The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

New irrigation system coming to recreation center

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Coastal Design Consultants Inc., has been hired by Pasco County to perform engineering and design services required to prepare construction plans for the replacement and expansion of the irrigation system at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex.

The engineering and design work involves providing plans for a system that will irrigate the ball fields, the soccer fields and common areas at the recreation center, at 3032 Collier Parkway, in Land O’ Lakes.

Coastal Design must work with the county to field questions regarding the construction plans and specifications. It also must perform a limited amount of observation, to ensure construction work is proceeding in a manner that it will conform with approved plans and specifications.

The Pasco County Commission approved paying Coastal nearly $50,000, as part of the board’s consent agenda on Aug. 10. Items on the consent agenda are adopted in a single motion, without comment, unless someone wants to pull an item from the agenda for discussion.

Funding for the project is coming from the General Obligation Bond funds, approved by voters, to support improvements at the county’s parks and recreational facilities.

Published August 18, 2021

Bellamy Brothers headline Thomas Promise fundraiser

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The Bellamy Brothers — the iconic country music duo from Darby — will return to their East Pasco County roots to headline an event to benefit the Thomas Promise Foundation.

The concert fundraiser, “An Evening With The Bellamy Brothers,” is scheduled for Aug. 26, at the Dan Cannon Auditorium at the Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36722 State Road 52, in Dade City.

The Bellamy Brothers will headline an Aug. 26 fundraiser to benefit the Thomas Promise Foundation. Their last performance in East Pasco may have been at the 2019 San Antonio Rattlesnake Festival. (File)

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for dinner, with the concert beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The concert is a private event, maxing out at about 320 guests.

Select table purchases remain available, with prices based on the table chosen. Each table will hold up to eight guests. Table purchases are tax-deductible.

All proceeds from the event go toward the Thomas Promise Foundation, a local nonprofit organization that provides meals for food-insecure students on the weekends when no school programs are in operation. The organization has provided more than 1million meals to students since its inception a decade ago.

The Bellamy Brothers — Howard and David Bellamy — are scheduled to perform a 90-minute set at the event.

The playlist of songs “absolutely” will feature some of their greatest classics, Joe Simmons, executive director of the Thomas Promise Foundation, told The Laker/Lutz News.

That’ll probably include their 1976 chart-topping country pop hit, “Let Your Love Flow,” which spearheaded a career of 20 No. 1 hits and 40 million album sales worldwide.

Howard and David Bellamy graduated from Pasco High School in the 1960s before embarking on their successful music career.

They had their first official gig in 1968, when they performed on stage with their father during the Rattlesnake Festival at San Antonio Park.

The Thomas Promise Foundation is a local nonprofit organization that provides meals for food-insecure students on the weekends when no school programs are in operation. (Courtesy of Thomas Promise Foundation)

Fame and fortune have followed, over the ensuing five-plus decades.

The Bellamy Brothers usually are booked for dozens of gigs set across multiple states and countries each year.

Their last performance in East Pasco is believed to have been in 2019, at the 53rd annual Rattlesnake Festival.

They have, however, performed multiple times at the annual Florida Cracker Christmas festival in Spring Hill.

Simmons expressed his gratitude that the in-demand performers were willing to set aside a date to help the Thomas Promise Foundation, and the hometown community at large.

The fundraiser has been in planning for several months.

“The Bellamys are extremely busy,” Simmons said. “You know, they have a tremendous tour schedule coming up, and we felt very fortunate for them to be able to do something for us, and we’ll be able to help kids in our community, too, so we do appreciate the opportunity for them to play and give back.”

“We’re really looking forward to this being a tremendous event,” he said.

Simmons pointed out the event sets up as Thomas Promise Foundation’s largest fundraiser of the year.

And it comes at a critical time, he said, with rising food costs and others hardships brought in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Simmons put it like this: “We help more kids now than we’ve ever helped before. We’ve helped more schools now than we’ve ever helped before, so opportunities like this to be able to raise funds for the foundation are extremely important to us.”

The Bellamy Brothers are known to spend any downtime amid their frenetic showbiz schedule on their 200-acre family ranch in Darby, just outside the Dade City limits.

But downtime isn’t very synonymous with the hometown celebrities — juggling multiple side projects over the years, besides performing and putting out new music.

