The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

New River library gets makeover

By

New River Branch Library was feeling its age after more than nearly 30 years of service to patrons in Zephyrhills and Wesley Chapel.

But soon, New River will be like new again.

Construction on major renovations and an expanded community garden is on schedule for a fall 2020 completion.

This rendering shows the covered walkway that is part of an expansion of the New River Branch Library. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

“We’re moving forward on it. The (coronavirus) pandemic has not slowed down construction,” said Bob Harrison, marketing program manager for the Pasco County Libraries.

All seven county libraries are slated for “a complete re-imagining from top to bottom,” Harrison said. Funding for the renovations is from the GO, or General Obligation, bonds approved by voters in November 2018.

Centennial Park Branch Library in Holiday also is in the process of being renovated.

When the New River renovation is finished, patrons can enjoy a new look, as well as upgrades in technology, high-efficiency air conditioning, teen and youth adult areas, faster Internet speeds, a covered walkway entry and a makerspace that opens into a shaded “classroom” for the community garden.

Harrison said the covered walkway and garden space will allow for “do-it-yourself” activities. It also can be used to host gardening programs delivered by master gardeners or Pasco County Extension agents.

During the COVID-19 shutdown, the original garden died off, but Judy Curran is ready to dig and plant anew when New River opens in the fall.

Curran, the library’s youth services provider, said the new garden will be larger and will have more activities.

A garden that had about six raised beds will expand to about 26 beds, Curran said. About half will be for workshops and demonstrations. The rest will be open to people who want to grow flowers or vegetables.

“It’s really kind of neat that the library team gave us this opportunity,” she said. “I’m hoping to expand some of my outdoor activities.”

A new employee assigned to community outreach will aid in organizing events.

Curran made the first plantings in 2014 when employees were encouraged to pick a special project to adopt. They could spend 10% of their work hours to make it happen.

Curran got enthusiastic responses as soon as she posted her idea on the library bulletin board. The garden beds soon sprouted with help from a dozen youth and adult volunteers.

New River’s garden was unique not only in Pasco County, but in Florida, as well. Curran said she even received a call from Chicago asking about the library’s garden.

The Land O’ Lakes Branch Library has since planted a community garden, too.

A project to plant fruit trees at New River is expected to continue.

And, a new children’s activity, Story Walk, will allow children to follow a winding path where they will stop at stations and read pages from a storybook.

“I think it’s going to bring even more people when we reopen,” Curran said. “This little idea I had has really expanded.”

For information on New River and video on renovations, visit Facebook.com/newriverlibrary.

Published June 03, 2020

Dade City considering sidewalk cleanup program

By

The Dade City Commission is considering a sidewalk pressure washing program to address the downtown’s main corridors — as part of a concentrated effort to provide a cleaner community appearance to attract visitors to the town.

The city already has strived to beautify the downtown of late, with recent improvements to the public parking areas on Eighth Street, including tree trimming, mulching of planted areas, and debris removal.

Now, city leaders are looking to pressure wash sidewalk areas on both sides of Seventh Street, between Church Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and Meridian Avenue, between Eighth Street and Third Street. Work would encompass concrete curbs, driveways, and both public and private sidewalk areas.

Commissioners on May 26 provided general consensus to review three third-party quotes for pressure washing services at a future meeting. Received bids ranging from $2,800 to $6,000 to $7,290 for a one-time deep cleaning. Commissioners also are requesting additional information from the companies, such as signing off on hold harmless insurance requirements.

If approved, a sidewalk cleaning project would be funded out of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA ).

Dade City Manager Leslie Porter explained the program would be similar to that of New Port Richey, which has a regular sidewalk cleaning maintenance program as part of a downtown revitalization initiative.

Commissioners agreed some type of downtown sidewalk cleaning is long overdue, and perhaps should be done as regularly as annually or biannually.

Commissioner Jim Shive couldn’t recall the last time the sidewalks had been pressure washed, or if ever.

