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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

School district acquires new school site in Northwood

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Taylor Morrison of Florida Inc., has conveyed a site for a future elementary school in the Northwood residential development.

Northwood is a master-planned community in southern Pasco County, on the north side of County Line Road, east of Interstate 75 and west of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

The community is nearing build-out.

Taylor Morrison agreed to provide approximately 15 acres, more or less, of usable uplands for the school site, in exchange for impact fee credits estimated at a value of $450,000.

In addition, Taylor Morrison dedicated easements for an already-constructed stormwater pond and access from road from County Line Road.

The school site has already been filled and graded.

For the access road to be built in the proper alignment with the road to the south of County Line Road, a small triangle of property must be acquired from a third party, according to a school district document. District staff has negotiated that purchase and a future board item will be brought to the school board for its approval.

The Pasco County School Board approved the transaction, without discussion, as part of its consent agenda at its July 3 meeting.

Published July 18, 2018

No increase planned for Pasco’s property tax rate

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The millage rate charged to property owners won’t increase for fiscal year 2019.

The Pasco County Commission voted on July 10 to tentatively set the rate for the 2019 draft budget.

Commissioners agreed to maintain current rates, which are at 7.6076 for the county’s operations, and 1.8036 for fire services.

Commissioners cannot increase the rates prior to adopting a final budget, but are free to decrease them.

Still, county officials said some residents can expect an increase in their personal property tax bill if the value of property went up.

The proposed budget will have its first public hearing on Sept. 4 at 6:30 p.m., in Dade City.

Overall, the county’s 2019 revenues saw a healthier increase than expected, based on final data on property valuations provided by the Pasco County Property Appraiser’s office.

Property values rose from about $24.6 billion in 2018 to about $27 billion for 2019, an increase of about $2.3 billion.

That translated to about $11.3 million in additional property tax revenues. That is about $787,000 more than county officials had anticipated based on initial estimates.

With the extra revenues, the county’s budget will fully fund the sheriff’s budget requests and pay for county employee salary increases. The budget also includes expanded library hours and completing some deferred park maintenance.

In addition, the budget provides funding for special requests from county commissioners made at a June workshop, which include:

  • A contribution of $50,000 to United Way, up from $15,000
  • A contribution of $30,000 to historical museums, up from $20,000
  • An allocation of $250,000 for Safety Town improvements

Published July 18, 2018

Pasco County streamlines development review process

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The Pasco County Planning Commission got a makeover but several of its newly appointed members will have familiar faces.

The Pasco County Commission on July 10 approved an ordinance that revamps an existing two-step process for previewing land use and zoning applications.

Commissioners disbanded a long-standing advisory board, known as the Development Review Committee, or DRC. That committee generally reviewed applications and made recommendations to the County Commission.

The DRC was made up of county department heads and the county administrator.

The county’s new ordinance also reduces the size of the Planning Commission from an 11-member board to seven voting members.

Six planning commissioners are county appointments, with the seventh member appointed by the Pasco County School District.

While the configuration has changed, five of the county’s appointees were members of the outgoing board. They are: Michael Cox, Jaime Girardi, Charles Grey, Peter Hanzel and Kevin Ryman.

Roberto Saez is the only new face on the board. He formerly was Pasco’s senior construction project manager for Pasco.

Chris Williams, the school district’s planning director, has been approved by the school district to fill the seventh slot. He, too, served on the outgoing board.

The new planning commission will have its inaugural meeting on July 26. It will be the only board making decisions and recommendations to county commissioners on development-related issues.

County commissioners unanimously approved the ordinance and new appointees.

The streamlined approach, which took years to become reality, initially was recommended by a study conducted by The Urban Land Institute in 2008.

Pasco staff members culled through 29 applications for the new planning commission, including seven current members.

They presented county commissioners with a list of 15 applicants, from which six candidates emerged with sufficient votes to make the final cut.

County commissioners also initially approved Dennis Smith – a current planning commission member –  as an alternate in the event that Cox had to decline his appointment.

Cox was waiting to hear if he would be appointed to a state ethics commission, which would make him ineligible to also serve on the planning commission.

The ethics commission appointment didn’t happen, so Cox will serve on the planning commission. And, the appointment of Smith as alternate became moot.

