The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Improvements aim to make it easier to get in Land O’ Lakes High

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Road, sidewalk and parking improvements at Land O’ Lakes High, 20325 Gator Lane, will make it easier for students, parents, teachers and others to navigate on the campus this year.

The improvements recently were completed — just in time for the start of the 2023-2024 school year, which began Aug. 10.

Gator Lane is just off U.S. 41, also known as Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

Improvements have been on the Land O’ Lakes High School campus, which is next to Pasco County Schools’ administrative offices. Gator Lane has been repaved, more space for vehicle stacking has been added near the culinary arts building, an additional lane offers more options for drivers near U.S. 41 and Gator Lane, and there is more parking and a new sidewalk. (Mike Camunas)

The project added a lane near the high school’s culinary arts building, to provide more stacking space for vehicles, according to Principal Ric Mellin.

An additional lane has been added to allow for left-turn, straight and right-turn movements for vehicles leaving the campus, Mellin said.

There’s also a new sidewalk in front of Building 4 that leads out to U.S. 41 and a new parking lot surrounding the tennis courts, adding approximately 95 spaces.

The first phase of the project was completed in late April.

The earliest work included the installation of a new irrigation well and electrical components within fenced areas near the existing district portables. 

After the 2022-2023 school ended, the north lanes of Gator Lane were closed to all traffic while the south lanes remained open for temporary two-way traffic.

The roadway and surrounding areas then were prepared for the additional lanes, and the new parking lot was built.

The project is now entering its second phase, Mellin said.

The school district will be working with the Florida Department of Transportation on this phase, which includes a new traffic signal on U.S. 41 and relocating of the district’s monument sign.

The second phase is tentatively scheduled for completion in January 2024.

Published August 16, 2023

Schools across the region ring in a new school year

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Schools across The Laker/Lutz News region have begun or will soon begin the 2023-2024 academic year.

First-year crossing guard Patricia Welch holds traffic on Weeks Boulevard, as Lake Myrtle Elementary students exit their school on Aug. 10, the first day back in classrooms for Pasco County. (Mike Camunas)

Students in the Pasco and Hillsborough public school districts had their first day of school on Aug. 10.

Many scenes playing out across the Pasco school district were similar to ones that happen every school year.

Kids were hopping on their bikes to ride to campus, following the lead of crossing guards at crosswalks, or boarding a school bus.

Schools used signs to help welcome their first-day crowds.

Arriving students were eager to catch up with old friends and begin to make new ones.

This year, free breakfasts and lunches are being served in Pasco district schools.

The school board also has tightened up rules regarding the use of electronic devices.

New to the district this year is Angeline Academy of Innovation, a magnet school in Land O’ Lakes that welcomed its inaugural crop of students.

And those arriving at Land O’ Lakes High School, at Gator Lane and U.S. 41, found a host of improvements aimed at making it easier for them to get around.

Of course, it almost goes without saying that schools are in the business of helping individuals to expand their horizons through learning.

We, at The Laker/Lutz News, are extending our best wishes to all students, teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, other district staffers, school administrators, elected school district leaders, and parents for a 2023-2024 school year that’s stimulating, safe and fulfilling.

Published August 16, 2023

Lake Myrtle Elementary fifth-grader Kendall Cave, 10, walks her bike across Weeks Boulevard on Aug. 10, the official first day of school for Pasco County. Kendall, and thousands of other students made their way back to their respective elementary, middle and high schools throughout the district. This school year marked the inaugural year for Angeline Academy of Innovation, a magnet school in Land O’ Lakes.
Lake Myrtle Elementary kindergarten teacher Angela Proietto leads 5-year-old Liam Webb to his parents, who are eager to greet him following his first day of school.
Pine View Middle students climb aboard their departing school bus following the first day of school in Pasco County on Aug. 10 in Land O’ Lakes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Students at Pine View Middle in Land O’ Lakes wait to board their buses after school, on the first day of the 2023-2024 school year.
This sign, at Pine View Middle School, offers students and staff a warm welcome, as they arrive at the Land O’ Lakes campus for the first day of school.
Nicole Well, a first grade teacher at Lake Myrtle Elementary, hugs her son, Christopher, who is a third-grader, after the first day of school in Pasco County.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Land O’ Lakes fourth-year crossing guard Carlos Tavarez holds up traffic on Parkway Boulevard, as Pine View Middle students head home after their first day of school.
Lake Myrtle Elementary students in Land O’ Lakes are heading home, finishing up Day One of the 2023-2024 school year.
Lots of children rode their bicycles to school for the beginning of a new academic year at Lake Myrtle Elementary, in Land O’ Lakes.