Last month they garnered national headlines in teaming up with actor Dennis Quaid to record and perform a cover of Billy Swan’s 1974 country crossover hit, “I Can Help.”

The single release was featured on the Bellamys’ hit reality television series, “Honky Tonk Ranch,” which airs on the Grand Ole Opry’s Circle Network.

They also released an autobiography in 2018 titled, “Let Your Love Flow: The Life and Times of the Bellamy Brothers.”

Call 813-782-0000 for concert reservations. Visit TheThomasPromise.org for more information.

Published August 18, 2021

Pasco County increases maximum towing charges

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The Pasco County Commission has increased the maximum charges that towing companies can impose for tows, storage of vehicles and certain services, any time a wrecker is called to a site.

Pasco County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder told commissioners that the proposed increase came after Commissioner Christina Fitzpatrick informed the board on June 8 that the fees had not been revised in some time. She also relayed the request for an increase from the two operators on the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and Florida Highway Patrol rotation.

At the same meeting, Chief Assistant County Attorney David Goldstein said if the county was going to raise the Class A fees, the staff also should review the Class B and Class C fees, to be sure there’s not a disparity in the different levels of charges.

The new charges are consistent, to a large extent, to what Hillsborough County is charging, Steinsnyder said.

“We did bump the base rate for Class A Wreckers to $150, which is what the wrecker operator had requested, based on some information that Hillsborough County is currently reviewing,” the county attorney said.

The resolution sets the maximum rates which may be charged “on the towing of vehicles from or immobilization of vehicles on private property, removal and storage of wrecked or disabled vehicles from an accident scene or for the removal and storage of vehicles, in the event the owner or operator is incapacitated, unavailable, leaves the procurement of wrecker service to the law enforcement officer at the scene, or otherwise does not consent to the removal of the vehicle.”

Besides setting the maximum rate for Class A, Class B and Class C wrecker services, the resolution also addresses the maximum mileage rate, the hourly rate for waiting or working time on a site and maximum administrative fees.

Class A Wreckers are used to remove and/or store cars and light-duty trucks and vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight or less. The maximum towing charge is $150 and $5 per mile.

Class B Wreckers are used to remove and/or store medium duty trucks and vehicles weighing  between 10,001 pounds and 16,000 pounds. The maximum charge is $170 and $5 per mile.

Class C Wreckers are used to remove and/or store vehicles weighing over 16,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. The maximum charge is $350 and $5 per mile.

Persons providing towing services on a rotation basis for third parties (such as law enforcement agencies) may be required by that third party to charge less than the rates on this schedule, or may be prohibited from charging for some of the types of services outlined by this schedule, the resolution notes.

It also says the rate schedule is not intended to serve as a minimum rate guarantee. Additionally, it spells out that the maximum base rates for Class A, B, and C wrecker services shall be adjusted up or down each year that the Consumer Price Index rises or falls.

The county administrator or designee shall publish a new fee schedule on Oct. 1 of each year.

Published August 18, 2021

Office zoning approved on State Road 54, at Meadowbrook Drive

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A rezoning has been approved to allow a professional office to be built on a 1.67-acre site at the southwest corner of State Road 54 and Meadowbrook Drive, in Lutz.

The Pasco County Commission approved the request by Kiddie Campus University Inc., at the board’s Aug. 10 meeting.

The application drew opposition from some area residents, but it was muted compared to the strenuous objections that accompanied a previous request to change the county’s land use map to allow the potential for a gas station and convenience store at the same location.

That proposal fell by the wayside when a divided county board refused to change the land use, which would have cleared the way for consideration of the commercial rezoning.

Instead, Kiddie Campus revised its pending rezoning application — asking for an office use, instead.

“We amended our application to PO1 (Professional Office 1), it’s the lowest intensity non-residential use in your code,” said Attorney Barbara Wilhite, representing the applicant.

“This is the solution,” Wilhite said.

Given the site’s location, at a signalized intersection on State Road 54, its future use will not be residential, Wilhite said.

The PO1 office district is designed to be compatible with residentially developed districts, she added.

That designation allows only office uses. It does not permit commercial uses, such as a hair salon, a nail salon or other personal services, Wilhite said.

She said the applicant didn’t want to bring anything forward that was retail-oriented, so its application calls for strictly office uses.

coming forward with the PO1,” the attorney added.