Published July 18, 2018

Five Business Join IERNA’s Neighbors In Need Give-Away

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A local air conditioning company’s idea of giving a free air conditioning system to a deserving family resulted in a group of five local businesses coming together to make a huge difference in one family’s life.

It began last December when IERNA’s Heating, Cooling & Plumbing launched its newest charity, Neighbor In Need Give-Away, and asked local residents to nominate a person or family who selflessly helped others, while in need of help themselves.

Rhodes family and Neighbors In Need business partners, left to right: Pete Berberich, Carrier Enterprise; Rob Kress, IERNA’s Heating, Cooling & Plumbing; Charlene Ierna, owner of IERNA’s Heating, Cooling & Plumbing; Jase Rhodes, Cristine Rhodes, Sage Rhodes, Jason Rhodes; Chris Wirt, A-All Animal Control of Tampa Bay; Joshua Rector, Arry’s Roofing Services; and Mario Maffeo, Gulfside Insulation.

Owner Charlene Ierna committed to removing the winner’s old equipment, installing the new A/C unit and taking care of any permitting fees. And, Jeff Hoffman of Florida Carrier Enterprises agreed to help by donating a Bryant Coastal Air Conditioner.

This generous partnership allowed IERNA’S to kick off its Neighbor In Need Give-Away. Nearly 50 nominations were submitted, all with a written summary on why their nominee deserved the free A/C system.

To select the winner, Charlene assembled a panel of six judges to review the entries.

“It was a very difficult decision for our judges,” said Rob Kress, IERNA’S director of marketing and public relations. “Many of the stories of these selfless people moved our judges to tears. We truly wish we could have given every nominee a new A/C system.”

The Winning Family
Judges selected Jason and Cristine Rhodes of Spring Hill as the first winner of the Neighbor In Need contest.

“Jason was overwhelmed and nearly in tears when I called him with the news,” said Kress. “Their central heating and cooling system had stopped working three years ago, and this family of five had endured extreme summer temperatures and sometimes-frigid winter temperatures.”

The Rhodes are known in central Pasco for their work with The Inspire Foundation, a nonprofit music and arts program that uses the arts to help children with autism and other disabilities. Much of the work done by The Inspire Foundation is at no cost.

The Rhodes established their foundation after helping their autistic son become verbal by using music to connect and communicate with him. As professional music instructors, the couple wanted to share what they learned by helping their son with other families.

“The Rhodes family is constantly raising funds to keep their program going, and have forgone their own personal needs to help others,” said Kress.

The Prize Grows
IERNA’s sent its service manager, Rich Register, to the Rhodes home to evaluate its existing air conditioning system and to properly size their new equipment.

During the inspection, Register noted severe damage to the home’s existing ductwork, and saw that animals had gotten into the attic through holes in the roof.

Because of the poor condition of existing ductwork, IERNA’S decided to also donate all materials and installation for a complete new duct system.

But, first the raccoons living in the attic had to be removed. Kress reached out to Chris Wirt, an animal removal expert and owner of A-All Animal Control of Tampa Bay, who agreed to help.

At the Rhodes’ home, Wirt found that critters had entered through a severely damaged roof and soffits. The problem was so severe that it had to be resolved before the new air conditioning system could be installed.

So Kress contacted Matt Housh, owner of Arry’s Roofing Service of Tarpon Springs, who also agreed to help and, upon inspection, found the roof not reparable.

“Arry’s Roofing really stepped up,” said Kress. “A full roof replacement was the only option, and was a huge task. Arry’s team worked for three days at cost for materials only.”

With a new roof in place, Wirt returned to remove critters living in the attic and found that the attic insulation was saturated with animal urine and feces, and needed to be replaced.

So Wirt reached out to Mario Maffeo, owner of Gulfside Insulation, who agreed to donate his services and materials to safely extract and dispose of the contaminated insulation. Once extraction was complete, Wirt sanitized and disinfected the attic space, making it safe for HVAC technicians to do their work.

It took a lot longer than expected, but today the Rhodes family is enjoying the comfort of their new Bryant® Heating & Cooling system in a dry, critter free home, just in time for another sweltering Florida summer.

“We are proud to be a part of such an amazing community of people and local businesses,” said Charlene Ierna. “We’re grateful to Florida Carrier Enterprises, A-Animal Control, Arry’s Roofing Services and Gulfside Insulation for their kindness, generosity and willingness to be part of something that means so much to a family who lives to help others.”

