The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Construction soon on safety improvements at sinkhole

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Construction on two turn-around driveways to ease traffic flow at the site of a sinkhole in Lake Padgett Estates is expected to be done by this fall.

Construction will begin soon on two turn-arounds on each side of a sinkhole on Ocean Pines Drive in Lake Padgett Estates.
(File)

The sinkhole opened up on July 14, 2017, causing extensive damage. It split Ocean Pines Drive into two segments, swallowed two houses, a motorcycle and a boat, and caused seven houses in the area to be condemned.

Pasco County is in initial stages of purchasing needed right of way on Ocean Pines Drive for the turn-arounds.

A 6-foot decorative fence, and a gate, also will be installed around the sinkhole.

Pasco County officials also have ruled out any possibility of opening a connection between the sinkhole and Lake Saxon.

Some residents had expressed interest in linking the sinkhole to Lake Saxon in meetings with county officials.

County officials have estimated that linking the sinkhole and Lake Saxon would cost an estimated $2 million.

But, that option has been ruled out, after county officials met with representatives from the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

“They were strongly against the connection because of unraveling, deep unraveling, and possible sinkhole activity,” said Margaret Smith, the county’s engineer services director. “They also have concerns about the aquifer, knowing a lot of people are on wells.”

Smith gave the Pasco County Commission an update of the county’s plans during the commission’s June 19 meeting in New Port Richey.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore expressed concerns about the aesthetics of the wrap-around fence.

“What are we going to do to make sure it’s appealing to the eye, and continuing to keep up property values?” Moore asked. “We’re not just tossing a fence up. It’s got to look decent.”

Smith said current plans were for a “little bit of landscaping.” More can be added to the design, but she said the county would own only a strip of land bought for right of way.

Pasco County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder noted: “This is not a county project. We are stabilizing a situation that basically occurred by an

act of God.”

Pasco County commissioners agreed in March to build the turn-arounds and install the fence at an estimated cost of $242,000.

The turn-arounds will provide greater safety when garbage trucks and emergency vehicles drive in and out of both ends of Ocean Pines. Currently, vehicles must back up to exit or back into private driveways to turn around.

County commissioners reviewed several other options, including simply installing a fence.

Published June 27, 2018

Starkey appointed to national trade advisory committee

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Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey will serve on a national trade advisory committee, providing advice to the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

The trade representative serves in a Cabinet level position, and is appointed as President Donald Trump’s principal trade advisor, negotiator and spokesperson on trade issues.

There are eight advisory committees focusing on different trade issues.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey
(File)

Starkey’s role on the Intergovernmental Policy Advisory Committee is “to represent the voice of local governments on U.S. trade issues,” according to a news release from Pasco County.

“I’m excited and happy to represent us and the voice of local governments,” said Starkey, speaking at the June 19 county commissioner’s meeting in New Port Richey.

Her four-year term runs through April 2022.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative develops and coordinates the United States’ international trade, commodity, and direct investment policy, and oversees negotiations with other countries.

Starkey currently serves as chairwoman of the International Economic Development Task Force for the National Association of Counties. She also has been on numerous trade missions to South America and Europe.

She is an advocate for developing programs, such as AmSkills, that link education with apprenticeships. She believes they are valuable tools in recruiting European companies to Pasco and the Tampa Bay area.

Starkey anticipates three telephone conference meetings annually as a member of the advisory committee, and also one meeting a year at the White House.

Published June 27, 2018

Park once again may be a place to make memories

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When Peterson Park originally opened, it was a place where motorists traveling down U.S. 98 could pull over to a wayside rest area to take a break.

But, it was more than that.

The small park, south of the Lacoochee River, became a popular place with locals — and was the setting where people made memories that have lasted for decades.