Additionally, the applicant has agreed to a deed restriction that limits the building height to two stories, Wilhite added.

“I could see the residents’ concerns,” the attorney said.

The voluntary deed restriction is the only thing limiting the building’s height, said Denise Hernandez, the county’s zoning administrator. That’s because the site is located within the county’s urban service area, she explained.

The application had received recommendations for approval from both the Pasco County Planning Commission and the county’s planners.

Some area residents, who had spoken against the plan before said they are confident that developer will work with the community.

But others — far fewer than before — persisted in their opposition, characterizing the proposed development as an intrusion into a residential area and raising concerns about a potential for future flooding issues.

Wilhite addressed the flooding concerns: “We can’t make the flooding worse. There’s plenty of regulations on the books regarding flooding.”

Published August 18, 2021

East Pasco chambers pause merger discussions, for now

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After several months of discussions regarding a potential merger between chambers of commerce in Dade City and Zephyrhills, those talks have been put on pause — for now.

“The conversation has definitely taken a back seat,” according to John Moors, executive director of the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce. “I can’t say that it’s shut down for good, that we don’t know, but the task force has stopped meeting currently.”

The boards for both chambers approved the formation of a task force last year to look into the logistics and possible benefits of merging the two organizations.

The task force involved about 20 stakeholders — 10 from each respective organization — representing hospitals, banks, and other small businesses and groups.

(File)

Randy Stovall, provost emeritus for Pasco-Hernando State College, chaired the task force. He’s been active with both chambers for years.

The group met about a dozen times, from October 2020 through April 2021, with groups split into a budget committee, a membership committee and a mission committee.

Its three main objectives were membership, community advocacy and economic development.

The task force generated enough progress to reach a consensus on a proposed name for a merged chamber: Greater East Pasco Chamber Alliance.

But news that the merger talks have paused was announced in the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce’s August newsletter.

The newsletter indicated the Dade City chamber’s financial outlook exceeded expectations amid the COVID-19 pandemic, so merging its organization with the Zephyrhills chamber wasn’t quite as pressing as originally once thought.

Melonie Monson, the CEO of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, said the task force, on the whole, had “put together very great reasons why a merger would be the right direction to go, and really had fleshed out the greatest perspectives from this and what advantage it would be for both communities.”

But she said various hurdles surfaced when trying to flesh out the finer details of a merger concept, she said.

Monson said “the biggest problem” resulted from both chambers being content with their own current leadership, and not wanting either her or Moors to step down or take a less prominent role within a merged organization.

(File)

Monson put it like this: “We just felt like, until one of us is ready to retire, then this would be on pause. Doesn’t mean that (a merger) wasn’t the right thing to do, it’s that neither one was ready to say goodbye.”

Another sticking point, she said, came with determining locations of where a combined chamber’s main office and secondary office should be situated — Zephyrhills, Dade City, or vice versa — and how to best leverage economy of scale.

“We felt strongly there needed to be a presence in both communities of the chamber,” Monson said.

Task force supports merger concept
The task force overall found a merged chamber “made sense” and could yield several benefits, Monson said.

Specifically, it suggested that a larger, combined chamber “would have a stronger voice and advocacy on the county and state level, and members would gain more of a value by expanding the geographic reach of the chamber,” Monson said.

It also suggested that merging the Dade City and Zephyrhills groups would better help navigate booming commercial and residential development in Central and East Pasco.

With that, Monson said the task force observed a merger “would really help us in the risk of losing our territory to other entities, and making a stand of, ‘This is East Pasco.’”

These were likewise important factors for leadership within the Dade City chamber, too.

Moors detailed how the East Pasco area historically has been known as a more rural area, with less focus on business development and manufacturing.

This may not be the case for much longer, with rampant growth on the community’s doorstep.

“For the most part, there hasn’t been a lot of activity of companies moving into this particular area, but we do see that this may well change as the population increases and the density increases and the demographics change,” he said.

As East Pasco continues to grow, Moors emphasized the importance of being “in front of that wave of growth, rather than trying to catch up.”

Pandemic spurred initial merger discussions
Both chamber leaders have casually discussed the possibility of combining their respective organizations for a few years now, but more serious talks didn’t begin until the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020.

Ramping up those conversations was important for the Dade City chamber to prepare an action plan in a worst-case scenario, given the uncertainty around the effects of the coronavirus on the area’s business and economic climate, Moors explained.

