The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Suncoast Credit Union celebrates 75th branch opening, in a big way

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In celebration of its 75th branch opening, Suncoast Credit Union has donated $75,000 to local nonprofits and charitable organizations across its service area.

Each of Suncoast’s 75 branches selected a local charity within the community it serves to receive $1,000. Supporting local communities is a “cornerstone of the credit union’s mission and values and allows local autonomy in funding the highest and greatest needs,” according to a news release.

“Giving back to the community is at the heart of Suncoast Credit Union, and we are excited that we were able to celebrate having 75 branches with donations that will help make an impact locally, in the communities our members call home,” said Kevin Johnson, president and CEO, in the release.

“The pandemic has created greater needs across a wide spectrum and our hope is that we can help, especially during the end-of-year holiday season,” said Johnson.

The distribution of the donations took place throughout December.

These seven charitable centers in Pasco County each received $1,000:

  • Pasco Kids First, Trinity
  • Suncoast Kids Place, Land O’ Lakes
  • Make a Difference, Dade City
  • Sunrise of Pasco County Inc., Zephyrhills
  • FMC Foundation of Caring, Wiregrass
  • NAMI of Pasco County, Port Richey
  • Camp Idlewild, Holiday

Other recipients included Hillsborough County, 16 donations; Pinellas County, 4; Hernando County, 3; Citrus County, 2; Polk County, 2; Sumter County, 3; Manatee County, 4; Sarasota County, 4; Hardee County, 1; DeSoto County, 1; Highlands County, 1; Levy County, 1; Lee County, 14; Collier County, 7; Charlotte County, 4; and Hendry County, 1.

Published January 05, 2022

Classical guitars are this Lutz man’s passion

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Washington Giorgio Castaldi is a patient craftsman as he works alone in his small garage workshop. With care and precision, he shapes exotic woods into the style and form of classical and flamenco guitars.

Washington Giorgio Castaldi strums one of his guitars as he talks about the different tones of guitars. (Fred Bellet)

It can take up to three months of work for him to reach the point where he’s satisfied with the tones and beauty of each guitar.

He listens to his favorite classical and flamenco musicians – often the Gipsy Kings and Armik – as he works.

But in this space, as he perfects each guitar, it doesn’t feel like work.

“Building guitars is my passion,” said Castaldi, owner of The Spanish Guitar Shop. As he works on each guitar, he said, “I’m in another world. It makes me feel great. I’m doing something that will last.”

Castaldi’s guitar shop is based in his home, in Lutz.

But he travels, too, to Orlando and Miami, where some of his clients live.

When not making his own guitars, he mends and repairs vintage, classical and flamenco guitars.

He is a longtime member of the Guild of American Luthiers, a nonprofit educational organization devoted to the art and craft of building, repairing and restoring stringed instruments.

Washington Giorgio Castaldi chisels the bracing of a guitar in its early stage of construction. The pattern of the bracing, says Castaldi, affects the sound of the guitar.

If they’re stringed — ukuleles, mandolins, even electric guitars – Castaldi can repair them.

Landing in his current profession, at his Lutz location, came after Castaldi literally traveled the world.

Deep family roots in Italy
Castaldi’s family traces its roots in Italy through seven generations.

His American-style first name comes from his father, Edison Washington Castaldi.

He grew up in Uruguay, where his parents established the family after World War II. Members of his family are now scattered — living in Uruguay, Argentina and Spain.

A decorative fleur-de-lis is carved around the guitar’s sound hole.

His love for Spanish and Latin music emanates from his heritage.

“I listen every day,” he said. And, as he works, he listens to music.

First came his love for classical and flamenco music. Then, over the years, he developed his craft as a luthier.

He is a world traveler — sailing aboard cruise ships for 28 years as an engineer, most frequently based out of Miami.

He met his wife, Jackie, while she was a passenger on one of those cruises.

Initially, carpentry was a hobby — allowing him to make useful items when he was off duty.

He started with simple furniture pieces – chairs, tables and benches.

