The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Pasco homeowners to see slight dip in school taxes

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The Pasco County School Board has given first-round approval to a proposed $1.2 billion budget that includes a slightly lower tax bill for homeowners.

Under the proposed rate, the owner of a $125,000 home, after deducting the homestead exemption, would pay $677.30 in taxes. That’s $33.60 lower than the homeowner paid last year.

Construction activity is well under way on a new high school on Old Pasco Road, which will open initially as a high school and a middle school in the 2017-2018 school year. It is one of the district’s biggest capital improvement projects this year. (Image courtesy of Pasco County Schools)
Construction activity is well under way on a new high school on Old Pasco Road, which will open initially as a high school and a middle school in the 2017-2018 school year. It is one of the district’s biggest capital improvement projects this year.
(Image courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

School board members voted unanimously for the proposed budget, but won’t take final action on the proposed rate until a second and final hearing, set for 6 p.m., on Sept. 13. That hearing will be in the School Board Meeting Room, at 7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

While the budget has received first-round approval, school board members Steve Luikart and Alison Crumbley said there need to be some changes.

“It is a work in progress,” Luikart said.

“We’re identifying some of the areas that we have needs in,” he said, noting he was in a meeting with district staff to discuss how to move some funding to provide additional support for some of the district’s lower-functioning schools.

The district also needs to take action to address its graduation rate, which slipped, Luikart said.

“Those are two priorities,” he said. “We’ve got to do whatever it is that we have to change.”

It could mean adding more staff or providing some new curriculum to address the needs, he said.

“That’s something they’re looking into,” he said.

The board also has an executive session set for Aug. 16 to discuss collective bargaining.

“We’re still trying to get the highest percentage we can, for our employees,” he said. “We’re one of the only counties left in the state that has a total health package that the district picks up.”

Sometimes there’s a push for a bigger salary increase, but Luikart said he’d rather go with a lesser percent increase, in order to preserve the health benefits.

School Board member Alison Crumbley said it’s imperative that the district’s budget reflect the needs of the students within the classrooms of the district’s 21 D schools.

The school grades came out after much of the budget had already been put into place, so the district is now looking at things that need to be redirected, Crumbley said.

The budget’s proposed general fund is around $596 million. That’s $21.6 million more than it was last year, representing a 3.77 percent increase.

This school year, it opened Wiregrass Elementary in Wesley Chapel, and added two magnet programs at Centennial Middle and Bayonet Point Middle schools.

It also is opening two new special education centers, Achieve Center of Pasco and Achieve Center at Richey.

Other items included in the budget are a $1.6 million digital classroom allocation for computers, iPads and digital supports.

The district’s 2016-2017 budget for capital projects totals about $284 million, which is a decrease of $48.3 million, representing a drop of about 17.6 percent.

The capital project appropriations are for High School GGG, being built on Old Pasco Road, which is set to open next school year. It will open initially as a middle school and a high school on the same campus.

Elementary School B, in Bexley Ranch, is also under construction to help relieve overcrowding in Central Pasco schools.

Major remodeling also is planned at Land O’ Lakes High School, Woodland Elementary and Marchman Technical College.

The budget also includes scores of other improvement projects at schools around the district.

Published August 17, 2016

Healthy lunch options, for children and adults

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It’s that time of year when parents are asking: How can I pack a healthier lunch for my children?

Well, here are some ideas that will help parents pack healthy lunches for their children, and for themselves, too.

Sandwiches are a popular option, but can be made healthier when following these pointers:

  • Use 100 percent whole wheat or multi-grain bread; 100 percent whole wheat pita pockets; or, 100 percent whole wheat tortilla wraps. Be sure to read the labels to find the ones that are lowest in saturated fat/trans fats.
  • Skip the chips. Instead, pack popcorn, pretzels or whole grain cereal trail mix (see recipe).
  • Add an apple, orange, tangerine, natural applesauce, fruit cup or dried fruits.
  • Include veggies: Lettuce, shredded carrots, avocado slices (avocado is great with turkey or lean roast beef).
  • Cheese: Buy store brand blocks of low-fat, low-sodium cheeses. Slice it yourself to save money, or use a cookie cutter to make fun shapes.
  • Instead of lunchmeat, enjoy some leftover grilled chicken, lean pork or an egg white salad sandwich.

