Local News

Political Agenda 4/18/2018

April 18, 2018 By B.C. Manion

Zephyrhills City Council election results
The results are in from the April 10 election for seats on the Zephyrhills City Council.

Jodi Wilkeson has been elected to the District 3 seat, and Charles E. Proctor has been re-elected to the District 5 seat.

Wilson received 553 votes, which represented 45.89 percent of the vote in the District 3 election. Cory Paul Sommers came in second, with 376 votes or 31.20 percent of the vote, and Devin J. Alexander placed third, with 276 votes, representing 22.90 percent of the vote.

Proctor was re-elected with 751 votes, representing 63.54 percent of the vote. His opponent, William David Seville received 431 votes, representing 36.46 percent of the vote.

Meetings

The Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Pasco County will meet on April 24 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Brick City Eatery, 16540 Pointe Village Drive in Lutz.
The Republican Club of Central Pasco will meet April 23 at the Copperstone Executive Suites, 3632 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes. Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley will be the speaker. The social starts at 6:30 p.m., followed by the meeting at 7 p.m.

Endorsements

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco has endorsed Mike Moore for re-election to the District 2 seat of the Pasco County Commission, according to Moore’s campaign.

Political Agenda is a column that runs only during election years.

It gives candidates a place to announce they are seeking political office. It lets voters know of upcoming Meet the Candidate nights or political forums.

It is a place where political clubs can announce upcoming meetings, and it will include news that is pertinent to voters for upcoming elections. It will not include political fundraising events.

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Celebrating the value of good deeds

April 18, 2018 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

The threat of rain and severe weather cut short the festivities for the first annual Appreciate Pasco Festival at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, but that didn’t detract from the purpose of the event — which was to call attention to the good people do.

Jim Mason, a singer and songwriter from Spring Hill, performs on the Heritage Park stage. He’s been a musician for more than 40 years. (Randy Underhill)

The event was organized as a way to celebrate local Pasco County volunteers, as well as recognize International Good Deeds Day.

Good Deeds Day was established in 2007, and during the past decade it has swept across the globe, including people of all cultures and backgrounds. Last year, the international day was celebrated in 100 countries, making it the largest and most far-reaching global day of good.

The Pasco County event, held April 15, was the first of its kind in Tampa Bay and was planned by a group of Pasco County volunteer activists.

Despite the uncooperative weather, those attending were enthusiastic, and in a generally good mood.

There was plenty of music, provided by Florida Folk Show, WMNF radio station, food by Whaley’s BBQ and Sno Shack, and local volunteer venders.

Next year, Good Deeds Day will be held around the world on April 9, and that will also mark Pasco County’s second annual Appreciate Pasco.

By Randy Underhill

Published April 18, 2018

Lis Saltigerald, left, and Denise Johnson with Pasco Pride, represented one of several organizations at the festival.

Jason Bean and his dog, Busterbrown, relax and enjoy music performed by Florida Folk Show singers and songwriters at the first Appreciate Pasco: A Community Volunteer Appreciation Festival.

Isabella Churilla, seated, of New Tampa, applies paint to her rock at the CPRock tent, as Tracy Teza-Kersey, middle, and owner Alison Foster observe at a festival aimed to express appreciation on April 15 at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park.

Big Jim Allen, a singer and songwriter from the Florida Folk Show, entertains the crowd during the Appreciate Pasco: A Community Volunteer Appreciation Festival.

Phlebotomist Dolly Torris, of Tampa, takes blood from donor Zakir Shareef, 25, from New Port Richey, in the Big Red Bus parked in the field of Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park during the festival.

Tom Soudiero, a singer and songwriter from Dade City, was the first performer of the day. Here, he’s singing one of his original songs.

Citizens can help shape Pasco’s future

April 18, 2018 By Mary Rathman

The Pasco County Commission’s decisions are partly guided by resident responses to the annual Pasco County Citizen Survey, which officially opened April 2.

The Citizen Survey, which was first launched in 2009, is conducted every year to collect feedback on numerous topics related to Pasco County’s future. These topics include transportation, parks and libraries, emergency services, safety, growth, and the importance and quality of services.

Thousands respond to the online survey each year, which is intended to help commissioners with planning discussions and decision-making.

“We invite everyone in Pasco to participate in the Online Citizen Survey,” said Marc Bellas, organizational performance management director.

“The survey allows you to be part of the decision-making process and helps the board understand what issues are important to our citizens,” he said.

