The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Sunsets restaurant to replace Hot Rod’s BBQ

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A down-home, comfort-style restaurant – named Sunsets – is expected to open in May on the former site of Hot Rod’s Country BBQ.

The popular dining spot in Lutz, locally famous for selling what it claimed to be ‘swamp bat,’ closed in 2013.

Since then, rumors and speculation have swirled around just what would replace Hot Rod’s.

Sunsets restaurant, which will open in May, is under construction on Livingston Avenue on the former site of Hot Rod’s BBQ.
(Kathy Steele)

A wrecking crew took down the old restaurant in March, several months after Sunset Livingston LLC bought the property, at 18430 Livingston Ave., in Lutz.

Construction is well underway on Sunsets.

The restaurant will be the anchor for a small retail and entertainment plaza that will have an escape room, archery shop, consignment store, insurance agency and a barbecue food trailer, according to an email from real estate broker Jerry Shaw.

“The concept is simple, good food at an affordable price,” said Shaw in the email.

There will be a relaxed “sit down” atmosphere, screened porch, a drive-through window, and a menu with a variety of choices, he added.

The other shops, including Lost in Lutz, will occupy existing storefronts located on-site. Lost in Lutz should be open by late March or early April.

Lost in Lutz will be escape room entertainment, where game participants follow clues and solve puzzles in an interactive adventure. Escape rooms are a growing entertainment trend nationwide, according to co-owner Julie Woolary.

Players “crack the lock” and “beat the clock,” according to the website.

The first of three escape rooms to open will have a theme, “Stuck in the ‘70s”. Players will have 60 minutes to solve puzzles, riddles and clues to find their way back to the present.

“We are hoping that people will come out and test their skills and brainpower, and most importantly have fun,” said Woolary.

Hot Rods had been a dining staple in Lutz since the late 1990s. Then-owner, Rod Gaudin, started his restaurant with a barbecue pit and a converted wood-frame house next to a country store he operated.

In addition to barbecue and cornbread, it had an offbeat menu with specialty items such as ‘lizard tail’ and ‘armadillo eggs’. They were more commonly known as beef steak and cheddar cheese poppers.

And, despite the restaurant’s claims, the ‘swamp bat’ delicacy actually was quail, according to a published account by Sherri Ackerman, a reporter for The Tampa Tribune.

Published March 8, 2017

Growth continues to transform Wiregrass Ranch

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Once known for its cattle and citrus groves, the Wiregrass Ranch area of Wesley Chapel is now being viewed as a place where people can live, work, shop, learn and receive medical care.

During the past decade:

  • Pasco-Hernando State College opened Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, giving Wesley Chapel students their first opportunity to seek a four-year college degree in their own backyard.
  • Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel opened, and the demand was so great that the hospital expanded — well ahead of expectations.
  • Florida Medical Clinic opened, on land situated near the hospital.
  • North Tampa Behavioral Health opened, and has been so successful that it is already undergoing an expansion.
  • Financial services giant Raymond James closed on the purchase of 65 acres of land and is expected to break ground later this year on a satellite campus, across from the college.
J.D. Porter, president of sales and development for Wiregrass Ranch, talks over projects that have been completed, or are on the horizon — at Wiregrass Ranch, a development of regional impact that covers thousands of acres in Wesley Chapel.
(B.C. Manion)

And, that’s just part of the story, according to J.D. Porter, president of sales and development for Wiregrass Ranch, in Wesley Chapel.

Besides the health care, education and commercial projects, residential growth is going strong, too, Porter said.

Wiregrass Ranch — with 340 housing starts — was No. 1 in housing starts in the period ending Dec. 31, 2016, according to a report by MetroStudy.

FishHawk Ranch, in southern Hillsborough County, was second on the list with 324 starts.

Other Pasco County developments among the top five were Long Lake Ranch, at fourth place, with 227 starts; and, Starkey Ranch, at fifth place, with 219 starts.

Porter expects residential growth to continue to flourish in Wiregrass Ranch.

He pointed to a contract on a large tract of land for a new active adult community that’s expected to close this year.

The development, which will have around 1,000 units, will fill a niche in the market, Porter said. “Nowhere in Wesley Chapel is there really an age-restricted community,” he said.