Be sure to keep your sandwiches fresh and safe by packing them with an icepack or frozen water/100% juice pack that can thaw by lunchtime.

lunchboxgraphic rgb
(Courtesy of Betsy Crisp)

Also, remember that size matters. Children need smaller portions depending on their size, age and activity level. so you measure in tablespoons, quarter-cups, half a sandwich, etc. For example, toddlers need tablespoons, not cups. Cutting sandwiches into quarters makes lunch more interesting, and kid-size.

Instead of sandwiches, leftovers are another quick, easy and inexpensive lunch option.

You can use a thermos to keep your foods safe, as well as hot or cold. Some good options include low-sodium soups such as tomato, vegetable or bean; chili made with lean ground beef or turkey; whole wheat spaghetti with low-sodium tomato sauce; or low-sodium baked beans, bean casserole, or beans and rice mix.

Of course, most people enjoy a snack. Here are some ideas for for healthy afterschool snacks:

  • Apple or pear slices to dip into low-fat or nonfat plain yogurt or peanut butter
  • Carrots, celery, or colorful sweet bell peppers cut into fun shapes or strips to dip into hummus or salsa
  • Whole grain crackers (Be sure to read the labels to find those lower in sodium, saturated and trans fats)
  • Slices of grilled low sodium tofu (a soybean product) to dunk into low sodium vegetable or tomato soup
  • Unsalted sunflower seeds

Here’s another thought. Get your kids involved in making their own lunches.

When children help pack their own lunch, they are much more likely to eat that lunch and not to trade it or throw it away.

You can help your children plan their lunches for the week, and then you can build a new list for the next week, and them combine lists for future weeks, and so on.

You can teach your children about good nutrition and give them healthy choices, as well. Take them to the store as you shop and let them pick items to add to their lunch.

Have them help you make lunches the night before school, to save time in the morning.

You can store lunches in the fridge, so it is just grab-n-go during the morning rush to get out the door.

You can help your children develop good habits that will last them a lifetime.

For more guidance, visit MyPlate.Gov.

This column was adapted from the following two sources:  The American Heart Association – How to Pack a Healthy School Lunch and FDA – 4 Tips for a Healthy and Stress-Free Lunchbox.

Betsy Crisp is an Extension Family & Consumer Sciences agent and a licensed dietitian for the University of Florida/IFAS. She is based in Pasco County and can be reached at .

Healthy Homemade Trail Mix
Ingredients
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup mini-pretzels (1 cup)
1 cup whole grain toasted oat cereal Os
1 cup (or more) toasted corn, rice, wheat, multi-bran or combination cereal
1 cup low-fat granola

Directions
Measure ingredients into large bowl.  Stir to mix.
Portion into snack bags to add to lunchbox or grab a bag after school for a pre-portioned snack.

Published August 17, 2016

We’re all summoned to battle Zika’s threat

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As promised — no, as feared — Zika has come ashore, invading Florida, most likely from Latin America, replicating the first wave of a map from a science fiction movie. Soon, because we are mobile and restless, it could be everywhere.

What emerged out of a Ugandan rainforest, a virus that sickens some adults with aches and rashes but is linked to horrific deformities to babies in the womb, has come to America the modern way: not through the vampiric work of infected flying insects, but probably on the wings of Boeing jets, or aboard a luxury cruise ship.

Dennis Moore, Pasco County’s mosquito control director, holds a container with Aedes aegypti young adults — some are still in the larval stage. (Tom Jackson/Photo)
Dennis Moore, Pasco County’s mosquito control director, holds a container with Aedes aegypti young adults — some are still in the larval stage.
(Tom Jackson/Photo)

Somebody visited someplace where Zika is rampant, picked it up and came home, possibly — because the symptoms in adults often are too subtle to notice — without knowing he was sick.

But now that it’s here, it’s most likely mosquitos — specifically the aggressive, daylight-active Aedes (from the Greek for “odious”) aegypti — that will enable its spread.

The good news, to the extent that anything regarding Zika can be regarded as good, is that as of late last week, reports of the virus being spread by mosquitos remained contained to Miami. Otherwise, Zika cases across the state, including about a half-dozen in Pasco County and 10 in Hillsborough County, are evidently travel-related.

That, of course, could change overnight. An infected person back from vacation goes out for the night, suffers a bite, and what started as an exotic respite in Belize or St. Martin triggers an outbreak back home.