And, most thankful of all is the Rhodes family.

“We are so honored and blessed to have been chosen by Charlene, Rob and the rest of IERNA’S team to receive a new air conditioner,” said Jason Rhodes. “This is a huge relief for us, and we plan on paying this kind deed forward in many ways. Thank you so much.”

Rhodes Nominations
“They work to help children in their community, raise money to buy instruments, provide free in-home music instruction for children with disabilities, and do all of this selflessly. Through hardships that were unavoidable, they have been unable to afford a replacement A/C unit for the past two years. They are proud people and don’t ask anyone for financial help.”

-Donna Israel

“This family (kids included) works very hard running their nonprofit organizations, The Inspire Foundation and Inspire Studios. Many kids and people on the autism spectrum need art, theater and music to express their emotions. This family is a blessing! Always giving their time and effort to others, never asking for a thing themselves in their personal lives.”

-Joan Gunther

Published July 18, 2018

Prepare your kindergartener for success

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Kindergarten is supposed to be fun and educational, and allow children an opportunity to blossom. It is usually the first time the tykes are away from their parents for a significant amount of time.

While most kindergartens don’t exactly have GPA requirements, for a child to succeed there are a few milestones that should be reached before they toddle through the door, according to Alise McGregor, founder of Little Newtons, an early education center in Minnesota and Illinois.

(MetroCreative)

“New parents especially can have a hard time understanding that there are actually things their child should know prior to kindergarten,” McGregor said, in a news release.

Children should know some basics to make kindergarten a better experience, she said.

McGregor recommends these typical things a child should know before entering kindergarten:

  • Basic shapes. The child should have learned basic shapes like the square, circle, rectangle and triangle in preschool. If not, parents should teach them. In kindergarten, they will likely be introduced to the hexagon, star, heart and octagon.
  • The letters of the child’s name. They should at least be able to recognize the letters of their name. In kindergarten, they will learn uppercase letters and begin lowercase letters. They also will begin to learn how to write freehand without tracing.
  • Numbers 1 to 10. Some children will be able to count to 100 by the time they reach kindergarten, but all should at least be able to count to 10. Numbers will be used starting the first day of school.
  • Social skills. The child should be able to follow directions, to be able to be separated from the caregiver, and be able to use a restroom independently. Children who scream and cry when separated disrupt the rest of the class. Teachers simply do not have time to supervise individual students who cannot independently use a restroom.

Getting your child off on the right foot early is important, McGregor says.

By teaching basic skills prior to attending kindergarten, success will come easier.

Published July 18, 2018

Enjoy the summer, but heed these tips

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As the summer temperatures increase, so do the calls to poison control across the state.

More people are outdoors and kids are out of school, which can lead to an increased number of poison exposures, including pool chemical accidents; snake, spider and insect bites, and aquatic stings.

The Florida/USVI Poison Information Center in Jacksonville offers tips to keep Floridians safe this summer.

Pool Chemical Safety:

  • Be sure that you are in a well-ventilated area when using pool chemicals.
  • Follow product instructions carefully.
  • Do not store chemicals where flammable items may mix with them.
  • Never mix pool chemicals because that can create a toxic gas.
  • Always keep pool chemicals stored up and away from children.

Inspect Repellent Usage:

  • Read and follow product instructions carefully, as some repellents are not meant to be applied to the skin.
  • Do not use on a child’s hands, eyes, mouth or cut/irritated ski; spray repellent onto adult’s hands and then apply to child’s face.
  • Consumers also should not use a combination of sunscreen and insect repellent, as sunscreen needs to be reapplied every two hours, and repellent should not be reapplied.
  • DEET should not be used on children younger than 2 months old.
  • Always wash treated skin with soap and water after returning to the indoors.

Snake and Spider Bites:

  • If bitten by a snake, remove jewelry and tight clothes, immobilize the extremity if possible, keep affected area at or below the heart, and wash the area gently.
  • Do not feed the victim, make cuts or place ice on the bitten extremity, or apply a tourniquet.
  • If bitten by a spider, call the poison control center immediately.
  • If believed to have been bitten by one of the six venomous snakes in Florida, call poison control at (800) 222-1222, or 911, if victim cannot be aroused, is convulsing or has stopped breathing. Venomous snakes include the coral snake, cottonmouth/water moccasin, Eastern diamondback rattlesnake, copperhead or canebrake (timber) rattlesnake.

