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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Dade City Commission welcomes new planning board

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The Dade City Planning Board has added a new face, plus a few familiar ones to its dais.

Dade City Commissioners on Aug. 11 reappointed three board members whose terms recently expired, and approved a new at-large member to the agency’s group of seven.

Matthew Munz was approved to the Dade City Planning Board, as an at-large member. The Dade City resident is a project manager at Mead & Hunt, an architecture and engineering firm. He takes over for Knute Nathe, who vacated the seat after being elected to the Dade City Commission last month. (Courtesy of Matthew Munz)

The three reappointments are James Cosentino, Bermice Thomas and Joe Kennard.

Dade City native and resident Matthew Munz is the new at-large appointment.

Terms of each of the four appointments will expire April 2024. The other planning board members are Jimmy Miller, Davis Henley and Juliann Hale.

Munz, the newest addition, is a project manager for Mead & Hunt, an architecture design, engineering, environmental and construction administration services company.

He takes over the at-large seat previously held by new Commissioner Knute Nathe, who vacated the seat after being elected last month to the Dade City Commission.

“I enjoyed a great deal my tenure on the planning board. It can be thankless service, but it is service that is necessary to the city,” Nathe said.

With that, Nathe recommended Munz for the at-large seat, citing his experience as an engineer leading various water, wastewater, and stormwater projects in multiple stages of development — matters that go hand-in-hand with planning board responsibilities.

Fellow commissioners concurred, unanimously approving the recommendation.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez said Munz’s credentials “certainly are impressive” and his knowledge in development-related matters “should be an asset to the board.”

Hernandez noted that Munz sat through a four-plus hour commission meeting last month, underscoring his passion for community issues.

“If that ain’t dedication, then I don’t know what is,” Hernandez quipped.

Aside from professional experience, Munz also has deep-rooted ties to Dade City coming from a family of public servants.

His mother, Barbara Munz, was principal of Pasco Elementary School for 23 years.

His father, William Munz, was assistant county administrator for Pasco County throughout the 1990s.

Munz kept his comments brief following the appointment. “I look forward to being able to serve the city,” he said.

The city’s seven-member planning board also serves as the Local Planning Agency for quasi-judicial procedures, and also includes one member representative from Pasco County Schools.

The board meets monthly, or as needed.

Duties include transmitting recommendations to the commission regarding zoning district amendments, comprehensive plan amendments, variances, and conditional use permits.

On another matter, commissioners unanimously approved a final plat for Countryside, a 25-lot subdivision located on 5.72 acres east of U.S. 301 and adjacent to a busy block that includes a McDonald’s, O’ Reilly’s Auto Parts, Captain D’s and EZ Clean Car Wash, among other businesses.

The Countryside development has been in the works for some time.

Commissioner Scott Black noted the subdivision has been in entitlement ever since the city landed the McDonald’s location when he was a freshman in high school, roughly 40 years ago.

“It is rather interesting that the project is finally, after so many years, something is happening there,” he said.

The development has received some pushback due to potential negative traffic impacts in that area, including from former Dade City Commissioner Nicole Deese Newlon.

Budget transparency headed to city’s website
Local residents soon will be able to get an inside look at Dade City government’s spending and departmental operations, in real-time online.

Newly appointed Dade City interim finance officer Andrew Laflin told commissioners he’s rolling out a cloud-based budgeting transparency software program onto the city’s website, within the next month or two.

The new program, will allow users to view and navigate the municipality’s multi-year capital projects and budget actual data, with links to the city’s annual budget document and ongoing budget preparations. It also will provide updates and messages from the city’s various departments, he said.

The new online feature will “show really a whole lot of stuff,” Laflin said.

Mayor Hernandez applauded the initiative, especially at a time when the city is experiencing a wave of commercial and residential development.

“I think that’s excellent,” Hernandez said. “I love the fact that it’s not only going to be available to the commission, but it’s going to be available in real-time, so I’m excited. That sounds like a good addition to providing information and transparency to our residents and those in Dade City.”

