The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Views exchanged on ending Pasco blight

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A proposed ordinance to tackle blight and enforce minimum standards for maintaining commercial buildings drew mostly favorable reviews at a town hall meeting.

But, some remain skeptical about what they see as more government bureaucracy.

Pasco County Commissioners are expected to vote on the proposal on Oct. 20, following a public hearing.

The issue has sparked considerable interest.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore talks with about 100 people at a town hall to discuss proposed regulations aimed at ending commercial blight in the county. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore talks with about 100 people at a town hall to discuss proposed regulations aimed at ending commercial blight in the county.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

About 100 people met at the Pasco County Utilities Administration Offices in Land O’ Lakes on Sept. 30 for a town hall meeting, hosted by Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore.

Pasco County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder, Senior Assistant County Attorney Kristi Sims and Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco joined Moore at the town hall session.

Moore proposed the ordinance during discussions for the county’s fiscal 2016 budget. It is similar to one adopted by Hillsborough County and mirrors codes currently applied to residences.

The new regulations would focus on the major commercial corridors of U.S. 19, U.S. 301 and U.S. 41.

According to Moore, the lack of commercial standards is hurting property values and driving away investors who scout locations in Pasco.

“There’s a good chance they’ll turn their car around and go home,” said Moore. “It brings down surrounding property values. Tell me somebody who says it doesn’t, because they’re wrong.”

In August, Moore met with about 50 Land O’ Lakes residents and business owners. Many at that gathering characterized the ordinance as an example of government overreach.

Among the mostly friendly town hall crowd, some were still unhappy with Moore’s approach on curbing blight.

“Small businesses need a helping hand instead of being slapped around,” said Russell Adams of Russell Adams Realty Inc.

Casie Holloway of the family owned Holloway’s Farm Supply said there is no evidence that new regulations are needed. She said a code enforcement officer could show her only one report from July of blight in Land O’ Lakes, and that case was closed as unfounded.

“I understand the concerns, but if it’s not showing up in (county) logs, I question it,” she said. “The codes are already in place to make this work.”

County code currently defines a blighted structure as “extensively damaged by fire, flood, wind or other natural phenomenon.”

Demolitions can be ordered if the building poses a public safety risk. And, the county can place liens on properties to seek re-imbursement of demolition costs from property owners.

But, supporters say the proposed ordinance would provide stronger enforcement tools.

The ordinance would introduce citations and fines for failure to maintain commercial structures to public safety standards.

For example, regulations would require repairs to holes or defects to exterior walls and roofs, and keeping outside stairs safe and sturdy.

New Port Richey resident Hugh Townsend liked the idea of fines.

“When people get hit in the pocketbook, they conform,” he said.

The ordinance also would be a boost for law enforcement in pushing out squatters and drug dealers from derelict buildings, Nocco said.

If approved, the ordinance would allow a six-month grace period for property owners to bring their commercial buildings into compliance.

“This isn’t to nitpick somebody who doesn’t have a painted window,” said Kelly Miller, president of Colonial Hills Civic Association in New Port Richey. “This is the only way we are going to be able to start getting a handle on this problem.”

Published October 14, 2015

 

Serving up fried chicken, nostalgia

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They come to the Old Lutz School, on U.S. 41, bearing casserole dishes and memories to share.

These are men and women who have deep roots in Lutz and Land O’ Lakes.

Their families helped settle the area, and every year they come to celebrate the connections they feel to the community and each other.

The size of the annual gathering has diminished over time, as people have died or can no longer attend.

Jim Dennison slices up a platter of fresh veggies for the descendants’ day feast at the Old Lutz Schoolhouse. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)
Jim Dennison slices up a platter of fresh veggies for the descendants’ day feast at the Old Lutz Schoolhouse.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

“We have some people who won’t be with us anymore, like Cliff Dennison, bless his heart. He used to do this with me. He’s in a nursing home now,” said Annie Fernandez, the event’s organizer.

“This year, I pretty much did it myself,” said Fernandez, who was born in her grandmother’s front bedroom, off the edge of an orange grove, in 1942.

The annual get-togethers with descendants of Lutz pioneers used to be organized by Elizabeth Riegler MacManus, a local historian, who co-authored with her daughter, Susan A. MacManus, an extensive history of the area called “Citrus, Sawmills, Critters and Crackers: Life in Early Lutz and Central Pasco County.”

Elizabeth MacManus organized the event for 20 years but, after that, Dennison and Fernandez took over the duties.

