The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

County roads could get boost through gas, property tax hikes

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Henry Wilson was dead set against an additional tax on a gallon of gas last year, and he’s not changing his mind now.

However, the Pasco County commissioner could be alone in his convictions this time, as commission chair Jack Mariano hinted he might support raising that tax by 2 cents per gallon.

With county roads needing repair, Pasco County commissioners seem poised to add at least another 2 cents to its county gas tax. (File Photo)
With county roads needing repair, Pasco County commissioners seem poised to add at least another 2 cents to its county gas tax.
(File Photo)

That would all but ensure the gas tax in Pasco County would go up, as four of the five commissioners are required to support it. Mariano had joined Wilson in opposition of it last year, which many — including their fellow commissioners — have blamed for continued deterioration of county roads this past year.

“When I went through this last year, I was asking how much do we really need, and how much do we really want,” Mariano said at a commission workshop last week. “I didn’t want to put in a tax that was going to keep reoccurring if we didn’t need it.”

A 2-cent gas tax raise would alone generate about $3.2 million. However, the county is looking to increase revenue by at least $5 million to stay at the same level of road work as last year, or even as much as $8 million to fully get the county back on track.

The only other way the commission could raise that kind of money is by levying additional property tax to homeowners in the county. Supporters of the gas tax say it’s more fair because the people using the roads are the ones paying for it, whether they live in the county or not. Opponents fear the additional tax would be passed to consumers, and that drivers will wait to get to a neighboring county with cheaper gas before stopping at the pump.

Mariano, however, isn’t convinced that a property tax increase would be needed to raise an additional $5 million or even $8 million. Instead, he wants to use reserve funds — the county’s financial fallback in case it runs out of money — to wipe out the shortfall instead.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey didn’t like that idea at all. “I don’t see how you do operation and maintenance out of your piggy bank,” she said.

But Mariano believes the reserve fund is not following its original purpose, which he says is to keep tax rates low during tough economic times by using saved cash sitting in the bank.

Starkey wanted nothing of it, citing her past experience on the Pasco County school board, and how she saw business being done with neighboring districts.

“We did not go into that,” Starkey said of the reserved funds. “I saw other school boards get into that, and they expected the state to bail them out when they got in trouble. Those school board members were not making a hard vote to have a balanced budget by going into their reserves, and they got into trouble. To me, that is very bad fiscal policy.”

Commissioner Ted Schrader was ready to do more than that, willing to commit to a 3-cent gas tax, and to limit raising property taxes to as small a number as possible.

“You raise the millage rate, you may not hear it, but I hear it,” Schrader told Mariano. “It’s even higher for non-homestead property, and higher for business and retailers.”

The commission would raise more than enough money to meet its needs by increasing the gas tax to as much as 5 cents. However, that move would not have the support of either Mariano, who says he’s limited to 2 cents, and Wilson, who is against a gas tax increase at all.

A 2-cent increase would cost motorists an additional $15 annually, or 29 cents a week assuming they filled the tank weekly and gas stations pass those increases to motorists. To hit the $8 million mark, commissioners would have to raise property taxes at least 0.25 mills, which would have an additional financial impact of $12.66 on a home valued at $100,000 that also carries $50,000 in exemptions.

Commissioners will have to come to some kind of a consensus before the end of the month. County Administrator Michele Baker said she starts putting together next year’s budget just after the July 4 holiday.

Commissioner Pat Mulieri, who supports raising the gas tax, said it’s important to get this issue decided before work begins on the budget.

“You’re never going to make everyone happy in this world,” she said. “You just have to do what you believe is the right thing to do.”

Published June 11, 2014

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New farmer’s market opens on U.S. 41 in Lutz

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For months, it was hard to figure out what was going on at the lot the east side of U.S. 41 just north of Newberger Road.

First, the field was empty. Then, the land was cleared.

Then a building that looked like a barn was built. Then, the earth was plowed.

Angela Madonia and her mother, Josephine Argento, own The Family Farm on 41, a business that wants to provide fresh vegetables and fruits to encourage healthy eating. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Angela Madonia and her mother, Josephine Argento, own The Family Farm on 41, a business that wants to provide fresh vegetables and fruits to encourage healthy eating.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

In mid-May, it became abundantly clear what was up — a new farmer’s market was opening on the Lutz site, not far from Land O’ Lakes.

The business, called The Family Farm on 41, opened May 23. It is co-owned by Angela Madonia and her mother, Josephine Argento.