Which is why, more than ever, we need to know what’s going on at the Pasco County Mosquito Control District. To be sure, we remain on the front line of beating back the menace of the opportunistic Aedes aegypti, which uses our bad — or at least risky — habits to its reproductive advantage.

Mosquitos rely on collections of still water for egg-laying and early stage development. While its cousins prefer natural collection points, such as water lettuce, water hyacinths, ditches and tidal puddles, Aedes aegypti seeks out human-caused pools, everything from discarded tires to bird baths to mop buckets to the kids’ beach toys.

If it’s outside and it’ll hold water, it’s even money the female Aedes aegypti considers it a nursery.

Everybody who’s spent time in the South, especially Florida, already knows — or ought to know — this. Oddly, though, it’s usually not until reports of some alarming public health menace makes the news that most of us take a mental inventory of the possible collection sites under our jurisdiction.

Well, that and you’re under the icy, cobalt gaze of entomologist Dennis Moore, Pasco’s mosquito control director, who has three words for us: “Drain and cover.”

I might have gone with “Dump and cover,” because it sounds more like “duck and cover,” but the message is the same. We should deny Zika’s “vector” mosquito breeding space wherever we can, but because we can’t count on our neighbors, we should cover ourselves (with clothes and effective insect repellant) and our residences (with screens in good repair).

Moore says this even as the part of the district’s program with which we are most familiar — the distinctly orange spray trucks — prepare for another night of going to war with mosquitos out for a “blood meal.”

What we might not know, but find reassuring, is the district also employs airborne tactics — a pair of low-flying Aztec airplanes and a couple of helicopters — to attack mosquitos in rural and coastal areas in their larval stage; airboats to kill off lake and pond vegetation that collects water; amphibious vehicles to go where airboats cannot go; and, where vehicular intervention or mass attacks are impractical, handheld foggers for that personal touch.

What we also might not know, but find fascinating, is that craftsmen, welders and mechanics working for the district fabricate much of what Pasco’s mosquito hunters use. This is not due to a lack of off-the-shelf stuff, Moore says, but because his people can take the elemental parts — a Briggs & Stratton engine and a sprayer, for instance — and create the blower linkage that makes a better, cheaper mosquito killer.

“And, when it breaks,” Moore says, “we know how to fix it, because we built it.”

For instance, those pesticide-holding tanks on the bottoms of the Aztecs? They’re fiberglass sprung from molds fashioned by the machine shop. You can buy them off the rack for about $30,000, Moore explains, but the district’s do-it-themselves tanks cost about one-sixth as much.

Meanwhile, back in the lab, researchers are growing mosquitos, which become tiny wriggling and buzzing lab rats for the testing of various types and combinations of mosquito-specific pesticides and growth-inhibitors.

And, they know where to spray because of a full-time trapping program.

Why the fussiness? Because the Pasco Mosquito Control District is an agency unto itself, with a board (two of whom face re-election challengers in November) and a $6 million budget that corresponds with a line item on Pasco property owners’ tax bills.

Being responsible for itself means being able to pivot more quickly when conditions change. Nobody has to go to the county commission for an emergency budget adjustment.

On that front, nothing changes until it does, Moore says, “and then, it’ll change fast and a lot.”

To meet the challenge, the agency would add staff and ramp up training, both of which could challenge the district’s bottom line. If that happens, the three-member board will have some choices to make. But they will be their choices, not the choices of a county commission with layers of concerns.

For now, the capable folks at the district will do what they can to make our next barbecue, sidewalk cafe visit, after-work golf getaway or trip to the park as nuisance-free as science can make it.

But, like the man said, they can’t do it alone, and Zika is out there. Drain and cover, y’all. Drain and cover.

Tom Jackson, a resident of New Tampa, is interested in your ideas. To reach him, email .

Published August 10, 2016

Hotels go up as tourism grows in Pasco

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Pasco County’s hotel market is thriving.

Five hotels are either under construction, closing in on a groundbreaking or will open within months.

A new Hilton Garden Inn is the most recent to complete permitting, with a construction start now in the offing.

The 125-room, six-story hotel is rising off of State Road 56, at Maple Silver Parkway.

Hilton Garden Inn is under construction at Northpointe Village, off State Road 54 and Suncoast Parkway. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)
Hilton Garden Inn is under construction at Northpointe Village, off State Road 54 and Suncoast Parkway.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

Another 110-room Hilton Garden Inn at Northpointe Village, on State Road 54 at the Suncoast Parkway, is expected to open in three to four months.