“With everything shut down, we just didn’t really know what anything was going to look like, we didn’t know what was going to happen with our membership, we didn’t know whether we were going to be able to have a Kumquat Festival, whether we were going to have any events, because at that point, everything was literally locked down. In fact, the chamber was closed for a period of time last year,” said Moors.

Since then, however, Moors said the Dade City chamber has experienced an upbeat financial outlook, with membership reportedly up 15% year-on-year, combined with a successful enough scaled-down Kumquat Festival.

Put another way, negative revenue impacts caused by COVID-19 never materialized for the chamber, Moors said. “So, the need to merge was not as urgent as we had feared,” he added.

Monson said the pandemic provided “a great opportunity” to form a task force to discuss the merits of a proposed merger, and garner various perspectives.

But she emphasized the Zephyrhills chamber didn’t need to enter the merger talks strictly out of concern regarding financial sustainability.

She said she was confident in her organization’s membership base and other efforts, even during the pandemic.

“You know, we’re a strong chamber no matter what, and we knew we were going to be,” she said. “We did not forecast the gloom and doom.”

Rather, joining forces with the Dade City chamber on a merger task force was more to vet the various benefits and outcomes of such an exercise, Monson acknowledged.

Merger talks likely not done
Monson said the merger concept — and its varied findings — will likely be revisited once she or Moors leave their current leadership posts, whenever that happens.  She said the work of the task force could be revisited, once she or Moors moves on.

“I believe that we could come up with great ideas of location, I think that would be something that we would get worked out pretty easily, but the biggest thing was we were going to pause it until one or the other was ready to retire, or move on to another venture in life,” Monson said.

If a merger eventually occurs, it would be the third merger of its type among Pasco County chambers.

The North Tampa Bay Chamber is the result of combining chambers that previously represented Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, Trinity and Odessa.

The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce resulted from a merger between the West Pasco and Central Pasco chambers.

Published August 11, 2021

Dade City awards infrastructure projects

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The City of Dade City is moving forward on a pair of long-awaited infrastructure projects, as commissioners have awarded construction bids for the 10th Street sidewalk installation and the  Howard Avenue drainage improvements.

Dade City commissioners approved both projects unanimously during their July 27 meeting.

In the 10th Street sidewalk project, approximately 2,600 linear feet of sidewalk, which is five-foot-wide, will be installed. Sidewalk ramps conforming with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards also will be installed on the east side of 10th Street, between an existing sidewalk north of Camphor Drive and tying into an existing sidewalk at the intersection of Florida Avenue.

The City of Dade City is moving forward on a pair of long-awaited infrastructure projects, including the 10th Street sidewalk installation and the Howard Avenue drainage improvements. (File)

The construction bid was awarded to Land O’ Lakes-based B.R.W. Contracting Inc., totaling $204,859.

B.R.W. Contracting was the lowest of six sealed bids received, with the others ranging from $258,903.75 to $332,189.

The bid award also is below an engineer’s estimate of $266,698.41.

The city has allocated $200,000 in Penny for Pasco funds, with the remaining balance paid for through transportation impact fees, according to a city memo.

The company has 180 calendar days to complete the project, upon notice to proceed.

Dade City Public Works Director Bryan Holmes told commissioners that city staff “investigated some past performance that arose in other counties” with B.R.W. Contracting. (One of the more publicized problem cases with the firm involved the Osowaw Boulevard resurfacing project in Hernando County in 2015.)

But Holmes said B.R.W Contracting addressed such issues at hand, adding his staff felt comfortable moving forward based on satisfactory recommendations from nearby Zephyrhills.

The firm has been involved on U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road, Simons Road and the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis and Wellness Center in Zephyrhills, among other projects.

Said Holmes: “Staff confirmed with the City of Zephyrhills that (B.R.W. Contracting) has performed work on similar projects and they have been satisfied with their work.”

Mayor Camille Hernandez expressed enthusiasm that the “long-awaited” sidewalk project will soon be underway.

“Gosh, how many years have we been talking about that one?” Hernandez quipped. “I’m excited about this one.”

Holmes agreed that the sidewalk has been in the works for a long time. “I know this (project) predates me, so I know it’s been awhile,” he said.

