The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Oasis Pregnancy Care Centers Opens its Doors in Dade City

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Oasis Pregnancy Care Centers, a nonprofit that offers support to women experiencing a planned or unplanned pregnancy, recently has opened its fourth location in downtown Dade City.

Pete Castellani cuts the ribbon during the grand opening of the Dade City Oasis Pregnancy Care Center, standing between Lora Novak (left) and April Beck (right). They are joined by local Dade City residents and dignitaries. (Katie Fernandez)

The nonprofit, founded by Pete Castellani, got started in 2009 when it opened in Land O’ Lakes. Over the past 12 years, Oasis has successfully expanded into other areas like Wesley Chapel and Tampa.

In late 2020, Castellani got a call from two local Dade City figures about an opportunity for a fourth location.

Randy Huckabee, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dade City, and Larry Guilford, founder of Make A Difference, reached out to Castellani and suggested he take over a vacant center located at 37522 Meridian Ave.

“We brought the idea to our board, discussed it with the church, and low and behold we opened our fourth center on May 11,” says Castellani.

Castellani has been overwhelmed by the success and response he has received in Dade City.

“The whole community, including different organizations, churches, and political figures, has given us so much support. It’s been such a welcoming, friendly, great experience coming into this area,” said Castellani.

As of now, the center is only open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., but Oasis Dade City Director Lora Novak hopes to expand those hours as more people take advantage of its services.

Every service that’s offered to mothers and their partners are completely free, including pregnancy tests, a free ultrasound at less than 22 weeks, and Bright Course lessons that are carried until the baby turns 1 year old.

Lora Novak and Pete Castellani (Nicole Sanchez)

Bright Course lessons, which are in both English and Spanish, educate mothers and their partners on what to expect in their pregnancy, labor and delivery, breastfeeding, and so much more.

Mothers earn points as they complete the different lessons, which can be redeemed at Oasis’ in-house baby boutique filled with new and gently used baby items.

“We provide bibs to cribs, and everything in between,” said Novak.

Oasis stresses the importance of mothers taking time to make their decision on childbirth.

“We always want them to choose life, but that’s ultimately their decision,” said Novak, “We would be there for them for counseling and services in the future, no matter what choice they decide to make.”

For more information on the Dade City center and its services, go to OasisPregnancyCenter.org, or to donate, visit HeartsForOasis.pronetwork.us.

By Nicole Sanchez

Pastor ready to ‘just pedal’ into retirement

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Officially, he’s the Rev. Monsignor Ronald Aubin.

Around Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, in Land O’ Lakes, though, he’s better known as Father Ron.

The Rev. Monsignor Ron Aubin led Our Lady of the Rosary through many changes during his 27 years as pastor. Here he is blessing ground for a new construction project. (Courtesy of Our Lady of the Rosary)

Aubin, who has been at the church for 27 years, has led the parish through two relocations, construction projects, rapid growth, the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic — and those are just some of the high-profile events.

There also are the more intimate — and more regular rituals — of being a parish pastor.

The First Communions he’s distributed.

The homilies he’s delivered.

The marriages and funerals he’s officiated.

And, the visits he’s made to nursing homes, hospitals and to the jail, to offer words of comfort and spiritual guidance to others, in a time of need.

Aubin was ordained to the priesthood on April 23, 1981, making this year his 40th as a priest.

He arrived at Our Lady of the Rosary on July 1, 1994, when the church was still located on the southwest corner of U.S. 41 and State Road 54.

Both of those roads were two lanes at the time, and there were very few stoplights, the pastor recalled.

The Rev. Ron Aubin, left, of Our Lady of the Rosary, received the title of monsignor. He stands alongside the Most Rev. Robert Lynch, then Bishop of the Diocese of St. Petersburg.

“There are two churches there now. One on the north side of the highway and one on the south side of the highway. Both were ours. Except the one on the north side of the street used to be on the south side of the street.

“When they widened the intersection there — widened (U.S.) 41 to four lanes, did the whole intersection, they were going to chop off the (smaller) church,” Aubin said. Instead, the building was sold to the Episcopal Church, which paid $1, and moved it across the street.

