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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Free scallop sorters available for Pasco scallop season

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Scallop seekers are being offered a tool to help them know when to keep scallops and when to toss them back into the water to let them grow for another year. Experience Florida’s Sports Coast is providing the sorters for free, in an effort to promote sustainable scalloping. (Courtesy of Experience Florida’s Sports Coast)

Experience Florida’s Sports Coast is offering free Scallop Sorters to scallopers, in an effort to encourage sustainable scalloping practices in Pasco County, according to a county news release.

The free Scallop Sorters are available at the Florida’s Sports Coast office, 1938 Duck Slough Blvd., in Trinity, during regular business hours.

There is a limit of two per family, while supplies last.

The Scallop Sorter tool, developed by the UF/IFAS Extension Florida Sea Grant, helps to keep smaller, underdeveloped scallops from being harvested.

Pasco County’s scallop season began on July 1 and runs through Aug. 6.

“Promoting sustainable tourism is important to our Florida’s Sports Coast team and to our destination offerings, such as scalloping,” Florida’s Sports Coast Director Adam Thomas, said in the release. “As we gear up for the launch of our 37-day scalloping season this summer, we’re encouraging first-time and returning scallopers to use ethical practices to help ensure the health and quality of our Bay Scallop population for years to come.”

The Scallop Sorter is easy to use. Simply place the tool above each scallop to check its size. If it’s too small, toss the scallop back so it can have a chance to grow for another scallop season, the release says.

For more information, visit FlSportsCoast.com/scalloping for tips on enjoying Pasco’s Bay Scallop Season.

Published July 12, 2023

Pasco County Schools names new communications director

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Pasco County Schools has hired Melanie Waxler as its new director of strategic communications.

She replaces Steve Hegarty, the district’s public information officer, who retired from the district’s top communications post on June 20.

In announcing Waxler’s appointment and Hegarty’s departure, Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning noted Waxler’s extensive communications background and said he’s excited about the positive impact he believes she will have in the district.

But he also took a few minutes to thank Hegarty, noting that he marveled at Hegarty’s impressive work ethic, his calming influence and his sense of humor.

He noted that Hegarty took over leadership of district communications at the beginning of COVID and played a key role in helping to communicate the district’s response to the pandemic.

Hegarty also was heavily involved in crisis communications, Browning said.

The superintendent said the vast majority of Hegarty’s time was devoted to dealing with crises that occurred in the district, “generally because some kid made a stupid choice and posted something very stupid on social media.”

“They should know better. It disrupts our educational environment,” Browning said.

Browning said he appreciated Hegarty’s sage counsel, noting there were times he wanted to say something, but thought better of it, after talking to Hegarty.

“I always knew that when Steve told me something, I could take it to the bank,” the superintendent said.

Published July 12, 2023

Girls giving back, globally and locally

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Tanvi Handoo doesn’t mind picking up trash at a local beach.

She knows that as she removes garbage from a sandy shore here, her actual reach is global.

From left, members of the Tampa chapter Girls Give Back organization, Land O’ Lakes High seniors Chloe Stout and Tanvi Handoo and Wiregrass Ranch High senior Meghna Manjith took part in a community service project at Ben T. Davis Beach in Tampa, as part of the chapter’s initiative. Handoo is the Tampa chapter president of Girls Give Back, a global organization that provides a platform and space for girls to become leaders by tackling social issues such as women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, human trafficking and homelessness. (Mike Camunas)

Handoo, a senior at Land O’ Lakes High, started the Tampa chapter of Girls Give Back — a global nonprofit that provides a platform and space for girls to become leaders in their communities and beyond. They raise awareness about social issues through community projects and services. They also connect throughout the world to discuss injustices, allowing these young women to cultivate skills to become  leaders in their own communities.

“We try to find an area where we can come together and say, ‘I’ve noticed this in my area and community and I want to do something about it,’” Handoo said. “(It’s) where we do projects that raise money or awareness or both — and our group gives us the platform to do this and a place for young women to come together.

“And, from a global role, to get young women from around the world to hear each other, to talk to each other and see their perspectives and voices and realize that there are other young women out there, just like them, that feel just like them and that they can connect with,” she added.

Remarkably, Handoo started her Girls Give Back (GGB) chapter when she was a freshman, during the height of the COVID pandemic. At that time, it was a lot of online meetings and discussions until she could get to community projects and build up membership.