Some type of cleaning program would be “a small investment that will definitely make the downtown shine,” he said.

“It would definitely make the walking and pedestrian areas downtown pop and make it look a lot cleaner,” Shive said, adding it makes sense to contract for such services. The city’s public works crew doesn’t have the equipment needed to perform efficiently, he explained.

Shive also observed that it’s an opportune time to undertake such a project because of lower foot traffic downtown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s time to do some things that we normally couldn’t get done in the downtown area,” Shive said.

Mayor Camille Hernandez said a sidewalk cleaning would “just give our city a refresh” and “make people feel good about their city and have some pride.

“I think this is a small investment that can make a huge difference as we continue to clean up our town,” the mayor said. She favors pressure washing sidewalks at least once a year, if done at “a reasonable cost.”

The city’s practice in the past has been to expect property owners to clean and maintain private property, including sidewalks, curbs and drives, unless part of a code enforcement action. If a property owner has not maintained their property according to city code, and the city remedies any violations, a lien is placed on the property to recoup the costs associated with the cleaning of the property.

Other updates from Dade City Manager Leslie Porter:

  • Staff is in the process of ranking bid responses for the construction of a new concession stand and public restroom building at Moore-Mickens Field, 14318 Canal St. The city has budgeted $150,000 for the project. The old structure was demolished on May 22 by city public works.
  • Staff is applying for a technical planning grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), to help fund an update to the city’s comprehensive plan.
  • Staff is developing a budget workshop calendar for fiscal year 2020-21, with an expectation that several workshops will be required once new city commissioners come aboard following the June 30 municipal election. “We’ll really need to hit the ground running when we have our new commission installed, so I anticipate there’ll be quite a few budget workshops as we work through the process this year,” Porter said.
  • Bidding is expected to open July 9 for the multimillion dollar Tank Hill wastewater improvement project. The scheduled on-site pre-bidding meeting had previously been delayed, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Published June 03, 2020

Cypress Creek Middle set to open this fall

By

When a new school year opens, Cypress Creek Middle students will finally have school buildings to call their own.

Middle and high school students have been sharing the campus, formerly known as Cypress Creek Middle High, since 2017.

Beginning this fall, however, there will be a middle school for grades six through eight, and a high school for grades nine through 12.

Construction on the middle school began in 2019.

Cypress Creek Middle School is ready to open on its new campus.(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

“It’s more than on track,” said Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent for Pasco Schools. “It’s as ahead of schedule as we’ve ever been.”

Like all public schools in Pasco County, a regular school day likely will be very different from any previous school years.

Planning sessions are ongoing for the fall start of school, with keen attention on how the COVID-19 pandemic will dictate changes in school operations.

Gadd said he anticipates an announcement on what to expect for district schools by July 1.

Cypress Middle School has a student capacity of about 1,600 students. Gadd surmises the first year enrollment will be somewhat lower.

Construction for the school building is estimated at about $43.5 million.

It shares the same campus as the high school, but is about 15 acres north of it.

With a curriculum focus on performing arts, the building design includes a black box theater, chorus, dance and orchestra rooms.

Also, Pasco-Hernando State College is expected to open its Instructional Performing Arts Center on the same campus this fall.

The district initially planned to open both a high school and a middle school on the Cypress Creek campus at the same time, but a lack of funding forced it to use the campus for both middle and high school students.

The campus opened in 2017, for students in grades six through 11, with a senior class added the following year. Care was taken to keep the younger students and older students separated, and to provide middle school and high school programs.

Opening of the middle school in the fall also required a realignment of school boundaries affecting primarily students living in the Seven Oaks subdivision of Wesley Chapel, who attended John Long Middle School and Wiregrass Ranch High School.

While the district gears up to open a new school, it’s preparing for how it will operate safely amidst COVID-19 concerns.

Gadd noted there’s no precedence to follow.

“We look at everything the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) does, but CDC has not provided us with any pragmatic, practical information,” Gadd said.