Our Lady of the Rosary had already relocated into the larger building at the intersection, which would later become home to Keystone Community Church.

Our Lady of the Rosary moved to its current campus at 2348 Collier Parkway, on Nov. 27, 1999.

The new construction at the site began with a church and an office, and over time, has included classrooms, an early childhood center and, most recently, a youth center.

“Everything on this property was done during my years here — thanks to the efforts of a good number of people,” the pastor said.

Aubin has already experienced some moments of personal joy. Some of the brightest moments came when three parishioners — Israel Hernandez, Kyle Smith and Bill Wilson — were ordained to the priesthood, the church leader said.

Over the years, the church also built some strong, longstanding ministries.

Father Ron, as he’s known around Our Lady of the Rosary parish, said he was raised in an environment ‘where Christ was the center of our lives.’ He said he was surrounded by Irish priests and nuns at church and in school at his parish of Immaculate Conception. ‘We jokingly referred to them as FBI — foreign-born Irish, as opposed to the CIA, conceived in America. That was my world.’

Its scouting program, which includes Troop 33 and Troop 34 — boasted 11 Eagle Scouts in a single ceremony two years ago.

Its Knights of Columbus Council 8104 is known for the legendary fish fry it hosts each Friday during Lent.

And, its food pantry operated by St. Vincent de Paul is a regular source of help for those in need.

Its membership also has grown considerably, too, through the years.

When Aubin arrived at the parish, it had 830-some families; now, it has well over 3,000.

It had a greater membership at its peak, but then the Great Recession hit, forcing young families to move, to seek employment, the pastor said.

“When you’re parents raising babies, you can’t sit back and wait for something to happen. You’ve got to go and find a job. There are some neighborhoods, I am told, that half of the houses were sold, in this area,” Aubin.

The Recession was challenging — but COVID-19 essentially shut everything down.

“There was just zero contact,” Aubin said.

“They couldn’t come here. We couldn’t go there.

“We couldn’t even go to the hospitals to visit people. We couldn’t go to the jail, the nursing homes — any of those places,” he said.

The parish adapted. Staffers with technical know-how stepped up to begin live-streaming Masses in Spanish and English.

The Rev. Monsignor Ron Aubin, better known as Father Ron, holds some gluten-free communion wafers, with an aim to be sensitive to parishioners’ dietary needs.

Staff reached out to parishioners to send in large photos of themselves that could be attached to chairs, so priests could look at the faces while saying the Mass.

The parish followed guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from the Diocese of St. Petersburg, in re-establishing in-person services.

Still, as the country reopens, Aubin expects that some who stopped attending during the pandemic, won’t return.

The trend toward disengagement began about a dozen years ago, Aubin said.

Before the Great Recession, the church had about 1,200 kids in its various programs, he said. Pre-COVID, they were down to 800. During COVID-19, the programs were virtually non-existent.

“I was at a meeting yesterday and other pastors were voicing the same concern. We really have to try to reach out to our young families,” Aubin said.

That disengagement is not something that Aubin — who attended Catholic schools and joined the seminary at age 16 — personally understands.

God, he says, has been “the ‘be all, end all,’ of my life.

“I can’t imagine this present world or the world to come without him. So, I want to share that gift with others,” Aubin said.

The pastor does understand, however, that reaching young people today is much different that it was during his youth.

Fortunately, Aubin expects the new leadership at Our Lady of the Rosary to bring fresh ideas and new energy.

The Rev. Justin Paskert, who will be the new pastor, is coming to the parish from his role as chaplain for the Catholic Student Center at the University of South Florida.

“I’m excited for the parish,” Aubin said.

“I love this place. There’s a certain sadness in leaving, but there’s also joy in knowing that it’s going into good hands. Father Justin will revive it and get it moving again.”

Aubin’s final Masses are this weekend, on June 26 and June 27.

His message will focus on his mantra through the years at the parish, based on a poem called “Just Pedal.”

In essence, it’s about keeping the faith and carrying on, even when the future is not always clear.

“Just pedal. Embrace the change,” Aubin said. “You just have to keep on moving. If you’re not changing, you’re dying.”

