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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Electronic Arts encourages girl coders to ‘Get in the Game’

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When Madeline Murch headed off for summer camp in late July, she had high expectations.

After all, the Sunlake High student was one of just 15 young women selected to take part in a summer program presented by Electronic Arts Inc., a global interactive entertainment company.

“Going into the experience, I had really high hopes for it,” said Murch, one of 57 applicants for the program. “It was just everything I hoped for, and more.”

Pasco eSchool’s Madeline Murch of shows off her MoCap avatar during ‘Get in the Game,’ a summer program for local high school girls that explored the applications of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) in video game development. (Courtesy of Electronic Arts/ Carol Berru-Linsenmayer)

The young woman from Land O’ Lakes said she’s been interested in computers and gaming from a young age, and both her mom and her uncle know how to code.

She learned about EA’s “Get in the Game” summer camp from her computer science teacher, Lea Weber, who sent the link to her.

Madeline decided to apply for the week-long camp that took place at the EA Tiburon studio, in Maitland.

Since the campus doesn’t have housing, it wasn’t clear if  Madeline would be able to go.

But, her mom, Renee, stepped up — taking her to the camp. They stayed in an area hotel.

“I just really thought it was a great opportunity that we couldn’t pass up,” Renee said. “It seemed like she’s always had an affinity for coding and gaming. I thought if she saw what went on at the studio, she might really like it and want to pursue that.”

Besides, Renee added, “they’re (EA) leaders in video game development. So, there’s no better place to start than there.”

EA, based in California, is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The company develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers. It has more 300 million registered players around the world.

Madeline said a typical day at “Get in the Game” camp would include presentations and hands-on work.

The presentations were interesting and informative, she said.

“They were all on totally different topics, which was cool. We got to see every single aspect of the video games,” the 16-year-old said.

“During the second half of the day, we actually were working on developing a game while we were there. So, we broke into small groups, and we had a couple of software engineers who would help us every day.

“Some days, we did more interactive things,” she said.

For example, Madeline said she saw technology used to make realistic 3D renderings of people’s faces.

“We got to play around with some of their motion capture technology,” she added.

And, one of the artists they met, who gave a presentation on story-telling, had actually worked at Pixar and Disney Animation, she said.

The week was enjoyable and inspiring, Madeline said. “I definitely think that I want to continue learning how to code, and I want to pick up another coding language.

“I think that after this week at EA, I’d like to maybe be a software engineer,” she added.

Reducing the gender gap
Encouraging more young women to consider careers in the technology sector is precisely the point of the week-long summer camp, according to Daryl Holt, vice president and group chief operating officer of EA SPORTS Worldwide Studios.

Holt came up with the idea for the camp, which began last year with 10 participants and expanded this year to 15 young women.

Fifteen female coders from local high schools showcase their ‘golden tickets’ guaranteeing them an internship interview with Electronic Arts (EA) while pursuing STEAM subjects in college. Also shown are Daryl Holt, vice president and group chief operating officer of EA SPORTS Worldwide Studios (far right), and Seth Reichelson, computer science teacher at Lake Brantley High School and ‘Get in the Game’ coding instructor (far left).

Madeline was the only participant from Pasco County.

Holt explained the motivation for creating the camp.

“We were seeing a lack of gender diversity in those fields. That’s no secret,” he said.

“We’ve got to solve the supply problem,” he said.

The tech sector can’t rely on going into elementary and middle schools and giving a talk that might light a flame — to inspire young girls to pursue careers in these fields, he said.

“We’re not trying to ignite a spark, we’re trying to fan a flame,” Holt said.

The program was designed for “young women who already had some exposure to coding,” he said.

Applicants had to submit a teacher recommendation and an essay, explaining why they were interested in the camp.

The essays played a big role in the selection process, he said.

For instance, an essay writer might say something like: “I’m truly interested in this, and one of the things holding me back is that I don’t have access to a computer. I have to go to the library to do it (coding),” he said.

Holt’s reaction? “Wow, here’s someone that is taking the extra step to do what they are passionate about and the way they’re having to do go about doing it, is certainly a demonstration of their dedication to it.

“Not only can we fan that flame, we might be able to make it easier for them.”

The camp aims to educate, entertain and energize the young women, Holt said.