The Howard Avenue drainage infrastructure project was awarded to Palmetto-based TLC Diversified Inc., in the amount of $215,000.

The project generally calls for drainage improvements at an existing stormwater pump station located on the Hardy Trail at Florida Avenue, to resolve washout issues along the trail.

The scope includes installation of a larger submersible pump with motor, an upgraded control panel, installation of a manhole at the concrete vault, installation of a fence with access gate, and the stabilization of disturbed areas around the location with sod.

The project, Holmes said, “will increase the pumping capacity to empty out that (Howard) pond to allow additional stormwater to flow in.”

TLC Diversified was the lowest of three sealed bids received, the others coming in at $249,500 and $250,150, respectively.

The project to upgrade the stormwater pump station is budgeted for $230,000 through a combination of Florida Department of Environmental Protection grant dollars ($150,000) and Penny for Pasco funds ($80,000).

The Howard Avenue drainage improvements is the second of a three-phase project.

The first phase included the expansion of the stormwater pond along Howard Avenue. Following this second phase project, the third phase calls for removal of ditch reinforcing, which is expected to be handled by city employees using locally sourced materials to save on costs, the public works director said.

Published August 11, 2021

Local hospitals respond to surge in COVID-19 cases

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A surge in COVID-19 cases has prompted AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and BayCare’s St. Joseph’s Hospital-North in Lutz to temporarily halt elective surgeries.

BayCare also tightened its visitation rules, effective Aug. 3.

“No one takes any pleasure in having to limit visits from patients’ loved ones or telling someone they will need to wait for their procedure,” BayCare Chief Operating Officer Glenn Waters said, on a hospital website posting. “But our first priority has to be to keep our facilities as safe as possible for our caregivers, so patients can recover and return home as soon as possible.”

AdventHealth continues to see a significant increase in COVID-19 cases at its facilities across West Florida and has surpassed its highest peak since the pandemic began, according to the healthcare system’s website.

AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and AdventHealth Carrollwood have temporarily postponed any non-urgent elective procedures that require an overnight stay, according to media alerts from AdventHealth.

Dr. Doug Ross, is chief medical officer of AdventHealth Hospital Tampa, the largest AdventHealth Hospital in Tampa Bay. He shared updates for the West Florida Division locations during an Aug. 3 video interview, published on the hospital’s Facebook and LinkedIn Live event.

“In the Tampa Bay region, we’re well over 300 patients now,” Ross said, noting that number exceeds the hospital’s past surges.

“Greater than 90% of those patients are unvaccinated and our numbers continue to grow,” Ross said.

The health care system has seen patients ranging from a baby, to people into their 90s, he said. “But really the shift has been toward younger people because those are the people who have opted not to get vaccinated,” he said. “So, that’s what we’re seeing.”

“It’s the usual symptoms,” he said, including shortness of breath, flu-like symptoms such as congestion, headache, cough and runny nose.

Ross said the delta variant “is probably tied with some of the most contagious viruses we’ve ever known — measles and chicken pox being examples of that.”

“That’s very concerning because the amount of spread that is occurring is so much greater,” he said.

It went from one patient spreading it to two or three patients, in the early COVID cases, to now, with one patient spreading it to eight or 10, he said.

“The viral load seems to be so much greater in delta variant, probably a thousand times greater in the respiratory tract.

“That means when you cough or sneeze or whatever, there’s a lot more virus that’s being let out into your surroundings and makes it more likely that other people will pick up that virus,” Ross said.

He encouraged people who are not immunized to get immunized.

“You will have a lot less severity if you’re immunized and you get the delta variant than if you didn’t have it,” he said. “That, to me, seems a pretty compelling argument.”

The other argument, he said, “is that you want to protect other people. There’s a certain sense of community that I think we need to appeal to people on, because as we reach herd immunity, we’re actually protecting people that can’t protect themselves.”

That includes people who have immune deficiencies, as well as children who are 12 and under and can’t get the vaccine yet, he said.

Ross continued: “If we don’t get control of this virus and it’s continuing to mutate, there is some fear out in the scientific community that this virus could mutate to a point where it actually beats the vaccines. It comes to a point that it mutates in such a way that the vaccine is no longer effective to the virus and then, we are back to really Square One, with the entire population, because no one will be immune to that variant.”

Ross also advised both vaccinated and unvaccinated people to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations.