Published June 23, 2021

Improvement aimed to move freight, boost safety

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The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is planning an improvement in the U.S. 301/U.S. 98 corridor that’s intended to accommodate increased truck traffic and to improve the road’s safety.

Details of the plan were discussed during the Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization on June 10, and a public hearing is set for June 24 to give interested stakeholders a chance to learn more and comment on the plans.

“This project is along U.S. 301, from south of U.S. 98 to State Road 50, in both Pasco and Hernando counties,” Ashley Henzel, the FDOT project manager, told Pasco MPO board members.

“It’s a distance of approximately 4 miles.

“The existing right of way varies throughout the corridor, with a minimum width of 100 feet. We will need additional right of way to accommodate roadway improvements, as well as flood plain compensation sites and stormwater management facilities,” Henzel said.

“U.S. 301 is a main north-south arterial highway in Pasco and Hernando counties. It connects to a number of regionally significant corridors, including State Road 50 and U.S. 98.

“The purpose of this project is to widen U.S. 301 from a two-lane undivided facility to a multilane divided facility to address existing safety issues and to accommodate future traffic growth.

“This particular segment has a high crash rate, that ranges from two to five times the statewide average for a similar facility,” Henzel added.

She also noted: “U.S. 301 is an important freight route that spans all of the way from Sarasota to Delaware.

“This particular route serves as an alternative route to I-75 (Interstate 75), and has a potential to safely accommodate higher truck volumes.”

The planned improvements include roadway widenings, stormwater management facilities, flood plain compensation sites, as well as various intersection improvements, median modifications and multimodal facilities, she said.

The current existing roadway section is a two-lane road with 4-foot paved shoulders in Pasco County and a two-lane paved road with 6-foot paved shoulders in Hernando County.

For more details, check the project’s website page, attend the June 24 public meeting, or reach out to Henzel.

Public hearing on improvements to U.S. 98/301 corridor
What: Hybrid virtual and in-person public meeting for U.S. 98/U.S. 301 project
When: June 24, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., with formal portion of the meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Ridge Manor Community Center, 34240 Cortez Blvd., Ridge Manor
Attend Virtually: Via GoTo Meeting. Preregistration is required, on the project website, https://www.fdotd7studies.com/projects/us301-us98-to-sr50/.
Details: The public can view and comment on proposed plans for improvements to a 4-mile stretch of the U.S. 98/U.S. 301 corridor, through portions of Pasco and Hernando counties.
Info: Contact Ashley Henzel, project manager, at or 813-975-6433.

Published June 23, 2021

Seminar sheds light on stigma

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The old adage, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me,” may not be exactly true — at least for those who are working to overcome alcohol and substance addiction, mental illness and cultural competency issues.

In other words, hurtful words do matter.

That was the consensus of a group of panelists affiliated with the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Addiction Prevention (Pasco ASAP), a nonprofit organization working to mobilize the community to prevent substance use by implementing evidence-based strategies that produce environmental-level change.

The panelists spoke at a June 1 webinar, titled “Change The Language ASAP.”

The webinar sought to bring awareness to the role stigma plays in addiction, and how everyday words and phrases may have an influence regarding whether someone seeks needed help.

The hourlong discussion was moderated by Pasco Sheriff’s Office Cpt. Toni Roach, who oversees the agency’s Behavioral Health Intervention Team (BHIT) unit.

Cesar Rodriguez (Courtesy of Pasco County Alliance for Substance Addiction Prevention)

Stigma experienced everywhere
Cesar Rodriguez understands the problem better than many, as someone who has been in recovery for seven years, after battling a heroin addiction.

He has seen dark days, including an overdose that nearly killed him.

Now, he’s general manager at Sun Coast Roofing and Solar and is proudly married, with two children.

He’s also been a Pasco ASAP volunteer since 2015. He helps with fundraisers, town halls, and other outreach events.

Although he’s in a good place today, it didn’t come without constant struggles due to stigma, he said.