Figuring out how to do social distancing isn’t easy, especially with kindergarten and elementary students, he said.

“How do you keep kindergartners from interacting?” Gadd asked.

One option to keep younger students safe would be to keep them together as one classroom group, he said. There would be no intermingling with students in other classrooms. And, activities with each group, including recess, would be done as a unit.

Middle school and high school students are more mature, and more likely to handle social distancing, Gadd said.

But, there are many more issues to resolve — even something as simple as getting students to and from school.

“How do we get kids on the bus and off the bus?” Gadd said.

Work sessions are ongoing.

“Our intent is to open all schools,” Gadd said. “Right now, we haven’t received any guidance from the state suggesting otherwise.”

Revised June 09, 2020

Pasco municipal elections set for June 30

By

Municipal elections for the cities of Dade City and San Antonio have been rescheduled to June 30, per an executive order from Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The local elections were originally supposed to be held April 14, but were delayed due to COVID-19.

The announcement of the rescheduled elections came in a press release from the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Office.

Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley officially made the request on behalf of the municipalities for a rescheduled election back on April 27. The governor’s office finally granted the request on May 15, when Executive Order 20-124 was issued.

In Dade City, six candidates are running for three open seats on the Dade City Commission — for Groups 3, 4 and 5.

In San Antonio, five candidates are vying to fill three open seats on the San Antonio City Commission.

There will not be a municipal election for the city of Zephyrhills because there is no longer a contested race. A city mayoral race was initially set between incumbent Gene Whitfield and Justin Docherty, but Docherty has since dropped out of the race after failing to properly qualify for the local election. Meanwhile, Seat 2 councilman Alan Knight has retained his seat after running unopposed.

Municipal elections are for voters residing within the city limits only.

Sample ballots are available at PascoVotes.gov, and election results will be posted on the website when they become available.

Voting by mail is an option for municipal residents. Request for a vote-by-mail ballot by calling (800) 851-8754, or in writing to P.O. Box 300, Dade City FL 33526. Written requests must include your date of birth and signature. Vote-by-mail ballots are due back in the elections’ office by 7 p.m., election day.

All voters going to the polls for municipal elections should bring photo and signature identification, or they will be required to vote a provisional ballot. Voters also are encouraged to update their voter registration record with any changes prior to election day by calling (800) 851-8754.

For more information, visit PascoVotes.gov, or call (800) 851-8754.

Published June 03, 2020

Wiregrass Ranch High student wins honor for civil rights video

By

Aimee Johnson is on track to become a nurse, a profession she loves.

But, this 18-year-old senior at Wiregrass Ranch High School also is an award-winning videographer.

Her 10-minute video on the St. Augustine civil rights movement won a first-place regional award in an annual competition that celebrates National History Day.

Aimee Johnson, who is graduating from Wiregrass Ranch High School, won a first-place regional award in a competition about civil rights history. (Courtesy of Aimee Johnson)

It is featured at the ACCORD Civil Rights Museum in St. Augustine.

Even though it was “a very prominent movement and had one of the most violent histories,” Johnson said, it also “was a hidden history people didn’t know about.”

She compiled archival photographs and interviewed St. Augustine civil rights activists to tell the story of racial tension and hatred in the mid-1960s.

She started her video journey with a visit to the ACCORD Civil Rights Museum, which holds artifacts from that period, including the fingerprints of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Police arrested the civil rights icon in June 1964 for trespassing when he and others tried to dine at a whites-only restaurant.

It was King’s only arrest in Florida.

Johnson held the document and touched King’s fingerprints.

“It was very eye-opening, and I’m grateful that I got to do something like that,” she said. “It’s become something more to me. I’m very happy about that.”

The museum is at the former office of dentist and civil rights activist Robert B. Hayling, who is considered the “father” of the St. Augustine civil rights movement.

He headed the St. Augustine NAACP Youth Council before joining with King’s Southern Christian Leadership Council.