His skills evolved over time — into making and repairing intricate guitars, as well as other stringed instruments.

In his workshop, Washington Giorgio Castaldi works on the bridge of an acoustic guitar.

The family moved to Tampa in 2008.

When Castaldi retired, they settled in Lutz. His wife works in Tampa for Homeland Security.

No longer sailing the seas, Castaldi invests his time nurturing his relatively new business venture.

One of his first efforts in guitar repair was on his son’s electric guitar. He made his first flamenco guitar in 2010.

As a teenager in Uruguay, Castaldi played in a band with friends. A career in musical performance wasn’t in his future, but music and guitars remained a constant pleasure in his life.

Washington Giorgio Castaldi looks over the wood he will use to make a guitar in his workshop.

He describes his musical talent with humility: “I play enough to make (guitars),” Castaldi said.

One of his prized possessions is a 1945 Jose Ramirez II guitar.

The Ramirez family is world-renowned through four generations of making Spanish classical and flamenco guitars, dating from the late 1880s.

A shelf in Castaldi’s den is lined with books about guitars and about wood, and he refers to them, in the midst of projects.

The materials have titles including, “Understanding Wood,” “Identifying Wood,” and two volumes of “The Big Red Book of America Luthieres.”

The guitar maker first softens the wood with water, then heats it to 300 degrees Fahrenheit so he can form the shape of the guitar.

The Big Red books contain articles gleaned from the American Luthier magazine.

Castaldi is self-taught, learning through experience and by pursuing information to satisfy his curiosity.

His knowledge of wood and its effect on sound tone is vast.

For instance, he said, dark wood keeps the resonance in the tone; light woods produce brighter and crisper tones.

He’s looking forward to the next luthier convention in Washington State, which is planned for Summer 2023.

It had been set for 2022, but was rescheduled due to COVID-19.

The Castaldi seal identifies limited editions by number and date.

One of the joys of being a luthier is meeting people who share his passion for classical guitars.

Talking about guitars can provoke special memories, Castaldi said.

Recently, for instance, he had a conversation with a caller about a Juan Orosco guitar.

Castaldi’s first guitar, when he was 16, was an Orosco.

The caller’s question, the luthier said, “took me back to my teen years.”

By Kathy Steele

Published January 05, 2022

Pasco County to get electric buses?

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In the next few years, Go Pasco — the county’s public transportation system — may begin to go electric.

Kurt Scheible, director of the county’s transit system, briefed the board of the Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization about the potential for obtaining federal funds to begin rolling electric buses on local roads within a few years.

“Things don’t happen overnight, but we do want to move forward toward something like that because I do think it is just beneficial for both Pasco County and the environment,” Scheible said.

Plus, the buses are quieter and have fewer vibrations.

Because there are less vibrations, Scheible said, “they’re actually a little bit safer.”

He explained why they’re safer: “You fly on a plane and you’re tired and you haven’t done anything — it’s just the vibrations that you’re with. It’s the same type of thing (for bus drivers).”

He told the MPO board that it will likely be about a two-year process to get local and federal funding together to acquire the buses.

“The good news is that we were with PSTA (Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority) when they went out for the electric bus bid. We were part of that, so we’ll be able to use that contract to purchase the buses,” Scheible said.

Once he knows the cost, then the transit authority can get the MPO board’s input and move forward with seeking federal funding for the buses.

His best guess is that Pasco would get eight or nine electric buses and a charging station, with federal funding covering the lion’s share of the cost.

Scheible expects to use the buses along U.S. 19, which is traveled by about one-third of the county’s transit customers.

He estimated the electric buses will cost about $1 million each and the charging station likely will cost about the same amount.

Federal funding will be sought to pay for the buses and the charging station, he said.

The charging station would likely be on the north end of U.S. 19, on U.S. 52, where there’s an existing substation, Scheible said.

He told the Pasco MPO board members to stay tuned because he expects to bring them updates on the issue in coming months.