Before ultimately finding his path to treatment and recovery, Rodriguez told those listening in that derogatory terms, such as “junkie” and “alcoholic,” thrown at those with addictions can morph into a self-fulfilling prophecy — creating barriers that can discourage people from seeking help.

“You begin to believe the labels, and you think you’re not worthy, because you feel like you’re not worth the help,”  Rodriguez explained. “You start believing what everyone’s called you, you apply the label to yourself, ‘Well, I’m just a junkie, I’m not worth it, this is what a junkie does.’”

Stigma shows up in the real world, too, when individuals in ongoing recovery are looking for work.

With multiple felony convictions and a spotty work history, Rodriguez struggled for months, trying to find a job or even land an interview.

“I got door after door shut in my face,” Rodriguez said. “It was really disheartening.”

The increasing use of online applications also prevented face-to-face meetings with hiring managers, where life circumstances could be illuminated in more detail.

“We live in a time where almost every application is digital, so, if you look at me on a digital application with no opportunity for me to present myself and put no personality or anything to it, I just get shifted out of the pile,” he said.

Finally, he was hired for an entry-level labor position with Sun Coast Roofing.

Shame and bias toward former addicts is pervasive on social media, too.

Rodriguez has witnessed online users condemning and humiliating professionals and local businesses owners who are anonymously seeking help via 12-step recovery programs. People use social media to post old mugshots and share past criminal histories.

Said Rodriguez: “I have friends that are business owners that are also in recovery, and I see it used against them in social media, ‘Hey, did you know the guy that owns this business, here’s his mugshot,’ and people post it on social media.

“To have their mugshots paraded around Facebook, saying, ‘Don’t let this person in your house, he’s a drug addict with a record.’

Country Oaks Animal Hospital Medical Director Dr. Philip Richmond (Courtesy of Country Oaks Animal Hospital)

“Well,” Rodriguez continued, “if you’re not a strong person, that might send you running, that might send you back out again.”

Recovery is hard, he said.

It’s particularly tough when someone has been successful in recovery — built a business or a brand, and rebuilt trust — and someone comes along to tear it down — “just out of petty jealousy or ignorance,” he said.

Stigma even exists within the recovery community, said panelist Toni Reynolds, a certified peer recovery specialist who’s also in long-term recovery.

In particular, there can be judgmental attitudes toward people on medication-assisted treatment used to treat opioid addiction, like Suboxone, Subutex, Sublocade or Vivitrol.

Panelists said these medications are used by many as critical first steps in the recovery process.

“There’s still a lot of tension when people announce they’re on that (medication), and a lot of times they’re not welcomed into traditional 12-step meetings. I think it really hinders their ability to feel like they’re part of a community,” Reynolds said.

She said she personally experienced pressures among coworkers at a former workplace, while she was in a recovery program.

“It was kind of frowned upon that I was in recovery,” Reynolds said.

“Some people that I worked with weren’t supportive, and they almost encouraged me to party with them, and it just wasn’t something that I wanted to do with my life,” she said, noting she was not willing to go backwards.

Stephanie McCann has been in recovery for four years now.

Overcoming addiction and a jail stint, the 32-year-old panelist assists others as a recovery support specialist for BayCare Health System.

McCann was an IV drug user for 12 years, abusing opiates and methamphetamine among other substances, before undergoing residential treatment.

She agreed with the assertion about negative perceptions toward medicated-assisted treatment — including medical marijuana — within recovery communities, such as Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous.

While considerable stigma remains in those rooms, McCann said, she’s also recently observed increased understanding of the methods others are using to get clean.

“I think it’s a work in progress and it’s getting better,” McCann said. “I think people are getting a little bit more open to the fact that not everyone’s path to recovery is the same, and that’s OK, because ultimately, if they stride to recovery, what path they took is not necessarily as important.”

The speaker also noted that people often are reluctant to be open about issues surrounding substance abuse and mental health because of stigma.

As an example, McCann said her mother once displayed embarrassment in a doctor’s office when the daughter revealed to nurses and physicians she was attending Narcotics Anonymous groups.

“It really showed me that like older mindset with mental health and substance abuse, that it just wasn’t something you talked about in front of other people,” said McCann.