Each chapter plans and carries out events that are tailored to address the disparities and issues in their own communities. 

Wiregrass Ranch High senior Meghna Manjith, left, and Land O’ Lakes senior Chloe Stout, right, help pick up trash during a Girls Give Back Tampa Chapter community service project on June 24.

Some events Handoo and her chapter have planned and executed include a Feminine Hygiene Drive for women and abuse victims; a “Moving FL Forward” forum with chapters across Florida; a global forum with the India chapter about the COVID crisis in India; beach cleanups; creating and mailing cards to kids at St. Jude’s Hospital; and the EQ4U series — webinars serving as a safe space for Tampa youth to discuss setbacks in mental health and learn about scientifically proven, healthy coping mechanisms.

Additionally, Handoo co-founded the India Chapter of GGB, was promoted to GGB Global Ambassador (second hand to founder, Salma Murphy) and led and participated in a multitude of events.

“A lot of us are very passionate about social justice advocacy, and we all have our range of passions,” Handoo said. “Be it mental health, feminism, climate justice — and this (group) allows them to become a leader and they don’t have to be a specific gender or identity or background to be a leader in their community or to create change.

“Anyone who is passionate about making a difference and change, can join,” she said.

As of now, the Tampa chapter has 15 members with nearly all of them coming from Pasco County schools, such as Land O’ Lakes and Wiregrass Ranch.

Girls Give Back Tampa Chapter founder Tanvi Handoo, a senior at Land O’ Lakes High, picks up trash along Ben T. Davis Beach in Tampa during a community service initiative.

Globally, GGB is trying to expand more, including creating middle-school aged chapters, she said.

Handoo only started “recruiting” new members at the beginning of 2023, however, she quickly found other like-minded young women.

“I thought it was very interesting to have a global group that focused on making change in our communities,” said Wiregrass Ranch senior Meghna Manjith, a longtime friend of Handoo. “GGB is so broad and it has all these chapters and you can reach out to members, so it’s very diverse with plenty of resources. … And with the projects, you come into the community and interact with members of the community — it’s just helping everyone out and it makes that much bigger of an impact.”

Manjith said she is passionate about raising awareness on human trafficking in her community, including running Teens Battle Human Trafficking, a student-organization at her school.

Handoo, for her part, is passionate about feminism and fighting “sexism and gender bias in my own community.”

“Especially,” she added, “with my parents being Indian immigrants, so I’ve seen it in my home country and in America and it’s something that I’ve seen from a young age and continue to see.”

Another member, fellow Land O’ Lakes senior Chloe Stout, is deeply interested in speaking up for all social injustices, as long as all women’s voices are heard.

“I think it’s important to empower women and bring light to their struggles,” Stout said. “We need to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard, so people are not made to feel less than others or inferior.

“I think, as a group, we do a good job at that and that everyone is aware of the important topics and being able to talk to other women about these topics.”

As for Handoo, and her Tampa chapter, it’s all about reaching out — to support one another.

“Honestly, I think there’s a lot of people, girls and boys, that are passionate about these types of things, but aren’t encouraged to be active in their community,” she said. “I think about all those out there, and they have no voice, but we can come together and be a part of something that supports one another and do great things together.”

Girls Give Back Tampa Chapter
Details: Girls Give Back Global (GGB) was founded in May 2020 by Salma Murphy in Boston and quickly expanded to become a national and global non-profit. GGB provides a platform and space for girls to become leaders in their communities and beyond. The girls are able to lead projects they’re passionate about that target issues unique to their community, but also are able to lead global impact projects — while connecting with other passionate young women across the globe.
For more information, or to join the Tampa chapter, contact Tanvi Handoo at and visit the chapter’s Instagram: @ggbtampa.
For more information, visit www.girlsgivebackglobal.com.

Published July 04, 2023

State budget includes $1.5 million for sidewalks near Pasco schools

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The Florida Legislature approved $1.5 million — which was preserved in the state budget — to pay for sidewalks near some Pasco County schools where parents complained about unsafe walking conditions.

The lack of sidewalks in numerous communities became more apparent last year, after Pasco County School Board dropped courtesy busing for students in grades six through 12, who live within 2 miles from school.

State budget includes $1.5 million for sidewalks near Pasco schools (Mike Camunas)

The district’s action prompted an outcry from parents, who told district administrators and the board that they are concerned about their children’s safety because they have to walk in areas without sidewalks or street lights.

