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PHSC promotes ‘Unity’ at annual Peace Week

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Pasco-Hernando State College hosted its 11th annual Peace Week Celebration from Sept. 24 to Sept. 28.

The event — held on college’s campuses Dade City, Brooksville, Wesley Chapel, Spring Hill and New Port Richey — celebrated a theme of unity.

Pasco County Sheriff’s Cpl. Alan Wilkett gave a talk on human trafficking on Sept. 25 during ‘Coffee with a Cop,’ as part of Pasco-Hernando State College’s Peace Week activities. (Brian Fernandes)

The intent was to bring participants together — to embrace each other’s differences and to stand up for what is right.

The weeklong celebration was open to faculty, students and the community, offering outdoor food, music, yoga classes, lectures and a workshop with Buddhist monks.

Laura Raposa, a Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) coordinator at the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel, said the week offered the opportunity for important discussions about various issues.

The idea behind the annual celebration is to give students and those in the community a platform to express themselves on what they think matters, said Raposa, now in her third year of Peace Week at PHSC.

“We really wanted to do something that was important today and signified where we want to be,” she said of the agenda for Peace Week.

Sharon Hayes shows off her custom-made tie-dye shirt during Pasco-Hernando State College’s Peace Week festivities at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, in Wesley Chapel, on Sept. 24.

Mason Fitzpatrick, a transgender man, visited PHSC’s different branches to explain his journey in a lecture series called “Stand Together.”

In addressing the audience, he aimed to improve understanding about the identity issues that come with wanting a transition.

Pasco Sheriff’s Cpl. Alan Wilkett made stops at several campuses for “Coffee with a Cop.” His talk focused on the global issue of human trafficking and ways people can help identify a victim in need.

Members of Bikers Against Child Abuse also spoke in a segment called “A Mission of Love.” Their talk focused on how to better support child abuse victims, especially when the victims must testify in court.

Like the other PHSC branches, Wesley Chapel’s Porter Campus held an outdoor Unity Festival including a drum circle, which invited the public’s participation.

Those attending festivities at the Porter Campus also were able to create custom-made tie-dye shirts and framed paintings.

As is traditional, the state college plans to have a day in spring where everyone on campus wears their tie-dye shirts to show solidarity.

Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch had a drum circle on Sept. 24 as part of Peace Week. From left: Duane Powell, Claudia Alvarez, Marbelys Alvarez, Myna Mendoza and Paul Gavin.

Throughout the week, professors held workshops on the three Ps of peace: Professional, personal and public. These sessions covered how to maintain a healthy balance in the different areas of one’s own life, while coexisting with others.

Another support network present at the event was the Porter Campus’ prayer group.

On the first day of the event, they had a booth set up outside, hosted by two sisters, Claudia and Marbelys Alvarez.

Now up to 20 members, the club meets once a week on campus for prayer and Bible study. It offers an environment to share thoughts and words of encouragement, the sisters said.

During Peace Week, the group’s booth was decorated with baskets of candy and neatly filed envelopes. Each envelope contained different passages of scripture to help brighten the readers’ day and offer hope for the future.

“This is just the beginning,” Claudia said, referring to the spiritual guidance

offered to those passing by.

“Your purpose [is] so big, bigger than just a career, and that’s what I want students to get,” she said.

Published October 10, 2018

San Antonio gardening fest offers lessons, vendors and fun

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“Come one, come all – it’s a family event,” said Dorothy Moore, issuing an invitation to the upcoming Gardening 365 event at San Antonio Park.

At last year’s garden festival, visitor Hailey Ferrel, left, received help with her take-home plant from Pasco County Master Gardener Pam St. Louis. (Courtesy of Pasco County Master Gardeners)

Pasco County Master Gardeners, who are part of the University of Florida/Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, are hosting the festival slated for Oct. 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Now in its second year, the festival’s theme this year is “Edibles.”

Those attending the event will have a chance to learn how to cultivate and maintain healthy organic foods year-round.

Multiple seminars will be offered, tackling such topics as: How to prune trees for hurricane season; How to grow Asian vegetables; Proper water conservation; and, Lasagna Gardening – layering your home garden.