Laflin has hit the ground running on budget preparations for fiscal year 2020-21 since being hired to provide consulting financial services a month ago.

Other items worth noting:

  • The Dade City Police Department announced the hiring of two new police officers — Christopher Amatruda, 35, and Ronny Rivera, 48.
  • Dade City’s public restrooms have reopened, accessible from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily.
  • Work is underway on the design of a visitor’s information welcome center building at the Roy Hardy Trail trailhead.
  • Pasco County issued a notice to proceed with a route study for the extension of Morningside Drive — to connect U.S. 301 to Fort King Road in Dade City.

Published August 19, 2020

Auto Club urges driver awareness as classes resume

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As Florida students begin the school year, either virtually or in-person, AAA – the Auto Club Group is urging motorists to slow down and stay alert in both neighborhoods and school zones.

“This pandemic could create risky conditions on the roadway,” Mark Jenkins, Auto Club Group spokesman, said in a AAA news release.

“Schools are reopening in different phases and drivers may be unsure of where they’ll encounter students. Regardless, AAA urges drivers to be extremely cautious around school zones and bus stops. You should also treat neighborhoods like school zones, as students doing virtual classes could be outside at various times throughout the day,” Jenkins said.

Here are driver tips from AAA’s School’s Open-Drive Carefully campaign:

• Slow down. Speed limits in school zones are reduced for a reason. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 25 mph is nearly two-thirds less likely to be killed compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling just 10 mph faster, according to AAA.
• Come to a complete stop. More than one-third of drivers roll through stop signs in school zones or neighborhoods. Check carefully for children on sidewalks and in crosswalks before proceeding.
• Eliminate distractions. Taking your eyes off the road for just 2 seconds doubles the chances of crashing. Children can move quickly — crossing the road unexpectedly or emerging from between two parked cars. Do not use a cellphone or eat while driving, for example.
• Follow the law. Florida drivers can be cited for using a handheld device while driving through designated school crossings or active school zones. The noncriminal traffic infraction is punishable as a moving violation and carries a base $60 fine, which does not include court costs or other fees. Three points will be assessed against the driver’s license.
• Watch for school buses. Drivers are required to stop when approaching a school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing and STOP arm extended.
• Watch for bicycles. Children on bicycles are often inexperienced, unsteady and unpredictable. Slow down and allow at least 3 feet of passing distance between your vehicle and a cyclist. If your child rides a bicycle to school, require that he or she wears a properly fitted bicycle helmet on every ride.
• Talk to your teen. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States, and nearly one-in-four fatal crashes involving teen drivers occurs during the afterschool hours of 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

For more information, visit AAA.com and click on the Community link.

Published August 19, 2020

Panelists share insights on youth issues in Pasco

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Each summer, a panel of Pasco County teenagers share their perspectives on substance abuse and other problems facing youths, both in the community and in the school system.

Typically, the event is held at the community center at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park.

But, this time, panelists shared their insights again in a July 28 forum held virtually, in light of COVID-19.

The new format didn’t affect the substance: The panelists — who make up Safe Teens Against Drugs (STAND) — still got their points across.

Pasco County youth from Safe Teens Against Drugs (STAND) voiced their perspective on substance abuse, and other community and school issues, during a July 28 virtual meeting hosted by the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP). (File)

The forum was arranged by the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP). This the fifth year that STAND members addressed numerous community stakeholder groups.

They shared their views on various health and safety issues facing Pasco youths.

The group of youth leaders who make up STAND are working to end youth substance abuse in Pasco County by sharing their observations and knowledge with teachers, police, business owners and other community members.

Besides helping to build understanding, they also suggest solutions.

During the hour-long online discussion, STAND speakers warned that vaping, or the use of e-cigarettes, is a growing problem among youth countywide.

Anclote High School student Iker Dorta went so far as to label it “the biggest drug-related issue” in local high schools and middle schools.