They also described conditions they believe are dangerous for their children and said they can’t give their kids a ride to and from school because they have to be at work.

Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman took on the issue and worked with the school district’s staff to seek funding from the legislature.

State Rep. Kevin Steele and State Sen. Danny Burgess sought $2 million in funding — and received approval of $1.5 million to provide sidewalks that will benefit students and residents living near Pine View Middle, Pine View Elementary and Denham Oaks Elementary.

During the Pasco County Commision’s June 20 meeting, Weightman expressed gratitude to the state lawmakers and the school district for helping to secure the funding.

“This is a great win for our school kids,” Weightman said.

He noted that when he was on the campaign trail, that he, along with Commissioner Gary Bradford heard the message loud and clear about sidewalks being needed.

Weightman noted that “courtesy busing is probably not coming back any time soon,” and bus drivers remain in short supply.

The county board member urged Pasco County Administrator Mike Carballa to get the sidewalks built as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, Weightman is delighted that the appropriations request he made, as a freshman county board member, received funding. He thanked the county’s lobbyists and every member of the Pasco legislative delegation for helping to make it happen.

“It’s exciting. It’s exciting for me. It’s exciting for our school kids and our community,” Weightman said.

Published July 04, 2023

Pasco board approves county-initiated plan for Odessa Town Centre

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The Pasco County Commission has adopted a land use change, setting the stage for Odessa Town Centre — a development area that is expected to include light industrial, business park, mixed-use office, retail and high-density residential uses.

The county took the lead of this planning effort because of concerns about the potential for piecemeal development on about 81.5 acres at the southwest corner of Gunn Highway and State Road 54.

The approved plan is the result of about two years of work, including community meetings and efforts of county planners and an outside consultant. The idea was to create a cohesive approach to future development — while allowing existing  property owners to keep their current rights. Existing property owners that wish to redevelop in the future will need to abide by conditions adopted for the Odessa Town Centre planned development.

The southwest corner of State Road 54 and Gunn Highway, is expected to become the future home of Odessa Town Centre, as a result of Pasco County initiated land-use change. (Mike Camunas)

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey led the effort for the county-initiated land use change.

“This will be very good for the community, and the county and residents,” Starkey said. 

Without a big-picture plan, she feared the development of individual properties at the site would lack cohesion.

During a previous county board meeting, Starkey also noted mounting development pressures in the area: “They (potential developers) are circling, circling around.”

Herbert Heap, a resident with property in the affected area, confirmed developers’ intensifying interest in the area.

“I’ve had quite a few people contact me … You won’t believe, I betcha I’ve got about 100 letters, phone calls, people contacting me. Matter of fact, I’ve had to block some of them,” said Heap, who owns land on Old Gunn Highway and Blissfield Road.

“I just want to know, are you going to run me out of there, or what,” he asked during the county board’s June 20 meeting.

At the same session, Starkey told her colleagues: “What we did, in doing this, was to increase their property values. But not everybody understands how development works. It’s complicated, especially in this kind of plan.”

She suggested to Heap: “Why don’t you come to my office and we’ll help you.”

Heap said he just wants someone who will speak with him honestly.

“We’ve got that big tower up on the corner, we’ve got a lot of vultures on it. Well, we’ve got vultures circling my property, circling me,” he said.

Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman asked what assurance the county would have with the land being designated for commercial or industrial uses instead of being developed as multifamily, as is permitted under the recently passed state Senate Bill 102.

Chief Assistant County Attorney David Goldstein said that law applies to a site’s zoning, not land-use designation, an issue that won’t come up until the zoning phase.

Goldstein added: “All of these have to go through me. I don’t let staff rezone to commercial/industrial, without addressing this issue.”

The county board voted 5-0 to approve the Odessa Town Centre land-use change.

In a related action, the board approved a rezoning request from a Miami-based mixed-used developer to create a project on about 20 acres on the western portion of the Odessa Town Centre area. County board members approved a request to rezone the land from general commercial and agricultural residential to a master-planned unit development.

The site is approximately 2,083 feet west of the southwest corner of the intersection of Gunn Highway and State Road 54. The new development is expected to have 12,000 square feet of commercial/office space and 320 multi-family units.

The office and retail will be the ground floor of a multi-story building, with apartments above it.

In addition to the vertical mixed-use buildings along the State Road 54 frontage, the master-planned development will include interconnected streets, trails and sidewalks to create a network for pedestrian/bicycle activity within the larger Odessa Town Center area.

