The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Schools end unusual year on high note

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Normal end-of-the-school year traditions were out this year, due to COVID-19, so schools put on their thinking caps to find new ways to honor and celebrate the students.

Sand Pine Elementary School, in Wesley Chapel, held its Fifth Grade Moving Up Ceremony, in the school’s parking lot.

Names of fifth-graders from Sand Pine Elementary were written in chalk in the school’s parking lot, to treat the children like royalty during the school’s Fifth Grade Moving Up ceremony. (Courtesy of Sand Pine Elementary)

After a parade through the school’s parking loop, each fifth-grader’s name was written in chalk on a parking spot.

Then, their belongings were loaded into the trunk of their car, along with a balloon and a middle school T-shirt, according to Sue Urban, the principal’s secretary.

“Everyone had a great time, even while social distancing,” she said, via email.

At Academy at the Lakes, an independent school in Land O’ Lakes, students drove by in a parade — and picked up their yearbooks, locker stuff, art projects and science projects — all packed in an Academy tote bag with personalized notes from their teachers.

Voluntary prekindergarten graduates from Mary’s House at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church were honored, too.

To bring a special ending to the year, staff from the school did an individual “graduation” ceremony at each child’s house, according to Corrine Ertl, center director.

From left, members of the Stoppa family: Anne (mom), Jeeho (Mary’s House graduate), Jackson and Michael (dad). (Courtesy of Mary’s House at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church)

“First, we gathered all their addresses, divided by subdivision, and mapped out all the addresses, Ertl said, via email.

“Well, we started on Monday and after four days and 489 miles we finished.

“Every child was full of joy. Most of the children had dressed up in their cap and gown, we placed their sign in the yard, played pomp and circumstance through our mobile Bluetooth speaker,” she wrote.

Every child and his or her siblings received cupcakes, and the graduates received their candy class ring, just like they would at graduation, Ertl wrote.

Meanwhile, Pasco and Hillsborough county high schools had to push off their traditional ceremonies because of COVID-19, so other ways were found to honor the seniors until those formal commencement exercises can be held.

In Pasco County, the school district had virtual ceremonies, complete with pomp and circumstance, performed remotely, by students from several bands from across Pasco County.

Drive-by celebrations were held for the Class of 2020 at The Grove in Wesley Chapel and at SunWest Park in Hudson. The city of Zephyrhills had a parade for seniors, too.

Published June 10, 2020

Academy at the Lakes seniors Jordan Whit, left, and Kate Erin McCormick (in car) swing by to pick up their stuff. (Courtesy of Academy at the Lakes)
From left, members of the Sievert family: Carmen, Kimberley (mom), Tony (dad), Alicia (Mary’s House graduate) and Dominic. (Courtesy of Mary’s House at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church)
All four children of the Iglesias family attended Mary’s House, and Rosie, the youngest of those children, was the last one to graduate from the VPK program. From left, Isabella, Dennis (dad), Cecilia, Nicholas, Jaclyn (mom) and Rosalia. (Courtesy of Mary’s House at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church)

An invitation to join our ReaderSHIP Club

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I am writing this column to personally invite you to join our new ReaderSHIP Club.

We started this club to give us a direct line of communication with our most important customer base  — local residents like you who read The Laker/Lutz News every week.

We also established the club to thank you for your loyalty and patronage by sending you club goodies, shown in the above photo with our mascot, Buddy the Beagle (who is also my 14-year-old rescue dog).

It’s been just a few weeks since we launched our ReaderSHIP Club, and we already have a few hundred members. There is no cost to join — all we ask for is your physical and email addresses so we can stay in touch and send you our club e-newsletter and postcards, and little surprises from Buddy.

People who join our ReaderSHIP Club care about our community, their neighbors, local community organizations and area businesses — the people and groups we cover in The Laker/Lutz News through stories, photos, news items, announcements and advertisements.

Need more reasons to join?