Those going to indoor public spaces should wear masks, Ross said, “to protect themselves from getting the infection and from spreading the infection.”

It’s been shown that people who have been immunized can get infected, Ross said. It may stay asymptomatic, but they are still able to spread it.

He also encourages people to maintain social distancing, to limit their chance of exposure, and washing their hands.

“Try to avoid spaces that are indoor spaces, with a lot of people,” he added.

Ross also touched on the impact that this new surge has had on health care workers.

“We’d gone through two surges,” he said. “We thought we were sort of improving and getting better, and things were calming down.

“Now, all of a sudden, when we thought we were getting a handle on this whole thing, we had a surge and a surge bigger than any surge we’ve had so far. So that has really been a challenge emotionally to people because people were a little bit celebratory — in their own minds — because they had gotten through the worst of COVID, and that’s just not the case.”

While the hospital’s staff is very dedicated, he said, “we’re all a bit frustrated because of the fact that if more of the population had been vaccinated, we wouldn’t be seeing this surge and we wouldn’t be stressing our health systems out.”

Ross also offered another reason for wearing a mask: “One of the early reasons to wear a mask was to sort of dampen the curve, the rate of increase of the viral spread, so that it wouldn’t put a strain on our health systems.

“If this continues to rise, the way it’s rising, it’s definitely putting and will continue to put, a significant strain on our health systems,” Ross said.

To get the most current information relating to any changes regarding hospital policies, be sure to check with your local hospital.

In response to the surging cases, Hillsborough County has temporarily opened two COVID-19 testing sites, to help shorten the wait times for people wanting to check on their status, according to a county news release.

The county had anticipated administering 500 tests at each site but, in total, administered more than 2,000.

The sites are located at:

  • Palm River Community Center, 725 S. 58th St., in Tampa
  • Code Enforcement Complex, 1101 E. 139th Ave., in Tampa

The sites are open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with testing done on a first-come, first-served basis.

There is no charge to be tested and health insurance is not required.

If you have health insurance, however, bring your insurance card because federal guidelines require the collection of health insurance data.

COVID 19 statistics, July 30 through Aug. 5
Florida: New cases: 134,506; new case positivity, 18.9%
Pasco: New cases, 3,404; new case positivity, 24.3%
Hillsborough: New cases, 8,583; new case positivity, 22.8%
Source: Florida Department of Health

Published August 11, 2021

At Wilderness Lake Preserve, here’s a man who really cleans up well

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Each day for the past three years, Russ Filsinger’s afternoon routine hasn’t changed.

After hopping on his bicycle for his daily exercise, Filsinger covers every corner of his community at Wilderness Lake Preserve in Land O’ Lakes and the nearby shopping plaza.

He picks up litter.

He gathers the trash, whether it’s candy wrappers, soda cans, fast-food bags, straws, empty alcohol bottles, dog refuse, or even COVID masks (he’s up to 500 of those).

Russ Filsinger spends about two hours each afternoon picking up litter at his Wilderness Lake Preserve community in Land O’ Lakes. (Courtesy of Joey Johnston)

He collects it all and disposes of it properly, recycling, if necessary.

The work usually takes about two hours, each day.

For three years.

“Russ is one of those kind people who cares about the earth and wants to keep his neighborhood clean,’’ said Franca Carlino Anderson.

She’s Filsinger’s neighbor and got to know him because she was curious about why he continually picked up trash.

“He’s an amazing part of our community. He’s not looking for accolades or even to be noticed. He just cares,” the neighbor said.

“I think it makes him happy to see the earth clean, the way God intended,’’ said Filsinger’s wife, Jeanne. “His dedication is something. I pick up things, too, if I’m walking by. But I’m not on the bike making sure every little thing is picked up. It makes our whole area look so much better. People love what he is doing.’’

Filsinger, 71, is a retired social worker from New Jersey. He has worked with homeless, gangs and drug addicts. He retired due to health reasons and moved to Florida, where he toured with a Christian rock band, then became a minister. He has been a prison chaplain and a hospice chaplain. He has volunteered as a guardian ad litem for children.

“My bio is kind of interesting,’’ said Filsinger, who now ministers at Grace Family Church.

It’s mostly about helping.

“It’s such an easy concept, but we all can do something, even if it’s a very small thing … and small things can add up,’’ Filsinger said.