Last year’s vendor, 3 Seasons Growers, provided the festival with a variety of flowers and plants for visitors to choose from.

“If they’re [visitors] looking at growing pesticide-free plants, this is the perfect way to learn,” Moore said.

The rain barrel seminar is the only course that has a fee, but it also includes a rain barrel that participants get to take home.

Vendors will set up throughout the park, offering shoppers a chance to buy a variety of plants and landscaping accessories.

The Kids’ Zone will be available for young ones to engage in free activities. And, there will be a food court and picnic benches.

Parking is available, and festival-goers are asked to bring only service animals, as needed.

For more information, contact Dorothy Moore at (352) 518-0156 or .

Gardening 365 Event
Where: San Antonio Park, 12200 Main St., in San Antonio
When: Oct. 6, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: Free
Details: Pasco County Master Gardeners will present courses on planting and organic food alternatives. There also will be vendors and a Kids’ Zone.
Info: Call Dorothy Moore at (352) 518-0156, or email  .

Published October 3, 2018

 

Pasco County considers mobility fee rate update

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The Pasco County Commission is considering changes to its mobility fee rate structure, which could lead to higher rates in a couple of categories by virtue of removing discounts they now receive.

The update also calls for lowering fees in seven land-use categories, and changing the fee charged for residential development in rural areas on lots of 5 acres or more.

Mobility fees are based on the transportation impacts caused by new development, which is typically expressed in the number of trips the development generates, as well as the length of the trips it creates, according to Bill Oliver, of W.E. Oliver P.E., LLC, the county’s consultant on the mobility fee update.

The mobility fees are charged to new construction.

Currently, the mobility fee for a new single family home is $9,800 in the rural district; $8,570 in the suburban district; and, $5,835 in the urban district.

During a Sept. 25 workshop, a majority of commissioners agreed that removing a 7 percent incentive for apartments in the county’s urban fee district would not pose any problems for the county.

Commissioner Mike Moore urged his colleagues to drop that incentive.

“It’s no secret, my frustration, on every corner and every street, we’re putting up apartments,” Moore said.

“We don’t need any more high-end apartment complexes on 54 and 56, in that corridor. So, why would we incentivize them?”

“We’re talking about taking up valuable land, frontage of (State Roads) 54/56, that could be job creators, and they’re getting filled with apartment complex after apartment complex and storage facility after storage facility, and it’s getting crazy.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, however, expressed reluctance.

“We have a shortage of workforce housing. I think we ought to be careful,” Starkey said.

Moore said he’s talking about high-end apartments that are popping up along the corridor.

Starkey said one way to address her concern might be to set a threshold to identify apartment developments that could continue to receive an incentive, and those which would not.

While commissioners cannot take any actions at workshops, their discussion can indicate which way they’re leaning. In this case, they agreed to bring back the apartment incentives issue for when they hold a public hearing on the proposed fee update.

On another category, Starkey failed to sway a majority of commissioners when she suggested eliminating, or at least reducing, the incentive for hotel development.

“I’m not sure we need to subsidize hotels anymore,” Starkey said. “They’re running at 90 percent occupancy.”

Moore said he’d want more information before going that route.

“Do we have enough product yet? How much product do we need in Pasco County before we take that away?” Moore asked.

Starkey said the incentive wouldn’t have to be stripped entirely, but the county could charge something.

“They’re paying zero,” she said.

Commissioner Jack Mariano suggested looking at the issue again in five years, when the county plans to do its next update of the mobility fee rates.

Commissioner Ron Oakley agreed: “We’re trying our best to be a premier county and we’re getting there. Don’t put the brakes on before we get there.”

On another issue, Oakley said asked if the county could reduce the gap between the fees paid in rural districts, versus the other fee districts.

Oliver explained that the rates paid in rural areas are higher because residents living there drive longer distances, thereby having a greater impact on the county’s roads. They also enjoy a higher level of service because there’s less congestion.

Oakley said the disparity in rates bothers rural residents.

“They’re concerned about having to pay so much more here, and everybody says ‘Well that’s because you’ve got a longer trip  on the road and that’s got more impact.