  • You get to interact with our staff at The Laker/Lutz News and fellow readers. We’re a family, of sorts, who celebrate each other’s milestones, family photos, personal stories, even recipes.
  • Every month I share my favorite stories and photos, and why I chose them as our best.
  • Become our Reader of the Month, too! This is a fun way to thank our most loyal readers and reward them with fun prizes for sharing their story with fellow members.
  • Receive personal invitations to private special events, just for club members.
  • Get on Buddy’s mailing list for regular postcards and giveaways.
  • Participate in focus groups and research that help guide the direction of The Laker/Lutz News as we grow with our community.

In coming months we will be asking you to share ideas on how to enhance our community newspaper, website and social media platforms. We want to be more relevant and engaging, and ultimately, a more valuable resource for you and your neighbors.

Fortunately for our company, Gov. Ron DeSantis ruled newspapers an essential business at the beginning of the COVID-19 shutdown. We’ve continued to write stories, deliver the newspaper and help businesses reach our readers through advertisements, which are especially important now as businesses work hard to reopen their doors and adapt their business plans.

We are fortunate that many businesses continued to advertise in The Laker/Lutz News through the coronavirus crisis, thereby allowing us to avoid cutting back our circulation. We are very proud that we continue to print and deliver 47,395 papers every week in Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and Dade City.

This is especially important today, because we are the primary source for many residents looking for local information about COVID-19 and other timely issues.

I believe that newspapers like The Laker/Lutz News are the original social medium — the glue that holds a community together. It is my hope that our new ReaderSHIP Club provides a vehicle so that your voices are more clearly heard in the pages of our newspaper.

I want to thank the inaugural members of our ReaderSHIP Club, and encourage you to become a new member by signing up at tinyurl.com/y74gjrf8, emailing me your interest at , or calling our office at (813) 909-2800. I truly look forward to hearing your thoughts and meeting you personally when we begin to have club get-togethers later in the year.

Published June 10, 2020

Borrow pit approved, despite neighbors’ objections

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The Pasco County Commission has approved a request to allow 500,000 cubic yards of dirt to be excavated from a site on the south side of Tyndall road, about three-quarters of a mile west of the intersection Tyndall and Curley roads, in Wesley Chapel.

The permit and conditional use request were approved unanimously by the Pasco County Commission on June 2, despite concerns raised by area residents.

Based on the board’s action, the applicant can excavate and export dirt from about 30 acres of an overall site of 59 acres.

County staff found the request consistent with the county’s land development code — contingent on 31 conditions for approval.

Joel Tew, an attorney representing the applicant Sandhills Flats LLC, said the conditions required by the county staff are standard for this type of operation.

“We did not negotiate or quibble with any of those.”

“The property owners commit to make sure the pit operator complies with them. I intend to attach those conditions to the contract of the pit operator so that they have no choice but to comply,” Tew said.

The pit operator will be required to comply with noise-level limits, operating hours and other county conditions, Tew said.

“We have specific requirements for Tyndall Road maintenance. We have to post a maintenance bond with the county to ensure that our operator complies with those maintenance requirements of Tyndall Road.

“We have to maintain access conditions to all adjacent properties,” he said.

He also noted that more than three-fourths of the way from Tyndall Road out to Curley Road, there are no residences on either side.

Signage will be required, no stacking of trucks will be allowed on Tyndall and no trucks will go west on Tyndall from the site,  Tew said.

He also noted: “Due to the Connected City’s approvals, which you are aware of, there is already a requirement for Tyndall Road to be permanently improved to county standard, that is already in the construction plan review process by Metro, related to the Epperson CC (Connected City) MPUD (master planned unit development).”

Although the permit allows two years of operations, Tew said the hope is that dirt will be excavated and exported within a few months.

“You can’t develop those Connected City properties and VOPH (Villages of Pasadena Hills) without fill dirt,” Tew said.

But, neighbors living west of the site raised objections.

Mark Stober, who has lived on Tyndall Road for about 12 years, said the road cannot handle the heavy truck traffic.

“Tyndall, as a completely unimproved dirt road, already turns into an absolute mud pit during heavy rains, which we inevitably experience every year, and that’s without heavy trucks,” he said.