Besides vaping nicotine, kids also vape THC (the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana), and other illicit substances that can be smoked, he said.

Iker noted that vaping has become more popular among teens because it’s “easy to hide in your pocket and go to the bathroom and use it.”

Fellow STAND members agreed.

“Vaping is a huge problem in schools and such,” said Chasco Middle School student Alyssa Saldana. “I’ve had some of my friends tell me that one of their older friends offered them a vape, so it’s definitely a big problem that we need to start looking at more.”

Maddie Horn underscored the issue by recalling an incident during a Chasco Middle School pep rally when a student was caught vaping.

“I think it’s a very common thing that’s happening in all our schools,” said Horn, a rising freshman at Gulf High School.

Many teens get roped into substance use through peer pressure and they use substances to become popular, Horn said.

“It’s very much a popularity thing. So, like if one person does it and they become popular, everyone else will want to do it because they want that ‘fame’ in the school,” Horn said.

Besides vaping, marijuana use continues to be “a big issue,” said Land O’ Lakes High School student Jocelyn Meriwether.

“We have a lot of kids who think it’s a cool thing to do, and you have to, like, join the club of high school that way, through smoking weed in bathrooms and trying not to get caught.”

Greater focus needed on mental health
Using substances to become more popular is just one issue, panelists said.

Youths also turn to substances as a way to escape from dysfunctional home life, or to cope with inner feelings, they said.

They urged an increase in mental health services.

“Mental health is the key to everything right now,” Dorta said. “For a 15- or 16-year-old to go through trauma and leave it unchecked…really impales society as a whole, because that’s what’s going to make up our next generation as a whole, so the very next step before overcoming drugs and vaping, first, is taking hold of our minds.”

Panelists said that mental health must be taken more seriously by the Pasco County Schools —  from guidance counselors to teachers and administrators.

They advocate greater funding for staffing at schools to give students quick access to help, when they need to talk to someone about their problems.

As it stands now, instead of an open door policy, a student must make an appointment of sorts by placing a notecard in a counselor’s mailbox, Meriwether said.

Safe Teens Against Drugs (STAND) is a program facilitated by the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP). The group of youth leaders who make up STAND strive to end youth substance abuse in Pasco County by educating teachers, police, business owners and other community members by sharing their observations, and suggesting solutions. (Courtesy of Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention)

“They’ll get to you when they get to you,” she said.

That can be problematic, she added.

“Some kids can’t wait. They need to talk and if they don’t have someone to talk to they’re going to go to drugs and skip over using their resources.

“We have those situations where we want to talk to somebody about this, but no one’s available,” Meriwether said.

Piggybacking off that thought, Horn mentioned some counselors won’t take a particular student’s mental health issues seriously. Instead, they write it off as teen angst.

Other times, she said, counselors just focus on a student’s grades — instead of talking to them about what has been bothering them at school, or outside of it.

Horn put it all like this: “Let’s say you’re being bullied. Like, you’ll go in talking about that issue, but then they’ll change to subject to, ‘Oh, how are your grades doing?’”

That, she added, “doesn’t make the bullying situation or whatever your situation is, any better.

“I don’t think there are enough people in our schools to help us going through our issues. Like the teachers say they can help, but they can only help when it’s convenient for them,” Horn said.

COVID-19’s far-reaching impacts
The unintended consequences of COVID-19 on school-age youth was another deep talking point among panelists.

With a lack of school structure, boredom at home and few extracurricular or athletic activities available — because of the pandemic — panelists said they’re not surprised if fellow teens are currently experimenting with new substances, or abusing them more frequently than they did before the pandemic hit.

Meriwether observed: “Kids now are at home and don’t have a lot to lose, so they’re trying new things. Parents will have stuff at home that kids can just get into, because it’s not being locked up, because everyone’s home all day.”

Safer-at-home orders also have allowed youth to hide side effects that otherwise might’ve been caught if they were in school or school-related activities, she added.