In addition to her museum visit, Johnson interviewed Janie Price, 98, who first met King at Morehouse College in Atlanta. When King came to St. Augustine in the summer of 1964, he stayed at her house.

Because of the threats from the Klu Klux Klan, King had to frequently move from one house to another.

Price is remembered as the “house mother” of the St. Augustine civil rights movement.

Robert Batie, who grew up in St. Augustine, recounted an attack on his family.

Someone, believed to be a Klan member, hurled a hub cap through a living room window. Later a soda bottle crashed through another window. The shattered glass wounded Batie, who was just 9 at the time.

He later was among the first blacks to integrate schools in St. Augustine.

The video highlights several historical events, including the sit-in at Woolworth’s lunch counter by 16 teenagers. Four teenagers later arrested and sent to reform school became known as the St. Augustine Four.

In another confrontation, whites and blacks held a “wade-in” at a local motel pool to the dismay of the Klan. The white motel owner threw acid into the pool.

The demonstrations played a pivotal role in the national movement which led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“I actually was always interested in the civil rights movement especially my being a black woman,” Johnson said. But, Florida often is left out because historians take a more national view of events, she said.

Her interest in history is matched by her passion for creating videos. That seemed a perfect match for her civil rights project.

Still, she wasn’t sure where to start.

However, her mother did. She posted a message on Facebook explaining her daughter’s plan and got a response that led Johnson to Gwendolyn Duncan.

Duncan is a long-time activist who led efforts to found the ACCORD museum, and served as its museum project manager. The name stands for Anniversary to Commemorate the Civil Rights Demonstrations Inc.

Duncan helped introduce Johnson to Price and Batie. She also provided a video clip of former Gov. Charlie Crist issuing a resolution to expunge the records of hundreds of civil rights activists arrested in St. Augustine during the demonstrations.

Johnson felt pressure to create a special video.

The night before turning it in, she felt overwhelmed with schoolwork and worried that the video wouldn’t be good enough.

Her Mom set her straight. Just do your best, she said.

“My Mom is always there to support me,” Johnson said.

Winning regionally against about 300 other entries was her reward.

Now, Johnson is focused on her nursing career. She has been a dual enrollment student since ninth grade when she started in the school’s nursing program.

Johnson is vice president of HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America), and is a member of Best Buddies, SADD, Key Club and Bulls Nation.

She is one of seven children from a family that immigrated from Jamaica. It’s also a family with many doctors.

She jokes that the medical show, “Grey’s Anatomy,” showed her that nursing was “cool.”

“I was so interested in it,” she said. But, she is certain nursing is her calling. “It’s become more to me,” she said. “I was able to sink into it.”

She will begin online classes with the University of Central Florida in June, and hopefully will transition to on-campus life in fall.

Even in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, she is steadfast.

“I understand the dangers,” Johnson said. “I fully understand and truly love the nursing field. I love just being able to help other people.”

To view the video, visit YouTube and search The Civil Rights Act: St. Augustine 1964 NHD/Aimee Johnson.

Published June 03, 2020

Experts offer ‘next steps’ advice for small businesses

By

Small businesses around the country recently tuned into a webinar presented by Spectrum Reach to help entrepreneurs respond to challenges posed by COVID-19.

Moderator Annika Pergament, of NY 1, asked panelists about current economic conditions and asked them to provide practical suggestions for business owners to help them get to the other side.

The webinar, called “Looking beyond: What’s next to help local businesses succeed,” featured David Asman, a host on the Fox Business Network; Mark Langford, director of the North Texas SBDC (Small Business Development Center); and Bridget Weston, acting director of SCORE.

Local chambers of commerce, including the North Tampa Bay Chamber and The Greater Pasco Chamber, put out the word about the webinar, to give local businesses a chance to benefit from the panelists’ knowledge.

A quick poll taken at the front end of the session revealed that most businesses have reopened or are reopening gradually.

Besides providing advice, the panelists offered words of support to business owners.