“There’s no way the company would be able to maintain that road during that period unless they substantially improve the road by either paving it or laying down a considerable amount of lime rock or stone to elevate the roadbed,” he added.

Instead of merely maintaining the road, the applicant should be required to improve it, Stober said.

Christopher Abati, also opposes the borrow pit.

“I have lived on Tyndall Road for 24 years, in peace and quiet,” he said, via email. “I do not want the borrow pit for our neighborhood.”

Abati added: “Our quality of life here is in jeopardy.”

Ernest Black, who also lives on Tyndall Road, asked, via email, whether the project would affect the area’s water table.

“This just seems like a bad idea for all of us living here,” he added.

Commissioner Ron Oakley, noting the county had placed “very good restrictions” on the project, made a motion for approval, which passed unanimously.

Published June 10, 2020

30 years and counting for Dade City Commissioner

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Scott Black was only 25 years old when he was first elected to the Dade City Commission, in 1990.

Three decades later, he remains just as passionate about the post.

“I still get excited about the meetings, I still feel like I’m learning things, I still feel like I’m kind of young with it,” Black said in a recent interview with The Laker/Lutz News.

Scott Black has been serving on the Dade City Commission for 30 years and counting. He was first elected in April 1990. (Courtesy of City of Dade City)

The commissioner, now 55,  jokes he’s almost in denial about serving the municipality for so long.

“I keep redoing the math and it’s like, ‘Oh, my goodness, what happened here?’ I’m noticing more and more that I’m not the youngest one in the room anymore,” he said.

Black’s milestone was recognized during a recent commission meeting. He will also be formally recognized by the Florida League of Cities later on this year.

A passion for service
Growing up in Trilby, Black always had an interest in politics and community pride. He held various leadership roles in organizations such as the 4-H Club and Future Business Leaders of America while attending Pasco Middle School and Pasco High School. “I was always running for an office,” even during his youth, he recalled.

As a young adult in the late 1980s, Black and his family moved to “the big city” of Dade City 7 miles south of his original hometown. Almost instantly, he became interested in local affairs and attending commission meetings.

Once the next election cycle came around, Black figured he’d try his hand at becoming a city commissioner. “I thought, ‘You know, it would be kind of fun to run,’” he said.

Black won that April 1990 election by just four votes, unseating then incumbent William Dennis. He’s gone on to be re-elected six times over, running unopposed for five of those elections.

Black, a full-time insurance agent, has appreciated the decision-making role ever since — valuing the ability to help solve problems and concerns of local residents: “I’ve been very pleased with it, and I’ve been very challenged by it. It’s one of those things where you can actually go in and make a difference within a few minutes.”

Over the years, Black has simultaneously served as the city’s mayor on four separate occasions. He’s held countless roles in numerous other boards and committees, such as the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council and Dade City Historic Preservation Advisory Board, among others. He was president of the Florida League of Cities, from 2001 to 2002.

Serving in city government for so long, Black teased he often feels “on assignment” when he visits or vacations other cities, taking notes on any interesting features and services and utilities: “My wife has joked that I notice things like fire hydrants and the wastewater treatment plants that most people don’t notice, just because I’ve gotten involved in things related to the city.”

Forever home
To Black, Dade City will always be home. He can’t imagine living anywhere else.

The commissioner takes pleasure in the small-town, tight-knit community, rather than a big city lifestyle others have pursued.

“I enjoy the neighborly aspect of it,” Black said of Dade City living. “Seeing people that you grew up with and seeing people that were your schoolteachers or people that go to church with, it’s just something special.”

Simply put, in Dade City, “People are very nice,” he said.

The commissioner doesn’t take for granted having a commute shorter than most. His home sits a mere five blocks from his Fifth Street office. Being within walking distance to the local post office, bank, City Hall and downtown restaurants is another bonus, too. “My biggest challenge is crossing Seventh Street every day,” he quipped.

Dade City’s growth has been at a slower pace compared to other parts of Pasco County and the greater Tampa Bay area, Black acknowledged. Yet, he remains bullish on the city’s future prospects.