Because of that and other reasons, panelists generally seemed in favor of having some sort of option to return to brick-and-mortar schools.

Horn summed it up like this: “I get a little depressed because I’m not able to go and see my friends, and school was something I enjoyed. It’s very isolating to do online school for such a long time when you don’t have groups to attend and you don’t make friends outside of online school, so like I found peace in going to school. Like, the fact that I can’t go to school is very sad, because I like going to school, I like being around other people and seeing new faces, and it’s just easier to learn.”

Dorta, meantime, expressed worry for youth who’ve had to handle online learning in the face of troubling home or family environments.

Traditional schooling usually offers “a dip from harsh reality” for those kids,” he said.

“You can’t push online school onto a lot of people, especially when those kids have trouble at home. …Imagine if you’re bringing school to their house, which they can’t even feel safe or concentrate in,” he said.

Dorta wants to see schools reopen. But, he added: “Seeing how (COVID-19) is going on, I don’t know how it’d work and I don’t really know if it’s the best option, but knowing a lot of kids that are struggling, at least have them refer to a source that they can go to outside of their house.”

Others, including Gulf Middle School’s Yahkaira Barbosa, expressed hesitation about returning to school at the moment.

“I’m dying to go back to school, but the way things are, it’s probably best not to because it’s going to be awhile until a vaccine comes out,” Barbosa said.

Safe Teens Against Drugs (STAND) is a program facilitated by the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP).
STAND members include Iker Dorta, Anclote High School; Alyssa Saldana, Chasco Middle School; Jocelyn Meriwether, Land O’ Lakes High School; Maddie Horn, Gulf High School; Jakob Horn, Bayonet Point Middle School; Billy Kritsotakis, Harry Schwettmann Education Center; Joel Meriwether, Sunlake High School; Jeromy Vaughn, Gulf Middle School; Austin Vaughn, Chasco Middle School; and Cheyenne Howard, of Dade City.

STAND’s mission is to:

  • Change youth perspectives of drugs
  • Reduce accessibility of drugs
  • Reduce marketing of drugs to young people
  • Create an environment where young people in recovery can thrive

To learn more about STAND, contact ">.

Published August 19, 2020

Pasco seeks to forbid pet stores from selling cats and dogs

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Pasco County is seeking to stop the sale of dogs, cats, puppies and kittens from retail pet stores.

The Pasco County Commission, during its Aug. 4 meeting, heard the introduction of an amendment to a county ordinance — that would enact the new restriction.

Commissioners are scheduled to hold a public hearing on the proposal at their Sept. 8 meeting, at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., in downtown Dade City.

Mike Shumate, the county’s director of animal services, told commissioners the proposed change aims “to restrict the retail sale of dogs and cats, puppies and kittens, from pet stores — especially those intentionally selling from large, commercial breeders, out-of-state breeders, puppy mills, primarily.”

Shumate said the proposed ordinance change is consistent with his department’s mission to protect people and pets, within the community.

The new restriction is needed, Shumate said, because a significant number of puppies and kittens sold at pet stores come from out-of-state large-scale breeding facilities where the health and welfare of animals is not provided adequately.

Shumate said: “There’s documented abuses — endemic of the puppy and kitten mills — including overbreeding, inbreeding, minimal to nonexistent veterinary care, lack of nutritious food, water and shelter, lack of socialization, adequate space and exercise.

“The inhuman conditions of puppy mills and kitten mills often lead to health and behavioral issues,” he added.

And, that becomes a problem for future pet owners, the animal services director said.

“Consumers are often unaware of these issues when purchasing their animals from pet stores,” Shumate said.

Pet owners do have some recourse because there’s state law that puts restrictions and requirements on those importing animals from out-of-state, Shumate said. That regulation is often referred to as Florida’s pet-limit law, he said.

However, Shumate noted: “Many of these health and behavioral issues may develop later — once they’re outside the scope of the protection of the Florida statute —  to impose financial hardship and emotional costs on consumers.”