The market has a diverse selection of fruits and vegetables, as well as a few flowering plants. Besides the old standbys of corn, potatoes, apples, melons, onions, zucchinis and tomatoes, there also are more interesting choices such as Italian squash, tomatillos, Hungarian wax peppers, specialty squash and jicama.

Beyond produce, the market stocks milk without hormones, farm fresh eggs, honey, cakes, jam, cheeses, ice cream and juices.

“The concept is providing the freshest and healthiest fruits and veggies to our customers,” Madonia said. “We will be growing strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peppers, carrots, corn, radishes, pumpkins and okra. We will start harvesting in late August or early September.”

The market and the field where the fruits and vegetables will be grown are on an 8-acre plot on the north side of Newberger Road. Just across the street, on the east side of Newberger Road, the family is planning a pumpkin patch and hayrides on another 8-acre tract.

The family chose the location because it is ideally situated between Tampa and Land O’ Lakes, on a road traveled by thousands of people.

They chose to get into the fresh food business because they understand that people are becoming more interested in leading a healthy lifestyle, Madonia said. The business also fits her family’s personal goals. Madonia and her husband have two small children, and they want to teach them how to eat properly to maintain good health.

Eventually, the business will offer a “U-pick” option for customers.

The market’s hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., every day. At some point they plan to close one day a week, but they haven’t determined which day yet. That will depend on customer demand, Madonia said.

Published  June 11, 2014

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Pay it forward saves my dog

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The “pay it forward” concept isn’t a new one; indeed some sources say it dates back to the days of ancient Greece.

But it has a much more immediate meaning for me.

I live in Land O’ Lakes in the Lakeshore Ranch community. My children are grown and I’m gone a lot for work and travel. Because of that, I’ve met just a few neighbors since moving here a year ago.

Jonas, shown, caused his owner Diane Kortus to panic when she couldn’t find him, after Jonas got loose after she forgot to close the sliding glass door that leads to her backyard that borders a lake, where Kortus has seen gators swimming.
Jonas, shown, caused his owner Diane Kortus to panic when she couldn’t find him, after Jonas got loose after she forgot to close the sliding glass door that leads to her backyard that borders a lake, where Kortus has seen gators swimming.

I’m content here with my 9-year-old dog, Jonas, a handsome Airedale terrier. He is a dear dog, and just a month ago, he completed chemotherapy treatments for a cancer common in large dogs.

After a rough few months of surgery and then chemo, Jonas is doing amazingly well now.

So, imagine my panic when a few days after his final chemo treatment, Jonas went missing.

When I left in the morning, I was running late for a breakfast meeting and I raced out of my house without realizing that I’d left the sliding glass door wide open to my backyard. After breakfast, I dropped by my house before heading to work to check on Jonas.

I came in through the garage door and immediately saw the open sliding glass door. As soon as I saw that, I knew that Jonas was gone.

Fear set in as I looked into my backyard, which borders on a lake. The yard doesn’t have a fence, and I’ve seen gators in the lake. To make things worse, I had taken off Jonas’ collar before I left. So, even if anyone found Jonas, they wouldn’t know where to call.

I had no idea where to look first. Jonas had a two-hour head start.

I drove up and down the streets of my neighborhood, calling out for Jonas. A couple colleagues came out to help in the search.

I showed a picture of Jonas to the people I saw and asked them to call me if they found him.

When the search turned up empty after an hour, I was feeling frantic.

Then, Suzanne Beauchaine, a co-worker and fellow dog owner, decided to walk my street again, this time carrying a leash. About halfway down the block a woman saw Suzanne holding the leash and asked if was looking for a dog.

It turns out that another neighbor, Diana Gonzalez, had seen Jonas wandering in her backyard not long after I had left home, and had put him in her lanai. Diana took a picture of Jonas and posted it on her Facebook page, asking friends if anyone knew who owned the dog.

Within minutes, a neighbor told Diana said she knew where the dog lived, and Diana left a note on my door, letting me know she had found him. I didn’t see that note, though, because I’d gone into my house through the garage.

This story’s happy ending relates back to the concept of paying it forward. When I was talking to Diana after I got Jonas back, she told me her husband initially didn’t want her to get involved because Jonas is a large dog and he wasn’t wearing tags.

Understandably, Diana’s husband was concerned for her safety.