It will be “highly amenitized,” he said, and will be designed for people who are 55 and older.

Another residential development will offer row houses, and will appeal to people who are looking for a maintenance-free lifestyle, he said.

More commercial growth is on the horizon, too, Porter said.

North Tampa Behavioral Health, on State Road 56, is in expansion mode.

A 15,000-square-foot medical office is going up next to Florida Medical Clinic, he said, noting the bottom floor will be occupied by an orthodontist.

He expects that to open within the next seven months to nine months.

“They’re turning dirt like crazy right now, which is fantastic,” Porter said.

The medical office market is hot, Porter added.

“We probably get five to 10 calls a day,” he said.

It’s possible that another 100,000 square feet to 150,000 square feet of medical office could be added, he said. “It’s going to be limited by size.”

Porter also noted that his family is actually doing a strip center of its own on State Road 54, which will include restaurants and businesses which cater to local needs.

And, while there’s been a considerable amount of interest about when Raymond James will break ground and bring new employment opportunities, Porter said other major players are also eyeing the Wiregrass Ranch area.

Wiregrass is also on the shortlist of a couple of other companies that have equal, if not greater, name recognition as Raymond James, Porter said.

“Now that we have these foundations, it just ramps up to a different level, which is exciting,” Porter said.

Published March 8, 2017

State funds sought for forensic training center

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State legislators will try to secure about $4.3 million in state funds to build a forensic anthropology training center – also known as a body farm – next to the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center, off U.S. 41.

A local campaign also aims to raise about $200,000 for a tactical training program on-site for Pasco’s K-9 unit. Those efforts will be spearheaded by the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco outlined details for the Florida Forensic Institute for Research, Security & Tactical Training, or F.I.R.S.T., at a Feb. 27 press conference.

The campus has the potential of becoming the “Silicon Valley” of forensic anthropology research and an economic boost for Pasco, Nocco said.

“This is really going to be a forensics hub,” he said. “It is a unique opportunity.”

State Rep. Danny Burgess, Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore, and Erin Kimmerle, associate professor of anthropology at the University of South Florida and director of the Florida Institute of Forensic Anthropology & Applied Science, were among those attending the press conference.

Burgess and State Sen. Wilton Simpson plan to request state funding for the project during the upcoming legislative session. The Pasco County Commission gave its approval to the project in January, and donated county land next to the jail.

The indoor and outdoor facility would be the seventh in the nation to study body decomposition as an aid in solving crimes, and identifying victims of murder or other trauma.

It also would bring together research and practical applications of crime solving, forensic anthropology and criminal prosecution in a single location.

Partners in the project are Pasco-Hernando State College and the IFAAS, with Kimmerle leading the anthropology team.

Kimmerle and USF are well-known for their work in identifying bodies found in unmarked graves at the former Dozier School for Boys in Marianna.

The campus in Pasco would include a laboratory for research and forensic casework, classrooms, a morgue and evidence storage. The educational focus would be on forensics, anthropology, geochemistry, legal medicine, forensic intelligence, aviation reconstruction and cyber forensics.

Technology will be a major part of the research, including virtual autopsies with 3-D scanning and chemical isotope analysis, Kimmerle said.

The K-9 portion of the project would be the first time Pasco has had a dedicated facility for tactical training for the K-9 unit, the Pasco Unified SWAT team, and sheriff’s deputies.

The new research center, called F.I.R.S.T. for short, would be a resource for universities, forensic scientists and law enforcement in the entire state. It can aid in tactical training and quick response to active shooter situations, missing person investigations, homicides and terrorist attacks.

Nocco said the recent attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando showed the need for greater preparedness and communications between local, state and federal law enforcement.

It also could help build a statewide database of an estimated 16,000 cold cases in Florida, Nocco said.

And, he added, it will provide career opportunities for college students through internships, as well as professional certificates and degrees.

The University of Tennessee in Knoxville was the first to establish a forensic training and research center in the 1970s. Others are at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Western Carolina University, Sam Houston State University, Texas State University in Carbondale, Southern Illinois University and Colorado Mesa University.