Off State Road 56, an 80-room Holiday Inn Express is well under way, next to the construction site for the Florida Hospital Center Ice sports complex.

The ice complex is expected to open by Labor Day, and play a significant role in boosting Pasco’s sports tourism industry.

Developers of Cypress Creek Town Center, on the north side of State Road 56, are planning a 130-room Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel hotel.

And, Wiregrass Ranch is set to build a 92-room Fairfield Inn & Suites, also off State Road 56.

The hotel expansion comes as Pasco County is looking at another record-breaking year for tourism, with the county’s cash register jingling with bed tax dollars from hotel stays.

Pasco County’s Tourism Manager Ed Caum anticipates hitting $1 million in revenues from the bed tax, exclusively paid by hotel guests who live outside of Pasco.

To date, he said revenues are about $856,000, a 4.6 percent increase over projections.

Holiday Inn Express will open next to Florida Hospital Center Ice sports complex, off State Road 56 near Interstate 75.
Holiday Inn Express will open next to Florida Hospital Center Ice sports complex, off State Road 56 near Interstate 75.

In the last 18 months, hotel occupancy has been about 72 percent to 75 percent. And, the average daily hotel rate is $8 higher than last year.

“Now there is more demand, so there’ll be more supply,” Caum said.

Pasco currently has about 3,600 hotel rooms. More than 600 rooms will be added from the new hotels.

In 2013, an Urban Land Institute study predicted that Pasco would add about 75 rooms a year through 2020.

By that yard stick, Caum said, “We’re actually ahead of projections.”

While business travelers still fill up most of Pasco’s hotel rooms, Caum said more leisure travelers are coming into the mix.

That market is expected to grow as the county reaps benefits from tourist destinations such as Tampa Premium Outlets, more retail and restaurants at Cypress Creek Town Center, Florida Hospital Center Ice, SunWest Park and TreeHoppers Aerial Adventure Park.

About 6,000 people are employed by the hospitality industry in Pasco, including at hotels and restaurants. Supportive businesses indirectly account for more than 12,000 additional people being employed.

“That’s huge,” said Caum.

Published August 10, 2016

VFW fundraiser aimed to help Hiott family

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VFW Post 4283 will host a Corn Hole Tournament fundraiser on Aug. 13 at 2 p.m., at 12735 VFW Road in Dade City, to help the family of Robbie Lee Hiott with funeral expenses.

VFW Post 4283 will host a fundraiser for the family of Robbie Lee Hiott, who died on July 29. (Courtesy of Hodges Family Funeral Home & Cremation Center)
VFW Post 4283 will host a fundraiser for the family of Robbie Lee Hiott, who died on July 29.
(Courtesy of Hodges Family Funeral Home & Cremation Center)

Hiott died on July 29 at age 36. He was a lifelong resident of Dade City, and is survived by his mother, Patsy Hiott Sabine, and her husband, David; his father, Ricky Hiott, Sr., and his wife, Cynthia; Robbie’s wife, Heather Etheridge; six brothers and sisters, Ricky Hiott, Jr., Heather Hiott, James Blackman, Timothy Blackman, Ruthann Blackman and Lindsey Sabine; and five nieces and nephews, Isabel, Logan, Payton, Hailey and Lucas.

The cost of the tournament is $25 per team. Gift cards and certificates will be awarded to first and second place winners.

There also will be a 50/50 drawing, as well as food and drinks available for purchase. Jen & TJ Rainey, and The Time Travelers, will entertain with live music.

If you would like to preregister your team for corn hole or donate an item as a prize, call Brittany Harrelson at (813) 965-7026.

 

Korean War spy shares wartime experiences

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For nearly 50 years, Eddie Ko didn’t tell a soul about the integral role he played during the Korean War.

“Not even my wife or my children,” the now 80-year-old said.

But for the past 15 years, the Tampa resident has gladly shared the experiences he had as a 14-year-old spy, helping the United Nations throughout the “Forgotten War.”

Eddie Ko, 80, visited the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans’ Nursing Home on July 26. He worked as a teenage spy during the Korean War. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)
Eddie Ko, 80, visited the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans’ Nursing Home on July 26. He worked as a teenage spy during the Korean War.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

He began sharing his story in 2002, after he began organizing an annual golf outing for Korean War vets at his golf club — the Quail Hollow Golf Course in Wesley Chapel.