Bridget Weston, acting CEO of SCORE, put it like this: “What I want all small businesses to know — whether you are completely open, opening slowly, or still struggling — is that there are resources out there to help you make the best decision for your business. You do not have to go through this alone.”

SCORE, which is a nationwide network of volunteer business mentors, is there “to help you figure out what the next right step is for you and your business. You, as entrepreneurs, are resilient. We know you can get through this, and we are here to help,” she said.

Asman said it’s no secret that “it’s an awful, awful moment.”

The unemployment rate, at 30%, is worse than at the worst time in the Great Depression, when unemployment hit 25%, he said.

But, he added: “I think there is, believe it or not, more good news to tell you than bad news. The bad news has already been cooked in.”

Asman said people “want to work and they want to be able to take care of their family, and they want to buy things, as well.”

But, Pergament noted, “as more states begin to open, that is the big question that lingers —how they will do, as economies and stores and businesses start to open their doors, whether there will be a resurgence.”

Mark Langford, director of the North Texas SBDC (Small Business Development Center), said Texas has begun its reopening process.

“From an observational standpoint, I would say the first week, the demand was not as strong as people thought,” Langford said. “People want to get out there, but they also have to balance it with, ‘Is it safe to be out there?’

“Last week, again, from an observational standpoint, a lot more traffic in the businesses than there was the week before,” he said.

People are interested in seeing if the rates spike with the COVID virus in the next couple of weeks, what those numbers look like, he added.

“Their nature is to want to get things back to the way they were. The only thing holding them back, I think, are the safety concerns,” Langford said.

Pergament said business owners are asking for advice on how to pivot their business in this changing environment.

Weston said SCORE said companies need to stay connected with their clients.

She said it’s a good time to  promote “the why behind your company.

“Connect your customers to your mission. Build that brand loyalty now,” she added.

It’s also a good time for companies to think of current needs in the market and consider whether they can adapt to meet any of those needs, she said.

Companies also can communicate with clients about steps they are taking to be safe for their customers.

Be prepared to pivot
Companies need to be thinking about how they can respond to opportunities that lie within the current crisis, Langford said.

“This is your opportunity as a small business owner to react quickly to the marketplace and take advantage of that,” Langford said.

Small businesses, he said, are “being forced to think of ways to do business that they never have before and never even quite frankly considered.

Asman said the pandemic has revealed breakdowns in the supply chain and has created new opportunities for smaller operations to compete with the giants.

For instance, small businesses that couldn’t compete with Tyson and other big corporations are getting a chance to do so now, he said.

He also observed that as more employees work from home, it could cause disruption for corporate real estate, in Manhattan, for example.

“Big office buildings may have some serious problems,” Asman said.

When it comes to making big expenditures, he advises businesses to take a wait-and-see approach.

“Focus on cutting back to the bare minimum of what you need to stay in business, and then, if you have any resources left over, save them for a moment when you sense there is an opportunity opening up,” Asman said.

Langford said businesses need to know their revenues, their expenses, their margins, and their costs for goods and labor.

He advised businesses: “Have a short-term plan; a mid-term plan; a long-term plan, so that you’re prepared.

“It’s a whole lot easier to make decisions when you have the facts in front of you that show you, ‘Well, if I adjust this, if I change my labor here, if we streamline our menu, I can make it another 30 days; another 60 days.

“Now, is the time to really drill down on those numbers,” Langford said.

Moving forward
Here are some tips that may help small business owners, in response to COVID-19:

  • Make a plan based on what you are trying to accomplish with your mission, your values and your business objectives — considering the current environment — then talk to an expert about that plan
  • Put your plan to paper and adapt, as new information becomes available
  • Check with SCORE and SBDC (both free resources) to learn more about loans, grants, training, free seminars and so forth, to help you consider your options
  • Seek help from mentors to prioritize your budget
  • Keep lines of communication open with existing clients; if you haven’t been in touch lately, get in touch
  • Make sure you have a social media presence, if you don’t have one; if you have one, see if it’s time to refresh it.