Three years ago, Filsinger grew weary of incessant litter around his neighborhood; maintenance workers weren’t quick about removing it. So Filsinger took matters into his own hands — literally — and began sweeping through the area with his trash bags.

“Instead of getting mad at the people who litter, I’m determined to beat them,’’ Filsinger said. “And the best way to beat them is if I can pick it up faster than they can throw it out of their car windows.

“It became a challenge to me. You can throw out whatever you want — a box, a carton, a Big Gulp cup — but I’m going to pick it up and dispose of it properly. Everyone wins and you lose.’’

Filsinger was riding his bike anyway for fitness. He’s dealing with various physical woes, such as foot neuropathy, severe osteoarthritis and lack of function in his hands and fingers. No matter. He keeps going.

“Doing this has made my bike ride longer, but more meaningful,’’ Filsinger said. “And it’s not just trash. I take dead animals off the roads. I don’t want kids going by on their scooters, seeing these carcasses being taken apart by buzzards. I just want people to see green, bushes and flying birds, not this endless plastic stuff that’s all over our roads.’’

In addition to the area’s roads, sidewalks, pathways, ponds and green spaces, Filsinger has taken his work to Wilderness Commons, a shopping plaza at the front of Wilderness Lake Preserve. The store owners are appreciative. Filsinger combs the parking lot and also makes sure things are securely in the dumpster.

“It only takes a few minutes to get it all straight,’’ Filsinger said. “Now there’s nothing there, not even one straw wrapper. I’m pretty proud of it. This is very satisfying.’’

All the neighbors know about Filsinger now.

Cars honk their horns and people wave.

He gets thank-you wishes from passersby.

The Wildness Lake Preserve newsletter did a short write-up on Filsinger.

The final line: “His efforts are to be applauded!’’

Filsinger isn’t stopping or even slowing down. If anything, he’s picking up speed.

“I think littering is getting worse,’’ Filsinger said. “One of my goals is to get all people to care about picking up litter. We can really make a dent.

“My philosophy has been, ‘If I don’t do it, who’s going to do it?’ So the job never really stops. If I can do this at my age while having fun doing it … maybe others can get the same type of satisfaction.

“I’d love others to join in. If we all did a little something to help our world, wouldn’t this be a much better world?”

By Joey Johnston

Published August 11, 2021

Debate over masks continues, as a new school year begins

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Students streamed back to school campuses this week to start the 2021-2022 school year in Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

And, much like last year, the debate continues over mandatory face masks.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken a firm stand on the issue. He signed an executive order banning school districts from imposing mandatory mask requirements — instead letting parents make the call regarding whether their child wears a mask to school.

The Florida Board of Education also has adopted an emergency rule that allows a child to transfer to a private school or another school district, under a Hope Scholarship, “when a student is  subjected to harassment in response to a school district’s COVID-19 mitigation protocols.”

Masks are optional for students and staff in Pasco County’s public school district.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning repeatedly has said the issue is closed, based on the governor’s actions.

In Hillsborough County, there’s a mandatory mask policy for students — but that policy allows parents to exercise an opt-out option for their children.

Masks are optional for the Hillsborough school district’s staff.

In media interviews, Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Addison Davis has said he believes the district complies with the governor’s executive order because parents can choose to opt out their children from the requirement.

Meanwhile, at least two lawsuits have been filed challenging DeSantis’ executive order, according to media reports.

While those debates play out, the Hillsborough and Pasco school systems have been busy preparing protocols for the school year.

During the Pasco School Board’s last meeting, on July 27, Browning said he and his staff had spent considerable time going over the COVID protocols for the coming year, in terms of athletics, fine arts, social distancing, cleaning protocols and so on.

Deputy Superintendent Ray Gadd also told the school board that the district plans to have procedures that are “going to be considerably looser, as opposed to tighter than they were last year” as they relate to facilities, events and athletics.

Gadd told the board: “It’s only looking back, we’ll know if that’s a mistake. But going forward, we’re going to loosen up a little bit, so folks can attend ball games and dances, and things like that.”

Regarding procedures for quarantining students and staff, Browning said those rules are set by the Florida Department of Health and will remain the same this year as they were last year.

“All symptomatic cases will be sent home for 10 days. If you’re not vaccinated and you have come in contact with a positive case and the health department has made the determination that you’ll quarantine, then you’ll quarantine.