The outings — held until he sold the course in 2012 — encouraged vets to share their wartime experiences with family and friends.

“Most of the Korean veterans who were in combat — they don’t want to talk about it, even though they are heroes,” Ko said. “Just remember, they were only 18 (years old) or 19 years old, and they had to kill somebody in order to survive.

“But…it’s my opinion that I feel better when I talk about it and get everything off of my chest,” Ko said.

In June of 1950, about 75,000 soldiers from the North Korean People’s Army invaded Ko’s homeland of South Korea. They wiped out thousands of civilians, including his Christian missionary parents.

“That really hurt my heart,” Ko said. “That day forward, I decided I was not going to be accepting of the (North Korean) army.”

His anger possessed him to join the Student Volunteer Army, an anticommunist group of 12 teenage spies spearheaded by a South Korean officer with ties to the U.S. military.

“At 14 years old, you don’t really have patriotism — you have ‘revengism.’ The revenge of mine was so mad that I really wanted to help the Americans,” Ko said.

For three years, he penetrated enemy lines, and relayed valuable information to U.S. Navy Lt. Eugene Clark.

Working as a teenage spy, Ko was the first to discover that Chinese Communist Forces had crossed the border into North Korea to join the fight against the United Nations. That tip prevented U.S. Marines from walking into an ambush of nearly 120,000 Chinese soldiers.

“They didn’t even know that the Chinese were involved,” Ko said. “The lack of intelligence was the biggest fault during the Korean War.”

Nearly 34,000 Americans were killed during the Korean War.

“A lot of Americans died because they didn’t even know where they were, and who they were fighting,” he said.

To gather intel, a young Ko lurked alongside enemy commanders, asking seemingly innocent questions: How many soldiers are here? Are more reinforcements on the way? Where are the heavy tanks?

Ko would report his findings to American forces either via radio communication, or in person.

“Many times it was very risky,” Ko said.

He used faith to help him handle the stressful moments and constant anxiety.

“I became very, very religious at the time and very, very confident in myself,” Ko said. “That’s what helped me survive for three years.”

The Korean War came to an end after an armistice was signed on July 27, 1953. North and South Korea remain separate and occupy almost the same territory since the war began.

After the war, Ko left South Korea to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. He attended high school in East Orange, New Jersey, and subsequently volunteered for the draft in 1956.

He served three years in the U.S. Army, working in counterintelligence and civilian affairs in South Korea.

“I thought wearing a U.S. uniform, I could help the Korean people more. I’m so proud I did that,” Ko said.

He became a successful businessman, and owned three golf courses in Florida before selling them.

Ko now serves as the chairman for the Korean War monument at Veterans Memorial Park, 3602 U.S. 301 in Tampa.

He often visits the 20 Korean War veteran’s association chapters throughout Florida. He tells his story, and gives out copies of the book, “Korea Reborn: A Grateful Nation Honors War Veterans for 60 Years of Growth.”

Ko presents the book — which is a retrospective look at the Korean War and the prosperity that followed — to help uplift Korean War veterans.

“They should be proud of their service,” Ko said. “After 80 percent of Korea was destroyed, now 50 million Korean people live in peace, and it’s one of the strongest economic countries in the world.”

Published August 10, 2016

 

Pasco prepping to ring in a new school year

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Teachers headed back to Pasco County Schools this week to prepare for the first day of school on Aug. 15.

Opening day is a big deal on every campus every year, but it will be especially meaningful at Wiregrass Elementary School, at 29732 Wiregrass School Road in Wesley Chapel because that school is having its “first” first day.

Technology teacher Dalton Smith and Assistant Principal Josh Borders are busy moving boxes — getting ready for the first day of classes at Centennial Middle School in Dade City. (Courtesy of Centennial Middle School)
Technology teacher Dalton Smith and Assistant Principal Josh Borders are busy moving boxes — getting ready for the first day of classes at Centennial Middle School in Dade City.
(Courtesy of Centennial Middle School)

The mood across campus during a teacher move-in day last week offered a glimpse into the significance. People were focused on getting things ready — but there was an obvious excitement, too.

Like many schools, Wiregrass been counting down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until school starts.

This label is above the ticking clock on its website: “Countdown until Wiregrass Elementary changes the world forever.”

The opening of Wiregrass Elementary, of course, caused a shifting of school boundaries. That means some Wesley Chapel children will be experiencing their first day of school this year at at Denham Oaks Elementary, at 1422 Oak Grove Blvd., in Lutz.

