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Mettler Toledo brings jobs to Pasco County

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Mettler Toledo celebrated the grand opening of its 270,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Northpointe Village, with tours, refreshments and a ribbon cutting.

The Swiss-based company is a global supplier of precision scales and services used in research, and the packaging and production of food and pharmaceuticals.

Mettler Toledo executives and local dignitaries cut the ribbon the 270,000-square-foot manufacturing plant. (Kathy Steele)

Mettler Toledo announced plans in 2017 to relocate its Town ‘n Country facility, and also to close its plant in Ithaca, New York. About 600 employees now work at the new plant at the Northpointe shopping center, off State Road 54 at Suncoast Parkway.

Nearly 170 people were hired in the past year, with most coming from Pasco County.

“We have a global leader now located in our county,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey. “It’s an amazing company. Opportunities like this one bring even more enthusiasm to our region.”

The facility will be home to four business units.

Currently onsite are Tampa-based Safeline Metal Detection and X-Ray Inspection, and Eagle Product Inspection.

During the summer, they will be joined by Mettler Toledo’s Hi-Speed Checkweighing, which currently is in Ithaca; and, Vision Inspection, currently in Aurora, Illinois.

Mettler Toledo opened its 270,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Northpointe Village, off State Road 54. (Courtesy of Mettler Toledo)

The units offer a range of services, including the design and manufacture of systems that check for contaminants, provide quality control for products and packaging, and test for safety of foods and pharmaceuticals.

During tours of the plant, visitors walked through the sales and services departments, plant operations area, training room, and quality control area.

The campus also has an on-site fitness room, a recreation room with ping pong and foosball, a courtyard and the “Northpointe Café.”

In quality control, visitors got a demonstration of Mettler Toledo’s testing equipment.

The one on display is capable of checking 300 boxes of chocolates in 1 minute for contaminants, and missing pieces of candy.

In her remarks, Starkey singled out Mettler Toledo’s commitment to apprenticeship programs for manufacturing jobs. Because of its on-site cafes, the company also started a culinary program at its Switzerland headquarters that will be adopted in Pasco.

Visitors to Mettler Toledo are greeted in the lobby of the manufacturing plant, which produces equipment for the food and pharmaceutical industries. (Courtesy of Mettler Toledo)

Four students in Pasco’s AmSkills program — Melissa Fink, Alex Gerwe, Nikki Daniels and Josh Ortiz — attended the Mettler Toledo’s opening.

AmSkills is a Tampa Bay initiative that helps high school students, adults and veterans seeking manufacturing jobs. The program operates in Pasco, Pinellas and Hernando counties.

AmSkills instructor Dan Albright said he was able to place some of his students at Mettler Toledo.

Daniels, 36, was impressed with her tour. She is in the adult program at AmSkills.

“I’m very interested and excited that (Mettler Toledo) is close to this area,” she said. “It’s what we’re looking for.”

Ortiz, 19, also is in the adult program, which will last 17 weeks. “I want to be able to find a job,” he said. “Something I can go into, and be proud of and have a career.”

Published April 11, 2018

Is your memory problem a normal part of aging, or a form of dementia?

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Those attending Dr. Andrew E. Budson’s talks at the Plantation Palms Golf Club in Land O’ Lakes last week had two key takeaways.

Dr. Andrew Budson (Courtesy of The Roche Associates)

First, if you’re having problems with your memory, go to a doctor who specializes in memory issues. In some cases, the problem may be the result of something that’s completely reversible, and even when it’s not, the sooner treatment begins, the better, said Budson, co-author of the book “Seven Steps to Managing Your Memory.”

The second takeaway was this: If you’re looking for something that’s very likely to help your memory, exercise is the key.

“People often ask me, ‘Dr. Budson, is there a magic pill out there to help improve my memory?’ My answer is, ‘Yes, there is. It’s called exercise.’”

Budson gave two talks on April 6 as part of a program presented by Keystone Place at Terra Bella, a new retirement community that will be opening in Land O’ Lakes, which will offer independent living, assisted living and memory care accommodations.

To get things rolling, Budson asked the audience during the 12:30 p.m. talk to consider whether these common memory issues were a result of normal aging, or something else:

  • You walk into a room to get something and you forget why.
  • You’re having trouble remembering the name of a friend of yours from church, even though you’ve met her a half-a-dozen times.
  • You’re having trouble remembering some of the details of your life, such as your wedding.
  • When you are driving and not paying attention, you take one or more wrong turns, and you end up somewhere you did not intend to be.
  • You spend too much time looking for your keys, glasses, wallet or purse.
  • Your family said you’ve asked that question before.