Outdoor Hazards:

  • Jellyfish and other aquatic life can bite and sting. Have a spray bottle with vinegar available at the beach for jellyfish stings. Call poison control for specific treatment advice.
  • Treat all wild mushrooms as poisonous, unless you are absolutely certain they are safe.
  • Initially, apply a baking soda paste to insect stings, including fire ants, bees, wasps and caterpillars. Then call poison control for specific treatment.

Pesticides also should be used according to the product instructions, and properly stored and disposed of according to the label. All pesticides should be kept in their original containers.

Consumers should avoid using produce that require leaving powder or pellets in areas where children or pets have access.

The Poison Help Hotline can be reached at (800) 222-1222 and provides free, confidential medical advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year-round, from toxicology specialists, such as nurses, pharmacists, physicians and poison information providers.

Published July 18, 2018

New and renovated schools planned

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The Pasco County School Board received an overview last week on projects planned to construct, renovate, expand and repair schools across the district.

They also heard a wrap-up on projects in progress or finished this year.

The presentation, by Chris Williams, director of planning services and Olga Swinson, chief finance officer, came as the district prepares to vote on a final capital construction budget in September.

Numerous projects are underway or planned in communities across central and east Pasco County.

Major milestones this past year have included:

  • Beginning the design of the Cypress Creek Middle School
  • Finishing the site development for Starkey K-8, as well as designing that faciilty
  • Replacing the roof at Denham Oaks.
  • Continuing work on massive renovations at Land O’ Lakes High School and Woodland Elementary, and adding capacity to both locations
  • Purchasing 30 cng buses and five diesel buses, and 35 radios
  • Purchasing more than 8,000 computer and laptops, and more than 2,400 iPads

Major projects planned for 2018-2019:

  • Beginning a major overhaul at Zephyrhills High School, which includes adding capacity
  • Continuing the Land O’ Lakes High and Woodland Elementary projects
  • Beginning construction of Cypress Creek Middle School
  • Continuing design of Starkey K-8
  • Working with the Pasco County library system on the Starkey Library/Theater design
  • Purchasing 40 diesel buses, 40 radios and several fleet trucks and service vehicles
  • Purchasing more than 7,000 computers and laptops and about 1,290 iPads.

As the district continues to build, it also continues to grow, Williams said.

Here’s a look at the renovation project that is giving a new look to Woodland Elementary School, and expanding its capacity. (File)

The big question is which areas will grow at the fastest pace, requiring new schools first, the planning director said.

He gave board members an overview of the current situation.

Odessa Elementary is projected to be at 114 percent, Williams said, adding that he expects relief for that school to come when Starkey K-8 opens, which is scheduled for 2021.

“I’m also concerned about Connerton (Elementary). They’re projected to be at 944 students this coming year, or 124 percent of capacity,” he said.

The district has opened up some additional seats at Sanders Memorial Elementary STEAM Magnet School, giving applications from Connerton students a higher priority, Williams said, so hopes that will help reduce Connerton’s enrollment.

School board member Colleen Beaudoin also suggested the district do more to advertise Pine View Elementary School’s candidacy program for the IB Primary Years Programme.

Some students might choose to attend Pine View, if the families knew about that program, she said.

“Pine View and Connerton are so close. Maybe some families might want to get into that (IB) pipeline,” Beaudoin said.

In Wesley Chapel, there are some schools near the new Union Park Charter Academy that are over capacity, but Williams expects the charter school to have significant impact on enrollment at nearby schools.

“Union Park is up to 483 students,” Williams noted.

In addition to affecting elementary enrollments, it also will affect middle schools because the charter school is for kindergarten through eighth grade students.

Meanwhile, in Zephryhills, Woodland Elementary School’s enrollment is well over capacity, but the district is adding capacity at the school as part of the current renovation, Williams added.

The district expects to increase its middle school capacity with the opening of Cypress Creek Middle in 2020 and with the opening Starkey K-8 in 2021.

When Cypress Creek Middle opens, it will help to relieve crowding at Wiregrass Ranch, which is projected to be at 139 percent of its capacity.

Here’s what the common area will look like when the Land O’ Lakes High School project is finished. (File)

When the middle school opens, Cypress Creek High’s capacity will increase substantially.