“Whether it’s at EA, or some other technology-based company, we want them to go on and do great things,” he said. “We want them to plan and we want them to train, but we also want them to dream and believe — because that combination is what will truly take them to the next level,” Holt said.

While at the camp, the young women work with mentors and they’re invited to stay in touch with them after they leave.

They also can earn the right to interview for an internship, and they get to take the laptop they’ve been working on home with them, Holt said.

“Our expectation is that they have it in their power to do this, to follow their dreams in an educational pursuit. And then, we’ll be talking to them later about an internship that hopefully leads to a career,” Holt said.

Computer and video game industry facts

  • 90% of parents pay attention to the game their child plays
  • 75% of Americans have at least one gamer in their household
  • 63% of gamers play with others
  • 56% of gamers have a creative hobby (singing, writing, etc.)
  • 32% of gamers play a musical instrument

Source: The Entertainment Software Association

Published August 28, 2019

Residents generally pleased with county services, surveys say

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Overall, Pasco County fared well in recent citizen surveys intended to help inform the county’s planning in its allocation of resources, and to improve its programs and policies.

“This is what we call our voice of the customer,” Marc Bellas, performance management director for Pasco County, told the Pasco County Commission during a recent meeting.

In terms of overall government services, the county scored above the national benchmark of 67%, Bellas said.

“This is the highest rating we’ve ever had, since we’ve been doing this here in Pasco County since 2009,” he said, noting the goal in the county’s strategic plan is to score 70 percent.

“We believe in the next year that we’re going to be able to do that,” he said.

According to the survey, 72% of Pasco residents rated the county as a good or excellent place to live. That’s up 5% over last year.

Two-thirds gave the county excellent or good ratings for its customer services.

In terms of the economy, Bellas said all of the dimensions are trending up.

“That’s very good news in Pasco County,” he said.

“Usually, employment opportunities and Pasco’s a good place to work have always been the very lowest, but you can see that we’re now trending upwards from 2014. That’s good news. That means that we’re moving in the right direction,” he said.

Those were just some of the findings from the National Community Survey, which was conducted through the National Research Center Inc., in collaboration with the International City/County Management Association.

The survey was developed to provide a statistically valid survey of resident opinions, regarding their community and services provided by local government. About 350 communities participate in the survey annually, according to Bellas’ presentation to commissioners.

This year’s survey was distributed to 1,600 selected addresses in Pasco County, with 263 surveys completed, representing an 18 percent return rate. The results have a plus or minus 6% margin of error.

In addition to the surveys that were distributed, the county conducted an online citizen survey, using the same questions.

The county does the online survey primarily for comparisons, Bellas said.

“It is not a statistically valid instrument, but we find the correlations between the two to be very, very close,” Bellas said. The online survey gives citizens who were not selected for the survey a chance to express their views. This year 1,748 citizens took part.

Bellas said the survey looks at eight facets of livable communities: safety, mobility, the natural environment, the built environment, the economy, recreation and wellness, education and enrichment, and community engagement.

“In our particular survey, for our folks, the three most important areas were safety, mobility and the economy,” Bellas said.

“When we look at the Impact on the overall quality of life, safety is always at the very top.

Safe neighborhoods, and safe and uncongested roadways — are No. 1 and No. 2.

“The folks who took the survey consider these to be essential, or at the very least, very important,” he said.

Most of this year’s ratings were similar to last year’s, Bellas said.

But, the county did see “some significant downward movement in the mobility piece,” he said.

Regarding mobility, the people using Pasco County’s bus system gave it favorable marks.

But, motorists were less complimentary.

“There are some downward trends here, ease of car travel, specifically, traffic flow, traffic enforcement — those are some concerns for us, because they are downward trends,” Bellas said.

There also are concerns about traffic congestion, light timing and speeding, Bellas noted.

Sgt. Steve Gaskins, of the Florida Highway Patrol, said there are 24 troopers assigned to Pasco County.

“We work everything in unincorporated areas of the county,” he said, noting “we had roughly 5,000 crashes so far (this year). We worked 85 percent of them with our 24 troopers.

“We’ve had 55 fatalities in the county, this year alone,” Gaskins added.

“One of our big issues is getting to people who need help, as quickly as possible,” he said.