Prohibiting the retail sale of kittens and puppies likely will result in decreased demand for pets that were bred in puppy and kitten mills, the animal services director said.

It also likely will lead to an increased demand for pets from the animal shelter, from rescue operations and from local, registered breeders, he said.

“Most pet stores operate profitably with a business model focused on the sale of pet services and supplies, and not on the sale of dogs and cats,” Shumate said.

“A lot of your big box pet stores — such as Petco, PetSmart, Pet Supermarket, Pet Supplies Plus — throughout our county operate very profitable businesses, and they do not offer for sale dogs, cats, puppies and kittens,” he added.

Instead, they partner with animal shelters and rescue groups to adopt animals out, Shumate said.

The ordinance promotes collaboration between animal shelters, rescue organizations and pet stores to showcase adoptable, homeless pets at pet stores.

The amendment does not affect a consumer’s ability to obtain a pet, Shumate told commissioners.

“I’m sure if you are looking for any breed of dog, you can find it very quickly, here in Pasco County, or surrounding counties, or certainly within our own state,” Shumate said.

“We have no want for animals coming into our shelter every day, so we know that the population is still high,” he said.

“We have cats galore, in the county, that we’re desperately working on to get sterilized as quickly as possible with some of our programs and funding, and some of our partners and grants from Petco and PetSmart Charities, and things like that,” he added.

Animal services does its best to avoid euthanizing animals. Currently, it has a 93% save rate, Shumate said, crediting his staff and the shelter’s partners for that achievement.

Reducing the number of pets brought into the county from puppy or kitten mills should result in fewer pets being brought to the shelter — thus increasing the shelter’s available space to keep pets alive, while they are awaiting permanent homes, he added.

By adopting the amended ordinance, the county will join about 50 municipalities and eight other counties in Florida that already have passed similar ordinances, Shumate said.

The ordinance does allow an  exemption for current registered pet stores in the county.

That exemption is being permitted because there is just one existing pet store and the county has the ability to inspect it and respond to complaints, if any arise, Shumate said.

Published August 19, 2020

Serving school lunches — at home — during a pandemic

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What happens when your home kitchen becomes your child’s school cafeteria?

That’s the situation many families are finding themselves in, as their children learn remotely from home, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whether you chose to keep your child at home, or the school district is beginning classes remotely, you may find yourself serving lunch to your students who are eating at home.

Here’s a twist to add some fun to traditional peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The presentation makes lunch more interesting, and helps to ensure your kids are getting enough fruit in their diet. (Courtesy of Shari Bresin)

Although there may be options available to pick up school meals (check with your district), the chances are you’ll need more food that’s readily available if your children are home all day.

So, what should you feed your kids if they’re home, without access to school lunches?

Healthy food must be at the top of the list.

Avoid processed food as much as possible.

Why?

Because a child’s diet can make a difference in his or her academic performance.

A 2018 study from the University of California, Berkley, discussed the positive links between childhood nutrition and high grades.

Eating healthy food helps with concentration, memory, physical development and behavior.

The study also talked about the negative correlation between obesity and cognition — which includes being able to remember, solve problems, store learned information and so on.

Specifically, the study mentions how refined carbohydrates, refined sugars and a diet high in saturated fat all negatively impact cognition.

So, be sure to limit those in your child’s diet to help set him or her up for academic success and help them to maintain a healthy weight.

If you’ve been in your child’s school cafeteria, you may recall seeing pictures of MyPlate.

This is the revised version of the food guide pyramid that gives a visual of the five food groups.

If you haven’t already used this guide, it may be helpful as you think of meals to make for the kids.

The food groups are fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy.

MyPlate has a few simple messages about the food groups:

  • Make half your plate fruits and vegetables

The typical diet in the U.S. is heavy in protein and grain, so be sure to make room on the plate to include more fruits and vegetables.

Doing this will ensure the recommended amounts of nutrients are being met.

  • Make half your grains whole grains

Grain food includes cereal, pasta, rice, bread, tortilla shells, crackers and so on.