“It seems like it’s harsh,” Oakley said, noting a lot of “have been arguing and fussing” because of high mobility fees.

David Goldstein, chief assistant county attorney, said the proposed fee schedule addresses that issue.

Under that schedule, a new single-family home built on 5 acres or more in the rural district would pay the same fee as the same-size home built in the suburban district, which is $8,570. Those built on smaller lots in the rural district would continue to pay $9,800.

Goldstein noted: “Our vision for the rural area really is larger lots, so we didn’t think that a large lot in the rural area should be penalized for building on a large lot in the rural area.”

The update calls for reducing fees in these categories: High-rise condominiums; age-restricted communities; congregate care facilities; college/university in suburban/rural areas; churches in suburban areas; hospitals; and hardware/paint stores (but not big box stores such as Lowe’s or Home Depot).

The update also introduces five new land uses: Non-veterinary kennel; breakfast/lunch only restaurant; fast-casual restaurant; ice-skating arena; and active/passive warehouse.

Besides changing specific categories, there’s also a proposal to update the mobility fee schedule every five years, instead of approximately every three years, as has been the practice.

Lengthening the time between updates, coupled with an increasing number of permit applications, would allow the county to reduce the permit administration fee from $392 per permit to $136 per permit, Goldstein said.

The update also proposed additional incentives to spur development along U.S. 19.

Next, the proposed fee schedule goes to the Pasco County Planning Commission for its recommendation, and then it comes back to County Commission for final action.

The Planning Commission is scheduled to take up the issue at an Oct. 25 public hearing. The County Commission has two public hearings scheduled, on Nov. 27 and Dec. 11.

If adopted, county staff recommends that the new fees take effect on Jan. 1.

Mobility Fees update
Pasco County is considering an update to its mobility fee schedule.

Some quick facts:

  • Pasco County’s mobility fee was last updated in 2014. (Since then, infrastructure costs have increased by 6.7 percent and the county’s incentives program has expanded).
  • Fees have essentially held constant since 2011.
  • The county has rural, suburban and urban fee districts.
  • There are 11 fee schedules, with 81 land uses in each schedule.
  • The fee schedule has incentives to encourage specific types of development, in specific areas. (The county pays those subsidies, using taxes from nongrowth sources).
  • The update introduces five new land uses. They are: Non-veterinary kennel; breakfast/lunch only restaurant; fast-casual restaurant; ice-skating arena; and active/passive warehouse.
  • The update also calls for reducing fees in seven land use categories. They are: High-rise condominiums; age-restricted communities; congregate care facilities; college/university in suburban/rural areas; churches in suburban areas; hospitals; and hardware/paint stores (but not big box stores such as Lowe’s or Home Depot).
  • The proposal also calls for updating the mobility fee schedule every five years, instead of every three; and, reducing the administrative fee for permit applications from $392 per permit to $136 per permit.

Source: Bill Oliver, of W.E. Oliver P.E., LLC, the county’s consultant on its mobility fee schedule update. This information was presented by Oliver to the Pasco County Commission during a workshop on Sept. 25.

Published October 3, 2018

Enjoy beer and wine samples, and help a good cause

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The Fall Brewfest for Hospice on Oct. 6 gives people a chance to sample beer and wine, while benefiting Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care.

The venue for the event is Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., and it’s scheduled for Oct. 6, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

During the Spring Brewfest in March, festival-goers enjoyed live music and sampled beer and wine offered by local breweries. (Courtesy of Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care)

Admission is $25 for one ticket, $45 for two and $120 for six.

The entrance fee covers beer and wine samples from various local breweries and wineries.

Food trucks will offer an array of choices, and picnic benches will be available.

Strictly Business, a band made up of local business owners, will provide live entertainment.

There also will be health care organizations offering information, and vendors selling arts, crafts, jewelry, candles and other goods.

Festival-goers will be able to play cornhole and other games, too.

“It’s a fun event, but we’re doing it for a good cause,” said Kirsty Churchill, community relations manager for Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care, the only nonprofit hospice care that serves Pasco County exclusively.