Lutz author writes children’s book about foster care

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Emily Mains took inspiration from Tom & Jerry cartoons.

The legendary cat and mouse duo inspired her to write, and illustrate, her children’s book “Arlo Helps A Friend.”

“I’ve always wanted to be a writer, ever since fifth grade,” the Lutz native, who graduated from Steinbrenner High School in 2021, said in an interview with The Laker/Lutz News. “From there, I found my passion for writing.

Emily Mains, a 20-year-old Lutz native, wrote and illustrated a children’s book called ‘Arlo Helps a Friend.’ The Steinbrenner High graduate is studying creative writing at Southeastern University. In her book, Lucia, who just entered the foster care system, is befriended by the cute creature, Arlo, who helps her feel better about being in the system and helps her make friends. (Mike Camunas)

“I mostly write young-adult fiction, but I have enjoyed writing children’s books because my style is a little more light-hearted. I also feel there’s a lot that kids need to hear and have not been told yet, so I just felt a calling to it.”

In “Arlo Helps A Friend,” Lucia is a young girl who has just entered the foster care system and doesn’t want to play with other children at her school. She’s worried about living with foster parents and living in a new house, which leads to her getting into trouble at her new school.

Then she meets Arlo, a cute creature who wants to help Lucia feel better. He tells her the story of how he was adopted through the foster care system and shares how he overcame the struggles he faced.

“They become friends, and he helps Lucia,” Mains said. 

“Foster Care has always been something that has been in my heart,” Mains added. Mains’ mom is a Guardian ad Litem, which is a group of statewide volunteers who represent abused, abandoned and neglected children in court and the community.

“She has stood up for kids in court,” she added. “After hearing some of their stories, and what those kids needed, I was inspired to write something that would really help them.”

Mains, now 20, is a creative writing major at Southeastern University in Lakeland. She launched her book at her college on April 24 after spending about eight months getting published through Xulon Press.

She’s had some online book sales and said she’s seen plenty of interest in the book and its subject. She brought the book to display at the 28th Annual National Foster Care Conference in Orlando in early June.

She noticed some kids looking at it and “they really seemed to love it,” she said.

“I’ve been blessed with the sales so far,” she added. “I think we’re getting places with it and working on marketing it out there.”

The book began as a school project in a creative writing class at Steinbrenner and it took her a whole semester to write. However, Mains said she designed Arlo back during her sophomore year.

“He’s his own creature — he’s an Arlo,” she quipped.

“But it was just a fun project,” she added. “With the first design, my family fell in love with him and they thought he was adorable, so here he is now with his own book.”

As the young writer heads back to Southeastern to start the upcoming semester, Mains is currently working on a young adult fiction writing project.

Still, her heart remains with Arlo. She has no immediate plans for a sequel, but she knows Arlo’s story is far from finished.

“I think there is definitely more in store for Arlo and his friends. I foresee that.

“Because he’s Arlo, and I hope kids will love him.”

Arlo Helps A Friend
Details: Written and illustrated by Lutz native Emily Mains, Lucia is a young girl who has just entered the foster care system and doesn’t want to play with other children at her school. She’s worried about living with foster parents and living in a new home and she’s been getting into trouble at her new school. But then she meets a cute creature named Arlo. Arlo wants to help Lucia feel better, so he tells the story of how he was adopted through the foster care system and shares how he overcame the struggles he faced.
The book is available for purchase on Amazon, at tinyurl.com/3ad3wsvn.

Published August 16, 2023

Pasco plans to designate ecological corridor on 1,500 acres

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The land use designation on more than 1,500 acres in Land O’ Lakes would be changed from planned development to conservation, under a proposal sent to state officials for review.

The Pasco County Commission voted on Aug. 8 to send the proposal to the state, and then it will come back to the county board for final action.

The 1,517.89 acres proposed for the change are located south of State Road 52, north of State Road 54, east of the Suncoast Parkway and west of a CSX Rail corridor in Land O’ Lakes.

The property is in the area previously referred to as Project Arthur, but now known locally as the emerging community of Angeline.

The change will amend the county’s conservation map in the North Pasco to Crossbar Critical Ecological Corridor and the North Pasco to Connerton Ecological Corridor.

The proposed change is a result of a collaboration between the county’s Planning and Development Department and its Parks, Recreation, & Natural Resources Department, according to the county board’s Aug. 8 agenda packet.

The departments are working together to implement an agreement approved on Nov. 19, 2019, relating to Project Arthur ecological corridor sites.