The group has met in three different locations over the years. First, they gathered at a church, then at the Lutz Community Center, and for the past few years, at the Old Lutz Schoolhouse.

“We have this event every year because everybody likes to get together and chit-chat about things that happened to them a long time ago,” said Fernandez, whose family ties to Lutz date back to around 1920.

It’s a true potluck, said Fernandez said, noting the menu is never known completely until the participants show up with their dish.

At this particular gathering, diners found plenty of options, including fried chicken, broccoli casserole, collard greens, lima beans, potato salad, Swedish meatballs, fresh veggies and other foods. They could wash it down with iced tea and lemonade, and top it off with a piece of cake or other desserts.

Sonya Salter was busy in the food room, arranging items as they came in. Fried chicken was in one spot, salads in another, desserts and so on.

She’s not from Lutz, but came to help both last year and this year because she’s Fernandez’s friend. She said she thinks its great that people get together to share their memories.

Bodde O’ Steen, who was at the gathering, too, said he’s lived in Lutz since 1937.

“I’ve seen a lot of changes. When I got here, there weren’t many people here,” he said, guessing there were about 300 people living in the general vicinity.

People cared about each other, O’ Steen said.

“If you needed help, everybody helped out everybody,” O’ Steen said.

Joe Strickland, Margie Strickland, Annie Fernandez and Bodde O’ Steen pose together at the annual gathering for the descendants of Lutz and Land O’ Lakes pioneers.
Joe Strickland, Margie Strickland, Annie Fernandez and Bodde O’ Steen pose together at the annual gathering for the descendants of Lutz and Land O’ Lakes pioneers.

The area has changed enormously over time, he added. “Everything was orange groves and truck farming.”

The Dennison name is widely known in Lutz, with some of the Dennisons spelling the name with two Ns in the middle, while others use just one.

Regardless of the spelling, the family has strong ties to the area.

The Dennisons came to Lutz shortly after the Coopers, who arrived in Lutz in 1832, said Jim Dennison, a family historian.

“Allen Scott Denison drove the stage coach from Fort Brook, which is Tampa to Fort King, which is now Ocala. That was the Concord-Apopka Stagecoach Company.

“They carried the U.S. Mail. And he lived off County Line Road,” he said.

Jim Dennison’s family lived near the intersection of State Road 54 and Livingston Road.

“Where the Raceway’s gas station canopy is — that’s where our house stood,” said Jim Dennison, who moved away from the area for 22 years but came back when his parents needed him.

He’s been attending the descendants’ gatherings since around 1982.

“My dad (Milford Dennison) used to like to come out, and I would bring him,” Jim Dennison said.

He keeps coming because he enjoys the event.

“This is my family — my family and childhood friends,” Jim Dennison said. “Old-timers like to get together and tell stories on one another.”

“A lot of people just like to come in and chat, and have a little refreshment. We have a good time,” Fernandez said.

Published October 14, 2015

Urban food park could sprout in Pasco

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A St. Petersburg-based entrepreneur is hoping to persuade Pasco County planners that an urban food park would be a boon to the county’s economy and its tourism.

Emmanuel Roux, a longtime restaurateur, and his business partners, presented their concept to members of Pasco County’s Citizens Advisory Food Policy Council. They have met with the county’s planners, as well.

The project, which still needs financial backers, would need about 20 acres.

It could include a community garden, a food-related business incubator, restaurants, rooftop gardens, a bakery, a butchery, yoga classes, a wellness center, and activities that are educational and promote healthy, locally grown food.

TreeThere are sites under consideration and the final design would depend on which site is selected, as well as the community’s interests.

“This is not something we come in with that is cookie-cutter,” said Roux, a principal in the nonprofit Urban Food Park Inc. “It is essentially building synergies. People want more than just a food program. They want to learn something. They want it to be good for the community.”

Roux operated The Garden Restaurant and Redwoods in St. Petersburg. He currently owns Gateau O Chocolat, specializing in flourless, gluten-free cakes.

He has been a longtime supporter of community gardens and the farm-to-table organic food movement.

There are two potential sites for the urban food park, along U.S. 19, near New Port Richey. The most promising is a residential area near the intersection of U.S. 19 and Moog Road, around Holiday.

But, rural sites near Dade City and San Antonio also might be considered.

Roux and his team are in discussions with county planners.

“We may see this as a pilot project,” said Todd Engala, a planner with Pasco’s Long Range Planning Group.