As your kids consume grain products throughout the day, make sure that at least half of the time they are eating whole grain foods.

Some food your child may already eat, such as oatmeal and popcorn, are whole grains.

The packaging needs to say it’s a whole grain, not 100% wheat, honey wheat, or multigrain.

  • Eat low-fat or fat-free dairy products

One gram of fat has 9 calories.

When you switch to low-fat or fat-free dairy, you reduce your overall intake of calories that day.

  • Vary your protein routine

Animal proteins aren’t needed at every meal.

Plant-based proteins can replace animal protein, at times.

Beans, nuts, seeds, peanut butter and tree nut butters, such as almond butter and cashew butter, are plant-based proteins. Be mindful of all nut allergens.

  • You don’t have to have all five food groups in every meal, but aim to have at least three.

Here are some MyPlate-friendly lunch ideas:

  • Peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat bread with low-fat milk
  • Hummus and veggies wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla shell with a side of fruit
  • Toasted bagel with egg, tomato, lettuce, and low-fat cheese
  • Tuna canned in water with whole wheat crackers and low-fat string cheese
  • Mashed hardboiled egg in whole wheat pita bread with sliced tomatoes and cucumbers
  • Taco shells with refried beans, lettuce, onion, shredded low-fat cheese, salsa, and avocado
  • Peanut butter and jelly sandwich on a stick: Make a PB and J sandwich on whole wheat bread. Cut into small pieces, place pieces on skewers and alternate with sliced bananas or jelly type fruits, such as strawberries, grapes, and/or blueberries.
  • Leftovers: many parents make large dinner portions so their kids can have the extras for lunch.

A snack should have at least two food groups.

Something simple like celery with peanut butter, or yogurt with berries should be readily available at home.

This school year may look different, but health messages remain the same: Make healthy food part of the routine for school success.

By Shari Bresin

Shari Bresin is the Family & Consumer Science agent for the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension Pasco County.

Published August 19, 2020

Oasis founder will assume new role

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Peter Castellani

Peter Castellani, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Oasis Pregnancy Care Centers, will semi-retire on Jan. 1. He will assume the role of founder and director of Church and Community Partnerships.

Castellani will continue to network, build and maintain relationships, and raise funds for Oasis, but the new position will allow him and his wife to spend more time together, doing things they’ve been dreaming of doing.

Castellani will be passing the baton to April Beck, who will be promoted to executive director and will take over the ministry’s day-to-day operations.

The pregnancy centers offer pregnancy tests (no cost, lab quality), free ultrasounds (pregnancy confirmation), free counseling and parenting classes.

Oasis has several locations, including:

  • 3632 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Suite 108, Copperstone Executive Suites, Land O’ Lakes. Call (813) 406-4965.
  • 5854 Argerian Drive, Suite 103, Wesley Chapel. Call (813) 618-5037
  • 14630 N. Nebraska Ave., Suite C, Tampa. Call (813) 978-9737.

For information, visit OasisPregnancyCenter.org.

Published August 19, 2020

Get suspicious seeds in the mail?

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If you’ve received suspicious seeds in the mail, Hillsborough County’s Extension Service will take them off your hands.

The unsolicited seeds, which appear to have come from China, should not be planted or used in any way, according to a news release from Hillsborough County.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is working closely with other federal agencies and state departments of agriculture to investigate the deliveries, the news release says.

The USDA believes at this time that the packages, reportedly sometimes containing other items such as silverware and fidget spinners, are a “brushing scam” where people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales, the release adds.

Seeds of unknown origin may constitute agricultural smuggling, be invasive, introduce pathogens or toxins, pose a risk of foodborne illness, or threaten plant and animal health, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The Hillsborough County Extension Service staff will accept the seeds on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Residents who are unable to drop off the seeds during these times can call (813) 744-5519 for additional instructions. The Extension Service is at 5339 County Road 579 in Seffner.