The proposed land use change includes 843.50 acres for the North Pasco to Crossbar corridor and 674.39 acres for North Pasco to Connerton corridor, according to the agenda materials.

“The 843.50 acres of the North Pasco to Crossbar corridor were acquired by the Environmental Lands Acquisition and Management Program (ELAMP),” materials in the agenda packet add.

The county’s ELAMP acquired that land from Len-Angeline LLC and the James and Mabel Family Partnership LLP, et al, for $21,950,000, according to the background materials.

On another matter, the county board approved Carmen Chucrala and Doug Traub each to three-year terms serving as consumer representatives on the Pasco County Construction Board (PCCB).

That board has 10 voting members who have the jurisdiction and authority to hear and decide alleged violations of the county’s codes and ordinances.

The board is made up of volunteers representing these disciplines: an air conditioning or mechanical contractor, an aluminum contractor, an electrical contractor, a general contractor, a plumbing contractor, a general or residential contractor, a roofing contractor and three consumer representatives.

There are currently vacancies for an aluminum contractor, an electrical contractor, a general contractor, and a roofing contractor.

 In other action, the board approved:

  • Renewal of life and disability insurance, with Standard Insurance Co., for long- and short-term disability insurance and life insurance, for $591,000 annually. This is an increase from $330,611. The higher rate is primarily due to the county having a bad claim year and an increased number of county employees. The rates are guaranteed for the next three years.
  • Renewal of individual stop loss reinsurance coverage with Florida Blue for high dollar health claim protection, in the amount of $2,130,660. This represents a 5% increase over the current premium. The county is self-insured for health insurance and the county uses Florida Blue as its third party administrator and for the purchase of stop loss coverage. Stop loss coverage is intended to protect the county against large, unanticipated health insurance claims.
  • A request to rezone 4.99 acres at the northwest corner of State Road 54 and Livingston Road for general commercial uses. The applicant proposes to develop the property with a coffee shop with a drive thru, an eight-bay tire store and 10,000 square feet of day care. The applicant also has signed a voluntary deed restriction that requires the site to be developed with general commercial uses, in order to preserve employment-generating use of the land.
  • Amended a contract with the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas Inc., to increase funding for the Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program by  $104,864.94. Previously, the total contract amount was $752,838.97. It is now $857,703.91.
  • Approved the purchase of field maintenance equipment to be used at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex, at 3021 Sports Coast Way, in Wesley Chapel. The purchase is being made from Wesco Turf Inc., through a cooperative purchase — through Omnia Partners — in the amount of $379,086.80. The equipment will be used for upkeep and maintenance of five new soccer fields and two existing sports fields at the Wiregrass sports campus.

Published August 16, 2023

Lutz Library ‘Friends’ group is back in action

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The Friends of the Library Book Depot is located inside the Lutz Branch Library. (Courtesy of The Friends of the Lutz Branch Library)

The Friends of the Lutz Branch Library have been active on and off — because of the COVID pandemic and plumbing repairs at the library.

But now the group is active again and would love for patrons to come check out its selection of affordably priced books, according to a news release.

The selection is diverse, offering books that can be enjoyed and informative for people of all ages.

The Friends have organized and re-stocked the Book Depot with a diverse collection of hundreds of donated books ready for purchase.

The Friends of the Library is a nonprofit group with a passion for reading and for helping to improve the community. All funds raised by book sales are used to sponsor programs and events at the library.

In addition to purchasing a book to add to your collection, you may want to make a donation to the group, or check into getting involved with it.

If you’d like to find out more, stop by the Lutz Branch Library, at 101 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road, or call 813-273-3652.

Published August 16, 2023

Don’t let bites and stings ‘bug’ you

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Spending time outdoors is good for your health, but whether you are heading out on the water, hiking a trail, or just hanging out in the backyard — be sure to know how to protect yourself and your family from bites and stings.

AdventHealth’s Network of Care provides tips on how to avoid the most common culprits. AdventHealth also provides guidance on what to do if you get bitten or stung this warm-weather season:

Learn how to protect yourself and your family from bites and stings when spending time outdoors.

Mosquitoes: These insects are a nuisance and love warm, wet environments. Their bites can be itchy and can also carry some of the Zika virus.

Try to stay inside at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active. If you go outdoors, wear long sleeves and pants to protect your skin. Adults can safely use insect repellent with DEET, but children younger than 2 months old should not be exposed to the chemical. Over-the-counter remedies can soothe the sensation and redness. Avoid scratching the bite so it does not become inflamed and trigger a skin infection.

Jellyfish stings — Jellyfish stings are painful but avoidable.