Engala also advises with the citizen’s food policy group, which has a long-range goal of recommending policies that promote nutritional, and affordable food in Pasco.

The food park concept could potentially unite rural and urban sites in east and west Pasco, Engala said.

But, there is a sticking point.

Roux’s proposal is for the county to enter an agreement with his team for consulting services.

“The development process really is a consulting process,” said Derek Spilman, a partner in Urban Food Park and also in UFB Consultants Inc.

But the county wants a business plan.

“This is new ground for both of us,” said Engala. “We want to see this idea flourish, but it would need some kind of backing or funding. We’re at the point of trying to figure it out.”

Roux initially began looking for a site in St. Petersburg along the Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail. That has not yet materialized, but some vendors, including owners of a flower shop and ice cream shop, have expressed interest in the Pasco venture.

Food policy council member Jeff Wright said he would like the group to provide more details on their project.

“I would encourage them to talk to Pasco businesses that want to expand that are already here,” he said. “You’ll get more traction doing that.”

The intent is for Pasco residents to take the lead on this, said Roux. “The first choice should be given to residents in Pasco County. We are fully aware of that.”

Published October 14, 2015

Pasco denies medical marijuana zoning appeal

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Pasco County commissioners denied a zoning appeal from a local businessman who wants to qualify for Florida’s program to manufacture and distribute a non-euphoric form of medical marijuana.

Florida legislators approved the use and sale in 2014 of a low-strain of medical marijuana, known as “Charlotte’s web,” but the state has yet to launch the program.

An announcement to award permits to five of 28 applicants is expected shortly.

Steven Smith, a partner in Good Life Development & Investment Group LLC, had planned to be among those applicants.

Smith has a warehouse at One Pasco Center, off State Road 52, and an adjacent property that both are zoned light industrial.

Smith and his partners were preparing an application for the state, when he sought a letter from the county that would show the company’s properties were zoned for medical marijuana uses.

In a July 6 letter, Pasco County Zoning Administrator Denise Hernandez notified Smith that his stated use of the properties “to grow medical marijuana” is not permitted in light industrial.

Commissioners unanimously upheld her decision.

But, Smith said, “They are making a decision not based on law. It’s based on how they want things in the county.”

However, Assistant County Attorney Kristi Sims backed up that ruling at the public hearing.

Ronnie Deese, a property owner at One Pasco Center, said he agreed with the zoning administrator’s decision and didn’t feel comfortable with Smith’s plan.

Attorney Larry Hersch, who represents Smith, argued that his client’s inquiry wasn’t focused solely on growing marijuana. Light industrial zoning allows manufacturing, compounding, processing, packaging, treatment and distribution of products, including pharmaceuticals, Hersch said. Retail sales of drugs also are permitted, he added.

As Pasco County Chairman Ted Schrader called for a vote by commissioners, he said, “We’re not going to sit here and split hairs.”

Afterward, Smith said he has spent thousands of dollars preparing his application to the state including a $60,000 fee. His business missed the state’s application deadline, but Smith said he could still pursue a partnership as a subcontractor for another company. Or, if the legislature increases the number of permits, he could apply then.

“This decision is ridiculous,” Smith said. “We’re not going to stop here.”

Published October 14, 2015 

Speakers present their wish list to lawmakers

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Speaker after speaker stepped up to the podium to present their request to Pasco County’s state lawmakers.

They wanted funding to help a nonprofit.

They wanted lawmakers to put in a good word with state highway officials.

Or, they wanted their backing for a special cause.

About 100 people gathered on Sept. 29 in the gymnasium of Sunlake High School in Land O’ Lakes for a public forum, hosted by Pasco’s legislative delegation.

Sunlake High Band members played the National Anthem at the public forum hosted by Pasco County’s legislative delegation in the high school gymnasium. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Sunlake High Band members played the National Anthem at the public forum hosted by Pasco County’s legislative delegation in the high school gymnasium.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

State Representatives Amanda Murphy, Richard Corcoran and Danny Burgess, and State Senators John Legg and Wilton Simpson listened for nearly three hours, as about 60 representatives of nonprofits, counties and municipalities, civic groups and individual citizens talked about the needs in their communities.

The forum is an annual tradition held prior to the annual legislative session, which is scheduled to convene on Jan. 12, 2016.

Corcoran, a Republican from Land O’ Lakes, will hold the powerful position of Speaker of the House.

Nearly all of the speakers gave lawmakers packets of information detailing specific funding needs or particular policies they want the delegation members to support or reject.