Published July 04, 2023

Pasco names a new libraries director

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A familiar face is returning to Pasco County Libraries to assume leadership of the nationally recognized branch of county government.

The Pasco County Commission on June 20 confirmed the appointment of Sean McGarvey to the top post, at an annual salary of $125,000.

Cathy Pearson, an assistant county administrator who oversees the county’s libraries, introduced McGarvey to the board.

The Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, at 2818 Collier Parkway, in Land O’ Lakes, attracts patrons from across the county. It underwent a complete renovation that includes a new look, updated technology and more meeting spaces. (File)

“He worked with us from 2013 to 2019, as one of our library administrators,” she said. 

Pearson told the board that McGarvey has considerable library experience and IT knowledge. He left for a four-year stint to work at Hillsborough Public Libraries and is now returning to Pasco to serve as the library system’s director.

During his previous experience in Pasco, McGarvey led library operations projects including contract negotiations, grant execution, major IT system upgrades, personnel management, collection development, and facilities safety and security, according to background information in the board’s agenda packet.
He has also helped plan, fund and execute a general obligation bond vote campaign with Pasco County administration to remodel all county libraries in 2018.

McGarvey has collaborated with a number of organizations to implement new internal and external partnerships, including creating Pasco County’s first drone program, a first-in-the-nation library robotics team and a grant to distribute laptops to families in need.

The county board voted 5-0 to confirm McGarvey’s selection.

Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman told McGarvey he agreed with sentiments that were previously expressed by his colleague, Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

Weightman would like to see a rebranding of the county’s library system, with an emphasis of maximizing their potential.

“What is a library today? What kind of resources can it bring? What kind of out-of-the-box thinking can we use these fantastic facilities for?” Weightman said. “What can we do to take our library system to the next level?”

Starkey said she’d like McGarvey to visit AmSkills, which focuses on equipping people with skills needed by today’s workforce. She’d also like McGarvey to revive the robotics team and spread it across the county.

Starkey said she thinks the county’s libraries need to be renamed, to reflect their role as community centers.

She’d also like to see an expansion of their use.

“Why not have more activities at these centers on the weekends and in the evenings?”

“We can do a lot more on these properties,” she said, adding she’d like to see playgrounds added at each library.

Starkey said she’d be interested in hearing what McGarvey learned in Hillsborough County that can be brought to Pasco.

The updated Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, at 2818 Collier Parkway, in Land O’ Lakes, features an ample space for children’s activities.

The Florida Libraries Association (FLA) recently named the Pasco County Libraries system as the state’s Library of the Year, during the 2023 FLA awards ceremony.

On its website, the FLA reported that: “The Pasco County Library System provides innovative services, materials, programs, instructional classes, and informational events relevant to their populations.

“Most notably, the creative development of their library spaces has earned them the Library of the Year award. 

“An ambitious makerspace initiative with heavy citizen input has added a custom makerspace to almost every library branch in the system. From ‘The Foundry’ woodshop at the Land O’ Lakes Library to the ‘Regency Fresh Test Kitchen’ in New Port Richey, citizens now have open access spaces to gather, learn new skills, and share ideas. 

“The system’s newest branch, the Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center (in Odessa) has multiple makerspaces and a 250-seat theater shared with the K-8 school next door.

“These unique spaces and their top-quality staff promote access to information, community, education, and culture throughout Pasco County and provide a blueprint of the 21st century Florida library.”

McGarvey said he actually shared ideas from Pasco with Hillsborough’s library system.

Noting the Pasco library system’s success, Commissioner Ron Oakley said he’ll be interested in seeing how McGarvey builds on that.

Oakley also noted how important the county’s libraries are to its residents.

Whenever one is closed for renovations, patrons can’t wait for them to reopen, Oakley said. He pointed to the Hugh Embry Branch Library in Dade City, as a recent example.

Published July 04, 2023

Sharing an insider’s look at building a hospital

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BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel opened in March, and Becky Schulkowski, the hospital’s president, recently discussed the various challenges that go into opening a new hospital during the breakfast meeting of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce. (FILE)

When it comes to opening a new hospital, there are millions of details to consider.

Just ask Becky Schulkowski, president of BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel, 

“If somebody had told me what it was really like to open a hospital, I’d have thought twice about accepting the job. It was the hardest, most stressful and most incredible thing I’ve ever done in my career,” Schulkowski told the crowd at a recent North Tampa Bay Chamber breakfast meeting.