Sources: SCORE and North Texas SBDC

Published June 03, 2020

Organizers cancel Lutz Fourth of July festivities

By

COVID-19 has claimed another victim.

The traditional Independence Day festivities in Lutz will not be held this year.

For decades, the community, north of Tampa, has attracted thousands of people to its annual Fourth of July parade, and associated activities.

But, this year, organizers decided it was just too risky to stage the annual event.

This cake, which was titled ‘The Ultimate Lutz Candy Celebration Cake,’ was one of the entries for the Youth 11- to 18-year-old category during the Cake Bake Competition last year. (File)

“We mulled it over for many, many weeks. It wasn’t a decision made lightly, I can assure you,” said Annette Bellingar, president of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club.

Ultimately, said Pat Serio, a club board member: “We had to choose the safe route.”

Bellingar said: “When we thought about it, we thought there is just no way that we’re going to get people to be doing the proper social distancing at an event such as this.

“Can you imagine having all of those people there and saying, ‘You’ve got to be 6 feet apart?’” Bellingar said.

The close quarters between people raised concerns, Serio said. Plus, she noted: “In the usual extreme heat we have on Fourth of July, even mask-wearing could be difficult.”

Still, canceling the festivities was not an easy choice, Serio said.

The event has been an annual tradition for many families.

Generally, the parade featured widely known local organizations, such as the  GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, the Little Women of Lutz, the Lutz Civic Association, Boy Scout Troop 12 and the North Tampa Lutz Cadet Squadron.

Local businesses, churches, law enforcement agencies, schools, military organizations politicians and candidates for the honorary Lutz Guv’na are mainstays, too.

It’s been a parade that features antique cars, fire trucks, sheriff’s patrol cars, belly dancers, martial arts groups, churches, military jeeps, tiny dancers and kids riding bicycles.

It’s also a parade where it’s not unusual for someone in the parade to break ranks and rush out to hug someone in the crowd.

Traditionally, once the parade ends, a new Lutz Guv’na is sworn in over a copy of Dr. Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Ham,” and the bidding war begins over baked goods that were entered into the annual Cake Bake Competition.

But, none of that will happen this year.

“It really is heartbreaking because we know how important it is to the community. People love it. It’s a throwback to all of our childhoods, small-town America,” Serio said.

Ultimately, the event had to be cancelled, organizers said.

“Sad as it is, I know, I really, really know, that we’ve done the right thing,” Bellingar said.

“It would be so sad that if something like this was held this year and then following that, it brought to the surrounding area a huge spike in people coming down with the virus and maybe even passing from it,” the club president said. “We just thought that would be the most atrocious thing, ever, to happen.

“Next year, we are hoping that everything would be truly wonderful, and it would be bigger and better in 2021,” Bellingar said.

Published June 03, 2020

Zephyrhills joins water contamination lawsuit

By

The City of Zephyrhills — also known as “The City of Pure Water” — is joining a massive federal lawsuit regarding contaminated water.

The municipality is set to become a plaintiff in a multi-district litigation case filed against various companies that manufactured firefighting foams — Aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) — containing a series of man-made chemicals found to contaminate groundwater, wastewater and water wells.

Zephyrhills will join more than 100 other cities and water treatment facilities across the country in a federal lawsuit that is going after various companies that manufactured firefighting foam containing chemicals found to contaminate water wells. (File)

The chemicals in question are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), compounds historically used in carpets, clothing, food packaging and a number of industrial processes. The chemicals have been linked to human health effects, such as low infant birth weights, immune system suppression, thyroid hormone disruption and cancer, according to health organizations, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously voted on May 11 to enter negotiations for representation with Cossich, Summich, Parsiola and Taylor LLC., a New Orleans-based litigation firm. Local co-counsel will include Tampa-based firms Hobby & Hobby P.A. and Young & Partners LLP. The action came during a virtual council meeting.

Zephyrhills will join more than 100 other cities and water treatment facilities across the country in the lawsuit. Other plaintiffs are as far away as California and North Dakota, and within Florida, including Pensacola and Lauderhill.