But Diana said seeing Jonas reminded her of an occasion when her dog, Rocky, a 13-year-old golden mix, was lost shortly after they moved to Lakeshore Ranch.

“We were out of town and my sister was taking care of Rocky when he wandered off,” Diana recalls. “She was looking for Rocky and we were so worried. Then a neighbor saw her searching and told her that another neighbor had put Rocky in her lanai.”

So, when Diana saw Jonas, she told her husband it was their turn to “pay it forward” for someone else.

To those of you who are pet owners, I’m sure you realize how grateful I am to the Gonzalez family for their kindness. They protected my pet, who I nearly lost to illness, and then nearly lost again because I forgot to close the door.

Now, Jonas is back where he belongs.

And, the power of paying it forward lives on.

Published June 11, 2014

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Guv’na candidate Cindy Perkins makes charity work a habit

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Chiropractor Cindy Perkins hails from Browns Valley, Minnesota, a city of about 800 people. And perhaps for that reason, she feels right at home in Lutz.

“The Lutz area drew me in because it’s a nice area,” she said. “It still kind of has that small-town feel, but you still have a lot of accessibility to city things. And it’s a nice place to raise a family.”

When Chiropractor Cindy Perkins isn’t treating her patients at the Back in Health Wellness Center, she’s vying for the ceremonial title of Lutz Guv’na. (Courtesy of Cindy Perkins)
When Chiropractor Cindy Perkins isn’t treating her patients at the Back in Health Wellness Center, she’s vying for the ceremonial title of Lutz Guv’na.
(Courtesy of Cindy Perkins)

Perkins has a son, Lyndon, 7, who wasn’t born when Perkins first moved to Florida. That happened a decade ago, and she has spent the past five years in Lutz.

Her practice, Back in Health Wellness Center, 18942 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Suite 102, is located in Lutz as well. And if all goes well during her campaign, she hopes to be the next Lutz Guv’na.

The ceremonial title is given to the candidate who raises the most money for charity during the “campaign,” which concludes over the Fourth of July weekend. Armed with a number of fundraisers, Perkins hopes to raise the biggest total and come away with the title. But either way, she wants to be part of an effort to help area organizations.

The money raised by all the Guv’na candidates goes to local groups.

“It really appeals to me that the money that’s raised through the Guv’na campaign goes back to local schools or local nonprofits or the library,” Perkins said.

Helping charities already is part of her regular regimen. Perkins has been a team captain and served on the executive planning committee for Carrollwood Relay for Life benefiting the American Cancer Society. She also participated as the chiropractor for the sports medicine team at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk in St. Petersburg, a 60-mile trek to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer.

Aside from chiropractic services, Perkins’ practice also provides massage therapy, exercise rehabilitation and acupuncture. She performs most of the services herself, and said she enjoys working closely with different patients, treating a variety of issues and providing them with education regarding how to live healthier and resume enjoyable activities.

And while that education often includes specific and detailed treatments, the Guv’na hopeful has a quick tip regarding back health: Don’t stay in that chair too long.

“Our bodies weren’t designed to be sitting for four, six, eight hours a day, and it leads to bad things to your neck and for your back,” Perkins explained. “Get up and move around and stretch just a little bit every hour or two.”

Perkins has decided to be active when it comes to her campaign, with plenty of events designed to draw in the dollars. She has a Bunco event scheduled for June 13, a quarter auction on June 21 and a potential bowling event with the other candidates in the works as well.

In addition, Perkins is having a drawing for a one-year massage membership and offers “flamingo flocking,” where a person can have a friend’s yard decorated with lawn flamingoes for a donation. The recipient can then donate to have them removed and order their own flocking for someone else.

But even though she’s going all out to take the title, Perkins said she’s built a strong camaraderie with the other candidates, since they’re all active participants in the community and share a common goal of raising funds for needy local causes.

“It’s all in good fun. We’re all doing it for the same reason, to try and raise money for the community and try to make a difference in the community,” she said.

For more information about the Back in Health Wellness Center, call (813) 909-0961 or visit BackinHealthWellness.com.

For information regarding Perkins’ Lutz Guv’na campaign, or visit tinyurl.com/GuvnaPerkins.

Published June 11, 2014

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New Rotary Club forming in Lutz

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Business, professional and community leaders are forming a new chapter of Rotary Club International in Lutz, and the club is welcoming new members.