Scott Black has a Facebook page called Trilby Homecoming. When he announced Pasco County’s plan to sign a lease with the Florida Department of Transportation that could lead to the park’s reopening, the post unleashed a floodgate of memories involving the park. (B.C. Manion)

When Scott Black, a Dade City commissioner, shared the news on his Trilby Homecoming Facebook page that Pasco County is seeking to reopen the park, his page lit up with comments.

One post, by Tim Gibson, recalls: “I spent many summer days there as a kid (and enjoyed) fried fish, hushpuppies, cheese grits and baked beans.”

Larry McElveen shared his recollections, too: “I remember picnics, family reunions and especially the summer swims with my Crawford (Sharon, Brenda and Janet) cousins at Peterson Park. Fond memories, indeed.”

Rodney McLeod experienced an especially big moment at the park: “This is where I proposed to Debbie Marsee on 13 March 1981,” he posted. “Happy to see it reopened.”

While many shared memories of socializing at the park, Barbara Basham recalled enjoying a different aspect of Peterson Park. It was, she posted, “my go-to place for reading and quiet time.”

Alan Spriggs recalled going to the low-lying park when it was under water: “We even had fun when it flooded, trying to find the (picnic) tables to sit on,” he posted.

And, Alvaro Fernandez shared a memory of a higher spiritual purpose for some visits to the park: “I remember the Baptist Church would baptize at the river at that location,” he posted.

Black, a local historian with a deep fascination for Trilby’s history, keeps people up to date on news involving the community.

When he posted about Pasco County’s intention to sign an agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation for a 30-year lease for Peterson Park, he couldn’t believe the extent of the reaction.

Peterson Park is a low-lying park, which is prone to flooding. This is a look at the park in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. (Stefanie Burlingame)

“I’ve never had one (post) that generated this much interest,” Black said. “This had more views than anything: “11,647 people were reached, 274 people have reacted with Emojis, 113 comments. 147 shares,” he said.

Peterson Park, which sits on less than 2 acres, became a park in 1952, when the state road department decided to establish wayside parks along state highways.

The park is on the west side of U.S. 98, just south of the Lacoochee River, near the Pasco-Hernando county line.

“They would set up these nice little picnic areas for the travelers, for them to stop,” Black said.

Besides being a place for picnics, it was next to the river, so people could fish there, swim there and put in their boats there, Black said.

The park had concrete picnic tables and benches, which are still there.

“Everything is pretty much original,” Black said, noting county parks department may want to consider keeping it just the way it is.

The site does flood periodically, so it’s probably not a good idea to have wooden picnic tables, or a dock, because those would be damaged by floodwaters, Black said.

The park has been gated off for more than 20 years, according to the agenda item involving the lease agreement.

The county’s Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department is interested in reopening it.

Doing so would provide access to recreational opportunities along the Withlacoochee River, which is a state-designated paddling trail, according to county staff.

Reopening the park would provide opportunities for picnicking, fishing, wildlife viewing, canoeing and kayaking, the agenda item says.

There is no current timetable for reopening the park.

The agenda item for the lease states that county staff “will continue to seek grant funding opportunities to redevelop the park. A county match may be required but would be presented to the BCC (County Commission) for approval at the appropriate time.”

Black hopes the county will be able to secure funding to reopen the park.

“This is where I grew up out here, so it’s a special place for me,” Black said. “People will drive by and bemoan the fact that the park is there, but can’t be used.”

To read more of people’s memories, or to add your own, go to the Trilby Homecoming page on Facebook.

Published June 20, 2018

More shops coming to Cypress Creek and Tampa Premium Outlets

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New retail is on the way to Cypress Creek Town Center, located west of the Interstate 75 interchange, on the north side of State Road 56.

Across the road, Tampa Premium Outlets will add a new big box store – the At Home Décor Superstore.

Construction on the infrastructure for the new shops is in early stages.

Berry Construction has obtained permits for Burlington (formerly Burlington Coat Factory), Earth Fare grocery store, Home Goods, and Five Below, for Cypress Creek Town Center.

