkway junctions with State Roads 54 and 52 have more than 2 million people living within a 40-minute drive time. Wiregrass Ranch already is not far behind with 1.92 million people within a couple gallons of gas.

Yet, Pasco still wants to keep its community spirit with aspects like sidewalks and neighborhoods. Yet, some traffic arteries must remain arteries.

“State Road 54 will not be a main street,” Kendrick said. “It will not be walkable, ever.”

Communities are springing up on either side of State Road 54, which are pedestrian-friendly, but the county is going to need a much expanded road system to carry the incoming population and avoid traffic gridlock.

“You can see the numbers coming into the area, and they are not going to fit on (State Road) 54,” Starkey said. “You could walk faster.”

The county, however, will have to find ways to pay for it. Property taxes already are lower than 60 other counties in the state, Kendrick said, and the recent failure of the additional gas tax by the county commission is going to make it nearly impossible to build more roads in the foreseeable future.

“We’ve had to build $8 million out of the budget to fund roads, and we are going to have to do something to fill that gap,” Starkey said. “It’s going to be a challenge.”

Representatives from the Urban Land Institute, which is helping Pasco County officials with long-range economic development plans, are visiting this week to follow up on recommendations made five years ago. Further suggestions on how to enhance and support growth in the county will be made in the coming months.

After cancer diagnosis, community runs for Keppel

October 2, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Kris Keppel is never one to give up.

Always a fighter in his 20 years as a coach of the Land O’ Lakes High School cross-country team, he now is facing an even tougher battle — pancreatic cancer — and his team, school and community are rallying around him to notch yet another big win.

“Life has definitely turned on a dime,” said Karen DeHaas, the coach of the Gators’ girls’ cross-country team. Better known as “Mima” to the runners because of her granddaughter’s influence on the team, DeHaas was one of the first to find out about Keppel’s diagnosis just a little more than two weeks ago.

“I cried so much,” DeHaas said. “You don’t know how much I cried. I’d be lost without him.”

The cross-country teams of Land O’ Lakes High School don ‘I run for Keppel’ shirts in honor of Coach Kris Keppel, who was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Breaking the news to the rest of the team was hard, especially when Keppel could not be at his first cross-country event in the two decades he’s been a coach. But he was still there, thanks to technology, as he watched the first runners cross the finish line thanks to a FaceTime video feed from someone’s smart phone.

The runners, who have never felt abandoned by Keppel over all these years, were going to stand by him, too.

Two of DeHaas’ runners, Carolyn Estrella and Mary-Kathryn Guenette, got together and designed “I run for Keppel” T-shirts. Complete with a purple ribbon, representative of those who are fighting pancreatic cancer, the girls have already raised more than $1,000 for Keppel’s family. And they plan to add even more.

“Coach Keppel always cancelled doctor’s appointments in the past just so he doesn’t miss practice, so when he didn’t cancel one appointment for a practice, we knew something was wrong,” said Estrella, a junior at Land O’ Lakes High School. “The next day after that missed practice, we found out he had cancer. It was hard for all of us.”

Estrella and Guenette had 100 shirts printed right away, which the entire cross-country team donned in his honor last Friday, and DeHaas is confident that the two can actually sell more than 1,000 after it’s all said and done. Each one costs $15, and the proceeds go to Keppel.

“There are so many coaches that have already stepped up,” DeHaas said. “We have this big invitational coming up, and I have had phone calls from coaches in Brandon, Tampa, Hernando, all the surrounding counties. I can’t believe all the compassion and support that I have received from all these coaches.”

For Guenette, the cancer diagnosis hit closer to home. Her younger brother, Spencer, battled brain cancer at a very young age. But he also proved that the fight is quite winnable, and now at 14, is in remission.

“I know what the Keppels are going through right now, and it’s a tough time,” Guenette said. “My parents were really proud that we stepped up and made a difference (for Keppel). It’s a good way of coping.”

There is no such thing as an “easy” cancer to be afflicted with, but pancreatic cancer is aggressive. In 2013, the American Cancer Society estimates that more than 45,000 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, evenly split between men and women. Treatment ranges from chemotherapy and radiation to surgery.

All of that will require a lot of attention and energy on Keppel’s part, but DeHaas knows that he’ll still find a way to influence the runners he has led for so many years.

“He’s hoping that even if he has to be pushed in a wheelchair, he’s going to be out there watching regionals,” DeHaas said. “I told him he could use my chair, which has a big umbrella on it to protect him from the sun. Either way, if there is any chance he can make it out there, he’ll be there.”