Requests covered a broad range of topics from public safety and school construction, to voter registration and smoke-free beaches and parks.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco advocated for tougher laws to help clamp down on illegal sales of synthetic marijuana.

Current law makes no distinction between the sale of one packet of the illegal substance or 1,000 packets, he said.

“We’re not trying to go after the person with a substance problem,” the sheriff said. “What we’re trying to do is go after the dealer.”

Nocco also urged lawmakers to address the growing problem of terrorist threats made via social media including threats to “shoot up” a school or church.

“There is no law in effect where we can go after them,” Nocco said. But he added, “People make statements and words have meanings.”

Sunlake High School student Mykenzie Robertson lobbied for a state law to ban smoking at public beaches and parks. Robertson is active with Tobacco Free Partnership of Pasco County and the statewide Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT).

“Parks, to me, are a place for healthy recreation,” she said.

Robertson also joined with Sunlake High School student Ormond Derrick later to talk about the problem of substance abuse among young people.

Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley asked lawmakers to consider adding veteran’s registration cards and gun permits to the list of approved identification for voters.

Corley also advocated for at least some of a voter’s personal information to be shielded from public records laws.

Now, access is open “to anyone and everyone,” Corley said. He cited a case of a man in New Hampshire who used Pasco County voter registration data to contact people for business purposes.

A handful of voters de-registered as a result of for-profit businesses accessing their information, Corley said. “That’s sad,” he said. “I think you would agree.”

Protecting data also was on the agenda for Pasco County Clerk and Comptroller Paula O’Neil who talked about the budget challenges in keeping up with technology to allow access, but also protect public records.

“About 95 percent of civil filings are electronic,” she said. “And that will soon be 100 percent.”

Funding issues are facing Pasco County’s school district as it tries to keep up with the explosive growth of new subdivisions, said Pasco School Superintendent Kurt Browning.

New residential development, especially along the State Road 54 corridor through Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel, is pumping up school enrollments.

Sunlake High, for instance, was built for 1,800 students. But Browning said, “We exceeded that number. There are very few schools that don’t exceed what they were built for,” Browning said.

Oakstead Elementary School has 1,200 students in a school built for 762 students.

“Where do we put these kids?” Browning said. “We put them in portables. We cannot build schools fast enough.”

He made a pitch for lawmakers to approve a bill that would give local school boards the autonomy to increase existing property tax millage by half a mill. Board members would need to approve the increase by a super-majority or a unanimous vote, he said.

Pasco County’s Government Affairs Officer Ralph Lair presented lawmakers with a list of priority projects and issues for the coming year, including a state loan for widening State Road 56.

Another issue is funding for the Coast to Coast Connector Trail, which will link Florida’s west and east coasts from St. Petersburg to Titusville. The Florida Department of Transportation will decide which of two routes will be built for one of the trail’s segments. One route goes through northeast Pasco, while another would bypass Pasco.

Pasco officials hope to convince the state roads department to build both routes and create a loop.

“Just have that one on your radar,” Lair said.

Other speakers included Timothy Beard, president of the Pasco-Hernando State College. Help for a performing arts center was among his funding requests.

Brian Anderson advocated for veterans and discussed his nonprofit, Veterans Alternatives, which provides alternative therapies for veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorders.

Representatives for Pasco Fine Arts Council, Habitat for Humanity, AMIKids Pasco and the Good Samaritan Health Clinic of Pasco also brought their concerns and talked about their program successes.

Peggy Wood of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs and Janice Howie of the Nature Coast Chapter of Florida Native Plant Society spoke about environmental issues.

Howie said her organization supported Amendment 1, a constitutional amendment approved by 75 percent of voters to use real estate taxes to purchase land for conservation. In the last legislature, only a fraction of the anticipated $700 million was budgeted for land purchases.

“There is an opportunity to do better this year,” said Howie who is conservation chairwoman.

Wood asked lawmakers to oppose a bill that would bypass local control and give the state sole authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing, often called “fracking,” which is a controversial method of oil drilling.

At least 15 counties in Florida have approved bans on fracking, Wood said.

Texas has passed a bill that bypasses local authority, Wood said. “Now Texas has fracking, whether they (local government) want it or not.”

Published October 7, 2015

Task forces will tackle Pasco congestion issues

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There is trouble on State Road 54 and State Road 56.

Everyone can see the snarled traffic and congestion on a daily basis, and it is clear that it will only get worse with time.