There are challenges one might not consider.

For instance, when a hospital is under construction, since it’s not possible to be in the building yet, visualizing how the building will function is key, she said.

“You have to think of everything  you’re going to do in the building,” she said.

So, it’s a matter of taking printed floor plans and attempting to convert them, mentally, into three-dimensional spaces, and then to include the patient’s perspective, while figuring out how the building will function, she explained.

“How is the patient going to come into our ER? Once they do, how are we going to get them to that MRI? How are we going to get them upstairs?

“I am not a creative type, so it was extremely difficult for me to take those printed plans and try to visualize what it really meant,” Schulkowski added.

To help prepare for patients, staff began working in the building in December.

That gave them time to practice how the building would be used.

“We drilled and we trained and we literally had people in stretchers and we pushed them through the hallways and we were like, ‘No, you actually can’t get there from here, we’ve got to do it a different way.’”

It was a lot of figuring it out, the hospital leader said.

“You think you know how it’s going to work, then you get in the building — you realize you have to change it. The patients show up and you realize, you have to tweak it some more,” she said.

It also was important to set the right tone, she added.

Becky Schulkowski, president of BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel, is seen here during BayCare Wesley Chapel’s community open house. (FILE)

“As we were introducing BayCare to the community, the very first thing I wanted our community to see is our values, and our commitment of taking care of the community,” she said.

There’s a sculpture in a prominent spot outside of the building etched with the words representing BayCare’s values.

“Dignity, excellence, respect, responsibility, and trust — that’s what you can expect when you come to a BayCare facility,” the hospital executive said.

When people arrive at the hospital, she wants them to feel at ease.

“We put a lot of thought into what the facility looked like, what you feel when you walk in.

“I’ve been working in hospitals and health care for over 20 years. I walk into a hospital, it feels like home.

“Most people don’t feel that way. (For) most people coming into a hospital — it’s unnerving. You’re scared. Your family member is sick. Maybe it’s some kind of emergency, having surgery.

“We wanted to make you feel calm, welcomed and that we were going to take care of you,” she said.

Having the right team is crucial, too, Schulkowski said.

The hospital president and the other three members of her executive team represent a total of more than 70 combined years in BayCare’s system, she said.

“We spent a lot of time as a leadership team: How are we going to embody that every single day? We did a lot of work on visioning and culture building.

“We had set questions for every single team member interview that we did, because if you were going to work at BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel, you had to have the same mindset of the leadership team and give that most incredible care to every person who sets foot in our building,” she said.

The talent acquisition team used social media to attract applicants and held a hiring fair. The hospital was able to meet its hiring needs of slightly more than 270 full-time equivalent positions, which works out to about 350 individual people including part-time and labor pool roles.

It helped that the hospital is part of the BayCare system. About 45% of Schulkowski’s staff came from another BayCare location.

“I think one of the things that worked in our favor is that we were the shiny new building. Everybody wants to come and work in the shiny new building, right?”

BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel

Where: 4501 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Wesley Chapel

Quick facts:

  • Opened March 7
  • 318,000-square-foot building on a 40-acre site
  • 86 private rooms, including 12 intensive care unit beds,
  • 20 Emergency Room beds.
  • Cost: $246 million

Details: BayCare Wesley Chapel offers comprehensive medical services and health care resources, including an emergency department, an intensive care unit with virtual-monitoring beds, diagnostic services such as imaging and lab, and surgical services. Patient rooms are Alexa-enabled. Patients can ask Alexa to play music, turn on the TV, turn off the TV; raise the blinds, lower the blinds; change the temperature; and, of course, call the nurse.

Published on June 28, 2023.

Railing together for train fun

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Train enthusiasts and visitors to Dade City Heritage Museum wave as a CSX locomotive passes and the conductor waves back, at Railfan Friday on June 16. Dozens of train and rail fans come to not only discuss trains and video and photograph the handful of trains that pass by, but also see the three scale model train layouts in the J.R. Hubbard Memorial Train Room, learn more of the train history at the museum, which is a former Atlantic Coastline Train Depot and see the train vendors on hand to sell model trains and other train paraphernalia. (MIKE CAMUNAS)

A train whistle blows in the distance and everyone scatters to get into place.

They’re train enthusiasts and they’re vying for the best spot to video and photograph as a CSX locomotive pulls dozens of cars down the track that runs parallel to the U.S. 98 Bypass., and just mere feet away from the Dade City Heritage Museum.