The Pasco County MPO is the lead transportation planning agency in Pasco County that serves the following municipalities in Pasco: Zephyrhills, San Antonio, St. Leo, New Port Richey, Port Richey and Dade City.

According to federal and state laws, the Pasco County MPO is responsible for establishing a continuing, cooperative and comprehensive transportation planning process for Pasco County. Key responsibilities are the creation of the 20-year Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), the five-year Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), and the five-year Transportation Improvement program.

The MPO board is made up of representatives of the Pasco County Commission and elected leaders from Zephyrhills, Dade City, New Port Richey and Port Richey.

Published January 05, 2022

Local residents can record their stories for StoryCorps

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If you’ve ever tuned into WUSF Public Media, there’s a chance you may have heard stories recorded for StoryCorps.

Now, the oral history project is visiting Tampa, to give Tampa Bay residents the chance to share their stories, which, with the participants’ permission, will be archived at the Library of Congress, according to a news release.

StoryCorps is a national nonprofit organization that’s dedicated to recording, preserving and sharing the stories of people from all backgrounds and beliefs.

It will be in Tampa from Jan. 5 through Feb. 14 to record interviews, in person and virtually, as part of its Mobile Tour, the release says.

Reservations to record can be made by calling StoryCorps’ 24-hour toll-free reservation line at 1-800-850-4406, or by visiting StoryCorps.org.

In a StoryCorps interview, two people record a meaningful conversation with one another about who they are, what they’ve learned in life, and how they want to be remembered, according to the release.

A trained StoryCorps facilitator guides them through the interview process.

After each 40-minute recording session, participants receive a digital copy of their interview, and with the participants’ OK, a second copy is archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress for future generations to hear.

StoryCorps was founded in 2003 by Dave Isay and has traveled to every corner of the country to record interviews.

In Tampa, StoryCorps will partner with NPR affiliate WUSF Public Media. WUSF will air a selection of the local interviews and create special programs around the project.

StoryCorps also may share excerpts of these stories with the world through the project’s popular weekly NPR broadcasts, animated shorts, digital platforms, and best-selling books.

Published January 05, 2022

School district thanks county board for help during COVID-19

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Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools, and Olga Swinson, the district’s chief finance officer, appeared before the Pasco County Commission at its Dec. 7 meeting, to thank the county for helping the school district when COVID-19 hit.

Ray Gadd (File)

“Early on in the pandemic, the school system was struggling — trying to figure out how to feed our students and our families; how we could buy devices for kids, so that we could do online learning,” Gadd told the county board.

“I happened to be talking to Commissioner (Commission Chairwoman Kathryn) Starkey and she said, ‘Well, you know we have this CARES Act funding, you might be able to get $1 million of that funding to help out.’”

The acronym CARES stands for Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security.

The school district pulled up the U.S. Treasury document on the implementation of the CARES Act and found out that schools could get funding, Gadd said, so it turned to County Administrator Dan Biles.

Biles informed the district that the county board had authorized him to make sure the district’s request was funded, if it met the criteria.

That resulted in $9 million in funding, Gadd said. “You, the County Commission funded (for) a lot of needs that the school district required (funding for) early on in the pandemic.”

Swinson reported on the specifics to the county board.

“We used the money for the development and implementation of online learning. As you know our students had to take online courses last year.

“About 30% did that from home; the other 70% actually came into our schools.

“We distributed 17,000 computers to our students.

“We also served over 1 million meals to students and families, across the entire county.

“And, we used the money for all of the expenses associated with contact tracing. As you know, we had to do that last year, and we spent a lot of time doing that,” Swinson said.

Starkey, a former school board member responded: “I’m really glad we could help the school district when they needed it because we (the county) got our money so fast.”

Published January 05, 2022

New training program for skilled utility workers

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The Hillsborough County Commission has endorsed a plan to design a new training program aimed to give workers the skills they need to apply to construct, maintain and operate critical infrastructure, according to a Hillsborough County news release.

The program is needed to meet the demand for utility workers, as the industrial and technical skills needed for workers in the public works field becomes more specialized, the release says.