People in possession of unopened packages or packages containing other non-agricultural items should contact the USDA APHIS Anti-Smuggling Hotline at (800) 877-3835 or .

Published August 19, 2020

New theatre group created

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The Carrollwood Cultural Center recently announced the creation of OVATION, a new performing theatre troupe for teens and young adults, according to a news release.

“We have worked with a lot of amazing young talent over the years,” said event coordinator and MAS Theatre show director Aaron Washington. Many have “earned leading roles in large musicals at the center,” he said.

The original members of OVATION include Rhett Ricardo, Robbie Hipkins, Kaileen Barreto, Joseph Conrad, Brilee Gold, McKinnley Nelson, Rylie Nelson, Keira Osborne, Alexandra Sterling, Zachary Trenkle and Elijah Zurek.

“These young performers possess professionalism and passion beyond their years….they inspired us to create OVATION,” Washington said.

OVATION is more than a group of young adults who perform together. The members are encouraged to share their outside experience with school performances, auditions and other community/professional projects with the rest of the group.

Also, members will receive master class opportunities, and can receive hours toward Bright Future Scholarships. They also will be called upon to perform in various staged and outreach performances for the center.

“Needless to say, COVID-19 has made it difficult for these performers to get out and perform,” Washington notes, “but they’ve been in touch with one another and have recorded a few things while social distancing, which has kept them engaged.”

Washington said that the center hopes to “help these young performers build life experience that will be instrumental in pursuing a career in the performing arts.”

For more information, email Aaron Washington at .

To see OVATION’s recordings, visit CarrollwoodCenter.org and click on Clubs and Groups.

Published August 19, 2020

Pasco employees win state awards

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The Florida Sterling Council has recognized six Pasco County employees for work they performed as Sterling Examiners – including the Examiner Excellence Award – given to just one  Sterling Examiner each year, according to a county news release.

More than 150 Volunteer Examiners serve statewide, supporting the council’s mission of elevating organizational performance excellence.

The awards were presented during a virtual Examiner Recognition Ceremony on July 17.

The county’s team of examiners helps organizations across the state, while also helping the county to improve its performance, Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles said at the Pasco Commission’s Aug. 4 meeting.

“The awards program for the internal Sterling program in the state almost was like Pasco County Day,” Biles said, noting that Amielee Farrell received the examiner’s excellence award for the year.

He praised all of the county staff receiving recognition.

“They’re doing an excellent job going out and examining private and public government agencies, not only helping them, but bringing their ideas back to Pasco County so we can do our jobs better, too.

“There’s a dozen on that team right now and they’re doing an excellent job throughout the state, and then bringing those ideas back to us, so we can become the premier county that the board wants us to become,” Biles said.

Farrell, of the county’s Office of Management and Budget, was recognized for her  contributions in the areas of thought leadership, developing new software training and guidance, and her participation on two assessment teams, according to the county news release.

Pasco employees Nilda Meono received the Challenge Assessment Rookie of the Year and Courtney Cooper received the Governor’s Sterling Award Assessment Rookie of the Year.

Also, Zuzana Bobst, Courtney Cooper, Matthew Hicks and Nilda Meono were promoted from Examiner to Advanced Examiner.

Jeffrey Harris was promoted from Advanced Examiner to Senior Examiner, and Amielee Farrell was promoted from Senior Examiner to Lead Examiner.

The Florida Sterling Council was formed in 1992 as a not-for-profit, public/private partnership supported by the Office of the Governor, the county release adds.

To learn more about the Sterling Program and the role of Examiners, visit FloridaSterling.com.

Published August 19. 2020

Union seeks ‘online-only’ school option

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Pasco County Schools is continuing its plans to offer face-to-face instruction as one of its options when school resumes on Aug. 24 — but, the union representing teachers and other school district employees is continuing its efforts to block that.

In a posting on the United School Employees of Pasco’s website, union officials inform their members that they are continuing efforts to seek an injunction that would prevent a return to brick-and-mortar classrooms when school begins.