“We’re obviously in a growing community in Tampa Bay,” said Jim Edwards, transportation manager for Pasco’s Metropolitan Planning Organization. “The dirt is turning in a lot of areas. We all see that.”

Unprecedented growth along this corridor is turning pastures and open fields into brick-and-mortar shops, offices, business parks and houses.

Congestion near State Road 54 and U.S. 41 helps to illustrate the problem of an increasing number of cars using the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor, as new businesses and subdivisions pop up. Some are predicting major traffic hassles with the opening of Tampa Premium Outlets and other planned developments. (File Photo)
Congestion near State Road 54 and U.S. 41 helps to illustrate the problem of an increasing number of cars using the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor, as new businesses and subdivisions pop up. Some are predicting major traffic hassles with the opening of Tampa Premium Outlets and other planned developments.
(File Photo)

More is on the drawing board, or in the minds, of developers who see fiscal opportunities just over the horizon.

On Sept. 24, the MPO kicked off a series of public workshops with two separate volunteer task forces that will serve as advisory boards to the MPO. The focus is on improvements on State Road 54 and State Road 56 corridor from U.S. 19 to Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

The recommendations from these groups will be the basis for updating the Mobility 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan.

Each task force is assigned to examine the corridor in segments, with the East Task Force studying the roadway east of U.S. 41, and the West Task Force studying the roadway west of U.S. 41.

By February, the goal is to have about a half-dozen recommendations for highway and transit options, or a combination of both, to present to the MPO. Options that will be scrutinized include express lanes for buses and general traffic, light rail, bus rapid transit, toll roads and elevated lanes.

The MPO board then can choose a more in-depth study of the selected alternatives before adopting one that would be vetted at a public hearing.

If that wins final approval, Pasco County officials and the Florida Department of Transportation would add the project to the county’s long-range transportation vision and seek funding over the next 20 years.

“We want to give it force. We want to give it importance,” said Edwards. “It’s an opportunity to do something, and it’s also a costly issue.”

Consultants with Tindale Oliver will help guide the task forces.

The initial meeting outlined duties and expectations of task force members, and overviews of past studies done on State Road 54 and State Road 56. Members selected Sandy Graves of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce as the group’s chairwoman. Former Zephyrhills Mayor Cliff McDuffie is vice-chairman.

Graves hopes attention will be given to fixing the intersection of State Road 54 and U.S. 41.

“Historically, this has always been a traffic nightmare,” she said. “This is a 2040 (plan), but they’ve got to do something in 2016. So, I’m hoping something will come out of this to fix that.”

That intersection is one of seven already identified by MPO as “hot spots,” but not so much for congestion. The others are Little Road, Gunn Highway, Suncoast Parkway, Collier Parkway, Interstate 75 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

“The main issue today is not necessarily through traffic, but turns,” said Ali Atefi, an MPO transportation planner.

The next meeting for the East Task Force is Dec. 3. The West Task Force kicked off its workshops on Sept. 29, after publication deadline for The Laker/Lutz News. It will meet again on Dec. 1.

According to MPO data, population growth and new jobs will be driving forces in the county’s future transportation needs.

The county’s population from 2010 to 2040 is projected to double from more than 450,000 residents to more than 905,000 residents. Jobs will triple from more than 125,000 to nearly 375,000 by 2040, the study found.

Development along the State Road 54 and State Road 56 corridor will account for about 30 percent of the county’s total increase in residents, and about 31 percent of its jobs.

Empty-nesters and the millennial generation are among those who will populate the county over the next 20 years.

Despite the age gap of these groups, they both want many of the same amenities such as shops, restaurants and safe, walkable communities, said Matt Armstrong, Pasco’s executive planner for the Long Range Planning Group.

“The patterns of what we think we need…we have to make those choices now,” he said. “We have to figure out what pieces of TOD (transit-oriented development) do we think we can accommodate now so, when the time comes, we’re ready for it. We can’t go back and change patterns of development at that point.”

Published October 7, 2015

Dade City joins Pasco’s 911 system

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911Dade City Police Chief Ray Velboom could see the need for better communications between his police officers and deputies with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, on a daily basis.

Each agency had 911 centers operating on different radio frequencies.

“We’re surrounded by the county. We interact with them every day,” said Velboom. But, a deputy who needed assistance just outside city limits might be sent backup from 10 miles away, when a Dade City police officer was a few blocks away.

Critical time can be lost and the safety of police officers jeopardized, Velboom said.

On Oct. 5, a consolidation of the Dade City 911 Center and Pasco County’s Public Safety Communications addressed that problem.