The “body farm” label came into use after crime novelist Patricia Cornwell wrote “The Body Farm” in 1994. Her protagonist, Kay Scarpetta, solves a child’s murder with help from a secretive research facility in Tennessee known as the Body Farm.

In 2015, USF proposed a forensic training center in Hillsborough County’s Lithia Springs. Nearby residents objected, and USF dropped the project.

Residents had concerns about safety and security with a “body farm” near their neighborhood.

The proposed site will be fenced off, and Moore said, “There’s no chance of anyone getting in here and disturbing the site. It’s a great opportunity not just for our people, but for people nationwide to come here and participate.”

Published March 8, 2017

Army vet gets big surprise: A mortgage-free home

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An unseasonably chilly and windy March morning wasn’t going to disrupt one family’s warm welcome to Land O’ Lakes.

Retired U.S. Army Sgt. David Roca and his three children were on their way to receiving a new home in Connerton, the 4,800-acre mixed-use, master-planned community in central Pasco County.

Yet, they had no idea.

Retired U.S. Army Sgt. David Roca and his three children received a new home in Connerton. The 2,065-square-foot, four-bedroom is mortgage-free. From left, Alex, 14; Amelie; 15; David Jr., 3; and, David.
(Courtesy of Grey Street Studios Inc.)

The Roca family, who currently live in Orlando, assumed they were just going through Operation Finally Home’s preliminary interview process on March 3.

Instead, they were treated like VIPs, as they received an escort by the Patriot Guard Riders, and were greeted at the site of their new Land O’ Lakes home by dozens of residents, dignitaries and fellow veterans.

The groundbreaking for the family’s new one-story, four-bedroom home was a patriotic celebration that left the 36-year-old single father smiling.

And, speechless.

“It’s a great feeling,” Roca said afterward. “It’s hard finding the words.”

Lennar Homes and Connerton partnered with Operation Finally Home to provide the custom-built, mortgage-free home to the army veteran and his children, Amelie, 15; Alex, 14; and, David Jr., 3.

Based in Texas, Operation Finally Home has provided more than 150 mortgage-free homes for veterans during the past 10 years.

The nonprofit was one of three organizations that MacDill Air Force Base recommended to Connerton officials.

Construction is already underway at 8743 Savory Walk Drive. The family of four is expected to move in on April 30, thanks to an expedited permitting and review process by Pasco County.

The ceremony marked the sixth home Lennar has provided to military families around the country, and the first in the Tampa Bay market.

Construction has already begun on the 2,065-square-foot home, at 8743 Savory Walk Drive.

The family of four is expected to move in on April 30, thanks to an expedited permitting and review process by Pasco County.

Like other recipients of Operation Finally Home, Roca’s background is honorable, yet heart-wrenching.

The native of Queens, New York, enlisted in August 2004 as a 13F Forward Observer.

During his deployment to Iraq, he sustained several traumatic brain injuries in combat, one of which occurred when an improvised explosive devise hit his vehicle.

Upon returning home, Roca’s injuries prevented him from performing in physical training.

He experienced mood swings and severe headaches, too.

After thorough evaluation, Roca medically retired in December 2008.

Dozens of residents, dignitaries and fellow veterans attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Roca family’s new home.

Today, Roca still suffers from several brain injuries, migraines, sprained ankles and post-traumatic stress disorder.

In service, Roca received numerous accolades, including the Valor Device, an award for saving his Commander’s life in battle. He has also received an Army Commendation Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award and Army Good Conduct Medal.

Rusty Carroll, executive director of Operation Finally Home, was particularly moved by Roca’s background.

“He suffered through countless incidents that nobody would want to go through,” Carroll said. “But, his courage and valor stood true, and he helped save lives.”

Upon retiring in 2008, Roca moved his family to Long Island, where he hoped to recover and continue his bachelor’s degree at Nassau Community College.

But, he struggled with concentration and memory due to his wartime injuries, and opted to focus on his mental and physical health before continuing school.

He and his three children moved to Florida for a “better life.”

“The thing that stood out to me when I first saw David’s story, was his commitment to his family,” Carroll said. “That certainly has shined through ever since I was able to know David and meet him.”

Operation Finally Home, Carroll noted, simply “connects the dots” among communities, builders and subcontractors, to honor veterans.