Check marine warnings ahead of going in the water (a purple lifeguard station flag means there is something dangerous in the water). Keep an eye out for jellyfish that wash up on shore, too. If you get stung, get to safety and wash the area well with seawater. Remove any tentacles that are left behind, using gloves if you can. Head to the lifeguard station for a vinegar solution to pour on your skin and leave it on for about 30 minutes before rinsing. Swelling and redness should go away, but if it increases, seek medical attention.

Stingrays: Check for marine warnings before entering the water.

Do the “stingray shuffle” by slowing down your walk and shuffling your feet through the top layer of sand as you wade into the water. This will alert stingrays that are buried under the sand in 10 inches or 12 inches of water. If you do get stung and a barb remains, head to the emergency room. Do not attempt to remove the barb by yourself. If there is no barb, soak the area in a bucket of hot water for about an hour, to soothe the pain. If you experience severe reactions like a rash, vomiting or trouble breathing, get medical help.

Snake Bites: If you see a snake, avoid it. Don’t try to catch, trap or kill it.

Avoid tall grasses and piles of leaves where snakes may be resting or hiding. Snakes are most active at night or early in the morning. If you are bitten by a snake, take a photo of the snake if you can. If not, pay attention to its coloring and patterns. Snake bites tend to swell, so remove jewelry around the area if you get a bite on your hand or arm. Call 911 immediately or go to the nearest emergency room. Do not suck venom from the bite wound, as it will not stop the venom from spreading.

Ticks: Though most tick bites are benign, some are associated with certain diseases, like Lyme disease.

Hiking trails are common places to pick up ticks. Wear protective clothing like long sleeves, pants, tall socks and boots when venturing into a heavily wooded area. Tuck your pants into your socks to close any gaps and use a lotion with DEET to repel ticks. Inspect your skin when you get home. If you find a tick, remove it with sanitized tweezers and clean and disinfect the area. If you develop a rash that spreads or experience a fever or joint pain, go to the doctor.

Bees: Bees can pack a painful sting, but usually do not need professional treatment unless you have an allergic reaction.

Bees do not respond to insect repellant. Give flowers a wide berth and keep an eye out for hives. If you are stung, bees will release a stinger into the skin, which can be removed by scraping or pulling it out. Apply ice to the area to help relieve the pain. Benadryl may reduce itching. A mixture of baking soda and water can help remove the stinger. Call 911 or go to the emergency room if you have a reaction such as trouble breathing, a rash over the entire body, swelling or vomiting. If you have had severe reactions in the past due to insect bites or stings, consider carrying an EpiPen, which can be prescribed by your doctor.

Published August 16, 2023

Pasco County takes action on residential lot sizes

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Pasco County has established a new minimum standard, relating to residential lot sizes.

The Pasco County Commission wants new residential lots to be at least 45 feet wide, except in specific situations.

The new policy will affect applications that had not yet had their first round of comments, as of the board’s meeting on Aug. 8.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Jack Mariano said that’s the fair approach to take.

The Pasco County Commission wants new residential construction coming to the county to create neighborhoods where, except in specific situations, houses are on lots that are at least 45 feet wide. The county board also wants to avoid having sidewalks that are less than 13 feet long, to keep park vehicles from overlapping sidewalks. (File)

“To throw the switch on them, would not be the right thing to do. We haven’t done in the past, with other things we’ve changed in the county. I don’t want to start doing that now,” Mariano said.

Martin Frame, incoming president of the Tampa Bay Builders Association (TBBA), told the board that the building community had expressed significant interest in when the new rules would be imposed.

“This was a hot-button issue for us because we have a lot of projects that have taken quite a while to get through comments,” Frame said.

Nectarios Pittos, director of planning and development for the county, gave the county board an overview of the rules that resulted from collaboration between the county’s staff and stakeholders from the building community.

“Forty-foot-wide lots will only be allowed in specific instances, in TNDs (traditional neighborhood developments) or TOD (transit-oriented developments,) or in 55-plus communities,” Pittos said.

Otherwise, the minimum lot width size will be 45 feet, Pittos said.

The TBBA initially pushed for a minimum lot width of 42 feet, Frame said.

“We’re at 45 today, and, while it’s not exactly what we want, we’re willing to support it because we know it’s a negotiation. We want a back-and-forth relationship with you all,” Frame said. “We have a lot of support internally. And, it’s not without some internal debate to get where we are today.”

Edward Briggs, of the Florida State Consulting Group, also addressed the board, on behalf of the TBBA.

“I think one of the biggest things that came out of all of this is options. That’s what you’re looking at today, is different options for homebuyers, different options for the market.

“This memo that you have before you today, the TBBA feels comfortable supporting.