This group enjoys all kinds of trains — both full-scale and model-scale locomotives, cars and cabooses.

With each gathering of Railfan Friday, the number of event-goers increases at the museum that embraces its train roots and history, as the building housing the museum was a former Atlantic Coastline Train Depot.

“We used to only do it once a year, but the response and feedback has been overwhelming that we hold (Railfan Friday) more often,” said Joy Lynn, the museum’s founder. “We did one in the spring and were looking at doing one about every four to six weeks, but the turnout is always so good that we know we’ll end up doing it again.”

During Railfan Friday, visitors can enjoy everything the museum has to offer, at no charge.

There are food vendors on hand, as well as others selling model trains and other train paraphernalia.

When train enthusiasts and locals aren’t camping out waiting for the next train to pass by, they’re inside enjoying the impressive J.R. Hibbard Memorial Train Room, which features three scale model train layouts.

The largest of the layouts — still a work in progress — is set to replicate the town of Dade City, right down to models of historic businesses and buildings all over the city.

One of the three scale model train layouts J.R. Hubbard Memorial Train Room inside the Dade City Heritage Museum is being designed to look like the town of Dade City and eventually will feature models that look like the city’s historic buildings and businesses. (MIKE CAMUNAS)

Lynn says the plan is for the business to sponsor their own building, as the Train Room runs on donations from visitors or Railfan Fridays.

“It’s taking some time and you see some of them already, like the Historic Courthouse, but eventually, there will be a Lanky Lassie’s and American Pizza Oven or Kafe Kokopelli down there, just like in downtown,” she said.

The latest Railfan Friday, on June 16, saw more than a hundred visitors, including popular train aficionado, Danny Harmon, who has an extensive train following on YouTube.

The former train depot now-turned museum was the first site in Pasco County to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places in July 1994. The tracks that run closest to the depot were the first to reach Dade City in 1887.

Much of the building has been maintained in its original state, aside from some federally funded minor renovations in 1996-1997.

Jeanette Wallace, who came from Lakeland to Dade City for Railfan Friday at Dade City Heritage Museum, films as a CSX train goes down the track that runs parallel to the U.S. 98 Bypass. (MIKE CAMUNAS)

The station was preserved and reopened as a tourist destination in 2008 and became the 501(c)3 nonprofit and solely-volunteer-run Dade City Heritage Museum in 2018. It houses artifacts, photographs, documents and records of historic places and longtime residents of Dade City. The museum consists of a main exhibition space, a model train room, and a Community Archive and Reading Room.

J.R. Hubbard Memorial Train Room

Where: Located inside Dade City Heritage Museum, 14206 U.S. 98 Bypass, Dade City

Details: Features three scale model train layouts that were all donated by local Dade City residents, and includes models that will represent buildings and businesses located throughout Dade City.

Info: Visit DadeCityHeritageMuseum.org

Published on June 28, 2023.

From left: Dade City siblings Darla, Eloise, Everett and Abigale Hedgecock watch as a train passes by the Dade City Heritage Museum on the U.S. 98 Bypass. They counted how many cars the locomotive pulled down the track. (MIKE CAMUNAS)
Savannah, left, and Korbin Stuart, of Inverness, play along the track, trying to feel vibrations from incoming trains that will travel past the Dade City Heritage Museum on U.S. 98. (MIKE CAMUNAS)
Ryleigh LeBlanc, of Dade City, looks, but still doesn’t touch while enthusiastically checking out one of the three scale model train layouts in the J.R. Hubbard Memorial Train Room. (MIKE CAMUNAS)
Sumadhva Hebbani, a Tampa resident who is a train enthusiast, eagerly looks over train model locomotives on sale inside the Dade City Heritage Museum during Railfan Friday on June 16. (MIKE CAMUNAS)
David Schock, left, and his son, Evan, enjoy watching a model train make its way around a very large layout intended to resemble Dade City. The model train was running on June 16, in the J.R. Hubbard Memorial Train Room, at the Dade City Heritage Museum. (MIKE CAMUNAS)
One of the three scale model train layouts in the J.R. Hubbard Memorial Train room is set to replicate the town of Dade City. (MIKE CAMUNAS)

New rules apply to wireless devices in schools

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Stock art

Pasco County Schools has adopted a new policy relating to wireless communications devices.