“David and others just like him don’t feel like they deserve it, but they do,” Carroll said. “He has paid for it. He’s paid it through his service and his sacrifice to this country, so he’s earned it.”

Once the family moves to Land O’ Lakes, Roca said he eventually wants to work with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to find employment that suits his skills, and immerse his family into the community.

Published March 8, 2017

Bilirakis looking for ‘Heroes Among Us’

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U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis is looking for nominations for the second annual Heroes Among Us event.

Nine-year-old Selena Schulz wrote a book about helping shelter animals. She was honored by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis in his ‘Heroes Among Us’ program.
(Courtesy of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis)

The event honors men and women who make communities within Florida’s 12th congressional district special.

It aims to recognize those who are dedicated to good deeds, volunteerism and going above and beyond to serve others.

“We all know that the Tampa Bay Area is a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family. It’s time we recognize the individuals who help make our community so special. If you know somebody who makes a positive difference for others, I encourage you to nominate them to receive a Heroes Among Us award,” Bilirakis said, in a news release announcing the call for nominations.

Last year’s honorees included:

  • Selena Schulz: This 9-year-old author from Pasco County wrote “A Bed, a Buck, a Buddy” about helping shelter animals. She raised $1,500 in donations to the Pasco County Animal Shelter.
  • Bob O’Brien and Vince Blancato: These teachers at Gulfside Elementary School in Holiday help students understand the benefits of growing and eating vegetables.
  • Susan Traylor: This registered nurse in Pasco County founded Wellness Ministries, a charity that helps provide local homeless or vulnerable individuals with health care, transportation, clothing, and job resources.
  • Marie Whitney and Lee Pagill: These were the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Unit Volunteers of the Year in 2015
  • Paula and Barry Cohen: These are the founders of the PACK Camp, a nonprofit summer camp for special needs children in Pasco County.
  • Nancy Crane and Sarah Page: These women work at Quantum Leap Farm in Odessa, a nonprofit that provides therapeutic horseback riding for adults and children with mental/physical disabilities, including Veterans.

Nominations for this year’s award must be submitted by March 31.

Marie Whitney and Lee Pagill, who were the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Unit Volunteers of the Year in 2015, were also recognized for their contributions by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis.

Submissions can be emailed to Tucker O’Brien at .

They should include the nominee’s name, email address, phone number and reasons why he or she should be recognized.

Last year, about 100 citizens were honored with a Heroes Among Us award at a ceremony in the district. The congressman will host a ceremony recognizing nominees later this spring.

Published March 8, 2017

A breakfast sandwich, with a side of nostalgia

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When Laura Lewis saw the Dunkin’ Donuts going up on U.S. 41, in Lutz, she couldn’t wait until it opened,

She wanted to enjoy a bite to eat there, and to reminisce.

So, once the shop opened, at 17514 U.S. 41, she and her friend Carolyn Smith headed over there for breakfast.

Laura Lewis, left, and Carolyn Smith enjoy breakfast and share memories of Laura Lewis’ dad, who once operated a real estate office on the spot now occupied by a new Dunkin’ Donuts, on U.S. 41 in Lutz.
(B.C. Manion)

The shop serves hot coffee, iced coffee, hot tea, iced tea, espresso-based drinks, sandwiches, donuts and other bakery items.

Alex DaSilva, director of operations, said the shop chose that location because the area is experiencing residential and commercial growth, and Dunkin’ Donuts likes to get in on the front end of new development.

“It’s an up-and-coming market,” DaSilva said.

Lewis said she knows her dad, George M. Lewis, who spent his final years in Lutz, would be happy to see how the spot where he had his real estate office is being put to use.

He’d be glad to see that a family-oriented business is operating there, Lewis said.

Her dad was originally from the Kansas/Missouri area, she said.

He did various kinds of work through the years, said Smith, who has been a friend of Lewis’ for more than 30 years.

“He worked for the shipyard first,” Smith said.

“Then, from the shipyard, he did dredging,” she said. The dredging work involved area canals, and dredging for pipelines in South America, Smith added.

He also got into ranching and real estate.

At one point, he had 1,000 acres in Tarpon Springs, Lewis said. He also had 10 acres on Gunn Highway, in Citrus Park.