One of the key things to watch for is a change in behavior, Budson said.

“If you are someone who every morning as you’re getting ready to leave the house you spend 5, 10 or 15 minutes hunting around for keys, glasses, wallet, purse, and now you’re getting a little bit older and you’re still spending 5, 10, 15 minutes hunting around the house for these things, well, that’s probably normal for you.

“But if you are someone who is always very organized, never spend any time hunting around for these things — and now you’re spending 5, 10, 15, maybe 20 minutes, maybe an hour, maybe you never find that wallet, you have to replace the credit cards or you have to replace the cellphone because you couldn’t find it, you know, that would be concerning,” Budson said.

He gave another example.

“Anyone can forget that they’ve already told their best friend that story and start to tell it again, or cannot remember the answer to a question and ask it again. Sure, that can happen once or twice, no big deal.

“But, for somebody that’s telling the same story, again and again and again … every time you meet this individual they tell it, maybe even twice during the same visit, that sounds like rapid forgetting. Rapid forgetting is never normal,” he said.

To help explain how memory works, the doctor used the analogy of a filing system.

“The file clerk is our frontal lobes. It is our frontal lobes’ file clerk’s job to take the information in from the outside world and to put it inside the file cabinet.

“So, when we want to retrieve a memory, you can picture the frontal lobe file clerk pulling open the file drawer, leafing through the files until he finds the memory that he’s looking for,” he said.

As we get older, our file clerk doesn’t hear quite as well as he used to, so information may need to be repeated a couple of times in order for it to be stored in the file cabinet.

It also can take longer to retrieve a memory, and we may need a hint or cue about what a memory was about, he added.

But, the main thing is, if a memory goes into the cabinet — it can be retrieved.

Using the same filing system analogy, he then focused on the file cabinet itself.

“The file cabinet is another part of the brain. It’s actually our hippocampus. The hippocampus is the part of the brain that stores new memories. It’s located in the temporal lobes.

“The problem with diseases like Alzheimer’s is that it damages the hippocampus, and ultimately, in fact, destroys the hippocampus.

“Imagine if you pull open the drawer of the file cabinet and you look down inside, and you find out there’s a big hole in the bottom of the file drawer.

“You can have the most efficient file clerk in the world, taking information in from the outside world, putting it into the file cabinet. If there’s a big hole there, the memories are going to disappear, never to be retrieved again,” he said.

Diet and exercise can strengthen memory
The doctor also explained the distinction between the terms dementia, Alzheimer’s and mild cognitive impairment.

Dementia is a general term that means that someone’s thinking and memory have declined to the point that it interferes with day-to-day function, he said.

It can be caused by things that are easily treatable and actually completely reversible, but also can be caused by serious diseases, including Alzheimer’s.

Mild cognitive impairment means that a person has a confirmed memory loss, but that the individual’s day-to-day function is normal, Budson said.

Over time, about half of the people with mild cognitive impairment go on to develop Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, but the other half don’t, he said.

Once a memory problem has been determined, the next step is treatment, Budson said. There are standard medications that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, he said. Plus, there’s more research underway now than there ever has been during the 110-year history of Alzheimer’s.

Early treatment is crucial, he said.

“They (medications) can turn the clock back by six to 12 months,” he said. “I am much more likely to be able to turn the clock back all of the way to 12 months, all the way to make their memory like it was a year ago, if they come to see me early.”

Research also shows that lifestyle changes can help, he said.

“The Mediterranean diet, and a few variations of it, is really the only diet that study after study after study has been proven to be healthy for the brain and good for the memory,” he said. That diet includes fish, olive oil, avocados, fruits and vegetables, nuts and beans, and whole grains.

Exercise also is good for you, but before increasing your activity, be sure to check with your doctor, he said.

The recommended amount of exercise is at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five days a week, plus two hours a week of things that help with strength and balance, and flexibility.

Besides reducing the risk for stroke and improving your mood, exercise can help you sleep better — which is critically important for the memory, he said.

“Remember we talked about how the new memories are stored in the hippocampus, in our new memory file cabinet? Well, it turns out there’s another memory file cabinet that is storing the older memories. It is during sleep that the memories go from the short-term, temporary store (file) to the long-term permanent store (file),” he said.

Besides exercise and diet, other ways to strengthen the memory including social engagement and learning new things, Budson said.

There is no evidence, however, that doing brain-training games and crossword puzzles will improve the memory, he said.

“What the studies show is that if you spend time doing crossword puzzles, or Suduko or computerized brain training programs, you get better at crossword puzzles, Suduko and computerized brain training programs. It simply does not translate to overall brain function,” he said.