Doug Andrews, who is organizing the new Lutz Rotary Club, said the organization offers excellent opportunities to build business connections, meet new friends, get involved in service projects and take part in cultural exchanges.

Rotary Club of New Tampa is sponsoring the club until it forms its own chapter, which can happen as soon as it has 20 members, Andrews said.

The club meets on Tuesdays at 7 a.m., at Heritage Harbor Golf and Country Club, 19502 Heritage Harbor Parkway.

The club meets in the morning because Andrews said he thought it would be easier for people to make a morning meeting, especially commuters, than it would be to get to a meeting at noon.

Andrews is the foundation chair for the Rotary district including Hillsborough, Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties. That district has more than 45 clubs, with more than 2,000 members, Andrews said.

Those clubs are engaged in wide-ranging projects, he said. The Brandon club, for instance, is involved in a beekeeping project in Tanzania, while the Ybor City club is involved in a pediatric cardiac care project in Kingston, Jamaica.

Rotary Club of Tampa is providing 100 portable heart defibrillators to be carried in Tampa Police Department cruisers to provide life-saving help.

Other clubs are packing food to help feed the hungry, providing dictionaries for elementary school students, or helping out in other humanitarian ways.

Besides service projects, there also are opportunities for cultural exchanges. It includes a foreign exchange program for high school students and travel opportunities to other countries for adults, Andrews said.

Rotary also has a variety of programs aimed at helping to develop leadership among youths and young adults.

Anyone who is interested in learning about the Lutz Rotary Club can attend a meeting to see if they’d like to join, Andrews said. There is a $10 charge for a continental breakfast.

Published June 11, 2014

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WWII memorial ready for rededication Saturday

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When war broke out in Europe and Asia in the 1940s, Pasco County was nothing more than a small farming and citrus group of communities.

The Pasco County World War II Memorial has been a part of Dade City’s downtown attractions since it was first dedicated in 1954, and has been a part of many ceremonies there, including the recent Fallen Officers memorial for law enforcement personnel killed in the line of duty. A restored memorial will be rededicated on Flag Day, June 14. (File Photo)
The Pasco County World War II Memorial has been a part of Dade City’s downtown attractions since it was first dedicated in 1954, and has been a part of many ceremonies there, including the recent Fallen Officers memorial for law enforcement personnel killed in the line of duty. A restored memorial will be rededicated on Flag Day, June 14.
(File Photo)

But the people loved their country, and showed it by signing up and heading to war. In fact, one in eight Pasco residents would serve in the military during World War II, including Frank Ashbrook, the father-in-law to Pasco County commissioner Ted Schrader.

“He was captured during the invasion of Normandy, and spent 18 months in a prisoner war camp in Germany,” Schrader said.

Ashbrook’s name is one of 1,855 county residents listed on the Pasco County World War II Memorial at the Historic Dade City Courthouse. This weekend will mark the 60th anniversary of the memorial’s dedication, and Schrader will lead a rededication ceremony June 14 that will include the official unveiling of a new, more permanent granite memorial.

The granite slabs replace the original wood panels that have deteriorated significantly since the memorial’s first dedication in 1954.

“The courthouse is where my office is, and I would come in every day to hear we had some vandalism or a skateboarder hit it, and we had to call (the facilities department) to come and make the necessary repairs,” Schrader said. “It was really just that it was time we did something different.”

Schrader reached out to then assistant county administrator Dan Johnson, and they were able to secure seed money of $25,000 from Pasco County officials, and another $15,000 from Dade City. The rest of the $40,000 cost would be made up from private donations that Johnson would gather.

In the end, however, the memorial cost less than the estimate, and the final price tag was an even split between public money and private donations.

The rededication ceremony will begin at 11 a.m., Saturday in front of the courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City. Schrader will emcee the event, and will be join by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, who will present a special flag.

Of all the people who served, a vast majority of them did return home, including Ashbrook. Just under 40 soldiers from Pasco County died in the line of duty.

However, seven decades is a long time, and many of the returning veterans from World War II have been lost over the years.

“Unfortunately, they are reaching an age where they are not going to be with us much longer,” Schrader said. “It was important for those who are still alive and for their family members that we make sure this memorial is here forever.”

Joining Schrader in the bandstand the memorial adorns are Florian Gude and Stanley Burnside. Both have their names on the wall, and still live in the area.

“I think Florian just turned 90,” Schrader said. “It’s really gratifying to be able to commemorate their service and reflect back on the sacrifices they made for our country.”