“Is it everything that we want? No.”

“I think what this memo does — keeps the integrity of the market, allows those options to continue, allows for that flexibility of the homebuyer to be able to afford different particular price points, but also gives you something that we’ve heard over and over, which is quality product that will last the test of time,” Briggs said.

County commissioners have been discussing the need to create better-looking communities.

They don’t want neighborhoods that have too much concrete and not enough landscaping and trees. They don’t want rows of houses that all look the same, jammed up next to each other.

They don’t want vehicles that are parked in driveways to overlap sidewalks, and when there’s parking on the street, they want enough room for garbage trucks and emergency vehicles to get through.

When the discussion on lot size began months ago, Commissioner Ron Oakley said he wanted to do away with 40-foot-wide lots. Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, however, said she supports the 40s, but thinks that parking needs to be behind the homes on 40-foot-wide lots.

Discussion is likely to continue over these uses and other development standards, but the Aug. 8 session set the general tone of the county board’s expectations for a higher degree of quality for future residential development.

Published August 16, 2023

Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel High charter approved

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The Pasco County School Board has approved a charter application for Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel High School, at 33347 State Road 54, in Wesley Chapel.

The approval is for a five-year period, which began July 1 and runs through June 30, 2028.

The approval includes a provision that the term shall be automatically extended on a month-to-month basis until the charter has been renewed, non-renewed, or terminated by the sponsor, according to background materials in the Pasco County School Board’s July 25 agenda packet.

The school is authorized to serve students in grades nine through 12. 

The following is the student enrollment capacity by year: 

  1. Year 1 (2023-2024): Grade nine up to a maximum of 200 students 
  2. Year 2 (2024-2025): Grades nine to 10 up to a maximum of 550 students 
  3. Year 3 (2025-2026): Grades nine to 11 up to a maximum of 900 students 
  4. Year 4 (2026-2027): Grades nine to 12 up to a maximum of 1,250 students 
  5. Year 5 (2027-2028): Grades nine to 12 up to a maximum of 1,400 students

The charter approval allows the school to recruit throughout all segments of the community, using direct mailings, public advertisement, information in the local and community press, and informational meetings at various locations and in English or other languages, as appropriate.

If the number of applications exceeds the capacity of the program, class, grade level, or building, all applicants shall have an equal chance of being admitted through a random selection process. 

Students at the school also are eligible to participate in an interscholastic extracurricular activity at the public school to which the student would be otherwise assigned, the background materials say.

Published August 16, 2023

Staying cool, when it’s hot, hot, hot

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Pasco County employees Rachel Nieto, left, and Stephen Roa fill their water bottles, while Matthew Potts, center, takes a sip and Jimmy Sullivan, wears a water backpack, as he works. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

Pasco County’s Safety Team put together some pointers to help people stay cool – whether they are on the job for the county, or for anyone who is outside mowing the lawn, tending their garden, exercising or exerting themselves in other ways during this sweltering summer.

In a county news release, the safety team says the keys to staying safe are keeping cool, staying hydrated and getting rest.

Keep Cool: Dress for the heat. Wear a hat and light-colored, loose-fitting, breathable clothing when possible. Add a hat with neck shade, cooling neckband, headband, and vest. You can even use a portable neck fan.

Apply a sunscreen 30 minutes before going out in the sun, and reapply the sunscreen every couple of hours.

Stay hydrated: Drink cool water or a hydrating drink often, even if you are not thirsty. Limit caffeine, sugary beverages and alcohol. These beverages cause your body to remove fluids at a much quicker rate, leading to dehydration. Instead, drink an electrolyte replenishment liquid.

Take breaks: Take time to recover from the heat with periodic breaks. Take breaks in a designated shady or cool location.

Published August 23, 2023

Public is invited to help shape Pasco’s future

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Pasco County is establishing its vision for the future and is asking the public to weigh in on the Pasco County 2050 Comprehensive Plan Update.

Here are upcoming opportunities for interested parties to get involved:

  • Aug. 17, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Wesley Chapel District Park, 7727 Boyette Road in Wesley Chapel
  • Aug. 23, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Sessions are being held on the same day, at the same time at these two locations: River Ridge High School Gymnasium, 11646 Town Center Road in New Port Richey and at Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa. Both of these sessions will cover the same materials, but held in two locations for the convenience of those who would like to take part.

During the workshops, attendees will learn about the community-driven vision derived from the public input received thus far and provide their ideas on potential implementation strategies to include in the update.

Those having questions about the event or the project may contact Hayat Mazili, project manager at 727-847-8140, ext. 7615.

Published August 16, 2023