One of the more positive changes has been the revitalization of the historic downtown area — with an emphasis on unique eateries and antique shopping opportunities to help draw tourists and day-trippers, he said.

“I think a lot of small towns our size would give their left eye to have a downtown like we have — just the opportunities here and the neat features,” he observed.

Upgrades and extensions to the Roy Hardy Trail, tied in with future plans for a multi-purpose downtown splash park, are other investments the commissioner feels will help raise the city’s profile in coming years.

Said Black, “People are always saying, ‘We need to do more things for our kids in Dade City,’ and that’s what we’re doing.”

He thinks future generations will appreciate those efforts.

Meanwhile, this year is setting up to be one of the more distinctive periods during Black’s tenure on the commission.

The commission has held virtual meetings since April, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The municipal election — which has been rescheduled to June 30 — will see two, if not three, new faces on the five-member commission.

Commissioners Nicole Deese Newlon and Eunice Penix are not seeking re-election for Seats 4 and 5, respectively, while incumbent Commissioner Jim Shive is running against Matthew Wilson for Seat 3.

And, the changeover will come while the city gears up for a tighter budget, also due to COVID-19.

Black plans to use his extensive experience to help bring new commissioners up to speed and to help foster an atmosphere of collaboration.

Black put it like this: “Hopefully, I can help find common ground and consensus, and we can all move ahead. …We have a common goal and that’s keeping Dade City viable, successful, rebuilding.”

Black’s current term doesn’t expire until 2022, but he is already thinking ahead to a future run for re-election.

“I still have things I’d like to see us accomplish. I still feel useful,” Black said.

He went on: “But, the important thing to remember is it’s not about me, it’s not about (the commission), it’s about the City of Dade City.”

Published June 10, 2020

Performing arts center takes the stage in Wesley Chapel

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Construction crews are down to the last details on the new Instructional Performing Arts Center (IPAC).

Some of those details, including sound locks to reduce noise inside the music studio, are awaiting shipments from California, New York and Michigan.

All of those states have been hit hard by COVID-19.

“COVID-19 is what has caused so much delay in production,” explained Kevin O’Farrell, provost at Pasco-Hernando State College. But, the performing arts center anticipates a grand opening in the fall, likely in September or October.

Meanwhile, certain areas of the center will open in phases.

The Instructional Performing Arts Center in Wesley Chapel will have its grand opening in early fall. (File)

A certificate of occupancy for administrative offices is expected in July or August, O’Farrell said.

The IPAC is the culmination of years of planning that brought together the state college and Pasco County’s school district in what O’Farrell characterizes as a unique educational partnership.

“There’s nothing like this,” the college official said.

Pasco County Schools donated the center’s site. The state college paid construction costs and will manage the center’s use.

The nearly 36,000-square-foot performing arts center is at 8657 Old Pasco Road, next to the campus of Cypress Creek High School, and the soon-to-open Cypress Creek Middle School.

The performing arts center has a 444-seat auditorium and stage, a large lobby, a general-purpose classroom, computer laboratories, a video production studio, faculty and staff offices, and a conference room.

State-of-the-art technology, with Apple and Microsoft products for computers, are intended to support first-class learning and performance opportunities.

“The technology there is going to be phenomenal,” said O’ Farrell. “We can envision some great performances there. We know this is such a big desire of our community.”

The state college anticipates hosting regional and national festivals, workshops and performances. Many will be open to the community, as well as students.

Pasco school officials designed the middle school – set to open in August – to complement IPAC. Among the middle school’s amenities is a 150-seat black box theater, which school officials anticipate could be a venue for local theater groups. The middle school also will offer dance, orchestra and chorus instruction.

The state college will offer four Associate of Arts degrees for students who plan to transfer to a four-year college for a Bachelor of Arts degree in dance, theater or music. Dual enrollment and community students also will participate in classes.

The center provides more than an arts curriculum, O’Farrell said.