The 2016-2017 school year also marks the beginning of a new S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Magnet program at Centennial Middle School at 38505 Centennial Road in Dade City.

The school will be using the Learning Active Technology Infused Classroom model, said Principal Rick Saylor. That instructional approach centers around rigor, student engagement and student responsibility.

Centennial Middle also has been equipped with new technology, offering new opportunities for students. For instance, it now has flight simulators that it will be using in its technology education class.

And now, because it’s a magnet school, it will be drawing students from outside its traditional boundaries, as well.

Pasco Elementary School, at 37350 Florida Ave., in Dade City, will be adding 50 minutes of daily instructional time for students in grades four and five, to comply with a state requirement.

In a July 18 letter posted in English and Spanish on the school’s website, Principal Nena Green tells parents: “We see this as a great opportunity for us to provide students with the additional support that they need to be successful.”

As a result of the additional instructional time, the school day for Pasco Elementary students in grades four and five will be from 8:40 a.m. to 3:40 p.m., while student in prekindergarten through third grade will remain on the school’s 8:40 a.m. to 2:50 p.m., schedule.

Students stream out of the portable classrooms at Wiregrass Ranch High School during a class change last school year. The school will again have a 10-period day, to relieve crowding on campus by staggering the time that students arrive and leave the campus. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
Students stream out of the portable classrooms at Wiregrass Ranch High School during a class change last school year. The school will again have a 10-period day, to relieve crowding on campus by staggering the time that students arrive and leave the campus.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

This will be a special year at Rodney B. Cox Elementary, at 37615 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., in Dade City, as the school celebrates its 90th anniversary — with festivities planned throughout the year.

While some schools are launching new initiatives, others are continuing on paths they began last year.

For instance, Wiregrass Ranch High, at 2909 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, will stick with a 10-period school day for the 2016-2017 school year. Next year, a new high school, now being built on Old Pasco Road, will open to relieve overcrowding.

By having a 10-period day, the school can provide a less crowded campus for most of the school day, according to Principal Robyn White

There will be some changes, though, White said. For instance, it will go back to having pep rallies during the day, instead of after school, because it found it had a higher participation rate.

It also has changed its schedule to close down one of its buildings later in the day because it found that most of the discipline issues it dealt with last year happened in that building later in the day, when there were fewer classes there.

“Typically, during passing, the teachers are standing outside the door,” White explained.  When there are just a couple of classes in a building, there are fewer teachers to supervise the area, she explained.

The school will be keeping the fifth lunch period it added last year because it helped make the lunch periods more manageable, White added.

At Pine View Middle, 5334 Parkway Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, the school will be entering its second year as an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Candidate School. The program aims to expand learning opportunities for all children, and to broaden connections by providing instruction that’s deeper and wider.

Some schools will stick with tried-and-true traditions.

Wesley Chapel Elementary School, at 30243 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel, for example, will have its annual Boohoo Breakfast.

“Whether you are saddened or excited, we would love to see you in the cafeteria on the first day of school, beginning at 9:30 a.m.” the school’s website proclaims, referring to  the breakfast.

When children arrive on campus at Wesley Chapel Elementary, they’ll be greeted by Stan Mykita, the school’s new principal.

Parents who want to know more about their child’s school, how to get involved, how to help their child and details about such things as bus stops, school lunch prices and supplies, can find much of the information they need on their individual school’s website. Some information is also available on the district’s website, at Pasco.k12.fl.us.

Registration requirements
Students entering a Florida school for the first time at any grade level, will be asked to present the following items upon registration:

  • Current immunization records (vaccination requirements vary by grade level)
  • Proof of a physical examination dated and signed by a licensed health professional within the last 12 months
  • Proof of age, through a birth certificate or other acceptable documents
  • Social Security number, if one is available.
  • Proof of Florida residency, such as water, gas, electric or other utility bill; a properly executed lease agreement; or some other evidence
  • Copy of the student’s last report card, if applicable
  • Legal guardianship records, if applicable

Students entering kindergarten for the first time must be 5 years old before Sept. 1. Pre-kindergarten and Head Start/Early Start programs are available to students who are younger.

Help for parents
Useful information often can be found on the websites maintained by Pasco County Schools and Hillsborough County Schools. Local schools also often provide practical tips to help parents help their children succeed in school.