The hospice organization accepts patients regardless of whether they can pay the expenses.

The fundraiser is important, Churchill said.

“Events like this really help cover the gap of what’s not paid for by Medicare, Medicaid and insurance,” she explained.

The event is open only to those age 21 or older.

Tickets are available online at BrewfestForHospice.org and by calling (727) 845-5707.

For additional information, contact Leesa Fryer at or (727) 845-5707.

Fall Brewfest for Hospice
Where: Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.
When: Oct. 6, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost: $25 for one ticket, $45 for two and $120 for six
Details: Brewfest offers event-goers a chance to sample beer and wine, play games and purchase meals from food trucks.
Info: Contact Leesa Fryer at or (727) 845-5707. Tickets are available online at BrewfestForHospice.org and at (727) 845-5707.

Published October 3, 2018

 

Sister Helen turns 105

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Sister Helen Lange, a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida in Saint Leo, celebrated her 105th birthday on Sept. 28.

There were 75 guests at the party, including three relatives, according to Cheryl Chadick, development assistant for the Benedictine Sisters of Florida.

The relatives who came to the party were Sister Helen’s cousin, Joan Schmidt, from Brandon; and, her niece, Monica “Shotsie” Keyes, who traveled from Salem, Virginia. Keyes was accompanied by her daughter, Stefanie Martin, who is Sister Helen’s grand-niece.

Sister Mary David Hydra escorts Sister Helen Lange to her 105th birthday cake, as Sister Roberta Bailey, Prioress of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida assists. Sister Helen resides at the Heritage Park Health and Rehabilitation Center, and the other sisters live at the Holy Name Monastery in St. Leo. (Courtesy of Richard K. Riley)

Kym Hoerr honored Sister Helen with three dozen roses, Chadick added.

“The party was a huge success. Sister Helen looked beautiful, as usual,” Chadick said.

The festivities were held at Heritage Park Health and Rehabilitation Center in Dade City.

Sister Helen, formerly known as Laurina Lange, was still a teenager when she traveled by train from Texas to Florida to pursue the religious life, according to an Aug. 17, 2016 Laker/Lutz News report.

The year was 1930, and she was accompanied by four of her cousins — Irma Multer, Pauline Block, and Rosaria and Rosanna Matthiesen. They, too, had decided to answer God’s call.

She recounted many of her experiences in a memoir she wrote called “Kicking the Habit.”

In the account, she describes growing up on a farm in Olfen, Texas.

Her family prayed often, enjoyed making music, and had frequent gatherings with friends and relatives, her memoir says.

One of her favorite times of the year was Easter.

“Holy Week was truly Holy Week. There were no radios, no running around, no dancing or partying,” her memoir says.

Standing before attendees as they sing ‘Happy Birthday’ at her party, Sister Helen takes the first taste of the cake celebrating her 105 years.

“On Holy Saturday, all of us kids were sent out to pick flowers to build Easter nests for the bunny to come. While we were out hunting the flowers, little did we know that mom was busy dying the eggs — which we never saw until Easter morning.

“We made small nests with the wildflowers we picked out in the fields.

“On Easter Sunday morning, we all tumbled out of bed to see what the Easter bunny had brought. There were eggs of all colors neatly laying in our nest of flowers. What a beautiful day!”

She enjoyed shopping days with her mother, her memoir reports.

Once the necessary items for the household were purchased, she and her mother would stop by the drugstore for an ice cream soda.

“They only cost 25 cents back then,” her account says.

“Another favorite treat was a chocolate bar with marshmallows and nuts. This was called a Tango. It was only five cents,” the memoir adds.

Of course, living on a farm required hard work.

There was “cotton to chop, cotton to pick, maize to head, tractors to run, cotton to haul to the gin, repairs to be done. Too many chores to mention,” the book recounts.

And, she attribute her family’s deep faith as a key influence in her decision to pursue the religious life.

Over the years, Sister Helen would be a teacher, a band director and a principal. She would oversee a hostel for visitors from other countries. And, later, she would work in elder care.