There are programs for students interested in digital media and multimedia technology. The science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curriculum can prepare students for many careers, including video engineer, lighting technician, and web designer and developer.

O’Farrell perhaps is most excited by the synergy created by a holistic design that brings the theater and faculty offices in proximity — for engaging and interactive learning experiences.

“You see the whole collaborative enterprise coming together before your very eyes,” he said. “I think we have a really bright future ahead of us.”

For information, visit PHSC.edu.

Published June 10, 2020

Time capsule unearths memories in Lutz

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A 60-year-old time capsule unearthed at Learning Gate Community School will be a teaching moment for at least one third-grade teacher.

The battered metal box held items buried on July 18, 1948 during a ceremony to lay the cornerstone for the First United Methodist Church of Lutz.

The congregation now resides in a new church off West Lutz Lake Fern Road.

The former church site came into ownership of Learning Gate in 2014.

The time capsule came to light as workers demolished the old church building. Learning Gate plans to build new administrative offices in its place.

Linda Fuerst, a third-grade teacher at Learning Gate Community School, takes a cellphone shot of a 1948 newspaper found in a time capsule. (Kathy Steele)

Inside the box, school officials found a few, water-logged items, namely: A July 18, 1948 edition of the Tampa Sunday Tribune with full comic section, a Bible, a hymnal and a round glazed window panel.

Using the Tribune issues as a guide, Linda Fuerst foresees a timely history lesson for her third-graders.

One headline captures the connection between then and now: “New Links Found, May Aid Polio.”

In the 1940s and 1950s, polio was a crippling disease that could cause paralysis. The virus frequently attacked children, but it also affected one famous figure, President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Today, the world is battling COVID-19 and is waiting for a vaccine.

Another news item is on “meat rationing,” a part of the Depression and World War II familiar to older generations.

“I talk about my parents a lot,” said Fuerst. “They grew up in the Depression and World War II.”

Learning Gate teachers got a laugh out of one story, in particular, about teachers’ salaries being lower than that of craftsmen. Salaries ranged from a low of $2,812 to a high of $3,150.

Advertisements from Maas Brothers highlighted fashionable clothing on sale at the iconic Tampa department store. The store closed in 1991 and was torn down in 2006.

The comics and some language in the 1948 newspaper reveal some outdated views on race and women.

A brief news item notes the importance of the day for the Lutz church members – a cornerstone ceremony for the then-new church construction.

An aging hymnal from the First United Methodist Church of Lutz was found inside a 1948 time capsule.

The congregation traces its beginnings back nearly 100 years through church mergers and other church locations.

The article described a concrete block building plastered with stucco, an auditorium measuring 30-by-50 feet, and a rear addition of about the same size.

The total cost? Thirty-five thousand dollars.

When Learning Gate bought the property, the vacant church was adjacent to the campus of Learning Gate’s middle school, at 207 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road.

School officials considered keeping the aging structure. But, Learning Gate Principal Michelle Mason said, “It was in a complete state of disrepair, unsalvageable. The financial cost of it was enormous.”

In addition to new offices, Learning Gate also is renovating existing school buildings to upgrade air-conditioning and to enlarge classrooms.

Work is expected to be complete by the start of the new school year.

The discovery of the time capsule was not unexpected.

“They had been told to be on the lookout,” Mason said.

Water had seeped into the box.

It took a while to dry out the newspapers and books.

Mike Reid, the worker who found the time capsule, said about 40 people stopped by to view the church before the demolition.

“A lot of people who came by were married here,” he said. “I think it was pretty cool.”

Victor Alonso remembers his wedding there, and the years he and his family attended the church.

“It was a sweet time,” he said. “It will be sad whenever we drive by and it’s gone.”

But, he added, “I feel better that it’s being acknowledged.”

Mason hopes to pass on the artifacts to church members, and has reached out to church officials.

Now that the word is out, Mason said, “I’ve had so many people reach out who want to see if they can come by and see it.”

Published June 10, 2020

Leader shares his hospital’s COVID-19 experiences

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AdventHealth Wesley Chapel Erik Wangsness CEO assumed the leadership role of the hospital on Sept. 1 — during the midst of a hospital expansion and months before COVID-19 became a global pandemic.