Lewis recalls helping her dad, when she was young.

“I used to trail my dad around all of the time, handing him tools and driving the tractor,” she said.

When she was older, she went to work for Maas Bros., earning $28 a week, but decided that wasn’t the life for her.

“I went out at lunchtime and joined the Army,” she said. She enlisted for three years, but had to stay longer because of the Korean War.

After that, she used her G.I. Bill to get her education and then became an industrial arts teacher, teaching woodshop in New Jersey for 35 years before retiring to Lutz.

Smith, whose mother was Lewis’ mother’s best friend, has been a close friend for more than three decades. The women share a home in Lutz.

Lewis’ mother, Smith said, “was like my mother’s sister.”

Both women were enjoying a trip down memory lane during their recent Dunkin’ Donuts visit.

At one point, Lewis’ dad had a huge sign in front of his real estate business on U.S 41, Smith recalled

People would pay him to use the sign for advertising.

“It was 20 (feet) to 30 feet high,” Smith said. “When they would come and put an advertisement on it, he would tell them: ‘No alcohol, no tobacco, nothing offensive,’” Smith said.

“He went to Lutz Baptist, right down the street, and he said, ‘My people see that and I want something nice on the sign,’” she explained. “One time they put up a cigarette ad. He called, and they came and took it down right away.”

When Dunkin’ Donuts was under construction, they had to keep the sign on the property — it was planted too deep into the ground for them to remove it, Smith said.

“I was here when they put it in. It has to be cemented in about 15 feet deep. It’ll never come out,” Smith said.

“They tried to get it out of the ground and they couldn’t, so they just built the Dunkin’ Donuts sign around it,” she said.

“A piece of him is always here,” Smith said.

Published March 8, 2017

Awards keep rolling in for Lutz robotics program

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The Lutz-based Trinity Dragons swept the Florida Vex Robotics State Championships last month, securing multiple bids to represent the state in April’s world championships.

On Feb. 17, Team 6430 outscored 56 other high school teams to claim both the Excellence Award and the Tournament Championship Award at the Florida State Fairgrounds.

The Trinity Dragons Team 6430 won last month’s state robotics championships, securing bids to compete in the 2017 Vex World Robotics Championships, in April. Last year, Team 6430 finished ninth among 500 teams at the world championships, which consisted of more than 16,000 participants from 37 nations.
(Courtesy of Ray Carr)

A week earlier, the Dragons’ elementary squad, Team 6430X, outscored 28 other teams in the Florida State Elementary School IQ Vex Challenge Championship; they were also recognized for winning the Robot Skills Champion Award.

The high school team, is ranked fourth internationally, of 8,500 teams worldwide, in autonomous programming skills; Team 6430 also went undefeated in each of its tournament championships.

The 2017 Vex World Robotics Championships, entering its 10th year, runs from April 19 to April 25 at the Kentucky Exposition Center, in Louisville, Kentucky.

This year’s Vex robotics challenge, titled “Starstruck,” is played on a 12-by-12 square field, in which two alliances consisting of two robotics teams each, compete in matches comprising of a 15-fifteen second autonomous period, followed by 1 minute and 45 seconds of driver-controlled play.

The object of the game is to attain a higher score than the opposing alliance by having each robot place “stars” and “cubes” in designated zones, and remotely hanging robots onto a hanging pole.

In 2016, Team 6430 finished ninth among 500 teams at the world championships, which consisted of more than 16,000 participants from 37 nations.

Last year’s competition, called “Nothing But Net” required teams to construct robots that could essentially score as many balls into goals during a two-minute span.

The Trinity Dragons, coached by Ray Carr, was formed about five years ago.

Published March 8, 2017

 

Local youth attends Trump’s address to Congress

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Like millions of other Americans, Colin Cagle viewed President Donald Trump’s first speech to a joint session of Congress on Feb. 28.

Unlike most, the 13-year-old Odessa resident, attended Trump’s speech in Washington D.C.

He was the invited guest of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis.