At Home Décor Superstore is under construction at Tampa Premium Outlets. (Kathy Steele)

A representative for Sierra Properties, which is developing the site, couldn’t be reached for comment.

Permits are for parcels located along Sierra Center Boulevard, which already is populated with restaurants and shops.

Ford’s Garage, Mellow Mushroom, Men’s Wearhouse, Pollo Tropical, Chuy’s Tex Mex, Great Clips and Bahama Breeze are among existing tenants.

A 130-room Hyatt Place Hotel & Conference is nearing completion.

At Home Décor Superstore is under construction on an outparcel, off Grand Cypress Drive at the outlet mall, which is being developed by Simon Property Group. The store will be directly behind the Costco Warehouse Store.

Advertising on the exterior of a parked Home Décor truck touts a summer 2018 opening.

A company representative couldn’t be reached for comment.

The new retail will offer a range of shopping choices.

Burlington
The company began in 1924 as a wholesaler of women’s coats and junior suits. An outlet store opened in 1972 in Burlington, New Jersey. The shop expanded from women’s clothes to add men’s wear, sportswear and accessories.

Earth Fare
Earth Fare is a full-service supermarket that offers natural, healthy food choices. It began in 1975 as Dinner for the Earth, a health food store in Ashville, North Carolina. The first Earth Fare grocery store opened in 1994.

Home Goods
Home Goods is a discount home furnishings store with a range of departments, including furniture, gifts, bedding, pets, and home accents.

Five Below
Five Below is aimed at teens, preteens and their parents, selling an eclectic mix of items, including cellphone cases and chargers, yoga pants, footballs, and candy and seasonal items for Halloween, Easter and Christmas.

At Home Décor Superstore
The Texas-based discount home décor store sells upwards of 50,000 items in warehouse-size spaces. Departments include furniture, rugs, storage and organization, pots and planters, and lights.

Published June 20, 2018

Buzzin’ about bees at the Hugh Embry Library

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Ginny Geiger, a member of the Dade City Garden Club, delivered an entertaining and informative program on the importance of bees at the Hugh Embry Library.

Ginny Geiger delivers a high-energy lesson on the importance of bees. (Christine Holtzman)

Geiger led the “Nature Detectives Bee Workshop,” dispensing information and, at one point, demonstrating how a bee might act, if a wasp — an enemy of the bee — approached the hive.

In her hour-long workshop, Geiger talked about the importance of bees as pollinators.

The western honey bee, according to the University of Florida, IFAS Extension, is conceivably the most important pollinator in Florida and American Agricultural landscapes.

Three-year-old Miguel Alvarez, of Dade City, proudly shows off his bee that he made during the workshop.

Bees are critical to the food chain, and without them much of the fruits and vegetables at local supermarkets would disappear.

Besides talking about the importance of bees, Geiger also gave the children a chance to try their hand at making a bee.

The workshop, held during National Garden Week, was sponsored by the Dade City Garden Club, in coordination with the Hugh Embry Library.

The program was first developed by the St. Augustine Garden Club and is recognized by the American Library Association.

Everyone who took part received a bee swag bag — containing things to do, fun facts, a packet of flower seeds, honey samples and a copy of the book “You Wouldn’t Want to Live Without Bees.”

By Christine Holtzman

Published June 20, 2018

With her model bee in hand, 9-year-old Glorie Todd, of Dade City, listens to instructor Ginny Geiger as she speaks about the next activity, which will be sampling honey.
Seven-year-old Annabelle Harris, of Dade City, and her brother, 9-year-old Anderson, construct their model bees during a hands-on activity at the Nature Detectives program.

Deborah Roberts, of Zephyrhills, helps her grandson, 5-year-old Kaeden Roberts, construct a model bee during one of the hands-on activities given recently at the Nature Detectives Bee Workshop at the Hugh Embry Library.