Two staff members from Dade City completed weeks of training with the new consolidated system and transferred to Pasco’s Emergency Operations Center in New Port Richey.

The consolidation had been under discussion for two years as a way to increase both public safety and efficiency.

“It just made sense,” Velboom said.

The consolidation also reduces duplication because Dade City police officers now will file police reports on the county’s system. Both agencies previously had separate records management systems.

“We’ll be sharing all the data,” said Velboom.

Dade City will pay the county about $90,000 a year.

Velboom will serve on a board of directors that will oversee emergency operations, including the hiring and firing of staff.

“We have some ownership of this,” he said.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said law enforcement agencies across the country are moving toward consolidation, in part due to recommendations that emerged after the 9/11 terrorists attacks.

“We have realized that public safety communications is critical for the safety of our citizens and first responders,” Nocco said.

Several months ago, the Pasco County Commission approved hiring of eight additional call takers for the county’s emergency operations.

Call takers answer 911 calls and relay information to dispatchers who use GPS tracking to pinpoint locations of patrol units for both Dade City and the county.

Pasco County has 15 administrative staff members and 82 operational members.

About 600,000 calls for service are answered each year.

The increasing volume of calls is complicated by the disappearance of landline phone service in favor of cellphones, Velboom said.

Under the old separate systems, a resident who called 911 in Dade City from a cellphone would reach the county’s emergency center in New Port Richey. That call would then be transferred to Dade City’s emergency center where information had to be repeated, and there was a chance of a dropped call.

“About 75 to 80 percent of 911 calls come in on cellphones,” Velboom said. “And cellphone calling is going to go up.”

Consolidation also has brought improvements regarding how calls are handled.

In years past, dispatchers were trained to handle one of three types of calls: police, fire or medical. Velboom said now dispatchers are cross-trained in all three protocols.

“One dispatcher can answer every call,” he said. “It makes it so much easier.”

Published October 7, 2015

Church uses prayer to help find a building place

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Grace Community of Wesley Chapel has completed its master site plan and a conceptual floor plan for the first phase of its main church campus, but it must raise additional funds before commencing construction.

The proposed 7,760-square-foot building will seat up to 200 worshippers, and will be constructed on a site of about 20 acres on Boyette Road, just south of Wesley Chapel District Park, said Pastor Jeff Olsen.

The property was acquired by the church in April 2014.

Pastor Jeff Olsen said Grace Community of Wesley Chapel prayed over several sites before finding the place where it will build its permanent home. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Pastor Jeff Olsen said Grace Community of Wesley Chapel prayed over several sites before finding the place where it will build its permanent home.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The church also will provide ample room for a full children’s program on Sunday mornings, and will host a Christian preschool and other programs during the week.

Dykes-Johnson Architects, of Brandon, designed the structure, which features a large cross in the middle of a glass entryway that will lead into the main gathering area.

Future phases have been planned, so the church will be able to grow along with the community surrounding it, Olsen said.

There will be space for fellowship events, outreach ministries, and recreation.

Plans call for a community park that would serve as a place not only for the church’s congregation, but also would be available for neighborhood use.

The building project’s theme is “Reaching Beyond Ourselves,” which reflects the desire to extend God’s love beyond the church walls and to make a difference in the local community, Olsen said.

The project is expected to cost about $1.2 million, in addition to the $430,000 the church already paid to secure the land.

The congregation currently meets at Wesley Chapel Elementary School, 30243 Wells Road, so its new home will be close by.

Its worship service includes traditional and contemporary Christian music, a Biblical message, and an interactive children’s program it calls “Grace Harbor” for children, from 3 months old to age 11.

Finding the site for the church was no simple feat, said Olsen, who has led Grace Community since its inception in April 2006.

Grace Community initially met at Kids R Kids preschool in Meadow Pointe, then moved to Wiregrass Ranch High School and now meets at Wesley Chapel Elementary.

“The hardest thing in a growing area, believe it or not, is finding places to meet,” Olsen said. “We asked 25 different places if we could meet,” he said, including restaurants, clubhouses and schools.

Although meeting in a temporary space has served the church, there was a desire to find a permanent home.

“Portable church — you know, setting up, taking down — is a great way to connect with people. You focus on ministry, outreach, community, in the early years. But over time, it creates some fatigue and some limits for growth,” Olsen said.

“So, we felt in order to set up something that was healthy and fruitful for the future, that we would look for a property.

“Boy, was that hard,” Olsen said.

The church began by praying for a new place to call home.