He also acknowledged concerns about speeding.

“Speeding is one of the huge complaints that I get all of the time from residents across the county,” Gaskins said.

If there were more troopers, they could be more proactive, Gaskins said.  “We could do more activity to stem the tide of those crashes,” he said.

Additional equipment also would help with speed control and enforcement, he said.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore asked how many troopers Gaskins thought were needed.

“If I had a wish list, I would say 50,” Gaskins responded.

Chase Daniels, of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, said efforts are being made to identify problem areas for speeding, and in the development of enforcement action plans.

Daniels also noted: “We are increasing our radar-certified officers.”

In terms of mobility, both Moore and Commission Chairman Ron Oakley noted a number of recent improvements and projects that will be coming soon that they expect to create much better mobility across the county.

Specifically, they mentioned the Diverging Diamond being built to relieve congestion at State Road 56 and Interstate 75; the recent extension of State Road 56 to U.S. 301; and work underway to widen State Road 52 and State Road 54.

Other future projects that will be done in coming years include a new alignment for State Road 52 near Dade City and a new I-75 interchange at Overpass Road.

Published August 28, 2019

‘Clear the Shelters’ is a howling success

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Hundreds attended the ‘Clear the Shelters’ event on Aug. 17 at the Pasco County Animal Services complex, 19640 Dogpatch Lane in Land O’ Lakes.

Josh Naaman, of Largo, left, and his wife, Hande, bond with Piper, their new dog. Once they laid eyes on the mixed-breed pup, the couple knew they need not look further. It was love at first sight. (Christine Holtzman)

The event, launched five years ago by the television media company NBC Universal, is a national pet adoption drive that aims to find forever homes for thousands of animals in need.

Participating shelters nationwide either reduced or waived pet adoption fees.

The Land O’ Lakes shelter, waived its fees for the third year in a row. The only requirement was the purchase of the appropriate licensing for the new adoption.

Normally, adoption fees run $70 to $85 for dogs and $40 to $50 for cats. The fees include spay/neutering, vaccinations, microchip, heartworm testing for dogs, FIV and feline leukemia for cats.

Dianna Strauss, of Land O’ Lakes, a volunteer with Pasco County Animal Services, gives Letty, a large, female mixed-breed dog, a treat. Strauss shares her feelings about the pooch, describing her as a very sweet, and gentle dog.

Spencer Conover, the assistant director for Pasco County Animal Services estimated that around 500 people would attend the event, looking for a new companion.

In just the first two hours of the event, 13 dogs and 7 cats were officially adopted.

By the time the event wrapped up, there were 41 adoptions and 37 pending adoptions, according to Animal Services’ Facebook page.

Leading up to the event, veterinarians, staff and volunteers worked diligently to make sure that many of the 254 available animals were ready to go to their new homes on the same day of their adoptions.

Thirteen-year-old Courtney Woods, of Hudson, cuddles a small black kitten that she will name Astro, once he is officially adopted. Along with her mother, Jody, Woods attended the event with her sister, Allie, and her friend, J.J. Algarin.

Those that had not underwent the necessary spay/neuter or microchip procedure, will be placed on a short adoption hold (typically less than a week), until the requirements are met.

Strays, whether they are runaways or abandoned, make up the largest population of animals in the shelter.

Conover said the biggest challenge lies in the lack of microchipping, which is crucial in helping lost pets find their way home.

A very low percentage of the pets they see have been microchipped, he said.

Animals they adopt out are microchipped.

For more about ‘Clear the Shelters,’ visit ClearTheShelters.com.

Published August 28, 2019

Officially adopted and heading to his new home, Blue, a male mixed-breed dog, cannot contain his excitement, as he jumps and licks Frank Izquierdo. He and his girlfriend, Anna Chiacchio, of Lutz, left, are first-time pet owners. They were equally ecstatic to make their new buddy a part of their family.
Lucia Patterson, of New Port Richey, holds Mia, her Teacup Yorkie, as she leans in to greet one of the several dogs up for adoption. Lucia, and her husband Ross, were at the event looking to find another companion.
Nicole Whitley, of Lutz, stretches out to pat Anastasia, an active 3-year-old gray cat, as her 12-year-old son, Tovyah Whitley Jr., looks on. The pair was at the event looking at dogs, but warmed up to the idea of adopting a cat, once they visited with Anastasia.
Petey, a large mixed-breed dog, greets visitors outside the Pasco County Animal Services building during the ‘Clear the Shelters’ event. He was picked up as a stray several months ago, making him a long-time resident at the shelter. Volunteer Rhonda Revels describes him as being good-tempered and loveable, and good with kids. He’s not so wild about cats and little dogs.
A curious, mixed-breed female dog peeks out of her cage, as a crowd of people walk by.