Know the 10 signs

  • Memory loss that disrupts daily life
  • Challenges in planning or solving problems
  • Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work, or at leisure
  • Confusion with time or place
  • Trouble with understanding visual images or spatial relationships
  • New problems with words in speaking or writing
  • Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
  • Decreased or poor judgment
  • Withdrawal from work or social activities
  • Changes in mood or personality

For more details on this list and for more information about Alzheimer’s, visit ALZ.org.

Published April 11, 2018

Seeking answers in the opioid battle

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U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis wants all voices to be heard in the quest to combat the nation’s opioid crisis.

The congressman met with the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) on March 27 to discuss the issue and listen to reactions to proposed federal legislation related to the opioid crisis.

The public meeting, held at the community center at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, attracted dozens of people who are interested in the issue.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis recently met with the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP), to discuss and solicit feedback on federal bills related to the opioid crisis. The House Health Subcommittee has heard 26 bills as a starting point related to opioid legislation that will be rolled into one large bill to be passed out of the House by the end of May. (File)

It piggybacked off a similar ASAP meeting in August, where Bilirakis provided an update on federal efforts to combat opioid abuse.

So far, the House Health Subcommittee has heard 26 bills as a starting point related to opioid legislation that will be rolled into one large bill to be passed out of the House by the end of May.

The bipartisan bill, CARA 2.0 Act, builds on the original Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act by providing $4 billion in additional resources for opioid prevention and treatment.

The funding was earmarked as part of President Donald Trump’s $1.3 trillion long-term spending bill, which passed March 23.

Throughout the 90-minute session, ASAP members shared personal stories and presented ideas to help solve the opioid crisis.

Opioid overdoses accounted for more than 42,000 deaths in 2016, more than any previous year on record, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. An estimated 40 percent of those deaths involved a prescription opioid, the agency says.

Members of ASAP, including Beth Piecora, advocated for additional peer support specialist programs. In this type of program, people who have significant personal experience with struggles pertaining to mental health, psychological trauma or substance abuse provide support to people who are currently struggling with those types of issues.

Piecora, a representative for Central Florida Behavioral Health Network, said federal dollars are needed to train and employ an increased number of those peer specialists.

Peers often can be instrumental in leading someone to pursue treatment, Piecora said.

She also suggested background check screenings be eased when hiring such specialists. “Some folks that have that lived experience sometimes have those certain things on their record,” she explained.

Others mentioned Narcan — a life-saving emergency opioid treatment — should become more readily available for addicts and their families.

The medication is the first and only FDA-approved nasal form of naloxone, which helps blocks the effects of opioids on the brain and restores breathing.

Besides enhancing distribution efforts, ASAP members said Narcan should be subsidized for consumers, particularly those uninsured. Without a prescription, the medication can cost more than $130.

One speaker even suggested requiring doctors to provide Narcan as part of prescribed pain medications.

While grant programs are available to receive free Narcan through nonprofits, barriers still remain in getting quick, easy access, ASAP coordinator Monica Rousseau said.

“You can access Narcan for free, but it usually involves a lot of paperwork…and it’s kind of obscure. It’s also very difficult to get it in a moment when you have people struggling,” she said.

Crisis needs to be attacked on many fronts
Meanwhile, Pasco Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Art Rowand inquired about creating a policy to allow law enforcement to place addicts into treatment, without arrests.

The law enforcement officer said such a measure could help eliminate the cycle of drug abuse, and cut down on overdoses and deaths.

“Basically, the only thing we have to take care of the situation…is to arrest them,” Rowand said.

Some ASAP members stressed that Bilirakis and other policymakers continue to address comprehensive addiction issues, including alcoholism.

“Opioid is now the new kind of thing, and everybody’s aware of it, but I don’t want to leave out treatment for alcoholism,” said Dena Lynch, who spoke on behalf of Alcoholics Anonymous.

“It goes hand in hand, and there’s a lot of people using drugs that also drink, so I think you can’t disregard that as far as treatments. A lot of people in all walks of life have alcohol problems, and it’s really easy to focus on opioids.”

Other suggestions included:

  • Additional measures to help juveniles with addiction treatment
  • More impactful opioid and drug education in schools for younger-aged children
  • New educational opportunities for parents of drug addicts
  • Additional ‘sober living’ houses that also are affordable
  • An increased number of child and adolescent psychiatrists
  • Improved access for psychological services and treatment for the LGBTQ community
  • Mandatory needle exchanges
  • Additional faith community nursing programs

Bilirakis said he wants to schedule a discussion next month with a handful of stakeholders, to continue to brainstorm about possible legislation related to fighting addiction.