The “I run for Keppel” shirts are available to the general public as well, with proceeds benefitting the Keppel family. To order, email — that’s “carolyn” followed by a zero, two ones and “jr” — or visit the athletics department social media page at Facebook.com/lolhsgators.

Browning parts from Scott, stands by Common Core Standards

October 2, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning is standing by the Common Core State Standards, despite a recent decision by Gov. Rick Scott to put the kibosh on the state’s participation in a consortia developing assessments for those standards.

Scott sent a letter to federal Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Sept. 23 telling him that he would ask the State Board of Education to end Florida’s fiscal relationship with the Partnership for Assessment Readiness for College and Careers.

Scott said the move was intended to protect the state from federal intrusion into education policy, and a parade of lawmakers and educators applauded Scott’s action.

Browning did not.

“It’s all political,” Browning said. “He’s getting a lot of pressure and he’s running for re-election.”

Browning added that Scott is trying to make sure that he has the support of the tea party, a populist movement within the Republican party that opposes the Washington political establishment. Scott was backed by the tea party when he won the governor’s office in 2010.

Florida needs a different way to measure its students’ progress, Browning said.

“Florida cannot afford to go back to another homegrown assessment,” Browning said.

The superintendent’s comments followed a talk he gave about the Common Core State Standards to more than two-dozen members of the Republican Club of Central Pasco.

Browning made it clear that he stands behind the Common Core State Standards.

“We need to be able to have a set of standards that engages kids, that gets them to think and not only to get them to give the right answer, but how they came up with that answer,” Browning said. “That, in large part, is what Common Core is.”

There’s a perception that Common Core is being driven by the federal government, Browning said. But that isn’t true. The National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers led the effort to develop standards, he said.

There are three basic components to Common Core State Standards, Browning said. Those components are the standards themselves, the assessments to measure student performance and the data collection.

Critics are lumping all three of those elements together.

“The standards are the standards,” the superintendent said.

There’s also a misconception about what the standards are, he said. The standards are not curriculum. Curriculum is developed and delivered at the local level.

The standards provide the foundation for the curriculum and establish what students need to learn. They do not prescribe how students should be taught, Browning said.

A new set of tests will be used to measure student performance. Regardless of what test is used, there will need to be some sort of assessment.

Common Core State Standards are intended to raise the bar for students and prepare them to compete in a global economy.

“Gov. Bush just made a comment this week that summed up exactly the way I feel about Common Core,” Browning said, adding he echoed those statements in a letter he sent to Scott. “Gov. Bush said, ‘If you’re ok with mediocrity, fine. I’m not,” Browning said.

“What our current standards really encourage our kids to do is memorize and regurgitate. Common Core is calling for kids to think critically,” Browning said.

Pasco County needs improvement.

“Look at our FCAT scores. Look at our reading scores. Look at our math scores. Look at our science scores,” he said. “They’re abominable. They really are.”

Pasco is ranked 34th out of 67 school districts, and that’s something that has to be improved, he said.

“I am tired of the Pasco district playing second fiddle to other districts in the state,” Browning added.

Teachers have a difficult job, he said.

“We’re getting kids in school that don’t know their alphabet. They don’t know simple words. We’re having to get these kids up to grade level,” Browning said.

About 450 third-graders each year are held back in Pasco County because they cannot read at grade level. Some of those students are held back twice, Browning said.

“When a third-grader is retained two times, you can pretty much write them off,” he said. And while the district doesn’t actually write them off, those children face an uphill battle.

“They’re older, they see their peers moving forward. They begin to think that they’re stupid, they can’t learn,” Browning said. “They’re taller than other third-graders. They don’t fit.”

Common Core State Standards are not a new idea, Browning said.

“This has been going on for like six years,” he said. “There were public hearings. There was time for input. There was all this time for public involvement.”

People who want to learn more about Common Core should research the issue, he said. But when they do, he advised that they make sure the websites are reliable.

“With all due respect to radio talk show hosts, that is not a good place to get information from,” Browning said.

Hugh Townsend, who was attending the Republican club’s meeting, said uniform standards are a good idea, particularly in a mobile society. The military has already demonstrated that.

“They’ve already proven that this system works, migrating children around and getting the same outcome of a well-educated, thinking student,” Townsend said.

Alison Crumbley, a Pasco County school board member, said she knows from personal experience about different standards used in different school districts.

“I moved from Chicago in the third grade. I came into third grade. I was put in the sixth-grade reading classes at the time,” Crumbley said.

The disparity in educational opportunities was one of the things that motivated her to seek a seat on the school board, Crumbley said.