In essence, the policy requires:

  • Students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade keep their wireless communication devices (WCDs) on silent mode and completely out of view for the entire school day.
  • Students in grades six through eight keep their devices on silent mode and out of view throughout the school day, except for during the student’s lunch period, or when expressly authorized by a classroom teacher for a specific instructional activity.
  • Students in grades nine through 12 keep their devices on silent mode and out of sight for the entire school day, except for during the student’s lunch period, in between class periods or as expressly authorized by a classroom teacher for a specific instructional activity.

As defined by the board’s policy, WCDs include peripheral devices such as headphones, earbuds and watches.

The school board adopted the policy at its June 20 meeting.

Materials in the board’s agenda packet note “the board is aware that WCDs are used by students and parents to communicate with each other. However, the use of WCDs on school grounds must be appropriately regulated to protect students, staff and the learning environment.”

The background materials added: “Whether intentional or not, WCDs can remove students socially, intellectually and emotionally from being present while at school or when involved with school-related activities.

“The district wants all students to have the greatest opportunity for face-to-face engagement with their teachers and peers, as not being presently focused can increase social and academic isolation issues. In addition, while the use of social media can be intentional and positive, it can also be used in a way that causes others to feel left out, judged, anxious and targeted. “Unfortunately, WCDs can also be used by students to initiate and perpetuate inappropriate and/or unlawful conduct that can disrupt the orderly operation of schools and jeopardize the health, safety and welfare of others in the school community,” the agenda materials say.

School board member Colleen Beaudoin raised objections to the part of the policy that prohibits elementary teachers from allowing students to wireless devices in connection with specific lessons.

But Superintendent Kurt Browning said, “There’s no need to have elementary school students with cell phones. It is incredibly rare that you will have a teacher in elementary school that is engaging kids on their personal devices.”

Initially, the superintendent said, “I wanted a scorched-earth approach — which is no cell phones anywhere, pre-K/12. That’s where I started.

“I became a little more lenient in middle school, which is grades six through eight, by saying, you can have them at lunch. And, in high school, I became a wee bit more lenient by saying you can have them not only at lunch, but also at passing (between class periods), but in no circumstances, will you take them out, whether you’re in first grade, or fifth grade, or sixth grade or 12th grade during instructional time,” he said.

The district is “spending an incredible amount of resources on support and supporting schools and curriculum,” Browning said. It has invested in instructional assistants, tutors and materials aimed at helping turn students around, he said.

“Yet, we have kids in some of our classrooms that stay wed to these things (WCDs),” Browning said.

But Beaudoin said she sees no reason to prevent elementary teachers from using the tool, when appropriate.

“I think we should treat our teachers as the professionals that they are and why would we take away an option from teachers who are using technology effectively?” Beaudoin said.

She thinks the policy sends the wrong message to elementary school teachers.

Browning responded: “At no time, when we crafted this policy, did I, as superintendent, or staff, want to impugn the professionalism of our staff or teachers in pre-K/5. That was never the case.”

Rather, he said, the focus was on the potential harm that wireless devices can cause.

Published on June 28, 2023.

Premier Soccer FC scores honor for excellence

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The Pasco County Commission recently honored the accomplishments of Florida Premier FC, an organization that’s been operating in the county for 44 years. From left are: Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley; Kristin Russell (goalkeeping director); Danielle Fotopoulos (elite clubs national league director); Pasco Commission Chairman Jack Mariano; Nathan Binder (soccer director); Ljubo Korda (girls director); Bosho Maric (chief operating officer); Pasco Commissioner Seth Weightman and Pasco Commissioner Kathryn Starkey. (Courtesy of Florida Premier FC)

In the beginning, Florida Premier FC was a small recreational neighborhood club, known as the West Pasco Soccer Association.

That was back in 1979, when the club was relatively unknown.

Since then, it has grown into one of the nation’s most successful youth soccer organizations, giving youths an opportunity to play recreational and competitive soccer — while at the same time giving the athletes an opportunity to develop a work ethic, form relationships and stay fit, according to a recently adopted resolution by the Pasco County Commission.

“Florida Premier FC strives to develop future leaders by teaching kids teamwork, respect, and values in a positive training environment, while developing necessary skills to have a successful future on and off the field,” according to the county board’s resolution, adopted on June 6.

The resolution details many of the soccer organization’s accomplishments.

For instance, “Florida Premier FC has proudly sent over 40 players to play NCAA soccer on athletic scholarships this year and has placed over 400 of their players in college as student athletes,” it says.