Changes recommended for Connerton’s master-plan development

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The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended approval of changes to the Connerton Village II Master Planned Unit Development to adjust the boundaries for the regional park and elementary/middle school, and to remove the extension of the Plains Parkway north of Connerton Boulevard.

These changes are based on a land swap between Lennar Homes LLC, the Pasco County School Board and Pasco County.

The applicant also proposes to add an additional neighborhood encompassing 268 acres, adding 225 single-family units from the remaining Phase I entitlements. The changes also call for updating the Connerton Village II internal access points to reflect the pending development.

The county’s planning staff recommended approval of the changes, which they said are consistent with the previously approved land swap.

No one from the public spoke for or against the proposed changes, during the Planning Commission’s Aug. 22 public hearing on the request.

In backup materials provided to the planning commission, the county’s planners noted that the previously proposed extension of Pleasant Plains Parkway north of Connerton Boulevard would “bifurcate the new district park site and frustrate the basic purpose.”

Planners also noted that “the additional 225 units are being drawn from the remaining Phase 1 residential entitlements approved for the Development of Regional Impact. With the additional 225 units, the total aggregate units in Village II increases from 1,704 to 1,929.

The property is on the east and west sides of Flourish Drive, and the north and south sides of Connerton Boulevard.

The request is slated for public hearing before the Pasco County Commission on Sept. 18, 2019, at 1:30 p.m., in the board’s chambers at the West Pasco Government Center, at 8731 Citizens Drive in New Port Richey.

Published August 28, 2019

Offering convenient way to combat breast cancer

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Cheryl Hinton hits the road in the quest to prevent breast cancer.

Hinton, who is the marketing and promotions specialist for Tampa Bay Mobile Mammography, was the featured speaker at the East Pasco Networking Group’s breakfast meeting on Aug. 13 at the IHOP in Dade City.

Lt. James Law of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, left, Cheryl Hinton, Nils Lenz, Rodney Rehrig Sr., and Bob Hatfield were several attendees at the East Pasco Networking Group meeting on Aug. 13 at a Dade City IHOP. Hinton was the event’s guest speaker and received a Standing Ovation Award for her community work. (Brian Fernandes)

She talked about the company’s mission to provide convenient breast cancer screenings. The independent organization began in New Port Richey. It now provides its services not only in Pasco, but in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota counties, too.

The staff works out of three tour-size buses, which are parked at various locations. Female employees can step away from their work at those places, to undergo a breast cancer screening.

“We actually go to schools and corporations,” Hinton explained. “We bring the bus to them, so that all they have to do is go outside, get on the bus, get their mammogram done, and go right back to work.”

Inside the bus, women take several minutes to be examined, using a digital three-dimensional imaging machine.

Patients also may be referred to a physician for further analysis.

Beyond her current role, Hinton also has a history in community advocacy, having worked in conjunction with organizations like Meals on Wheels and The Samaritan Project.

After she ended her career in newspaper advertising, she found a role where she could promote health.

She recalled: “I see on Facebook that this position is opening and I thought ‘Mobile mammography, what’s that? That sounds interesting.’”

The job also had a personal significance, as her sister-in-law had succumbed to a seven-year battle with breast cancer.

The Zephyrhills resident initially began overseeing operations in Hillsborough County and eventually added Polk County.

“Part of my job is I sit [at] home on my laptop, contact the schools and let them know that we’re coming,” Hinton noted.

She also travels to the companies and schools within her districts to answer questions from employers or employees.

Mobile Mammography tries to accommodate educators by paying substitute teachers to cover their classes while they are in the bus for screening.

The organization had its first summer screening program this year, sending out flyers and visiting 27 schools where summer classes were being held.

The response was phenomenal, she said.