She also moved around quite a bit. Her first assignment took her back to Texas, but she also worked in New Orleans and Slidell, Louisiana, and in various parts of Florida, including San Antonio, Venice, Sarasota, North Miami, Ocala and Jacksonville Beach.

Published October 3, 2018

Motocross enthusiasts can get their fill at Dade City track

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Revving up and getting ready to race is the name of the game at Dade City Motocross Raceway, behind the Pasco County Fairgrounds, at 36722 State Road 52.

From left: 11-year-old Kylen Bruce, 9-year-old Kolton Bruce, 10-year-old Tyler Ballenger, 11-year-old Anthony Monteleone and 5-year-old Whalyn Ballenger wait their turn before taking some practice runs. (Randy Underhill)

And, if you enjoy motocross, you’d likely enjoy an evening at this raceway.

A preview of what the place has to offer was on full display during a recent Saturday night practice session.

The raceway, established in 1979 and now owned by Randy Yoho, offers about 100 acres of a clay/sand track with tight turns and jumps galore.

Sanctioned by the American Motorcycles Association (AMA), the events include a local series, Gold Cup Series, Florida/Georgia Series, Florida Series and area qualifiers for the famous Loretta Lynn Championship series held on property owned by Loretta Lynn in Tennessee.

Nick Stokes, 24, of Land O’ Lakes, heads into a tight turn on the track, made up of clay and sand.

Practice nights are Thursday starting at 4:30 p.m., for peewee and novice riders, and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., for all other classes. Saturday evening sessions are from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., following the same order when no other events are scheduled for Saturday night races.

The practices keep safety in mind, and are divided into groups, generally by age and experience levels.

The fees are $10 for spectator and $10 per rider, with a membership of $25, or $10 a day.

Lessons also are available on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The instruction is available for people of all ages and no experience is necessary. Classes are $25 each and no membership is required.

The racetrack keeps both racers and spectators in mind, with restrooms equipped with showers, water hookups for RVs, a sheltered concession stand with seating, bleachers for seating, bike spray area and ample parking.

By Randy Underhill

Published October 3, 2018

Running nose-to-nose into the turn is 23-year-old Sam Madl, left, of Dade City, and 46-year-old Christian Shallo, of Tarpon Springs. Following them is 41-year-old Charles Conger, of Brandon.
Twenty-year-old Giarrett Bercaw, of Wesley Chapel, launches upward. He’s been racing motocross since age 4.

Rosebud Continuum is having a fall open house

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Sessions on sustainability will be offered by leaders in the field at an open house planned this month at the Rosebud Continuum in Land O’ Lakes.

Visitors to an open house at the Rosebud Continuum will have a chance to learn about sustainable gardening practices. (File)

The free event is set for Oct. 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 22843 Hale Road, according to a news release from the venue.

Those attending will have a chance to stroll around the grounds, purchase native plants and fruit trees, take guided walks through a native plant trail and see demonstrations.

Interested in keeping bees in your backyard? You can learn about it at an open house on Oct. 20 at the Rosebud Continuum, at 22843 Hale Road in Land O’ Lakes.

The Biogas Band will be making its debut, with a sound system that runs entirely on biogas, and smoothies will be sold, prepared using power from solar panels. There’s also plenty of free parking, according to event organizers.

Sessions include:

  • Off Grid Living: A 20-minute lesson in the classroom, followed by a trip to the trailer to see it in action. The 40-minute sessions begin at 9 a.m., and 12:30 p.m.
  • Biodigester workshop: Turn food waste into fuel and fertilizer. This 35-minute session includes a 15-minute talk followed by a 20-minute live demonstration. The workshop begins at 11:15 a.m.
  • Aquaponics: Get an introduction to aquaponics through a 15-20 minute talk, followed by a visit to the Rosebud Aquaponics system.
  • Florida Native Plants: Find out more about Florida Native Plants in a 25-minute talk. Talks are offered at 10 a.m., and 1 p.m.
  • Backyard Bees: Meet a beekeeper and learn what it takes to create your own backyard beehive. This 40-minute session is being offered at 10:30 a.m., and 11:45 a.m.
  • Bats: Learn about the importance of bats in a 25-minute talk beginning at 1:30 p.m.
  • Native wildflower walks: Visit a wildflower meadow, with start times at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2 p.m.
  • Edible Plant Workshop: Find out more about edible plants during this workshop at 11:45 a.m.