“Our world changed about three months ago,” the hospital executive told members of the North Tampa Bay Chamber, during the organization’s first Zoom breakfast meeting on June 2.

“We had heard since the beginning of the year about this virus coming out of Wuhan (China), and its spread.

Erik Wangsness, CEO of AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, recently talked via Zoom to members of the North Tampa Bay Chamber, about the experiences at his hospital amid COVID-19. (Courtesy of AdventHealth)

“And then, in March, it really started to get real for us — and for you,” Wangsness said.

In March, like other businesses, the hospital had “progressively more aggressive reactions to COVID,” he said.

“We started by screening questions at the front. Then, it was screening questions and limiting visitation, masking and then it was no visitors.

“It got very serious, very quickly,” he said.

“We did a lot of modeling around what to expect with COVID, starting back in February and March.

“We were expecting infection rates in Hillsborough and Pasco County — about 4(%) to 7% — of the community, we thought were going to be infected by COVID,” he said.

That modeling showed a need for rooms, ventilators and personal protective equipment that was much greater than the hospital had, he said.

“We scrambled. We set up triage tents and surge tents on our campuses. We brought in more equipment; huge orders for personal protective equipment.

“As time went on, the models dropped and dropped and dropped — and we found that less than 1% — thankfully, of the citizens of Pasco County and Hillsborough County — ended up being infected, that we know of.

“Of course, we haven’t had, as you know, the ability to perform widespread either testing or antibody testing to see what was the true infection level of the community,” he said.

Their testing, of both people who were symptomatic and some who were asymptomatic, showed less than a 1% infection rate, he said.

The hospital leader praised his staff’s response to the pandemic, and also the community’s support.

“There were many, many powerful moments during the last three months,” he said. ““Some were extremely sad, patients we lost, who were infected by the virus.”

At the same time, “there were also incredible highs,” he said, sharing a video of the hospital’s first COVID patient who came off a ventilator at the hospital, and was discharged.

“This was very real, and very difficult, heavy lift, for not only (AdventHealth) Wesley Chapel, certainly, but all hospitals, all health care across Tampa Bay,” he said.

“One of the things that has been for me, that has been incredibly comforting and heartwarming, was that we were absolutely embraced by our community.

“People delivered food. Businesses delivered food. Handmade masks. Letters. Posters from kids, from the community supporting us — and telling us, and our staff, that they were thankful for us.

“It made a huge difference. It was just incredibly powerful to the staff here at AdventHealth Wesley Chapel to know that the community, the business community, the faith community were behind us.

“We had several parades.

“Groups wanted to come and parade through the campus to show their support. Honk horns, fly balloons and banners, show support for the people,” he said.

He also praised the response of the region’s medical facilities.

“Another very powerful kind of component of this is that the hospital systems in Tampa Bay — Tampa General, BayCare, HCA, AdventHealth — all came together, to work together, to treat COVID patients, to test COVID patients, to support each other. It’s been a wonderful thing,” he said.

COVID concerns keep people away from hospitals
While AdventHealth Wesley Chapel was gearing up for the COVID-19 challenge, fewer people were coming to the hospital with other conditions.

“Our surveys and focus groups show a very high level of concern remains in our communities about the danger of COVID at hospitals.

“We saw, over the last three months, a significant decrease in our census — in people coming to the hospital to receive care,” he said. He estimates that the hospital’s census declined by about 50%.

“So, one of the ironies was that we were going full speed trying to prepare for this pandemic that we thought was going to overwhelm us, but at the same time the business that we had in the hospital was artificially low.

“We know that ambulance calls for very significant conditions — stroke and heart attack fell significantly across Florida and across the United States compared to the same time prior year.

“Think about that, stroke and heart attack victims would rather stay home than call an ambulance to seek care because of the fear of being infected at the hospital,” he said.

As a result, care has been delayed and when people arrive at the hospital they are sicker because of that delay, he said.