The district also is hoping to open an East Side Technical High School in 2022, which will affect enrollments at high schools on the east side of the county, Williams said.

Williams said Central Pasco’s growth does pose challenges.

“Sunlake High School is of concern because it still continues to grow,” he said.

The district has a future high school in the Bexley area, as well as the Starkey area, Williams said.

“We have to continue to evaluate when it makes sense to try to add additional capacity,” he added.

The district’s construction needs and maintenance needs continue to grow, but it doesn’t have the revenues to match the needs, Swinson said, forcing the district to put off projects that are needed because it doesn’t have the money.

Projected revenues for capital purposes remain lower than they were in 2007-2008, she said.

Major projects for 2018-2019:

  • Beginning renovation at Zephyrhills High School: Includes massive overhaul, as well as adding capacity.
  • Continuing major renovations at Land O’ Lakes High and Woodland Elementary
  • Starting construction on Cypress Creek Middle School
  • Continuing Starkey K-8 design
  • Working with the Pasco County library system on the Starkey Library/Theater design
  • Purchasing 40 diesel buses, 40 radios and several fleet trucks and service vehicles
  • Purchasing more than 7,000 computers and laptops, and about 1,290 iPads.

Some things truly are priceless

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Remember finding a coin or arrowhead and wondering if it’s worth anything?

Imagine having a large document signed by Abraham Lincoln, passed down from one generation to the next, and not really knowing its value or its history with the nation’s 16th president.

For now, it has a safe and protected place in the home of 84-year-old Martha M. Fountain, a lifelong resident of Zephyrhills.

Dated December 15, 1864, Martha Fountain proudly holds ‘The President’s Thanks and Certificate of Honorable Service’ signed by Abraham Lincoln at the Executive Mansion in Washington City.
(Doug Sanders)

She lives in a community that was founded in 1909 by Capt. Howard B. Jeffries as a retirement colony for Union Civil War Veterans.

A newspaper man himself, Jeffries would not have missed the opportunity to write about Martha.

She has been the artifact’s owner since her husband’s death in 2016.

Married for 31 years to Guy Joseph Fountain Jr., Martha remembers the document hanging in her husband’s office of the Best Way Electric Company in Dade City.

“I’m not much into history,” Martha explained during a recent interview in her home, with her caregiver at her side. “I don’t know much about my husband’s family history,” she added.

Following six months of research with several military websites and The History Center at the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village north of Dade City, the remarkable life of the man named on the Lincoln document begins to emerge.

It turns out Guy Fountain had a great-great uncle named Samuel Warren Fountain.

He was only 15-years-old at the outbreak of the American Civil War on April 12, 1861.

Samuel had to wait until 1864 before joining an infantry of the 8th Corps of the Army of West Virginia, which became famous for having future U.S. presidents Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley serving in its ranks.

As part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864, Samuel Warren Fountain served under Maj. Gen. David Hunter during the Civil War. Hunter later achieved fame as the president of the military commission trying the conspirators involved with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.
(Robert Massey)

Samuel Fountain graduated from West Point on June 15, 1870, four months before the death of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Lexington, Virginia.

Commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the 8th U.S. Cavalry, he was active for the next 20 years in military campaigns against Geronimo and Sitting Bull.

He once described a skirmish in New Mexico as “rough country where horses cannot go.”

During the Spanish-American War, Samuel Fountain served first commanding a squadron of the 8th Cavalry in Cuba.

As Adjutant General in the Philippine Islands, a captain on his staff was John J. “Black Jack” Pershing, who later served as the commander of the American Expeditionary Force on the Western Front during World War I.

In 1904, when Fountain was a lieutenant colonel, he was put in charge of security at the St. Louis World’s Fair.

According to the Arlington National Cemetery website, a local newspaper reported this:

“Under his direction the members of the guard controlled the great mass of people…and on the last day of the Fair, when disorder and vandalism were feared, every officer and member of the guard was on duty, and so placed that when the lights were out and the World’s Fair at St. Louis had passed into history, not a disorderly act had occurred, or a dollar’s worth of property had been destroyed.”

Ironically, Geronimo was also at the fair as a living exhibit intended as a “monument to the progress of civilization.” Under guard, he made bows and arrows while Pueblo women seated beside him pounded corn and made pottery. Geronimo also sold autographs and posed for pictures.