“We virtually canvassed every available plot,” the pastor said. “We had a 20-point checklist.

“This is what we want.: Ingress and egress. All utilities. No flood zones. High and dry. Clear and ready to build.

“This was the only one (site). We had looked for years and never found even five good acres on a paved road in Wesley Chapel.

“We held a prayer tour, where we went and prayed at various locations within the community, asking God, if he wanted our ministry to focus in a particular area that we would find a location.

“We prayed for property near the PHSC (Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch) property, if God wanted us to do college ministry.

“We prayed for property in Meadow Pointe, if God wanted us to do residential. We prayed for property on (State Road) 54, where there would be kind of the business (focus). I was involved in the chamber of commerce.

“And then we prayed for property up in the Wells Road and Boyette, where there were schools and a park,” Olsen said.

“That was the door that God opened. We prayed over a broad group of properties, and it was where we were meant to be,” Olsen said.

“We prayed. God provided a contract. We need to get it in cash. On our last day, we received $41,000, on the last day before we had to opt out,” Olsen said.

The building committee has cleared old agricultural fences and made the property usable.

“We’ve had prayer meetings. We’ve had some sports activities out there,” Olsen said.

The church hopes to raise $850,000 by Jan. 6, which is Epiphany, in order to have the first phase of the church ready for use by next fall.

“If we don’t have the money, we wait. If we have the money, we move forward.

“God is preparing a place for us, and he’s also preparing us for the place,” Olsen said.

For more information, call Pastor Jeff Olsen at (813) 994-9363, or visit ExploreGrace.com.

Published October 7, 2015

Teacher says technology is ‘great equalizer’

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If Woodland Elementary teacher Bobbi Starling had it her way, every child would have access to the kinds of technology her students use.

“The technology in my room does not represent what is school-wide. The other classrooms have one iPad for the whole classroom,” said Starling, who earlier this year was named one of 100 teachers nationwide as a PBS Digital Innovator.

From left, Kaitlyn Gard, Isabelle Hicks, William Poe and Bryce Beson use traditional and digital tools during a science lesson about adaptation. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
From left, Kaitlyn Gard, Isabelle Hicks, William Poe and Bryce Beson use traditional and digital tools during a science lesson about adaptation.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

Woodland Elementary, which has an enrollment of roughly 1,000, is a Title 1 school, meaning that it serves children living in an area with high rates of poverty.

“The PTAs in communities with higher socioeconomics provide the equipment the schools can’t provide,” said Starling, who has been able to equip her classroom by securing grants.

She believes technology levels the playing field in education.

“I think it’s the great equalizer. They (students) get to experience a lot of things they normally would not have access to,” Starling said.

“We do virtual field trips,” said Starling, who also was selected by PBS as one of the nation’s 30 lead digital innovators.

Starling incorporates digital tools in every aspect of her teaching.

In science, for instance, the students use electronic notebooks as well as traditional notebooks.

Her lessons combine instruction from Starling, as well as information from videos that play on each student’s computer.

Children wear ear pods, as they listen to the videos to gather needed information to answer questions.

And, as they work through the lesson, students record what they’re learning in their science notebooks.

They cut and paste the old-fashioned way, using scissors to trim worksheets and glue sticks to paste them into their notebooks.

They move with ease, from traditional to digital.

Technology gives children access to a much broader frame of reference than traditional textbooks.

And, when there’s a glitch or a question, Starling is right there to help.

Besides engaging the students in the classroom at her Zephyrhills school, Starling also spends considerable time before and after school preparing to deliver instruction.

“I try to make it personalized for the kids. I try to figure out what they’re missing and then try to fill those gaps. They’re kind of like Swiss cheese, and I’m trying to fill the holes — and the holes are not the same for every kid in every subject. They are all so different.

“So, to really try to pinpoint what they need and then get something (to fill the gap), takes a long time,” Starling said.

Bryce Beson and Bobby Hilton listen to a video through their ear pods during a science class in Bobbi Starling’s class at Woodland Elementary. Starling wishes all children had the same kind of access to technology as the students in her classroom have.
Bryce Beson and Bobby Hilton listen to a video through their ear pods during a science class in Bobbi Starling’s class at Woodland Elementary. Starling wishes all children had the same kind of access to technology as the students in her classroom have.

She customizes instruction. Some children may be reading for one purpose, while others are reading for another.

“It depends upon what their goal is, and what they are working on at the time and what they need,” Starling said.