WHAT: Rededication of Pasco County World War II Memorial
WHEN: June 14 at 11 a.m.
WHERE: Historic Dade City Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., Dade City
COST: Free
INFO: PascoCountyFl.net

Published June 11, 2014

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Legislature votes to grant in-state tuition for undocumented students

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Legislation adopted by the Florida Legislature — and signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott on June 9  — will make college more affordable for undocumented workers.

The governor’s signature signals the end of an 11-year effort to allow undocumented workers who have completed at least three years in a Florida high school the opportunity to attend Florida state colleges at the in-state tuition rate.

The students, however, must enroll in the postsecondary school within 24 months of graduation.

Margarita Romo, executive director of Farmworkers Self-Help Inc., is pleased that the state legislature has passed a bill that will allow undocumented students to qualify for in-state tuition at Florida colleges. (File Photo)
Margarita Romo, executive director of Farmworkers Self-Help Inc., is pleased that the state legislature has passed a bill that will allow undocumented students to qualify for in-state tuition at Florida colleges.
(File Photo)

Margarita Romo, executive director of Farmworkers Self-Help Inc., in Dade City, played a major role in advocating for the change, and is pleased by the Legislature’s action.

“We’re very happy that we got what we got. It’s been a long time coming,” Romo said.

For years, she’s been taking undocumented students to Tallahassee to meet with lawmakers to explain why it is so important to allow them to attend Florida colleges without paying out-of-state tuition. Throughout that effort, Romo has repeated this refrain: “You can pick enough oranges to pay in-state tuition, but you cannot pick enough oranges to pay out-of-state tuition.”

With the adoption of this legislation, Florida will become the 20th state to offer some sort of in-state tuition to students brought to the United States illegally, according to The New York Times. Romo credited state House Speaker Will Weatherford’s support for playing a key role in gaining the legislation’s passage.

“The speaker of the house really knocked himself out,” said Romo, who was inducted last year into the Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame for her work in advocating for the needs of migrant farmworkers and immigrants.

Romo took three young men in to meet the Wesley Chapel Republican to discuss the issue, and Weatherford told her that made an impression.

“I was actually in the hospital when the speaker of the house called me,” she said. “Of course, I didn’t answer the phone because I was in the hospital. I just had my fourth heart attack. He called and left a message saying he had a surprise.

“He said, ‘I just want you to know that I am really going to support in-state tuition.’ That certainly gave my heart a lift. And, he kept his word.”

When the legislation passed, Weatherford issued a statement that said lawmakers were making history.

“For many years, children who are here through no fault of their own have waited for the opportunity to fully realizing their dreams,” Weatherford said in the statement. “Today, the Florida Legislature put those dreams into reach.”

While pleased with the legislation, Romo would like to see an amendment in the future that would remove the provision that limits the in-state tuition to those who have graduated from a Florida high school within the past two years. The battle to make this change began more than a decade ago and the two-year limit leaves out too many people who simply will never be able to attend college, without the lower rate, Romo said.

Published June 11, 2014

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Business Digest 06-11-14

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Central Pasco chamber readying banquet
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce is recruiting sponsors for its upcoming awards and installation banquet, which will be June 26 at 6 p.m., at Harbor Terrace Restaurant at Heritage Harbor in Lutz.

Sponsorships range from a table placement at $200, to speaking opportunities and other amenities at $1,000.

Tickets for the event are $45 each.

For more information, visit ChamberLogin.com, or call (813) 909-0827.

Florida Hospital parent receives Gallup award
Employees at Adventist Health System — the parent company of facilities like Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel and Florida Hospital Zephyrhills — have been recognized by Gallup as one of the best-performing, most productive and engaged work forces in the world.

This is the fourth year in a row that the company and all of its hospital campuses have received the Gallup Great Workplace Award. The company was one of 36 chosen to receive the award.

Chamber quarterly meeting
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will host a quarterly membership meeting June 11 at 9 a.m., at the chamber office, 38550 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills.

Speakers at the meeting include chamber president Carolyn Sentelik on the value of membership, and Vonnie Mikkelsen on matching expectations to results.

For information, call (813) 782-1913, or visit ZephyrhillsChamber.org.

Pasco’s Griswold location sold
Birdsong Ventures Inc., is adding to its Tampa office of Griswold Home Care by acquiring Griswold’s Pasco office.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Griswold is a non-medical private pay home care company that recruits, screens and refers caregivers who provide companion and personal care services to homebound people.