Published October 3, 2018

Four bond issues on Pasco ballot

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When Pasco County voters go to the polls in November, they will do more than choose their elected leaders.

They also will decide if they want to chip in to expand the county’s jail, improve its parks and recreation, upgrade its fire rescue services and enhance its libraries.

In other words, the county wants voters to agree to tax themselves by passing four separate general obligation bonds to fund those improvements.

Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles explains how the county would spend proceeds from four proposed general obligation bonds during a breakfast meeting of The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce. (B.C. Manion)

Each of the bonds would be repaid over 30 years, using revenues from additional charges on property tax bills.

Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles recently talked about proposed bonds during a breakfast meeting of The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce. So many people turned out for the session that some had to be turned away.

Biles began his talk by describing Pasco County’s explosive growth and its expanding needs.

“We’re one of the fastest-growing counties in the state,” the administrator said. “We’ve had about 37 percent population growth over the past decade or so.”

He predicts the county’s population will be between 560,000 and 570,000 when results from the 2020 Census come out.

Pasco is one about 15 counties — among 67 counties in Florida — growing faster than the state average, Biles said.

The administrator also described preparing Pasco’s budget for 2019 as “reasonably easy.” That’s because the county’s property values grew by 9.5 percent, he said.

There’s a referendum on November’s ballot, however, that could create an additional homestead exemption, thereby reducing county revenues.

If that’s adopted, it would affect the county’s general fund budget, which is used to pay for the sheriff, fire/rescue, parks and libraries, he said.

If voters pass the additional homestead exemption, Biles expects Pasco’s revenue to increase next year by about $2 million to $3 million next year, substantially less than the increase it enjoyed this year.

At the same time, the county’s needs continue to grow, Biles said, noting that his remarks about the proposed general obligation bond issues were intended to be informative in nature.

“I am educating, not advocating,” Biles said.

Regarding the proposed bond issue for the jail, the administrator noted the current population of the jail is around 1,700 to 1,800, while its rated capacity is around 1,400.

“There’s a court order that says at 1,900, you’ve got to start releasing people,” Biles said.

Regarding the proposed bond issue for fire rescue, the county would build four new fire districts and reconfigure five existing stations.

“Station 38 (which had a groundbreaking ceremony in Wesley Chapel last week) is the first new fire district in this county in 10 years,” Biles said. “How many people have moved to Pasco County in the past 10 years? About 80,000? And, we haven’t built one new fire district.”

The county’s fire stations are 30 to 40 years old, he added, “and the new fire engines that we need to serve these areas won’t fit in some of those fire stations.”

When the county was cutting its budgets back in 2008-2009, it cut parks and recreation.

“We cut all of that maintenance stuff.

“The parks piece of the bond is to catch up the capital maintenance,” he said.

The library system’s budget was cut, too.

The bond issue would pay to enhance and update libraries, which have not been freshened up for decades.

Biles praised the county’s library staff.

“They do an awesome job,” he said, noting, “they are always looking for new ways to leverage the facilities that they have to help the community.

“Frankly, most of the customers aren’t in there (libraries) for books anymore. They’re in there for the social aspect. They’re in there to connect with the community. They’re in there for Maker Space. They’re in their for small business. They can go in there and kind of work and build ideas.”

“The libraries multiply what we can do in the community. Those are social event centers nowadays. Parks are social event centers nowadays,” Biles said.

If all four bond issues are approved, the owner of a house with a $100,000 of property value would pay around $30 a year in additional taxes, Biles said.

General Obligation Bond Issues
Pasco County is asking voters to approve four general obligation bond issues during the Nov. 6 general election.

The bonds would be repaid over a 30-year period through additional charges on tax bills. The charge will appear on the bills as “voter approved debt service.”

Here are the four different bonds, and the estimated annual charge on a home assessed at $100,000.