Six-year-old Annette Sanchez and her mom, Leticia Alvarez, from Dade City, work together as they glue the wings on a model bee. The bee was included in the little girl’s ‘swag bag.’

Making sure kids don’t go hungry during summer break

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For some children, the meals they eat during the school day are their only source of nutrition.

So, when schools close for the summer, there’s a chance that they could go hungry.

The Summer Break Spot takes aim at that issue.

Gail Hohensee serves meals and Lee Beville drives the bus in a program that aims at ensuring that children don’t go hungry when school’s not in session. (B.C. Manion)

The program, also known as the Summer Food Service Program, is a federal nutrition program operated by schools and local nonprofits to make sure that children have an opportunity to receive meals during the summer months.

Through the program, although schools are not in session, there are many places across Pasco County where children under the age of 18 can have a free breakfast, lunch or snack.

No application is needed at the sites operated by Pasco County Schools.

Any child 18 or younger is eligible for a free meal during serving times.

Adults or a responsible teen are asked to accompany the children receiving meals because the school district does not have a large staff to oversee the program.

No transportation is provided to the site.

The free breakfast consists of one serving of milk, one serving of a fruit and/or vegetables and one serving of grains.

This colorful bus makes the rounds in Zephyrhills, providing free breakfast, lunch and snacks to those 18 and under during the summer months. Children can eat inside the air-conditioned bus, or sit at shaded tables next to it.

The free lunch includes one serving of milk, one serving of grains and one serving of protein.

The free snack includes one serving of milk, one serving of fruits and vegetables, one serving of grains and one 1 serving of protein.

Lee Beville, a bus driver who is working in the program for the first year, said he drives a bus to deliver lunch to Pretty Pond and Wire Road, and at Zephyr Park.

“The people who come are super appreciative,” he said. “We get a lot of people — they don’t know what they would do if they didn’t have this.”

The numbers are going up, said Gail Hohensee, who serves the meals. “It helps them a lot.”

Different locations offer meals on different days and different times. Here’s a partial listing of Pasco County meal locations:

  • Pine View Elementary, 5333 Parkway Blvd., Land O’ Lakes
  • Glorious Church Mobile, 20714 Center St., Lacoochee
  • Pasco Elementary, 37350 Florida Ave., Dade City
  • Cypress Manor Mobile, 20737 Evergreen Court, Dade City
  • Hilltop Landings Mobile, 15641 14th St., Dade City
  • John S. Burkes Memorial Park, 13220 Gene Nelson Blvd., Dade City
  • Arbours Mobile, 12861 Stately Oak St., Dade City
  • Hugh Embry Library, 14215 Fourth St., Dade City
  • Rodney B. Cox Elementary, 37615 Martin Luther King Blvd., Dade City
  • Lake George Mobile, 15246 Davis Loop, Dade City
  • Farm Workers Self Help, 37124 Lock St., Dade City
  • Community Garden, 15029 14th St., Dade City
  • James Irvin Civic Center, 38122 Martin Luther King Blvd., Dade City
  • Lacoochee Boys & Girls Club, 38724 Mudcat Grant Blvd., Dade City
  • Academy at the Farm, 9500 Alex Lange Way, Dade City
  • Centennial Elementary, 38501 Centennial Road, Dade City
  • Centennial Middle, 38505 Centennial Road, Dade City
  • Pasco High, 36850 State Road 52, Dade City
  • Pasco Middle, 13925 14th St., Dade City
  • Double Branch Elementary, 3500 Chancey Road, Dade City
  • Pasco Woods, 6135 Ryerson Circle Wesley Chapel
  • New River Lakes, 4944 Prairie View Way, Wesley Chapel
  • New River Library, 34043 State Road 54, Wesley Chapel
  • New River Elementary, 4710 River Glen Blvd., Wesley Chapel
  • Quail Hollow Elementary, 7050 Quail Hollow Blvd., Wesley Chapel
  • Watergrass Elementary, 32750 Overpass Road, Wesley Chapel
  • Wesley Chapel Elementary, 30243 Wells Road, Wesley Chapel
  • Cypress Creek Middle High, 8701 Old Pasco Road, Wesley Chapel
  • Weightman Middle School, 30649 Wells Road
  • Raymond B. Stewart Middle, 3805 10th Ave., Zephyrhills
  • Zephyr Park, 5039 Fourth St., Zephyrhills
  • Pretty Pond, 38510 Pretty Pond Road, Zephyrhills
  • Zephyrhills Library, 5347 Eighth St., Zephyrhills
  • Zephyrhills YMCA, 37301 Chapel Hill Loop, Zephyrhills
  • Village Chase Apartments, 39216 Village Chase, Zephyrhills
  • West Zephyrhills Elementary, 37900 14th Ave., Zephyrhills
  • Woodland Elementary, 38203 Henry Drive, Zephyrhills
  • Chester W. Taylor Elementary, 3628 Morris Bridge Road, Zephyrhills
  • Zephyrhills High, 6335 12th St., Zephyrhills