McCann, however, refuses to stay silent regarding her own assorted life experiences.

“I’ve totally embraced it,” she said.

She added: “Recovery is so much of who I am now, and the path that I’ve taken through addiction has made me the person that I am now, and I’m just not able to be quiet about it.”

Stigma surrounding substance abuse and mental illness also seeps into medical profession, said Dr. Philip Richmond, who serves as medical director at Country Oaks Animal Hospital in New Port Richey.

Richmond freely offered up his past challenges with alcohol since high school, and having suicide ideations back in 2008 upon entering the field as a “newly minted” veterinarian amid stress and other factors.

The panelist referenced a study that claims around 12% to 15% of physicians will encounter an alcohol or substance use disorder. He also referenced a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study that reveals veterinarians are about 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population.

Yet, these problems remain “very stigmatized” throughout the medical community, Richmond said, as health professionals feel they must resolve issues themselves, without outside help.

“We (as medical professionals) somehow think that we should be able to outthink things, that we should be able to tough it out,” said Richmond.

“That’s what almost led me to not being here, was thinking, ‘It shouldn’t happen to me, look at all these things I’ve done in my life, I should be able to overcome this by myself,’ and I 100% could not.”

In his case, colleagues intervened. They recognized what was happening and got him into an inpatient treatment facility, which saved his life.

He emphasized the need for compassion and understanding for those battling addiction and mental illness.

He cited a 2015 CDC study illustrating how people with four or more traumatic childhood experiences are seven times more likely to have an alcohol use disorder, seven-to-10 times more likely to have a substance use disorder, and 12 times more likely to take their own life.

“Things that happened to probably all of us on this panel, before we had any say in it, increased our chances exponentially of having a use disorder,” Richmond said.

That, he said, has been one of the most powerful things he has learned.

Published June 23, 2021

Zephyrhills council to weigh in on city manager

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Zephyrhills City Council soon will be sharing their evaluation of how well City Manager Billy Poe has been performing his job during the past year.

Council members will be completing an annual performance evaluation of Poe, with the aim to “provide important feedback to the city manager identifying areas of strengths and accomplishments, as well as areas in which improvement may be needed,” according to a city memo dated June 14.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe

The evaluation covers a period from June 2020 to June 2021.

Council members are expected to complete the evaluation form and submit to Mayor Gene Whitfield by June 25.

Whitfield will summarize a report during the next regular council meeting scheduled for July 12 at 6 p.m., at Zephyrhills City Hall Council Chambers, 5335 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills.

The 12-page evaluation form consists of 10 key performance measures — personal, professional skills and status, relations with elected members, policy execution, reporting, citizen relations, staffing, supervision, community, and fiscal management.

Performance levels are factored based on a rating scale numbered from 1 (needs improvement) to 5 (exceeds above expectations).

The evaluation also contains a section with an opportunity for council members to enter responses to specific questions and list any comments pertinent to the rating period, such as the city manager’s strengths and performance areas that need improvement, with additional room for constructive suggestions.

The evaluation period coincides with several noteworthy changes for the municipality, including consolidation of the city’s longstanding fire department into Pasco County; opening of the multi-million dollar Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center; progress on the U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road signalized intersection project to pave way for commercial development such as a soon-to-be Chick-fil-A and Chipotle franchises along Gall Boulevard; the launch of the city’s first social media accounts and the hiring of its first public information officer, among other happenings.

Poe has deep ties to the East Pasco community.

Born and raised in Zephyrhills, he began his career as an intern with Zephyrhills city administration, then spent several years working as an assistant city planner.

Poe landed the role of city manager role in Dade City in 2008, a position he held for over a decade.

He left Dade City to become the assistant city manager in Zephyrhills, in November 2018, then stepped up to replace retiring city manager Steve Spina in July 2019.

Poe became Zephyrhills’ city manager during a period of massive residential growth in the city — with over 2,400 homes under construction, not including the numerous developments currently in the negotiation stage. As a result of the growth, an estimated 6,000 people could move into the city within the next two to five years.