Founded in 1982, Griswold has 200 offices in 35 states. Its Pasco office was started 10 years ago in Central Pasco, and covers the entire county.

The new principals are Arthur and Frieda Moseley. Arthur is a certified senior advisor and is vice chair of the Hillsborough Seniors and Law Enforcement Together Council. Frieda is a registered nurse with more than 30 years experience.

Working in the office will be Alice Gilbert and Hilda Hellwig, who have a combined 30 years of experience in the caregiving field.

For information, visit GriswoldHomeCare.com.

USAA helps Florida win national award
The more than 1,200 new jobs affecting New Tampa’s USAA location didn’t go unnoticed by the company’s development peers at the national level, as the United Services Automobile Association has helped Florida win another Silver Shovel award for job creation.

The award, which is given by Area Development magazine, recognizes state economic development agencies that drive significant job creation through innovative policies, infrastructure improvements, processes and promotions that attract new employers and investments in new and expanded facilities, according to a release from Gov. Rick Scott’s office.

USAA is expanding its existing Bruce B. Downs Boulevard campus into Brandon, and will create an estimated 1,215 jobs through a capital investment of $164.3 million. Only Navy Federal Credit Union in Pensacola is bringing in more jobs — 2,200 after a capital investment of $206 million.

Store chain supports cancer research
HomeGoods in Lutz and New Tampa are supporting cancer care and research with its 13th annual “Helps Families Fight Cancer” campaign through June 29.

The program benefits Jimmy Fund, which supports pediatric and adult cancer care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Customers can make a contribution through the store, or purchase a reusable shopping bag for 99 cents featuring artwork by Jimmy Fund Clinic pediatric patient Aleah Smith, 7, of Massachusetts. HomeGoods will contribute 50 cents for each bag purchased to the fund.

HomeGoods is located at 17641 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz, and at 18061 Highwoods Preserve Parkway in New Tampa.

HART drivers honored for safety
The Tampa Area Safety Council has honored nine Hillsborough Area Regional Transit drivers with induction into the One Million Mile Club during its recent luncheon.

The drivers — Desmond Coulson, Demetra Jackson, Charles Evans, Rigoberto Oquendo, Luis Garcia, Thomas Palmore, David Gonzalez, Al Hughes and Antonio White — have careers with the bus system that date back to the late 1990s and early 2000s, and have completed an average of 14 consecutive years without a preventable accident.

The One Million Mile Club has been around since 1994, and now has 124 members. From that group, 24 of them are now inducted into the Two Million Mile Club, which requires 27 years of driving without a preventable accident.

Only one person, retired HART driver Samuel Baker, holds the title of a Three Million Mile Club member, a designation he earned in 2004 after driving 42 years without causing an accident.

Wesley Chapel chamber heading to Tuscany
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce is planning a nine-day trip to Tuscany, Italy.

The trip is planned to begin Oct. 20, and space is limited.

For information, call (813) 994-8534, or email .

Political Agenda 06-11-14

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Wilson endorsed by public safety group
Pasco County Commissioner Henry Wilson’s re-election campaign has received the endorsement of Pasco County Public Safety. That’s a group that includes the West Central Florida Chapter of the Police Benevolent Association, the Fraternal Order of Police Pasco County Sheriff’s Lodge No. 29, and the International Association of Firefighters Pasco County Local 4420.

Wilson also received the endorsement of the West Florida Women’s Conservative Republican Network.

Wilson is looking to return to his District 4 seat, but has a primary challenge by fellow Republican Mike Wells Jr., in August.

Wilson raised $200 for his campaign in April, bringing his total to $19,245. Wells, in his first month of campaigning, raised $20,700.

If no Democrat enters the race, Wells and Wilson will battle it out in an open primary Aug. 26.

Commission candidates to debate
The Conservative Club of East Pasco will host a debate between District 2 Pasco County Commission candidates Ken Littlefield and Bob Robertson June 16 at 6:30 p.m.

The two are racing against Mike Moore for the Republican nomination for the seat. Moore is not attending because he’ll be out of town, according to club secretary Nils Lenz.

The event will take place at the Zephyrhills Woman’s Club, 38549 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills. It will include introduction of new city leaders including Mayor Gene Whitfield, Councilman Alan Knight, and interim city manager Steve Spina.

For information, call Lenz at (813) 782-9491, or email him at .