RPE comes to Pasco, bringing high-tech jobs with it

October 2, 2013 By Michael Hinman

When John Hagen made his quarterly report to Pasco County Commissioners earlier this year, he wasn’t sure 2013 would end on an upswing for new jobs created in the county.

But the fiscal year ended Monday, and Hagen — the president and chief executive of the Pasco Economic Development Council — has good news: More than 600 high-wage jobs have been created this year, well beyond any expectations.

And the growth was capped by Retail Process Engineering LLC moving its operations from Tampa to the Offices of Devonwood off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes, expected to bring 16 new jobs to the county with an average salary of $105,000.

Retail Process Engineering moved into its new location at Devonwood off State Road 54 over the weekend. The company bought the space in April, and plans to add 16 high-wage jobs to the area. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

“Things are definitely looking up,” Hagen said. “We still have some challenges, but we do feel the momentum is here as activity’s been picking up. It bodes well for the upcoming year.”

A company related to RPE purchased the 4,100-square-foot location at 20537 Amberfield Drive in April for $500,000, according to property records. The company had looked at locations in Tampa and Pinellas County as well, but realized that Pasco was a good fit, said executive vice president Rob Henneke. It didn’t hurt that he and many other people who work at RPE already lived in Pasco County.

“Certainly drive time made a difference for a number of us, as well as certain taxes and some of the incentives that Pasco County was offering,” Henneke said. “It’s certainly a more relaxed atmosphere here compared to Tampa, and we’re still what I consider to be very close to the airport, which is very important to us and our clients.”

RPE was founded in 1999 and specializes in strategic, functional and technical consulting for retail merchandising and supply chain services, primarily when it comes to information technology. The new jobs — which could earn RPE a cash incentive of up to $5,000 per new job payable over four years — would be for those who have at least 15 years of retail experience willing to take on a consultant role for the company, Henneke said.

RPE is the fourth technology company to move operations to Pasco County this past year. It joined financial services technology firm InvestCloud, security camera technology company Communication Concepts Inc., and software developer MB2x.

And there’s still room for more, Hagen said. A recent report by the EDC showed of the 7.5 million square feet of existing office space in the county, 15 percent of it — or 1.1 million square feet — is still available. That’s enough to fit six Walmart Supercenters.

“All you have to do is stand on the corner of State Road 56 and Interstate 75, or even State Road 54 and the Suncoast Parkway, and watch all the traffic every morning going south,” Hagen said. “Having commuted myself, I just realized what a drag it is. So I know there are a lot of other people out there who are trying to one way or another bring their business closer to where they live.”

RPE services clients around the country and into Canada as well in places like Toronto and Newfoundland.

“We have a very good reputation out there in the marketplace,” Henneke said. “As we are able to get the message across of who we are, we’re seeing more and more clients choosing to use our services. And with that, we’ll just keep expanding.”

Pasco Schools’ five-year building plan gets OK

October 2, 2013 By B.C. Manion

When Sanders Memorial Elementary School reopens in 2015-16, the Land O’ Lakes campus will have an entirely new look. It’s undergoing a $16.9 million renovation.

Quail Hollow Elementary School in Wesley Chapel is undergoing a $10.5 million makeover. It, too, is expected to reopen in 2015-16.

Quail Hollow Elementary School was closed at the end of last school year to enable the school district to renovate the school. The school was built at a time when open classrooms were in vogue. Classrooms will have windows, walls and doors when the project is completed. It is expected to reopen for the 2015-16 school year. (File photo)

Work already is underway on a new gymnasium at Stewart Middle School in Zephyrhills. That $4.6 million project is slated for completion in time for next school year, said Chris Williams, director of planning services for Pasco County Schools.

Those are just three of the scores of projects contained in the $192 million five-year work plan approved by the Pasco County School Board on Sept. 17.

One big-ticket item on the list is an $18.8 million elementary school planned in Wiregrass, which is earmarked for the 2014-15 school year.

The district also expects to spend $10.7 million to acquire school sites and $10 million on school buses within the next five years.

One of those sites is on the south side of State Road 54, across from the Ballantrae subdivision, in Land O’ Lakes.

Another elementary and high school are also expected to be needed to serve the Land O’ Lakes and Trinity areas in the future, Williams said.

It typically takes about 12 to 15 months to build an elementary school, about 18 months to build a middle school and about 18 to 24 months to build a high school, Williams said. That’s not counting all of the other work that must be done to get a school ready for construction, including design, site work and so on.

The district’s five-year work plan includes money to build or renovate schools, add classrooms, acquire new sites and complete sizable maintenance projects.