Jail expansion
Bond: $132,150,000
Average annual impact on taxpayer: $16.75
Details: Currently, taxpayers pay $2 million to house inmates outside of Pasco County because the county’s jail has reached capacity. The bond issue would pay for a jail expansion.

Fire service
Bond: $70,200,000
Average annual impact on taxpayer: $8.89
Details: The county would build four new fire stations in areas that don’t have any fire stations and replace five outdated stations. It also would add 10 new emergency vehicles and would construct a new Fire Rescue Training Facility.

Parks
Bond: $20,200,000
Average annual impact on taxpayer: $2.55
Details: Projects would be done at all district, wilderness and neighborhood parks. Existing athletic facilities would be improved. Recreational complexes, community centers and aquatic centers would be renovated.

Libraries
Bond: $18,600,000
Average annual impact on taxpayer: $2.35
Details: The county’s libraries were built in or before the 1980s. The bond issue would be used to upgrade and remodel library branches.

If all four bond issues pass, the total average annual impact on taxpayers owning a home assessed at $100,000 would be $30.54.

Published September 26, 2018

Seminar spotlights Pasco’s opioid epidemic, solutions

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When it comes to tackling the opioid crisis in Pasco County, the community needs all hands on deck.

That’s according to Monica Rousseau, coordinator for the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP).

Rousseau was one of ASAP’s group of speakers for an opioid crisis seminar at the Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel. The Sept. 18 event was part of the state college’s ongoing Community Awareness Series, open to the public, students, faculty and staff.

Monica Rousseau is coordinator for the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP). She discussed the scope of the opioid crisis in Pasco County and some solutions for tackling the issue. (Kevin Weiss)

Rousseau, who’s worked for ASAP since 2014, underscored the scope of substance abuse locally.

Among Florida’s 67 counties, Pasco currently ranks fifth in the rate of substance abuse related overdose deaths, averaging 25 deaths per 100,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control Wonder Data and County Health Rankings provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

In 2017, the county ranked fourth in the state, but averaged fewer deaths, about 22 per 100,000.

Manatee County ranks first in the state in 2018, with 38 deaths per 100,000.

The figures, Rousseau explained, indicate other counties are getting worse in the fight against opioids, while Pasco remains about the same.

“We’re not getting better. We’re just kind of starting to press pause in Pasco County, whereas other counties are seeing a lot more deaths,” Rousseau said.

Multiple solutions needed
Rousseau attributes Pasco’s high ranking, in part, to its ‘pill mill’ epidemic from the early part of the decade.

“We’ve cut down on all the pill mills, but people with addiction are still dealing with it,” Rousseau said. “They cycle through treatment. It takes a few times for it to stick, but we just have a population that still is healing from that.”

In reducing substance abuse, Rousseau suggested the county needs to take a more comprehensive approach, focusing on the supply, demand and treatment sides of the issue, and “looking at this from a community perspective.”

Getting to the root cause of substance abuse is another task — understanding that addiction oftentimes is “an evolving disease of despair” driven by emotional suffering, as well as physical suffering, Rousseau said.

Helping those people get counseling may be one solution to fight the crisis, she said.

“We talk about the pain aspect until we’re blue in the face,” she said. What’s needed are conversations about how that person has post-traumatic stress disorder, or severe childhood trauma, or lost his job or his wife just left, Rousseau said.

Another speaker, New Port Richey’s Rachel Starostin, shared her personal story about battling opioid addiction.

She said she became a drug addict after she was in a car accident on U.S. 19 caused by a drunk driver.

A trauma nurse for Bayfront, Starostin was forced to give up her career because of ongoing physical problems related to the crash.

Aside from physical injuries, Starostin, too, had pent up emotional scars.

Her mother died when she was 16. Her father, a drug addict, was absent throughout her life.

Years later, Starostin came home to find her husband, who had died by suicide.

“I felt really bad on the inside. Everybody in my life that I really loved was gone,” she said.

Starsotin previously used work as a coping mechanism, but once her livelihood was taken away, she began using pain medication to fill the void.