The program also operates in Hillsborough County.

To find out specifics on when the sites are open and where additional sites are located, visit  http://summerbreakspot.freshfromflorida.com/, or go to .

Published June 20, 2018

Military academy appointments include soccer standout

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Growing up, Victoria Mitchell always knew she wanted to serve her country with a career in the military.

She’ll soon get the chance, when she’s officially inducted into the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, on June 28.

The 17-year-old recent Wesley Chapel High School graduate received her official appointment to the Navy in late March — about 10 months after she verbally committed to play soccer there last May and five months after she was nominated for appointment from the 12th Congressional District by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis.

Wesley Chapel High graduate Victoria Mitchell will be inducted into the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland on June 28. She was nominated for appointment in November from the 12th Congressional District by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis. (Courtesy of Victoria Mitchell)

Mitchell is one of six Tampa Bay area students who were nominated and subsequently received appointments to a United States service academy through Bilirakis’ office.

The others are: River Ridge High School’s Connor Beckman, United States Military Academy; Mitchell High School’s Austin Jerome, United States Merchant Marine Academy; Clearwater Central Catholic High School’s Annalise Klopfer, United States Naval Academy; Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School’s Dennis Teicher, United States Military Academy; and, Wiregrass Ranch High School’s Payton Wilson, United States Air Force Academy.

Mitchell, for one, vividly remembers when her acceptance letter arrived in an email.

“I was pretty much overwhelmed with excitement,” Mitchell recalled. “I actually read the email several times and couldn’t believe that, like, I actually got in. I remember showing the email to my dad and being like, ‘Is this for real? This means I’m going straight there?’ I thought I was going to a prep school at this point, so I was kind of down; I didn’t think I was going to get in immediately. I had almost given up hope and then I got that email when I least expected it. I was just overwhelmed, excited — like, it was one of the best days ever.”

Each year, members of Congress nominate candidates for appointment to four of the five academies: U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York; the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), Annapolis, Maryland; the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado; and, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, New York.

The fifth service academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, Connecticut, does not require a congressional nomination for appointment.

Applications far exceed open slots
Appointments by service academies are usually made between January and April, and sometimes as late as May. Congressional service academy nominations don’t always guarantee acceptance.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis held an annual reception last month to honor local students who received his nomination and subsequent appointment to a United States service academy.
Appointees, pictured from left, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School’s Dennis Teicher, United States Military Academy; Wesley Chapel High School’s Victoria Mitchell, United States Naval Academy; Wiregrass Ranch High School’s Payton Wilson, United States Air Force Academy; and, River Ridge High School’s Connor Beckman, United States Military Academy. Other Bilirakis’ nominated appointees not pictured are Mitchell High School’s Austin Jerome, United States Merchant Marine Academy; and, Clearwater Central Catholic High School’s Annalise Klopfer, United States Naval Academy.