Addressing the audience, the congressman said, “We can get your voice heard up there and really get these things into law, but we’ve got to find out what works.”

He continued: “You can throw all the money in the world at something, but if you don’t do it right and it’s not effective, then it doesn’t do anybody any good.”

Published April 11, 2018

Pine View Middle School continues journey toward IB designation

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An International Baccalaureate team recently visited Pine View Middle School, to determine if the Land O’ Lakes school has met the requirements to become an authorized IB Middle Years Programme World School.

The team spent two days at the school, interviewing staff, students and parents, and observing classrooms to ensure that the IB framework has been embedded in Pine View’s learning environment, according to Jennifer Warren, the school’s principal.

Elsie Morales and her peers are learning how to properly care for cattle during the Livestock Production and Care Unit at Pine View Middle School. (Courtesy of Pine View Middle School)

The team’s report will be forwarded to IB officials for their review, she said, noting she expects to receive an answer on the school’s authorization within 60 days to 90 days.

Pine View, at 5334 Parkway Blvd., has been a IB Middle Years Candidate School since May of 2015 and has been implementing the program since the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year.

As it awaits word on its designation, Pine View also is preparing for next school year, when it will join the list of magnet schools in the Pasco County school district, Warren said.

And, it will be shifting to a seven-period school day to better accommodate its curriculum, according to Becky Cardinale, the middle years programme coordinator.

The seventh period allows students greater opportunity to explore courses, Cardinale said.

“A seven-period day allows for more teacher planning time and for more professional development time,” Warren said. “A lot of planning work is required of teachers.”

Students at Pine View have four traditional core classes: Individuals and societies (social studies), science, math, and language and literature. They also have an arts class, language acquisition (which is foreign language), and a combination physical education and design.

As the school converts to a magnet school beginning next school year, it will be accepting students from throughout the district.

It received 89 applications for its inaugural magnet year, with applications coming from charter school students, out-of-county students and 15 of the district’s middle schools. Ultimately, 49 of those students chose to attend Pine View.

“Those living within Pine View’s attendance boundary, have first choice,” Warren said. Then, slots are opened up to students from outside of the school’s boundaries.

Although the school’s curriculum meets the Florida standards, the delivery of instruction is different.

For instance, “one of the standards with the middle years programme is that students have both a visual and a performing art component, sometime in their time at Pine View,” Cardinale said.

“For incoming students, we’re going to be combining students who are interested in band or chorus as a performing art, we’re going to be combining a visual art in with that class.

“So, they’re going to be learning about visual art through the lens of a performing art,” she said.

The school also has a new barn, and students associated with the agricultural program have garnered numerous awards, Warren said.

Overall, parents have been responding positively to the school’s IB curriculum, both the principal and Cardinale said.

“We’re preparing kids for jobs that don’t necessarily even exist yet,” Cardinale said.

“You can tell a parent: Your child is learning skills they can apply in whatever job they choose…

“We want our students to be collaborators. We want them to love learning. We want them to be problem-solvers.

“Show me a career that doesn’t require students to do all of those things,” Cardinale added.

At the middle school level, the program is for every student, Warren said.

“You hear IB, and it has a very elite connotation to it, that it’s only certain students, of a certain caliber,” she said. “Well, really every student, no matter what their IQ is, can be an acquirer, or a thinker, or a problem-solver, or caring.

“I think it is just teaching them all of the things that make for a well-rounded adult,” she said.

Students attending Pine View, “have the broadest liberal arts opportunity of any (public middle school) student in the county,” Warren said.

Published April 11, 2018

Local educator named a PBS ‘Digital Innovator All-Star’

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It’s no secret that educator Bobbi Starling knows her way around technology.

When she was a classroom teacher at Woodland Elementary School in Zephyrhills and at Centennial Middle School in Dade City, she was constantly introducing students to technical tools which could enhance their education and broaden their view of the world.

Bobbi Starling has recently been selected to the PBS Digital Innovator All-Star Program. It’s a new program, and only 30 educators nationwide were selected, including just Starling from Florida. (B.C. Manion)

Now, as the magnet schools program coordinator for the Pasco County school district, she has the potential to have a positive impact on a greater number of students — albeit indirectly, she said.

Starling’s classroom teaching work was recognized by PBS in 2015, when she was selected as one of 100 educators across the nation to be named a PBS Digital Innovator. She went on to become one of 30 nationwide to be named a lead Digital Innovator.

More recently, Starling was chosen to take part in a new program called the PBS Digital Innovator All-Star Program.