The New Orleans firm is known for its work in securing a $7.8 billion settlement for plaintiffs in the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill case back in 2010. The firm told city leaders it will front the cost of litigation and expert work on a contingency, then would accept a settlement fee.

Officials say high levels of PFOA/PFOS have been discovered in Water Well No. 1 utilized by the city’s downtown fire station for training purposes, dating as far back as 2014.

Samples taken from the well in 2014 showed PFOA/PFOS levels of 160 parts per trillion in water, lower than the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) levels of acceptability of 200 parts per trillion at the time, officials say.

However, in 2016 the EPA established new health advisory levels of PFOA/PFOS at just 70 parts per trillion. Because of that, the well was subsequently taken offline and was no longer in service when follow-up tests measured 120 parts per trillion of PFOA/PFOS, officials say.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe said that staff is working with environmental engineering group Jones Edmunds on monitoring wells and “to try to delineate contamination plume.”

Poe expects the EPA and Florida Department of Environmental Protection to make requirements for PFOA/PFOS remediation and removal, which he said “will have a very large price tag attached to it.”

Clarke Hobby of Hobby & Hobby P.A., will serve as co-counsel for the City of Zephyrhills, who will be a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit against companies and manufacturers that used a series of man-made chemicals in firefighting foam found to contaminate water wells. (File)

City attorney Matt Maggard concurred with the city manager’s assessment. He emphasized the need to partner with the multiple litigation firms to seek damages from companies that used PFOS/PFAS chemicals in AFFF production.

Maggard put it like this: “Cleanup is coming, and it’s going to be very, very expensive, and I think we should protect the city and seek compensation from these companies. It’s really negligent what they did, in my opinion, as far as knowing the dangers of these chemicals and letting them go out into the public the way they did.”

Attorney Clarke Hobby, a partner in Hobby & Hobby P.A., originally brought the matter to the city’s attention.

A Dade City native who normally deals in real estate and land use matters, Hobby said he felt a calling to be involved and assist the municipality with the developing case.

The attorney said he believes the EPA will even further lower the levels of acceptability for PFOS/PFOA in water sources because “they’re finding that this stuff is not water soluble and it just doesn’t go away and it is a serious threat to water quality.”

Said Hobby, “I just don’t want Zephyrhills to get on the hook for what a multi-, multi-billion company knew about 40 years ago and continued to put it on the market, and leave us holding the bag.”

He added: “The liability for creating this chemical contamination should lie with the manufacturers who knew about this for a long time and allowed the contamination to continue over a longer period of time.”

Upon hearing comments from Hobby, as well as representatives from Cossich, Summich, Parsiola and Taylor LLC, and city administration, the council agreed it was important to move forward in the legal process.

“We definitely have to act on this,” said Council president Ken Burgess.

Councilman Charles Proctor added, “It sounds to me like we are going to deal with this, probably sooner rather than later, so if we’re going to hire a group of attorneys, we would want to hire a (law firm) that’s familiar with this sort of litigation.”

Published May 27, 2020

Pasco County Schools hits million-meal mark

By

Pasco County Schools has delivered more than a million meals to students since school campuses closed.

The district has been serving bagged meals at numerous sites and bus stops to provide meals to students who, in many cases, rely on schools for their only reliable source of food.

State Rep. Randy Maggard, left, and Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore worked with about 50 other volunteers to distribute 33,000 pounds of food at a Farm Share event on May 20 at The Shops at Wiregrass. (Courtesy of Andy Taylor/Pasco County)

Since March 23, when the district began its remote feeding efforts, the district has served 1,095,537 meals, according to Betsy Kuhn, assistant superintendent for support services.

The district has been serving 10 meals per student age 18 and under, at each of its locations, accounting for five days’ worth of meals, including a breakfast and lunch for each day.

Last week, it served an additional five meals because the operation is closed this week.