Approximately 1,200 candidates are selected each year for the Naval Academy’s “plebe” or freshman class, and each student is required to participate in Plebe Summer. Last year the Academy received more than 16,000 applications for the Class of 2022.

A 2018 study by the U.S. News and World Report found the U.S. Naval Academy to have an 8 percent acceptance rate — the 12th most selective among all colleges and universities in the United States.

Attending a service academy comes with an obligation and commitment to serve in the military for a minimum of five years upon graduation. Each student receives a full scholarship.

The application process alone is arduous, Mitchell said, from filling out hundreds of pages of paperwork to undergoing a background check and a physical fitness test.

It also requires a series of interviews before a group of retired and active duty service members, which she labeled “probably the most complex part of the application.”

Mitchell’s passion for the military traces back to her grandfather, Patrick Mitchell, who served in the Air Force for 24 years.

As a young girl, her family would take her to Air Force bases throughout Florida, where she was in awe of “seeing our soldiers in uniform and just everything they stand for.”

Mitchell, too, has always considered herself “a patriot at heart.”

Said Mitchell, “I love my country, and I’ve always known I wanted to serve my country and protect our land — especially like nowadays with all the controversy going on, there’s a lot of disrespect towards our nation and it kind of motivates me to stand up (and) encourages me to go join our military…”

Immediately after induction, Mitchell will report for Plebe Summer, which is designed to help freshman prepare for their first academic year at the Naval Academy.

During this time, plebes have no access to television, movies, the Internet or music, and restricted access to cellphones. They are only permitted to make three calls during the six weeks of Plebe Summer.

As the summer progresses, the new midshipmen learn basic skills in seamanship, navigation, damage control, sailing, and handling yard patrol craft.

Plebes also learn infantry drills and how to shoot 9-mm pistols and M-16 rifles.

Other daily training sessions involve moral, mental, physical or professional development and team-building skills. Activities include swimming, martial arts, basic rock climbing, obstacle, endurance and confidence courses.

Forty hours are devoted to the instruction of infantry drill and five formal parades.

Mitchell is looking forward to all of it.

“I know the summer’s going to be very difficult, very busy,” she said, “but overall, I’m excited for the structure of the academy.

“I’m really excited to gear up, do PT (physical training) with the brigades, I’m excited to basically learn to be a soldier, and I’m going to be living that life for the next four years, and they’re grooming me to be the best officer I can for our country, so I’m excited to learn everything over the next couple of years.”

Juggling academy life and soccer
Besides handling responsibilities of the service academy life, she’ll also be a member of the Navy women’s soccer team, a Division I program.

Mitchell, a forward, opted to strictly play club soccer her senior year after playing varsity soccer at Wesley Chapel High the past three seasons.

Her junior year, she posted a team-leading 34 goals in just 16 games played, earning second-team All-Sunshine Athletic Conference honors.

Also throughout high school, Mitchell was a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She volunteered for Special Olympics and Relay for Life, and was a youth soccer coach for a local development academy.

The Naval Academy was the only school she applied to, after vetting other service academies and what they offered.

“It’s a pretty good fit for me,” she said, “because I get to play Division I soccer, go to school and then I also graduate as an officer.”

She plans to serve for at least 10 years, noting she also has an interest in entering the aviation field at some point.

“I’m going to see where it takes me,” she said of the Naval Academy. ”I know there’s a certain point in the Academy where you can sign on for more years in the service, which I’ll probably do,” she said.

Published June 20, 2018

Creativity rules at Lutz Preparatory summer camp

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Camp Invention isn’t your typical summer camp.

It’s a camp where kids are encouraged to strap on their creative thinking caps and let their imaginations run wild.

And, that’s exactly what was going on at Lutz Preparatory School last week.

This year’s curriculum tested a variety of the young students’ skills.