Colin Cagle, left, was an invited guest of Rep. Gus Bilirakis during President Donald Trump’s first speech to a joint session of Congress on Feb. 28 in Washington D.C. The 13-year old Odessa resident is in seventh grade at Martinez Middle School.
(Courtesy of Sharri and Bill Cagle)

That fact is even more impressive, considering each member of congress was allotted just one extra ticket for Trump’s address.

Cagle, a seventh-grader at Martinez Middle School, was thrilled to receive the rare invitation.

“I was just extremely thankful, and I was in shock. I was so surprised,” Cagle, said.

Bilirakis first became aware of Cagle when his family requested tickets for President Trump’s Inauguration on Jan. 20. (Though Bilirakis’ office was out of tickets, Rep. Dennis Ross was able to pitch in.)

Cagle and Bilirakis have remained in touch, and the congressman became enthralled by the youth’s keen passion for politics.

That was furthered once Bilirakis’ office came across a 6 ½-minute NBC News feature on Cagle’s political interests and ideology.

Cagle, an unabashed Trump supporter, left the address content with the president’s remarks on strengthening the military and unifying the country.

“He put out plans that I know that both Democrats and Republicans can all stand behind,” Cagle said. “Overall, it was very presidential, and it was an amazing experience.”

The teenager’s visit to Washington D.C. also included tours of the U.S. Capitol Building, the Kennedy Center and the Library of Congress. “It was really awesome,” he said.

Though Cagle always has had an interest in politics, his curiosity peaked following the Feb. 2016 death of his 75-year-old grandfather, Lyndon Hooper.

During his visit to Washington D.C., 13-year-old Colin Cagle received tours of the U.S. Capitol Building, the Kennedy Center and the Library of Congress.

According to Cagle’s mother, Sharri, the youth’s grandfather was “extremely involved” in politics, assisting with numerous campaigns, including former Republican Congresswoman Katherine Harris.

Following his grandfather’s death, Cagle closely monitored the 2016 presidential race, heavily researching the hot-button issues.

Trump’s position on health care reform and immigration were two of many Cagle agreed with.

“I kind of formed my own opinions, and they happened to match up with President Trump’s,” Cagle explained.

He then put his conservative principles in action.

Prior to the election of the 45th president, Cagle volunteered at Republican call centers in Carrollwood, Brandon and Orlando.

He also attended three of President Trump’s campaign rallies in Tampa, Lakeland and Ocala.

Being such an open Trump supporter has come with some challenges, however.

Cagle’s mother acknowledged her son has received “a lot of backlash.”

Yet, he’s stood firm in his viewpoints.

“I’m proud of him,” she said. “I think that’s important to stand with your convictions, and not waver when you believe in something, and not change who you are depending on who you’re with,” he said.

She added: “I know how ugly politics can be. So, we try to use things as a learning experience for him, and he’s seen the good and the bad.”

Cagle said he hopes one day to make a difference in politics, perhaps as a senator or congressman.

“I’d like to work for a congressman when I’m in college, so that way I can get some hands-on experience,” he said. “I just like how all the congressman and senators are running to make a difference, to help our country be better.”

With plans to start a Young Republicans Club at Martinez Middle, his passion for government and politics doesn’t appear to be waning anytime soon.

“He spends so much time and effort learning the issues at hand, and trying to base his opinion on facts,” his mother said. “We just tell him to be open-minded, listen to both sides, and base your opinion on facts, and try not to engage in ugliness.”

Meanwhile, the young conservative remains pleased with President Trump, less than two months in office.

“Everything he’s said he’s going to do, he’s doing it,” Cagle said. “He’s not really backtracking. Obviously, he’s going to have to make some compromises, which is what he’s saying. But, he’s still sticking to the main principles of what he said he’s going to be doing.”

Published March 8, 2017

New elementary option offers rigor

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Pasco County Schools has expanded its list of educational choices for elementary school children living east of U.S. 41 by adding the Cambridge Programme at San Antonio Elementary School.

The program is an advanced academics program, which means it has a more rigorous curriculum and is taught at a faster pace.

This brochure, available from Pasco County Schools, offers an overview of the Cambridge Programme, a new option at San Antonio Elementary School.
(B.C. Manion)

The district is adding this program, which will help prepare students who are entering the Cambridge Secondary 1 Programme, already offered at Pasco Middle School, and the Cambridge Secondary 2 and Cambridge Advanced programs, already offered at Pasco High School.