President Abraham Lincoln’s signature remains legible after 154 years.
(Doug Sanders)

Samuel Fountain was a brigadier general a year before the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in the nation’s capital. He gave a speech about Abraham Lincoln during his appearance before the Union League Club of Philadelphia on February 9, 1921:

“Other men have reunited a divided nation, or liberated an enslaved race, or carried to conclusion a fratricidal war, or swept immoral institutions from the earth by consummate Statesmanship; but no man ever combined and carried through, chiefly by the clarity of his mind and the purity of his character, several such gigantic enterprises in half a decade.”

Samuel Fountain died on Nov. 15, 1930, five months after the birth of Guy Fountain, and six years before the death of Capt. Howard Jeffries in New York City on March 20, 1936.

Martha Fountain recalls turning down an offer to sell the Lincoln document still in her possession.

But, with no children, she is undecided about its future.

At this point, she’s not sure what she will do with it. Before doing anything, she plans to consult her lawyer, John Council.

Council has had his own brush with preserving history, having a law office in Dade City at the historic red brick jailhouse, where the last legal hanging in Pasco County was carried out on Jan. 4, 1918.

More programs, initiatives, on tap at PHSC, provost says

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Pasco-Hernando State College — which recently has been recognized as one of the top schools in the nation for its return on educational investment — continues to add new programs and initiatives.

That was the message that Dr. Stan Giannet, the college’s provost, delivered to a crowd at a recent Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce breakfast at the Golden Corral.

Pasco-Hernando State College provost Dr. Stan Giannet was the featured guest speaker at the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce July 5 monthly breakfast meeting at Golden Corral. He discussed some of the new programs and initiatives the state college has in the works.
(Kevin Weiss)

The state college received notification from the Department of Education last month that it was one of the top schools for affordability in bachelor’s degree programs.

And, earlier this year, WalletHub, a national economic magazine, ranked PHSC among the top three community colleges in the nation for return on educational investment, out of more than 800 candidate schools. The WalletHub study took into account student learning outcomes plus the cost.

“We’re a major state power in higher education,” said Giannet, who has been at PHSC for more than 27 years.

Giannet, also PHSC’s vice president of academic affairs, said the college has “exceeded every metric” from employability, to test score passage rates in workforce programs — suggesting over 95 percent of PHSC students who graduate with associate of science degrees or receive technical certificates find employment in their chosen career field.

“There’s nothing worse for a college to do than to have a degree program where students invest money, invest time, get out in the workforce and (find) they’re not employable in the industry or the career of their choice. We don’t have that,” he said.

The state college provides training for more than 30 careers in business, health, industry and technology, and public service through new bachelor’s degree, Associate in Science degree and certificate programs.

And, while he’s proud of the institution’s growth and achievements over time, the college has much more on tap, Giannet said.

The state college has more than 15,000 students and 500 faculty and staff members across its five full-service campuses in Brooksville, Dade City, New Port Richey, Spring Hill and Wesley Chapel.

Giannet told the crowd: “We have a lot of things in the pipeline.”

The state college is building a $15.5 million performing arts instructional center, expected to be complete by Aug. 2020.

The facility will be built on a 5.5-acre tract of land donated by Pasco County Schools on the campus of Cypress Creek Middle High School, off Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

Expanding its program and degree offerings
The state college plans to develop an Associate’s of Science degree in digital design and graphic multi-media technologies, and, Associate’s of Arts degrees in dance, music, and theatre. Several accompanying technical certificate programs also will be offered through the arts center.

The arts center will be shared with Pasco County Schools, and will be a venue for various community events.

“It’s going to be fantastic,” Giannet said.

The college also is working on other degree offerings, he said.

Pasco-Hernando State College boasts 5,000-plus students and 500 faculty members and staffers across five full-service campuses in Brooksville, Dade City, New Port Richey, Spring Hill and Wesley Chapel. (File)

The college offers two four-year degree programs currently, and is working to identify a third, Giannet said. The current four-year degrees, introduced in 2014, are for a bachelor of science in nursing and a bachelor of applied science in supervision and management. The college also is working with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office to develop an A.S. degree in crime scene technology and forensics.

That program will likely be offered at the Dade City campus, with clinical training opportunities at the Adam Kennedy Forensics Field “body farm” on the grounds of the Pasco Sheriff’s detention facility in Land O’ Lakes.