Caitlyn Commedor sits near her Mod My Mini Mansion. (B.C. Manion)

In one challenge, campers designed their own Optibot, a small driving robot that senses changes in light.

In another, campers dreamed up their own futuristic smart home — complete with high-tech innovations.

Another group got involved with cupcake catapults, while another worked on nursing a sick robotic puppy back to good health.

This is the fourth summer that Lutz Preparatory has hosted Camp Invention — a program of the National Inventors Hall of Fame in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The national program serves more than 140,000 students each year, partnering with nearly 1,700 schools and districts across the nation, according to program materials.

It’s a summer camp that challenges kindergarten through sixth-graders to find their inner inventor — and that’s exactly what it was doing in the classrooms at Lutz Preparatory.

Liam Loper, 6, is eager to answer a question at the Camp Invention summer camp, held at Lutz Preparatory School.

Kids were buzzing with excitement, chattering with each other on projects they were doing.

Six-year-old Liam Loper was working on his Mod My Mini Mansion, which featured, among other things, a windmill made of clothespins to help generate energy.

The young boy said he was having fun at the camp and it seemed like everyone else was, too.

Meanwhile, in another classroom, 9-year-old Audrey Wehling, was talking about the Optibot she designed.

“We had to design a car with sensors,” she said. Her car, she said would fly and would go under water.

She also gave it name: Bob 2.0.

“I’ve always liked the name Bob,” she said. “I thought adding 2.0 was cool.”

Kids weren’t the only ones enjoying themselves at the camp.

Greg Robbibaro, who led the group of fifth- and sixth-graders, said the camp encourages kids to go on mental explorations.

“The kids get to expand their imagination. They get to have a little bit of freedom with all kinds of things that would otherwise be thought of as junk, but they get to make these creations that they’re extremely proud of,” Robbibaro said.

Andrea Ball, who was leading a younger group, said the camp gives kids a great way to learn how to work with others and to think.

Audrey Wehling, 9, gave her Optibot a name: Bob 2.0. She says she has always liked the name Bob and thought it would be cool to add 2.0 to it.

“I think it’s good that they work with people they don’t know. They’re so used to working with their friends or their classmates,” she said.

“They have to do unstructured activities, which can be hard. They have to think outside the box,” she said.

“I’m not going to tell them how to do it. They have to brainstorm,” she said.

It’s good for the children, she said. “We need more of that.”

This year’s camp drew 111 participants primarily from Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel and Odessa, said Christina Mitchelson, the camp director.

The camp was led by five instructors and 15 leadership interns.

The leadership interns are area high school students who are earning community service hours needed for scholarship requirements, she said.

“Our leadership interns have been fantastic,” Mitchelson said.

They help the instructors and help the students, as well.

For instance, when a young student is having trouble with a particular task, the leadership intern can step in.

Leadership interns also direct games during the lunch break, once the children finish eating.

The level of engagement was obvious, as kids keyed into the activities going on in the classrooms.

They were chattering, quiet, or eager to answer questions — depending on what was happening in the room.

Mitchelson said the camp is popular every year.

“They love this camp. They wish it went on longer,” she said.

To find out more, visit CampInvention.org.

Published June 20, 2018

Delay appears likely on Ridge Road extension permit

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Pasco County officials were hoping for a decision on a permit, and a construction start for the proposed Ridge Road extension by winter 2018. Instead, a revised schedule provided to the United States Army Corps of Engineers projects the anticipated permit decision in late February 2019.

Despite the revised time frame, Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles remains hopeful of a quicker decision.

“I still think there’s a way to get there this year,” Biles said.

Ridge Road currently dead-ends at Moon Lake Road in west Pasco. Pasco County wants to extend the road eastward to U.S. 41 to provide a hurricane evacuation route. (File)

Pasco is whittling down a checklist of additional information requested by the Army Corps in May 2017.

Monthly status reports are provided to the Army Corps and weekly conference calls are held.