Thirty educators across the country were chosen for the program, including just Starling from Florida.

Gail Taylor, director of educational services for WEDU, nominated the Pasco County educator.

“She’s just perfect for this award. She’s just so innovative,” said Taylor, noting she wasn’t surprised Starling was selected.

“We thought she was a shoo-in. She’s amazing,” Taylor added.

“We’ve done a lot of work with her over the past few years.

“We did a great STEM fair when she was teaching at a middle school, before she became the magnet school coordinator.

“The kids were actually programming their own iPads to make robotic balls move around a paint tray, and they painted coasters and T-shirts, using those little robotic balls.

“They were playing games, using Gummy Worms as conductors and game pieces,” Taylor said.

As part of the All-Star program, Starling will have access to virtual and in-person events, including the PBS Digital Innovator All-Star Summit, and the International Society for Technology and Education Conference in Chicago, Illinois, in June.

She can’t wait.

This bus has been converted into a Mobile Aviation Lab, to provide more students a chance to get exposure to aviation and aeronautics lessons. (Courtesy of Bobbi Starling)

“At that summit, we’re going to be put on teams with people from other states, and we’re going to be developing some new curriculum — a three-part virtual learning series.

“There will be different focus areas for STEAM, social studies, language arts, digital arts, all sorts of different things. We’ll be developing some new content that will be offered.

“It will be housed on the PBS Learning Media.org website and that’s free for everybody in the state of Florida, including the premium resources,” Starling said.

The educator believes that technology is the great equalizer, when it comes to learning opportunities.

Technology helps children who come from impoverished families to have the same kind of experiences as those who come from affluent households, Starling said, noting that virtual reality and other technological tools can level the playing field.

Starling said she was delighted when she learned of her nomination, and “ecstatic and thrilled” when she found out she’d been selected.

“Reading the biographies of my peers that were also nominated, I was actually blown away by the people that are there,” Starling said. “I cannot wait to make some neat connections and share some interesting ideas, and I’m sure that I will be learning a lot, hearing a lot, and hopefully, I’ll be able to contribute, too.”

In her current district position, she works will all of Pasco schools, but more heavily with the Sanders Memorial Elementary STEAM Magnet School in Land O’ Lakes; the Centennial Middle School STEM Magnet School in Dade City; and, the Bayonet Point Middle STEM Magnet School in New Port Richey.

This student is getting a virtual reality experience on a school bus that the Pasco County school district has converted into a mobile aviation lab. (Courtesy of Bobbi Starling)

Starling also noted that the district has nine elementary schools that have aviation equipment. They are the elementary schools in the feeder patterns for Zephyrhills, Sunlake and Hudson high schools, which each have aviation and aeronautics academies.

But Terry Anchman, the director of career and technical education, came up with the idea of converting a school bus into a mobile Aviation STEM Lab, Starling said.

That way, fifth-graders from other district schools can get their hands on equipment such as flight simulators, 3D printing, virtual reality and drones, the educator said.

“I developed a curriculum for that. So, all of those students get a little bit of a taste for aviation and aeronautics,” Starling said.

She hopes that exposure will spark an interest in students, who can then consider attending one of the district’s magnet middle schools, which offers the curriculum.

She also hopes that parents will become more aware of the district’s educational options.

Taylor, herself a former classroom teacher, is confident that Starling will make a difference in the PBS program, just as she has as a classroom teacher.

“She’s just one of the best teachers I’ve ever been associated with,” Taylor said.

“She’s just what education ought to be,” Taylor added. “If all of our teachers could be Bobbi Starling, it would be a whole new world.”

Published April 11, 2018

Charlie the Dog helps children read at local library

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While many dogs know how to fetch and roll, Charlie has an unusual talent: He can encourage children to read.

Using the illustrations, 22-month-old Harper Ruff, of New Tampa, interprets the Louise Yates book ‘Dog Loves Drawing’ to Victoria Hanley, left, Charlie, the toddler’s mother Peiying Ruff, center, and her father Michael Ruff during her reading session at the Land O’ Lakes library. (Christine Holtzman)

Charlie is a therapy dog and is part of the R.E.A.D. team, along with library assistant Victoria Hanley, of Lutz.

The pair are involved in a new program at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, called “Read with Charlie the Dog.”

R.E.A.D. is an international program that seeks to improve the literacy skills of children through the assistance of registered therapy teams as literacy mentors.

Dogs like Charlie must complete a rigorous training period followed by passing a series of tests to qualify as a “Reading Education Assistance Dog.”

Hanley and Charlie each completed their training with Courteous Canine Inc., in Lutz, in December of 2017, to become an official R.E.A.D. team.