Published June 23, 2021

Pasco MPO board turns up heat on Port Richey

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The Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization’s board delivered the City of Port Richey a clear message earlier this month: Start showing up consistently or get booted from the board.

Complaints about the city’s absence at MPO meetings have been growing louder, and last month, the board asked the organization’s new executive director, Carl Mikyska, to find out if the board had the latitude to change its composition.

The Pasco MPO — which is the lead transportation planning agency for the Pasco region — is made up of the Pasco County Commission and representatives from the cities of Zephyrhills, Dade City, New Port Richey and Port Richey.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said he’s been voicing his concerns for years about Port Richey’s lack of attendance at the meetings. If the city isn’t going to be there, Moore has said, the seat should be filled by someone who will.

Port Richey Mayor Scott Tremblay showed up at the MPO board’s June 10 meeting to address the issue.

Pasco MPO board chairman Lance Smith welcomed him, warmly.

“I’m happy that you’re here today. We want the input of Port Richey. I feel like it’s very much needed. I think we’re all in this together,” said Smith, who represents the City of Zephyrhills.

Tremblay said he’s not sure the MPO board’s absenteeism records are accurate regarding Port Richey’s attendance. He said there have been occasions during remote meetings when the city’s vice mayor was virtually present, but wasn’t able to be recognized because his microphone was muted.

Tremblay also said he would appreciate receiving the agenda materials at least 15 days in advance of an MPO meeting, so the entire Port Richey council could have the opportunity to weigh in on issues.

He said he feels uncomfortable voting on substantive issues as just one representative of Port Richey’s five-member council. He also noted that’s not an issue for the Pasco County Commission, because the entire county board sits on the MPO board.

Tremblay also mentioned concerns that voting solo on issues involving the entire city might constitute a violation of the Port Richey city charter.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano then said: “Let me ask the city of New Port Richey, Zephyrhills and Dade City: How is your charter set up where you can actually sit here and make a decision that you think is best for your city? Do they empower you to do that, is something in your charter different than Port Richey, do you know?”

Chairman Smith responded: “I don’t even know that our charter, our particular charter, considers that. At every reorganization, we delegate responsibilities, as a body, to certain individuals to sit on different boards.”

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey told Mariano: “Jack, every board that we sit on, I sit on TBARTA (Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority), Tampa Bay Water — I am the authorized person from my board to make that decision for the board.”

Moore said that’s the way it works all over the county. “It’s nothing new. It’s nothing out of the ordinary.”

David Goldstein, Pasco’s chief assistant county attorney, agreed: “It’s done through delegated authority.”

Moore also told Tremblay that he doesn’t support the mayor’s request to get MPO agenda materials two weeks early.

“For us to make special exceptions because this is the way you want to do it, I’m sorry, that’s not how it’s going to work,” Moore said.

Goldstein also told Tremblay that he wouldn’t be at liberty to pick and choose which items he would vote on. “If you attend this meeting, you do have to vote,” Goldstein said, unless there’s a conflict of interest.

The attorney also noted that any item requiring a financial commitment from Port Richey would have to be taken back to that respective city council to authorize the expenditure.

Board chairman Smith and Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez voiced support for Port Richey’s participation.

Hernandez put it like this: “I do understand the importance and significance of the small cities being part of this board and understanding all of the transportation needs. It is important to have them on here.”

Smith told Tremblay that decisions have been made in Port Richey’s absence that have affected the city.

“So, you need to be here, to have input on it,” Smith said.

He told Tremblay: “I am looking forward to your continued attendance.”

Port Richey mayor offers assurances
The Port Richey mayor assured the MPO board: “We do want to make it clear that we do have an interest in this board. We have an interest in working not only with the county, but with the cities, especially our sister city, New Port Richey, which is right next to us. We do have some overlapping projects.”

Moore, however, expressed skepticism.

“My only fear, and I’m being honest here … is that we end up having this same discussion six months down the road, or a year down the road. People show up for a while and then they don’t show up for months.”

Pasco County Commissioner Christina Fitzpatrick also weighed in: “I feel it’s important for all of our municipalities to have a voice on this board, but I do also think that attendance is extremely important.

“Attendance needs to be accounted for.”