The University of Cambridge began the Cambridge Programme more than 150 years ago, with 370 candidates in seven English cities.

Since then, the program has expanded to include more than 8 million candidates in 160 countries.

The program seeks to develop learners who are reflective, confident, engaged, responsible and innovative, according to a PowerPoint presentation shown to interested parents at a meeting on Feb. 23 at Wesley Chapel Elementary School.

Applications for the programs at Pasco Middle and Pasco High are already closed for this year, but the elementary program is accepting applications, said Kimberly Anderson, principal of San Antonio Elementary School.

Anyone interested must complete the application by March 16. A timed writing test will be given at the elementary school on March 17. The times for the test will vary, based on the student’s age.

The program has made provisions to ensure that academically gifted students will work with academically gifted teachers. Gifted certified teachers will work with Cambridge teachers, and gifted teachers will meet monthly with students to monitor their progress toward their goals.

Pasco County Schools will provide transportation to children who will be transferring to San Antonio Elementary, through the use of satellite bus stops. Stop locations haven’t been determined yet.

Cambridge’s mission statement, in part, reads: “We prepare students for life, helping them develop an informed curiosity and a lasting passion for learning. Our programs and qualifications set the global standard for international education.”

A brochure distributed by Pasco County Schools says the Cambridge approach supports schools to develop learners who are:

  • Confident in working with information and ideas – their own and others
  • Responsible for themselves, responsible to and respectful of others
  • Innovative and equipped for new and future challenges
  • Engaged intellectually and socially, ready to make a difference

By adding the program at San Antonio Elementary, students on the east side of U.S. 41 will now have an opportunity to pursue the Cambridge Programme at elementary, middle and high school levels.

Cambridge advanced level courses are considered to be equivalent to the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate program classes, and Cambridge students can earn up to 45 hours of college credits.

Students receiving an AICE diploma through Cambridge and completing 100 hours of community service qualify for the maximum Florida Academic Scholar tuition scholarship.

Students who do not attend a Pasco County public school or charter school are asked to have the main office at their school send a grade history (transcript) and standardized assessment score history to:

Ms. Kimberly Anderson, principal of San Antonio Elementary School, 32416 Darby Road Dade City, Florida 33525.

The school will send out acceptance notifications in April.

If there are too many qualified candidates, a lottery system will be used.

Deadline for applying is March 16. Applications are available on San Antonio Elementary School’s website, SAES.pasco.k12.fl.us.
Applicants also must complete a timed writing sample on March 17 in the media center at San Antonio Elementary, 32416 Darby Road in Dade City.
The timed writing samples will be done for incoming first-graders at 9:30 a.m., and incoming second- through fifth-graders at 12:30 p.m. The writing sample is not something that requires study or preparation by students.
Extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration, and alternate writing dates are available by contacting Principal Kimberly Anderson at (352) 524-5300.
While students are completing their writing sample, parents are invited to enjoy complimentary refreshments in the school’s cafeteria.

Published March 8, 2017

Slip away to Safety Harbor, a ‘secret little hideaway’

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When I told a friend at work years ago I lived in Safety Harbor, he said, “Ah, Safety Harbor. It sounds like a place where nothing bad ever happens.”

Safety Harbor, in northern Pinellas County, is home to 17,139 residents, and lots of festivals, including the Seafood Festival, March 10 through March 12.
(Karen Haymon Long)

It sometimes seems that way still. With a crime rate less than half that of Florida’s, this little town on the northwestern edge of Old Tampa Bay is the perfect place to take long walks, picnic in a picturesque park, or pick up a book from one of the Little Free Library boxes scattered around town like whimsical birdhouses.

Locals seem to like that the town has only 17,139 residents, and that they often run into neighbors at Main Street’s 3rd Friday Music Series or at Market on Main every Sunday at the gazebo.

The Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce even advertises the 4.92-square-mile town as a “secret little hideaway,” – that for years did not have one single cellphone tower.