Victoria Hanley lets Charlie help pick out a book to add to his personal collection affectionately called ‘Charlie’s Favorites.’

Hanley said she was inspired to become a R.E.A.D. volunteer many years ago when she first encountered the program in Lee County.

At the time, both her young daughters were diagnosed with dyslexia, and she found that just being in the presence of a therapy dog had strong physiological effects, a calming influence that helped her children gain the confidence to read aloud.

Hanley also noted that reading to a dog helps on all fronts because a dog is nonjudgmental and helps children relax. The experience often helps to increase a child’s desire to develop his or her own reading skills.

The program is being offered for children at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library on Tuesdays, with four sessions available per afternoon.

Children taking part get 15 minutes of one-on-one time with Charlie and can bring their own book or choose one from Charlie’s personal collection affectionately known as “Charlie’s Favorites.”

A signed waiver is required.

To schedule an appointment with the R.E.A.D. team, call the library at (813) 929-1214.

By Christine Holtzman

Published April 11, 2018

Six-year-old Emma Jane DeKort, left, reads the Dr. Seuss book ‘King Looie Katz’ from her iPad to Charlie and his handler Victoria Hanley. Emma Jane chose this book because she thought Charlie would enjoy hearing about the King’s tail, since Charlie has a tail, too.
Three-year-old Travis West, left, pets Charlie, while his 5-year-old brother, Jordan, reads with Charlie’s handler Victoria Hanley.

Services offer a way to remember those no longer with us

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People who work or volunteer for Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care are familiar with the sense of loss and sadness that survivors often face when a loved one passes on.

To help people who are struggling, Gulfside offers bereavement support groups.

And, it also organizes community memorial services that are open to anyone who has lost a loved one during the past year, as a way to honor the lives of those who have passed away.

This year, two community memorial services are planned, according Charlie Lowry, bereavement manager at Gulfside.

The first service is scheduled for April 24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Trinity Church of Wesley Chapel, at 33425 State Road 54.

The second service will be May 2 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church at 8320 Old County Road 54 in New Port Richey.

“We invite people from the community to come and be a part of that service of remembering,” Lowry said.

The idea is to “make sure that everyone knows that those who have passed on have not been forgotten,” he said. “We try to give some significance to their lives, and to the survivors, as well.”

The service will feature various readings, will have music and will have time for reflection, he said.

There will be a time during the service, when people who have lost a loved one will be asked to stand to silently honor them.

After the service, there will be refreshments, and people will be able to mingle, Lowry said. Some may choose to bring photographs of loved one, to show to others, or may want to share a story or two, he said.

The idea is to remind people that there are others who are experiencing a similar loss, he said.

“A lot of times people feel alone, left alone,” Lowry said.

The communal service, he said, “kind of helps us come to grips with it.”

The services are open to anyone who would like to attend.

Refreshments will be served and seating is limited, so RSVPs are requested by April 20.

To RSVP, contact Jan Double at (727) 845-5707 or .

To learn more about Gulfside Hospice, call (800) 561-4883, or visit GHPPC.org.

Services of Remembrance
These two services are open to all, to give people who have lost a loved one during the past year a place where they can honor the memory of that loved one.

First service
Where: Trinity Church of Wesley Chapel, at 33425 State Road 54
When: April 24, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Cost: Free

Second service
Where: St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church at 8320 Old County Road 54 in New Port Richey
When: May 2, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Details: Each service will have music, readings and a time for reflection. Refreshments will be served afterwards.
Please RSVP by April 20 by calling Jan Double at (727) 845-5707 or by emailing .

Published April 11, 2018

Sports tourism expert praises Pasco’s offerings

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As Pasco County stocks up on sports and recreation facilities, one local sports tourism expert envisions the growing area as a regional asset and an enticement for attracting more big-ticket sporting events to Tampa Bay.

Jason Aughey, senior director at the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, was the featured guest speaker on March 22 at an economic development briefing hosted by the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce at Hunter’s Green Golf & Country Club.

Tampa Bay Sports Commission senior director Jason Aughey was the featured guest speaker at a March 22 economic development briefing hosted by the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce. He discussed sports tourism as it related to the Tampa Bay region, including Pasco County. (Courtesy of North Tampa Chamber of Commerce)

While much of the talk focused on the Tampa Bay region as a whole, Aughey touched on Pasco County’s current impact and potential as a sports destination.

“The future is extremely bright,” said Aughey, who is bullish on the county’s renewed focus on sports tourism.

He specifically mentioned the “world-class” Florida Hospital Center Ice in Wesley Chapel, which opened in early 2017 as the largest hockey complex in the southeastern United States.