Next week, it reopens on June 2. Check the district’s website for locations because some of them have been closed and consolidated with other locations.

The district also had three Farm Fresh Pop-ups last week — at Cypress Creek Middle High, Anclote High and Centennial Middle School.

The district’s maintenance team served 2,300 boxes of vegetables, weighing 10 pounds each, at those three sites.

Those aren’t the only efforts to help provide food for children and families in need, during this coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic.

Sunlake High School and Land O’ Lakes High School collected more than 2,000 pounds of food for the St. Vincent De Paul Food Pantry, in their COVID-19 Quarantine Butterbowl.

An example of the fresh vegetable boxes being distributed through Farm Fresh Pop-ups organized by Pasco County Schools. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

“This week’s Butterbowl has ended, and the winner is the community,” tweeted Ric Mellin, principal at Land O’ Lakes High School. The donations exceeded expectations, he noted.

“Both schools should be proud of what they accomplished,” Mellin wrote.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore, State Rep. Randy Maggard and more than 50 volunteers helped distribute 33,000 pounds of food to an estimated 700 cars on May 20 at The Shops at Wiregrass, according to Andy Taylor, Mike Moore’s aide.

A group of Saint Leo University students also were among the volunteers.

Meanwhile, food pantries are helping to put food on the tables of those in need, too.

Make a Difference Inc., will have a Mobile Food Pantry on May 28 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the Pasco County Fairgrounds, 37722 State Road 52. No identification is required, and the food is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Atonement Lutheran Church, at 29617 State Road 54, has reopened its Helping Hands Food Pantry, and is providing a drive-thru service on Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The church is observing social distancing restrictions.

Father and Son Love Ministries, at 21418 Carson Drive in Land O’ Lakes, operates a food pantry on Tuesdays, from noon to 2 p.m.; Fridays, from noon to 3 p.m.; and on Sundays, starting at 12:30 p.m.

Pastor C.J. Johns Sr., stands outside the new location for the Father and Sons Love Ministries, at 21418 Carson Drive, in Land O’ Lakes. The church has a food pantry and has noticed a much broader range of people coming in to pick up food items to help their families during this time of pandemic. (B.C. Manion)

On one recent Friday afternoon, the Land O’ Lakes pantry served 174 people.

The ministry has marked its floor to guide people through its pantry, in order to practice social distancing.

Pastor C.J. Johns Sr., said the pantry is serving a broader range of people because of economic impacts caused by the pandemic. Before, about three-quarters using the food pantry were elderly, but now they make up just about half.

Besides offering the pantry, the church also will make deliveries to people who are unable to come there.

Also, the First Presbyterian Church, at 5510 19th St., in Zephyrhills, is serving a free take-out meal every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the church.

Before heading out to any food pantry, it’s a good idea to call ahead or check the website to get the latest information on the days and hours of operation.

Published May 27, 2020

Use tax holiday to stock up on emergency items

By

The 2020 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday was passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to the Florida Department of Revenue’s website.

This sales tax holiday begins May 29 and extends through June 4.

During this sales tax holiday period, qualifying items related to disaster preparedness are exempt from sales tax. However, the sales tax holiday does not apply to the rental or repair of any of the qualifying items. Additionally, the sales tax holiday does not apply to sales in a theme park, entertainment complex, public lodging establishment or airport.

Items exempt from the sales tax include:

  • Flashlights, lanterns, self-powered portable light sources costing $20 or less
  • Batteries, including AAA, C-cell, 6-volt, AA, D-cell and 9-volt; coolers and ice chests (food storage, nonelectrical), costing $30 or less
  • Portable radios, two-way radios, or weather-band radios, bungee cords, tarps, tie-down kits, costing $50 or less
  • Gas or diesel fuel tanks costing $25 or less
  • Batteries costing $30 or less
  • Power generators costing $750 or less

Hurricane Season officially begins on June 1 and ends on Nov. 30.

For more information, visit FloridaRevenue.com.

Published May 27, 2020