Hillsborough’s Economic Development department will work with Hillsborough Community College, Hillsborough County Public Schools, and partners in the private sector to create a pilot rollout of the training program over the coming year, the release adds.

The new program also will have internships, allowing students to receive paid on-the-job training at municipal or other employers that are aligned with the certification program.

There are no existing programs in Hillsborough County offering training for these particular skillsets, according to the release.

The program will teach skills necessary to do work in these fields:

  • Geographic Information Systems
  • Traffic control concepts and application
  • Potable water treatment, systems, and operations
  • Wastewater collection, treatment, systems, and components
  • Hazardous materials handling, packaging, transportation, and storage
  • OSHA safety standards
  • Commercial Driver’s License and/or heavy equipment certification

The program is expected to cost about $500,000 in its first year of development.

Published January 05, 2022

A safety evaluation can help to protect your home and property

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The Pasco Sheriff’s Office encourages citizens to complete a home safety evaluation, to help protect your home and property from intruders and thieves, according to a news release.

Break-ins can occur within seconds, especially when it comes to empty houses.

The PSO offers these safety tips, even if you aren’t on vacation and away from home for an extended period of time:

  • Ensure all exterior doors have working locks
  • Ensure all windows have working locks
  • Keep spare keys with a trusted neighbor, not near the door
  • Secure bikes in a shed or garage, or be sure they are locked up
  • Have a functioning light near all exterior doors
  • Ensure gate latches and fences are in good working condition
  • Consider a secondary lock for sliding glass doors
  • Keep outdoor plants near windows trimmed, to eliminate hiding places
  • Ensure items like grills, lawn mowers or other valuables are secured when not in use
  • Remove valuables and lock your car doors each night

For the most current PSO news, visit News.PascoSheriff.com.

Published January 05, 2022

New bell times await students

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Pasco County Schools wants to remind students and parents of the changes that are being put in place for when students return after Winter Break.

New bell times begin on Jan. 4; if you are unsure of the new time for your student, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us.

Bus passes are now available in myStudent. The district sent an email notifying parents of the updated bus information. If the email was not received, call the bus garage in your area.

The bus garage phone numbers are as follows:

West Compound: 727-774-0400

Northwest Compound: 727-774-0540

Central Compound: 813-794-0520

East Compound: 352-524-0560

Southeast Compound: 813-794-0500

Temporary delays can be expected. These delays will be reduced, as everyone adjusts to the new schedule.

Pasco County Schools will have safety precautions in place, just as it did during the first week of school.

Published December 29, 2021

Pasco County Schools continue to add more school choices

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The Pasco County School Board recently approved the conversion of two existing elementary schools into Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) magnet schools.

The board voted on Dec. 14 to shift the boundaries for Centennial Elementary School, in Dade City and for Marlowe Elementary School in New Port Richey into the boundaries of nearby schools.

The conversion to the new approach to learning will take place beginning in the fall of the 2022-2023 school year.

A new 6-12 STEAM magnet school is expected to open in the fall of 2023, near Moffitt Cancer Center’s planned Pasco campus. The acronym STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Centennial Elementary will provide a convenient option for students and families in East Pasco, to explore the same educational opportunities as those offered at Sanders Elementary STEAM Magnet School, in Land O’ Lakes. Marlowe will do the same in West Pasco.

Sanders recently received national recognition for the quality of its programs.

Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, under construction on Curley Road in East Pasco, will open during the fall of the 2022-2023 school year.

The school is expected to have an enrollment of 1,000 students and its programs will include digital technology, engineering, biomedical science, transportation and building technology.

The 104-acre school site is about 3 miles due east of Interstate 75.

A number of career and technical education labs are planned, including those designed for digital media, engineering robotics, biomedical and patient care.

Automotive, diesel, welding, construction, electrical and cybersecurity programs are planned, as well. The diesel program will be one of just a few in Florida.

The school district also is expected to open a new 6-12 STEAM magnet program in Land O’ Lakes, near Moffitt Cancer Center’s planned Pasco County campus.