Dependency affects all kinds of people
It began innocently. She took opiates before physical therapy sessions to manage legitimate feelings of pain and discomfort.

Over time, though, she progressively took more and more.

The medications removed her inhibitions.

“The reaction I had from it was not normal. All those bad feelings of, ‘I’m worthless. My life is over,’ they all went away,” she said.

Starostin said she was “completely controlled by opiates”— for more than 10 years.

While in jail, facing 25 years for drug trafficking, Starostin entered a 12-step recovery program.

She’s been clean for almost three years.

“I was just determined that I didn’t want to die,” she said, noting she came close to death several times.

“It was time to do something different. Nothing changes if nothing changes, and that hit me and I was like, ‘Ok, I need to change.’”

Today, Starostin is a member of ASAP’s recovery committee, which provides support for people affected by substance use disorders.

She uses her story to motivate others and to help them find their purpose in life.

Her advice to addicts: “No matter how many times you fall, you keep getting back up. It took me 20 times. I went through detox and stuff like that. No matter how far down the scale you’ve gone, you really can do it. You just have to keep it at.”

Starostin and Rousseau agreed there needs to be continual awareness regarding the negative stigma and negative perceptions associated with substance abuse and addiction.

“One of the No.1 reasons people don’t seek treatment is because of the stigma,” Rousseau said. “People don’t feel comfortable talking about their opioid issues or their drug issues, so they don’t know where to go.”

ASAP speakers also said more opportunities are needed to assist people in recovery to reintegrate back into society. There needs to be greater access to jobs, housing, health care and so on, they said.

They also pointed out that it can be especially difficult for those that have a criminal record for drug-related offenses, even after they’ve become clean.

ASAP recovery committee co-chair Kellie Walker, who also spoke during the seminar, put it this way: “There’s lot of things people in recovery need other than just getting sober and taking the substance away.

“What happens when somebody gets sober and they can’t find a job? They’re going to likely go back to some of those behaviors,” Walker said.

Published September 26, 2018

New fire district a first in Pasco in nearly a decade

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Pasco County firefighters, county officials and first responders gathered on Sept. 17 to mark the beginning of construction for a new Wesley Chapel fire station.

The groundbreaking ceremony for Station 38, which began at 8 a.m., was held at the fire station’s future location on Overpass Road.

Chief Scott Cassin gave opening remarks on Sept. 17 at the development site for the future Fire Station 38 in Wesley Chapel. Cassin oversees all Pasco County fire stations. (Brian Fernandes)

The ceremony marked the first addition of a new fire coverage area in Pasco County since 2009.

The fire station is situated within the Watergrass community, a residential area, which also includes a local elementary school.

The project comes in response to an increasing need for shorter wait times in that growing region of Wesley Chapel.

In his remarks, Fire Chief Scott Cassin talked about the amenities and advancements the new station will have.

The new 10,843-square-foot station will have a four-bay garage for trucks and supplies. It will have a kitchen and residential area, and a sheriff’s substation will be housed there, too.

The station will have a new call alert system that will be implemented to simultaneously dispatch numerous calls at the same time.

The installation of a Plymovent Diesel Exhaust Capture System will set Station 38 apart from other Pasco fire stations. The feature will lessen exposure to carcinogenic chemicals.

This is a customary image of the groundbreaking, taken at the Sept. 17 event, to mark the beginning of construction for Fire Station 38. From left: Erik Breitenbach, Manny Long, Michael Cassano, Scott Cassin, Andrew Fossa, Ron Oakley, Gary Joiner, Tait Sanborn and Todd Wyne.

“Station 38 will have atmospheric conditioning that will protect our firefighters from that gas,” said Deputy Chief Michael Cassano.

Going forward, existing and future stations in the county are planned to be equipped with the system.

Cassin has been visiting Pasco fire stations to get feedback on what improvements could be incorporated into Station 38.

“We’re trying to think long-term,” the chief said.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley offered a few words, too, before a customary snapshot was taken of shovels flinging dirt.

Station 38 has been four years in the making and will cost an estimated $3.6 million to build. Construction is expected to be completed in the fall of 2019.

Published September 26, 2018