“People come here and see that — they’re blown away,” Aughey said.

He said another feather in the county’s cap is the construction of a $44 million, 98,000-square-foot, multi-use indoor sports complex being built in the Wiregrass area.

The Wiregrass sports complex — set to open by spring 2019— could be used as an ancillary site for large indoor volleyball tournaments, such as the Gasparilla Volleyball Kickoff Classic, which are currently hosted at the Tampa Convention Center.

The Wiregrass facility, developed by RAAD Sports LLC, also can host basketball, soccer, lacrosse and cheerleading events, among others.

The speaker lauded existing centers, including Saddlebrook Resort — which hosted the Fed Cup Tennis Semifinals last April. And, he noted the Wesley Chapel District Park and the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, which provide ball fields for youth and amateur sports.

Having those places to play at is the first step in in driving a thriving sports tourism market, Aughey said.

The community’s location is another advantage because of the relative ease of navigating from Central Pasco and East Pasco, to downtown Tampa and Tampa International Airport.

Aughey observed: “While there’s that line that truly does delineate Hillsborough and Pasco County, we see it as nonexistent. When we’re dealing with event organizers and say, ‘Hey, our airport is less than 30 minutes from Wesley Chapel or Land O’ Lakes,’ it’s an attention-getter.”

The Tampa Bay Sports Commission (TBSC) is a private, nonprofit, 501c3, charitable corporation that serves the entire Tampa Bay area as the lead organization for bidding on and hosting premier sports, and entertainment events. It is one of 27 sports commissions in Florida. There are more than 600 throughout the United States. (Courtesy of Tampa Bay Sports Commission)

The Tampa Bay Sports Commission (TBSC) is a private, nonprofit, 501c3, charitable corporation that serves the entire Tampa Bay area as the lead organization for bidding on and hosting premier sports, and entertainment events.

Aughey said the organization’s partnership with Pasco has evolved significantly during the past decade and has to grow with the county’s new tourism director, Adam Thomas, a former professional baseball player who’s expressed a heavier interest in drawing more sporting events.

Aughey stressed the big business of sports in his presentation, noting the Tampa Convention & Visitors Bureau estimates over a third of the region’s visitor nights are sports-related.

It not only extends to Super Bowls and national championships, but the youth and amateur realm, too.

Aughey explained: “If you think about it, sports really is recession-proof. People aren’t going to cut their child’s opportunity to participate, or potentially with their future if they’re eligible for a scholarship. And, discretionary income, in terms of people going to different sporting events, it’s not going to disappear.”

Big-ticket regional events yield significant economic impact by generating thousands of hotel room nights in a short period, he added.

For instance, the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship at Raymond James Stadium yielded more than 60,000 hotel visitor nights.

Pasco recorded its highest-ever daily hotel room revenue on game night, the second Monday in January, Aughey noted. And, on the three days leading up to the game, the county’s average daily hotel rate increased 25 percent, 60 percent and 57 percent, and the average revenue per available hotel room increased 54 percent, 136 percent and 118 percent compared to same days in previous years.

The national championship game fostered a sense of pride with the Tampa Bay community, and its success helped Tampa secure its fifth Super Bowl bid, for February 2021, he said.

Tampa Bay regional sporting events on tap through 2022:

  • 2018 NCAA Division II Women’s Lacrosse Championship
  • 2018 NCAA Division I Track & Field
  • 2019 NCAA Women’s Final Four
  • 2020 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds
  • 2021 NFL Super Bowl LV
  • 2021 NCAA Division II Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Championships
  • 2021 NCAA Division II Men’s & Women’s Soccer Championships
  • 2021 NCAA Division II Women’s Volleyball Championships
  • 2022 Southeastern Conference Basketball Tournament

Published April 4, 2018

Commissioners side with developer in road dispute

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The Pasco County Commission has sided with Wiregrass Ranch developers in a dispute with Pasco County Schools over covering the cost for a future road connection to Chancey Road.

Commissioners heard an appeal filed by the school district regarding a decision by the county’s Development Review Committee.

The committee had approved a new master road plan for Wiregrass that shifts Chancey Road to the south, and away from the anticipated access onto a proposed school site that is at least five years away from construction.

Scott Sheridan

The site isn’t within the borders of Wiregrass, but school district officials say construction costs would increase by $1 million, if the school board has to pay to build a road to link to Chancey Road.

The plan that was approved by the development review committee includes a compromise that would mean either the school district or developers would pay for the road work — depending on what comes first, the school or the Wiregrass development.

School officials said they had counted on the Chancey Road extension, within the original master road plan.