The organization also “hosts teams from all over the United States every weekend, invests in the community, and has a positive economic impact on Pasco County,” the resolution notes.

Beyond that, its soccer programs are highly successful.

“The boys and girls programs are ranked No. 1 in the state and Florida Premier FC

currently has seven teams competing for the national title at the highest youth soccer competition,” according to the resolution.

In addition to its tournaments, “Florida Premier FC provides a low-cost recreational soccer program so that all families have the opportunity to involve their children in the sport while also providing over $100,000 in hardship and scholarship money every year to kids in Pasco County,” the resolution says.

Florida Premier FC also hosts a no-cost program for disabled children in Pasco and provides free clinics in the community six times each year. Plus, it works with multiple nonprofit organizations, hosts fundraising events, and gives soccer balls to schools, according to the resolution.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Jack Mariano told his colleagues that his daughter knew she wouldn’t pursue playing Division 1 soccer, but enjoyed competing.

“She made the most of that opportunity,” he said.

“I will say the training, the camaraderie of going into a tournament and winning — the thrill of that is phenomenal,” Mariano said.

“Sports is just a great thing for the families. It’s great for the kids. It keeps them busy. It keeps them out of trouble. It keeps them motivated. It leads to great things to happen,” Mariano added.

The county board chairman was impressed by the number of scholarships associated with Premier Soccer FC.

“That’s phenomenal. I salute all of the work that you do,” Mariano said.

Nathan Bender, director of soccer at Florida Premier, responded to the board’s recognition.

“On behalf of Florida Premier, we want to thank the county commission — Kathryn Starkey, Jack Mariano, Seth Weightman, Ron Oakley and Gary Bradford — for all of you, and what you guys do, to elevate and push Pasco County forward, as the premier county in Florida.”

He thanked the county’s Parks and Recreation department, specifically mentioning Keith Wiley, Brian Taylor and their team.

“Without this team, we literally would not be able to do what we do,” Bender said.

Soccer players compete on a field at the Starkey Ranch District Park. Florida Premier FC, which began in 1979 as a small neighborhood club, hosts scores of soccer tournaments throughout the year. It has been instrumental in putting Pasco on the map among national soccer circles. (Courtesy of Mike Moore)

“They provided a world-class facility for our players and families to play on and impacted thousands of kids’ lives.

“We want to thank (County Administrator) Mike Carballa and (Assistant County Administrator) Cathy Pearson for all of the support to the club, and the community.”

He also expressed appreciation for the county’s tourism arm, Florida’s Sports Coast, and Adam Thomas, the county’s director of tourism and Consuelo Sanchez, sports development and tourism manager.

Each weekend, Florida Premier FC brings 80 teams and more than 5,000 people to Pasco County, Bender said.

“On a monthly basis, this brings in an impressive 360 teams and 20,480 people into our county.

“Over the course of a year, which is a 10-month season for us, our contributions are even more  impactful, with this year, 3,600 teams coming and 204,800 individuals coming to Pasco to play Florida Premier.

“We’re honored to consistently showcase the potential and the allure of Pasco County to all of those attending.

“We know that none of this impact would be possible without our partnership with Florida Sports Coast and with you,” Bender told the commissioners.

Florida Premier FC has come a long way since its inception at Mitchell Field, as just a small neighborhood club with a few teams, he said.

“We’ve been lucky enough to grow into one of the most successful and largest youth organizations in the entire country, and in the past year, have represented USA on an international stage, as well.

“As a non-for-profit club, as you mentioned, our mission is to serve the community in any way that we can.

“We want to enhance the lives of every member of Pasco County, through the beautiful game of soccer, through community engagement and through helping change young people’s lives, on and off the field.

“Each year, the club has been able to give over $100,000 in scholarships to players and families that are experiencing financial hardships and ensuring these young men and women can pursue their dreams and experience their dreams.

“We’ve been lucky enough to send 40 players this year alone, to play on an academic scholarship and continue their dream of playing collegiate soccer.

“This year we have 150-plus seniors graduating that will go on to attend university and colleges, many are the first person in their family to attend university and college,” Bender said.

Bender said he also appreciates the work that’s done by the Florida Premier FC board of directors to foster the organization’s success.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey noted that years ago, when her daughter wanted to play Division 1 soccer, she was forced elsewhere for training because there weren’t any opportunities in Pasco.

That’s no longer true today.

Published on June 28, 2023.