Although the services target women in the school system and the corporate world, women of all backgrounds are encouraged to jump aboard the bus – and for good reason.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breast cancer is the most common type found in women, not counting skin cancers .

In 2016, there were over 245,000 new cases reported in the United States alone.

The screening may seem intimidating and does bring about slight discomfort, Hinton acknowledged. However, she added, it could help prevent or stop the progression of breast cancer.

Hinton also was quick to point out that while the disease is prevalent among women, men too, are susceptible to breast cancer.

While Mobile Mammography does not offer services to men, it strongly recommends that men get routine check-ups, Hinton noted.

Toward the end of the meeting, the East Pasco Networking Group presented Hinton with a Standing Ovation Award to recognize her for her community efforts.

Published August 28, 2019

Hillsborough residents can weigh in on stormwater fees

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A public hearing is set for Sept. 5 regarding a proposed stormwater fee increase in Hillsborough County.

The public hearing is set for 10 a.m., in the second floor board room at Frederick B. Karl County Center, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., in downtown Tampa.

Any changes approved by the Hillsborough County Commission would be reflected on the 2019 property tax notices, according to a Hillsborough County news release.

The stormwater fee is paid by property owners in the unincorporated area of the county. It does not apply to residents in Tampa, Temple Terrace or Plant City.

Revenues generated by the stormwater fee is used for maintenance, rehabilitation and construction of the public stormwater pipes, pumps, storage systems, and other structures to help reduce roadway flooding and improve water quality, the news release said.

County officials say the proposed fee structure more equitably separates most residential properties into tiers based on different sizes of impervious area (roofed, paved, or similar surface).

Properties with less impervious area pay less and properties with more impervious area pay more, under the proposal.

The county’s news release explains:

  • Most single-family residential properties are placed into a tier based on their total gross area building footprint, provided by the Property Appraiser. This approach avoids having to individually calculate the impervious area for more than 220,000 residential properties, which would be impractical.
  • Properties with exceptionally small building footprint areas, such as condominium units, townhomes and mobile homes are billed flat rates.
  • Nonresidential properties and very large single-family properties are billed per square foot of impervious area.
  • A new proposed assessment structure will utilize an “Equivalent Residential Unit,” or ERU, as the basis for most assessments. The average single-family residence in the County includes 4,267 square feet of impervious surface (roofed, paved, or similar surface), which equals one ERU.
  • The 2019 proposed assessment for one ERU is $92.41.

More information about the proposed Stormwater Fee is available online or by calling (813) 635-5400.

Published August 28, 2019

Avalon Park West Brings The Arts To East Pasco

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Avalon Park West and the Pasco Fine Arts Council are bringing art and cultural events, exhibits and workshops to East Pasco County through a new public-private partnership.

Celebrating their new partnership with the Pasco Fine Arts Council are (left to right) Stephanie Lerret, marketing and community relations for Avalon Park Group; Jo Baughman, director of the Pasco Fine Arts Council; and, Beat Kahli, president and CEO of Avalon Park Group.

This partnership kicks off in September with a series of art exhibits at the Welcome Center at Avalon Park West in Wesley Chapel, at 33613 State Road 54. The first event will showcase Suzanne Natzke, an accomplished watercolor artist and Pasco County resident.

An artist reception for Natzke will take place Friday, Sept. 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., along with live music by Jared Violin. The public is invited to meet the artist and enjoy the music at this free community affair, and enjoy complimentary wine and refreshments.

Natzke’s paintings will be displayed through the end of October in Avalon’s Welcome Center, and after her show closes, a new artist will be featured. A total of six artist exhibits are planned during the first year of the new partnership with Pasco Fine Arts Council and Avalon Park West, all hosted at the Welcome Center for East Pasco residents.

“This partnership brings great opportunities to expand the arts to not only our community, but the entire east side of the county,” says Stephanie Lerret, senior vice president of marketing and community relations for the Avalon Park Group. “It is our vision to build Downtown Avalon Park West as the cultural and event center of East Pasco County.”

Paintings by watercolor artist Suzanne Natzke will be the first of six art exhibits hosted by the Pasco Arts Council at Avalon Park West in Wesley Chapel. This one is entitled, Purple Coneflower.