The survey will be available until May 18, and can be accessed a few ways:

Go to Pasco County’s homepage at PascoCountyFl.net, and click on the survey link.
Use the MyPasco app, by clicking on the 2018 Citizen Survey button.
Use the Pasco County Facebook or Twitter pages.
Click directly on the survey link at bit.ly/2pGs3Z6.

Results from previous Citizen Surveys are available at bit.ly/2G1DReq.

Published April 18, 2018

Showing some appreciation for those who do good

April 11, 2018 By Kathy Steele

This is a festival that takes time out to celebrate the good that people do in their communities.

The name of the event is Appreciate Pasco: A Community Volunteer Appreciation Festival, and it will feature entertainment, food, prizes, awards and recognitions.

It also will highlight Good Deeds Day, an international event held in 93 countries, to recognize good works that often go unnoticed, but that help make the world a better place.

The appreciation festival will be held on April 15 from noon to 6 p.m., at the Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

“We anticipate it will kick off in flying colors and it will be an annual event,” said Appreciate Pasco organizer Elise Mysels.

Appreciate Pasco kicks off several other annual celebrations, including annual National Volunteer Week, Health Care Volunteer Week, National Park Service Volunteer Week, and Worldwide Volunteer Recognition Day on April 20. It also coincides with National Representation Day, which focuses on ending corruption in government.

Over the past three months, Mysels and a core group of about five volunteers, known as the Pasco County Volunteer Activists, have worked to pull Appreciate Pasco together.

It’s the first festival of its kind in the Tampa Bay area for Good Deeds Day and Representation Day, said Mysels.

“There are a lot of people in our community that do stuff behind the scenes that nobody knows about,” said Mysels. “They deserve to be recognized. We’re trying to make this an initiative that supports smaller types of groups and organizations, and bring to the forefront their needs and causes.”

Entertainment kicks off at noon at the park’s new bandstand, with WMNF radio station’s Florida Folk Show. WMNF is a co-sponsor of the festival through Represent.us.

Performers will be Ronny Elliott, a singer/songwriter and WMNF co-host; The Florida Boys, a Pinellas County-based trio; Tom Scudiero, a Dade City singer/songwriter; Treble Hook, whose real name is Scotty Lee Rexroat, a Dunedin-based singer/songwriter; Jim Mason, a Spring Hill native, with more than 40 years in the recording industry with performers, such as, Peter, Paul and Mary, John Lennon and Buffalo Springfield; and, Dottie South.

More than 70 businesses, vendors, civic organizations, and nonprofits from Tampa Bay are expected to participate. They include Courteous Canine; Arts in Motion Pasco; Davis Family Hearing; Harley-Davidson of Tampa; Ferman Buick-GMC; Moore-Mickens Education Center; Gulfside Hospice; Sierra Club; Represent.us Pasco County; Catholic Charities; Oasis Pregnancy Centers; Sunrise Pasco; Women’s March; and Organize Florida.

The nonprofit, OneBlood, will drive up its Big Red Bus for blood donations, and free wellness checkups.

Attendees can vote for their favorite nonprofit, with monetary awards going to the top three vote-getters.

Food vendors are Whaley’s BBQ, Vallarta’s Mexican Restaurant and the Sno Shack.

International Good Deeds Day began in 2007 as an initiative organized by Ruach Tova of the Ted Arison Family Foundation. The event’s partner is the nonprofit Points of Light, which was founded by President George H.W. Bush.

Good Deeds Day and Points of Light promote innovative programs that engage volunteers in providing public service. The event day focuses on 17 sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations, including eliminating poverty; gender equality; affordable, clean energy; decent work and economic growth; good health; and climate action.

Good deeds, large and small, can change the world, Mysels said.

“Good deeds can be something as small as a smile or holding a door open for someone,” she said.

What: Appreciate Pasco: A Community Volunteer Appreciation Festival
When: April 15, noon to 6 p.m.
Where: Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes
Cost: Free
Details: The festival celebrates volunteers in Tampa Bay, with arts and crafts, entertainment, food, prizes, and volunteer awards and recognition.
Info: ActionNetwork.org/events/appreciate-pasco-festival

Published April 11, 2018

Mettler Toledo brings jobs to Pasco County

April 11, 2018 By Kathy Steele

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?

April 11, 2018 By B.C. Manion

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

April 11, 2018 By Kevin Weiss

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

April 11, 2018 By B.C. Manion

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’

April 11, 2018 By B.C. Manion

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

April 11, 2018 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

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