Mike Wells fundraiser, endorsement
Mike Wells Jr., who is seeking the District 4 Pasco County Commission seat currently held by Henry Wilson, is holding a fundraiser June 17 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the home of Steve and Lynn Hickman, 37402 Church Ave., in Dade City.

As expected, Wells also received official public support from his father, Pasco County property appraiser Mike Wells Sr., who is encouraging supporters to either attend the June 17 fundraiser, or make contributions to him for his son’s campaign.

To RSVP, email .

Mobile hours for Ross
U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, will host mobile office hours July 8 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Lutz Library, 101 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road in Lutz.

Other dates in Lutz include Aug. 12, Sept. 9, Oct. 14 and Dec. 9.

For more information, call (863) 644-8215, or (813) 752-4790.

 

Liberty eighth-grader earns ‘primer lugar’ at Spanish spelling bee

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An eighth-grader at Liberty Middle School tied for first place in a recent spelling bee. To get there, however, she had to spell words like “piel” — that’s “skin” in Spanish.

From left are students Jack Richardson, Tania Sexauer and Catherine Weng, with their teacher Katie Smith. The students vied with competitors from 16 schools at the May 15 Spanish spelling bee. Weng won in the Spanish I category for non-native speakers. (Courtesy of Liberty Middle School)
From left are students Jack Richardson, Tania Sexauer and Catherine Weng, with their teacher Katie Smith. The students vied with competitors from 16 schools at the May 15 Spanish spelling bee. Weng won in the Spanish I category for non-native speakers.
(Courtesy of Liberty Middle School)

Catherine Weng shared top honors at the Spanish spelling bee held May 15 at the Roland Park magnet school. Roland Park was one of 16 Hillsborough County schools that participated in the event, which featured categories for beginners and second-tier Spanish speakers in both native and non-native divisions.

But this isn’t the first time Weng has found success in the spelling bee. She won first place last year while taking introductory Spanish classes.

Weng competed in the Spanish I category for non-native speakers this year, and earned the tie when she and another student exhausted all the words prepared for the bee.

“It’s really great getting to go back to school and say, ‘Hey guys, I won first!’” Weng said.

Weng’s first language is English, but she also speaks a little Mandarin at home. Being familiar with another language helps her acclimate to learning a new one, she said. And because Spanish words often are spelled the way they sound, Weng found success easier in the Spanish spelling bee.

But that doesn’t mean it’s a matter of just sounding out words and collecting a trophy. To spell Spanish words in the competition correctly, Weng also had to mention a letter’s accent mark by declaring “con acento” — or “with accent” — after that particular letter. Failing to designate the proper accents meant the spelling would be considered incorrect.

And, like all languages, some words don’t follow the expected protocol. For a non-native speaker, the challenge is knowing the foreign words well enough to recognize when to go with how the word sounds, and when the spelling is somewhat different.

According to Katie Smith, one of the Spanish teachers at Liberty Middle School, the Spanish spelling bee benefits students who are trying to grasp Spanish for the first time.

“The spelling bee itself helps the kids really recognize some of the nuances of the language,” she said.

By understanding where the words have accents, for example, they can improve their pronunciation and speak the language properly.

But it also helps those students who are native speakers, Smith said. Many children who come from Spanish-speaking households don’t necessarily get to write it. They grow up learning both Spanish words and English spelling rules, which can be confusing. The competition allows them to recognize the spelling protocol for Spanish, and helps keep the rules for both languages separate.

Weng joined fellow schoolmates Tania Sexauer and Jack Richardson, who competed in the beginning Spanish category. And while they didn’t finish as high as Weng, Smith said they should be very proud to have advanced through Liberty’s difficult internal competition to compete at the final event.

“That’s the thing I kept stressing to them,” she said. “Even though you may not have made it to the top five (in the spelling bee at Roland Park), it’s really OK, because the fact that you were able to go and represent the school is a big accomplishment in and of itself.”

The beginning Spanish classes are particularly large, with Weng, who has only been learning Spanish for a couple of years, plans to continue studying the language when she enters high school. But for now she’s excited that her studying paid off with another first-place finish, and the Spanish spelling bee has helped her learn a new language.

“I had done it last year so I knew it was coming up again this year, so I really made sure I knew how to spell the words correctly when we were learning them,” Weng said. “I think it’s a great experience. I think it really helps me focus on Spanish.”

Published June 4, 2014