The first phase of Downtown Avalon Park West is currently under construction, and is projected to open next summer. Included in the plans for Downtown is a dedicated Arts Gallery, that will be the permanent East Pasco home for the Pasco Fine Arts Council.

“We’re very excited about expanding the presence of the Fine Arts Council to East Pasco County,” says Jo Baughman, director of the Council. “It will be thrilling to feature local artists and discover new artists through these events and educational opportunities, made possible through the partnership with Avalon Park West.”

For Baughman, who has been involved in the Pasco Fine Arts Council for 22 years, and director for the past four, the invitation from Avalon Park West to work together accomplishes a long-held dream.

“This has been a long time coming, and will be a tremendous help to the artist community and our patrons,” said Baughman. “It’s been really hard to service the entire county without a location in East Pasco, and when Avalon Park contacted us last February and asked if they could partner with us, it was completely unexpected, and we were completely overjoyed!”

Watchful, by Suzanne Natzke

The vision the leaders at Avalon Park West have for the arts in their master-planned community meshes perfectly with that of the Pasco Fine Arts Council.

“We want to have art classes and workshops for our community, and a place to share artwork created by students and adults,” said Lerret. “As it turns out, the Fine Arts Council has been providing these types of programs for years, and all they needed was a place in East Pasco to bring their programs and exhibits to our residents in Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, San Antonio and Dade City.”

One of the first youth programs the Fine Arts Council will be moving to its Avalon Park West location is the Middle School Photography competition it hosts annually in conjunction with Pasco County Schools.

“This is part of our Kids In Arts program, and is a photography competition where students earn first, second and third place recognition in each grade level,” said Baughman. “We are so excited to now have exhibit space to share these photos with the public.”

For more information on the artist schedule and upcoming events, please visit AvalonParkWest.com or PascoArts.org.

About Avalon Park West
Nestled in serene natural surroundings, Avalon Park West is a master-planned community planned for 4,800 residential homes and over a half million square feet of commercial and civic uses where residents will be in walking and bike riding distance to schools, shops, restaurants, workplaces and recreational amenities. Avalon Park West is a traditional community of small-town life where you can Live, Learn, Work and Play. For more on Avalon Park West, visit AvalonParkWest.com, or call Stephanie Lerret at (407) 427-6073.

About Pasco Fine Arts Council
The Pasco Fine Arts Council Inc., is a public entity created by the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 1, 1978 as a nonprofit organization with the County to encourage community involvement in the arts, provide art education to the community, and to be a leader in stimulating art and cultural entities throughout Pasco County. For more on the Pasco Fine Arts Council, visit PascoArts.org, or contact Jo Baughman at (727) 845-7322 or .

Published August 28, 2019 in Homes

 

Pasco school year gets off to a smooth start

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Five-year-old Joshua Cortes was eager to begin his first day of kindergarten at Pine View Elementary School in Land O’ Lakes.

Five-year-old Joshua Cortes is excited to begin his first day of kindergarten at Pine View Elementary School. (B.C. Manion)

The youngster was beaming as his parents took his picture near a welcome sign at the school — the perfect prop for a photo op.

A little while later, as buses rolled into the bus loop, Pine View staff greeted students as they exited the bus.

They saw many familiar faces, and  they offered kind remarks, welcoming students and commenting on such things as a new haircut or new pair of shoes.

Meanwhile, across campus, teachers were ready for another year.

Art teacher Kimber White is enthusiastic about teaching at Pine View Elementary, which has been officially authorized as Pasco County’s first International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. (B.C. Manion)

Art teacher Kimber White expressed enthusiasm about teaching at Pasco County’s first officially authorized International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme.

The IB PYP highly regards the arts, encouraging creativity and innovation, across the disciplines.

Third-grade teacher Monica Woods aimed to set a positive tone for the children entering in her class. The room was cheerful, with warm touches, including this greeting: “Welcome to third grade, you’re going to love it here.”

Assistant Principal Mary Reynolds, an educator for 30 years, said she never gets over the potential the beginning of a new school year represents. She gets so excited that she can never sleep the night before a first school day.

Principal Kay Moore has a tradition. She holds an assembly and rings in the new year with an old-fashioned bell. It’s a time-honored ritual, signifying the start of something important, she said.