Besides obtaining grants, Starling’s classroom is involved in a district pilot of an engineering program called “Project Lead the Way.”

Her selection as a lead digital innovator by PBS enabled her to attend an all-expense paid summit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she enjoyed luxurious accommodations and great food, while enhancing her digital know-how.

She also had the opportunity to attend some sessions at the International Society for Technology in Education conference. And, she has access to premium content from PBS.

For “Project Lead the Way,” Starling went down to Florida Gulf Coast University, where she spent a week in the dorms, again, adding to her tech savvy.

Starling is obviously passionate about her work.

Her interest in becoming a teacher dates back to when she was just age 5.

“I had a teacher that I fell in love with in kindergarten,” she said. “I just loved being there.”

She believes that new educational standards, commonly referred to as Common Core, benefit both students and teachers.

“I think that it definitely helps them (students) to become college ready, and I actually think that it really focuses the instruction (for teachers),” Starling said.

Teachers can look at the standards children are expected to achieve and plan how they are going to get them there, she said.

The culture at Woodland Elementary promotes a college education for every child.

“They go to a different college campus every year, from the time they are in kindergarten,” Starling said. “For a lot of the kids at Woodland, they might be the first kid in their family to get to college.”

And, while the teacher believes that new education standards are beneficial, she also realizes that the transition may not be easy.

Children beginning kindergarten with the new standards in place will have an easier time than fifth-graders who are facing new expectations, she said.

For older students, she said, “not only do you have to teach that year of standards, but you have to go back and fill in, and make sure that they’ve got the standards that they missed before it became Common Core,” Starling said.

Starling applauds the idea of adding standards for speaking, listening and technology.

“Most of the jobs that these kids will be competing for have not even been invented yet. I definitely think that they need the 21st century learning skills. Collaboration is going to be big. They’re going to have to be pretty techie,” Starling said.

As a teacher, Starling hopes her students will realize “that learning is fun — and that they should be lifelong learners, that every day they should be learning something new.”

She also hopes parents understand that they can turn to her if they need help in supporting their child’s education.

“Sometimes, I’m not sure that they’re aware of what’s available, or what’s out there, or how to help them (their children).

“I guess my message to them would be if they needed anything, whether it was resources, information or just extra time, that I could meet with parents and kids one-on-one,” Starling said.

While teachers do not command the kind of salary often enjoyed by those in other professions, Starling has not been tempted to leave teaching.

“The pay is there for me. It’s not monetary pay – but the pay you get in changing lives, making kids realize if they can dream it, they can do it.

“I am excited every day,” Starling said.

Published October 7, 2015

Yoga sessions for babies and adults

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The sessions that Eric and Erin Wheeler lead at the New Tampa Regional Library are aimed at creating a safe space where children and adults can interact, and learn techniques to promote good health.

The couple, who operates Lucky Cat Yoga, based in Seminole Heights, leads yoga sessions throughout Tampa Bay.

At the New Tampa library branch, they lead a half-hour class, once a month.

The class includes baby massage, songs and dance, stretching exercises and other activities.

“It’s all about creating community,” Erin Wheeler said. “It’s about allowing a safe space for the caregivers to go to be able to meet other people with children around the same age.

“It’s the same opportunity for the children — to meet and socialize,” she said.

A group of 26 adults and children do a morning stretch at the beginning of the session. Erin and Eric Wheeler lead the Parent, Baby and Yoga class. Despite its name, the class is intended for babies and their caregivers, whether they are parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or others, Erin Wheeler said. (Steven C. Hollingshead/Photo)
A group of 26 adults and children do a morning stretch at the beginning of the session. Erin and Eric Wheeler lead the Parent, Baby and Yoga class. Despite its name, the class is intended for babies and their caregivers, whether they are parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or others, Erin Wheeler said.
(Steven C. Hollingshead/Photo)

And, both children and adults get a chance to learn from each other, she added.

It’s not a typical yoga class.

“We do song and dance, movement,” Wheeler said.

Most classes attract a mix of people. Some have been there before, while others are new to the class.

The class is paid for by The Friends of the New Tampa Regional Library, and is offered for free to participants.

The class offers children a chance to do something interactive and healthy, Wheeler said.

“It puts them on a track — that a lot of us didn’t have as children — for optimum health and wellness, through this kind of holistic art,” she said.

Wheeler said the class also is presented at the Lutz Branch Library once a month.

To find out when the next class will be at the New Tampa and Lutz libraries, visit the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library system’s website at THPL.org.

Published October 7, 2015