School district and Moffitt officials are already in discussion regarding the vast potential for unique learning opportunities for students who will be attending that school.

The school, which is expected to open in the fall of 2023, is planned on an 18.8-acre site within Angeline, south of State Road 52, north of the future Ridge Road extension and west of Sunlake Boulevard, according to Ajax’s website.

These schools are just a few of the educational options that Pasco parents can choose for their students.

Those wishing to know more can visit the school district’s website to peruse the Pasco Schools Pathways school choice catalog to find out more about program offerings.

The window for applications opens at 8 a.m. on Jan. 6 and closes on Jan. 20 at 4:30 p.m.

Window for school choice opens Jan. 6
The application window for Pasco Pathways School Choice opens on Jan. 6 at 8 a.m. and closes on Jan. 20, at 4:30 p.m.

This will be the only application window for all grade levels, and it will be for all school choice options, including STEM and STEAM magnet schools, Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, Wendell Krinn Technical High School, International Baccalaureate (IB), and the Cambridge Programme.

The Pasco Pathways Innovative Programs and School Choice application will be available for parents via the myStudent parent portal. Parents who don’t already have an account may establish a myStudent account by clicking on the myStudent link.

Go the Pasco County Schools website to find out more. The school district’s website is www.pasco.k12.fl.us/

Published December 29, 2021

Pasco Sheriff says jail expansion will fall short of need

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Even before it opens, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco says the planned expansion of the county’s detention center in Land O’ Lakes will fall short of the county’s needs.

The sheriff and County Administrator Dan Biles addressed the issue during the county board’s Dec. 7 meeting.

Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco (File)

“One of the reasons that people are happy to move to Pasco County is because it’s safe,” Nocco said.

However, he said, the capacity of the county’s detention center can’t accommodate the county’s needs and the expansion won’t resolve that, either.

Pasco County voters approved a bond issue in 2018 for a 1,000-bed jail expansion.

A PowerPoint prepared by the Sheriff’s Office, which was included in the county’s board’s agenda packet, says the bond will fall $19 million to $25 million short and will provide just 540 beds, if the shortfall is addressed.

The Sheriff’s Office manages the jail for the county, which falls under the county board’s jurisdiction.

Currently, a temporary structure helps address the bed shortage at the jail.

The PowerPoint notes: “With only 540 additional beds and with the temporary structure outliving its expected use by several years, the county jail expansion will be outdated and over capacity before it is even open.”

Nocco said the county’s current situation has its roots in past failures to address the county’s jail needs.

“These are things that happened way before any of us. These are things that have been going on for years and because they weren’t dealt with then, we’re now in the predicament we’re in,” Nocco said.

He cited a study done in 2015 projected that the county’s detention center would need 2,535 beds in 2024. It currently has 1,432 beds.

Another problem the county is encountering is the rising cost of materials to construct the jail expansion, Nocco said.

“Nobody expected material to go up the way that it did. Every industry is dealing with it right now,” Nocco said.

Biles said: “Since the end of ’18, the cost of materials for this project has gone up almost 45%. It’s accelerating. It’s not slowing down.

“Every month we delay that, the prices are increasing anywhere from 4% to 5%.

“It (the jail expansion) is significantly short (of) funding and we are working to bring it forward, with a funding solution to that,” Biles said, estimating the shortfall at between $20 million to $30 million.

“The current contract will be here in front of the board in the next few months, for the project price. We expect to start to construct this spring,” Biles said.

Nocco also noted that construction funding is only part of the problem. The bond issue did not address staffing costs.

He estimates that 250 additional employees will be needed to staff the jail expansion.

“I just want to bring this to your attention because this is an issue that — since the early 2000s — hasn’t gone away,” Nocco told the county board.

Pasco County Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey told Nocco: “We’re glad you’re here today, but it’s frustrating news.

“I’m sure we’ll be talking about it, later this year, about how to come up with the funding,” she said.

Published December 29, 2021