For instance, Connerton Elementary School, in Land O’ Lakes, offered these pointers for parents to help foster school success:

  • Ensure that your child is at school on time each day.
  • Attend parent/teacher conferences and school events.
  • Monitor your child’s homework daily.
  • Expect and support positive behavior at school.
  • Read with your child or encourage your child to read daily.

 

Getting ready for Day 1

  • Before doing your back-to-school shopping, check your school’s website to find out out what supplies are needed.
  • Also, check the website to find out what time school begins and ends, the code of conduct and dress code for the school, and applications for free or reduced-price lunch.
  • Information also is available through individual and district websites regarding child care, the school year calendar and transportation.

Published August 10, 2016

Hillsborough heads back to school this week

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Hillsborough County public school students are heading back to school this week, and their counterparts in Pasco County public schools begin next week.

Whether they’re streaming to Lutz Elementary School, Steinbrenner High, Liberty Middle, an area charter school or to a private school — the beginning of a new school is a time that’s always marked with fresh starts and new enthusiasm.

The Lutz Elementary School campus — quiet and calm in this photo — soon will be buzzing with activities, as a new school year begins.
The Lutz Elementary School campus soon will be buzzing with activities, as a new school year begins.

Motorists need to remember that area roads will be busy, as yellow buses hit the streets to pick up children, high school students drive themselves and parents drop off their kids.

Adding to the mix are teachers, administrators and other school staff members who will be back on the roads again, too.

To help keep things safe, AAA advises that motorists slow down, come to a complete stop at stop signs, eliminate distractions such as using a cellphone or eating while driving, be careful when backing up and to watch out for bicyclists.

The motor club also urges parents to talk with their teenage drivers about being safe behind the wheel.

“Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States, and nearly one in four fatal crashes involving teen drivers occur during the afterschool hours of 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.,” according to the motor club’s website. It offers tips to help teenage drivers on its website.

Steinbrenner High School is one of several public high schools serving Hillsborough County students living within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.
Steinbrenner High School is one of several public high schools serving Hillsborough County students living within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

Students arriving this fall at Wharton High School, 20150 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., will find three new assistant principals, Principal Brad Woods announced in a letter to parents and students on the school’s website.

Changes also are in store for Denham Oaks Elementary, 1422 Oak Grove Blvd., in Lutz.

This school, in Pasco County, draws students living on the Pasco side of the county line.

This year, the school also will be picking up some students from Wesley Chapel neighborhoods, who have been reassigned there because of the opening of Wiregrass Elementary.

As a result of the boundary change, Pasco County Schools has added gifted education services at Denham Oaks. Parents of the Wesley Chapel students had complained their children would be losing those services, so the Pasco County School Board added them.

For parents wanting more information about Hillsborough or Pasco county public schools, they can visit the Hillsborough district website at SDHC.k12.fl.us or the Pasco district website at Pasco.k12.fl.us.

Registration requirements
Students entering a Florida school for the first time at any grade level, will be asked to present the following items upon registration:

  • Current immunization records (vaccination requirements vary by grade level)
  • Proof of a physical examination dated and signed by a licensed health professional within the last 12 months
  • Proof of age, through a birth certificate or other acceptable documents
  • Social Security number, if one is available.
  • Proof of Florida residency, such as water, gas, electric or other utility bill; a properly executed lease agreement; or some other evidence
  • Copy of the student’s last report card, if applicable
  • Legal guardianship records, if applicable

Students entering kindergarten for the first time must be 5 years old before Sept. 1. Prekindergarten and Head Start/Early Start programs are available to students who are younger.

Help for parents
Useful information often can be found on the websites maintained by Pasco County Schools and Hillsborough County Schools. Local schools also often provide practical tips to help parents help their children succeed in school.

For instance, Connerton Elementary School, in Land O’ Lakes, offered these pointers for parents to help foster school success:

  • Ensure that your child is at school on time each day.
  • Attend parent/teacher conferences and school events.
  • Monitor your child’s homework daily.
  • Expect and support positive behavior at school.
  • Read with your child or encourage your child to read daily.

Published August 10, 2016

Pasco sheriff updates crime efforts

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At The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce monthly meeting, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco talked about a wide range of law enforcement issues.