The hospital’s messaging has been focused on explaining what it is doing to keep patients and others safe, Wangsness said.

Staff members at AdventHealth Wesley Chapel hold cards of appreciation dropped off by The Learning Experience, a local day care. Besides the cards made by the kids, the day care delivered pizzas.

“So, what will you see, at our facility and virtually every hospital you go to?

“You’ll see universal masking. All of our staff. All of the physicians in the hospital, will be wearing masks. Visitors, patients who come, are masked as well.

“Everyone, every day, temperature is checked upon arrival. That’s our staff, our physicians, any contractors and vendors, any patients and visitors. We’re checking and screening everyone upon arrival.

“There’s limited visitation. For a couple of months there were no visitors in the hospital. Now, each patient can have one visitor. Someone coming in for surgery can have one visitor. But again, all visitors are masked and screened upon entry,” he said.

The hospital’s social distancing strategies include appliques on the ground to remind people to stay 6 feet apart, and the hospital also has removed some furniture from its lobbies, waiting areas and cafeteria, to help keep people farther apart.

Additionally, the hospital has stepped up its sanitizing, especially in public areas, in addition to private areas within the hospital.

Wangsness asked members of the North Tampa Bay Chamber to help spread the word.

“My request of you, of the business community, is let people know that hospitals are working diligently — not just ours, but all hospitals — and physician offices, and imaging clinics, to make sure that we’re keeping them (patients) safe.

“They really shouldn’t delay their care because of the COVID, really, at this point, they’re doing themselves a disservice,” the hospital executive said.

Published June 10, 2020

Alternate fundraiser for Old Lutz School

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The annual Lutz Guv’na campaign has become a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic and has been canceled.

In lieu of that fundraiser, the Lutz Civic Association is sponsoring an alternative. It is offering Lutz-branded merchandise for sale to benefit the Citizens of the Old Lutz School. All profits will go to the support of the historic Old Lutz School.

This is one of several garden flag designs available for purchase. (Courtesy of Stephanie Ensor)

To view items available for purchase, visit bit.ly/LutzFundraiser.

Those interested can choose from can coozies, baseball-style caps, stickers, magnets, T-shirts (youth, women and men sizes), and garden flags.

Merchandise currently is being printed and first orders will be ready for pickup by June 15. Once the merchandise sells out, there will be a second run to fill orders.

Flags are not due to be in until the end of June or the beginning of July.

Citizens for the Old Lutz School raises money every year to pay for the upkeep of the Old Lutz School, where generations of Lutz children were educated. The money pays for such things as repairing termite damage, replacing windows and other essential maintenance.

The group also hosts popular holiday festivities for the community each year during Christmas season.

Besides losing a share of proceeds from the Lutz Guv’na race, Citizens for the Old Lutz School also suffered a setback in fundraising because of the cancellation of its Spring Market due to concerns about COVID-19.

Anyone who wishes to contribute for the upkeep of the Old Lutz School can donate through the organization’s website, at OldLutzSchool.com.

Published June 10, 2020

Gov. DeSantis initiates phase two of state’s reopening

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Gov. Ron DeSantis has initiated the second phase of the state’s reopening, as residents and visitors adapt to new routines amid COVID-19.

As has been recommended all along, senior citizens and individuals with significant underlying medical conditions continue to be strongly encouraged to avoid crowds and take measures to limit exposure to COVID-19

Under phase two:

  • Groups of 50 or more should be avoided
  • Those working in long-term care facilities should be tested regularly for COVID-19
  • In-store retail businesses, including gyms and fitness facilities, should maintain appropriate social distancing and sanitation protocols.
  • Restaurants, bars and other vendors licensed to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on premises may operate at 50% of their indoor capacity, excluding employees. Outdoor seating also is permissible, with appropriate social distancing. This section does not apply to nightclubs.
  • Entertainment businesses, including but not limited to movie theaters, concert houses, auditoriums, playhouses, bowling alleys and arcades may operate at 50% of their building capacity, with appropriate social distancing between groups and appropriate sanitation.
  • Personal services, including, but not limited to tattooing, body piercing, acupuncture, tanning and massage, may operate with appropriate safety guidelines as outlined by the Florida Department of Health.