“If you are vaccinated and come in contact with a positive case and you are asymptomatic — not showing any signs — then you can remain in school, either as a student or as a teacher,” Browning said.

The district was still working out the details regarding how to handle sick time for teachers, if they have to quarantine because of COVID.

In Hillsborough, the district has posted its protocols for visitors on school campuses or district offices. In short, it prefers visitors to have a scheduled appointment.

It also requires visitors to practice social distancing, and all in-person meetings must allow participants to be able to maintain a 6-foot social distance.

Visitors also must complete a self-check before entering a school building.

They should check themselves for these symptoms: Fever or chills, fatigue, sore throat, cough, muscle or body aches, congestion or runny nose, shortness of breath, headache, nausea or vomiting, difficulty in breathing, diarrhea or new loss of taste or smell.

Also, those who are awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test, or who have a known exposure to COVID-19, should not visit the district’s campuses or offices, according to the district’s website.

Published August 11, 2021

School board member cites concerns about funding trends

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Pasco County School Board member Cynthia Armstrong is calling attention to a trend she finds worrisome relating to state funding for schools.

She made her remarks during the July 27 school board meeting, after she and her colleagues approved the tentative budget for next fiscal year.

Superintendent Kurt Browning provided an overview, highlighting some of the key points of the approximately $1.47 billion budget, which is a decrease of $53.5 million.

Pasco County School Board member Cynthia Armstrong is concerned about a reduction in state funding for schools. (File)

For instance, the budget includes $10.5 million in additional state funding, to accommodate the district’s projected growth of 2,277 students, and recurring expenses.

The operating budget, of $731.5 million, includes the allocation and operating costs for the opening of Starkey Ranch K-8 and the mid-year opening of the Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation.

The budget also includes an allocation of nearly $1.6 million to continue to increase the minimum base salary for full-time classroom teachers, Browning said.

The $351 million capital budget includes the construction of the Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, the construction of the 6-12 academy in the Land O’ Lakes area, and major renovations for Hudson and Gulf high schools, he added.

Olga Swinson, the district’s chief finance officer, said the district set aside $5.5 million for COVID-19 retention supplements, for employees who would not qualify under the governor’s bonus plan.

Swinson explained some of the steps necessary to balance the proposed budget.

For instance, she said, “we are moving 30 custodial units to be paid with the Department of Health grant.”

The district also plans to move 35% of the salary of its school psychologists to be covered by funding allocated for mental health needs.

The district additionally used Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief funding for the purchase of textbooks, which is allowed, but for this year only, Swinson said.

It also is transferring about $4.5 million from capital funds to the general fund to cover property insurance costs. Again, that’s for this year only, Swinson said.

Most of the new money received by the district resulted from an increase in property values, Swinson said. “The budget was built on about 6% property increase and we actually saw a 12.4% increase,” she said.

School board member Cynthia Armstrong raised concerns about the level of state funding received by the district and steps the district was forced to take, to maintain a balanced budget.

“You can see that we did use a few non-recurring funds to balance this budget, which is something that none of us like to do,” Armstrong said. “That just means we’re really going to have to dig in hard next year, unless the financial situation improves,” she said.

The board member continued: “I can only say, ‘Thank goodness property values went up, or we really would have been hurting.

“Because if you look at comparing this budget with last year’s, the money from the state that they give us was less than what we received last year,” she said.

The year before, the district received more money than it had the previous year — so it was on an upward trend, Armstrong said.

This year, she said, “despite what the Legislature (says) — how they spin it — when you look at the actual numbers, we actually got less from the state Legislature.

“Those are issues we need to be concerned with because, as we all know, the property values will not continue to go up at the rate that they’re going up,” she said.

She told her colleagues that she was raising the issue, as “kind of a cautionary thing.”

The district must remain fiscally strong to retain its high credit rating, so that it can borrow when necessary at the lowest cost possible, Armstrong said.

The district’s final public hearing on its budget is set for Sept. 14 at 6 p.m., in the board room at district headquarters, 7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

Pasco County Schools tentative 2021-2022 budget
General operating budget: $731.5 million
Capital budget: $351.1 million
Tax millage rate: $5.810
Taxes on a $175,000 home, assuming a $25,000 homestead exemption, would go down $16.80, under the proposed budget.

Published August 11, 2021