He touched on many topics, including drug-related offenses, human trafficking, and the rise of officer-involved shootings nationwide.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco talks about many topics, including the recent nationwide string of officer-involved shootings. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)
Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco talks about many topics, including the recent nationwide string of officer-involved shootings.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

Addressing a crowd of about 100, the sheriff said “shake-and-bake” meth and prescription drug usage continue to be a pervasive problem countywide, ultimately leading to a sizable percentage of the county’s burglaries.

Last year, nearly 2,400 burglaries were reported in Pasco County, according to the Federal Department of Law Enforcement.

“That’s the driver of crime in our community — the addiction issue,” Nocco said, at the Aug. 4 breakfast meeting.

“All the burglaries, that’s what really is hurting us right now — people breaking in because of their addictions.

“That is a major disease that law enforcement can’t fight by itself,” Nocco added.

Though he declined to provide many details due to active investigations, the sheriff noted the fight against human trafficking is “going very well.”

“In the next couple of weeks, you’ll hear about some cases we’re working on,” he said. “We’re just working with the State’s Attorney Office to make sure we’ve got a prosecution.”

In May, Pasco sheriff’s deputies busted a New Port Richey human trafficking ring that targeted women in strip clubs along U.S. 19.

Curbing those instances of illegal activity, Nocco said, starts with residents reporting suspicious behavior.

“We need your help in fighting human trafficking,” he said. “The places you’re going to see that is in smaller restaurants, nail salons and massage parlors; if you see a massage parlor with lights on at 12 o’clock at night, something’s not right.”

He continued: “We go to Dade City a lot because of the migrant population and the fields, where a lot of horrific things happen.”

Throughout the meeting, Nocco spent time discussing the recent attacks on law enforcement officers nationwide.

“The stress of our families right now is tremendous,” Nocco said. “We’re in the uniform and we feel the stress, but at the same time…our spouses and our children are living through a time right now that they’ve never really had to live through before.”

As of July 20, there’s been a 78 percent spike in firearms-related officer fatalities, according to a report by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

Thirty-two officers have died in firearms-related incidents so far this year, including 14 that were ambush-style attacks, the report shows. During the same period last year, 18 officers were shot and killed in the line of duty, including three that were considered ambush-style attacks.

“As we talk about these shootings, one of the things…that’s a bigger issue in my eyes is the sovereign citizens movement,” Nocco said. “It was not just about anti-law enforcement, but it was about anti-government. Law enforcement — we’re the forefront of government, we’re the symbol of government and everything that’s happening, we’re just the tip of the iceberg.”

Sovereigns reportedly believe that they get to decide which laws to obey and which to ignore, and don’t think they should have to pay taxes.

A 2011 FBI bulletin called the sovereign citizens movement “a growing domestic threat to law enforcement.”

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the sovereign citizens movement totals about 300,000 members and “has been growing at a fast pace since the late 2000s.”

The 29-year-old gunman who killed three Baton Rouge police officers in an ambush-style attack on July 17 was later found to be a member of an anti-government sovereign citizens group, multiple news outlets reported.

“Sovereign citizens — that is an alarming sound,” Nocco said, “because they have killed law enforcement officers across the country; we actually had a sovereign citizen in Spring Hill who had 14 AK-47s and was ready for a shootout with law enforcement.”

The increasingly risky climate of working in law enforcement has altered the handling of response procedures within the department, the sheriff said.

“We do not have enough deputies to put two in a car, but when we’re responding to a call, we’re sending two deputies,” Nocco said. “And, that could be anything — it could be a shoplifter at a convenience store, but now we’re sending two (deputies) because you never know what the call may be.”

Published August 10, 2016

Bicycling safety on meeting agenda

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San Antonio’s rolling hills are a draw for bicyclists who want scenic routes and more than flat roadway to test their bicycling skills.

San Antonio hosted the Gran Fondo Florida in March. The bicycle race was one of eight events in the nation for the Gran Fondo National Championship Series. (File Photo)
San Antonio hosted the Gran Fondo Florida in March. The bicycle race was one of eight events in the nation for the Gran Fondo National Championship Series.
(File Photo)

But, keeping mostly two-lane blacktop road lanes inviting, as well as safe, will be among topics discussed at a public meeting hosted by Pasco County Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey on Aug. 11 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Pasco County Historic Courthouse, at 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.

Attendees will be asked to identify bicycling routes throughout San Antonio Hills; potential areas for building shoulders on roadways for safety; identifying construction areas that could be a danger to bicyclists; and how to promote bicycling and tourism.

For information or to direct comments to the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Commission, email , or call (727) 847-8140.