Some other notable projects on the district’s five-year plan include:

• West Zephyrhills Elementary School, a major renovation between 2014 and 2016, at an estimated cost of $8.2 million.

• Cox Elementary School, a $6.8 million makeover including a new cafeteria, removal of concrete portables, replacement of its old windows, parking and traffic improvements, and a new security system, slated for 2016-17.

• Pasco Elementary School, a major makeover in 2017-18, for an estimated $5.9 million.

• Woodland Elementary School, a $4.8 million upgrade to the school’s air-conditioning, heating and ventilation systems, anticipated in 2016-17.

• John Long Middle School, eight additional classrooms at an estimated cost of $4.4 million, expected to begin in 2017-18.

• Pasco High School, new bleachers, a concession stand, public restrooms and lockers, for an estimated $2.6 million in 2015-16.

• San Antonio Elementary School, upgrades in the heating, air-conditioning and ventilation systems estimated at $1.25 million, expected in 2014-15.

Dozens of schools in east and central Pasco will also get facility improvement under the district’s five-year plan.

More than $11.2 million in roofing work is scheduled over the next five years, including projects at Land O’ Lakes High School, Moore-Mickens Education Center, Pine View Middle School and West Zephyrhills.

The district has also allocated more than $9 million for technology infrastructure upgrades, including projects at Centennial Elementary and Centennial Middle schools.

District plans also include nearly $7.4 million on heating, ventilation and air-conditioning work, including projects at Pine View, Stewart and Weightman middle schools, and Sunlake, Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills high schools.

More than $4.5 million in athletic improvements are also planned across the district, including projects at Centennial, Rushe, John Long, Pasco and Weightman middle schools, and Land O’ Lakes, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel High, Wiregrass Ranch and Zephyrhills high schools.

Cafeteria renovations totaling more than $6.4 million are planned, including work at Chester Taylor, Fox Hollow, Lake Myrtle, Cox, West Zephyrhills and Woodland elementary schools; Pasco, Pine View and Weightman middle schools; and, at Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills high schools.

Dozens of schools in east and central Pasco will be getting safety improvements, parking improvements, electrical upgrades, alarms, telephone and intercom repairs and closed-circuit television projects. A slew of painting projects are planned, too.

The district also plans to do playground renovation projects at about two-dozen schools in east and central Pasco, out of the $1.1 million the district has earmarked for projects in that category.

The district has also allocated $527,080 for energy retrofits, which will include two-dozen schools in east and central Pasco for those projects.

Some projects made it onto the district’s list, but have not yet received funding.

• $4.4 million to add a classroom addition at Wiregrass Ranch High

• $20.6 million to renovate Land O’ Lakes High

• $22.4 million to renovate Zephyrhills High

• $4.1 million to renovate San Antonio Elementary

Some projects on the district’s list are not funded, but sales tax proceeds from Penny for Pasco are expected to cover it, Williams said.

Joseph Grimaudo leads Dancing with our Stars winners

October 2, 2013 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

All Smiles Tampa Bay were all smiles when it came to awards at this year’s Dancing with our Stars competition.

The company won overall star at the competition, hosted by the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 21, as well as best costume, most original and most entertaining honors. Taking part in that winning effort for All Smiles were Dr. Joseph Grimaudo, Nicole Eppers and Sonia Salazer.

Robert and Edda Gilbert from Mind Your Business Now won most-committed dancers, while Tiffany Yip from Get a Group Total Fitness sold the most tickets for the fundraising event.

David Gainer of DigitalBrainz and Ann Poonkasem of AnnPonline.com were tied for most congenial, while Dr. John and Melissa Mertz of Mertz Orthodontics were selected as the people’s choice.

The best dance award went to Elisabeth Shaner-Flach with Scott Parlett from BallywhoSocial, while Kelly Mothershead of A Focus on Fitness was named a shining star.

The event was put together with a team of volunteers as well as stage manager Shelly Acevedo of Broadway Dancesations, and Meredyth Censullo, who served as the mistress of ceremonies.

The dance professionals who helped choreograph and teach the dancers included Wendy LaRosa, Terri Dusek, Gina Marchica, Grace Badillo, Roberto Lira, Tamesis Cruz, Leo Florin, Stacey Enyart, Nicole John, Acevedo, Hector Quiles, Frank Sliwa, and Richard and Laurie Collett.

Backstage artists were Jane Case, Ellen Castellani, Lisa Rogers, HairStyle Salon and Star’s Organic Spa.

For more information on how to become a dancer in next year’s event, call Carla Collier at (813) 345-8580, or email .