Safety Harbor will have a sidewalk chalk art festival March 18 and March 19.
(Courtesy of Marcia Biggs)

It doesn’t have as many restaurants, breweries or shops as its more glamorous sister city, Dunedin, but it has plenty of options to please visitors looking for quiet walks, good places to eat and to fly kites.

Some residents are so proud of Safety Harbor, they nicknamed themselves “Harborites,” and, to celebrate the town’s 100th birthday this year, they launched a literary journal and a project to collect video town memories. They’ve also planned 100 centennial events, including those the town usually hosts annually.

The town’s jewel is Philippe Park, a Pinellas County park just 1 ½ miles north of downtown, bordering Old Tampa Bay. It has a boat ramp, picnic shelters and tables, playgrounds, paths along the bay, and plenty of places to launch kayaks and paddleboards.

A canopy of ancient oaks arches over the park’s main road, leading toward a 20-foot temple mound used by the Tocobaga tribe, which left the area in the mid-1700s. The top of the mound offers million-dollar views of the bay and is a popular setting for weddings. On weekends, especially, the park teems with bikers and walkers, many with dogs – on leashes, a park rule requirement. Birdwatchers are likely to see great blue herons, night herons, snowy egrets, osprey and the rarer roseate spoonbills. We once even saw a flock of flamingoes, just south of the park.

Safety Harbor City Marina, near the city’s pier and just south of the Safety Harbor Resort & Spa, is home to mostly sailboats.

We like to leave our car at the park and walk south along a bayside sidewalk to downtown to see manatees from the municipal pier, just south of the Safety Harbor Resort & Spa. Then, we have lunch in town before walking back.

Often, between November and early May, four or five manatees float in the bay right next to the pier. On a recent visit, a Washington State visitor looked amazed to see five manatee faces — bursting from the water for air.

A boy named Colin peered over the pier railing and called out “I love you, manatees’’ repeatedly, while fishermen took time out from cast netting for mullet to watch the manatee show.

Meanwhile, in Veterans Memorial Marina Park, between the pier and the Safety Harbor City Marina, families picnicked under a shelter, enjoying the bay breezes.

Manatees can be spotted from Safety Harbor’s municipal pier, often between November and early May.

The town’s annual seafood festival – this year March 10 through March 12 – in Waterfront Park, across from the marina, attracts visitors from throughout the bay area. Safety Harbor prides itself on its festivals, featuring everything from arts and crafts to a sidewalk chalk art festival March 18 through March 19, a British car show Oct. 21, and a wine festival Nov. 4.

From the marina, it’s an easy walk to Main Street and to the town’s restaurants – from Whistle Stop Grill and Bar, known for fried green tomatoes; to Bar fly, a locals’ favorite, with a popular Taco Tuesday; to the pricier critics’ pick, Parts of Paris, a French bistro serving smoked frogs legs, duck confit and other delicacies.

Tupelo on 4th, a boutique in a converted house in Safety Harbor, sells home décor, jewelry and women’s fashions.

Two pizza restaurants, a barbecue place, a Latin American cantina and Green Springs Bistro, known for tasty bison burgers, are among other options.

The Syd Entel Galleries and Susan Benjamin Glass, at 247 Main St., is worth a visit, with art shows, as well as artwork, glass and jewelry for sale. And, we like Tupelo on 4th, a boutique in a turquoise house with a tin roof that sells home decor, jewelry and women’s fashion.

But mostly, we go downtown to stroll, to manatee watch and to eat lunch. One day, we bought tasty sandwiches at The Sandwich on Main and picnicked in Veteran’s Memorial Marina Park. The sandwich shop’s motto: “We Got It Good” – a sentiment that might well describe Safety Harbor itself.

If you go:
Safety Harbor is in northern Pinellas County, off McMullen Booth Road. Its downtown is roughly south of State Road 580 and north of County Road 611.
Philippe Park is at 2525 Philippe Park Parkway. Hours are daily 7 a.m. to dusk, and closed only the Friday after Thanksgiving and on Christmas.
For events, including those for the city’s centennial, and for dining options, visit CityOfSafetyHarbor.com.
For a map of downtown, see SafetyHarborChamber.com, or stop by the chamber of commerce, at 200 Main St., for free visitors’ guides and attraction brochures.

By Karen Hamon Long

Published March 8, 2017