Published June 10, 2020

Pasco Schools wins national honor

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Pasco County Schools has been named the best Advanced Placement school district among large districts in the nation.

The school district was among 250 districts across the United States and Canada that were named to the annual AP District Honor Roll, according to a school district news release.

From those, three districts were singled out — one large, one medium and one small, based on an analysis of three years of AP data, the release says.

Pasco was honored in the category of large districts, as defined by those with 50,000 students or more.

Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning shared the news with district staff in a May 29 video posted on YouTube

“The top district, in the nation — this is a big deal,” Browning said. “There are more than 13,000 school districts in the United States, and our school district — our students and our teachers — earned this award.

“This honor is shared by all of you,” the superintendent continued.

Even though AP classes are taken in high school, the success that occurs at high school, builds upon the successes achieved in middle and elementary schools, he said.

“So, when Taija McCullough, at Zephyrhills High School, does well on an AP exam — the staff at Woodland Elementary should be very proud.

“That’s why this is such a big deal. This honor truly is a reflection on  what goes on in all our classrooms,” Browning added.

“Over a three-year period, we increased the number of students taking rigorous AP courses. We increased the number of underrepresented and minority students taking AP classes. And, at the same time, we improved our Pass Rate — those scoring a 3 or above,” the superintendent added.

The College Board’s AP courses offer high school students a chance to get a taste of the rigor of college-level work.

The College Board says that research has shown that AP classes help students be better prepared for college, be more likely to enroll in college and be more likely to graduate in four years.

Students must earn a 3 or higher on the AP Exam to earn college credit, which, in turn, can reduce their future college tuition costs.

Sixty percent of all AP students in Pasco scored a 3 or higher on at least one exam in 2019, according to district figures.

“Over the last three years, our students earned the equivalent of $3 million in tuition costs,” Browning said.

Trevor Packer, head of the College Board AP Program, explained the significance of the honor, in a district news release. “This award shows that Pasco County Schools is challenging many students to achieve at the highest levels,” Packer said.

“Pasco is ensuring that a more diverse population of students is earning college credit in a wide variety of AP subjects. Congratulations to all the educators and students whose dedication and hard work garnered this well-deserved recognition.”

Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran also weighed in on the district’s success.

“This is a remarkable accomplishment that shows the nation what can happen when great teachers believe in and push students to handle the most rigorous courses. Students will always exceed our expectations,” Corcoran said, in the district’s release.

“Superintendent Browning and his team are preparing a large and diverse group of students for success, and the entire State of Florida is proud of what Pasco has accomplished,” Corcoran added.

The district also released another video, sharing the perspectives of Phillip Ellis, a teacher at Zephyrhills High, and Zephyrhills High student Taija McCullough.

Ellis teaches AP Chemistry and AP Physics 1.

He’s pleased to see more students taking AP courses and more passing the exams, as well.

“I’m seeing a lot of students who otherwise may not have opted to take the class, go and get out there and try a really tough class. That’s what I’m really most proud of — that we have more students willing to try, and willing to put themselves out there to accomplish things they didn’t know they were capable of,” he said.

Taking AP courses “is challenging, but it is worth it in the end,” McCullough said.

It helps students to build study skills, time management and the ability to balance the demands of studying with other aspects of their lives.

Taking the courses helps build confidence, too, she said.

“You know you’ll do well in college,” McCullough said.

Browning was obviously elated, as he announced the district’s accomplishment.

“We don’t do this to get recognition. We do it because it creates opportunities for our students. It brings out the best in students,” he said.

At the same time, though, the recognition is well-deserved.

“I could not be more proud of what our team has accomplished, and that includes everyone. Our staff came up with an ambitious, but viable plan. Our school board saw the value and potential in the plan. Our principals bought into it. Then, in classrooms across Pasco County, our teachers and students made it happen,” the superintendent said.

Published June 03, 2020