“Everybody liked it. It was a great plan,” said Ray Gadd, Pasco’s deputy school superintendent. “Now, we’re down to two access points, which I don’t think the commission will like. I don’t think the neighborhoods will like them.”

In the future, the school district will need the County Commission to approve a school site plan, including its entrances and exits for school buses, and other traffic.

Gadd said there are concerns the county might not approve access off Meadow Pointe Boulevard.

He also noted that English Turn Way, which is internal to Country Walk subdivision, will not appeal to homeowners.

The new school is expected to focus on mathematics and science, with appeal to students living in Wiregrass and other places, Gadd said.

The deputy superintendent also offered an unexpected compromise — which had not previously been considered.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey

If Wiregrass would grant the school system exclusive easement for the road segment linking to Chancey Road, the school district would build and pay for the road, Gadd said. But, when developers start building in the area, they would need to negotiate with the school district to buy the road.

“We’ll turn this beautiful road over to you, but if it costs us $500,000, we want $500,000,” Gadd said.

Scott Sheridan, representing Wiregrass Ranch owners, didn’t go for it.

“I’m not going to respond at the podium for some new proposal that popped up,” Sheridan told commissioners. “I think it’s inappropriate.”

Sheridan also pointed out that Wiregrass had met its obligations to the school district with plans for five schools within the Wiregrass Ranch community.

Three already are open, including an elementary, middle and high school. In the future, two elementary schools also could be built at Wiregrass, Sheridan said.

Sheridan agreed that the county’s compromise on who pays for the road wasn’t that appealing. But, he said, “We can figure it out and live with it. We have plenty of time to figure it out.”

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, who has served on the school board, was conflicted. But, she eventually sided with Wiregrass.

“I do hope you (schools) don’t have to build the road. I do hope development comes in first and builds the road,” she said. “But, I think Wiregrass has met their school requirements.”

Gadd conceded that the county might eventually approve a site plan with access off Meadow Pointe and English Turn Way.

“We feel this is a fait accompli,” he said, of the county commissioners’ vote. “Its’ a done deal, but it’s a matter of the record now.”

Published April 4, 2018

Sinkhole to get turnarounds and a fence

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Pasco County has selected the solution it plans to pursue regarding the sinkhole that opened last year in Lake Padgett Estates in Land O’ Lakes.

The county plans to build two “hammerhead” turnarounds on each side of the sinkhole.

A six-foot decorative fence and an access gate also will be installed around the sinkhole on Ocean Pines Drive.

Kevin Guthrie, Pasco County’s assistant county administrator for public safety, has played a key role in addressing the sinkhole problem in Lake Padgett Estates in Land O’ Lakes. (File)

The estimated cost for the work is $242,000.

Construction is expected to begin within six months to eight months, following design work and purchase of right of way.

“We’ll move as quickly as possible,” said Margaret Smith, the county’s engineering services director.

The Pasco County Commission approved the turnarounds at its March 27 meeting in New Port Richey. Commissioners also agreed to get more information on the feasibility of linking the sinkhole to Lake Saxon, as a future project.

A geological survey deemed that connection to be risky, but Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said the option needs more study.

“That’s our premier lakefront community in this area,” he said. “We want to make sure property values stay up.”

The turnarounds are considered an immediate safety solution for a roadway that was severed when a sinkhole opened up on July 14, 2017.

The depression swallowed two houses, a motorcycle and a boat. Seven houses in the area also have been condemned.

Currently, garbage trucks and emergency vehicles that drive down either end of Ocean Pines must back up to exit or back into private driveways to turn around.

“I saw a truck that had to be towed out because it was stuck in a ditch trying to go around another vehicle,” Moore said.

County officials held workshops with residents in recent months before they reached a decision.

Initially, five options were presented. However, the geological survey recommended against the Lake Saxon connection, and rebuilding Ocean Pines with supportive piles driven underground.

The lake connection would cost an estimated $2.5 million. Rebuilding Ocean Pines would be about $750,000.

Both were considered to have a risk of causing additional ground disturbances in the area of the sinkhole.

An option to only install fencing and a gate would cost about $65,000.

Commissioners decided unanimously to build the turnarounds now, but also agreed to discuss the lake connection with the Southwest Florida Water Management District. That’s the state agency that would issue a permit for the work.

Plans are to file a pre-application with the state agency, relying on data collected from the geological survey.

Pasco County attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder voiced concerns that even if a permit were approved, there could still be risks to the neighborhood.

Moore said, “Let’s at least have more in-depth conversations with Swiftmud, and have them give a report.”

Published April 4, 2018