Goldstein offered this suggestion: “The MPO board has to go through reapportionment next year, after the decennial census, anyway.

“What I recommend you do is direct staff to start keeping track of attendance between now and the time that you reapportion.

“If you find that it’s (Port Richey’s attendance) a continual problem, when you reapportion next year, you can then look at eliminating that seat, or multiple seats, if you want to,” Goldstein said.

The MPO board members reached a consensus to proceed with that approach.

Published June 23, 2021

Keep Pasco Beautiful earns honors

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Pasco County is known statewide, and beyond, for its seagrass and salt marsh coastline, acres of conservation land, and rich natural resources. Keeping the environment in tip-top shape is the goal of Keep Pasco Beautiful, and the group is being honored for those efforts.

Olivia O’Malley, of Land O’ Lakes, holds a trash bag open, as her father, Michael, throws away a decaying trash bag that was found on the side of Parkway Boulevard, during a previous coastal cleanup. (File)

Pasco County announced that the Keep Florida Beautiful network has named Keep Pasco Beautiful as “Affiliate of the Year.” There are more than 40 affiliates in the Florida network.

“We are extremely honored to receive this award,” said Keep Pasco Beautiful coordinator Kristen King. “This recognition shows that even in challenging times, our community bands together to protect our environment and create a positive impact.”

Keep Pasco Beautiful was recognized for its Pasco Earth Day Celebration, its Great American Cleanup, and its ongoing social media engagement.

Keep Florida Beautiful also commended Keep Pasco Beautiful for its ongoing, successful community partnerships that benefit both the local community and the organization.

Keep Pasco Beautiful is supported by Pasco County Department of Public Works and Pasco County Solid Waste.

To volunteer or to learn more about the organization, visit KeepPascoBeautiful.org.

Published June 23, 2021

New private hockey school approved in Wesley Chapel

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The Pasco County Planning Commission has approved a request by Russ and Leanne S. Henderson for a special exception to permit a private hockey school in an agricultural district, about 2 miles north of Overpass Road, on the west side of McKendree Road.

The school, which is planned on a 10.3-acre site, is limited to a maximum of 20 people, including students and employees.

In addition to the ice rink, the school will have a shop where students could get snacks — similar to a school bookstore, according to backup materials in the planning board’s agenda packet.

The ice rink will be located within the business core zone of Connected City, the application says.

It is going in next to a nonprofit equine ranch and rescue at 9249 McKendree Road.

Dr. Judy Horvath, who operates the equine center, said the facility provides therapy for both horses and people.

“Our concern is obviously for the horses, for the safety of the horses and the people that visit them,” Horvath said. “It’s an all-volunteer organization.

“We are worried about the safety of the horses because of the noise factor, of the compressors and the chillers,” Horvath told the planning board during its June 3 meeting.

“We’ve gotten verbal reassurance that those chillers will somehow be insulated, or put on the other side, which would be wonderful,” she said.

The planning board voted to approve the request, but added a requirement that the operation will meet the county’s standard noise conditions.

Horvath also voiced concern about the ice rink’s potential environmental impacts.

“There’s ammonia runoff from an ice rink,” she said. “We’re hoping that will be taken care of appropriately.”

If there is ammonia runoff, she said, “it could affect pastures, it could affect groundwater. I’m just looking for reassurances on that.”

But Henderson said, “there’s no ammonia used, in what we do.

“The ice rink is literally just water that’s put on the ground that gets shaved off,” he said.

I wanted to reassure Judy because the horses are important to me, as well.”

He also doesn’t expect much noise from the ice rink.

“All of the chillers are in the southeast corner of the property, which is the furthest place it can be, in terms of the horses and the equine center,” Henderson said.

“The chillers we’re using are brand new. I don’t think it’s going to be an issue for Judy or the horses,” he added.

Horvath was the only person, aside from the applicant and his representative, to offer public comment on the request.

The planning board, which has jurisdiction over this type of application, voted unanimously to approve the request.

Published June 23, 2021

Retiring ‘Old Glory’ with dignity

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Waves of flames consumed about 400 tattered, torn and faded American flags in a dignified Flag Retirement Ceremony, hosted by Lutz/Land O’ Lakes American Legion Post 108.