The union is waiting until this week for formal actions to avoid interfering with efforts by the Florida Education Association, which is pursuing legal action on behalf of educators across the state, the posting says.

This latest USEP announcement follows a rally by teachers and parents at school district headquarters on Aug. 4, seeking to persuade the Pasco County School Board to adopt an online-only opening of schools, until the number of positive COVID-19 cases declines.

Don Peace, president of USEP, appeared at the school board’s meeting that day, again urging the board to only open schools online.

“We are not saying we don’t want a return to brick-and-mortar. We are saying we don’t want to return to brick-and-mortar now,” Peace said.

“Pediatricians and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) are saying that we should not be heading back to schools at this time.

“When the positivity rate shows a downward trend and is below 5%, which is the level that ironically triggered the stay-at-home order back in April, then and only then would it be prudent to have a conversation on returning in a face-to-face format,” Peace said.

Peace said the district should rely on the data, in determining if students, teachers and staff return to schools.

“We have the means to use technology, in order to save lives,” Peace said.

Speakers offering public comment also told board members that they don’t think it’s safe to return.

Patrick Connolly, of Zephyrhills, said that there will be significant problems with staffing, if staff members apply their self-screeners with fidelity. And, he said, “if we don’t apply these screeners with fidelity, we will have the virus running rampant in our community.”

Jeremy Blythe, a Pasco teacher for five years, said he wishes he was excited to begin a new school year. Instead, he said, ““I’m afraid, I am angry and I’m sad.

“Being a teacher has prepared me to do many things, but what I cannot prepare for is the idea that I will have to bury a colleague or a student. I don’t want my family to have to bury me, either, if we head back to campus before it is safe,” Blythe said.

Superintendent Kurt Browning reiterated the district’s stance of reopening, with three options for parents: bricks-and-mortar, mySchool Online and Pasco eSchool.

“We are between that proverbial rock and a hard place, where we find ourselves with that emergency order,” Browning said.

“There’s been a lot of discussion, comments made out there about funding.

“The fact remains that when you read the emergency order, it is very clear that funding is tied to the fact that school districts need to open with bricks-and-mortar.

“You have to truly connect the dots, but if you want funding, and you want to be held harmless from funding reductions, then the expectation is that districts will open bricks-and-mortar.

“If we do not get funding from the state, our teachers do not get paid. Our bus drivers do  not get paid. Staff, in general, does not get paid.

“It’s going to be tough to keep lights on,” Browning said.

Browning said district staff is doing everything it can to ensure safety.

However, he added: “We’re not going to prevent it, but we are in the business of trying to minimize the impacts, or the spread of COVID,” the superintendent said.

He noted: “Even after all of the news reports, the data that’s out there — we still have 66% of our families that are wanting to return to bricks-and-mortar.

“By virtue of that, we need to be able to staff and provide that for them,” Browning said.

School Board Chairwoman Colleen Beaudoin said one of her chief concerns involves the inability to provide social distancing in secondary classrooms.

“We cannot ensure social distancing in every secondary classroom,” she said, noting district employees are aware of that, but she’s not sure that parents know that.

Beaudoin did call attention to Pine View Middle School’s efforts to maximize  the space between its students, by clearing the room of extra furniture, extra tables, extra filing cabinets — to increase the distance between desks.

Beaudoin also said that if at some point, the district was to go remote, she wants the public to know that the district staff has been exploring multiple options.

“None are guaranteed, but we have been looking into ways to support families with child care and tutoring, to be able to continue to feed our students and families, and keep our employees working,” the school board chairwoman said.

While Pasco plans to return to school campuses, the Hillsborough County School Board has voted to begin the school year with online-only instruction — a position being rejected by Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran.

To be on the safe side, parents are encouraged to check for the most recent updates on the school district websites and social media platforms, to be sure they have the latest information. The Pasco school district’s website is Pasco.k12.fl.us.

The Hillsborough school district’s website SDHC.k12.fl.us.

Published August 12, 2020