The college also is gearing up for several contract and corporate workforce training programs that are set to come online.

Among them are a 911 training program for the Hernando Sheriff’s Office; a child protection services leadership program for the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office; a medical scribe exclusive online training program; and, a childhood education certification program for the Pasco and Hernando school districts.

Elsewhere, PHSC is expanding its welding technology program to the west side of the county.

The welding program has been offered on the Dade City campus.

Now, Giannet said night classes will be available Marchman Technical College in New Port Richey, thanks to a developmental partnership between the college and Pasco County Schools.

That expansion is much needed due to an increased demand for certified welders and lack of programming the county’s west side, the provost said.

“We have a huge waiting list for welding on this (east) side of the county,” Giannet said. Our welders, when they graduate from our college, they’re snatched up by the industry. “It’s a win-win situation for our community,” he added.

Giannet also talked about the college’s new aviation program, which debuted last year.

The college offers four aviation-related associate degree programs — professional pilot technology, aviation administration, aviation maintenance administration, and unmanned vehicle systems.

Several PHSC students have already become certified pilots — including a female pilot in what is “a traditionally male-dominated industry,” Giannet noted.

He expects the program to skyrocket in the coming years.

“Aviation is going to be the hottest industry in the nation, with the impending shortage and retirement of all these aviation professionals…so we’re really excited for that program,” the provost said.

The college is next looking to create more aviation partnership, with facilities such as the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

It already has an existing partnership with American Aviation Flight Academy, at the Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport, he said.

Published July 11, 2018

 

 

Digital billboard lights up Land O’ Lakes

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The digital age of outdoor advertising is coming to central Pasco.

Motorists may be familiar with a two-sided “Tri-Vision” billboard on U.S. 41, north of State Road 54. The Champion Outdoor billboard flips through a trio of advertisements on each side, as slats rotate and marketing messages change.

But, the area’s first digital billboard is being installed on the west side of the apex where Dale Mabry Highway and U.S. 41 meet, in front of the WalMart Super Store, according to county permitting records.

Workers are installing a digital billboard for Clear Channel Outdoor at 1714 Dale Mabry Highway, in front of a Walmart Super Store.
(Kathy Steele)

Thousands of motorists pass through the juncture at North Dale Mabry Highway and U. S. 41 daily, making it a prime site for outdoor advertisers.

The location is one of four digital locations in Pasco County planned by Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc. as the company moves ahead on the digital campaign it began about nine months ago in the county.

Another location in central Pasco is slated for digital at 6027 Wesley Grove Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Activity in west Pasco also is changing the billboard landscape.

Permits for demolition of several static billboards and installation of two digital billboards happened in 2017 at 2310 U.S. 19 in Holiday, and on State Road 54, east of Little Road, in New Port Richey, according to county records.

A representative of Clear Channel couldn’t be reached for comment.

The Pasco County Commission approved an ordinance in early 2017 to allow permitting of new billboards as part of a strategy to reduce visual blight on the county’s major corridors. Until then, a ban on new billboards had been in effect for about 17 years.

Outdoor advertising representatives lobbied for the ordinance, which allowed new billboards and established rules for converting static to digital billboards. Provisions also were included for Tri-Vision billboards.

It took nearly two years of negotiations to strike that bargain.

County representatives wanted to eliminate a glut of static billboards dotting the roadways, including those in disrepair. Outdoor advertising representatives wanted to get their digital messages in front of passing motorists.

Clear Channel, OUTFRONT Media and The Champion Family of Companies participated in crafting the ordinance.

So far, Clear Channel in its agreement with Pasco has removed about 8,220 square feet of static billboard advertising. During the next months, another approximately 8,220 square feet will be taken down by Clear Channel, according to data provided by Pasco County.

The ordinance targeted billboards on major roadways including segments of State Road 54, U.S. 41, U.S 19, State Road 52 and Interstate 75.

A cap permits a maximum of 37 digital billboards in the county, with more digital allowed in some areas than others.

County officials estimated about 190 static billboards would be eliminated through the new regulations.

Some sites are off limits to digital including The Heart of Land O’ Lakes Vision Plan, Connerton New Town, the Villages of Pasadena Hills Stewardship District, and the State Road 52 gateway into Dade City.

Published July 11, 2018