The remnants of some 400 retired American flags can be seen going up in flames, as members of the American Legion Post 5 Honor Guard stand at attention. (Fred Bellet)

Post Commander Randy Holeyfield presided over the June 12 event, which was held on the grounds of Harvester United Methodist Church, at 2432 Collier Parkway, in Land O’ Lakes.

Holeyfield explained the history of the traditional method of disposing of American flags.

Retired U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. James S. “Hammer” Hartsell also offered a few words, to mark the occasion. Hartsell is now executive director of the Florida Department of Veteran Affairs.

The flags were arranged on a multi-tier burn pit. They ranged in size from 2-feet-long to 32-feet long. Post members called the giant flag “Big Bertha.”

Once in their place, the flags were doused with charcoal fluid and ceremoniously set ablaze.

The hundreds of flags — some cloth and some nylon — had been collected from community and other service organizations in Pasco, Hernando and Hillsborough counties.

Published June 23, 2021

Retired U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. James S. ‘Hammer’ Hartsell spoke to those attending the Flag Retirement Ceremony. Hartsell now is the executive director of the Florida Department of Veteran Affairs.
Jim Littrell, adjutant of American Legion Post 108, works on a multi-tier burn pit to accommodate some 400 American flags that were being disposed of, in a respectful way, during the post’s Flag Retirement Ceremony. Littrell lives in North Tampa.
North Tampa Behavioral Hospital employee Rodney Williams, of Wesley Chapel, left, attends the Flag Retirement Ceremony, with several veterans from the facility. For Williams and the others, it was a moving moment as fire consumed the worn, faded and tattered American flags.
Kurt Gies, commander of American Legion Post 63, had the honors of fire duty. Here, he sprays down the huge flames that consumed the American flags. Only ashes remained, after the fire was extinguished.
Jack Evans, a member of Tampa’s American Legion Post 5, looks on while Randy Holeyfield, commander of the Lutz/Land O’ Lakes American Legion Post 108, addresses the crowd. Holeyfield’s talk explained the history of the solemn ceremony.

A celebration of ‘top pops’

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With Father’s Day this past Sunday, The Laker/Lutz News wanted to help to celebrate all dads.

Readers were asked to send in a photo of their favorite “dad,” along with a short story on why he deserved to win.

Winning entries were chosen by People’s Choice and Publisher’s Choice.

Congratulations to these two ‘top’ dads in our #TheLakerTopPop photo contest.

Jackson Cannon, left, with one of his children sitting on the lap of Jackson’s father. (Courtesy of Keyllan Cannon)

Keyllan Cannon, of Lutz, nominated her husband, Jackson, who was the People’s Choice with the most votes.

Keyllan had this to say: “My husband, Jackson Cannon, became a father fairly young. He was only 20 when we married and 21 when our first child was born. Yet he has possessed a natural inclination toward fatherhood from the beginning. He is firm yet gentle, encouraging and protective. From the moment he learned we were having a baby, he has worked tirelessly to provide a loving, stable home for his family. We have grown to a family of five now, and I know he has looked to the example of his own father these last years, who is the epitome of hard work and perseverance.”

Jessica Valentin, of Wesley Chapel, nominated her husband, Anthony.

Anthony Valentin enjoying some family time at the beach with his girls. (Courtesy of Jessica Valentin)

Her story warmed the heart of The Laker/Lutz News publisher, Diane Kortus, who chose Jessica’s entry for the Publisher’s Choice award.

Jessica said: “I know a picture says a thousand words, but I will add a few more to this one. Anthony is the BEST dad because he is a GIRL-DAD. He is their provider and protector above all. He gives them most of what they want, but all of what they need. He guides them and supports their ideas and interests to the point of exhaustion. Then wakes up the next day to do it again. They may have their eyes set on their futures and their goals, but he always has his eyes set on them. He is the best father in the world.”

The staff at The Laker/Lutz News thanks everyone who entered the contest, as there were many wonderful photos and story submissions.

Published June 23, 2021