Mary Reynolds, assistant principal at Pine View Elementary, said she can never sleep the night before the first day of school because she’s so eager to begin a new year. (B.C. Manion)

As Pine View settled in for the day, first day scenes were taking place across the district. Parents were busy dropping their kids off, big yellow buses were picking up kids in subdivisions and school staffs were busy getting the 2019-2020 school year started.

At Cypress Creek Middle High in Wesley Chapel, students streamed on to campus, where they were greeted by staff members, who directed traffic and answered questions.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning said he’d heard good reports across the district.

“It has been a good week. It has been an exceptionally good week,” he told members of The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce, during a breakfast meeting.

As the sun rises on the first day of school, Cypress Creek Middle High School Assistant Principal Donna Gricoski, right, greets students exiting the buses. (Christine Holtzman)

“As I’ve traveled to schools, I’ve talked to teachers, I’ve talked to parents, I’ve talked to principals, I’ve talked to kids — and almost without exception they’ve said, ‘You know, it seems like one of the smoothest school starts we’ve had.

“There hasn’t been all of the hateful, mean Twitter, Facebook chatter out there — which people are so quick to get out on social media, and start trashing people without the facts,” Browning added.

He also noted that the school district continues to grow at a rapid pace.

The school year began with about 1,300 more students than on the same day last year, he said, noting that’s the equivalent of a large district middle school.

Published August 21, 2019

Note: First day of school student photos can be found in our e-edition!

Under Construction 08/21/2019

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A new recreational space is on its way within the Chapel Creek residential community. The Zephyrhills amenity center will include a playground and pool cabana. (Brian Fernandes)

Chapel Creek Amenity Center
The Chapel Creek residential community soon will have some new recreational options. The Chapel Creek Amenity Center is being built at 6405 Clifton Down Drive in Zephyrhills. The 1,258-square-foot facility will have a playground, a mail kiosk, a pool cabana, restrooms, utility rooms and a storage room. There is no official completion or open date yet.

 

 

 

 

Bubba’s 33
Bubba’s 33 soon will open its first restaurant in Florida. The family style restaurant is part of the Texas Roadhouse corporation. It will be located at 26340 Silver Maple Parkway, off State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel. The 7,000-plus-square-foot development will include a sports bar and will have a seating capacity of 256. Construction, which began in August, is expected to be completed in November.  The restaurant is set to open by mid-December.

Luckey Eye Care
Luckey Eye Care will be opening another branch in Wesley Chapel. The optometry clinic will be housed in the Cypress Ridge Professional Center at 2306 Greenbranch Drive and will consist of 14 rooms. Construction began early this year, and is set to finish and open by mid-September.

TouchPoint Medical has chosen Pasco County for its world headquarters. The Odessa facility will be responsible for manufacturing medical equipment.

TouchPoint Medical Headquarters
TouchPoint Medical is expected to open its world headquarters in early 2020, in Odessa. The facility is being built off of State Road 54, in The Preserve residential community. The facility will be used to develop medical equipment and is expected to create an estimated 250 jobs. The 147,000-square-foot building will be two stories, and will be made up of a warehouse and office space. Construction began in March and is expected to be completed in January 2020. A grand opening date has not yet been determined.

Curious about something new that’s popping up in your community? Please send us the location — along with the address, if possible — and we’ll see what we can find out. Send your email to .

Zephyrhills presents draft budget, appropriations requests

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The City of Zephyrhills has unveiled its proposed budget for fiscal year 2019-20 — totaling more than $67 million.

The $67,043,615 draft budget is based on a tentative tax rate of 6.35 mills previously approved by the Zephyrhills City Council. The draft budget was shared during an Aug. 12 council meeting.

The City of Zephyrhills’ $67 million draft budget is based on a tentative tax rate of 6.35 mills. A budget workshop is scheduled for Aug. 26. Public hearings on the proposed budget are scheduled for Sept. 9 and Sept. 23. (File)

Based on the 6.35 millage rate, the total budget for the new fiscal year will be roughly $16.4 million for the city’s 16 departments (city council, administration, economic development, finance, human resources, planning, information technology, police, dispatch, fire, building & code enforcement, library, equipment maintenance, storm water, streets, parks & facilities).