Biles said he was set to meet with Army Corps representatives on June 15 in Cocoa Beach.

Members of the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization got a brief update on the project at their June 14 meeting in New Port Richey.

A May 3 letter to the Army Corps, with the new schedule, was included in an agenda packet for the meeting.

The county has been on a quest for the Ridge Road extension permit for nearly 20 years. The roadwork would entail an 8-mile extension of Ridge Road, which currently dead-ends at Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey.

The new segment would link Moon Lake to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes, across from an entrance into the master-planned community of Connerton.

The county puts a priority on Ridge Road as an east-west evacuation route during hurricanes.

Environmentalists are fighting against the project, which would cut through environmentally sensitive wetlands in Serenova Preserve.

The Army Corps is the federal agency in charge of regulating the Clean Water Act. In April, the agency selected one of 17 proposed routes through the Serenova Preserve as “the least environmentally damaging practicable alternative.”

But, the Army Corps requested additional engineering and environmental information, including wetlands mitigation plans.

In March, Pasco County commissioners approved a wetlands credit purchase agreement with Ecosystem Investment Partners Credit Co., for up to $4.4 million. The Florida Turnpike Enterprise would pay a portion of the costs.

The credits would come from the Old Florida Mitigation Bank, located south of State Road 52 and east of U.S. 41, adjacent to the Connerton Preserve.

The route under review was set aside in a court settlement years ago to mitigate about 200 acres of wetlands lost during construction of the Suncoast Parkway.

Opponents of the road extension say the county’s road project violates that agreement. They also maintain the road is meant to encourage new development, and will destroy wildlife habitats.

Attorneys for the Save the Serenova Coalition have submitted documents in opposition to Ridge Road. Coalition members have said they would file a lawsuit, if the Army Corps grants the permit.

Published June 20, 2018

Labor laws explained at chamber luncheon

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Navigating wage and hour labor laws can be complicated.

The North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce offered a primer on the topic at its monthly economic briefing luncheon at Fox Hollow Golf & Country Club.

The guest speaker was Lourdes Bahr, community outreach specialist for the wage and hour division of the United States Department of Labor. Based in Tampa, she travels throughout Central Florida providing federal labor law training.

Lourdes Bahr, of the United States Department of Labor, was the guest speaker at the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce economic briefing luncheon. (Kathy Steele)

Bahr is an Emory University graduate and former investigator for the labor department’s wage and hour division. She also serves as trainer for new investigators.

Good record keeping is the first piece of advice she offered.

“Make sure you have good records,” she said. “They are your protection. They are your friend. Make sure you are proactive in checking records.”

When the labor department investigates for violations, Bahr said it generally is the result of a complaint from a past or present employee, or maybe a third party.

Some investigations also arise based on multiple complaints against a particular industry, she said.

Investigations require interviews with employees and review of records, including time cards and payroll sheets.

“It’s always a nuisance when you’re investigated,” Bahr said. “Our staff knows this. We try to be as efficient and helpful as possible.”

Bahr said the Tampa office has four technicians available to answer questions about labor laws, if business owners have concerns. “There’s nothing wrong with calling,” she said.

Currently the labor department is offering a self-auditing program, known as PAID (Payroll Audit Independent Determination).

It began about three months ago, and will continue for another three months, Bahr said.

The program offers employees and employers a way to resolve inadvertent violations of overtime and minimum wage. It avoids costs and fees of litigation.

However, employers can’t participate if they are in litigation or under current investigation by the labor department.

The process requires completion of an application and registering with the labor department.

The error can be corrected, and the business owner will have a “clean plate,” Bahr said.

So far, not many businesses have applied, but she said, “We want to make sure people have the option to do this. We’re hoping to get some traction with it.”

For information on PAID, visit DOL.gov/whd/paid.

For information on labor laws, visit DOL.gov/whd, or call (866) 487-9243.

Published June 20, 2018