Remaining money necessary for the 2019-20 budget will come from other funding sources, including state revenues, county shared funds franchise fees, utility fees and grants.

The draft shows the city’s police department has the largest departmental budget at over $3.9 million, followed by the fire department at roughly $2.8 million.

A budget workshop is scheduled for Aug. 26. Public hearings on the proposed budget are scheduled for Sept. 9 and Sept. 23.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe shared budget highlights during the meeting, including these items relating to employee benefits and compensation:

  • Total employee health care costs increased 9.7%
  • A proposed pay increase of 3.5% for all employees
  • An increase in cost of 15% for worker’s compensation costs
  • An increase in cost of 11% for property casualty expenses
  • Tuition reimbursement up to $2,500 annually, up to a maximum of $15,000 in total, for city employees

Big ticket items in the budget include:

  • Six fully equipped police vehicles totaling $310,000 funded through Penny for Pasco
  • A $300,000 side-loader truck for sanitation
  • A $267,000 final installment for a new fully outfitted fire truck, which has a total cost of $457,000

With talks ongoing with Pasco County regarding the possible consolidation of the Zephyrhills Fire Department into Pasco County Fire Rescue, the city manager told council members the new fire truck will be part of those broader negotiations, possibly to help offset MSTUs (Municipal Service Taxing Unit) levied through any merger.

“The budgets were prepared as if the (fire) department is staying,” Poe said. “We don’t know which direction we’re going this moment, so it was budgeted to purchase that truck and that will be part of the conversation with the county. They’re aware of it, so we’ll continue that conversation.”

Councilman Alan Knight told Poe the fire truck “ought to be a real strong thing in our negotiation” with the county.

“We contracted it. We put our name on it. We’ve got it. We’re going to have to eat that, so we’ve just got to understand that that’s going to be part of our negotiations,” Knight said.

Councilman Lance Smith said he’s pleased that the budget has more funds allocated toward employee education.

“I am glad to see more money put into training employees,” Smith said. “I mean, I think that’s something really important. I think that’s something we haven’t been doing, and I think the more educated an employee is, I think the more productive they’ll be.”

A push for more police training
Along those lines, Council president Ken Burgess questioned whether the Zephyrhills Police Department allocated enough funding for more advanced, hands-on training.

Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer said his department has invested in instructor training within his department and is able to offer more in-house training.

The draft budget shows $22,000 for police training programs.

“I bring it up every year about the police training. Especially in light of recent events, I want to make sure that in our training, we do more than just get on the computer and click a few buttons,” Burgess said.

“There’s a lot of things that can happen that we don’t want our officers to experience that for the first time in real life,” he said.

Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer pointed out training opportunities are often trust funded or free, but said the issue is more about being able to manage overtime associated with training.

The department has sent a handful of sworn officers to receive instructor training, so it is able to offer more in-house training programs, the chief said.

“Whether it’s advanced, in service or online or whatever it is, I can tell you we’ve been actively trying to send people to as much as we can,” he said.

Brewer also told the council the police department is considering participation at an active shooter response training center in Arizona.

“We were looking for something a little closer, but, of course, if that’s what we’ve got to do then that’s what we’ll use,” Brewer said.

In other action, the council approved the submission of three appropriations requests for projects to be sponsored by State Rep. Randy Maggard and State Sen. Wilton Simpson in the Florida Legislature:

  • $2 million septic to sewer project to a residential subdivision and homes along Sixth Avenue and Armstrong Street, and decommissioning existing septic tanks. The project will affect 67 existing properties with potential for expansion to additional properties in the future.
  • $1.2 million for an indoor/covered tennis facility at the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center site. The indoor facility would also be used for other sports, such as soccer, and banquets and ceremonies.
  • $2 million for the purchase of roughly 1.3 acres of land at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport for the extension of runway 01-19. The cost also includes relocating Skydive City’s existing RV parking east of Skydive Lane.

The city also is considering a fourth appropriations request for $2.5 million, to be used for U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road intersection improvements. Those improvements would involve the relocation of a traffic signal that is currently located at Merchants Square and Townview shopping centers to a new location, at the intersection at Pretty Pond Road.

Council members discussed that topic at length. The aim of the improvements would be to speed up potential commercial development in the area.

Published August 21, 2019